Issuu

WEDNESDAY 16th September, 2020

' No.106124

US: Pompeo’s trip to Guyana a celebration of democracy SEE PAGE 17

Water will flow again, says Rodrigues PAGE

No more

house lots in burial ground – MP Jafferally says days of coalition’s disdain for the poor are over 03 PAGE

Young fisherman stabbed to death during altercation

PAGE

GuySuCo’s new CEO tackles reopening of estates 08 PAGE

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, delivering her maiden presentation in the National Assembly on Tuesday

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Funds run ‘dry’ at GWI

–– Minister Rodrigues says water will flow again with $2.8B investment By Navendra Seoraj THE coffers of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) “ran dry” under the leadership of the former APNU+AFC administration, but “water will flow again” said Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, who defended her ministry’s allocation of $2.8 billion for maintained and expanded water supply across the country. The minister, in making her maiden presentation to the National Assembly during day two of the Budget 2020 debates, said the condition of GWI is a “travesty.” “GWI is bankrupt… pipelines are porous, there was no maintenance, the system was left to decay… that is the legacy of Van West-Charles

(former CEO of GWI),” said Rodrigues in response to Opposition Parliamentarian, Vinceroy Jordan, who spoke about GWI’s progress under Dr. Charles. As her colleagues pounded the desk in acknowledgement of her presentation, Rodrigues continued to talk about the deficiencies at GWI, noting that in 2015 the utility company had 600 employees and today there are 1,300 employees with no corresponding benefit to justify, what she called, the “overstaffing.” GWI, which was already at a financial disadvantage because of “poor management,” had encountered more financial problems because of the dreaded novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has caused economic hardships across the world. Minister Rodrigues said GWI saw a 14.1 per cent decline in revenue collection due mainly to failure of more than 90,000 of its customers to honour bill payment obligations. Collection of revenue in the second quarter of 2020 totalled $1.193 billion, compared to $1.394 billion in the first quarter of 2020. “This was a direct result of reduced interpersonal con-

tact with customers, with the onset of COVID-19,” said the minister. Even though the company took a hit, it expended over $2.8 billion to ensure continuous water supply, as the nation implemented COVID-19 containment and mitigation measures to combat the pandemic. The sum expended, represents an average monthly operating and maintenance cost of $468.6 million, used for the procurement of chemicals, spares and management of the hinterland water supply system. This “bump in the road” did not derail the work of the Ministry of Housing and Water, said Minister Rodrigues, adding that it is the ministry’s aim, amidst these trying times, to extend coverage and provision of potable water, especially to unserved areas. “We will work towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal number six, which speaks to access to clean water and sanitation for all, by 2030,” said the minister. Heckling from the opposition side of the House did not stop Minister Rodrigues from committing to improve the quality of life for all Guyanese by increasing water security and extending it to coastal,

urban and hinterland areas. To this end, she reiterated that government has budgeted $2.8 billion to support the improvement and expansion of water supply infrastructure across the country. This allocation, she said, provides for sustaining and improving access to potable water across coastal, urban and hinterland communities; and continuing the “reduction of non-revenue water programme”. Special attention will be placed on the most vulnerable in society, senior citizens and indigenous people, said the minister, adding that they will have improved access to potable water at a time when the country is fighting COVID-19. Government has already announced the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on potable water and the reinstatement of the water subsidy for pensioners. But even as the country continues to make access to water affordable, revenue collection remains a major concern for the ministry, so Minister Rodrigues said emphasis will be placed on non-revenue water, collection efficiency and metered coverage. TURN TO PAGE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

No more house lots in burial ground –– MP Jafferally says days of Coalition’s disdain for the poor are over

By Rabindra Rooplall NINETEEN low-income houses were built by the ‘Coalition’ at Experiment Village, in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), and not a single unit was sold because they expected the poor to pay $8.5M each. This is according to government parliamentarian, Faizal Jafferally during his budget presentation at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on Tuesday. “You know why? They are demanding $8.5M for the unit of house! This is supposed to be a poor-man’s house!” Jafferally said. He recalled that pre2015, under the PPP/C government, a low-income house was sold for less than $3M. Noting that there has been no housing development in Region Five, the government MP said the tables are about to turn, as thousands of house-lots will be made available under this new administration. Jafferally also told the House that the ‘Coalition’ government had collected monies from teachers, nurses, taxi drivers and other residents of Region Five for house-lots, but it was all a hoax.

“When these people went to locate their house-lots, they found rice fields,” he said, adding: “One teacher took her letter with the house-lot number, and found the burial ground; another teacher, based on his number, found a church. There was no land available in Region Five; it was an elections sham.” The government has set aside over $3Billion in the National 2020 Budget to help the ailing housing sector. Touching on another casualty of the previous government, Jafferally said farmers were oft in a state of depression, especially those in Region Five, where the canals were not desilted and in many cases in an impassable condition. Thankfully, that, too, is about to change, as agriculture is set for a major boost, thanks to the government’s pumping $18.4Billion into the sector to revitalise and revamp all related industries. RELIEF Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha has recently dispatched 13 machines to the backlands of the Mahaica/Mahaicony/Abary (MMA) project to desilt a total of 245 canals to bring relief to those farmers who

Opposition Parliamentarian, Vinceroy Jordon

have homesteads there. “The dams will be graded to allow rice farmers to bring their crop to the factory; that is what a caring government does,” Jafferally said. And to bolster his argument that agriculture development in the region was poor under the ‘Coalition’, he used as a case in point the model farm which was controlled by the MMA/ADA and the Regional Democratic Council. “When APNU+AFC took office, they bulldozed the farmers out of the land, and they spent $200M to develop the farm,” the pro-government parliamentarian said while holding aloft photographs which he passed

Two Lusignan prisoners COVID-19 positive TWO prisoners from the holding bay at Lusignan Prison have tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) despite the many precautions that have been taken, Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, has confirmed. He said the official results were received on Tuesday. The director said the circumstances under which the two prisoners contracted the virus were unknown and contact tracing had begun. “All steps are being taken to segregate persons with whom they came into contact. Resources are being gathered to prevent further spread. All persons who are exhibiting signs and symptoms of COVID-19

Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels

will be examined and exposed to the Standard Operational Procedures outlined by the Ministry of Health,” the prison director said. He noted that systems are also being put in place to mon-

itor the rest of the prison population and to monitor prison officers and staff. Further, he said the steps taken over the months to prevent COVID-19 from the prison will be revisited and expanded where necessary. “The Guyana Prison Service wishes to reassure all prisoners and prison officers that this matter is being viewed very seriously and that all mitigation strategies are in place for their protection,” Samuels said. He explained that all new admissions are isolated for 14 days while an assessment is done by the medical staff before they are placed with the general prison population.

Government parliamentarian, Faizal Jafferally

around for persons to see for themselves what he was talking about. “That is what they did with the model farm; denying over 60 cash-crop farmers an opportunity to live their lives,” he said. Jafferally said it is no secret that cash-crop, poultry and cattle farmers who occupied lands for generations in Region Five were forced off of those lands under the APNU+AFC administration. HERO “They took the lands and gave it to their cronies; and free legal services by the Honourable Anil Nandlall assisted those farmers,” he said.

Pro-Opposition Parliamentarian, Vinceroy Jordon, who spoke on behalf of Region Five, highlighted issues facing the poor and needy there, but didn’t state what the APNU+AFC did to relieve these hardships when they were in office. Rather, he sought to lecture the government on what they ought to be doing. “The primary purpose and function of any government is to sustain the welfare, security and well-being of people, regardless of their social or economic status, race or religion, political preference or affiliation,” Jordon said, adding: “They must be looked at as Guyanese, and as such the gov-

ernment must govern for all of Guyana.” He said government’s plans and programmes must be designed to bring hope, happiness and comfort to all. Complaining about the budgetary allocation for his region, Jordon said during the tenure of APNU+AFC coalition, public health for the district was exceptional, but the current budget lacks any development for the sector. Jordon also claimed that the Mahaica/Berbice region was neglected under the PPP/C for over two decades, and rice cultivation suffered tremendously from poor drainage, while diary production, cattle rearing, cash crops and poultry also suffered. In response, MP Jafferally wondered aloud whether his colleague parliamentarian was indeed living in Region Five, since he seemed to be talking about another district altogether.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Trump hails ‘dawn of new Middle East’ with UAE-Bahrain-Israel deals (BBC) US President Donald Trump has hailed the “dawn of a new Middle East”, amid Israel’s landmark deals with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain. Mr Trump spoke as the two Gulf states signed agreements fully normalising their relations with Israel. The three countries hailed the deals as historic, as did Mr Trump, whose administration helped broker them. The Gulf states are just the third and fourth Arab countries to recognise Israel since its founding in 1948. Mr Trump hopes other countries will follow suit, but the Palestinians have urged them not to while their conflict remains unsolved. For decades, most Arab states have boycotted Israel, insisting they would only establish ties after Israel’s dispute with the Palestinian was settled. “After decades of divi-

The agreements are likely to usher in new security ties in the Middle East sion and conflict we mark the an Israeli withdrawal from Why are these agreedawn of a new Middle East,” occupied territories could ments being hailed as ‘hisMr Trump told a crowd of bring peace to the Middle toric’? hundreds gathered at the East. Before the UAE and BahWhite House on Tuesday. “Peace, security and sta- rain, the only other Arab “We’re here this after- bility will not be achieved countries in the Middle East noon to change the course of in the region until the Israeli to recognise Israel officially history,” he added. occupation ends,” he said in a were Egypt and Jordan, who Israeli Prime Minister statement after the signing of signed peace treaties in 1978 Benjamin Netanyahu wel- the deals, AFP news agency and 1994 respectively. comed the deals, saying, reports. Mauritania, a mem“This day is a pivot of hisThe Israeli army said ber of the Arab League in tory; it heralds a new dawn that two rockets were fired north-west Africa, estabof peace.” from the Gaza Strip into Is- lished diplomatic relations But Palestinian leader rael while the ceremony was with Israel in 1999 but Mahmoud Abbas said only under way. severed ties in 2010.

Breonna Taylor: Louisville to pay family $12m over police shooting Wednesday, September 16, 03:30hrs - 05:00hrs

(BBC) Officials in Louisville, Kentucky have agreed to pay $12m (£9.3m) to the family of Breonna Taylor, a black woman who was killed in her home by police. Taylor was 26 when she was shot at least five times on 13 March during a mistaken drugs raid. Her name has featured prominently in anti-racism protests in recent months. Lonita Baker, a lawyer for Taylor’s family, called the settlement just one “layer” in the effort to seek justice, and praised new police reforms. “Justice for Breonna is multi-layered,” said Ms Baker at a press conference on Tuesday alongside Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. She called the agreement “tremendous, but only a portion” of what the family hopes for, including the arrest of the officers involved in her death. “Today what we did here was to do what we could do to bring a little bit of police reform and it’s just a start,” continued Ms Baker. “But we finished the first mile in the marathon and we’ve got a lot more miles to go to until we achieve and cross that finish line.” The settlement includes a series of police reforms in the city, including a requirement that all search warrants be approved by a senior officer and giving a housing credit to officers who move to low income neighbourhoods they patrol in the city. In a short statement, Taylor’s mother Tamika Palmer called for criminal

charges against the officers and asked people to continue to say her daughter’s name publicly in advocacy for police reforms. The settlement is the largest financial sum paid in a police misconduct case in the city’s history, according to the Louisville Courier Journal. Taylor’s killing was propelled into the spotlight once again with the death George Floyd, an African-American man who died after a police officer knelt on his neck for minutes during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in May. Floyd’s death sparked global anti-racism protests and brought renewed focus on police brutality. What happened to Breonna Taylor? Shortly after midnight on 13 March, three officers entered Taylor’s apartment by executing a no-knock search warrant - a court document that authorises police to enter a home without warning. Taylor and her partner, Kenneth Walker, were reportedly asleep as the commotion began. The officers exchanged fire with Mr Walker, a licensed gun owner who called 911 in the belief that the drug raid was a burglary. The officers - who fired more than 25 bullets - said they returned fire after one officer was shot and wounded. During the exchange, Taylor, an emergency medical technician, was shot eight times and later died. No drugs were found on the property.

The lawsuit filed by Taylor’s family accuses the officers of battery, wrongful death, excessive force and gross negligence. It also says the officers were not looking for her or her partner, but for an unrelated suspect who did not live in the complex. Her family has also accused police of leading the raid as a plot to gentrify her neighbourhood. The city’s mayor dismissed the allegation as “outrageous” and “without foundation or supporting facts”. One of the officers involved in the raid, Brett Hankison, was fired in June. The other two - Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove - were placed on administrative leave. The city’s police chief was also fired in June after a separate police shooting. A grand jury could soon decide whether criminal charges should be filed against any of the officers. Until Freedom, a social justice organisation that has held rallies for Taylor, released a statement saying: “No amount of money will bring back Breonna Taylor.” “True justice is not served with cash settlements,” the group added. “We need those involved in her murder to be arrested and charged. We need accountability. We need justice.” Earlier this year, Louisville’s city council voted unanimously in favour of banning no-knock warrants. Similar legislation that would ban the warrants nationwide was introduced in the US Congress.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Chinese ambassador praises Barbados’ handling of COVID-19 pandemic

(NATIONNEWS) Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, Yan Xiusheng on Monday praised Government for its handling of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Yan, who was speaking during a courtesy call

with Minister of Home Affairs, Information and Public Affairs, Wilfred Abrahams, at his Wildey, St Michael office, was accompanied by director of the Political Section, Gao Jin, and attaché, Xin Wong. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry,

Deborah Payne, attended the meeting. Abrahams said China can now be considered a “traditional partner”. He noted that China had made a mark in the Caribbean with its movies, which sparked an interest in its culture.

“For most Caribbean people that was the introduction of Chinese culture, but we have come to learn of China as a business partner, a friend in need, and as a protector,” Abrahams said. The Chinese Ambassador said Barbados and

China had signalled their solidarity in cooperating in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that China had provided expert advice in the management of the virus and personal protective equipment for essential workers.

