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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2021
Outdated or limited statistics impede analysis of health sector –– Health Minister says deeper analysis of pandemic will be done, eventually By Vishani Ragobeer IN the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, data collection and statistical analysis would help the health sector discern whether there have been “excess deaths” caused. But, limited available data and statistics impede an analysis of this, and of many more fields within the health sector. Data and statistics are quantitative tools that are used to keep records and assist in studying and analysing occurrences and trends. They help to inform the decision-making process since such information provides a more credible and reliable mechanism of solving problems. “Generally, with our population, we’d probably have about 14,000 or 15,000 births and about 6,000 deaths per year. What might make up the composition of deaths may be different but by and large... it is around 6,000 deaths,” Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony said during a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has directed increasing focus on the burden of mortality that could be
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony
directly or indirectly related to the pandemic. Simply put, it begs the questions: Were there many more deaths than normally expected? And was this because of the novel coronavirus? The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a national public health institute in the United States, defines excess deaths as the difference between the deaths observed in a specific time period (such as one year) and the number of deaths that were expected for that same specific period. The “expected” deaths are calculated from
(PAHO)’s Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) progress monitor for Guyana stated that 4,400 deaths (or 68 per cent of all deaths) were caused by NCDs. This report was published in March 2020, which meant that this information was applicable to the year before. Performing basic mathematical calculations, this therefore meant that the total number of deaths would have been approximately 6,471. In 2019, also, Guyana recorded 94 deaths due to road accidents. Sourcing other information on the numbers
For context, research has shown that persons with pre-existing medical conditions (comorbidities), such as an NCD, are more vulnerable to the severe and life-threatening effects of COVID-19. And, over the past few months, as a precautionary measure, individuals who died are swabbed before a post-mortem examination is performed to discern whether they were infected with COVID-19. If they are, the virus may have exacerbated their condition and contributed to their death, more so, if they were affected by a
The total number of COVID-19 cases recorded in Guyana up to the end of 2020 (shown by the blue line) and the total number of deaths for the same period (shown by the red line) [ Graph created by the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre and the Public Health Group of The Faculty of Medical Sciences, Cave Hill Campus, The University of the West Indies]
the average number of deaths during the period over the past five years. At the end of 2020, there were 164 deaths caused by or related to COVID-19 in Guyana. For weeks, the Guyana Chronicle has tried to gather statistics on the local mortality rates for, at least, the past five years. This would help with an analysis of whether there have been excess deaths. Accessing that information, if it was documented, has been a challenge. “With reference to the stats [statistics] you requested, as you might have guessed, record keeping/retrieval over the last four to five years is proving to be extremely challenging,” one reliable source told this newspaper. Similar responses were garnered from various bodies. In 2020, the Pan-American Health Organisation’s
and causes of deaths has been difficult and often, whatever is accessible is outdated. Therefore, it is hard to compare and discern whether there have been excess deaths. Nevertheless, the Health Minister affirmed that once the health sector is able to control the pandemic better, the ministry would “go back and investigate whether there are excess deaths.” “That’s something that we have to do… (we have) to compare deaths in the earlier part of the year with deaths in the latter part of the year,” Dr. Anthony said. Another issue which may become apparent once such an investigation is done is whether persons might have died from the coronavirus, but their deaths were misclassified since the person may not have been tested for COVID-19.
comorbidity. “In that case, you might see an increase (in the number of deaths) in other categories like heart diseases and other things like respiratory diseases or something, and then you would probably have to rethink whether or not this symptomology might have been COVID-19 and it went undetected,” Dr. Anthony explained. He, however, lamented that such an investigation demands time and resources to go through the death records to establish the level of excess deaths and perhaps even reclassify some of those deaths. According to a BBC report in November 2020, the total number of "excess" deaths in the United Kingdom since the start of the pandemic was 70,839. Just before Christmas Day, that number increased to 81, 300.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2021
Mining, forestry sectors take centre stage –– investors being sought
–– authorities to advertise for Expressions of Interest By Navendra Seoraj INVESTMENTS in Guyana’s traditional sectors and the need for economic diversity remain paramount, even as this country moves forward with its new-found “oil wealth,” Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat has said, as he outlined his ministry’s plan to increase investments in the local mining and forestry sectors. For decades, those sectors have been considered crucial components of economic development, contributing significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Even with the country’s nascent oil-and-gas sector, which has attracted unprecedented interest in the local economy, traditional areas of mining and forestry remain relevant and “very lucrative.” “A lot of focus is on oil and gas, but we want to get some investments in the mining sector... quarrying, bauxite-mining, these remain important…we have large deposits, it is just to get people to invest in it,” Minister Bharrat said during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday. Available statistics show that the mining and quarrying industries, which expanded by a mammoth 343.7 per cent by mid-2020 due to petroleum and by a lesser extent gold, were expected to expand by between 320.6 per cent and 324.3 per cent by year-end. Gold mining is one of the most important industries in Guyana, as it provides great social and economic benefits to a relatively large number of people. Bauxite, on the other hand, was the country's leading industry in 2002, and gold and bauxite/alumina were the country's second and third-ranking exports; and bauxite and gold accounted for one-fifth of the country's GDP. Based on preliminary reports, the prospects for those industries remain high, so it is left to investors to capitalise on the available
opportunities. “We are looking at investments in the mining sector. That is a big thing for us, investment in the mining sector,” Minister Bharrat said, adding: “That is an area we are working aggressively towards, there is a lot of focus on oil and gas, but we also have to focus on the other sectors.” Information sourced from the website of the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) show that persons investing in the mining sector, once they meet the requisite criteria, would be eligible for exemption from customs duty on a wide range of mining equipment – for sorting, screening, separating, washing, crushing, grinding, mixing or kneading earth, stone, ores or other mineral substances; rock-drilling or earth-boring tools; furnaces and ovens for roasting, melting or heat treatment of ores, pyrites or of metals. There are also possible exemptions from duties and taxes for items covered under an investment agreement. “Tax exemptions are normally granted with specific conditions that cannot be breached. In instances where these conditions are breached, then the Guyana Revenue Authority is legally authorised to undertake seizure of the equipment/ machinery/vehicle and request payment of all duties and taxes that were waived,” Go-Invest said. The government also took further steps recently to encourage investments in the mining sector, with the removal of value added tax (VAT) on machinery, equipment and hinterland travel, the removal of police clearance requirements for miners to transport fuels in their own vehicles, and the provision of concessions for All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs). RIPE WITH OPPORTUNITIES Like the mining sector, the forestry sector is also ripe with opportunities, Minister Bharrat said, adding that the authorities are look-
Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat
ing to increase production, exports and investments in value-added forest products. The new government, he said, inherited a bankrupt forestry sector when they were elected to office in August 2020, but work has started on the reinvigoration of this sector. The main aim, as said by Minister Bharrat, is to place more emphasis on value-added production rather than exporting raw materials. “Rather than exporting logs, we want to export lumber or finished materials… you might export a greenheart log for U.S.$600 and
if you convert it to other materials you can get close to U.S.$5,000, so we got to push for it,” the minister reasoned. The growing forestry industry, according to Go-Invest, has stimulated the development of other manufacturing and service industries. Its products supply many other sectors of the economy such as residential construction, furniture-making, printing and publishing. On the other hand, the forestry industry is also a major consumer of energy, chemicals, transportation services, machinery and processing and
control systems. The investment opportunities are abundant: from harvesting, to processing and manufacturing high-end products, especially using our lesser-used species. A number of lucrative opportunities exist for investors interested in working with Guyana’s wood industry. A barrier to value-added production over the years has been the cost of electricity, but the government has committed to reducing this by 50 per cent within the next five years. In addition to this com-
mitment, the government has taken other steps to encourage investments, and those include the removal of VAT on exports and the adjustment of the log-export policy to allow sawmillers to export logs, among other things. With those ‘encouraging’ policies in place, the government will soon be advertising for Expressions of Interest (EoIs) for investments in the mining and forestry sectors. Both local and foreign investors will be eligible to submit EoIs.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2021
Unemployment rate at 12.8% at start of 2020 –Youth unemployment pegged at 30.2% By Tamica Garnett GUYANA recorded a 12.8 per cent unemployment rate for the first quarter of 2020, following an average 14 per cent in 2018 and 13.5 per cent in 2019. However, although the unemployment rate continually decreased, the youth unemployment rate experienced a slight increase, moving from 29.7 per cent in the last quarter (Q4) of 2019 to 30.2 per cent in the first quarter (Q1) of 2020. Meanwhile, persons with a primary school level education or less continued to make up the majority of the country’s workforce, accounting for some 55.2 per cent of it in the first quarter of 2020, and 56.7 per cent at the end of 2019. This is according to information published by the Bureau of Statistics (BoS), which was garnered from the Guyana Labour Force Survey (LFS) in October 2020. “The rural unemployed population represents the vast majority of the total unemployed for the first quarter of
Monday January 4, 2021 –– 9:00HRS
Persons with a primary school or lower education level continue to account for the largest proportion of Guyana’s labour force
2020, and the unemployment rate for women appears to be higher than that for men. The youth unemployment rate for the first quarter of 2020 was recorded at 30.2 per cent, which is higher when compared to the 2019 fourth quarter youth unemployment rate of 29.7 per cent,” the report noted.
