Guyana Times - Monday, April 22, 2024

17 GDF ranks commence training to become medical assistants

Works begin on transmission lines to connect vessel to grid – GPL official

See story on page 14

GDF Coast Guard's new US$11.5M patrol vessel arrives

“City

8 months after LGE 2023 36MW power ship

gets done”

Over $50M worth of ganja discovered, destroyed at farm along Berbice River

Local Content Act could be revised later this year – AG GMSA using targeted training programmes for skill & labour shortages

Teen dies in WCB accident

“No place for corrupt officers" – prison director

Probe launched into mysterious death of miner at Jawalla Regional Division 4B cracks down on errant road users

IDB to finance mental health, substance abuse training for prison officers

8 months after LGE 2023

“City Council is a talk shop, nothing gets done” – PPP/C Councillor …says Councillors still do not know City Council’s assets

Describing the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) as a talk shop where nothing gets done despite their best efforts, People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Councilor Alfonso De Armas is spilling the beans on what it is like around the horseshoe table over eight months after he won a seat there.

In last year’s Local Government Elections (LGE), the PPP/C won five of the 15 constituencies, an increase from three in 2018. De Armas, one of the party’s five councillors, in a recent interview expressed frustration at the lack of progress on the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) majority-controlled council, which is overseen by Mayor Alfred Mentore.

“We’re a new council. Most of us are first time counsellors. Been there eight, nine months. And already, it has been the most frustrating, unproductive time that we have seen at council. First thing is, we do not have the majority, and council is just a talk shop. It’s an exercise in frus-

tration. And nothing ever gets done. We sit around the horse shoe for hours. Deliberate and make all sorts of grand plans. And in the end, nothing gets implemented.”

According to De Armas, he has attracted the moniker of “Mr. Timeline” due to his continuous effort to attach a timeline to the decisions being taken at City Council. Nevertheless, there is still no progress when it comes to implementing these decisions.

One of the problems being faced by the council right now, continues to be accounting for finances and even the assets of the council. Shockingly, De Armas revealed that more than eight months after their election to the City Council, they still do not know how many assets the council owns due to the lack of an updated asset register.

“One thing that we’ve all been insistent on, is the financial statements and status of council. Because

without our financial house in order, its very difficult for us to get anything done. And over the last 20 years, council has only submitted financial statements for six of those years. There’s no asset register. Bank statements have not been reconciled since 2021. It’s in dire straits.”

“And I have personally written to the mayor on multiple occasions, requesting that financial information be compiled and released to councillors, so that we can make proper, evidence based, data driven decisions. And none of that has happened. And until the financial affairs of council are fixed, then it’s very difficult for council to make decisions on upgrading and maintaining the assets,” he further said.

In 2018, the PPP had secured 6813 votes in Georgetown, but at last year’s LGE polls, ballots in its favour almost doubled to 12,256. The Party’s support base increased in areas such as Kingston, Sophia, Albouystown, Tucville, East Ruimveldt, and West Ruimveldt. The five PPP councilors

arrived at City Hall at a time when the city was still unable to account for past monies. For years, concerns have been raised by Auditor General Sharma about the lack of financial accountability at City Hall.

City Council did not submit financial statements to the Audit Office for 2006, 2008 to 2011, 2017 and 2020, making it impossible to effectively audit the millions of public funds that have passed through the Council’s hands.

Last year, the Auditor General had revealed that he met with the new Mayor, Mentore, and his

finance team. During that meeting, Sharma explained that he gave City Hall a way forward to settle its accounts, which they will present to the Council and return with feedback to the Audit Office. That way forward, he had said, was for the City to get their asset register in order.

The Auditor General had further advised them that they should do a stock and cash count and produce a new financial statement. A recommendation was also made for the City Council to outsource this job. (G3)

PPP/C Councillor Alfonso De Armas

The horseshoe table where the Georgetown M&CC meets

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, April 22 – 03:30h-05:00h and Tuesday, April 23 –04:00h-05:30h.

GDF Coast Guard's new US$11.5M patrol vessel arrives

and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily. Monday, April 22 –15:35h-17:05h and Tuesday, April 23 – 16:10h-17:40h.

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery to light rain showers are expected during the day and into the evening. Temperatures should range between 24 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly

Guyana’s capacity to monitor its maritime borders will be significantly bolstered with the arrival of a brand-new patrol vessel.

The 115 Defiant monohull patrol vessel, which was designed and built by United States-based Metal Shark Boats to the tune of US$11.5 million for the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), will join the army’s Coast Guard fleet.

It’s arrival to local shores on Sunday was announced via the Facebook page of several senior government officials including President Dr. Irfaan Ali.

metre.

A brief statement from the GDF, subsequently, disclosed that a multi-agency crew was onboard the vessel when it docked at the Coast Guard’s Headquarters in Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

It included four officers and 12 ranks from the GDF Coast Guard and accompanied by one Officer, two ranks from the Regional Security System (RSS), and four Metal Shark Boats’ personnel.

They were welcomed by the Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan; Colonel General, Colonel Kenlloyd Roberts; various Branch Heads and Senior Officers within the army, and other members of the

defensive capacity. In fact, a significant portion of the $1.146 trillion Budget 2024, from which the GDF alone received $42.2 billion, has gone towards building the technical capability and assets of the local security sector.

Efforts are already underway to procure four new helicopters that will not only be used by the GDF but also the Guyana Police Force. Back in October 2020, the US State Department had approved the sale of four helicopters and related equip-

Coast Guard. The National Security Advisor, Captain Gerald Gouveia, was also present.

The patrol vessel was designed by Metal Sharks’ inhouse engineering team and constructed at the company's Franklin, Louisiana, production facility.

It now joins the ranks of seven other Metal Shark vessels currently serving in the Coast Guard fleet.

According to the GDF, ranks from the Coast Guard will have to undergo a period of training before the vessel is formally handed over and commissioned into service.

Brigadier Khan had told Guyana Times during an interview back in February that the acquisition of this vessel was a multi-year project as part of efforts to modernise and expand the army to meet future defence and security needs – a huge area of which is to boost its assets.

The Guyana Government has been heavily invested in boosting the country’s

ment to Guyana to the tune of US$256 million.

Last November, the Government had approached the National Assembly for additional monies to support the procurement of the patrol vessel for the GDF along with other expenses.

Then in December 2023, eight bids were opened by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) for the construction of a new reinforced concrete wharf at the Coast Guard Headquarters at Ruimveldt, Georgetown. The wharf, which is being built to accommodate this and other new vessels being acquired by the GDF, is estimated to cost some $2 billion.

Back in October 2023, Metal Shark Boats said the 115-foot Defiant patrol vessel earmarked for Guyana, dubbed the “GDFS Berbice”, is completed and had departed it Louisiana production facility in the US. The vessel had travelled to the company’s Bayou La Batre shipyard in Alabama, US – from

where it left for Guyana’s shore.

Metal Shark’s Chief Executive Officer Chris Allard had said that the vessel will play a key role in helping to protect Guyana’s oil and gas industry.

In August last year, President Dr. Irfaan Ali said that the vessel being procured from Metal Shark, would also help Guyana in patrolling the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) against illegal fishing. He pointed out that Guyana has been losing significant revenue from illegal fishing in its EEZ, a problem that is being dealt with through the modernisation and outfitting of the GDF with a wide range of marine and aviation equipment.

“We’re already in discussions with different stakeholders on a mother ship that would help us in securing our EEZ and ensuring that the commercial value of our EEZ is not exploited without us having a presence there. And that is what the Beechcraft would allow us to do,” the Guyanese Head of State had noted.

The President added, “When outfitted with additional equipment and the Dornier when that comes into the fleet, [it] will help us tremendously to secure our EEZ. We know from information that is being shared with us that we’re losing a lot of revenue with illegal fishing within our EEZ. So, the commercial vi-

ability of the investment is one that is also taken into consideration.”

According to the USbased boatbuilder, the vessel can accommodate 24 crewmembers, storage and launch/recovery facilities for a small outboard-powered rigid inflatable boat (RIB), and mounts for automatic weapons.

The aluminium hull features a reverse-raked bow offering reduced resistance for improved seakeeping in higher sea states. There are also multiple watertight bulkheads and oversized scantlings throughout the hull. All integrated tanks and machinery areas are accessible via watertight hatches.

Equipped with twin Caterpillar C32 1,600hp (1,193kW) engines for economical long-range missions, GDFS Berbice boasts a range of 2,000 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 12 knots as well as top speeds in excess of 20 knots. Alternatively, the endurance means the vessel is able to remain out at sea for up to 10 days.

