Issuu

TUESDAY 11th May, 2021

No. 106357 SEE PAGE

Guyana gets second shipment of COVAX vaccine

Over 150 U.S. companies ‘eyeing’ Guyana SEE PAGE

― learn of incentives, opportunities for investment during ‘agribusiness’ webinar

Rice ‘rakes in’ US$65.7M ― as harvesting of ‘first crop’ progresses

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Even as harvesting continues across the country, as part of the “first crop” of 2021, there has been no shortage of benefits from Guyana’s rice industry since it has earned the country US$65.7 million from the export of 154,457 tonnes of paddy, rice and rice by-products, within the past four months

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Edghill: Sea defence will not be lost by displacement of mangroves Man turns self in after fatally stabbing brother SEE PAGE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Over 150 U.S. companies ‘eyeing’ Guyana’s ‘agri’ sector --learn of incentives, opportunities for investment during ‘agribusiness’ webinar

GUYANA’S ideal tropical climate, and vast expanse of freshwater as well as tracts of productive land, all buttressed by plans for infrastructure development and a burgeoning petroleum sector, create the right conditions for further advancement, particularly in agriculture, a sector which has attracted the attention of over 150 U.S. companies. Those companies which are interested in doing business in Guyana, learnt about the country’s potential and available opportunities during an ‘agribusiness’ webinar hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, and

President Dr. Irfaan Ali

the U.S. Embassy here in Guyana on Monday. Interested investors heard directly from President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who, in his address during the forum, spoke extensively about the Government’s plans to facilitate growth and development in the agriculture sector. “I welcome you to a country that is open to doing business; that is ready to facilitate growth and development, and that is ready to help private investment to ensure that you have a decent return. A country and a market that believe inherently in the participation of the private sector,” President Ali said. In emphasising the importance of the sector, he told the U.S. companies that agriculture accounts for 21.7 per cent of Guyana’s non-oil Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In terms of agriculture trade, the country’s export earnings are about US$370 million, which primarily comes from rice, fish, sugar, and some amount of non-traditional produce. The sector, he said, also

accounts for 12.1 per cent of local employment. Although employment in the sector is highest in the rural areas, a lot of investments have been made in research, technological advancement and skills development, which have produced a very competent skill base in terms of available human assets. He divulged, too, that about five per cent of the country’s national budget has been allocated to agriculture. While contributing significantly to the local economy, President Ali said there is more that could be achieved through the sector at reference, especially considering Guyana’s potential to produce a large portion of the food requirement for CARICOM, as well as its proximity to one of the most dynamic and robust agricultural sectors by diversification in the world, Brazil, and the under-investment in the sector. The Head of State was quick to distinguish between under investment and underdevelopment. “Why I would not say underdevelopment is because you have a government that is ready to put in the necessary infrastructure investment to facilitate the private investment in the sector to realise the potential we'll talk about,” President Ali related. RIGHT CONDITIONS In speaking about the potential for advancement in the sector, the president said: “So those who have experience in agriculture would know when you hear vast tracts of productive land and freshwater coming together, you get excited, because the natural environment with the tropical climate allows for the development of the sector.” As further encouragement, he also informed the

prospective investors that the country only produces 59 per cent of its internal demand. “This is some of what Guyana offers: 215,000 square kilometres of coastline, an ideal location to access global markets, attractive fiscal incentives for investment, a private sector-friendly government, and, of course, a country with diverse people,” President Ali said. Specific to opportunities in the sector, he related that companies could invest in rice, sugar, corn, soya, coconut, spices, fruits and vegetables, agro-processing, agrochemical, the livestock sector (poultry, beef, dairy, sheep, and goat) and fisheries-agriculture and shrimp. In pointing to Guyana’s productive capacity within CARICOM, the Head of State said that the potential is about US$25 million in poultry alone, 90 per cent of which is imported. “Guyana has the potential of satisfying all of CARICOM’s food requirement for poultry products, eggs, beef, aquaculture. We have the land; we have the freshwater, but what we don't have is the investment. What we don't have are the large-scale mega-farms that would allow us to produce; that would allow us to facilitate the type of growth that will help us to enter this natural market in CARICOM,” President Ali said. While the potential is there, there is a need for mega investments in the agriculture sector to bolster Guyana’s ability to satisfy the regional market. “What we need, as I said, are the investors who are ready to make the investments into large-scale mega-facilities that will support the growth and deTURN TO PAGE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Rice ‘rakes in’ U.S.$65.7M ― as harvesting of ‘first crop’ progresses

By Navendra Seoraj EVEN as harvesting continues across the country as part of the “first crop” of 2021, there has been no shortage of benefits from Guyana’s rice industry since it has earned the country U.S.$65.7 million (approximately G$14.1 billion) from the export of 154,457 tonnes of paddy, rice and rice by-products,

within the past four months. Based on information shared with the Guyana Chronicle, the country in April alone earned U.S.$33.5 million from the export of 79,670 tonnes of paddy, rice and rice by-products. Earnings for that month represent an increase of six per cent in weight and 12 per cent in value, when calculated against the 75,360 tonnes of exports and earnings of

U.S.$30 million recorded in April, 2020. At the end of last year, the sector raked in US$236.2 million from the exportation of 574,312 tonnes of paddy, rice and rice by-products. D u r i n g 2 0 2 0 ( J a n uary-December), Guyana exported rice and rice products to 40 countries. The major importing countries were Jamaica, Trinidad, Belgium, Holland, France, Italy, Po-

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha

land, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, Colombia, Haiti, Honduras, and Venezuela. At the time, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha had said he was confident that Guyana will attract new markets for rice exports as production yields climb. The minister was even quoted as saying that the government is seeking to establish new market opportunities, and to increase exports to existing markets. “We are seeing more interest in other parts of Asia and Europe, so we are working on new markets, and we will have new markets,” Minister Mustapha said, adding that the rice industry has always contributed significantly to the local economy. In Guyana, rice is an important source of livelihood. Approximately 6,020 farmers produce rice in several regions throughout Guyana. There are 43 licensed rice millers and 22 registered exporters of rice. Rice accounts for 3.3 per cent of Guyana’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 20.5 per cent of agricultural GDP. Considering the industry’s consistent performance, which is justified by the figures recorded within the past four months, it is safe to

Over 150 U.S. ... velopment of these different sub-sectors. In terms of land availability, in every one of these areas, we have lands that are available. “We have freshwater; and we have the critical infrastructure link that will allow you to move your produce from the field to the market, or to the export facility as it is now,” President Ali said. On the subject of aquaculture, the president said that the government will be developing this sector in the short-term to service potential markets, including those of CARICOM,

the U.S., Mexico, and the European Union (EU). “The USA, for example, imported over 550,000 tonnes of frozen shrimp and prawns valued at US$4.8 billion. So here is an opportunity for us to work together with the local private sector and the U.S. investors to meet the demand in the United States. And what do we have for the aquaculture industry? We have the brackish water; we have freshwater and salted water, all of which are distinct and comparative advantages in the aquaculture industry,” President

Ali related. INCENTIVES “Again, like the other sectors, Government provides a comprehensive list of tax breaks, fiscal incentives, drainage and irrigation support, infrastructure support; these are things that Government assists with,” the President said, as further encouragement to the potential investors. President Ali also spoke about investment opportunities in the traditional sectors, including rice, sugar and coconut, while pointing to the tremendous opportunities in corn and

soya production. “I want to say to you that Guyana has also taken back the lead role in agriculture for the region; that is the CARICOM region. And for the purposes of moving forward, we welcome you and your investment to a safe investment destination,” the President said. Following his presentation, President Ali personally took questions from potential investors on several key areas of his presentation, including access to freshwater resources, electricity cost reduction, the use of agro-technology,

say that the prospects remain positive, moving forward. In fact, according to available information, production during the first crop, which is expected to end later this month/early next month, is on course to surpass that of the first crop of 2020, which was 535,517 tonnes. A total of 87,940 hectares (217,211 acres of lands) have been harvested so far, producing 8,199,271 bags or 520,824 tonnes of paddy, at an average yield of 5.92 tonnes per hectare Of the 94,039.49 hectares (232,277 acres of land) which were sown, some 93.5 per cent have been harvested so far. Specific to rice-producing regions, harvesting in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) is 99.4 per cent complete, while Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) is progressing the slowest, with 85.4 per cent of sown hectares being harvested so far. Although there were successes, there were also some demerits as 857 acres were lost through inclement weather. Despite the odds, farmers were able to receive favourable prices for their produce; this ranged from $2,800 to $3,500 per bag of paddy. The highest pric-

es were paid in Regions Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and Five (Mahaica-Berbice). Authorities foresee similar results during the Autumn (second) crop, for which sowing has already commenced on a small scale in all regions. It was reported recently that Guyana’s newest rice variety, GRDB16, has the potential to increase Guyana’s rice output significantly, as the government looks to use this crop to help ensure the country’s development. Based on past reports, this variety of rice has the potential of producing up to 60 bags per acre, which is equivalent to an average nine tonnes per hectare. The GRDB16 has already demonstrated several qualities that have been desired by rice farmers for a number of years. The GRDB16 had the characteristics of a premium game-changing variety, which maintained its greenness throughout the crop, didn’t lodge as fast as the other varieties, and can come through standing water of up to nine inches. It was also noted that the GRDB16 takes only 110 days to reach maturity.

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and access to electricity for the agriculture sector. “Historically, this has been one of the most inhibiting factors for us to develop our country; the cost of electricity. Right now, all of our electricity is supplied through heavy fuel oil (HFO). That will change tremendously over the medium to long-term,” President Ali said. “We are now developing an energy mix that will include natural gas, solar, wind, and the plan is to have an energy strategy that would create a new energy corridor between Guyana, Brazil and Suriname. So,

you will see the cost of energy reducing, because of the investment we will be making,” the President said, adding: “This is priority for my Government, agriculture and food production is priority; once there's an interest.” P re s i d e n t A l i w a s joined by Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud and representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture at State House, while Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha and United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch joined the session virtually.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Edghil : Sea defence wil not be lost by displacement of mangroves By Richard Bhainie

SEA defence and flood protection provided by the section of mangroves being cleared at Malgre Tout/Versailles, West Bank Demerara, Region Three will not be lost, as necessary measures will be implemented to replicate the function of the mangroves and provide same.

addressing those criticisms on Monday, Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill, told reporters that the developer has included “hard structures that will be built to mitigate flooding” and protect properties from flooding, in the engineering design. “He has provided documentation, drawings, engineering designs and everything, of how the development will take place and what will be the measure in

mangroves,” he added. The Public Works Minister highlighted that with Guyana being an oil producing nation, there are infrastructural developments that are necessary to facilitate and properly service the industry, one such development is the establishing of shore base facilities. Edghill explained that other developmental works, including the Wales Development Au-

Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill, pointing to the demarcation of the proposed alignment of steel sheet piles which will be installed along the property to prevent flooding (Adrian Narine photos)

