Issuu

MONDAY 29th March, 2021

' No.106315

US$5B ‘agri’ company sets sights on Guyana

See story on page 03

Phagwah in a pandemic

SEE PAGE 11

Though Phagwah celebrations were restricted this year in a bid to prevent the spread of the deadly disease COVID-19, families and friends still celebrated the day in their own small spaces. A group of friends in Campbellville, Georgetown, (left), and the Ramotar family in Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD), (right) celebrated Phagwah on Sunday (Elvin Croker photos)

Over 250 households 14 flooded in Werk-en-Rust PAGE

New DHB GM promises strengthened efforts to curb traffic woes 16 PAGE

Essequibians celebrate Holi

RESIDENTS residing in the Pomeroon-Supenaam region celebrated the festival of colours despite the pandemic and the heavy rains. On Phagwah morning, the rains tried to take control but persons were still seen in the streets with their water guns drenching each other in observance of the Hindu

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 29, 2021

festival. Celebrations commenced as early as 05:00hrs when persons visited the “Holika” site and gathered the burn ashes to smear each other’s faces. Prayer services were held in the morning and evening at various temples. At the Golden Fleece Vishwa Jhotir Temple, the service was done

Members of the Golden Fleece Vishwa Jhotir mandir during the prayer service

Residents celebrate the holy occasion

Members of the Golden Fleece Vishwa Jhotir mandir

at 09:00hrs, during which prayers were given to the Hindu God, Lord Vishnu. During the service the former headmaster of the Abram Zuil Secondary

School, Madhya Persaud, reminded the small gathering that the occasion signifies the triumph of good over evil. He said while the celebrations took a different turn

this year due to the deadly coronavirus, Holi teaches mankind to stand for the truth and in the end they will be victorious. He said that the story of Prahlad shows

persons that God will always save his followers. At the end of the service, mandir members smeared each other’s faces with colourful powder.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 29, 2021

US$5B ‘agri’ company sets sights on Guyana …as India aims to help Guyana develop local agricultural sector

By Vishani Ragobeer UNITED Phosphorus Limited (UPL), a US$5 billion Indian multinational company that manufactures and markets agrochemicals, other chemicals and crop protection solutions, has set its sights on Guyana’s growing agricultural sector, according to Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr. K. J. Srinivasa. “They (UPL) are now interested in entering into Guyana because they are offering fertilisers, pesticides, etcetera and they believe that Guyana’s agricultural story will go higher and higher,” the High Commissioner told this newspaper during a recent interview. According to UPL’s website, it is the fifth largest agrochemical company in the world and a global leader in global food systems. It was also noted that the company is present in about 138 countries. Dr. Srinivasa highlighted that the company has already signalled its interest in investing in Guyana and as such, the High Commission has been connecting the company with the relevant government officials. The company’s interest, he said, comes amid its expectation that Guyana’s agricultural development will

all of the sugar companies are privately owned. This, he reasoned, means that the very structure in which the India sugar sector operates is different from the Guyanese model. Even so, he highlighted that there are some areas where India’s successes can be drawn from to develop Guyana’s potential.

The High Commissioner of India to Guyana, Dr. K. J. Srinivasa (Delano Williams photo)

lead to the increased need for contract funding. “They will do the bidding because they are a US$5B company and as such, everything is above board… and we are very much willing to help all these companies,” the High Commissioner noted. The company, via its website, also noted that it has market access to 90 per cent of the world’s food basket and is focussed on ushering growth and progress for the complete agricultural value chain, including growers,

distributors, suppliers and innovation partners. Meanwhile, the High Commissioner indicated that the SouthAsian country is willing to help Guyana transform its agricultural sector overall. He indicated that a number of industry experts from India will be coming to Guyana to help in various agriculture fields. SUGAR INDUSTRY In the sugar industry, he noted that requests have been made for two experts to come to Guyana and work

alongside the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the Ministry of Agriculture on the overall reforms that are needed locally. “We are also working very closely and trying to encourage Indian private sector companies to come and explore the opportunity to invest in the Guyanese sugar factories,” the High Commissioner said, adding: “So far there has been a very good interest and even (now), there are more people coming in.” In India, he noted that

ETHANOL PRODUCTION The production of ethanol is one such area. In October last year, Chief Executive Officer of GuySuCo, Sasenarine Singh, indicated that the turnaround plan for the company includes different options to ensure feasibility; the production of ethanol is one such option. “We are willing to work with GuySuCo if they need us to help them get equipment and machinery for the ethanol plants. We are willing because India is home to one of the biggest suppliers of ethanol equipment which supplies 10 percent of the world’s ethanol equipment.,” the High Commissioner underscored. He also related that the government has already signalled an interest in engaging India on how ethanol production can be kick-started here in Guyana. Upon assuming office last August, the Guy-

ana Government tapped into India’s offer of assistance to help revitalise the local sugar industry and restore the estates to full operation with the help of expertise in both factory operation and field cultivation. In 2017, the former A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition Government announced the closure of several sugar estates across the country; the move saw four sugar estates being closed, and 7,000 sugar workers losing their jobs. However, in 2020, the corporation was allocated a sum of $7 billion. A sum of $3 billion was used to recapitalise the Rose Hall, Skeldon, and Enmore sugar estates while the remaining $4 billion was allocated to support rehabilitation works at the Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion sugar estates. The government has also begun rehiring sugar workers who were laid off following the closure of sugar estates At present, some 8,200 persons are employed in the sugar industry. In this year’s budget, GuySuCo was allocated some $2B for capital works to be carried out at the various sugar estates across the country.

Fishermen arrested following discovery of shotgun, ammo POLICE have arrested two fishermen from Corentyne, Berbice, following the discovery of a 16-gauge shotgun and ammunition on Saturday afternoon in Number 63 Village, Corentyne Berbice. The illegal items were found inside a white “salt bag” which was on top a seven-foot concrete reservoir located in an unoccupied wooden and concrete structure. Police Headquarters, in a statement, noted that a party

of policemen visited the area on Saturday, after receiving information, and found the two fishermen – ages 22 and 26 – standing next to a tree. A search was conducted on their person but nothing was found. Acting on further information received, the two fishermen led the policemen to the unoccupied structure where a brown wooden-handle single-barrel 16-gauge shotgun was found inside. A black plastic bag was also found in the ‘salt bag’ where

there were two suspected 16-gauge cartridges. The two fishermen were told of the offences committed, cautioned and arrested. They were escorted, along with the firearm and ammunition, to the Springlands Police Station. The firearm and ammunition were dusted for latent fingerprints by a rank from the Crime Scene Unit. The firearm and ammunition were marked, sealed and lodged in the presence of the two suspects.

The shotgun and ammo found by the police

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 29, 2021

Young nurses launch home care service By Mesha Sealey

AMID the pervasive novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which is plaguing the world, young contemporaries, Juella Adams and Alex Garnette, are finding a way to deliver “home care” to persons in need. The nurses-turned-entrepreneurs, founders of A&J Caring Companion Caregivers, shared the motivation behind their venture in an interview with the Chronicle last Thursday. “We have always had a passion for providing care and helping others. It seems most persons think that the only way to access health services is through the hospital or health centre. That’s not so,” co-founder of A&J, Alex Garnette explained. Amidst the mounting fear of contracting COVID-19, the young professionals have launched an original service whereby persons can access multiple forms of medical care from the comfort of their own homes, simply by contacting either of them. “A lot of persons didn’t want to go to the hospital, because they were scared of contracting the virus, and if they would come into contact with somebody [who is infected], so that encouraged us to push faster in opening our business,” Adams said. Much like other innovative businesses which have found a niche during the pandemic, the young woman said the idea of establishing such a service had been lingering in their minds for a long while before they decided to make their dream a reality. PASSION FOR CARE “We have always had a passion for providing care and helping others. It seems most persons think that the only way to access health

were in accidents, and need dressing care, persons who just got discharged from surgery, and need care. Instead of going to the health centre, someone can come to you, and provide care in the comfort of your home,” Adams said. Both professionals are driven by their love for caregiving, and their desire to help persons in need of assistance.

Juella Adams, co-founder, A&J Caring Companion Caregivers

Alex Garnette, co-founder, A&J Caring Companion Caregivers

services is through the hospital or health centre. That’s not so,” Garnette reasoned. On this point, he added: “We wanted to provide health care at their home, where they’re going to be comfortable; where they’ll have their loved ones around them, especially during this pandemic time. “Most persons are afraid of leaving their homes and going to the hospital, because it seems we have a stigma attached to it; that if you go to the hospital, you stand a greater chance of contracting, or being infected with COVID-19. We want to alleviate that fear, and we want to provide the best possible home care, right in the convenience of their home.” The couple launched their service in late February of 2020, and has since provided essential services to multiple customers. “Of course, since we’re still in the start-up phase, business is a little slow, but, so far, we’re satisfied at the business we’ve been getting,” Adams shared, adding: “I have been in the profession for approximately five years. My love for caregiving was always there, and it still is, but it has grown tremendously.”

