Issuu

SATURDAY 8th May, 2021

' No.106354

Four more COVID-19 deaths, 116 new cases

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SMART hospitals to be ready by year end

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$12M Sunrise Bakery 16&17 commissioned at Capoey PAGES

$173M upgrade for North West 04 Secondary School PAGE

Jones, Ferguson, 10 others charged for illegal procession PAGE

First Lady Arya Ali, with assistance from Prime Minister, Mark Phillips, cuts the ceremonial ribbon to officially open the Sunrise Bakery at Capoey, Essequibo Coast, as founder of the Guyana Foundation, Supriya Bodden, and Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Mark Berman, look on

‘Knowledge is power’ power’

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021

―says Attorney-General, encourages East Coast Demerara residents to sign up for GOAL scholarships

By Richard Bhainie THE scholarships offered through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) will inevitably be of ultimate benefit to every Guyanese, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C., asserted, as he encouraged individuals to get on board the initiative. The Attorney-General on Thursday, along with the Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton and the Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond met with Neighbourhood Democratic Councillors and other stakeholders along the East Coast Demerara corridor to enlist their support in promoting the GOAL initiative. In addressing the gathering, Nandlall said “knowledge is power” and in highlighting the value of education, he asserted that “educating is empowering”. He also reminded of the

magnitude of the project which the Government of Guyana will be standing the bill for. “Our foreparents made great sacrifices to educate past generations. Today, we are fortunate that our Government has assumed that mantle and is offering tertiary education as well as opportunities to qualify oneself to become the beneficiary of tertiary education, with the Government fully paying for the initiative,” he said. The Attorney-General explained that the wide variety of programmes available for study through the GOAL initiative will be facilitated by a number of highly accredited institutions and can be conveniently undertaken at the comfort of the individual doing the programme, as they are online. Nandlall stressed that the programme will be available for every Guyanese from every walk of life, as it is designed to benefit every

single Guyanese, and he is adamant that it must not be contaminated with politics. “That is why we are mak-

ing every effort to ensure that every village is targetted in this initiative. So in the end, if I hear any allegation

that some segment of our population was deliberately excluded, I must be able to confidently say that is a lie,”

Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C. addressing the gathering of local leaders on Thursday

he said Two meetings were convened on Thursday, one at the Better Hope/La Bonne Intention and another at the Mon Repos/La Reconnaissance Neighbourhood Democratic Councils. Meetings are scheduled to take place from May 17 to 22 in almost every village across the East Coast Demerara corridor. The Attorney-General noted that the local leaders are imperative in promoting the programme through the work they execute, which allows them to venture to every crease and crevice within the villages, reaching a large number of residents. A quantity of educational material pertaining to the GOAL initiative and application forms were lodged with the local leaders and stakeholders to be disseminated into the villages. Persons were also encouraged to utilise their social media platforms to promote the programme.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021

All SMART hospitals should be ready by year end

THE project to convert five local hospitals into ‘SMART’ facilities is moving rapidly apace, and according to Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, the project will wrap up by the end of the year. This means that within the next few months, Guyana will boast of hospitals that are climate-resilient and energy efficient. Already, the Diamond Diagnostic Centre has been completed and recommissioned. Dr. Anthony said that once all goes as planned, the completion and full reopening of the Leonora Hospital, West Coast Demerara is likely for July. The minister told the Guyana Chronicle that the Region Three, (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) project was being undertaken by Correia and Correia Limited, and that works were being done as part of a one-year timeline, once the contract was inked in August last year. The ‘SMART Hospital’ concept refers to a facility that is both safe and ‘green’. The initiative comes under an $835M (US$4.175 million) project, funded by the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID). Once the Leonora Hospital is completed, Dr. Anthony said that works will also begin to wrap up at the Mabaruma hospital in Region One (Barima-Waini), followed by the Lethem Regional Hospital in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), and the Paramakatoi Health Centre in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni). Minister Anthony told this newspaper that so far, the Diamond Hospital has been working well, and

The Diamond Diagnostic Centre is the first hospital in Guyana to be upgraded to a climate-resilient facility that it has even increased its capacity by being a public location to conduct PCR testing for the novel coronavirus. The health facility, which serves the heavily populated East Bank Demerara corridor, was reopened to full operations in April 2o21. With the upgrades, the Diamond Hospital now boasts of the requisite infrastructure to guard against flooding, reduce reliance on the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Corporation by resorting to renewable energy, and enabling the use of rainwater for its day-to-day functions. “This hospital would be manned by 58 nurses and we have 20 doctors,” Dr. Anthony had said. He said that the upgrading of hospitals mitigates the need for persons to rely on the Georgetown Public Hospital Corpora-

tion for key services such as surgeries and x-rays, etc. Dr. Anthony said that the conversions of these local hospitals are directly linked to the government’s fight against climate change, having recognised the detrimental impact that poor environmental practices have on human health. Dr. Anthony had previously noted that within the next few years, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) will be looking to convert all the health facilities in Guyana. “We have already done the assessment of 89 other health facilities,” the minister posited. NOTABLE RISE IN GLOBAL TEMPERATURES In explaining the importance of the SMART hospital project, Dr.

Anthony made specific reference to reports released by the United Nations’ Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), particularly as it relates to the notable rise in global temperatures. “For the last hundred years, the earth’s temperature has increased by 0.75 degrees Celsius and every decade since 1850, we are living in warmer climate,” the minister said, pointing to the consequences of Guyana’s infamous 2005 floods. In a series of articles published in January, the Guyana Chronicle examined a number of adverse effects that climate change is likely to have on local sectors, including sea defence, health and food production, all due to the projected rise in sea levels. As a matter of fact, the IPCC predicts that “global warming will worsen

human health conditions, especially in tropical regions.” In countries such as Guyana, an increase in temperature indicates an increase in mosquito populations, thereby escalating the risk of a variety of insect-borne infections. “… and those mosquitos would bring with them, a number of different types of diseases such as dengue and malaria, and chikungunya, and so forth,” Dr. Anthony previously said in an invited comment. In addition to vector-borne and water-borne diseases, global warming also paves the way for increased heat waves, which would result in prolonged periods of abnormally high temperatures that can have serious health effects on vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and the sick. “This was already seen during the 2003 heat wave in Europe, which

claimed approximately 35,000 lives,” a recent UN Climate Change report indicated. Reflecting on the many environmental tragedies that occurred in 2020, Guyanese Scientist, Dr. Michelle Kalamandeen had told the Guyana Chronicle that climate change has inevitably created the deadly monster that is the novel coronavirus. She explained that three out of every four new infectious diseases in people come from animals. “More specifically, from our wildlife and from the livestock we keep in ever-increasing numbers… if an area becomes too hot or too cold for certain wildlife, they will migrate to new places, where they interact with other animals that they have never encountered before,” Dr. Kalamandeen had explained. She reasoned that this usually results in humans increasingly sharing the same spaces and vying for the same food as various species of organisms, thereby increasing the risk of transmission of diseases from animals to humans. The Health Minister had previously indicated also that his ministry was currently working to craft a comprehensive 10-year strategic plan which seeks to examine a plethora of ways that the ministry can respond to climate change. “…and our preparedness in terms of health response to things like pandemics and flooding and so forth…we want to ensure that we build that capacity to respond to [the] effects of climate change, and try to make our systems more climate-resilient,” Dr Anthony asserted.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021

$173M upgrade for North West Secondary School By Jared Liddell

FOLLOWING the official signing of a contract between the Ministry of Education (MoE) and International Import and Supplies on Friday, construction of a $173M Practical Instruction Department at the North West Secondary School in Mabaruma, Region One, will soon commence. The works, which will be done under the Guyana Skills Development and Employability Project, will see the construction of a two-storey, 6,480 square feet building that will house three workshops. Additionally, an existing 2,956 sq. ft. building will

be renovated to house two additional workshops. The project, which will start in 28 days, is expected to be completed in 12 months. The department, when completed, is expected to facilitate Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) Levels 1 and 2 training in commercial food preparation, motor vehicle repairs, electrical installation, furniture making, carpentry and joinery, home economics and housekeeping. Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand noted that the move to have the department constructed in Region One is in keeping with the government’s vision to ensure equal opportunities for education

Saturday May 8, 2021 02:30hrs - 04:00hrs

throughout the country. She said based on studies, the ministry has assessed that this type of vocational learning would greatly benefit the students in the region. “We are trying right now to match the communities that we see the least interest in writing the CSEC exam, with how we could make sure that you leave school with qualifications that would make you employable, and these are some of the gaps we are trying to plug. This would help us in this particular community,” the Education Minister said. Government had previously made clear its intent to broaden the local education spectrum through diversifying classrooms to include not just theoretical learning, but also practical hands-on learning through the utilisation of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) across the sector. “We are looking to develop and advance our offerings at the technical and vocational levels, and that

Managing Director of International Import and Supplies, Parmeshwar Jagmohan; Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand; and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Alfred King, holding a signed copy of the contract (Adrian Narine Photo) sounds all nice and well, but we can’t enhance anything if we don’t have the facilities in place. So, this programme here is going to allow us to offer to the people of the North West District; those students at Mabaruma, the ability to

be able to become more employable; to get more skills to develop themselves through the use of this facility,” she stated. This project marks the first of six Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) expected to be piloted by the Ministry of Education in an effort to advance the local education sector. Speaking to the timeline for the completion of the project, Minister Manickchand noted that the ministry is completely against the recent culture that has seen contractors extending their work “way past” their estimated time of completion. She stated that the ministry is expecting quality work to be delivered in keeping with the

estimated timeline that was agreed upon by the contractor. She said any delay in the project would be “robbing” the children of Guyana. “If you don’t give us that, you will be robbing the children and students, and people of what you promised them you would deliver. If you bid for a project and you say I can do it for a certain amount in a certain time, you have to do it for that amount and in that time, because someone else could have gotten that project, and would have been able to stick to their timeline. So, when people bid and win, they must be honourable and stick to what they said they will do,” Minister Manickchand said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021