The swathe of mangroves is being cleared by TriStar Incorporated, a company owned by Guyanese-born Krishna Persaud, who hails from Region Three but is a naturalised United States (US) citizen, with intention of establishing a US$100 million proposed shore base and wharf facility at the said locality. In order for the facility to be constructed, it is inevitable that the mangroves must be cleared; however, this has generated widespread criticism. In

place for flood prevention …. We at the ministry are aware that the developer has in place currently 70 container loads of sheet piles to put in place the necessary flood mitigation structures,” Edghill said. “So, the big issue here is the cutting of the mangroves to facilitate this development, the big issue is not flooding because the adequacy of the measures – the hard structures to prevent flooding are in place, so the big issue is if we should cut mangroves or don’t cut

thority would require displacing of mangroves, all to facilitate development, create jobs and modernise Guyana. CHANGES Edghill pointed out that the eastern bank of the Demerara river, which now houses stellings, wharfs and shore base developments, was once lined with mangroves, which had to be cleared to facilitate those development, as “development comes with changes”. He explained that the same is neces-

sary for the western section of the Demerara River. He lauded the development by TriStar, noting that the facility will create some 150 jobs for Guyanese, which is in alignment with People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) elections campaign promise of creating 50,000 jobs. “From documentation and what I have seen, what TriStar is seeking to do is to ensure

that? Who says only Region Four must have all of the development, all of the shore bases, all of the laydown yards, all of the facilities for waste and so? Region Three needs development too, so does Region Six, Five and Two, and the rest of the regions in the country,” Indar said. Indar highlighted that many support services currently performed out of Trinidad and To-

eastern bank of the Demerara River also had extensive mangroves which were cleared to facilitate development. One such development is the Guyana Shore Base Inc. (GYSBI). “Look at the current shore base at GYSBI, there were mangroves there, I remember when those mangroves were removed. Did you have any flooding there? No, the people went and revet the place with

Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill (left) and Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar (right), during a press conference, on Monday, to address the issue of the mangroves being displaced

that a lot of the work that is being done in Trinidad and in Texas could be done right here in Guyana and that is not something to be sabotaged, that is something to be encouraged,” he said. Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, a resident of Region Three, shared similar sentiments. He noted that a shore base in that region will completely transform the region. “Region Three have a small economy, why we can’t develop

bago can be performed locally if these developments are established. He noted that currently there are only two shore base facilities in the country, which is not capable of rendering the number of services needed. “There is no more land on this one side [eastern bank] to give shore base. How are we going to develop the country? How are we going to ensure the people of Region Three get jobs in the oil and gas sector that has been promised?” Indar asked. He highlighted that the

steel sheet piling; there was no flooding, they protected the shoreline and is the same thing is going to happen across the river,” he said. The minister disclosed that due to the number of applications and expressions of interest the ministry has received, there will be more shore base facilities to be developed on the western side of the Demerara River and measures will be instituted to replicate the function of the mangroves.

Video sparks inter-ministerial investigation of Region 7 mining company

FOLLOWING a widely circulated video showing an altercation between a Guyanese cook and a Russian security guard, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Labour have launched a joint investigation into the operations of Innovative Mining Inc., according to Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton. The cook, Charles McDonald and the security guard who has since been identified as V. Sorokin are employees of the mining company. Minister Hamilton told the Guyana Chronicle that prior to the circulation of the video, both the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Natural Resources had initiated investigations into the company’s Cuyuni-Mazaruni operations, after receiving sev-

eral complaints about non-compliance with Guyana’s labour laws. Speaking about the physical confrontation between the two men, the minister said the incident which occurred sometime

during last week stemmed from the alleged theft of 11.9 grams of gold by the Guyanese cook. He stated that according to the information obtained by the ministry, the Russian security guard who allegedly launched

Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton

the attack against the cook did so after the man’s refusal to allow a search of his person after he was fingered in the theft. “The altercation came about because the cook, he was refusing to be searched after it was alleged that he was attempting to smuggle gold out of this mining camp, so that is the issue that created this altercation,” said the minister. Minister Hamilton noted that while it is a common practice in mining communities to conduct random searches on staff members if gold materials go missing, the ministry condemns the actions of the security guard in attempting to carry out his duties after the man had resisted. Further, Minister Hamilton explained that the matter is currently being investigated by the Home Affairs Ministry. He

stated that prior to circulation of the video, the Ministry of Labour had received an excessive number of complaints of labour violations and had initiated investigations into those claims. “I had received reports of labour breaches by the company which is Innovative Mining, so a little while before this video circulated, I had the chief labour officer summon them to a meeting which is supposed to be sometime this week… I summoned them to deal with labour breaches that is, not paying overtime and the issue of not giving leave and those kinds of issues,” said Hamilton. Meanwhile, he noted that the Ministry of Natural Resources through the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) have also launched investigations to ascertain who

is conducting operations at the mining site. Further, he explained that the laws indicate that non-Guyanese can only be granted licences for large- scale mining concessions, not medium or small-scale as is currently being done at the site. “This claim originally was given as a Guyanese medium-scale miner to one of the Jagmohans. The law does not allow for expatriates to own mining land that are medium-scale and small-scale and so at the level of the Ministry of Natural Resources, I communicated, myself and Minister Bharrat, we have been working on this matter. He has instructed the GGMC to indicate how you have expatriates on the mining land,” the minister said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Pleas for calm as Jerusalem violence escalates Countries worldwide have appealed for calm after days of unrest spiralled into retaliatory attacks by Israel and Palestinians. The US, the European Union and the UK have urged Israel and the Palestinians to lower tensions as soon as possible. The violence escalated on Monday night after Palestinian militants fired rockets toward Jerusalem. In response, the Israeli military launched air strikes against militant targets in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian health officials in Gaza said 20 people, including children, had died in the strikes. Israel’s military said at least three members of the Hamas group that rules Gaza were among those killed. Hamas had threatened to strike after hundreds of Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli police at a holy site in Jerusalem on Monday. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas had “crossed a red line” and that Israel would respond “with great force”. The past few days have seen the worst violence in Jerusalem for years. Increasingly violent con-

frontations between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters at a compound in Jerusalem’s Old City have threatened to trigger a wider conflict. Palestinians have been angered about restrictions on access to the compound,

where the al-Aqsa mosque the third holiest site in Islam - is housed, along with the Temple Mount - the holiest site in Judaism. More than 300 Palestinians were wounded in confrontations with Israeli police

at the al-Aqsa mosque on Monday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Hamas must end the rocket attacks “immediately”, adding: “All sides need to de-escalate.” White House spokeswom-

A compound in Jerusalem’s Old City has been a focal point of confrontations between Israeli police and Palestinians (BBC photo)

an Jen Psaki echoed those calls, saying US President Joe Biden was seriously concerned about the violence. In a tweet, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the rocket attacks “must stop”, calling for “an end to targeting of civilian populations”. The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said the “significant upsurge in violence” in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem “needs to stop immediately”. “The firing of rockets from Gaza against civilian populations in Israel is totally unacceptable and feeds escalatory dynamics,” the spokesman said. The UN Security Council held an urgent meeting Monday over the violence. No statement has been issued. But speaking to the Associated Press, a diplomatic official said the UN, Egypt and Qatar, which often mediate between Israel and Hamas, were all trying to halt the fighting. The city, with its sacred sites, is the most sensitive place of all in the decades-old conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Alongside its religious importance are national claims - Israel in effect annexed East

Jerusalem and considers the entire city its capital, though this is not recognised by most other countries. Palestinians claim the eastern half as the capital of a hoped-for state of their own. The hilltop compound containing the al-Aqsa mosque and buttressed by the Jewish holy site of the Western Wall is especially sensitive, with both Israel and Palestinians wary of each other’s intentions and activities there. Israel says the current violence there was planned “well in advance” by Palestinian extremists, though a series of events has driven unrest in Jerusalem. On Monday, a planned march by Israeli nationalists which was due to pass through Muslim areas of East Jerusalem’s Old City was called off over fears it could stoke unrest. The Jerusalem Day event marks Israel’s capture of East Jerusalem in 1967. It is regarded by many Palestinians as a deliberate provocation. This year’s march would also have taken place in the final days of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. (BBC)

Pfizer vaccine authorised by US for adolescents The US has authorised the Pfizer vaccine for 12to 15-year-olds amid a push to get the shot into more Americans’ arms. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was “a significant step in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic”. FDA Commissioner, Dr Janet Woodcock said the move was aimed at “bringing us close to returning to a sense of normalcy and to ending the pandemic”. Some 260 million doses have been given in the US, but demand has been falling. Woodcock added in her statement: “Parents and guardians can rest assured that the agency undertook a rigorous and thorough review of all available data, as we have with all of our COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorisations.” Monday’s announcement expands an emergency use authorisation that already allowed the Pfizer jab to be administered to people as young as 16 in the US. The decision follows a clinical trial by Pfizer and BioNTech involving 2,260

children aged 12-15. The participants received either two doses of the vaccine, or a placebo.

sities joined a growing number of higher education institutions requiring students and staff to have

The Pfizer jab was already being given to people as young as 16 in the US (BBC photo)

There were 18 cases of symptomatic coronavirus infection in the placebo group and none among the children who received the vaccine, found the trial. The FDA’s seal of approval is not the final regulatory hurdle. An advisory panel of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will review the data soon. Immunisations could begin straight away if, as expected, the CDC committee approves the vaccine’s use in adolescents. Some of New York and Oregon’s biggest univer-

COVID-19 vaccinations before they can return to classes this autumn. The rules were announced on Monday by State University of New York, the City University

of New York, the University of Oregon and Western Oregon University. Last week, US President Joe Biden announced a plan to get at least one dose of vaccine administered to 70 per cent of the nation’s population by 4 July. Mask mandates are being loosened across the country, and most states have reopened their economies, or are doing so within the next month. But dwindling demand for the shot has been prompting US states across the country to re-

fuse their full allocation of doses from the federal government. Wi s c o n s i n , I o w a , Connecticut, South Carolina, North Carolina and Washington are all among states that reduced their requests. The risk of children becoming seriously ill from the virus is tiny, health data shows. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), as of this month 3.85 million US children have tested positive for COVID-19 since

the onset of the pandemic, just over 10 per cent of total cases nationwide. Between 0.1 per cent1.9 per cent of all child COVID-19 cases resulted in the patient being admitted to hospital, found the organisation’s report. Children account for no more than 0.21 per cent of all COVID-19 deaths, according to the AAP. The risk of complications for healthy children is higher for flu compared with COVID-19, according to the CDC. (BBC)

guyana CHRONICLE tuesday, may 11, 2021

Creating jobs THE future of Guyana has never been this bright, given the high number of investments that have been made, and are to be made in the next few years. With the series of oil discoveries in Guyana, investors, particularly foreign investors, have channelled their attention to Guyana, even as local players do their part to cash in on the massive economic growth that the country is on course to experience for at least the next two decades. It is good to see local investors gearing up for the exponential growth in business expected here, as well as contributing to the changing of the physical landscape of Guyana. In recent months, several

Guyanese companies readily come to mind, namely, the Sleepin Group, Arimu Investments, Palm Court, and King’s Guyana and Giftland. The more recent being the Sleepin Group, which is investing US$6 million in a new hotel on Brickdam, Georgetown, that will create jobs for more than 75 persons. A few weeks earlier, the principals of Arimu Investments turned the sod for the construction of the US$15 million Aiden Hotel at the corner of Robb and Oronoque Streets, Georgetown. This investment is expected to create employment for over 50 persons. These aside, The Sheraton, The Element, Delta Marriott, Best Western

Hotels and Resorts, the H-Tower Luxury Hotel, the Hyatt Hotels Corporation, the Radisson Hotels, and the Hilton Hotels and Resorts have all indicated an interest in setting up operations here. These investments are good news for many ordinary Guyanese, as well as local businesses, largely because many of them stand to benefit as workers and suppliers of goods and services. In the construction sector, thousands of jobs will be created, both directly and indirectly, through the construction of these luxury edifices. Thousands of jobs will also be created directly and indirectly when these buildings are completed. One would ask how,

and the answer is very simple. When an international hotel becomes operational, several areas that necessitate its existence come on stream. And among these include the creation of jobs for cooks and laundry and maintenance services. Jobs for taxi operators also increase. When these are added, and all the hotels that are being constructed and are to be constructed are taken into account, it amounts to the creation of thousands of jobs and a positive spin-off effect on local businesses, both large and small. On a wider perspective, the investments in the hotel industry mean the enablement of a modern and aesthetically pleasing landscape in terms of physical

infrastructure, better tourism facilities and world-class tourism services, and, of course, putting the spotlight on Guyana on the global platform. When these investments are taken together and added to investments being made and are to be made in the other sectors, unemployment seems well positioned to head on a rapid downward spiral. It is in this light that the government’s promise to provide some 50,000 jobs during its first term in office does not seem far from reach as the developments that are expected to unfold would be transformational in nature. Much of these were alluded to by President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, who told reporters

in September last year that 2021 will be the year of investment and development. “What you will see next year (2021) is a flurry of d e v e l o p m e n t … T h e re will be active work on the new Demerara Harbour Bridge, the new four-lane road, new hotels, and the creation of 50,000 homes,” he had said following an inspection of the site for the new harbour bridge, where he also pointed out that work will commence on the construction and rehabilitation of roads in hundreds of communities; new infrastructure, and there will be major developments in every sector of the economy.