It is especially satisfying when a medical professional sees a patient being discharged; this gives them a sense of accomplishment, since it is their effort that helped someone regain strength and battle the lingering medical adversities. “… the way you care and love your patient, help this person to gain strength, and fight also with you, because caregiving is not only about administering drugs, or doing a patient’s dressing, or basic nursing skill. It’s all about the love and safety you give to that patient, the reassurance that it’s not only you, but we are going to get through this together, so I do have a passion towards caregiving for my patients,” a sentimental Adams said. It is for this reason that the ultimate goal of the home agency is to administer quality care to persons in the comfort of their homes. “We do not provide care only for senior citizens, but we also provide care for persons who were hospitalised, got discharged and need further care at home, because when people hear the word ‘home’, or ‘home agency’, they always think ‘oh, it’s only for senior citizens’. “No. It’s for persons who

AFFORDABILITY “Placing a relative in a home permanently can be costly, and we know that some people can’t afford it, so there is where we come in. We work out a flexible payment for the relative, so that their family doesn’t have to be placed in a home, and they can go about their daily activities, and we will be with the patient 24/7, providing continuous care,” Adams said. Further, she said: “It is very time consuming, but we both love what we’re doing, and what we envision to do. We don’t mind working late hours. Someone may call us at two in the morning and say, okay, my relative is here, she’s in distress, and explains to us what is going on; we will show up. So it’s very time consuming for us, but it’s a price we’re willing to pay.” Specific services offered by the nurses include skilled nursing, home health aides, psychiatric care, light housekeeping, dressings, baths, and administering prescribed medication.

Two more COVID-19 deaths, 96 new cases A 30-year-old woman and a 78-year-old-man, both from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) died on Saturday, after they were tested positive for the disease, COVID-19, according to the Ministry of Health. The two deaths have increased Guyana’s COVID-19 death toll to 227 since the country recorded its first case in March 2020. The man and woman died while receiving care at a medical facility. These persons’ demise takes the death toll for the month of March thus far to 28. Meanwhile, according to the Health Ministry’s COVID-19 dashboard for March 28, there were a total of 96 new cases recorded from 954 tests. This means

that there have been 10,168 cases recorded in Guyana since March last year. However, there have been 37 new recoveries, taking the total number of recoveries to 8,879 persons. Of these new cases, 54 were men and 42 were women. Also, the cases were drawn from Region Two (one case), Region Three (30 cases), Region Four (48 cases), Region Five (11 cases), Region Seven (three cases) and Region 10 (three cases). Meanwhile, there are 1,074 active cases in Guyana; 12 of these cases are in institutional quarantine, 13 are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 54 are in institutional isolation and 995 are in home isolation.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 29, 2021

‘Housing’ leaving no stone unturned in its quest for land GDF ranks assaulted –– in bid to satisfy the growing demand for home ownership By Tamica Garnett EVEN as massive drives to develop lands already owned is being carried out by the Ministry of Housing and Water, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) is actively pursuing land acquisition. In a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, shared that the CH&PA has been coordinating with several agencies, bearing in mind the government’s promise to provide 50,000 house lots in five years. “We have to continuously acquire lands. We are in the process of looking for new areas already; we have a technical team from the CH&PA that meets with GuySuCo and NICIL that is constantly going through the motion of identifying lands across the regions that can be suitable for housing. That’s a very tedious process because each agency has competing interest,” Minister Rodrigues explained. JUST THE BEGINNING But acquiring the lands is just the beginning. More than just identifying available lands, the suitability of the land for residential and commercial purposes also has to be assessed. “We have to make sure the land is not leased land, and that the soil is suitable for housing development. The technical team is constantly looking to satisfy the bigger promise of 50, 000 lots. We have to transfer; we have to develop the plans and the housing ar-

eas and make sure we do the infrastructural work to ensure we reach that mandate,” the minister said. The ministry has already begun to put focus on the development of those lands that it already owns. On Tuesday, in what has been described as one of the largest investments in the housing sector in one year, the government injected some $13.9 billion into the development of new infrastructure, and construction of houses, a project that is expected to benefit over 8,000 families. But this is just a drop in the ocean of the overall 50,000 house lots that the government is aiming to see distributed over the next five years. The ministry currently has over 60,000 applications in its system, a number that continues to grow as more and more Guyanese try to acquire their own homes. Some have been waiting for as long as a decade. However, the minister said she will court the patience of the public as much as possible, as it takes a lot of time for these works and projects to be completed. “People on the street say Guyana has so much land, why I can’t get my piece,” Minister Rodrigues said, adding: “It’s not that you can’t. We are trying on a daily basis so that we can produce lots for people to receive their allocation; a home to raise their family and inheritance to leave for their children but it takes time.” In the ministry’s vision for this plan going forward, the minister said, the CH&PA is looking to take a different ap-

Minister within the Ministry of Housing, Susan Rodrigues

proach to ensuring sustainable communities, with increased focus on aspects such as zoning and better coordination between all the agencies that fall under it. COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH “We are adopting a comprehensive approach to housing; making sure that we have proper zoning for residential, commercial and industrial purposes, and still having ‘green’ spaces for recreational facilities, health centres, and schools,” she said. The minister said gone will be the days when industrial buildings will be grouped in residential areas to the detriment of residents, who might be affected by any adverse activities. “When you take up your residential area, you don’t want to live next to a bond or factory that would decrease your standard of living, so we have to protect the residential zone,” she said. “We’re making sure that none of that kind of haphazard approach

happens going forward. When we’re designing our schemes, we’ll make sure that where we put the industrial zones there is a buffer area to separate it from the commercial and residential zones, so as to protect that quality of life,” she added. Notwithstanding commercial areas needing to be separate from residential ones, Minister Rodrigues said that providing for commercial zones are a way of ensuring job creation close to the communities, and to also add to their sustainability. “It is important to have zoning to protect residential occupancy, but to provide services residents would require,” she said. Even as the ministry works on land acquisition and designing sustainable communities, Minister Rodrigues shared that better coordination between agencies under its aegis is also another area of emphasis. She highlighted the lack of coordination between the water utility company, the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) and the CH&PA as an area of concern that the ministry has put focus on rectifying. “We found in a lot of the schemes that people had occupied, they were unable to build or move in because they still didn’t have their water; there was a lack of collaboration and communication between CH&PA and GWI. So GWI is catching up with CH&PA, hence we need a comprehensive approach, and to be in constant communication with the two agencies we have oversight for,” the minister said in closing.

Monday March 29, 2021 04:30hrs Tuesday March 30, 2021 04:30hrs

at Linden party

AN altercation at a party on Saturday night at Block 22 Linden, has left two ranks of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) injured, one of whom is hospitalised with stab wounds. The Guyana Chronicle understands that 30-year-old Corporal Selwyn Cummerbatch sustained multiple stab wounds and is a patient at the Linden Hospital Complex in a stable condition. Twenty-seven-year-old Terrence Collins was also injured at the event; however, it is uncertain if these two were involved in the same altercation. Regional Commander Hugh Winter told the Guyana Chronicle that from reports received, the incident occurred around 22:00hrs on Saturday, but it was only first reported to the police at 02:00hrs on Sunday. “We are still investigating the matter. It happened around 10 o’clock, at Block 22 which is like a squatting area…I was told [one of the victims sustained] some stab wounds with a bottle, but I’m not sure about the extent of the injuries,” Winter said. Winter said investigators have not got an opportunity to question Cummerbatch as yet about the circumstances surrounding the incident. “At the time he was hospitalised. We haven’t ques-

Corporal Selwyn Cummerbatch is hospitalised

tioned him because he was under the care of the doctor,” Winter said. Winter said he is not sure if the two assaults are related. “I’m not sure; I wouldn’t be able to say that. I’m not sure whether or not it has a similarity [to Collins]. [Collins] reported someone pelted him with a bottle. We are still investigating and I have ranks on the ground trying to deal with that situation there,” Winter related.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 29, 2021

Private sector and economic growth

THE private sector is often regarded as the driver for economic growth within a country, largely characterised as a free market economy. Entrepreneurs seek to invest business ventures with the aim of providing goods or services for the benefit of its community wherein it is determined that such demand exists. As this business grows, the return on investment grows and, in turn, the contributions to the economy also grow. One of fastest growing sectors in Guyana is the emerging Oil and Gas. Since the discovery of oil in Guyana in 2015, many local companies are taking advantage of the opportunities available to become a part of this venture. Some companies are offering training, supply of materials and equipment and are also interested in having their own dredging sites. Another fast-growing sector is construction. The current government has outlined many infrastructural developments to be done within the country with some projects already being committed to and initiated in 2020. Some of these projects include the building of the new Demerara Harbour Bridge, along with the Suriname-Guyana Bridge, the welcoming of new branded hotels in Guyana and improved accessibility

within the country. Also, an amount of house lots are set to be given out to future homeowners, where many construction contractors are in line to benefit from these projects. Based on the above sectoral examples, it can be observed that private businesses are needed in order for the country to develop. The government depends on the private sector to provide the necessary labour force, machine and equipment and expertise to take advantage of the many resourceful opportunities available. The Private Sector provides the majority of jobs in a country and, in turn, the creation of wealth. According to a labour force survey carried out in July 2018 by the Guyana Bureau of Statistics, 68 per cent of Guyana’s working population is employed by the private sector and a 10 per cent are with the not-for-profit organisations. With the mentioned sectoral examples above, many jobs are expected to be created. As jobs are created, more money will be earned which will be pumped back into the economy as purchasing power increases. Standards of living are expected to increase. All the other sectors are also expected to grow thus creating more jobs across the country for both the non-skilled and skilled workforce as the

various sectors have accommodations for training persons to fill the required positions. The private enterprises contribute a majority of the government’s revenue through company taxes, resource rents and employees’ income tax; all of which contribute back to the country’s development. According to the GRA, a sum of $225.99 billion was collected in 2019 in tax revenue of which a major contributor was the Oil and Gas sector. The private sector seeks to provide services that are in great need for a country to become developed and wealthy. Some of which include world class health care services along with high level education that can be accessed within the country rather than having to leave Guyana. Local entities seek to bring to the market products and services that are in great demand within the country and maximise on the opportunities. By doing this, the economy grows, and instead of having persons go abroad to study for years, or have the best medical treatment and pour loads of cash into another developed economy, that cash can be used to improve Guyana’s own economy. The President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed

