Issuu

FRIDAY 24th September, 2021

' No.106494

Laminating COVID-19 vaccination cards permitted once information is clear

Movement of people 03 should not be curtailed by type of vaccine taken

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–– President Ali tells world leaders, as countries incrementally reopen borders

Major infrastructure upgrades are in the pipeline for Naamryck, a farming community in the Parika Backdam area of Region Three (Ministry of Agriculture folder) (See story on Pages 16&17)

$380M upgrade for President Ali apprises $411M budgeted UN of ‘overt threats’ for new wells in 04 roads at Schoonord, from Venezuela 02 Regions Three, Four Canals One, Two 09 PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 24, 2021

President Ali apprises UN of ‘overt threats’ from Venezuela -says law-defying agreements not basis of mediating harmony

IN a powerful address to the United Nations’ General Assembly (UNGA) on Thursday, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, drew attention to the “continued overt threats” facing Guyana’s territorial integrity and sovereignty by the Bolivarian Republic of Ven-

ezuela. In his call for strengthened international relations, the Guyanese Head of State referenced a recent agreement which was signed in Mexico City by contending internal factions in Venezuela, as a means of renewing a baseless claim

to two-thirds of Guyana’s territory, more specifically, the Essequibo region. “We have responded in clear terms. And I repeat our response now in these hallowed halls in which nations of the world meet in peace and co-operation. Guyana cannot be used as

President Dr. Irfaan Ali

an altar of sacrifice for the settlement of Venezuela’s internal political differences,” President Ali asserted. He told his fellow world leaders that while his government welcomes efforts to bring about domestic harmony within Venezuela, agreements that defy international law and processes can be no basis for mediating such harmony. It was only on September 6, 2021, that the Heads of Delegation of the Venezuelan Government and the opposition’s Unity Platform of Venezuela agreed to ratify Venezuela’s purported rights over the Essequibo, and signed an agreement to that effect, in Mexico. This agreement was rejected by the Government of Guyana, and in a statement issued via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, it was noted that the country cannot be used as an altar of sacrifice for settlement of Venezuela’s internal political differences. President Ali, in his address to the UN, said pointedly that Guyana does not promote the use of violence or threats to settle disputes. He reminded the 76th UNGA that in a 1966 Agreement signed in Geneva, Venezuela consented to allow the UN SecretaryGeneral to decide on the means of settlement of this controversy. A decision was then

taken by Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, for the matter to be taken to the International Court of Justice. “Both Parties are, therefore, bound by the court’s jurisdiction and ultimate decision,” President Ali posited. In March 2018, Guyana filed its application in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) seeking an affirmation of the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award and the international boundary that it established. The ICJ ruled on December 18, 2020, that it has jurisdiction to hear the border controversy case. Guyana is seeking to obtain a final and binding judgement that the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the location of the land boundary between then British Guiana and Venezuela, remains valid, and that the Essequibo region belongs to Guyana and not Venezuela. A report from Energy Company, S&P Global Platts, however, related that Venezuela, in its agreement, rejects the ICJ’s declaration of jurisdiction over the issue, and urged Guyana to engage in direct negotiations. “We will call on Guyana to resume the path of negotiations in order to reach an agreement on the territory,” representative of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Jorge Rodríguez, was reported as saying. Venezuela has said, for the longest while, that it is not interested in having this matter resolved by the court. And from all indications, Venezuela early this year seemed bent on arbitrarily laying claim to Guyana’s territory, with its naval forces intruding on Guyana’s maritime space. Increased activity by Venezuela’s naval vessels and other forces in Guy-

ana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) started after Venezuela’s President, Nicolás Maduro, issued a decree claiming Venezuela’s sovereignty and exclusive sovereign rights over the waters and seabed adjacent to Guyana’s coast, west of the Essequibo River. Despite outright condemnation of Venezuela’s claims and global recognition of Guyana’s sovereign rights over the contested area, a naval vessel attached to the Bolivarian Republic, just days after the issuance of the decree, entered Guyana’s territory and abducted 12 fishermen, who have since been released. A peaceful conclusion to its border controversy with Venezuela remains Guyana’s aim, but Dr. Ali, Guyana’s Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, had previously affirmed that his nation will not cower in the face of threats against national security. “As President of our beloved country, my single most important responsibility is to keep the Guyanese people safe. It is the first thing I think about when I wake [up] in the morning. It is the last thing on my mind at night. And my working day is consumed by it. “But I want no mistake made about it: my government is doing all in its power to vigorously protect our people’s health and our country’s territorial integrity. Just as we will not relent in the battle against COVID-19, so will we not bend to threats to our national security…we may be a small country, but we are a proud people. We have no military might, but we have moral and legal right. We pick fights with no one, but we will resist threats from anyone,” President Ali said early this year.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 24, 2021

Movement of people should not be curtailed by type of vaccine taken _President Ali tells world leaders, as countries incrementally reopen borders By Rehana Ahamad WITH “vaccination for entry” measures being implemented in several parts of the world, many countries have been moving to recognise only those vaccines that were fully approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO). In his inaugural address to the United Nations’ General Assembly on Thursday, President Dr. Irfaan Ali warned that this route could hurt the global efforts to end the polarisation of access to vaccines. “The access to vaccines saw the world polarised,” President Ali told his fellow world leaders, adding: “We must not now hurt our efforts at ending this polarisation of access to vaccines by implementing measures that divide us and curtail our movement based on the type of vaccines our people took.” Instead, the Head of State said that the world’s efforts should be directed towards addressing vaccine hesitancy, and promoting full vaccination of all eligible citizens of the world. “Millions took the vaccines which were available at a time of much uncertainty, and they are the unsung heroes. They must not now be the subject of restrictions based on the vaccines they took,” President Ali posited. These restrictions are likely to affect thousands of Guyanese who have been immunised using the Russian-made Sputnik V jabs, which has not been fully approved by WHO, but continues to be administered in over 60 countries, largely owing to impressive real-world results. Recognising that the peoples of our planet are living under a cloud of uncertainty, it is important for countries to unite and create conditions that will ease fear, erase doubt, and

give hope. Dr. Ali believes that UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, described the global situation well when he said: “the pandemic has demonstrated our collective failure to come together and make joint decisions for the common good, even in the face of an immediate, life-threatening global emergency.” The Guyanese Head of State, in his stronglyworded statement, outlined that even after 76 years since the founding of the United Nations, the world is more driven by “selfish national interests” rather than the collective well-being of “our one planet and our one humanity.” Dr. Ali reminded that nations will ever be able to survive on its own. “Those, who at the advent of the pandemic concentrated on making themselves secure, now understand they will not be safe until we are all safe, because the virus knows not – and cares not – about ethnicity, age or geography. It will not heed borders or be stopped by walls,” President Ali noted. To this end, President Ali reiterated his call for increased resources to be made available to states on the basis of their vulnerabilities “and not only based on the misleading measure of per capita income.” He further contended that if those essential measures are not implemented, growth in developing countries will not be restored nor will economic and social policies be realigned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)s outlined in Agenda 2030. “The repercussions will be felt by the rich nations because developing countries are markets for the goods and services of the industrialised nations and the source of their raw

materials. Poor countries cannot buy unless they have the means, and they cannot produce unless they have the capacity,” Dr. Ali reasoned. He maintained that while poor and vulnerable countries will suffer longer, and more intensely from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, rich countries have not been spared. UPENDED GROWTH “Within developing countries, the pandemic has upended growth, increased unemployment, and weakened health and education systems. Education regression is now inevitable given the long period our children have been forced out of the formal classroom and the challenges which many developing countries face in delivering virtual education,” President Ali highlighted. He said that given these problems, economic recovery is essential to returning developing countries to the path of attaining the SDGs. “Such recovery will be painfully elongated and slow, unless there is international support in the form of debt rescheduling, debt service moratoriums, provision of soft resources to reboot economies,” President Ali said. In this regard, the government welcomed the summit on COVID-19 that was hosted by United States President, Joe Biden. “We are pleased that it resulted, not only in commitments for joint global action, but also in the allocation of resources to achieve necessary and agreed objectives,” Dr. Ali said. Further, the Guyanese leader said that his government was pleased with the meeting among the heads of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, World Health Organisation, World Trade Organisation and leading vaccine manufacturing

President Dr. Irfaan Ali delivered a strong statement to the United Nations’ General Assembly on Thursday

companies to discuss strategies to improve access to COVID-19 vaccines in low and lower middleincome countries and in Africa. “My government is pleased that the heads of the international Organisations and the CEOs of the major pharmaceutical companies have formed a technical working group to exchange and coordinate information on vaccine production and deliveries,” Dr. Ali said. He added that these are all positive developments, even though they have come after millions have died and many more millions still live under the threat of death. CLIMATE CHANGE Additionally, President Ali used his time at

the podium to remind his counterparts that the challenges faced by small and developing countries have been exacerbated by the effects of climate change, which continues to inflict even greater destruction and rumination than the coronavirus. Dr. Ali had previously pointed to the fact that even though small and developing countries contribute less to climate change and carbon emissions, they are the ones that face the brunt of the effects. “This is not only unfair; it is unjust,” Dr. Ali asserted. In calling for developed countries to step up and play a greater role in the fight against climate change, President Ali referred to Guyana’s efforts

as an example. He said that even though Guyana is a net carbon sink, and the nation’s forests absorb far more carbon than is produced from human activity, the government has not “folded its hands and sat back” in satisfaction that it has done enough. As a matter of fact, the Head of State said that Guyana continues to contribute meaningfully to reducing global emissions and to the de-carbonisation of the world’s economy, “even though our country is now an oil and gas producer.” “In these circumstances, we feel we have the right to insist on a fair system of burdensharing,” President Ali maintained.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 24, 2021

$411M budgeted for new wells in Regions Three, Four By Jared Liddell

IN keeping with the government’s promise to improve access to portable water, the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) will be expending some $411 million over the next three months, to construct water wells across Regions Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) and Four (Demerara-Mahaica). Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, told the Guyana Chronicle that some

of those projects have commenced, and should be completed by the end of this year. Some $150 million is being expended to construct a well at Lusignan, while wells are also being constructed at Providence, Wakenaam and Parika Backdam, at a cost of $106 million, $50 million and $80 million, respectively. Additionally, Minister Croal said that five wells are being drilled at communities along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, at an aggregate cost of $25 million.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal

