Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 02-10-2023

President reiterates Guyana’s commitment to food security

WITH Guyana and other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) states looking to enhance food security , President , Dr . Irfaan Ali has once again reiterated calls for a united approach in building a sustainable agricultural sector

The Guyanese Head of State in a message on the occasion of the country ’ s Agriculture Month, said that the agricultural sector is the foundation of food security and in Guyana specifically, it connects cultural heritage, preserving the traditions that would have sustained generations.

Both Guyana’s President and Agriculture Minister , Zulfikar Mustapha hold leadership roles for food security

in CARICOM

The duo has been championing efforts to reduce the Region’s high food-import bill and will be hosting another Agri - Investment Forum and Expo later this month

“

This expo is poised to transform the landscape of the agricultural industry within our Region It will serve as a collaborative platform for investors , visionaries and stakeholders to converge , establishing alliances that will unleash the untapped potential of the Caribbean Community’s agriculture sectors,” the President said

He further noted that while global challenges continue to affect the Region,

Guyana remains committed to implementing climate-adaptation strategies and mitigating global pressures by boosting agricultural productivity through modernisation and improved crop and livestock-management practices

“Let us unite in our commitment to the growth and prosperity of the agriculture sector Together we will overcome challenges , embrace opportunities and ensure that agriculture continues to flourish as bastion of our nation’s development,” President Ali said

He reiterated Guyana ’ s commitment to achieving regional targets

“Our efforts to achieve Vision 25 by 25 represents our unwavering commitment

to reducing the Caribbean’s high dependence on extra-regional food imports.”

This year ’ s expo will be held under the theme : “Accelerating Investment in Vision 25 by 2025.”

At the launch of the forum held recently, Minister Mustapha said that this year ’ s agenda will see officials from both the government and private technologies intensifying the Region’s efforts to reduce its food -import bill by 25 per cent in the next two years

At the 33rd Inter - Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM held in Belize back in 2022 , it was announced that Guyana would host the Region ’ s

first agriculture Regional Agri-Investment Forum and Expo. The second was held in Trinidad & Tobago later that same year

This year, in Guyana, the conference will be held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre from October 20-22

IMF provided balanced, objective assessment of state of Guyana’s economy

– Finance Minister

THE International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) has provided an independent, balanced and objective assessment of the state of Guyana’s economy, Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh has said.

While making remarks during an episode of the Dr Randy Persaud Show which was aired on Sunday on the National Communications Network (NCN), he said that the IMF report reflects positively, the developments and management of the country’s economy

According to Dr Singh, the report from the IMF appropriately identified some of the risks that exist as well as those that the government has identified

“I would say that we consider it to be a good, solid, balanced and objective assessment of the state of the economy right now and we’re happy to get that balanced and objective [assessment] coming from an independent source and we’re happy to get that balanced and independent assessment,” he said

Against this backdrop, Dr Singh noted that the concluding statement of this IMF mission drew attention to the appropriateness of the government’s fiscal and monetary policy stance

To this end, he emphasised that on the surface it may just look like a casual statement being made, however, he noted that it is not

With that, he highlighted that Guyana is operating in a particular global context and as such is affected by what happens around the world and is not immune to the global economic realities being faced

So, for the policy stance to be recognised shows that Guyana is on the right track, despite the global circumstances being faced

The IMF in the conclusion of its Article IV consultation with local authorities said that Guyana has experienced record real Gross Domestic Product growth with some 62.3 per cent increase in 2022

The growth is expected to continue in 2023 with a projected 38 per cent increase in real GDP, as Guyana continues to build its image as a top destination for investment

The report further noted that the country’s current expansionary fiscal policy stance is an appropriate one and further projected real GDP growth on an average of 20 per cent per year during the 2024 to 2028 period

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali

‘We are going to fix it’

–– President Ali outlines several measures to address ‘frustrating’ power outages

–– says APNU+AFC’s negligence has GPL in crisis

By Clestine Juan

IN a recent live address to the nation, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali acknowledged the prolonged power outages affecting Guyana and pledged his government ’ s unwavering commitment to resolve the issue

The Head of State candidly discussed the challenges inherited by his administration , detailed current actions being taken, and underscored the significance of addressing the problem across short-term, medium-term, and long-term horizons

“ As you know , we [Guyana] have been experiencing power outages , prolonged power outages that we are totally dissatisfied with ,” President Ali stated in his address

These power outages from the Guyana Power & Light (GPL) have left many Guyanese frustrated and inconvenienced as the situation has impacted daily life, businesses, and overall development in the country

The situation has prompted the government to take decisive action to address the power crisis

“ The truth be told , the pace at which we are growing would require us to double our capacity as quickly as possible Our generating capacity is more than doubled

“If we are to keep pace with the type of development and projections that you ’ re seeing that is why the gas-to-energy project and the hydroelectric project are so important for us in the national scheme of things,” President Ali said

The President highlighted two significant projects that are central to the government’s strategy to tackle the power challenges : the

gas-to-energy project and the Amaila Falls hydroelectric project

President Ali underscored the importance of these projects, stating that they are vital components of Guyana’s national development scheme. The gas - to - energy project , which aims to provide 300 megawatts of power, is expected to significantly boost the country ’ s energy capacity

A 12 - inch pipeline , which will stretch some 200km offshore, will be used to transport natural gas from the Liza Phase One and Liza Phase Two Floating , Production , Storage , and Offloading (FPSO) vessels offshore, to the power plant and Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility

Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited ( EEPGL ), which is owned by ExxonMobil Guyana and partners Hess and CNOOC, have guaranteed the government that a minimum of 50 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (mmscfd) will be transported through the pipeline by 2024

The pipeline , which is expected to cost US$1 billion, will have a maximum capacity of 130 mmscfd

The conversion of natural gas from ExxonMobil ’ s offshore operations to electricity is a key component of the People’s Progressive Party / Civic ( PPP / C ) government’s aim to lower energy costs by at least 50 per cent through an energy mix which incorporates gas, solar, wind, and hydropower

Furthermore , the Amaila Falls hydroelectric project, with its potential 165 megawatts of power generation, could have been a game-changer for Guyana

President Ali lamented the missed opportuni-

ty, as the project should have been completed in 2013 Had it been operational, he said it would have supplied power at a lower cost compared to the current rates

President Ali acknowledged that immediate action was required to address the ongoing power outages

He urged high - volume consumers to consider self-generation during peak demand hours, particularly from 13:00hrs to 15:00hrs and 18:00hrs to 22:00hrs

“As a temporary measure , large consumers may face an additional cost of 10 cents per kilowatt during these hours if they choose to remain on the grid,” President Ali clarified , before underscoring his government’s commitment to finding practical solutions

President Ali assured the public that the situation will improve soon

It was explained that the government is investing in additional power generation , and by mid - December , in time for the Christmas season,

issue because we’re not going to hide from any history This is a challenge and as a government, we are confronting this challenge But the people of my dear Guyana must understand what we inherited

Describing the situation as akin to “swimming against the tide and with the tide at the same time ,” President Ali highlighted the need to make up for lost time while building for the future , especially as it relates to the five years that the A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) party was in government

government’s rule

This period of neglect , he said , had dire consequences, including a severe lack of infrastructural maintenance , frequent system failures, and, ultimately, the prolonged power outages that plagues the nation

He pointed out that the government is actively addressing the country ’ s power challenges and in acknowledging past neglect, is pursuing significant energy projects

nearly 30 megawatts of new power should be available

“ The circumstances and the measures we are taking This is a temporary measure and how we ’ re dealing with this problem to ensure that it ’ s fixed in the immediate, medium and long term,” the President said He continued: “I just wanted to update , first take ownership of the

The PPP government, upon its election to office in August 2020 , found that GPL had outstanding receivables of $ 13 billion, which was owed by government ministries and agencies — this had a crippling effect on the company

President Ali did not mince words as he explained that GPL’s capital programme, maintenance programme and investment initiatives were virtually non - existent during the APNU+AFC

The President added that implementing shortterm measures to mitigate power outages reflects the administration’s dedication to providing a brighter and more energy-efficient future for all Guyanese citizens

“We are going to fix it ,” President Ali declared as he emphasised his government’s determination to overcome the power crisis and ensure a reliable and affordable energy supply for all Guyanese

President, Dr Irfaan Ali

PM Gonsalves urges CARICOM caution on Haiti, as UN Security Council votes today

THE United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meets today to consider a US proposal for a multinational force to be sent to Haiti to fight gangs and protect democracy.

But the Council’s smallest member-state is likely to voice loud and stiff opposition to deployment of any such force, with or without UN or Caribbean Community (CARICOM) backing.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has always opposed any external military intervention in Haiti, instead advocating that Haiti had to be seen and treated as crucial to the search for solutions for the troubled Caribbean-island nation

PM Gonsalves has always maintained that CARICOM’s engagements with Haiti should be carefully crafted, lest they end-up legitimising an illegitimate government

He made this position absolutely clear at least ten months ago in a letter to his colleagues through the head of the CARICOM Secretariat here in Georgetown

In a letter dated November 28, 2022 to Secretary General, Dr Carla N Barnett, ‘CARICOM Mission to Haiti to Initiate a Good Offices Role’, Prime Minister Gonsalves took issue with the description of the proposed “CARICOM Mission to Haiti”, saying he preferred to frame it as “CARICOM’s Engagement on Haiti”.

STRATEGIC CLARITY

CARICOM’s longest-serving Government Leader told the Secretary General his and the Government of Saint Vincent & The Grenadines (GOVSVG) position on the way forward for Haiti “are wellknown to CARICOM Heads of State and Governments, the United Nations and the Governments of Canada and the United States of America.”

But he still undertook to repeat, for his regional colleagues, indicating that ‘Strategic Clarity’ was very-much ‘required’.

In that respect, Prime Minister Gonsalves raised the issue of “assessing the boundaries or limitations and the possibilities of CARICOM’s Engagement on Haiti, inclusive of the content of that engagement in real time,” for which, he also said, “strategic clarity” was required, failing which, “tactical inchoateness or confusion is the likely result.”

