Guyana Times Epaper Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Targeted cash transfers in Guyana right decision – IDB

The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government’s approach of targeted cash transfers to vulnerable groups of people has been applauded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in its latest economic report.

In its report, ‘Headwinds Facing Post-Pandemic Recovery in the Caribbean’, the IDB has been full of praise for the Government’s various economic policies, which had been tailored towards vulnerable groups during the turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine.

One highlight in the report is the way the Government increased targeted assistance to the elderly. Since the PPP/C entered office, monthly old-age pension has increased by about 40 per cent from $20,500 to $28,000, representing a total pension payout of more than $21 billion.

“One important approach is to provide additional targeted assistance to lower-income groups, including the elderly. For example, in Guyana, the Government’s

public assistance payments for vulnerable groups were increased from US$57 to US$67 per month, benefitting approximately 18,000 people.

“The Old Age Pension program, which benefits approximately 65,000 senior citizens, also provided a series of increases that raised the monthly payment from

US$98 in 2020 to US$134 in 2022,” the IDB noted.

According to the IDB, the economic literature has already shown that well designed and targeted conditional cash transfers can have positive and statistically significant effects, as seen in Jamaica’s ‘Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education’ and

Brazil’s ‘Bolsa Familia’.

“Furthermore, in July 2022, in line with a broad economic consensus, the IMF, World Bank, Food and Agricultural Organization, World Trade Organization, and World Food Programme argued in a joint statement that cash transfers to the most vulnerable are more effective – both in cost and impact – than untargeted food and energy subsidies,” the bank noted.

The PPP/C Government’s targeted cash transfers to vulnerable groups have pe-

riodically been criticised by Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton, who has claimed that the cash transfers are not being effectively managed. However, the cash transfers have so far benefitted thousands.

Last year, the World Bank had noted that Guyana had the third highest share of households to receive emergency cash transfers during the COVID-19 pandemic… at a rate of approximately 70 per cent. Only El Salvador and Bolivia had higher rates of emergency cash transfers, compared to the other 22 countries surveyed.

With the aim of cushioning the high shipping costs due to the global pandemic, President Dr Irfaan Ali had also announced several reductions to shipping-related charges, to the tune of $4.8 billion, in order to bring relief to citizens and businesses last year.

There was also the Government’s $19,000 per child “Because We Care” initiative, which comprises the grant, valued at $15,000, and the school uniform and supplies voucher, valued at $4000.

Government has committed to increasing the “Because We Care” cash grant incrementally each year until it reaches $50,000. The school uni-

form and supplies voucher was increased last year from $2000 to $4000, representing a 100 per cent increase.

Piloted back in 2014 under the previous PPP/C Administration, this initiative was designed to assist parents with children in the public school system with some financial support, thereby raising the disposable income in households and increasing attendance rates.

It was scrapped in 2015 after the APNU/AFC Government took office.

Last year, the new PPP/C Administration reintroduced the grant, raising it from $10,000 to $15,000 per child, in addition to raising the uniform allowance from $2000 to $4000.

Then there were Government policies last year that resulted in some $28 billion in banking relief to businesses in various sectors, and to consumers, helping to cushion them from the fallout of the pandemic.

This year, the Government has continued its policy of targeted transfers. In October 2022, a $28,000 cash grant was announced… the second oneoff transfer to pensioners by the PPP/C Government, after it had increased oldage pension from $20,500 to $28,000 in its over two years in office. (G3)

A scene from last year’s COVID-19 cash transfers

FERRY SCHEDULE

2 struggling Berbice mothers get new homes for Christmas

…“This is what Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is” – President Ali

Two struggling mothers on Christmas Day each received from President Dr Irfaan Ali brand new, fully-furnished homes through the Men On Mission (MOM) initiative.

her husband Parmannand Drepaul, 38, and the couple’s six children. The initiative to get the family a new house was undertaken by MOM, which is spearheaded by the President, who

called a “fine job”.

“This concrete, this fence, this entire building was done in six days... this contractor has shown that with what he is blessed with he can give back to society. This is what Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is about. When many businessmen across the country

been living in a small tent that was not large enough for the family to sleep in comfortably.

Additionally, financial constraints made it difficult for the children to be adequately provided for; many times they went without meals.

“It is easy to write about

A new and furnished house located at Bloomfield, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) was presented by President Ali as a Christmas gift to Rominia Benedict, 29;

called to be a part of the Men On Mission programme, this is exactly what we want to do,” the Head of State said.

On December 18, Guyana Times published Benedict’s story, in which she appealed for assistance to ensure she and her children had some comfort for Christmas.

In the story, which was also aired by the Evening News and appeared on iNews, Benedict said she had

a problem, but solving the problem and taking the challenge to fix the problem is far different from writing about the problem,” President Ali said, while pointing out that it was one example that shows the oneness of the Guyanese people. He noted that while it was his initiative, the house was built by a single individual and furnished by another.

learnt of Benedict’s struggles through an article published by Guyana Times on December 18, 2022.

The President thanked the contractor for what he

The new house given to the mother of six by President Dr Irfaan Ali

Rominia Benedict and her family exploring their new home

Wendy Williams and her three children

The house that Wendy Williams received

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Reflecting and New Year’s resolutions

The advent of the New Year has always been a time when people reflect on the past year, perhaps what they have achieved in terms of their personal and professional goals, and what they intend to accomplish in the coming year. In Guyana, we have always treated New Year as a time when we cleanse our houses and get our affairs in order, such as financial and business, and even familial; so that, for the rest of the year, we would be able to accomplish what we did not manage to accomplish in the previous year.

The New Year is also a time when we make resolutions. Many have quipped that the New Year resolutions do not last for more than a week or so, but we have known examples of New Year resolutions being very creative and helpful, and we think that everyone could benefit from this experience. It is important that we set realistic targets/ goals, and work hard towards achieving them.

In our New Year resolutions, we can do no better than to follow what the famous Roman Philosopher-Emperor Marcus Aurelius taught us. In his work, Marcus Aurelius tackled issues like how we should live our lives, what justice means, and how we can live with the knowledge that someday we will no longer exist. He taught us that we must treat every day as if it were the last day of our lives. This means that we must work to the optimum to make a positive difference in our communities and country, and maximise our time on earth. We believe that his reflections are still relevant, especially at this time of the year.

The PPP/C Government has been in office for just over two years, and has sustained its brilliant start, since it has determined never to allow dictatorship to return, following what happened in Guyana during the 2020 General and Regional Elections. It is providing relief to households, stimulating small businesses, negotiating with large foreign investors, and developing the agricultural industries. The forestry and mining sectors are also being stimulated.

The present political milieu in Guyana clearly indicates that democracy and development go hand in hand, and that Guyana is embarking on a period of development which would transform the country into one of the wealthiest, best-governed and most democratic countries in the world.

It is hoped that the citizenry: meaning all stakeholders, including the Government and other parliamentary parties, the business community, and ordinary citizens, would begin to focus on moving the country forward. Our past experiences are enough to convince us that we cannot risk going through any period of instability.

That said, in spite of the present uncertainties as a result of the world’s economic hardships, and the lingering COVID-19 pandemic, which has been stuck with us since 2020, this year should be seen as a year of renewed hope in our country and all that it has to offer.

Additionally, the Government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic compares with the best in the world. We are very hopeful that 2023 would be a year of great things.

With the growing oil sector, our leaders must use this resource to help create the right environment to allow citizens to be able to live in a free, happy, and prosperous country, where everyone could be given the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Our politicians should recommit themselves to working with each other for the benefit of the entire nation.

We hope that 2023 would bring happiness, peace, and prosperity to every Guyanese, both at home and abroad.

This festive season, many displaced women are struggling

By ElEanor MonBiot

This winter will be tougher than any most of us have known in our lifetime. Record high inflation, and skyrocketing fuel and food prices have led to protests and strikes across the world. Many families are facing difficult decisions on how to spend their dwindling incomes. But for households headed by displaced women, this winter will be even harsher.

About 34 million people are displaced by the conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine. A significant number of them live in households headed by women.

And these families truly struggle. Many live in tents that can easily collapse in heavy rain or snow. Income for them is hard to come by, as women struggle to get jobs amid high unemployment rates. It becomes even more difficult to find employment opportunities during the winter.

When they do find jobs, mothers face difficult choices about leaving their children alone and often have to deal with discrimination, harassment and prejudice. Pay could be as low as $1.50 per day and often does not cover expenses for food.

This winter, the situation is even worse because of quickly-rising inflation in conflict areas, which is hitting the displaced the hardest. In Syria, for example, the price of basic foods has jumped by 800 per cent in just two years.

Displaced people are also struggling to find warmth over the winter after fuel for

heating has become unaffordable. This is especially the case for women-headed households, which often have to resort to burning waste to warm up their tents or cook.

This exposes the whole family to dangerous gases that could kill. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that 3.2 million persons died in 2020 as a result of indoor pollution generated by such harmful practices; 237,000 were children under the age of five.

Indoor pollution also increases the risk of deaths from influenza, pneumonia and asthma and contributes to malnutrition.

While exact numbers of how many displaced people die as a result of waste burning for heating are not available, we do know that such incidents are regularly reported at camps for the displaced, and women-headed households are especially vulnerable.

As women struggle to keep their children fed and warm, they often fall into debt. This leaves them more exposed to violence and sexual exploitation and often forces them to engage in prostitution or give up their children to forced marriages or bonded labour. In Afghanistan, for example, girls are sold into marriage for US$2200.

Women-headed households also often find it difficult to keep children in school. They sometimes cannot attend, because they do not have shoes or coats to make the journey to school.

Everything becomes that more challenging when the days are shorter in the winter and darkness brings

heightened risk of abuse, harassment and kidnapping. With people crammed into single rooms to keep warm with little opportunity to go outside, tensions and domestic violence increase. The already restricted freedom of movement becomes even more unbearable. Unsurprisingly, mental health deteriorates during the winter.

Studies show that poor mental health of mothers is directly linked to long-term poor development indicators for children. Women we interviewed as part of World Vision research on the effect of winter on displaced communities said they had subjected their children to violence out of stress and frustration with their situation.

For humanitarian agencies, the difficult conditions displaced people face in the winter are nothing new and planning starts as early as July: from distribution of coats, shoes, heaters, to provision of fuel, flood prevention and management, repairs of shelters, to medical care and psychological support.

In Afghanistan, for example, everything must be in place by end of October ahead of the first snowstorms and it is the end of March before roads are open for trucks to pass again. But for all the planning, there are certain developments humanitarian agencies cannot predict: missile strikes on power plants, severe weather, an upsurge in fighting, global supply chain disruptions or, as is so often the case, lack of funds. As of the end of November, for example, the

winterisation programmes of all humanitarian organisations operating in Syria were just 11 per cent funded.

This year, many aid agencies have been stretched thin as the war in Ukraine has displaced millions more people. Many of them are members of women-headed households as men have been drafted into the army or joined as volunteers. Displaced Ukrainian women face a tough winter struggling to find stable shelter with few or no employment opportunities. Most are fully reliant on humanitarian aid and the support of host families who themselves are struggling with increased costs.

For the rest of the world, these conflicts seem far away and of no direct concern. But what the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us is that everything is connected. The world is like a giant game of Jenga. Every time a piece is removed in one place, it affects the stability of the whole structure. Whether it is fuel and food prices, the surge in migration, the costs of conflict or climate change, everything is connected and has an effect on our lives.

So even as we all contemplate a tough winter with hard choices to make this festive season, we should put ourselves for a minute in the tent of a displaced family headed by a woman deciding who gets to eat tonight. (Al Jazeera)

(Eleanor Monbiot is a regional leader for World Vision, responsible for the Middle East and Eastern Europe.)

Prime Minister Brigadier (retired) Mark Phillips and President Dr Irfaan Ali testing their cooking skills on Christmas Eve during the annual Christmas Cheer hosted by President Dr Irfaan Ali and First Lady Arya Ali at State House (Office of the President photo)

Our wealth has potential Aubrey Norton’s support of the ‘illegal’ is shocking

Dear Editor,

A December 14, 2022 article, “Vending is out of control”, is very timely; and after ruminating on it a few times, I am moved to make a few comments regarding the recent imbroglio in Georgetown and its spinoffs.