“Our aim is to have an improved level of service, both in terms of reach and the quality of water, that is being delivered to households. So, every time we drill a new well, it is to increase our coverage and keep as part of our goal, accessibility to safe water by all our

citizens. So, work on these wells is a direct part of our five-year mandate and vision at GWI,” Minister Croal said. The Housing and Water Minister said that the works at Soesdyke, Wakenaam, and Parika are all being done by an “in-house” team

from the GWI, while the other ongoing works are being outsourced to independent contractors. Minister Croal further said that those upgrades are especially important given the government’s expanding housing programme. He noted that several of those new wells will serve to improve the water supply in several existing and potential communities. “These wells are going to serve not just the community they are in, but also several surrounding communities to boost the water pressure in those communities. The one that we’re doing at Providence will start shortly and will help, Herstelling, Providence, Peters Hall… if we connect a number of those households right now, it would drop the pressure at Eccles, so all these wells that we are doing are important,” Minster Croal related. METERING Further, Minister Croal said that the ministry is moving ahead with the procurement and installation of water meters, which will be utilised to reduce wastage and increase the supply of water. “Meters help to reduce our wastage, and

this would increase our capacity for capturing non-revenue water… so, it’s just to have a better delivery of quality water and an improved service,” Minister Croal said. In addition to wells and meters, the minister related that for the remainder of the year, there will be significant investments in the replacement of transmission lines in Central Georgetown. Minister Croal said that several of the existing lines were damaged over time. “Why we’re changing those transmission lines in Georgetown is because those things are old, they are over a century old and so if we increase the pressure what will happen, we will get a lot of wastage. “You know now that sometimes when you see there is a leakage for example by the Cenotaph by the Bank of Guyana, it is related to the lines… t h e re i s a s i m i l a r problem nearby Cuffy Square… there’s always a similar issue, so we’re working to change those transmission lines so those transmission lines will aid in improving the level of service,” the minister related.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 24, 2021

Equitable, sustainable transformation of food system a priority for Guyana –– President Ali says

THE equitable and sustainable transformation of Guyana’s food-production system is a priority of the government, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has said. In a pre-recorded message to the United Nations Food System Summit (FSS), President Ali said Guyana’s transformation efforts are rooted in the country’s commitment to the 2030 Agenda. “We are also wedded to the goals of ensuring access to safe and nutritious food for everyone, the reduction of on-farm and post-harvest waste and loss and the implementation of a circular food economy,” President Ali said. The President said that the country is also focused on de-risking the agricultural sector, implementing the use of innovative technologies, developing climate-smart practices, and increasing investments in disaster preparedness and

response. In addition, President Ali said that his government is also promoting greater food security by investing in research and development, specifically, in the development of climate-resilient crops and varieties. Efforts are also in place to diversify agricultural production and catalyse agro-processing, while investments will be made to improve and establish agricultural-supportive infrastructures such as drainage and irrigation, farm-to-market roads and packaging facilities. President Ali also noted that Guyana will seek to consolidate its National School Feeding Programme with nourishing meals. To this end, he said: “We are strengthening the linkages and synergies between consumers and food producers, so as to deliver safe, healthy and nutritious school meals.

This will also help provide small farmers with a guaranteed market for a portion of their produce.” The President also highlighted the connection between climate change and food security and pointed to the need for finances for mitigation and adaptation purposes. He said that ensuring the viability of the food system is central to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “As part of our efforts to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs in the Decade of Action for delivery of the SDGs, this year’s focus on food will play no small part in the global recovery efforts,” President Ali said. The President further related that the reversal of development gains, the frequency of extreme weather and economic contraction are some of the daunting challenges confronting both the de-

President Dr. Irfaan Ali veloped and developing countries and that the only difference lies in the nations’ capabilities to respond to those challenges. He said: “This summit can help narrow these

gaps. It also presents an opportunity to contribute to efforts to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities, address the climate crisis, and promote resilient and sustainable futures.

By focusing on solutions and transformative actions, we are collectively laying a good foundation to sustain momentum on food security.” (Office of the President)

Laminating COVID-19 vaccination cards permitted once information is clear MINISTER of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, has said that persons are free to laminate their COVID-19 vaccination booklets for preservation, once the relevant information is clearly displayed. During his COVID-19 update on Thursday, Minister Anthony said the approach will be acceptable for verification purposes. “We want people to know that the document is a genuine document, but we also understand the challenges people face with walking around with this

big card, and if it is not laminated then it can easily get damaged. “So, we have been flexing a little bit, but you must also present it (in a way) that you can see the particulars of the person on one side and what is inside the card,” Dr. Anthony reasoned. He said that persons whose cards are unclear after lamination may not be allowed entry into public buildings. Meanwhile, the Health Minister continued to encourage persons to get vaccinated against the deadly

novel coronavirus. As of Wednesday, more than 90 persons were hospitalised at the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara. “We have 107 persons in hospital; 97 of those persons are at the Ocean View Hospital and from this, 37 of them in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). At Ocean View, we have also six pregnant persons with COVID and at the Georgetown hospital, we have 13 women who are also pregnant with COVID,” Dr. Anthony related.

Minister Anthony said that increased COVID-19 cases are also being seen at regional hospitals. He related: “At Port Kaituma, we have two or three persons who are in the hospital because of COVID. At Suddie hospital, we have two persons; at West Demerara Hospital, 10, and 10 in Mahaicony and 13 at the Experiment isolation facility. Four are at New Amsterdam, two at Skeldon, three at Bartica, two at Mahdia and in Wismar, we have eight persons.” (DPI)

An authentic COVID-19 vaccination card

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 24, 2021

Peace, Development and Human Progress

THE United Nations has designated September 21 as International Day of Peace or what is commonly referred to as World Peace Day. The day is observed throughout the world to strengthen the ideals of peace and human dignity, usually by observing 24 hours of non-violence and ceasefire. The theme for this year’s observances is ‘Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world’. This theme is most apt considering the high levels of global inequity and the growing income gap between the rich industrialised countries and those in the underdeveloped world. Poverty still continues to be a major issue facing mankind despite breathtaking advances in science and technology. Nearly one-fifth of the world’s population is condemned to a life of poverty and indignity, having been forced to live on an income of less than US$2 per day. Guyana has scored 2.114 in this year’s Global Peace Index which is a composite index measuring the peacefulness of countries. The Index consists of 23 quantitative and qualitative indicators each weighted

on a scale of one to five. The lower the score, the more peaceful the country. Topping the list of peaceful countries is Iceland with a score of 1.1 followed by New Zealand and Denmark with scores of 1.253 and 1.256 respectively. At the extreme bottom is Afghanistan with 3.631 followed by conflict-ridden Yemen and Syria with scores of 3.407 and 3.371. Interestingly, Guyana with a score of 2.1 is ranked higher than that of the United States which has a score of 2.337.The Index is compiled by the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP) and provides an analysis on trends in global peace and its impact on economic and social development. Peace is much more than the absence of war. It is also about the socio-economic and political conditions under which people live and the state of their mental and physical well-being. Regrettably, there are still millions of people in the world today who live in an environment of fear and economic insecurity, a condition that could have been ameliorated with more enlightened policies and with democratic forms of governance. Too many resources are diverted globally

to ‘beef-up’ military institutions which could have been better spent in terms of the creation of architecture of peace and human development. Guyana, it has to be said, is a relatively peaceful and harmonious society despite our cultural and ethnic diversity. We have our moments of tension and stress due in part to the adversarial nature of our politics but we never allowed politics or religion to divide us as a nation. We have created institutions to protect us from any form of hostility and our Constitution remains the supreme law of the land. Our biggest threat to peace is the territorial claim to our land by neighbouring Venezuela, a matter which is now before the International Court of Justice. The current PPP/C administration is committed to a peaceful and multi-racial society, one in which no Guyanese will be left behind. This assurance was reinforced by President Mohamed Irfaan Ali at his recent inaugural address to the United Nations General Assembly when he pledged Guyana’s commitment to greater political inclusion and to enacting institutional re-

forms to ensure that democracy, the rule of law and constitutional rights are respected. Guyana, he said, recognises the dignity and worth of the human person and is determined to secure for the country’s citizens a higher standard of living. It is significant that the United Nations General Assembly is meeting at a time the entire world is observing International Day of Peace. In fact, the Charter of the United Nations commits to ending the scourge of war, fostering respect for human rights, promoting the dignity of the human person, securing equality for men, women and nations; defending the principles of international law and advancing human freedoms and social progress, all of which Guyana as a country has fully embraced. The United Nations has a key role to play in the preservation and maintenance of world peace which, sadly still remains fragile. Indeed, the United Nations itself was formed 75 years ago amid the scars of war and the promise of a peaceful and prosperous world.

Persons with complaints/queries can also reach GRO via social media

Dear Editor,

PERMIT me to respond to a letter published in the Stabroek News on September 22, 2021, captioned “Frustrated with birth certificate department of the GPO”. Firstly, let me clarify that the General Register Office (GRO) is responsible for the issuance of births, deaths, marriage, and adoption certificates. It is not a department within the GPO. The Post Office Corporation acts as an agent to receive and distribute these certificates, therefore the information provided by the clerks/postal service workers may not truly represent the official position of the GRO. Since assuming the position as Registrar General, a website has been activated along with Facebook and Instagram pages and a Whatsapp account to allow for interaction with members of the public given the usage of social media in Guyana and the pandemic we are facing.

