Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 02-05-24

Guyana’s aviation progress applauded by international body

BISHOP Juan Edghill, the Minister of Public Works, engaged in high-level discussions with officials from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on Tuesday, highlighting Guyana’s progress in the aviation sector.

The meeting, which took place at an opportune time, showcased Guyana’s significant strides in environmental sustainability and safety enhancement.

Minister Edghill stated that Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano, the President of the ICAO Council, commended Guyana for its notable achievement in authorising carbon units for the CORSIA program for the 2024-2026 compliance period. According to the President of the ICAO Council, this announcement is well-timed and has the potential to encourage other countries to take similar actions.

During the conversation, ICAO expressed their readiness to provide ongoing support to Guyana in enhancing safety capabilities.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Juan Carlos Salazar, Secretary General of ICAO, Mr. Fabio Rabani, ICAO South American Regional Director, Mr. Mohammed Khalifa Rahma, Director of ICAO’s Air Transport Bureau, Mr. Saheed Sulaman, Depu -

ty Director General, and representatives from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority.

Minister Edghill was recognised by the ICAO for his exceptional leadership during the ICAO High-Level Meeting on Long-Term Aspirational Goals on Environmental Sustainability.

Currently, Bishop Juan Edghill and Mr. Saheed Sulaman, serving as the deputy director general of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), are among the delegation from Guyana in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. They are attending the Third Global Implementation Support Symposium (GISS) organized by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Additionally, GISS

2024 will assess the impact of tourism, air travel, and capacity building on economic resilience. In order to modernize, develop, and create an unmatched environment, the PPP/C government persistently makes investments in the regional aviation industry.

The symposium will conclude on May 2, 2024, after commencing on April 30. The event, titled “Optimising Aviation Capacity Strategies for Safe Skies and a Sustainable Future,” underscores the crucial role of aviation in creating a sustainable future.

To promote the resilience of aviation, foster innovation, drive sustainable development, and provide practical solutions, the ICAO plans to hold discussions and presentations on

its latest digital technologies, significant projects, and collaborative efforts at GISS 2024.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation has proposed the Finvest Hub as a means to foster greater collaboration and involvement between the aviation sector and financial institutions, with the aim of achieving the 2050 target of decarbonising aviation.

GISS 2024 will also analyse the impacts of tourism, air travel, and capacity building as significant factors in promoting economic resilience.

The PPP/C government continues to invest in the regional aviation industry with the aim of modernising, developing, and creating an unmatched atmosphere.

The Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, and other officials in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, for the Third Global Implementation Support Symposium (GISS) of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)

Minister Juan Edghill acknowledged by the ICAO for his stellar leadership in the ICAO High Level Meeting on Long Term Aspirational Goals on Environmental Sustainability

Gov’t examining innovative ways to ensure money remains in pockets of working class –– President Ali says

PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali on the occasion of Labour Day has said that the Government of Guyana is examining and will examine innovative ways to ensure that money remains in the pockets of the working class of the country.

The head of state disclosed this as he made brief remarks during a Labour Day brunch, which was held at State House on Wednesday.

According to the President, although monumental adjustments were made in the salaries of workers across the country, he believes that there must be more innovative ways of ensuring more disposable income is in the pockets of all workers across the public and private sectors.

“The Government I lead, we are examining those innovative ways to ensure that more money remains in the pocket of the workers, especially the working class,” President Ali expressed.

Against this backdrop, Dr Ali said that this Labour Day is filled with a renewed hope of a brighter and prosperous future.

He stated that as the country navigates this period of grand transformation, the most important aspect of the transformative agenda is the transformation of the conditions so that every segment of the population is elevated in a targeted way to achieve equitable development.

The President added, “The philosophy that we pursue in building the working class of our country and creating opportunities for the working class of our country is one that is fair and just, one that is equitable and one that seeks to bring the balance among the Guyanese people.”

To this end, he highlighted that there is no other way as we move forward than a united, strong, resilient and sustainable Guyana.

“I want all of Guyana to understand this; there is no other way than a strong untied, resilient and sustainable Guyana and in that resilience, at the heart of that resilience are the workers of our country,” he emphasised.

As the country ap -

proaches the new era in 2030 and beyond, the country will have the best welfare package in the region but the head of state noted that the country will approach the new era as the most advanced educated and skilled population in the region.

This he said would be a result of the current educational revolution that the country started some time back which he said is aimed at allowing everyone to create an upward momentum in the working class.

While Dr Ali noted that the government aims to build a strong and united workforce and country overall, he indicated that there are messengers that seek to divide the country.

“I invite those messengers to come and behold the truth, to come and embrace the fact, to come and embrace the future, I invite them on the platform of national unity, I invite them on the platform of one Guyana, I invite them on the platform of the workers building every day for a prosperous and united future for our workers,” he expressed.

To this end, the President said that the time is now for the ordinary workers and for the collective Guyanese spirit to rise in this season of unity and love.

On this day, he said that as workers come together, he offers his voice in unity to any other voice that is available once the interest of Guyanese is

protected and advanced.

Earlier this week, the head of state recognising that workers are the bedrock of the country’s development, vowed to continue striving to ensure that all lives are improved across the country.

Dr Ali said that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government is committed to

uplifting the lives of the poor and vulnerable and noted that since assuming office in 2020 has gone above and beyond in its quest for betterment for all Guyanese.

This, he said has resulted in the creation of more jobs and thriving sectors along with many other positive developments.

President Dr Irfaan Ali

Reinvestigation: Why does the West distort facts to hype so-called ‘overcapacity in China’?

(Xinhua) The hype by the United States and some European countries about China’s “overcapacity” in new energy vehicles (NEVs) deliberately distorts the logic of industrial development and serves as an excuse for implementing its trade protectionism.

Such a claim does not align with the actual situation of China’s industrial capacity and lacks recognition of the rapid growth of China’s EV market.

In fact, the high cost effectiveness of China’s NEVs stems from the comparative advantages brought about by fully competitive markets, technological innovation, and the clustering effect of industrial chains.

“OVERCAPACITY”? NOT EVEN CLOSE

“Overcapacity might result in vast parking lots filled with unsold cars,” Bloomberg reported recently.

Chinese automakers’ inventories “don’t look high,” and data on dealers’ invento-

ries from China’s car dealer association also doesn’t show an unusual increase, it said.

In fact, in recent years, the top 10 automotive companies in China have significantly higher capacity utilisation rates than the industry average.

An opinion piece from Just Auto, a London-based magazine providing global automotive industry news and analysis, shows that in 2023, the capacity-utilisation rates of auto companies in China such as the BYD Group, Tesla’s Shanghai factory, and the SAIC Group were around 80 percent. In comparison, Hyundai Motor’s capacity-utilisation rate was only 23 percent, and Kia Motor’s was only 25 percent.

Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association, told reporters that as a nascent industry, the new energy-vehicle sector exhibits relative capacity fragmentation.

Assessing whether there is overcapacity, one should take into consideration the capacity-utilisation rates of

leading enterprises. The outdated and low-end capacity in smaller companies should not be factored in, as this portion of capacity will also be “cleared” as market competition intensifies, Cui said.

Analysts suggest that the so-called “overcapacity” in China’s NEV sector is largely a “numbers game.” For instance, some companies produce both EVs and traditional fuel-powered vehicles. As sales of fuel-powered cars decrease with the expansion of the EV market share, certain Western individuals include this ultimately obsolete capacity in the total number of China’s automotive industry.

Furthermore, capacity construction is a dynamic process influenced by cyclical factors. The rapid growth of China’s NEV market demands proactive capacity planning. Considering future development, there is generally no issue of “overcapacity” in the new energy vehicle sector as a whole.

Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the Centre Auto-

motive Research Institute in Bochum, said that the Chinese electric vehicle market is far from saturated and will continue to maintain a faster and stronger growth momentum compared to the European and American markets.

Manufacturers are achieving cost reductions and efficiency improvements through economies of scale. The European Union’s investigation into Chinese electric vehicles’ “subsidies” and “dumping” is untenable, Dudenhoeffer said.

A senior executive from the renowned tyre manufacturer Continental Tire, a subsidiary of Germany’s Continental AG, dismissed the notion of “overcapacity” from the perspective of market growth. According to this executive who spoke on condition of anonymity, the company plans capacity based on the actual annual growth rate of five percent to six percent in the Chinese market. Therefore, there won’t be any surplus, and there is still a need for further investment to expand production.

The United States and Europe often hype up the idea of overcapacity in China’s electric vehicle industry, and they frequently consider planned but not yet operational capacity as actual capacity.

Xia Yingsong, chairman of Anhui Zhongding Sealing Parts Co., Ltd., told reporters in Ningguo City, Anhui Province, that the company continuously adjusts actual capacity in response to market changes.

Equating planned capacity with actual capacity and drawing conclusions of “overcapacity” based on this is scientifically unsound.

COMPETITIVE EDGE

Some Western countries accuse the Chinese government of providing substantial subsidies to the NEV industry, leading to the export of “cheap electric vehicles” from China to global markets and causing distortions. Both domestic and foreign-industry insiders generally believe that

this is a misinterpretation of China’s competitiveness in this industry.

Yang Jian, chairman of Lanzhou Guangtong New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd., told reporters that subsidy-dependent companies lack vitality and cannot survive in intense market competition, let alone achieve success in international markets.