Minister of Home Affairs, Information and Public Affairs, Wilfred Abrahams. (FP)

T&T: Attorneys agree COVID law not applicable to private homes (TRINIDAD GUARDIAN) Two prominent attorneys are agreeing with Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith’s argument W it will be very difficult for police to criminally enforce the public health regulations on people who are in private residences. The topic has been in the public domain since last week, after the members of the T&T Police Service failed to charge anyone involved in a poolside party at the Bayside Towers in Cocorite. After public criticism over this, including a call from Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to apply the law equitably to all citizens, Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith said the law was vague as it applied to officers’ jurisdiction in people’s private properties, Yesterday, Senior Counsels Israel Khan and Martin Daly held both the same and differing views on how aspects of the issue should be dealt with. “I am personally of the view that these people should be arrested, but I am of the view that they cannot be arrested,” Khan said about the Bayside Towers pool party.

“You cannot really invade private residences without having a warrant that you suspect a criminal offence has been committed.” Daly agreed with this perspective. “I have no doubt that the police cannot just storm into exclusively private property on the basis that it’s just some offence against the public health regulations is being committed.” However, Daly said people have to be careful in their interpretations of the term exclusively private property, as the interpretation depends on certain circumstances. “We need to be very careful. If we say, well, they didn’t shut down this party, but they shut down that party. We have to be careful to distinguish the circumstances in which people went into a party,” he said. Saying he used the term exclusively private intentionally, Daly said, for instance, if people use their private property to have a pay fete or to otherwise do anything to suggest the public has access, that can turn a private space into a public space. However, in the instance of the Bayside pool party, Daly said it appeared those in at-

tendance were either residents or friends of a resident, meaning it was likely interpreted as a private residence. According to both attorneys, if the Government wishes to enforce the regulations on private residences, the ordinances will have to be taken to Parliament. Khan urged the Government to do this, saying that the ongoing debate on the issue is very problematic and could easily be blown out of proportion. However, Khan said it was unfortunate that Police Commissioner, a member of the National Security Council, had become involved in a public spat with the Prime Minister over the issue. “Just take the thing to Parliament and enact the law. It’s very simple like that... Every sensible person in this country would realise that they must have law where they

could make arrests for people who were doing what those people did,” Khan said. But Daly said there’s something that concerns him more than the legalities of the issues - the social impact of policing. He said the incident in which young people found bathing in Sea Lots were put to lie down on the ground and humiliated had made a certain mental impression on people. “Therefore, when other people appear to be doing something similar and they appear to be in better circumstance, whether by colour, shade or income, it creates a very unfortunate impression, and you see that is why I believe that the language that is being used by people in high-office needs to be more tempered,” Daly said. He claimed the chickens are coming home to roost with the previous usage of intemperate language about cockroaches.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

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New chapter on development PPP/C Government Member of Parliament (MP), Alister Charlie, representing Region Nine, expounded impassionedly on the relegation to second class citizens every PNC government, including the David Granger-led coalition administration, had meted out to Guyana’s hinterland communities. He was addressing the National Assembly last Monday, the opening day of the 2020 Budget debates. COVID-19 restrictions impelled Parliament to utilise the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) to host sittings of the National Assembly. During his presentation, Charlie iterated that Amerindians in Guyana were denied basic rights by the APNU+AFC over the five years of their tenure in office, with many of the developmental projects and programmes initiated and planned by the previous PPP/C administration either truncated or put on the back burner. Alluding to the developmental paradigm that had begun the catalysis of transforming hinterland communities to eventual synchronisation with coastal development during the previous PPP/C administration, Charlie adumbrated a menu of measures that had inexorably changed the socio-eco-

nomic landscape of Amerindian communities into a progressive one; that is, until the advent of coalition governance, when a progressive reversal of Amerindian development transpired during the approximate five years of their tenure in office. The resultant incremental progress through the PPP/C’s consultations with stakeholders in Guyana’s Indigenous peoples’ affairs and consensual approaches to wealth and job-creational initiatives was achieved without compromising Guyana’s first people’s tribal mores and traditions. In every sector, the previous PPP/C administration had prioritised programmes and projects to enable a better life for hinterland dwellers, primarily with land-titling and a revised Amerindian Act in 2005, which gave Guyana’s first peoples greater protection and security than they ever had under the PNC regime. Charlie lamented “… it’s misleading when opposition members try to paint a picture that everything was bright and beautiful under their tenure in the Amerindian community, yet, at the level of the village it was a different reality.” Conversely, he highlighted some of the measures that Budget 2020

projects for Amerindian development, with aggregated socio-economic initiatives planned for prioritised implementation in even the most remote hinterland communities. Among the multiplicity of projects planned by government for development of hinterland regions is an expansion of the Hinterland Electrification Programme that will benefit in excess of 25,000 households in Amerindian, hinterland, and deep riverine communities. The education sector will also be targeted for massive transformation and inputs, and each child in hinterland schools, as well as throughout the nation will once again benefit from resumption of the PPP/C’s ‘Because We Care’ initiative, with an annual incremental increase; as well as provision of meals and uniforms. Charlie also emphasised that the hinterland scholarship programme that enables children from far-flung hinterland regions to acquire secondary and tertiary education will also be boosted. He recalled that the previous PPP/C Government had provided hinterland dwellers with transportation resources; such as tractors, boats and engines, All Terrain Vehicles, etc, with more and improved roads and infrastructure to

create linkages among hinterland communities; all of which the 2020 Budget proposes to improve and increase. Alluding to the many broken APNU+AFC pre-2015 elections promises, Charlie asserted: “Prior to Election 2020, it was evident that the coalition party, using state funds, were traversing across the hinterland distributing handouts and trying to bribe residents using State resources in their bid for the Amerindian and hinterland residents to give them another chance at the just-concluded elections. “Despite their best efforts, they could not fool Guyana’s First Peoples a second time. We collectively voted for peace, progress and prosperity of the PPP/C, under the wise and caring leadership of our Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, our President, Dr. Irfaan Ali and our Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips.” After the agonising months, preluding Dr. Irfaan Ali’s swearing-in as President of Guyana, there is palpable relief, hope, and great expectations of a change for a more secure and prosperous future for Guyanese and Budget 2020 solidifies the promise of progress and eventual prosperity for all the people of the Guyanese mosaic.

Demons of disunity must not win

Dear Editor,

I THINK we have all been made familiar with what has been going on for the past few days. Our country bleeds. Racial tensions are soaring. What happened? First and foremost, we were shocked by the horrific slayings of the Henry’s. Next, I was at a tremendous loss for words when I heard about the killing of Haresh Singh. What prompted this? Who asked for this? Who said that because Black children were murdered it was an automatic permit to kill an Indian child? Is this someone’s twisted idea of retribution or equilibrium? It’s clear we have savage beasts among us. For only savage beasts could commit such sordid crimes. It is pretty obvious that in this country we have a serious race problem. This racial divide has been with us for decades. The

killings of the Henry’s---and now of Singh will simply deepen that divide and exacerbate race relations between Indo and Afro Guyanese. But let me ask a question. We have this serious racial problem that persists. So why on Earth are our children paying for it? Why do these BABIES have to suffer for this racial cancer? And how many more children will we see die due to this age-old curse on this nation? Further, we Guyanese hypocritically sing the national song “Youths are Important to Guyana”. The same youths that we are killing out? The same youths having to suffer despicable deaths for a problem that has been in this country for decades with no major effort to combat it? This course, this racism is a vile cancer that is perforating the social fabric of this nation. We have only allowed it to grow with each passing day, and it needs to end!

We need to acknowledge that this problem exists and tackle it now, now, now! There are hooligans who will spread their racial narratives, by social media or other means of public incitement. We have to remain vigilant to point out these cretins and cast them out or shun them! For they are a threat to this country. For they are a threat to love and reconciliation. For they are a threat to the very notion of national development! Enough is enough! Moreover, I remember vividly when I was on the platform at the presidential inauguration. I chose a poem to perform so as to preach for love and unity. An excerpt of that poem which stood out to me was “We must not fall apart. We cannot let chaos make its way to our hearts. We cannot let ignorance spread itself—we are too smart.” What we are witnessing right now is a direct contra-

diction to what I preached for! And it hurts me dearly. The violence that took place last week must not reoccur! It was simply unnecessary and disgusting. A recurrence will only produce more Haresh’s, and more Henry’s. The “keyboard warriors” in the safety of the homes inciting mayhem on social media need to recognise this! Violence gives birth to more violence and this must end! We need to stand tall, with our firm feet planted in the ground. We must grip each other’s hands tightly...for this is the way! We must not let this demon of disunity win! For we are smarter together, stronger together. For then, and only then will we be able to make great strides unhindered. Yours faithfully, Nikhil Sankar

Rights of the Child Commission condemns murder of teens THE Rights of the Child Commission (RCC) is extremely distressed and shocked at the recent brutal murders of three young men, two of whom are children. Their deaths are deserving of

the strongest condemnation. The RCC also expresses its heartfelt condolences to the grieving parents, family members and friends of Joel and Isaiah Henry, and Haresh Singh.

We anticipate the results of a thorough investigation into these very gruesome murders, with the processes of the judicial system dictating the course

in the prosecution of all alleged perpetrators. Yours sincerely, Rights of the Child Commission

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

When you mess with one marine, you mess with all marines

Dear editor,

AFTER a gruesome five months struggle to secure a legitimate declaration of the election recount result, GECOM was finally able to confirm Dr. Irfaan Ali as the newly-elected president of Guyana and the PPP/C Party as the legal winner of the general election, based on the tabulated report presented by the CARICOM Team. This was only possible after many court battles and pressure brought by the national and international community, especially the visa restrictions sanctions implemented by the USA through the instrumentality of the Secretary of State, Mr. Mike Pompeo and his “step aside” statement to the then caretaker President, Mr. David Granger. After President Ali was sworn in, Mr. Pompeo congratulated President Ali on his electoral victory, which reflected a free, fair, credible, and transparent electoral process that respect the rule of law and the will of the Guyanese people. The Secretary added that the United States looks forward to working with Guyana to advance shared values, economic prosperity, and security in the region. Shortly after its installment, the new government backed a US-led international call for the establishment of a transition government in Venezuela for the conduct of free and fair elections. When it did, Guyana received commendation from Pompeo himself when Pompeo tweeted mid-August “Great to see Guyana adds its voice for the call to restore democracy in Venezuela.” Additionally, the Ali administration has supported the US in its bid for the Presidency of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The Government had thrown its weight behind the US nominee, Mauricio Claver-Carone, who was eventually elected a few days ago, the VP Dr. Jagdeo, attending virtually and casting Guyana’s vote. Help was also received from the US to fight the pandemic. With the American company, Exxon, embarking on its third phase in the oil and gas industry in the Payara Project, the current government is not signing the contract and wants to engage negotiation for better terms of agreement. It has been less than two months since the PPP/C Party took over governing this country and immediately they went to work, wast-

ing no time. So many hidden APNU+AFC Party secrets were revealed from their misadministration, their financial wastages, new discoveries unearthed and an abomination of reckless spending and mismanagement. All the departments had to be streamlined with political appointees relieved and replaced, new board appointments announced for the different utility companies and an adaptation of a fresh approach towards proper governance for the country’s development, which included a sophisticated but innovative $330B budget presented for the balance of the year, all within record time. This is too shocking and surprising for the APNU+AFC Party because it immediately reduces the burden of the nation, placing dollars in people’s pockets, a great relief measure to the private sector and a humungous reduction in taxes, especially for the agriculture sector. It is so shameful and embarrassing to the APNU+AFC Party that what they couldn’t accomplish in five years, the PPP/C Party has strategised to make possible in three months. This obviously exposed the inadequacy of the past administration, their corrupted passions, their shortcomings and of course, above all, the avenues whereby the pipes were liquidating the treasury. Naturally, this didn’t sit well with them. Guyanese from all across the political divide share in this enthusiasm and began to rejoice but the merriment was quickly curtailed with the news of the Henry boys’ murder in West Cost Berbice. Although the motive hasn’t been established, the APNU+AFC Party leaders fuelled an uprising with racial innuendos that sparked further deaths, beatings, injuries, looting, robberies, burning and tremendous damage to the Indian community. Despite all of this, there has not been any retaliation or retribution from the Indo Guyanese. The police, though, has confirmed that there was no political motive involved and the location of discovery was the secondary crime scene and not the primary, therefore verifying that the bodies were transported and conveniently placed on the coconut estate. It is against this background that the US Embassy has announced that the Secretary Of State will be visiting Guyana on September 17 and 18. This will be the first time a high-ranking US official will be making an official visit. It will be recalled earlier this year when he was

Allegations of Ms. Desir are completely false I WISH to respond to a media release by APNU+AFC in relation to my disclosures of the contract details of Amanza Walton-Desir, MP. Ms. Desir, in her presentation in the National Assembly during the ongoing budgetary debates, alleged that the PPP/Civic Administration terminated her employment on political grounds. She was a legal adviser to the Civil Aviation Authority, a statutory body corporate over which I hold ministerial responsibility including parliamentary responsibility. The allegations of Ms. Desir are completely false and without any basis whatsoever. It is therefore my duty to respond. Respond I did, for which I have no apologies. I will ignore the personal attacks contained in the media release. It is the modus operandi of the incompetent APNU+AFC. It is their substitute for dealing with the real issues. APNU+AFC describes Ms. Desir as a public servant. She is not. That is part of their incompetence. They do not know who is a public servant. They alleged that I

dismissed Ms. Desir for political reasons. I have no power to dismiss Ms. Desir. She has a contract with the Civil Aviation Authority and the Authority terminated that contract in accordance with its terms. I simply disclosed the grounds upon which she was dismissed. As an officer of a public authority, Civil Aviation Authority, Ms. Desir is a public officer being paid by public funds and the terms and conditions of her contract as well as the quality of her performance are all matters to which the public is entitled. I disseminated that information to the public which I have a duty to do as the subject minister of that authority. I reject all allegations of political persecution. Of course, Ms. Desir is free to challenge both the termination of her contract as well as my public disclosures. I wish her well. Yours sincerely, Bishop Juan A. Edghill, MP Minister of Public Works

meeting with CARICOM and the various Heads of Governments, Guyana was not invited, Mr. Granger being the caretaker President then and engaged in thwarting democracy. Although the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Hugh Todd, did not confirm the agenda or reasons for the visit, there has been numerous speculations and eyebrows are raising throughout Guyana. He said, “When that prepping team comes, we will have a more formal pronouncement on the details and so forth,” and he explained that there is much to be “mapped out” ahead of Pompeo’s visit. Perhaps, this has wetted the insatiable appetite of many hungry (angry) inquisitors and is causing some pain and discomfort with many people and in many areas. Suffice to say, the insensitivity of many irrational behaviours from publicly known bullies have come under the scrutiny of diplomats from the ABCEU. A number of APNU+AFC Party members and GECOM staff

have trampled on the toes of those diplomats, causing them pain, anguish, embarrassment, distrust and reasons for reservation. Some of them are already in court and all of them felt that they would get away with all the mischief and remain untouched while being securely protected and shielded by authorities. This opinion was entertained because they thought that they could have rigged the election and gotten away with their ill doings, thereby remaining in power illegitimately. Unfortunately, this scenario did not materialise and, when you mess with one marine, you mess with all the marines. It is said, “The evil that men/women do, will live after them.” Many are spending sleepless nights, wondering and pondering, “If only!” Respectfully, Jai Lall

