Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 20-11-2023

MONDAY 20th November, 2023

No. 107270

PRICE $100 VAT INCLUSIVE

Guyana positions itself at forefront of climate discussions SEE PAGE

3

- President Ali unveils country’s strategic vision ahead of COP28

Small businesses record positive results at GuyExpo 2023

SEE PAGE

2

- say event offers opportunities, education and a space for new entrepreneurs

Scenes from GuyExpo 2023

New Amsterdam ‘It’s not necessary ‘Our doors are residents highlight US to match ignorance open to legitimate ‘fact-finding’ group’s with ignorance’ delegations’ ‘selectiveness’ 15 - Private Sector Commission - President Ali says in response to SEE PAGE

- affirm that they are seeing ‘brighter days’ under the PPP/C Gov’t

SEE PAGE

16

SEE PAGE

12

comments by Venezuela’s Vice-President

says; highlights disinterest in meeting visiting US group

Gov’t reaffirms commitment to transparency in carbon credits programme

SEE PAGE

5

2

Small businesses record positive results at GuyExpo 2023 - say event offers opportunities, education and a space for new entrepreneurs

THIS year's annual GuyExpo has made a triumphant return after a seven-year hiatus, under the

theme, “Transforming Guyana Through Investment, Innovation, and Resilience.”

The Expo, inaugurated in 1995, aims to showcase locally produced goods and services from Guyana to

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

Proprietor of N& S Andrews Pottery, Nandkishore Andrews

the global community.

Aside from boosting tourism, GuyExpo provides a platform for small

Owner of Cummings’ Leather Establishment, Roy Cummings

Owner of Adelia’s Agro Processing

Owner of Mursia’s Preservable Products (Shaniece Bamfield photos) businesses and emerging entrepreneurs.

In addition to grants, aid, and education, GuyExpo provides smaller businesses with the opportunity to be marketed and showcased alongside larger competitors, fostering an environment for learning and growth among them.

The owner of N&S Andrews Pottery, Nandkishore Andrews came all

the way from the village of Wakenaam in Region Two Essequibo; he and his wife have made a special effort to attend the expo.

The couple, who are in the unique field of pottery, say that the expo has given their business the opportunity to exhibit their handmade clay products to a wider audience.

Despite the positive TURN TO PAGE 4

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

Guyana positions itself at forefront of climate discussions

3

- President Ali unveils country’s strategic vision ahead of COP28

By Clestine Juan

PRESIDENT, Dr. Irfaan Ali, has unveiled Guyana's strategic vision for the upcoming COP28, which will showcase the nation's commitment to playing a pioneering role in global climate leadership.

During a press conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Saturday, the President highlighted key initiatives and goals, outlining a comprehensive plan that positions Guyana at the forefront of climate discussions.

He shared plans for the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference/ Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC also known as COP 28, which will be held from November 30 to December 12 at the Expo City, Dubai.

President Ali acknowledged Guyana's achievements in climate change initiatives, particularly through the implementation of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.

In December 2022, Guyana achieved a ground-breaking milestone as the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) issued the world's first TREES credits to the country, recognising its success in preventing forest loss and degradation through jurisdictional REDD+.

A historic agreement with the Hess Corporation promises a minimum of US$750 million for Guyana over the next decade, with carbon credits playing a crucial role in the initiative.

Over 200 Indigenous communities in Guyana

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali

are already reaping the benefits from the sale of these carbon credits.

President Ali expressed confidence in Guyana's leadership, stating: “Our position on climate change and the successes we have had as a result of pursuing the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030.”

Highlighting the significance of Guyana's role, he added: “Our leadership will be on show at COP28, as Guyana will be given a pavilion, a Guyana pavilion, in which many of the leaders across the world and from important international and regional organisations will be taking part.”

This dedicated pavilion is set to serve as a platform for showcasing Guyana's commitment to addressing climate change, fostering environmental sustainability, and presenting the LCDS as a model for comprehensive development.

President Ali highlighted that Guyana's active participation in

COP28 goes beyond mere representation.

“At those meetings, the LCDS will be placed as a tool for development, as a de-

velopment model and a strategy,” he said.

This strategic positioning, Dr. Ali said, aims to influence global discussions and promote the adoption of sustainable development models that prioritise environmental conservations.

The President said that this vision extends beyond COP28, with Guyana co-chairing the group of forested countries in the Commonwealth.

He said that this leadership role reflects Guyana's commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable practices in the face of climate challenges.

The Head of State also underscored the collaborative efforts, stating: “In coming up with a joint strategy, and in presenting its joint strategy to COP28…

our leadership will be demonstrated in a very tangible way.”

PRIORITISING A BALANCED APPROACH President Ali also addressed the need for a balanced approach to development, considering the potential risks of overheating and inflationary pressures associated with rapid expansion.

“To avoid issues of overheating and to avoid having inflationary pressures with the type of expansion that is taking place, we ourselves are slowing the pace of some of what we're doing,” he said.

This measured approach, Dr Ali related, will ensure that Guyana's growth is sustainable, aligning economic progress with environmental preservation.

In preparation for

COP28, President Ali expressed confidence in Guyana's ability to capture the attention of global stakeholders.

He highlighted Guyana's active role in discussions at the United Nations, where the nation has consistently been at the centre of leadership in environmental, energy, and food-related dialogues.

“Our intention is to place Guyana on the leadership table, even in the lead position in these three issues in a world of 2030 and beyond,” President Ali declared.

This forward-looking vision is set to position Guyana as a leader in shaping global strategies for climate resilience, food security, and environmental sustainability.

Small businesses record positive...

4

FROM PAGE 3 impact, Nandkishore mentions a concern about the turnout of people, attributing it to the expo's absence in recent years.

“I have been here for

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

the past three days and in the past and I have been here at GuyExpo. The feedback from the public has been reasonable.

“GuyExpo has been missing for the past seven

years and I think that people need to get used to it again,” he said.

Cummings’ Leather Establishment is a leather-making business that has been in operation since 1982.

The business, which makes everything from leather bags to belts to shoes, has been a part of GuyExpo in previous years.

Owner Roy Cummings said that the expo plays an important role in raising awareness for businesses that people may not be familiar with.

“People like the products and they say that they did not know people still do this. I think the expo is very good for small businesses.

A lot of people come out here and they are not aware of certain things,” Cummings said.

He went on further to say that with the presence of certain governmental

agencies, like the Small Business Bureau, and the different ministries, small business owners are getting firsthand, important information and insight.

“A lot of governmental agencies are here also, and we get a lot of information from them. We learn a lot from them,” he said.

Adelia's Agro-Processing, a business in existence for over three years, credits the expo for exposing the public to small businesses and entrepreneurs to different opportunities.

Proprietor Adelia, a previous grant beneficiary from the Small Business Bureau, believes that with continued support, Guyana's small business sector can develop globally.

“I received a grant from them at one time, to help in my poultry processing.

The grant helped me, but as the cost of living rises higher, I had a fall back

in the chicken prices,” she said during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

She went on further to share that the expo connects the public to the small business giving them the much needed exposure to market their products.

“GuyExpo is playing an important part in assisting small businesses to be exposed to the real world and to the small business world.

As an entrepreneur, you can launch out, you can also see and get involved in other products,” she said.

Mursia’s Preservable Products is a sustainable local business that specialises in preserved peppers and seasonings.

Proprietor Mursia acknowledges the challenges in securing capital but emphasises the expo's role in providing essential knowledge for small businesses, from packaging to obtaining licences.

“It has been pretty hard, especially with capital. But as soon as I sell a product,

I try to put the money back into the business,” she said.

Mursia went on further to express that like her, there are small businesses that need support and help in getting their products noticed Mursia shared.

“I do think I need support in order to get my products in the supermarkets. Right now, I only have two products in supermarkets,” she pointed out.

Again, reiterating the importance of the knowledge gained at GuyExpo, Mursia stated, “I think expos like this are very good for small businesses. Now that I am here there are a lot of things I have never heard about before.”

She added, “Things like packaging and getting the help and how to go about certain things in business. I have learned about getting different licences, so it is all really helpful, and I am happy to be here.”

5

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

Gov’t reaffirms commitment to transparency in carbon credits programme

SOME 500 projects are being implemented in Indigenous communities, through funding from the US$37.5 million REDD+ carbon credits programme.

The government has affirmed that transparency is an integral pillar in the implementation of the programme.