Irfaan Ali, has recently mentioned that works are being done to have improved high levels of education provided at the University of Guyana in collaboration with the University of the West Indies, in the coming years. Guyana’s major economic sectors are the agriculture and mining sectors which covers 70-75 per cent of the country’s export earnings. In 2019, according to the Bank of Guyana’s Annual Report, rice export earnings amounted to US$222.7 million, sugar to US$27.8 million, bauxite to US$127.0 million, timber to US$33.7 million and gold to US$876.6 million. These are all private entities’ contributions. The government is dependent on the private sector in order to grow the economy. The government provides opportunities of which the private entities take maximum advantage of and help to provide jobs, job security, increase in domestic income, increase in purchasing and spending powers, increase in foreign exchange, lower unemployment rates, decrease in crime rates, increase in standards of living, and increase the country’s GDP which, overall, improve the economic flow within the country.

Guyana has done very well in stymieing any colossal spread of COVID-19 Dear Editor, I QUOTE from the BBC: “Covid-19 has shaken the world, with more than 2.5 million deaths and 115 million cases confirmed.” As can be noticed, the effect of COVID-19 is massive and global. In this regard, Guyana has done very well in stymieing any colossal spread of COVID-19, and my attempt here is to proffer a reason for this commendable management of COVID-19 overall, that is in the areas of healthcare workers, victims and procurement/distribution of vaccines. Editor, many studies are ongoing and many conclusions/suggestions are emanating. However, one dominant theme is the “Role of Leadership” in containing and responding to COVID-19. It is here where Guyana has excelled and is excelling under the leadership of Dr Irfaan Ali and his PPP/C (People’s Progressive Party/Civic) Government. One major characteristic of this leadership is the consistent and prompt public dispensing of relevant information (apart from contingency operations involving financing, quarantining and offering of relief food measures). In this vein, I make reference to the timely

announcement from President Ali that “Early in the new week, the vaccination programme will be expanded to all persons 40 years and older.” This of course follows on the heels of the ‘60 years and older’ vaccination campaign, which targeted Guyana’s most vulnerable age group. I hope that this kind of organised approach will not be taken for granted. I note that the President detailed that his “… aggressive expansion of the (COVID-19) programme…” results from the fact that the government has procured some 200,000 doses of vaccines, and currently is pursuing another 200,000 doses, “so as to be able to achieve herd immunity.” Herd immunity of course is not the panacea, but when a community or a large part of the population of any area is immune to a specific disease, it helps like ‘big time.’ The overall effect of this approach is that when enough people are resistant to the cause of a disease, such as a virus or bacteria, and in this case, COVID-19, then it has nowhere to go, even though not every single individual may be immune. Added to this is that the President, I am sure after serious and professional

consultation, informed the nation that “… a number of private sector agencies have been engaged to assist with the effort.” Readers need to realise that the COVID-19 pandemic is a global threat and this entails that all be on board, especially those with even a bit of medicare resource and expertise. I feel that this corporate approach will create a more acute awareness of the threat and repercussions of the disease. And proof that this is not some kind of ad hoc,knee-jerk reaction from the PPP/C, I recall Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley gratefully saying how her “Government received 5 000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Guyana (which Guyana received from India) …” and that she is expecting some 33 600 through the COVAX facility soon. This expectation is most forthcoming (for Barbados and Guyana) as “Guyana is (now well) set to receive its 33,600 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from the COVAX facility on Monday, March 29, thereby boosting the plans to begin vaccinating persons over 40 from Wednesday, March 31. Initially there were justified concerns

about receiving the vaccines, as a period of silence was noted from the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) COVAX facility on how much of the badly needed vaccines would be supplied to Guyana. Vigorous work then was enacted from the authorities here, and the PAHO/WHO website stated that indeed “… 33,600 doses of the AstraZeneca jab are in transit to Guyana and the shipment is expected on Monday.” On a cordial note, I remind Guyanese that Mottley promised that the vaccines given to her country would be returned when necessary. Again, I commend the PPP/C Government; they have precluded selfishness and ostracisation. Ms. Mia Mottley was one of the champions who fought for Guyana’s salvaging of democracy. On our part here as citizens, I hope we contribute to the fight to stave off the spread of the disease. We need to be COVID-19 conscious and adhere to the guidelines of using masks and observing strict hygiene and sanitation practices. Yours truly, Attiya Baksh

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 29, 2021

The first ‘All Girls Steel Band’ in Guyana By Lear Matthews

IT was the early 1950s. The nation of Guyana (then British Guiana) like some other Caribbean countries was in the initial stages of the struggle to shed the yoke of colonialism, optimised by the first national, multiethnic political party. The dawning of Massa Day Done! As with the political scene back then, “beating pan” was a male-dominated activity. However, despite the normative cultural credence and challenges faced by women, pioneering genius and history-making were afoot. The phenomenon of a female steel band emerged. Steel-band playing was considered a lower-class activity attracting young men. The bands were notoriously described as “santapee bands.” These male urban youth primarily from economically deprived communities, aka ‘bad’ or ‘rough neighbourhoods’, practised and honed their craft diligently. To many people they were “hooligans” living in “tenement yards,” sometimes referred to as “dee pan yard.” Viewed within that context, initially steel bands were not socially accepted as a legitimate genre of musical entertainment. Instead, it was considered crass and thus unworthy of invitation for performances at any prestigious venue such as the Town Hall or the then governor’s residence. Against this backdrop as we celebrate women’s accomplishments in history, one could envisage the idea of a female steel band during that period as an ambitious if not presumptuous artistic endeavour. The first two such bands in Guyana were founded by Yesobel Daisy Ross, a “home maker” and Iris Leitch, a school teacher and pioneer of the Girl Guides Association. They both ingeniously organised groups of teenage girls, marking the birth of the All Girls Steel Band, considered the initial pioneering breakthrough in women’s musical entrepreneurship. Allgirls Steel bands had already existed in Trinidad and Tobago, but with this unprecedented local initiative, a unique juxtaposition was unfolding in Guyana. Undoubtedly, these trailblazers had to be both charming and bold as they com-

peted with their male counterparts, rattling engrained gender and cultural barriers. With grit and confidence, the two pioneering women harnessed the necessary resources to launch their respective bands, undaunted by the stigma associated with the steel band movement. Among the trainers were a steel pan “wizard” named Bertram DeVarrel, who was the leader of the then popular Tripoli (all-male) steel band and Ranny Phillips, a mild- mannered “first-pan” specialist. In order to truly capture the essence of this historic, transformative experience, I interviewed Joan-Davis Rose (JDR) former band leader and band member Iva Matthews-Homer (IMH), both of the Ebony All Girls Steel Band, founded and managed by Yesobel Daisy Ross, a first in British Guiana. The second such band founded by Iris Leitch was named Blue Gardinia. LM: Hi Joan! What do you remember about how the band started? JDR: Yesobel Ross, a very courageous woman started the band, first of its kind in British Guiana. She got the idea from a similar group in Trinidad and Tobago, the birthplace of steel bands. Our uniform was white blouse and burgundy skirt with the hem below the knees. LM: Which pan did you play? JDR: I played the “jam pan” (second tier pan). LM: How did your parents react to your participation in the band? JDR: Some parents were OK with it. Others were upset and tried to stop or limit our involvement. They said things like: “You’re not going to beat no oil drum… education is more important. You’re not going to ruin the reputation of this family”. It was tough. LM: How many band members were there? JDR: About 10, plus trainers, who were ‘Pan Men’, very respectful and decent (important considering the pan men’s public reputation at that time). I am still in touch with some band members: Iva Matthews-Homer, Cynthia George and Edith Abrams. LM: Where did you practise? JDR: We practised three times a week under a “bottom house” (beneath a stilted residential home) in D’Urban Street,

Wortmanville. LM: What was it like being a member of the first All Girls Steel Band? JDR: It was certainly a new experience. As teenagers we were excited to be in the newspapers. Many people loved to hear us play. We were proud of our accomplishments. LM: Where did the band perform and how were you received? JDR: We performed at the League of Coloured People (LCP) Fairs and other popular venues such as Elsie’s (Catering) Hall on Durban Street; the Promenade Gardens; the Girl Guides’ Pavilion; and popular venues in the town of McKenzie. But “tramping” (i.e. dancing or ‘flouncing’ through streets of the town to the beat/music of the steel band) was not allowed. That was for the “all-male” bands only. We played in neighbouring Suriname, touring with leading calypsonians from Trinidad and Tobago and the girls were chaperoned. We had many avid supporters. Audiences loved us. LM: Were there critics? JDR: People criticised our parents. They asked: “How could you allow your daughters to do such a thing? LM: Would you like to say anything else? JDR: It was a good experience while it lasted. We made history. It was a different time, different values. We have come a long way. Steel band is now recognised around the world, with no gender or age discrimination. I am glad that you are doing this because many Guyanese and others from the Caribbean are not aware of it. LM: Hi Iva! What do you remember about the band?