FUNDAMENTALS

Outlining what he considered “the fundamentals” required “to guide the formulation of the necessary strategic clarity”, PM Gonsalves outlined as “central”, the following eight:

1 The Haitian state does not satisfy the critical feature of a state: It does not possess the legitimate monopoly on physical coercion. The multiple gangs in Haiti have successfully challenged, and displaced, the State’s power in this regard; indeed, the State’s authority is threadbare, at best

2 The government in Haiti lacks legitimacy and effectiveness The Prime Minister was appointed on the basis of the “word-ofmouth” intention of President Moise to do so two days before his assassination The Prime Minister who was acting in that office at the time demitted his office, voluntarily or otherwise His successor, current Prime Minister

Henry, was recognised by the CORE group of countries as an act of necessity, if not choice Prime Minister Henry’s ascent to his high office, and his tenure since then, undoubtedly expired in February 2022 when President Moise’s presidential term ended Surely, the “word-of-mouth” assertion of an intention by President Moise to appoint Mr Henry cannot extend beyond the very limit of President Moise’s term No political fiction can justify such an extension particularly in a context of the government’s ineffectiveness, overwhelming unpopularity, and absence of a legitimate mandate One simply cannot squat in perpetuity in the Prime Minister’s Office on the basis of a distorted doctrine of state necessity The people of Haiti do not accept the rule of the current government. This comment involves no subjective assessment of Mr Henry I am being a political realist

3 CARICOM has an obligation, legal (on the basis of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas) and moral/ historical, to be fully engaged with, and on, Haiti That engagement is bounded by CARICOM’s capacity, inclusive of a limitation of financial and security resources CARICOM ’ s aspiration ought never to run ahead of its capacity, realistically assessed

4 CARICOM’s obligation, and capacity, have constrained it to focus on a “good offices” role of facilitating an inclusive political dialogue solution on governance and on assisting the Haitians in preparation for elections in due course.

5 The United Nations’ Security Council (UNSC) and countries with a hemispheric interest in Haiti such as Canada and the United States of America have recognised the importance of a CARICOM role in any meaningful engagement on Haiti

6 There is, immediately, a huge, and expanding, humanitarian and social crisis in Haiti which cannot be satisfactorily addressed without security supports and a political resolution of the crisis of governance arising from governmental ineffectiveness and illegitimacy (legal and political). The political issue is urgent and immediate; its resolution is a precursor to the security support

7 Prime Minister Henry’s government has requested security intervention from the United Nations, Canada and the United States of America It has appealed, too, for CARICOM’s support about which it had hitherto been ambivalent, at best Canada has made it plain that CARICOM’s support is essential for it to proceed with any initiative on Haiti The United States of America is reluctant to lead any security intervention, but will support Canada and CARICOM in any properly-scoped engagement on Haiti

8 The international community, including CARICOM, has proclaimed, quite correctly , that any solution in Haiti must be Haitian-led and Haitian devised Other nations may assist the Haitians in arriving at a solution, but the solution rests upon the Haitian people, the state authorities, civil society, political parties, and the churches

TACTICAL OPTIONS

PM Gonsalves did, however, offer what he termed some ‘Tactical Options for CARICOM’ to consider These included ‘Security Intervention’,

in which he offered that “CARICOM member-states, singly or jointly, do not possess the capacity to be a significant intervenor on security

“CARICOM as a whole may, if the political/ governance circumstances are propitious, play a minor supportive security role.”

Dr Gonsalves promised, way back then, that “The GOSVG will not participate in, or provide support in the councils of CARICOM for any security venture in Haiti under the current circumstances.”

He explained to his colleagues that “The Haitian National Police (HNP) are grossly undermanned, poorly trained, inadequately equipped, and riddled with gang supporters

“ Further , non - Haitian creole military / police personnel from outside Haiti will not be able to function effectively alongside the HNP who speak a different language.”

In addition , he said , “ Addressing the weaknesses and limitations of the HNP will take a long time, but one can only begin to do so seriously and effectively within the context of more consensual political/ governance apparatuses than what currently exists.”

“In any event,” he pointed out, “there are no legal immunities available for any intervening security force from outside.”

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENTS

On the issue of the proposed ‘CARICOM Engagement with Stakeholders in Haiti ’, Prime Minister Gonsalves advised the Secretary General that the GOSVG “does not support this” for the following reasons:

Firstly, he indicated, “The objectives of this scoping mission to Haiti are either already satisfied or can be satisfied by an inclusive engagement of Haitian stakeholders taking place outside of Haiti in another CARICOM country (perhaps Bahamas, Jamaica, or Barbados).

Secondly, he said, “This Option will be tainted from the beginning because it will require military support from the United States of America and/or Canada.”

COCOONING CARICOM

The veteran CARICOM leader advised: “Let us not fool ourselves: A CARICOM scoping mission to Haiti under American or Canadian military protection (armoured cars, travel only at day-time, American/ Canadian police/ military personnel in distinctive garb and with deterring weaponry, etc.) with or without the support of the Haitian National Police, will be seen by Haitians as an American/Canadian military operation cocooning CARICOM ‘puppets

He warned “ CARICOM will , at one stroke, undermine its ‘good offices’ role

“Further,” he added, “with or without the support of the HNP, this CARICOM scoping mission, however well-intentioned, is likely to be viewed by the Haitian people or significant sections thereof, as an attempt to prop up the Henry government

Thirdly, said the SVG PM, “There is a grave risk that either elements in the HNP or the gangs themselves, with or without the active encouragement of the ‘Oligarchs’, may create a security incident of immediate danger to the members of the CARICOM Mission.”

“Such security incident,” he also warned, “may even be manufactured by those in Haiti who have at the top of their agenda the se-

curing of a large-scale American/ Canadian military intervention, so as to ensure their perpetuation in, or acquisition of, political power.”

Fourthly , the Vincentian PM advised : “Fundamentally, any CARICOM Mission in Haiti must first be predicated upon a political/ governance solution crafted by the Haitians stakeholders, consequent upon an inclusive dialogue between them

“ This dialogue ought to be conducted outside Haiti under CARICOM’s facilitation, providing of course that the Haitian stakeholders so agree.”

PM Gonsalves also “asked myself” several questions, including:

“Why this insistence by some on a scoping mission by CARICOM to Haiti in the circumstances? Has anyone in CARICOM given assurances to the Americans and/or Canadians that this will happen? Is there some hidden agenda in this insistence?”

The Prime Minister advised his colleagues, through the Secretary General, that: “It is so much easier, less risky, and politically sensible/ viable to have the engagement with the Haitian stakeholders in a CARICOM country outside of Haiti ” as envisaged in Option 2 of the Secretary General’s ‘Proposal for Consideration’.

He offered the following reason why he actually recommended it:

“

To be sure , as with any option , the ‘buy-in’ of the Haitian stakeholders is vital Moreover, the detailed logistics are required to be organised

“I suggest, too, that the Americans and the Canadians ought to be present at the venue of the consultations/ dialogue in an advisory capacity and a request can be made to the Americans and Canadians for air transportation and associated logistics.”

The Vincentian Prime Minister also explained why he did not recommend ‘Option 3’ as proposed

He said, “This option -- a stakeholder consultation virtually -- is not recommended for the very practical reasons advanced by the Secretary General.”

SUMMATION

In his ‘Summation’, PM Gonsalves posited that:

“In our tactical approaches, within the overall strategic frame, we ought to be reminded that men and women make history, but only to the extent that the circumstances permit them so to make

Part of those ‘circumstances’ is what resides in the heads of living men and women, inclusive of the past, which ofttimes weighs like a nightmare on the brains of the living “As facilitators, we in CARICOM need to be patient and calm, yet acting with all practical urgency

“As bad as things are in Haiti, they are likely to get much worse if we do not act prudently.

“ Above all, we must remember that CARICOM is a facilitator; the Haitians must devise their solutions and lead the process themselves -- representatives of all the Haitian people , not merely a government which lacks legitimacy and effectiveness.”

CARICOM can’t afford to mis-step on Haiti

GUYANA is as concerned about the present and future of Haiti as are all its CARICOM partners and as concerned too that its neighbours do the right thing in these crucial times, to ensure no repetition of past failures and no continuation of the status quo, where the country has not advanced on the democratic path despite several elections and external interventions of political, social, economic and military natures in the past several decades since the military overthrow of President Jean Bertrand Aristide

Haiti has suffered coup after coup and election after election with questioned results, to this day existing under a questionable administration that has treated CARICOM from a long distance while inviting yet another external intervention

The problem is that all these external interventions and approaches by CARICOM have tended to exclude any leading role by Haitians at home, always responses to invitations by unelected or unpopular regimes that exclude civil society and the other major players in the

troubled country

The other major problem is that all previous efforts to assist Haiti have been so scarce and insincere that CARICOM leaders have had to appeal to the world not to allow ‘Haiti fatigue’ to get the better of them and wake-up to the real needs for more and better, meaningful and effective assistance to Haiti that reaches people instead of enriching corrupt politicians and influential businesses and families

As President Dr Irfaan Ali recently noted in an interview with an impetuous English television presenter, Guyana is as interested in ending Ukraine’s problems as Haiti’s, but the inequilibrium of allocated resources is more than like a proverbial mortal sin crying to the heavens for correction

There ’ s an ocean of a difference between the US $100 million allocated by the US to the proposed intervention in Haiti after more than three decades of uncertainty and disaster, with CARICOM and Kenyan assistance, vis-à-vis the over-US $100 BILLION allocated to Ukraine in the past year

But the reality is that Haiti’s problems will not be solved with money or violence, or without engagement of Haitian Civil Society at home and abroad, including political sources that don ’ t agree with the present administration

The country is in the grip of its latest crisis and, as always, it requires genuine assistance from near and far, but not of the hurried, knee-jerk kind that seems to believe that violence can only be ended with more violence

It ’ s not easy for CARICOM leaders to hammer out a genuine and workable, sustainable solution in the face of the slanted information onslaught that suggests that external intervention is always a better (or only) solution than direct engagement with the people outside of government, military and business or family minority elements, who matter most

However, instead of trying to make hay while the sun shines, it will be better for CARICOM and the international community to insist that any intervention or engagement with Haiti at this point

in the 21st century should be one that seeks sustainable solutions that will last over time and ensure a revival of the democratic and popular structures that all nations and leaders so loudly say they wish to see

Another short-cut solution will please those who only wish to see the gangs disappear or forced into retreat, but the sustainable social and economic structures that will be necessary to take Haiti and Haitians over and across the current barriers to progress

Nothing is impossible and, in that sense, the struggle for Haiti’s next liberation simply has to continue until the people are ready to make and mold that change with their own hands

In that sense, CARICOM needs to ensure that its engagements are wellplaced and not in the service of external agendas

Haiti and Haitians will understandably not forgive CARICOM for the regional community ’ s mis - steps at this crucial point, particularly since the very future of CARICOM’s oldest republic is again at stake

Bharrat Jagdeo undaunted by frivolous CGID-PNC-AFC claims

Dear Editor,

THE CGID event in Washington DC failed to achieve even its most minimal objectives.