Vice-President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, gave the assurance during a briefing session, on Friday, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on the expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS 2030) and Guyana’s Carbon Credit Programme as well as Guyana’s preparations to attend the upcoming COP 28.

Present at the briefing were members of the diplomatic corps, other developmental partners, Amerindian Leaders, and several ministers of government.

Vice-President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo and other ministers of government engage members of the diplomatic corps, other developmental partners and Amerindian Leaders

In his response to issues raised by the dipl o m a t i c c o m m u n i t y, Vice-President Jagdeo explained that the country has learnt a lot of lessons from the Norway-Guyana Partnership signed in 2009.

“We said let’s create a model to show that all the issues that were raised by the developed world particularly as to why you can’t have forests be part

of a compliance market….

And there were several concerns… One, will it be permanent, two, can you measure changes in the forest, three, will it harm indigenous peoples’ rights, four, will the money be spent without corruption?

So, the model that we built focused on every one of those issues,” he said.

The Vice-President underscored that transparency was not being

compromised since a strict mechanism was in place to ensure that every cent that was being funnelled into the economies of Amerindian communities will be accounted for.

Funds are being disbursed in separate bank accounts owned by the

respective villages and a special audit will be conducted to ensure that monies that are being expended, are being spent on priority projects.

“We’re implementing 500 projects this year in Indigenous communities and we’re not compromising on transparency or community involvement … in fact, we’re building capacity in these villages,” the Vice-President underscored.

Importantly, he highlighted that by giving leaders the responsibility of developing their villages, equipping them with plans to ensure sustainability and the ability to manage their finances, capacity is being built to properly manage the funds that are being provided.

“A very important task

for us now and the future as more and more funds go into these villages, not only through the LCDS2030 but directly through central government …. Capacity building to manage projects and to account for finances is more important and I have seen the growth of that in these villages,” Dr Jagdeo emphasised.

Also at the briefing was the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha and the National Toshao Council (NTC) Chairman, Derrick John.

6

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

Choosing the high road IN the face of escalating tension surrounding the longstanding border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has demonstrated a commendable commitment to diplomacy and peace.

Unlike the tit-for-tat rhetoric often seen in international controversies, President Ali has taken the high road by refusing to engage in a war of words with Venezuela's Vice-President, Delcy Rodriguez.

Recently, Rodriguez made claims against Guyana, adding fuel to the already simmering tensions over the Essequibo region.

Rather than responding in kind, President Ali, in a display of statesmanship, declared that it is not necessary to match ignorance with ignorance.

This approach reflects a commitment to a higher standard of discourse and a refusal to be drawn into a cycle of provocation.

President Ali's decision to prioritize diplomatic and judicial means

to address the border controversy underscores the importance of international norms and institutions in resolving such issues.

By opting for a measured response, he is sending a strong message about the maturity and responsibility required of leaders in times of crisis. In a world where inflammatory rhetoric and knee-jerk reactions often dominate headlines, President Ali's approach is a refreshing departure from the norm.

In stating that Guyana

will continue to pursue peaceful and legal avenues to resolve the controversy, President Ali is aligning his nation with the principles of international law and diplomacy.

This commitment to a rules-based approach not only positions Guyana as a responsible global actor, but also reinforces the notion that such issues should be settled through dialogue and legal mechanisms rather than through aggression.

In a world grappling with numerous challeng-

es, the importance of leaders who prioritise peace and diplomacy cannot be overstated. President Ali's refusal to descend into a war of words with Vice-President Rodriguez sets a constructive example for other nations embroiled in territorial controversies. It underscores the power of dialogue and the pursuit of justice over the pitfalls of escalating rhetoric.

As the international community observes the unfolding events between Guyana and Venezuela,

President Ali's commitment to the high road serves as a beacon of hope.

It is a reminder that, even in the face of provocation, leaders can choose the path of reason, dialogue, and international cooperation. In a time when global challenges demand collective solutions, President Ali's approach stands as a testament to the enduring value of diplomacy and the pursuit of a more peaceful world.

A RED flag is being raised with a warning from a top regional official that Caribbean governments and indigenous commercial banks should be on guard against entrapment of citizens into debt through easy money offered with high interest rates.

Director General of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), Dr Didacus Jules, is warning financial institutions in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) to guard against nationals being lured into extra-regional “fast-cash traps”, at a time when most citizens of the sub-region are most financially vulnerable.

Dr Jules first raised the issue during an address to a local commercial bank’s educational event on No-

vember 4 -- and is reiterating this weekend that his remarks were partly-based on findings of a recent survey on ‘Financial Literacy and Financial Inclusion in the OECS’, jointly-commissioned by the OECS and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), with World Bank support through its ‘Digital Transformation Project’.

The survey interviewed 7,037 individuals 18 years a n d o l d e r, a c r o s s t h e sub-region and Dr Jules said it featured “some worrying elements, in this post-COVID period…”

First, he revealed, the survey found that “Over half of individuals in the OECS and ECCU region indicated they were not able to meet their daily costs of living in the previous 12 months.”

In addition, Almost half (43.9%) indicated they “would not be able to undertake a major expense today without borrowing from a financial institution, or asking family or friends for help.”

In some cases, the survey found individuals who also had to sell property or dispose of other valuables and to make-do by “cutting-back on spending, doing without, or postponing the expense.”

The survey also found that across the sub-region, 24.4% of respondents (almost one quarter) said they “had to turn to parents or family for assistance to save or borrow.”

Noting that the top three OECS and ECCU member-nations affected included Dominica, Grenada and Saint Lucia (in

that order), Dr Jules urged financial institutions, including Saint Lucia 1st National Bank, needed to continue building their customers’ “trust and confidence”, alongside “customer satisfaction and motivation”, to help prevent them being cash-trapped by external commercial and financial agencies.

Noting that “70% of business in the OECS/ ECCU sub-region is gener-

ated by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs),” Dr Jules said it was also incumbent on indigenous national banks and commercial entities with nations at heart to start taking into consideration that “Tomorrow will be as challenging as yesterday,” especially due to the current world crises.

He warned against externally-generated fastcash traps that lure already

cash-strapped OECS citizens into “financial servitude”, many using language and propaganda that attract innocent customers to sign-up to purchase items they can’t afford or are unable to pay after the “no deposit” grace periods expire.

The OECS Director General said he was appalled when recently approached by “an entity” TURN TO PAGE 9

OECS Director General warns region against ‘fast-cash’ debt traps!

7

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

Ministers of agriculture of the Americas make a powerful call to action ahead of COP28

By Manuel Otero, Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) THE pandemic, the economic downturn, spiralling inflation, extreme weather events, and the war in Eastern Europe.

With the horrific situation in the Middle East adding to the list of shocks to the global economy, the latest reports suggest that the number of people in the world suffering from severe food insecurity increased by more than 200 million between 2019 and 2021.

Against this backdrop, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) organised a meeting in Costa Rica of more than 30 ministers of agriculture from countries in the Americas to consolidate a continent-wide partnership for food security and sustainable development aimed at seizing opportunities, miti-

gating threats, reducing risks, and offering solutions.

The vision underpinning the partnership is that the Americas, as the world’s largest food producer and exporter, have a key role to play in overcoming the obstacles created by the current situation, and providing the responses that the planet requires. The agriculture sector aims to make an even bigger contribution by taking the technological leap made possible by science and innovation to the next level, and stands ready to continue feeding the region and the world in harmony with nature.

These two basic commitments sum up the consensus reached in Costa Rica between diverse and heterogeneous countries, some with growing concerns about their levels of food insecurity and others with enormous, exportable surpluses that play a crucial role in ensuring that

the world has safe, nutritious, and healthy food.

Discussion forums were held with the participation of the presidents of Guyana, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, and Panama, Laurentino Cortizo; rural leaders from Chile, Guyana and Honduras; the 2020 World Food Prize laureate, Rattan Lal; the winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics, Michael Kremer; and the Minister for Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates, Mariam Almheiri. The ministers approved a number of resolutions reflecting the consensus on the urgency and nature of the challenges facing agriculture that call for action based on four principles: 1) agrifood systems need to be improved, but are not failed systems; 2) due to its economic importance and its capacity to mitigate climate change, agriculture is part of the solu-

tion to the current challenges; 3) science and technology must guide the transformations; 4) farmers are key players, as no one else can manage natural and productive resources more sustainably.

