Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 10-11-2023 by Guyana Chronicle

FRIDAY 10th November, 2023

PRICE $100 VAT INCLUSIVE

No. 107260

Retroactive packages for public servants to be announced soon

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$1.9B in additional disposable income for teachers SEE PAGE

- with new salary adjustments, allowances, other interventions announced by President Ali - $25,000 one-off bonuses for public servants, pensioners - persons living with disabilities, farmers to also receive benefits from $5B ‘cost of living’ funds set aside in Budget 2023

Guyana, Brazil reinforce strong ties

- discuss defence and military cooperation, respect for Rule of Law, sovereignty, territorial integrity

President Dr. Irfaan Ali and the President of Brazil Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva on Thursday held bilateral discussions on a range of issues. During the virtual engagement, the two leaders discussed defence and military cooperation; respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity; respect for the Rule of International Law; the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy; and infrastructural and economic cooperation, among other issues. Additionally, President Ali briefed President Lula on the upcoming Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government meeting in Guyana in February 2024, and discussed the possibility of a Brazil-CARICOM Summit during that time. Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation the Honourable Hugh Todd was also at the meeting. (Office of the President photos)

Guyana has the Mahdia CoI: Commissioners Full probe to be Khushal Singh named to present report to President conducted into ‘early potential to serve as valedictorian Ali by month’s end release’ of Bibi Gopaul an anchor in the region UG’s -2023 to be awarded both SEE PAGE

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- Dr. Jagdeo says

- USAID Regional Representative for the Eastern and Southern Caribbean says; affirms country plays a vital role in the economic, social development of

the Caribbean

President’s Medal, Prime Minister’s Medal

- advised by counsel to examine conduct of fire, education officials

Accountability, transparency issues restrict government’s ability to work with City Council

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

$25,000 one-off bonuses for public servants, pensioners

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

- persons living with disabilities, farmers to also receive benefits from $5B ‘cost of living’ funds set aside in Budget 2023

PRESIDENT, Dr. Irfaan Ali, on Thursday, announced $25,000 one-off bonuses for public servants, including teachers, members of the Disciplined Services and employees of semi-autonomous agencies and public enterprises across Guyana. The Head of State, during a live broadcast announcement, said these bonuses will be payable on December 1, 2023. “So, all workers in this category will receive a oneoff $25,000 bonus payable in December 2023. This

will bring benefit to 67,000 workers across the spectrum of these categories; 67,000 workers at a cost of $1.7 billion,” He added: “This will benefit workers including policemen and women, prison officers, soldiers, nurses and doctors, as would also benefit employees of public enterprises including [Guyana Sugar Corporation] GUYSUCO, [Guyana Power and Light] GPL and [National Insurance Scheme] NIS.” Meanwhile pensioners across the country will also receive a $25,000 bonus,

while persons living with disabilities will received $35,000. According to the President Ali these grants will benefit over 72,000 pensioners at a cost of $1.8 billion and 19,000 persons who are registered on the public assistance register at a cost of $660 million; this too will be paid in December. “These one-off bonus payments will benefit almost 160,000 persons and increase their disposable incomes by over $4.1 billion.” the President said. Further, the govern-

ment will also allocate $850 million for the purchase of fertiliser for distribution to farmers. It is expected that this support will benefit 287,000 acres of cultivation and 35,000 farmers; and this will ensure increased food production and containment of cost. Additionally, under the Community Infrastructure Improvement Project (CIIP), community enhancement workers' monthly earnings would be adjusted upwards to $40,000. This will also take effect

from December 1, 2023 and is set to benefit over 2,000 workers. “[These] interventions amount to over $7 billion in additional disposable income and represent a further instalment of my government’s unwavering commitment to continue to improve the working conditions of our employees in the public sector, support to the vulnerable segment of our population and assistance to our farmers,” Dr. Ali said. And although this initiative is timely, the President highlighted that there

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali are plans in place for an across-the-board salary increase for public servants, teachers and members of the disciplined services.

Mahdia CoI…

Commissioners to present report to President Ali by month’s end

- advised by counsel to examine conduct of fire, education officials By Shamar Meusa THE Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Mahdia dormitory fire which claimed the lives of 20 children in May of this year, on Thursday came to a close, and the commissioners are expected to compile their report for submission to the Head of State by the end of the month. This was disclosed during the presentation of closing statements by Counsel for the Commission Keoma Griffith. According to Chairman of the Commission Major General (Ret’d) Joe Singh, following the session, the Commission will be meeting to undertake the preparation of the report, and is expected to complete it by the end of the new week. The completed report will then be sent to be printed, and is expected to be handed over to President Dr. Irfaan Ali by the end of November, in keeping with the extension of time he had given. Meanwhile, in presenting his closing statements to the Commission, Griffith stated that it is essential that there is closure in the matter, and documentation on what had transpired.

He said that throughout the duration of the inquiry, the Commission heard various testimonies, including those regarding the governing of the region, and the distinction between the powers of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development in relation to responsibility for the dorms. As such, he iterated that distinctions were clearly made that while the Ministry of Education is responsible for the policy and curriculum of the schools, the delivery of education, staff, and management of the dormitories fall within the duties of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, through the Regional Democratic Council (RDC). Further to this, during the inquiry, Griffith noted that the Commission heard that a report was prepared by the Sub-officer of the Guyana Fire Service. DEFICIENCIES This report included information in relation to the fire preparedness of the ‘dorm’ at the time. This occurred after an inspection highlighted deficiencies in the prevention measures, and included in the report were several recommendations and

requirements for the building to be up to standard. Among these recommendations were the need for a suitable fire alarm system, for grills to be removed, for fire extinguishers and smoke detectors to be installed, and for water hydrants to be placed in the vicinity of the ‘dorms’. Griffith noted that the report at reference was concise, and sought to inform all necessary players of the systems required for fire prevention at the Mahdia ‘dorm’, and that the requirements set out were necessary, in the interest of saving lives and property. Further to this, he noted that this report is one that should have been taken seriously, and required urgent action. The attorney noted, too, that it was for that reason the report was handed over to the Chief Fire Officer, and the most senior education official in the region. This is said to have shown that Scott diligently discharged his duty. In the circumstances, he indicated that the Commission will have to make its findings regarding the conduct of the Chief Fire Officer, and will also have to consider and determine

whether the ‘dorm’ itself was in any state of preparedness for what occurred. Griffith noted that based on the evidence presented, he is of the view that the ‘dorm’ was not in any state of preparedness for what occurred, in that it fell way below what was indicated in the sub-officer’s report. Meanwhile, the attorney stated that based on all that was put forward before the Commission, the fire was not caused by any electrical malfunctions associated with the building, but was rather malicious in nature. IGNORED He said that the following the fire, the same issues identified in an after-action report prepared by Officer Scott were the same ones identified in the previous report. “It is as if it was a disaster waiting to happen, because Ryan Scott had been telling them all along that these are the issues affecting the Mahdia Fire Station, and these are the recommendations which need to be put in place, in the interest of saving life and preserving property, yet there was no response,” Griffith told the Commission. Further to this, Griffith

Chairman of the Commission Major-General (Ret’d) Joe Singh (first left); Attorney-at-Law Kim Kyte-Thomas (second right); Chairman of the National Toshaos Council Derrick John (first right); and President Dr. Irfaan Ali (second left) posed a series of questions to the high standards and which the Commission will expectations associated with be faced with during the his office, and whether the preparation of their report for Regional Education Officer at the time was justified in the Head of State. He noted that the Com- her course of conduct. mission will have to deter“These are all issues mine whether it can be fairly which the Commission will said that the Mahdia Fire have to give its consideration Station was in a position to and resolve. The evidence respond to the fire; whether is clear; this Commission the Guyana Fire Service should encounter little diffileadership took all the steps culty in resolving the issues to ensure that the Mahdia posed,” he added. Fire Station was in a state He indicated that he is of readiness for a fire of this confident that, based on all magnitude, and whether their the evidence provided, the response was sufficient. Commission is in a position Additionally, he said that to competently and effecthe Commission will have tively provide its findings to determine whether the in writing as President Ali Chief Fire Officer adhered had asked.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

UN Secretary-General reiterates position on ICJ as solution to border controversy THE United Nations Secretary-General (SG) António Guterres through spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, has reiterated his position regarding the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as a solution to the ongoing border Guyana-Venezuela border controversy. “…in the exercise of the power and responsibility conferred on him by the 1966 Geneva Agreement, chose the International Court of Justice as the means that was next to be used for the solution of the border controversy between the two countries,” Dujarric said on behalf of the SG. Despite the ongoing case before the ICJ, in its most recent attempt to disregard the rule of

law, the Nicolás Maduro government plans to put forward a referendum on Guyana’s Essequibo. The Government of Guyana has since rejected Venezuela’s action and filed a request with the International Court of Justice for provisional measures to prevent any attempt by the Bolivarian Republic to annex Guyana’s territory The international community has also released strong statements condemning Venezuela’s aggressive claims over the Essequibo region. CARICOM, the OAS, and the Commonwealth have published multiple statements in favour of Guyana’s territorial sovereignty. In April of this year, the World Court ruled that the case Guyana brought

before it seeking to affirm the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award settling the boundaries between it and Venezuela was admissible. This meant that the court could move forward with hearing the substantive case on its merits, of whether the1899 arbitral award settling the boundaries of the two countries is valid and binding. The ruling marked the second time that the international court has rejected jurisdictional objections raised by Venezuela. Guyana moved to the ICJ with its case in March 2018, challenging the non-participating Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela over its disagreement on the legal validity and binding effect of the 1899 Award. Venezuela maintained that the ICJ was without jurisdiction to hear the case and refused to participate in the court pro-

ceedings. The Spanish-speaking country had claimed that it is the “sole indisputable inheritor” of the Essequibo region and the Monetary Gold Principle. Although Venezuela had claimed that the ICJ did not have jurisdiction to hear the substantive case, it made a U-turn following the court’s December 2020 ruling on that aspect of the case. Venezuela, on that occasion, contended that Guyana had no standing in the matter. The court unanimously rejected Venezuela’s objection. Guyana is seeking a final and binding judgement that the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the location of the land boundary between then British Guiana and Venezuela, remains valid, and that the Essequibo region belongs to Guyana and not Venezuela.