First, the article quite rightly summarises Guyana’s plight. It notes that “this present situation with illegal vending was long in the making. Unlawful vending has been encouraged for so long that those who are operating illegally are of the view that they have a right to vend on the parapets, pavements and in front of businesses.” In fact, this phenomenon is quite culturally entrenched all across Guyana.

For example, at Plaisance and Coldingen, traffic is impeded by vendors plying the trade of ‘dog food selling.’

The illegality of encroaching public spaces and encumbering people’s lives is so widespread, and has been for so long that it is now ‘next-to-impossible’ to rid the land of this horrible evil.

The other thing - and the article highlights this as well - is that the City Council, even after all these decades, is not assuming its legal and full responsibility for this terrible state of affairs. So, the time is far gone for Central Government to act, and in so doing, there is nothing discriminatory about its intent or purpose.

Editor, in this vein, I fully back the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government in rebuking Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton for uttering that “All Guyanese must condemn the Government and the Guyana Police Force for politically harassing Opposition members.” He really meant Mayor Ubraj Narine and MP Sherod Duncan, who are bent on continuing their ‘inciting’ behaviour; in this case, to the point of supporting a longstanding and

dangerous illegality.

I posit that, from the onset of the March 2020 Guyana Elections, the PPP/C, later to become the Government of Guyana, has been very committed to upholding the sanctity of Constitution, Good Governance and Rule of Law. In fact, it is its reliance on this sacred philosophy and undying belief that battle for the March 2nd, 2020 Regional and General Elections was won, and thereby its return to office in ‘a free and fair democratic process.’

In this vein, the PPP/C Government is right in opposing the statement from Aubrey Norton, when he uttered that, “All Guyanese must condemn the Government and the Guyana Police Force for politically harassing Opposition members. There is no harassment, and outside of the illegal vending, it is a case where a bitter few are obstructing the ‘Rule of Law.’

The truth is that the PPP/C Government has always encouraged the Guyana Police Force to act dispassionately in the execution of its duty, and so it had no say in “The arrest of His Worship the Mayor of Georgetown, Mr. Ubraj Narine, and Member of Parliament Mr. Sherod Duncan.”

I am baffled that Norton is besmirching the Guyana Police Force, saying that it abused its Governmental power. As the public is quite aware, the genesis of the issue at hand is that of the Ministry of Public Works delivering on its legal commitment to remove food and beverage caravans, stalls and other impediments put out by vendors who, in defiance of the law, are illegally plying their trade along New Market Street.

The public must bear cognisance that this very longstanding practice blocks public streets and parapets, and, as such, must be dealt with. I cannot help but feel that a sab-

Heartbreaking deaths involving young children

Dear Editor,

Two recent incidents which resulted in deaths involving young children were as heartbreaking as they were devastating and distressing.

In the first incident, a brother and sister, aged one and five, perished when the boat they were in capsized. It is alleged that the boat was being navigated in the dark night with the aid of a light from a cellphone.

In the second incident, which occurred a few days ago, a two-year-old lost her life

when a flying firewoman allegedly lost control of her motor vehicle and it collided with the motorcycle the two-yearold was on.

In a news report, it is further alleged that the two-yearold had been the pillion rider on the motorcycle. (It has to be queried how a two-year-old was placed on a motorcycle as a pillion rider.)

My condolences are extended to both families.

Sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed

oteur is at work, and hence there is dereliction in the said regard from the Mayor and City Council, the state agency mandated by law to clear public roadways, streetways, and parapets of all impediments. To be on the side of illegal vendors and vending is to support the threatening of public safety on a daily basis, as the vendors and their stalls create traffic hazards and obstruct access to various services, such as health and the purchasing of medications.

In fact, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), one of the main victims of these structures, did indicate its concerns regarding this issue as far back as 2015.

For me, it is not only unbecoming, but quite preposterous that Aubrey Norton should use the occasion (of PPP/C’s seeking to end the evil) to come out attacking the Irfaan Ali-led Government. His posture stinks of hypocrisy, and he is not really defending Mayor Ubraj Narine et al. He is in fact supporting the Mayor’s accusatory and retaliatory attacks on President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and his Government.

In the words of the Attorney General “These (pronouncements) are dangerous, these are highly antagonistic statements to make, these are sacrile-

gious statements, they are divisive statements, and they are statements that will only excite racial hostilities and religious animosities in our country. They must therefore be rejected, and those who make them be condemned in the strongest possible fashion”.

I emphasise that the PPP/C Government has demonstrated, since March 2020, that it is committed to creating a better Guyana, one that is unified and one that would ensure public order, even ensuring that the public roadways, streetways and parapets be not blocked with illegal encumbrances.

In fact, the PPP/C is opposed to all forms of racism, religious intolerance, ethnic division, and other allegations similar in nature. Therefore, the recent arrest and charging of His Worship the Mayor of Georgetown, Mr. Ubraj Narine, and Member of Parliament Mr. Sherod Duncan by the Guyana Police Force is not an abuse of power; it is also not politicisation of the Guyana Police Force. To deem the action of the Force as one of subservience to the Government is most insulting and disrespectful.

I now await the court proceedings.

Yours truly, H Singh

Dear Editor, Repeatedly, I've said that Guyana is blessed immensely. We've an abundance of wildlife, agricultural produce, amazing/breathtaking views throughout the country.

Our country could have been a more popular country, attracting tourism. Many countries depend on tourism to sustain their economies, but for various reasons, Guyana seems to be on the back burner, or, in some areas, exploited.

We've various tourism agencies here, but they seem interested only in getting and investing in promoting our country in areas which could boost their business. Numerous times I've written of their attitudes and overpricing.

Editor, my point is this: I was recently doing research on jaguars, and interestingly, many websites have a wide variety of information about them, including where they could be found, but strongly, Guyana's name is omitted. Since the discovery of oil in Guyana, lots of countries have shown significant interest in Guyana, and suddenly our hidden treasures are being exhibited conveniently.

Government should establish a body that would contact

these various websites and let them make the necessary corrections to give Guyana the recognition she deserves.

Finally, Editor, our various dishes are loved by many, and ironically, people are being brought into Guyana to teach us their skills, whilst stealing ours and manipulating it to their liking and cheating us of the credits due. One good news is that quite a few people contact me for the famous cassareep from Moruca, and the people who sell inform me that they are not getting. Of recent, people have been venturing into Moruca and purchasing. The price has increased, and the demands also. There's a huge amount of people from Canada, America, England who are very much interested in getting the genuine cassava cassareep, not the coconut or burnt sugar cassareep.

There isn't a proper system to monitor the fake places that manufacture and sell nonsense, but there should be. Our various wealth has huge potential of benefitting Guyana, if promoted properly.

Happy Holidays to all

Sincerely, Sahadeo Bates

In this fun and easy cool science experiment for kids, we’re going to use a lemon to blow up a balloon.

Materials: Lemon Knife Glass

Empty water bottle Balloon Water Baking soda

Instructions:

Add an ounce of water to the bottle.

Now add a teaspoon of baking soda to the bottle. Swirl the bottle around to mix the water and baking soda thoroughly.

Stretch out the balloon and have it ready to put over the mouth of the bottle.

Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into a glass.

Pour the lemon juice into the bottle and quickly secure the balloon over the mouth of the bottle.

The balloon should inflate.

How it works:

This experiment uses an endothermic chemical reaction to inflate a balloon. These types of chemical reactions cool their immediate area and the bottle should feel cool to the touch. The lemon contains citric acid that when combined

with baking soda which is a base causes an endothermic chemical reaction occurs. This chemical reaction releases carbon dioxide gas. The carbon dioxide will not be able to escape the bottle owing to the balloon being stretched over the mouth of the bottle. The pressure will build and cause the balloon to inflate.

Make this a science project:

Try different sized bottles. Try different sized balloons. Try vinegar. (sciencefun.org)

By The BroThers Grimm

The second day she began with all the comical names she could hear of, BANDY-LEGS, HUNCHBACK, CROOK-SHANKS, and so on; but the little gentleman still said to every one of them, ‘Madam, that is not my name.’

The third day one of the messengers came back, and said, ‘I have travelled two days without hearing of any other names; but yesterday, as I was climbing a high hill, among the trees of the forest where the fox and the hare bid each other good night, I saw a little hut; and before the hut burnt a fire; and round about the fire a funny little dwarf was dancing upon one leg, and singing:

‘”Merrily the feast I’ll make. Today I’ll brew, tomorrow bake; Merrily I’ll dance and sing, For next day will a stranger bring. Little does my lady dream Rumpelstiltskin is my name!”’

When the queen heard this she jumped for joy, and as soon as her little friend came she sat down upon her throne, and called all her

CONTINUED FROM SATURDAY THE END

court round to enjoy the fun; and the nurse stood by her side with the baby in her arms, as if it was quite ready to be given up. Then the little man began to chuckle at the thought of having the poor child, to take home with him to his hut in the woods; and he cried out, ‘Now, lady, what is my name?’ ‘Is it JOHN?’ asked she. ‘No, madam!’ ‘Is it TOM?’ ‘No, madam!’ ‘Is it JEMMY?’ ‘It is not.’ ‘Can your name be RUMPELSTILTSKIN?’ said the lady slyly. ‘Some witch told you that!— some witch told you that!’ cried the little man, and dashed his right foot in a rage so deep into the floor, that he was forced to lay hold of it with both hands to pull it out.

Then he made the best of his way off, while the nurse laughed and the baby crowed; and all the court jeered at him for having had so much trouble for nothing, and said, ‘We wish you a very good morning, and a merry feast, Mr RUMPLESTILTSKIN!’

“I did not exercise diplomacy” – Charrandas Persaud

the previous Coalition Administration. He rose to prominence following his “yes vote” on a PPP/Csponsored no-confidence motion against the APNU/AFC Government on the night of December 21, 2018.

He had departed Guyana immediately for Canada on the night the coalition Government was toppled,

out of fear for his life, after he had received death threats.

Persaud returned to Guyana following the swearing-in of President Ali, and was subsequently accredited as High Commissioner to India in March 2021. He was accredited as Guyana’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka last December. (G3)

Guyana’s former High Commissioner to India, CharrandasPersaud, has departed India, having issued a public apology for the confrontation he had had with a woman at his official residence in New Delhi, which was caught on tape and resulted in his being recalled.

During a Christmas Day reception, Persaud publicly apologised for his actions to an audience that included Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev. He noted that he is willingly leaving India, due to his acknowledgement of the wrong that he had done.

“I did what I did out of anger. And I’ll say this now; I have to, because, as High Commissioner, I represent a nation; I represent a people.

The President of my country, President Dr Irfaan Ali, and (India’s) Prime Minister Modi have to approve of me, as they did for every diplomat in the country, to come

here,” Persaud said.

“What I did as High Commissioner was wrong. I will say this because I think I owe my friends, my colleagues, an apology for behaving in a manner not becoming of a diplomat. I was angry, I did not exercise diplomacy, and so I spoke in (that) manner.”

According to Persaud, “I apologise to the people of India, to the Prime Minister, to my colleagues who are all diplomats; to my Government, and the President in particular.”

In October 2022, Persaud came under criticism after a video emerged of him verbally abusing a woman who had ventured into his yard looking for a stray dog.

After the incident - and indeed, in his Christmas apology - Persaud reiterated that it was the woman who first abused him…though he made it clear his behaviour was still unbecoming of a

diplomat.

After the video started making its rounds, President Dr Irfaan Ali, via a Facebook Live, informed the nation that Persaud would be recalled. According to the Head of State, he had had a telephone conversation with Persaud after the video was brought to his attention, and during that engagement, President Ali said, Persaud agreed to accept “full responsibility” for his actions, and will return home.

“Mr. Charrandasagreed with me that, in keeping with the best interests of Guyana and the image of Guyana, that he will return home from his posting in India,” the President revealed during his address. He went on to say that official steps would be taken to ensure a smooth transition, and to continue to strengthen work with India.

“I want to assure all Guyanese that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Government of Guyana continue to work every day to

strengthen our relationships, the relationship not only with India, but with every other partner across the globe,” the Guyanese Leader assured.

Charge’ d’Affaires

Meanwhile, a well-placed source has indicated that Foreign Officer Ronalda Edwards-Horatio, who is the Charge’ d’Affaires of Guyana’s High Commission in India, is going to be performing the role of High Commissioner until someone can be accredited.