Guyana moving towards safer, stronger, more equitable food system By Naomi Parris AS countries around the world continue to recover from the crippling effects of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Ministry of Agriculture is set to host a food systems dialogue in the coming week. Subject Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, on Friday, during a telephone interview, informed the Guyana Chronicle that the dialogue will be held with a number of stakeholders from the various sub-agencies in the ministry, other Government ministries and members of the private sector in preparation for the first ever United Nations Food Systems Summit which is set to be held in New York in September. “This dialogue is to have various stakeholders giving their views, so that when we go to the UN summit we can go in one collective view about food security in Guyana and the Caribbean,” the minister said. According to Minister Mustapha, the milestone summit will be based on the input of people all over the world to identify sustainable solutions for the future of food. He further stated that the dialogue will provide a platform for a lively and constructive discussion on Agriculture Minister, how to make the food sysZulfikar Mustapha tem across all the regions in Guyana safer, stronger, and more equitable. The primary topics that will be discussed are: The global status of agri-food systems and implications for Guyana; developing pathways towards sustainable food systems and the perspective from the private sector. Participants will be expected to agree on a number of ways that Guyana’s food system can be strengthened. The Ministry of Agriculture will afterwards submit the outcomes of the dialogue to the organisers of the UN Food Systems Summit. The information will be used to feed into the summit’s five priority action tracks, which are: ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all; shift to sustainable consumption patterns; boost nature positive production; advance equitable livelihoods; and build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks and stress. According to the United Nations in a press release, the summit will see Secretary-General António Guterres convening the event which will see the launch of bold new actions to deliver progress on all 17 sustainable development goals ( SDGs), each of which relies to some degree on healthier, more sustainable and equitable food systems. The press release further stated that the summit will awaken the world to the fact that “we all must work together to transform the way the world produces, consumes and thinks about food.” “It is a summit for everyone, everywhere – a people’s summit. It is also a solutions summit that will require everyone to take action to transform the world’s food systems. Member States and Independent Summit Dialogues are both an important avenue for citizen engagement and a key part of the summit process,” the UN stated.

Labour Ministry discusses training opportunities with several ministries THE Ministry of Labour, hand in hand with the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency (CRMA), is engaging the various ministries on training programmes available to create job opportunities in Guyana. This was disclosed by Labour Minister, Joseph Hamilton during an interview with this publication on Friday. The meeting, which will be convened by Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, can assist in formulating a framework to address issues of employability as it relates to youth, persons with disabilities, retirees, university students, non-violent offenders and vocational education. “I recently had a meeting with the steering committee that I have established to have this conference on the 27th and 28th. The conference deals with some of the matters of employability, and for us to put together a national programme regarding all the issues that were mentioned,” Hamilton said. He further noted that collaborations have begun with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, as well as the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security

to discuss training opportunities for youth and vulnerable persons. “As I speak to you, we have about 60 young men and women who are doing heavy duty equipment operation programme, who are housed at the centre there, at the moment… We have a joint programme we’re doing with Linden Technical Institute, where we have 32 men and 3 women being trained in heavy duty equipment operation, and we have several other things [in the works],” the minister outlined. Minister Hamilton also made mention of a joint programme with the Ministry of Education to assist in continuing the functionality of the Mercy Wings Vocational and Day Care Centre in South Sophia. The Centre, which is sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, has the mission of facilitating the transformation of students who are labelled as ‘drop-outs’ into new kinds of individuals, while cultivating positive self-images and offering moral and spiritual values for socially health-conscious lifestyles. “It’s a large complex there. So they had asked us for support from the Min-

Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton istry of Education, and the MoE has sought our technical support to work together to ensure that Mercy Wings continues to function.” The minister noted that the ministry is dedicated to creating employment through collaboration of the public and private sector, as well as key stakeholders such as CRMA and the Board of Industrial Training (BIT).

New master’s programmes being offered at ‘Nations’

SCHOOL of the Nations is offering two new masters programmes in education, in collaboration with the University of Bedfordshire in the United Kingdom (UK). According to a release, the University of Bedfordshire has been offering top quality education for more than 100 years with current enrolment standing at 20,000 students from over 120 countries. Persons passionate about education can now pursue a Master in Education (General) or a Master in Education (Special Education Needs). ‘Nations’ has been offering courses in education to hundreds of teachers and trainers for the past 15 years throughout Guyana. In October 2018, ‘Nations’ began offering a Master in Education (Leadership) from the University of Bedfordshire. Many teachers and administrators in Guyana have successfully completed their studies, and are eager to apply the knowledge acquired in order to fur-

ther improve the quality of education in Guyana. The MA Education (General) provides further knowledge and understanding in areas of working with children and adults in a wide variety of educational contexts. It will provide insights on how education systems work internationally, as well as looking at philosophical, sociological, historical and practical influences on education and policy. The MA in education comprises courses, namely Educational & International Development, Research Methods, Citizenship and Welfare in the 21st Century, Meeting Diverse Needs and a Dissertation. The MA Education in Special Education aims to support students in further developing their understanding of Special Education Needs, so that they can contribute towards the inclusion of students within educational settings. The course is open to educators currently working in

educational settings, and to students who wish to develop their expertise in this field. The MA Education in Special Education comprises courses on Research Methods, Meeting Diverse Needs, Development of Learning Support Coordination in Schools and a Dissertation. Both courses comprise 15 months of classes, and seven months to submit the dissertation. Assessments are based on real-life and practical school scenarios, and include a range of assessments, based on written reports, project plans, and seminar papers. “Entry requirements include a recognised degree or teacher training certification, and three years’ relevant experience. The University of Bedfordshire will also consider persons with other relevant experience and qualifications. For more information, the release said, please contact Nations @ 225 4211, 227 4623 or email; info@ nations.gy

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021

Tajeram Mohabir

Impact of airliners and hoteliers

GUYANA, being in the tropical region, is home to many uniquely beautiful and natural attractions that are incomparable to its Caribbean neighbours and other countries worldwide. The key attractions include the virgin rainforests, mountains, huge rivers, and waterfalls. Guyana is known for having the world’s largest single-drop waterfall, Kaieteur Falls, which stands 741 feet tall, and is recorded to be five times taller than the Niagara Falls. Guyana is also well known for its wildlife culture, which has been featured on the National Geographic, and was named the ‘Best of the World 2014’. According to National Geographic, Guyana may be “the best kept secret in South America”. Guyana has also gained recognition from several popular celebrity profiles around the world, among them the famed British restaurateur, Chef Gordon Ramsey, and British royalty, Prince Harry. With the recent discovery of oil in 2015, there is no doubt that Guyana will eventually open its doors to many more tourists who will be interested in knowing more about this little country that seeks to become the new “Dubai City” of the re-

gion. With the Manifesto presented by the current Government outlining the plans for the country, Guyana is poised to be completely transformed within the next five to ten years. Therefore, there will be need for more accommodation and accessibility for Guyana’s tourists. The Government had put out expressions of interest and requests for proposals for investors to build hotels in Guyana. The Government aims to provide at least 2000 first-class rooms, making Guyana “a conventional destination”. The Government has also outlined in its budgets, special incentive packages to attract new hotel investors. Guyana has many luxurious hotels situated mainly in the heart of Georgetown, all of which are near key landmarks and areas of interest. However, there are not many of these high-standard hotels available around the rural areas away from the busy city, and it is great to hear this would no longer be the case, as similar facilities will be built close to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, which is a key point. Several airlines have also expressed an interest in Guyana, and more recently, so have InterCaribbean Airways and FlyAllways. It should be noted that the hotel industry

relies heavily on the airline industry to meet its demands. There may be other market drives for the hotel industry, but most of its customers travel by air. Therefore, there is a direct link between these two industries that contribute to the tourism sector. The impact of travel and tourism on the economic and social development of a country is enormous. This includes openings for businesses, trade and capital investment, job creation and entrepreneurialism for the workforce, and protecting heritage and cultural values. Based on an analysis carried out by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) in 2015, the direct contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP was G$21.2bn (3.2 per cent of total GDP) in 2014, and is expected to rise by 3.0 per cent p.a., from 2015 to G$27.6bn (4.2 per cent of total GDP) in 2025. However, the total contribution of Travel and Tourism to GDP was G$52.9bn (8.0 per cent of GDP) in 2014, and is forecast to rise by 3.2 per cent p.a. to G$69.8bn (10.6 per cent of GDP) in 2025. In 2014, the Travel and Tourism sector directly supported 8,500 jobs (3.4 per cent of total employment) in Guyana, and is estimated to rise by 8.0 per cent p.a. to 15,300

jobs (6.1 per cent of total employment) in 2025. In 2014, the total contribution of Travel and Tourism to employment, including jobs, indirectly, was 8.4 per cent of total employment (21,000 jobs). This is expected to rise by 1.9 per cent p.a. to 25,000 jobs in 2025 (10.0 per cent of total employment). Visitor exports generated G$16.8bn (6.3 per cent of total exports) in 2014. This is forecast to grow by 8.0 per cent p.a., from 2015-2025, to G$30.24bn in 2025 (11.3 per cent of total). Travel and Tourism investment in 2014 was G$4.0bn, or 2.4 per cent of total investment. It should rise by 6 per cent p.a. over the next ten years to G$6.4bn in 2025 (3.8 per cent of total). It can be noted that based on the analysis carried out, and projections made, airliners and hoteliers contribute a great lot to the tourism sector, which, in turn, contributes to the country’s GDP, thus improving its economic levels. With the new investors on board, Guyana will be able to lower the unemployment rates by jobs created to build and operate the hotels, and along with operating the airlines.