IMH: The thing that stands out the most is I remember my father being very much opposed to my playing in the band. He stated with stern disapproval, “Not a bit of it!” LM: How did you react to that? IMH: I was disappointed, but perhaps because my mother was the founder and manager of the band, I was allowed to perform at several local events. However, I was not permitted to travel overseas for performances such as in Suriname (formerly Dutch Guiana), where the band played to “sell-out” audiences. LM: Which instrument did you play? IMH: I played the base-drum. From “bottom house” to world stage. While the musical history of Guyana and the Caribbean is richly reflected in multiple ethnic traditions, women steelband players represent a unique dimension of this musical genre which has been accepted and embellished by a vast cross-section of the population at home and in the diaspora. Although their creative spirit made an impact and inspired others, their contribution to the steel band movement has been vastly undervalued. Today there is a significant number of All-Female and mix-gendered steel band orchestras ranging from high school to national and international levels. Girls and women of various ethnicities and cultures world-wide participate as avid, talented, enthusiastic performers. We celebrate this odyssey with unwavering pride and gratitude, a musical heritage founded, humanised, diversified and performed by our cherished, trailblazing female musical ambassadors whose life we must honour.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 29, 2021

Newcomer Kevin Singh is Guyana’s 2021 Chutney Monarch

After an exciting performance, Vanita Willie copped third position Bunty Singh secured second place (File photo) (File photo)

By Rehana Ahamad AFTER 10 exciting performances, Kevin Satrohan Singh emerged the winner of Guyana’s Chutney Monarch 2021 competition, which was hosted virtually on Saturday night. Thousands of Guyanese at home and abroad tuned in via social media and television to witness 10 artistes vie for the coveted title and $1.5 million in cash. And despite being a relatively fresh face to the local music scene, Singh served up an expert performance which earned him much-deserved bragging rights and the title of Guyana’s Chutney King 2021. His groovy piece, ti-

tled ‘My Baby Guyana,’ was a hit that rivalled the other captivating performances by his seniors in the field, three of whom are former Chutney Monarchs. Moments after the results were announced, Singh took to Facebook to thank his well-wishers and express happiness for his achievement. His performance also received public commendation from Education Minister Priya Manikchand, who expressed her love for the composition of the song. Once the results were tallied and announced, it was clear that the judges also shared the minister’s appreciation for the piece, and added to his accolades; Singh was also

adjudged Best Newcomer to the competition. A close look at the score sheets showed that Singh secured some 257 points, followed by Chutney star and former Monarch Bunty Singh, who copped second place with 253 points, singing ‘Treat Yuh Woman Right,’ which was released in commemoration of International Women’s Day hosted earlier in the month. Meanwhile, Guyana’s very own ‘Poowah’ Vanita Willie, came up closely behind in the third position with 247 points, after belting out her new hit, ‘Meh Dulaha,’ which depicts the scene of a beautiful Indian wedding celebration. Vanita, a former

Chutney Monarch Kevin Singh

Guyana Chutney Monarch, is also the Runner-Up Chutney Queen for the International competition hosted last month in Trinidad and Tobago. Nonetheless, the ever-versatile Roger Hinds came in fourth position with his song, ‘Larki’s Man.’ Hinds, also known as ‘Young Bill Rogers’, has held the title of King on multiple occasions, and for several genres of music, including Calypso and Chutney. The other contestants included Sonya Ragbeer with her submission, ‘Dulha Aage Dheere Dheere,’ which also painted the picture of a beautiful Indian wedding. Another newcomer to the Chutney

Roger Hinds secured fourth place (File photo)

Monarch Competition was Dennis Hemerding, with his entry, ‘Roll it,’ After a lengthy hiatus from the music industry, Gospel artiste, Anil Azeez returned to the spotlight with his patriotic song, ‘Beautiful Guyana.’ The ‘Jesus Me Cyant Die’ singer was backed by Analisa Azeez. Also delivering a good performance was Allisha Craig, with her number, ‘I’m in Love.’ Added to that, Vicadi Singh and Tony Cuttz were there to provide an additional dose of Chutney vibes. The performances were all backed by the incredibly talented Shakti Strings band. As is customary, the competition was hosted by the

Government of Guyana, and executed via the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, in collaboration with its corporate partners. Each year, three major song competitions – Chutney, Soca and Calypso – are hosted in observance of the country’s Republic Anniversary. In previous years, the competitions would be witnessed by an enthused and energetic crowd, but with the advent of the coronavirus, organisers opted to have the event streamed live.

Selected quote from Dr Cheddi Jagan

“We have benefitted from the wise practices of the indigenous peoples over the centuries. We are now beginning a programme which will study these practices. In return, this programme must contribute in a very meaningful way to the maintenance of the great legacy of our Indigenous people, to the continuation of their prudent practices and to the sharing of their knowledge and wisdom." June 3, 1993

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 29, 2021

My husband and my daughter CHILD sexual abuse can have severe repercussions on the victim’s life - causing anxiety, depression, personality disorders, drug addiction or alcoholism. Today Roxanne tells her story. “It is hard to understand what goes on in another person’s mind. I’ve heard it said that we each have a pattern to our train of thought. Unless we recognise the pattern and consciously examine it, we will continue to see things in the same way, make the same assumptions, be they correct or false, and live contentedly with our analysis of what we believe. It has also been said that we can change the pattern, but it is challenging to do. At times my train of thought consumes me. It is triggered every time I see a father showing affection to his young daughter. I worry about how he might view the little girl in his mind’s eye; what is he thinking? Is he her protector of her potential molester? Do child abusers single out their prey from young? or do they act on the spur of the moment when the urge overcomes them or if the opportunity presents itself? It’s tough to imagine what goes on in another person’s mind. I wish I could stop thinking negatively, but due to my experience as a child, these thoughts are with me, and if I could change the pattern, I would do so in a flash.

I find the worse thing about trauma is when you believe it is under control and you’re going about your everyday business, then ‘BAM’. It is triggered by the slightest, most unexpected incident or circumstance. A smell, a song, an innocent word spoken by a child, and you are reliving the past with instant flashbacks. Apart from these sensory memories, a father-daughter relationship sends red flag signals to my brain. It is by far the most potent trigger. Once again, I am a small girl, sitting on my father’s lap playing with my favourite toy. A warm, secure feeling envelopes me. I am safe and loved until I begin feeling uncomfortable. ‘Daddy, you are hurting me, don’t do that…daddy stop’. He’d let me go after a while and send me outside to play, and play I would, totally unaware that I was violated, abused and humiliated by a person I love and trust; A person who should protect and love me unconditionally. When I first met my husband- to - be I was sceptical, there are so many unreliable men in the world, and marriage was never part of my plan. But he was serious and spoke about marriage and starting a family six months into our relationship. I was not ready for such a commitment. The traumatic era of my life still plagued me constantly. In desperation, I visited a therapist.