The women unemployment rate continued to be slightly above average, with a rate of 14.4 per cent in 2020 almost on par with 14.7 per cent they carried in the last quarter of 2019. The Bureau of Statistics has been conducting the Labour Force Survey since July
2017 to properly assess the state of unemployment in Guyana. The Bureau is set to begin the next batch of quarterly surveys on Thursday. For the first quarter (Q1) of 2020, Guyana’s Labour Force Participation (LFP) rate experienced a slight increase to 50.4 per cent from the 49 per cent in the last quarter (Q4) of 2019. The labour force participation rate has been decreasing, since 54.5 per cent was recorded in Q4 of 2017, and moved to 51.8 per cent by the end of 2018. The LFP rate is a measurement of the number of persons who are eligible to work, and are either employed or are actively looking for employment. For the 2020 first quarter, some 602, 765 persons were above the age of 15 years, the minimum age decreed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for which a person is eligible for employment. Of those persons eligible for work,
some 303, 834 were working or actively looking for work, of which 264, 862 persons were employed and some 38, 972 persons were unemployed. Of those unemployed, 19,866 were youths, with youths being considered to be those who fall between the ages of 15 – 24 years. Of the unemployed youths, some 73.3 per cent of them were from rural areas, however, the rate was proportionate, given that 70.32 per cent of the persons who make up the labour force participation come from rural areas. Comparatively, at the end of 2019, some 18, 570 youths (29.7 per cent) were among the unemployed, while those numbers stood at 16,838 (25.6 per cent) at the end of 2018, and was at 17,058 (22.9 per cent) in 2017. Of the over 38,000 persons unemployed for the first quarter of 2020, 19,352 had been unemployed for up to six months, 6,634 up to 12 months, and 12,719 over 12 months. The Private Sector continued to be the largest employment provider, accounting for 73 per cent of the employment, up from 67 per cent in the final quarter of 2019. The Public Sector, however, remained stable at 20 per cent both years, while not-for-profit organisations were down to seven per cent from 12 per cent in the 2019 final quarter. Indo-Guyanese continue to account for the largest share of the working-age population, notwithstanding a slight dip from 45 per cent in 2019 to 43 per cent in the first quarter of 2020. The share of Afro-Guyanese in the working- age population remained constant at 26 per cent in both 2019 and 2020, while mixed race persons moved from 20 to 23 per cent, and Amerindians dipped from nine to eight per cent. The average monthly salary also increased from $87,116 to $94,502.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2021
APNU+AFC sole-sourced $170M for external counsel –– breached Procurement Act –– AG recommends police probe, disciplinary action
From left to right, attorneys-at-law Neil Boston, Maxwell Edwards, Rex McKay and Roysdale Forde
By Richard Bhainie THE former A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) government, through the Attorney General’s Chambers, sole-sourced 71 contracts worth $170.828 million to 26 local and foreign lawyers/ law firms on ‘retainer agreements’ for the period of May 2015 to August 2020. This was revealed in a special audit conducted by the Auditor General (AG) Deodat Sharma; the audit was requested by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C. upon his assumption of office in August, 2020.
During the special audit, the Auditor General found that there was no evidence to conclude that these contracts were publicly advertised, which is a direct breach of Sections 25 (1) and 10 (1) of the Procurement Act of 2003. As such, Sharma concluded that the method used to award these contracts was the direct contracting/ single-source method. In relation to cases challenging the validity of the December 2018 no-confidence motion, eight contracts were awarded in the sum of $64.464 million to three lawyers/law firms. Pertaining to the said matter, Courtenay Coye LLP of Belize was awarded five con-
tracts accumulating to the sum of $34 million; Attorneys-at-law Rex Mc Kay, S.C. and Neil Boston, S.C., jointly, were awarded two contracts amounting to $25 million and attorney-at-law Francis Alexis was awarded one contract in the amount of $5M. As regards the cases to which former Speaker of the National Assembly Dr Barton Scotland was a party, four contracts were awarded in the sum of $7 million to attorney Maxwell Edwards and the Robertson Law Firm for legal services and advice. In the Eslyn David case, which challenged the credibility of the elections recount, two contracts were awarded
Reinstallation of lanes at Routes 40, 48 bus parks underway -ease in traffic congestion anticipated By Naomi Parris THE Ministry of Public Works is currently spearheading works at the Routes 40 and 48 bus parks to reinstall lane controls to maintain order and ease traffic congestion in the Stabroek Market area. Elswyn Williams, lead contractor for the project, told this publication during a visit to the area on Sunday that the works being carried out will see a decrease in confusion and congestion at the bus parks. Williams explained that he and his workmen are reinstalling lane controls along the parks to maintain lines for the minibuses to offload and pick up passengers. “Basically the work being carried out here is to assist and try to coordinate with the buse [operators] to try to keep them in line with a system that would work better for them. It’s just some renovation work on the system that was already in place,” he said. According to Williams, the project which started on Sunday will be completed within the next two days and will cost approximately $250,000.
Meanwhile, Dexter Marks, a Route 48 minibus operator said when the renovation project is completed, he believes that the once-congested bus park will not be the same as traffic will be able to flow smoothly and other minibus operators like himself will have to maintain order. “The minister them, they doing a good job because they putting up back the chain and the post so everything will be in order,” Marks said. He added: “It gon benefit we because sometimes we does deh in the lines for hours and now the line gon move smoothly, plus the police isn’t going to get plenty work to do. Once we get the lines we gone get order.” Another Route 48 minibus operator who gave his name as “John” is optimistic that the reinstallation of lane controls at the park will see an attitude change in minibus drivers and conductors. “When you look at it, the works is to discipline the minibus drivers them and two, is to allow others to get a dollar… what I mean [is] buses will not come and bore, you know. Like come in Campbellville line and
bore till up in Sophia line and when they bore now a whole lot of buses does deh in the line for hours and can’t get a load,” he explained. Describing the project as a “good move,” the man said, “It’s very good when you look at it. You will see a formation of people coming together to do the right and not to do the wrong thing. So it’s a very good move.” Further, a Route 40 minibus operator who prefers to remain anonymous told this publication that on any given day, many minibus operators who choose to follow the protocols and laws are often left waiting in lines for hours before they can pick up a “load.” The man explained that the “hot plate” buses are known to bully their way in front of other minibus operators who would have been waiting in the line to load up. While others believe that the project will see some minibus operators “falling in line,” this particular minibus driver is of the belief that nothing will change unless minibus operators themselves change their attitudes.
Antiguan attorney-at-law Justin L. Simon, Q.C.
in the sum of $7 million to two lawyers -- one contract, amounting to $5.243 million, was awarded to Justin L. Simon, QC of Antigua, and the other amounting $1.8 M, was awarded to Maxwell Edwards. Attorney-at-Law Roysdale Forde, S.C. was paid $1.5 million in the matter of the At-
Barbadian Attorneys Hal Gallop, Q.C. and Ralph Thorne, Q.C
torney General v Dipcon Engineering; and $1.710 million in the case of Winston Jordan v Juan Anthony Edghill. But in both these cases approval was granted by the National Tender and Procurement Administration (NPTAB) for direct contracting/single sourcing, the special audit revealed.
Amounts totalling $4.317 million were paid to attorneys-at-law, Ralph Thorne, Q.C. and Hal Gallop, Q.C. for legal fees in the matter Zulfikar Mustapha and Attorney General in the High Court. The audit report noted that this payment was not stated in the contract register. TURN TO PAGE
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2021
Tajeram Mohabir
The private sector and development THE private sector is often regarded as the driver of economic growth within a country largely characterised as a free-market economy. Entrepreneurs seek to invest in 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 the fastest-growing sectors in Guyana is the emerging oil-andgas sector. Since the discovery of oil in Guyana in 2015, many local companies have been 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, a number of house lots are set to be given out to future homeowners and 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, machinery 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 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. Private enterprises contribute the majority of government revenues 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-andgas sector. The private sector seeks to provide services that are in great need for a country to become developed and wealthy. Some of these 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 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 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,
earnings from rice exports amounted to U.S.$222.7 million; sugar U.S.$27.8 million; bauxite U.S.$127.0 million; timber U.S.$33.7 million; and gold U.S.$876.6 million. These are all contributions of private entities. 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 and helps to provide jobs; job security; increased domestic income; increased purchasing and spending powers; increased foreign exchange; lower unemployment rates; decrease in crime rates; increased standards of living; and increase in the country’s GDP, which overall improves the economic flow within the country.