Much work is being done despite the pandemic Dear Editor, THE contention from Ryhaan Shah that “… all the talk of the coming development from public officials always extend to large scale projects that will cost trillions and trillions of dollars,” is unfortunate. This misguided claim was made in a letter published in the Friday, May 7 edition of Stabroek News. The letter writer seems not to understand that successful governments are ones that engage in a multi-faceted approach to development. This is what the PPP/C Government has embarked on and is doing. So it is misleading to say talk of development always has to do with large scale projects, although one can understand why large scale projects may be headline grabbers in the local press.

In attempting to justify the claim, mention is made of the construction of eight new hotels and Minister Juan Edghill’s call for Guyanese to be prepared. For clarity, the call for preparedness was clearly in reference to youths taking advantage of available educational opportunities so when these investments are realized, the opportunities that come with them can be accessed by Guyanese. Only this week, Minister Juan Edghill, during an outreach in South Georgetown, called for youths to take advantage of the government’s 20,000 Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship programme. Importantly, it must be stressed that the eight hotels are not being built at the expense of taxpayers. The government has facilitated these investments that

will create some 3,000 jobs for Guyanese and increase demand for goods and services, among other benefits. Also, the government has not been ignoring the issues of infrastructure and crime – to focus on large scale projects – as is being insinuated. Last month, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) reported an almost 35 per cent decrease in all categories of serious crime from January 1 to March 31, 2021 to the corresponding period last year. Further, billions are being spent on roads, sea defences and upgrades to infrastructure. Efforts to further the government’s development agenda are ongoing all across Guyana. Even as work is ongoing in these areas – rehabilitation works at Hunter Street, Alexander Village being

one of the most recent actions -- Guyana is not Georgetown or Region Four just the Coast. Guyana is Kwakwani, Region 10, where residents are set to benefit from a second round of upgrades, valued $25 million, to their internal roads. Guyana is Wikki/ Calcuni, Region 10, where $18 million has been set aside to aid developmental works. Guyana is Piara, Region Nine, where major infrastructural works are underway to repair the damaged and critically important Pirara Bridge. Guyana is Orealla, Region Six, where a new $100 million road is planned to increase access to quarries in the region. I can continue to list the number of initiatives, not only in public infrastructure and security, but in other areas, including education

and human services, the latter seeing a new initiative, WIIN, to support women and help them become more financially independent. The letter writer also lists a host of “basic services and amenities” that Guyanese need and charges that these are not being spoken about. The fact is that the issues cited were addressed in the government’s manifesto and updates on the work being done have been made public. If Rhyaan Shah expects government officials to speak about everything, all the time, there would be very little time to actually get work done. The PPP/C Government has been in office for a short nine months and has made clear that it is committed to delivering on its promises – as is being evidenced. This task is made harder by the fact that we are also battling

a COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, work is being done, much more work in nine short months than the former APNU+AFC Coalition Government managed in five years. If there is a specific area where Ryhaan Shah feels more attention should be focused, then why not say so? Persons with the capacity to do so should make representation on issues, more so if they affect the wellbeing of our people. This undertaking, however, would be better served if the person making the representation gets to the point, instead of engaging in generalities, obfuscation and misrepresentations. Respectfully yours, Erin Northe

guyana CHRONICLE tuesday, may 11, 2021

The greatest victory of all time Dear Editor, MAY 9, 2021 marks the 76th anniversary of the victory over Hitlerite fascism in Europe and the end of the Second World War. That victory came at a very great cost to the peoples of the world, particularly the people of Europe. The amount of persons who died has never been correctly known. A conservative estimate puts it at almost 60 million people. The Soviet people, particularly the Russian people, faced the brunt of the aggression and lost some 27 million souls. It was a bloody and destructive war. Apart from those who died, the destruction and the sufferings were just terrible. Millions of people were displaced. Some starved to death, as happened in the hero city of Leningrad, which was under siege for more than 900 days. Cities such as Minsk, Warsaw and Berlin were almost totally destroyed; very few buildings were left standing. The victory of May 9, 1945 not only came at a very high price; it had a powerful impact on international relations. Democracy was saved in Europe from the vicious fascist dictatorship. That victory, moreover, laid the foundation for the end of Colonial domination. India and China were the first to put an end to their colonial and semi-colonial status. That was followed by sweeping victories in Africa, first Ghana in 1957 and Nigeria in 1960, and later the Caribbean. New international institutions arose to try to see that such wars would never happen again. The

United Nations is the most important of these. Over the years, despite problems and setbacks, it has done a great job in trying to keep our world safe. It has succeeded over the past 76 years to do so. At this very moment, we are struggling to end the coronavirus that has spread throughout the world. The role of the World Health Organisation (WHO), an arm of the UN, is very central to our efforts. Clearly, Mankind owes a lot to the Allied Forces that defeated the fascists. H o w e v e r, w e m u s t acknowledge the leading role of the Russian and other Soviet peoples in breaking the back of Fascism. The heroism of these people, their sacrifices must never be forgotten. This is important, since there are very few people who are alive today that experienced that horrible war. The world leaders of today have all been born after these horrific events, or were infants. Naturally, memories are fading. The lessons of those times seem to have been forgotten. Many of the pledges made after that war are now being forgotten, or just lost over time. At this very moment, we see news coming out of Israel where Palestinian people who lived in East Jerusalem are being forcibly removed from their homes where they’ve lived all their lives, to accommodate Jewish settlers. Israel, a State created in 1948 has become an Apartheid State, and is using fascist methods against the native Palestinian people. The Gaza Strip and the West Bank are really just open prisons, reminiscent of fascism in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s.

At the global level, we see the dangerous spread o f We a p o n s o f M a s s D e s t r u c t i o n . We a r e cynically being told that these weapons are keeping the peace! How crazy can the world become! The fact is, these weapons have created an atmosphere of terror; it is a drive for world domination, on the one hand, and on the other, those states that are determined not to be dominated have acquired these weapons or are trying to acquire these deadly weapons as protection. This is obvious madness, and the “peace” we have is due to the balance of terror! Not real peace. As memories fade, greed has grown. Today, the arms manufacturers are making trillions of dollars. A casual glance at the military spending of the top ten countries in the world show how much of the world’s resources are being wasted on these weapons. These corporations have very strong links at the highest levels of governments, and are incentivized to instigate wars, local and regional wars, while keeping a large part of the world frightened. The arms race goes on! To keep up this madness, the peoples of the world are conditioned by the mass media to believe that such weapons are in our best interest. How cynical can we get? For instance, before the collapse of the Soviet Union, we were told that Communism was the problem. Added to this are the deliberate attempts to minimise the importance of that war for our world. In the drive to demonise Russia, war memorials honouring the heroic feats of the Red Army’s soldiers are being pulled down all across Europe.

These acts are criminal, and are minimising the importance of that victory. Thus, downplaying the horrors of war. We l l , ‘ C o m m u n i s m ’ in Eastern Europe has collapsed. Russia and the former socialist countries of Europe are all capitalist states now. Yet the arms race has become more intense than ever before. C l e a r l y, t h e p r o b l e m was never Communism. As President Dwight Eisenhower warned us as far back as 1960, we must beware of the growing power of “the Military

Industrial Complex” which was influencing every aspect of life. His warnings apparently have not been heeded. The Military Industrial Complex has succeeded in spreading its influence throughout the world. New enemies are constantly being created to justify more military spendings. However, it is not too late for the peace-loving and democratic forces throughout the world to make their voices heard. We must stop this madness; this waste of scarce resources, this drive that is pushing

the world towards a nuclear disaster, threatening all life on earth. We must demand Nuclear Disarmament now, while we pursue total disarmament. That would be the greatest tribute; the best way to honour the lives of the millions that were lost to defeat Fascism, and to uphold freedom and democracy in our world. Yours sincerely, Donald Ramotar F o r m e r P re s i d e n t o f Guyana

Prisoners with toilet, shower issues set fire at Brickdam Police Station

ELEVEN prisoners, on Sunday, set fire inside the Brickdam Police Station lockups to vent their frustration about sanitation-related concerns, police confirmed. Reports indicate that between 21:00 hrs and 21:27 hrs on Sunday, the detainees lit their jerseys and food boxes. “The prisoners claimed that they are not getting to use the toilet, nor getting to

take a shower,” police said. Members of the Police Force extinguished the fire and no one was injured while the cells were not damaged. Police said no prisoner was detained there for more than 72 hours, the constitutional time-limit for all police detentions, unless the High Court grants an extension to facilitate further investigations.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 11, 2021

26 COVID-19 deaths recorded for May thus far THE Health Ministry on Monday reported that two more persons who had been tested positive for COVID-19 succumbed to the deadly virus on Sunday. The total number of deaths, which is now 327, is reflected in the ministry’s May 10 COVID-19 dashboard. The latest fatalities are two males, aged 77 and 59, from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), who both died while receiving care at a medical facility. The death toll so far for the month of May stands at 26. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health on Sunday recorded 80 new cases of COVID-19 from 236 tests conducted for May 6, 2021. Of these, Region One (Barima-Waini) recorded 13; Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); Region Four, 15; Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), two; Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), 27; Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), one, and Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice), 18. The newly infected persons include 47 males and 33 females. C u r r e n t l y, t h e r e a r e

16 persons within the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 101 in institutional isolation, 1,731 isolated at home, and 12 in institutional quarantine. Guyana has confirmed a total of 14,442 cases of COVID-19 since the arrival of the deadly virus in Guyana. Of that number, 1,860 are currently active; and of the 12,267 recoveries, 113 were recorded within the past 24 hours. All Guyanese are urged to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures, which emphasise the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving home, the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others, and the need for good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. If anyone you know is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or needs any additional information, kindly contact the COVID-19 Hotline on 2311166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit the Ministry of Health at www. health.gov.gy.