The therapist laid the negative chapter of my life before me a little at a time, and yes, I could see that I am blameless; I was a small child who lacked the mental capacity to know better. I trusted my father. I grew up believing that our bond is indelible - that the trust, love and respect I felt for my father were reciprocated. But he shattered my beliefs. I had questions that needed answers and so many doubts and insecurities to confront. We tackled them one at a time, and eventually, I found a new place and space in my mind where I could function. Before I finally agreed to be a wife, my mind went through an elaborate thought process for months. Could I trust another man? Were my feelings genuine? What if he betrayed me like my father? It took time for me to come to terms with the fact that nothing in life is guaranteed. I have to make the best of each day and stay positive and genuine to my pledge as a dutiful spouse. One year later, I am lying on the examination table with my husband by my side. He is eager to know the sex of our unborn child, but my heart is racing with fear. The sonographer scans my belly with her instrument. “It’s a girl. She says happily, and my heart sinks. Giving birth to a child is the most phenomenal experience. It is hard to believe that

a microscopic sperm can fertilise a tiny egg, and this small, perfectly-formed person is the result. I held my new-born daughter to my chest with mixed emotions. Outwardly I was laughing with joy, but inwardly I was crying with mental anguish. What would be her fate? When her father held her, she responded to his touch, and his eyes shone with joy. He whispered to her gently, ‘I love you, baby girl. But what kind of love? I found myself thinking. There goes my mind once again, wandering back to my traumatic past. Why can’t I just enjoy this moment? Staying positive and aiming to change the pattern to my train of thought is an ongoing challenge I intend to win. Remnants of the past still haunt me. But I have an understanding husband, a beautiful, innocent daughter and every intention of reaching my goal”. A professional therapist or psychologist can offer respite and/or healing from traumatic experiences and other mental disorders. Call the Childcare and Protection Agency (227 4420) for information. If you are concerned about the welfare of a child call the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, MINISTRY OF HUMAN SERVICES AND SOCIAL SECURITY

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 29, 2021

Samuel Medas crowned Soca Monarch 2021

By Naomi Parris

WITH an electrifying and unforgettable performance of his song ‘Stadium’, award-winning psalmist and gospel singer, Samuel Medas, was declared the winner of Guyana’s Soca Monarch 2021 competition on Saturday night. Medas, who captivated the judges and viewers with his performance, also attained the Best Newcomer Award. Medas dominated the stage of the National Cultural Centre in a white, royal, military-type suit, where his performance was held virtually and live-streamed on social media and a number of local television stations. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday

after his win, Medas admitted that he was not vying for the crown, but was rather focused on getting the message of triumph to the Guyanese people in these unprecedented times. “It was kind of unexpected for me because I wasn’t really concentrating on the win, so I didn’t even envision what that would be like. I was more concentrated on delivering what I went to do,” Medas told this newspaper. The winning song, “Stadium,” according to Medas, tells the story of overcoming the coronavirus pandemic and returning to a familiar place of celebration, which for many Guyanese, is the Providence National Stadium on the East Bank of

Demerara. “I wanted this song to be a song of encouragement, especially in the second verse when I said, ‘I know we had a tough year’ and I wanted to remind people that despite everything that is happening, we can still rely on God and he is going to take care of us,” Medas said, adding: “The stadium is more than a song, it is a lifestyle, because the stadium is the place where nobody don’t watch no face, nobody goes to see who is African, who is East Indian and who is Amerindian. We go there for one purpose and that is to celebrate … and I think that message was received.” Medas thanked God and his small team, whom he said was able to work efficiently

to execute his performance. Meanwhile, the former Calypso Monarch Diana Chapman secured the second position in this year’s competition. Placing third was former Junior Calypso Monarch Tennecia DeFreitas, who now uses the stage name, “Niketa.” Additionally, four-time Soca monarch, Jumo Primo, secured the fourth position this year. The competition, which was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, will continue in the days ahead to be followed by the steelpan and the Calypso Monarch competitions slated for this weekend.

Psalmist and gospel singer Samuel Medas, during his electrifying performance of his song ‘Stadium’ which secured him the crown at this year’s Soca Monarch competition (Isaiah Charles photo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 29, 2021

Phagwah in a pandemic

UNLESS you looked close enough it would appear as though Sunday was just another quiet day in the pandemic, instead of it being the widely celebrated Festival of Colours, Phagwah (Holi). Due to the COVID-19 restrictions instituted to prevent the spread of the deadly disease, many of the large events usually associated with the holiday were cancelled. Instead, families had small celebrations right in their yards. The Guyana Chronicle travelled around to see how families and some friends were enjoying the day.

First Lady Arya Ali, with son Zayd, rubs President Dr. Irfaan Ali’s face with Phagwah powder during the small celebration at State House, Georgetown, on Sunday (Office of the President photo)

Neighbours of the Seokumar family in Cummings Lodge spraying each other on Sunday afternoon

Members of the Balgobin family in Industry, ECD, playing Phagwah

The little ones of the Lakhram family, in Kitty, Georgetown, enjoyed their early-morning Phagwah celebration

Members of the Boodhoo family ‘playing Phagwah’ early on Sunday morning in Kitty, Georgetown

Ms Somrah from the Somrah family in Industry, ECD, shows off the Seven Curry the family made as part of their Phagwah celebration

The Narines, also in Cummings Lodge, playing Phagwah amongst themselves on Sunday

Elvin Croker photos

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 29, 2021

Broken koker door results in flooding in Werk-en-Rust APPROXIMATELY 250 households in the WerkEn-Rust, Georgetown area were affected, on Sunday, by early morning flooding that resulted from a damaged koker door during high tide. The damaged koker was repaired shortly after the tide receded, and the affected households were able to begin cleaning. Representatives from the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and the Georgetown Municipality have since visited the area. Preparedness and Response Manager of CDC, Captain Salim October, spoke with the Guyana Chronicle. “The Princes Street koker was damaged, and, as a result of high tide, the lands in that area would’ve been inundated…because of the unusual high tide period we were experiencing a back log of water, so they had to wait until the tide go out before they could’ve repaired the koker, which has since been repaired by City Council,”

Captain October explained. Captain October said that, from reports thus far, none of the households has sustained any substantial damage to property or appliances, and the CDC is collaborating with the municipality to assist residents with their cleaning. “We haven’t had any reports of articles being damaged but we would have had about 200 households with water in their home. We will be working through the municipality to help deliver cleaning hampers to the affected residents to help them to clean up and return to normalcy,” Captain October told this newspaper. October said he was not briefed on the cause of the damage to the koker; calls to Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine, by this newspaper, proved futile. Residents from Leopold Street were among some of those who sustained most of the flooding. They recall the incident occurring at around 03:00hrs; the water began to

recede at around 08:30hrs. Security and Maintenance Officer of the Trinity Methodist Church, Terrence Gibson, said he was surprised when he awoke and found there was flooding, as there was no heavy rainfall prior. “I get up around about 03:00hrs and I saw the water and then I came into the office to pick up all the electrical things and I went over to the church to check and did the same thing. We didn’t have any much rain,” Gibson told this newspaper. Gibson relayed that the water receded just in time for

the water started to move down so we went in and clean out the church early o’ clock and they had the service. The church didn’t have as much water as the office. But in the office, all over the building got water, around four inches of water. When I finished looking after the church I came and started bailing here,” Gibson recounted. Also on Leopold Street, Cindy Melville, owner of Cindy and Culwin Corner Shop, said she too was surprised by the flooding. The mother of three is grateful

Security and Maintenance Officer of the Trinity Methodist Church, Terrence Gibson, bails water out of the church’s inundated admin building

A resident cleans up along Cross Street in Werk-enRust, after the flood waters receded

A flooded Leopold Street before the water receded

him to be able to clean up the church so that their 09:00hrs Palm Sunday service could be held. However, he noted that the church’s administrative building suffered the brunt of the damage and it would be some time before he would be able to get all of the water out. “Around about 08:30hrs

that none of the items in her store was damaged. “It was a bit extreme. What I realised in one of the rooms the water was a lot and when I came and check outside, I saw the whole place was flooded. But rain didn’t fall so I didn’t understand

what the flooding was about. It didn’t reach inside the shop but from the back of the house it came in. I saw some officials were here monitoring and then later this morning I see it go back down,” she shared.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 29, 2021

Damaged main causes water disruption for East Bank and GT residents

DAMAGE to a six-inch transmission main on the East Bank Demerara (EBD) resulted in disruption, on Sunday, to the water supply for residents of Covent Garden and Farm, while a major rupture of a main in the vicinity of Republic Avenue and Vlissengen Road, resulted in disruption of water supply to residents in Central Georgetown. The Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) issued statements informing that teams were dispatched to the varying areas on Sunday to rectify the damage. In both cases, the damage is said to have been caused by works being carried out by contractors. “Customers of Central

Georgetown, please be advised that the disruption to your water supply is to facilitate repairs to a major rupture of a main. This occurred during pipe upgrade works being carried out by a contractor. GWI apologises for the inconvenience this may cause as a team works to restore water service to normalcy within the swiftest possible time,” the utility company said in a statement issued on Sunday. Damage to transmission mains in the city have become a regular occurrence due to the aged nature of the network. However, works to rectify the situation are expected to be carried out this year. Further commenting on the

damage to the main on the East Bank of Demerara, GWI Public Relations Officer, Leanna Bradshaw, said that the damage was discovered following reports from residents “Persons were complaining of water shortage and after the team checked they found that there was a damage. Sometimes contractors would do works and maybe damage a pipe and nobody reports it,” Bradshaw explained. The disruption and damage on the East Bank Demerara and in Georgetown, follow damage to another main in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) on Friday, which disrupted service to residents served by the Strath

Campbell well station. “These things happen every now and then, and as soon as we are alerted of the damage, we would repair it and let persons know why it is that they can’t get water,” Bradshaw said. Meanwhile, a scheduled seven-hour disruption is scheduled for Wednesday for residents who are served by the Caledonia well station. Wednesday’s disruption is scheduled to run from 10:00hrs to 17:00hrs, and communities expected to be affected include Garden of Eden, Brickery, Supply, Relief, Support, Land of Canaan, Sarah Johanna, Pearl, Caledonia and Coverden.