Guyana Times understands that a name has already been decided upon, but calls to Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd for confirmation on this went unanswered on Tuesday.

Persaud is a former Alliance For Change member and a former Parliamentarian under

Foreign Officer Ronalda Edwards-Horatio is acting as High Commissioner

Outgoing High Commissioner to India, Charrandas Persaud

Mother calls for justice after relative assaults little boys

…suffer broken teeth, bodily injuries

Two boys are now severely injured after a relative who resides on the property they reside on at Agriculture Road, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara allegedly abused them physically until they required medical attention.

This incident reportedly occurred on Monday, December 26, and Cristina Chester told Guyana Times on Tuesday that the incident involved her son and nephew, and the alleged abuser is a close relative.

She explained that she had invited her nephew, who resides in Essequibo, to spend the holidays with her; and on the day in question, she had gone to visit her stepmother in the hospital while the boys were left at home. When she returned at about 15:00h, the children were crying. Her nephew, aged nine, had suffered

two avulsed teeth and other injuries; while her son, aged 11, was nursing head injuries.

Based on information received, she said, the suspect was complaining that the children were making noise

in the yard, so he armed himself with a leather belt and dealt the children several blows.

Kaminie Seemangal, a relative of Cristina Chester, explained, “Apparently, the man probably told them not to keep noise and they were (still making noise), so he took a leather belt and kept hitting them all the time. He didn’t stop, although they were screaming.”

Cristina told this publication that she took the children to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where they were treated and discharged; and after a report was filed at the Beterverwagting Police Station, the suspect was arrested, but was released hours later.

Young mother Cristina Chester is calling on the authorities to step in and serve her justice, given the gravity of the injuries the children had sustained. She noted that they are having a “royal” runaround when enquiries are made about the investigation.

Her relative Kamini Seemangal has added, “The Police came and arrested him, but he came home at 03:00h this morning (Tuesday). The doctors have said that the Police have to go and uplift the medical, but the Police said they will go until January 03. I just want them (the children) to get some justice.”

Kamini also plans to move out of the house, which she shares with the alleged abuser.

Reports of child abuse have been reported across the country, and have been highly condemned by the Human Services and Social Security Ministry. A report compiled by the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) showed that, in 2020, a whopping 3,129 children in Guyana faced some type of abuse. By the first quarter of 2021, some 635 girls and 404 boys had been abused, Human Services Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud had disclosed. (G12)

Spinning wheels...

…at the UN

While “democracy” is the sine qua non for countries to be accepted in the international world system – especially by the wealthy Western nations – it is quite ironic that it’s not practised in that institution, to which all of the very same countries belong!! Yep!! Your Eyewitness is, of course, talking about the United Nations and its General Assembly!! As every year grinds to a close, it has become routine for dozens of resolutions to be voted on with the intention of improving the world and offering justice to its nations.

As the UN official release described its Dec 14, SEVENTYSEVENTH SESSION, 53RD MEETING’s decisions, “With Developing Countries facing persistent inequality, lack of financial access, and the ravages of climate change, the General Assembly adopted 38 of 41 resolutions and 2 decisions introduced by its Second Committee (Economic and Financial), in an effort to turn around rising poverty and hunger, and propel the Sustainable Development Goals.” Now, this is exciting news that should be broadcast and shouted from the rooftops (our hut-tops) in every sh*thole country in the world!! Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, they were gonna be free at last!!

So, let’s take one of these proposals that’s been voted on every year since 1974, as stated in the release: “Towards a New International Economic Order” (NIEO) this time) (by a recorded vote of 123 in favour to 50 against, with 1 abstention (Türkiye). By its terms, the Assembly expressed concern over the increasing debt vulnerabilities of Developing Countries, the net negative capital flows from those countries, the fluctuation of exchange rates, and the tightening of global financial conditions; and, in this regard, stressed the need to explore the means and instruments needed to achieve debt sustainability, and the measures necessary to reduce the indebtedness of Developing States.

Now, if the UN’s democratic, shouldn’t the votes of the 123 countries that voted “for” outweigh the 50 that voted “against”?? Those 123 countries are 64% of the entire membership of the UN’s 193 members, and represent more than 7 billion from Asia to Africa to Latin America, against 900 million as represented by the 50 that voted “against”!! Yet nothing ever gets done!! Why?? Cause, in these votes, there’s one constant – it’s the West versus the Rest!! The 50 countries opposed to the call for a fairer, more equitable economic system consisted of the US, EU, Britain, Israel, Canada, Australia, South Korea, and Japan. This grouping’s dubbed the “Collective West”, cause the “West” isn’t a geographical expression no mo’, but an economic one!!

Another resolution was the “Role of the UN in promoting development in the context of globalization and interdependence”. The vote was 130 in favour to 2 against (Israel, United States), with 45 abstentions.

Yet, nothing’s ever done!!

…with moral outrage

After having oil gushing off our shores, the number of woke activists expressing moral indignation has mushroomed. But, sadly, not like an effective atomic bomb mushroom – just like jumbie umbrellas sprouting on dried cow dung!! Having observed them for a while now, your Eyewitness can only say he agrees with a five-yearold headline from England – home of woke activists for a century!! The Daily Mail had announced in a bold headline: “Psychologists say your moral outrage is simply self-serving: Expressing your anger at a third party 'makes you feel less guilty about injustices in the world'… Voicing your moral outrage may seem like selflessness, but it's really selfserving… Experts say expressing anger is trying to reinforce that you're a 'good person'… Those who state their outrage feel less personal guilt than those who don't”!!

So, the next time you hear those nuts complaining that we should quit pumping oil because of global warming, just know that they’re merely “virtue signalling”.

Simpering about how “good” they are!!

…on noise pollution

Does officialdom believe that because of the sacred associations around this time of the year, noise loses its efficacy to destroy the mental stability of our citizenry??

Gotta be, since nothing was done about all-night cacophony throughout Christmas Eve!

One of the boys sustained broken teeth

Businessman shot dead during robbery

…gunmen escape with cash, jewellery, phone

his business place and started to pack items into a freezer.

About ten minutes later, Adams opened the shutter for them to leave from the bottom flat, and according to the woman, in the blink of an eye, the two suspects entered the building via the same shutter and ordered them to lie on the ground, and they complied. The unarmed suspect then took off the businessman’s gold band and finger ring, and ordered him to get up, which he did.

Awell-known businessman who had operated a liquor store at Durban and Chapel Streets in Lodge, Georgetown among other places of business has been killed during a daring robbery that occurred on Boxing Night at that Durban and Chapel Street business premises.

Shimron Adams, known as ‘Shem’, of Lot 129 Macaw Drive, Kaneville, East Bank Demerara, lost his like after being attacked at about 23:40h by two suspects who were reportedly wearing surgical face masks; one of them was armed with a handgun, Police have confirmed.

According to Adams’s 29-year-old fiancée, at around 21:30h on Boxing Night, she went to Adams’s business place. She said that, at that time, the businessman was wearing a gold finger ring and one gold band, and had a small bag hanging on his shoulder. At about 23:30h, Adams closed

She said the suspect then held onto the businessman’s shoulder bag and pulled at it, but Adams continued to hold onto the bag to prevent the suspect from taking it.

The suspect who was armed with the firearm then discharged a round at Adams, which struck him in his right abdomen. He fell to the ground and remained unconscious until he was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead.

The body is presently lying at the said hospital’s mortuary, awaiting a postmortem examination.

The scene was processed by ranks from CID Headquarters, and one 9mm spent shell and one warhead were recovered. The warhead and spent shell have been sealed and lodged.

The area was canvassed for CCTV cameras which had seen and captured when the suspects went to the business place, and when they left on a black and white XR motorcycle. The suspects escaped south onto Chapel Street, west onto Princess Street, and south onto St Stephen’s Street,

Charlestown, where they were last seen.

“He doesn’t deserve this”

When Guyana Times visited the family on Tuesday, the late Shimron Adams’s aunt, Maylene Simon, said she was at home when she learned of her nephew’s death.

“I was at home in my bed when my son told me to get up and sit down. I kept asking him what happened, and he told me that Shimron get robbed and they shoot him. I asked him if they killed he, and he tell me no. So, I went to my phone and I went on Facebook, and I saw a businessman shot and killed, and I started panicking,” this aunt detailed. “I called a taxi till from Grove. When I came here, they had already removed the body,” she said.

According to Simon, Adams, who had been a father of one, had been operating the liquor store for about a year. She said he

was working through the holidays just to raise enough money to expand his fish shop, which he was planning to move from Camp Street to the Durban and Chapel Streets vicinity.

“He worked Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and was going home. He was going home, I heard, when they said two girls came into the shop, and I don’t know what else happened… He was in the process of removing the business on Camp Street to this location. He was going the extra mile to make the little extra money to fund the expenses.”

The woman said that, so far, they do not suspect anyone as having committed the crime, since, according to their knowledge, he had never received any threats since he started the business.

“They said two strange persons…to our knowl-

edge he never received any threats. Shimron was a very loving and caring person, and I don’t know how peo-

ple can be so heartless, because he worked for whatever he wanted. So, for him to work so hard and put in all that extra money, for them to just come and do that to him…”

“They took his money, they took his jewellery, and still turn back and took his life? He doesn’t deserve this…his mom doesn’t live here, she came for the holidays, and this is what she has to go back and leave. His mom is taking it really hard, because she keeps saying her heart is hurting,” the woman explained.

Family members have said they are hoping the suspects who committed the act are found soon, so that they can feel the full brunt of the law. (G9)

The business place where the robbery and murder occurred

Dead: Shimron Adams, aka “Shem”

Pres Ali donates $2M to Dharm Shala

more support systems ensuring more caregivers. We are working aggressively on ensuring that we do better and we do more,” President Ali shared.

The Head of State assisted in serving lunch to the residents, while Guyanese musician Ras Camo entertained those gathered with songs reflecting the merriment of the season. Also attending the activity were CEO of the board, Edward Boyer, as well as the Ramsaroop sisters Kella

and Pamela. Following the event, President Ali shared toys to children of the community.

Pandit Ramsaroop Maharaj founded the charity in 1921, after travelling the length and breadth of Guyana. He had been a gold dealer in his earlier years, so that had allowed him to travel to the remotest parts of Guyana, where he had encountered the plight of his countrymen. He had noted that there was a pressing need to improve the state of

the people he had seen on those trips.

On those trips, he had witnessed the poverty of the people, their suffering and deprivation, and had been deeply moved to the point where he knew that he needed to play his part in addressing their condition. He was enabled financially early in life to give up his profession and devote himself to full-time voluntary service towards helping the less fortunate members of Guyanese society. (G12)

Water charges for the Dharm Shala in Albuoystown, Georgetown will be waived from the coming year, and residents of the home are to benefit from Government’s temporary employment programmes. These commitments have been made by President Dr Irfaan Ali on Christmas Day as he treated residents of the Dharm Shala to a special lunch.

This is the third consecutive Christmas in which President Ali has spent time with the elderly residents of this benevolent home. During his brief remarks, he assured that his Government is working aggressively to ensure that more is done for the elderly, including through a support

system.

He announced that from January 2023, water charges for the institution would be waived, and a number of residents would benefit from Government’s temporary employment programmes as “additional help to support the work we are doing”.

The President also made a sizeable donation of $2 million to the institution, and praised the efforts of the Private Sector in continuously embracing its corporate social responsibility in support of this charitable institution.

“This year has not been an easy year, and I have been discussing ways in which we can further help the Dharm Shala. This year, I am pleased that we can

give a cheque for $2 million to help you throughout the year. Beginning in January, we will waive the water charges for this facility,” the Head of State revealed.

He also applauded the “tremendous work of love, commitment, and selflessness” of the Ramsaroop family, who have been custodians of the Dharm Shala for the past 102 years.

On behalf of the Government, Ali said, efforts would continue, where necessary, to support the work of the institution and better the lives of its residents.

“One of the plans for development is how we treat the elderly, and we’re now working on a new platform – one in which we can have our elderly retiring where there is support needed, and

President Ali serving lunch to residents of the Dharm Shala

6 Christmas babies delivered at GPHC

At the time of her visit, only five babies were born, but the First Lady later penned, “A new baby is like the beginning of all thingswonder, hope, a dream of possibilities. As of 10:00h this morning (Christmas Day), five bouncing babies were delivered at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). As is customary, I spent my morning delivering

care packages to the mothers of these babies and extending holiday wishes on behalf of the First Family.”