guyana CHRONICLE tuesday, may 11, 2021

Competition opens for ‘theme’ for Heritage Month celebrations By Naomi Parris GEARING up for this y e a r ’s c e l e b r a t i o n o f Heritage Month 2021, the Amerindian Affairs Ministry is kicking off preparations with a competition to select a t h e m e f o r t h i s y e a r ’s festivities. Speaking with Guyana C h r o n i c l e o n M o n d a y, the ministry’s Principal Regional Development Officer (PRDO), Anil Roberts, related that in light of the stresses brought on by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the past year, the ministry is looking for a theme that will reflect the resilience of the Amerindian people in their fight against the COVID-19 virus as well as the long lived traditions and beliefs of Guyana’s first people. “It is often said that the Amerindians are the guardians of the forest, and during this pandemic we looked at the techniques and the methods how Amerindians have survived throughout the year’s today with regard to their natural use of medicines, how they

keep the environment as well, preserve and protect,” Robert said, adding: “The theme should be based on something that comes out from the Amerindian way of life, our medicines and our traditional beliefs.” He stated that the theme must also promote celebrating the month’s festivities in a virtual and safe setting. “Last year, our theme was about celebrating in a safe environment, so this year we are looking for something similar to that so we can portray the promotion of indigenous people’s culture in a safe environment.” Meanwhile, the ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Leah Hernandez, disclosed that the proposed themes can be submitted to the ministry’s email, amerinidianaffairsgy@ gmail.com or at the ministry’s compound at 251-252 Thomas and Quamina streets, Georgetown. Additionally, persons living in remote areas can contact their regional community development o ff i c e r s t o m a k e t h e i r submissions or get additional information. “ We h a v e o u r

community development officers throughout the regions, and in addition to posting and advertising it on our Facebook page, we usually communicate this information to them and they would in turn inform the community as a whole.” Hernandez further explained that the theme should be suitable, wellstructured and must include an explanation, and, most importantly, it must make r e f e r e n c e t o G u y a n a ’s indigenous people. She also disclosed that persons of any age and ethnicity can make submissions. “There is no specific age group we have agreed on, anyone can enter the competition; it’s open to all ages and it doesn’t have to be Amerindian race it; could be anyone, any age, as long as your theme is in accordance with [the requirements].” The closing date for entries is June 30th and individuals with the winning theme will be awarded a cash prize of $ 25,000-$30,000 depending on how complex or how easy it is to read the theme.

Flashback! An indigenous group performing a welcome dance at the opening ceremony of Indigenous Heritage Month at the Sophia Exhibition Site in 2019

guyana CHRONICLE tuesday, may 11, 2021

Body of man found at Leguan beach

THE lifeless body of a suspected intoxicated man was on Sunday evening found at the Success Beach, Leguan, Region Three. Dead is Sihanouk Rampersaud, 55, of Better Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD), who was reported missing earlier the same day. Based on reports received, Rampersaud was visiting relatives on the island.

O n S u n d a y, Rampersaud was seen imbibing with relatives and around 16:00hrs; he then left to go fishing and swimming at the Success beach. Around 18:15hrs, his relatives noticed that he did not return, and as such, they went in search of him. While looking, they reportedly found a pair of blue pants belonging to him on the seawall.

Further checks in the area were conducted, leading to the discovery of his motionless body in the water, face down. Rampersaud was picked up and taken to the Leguan Cottage Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The body was then escorted to Leguan H o s p i t a l M o r t u a r y, where it awaits an autopsy.

Man stabs Venezuelan stepfather during argument with mother A 33-year-old Venezuelan man who resides at Bent Street, Georgetown, was on Sunday evening stabbed by his 23-year-old stepson during an argument with the stepson’s mother. Reports indicate that the victim and his reputed wife had

a misunderstanding which led to an argument. Further enquiries disclosed that the woman’s son, who lives at the said address, arrived home at said time and overheard his stepfather and mother arguing and decided to intervene, which lead to a scuffle between the

victim and the suspect. This resulted in the Venezuelan being stabbed with a knife. The suspect then made good his escape in an unknown direction. The victim was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he is now a patient.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Guyana gets second shipment of COVAX vaccine

THE Ministry of Health on Monday received a shipment of 38,400 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX facility at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri. COVAX, a partnership among the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI); Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), aims to ensure the equitable global distribution of vaccines against COVID-19.

achieving herd immunity. The WHO on its website defines herd immunity, also known as population immunity, as “the indirect protection from an infectious disease that happens when a population is immune, either through vaccination or immunity developed through previous infection.” Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony, was quick to laud COVAX for its continued assistance, noting that the new shipment would augment the previous 24,000 doses. “The Government of Guyana would like to thank COVAX, which is made up

resentative in Guyana added. Meanwhile, Sarah-Ann Lynch, the U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, said: “I am so pleased about the second COVAX delivery of vaccines to Guyana. You may know that the U.S. is providing the most funding to COVAX of any country in the world— $4 Billion. As President Biden has made clear, the U.S. supports multilateral approaches and will work as a partner to address global challenges. None of us face this threat alone. We must work together to vaccinate as many people as possible.” UNICEF Representative in Guyana, Nicolas Pron,

The vaccines being offloaded upon arrival at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on Monday (Ministry of Health photo)

The shipment is the second delivery from the facility to Guyana, and adds to 24,000 doses of the vaccine which were received on March 29, 2021, a statement released by the Health Ministry confirmed. According to the first round of COVAX allocations, Guyana is expected to continue receiving doses until it reaches 100,800. Guyana is one of the 10 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that are receiving vaccines through the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) at no cost. The new shipment is expected to strengthen Guyana’s National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, which is open to all adults 18 years and older. So far, the Ministry of Health has confirmed the vaccination of at least 32 per cent of the adult population, with the aim of

of CEPI, GAVI, WHO, the UN system and all the donor countries, especially the United States, for assisting the low and middle-income countries to get access to vaccines. This is a step in the right direction as we work to end the COVID-19 pandemic globally,” the minister was quoted as saying. “We are very pleased to receive the second shipment for the country; we are expecting 40,000 doses at the end of this month or early next month. COVAX is a platform aimed to accelerate the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country like Guyana. The country now has three COVID-19 vaccines available, for the population to access in order to keep them safe and protected,” Dr Luis Codina, PAHO/WHO Rep-

remarked that the arrival of additional COVID-19 vaccines for Guyana sets the course towards recovery, as more families and communities will have access to the life-saving protection they offer. “It brings hope for children, who have been out of classrooms and prevented from also playing together due to the pandemic, that soon they may be together again. It also serves as a reminder that health workers, teachers, parents, all who children rely on most in Guyana have the opportunity to take the vaccine and minimise the impact of the pandemic on our children,” he said. Pron added: “The vaccines are the best hope we have of ending this pandemic and rebuilding our lives. The more people who are vaccinated against

COVID-19, the more opportunities and protection for the children who rely on them.” Guyana previously received 20,000 doses of the

Sinopharm vaccine as a donation from China and 80,000 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca as a donation from India. Additionally, Guyana re-

ceived 3,000 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine from Barbados, which was part of a donation from the Government of India.

guyana CHRONICLE tuesday, may 11, 2021

Acute food insecurity soars to five-year high -- warns Global Report on Food Crises THE number of people facing acute food insecurity and needing urgent life

and livelihood-saving assistance hit a five-year high in 2020 in countries

beset by food crises, an annual report launched on Monday by the Global

Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC) -- an international alliance of the UN, the EU, governmental and non-governmental agencies working to tackle food crises together -- has found. The stark warning from the 2021 Global Report on Food Crises reveals that conflict, or economic shocks that are often related to COVID-19, along with e x t r e m e w e a t h e r, a r e continuing to push millions of people into acute food insecurity. The report reveals that at least 155 million people experienced acute food insecurity at crisis or worse levels (IPC/CH Phase 3-5) across 55 countries/ territories in 2020 -- an increase of around 20 million people from the previous year, and raises a stark warning about a worrisome trend: acute food insecurity has kept up its relentless rise since 2017-- the first edition of the report. Of these, around 133 000 people were classified in the most severe phase of acute food insecurity in 2020 -Catastrophe (IPC/CH Phase 5) -- in Burkina Faso, South Sudan and Yemen, where urgent action was needed to avert widespread death and a collapse of livelihoods. At least another 28 million people faced Emergency (IPC/CH Phase 4) level of acute food insecurity in 2020 -- meaning they were one step away from starvation -- across 38 countries/territories, where urgent action saved lives and livelihoods, and prevented famine spreading. Thirty-nine countries/ territories have experienced food crises during the five years that the GNAFC has been publishing its annual report; in these countries/ territories, the population affected by high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC/ CH Phase 3-5) increased from 94 to 147 million people between 2016 and 2020. Additionally, in the 55 food-crisis countries/ territories covered by the report, over 75 million children under five were stunted (too short) and over 15 million wasted (too thin) in 2020. Countries in Africa

remained disproportionally affected by acute food i n s e c u r i t y. C l o s e t o 98 million people facing acute food insecurity in 2020 -- or two out of three -- were on the African continent. But other parts of the world have also not been spared, with countries including Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria and Haiti among the 10 worst food crises last year. THE KEY DRIVERS The key drivers are conflict (main driver pushing almost 100 million people into acute food insecurity, up from 77 million in 2019); economic shocks -- often due to COVID-19 -- replaced weather events as the second driver of acute food insecurity, both in terms of numbers of people a n d c o u n t r i e s a ff e c t e d (over 40 million people in 17 countries/territories, up from 24 million and eight countries in 2019); and, weather extremes (over 15 million people, down from 34 million). While conflict will remain the major driver of food crises in 2021, COVID-19 and related containment measures and weather extremes will continue to exacerbate acute food insecurity in fragile economies. “One year after the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the outlook for 2021 and beyond is grim. Conflict, pandemicrelated restrictions fuelling economic hardship and the persistent threat of adverse weather conditions will likely continue driving food crises,” said the European Union (EU), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) founding members of the Global Network - together with USAID in a joint statement released with the report. “The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the fragility of the global food system and the need for more equitable, sustainable and resilient systems to nutritiously and consistently feed 8.5 billion people by 2030. A radical transformation of our agrifood systems is needed to achieve the Sustainable

Development Goals. “The protracted nature of most food crises shows that long-term environmental, social and economic trends compounded by increasing conflict and insecurity are eroding the resilience of agri-food systems. If current trends are not reversed, food crises will increase in frequency and severity.” To a d d r e s s t h e s e challenges, the Global Network will step up efforts to promote resilient agri-food systems that are socially, environmentally and economically sustainable, and will support major events this year such as the UN Food Systems Summit, the Convention on Biodiversity, the G20 Summit, the Climate Change Conference, and the Nutrition for Growth Summit. It will also cooperate with the G7 initiative to avert famine. The Global Network emphasises the need to act urgently and decisively, and calls for the international community to mobilise against hunger. “Conflict and hunger are mutually reinforcing. We need to tackle hunger and conflict together to solve either.... We must do everything we can to end this vicious cycle. Addressing hunger is a foundation for stability and peace,” said António Guterres, SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations, in the foreword of the report. In March 2021, Guterres established a High-Level Task Force on Preventing Famine, led by the Under-SecretaryGeneral for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, along with FAO and WFP and with the support of OCHA and other UN agencies as well as NGO partners. The Task Force aims to bring coordinated, highlevel attention to famine prevention and mobilise support to the most affected countries. (FAO)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Man turns self in after fatally stabbing brother By Indrawattie Natram

A 32-year-old labourer was fatally stabbed and his brother injured during a drunken brawl at their mother’s Fairfield, Essequibo Coast home, on Sunday night. Dead is Ganga Persaud called “Toney” of Fairfield. His brother, Muneshwar Persaud, a fisherman of Wakenaam Island received injures to the head during the incident. The suspect who is their brother, is in police custody.

two deep breaths and died. “He dropped to the ground and then dead. He just died,” the teary-eyed man said. The suspect fled to the backlands but later returned home, relatives said, adding that his mother immediately took him to the Suddie Police Station. The men’s mother, Margret Gouvia, told this publication that at the time of the incident she was resting in bed as she was feeling unwell. She said her pressure was high and the brothers were drinking outside.