There is no excuse for the seemingly long delays in posting out the certificates applied for; however, understanding the realities faced by the department can perhaps assist persons to reduce the waiting time. Further, we have had a number of stops/delays due to staff becoming infected with COVID-19 and having to initiate the necessary protocols. When I assumed the position as Registrar General at the end of September 2020, I immediately began to make an assessment of what was and what could be done to improve what we were doing. Further, I was advised that at the start of the pandemic in 2020, the department was not producing certificates since it was closed for a period -- that was during the recount when only selected persons were called into work. This created a serious backlog. I would not dwell on what transpired prior to me assuming this appointment, but persons who have had to do transactions with the office can testify that

the main concerns were the security and authenticity of the documents issued by the department. The government in 2013/2014 had initiated a project to digitise all the records of the GRO, while this was done with the aid of the IOM, it was not being used in the way intended up to the end of 2020. The production of certificates generated by the database lends for a high level of security and authenticity. A decision was then taken to produce records from that database; the issue of the delivery system then had to be addressed. Certificates were produced and delivered to the post office but there was no system of recording its delivery. Hence, a decision was taken to have all mails registered to allow for persons to sign for the certificates when they were delivered. Two issues are now being addressed to ensure faster delivery of the certificates; the processing of new births and deaths and changes/corrections to the

official records which can only be done at the Head Office at this time. At present, we are printing about 500 certificates daily. We are currently printing applications received at the post office in June this year. Our distribution is a little behind and should catch up with the rate of production by the end of September 2021. Persons who seem to have long delays may need to check with the office using our social media contacts as there may be issues with your records that may need clarity/corrections. Persons applying for certificates can assist by providing as much information as possible on the application forms and ensuring the address provided is clear. We can be contacted on WhatsApp 610-9394; Facebook/ General Register Office Guyana website gro.moha.gov. gy Yours sincerely, Raymon Cummings

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 24, 2021

Power is the new Internet

Dear Editor,

OPINIONS about solar power have surfaced lately and though many writers have contributed considerably, I believe that the key ideas have barely had any time under the sun. Persons keeping up with developments in the solar energy space may know that we are right now going through a paradigm shift in terms of the way we view the electrical grid - the new grid looks more like the Internet. We may tend to think of the Internet by now, as a kind of stream, ‘piped’ to users from a central ‘source’. There is no such source. Briefly put, people create networks for

themselves. These networks appear as organically, as rapidly and as pervasively as human settlements do. ISP’s eventually appear when users of these networks start to demand more bandwidth or as networks grow and become complicated. Editor, Australia has embraced the battery network. Homes and businesses in South Australia together produce so much electricity from rooftop solar, that they are considered one of the largest generators on their world-renowned interconnected grid! Thanks to batteries, solar is now a baseline power source. Senate Bill 99: The Community Energy and Resiliency Act of 2021 authored by Senator Bill Dodd of California was

WI selectors continue to bungle our best potential and talent Dear Editor, SPORT is a business, our young sportsmen and women participation in sport demand full-time training and total dedication for them to master the skills and develop as genuine professionals. Genuine professionals must be nurtured and cajoled from very young to achieve greatness. Hence, it is imperative that the clubs, national associations and the people and government must support them as our pride. It is indeed heartening to see that two ‘Heads of State’, Guyana’s President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, and Barbados’s Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, are openly calling with other imminent personalities around the world on the West Indies selectors to justify their selection of the West Indies team to defend the upcoming Cricket World Cup title. The Caribbean people must demand that the criteria for selection of the 15 players and four travelling reserves must be made public. The inclusion of Chris Gayle is highly questionable. This player ran away from West Indies cricket to play franchise cricket for money. He had run-ins with the West Indies Cricket Administration and was involved in negative public disputes with a former West Indies test captain. Gayle is undoubtedly a ‘pride’ player, a cricketer who has achieved greatness but he should make way for our younger players. There are many former players such as Vivian Richards, Michael Holding and Garner who gave way for younger players when they were at their peak of the game. Ravi Rampaul is also over the ‘hill’ and he should not

be in the team before some younger players. The selectors must justify the selection of Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell and the world number one all-rounder, Jason Holder, is not included in the original 15. It is also interesting to note that the wild Oshane Thomas and Obed McCoy will be partnering Rampaul as the quick bowlers on the dry United Arab Emirates wickets. The West Indies only player on tour but as a reserve who is recognised as a world class player is Holder. None of our batsmen or bowlers are among the top players in the world. The West Indies team is in Group One, along with England, Australia and South Africa and in the play-off only two teams in the respective groupings will move forward. This will be a highly competitive World Cup. ‘Remember the name’, Carlos Braithwaite’, a young all-rounder who out of the blues hit four consecutive sixes to enable the West Indies to win the last World Cup. Today is the young Turks such as the tried and proven Romario Sheperd, Sherfane Rutherford along with the world rated all-rounder, Jason Holder, who can make a difference and defend the T/20 World Cup title. It will be a total disaster for West Indies cricket and much stress and strain for the over five million people in the Caribbean and the millions of supporters in the diaspora if the West Indies fail to reach the semi-finals. Yours sincerely, Neil Kumar

heard on the senate floor and has passed through the first house of the legislature. The idea behind this Act is that local government, with the assistance of the energy commission and the experts they qualify would conduct community-based participatory processes to identify threats and opportunities in energy resiliency. These processes would elicit a set of projects that are specific enough to receive support when infrastructure funding starts coming. Editor, solar free-market

possibilities are too numerous to mention. First-movers in Guyana already know that self-generating is not selfish. Power is the new Internet and much like the Internet, the more the merrier. Do we want a cheaper, more resilient supply of electricity in Guyana? Together, anyone with a rooftop can make that a reality. Yours sincerely, Emille Giddings

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 24, 2021

The Ministry of Agriculture has seen a remarkable transformation in a short time Dear Editor, PERMIT me a few lines to pen my opinion on the work of the Ministry of Agriculture thus far. Since August of 2020, the ministry, under the stewardship of the Honourable Zulfikar Mustapha, has seen a turnaround. There has been a remarkable transformation in terms of policies, execution and the overall management of the sector. Minister Mustapha, a man known for being proactive since he served as Regional Chairman of Region Six, has in just over a year implemented the right managerial policies that have trickled down

and impacted the lives of farmers across the country. Because of his grassroot background and no-nonsense approach to tackling the inherited issues faced in the sector, Minister Mustapha must be commended for the positive direction the ministry is now headed in. The overall vision of President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, for the agriculture sector is clear. Guyana must be able to take its rightful place in the region when it comes to agriculture. Our food systems must be transformed to satisfy the regional demand for healthy food. Guyana has the land and other resources to do this and it

is clear that the President and the minister are working to ensure this is achieved. The fact that the government was able to regain its leading role in CARICOM as it pertains to agriculture in less than a year in office clearly demonstrates that our regional leaders and policymakers are confident that Guyana has what it takes to lead the efforts to propel agriculture production, development and sustainability in the hemisphere. Our leaders have stressed the importance of having a thriving agriculture sector. Being able to feed the citizens with wholesome food is of extreme importance. Our world is changing and it is

clear that our President and Agriculture Minister understand that. In conclusion, I would like to once again commend the President and the Minister for the advances made thus far. The task has not been easy but the commitment of these gentlemen to ensuring our farmers have access to exceptional facilities and services and that the best quality of food is available to our citizens lets me know that the sector is in the right hands. Kudos! Continue to serve with humility and dedication. Yours sincerely, Ralph Fraser

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 24, 2021

$380M upgrade for roads at Schoonord, Canals One, Two By Naomi Parris

AFTER years of incurring losses, and enduring discomfort as a result of deplorable roads, residents of Schoonord, and Canals One and Two, in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) will receive much-needed relief, as the Ministry of Public Works has awarded three contracts valuing more than $380 million for the upgrade of roads in those communities. The three contracts were awarded by Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar to Mohammed Fawaz Bacchus Construction and Transportation Incorporated, Japarts Construction Incorporated, and Arnoco Services Inc. The first contract was awarded to Mohammed Fawaz Bacchus Construction and Transportation Incorporated to the tune of $36 million, for the rehabilitation of the main access road at Schoonord. The second contract, valuing $173 million, was awarded to Japarts Construction Incorporated for the rehabilitation of the road at Canal Number One. And for the rehabilitation of the road at Canal Number Two, a contract valuing $170 million was awarded to Arnoco Services Inc. Speaking at a simple signing ceremony held in the Ministry of Public Works’ boardroom, on Thursday, Minister Indar said the rehabilitation of the roads are important for the continued development across various communities. Additionally, the minister said that residents in various communities would have voiced their frustrations over the conditions of their respective access roads on several occasions, especially those in the Schoonord

Housing Scheme. “The Schoonord Road, this was the subject of many newspaper articles because various parts and sections of the main road are paved… I personally visited this area,” the Public Works Minister said, adding: “There are a number of main parts of the road that their subsurface has failed and so we have to actually go now and repair all of that.” He said that the contract will cover sectional repairs to the length of the road, using asphalt. While Minister Indar did not announce a specific timeline for the completion of those projects, he said that with its completion, over 6,000-7,000 residents will be relieved of their transportation woes. “This is a main irritant for the lives of commuters and commercial activity going out of the housing scheme… This particular community has complained about the road for a number of years now,” he said. Minister Indar used the opportunity to urge the contractors to mobilise their teams and commence works as soon as possible, to ensure the timely completion of the projects. “We expected that mobilisation will commence quickly, because we have to make sure that these projects move along quickly,” he said. Indar also urged the contractors to employ residents in the various communities to assist with the projects. Additionally, the minister said that the Public Works Ministry will be signing a number of contracts in the coming days for major road works across the country. “Over the next couple of days, we will be signing a number of contracts for various parts of the country, including, Regions Two, Five, Six, and Three,” Minister Indar said.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, centre, and the contractors following the simple signing ceremony at the Ministry of Public Works on Thursday (Adrian Narine photo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 24, 2021

Over 180 suspicious transactions reported to FIU for 2021 DIRECTOR of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Matthew Langevine, has said that the entity has received reports of over 180 suspicious transactions, since the beginning of this year. Langevine, who spoke with the Department of Public Information (DPI)

on Thursday, said many of the reports are fraud related. “The pandemic has stopped a lot of things, but crime is one of the things that seem to have flourished under the pandemic,” Langevine said. He said the prevalence of the reports is consistent with the levels in 2020 and

prior years. Last year, the FIU received 341 suspicious transaction reports. “What has been consistent is that these suspicious transaction reports are coming from primarily the financial sector, banks and non-bank financial institutions, as well as about 46 per cent coming from money transfer agencies,”

Langevine said. The primary purpose of the FIU is to receive and analyse information on financial crimes and share it with law enforcement. In this regard, the unit has submitted 14 intelligence reports to the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) to investigate

Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Matthew Langevine suspected money laundering activities, and has been working with law enforcement agencies on a number of cases, Langevine related. He said the FIU is seeing an increasing number of suspicious transactions relating to online fraud. He encouraged persons to take precautions in their use of social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp. One such type which has been occurring frequently is the romance or package delivery scam, which the FIU drew attention to in June. Typically, persons are defrauded of money after being influenced by social media users to transfer funds in exchange for some form of inducement or to bolster the online romantic relationship. Once the funds are transferred, the scammer would cut off all contact with the victim. “Another phenomenon we’ve been seeing is activities relating to email compromise types fraud, where persons’ emails become compromised and instructions are sent to the bank,” Langevine said. While not frequent, the few cases have been observed by the FIU to involve substantial amounts of money, with the target groups being large companies. Langevine said in a typical case, the email address of a senior executive of a manufacturing

company may be compromised, then an instruction is sent to the bank to wire funds to a fake supplier. The FIU has also been paying attention to the incidence of smurfing, which Langevine said, may not technically be a crime, but a way to launder money using the financial system. “It’s technically an unusual transaction, but you’re unable to say what specific crime was committed. It’s essentially use and abuse of the financial system to move money on behalf of criminals,” he said. Langevine said scams have not been reduced at any level, over time. He, however, commended financial institutions for co-operating, reporting and even blocking suspicious cases. To tackle these scams, the FIU has been collaborating with agencies both locally and internationally, including the FIUs of other countries. In terms of international co-operation, Langevine said that for the year, there have been seven instances of information sharing, including with Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and the United States. Langevine encouraged persons to be diligent in reporting scams, affirming that the FIU will continue to work to bring perpetrators to justice. (DPI)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 24, 2021