Crewmembers will also be able to traverse the vessel, day or night, even in adverse weather conditions, with the added protection of a prominent breakwater.

Facilities aboard the vessel include crews’ quarters, toilets with showers, a galley, and separate mess areas for officers and enlisted sailors. (G8)

The 115-foot patrol vessel arrived and docked at GDF Coast Guard HQ on Sunday

Views

Finally utilising our savannahs

Even before the launch of the “25 by 25” food production programme led by President Dr Irfaan Ali to reduce the US$4 billion Caricom food bill by 25% by 2025, the Government had launched an initiative along with several Private Sector companies – the owners of Guyana Stock Feed Ltd, Royal Chicken, Edun Farms, SBM Wood, Dubulay Ranch, and Bounty Farm Ltd, along with the Brazilian-owned New Frontier Agriculture – to form a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to produce soya and corn in our Intermediate Savannahs. The Government provided initial “infrastructural development” for the project by budgeting some $500 million for it, growing by over $1.2 billion by 2023. Fifty kilometres of roads to provide access to the crops have been built.

The venture was very successful and by 2023, had produced 162,000 tonnes of corn and soya bean. In collaboration with India, which is promoting the crop as a healthy solution to food security demands, 250 acres of millet growing to 1000 acres was added as another crop, and this also proved to be successful. By that time they were joined by another company, Farmlands Guyana Inc (FGI) – which owns 25,000 acres in the Intermediate Savannahs to launch another initial agricultural venture -1000 acres of corn and soya beans. The Government has also built three 3000-tonne silos and one 80-tonne-per-hour drying tower at the Tacama Landing along the Berbice River, where the wharf has been rebuilt to handle the shipping of the crops.

Unfortunately, the Guyana savannahs are still little known to most Guyanese who live on our coastlands and they are missing out on the opportunity to share in the success and ultimate boosted and sustainable earnings. Savannahs are the tropical equivalent of the temperate zone prairies of North America and the steppes of Eurasia - vast flat or undulating grasslands. More precisely, they have been defined as “a mixed woodland-grassland ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of grasses.”

We have two sets of savannahs in Guyana. First are the Intermediate Savannahs in Region 10, which cover approximately 2000 square miles or 500,000 hectares. It consists of 70 per cent forest and 25 per cent savannah lands and comprises five discrete areas; the Kimbia/Ebini Savannah (East of the Berbice River); the Wiruni Savannah (West of the Berbice River); the Ituni/Tacama Savannah (West of the Berbice River); the Kibilibiri Savannah (West of the Berbice River) and the Eberoabo Savannah (West of the Berbice River). The second are found in the Rupununi (north and south) and are much larger at 6000 square miles. These are vast expanses of land into which each of the Caricom islands would easily fit.

Directly after independence, the PNC administration attempted to open up the Intermediate Savannahs for cultivation. The first effort was the Global Agri Kibilibiri grain project, which embarked on large- scale production of maize, sorghum, soyabean and black-eye peas. Approximately 1400 acres was put under cultivation during which time ownership and management of the project was derogated to the Stateowned Guyana Agricultural Products Corporation, which continued farming until 1978 and then collapsed. By then, the Government had moved on with a combination of state effort through the creation of the Guyana National Service (GNS) in 1974 and later private enterprise. The Dubulay Ranch, part of the 2021 consortium, was founded back in 1976 as a private venture. Unfortunately, all of these ventures collapsed like most PNC initiatives because of politization.

Since then, there have been regular attempts in every decade to creating a sustainable model for agricultural development of the savannahs to make Guyana into the “Breadbasket of the Caribbean”, to no avail. But the dream persisted and now is being realised through the commitment of the Government and the entrepreneurial spirit of businesses who are willing to undertake risks because they know there is a need for food that has to be satisfied and they can produce needed crops. The PPP – Public-Private Partnership – model is clearly the way to go.

I shall resign with immediate effect provided that…

Dear Editor, Reference is made to an article carried in the local press on April 21, 2024, with the caption “AFC calls for gov’t nominees on PPC to step down over Tepui decision”. According to the report, the leader of the AFC, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan argued that the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) “… abandoned their power under Article 212 AA (i) (h) and (i) which provides explicitly that they investigate complaints, and in cases of irregularity and mismanagement and to propose remedial action”. He further argued that “they [the three gov’t commissioners] heeded not the prescription in the Supreme law of the land…”

I would like to state categorically that I, Joel Bhagwandin, shall resign with immediate effect provided that the AFC can cite the authority, inter alia, the specific section(s) in the Supreme law of the land (the Constitution of Guyana) and/or the Procurement Laws and

Regulations that were heeded not by the PPC. That is, which specific section(s) therein provide expressly for the nullification of a contract, or imposition of penalties of any kind that can be invoked by the PPC, a constitutional body, as regards the contract award to Tepui. And if so, why were they not applied previously when a former AFC Minister was found directly in breach of the Procurement Act.

Furthermore, the statement by the AFC that the PPC did not propose remedial action as per Article 212 AA (i) (h) and (i) of the Constitution, suggests that the AFC did not study the report in its entirety. Contrary to the AFC’s inaccurate claims, the PPC report provided thirteen (13) recommendations, all of which were acknowledged by the Government of Guyana, pursuant to their subsequent statement following the publication of the report on the summary of findings.

In particular, the PPC recommends that “the con-

tract for the subject tender having been entered into, it is recommended that the procuring entity strictly monitor the performance of the contract and if the awarded bidder TEPUI is found in breach, then the necessary steps, including termination if considered to be prudent, be taken to ensure that value for money is achieved. In light of NPTAB’s disclosure as to the other three (3) pump stations, to wit, ‘Jimbo, Meten Meer Zorg and Pouderoyen’ which were advertised and evaluated at the same time as the subject tender herein, Belle Vue, also “lacked prior experience specifically in pump station construction” but were deemed to have “had completed a project of a similar nature” and therefore the “same leniency was applied”, the recommendation herein also applies to those pump stations”.

The report goes onto state that “the Commission pursuant to its constitutional mandate, functions and powers shall exercise

oversight in this regard”.

It is quite ironic that the AFC rejected a report that was largely in its favour, while the Government accepted an adverse report exposing shortcomings within the public procurement system. This obvious irony flies in the face of the AFC’s pronouncement that the Government nominated Commissioners are acting as a branch of the Executive arm of Government. Why would a government expose its own adverse shortcomings? Perhaps only a government that is committed to scrutiny, accountability, and transparency.

Of interest to note, the PPC has published a total of five (5) reports including the Tepui contract, all of which similar recommendations were made. The question is why only this contract gaining such profuse attention whereas all the others were ignored.

Sincerely,

Joel Bhagwandin Commissioner, PPC

An archer in ancient samurai warrior uniform riding on a horse shoots an arrow to a target during a Yabusame horseback archery demonstration of the samurai martial arts at Sumida Park in Tokyo, April 20, 2024 (AFP)

Solar farms in Guyana will always be a big plus

Dear Editor,

The very idea that solar farms will be constructed at Charity and Onderneeming is enough to stir excitement. In fact, I am fully cognizant that, over the last few years, solar energy technology has advanced leaps and bounds, and it has never been so environmentally friendly yet quite cost-efficient to turn to solar energy sources. I think this is in the minds of those who are spearheading the Charity and Onderneeming projects.

The word I got from the press is that “…as part of regional developments across the country, and to ensure that every resident benefits from a more comfortable and enhanced

lifestyle, matters in this regard were discussed between the Regional Chairman of Region Two, Vilma De Silva, along with other regional officials and representatives from the Guyana Utility Scale Solar Photovoltaic Programme (GUYSOL).” This is a great start, and hopefully it will be fully embraced until the realisation of some actual solar farms.

Editor, it is a work in progress, and it will take time to develop these particular solar farms. The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government will have to invest in heavy equipment to get the job done, so the site visit in one area was all about looking at the area and deciding where to build a stur-

dy enough bridge over the canal to hold the weight of the necessary machine. All of this will take time and effort. Too much is at stake, but loads of profit can be the end result.

In terms of what will be accomplished, we are talking about “…having two solar farms in the region: the one at Charity will produce 3MW, and the second one that will be built in Onderneeming will produce 5MW”. Overall, then, these will redound in 8MW being added to the grid in Anna Regina. So, it is well worth it, as it fits into the plans of President Dr. Irfaan Ali to ensure that residents of the area are not affected by power shortage and outage.