In another important decision, the ministers who took part in the conference, speaking on behalf of the governments of the countries of the Americas, asked IICA to lend its support to collective action and the adoption of common positions in the face of the environmental crisis, and to help the agricultural sector secure climate financing.

One area that IICA has prioritised in recent years is the promotion of analysis and debate on the need to establish a synergistic relationship between agriculture and climate change, a task that culminated at COP27 (held in Egypt) with the in-

THREE of the remaining WPA stalwarts – Clive Thomas, David Hinds and Tacuma Ogunseye – have for years now used the village of Buxton to varnish their politics of anti-PPPism. Once there is a discussion about the existence of African-Guyanese, Buxton is the place they turn to seek converts.

Every Emancipation Day, there is a public meeting on the African Guyanese economy, held not in Agricola or Dem Amstel or Bagstown but in Buxton. In 2022, an emancipation programme named, “Buxton Black is Beautiful Emancipation Day” was held. The two main speakers were persons whose parties held state power between 2015 and 2020. Both were African Guyanese: One from the WPA, the other from the AFC. Buxtonians were subtly advised to confront the government on oil wealth.

The AFC participant told Buxtonians that they must force the PPP to come to the

table. The other person from the WPA shouted to Buxtonians that they must “bruk up” the table’s legs if in the discussion they don’t get oil money. For my analysis on this Buxton bravado, Google my column of August 4, 2022 titled, “Black People must demand answers for five years of betrayal.”

This year was no exception, Buxtonians were sermonized again. In 2018, Clive Thomas went to Buxton and informed his attendees on Emancipation Day that the government should offer cash grants to citizens from oil revenues.

The audience applauded him vociferously. Thomas subsequently named his speech, “The Buxton proposal.”

All persons who advocate this position refer to it as cash grants from oil revenue. Thomas is the only person that calls it the Buxton proposal. Why? His motive was intentional and deliberate. The answer is simple – to galvanize the people of Buxton. The

people of Buxton owe it to themselves and their children to have a serious soul-searching session with Thomas, Hinds, Ogunseye.

Since Buxtonians have been the recipients of the relentless advocacy of this WPA triumvirate since the PPP returned to power in 2020, Buxtonians need to have answers from these three men as to the role of the WPA in government from 2015-2020.

Why it is necessary for Buxtonians to make these enquiries is because of the barefaced avoidance of these WPA persons to account for their time in power. They owe it to Buxtonians that they are constantly preaching to about confronting the PPP government, to be honest about them as to what they did and wanted to do and couldn’t do when the WPA held power.

The dialogue does not have to be an intemperate one. For the Buxtonians, it should be a learning experience. In the most inviting

ambience, they should put their questions to the three men and when the answers are given, Guyana’s historiography will be made richer.

I implore the people of Buxton to call a meeting with Thomas, Hinds and Ogunseye and ask them questions that all Guyanese are eager to hear. The answers are of utmost historical importance. Let’s take some samples. What was the attitude of WPA when it found out that, in 2016, the government bench had shelved the amendment to the anti-narcotic legislation to make the penalty for small amount of marijuana less harsh? Did Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine and Clive Thomas remonstrate with the PNC leadership over this terrible lapse?

There is nothing wrong with any government in

A simple, honest, sincere request to Buxtonians

stallation, for the first time, of a pavilion called the Home of Sustainable Agriculture of the Americas.

With support from the countries and private-sector partners, the pavilion will also be installed at COP28, in Dubai, creating a privileged setting for officials and producers to show the progress being made towards greater sustainability through the promotion of regenerative agriculture, applying the One-Health approach that includes soils, by a region that is key to food security and environmental conservation.

Despite agriculture’s marginal role in the emission of greenhouse gases, we emphasise that it must never again be left out of the climate negotiations.

There is a strong consensus in the region regarding the importance of acting in

a coordinated manner to reduce the levels of food insecurity, while at the same time tackling the climate crisis.

The bioeconomy, therefore, emerges as a bridge between production and the environment, creating opportunities to transform our continent’s biomass into new value chains, and changing the profile of our agriculture.

Traditionally viewed as a supplier of raw materials, it is now becoming a highly diversified agro-industrial complex.

The meeting of ministers thus constituted a powerful call to action, to move beyond analysis to continue transforming agriculture, which, as a key element in sustainable development, must become increasingly inclusive, competitive, and resilient.

Guyana paying $3 million in monthly rent to a family to house a government office. But Aubrey Retemyer, the deputy to Clive Thomas at the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) said on the Freddie Kissoon-Gildarie Show that he suggested that the government renovate an unused section of the doctors’ residence on Quamina Street to house SARA instead of paying that huge rent but it was rejected. This is the same Thomas that paid $3 million monthly to a rich Indian family but goes to Buxton to talk about African consciousness.

In the APNU+AFC government, Clive Thomas was chairman of GuySuCo. Even if Thomas was in agreement with the closure of the Berbice estates for reasons of no financial return to the state by the sugar indus-

try, how could people of the historical calibre of Thomas and Roopnaraine have sat in the government and accepted that legal, financial compensation was withheld. Thomas had to know about this because it was a decision of the corporation he was head of.

Did the WPA, when in government, know that after the closure of the estates, the former sugar workers were charged $500 to fish in the estate ponds then, they were stopped? The people of Buxton should no longer allow WPA personnel to use them.

They need to ask Thomas, Hinds and Ogunseye to account for their time in government. To refuse to do so is an act of human indecency.

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

Prosperity FPSO begins producing oil, highlights the importance of investor confidence ON Tuesday, November 14, ExxonMobil Guyana announced the commencement of production at its Payara Development in the prolific Stabroek Block. This project will take Guyana’s total production capacity to more than 600,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) next year. With additional projects set to come on

stream, Guyana’s total production is on course to surpass 1 million bpd by 2027.

With three fields now producing oil since the first discovery in 2015, the rapid pace of development of the resources in the Guyana basin highlights the importance of investor confidence to the country’s economic development.

This translates to more job opportunities and infrastructural and capacity-building projects that will benefit Guyanese.

In 2020, Caribbean Clothing Limited shared that the company was forced to let go of 30 percent of its staff. Fast forward to 2021, they were able to rehire those staff members and also increase

their staff complement after winning a contract to manufacture coveralls for the Payara Project. Two local companies were also hired to fabricate fittings for the Prosperity FPSO. ExxonMobil Guyana has disclosed that some 6,000 Guyanese are now supporting their activities in the country, which represents two-thirds of the local oil and gas workforce. This clearly demonstrates the opportunities available to all Guyanese and local businesses, at large.

Even as Guyanese currently benefit from the burgeoning offshore production, the company and its

co-venturers have plugged more than US$1.2 billion into the Guyana economy since 2015. Added to that is the mammoth investment into developing the offshore operations, with the Liza and Payara fields totalling US$18.6 billion.

Additionally, Financial Investment Decisions for the Uaru and Yellowtail development were made to the tune of US$22.7 billion. For comparison, Guyana’s 2018 National Budget stood at US$1.3 billion, while the 2023 budget was around US$3.9 billion.

The oil and gas industry continues to foster growth and opportuni-

ties in other sectors such as construction, agriculture, merchandising, administrative and support services, accommodation and food services, and the transport and storage industry.

These benefits speak to the importance of investor confidence in the business environment in which they operate, as massive investments such as these would not occur without a high degree of certainty of returns.

Maintaining this level of confidence and interest remains pivotal to ensuring that the country continues to reap benefits.

OECS Director...

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

FROM PAGE 6 that claimed to have “a brilliant idea” to “ease regional farmers’ burdens in light of the problems of regional Food Insecurity.”

But, he said, when the undisclosed entity disclosed the intended interest rate, it was more likely the farmers will be rendered into ultimate financial distress, “at a worst time, when they are already most-vulnerable…”

Accusing the unidentified entity of “seeking to transfer the wealth from the farmers to themselves,” Dr Jules said he’d warned that he “will publicly oppose” the proposed scheme “if it’s launched…”

The OECS Director General first raised the issue during the 1st National Bank’s November 4 Stanley French Educational Forum and it comes against the background of increasing concern in the smaller Eastern Caribbean islands about increasing encroachment by rapacious international commercial entities operating within the sub-region through supposedly easy-credit and fast-cash offers that play on their financial vulnerability.