Tang Jin, a senior research officer at the Mizuho Bank, who is familiar with the Chinese automobile market, said that studies the Chinese electric vehicle market would reveal that the claims attributing China’s automotive success in the global market to subsidies are unfounded.

Tang pointed out that the Chinese market is the most fiercely competitive globally, nurturing competitive industry supply chains on a global scale through natural selection.

This, he said, is the primary reason why Chinese NEVs can prevail in terms

See page 5

Unmanned ‘plant factory’: production line of vegetables

CAN plants grow without soil and sunshine? The answer might be found in a “plant factory” at the Chengdu National Modern Agricultural Industry Science and Technology Innovation Center in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan province.

In the plant factory, lettuce plants grow on multi-tier steel racks, bathing the red and blue rays emitted from LED lights fitted at the top of the racks. The factory, with a pinkish glow coming out of its glass walls, exactly resembles a scene in a sci-fi movie.

“Vegetable-growing has its ‘production line,’ too. A lettuce can mature in just 35 days after the seed is sown if it’s provided with proper nutrients, lighting and temperature. It would take at least twice as long in an open field,” said Yang Qichang, pointing to the 20-tier facility.

As the chief scientist of the Institute of Urban Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Yang and his team have been ded-

icated to the plant factory for nearly 20 years.

The plant factory runs this way. A computer commands robotic arms to plant lettuce seedlings onto plates, and then the plates are sent to designated tiers of the racks, where the seedlings receive lighting and nutrient solutions. When the lettuce plants mature, they are withdrawn from the racks and packed after their roots are cut off.

Thanks to intelligent management and assistive robots, the plant factory is completely unattended, from seeding to harvesting, and to packing.

Traditional agriculture often faces reduced yields due to meteorological disasters, pests and plant diseases. It’s always difficult to maintain a sound environment for crops.

Greenhouse cultivation is an exploration that allows for the cultivation of off-season vegetables, but it is still susceptible to adverse weather conditions such as high temperatures and snow.

Plant factories have shattered the constraints of natural

conditions. As an efficient agricultural system that achieves year-round continuous crop production through precise control in a closed environment, a plant factory can adjust environmental factors such as light, temperature, humidity, and nutrients in real-time, according to the specific requirements of different crops. This precise supply enables high-efficiency production.

Additionally, plant factories can induce flowering and promote rapid growth, significantly shortening crops’ growth cycle.

Plant factories feature accelerated growth of crops, said Wang Sen, a researcher

with the Institute of Urban Agriculture. This type of facility, which is free from the limitations by land, space, and climatic conditions, accelerates the growth of crops through a light-nutrient coupling technique. It can shorten the growth period of crops such as rice, wheat, corn, soybeans, cotton, and rapeseed by more than half, providing effective support for accelerating crop-breeding. It’s important to improve lighting efficiency and lower energy consumption when building a plant factory.

Wang told People’s Daily that his team has established a database containing 1,238

“lighting solutions” for 72 crop varieties in five major categories, which helps adjust lighting plans based on crop varieties and stages of growth.

Besides, with the application of the light-temperature coupling technology, the plant factory’s overall energy consumption has been lowered by over 56 percent.

To address the issues of low land utilisation and spatial efficiency in traditional flat planting, the team adopted vertical-cultivation techniques.

“This 20-tier vertical farm can increase land utilisation by over 120 times,” Yang disclosed.

Today, the 200-square-metre plant factory produces over 60 tons of vegetables each year. By adopting self-developed new crop varieties, vertical cultivation systems, automatic nutrient solution supply systems, energy-saving artificial light sources, and AIbased intelligent management systems, the vertical farm has achieved year-round stable food production.

The team is currently

exploring profitable business models for the plant factory. It is learned that the high-end leafy vegetables grown in the plant factory target densely populated urban areas such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the Yangtze River Delta, as well as regions with a local vegetable self-sufficiency rate below 10 percent. Furthermore, the plant factory can also be used for intensive seedling cultivation, which not only reduces production costs, but also ensures seedling quality. China’s plant factories are going international. During an international plant factory technology training programme hosted by China, students from over 20 countries received systematic training on plant factories. LED “lighting solutions” have been promoted in more than 100 countries and regions. China has also reached agreements with the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Chile and Qatar to build vertical plant factories.

Reinvestigation: Why does the West distort ...

of cost-effectiveness.

Today, the regional industrial chain and supply-chain system of China’s NEVs has formed an industrial ecosystem driven by complete vehicle enterprises, supported by advanced intelligent networked industry chains, and efficiently guided by industrial policies.

Taking Hefei city of Anhui Province as an example, it boasts six major complete vehicle enterprises and an industrial cluster with an output value of over 100 billion yuan (about 13.8 billion U.S. dollars). It possesses strong production capabilities in related products such as displays, chips, artificial intelligence, and batteries.

In recent years, the Volkswagen Group has established a complete vehicle- manufacturing base in Hefei, set up a wholly-owned research and development company, and constructed a battery-system factory, aiming to transform the city into an advanced production, research, and innovation centre for NEVs outside of Germany.

According to statistics from JATO Dynamics, a London-based global automotive market research company, since 2015 the average price of EVs in Europe has risen from 49,000 to 56,000 euros (about 52,555 to 60,063 U.S. dollars), in the United States

from 53,000 to 64,000 euros (about 56,845 to 68,643 dollars), while that in China has decreased from 67,000 to 32,000 euros (71,861 to 34,321 dollars).

Some foreign media cite instances of Chinese electric vehicle companies engaging in price wars and some companies going bankrupt as evidence of “overcapacity” in the entire industry. Xia said that price adjustments are a response strategy adopted by companies to market changes, reflecting market strategies, and cannot prove this theory.

The closure of some NEV companies is part of the “market-clearing” process, a result of normal market competition and natural selection, which precisely demonstrates that China’s industrial advantage is the outcome of full competition, said Xia.

Ji Xuehong, director of the automobile industry innovation research centre at North China University of Technology, told reporters that nowadays it is actually the United States, Britain, and France that are implementing more robust subsidy policies in the field of new energy vehicles.

The U.S. government is providing approximately 369 billion dollars in tax incentives and subsidies for clean-energy industries, in-

cluding NEVs, through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, Ji said.

“Countries such as France, Italy, and Canada have also introduced similar policies,” Ji added.

A COVER FOR PROTECTIONISM

Industry insiders and experts interviewed believed that the real motive behind the hype about the “overcapacity” theory in China is that the United States and Europe find it hard to face the growing strength of the Chinese EV industry.

They are concerned about losing their advantage in the automotive industry competition.

Tang believes that the United States and Europe are putting forward the so-called “overcapacity” theory to safeguard their own interests and position themselves more advantageously in the game.

In fact, the market share of Chinese domestic brand car companies in the European market is still relatively low. Taking examples of Chinese new energy vehicle brands BYD, Great Wall Motors, and NIO, which have been included in the EU’s anti-subsidy investigation, data indicate that these three companies collectively hold only 1.1 percent of the Euro-

pean market share.

Jiang Xiaowei, chief analyst of the auto sector at Huaan Securities, pointed out that the Chinese NEVs with higher market share in Europe often come from companies with American or European capital backgrounds.

For example, Tesla electric vehicles produced and exported to Europe from the Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai are also counted as Chinese-exported NEVs to Europe.

Additionally, companies such as SAIC Motor’s MG and Geely’s Lynk &Co have foreign capital backgrounds and are not wholly Chinese-owned car companies. These companies’ overseas expansion benefits from the support of their foreign capital partners and their profits are also reinvested through capital means to support their foreign partners.

Therefore, claims that the Chinese car companies monopolise the European market are by no means true.

The price advantage of Chinese NEVs does not distort the market; rather, it provides a solution for Europe to achieve its energy-transition goals, said experts.

In Europe, due to the slow transition of traditional fuel car manufacturers to electri-

fication, policy changes, and uncertainties in consumer demand, the popularisation of NEVs is slower than expected.

Nicolas Dworak, a commentator for the Austrian daily Der Standard, believes that China’s provision of more affordable electric vehicles helps to stimulate the shift in demand.

The Neue Zuercher Zeitung, a Swiss daily newspaper published in Zurich, recently published an article saying that the decarbonisation process requires massive investment. High-valuefor-money Chinese NEVs, through healthy competition,

are prompting European automakers to enhance their innovation capabilities and technological levels. Ultimately, consumers will be the ones to benefit.

Ola Kallenius, chairman of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group, stated that protectionism will not lead to long-term success, and the European industry should respond to challenges with better products, better technology, and greater flexibility.

“If we seek wealth in increasingly severe protectionism, we are on the wrong path,” said Kallenius.

Philosophy of Fear

VICE-PRESIDENT Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has described the opposition APNU+AFC approach to politics as one that is characterised by a philosophy of ‘fear of the other’.

This approach to politics is at best counterproductive and has been the root cause of much ethnic tensions in our society especially during the early 1960’s when reactionary groups led by the PNC attempted to subvert the PPP regime. It was a tense period in our history which has left a deep scar on our national psyche.

We have come a long way since those sordid years when attempts were made to divide our society along ethnic lines. At the core of those disturbances was the projection of a false and misleading narrative of Black ‘marginalisation’.