Work in progress to repair the damaged main in Georgetown

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 29, 2021

New DHB GM promises strengthened efforts to curb traffic woes

ENGINEER, Wayne Watson, has been appointed the new General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC). According to a press statement issued on Saturday night, Watson was appointed with immediate effect by Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill, acting on recommendations from the Corporation’s Board of Directors. As Watson prepares to take on his new role later in the week, he has prioritised

addressing the daily traffic congestion that plagues both the eastern and western ends of the bridge. In addition to strengthening partnerships with the Guyana Police Force, Watson also plans to examine the possibility of having the daily maintenance works be done while the bridge is in retraction mode. “The bridge is open (closed to vehicular traffic) let’s say, for an hour/hour and a half to two hours; I believe that a lot of maintenance works could be done simultaneously; the welding

and fabrication, the replacement of components, and so on,” Watson told the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday. He also spoke of his plans to curb accidents caused by sea vessels traversing the Demerara River. “We would need to ensure that we work hand in hand to track every vessel that is passing through the bridge, and when they will pass and so on, to ensure that all the approvals and clearances are done,” Watson said. The new DHBC boss is also planning to improve the

entity’s communications capacity to ensure that notices of closures and other issues relating to travel can be communicated to the public in an efficient and time-sensitive manner. Asked how he feels about taking up a position that has been at the centre of much negativity, Watson said that he does not want to speculate on issues of the past; he, however, plans to ensure that his duties and responsibilities are executed in a transparent manner. “I will ensure that all

stakeholders are consulted and allowed to make contributions wherever possible; no one-man knows it all, and based on my understanding, there is a very experienced and qualified team there (at the DHBC), so I am hoping for it to be team effort to get things done,” the former Guyana Power and Light official noted. Once he assumes his new role, Watson said that the operations of the DHBC will be assessed, and that policies and programmes would be modified where necessary. “I am hoping that the staff will be open to embracing a culture change,” Watson said. He added, “We have to try to produce a culture that gives us the kind of results that are required. You cannot do the same thing and expect different results; we have to remodel and tweak.” Watson replaces the DHBC’s longstanding General Manager, Rawlston Adams, who resigned following the ‘detection’ of a gift-giving scandal that permeated the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, now renamed the Ministry of Public Works. A 2020 audit had found that, in 2019, Adams approved the purchase of an $897,000 bracelet for himself, as a gift for International Men’s Day. Previous reports indicated that Adams had commenced repaying for the expensive item. Nonetheless, after the vacancy notice for the DHBC position was published in early February, Watson applied, and was deemed, by the Corporation’s Board of Directors, to be the most suitable person to replace Adams. Watson holds a Master

New General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation, Wayne Watson Degree in Strategic Engineering from the Anglia Ruskin University, United Kingdom, and a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Guyana. He also has over a decade of managerial and engineering experience in the power sector. “His core competencies include Strategic Thinking, Integrated Reporting, Budgeting and Forecasting, Governance and Risk Management, Ethics and Professionalism, Stakeholders’ Relationship Management, Procurement and Supply Chain Management, project Management and Team Building and Performance Management,” the press release highlighted. It noted too that Watson served in the positions of Loss Reduction Metering Manager, Loss Reduction Operations’ Manager, Assistant Engineer 1, Loss Reduction Operations’ Manager and Electrical Engineer. He is also the holder of several other academic certificates, Saturday night’s press statement noted.

Fire destroys pensioner’s house A FIRE of unknown origin destroyed the dwelling house of a 65-year-old pensioner, Mr. Tootaram, of Betsy Ground, East Canje Berbice. The fire incident reportedly occurred on Saturday at around 22:00hrs. According to a police report, the two-storey wooden and concrete structure was unoccupied at the time of the incident. A neighbour told the police that he was on his verandah when he noticed wires on a Guyana Power and Light (GPL) utility pole sparking in front of the now destroyed building. The neighbour claimed that, shortly after, he saw smoke coming from Tootaram’s home. He immediately alerted other neighbours who made contact with the Guyana Fire Service. Firemen immediately responded and helped to extinguish the blaze; however, the upper flat of the uninsured building was completely destroyed.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 29, 2021

Tuschen driver stabbed to death by friend … during heated argument

A 41-year-old fisherman of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, is in police custody in connection with the murder of Floyd Mc Garrell, a 34-year-old driver of Tuschen, Wrong

Turn Squatting area. Police Headquarters, in a statement, noted that the incident occurred at around 04:45hrs on Sunday at Back Street, Tuschen Squatting Area.

Knives, improvised weapons, among items seized during prison search JOINT SERVICES ranks, between 06:33 hrs and 10:00 hrs on Saturday, conducted a search at the Georgetown ‘B’ Holding Bay located in the Lusignan Prison compound, East Coast Demerara. During the prison search, the ranks found 26 knives; 44 ‘juka’; 19

lighters; six scissors; 12 cell phones; two sim cards; two memory cards; five razor blades; a quantity of phone parts; ten cell phone chargers; a quantity of metal objects and wires, along with 83 small transparent zip-lock bags of suspected cannabis amounting to 20 grams.

Some of the improvised weapons found

Some of the cellphones found during the raid

The suspected cannabis found inside the prison

It is alleged that Mc Garrell was consuming alcohol with the suspect and two other friends about 75 feet away from his house. He reportedly left his friends and went home for a while, after which he went back to continue consuming alcohol with the same friends. Shortly after, around 04:00hrs, Mc Garrell’s

reputed wife said she heard an argument. As a result, she went to the scene and observed her husband and the suspect in a heated argument during which the suspect allegedly dealt Mc Garrell a cuff to his face and then stabbed him to the abdomen with a pair of scissors. The suspect then escaped. The wounded Mc Garrell was assisted home, after which his reputed wife went to a neighbour’s house for assistance to

take him to the hospital. The woman said that when she returned from the neighbour, she found her husband lying motionless. She raised an alarm and then reported the matter to the Leonora Police Station. The police later found the suspect and arrested him. McGarrell’s body is at the Ezekiel Funeral Home at Best Village, West Coast Demerara, awaiting an autopsy.

Murder:Floyd Mc Garrell

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 29, 2021

Conway, Young and Sodhi help New Zealand thump Bangladesh (ESPNCRICINFO) - Devon Conway smashed an unbeaten 92 off 52 balls and Will Young struck a half-century on debut before Ish Sodhi ran through Bangladesh’s middle order to give New Zealand a 66run win in the first T20I in Hamilton. Continuing his purple patch, Conway struck 11 fours and three sixes as Young and he added 103 in 60 balls for the third wicket to propel New Zealand to 210 for 3. Bangladesh started their chase briskly but were soon reduced to 59 for 6 as Sodhi picked up 4 for 28. A 63-run stand between Afif Hossain and Moham-

AMERICAN RACING TIPS Mahoning Valley Race 1 Check Out Line Race 2 Tico Thunder Race 3 Crimson Ride Race 4 Kulp Race 5 Passionate Heart Race 6 Backsplash Race 7 Caki Race 8 Miss Surprise SOUTH AFRICA RACING TIPS Durbanville 08:20 hrs Tales Of Us 08:55 hrs So Flawless 09:35 hrs Flashlight 10:15 hrs Futura’s Hope ENGLISH RACING TIPS Fontwell 08:40 hrs Drakes Well 09:10 hrs Friends Don’t Ask 10:10 hrs Bashful Boy 10:40 hrs Away For Slates 11:10 hrs Jersey Wonder 11:40 hrs Clondaw Robin 12:10 hrs Furlough Me STRATFORD 08:50 hrs Stepney Causeway 09:20 hrs Jemima 09:50 hrs Embole 10:20 hrs Flemcara 10:50 hrs Midnightreferendum 11:25 hrs Our Rockstar 12:00 hrs Dan Gun 12:30 hrs Crystal Moon WOLVERHAMPTON 11:50 hrs Greek Kodiac 12:20 hrs Arabescato 12:50 hrs Fierospeed 13:20 hrs Loberated Lad 13:50 hrs Fiordland 14:20 hrs Stylish Performer 14:50 hrs Al Qaasim 15:20 hrs Bertie’s Wish

Devon Conway’s purple patch continues Getty Images

mad Saifuddin for the seventh wicket only reduced the margin of the defeat. Debuts to remember, debuts to forget Finn Allen had topped the batting charts in Super Smash 2020-21, scoring 512 runs at an average of 56.88 and strike rate of 193.93. A day after his side Wellington won the tournament, he was called as a standby in New Zealand’s T20I squad. Soon after, the Royal Challengers Bangalore picked him as a replacement player for IPL 2021. Then he got a gig with Lancashire for the T20 Blast. Now he was making his T20I debut. Bowling to him was another debutant: left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed. Unlike Allen, he had moderate returns of 12 wickets from 27 T20s before this game. Opening the bowling, Na-

sum started with four dots to Guptill before miscued single brought Allen on strike. And voila, Nasum bowled Allen for a first-ball duck as the ball skidded through the gap between bat and bat and hit the top of the leg stump. Nasum had a wicket in his first over, Allen a first-ball duck. Nasum later dismissed Matin Guptill, caught at long-off for 27-ball 35, to finish with figures of 2 for 30. The other two debutants in the match had contrasting fortunes as well. Coming in at 53 for 2 in the seventh over, Young looked in no trouble against any bowler. Exhibiting a free flow of the arms, he hit two four and four sixes and brought up his fifty off just 28 balls as Conway and he took the game away from Bangladesh. Left-arm seamer Shori-

ful Islam, one of Bangladesh’s stars at their 2020 U-19 World Cup win, had a day to forget. Guptill, playing his 100th T20I, flicked the youngster’s first ball in international cricket for four before Conway hit two more boundaries in the same over. Shoriful ended with 4-0-50-0, the worst figures for a Bangladesh bowler on debut.

out came in the final two overs. Saifuddin went full and wide in the 19th over. Conway went down on one knee and opened the face of the bat to launch it over point for six. Then in the final over, he reverse-scooped Mustafizur Rahman over short third man, with the ball almost carrying all the way. In all, he scored 47 runs behind the stumps.