When we realise the intimacy of self with the universe, we become citizens of our Mother Earth Dear Editor, WE are all hoping that this global scourge brought by the COVID-19 virus will end soon with the timely intervention of science and appropriate human awareness and behaviour. Now more than ever we must realise that we are one global family, and if we are not mindful and responsive to the pains and cries of our brothers and sisters in far-flung lands, then the flames that are raging in India and Brazil may leap into our own backyard. But even as we eagerly await the return of normalcy and the expression of our natural exuberance and freedom, it is pertinent to ponder on the role of human conduct and behaviour [not from a narrow point of view, but from the perspective of the overall thrust of humanity’s overpowering insatiable appetite for excessive self-gratification with callous disregard for Mother Earth and our fellow beings] as the prime causative factor in the emergence and the spread of epidemic and pandemics. The great Vedic Acharya Charaka is recognised as the father of medicine and Ayurveda. He composed a wonderful text called Charak Samhita in which he discussed all branches of medicine and, also surgical

interventions. He also discussed epidemics and pandemics. I was intrigued by his analysis that the root cause of epidemics is humanity’s unrighteousness – ADHARMA. He declared “Thus, this unrighteousness by force makes the righteousness disappear… and then communities are soon deserted even by the deities. Then epidemics break due to polluted contacts.” I never saw so forcefully expressed a direct linkage between epidemics and Adharma. Adharma, of course, is the converse of Dharma. And Dharma in this sense is not to be equated with religion, belief, tradition or mere dogma or conjecture. It is the principle of truth that is universally evident irrespective of time, place, or circumstance. Beliefs and dogmas are limited and flawed; Dharma is universal, unlimited, and flawless. According to Charak, the virus itself is a necessary factor but not a sufficient factor. It can only bring about the dreaded fruit in a soiled condition/ atmosphere. That soiled atmosphere is created by the force of time when the rampant adharmic tendencies have reached a certain vibrational level, at both the individual [micro] and societal [macro] levels. Dharma begins when we are consciously driven to thoughts and actions which conform

to a higher impulse in our being, and when that impulse is recognised or felt in unending waves of radiance and beauty from the simplest to the most complex manifestations in the universe. Maharishi Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras outlined the preliminary stages for the awakening of this impulse by the practice of yamas and niyamas, restraints and observances for individual uplift and awareness, and for conducive social action and social order. Adharmic tendencies arise when, individually and collectively, there is no higher impulse or motivation, but just the raw, unbridled urge to exploit, dominate, gratify, accumulate, “bend the rules”, and distort and twist the human mind and heart to become impervious to natural, wholesome, and humane and enlightened promptings. Diametrically opposed to this ugly urge is that higher impulse to human growth and flowering which is beautifully addressed in the Upanishads by the concept of Ritam. This is a very difficult concept to explain. It is the overarching concept that underlines everything, and all beings [human and divine] are subordinate to it. At a simplistic level it can be taken to mean the physical and moral order of the universe by which the sun traverses its daily journey across the sky and the seasons proceed in regular movements.

Both at the individual and societal levels, this principle of Ritam must never be violated, even if done unconsciously or unintentionally. Life is meaningless and but a sham when we violate Ritam. The unbelievable deaths, pains, sufferings, and the global economic, social, and psychological traumas brought by the COVID-19 virus are all consequences of the violation of this principle of Ritam. When adharmic tendencies rise to the level of a tsunami, then the raging tidal waves will devour both the innocent and the malevolent. Charak emphasised that, individually and collectively, we should live in harmony with ourselves, and with nature and its beings. He wrote “One should behave like kith and kin to all living beings. When one thinks of himself spread in the universe and vice versa and has the vision of the great and the small, his serenity based on knowledge is not affected.” When we realise the intimacy of self with the Universe, we become citizens of our Mother Earth with deep respect for the natural environment and fellow beings with whom this wonderful Earth is to be shared. Yours sincerely, Haimnauth Ramkirath

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021

Over 100 Soesdyke residents register for GOAL scholarships

OVER 100 Soesdyke residents, on Friday, capitalised on the opportunity to pursue tertiary education through the Government’s 20,000 online scholarship programme. Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy, met the prospective scholars during an outreach at the Soesdyke Primary School. The scholarships are organised jointly by the Ministries of Education and Public Service, offering 85 programmes through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) over the next five years. Minister McCoy engaged the applicants and assisted them in registering for the programmes of their choice. In his address to the gathering, he said it was vital that they seize the opportunity to learn how to develop themselves and contribute to nation-building. “Many countries across the world are without such opportunities, and here it is, in Guyana, we have chosen this path, to be able to use the scholarships to empower, educationally, our people, and socially because when you have upgraded qualifications and education, it works to

your advantage. “Even as empowering you as an individual, your social status in society, in your community, within your home, the admiration for the academic pursuits and achievements will grow,” Minister McCoy said. The minister said the GOAL scholarships initiative fulfils a promise the PPP/C Government made while on the hustings in 2020. He said the idea was birthed during interactions with Guyanese while the party was in Opposition, and it is among its top priorities since taking office. “Just a few months into Government, though we took over a bankrupt economy and system that was dilapidated, we were able to very quickly grasp an understanding of the situation, and we were able to use the resources, the little that was left, or the little resources that exist to fashion programmes that are key and are essential for our people and for the development of our society. And it meant that we had an understanding of what the priorities are,” he added. Minister McCoy said that while the PPP/C Government is progressive, Guyanese were given few opportunities during the Coalition’s time in office, and their welfare was neglected.

“We had a ‘Because You Care’ cash grant for every child in the public school; it was $10,000 per child. When the Government of APNU+AFC came into power, they dismantled it; they took it away from our children. “And so, the programme ceased to exist. But what did they do with our money? That accumulative 1.6 billion Guyana dollars, which went to the children of this country, by giving them a $10,000 per child cash grant? It went into dietary. They took that money and put it to eat food in Government,” he said. However, the minister said, the PPP/C Government has made educating the people priority because it empowers the nation. Meanwhile, in an invited comment, Amelia Kellman said her dream of becoming a forensic scientist is closer to becoming a reality with the Government’s scholarships. “I literally jumped for joy when I saw there were programmes on forensic science… This is a very great path that Guyana is heading down. I hope that the youths, the young people and even down to the old folks take this opportunity and just go for it,” she said. (DPI)

COVID-19 and climate change THE recent surge of COVID-19 in India has intrigued me to think if climate change contributed to COVID-19. To concur with my curious mind, Time Magazine published an article on the same subject. Anumita Roychowdhury, Executive Director of Research and Advocacy at Centre for Science and Environment in Delhi, expressed that the impact of the pandemic can be higher in polluted regions where people’s lungs have already been weakened due to long-term exposures to polluted air and hence making major Indian cities vulnerable. Another paper published in the journal, Cardiovascular Research, found that chronic exposure to particulate matter – a type of pollution that results from a mix of chemicals that come from sources like smokestacks and fires – is likely linked to some 15 per cent of global COVID-19 deaths. Although particulate matter does not just come from fossil fuels, the study’s authors

found that more than 50 per cent of air pollution-linked COVID-19 deaths are specifically connected to fossil-fuel use. Therefore, metropolises have experienced rapid spread of the virus than suburbs of India. Our nature is integral facet of human body and has everything to contribute to our wellbeing. People in cities crave for fresh breath in the countryside. This might sound like nature excursion but there is much truth to it that the human body is connected to nature. T he air and food that we consume determine our health as well. As we thank the nature for the fresh air of Guyana’s rich oxygen-laden rainforest, we shall make every effort to preserve and protect to continue to breathe and eat healthy. Yours sincerely, Jerri Dias

Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy, assists a resident of Soesdyke to register for a scholarship

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021

Two batches graduate in GDF leadership courses

SEVENTY-six ranks from various units across the force have graduated following their successful completion of the Section Commander Course 202101. The soldiers graduated at a simple ceremony held at Colonel Ulric Pilgrim Officer Cadet School (CUPOCS) Drill Square, Base Camp Stephenson Timehri, on Thursday. Corporal (CPL) Carl Cummings received the Best Graduating Student prize while CPL, Rod Jeffrey received the award for the runner-up Best Graduating Student Award. The award for Best Drill was awarded to Leading Rating (LR), Paul Yaw; Best Shot to CPL, Ryan Wilson and Best Military Knowledge to CPL, Dwayne Jackson. CPL Trevon Is-

sacs gained the Best Fitness Award. The course aimed to equip the participants with the skills to lead and administer an infantry section, squad, or equivalent effectively in peacetime or combat and was conducted over 12 weeks. Meanwhile, 94 ranks drawn from various units across the force graduated from the Junior Leaders Course 2021-01. Able Rating James Mc Aulay excelled in all course areas, copping three awards for outstanding performance. He was the Best Graduating Student and also received awards for Best Military Knowledge and Best Shot. Lance Corporal (LCPL) Nikolai Gittens was adjudged the runner-up to the Best Graduating Student. LCPL Odwin Tudor re-

Some of the awardees of the training programmes ceived the Best Fitness Prize and the award for Best Drill went to LCPL Jabar Rupwah. This 12-week course equips the soldiers with the required skills to lead and administer a section, squad, or equivalent in peacetime

or combat. In his address to both courses, Colonel General Staff, Julius Skeete congratulated the graduates and highlighted the importance of self-disciple as the most pertinent asset for a successful military career. “You will be expected to effectively command other ranks subordinate to you. In some cases, nine or even 12 ranks, and, if you will be responsible for these soldiers

you have to be capable of supervising them properly. If you cannot manage yourselves, you will be poor supervisors of others,” he said. In closing, Colonel Skeete expressed the hope that the graduates do not become complacent. He urged them to use the training they received to improve themselves and their respective units. Colonel Skeete reiterated that by being influential leaders at the junior level, they

would also become effective senior leaders. He also reminded the ranks to maintain the national COVID -19 protocols and encouraged them to get vaccinated. In honour of a fallen comrade, CPL Lancelot Giddings, the assemblage observed a moment of silence. CPL Giddings was one of the students on the Section Commanders Course.

Mothers who are soldiers honoured by GDF THE Guyana Defence Force (GDF) continues to uphold the tradition of honouring the mothers who serve. On Friday, several of them serving at various units were presented with Mothers’ Day hampers. Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier Godfrey Bess, and Commanding Officers across

the force presented the hampers in acknowledgement of their dedication and sacrifice throughout the years. The Chief-of-Staff, Officers, and other ranks of the Guyana Defence Force extend best wishes and a Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers throughout Guyana.

Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier Godfrey Bess (centre) flanked by ranks who benefitted from Mothers’ Day hampers

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021

Four more COVID-19 deaths, 116 new cases

FOUR more persons who had tested positive for COVID-19, succumbed to the deadly virus on Thursday, a statement released on Friday by the Ministry of Health has revealed.