The OECS, ECCB and ECCU, which together use the Eastern Caribbean (EC) dollar across six independent states and several non-independent former British colonies across the region, have been calling on local commercial banks and related entities in the small-island chain to guard against such smartly-advertised invitations to dive deeper into debt, with real chances of eventually losing property used as collateral or paying deadly penalties for failing to repay on time and in full.

The OECS and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are both seeking to build stronger economies through creation of Single Markets with common tariffs guided by intra-regional legislation and trade conventions, but success has been largely elusive – and getting worse as regional financial institutions have to increasingly adhere to extra-regional regulations that become more strict with time.

Across the islands, especially in those identified as most vulnerable (Dominica, Grenada and Saint Lucia), local entities tied

to international branding houses have become experts at use of creative and appealing advertising techniques to lure innocent citizens into debt repayments beyond their ability.

The region also being part of the wider world in which more people allow wants to overcome their needs, it will take a vast amount of financial education and literacy to get Caribbean citizens to adjust to reversing their orders of priority, with the host bank (1st National Saint Lucia Limited) also announcing at the November 4 event it had opened 25 new accounts for students from three Castries schools

invited to attend.

The bank says it plans to take its financial literacy classes to all the island’s secondary schools and the accounts opened for students was only a first step in that direction.

‘Doing Business in the OECS Banking Space’ was another subject covered at the 1st National Bank’s November 4 education forum, with regional Chartered Accountant, Andrea St Rose, pointing to many external regulatory impositions that make doing business quite uneasy.

9

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

A new motto and fact-finding tourism

THE catalytic foundations for modern Guyana were formed out of a network of the world’s greatest, grotesque and most organised holocaustic atrocities known to man. As a people, Africans overcame and are overcoming the residual pangs of racial injustices that are a carryover from the plantations.

With indentureship came a whole world of cultural differences and shades of division.

Some were deep-seated, some superficial and others imagined. The collective yearning to break the shared post-slavery oppressions of colonialism threatened to set at naught the articulation of division.

Organising the movement against colonial oppression was done through trade unions and political activism. As the movement gained traction, to maintain the power structure, deliberate policies were enacted to deepen divisions.

Many of these orchestrated divisions, suspicions and imaginations are still very evident in our political interactions today. Every government that has ever served Guyana has been accused of some

form of racial discrimination; some are not without merit.

Similarly, with varying levels of success, every government pursued policies geared towards racial unity and reduction of discrimination.

To date, the most widely known government initiative to unify Guyana is President Ali’s One Guyana. As a ringing endorsement to its success, One Guyana is everywhere, from hinterland to coast, and on the lips of everyone, including children.

Nevertheless, the initiative has become a victim of its own popularity, so much so, that the opposition’s latest boogeyman is that the government is attempting to replace or substitute the National Motto. My take is that this is an artificial, shallow and nonsensical criticism directed at stirring up adverse political sentiments, and is probably not worth rebuttal.

That said, there are a few issues the government must substantially address quickly. The president appointed Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips as leader of the One Guyana Commission with the promise of a

legal framework to give effect to the commission. Then there is the long-awaited concept paper.

The president has placed himself behind the eighth ball with the length of time it’s taking to bring these two major aspects of his initiative to reality. In my opinion, the government should have long released a skeletal narration of its defining concept paper and let us build it together. Let our collective experiences continue to define and refine it, with successive versions released every quarter or so.

When the concept paper is released after such a long time, the document will have to be near perfect, with no glaring omissions, or the government will attract unwanted odium. This is putting itself under undue and unnecessary pressure which has the potential to distract from the many other items on the political agenda.

The initiative will come across as somewhat ad hoc and mythical. I would urge President Ali to release whatever he has and stylize it as version one.

Let those of us who are

interested in advancing the concept, help to refine it. It could be later upgraded to version two and three etc... There is no furthered utility value in waiting for perfection.

As it stands, there are three main types of responses.

The first are optimists who believe that any initiative is better than no initiative, and will participate as long as it is designed to bring our people together.

They will not wait for all the formalities to be in place.

The second are the skeptical optimists, they want to see the formal structure and evaluate the players, and will come on board depending on how ‘things’ progress. Then there are the perpetual pessimists, no matter what the government does they are opposed to it and will find everything under the sun objectionable.

Despite the popularity of the One-Guyana initiative, the

government is facing arguably its most raving and sustained attacks and accusation of racial discrimination it has ever faced. The main reason is that, we have an opposition that lacks creativity and imagination. So, they beat the race drum knowing that, because of our historical political interactions, they will find fertile sod.

They do so daily through provocateurs, some of whom have contacts with high US legislative officials and cordial friendships with political activists and organisers. This is probably why Guyana is an attractive destination for “fact” finding tourism.

Anyone who gives even a cursory glance to race relations in Guyana will know that racial sentiments have deep connections to partisan politics. As such, the assumption of fairness means any semblance of party fraternisa-

tion should be avoided.

A group of tourists led by Dee Dawkins-Haigler utilised rabid opposition channels to organise their itinerary. They were escorted to tour the outer regions by opposition political tour guides and engage in conversations based on their monotonic activism, thereby saturating themselves with the high stench of bias. Given the circumstances, the government will be acting against its own political interest if it engages with this group of tourists.

That said, at the end of the day, it is the people who must define the success of the One Guyana initiative. To this end the tone-deaf opposition refuses to acknowledge the signals already issued within their strongholds. People are fedup of their political choice being defined by their ethnic nomenclature.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

Be ready to be the shapers of Guyana’s future

- President Ali tells UG Berbice campus graduates - Feryal Khan cops best graduating student award with 3.95 GPA Story and photos by Michael Khan DEFYING all odds and o v e r c o m i n g n u m e rous challenges, Feryal Khan, a 36-year-old small business owner of Cumberland, East Canje, has emerged as the best graduating student for the University of Guyana Berbice Campus (UGBC).

The mother of two completed a Bachelor of Science in Management and earned a distinction with an overall GPA of 3.95. Her outstanding performance was recognised at the university’s 22nd convocation ceremony which was held on Saturday. The second best graduating student is Rose Ann Hutson.

In a virtual address to the graduates, President Dr. Irfaan Ali stated that Guyana is on the cusp of transformation, and this generation of grad-

uates would become the 'torch-bearer' of a new and exciting era.

"Our nation needs individuals like you who are ready to pave the path ahead. I have no doubt that you will rise to the occasion," President Ali said.

Dr. Ali also mentioned that it is the graduates who will decide if they want to succeed or fail as Guyana continues to progress.

"In this world, you will find two kinds of people: those who sit and wait for opportunities to come their way, and those who aggressively seek those opportunities. I encourage you to be shapers of your future; be the masters of your destiny," he implored.

The President emphasised that, in Guyana, the time was right to embrace challenges, and transform those (challenges) into opportunities for upliftment.

"This is your time to shine. I want you to seize the moment, and don't

wait for opportunities to fall into your lap. Your education at the University of Guyana has enabled you to become the architect of your success," he stressed.

The Head of State also encouraged the graduates to have a positive impact on the society, whether through work or community engagement.

"Your contribution will be instrumental in shaping our nation's future. Always remember (that) your country is behind you, rooting for your success.

Make the most of your education, and be the agent of change that Guyana needs," he said.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, also virtually delivered the charge to the graduates.

"We have the opportunity to better our lives, and better define our legacy as a people. It is my pride and honour to convey heartfelt congratula-

tions to you the graduates, on behalf of the people and Government of Guyana," she said.

During the graduation several other awards were distributed. Angelica Ramgobin was named the best Biology student while Chavez Edwards was the best student in the nursing programme.

Also recognised were Nareema Alli and Basdeo Bisseesar (Agriculture), Verdica Solomon, Felicianne Rahim, Marlina Johnson, Terrence Giddings, Nirupa Manroop, Melissa Asregadoo and Kismatti Goberdhan (Education), Trisanna Edwards (Management), Nathan Yadram, Julia Phillips (Marketing), Obryan Squires (Finance), Shivaughn Hinckson (Nursing) and Usha Dalloo (Biology).

In the Associate Degree and Diploma programmes, prizes were given to Lokeshwari

UGBC’s best graduating student, Feryal Khan Kumar, Shania Marks, Alex Hartman, Gaitree Tulsie-Muthan, Shiron Reece, Raheem Blair, and Farzeena Hoosain.