Unfortunately, there are still elements

in our society who continue to peddle such lies, all in an attempt to score cheap political lines. As pointed out by Vice-President Jagdeo who is also the General Secretary of the PPP, the PNC pushed an element of fear; fear of the PPP, fear that it will discriminate against Afro-Guyanese.

“And so it kept a large number of people away from us. The campaign of fear based on race served its purpose for them and so they are unwilling to relinquish this tool because it worked for them in the past,” Dr. Jagdeo noted.

Thankfully, Guyanese are today less receptive to such a narrative. After twenty-eight years of undemocratic rule which left in its wake a broken economy and widespread poverty, the PNC now stands exposed. Guyanese are today in a much better position to compare

Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas hold talks in Beijing, achieve positive progress: Chinese spokesperson

(Xinhua) At the invitation of China, representatives of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) recently came to Beijing for in-depth and candid talks on promoting intra-Palestinian reconciliation, and achieved positive progress, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday.

Spokesperson Lin Jian told a daily press briefing in response to a related query that the two sides fully expressed their political will to achieve reconciliation through dialogue and consultation, discussed many specific issues, and made positive progress.

“They agreed to continue this dialogue process and strive for the early realisation of Palestinian unity,” Lin said, noting that the two sides highly appreciate China’s firm support for the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights, and thanked China for its efforts to promote Palestine’s internal unity and reached an agreement on the next step of dialogue.

life under the PNC regime with that of the PPP/C administration. For the vast majority of them, it is analogous of comparing chalk with cheese. The stigma of a ‘pariah’ state has been erased and Guyana is now ranked high among the fold of democratic nations.

Yet, as observed by Dr. Jagdeo, the so-called ‘victim mentality’ is still being peddled by the PNC which is trying to project a narrative of being ‘robbed’ of political power in the March 2020 General and Regional elections.

The fact is that it was the PNC that rigged all national and regional elections ever since it was catapulted into power in the 1964 elections through a process of constitutional engineering. All elections since then were massively and blatantly rigged by the PNC regime which perpetuated its political

life through force and fraught for nearly three decades.

There is, as noted by Vice-President Jagdeo, a core difference between the PPP and the PNC. The PPP, in sharp contrast to the PNC, has transformed the economic and social landscape of the country in positive ways. The PNC, on the other hand, had over its twenty-eight years of dictatorial rule, left a trail of destruction and underdevelopment, the likes of which has never been experienced in the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana is moving forward under the PPP/C administration. The development ‘tsunami’ has lifted, as it were, all boats and there is shared prosperity across the political and ethnic spectrum.

This reality cannot be downplayed or wished away, the antics of the PNC notwithstanding.

Can these 40 persons tell Guyanese if they are still on that spectrum?

AS I write this column here, I have just gone back to the HARDtalk BCC programme on oil where the host Stephen Sackur interviewed Ms. Vanda Radzik-Vieira (VRV) from the Red Thread leadership and someone that the Stabroek News (SN highlights all the time as a civil society activist (I wonder if SN still rejects the Private Sector Commission as a civil society body?).

I am satisfied VRV has defected from the spectrum on oil that she adumbrated in the November 13, 2020 issue of the SN, when, with together with 41 other persons the the following was written: “We are deeply concerned that the Government’s policy to pursue economic development based on oil and gas is bad for Guyana. Oil and gas production are an existential threat to Guyana. We cannot support government’s policy to produce oil and gas when every ton of greenhouse gas pollution cause (sic) loss of life in African countries. In light of the above we call for a national moratorium on all petroleum operations in Guyana – offshore and onshore.”

Before we go to the defection of VRV, I need to make a clarification. 42 persons signed the letter demanding an immediate cessation of oil production in Guyana, among which was a gentleman named Gerald Perreia. I have known Mr. Perreira since we were 18 years of age, when we were young Marxists. Mr. Perreira and I are still friends. For the record, he wants

the people of Guyana to know that he is not on the spectrum as outlined in that letter and has withdrawn his name. That leaves 40.

Now here is the reaction of VRV when Mr. Sackur asked her if the Guyana Government should walk away from the billions of American dollars from oil production. He specifically requested her “alternative suggestion.” She introduced the concept of spectrum. She told Mr. Sackur that there are two spectrums that people hold in relation to exploration and production of oil. One is to leave the stuff in the ground. The other is to secure a more profitable contract with EXXON. Her words were; “let’s get the best deal.” Actually, she is not saying that herself. She thinks that is how the other spectrum feels.

If you juxtapose VRV’s position in the letter of 42 and her answer to Mr. Sackur, it appears that she does not embrace the spectrum of November 13, 2022 in the SN. And while it can be asserted that she does not endorse the 2022 spectrum, it is left to guess which of the two spectrums she thinks hold more validity. Let’s leave the spectrums for the moment and talk about political behaviour and obligation to the citizenry.

I have always argued, in my 55 years of activism, my 26 years of academic teaching at UG and 35 years in journalism that two qualities must be possessed by a public intellectual. One is when you

enter into polemics of the public space, then do not resort to anonymity and the courts. Debate your critics and do so in your own name.

Mr. Glenn Lall once asked me to defend the businessman who just died, Mr. Sugrim-aka- Chinney when the police questioned him about a drug investigation in Berbice. Mr. Lall suggested an anonymous letter. I refused and that would have been the end of my attachment to Kaieteur News because I insultingly told Lall, I will never disrespect my parents by hiding the name they gave me. I didn’t believe in defending Chinney since I did not do any investigation.

In my 35 years of journalism I have sued one person only, the late Walter Ramsahoye because he scandalised my name on channel 11 yet had the temerity to sue me. So I countersued. I really don’t care what people say about me. Never

did, never will. In life, damn if you do, damn if you don’t. The second quality is obligation to people who believe in you and accept your activism.

The SN asked for my reaction when the paper said it was told by someone who knew me in my teenage days that when I was 17, I stole books from the National Library. I know SN would have run with the story and printed that I offered a “no comment” comment. I offered the facts and because I owed it to the people that see me in a positive light.

VKV has an obligation to tell Guyanese if she is still on stop-the-oil spectrum. And the 40 other persons who penned that 2022 spectrum have an obligation to Guyanese to say if they see only one viable spectrum and that it is to come out of oil. Obligation is a philosophical act that holds civilization together.

Power ship site preparation ongoing in Region Six

SIGNIFICANT site preparations are currently underway in Everton, East Bank Berbice, Region Six, in anticipation of the arrival of a power ship that the government has secured.

The ship, expected to provide an additional 35 megawatts of electricity to the national grid of the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL), aims to address a generation shortfall resulting from a significant increase in the demand for electricity in the country.

Zone Manager of GPL, Berbice location, Ravindra Jagnandan, visited the site on Tuesday to oversee ongoing preparatory works.

In a recent televised interview, Jagnandan explained that major land clearing and installation of utility poles are in progress.

“Firstly, what we are doing now to

accommodate the ship, is land-clearing and vegetation management. We also have to build a network to connect the power barge to our network at GPL.

“The ship will be dispatching 69,000 kilovolts and so we have to construct a new transmission line for us to connect and dispatch power from the ship to our grid,” he elaborated.

Currently, the GPL Berbice team is preparing to set up the transmission lines at Everton.

Jagnandan further explained that to access electricity from the power ship to the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS), they will tap into GPL’s existing L21 transmission line.

“Having the electricity at that voltage level (69,000 kilovolts), then we will be able to access power from the ship at our various load centres across

Berbice and Demerara,” the manager noted.

He emphasised that the team is working diligently to complete the preparations and conclude the network construction and maintenance on the lines as early as possible before the ship’s arrival.

Jagnandan highlighted that the country is currently experiencing frequent power outages due to a deficit between GPL’s generating capacity and the country’s growing electrical demand.

Therefore, the arrival of this ship will form the basis of a proactive approach by the government to help minimise current disruptions.

The power ship is being sourced from Cuba and is expected to arrive in the country this month.

Zone Manager of GPL, Berbice, Ravindra Jagnandan

THE PPP’s 32nd Congress, due this weekend (May 3-5) is, arguably, the most significant since and between the deaths of Co-Leaders and Founders Cheddi and Janet Jagan, since ex-President Bharrat Jagdeo became General Secretary -- and since 2020, when Guyana started developing and benefiting from its new oil wealth, under the current PPP/Civic administration.

rent administration defeats the ‘Dutch Curse’ being wished on Guyana at home and abroad.

The way critics who should be putting country first are talking, they (maybe) think Guyanese would relish a reputation of being forever seen as never ever being able to responsibly and sustainably manage their rich new resources.

Walk a mile in PPP’s shoes! Chroniclesofa ChronicGuyana Chronicler

The numbers speak for themselves: Over 3,000 delegates and observers, making it three times bigger than the last Congress -- and biggest ever, by far.

It will feature the usual reviews, updates and previews on party organisational, political, administrative, tactical and strategic matters, but it’ll also be quite unusual, coming at a time when Guyana is riding high on the global stage, opening the year in the Presidency of the United Nations (UN) Security Council and as Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) – and, most of all, in light of the global exposure of Venezuela’s revived claim to its large and rich Essequibo region.