The house where the stabbing incident took place

The police in a statement issued on Monday said that investigations revealed that around 15:00hrs, the suspect, the deceased, and Muneshwar were imbibing when there was an argument between the suspect and Ganga. “The suspect dealt the victim a lash to his head with a rum bottle. The third relative pushed the suspect away. Both the suspect and victim exited the house via the back and front doors respectively,” the statement said. It added that Muneshwar later noticed the suspect standing at the side of the house shouting, “He dead! He dead!” According to the police, Muneshwar further claimed that about 10 feet away from the suspect, he saw the deceased in a pool of blood bleeding from a wound to his left side under the arm. He and a neighbour rushed Persaud to the Suddie Hospital where he was examined by a doctor on duty who pronounced him dead. The suspect made good his escape, but was brought to the police by his mother early Monday morning. He was promptly arrested and is assisting the police with their investigation. The police statement differed from the accounts of relatives and made no mention of Muneshwar being injured. Relatives told the Guyana Chronicle that Muneshwar, Ganga and the 22-year-old suspect who is their brother were drinking at their mother’s house round 22:00hrs when Muneshwar and his wife had a misunderstanding. They claimed that Ganga armed himself with a rum bottle and dealt Muneshwar a lash to the head. The suspect who was armed with a knife then stabbed Ganga in the chest. Muneshwar related that after his wounded brother dropped to the ground, he took

Ganga Persaud

She related that her husband died 17 years ago and the suspect and Ganga were living with her. Ganga spent most of his time working in the interior, while the suspect was the sole breadwinner for the household. “He came this morning home, he was crying and said he was sorry and said his brother was going to stab him. I told him to stop crying and let me take you to the police,” she said sadly, before expressing disbelief that he could wilfully stab his brother. Meanwhile, the men’s sister Lisa Prashad spoke with this publication. She was not around at the time of the incident but said the suspect is the one brother who would usually take care of her 58-year-old mother. She said she is very shocked over the entire incident, adding that the deceased who was the second of five children for his parents, was a very caring person. “Is five ah we and he was the second one. I have four brothers now he is dead. I don’t know what to say, the situation is sad and my mother is sickly,” she said. Police visited the scene and cordoned off the area to prevent persons from entering the house.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 11, 2021

GUYANA CHRONICLE, TUESDAY MAY 11, 2021

IDCE introduces six new programmes

THE University of Guyana’s Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) has introduced six new programmes for the new academic year 2021/22. These are BSc. Computing, Information Technology and Business, Diploma in Crime and Criminology, Pre-University English Reading Skills, Pre-University English Writing Skills, Small Business Management and Business Plan Preparation and Writing. This suite adds to the 10 new programmes being offered by the university this academic year which respond to the growing need for quality, affordable and relevant programmes in Guyana and the Caribbean. The IDCE is the extra-mural arm of the University of Guyana and is leading the way with fulfilling the university’s forward-thinking Blueprint 2040 of ensuring one graduate per Guyanese household by 2040. According to a release, the IDCE is committed to providing equal access to quality education to individuals and groups irrespective of geographical location. The BSc Computing, Information Technology and Business programmes will produce graduates with broadbased Computing, Information Technology and Business-related IT skills. Graduates of the degree can establish their own businesses or pursue careers in the private and public sectors in occupations such as data base administrators, web designers, IT consultants, web marketers/managers, and IT managers. The diploma in crime and criminology is designed for persons in the fields of law enforcement, para-legal, deeds registry, journalism

and social services to enable them to function in their respective positions. It is designed to equip participants with the professional competencies in the context of the local, regional, and global changes in demand for these professionals. The pre-university English reading skills is a self-study, online course intended for students who require English Language qualifications that meet the standard for entry level into higher education studies, and who wish to increase their confidence in the use of English for academic purposes. VITAL SKILLS A major goal of this course is to help students develop the skills necessary to read fluently, comprehend and critically evaluate information presented in both audio and written texts. The course is presented in both print and digital workbook formats. Similarly, the pre-University English Writing Skills is a selfstudy, online course intended for students who require English Language qualifications that meet the standard for entry level into higher education studies, and who wish to increase their confidence in the use of English for academic purposes. A major goal of this course is to help students build confidence and develop proficiency in writing, grammar and vocabulary use as well as to address writing challenges that are related to understanding specific types of written texts. The course is presented in both print and digital work-book formats. The Small Business Management course is designed for entrepreneurs and persons desirous of acquiring the skills to manage a small business. A theoretical and prac-

tical approach is used to impart the knowledge necessary for participants to effectively manage a small business. And the Business Plan Preparation and Writing course is designed for small business owners, persons planning to start a new venture, and administrators and managers who require the skill to write business plans.

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IDCE Director, Dr Jacqueline Murray said: “At the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education, we do not just train persons as an end. We ensure that any training which is provided meets the personal and professional development needs of individuals and groups and imbues them the skills and competencies to execute their respective mandates.” She added: “Engaging our stakeholders purposefully ensures that the programmes and courses which we develop and deliver are underpinned by their expressed and implied needs. As a matter of IDCE Director, Dr Jacqueline Murray fact, the new programmes and cross-section of persons ranging from age 16 courses are a fusion of needs, theory and practice and will undoubtedly ensure and above. The unemployed, including out-of-school that participants leave with abilities which are youths, are also given a chance to upgrade of tremendous value to all.” Since its establishment on January 02, academically or technically with the aim of 1976, the institute has delivered a menu of creating jobs for themselves, making themcontinuing education and personal and pro- selves job ready, or being able to pursue fessional development programmes across the higher education. For a full listing of entry country. The IDCE has branches in George- requirements, programmes and courses town, Anna Regina, New Amsterdam, Linden being offered by IDCE, please visit: https:// and Bartica. The institute caters for a wide idce.uog.edu.gy/.

Over 260 Mon Repos residents receive second dose of COVID vaccine

HEALTH Minister Dr. Frank Anthony has commended the Block 8 Development Group of Mon Repos for responding to the government’s call to collaborate and promote COVID-19 immunisation. During the exercise on Saturday, over 267 persons received their second doses of the Sputnik V vaccine.

Meanwhile, Minister within the Ministry of Housing, Susan Rodrigues, who held a walkthrough of the community and distributed food hampers to less privileged individuals and families, also commended the group. The minister said she too was impressed with the Block 8 group’s organisation and response to the activity.

Minister within the Ministry of Housing, Susan Rodrigues, interacts with residents of Block 8 Mon Repos during a vaccination exercise in the community on Saturday

In an invited comment, Minister Anthony said, “It shows the power of working with community groups. Here it is we made that call and we are extremely pleased that this community group here, Block 8 Development Group, heeded that call and has been able to work with the Ministry of Health. We have provided the technical personnel, the vaccines and so forth, but they did all the community organising and mobilising of people.”

“I’m very proud of the efforts that are being put into the vaccination drive from the community itself. This type of community effort you know, is exemplary and it would be wonderful if this can be replicated throughout the country,” Minister Rodrigues said. Meanwhile, Chairman of the community group, Karamchand Jaikaran, told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that it was formed only a month ago and has a specific mandate

of overseeing development of the community. He added that with the pandemic, it was only fitting to support the government in its quest to achieve herd immunity by ensuring that more than 80 per cent of the population is immunised against COVID-19. “I have been living in the community for the past 10 years or so and we have a few members who want to do a lot for the community; that’s where we actually started this exercise. Concerning the COVID-19, we realised that vaccination is the only solution we have presently. So, we are going out sensitising the people in the community and even beyond the community to be vaccinated,” he said. The Block 8 group’s Public Relations Officer, Troy Edmondson, said it has seen quite an overwhelming response from villagers. He said another exercise will be organised soon. The first person to receive her second dose of the vaccine during the exercise, Lakshmi Lakshman, told DPI that she had no adverse symptoms after receiving her first dose. Another resident, Dasmattie Balram, recounted a similar experience. “I’m here for my second dose of the vaccine. The first dose, I did not have no symptom in spite of all the allergies that I have.” (DPI)

guyana CHRONICLE tuesday, may 11, 2021

Capoey women thankful for Sunrise Bakery -say it provides them with hope

in general [and] offering them, skills to uplift themselves. It is hoped that this bakery will now be able to supply the daily needs of the community. It will also be able to provide nutritious meals for schoolchildren in the village. As the bakery becomes more established, it is hoped that they will be able to supply surrounding villages, as well as the entire Essequibo coastland,” she

added. To s h a o o f C a p o e y, Ralph Hendricks said he is very happy for the women as they have now more empowered and marketable. He said his village will be more economically viable and many women will also learn the skills of baking from those who have already received training.

The bakers and members of the Guyana Foundation By Indrawattie Natram SEVENTEEN women who are now employed at the recently opened Sunrise Bakery located at Capoey in Region Two, are very thankful for the project and have extended gratitude to the Guyana Foundation and the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). The women said the skills they have gained from the training provided by the Guyana Foundation will make them marketable and better individuals. Work is currently being done on the $12 million facility to install solar panels. The project when completed will cost approximately $15 million. Funds received from the Estate of Glynn Ludlow Hunte, a Guyanese who resided in the United Kingdom, was also used for the project. Aleema Edwards told the Guyana Chronicle that she is very thankful for the baking and financial management skills she acquired while participating in the training programme. Edwards said she is now in a better position to provide for her family. According to her, the bakery was constructed at an opportune time when the region is feeling the effects of the pandemic. In addition to the women, one male from the Amerindian community attended the skills-training programme to become bakers at the foundation’s Sunrise Centre at Zorg-en-Vlygt on the Essequibo Coast. The three-month course was taught by facilitators hired by the Guyana Foundation.