At the beginning of the graduation ceremony, veteran sports commentator, Joseph 'Reds' Perreira, was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate for Excellence in Sports and Civic Engagement, and,

in absentia, cricketing legend, Rohan Bholalall Khanhai was also awarded with an Honorary Doctorate.

Among those in attendance was the Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, who was there to congratulate his son, Zahed Mustapha, who was among this year’s graduates.

Almost 200 persons who completed their studies at the University of Guyana Berbice Campus in various disciplines graduated on Saturday

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

‘It’s not necessary to match ignorance - President Ali says in response to with ignorance’ comments by Venezuela’s Vice-President

By Clestine Juan IN a strategic move to prioritise peace over provocation, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, has chosen a diplo-

prevent a consultative referendum scheduled for December 3.

President Ali's measured response comes in the wake of Rodriguez's submissions,

vulnerable populations, and provide them with necessities such as access to health and education services.

President Ali, in response to queries about

President, Dr Irfaan Ali, during the press conference

Vice-President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez (Photo: ICJ)

matic path amid the escalating tensions with Venezuela, and will not be engaging in a tit-for-tat exchange with the Bolivarian Republic’s Vice-President, Delcy Rodriguez.

During a press conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, President Ali affirmed his commitment to protecting Guyana's sovereignty and territorial integrity rather than engaging in an exchange of words, which he labelled as “ignorance.”

The ongoing border controversy between the two South American nations reached a critical juncture during a recent hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Venezuela's Vice President, Delcy Rodriguez, accused Guyana of attempting to

where she focused on Guyana's relationships with the United Nations, United States, and ExxonMobil.

Rodriguez accused Guyana of being the aggressor and promoting xenophobia, claims that President Ali dismissed as unnecessary distractions from the core issue of territorial integrity.

Contrary to Venezuela's allegations, Guyana has consistently maintained a stance against xenophobia, highlighting the importance of treating migrants, including those fleeing Venezuela, with empathy and dignity.

Guyana’s government has demonstrated a proactive approach to assisting migrants from Venezuela, numbering approximately 40,000.

The nation had also undertaken substantial efforts to protect these

why he doesn't respond directly to the Venezuelan Vice President of Venezuela, stated: “It is not necessary to match ignorance with ignorance.”

He stressed the need to prioritise peace and maintain a brotherly relationship, asserting the importance of safeguarding Guyana's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Rodriguez, during her submission to the ICJ, played an eight-seconds excerpt from President Ali's speech at the launch of the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s annual Agro and Trade Expo.

Rodriguez sought to emphasise President Ali’s commitment to not ceding any territory to Venezuela, framing it within the context of the ongoing territorial TURN TO PAGE 14

13

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

CARICOM has always defended Guyana’s territorial sovereignty - St Vincent PM says; Prime Minister Mottley reaffirms that the country’s firm position is supported by the region

PRIME Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, over the weekend, said that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has always been in support of Guyana’s territorial integrity.

The Prime Minister made those remarks during a joint press conference with Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, in Barbados.

According to Gonsalves, the ongoing controversy between Venezuela and Guyana is an old one, noting that Guyana bases its position on the 1899 Arbitral Award.

Gonsalves said: “CARICOM has always defended the territorial inviolability of Guyana.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mottley said that CARICOM has issued a very strong statement in support of Guyana.

She said that while she stated some weeks back that in spite of the controversy, Venezuela is a friend of the region as well, so she would wish to see the region remain one of peace.

Mottley related that this statement has excited condemnation; however, she added: “I have come to public life to promote peace not division.”

She went on to add that Guyana’s position has been strong and unwavering, and this position has been one that is backed by the region.

Mottley said they understand that where there is “not the appropriate opportunity to keep temperatures down, things can happen

Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley

that go beyond control.”

However, she expressed confidence in Gonsalves as chairman of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the chairman of CARICOM to work towards ensuring the region remains one of peace.

The genesis of the border controversy traces back to the 1899 Arbitral Award, a landmark decision that delineated the land boundary between British Guiana (now Guyana) and Venezuela.

However, despite the historic arbitration, tensions have persisted, with Venezuela repeatedly challenging the validity of the award.

In 2018, Guyana took a decisive step by approaching the ICJ, seeking affirmation of the 1899 Arbitral Award’s legitimacy.

Venezuela, taking a defiant stance, initially claimed the ICJ lacked jurisdiction, a contention flatly rejected by

the international court in a crucial ruling in December 2020. The door was thus opened for the ICJ to delve into the substantive case’s merits.

Recent developments have heightened the geopolitical situation, as Venezuela, through its National Electoral Council, unveiled plans for a “Consultative Referendum” on December 3, 2023.

Guyana contends that this move is a thinly veiled attempt by Venezuela to gather support for abandoning the ongoing ICJ proceedings, and unilaterally assert control over the Essequibo region.

In response, Guyana swiftly approached the ICJ, seeking urgent provisional measures to prevent any actions

by Venezuela that could jeopardise the status quo until the court reaches a final verdict on the matter.

The ICJ is expected to rule on Guyana’s request for provision-

Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves

al measures to prevent Venezuela from proceeding with its planned referendum

on the Essequibo.

Meanwhile, the substantive case, highlighting the historical

context and the 1899 Arbitral Award, remains before the court.

14

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

‘It’s not necessary to match...

FROM PAGE 12

issue.

However, Rodriguez’s selective quoting potentially distorts President Ali’s original message, which highlighted the government’s commitment to representing the people of Essequibo amid the border controversy.

In 1897, Venezuela and Great Britain concluded an agreement — the Treaty of Washington — by which they agreed to submit the issue regarding the location of their land boundary to binding arbitration before a tribunal of eminent jurists, including the heads of the judiciary of the United States and Great Britain.

The parties — Britain and Venezuela — agreed in that Treaty to accept the Tribunal’s Award as a full, perfect and final settlement of the boundary issue between the parties.

The genesis of the controversy traces back to the 1899 Arbitral

Award, a landmark decision that delineated the land boundary between British Guiana (now Guyana) and Venezuela.

However, despite the historic arbitration, tensions have persisted, with Venezuela repeatedly challenging the validity of the award.

In 2018, Guyana took a decisive step by approaching the ICJ, seeking affirmation of the 1899 Arbitral Award’s legitimacy.

Venezuela, taking a defiant stance, initially claimed the ICJ lacked jurisdiction, a contention flatly rejected by the international court in a crucial ruling in December 2020. The door was thus opened for the ICJ to delve into the substantive case’s merits.

R e c e n t d e v e l o pments have heightened the geopolitical situation, as Venezuela, through its National Electoral Council, unveiled plans for a “Consultative Refer-

endum” on December 3, 2023.

Guyana contends that this move is a thinly veiled attempt by Venezuela to gather support for abandoning the ongoing ICJ proceedings, and unilaterally assert control over the Essequibo region.

In response, Guyana swiftly approached the ICJ, seeking urgent provisional measures to prevent any actions by Venezuela that could jeopardise the status quo until the court reaches a final verdict on the matter.

The ICJ is expected to rule on Guya n a ’s re q u e s t f o r provisional measures to prevent Venezuela from proceeding with its planned referendum on the Essequibo. Meanwhile, the substantive case, highlighting the historical context and the 1899 Arbitral Award, remains before the court.

15

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

New Amsterdam residents highlight US ‘fact-finding’ group’s ‘selectiveness’ - affirm that they are seeing brighter days under the PPP/C Gov’t

REFUSING to stand idly by and allow untrue claims of discrimination to plague Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), concerned residents of New Amsterdam have said that because of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, the town is now seeing brighter days.

Highlighting the selectiveness of a visiting US group that is purportedly investigating the opposition’s claims of discrimination, residents, during a broadcast on the National Communications Network (NCN) on Saturday, said that it was evident that a recent town hall meeting in New Amsterdam was only directed to a certain group of persons.

While rubbishing the claims of discrimination, former member of the People’s National CongressReform (PNC-R), Barbara

Pilgrim, spoke on the external racism she endured when she crossed over to the PPP/C. “There was no intention to fact-find because if you’re going to fact-find then you have to go to the man in the street,” she said while highlighting that only a handful of persons were invited to the meeting, and even a prominent community member like her was not aware until hours later after she was informed by someone.