Congresses largely address domestic matters, but the PPP’s have always had an internationalist element where regional (Caribbean and Latin American) and global matters are considered, in line with the party’s traditional approach to ensuring its policies are applicable to the time, including when to engage in alliances and when to distance itself from those always willing to trade principles for power.

Guyana’s domestic challenges today are not only from within, but also from without, resulting in its need to ensure the nation can defend and protect itself from any external incursion, at a time when its sovereignty has never been felt so threatened.

While ensuring the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) accesses the means to capably defend its Motherland with assistance from available sources near and far, the PPP, under leadership of its General Secretary and an Executive President with a government willing to effect meaningful change, also has to ensure the cur-

As always, the facts and figures defy even such thoughts, but the words and deeds of denial extend to extraterritorial misrepresentation and indefensible partisan propulsion of acrimonious approaches to almost every issue involving state decisions affecting all parties’ supporters.

Like never before, the PPP/Civic alliance today has demonstrated how positive party policies upheld and advocated over decades can eventually influence state policies to yield the fruits the PPP has always demanded before Oil and Gas, from the early ages of Gold and Diamonds, Bauxite and Aluminum alongside Sugar and Rice, when the nation’s coffers could also have been much better handled by the forebears of those today crying foul and fowl.

The 3,000+ PPP delegates and observers will decide on everything -- from energy policies to ongoing and new national development projects, future plans and long-term goals for Guyanese of all five ethnic brackets, to continuing to demonstrate measurable levels of seriousness about breaking the racial political divide in ways that expectedly worry those who’ve always largely benefitted from its lessening effect.

Results of the last mid-term local government elections and developments since then have shown an unprecedented consolidation of PPP support among Afro-Guyanese and wider popular support from its policies of taking new benefits to places and people across Guyana -- including hundreds of Amerindian communities, still nursing old wounds of historical neglect -- which naturally infuriates those only now realising that people don’t really care who talks loudest, until the time comes to ‘walk-the-talk’.

By Earl Bousquet

Some will instead ‘walk the plank’ off the Ship of State and others will climb the gangway with more and better experience at steering the Good Ship Guyana through calm and rough waters, with old and new maps adapted by Time and History.

With national concern about threats to sovereignty, partisan differences within and between parties are normally put on back burners to cool-off, to allow for more genuine united national responses, including establishing patriotic national coalitions, whether for Democracy or Defence.

But not so today, even where the PPP has demonstrated its ability and willingness to start bridging the race gap, more by leaps than binds.

In such situations, it’s also usually necessary for coalitions of the willing to establish mechanisms to ensure current gains continue between, after and beyond Regime Change.

But the PPP cannot be expected to bury its neck in sand and be rigid and unbending, unrealistic and inelastic, in pursuit of genuine ways and means to continue to serve for as long as it can also continue to reap the electoral goodies from Good Governance.

Between the deaths of the Jagans and the arrival of Jagdeo, those who wrote the books of tricks around the books of rules used often-violent, scorched-earth ground-war

tactics to prevent Janet Jagan from rightfully succeeding her husband as the next-most-eligible candidate for President – and to stop the young Jagdeo from replacing her to start a new 21st Century Guyana under a post-Jagan PPP, with Donald Ramotar as General Secretary and the Civic’s everlasting support with vice-presidential candidates of worth.

The PPP’s challenges today are multifarious, multidimensional and mountainous, including the constant focus of an ever-peeping opposition blowing windbags badly but loudly and hoping Guyanese will blindly follow bands of naked pipers and never gain the testicular fortitude to ask the singers to get dressed and stop playing with their instruments.

The usual criticisms will precede and follow this weekend’s Congress, but that being so, it would also be very wise for the loudest critics at home and abroad to always consider the enormity of the tasks facing today’s leaders of Party and State, against the background of a constantly changing regional and global environment.

Criticism is a natural and normal process in progressive politics, but must always be addressed on the basis of realism, not wishes.

In that sense, the most-unrelenting critics should try to walk just a mile in the PPP’s shoes today.

Labour Day: A time to recognise, respect and renew commitment - PM Phillips

IN a poignant message marking Labour Day, Prime Minister, Mark Phillips, emphasised the significance of the occasion as a time for acknowledging, respecting, and rejuvenating commitment to the labour force. Speaking from the heart, the Prime Minister underscored the invaluable contributions of workers across various sectors, highlighting their tireless dedication and resilience, particularly in the face of unprecedented challenges.

As the nation paused to honour the collective efforts of its workforce, Prime Minister Phillips urged citizens to uphold the principles of fairness, equality, and dignity in the workplace. Emphasiing the importance of unity and solidarity, he called for a renewed commitment to creating environments that empower workers and pro-

mote their well-being.

SEE BELOW THE FULL STATEMENT ISSUED BY P �������� ����������������

Esteemed citizens of Guyana,

Today, on Labour Day, we come together to pay homage to the industrious men and women whose efforts have shaped our nation’s story and continue to propel Guyana’s development and progression. This day holds great significance as we reflect on the trials, triumphs, and resilience of our labour force.

Labour Day traces its roots back to the labour movement that became known in Chicago, USA, during the 1800s. It was a

period marked by the struggle for improved conditions, fair compensation, and the right to organise. These endeavours laid the groundwork

for the global recognition of workers’ rights, a legacy we honour and uphold today.

In the 1930s, under the leadership of Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow and the British Guiana Labour Union (BGLU), Labour Day celebrations commenced in Guyana. In 1958, May 1 was officially designated a national holiday by then Minister of Labour, Janet Jagan. Since then, workers across our land have proudly marked this day, rallying for their rights.

Therefore, we must honour the legacy of heroes like Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, a stalwart labour leader who ardently pushed for workers’ rights that brought about this occasion and even spearheaded that historic inaugural parade. His vision laid the cornerstone for trade unionism in Guyana. Today, we pay homage to his memory and the countless others who advocated for fair wages,

safe working conditions, and collective bargaining rights. Their sacrifices reverberate through time, reminding us of the power of unity and solidarity.

As your government, we prioritise the welfare of our workers. The re-established Ministry of Labour, under the PPP/C Administration, diligently addresses the concerns of our labour force. We focus on remuneration, rights, working conditions, and capacity building. Yet, our work remains ongoing. We vigilantly confront inequalities, discrimination, and barriers to equal opportunities.

On this Labour Day, we must renew our dedication to forging a brighter future for all. We acknowledge the sweat and toil of those who underpin our society—the farmers, educators, healthcare professionals, artisans,

and more. Their dedication fuels our journey toward progress. We must ensure their contributions are duly acknowledged and rewarded.

Our strength lies in our collective unity. Regardless of our backgrounds or professions, we are united by our shared commitment to elevate Guyana. Through collaborative efforts, we can achieve remarkable feats. Let us cultivate a society that values and respects every individual, where opportunities abound and success is attainable for all.

As we commemorate Labour Day, may we stand shoulder to shoulder, honouring our labour heroes and envisioning a brighter tomorrow.

May their legacy inspire us to build a Guyana where every worker’s contribution is celebrated and every aspiration finds fulfillment.

Happy Labour Day!

President Ali wants workforce to have better salaries, quality of life

THROUGHOUT the past three and a half years, the PPP/C government has unwaveringly dedicated itself to advancing every sector in the country, resulting in a consistent enhancement of the working class’s quality of life.

In its pursuit of enhancing the lives of all citizens through targeted interventions, the labour force can anticipate matching salaries and an elevated standard of living in the near future.

This was according to President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali during his address to the nation in a live broadcast on Tuesday. He emphasised his administration’s aggressive efforts to implement additional measures aimed at easing the burdens faced by the workforce.

“We have to manage this period going up from 2027 to 2030 carefully. And I can assure that we will have one of the most up-skilled and qualified workforce population in this region.

“And, that workforce and work population will see matching benefits, matching salaries, higher quality of life, better standard of living,” the head-of-state underscored.

Recognising the vital role of the labour force in

President Dr. Irfaan Ali hosted a Labour Day Brunch on the lawns of the State House

accelerating the country’s development, President Ali highlighted that his administration had crafted a manifesto in consultation with all stakeholders. This manifesto directly influences and impacts the welfare and well-being of all citizens. Remarkably, almost all commitments outlined in the manifesto have been

fulfilled in less than four years, with a commitment to fulfil additional measures in the future.

The president emphasised that the current quality of life should not solely be measured by wages but by the holistic programme and policies implemented by the government to bring improvement to every citizen,

especially the labour force. Government initiatives, including the $25,000 cash grant for each household, reduced interest rates, extension of loan payment moratoriums, creation of over 65,000 jobs, restoration of Joint Services bonuses, and annual increases in the income tax threshold, have significantly benefitted the

working class.

These measures alleviate burdens on households, allowing for more disposable income.

“Our interventions to improve the wellbeing of public servants were not limited to wages and salaries. Other initiatives implemented by the government included scholarships for citizens un-

der the GOAL scholarship programme. Close to 30,000 scholarships issued, 72 per cent of which went to women,” President Ali stated. These efforts have incurred significant costs for the government. Notably, within the housing sector, over 30,000 house lots were allocated, with a majority distributed to public servants.

This year, the government will allocate $135.2 billion to the education sector and $130 billion to the health sector to substantially improve the conditions of the working class.

“The task ahead of us is to continue on this trajectory, to ensure that our workers and every Guyanese enjoy a prosperous future, to ensure that their lives and their family lives be transformed as our societies and communities are also being transformed,” the president assured.