Understanding Guyana and U.S. presidential systems Dear Editor, THERE are still doubts among Guyanese (in Guyana and the diaspora) and people as far away as India and in other countries on whether Joe Biden will be the next President. There seems to be a misunderstanding of the electoral systems of both. Unlike Guyana that has a simple, straight forward election to choose a President and the government (Chief Executive and Cabinet), the U.S. has a peculiar process to choose its President and the Cabinet and even ambassadors. There are several layers or levels in the process to declaring and swearing in the U.S. President. Congress will meet on January 6 to count the Electoral College votes (538) and certify the winner. I have no doubt that Biden will be declared as winning the
presidency of the November elections and Kamala Harris the Vice-Presidency. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be sworn in on January 20 in front of the Capitol Building that has been the tradition for some 200 years. There, the President will deliver his acceptance speech. And sometime in February he will address a joint session of Congress on the state of the American union. The process of electing an American President is different from Guyana. In the U.S., potential nominees of a party compete against each other in 55 state and territorial (primary) elections (or caucuses) to win delegates. The process takes some six months. The candidate who wins a majority of the total delegates (of about 4500 in the Democratic Party and 2500 in the Republican Party) wins the nomination. He
or she becomes the nominee of that party at an official convention in July or August. Only registered members of a party can vote in a primary or caucus to prevent people from joining both parties and voting in both of their primaries. Each party’s nominee face off in a general election on the first Monday in November. Getting a majority or the most votes of national total votes cast does not guarantee one a victory. The candidates compete for electoral votes in 50 states and the District of Columbia (capital of the U.S.). There are contests in each one for electoral votes (EVs); the number of electoral votes equals to the size of its congressional delegation (House and Senate). It varies from three to 55. The candidate who wins the most votes in each state wins the delegates, except in two states where they are
based proportionally on votes received or districts won. A candidate needs 270 votes to win the presidency; so he or she focuses on winning states that would produce at least 270 EVs. A candidate was known to win 270 EVs without winning an overall majority of national votes. Gore defeated Bush in 2000 in popular votes but lost the presidency. Similarly, Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump in 2016 in the popular vote but lost the presidency. In 2020, Biden defeated Trump for the national votes and the EVs. In Guyana, votes are cast for one President, but the same vote in America also elects the Vice- President. After the Guyanese President is sworn in,, he appoints a Vice-President (VP). If none is appointed, the Prime Minister, whom he appoints, is the de facto VP to succeed
or act for the President when he is out of the country. The American Electoral College (prominent people who equal the total number of EVs of each state) met on December 14 in each state capital and Washington territory to formally elect the President and VP. A separate vote is held for each position. (In NY, Bill and Hillary Clinton were electoral voters of the college in 2020). The college is not bound to vote for the candidate that won the state vote and some in the past were known to vote for a losing candidate. The ballots were counted and announced. In the December vote; Biden got 302 votes and Trump 232. Harris got 302 and Mike Pence got 232. No college member deviated from the preference of the majority of votes of each state last December 14. The ballots were placed in a sealed envelope in
each state and delivered to Congress. Congress will be sworn in on January 3. The envelopes will be opened on January 6 in a joint session of both houses and counted in the presence of members of both Houses. The count will be announced publicly. A member of the Senate or House can object to the count of a state or request the EV of a state be disregarded in the total count. The session will be adjourned. The objection will be debated in the House and a vote taken on whether to reject or accept the EVs of that state. Republican Senators plan to disrupt the process. Some plan to object to some states EVs where they claim fraud. Their objection will be defeated in the House where the Democrats have a majority. So Biden’s victory is assured. TURN TO PAGE
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2021
A personal need to reflect in the mirror Dear Editor, CHRISTMAS and New Year “come and gone” and now “we have to wait until another whole year,” before we can celebrate these holidays again, as the Guyanese saying goes. Unfortunately, because of the deadly pandemic, the COVID-19 virus prevented Guyanese, visitors and others, from celebrating the holidays in a true Guyanese fashion. We were unable to participate as freely as we should have; to enjoy and indulge in our usual customs and traditions. The many limitations were engineered as a result of many of our dearly beloved passing away; others failing in health; the scarcity of finance to provide ample amenities; the traffic curtailment; the isolation; the curfew and the freedom of circulating; and gathering and mixing as freely as we wanted. Regardless of the politics and economics, Guyanese always used to find a way to commemorate these national holidays in a true Guyanese conventional way. At this time of the year, Guyanese would always forget differences, hug, kiss and shake hands to unite together and agree to wine, dine, dress and dance, so that this special moment will not bypass them quietly, lacklustrely or lackadaisically. A Christmas party at the work place, at home or a night club or an Old Year’s Night party, always highlighted the list of entertainment. Midnight mass on Christmas Eve night or church service on New Year’s Day was another crowning event. If we were to accept this pandemic as historical, then one of such nature does attack the world at least once every century, the last one being the “Spanish Flu,” in February 1918 and which lasted until April 1920. The deadly influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A Virus, infected about a third of the world’s population then, about 500 million people, in four successive waves and between 20 to 50 million died, others claiming a figure closer to 100 million. Its origin was traced back to Europe after the first world war. But 2021, a new year, is here and we have to move on from the past year, 2020, a dreadful year of unforgivable, unforgettable and uncomfortable activities. It was a year perhaps when time stood still and transfixed for many, a year of regrets and losses, pain and suffering, sacrifices and surprises, shame and disgrace, innovation and implementation, winners and losers and rejoicing and despair. Any realisation of happiness was soberly and moderately celebrated and en-
veloped in modesty and simplicity. A year when Guyana was hauled reluctantly into uncharted waters; the people were mauled relentlessly and were constantly pressured to test their temperament and resistance. Guyanese patience was at a boiling level but, a hidden resilience prevented an exacerbated display of unthinkable irresponsibility for the major part of unforeseen and uncalculated moments. Rather, a unique showmanship of control and discipline, reflected a new Guyanese conscience and an awakening of another realisation, one that may safeguard the birth of a now generation, capable of differentiating right from wrong and not be easily fooled with lies and deceit. The dangers of devious politicians are still present as the Berbice fiasco reminded us, where, warped minds were successfully used to persuade gullible villagers with their thwarted insinuations, to utilise an explosive situation to their convenience to score political mileage; by playing with people’s emotions and minds, inciting unnecessary violence which escalated to unfortunate deaths and tremendous damage to people, property and place. The sad deaths of the Henry boys and Haresh Singh forced Guyanese to ponder how vulnerably peace and tranquility are poised on a precipice; any promise of certain safety should not be taken for granted and cannot be guaranteed; the security of people’s lives is a grey area of concern and there is no reliance still from the protectors of law and order. As Guyanese at home and abroad, did the past leap year teach us anything? Are we going to be the same persons as we were the previous year, or is there a desperate need for a definitive change? Apart from our year-end monumental resolutions, or isolated desires, or enviable wishes or an infatuation with a mystical or mysterious attraction, or, an obsession with a passion, did we learn from our mistakes and errors? Did we spend any time with ourselves to reflect in the mirror and churn the flickering activities, roving in memory lane, rowing casually, so that we slowly regurgitate the ups and downs of all significant eventualities? Were we right or wrong with our decisions? Were we correct or incorrect with our calls? Were we pleased or disgusted with our choices? Is there room to improve or improvise? Were we justified or unfair in our judgement? Were we perfect or impaired with our conclusions? Were we offensive or defensive with our opinions? Were we polite or impolite with our manners? Were we aggressive or awkward with our behavior? Were we inordiFROM PAGE
Understanding Guyana and ... Once sworn in, the President’s appointments for Cabinet positions will be debated in the Senate and put to a formal vote. In Guyana, the President appoints Cabinet members and ambassadors without parliamentary approval. The Cabinet is drawn from the Parliament and up to four non-elected members. In the U.S., a Cabinet member cannot be a member of Congress; members of Congress can become Cabinet members, but must resign their seats for which there are by-elections. Each appointee to the President’s Cabinet (and even Deputy Cabinet positions) and for ambassadorial positions and several other appointees must be debated and a formal public hearing held, followed by a vote only in the Senate. Most judges of the federal
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courts and all Supreme Court judges are also nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate by a simple majority. A majority vote is required for all confirmations; Democrats lack a majority in the Senate (50-48). Two Senate contests in Georgia on January 5 will decide control of the Senate. At any rate, Biden’s appointees will sail through the Senate, regardless of which party controls it. The Senate tends to defer to the President on Cabinet or ambassadorial positions except in rare situations. Formal hearings for Cabinet berths will begin next week, long before Biden’s swearing in on January 20. Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram (Pol Scientist)
nate, moderate or proportionate in our generosity? Were we charitable or mean with our donations? Were we pleasant or awful with our relations? Did we annoy, aggravate, acerbate anyone, or, aid, alleviate or appease them instead? Did we offend or defend anyone? Do we need to rescue or recuse ourselves? Were we selfish and greedy or selfless and liberal? This is the defining period, sensitive and not presumptuous, when we seriously need to consider questioning ourselves for explicit answers to decide how satisfied we are and if we enjoy a peace of mind. Can we remain quietly silent and feel assertively compassionate? Hopefully, the desire to confess and profess will not be required and, you can appease yourself with a smile, relaxing and enjoying tranquility, bliss and happiness in the joyous company of yourself and the unseen! If not, then, the choice is yours to do or not to do what is required. Do have a better year. Respectfully, Jai Lall
Great start to rebuilding spirit of cooperation Dear Editor, HIS Excellency’s New Year address to the nation to usher in the new year is a great start to rebuilding the spirit of cooperation within our nation. Under his leadership, the PPP/C has shown thus far its renewed commitment to the rule of law, freedom of speech and governing for the benefit of all our people. As long as the PPP/C continues along this path and allows for an independent perspective they will also find an outstretched hand from the Cooperative Republicans of Guyana (CRG) to aid in achieving our collective goals for our nation. Best regards, Mr. Jamil Changlee Chairman The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2021
Realistic benchmarks needed for required infrastructure –– as Guyana progresses as an oil-and-gas nation
By Navendra Seoraj GUYANESE and international investors have been positioning themselves to capitalise on the direct and spin-off benefits of Guyana’s nascent oil-and-gas industry, but amidst the existing and growing enthusiasm, stakeholders have to be wary of over- investing. While not denying that this sector augurs well for Guyana, General Manager of the Guyana Shore Base Inc (GYSBI), Sean Hill, who has over 16 years of experience in the field, advised investors to be careful and not to over-invest in the industry. “It makes no sense to over-invest and go in one direction when the end user is not looking for that,” Hill said during a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle. By over-investing, stakeholders would be pulling on limited resources, such
as personnel from other industries, such as sugar and mining. And, at the end of the day, this, Hill believes, would not help Guyana in any way. One aspect of advancement that stakeholders should be particularly mindful of is the infrastructure required for the oil-and- gas sector. “One of our concerns is about over-inflating expectations on how much infrastructure is needed for this industry…there needs to be realistic benchmarks as to the amount of infrastructure that is needed, so it does not outpace the need of the industry,” Hill reasoned. Speaking about his company’s strategy, he said they invest strategically and grow the shore base in alignment with the needs of ExxonMobil, which is practically Guyana’s oil-and-gas industry right now. As the country moves forward, prudent decisions will have to be made,
but the current projections remain positive. Seen as the new investment capital of the Region, Guyana is fast becoming a magnet for major investors in the oil-and-gas sector, attracting even some Fortune 500 companies which have started to ‘migrate’ here from Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago. “Already, a lot of current foreign direct investors are expanding their services to Guyana…they are even moving their headquarters to this country…these are being moved from Trinidad and Tobago, and even Brazil, to Guyana,” Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Go-Invest, Dr. Peter Ramsaroop said during a recent interview with this newspaper. Most of these companies are focused on offering oilfield support services to the offshore operations in the oiland-gas sector. Oil-and-gas
312 active cases of COVID-19 after seven new cases recorded THERE are currently 312 active cases of COVID-19 after seven additional persons were infected over a 24-hour period, according to the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard for January 3, 2021. The seven new cases were recorded in Region Three (two cases), Region Four (two cases), Region Six (one case) and Region Eight (two cases). They were also recorded among five men and two women. These new cases were confirmed after 74 tests were done. With these new cases, the total number of persons infected in Guyana since March 2020 has risen to 6,358. An additional five persons have recovered, taking the total number of recoveries to 5,899. Of the 312 active cases, three are being kept at the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), nine persons are in institutional isolation; 283 in home isolation, and 17 in institutional quarantine. Many of the persons infected with the virus are said to be asymptomatic; that is, they are not exhibiting any symptoms. This dashboard, however, does not reflect the latest COVID-19 death that was reported by the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday. Instead, it states that there are still 164 deaths and not 165. The latest victim is 70-year-
old Chitri Prashad, of Whim, East Berbice-Corentyne (Region Six). Health officials confirmed to this newspaper that Prashad had several underlying medical conditions, and was among five patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown. This newspaper also understands that Prashad was admitted to the hospital on December 24, 2020, after he was referred there from the Woodlands Hospital. The updated COVID–19 Emergency Measures are in force from January 1, 2021, until January 31, 2021. They may be extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Health, after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions of the pandemic. As per the current measures, however, all persons are required to wear face masks when leaving their homes. Physical distancing and adequate sanitisation are also important. The current curfew time is 22:30hrs to 04:00hrs. Persons with symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to call the COVID-19 hotline numbers: 231-1166; 2267480; or 180/181 for assistance.