City Hall ‘financially paralysed,’ organisation without treasurer

- PPP/C Georgetown councillors reveal PEOPLE’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) councillors have rubbished the narrative that central government is not willing to work with the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) because it is A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)-controlled, highlighting instead that the council is “financially paralysed.” Referring to the Stabroek News’ editorial published on Thursday, titled “Hopeless,” the councillors decided to set the record

have completed this process by November of the previous year, there has been no indication of any progress or commencement of such an essential task. Labelling the recurring financial issues as “alarming,” it was also revealed that the management of market fees collection is a fiasco shaped by the lack of accountability. The PPP/C councillors then stripped the “front” that APNU councillors want to unite, and remarked: “…

straight and reiterate that central government is not withholding resources from City Hall. “This narrative, propagated by some corners of the media, not least by the pundits at Stabroek News, is incorrect and neglects the fundamental issues,” they said. Alarmingly, the PPP’s councillors revealed that the M&CC does not have a treasurer. They related: “Is Stabroek News aware that Ms. Edwana Miller, acting City Treasurer, has retired? Are they aware that the APNU-led council has yet to appoint even an interim treasurer, which brings the city's ability to conduct financial transactions to a standstill?” adding that the retirement of Miller was not an unforeseen event and the council had ample warning and yet displayed a stark disinterest. Highlighting the current financial status of the M&CC, they said that for a number of years there has been no comprehensive audit, and the budget for 2023 was submitted late. It was not submitted until August of this year. With the budget being presented long after it was due, they said: “This negligence renders any potential financial support from the central government not only baseless but utterly speculative.” Regarding the 2024 budget, the councillors said despite the legal stipulation for the finance committee to

Actions speak louder than words, and the refusal to appoint a PPP councillor to a position such as vice-chair of the finance committee speaks volumes about the true intentions of the PNCled City Council,” while adding that the Stabroek News’ editorial glossed over the composition of the council's committees. Pointing out the failure at M&CC to update their asset register, the Georgetown PPP councillors blasted the editorial for not enquiring into that matter. Owing to the absence of such a key factor, they said: “This lapse has left the M&CC blind to the extent and value of its holdings—a staggering oversight for over 18 years. Without a recent and comprehensive forensic audit, it would be highly imprudent for central government to allocate taxpayers' funds to a bottomless pit of administrative incompetence that the M&CC represents.” With the shortcomings of the APNU-controlled M&CC, the PPP/C government has not ignored this and instead, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali along with other government officials are directly engaging with councillors and crafting tangible plans to alleviate the immediate concerns of citizens. “The financial governance of the M&CC is not just a matter of local administration—it is a broader issue that affects every citizen and taxpayer,” they said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

Retroactive packages for public servants to be announced soon

- Dr. Jagdeo says $25,000 one-off bonus is tax-free, falls under $5B allocation for cost-of-living measures

THE $25,000 one-off bonus which will benefit public sector employees across Guyana will be tax free, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has said. Dr. Jagdeo, at a press conference on Thursday,

clarified this in response to misrepresentations surrounding the government’s announcement of a slew of bonuses announced for public sector employees. “I’ve seen a lot of misrepresentation since this announcement was made by the President; the first is

that this is salary increase for public sector employees for 2023. This is not the salary increase for public servants in 2023,” he said. President Dr. Irfaan Ali, on Thursday morning announced that public servants, including teachers, members of the Joint

Services and employees of semi-autonomous agencies will receive a $25,000 bonus, payable from December 1, 2023. The funds for this initiative come from the $5 billion allocation in Budget 2023 for cost-of-living measures.

Clarifying that public servants will still receive the usual annual increase, Dr. Jagdeo said: “We have to announce the annual increase for public servants and public sector employees for the year, generally, for 2023.When that is announced, the rate will be

calculated, and they would get their entire retroactive package for the year. “The grant is a taxfree grant; it is not taxable, so the $25,000 will not be taxable. This grant is coming not from funds set aside.”

Accountability, transparency issues restrict government’s ability to work with City Council - Dr. Jagdeo says; affirms people of Georgetown will not be neglected

ONCE again rubbishing the claims that central government is depriving City Hall of resources, the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, revealed that the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) controlled Mayor and City Council (M&CC) lacks accountability and transparency. Dr. Jagdeo, during a press conference on Thursday, highlighted the one-sided nature of a Stabroek News editorial published under the title, “Hopeless,” which attempted to criticise President, Dr. Irfaan Ali’s meeting with residents of Georgetown. “The President will continue to visit communities. We will continue to work with people,” Dr. Jagdeo emphasised. He then firmly stated: “… the residents of the city de-

serve to see the progress that is happening in other parts of the country.” With the council’s asset register not being updated for over 20 years, the PPP General Secretary said that this concerning matter is not being given enough attention. Explaining the importance of an asset register when it comes to ensuring accountability and financial responsibility, he said that one can tell the state of affairs at City Hall with the prolonged periods without audited statements. Dr. Jagdeo then highlighted that the organisation did not have a budget for the entirety of 2023. While the budget was supposed to be presented since November 2022, the PPP General Secretary said he was informed it was until September of this year that City Hall put forth a budget.

With M&CC exposing their lack of transparency and accountability, he said: “…You expect us to hand them money to do a road or canal….. Our experience has been if you hand them money they [will] spend it on something else, but not the road or the canal.” According to Dr. Jagdeo, because of this behavioural pattern by the M&CC, central government has undertaken certain responsibilities to ensure that Georgetown does not collapse. With billions of dollars being expended on every road in the city, and US$15

million spent to build a garbage site outside of Georgetown, among other things, Dr. Jagdeo said that the M&CC has demonstrated its true nature. Despite the naysayers, the PPP General Secretary maintained that their chants will not deter the President or other government officials from directly engaging the people. Last week Friday, President Ali met with scores of Georgetown residents who showed him the neglect of their communities by the M&CC. For over 27 years now,

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo (Delano Williams photo) the City Council has been dominated by the People’s National Congress (PNC). However, notwithstanding the PNC’s dominance, the

PPP has been incrementally making significant inroads in Georgetown, as well as a number of other traditional PNC strongholds.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

Always missing in action THE rains are here earlier than expected. By now with the adverse effects of climate change being felt across the globe, we must always be prepared for the unexpected. The early rains will bring relief for some and fear for others. Farmers in particular will be happy as their crops which have been withering in the scorching heat for months now, will have renewed life. However, it is the residents of many parts of Georgetown, especially flood-prone areas such as Alberttown, Queenstown and Albouystown, who will now have to spring into action to prevent unnecessary spending, discomfort and

heartache. For the next few days, the Hydromet Office has predicted occasional cloudy skies throughout Guyana and scattered showers over the country’s coastal area, while isolated thunderstorms are likely over inland areas. While this may not cause bad flooding, it should serve as a warning to City Hall that they need to get their act together and execute cleaning works before the full-blown rainy season is upon us. For too long, flooding has been aided by clogged drains and trenches. While the wanton disposal of garbage is not City Hall’s doing, clearing clogged drains with garbage, thick vegetation and silt is. Residents pay

rates and taxes yearly, in part for this service, and it must be provided regularly and efficiently. Earlier this month, President Dr. Irfaan Ali made impromptu visits to Kingston and Alberttown/Queenstown where he saw City Hall’s neglect for himself. He heard numerous complaints about the poor drainage and irrigation in those communities and saw firsthand the unsanitary state of drains and alleyways. In an effort to allay concerns and bring relief to the suffering, the president assured residents that Central Government will not wait on City Hall; it will step in and implement relief measures immediately.

“I wish City Council could listen to you; right now, Central Government has to take all [of] the responsibilities from City Council,” President Ali said during his engagement with residents. However, this should not be. What is the point of having a Mayor and City Council of Georgetown if Central Government has to continuously step forward and bail them out year after year, especially around the rainy season? We must all ask ourselves this question and give it some serious thought. The Georgetown Mayor and City Council has an active Facebook page with thousands of followers. Yet, there is no post on its prepa-

ration for the rainy season. There are no warnings or advice on keeping one’s surroundings clean and clear to minimise flooding. Four posts were made this month: A visit to the Stabroek and Albouystown Markets, Mayor Mentor’s attendance at the African Trade and Investment Forum, a visit to the Orealla Avenue Playfield, which is currently under rehabilitation, and the ‘Quote of the week’. Under a post made in late October about Mayor Mentore being among Caribbean mayors who were tasked with working together to advance climate change solutions, one person commented: “…this is good timing to take care of our drains

in preparation for the rains and flood prevention.” This is a clear indication that at least one city resident is concerned about the state of the city ahead of the rainy season. However, the page’s admin did not find it necessary to respond. The sloppiness those at City Hall have been allowed to get away with must not be tolerated. Action ought to be taken against these officials forthwith. If it is not, we will soon be paddling down the streets of Georgetown in canoes. Heavy rain will come and we must all be prepared for the discomforts that will come with it.

Missing ‘records of service’ create huge challenge for NIS

Dear Editor, “If you are 60 years old or over, and have made at least 750 contributions to NIS, you may qualify for a regular monthly pension. If you fall short of 750 contributions, you could qualify for a one-time payment. Under both situations, the respective amount is calculated based on NIS formulae as set forth in the National Insurance and Social Security Act: Chapter 36:01.” This statement appears straight forward but it obscures a few institutional flaws which help to explain the frustration that many Guyanese (both at home and abroad) experience in having their NIS claims processed and finalised. Critics have been pointing out the lengthy delays in settling many NIS claims and tend to attribute blame onto the NIS staff. Deeper insights, however, would point to institutional deficiencies as the main source of complaints. I believe that the PPP/C government recognises this situation and has moved forward to

conduct NIS outreaches in Guyana to address claimants’ complaints at a different level. The Guyanese diaspora members have also become vocal in raising several issues regarding their claims for NIS benefits. Because of their persistence, their voices have been heard at the highest level of government. When the President of Guyana, Dr Irfaan Ali, visited New York in October 2023 to attend the UN General Assembly, he squeezed in some time to meet with Guyanese at Jamaica, Queens, New York City. He provided an update on Venezuela’s illegal claim to 2/3 of Guyana’s territory as well as on the positive social and economic developments taking place in Guyana. In responding to questions, the President stated then that since most of the complaints that he gets are from Guyanese having problems with their NIS claims, he would send a NIS team to New York to work with claimants to resolve their issues. A five-member NIS team led by NIS General Manager,

Ms. Holly Greaves, arrived in New York last week and immediately began to review NIS claims. The NIS team conducted outreaches in Brooklyn on Saturday, November 4, in Schenectady on Sunday, November 5, and in Queens on Monday, November 6, 2023. Over 600 cases were reviewed (at Brooklyn, Queens, and Schenectady, New York) by the NIS team which worked extremely hard and put in extra hours to settle cases and to figure out how others could be resolved. The NIS team was ably assisted by Ambassador Michael Brotherson, Guyana Consul General and his NY Consulate staff. In general, people wanted to know when they would get feedback from NIS on the status of their claims. The NIS Manager assured them that a special unit at NIS will be set up to process their requests and that they should expect to hear from NIS before December 31, 2023. She emphasised also that this was the instruction of the President and that they must therefore meet the December

deadline. The biggest challenge for the NIS team has been to validate claims that have “missing records of service.” Many claimants complained about their inability to obtain records of their contribution from the Ministry of Education, GuySuCo, and some private businesses, some which no longer exists. For missing records, NIS has been asking claimants to submit authorised letters from employers covering their service. Some claimants believe that such requests should be the responsibility of NIS! This outreach allowed some people to apply for the first time for their NIS benefit as well as allowed others to submit their Life Certificate so that their benefits could be restored after having been stopped because of non-receipt of the Life Certificate by NIS. There were also a few cases where people had difficulties in accessing survivor’s benefits and where pension money drawn by a representative was not given to the pensioner.

The large crowd that gathered at Liberty Palace, Liberty Avenue, Richmond Hill, New York City, expressed displeasure at the long waiting time to process their NIS claims. Their frustration led to some of them leaving the outreach without their case being reviewed. Claimants did not seem to understand the need for record validation: The problems they raised could not be solved quickly; those require research and contact with other government agencies and private businesses. The NIS team conducted themselves professionally. To operate in a makeshift office to process about 400 claims in Queens alone in just one day was unsettling. The NIS team had to struggle to process/review all the requests; the workload for one day was very heavy. It would have accentuated had it not been for the support of the Guyana Consulate staff. Notwithstanding, many claimants had their issues resolved, while some claimants remain optimistic about the outcome, but others remain skeptical. The NIS claims proce-

dure is not clear to most Guyanese in the diaspora. What is apparent is that the NIS Board should clearly lay out and publish the broad outlines of the qualifications required for NIS benefits, and state who has the obligation to provide records of service or other related documents. There must be a national programme of education for both employers and employees. It is imperative that institutional deficiencies be eliminated to allow the smooth flow for processing NIS claims. Vigorous efforts must also be made to ensure that private companies, local and regional governments, remit their employees’ contribution in a timely manner to NIS. The NIS Board should consider the feasibility of employees "buying back" contributions to allow them to qualify for a monthly pension because they had fallen short of the qualifying amount (750) by a few contributions, as happens with similar insurance in other countries. Regards, Tara Singh

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

Stop the senseless killing of animals with illegal firecrackers!