Four persons die of COVID-19

FOUR more persons have died after contracting COVID-19, taking Guyana’s overall death toll to 744, the Ministry of Health has reported. The Ministry of Health said that the latest fatalities are three males and one female: a 69-year-old man who was unvaccinated and died on September 19; a 58-year-old man who was unvaccinated and died on September 23; and a 66-year-old man who was fully vaccinated and died on September 22. All three men were from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica). The other person to succumb after contracting the dreaded disease was a partially vaccinated

81-year-old woman from Region Three (Essequibo Islands–West Demerara), who died on September 23. As it is now, there are 3,856 active COVID-19 cases in Guyana, following the addition of 258 new cases on September 23, 2021. Those cases were detected following 2,062 tests, which were conducted between Wednesday and Thursday. The 258 newly confirmed cases were recorded in Regions One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, and 10. Region Four accounted for 151 of the new cases, while Region One recorded eight cases; Region Two recorded 13

new cases; Regions Three recorded 67 cases and Region Five recorded eight new cases. Additionally, six new cases were recorded in Region Six, while Regions Seven and 10 recorded three and two cases, respectively. Even as new cases were recorded, 147 persons were reported to have recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 25,848. The country has now recorded a total of 30,444 confirmed cases since the first COVID-19 case was reported in March 2020. Of the active cases, 37 persons are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit

(ICU) at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital, Liliendaal; 171 are in institutional isolation; 3,644 are in home isolation and four are in institutional quarantine. Many of the persons infected with the virus are said to be asymptomatic, that is, they are not exhibiting symptoms. The updated COV-

ID–19 Emergency Measures are in force from September 1, 2021, until September 30, 2021. They may be extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Health, after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions of the pandemic. As per the current measures, however, all persons are required to

wear face masks when leaving their homes, and physical distancing and adequate sanitisation are recommended. The current curfew is 22:30 hours to 04:00 hours. Persons with symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to call the COVID-19 hotline numbers: 231-1166; 226-7480; or 180/181 for assistance.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 24, 2021

Exposing his ‘privates’ lands miner in hot water

A 35-year-old miner was on Wednesday released on $65,000 bail for expos-

ing his penis to a woman, and two other charges. Lenroy Allman, of Di-

amond Squatting Area, East Bank Demerara, appeared before Chief Mag-

istrate Ann McLennan and pleaded not guilty to the charges. The exposure charge dates back to September 5 at Linden, while another had to do with his assaulting his daughter, Malika Thomas, and unlawfully damaging her dining chair, valued

$80,000, on the same date and at the same location. Allman was released on a total of $65,000 bail, and ordered to return to court on October 25. He was also charged for threatening his daughter, to which he pleaded guilty, was rep-

Lenroy Allman rimanded, and allowed to go free.

Two dead after pinned by truck at Buck Hall TWO persons have lost their lives after the truck in which they were travelling slipped off the trail at Buck Hall, toppled and pinned them. According to reports, the persons who died are the driver of the vehicle, Nigel Headley, and an occupant, Ameer Nazim. Reports are that Headley, 52, was driving motor lorry GPPP 2787, which was loaded with timber and persons in the tray, east along the northern side of the hilly Buck

Hall trail. While making his way up a hill, the vehicle developed a problem and started to roll backwards before slipping off the trail and toppling into a nearby creek. As a result, Headley and Nazim were pinned by the vehicle. In an attempt to save the men, public-spirited citizens utilised an excavator and other means to extract them. The men were eventually extracted and transported to

Buck Hall Landing, then to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where they were examined and pronounced dead by a doctor on duty. The other occupants of the vehicle, 17-year-old Romos Albert and 44-year-old Melvern Thomas, were admitted as patients suffering from injuries to their heads and bodies. The bodies of the deceased were taken to the Eziekel Funeral Parlour for storage and a post-mortem.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 24, 2021

Opposition Parliamentarians ‘turn up’ to Region Four RDC meeting

--REO walks out after feeling ‘threatened’ by ‘shouting Regional Chairman’

A MEETING of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) was suspended after the Regional Executive Officer (REO), Donald Gajraj, walked out after feeling ‘threatened’ by the actions of Regional Chairman, Daniel Seeram. The reported actions of Seeram were supplemented by the presence of his colleagues from the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC). Those persons were, however, not the duly elected councillors who are a party to those meetings, but rather Opposition Parliamentarians, who were there, reportedly, without prior notice or reason. According to a News Room report, four Opposition Members of Parliament turned up at the meeting without the knowledge of the REO. This reportedly added to the tension which already exists among the Coalition councillors, who are at odds over the leadership of the RDC. AFC councillors had expressed no confidence in their APNU counterparts

who hold the positions of Chairman and ViceChairman of the RDC of Region Four. The AFC had confirmed that on August 18, its Region Four councillors laid formal notices indicating that they have ‘no confidence’ in Seeram and Sandy. The motion moved by Councillor Amarnauth Chinkan and seconded by Councillor Deodat Tillack was submitted to Gajraj. The Coalition member said that this move was in direct response to the continued “failures and shortcomings” in the management of the affairs of the people in this key geographical region. At a statutory meeting in August, the reading of the motion was disallowed on the grounds that the office of the Chairman was not served with a copy of the motion, nor did it conform to the stipulated timeline. The Chairman again reportedly diverted attention from this and other motions, and rearranged an agenda prepared by Gajraj to allow for discussions on the region’s budget for 2022. Gajraj, according to

the News Room, said the changes were made unilaterally by Seeram and prevented any review of the minutes and discussions on matters arising and motions. It was reported that Seeram was displeased because the budget was already submitted by the REO for approval by the Central Government. The News Room reported that Gajraj, who asserts full responsibility for submitting the budget, said he was forced to do so void of the input of the RDC. The budget has since been approved. It was at this point that Seeram reportedly started shouting at the REO after he informed the meeting that he hadn’t a correspondence to relay. “In a loud disrespectful way he [Seeram] started shouting… with the invited guests and his attitude, I felt threatened and I decided to leave,” the REO told the News Room. This aside, although the budget was approved, Gajraj told the News Room that Seeram and the council would still be able to make suggestions for the budget.

Porknocker caught red-handed --trying to make a side hustle

A 44-year-old porknocker was on Wednesday released on $150,000 bail on a drug-trafficking charge. Sherwin Jackson, of No. 54 Village, Berbice, Corentyne appeared before Magistrate Crystal Lambert at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court and pleaded not guilty to the charge. Particulars of the charge allege that on September 21, at Bartica, he had 495 grams of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking. Magistrate Lambert re-

Sherwin Jackson leased Jackson on $150,000 bail, and adjourned the case until October 22, 2021. According to reports, on the day in question,

police went to the Bartica Arcade, on First Avenue, Bartica, and allegedly saw Jackson carrying two bags. Upon seeing the police, Jackson reportedly tried to flee, but was apprehended by the ranks who gave chase. When searched, he was allegedly found to have in the bag he was carrying a bulky parcel wrapped in transparent plastic, and was immediately arrested. Apparently believing that the game was up, he allegedly confessed to the crime under caution.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 24, 2021

‘Agri’ sector in Region Three boosted with $28M excavator The excavator received by the Region Three RDC (DPI photo)

THE Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Three, on Wednesday, received a $28 million excavator from the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development to enhance the region’s expanding agriculture sector. Chairman of the Region Three RDC, Sheik Ayube, on behalf of ministry, handed over the machine to the Regional Executive Officer (REO) of the Region, Jagnarine Somwar.

“… in Region Three, agriculture is expanding… this excavator will be used in such a manner, to impact the lives of all communities…our government believes in delivering services to each resident of this region,” Ayube said. He noted that with the recent changes in the climate and the rainfall, it is important that the region be equipped with the necessary machinery to alleviate flooding. Somwar said the excavator was procured through funds

from the Region Three 2021 budget. “We are hoping regional chairman, that this machine will be put to the type of use that is envisaged in this region…and the more we can do for our people in this region, the more we can do for our farmers. It will enhance not only the lives of everyone in this region but also promote the government’s policy and vision for a better Guyana,” he said. (DPI)

Region Three Regional Chairman, Sheik Ayube, hands over the excavator to Regional Executive Officer, Jagnarine Somwar (DPI photo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 24, 2021

Structured Local Content Policy a conduit to benefits for Guyanese –– Acting President Phillips says

ACTING President, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, on Thursday, said that Guyana must leverage its growth in the oil and gas sector in a manner that is beneficial to all Guyanese. He underscored the importance of a good Local Content Policy and a strong Natural Resources Act. “We recognise the need for legislation, through a Natural Resources Act that

will ensure the accountable and transparent management of our oil and gas revenues. Additionally, a solid Local Content Policy will further ensure that our citizens and local businesses are front of the line in reaping the greatest benefits,” Phillips said. The Acting Head of State made these remarks, as the chief guest at the launch of an oil and gas associate company, ChampionX Guyana Incorporated,

located at McDoom, East Bank Demerara. There he said, the government is working assiduously to ensure that Guyana does not repeat the mistakes of other oil-producing nations and fall victim to the Dutch disease. He added too that the administration has already created a local content panel, aimed at engaging stakeholders to develop a proper policy, and that the presence

A section of the audience at the launch of ChampionX Guyana Incorporated at McDoom, East Bank Demerara

of ChampionX in Guyana, will see Guyanese benefiting from advanced skills training in a high-demand industry. “Guyana is on the brink of transformative development and it will take every effort and all of our resources to effectively manage this development so that the country can thrive for generations to come,” Phillips related. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ChampionX, Sivasankaran Somasundaram, recognised Guyana’s economy as one of the fastest-growing around the world and said that the company is committed to the long-term development of the country in a safe and sustainable way. He said that ChampionX has already begun to partner with the University of Guyana to develop human resource capacity, and that the company is committed to respecting all the laws of the country.