services are considered to be a supportive part for the oil exploration and production companies. They are services that include oil-well maintenance, completion, production, supply, and logistical support services in both onshore and offshore activities. These services will be offered directly to ExxonMobil, the company operating in the Stabroek, Canje and Kaieteur Blocks, offshore Guyana. Some 18 discoveries have so far been made in the Stabroek Block since 2015, but just three projects have so far been sanctioned – Liza One, Two and Payara. The operator, ExxonMobil, expects this to ramp up to around five by 2026, generating more than 750,000 barrels of oil per day. Since 2015, ExxonMobil has increased its estimated recoverable resource base in Guyana to more than nine billion oil-equivalent barrels.
General Manager of the Guyana Shore Base Inc, Sean Hill
Among some of the companies already servicing ExxonMobil’s opera-
tions are Schlumberger and Halliburton, both Fortune 500 companies.
Schools to ‘reopen’ virtually today SCHOOLS are set to be reopened virtually today, and according to Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, all systems are in place for those who have to return to school physically, as well as those who will be learning via virtual means. The Learning Channel is also scheduled to re-commence broadcasting in a time-tabled format as part of the multi-faceted virtual engagement of those learners who will be at home. Minister Manickchand, during a telephone interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday, said that her ministry has been in contact with the varying officials at all levels on a constant basis, and the reopening will simply be a continuation of the ongoing systems that have been in place. “This has been an ongoing ex-
ercise, in terms of making people ready. We haven’t just treated it as a one-off; we have been having frequent meetings with the Regional Education Officers (REDOs), who, in turn, have been meeting with their head teachers about what is expected, and how we can continue to keep the children safe and ready,” the Education Minister noted. Public schools across Guyana were closed for the Christmas Term from December 18, 2020, and this included for the Grades 10, 11 and 12 students, who were attending classes at schools, as well as for the teaching that was being conducted virtually by varying means. Minister Manickchand noted that in the case of students who will be returning to dormitory schools, COVID-19 testing has already
commenced for them. “We are on top of things like that. Persons went home, and they’re now back, so we’re now testing them back again,” she noted. For the teachers who are engaging students from home, Minister Manickchand said the ministry has been monitoring those situations as well. “The teachers are submitting not only work plans, but what have they been doing; how are they doing. And to the extent of where are they in terms of their content delivery, and how that’s going to work, we pretty much know for every classroom, in every school, we know how they have been engaging; we know how many children have been engaging, and how many have not,” she said.
APNU+AFC sole-sourced $170M in...
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Further, attorney Thorne, Q.C. was paid $6.670 million for legal fees in the matter Zulfikar Mustapha and Attorney General heard in Court of Appeal and the Caribbean Court of Justice; the audit report noted that no contract existed for this matter. Between 2017 and 2019, six contracts amounting to $22 million, were awarded to attorney Patrice Henry for special prosecuting services, of which the sum of $7.7 million is still outstanding. Monies were also spent on other overseas, as well as local attorneys, in a plethora of other matters. Based on the findings of the report, the Auditor General recom-
mended that the Guyana Police Force be called in to conduct an in-depth investigation and institute charges where necessary, as well as appropriate disciplinary action to be taken against culpable officers. The Auditor General, in his 2019 report, had recently disclosed that Ministry of Legal Affairs and Attorney-General Chambers, under the stewardship of former Attorney-General Basil Williams, spent a total of $99.650M on legal fees/ retainer agreements in 2019 on external lawyers. The monies were paid to three law firms and seven external law-
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yers, despite the ministry having a Solicitor-General, one Deputy Solicitor-General, two Assistant Solicitors-General and six State Counsel in its employ. Subsequent to the AG’s 2019 report, there was a discovery by the Attorney-General’s Chambers that there is no paper trail, including contracts or invoices, to account for some of the external counsel who appeared on behalf of the former AG Chambers in the series of legal proceedings that followed the March 2, 2020 elections.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2021
‘IG’ bookstore hooking local bookworms …in response to business opportunity presented by pandemic
By Vishani Ragobeer IN the earlier days of the pandemic, while I was holed up in my ‘dorm room’ in Trinidad, Netflix became my best friend. I’ve always devoted much (too much, in fact) of my free time to the Online streaming platform, and I suppose, with nothing better to do (What Online classes?), I found comfort in binge-watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine. But then, I became saturated. Shows weren’t appealing or captivating any longer, as the extended pandemic quandary made binge-watching mundane. Before long, I felt the urge to read a book; something that I hadn’t done since my secondary school days. Well, aside from textbooks. I signed up with a public library that was a 20-minute walk away from my campus. My first book was the Kite Runner by Afghan-American author, Khaled Hosseini. I remember not wanting to put the book down; not only because it was a vivid, gripping novel, but also because the act of reading provided some comfort and distraction amidst what was going on. In May last year, the Guardian reported that a survey of 1,000 persons showed that the amount of time people spent with books had increased by 41 per cent. There aren’t local statistics to validate my sentiments, but I believe that the pandemic has encouraged more persons to read. One Online, Instagram (IG)-based bookstore called, ‘the Book Cub’, (not ‘club’, though that’s a common mistake) has been able to hook local bookworms. Lakanand Singh, one of the co-owners of the small business, told the Guyana Chronicle that it got started in August 2020, after his sister and co-owner, Shivanie Singh, came up with the idea. Growing up, the siblings were avid readers; a majority of the presents they received were books, and they couldn’t be happier. Shivanie eventually started an Instagram page, where she gave short reviews of the books she’d read. That book review page, called ‘The Book Cub’, eventually
transformed into the Online bookstore. “I didn’t plan for it to be a legitimate business; it was just something to pass the time. But we soon realised that there was no way this was going to be just a pastime or hobby, because we were so overwhelmed by the response,” Lakanand said. As the support received by the Book Cub would show, many persons were yearning for books they could hold and immerse themselves into. And what made it all the more attractive was that the siblings offered delivery services, and nicely-wrapped books with warm messages; things that would be appreciated in this pandemic season. Entering into the book vending business meant that the siblings had to figure out what books would be most appealing to the Instagram population. They didn’t conduct a survey before ordering the books, but instead, they curated a list that encompassed their own favourites; a few ‘trendy’ books, and some of those that made their way onto the big-screen (or small-phone screens). “Once we had that (first shipment) down, based on the reception, we could alter what we were ordering,” Lakanand explained, adding, “We’ve gotten to a point where we’re comfortable predicting what they would like to read, but we do take suggestions into consideration.” He also explained that while the classics; the Harry Potter collections, the Dan Browns, inter alia, will always sell, they also try to stock some of the current literary works being published. And it wasn’t just that the siblings were able to stock those books that persons were interested in reading; the bookstore owner is convinced that the liberty of imagination books offers a much-needed distraction while navigating the pandemic. “With the revolution of streaming, books have somehow taken the back bench, especially since Netflix. But the pandemic has shown that books are not going anywhere,” Lakanand posited. He contended that customers were excited to have
something different to do. In addition to the respite reading offers, he also highlighted that self-help books are among those in great demand. ‘Think like a Monk’ by Jay Shetty; ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’ by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter; ‘You are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life’ by Jen Sincero, were some of the self-help books that were in demand. Lakanand reasoned that persons seemed interested in preparing themselves to tackle life whenever the pandemic subsided, or ceased altogether. And those self-help books were a way of doing just that. Aside from all of the support received, no good business is without its challenges. With Shivanie working in Trinidad, it requires keen time management on her brother’s part to contend with the business demand. He juggles the business, his studies, and a full-time job as a radio announcer. But that pales in comparison to the challenge of shipping during the pandemic Christmas season. Nowadays, the owners are trying to find
that ‘sweet spot’ between growing at an exponential rate, and also being able to comfortably manage the
business alongside their hectic lives. “We got this!” Lakanand half-joked.