The total number of deaths to date is now 314. The latest fatalities are four women, ages 52, 65, 69 and 29. The first two women were from Region Four (Demer-

ara-Mahaica), while the other two resided in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara and Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), respectively. There have now been 15 deaths recorded for the month of May, 2021. In the meantime, the Ministry of Health has recorded 116 new cases of COVID-19 from 1,118 tests conducted for May 6, 2021. Of the new cases, Region One (Barima-Waini) recorded three; Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), five; Region Three, seven; Region Four, 38; Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), 11; Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), 20; Region Seven, 10; Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), four; Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), nine, and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), nine. The newly infected persons include 61 males and 55 females. There are currently 14 persons in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 101

in institutional isolation, 1,716 isolated at home, and 10 in institutional quarantine. Guyana has confirmed a total of 14,073 cases of COVID-19 since its discovery in Guyana in March, 2020. Of that number, 1,841 are currently active, and of the 11,928 recoveries, 141 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 the 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 numbers: 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately, or visit the Ministry of Health at www.health.gov.gy.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021

Jones, Ferguson, others charged for illegal procession

A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (AP-

NU+AFC) Members of Parliament Christopher Jones and Annette Fer-

A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Members of Parliament, Christopher Jones and Annette Ferguson at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Friday (Elvin Croker Photo)

guson, along with six other persons were on Friday jointly charged for allegedly taking part in an illegal procession, contrary to Section Five of the Public Order Act. They appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court along with Mark Griffith, Travis Ellis, Gordon Lucas and George Halley. Two other persons were also charged, but did not appear. The alleged illegal procession in contention pertains to a gathering of APNU+AFC supporters within the vicinity of the Demerara High Court on April 26, 2021, the day of the ruling of the Elections Petition, 88 of 2020, which was thrown out by

Supporters of the A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) gathered outside the Demerara High Court on April 26, 2021, awaiting the ruling of the court in the Elections Petition 88 of 2020 Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George, C.C.H, S.C. They all denied that on the day in question, between Croal and Regent Streets, Georgetown, they took part in a public procession without the permission, in writing, of the Commissioner of Police first being obtained.

They were placed on $20,000 bail each and are expected to return to court of May 14; Ferguson was placed on an additional $10,000 bail for a second charge of allegedly obstructing a peace officer on the same date, to which she also pleaded not guilty. They were represent-

ed by a battery of lawyers, namely, Joseph Harmon, Darren Wade, Geeta Chandan-Edmond and Ronald Daniels, who told reporters outside the courthouse on Tuesday morning that the charges are “frivolous” and “vexatious.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021

New GMC to procure ATVs, motorcycles, additional freezer trucks –– to improve extension, export, and post-harvest handling services

THE New Guyana Marketing Corporation’s (NGMC) extension arm will soon benefit from a number of new motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) to better advance its extension services across the country. This was disclosed by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, after the marketing agency signed three contracts last week for supply of the vehicles. Adding to the fact that over the last nine months government has taken several steps to revamp the agency and improve its marketing and extension services, Minister Mustapha said with the addition of these new vehicles, extension officers would be better equipped to engage farmers across the country. “The New GMC has an integral role to play in the agriculture sector. Since taking office, we’ve instituted several changes to bring the agency to where it needs to be. The agency is now more responsive and more

involved in the marketing aspect of agriculture. Farmers are now being engaged on a regular basis. We are also sensitising them on how to make the most out of what they produce. We are now working to educate farmers across the country about what crops are in demand, what are the high-earning crops, and how to move away from subsistence farming. It is time for us to move away from the old way of doing things where we would go from the farm to the market. When your produce is properly packaged, it becomes more attractive to the consumer, and this is where the value-added aspect comes in,” Minister Mustapha said. During the contract-signing in the ministry’s boardroom last Wednesday, the GMC inked contracts for the supply of three brand new ATVs and 13 brand new motorcycles. Marics & Company Limited signed a contract for $5,950,800 for the supply of the three ATVs, while

Minister Zulfikar Mustapha (third right) hands over contract documents to one of the company’s representatives in the presence of other Ministry of Agriculture officials Automobile Power Products signed a contract for $3,185,000 for the supply of the 13 motorcycles. The ATVs will be used to improve GMC’s extension services in Regions One and Seven, while the 13 motorcycles will be used to boost GMC’s extension capacity in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, and 10.

Minister Mustapha also said that the new fleet of vehicles is expected to have an overall impact on the GMC’s ability to respond to questions, issues, and concerns, as well as follow up with farmers and agro-processors in the regions. In addition to the motorcycles and ATVs being procured, the New GMC

will also be purchasing two additional freezing trucks, bringing its fleet of freezing trucks to a total of six. Ideal Auto Inc. inked a contract for $19,380,000 to supply the two seven-tonne freezing trucks. With regard to the trucks, Minister Mustapha said that they will be used by the New GMC’s Central Packaging

Facility (CPF) to facilitate exports and proper post-harvest handling of non-traditional agricultural produce. According to the contract documents, the ATVs and motorcycles should be delivered to the New GMC before the end of August, while the two freezer trucks will be procured sometime in June.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021

EU donates electronic equipment to Rotary Demerara

EUROPEAN Union (EU) Ambassador to Guyana, Fernando Ponz Cantó, on Friday, made a donation of electronic equipment (including laptops, mobile phones, tablets, printers and many others) to the Rotary Club of Demerara. According to a release, the equipment was part of the reserve library of electronics of the EU Electoral Observation Mission [EUEOM] to Guyana for the March 2, 2020 general elections. Ambassador Ponz Cantó highlighted that, the donation coincided with the upcoming Europe Day anniversary on May 9. He reiterated that, “the EU makes a point of helping first those most in need. We are very happy to deliver all these materials today, and we hope they will make a difference in the daily lives of the final beneficiaries, particularly so in the COVID-19 context, when telecommunications are essential for all, including the most vulnerable.” Ambassador also referred to Europe Day,

noting that “in the run-up towards Europe Day, and in the spirit of EU cooperation, I am very happy and confident that, through the Rotary Club and the other beneficiary organisations, these materials will be useful to improve the daily lives of many Guyanese in need’’. Outgoing President of the Club, Bhageshwar Murli, and his successor, Carey Griffith, received the donated items at a simple handover exercise from Ambassador Ponz Cantó at his residence. The Rotarians highlighted that the equipment will be distributed to a number of organisations inclusive of the Hauraruni Girls Home, the Muritaro Community Library in Upper Demerara River, the Malali Village Community Library in Upper Demerara River, the Enmore Children’s Home and the Mahaica Children’s Home. The Rotary Club of Demerara anticipates that more than 50 vulnerable adults and children will benefit from the donation.

EU Ambassador, Fernando Ponz Cantó, hands over the equipment to outgoing Rotary Demerara President, Bhageshwar Murli in the presence of Carey Griffith

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021

GTA puts emphasis on training, product development

THROUGHOUT the last two weeks of April, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) completed a series of training sessions: product-development outreaches, as well as inspections, as part of its commitment to continuously develop Guyana’s tourism sector as well as to promote safe travel amid the pandemic. According to a release, on April 18-22, the product development team visited Phillipai, Region Seven, to conduct an introduction-to-tourism training session. This visit is a response to the Phillipai Village Council

expressing interest to the GTA in 2020, in developing a tourism experience in their community. As part of the six-step process in GTA’s Community-Led and Owned Tourism (CLOT) Framework to develop new tourism experiences and enterprises, community members were educated about what is travel and tourism; advised of the importance of good governance and best practices in formulating an official tourism committee. The participants were provided with community tourism development mod-

els, as well as guidance on Community-Led and Owned tourism (CLOT) terms of reference. The sessions were guided by the Product Development Facilitation Officer, Clyde Edwards and Product Development Officer, Omari Joseph. On April 19-22, Candace Phillips, Manager of Product Development, executed an outreach in Karasabai, Region Nine. During this period, hygiene and sanitation protocols were implemented, as well as protocols to ensure governance of the establishment of their tourism product.

Further, on April 20 May 5, as part of the development of SAVE (Scientific, Academic, Volunteer and Education) Travel in Guyana, the GTA partnered with the Wallacea Trust (Operation Wallacea - OpWall), a UKbased charity that runs a series of international conservation projects built around the concept of providing financial incentives for local communities, to conduct tourism and market-product assessments in three communities: Warapoka in Region One, and Karasabai and Sand Creek in Region Nine. “The aim of the assessment was to determine routes, activities, and other important details required to develop new itineraries within the areas. As part of the team’s visit, meetings were held with the Tourism Committees on their plans for tourism development and identification of potential attractions which can be developed in the future. The aim of working with OpWall is to develop and market week-long wildlife and cultural itineraries and use the development of community-based tourism as a model to encourage communities to safeguard their wildlife,” the release said.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT OUTREACH Santa Aratack Mission, Region Three, also benefited from a product-development outreach, which sought to conduct a thorough assessment to determine the community’s potential for unique and authentic tour attractions, as well as to deliver training in various management models, tourism-product identification and general tourism data. The completion of this assessment will form the basis of the community’s Tourism Development Action Plan. On April 23 & 24, inspections were conducted at 13 hotels and four restaurants and bars in Regions Five and Six. The Berbice Inn has since been approved for indoor dining at a maximum capacity of 12 persons. Under the current gazetted emergency safety measures, restaurants and bars are permitted to operate at a 40 per cent capacity of the establishment, but must also follow the health and safety protocols developed to allow restaurants and bars to operate in a safe way. The GTA as part of its monitoring role requires

businesses to develop written Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and conducts inspections randomly, or at the request of the businesses and issues public signs at the establishment to indicate the approval status and capacity allowed. “Patrons can check the GTA facebook page for a list of approved tourism establishments and approved restaurants, as well as a list of the suspended tourism establishments and suspended restaurants & bars. Conditional Approvals for Reopening - As of April 31, tourism businesses have been granted conditional approvals for reopening. The most recent being Adventure Guianas, Bimichi Eco Lodge, Jungle Bug, Kanuku Tours, Manari Ranch, Old Fort Tours, Ride Along GY and Roraima Tours. We would like to take this time to recognise and commend all those businesses that have been taking the necessary steps to ensure that their businesses meet all of the requirements to be able to successfully and safely operate in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is through these important, resilient steps that we are able to continuously propel the sector towards recovery,” the release said.