The government’s concern extends beyond the working people to include pensioners and individuals suffering from diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

Measures such as increased pensions and subsidy programmes have been implemented to assist individuals facing health challenges.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips

Tuschen residents welcome new, upgraded roads

By Cindy Parkinson

IN a decisive move aimed at fulfilling electoral promises and enhancing community infrastructure, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) administration has successfully revamped the roads in Region Three, much to the relief and satisfaction of residents.

After enduring years of inconvenience caused by pothole-ridden roads in the Tuschen New Housing Scheme, residents expressed their gratitude for the government’s efforts in upgrading their community’s infrastructure.

In an interview with this publication, Retisha Gobin, a nurse at the Meten-MeerZorg health centre and a single mother, detailed the difficulties she and her son faced in commuting to work and school, particularly during the rainy season.

Nurse Gobin said, “We are very grateful that the government has completed the roads in this scheme, I am living at the back of the scheme, and getting to work

in the mornings was never easy. Many days, especially in the rainy season, our footwear was left dirty due to the mud and state of the road, so this is a welcomed initiative by not just me and my son, but from all the residents of this area.”

Nurse Gobin has confirmed that cars can now easily access the back of the

scheme and drive through specific streets without any difficulty. Furthermore, in emergency scenarios, there is now complete clarity on the designated route to be taken.

“Many days, my son and I would have to walk some distance before we were able to have access to a vehicle to get out to the main road; no one wanted to drive on certain roads to damage their vehicles. And as a nurse, I often asked myself, if there was an emergency at my home or my neighbour’s house, how would an ambulance get here? Prior to these roads, it would have been almost impossible, but now that is not an issue or a concern anymore.”

Furthermore, Nurse Gobin made a request for the residents of the Tuschen New Housing Scheme to take pride in the progress achieved in their community and strive to maintain the infrastructure in a state that is both decent and usable.

Furthermore, Raymond Singh, a vendor at the Tuschen market, was interviewed

by this publication. Singh expressed his satisfaction with the road reconstruction, but also implored individuals, particularly truck drivers and heavy machinery operators, to refrain from using the roadways as thoroughfares.

According to him, “It is about time that we get the roads fixed, and we are thankful for this, but I hope that the truck drivers and big machines will stop driving on the edge of the roads.”

“Yes, the roads were bad before, but many of us contributed to damaging these roads too. Some people use it like the main road, and when it is damaged, everyone complains, but they forget that they helped to damage it too. I would like to say thank you to President Ali and his government for this development, with special thanks to Minister Indar for making

sure that his people and his community are looked after.”

Singh respectfully urges his fellow vendors to maintain cleanliness in the vending area, behave responsibly, and ensure the preservation of the infrastructure. He noted, “We cannot wait so long for good roads and then damage them overnight. If you see someone damaging the roads, call the police; we have to do our part too.”

A teacher from Tuschen Primary School, who wishes to remain anonymous, described the difficulties faced by both teachers and students in commuting to school punctually and in an organised manner.

The teacher mentioned that the students and teachers of the school often complained or discussed the damage caused to their shoes by

the roads. Parents have been observed carrying their children to school to ensure they arrive punctually and neatly. Alternatively, in certain situations, depending on their location, parents choose not to drive or take a ride.

“Mr. President, on behalf of the teachers and pupils of Tuschen Primary School, we want to say thank you for making these roads a priority for 2024. We see that development is happening in all the communities in Guyana, but we were eagerly awaiting our turn, so thanks again.”

Deodat Indar, the Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, expounded on the PPP/C government’s commitment to enhancing the quality of life for its citizens through community initiatives, as evidenced by one of his community outreaches.

One of the completed roads in the Tuschen New Housing Scheme in Region Three

Nurse Retisha Gobin

New report shows improved state of global youth

THE Commonwealth Secretariat and the Institute of Economics and Peace on Monday launched the 2023 Global Youth Development Index Report.

Spanning 183 countries, the report launched to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the modern Commonwealth, unveils encouraging progress and critical priorities for enhancing youth well-being and empowerment worldwide. The report’s findings highlight notable advancements within Commonwealth countries, with Singapore maintaining its leading position as the top-ranked nation globally, closely followed by Malta, Cyprus, New Zealand, and Brunei.

Speaking at the launch of the report, Commonwealth Secretary-General, Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, said:

“The YDI empowers stakeholders to address complex, multidimensional issues affecting youth. We must use this opportunity to pause and take stock; to listen to what the numbers are telling us and consider the right course to take. We must be confident in our ability to progress, but honest about the distance we must travel, and fierce in our determination to support those who need our

Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, with Commonwealth youth leaders at the launch of the 2023 Global Youth Development Index Report

help. The best way to raise up our young people is to empower them, to let their passion and creativity guide our work with fresh ideas, impetus, and inspiration.”

Tracking progress on youth development in the Commonwealth is critical, especially considering that over 60per cent of its population, totalling more than 2.5 billion people, is under the age of 30.

Key highlights from the report shed light on the impressive strides made by Commonwealth nations:

Youth Civic and Political Participation: Commonwealth countries exhibit higher scores in youth civic and political engagement compared to the global average.

Continuous Improvement: 94per cent of the 50 Commonwealth nations analysed demonstrated improvement in their YDI scores over the past 12 years, signalling positive trends in youth development outcomes.

Employment and Opportunity Progress: The Em -

ployment and Opportunity domain showed the most significant improvement, driven by a 52per cent increase in youth financial inclusion metrics.

Global Rankings: The top 10 YDI scores globally were led by Singapore, followed by Denmark, Portugal, Iceland, Slovenia, Norway, Ireland, Spain, Malta and Switzerland.

Over the past fifty years, the Secretariat has been investing in youth policy development through initiatives like the Common-

wealth Youth Programme (CYP).

To mark the 75th anniversary of the modern Commonwealth and the 50th anniversary of the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) the YDI serves as a benchmark for member countries to monitor progress towards meeting the recent Marlborough House Commitment for Youth Development and the SDGs.

Over the past 12 years (2010–2022), the global YDI score increased by 2.8 per cent. Notably, Sub-Sa-

haran Africa experienced the most significant improvement, with a rise of 3.81 per cent. Other regions showing notable progress included South America, South Asia, Asia-Pacific, Russia, and Eurasia.

While the Employment and Opportunity domain saw the most substantial improvement globally, increasing by 6.1per cent from 2010 to 2022, the Peace and Security domain showed the smallest improvement, with a global score increase of just 0.22 per cent.

Amidst complex global challenges such as the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and regional conflicts, the YDI serves as a crucial tool for policymakers, researchers, youth workers, and advocates. It enables monitoring of progress, supports advocacy for change and encourages evidence-based policymaking. Beyond assessment, the YDI helps track the impacts of ongoing crises, emphasising the need for adaptable methodologies to drive meaningful progress and build inclusive societies.

For further insights into the 2023 Global Youth Development Index Report and its implications for youth empowerment and policy advocacy, view the full report.

Beyond Allegations: Housing Ministry showcases inclusive initiatives benefitting diverse communities

–– Defends policies amid allegations of bias

THE Ministry of Housing and Water has issued a robust response to recent allegations of discrimination within the government’s housing programme, refuting claims of bias and misinformation.

In a statement addressing a letter published in Stabroek News authored by Roysdale Forde, the Ministry emphasised its commitment to equitable land allocation and housing distribution since 2020. Through the Central Housing and Planning Authority, the Ministry asserted that land has been issued to Guyanese citizens without prejudice based on race, gender, age, religion, geographical location, or political affiliation.

Highlighting the scale of their efforts, the Ministry revealed that 33,000 house lots have been allocated to date, with allocations quadrupling from 2015-2020. During the initial months of the current administration, allocations were reportedly distributed with approximately 50.90 per cent granted to Afro-Guyanese, underscoring the commitment to diverse representation.

In addressing the hinterland regions where individual land titles are not customary, the Ministry emphasised the positive impact of the Hinterland Housing Programme on indigenous families, providing homes

at no construction cost to beneficiaries.

Furthermore, the Ministry outlined its focus on equitable socioeconomic development, with 91.8 per cent of allocations benefitting low to middle-income Guyanese. Empowering youth through homeownership is also a priority, with individuals aged 21-35 representing 52 per cent of allocations, while significant allocations have also been made to women.

Beyond land allocation and housing construction, the Ministry highlighted various community-based programmes aimed at enhancing the lives of vulnerable populations. Initiatives such as the Community-based Employment Stimulation Project (CESP) and the Laing Avenue Housing Grant Programme have provided job opportunities and essential materials for home rehabilitation.

Moreover, the Ministry emphasised its commitment to supporting home construction through initiatives like the Steel and Cement Voucher programme, benefitting over 1,092 Guyanese families across multiple regions. Additionally, the government’s Mortgage Interest Relief initiative has provided financial assistance to over 15,000 families across all income brackets.

In conclusion, the Min-

istry reiterated its dedication to transparency, fairness, and inclusivity in all aspects of housing initiatives, emphasising its ongoing commitment to serving the diverse needs of Guyanese citizens.

BELOW IS THE STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND WATER:

The Ministry of Housing and Water has noted a recent letter in Stabroek News authored by Roysdale Forde containing misinformation and baseless allegations of discrimination

within the government’s housing programme.