DR. NARDEO BASSOODEO was on the Gildarie-Freddie Kissoon last Wednesday and appealed to the government and the police to prevent people from killing animals on Diwali night. The veterinary surgeon said that as a practising Hindu, he knows Diwali is a peaceful moment that celebrates the joy of life and should never see the use of firecrackers and fireworks that result in the killing of animals. He is appealing to the authorities to clamp down on the sale of these items. The use of squibs is illegal in Guyana, yet Dr. Bassoodeo says they are openly sold in the markets. Leonard Gildarie joined in and said that he noticed that squibs were being sold right opposite the police stations at Diamond and Grove. Every year on Bourda Street outside the Bourda Market, vendors can be seen openly selling squibs and fire-crackers. It is no exaggeration to say that the police seem not to care. There are two horrible descriptions of what happened to dogs on Diwali night and New Year’s Eve as told by Dr. Bassoodeo. He said uncivilised people would capture stray dogs and stick the squib into the mouth and other parts of the body. The exploding squibs destroy the entire face of the dogs and rip off the lower part of their bodies. This will happen on Sunday and Monday unless there are stricter measures. This will happen on

New Year’s Eve. This has been happening every year. The goodly veterinary surgeon suggested to everyone that after the night of firecrackers, visit the streets the morning after and you see how many dead dogs litter the roadways. He went on to add that cats suffer extreme laceration then death when the squibs and firecrackers go off. He explained that they run away and try to climb the barb- wired fences where the razors tear them to pieces. Dr. Bassoodeo informed us that there are noiseless firecrackers that lit up the night skies without making that booming sound. He believes that this is the type of firecrackers Guyana should import. The merciless torture of animals when people let off squibs and firecrackers makes no sense based on the statistics of Dr. Bassoodeo. He says seven out of every 10 households in Guyana have pets. From ruling politicians, opposition politicians, police and army officials, foreign diplomats, the rich, the famous, you name it; these people have pets that they love, yet every year, whether it is the celebration of Independence Day, Republic Day, Diwali event or New Year’s Eve, many animals are killed in this country because of the use of squibs and firecrackers. But how much of humanity is left in this country? I remember in 2016, when Guyanese from the interior

landed at Ogle airport with their pets, they were asked to produce documents to show that the pets were born in Guyana. If they couldn’t produce any paper, over-zealous veterinary surgeons from the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) would then kill the animals. This animal cruelty went on for two weeks. The Chronicle, the Kaieteur News and this columnist exposed this horrible situation and not one member of the APNU+AFC intervened to stop the death of those animals. The ‘vets’ from the GLDA and those who run private clinics had the vaccine to treat those dogs instead of killing them off but it seemed that murdering them was a better option. Please see the following three columns of mine of the killing of those puppies whose owners included Brazilians who had landed at Ogle and had no idea that they had to produce birth certificates for their pets. One Brazilian woman broke down hysterically when her pet was taken away from her and killed.

1- Wednesday, November 30, 16, “The horrible denial of the rights of Guyanese that they willingly accept.” 2- Wednesday, December 14, 2016, “The puppies were killed because Mr. Gomes did not keep his promise.” 3- Friday, December 16, 2016, “The Guyana Revenue Authority officials are doing nonsense.” After those two weeks of extreme animal cruel by the officials of GLDA and the Ogle airport officials, I literally began to hate everything about the APNU+AFC government and hate the people that administered power in the APNU+AFC. The columns that I did on the murder of those puppies will forever remain the most memorable I have done

in my 35 years of newspaper presence. But when I look back at the history of the APNU+AFC, it made sense why they killed those animals. They had no humanity in them. These were people who refused to deport foreign prisoners unless they paid their own

plane tickets. These prisoners were locked up forever at the Diamond police station. See my column of Tuesday, March 26, 2019, “Guyana secretly buries dead foreign prisoners.” The APNU+AFC was an evil regime. Guyana was saved on August 2, 2020.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

Known cliques have to stop ‘sporting around’ with sport

IT cannot be denied that sport is important for the development of our country. However, we must acknowledge the fact that there are far too many sport administrators sporting with sport in Guyana. Recently I read an editorial criticising the development of sport and national sport associations/federations in Guyana. The writer did not fail to include some vicious vitriol against the government. I am certain that the writer of that editorial is fully aware of the PPP/C government’s tremendous and continuous investment in the development of sport in Guyana. Further, the attempt to castigate and brutally criticise the government is ex-

tremely biased and will not help in any way with the development of sport in our country. The government cannot and does not involve itself in the day-to-day operations of the national associations. However, these associations must be held accountable to the people of Guyana. As such, the media must demand accountability from all national sport associations. The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) is a national sport association that is affiliated with a very powerful international federation. Yet, the GFF has been involved in some questionable situations over the last few years. The media, should call on the GFF to explain what is happening to the Gold Proj-

ect. Millions of dollars were and continue to be squandered. What happened to the FIFA sponsored project in Parika? Again, what is happening to the project at Providence? The PPP/C had rolled out a project whereby 40 football clubs around the country were given $500,000 each for the development of the club structure, and all the money was frittered away. No other sport discipline received PPP/C financial support like football. We could write a book about the travesty and the performance of the different cliques. Sport received the largest financial investment under Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo’s Presidency. It was his vision and direct intervention

that enabled us to have the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, the World class Aquatic Centre, the Synthetic Track at Leonora, the Racquet Centre and the Sport Resource Centre. The Forbes Burnham described “barn” for a sport hall was transformed into a truly international indoor multisport facility. We continue to see similar support and development of sport under Dr. Irfaan Ali’s Presidency. President Ali’s robust intervention in the development of sport is most welcome. The development of the many elegant sport facilities around the country will lead to genuine development of sport and the emergence of sport tourism as a major economic force in Guyana.

Sport tourism is becoming a reality in Guyana as we all eagerly anticipate the 2024 Cricket Carnival. Guyana must raise our international sport profile. All national sport associations must be accountable to our people. Accountability and transparency must be enforced and statutory Annual

General Meetings must be held in a timely manner. This nation must be aware of the sport programmes of every national sport association. I challenge our media to lead the charge against all the cliques who are sporting with sport in Guyana.

Pensioners, persons living with disabilities welcome one-off bonuses - say interventions are timely, useful

By Michel Outridge PENSIONERS and persons living with disabilities have welcomed President Dr. Irfaan Ali’s announcement of plans to provide one-off bonuses in December, as part of interventions catered for under the $5 billion allocation that was set aside in Budget 2023 to support persons amidst rising cost of living brought on by global challenges. President Ali, in a live broadcast on Thursday, announced that persons living with disabilities, who are on the public assistance register, will get an additional $35,000 bonus payable in December 2023. This will benefit 19,000 persons at a cost of $660 million. Regarding old-age pensioners, a one-off bonus of

$25,000 will be given in December, and will benefit 72,000 pensioners at a cost of $1.8 billion. The Guyana Chronicle spoke to Keith Rice, 75, who lost sight in both his eyes in 2021. He said that the gesture is good, and he hopes for more in the future. The Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara resident said that he is grateful for the additional funds, which would help him to offset his current expenses, especially the purchase of medications. President of the Guyana Society for the Blind Cecil Morris told the Guyana Chronicle that as an advocate for persons living with disabilities, it is a good initiative. “Living with disabilities is not reversible, and they have more needs than nor-

Lavena McBean-Powlette

mal people, since they are dependent on family to assist them, and often. They are alone and it requires money to do everything,” he said. Morris added that due to transportation costs, he is now staying at the Guyana Society for the Blind, having left his home in Kuru Kuru, on the Soesdyke-Highway. The 72-year-old told the Guyana Chronicle that it is hard living with disabilities, and many people aren’t kind to them, but he appreciates the one-off bonus, since it is better than nothing at all. Pensioner, Vandrene Spencer, 77, who is a volunteer at the Guyana Society for the Blind, said that she is extremely grateful for the one-off bonus of $25,000 for December, as it will as-

Simone Poole

Pensioner, Keith Rice sist her in many ways. “I am very thankful to the president and the government for this bonus; it means a lot to me personally,” she said. Spencer is living on the Highway, and when she could afford it, she would pay $1,000 one way to the city to go and assist people with disabilities, since this is something she has been

NCD Executive Secretary Beverly Pile (Delano Williams photos)

Pensioner, Vandrene Spencer doing since the 1980s. “I do what I can for these people who cannot see, and I feel good about helping them; my way of giving back,” she said. Simone Poole, who is an employee at the National Commission on Disability (NCD), told the Guyana Chronicle that a one-off bonus for persons living with disabilities is welcoming, and she is very thankful. As a person living with disabilities who is dependent on a motorised wheelchair all the time, the bonus is thoughtful and timely, since she, like other people with disabilities, needs added care and treatment. Poole uses her motorised wheelchair to get to and from work from Stevedore Housing Scheme to Croal Street on weekdays, and has been employed at the NCD for the past nine years. NCD Executive Secretary Beverly Pile told the Guyana Chronicle that she is pleased about the move to give a bonus as an additional “top up” for the month

President of the Guyana Society for the Blind Cecil Morris of December, since persons living with disabilities have a lot of challenges, and it is more costly for them to live. “Persons living with disabilities need funding all the time, but this is a good step towards fulfilling that need, and the ripple effect will be beneficial for people with disabilities who are dependent on others,” she said. The NCD employs three persons with disabilities on a full-time basis, and has on its register 18,006 persons living with disabilities as of October 20, 2023. Another beneficiary, Lavena McBean-Powlette, told the Guyana Chronicle that she is totally blind, so additional money means a lot to her, as an unemployed person living with a disability. Eight years ago, she was employed when she had sight in both eyes, but after she lost it, she was fired and remains unemployed. The woman is willing to work but cannot find employment at this time.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

Khushal Singh named UG’s 2023 valedictorian - to be awarded both President’s Medal, Prime Minister’s Medal

AFTER successfully completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Management with a perfect Grade Point Average of 4.0, 26-year-old Khushal Singh has emerged as the University of Guyana’s valedictorian. Singh, a resident of Enterprise, East Coast Demerara, will be among 3,000 graduands as part of the university’s 57th convocation exercises, and has captured both the President’s Medal for the Best Graduating Bachelor’s Degree Student and the Prime Minister’s Medal for the Best Graduating Student with a Degree in Public Management. According to a release from the university, upon hearing that he was named this year’s valedictorian, Singh said that he was extremely happy that he copped the coveted prize. “I feel very happy, proud and fortunate. It is an incredibly rewarding experience. It is a sign that I have worked hard, achieved success, and earned the respect of my peers. It is a reminder of how far I have come and the potential I have to achieve even more. It is also a great opportu-

nity to inspire others and show them what hard work can achieve,” he said. The valedictorian completed this degree in three years and noted that doing so was no easy task. He added: “I had to pull additional courses and do summer courses. This meant lectures clashing, several tests in one day, and a greater amount of effort and work being required. With classes, assignments, work, social activities, and other commitments, it can be hard to balance everything.” Explaining how he was able to manage and achieve this level of success, he said that he was able to overcome challenges by remaining disciplined, consistent and utilising goal-setting. Additionally, Singh indicated that he had to prioritise lectures and tutorials and set both long and short-term goals, as taking on that much in a short time requires one to be persistent and extremely organised. Singh, the second of three siblings, attended the Enterprise Primary School and then went on to acquire his secondary education

at the Bishop’s High in Georgetown. The valedictorian said that he came up in very humble beginnings but this never stopped him from dreaming big. His mother is a housewife and his dad works in the interior. Further, noting that his family understands the value of education, they kept pushing him to do his best to complete the programme despite the challenges faced. According to Singh, his academic journey was not all smooth sailing, as he was faced with challenges along the way. “I was determined to continue pushing myself and expanding my horizons. I was also motivated by the feeling of accomplishment. Every time I gained an “A” I felt a sense of pride and satisfaction. This feeling kept me going and gave me the drive to continue pushing myself,” he said. Singh related that this is not the end of his academic journey, as he has intentions to keep going after new knowledge, so that he is equipped with the skills to make a positive difference in his community.