Emphasising the point that Afro-Guyanese are not being left behind or excluded from opportunities, one resident explained the one-sided nature of the ‘fact-finding’ mission. The resident stressed that the delegation was overlooking the neglect Region Six experienced under the PNC-R. “The government is on a drive [to] development…

I feel it is because of the

rate of development and how [many] Afro-Guyanese are coming onboard of the development train that is what is causing problem in the Opposition camp” the man said.

Earlier this year, it was announced by the Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo that over US$400 million will be injected into Region Six over the next few years through the construction of the New Amsterdam to Moleson Creek four-lane highway expansion.

This and other projects are part of the government’s master plan for infrastructural and social development in the region.

“The People’s Progressive Party/Civic has brought light back to New Amsterdam... the [PPP/C] is on a drive to make New Amsterdam apart of the train of national development,” a resident firmly remarked.

He also made reference to the commencement of land clearing at the site for the US$161 million stateof-the-art New Amsterdam Hospital in Region Six, coupled with the other preparatory works moving apace.

The contract for the New Amsterdam Hospital was signed in July between the Ministry of Health and VAMED Engineering, an Austria-based company.

Furthermore, Cordel Vagelli Austin, condemned

the attempts to divide Guyanese through a vehicle disguised as a “fact-finding” delegation.

Joel Amsterdam, on the other hand, dispelled the claims of favouritism when house lots are being distributed, and said that under the current government the housing sector is reaching new heights.

In October, it was announced by Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal that approximate-

ly 1,400 house lots were allocated in Region Six alone, and plans are afoot to continue the housing drive aggressively, with the establishment of another housing scheme towards the other end of East Berbice.

Moreover, in August, Minister Croal disclosed that the ministry had been able to distribute over 24,000 house lots nationwide over the past three years.

16

‘Our doors are open to legitimate delegations’

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

- Private Sector Commission says; highlights disinterest in meeting visiting US group

THE Private Sector Commission (PSC) has said that it is satisfied that the visiting delegation from the United States of America is neither bipartisan nor objective in its purpose for visiting Guyana and, therefore, will not be meeting with this delegation.

“Our doors remain open and we welcome legitimate delegations interested in exploring business opportunities and partnering for the development of Guyana,” the PSC said in a statement on Saturday.

Former Chair of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, Dee Dawkins-Haigler, the founder of a group that calls itself the Organisation of World Leaders (OWL), is leading a delegation in Guyana to “investigate” claims made by Opposition members of discrimination and racism.

O n F r i d a y, c o n cerned residents of Linden voiced that they felt shunned when they tried to speak at one of the delegation’s meeting.

Exposing the one-sided nature of the group, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, at a press conference on Saturday, questioned why the opposition was not evaluated by the US team, owing to their actions while in office,

including the termination of thousands of sugar workers.

In 2017, the former APNU+AFC Coalition Government had announced the closure of several sugar estates across the country, leaving thousands of persons without jobs or sources of income. The move saw four sugar estates being closed and over 7,000 sugar workers losing their jobs.

Highlighting the slew of taxes burdened on the backs of Guyanese by the previous coalition government, President Ali then posed the question: “Are they examining the more than 200 taxes that were imposed on Afro, Indian and Amerindian people in this country by the last government that we [PPP] removed?”

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

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

“This is not magic,” the Head of State said while underscoring that development is at every

corner of Guyana and it is because of his administration’s hard work and dedication.

He said: “This nonsense got to come to an end, where every Tom, Dick and Harry feel they can come and evaluate us.”

The visiting US group has been shunned by the government because of alleged ties to activist and hardline PPP/C critic, Rickford Burke and his organisation, the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID).

During the month of September, Burke organised a so-called “Conference on Guyana” in Washington, DC, to which the Government of Guyana was not invited, but which was attended by members of the opposition.

The one-sided engagement presented the platform for opposition members to spew concocted and fabricated narratives about the Government of Guyana, including what has been termed their usual diatribes about racial discrimination and extra-judicial killings, without utilising any fact-checking mechanism and without the government being afforded a hearing or an opportunity to respond.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

17

18

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

19

20

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Monday November 20, 2023) COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Today’s Quiz: (1) Who are the 2023 World Cup champions?

(2) Who has been declared Man of the Tournament?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

LEAD Antigua, Anguilla taste defeat in CONCACAF Nations Lreague MIAMI, (CMC) – Antigua and Barbuda and Anguilla both suffered defeats in the only two matches played in the CONCACAF Nations League on Saturday.

Playing in League B at the ABFA Technical Centre in St John’s, the hosts went down to Puerto Rico 3-2 while Anguilla were blanked 3-0 by Bonaire in a League C encounter at the Raymon E. Guishard Stadium in The Valley.

The defeat for Antigua was their third, leaving them third in Group D while Bonaire’s win was their second, moving them up to second in Group A. Wi l f r e d o R i v e r a ’s seventh minute strike – the first of a brace – put Puerto Rico ahead before Darren Ríos doubled the visitors’ advantage in the 33rd.

Down 2-0 at the break, Antigua clawed their way

back when Dion Pereira (52nd) and Stephen Browne (54th) scored in the space of three minutes to square the contest.

Raheem Deterville raced down the left and sent a searching ball across the box for the on-rushing Pereira finished with aplomb.

Moments later, Browne took on Rodolfo Sulia, beat the full back and squeezed his shot in at the near post from the narrowest of angles.

Antigua’s joy was short-lived, however, Rivera finding his second goal in the 58th minute to put Puerto Rico back in front for good.

Bonaire, meanwhile, found themselves punished by a quick-fire brace from Thierry Anthony (3rd, 6th) before Freadyen Michiel added the insurance goal in the 73rd.

21

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

Novak Djokovic beats Jannik Sinner to win ATP Finals 2023 title

NOVAK Djokovic won a record seventh ATP Finals title with a dominant victory over Jannik Sinner that marked another milestone in his memorable season.

The Serb, 36, who lost to the Italian in the group stage, avenged that with a 6-3 6-3 win in Turin, Italy.

He has set records in rankings and titles this year and played some of his best tennis against the youngsters - like Sinner - trying to challenge him.

"One of the best seasons I've had in my life, no doubt," Djokovic said.

"It's very special. To crown it against a hometown hero in Jannik this week is phenomenal," he added in comments to Amazon Prime.

"Tactically, I played differently today than in the group stage against Jannik. Overall, a phenomenal week."

Before the singles final, there was British success in the doubles when Joe Salisbury and American

partner Rajeev Ram retained their title with a straight-set win over Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.

Djokovic 'steps it up' against Sinner World number one Djokovic had been tied with Roger Federer on six ATP Finals title wins, but it was clear from the outset in Sunday's final that he was hungry to take the outright record.

He established control with an early break and dropped just two points on his serve in an almost flawless display to take the opening set.

A break to love in the opening game of the second set put Djokovic further ahead and made Sinner's dream of becoming the event's first Italian champion in front of a noisy home crowd seem impossible.

Sinner's first breakpoint chances came in the sixth game of the second set when he went 15-40 on the usually impenetra-

Novak Djokovic (right) had lost to Jannik Sinner (left) in the group phase but avenged that in the final

ble Djokovic serve, but the 24-time Grand Slam champion swiftly snuffed out the threat by forcing his opponent into errors from the back of the court.

Djokovic had the chance to go a double break up in the following game but, in a rare moment of fallibility, instead missed a straightforward volley before Sinner held with an ace.

But he got his chance in the Italian's next service game, with Sinner tamely handing over victory with a double fault on Djokovic's first match point.

It was a far cry from the Italian's performance against the Serb on Tuesday, when a victory in three sets ended Djokovic's 19-match winning streak.

But this was also a different Djokovic to then, with the Serb building on the brilliant performance he put in against world number two Carlos Alcaraz in Saturday's semi-finals to deliver an outstanding display underpinned by him winning a huge 91% of first-serve points.

"The way Carlos and Jannik have been playing, I had to step it up," said

Djokovic, who must now surely go into next season as favourite to dominate yet again and strive for yet more records.

Djokovic hits another milestone in a record-setting year This year has been full of records for Djokovic and so it seems only fitting that his tour season should end with another at an event where he was already its oldest champion.

Sunday's victory pulled him ahead of Federer for titles won at the ATP Finals, while he was confirmed as year-end men's world number one for a record-extending eighth time earlier in the tournament.

This year he also surpassed Steffi Graf's record for the most weeks spent at the top of the singles rankings, with his tally now about to stand at 400 from Monday.