Since 2020, the Ministry, through the Central Housing and Planning Authority, has been issuing land to Guyanese citizens without bias or discrimination based on race, gender, age, religion, geographical location, or political affiliation.

To date, 33,000 house lots have been allocated, prioritising applicants from 2019 and earlier, and quadrupling the allocations made from 2015-2020 by the previous administration. During the initial months of the current administration (August 2020-December 2020), approximately 50.90 per cent

of allocations were granted to Afro-Guyanese, with the remainder distributed among Indo-Guyanese and other races. As of April 2024, our allocations stand at 45.9 per cent Afro-Guyanese and 46.7 per cent Indo-Guyanese and approximately 8per cent of other races.

In the hinterland regions where individual land titles are not customary, the Hinterland Housing Programme has positively impacted indigenous families by providing homes at no construction cost to the beneficiary.

Furthermore, our allocation process demonstrates a clear commitment to equitable socioeconomic development, with 91.8 per cent of allocations benefitting low-income, moderate-income and middle-income Guyanese, while only 8.2 per cent are directed towards high-income earners, reflecting our goal of reducing poverty and fostering inclusive growth.

Moreover, in keeping with our mandate to empowering youths through homeownership, individuals age 21-35 represent 52 per cent of our allocations. The housing programme has also seen 45.8 per cent of allocations going to women, 27.6 per cent males and 26.6 per cent being joint applications.

Beyond land allocation and housing construction, the

Ministry has implemented various community-based programmes to enhance the lives of vulnerable populations. The Community-based Employment Stimulation Project (CESP) has facilitated job opportunities for persons with disabilities and residents in communities such as Leopold Street, Albouystown, North Ruimveldt, Mocha, and Victoria.

Further, the Laing Avenue Housing Grant Programme has assisted 122 families with essential materials to rehabilitate their homes, while the Steel and Cement Voucher initiative has pushed home construction for some 1,092 Guyanese families in private and government allocated lands across Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10. Additionally, within the last three years there has been a steady increase in the number of families who have benefitted from the Government’s Mortgage Interest Relief initiative. In the past three years, the government has paid out in excess $2.4 Billion in refund to more than 15,000 families from every income bracket with mortgages on their homes.

The Ministry of Housing and Water remains steadfast in its commitment to transparency, fairness, and inclusivity in all aspects of our housing initiatives.

UWI Professor highlights importance of early detection, treatment for Leptospirosis

AMIDST a backdrop of scientific intrigue and urgent public health concerns, Professor Paul Brown, a distinguished figure in the field of molecular biology at The UWI, Mona Campus, captivated audiences during his recent professorial lecture titled, “Genes and Shorts: lepto and other stories, through molecular lenses”. Rather than sounding an alarm, Professor Brown calmly presented research solutions with the potential to capture the attention of forward-thinking deci -

sion-makers. As Head of the Department of Basic Medical Sciences, his expertise and insights provided a compelling narrative into the intricate world of microbes, scientific collaborations, and the pressing issue of Leptospirosis.

Throughout his comprehensive presentation, Professor Brown navigated the complexities of microbial research while sharing personal anecdotes about the challenges of scientific publishing and global collaborations. However, it was his focus on Leptospirosis that truly

resonated with the audience.

Highlighting the critical importance of early detection and treatment in combating the disease, Professor Brown emphasised the looming threat of climate change on the spread and severity of Leptospirosis. He stressed the need for heightened surveillance and mitigation efforts to mitigate the potential impact of this zoonotic disease on human, veterinary, and economic fronts.

Leptospirosis, a serious illness transmitted through contact with animal urine or contaminated water, remains

a significant global health concern. Professor Brown underscored the diagnostic challenges posed by its symptoms, often overlapping with other illnesses like dengue, flu, and COVID-19.

Emphasising the value of molecular testing for early diagnosis, Professor Brown warned of the dire consequences of delayed treatment, citing the organism’s ability to spread to vital organs and increase the disease’s fatality rate. Drawing parallels between Leptospirosis and COVID-19, he highlighted potential long-term ef -

fects and rural communities’ heightened risk of exposure.

In a revealing disclosure, Professor Brown shed light on the factors contributing to rural communities’ susceptibility to Leptospirosis, including water and soil contamination and lapses in personal protective measures among certain workers.

Despite the lecture’s postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Professor Brown’s insightful discourse served as a clarion call for increased research, awareness, and political action in combat-

ing infectious diseases and safeguarding public health on a global scale.

Paul Brown, professor of molecular biology at The UWI, Mona Campus

Guyanese doctors head to China for specialised medical training

IN a symbolic gesture of international cooperation and professional development, five local Guyanese doctors recently bid farewell to their colleagues and supporters at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

Departing for a threemonth specialised medical training programme in China, these doctors, hailing from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), represent a vital link in the ongoing medical collaboration between Guyana and China.

and absorb new techniques through hands-on experience.

Expressing gratitude for the support and guidance provided, the trainee doctors pledged to diligently complete their training, with a focus on mastering new techniques to benefit the people of Guyana upon their return.

The initiative, spearheaded by the 18th China Medical Team and now continued by the 19th, underscores a

Specialising in key medical fields including general surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, anesthesiology, radiology, and pathology, these trainee doctors are set to undergo intensive training at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital in Jiangsu Province.

commitment to enhancing the professional skills of local medical personnel in Guyana through exposure to China’s advanced medical resources and technology.

During the farewell cere-

mony, members of the China Medical Team presented the departing doctors with copies of “101 Tips for Living in China,” offering practical guidance for their upcoming journey.

Dr. Zhao Changyong, the team leader, encouraged the trainees to embrace the challenges of language and culture, urging them to collaborate closely with their Chinese counterparts

The exchange not only signifies a step forward in medical education but also fosters lasting bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two nations. As the trainees embark on their journey, they carry with them the hopes of a healthier future for Guyanese citizens, enriched by the knowledge and skills gained from their time in China.

Commonwealth leaders urge more investment in smart technologies for better public service delivery

THE 3rd Biennial Pan-Commonwealth Meeting for Heads of Public Service concluded with a resounding call for increased investment in smart technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), to enhance planning and decision-making for more efficient and effective public service delivery and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the Commonwealth.

The three-day meeting featured a keynote address by the Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of the Royal Kingdom of Bhutan, and opening remarks by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC. It was held at the Commonwealth headquarters in London from the 22nd to 24th April.

Convened under the theme, ‘Institutionalisation of smart government to enhance public service delivery’, the Commonwealth Heads of Public Service expanded on the ongoing dialogue around the urgent need to modernise and enhance the efficiency of government.

The Pan-Commonwealth Meeting urged more funding for Smart technologies like AI to enhance public service delivery and achieve SDGs

Delegates had the opportunity to exchange views on government performance management and were presented with relevant country studies from Rwanda, Kenya, India, and Namibia. This emphasises that the forum remains an important platform for sharing knowledge, experiences, and deepening collaboration.

Delegates also reaffirmed the mandate set out in the last Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), held in Rwanda in 2022, that

seeks to eliminate the digital divide.

After careful deliberation, the delegates agreed on an outcome statement with clear endorsements. One key action to be taken is the establishment of a community of practice for Commonwealth Heads of Public Service. The platform will allow them to continue sharing knowledge and experiences as well as promote ongoing dialogue on good governance.

Additionally, delegates agreed to develop a road -

map for implementing the actions that were determined at the meeting, including forming a Smart Governance Working Group at the Commonwealth Secretariat to spearhead this work until the next biennial meeting in 2026.

During the meeting, the Commonwealth Heads of Public Service welcomed the work of the Commonwealth Artificial Intelligence Consortium (CAIC), which facilitates collaboration and capacity building among member countries to pro -

mote the responsible development and application of AI technology.

At the conclusion of the summit, the Commonwealth Secretary-General told the Heads of Public Service:

“I am delighted that you have been able to agree on critical action points, which, if fully implemented, have the ability to move the Commonwealth Public Service to a higher level of performance and productivity.”

She continued: “An important outcome of this meeting is the agreement to

establish a Community of Practice for Heads of Public Service aimed at sharing ideas, knowledge, and experiences in public service management. This community of practice will certainly be useful in ensuring that we sustain the conversation on public service improvement and modernisation.”

The meeting reaffirmed its endorsement of the Generally Accepted Performance Principles (GAPP) framework which was unanimously approved by the Second Biennial Pan-Commonwealth Heads of Public Service Meeting in 2022.

The GAPP framework provides a global standard for measuring the performance of governments across Commonwealth member states. By implementing these 16 principles, Commonwealth governments can provide a clear criterion for evaluation and assessment.

Additionally, the GAPP framework will enable member states to identify areas for improvement and encourage more efficient and effective allocation of resources within public services.

Four of the Guyanese doctors flanked by members of the 19th China Medical Team who recently bid farewell to their colleagues and supporters at the CJIA

CRICKET QUIZ

CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD -83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) Jasprith Bumrah (MI) (2) Andre Russell (KKR)

Today’s Quiz:

(1) Who struck the most runs in IPL 2019? (2) Who claimed the most wickets?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Big names miss out as Australia reveal squad for T20 World ...

tack options.