On a wider scale, I

just wish more and more Guyanese will become conversant regarding solar farms. The simple fact is that solar farms use a reliable, clean energy source, but the same cannot be said for energy sources such as fossil fuels and coal. Solar farms are for sure better environmentally, as they do not cause wide-spread and heavy pollution, in comparison with most conventional energy sources.

I add here that solar farms can still be used to farm crops and graze livestock.

Studies in 2018 and 2019 have shown that it is beneficial to co-locate croplands and solar farms in a practice known as “agrovoltaics.” If, down the road,

local landowners or the Government want to revert the land to solely agricultural use, this can be accomplished easily. Land that was not used for crops while functioning as a solar farm may even “maintain soil quality and contribute to the biodiversity of the land.” It is really a ‘win’ in every area.

With SUMEC Complete Equipment and Engineering Company

Limited and XJ Group Corporation (the contractor) at the helm, the goal is to make all of this happen in around 18 months. As regards funds, the Guyana/ Norway partnership is providing this with an estimated $83.3 million invested, and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)

is in charge of overseeing GUYSOL. All of this input breathes of quality, integrity and transparency.

Guyana cannot go wrong where solar farms are concerned. For example, China uses the most solar power globally, generating over 224GWh of electricity using just solar, with a projected 370kWh of installed solar by 2024. Then solar installations are becoming cheaper and are expected to increase in both residential and commercial U.S markets - with the potential of 1 solar installation per minute in the US by 2024. The future is beckoning us in Guyana.

Yours truly, HB Singh

How to destroy a country in 3 years

Dear Editor,

There is the undeniable fact that Guyana, on its quest to develop our country are bombarded on every front by hostile forces. We are navigating through waters that are hostile, vindictive and unpatriotic; forces that are on a straight path of destabilisation. In the first place they would like The Government to renegotiate everything that was legally done by The Coalition, doing so with strong authoritarian appeal! But I will get back to that renegotiation deal matter later.

First, they are demanding an exorbitant pay rise from the same oil monies, the GTU being the main culprits in this regard. In was the political operative of the GTU's mistaken belief that they could have called out the entire public service in a huge Opposition Political showdown to force the government into giving in to their inordinate demand, this did not happen! Now that they have lost face, Coretta is desperately trying the damage control mechanism by exploring the court system. But that will not take place until Friday's Lopsided Court Ruling is properly adjusted.

After a CCJ Ruling, negotiations can move forward in a spirit of discipline, amiability and mutual respect. I rest my case.

So, let us get back to the raucous call for renegotiation of the oil deal signed by the Coalition and what is the PPP/C's responsibility in all of this? You would recall that the PSA Agreement of 2016 was signed between a legally elected government and the Oil Giant Exxon Mobil; this was a free legally binding deal between the two international entities. No gun was pointed to his head, nei-

ther was it done under duress, the minister was in his right mind when the deal was signed.

That is why, I will reiterate the point that the people of a country ought to be extra vigilant and careful when they elect a government into office. It is a binding contract they are making for those individuals to make all transactions on their behalf. So, that PSA Agreement was legally binding. Now that the Coalition and its sympathizers are in opposition, they've had a change of heart, they contend that the agreement was lopsidedly done, to the extent that they did not know what they were doing when that agreement was signed?

They fully well knew what to do with the $18M first oil signing bonus monies, but all other financial arrangements they would want to absolve themselves. Utterly preposterous! So, let us see get back to the "Renegotiating debate" and how we've got here?

The PPP/C came into office in August 2020 and have made huge changes in the economic and physical landscape of this country; this is nothing short of phenomenal.

At this pivotal juncture the newly minted Christopher Columbuses have suddenly made a discovery, that we should renegotiate the PSA Agreement of The Coalition with immediate effect!

Well, for starters, that is not how it is done, these types of renegotiations take years to complete, oftentimes with bruising court deliberations involving millions of dollars. The end result will be, and I repeat, will be at a loss to Guyana. So, the question is, why should Guyana be bogged down, waste valuable time and money, when the future good in major de-

velopmental works are in progress? We have a futuristic goal in mind which marks a push for massive devel-

opment in all sectors of the economy, and may I say nothing is going to stop us now!

Secondly, our government

Much-needed and welcomed production

Dear Editor, My company ‘GEMS

Theatre Productions’ just concluded the staging of TWELFTH NIGHT’ for six performances at the National Cultural Centre, which was sponsored by the Ministry of Education.

I write, particularly, to congratulate the Ministry of Education for having brought both teachers and students from Forms Three to Five from every single corner of our country, from Orealla in the Corentyne River, North West Secondary and Santa Rosa Secondary in Region 1, St Ignatius, Sand Creek and Aishalton from Rupununi, for example. They came to witness Shakespeare, which they have read, come to life on stage.

Shakespeare’s TWELFTH NIGHT is on the CSEC Syllabus.

It was a much needed and

welcome production, superbly acted and directed by Ron Robinson and assistant director, Derek Gomes.

I have seen and strongly disagree with an opinion in the media that Shakespeare should not be taught in our schools because it is a colonial hangover. What nonsense?

It is our duty and responsibility to educate our children, not merely to be citizens of Guyana but citizens of the world and who in the world would dare to deny the importance of Shakespeare.

I anticipate and look forward to the Ministry of Education continuing with this magnificent commitment to the education of our children.

Yours sincerely

Gem Madhoo-Nascimento Producer

cannot in midstream change our minds and get ourselves bogged down with renegotiating matters; this is not a cake shop deal as opposition forces have it. It is also a point of note, the doomsday group eagerly await a massive oil spill to take place. It all adds up to the backward, diabolical plans they have for this country.

They may look at it through their own myopic and unpatriotic eyes as losing money to the Oil giant; however, big minds see it as small destabilising forces trying desperately to bring The

Government as well as our country down. Simply put, it undermines investor confidence in one's country, which Guyana can ill afford at this time.

Our discussion is not for small uneducated minds, ours is for the future good of our country. So, when I sarcastically created that caption "How to destroy a country a country in three years," when you look at opposition forces you get the full picture.

Respectfully,

Neil Adams

Page Foundation

What is a set? Well, simply put, it’s a collection.

First, we specify a common property among “things” and then we gather up all the “things” that have this common property.

Set of clothes: For example, the items you wear: hat, shirt, jacket, pants, and so on. I’m sure you could come up with at least a hundred.

This is known as a set.

Or another example is types of fingers.

This set includes index, middle, ring, and pinky.

So it is just things grouped together with a certain property in common.

Notation

There is a fairly simple notation for sets. We simply list each element (or “member”) separated by a comma, and then put some curly brackets around the whole thing:

The curly brackets { } are sometimes called “set brackets” or “braces”.

This is the notation for the two previous examples: {socks, shoes, watches, shirts, ...} {index, middle, ring, pinky}

Notice how the first example has the “...” (three dots together).

The three dots ... are called an ellipsis, and mean “continue on”.

So that means the first example continues on ... for infinity. (Just imagine there were an infinite variety of things you could wear)

So:

The first set {socks, shoes, watches, shirts, ...} we call an infinite set; the second set {index, middle, ring, pinky} we call a finite set. But sometimes the “...” can be used in the middle to save writing long lists:

Example: the set of letters: {a, b, c, ..., x, y, z}

In this case it is a finite set (there are only 26 letters in the alphabet, right?) (mathsisfun.com)

In this fun and easy human body science experiment, we’re going to investigate taste buds.

Materials:

Salt

Sugar

Water

Lemon juice

Instant coffee

Six small bowls Cotton swabs

Pen or pencil

Blank piece of paper

Instructions:

Draw the shape of your tongue on your piece of paper.

Fill one of the bowls with water.

Fill the other bowls with a small amount of salt, sugar, lemon juice, and instant coffee.

Now, dip a cotton swab into the lemon juice and rub the swab around in your mouth.

Mark where you tasted the sour taste.

Next, dip a cotton swab in water and then the sugar. Move the cotton swab around your mouth and mark where you tasted the sweet taste.

Repeat this procedure with the salt and the coffee.

How it works:

An average person has around 10,000 taste buds. Taste buds have sensitive microscopic hairs that send messages to the brain. These messages will tell the brain if something is sweet, salty, sour, bitter, or savoury. Up until recently, it has been believed that certain areas of the tongue detect certain tastes. This is now considered a misconception. Did you identify similar tastes on certain parts of your tongue?

Make this a science project: Try this experiment with a friend. Try different items to taste. (sciencefun. org)

When I was One, I had just begun.