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

GuySuCo’s new CEO tackles reopening of estates By Navendra Seoraj

GUYANA’S ailing sugar industry has received “new blood” with the appointment of prominent financial strategist, Sasenarine Singh as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (ag) of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). CEO of Demerara Bank, Pravainchandra Dave, has been appointed as chairman of the company’s board of directors. The new leaders will be looking to “hit the ground running,” as government has already allocated $5 billion in Budget 2020 for the resuscitation of the sugar industry. “We are grateful to the Government of Guyana for supporting us with the contribution of $5 billion in the 2020 budget and we will utilise most of that cash to reopen three of the sugar estates, vested estates as they are called, Skeldon, Rose Hall and the East Demerara Sugar Estate based at Enmore,” said Singh told Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday evening. In 2017, the APNU+AFC Coalition Government had announced the closure of several sugar estates across the

Newly-appointed CEO (ag) of GuySuCo, Sasenarine Singh country, leaving thousands of persons without a job or source of income. Without alternative measures in place, many of the sugar workers struggled to provide for their families. President Irfaan Ali has pledged the PPP/C Government’s commitment to ensuring the livelihoods of the sugar workers are restored. “The upliftment of those families and the rebuilding of the sugar

industry are as strong as it was when we promised. I assure you that we will work assiduously, at not only securing these lives and livelihood for them; we will work hard at creating new opportunities on advancing new opportunities to fulfill the promises we would have made in our manifesto,” the Head of State remarked. The PPP/C Government, during its time in opposition, had committed to reopening the closed sugar estates, a promise which Singh plans to fulfill as the new CEO (ag). “I have to go and look at the strategic plan but the immediate thing is fulfilling the promise of the government of brining online the three vested sugar factories… we want to convert GuySuCo from a three-factory to a six-factory company, this is the immediate plan,” said the new CEO (ag). Bringing GuySuCo back from the “depths of despair” while fulfilling those promises will not be an easy task, but Singh plans to utilise his skills to improve efficiency across the industry.

Chairman of GuySuCo, Pravainchandra Dave GRASSROOTS APPROACH His “grassroots approach” includes reintroducing good husbandry practices; getting back to the basics of good agronomy; bringing the best engineering to the factories; and making sure that support services are lean so the operations of GuySuCo will be most efficient. He believes that GuySuCo already has a “big pool” of talented people who have a greater love

for the sugar industry, but they need leadership, something which he plans to offer. “I plan to bring to GuySuCo an attitude of mine where we are solution engineers to the challenges… GuySuCo has many challenges and they are all surmountable, but we have to programme and manage them to make sure we become more efficient. “I will be focusing particularly on the tonnes cane-tonnes sugar ratio, to make sure we understand the dynamics behind it, in bringing it down so that more revenue/cash could be left on the table for the company,” said the new CEO (ag). According to a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture, Singh holds a master’s degree in finance from Lancaster University, an executive post graduate diploma from London Business School, and a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from the University of Guyana. He is also a qualified Chartered Accountant (ACCA). Singh is a project finance specialist with over 16 years’ experience at turnaround management internationally and pos-

sesses tremendous leadership experience at building capacity in teams. He will be supported by Dave, who is a highly qualified and experienced banking professional with over 30 years as a senior banking executive in Guyana and abroad. Support will also come from newly-appointed vice-chairman of GuySuCo, Anthony Vieira. Other members of GuySuCo board include Ramesh Persaud, Tarachand Balgobin, Ray Hanoman, Shamira Evans, Mohamed Rafeek and Desmond Sears. A representative of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) is to be named to be on the board. The new leadership of the sugar corporation has a tall order ahead but the government believes that the plans for the industry are attainable. In presenting Budget 2020 to the National Assembly, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, said a viable and sustainable sugar industry is the government’s long-term goal and it will work to solve the problems of the industry holistically.

Two more die from COVID-19 –– 74 new cases recorded in 24 hours

THE dreaded novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has claimed the lives of two persons within the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 58. Health authorities confirmed that the victims were a 75 -year-old male from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and an 86-year-old woman from Region One (Barima-Waini). Both persons were tested after showing signs of the disease, but succumbed while receiving treatment at a local health facility. The Ministry of Health expressed condolences to the families of those persons and committed to providing all the necessary support, during this difficult time. Authorities confirmed that they have contacted all relatives and persons to

facilitate contact tracing and rapid assistance to everyone, who might have been exposed to the victims. Guyana has so far recorded 1,958 cases of COVID-19 with 74 of those cases being recorded in the past 24 hours. But 1,302 persons have since recovered, while 58 persons have lost their lives. Of the remaining cases, 49 persons are in institutional isolation and 533 are in home isolation, while 15 persons are being treated in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The emergence of asymptomatic cases had prompted authorities to distribute more sample kits across the country, especially to regions where the infection rate is high. Most of the cases have so far been recorded in

Regions One (Barima-Waini), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). Increased sample-taking had resulted in a backlog which authorities sought to alleviate by sending 500 samples to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA). The results of some of those samples have already been received, and the country has sent an additional 138 samples for testing, said Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly-discovered coronavirus. Most people, who fall sick with COVID-19, will

experience mild to moderate symptoms and recover without special treatment. The WHO had said that 81 per cent of persons, who contract COVID-19, will have mild symptoms, while 14 per cent will have severe symptoms and five per cent will need intensive care. But the COVID-19 disease has proven to be a “real killer”, especially in cases involving persons who have co-morbidities such as diabetes and hypertension, among other things. Persons were encouraged to take extra precaution because there is no approved cure or specific treatment for the disease. Guyanese were also reminded to observe the protocols established in the COVID-19 emergency measures.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

MPs lock horns over management of Indigenous Peoples affairs

–– openly trade ‘barbs’ in defence of respective party’s stewardship while in office By Tamica Garnett THAT Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Richard Sinclair, and pro-government MP, Lee Williams have divergent views when it comes to the hinterland Community Support Officers (CSOs) Programme, and other matters related to the country’s Indigenous Peoples was patently obvious when they addressed the House on Tuesday as the 2020 Budget Debates continued. Williams, who hails from District Seven (Cuyuni– Mazaruni), did not mince words when he said that the country’s First Peoples were made many promises by the former administration; promises that never materialised. “Our First Peoples of Guyana were told of many promises in 2015, and sold candy dreams but no delivery. More jobs, improved healthcare, more access to education, improved telecommunication, and hinterland electrification, but instead, they raised their salaries within six months. Was that ‘a good life’ for all Guyanese?” Williams questioned Responding to remarks made by Sinclair, of District Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) during a preceding address to the House, Williams called on the Opposition to defend their being ousted from office, if they indeed did such an upstanding job as they claim to have done while in office. “Members on the oppo-

site side claiming they did a lot,” Williams began. “Why

the Indigenous Peoples did not benefit from the former

Government MP, Lee Williams

is it then you were voted out by more than 15,000 votes? Answer the question! Why were you voted out? They are telling us they want to bring back former president David Granger’s legacy. I want to ask, ‘Which legacy?’ Mimicking a tactic used by the ‘Coalition’ in the runup to both the 2015 and 2020 elections, Williams said: “We are here as a change, and we will rebuild this country. One good term deserves another, but on March 2, the people spoke, putting the APNU on the opposition bench.” Williams also called out the APNU+AFC side of the House for their suspension of the “Because We Care” $10,000 cash grants per school child, and said that

president’s brainchild “Five Bs” project. Williams reminded that not only is the PPP/C government returning the cash grants to parents, but it has also been significantly increased. “Today, as we present the 2020 Budget, the PPP/C has once again placed education top on the agenda, and Amerindians will not be left behind. Over the past five years, schools encountered a lot of difficulties.” Williams said, adding: “Schoolchildren were given half-cut exercise books to each child. I’m sorry I don’t have the exercise book to show the House, but that is the reality. But the PPP/C, over the next five years, will deliver quality education to all Guyanese.”

He also touched briefly on the discontinuation of

the ages of 16-40 in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Seven,

Opposition MP, Richard Sinclair

the One Laptop Per Family project and replacing it with the One Laptop per Teacher programme, saying that it was a reckless move, while noting that the former government did not do much in the area of expanding electrification in Region Seven. Williams said that though the development of the Indigenous Peoples is vital to our society, the APNU+AFC stymied village councils by not giving them contracts, and discriminated against the youth by firing almost 2000 of them under the CSO programme in 2015. Launched in 2014, the CSO programme, which fell under the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP), targeted some 2,000 youths between

Eight and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). YEAP was part of the then PPP/C Government’s commitment to youth development and advancement, and investment in the lives of the Indigenous Peoples. The APNU+AFC replaced it with the Hinterland Employment and Youth Service (HEYS) programme. Last month, Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai announced that the PPP/C government will be re-establishing the CSO Programme. During his speech, however, Sinclair said, that youths, under the CSO programme, were handpicked and improperly trained. “I was told that 2000 young Amerindians were out

Funds run ‘dry’ at ... SMART METERS To this end, government has budgeted $56.5 million for the procurement of smart meters for over 2,500 customers from La Parfaite Harmonie, Friendship, Providence, Mon Repos and Beterverwagting. Funds have also been budgeted for the installation of smart meters in Amelia’s Ward, Linden. This move, the minister said, will result in improved service and reduction in non-revenue water. It will also reduce water wastage and provide increased pressure for domestic use. “In meetings with Van West, they complained about non-revenue water, but meters were not ordered by GWI for years, not a single meter

to install for a new service, but they were complaining about non-revenue,” the minister lamented, amidst heckling from the opposition side. But even as the ministry focuses on revenue collection, funds will be pumped into the improvement of water supply. And, in highlighting some of the proposed work, Minister Rodrigues said $113.3 million was budgeted for the procurement of pipes to replace aged and incrusted mains located between Vlissengen to Cummings Street. This project is expected to improve water quality, reduce losses and improve the level of service provided to over 200,000 persons. A further 40,000 residents are

expected to benefit from improved service through the upgrade of a transmission, which runs from Vlissengen Road to Lamaha Street. Government has budget $25 million for this project. Another $25 million was budgeted for the installation of a transmission line between the 1763 Monument and Cemetery Road. This project is expected to benefit more than 80,000 residents. Over 20,000 residents of East Canjie and Fort Ordinance, Region Six, are expected to benefit from the installation of fire hydrants to increase the firefighting capacity in housing areas. Government has also budgeted

$50 million for the installation of raw water intake line to the Bartica Water Treatment Plant. This project will increase access and improve service delivery to more than 7,000 residents. Minister Rodrigues said government has also budgeted $120 million for the hinterland water supply programme. Funds will go towards the installation of mains, pump stations and new services in Port Kaituma, Mabaruma and Santa Rosa. This initiative will benefit 9,300 persons, said the minister. A further $10 million was budgeted for the procurement of materials for in-house drilling, construction of water distribution networks

of work, and called CSOs. I visited one of those communities where those people were, and can say they were hand-picked, lacked proper training, and were there to teach people’s children,” Sinclair claimed. Sinclair also called for an increase in employment costs for Region Eight in the education budget to be explained, as well as similar increases in similar line items under the health and public works budgets. Speaking about developments done under the APNU+AFC in Region Eight, particularly in the capital town of Madhia, Sinclair said that there are better roads to access the town; that the district’s hospital was renovated, and new housing scheme developed. He also noted that many essential services were brought to the community. “The hospital has been renovated; there’s a new scheme by the airstrip, and a spanking new building for the law courts,” Sinclair said to supportive banging from his side of the House. Not quite done with the subject, he said: “Not only that, there are units built for housing for different areas that people of Region Eight will not have to travel to GT to get Birth Certificates, business licences; that speaks to development.”

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and expansion in villages including Chuing Mouth, Itabac, Shea and Shulinab. Chuing Mouth, the minister said, has been without water for two years, but through this project, water will flow again in the village. “You see Mr. Speaker we tried our best in this emergency budget to cover Regions One, Three, Four, Seven and Nine… to reach all citizens, regardless of where they live or their political affiliation…under the PPP/C administration, every Guyanese will benefit,” said Minister Rodrigues.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Young fisherman stabbed to death during altercation

POLICE have arrested a 21- year-old man on Tuesday afternoon in connection to the murder of a 24-year-old fisherman of Kilcoy Settlement, East Berbice, Corentyne. John Alexander Yhap, a captain of a fishing vessel and a father of two, lost his life after he was stabbed by a fellow villager during an altercation. According to information received, the 21-year-old suspect, identified as Anthony Mohabir called “Piken’’, and Yhap had a prior altercation on Tuesday of last week, where Yhap was stabbed to the neck by Mohabir, which required multiple sutures, after he went to a female acquaintance that Mohabir likes, to get his hair braided. That incident was reported to the police. Sometime around 21:00 hours on Monday night, at a Superbet location in Chesney, with tensions still rife from the previous feud, the men got into another argument after Mohabir started to verbally abuse Yhap for returning to the said female to braid his hair earlier that day. During the argument, Mohabir allegedly whipped out a knife from his waist and dealt Yhap three stab wounds before fleeing the scene. The injured Yhap sat on a makeshift

Dead: John Alexander Yhap ramp outside of the Superbet location, one street away from his home, bleeding profusely, before he was taken to the Port Mourant Hospital, some 30 minutes later and subsequently transferred to New Amsterdam Hospital where he succumbed while receiving medical attention. The suspect fled the scene. The suspect reportedly hid throughout the night from the police and boarded a

Distraught wife: Minesha Chandralall fishing vessel sea bound at around 05:00 hours on Tuesday morning in a bid to flee the jurisdiction, but was arrested at around on Tuesday afternoon when the police went out to sea to get him. Meanwhile, the death of Yhap has left his 22-year-old wife, Minesha Chandralall, at wits end trying to figure out how she will be able to provide for her children ages two and five. Chandralall told the Guyana Chronicle

that she is still shocked by news of her husband’s death, especially given that she is still trying to cope with the death of her mother only a week ago. The woman, in tears, explained that her husband was her main support in coping with her mother’s death but now that he is gone too, she does not know how she will be able to survive. “Meh husband is the only person meh does depend on, now me nah get nobody. When I get the message that he get stabbed I rush to go out since I just come out the bathroom but by the time I reach them carry he hospital,” she related. The mother of two added that while she was making her way to the scene, she came face-to- face with her husband’s killer who had the alleged murder weapon in his hand and blood on his clothes. “I asked he why you do that and he seh meh get more fuh am; that nah done yet.” She explained that recently, her husband braided his hair by a female and because of that, the suspect became upset and even complained to her. “I tell he meh husband nah like that but he still start problem with meh husband, now meh husband dead just so,” she said in tears. Police are investigating the incident.