QC teachers to feature in CARICOM online classroom initiative THE Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat is continuing efforts to increase the teaching of regional integration and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) in CARICOM classrooms via a new initiative due to start Monday. According to a release, Eletha Stewart-Johnson, a teacher in Social Studies and History at Queen’s College in Guyana, will teach virtually, students at the Ladyville Technical High School in Belize. The lesson begins at 12.30 EST/10.30 Belize time and will focus on an introduction to CARICOM. The students in Belize will participate with their lecturer, Abdiel Medina, who is a teacher in Social Studies. Students from both classes (Guyana and Belize) will engage each other throughout the lesson which will be taught online. Medina will then teach Stewart-Johnson’s class on 17 May, 2021 via the online platform and complete the topic of an introduction to CARICOM. A total of four teachers,

Abdiel Medina two from Guyana and two from Belize are paired to teach each other’s classes during the month of May, 2021. The other pair of teachers are Stefphoney Grinage of Sacred Heart College in Belize and Albert Inshanally of Queen’s College in Guyana, who will teach lessons from another CARICOM topic later this month. The ministries responsible for Education and Trade and the participating schools in Belize and Guyana have been supportive of the novel project.

Eletha Stewart-Johnson This online pilot is a precursor to a proposed activity for teacher exchanges, where they would travel and be attached to classrooms across CARICOM to observe and share experiences in the hosting member state. The original plan to be facilitated with assistance from the European Union was placed on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. These activities are part of the CARICOM Secretariat’s ongoing initiatives of Public Education on the CSME.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021

Overwhelming compliance with filing of tax returns

THE Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has praised the taxpaying public for their overwhelming compliance by filing their tax returns before the filing due date of April 30, 2021.

els allowed the agency to surpass it budget collections by over $1B for the month of April 2021, the release said. As of April 30, 2021, the agency received 94,189 tax returns at its headquarters

According to a release, this level of compliance is extraordinary, especially so in light of and the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In comparison to 2020, and previous years, the GRA has received an astounding number of tax returns filed both manually and electronically. When compared to 2020, there was an increase compliance of over 100 per cent. Such compliance lev-

and Regional Integrated Tax Offices; 4,414 of which were submitted via the new Optimal RMS e-services and over 1,000 payments being effected electronically thereon. In March 2021, the GRA launched its new tax software Optimal Revenue Management System (RMS). This system will not only improve taxpayer convenience, allow for e-filing and e-payments, and improved operational efficiencies, but will allow the

Body of Linden man retrieved from Mabura creek THE body of 20-year-old Akeem Davidson was, on Friday, fished out of a creek at Mabura, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), after he was reported missing Tuesday last, following a swim with his friend. Reports are that at around 14:15 hours on Tuesday, he was bathing with a friend in a creek at Mabura, Region Dead: Akeem 10, which is located some Davidson 300 metres from the camp site he works at as a labourer. His body was trapped between a log floating face up with both hands in the air, dressed in boxer-shorts and a sock on his left foot. Police said no marks of violence were seen on the exposed parts of the body which now lays at the Linden Hospital Complex awaiting autopsy and formal identification. Davidson’s friend, Sheldon Vanaco, was also reportedly swimming in the creek. It is alleged that while they were swimming, Davidson dived but did not resurface. According to the friend, he called out to him to “stop playing” but approximately 15 minutes went by and there was no sign of Davidson. Vanaco informed the owner of the camp, Ephraim Benn, about what had occurred. The duo reportedly went in search of Davidson but to no avail. Police, who were also summoned to the scene, were unsuccessful in locating him. However, according to police, Davidson’s body was retrieved by ranks and residents at approximately 10:30 hours on Friday. He previously lived at Mackenzie, Linden, Region 10.

agency to fast-track the processing of Mortgage Interest Relief and PAYE refunds, thereby bringing benefits to all stakeholders. The GRA is working assiduously in utilising the information submitted in the 2021 returns to refund taxpayers for previous years by utilising direct bank transfers, and give notice of such transfers through electronic media like MMS and WhatsApp. The agency would like to assure taxpayers that systems are being put in place to reduce the long waiting

time for tax refunds and MIR payments. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the interest of maintaining public safety, the issuance of lodgment receipts was discontinued. For future submissions, taxpayers who submitted their returns via the drop box system are encouraged to sign up for e-services to receive confirmation that their returns were lodged. They can also utilise this system to track their tax status (taxes due or refunds outstanding). For additional informa-

tion about the features and benefits of the Optimal Revenue Management System, taxpayers can visit www.gra. gov.gy/optimal. Taxpayers are also encouraged to view our video presentations, which cover promotional, guidance and other useful content via our social media channels: https://www.facebook.com/ grapr2020 (Facebook) and https://www.youtube.com/c/ GuyanaRevenueAuthority/ (YouTube). “The GRA is also encouraging taxpayers who

have failed to meet the April 30, 2021 deadline to make every effort to do so within the shortest possible time since while the law allows for the Commissioner-General to waive associated penalties for due cause (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic and legitimate concerns like the non-receipt of Employers’ 7B/ emolument slips), such consideration may not be extended towards any interest that may have accrued for the late payment of taxes,” the release concluded.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021

$12M Sunrise Bakery commissioned at Capoey –– marks new beginnings and opportunities for residents, PM Phillips says By Indrawattie Natram PRIME MINISTER, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, on Friday afternoon said that the commissioning of the Sunrise Bakery at Capoey in Region Two is a significant achievement that will create new beginnings and opportunities for

residents. Phillips, who was at the time delivering the feature address at a simple commissioning ceremony, noted that the $12M facility is the first of its kind in the Amerindian community. The project was executed by contractor Romesh Boodram, in collaboration with

the Guyana Foundation and was funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiative (CFLI) and the Estate of Glynn Ludlon Hunte of the United Kingdom. This modern bakery is fully solar-powered and will supply a wide variety of breads, jams, and pastries. According to the Prime

First Lady Arya Ali with the assistance of PM Mark Phillips cuts the ribbon to officially open the bakery. Also pictured are founder of Guyana Foundation, Supriya Singh-Bodden (left) and Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Mark Berman (right)

The bakery’s bakers: Aleema Edwards, Zenieta Hendricks and Marlyn Henry Minister, the opening of this bakery in an Amerindian community is in keeping with government’s plans to enhance the lives of hinterland residents. He said government recognises how significant the initiative is for the residents and the village’s economy. “The development of Capoey…falls within a larger picture of our government’s aims to enhance the lives of the people in our hinterland

The newly commissioned Sunrise Bakery at Capoey communities. As such, all initiatives that contribute to this goal are greatly applauded,” PM Phillips said in his remarks. He said the chosen name for the bakery is beautiful and suggests new beginnings and new opportunities -- day and night -- for the village and its residents. Noting that the establishment of the bakery may seem to be an ordinary event, he emphasised that one should see the significance of bread to many societies and cultures around the world. “Bread is one of the world’s oldest foods and has been a staple [in] many cultures over the centuries. In religious terms, bread is considered the `staff of life’

in the Bible; so for Capoey Village, the establishment means, just like the significance of its name, a time of new opportunities for sustainability and food security,” he explained to the gathering. The Prime Minister added that globally more and more countries are recognising the importance of strengthening the economies of their rural communities by increasing policies and programmes in an effort to make those economies viable. Meanwhile, High Commissioner of Canada to Guyana, Mark Berman, congratulated the Guyana Foundation and the Capoey Village Council for the initiative. Berman said Canada believes that dynamic, small

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021 those items. One of the bakers, Aleema Edwards, told the Guyana Chronicle that she is very happy to be a part of the project. She said she is more empowered and feels good that she will be able to

Products on display inside the bakery economies can contribute to an increase in revenue generation which can create employment and lead to higher continued personal and household incomes that can benefit those who are economically vulnerable. The High Commissioner added that the initiative is part of Canada’s commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in the universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He said Canada is also committed to working with like-minded partners to ensure the goals and targets for gender equality are effectively implemented. With that concept in mind, the High Commissioner said the Government of Canada through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives was pleased to partner with the Guyana Foundation on

the project. “It will ensure that women, particularly indigenous women, have access to equal opportunities of employment through the active participation, production, marketing and management of the Sunrise Bakery,” he added. He said the project will not only facilitate access to equal opportunities for women, but in the longer term seeks to advance economic empowerment, social empowerment, nutritious, affordable foods and sustainable local market generation at the Capoey Mission. Founder of the Guyana Foundation, Supriya Singh-Bodden in her comments thanked the Government of Canada for approving the project and said Capoey now has some excellent bakers. She commended the

efforts of the partners for affording opportunities to the women in the community who will now be self-sufficient. She said that Sunrise Bakery will be able to provide jams, cakes and breads to many residents, other communities and supermarkets at affordable prices. According to Singh-Bodden, the project has many economic benefits for the residents, as some would be able to supply eggs and other items to the shop. The Guyana Foundation provided residents with training. Toshao of Capoey, Ralph Hendricks, who was present at the ceremony, said the project was a blessing. In thanking all those involved in the partnership, he said that the community will now be able to provide bread and jams to all those who desire

Teen wanted in connection with murder at Swan village THE Guyana Police Force has issued a wanted bulletin for 19-year-old Adolph Joseph called “Blackboy” of Swan Squatting Area, Linden–Soesdyke Highway, in relation to the murder of 24-year-old Roy Ross, which occurred on April 4. The body of Ross was found in his Swan Village home with multiple stab wounds. The father of one had moved to the village, from Kuru Kururu, just months before he was murdered and was living with his reputed wife and child. His body was discovered by a neighbour. Anyone with information that may lead to the

Dead: Roy Ross

Wanted: Adolph Joseph called “Blackboy”

arrest of Adolph Joseph is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 227-2603, 226-6978, 226-