NO STOPPING FOR CONWAY Before coming into this game, Conway had five scores of 50-plus in 12 international innings. There was no stopping for him once again as he showed his full range. Apart from playing proper cricketing shots, Conway didn’t hesitate to charge down against seamers or reverse-sweep spinners. In the 15th over, Conway slog-swept Nasum towards deep-backward square leg, where Shoriful caught the ball right at the boundary. The fielder was confident his foot wasn’t touching the boundary line but the third umpire couldn’t spot any gap between his foot and the boundary skirting and ruled it a six. That took Conway to his fifty, off 37 deliveries. The two shots that stood

BANGLADESH CRUMBLE IN THE CHASE It was the first time since 2006 that Bangladesh were playing an international match without Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim, the latter missing out because of a shoulder injury. That left a void too big to fill as Bangladesh’s batsmen crumbled against Sodhi. Mohammad Naim started the chase with three fours in the first seven balls of the innings. Liton Das too opened his account with a four against Tim Southee but it went all downhill from there as Das holed out to mid-on on the very next ball. Soon after, Lockie Ferguson trapped Naim lbw with a fuller delivery.

Curran late cameo in vain as India win series (ESPNCRICINFO) - Sam Curran’s gutsy innings took England to the verge of an unlikely win before T Natarajan held his nerve to ultimately deliver India victory in Pune, in a tense and fitting finale to the ODI series that went 2-1 to the hosts. India were out of the blocks well with bat and ball, openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan laying the foundation before Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya provided middle-order muscle when captain Virat Kohli lost the toss for the third time in the series and was asked to bat first. But it was the bowling of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shardul Thakur that allowed them to defend what looked like being a below-par total, especially in the face of some woeful Indian fielding, keeping England’s run chase in check for the most part until Curran’s fightback. Curran, whose previous highest score from seven ODIs was 15, was reprieved on 22 when he was dropped by Hardik. He made India pay - and sweat - with a stunning 95 not out off 83 balls from No. 8 under huge pressure as England went into the final over needing 14 to win. Natarajan, known for his ability to nail his yorkers and bowl at the death, came into the side in what Kohli described at the toss as a “tactical” move to replace spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Playing just his second ODI, Natarajan conceded just six runs when his captain threw him the ball for the final over as the hosts claimed victory by seven runs. Half-centuries to Rishabh Pant, Dhawan and Hardik had India looking

strong at times as the momentum swung more than once in their innings. Having managed 39 for 0 and 41 for 2 in their previous two batting powerplays, India’s openers began with greater intent and aggression. They were 16 for nought after four overs but then Curran conceded 15 runs off the fifth and they took 17 off the eighth, bowled by Reece Topley, to accelerate their cause. The hosts lost four wickets in the first 25 overs, and four in the last 20 balls as they were bowled out with 10 balls remaining. That left England needing seven runs fewer than they had managed to chase down with ease in levelling the series 1-1 on Friday. But when Kumar struck in an extraordinary first over of England’s reply in which Jason Roy crashed 14 runs but fell on the last ball, bowled through the gate by a gem, and then had Jonny Bairstow out lbw, India couldn’t have hoped for better. Kumar should have had a third wicket from as many overs when Ben Stokes, on 15, attempted a straight drive and skied the ball to mid-off, where Hardik put down a sitter. England steadied to reach 66 for 2 after 10 overs, compared to India’s 65 for nought, but then Stokes advanced on a full toss from Natarajan that was, fortunately for the bowler, dipping from near waistheight by the time the batsman met it and swiped it straight to Dhawan at square leg. With plenty of batting depth to come in acting captain Jos Buttler, Dawid Malan and Liam Livingstone - the latter two having come into the side after Eoin Morgan and Sam Billings were injured in

the first match - it was a three-wicket run by Thakur that put India within grasp of adding an ODI series victory to their Test and T20I triumphs from England’s tour. Thakur trapped Buttler lbw in his second over after India overturned the onfield umpire’s not-out decision on review and while Malan and Livingstone resisted with a 60-run partnership, Thakur accounted for both as England fell to 168 for 6. Livingstone, playing only his second ODI, was particularly impressive, skipping down the pitch to whip Thakur through midwicket for a confident single on the first ball he faced and then helping himself to consecutive fours off Thakur and Prasidh Krishna, before coming down the pitch to Krunal and depositing him over long-on. After 23 overs, England were 152 for 4 compared to India’s 151 for 3 but then Livingstone spooned a Thakur full toss tamely back for a return catch and Malan brought up his maiden ODI fifty pulling Thakur for four only to fall two balls later, pulling a Thakur short ball to Sharma at midwicket. Still only needing a little over six an over at the halfway point, it was wickets in hand that were the worry for England, despite Moeen Ali showing some fine touch to reach 29. But again Kumar - who had proved a vital difference when India won the fifth T20I to clinch that series 3-2 - delivered when he had Ali out driving to mid-off where Hardik made amends for his earlier blunder to take a low catch. Thakur claimed his fourth wicket when Kohli took a spectacular catch in the covers to dismiss Adil Rashid.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 29, 2021

More election drama! CWI election adjourned after GCB, BCA fail to show

(ESPNCRICINFO) - In a dramatic turn of events, the Cricket West Indies (CWI) board elections have been adjourned till April 11 after representatives from the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) failed to show up for the virtual annual general meeting. CWI subsequently said that the AGM had to be postponed as per the constitution due to the “lack of a quorum”. For quorum, at least nine out of 12 voters had to be present, but with the GCB and BCA representatives not showing up, the CWI had to call off the election. In a media release on Sunday, CWI said representatives from the rest of the four territorial boards - the Jamaica Crick-

et Association (JCA), Leeward Islands Cricket Board (LICB), Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), Windwards Islands Cricket Board (WICB) - were present. “The meeting therefore could not proceed to business as the CWI Articles of Association stipulate that nine (9) representatives of the Full Members need to be present in person to constitute a quorum,” the CWI statement said. “Despite having previously authorized their representatives to attend, when the roll was called there were no representatives present from the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) nor the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA).” The Articles of Association provide that if there is no quorum within 30 minutes

GCB explains non-attendance at CWI AGM FOLLOWING Sunday’s Cricket West Indies (CWI) Annual General Meeting (AGM), which was further adjourned until April 11 after a number of issued surrounding the coroum, Vice-president of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Drubahadur issued a statement. The official GCB release on Sunday afternoon on behalf of Drubahadur, outlined a number of concerns regarding Sunday’s AGM. “As the Vice-President of Guyana Cricket Board and an appointed representative of the GCB at all CWI General Meetings, it is unacceptable to condone the numerous breaches of the CWI articles of association on financial matters and governance issues”. Read the GCB release. It further went into details regarding apparent attempts to contact the CWI corporate secretary. “The GCB has written to CWI corporate secretary on numerous occasions regarding the conduct of the AGM of 28th March especially as it relates to the financial matters, and the responses were unacceptable with adversarial views as we maintain that only shareholders can alter the Articles of Association”. “I am aware of all the required standards for financial accountability and would endeavor to adhere to them. The GCB is also reliably informed that plans are being formulated to attempt to debar the GCB of its voting rights as a CWI shareholder”. “We were made aware of a legal opinion sought by CWI without board approval from a source that is compromised on the matter of Guyana’s situation regarding the Cricket Administration Act. We are prepared to stand our ground until there is full compliance with the CWI articles,” ended the GCB release.

from the time appointed for the meeting (in this case, 10am Eastern Caribbean time), it shall stand adjourned to the next business day or to such other time and place as the Board of Directors may determine, and that at the adjourned meeting no other business may be transacted. Attempts to reach the representatives from the BCA and GCB were unsuccessful, with the meeting eventually getting adjourned at 10.50am. Sunday’s elections were meant to elect the president and the vice-president with two candidates in fray. Incumbent Ricky Skerritt and his deputy Kishore Shallow were contesting for a second two-year term against the pair of Anand Sanasie and Calvin Hope. Incidentally, Sanasie is the GCB secretary while

Hope is the BCA vice-president, and both boards had nominated the pair for the CWI board elections. ESPNcricinfo understands that both Sanasie and Hope were not present at the AGM but later Hope attended the emergency CWI meeting where the decision to postpone the elections was taken. It is understood that Hope opposed the new date of the elections, too, but was outvoted. Each of the six territorial boards have two votes each, which can be cast by two representatives nominated by each of these boards. Both Skerrit and Shallow were nominated by the TTCB and the LICB. The pair also had support of WICB, where Shallow is board president. As per the CWI constitution, the voting process is

normally a show of hands unless any of the board members wants a secret ballot. It is understood that the CWI corporate secretary had created an electronic version of a ballot, as this was the first time the elections were being held virtually. In 2019, Skerritt had defeated Dave Cameron, who had been the president for six years, through a secret ballot with an 8-4 margin. Why did Sanasie and Hope not turn up? Skerritt and Shallow received a boost on Sunday when, along with the TTCB and the WICB, the JCA’s vice-president Donovan Bennett said that his board would be backing the pair. Incidentally, in the 2019 election the JCA had nominated Cameron. According to Bennett,

the JCA’s choice to back Skerritt was “unanimous” as he was impressive during his presentation of his manifesto recently. “When he made his presentation to the [JCA] board, we were surprised as to what he had achieved, it was a lot more than what we had expected taking into consideration the amount of time he had and restrictions that had impeded a lot of stuff that he wanted to do and so based on that, we thought that he deserved another term in office,” Bennett told the Sunday Gleaner. The fate of the CWI elections carried a lot of importance for Sanasie because the GCB polls were also scheduled for March 29. However, it could not be confirmed if that was the key reason for the no-show.