Djokovic won three of this season's four Grand Slam singles titles to overtake Rafael Nadal's men's tally of 22 and draw level

with Australian Margaret Court's all-time record of 24.

That included a record-extending 10th title at the Australian Open which is where in January he will get the chance to become the outright record holder with a 25th major.

His French Open victory in June made him the only man to win a career Grand Slam - all four major titles - three times.

And this year he also set a record for most Grand Slam final appearances with 36, two more than Chris Evert's previous mark, and earlier this month he won a record-extending seventh Paris Masters trophy for a record-extending 40th Masters title.

While his tour season is over, Djokovic's playing season continues next week at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, Spain, where he will lead Serbia in their quarter-final against Great Britain on Thursday.(BBC Sport)

Shanto to lead Bangladesh in home Tests against New Zealand Hasan Mahmud, Hasan Murad and Shahadat Hossain Dipu have earned their first call-ups to the Bangladesh Test squad

NAJMU Hossain Shanto has been named Bangladesh Test Captain for the two-match series at home against New Zealand starting later this month.

Shanto was elevated after Litton Das, who was captain for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Dhaka in June, was granted paternity leave for a month. Shakib Al Hasan, who Litton had replaced at the helm, is out with a fractured finger.

"Litton has been granted leave for one month, he is not available for the two Tests. He wants to spend time with his new-born baby," Jalal Yunus, chairman of the BCB's cricket operations committee, said.

"We had requested him to play at least the second Test match but he insisted on [being away for] the whole series. That's why we granted him leave. As a

Najmul Hossain Shanto has led in whiteball internationals result, Najmul Hossain Shanto will captain the side in these two Tests."

Shanto has played 23 Tests so far, and averages 29.83 with

four centuries, but hasn't led Bangladesh in the format prior to this. He has, however, captained them in three ODIs, including twice at the 2023 ODI World Cup when Shakib was out injured for the games against India and Australia.

Shakib's immediate future in international cricket - including as the ODI captain for the series in New Zealand next month - remains unclear. There is the finger injury, of course, plus there was the TV interview before the World Cup, where he had outlined his retirement plans. Yunus said that the BCB hasn't heard directly about his plans to leave the captaincy after the World Cup. As for Tamim Iqbal, who missed the World Cup after a dramatic sequence of events, Yunus said that the BCB will

meet the player on November 22. Tamim has been out of action since the ODI series against New Zealand at home in September.

Three uncapped players in 15-man Test squad Hasan Murad, the 22-yearold left-arm spinner, has earned a first call-up to the Test squad, just two years after making his first-class debut. It's been an impressive first-class career for him so far, though, with 121 wickets from just 25 matches.

The other new faces have both played in other formats internationally: Hasan Mahmud, one of the brightest young fast bowlers in Bangladesh, has played 20 ODIs, including at the World Cup, and 17 T20Is, and has 44 wickets from 15 firstclass games so far; top-order batter Shahadat Hossain Dipu

has three T20I appearances to his name, and has a first-class batting average of 35.02 from 21 games.

Bangladesh Test squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Naeem Hasan, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Shahadat Hossain Dipu, Hasan Murad Changes in Bangladesh coaching staff Corey Collymore and David Hemp have been appointed on a temporary basis as the national team's fast-bowling and batting coach, respectively.

Collymore, who will fill in the void created by Allan Donald's departure after Ban-

gladesh's World Cup campaign, and Hemp are part of the BCB's high-performance coaching set-up. As for Jamie Siddons, the batting coach till the World Cup, he is out of contract at the moment. Siddons could return to the position if his department, BCB's Bangladesh Tigers, decides to renegotiate with him next year.

Spin-bowling coach Rangana Herath and fielding coach Shane McDermott will continue in their capacities till the end of their contracts on November 30 and December 31, respectively. Chandika Hathurusinghe, meanwhile, will continue as head coach, though S Sriram, the technical consultant till the end of the World Cup, has left. (Cricinfo)

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

Pakistan have appointed former fast bowler Wahab Riaz as their chief selector for the men’s team

THE 38-year-old, who only retired from international duty in August to focus on franchise cricket, will work alongside the recently-appoint-

ed men's team director Mohammad Hafeez.

"The decision to involve former players is commendable," said Wahab, who replaces

Inzamam-ul-Haq. Pakistan begin a threeTest tour of Australia on 14 December.

Having disappointingly failed to get out of the

group stage of the just concluded 50-over World Cup, Pakistan have since made a number of changes, with Babar Azam replaced as captain in all formats.

Batter Shan Masood -- who spent last season as Yorkshire skipper -- has taken over as Test captain, while pace bowler Shaheen Afridi will lead the

T20 side. A captain for the one-day side is yet to be named.

Babar Azam out as Pakistan captain in all formats

Nedd, Bishop engineer WI Academy win

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC) – LEFT-ARM spinners Ashmead Nedd and Joshua Bishop demolished Ireland Academy to set up West Indies Academy’s series-levelling seven-wicket victory in their three-match 50over series here Sunday.

C h o os ing to bowl first at Coolidge Cricket Ground, the hosts bundled out Ireland Academy for a paltry 103 in the 28th over with Nedd (3-12) and Bishop (3-19) grabbing three wickets apiece.

Captain Nyeem Young (2-23) and fellow seamer McKenny Clarke (2-20)

Left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd. (file photo)

both chipped in with a brace of wickets, the pair contributing to the early slide that saw the visitors crash to 48 for five at the start of the 16th over.

In reply, West Indies Academy tumbled to

40 for three in the ninth over before teenaged lefthander, Jordan Johnson, lashed a bold unbeaten 40 off 21 balls and Teddy Bishop, a brisk 32 not out off 25 deliveries, to see their side over the line in

the 16th over.

The series returns to Vivian Richards Cricket Ground on Tuesday for the final.

Having turned in a strong batting effort in Friday’s opener, Ireland Academy struggled this time around and only Scott MacBeth (29) and Stephen Doheny (27) managed to pass 20.

Doheny, who faced 44 balls and struck three fours, put on 29 for the first wicket with Murray Commins (16) before Young and Clarke scythed through the top order as five wickets tumbled for

19 runs.

MacBeth, who belted one four and a six in a 36-ball knock, added a further 32 for the sixth wicket with Gavin Hoey (17) before Joshua Bishop and Nedd combined to send the last five wickets crashing for 23 runs.

West Indies Academy’s start to their run chase was less than stellar, however. Left-hander Matthew Nandu fell at the end of the second over for nine, gloving a leg-side catch to the ’keeper off lively pacer Fion Hand while opening partner Kadeem Alleyne

followed in the eighth, comprehensively bowled by seamer Matthew Foster for 19.

When Hand struck again, getting Leonardo Julien to hold out to deep square on the pull for one in the following over, the hosts were tottering.

But Johnson counter-attacked brilliantly, blasting four fours and three sixes in an unbroken 63-run fourth wicket stand with Teddy Bishop who counted five fours and a six, as West Indies Academy wrapped up a comfortable win in the end.

Matthews unable to prevent another Renegades loss MELBOURNE, Australia, (CMC) – HAYLEY Matthews continued her uptick in form but her Melbourne Renegades returned to their losing ways, slumping to a heavy eight-wicket loss to Hobart Hurricanes in the Women’s Big Bash League here Sunday.

Just 48 hours after breaking an eight-game losing streak with a narrow two-run win over Brisbane Heat, Renegades were restricted to 101 for nine from their 20 overs,

with captain Matthews top-scoring with a run-aball 39.

She was one of only two players in double figures, wicketkeeper Josephine Dooley the other with 16 not out.

Player-of-the-Match, Heather Graham, claimed three for 12 with her rightarm seam while off-spinner, Molly Strano (2-14) and seamer Nicola Carey (2-24) finished with two wickets apiece.

In reply, Hurricanes reached their target with

14 balls to spare, captain Elyse Villani top-scoring at the top of the order with a run-a-ball 46 and Carey chipping in with 25 not out from 21 deliveries.

For Renegades, the defeat was their tenth of a wretched season, leaving them bottom of the eight-team league on four points.

Sent in, Renegades never got going and it was left to the West Indies captain Matthews, who struck four fours, to carry the innings.

Renegades captain Hayley Matthews

She anchored the most significant stand of the innings when she

helped post 34 for the fifth wicket with Jess Duffin (9), before per-

ishing at the start of the 16th over.