COVID-19 driving up acute hunger in countries already in food crisis THE Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC) held a high-level event to present a review of the most recent global data available on how the knock-on effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are driving up acute hunger in vulnerable countries that were already wracked by food crises even before the novel coronavirus arrived on the scene. The meeting was also important for international resource partners and relevant actors to discuss emerging priorities, financing and programming implications in light of COVID-19. New data related to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example, reveal that the central African nation has now become the world’s largest food crisis in terms of absolute numbers of the acutely food-insecure - a staggering 21.8 million people. This, as the impacts of COVID-19 related control measures aggravated pre-existing hunger drivers in the country: insecurity and armed conflict, an extended economic slump, and heavy rains and flooding. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization, QU Dongyu, told the event, convened on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, that it was critical to work together before the situation deteriorates and, focusing on prevention and early warning systems and actions. Qu also highlighted the importance of data collection and “global differentiation”, which are the basis of FAO’s Handin-Hand, an initiative aimed at partnering developed countries with those most in need to accelerate agri-food system trans-

formation and sustainable rural development. He noted that the Hand-in-Hand Initiative includes the recently-launched Geospatial Platform for data collection. To support countries and farmers to address persistent challenges related to food and agriculture and build back better from the pandemic, FAO has also launched the comprehensive FAO COVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme, which aims to mitigate the immediate impacts of the pandemic while strengthening the long-term resilience of food systems and livelihoods. Supporting the most vulnerable people, by promoting economic inclusion and social protection and boosting smallholder resilience, is among the top priorities. Mark Lowcock, the United Nations’ Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, told the high-level side event that the current food crisis was the biggest the world had seen for 50 years but stressed that it was not too late to act to prevent acute hunger from becoming a long-lasting problem. The EU Commissioners for Crisis Management, Janez Lenar?i?, and for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, called for stronger coordination among humanitarian and development actors, and ensured the commitment of the European Union to strengthen the GNAFC. Additional speakers today included Nick Dyer, United Kingdom’s Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs; Jenny McGee, Associate Administrator for Relief, Response and Resilience of the United States Agency for International Development; Peter

Eriksson, Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation; Djimé Adoum, CILSS Executive Secretary; WFP Assistant Executive Director Valerie Guarneri; and Susanna Moorehead, Chair of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee. HUNGER HOTSPOTS CONTINUE TO HEAT UP In addition to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the worst deteriorations in acute hunger in recent months have taken place in Burkina Faso - which has witnessed a nearly 300 percent uptick in the overall number of people experiencing acute hunger since the start of 2020 - as well as Nigeria, Somalia and the Sudan, according to a synthesis report presented today by the Global Network. The report provides an update on the 55 countries that were identified by the Network in early 2020 as already being in food crises as of late 2019. Large increases in the overall number of acutely hungry people have been registered in northern Nigeria (a 73 percent increase, to 8.7 million people), Somalia (67 percent increase, to 3.5 million people) and the Sudan (64 percent increase, to 9.6 million people, or nearly a quarter of the country’s population). In terms of the prevalence of acute food insecurity among a country’s population, four countries (Central African Republic, Honduras, Lesotho and Somalia) have experienced an increase of more than 10 percentage points in the share of people facing acute hunger. In the Central African

Republic, for example, today half the total population is so food insecure that they require urgent assistance. The acute hunger situation is also deteriorating in Eswatini, Haiti and Honduras, today’s report said. Participants in today’s event stressed that these trends underscore the importance not only of maintaining humanitarian assistance to meet these needs, but the longer-term imperative of building more resilient food systems. The Global Network Against Food Crises was founded in 2016 by the European Union, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the World Food Programme (WFP). It seeks to better link, integrate and guide existing initiatives, partnerships, programmes and policy processes to sustainably address the root causes of food crises Acute food insecurity, or acute hunger, is when a person’s inability to consume adequate food puts their lives or livelihoods in immediate danger. It is a metric that draws on internationally accepted measures of extreme hunger, such as the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) and the Cadre Harmonisé. People can slide into acute hunger rapidly as a result of sudden shocks. Chronic hunger, as reported on each year by the UN’s annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, is a different metric. It refers to when a person is unable to consume enough food over an extended period to maintain a normal, active lifestyle. (FAO)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Every Guyanese will benefit from oil revenues –– natural resources minister informs first Caribbean Virtual Oil and Gas Summit

By Lisa Hamilton THE first ever Caribbean Virtual Oil and Gas Summit (CARIVS) kicked off as a success on Tuesday with the virtual interactive platform allowing for hundreds of registered attendees to interact with investors, exhibitors and experts on the opportunities within the region’s oil and gas sector. Guyana was a major feature for the event, along with regional countries such as Barbados, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and The Bahamas. Invited to address the Summit on behalf of President Dr. Irfaan Ali was Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat. Though the COVID-19 pandemic limits the ways in which people interact, Minister Bharrat commended the organisers for their innovation in hosting a virtual event of such magnitude. The set-up included a general pavilion and prime pavilion where virtual booths were on display; a meeting room where attendees could interact one-on-one upon invitation, and a networking lounge where all persons could chat with each other. Also included was a virtual conference room where all attendees gathered at the opening of the event to listen to Minister Bharrat’s keynote address. He provided a synopsis of Guyana’s petroleum sector, its current efforts to strengthen resource management and transparency, and the country’s vision for rapid development. After providing a recap of Guyana’s numerous discoveries and the government’s role, he told the summit that Guyana intends to learn from the mistakes of other oil-producing nations and pattern itself after the industry’s best practices to ensure that the best possible benefit comes to all Guyanese. On a screen projected in the room, the minister said: “This government will approach the oil and gas sector in a national, non-partisan manner. We are fully aware that this sector will bring not only significant financial resources and enormous transformational opportunities, but also many challenges. There are many examples around the world where developing countries have obtained windfalls from oil and gas but, eventually, ended up poorer than before. The resource curse will not be taken lightly and we will learn from the experiences of others.”

PREPARATION Minister Bharrat also established that as Guyana is heading into one of the most momentous occurrences in its economic history, preparation is being put into building

vibrant industry, our government remains cognisant that Guyana’s oil and gas sector is expected to be catalytic and pivotal in transforming our economy, our lives, and our future – nationally, regionally and internation-

Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat, during his keynote address

human and institutional capacity. He said the government is also meticulously crafting and agreeing to critical policy and legal measures such as the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) and the Crude Lifting Agreement (CLA), and pursuing strong support from governmental and non-governmental agencies. To ensure that Guyana’s oil resources are well managed, he informed attendees that oil and gas companies will immediately be engaged on better contract administration and re-negotiation; the Petroleum Commission will be established and thousands of Guyanese will be trained to work in the sector. He told investors that Guyana’s oil revenues will be injected in job creation, boosting the health and education systems, social and economic infrastructure, tax reduction, targetted cash transfers, building strong local content and saving for future generations. “In managing this sector, this new and

Some of the interactive booths on exhibition

ally. It is therefore with all sincerity, that the State and people of Guyana salute those from all sides and disciplines for their significant contributions towards the sector,” he said. Meanwhile, delivering remarks on behalf of ExxonMobil Guyana was its President, Alistair Routledge. He told attendees that the opportunities in Guyana are as good as anywhere in the world and ExxonMobil is committed to building on its foundation here. While other companies came and left Guyana in their early stages of exploration, Routledge said that ExxonMobil, though the risk of deep-water exploration was high, stuck with Guyana and the Company and the country are now reaping the benefits. TRULY IMPRESSIVE “The foundation for the oil and gas sector in Guyana is truly impressive. When I think about the past year; however, my key

takeaway is that we are just getting started,” he said. Routledge also spoke to the ongoing drilling of the Tanager well in the Kaieteur Block; the company’s efforts to keep its employees safe amid the pandemic; the recent challenges regarding flaring; its local content contributions and the awaited approval of the Payara Development project. Meanwhile, brief remarks came from President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Nicholas Boyer, as the GCCI is a strategic partner for the event. He expressed the GCCI’s conviction that there are opportunities in Caribbean markets and partnership between Caribbean counterparts can lead to long-term and far-reaching benefits. “At a time when Guyana is committed to attracting investment and promoting partnerships and businesses, in all segments of the energy and oil industry value chain, the GCCI welcomes this opportunity to develop strategic relationships with other parties in the industry, and activate dialogue to encourage a favourable investment climate,” Boyer said. “By working together -- governments, industry and other partners -- we can effectively secure a sustainable and prosperous future for this industry and the Caribbean region. This Summit is a major step forward in enabling us to achieve that and I look forward to the discussions that will follow.” The summit is being hosted by Valiant Business Media (UK) and Valiant Business Media (Guyana) and runs from September 15-17. During this period, crucial exchange of industry-related information and perspectives will take place among stakeholders from regional countries with well-developed oil and gas sectors. Meanwhile, it will connect entrepreneurs, investors, operators, prime subcontractors, government bodies, and many others who have a keen interest in existing, growing and investing.

The entrance area to the summit where attendees are able to select their preferred destination

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Alleged Ponzi schemers approach High Court THE lawyers representing Accelerated Capital Firm Inc. (ACFI)’s associates, Yuri Garcia Dominguez and his wife, Ateeka Ishmael, have filed an action in the High Court seeking a judicial review of the 81 fraud charges laid against them by the police. The Cuban man and his Guyanese wife have so far made a total of nine court appearances at the George-

town, Sparendaam and Vigilance Magistrate’s Courts and on each occasion they were asked to post varying amounts of bail, which to date stands at a whopping total of $29.4M. The last set of charges – seven in total – were read to the couple on Monday at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court by Magistrate Sherdel Issacs-Marcus. They were not required to plead to the joint

charges and were granted $2.1M bail each. Those matters were adjourned to October 5. Attorneys-at-law Dexter Todd and Adrian Smith, who represent the couple yesterday, held a press conference at the Regency Suites Hotel in Georgetown, where the filing of the High Court case was disclosed. The attorneys informed that Attorney General and

Dominguez and his wife, ACFI Director, Ateeka Ishmael

Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall; Police Commissioner (ag), Nigel Hoppie and the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack are listed as the respondents in the proceedings. They did not provide any further details. The attorneys used the occasion to debunk several claims made by the Attorney General recently, including that the government had opened an account at a commercial bank so that Dominguez could transfer money. The AG had explained that Dominguez could use a computer to make certain transactions as requested to deposit the monies into the account. However, Dominguez had complained that the internet connection was poor resulting in his inability to complete the transaction. He was later taken to another location which has a “top-class internet facility”. He was given the computer to do the transactions but money was still not deposited into the account. The AG had said too that the Cuban does not have any assets in Guyana and is a flight risk. Inaccurate pronouncements Responding to the AG claims, Todd said, “It is within our client’s interest to, of course, express how disappointed we are in the pronouncements made. Because those pronouncement made by the Attorney General were definitely not accurate and it did not of course reflect what was happening between the interactions between the police and our client.” Todd stressed that

Dominguez was not provided with any computer while in prison. It was explained that last week he was transported to the computer room

istent enterprise, and encouraged to invest because of the payment of quick returns. It was claimed that the

ACFI Financial Adviser, Yuri Garcia Dominguez

at Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters, Eve Leary, over a three-day period but was not given the opportunity to use any of the systems. Todd clarified that Dominguez has several assets in Guyana but he declined to provide details. No date has been set for the High Court case. Many persons have come forward and lodged complaints against the couple with the police. Investigators were told that some 17,000 Guyanese collectively invested approximately US$20 million in the company but never saw any returns as was promised. The duo was first held by the police in early August following an investigation into widespread rumours that they were running a “Ponzi Scheme”. A ponzi scheme is a form of fraud in which investors are made to believe in the success of a non-ex-

first investors were only being paid from money invested by successive investors but the couple has vehemently denied this. They had said also that money for refund was ready to be disbursed. The police here have listed Dominguez, a naturalised Guyanese of Cuban origin, and his wife, who is Guyanese by birth, as grave flight risks given that they have no assets in the country. The couple is alleged to have been operating their investment company, ACFI, here in Guyana from as far back as 2017 without the required licence from the Guyana Securities Council (GSC). ACFI has been attributing its failure to remit refunds to clients to the absence of a bank account. Several local commercial banks have closed whatever accounts they had held with them, the company had claimed.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Chalk-and-talk days soon over

–– Min. Manickchand declares at launch of ‘retooling of teachers’ course, forerunner of the new ‘norm’ in education delivery

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand (centre) along with National Project Coordinator, Selwyn Griffith (left) and MoE Head of the Management Information Systems (MIS) Unit, Yoganand Indarsingh during Tuesday’s virtual press conference