6221, 219-3252, 227-1149, 225-8196, 268-2328, 2682298/2222, 226-7065, 911 or the nearest police station.

get a job. Edwards, who said she underwent six weeks of training which included financial management, thanked the Guyana Foundation for choosing Capoey Village. First Lady, Arya Ali, was

present to cut the ribbon to officially open the bakery. Region Two Chairperson Vilma De Silva was among the officials who toured the facility immediately after it was commissioned.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021

Pfizer/BioNTech to supply vaccines for Olympic athletes

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech on Thursday announced a deal with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to provide vaccines to competitors and staff at the Tokyo Games. In a statement, the firms said they would coordinate with national sporting bodies to make sure that COVID-19 vaccines are available to anyone who needs one before travelling to Japan. “Delivery of initial doses to participating delegations is expected to begin at the end of May, where possible, with the aim to ensure participating delegations receive second doses ahead of arrivals in Tokyo,” they said. The agreement was welcomed by IOC President Thomas Bach, who has already seen the Tokyo Games postponed from last year because of the pandemic. “We are inviting the athletes and participating delegations of the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games to lead by example and accept the vaccine, where and when possible,” Bach said. There are expected to be more than 11,000 athletes at

the games, which will run from July 23 to August 8, but many have already secured vaccines in their home countries. The IOC has been promising for months that the Olympics would be safe even without widespread vaccination, thanks to a battery of health precautions The IOC has already said it will offer national delegations COVID-19 vaccines bought from China. But the agreement with Pfizer is seen as important as Tokyo and several Japanese regions are once again under a state of alert due to the increase in cases of COVID-19 amid lingering doubts about the wisdom of holding the games. Japan has already decided to ban spectators from abroad and the president of the organising committee, Seiko Hashimoto, told AFP last Friday that the Olympics could be held behind closed doors for the first time in their history. With Japan’s hospital system already under intense pressure, Tokyo 2020 has been criticised for asking Japanese medical staff to work on the event, but Hashimoto said the absence of spectators could ease the pressure. In an attempt to appease the scepticism of the Japanese

public, organisers last week tightened the antivirus measures imposed on Olympic delegations and the media. Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of Pfizer and Ugur Sahin or BioNTech said their firms were proud to supply the vaccine — already the mainstay of Europe’s inoculation effort — to the Games. “The return of the Olympic and Paralympic Games represents a monumental moment of world unity and peace after a gruelling year of isolation and devastation,” Bourla said. Bourla made the proposal to Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga last month when the two held telephone talks during Suga’s visit to the US, Japan’s Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa said. “We received a very important offer in order to proceed with safe and secure Games,” Marukawa told reporters in Tokyo. The firms noted that it would be the decision of each country’s Government whether to permit or require the vaccines to be used, but added that the jab has been authorised by the EU, US, UK, Canada and other countries.

ON April 24, 2021, Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the Caribbean learned of the

sad news of the passing of David Roper, Director of Industrial Relations at Sandals Resorts International. A long-standing member of the Sandals Resorts family, Roper played an integral role in building enduring relationships with travel industry partners within and outside the Caribbean. With over 30 years of experience, working closely with Sandals Founder and Chairman, the late Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart OJ, CD, David brought an unforgettable energy and warmth to all his relationships and interactions. David’s passion for his beloved region and our cricket teams helped to develop a long-standing relationship whereby Sandals became more than just a sponsor of cricket and the West Indies teams. David, working with his Sandals colleagues, was a true partner of West Indies cricket for over three decades. David was an innovator, seeking to add Sandals’ magical touches to cricket experiences, especially for visiting fans from overseas, leading, for example with the introduction of the famous swimming pools at the grounds within the Caribbean for England tours. With David’s warm touch and generous attitude, Sandals’ hospitality extended onto the pitch to the current players, and to honouring

West Indies “Legends”, as well as ensuring guests and fans were always given a true West Indian welcome. David was instrumental in leading the Sandals principal partnership of the West Indies teams for the first time in 2018, a project that re-united two of the Caribbean’s most-recognisable brands, to grow the game and promote the region. CWI’s CEO, Johnny Grave, paid the following tribute: “David has been at the heart of our long-standing relationship with Sandals, especially our recent principal partnership. His knowledge, humour and love of cricket will be greatly missed by everyone who knew him. It was a real privilege to have worked with David, he was an outstanding person and a true supporter and friend of West Indies cricket.” He will be greatly missed for his extensive experience, vision, innovative thinking and relationship-building, and especially for his wonderful human touch, humility, and the ability to bring together people from any background. The players, staff and directors of CWI send our deepest condolences to his family and his many Sandals colleagues. (CWI)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021

Pakistan’s Abid, Azhar hit tons on opening day of Zimbabwe Test HARARE (Reuters) Pakistan’s Abid Ali and Azhar Ali struck centuries as the tourists took an early grip on the second Test against Zimbabwe, reaching 268-4 at the close on the opening day at the Harare Sports Club on Friday. The pair set a 236-run

record for a second wicket partnership in Harare as they provided Pakistan with a platform for an imposing first innings total in a bid to replicate last week’s convincing first test win. Opener Abid was unbeaten on 118 and will resume with nightwatchman Sajid Khan on Saturday.

Azhar was dismissed for 126 late in the day after an imposing innings on a slow wicket while Abid survived a dropped catch on 94 before reaching his third Test century. Zimbabwe made an early breakthrough at 12-1, after Pakistan had won the toss and elected to bat, when

Imran Butt was caught off Richard Ngarava after mistiming a pull over midwicket. But the home attack then toiled without any success until taking the second new ball, after which Blessing Muzarabani took three wickets to put the brakes on the tourist’s batting.

Pakistan opener Abid Ali registered his third Test century on day one of the second Test against Zimbabwe

Azhar was caught in the gully followed soon after by captain Babar Azam, snagged at cover point for two, and then Fawad Alam (5), who was clean bowled. Muzarabani finished the day with figures of 3-41 after a last hour fight back that will offer the home side some hope after a difficult day. Last week, Pakistan won the first of the two-test series, also played at the Harare Sports Club, by an innings and 116 runs.

English Racing Tips Ascot 08:55 hrs Lights On 09:30 hrs Roberto Escobar 10:05 hrs Desert Dreamer 10:40 hrs Chief Of Chiefs 11:15 hrs Labeebb 11:50 hrs Highly Sprung 12:25 hrs Gwenhyvar Haydock 08:25 hrs Proschemms 09:00 hrs Aleas 10:10 hrs Copperless 10:45 hrs Tomfre 11:20 hrs King Of Tonga 11:55 hrs Senior Citizen 12:35 hrs Excellerator

Sri Lanka offers to host remaining 31 IPL matches in September

The Indian Premier League (IPL) was suspended on Tuesday

SRI LANKA Cricket (SLC) has expressed its desire to help the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to host the remainder of the Indian Premier League 2021. Due to the rising number of cases of coronavirus during the second wave, the league got affected and had to be indefinitely postponed. The BCCI is now struggling to find a slot to schedule the rest of the tournament. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly in fact has gone on record to say that his board will have a talk with other boards to see if a window can be made available for hosting the 31 matches left, before the T20 World Cup. He had also revealed that if the IPL is not completed, the board could face up to INR 2500 crores ($340 Million) of loss, which is just the early estimates. In a recent interaction, the SLC chief of the managing committee, Prof. Arjuna de Silva said that his board can provide a window in the month of September. He further said that along with the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka can also be taken as an option for hosting the tournament. Last year, when IPL had to be shifted out of India due to the pandemic, it was hosted by UAE. Even this year, it has emerged as a probable venue, not just for the IPL 2021, but for T2 World Cup as well. Sri Lanka had expressed interest to host IPL last year as well. “Yes, we can certainly provide a window to host the IPL in the month of September. We hear the UAE (United Arab Emirates) is their one option but Sri Lanka can not be ignored for all reasons,” said Prof. Arjuna de Silva and was quoted by Cricwire. De Silva’s term will be ending soon later this month after the SLC elections are held on May 20. However, it has been stated in the report by Cricwire that the offer will remain even if the management changes. De Silva also revealed that the board is planning to have the second season of the Lanka Premier League in July and August, hence the arrangements will be ready in September. “We are planning to host the Lanka Premier League (LPL) in July-August and the grounds and other infrastructure will be ready for the IPL in September”, he added. (CricTracker) 11:25 hrs Notoriously Risky 11:25 hrs Fastar American Racing Tips Belmont Race 1 Flowers For Lisa Express Race 2 Blame It On Mary Race 3 Maria’s Gift Lingfield Race 4 Chateau 08:05 hrs For Richard Race 5 Sinful Dancer 08:40 hrs Mukha Magic Race 6 Harvey’s Lil Goil 09:15 hrs Loving Dream Race 7 Pacific Gale 09:50 hrs Adayar Race 8 In Italian 10:25 hrs Double Or Bubble Race 9 Nova Rags 11:35 hrs Cloudy Dawn Race10 Sovereign Irish Racing Tips Naas 08:00 hrs Celtic Times 08:35 hrs Zegos Surprise 09:05 hrs Kirsapp 09:40 hrs Insinuendo 10:15 hrs Baton Rouge 10:50 hrs Montego Bay

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021

European Super League:

Nine clubs given financial sanctions by UEFA over breakaway NINE of the original European Super League clubs, including the Premier League’s ‘big six’, have been given a financial punishment by UEFA. The nine - Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, plus AC Milan, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid - have also committed to the European governing body and its competitions. However, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are set to face “appropriate action” under Uefa’s disciplinary process. The trio have refused

to renounce the breakaway league. The ESL was announced on 18 April but within 48 hours the plans had fallen apart with the English clubs withdrawing after fan protests and UK government pressure. The nine clubs have agreed to make a combined 15m euros (£13.4m) goodwill contribution to benefit children’s and grassroots football across Europe. They will also have 5% of Uefa competition revenues withheld for one season, starting in 202324, and this money will be redistributed, including in the UK.

Manchester United co-chairman Joel Glazer will pay his club’s portion of the goodwill contribu-

Tottenham Hotspur fans were among those who protested about the European Super League plans

tion and the competition revenue, which will not come out of club funds.