Hurricanes then suffered an early blow to their chase when South African Lizelle Lee fell cheaply for 11 in the third over with the score on 17.

However Villani, who struck half-dozen fours, put on 39 for the second wicket with Bryony Smith (15) and a further 46 in an unbroken third wicket stand with Carey, to see off the Renegades.

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

Awesome Australia clinch sixth World Cup

AFTER 10 consecutive wins to reach the final, India were outplayed by Australia on a slow Ahmedabad pitch as the visitors clinched an eye-popping sixth men's World Cup title.

If Australia's bowlers put the chokehold to restrict India to 240, it was Travis Head who delivered the final slam with his rollicking 120-ball 137 as they cruised to a six-wicket win.

Head, playing decisive roles in the semifinal and final of a World Cup, ensured he placed his name in history and joined an elite list of Mohinder Amarnath, Aravinda de Silva and Shane Warne to win Player of the Match awards in the knockout games.

The chase was not without stutters early on, as Australia slipped to 47/3 albeit with a healthy run-rate. Mohammed Shami, tasked with the new ball for the first time in this World Cup, struck with his second ball to have David Warner caught at slip.

Jasprit Bumrah, after conceding 15 in his first over, bounced back to have Mitchell Marsh caught behind and outfoxed Steven Smith with a slower ball. Smith chose not

to review with replays later confirming that he was struck outside off, and it betrayed signs of nerves in the chase.

However, Head along with a disciplined Marnus Labuschagne slowly and steadily reversed the pressure with a 192-run stand. With the spinners not getting much purchase on a slow surface, the duo stuck to their plans of rebuilding with a mixture of defence and attack.

India's second line of attack fell apart as Head first slogswept Kuldeep Yadav for a six and Jadeja was consistently milked. It meant that the final became the only game in this World Cup where India's spinners went wicketless, with the slowness off the surface largely negating their threat whatsoever.

Nevertheless, the duo played the conditions perfectly hitting boundaries early in the return spells to ensure that India never had an opening thereafter. They put on a massive partnership for the fourth wicket, to take the game away clinically from India. Head fell eventually with Australia needing just 2 more which was duly completed by Glenn Maxwell, to finish off the job started by

their captain with the ball.

Earlier in the day, a clinical display of bowling to the conditions had enabled Australia to restrict India to a middling total of 240 after putting them in to bat.

In front of a capacity crowd over 100,000, Pat Cummins decided to take a chance and bowl first on the dry pitch despite India's imperious batting record through the tournament. His judgement call threatened to be proven wrong as India, led by Rohit Sharma, once again, got the momentum in the powerplay.

Sharma set the tone with a string of boundaries hitting Josh Hazlewood off his length even as Shubman Gill fell miscuing to mid on. But Virat Kohli got going just like Sharma, hitting Mitchell Starc for three consecutive boundaries to keep India's run-rate up.

So far it had played to India's template with Rohit racing towards a quickfire fifty. But Australia kept them on their toes with the introduction of spin which paid dividends. Sharma tried to hit Maxwell out but ended up miscuing one high up and Travis Head completed a su-

Travis Head was named player of the match for his rollicking 137 perb catch running back and whatsoever. The duo went across from cover-point. An through a period of 97 balls already silenced crowd was without a boundary with even stunned further when Shreyas the likes of Mitchell Marsh Iyer fell nicking behind to a keeping the lines tight.

Leading the way with cutter from Cummins.

Losing two wickets in the bowling plans for the the space of four balls forced pacers was Cummins (10India into a position of con- 0-34-2 without conceding a solidation, which was done boundary) who had set the resolutely by the duo of Kohli tone with his off-pace cutters. and KL Rahul. While they But India had their hopes up remained steadfast, it was as Kohli brought up his 9th also a period where Australia fifty of the tournament and were equally standout with 5th consecutive one. Those the ball, allowing no freebies hopes were dashed though

by Cummins' ploy, as another banged-in cutter saw Kohli chopping on after 54. The weight of the 765 runs that Kohli had amassed through the tournament mattered little at this point as India were pushed into another corner.

They responded by changing up the batting order with Ravindra Jadeja getting a promotion. But even this ploy did not mess up Australia's lines as the boundaries simply did not come. Rahul, who held up one end, also brought up a fifty but there was no big finish to cap it off this time. Australia now found reverse swing as well which added to the challenge.

Hazlewood had Jadeja nicking behind from round the wicket while Starc mirrored that at the other angle to prise out the defiant Rahul.

Suryakumar Yadav's attempts to shepherd the tail as well as give India a boost did not come off as he gloved a slow bouncer from Hazlewood, effectively ending any chance of a late surge as India were eventually bowled out for 240 - a total that proved too little on the back of Head's calculated assault.

(Cricbuzz)

‘We tried everything we could’ - Rohit after World Cup final loss’ their

ine ‘We tried everything...’nleague

IT was a phrase used twice

by Rohit Sharma at the post-match presentation after India lost the World Cup final to Australia by six wickets. " We w e r e n o t g o o d enough today," Rohit said, reflecting on the game. "But again, I think I'm really proud of the team, how we played from game one. It just wasn't our day.

"We tried everything we could from our side. But yeah, it wasn't supposed to be."

India's winning juggernaut, which saw them win all

games and then the semi-final in Mumbai, came to an abrupt halt at the final.

Asked to bat first, the hosts struggled for momentum on a slow and dry surface in Ahmedabad and were bowled out for 240 off the last ball of the innings.

"I mean 20-30 more [runs] would have been good," Rohit said. "We spoke around 25-30 overs when KL and Virat were batting.

They were stitching a good partnership there and they just needed to bat as long as possible. We were looking at 270-280 at that point, but

Skipper Rohit Sharma (right) and Virat Kohli at the conclusion of the match then we kept losing wickets. We couldn't stitch a big partnership there. And that's exactly what Australia did to win the game. They stitched

a big partnership after those three wickets."

Compared to 67 runs between KL Rahul and Virat Kohli for the fourth wicket,

Australia correspondingly added 192 runs after losing three early wickets just like India.

"When you have 240 on the board, you want to take wickets as early as possible and we did that but then again, credit to those two guys in the middle - Travis and Marnus, they stitched up a big partnership and put us completely out of the game," Rohit said.

"But again, we tried everything we could, you know, but I thought the wicket got slightly better to bat under the lights."

With the onset of dew, the pitch started to play better later in the innings but

Rohit said that he didn't want to use it as an "excuse" for India's loss. After all, Rohit had revealed at the toss that India too were looking to bat first and put a big total on the board in the big final.

"We knew under the lights, it would be slightly better but again, we don't want to give that as an excuse. We didn't bat well enough to put enough runs on the board. And then with the seamers upfront, we got those three wickets where we thought another wicket can open up the game but again, credit to those two guys in the middle for stretching that big partnership." (Cricbuzz)

Awesome Australia clinch sixth World Cup

24

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, November 20, 2023

SEE PAGE

23

The Australian players celebrate their emphatic triumph

Inter-Guiana Games 2023

By Calvin Chapman

Last evening, the curtains fell on the 2023 Inter-Guiana Games, which was hosted across several venues in Paramaribo, Suriname. The host nation emerged as the overall champions while Guyana finished second and French Guiana, third.

The three-day event was well-organised and the young sportsmen and women gave it their all across disciplines with the athletics team standing out following their impressive medal haul.

During the presentation ceremony, Guyana’s Director of Sport; Steve Ninvalle made brief but encouraging remarks. He posited that, “They are no losers here.

Those that have won are usually called the winners but the defeated are also winners because you have

won the experience that will allow you to come back better next year, than you were this year.”

The administrator also expressed gratitude to the host nation, “I really want to thank Suriname for being generous hosts.

It is the determination that helped make this event a reality. Thanks to the government and the Sports Ministry that we were to have this wonderful event. Thanks to the entire team for making it possible.”

“Thanks to my team, thanks to the vice-president of the National Sports Commission (NSC Guyana), Dr. Karen Pilgrim, the two Fionas, and all that have put their shoulders to the wheel to ensure Guyana was well represented at the 2023 IGG.” Ninvalle concluded that, “Come 2024, watch out, we will be better represented.”

…Guyana finishes second overall

Team Guyana walked with the athletics Championship trophy (Calvin Chapman photo)

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

| MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2023