By Tamica Garnett THE new innovative and technological means of education delivery that the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated will continue to be the way of life, even after the pandemic is over, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand said on Tuesday when she delivered remarks at the virtual launch of the “Re-Tooling of Teachers” training programme. The training programme is a collaboration among the Ministry of Education (MoE), the Organisation of American States (OAS), and Profuturo, and is geared at training teachers in the knowledge and skills needed for them to smoothly transition to virtual teaching, a situation that became necessary due to the closure of schools brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the system is being implemented to address the demands of the day, Minister Manickchand assured her audience that the measure is in fact a stepping stone in the long-term evolution of education delivery in Guyana. “At the MOE, going forward, even post-COVID-19, the usual chalk-and-talk is not going to be how we deliver education,” the Minister declared. “A post-COVID-19 is inevitable, and when that happens, you will not see what we have learnt in this period being tucked away or tossed in a basket; it will be

used to better our delivery to be more diverse and versatile,” Minister Manickchand said, adding: “It is amazing how students have adapted! We might not have evolved as quickly in the classroom! I don’t believe that we are presently utilising all that is available to us; that will change.” All 10,600 teachers in the public school system are expected to participate in the 100-hour programme, but it is also open to private school teachers, who are some 1000 in number. The training will be done on the ProFuturo’s Online platform, and some 300 coaches will be made available to assist the teachers as they go along. Also delivering remarks during Tuesday’s launch was OAS Country Representative, Mr. Wil Campbell, who explained that while Profuturo had previously collaborated with the Ministry to focus on innovatively delivering education to students in a pilot programme, the COVID-19 pandemic caused it to be put on hold and the focus to be shifted to training for the teachers. QUALITY DIGITAL EDUCATION Launched here in 2016, Profuturo is an international organisation with a mission of globally providing children from vulnerable environments with quality digital education, through a partnership between the Telefónica Foundation and “La Caixa” Foundation. Also present at the launch

were National Project Coordinator, Mr. Selwyn Griffith, and MoE Head of the Management Information Systems (MIS) Unit, Mr. Yoganand Indarsingh. Griffith explained that the Ministry is mindful that not all teachers will have the requisite Internet access, and as such printed modules of the courses will be disseminated to those disadvantaged teachers, who number 2,541. The programme will see the teachers being trained in two components: Innovation and ICT. Each course will see teachers progressing through four levels: Basic, medium, advanced, and professional. For each level, teachers will be given a certificate, and the MoE will be recognising the completion of the programme as equivalent to completing 20 hours of professional development sessions. This training programme comes after Minister Manickchand’s announcement on Friday that notwithstanding school buildings will remain closed, come Monday, the Ministry will be re-engaging students in education delivery using “a blended multifaceted approach” that will incorporate teaching via various Internet platforms, among them the Learning Channel, radio, and print materials that will be distributed to all students. The recommencement of teaching is geared at reducing learning loss for the students, as schools having been closed since March 16. TURN TO PAGE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Scholarship fund to be established to honour slain Henry cousins THE relatives of slain West Coast Berbice (WCB) teenagers, Joel and Isaiah Henry, will be establishing a scholarship fund in their honour and memory. This was announced by former Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry, on Sunday, during the homegoing service for the young men. During an emotional tribute, she disclosed that the family was driven to create a path of positive impact for other youths in Number

Three Village, where the teenagers lived. “We the family would like to impact positive changes in the community…We will commemorate Joel and Isaiah through a memorial scholarship fund, because we know that education is a gift that lasts a lifetime,” she said. Henry added that the fund will provide meaningful ways for the family to honour the young men by carrying on their legacy to future generations of children.

Additionally, Henry urged those who were gathered at the Parade Ground for the service to cherish the moments spent with family, noting that the relatives of Isaiah and Joel were grateful for the pleasant memories left for them to hold onto. “I want all of you that have sons, grandsons, nephews, uncles, brothers and cousins and fathers, to give them a hug while they can feel you and hear you. We can’t give Joel or Isaiah a hug

or a five again. These are the simple things that many people take for granted,” Henry charged. The teenaged cousins received an emotional send off on Sunday. Hundreds of persons joined their relatives and friends to pay tribute to them. The cousins were found brutally murdered in Cotton Tree backdam, WCB, on September 6. The deaths sparked a national outcry Cousin of Joel and Isaiah, former Education Minister, Dr. Nicolette Henry, holds up photos of the slain boys (Carl Croker photo)

for justice and peace, and, as such, the funeral service was opened to members of the public. The bodies which were in purple caskets were first opened for viewing at the Sandy’s Funeral Home on Chapel Street, Georgetown. Several persons attended, including the President of Guyana, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, and Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon. President Ali laid floral wreaths on the caskets and stood in silence with close relatives for a brief moment.

“What we can pray for ultimately is for justice for these two young men, for peace and unity and to let their lives be a legacy for the future of Guyana,” the President stated afterwards. He added: “These events must never occur again… in the memory of these two young men, all of Guyana should recommit to love, peace, unity and to serve God. Today I ask the rest of Guyana to reflect in a peaceful manner, to reflect in prayer and to hold up the families in prayer.”

Chalk-and-talk ...

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Though cognisant of the difficulties facing many teachers, the Minister noted that teachers, to the best of their abilities, are expected to play their part in the scheme of things. Conscious of the inability to navigate many virtual platforms, the Ministry has therefore decided to train the teachers accordingly. “We heard you when you told us you weren’t sure what to do outside of the classroom; when you told us it would help you if we could give you training on how to deliver your lessons, using various platforms,” Minister Manickchand had said on Friday. “So, to respond to you, so that we could together meet our students and learners needs, we are partnering to deliver to teachers mass training in Innovation and ICT,” she added. LONG-OVERDUE The Minister noted that the COVID-19 situation has propelled the type of measures that have long since been talked about but never implemented. “We see incredible opportunities that we were forced to see in this time,

because we have had to close and force ourselves to think differently and deliver differently. Change is not always easy; and to bring along so many people at the same time, rapidly, with some of these changes, it’s not always easy,” Minister Manickchand said. For the training, the teachers will be able to work flexibly, according to their own pace, in light of the varying difficulties and challenges that many of them face. However, the Minister said it is expected that the teachers will be responsible, and complete the programme within considerate time-frames. Upon completion, the participants will be issued with e-Certificates. “I encourage you to take up this opportunity. Get yourself trained; develop yourself! We ask you to do this to best prepare yourself to provide education to our young people,” Minister Manickchand said. “Let us help them, and help you to best prepare for the Guyana that is upon us, and the Guyana that will be here in the future!”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Faulty theatre, CT scanner, drug shortages –– among other issues, took toll on New Amsterdam Hospital, medical team told

The team engages a staff of the New Amsterdam Hospital Laboratory

By Nafeeza Yahya-Sakur THE National Regional Hospital Review Committee (NHRC) established by President, Dr Irfaan Ali, to look into the state of health services throughout country got down to work on Monday with a visit to the New Amsterdam Hospital and had some unpalatable reports to digest. The team of experts headed by Guyana’s lone neurosurgeon, Dr. Amarnauth Dukhi, found that some of the complaints the President received from residents on a recent visit to Region Six, such as drug shortage and lack of laboratory and radiology services, were not far-flung claims. According to Dr Dukhi, a senior doctor at the hospital corroborated the complaints that President Ali received and also explained why they occurred. “I have been with this hospital since 2012 and I can safely say there has never been a full year, over the past eight years, that the operation theatre has been functioning properly - leaking roof, AC not functioning, mould in the ceiling, electrical issues are just a few of the problems we had to deal with,” the senior doctor at the New Amsterdam Hospital said. The doctor noted that basic medication and supplies that are critical for the operation of the sur-

gical unit, radiation and outpatient departments are usually in short supply or non-existent, preventing doctors from doing their work effectively. “We have a CT scanner here for the past four years and up to now it is now not working; it had electrical issues, no lead on the walls, the humidity is too high in the room and now the software is being installed. So sometimes a patient comes in with a minor head injury and because we can’t perform a simple scan we have to transfer them to GPHC whereas we could send over the scans for the specialist to look at and make their diagnosis,” a senior doctor explained to the committee. Another doctor related that the x-ray department had been non-functional for the past two months due to the unavailability of films, but over the past two years had been periodically down due to the lack of reagents to develop the films. Patients had to go to private labs or clinics to have the x-rays done or doctors were forced to proceed without them if the patient could not have afforded to get them done at private facilities, the doctor related. He, however, noted that a new digital x-ray machine iwas being setup and that should hopefully fix the issues regarding e-rays. TURN TO PAGE

Members of the National Regional Hospital Review Committee (NHRC) during a visit at the New Amsterdam Hospital. From left, Medical Director of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Dr Fawcett Jeffery; Chief Nursing Officer (ag), Nalini Dass; Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Amarnauth Dukhi; Melissa Ramdeen; and Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Karen Gordon-Boyle

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Machine to process COVID-19 samples coming –– results to be had in 15-45 mins

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony

Dr. FRANK ANTHONY, the Minister of Health, has disclosed that the Government of Guyana will soon obtain a specialised machine that will see the waiting time for Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) test results being cut down to15-45 minutes. The announcement was made during the “Budget 2020: Our Plan to Prosperity” programme aired on the National Communications Network (NCN). Dr. Anthony who was a guest on the programme disclosed that the machine, worth $52 million, will soon arrive in Guyana to speed up the processing of COVID-19 tests. The Minister also disclosed that the machine will process samples using the molecular polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory. “In terms of PCR [testing], in a very short period we should have an additional capacity to be able to work faster and to do more,” Dr. Anthony said. He added: “They have high levels of accuracy, they’re faster – within 15-45 minutes for the test.” Currently, results are available 24 hours after the sample is taken. Minister Anthony noted that the machine is one of the many interventions made by the Government to speed up the process so that persons can have results earlier. During the programme, the Minister also disclosed that the government is currently exploring other strategies to test for the disease, following a proposal from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). He added that a technical team from the Ministry is currently reviewing two types of strips proposed by PAHO that will test for the COVID-19

antigen, and, once approved, they will be procured through PAHO. In addition, Dr. Anthony disclosed that some $9.8 million will be made available, through a specialized programme, which will see the purchasing of cartridges that will complement the acquisition of two point-of-care immunodiagnostic machines acquired under the same programme. Meanwhile, the Minister disclosed that the Government is currently awaiting over 1000 COVID-19 cartridges which will be used to obtain test samples from patients. This, according to Dr. Anthony, will reduce the challenges associated with transporting samples to Georgetown. “We have those machines in Guyana already, but what we don’t have is the cartridges we have to use…. As soon as those cartridges come, we are going to train people from the outlying areas to use these machines and then deploy these machines out to those regions,” Dr. Anthony said. “Within another few weeks or so, we will be able to shift from PCR to be able to still test for the antigen – the virus, but using a pointof-care machine that will be right at the clinic,” he added. Since taking office in August, the new Administration has seen an increase in testing. The Ministry has been conducting nearly 250 tests daily compared with 30-40 tests per day recorded under the previous Administration. Nevertheless, the Government has since allocated some $51.7 billion to the Ministry of Health which the Government hopes will assist in the fight against the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 and eventually to reduce its spread in Guyana.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

US: Pompeo’s trip to Guyana a celebration of democracy

IN a demonstration of the US’ commitment to defend democracy, combat COVID-19 while revitalising economies in wake of the pandemic, Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, will visit several countries, including Guyana. This is according to the US Department of State which also noted that strengthening of security against regional threats will also be a main feature of Pompeo’s discussions. The secretary of state will visit Suriname before reaching Guyana while trips are also planned for Boa Vista, Brazil; Bogota, Colombia; and Plano, Texas. In Paramaribo, Pompeo will celebrate the triumph of democracy by meeting with recently-elected Surinamese President, Chan Santokhi and his Cabinet to discuss increased bilateral cooperation and opportunities for partnerships in energy and security. In Guyana, Secretary Pompeo will congratulate newly-elected President, Dr Irfaan Ali, and his Cabinet and meet with CARICOM Secretary-General, Irwin LaRocque. He will reinforce the

promise of a values-based U.S. partnership, highlighting opportunities for more responsible and transparent private sector investment to increase prosperity for the people of Guyana, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Boa Vista, Brazil, Secretary Pompeo will underscore the importance of U.S. and Brazilian support for the Venezuelan people in their time of need by visiting with Venezuelan migrants fleeing the man-made disaster in Venezuela. Secretary Pompeo will then travel to Bogota to meet with Colombian President, Ivan Duque, to discuss the strong partnership the countries share, including in managing the COVID-19 response, promoting mutual prosperity and tackling the threats to regional security from narco-traffickers, terror groups and Maduro’s illegitimate regime. Finally, Secretary Pompeo will return to the US to discuss Department of State priorities at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas.

Faulty theatre ...

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REPORT Following the meeting, Dr. Dukhi told the Guyana Chronicle that his team will prepare a report to send to the President and the Health Ministry based on their findings. The team has also been monitoring the numerous complaints in the media as well as those they received directly from the staff at the hospital. It would decide whether to visit the hospital for a second time or look to have a medium where the public can be engaged. Dr Dukhi expressed optimism that some of the issues identified will be fixed in the near future so as to ensure the delivery of effective and efficient health services in the region. “In terms of what we have found today here, there are a lot of issues; issues that can be corrected, issues with good management strategy and having effective measures in place to deal with implementing these issues I think can be corrected with the will, the need, and of course the resources to make it happen. Some of the things are basically managerial hav-

ing adequate resources, other materials that are needed at the regional level transferred to the region in a timely manner and we have good management with the resources then there should be a much more improved heath response to the people,” the prominent doctor said. On September 1, President Ali, on a visit to Region Six, received several complaints from residents about the delivery of poor health service in the region. He promised the residents to look into their complaints and put measures in place to address them. Following his interaction with the residents, a National Regional Hospital Review Committee (NHRC) was established to conduct investigations into the state of health services across the country, starting with Region Six. Recently, Michael Khan was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the New Amsterdam Hospital and is expected to assume his role soon, while Dr. Vishalya Sharma has been appointed Regional Health Officer for Region Six.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Trotman’s claims on budgets for constitutional agencies invalid –– attorney-general

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall

ATTORNEY-GENERAL (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, has dismissed the assertions made by opposition parliamentarian, Raphael Trotman, that there was illegality involved in the passing of the budgetary estimates for constitutional agencies. “Mr. Raphael Trotman is completely wrong in his contention that there was some irregular process or there was some illegality that affected the presentation and approval of the budgetary estimates of those constitutional agencies,” the attorney-general said. Trotman, on Monday, told the National Assembly that the government violated the Financial Management and Accountability (Amendment) Act of 2015 when it passed the budgetary estimates for constitutional agencies. However, the attorney-general noted that it was the previous government which amended the cited legislation, resulting in an adjustment in the manner in which budgets for constitutional agencies were presented in the National Assembly. According to Nandlall, those agencies’ budgets are to be submitted separately from the National Budget estimates. Minister Nandlall asserted that the presentation was to be made by accounting officers within each constitutional agency to the Clerk of the National Assembly and minister of finance. “We complied with that process in accordance with the letter and spirit of the amendment promulgated by the APNU+AFC in 2015,” the attorney-general said.