Acting President, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, addresses persons at the launch of ChampionX Guyana Incorporated (DPI photo) “We are committed to stimulating Guyana’s industrial, human and technological development… to that effect, we are already working with the University of Guyana in exploring various possibilities to increase science and engineering talents, [and] upgrade lab facilities etcetera,” Somasundaram said. ChampionX is headquartered in Texas, USA.

The company has over 6,000 employees and specialises in chemical technologies, artificial lift technologies, drilling technologies and automation and optimisation. Also present at the launch was Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 24, 2021

$47M landing fa constructed at N

–– major upgrades to ‘agri’ infrast RESIDENTS of Naamryck, a community in the Parika Backdam area of Region Three, will soon benefit from a number of infrastructure upgrades, including the construction of a $47 million landing facility. This is according to Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha, and Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar. The ministers were at the time meeting with farmers and residents in the area after requests were made for them to visit the community and listen to some of the issues residents are facing. During the meeting, farmers appealed to the ministers to assist them with having the C-line drain cleared, and upgrades to be done on the road in the area. One farmer told the ministers that there was an urgent need for the drain to be cleared. “The trench block up right now in the C-line;

Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha addressi when they weed the trench it’s only four feet in width clean, so the water cannot recede properly. We need the trench to clean urgently,” the farmer lamented. Minister Mustapha, while responding to the issues that were raised, told farmers that the government has been working to ensure it fulfills every promise it made to citizens during the election period. He also told them that a machine will be sent to execute works on the drains in the area. “We are working aggressively to achieve all of the promises made in our Manifesto; you can see that progress has been made. So, today, I want to make a commitment: The drain that you want cleaned; we’ll do it,” Minister Mustapha said. “A machine will be sent in two days to start those works, and within a week or two, those works should be completed. The ministry has been maintaining the dams; we have a dam maintenance programme that was put in place since we took office. Other large projects; we’ll have to put them in our 2022 budget,” he added. As it relates to the government’s ongoing flood-relief distribution exercise, Minister Mustapha told farmers that Region Three will soon benefit from the grant. NOW MAPPING UP “We’ve already started

in some regions. Those regions that we’ve started in, we are now mapping up. This weekend we hope to complete Regions Six and Five. Region Ten is complete, and on the coast of Region Two. When we are finished there, the ministry will commence that exercise in this region. The names have already been captured,” Minister Mustapha said. Minister Mustapha also told farmers that officers from the various agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture will be coming to distribute seeds, and assist with training in the proper use of chemicals management. He advised farmers to use the required protective gear when handling chemicals such as fertilisers and pesticides. While responding to questions about promised road works in the area, Min-

Minister within t

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, September 24, 2021

acility to be Naamryck

tructure in the pipeline

ing Naamryck residents ister Indar told residents that a contract was awarded, and works are scheduled to commence soon. He also told residents that funds will be made available in the 2022 budget for other works that were requested. The minister also informed residents that a contract was signed for the construction of a landing facility, and that works on that facility are scheduled to commence within the coming days. “In the 2022 budget, there will be sums put aside to deal with this road. It might not be the entire two miles but some amount of work will be done on the road. I want to tell you, before I came here today, a contract was signed by our ministry to do the landing facility that the President had promised you.

“That has been awarded for $47 million and those works should commence within a week. Also, farmers who have lands in the areas from Naamless to Bendorf, another contract was awarded for works on that road too,” Minister Indar said. Minister Indar further outlined the process of getting funds for capital projects after residents enquired about the time taken to commence the works. “The process for getting funds for capital projects takes a little while. I know when you ask for big projects you would want to see instant gratification. “If we don’t follow the necessary procedures there will be all sorts of accusations. There are laws that we have to follow especially when spending money on these large capital projects,” Minister Indar said. He added: “[It would become] a perennial problem if we fix it, it will become a problem again if farmers continue to use certain machinery on the road. We have to make sure when we put something in, we care it.” Residents also requested more police presence in the area, citing the increase in crime, especially over the weekends. They also disclosed that establishments that sell alcohol are not adhering to the guidelines set by the National COVID-19 Taskforce as it relates to the national curfew. The ministers committed to raising the issues with the Minister of Home Affairs. (Ministry of Agriculture)

the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar

Naamryck residents voicing their concerns during a recent engagement with Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, and Minister with in the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 24, 2021

Strict_COVID-19 measures in place at ports of entry says Health Minister

MINISTER of Health Dr. Frank Anthony has said that persons entering Guyana from neighbouring Brazil and Suriname must be fully vaccinated and provide a negative PCR test taken within a threeday period.

Dr. Anthony said the government is maintaining strict COVID-19 measures for travellers across its land borders. “ We h a v e v e r y regulated traffic that comes over and there are requirements for you to travel to Guy-

ana, from these land borders… you must produce a negative PCR within three days and secondly, you have to get vaccinated, so you have to show proof of vaccination,” he said during Thursday’s edition of the COVID-19 update.

Minister Anthony s a i d t h e c o u n t r y ’s border with Brazil remains closed to travellers, with a weekly opening for limited exchange of goods and services. “With our border in Brazil, that border has been closed for over a

Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony

year now and again, on Thursdays we allow trucks from Brazil to come across and persons who want to buy things in Guyana can buy those things and take it back to Brazil. “So, there’s a very limited exchange of goods and services and that has been going on for the last year and that would continue until we can see a significant reduction in cases,” the Health Minister related. In addressing a recent statement from the United States’ Centre for Disease Control (CDC), advising its citizens against travelling to Guyana at this time without being fully vaccinated, Dr. Anthony said the statement was based on the increase in COVID-19 infections in

Guyana. “The CDC is not only Guyana, CDC periodically would do these reviews and it’s based on how many cases you would have had over the last week, and it’s no secret we’ve had [an] increase in cases. “So we have to continue to monitor, we have to continue to test and once we find people who are positive to get them to isolate and those who have moderate or severe COVID and warrant hospitalisation, that we’re able to hospitalise them, treat them properly,” Dr. Anthony said. Minister Anthony said the CDC will continue to carry out its rating, noting that many countries have moved up to “level four” as positive cases surge. (DPI)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 24, 2021

‘IsWi Rich Entertainment’ aims to do it all -promises high-level music productions, intriguing content creation

Ruiz Young and Zena Henry

ONE of the newest multi-media outlets in Georgetown called ‘IsWi Rich Entertainment,’ is promising to contribute nothing but fresh, innovative, and quality productions to the music industry. Seeking to add creativity to the local market, the studio, which opened its doors last April, at the Clerical and Commercial Workers’ Union Building on Quamina Street, has already released productions that include music and video content involving new and existing local talents. The six-member production team is currently made up of videographers, a music producer, a beat maker and editors who multitask in an effort to bring out the best quality of productions. It all began when media personality

Zena Henry and music producer Ruiz Young decided to pool their skills and resources to form the multi-media entertainment and content creation establishment. It is involved in music and video production, as well as content creation such as shows, movies and animations, while providing public relations, communication and media services to clients. “IzWi Rich Entertainment is involved in the business of music production from writing, to recording, mastering, the production of music videos and content distribution. We provide services in filming, videoing, photography, advertisement development, content creation, lighting effects, cartoonizations, beat making and the creation of documentaries,” Henry explained in an interview with Buzz this week.

IzWi Rich Entertainment is also seeking to develop artistes and other creators to reach their full potential, as the company looks to manage and guide them through the industry of music and other creative arts. ‘IzWi Rich’ has already been getting attention from well put together music productions involving names such as Legions, Kiishon, Jay Supreme, and Issibaby. Meanwhile, music producer, Young, also known as ‘Richie Rich’ is the Chief Executive Officer of the entertainment company, which he said, aims to produce quality, creative content that would encourage further support for Guyanese music and other creative content. The 32-year-old, who has been producing music for almost eight years now, said he had been living in Venezuela with his family but returned during the economic fallout in that country. Both being passionate about music, Young and Henry came together to open the small establishment, which is now equipped with a recording room, as well as an office space and videography room. They have also invested in various pieces of equipment while partnering with big names like Seon

Barrington of Seonbfilms. Henry, who handles the company’s marketing and advertising, said that IzWi Rich is ecstatic about joining the numerous outlets providing a space for musicians and other creators. “I have always been passionate about music, but I never thought that I’d have to own one just so I could create, but it has been worth it. It has been hard,” she insisted, “But worth it.” Henry, who also goes by the performer name ‘Zena Lashley’ explained that much has to be invested financially to produce a song, then produce a video, after which it has to be properly marketed. She said she saw an easier way by investing in a studio with a determined producer. By profession, Henry said she is a reporter, but branched off as a freelancer, to pursue other aspirations; music being one of them. She related that apart from the music, the company will expand in its acting, script writing, and other content creation areas. She said short films, sitcoms and other types of shows are also on the company’s to do list.

The production team is said to be multi-talented

Released productions so far include music and video content involving new and existing local talents

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 24, 2021

Heritage Extravaganza heads to the West Side Food is often considered to be a common denominator that brings people together. In Guyana, especially during the celebration of Amerindian Heritage Month, Guyanese from all walks of life and various ethnic backgrounds would gather to celebrate the exotic and unique indigenous delicacies. Similarly, this year, in celebration of Amerindian Heritage Month 2021, Aracari Resort in collaboration with Calvin’s Indigenous Cuisine will be hosting a Heritage Extravaganza on September 25th, 2021 at Aracari Resort and Poolside, Vreed-En-Hoop, Region three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara). The event will feature a number of scrumptious Amerindian delicacies such as labba tuma, deer tuma, chicken tuma, fish tuma and wild hog tuma. These iconic dishes will be served up alongside some treasured side orders such as farine, cassava bread and cassava cakes. At the extravaganza, these mouthwatering foods can be washed down with servings of signature indig-

enous drinks such as the mighty fly. Aside from being master chefs, the Amerindians are a talented people known even today for their craftsmanship. They can make canoes, baskets, pottery, hammocks, weapons, jewellery, utensils, clothing and even buildings out of most of the materials that are around them, including beads, stones, shells, wood, bamboo, calabash, leaves and tibisiri straw. Throughout the month of September, we observe these 30 propitious days dedicated to honouring our First Peoples. It is generally believed that Guyana’s first inhabitants, the Amerindians, originally entered the territory of what is now known as Guyana about 11,000 years ago. Initially they lived on the low, swampy coastland region. Eventually, they moved their way inland and for centuries, have been safeguarding and conserving our forests and other aspects of our natural patrimony. Although Guyanese had grown accustomed to celebrating Amerindian Heritage Month with much pomp and ceremony, this marks the

Aracari Resort

second year that our celebrations have had to be limited to a virtual setting. This is due to the coronavirus pandemic. Notwithstanding the existing celebratory constraints, this Amerindian Heritage Month presents an important opportunity for us to reflect and appreciate all that our indigenous peoples have brought to this land, and the manner in which they continue to contribute to the development of

Calvin Roberts of Calvin’s Indigenous Cuisine

this country, in all areas of life. As Calvin’s Indigenous Cuisine and Aracari Resort partner to honour our First

Peoples, they have made it clear that the activity will see all the requisite COVID-19 protocols being put in place.