They expected the Americans to issue a statement condemning the PPP/C administration, but none came

No one was interested What is worse, is that only days before the September 27-28 event , it was reported that the Congressional Black Caucus “ had a productive meeting [with President Ali] and discussed a range of global issues including energy and food security, enhancing regional economic prosperity, and the importance of sustainability and environmental stewardship.” The meeting included House Minority Leader, Mr Hakeem Jeffries.

The CGID event which was attended by a PNC-AFC delegation from Guyana, as well as some unknown groups in the diaspora, was not taken seriously In fact, no Caribbean delegation to the American capitol has ever been received with more dismissiveness than the motley crew led by Aubrey Norton and Amanza Walton-Desir The delegation arrived empty-handed and returned empty-handed The injuries they suffered were self-inflected by that most potent instrument called incompetence

The so - called resolution circulated by CGID’s Rickford Burke is a tragic expression of how deranged leading personalities in the opposition have become Moreover , the personal attacks against General Secretary of the PPP and Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, is

an act of vengeance because of Jagdeo’s formidable and courageous stand against aggressive bullyism by an opposition known for electoral banditry, racial strife, intimidation, and slow fiah, mo fiah

I can assure the Guyanese people that Jagdeo, who is accused of the most absurd things by Burke (who is wanted by law enforcement in Guyana), will repel even the most consorted efforts at ruining his ability to defend democracy in this country He has never been, and will not now be intimidated

Let ’ s take cognizance of the more conspicuous instances of humiliation that the CGID-PNC-AFC-WPA experienced in their Washington sojourn

First, the Americans asked the delegation for evidence of discrimination and corruption Isn’t this what they went there

to provide? To the utter dismay of the Americans, the Guyanese led by Aubrey Norton, Amanza Walton-Desir and Ganesh Mahipaul had no evidence to supply Poor Mr Roysdale Forde was given the task of explaining away the tragedy, but all he was able to muster was: “Today, we were requested again to provide data of discrimination and marginalisation by representatives.” He means members of the House of Representatives

The data humiliation was confirmed by other ‘delegates’ including, Chief Executive Officer of the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly-Guyana (IDPADA-G), Olive Sampson - Cannings and by Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs Amanza

Editor Navendra Seoraj

Dorwain Bess and APNU+AFC’s Washington visit

Dear Editor, SCRAPING the bottom of the barrel may very well be the applicable slogan here as the APNU+AFC delegation to Washington DC did exactly that in citing their example of racial discrimination by the Government of Guyana.

I am compelled to pen this letter if only to educate the public about the gross misinformation being peddled as it relates to who really is Dorwain Bess.

As I was browsing through the online news, an article on Village Voice News captioned, “Washington Conference Hears of Discrimination in Guyana, businessman Dorwain Bess story highlighted.” I paused to note that “ Dorwain Alpha Bess ” has many variations to his name, and Dorian, as spelt in the caption of the article, may be intentional

Roysdale Forde S C introduced me to Dorwain Bess in 2014 and proposed that I invest with him to import diesel fuel, as he had a licence but no money As it turned out, the licence was issued to one Linden Thomas under LYNWIL Inc by the PPP government and he sold it to Bess However, it was not paid for and the company LYNWIL at that time owed GRA and many other suppliers I bought out 45 per cent shares in the company with 45 per cent staying with Bess and 10 per cent offered to Forde and proceeded to manage the finances

I brought in investors to turn around the company over a period of two years By 2020, the company, then renamed SBF Petroleum Inc with an asset-holding company named SBF International Inc., was paying billions in duties and taxes to the GRA It was greed that resulted in the company’s demise, not anything political In my absence, and without notice, resolutions were passed to by-pass bank instructions designed to protect my investment , resulting in the accounts being frozen and cancelled Only business-minded people would understand the domino effect.

Like many other companies, SBF International Inc made financial contributions to the APNU+AFC government election campaign in 2020, obviously in exchange for favours, in SBF’s case, lease to a parcel of land to establish a fuel farm in Linden The lease was issued by NICIL but to a company established by Bess named Alpha Petroleum Inc., whose directors were Dorwain Bess and his child’s mother, who happened, at that time, to be a junior lawyer working with

Roysdale Forde

Maybe back then I should have asked the question of why the East Indian guy was discriminated against but no, I realised that staying on my side of the fence may be prudent The Christopher Martin show was paid for with SBF funds and I, an East Indian, signed the cheque I am stating this now for the benefit of those who went to

Washington

The company SBF was constantly before the authorities for some reason or the other, primarily during the period 2015 to 2021 Dorwain Bess was constantly doing illegal / questionable transactions , and at some point, in 2021, I decided to resign as a director after finding out that my signature was forged The company collapsed after I filed court actions to retrieve my investment

I received three separate court orders against SBF International Inc and SBF Petroleum Inc. However, all the assets of the companies were transferred to Bess in his personal capacity, or third parties before I could move to execution Dorwain Bess subsequently served jail time for intentionally flouting the court order See judgement at link : http :// guyanabarassociation org / decision/anand-sanasie-v-sbf-internationalinc-and-dorwain-bess/

In some cases, assets that were still in third parties’ names were transferred without their knowledge or signing of any transfer documents. Matters involving MARAD transfer of fuel tankers are still in the court system. Dorwain Bess was so blatant that he stood before a judge and stated that he was paid $600 USD in cash for one of the vessels he tried to sell. I’m still pursuing these matters.

It was during this period that I started to look into Bess’s background and past deal-

ings. I found out that Bess misappropriated funds from another business dealing prior to my involvement; that matter also ended up in the court.

Bess, apparently a US citizen, allegedly fled that jurisdiction and cannot return. It may be prudent for the APNU+AFC delegation that visited Washington DC to ask Hakeem Jeffries, whenever they get to meet him, to find out why. In such matters, warrants are issued and dispatched to all ports of entry.

It is quite apparent that the APNU+AFC delegation that went to Washington DC was ill prepared and sought to use frivolous examples of racial discrimination, as I am aware that at least one member of that delegation is very well aware of Dorwain Bess’s shenanigans, his questionable past and present court battles.

In any society, a strong opposition is required to ensure that the rule of law and accountability are achieved by providing strong and robust representation. It is my personal opinion that as a whole, the current parliamentary opposition is the weakest there has been for my lifetime, while the government is moving at a fast pace to develop this nation for the benefit of all Guyanese, regardless of race.

Respectfully, Anand Sanasie

Bharrat Jagdeo undaunted ...

Walton-Desir.

Secondly, numerous statements of falsehoods were presented One of them was levelled against the Commissioner of Information One delegate stated that the lack of data asked for by the Americans was due to the unresponsiveness of the Commissioner of Information to requests made by opposition members That office is held by the indefatigable Justice Charles R Ramson (S C.; O E). Justice Ramson gave this writer express permission to state unequivocally that all requests for information were, not only met, but met within hours Justice Ramson has specifically confirmed that requests from Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton were met without delay

Thirdly , the CGID - PNC - AFC is misrepresenting an image in which House Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, is photographed with a scattering of delegates The photo is clearly taken

by someone as a personal keepsake

Yet , CGID is representing it as an “official photo.” The truth is there is no official photo of any kind because the delegation did not have any official status In fact, Leader Hakeem Jeffries disassociated himself from the event

On September 27, a forlorn Burke had to scramble up a mea culpa to hide the ignominy of being left high and dry with the Jeffries no-show

Fourthly , there are reports ( with videos) of several embarrassing presentations One of them that went viral shows star witness Amanza Walton - Desir utterly confused with the level of funding for the Office of the Leader of the Opposition The video clip shows Ms. Walton-Desir mixing up $US 35,000 (thirty-five thousand) with $GY35,000,000 (thirty-five million).

When her arithmetic could not be sorted out, she simply caved in and provided

an arbitrary number – $50, 000,000

You got that right, 50 million

Fifth , and finally , the CGID has again claimed that 1,400 persons, mostly young Afro - Guyanese men , died via extra-judicial killing Years back the number 400 was regularly thrown around. Careful investigative journalism by Stabroek News debunked this ‘theory.’ In fact, from the photographs shown, and the causes of death provided, it can be easily ascertained that many of those killed were from criminal gangs Moreover, scores of Indians, but especially Indian businesspeople were murdered by these same criminal gangs, some of them linked to political forces in the country that wanted the PPP/C overthrown. The link below is presented for your review https://www stabroeknews com / 2019/11/18 / news / guyana / prison - break - carnage - february-2002-september-2006/

The CGID-PNC-AFC conference in Washington DC on September 27-28, 2023, will be remembered for its abject failure to convince the US Congress of any of the charges leveled against the PPPC administration. The so-called resolution that was issued after the conference will meet the same fate. It will be ignored, and swiftly consigned to the dustbin of history.