Canelo-Saunders set to smash attendance record

CANELO Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders are set to smash the record for the biggest indoor attendance for a boxing event in America as they prepare to meet in a super middleweight unification battle at the AT&T Stadium (which has a retractable roof) in Arlington, Texas, tonight live worldwide on DAZN and distributed by TV Azteca in Mexico and Latin America. Alvarez and Saunders already broke the pre-sale records for their clash and with over 65,000 tickets now sold with limited remaining, their battle is set to overtake the rematch between Muhammad Ali and Leon Spinks at the Superdome in New Orleans in 1978 that drew 63,352 fans. Promoter Eddie Hearn has been the driving force behind some of the biggest crowds in British boxing history, starting with Carl Froch and George Groves at Wembley Stadium in London, and then Heavyweight ruler Anthony Joshua filling the same stadium against Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin and also the Principality Stadium in Cardiff against Joseph Parker and Carlos Takam – and Hearn is thrilled to be putting boxing under the best of spotlights on Cinco de Mayo weekend. “It’s one of the biggest events I’ve ever been involved in and this morning, we officially broke the record for the biggest indoor crowd in American boxing history,” said

Hearn. “We will have 70,000 people in the AT&T Stadium on Saturday night – I

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is one of the world’s best pound-for-pound fighters

am absolutely buzzing for this, I think this could be the best atmosphere we’ve ever seen. “The numbers for this fight are tracking great, and I think that this is just great for everyone –

Arsenal’s owners, Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, are committed to meeting all costs incurred

the biggest live event since the pandemic struck, and boxing has done that. It just shows that when you get it right, we have a monstrous sport on our hands. “Boxing is being showcased on Saturday. We can be as proud as peacocks on the night as everyone around the world will be watching, they will see the atmosphere and say ‘wow, this is boxing!’ People have to tune in to watch this atmosphere and product and say, ‘this is the place to be’. And everyone watching on Saturday will be in awe of it – the event, the fight, the ring walks, everything. “I’m excited for Billy to be able to go out there and show what he’s said he’s always been able to do, and I am excited for Saul because the atmosphere for him is going to be incredible – so may the best man win.” (Fightnews)

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER Saturday, April 08, 2021

COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK – STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD – 83 Garnett street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S:

(1) Billy Midwinter-5/78 (AUST vs Eng, Melbourne, 1876-77) (2) Herman Griffith-6/103 (WI vs ENG, The Oval, 1928)

TODAY’S QUIZ:

(1) Which bowler has taken the least matches to reach 100 \ Test wickets? (2) Which WI bowler has reached the 100-Test wicket mark the fastest in term of matches?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

by the ESL while a Tottenham statement said: “Any fines will be the responsi-

bility of the owners.” The nine clubs face fines of 100m euros (£86.9m) each if they seek to join an unauthorised competition in the future, and a fine of half that if they breach any other terms of the declaration, Uefa said in a statement. They will also rejoin the influential lobbying group the European Club Association. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said: “I said at the Uefa congress two weeks ago that it takes a strong organisation to admit making a mistake, especially in these days of trial by social media.

These clubs have done just that. “In accepting their commitments and willingness to repair the disruption they caused, Uefa wants to put this chapter behind it and move forward in a positive spirit. “These clubs recognised their mistakes quickly and have taken action to demonstrate their contrition and future commitment to European football. “The same cannot be said for the clubs that remain involved in the socalled Super League and Uefa will deal with those clubs subsequently. (BBC Sport)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021

Hardik Pandya left out of India squad for England Test tour THERE is no room for Hardik Pandya or Kuldeep Yadav in India’s squad of 20 players, including two players - KL Rahul and Wriddhiman Saha - subject to “fitness clearance”, for the final of the World Test Championship against New Zealand and the subsequent fiveTest series against England. Pandya and Kuldeep aren’t among the four standby players either. India will play the WTC final from June 18 to 22 in Southampton and the Test series against England from August 4, starting in Nottingham, to September 14, with the last Test scheduled for Manchester. Virat Kohli’s side is expected to leave for England on June 2, and keeping in mind the length of the tour as well as possible contingencies because of the Covid-19 pandemic, India are carrying a total of 24 players, their reserves’ list containing Abhimanyu Easwaran, the opening batter, and three fast bowlers: Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan and Arzan Nagwaswalla.

Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja and Hanuma Vihari returned to the squad after missing the recent home Tests against England because of their respective injuries. Rahul underwent surgery for appendicitis in early May after he complained of “severe abdomen pain” during the IPL. At the time, the doctors were understood to have told the Punjab Kings that Rahul would be able to resume all activity in a week’s time. Saha, the other player who has to prove his fitness in time for the tour, tested positive for Covid-19 on May 4, the same day the IPL was postponed indefinitely. Saha, who was a part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad, is still in Delhi, where he returned the positive test. It is understood that he will have to undergo 14 days in isolation and be able to move out only after a negative test. Of the players dropped from the squad that played against England at home earlier this year, Pandya did have a question mark over him since he has not

bowled regularly for some time now, with Kohli saying he wanted to preserve Pandya the bowler for the Tests in England. He had a shoulder niggle during the IPL, and didn’t bowl at all in the

ond Test against England in February this year - in which he got to bowl just 12.2 overs overall, returning 0 for 16 and 2 for 25 as India won by 317 runs. He could have also been left out because the two

Hardik Pandya played in four Tests for India on their 2018 tour of England

seven matches he played for the Mumbai Indians. He did, however, bowl a nine-over burst in the third and final ODI against England. As for Kuldeep, while he has been a part of the India squad recently, he has not had many games. Of his seven Tests, he has played only one in the last two years - the sec-

spinners picked ahead of him - Axar Patel and Washington Sundar - provide better batting options and shorten India’s tail. With Patel making a big splash on Test debut in the England series with a haul of 27 wickets from three games and India mostly preferring one or both of R Ashwin and

County Championship round-up:

Batsmen hit back as Steven Mullaney & Michael Burgess record centuries WITH heavy rain and blustery wind forecast for Saturday, teams would have been mindful about making progress on day two of this week’s County Championship action. There was a familiar face who was eager to get straight into the action, with England’s Jimmy Anderson picking up the first wicket of the day, removing Glamorgan’s Billy Root. But with scoring having been low and slow on Thursday, batsmen enjoyed taking advantage of better conditions to gain some revenge.

Group One Nottinghamshire’s Steven Mullaney delivered a captain’s innings as he scored his first County Championship century since the end of 2019 with a 117 to put his side on top against Essex. His fine knock, along with Lyndon James’ 51, helped Notts to a 224-run first-innings lead, with most of the Essex damage done by Shane Snater’s career-best 7-98. Sir Alastair Cook (35) was among three Essex wickets to fall in their second innings, with the champions trailing by 95 runs, closing on 129-3. It’s all to play for between Warwickshire and Worcestershire with the game evenly poised at the end of day two.

Wicketkeeper Michael Burgess (101) completed his maiden Warwickshire century to help the Bears post 343, before the Pears began their fightback. Jake Libby struck 74 as Worcestershire replied with 198-4 at Edgbaston.

Nottinghamshire captain Steven Mullaney enjoyed a good day with the bat

Group Two Craig Overton put in a virtuoso performance for Somerset, starring with both bat and ball as they continued their dominance over Hampshire, who were skittled out on day one. He top-scored with 74 before taking three wickets in Hampshire’s second innings as the hosts slipped to 92-3, still trailing by 165 runs. G r o u p Tw o l e a d e r s Gloucestershire are chasing a fourth victory in five games

and moved themselves into another good position on day two against Middlesex thanks to James Bracey’s 75. The England hopeful was dropped on 36, but took advantage of the reprieve to score his fourth half-century of the season as the visitors posted 273 for a first-innings lead of 63. After posting 210 in the first innings at Lords, Middlesex rather stumbled at the beginning of their second innings, closing on 26-3, and are still 37 behind. Rory Burns (74no) and Mark Stoneman (59no) helped Surrey fight back strongly in pursuit of Leicestershire’s mammoth first-innings total of 496. The duo have put on 146 for the first wicket and will look to keep chipping away at the 350-run lead on Saturday. Earlier in the day, 22-yearold wicketkeeper Harry Swindells (103) had scored his maiden first-class ton for Leicestershire Group Three Jimmy Anderson was straight into the action to give Lancashire a good start to the day against Glamorgan, taking the early scalp of Billy Root before going on to claim 3-40. Dan Douthwaite (61) and Callum Taylor (58) ensured a decent total for the visitors as

they added 81 for the seventh wicket, with Lancashire’s Saqib Mahmood also helping himself to three wickets. Glamorgan made 344 before Alex Davies and Keaton Jennings made a steady start in response, ending the day unbeaten to take Lancashire to 22-0. Joe Root made 41 before glancing paceman Matt Quinn behind but it was Gary Ballance’s unbeaten 91 which lit up Yorkshire’s first innings as they closed on 240-5. Kent had earlier posted 305 with England’s Zak Crawley falling ten runs short of a century and Jack Leaning three runs short of 50. It was the return of the Gareth Berg and Ben Sanderson show at The County Ground, and the Sussex batting order must be thoroughly sick of the sight of the duo now. After taking five wickets each in the first innings, they both picked up two more today to put Northants firmly in control. Sussex’s Stiaan van Zyl dug in to remain unbeaten on 71 at the close but he will need some real heroics to stop Sussex succumbing to a heavy innings defeat as they trail by 181 runs with six wickets remaining. (BBC Sport)

Jadeja, depending on conditions, Kuldeep’s chances of making the cut took a hit. Among the opening batters, India have the options of Mayank Agarwal and Rahul, who can also double up as middle-order batters should the need arise, apart from the first-choice pair of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. Vihari returned after the hamstring injury he sustained in Sydney and is currently representing Warwickshire in the County Championship in England. For fast-bowling options, the selectors included Shardul Thakur and Umesh Yadav ahead of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has been facing injury issues recently, apart from the more obvious names of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Shami and Mohammed Siraj. Before the latest Covid-19 surge in India which led to the UK government putting India on the red list in April, the BCCI was looking at picking two separate squads with the first batch meant for the WTC final and the second leaving closer to the England tour.