Persons are also required to present their vaccination and identification cards upon enter to the venue.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 24, 2021

‘A Taste of Heritage’ ends today As we prepare to bring the curtain down on a month-long celebration of all things Amerindian, the folks down at the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs will be wrapping up their ‘Taste of Heritage’, which saw many of us benefiting from not just free lunch, but lunch that included some of our most treasured Amerindian dishes.

These include bush cow pepperpot with cassava bread, bush cow tuma with cassava, deer tuma with cassava, tambaqui tuma with cassava and roast tambaqui tuma with farine. And, to wash it all down,

some of our favourite Amerindian drinks such as fly (potato wine), piwari, vegetable farine, and locally-made fruit juices in a number of flavours such as pineapple, passion fruit and guava. To d a y i s t h e l a s t

day for foodies to satisfy their cravings for a ‘Taste of Heritage’. The organisers at the ministry say that lunches will be packed and ready for pick-up promptly at 12:00hrs.

Satisfy all your cravings for Amerindian mouth-watering dishes, for free! (Photos by Visit Guyana)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 24, 2021

How I discovered a new kind of love By Naomi Parris

By its text-book definition, love is a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person or an affection felt by people who have a romantic relationship. But if I were to define love, I would say it is the feeling you get when you’re reading your favourite novel or the excitement over a new Netflix series. It is a moment of freedom; a breath of fresh and in just three words – essence of life. In my view, too many of us are fixated on the superficial idea of love having to be directed towards another person. Now don’t get me wrong, having someone in your corner that you care for wholeheartedly and deeply appreciate, be it a lover or a best friend, are definitely some of the best forms of love, but as I have begun to realize, it is not the only form of true love and often times we forget that. It is my belief that one can fall deeply in love with places and experiences. To perhaps have a more holistic understanding of love, we, especially us youngsters, should not limit our expectations to the conventional idea of romance. You may not always notice it but simple experiences like playing games such as ‘sal out’, ‘ketcha’ and ‘one, two, three red light statue’, are all non-superficial experiences of love that we can and are allowed to have. Simple things like “knocking two dominoes” and chilling on a Sunday afternoon with cool drinks can be the ultimate love experience. The best experiences are not always planned out perfectly, but within those moments of bliss is where love can be found. Recently, myself and some of my col-

leagues at the Guyana Chronicle hosted a barbecue at the office. It wasn’t anything too fancy; a normal working Sunday. We brought a grill, got some food and drinks, and we just did our work and together, we relaxed from evening and into the night. Honestly, it was one of those moments where the stresses and worries of life were nowhere to be found. Stories were saved and the daily newspaper paper was finished and ready to go to press. For the rest of that afternoon we merely ate, drank, joked and even grilled more chicken than we could have possibly eaten. As I remembered the events of that day, I realise that it was one of those moments where we became forgetful of the negatives around us. I wholeheartedly reveled in laughter, and more than just the perfectly grilled chicken, I was filled with warmth and love. It was one of the many experiences I hope to repeat very soon. Most recently, I made a declaration that I wanted to travel to every single square inch of Guyana and share the stories from those travels with you, our dear readers. In 2019, during my first few months as a trainee reporter, I was sent on a three-day assignment to Kamarang, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and I’m not going to lie, I really was not intrigued. To put it simply, I did not want to go. The chief reason was fear; I doubted my abilities to work on my own and without supervision. There was also the fear of traveling to such a remote location, all by myself. It was the first time that I’d ventured so far from home, without a relative or friend, so yes, I was terrified. But when I got there, I was in awe; in

After three wonderful days, it was time to return to the coastland, having found a new kind of love love, if you will. Kamarang is an Amerindian village, standing at the confluence of the Kamarang River and Mazaruni River, in the CuyuniMazaruni Region of Guyana. It’s a site of glorious mountains, lush and thick trees which perfectly align the golden-brown rivers that glisten over the morning sun. On that assignment, I was able to exit my comfort zone and discover a new kind of love – a love for places, and a new, insatiable love for experiences and travels. It had nothing to do with another person.

While there many more places for me to see I will always say that that Kamarang trip has been the one to open my heart in an inexplicable way. It was the trip that taught me that love need not be towards just people. Since then, I have been constantly falling in love with new experiences and places. That kind of love might very well rival some Jack-and-Rose or Romeo-and Juliet-kind relationships. And let’s face it, they all died in the end. Meanwhile, I am just at the very beginning of my new love affair.

The ever-gorgeous Kamarang River

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 24, 2021

FROM BACK PAGE

Thompson-Herah set to part with... different from what he had encountered with other athletes. “I don’t think the relationship has been any different, any better or any worse than usual,” he told the Gleaner. “One of the problems that usually happen in MVP - our approach to training, to coaching, to the development of athletes - is far different from what persons are accustomed to. “We have a large number of top-class athletes, and we usually have a large number of developing athletes, and sometimes an athlete finds it hard to reconcile when they hear of their fellow competitors talking about their coaches calling them and their coaches do this and that.” Francis told the Gleaner: “Being successful, you tend to want to see those types of things happen to you and again the athletes lose focus on what their accomplishments are and focus on things that I would call at best frills. “So we do have problems with those people who do not

like to be around competition in their camp.” In Tokyo, Thompson-Herah became the first woman to defend the 100 and 200 titles at the same Olympics, and she also won gold in the 4x100 relay. She set an Olympic record of 10.61 seconds in the final of the 100 and then set a national 200 record of 21.53 secs, the second-fastest time in history, eclipsing Merlene Ottey’s 25-year-old national record of 21.64. After the Olympics, Thompson-Herah became the first woman to run four legal times under 10.70 in the 100, including a personal best of 10.54, a time bettered only by five hundredths-of-a-second by deceased American track star, Florence Griffith-Joyner. Thompson-Herah also ended the year on a high note, winning the World Athletics Diamond League 100 title in Zurich.

Sport Minister cautiously optimistic of Guyana winning U-19 World Cup bid MINISTER of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr is cautiously optimistic that Guyana could be successful in its bid to host matches at next

year’s Under-19 World Cup. The minister is basing this on the positive feedback during the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Cricket West Indies (CWI) venue inspections earlier this month. Officials of the ICC, CWI and the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), visited the National Stadium, Providence, GCB’s La Bonne Intention Facility, Malteenoes Sports Club, Guyana Defence Force ground, Enmore Community Centre, Demerara Cricket Club, Georgetown Cricket Club, Everest Cricket Club, and Police Sports Club. Prior to those inspections, government officials also conducted visits to these venues to make their own assessments. The ICC team will return in November for another inspection to possibly approve some of the venues. Speaking on the sidelines at a recent event, Minister Ramson Jr indicated he is positive about the bid, but is making no assurances of its success since it is a very competitive process. “It was positive,” the minister stated on the feedback. “We have got some remedial works that they have described which would be important for us to secure the bid.” “We stand a strong chance, but there are other countries that are competing. I don’t like to put any kind of bets on anything unless I am sure, but I know the ICC representatives are very happy about the passion for cricket that they see in the country,” the minister further explained. Ramson Jr said at the

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr

community level the stakeholders are interested and they want to find avenues to make it work. He believes Guyana has put in a strong case for the bid. “It is probably going to come down to some finer details on how great of a condition our grounds are in versus our competitors, but let’s see how that goes.”

The tournament will feature 16 teams, competing from January 4 to February 3, 2022. It is the first time West Indies will be hosting the event and it is likely to be staged across three countries and will showcase the game’s future stars competing in 64 matches in the 50-over format.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday September 24, 2021)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) WI: 11 (2) ENG: 7 Today’s Quiz: (1) Which WI player has scored most T20 Int’l runs against ENG to date? (2) Which ENG player has scored most T20 Int’l runs against the WI to date? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 24, 2021

Deontay Wilder on trilogy with Tyson Fury …'I want payback in blood'

FORMER long-time heavyweight world champion Deontay ‘The Bronze Bomber’ Wilder vowed revenge during a virtual press conference Wednesday, as he previewed his highly anticipated heavyweight trilogy grudge match against WBC and lineal heavyweight world champion Tyson ‘The Gypsy King’ Fury, to take place October 9 on PPV from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.. “I want payback in blood,” said Wilder. “On October 9, I will get my revenge. It’s an eye for an eye.” Here is more of what Wilder had to say Wednesday: “I feel amazing. It’s past good or great. The time that has passed has been great for me. With the more time that’s passed, the more we’ve been able to work on different little things and perfect them. You can’t always be perfect, but that doesn’t mean you can’t train to be perfect. “Malik Scott is a wonderful person and trainer. We met years ago while sparring with Tomasz Adamek. We clicked right away and we’ve formed a real bond and brotherhood. I have so much love around me in this camp, that I’m not dwelling on anything negative. “We’re having fun while learning and creating things together during training camp. That’s just the passion that we have to become two-time heavyweight champion of the world. “I’m super focussed. I’m more focussed now than I’ve even been in my entire career. This is the second phase of my career. I had fun winning and defending the title for five years. At this point, we’re just serious about everything. I’m in a happy place and I’m glad that I’m here. “They say that things happen for a reason and that we don’t understand that reason until we get to a certain place in life then we understand it. My whole team understands everything that has happened and we’re looking forward. “The delay was actually a blessing for me. The more they delayed it, the more time we had to work on my craft and art, along with

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Former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder vows revenge when he meets Tyson Fury.

strategically going over the game plan we’re going to have on October 9. “It was obviously frustrating, because I was ready to go, and this is the longest I’ve been out of the ring. There’s something about the ring that calls you and draws you back. But I’ve used the time and benefitted tremendously. “I appreciate the love from my true fans. I’ve received so many messages from people of all walks of life. Now we’re back again for redemption and retaliation on October 9. The BombZquad is back “This hands down has been the best training camp I’ve had in my entire career. Sometimes you need events to happen in life to bring about changes that you need. We’ve had no distractions and I’m just in a happy state mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. “You’re looking at a rejuvenated and reinvented Deontay Wilder. The old Deontay is no longer there. I can’t explain it to you, I have to show you on October 9. I’m looking forward to it and I can’t wait.” (Fightnews)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 24, 2021