When I was Two, I was nearly new. When I was Three I was hardly me.

When I was Four, I was not much more.

When I was Five, I was just alive.

But now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever, So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.

GMSA using targeted training programmes for skill &

labour

…says partnering with UWI to help fill gaps in manufacturing

In light of the often-referenced labour shortages in the country, a situation that has also affected the manufacturing sector, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) has revealed that it is pushing for targeted training programmes to alleviate the situation.

In its 2023 Annual Report, the GMSA noted the importance of education, placing it on par with trade facilitation. They recalled that they previously met with representatives of the University of the West Indies Cave Hill School of Business and Management, where they discussed ways in which education can be used to alleviate skills shortage.

“Currently, there is a massive skill and labour shortage in Guyana. This shortage hinders the growth of industries and limits the country’s overall economic potential. In an effort to remedy this challenge, we met with representatives of the University of the West Indies Cave Hill School of Business and Management to discuss training needs in the manufacturing sector.”

“We agreed that research is first needed to

identify the specific skills and knowledge gaps within industries. By conducting this research, targeted training programmes will be developed to equip individuals with the necessary skills to fill the labour shortage,” the association further explained.

The association explained that by doing this, they will not only play their part in helping to develop the manufacturing sector, but also other industries in Guyana. They noted that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to this effect was even signed after the meeting.

“This will not only benefit the manufacturing sector but also other industries in Guyana. Additionally, the collaboration with the University of the West Indies will ensure that the training programmes are of high quality and align with international standards,” GMSA further said.

Earlier this year, ViceChancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Paloma Mohamed- Martin, had disclosed that the institution plans to expand its Faculty of Engineering and Technology this year, in an effort to train more Guyanese to address the skills gap.

This is in light of the fact that the local demand for engineers has doubled over the last three years, and is expected to be tripled in 2024. According to Mohamed-Martin, the university recently had its highest number of graduates in the engineering sector, representing a 72 per cent increase in the last six years. This included the first batch of petroleum engineering graduates.

However, the number of persons entering the local workforce is relatively low, given that a large number of engineering students are taking up jobs within the international private sec-

tor. Martin explained that this is severely affecting local industries.

“We have tripled the number of engineers we were producing since 2020 but still that’s not enough, because they’re getting absorbed before they graduate into the international private sector, and the local private sector is losing them, the Government sector is losing them; and, of course, UG is also losing our own people that we are employing,” Martin had stated.

Martin had further said that, the university is working assiduously to tackle this issue in 2024,

shortages

and this will be done in a comprehensive manner that would benefit the local, regional and international labour markets.

Further, the University will be implementing an Immersive Virtual Reality training programme for engineering students at its Tain Campus in Berbice this year. This initiative would allow students to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool for leaning, rather than having to travel to the Georgetown Campus weekly to manually do labs.

In the latter part of 2023, the University of Guyana, in collaboration with the Greater Guyana

Initiative, turned sod for the construction of a US$2.25 million building to service thousands of students looking to develop careers in science, technology, and engineering.

The 15,000 square feet of new space would house the Faculty of Science and Technology and the Faculty of Earth and Environment Sciences. Slated for completion in July, the facility comprises a conference room, classrooms, offices, and laboratories. It also caters for the extension and rehabilitation of existing labs within the Faculty of Engineering and Technology. (G3)

“No place for corrupt officers" – prison director

In a resolute stance against corruption within the Guyana Prison Service (GPS), Director of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot, emphasised the institution's zero-tolerance policy towards corrupt personnel.

Addressing Principal Officers during a session focused on staff assessment and development, Elliot asserted that the GPS is dedicated to maintaining integrity within its ranks.

"I am absolutely clear there are corrupt staff; I am absolutely clear we have to tackle that and not pretend it doesn’t exist," Elliot affirmed. He emphasised the importance of addressing corruption head-on, stating, "We must work through what intelligence we’ve got about the potential for corruption – and then identify those involved and take action."

Elliot underscored the imperative of combating illegal contraband within correctional facilities, emphasising that corrupt officers have no place within the GPS. "Corruption is no lon-

ger a password to opportunity but a passage to jail," he declared firmly.

Moreover, Elliot assured that there would be no relenting in efforts to root out corrupt elements within the service. "There will be no letup in bringing down corrupt officers, who are bent on breaking the law," he declared.

Acting Deputy Director of Prisons, Kevin Pilgrim, and Senior Superintendent of Prisons, Deoraj Gyandat, were also present during the session, signifying the gravity of the issue at hand.

Just recently, the Guyana Prison Service announced that they were implementing stronger security measures to prevent contraband from entering prisons nationwide. Elliot highlighted plans to install advanced scanners capable of detecting concealed items, as well as considering canine and drone patrols.

He emphasized the necessity of thorough security checks to create a contraband-free environment.

The GPS evaluates its

performance based on indicators such as prison escapes and prisoner rehabilitation, noting improvements, particularly in reducing violence among inmates. Training programs were implemented for prisoners to equip them with skills for self-management and reduce recidivism.

Elliot emphasized the importance of recruiting

qualified personnel and addressing challenges through policy enhancements, including improving conditions of service and job satisfaction.

With corruption deemed incompatible with the GPS's mission, the institution said it remains steadfast in its resolve to maintain integrity and accountability at all levels. (G9)

GMSA President Ramsay Ali

Director of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot

Probe launched into mysterious death of miner at Jawalla

An investigation has been launched by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) into the circumstances surrounding the death of Adrian Steve Stephen, a miner of Kako Village, Upper Mazaruni in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

According to reports, the 20-year-old miner died on Friday, at about 23:00h at Rock Point Backdam, Jawalla Village.

Reports are that Stephen was employed by a 44-yearold female, who owns a mining operation at Rock Point Backdam, Jawalla Village, Upper Mazaruni.

It was reported that on Friday at about 17:00h, workers had finished work for the day and returned to camp. Stephen prepared dinner but did not eat. According to one of his colleagues, he observed that

Stephen did not have any breakfast or lunch on Friday but retired to bed at about 19:30h.

At about 23:00h, one of Stephen's colleagues claimed that he was awoken by screams coming from Stephen and assumed that he was having a nightmare. However, upon checking, he observed that Stephen was motionless and immediately alerted his other colleagues.

A report was made to the police and the following day at about 11:00h, he was examined by a nurse in the presence of a detective and he was pronounced dead. No marks of violence were seen on the body, Police said. His body was taken to the Kamarang District Hospital Mortuary, awaiting a post-mortem examination. Investigations are ongoing. (G9)

Regional Division 4B cracks down on errant road users

In a measure aimed at curbing traffic violations and enhancing road safety, Regional Division 4B (East Bank Demerara) arranged an enforcement operation along the Hillfoot Public Road, Soesdyke Linden Highway.

Spanning from 22:00h on Thursday to 04:00h on Friday, the operation targeted motor lorries traversing the area and according to Police a series of infractions were uncovered.

A notable total of 17 cases of faulty packing were detected, underscoring the imperative for drivers to ensure the proper loading and securing of cargo. Police said such violations not only jeopardises the safety of the driver but also endangers other road users.

Moreover, four individuals were found to be in breach of seat belt regulations, and three vehicles lacked adequate rear illumination.

Additionally, one motorist was cited for neglecting tire maintenance, and the

operation identified one unlicensed and one uncertified motor vehicle. Regional Division 4B has reiterated its commitment to promoting road safety and urges all motorists to comply with traffic regulations for the collective safety of all road users.

A week ago, law enforcement officers conducted an extensive operation “Safe Road” exercise within Region Six (East Berbice-

Corentyne). According to Police, the operation aimed to promote road safety and enforce traffic regulations, and the results of the operation have revealed numerous violations, indicating the necessity for heightened awareness and adherence to road laws.

During the operation, a total of 64 cases were made against motorists for various infractions. Among the infractions recorded, the

most prevalent included exceeding the speed limit, with 19 cases reported. Failure to wear seat belts followed closely behind, with six instances noted.

Additionally, authorities uncovered instances of motor vehicle-related breaches, such as five cases of vehicles lacking a silencer, one unlicensed motor vehicle, and three unlicensed drivers.

Breaches of insurance policies were also documented, totaling three cases. Several motorists were cited for failing to produce their driver’s license, with 11 individuals found in violation.

Moreover, three motorists neglected to carry identification marks on the front of their vehicles, further illustrating the need for proper vehicle identification. Other infractions observed during the operation included violations related to vehicle maintenance, certification, and safety.