The Book Cub can be contacted via their Instagram page: @the. book.cub
A neatly-packaged book sold and delivered by the Book Cub
The Book Cub on Instagram
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2021
Old Year’s Day and 2020 statistics
I FIRST saw the children --aged around 10 and eight--who were undoubtedly siblings, sitting in the Foster Care area at the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA). They did not look happy nor sad, interested nor disinterested with their surroundings and the flurry of
staff members who were busy tying up loose ends. It was New Year's Eve or Old Year's Day, depending on where you are from, and it was also evident that these children were having a rough ride. One would imagine most children would still be enjoying the festivities and
the magic that this season brings; for example, lots of food and drink; presents and toys to play with; and merriment and good wishes for the new year with family and a few friends, despite the setbacks of the pandemic. But not these two, sadly they were not with family members and after
passing and seeing them still there in the afternoon, I could but hope that who or whatever they were waiting on would hurry up and arrive. Later, as I was waiting outside for the heavy drizzle to lighten, the CPA driver came downstairs followed by the two children. They shadowed his movements as he stood still and asked, 'Has Miss Hudson left yet?' they stood still by his side. Having his notion confirmed by the security guard, the driver turned to them and said, come, and they moved in unison' step and step' behind him towards the parked vehicle. 'Where are you taking them?' I asked him as he opened the vehicle door and they climbed inside. He replied, 'Sophia'. I know nothing about the children's backgrounds or what family problems they have. I don't know why they were at the CPA on New Year's Eve and why they were being taken to Sophia (children's centre). But I do know that they are in limbo. They exist without the security and love of a family, and it is affecting their development. They will remember this juncture of their lives with trepidation, regardless of whatever else happens to them along the way. The experience of not belonging to a family or being parted from a family can be traumatic for children. No one can measure or see trauma. Therefore, no one can tell the impact it will have on children's lives. Last month, due to the pandemic, the CPA's annual Staff Conference was held virtually. Initially, there were concerned about the types of technical problems this might incur, but the event was a success. As usual, officers shared a great deal of information with colleagues and stakeholders regarding performances, challenges and projections for 2021. From January to October 2020, the Monitoring and Data Officer's statistics show that 2,761 child-abuse cases were reported to the CPA. This figure implies that every day seven children are abused. It appears that over three years the statistics for child abuse have dropped, but this is not necessarily because fewer children are abused. For every report of abuse, several more incidents remain unreported. There are more opportunities to spot abuse when children are in school because eachers may recognise changes in behaviour and other tell-tale signs, and students often confide in their peers about their ordeals. The Monitoring and Data Officer revealed that, like pre-
vious years, neglect is the most prevalent form of child abuse and that children between the ages of 0 -3 years are the most neglected, followed closely by the four -seven-year-old age group. No one should be mistaken about the elements that constitute neglect. When parents fail to provide food, clothing, shelter, adequate medical care or supervision for a child, to the extent that it affects the child's health, safety or welfare, that is neglect. Sexual abuse is the second-highest recorded form of abuse. Most parents tell their children to beware of strangers, but records show that 96 per cent of perpetrators in 2020 were family members. Parents are still failing to protect their children from sexual predators, or are turning a blind eye when they know their children are being sexually molested. Another fact that remains predominant in the statistics for 2020 and preceding years is that mothers are the main perpetrators of child abuse, followed closely by fathers and then step-parents. Many mothers--and fathers-- do not recognise their mental state of stress and frustration, as requiring intervention. They violate their children's rights and exploit them, ignorantly or deliberately. Adults can learn parenting skills and acquire relevant information through the CPA. There are training programmes and counselling to enable parents to cope effectively and to strengthen their families. For 2021, the CPA through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security will continue to help children, like the siblings mentioned above on New Year's Eve. Children are more vulnerable during times such as pandemics and being locked down and out of school only adds to their dilemma. The CPA is also urging you, the public, to keep an eye out for signs of child abuse and make a report when you see it before the situation gets out of hand. HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE DIRECTOR AND STAFF AT THE CPA. TOGETHER LET US PROTECT GUYANA’S CHILDREN. 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, January 4, 2021
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2021
Mother mourns loss of only son in Corriverton accident
By Nafeeza Yahya-Sakur
ONE day after celebrating his 26th birthday, Churman Megnat, known as “Kiran”, crashed head-on into another car on Saturday evening on the Line Path Public Road in Corriverton, East Berbice, instantly killing himself and his 36-year-old friend, Nimrod Persaud. They were both residents of Line Path; as a matter of fact, the accident occurred a street away from where they both lived. Megnat’s mother, Bhoopwattee Megnat, is still struggling to come to grips with his death; she said Kiran was her only son and they shared a strong bond, more so, since his father died five years ago. Bhoopwattee was at home when she heard a loud impact; she was not prepared for the shock of her life when she ventured outside and learnt that it was an accident involving her son and his friend. As she ran to the scene, neighbours held her back and took her back home. The distraught mother said she tried to sit in the hammock but could not and so she began pacing. She fought to go to the hospital to see her son. Bhoopwattee said she
had a “gut wrenching feeling” in her stomach while on her way to the hospital. When she arrived at the Skeldon Public Hospital, the security guard initially prevented her from entering. “When me reach, if you see people and the security nah allow nobody to go in and them seh the boy mother in deh already but [I didn’t know it] was he friend that died and he mother in there. “[When I was allowed in], meh foot nah reach. Me see wan body on the stretcher covered with a sheet and I say ‘Ow God! I hope not my pickney that’. But as [I] walked closer, me see the foot and pants and [I said this is Kiran] so me pull the sheet off he face and wen me see me only son lie down deh, me get wan shock and me start fuh scream and cry,” Bhoopwattee recalled. Bhoopwattee said she and her son shared and did everything together. She recalled that his New Year resolution was to go to Church more often and to get married. “He was a loving child. I never have problems with him and anyone; he has a lot of friends and was kind and jovial, always looking to make us laugh,” the grieving
mother said. Meanwhile, Omwattie Persaud, the mother of Nimrod Persaud, was inconsolable when the Guyana Chronicle visited. Like Bhoopwattee, she too was in a state of shock over her son’s death. She barely mustered the strength to say her son was a loving, caring, hardworking, happy and a kind person. He got married only five months ago. Persaud was the youngest of three children and lived with his wife and mother; he was a hire car driver. The driver of the other car involved in the accident remains hospitalisd; he has been identified as 38-yearold Sheik Mahmood of Number 76 Village, Corentyne Berbice. This newspaper had reported that Kiran was driving motorcar PLL 4090 with Persaud as an occupant, while Mahmood was driving motorcar PYY 7581. Police Headquarters, in a statement, noted that Mahmood was proceeding north while Kiran was driving south; Mahmood claimed that he was about to pass Kiran who suddenly swerved in his direction, resulting in a head-on collision. The accident occurred at around 18:10 hours.
Dead: Churman Megnat
Dead: Nimrod Persaud
Omwattie Persaud, the mother of Nimrod Persaud
Bhoopwattee Megnat (right) stares at a photograph of her only son while his grandmother, Somwattie Bisnauth, looks on
They men were extracted from the cars and rushed to the Skeldon Pub-
lic Hospital where Kiran and Persaud were pronounced dead on arrival.
Mahmood is in a stable condition; he passed a breathalyser test.
GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2021
Dr. Singh urges more timely payment of tax refunds
Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for finance, Dr Ashni Singh
SENIOR Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, has called on the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to ensure that taxpayers who are legitimately entitled to tax refunds receive these in a timely manner. The minister observed that taxpayers often complain that they have to wait an inordinate length of time before they receive tax refunds to which they are entitled. He pointed out that extended delays in paying tax refunds can have severe adverse effects on the cash flow of businesses and households, which in turn could affect both consumption and investment, and ultimately be a drag on economic activity on the whole. The minister emphasised, however, that more timely refunds should not in any way compromise the rigour with which the GRA verifies the legitimacy of each refund payable. Instead, Minister Singh stated that the verification and payment processes should be made more efficient to ensure that refunds are both thoroughly verified and promptly paid. The minister’s call for timelier processing of tax refunds comes against the backdrop of a broader drive for improved service quality across public sector agencies. At the GRA, the minister
recently addressed senior management of the authority and directed them to work immediately to improve the quality of their interaction with taxpayers, emphasising the importance of the highest standards of integrity and efficiency across all aspects of their operations. Similarly, at a recent meeting with the new Board of Directors of the National Insurance Scheme, Minister Singh also highlighted the chronic problems faced by participants in the scheme who encounter lengthy delays in getting their claims processed and in accessing their benefits. He instructed board members to take immediate action to resolve these problems and ensure that contributors are able to access their benefits in a timely manner, and called on the NIS to be a more client-friendly institution. More broadly, at several recent public engagements, the minister has emphasised that the modern Guyana that is currently being built must not only be observed in the quality of the country’s physical infrastructure which is undergoing a rapid expansion and upgrade, but must also be observed in the quality of services provided by government agencies across the board.
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Charity hit by severe flooding –– hotel owner, vendors among those affected
By Indrawattie Natram HEAVY rainfall in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) has left many households and businesses in Charity under floodwater since Boxing Day. The Charity/Ursara Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and the regional administration have assessed the situation and are currently carrying out remedial works in the hope of bringing relief to those affected. Manager of Xenon Hotel, Suendra Hallal, said the hotel’s lower flats were inundated . This, he said, had a negative impact on the business since they were able to accommodate only overnighting guestss. The snacknette, nightclub and dining hall had to be closed, Hallal said, adding that a pump had to be rented to assist in getting some of the water out of the building. Significant losses were incurred as a result of the situation, he said. Meanwhile, vendors who were hoping to capitalise on the holiday season had to close earlier than expected, since the Charity Market was inundated due to the excessive rainfall. “I had to close up. I was hoping to make some extra dollars for the season with the late shopping, but my staff was flooded… [We] had to close, too much water,” stall owner, Shelly Singh pointed out. When this newspaper visited the Charity Amazon area, the market and those living in the housing scheme were predominantly affected. Many
Mark Brooks
Local contractor gets credit despite owing Asphalt Plant millions
persons were seen putting sandbags in front of their gaps and were also bailing water. “Boxing night we had to move all we things from the bottom flat to the top to safeguard them. The water was just gushing through our downstairs,” Lionel Boodram recalled.
An inundated house at Charity
A section of Charity that is flooded
A house surrounded by floodwater which has been on the land since Boxing Day
CLOGGED DRAINS Regional Vice-Chairman Humace Odit visited the area on Sunday afternoon and had a first-hand look at the situation. Both the sluice and the pump are operational, but Odit explained that “excessive weeds” in the trenches are clogging the pump. As such, operators have to keep clearing the pump so that it works effectively. He also explained that once the sluice and the pump are able to function without hindrance, he is positive that the water will soon recede. As it relates to the Charity Market area, the Regional Vice-Chairman said vendors have built their stalls over the drains and have dumped tons of garbage into the drains which have left them clogged. He said that if the water does not recede in the market area, then the regional administration will have to remove those stalls to clear the drainage system. He also urged vendors vending at the market to stop dumping garbage into the drains. A team from the regional administration’s Drainage and Irrigation Department is currently monitoring the situation.