From page 24

“The batting options available allow a tailored approach to each venue and opponent.”

Bailey noted that the squad size of 15 left many in-form players unlucky to miss selection.

“Steve Smith, Matt Short, Jason Behrendorff, Aaron Hardie, Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett were all part of long conversations, along with several others, including Jake Fraser-McGurk who is yet to play T20 International cricket, but continues to impress and is developing rapidly," Bailey said.

“Being constrained to a squad of 15 for World Cups is always a challenge, given the different scenarios and options we’d like to cover.

“We will continue monitoring several players who have missed out on this preliminary squad and note that if we need to change this squad, we have the option to do so over the coming month

in accordance with ICC regulations.

“Ultimately the balance of the final 15 needs to provide the best chance of being successful in this campaign.”

While Marsh has been performing the role as interim captain of Australia's T20I side for much of the last 12 months, the T20 World Cup will be his first major tournament as skipper.

"It's been an immense privilege to play for my country and now an even greater honour to lead the squad to a World Cup," Marsh said,

"We have had some strong success in recent times and I am hopeful that will continue in what looks like a wide-open tournament."

Australia open their T20 World Cup campaign against Oman in Barbados on June 5, before Group B fixtures against England, Namibia and Scotland.

Australia squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa. (ICC Media)

Sixers stun Knicks to keep play-off hopes alive

TYRESE Maxey scored 46 points as the Philadelphia 76ers stunned the New York Knicks 112-106 in overtime to keep their Eastern Conference play-off first round hopes alive.

The Knicks, leading by six points with 29 seconds remaining, looked poised to clinch the series before Maxey's late burst, including a remarkable 34-footer from the logo which sent the game

into overtime.

The Sixers then triumphed in a back-and-forth tussle in New York to peg the Knicks back to 3-2 in game five of the best-of-seven series.

`"Even when we were down late, guys still went out there and made plays - that was big time."

Maxey's heroics were accompanied by a triple-double from Joel Embiid, who

scored 19 points while recording 16 rebounds and 10 assists.

A pumped-up Maxey could be seen roaring with delight during the electric encounter.

"I was saying some things that my grandma probably wouldn't like," he said.

"I'm a happy guy but I absolutely hate losing."

Jalen Brunson top-scored for the Knicks with 40 points.

Game six takes place in Philadelphia today.

Elsewhere, the injury-hit Milwaukee Bucks triumphed in their must-win tie with the Indiana Pacers, winning 115-92.

The Bucks, trailing 3-1 in the series and missing injured stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, looked to be heading for defeat after the Pacers raced into a 31-23

lead in the first quarter.

But the Bucks, led by Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis' 29 points apiece, took control in the second and third quarters before seeing out victory.

Game six takes place in Indiana today. In the other Eastern Conference game, Donovan Mitchell sunk 28 points, including 14 in the fourth quar-

ter, as the Cleveland Cavaliers edged Orlando Magic 104-103 to take a 3-2 lead.

The Magic had fought back from 2-0 down to level the series after recording emphatic wins in games three and four in Florida, but the Cavaliers' win ensures they will have the chance to clinch the series in Orlando in game six on Friday.(BBC Sport)

Maxey's 46 points inspire Sixers to overtime win over Knicks

Pitch installation starts at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium

NEW YORK CITY, (CMC)

– Organisers of the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup in the United States said they have crossed an important hurdle in preparation for the hosting of matches in the global showpiece this June.

The sport’s world organising body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), announced on Wednesday that the installation of four drop-in pitches at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium (NCICS) had started and described the development as a “crucial phase of construction” of the modular facility.

According to an ICC news release, 10 drop-in pitches – the type used around the world including at Adelaide Oval in Australia and Eden Park in New Zealand – were curated since late December in the American state of Florida.

They were transported by road to the venue via a convoy of more than 20 semi-trailer trucks, and they were now being laid after the work on the outfield was completed last week.

“The installation of these pitches is one of the final pieces in a project that is unprecedented in international cricket,” ICC head of events,

Chris Tetley said.

“We have taken a considered and well-planned approach to this project, using the very best in the business in Damian Hough to ensure we have the best possible playing surface for eight World Cup matches in New York.”

He added: “T20 as a format was an innovation in

its time to bring the sport of cricket to a new and expanded audience.

“This innovative strategy, to bring the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 to the United States, with a temporary venue and a pitch that has its founding on the other side of the globe, is truly ground-breaking, and I can’t wait to see the world’s best compete this June in Nassau County.”

The drop-in pitches were prepared employing proprietary techniques honed over a decade at the iconic Adelaide Oval, led by Hough, its head curator.

The pitches, cultivated with native Tahoma 31 Bermuda grass, were meticulously nurtured by Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions and the United States-based sports turf experts, LandTek Group, undergoing continuous care and maintenance over the past three months.

“We are excited to see the arrival of the pitches in New York,” Hough said. “Florida proved to be the ideal nursery for the pitches with good weather, and working alongside great partners like LandTek has been fantastic and everything is coming together as it should.

“We’re now focused on bedding in the pitches in New York to ensure we’re delivering an end-product of the highest quality.

“The games in New York are a great platform for us to showcase our abilities to a global audience. It’s certainly a massive thrill for everyone at Adelaide Oval to be involved in such a huge event.”

The other six drop-in pitches have been designated for neighbouring practice facilities, and the Adelaide Oval Turf Solutions team will remain in New York to assist local grounds crews in

pitch maintenance throughout the World Cup to ensure the consistency of the pitches for the matches.

The matches at NCICS will take place at a 34 000seat modular stadium located at Eisenhower Park in Nassau County, east of Manhattan. It is one of three venues being used in the country with the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida, and the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas in the state of Texas also scheduled to stage matches.

Nine teams will feature in the matches at the NCICS, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Canada, Ireland, Bangladesh, South Africa, The Netherlands, and hosts United States.

The first tournament match at the NCICS takes place between 2014 champions Sri Lanka and South Africa on June 3.

Perez unbeaten 66 spurs Anacondas to victory over Jaguars Hawks upset Pit Bulls despite blazing 74 from Akshaya Persaud

By Sean Devers

In scorching heat at Malteenoes, Essequibo Anacondas beat Essequibo Jaguars by eight wickets while Hacks defeated Demerara Pit Bulls by four runs in the second match off the last ball as action continued in Guyana T10 Blast on a national holiday yesterday.

In match one, which was played on a flat track and fast outfield, Jaguars won the toss and were limited to 122-5 in 10 overs. Anacondas responded with 123-2 in eight overs in a battle of the Essequibians.

The Jaguars started badly when Leon Andrews (1) fell to Andy Ramsammy at 2-1.

Chanderpaul Hemraj who top scored with 34 from 16 balls decorated with three fours and three sixes and Shemroy Barrington with 28 from 19 balls with four boundaries, carried the score to 58.

National left-arm spinner Anthony Adams removed

Hemraj, Guyana wicket-Keeper Kemol Savory (6) fell to Ramsammy while Adams removed Barrington as Jaguars slipped 77-4 Adams then got rid of West Indies U-19 batter Mavindra Dindyal (7) at 95-5 to finish with 3-23.

Dwanye Dick who clouted 23 from eight balls with three fours and a six and Carlos LaRose who blasted 19 from seven balls with two fours and a six, put together 31 runs in the two overs to see their team past 120. Ramsammy (2-15) supported Adams for Anacondas

who galloped to 123-2 with two overs to spare as Ushardeze Balgobin smashed a four and two sixes in cameo 18 from five balls before he was caught and bowled by LaRose at 34-1 in the second over.

Demitri Cameron struck at 117-5 in 7.5 overs when he removed Kevin Boodie.

But DCC and Guyana’s Raymond Perez played an array of delightful shots in his unbeaten 66 from 23 with three fours and seven was there at the end when Guyana U-19 pacer Thaddeus Lovell put an exclamation mark on

the contest with a six off his first ball.

In the second game, bottom placed Demerara Hawks won off the last ball. With five needed, Chris Barnwell, who made 37 from 23 balls, with two fours and three sixes, was taken at long-off looking to finish the contest

with a six off Richi Looknauth. Hawks elected to bat and made 112-7 with left hander Aksaya Persaud hitting six fours and seven sixes from just 30 balls.

However, only Neiland Cadogan (15) and Shaquille Williams (10) reached double figures.

Persaud, who was removed by Keon Sinclair at 5-107, added 58 with Williams after the Hawks had slipped to 10-3.

Looknauth (2), Joshua Persaud (6), and Renaldo Ali-Mohamed (0) all departed in quick succession. Keon Sinclair had 3-31 while Leon Swamy supported with 2-18 for the Pit Bulls who reached 108-3.

When Pit Bulls began their chase, Junior Sinclair (2) was bowled by Looknauth at 5-1 while Sachin Singh (12) fell to Isai Thorne at 18-2.

Barnwell and Damion Vantull who was unbeaten on 50 from 23 balls with three fours and two sixes joined forces to stage a grand recovery before Looknauth, who bowled a wide of the penultimate delivery with six to win, kept his cool and dismissed the big-hitting Barnwell off the last ball to give his team their first win.

Action continues today with two more games at Malteenoes.