“I aspire to develop myself academically with a master’s degree and a doctorate and serve in a capacity where I am able to positively influence policies, as I believe these greatly shape the future of individuals, societies and nations. Additionally, I aim at becoming a successful entrepreneur and creating fruitful businesses that will make a progressive impact on my nation,” he said. Further, according to the release, in addition to Singh, several other graduands are expected to receive special awards. These graduands include: Dhanraj Baljit who completed a Bachelor in Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) will be receiving the Prime Minister’s Award for the best graduating student in the School of Medicine; Keon

The University of Guyana’s 2023 Valedictorian, Khushal Singh Heywood, who will graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education (Secondary) English will share the Council of the University Prize with Marleysa Bishop, who will graduate with a Degree in Food Science. The Council of the University prize is awarded to the graduating student who has attained at least a “Pass with Credit”

and has made the greatest contribution in other areas of university activities. Heywood will also share the Dennis Irvine Award with Shedella Hodge, who completed a Degree in Social Work and will be recognised for being the student who has made the greatest contribution to the cultural life of the university.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

$1.9B in additional disposable income for teachers

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

- with new salary adjustments, allowances, other interventions announced by President Ali

T E A C H E R S a c ro s s Guyana are set to benefit from major adjustments to their salaries and allowances, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, announced on Thursday. The Head-of-State, during a live broadcast to the nation, revealed the new adjustments to teachers’ salaries, and interventions that will accumulate to a total of $1.9 billion in additional disposable income for the country’s educators. “As you would recall a few weeks ago I met with teachers from across the country. Subsequently, the Minister of Finance, Prime Minister and a number of other Cabinet colleagues would have met with unions across our country including the Guyana’s Teacher’s Union. We consulted, we listened…,” President Ali said before announcing the new interventions. All graduate teachers who are holders of a relevant bachelor’s degree from the University of Guyana, a degree-awarding institution under the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) programme, or a degree certified by the National Equivalency Board, will be moved to the maximum point of the scale

applicable to the post they currently occupy. This, the President said, will benefit over 4,000 teachers at an additional annual cost of $ 1 billion, effective from December 1 2023. Additionally, teachers will receive an education allowance of $ 10,000 monthly for holders of a bachelor's degree; this allowance, he said, would be equivalent to $120,000 annually. Meanwhile, teachers who are holders of a master’s degree will receive $ 20,000 and those who are holders of a doctorate will receive $30,000. These adjustments will see teachers earning, respectively, an additional $240,000, and $360,000 annually. These revisions in allowances will benefit over 4,500 teachers at an additional annual cost of $500 million. Further, he revealed that education allowances for teachers in remote areas will be adjusted upwards from its current level to $20,000. This will also take effect from December 1, 2023. This will benefit of over 2,400 teachers at an additional annual cost of $260 million. Providing a scenario

so persons could understand how the increases would apply, President Ali said A graduate Senior Mistress/Head of Department will now have their current salary adjusted upwards from $243,069 to $262,917, and with the inclusion of the revision to education allowances, represents an overall 12 per cent increase compared to the previous minimum salary paid to a graduate Senior Mistress/ Head of Department. In the case of a graduate Senior Assistant Mistress working in the hinterland, the current minimum salary will be adjusted upwards from $223,232 to $243,076, and with the inclusion of the revision to education allowances and Remote Areas Incentive (RAI), this will represent an overall 16 per cent increase compared to the previous minimum salary paid to a graduate Senior Assistant Mistress in an RAI area. “If you look at the average of the increase in salaries alone, the annualised benefit that will go to a teacher is close to $240,000 at a minimum level. When we add the allowances this will of course take this up further,” President Ali said.

Teachers across Guyana are set to benefit from major adjustments to their salaries and allowances, President Dr. Irfaan Ali announced on Thursday (Delano Williams photo)

Outside of salaries and allowances, all teachers who hold a substantive appointment as a Senior Master/Mistress or above, and are within three years of retirement and have not previously received a duty-free concession on a motor car, are entitled to a duty-free concession for a motor car up to 1500cc. This intervention, according to the President, is expected to cost $150

million annually. “As of now, we have approximately 100 concessions that are given to teachers annually. Outside of these 100 concessions now, we are putting the position that every teacher once you are a senior master, mistress and above that you are entitled to this concession three years before retirement in keeping with the laws. This additional benefit

will cost $150 million annually,” the President said. The benefits do not end there, as the Headof State announced the government’s plans for across-the-board salary increases to public servants. This will include the salaries of teachers, members of the disciplinary services and workers of semi-autonomous agencies.

Drivers must be cautious, reduce speed - Minister Benn

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

- says ‘app’ to take online complaints will soon be launched

Story and photos by Indrawattie Natram WHILE noting that 80 per cent of road accidents are due to speeding, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn on Wednesday pleaded with drivers to be cautious when using the roadways. At the time, he was delivering the feature address at the launch of Road Safety Month in Region Two under the theme, “Road Safety is not a slogan, it’s a way of life, respect the road”. The launch was a collaboration involving the Ministry of Home Affairs, Guyana National Road Safety Council, the Guyana Police Force and the Essequibo Road Safety Council. Prior to the commencement of the programme, there was a road parade.

Addressing a sizeable crowd at the Anna Regina Car Park, Minister Benn called on road users to exercise caution while driving on the roadways. He reminded his audience that over 80 per cent of the accidents caused on the roadway is due to speeding. He said that there are various contributors to speeding which include excessive use of alcohol, smoking and even texting and listening to music whilst driving. “First thing we need to think about is to call on young men to change their behaviour. The work that is done by the National Road Safety Council is critical and more critical at the operational level is the work of the police force,” Benn added. The minister used the opportunity to call on the traffic police to “up their

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn speaking at the launch of Road Safety Month in Region Two game” and to be respectful. He said that the Guyana Police Force will not

tolerate any driver or operator being disrespectful to its ranks.

Persons gathered at the Anna Regina Car Park for the road safety launch

“If we have people breaking the law and…we have them attacking those who are there to serve and protect, everything [would] have collapse and now with social media everything is recorded but the good must also be recorded,” he said. Further, Minister Benn said that his ministry is working to create an online app though which residents/road users can make complaints. It is expected to be introduced before the end of the month. In terms of ensuring the roads are safer for all categories of users, the minister said that in Region Four cameras have been installed to record breaches. The ministry plans to replicate this across the country and according to Benn, so far the system has been working very well. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Representative Arnold Adams, speaking on behalf of the region said that road safety is ev-

eryone's business. He said that too many lives are lost on the roadway and it is time for road users to be extremely careful. Chairperson of the Essequibo Road Safety Council, Colleen Singh also stated that too many lives are lost due to accidents on the roadway. She said that many homes are broken due to persons becoming incapable of working after an accident. She indicated that the Essequibo Road Safety Council will continue to work with drivers and road users to ensure that they use the roadway correctly. Singh used the opportunity to commend the Traffic Department’s ongoing sensitisation programme. Also in attendance at the launch were Traffic Chief Mahendra Singh, Regional Commander Khemraj Shivbaran, Mayor of Anna Regina, Devin Mohan and learners.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

Guyana has the potential to serve as an anchor in the region

- USAID Regional Representative for the Eastern and Southern Caribbean says; affirms country plays a vital role in the economic, social development of the Caribbean By Cindy Parkinson THE United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Regional Representative for the Eastern and Southern Caribbean, Mervyn Farroe, has said that Guyana is essential to the social and economic cohesion of the Caribbean. “CARICOM continues to be a steadfast and valued partner with USAID and in promoting development, stability, and resilience in the Caribbean Region… Guyana, as a member of CARICOM, plays a vital role in the economic and social development of the Caribbean. It is a beautiful country, rich in its natural resources and cultural ethnicities. “Guyana has the potential to serve as an anchor in the region, and that is exceptional. We are proud to walk with Guyana on this important journey,” Farroe said on Wednesday, during the USAID reception at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, to celebrate the long-standing partnership with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The event held under the theme: “Neighbours, Partners, Friends: Spotlight on Guyana,” the occasion was used as a fo-

rum to reflect on the important partnership between the US and CARICOM. US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, in her address at the reception, said that USAID and CARICOM are working diligently to tackle pressing concerns in areas such as agriculture, food security, climate resilience, juvenile justice, and citizen security. She added that their joint commitment to promoting constructive change and creating a brighter future for everybody is demonstrated by this cooperative endeavour. Ambassador Theriot said: “This collaborative effort underscores our shared commitment to fostering positive change and building a better future for all.” She reminded the gathering that it was during the CARICOM 50th anniversary celebration in July that the Secretary of State Anthony Blinken recalled how the CARICOM founding treaty was signed on July 4, 1973, when Michael Manley, the then Prime Minister of Jamaica said: "We must seek our strength in our unity. And then we must dedicate that strength to the building of a new life of opportunity and security for our people."

Theriot further added: “USAID’s commitment to Guyana is a testament to the enduring bonds between our nations and the deep-rooted desire to strengthen the well-being of the people of this region... the partnership between USAID and CARICOM demonstrates our shared commitment to fostering progress in Guyana. “Our efforts in citizen security, juvenile justice, climate resilience, food security, and agriculture are making a tangible difference in the lives of the people we serve. As we move forward, we remain dedicated to our shared vision of a safer, more secure, and prosperous Guyana. Together, we can overcome challenges and build a brighter future for all of our citizens, neighbours, partners, and friends.” Meanwhile, CARICOM Secretary General, Dr. Carla Barnett, praised the leadership of President Ali and the crucial role that he and his nation are playing in improving food and nutrition security in the region, as well as reducing the cost of food imports. According to Dr. Barnett: “I express sincere appreciation to the government of the United States of America and to USAID for their

US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot (left); Regional Representative for the Eastern and Southern Caribbean, Mervyn Farroe, and CARICOM Secretary General, Dr. Carla Barnett, at the USAID reception held at the Guyana Marriott Hotel (Shaniece Bamfield photo) long-standing with the Caribbean Community. And I would like to commend the exceptional leadership of His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the President of

the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, who leads within the community on agriculture, agriculture diversification, and food security in CARICOM. He is expending a

lot of personal energy by spearheading the CARICOM efforts to lower the food-import bill and ensure food and nutrition security for the region."

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

Abram Zuil Secondary students, teachers build shade houses - as part of efforts to encourage teamwork, equip students with life skills

By Cindy Parkinson

WITH THE help of their teachers, fourth form agriculture students at Abram Zuil Secondary School (AZSS) in Region Tw o , a re b u i l d i n g their own shade houses as a means of ensuring that they are actively engaged in their studies through both theory and practical components and are being properly prepared for life after school. The school’s acting headteacher, Sir Jerome Rampersaud, told this publication that they wanted their students to have a first-hand experience of what it means to be in the initial stages of building the shade houses. “We want to develop the spirit of co-operation among the students and teachers, and we had discussions with the Head of Department

(HoD), Sir Yadesh Persaud from the agriculture science stream.” He added that although the school was originally meant to enter a competition to showcase the shade houses, the school was unable to finish them in time, and so it was felt that it would be best for the students to get involved. “These shade houses should be completed in the next two weeks or so. I must commend our HoD, the students, and parents for their support and co-operation in making this project a success. What is most amazing about this project is that it was started while the sun was extremely hot, when we were experiencing really hot weather, but the resilience of these students is beautiful to see. They are very excited about this project, and I must also commend our parents

for seeing the importance of this project and giving their children the opportunity to learn

something new. They did not hesitate to give Sir Persaud permission to have them work with

Shade houses being constructed at the Abram Zuil Secondary School (AZSS photos)

him, even on Saturdays. That says a lot about them and their interest in their children,” the acting headteacher said. Additionally, he stated that he would like to express his gratitude to Chuman Lall Contracting Service for donating the clay and Asif Bacchus for his donation of the materials for the shade houses. Sir Rampersaud also took the opportunity to praise his staff for the exceptional work that they are doing with their students in order to enhance their lives. “Even though we are faced with some challenges with some of our students, I am happy to say that, through the Ministry of Education, we have a counsellor that is stationed at our school. Even though she is appointed at Abram Zuil Secondary, she is serving other schools within the region as well.”