Labourer ‘busted’ with 5lbs of ‘ganja’
POLICE on Thursday last arrested a 32-year-old labourer for having in his possession five pounds of cannabis at the Vreed-enHoop Ferry Stelling on the West Coast Demerara.
GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2021
The parcels of cannabis which were found in Brooks’ possession
According to the police, Mark Brooks, known as ‘Polo’, of Mocha, East Bank Demerara, was approached by two ranks at
around 11:45h, and was told that they’d received information that he was carrying the illegal drugs. When the ranks searched
him, with his permission, the drugs were not found on his person, but rather in a bulky, black plastic bag he was holding in his right hand. One of the ranks, upon opening the bag in Brooks’ presence, found a quantity of leaves, seeds, and stems of what appeared to be cannabis. Brooks reportedly told the police, under caution: “Sir, is just a hustle; I dropping it for a man.” He was immediately arrested and escorted to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station, where the drugs were weighed in his presence, and he remains in custody, pending charges.
Chairperson of the investigative team, Chateram Ramdihal
DESPITE racking up a debt of $12 million, Courtney Benn Construction Services Limited (CBCSL) was still receiving state-owned construction materials on credit. This was revealed following a probe into the operations of the stateowned Asphalt Plant, which is a subsidiary of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC). According to the findings of the investigation, the credit sale was done against the wishes of the Board of Directors of the DHBC. “We noted that the plant continues to give credit to CBCSL despite the decision of the directors to discontinue selling asphalt on credit to this client until all monies owed are collected,” the report stated. The document indicated that as at December 18, 2020, the construction company had owed the plant some $12, 031, 153. According to the report, management of the Asphalt Plant was aware of a decision by the board of directors to discontinue sales to CBCSL until all monies owed were collected. The management of the Asphalt Plant responded to the findings, saying that during the period under investigation, the plant had not implemented a credit policy. “Hence, we were unable to be guided by such process,” the DHBC said. The investigations, headed by chartered accountant Chateram Ramdihal, determined that the sale of asphalt on credit was poorly managed and that there were [sic] no policy governing the sale of goods on credit. “The lack of credit policy resulted in all credit sales being approved by the General Manager without any evidence of a credit-review process being carried out and credit limits set for the various customers,” the report revealed. In addition to poor sales policies, the Asphalt Plant was also engaged in a questionable loan arrangement with one of its competitors.
“The Asphalt Plant loaned bitumen to Suresh Jagmohan, a competitor, and China Railways without the approval of the board. These transactions occurred on December 14, 2017 (Suresh Jagmohan) and February 9, 2019 (China Railways) and was closed in the latter part of 2020,” the report specified. The investigating team lamented the lack of a credit policy for the government agency. A credit policy is a set of guidelines that outlines credit and payment terms for customers and establishes a clear course of action for late payments. The lack of such a policy exposes the plant to high risks of clients failing to pay on time. “An analysis of receivables revealed that an average of 75 percent (75%) of debts is owed beyond ninety,” the report indicated. The investigators advised that management of the plant make all efforts to ensure that a good credit policy is crafted and fully implemented, even before credit is extended to customers. The investigating team maintained that credit beyond a certain limit should be approved only by the board of directors, as opposed to resting on the judgment of the general manager alone. The team also urged that a credit limit be instituted, so as to minimise the risks attached to granting credit. “Management (of the plant) should ensure that all customers are assessed at set intervals to determine the maximum credit to be given that will result in customers being able to pay on time,” the team advised. The investigation of the asphalt plant, which focused on the period 2013 to present, wrapped up last week, and the findings were presented to the senior Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, who said that persons found guilty of “haemorrhaging the public purse” will face consequences.
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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, January 4, 2021
‘Cousin Puppol’ is Ann’s Grove’s first male centenarian USHERING in the New Year on a wonderful note was Mr. James Anderson, popularly known as “Cousin Puppol”, a father of eight and grandfather of six, who celebrated his 100th birth anniversary on Friday last in the presence of his immediate relatives and close friends. Anderson, who hails from Ann’s Grove, some 18 or so miles from Georgetown, is now the first male centenarian of this East Coast Demerara village. Born two villages away at Bee Hive, on January 1, 1921, he was the second of 10 children, six boys and four girls, but is now the only surviving sibling. And while he would have spent most of his years in the community of Ann’s Grove, he at one time lived at Number 42 Village, on the West Coast Berbice, while working as a cane-cutter. He’d also worked briefly in
the rice industry. Mr. Anderson, who has a love for agriculture, had also worked on sea for seven years as a fisherman. As he disclosed, he never fancied tinned or fried foods much, and he would
often eat steamed fish and mullet broth, along with fresh vegetables, which he credits for his good health and longevity. Outside of his strict diet, Mr. Anderson believes that the way to a long life is to be
truthful, as was taught by his late mother. He is not only grateful for having lived to such a ripe old age, but to also be surrounded by family and friends as he celebrates his birth anniversary.
Mr. Anderson with family and close friends while celebrating his birthday on Friday
Mr. James Anderson, fondly known as “Cousin Puppol”, who turned 100 on New Year’s Day
Revetment works on Cops raid Crane businessman’s house stream for Kimbia wharf –– discover nine pounds ganja, cannabis plant
Region 10 Regional Chairman, Deron Adams
RESIDENTS of Kimbia, Berbice River will soon benefit from much-needed revetment works on the community’s wharf. Region 10 Regional Chairman, Deron Adams, on Sunday, said that the works are being done to prevent the looming erosion at the entrance of the community’s health centre and primary school. Toshao Ricky Boyle brought the matter to the Region’s attention as it also poses a significant threat to persons’ safety, particularly the youths who leave the community to attend school. “This situation has made residents resort to the use of a wooden plank as a means of getting from the Kimbia
Kimbia, Berbice River will benefit from revetment works on the community’s wharf
wharf up to the health centre and school since it is threatening the perimeter of each facility,” Adams was quoted by the Department of Public Information (DPI) as saying. The Regional Chairman said the scope of works needed to address this situation is “too big of a task” for the administration as the erosion is a culmination of natural wear and tear over the years. Consequently, the administration contacted Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, for assistance, which he has committed to providing. So far, the administration has provided updates to the ministry through photographs and site visits. “This is one of the community’s most pressing mat-
ters that needs to be addressed and so we are hoping that a partnership between the Public Works Ministry and the administration will be able to do so. We are hoping that can be done in the 2021 National Budget,” the Regional Chairman added. According to DPI, Adams said the administration would continue to make daily checks on the situation to ensure the damage does not exceed what is identified before the ministry commences work. Kimbia is located in the Ebini area near the Ebini Agriculture Station several miles up the Berbice River. It is approximately 158km from Georgetown.
POLICE, acting on intelligence, raided the Lot 249 Crane, West Coast Demerara house of a businessman where they found nine pounds of marijuana hidden in a barrel and a cannabis sativa plant he was growing in the back of the yard. Police Headquarters in a statement noted that 47-year-old Ryan Joseph and his wife, 36-year-old Chetranie Doodwah were both arrested and remain in custody pending further investigation. The Guyana Chronicle understands that 13 ranks swooped down on the house around 05:30hrs on January 3, 2021, and informed Joseph about the allegation made against him. The police said that Joseph agreed to a search of the house, during which nothing of evidential value was found in the upper flat. The ranks then carried out a search on the lower flat of the building where Joseph used his keys to open a blue plastic barrel. During a search of the barrel, the police discovered a black garbage bag containing three bulky transparent plastic parcels which had leaves,
The marijuana which was found inside the barrel
The suspected cannabis sativa plant which was found by the police
seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis. According to the police, under caution, Joseph said: “Is me weed, don’t involve me family.” A further search was then carried out at the back of his yard where the police found a white container with dirt, which had a suspected cannabis sativa plant that was about
two and a half feet in height. The police said that Joseph again admitted ownership and asked for his family not to be implicated. He and his wife were both arrested and escorted to the Parfaite Harmonie Police Station on the West Bank of Demerara where they remain in custody.
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Patients resuscitated, babies delivered …as emergency responders continue to breathe life into the health system
By Rehana Ahamad MEDICAL resuscitations
outside of a hospital in Guyana is not a regular occurrence because
A batch of EMTs who benefitted from advanced trauma training in 2019. The sessions were facilitated by instructors from the Vanderbilt Medical Centre
most medical emergencies here, including road accidents, are responded to by public-spirited citizens with no medical background, and more often than not, a person who is not breathing, is already considered dead – a lost cause. Ordinarily, if a family wakes up to find one of
its members not breathing, tears would come, followed by a hearse. But since the establishment of Guyana’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS), four persons have been successfully resuscitated even before they could reach the hospital. This accomplishment alone has underscored the need for the expansion and con-
tinued development of the EMS, the brainchild of Dr. Zulfikar Bux. Since its implementation in 2016, the National EMS has responded to approximately 15,630 medical emergencies that have been reported via the ‘912’ emergency hotline. The challenge, however, is that a large section of the pop-
ulation is unaware of these services that can be accessed via the 912 hotline. “Numerous lives were saved and there has been a positive impact on pre-hospital emergency response locally,” Dr. Bux told the Guyana Chronicle during a recent interview. TURN TO PAGE
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Patients resuscitated, babies ... Despite a host of limited resources and infrastructure, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) have been able to successfully deliver 17 babies, en-route to the hospital. Admittedly, babies being delivered outside of a hospital is nothing out of the ordinary, however, its frequency dates back to a few decades ago when our grandmothers and great-grandmothers were all chefs and midwives in the making. As the years passed, not too many of us can claim to be as skilled as they were, so our first instinct when a pregnant woman “tek in to get she baby” is to secure transportation to the hospital, most commonly, a taxi. Dr. Bux said that while the Emergency Medical Services have been reaping benefits in Region Four, there is a dire need for it to be expanded adequately throughout the country. “This service has proven its worth worldwide and
Dr Zulfikar Bux, Director of the national Emergency Medical Services
helps to save so many lives and we are seeing similar effects in Guyana. We want to save more lives and answer all the calls for help but we cannot cover the entire country with a couple of ambulances,” Dr. Bux noted. He said that Region Four currently has a complement of four ambulances, which is half of what is required to
ensure coverage in the region. “I sometimes fantasise about the day when every Guyanese can have emergency access to paramedics anywhere in Guyana by calling the emergency hotline. I am still optimistic we will get there and I’ll do all that I can to achieve this goal,” Dr. Bux said.