Pitch installation at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium has started (ICC Media photo)

Akshaya Persaud collects his MOM award from Umpire Moses Ramnarine yesterday at MSC

Raymond Perez blasted 7 sixes and 3 fours in an unbeaten 66 at MSC yesterday

CONCACAF hands over Caribbean Club Shield tournament to CFU

MIAMI, Florida, (CMC

)– From this year, the Caribbean Club Shield will be fully organised and managed by the Caribbean Football Union (CFU).

According to a news release from Concacaf, the Confederation shifted responsibility for the tournament and will provide support for its delivery, with the CFU taking full control for the organisation and management from this year onwards.

“The development of regional club football is a major

priority for Concacaf and, alongside our Caribbean member associations, we are dedicated to fully supporting the growth of clubs and leagues across a region known for its passion for the sport,” Concacaf president, Victor Montagliani, said.

“This collaboration with the CFU is a testament to the leadership of the CFU president and highlights the ambition we share to deliver opportunities that will take the game in the Caribbean to the next level. We look for-

ward with great anticipation to supporting the delivery of the inaugural CFU Club Shield later this year.”

Under the terms of the agreement between the two football bodies, the tournament will be rebranded as the CFU Club Shield and will qualify two clubs into the Concacaf Caribbean Cup.

“The CFU is extremely pleased to be taking over the management and organisation of the Club Shield, and to rebrand it as an official CFU competition,” CFU president,

“We welcome the cooperation from Concacaf in ushering in this new era of the CFU delivering an important club competition, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the Confederation to grow club and league football in the region.

“We are excited to deliver a competition that is as robust as any on the field of play and to delivering administration that meets and exceeds the mark.”

The Caribbean Club Shield was established six years ago, and it has a primary objective of advancing professional football throughout the Caribbean.

Participation is open to semi-professional and amateur teams holding current championship titles in their respective domestic leagues.

The tournament format involves up to 16 clubs, grouped into four sets of four, with the winners of each group progressing to the semifinals, with the ultimate finalists earning

SV Robinhood of Suriname won both the Caribbean Club Shield and the Caribbean Cup last year, and the team has solidified its position as the most successful team in the history of the Shield, boasting two titles.

This year’s Shield tournament will be staged between July 25 and August 4, with the venue to be announced later.

Dominant Windies ‘A’ win after undefeated hundred from Charles

KIRTIPUR, Nepal, (CMC)

– West Indies “A” grabbed a 2-1 lead in their Twenty20 series against hosts Nepal after opener Johnson Charles carried his bat for a dynamic, Player-of-theMatch hundred to set the foundation for a 76-run win on Wednesday.

The 35-year-old St Lucian cracked 13 fours and seven sixes in an undefeated 119 off 61 balls and was the cornerstone of the Caribbean side’s total of 227 for three after they decided to bat in the third T20 of the five-match series at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground.

Leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr then followed up with a spell of three for 28 from four overs and leftarm spinner Gudakesh Motie ended with two for 28 from four overs, and the Nepalese were bowled out for 151 in 19.2 overs.

Nepal made four changes to their playing 11, including resting Rohit Paudel, their captain and most prolific batsman in the first two matches, and their batting struggled to come to terms with the attack of the visitors.

Opener Lokesh Bam and Karan Khatri Chhetri, batting at nine, made 28, and Kushal Malla got 20, but no other batsman reached 20, and there were no significant partnerships to bring any level of stability to the Nepalese batting.

Left-arm spinner Fabian Allen, playing his first match in the series, grabbed the breakthrough for West Indies “A” in the fourth over. He got opener Binod Bhandari caught at backward square leg for 19 and that was the only success the Caribbean side had in the Power Play, which ended with the hosts

45 for one.

Motie struck in the seventh over when he got Anil Sah caught at short third man for 14, and Nepal stumbled to 77 for three at the halfway stage after Walsh got Aarif Sheikh caught in “cow corner” for three in the 10th over.

The visitors poached four wickets – two to Walsh and

a run out – in the next five overs to leave the chase of the Nepalese in ruins, and the new-ball pair of left-arm pacer Obed McCoy and Matthew Forde returned to close out the match.

The remaining two matches will be today and Saturday at the same venue. Earlier, West Indies “A”

were set back when Alick Athanaze was run out for 17 in the fourth over, but Charles and Andre Fletcher, the self-proclaimed “Spice Man”, eased the discomfort with a stand of 145 for the second wicket.

They carried the Caribbean side to 71 for one at the close of the Power Play, 109

for one at the halfway stage, and 162 for one entering the final five overs.

Charles was 98 when Fletcher was caught at longon off left-arm spinner Sagar Dhakal in the 16th over for 53 off 33 balls that included four fours and three sixes.

But Charles batted through until the end, reaching his hundred from 55 balls in the next over when he slapped a widish delivery from pacer Gulshan Jha into extra cover, Dipendra Singh Airee mis-fielded and enabled him to run a deuce.

Nepal used six bowlers, but only two got a wicket, Gulshan conceded only 24 from his allotted four overs, and Kamal Airee was the most expensive coughing up 53.

The tour to Nepal is a first for any West Indies side, and according to lead selector Desmond Haynes serves as another phase in preparation for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to be staged in June in the Caribbean and the United States.

He added it is an invaluable opportunity before the World Cup to get hopefuls not involved in the Indian Premier League and emerging prospects playing competitive T20 matches against the Nepalese, one of the ICC Associate teams that qualified as one of the 20 teams that will feature in the biggest T20I World Cup to be staged.

Randy Harris, the president of the Barbados Football Association, added.

coveted berths in the Concacaf Caribbean Cup, subsequently qualifying for the Concacaf Champions Cup.

West Indies “A” opener Johnson Charles acknowledges applause after reaching his hundred against hosts Nepal in the third Twenty20. (NCB photo)

Big names miss out as Australia reveal squad for T20 World Cup

A HOST of big names have missed selection as Australia announced their 15-player group for next month's ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

Veteran batter Steve Smith, young gun Jake Fraser-McGurk, experienced seamer Jason Behrendorff and all-rounder Matt Short all miss the cut as the 2021 T20 World Cup champions sprung some surprises when revealing their squad for the four-week tournament in the West Indies and the USA.

Left-arm spinner Ashton Agar wins a recall despite not having played a T20I since the last T20 World Cup on Australian soil in 2022, while Marcus Stoinis, Tim David and Cameron Green join Glenn

in the final squad as all-rounder options.

captain the side, with his promotion to full-time T20I confirmed by Aus -

alongside the squad’s announcement. Selection chair George

Bailey believes Australia have a well-balanced squad and is confident of

a strong showing in the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup.

“This is an experienced squad with extensive World Cup experience that offers a variety of structures and covers the scenarios the panel believes will factor in the West Indies with the unique nature of the venues and our opponents," Bailey said.

“It’s great to have Ashton Agar back into the squad following a spate of unfortunate and untimely injuries.

“We believe Ashton can play a critical role in this tournament along with Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Cam Green and Mitch Marsh in complementing our front-line at-

Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Brar choke CSK into submission

RAHUL Chahar and Harpreet Brar claimed four wickets between them without conceding a single boundary as Punjab Kings won a fifth straight game against the Chennai Super Kings. The victory was orchestrated by the two spinners, who helped keep the hosts down to 162/7 - a total that proved easy to chase under extremely dewy conditions. The win ensured that PBKS, despite a slow start to the season, stayed within touching distance of playoffs position. CSK's second home loss meant they haven't been able to fortify their own position in the top-four.

Having lost the toss for a ninth time in 10 games, CSK went through a PowerPlay with two distinct phases to it. The first four overs brought

just 23 runs as Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ajinkya Rahane tried to come to terms with the red-soil wicket that offered substantial bounce as

well as some seam movement, especially for Kagiso Rabada.

Harpreet Brar [2-17] and Rahul Chahar [2-16] led a sensational choke in the middle overs as CSK found no boundaries off the bat in the nine overs of this phase.

The hosts did break the rut after 55 balls without a boundary off the bat. After Rabada ended Rizvi's struggle, Gaikwad carved a waisthigh full toss from Curran for a four and sent the ensuing free-hit for the first six off the innings. Even so, CSK ended with a substantially under-powered total.

While Rahul had a great day on the field, his cousin

Deepak had one to forget. CSK, who were already up against it defending a small score in dewy conditions, were dealt a big blow early in the target defence as Deepak hobbled off the field after bowling just two balls with an apparent hamstring injury. That injury exacerbated CSK's predicament, who were already missing Matheesha Pathirana and Tushar Deshpande with niggles.

The first two post-PowerPlay overs effectively sealed which way this game was headed. Gaikwad brought his spinners on but Jadeja and Moeen went for 10 and 11 in their first overs respectively with Bairstow hitting

three fours and a six in the eight balls he faced there. Gaikwad, who was down a frontline bowler and having already used up the Impact Substitute in the first innings, turned to Dube.

The all-rounder had Bairstow dabbing a catch to Dhoni to fall for 46 off 30. Rossouw too fell in the forties, for a 23-ball 43 to Shardul, but at 113/3 after 12 overs which became 135/3 after 15, the chase was all but done.

The final phase of the game was but a formality as Sam Curran and Shashank Singh sauntered across the finish line, completing the chase with 13 balls to spare.

(Cricbuzz)

Maxwell

Mitchell Marsh will

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Brar and Chahar shared four wickets between them

Glenn Maxwell