Instances of leaving vehicles in dangerous positions and faulty packing of loads were also documented."

Mixing…

…church and state??

Your Eyewitness is still reeling from the shock decision of the High Court Judge who ruled that henceforth we can NOT show up for work – but they still have to pay our salaries!! All we gotta do is show that there was some justification for calling it a “strike”. Now we know there’s always something bosses do that tee us off, innit?? Like insisting “personal calls” and such like are forbidden. Now, doesn’t this qualify as cruel and inhuman treatment and deserving a “strike”??!!

Your Eyewitness wondered at the source of the Judge’s revolutionary decision – since he admitted that it wasn’t from the common law tradition he was supposed to follow. Then he – your Eyewitness – saw the light with which the Judge had clearly been struck. Explaining why he thought the strike was justified – and so not qualifying for the “no work, no pay” judicial rule that had prevailed for centuries – the Judge announced: “Teachers lifted the voices and they asked for bread, they were given stones.” Well, there you have it!! Don’t you heathens realise he was quoting Matthew 7:9-11: “Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” This Judge sees the Government as a father who’s cruel to his children – the teachers – when they demanded mo money and they weren’t granted their wish immediately!! Never mind there’s a contract!! Evidently, the Government shouldn’t have said they weren’t responsible for what the PNC did between 2019 and 2020 as they strained mightily to rig the elections.

But then it struck your Eyewitness – wasn’t Guyana supposed to be a “secular state”, where there’s separation between church and state?? And wasn’t the Judiciary part and parcel – a BIG parcel – of the state? So he wondered how the Judge could base a decision on behalf of the State based on a Christian doctrine?? It so happens that Guyana isn’t only NOT a Christian Theocracy, it was a multi-religious state in which existed Hindus, Muslims and Christians – not to mention all the others like Bahai and so on!!

But even if the Judge was smitten by Biblical precedents, what about those injunctions pushing the “work for pay” doctrines? Like Proverbs 14:23 – “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” And 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12: “And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you.”

…democracy and size

And they’re off!! The Indian elections that is – the largest in the world with some NINE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY MILLION voters!! The voting started last week April 19 and will take place in seven phases over the next six weeks in the country’s 28 states and 8 union territories. Votes will be counted on June 4. Voters across 543 electoral constituencies will elect a legislator to represent them at the Lok Sabha— the Lower House of India’s Parliament.

More than 2700 political parties are registered with the electoral commission and while the total number of candidates has not been released for this year, more than 8000 candidates contested the 2019 general elections. Election officials are expecting to set up 1.2 million polling booths across India.

And we have trouble with 2200 booths!! But then we have officials on our Elections Commission like Mr Mingo who – rather than just adding up the Statements of Poll –used stained bedsheets!!

…the Brooklyn posse

And some thought Brooklyn was PNC territory –but you’d never suspect that when Pres Ali pressed the flesh in Flatbush. After that sweeping the Borough off its feet, PNC’s Simona Broomes griped: “Afro-Guyanese in Brooklyn chose to fawn over Ali rather than hold him accountable for his actions”!!

Traffic officers carrying out enforcement activities

Over $50M worth of ganja discovered, destroyed at farm along Berbice River

Afarm with millions worth of marijuana was found by ranks of the Guyana Police Force on Saturday destroyed.

Ranks stumbled upon the farm at Kaiwa, Upper Berbice River, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) between 05:00h and 13:00h on Saturday as they conducted an ‘eradication exercise’.

over $30.6 million.

The other farm, located about 100 feet away from

the first one, was about two acres in size, and had about 2,000 plants ranging

in height from eight inches to four feet. The estimated weight of these plants was 2200 kilograms, which has an estimated street value of $338,800,000.

Both farms, nurseries and narcotics were destroyed. At the time of the operation, no one was seen, thus no one was arrested.

About a month ago, a Police narcotics eradication exercise had led to the discovery of more than $151 million worth of marijuana at Ebini Backdam, a Region 10 community situated in the upper reaches of the Berbice River. (G9)

According to Police, the farm was approximately four acres in size and had about 6,000 cannabis plants ranging from six inches to four feet in height, with a total weight of 6,600 kg – a street value of $1,016,400. In addition, there was also a small nursery that had approximately 20,000 seedlings.

Police said a make-shift camp nearby had kitchen utensils and groceries.

The police also found 54.431 kg of dried cannabis, which carries a street value of $48,987, 900.

The farm, along with the nursery and camp, were all destroyed. The tallest plant was escorted to Mackenzie Police Station, where it was sealed, marked, and lodged. No arrest was made. Less than a week ago, more than $570 million worth of ganja was de -

nabis farms. The first farm was about 20 acres in size, and had a makeshift camp and drying area where about 1200 lbs. of dried cannabis, which has a street value of over $489 million, were found.

The second farm was about 10 acres big and had about 150,000 plants ranging in height from six to eight feet. The estimated cost of these plants is in excess of $50.8 million.

Ranks carried out another exercise at Kaiwa, where another two cannabis farms were discovered and destroyed.

The first farm was about five acres in size, and had approximately 1,000 seedlings on several beds. In addition, 35,000 seedlings were found in a nearby nursery. This farm also had a large camp

which had about 34.019 kilograms of dried cannabis, which has a street value of

stroyed at Wiruni and Kaiwa, communities along the Upper Berbice River.

Police have said that ranks travelled to Wiruni and discovered two can -

The ganja farm that was destroyed during the Police exercise

Scenes from ‘‘WE LIFT 4’’ women’s expo

hosted at the National Aquatic Centre

36MW power ship

Works begin on transmission lines to connect vessel to grid – GPL official

The Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL Inc.) has commenced the construction of the interconnecting transmission line that will link the 36-megawatt (MW) power ship to the national grid.

GPL has signed a multi-million-dollar deal with Qatar-based Urbacon Concessions Investments, W.L.L (UCI) for the rental of the floating power plant for a period of two years in a move to add much-needed generating capacity to the grid.

On Saturday, workers of the state-owned GPL were erecting poles that will be used to run the conductors from the power company’s DemeraraBerbice Interconnected System (DBIS) at Everton, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) site to the vessel, which will dock in the Berbice River.

There are three sections of the transmission line that is being set up: the eastern section of Transmission Line L21, which will be between the power ship and the Cane Field Power Station; the western side, which will connect to the Onverwagt Substation on the West Coast of Berbice, and then the vessel will interconnect separately onto these two lines.

According to Ross, “We have to have a distribution network here to serve

During a recent interview with the Department of Public Information, GPL’s Divisional Director – Engineering Services, Ryan Ross, explained that “At this point in time, all preparations are being made to ensure that we have the interconnection facilities in place by the 1st of May to accommodate the barge which is expected to be operational by the 8th of May.”

the facilities that will be established… We’re also examining the possibility of having a substation installed in this location to give us the kind of flexibility that will allow for a continuous interconnection even if a section of the transmission line is faulted.”

The GPL official added that while there are other works to be done at the Everton location in preparation for the arrival of the power ship in just over a week, the main focus is getting the interconnection facilities ready to link the vessel to the grid.

The power ship is slat -

ed to arrive in Guyana on May 1, subject to weather conditions and is expected to be fully operational and delivering electricity by May 8. The floating power plant will interconnect with GPL's Grid at 69 kV and is expected to operate at 96 per cent availability.

Last week, the staterun power company said the contract with UCI, which was inked on April 13, includes the provision of operation and maintenance services.

In fact, GPL has already paid a mobilisation fee to the tune of US$1 million and is not required to pay a demobilisation fee. The contract further requires GPL to pay UCI a fee of 6.62 US cents per kWh as a monthly charter fee for the power ship and a monthly operation and maintenance fee of 0.98 US cents per kWh based on electricity generated.

Under the contract, GPL is also responsible for providing Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) for the operation of the generators onboard the vessel.

During his weekly press conference last Thursday, Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo assured that this deal will not result in any hikes in electricity costs for consumers.

“There will be no increase in the price of electricity because of this rental [of the power ship] …for the next two years,” he declared.

The Vice President reminded that government has been subsidising GPL in order to prevent increased costs to be passed onto consumers. Currently, the cost of electricity in Guyana is about 22 US cents per kWh and is said to be amongst the

highest in the region.

“The Government is already subsidising the power to people, businesses etc.… It’s a large sum of money that we use to keep the price of electricity fix. Since we got into office, we kept it fix in spite of the increase [in fuel costs]. So, there shall be no rise in the price of electricity because of this rental,” Jagdeo stated.