Most importantly, the opposition should know that Bharrat Jagdeo cannot be troubled by a bunch of election riggers going to Washington DC to make complaints about discrimination. He has more important things to do, such as supporting President Ali in building this country. Stop wasting their time.

Sincerely,

Dr. Randolph Persaud Professor Emeritus

Percy Hintzen's claim of violence against oil critics

THIS is the second part of my response to Dr Percy Hintzen, a sociologist of Guyanese extraction long gone from Guyana.

Dr Hintzen launched a full-scale attack on my research ability and the integrity of my political articulations . Part 1 was carried on Friday

Hintzen wrote that :

“The violence of oil colonialism is targetting people and organisations who question and oppose oil extraction.” In part one , I showed where this violence is completely absent in Guyana and that , on the contrary, the anti-oil lobby is a very much rampant, protected, privileged genre in Guyana

In part one, I stopped at the junction where I looked at the huge media

coverage the anti-oil lobby gets from two of the three privately-owned newspapers The Kaieteur News has become the strangest newspaper since newspaper printing began For the past four years, quite unbelievably, the front page of the newspaper , each day , without exception , features a criticism of the oil company.

The newspaper is a huge receptacle for the relentless attacks on the oil industry from every major oil critic in and out of Guyana As part of this platform , the newspaper has adopted a policy towards one of the finest financial experts in Guyana, a young academic named Joel Bhagwandin.

This gentleman has become the nemesis of the oil critics with piercing rebuttals to their false claims The Kaieteur News has refused to carry his analyses Where is the violence of oil colonialism against this newspaper ?

Where is the violence of oil colonialism against the major outlet for the propaganda and fallacious doctrines of the anti-oil lobby – the Stabroek News ?

Here is an amazing revelation The anti-oil lobby has extensive intimacy with the Western embassies here

What we have in Guyana is an anti - oil lobby that uses a violent vocabulary against people in this country that analyse the lies, deceit, deception, and intellectual fraud in their output Personal derogations are directed at Mr Bhagwandin and Professor Randolph Persaud and this columnist Dr Hintzen maybe , cannot see his own hypocrisy when in complaining of attacks against the anti-oil lobby , fires off his own derogatory salvos against people who criticise his political soulmates in the anti-oil lobby

He stoops lowly in describing the people who exposes the black threads in Red Thread’s motives as misogynists This is the very man who cries out that the oil critics are being scandalized and to think that he scandalizes critics of Red Thread’s racial and anti-government activism by describing them as misogynists

What Hintzen has done here is to resort to an old stratagem so overused in Guyana that it lost its cutting edge and now has become comical It goes like this If one chastises an organisation or an individual for unbecoming behaviour , the ethnicity of the person making the

criticism is invoked and he/she is called a racist Hintzen now transports that old mischief to gender

If male academics expose women groups in this country for ignoring the plight of Indian women , for supporting rigged elections or staying silent or for openly protecting men who abuse women, because those men share their political sentiments or for being middle - class snobs , then you are a misogynist.

Several women groups in this country come out like raging bulls if a male offender is Indian or connected to the state All alleged Indian offenders have been virulently denounced by these groups You don ’ t see the same when the offenders are African

Two examples are brazen TUC general - secretary , Lincoln Lewis was charged for assaulting a woman To date , there has been not one word from these women groups The other is former high-ranking, police officer, Paul Slowe who has been charged with a sexual offence As in the case of Lewis, there was no comment

The Stabroek News continues to refer to Charrandass Persaud as disgrace for scatological words directed toward a woman He assaulted no woman But the same newspaper featured an interview with Lewis that took up almost a whole page Many of the women groups in this country are suspected of being racially driven Many of them

have open anti - government agendas and no matter what positive things the Guyana Government does, these women groups will not give credit where credit is due They are too far gone to be principled activists

One of the world ’ s most respected journalists, Carl Bernstein, said that the women in the US that support Trump tend to be homophobic I agree with Bernstein Is Bernstein misogynistic for his research findings? I got news for Hintzen I will continue to criticise these women groups and gay right organizations because I believe they are irrationally anti-government and are racially driven Part 3 will follow There may be a part 4.

Over $40B less in taxes being paid

By Naomi Parris

AN investor - friendly infrastructure and economic philosophy that focuses on the provision of disposable income , has resulted in Guyanese paying $40 billion less in taxes.

This was revealed by Guyana ’ s Vice President , Dr Bharrat Jagdeo , who said the initiatives implemented by the People’s Progressive Party / Civic government to remove heavy taxes on several services , has seen more disposable income being provided to the populace

“ When annualised , all those taxes that we removed resulted in people paying over 40 billion dollars less taxes than they were paying under the Opposition now that is 40 billion dollars more in the pockets of people to spend on goods and services in this country,” he told a gathering at Friday’s opening of the $ 1 billion dollars West Central Mall at Leonora, Region three

Prior to assuming office in 2020 , Dr Jagdeo noted that several disincentives and a slew of taxes

hampered private sector investments, which contributed heavily to the stagnant growth of the country ’ s economy for several years

“ We found that there were quite a lot of disincentives to investments and we spoke about this publicly We said the economy will not expand, will not create jobs , and will not create wealth for our people,” he added

The previous government had implemented almost 200 tax increases ,

18-year-old killed, four injured in Nabaclis accident

TRAGEDY struck on Sunday at Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara, when an accident claimed the life of an 18-year-old and left three of his friends injured after the driver of the car they were travelling in lost control while negotiating a turn.

Dead is Ganesh Mahabal of Belmont , Mahaica , whilst his friends Mahendra Ramnarine, 17 , of Supply , Mahaica ; Mark Thomas , 18, also of Supply, Mahaica and Vickey Seeram, 32, of Chelsea Park, Mahaica, are currently receiving treatment The driver also had to seek medical attention for his

––– Jagdeo says; credits government’s pro-poor, pro-private sector economic philosophy

also, we lost large numbers of jobs and when you lose jobs you lose disposable income and it is disposable income that allows people to utilise services,” he explained

Since assuming office, tax reforms have formed part of the government ’ s wider agenda to improve the quality of life in Guyana and address immediate economic challenges that affect Guyanese

These include the removal of VAT from water, electricity , building and construction materials, basic food items and household necessities

“Our economic philosophy will pick up from where we started in 1992 which was to transform the country with a clear vision

First of all, to have a stable macroeconomic environment, secondly to put in an enabling infrastructure, and

thirdly to reduce the burden of taxation and also to get rid of the debt,” Dr Jagdeo said.

The government while working aggressively to tackle the rising cost of living, has been examining the best approaches The provision of cash grants to provide people with more disposable income and help stimulate the local economy was among additional measures implemented to provide some redress to people

which, according to Jagdeo, also dampened the country’s growth as the economy back then was not investor friendly

The policies that existed then were also not supportive of private-sector investment , nor provided disposable income to the economically disadvantaged

“That was a major disincentive to private investments The consequence of that was not just that the non-oil economy shrunk but

injuries

According to a police release , at 02:04hrs motor car PAC 3435 was proceeding east along the Nabaclis public road and, whilst negotiating a right turn, the driver lost control and collided with an electricity pole on the northern parapet, after which the vehicle toppled and ended up in a drain.

“As a result of the collision, the driver and the occupant in the front seat were flung out of the motor car The other three occupants in the rear of the vehicle were trapped in the car, but with the assistance of public-spirited citizens, the vehicle was

pushed over onto the northern parapet and out of the drain,” the release said

The injured persons were placed into an ambulance and conveyed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where Mahabal was pronounced dead on arrival

The driver and the remaining occupants are currently receiving medical treatment at the GPHC , the release added

Additionally , the government has facilitated pay increases for public servants and recorded a 25 per cent pay increase since assuming office

Jagdeo noted that the government ’ s economic philosophy has seen the undertaking of many major projects, such as the building of new highways, new hospitals and many private sector investments.

Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo

DEAD: Ganesh Mahabal

Gov’t on aggressive agenda to address skills mismatch in labour market

SENIOR Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance , Dr Ashni Singh, has said that the government is on an aggressive drive to address and reduce skills mismatches in Guyana’s labour market.

The minister made these remarks during a live broadcast of the Dr Randy Persaud Show which was aired on the National Communications Network (NCN) on Sunday

During the airing, he stated that while Guyana is on the path to rapid growth, it must be noted that new industries are emerging , new companies are being established along with new types of jobs and even new sec -

tors

Against this backdrop, he said that authorities have already observed that in some categories of work, there is a shortage

of suitably skilled labour

He said: “If you look at what’s happening, for example heavy equipment operators, there’s so much demand in mining

and in industry and in warehousing and in construction for heavy equipment operators There’s a vast shortage.”

This , he said is being seen in many industries including the rapidly expanding construction sector.

However , Dr Singh noted that this is the reality in which we are operating and is expected to continue for the foreseeable future given the projected continued strong growth in the economy

“And so, we as a government recognise the importance of endeavouring to have an adequate supply of suitably skilled labour to achieve a two-fold purpose; one to ensure that on the demand side, industry and

–– Finance Minister says

commerce have access to labour with suitable skills, so that they can continue their productive activity,” he said

On the other hand, Dr Singh added that as many Guyanese people as possible must be able to take up the jobs that are now becoming available

He indicated that in some sectoral areas and in some geographical areas, there is more demand for labour than there is supply

To this end, he noted that this is one of the things that the government takes seriously which is addressed, is the mismatches in the labour market

The finance minister added that when they think of these mis-

matches , they think of two things : sectoral - or skills-related mismatches because there might be demand and the growing demand for a particular set of skills

He said there might be people who are looking for work , but they do not possess the particular skills that are in demand, but there is a need for labour

“So, we have a heavy agenda , an aggressive agenda to reduce skills mismatches in the labour market by investing heavily in technical and vocational training, to train as many people as possible in the relevant areas that will be demanded today and tomorrow,” the finance minister added.