Australia PM promises to ‘do his best’ before the Ashes starts THE Ashes is going to be played Down Under from December 8. But even before a ball is bowled, the high-octane, scheduled fivematch Test series is in some serious jeopardy, as initially the families of England players are not allowed to travel with the team due to the Australian government’s strict quarantine norms. But things might change as Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of England, said that his counterpart Scott Morrison will do everything possible to get the Ashes started by letting the English players’ families travel. Top sportspersons are allowed entry in Australia only when they undergo quarantine for 14 days in a hotel upon arrival from any country. The family members are not allowed

Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison

Lancashire keep hopes alive with thrilling one-wicket win over Hampshire LANCASHIRE kept their LV= Insurance County Championship title hopes alive after a nail-biting win over Hampshire. A tense third day saw Red Rose get over the line by one wicket to end Hampshire’s title bid. Set a target of 196, Lancashire found themselves needing three to win when Mason Crane ran out Tom Bailey and then had Joe Weatherley caught behind to bring number 11 Matt Parkinson to the crease. The leg-spinner negotiated two balls before Dane Vilas swept for four to claim the victory. All eyes will now be on Edgbaston where Warwickshire, who will be crowned champions if they beat Somerset, ended day three on 179 for one with a lead of 157. The hosts need to press on briskly with the bat today to give themselves time to try to take 10 wickets on a batting-friendly surface. Rob Yates is unbeaten on 72 and skipper Will Rhodes resumes on 42 not out. A magnificent 153 from opener Adam Lyth left Nottinghamshire with work to do to finish the season with the win that could see them contest the Bob Willis Trophy next week. Bowled out for 73 in their first innings, Yorkshire made 396 following on, before Nottinghamshire dismissed them for a second time. Chasing 174 to win, the home side closed the third day needing 132 more on 42 for one. Lancashire’s win means Nottingham-

shire cannot be champions but victory would give them the chance to take them on at Lord’s by finishing second if Warwickshire fail to win. Derbyshire condemned Sussex to the wooden spoon by claiming their first win of the season at Hove. After enforcing the follow-on with a lead of 165, Derbyshire bowled Sussex out for 187 before knocking off the 23 required to win by nine wickets with more than a day to spare. Jamie Smith scored a career-best 138 as Surrey dug in at the Kia Oval in search of a run-filled draw against Glamorgan. Surrey, in reply to Glamorgan’s 672 for six declared, reached the end of day three on 387 for two, but the Welsh county will rue dropping Hashim Amla three times as he reached 87 not out. Ollie Pope was unbeaten on 95, having dominated an unbroken stand of 140 in 40 overs for the third wicket with Amla, while Ryan Patel hit 10 fours in his 62 from 138 balls. Surrey will now aim to bat out the final day. Worcestershire beat Leicestershire by 10 wickets to end Daryl Mitchell’s 17 seasons at the county on a winning note. Leicestershire avoided an innings defeat but Mitchell and Jake Libby knocked off the 12 runs needed for victory. The Division Three title race is going the distance after Kent reached 275 for five against Middlesex, with Ollie Robinson hitting 112. The hosts, currently second, need another 98 to overhaul leaders Middlesex. (PA Sport)

to travel with them. Earlier, former England captains Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen asked for the Ashes to be called off if the players are not allowed to get their families in. Several of the English players were also contemplating skipping the three-month-long Ashes tour if their partners or wives are not accompanying them to Australia. Johnson, meanwhile, said that Morrison has not committed to entirely solve the situation but he has promised to work on the solution and find a way forward. “I raised it and he said he was going to do his best for the families. The cricketers, it’s very tough to be away from their families for so long over Christmas. He merely undertook to go away and come back

with a solution,” Johnson said, according to I news. The Australian government had to resort to strict quarantine norms because of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the country. Also several of the big cities as Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney have failed to have proper vaccination drives. And so they have opted for this zero-COVID strategy. Morrison has also clearly stated that they will change the strategy only when the majority of the Australian public are properly vaccinated. Speaking about the Ashes, England will look to finally win the series Down Under, since 2010-11. Meanwhile, Australia will look to continue their home dominance over their opponents. (CricTracker)

Heather Knight inspires England to ODI series victory

England captain Heather Knight celebrates her Brilliant century.

HEATHER Knight's century inspired England to their highest successful run chase in a one-day international as they beat New Zealand by three wickets to clinch the five-match series with a game to spare in Derby. Captain Knight's brilliant 101 helped England recover from 71-3 as they chased 245 for victory under lights. Her 100-run partnership with Amy Jones (40) went some way to securing the game for England, but the skipper was frustrated to fall with her side still needing eight runs from the final 10 balls. The hosts went into the final over still needing a run-a-ball to win, but Anya Shrubsole hit five runs from the first three balls, before a wide bowled by Leigh Kasperek - from which Katey Martin had, in vain, attempted to stump Sophie Ecclestone - handed the win

to England. New Zealand earlier reached 244-8 from their 50 overs, anchored by 65 not out from Martin and Amy Satterthwaite's 54. Off-spinner Charlie Dean again impressed with 3-52 before Knight produced an innings of real maturity to make only the seventh England century in a women's ODI run chase. The hosts were bolstered by the return of Shrubsole from an ankle injury, as she and Freya Davies took two wickets apiece in what has been a successful series for the hosts' seamers. The White Ferns were lacking an extra pace dimension in their bowling after opting to rest Lea Tahuhu, who took five wickets in Leicester on Tuesday, and Molly Penfold. The final match of the series takes place at Canterbury on Sunday at 11:00hrs BST. (BBC Sport)

'Batter' to replace 'batsman' in MCC's new Laws of Cricket

Katherine Blunt

THE Marylebone Cricket Club has long been regarded as one of sport's last great bastions of traditionalism - but not for much longer. Just weeks before Clare Connor takes over as MCC's first female president in its 234-year history, the club announced another historic move as it formally replaced the word ‘batsman’ with the gender-neutral term ‘batter’ in the Laws of Cricket. The MCC justified the change as a means of making cricket more inclusive, building on the advances that have been made in the women’s game in recent years. There are now no other gender-specific terms in the Laws of Cricket, with terms such as 'third man', 'nightwatchman' and '12th man' not forming part of the Laws of the Game, and therefore falling outside the Club's remit. “MCC believes in cricket being a game for all and this move recognises the changing landscape of the game in modern times,” said Jamie Cox, the Assistant Secretary (Cricket and Operations) at the MCC. “Use of the term “batter” is a natural evolution in our shared cricketing language and the terminology has already been adopted by many of those involved in the sport. It is the right time for this adjustment to be recognised formally and we are delighted, as the Guardians of the Laws, to announce these changes.” The decision was taken by the MCC Laws sub-committee, who periodically review the Laws of the Game. During the last review into the matter, in 2017, the sub-committee elected to keep the terms batsman and batsmen. “We expect and encourage others to adopt the updated terminology following today’s announcement of the change to the Laws,” an MCC statement said. There are 10 members of the MCC Laws sub-committee, only one of whom, Deborah Burns, is a woman. The sub-committee includes figures such as the umpires Simon Taufel and Sundaram Ravi and is chaired by Alan Fordham, a former England first-class cricketer. These changes have been approved by the MCC Committee, on which Connor

sits. The use of the term ‘batter’ has already grown noticeably in recent years. The International Cricket Council - the sport's global governing body - has encouraged commentators to use the gender-neutral term. Greater promotion of the women’s game was also a key reason for the launch of the new Hundred cricket competition in England this year, where the term 'batter' was also encouraged by the England and Wales Cricket Board. The decision is likely to spark accusations of MCC adopting an increasingly 'woke' agenda by its critics, although it is in keeping with a general move to promote more gender equality. In 1998, women were finally allowed to become members of the MCC, and therefore to sit in the famous Pavilion at Lord’s. Last year, MCC announced that Connor would succeed Kumar Sangakkara as president in October, while last month the Club confirmed that England women's cricket great Rachael Heyhoe Flint will have a set of gates named after her at Lord's - the first time that a women’s cricketer has been honoured at the ground in this way. Crowds and interest in the women’s game have also increased noticeably in recent years. Last year, 86 000 watched Australia defeat India in the T20 World Cup final. In England, a sell-out crowd of 24 000 saw England’s victory over India in the World Cup final in 2017. Women’s crowds for the Hundred were comfortably a record for the domestic game in England, with over 17 000 watching Oval Invincibles beat Southern Brave in the final. Reaction from within the sport has been positive, with former England captain Michael Vaughan welcoming the decision, telling Telegraph Sport: "I have no problems with it at all if it’s for the game to be better and more inclusive." Former Australia player and coach Darren Lehmann also expressed approval, tweeting: "Well done, MCC - like it. (The Telegraph)’]

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 24, 2021

West Indians fail to dazzle as Kolkata Knight Riders beat Mumbai Indians ABU DHABI, (CMC) – West Indies Twenty20 International captain Kieron Pollard failed to dazzle with the bat, but Rahul Tripathi and Venkatesh Iyer did, and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) beat Mumbai Indians (MI) by seven wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) yesterday. Pollard, eyeing form and confidence before the ICC Twenty20 World Cup from October 17 to November 14 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman, was runout for 21, after Mumbai were put into bat at the Zayed Cricket Stadium and posted 155 for six from their 20 overs. Iyer scored his maiden IPL half-century of 53 and Tripathi slammed an unbeaten 74 off 42 balls, as the KKR chased down the target with 4.5 overs to spare. Iyer and Shubman Gill gave KKR a flying start before the irrepressible Jasprit Bumrah broke their stand in the third over. KKR were 40 for one, but Tripathi joined Iyer and made sure that their side did not lose any momentum in the chase. The pair added 23 in the final three overs of the powerplay as KKR moved to 63 for one, and the big hitting did not stop there. Iyer and Tripathi continued to attack

the Mumbai bowlers, scoring 48 runs in the next four overs to take them to 111 for one after 10 overs. Both batsmen completed their half-centuries and an 88-run stand before Bumrah removed Iyer and KKR captain Eoin Morgan, the England T20I captain. Tripathi then took KKR over the finish line. Bumrah ended with an expensive 3-43 from his four overs. Earlier, South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock and India international Rohit Sharma gave MI a solid start of 78. But KKR managed to break the opening stand when West Indies spinner Sunil Narine dismissed Rohit in the 10th over. Three overs later, Mumbai lost Suryakumar Yadav cheaply, but de Kock hit 55 from 42 balls before he fell in the 15th over to keep them rolling. Pollard was run-out in the final over in the mad scramble for late runs for MI after a quick-fire 30-run stand with Krunal Pandya. Narine was named Player-of-theMatch for a tidy spell of 1-20 from four overs and fellow West Indian Andre Russell leaked 37 in three unsuccessful overs, but pacers Lockie Ferguson and Prasid Krishna scalped two wickets each.