It was noted that the 2015 amendment resulted in budgetary allocations being directly charged from the Consolidated Fund, whereby a lump sum disbursal is made to the constitutional agencies, excluding the possibility of parliamentary interrogation and scrutiny. The opposition, on September 1, had staged a walkout before the budgets for the constitutional agencies were passed. According to Nandlall, “even if they [the APNU+AFC] were present [in the National Assembly], they could not have subjected those budgetary estimates to any form of interrogation or scrutiny.” The minister also noted that the previous government had slashed the budgets of constitutional agencies, thereby paving the way for the then opposition to request from the finance minister, an explanation for the budget cuts. “In this instance, our minister of finance did not interfere at all with any of the submissions made by the constitutional agencies. So, there was no need for any parliamentary intervention from the floor by members of the National Assembly, in relation to those budgetary allocations or estimates presented,” Nandlall explained. He added: “So there was no basis for a National Assembly input in the estimates of those agencies, so Mr. Raphael Trotman is completely wrong in his contention that there was some irregular process or illegality that affected the presentation and approval of the budgetary estimates of those constitutional agencies.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Guyana is finally in good hands, says MP Bharrat NATURAL RESOURCES MINISTER, Vickram Bharrat, in his inaugural presentation at the Budget 2020 debate, called out the Opposition for its contradiction in referring to the year’s financial plan as “copycat budget”. He said that the Opposition seems to be merely following through with their plans to find fault with the budget, when the financial plans set out to correct the long list of its mismanagement and malpractice. Giving examples of such cases, he turned to his area of specialty, natural resources. “Even though the APNU preached about oil and gas and first oil for so many years, there was a policy that was more targeted to benefitting the companies and not the locals. But we intend to ensure that we have a strong local content policy followed by regulatory framework so that our locals can enjoy the benefits of our oil and gas sector,” Minister Bharrat said. He stressed that budget 2020 is not a pro-private sector budget as the Opposition has dubbed it, but it is a people’s budget which, through

the private sector and other sectors, will provide more working opportunities for Guyanese. Bharrat also examined the area of public health. He said that while the Opposition chose to politicise the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the PPP/C that increased testing from an average of 31 tests per day to almost 300. Added to this, he said that a month ago there were only three persons trained to conduct COVID tests but the PPP/C has now trained over 40 persons to ramp up testing. On the topic of education, he criticised the APNU+AFC’s previous 5Bs project, which he said pales in comparison to the return of the PPP/C’s cash grant and its increase to $15,000. He told the House: “The 5 Bs programme was benefitting maybe 10,000 children in this country. You add up the amount of seats in each David Granger bus, you add up the seats in every boat that you distribute, you add up how many bicycles you distribute and it wouldn’t reach 10,000. If you’re not aware, we have over 170,000 school children in the public

school systems… how can it possibly be better?” Meanwhile, he said that the PPP/C will fulfill its promise to reopen the sugar estates, set back by the Opposition’s “right-sizing” which put hundreds of Guyanese on the breadline. The minister also spoke to the plans for the Linden to Lethem Highway; the gas-to-shore project which has been rejuvenated; the 1.5 billion invested into hinterland roads; tax concessions on mining, agriculture and forestry and more On the other hand, former Minister of Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes giving her opinion on Budget 2020, claimed that it does not give proper consideration of realities of Guyana. She said that while Guyana is rightfully being dubbed as the soonto-be Dubai, the country, at this critical juncture, is still without a known Minister of Finance. She also criticised the reopening of the sugar estates which would provide employment for thousands of sugar workers and lamented the lack of budgetary allocation to deal with Guyana’s ethnic and racial intolerance.

This matter falls within the realm of the Ethnic Relations Commission, which recently received a budgetary sum of $221M. Leading members of the coalition were also blamed for instigating the chaos that erupted following the recent murder of the Henry cousins. She told the National Assembly: “Whichever way you cut it Mr. Speaker, we have failed to forge the one people, one nation with a common destiny we can all subscribe to. Until we do, no amount of oil discoveries, thousands of barrels of oil a day, will make a difference or stop the blood that will continue to be shed.”

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat

Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Catherine Hughes

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Citizens will no longer be punished through heavy taxation –– says MP Narine, differs with MP McDonald on focus of budget By Tamica Garnett VETERAN trade unionist, General Secretary of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), Coretta McDonald, and General-Secretary for the Guyana Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), Seepaul Narine, clashed in the National Assembly on Monday during the 2020 Budget debates. Nonetheless, with their assigned 15 minutes apiece, the two back benchers gave good accounts of themselves and both touched on pertinent issues, with emphasis of situations relating to workers. Representing the APNU+AFC, McDonald lobbied for the establishment of a Labour Code Commission; for greater remuneration for regional councillors and state board directors; for the issues of debauching and merit increments to be addressed, and called for affirmative action to ensure racial equity in the employment market. “Consideration must be given for the allocation and strengthening the laws in the areas of Occupational Health and Safety, Trade Union Recognition and workers education,” McDonald offered. Arguing against the budget, McDonald echoed the Opposition’s argument that the budget is private sector-friendly and not people-centred. However, immediately following her, and representing the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on the government side, Narine described the budget as a “poor people progressive budget, with significant attention

to lifting our people, while building a better and stronger Guyana for our children”.

away from them,” Narine asserted. Coming out swinging,

GTU General-Secretary, Coretta McDonald

Noting that taxes increased by $91 million under the APNU+AFC, Narine described that action as “punishment for the Guyanese people”, brought on by the APNU+AFC. “Budget 2020 marks the first step in the journey to reverse the vampire-like policies that plagued our nation over the last five years when the coalition spared no one except themselves. We are told budget doesn’t have anything for the ordinary people…. It is a marked departure from the budgets we’ve had in the past five years when Guyanese feared what next would be taken

were they told: greedy, selfish. What a shame,” Narine expressed.

increased to $60,000, Narine later reminded that it was the APNU+AFC Government

GAWU General-Secretary, Seepaul Narine

Narine opened with a jab at McDonald, reminding her that it was under the PPP/C that teachers were always afforded an audience with the Ministry of Education (MoE), while it was under the APNU+AFC that the GTU was hindered in their fight to create a new Collective Labour Agreement with the government of the day. SEVERAL AGREEMENTS “Under the previous PPP/C Government the GTU was able to have agreements after agreements, as compared to the APNU+AFC when teachers stood up what

It was in 2018 that the GTU had to resort to strike action to get the MoE to come with a better offer in salary and benefits negotiations. Then Minister with Responsibility for Labour, Keith Scott, called the teachers uncaring and selfish, though he later apologised for the damage done. Narine further described it as appalling that it was under the APNU+AFC the Trade Union Recognition Board has not been functioning for many months now. When McDonald called on the PPP/C Government side to ensure that the private sector minimum wage is

that failed to see the negotiations to completion when the process was started last year. LACK OF SAFETY NET Narine called for the Opposition to account for the job loss that took place under its watch, starting with the lack of a safety net being put in place, when they closed the sugar estates and left thousands on the breadline. “Over 7,000 sugar workers in the midst of a yuletide Christmas season were put on the breadline in the hardest retrenchment exercise in post-Independence Guyana. What kind of leader puts thousands out of work with

no plan to deal with the fall out? Don’t they have any compassion for those workers and their families? They were least concerned how these Guyanese citizens would eat, send their children to school or pay their bills,” Narine questioned “This is a budget of hope for all Guyanese where we will see our nation’s prosperity benefitting all and not just a few as we saw during the coalition government,” Narine established. On the issue of regional councils and State boards, McDonald argued that such persons must be suitably remunerated fitting of their positions and works that they need to carry out. “RDCs and State boards are required to carry out statutory obligations, [yet] 90 per cent of these persons are not executive officers. Time has come for us to address these persons; they must be appropriately quantified and remunerated. I urge consideration be given to regional councillors and non-executive directors of State companies for incentives and other forms of remuneration,” McDonald said. There are 205 regional councillor seats assigned across the 10 administrative regions in Guyana, with each councillor currently being paid a stipend of $10,000 per month. Over the years, regional councillors have continually lobbied for their stipends to be increased, arguing that the remuneration is insufficient, given that their workload spans an entire region.

Investigation launched into death of Cornelius

THE Ministry of Labour, in collaboration with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), has launched a thorough investigation

into the circumstances that led to the death of Marques Cornelius, 29, of Singh’s Mining Operations on Monday. Cornelius was fatally

injured, on the job, when he was struck by a falling tree at Big Hope, Waini, Region One. The ministry, in a release, said arrangements were being made to

visit the accident site and a report will be prepared which will include recommendations to prevent a recurrence. “The Minister of La-

bour is deeply concerned about the recent fatality and offers condolences to the family of the deceased,” the release concluded.

Dead: Marques Cornelius

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Bulkans’ $90M lawsuit thrown out

–– claims were incoherent, prolix and obscure A $90M lawsuit filed by former Minster of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, and his brother, Rustum Bulkan, against the Bank of Guyana and its Governor, Dr. Gobind Ganga, was, on Monday, dismissed by Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry in the Demerara High Court. Justice Sewnarine-Beharry said, in her ruling, that the lawsuit was an abuse of the court process and was statute barred. The Bulkans, who are shareholders in Precision Woodworking Limited, brought legal proceedings against the Bank of Guyana for failing to probe the unauthorised deposit of $82M into their company’s Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited bank account. The Judge in her ruling explained that an action for the recovery of damages must be brought within 3 years of the cause of action arising. Against this backdrop, she stressed that the brothers’ Statement of Claim does not disclose a cause of action against the Bank of Guyana and Dr. Ganga. “The Statement of Claim averse to potential harm and not any real harm, loss or damage and at best is speculative,” Justice Sewnarine-Beharry said. Further, the Judge ruled that Dr. Ganga was improperly sued in his personal capacity. According to her, Section 4 (1) of the Bank of Guyana Act provides that it shall be a body corporate; while Section 11 provides that the Governor shall be the Chief Executive Officer and shall be responsible for the management of the Bank. Section 38 of the Act, the Judge said provides that the Bank of Guyana shall have exclusive responsibility for the supervision and regulation of licensed financial institutions under that Act and the Financial Institutions Act. Lastly, the Judge said that Statement of Claim was incoherent, prolix, lacked precision and was obscure. COSTS As a consequence of her ruling, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry ordered that the brothers pay $250,000 in court costs to the Respondents on or before October 30, 2020. It was further ordered that counsel for the brothers personally pay costs in the sum of $75,000 to the Respondents on or before October 30, 2020, for prolixity of pleadings. The court further ordered that costs awarded shall be paid before any further steps are taken in the proceedings. The lawsuit was filed in December 2019 by their at-

torneys–at-law, Maxwell Edwards and Patrice Henry. In February 2020, Dr. Ganga and the Bank of Guyana’s lawyer Pauline Chase filed a Notice of Application for the lawsuit to be dismissed. The Bulkan brothers were awarded receivership of Precision Woodworking Limited and are the only authorised signatories to the company’s bank account. CLAIMS The brothers claim that the Bank of Guyana neglected its statutory duty when it failed to launch an investigation into the deposit of $82, 068,617 into the company’s Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited bank account which has been on hold since 2011. In 2013 and 2017, the brothers wrote to Dr. Ganga, Republic Bank, then Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, and Attorney General raising concerns over the unauthorised and suspicious deposit. Dr. Ganga, according to the brothers, ignored their letter and plea for an investigation to be conducted by the Bank of Guyana with the view of prosecution in relation to the $82M deposit. The brothers claim that Central Bank continues to “arbitrary and whimsically deny the deposit being made.” The siblings said that they were “gravely concerned and disturbed that the deposit was a breach of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering of Financial Terrorism Act by an individual identifiable by name.” “[We] are acutely aware of the international financial jeopardy that Guyana endured as a result of the Financial Task Force blacklisting Guyana prior to 2015; and of the government’s post 2015 zero tolerance for money laundering,” the brothers said in their claim. They also noted that at all material times they were well aware and cognizant of the draconian and ruinous effects of the penalties of fines ranging from $220M to $520M, and/or imprisonment prescribed under the Anti-money Laundering and Countering of Financial Terrorism Act. They also argued that Dr. Ganga continues to fraudulently misrepresent that no such deposit was ever made into the company’s bank account. The claimants, in their documents stated that the Central Bank intended to mislead, deceive, induce and trick them into believing that the deposit was not made for them to abandon their relentless good faith pursuit of an investigation into the truth about the matter. Also, the claimants said that they have been induced

by the Central Bank’s repeated false, and in bad faith, denials or recklessly, not caring whether their denials were true, or not, into a belief, and entertaining of some doubt about the veracity of the very serious imputations of criminality against Republic Bank, probably the largest commercial bank in Guyana, tending to an appearance that they are mischievous and malicious. In the circumstances, each of them sued Dr. Ganga for,

in excess of $10M in damages and the Bank of Guyana for breach of statutory duty and sought in excess of $50M in damages. The brothers also asked the court to award them exemplary damages for the potential harm, distress and unease caused by Dr. Ganga’s action, substantial costs and or any other order as the court deems just.