Senior Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh

Gov’t continuing work to create development opportunities for Indigenous Peoples – PM

PRIME Minister , Brigadier ( Ret ’ d ) Mark Phillips has said that the government will continue to work towards creating sustainable development opportunities for the Indigenous Peoples in Guyana

The Prime Minister was at the time speaking at Amerindian Heritage celebrations at Kuru Kururu, where he noted that as part of the ‘One Guyana’ vision, government must ensure that Amerindian peoples are involved in every aspect of the country’s development and can access the opportunities available to all citizens.

“We have worked to ensure that key concerns of our Amerindian people are addressed as part of our commitment to Amerindian and hinterland development in areas of education, health, housing, infrastructure, social well-being, employment, youth development and development of the village economy,” he said

In fostering development, he said that this includes a $2.7 billion investment in 2023 towards training in tourism , hospitality, business development plans, garment construction, ATV, small-engine repairs and provisions for the Presidential Grants to some 233 communities through the Amerindian Development Fund

According to the Prime Minister, under his office, focus has been placed on bridging the digital divide by providing internet connectivity for more than 200 communities through the deployment of VSAT equipment along with establishing ICT hubs and training residents in ICT skills.

Further , he stated that work under the Hinterland Electrification Project continues to ensure that all hinterland households and communities have access to affordable, reliable energy and services for sustainable development

and improvement in the social welfare of hinterland communities

“We will continue to work towards realising the sustainable and prosperous lives and livelihoods of our Amerindian people and our policies and initiatives now and in the future will continue to reflect and reinforce this commitment,” Prime Minister Phillips said

Meanwhile, he went on to say that the government wholeheartedly believes that unity which is the cornerstone of the ‘One Guyana’ vision can be strengthened by celebrating and preserving cultural heritage

It was then that he highlighted that this vision calls for inclusivity, mutual respect and shared prosperity, even as it encourages Guyanese to celebrate differences, while recognising that we are all part of a larger whole

He said that the crucial role that the Indigenous Peoples play in Guyana including protecting and safeguarding of our environment must be highlighted, even as the world grapples with environmental challenges

Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips

Material and CulturalChinese Modernization

SINCE ancient times, the Chinese nation has yearned for a world of great harmony, one defined by both material and cultural-ethical abundance

This ancient thought has breathed new life into the endeavour of Chinese modernization, which pursues material prosperity , cultural - ethical progress , and stronger confidence in ideology and culture.

MODERNIZATION FEATURING MATERIAL ABUNDANCE

In the Chinese civilization, a well-off life free from worries is always an aspiration, and keeping wealth with the people is a cherished tradition of the government.

For centuries, ancient China had led the world in economic growth. During the Song Dynasty (960–1279 B C.), China’s economy was among the world’s largest Along the River during the Qingming Festival, a renowned Chinese painting, depicts vividly the busy markets and shoppers back then

Entering modern times, China became a semi-colonial and semi-feudal nation due to the corruption of the Qing Government and foreign invasions. Living in a country of poverty and backwardness, the Chinese people rose to the challenge of the times and established a new China under the leadership of the Communist Party of China Unremitting efforts were made to eradicate poverty on Chinese soil China has achieved the poverty-reduction target of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development a decade ahead of schedule It has won the largest battle against poverty in human history by eliminating absolute poverty domestically China’s per capita disposable income increased from RMB 49.7 in 1949 to RMB 37,000 in 2022 More than 1.4 billion people are leading a well-off life up to the standard of a moderately prosperous society China has built the world’s largest education, social security, and healthcare systems As China continues to modernize in its own way, new business forms

involving rural tourism and local specialties are driving the development of rural areas, firming up the progress in poverty alleviation

Such changes are well captured in Xihaigu, a mid-western region in China, where the Juncao technology of mushroom farming enabled a 29-time growth in per capita income in two decades, and ecotourism added more ways for locals to get rich.

MODERNIZATION FEATURING CULTURAL ABUNDANCE

The Chinese civilization is the only one in the world that has never been interrupted.

It is well recorded by various symbols of the Chinese nation, from oracle bone inscriptions to folk poems and songs, from ancient pottery to exquisite pavilions

Modern - day China endeavours to preserve its traditional cultural heritage while sustaining fast development It has 43 items included in the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage, a forerunner in the world Projects such as “Archaeology of China” have underpinned the study and interpretation of the origins of the Chinese civilization The Sanxingdui Sacrificial Pits in Sichuan Province is famous for having “slept for millennia and woke up to stun the world.” Hailed as one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the 20th century, thousands of rare treasures have been unearthed one by one The signature bronze human head has become a trending TikTok phenomenon, attracting millions of netizens around the globe to see it on the cloud

The blooming of cultural undertakings and industry has greatly enriched people’s cultural life in China Young people, keen on the simple and natural Chinese lifestyle, are carrying forward such unique romance from their ancestors They have become a new force for inheriting the traditional Chinese culture

Public projects have supported rural libraries to enrich the cultural life of locals and helped realize people ’ s all-round development on the basis of

ensuring material abundance.

MODERNIZATION FEATURING MUTUAL LEARNING AMONG CIVILIZATIONS

Zhang Qian, an envoy of the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.–24 A.D.), helped facilitate the flow of commodities, culture, technology, and art between the East and West.

According to historical records, Quanzhou, a Chinese port city, was characterized by integration of diverse cultures during the Song and Yuan dynasties , where “half of the residents were merchants in exotic attires.” And similar examples abound The Chinese civilization has retained its vigour over thousands of years due to its openness and inclusiveness, another proof of the fact that civilizations shine brighter through mutual learning

In the era of economic globalization, China has actively opened up to the rest of the world It continues to expand outbound investment , and introduce high - quality goods in innovative ways such as hosting the China International Import Expo, so as to share development opportunities and promote the progress of humanity’s material advancement with the rest of the world China’s scientific and technological advances have contributed to the economic growth, job creation, green transformation, social inclusion, and improvement of people’s livelihoods in many other countries China has enabled a transition from “Made in China” to “Smart Manufacturing by China”, with 5G technology facilitating communication, high-speed railroads and other transportation solutions connecting the world , new - energy vehicles going into production overseas, and cross-border e-commerce driving digital transformation

Entering the 21st century, China has hosted the Olympic Games , the World Expo , the Winter Olympics and the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, and launched the Ancient Civilizations Forum, contributing to the cultural exchanges among countries Recently , China has put forward the Global Civili-

zation Initiative, which calls for respecting the diversity of civilizations and addressing global challenges through exchanges, mutual learning and coexistence, reflecting the cultural aspect of Chinese modernization, and providing important international public goods that help promote humanity’s cultural-ethical advancement

It is believed that with the contribution made by Chinese modernization, the skyscrapers of humanity’s development achievement and the myriad stars of humanity ’ s cultural advancement are bound to reinforce one another and progress in parallel

HARMONY BETWEEN HUMANITY AND NATURE

Imagine a place with blue sky, white clouds, lush mountains and lucid water... It is everyone’s dream to live in a clean and beautiful world, no matter where they are

To make this dream come true , China has the way — modernization of harmony between humanity and nature

ECOLOGICAL CONSERVATION : AN INTEGRAL PART OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE PHILOSOPHY

The concept of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature has been deeply rooted in China ’ s DNA since antiquity

Looking back on thousands of years of history, the relationship between man and nature was such a major topic of traditional Chinese culture that countless efforts were put into its study, with the unity of man and nature being the core concept of traditional Chinese philosophy. Take Confucianism and Daoism, the two most influential schools of thought, as an example As Confucius wisely remarked, “What does Heaven ever say? Yet the four seasons move in order, and the hundred things come to life What does the Heaven say?” It holds that humanity must subject themselves to the law of nature to understand and transform the world, and reverence for nature is the premise and

-Ethical Advancement Modernization…

basic rule of people ’ s social activities Zhuangzi, a leading Daoist philosopher, observed that “Heaven and earth coexist with me, and all things and I are one.”

He regarded nature as an organic whole with emphasis on the harmonious relationship between heaven, earth and man

In fact, when the various schools of thought in ancient China conducted their studies , their focus had always been the concept of harmony between man and nature.

GREEN: A DEFINITIVE FEATURE OF CHINA

IN THE NEW ERA

President Xi Jinping, with an eye to the severely insufficient per capita energy and resource endowment in China , made the important observation that when accelerating its development, China faces greater constraints in terms of energy, resources and the environment, which determines that the beaten path of Western modernization simply does not suit China at all

As such, the Chinese people protect nature and preserve the environment the way they protect their eyes Thanks to their unremitting efforts, a more beautiful China with bluer sky, greener land and clearer water is a dream turned into reality On water quality improvement, water sections achieving excellent quality grade now account for 87.9 percent of the total, according to statistics from Chinese state media On green development, China has always been a major contributor since 2000 Domestically , its forest area has reached 24.02 percent of the total land area Globally, a quarter of the world’s new afforestation comes from China every year, a whopping figure of 190,000 square kilometres Clearly , China ’ s ecological and environmental protection is nearing an inflection point, with historic changes happening across the board

Giant pandas, though endemic to China, are the beloved ambassadors of friendship across the world As “ambassadors”, they speak volumes about the continuous

improvement of China ’ s environment

From captive breeding to wild population recovery , from fragmented habitats to national parks , giant pandas have been upgraded from “ endangered ” to “ vulnerable”. At present, 67 nature reserves have been established for giant pandas in China, effectively protecting 53.8 percent of their habitat and 66.8 percent of their wild population

With this success, China is now sharing its experience of biodiversity conservation with the world.