According to the First Lady, this act is in keeping with continuous efforts over the holidays to distribute hampers and engage with persons from all walks of life. She has been quoted as saying, “This is the season of caring and sharing, so we cannot forget our babies. We have been giving out a lot of

hampers, and we did a lot of toy distributions throughout the course of the season.”

Sponsors of the hampers were DeSinco Trading Ltd, Sleepy Diapers, and Twins Manufacturing Limited.

Throughout the country, other deliveries were recorded at other hospitals. Dr Balwant Singh’s Hospital – one of the private institutions in Guyana – also recorded six deliveries on Christmas Day.

Six babies have been delivered at the Georgetown Public

Hospital (GPHC) on December 25, and as is customary, they were visited

by First Lady Arya Ali, who gave their mothers hampers as she interacted with hos- pital staffers on duty during her visit.

The First Lady sharing a photo op with staffers on duty at GPHC

First Lady Arya Ali handing over a hamper to one of the mothers

CANU unearth $20M in ganja after men flee Canter

Ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) have seized a Canter with a whopping $20 million in cannabis after two men abandoned the vehicle on the Black Bush Polder main road in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and made good their escape.

Based on reports from CANU, officers conducted an operation on the Black Bush Polder Main Road in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) on Sunday, December 25, and attempted to intercept Canter GYY 2037. But upon noticing the ranks, two male occupants exited the vehicle and fled into nearby bushes, leaving the vehicle parked along the

roadway.

A search subsequently conducted on the vehicle unearthed 10 bags containing several parcels of suspected cannabis. The suspected narcotics and the Canter were escorted to the CANU

Berbice Office, and the substance tested positive for cannabis with a total weight of 179.8kg, or 394.6lbs, which has a street value of approximately $20 million.

Investigations are ongoing. (G12)

The bags of cannabis found in the Canter

Police ranks from Regional Division 4C (East Coast Demerara) have arrested two 16-year-old lads in relation to the recovery of a firearm and a quantity of ammunition on Tuesday.

The operation was conducted at about 01:00h at Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD). Police said they received a report from a licensed firearm holder of Aubrey Barker Road in South Ruimveldt

Park, Georgetown, who went to the Ruimveldt Police Station at about 10:00h on Christmas Day and reported that his firearm was stolen.

The man told Police that he suspected his 16-year-old nephew, a student at a secondary school on the East Coast of Demerara, had stolen his firearm (a Brown and Black .32 pistol) along with six matching rounds from his home.

Police arrested the teen-

ager in Georgetown, and questioned him about the missing firearm. The teen admitted that he had stolen the weapon, and related to Police that he had handed over the firearm to another teenager, a 16-yearold male student who lives at Beterverwagting, for him to hide.

Acting on this information, the Police conducted a joint operation with ranks from Regional Divisions 4A and 4C. The ranks went to

the home of the 16-year-old student at Beterverwagting, where he was contacted in the presence of his mother. He was questioned about the firearm, and he admitted receiving same from the man’s nephew.

He then took the Police to the back of his house and pointed out a spot where he had hidden the firearm and six matching rounds of ammunition. Both teenagers are in custody as investigations continue.

16-year-old lads arrested over stolen gun, ammo 4 other guns found on ECD

Police ranks arrested another three persons in relation to the discovery of four firearms and a quantity of ammunition that were recovered in separate operations on Tuesday.

On Tuesday about 02:50h, Police were on mobile patrol duty in the vicinity of Melanie, East Coast Demerara (ECD) when, acting on information received, ranks went to Melanie Market Road and made contact with a 26-year-old miner.

A search was about to be conducted on his person, but the 26-year-old ran away in an attempt to escape. The ranks gave chase, and he was caught, but not before throwing a metal object under a nearby motor car.

The Police ranks recovered the object, which turned out to be one .32 Taurus revolver with four live matching rounds of ammunition.

The suspect was told of the allegation and was cautioned, but he remained silent. He was arrested and escorted to Vigilance Police Station, along with the said firearm and ammunition.

And about 03:00h on Tuesday, a party of Police ranks were on mobile patrol in the vicinity of Vigilance, ECD when, acting on information received, the ranks went to 2J’s Supermarket, located at Strathspey, ECD, and made contact with a 29-year-old businessman of Bladen Hall.

A search was conducted on his person, and one black .32 Taurus pistol with eight live matching rounds of ammunition was found in his crotch. A further search carried out on his person unearthed in his left pants pocket one black-and-silver firearm with seven live matching rounds of ammunition.

The businessman was told of the offence committed, cautioned, arrested, and escorted to Vigilance Police Station along with the two firearms and ammunition.

Also, around 05:20h on Tuesday, the same party of Police ranks was on mobile patrol in the vicinity of Vigilance, when ranks received certain information and went to Melanie Market

Road.

On arrival, the ranks saw a male, who was later identified as a 31-year-old miner of Nabaclis, ECD, running away. The ranks gave chase, and the suspect was seen throwing an object on the southern parapet. The suspect was apprehended, and a search was carried out on his person, but nothing was found.

The suspect was taken back to the area where he had thrown the object, and one firearm was found on the parapet. The suspect was told of the offence committed, cautioned, arrested, and escorted to Vigilance Police Station along with the said firearm.

Investigations are in progress.

The firearms that were found during three separate operations on Tuesday morning

Ramsammy’s Ruminations

Missed 2022 opportunities can be 2023’s ticket for a new Guyana – Caricom’s crown jewel

In a few days, 2022 will come to an end. We wish everyone a great New Year’s Eve (or Old Year’s Day) celebration. We wish everyone also a blessed 2023. Genuinely, Guyanese have many reasons to celebrate 2022. Our country has had a remarkable year, a year that sets a positive path ahead for a transformative future. But really, we have had some opportunities in 2022, opportunities that really could guarantee the prospect of Guyana being the Dubai of the Americas. A few years ago, talk about Guyana being a Dubai of the West was considered, justifiably so, as wild talk. But the remarkable progress Guyana has made under President Irfaan Ali and the PPP Government, in spite of the continued global fallouts from COVID-19 and the Ukraine-Russia war, has convinced people that if there is any country in the world that could transform itself into a Dubai, it is Guyana. Few could dismiss such talk as wild anymore.

But, as much as Guyana’s prospect of becoming the Western Dubai has become something possible, far from a utopian dream, there are jeopardies in our way. These are real threats, and unless we confront them, the journey to prosperity for every single Guyanese can still elude us. That every Guyanese family can become prosperous is a real prospect today, but it is not a guarantee. We can guarantee this prospect, however, through some small steps. Oil and gas and the policies of the Government have set Guyana on a path of economic prosperity as a country, but we need a united Guyana to guarantee that our economic fortune as a nation is a patrimony for all citizens. President Ali’s “One Guyana” is a platform that can guarantee that prospect. As the President himself has explained, “One Guyana” is more than a people willing to live together as different ethnic groups, willing to share each other’s culture and consider each group’s contribution as an asset to the country.

President Ali has explained that “One Guyana” is a movement intended to go beyond racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural unity. President Ali has explained that “One Guyana” is a movement to ensure that we are all our sisters’ and brothers’ keepers. The song ‘Lean on Me’ comes to mind. It is a movement that inspires the notion that no child in Guyana will ever go hungry again. It is a movement that ensures every child and every young person is guaranteed an education, and opportunities for tertiary education, no matter what their dreams; that every citizen’s health needs are met; that embraces the notion that every Guyanese family has their own home, that wants to ensure all basic necessities that are required for a decent standard of living are guaranteed to very citizen, no matter where they live, no matter who they voted for. But the movement wants to ensure that social issues like mental health, domestic violence, and sexual abuse are addressed, and that these become the concern of every group in Guyana. It is why the MOM movement, led by the President himself, is a critical element of the “One Guyana” movement.

In 2022, the President, the Vice President and the Prime Minister led outreaches across Guyana. No President has been out to the communities like President Irfaan Ali. His commitment to working with every group is genuine and inspiring. He has provided a genuine and real platform for persons to come aboard and make ONE GUYANA successful. Political groups, the Private Sector, faith-based organisations, social groups, the media, each have an opportunity to come and participate without having to give political support to the President and his party. Helping citizens navigate their difficulties, whether economic, social or otherwise, is not the sole responsibility of the Government, although the Government must be the lead player. But every citizen, every group, can find a place in the ONE GUYANA platform to play a role.

In 2022, the opportunity presented itself for genuine unity though the One Guyana platform. But political obstructionist postures hurt the rapid consolidation that is required to make the ONE GUYANA platform accelerate Guyana’s transformation. Unless we can learn to live in a democracy, were all political stakeholders share the responsibility of building a lasting democracy, we will continue to make the journey to universal prosperity a hard journey.

The Aubrey Norton-led PNC continues its historical obstructionist posture. But Norton is also threatening a repeat of the Hoyteinspired “slo’ fyah, mo’fyah”. He and his surrogates are desperately trying to use the race card to sow dissonance. But the surrogates are also testing new grounds. The recent ranting of the Mayor of Georgetown is not as harmless as some think. Clearly, he was sent out there to test the waters. The danger lies in the fact that these obstructionists are ready to use any and every means to create mayhem.

“One Guyana” can survive and prosper even with this obstructionist posture of the PNC and their surrogates. In 2023, the people of Guyana can continue to take matters in their own hands. They did in March 2020 when they ended the term in government of the PNC-led APNU/AFC. They can let their voices ring out loud and clear by voting in the Local Government Elections and rejecting the obstructionists. In 2023, we can choose “One Guyana” as our vehicle to become the Dubai of the West. This is our destiny. It is in our hands.

Large-scale construction of low-income houses countrywide – Finance Minister

Throughout this month, the Government has either been handing out low-income houses to struggling families, or developing housing areas; and according to Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh, the latter will be a countrywide activity.

During a Christmas Day ceremony in which a family with six children received a new house that was built within a week, the Finance Minister spoke of Government’s housing policy. According to the Finance Minister, large-scale construction of low-income housing areas would be a countrywide initiative.

“We just did another similar ceremony, and we witnessed there a large housing area that is being developed: beautiful homes that would be delivered to several Guyanese families, and this is happening throughout the country,” the Minister said.

Dr. Singh also referenced the ceremony, made possible by the President Ali-led Men on a Mission (MOM) initiative. According to the Finance Minister, this is representative of how much the Government cares about its people…as well as the President’s experience as a Housing Minister.

“Today’s ceremony is yet another step in this journey, but it’s a significant step in the journey because it represents a number of things, including the caring and compassionate nature of President Ali’s Government and the caring and compassionate nature that characterises his Presidency. We’ve seen, in a number of instances, Guyanese families fall in difficult circumstances and the President instructs immediately that help and support be provided to them,” Dr Singh has said.

It was announced on Tuesday that construction has been completed on 100 two-bedroom, low-income houses at Hampshire/

Williamsburg in East Berbice. Similar houses are also being constructed at Ordnance Fort Lands in Region Six.

Government, through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), distributed almost 2000 house lots during the first six months of the year, and distribution of a further 8000 house lots has been projected by this year end.

This is according to the 2022 Mid-Year Report of the Ministry of Finance, which states that in the first half of the year, 1843 house lots were distributed. This means that since the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) entered office in 2020, some 11,680 house lots have been allocated.

“In the first half of 2022, Government expended $8.1 billion of the $12.4 billion allocated to further develop

the housing sector. It is expected that a further 8000 lots will be distributed by the end of the year. A total of 449 land titles and transports were issued in the first half of 2022, and an additional 5600 are scheduled for the second half of the year, bringing the projected total to 6049, exceeding the 6000 land titles and transports targeted for issue in 2022,” the report stated.

It has been explained that of the $11 billion allocated to continue infrastructural works in CH&PA housing areas, the sum of $7.4 billion was spent during the review period. To this end, infrastructural works are ongoing in housing areas in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and 10.

“Approximately 10 kilometres of roads were upgraded in existing housing areas at Uitvlugt, Belle West, La Parfaite Harmonie,

Herstelling, Ordnance Fortlands, Bath, Balthyock, Good Hope, Mon Repos; Section D, Non Pareil; Tuschen and Onderneeming. Additionally, 750 LED streetlamps were installed across the country during the first half of the year. The installation of electricity and distribution networks were completed at 12 housing areas in Regions Three, Four and Six, with similar works in 14 new housing areas slated for the second half of the year,” the Mid-Year Report also said.