On completion, selected participants benefited from additional training in basic financial and small business management. Jenita Hendricks said that she is very appreciative as she has learnt many new things about baking. The mother told this publication that she was able to form a close bond with the other participants and the Guyana Foundation team. She said that she intends to use her skills to further serve her community and family. Meanwhile, Marlyn Henry, a mother of one related that she is more empowered and she can go to any part of the world to bake. Henry said that she will be forever thankful to the Guyana Foundation and all their partners, who assisted in making the opening of the bakery a reality. The lone male, Franklyn Seeram, who is a father of three said that he was happy to be a part of the classes. He said he learnt and is now equipped with the skills needed to be a better baker. The Guyana Foundation has brought in state-of-theart baking equipment from the United States. The bakery was constructed where an old building once stood. That structure was demolished and contractor Romesh Bojraj was chosen to build the bakery. Founder of the Guyana Foundation, Supriya SinghBodden, said she is often asked why is there a need for charitable projects in a country with such vast oil wealth. She said her response is that until every single Guyanese, in all of

the regions of Guyana, of all ethnicities, can lift their heads out of poverty and participate fully in the material wealth of the country, Guyana will remain poor in her mind. It is for this reason, she said, that the work of the foundation must continue. The foundation looks forward to partnering

with more agencies and individuals around the world to assist it in its mission to uplift the people of Guyana, who are the country’s “only real asset.” “This project fits into the type of work the foundation has been doing over the years to try to renew villages around Guyana, empowering women, empowering people

Guyana Foundation founder, Supriya SinghBodden, using a modern piece of mixing equipment to explain the baking process to Prime Minister Mark Phillips, First Lady Arya Ali and Region Two Chairperson Vilma De Silva

guyana CHRONICLE tuesday, may 11, 2021

GBTI donates $3.4M to SVG disaster relief efforts P R I M E M i n i s t e r, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, on Monday, received a cheque for over $3.4M from the Guyana Bank of Trade and Industry (GBTI) to contribute to the disaster relief efforts of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC). The donation comes on the heels of the CDC’s efforts to assist fellow CARICOM state, St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), after the eruption of the Soufriere volcano on the main island last

month. Scores of businesses contributed to the relief efforts, which aided the Government of Guyana to send three shipments of emergency items to the affected islands. Prime Minister Phillips said the cheque of 3,440,138, which was presented to him during a simple ceremony in his office, is a timely donation. The financial contribution by GBTI, he said, is also a good show of corporate social responsibility.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips receives the cheque from GBTI Chief Executive Officer (ag), James Foster, as Public Relations/Marketing Manager of GBTI, Pamela Binda-Pryce and Deputy DirectorGeneral of the CDC, Major Loring Benons look on

“I thank GBTI for this donation; it is timely and it will contribute to further disaster-related efforts… we must commend GBTI for their display of corporate social responsibility as they continue to support Guyana’s efforts in the management of disasters.” He added that the money will be used in

activities executed by the CDC, including further assistance to St Vincent. GBTI Chief Executive Officer (ag), James Foster, said the bank takes its corporate social responsibility seriously and sees the development of Guyana as a part of its duty. “Our responsibility is to help develop Guyana. A strong Guyana will

help to support a strong CARICOM region, and it’s very important that we work towards that continued development,” said Foster. A l s o p re s e n t w a s Public Relations/ Marketing Manager of GBTI, Pamela BindaPryce and Deputy Director-General of the CDC, Major Loring Benons.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 11, 2021

SOUTH AFRICA RACING TIPS FAIRVIEW 08:40 HRS ARION EXPRESS 09:20 HR MIFID TWO 10:00 HRS IRON HENRY 10:33 HRS WHAT A CRACKER IRISH RACING TIPS ROSCOMMON 08:30 HRS COOL AND CLEVER 09:00 HRS LUST FOR LIIFE 09:30 HRS STAR OF CASHEL 10:00 HRS PORT SUNLIGHT 10:30 HRS ME TOO PLEASE 11:00 HRS PERSIAN QUEEN 11:30 HRS BELL EX ONE AMERICAN RACING TIPS FINGER LAKES RACE 1 GABBY’SGOLDENVOICE RACE 2 TUXEDO LEMON RACE 3 DIAL ONE RACE 4 FUN AND GAMES RACE 5 DOUBLE D DAY RACE 6 MAYBE A RAINBOW RACE 7 LUNE LAKE RACE 8 WARRIORS REVENGE ENGLISH RACING TIPS BEVERLEY 08:45 HRS COME QUICK 09:15 HRS MO CELITA 09:45 HRS SOUL SEEKER 10:15 HRS ZIHAAM 10:45 HRS VILLEURBAVVE 11:15 HRS ALNAJEEB 11:45 HRS TIMELESS SOUL WETHERBY 12:15 HRS MONEYKENNY 12:50 HRS APPRECIATE 13:20 HRS BINT AUSTRALIA 13:50 HRS MAXIMUM RISK 14:25 HRS FAST MEDICINE 14:55 HRS ARAIF JAN 15:25 HRS DENZIL’S LAUGHING AYR 12:25 HRS SCUDAMORE 13:00 HRS GIVE ‘EM THE SLIP 13:30 HRS PERFECT SOLDIER 14:05 HRS TOMMY G 14:35 HRS HONG KONG HARRY 15:05 HRS DREAM WITH ME 15:35 HRS PUCKLE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Harper says Holder’s workload to be managed BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – Selectors will be monitoring the workload of premier all-rounder, Jason Holder, especially with the 29-year-old heavily involved in all three formats for West Indies. Last week, he was the only player to be rewarded with an all-formats contract, a reflection of the Barbadian’s performance over the last year in all three versions of the game. However, chief selector Roger Harper reiterated while Holder was key for the Caribbean side, his panel were keen on avoiding burnout. “It’s something we’ve already been looking at and

Premier Test all-rounder Jason Holder

trying to plan ahead in discussion with the player as well,” Harper said. “We have a packed

schedule this year for the remainder of the year so it is something that we will certainly take into consideration as we go ahead.” Holder, an accomplished lower order batsman and seamer, has made his name in Tests where he currently sits on top of the all-rounders rankings, averaging 33 with the bat and 27 with the ball. While still captain, he featured in all five Tests last year on tours of England and New Zealand but opted out of the series in Bangladesh last February before returning for the rubber against Sri Lanka in the Caribbean a month later. He has also played a

Former Sri Lanka batsman Gunawardene cleared of match-fixing FORMER Sri Lanka international Avishka Gunawardene has been cleared of match-fixing by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Gunawardene was charged in 2019 for "directly or indirectly soliciting" a participant to "influence improperly the result of a match" and for failing to report the approach. The charges related

to the 2018 United Arab Emirates' T10 League. Opening batsman Gunawardene is now free to resume participation in cricket. His compatriot Nuwan Zoysa, who was banned from all cricket for six years in April, was also charged at the same time, and has been cleared of three offences but found guilty of failing to co-op-

erate with the investigation. Zoysa, 45, played 30 Tests and 95 one-day internationals and was Sri Lanka bowling coach from 2015 until his suspension in 2019. Gunawardene, 43, played six Tests and 61 ODIs between 1999 and 2006 and was Sri Lanka's interim batting coach in 2019.(BBC Sport)

Ramkelawan returned for third consecutive... (From back page)

Secretary Suresh Jainarine, in his brief remarks, highlighted the challenge in getting ECCCC as a voting member under the East Coast body which is recognised by the current Demerara Cricket Board. “This is despite the club being a finalist in three different versions of cricket during 2019-2020 and being one of the most vibrant club for the past five years.” Ramkelewan was elected unopposed, as the majority of the past executives also thanked members of the club for showing confidence in him and his team. The Chairman outlined a series of programmes that remain incomplete due to the

pandemic. He promised to facilitate their completion post-Covid and to further promote the game. High on the agenda is a tour to Barbados. The club members were also encouraged to “up their level of discipline in keeping with the club's motto”. In addition, four youth players were recognised for their outstanding cricket progress thus far while the major sponsors during the past year: Banks DIH Ltd, Rajin Auto Paint, Cricketzone USA, Motor Trend Auto Spares, D&E Tent Rental and R.Kisson Construction Services were all applauded.

The Jainarine brothers were also praised for their contribution towards the building of the youth teams at the club. Internally, the chairman was also recognised for his contributions towards the development of cricket on the East Coast. The 2021 office bearers are: Chairman-- Bheemraj Ramkelawan; Secretary and club captain-- Suresh Jainarine; Treasurer-- Vivikanand Ishwardin; Assistant Secretary/Treasurer -- Tahal Ganesh and Committee members: Ramdeo Ramkissoon, Kenon Ramascindo, Ryan Ganesh and Shameer Shahib.

steady diet of One-Day Internationals accumulating 118 to his name and recently returned to the Twenty20 side for the Sri Lanka series. However, Harper admitted that resting players in the COVID-19 environment came with challenges, especially with series being staged in bio-secure bubbles and with international travel now hampered by quarantine regulations. “You have to understand as well we’re in a situation here in COVID times [where]

it’s not easy for rest to be allocated … and if there is rest then it still probably has to be within the bubble because travel is not an easy thing,” he explained. “Travel doesn’t just mean flying somewhere, it means probably quarantining when you come in and whenever you’re going back to wherever you’re going back to, and then to come back and quarantine again. “So a lot of careful thought and planning has to be put into this. It’s some-

thing we have marked as a priority and we’re looking at it.” Holder led West Indies in 37 of his 47 Tests, winning 11, losing 21 and drawing five games, before he was sacked last March and replaced by fellow Barbadian Kraigg Brathwaite. He also undertook the burden of ODI skipper for 4-½ years and led the regional side to the World Cup in 2019 before being relieved of his duties later that year.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Shaheen's career-best 'five-for' sees Pakistan to big win over Zimbabwe (REUTERS) - Seamer Shaheen Afridi took a career best five for 52 as Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by an innings and 147 runs early on the fourth day of the second test at Harare Sports Club on Monday. Pakistan needed just one wicket at the start of the day and it took a little over 20 minutes for Shaheen to induce an edge from Luke Jongwe (37) to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, wrapping up the contest

as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 231 in their second innings. Pakistan won the first Test by an innings and 116 runs and have now completed a comprehensive series victory, which followed limited overs success in South Africa. The tourists had elected to bat and posted a massive 510 for eight declared, boosted by a maiden double-ton for opener Abid Ali, who spent almost 11 hours at the crease for his 215. Seamer Hasan Ali claimed

5-27 in Zimbabwe’s reply, skittling the home side for 132, before Nauman Ali (5-86) and Shaheen did the damage with the ball in the follow-on innings, claiming all the wickets to fall. Only Regis Chakabva (80) and stand-in skipper Brendan Taylor (49) offered much resistance to the Pakistan victory charge, with most of the damage done on the third day when the visitors picked up 15 wickets.

SCOREBOARD PAKISTAN 1st innings 519 for 8 dec’l Zimbabwe 1st innings 132 Zimbabwe 2nd innings o/n 220 for 9

Kevin Kasuza b Nauman Ali Tarisai Musakanda c Mohammad Rizwan b Shaheen Afridi Regis Chakabva c Babar Azam b Nauman Ali Brendan Taylor c Mohammad Rizwan b Shaheen Afridi Milton Shumba c Imran Butt b Nauman Ali Luke Jongwe c Mohammad Rizwan b Shaheen Afridi Donald Tiripano lbw Nauman Ali Roy Kaia c Sajid Khan b Nauman Ali Tendai Chisoro b Shaheen Afridi Richard Ngarava b Shaheen Afridi Blessing Muzarabani Not Out Extras 1b 5lb 1nb 0pen 0w Total (68.0 overs) 231 all out

22 8 80 49 16 37 0 0 8 0 4 7

Fall of Wickets : 1-13 Musakanda, 2-63 Kasuza, 3-142 Taylor, 4-170 Chakabva, 5-188 Shumba, 6-196 Tiripano, 7-196 Kaia, 8-205 Chisoro, 9-205, Ngarava, 10-231 Bowling: Shaheen Afridi 20 - 5 - 52 - 5 (1nb), Tabish Khan 11 - 3 - 46 - 0, Hassan Ali 10 - 7 - 9 - 0, Sajid Khan 6 - 1 - 32 - 0, Nauman Ali 21 - 3 - 86 - 5.