Former Government Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan

Governor of the Bank of Guyana, Dr. Gobind Ganga

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Hinterland development back as priority

By Lisa Hamilton

REPRESENTING the Government and Region Nine, Member of Parliament (MP), Alister Charlie, told the National Assembly, on Monday, that Amerindians in Guyana have been neglected by the APNU+AFC over the last five years and therefore made it their duty to put the coalition in the Opposi-

tion benches of the House. He expressed these sentiments on day one of Budget 2020 debates, hosted at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), due to the existing COVID-19 limitations. Dressed in his indigenous head-wear, in observance of Indigenous Heritage Month, MP Charlie recapped what he said were challenging years under the

coalition government. He said that many promises were made but not many were fulfilled. “The people of Region Nine were promised an aerodrome at Lethem Airstrip, I ask the honourable members over there, where is the project? Mr. Speaker, it’s misleading when opposition members try to paint a picture that everything was bright and beautiful under

their tenure in the Amerindian community, yet, at the level of the village it was a different reality,” he said. On the other hand, the MP underscored that Budget 2020 prioritises Amerindian development and caters for numerous socio-economic initiatives for implementation in all hinterland communities. Through the budget, he said that hinterland development will be brought

in conjunction with coastal development, without sacrificing traditional norms and customs. He also noted the PPP/ C’s plan to make hinterland communities self-sufficient and highlighted the planned expansion of the Hinterland Electrification Programme through which some 25,000 households in Amerindian, hinterland, and deep riverain communities, can expect an upgrade and replacement of their solar panels. Meanwhile, Charlie said that Amerindian communities will once again be provided with the necessary infrastructure for quality education and each child in hinterland schools will once again benefit from the PPP/C’s ‘Because We Care’ initiative which will ensure that Guyana’s children attend school. The MP also reminded that the budget caters to the hinterland scholarship programme which will help to further studies at the secondary and tertiary levels; transportation assistance in the form of tractors, boats and engines; more roads and infrastructure to create

linkages among hinterland communities; and improved healthcare. “Prior to Election 2020, it was evident that the coalition party, using state funds, were traversing across the hinterland distributing handouts and trying to bribe residents using State resources in their bid for the Amerindian and hinterland residents to give them another chance at the just-concluded elections,” he said, adding: “Despite their best efforts, they could not fool Guyana’s First Peoples a second time. We collectively voted for peace, progress and prosperity of the PPP/C, under the wise and caring leadership of our President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, our Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo and our Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips.” He stated that no one can say that the PPP/C’s budget is not people-oriented and the party looks forward to fulfilling all of its promises to the hinterland regions.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Pause button on development released after five years –– MP Ramsaran tells House

Government Member of Parliament (MP), Dr. Bheri Ramsaran

Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Dineshwar Jaiprashad

THE University of Guyana (UG) lecturer, pandit and now Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Dineshwar Jaiprashad, sought to convince the National Assembly, on Tuesday, that Budget 2020 has nothing to offer the poor class. However, he was met with the responses of Government MPs Dr. Bheri Ramsaran and Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo. Addressing the House for the first time, Opposition MP said: “This budget was designed to give a few rich persons the opportunity to continue to trample on the lives of the poor.” The PPP/C had pointed out that senior members of the coalition, when in government, had enriched themselves and neglected its grassroot supporters, who in turn, turned against them in the March 2 Regional and General Elections. Jaiprashad also criticised the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s (PPP/C’s) $10,000 cash grant and said the coalition raised minimum wages to $70,000, which he said puts more money into the pockets of Guyanese monthly. Junior Public Works Minister, Deodat Indar, on Monday flayed the coalition for heavily taxing the citizenry and reducing their spending power. The opposition MP also pointed out that it was under the APNU+AFC administration that Guyana recorded its highest levels of rice production but Dr. Mahadeo informed the House that much of this success must be attributed to the farmers themselves and not the coalition, as it rendered no help to farmers when they were most in need. “The success of rice in Guyana was not because of the APNU+AFC. It was in spite of the APNU+AFC. It

was due to the farmers’ hard work,” Dr. Mahadeo said. Meanwhile, coming after Jaiprashad was former health minister, Dr. Ramsaran. Addressing the House, he cut the chase: “Guyana only made progress when the PPP/C was in office”. He said that while the “pause button” was pressed for the last five years, Guyana will now be able to breathe again. Though Jaiprashad had his list of criticisms of the PPP/C, Dr. Ramsaran said that the lives of Guyanese nationwide are being put at risk due to the shortages in medical supplies and drugs as a result of the APNU+AFC’s inefficient management of the health sector. “This is affecting our supporters, your supporters. When you’re not having the medication for chronic diseases and have to go to the corner shop and buy it, that’s okay, you’re getting it but you might not be getting it in adequate quantities and persistent… it opens you up, to a larger degree, of becoming a victim of COVID or even an ordinary flu,” he informed the House. The former health minister said that this is why he is pleased to see the amount of money being dedicated to the sector at the central level so that supplies needed can be purchased and distributed to the various Regions. Out of the $51.7 billion budgeted for health, Dr. Ramsaran said that the party can boast of the large sums put aside for training in the health sector through post-graduate studies. The doctor submitted that there are adequate resources in the budget to ensure that the learning process continues and that Guyana gradually becomes independent of foreigners.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Arsenal tie down striker Aubameyang with new three-year deal (REUTERS) - Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has signed a new threeyear deal, the Premier League club said yesterday, ending speculation over a potential exit as he entered the final year of his contract. Aubameyang’s deci-

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang announced his new deal via a live video from Emirates Stadium sion to stay with Arsenal will be a major boost to manager Mikel Arteta who said he wanted to build the squad around the Gabon international after they won the FA Cup last month. “Signing for this special club was never in doubt,” Aubameyang said in a statement here. “It’s thanks to our fans, my team mates, my family and everybody at this club that I feel like I belong here. “I believe in Arsenal. We can achieve big things together. We have something exciting here and I believe the best is to come for Arsenal.” British media reported Aubameyang’s new contract makes the 31-year-old one of the highest earners at the club alongside midfielder Mesut Ozil.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Germany’s Kamna wins Tour de France CWI launches first 16th stage, Roglic retains lead virtual Foundation

VILLARD DE LANS, France (Reuters) - Lennard Kamna claimed his

first Tour de France victory when he outwitted Giro d’Italia champion

Richard Carapaz to win the 16th stage, a 164-km ride from La Tour du Pin

coaching course

Lennard Kamna finished one minute 27 seconds clear of his closest challenger. yesterday. The 24-year-old German took advantage of Ecuadorian Carapaz’s momentary loss of focus at the top of the last climb of the day to go solo and finished one minute 27 seconds ahead after charging down in the descent. Swiss Sebastien Reichenbach took third place, 1:56 off the pace as Slovenian Primoz Roglic retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey. Defending champion Egan Bernal, whose hopes of winning the race fell away when he cracked in Sunday’s 15th stage, was dropped from the main bunch in the ascent to Saint-Nizier, apparently suffering from back pains. It was a day to forget for Ineos-Grenadiers as Carapaz had to settle for second after two brutal attacks from the breakaway group in the decisive climb had left his rivals in the red. But Kamna, who narrowly missed out on a stage win last week when he lost a two-man sprint against Colombian Dani Martinez in Puy Mary, went solo just when Carapaz was recovering from his effort at the top. Tomorrow’s 17th stage is a brutal mountain trek in the Alps, over 170km and ending in Meribel at the top of the Col de la Loze, 2,304 metres above sea level.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua - Cricket West Indies (CWI) has this week launched its first virtual Coach Foundation courses as part of the longterm ‘Cricket First’ strategic plan in building coaching skills around the region through the new Coach and Player Development Pathway. Four consecutive Foundation coaching courses, updated and modernised to align with CWI’s development pathway, are taking place virtually for over 70 contracted players across the region from September 14 to 17. Players such as West Indies white-ball captain, Kieron Pollard, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shane Dowrich and Roston Chase, will be taking their first coaching steps, developing their understanding of technical and tactical coaching whilst also learning about nutrition, mental wellbeing and physical development. Players participating in this Foundation level will get the opportunity to test their coaching prowess and receive the coaching skills and confidence to increase their impact with planned community cricket activities such as Kiddy Cricket and club and school programmes. This also gives CWI the opportunity to identify those players showing an affinity for coaching which can deliver a potential career beyond playing. CWI’s Coaching Development Manager, Chris Brabazon, highlighted how these Foundation Courses will significantly benefit the professionalisation of coaching across the region eventually for the benefit of teams at every level: CWI is currently developing a world-class, West Indian, Coach & Player Development Pathway to formally support coaches from Foundation to the High-Performance realms of cricket. This initiative is part of a wider CWI strategy to improve and strengthen cricket across the region at all levels. A full suite of CWI coaching accreditation courses from Foundation to Level 3 (High Performance) will be delivered locally for the first time in 2021.” The Foundation Course is being delivered to players across the region as follows:

Following completion of the Foundation level, participating players will then complete the online UNICEF Child Protection Course.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

ECB to cut 62 jobs as a result of COVID-19 THE England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is to cut 62 jobs as a result of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. A statement from chief executive Tom Harrison said the game will lose more than £100M this year, a figure which could rise to £200M next year. Proposals to reduce costs

include a 20% cut of the workforce budget, with every part of the ECB affected. “Seven months ago, sharing a message of this nature was unthinkable,” said Harrison. At the beginning of the pandemic, Harrison had warned of losses in excess of £300M. These have been limited

largely due to all of England men’s international schedules being able to take place, albeit behind closed doors in a bio-secure environment. England Women are set to play five T20 internationals against West Indies Women and there have been domestic competitions held for both men and women. However, the launch of

South Africa board holds ‘positive’ talks with national sports body By Nick Said CAPE TOWN, South Africa (Reuters) - South Africa’s cricket board said yesterday it had held a “positive” meeting with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) as it seeks to avoid being sidelined following criticism of its governance. SASCOC, the umbrella body that administers sport in South Africa and to which all federations are answerable, told Reuters last week that the board had been asked to step aside. A SASCOC task-force was to be put in place for one month to investigate CSA’s conduct and make recom-

mendations for the future. Cricket South Africa (CSA) said in a statement yesterday it had made progress in addressing some of the concerns after a meeting with SASCOC. “The meeting presented a step forward towards a collaborative approach in the interest of good governance and executive operations,” it said. “Key points were identified and deliberated by the attendees ... with the ultimate end goal of achieving a unified focus on the game of cricket.” SASCOC acting CEO Ravi Govender did not confirm whether the plan to suspend the CSA board would go ahead but said more de-

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wednesday September 16, 2020) COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK – STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Scott Kuggeleijn-17 wickets (Zouks) (2) Mohammed Nabi-5/15 (Zouks)

Today’s Quiz: (1) Who effected most wicketkeeping dismissals in Hero CPL 2020? (2) Who took more catches in Hero CPL 2020 (Non-wicketkeeper)?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Chris Nenzani has been at the helm as Cricket South Africa president and board chairperson since February 2013. tails of the meeting would be revealed tomorrow. “We met last night, we have identified one or two things that need to be put in place and we will then hold a joint media briefing on Thursday,” he told Reuters. The CSA had come in for criticism from sponsors as well as national team players, who accused the board of “self-interest” in failing to deal adequately with the contents of a report that led to the sacking of former chief executive Thabang Moroe some nine months after he was first suspended. It was also criticised after the postponement of an Annual General Meeting scheduled for September 5 which had been due to elect a new president and senior officials after Chris Nenzani resigned last month.

The Hundred, the new 100ball tournament for men and women, was postponed until 2021. “Getting cricket back on this summer - at a recreational, domestic and international level, for both men and women - has been a remarkable achievement by everyone across the game,” said Harrison. “It has been the result of true partnerships in action; across our first class counties and recreational game, from our broadcast and commercial partners and with Government and local public health agencies.” However, Harrison also conceded action must be taken in order to “safeguard cricket’s long-term future”. “The entire cricket net-

work has pulled together to get us through this challenge so far and overcoming it will mean continuing to work in partnership and continuing to make tough decisions as we have done this year,” he said. “We must reduce the cost base across the game - and that requires the ECB to lead the way by reducing its own cost base.” Speaking to journalists before today’s decisive oneday international against Australia, England all-rounder Chris Woakes said the news is “incredibly sad” and will “resonate with the players”. “There are a lot of people behind the scenes at the ECB who work incredibly hard and are important cogs in the wheel,” said Woakes.

Tom Harrison became ECB chief executive in 2015. “The current climate that we’re in, these sort of things are bound to happen in all sports around the world. It’s a sad time. It does resonate with the players. We feel that impact.”(BBC)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

GCF launches CHESSKIDS Hamilton says online schools programme he will not let up IN wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) recently sought to keep the youths involved by virtue of their online programme dubbed CHESSKIDS ONLINE CHESS-IN-SCHOOLS. The venture is a partnership between CHESSKID. COM which is a United Statesbased entity and the GCF. According to GCF Events Consultant, Shiv Nandall, the project is geared towards practising social distancing by allowing students to interact virtually via internet; which is a main requirement. The GCF acquired a oneyear package with CHESSKID.COM, with the company donating several modules to the GCF for their young newbie batch of players. GCF will be targeting

CHESSKID.COM and GCF have launched their online schools chess programme

students aged between 7-19 who attend public or private schools in Guyana. The cost of the ambitious online chess project will amount to approximately US$15 000 per year provided by the World

Chess Federation (FIDE). The local body is aiming to award CHESSKID Gold Membership to at least 1 000 players by the end of 2021. Police youth groups throughout the country are

currently being targeted in the promotion of the game. Upon registering for the online programme, players and beginners will be awarded CHESSKID Gold Membership, based on their participation and use of the resources provided by the company. With regard to the more experienced players, they will be required to participate in short, online tournaments which will be about three hours each and will be conducted by the chess website. Meanwhile, interested school representatives or parents can contact Guyana National Arbiter John Lee on 623-0986, Chairman of the Chess-in-Schools Committee, Anand Raghunauth on 681-8771 or message GCF on Facebook for more information.

Defeat ruins in-form Rawlins’ 23rd birthday

HOVE, England (CMC) – Bermudan all-rounder Delray Rawlins celebrated his 23rd birthday on Monday with another two-wicket haul and a breezy 20-ball 37, but could not prevent Sussex losing to Essex by 12 runs in a Vitality Blast South Group match. Left-arm slow bowler Rawlins, introduced as fifth change by Sussex, broke a 118-run second-wicket partnership when he had Tom Westley caught for 39 and followed it up by trapping Ryan ten Doeschate leg-before for one, as Essex piled up 197 for five in their 20 overs. Rawlins finished his tight three-over spell with impressive figures of two for 18 and then accelerated Sussex’s run rate with his

Bermudan Delray Rawlins walks off after being dismissed by Dan Lawrence on Monday. 37 that contained three sixes and three fours, but was dismissed when he tried an ambitious shot, leaving his side 119 for three in the 14th over. Dan Lawrence, who earlier inspired Essex to their big total with his summer’s best knock of 81, imme-

diately delivered a breakthrough with the first ball he bowled, as Rawlins attempted to reverse-lap over the wicketkeeper’s head but only managed to find short third man, Sussex closing on 185 for eight. Essex’s first T20 win of the season lifted them off

the bottom of the table and kept their title defence alive mathematically, but defeat saw Sussex squeezed out of top spot by Kent, and they now face a battle to qualify with a resurgent Surrey finding form as the group stage enters its final week. Sussex were left to rue the absence of Barbados-born Chris Jordan, who has flown to the United Arab Emirates ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after playing their last two matches, while Phil Salt – currently in the England bubble – was a big miss in the run-chase. In his previous Blast game on Saturday, Rawlins hit an unbeaten 62 and claimed two for 25 as Sussex cantered to an eight-wicket victory over Kent.