The China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda has engaged in scientific research cooperation with zoos in more than 10 countries, joined the “International Long-term Cooperative Project of Giant Panda Breeding” with zoos across the world, and carried out cooperation and research in breeding and conservation

The Chinese people have been working hard with strong determination to pursue green development With its commitment to the dual carbon goals, China has promised to move from carbon peak to carbon neutrality within 30 years, that is 10 to 40 years less than that of the United States and Europe This means that China, as the largest developing country, will achieve the highest reduction in carbon- emission intensity in the world and move from carbon peak to carbon neutrality within the shortest time in global history Saihanba is a case in point

This largest man-made forest farm in the world was awarded the Champions of the Earth Award , the UN ’ s highest environmental honour, for it took only 60 years to transform from a wasteland into a lush, green paradise that could neutralize the annual carbon dioxide emissions of 860,000 family fuel cars

China topped the world in terms of various indicators of green development For instance, it led the world in the utilization of renewable energy, the output and sales of new energy vehicles, and the speed of air-quality improvement

It is also home to the largest area of afforestation in the world with the big-

gest increase in forest resources. China’s steady progress in green development will surely benefit future generations

CHINA’S COMMITMENT TO THE WORLD: BUILDING A BEAUTIFUL AND GREEN

PLANET TOGETHER

China has taken an active part in global environmental and climate governance.

While promoting its own green development, China also shares its experience with the world and provides support for global green development It has put forward and is now implementing the Global Development Initiative; it has promoted the establishment of the Global Clean Energy Cooperation Partnership; it was among the first to issue the National Plan on Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; it has es-

tablished the Kunming Biodiversity Fund; it has become the largest contributor to the core budget of the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Protocols The list goes on In joining hands to tackle environmental challenges and promote global sustainable development , China has always been a firm doer of deeds Dr Bruno Oberle , Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, lauded China for sharing the concept of ecological civilization, which is yet another contribution that China has made to the world

Ecological conservation, a timeless theme of human civilization, points the right way forward. Looking ahead, a China that commits to green modernization will provide more opportunities for the world and make greater contribution to the progress of all mankind.

Cause of White Boy’s Auto Spares bond fire still unknown

INVESTIGATORS from the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) are yet to determine the cause of the fire which gutted White Boy ’ s Auto Spares & Accessories bond at Annandale, East Coast Demerara last month

This was confirmed by the Fire Chief , Gregory Wickham , who said , in an interview with Guyana Chronicle, that the investigation was ongoing

The Fire Chief pointed out that fire investigators are still going through their

reports, after which the cause of the fire should be known

A fire investigation can take a long time due to safety concerns, the complex nature of fires, the meticulous gathering and analysis of physical evidence, collaboration with experts, legal processes, and various administrative factors that contribute to a thorough and accurate investigation

The Guyana Chronicle had reported that the fire started just about 00:11 hrs on Wednesday , September 6, 2023

Water tenders from the Melanie, Campbellville, and Alberttown fire stations were immediately dispatched to the scene The structure involved was a two - storey concrete building owned by 42-year-old Mohammed Alli.

Three jets working from water tenders # 105 , # 116 and water carrier #16 were used to extinguish the fire However, the building and its contents were destroyed

The businessman had reported over $1 billion in losses.

THROUGH donations and the support of the local non-governmental organisation, Saving Hands Emergency Aid (SHEA), a four-year-old child who was recently diagnosed with Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WAS), a primary immunodeficiency disorder, will soon receive stem cell treatment.

The child, Nathan Kandhai, recently left Guyana’s shores after funds were raised through SHEA, a medical charity that helps sick children, particularly Guyanese, access medical care overseas

The organization, in providing an update on the child ’ s condition , disclosed that a battery of testing was conducted as it was believed that the child had Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) based on comprehensive evaluations of his medical history , family background, and diagnostic assessments.

However, the child’s medical team discovered that he does not have AML, but is believed to have Wiskott - Aldrich Syndrome (WAS).

Child with rare disease to receive stem cell treatment overseas four-year-old

WAS is a rare genetic immunodeficiency that keeps a child’s immune system from functioning properly It also makes it difficult for a child’s bone marrow to produce platelets, making a child prone to bleeding

Genetic testing was also conducted on the child and a rare mutation of the WAS gene was discovered

His doctors have since planned to reconfirm through a more extensive genetic panel

Nevertheless, he will receive allogeneic stem cell transplantation, which is the only viable curative option for him

SHEA further disclosed that alongside the confirmation of his diagnosis, his medical team is preparing Nathan for the bone marrow transplantation procedure.

An important aspect of the process is the selection of a suitable donor which is being done by his medical team in Guyana

In the coming days, the Guyana-based team will begin testing Nathan’s family members to identify a potential match, the NGO explained

Once a donor match is identified, the NGO will then work on having that individual travel for the transplant procedure

When the child was initially diagnosed with AML, a plea for assistance was made to SHEA Charity and his case was accepted

In August, the child was transferred to a medical facility in New York where he began treatment

The bond which was completely destroyed by fire

Nathan Kandhai

Georgetown American University takes steps to support government’s plan to modernize health sector

AIMING to play a significant role in the government’s goal of modernising the health infrastructure, the Georgetown American University is striving to provide well-rounded professionals who can cope with the current demands

Dr Portia Sami , the university’s provost, made these remarks during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Saturday

During a medical outreach at the Giftland Mall, which sought to educate the public on prostate cancer , Dr Sami said that the institution’s goal is to produce students who are versatile in all domains , not just in their medical skills

Speaking more about the growing university , she said: “We are seeking and we have been improving the quality of education we offer to our students More so, we’ve been expanding a range of programmes that we offer We primarily train doctors and nurses, but we have other short programmes.”

Dr Sami then went on to say that the government ’ s goal of modernising the healthcare infrastructure definitely needs professionals, since

no system can manage without them

She remarked : “ No healthcare system can function without health workers and so we are ensuring that our health workers or our students are adequately trained … We [are] prepared, so in terms of how we are preparing them to meet the needs of the government, we embrace technology…”

Meanwhile, the dean of the institution , Dr . Ruth Benjamin - Huntley, told this publication that the outreach was an opportunity to showcase that their students possess both sharp health and social skills

She related: “It’s also an opportunity for us to highlight the medical school because the young doctors are trained not only to serve the public , but other aspects of health.”

While speaking on why the outreach tackled prostate cancer in particular , she said that the sickness is one that is often overlooked Therefore , they decided to shed some light on one of the most prevalent cancer types

Noting that no one likes to hear the word “ cancer ,” Dr Benja -

min - Huntley said : “ We do have quite a number of prostate cancer cases in Guyana and so we thought it would have been a good opportunity to highlight to the public, particularly [ a ] domain where women are not excluded , what prostate cancer is all about.”

“Nobody likes to hear the word cancer regardless of where it gets in the body,” she explained

While persons flocked the booth and picked up brochures with the intention of learning more, the dean was thrilled to see the usually ignored medical sickness gathering attention

Dr Benjamin - Huntley, while speaking more on prostate cancer said : “It is a cancer that can be treated It is a cancer that doesn’t necessarily mean that [ one ’ s ] lifestyle has to change dramatically and so we just want to ensure that persons know what prostate cancer is all about.”

September was designated as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in an effort to educate men about the horrid sickness, which is Guyana’s third most common cancer type

Some scenes from the Georgetown American University’s prostate cancer awareness event held at the Giftland Mall (Faith Greene photos)

Businessman challenges APNU+AFC delegation’s discrimination claims

suspicious election campaign contributions

BUSINESSMAN Anand

Sanasie has come forward to challenge the credibility of discrimination claims made by the APNU + AFC delegation during their visit to Washington DC , last month

Sanasie , in a letter to this newspaper revealed a complex web of financial dealings and allegations of misappropriation involv -

ing fellow businessman Dorwain Bess The letter stems from an article published by APNU - aligned Village Voice News outlet under the headline, “Washington Conference Hears of Discrimination in Guyana, Businessman Dorian Bess story highlighted.”

In his letter , Sanasie sheds light on his involvement with Bess, beginning in 2014 , when Roysdale

Forde , S C ., introduced them to a business venture related to the importation of diesel fuel

Sanasie ’ s investment was intended to help Bess, who possessed a licence but lacked the necessary funds Sanasie, in his letter, revealed that the demise of the company which would later become SBF Petroleum Inc was not politically motivated but rather was driven by greed

Sanasie alleges that in his absence , resolutions were passed to bypass bank instructions designed to protect his investment , leading to frozen and cancelled accounts

Sanasie also disclosed that SBF International Inc., linked to Bess, made financial contributions to the APNU+AFC election campaign in 2020, presumably in exchange for favours such as the lease of land to establish a fuel farm in Linden

The lease was issued by NICIL but was granted to a company established by Bess named Alpha Petroleum Inc ., with Dorwain Bess and his child’s mother, a junior lawyer, working with Roysdale Forde, serving as directors

Moreover , the letter delves into allegations of misappropriation by Dorwain Bess in previous business dealings, which also resulted in legal disputes

“It was during this period that I started to look into Bess’s background and past dealings I found out that Bess misappropriated funds from another business dealing prior to my involvement ; that matter

also ended up in the court,” Sanasie said in his letter

The letter suggests that the APNU + AFC delegation ’ s claims of discrimination may be rooted in incomplete or misleading information

Sanasie implied that at least one member of the delegation is aware of Dorwain Bess’s history and ongoing legal battles

“It is quite apparent that the APNU + AFC delegation that went to Washington DC was ill-prepared and sought to use frivolous examples of racial discrimination, as I am aware that at least one member of that delegation is very well aware of Dorwain Bess’s shenanigans , his questionable past and present court battles,” Sanasie said.

COURT RULING

To corroborate his claims, Sanasie cited the April 2022 court ruling, which he said exposed Bess ’ s alleged attempts to evade the judgement, including false claims of selling an oil tanker , fraudulent documents , and questionable transactions.

Sanasie raised questions about the credibility of discrimination claims made by the APNU+AFC delegation during their visit to Washington, DC, suggesting that these issues may be rooted in business disputes rather than racial discrimination

The court ruling, issued by Justice Navindra Singh, said that the judgement creditor had been awarded significant sums of money in three separate High Court actions in January, 2021 The ruling highlights that the Respondent, Bess, had appealed the judgments, which were subsequently dismissed on June 29, 2021.