Like other schools in the country, the headteacher said that many of the issues that students are faced with stem from their homes. While speaking to this publication, he commended the Government of Guyana and the Minister of Education for working to ensure that counsellors are assigned to each school in the nation. “I must thank the government and Minister Manickchand for playing their part in ensuring that our schools have the help that the students need. At Abram Zuil Secondary School, I am proud to say that with the help of our counsellor and my staff, we are working on getting parents onboard too so that we can help these children,” he said. As of next term, he plans to have parent conferences at various levels so that the teachers, parents and their children, and the counsellor can have a “one-on-one" interaction about parenting and the impact that they have on their children’s lives. Finally, Sir Rampersaud emphasised and sent a special message to the teachers at his school: “At Abram Zuil School, we have a very unique staff. They are extremely cooperative, and I want them to know that I appreciate them and all that they do for the students. In my book, my staff is the best in the country, and I am proud of them and all that they do."

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

Teachers applaud salary, allowance adjustments

PRESIDENT, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali announced on Thursday a series of salary and allowance adjustments that will benefit over 4,000 teachers, especially graduates. The Head of State also announced an increase in the Remote Areas Incentive (RAI) for hinterland teachers and duty-free concessions for teachers who hold substantive appointments as Senior Masters/Mistresses. The Department of Public Information (DPI) spoke with a few teachers at several schools, who expressed appreciation for these interventions. Damian La Rose, head of the science department at St. Stanislaus College, said the adjustments will better help him to support his family. “It will help us to do a little more planning as we go forward. We can decide how much we can spend on recreational activities and how much we can put aside for the children to go to college,” he explained.

Over 30 years in the profession, Colin Moses also of St. Stanislaus College said these adjustments signal tremendous improvement in the education sector. “I am excited, and encouraged, and I think that I am motivated to continue to give my service to the children of Guyana and St. Stanislaus College. I believe that what I will be receiving will be able to service some of the financial needs that I have. I trust I’ll be able to improve my living standard and my family’s” he said. Moses also highlighted the long-term benefits that are in store following these adjustments. “It means that teachers who are still working now, when they are about to retire, certainly the gratuity would be a bigger package, and it would also impact their pension. I think it’s a plus for them,” he explained. Headmistress of St. Stanislaus College, Donna Lewis-Isles, who was present at the engage-

President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali announced on Thursday a series of salary and allowance adjustments that will benefit over 4,000 teachers, especially graduates ments with the President last month, said she is happy that President Ali is fulfilling his commitment to addressing discrepancies in the salary scales for teachers. “I’m really happy to see that he is a man of his word, and his word is really his bond. He has lived up to our expectations. I know there is much more to come, it’s only the beginning, and that is something we have to celebrate,” she told the

DPI. M e a n w h i l e , H e a dteacher of Comenius Primary, Michelle Booker, stated that she was excited about the announcement and recalled the consultations with the president which set the stage for these adjustments. “Indeed, it is going to benefit my family because more funds will allow one to have a better standard of living. You’re going to improve your economic status,” the head teacher

emphasised. For Assistant Mistress at Comenius Primary, Shelley Lall, the adjustments will benefit single parents. “It is really good. I mean to be able to get the maximum on the scale is beneficial. I am a single parent and I think for all the other single parents who are teachers right now, they are going to appreciate this. Our way of life will increase,” she said.

Headmistress of F.E. Pollard Primary School, Glenda Boucher, said the announcement indicates that the government is keeping the interests of teachers in mind. “Any increase will benefit you and your family because a little bit more is coming into your pocket, and it’s a little bit more for your family. So, it will benefit my family,” Boucher pointed out. Another teacher at the primary school, Janice Torrington, said she feels immensely grateful following the announcement. “You always know money is going to benefit your family because you always have things to do with your money. For me, I’m going to buy things for the season, so it’ll help us to have a better meal on the table on Christmas morning,” she shared. These adjustments and revised allowances amount to some $1.9 billion of disposable income in the pockets of teachers annually.

Almost $3.4B in contracts signed for hinterland infrastructural development

IN a bid to continuously improve accessibility and connectivity within the hinterland communities, contracts totalling almost $3.4 billion were on Thursday signed for roadworks in Regions One, Eight, and Nine. The contracts will see upgrades to 25 roads, spanning a total length of 282.3 kilometres. Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill called for accelerated implementation as the contractors undertake these works, urging them to treat the residents in the various communities with respect in the process. As such, he urged that they mobilise their equip-

Some of the contractors and representatives gathered to sign their contracts at the Ministry of Public Works, on Thursday ment swiftly, and ensure that their projects are executed in a manner that minimises inconvenience to residents. The public works min-

ister pointed out that the ministry views contractors as partners in development, and as such, they are expected to carry out a collective mandate of

serving people satisfactorily. “Wherever our people are located, we have to keep the wheels of industry turning. We have

to ensure that services are getting to people, that when we get these roads done, the doctors, nurses and education officials can get in. The senior citizens can get their pensions served better [and] better water supply,” he told contractors at the ministry’s Kingston office. “These roads, some will be asphaltic concrete, others will see rigid pavement concrete roads, and others will be laterite based. Overall, since 2020 to now, we have done significant work in terms of improving connectivity within the hinterland communities,” the minister added.

Highlighting the critical role that residents play in holding contractors accountable, the minister issued a stern warning, reiterating that the government will not tolerate ‘lackadaisical’ or ‘shoddy’ work. The minister also said as the main thoroughfares are upgraded, focus will be placed on ensuring that connectivity from village to village is maintained. Accordingly, contracts will soon be signed for upgrades to community roads in Amerindian villages in Region Eight, as the government continues to build out a robust infrastructural landscape.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

Full probe to be conducted into - Dr. Jagdeo ‘early release’ of Bibi Gopaul says

A FULL investigation will be launched into the early release of Bibi Gopaul, who was convicted for murder-

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

ing her 16-year-old daughter, Nessa Gopaul, in 2010. This is according to General Secretary

of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo. He made this announcement during a press

conference at Freedom House on Thursday. “The President was very upset about this,” Dr. Jagdeo said, while

DEAD: Neesa Gopaul

Convicted murderer Bibi Gopaul

underscoring that President Dr. Irfaan Ali was “livid” about the matter. According to the Guyana Prison Service (GPS), the convicted murderer, who was ordered to serve a 25-year prison term, was recently released from prison as a result of an “incorrect calculation” of her prison term. However, yesterday afternoon, Gopaul was arrested by police

at Parika, East Bank Essequibo, and was escorted back to the New Amsterdam Prison to complete serving her lawful sentence. In 2022, Guyana’s final appellate court, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), acquitted Jarvis “Barry” Small for the 2010 murder of Gopaul’s teenage daughter, Neesa, and reduced the mother’s sentence to 25 years.

ply chain. “As part of Guyana’s transformation, the Private Sector Commission urges individuals to maximise available concessions and fiscal measures to support teachers and fellow citizens. “These actions align with our values of col-

laboration and shared responsibility for national development. As a partner in progress, the commission looks forward to ongoing collaboration with the government to create an environment promoting economic growth and citizens’ well-being.”

PSC applauds progressive measures for socio-economic advancement

The following is the full text of a statement from the Private Sector Commission: “THE Private Sector Commission (PSC) of Guyana commends President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and the government for the recent announcement outlining significant revisions to salary scales, allowances, and bonuses, primarily benefitting some 67,000 Guyanese in the Public Service. “These initiatives are

to be funded in part by the $5 billion cost-of-living allocation in this year’s budget” President Ali said. “The increase in disposable income is seen as a positive development for the economy, and the measures to be implemented for teachers reflect a commitment to recognising and valuing the contributions of educators to our nation's progress. “The one-off payment bonus for pensioners, community enhancement

workers, and persons with disabilities demonstrates an inclusive approach, acknowledging the diverse roles that individuals play in the sustenance and development of our society. The Private Sector Commission applauds the government's efforts to ensure a fair distribution of benefits to foster social and economic equity. “In addition, the allocation of $850 million to purchase fertilisers for farmers is a crucial step in

ensuring food security and the overall actualisation of the 25 by 2025 vision. This move is expected to benefit approximately 35,000 farmers and improve 287,000 acres of land under cultivation. “The Private Sector Commission recognises the importance of a robust agricultural sector and appreciates the government's proactive stance in supporting farmers, thereby contributing to the resilience of our food-sup-

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

GTU welcomes new benefits for teachers - optimistic about engaging gov’t on further interventions

President of the GTU, Dr. Mark Lyte THE following is the text of the full statement from the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) on the announcements made by President, Dr. Irfaan Ali: THE teachers’ financial incentives announced by His Excellency, Dr. Irfaan Ali today will immediately benefit approximately 4,500 teachers which is 37.5 per cent of our teachers. This is apart from the across-the board bonus of 25,000 for all public servants and other categories of workers. The teaching fraternity has over 13,000 teachers, most of whom are below the status of SM/HoD. One thing that is noted from this announcement is that there are incentives for improved qualifications inclusive of GOAL degrees. The Guyana Teachers’ Union is not averse to teachers receiving added financial benefits whenever it is offered, but still sees the need for collective bargaining so that teachers of all categories (senior or junior) benefit. The President in his announcement stated that another statement would be made regarding salary increases for teachers sometime; hence, the union believes there is still time for engagement to address the percentage before the year ends. Teachers across Guyana, especially seniors, would be elated about duty-free [oncessions] becoming available for those with three years remaining. We have long advocated that all seniors be given a duty-free concession.

Presently, there are over 500 teachers that [sic] will be eligible this year. The union welcomes this decision to award teachers within the status duty-free, but hopes that 2000cc will be the ceiling. Teachers with added qualifications will certainly enjoy the allowances, however, we ask that these allowances be tax-free. Currently, allowances given are taxed after being added to the teacher’s gross salary. Hinterland teachers will also benefit from the increased RAI which should cushion in some way the high cost of living these teachers endure there. The GTU noticed that the government has been incrementally addressing proposed matters outlined in our submitted multi-year proposal. We believe that the collective bargaining process would have enabled us (government and union) to arrive at a consensus early so that teachers would have had a clear understanding of their benefits. Finally, the GTU has been patient and optimistic that the government and the union would sit, discuss, and agree on a sustainable package for educators who have been making Guyana proud at external examinations. Teachers have been putting in the hard yards over the years; hence, the compensation packages must reflect early on how each teacher will benefit over time. This would facilitate long-term plans for teachers' families.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

‘Tavi’ uses social media to promote black hair, break stereotypes

BLACK women have been struggling with the acceptance of their natural hair for decades. The issue of texture, length, and having straight hair has been a constant battle. It is these insecurities and societal norms that cause the hair industry to strive, making billions of dollars at the expense of a black woman trying to fit in or stand out. As such, Authavia Dos Santos is determined to break these doors down to help black women love their curls and coils. She has been using social media to bring about a change in attitude and to highlight the beauty of black hair. “Tavy” as she is popularly known, has struggled with the acceptance of her natural hair for as long as she can remember. “It was not until 2017 that I decided to start my natural hair journey because of the relaxer damage I had on my scalp,” she recently told this publication. Relaxers, pressing combs, and pressing irons are tools that have been used to ‘tame’ the textures of black women's hair for decades. While these tools might have short-term satisfaction, there is evidence to suggest long-term damage to the natural hair. The representation of black hair in the media and within the beauty industry has been lacking over the years. In most cases, black women are represented on billboards, magazines, or on television with long, straightened hair. For this reason, most black women are influenced to relax their hair or use something to attain a straighter look. During the sit-down interview with this publication, Dos Santos spoke about how she learned to fall in love with her coils. “When I was growing up I always loved my hair but hadn’t the slightest clue of how to take care of my hair,” she said later adding, “I always see other girls my

in 2017, she began to create and upload natural videos and blogs sharing her journey on a new channel, “Life with Authavia”, which she has now grown from 0 to 491 subscribers. Her goal is to get to 1,000 subscribers by the end of the year. Meanwhile, as she spoke about herself, it was revealed that, in 2011, she enrolled at the University of Guyana to pursue a Diploma in Communications Studies. She was now on her path to fulfilling her dreams. “Since I was little, I knew I wanted to be on TV. I liked talking and having a microphone, and I knew this course would be ideal.” The communications programme at the university is entwined with all aspects of media, from print to radio and television. “This programme gave me the skills I needed, from knowing the proper usage and techniques of a camera to editing videos." This, she posited, was all ideal for her in terms of creating proper content. She is now pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications Studies with a minor in marketing.