Remaining IPL games can't be played in India: BCCI chief Ganguly NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The remainder of the suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) season will have to be played outside the country, the organising Indian cricket board said, though it is unclear whether a window can be found to play the outstanding 31 games. The popular Twenty20 league was suspended indefinitely last week after several personnel tested positive for COVID-19. India reported 366,161 new COVID-19 infections on Monday, taking the caseload to 22.66 million. Sourav Ganguly, head

of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), told Sportstar magazine that COVID-19 restrictions meant it was impossible to stage the remaining games in India. "There are lots of organisational hazards like 14-day quarantine. It can't happen in India," Ganguly said. "This quarantine is tough to handle. Too early to say how we can find a slot to complete the IPL." Warwickshire, Surrey and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) are keen to host the remaining matches in September, but a BCCI official told Reuters on Fri-

day they were yet to discuss the offer. The entire 2020 tournament was played in the United Arab Emirates because of the pandemic. Ganguly also said India would play three one-dayers and five Twenty20 Internationals in Sri Lanka in July though the BCCI is likely to field a second-string squad. Virat Kohli's side are due to leave for England in early June for the World Test Championship final in Southampton against New Zealand. They will then play a five-test series against England.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Trainer expects Saunders to retire following devastating eye injury TRAINER Jamie Moore expects Billy Joe Saunders to retire from boxing following his devastating eye injury in his loss to Canelo Alvarez last Saturday night in Arlington, Texas. Saunders (30-1, 14 KOs) suffered a quadripod fracture of his right orbital bone, which involved three separate fractures. With that type of injury, there’s a risk that Saunders’ career will be finished. Moore believes that Saunders, 31, won’t want to return to the ring to risk his health again after the eye injury. Moreover, Saunders may lack the motivation to continue fighting when he sees his pay dropping off dramatically for his next fight. Saunders made a lot of money for the Canelo fight, and unfortunately, he’s not likely to receive anywhere close to that. “You could see the damage instantly as soon as the shot landed, and the look of it is a lot different than the normal swelling of the eye,” said Jamie Moore to iFL TV about Saunder’s fight-ending eye injury in the eighth round against Canelo. “I think Billy is at the stage where he’s done so much financially out of the sport, and he’s achieved a

Canelo Alvarez stopped Billy Joe Saunders to win super-middleweight bout as Brit 'busts eye socket'

lot.

“This could be the kind of injuries where he sort of goes, ‘Is it worth still putting your health at risk for the long-term goals? Do I need to do it anymore?’ “So I don’t think he [Saunders] will carry on.. It’s such a tough game, and especially to hit the heights that he hit. “The magnitude of that experience. It’s going to be a big ask to get him to come back to box a 10-rounder against a top 20 guy after he’s had an injury. “I don’t foresee that happening. There’s plenty of fights there for him, and he’s young enough to do it if he wanted to it. “And I think a lot of us that come from the back-

ground that we come from; we want to financially secure ourselves and our families to make sure that we don’t have to experience what we’ve experienced in the previous generations. “He’s done that now, so I don’t foresee him trying to risk that,” said Moore about Saunders having made his money out of the sport. Moore could be right about Saunders not returning to the ring to risk suffering a similar injury to his right orbital bone. Billy Joe made an estimated $7 million for the Canelo fight, and he’s probably not going to want to come back to the ring to make a fraction of against a hungry contender. (Boxing News 24)

Serena ready to return for clay swing after intense training (REUTERS) - Serena Williams will this week play her first match since her Australian Open semi-final exit in February but the American does not feel unprepared for the WTA 1000 event having had enough practice before arriving in Rome. The 39-year-old said she felt “pretty fresh” ahead of the claycourt swing as she prepares for the French Open, which starts at the end of May. “I trained for the past twoand-a-half weeks at Patrick’s (coach Mouratoglou’s) academy, and then training a lot on the clay in the United States with team members,” she told reporters in Rome on Monday. “So we had an intense,

several weeks of training, very intense. “I feel good. I’m in Rome. I’m going to have some good matches here hopefully, and then I will be at another Grand Slam which always makes me excited.” Roland Garros has been the least rewarding of the four majors for Williams, who won the last of her 23 Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open in 2017 before giving birth to her daughter. She will probably fancy her chances more on the grasscourts of Wimbledon, which will return with a raft of changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year after being cancelled last year for the first time since World War II. Players at this year’s Wimbledon can have a max-

imum of three in their entourage and will have to stay in designated hotels, rather than the plush private housing around the All England Club that top competitors prefer. “I feel like it will be a good experience still,” said Williams, who has won the women’s singles title at Wimbledon seven times. “We have been through this all last year, having actually sometimes some tournaments a maximum of two. “So thank goodness that I have experienced it before so I can kind of be ready for it. “It’s definitely going to be different staying in the city. It’s going to be really nice, for one, but then it will be, like, ‘Oh, I have to leave an hour in advance instead of five minutes.”

Giles hints at possible new faces for England in New Zealand series ASHLEY Giles has paved the way for “new faces” in England’s first Test series of the summer against New Zealand. The managing director of men’s cricket at the England and Wales Cricket Board has suggested players who recently returned from the postponed Indian Premier League into quarantine may be eased back into action gently. Among those currently serving their 10-day isolation time in government-approved hotels are Jos Buttler, Sam Curran and Chris Woakes – who all have red-ball central contracts – as well as the likes of Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali, who featured for the Test side over the winter. With Ben Stokes and Dom Sibley currently out injured and Jofra Archer doubtful having just returned to action with Sussex’s 2nd XI, the need for possible reinforcements for the June 2 opening Test against the Black Caps is apparent. Among the pace attack, Archer’s uncapped county colleague Ollie Robinson is well fancied to push for a debut following an eye-catching start to the county season while Somerset’s Craig Overton, who won the last of his four Test caps in Septem-

Somerset’s Craig Overton has been in superb form topping the wicket –taking charts with 32 wickets at 13.96

ber 2019, has been in superb form. As well as topping the wicket-taking charts with 32 victims at 13.96, the 27-yearold is an improving batsman and may hope to feature as an all-rounder. Gloucestershire’s James Bracey, who has spent much of the past year in England bubbles, is averaging 52.70 and is a viable top order option. Assessing the likely read-

iness of the IPL contingent, Giles said: “We’re going to treat it on a case by case basis. All these guys are currently in quarantine and have had a number of spells in quarantine and bubbles in this last period. “We need to look after them, with the amount of cricket they’ve got coming up, we’re not going to rush or force them back into cricket. Chris Silverwood (head coach) will work with each and every one of them, as will our medical teams, on what’s best for their progress. “What we do know, and what’s not going to change, is the weight of cricket. Given the Ashes series (next winter), we don’t know what conditions that’s going to be played in at the moment with regard to a Covid environment, but we are going to need a bigger group of players still. We may also choose against New Zealand to look at some new faces. “With the amount of other cricket we have to play, we almost want to get this tapering towards the Ashes. We have got to get that right. Is that against New Zealand? I don’t know, that’s something for us to continue to discuss.”(PA Sport)

Basketball legend's North Carolina jersey sells for a record £1m A game-worn jersey belonging to Michael Jordan from his second season at the University of North Carolina sold for a record $1.38m (£1m) on Saturday. It is the only known shirt photo-matched to the basketball legend's 1982-83 season with the Tar Heels. It sold for more than three times the previous record for a Jordan jersey. "As the final price tag proves, this jersey has everything any serious collector could possibly want," Chris Ivy of Heritage Auctions said. From the University of North Carolina, Jordan was taken as the third pick in the 1984 NBA draft. A Jordan jersey from his third season with the Bulls in 1986-87 last year sold for $480,000 (£343,000). Jordan won six NBA championships in the 1990s with the Bulls and estab-

Michael Jordan was named Sporting News' NCAA Player of the Year in the 1982-83 season with North Carolina

lished himself as one of the world's most iconic athletes. Items associated with the basketball Hall of Famer, who now owns the Charlotte Hornets NBA franchise, have fetched huge sums of money. A pair of game-worn Air Jordan 1s High, replete with an embedded shard of glass

from a backboard shattered by a particularly powerful Jordan dunk, sold for a record $615,000 (£460,000) at Christies in August 2020. That followed the previous high watermark set by a Sotheby's auction held months earlier, when a signed pair of Air Jordan 1s netted $560,000 (£426,000). (BBC Sport)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 11, 2021

BIBI Farida Shaw honoured as BCB Mother-of-the-Year …Foster stresses the importance of parents in the development of youth cricketers THE Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) on Friday last honoured Ms Bibi Farida Shaw of No 72 Village, Upper Corentyne as its Brian Ramphal Mother-of-the-Year Awardee for 2021. Ms Shaw, a mother of two cricketers, was selected based on her support of cricket in the area and also for the role she is playing in the career of her two sons-- Seiraj and Devanand Chatterpal. BCB president, Hilbert Foster and Public Relations Officer (PRO) Simon Naidu, visited Ms Shaw at her residence to honour her in the presence of the Treasurer of the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association, Victor Thakurdeen, and her children. Foster stated that since the election of his elder brother, Keith, to the presidency of the BCB back in 2009, the board has honored mothers and fathers of cricketers.

BCB Mother-of-the-Year, Bibi Shaw, poses with BCB PRO, Simon Naidu, UCCA Treasurer, Victor Thakurdeen and her (Shaw) son

The main reason, the BCB President stated, was to recognise the important role that parents play in the lives of their children. He stated that all players usually join cricket clubs at about eleven years

old and, as such, parents are usually their first role model, teacher and coach. The BCB boss stated it was at home that the virtues of discipline are instilled. He noted that in Berbice, most

Striker Smith ready for national return ahead of next month’s World Cup quaifiers HAMILTON, Bermuda, (CMC) – National coach Kyle Lightbourne has welcomed United Kingdom-based striker Jonté Smith’s announcement that he has made himself available for selection for Bermuda’s national team ahead of next month’s World Cup qualifying matches against the Cayman Islands and Suriname. The 26-year-old striker, who plays for Woking in England’s fifth-tier National League, missed the first two CONCACAF Zone Group B matches against Canada and Aruba in March. However, Smith confirmed at the weekend that he has committed to the island’s remaining qualifying group matches. “I’m happy at the possibility of being back with my team-mates,” he told the Royal Gazette newspaper. “I know that we’re all looking forward to doing our best to get six points in the next two games.

Bermudian striker Jonte Smith

“We want to do everything we can to put ourselves in the best position possible. “We know that it won’t be easy with it being hard to prepare how we normally would for international games, with question marks around some players’ availability and the issues that COVID causes to travel and preparation. “All we can do is do our best with the things that we can control and adapt to the things that we can’t.” Lightbourne, happy to have the player’s services at his disposal once again, said: “Jonté is one of our leading strikers on the island, so it’s always good to have your

top players available. “It’s not always possible people are going to be available due to certain (COVID-19) travel restrictions and where they are just generally in their life.” Fit-again Smith, son of former Bermuda national cricket coach Clay Smith, joined Woking in January after being sidelined by a serious ankle injury he picked up at the end of the 2019-20 season while playing for League Two club Cheltenham Town, but has so far failed to score in 12 appearances. Lightbourne’s team are third in Group B behind Canada and Suriname, who both have six points after two matches. Bermuda suffered a 5-1 defeat against Canada before bouncing back with a 5-0 win over Aruba in their opening qualifying matches in Florida in March. Only the top team in the group will advance to the next round of the competition.

mothers are housewives and as such are the parents who have regular contact with children in the home. Foster, who is also the vice-president of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), also

congratulated Ms Shaw on her achievement and urged her to uphold her high standard as a parent and to continue her support of the game. Foster also hailed the outstanding work of the Upper

Corentyne Cricket Association and described it as the best-organised sub association in Guyana. Mr. Thakurdeen, speaking on behalf of the UCCA, congratulated Ms Shaw and urged other mothers to follow in her footsteps. He stated that her support for activities of the UCCA is unmatched by any parent in the area and she was always available to assist. Thakurdeen expressed thanks to the BCB for its outstanding stewardship of cricket in the ancient county. An emotional Shaw stated that she felt very humbled to be honoured and pledge that she would continue to support her two sons and the UCCA. Meanwhile, Ms. Shaw received a plaque, Medal of Excellence, framed Certificate of Excellence and several special gifts. The programme was sponsored by overseas-based Guyanese businessman, Brian Ramphal, a long-time sponsor of cricket in Berbice.