Work has also been completed on 25 core homes at La Parfaite Harmonie in the first half of the year, while another 25 are slated for construction by the end of the year. In the Sophia Housing Area, 25 core homes are currently being constructed, while construction of a further 25 is expected to commence by year end. (G3)

Dr Leslie Ramsammy

Govt has completed work on 100

two-bedroom, low-income houses at Hampshire/Williamsburg in East Berbice

6 guns, large quantity of ammo go missing from security company

Two employees of the Radar Security and Supplies entity have been taken into Police custody after six firearms and a quantity of ammunition were allegedly stolen from the entity between Sunday, December 25, and Monday, December 26. The Police, in a statement on Tuesday, have said that an investigation has been launched.

It has been reported that two single-barrel shotguns valued at $950,000; four 9mm Taurus pistols valued at $1,400,000, and five Taurus .32 pistols valued at $1,425,000 have been stolen from this security entity. Also missing are twenty-five 12-gauge cartridges; 538 rounds of .32 ammunition, and 18 rounds of 9mm ammunition. These items have allegedly been stolen from the security company’s office at Lot 79 Carmichael

Street, Georgetown between 10:00h on Christmas Day and 18:30h on Boxing Day.

The offices of the Radar Security and Supplies are located in the middle flat of a three-storey wooden building. An office to the western side has a wooden door to the eastern side, and that is secured by a manufactured Yale lock. In that said office, there is a steel ‘strongbox’ in which the security firm secures the firearms and ammunition. The said strongbox is secured by two padlocks. Inside the strongbox, the firearms are chained and padlocked with three padlocks.

The firm’s Chief Security Officer, a 72-year-old resident of Guyhoc Park, Georgetown, claimed that he checked the firearms on Christmas Day, and all was intact. However, at 18:30h on Boxing Day, a 65-year-

old ‘Weapons Training Officer’ from Enterprise, East Coast Demerara visited the location and met a

18-year-old Brazilian found dead in mining camp

An 18-year-old Brazilian national of Boa Vista was on Monday found dead at Quartstone Backdam, a Cuyuni riverine community in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

Police have said on Tuesday that, based on

their investigations, the teen - identified as Dennis Nascimento - is suspected to have died by suicide.

Reports are that Dennis Nascimento had been working on his uncle Antonio Nascimento’s dredge at Quartstone Backdam in the Cuyuni River for the

past few months. However, on Boxing Day, at about 17:00h, the teen’s body was found by his co-workers in the mining camp.

The matter was reported to the Police, statements were taken, and an investigation has been launched. (G9)

57-year-old security guard from Tucville, Georgetown, who was on duty.

The weapons Training

Officer observed that the door to the office was not secured, but was rather left ajar. He then entered the office, where he observed that the padlocks on the strongbox were cut off, the chain that secured the firearms was also cut, and the firearms mentioned were missing. However, two other shotguns were left in the strong box.

The Training Officer claimed that he then informed the owner of the security service of his findings.

Detectives were summoned to the office, and they observed that the padlocks and chains had indeed been cut. The two shotguns were removed from the strong box and lodged. The office was checked, but there was no sign of breakage.

The 57-year-old security guard was questioned, and he claimed that at 17:00h

on Boxing Day, he took over duty from a 36-year-old security guard from Paradise Housing Scheme, ECD, who had handed over the key for the said office that housed the strongbox. He claimed that he did not check the office door, nor did he go into the office.

He was arrested, and a search was carried out at his home, but nothing was found.

Checks were made for the 36-year-old security guard at his stated address at Paradise, ECD, but no one was seen at the house, which seems to have been abandoned.

The Training Officer was also arrested and questioned, and his home was searched, but nothing was found. He is presently in custody.

Investigations continue. (G9)

Coast Guard rescues fisherman drifting at sea for over 19 hours …6

others rescued

Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard ranks on Boxing Day saved several fishermen, including one who was drifting at sea for more than 19 hours.

According to the ranks, they were conducting a search-and-rescue operation around 11:30h on Monday in response to a distress signal detected by the Timehri control tower, off the Essequibo Coast.

The response vessel and team were immediately deployed to the location and six crew members of the vessel Lady Shaneeza were pulled to safety from a life

raft.

They said their vessel encountered extremely bad weather and sank. They also informed of another missing crew member who drifted off, wearing his life jacket. An aerial search by Roraima Airways was also launched to complement the effort.

In a Facebook post from National Security Advisor and Roraima Airways owner, Captain Gerry Gouveia, he said that the airways joined the search from the air in support of the vessels on the water.

He said the weather was severe, but together the

Coast Guard vessels and the Roraima planes combed the ocean.

Hours after, the additional crew member, 57-year-old Christopher Williams, who had been drifting for more than 19 hours, was rescued about four nautical miles off the mouth of the Pomeroon River.

Williams was transported by ambulance to the Charity Hospital for medical treatment. It was reported that at the time of the accident, the vessel was on its way back from Trinidad after departing Guyana earlier this month. (G9)

The fisherman who drifted from hours being rescued by the Coast Guards

1 dead, 1 critical in Berbice hit-and-run accident

Ateen motorcyclist is now dead while another person is injured following a hit-and-run accident at New Amsterdam in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

Dead is 19-year-old

Vishan Ramphal, a welder attached to the Albion Sugar Estate and of Campbell Street, Belvedere, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Injured is pillion rider Renita Prechand, 18, of Williamsburg, Corentyne.

Police said the couple were riding motorcycle CJ

4962 when they crashed into the arch on Monday evening.

According to the Police, the motorcycle was proceeding north on the eastern lane at a fast pace when a motor car bearing registration number PJJ 3534 collided with the motor cycle, causing the rider and pillion rider to be tossed into the air

US actor Dylan Efron journeys back to Guyana for new expedition

United States actor and travel blogger

Dylan Efron delivered on his promise to return to Guyana to showcase the country’s natural beauty and environmental conservation efforts.

Efron was in Guyana last week where he and members of his crew filmed material for their YouTube series.

In this second trip, Efron, 30, journeys to a remote indigenous village on the Rewa River and plans to tell how the community came together to save the Arapaima fish from extinction. His first visit to Guyana was in December 2021.

Some snapshots from the expedition showed Efron on a fly-fishing trip where he attempted to catch the Arapaima, which is the world’s largest-scaled freshwater fish.

He was successful in his mission as subsequent photos showed him interacting with the fish in its murky marine habitat.

2 struggling Berbice mothers...

FROM PAGE 3

before crashing into the concrete arch block.

They were picked up in unconscious conditions and taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where Ramphal was pronounced dead on arrival and Prechand was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital suffering from a broken right leg and arm.

When Police arrived at the scene, the two injured persons were lying on the road by the arch.

The motorcycle was 26 metres away from the bodies and the helmet was a further 27 metres away, indicating the speed at which the bike was moving.

At the scene, Police found a car light and a lug nut belonging to the car which reportedly fled the scene after the accident.

The registration plate number was engraved on the

light.

Ramphal lived with his mother, Hemalee Seeram, who told Guyana Times that he was expected back home before midnight.

She said she called her son about 23:00h on Monday and he told her that he was with his father drinking a Guinness and he was going to be home shortly.

Two hours later, she said, she called again and someone answered the phone, but provided no information.

However, about 03:00h on Tuesday, a relative informed her about the accident.

“Is me and he alone living and he use to do everything for me. He was the breadwinner for me,” the 40-year-old mother said.

The dead teen’s father, Narendra Ramphal said his son was not with him drinking, noting that he might

have used that excuse to get to stay out longer on the road.

“I don’t drink,” the 40-year-old man told this publication.

Ramphal said he went to the mortuary to identify his son.

“His foot break and across from his neck to his chest is some marks like he hit something. Blood coming out from his ears. His jaw smash in on the one side,” he related.

Some of the metal fabrication which formed the arch was dislodged. Impressions suggest that Ramphal's head would have impacted the iron structure.

Ramphal’s parents say they did not know Prechand. Next week the teen was expected to celebrate his 20th birthday.

Up to press time, Police were still trying to locate the driver of the car. (G4)

Berbice businessman shot during robbery

He referred to the project as being a good example of the Government and the Private Sector partnering.

Benedict expressed gratitude to all those who supported her since her story was made public while also thanking the President.

Meanwhile, her husband, while expressing the same sentiments, was asked what he had to say to the public knowing that he had been recently involved in activity which was not approved by society.

“It is not that I wanted to do it... the frustration, but the Almighty has blessed us,” he said.

Police on the East Bank of Berbice were on the hunt for Drepaul after he went into his neighbour’s home during a dispute, and choked

and slapped the pensioner. He then took a piece of wood and lashed her husband who was also in the house.

At the magistrate’s court, the assaulted couple asked to settle the issue, saying that Drepaul had plenty children. However, after being released, Drepaul went home and assaulted his parents and after being arrested, allegedly assaulted a Police Officer who was transporting him and escaped. He was subsequently fined and released upon payment.

Mother of three Meanwhile, President Ali – who was accompanied by regional parliamentarian Zulfikar Mustapha, who is also the Agriculture

Minister; Local Government Minister Nigel Dharamlall; Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal and Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh – on Christmas Day also presented a new house to Wendy Williams, a mother of three.

The house is situated at the new housing scheme at Belvedere.

Williams had reached out to President Ali after her husband died in a rice field when the tractor he was operating turned over, pinning him in the mud.

President Ali had also promised to have Williams enrolled in the Government's $40,000 10-day part-time employment initiative. The house for Williams was also undertaken under MOM. (G4)

Armed bandits on Christmas Day shot and robbed a businessman at his home at Sheet Anchor, East Canje, Berbice.

The robbery took place shortly after 19:00h.

Gordon Benn, speaking with Guyana Times on Tuesday, said that he and his neighbour were imbibing when the men walked into his yard and started lashing him with a cutlass.

He said both intruders had cutlasses and demanded that he hand them his money.

They took away his wallet, which contained about $10,000; three rings val-

ued in excess of $100,000 and a gold chain valued at $300,000.

After robbing him, they shot him and escaped.

The man’s neighbour, Michael Chunoo was also robbed of his LG cellular phone valued $60,000.

Both Chunoo and Benn were taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where Chunoo was treated and sent away.

Benn was subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he remains a patient. His condition is listed as stable.

Police are still on the hunt for the bandits. (G4)

The series is expected to be out early next year.

(Caribbean Loopnews)

Vishan Ramphal

The motorcycle which travelled some 26 metres after the impact against the solid concrete structure

The injured persons lying on the roadway

Fishing in the Amazon Rainforest for the biggest scaled freshwater fish in the world-The Arapaima. (Photo from Dylan Efron’s Instagram page)

The businessman’s house where the robbery occurred

Injured: Gordon Benn

Regional

Trinidad and Tobago to elect new President in January

An election for a new president of Trinidad and Tobago is scheduled to be held on January 20.

The date was confirmed by a notice in the TT Gazette dated December 23.

“A person shall not be a candidate for election as President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago unless nominated for election by a nomination paper which (a) is signed by the candidate and by 12 or more Members of the House of Representatives, and (b) is delivered to the Speaker at least seven days before the election,” said Speaker of the House of Representatives and chairman of the Electoral

College, Bridgid AnnisetteGeorge.

The current President Paula Mae Weekes, took office on March 19, 2018.

At that time, she was the only nominated candi-

date and was elected without need for a vote, becoming the first woman in the country’s history, to hold the title President.

She is the country’s sixth President. (CMC)

Backpack prompts bomb scare in Brasilia ahead of Lula inauguration

Police in Brazil's capital, Brasilia, said on Tuesday that a backpack found near where President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was staying that had prompted a bomb scare contained only personal belongings.

News of the bomb squad being called into action just days before Lula takes office underscores the nervy atmosphere in Brasilia after the most fraught election in a generation.

On December 24, Brasilia Police said they had foiled a bomb plot, arresting a man with ties to a group of pro-Bolsonaro election deniers camped outside the Army headquarters, who have been

urging the military to overturn Lula's victory.

George Washington Sousa, who confessed to making the device and plotting with other camp-dwellers to detonate it, said he had hoped that the bomb would "provoke a military intervention... to prevent the installation of communism in Brazil."