Meanwhile, only last week, President Dr. Irfaan Ali defended government’s decision to procure the 36 MW of additional power in the face of criticisms about the feasibility of the twoyear deal.

The Head of State contended that the move is not only a feasible plan, but a necessary one. He pointed out that GPL needs to meet electricity demands and this cannot come via a magical wish.

“You can’t wish that capacity will come and the problem will be solved. We have to buy capacity,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Local Content Summit 2024 on Tuesday.

The President added, “…we had exponential growth [in recent years]. We have to meet the demand. To meet the demand, we have to buy power. It’s an emergency now. There are very few companies that can give you this power in 15 days. We’ve been able to get this power in 15 days. I congratulate all those who helped us to get here.”

Further, Ali noted that there is a narrative going around that would seek to blame the government for the power outages. According to the Guyanese Leader, however, this would not deter his government from pursuing

its goals.

“Some people would enjoy us not meeting the demand, because you’d get the free opportunity to go on social media every day. We take ownership. We take ownership of what we inherited and we take ownership of the problem. But guess what? We take the responsibility of finding the solution. And we’re going to find the solution to every challenge,” the Head of State said.

Once operational, this power ship will inject approximately 36 MW of electricity into the national grid, offering much-needed relief at a time when the country is facing heightened power outages following what the GPL had described as engine failures at different locations. At least two engines are currently down.

With its challenges, GPL is now generating some 165 megawatts of power. However, the current peak demand for electricity is at 180 megawatts.

The power ship that is being rented was last operated in Cuba as a part of a contingent of similar generation assets that UCI is operating

While the rental deal was signed with UCI, which is a subsidiary of UCC Holdings – a company incorporated in the State of Qatar, the power ship is owned by Turkeybased Karpowership International.

UCC Holdings has a strategic alliance with Karpowership for operations in the Latin American region. Currently, the Turkish company operates power ships in the Dominican Republic and Brazil. (G8)

Divisional Director – Engineering Services at GPL, Ryan Ross

Some of the poles erected to facilitate the transmission lines from the power ship in the Berbice River to GPL’s Everton site

Local Content Act could be revised later this year – AG

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, has assured that the Local Content Act could be put through revisions later this year to expand the carved-out areas of opportunity for Guyanese, following consultations with relevant stakeholders and further data from the Local Content Secretariat.

During the recently held Local Content Summit at the Pegasus Hotel and Suites, he informed attendees that the government is current -

Teen dies in WCB accident

AWest Coast Berbice teenager is now dead after she reportedly exited a minibus and ran into the path of a car.

Dead is 14-year-old Renesha Small, a student of Belladrum Secondary School and of Paradise Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB), Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).

The incident occurred along the Number 41 Village Public Road, WCB.

According to the police, at about 14:00h on Sunday, Small exited a minibus at Number 41 Village, which was on the southern side of the public road and ran into the path of motorcar, HD 4290.

The car was being driven by a 45-year-old man of New Savannah Park Housing, New Amsterdam Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

ly waiting on the Local Content Secretariat to complete its review of the sector’s performance.

Once a report is forthcoming and consultations completed, he noted that the government can go ahead with revising the Act later this year… since expanding the services, Guyanese are guaranteed first preference for in the oil and gas sector falls under the remit of the subject Minister and does not rely on parliament. However, Nandlall stressed that this was no one off revision.

“We have the Local Content Secretariat that continues to monitor and we have said this from the beginning. That after a period we will look at the data collected from the Local Content Secretariat, speak to you the operators in the sector, both the foreign operators and local. And then we will come back to the drawing board, to make the revision of the Act,” he said.

“And it’s not going to be a one-off event. We’ll have to revise it at another stage. It’s an evolving process. And we said at the beginning, it is our first try. It’s a novel concept. It has never been done in

this part of the world. We said that we would make mistakes. We said that it may turn out to be inadequate and perhaps it has. But it’s a solid start,” Nandlall said.

According to the Attorney General, the Act is based on an elastic, build as you go principle so that the legislation remains alive and responsive to changing needs in the industry. Added to this is the government’s efforts to ensure persons are trained to take up the opportunities in the industry, whether through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) or the University of Guyana.

“That is why the scale, the annex where the services are listed and the percentages are given, it’s a sliding scale. And we said at periodic intervals, not only will we amend the Act itself, but this scale. We made it as part of a schedule, which can be amended by the Minister, by order. So, you don’t have to go back to parliament and go through that long process.”

“You are aware of the GOAL scholarship programme. And a large part of that programme is ded -

icated to offering scholarships and training for the oil and gas sector. Then at the University of Guyana level, we have discussed with the University of Guyana. And there’s a whole new area of the syllabus, to focus in this direction,” Nandlall said.

In December 2021, the National Assembly passed the Local Content Act which outlines 40 different service areas that oil and gas companies and their subcontractors must procure from Guyanese and Guyanese-owned companies.

These include 90 per cent of office space rental and accommodation services; 90 per cent of janitorial services, laundry and catering services; 95 per cent pest control services; 100 per cent local insurance services; 75 per cent local supply of food; and 90 per cent local accounting services.

The Local Content Act mandates penalties such as fines ranging from $5 million to $50 million for oil and gas companies and their sub-contractors who fail to meet the minimum targets of the legislation, as well as those who are in breach of the Act. (G3)

As a result of the collision, the teen fell onto the road surface. She was picked up in an unconscious state by a public-spirited citizen and taken to the Fort Wellington Public Hospital where she died while receiving medical attention.

Police said a breathalyzer test was conducted on the car driver and three micrograms of alcohol were found on his breath. He is in custody as investigation continues. (G4)

Dead: Renesha Small

IDB to finance mental health, substance abuse training for prison officers

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has announced plans to finance the training of 60 prison officers in mental Health, neurological disorders, and substance abuse as part of the Guyana Prison Service’s (GPS) First Responder Training. This groundbreaking initiative, set to be fully accredited by the University of Guyana, aims to equip prison staff with essential skills to handle complex issues within correctional facilities.

A recent visit by key representatives of the IDB to the Lusignan Prison on the East Coast of Demerara shed light on the upcoming endeavor. Led by Dr. Jason Wilks, the IDB team, accompanied by Operations Analyst Joel Parris and

A recent visit at the Lusignan Prison Project Manager Indira Anandjit, received a comprehensive tour of the facility on Wednesday.

Carifesta Avenue new rush-hour traffic change sees significant results – traffic chief

Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown has seen significant results over the past week as new traffic coordinations have been implemented.

This is according to Traffic Chief, Senior Superintendent Mahendra Singh during the police's radio show “Radio Eve Leary” last week.

According to Singh, based on the prevailing conditions at the time, he observed that drivers did not have to be waiting more than 30 seconds in line, and there was no tailback of westbound traffic extending to the police who were conducting the traffic. He noted that traffic was properly managed, with no stagnation that could have caused frustration to drivers.

He noted that the public adhered to the necessary actions instructed by the police, and no accidents have been recorded thus far. Priority was given to each directionally bound traffic, ensuring smooth flow on the road, he said, while commending the drivers who drove along the Carifesta Avenue.

According to him, at the inception of the new traffic directions, there was minor inconvenience faced by the police force. Speaking about one such incident, he said that as the new direction

took effect, ranks observed that a vehicle with diplomatic plates had stopped in the middle of the road in the vicinity of Marion Academy. Amidst being guided by the police and receiving instructions, the driver disregarded everything that was told to him at the time and continued to park in the middle of the road to allow a student to disembark the vehicle and proceed to the school.

According to Singh these actions will not be tolerated and he urged drivers that the police force seeks compliance from them.

“I don't think diplomatic immunity is akin to immunity, which means that by virtue of bearing such a

plate would cause you not to be involved in an accident and or police action will not take into consideration of who you are, what we want from drivers is full compliance,” Singh disclosed.

The carriage way of the Carifesta Avenue has become a one-way for west bound traffic into Georgetown. During the period from 07:00h to 08:30h the westbound traffic coming the east coast corridor to Carifesta is set to be minimised because having two lanes of traffic flowing will enable persons to get to work in a timely manner, drop their children off at school, and still have some extra time to play. (G2)

During the visit, discussions centered on various facets of the IDBfunded projects, including the Prisoners’ Management Information System (PriMIS), the establishment of a new Mental Health Unit, Trade Shops, and the provision of tools and equipment for the Computer Lab.

The IDB's consistent contribution to Guyana’s Criminal Justice System, aimed at enhancing equity, efficiency, and transparen-

cy, was underscored during the interactions.