Authavia Dos Santos

age having their hair straightened, and I wanted that.” Relaxed hair for many black women has caused lasting damage, including alopecia, scalp burns, and thinning of the hair. It was not until Dos Santos started to experience most of these known side effects of relaxers that she tried other alternatives. “It is time to flip the script,” she thought at the time. UTILISING YOU TUBE With the use of YouTube, she started to record videos of her own journey in loving and maintaining her natural hair. “It was 2011 when I started my first YouTube channel. After watching the Glam Twins, I thought to myself I

could make videos like that.” The Glam Twins were YouTubers who were also transitioning into their natural hair. While Tavy knew what she wanted to do in terms of content, there were some challenges. “I didn’t have a phone or a camera, just my beat up laptop. For Christmas my mom asked me what I wanted, and I told her a camera and a microphone,” she recalled. Now equipped with the tools she needs, she started her own YouTube channel. However, that first attempt was short lived as she ran into further difficulties when her laptop stopped working. Her YouTube account later went dormant. With better equipment

BIG PLANS Like everyone, Dos Santos has big plans for herself. “The only way to go is always up, so it is my hope to market local natural hair products and businesses on my channel,” she said. According to her, social media is a goldmine. She is of the view that Guyanese businesses have not yet fully tapped into it. “Using social media as a marketing tool is the way forward,” she said before noting that social media marketing has been proven to be effective over the years. As more and more people become familiar with the different platforms, businesses are bound to make significant profit. Her other passion project include selling not only natural hair products through her online store melanincurls.gy-

beautysupply, but to include products for all hair types as everyone should be able to find products to better care for their hair. You can follow her on all social media plat-

forms: YouTube @ life with Authavia, Instagram @ melanincurls.gy, Tiktok @ melanincurls.gy15 and Facebook under the name Authavia Dos Santos.

‘Paint and Pasta’ listed as Tourism Awareness Month event

Glamp Camp’s Paint and Pasta is included in this year’s Tourism Awareness Month activities

AS part of the Tourism Awareness Month 2023 calendar of activities, Glamp Camp will be hosting a Paint and Pasta event on November 26, 2023, at Café Bellvana in Georgetown. Speaking with the Buzz, owner of Glamp Camp, Ashmin Brathwaite, said that Paint and Pasta is similar to Sip and Paint. She explained that instead of sipping and painting, attendees will be served pasta and some wine, and of course will be able to paint. Those attending the event will also get wine glass art kits and giveaways, participate in exciting games and much more. “If I could compare it to something it’s going to be like a Sip and Paint event, but instead of painting on a canvas, you will be painting on the wine glass. So essentially a wine glass art class,” Ashmin said before adding that the painting aspect of the event will be facilitated by one of their paint partners. ANSA McAL and Splashmins are the two sponsors who are on board so far, and they have assisted Glamp Camp in making Paint and Pasta a reality. Tickets cost $15,000 per person, and can be purchased from Café Bellvana. Glamp Camp is a luxury picnic and event décor company which was launched two years ago. It aims to create upscale experiences for their clients.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

Shadiamond Assanah crowned Miss East Coast Queen 2023

(From left) Second runner-up, Abeke Lewis; Minister Kwame McCoy; first runner-up, Sasha Maxwell; and the newly crowned queen Shadiamond Assanah (Photos sourced from Miss East Coast Beauty with A Mission Pageant 2023 Facebook page)

Miss East Coast 2023 queen, Shadiamond Assanah

REPRESENTING Melanie, Shadiamond Assanah recently won the Miss East Coast Beauty with A Mission 2023 crown.

She was one of nine young ladies vying for the crown. The new queen, along with first runner-up Sasha

Maxwell and second runner-up Abeke Lewis, recently met with Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility

for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy, at his Camp Street office. “The occasion was a briefing meeting to chart their path forward following their resounding victory on pageant night.” “The Minister, in his welcoming address, expressed his profound satisfaction and admiration for the exceptional performance of each and every contestant, acknowledging that they had made the judges' decisions a difficult task. He further pledged his unwavering support and cooperation to ensure a successful reign for the newly crowned Queen and her court,” a post on the pageant’s Facebook page said. The pageant which was held on November 4 at the Buxton Community Ground attracted a sizeable crowd.

Big sales of 'Super Mario Bros. Wonder' boost prospects for Nintendo's Switch NINTENDO (7974.T) made a pitch for the ongoing match fitness of its aging Switch console on Wednesday, as the Kyoto-based gaming company continues

to churn out hits even as the market debates the timing of a successor device. The Japanese firm said it sold 4.3 million copies of "Super Mario Bros. Wonder"

- the first entirely new instalment in the almost 40-yearold side-scrolling series in a decade - within two weeks of its October 20 launch. That is the best performance of any "Super Mario" title, Nintendo said, as it takes advantage of the Switch install base of more than 130 million units and interest generated by a barnstorming animated movie featuring the moustachioed plumber. "The Switch will enter its eighth year from March 2024 but we will continue to develop new titles without being bound by previous platform lifecycles," Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa told a strategy briefing. The comments come a day after Nintendo reported it sold 6.84 million Switch units in the first six months of the financial year that started in April, a slight increase on the same period a year earlier. Sales of first-party Switch

games were the strongest of any year over that period other than 2020, Nintendo said, boosted by bumper titles such as "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom". Nintendo also announced, on Wednesday, that "Super Mario" creator Shigeru Miyamoto is developing a live action adaptation of the "Zelda" franchise. Games slated for release next year include "Mario vs. Donkey Kong" and "Luigi's Mansion 2 HD". The timing of a successor to the hybrid home/portable Switch device will depend on the strength of Nintendo's hardware and software sales, wrote Jefferies analyst Atul Goyal in a client note, flagging March and October as possible launch windows. "The stronger the sales, the later the launch of Switch 2," he wrote. (Reuters)

'The Crown' coaches share how actors portray the royals

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

Cast members Elizabeth Debicki, Dominic West, Imelda Staunton and Jonathan Pryce attend the premiere for the TV series The Crown Season 5 in London, Britain, November 8, 2022 (REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights)

WITH the final season of "The Crown" about to be launched, focusing on Princess Diana's final days in the early episodes, the show's performance coaches have lifted the lid on how the cast perfect their portrayals. As part of the research for the Netflix royal drama, William Conacher said he and cast members watched footage of the British royals with no volume to capture their mannerisms. “First thing I say is nobody needs to do an impression and I don't believe anybody ever has on this show," Conacher, the super-

vising dialect coach, told Reuters. "It's more about analysing what the face does, what the mouth does, what the head does, and then letting your voice come through that shape." It is a strategy that has paid off. Claire Foy and Olivia Colman, who have played Queen Elizabeth at different periods of her life, have both picked up awards for their performances. "If we're talking about the queen, if you don't open your mouth, if you don't let your lips move much at all, do not tense, just let there be very little distance," Conacher

said. "Diana opened her mouth quite a lot and she also spoke in a very minor key. These are all little things, but they’re hints as to how you make your voice sound like that character without actually changing your voice." Movement coach, Polly Bennett, worked with actors "on how their physicality operates" in each season. "That can be everything from idiosyncratic movement ... so that's the things that we might broadly understand as Diana's tilting head or Prince Charles' slight 'underneathness' of his head."

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

R&B group New Edition will bring their New Jack Swing tunes to Las Vegas early next year

THE Grammy-nominated sextet announced recently that New Edition: Las Vegas will kick off February 28. The group confirmed six residency shows at the Wynn Las Vegas’ Encore Theatre, where acts like Diana Ross, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie and Brad Paisley have taken the stage.

“We just caught lightning in a bottle,” said Ronnie DeVoe, a founding member of New Edition — which includes Michael Bivins, Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Ralph Tresvant and Ricky Bell. The announcement came days after the group performed a tightly choreographed

tribute to the Spinners at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York. DeVoe said the band heard fans’ countless requests — particularly through social media — for them to perform in Sin City. “We’re looking to touch that stage and continue on with the legacy,” he said. After two consecutive North American tours, New Edition has planned for a more intimate setting at Encore, which seats 1,480. “This is going to more theatrical than our Legacy and Culture tours,” Brown said. “This will be a lot more intimate. We wanted it to be up, close and personal for our fans.” New Edition was founded by childhood friends in a Boston housing project and became one of the originators of the modern-day boy band. The group released their debut album “Candy Girl” in 1983 and rejuvenated the teen music scene in the mold of The Jackson Five with hit singles like “Candy Girl,” “Mr. Telephone Man” and “Cool It Now.” The group maintained success after puberty and laid the foundation for groups such as New Kids on the Block, the Backstreet Boys and Boyz II Men. But then, New Edition faced plenty of conflict — which included Brown’s erratic behaviour during a concert tour, resulting in him being kicked out of the group. Tensions grew after Brown was replaced by Gill.