Windies stars Russell, Narine arrive to join KKR ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, (CMC) – Kolkata Knight Riders superstars Andre Russell and Sunil Narine have been the latest players from the just concluded Caribbean Premier League to arrive for the historic Indian Premier League scheduled to bowl off next weekend. The pair touched down here Sunday to link up with KKR but will first undergo the mandatory week-long isolation before being able to join the squad.

West Indies teammate Kieron Pollard, who presided over Trinbago Knight Riders’ capture of their fourth CPL title last Thursday, arrived 24 hours earlier along with Sherfane Rutherford to join Mumbai Indians. Both Russell and Narine enjoyed a productive campaign in the CPL even though they sat out a few games for both their franchises. All-rounder Russell scored 222 runs at an average of 44 with three half-centuries and

a strike rate of 141. However, he hardly bowled his medium pace, sending down only 13 overs and picking up three wickets. Russell proved a key figure for KKR last season, plundering 510 runs at an average of 56 and a strike rate of 204, while snaring 11 wickets. Narine, meanwhile, was a member of the successful TKR side in the CPL but featured in only five matches, taking six wickets at 15 runs apiece at less than five runs per over.

He also missed the final when TKR beat St Lucia Zouks by eight wickets at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad. Narine, who has reinvented himself as a bowling all-rounder in recent time, endured an average campaign last year for KKR with only 143 runs and 10 wickets. This year’s IPL will be played in the UAE from September 19 to November 10 in a bio-secure “bubble” amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

on campaigning for justice By Alan Baldwin

LONDON, England (Reuters) - Six-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton said he would not let up on using his platform to campaign for racial justice as the sport’s governing body confirmed there would be no investigation into his actions at the Tuscan Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver wore a black T-shirt on Sunday declaring “Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor” on the front of it and ‘Say her name” on the back over a photograph of the slain emergency room technician. In a post on Instagram, the Briton told his 20 million followers: “want you to know that I won’t stop, I won’t let up, I won’t give up on using this platform to shed light on what I believe is right. “This is a journey for all of us to come together and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton wears challenge the a shirt in reference to Breonna world on ev- Taylor on the podium as he celery level of ebrates after winning the race. injustice, not Tuscan Grand Prix Italy - Septemonly racial,” ber 13, 2020 (Pool via REUTERS/ Jennifer Lorenzini) he added. Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was killed by police officers who burst into her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky, in March. One police officer involved was fired by the city’s police department in June. Two other officers have been placed on administrative reassignment. No criminal charges have been filed against any of the three. A spokesman for the governing FIA said there would be no formal investigation into Hamilton’s actions and Formula One’s only Black driver, on the cusp of becoming the most successful racer of all-time, faced no punishment. For that to happen, the race stewards at Italy’s Mugello circuit should have been notified of a possible breach of the rules and that was not the case. Hamilton is actively engaged with the FIA and Formula One on anti-racism and diversity campaigns, enjoys the full support of his Mercedes team and has a profile far above other drivers on social media. Every race is preceded by an officially-sanctioned statement by all drivers against racism, with some taking a knee while others stand. Hamilton had knelt and worn a ‘Black Lives Matter’ shirt at races before Mugello. The FIA’s International sporting code bars “political or religious” advertising on cars but makes no mention of what drivers are allowed to do. The spokesman said the governing body would consider whether a protocol was needed in future.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, September 16, 2020

The Magnetic power of Sports needed more than ever By Ras Wadada

THROUGHOUT the history of mankind, the magnetic power of sports has been recorded and proven as a vehicle to bridge gaps, heal wounds and more importantly to unify people, regardless of ethnicity, creed or language - underlining the magnetic powers of Sports. Just over a week ago, our country was plunged into a state of shock and disbelief at the gruesome murder of two teenagers of African descent. The outrage and repercussions that subsequently followed included more related deaths, disorder, mayhem and the recurring question - how can we heal these deep wounds? Despite the recent chaotic situation in West Berbice not being sports-related, some 11 heads of National Sports Associations/Federations saw it necessary to come together and make a joint statement to appeal to the nation. The virtual meeting via today’s modern technology-based Zoom is unprecedented and is more than commendable, but beyond the narrative there must be action. As the old adage goes - action speaks louder than words. . The Zoom linkup was

GFF president Wayne Forde the brainchild of Wayne Forde, president of Guyana Football Federation (GFF), and in an invited comment to Chronicle Sport, he said, “We do have a national platform and if we are afraid to take the risk of being criticised at a dark and pivotal moment for trying to do the right thing, then I would say - that in itself is a failure of leadership.” The GFF boss suggestively added that, “Sports is the World’s oldest unifier tried and tested for centuries. What is also true is: once the celebration or anguish of the moment subsides, we instinctively go back to a world that is still searching for fairness, justice, equality

and respect for all. To change this, it would perhaps take more than what sports have to offer. “If we can all commit to a standard set of values that will become integral to our respective grassroots programmes - values that can shape how we see and treat each other from the earliest stages of a child’s development - then that might just be the beginning of something good. This is the role sports can play.” The question that was posited by the writer of this article to most of the heads was – ‘Is there a possibility that the 11 Associations/Federations can combine their expertise in using sports as a medium to build the broken bridges created within the communities that have been affected?’ In response there is a general consensus in the affirmative but the stumbling block currently is the global pandemic - COVID-19. President of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), Steve Ninvalle in his response declared, “Intentionally or unintentionally sports. regardless of the specific discipline, unites a Nation. I welcome and applaud such initiative and assure that the GBA stands ready to play its part, once all is done within

GBA president Steve Ninvalle the mandate of the Health Ministry’s COVID-19 guidelines. “We sometimes underestimate the potential of sport. At this critical juncture we need all hands on deck, and that being said, there needs to be cogent conversations and discussions on how to unleash the full potential and force of sports in an effort to bring about healing and change”. President of the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), Godfrey Monroe, in his response opined, “I can say, on behalf of the GTTA and more particularly in my capacity as president, I truly endorse the value of sports in bring-

ing common understanding among people of different backgrounds. “There are numerous examples of sports providing the basis for understanding, healing, respect, excellence, healthy relationships, team work, camaraderie, morality, integrity, hope and as a key communication tool. “Table tennis helped in resolving a major world crisis between China and the USA in the early 70s called ‘Pingpong diplomacy’ where our own George Braithwaite played a meaningful role. I am therefore committed in the short-, medium- and long-term to lend support and resources towards using the sport of table tennis as a vehicle for meaningful change in the affected communities.” “Hockey is fully in support. Sports has created so many bonds for me with people of all walks of life, and I believe it is a powerful tool which can be used to build bridges and develop meaningful relationships,” stated Philip Fernandes, president of Guyana Hockey Board. While there could be nothing to totally comfort the family and villagers of the undeserved lost souls, this critical moment provides a golden opportunity to promote a lasting, pos-

itive memory through a cavalcade of sports, among the affected communities, on an annual basis. A pertinent quote from British Sports Psychologist, Michael Caulfield - “Sports, especially football, can provide joy and escapism in times of crisis. Sports is a force and power for good. It is the glue of society that binds schools, villages, cities and nations. It matters more than we can think and we should not belittle its impact”. The other Heads of National Sports Associations and Federations, who held the historic meeting on September 10, were: Aubrey Hutson (Athletics), David Fernandes (Squash), Michael Singh (Basketball), Gowkaran Ramdhani, Aleem Hussain (Golf), Gavin Singh (Mixed Martial Arts) and Samuel Barakat (Tennis). Of significance, and to emphasise the unifying force of sports, one does not have to go too far back in history, (one which I am privileged to have lived and enjoyed), to recall the West Indies Cricket Team’s dominance of the World between the mid-seventies and early nineties. It is the most unified period in the history of the Caribbean region as a people.

Former long-standing umpire Former National cyclist Wilbert Johnny Gayle passes away Benjamin succumbs to head injuries FORMER long-standing First Class and International umpire John Richard Gayle, popularly known as Johnny Gayle died yesterday morning in his native island, Jamaica. Gayle also represented the West Indies in three Test matches. He was 96. According to a release from the West Indies Cricket Umpires Association (WICUA) secretary Vivian Johnson, “This is a difficult day for us all. I would like to inform you of the passing of legendary, long-standing Jamaica and West Indies umpiring giant Mr Johnny Gayle. Mr Gayle died this morning after a short illness. “Johnny served the cricket umpiring fraternity in the West Indies for over 60 years. He served in many capacities including Honorary Secretary and President of the Jamaica Cricket Umpires’

Umpire Johnny Gale dead at 96 Association, Honorary Secretary of the WICUA for approximately 20 years and WICUA representative on the WICB (CWI) Umpires Subcommittee during that time. The WICUA secretary pointed out that Gayle was also a regional First Class umpire and attained the lofty status as a Test umpire during the 1970s and 1980s. “He was a revered figure in the West Indies and was an instructor on

the Laws of cricket examination assessor for most of his career. He was honoured by the WICUA as one of its regional giants at its 50th anniversary celebrations during the biennial convention in Trinidad & Tobago in 2013. Johnny was also honoured by the Jamaican Government with the Order of Distinction for his contribution to cricket umpiring in the West Indies. “The entire West Indies is saddened today and we’re definitely poorer with the loss of this overarching figure of a man that had transcended the sport that we so dearly love. The bible states that “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.” Therefore we were prepared for this day. May his soul rest in peace and may light perpetually shine on his soul”. More information on funeral arrangements will be released at a later date.

THE cycling fraternity in Guyana was plunged into mourning following the death of former National cyclist Wilbert Benjamin who passed away at the Georgetown Public Hospital yesterday morning. The 49-year-old Benjamin, who hails from Fyrish, Corentyne, Berbice and is also a Canadian citizen, reportedly suffered head injuries in a vehicular accident sometime in August while undergoing routine fitness training on the Corentyne Highway. The late ‘fitness fanatic’, who owns Benjamin Sports, Sales & Services in Toronto and Benjamin Sports at Fyrish, was reportedly left unconscious after being hit by a hire car during one of his training sessions. According to a report, published by Guyana Cycling News, Benjamin was admitted to the Anamayah Memorial Hospital where he regained consciousness and was advised that his condition had improved. The report quoted his elder brother Gary Benjamin that after Wilbert was discharged from the hospital, he began complaining of constant headaches and a subsequent scan revealed he was suffering from internal brain damage and a cracked skull. The late Benjamin reportedly fell into a coma on Sunday and efforts were made to transfer him to St Joseph Mercy Hospital to undergo possible surgery. When that failed, allegedly because of

the absence of a surgeon, he was transferred to the Public Hospital Georgetown where died. Benjamin left Guyana in 1992 but still maintained his love for the sport which had become part and parcel of his family. His father, elder brother and uncle were all cyclists of some stature so it wasn’t by coincidence he quickly got initiated into the sport. After spending five years in Montserrat, Benjamin migrated to Toronto, Canada in 1998. During his stint at the senior level, Benjamin represented Guyana at the Pan American and Texaco Games in the early 90s. A former staunch member of the Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC), Benjamin had been a consistent contributor, both financially and otherwise, assisting several up-and-coming young cyclists in the process and also to villagers in the community. Over the years, Benjamin has been providing uniforms to the FACC which has been in existence for more than 30 years. Benjamin told Chronicle Sport in 2016 that his aim was to assist not only cyclists and the people of Berbice but also all of Guyana, more so the persons who helped him along the way. He also wanted the young cyclists to have all the latest equipment available at reasonable cost.

Dexter Marques

Elton Dharry

Promoter Seon Bristol

‘The Return of the Dragon’ can happen - Bristol THE advent of COVID-19 has given Dexter Marques enough time to think and reflect. In doing so, Marques came to grips with the fact that he really has two persons on his mind. One is Leon `Hurry Up’ Moore and the other is Elton Dharry. The obvious reason is that both gave him the two blemishes on his professional record. Moore TKOed Marques in the second round in June 2009. However, fresher in the memory of the former national bantamweight champion is his loss to Dharry. Marques was stopped in the seventh round by his USA-based opponent in May 2011 at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. At stake then was the World Boxing Council (WBC) CABOFE

bantamweight title. The defeat has left a sour taste in the mouth of the stylish fighter who has ever since been hoping to repay Dharry, in full. So while COVID-19 has caused others to let their guards down, Marques would have been filling up on ways to attract and then defeat Dharry. “Leon Moore doesn’t fight anymore so I don’t think there is a way of me getting him out of retirement. I’ll have to live with that. Dharry is currently active and fair game. I did a lot of wrong things in our previous fight and I now better understand the way to take care of this youngster once he has the guts to get back into the ring,” Marques bragged recently.

Windies stars Russell, Narine arrive to join KKR See story on page 38

West Indies stars Andre Russell (left) and Sunil Narine arrive in Abu Dhabi

So confident is the former champion that he has forwarded a request to promoter Seon Bristol of Bris O Promotions to make the event happen. “Next four, five or six months, next year doesn’t matter to me. But the earlier we get it on the better. Once COVID-19 is off I’ll say let’s get it on,” Marques added. When contacted, the Brooklyn USA-based boxing promoter Bristol acknowledged that he has been approached and has interest in making the card he dubbed, `Return of the Dragon’ happen. “I have had extended relationships with both fighters and in my opinion they make solid foundation for a mega event

in Guyana. However, a lot will depend on COVID-19. Once we can get past that then it’s a go for me,” Bristol stated. “We have heard from Marques. I think the appropriate thing now would be to hear from the Dharry camp,” the promoter concluded. Since his last defeat, Marques has chalked up nine victories. He has not competed since January 2018 but is confident that two months of work will put him in the shape that will worry, confuse and ultimately defeat his USA-based opponent. “I am never too far from the gym. I live the life of a true fighter. This fact is easy to prove, just get Dharry into the ring. I am now turning this over to Mr Bristol and Dharry. Let’s get ready to rumble.”

Former National cyclist Wilbert Benjamin succumbs to head injuries

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The Magnetic power of Sports needed more than ever Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

Wilbert Benjamin competing during his heyday

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2020