Under the Support for the Criminal Justice System (SCJS) program, the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) has recently received ICT equipment worth over $30 million, along with items for the Mental Health Unit and other essential tools. This continued support reflects the IDB’s commitment to fostering development within correctional institutions.

The visit was facilitated by prominent figures within the Guyana Prison Service, including Director

The forthcoming training initiative underscores the IDB’s proactive approach to addressing pressing issues within correctional facilities, signaling a significant step towards enhancing the capacity of prison officers to effectively manage mental health and substance abuse disorders among inmates.

17 GDF ranks commence

training to become medical assistants

In ongoing efforts to strengthen the medical assistance within the Guyana Defense Force, seventeen ranks have commenced the Grade Three Medical Assistants Course, aspiring to qualify as skilled medical assistants.

In a social media post by the GDF, it was said that this course is being held at the Medical Corps Headquarters, Base Camp

Ayanganna and has started since February.

According to GDF, the course is set to span across 28 weeks and it aims to prepare participants to serve as Grade 3 Medical Assistants across various medical centers in the force. The course content includes physiology, field sanitisation, lifesaving practices, first aid, and physiotherapy. This training will also be comple-

mented by an attachment to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

During the opening ceremony for the trainees, Lt. Col. Matthew Chichester highlighted the critical role of field medics where he encouraged the students to fully engage with the comprehensive course content to become efficient medics in the Guyana Defense Force. (G2)

of Prisons Nicklon Elliot, Acting Deputy Director Kevin Pilgrim, Head of the Prisons Service’s Strategic Management Department Rae-Dawn Corbin, and Senior Superintendent of Prisons Deoraj Gyandat.

Traffic Chief, Senior Superintendent Mahendra Singh during a road exercise last week (Photo taken by Radio Eve Leary)

Lt Col Matthew Chichester (front row, middle) alongside other officials and trainees

6 schools’ home economics dept boosted with sewing machines from FFTP

Six industrial sewing machines were recently donated to six schools within the Georgetown area, by Food For the Poor (Guy) Inc. in an effort to enhance their Home Economics and Management programs.

Speaking at the ceremony on behalf of the Food For The Poor Inc., CEO Andrea Benjamin expressed her honour to collaborate with schools in the community.

She outlined the organization's strategic focus on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), emphasising the importance of empowering individuals to capitalise on the country’s

The six schools that received the industrial sewing machines are Tucville Secondary, South Ruimveldt Secondary, North Ruimveldt Secondary, Lodge Secondary, Brickdam Secondary, and Charlestown Secondary.

rapid development and available opportunities.

“We all know the country is rapidly developing, and you need skillbased students to move the country forward and take advantage of the opportunities that are available. So, we are committed not only to working with schools but with communities and families to equip them to empower them so in the long run they can take care of themselves,” Benjamin said.

Meanwhile also present at the event was Gifts-InKind’s Manager, Tabitha Barnwell who expressed FFTP (Guy) Inc. satisfaction in collaborating with the schools and commended their positive response.

Barnwell also highlighted the importance of instilling a work ethic in students and emphasised the value of vocational training. Barnwell thanked the schools for

their collaboration and expressed a desire for continued partnership. Similarly, teachers of the respective schools also expressed their gratitude to Food for the Poor (Guy) Inc. for their generous donation, recognizing the invaluable impact it will have on the students’ educational journey. The machines are intended to bolster each school’s Home Economic Management-

Clothing and Textile program, providing students with practical skills and resources for their future endeavors.

Outside of the six schools in Georgetown two schools in Region One (Barima-Waini); three schools, and one practical center in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) are expected to benefit as well.

Dumping of garbage must be addressed head on – GTA’s Director

With an increase of attractions being surfaced and an influx of tourists coming into the country, locals living within the popular tourism destinations across Guyana are urged to take the cleanliness of their environment seriously.

This call was made by agencies of the Ministry of Tourism Industry and Commerce and private tour operators during a clean-up exercise along the Essequibo River on Friday.

The exercise saw the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), and a local tour operator known as Old Forts Tour collaborating to clean the environments of Fort Island, Baracara Falls, and the golden Bartica Beach in commemoration of World Earth Day 2024.

World Earth Day will be celebrated on Monday under the theme ‘Planet Vs Plastic.’

Speaking with the Department of Public

Information (DPI) at Fort Island, Director of GTA, Kamrul Baksh noted that it is important to sensitise the locals on the role eco-tourism plays in the country and anti-littering.

“The reason for this of course is, one, to demonstrate our commitment to keeping our surroundings clean. Such exercises demonstrated here today by the government and private operators is a catalyst for behavioural change in Guyana,” Baksh posited.

The Director stressed that, with Guyana being a competitive tourism destination then the act of

dumping garbage must be addressed “head-on.”

GTA recently conducted an internal stakeholder consultation to address littering and an action plan has since been formulated. The plan includes the clean-up exercise and the placement of bumper stickers across the country among other initiatives.

Additionally, THAG’s Marketing Coordinator, Beyonce Atkinson said it is critical for Guyana, being the fastest-growing economy in the world, to be portrayed in the right way to tourists.

“We hope to inspire oth -

ers to join in the clean-up campaign and not only that but to keep the areas clean. We have our tourists coming in and what we showcase here is what is portrayed to them,” the young woman stressed.

Meanwhile, Senior Captain and Operations Manager of Old Forts Tour, Vincent Latchman told the DPI that the reason the exercise was conducted at

the mentioned locations is due to them being the most popular areas where tourists visit.

“If they [the residents] in the area can see that we are trying to keep Guyana clean then I am hoping that from this initiative, they can follow in our footsteps and try to do the same,” Latchman asserted.

A number of other clean-up exercises will be conducted by other government agencies and private tour operators throughout the month at various tourism destinations.

Those who volunteered from the different agencies were also presented with certificates of appreciation for their invaluable support in building a sustainable tourism community.

The FFTP representatives along with teachers from the schools that will benefit from the sewing machine donation

Volunteers from the team cleaning up at the Baracara Falls in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni)

A member of GTA helping to clean the environment at Fort Island

Regional

Caribbean youths unify on climate justice demands

Young people from more than 25 Caribbean countries gathered in Sint Maarten in late March for a Climate Justice Camp. The event was aimed at building knowledge and networks, sharing stories and skills, and aligning on strategies and demands to unify the climate justice movement across the Region’s islands and territories.

It was organised by Roots via Greenpeace.

During the camp, participants developed and followed four tracks focused on energy sector and transition; adaptation and resilience; gender and climate justice; and marine conservation.

T&T’s Khadija Stewart, who is the Caribbean Regional Representative for the Global Deep Sea Mining Campaign at Sustainable Ocean Alliance, led the marine conservation track. It came two months after an oil spill off the coast of Cove in Tobago which created an environmental disaster that spread to the waters of other countries.

She told Guardian Media, the camp presented the opportunity to reaffirm to the Region’s young people the need to protect marine life. Stewart said, “People see it [the sea], but they don’t appreciate it. One of the things we tried to do is to help people understand what is there, why we need to protect it, and how we

can go about protecting it. We also looked at issues like pollution. We used the oil spill in Tobago as a very big example of when you neglect or you don’t pay much attention to an open space but we very much depend on.”

For a region which is bordered by oceans, Stewart fears the public isn’t aware enough of its importance. She is aiming to change that by educating young people.

The energy transition track was also a major focus given economics such as Guyana, T&T and Suriname are dependent on oil and gas. David Gumbs, who is the Director of Islands Energy Programme, led that track.

Gumbs said a large part

of the energy transition focus needs to be on diversifying sources that produce electricity. T&T citizens enjoy among the cheapest electricity rates in the world and also consume among the highest globally. Gumbs said, “Diversifying makes you more resilient. If you produce your energy at home with electricity for transportation with a homegrown source that is free and comes naturally from the sun, you can eventually wean yourself off fossil fuels.”

He said exporting oil and gas is a different situation as there are economic impacts for us here in the Caribbean.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Bahamas Deputy PM points to "incredible" economic harm posed by travel advisories

Asenior Caribbean Government Minister has pointed to the debilitating effects that travel advisories can have on small, tourism-dependent nations in the Region, describing them as unfair in their portrayal, using hyperbole that forces the allocation of scarce resources to counter.

Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation of The Bahamas, made the point in a firm presentation at the United Nations (UN) last week as the General Assembly observed UN Sustainability Week.