Narine, Rodrigues and Gaskin win online chess competition

Ricardo Narine followed up his Mashramani victory with a flawless win on Saturday. RICARDO Narine was flawless en route to victory on Saturday in the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) online chess competition. The Queen’s College student won all seven of his games in the 1100-and-over rating battle. Raveon Adonis and Mahir Rajkumar both ended on 4.5 points, while Omar Shariff, Harmony Dodson, Kishan Puran and Pooja Lam finished on four-point each. Mayas Khan and Dominic Sam followed with 3.5 points each and Italy Ton-Chung on 3 points. Narine is in top form, giving that he had also won the Junior Division of the GCF Mashramani Online Chess Championship. In the 901-1100 (rating) division. Neal

Neal Rodrigues won the 901-1100 division.

Rodrigues emerged victorious after winning four points in five rounds. Julian Mohabir and Noah Rahaman finished with 3.5 points each, while Dante Persaud, Katelya Sam and Brandon Gouveia ended with three points and Julia Tulsiram on 2.5 points. Adeeb Zaman finished eighth on 1.5 points. In the Under-900 (rating) division, Faraa Gaskin was unbeaten in six rounds. The youngster finished with 5.5 points, while Nandram Lall placed second on 4.5 points. Josh Rodrigues and Youvraj Persaud followed on four points each, while Enkofi Moses, Adiel Sampson, Milan Mangar and Elliana Ganpat finished on three points each. Katara Rodrigues placed ninth with 2.5 points. Thirty-nine youngsters battled in the competition.

Faraa Gaskin was unbeaten in the six-round U-900 rating division.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, March 29, 2021

Canal Number Two to host T20 final today CANAL Number Two Sports Club cricketers are set to battle Eccles Express in a Twenty20 cricket final this afternoon at their ground behind the Kawall Primary School. The match, which was postponed from Saturday, due to the inclement weather, will bowl off at 13:00h according to information from the club. Canal marched into the championship clash of the Fernandes T20 Cup after victories in the quarterfinal against Rising Star and the semifinal against New Windsor Sports Club last weekend. On Saturday last, Rising Star batted first and posted 153-9 in their 20 overs with Elroy Fernandes leading the charge with 81. Off-spinner Vishwanath Jadunath and medium-pac-

Chabiraj Ramcharan finished with 87 for Canal Number Two in their semi-final victory.

er Parmanand Raghunath finished with three wickets each for Canal Number Two. In their turn in the middle, a solid start opening start between Narendra Persaud and Ubai Hussain propelled Canal Number Two to a six-wicket victory. Hussain was explosive in his 22-ball 55-run. In his innings, he struck six fours and four sixes. Persaud saw his team home (157-4) in the 17th over. He struck seven fours and four sixes off 43 balls in a top score of 68. One day later, they defeated New Windsor Sports Club by 32 runs. Led by Chabiraj Ramcharan, who blasted 87 (9X4s, 4X6s) from 50 balls, the eventual winners raced to 179-8 from their allotted overs. In reply, New Windsor attempted to overhaul the total but fell short at 157-9

John dominates field in 50-mile race SEASONED cyclist and winner of last December three-stage time trial, Briton John, surged to victory in the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) 50-mile road race, which was held yesterday from Georgetown to Mahaica and back. The We Stand United Cycle Club cyclist clocked one hour, 49 minutes and 12 seconds, which resulted in him finishing a few minutes ahead of his closest competitor in the race. Last month’s Forbes Burnham Memorial Cycling road race winner,

Marcus Keiler, finished second, while Christopher Griffith placed third. Alex Mendes followed in fourth, Andrew Hicks fifth and Deoraj Gharbarran sixth. Mendes was the first cyclist to cross the finish line in the Masters’ Division, with Segun Hubbard second and Stephen Fernandes third. Sherwin Sampson finished as the top Junior Division rider at the event, with Aaron Newton and Alex Leung in second and third respectively. Cyclists were battling for $150,000 in cash prizes. John won $20,000,

Keiler $18,000 and Griffith $15,000. In total, the senior cyclists battled for $83,000 in prizes. Both the Masters/Veterans and the juniors competed for $37,000 in cash prizes. The winners of both events won $15 000, while the second-place finishers received $12 000 and third-place $10 000. Meanwhile, John and Junior Niles both won two prime prizes, while Sampson and Kwame Ridley won one each.

Narendra Persaud scored 68 unbeaten runs in the quarterfinal battle before their overs expired. Derwin Christian led the attack with 42. Bowling for Canal

Number Two, S. Sulaman, Hussain and Raghunath finished with two wickets apiece.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Monday March 29, 2021) 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) Brian Lara-1125 runs (8 Tests) (2) Kumar Sangakkara-918 runs (12 Tests)

Today’s Quiz:

(1) What was the result of the first Test of the current WI/SL series? (2) Who was declared Man of the Match?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

FIBA Americas 2023 World Cup Qualifiers…

Team preparation lagging ahead of Championships … E-Networks to broadcast games live AHEAD of the FIBA Americas 2023 World Cup Central American and Caribbean Pre-qualifiers, set for El Salvador from April 16 – 18, manager of the Guyanese team, Alex Graham, has disclosed that the team has dropped behind in their preparations. However, they are constantly exploring every avenue to make the teams participation possible with less than 3 weeks remaining. According to an interview that involved NCN’s Travis Seymour, Graham said, “Certainly we’re pushing as hard as we can. We’re knocking on every door that we could find. We are trying to explain to potential sponsors why this is a good investment for them. We’re

not really asking people just to make donations, we ask them to make an investment in a team that’s really going in a team that’s continuing to push the envelope. Really, it’s a good investment in the individual players and its also a good investment in what could be achieved for Guyana, and we’re hoping that some of those doors that we’ve knocked on will actually yield good results.” “We’re out of time really. I can give you an example. Friday (March 19) was the deadline for us to submit the uniforms for this tournament to FIBA and when you submit the uniforms, you should really have your sponsors logos on there already. We kind of submitted without the sponsors logos, and

we’re hoping that we get a window in which we could fix that. So that’s just to give you a sense of how out of time we are with respect to being able to secure decent sponsorship,” he disclosed. Speaking about the support that was already garnered by the team, he stated, “I do not want to start calling names yet, because a lot of this is still in negotiations, but I could say that we’ve got some funds from the government and those funds have been dedicated to preparations on going at the moment. And once we get this phase in the preparations done we would have exhausted all of that. We were able to get a good deal out of American Airlines, it’s not exactly a sponsorship, but they were able to give us the kinds of fears that represents a significant saving in terms of what we budgeted for the tour.” “A critical partner is E-Networks. We

have a non-cash deal with E networks. E-Networks is going to broadcast some of the games live and rebroadcast those games, so that we can guarantee sponsors, their exposure.” “I’ve been using the terminology, ‘investment’, and if you’re investing, you have to have some kind of results, your brand has to get visibility in this market, and E-Networks is really giving us the platform to deliver the visibility for the brands who support us.” “The only other name I probably want to call it this moment would be Hand-inHand (Insurance Company) who have confirmed their commitment, but there are a long list of people that we’ve been talking to for maybe two months, and we’re still hoping that those yield the kind of results that we expect.”

More election drama! CWI election adjourned after GCB, BCA fail to show See story on page 22

Incumbent Cricket West Indies board president, Ricky Skerritt (left) of Saint Kitts and Nevis, and challenger Anand Sanasie of Guyana.

John dominates field in 50-mile race See story on page 23

GCB explains non-attendance at CWI AGM See story on page 22

Vice-president of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Drubahadur

FIBA Americas 2023 World Cup Qualifiers…

Team preparation lagging ahead of Championships … E-Networks to broadcast games live

Briton John was outstanding in yesterday’s race

See story on page 23

Team Guyana’s matches at the Championships are to be broadcast live and rebroadcast by E-Networks

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

MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2021