UNTIMELY AND IMPROPER TRANSPORTATION The EMS Director recalled being a young physician working in the emergency room of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and having to tend to accident victims who had reached to the hospital just a little too late, or some who suffered even further complications because they were improperly transported to the hospital. “I always wanted to change this and get the sick to the hospital in a timely manner while ensuring they had proper care en route,” Dr. Bux said. With an ambulance service being only a vision back then, Dr. Bux set out to train police officers as first responders so that they could assist with providing care when they arrived on the scenes of crimes or accidents. This initiative bore fruit, but it still was not enough.
Dr. Bux explained that he consulted with his faculty at the Vanderbilt Medical Centre, and in 2012, the concept was put on paper, tailoring a model of the Emergency Medical Services best suited for Guyana. Dr. Bux remained relentless in his pursuit for the concept to become reality. He finally had a breakthrough in 2014 when approval was granted for a pilot model to be initiated through the Accident & Emergency department of GPHC. The model was wildly successful and gave Dr. Bux the evidence that was needed to initiate a more sustainable, national model. After many attempts, he finally found an ally in the Guyana Fire Service; Fire Chief, Marlon Gentle had understood the need for such a service, and after the bureaucratic process was handled, the Emergency Medical Service was birthed in November 2016. It is because
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of this partnership that the fire service’s ‘912’ hotline is also utilised for medical emergencies. Since the service was implemented, over 100 EMTs have been trained. This is in addition to nine emergency medical responders, 32 emergency medical dispatchers, 618 police officers, 48 ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), 21 surveyors from the Guyana Lands and Survey, 115 firefighters, 165 staffers of Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), and 24 workers from the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary - Agricultural Development Authority (MMA/ADA). Dr. Bux is hopeful that by the end of 2025, the national EMS would have the capacity to respond to emergencies within a 15-minute period, within any major thoroughfare in the country.
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Rizwan; Ali fight back after Jamieson’s fiver (ESPNCRICINFO) - An innings of great concentration from Azhar Ali, and one full of enterprise from Mohammad Rizwan, the captain, formed the bedrock of a much-improved batting performance from Pakistan. Yet, they were perhaps left wondering what may have been had their top order shown a bit more application. That said, by scoring at close to 3.50 runs an over to make 297, Pakistan ensured they drove the game forward on a surface where the ball did enough right through the day to keep the fast bowlers interested. That questions were asked of them all day was largely thanks to Kyle Jamieson, who claimed his third five-for in Tests. Azhar’s knock was largely one of denial. Risks weren’t his cup of tea, the emphasis firmly on crease occupation by playing close to the body and trying to wear the bowlers down. That said, when runs were at a premium and Jamieson threatened to take the game
Mohammad Rizwan celebrates his half-century, New Zealand vs Pakistan, Christchurch, 1st day, 2nd Test, January 3, 2020 away, Azhar also found a way to punish the odd bad deliveries, his on-driving in particular right out of the top drawer. His 82-run partnership
with Rizwan after Pakistan lost three wickets in as many overs to Jamieson, who came in first change after the first hour’s play, changed the complexion of Pakistan’s
innings. At 83 for 4, when collapse was written all over the innings, Rizwan ensured he was up and running to ease much of the pressure on Azhar. The day started poorly for Pakistan with Shan Masood trapped lbw by a toe-crusher from Tim Southee in the third over of the morning. This was after Southee had set him up in the opening over with a succession of away-going deliveries, all of which were dealt well with a tight defence. Not only did Masood eventually end up falling for a duck, he also burnt a review in referring what seemed a plumb call, something ball-tracking reaffirmed seconds later. Abid Ali was the next to go, but after he had dug in and fought his way through the first hour. His leg-side strokeplay was competent, but the tendency to poke at deliveries outside off had him playing one too many into
the cordon. It didn’t help that Jamieson got it to shoot up off a length and straighten. Then, two deliveries into Jamieson’s next over, Haris Sohail, over whom there seem to be question marks every time he bats, was caught in a moment of indecision. The ball flew off his edge by the time he decided to withdraw the bat, with Henry Nicholls pouching one at gully. By then, it was clear this was no surface to try and fight your way through - runs were equally important. Jamieson further drove this home when Fawad Alam, centurion from the previous game, got a snorter of a bouncer that had him fall over in trying to fend, only for the ball to sharply jab back in to lob off the glove to BJ Watling behind the stumps. Just like that, Pakistan had collapsed. But Rizwan had other ideas as he strode out confidently.
Fitness assessment for local cricketers today A number of locally contracted franchise players, along with potential Academy players, will undergo a fitness assessment today from 06:00hrs at the National Track and Field Centre (NTFC) at Leonora, West Coast Demerara. The players will be su-
pervised by the Guyana Cricket Board’s strength and conditioning coaches. The assessment forms part of the team’s preparation ahead of the three practice games from which the Guyana Jaguars squad would be selected for the Cricket West Indies Regional Super50 tournament,
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Today’s Quiz:
(1) Who is the first Guyanese to score a Test hundred at Lord’s? (2) Who is the first Guyanese to hit a Test century at Bourda?
Answers in tomorrow’s issue
set for next month. Many of these cricketers have been training in the nets at their various home-based clubs and gyms, and some have even participated in minor T20 tournaments to help stay fit, so the assessment is cause for optimism for the local players who have not been able to get much competitive cricket since the outbreak of the corona virus pandemic. It must be noted that the assessment of the potential academy players is essential, since Cricket Guyana Inc. intents to contract players for the 2021 regional season. Additionally, the three practice games will be on January 8, 10, and 12, at the LBI Ground from 09:00hrs daily. To this end, the two squads selected by Cricket Guyana Inc. would be led by batsmen, Shimron Hetmyer and Leon Johnson. According to CGI, all players named in the two squads are required to participate in a fitness assessment.
Hetmyer’s team: Chandrapaul Hemraj, Raymond Perez, Kevlon Anderson, Shimron Hetmyer (Captain), Sherfane Rutherford, Akshaya Persaud, Kemol Savory, Bhaskar Yadram, Kevin Sinclair, Demitri Cameron, Keon Joseph, Clinton Pestano, Anthony Adams, Vishaul Singh, Mavindra Dindyal, Steven Sankar, Sachin Singh and Ricardo Adams. Johnson’s team: Trevon Griffith, Tevin Imlach, Leon Johnson (Captain), Jonathan Foo, Christopher Barnwell, Assad Fudadin, Anthony Bramble, Quinton Sampson, Gudakesh Motie, Ramaal Lewis, Nial Smith, Ronaldo Alimohamed, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Devendra Bishoo, Andre Stoll, Totaram Bishun, Richie Looknauth and Kelvin Umroa. Romario Shepherd, Veerasammy Permaul and Raymon Reifer will be on West Indies duties, while Keemo Paul will be otherwise engaged in cricket duties, CGI noted.
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Nortje; Elgar put south Africa in commanding position
A snorter from Anrich Nortje accounted for Dimuth Karunaratne, South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, Day 1, The Wanderers, Johannesburg, January 3, 2021 (ESPNCRICINFO) - Anrich Nortje gutted Sri Lanka’s middle order after Wiaan Mulder set a top-order collapse in motion, as South Africa skittled the visitors for 157 and moved into a commanding position at the Wanderers. Nortje frequently hit speeds of above 145kph on a pitch with steepling bounce at times, unsettling several Sri Lanka batsmen with his bouncer, and backing them into positions where they did not trust their defence against him. Many fell playing attacking shots, and Nortje claimed 6 for 56 - the best figures of his fledgling career. After Sri Lanka had been dismissed inside 41 overs, shortly before tea, Dean Elgar saw South Africa through to the close with an unbeaten 92 off 119 balls - his team on the cusp of moving into the lead with nine wickets still in hand. He and Russie van der Dussen had put on 114 together by stumps. Sri Lanka’s dispiriting day was buoyed only by the innings of Kusal Perera, whose 60 off 67 suggested Sri Lanka might go on to have a much bigger first innings than they eventually did. Beyond that, and the bowling of Asitha Fernando who claimed his maiden Test wicket, there was little for the visitors to celebrate. Already, their vastly depleted side
may be out of this match. Both previous Tests they’ve played at the Wanderers have ended in innings defeats, and unless there is a substantially improved performance on Monday, this match could head in a similar direction. What will be especially disappointing for Sri Lanka was that they were actually in decent shape after the first 20 overs of the day. Nortje had dismissed Dimuth Karunaratne early by gaining sharp bounce from just short of a length, but Perera had moved into attack mode, thumping South Africa’s bowlers through the off side with particular relish. He was hit a few times on the body early in the innings, particularly by Nortje, and his innings contained 11 fours, all told. But then it was his wicket that started Sri Lanka’s huge slide. Having played out a maiden against Mulder’s first over, Perera drove at a wide-ish away-seamer and sent a catch to gully. Kusal Mendis was then nicked off by Mulder later in the same over, and Lahiru Thirimanne’s edge was also found an over after that. When Nortje had debutant Minod Bhanuka caught behind off the last ball before lunch, Sri Lanka had lost four wickets for 13 runs in the space of four overs to be 84 for 5 at the end of the first session.