Brown found success as a solo artist with the 1988 hit “Don’t Be Cruel.” Gill and Tresvant had their own solo careers, while Bell, Bivins and DeVoe created their own group, Bell Biv DeVoe, and soared with their 1990 debut album, “Poison,” which went quadruple platinum. But eventually, all six members reconciled, reuniting for their sixth studio album “Home Again” in 1996. The group has toured the past couple of years. Bell said the tours helped build cohesiveness and created more of an opportunity to appreciate each other. He’s grateful for the group’s longevity: “We have each other, we have our health, we have our families. Everybody’s still here.” Bivins said the same authentic brotherhood shown during New Edition’s recent tours will be on display in Las Vegas. “Our audience got a chance to see growth, bond, brotherhood,” he said. “Sometimes that’s bigger than any record because people come to look for separation. But I think we’ll give them the glue.” New Edition hasn’t released an album since 2004, but DeVoe said there’s a good chance the group will release new music leading up to their residency stint. “It makes sense,” he said. “I think it’ll be a great time to get in the studio and put our vocals on something new and fresh.” (AP)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Friday, November 10, 2023) COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD - 83 Garnett street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) 11 (2) Viv Richards - 181 (WI vs SL, Karachi) Today’s Quiz: (1) How many centuries were recorded in the 1992 World Cup? (2) What was the highest individual score made? Answers in tomorrow’s issue hrs Ballydangan RACING TIPS 08:52 09:27 hrs Brighterdaysahead ENGLISH RACING TIPS EXETER 08:35 hrs Wrappedupinmay 09:10 hrs Jersey Lady 09:45 hrs Diamond Ri 10:20 hrs Filanderer 10:55 hrs Stay Away Fay 11:30 hrs Editeur Du Gite 12:00 hrs Broomfield Present CHELMSFORD 08:45 hrs Stay Smart 09:20 hrs Thank The Lord 09:55 hrs Wadacre Grace 10:30 hrs Meng Tian 11:03 hrs Broad Appeal 11:37 hrs Peripeteia 12:08 hrs Wonder Kid NEWCASTLE 11:08 hrs Dance Time 11:42 hrs Mariners Way 12:12 hrs Monks Dream 12:45 hrs Bedford Flyer 13:20 hrs Show Me Show Me 13:50 hrs Mr Heinz 14:20 hrs Haworth Star 14:50 hrs Beauty Choice 15:20 hrs Trabajo Detecho IRISH RACING TIPS DOWN ROYAL 08:17 hrs Better Dance Ahead

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Durban Park Football Complex will revolutionise... From page 36 He added that infrastructure remains a significant challenge in the region and noted that he was pleased to see the project moving forward. “We want to see the other half get done, but more critically we want to see that vision which I know would be unfolding in a short period of time.” During the site visit, President Forde expressed his gratitude to Concacaf President Victor Montagliani for the introduction of the One Concacaf initiative which continues to provide essential support in helping Guyana elevate football to new heights. “I was able to share with Concacaf and my colleague

at FIFA the conceptual designs that have been worked on by SRKN. At the moment we are having active conversation with huge private partners that will be a part of this historic stadium that we intend to build here.” The top GFF official added that the GFF Technical Director, Bryan Joseph, and his team are working on soon hosting “some of the grassroots activities that are being organised within the Wortmanville area on the site.” The Durban Park Football Complex, projected to be finished within four years, represents the cornerstone of President Forde's vision for Guyana's infrastructural development.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

Kiwis cruise past Sri Lanka and edge closer to World Cup semi-finals By Ffion WynneBBC Sport

NEW Zealand all but sealed a World Cup semi-final spot

with an easy five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Bengaluru. Sri Lanka, who were already eliminated, were

bowled out for 171, with Black Caps seamer Trent Boult taking 3-36. In a chaotic start, they slumped to 70-5 in 9.3 overs,

with opener Kusal Perera smashing 51 from 28 balls. New Zealand reached their target in 23.2 overs to give their net run-rate a

Trent Boult went past 50 World Cup wickets (ICC/Getty Images)

significant boost and make it unlikely they can be overtaken in fourth. Pakistan and Afghanistan can still match the Black Caps on 10 points but would need highly improbable margins of victory over England and South Africa respectively to overhaul New Zealand's superior net run rate. Sri Lanka could not make the most of a decent pitch after being put into bat, with Perera the only member of the top five to reach double figures. Only stubborn resistance from final pair Maheesh Theekshana, who made 38 not out from 91, and Dilshan Madushanka, who added 19 from 48, helped them avoid a total capitulation. The Kiwis started brightly in reply through Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra's classy opening stand of 86, then losing five wickets for 76 as they looked to seal victory as quickly as possible, before Glenn Phillips wrapped up the win. New Zealand bounce back The Black Caps again went under the radar in the build-up but, having finished runners-up in the past two editions, look set for another World Cup knockout stage. Their positive start of four wins in a row meant they got in a strong position to reach the semi-finals early on, meaning they could afford the the four straight defeats that followed. Once fourth place is confirmed, it sets up an intriguing encounter against India, who won the meeting in the group stages and are unbeaten, but lost the 2019 semi-final to the Black Caps and are under immense pressure as hosts. Ravindra, whose 42 here took him back to the top of the run-scoring chart, is the breakout star of the World Cup so far, while there were

other positive signs in Conway's return to form and captain Kane Williamson continuing to slot back in effortlessly after injury. New Zealand have been dealt some injury blows in their bowling attack, with Matt Henry ruled out of the tournament, but they have withstood it all, fighting on in the quiet, dignified way Kiwi sides are admired for. Boult looked back to his venomous best with the new ball and was backed up by long-time partner Tim Southee, while spinner Mitchell Santner's economical 2-22 took his tally to 15 wickets so far. They may not go into tournaments as favourites, but they remain a team to fear and will be desperate to make it third time lucky in their quest for World Cup glory. 'Everyone wants a piece of the host nation' - reaction Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis: "We lost too many wickets in the first 10 overs 300 would have been a good score on that pitch. "I am very happy to see a couple of players putting their hands up and performing. Those guys will be our guys for the future." New Zealand captain Kane Williamson: "There are a few teams that could end up on similar points so it's out of our control. "Hopefully, if it goes our way and we get to a semi, to play the host team will be a great opportunity. We'll look forward to the challenge if we get there." Player of the Match, New Zealand's Trent Boult: "It was a big game for us and mustwin, so it is pleasing to get the result. "We want to push for a big finish. Everyone wants a piece of the host nation. They are playing phenomenal cricket. I'm sure it will be an exciting game."

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

Maxwell's other role 'pivotal' to World Cup prospects

Teammates and coaches are still marvelling at Glenn Maxwell's effort with the bat two nights ago, but coach Andrew McDonald has revealed h o w t h e a l l ro u n d e r ' s bowling has transformed Australia's World Cup prospects. Maxwell's extraordinary innings against Afghanistan saw his side set up a semi-final date with South Africa, the last team to have beaten the Aussies before they commenced a six-game winning streak. In that time, the 35-yearold has hit the World Cup's fastest century (off 40 balls, against the Netherlands) and second-fastest double-century (128 balls, against the Afghans) to enhance his reputation as one of world cricket's most damaging batters. Yet the Aussies believe Maxwell's other discipline has been equally important to their tournament prospects. The off-spinner has taken only five wickets at 52, but has been their most economical bowler, conceding just 4.95 per over. Of players who have regularly batted in the top seven for their teams and sent down at least 20 overs, only India’s Ravindra Jadeja (3.76), Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi (4.25) and the Netherlands’ Colin Ackermann (4.71) have been more miserly. Maxwell’s overs have been crucial for an Australian side that came into the World Cup still figuring out how many allrounders they need for any given match. The fact Maxwell has been able to bowl more than twice as many overs for the tournament (52.3) than seamers Mitch Marsh, Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green (23 between them) has been a surprise even to McDonald. Australia’s selection picture has been complicated by the inconvenience of not having their full complement of players available for any of their eight games so far. When and if they do have a 15-player squad to pick from, pitch conditions will determine whether the final spot in their side is a batter or an allrounder,

play for on Saturday. A loss would put them in danger of missing qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy. McDonald however flagged that an eight or nine-day break between the Afghanistan match and their semi-final (which will be confirmed to be played

Glenn Maxwell celebrates the wicket of Afghanistan's Rahmat Shah (ICC-Getty)

likely creating a squeeze between Marnus Labuschagne and Marcus Stoinis "I think it will be based on the surface," McDonald told reporters when asked about what Australia's best XI will be for next week's knockout match against the Proteas in Kolkata or Mumbai. "If we think that we've got a surface that's challenging in a certain area – playing against spin, or whatever it might be – then you can shift in one direction. "If you think you need the bowling coverage – if you think you're going to get exposed there – then the more bowling options we have, we feel as though we can cover anything that may come up in terms of the opposition batting. "Albeit we probably haven’t used those extra allrounder overs the way the way we would (have predicted). "I think that's because of the strength of Glenn Maxwell. Him as the second spinner has been really pivotal in the role that he's played. "We talk about him and his batting in one space, but I think his bowling has allowed us to function as a team different to potentially how we saw it coming in and potentially how everyone else saw it coming in." Steve Smith was the lat-

est to have kept Australia's medical staff busy after the batter earlier this week suffered an episode of vertigo, an ailment he has suffered on several occasions in recent years. Wi t h t h e A u s s i e s ' planned training session in Pune cancelled on Thursday, the sight of Smith joining teammates to play golf instead was an encouraging sign the 34-year-old is on track to play Bangladesh in their final group-stage match. "He feels pretty good today, I saw him in the corridor," McDonald said of Smith, who failed a fitness test before the Afghanistan match and then spent the rest of the day at the team hote "I feel like it just happened at the wrong time for him not to play that game, whereas if it had been 24 hours later, then it might have been a different decision. "But I don't have a great understanding of what it all means. "He was battling with his balance on certain shots. He went through some running between the wickets as well which probably aggravated it a little bit more." Australia may well elect to rest players for their tie with eighth-placed Bangladesh, who, unlike their opponents, have plenty to

in Kolkata next Thursday if New Zealand beat Sri Lanka today) may not necessarily be beneficial. "It might just be the fact that it's a bit bigger gap – you're hinting at resting players leading into the South Africa game – it then becomes a week in between

games. Is that ideal?" he said. "It might be for some but for others you want that continuity of playing to get ready for what will be a great challenge that is South Africa."(Crificket. com.au)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

Meg Lanning: Australia captain retires to end 13-year international career

AUSTRALIA captain Meg Lanning has announced her international retirement, saying she no longer has the "spark to do what needs to happen at this level." As captain, Lanning led Australia to 50-over World Cup glory in 2022 and also won four T20 World Cups and Commonwealth Games gold. She is the second-highest run-scorer in women's T20 internationals. "I feel like now I've got nothing left to achieve on the international stage," Lanning, 31, said. Lanning made her international debut in 2010 aged 18 and became the youngest Australian to make acentury with her unbeaten 103 against England in a one-day international. She was part of the Australia side who won the T20 World Cup in 2012 and the 50-over title in 2013 before being appointed captain in February 2014, aged just 21. "I no longer have the spark or the motivation to do what needs to happen at this level and so for me it is time to move on," said Lanning. "I can't be half-in or halfout with anything and I guess that's where I've landed with

this decision. "I've achieved so much within the game and been lucky enough to have such a successful career and be part of very successful teams." Lanning scored 17 centuries across six Tests, 103 ODIs and 132 T20Is, averaging 53.21 in one-day games. She led Australia in 182 of her 241 appearances, scoring a combined total of 8,352 runs across all three formats, including 17 centuries. She missed this year's Ashes tour of England for medical reasons. Her absence from the tour

WARY of the competition she's likely to face in her last Olympic Games in Paris next year, two-time Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is planning to participate in more races before heading to Europe for her final showdown. A knee injury and undisclosed physical challenges kept Fraser-Pryce from competing in many races leading up to the 2023 World Championships in Budapest in Au-

gust, possibly contributing to her third-place finish in the 100m. As the only woman to medal in the 100m at four consecutive Olympic Games, she ran 10.77, a time insufficient to outpace the newly crowned World Champion ShaCarri Richardson of the United States, who finished in 10.65, breaking Fraser-Pryce's championship record of 10.67 set just a year earlier in Eugene, Oregon. Shericka Jackson, a