Earlier in December, a group from the encampment tried to invade the Federal Police headquarters after the arrest of a pro-Bolsonaro Indigenous leader for alleged anti-democratic threats.

The political tensions in the capital have prompted Lula's team to beef up security protocols for Sunday's

inauguration, incoming Justice Minister Flavio Dino said on Monday.

On Tuesday, Dino said the transition team would ask the Supreme Court to suspend the carrying of firearms in Brasilia for the next few days.

Since Bolsonaro began loosening gun laws in 2019, the number of registered gun-owners has surged sixfold to around 700,000 people.

"We will ask Justice Alexandre de Moraes... to suspend the carrying of firearms in the Federal District between tomorrow (Wednesday) and January 2 or 3," Dino told Journalists.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Bob Marley’s grandson Jo Mersa dead at 31

Grandson of legendary reggae singer Bob Marley, Joseph “Jo Mersa” Marley was found dead in the United States on Tuesday.

Jo Mersa, the son of Stephen Marley, was reportedly found unresponsive in a motor vehicle.

The 31-year-old was known for songs such as “Burn it Down”, “Made It”, and “No Way Out”.

News of his death triggered an outpouring of tributes on social media.

Opposition Leader Mark Golding described Marley’s death as “tragic” and remembered the singer as “a talented young reggae artiste”.

Golding said, “The loss of a child is a devastating blow and something no parent is prepared for, I send my condolences to Stephen

and the entire Marley family. May he rest in eternal peace.”

Disc jock and producer Walshy Fire said: "(Jo Mersa’s) talent and intelligence was insane. Love you king. So glad I got to work with you.”

Meanwhile, Leah Tavares-Finson, the sister of Marley’s uncle Damian Marley, posted, “Rest easy my darling nephew”, with crying emojis.

Marley reportedly suffered from asthma.

(Jamaica Observer)

UPP demands answers on scandalous and exploitative Antigua Airways Scheme

The United Progressive Party (UPP) is calling for immediate answers from the Head of the Immigration Department and the Minister of National Security on the scandalous Antigua Airways Scheme.

In a release it said, “We, like the general public, noted the many irregularities and breaches of immigration procedures which have surrounded the three Antigua Airways charter flights.

“The Antigua Airways flights were advertised as “Tour Package Travel to Antigua”, yet many arriving Nigerians did not have prearranged accommodation.

“Further, travellers who arrived at the Jolly Beach Resort stated to reporters that they were not aware of the price of accommodation,

which they could not afford at just US$80 per night.

“Such a low all-inclusive price is a virtual giveaway, yet these “wealthy Nigerians”, as Gaston Browne called them, could not afford it.

“The Gaston-led Government claims the travellers are tourists, yet several of the Nigerians have stated they are here looking for employment.

“In light of these scandalous developments, we demand answers to the following questions:

“1. Why were some of the Nigerian visitors allowed entry into the country without any declared accommodation?

“2. How could these visitors be granted visas on arrival when they had no ac-

commodations booked?

“3. Our brothers and sisters around the Caribbean are required to declare their accommodations on arrival in Antigua and Barbuda. Even Antiguans and Barbudans in the Diaspora are required to fill out an address, on return to their homeland. Why was the requirement to declare accommodation waived in this case?

“4. Reports indicate that of those visitors who declared their accommodations, many changed locations due to being unable to pay. What measures did the Immigration Department take to properly monitor the travellers as they deviated from their stated arrangements?”

(Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

Caught in the crossfire, Peru protest deaths keep anger burning

Edgar Prado, 51, a mechanic and driver from the city of Ayacucho in southern Peru, spent most of the day on December 15 in his garage tinkering with his white Toyota Hilux pickup, even as protests began to build in the airport just a block away.

At 5:56 pm that day he would suffer a fatal gunshot wound to the chest and by 6:00 am the next morning he would be dead, according to security camera footage reviewed by Reuters and his autopsy, one of 10 people killed in the city in the most bloody violence that has roiled Peru in recent weeks.

The protests, the worst in years even in tumultuous Peru, have seen 22 people killed, the youngest just 15. The deaths threaten to keep anger fired up despite a lull in violence over the festive period in the heavily Catholic country.

The clashes with the December 7 ouster of former President Pedro Castillo after he tried to illegally dissolve Congress to avoid an impeachment vote he feared losing. He was voted out of

office shortly after and arrested for alleged "rebellion". He denies the charges.

His arrest triggered an outpouring of anger at the country's political elite and Congress, widely reviled as corrupt and self-serving, especially in Peru's poor southern mining regions where rising food and energy costs have hit people hard.

As new President Dina Boluarte tried to stem the protests, which saw blockades of highways, buildings set on fire and airports invad-

ed, the Government declared a nationwide state of emergency on December 14, curtailing some civic rights and allowing the armed forces to support the Police maintaining public order.

The United Nations has called for investigations into child casualties in the protests. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has condemned violence by both security forces and protesters and called for dialogue.

(Excerpt

from Reuters)

Barbados: Man swept out to sea

The Barbados Police Service and the Barbados Coast Guard were called after a Colombian national working on island was swept from the cliffs near the Animal Flower Cave on Christmas Day.

Edward Rueda was part of a group of Colombian tradespeople working in Barbados with the Jada

Group, based in Black Bess, St Peter.

Colleague Milton Pulido told The Daily Nation on Christmas Eve they ate together and also had breakfast as a group the following day before they decided to go where the tragic incident occurred.

“I wanted to show them the beauty of the place, because I took people there be-

fore to show them the waves, the cliff and rocks. However, while we were there, he [Rueda] got very close to the shore, and a tough wave came, collected him and put him into the water,” Pulido said.

They tried to save him, Pulido said, but with the rough water, there was nothing they could do. (Nation News)

Trinidad and Tobago President Paula Mae Weekes

Members of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights walk together, in Ayacucho, Peru, December 22, 2022 (Reuters/ Angela Ponce)

Joseph “Jo Mersa” Marley

Oil steady as US output ramps up after freeze, China eases COVID curbs

Oil prices were steady after hitting a three-week high on Tuesday as restarts at some US energy plants shut by winter storms offset gains stemming from hopes of a demand recovery as China eases its COVID-19 restrictions.

Brent crude was up 41 cents, or 0.5 per cent, at US$84.33 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude settled three cents lower at US$79.53 per barrel.

Both benchmarks hit their highest level since December 5 earlier in the session. UK and US markets were closed on Monday for the Christmas holiday.

Refineries along the Gulf Coast began to resume operations and ramp up production after an Arctic blast sent temperatures well below freezing and led to power, instrumentation, and steam losses at facilities along the US Gulf Coast.

The cold also cut oil and gas production from North Dakota to Texas.

Output of about 450,000-500,000 barrels of oil per day was curtailed over the Christmas weekend in the Bakken oilfields, the North Dakota Pipeline Authority said, adding that operators were working quickly to restore lost production.

"The US weather is forecast to improve this week, which means the rally may not last too long," said Kazuhiko Saito, chief analyst at Fujitomi Securities.

China will stop requiring inbound travellers to go into quarantine, starting January 8, the National Health Commission said on Monday in a major step toward easing curbs on borders that have been largely shut since 2020.

"This is certainly something that traders and investors have been hoping for," Avatrade analyst Naeem Aslam said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday also signed a decree that bans the supply of oil and oil products to nations participating in the price cap from February 1 for five months. Concern over a possible production cut by Russia also provided price support.

Russia might cut oil output by five per cent to seven per cent in early 2023 as it responds to price caps, the RIA news agency cited Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak as saying on Friday. (Reuters)

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday left in place for now a pandemic-era order allowing US officials to rapidly expel migrants caught at the US-Mexico border in order to consider whether 19 states could challenge the policy's end.

In a 5-4 vote, the court granted a request by Republican State Attorneys General to put on hold a Judge's decision invalidating the emergency public health order known as Title 42.

The states had argued lifting the policy could lead to an increase in already-record border crossings. The court said it would hear arguments on whether the states could intervene to defend Title 42 in its February session.

"It breaks my heart that we have to keep waiting," Miguel Colmenares, a Venezuelan migrant in the Mexican border city of Tijuana, said on hearing about the court's decision.

"I don't know what I'm going to do, I haven't got any money and my family's waiting for me," the 27-year-old said.

President Joe Biden said the US Government would have to enforce the order until the matter was resolved.

"But I think it's overdue," he said.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Biden Administration would respect the ruling, but added that Title 42 should not remain in place indefinitely.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Around the World

Russia bans oil sales to nations, firms complying with price cap

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a decree that bans oil sales to countries and companies that comply with a price cap agreed to by Western countries in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow gave its long-awaited response to the price cap on Tuesday. It bans the supply of crude oil and oil products from February 1 for five months to nations that abide by the cap.

The presidential decree said the sales ban may be lifted in individual cases through a “special decision” by Putin.

The Group of Seven major world powers, the European Union and Australia agreed this month to a US$60-per-

barrel

The cap, which was introduced alongside an EU embargo on seaborne deliveries of Russian crude oil,

aims to ensure Russia cannot bypass the embargo by selling its oil to third countries at high prices.

It also seeks to restrict Russia’s revenue while making sure Moscow keeps sup-

plying the global market.

Russia has expressed confidence it would find new buyers and said the cap will not affect its military campaign in Ukraine.

Its presidential decree, however, appears to have had at least one immediate effect, an oil and gas analyst, Vyacheslav Mishchenko, told Al Jazeera.

“There is already a hike on crude oil prices in the market,” he said. “I think this is a direct impact of the decree.”

Russia is the world’s second largest oil exporter after Saudi Arabia, and a major disruption to its sales would have far-reaching consequences for global energy supplies.

(Al Jazeera)

COVID in China: People rush to book travel as borders finally reopen

Chinese people have rushed to book overseas travel after Beijing announced it would reopen its borders next month.

Passport applications for

Chinese citizens wishing to travel internationally will resume from January 8, the immigration administration said.

It follows an announcement on Monday that ended

almost three years of strict quarantine rules for arrivals.

Travel sites have since reported a spike in traffic.

But Chinese tourists will not have unfettered access to all countries.

Japan – one of the most popular destinations for Chinese travellers – has announced that all travellers from China must show a negative COVID test on arrival, or quarantine for seven days, because of the surge in cases there.

India has also said travellers from China (as well as some other countries) must show a negative COVID test when they arrive – though this was announced before Beijing's easing of restrictions.

The easing of travel rules

in China – the last part of the country's zero-COVID policy – comes as the country battles a new wave of infections.

Resentment against the Government's policy – which sparked rare public protests against President Xi Jinping in November – led to a relaxation of COVID restrictions across the country.

But an increase in COVID cases followed, with reports of hospitals overwhelmed and a shortage of drugs.

The announcement on outbound travel on Tuesday came after Monday's news, which axed quarantine rules for travellers arriving in China. It also scrapped a cap on the daily number of flights.

(Excerpt

from BBC News)

The death toll in the New York city of Buffalo has risen to 28, with thousands still without power amid a monster winter storm that has battered North America.

Across the US, at least 62 people have died in weather-related incidents.

In Buffalo, a state official said that Military Police are being brought in to help manage traffic in the city, where a driving ban remains in place.

Looting has been reported in parts of the city during the emergency.

The winter storm has also forced the cancellation of thousands of flights, including about 4800 on Tuesday morning alone. Thousands of passengers have been left stranded at airports across the country.

Conditions are now expected to improve, with very little snowfall on Tuesday and slightly warmer weather on the way.

At a news conference on Tuesday, officials in New

York's Erie County – which includes Buffalo – said that the death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue. The 28 confirmed dead were all in Buffalo.

"All of the numbers have not caught up at this time," Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said. "We know that the [Erie] county number is larger."

More than 4000 people in the area remain without power after the storm, which Brown said was "probably" the worst of most residents' lifetimes. At the peak of the storm, about 20,000 people were without power.

Brown added that there had been an "improvement" in the city, with very little snowfall and an absence of whiteout conditions allowing officials "significant progress" as they clear vehicles and restore power.

Officials warned that the warming temperatures in the region might lead to additional problems, including flooding as snow thaws. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Sausage tycoon Pavel Antov dies in hotel fall

Russian sausage tycoon Pavel Antov has been found dead at an Indian hotel, two days after a friend died during the same trip.