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BCB donates $220K to clubs, umpires as part of Covid-19 project –– Preparation starts for 2021 Junior season
THE Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) will be bowling off plans to get their 2021 Junior season off with the club’s ongoing COVID-19 project continuing to reach clubs and umpires across the Ancient County. “This cricket board is fully committed to the overall welfare of our young players, on and off the cricket field, and we not only talk the talk, but are also prepared to walk the walk. “We are aware of the danger of the Covid-19 pandemic and, as such, we want to protect our players as much as possible.” Those were the expressions made by Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) president, Hilbert Foster, at a special presentation ceremony at the Area H ground to distribute COVID-19 protective items to representatives of over 20 clubs with junior sections. The donation was a two-hundred and twenty thousand dollar($220,000) investment by the BCB and was made possible through donations from the Office of
the Prime Minister (OPM), former inter county player, Ishwar Singh, and the RHTY&SC. The BCB President stated that the board is preparing to start its 2021 junior cricket tournaments at the under
Representatives of the various clubs pose with the donated items at the Area H Ground
Businessman Ishwar Singh 13,15,17 and 19 levels and, as such, is working overtime to make sure that it plays its part in making sure that every player and official is properly protected during the ongoing pandemic.
The BCB and the RHTY&SC, has already published a Covid-19 educational poster which has been widely distributed to clubs across Berbice while clubs have also benefited from donations of food hampers for less fortunate members. Representatives of the clubs received 200 face masks, fifteen face shields and bottles of hand sanitizers each, with the promise of more to come as the board obtains further sponsorship. Among the clubs that received the items were Linepath CC, Rama Krishna Academy, Scottsburg CC,
No 72 Cut and Load, No 73 CC, Port Mourant CC, Albion CC, Young Warriors CC, Tucber Park CC, Rose Hall Canje CC, Edinburgh CC, Blairmont, Bush Lot Rising Star, Achievers, Guymine and East Bank Blazers. The BCB president announced that all junior players would be required to wear a mask off the field along with a face shield, while they would also be required to
sanitize their hands regularly. Clubs would shortly receive, in writing, the rules they are expected to follow for their own safety. The board also handed over five hundred face masks and a set of face shields to the Berbice Cricket Umpires Association as part of their continued assistance to umpires. President of the Association, Joseph Simon, expressed his appreciation to
the BCB and hailed the outstanding work of the Foster administration over the last three years to lift Berbice cricket even higher. BCB Secretary, Angela Haniff, expressed gratitude to Prime Minister, Mark Phillips, and Ishwar Singh for their investment in Berbice cricket and urged the clubs to make sure that the items are used for the intended purposes.
Caldeira eyes Senior National Men’s Physique title this year RENALDO Caldeira is hoping to take part in this year’s Senior National Championship and he intends to win the Men’s Physique title. The 24-year-old, who won the Men’s Physique division at last month’s Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (GBBFF) Resilence competition, said that he has grown in confidence to compete at the highest level. “This year when I compete at Seniors my goal is to walk away from that show as the Mr Guyana Men’s Physique champion.” Caldeira said that competing against some of the best in the country would be no easy task. In December a number of big names, including multi-year Senior Mr Physique Emerson Campbell, former champion Yannick Grimes, 2019 national second place finisher Tariq Dakhil and 2019 Mr Novices Physique Delroy Phillips did not compete. “In order for me to come out on top of all the competitors at Seniors I’ll have to be more focussed with my diet, more consistent with my training and a lot more emphasis needs to be placed in my weak areas.” Caldeira said that he knows that defeating the more established competitors would be no easy task and that he is willing to put in the necessary work. “I’ll have to come in very well condi-
tioned and my muscle maturity needs to be improved... and I’ll have to be in a good positive mindset over everything.” The second place finisher at the 2018 Mr Novice Physique added that he had a lot of fun at the non-spectator competition in December. He said that despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the bodybuilding federation and main sponsor the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport excelled in their execution. “That show was amazing, I had so much fun. It was by far the best show I have ever competed in, hands down. Everything was done right…athletes were treated good and were well taken care of, that made me feel comfortable at the show.” Caldeira, who is originally from Skeldon, Berbice said that he was also very grateful that he placed first at the show. “I’m happy that the judges were pleased with the package I brought and my performance on stage.” He said that he was also grateful to his coach Grimes for his help and vision. After excelling at the Senior Championships, Caldeira is hoping to represent Guyana at the Darcy Beckles Invitational Classic in Barbados and at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Championships.
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BCB donates to clubs as Year of Investment stream gets underway – All-rounder Sinclair to sponsor cricket tourney
THE Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), last week, with the support of former Berbice, Guyana and West Indies opener, Clayton Lambert, continued to assist cricket organisations in the Ancient County as it hits the ground running for the new year. The very vibrant and progressive board’s theme for 2021 is “Year of Investment” with over 200 youth players expected to benefit from donations of gears, bicycles, and educational materials among other things. Also listed to benefit are numerous cricket clubs and organisations, in an effort to help them recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The BCB handed over a quantity of cricket gears, coloured uniforms and scorebooks to several clubs and schools, including the Berbice River Cricket Association (BRCA), the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association (UCCA), the Berbice High School (BHS), the Rose Hall Canje CC (RHC CC) and the newly formed Line Path Cricket Club. The BRCA, Line Path
Kevin Sinclair CC and BHS received a set of cricket gears while the UCCA collected a box of cricket balls. The BRCA and Rose Hall Canje CC collected fifteen pairs of coloured uniforms to assist them in their overall development, especially playing at the first division level. The combined cost of both sets of uniforms is two hundred and forty thousand dollars (240,000) and the BCB president, Hilbert Foster, called on the clubs and organisations to take good
care of the donations. Noting that he understands the high cost of acquiring gears is affecting clubs to fulfil their mandates to members, he committed his board to assisting those clubs that need help. He, however, stated that emphasis would be placed on clubs that have junior sections. Foster stated that the future of Berbice cricket depended on investing in youths and not on persons who are playing the game for recreational purposes. The BCB would continue to organise cricket for all to play but its investments would be in junior players. He stated that all clubs in the county would receive donation of cricket balls later in the year while some would get cricket gear. The Berbice High School is one of the top schools in the county and has produced a list of top cricketers including Lambert and Shimron Hetmeyer, while the Berbice River Cricket Association has been neglected in the past. Under Foster’s leadership, the BCB has organ-
Representatives of the recipients pose with BCB Secretary, Angela Haniff. ised several tournaments for over the last three years. Sinclair would be jointeams in the riverain area and Meanwhile, the BCB ing teammates, Romario has made several donations would shortly be benefitting Shepherd and Shimron to teams. from the sponsorship of an- Hetmeyer, as sponsors History would also be other national player as Kev- of cricket tournaments created when a combined in Sinclair would be coming in Berbice. The tournateam takes part in the historic on board as a sponsor of a ment would be launched Berbice semi-professional junior tournament. shortly. league later in the year. The Line Path CC was recently resuscitated after a long period of dormancy and approached the BCB for assistance. The UCCA is the most active sub association in the county and has benefitted from numerous assistance from its parent body
Cornwall looking to make use of ‘Spin friendly’ Bangladesh
Shepherd wants to cement WI spot By Rajiv Bisnauth FAST-rising bowling all-rounder, Romario Shepherd, wants to utilise the upcoming Bangladesh tour to cement his spot in the one-day format, and subsequently a break into the Test team. Shepherd, a Berbician, was named in a West Indies 15-man squad announced last week by Cricket West Indies (CWI) for the three ODI’s against host, Bangladesh. “Definitely, it’s an opportunity for me to perform and show the selectors that I belong there, and at the same time cement my place,” Shepherd, who has represented the regional side in five ODI’s and two T20s to date, reckoned. Last month, Shepherd displayed his true potential when he was a part of the West Indies A tour to New Zealand. It’s that
Romario Shepherd trusting, relaxed environment that’s seen Shepherd develop into a promising all-rounder and feature in the spotlight for all the right reasons. Shepherd hit 232 runs at an impressive average of 77.3, including a career best 133* and an unbeaten 77.
“That was a great stepping stone for me. That series gave me great confidence just to keep wanting to improve my game and get better,” he said. The 26-year-old Shepherd, in his 25 first-class matches so far, has taken 74 wickets at an average of
24.62, with a best bowling figure of 5-24. Meanwhile, Jason Mohammed will captain the West Indies ODI side after regular skipper, Kieron Pollard, opted out of the tour citing concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Akeal Hosein, a left-arm spinner/all-rounder; and Kjorn Ottley, a left-handed top-order batsman, earned their first callups for the ODI squad. The three ODI’s are schedule for January 20, 22 and 25. West Indies ODI Squad: Jason Mohammed (captain), Sunil Ambris (vice-captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Joshua Da Silva, Jahmar Hamilton, Chemar Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Andre McCarthy, Kjorn Ottley, Rovman Powell, Raymon Reifer, Romario Shepherd and Hayden Walsh Jr.
(Sportsmax) West Indies spinner, Rahkeem Cornwall, is eager to make use of what could be a solid opportunity on the upcoming tour of Bangladesh, which will provide conditions more suited to spin bowling. Amidst a flurry of withdrawals, Cornwall was one of the current members of the squad to readily accept the invitation to tour the Asian country next month. The 27-year-old has been part of the West Indies squad since being invited to the England tour with the team in July. He then traveled to New Zealand with the team for the tour that took place in December. Cornwall has, however, had a difficult time making an impact. Called to the first-team squad for the third Test in England, the spinner bowled 46 overs but did get a wicket. He was not added to the first team for the New Zealand tour. On the slower, more spin-friendly matches in Bangladesh, however, the player hopes to have a much bigger impact. “I think I’m in a good space and we know Bangladesh is known for being more conducive to spin, so I just have to set my mind for a next ‘bubble’ and go out there and perform the way I should,” Cornwall told the Antigua Observer. “I went on two tours in England and New Zealand and there was nothing there for spinners, and after playing three Test matches, I finally got something that suits me and I hope I can go there and perform,” he added. Cornwall will have good memories of performing in Asia, as he claimed his career-best figures of 7 for 75 against Bangladesh last year.
Fitness assessment for local cricketers today See story on page 24
Leon Johnson
Caldeira eyes Senior National Men’s Physique title this year See story on page 26
Rahkeem Cornwall bowls on his return to the side, England v West Indies, 3rd Test, Old Trafford, 1st day, July 24, 2020
Cornwall looking to make use of ‘Spin friendly’ Bangladesh
See story on page 27
Renaldo Caldeira won the Mr Physique division at last month’s GBBFF Resilience competition. (Delano Williams photo)
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MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2020