Justice Singh ’ s ruling extensively examined the alleged actions of Bess in an attempt to evade the judgement

It notes that Bess falsely claimed that he sold an oil

tanker, Jubilee X Bornova, to Milton Bradford , producing a fraudulent Memorandum of Agreement to support this claim

The court found these documents unreliable and cast doubts on their authenticity

Furthermore, the court revealed that the vessel’s transfer , as evidenced by the certificate of Guyanese registration , occurred 32 days after the judgement was granted to the judgement creditor, raising suspicions of an attempt to evade payment

It was determined that SBF International Inc had the means to satisfy the judgments but had not done so

In addition to the vessel in question, the court ruling also mentioned another vessel, Esparanza Real XMV Winchester , registered to SBF International Inc The whereabouts of this vessel were unclear , and its registration was also linked to Bess

The court found that SBF International Inc possessed a valuable asset, the vessel , and thus had the means to fulfil the judgments

Bess is currently before the local courts charged with two counts of conspiracy to defraud

Both incidents are in relation to the alleged plot by two reporters to extort money from businessman Afras Mohamed, in order to remove an offensive post that was published by Guyana News Network (GNN), an online entity

He was charged alongside APNU+AFC activist and US - based social media commentator Rickford Burke, who has also been linked to an alleged extortion plot which has led to two former reporters being charged.

Burke is wanted by the police for “questioning in relation to conspiracy to commit a felony, to wit, publication of defamatory libel in order to extort money.”

–– raises alleged links to misappropriation,

Businessman Anand Sanasie

Dorwain Bess

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Monday October 02, 2023)

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

Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) West Indies

(2) Australia

Today’s Quiz:

(1) Who was the winner of the 1979 Cricket World Cup?

(2) Which was the other team that contested the final?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue ………………………………………………

ENGLISH RACING TIPS

10:02 hrs Eton College

12:05

12:38

Prime Minister’s softball tournament

By Frederick Halley

4R lioness registered a comprehensive 44-run victory over Highway Challengers to retain championship honours in the women’s category of the seventh edition of the Prime Minister’s T20 softball tournament yesterday,

The tournament was played at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground, Queenstown.

Led from the front by a brilliant 63 from skipper Temica Wilson, the defending champions who won the inaugural final, played at the Guyana National Stadium last year, brushed aside the challenge of newcomers, Highway Challengers, who stumbled to 119 for seven in their allotted 15 overs.

They were set a total of 164 for victory.

Wilson, who was also the player of the match in last year’s final, struck seven fours in her knock and received fine support from the experienced Joann Vansertima whose 36 was decorated with four-fours and a six and the consistent Shemeeza Abrams who went via the run out route for 30.

For the Highway side, Shelini Hossein finished with two for 17.

The Highway Challengers players, who hail from the Soesdyke/Linden Highway never seriously challenged the total, losing wickets at regular intervals.

Edwina Smith struck three fours and a six in a stubborn 30 but failed to receive any tangible sup -

port. Abrams, like she did in the preliminary match and semi-final, was again among the wickets, capturing two for 20 for the eventual

winners.

Wilson took the player of the match award for the second consecutive year while the Most Valuable Player

award deservedly went to Abrams.

The winners took home $300,000 and a trophy while the losers received $25,000

interesting out there. It ebbed and flowed, it had momentum. I'm proud of my guys."

and a trophy.

4R Lioness retains championship Europe regains Ryder Cup

(BBC) - LUKE Donald endured a "rollercoaster of emotions" as Europe regained the Ryder Cup in dramatic fashion in Rome.

With Europe needing four points from Sunday's 12 singles matches to beat the United States, Tommy Fleetwood won the 11th game to pass the 14½ required.

And with hundreds of

fans crammed around the edge of the 18th green, Ireland's Shane Lowry wrapped up a 16½-11½ win.

"It looked good early but then looked like it could be a bad day," Europe captain Donald told BBC Sport.

"Our guys hung in there like I knew they would. The first two days were key to us to building our lead.

"The Americans are so strong in singles but we were 12 strong. Everyone contributed. I just love these guys - you need your superstars to show up and they did.

"I've put everything into it and I'm just so glad they were able to win."

It stretches Europe's unbeaten home record beyond 30 years and also means the

past five Ryder Cups have been won by the home side.

US captain Zach Johnson said: "Europe and Luke played great and earned it" before shouldering the blame for their defeat, conceding he had "made some poor decisions".

"It's quite simple, we got outplayed," he added. "We showed grit and heart, it got

Donald's mantra all week was about getting off to a "fast start" and his players had delivered on Friday and Saturday, winning both morning sessions 4-0 and 3-1 as Europe built a 10½-5½ lead to take into Sunday.

And the Englishman, who won all four Ryder Cups he contested as a player, stacked the top singles matches with his best players.

The plan seemed to be

The player of the final received a trophy while the player of the tournament was rewarded with a 32” Smart TV, compliments of Regal Stationery and Computer Centre.

All trophies for the entire tournament which included the men’s Open All Stars, Masters Over-40 and Legends Over-50 were donated by Trophy Stall.

Eight teams participated in the knockout tournament, an increase from the four from last year.

The other three finals, the Legends Over-50, Masters Over-40 and Open All Stars were also scheduled to be played at the same venue, the latter culminating under lights.

working with European blue flooding the scoreboards as they led in five of the top six matches to the delight of most of the estimated 55,000 fans at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.

World number four Viktor Hovland delivered the first point, racing three up after six against Collin Morikawa before sealing a 4&3 win.,

But it was the top match that was providing all the drama.

Biles makes history on World Championship return

SIMONE Biles made history on her return to the World Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, becoming the first woman to land a Yurchenko double pike vault.

The move - now renamed the Biles IIhelped the 26-year-old American into first place in all-around qualifying.

Biles was competing internationally for the first time since taking a twoyear break from the sport to work on her mental health.

She made a triumphant return in August, winning the US Classic.

Biles scored 15.266 for landing the Yurchenko double pike, which is rated as the most difficult jump in the women's scoring code.

She scored a total of 58.865 in the all-around, leading to the vault being named Biles II after a different, original vault was named after her in 2018.

With 25 world medals, the most of any gymnast in history, and seven Olympic medals, Biles is the oldest American woman to compete at the worlds. She now has five skills named after hertwo on the floor exercise,

two on vault, and one on the balance beam.

Biles' efforts, which come 10 years after her global debut in the same city, helped the United States top the women's qualifying table.

She had not competed internationally since pulling out of five of her six finals at the delayed Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021.

Biles later explained she had been suffering from the 'twisties' - a mental block where gymnasts can lose their sense of space in the air.

Earlier in the day, Great Britain's men fin -

ished third in qualifying with Max Whitlock, Harry Hepworth, Jake Jarman, James Hall and Courtney Tulloch combining to score 254.193 points and secure their spot in Tuesday's final.

The women's team, consisting of Jessica Gadirova, Ondine Achampong, Alice Kinsella, Georgia-Mae Fenton and Ruby Evans are currently second on 166.130 points with qualifying set to conclude on Monday.

The women's team final takes place on Wednesday.

The victorious 4R Lioness players pose with their winnings

Biles has won 19 gold medals at the World Championships

Andrew ‘Six head’ Lewis National Novice Championships…

Three TKOs Highlight Semi-final Night

By Sean Devers

Several fighters advanced to last evening’s final of the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis National Novice Championships, following wins on Saturday evening at the National Gymnasium.

Julian Clarke, Neville France, Joseph Gardener, Melroy McPherson, Elliot Sinclair, Tockyeon Clarke and Osias Prince were some of the fighters that advanced.

Malachi Clarke of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) gained a walkover into the final when his opponent in last night’s semis failed his weigh-in.

McPherson, fighting out of the GDF Gym, stopped Alex Hazel of the Police Boxing Gym in 2:58 of round one of their Featherweight contest while Sinclair of GDF beat Republican Boxing Gym (REP) in a Welterweight match-up when the Referee stopped the contest in 1:27 of the first round.

In the other fight which failed to go the full distance of three rounds, Prince (POLICE) beat Malcolm Vision (POLICE) when the fight was stopped in the 40th second of the second round of their Light middleweight bout.

Police pugilist Julian

Clarke defeated Wavell Massiah of GDF in the Bantamweight division, France (REP) beat GDF’s Ezekiel Persaud in the Featherweight division and Tockyeon Clarke got the better of fellow GDF Gym mate Dameon France in the Welterweight category.

In the most entertaining bout of the night, Junior Welterweights, Joshua Khan of Police and Solider Gardener went at each other in a slug-fest.

In the first round, the boxers threw some good combinations to each other’s head Guards while Gardener hurt his man towards the end

of the first stanza.

In the second round, the pair of fighters took turns unleashing powerful shots on each other with Gardener, who also used his uppercuts to the mid-section, getting the better of Khan who showed plenty of intestinal fortitude and was not afraid to counterpunch.

In the final round, the intensity dipped drastically as both pugilists ran out of gas and their shots lacked power and speed.

But at end the of the entertaining contest the small crowd which included the Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, (in his capacity

as GBA President) and Assistant Director of Sports (in his capacity as Ring

announcer) were on their feet as Gardener gained the judges’ verdict.

Mathews falls one short of century as West Indies collapse against Australia

IN a riveting display of talent and skill, Hayley Matthews scored a blazing 99 not out off just 74 deliveries in the 1st T20 International at the North Sydney Oval. However, her lone effort couldn't save the day for the West Indies Women, who were defeated by 8 wickets.

Matthews took the opposition bowlers to the cleaners, hitting boundaries at will, and missing her well-deserved century by a whisker. Her innings was adorned with 12 fours and 4 sixes, making it one of the most memorable performances of her career.

The West Indies, riding on Matthews' brilliance,

posted a defendable total of 147/3 in their 20 overs. However, the opposition seemed unfazed by the challenge and chased down the target in 13.2 overs, losing only two wickets in the process, to finish the game on 149/2.