They were visiting the eastern state of Odisha and the millionaire, who was also a local politician, had just celebrated his birthday at the hotel.

Antov was a wellknown figure in the city of Vladimir, east of Moscow.

Last summer he denied criticising Russia's war in Ukraine after a message appeared on his WhatsApp account.

The millionaire's death is the latest in a series of unexplained deaths involving Russian tycoons since the start of the Russian invasion, many of whom have openly criticised the war.

Reports in Russian media said Antov, 65, had fallen from a window at the hotel in the city of Rayagada on Sunday. Another member of his four-strong Russian group, Vladimir Budanov, died at the hotel on Friday.

Superintendent Vivekananda Sharma of Odisha Police said Budanov was found to have suffered a stroke while his friend "was depressed after his death and he too died". The Russian consul in Kolkata, Alexei Idamkin, told the Tass news agency that Police did not see a "criminal element in these tragic events".

Tourist guide Jitendra Singh told reporters that Budanov may have "consumed a lot of alcohol as he had liquor bottles". (Excerpt from BBC News)

US Supreme Court leaves pandemic-era border restrictions in place, takes up case

price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil effective from December 5.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Wyoming County medical teams respond to a call as Buffalo deals with the winter storm

Deadly blizzard leaves more than 60 dead across US

Migrants queue at the border wall to request asylum in El Paso, Texas, United States, seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, December 27, 2022 (Reuters/Jose Luis Gonzalez)

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Think big, but lower your expenses and keep the changes you make to a minimum. Seeing the whole picture will allow you to eliminate whatever isn’t necessary. Don’t look back; full steam ahead!

(March 21-April 19)

(April 20-May 20)

Opportunity is closer than you think. Embrace offers that come your way, and you’ll discover talents and skills you didn’t know you had. It’s time to sport a new and improved you.

Head in a direction that favors you instead of letting someone else reap the rewards you deserve. Refuse to let others play with your emotions or make you feel insecure. Set the pace.

(May 21-June 20)

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

Present your thoughts and intentions. Don’t be afraid to offer something unique. Reach out to someone you know you work well with, and together you’ll devise an exciting way to use your skills.

Leave nothing to chance. Do your due diligence, and you’ll discover how to offer your services or help without being taken for granted. Don’t feel obligated to be a part of someone else’s dream.

Participate in activities that offer mental or physical stimulation. Share feelings, discuss possibilities and consider changes that make your life easier. A purchase will pay off.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Stick to your schedule, finish what you start and ignore anyone who gives you a hard time or interferes with your progress. Don’t be a pushover for someone who takes advantage of you.

Take care of responsibilities and move on to pleasurable pastimes. A shopping spree will prove fruitful. Work to feel better about yourself and consider the changes you want to make.

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

Stop worrying; do something constructive that puts your mind at ease and makes you feel comfortable heading into the new year. Say no to manipulative people and live in the moment.

Avoid setbacks, stay in your lane and do what makes you happy. If you allow others to disrupt your plans, you’ll fall short of your expectations. Stick to your goals.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Make a change because it’s what you want, not because of pressure put on you by others. Size up your living arrangements, and you’ll find an alternative more to your liking.

Get organized and prepare to pursue your dreams. Reach out to people you like to work alongside and set up a timetable that works for everyone. Personal gain looks promising.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

ARCHIE PEANUTS

CALVIN AND HOBBES

DILBERT

Warner's 100th Test double-century puts South Africa to the sword

An epic David Warner innings occurred in his milestone match.

A 239-run partnership with Steven Smith, who brought up 1,000 runs at the MCG; a scoring rate of 4.3 runs per over in the day, which peaked at 5.54 in the final session, in temperatures that touched 40 degrees. This was Australia's day.

They seized control of the Melbourne Test and the series, and are on track to beat South Africa at home for the first time since the 2005-06 summer. Before the Test, amid questions over his long-format future, Warner promised to return to his old self and take on the bowling, and he stayed true to his word. From his opening runs on the second day - a square cut off Kagiso Rabada's first ball - to his final runs, when an edge flew wide of slip and brought up his 200, Warner took the fight to South Africa.

He became the second batter to score a double-hundred in his 100th Test, after Joe Root, in a display of extreme determination, strong strokeplay and incredible fitness. In a minute less than six hours at the crease, Warner ran 63 singles, 14 twos, seven threes and three fours, in addition to the 16 fours and two sixes he hit.

No South African bowler was spared, but Warner asserted his authority over

their spearhead, Rabada, with such assurance that it would not have given the rest much confidence. He scored 57 runs off the 60

South Africa's attack was never in the contest, and may draw some stern words for their line-up, who wasted the opportunity on the

sistently. His fastest ball was clocked at 155kph. He was also the only one to enjoy some reward, when Smith upper-cut a short ball to gully. By then, most of the damage was done.

Smith and Warner put on the second-highest third-wicket stand by Australia against South Africa, after Marnus Labuschagne was run-out in the morning session. Smith was less fluent than usual, but still managed to cash in on loose deliveries as the attack grew weary.

But his time with Warner was not without its chances.

Jansen drew Smith forward and got a healthy nick, but it fell short of second slip. Then, Smith offered a genuine chance when he gloved Jansen down leg. Kyle Verreynne made good

vation of a double-ton kept him at the crease until he was able to reach for a wide Ngidi delivery and it flew off the edge to the boundary.

His second hundred came off just 110 balls. Warner

balls he faced from Rabada, and 72 off 81 from Keshav Maharaj.

On a track that flattened out beautifully for batting,

Novak Djokovic has been welcomed back into Australia almost a year after he was deported over his COVID vaccine status.

Officials confirmed the 21-time Grand Slam champion, 35, had landed in the country for January's Australian Open.

Serb Djokovic, a ninetime Australian Open winner, had an automatic threeyear visa ban overturned in November.

"I think that he is going to be again the player to beat," said Tennis Australia’s Chief Executive Craig Tiley.

Last January, when Djokovic arrived in Australia for the 2022 tournament, COVID cases were skyrocketing, and Government rules required anyone entering the country to be vaccinatedunless they had a valid medication exemption.

Djokovic, who was detained by the Australian Border Force on entering the

country, and was forced to stay at an immigration hotel, claimed he had obtained a medical exemption to defend his title without being vaccinated, because he had recently recovered from COVID-19.

However, after 10 days of legal argument, the Government ruled he did not meet the requirements for entry, so his visa was cancelled and he was automatically not allowed to return to

first day.

Anrich Nortje was the most impressive of an energy-sapped pack, and he kept his pace above 150kph con-

Lungi Ngidi found Warner's edge with his third ball, but it flew past gully for four, and Marco

ground to his left, but could not hold on, before Warner inside edged Ngidi past the stumps.

All those half-chances meant nothing when Warner reached 8,000 Test runs, and then went on to bring up his hundred with a pull off Rabada. He celebrated with a jump and air punch.

Rabada thought he had Smith before the former captain reached fifty, but

dropped to his haunches and raised both arms in a double salute, but he struggled to get back up. Once he'd made his way to stand, he was helped off the field to an ovation from the 40,000 strong crowd. If he does not return to bat, his will be the highest individual innings in Test cricket to end retired hurt.

South Africa took the second new ball as soon as it became available, and it

Australia until 2025.

Djokovic's detention dominated the headlines in the build-up to the tournament, with crowds gathering outside his hotel campaigning for and against his eventual deportation.

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles - whose government came to power in May - overturned the ban last month, and Djokovic said he was "very happy" on

hearing the news.

Tiley said he did not expect a backlash to the player's return, and added: "We welcome him back to Australia. I have a great deal of confidence in the Australian public. I have a lot of confidence that the fans will react how we hope they will react."

Djokovic, the world number five, said in November he was relieved to be able to return to Melbourne. "[The] Australian Open has been my most successful Grand Slam," he added. "I made some of the best memories there. Of course I want to go back there, I want to play tennis, do what I do best, hopefully have a great Australian summer."

Djokovic, who is one Grand Slam title behind Rafael Nadal's record of 22, is scheduled to play in the Adelaide International, beginning Sunday, with the Australian Open starting in Melbourne on 16 January. (BBC Sport)

he overstepped on the delivery Smith appeared to glove on the pull, although replays were inconclusive. Smith brought up fifty soon after, with a cut past point off Jansen.

Australia led by 42 runs at tea, and accelerated in the final session. They scored 83 runs in 11 overs in the post tea session - and 155 in 28 overs in total - as they ripped into Ngidi and Rabada.

Both bowled a little too short in search of a wicket. Smith looked well on his way to a century of his own, before Nortje got the better of him, with Warner eight runs away from a double-hundred and starting to cramp severely. He seemed to barely have the energy to keep going, but the moti-

was shared by Nortje and Jansen. While Nortje asked questions again, Jansen only seemed easier to hit. As he searched for swing, Travis Head flicked him over square leg for six and then four, and raced to a run-a-ball 48.

Australia are likely to continue to bat for as long as they can, especially as their attack could be depleted for the second innings.

Mitchell Starc injured his left middle-finger while fielding on the first day, and will bowl only if required; while Cameron Green was hit on the right index finger by Jansen while batting, and it immediately swelled up. Green also retired hurt, which could leave Australia with only Pat Cummins, Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon to close out the match.

David Warner defied cramp to reach a double-century

The brutal Melbourne heat took its toll on the players

Anrich

Open

Camptown NY support local chapter with equipment boost

Former players of Camptown Football Club (CFC) - located in First Street, Campbellville, Georgetown - who are now residing in New York, USA and operate under the Camptown New York umbrella, have made a timely donation of equipment to help boost development of the youth arm of the CFC.

President of Camptown New York, Ralph Green, who was recently in Guyana, handed over the equipment to CFC President Brother Akram Sabre. Among the items handed over are two uniform kits for 18 players, along with two goalkeeper kits, training ladders, training hurdles, training bibs, spot markers, cones,

12 balls, and players’ sack packs.

In handing over the items, Camptown NY President Ralph Green challenged CFC President

Sri Lanka tour to India 2023…

Akram Sabre and CFC executive members to commence the rebirth of the club, so that, in the near future, it can return to its glory days by dint of consistent and

committed work with the youths.

“We are eager from the New York end to see you guys get back to being very active as a club. The youths

deserve your support, and we are here to ensure that you get the requisite assistance in order to achieve this objective. We have always been supportive, and

will continue to be there for this club, but we need to see some action and consistency from this end,” Green has said.

CFC has, over the years, produced numerous junior and senior national team players, apart from being one of the top-tier clubs in the city. It has even won the Kashif and Shanghai yearend championships.

CFC President Brother Sabre, along with former CFC Captain and national team player Troy ‘Bugs’ Prescod, accepted the equipment and promised to work collectively with Camptown NY to return the club to its former glory by investing in a robust youth development plan.

Hardik to lead India in T20I; Rohit returns for ODIs

…Pant not in either squad

Hardik Pandya will lead India in the three-match T20I series at home against Sri Lanka, starting on January 3. Suryakumar Yadav will be his deputy, while Rohit Sharma is set to return for the three ODIs that follow.

Virat Kohli and KL Rahul are not part of the T20I squad; and Shikhar Dhawan has been left out of the ODI set-up after a poor run in Bangladesh, where he scored only 18 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 51.42.

Rishabh Pant has not been included in either the ODI or the T20I squad against Sri Lanka, after he was given a break from the ODI series in Bangladesh. Pant subsequently returned for the two Tests and scored a rapid 93 in the victory in Mirpur.

The BCCI release that followed the selection meeting chaired by Chetan Sharma did not specify which players had been rested, dropped or injured. While Rahul is part of the ODI squad, he hasn't been named vice-captain, with Hardik taking over as Rohit's deputy in his first 50-over series since the tour of England in July. Rahul had recently led India in the third ODI in Bangladesh, after Rohit was ruled out with a thumb injury.

Jadeja's recovery taking longer than expected Ravindra Jadeja did not feature in either squad, as he continues his recovery from a knee injury. He last played for India at the Asia Cup in UAE in AugustSeptember, and subsequently underwent surgery. Jadeja's inclusion for the Bangladesh tour was provisional, and he was later withdrawn after NCA medical staff deemed him "not fully fit".