The ICC has been reduced to an events-organising company: Michael Atherton TAKING into consideration the recent events in the cricketing world, former England captain Michael Atherton has raised questions on International Cricket Council (ICC). Recently, New Zealand decided to abandon their white-ball series against Pakistan citing “security threats”. Soon after, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also took a decision on similar grounds. England also withdrew from the men’s and women’s tours of Pakistan in October. Earlier, India pulled out of the fifth Test match against England at the Old Trafford in Manchester after coronavirus hit their camp. However, the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad went ahead without any hurdles even after pacer T. Natarajan tested positive for COVID-19. All these events prompted Atherton to question the ICC for not having any say in these matters “At the same time that the players have become more powerful, so some governing bodies have become weaker. The ICC, the game’s supposedly ultimate powerbroker, has been reduced to an events-organising company,” Atherton wrote in his latest column for thetimes.co.uk. “It runs its properties well - World Cups, World Test Championships, and the like - but has little standing where the game’s moral issues are concerned and little influence over the game’s direction. The ICC has had an acting chief executive since July,” the veteran stated. According to Atherton, money and franchise T20 leagues have made the players more powerful than they were before. He

Former England captain Michael Atherton

pointed out that players now have more opportunities beyond just international cricket. He also brought into the limelight the scenario of the IPL. Atherton pointed that owing to the IPL the contracted players were unavailable for the New Zealand series. “Two factors have made the players far more powerful than previously. The first is money, and the way it is distributed, and the second is opportunity. Greater opportunity outside of international cricket, through franchised T20 leagues, means the players hold the whip hand. “Bizarrely, the ECB has allowed a situation where it, as the employer, has washed its hands of its contracted players for two months of the year during the Indian Premier League (which became longer than two months this year, with players unavailable for the New Zealand series because of it),” Atherton added. (Cric Tracker)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday September 24, 2021

Sunrisers Sherfane Rutherford leaves Shallow for home after death of his father responds: Trust SHERFANE Rutherford has left the IPL bubble to return home after the death of this father, Sunrisers Hyderabad announced yesterday. The 23-year-old Rutherford had just arrived at Sunrisers as a replacement for Jonny Bairstow, who pulled out due to bubble fatigue. "The SRH family conveys its heartfelt condolences to Sherfane Rutherford and his family on the passing away of his father. Sherfane will be leaving the IPL bio-bubble to be with his family in this difficult hour," the franchise tweeted. Rutherford last played in the IPL for Delhi Capitals in 2019, making 73 runs in seven innings. His most recent T20 cricket came in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) earlier this month for the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, as they went on to win the title. He did, however, miss out on selection in the West Indies team for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

the Windies selectors

CWI vice-president Kishore Shallow

Sherfane Rutherford last played T20 cricket during the CPL earlier this month. (Getty Images)

Rutherford's exit is another blow to Sunrisers, who are placed bottom of the table with only one win this season in eight games. His exit also makes it three Sunrisers players who will be unavailable for them in the immediate

future after T Natarajan tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, and Vijay Shankar was forced to isolate after being recognised as one of his close contacts. Sunrisers move from Dubai to Sharjah for their

next game, against Punjab Kings who are placed above them with a four-point cushion. The franchise is yet to make an announcement on whether they will be seeking a replacement for Rutherford. (Cricinfo)

Cricket schedule taking shape for Windies, Grave says

ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief executive officer Johnny Grave said the West Indies playing schedule for the next year will be packed and it is taking shape. Grave said he and the cricket operations team are busy working on plans for Windies’ participation in the Twenty20 World Cup from October 17 to November 14 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman. Although the West Indies white-ball players will be extremely busy during the period before the end o0f the year with a white-ball tour of Pakistan in December also on the cards, Kraigg Brathwaite and the Test side will also have a chance to get onto the field with a Test tour to Sri Lanka in November in the works. “It’s still in the planning stage,” Grave told the Trinidad Newsday newspaper on the tour to Sri Lanka. “We’ve

CWI chief executive Johnny Grave

got every intention of going to Sri Lanka for two Test matches immediately after the World Cup.” “With all the overseas tours, we’re always getting updates and medical advice in discussions with the boards.” “We’re going to be finalising travel arrangements in terms of COVID-19 restrictions and quarantines and, in the case of Pakistan, we

always have independent security advice by people who are used by all the international boards and the ICC (sport’s world governing body, International Cricket Council). “In 2018, we had an independent security manager with the team. I don’t anticipate us changing anything from what we did in 2018, in terms of going through a clear and robust process

before the players (leave) the region.” CWI has laid out a packed cricket schedule all the way to the close of next year, which ends with a two-Test series against hosts Australia. In-between, CWI hopes to stage the West Indies Championship, the four-day first-class competition, which has not been held since February 2020 because of the logistical challenges that come with the movement of teams during the COVID-19 pandemic, and another edition of the West Indies Super50 Cup. The cricket schedule, which also includes separate England white-ball and Test tours of the Caribbean in the first three months of the new year, an India white-ball tour of the Caribbean around July and a full tour by New Zealand between July and August, is likely to be discussed at a CWI board of directors’ meeting, which started yesterday.

CRICKET West Indies (CWI) vice-president Dr Kishore Shallow has called on stakeholders to trust the selectors and allow them to do their jobs. He made the comment on the Mason and Guest radio programme on Tuesday in Barbados as CWI responded to an avalanche of criticism following the naming of West Indies T20 World Cup squad. The squad includes Chris Gayle and Ravi Rampaul whose selections have drawn criticism while Jason Holder and Darren Bravo's status on the reserve team has been questioned for opposing reasons. Dr Shallow said, "The selection panel has the advantage of an analyst crunching numbers and advising them. Also, they are the ones who know the composition that they're looking for, the balance of the team; so you have to give them the benefit of the doubt that they are selecting the best team based on what they want." His statement came after a week of mounting criticism which hit home when T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) president Azim Bassarath publicly questioned the exclusion of Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd, labelling some players "lucky" to be on flight to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Former West Indies wicketkeeper Jeffrey Dujon also weighed in on the ongoing selection saga questioning Jason Holder's reserve status. "The fact of the matter is that he is at the top of the all-rounder list plus the fact that he is young

and experienced which is not something you can say for many of the guys in the squad. So we're missing out tactically there where he is concerned," the Jamaican told the programme. Former T&TCB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Suruj Ragoonath supported Dujon's point stating that Holder should be in any West Indies team. However, Ragoonath took issue with what he termed the double standards the selection panel used to pick some while disqualifying others on the basis of fitness. He pointed specifically to the medical exemptions granted to Gayle and Rampaul. He said, "Anyone who would have a responsibility and would not have taken such a factor into consideration and allow players to get away with an excuse, to me, they aren't worth their salt. “They should have stood up and said: ‘This is the criterion we are using to select the team and if you don't meet the criterion then you can't get selected’. It can't be one rule for some and another rule for others." The West Indies will bowl off their T20 World Cup campaign against England on October 23 before facing South Africa three days later. Australia are also in Group 1 with two more qualifying teams to be added. The tournament will be hosted in the UAE between October 17 and November 14. The top two teams from each group will move on to the semi-finals. (Extracted from Trinidad Guardian)

Two-time Olympic double sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah

Thompson-Herah set to part with coach Stephen Francis, track club KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – Two-time Olympic double sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah is ending her long-standing relationship with coach Stephen Francis and the MVP Track Club. According to media reports, Thompson-Herah, 29, wrote to Francis, the club and Nike, her shoe sponsor, informing them of her decision. Francis coached Thompson-Herah for all her history-making career in which she won double sprint gold medals in the 100 and 200 metres at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and this year’s rescheduled Tokyo Olympics. Thompson-Herah will be the second high-profile female sprinter to leave the MVP barn after another Jamaican sprint queen, Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce left for Elite Performance more than a year ago. Francis said training for elite MVP athletes resumes next month and he would not be surprised if Thompson-Herah

failed to show up. “I don’t know if she is going to be here, but neither do I for anybody else in her situation,” Francis told the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper. “What I can tell you is that I am not in the habit of revealing communication which occurs between me and my athletes, so I can’t comment on that. “But I would suggest to you that if you have heard that and you believe it and you want to find out, then the best person is she because from my perspective we start back practice sometime in October, just after Heroes weekend and my philosophy is usually to see who turns up.” No indication was given about which athletic club Thompson-Herah will partner with, but the Gleaner indicated that her husband, Derron was expected to take over her training regime. Francis said he would take a wait-and-see approach to see

Miami given May 8 date for debut F1 race (REUTERS) – Miami has been given the date of May 8 for the city’s first F1 race around Hard Rock Stadium next year, the organisers said yesterday. In a statement, Miami Grand Prix managing partner Tom Garfinkel said, “We have a lot of enthusiasm and expectations for this event and we are pleased to announce the dates so that people can start planning the event. I will. “ Miami will be the 11th place for F1 to race in the United States since the World Championships began in 1950. Florida last appeared on the calendar in 1959, when Sebring hosted the season-ender, which was won by New Zealander Bruce McLaren. Hard Rock Stadium is the owner of real estate mogul Stephen Ross, the Miami Dolphins NFL team. Stephen Ross is funding the construction of the truck and paying for the race. Formula One’s 2022 calendar will not be released until next month, but some venues have announced tentative dates. Silverstone will sell tickets for the British Grand Prix on July 3 next year.

if Thompson-Herah will attend training, but felt the athlete was being advised badly. “What my experience tells me is that athletes in general, especially those who come from a low expectancy level, in other words, not much was expected of them, they are usually unable to separate themselves from the people who hop onto their various bandwagons,” he said. “They tend to have short memories and they tend to listen to people they just meet or who have been around them since they became successful or famous and they usually, from my experience, have a very great influence. “It takes a smart and strong athlete to sit back and say, ‘you guys weren’t around, so leave me let me make my decision’.” Francis said he had no issues with Thompson-Herah TURN TO PAGE 27

Sport Minister cautiously optimistic of Guyana winning U-19 World Cup bid Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr

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'Batter' to replace 'batsman' in MCC's 30 new Laws of Cricket PAGE

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021