That had to change once the circumstances changed. In April, the ECB had announced that the Indians would be arriving with an inflated squad and would play two intra-squad practice matches in July. Those two matches replaced the original warm-up schedule of four-day fixtures between the Indians and India A in July. The ECB, in agreement with BCCI, had postponed the India A tour because of the pandemic. Squad: Virat Kohli (capt), Ajinkya Rahane (vicecapt), Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul (subject to fitness clearance), Wriddhiman Saha (wk; subject to fitness clearance). Standby players: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Arzan Nagwaswalla. (Cricinfo)

AB De Villiers likely to be part of South Africa squad to tour West Indies next month

AB De Villiers could br part of the South African team to the Caribbean

DESTRUCTIVE batsman, AB De Villiers, could be part of the South African team booked for a tour to the West Indies next month, which was officially confirmed by Cricket South Africa (CSA) director of cricket Graeme Smith. After several months of negotiations, the teams are confirmed to play two Test matches and five Twenty20 Internationals. The venue, which will be one country, due to existing coronavirus protocols, has not yet been announced. Originally, it was believed the matches would be held in Trinidad and Tobago, but the country’s fresh battle with a COVID-19 surge seems to have put that in doubt. De Villiers, who played in the Caribbean with the Barbados Tridents in 2016, has not played for the South African team since a Test match against Australia in 2018. The player has, however, given repeated displays of his jaw-dropping hitting ability for the India Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). It was last month that South Africa coach Mark Boucher suggested the big hitter could return to the South Africa line-up for the T20 World Cup, scheduled for India from October to November. It could still be moved due to issues caused by an outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. South Africa has not played in the West Indies since 2016. (Sportsmax)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, May 8, 2021

Fair system in place to decide contracts, says Adams BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – Director of cricket, Jimmy Adams, has given the assurance players will not be ruled out of a central retainer contract simply because of one bad year of performance, contending the current system and criteria provided for fairness. Speaking after Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced the new list for the year beginning July 1, Adams explained that in some scenarios, a “weighted average” was utilised over a two-year period so as to compensate for a dramatic decline in performance by a player over the one-year eligibility period. “That was actually considered when this process was being constructed quite a few years ago and what they incorporated to try and even out a performance over a couple of years was that they would use a weighted average,” the former West Indies captain explained. “So if a player came in in the current cycle with stats that weren’t as strong as his previous cycle, then what

they would do is a weighting over the two-year period. “If you have somebody like a Kyle Mayers who obviously has put some strong figures on the table, in this cycle if he were to come in

Harper was quick to reiterate the point. “The first period which is the immediate year – which is the evaluation period prior to the awarding of contracts – is what is primarily used,” Harp-

contracts for the first time, following their exploits in recent months. Both Mayers and Bonner have scored heavily following their debuts in Bangladesh earlier this year, and now both

However, there were no contracts for proven all-rounder Roston Chase, batsman Shamarh Brooks and wicketkeeper/batsman Shane Dowrich, with all three players missing a couple of matches

Joshua DaSilva Kyle Mayers

under those figures next year, it would be weighted across the two years. “So it was considered when this construct was put together and the feeling is you want to look over a longer period rather than just focussing on one year’s performance.” Chief selector Roger

er pointed out. “If the player’s stats do not meet the criteria, we then look at it over a two- year period in an attempt to assist the player, so to speak.” Mayers, along with the emerging duo of Nkrumah Bonner and Joshua Da Silva, were all awarded red ball

average in the 60s from four Tests. Da Silva, a tidy gloveman who made his debut on last December’s tour of New Zealand, has also been among the runs with a couple of fifties to push his average into the high 30s after playing five matches.

during the eligibility period. In all, 11 players lost their retainer contracts, with eight previously holding white ball deals. Harper said performance remained the basis on which contracts were issued and urged West Indies players to focus on consistency in order

to boost their numbers. “For your stats to be assessed and evaluated, you must play what we call the minimum required game which is 50 per cent of the games during that evaluation period,” Harper explained. “So for Test cricket, we played nine matches … those players played more than half of the matches and I think going forward as a culture, if we want to see our team progress, if we want to see our team compete with the best in the world, we have to be more conscious of the fact that we have to earn our stripes, and we have to perform consistently. “And I think our retainer contracts are given on that basis, based on what you’ve earned through your performances from the evaluation period.” Dowrich was the exception, playing only four Tests during the review period. He abruptly left the New Zealand tour after the first Test and has not played since.

Munro, Simmons among 13 Newcastle one point from safety retained by Trinbago Knight Riders after thumping Leicester City

Colin Munro (R) is one of 13 Trinbago Knight Riders players retained for the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League T20 tournament. (CPL T20 via Getty Images)

TRINBAGO Knight Riders (TKR) have retained 13 of their Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 title-winning squad for this year’s edition which bowls off in St Kitts and Nevis on August 28. The team will be led once more by skipper Kieron Pollard – Wisden’s leading T20 cricketer in the world – who was instrumental in securing last year’s historic fourth CPL title for TKR. TKR also re-signed TT-based batsmen Lendl Simmons, Darren Bravo, Tion Webster and Jayden Seales. Spinners Sunil Narine, Khary Pierre and Akeal Hosein and pacer Anderson Phillip were also retained by the defending champions. The Knight Riders also welcome back international players such as New Zealander Colin Munro, Zimbabwean international Sikandar Raza and USA fast bowler Ali Khan. The experienced team also welcome the return of wicketkeeper/batsman Denesh Ramdin, who played with St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the 2020 edition. Ramdin was traded to the TT franchise after former TKR skipper Dwayne Bravo requested “a new challenge” for the 2021 version. TKR have four more spots to fill in their squad and these will be confirmed in the coming weeks. Last year’s players Fawad Ahmed (Australia), Tim Seifert (New Zealand), Pravin Tambe (India) and TT’s Amir Jangoo were not immediately retained. They, however, can still make it into the squad with the final four TKR spots yet to be filled. (Extracted from Trinidad Newsday)

NEWCASTLE moved to within one point of Premier League safety with an impressive win over Champions League-chasing Leicester City. Joe Willock put the visitors ahead with a cool finish after pouncing on an error from Foxes defender Caglar Soyuncu. Paul Dummett doubled the Magpies’ lead, rising above Wesley Fofana to head past Kasper Schmeichel from Matt Ritchie’s corner, before Callum Wilson’s second-half double wrapped up the three points. From 4-0 down, the hosts grabbed two goals inside the last 10 minutes through Marc Albrighton and Kelechi Iheanacho to give the Magpies a late scare. The result moves Steve Bruce’s side up to 13th, 12 points ahead of 18th-placed Fulham who have four games left. Leicester, in third, remain five points ahead of fifthplaced West Ham but have now played a game more. “I have said quietly for weeks that we’d be OK when we got our big players back. My staff have worked tire-

lessly to make sure we got to this position,” Bruce said. “We have turned it around at the right time. Normally [39 points] is enough. We are in the dizzying heights of 13th. We haven’t done it yet but we have made big strides in the last few weeks.”

limped down the tunnel after picking up an injury in the warm-up. It was an uncharacteristically poor defensive display from a Foxes side who have spent the entire season so far inside the top four. “Jonny Evans is the brain

Callum Wilson is the first Newcastle player to score 12 goals in his debut top-flight season for the club since Loic Remy scored 14 in 2013-14

The evening started badly for Leicester when they were forced into a last-minute change minutes before kickoff, and things only went downhill from there. Albrighton started in place of Jonny Evans, who

of our backline and when he came out of the team that was a big blow for us. However, we should still defend better,” said Rodgers. Two goal-bound efforts from Federico Fernandez and Kelechi Iheanacho were

saved by Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka in the early stages. Dubravka was eventually beaten late in the second half, first by Albrighton’s impressive strike from the edge of the box, followed by a low effort into the bottom right corner from Iheanacho. However, by then the damage had been done. Rodgers is seeking to avoid a repeat of 2019-20, when they missed out on a place in the Champions League on the final day having spent most of the season in the top four. “We have made it a lot harder for ourselves but it is still in our hands. We have to fight and we are a group that is together,” he added. Leicester have a tough conclusion to this season, visiting second-placed Manchester United on Tuesday and then travelling to fourth-placed Chelsea on 18 May, three days after facing them in the FA Cup final. Their final Premier League game is at home to Tottenham, who are sixth, on 23 May. (BBC Sport)

Veerasammy Permaul From left: Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul, Romario Shepherd

GCB investigating why CWI denied quartet retainer contracts THE Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has written to Cricket West Indies requesting a copy of the criteria used to award international retainer contracts and the report submitted by the selection panel on which the decision was made not to award international retainer contracts to Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul and Romario Shepherd as well as Veerasammy Permaul. The missive to the CWI comes on the

heels of the recent announcement by CWI of 18 players who were offered retainer contracts for the year July 1, 2021-June 30, 2022. Among those who were awarded were newcomers Kyle Mayers, Joshua Da Silva and Nkrumah Bonner, who had standout performances against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. However, there were no contracts for the four Guyanese players, a troubling development for the GCB.

“The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) notes with great concern the information that Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul and Romario Shepherd were not awarded International Retainer Contracts by the Cricket West Indies (CWI),” the board said in a statement Friday. “The GCB is also concerned with the non-award of an International Retainer Contract to Veerasammy Permaul.”

The GCB said it is not aware and was not informed of the criteria used for the award of international retainer contracts nor were any reasons given for the nonaward contracts to the four players. “The non-award of International Retainer Contracts to these players by CWI is a matter of extreme concern to the GCB and to the Guyanese public and the GCB intends to fully investigate this matter,” the GCB said.

CWI pays tribute to late Sandals Director of Industrial Relations

SEE PAGE 27 IOC president Thomas Bach

SEE PAGE 27

Pfizer/BioNTech to supply vaccines for Olympic athletes SEE PAGE 31

FLASHBACK: The late David Roper (second from right) with (from left) West Indies legends Colin Croft, Andy Roberts and Joel Garner

Fair system in place to decide contracts, says Adams

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SATURDAY, MAY 8, 2021