Meg Lanning (centre) led Australia to victory in the Women's T20 World Cup in February

of England followed a break from cricket for her mental health in 2022, before she returned in February 2023 to lead her side to victory at the T20 World Cup. "It's been my life essentially for 13 years, and I know nothing other than that," said Lanning. "I've learned so much and had so many incredible opportunities to do that, and I'm sad that it's finishing up but I'm very much ready for something new. "It's time to move on and go on and experience other things other than playing

cricket, which I'm really excited about." Lanning will continue to play in domestic competitions, including the ongoing Women's Big Bash League with the Melbourne Stars, and for Victoria in the Women's National Cricket League. Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell said Lanning is "an absolute superstar" who has had an "amazing career" and been "inspirational to so many, not just little girls". "I've had the privilege of knowing her since she was

about 16-17 and I played against her when she was playing school cricket," Maxwell told No Balls: The Cricket Podcast. "I remember bowling at her and she smashed me everywhere. "Her ability to adapt through the years, through the formats - she became a massive force in T20 cricket, which initially she probably didn't feel she would be. "Australia are going to miss her. All of us, players and fans, wish her luck in her next adventure." Former Australia oneday captain Aaron Finch said Lanning had made "exceptional" contributions to Australian cricket and shown "outstanding" leadership. He added: "Your legacy will continue to inspire generations of players to come. Enjoy the next innings of life." 'As close to irreplaceable as it gets' - analysis BBC Sport cricket writer Ffion Wynne Australia have been used to playing without Lanning over the past couple of years because of the breaks she has taken from the game, but her retirement marks a seismic shift for one of the world's

greatest sports teams. They have won everything - most of it under Lanning's captaincy - but now we are seeing a changing of the guard as she joins long-time vice-captain Rachael Haynes and multiple World Cup-winning coach Matthew Mott in moving on. Australia will obviously miss her runs, but during last summer's Ashes, it was her captaincy that left a huge void. A side usually renowned for their ruthless quest for winning and striving for perfection, they were uncharacteristically sloppy under pressure at times and seemed to miss her calm but firm presence in those big moments. They are still the most formidable opponent, with the likes of Annabel Sutherland and Phoebe Litchfield showing that young talent is coming through, while experienced all-rounder Ellyse Perry is still a star. But Lanning was the talismanic figure who embodied Australia throughout their dominance over the past decade and is as close to irreplaceable as it gets.(BBC Sport)

in preparation for the ultimate showdown. "Yeah, for sure. Not only race sharpness but race confidence is something I definitely need. This year, I didn't have a choice not to race due to setbacks in my knee and other issues, and I didn't want to risk it," she shared with Sportsmax.TV. "So, I trusted my coach's judgment. Next year, once I'm healthy, I really want to start earlier and build that race momentum as I head

into the Olympics." Fraser-Pryce believes that being healthy and competing in more races is crucial because the Olympics, as the pinnacle of sports, is where everyone brings their 'A' game. "The Olympics are so different. For some reason, athletes find a unique energy and motivation to come prepared. I want to ensure I give myself the best opportunity to represent myself." (Sportsmax)

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce aims to bolster race preparedness ahead of final Olympics

Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce

gold medal favourite heading into Budapest, secured silver with a time of 10.72, 0.07s slower than her time at the Jamaica national

championships in July. Recognising the need to run faster in Paris, Fraser-Pryce understands that more races are essential

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

WI Women's A suffer eight-wicket defeat to Pakistan Women's A in T20 Tri Series final

West Indies Women's A again came up short against their Pakistani counterparts, as they went down by eight wickets in the Twenty20 Tri Series final in Lahore on Wednesday. Asked to bat first, West Indies posted a paltry 97-6 from their allotment and that was easily knocked off by Pakistan, who got to 99-2 with 25 balls to spare. S c o r e s : We s t I n d i e s Women's A 97-6 (20 overs); Pakistan Women's A 99-2 (15.5 overs) West Indies suffered and early setback as opener Shabika Gajnabi retired hurt with just eight runs on the board. That brough captain Rashada Williams to the middle earlier than she would have hoped, but together with Qiana Joseph, added 51 to the board. Joseph, who topscored with a 39-ball 35, which included five fours, fell soon after with the Caribbean side

West Indies women's A captain Rashada Williams (left) and her Pakistan A counterpart Rameen Shamim

at 59-1 in the 11th over. Gajnabi returned but added only two runs to the board before she was bowled by

Saima Malik for 10. Williams (18) followed shortly after, and from there it was a downward spiral, as

they lost wickets at regular intervals, with Zaida James (12), the only other batter to get into double figures.

BCB pulls up Donald for criticising Mathews' timed-out dismissal

The BCB has sought an explanation from Allan Donald, the Bangladesh team's fast bowling coach, for his comments on Angelo Mathews' timed out dismissal following the World Cup match in Delhi on November 6. In an interview with CricBlog.net, conducted soon after the team returned to their hotel in Delhi, Donald had said "it was disappointing to see" that kind of a dismissal and he found it "really difficult to watch that unfold". "He could have given his personal views at a later time," a BCB official said. "He is part of the team management so when the team takes a decision, speaking about it publicly is a breach of the code of conduct. He could have spoken about it within the team or he could have spoken directly to the player. He could have informed the BCB, but not in public." Donald getting pulled up was an expected reaction from the BCB as a member of the Bangladesh team management

Allan Donald has said "it was disappointing to see" Angelo Mathews' dismissal • ICC via Getty Images

criticising the team's decision publicly has been generally frowned upon by the board. Donald on Mathews' timed-out dismissal: 'Don't

want to see that sort of thing in our game' Mathews becomes the first to be dismissed timed out in international cricket But the BCB is unlikely to take any action because this is effectively Donald's last assignment with the Bangladesh team. He has reportedly informed the board that he won't continue once his contract runs out at the end of the World Cup. Donald had been appointed in the role ahead of Bangladesh's tour of South Africa in 2022. Donald isn't the only coaching staff member whose contract finishes with this tournament. Rangana Herath (spin-bowling coach), Shane McDermott (fielding coach), Nick Lee (head of physical performance) and Shrinivas Chandrasekaran (computer analyst) will also be out of contract. ESPNcricinfo understands that the BCB has issued letters to some of these coaches to continue till at least January 2. But it is not clear how many of them

are retaining their current roles. Bangladesh have two Tests scheduled against New Zealand at home from November 28 to December 10, before heading to New Zealand to play three ODIs and three T20Is from December 17 to 31. S Sriram, who had joined as a technical consultant only for the World Cup, will also end his stint with the team. He had worked in a similar role with them during the 2022 T20 World Cup. Head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, who had joined in February, and assistant coach Nic Pothas, who came into the role in April, have time left in their respective contracts. Before the match against Sri Lanka, Hathurusinghe had said that the seven months he had since being appointed the head coach weren't enough to prepare the team for the World Cup and his work would start after the tournament.

Rameen Shamim and Omaima Sohail, both ended with identical figures of 2-17 from four overs to lead Paki-

stan's bowling. Much like West Indies, Pakistan's run chase started shakily, as Cherry-Ann Fraser combined with Williams behind the stumps to remove Eyman Fatima (5) with the score at 10-1. However, Shawaal Zulfiqar and Gull Feroza, steadied the innings with a 43-run second wicket stand that pushed the host closer to their target. So, even when Feroza went leg-before-wicket to Joseph for a run-a-ball 23, which included three boundaries, Pakistan were in no real danger at 53-2 in the ninth over. From there, it was left for Zulfiqar, with an unbeaten 39 off 38 balls, and Sohail, with an unbeaten 23-ball 20, to see off the remaining runs. Zulfiqar's knock had four boundaries, while Sohail had a solitary four in her innings.

UG (Tain) to...

From page 36

dor Sanchez for the World Boxing Council featherweight title in Texas. Reds served as Sports Adviser to former Minister of Sport, Shirley Field-Ridley, and as Chairman of the National Sports Council (NSC) in the 1970s before migrating to Barbados in 1980 when he got a lucrative contract with the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). He spent five years with CBC and covered the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Reds, a former President of the Guyana Football and Basketball Associations, moved to St. Lucia to establish and head the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) sports desk. He did the job for 12 years. Freelancing for the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) and the Voice of Barbados (VOB), Reds formed the Reds Perreira Sports Foundation in December 2004 to assist sports in Guyana. Naming the Media Centre at the Providence Stadium after him would be a fitting honor for him while he is still alive. Meanwhile, Rohan Kanhai was born in the village of Port Mourant and represented the West Indies in 79 Test matches and was one of the best batsmen of the 1960s. Kanhai was part of the West Indian team that won the inaugural 1975 Cricket World Cup. Kanhai made his Test debut during the West Indies' 1957 tour of England and kept wicket for his first three Tests, in addition to opening the batting. Kanhai scored 6,227 runs at an average of 47.53, with his highest score of 256 coming against India in a Test at Calcutta. He scored 29,250 runs from 421 First Class matches at an average of 54.66 with 86 tons and 129 fifties In the 1975 World Cup final, when he was grey-haired and in his 40th year, his half-century set the platform for an explosive innings by Clive Lloyd. Late in his career, he became West Indies captain, succeeding Gary Sobers. After Kanhai's retirement, the West Indies called on him to be their first national cricket coach. Kanhai was Coach of the 1989 Guyana U-19 team before being assigned to the Test team. In 2009, Kanhai was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Friday, November 10, 2023

Durban Park football Complex will revolutionise football infrastructure in Guyana — Howard McIntosh UG (Tain) to confer Honorary Doctorates on ‘Reds’ Perreira and Rohan Kanhai By Sean Devers

GFF president Wayne Forde is greeted by Howard Mc Intosh

THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Durban Park Football Complex, on completion, will transform the football infrastructure landscape in Guyana, says Head of One Concacaf and Caribbean Projects, Howard McIntosh. The One Concacaf official conveyed this statement during an official November 6 site tour alongside Guyana Football Federation President (GFF) Wayne Forde to assess the completed first phase of

the project, which included the clearance and filling of half of the 7.3 acres by local contracting firm, McGregor's Real Estate Development Inc. McIntosh restated Concacaf's commitment to the construction of a state-of-the-art, multi-million-dollar stadium in Georgetown with a seating capacity of 10,400, a main pitch, mini pitches for grassroots programmes and office space for the federation.

The $23.6 million phase one contract was funded by Concacaf One. “The potential that exists here at Durban Park for what we know is planned is tremendous and will change the landscape, change the infrastructure landscape forever for football in Guyana. Concacaf is in full support of what’s happening, and working closely with FIFA of course to make these things happen. Continued on page 31

Eighty-seven-year-old former Guyana and West Indies captain, Rohan Bholalall Kanhai,, and 84-yearold veteran cricket commentator, Joesph ‘Reds’ Perreira, will, on Saturday November 18, receive honorary Doctorates from the University of Guyana (UG) Tain Campus, Berbice. Among Reds’ most cherished memories is Commentating in the 1975World Cup Final, meeting Fidel Castro and being the special guest of Guyana’s President Dr Irfaan Ali for the CPL finals. This accolade will be among those too. Reds overcame stammering and other daunting challenges, including a severe stroke in Australia in 1996, to become Guyana’s most illustrious sports commentator, as well as a household name in cricket broadcasting around the world. Reds, the fifth of nine children, was born in Pomeroon, Essequibo and resides in St. Lucia with his Guyanese wife, Zandra. Reds commentated on 151 Test matches and was also a popular voice on radio with Boxing, Football, Hockey, Table Tennis, Basketball, Netball and Motor Racing.

Rohan Kanhai In 1959, two Inter-Colonial matches were being played in the then British Guiana at the same time, and two commentary teams were required. “One match was at Bourda and the other at Rose Hall…I was interested in commentary and was called in by Rafiq Khan of Radio Demerara and Kenny Wishart. I joined Norman McLean and Claude Vieira for my first match,” said ‘Reds’. “I began as a Freelancer with the Guyana Information Service (GIS) doing a weekly Magazine programme. Terry Holder and Cecil Griffith (both deceased) were there at that time,” Reds recounted. In October 1968, the Guyana Broadcasting Service (GBS) was launched and ‘Reds’ joined Cecil ‘Bruiser’

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limited, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 226-3243-9 (General); Editorial: 227-5204, 227-5216. Fax:227-5208

Jospeh ‘Reds’ Perreira

Thomas in the Sports Department. In 1971, he made his ‘Test’ debut at Bourda when India toured the West Indies. He served as the President of the Guyana Basketball Association from 1969-1975 and attended three Central American Championships. He was Coach of the Santos Football Club and the National under-23 side in the 1960s and commentated on three World Title fights, including in January 1973, when George Foreman fought Joe Frazier. He also called the action for television on September 13, 1980 when Guyanese Patrick Ford battled Mexican Salva-

Continued on page 35

| FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2023