Roger Harper retains Demerara Cricket Club presidency THERE were no major surprises when one of the oldest cricket clubs in Guyana, Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) held its Annual General Meeting recently. Long-standing member and former player of the Queenstown institution, Roger Harper was elected unopposed to serve another two-year term. Harper, who is also currently the Lead Selector of Cricket West Indies (CWI) and former coach, also served in a similar position for the past two years. Lawrence Smith, who previously served as Second Vice-President, was elevated to First Vice-President, while another veteran club members Patrick Harding is the Second Vice-President. Long-standing umpire administrator Colin Alfred takes over the role of secretary, replacing Mahindra Jaikarran while Dennis Squires maintains his position as Club Captain. Lyndon Lyght is the new Indoor Captain, having replaced Dionne Cush-Barn-

Former West Indies coach Roger Haper

well while and veteran Journalist Adam Harris continues to be the club’s Public Rela-

tions Officer. Due to the fact that no one accepted nominations for the posts of Treasurer and Assistant Secretary/Treasurer, these positions were left vacant but are expected to be filled at the next executive members meeting. The Committee Members are: Troy Halley, Mahindra Jaikaran, Rudolph Callender, Reginald Brotherson and Mark Harper. Known as the ‘Home of the Legends’, DCC has produced a number of famous players, including Sir Clive Lloyd, Lance Gibbs and the late Roy Fredericks.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD- 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Don Bradman-56 innings (AUST) (2) Garry Sobers & Viv Richards (95 innings) Today’s Quiz: (1) Who took the first Test match hat-trick? (2) Who is the first WI to claim a hat-trick in Tests? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Athletics chief Coe says Tokyo Games can be 'beacon of hope' Tokyo , Japan (AFP) — World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe said yesterday he believes the coronavirus-postponed Tokyo Olympics can be “a beacon of hope and optimism”, despite infections surging in Japan and other countries. A virus state of emergency in Tokyo and other parts of Japan was extended on Friday, less than three months before the Games are due to begin. The emergency measures come as Olympic organisers struggle to win over a sceptical Japanese public, who fear the Games could spread infections despite a ban on overseas fans and possibly domestic spectators too. But Coe, speaking at an athletics test event held be-

hind closed doors at Tokyo's Olympic Stadium, said he believes the Games can “have a profound impact” on the world and moved to reassure the Japanese public that “we take those concerns very, very seriously”. “I think that it will also act as a beacon of hope and optimism in a world that I hope is soon moving back to some type of normalcy,” he told reporters. “I think that these Games will leave a strong lasting legacy, not just for Japan but at a time when the world is coming to terms with some pretty difficult and harrowing months.” Japan's COVID-19 outbreak remains much smaller than in many countries, with just over 10,500 deaths.`

But its vaccine roll-out is moving slowly and some areas have seen record cases as more infectious variants drive fresh waves of contagion. More than 10,000 athletes from 200 countries and regions are set to travel to Tokyo for the Games, with a decision on how many domestic fans — if any — can attend to be taken in June. More than 300,000 people have signed an online petition titled “Cancel the Tokyo Olympics to protect our lives”, launched Wednesday by a lawyer and former Tokyo gubernatorial candidate. A group of around 100 people staged a protest outside yesterday's athletics test event, which featured 420 athletes, including nine from overseas.

World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe

Olympic organisers insist the Games can be held safely and have laid down strict guidelines for athletes, warning they could be kicked out

West Indies players need to find balance in quest for financial security ‒ Ambrose SIR Curtly Ambrose said while he fully endorses regional players plying their trade across the world to secure their financial futures, he believes those players should equally make themselves available to play for the West Indies. There have been several instances in the past few years where players have declined invitations to represent the West Indies but then jet off to destinations across the globe to play in T20 tournaments. The issue was brought into sharp focus recently when several West Indies players declined to tour Bangladesh citing the pandemic and their related safety concerns. However, some of those players later went on to play for T20 franchises in countries that were also experiencing spikes in the number of Covid-19 infections. During an interview on Talk Sports Live with Michael Bascombe on Saturday, the West Indies bowling icon, said the players need to do a better job of striking a balance between playing franchise cricket and representing the West Indies. “The game has evolved. There is a lot more cricket being played now and many different T20 tournaments

around the globe and there’s lots more money as well, so guys are going to go where the money is and I have no issues with that,” Ambrose said. “A cricket career can be a very short one, once you have injury it could be all over for you so with guys going around plying their trade with different franchises making money to set themselves up financially, I have no issues with it. “However, I think it needs to strike a balance somewhere because most of these guys who are playing their trade around the world, it’s because they played for the West Indies team why people saw them and gave them contracts. So for me, you need to find a balance somewhere where you can give back to West Indies cricket. You need to give back to West Indies cricket at some point as opposed to abandoning West Indies cricket.” This is not the first time that Ambrose has expressed these sentiments. In December 2020, he publicly criticised Andre Russell, who after declined an invitation to play for the West Indies against New Zealand but later went to play in the Sri Lanka Premier League T20 tournament.

if they break the rules. “There's not an athletics federation that will be coming here that doesn't understand the importance

Gatlin feels 'beyond safe' thanks to COVID protocols By Chris Gallagher TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. sprinter Justin Gatlin said he felt “beyond safe” thanks to the COVID-19 protocols he needed to follow on his visit to Japan to participate in an Olympics

In December 2020, Curtly Ambrose publicly criticized Andre Russell

Chief selector Roger Harper told media that Russell declined the West Indies invitation citing the need to clear his mind after being in quarantine lockdown for both the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in Trinidad and Tobago where he played for the Jamaica Tallawahs franchise and then, the Indian Premier League (IPLl) in Abu Dhabi where he played for the Kolkata Knight Riders. Ambrose poured cold water on the explanation.

“Because he wants to clear his head for a while to get his mind together, I have no problem with that because cricket is a high-pressure game,” he said. “So if you want to clear your head for a while, take your mind off cricket I have no issues with that, but if you are going to reject playing for your nation, your country, and then two weeks later you’re playing for somebody else, that to me is a no-no.”(Sportsmax)

of following the rules and the regulations,” Coe said. “The athletes are very keen to be here but they also know that they have a responsibility to do everything they possibly can for the infection not to spread.” Coe admitted that the virus restrictions mean “this is not, under any circumstances, business as usual” and that there are “no perfect solutions” to determine which athletes qualify for the Games. But he insisted that the competition will be “fair”, and that he has been “consistently bowled over” by the athletes' ability to deal with the restrictions. “I think everybody is in the same boat here.”

The 2004 100M gold medallist, Justin Gatlin

test event for athletics. Gatlin was one of nine international athletes who entered the country to take part in the event on Sunday at Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium, in a warm-up for the Games with less than three months to go. Gatlin won the 100 metres at the event. The 2004 100m Olympic gold medallist said he was tested for the novel coronavirus every day by either

saliva or nasal swab and had barely been outside, but the price was worth it in order to compete. “I felt beyond safe,” Gatlin told reporters. “The bubble has been very successful. The only time I’ve ever seen the outside is when we get on the bus to go to the track. We work out then we go back to the hotel. We don’t even eat in a cafeteria or a meeting ground, we take our food to our room and we eat in our room. “I know a lot of athletes are not going to be happy with this but the measures are in place to keep everyone safe, I think it’s working.” For Gatlin, the bubble means finding ways to unwind in his room. “I love Netflix and Hulu, so just being able to sit in the room and relax and chill,” he said, though he added that he missed going out and being able to eat local foods. Gatlin, 39, said he recently had another son, and giving him the chance to see his father compete in the Olympics was one thing that was driving him. “This will be my fourth Olympics and my last Olympics, so it’ll be a special place for me,” he said.

Fowler, Sanmoogan heading to Tokyo Games

Andrew Fowler

Jamila Sanmoogan

By Rawle Toney THE Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) president, Dwayne Scott, announced that 2016 Olympian, Jamila Sanmoogan and Guyana Police Force member, Andrew Fowler, will be Guyana’s representatives at the Olympic Games, having picked up the two FINA universality spots. In an interview with state-owned media outlet, NCN, Scott said the decision came after the GASA technical committee and council had reviewed the criteria for selection by the sport’s global governing body – FINA. “The council, having reviewed the entire process and all the details, it was sort of a unanimous decision that these will

be the two athletes that should represent Guyana,” Scott said. However, there was some contention regarding Fowler and 17-year-old sensation, Leon Seaton Jr; an issue which spilled onto social media, with several notable personalities in the sport calling it unjust and, in some cases, corruption in swimming. On April 14, the International Swimming Federation (FINA) wrote to the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) and GASA, noting that taking into consideration the failure of any swimmer from Guyana being able to qualify for the games in Tokyo, Sanmoogan and Fowler would therefore be given the two universality spots. The issue then came when Seaton was brought into the fold, with a few stating

that FINA would’ve already made their selection based on a number of criteria, According to Scott, “citing the fact that Leon Seaton Jr. is still a 17-year old, in spite of performances and his accomplishments to date, we thought it would be prudent to confirm with FINA and the Olympic Associations that these will be the two athletes that will represent Guyana.” While understanding the outrage at some people in the fraternity, Scott said GASA’s constitution provides for “due process,” in the execution of selection for International events. He noted that “the president cannot make a decision independently. It has to be reviewed by the technical committee, who advises the council and the council would suggest or advise the executives on the best

Ramkelawan returned for third consecutive term as ECCCC Chairman

Bheemraj Ramkelawan (third from left) and members of the 2021 executive committee after Sunday’s AGM

BHEEMRAJ Ramkelawan was returned as chairman of the Enmore Community Centre Cricket Club (ECCCC) for his third consecutive term when the club held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Sunday at its pavilion. In an invited comment, Ramkelawan told Chronicle Sport that the

intention is to continue promoting the game in the community to give the young and upcoming cricketers and new recruits a chance of developing and, hopefully, of making the national teams in the future. In a social media post after the elections, the club stated that: “A majority decision was also taken

to continue playing cricket on the East Coast under any body which recognises all of the active clubs on the East Coast of Demerara whilst embracing non-active clubs.” The olive branch by one of the top clubs on the East Coast is to facilitate the development of the game. TURN TO PAGE 27 ►

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measure to address the circumstances.” Sanmoogan will make her second Olympic appearance, having first represented Guyana at the games in Rio, Brazil in 2016, where she competed in the Women’s 50 metres freestyle. Her time of 28.88 seconds was not good enough to see her advancing, however, she was 63rd overall. Sanmoogan also represented Guyana at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, as well as the 2019 World Swimming Championships. Fowler, 23, on the other hand, has been one of Guyana’s top swimmers over the years, with experience at the Commonwealth Games, the World Swimming Championships and other notable international and regional meets.

Harper says Holder’s 27 workload to be managed PAGE

Athletics chief Coe says Tokyo Games can be 'beacon of hope' 31 PAGE

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021