Skipper Alyssa Healy scored 56 off 29 while Tahlia McGrath finished on 60 not out from 32 deliveries to guide the home team to the opening win.

Although the day belonged to the home team, Matthews won countless hearts with her valiant effort.

Head Coach Shane Deitz

World Classic & Equipped Masters Powerlifting Championships

Fitness Express supports GAPLF’s Taharally and Rogers

THE unwavering tangible support of local supplement and equipment store, Fitness Express, has continued for the sport of powerlifting.

With two athletes, Nadina Taharally and Roger Rogers set to make their debuts at the World Classic & Equipped Masters Powerlifting Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from October 8-15, Manager of Fitness Express, Jamie McDonald was more than eager to assist the duo.

On Saturday last, at the

John and Sheriff Street, Campbellville, headquarters of Fitness Express, and in the presence of Powerlifting Federation President, Franklin Wilson, McDonald presented Taharally and Rogers with supplements and vitamins to aid in their success in Mongolia.

“I am more than happy to continue my company’s support of these athletes. As you are well aware, I have been doing this for more than a decade and haven’t been disappointed, that’s why we continue

to support you. We here at Fitness Express would like to wish you the best and we look forward to your success and the continued success of powerlifting.”

Wilson, on behalf of the athletes, expressed the Federation’s gratitude to McDonald and Fitness Express for their unwavering support over the years towards our athletes who travel overseas as well as solid support for all the Federation’s competitions, locally.

“We want to let you

know that words are not enough to express the gratitude of all the members of the powerlifting body for the confidence you continue to have in us and the sport. We assure you that it can only get better.”

Taharally would be contesting the Masters 1 76kg Class of the World Masters Women's Classic Championships with Rogers set to compete in the Master 11 120kg category of the World Masters Men's Classic Championships.

remarked, "Magnificent innings, she really deserved the hundred. It's one of the best innings I've seen for a long time. She's been brilliant around the group as a leader, batter, and bowler."

Deitz also touched upon the team's overall performance, sharing his perspective on the outcome. He added, "I think we were a bit short as the wicket started playing better in the second half. It was a pretty good total, and maybe if we had taken our chances while fielding, things could have been different."

No surprise that Matthews was the Player of the Match for her 99 not out and bowling figures of 2-0-17-1. The West Indies Women will now regroup for the second T20I tomorrow night, hoping to bounce back stronger. This defeat, though disappointing, has set the stage for what promises to be an exciting series. With both teams showcasing their strengths and weaknesses in the first match, the next encounter is bound to be a nail-biter.

GDF’s Joseph Gardener (left) scores with crunching left uppercut to the chin of Police’s Joshua Khan as the boxers went toe-to-toe at the National Gymnasium on Saturday night (Sean Devers photo)

Haley Matthews (Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

Fitness Express’ Jamie McDonald flanked by Nadina Taharally (right) and Roger Rogers

Courts Optical Pee Wee football tournament…

St Pius, Enterprise win big in round two

FORMER two-time champion St Pius and defending champion Enterprise got off to big wins in round two of the Courts Optical Pee Wee Football tournament, on Saturday last.

Oddly enough, last year’s finalists each showed fine fettle en-route to their wins at the Ministry of Education ground.

St Pius had a 10-0 win against Winfer Garden with goals from Aaron Vasconcellos (19th, 21st, 23rd, 27th, and 33rd min.) while support came from Octain Moore (1st and 13th) and Ezekiel Lynch (11th), Daniel Chesney (17th) and Akeem Young (37th).

All five of Enterprise’s goals in their 5-1 win against Colaaco came from Dontay Kowlessar (1st, 2nd, 7th, 14th and 33rd); Meshach Pantlitz 4th minute strike being the consolation for the losers.

See full results below:

St John the Baptiste 3 vs

Action in round two of the courts pee

Kabakaburi Primary 1 Goal Scorers

SJTB - Kriston Chandler

21’,39’, Iasiah Daniels 35’

Kabakaburi - Vivian Calistro 26’

Tapakuma 1 vs Leonora Primary 1

Goal scores

Tapakuma Primary - Andron Fredericks 9’, Own goal 12’

Potaro Primary 3 vs Sophia

Primary 1

Goal Scorers

Potaro Primary - Ezekiel

Haynes 2’, Michael Telemaque 16’, Kendrick La Rose 18’

Sophia Primary - Joahua Blande 31’

St Aloysius Primary 4 vs Annandale Primary 1

Goal Scorers

St Aloysius - Raymali Vankenic 3’,4’,20’,29’

Annandale - Kareem King

37’

Den Amstel 1 vs Rosignol

Primary 0

Goal scorers

Den Amstel - Kadon Trotman 36’

Smith Memorial Primary 2 vs All Saints Primary 0

Goal Scorers - Derwin Nelson 30’ - Jomari Beverney

40’

Friendship Primary 2 vs One Mile Primary 1

Goal Scorers

Friendship - Kylan Smartt 33’, Eliel Rose 39’ One Mile - Devin Stephen

29’

Soesdyke Primary vs Tuschen Primary (Soesdyke won via walk over)

Belladrum Primary vs WestField Prep (Belladrum won via walk over)

St Pius 10 vs Winfer Garden 0

Goal Scorers

St Pius Primary - Aaron Vasconcellos 19’,21’,23’, 27’, 33’, Octain Moore

1’,13’, Ezekiel Lynch 11’, Daniel Chesney 17’, Akeem Young 37’

Enterprise Primary 5 vs Colaaco Primary 1

Goal Scorers

Enterprise - Dontay Kowlessar 1’,2’,7’,14’, 33’ Colaaco - Meshach Pantlitz

4’

Anns Grove 0 vs F.E. Pollard 0

Marian Academy 2 vs St Gabriels Primary 0

Goal scorers

Marian Academy - Christiano La Rose 5’, Maxwell Viapree 33’

North Georgetown Primary 1 vs Tucville 0

Goal scorer

North Georgetown - Kalen Jack 26’

Redeemer Primary 1 vs St Stephens Primary 0

Goal scorer

Redeemer - Jonathon Olivierre 31’

West Ruimveldt Primary 3 vs St Ambrose 0

Goal Scorers

West Ruimveldt Primary - Dane Vancooten 2’,14’, Teon Francis 16’

GCB senior Inter-County 50-over cricket Hubbard, Sampson spurs E’bo to 174-run win over Select X1

By Sean Devers

An accomplished 76 from Man-of-the-Match Malcom Hubbard and 4-18 from pacer Quinton Sampson spurred Essequibo to an emphatic 174-run win against the GCB’s Select X1 at GCC, Bourda yesterday in their first-round game in the GCB Inter-County 50 overs tournament.

Essequibo joins Berbice, who beat Demerara on Saturday in Berbice with opening round wins.

The Select X1 invited Essequibo to bat on a good track and very fast outfield and led by Hubbard’s 76 from 73 balls with three fours and sixes, reached 273-9 when at 154-3 they looked set for a 300 total.

Hubbard, who not afraid to go after the Select X1 attack, shared in a 110-run fourth wicket stand with Guyana batter Kemol Savory who made a patient 29

from 67 balls with a solitary boundary.

The related Adams (Ricardo and Anthony) featured in a 77-run sixth wicket stand in scorching heat with Anthony hitting four fours and a six from 47 balls in cautious 39 while the burly Ricardo clobbered five fours and six in his 47-ball 48.

But only Neiland Cadogan who unbeaten 13 included a six, of the other batters, reached double figures as 17-year-old West Indies U-19 pacer Isai Thorne, captured 4-52.

Thorne, who bowled with genuine pace on the flat track, got support from Skipper Junior Sinclair and Cpl off-spinner Junior Sinclair (3-40) and the experienced Chris Barnwell who had 2-60.

The Select X1 were bowled out for 101 in 32 overs as only Ramond Perez who scored 26 from 41 balls with a single four, Suresh

Dhanai (23) and National U-19 player Jonathon Rampersaud who ended undefeated on 15 reached double figures. Sampson had 4-18, leftarm spinner Anthony Adams (2-25) and Garfield Phillips (2-10) conspired with the ball to orchestrate the comprehensive win.

Sinclair removed Jadon Campbell (5) at 32-1 before Barnwell got rid of Norman Fredericks (3) at 35-2 and when the attacking Kevin Boodie, who reached the ropes three times and cleared it once in his cameo 26 from 15 balls was LBW to the lively Thorne at 44-3 in the seventh over Essequibo, beat by Berbice in last year’s final, were in a bit of trouble.

But Hubbard and Savory joined forces to see their team to 59-3 after 10 overs. They both played confidently and the 100 was posted in the 18th over with Hubbard bringing up his 50 from 43 balls with three fours and

Ramond Perez tries to punch a short ball for Ricardo Adams during his top score for the Select X1 yesterday at Bourda

three sixes.

A 300 plus total looked in the making but Savory and Hubbard were removed by Barbican Thorne in the space of a run to leave Essequibo

on 155-5.

The Adams pair revived the position with positive stroke-play before Anthony fell to Sinclair who on a hat-trick when he bowled

Sampson for a first ball duck to leave the score on 232-7.

Barnwell dismissed Ricardo at 259-9 before Cadogan hit Dhanai for six in the last over to take the total over 270.

Perez and Sachin Singh added 20 for the first wicket as the select X1 began their reply before Singh (5) was caught behind off Sampson who also removed Shamar Yearwood, Joshua Persaud and Barnwell for ducks and at 21-5 the Select X1 were wobbling on the ropes.

Sinclair departed for five 27-5 and Rampersaud was forced to retire hurt at 37-5 and Perez was bowled by Anthony Adams at 57-6, it was all over bar the shouting despite Dhanai and Aryan Persaud (13) taking the total to three-figures.

The next round is fixed for tomorrow with Demerara facing the Select X1 at Bourda and Berbice playing Essequibo at Enmore.

wee football tournament (Delano Williams Photo)

The victorious 4R Lioness players pose with their winnings