ESPNcricinfo understands that Jadeja's recov-

The selectors have chosen a young pace attack for the T20Is against Sri Lanka, with both Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami, who were part of the 2022 T20 World Cup squad, missing. Shami, however, is back in the ODI set-up for the first time since the tour of England in JuneJuly, after being withdrawn from the recent tour of Bangladesh because of a shoulder injury.

Maiden call-ups for Mavi, Mukesh Uttar Pradesh's Shivam Mavi and Bengal's Mukesh Kumar earned maiden T20I call-ups following a prolific Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 season. The T20I squad also features Harshal Patel and Umran Malik, whose most recent T20I was in June against England.

ESPNcricinfo understands that Harshal had contracted COVID upon his return from New Zealand,

and was asked to rest from the first two rounds of the Ranji Trophy as a precautionary measure. He was subsequently given a fitness clearance ahead of the selection meeting.

Arshdeep Singh is back in the ODI squad, after making his debut on the recent tour of New Zealand but missing the subsequent trip to Bangladesh. He is yet to take a wicket in ODIs, after going wicketless in two matches in New Zealand.

Middle-order batter Rajat Patidar and spin allrounder Shahbaz Ahmed are the other omissions from the ODI squad, after the recent series in Bangladesh, where neither played a game. Deepak Chahar, who had pulled out of the tour

of Bangladesh with a hamstring strain, was also not part of either squad.

At the start of an ODI World Cup year, India begin their home season by hosting Sri Lanka for three

Post Qatar 2022…

Liverpool agree deal to sign Gakpo, says PSV

Liverpool have agreed to sign Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven, the Dutch club has said. The fee for the winger is expected to be between 40m and 50m euros (£35.4m and £44.3m).

Gakpo, 23, had an impressive World Cup in Qatar, scoring three goals as he helped the Netherlands reach the quarter-finals. PSV say Gakpo will travel to England to complete the deal, adding that it would be a record transfer for them.

Liverpool have made a move, with forwards Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota facing lengthy spells on the sidelines.

Manchester United have been heavily linked with a move for Gakpo.

"The PSV management completed the negotiations on Boxing Day, and gave Gakpo permission to trav-

el to England," said a statement from the Eredivisie side.

Gakpo has been in fine form this season, scoring nine goals and providing 12 assists in 14 league games for PSV. He has also managed three goals and registered two assists in five Europa League outings. At the World Cup, he scored in each of his country's group games against Senegal, Ecuador and Qatar.

Liverpool beat Aston Villa 3-1 on Monday as they returned to Premier League action; manager Jurgen

T20Is in Mumbai (January 3), Pune (January 5) and Rajkot (January 7); and three ODIs in Guwahati (January 10), Kolkata (January 12) and

Thiruvananthapuram (January 15), after which they will also host New Zealand and Australia before the IPL.

Squad for Sri Lanka

T20Is: Hardik Pandya (capt), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (vc), Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Mukesh Kumar.

Squad for Sri Lanka

ODIs: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (vc), Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Mohamed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh. (ESPNCricinfo)

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Reds defender Virgil van Dijk, an international team-mate, spoke glowingly about the winger during the World Cup.

"Hopefully, Cody can go to the moon and back," said Van Dijk during the tournament in Qatar. "He is a very good player, and a good boy too. What we see in training is what you see on the pitch. There is still so much potential, and I hope he can carry on showing it for us. We are very happy with him." (BBC Sport)

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ery is taking longer than expected, and while an exact date for his return isn't known, the team is keen to have him back for the fourTest series against Australia which starts in February.

Jadeja could play in

a Ranji Trophy game for Saurashtra, subject to permission, to prove his match fitness ahead of that series.

Camptown New York President Ralph Green (2nd right), Troy Prescod (right), CFC President Akram Sabre (left) and youths of the club displaying the donated items

Cody Gakpo was one of the standout young talents at this year’s FIFA World Cup

Rishabh Pant is not part of the white-ball series against Sri Lanka

Shikhar Dhawan has been left out of the ODI squad at the start of a World Cup year

“One Guyana” President’s Cup…

Final four to do battle today!

…Following Christmas weekend action

The names of the final four teams in the “One Guyana” President’s Cup tournament have been set in stone, and they will gear up for this evening’s semifinal, following some exhilarating football over the extended Christmas weekend.

Region 4 and Region 7 out of Group A, and Region 3 and Region 5 out of Group B are the four teams which have advanced to the semifinal of the “One Guyana” President’s Cup, set to take place today, Wednesday, December 28th, 2022. This is as a result of a blockbuster weekend in which double-headers were contested on Christmas Day and Boxing Day at various locations across the country.

At the Bartica Community Centre Ground on Christmas Day, Region 7 utilized their home advantage to hand Region 8

a sound beating. Andrew Simmons was the Bartica man on show, striking first in the 8th minute to give Bartica the lead. And with another somersault celebration, Simmons later made it a 2-0 game in the 45th.

Region 8’s consolation goal came in the 76th minute, but Simmons ensured there wouldn’t be a Region 8 comeback when he found the back of the net in the 85th

At the same time, New GPC Inc’s Region 4 were standing up to the challenge of Region 6 at the Buxton Ground, East Coast Demerara. Region 6 were actually the first team to break the ice, and this was done in the second half, when striker Devon James found the back of the net in the 60th minute, but the worst fears of Region 6 were realised when, 3 minutes later, they conceded an

A few immediate substitutions from Region 4 minutes later ramped up the intensity of the matchup, and eventually resulted in their second goal. This time, Trevon Pluck was the marksman who sealed the 2-1 win.

the semis.

minute to record his 3rd goal for Region 7.

own goal to level the scores 1-1.

Then, on Boxing night at the National Track and Field Center (NTFC) at Leonora, West Coast Demerara, Region 5 came from a 1-1 score to pull off a stunning 6-1 victory over Region 2, thereby sealing their place in

After Delroy Fraser’s 36th minute goal, what would be Region 2’s only goal was scored by Shamar Dawson in the 42nd. However, the proverbial tables were quickly turned in the second half when Fraser completed his brace in the 55th, Marc Galloway netted one in the 62nd, and Abumuchi Benjamin struck a hat trick in the 78th, 89th and 90th +4 for Region 5’s victory.

In the following game, Region 3 came from two

“One Guyana” President’s Cup…

down to draw with Region 10; ousting them from the competition. Shane Luckie and Jahshawn Morre netted for Region 10, while Roundel Hutson and Kobi Alexander did the same for Region 3 in the 2-2 affair.

Today’s semifinals will see Region 5 taking on Region 4, followed by the matchup between Region 7 and Region 3. The first match begins at 18:00hrs at the National Track and Field Center (NTFC) at Leonora, WCD. (Jemima Holmes)

Bartica Mayor, BFA President commend Reg. 7 for semi-final qualification

extremely proud of the team's performance in the game on Christmas Night, and its overall position in the tournament. We went into this match with high confidence, and it showed in the way the guys played and produced three goals.

“Going forward to the semi-finals, we know that we would need to lift the intensity against a highly talented team. Ours is a young squad, but the guys have adapted well to this tournament, and have consolidated their strategies. All (they) need now is to

maintain that composure and give themselves an outside chance to reach the final… and possibly win it all.”

Region 7 will face off with Region 3 in tonight’s second semi-final, the first will feature Region 4 battling Region 5 from 18:00hrs.

GBA President Steve Ninvalle grateful for boxing’s ‘bounce back’ year

The historic “One Guyana” President’s Cup Football championship which continues to make an indelible mark in the football landscape is now down to the semi-finals, which would be contested at the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora, WCD this evening.

Set to confront each other for a place in the final are New GPC Ferrol Demerara Mahaica Region 4 vs Mahaica Berbice Region 5, and Caribbean Airlines Essequibo Islands-West Demerara Region 3 vs Cuyuni-Mazaruni Region 7.

Cuyuni-Mazaruni have rallied to record their third win of four matches to advance to the semi-finals of this competition, after suffering a heavy 1-6 loss to DemeraraMahaica in their first match of the round-robin phase of the Regional Playoffs.

Thereafter, the CuyuniMazaruni lads have notched up three consecutive wins, respective 1-0 triumphs over East Berbice-Corentyne Region 6, and an upset against GTT Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo, before their final group win over Potaro Siparuni Region 8 on Christmas Night 3-0 at the Bartica Community Centre

Ground.

Scoring all three of their goals was Andrew ‘Somersault’ Simmons, who performed his trademark somersault after scoring each goal, much to the delight and cheers of the home fans, which numbered well over eight hundred; it was the largest attendance at any venue to date.

It was the perfect Christmas gift for the people of the Upper and Lower Mazaruni communities, the victory ensuring the Region’s passage into the final four, a territory they had neither seen nor experienced in many decades.

It was a performance witnessed by His Worship, Mayor Gifford Marshall; Deputy Mayor Arita Embleton; Bartica FA Secretary, Regional Chairman Kenneth Williams; Mr. Ewrin Ward, Prime Ministerial Representative in Region 7; former Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford; Bartica Football Association President Alden Marslow and his executive committee, and Former Guyana and FIFA Referee, now Instructor, Diane Ferreira-James, among others.

Mayor Marshall, speak-

ing after the Region’s performance, expressed delight at their achievement in this historical competition, which is being played for the first time.

“As we celebrate this season of joy, peace, and goodwill, we have much to be thankful for and grateful for. Tonight we are thankful for the victory of the Region 7 team. It was a well-deserved victory, and I commend the management team and the hundreds of spectators that turned up at the venue to support the game.

“Further, I am grateful to His Excellency President Alli, and Football President Wayne Forde, for initiating this tournament. This timely investment in football, I believe, will go a far way in addressing many of the social ills we face daily, while at the same time positively impacting the sport in general.

“As a stakeholder, I reaffirm my office’s commitment and support for the good of the game and the success of our youths. I wish all the teams well, and trust that this tournament will be the foundation of greater things to come,” Mayor Marshall has said.

Also showering praise on the team was Bartica Football Association President Alden Marslow. “The entire region is

Being a full-contact sport, Boxing was one of the last of Guyana’s core sports to get going following the coronavirus pandemic. While 2021 was not so forthcoming, the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) was able in 2022 to host its full complement of events, and even extended the Pepsi/Mike Parris U16 competition.

For these reasons, GBA President Steve Ninvalle has hailed 2022 as Boxing’s ‘bounce back’ year. “2022 has been a very rewarding year for us. Rewarding in the fact that we were able to bounce back after COVID-19. COVID-19 would’ve put us down since 2019, and in 2020 we had no competitions, 2021 either. So, 2022 we would’ve bounced back, and we would’ve been able to hold all three statutory competitions for the year,” Ninvalle reflected.

The GBA President added, “In addition to that, we were able to send our boxers out to several international competitions, and we would’ve had Desmond Amsterdam coming back with 2 bronze medals. He was the first Guyanese boxer to earn financial rewards from fighting overseas. With that, we are looking forward to 2023 with much more enthusiasm.”

For Boxing, 2023 will commence with a few international assignments, in which the Association is eager to have pugilists compete. in addition, Ninvalle is hoping to reinstate a special artillery to the GBA’s coaching staff.

Ninvalle revealed of the GBA’s 2023 plans, “There are a number of international tournaments that our boxers will have to be at, starting at one in Morocco in next month, which is January. We have the Female World Championships, we have the male World Championships, and we expect to have the return of our Cuban Coach, Mr. Francisco Roldan. That, of course, relies on how much resources we have,” he disclosed.

Ninvalle has committed that he and the GBA execu-

tives would continually improve the sport of Boxing in Guyana.

“There’s always room for improvement, regardless of whatever you do. Perfection is an illusion that we pursue, it’s not a thing, because there’s never perfection in anything that we do. As an executive, we will keep meeting and we will keep engaging with the other stakeholders, the referees/ judges and the boxers too, in order to make it as airtight as possible,” the GBA President shared.

In other strides made by the GBA this year, just two weeks ago, the GBA became the first Association in the Caribbean to reward amateur boxers monetarily for their exploits in the national championships.

Abumuchi Benjamin (10) is poised to find the back of the net

Region 7 (blue) vs Region 8 in Bartica on Christmas night

Mayor Gifford Marshall (left) and Regional Chairman Kenneth Williams (right) posing with the victorious Region 7 team following their win and qualification for the OGPC semi-finals

Desmond Amsterdam was one of the standout talents for the GBA this year