“As a destination we live and breathe by our reputation. Therefore, it is critical to highlight that travel advisories issued by large nations about The Bahamas and other Caribbean destinations have the potential to do incredible harm to our economies and disrupt our sustainability efforts,” Cooper said.

“We believe the release of

these advisories without context is unfair and portrays a sensational narrative that we must expend scarce resources to correct,” he added.

Earlier this year, the US State Department issued travel advisories against Jamaica and The Bahamas, citing criminal activity.

In the level three advisory on Jamaica issued on January 23, the State Department told Americans to reconsider trav-

el to the island due to crime and access to medical services.

A week after the release of the advisory, Travel Weekly, the leading travel trade publication in the US, carried a response by Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who, the publication said, “seemed genuinely perplexed” by the advisory’s content and timing.

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Ecuador’s prison director killed as voters head to polls

Ecuadorean prison director Cosme Damian Parrales Merchan was killed on Sunday, the South American country's SNAI prisons agency said in a statement, even as citizens head to the polls to vote in a referendum over a raft of security measures.

SNAI did not give more details on the death of Parrales, who headed the Manabi No. 4 prison in the west of the country. The agency said it would work with the investigating authorities to determine those responsible.

Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa is seeking voter

support on Sunday for a raft of security measures in a national referendum, as he battles spiking violence that has made international headlines.

Citizens head to the polls to vote on measures including joint police-military patrols, the extradition of wanted criminals and longer sentences for terrorism and murder, among other crimes, to fight rising violence attributed to drug trafficking gangs.

Polling has suggested voters are more likely than not to support the measures put forward by Noboa, 36, in the 11-question referendum. Five of the measures would modify

the Constitution if passed.

"The result of this referendum will define the course of the policy we will take," Noboa said at an inauguration event launching the vote. "As governors we will be obliged to abide by this."

Ecuador's CNE electoral council said that by mid-afternoon some 60 per cent of voters had come to the polling booths and voting had closed in nearly half of polling places abroad.

CNE President Diana Atamaint said voting had taken place in "an atmosphere of security and tranquillity".

(Excerpts from Reuters)

Brazil's Bolsonaro rallies supporters in Rio

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday rallied thousands of supporters in Rio de Janeiro in a bid to raise his political capital after losing a bid for re-election to leftist Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in October 2022 and facing allegations of involvement in a coup.

Images shared on social media and broadcast by the media showed a large crowd of Bolsonaro supporters, many wearing Brazilian football jerseys.

Organisers of the demonstration estimated attendance at 100,000 persons. Authorities did not release a

tally.

Right-wing Bolsonaro, the subject of Police probes before and during his four years in office, is facing an investigation into his alleged role in a campaign to undermine faith in Brazil's voting system, which culminated in a January 8, 2023 insurrection by thousands of his supporters in Brasilia, the capital.

On February 8, Police seized Bolsonaro's passport and accused him of editing a draft decree to overturn the results of the 2022 election, pressing military chiefs to join a coup, and planning to jail Supreme Court Justice

Alexandre de Moraes.

"Have you seen the draft decree? Neither have I," Bolsonaro told reporters on Sunday. "I want to see it, the people want to see it and so does the press."

The former President, who cannot run for office until 2030, said his Government never played "outside the four lines of the Constitution".

Last month, Brazil's federal Police formally accused Bolsonaro, a vaccine sceptic during the COVID-19 pandemic, of tampering with his vaccination records, opening the door to criminal charges.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Thousands of Colombians protest Petro's economic, social reforms

Tens of thousands of Colombians marched on Sunday to reject economic and social reforms being proposed by the leftist government of President Gustavo Petro, the latest in a series of demonstrations against Petro's policies.

The reforms, which Petro says will fight deep inequality but which opponents say will damage the country's already-struggling economy, were key campaign promises for the 64-year-old leader, who took office in 2022.

Despite grey skies and rain, some 70,000 persons marched in Bogota, the capital, according to city government estimates, chanting "out with Petro", waving national flags and blowing on trumpets before gathering in the central Bolivar Square.

The march comes after a Senate committee earlier this month rejected a proposed health reform aimed at stripping power from insurers and expanding access to healthcare, as the Government took control of two major insurers it said had failed to correctly care for patients. The Government is expected to propose a new version

of the health reform once the new legislative session begins in July. Pension and labour reforms are still being debated by lawmakers.

"This Government's policies are dire. The health system, despite its flaws, was working and now Petro is putting an end to it by plunging patients who have no healthcare or medicine into a crisis," said Monica Leon, a 45-yearold doctor.

Accountant Miguel Angel Larrota, 52, said he was protesting against bad governance and demanding that Petro "not destroy what works

and put an end to the corruption he promised to fight."

Paloma Valencia, a Senator from the Opposition Democratic Center, a conservative political party founded by former President Alvaro Uribe, said the march was bringing together not only opponents but people who voted for Petro two years ago.

People also took to the streets in the city of Medellin and in Cali, near the Pacific coast. Marches have also previously taken place in support of Petro's reforms.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

The Trinidad and Tobago delegation at the Camp, representing a wide array of local civil society organisations working diligently to promote climate justice

Demonstrators protest against Colombian President Gustavo Petro's reforms in the health, retirement, employment and prison sectors, in Bogota, Colombia, April 21, 2024 (Reuters/Luisa Gonzalez photo)

Bahamas Deputy PM Chester Cooper

Around the World OIL NEWS

Baghdad, Erbil negotiate to resume northern oil exports

The Iraqi Minister of Oil, Hayan Abdul-Ghani, recently revealed that Baghdad and Erbil are in negotiations over the resumption of oil exports from northern Iraq.

“We are going to resume oil exports from Iraqi Kurdistan’s oilfields,” Abdul-Ghani told Kurdistan24 News.

“Recently, a deal was struck by the Ministry of Electricity and a company operating in the gas sector in the Kurdistan region of Iraq,” Abdul-Ghani added.

The Iraqi Oil Minister elaborated that the agreement aims to facilitate the transportation of 100 million cubic feet of natural gas.

Abdul-Ghani explained that the federal government in Baghdad requested the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to hand over oil produced in northern Iraq to the State Organisation for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) to be able to resume northern oil exports through Turkey, according to Rudaw News.

“We communicated with the KRG to hand over northern oil production to SOMO to be exported to the Turkish port of Ceyhan via the pipeline connecting Iraq and Turkey,” the Iraqi Oil Minister clarified.

Turkey stopped Iraq’s exports of 450,000 barrels per day through the oil pipeline that extends from the Kurdistan region of Iraq to the Turkish port of Ceyhan on March 25, 2023.

Turkey’s decision to suspend oil exports followed an arbitration decision issued by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris.

The decision obliged Turkey to pay Baghdad US$1.5 billion in compensation for damages caused by the KRG’s export of oil without permission from the federal government in Baghdad between 2014 and 2018.

The KRG began exporting crude oil independently in 2013, a step Baghdad considered illegal (Iraq News)

Egypt reclaims 3400-year-old stolen statue of King Ramses II

Egypt welcomed home a 3400-year-old statue depicting the head of King Ramses II after it was stolen and smuggled out of the country more than three decades ago, the country's Antiquities Ministry said on Sunday.

The statue is now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, but not on display. The artefact will be restored, the Ministry said in a statement. The statue was stolen from the Ramses II temple in the ancient city of Abydos in Southern Egypt more than three decades ago. The exact date is not known, but Shaaban Abdel Gawad, who

West Bank village counts losses after settler attack, and fears more

The Israeli settlers who rampaged through the West Bank village of al-Mughayyer on April 12 came in greater numbers and carried more weapons than during any of the previous raids on the Palestinian community, residents said.

Days later, torched homes and cars still bear testament to the attack, which residents said lasted several hours and Israeli soldiers did nothing to stop.

With few means to defend themselves in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, they fear more such assaults on the village.

"We have stones and they have weapons, and the army supports the settlers," said Abdullatif Abu Alia, whose house came under attack. His roof was spattered with the blood of Palestinians wounded as they tried to repel the attackers with rocks.

One of them, his relative Jihad Abu Alia, was shot and killed, he said.

"Of course, the aim is to force displacement," he added.

Al-Mughayyer was one of several Palestinian villages raided by settlers over several days beginning April 12, an escalation that began after a 14-year-old Israeli went missing. His body was discovered not far from Al-

Mughayyer the following day.

Israel said he was killed in a terrorist attack.

Violence in the West Bank, seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, was already surging before the Gaza war began in October – fuelling further bloodshed in the territory.

Settler violence is a source of growing concern among Israel's Western al-

lies. A number of countries, including the United States, have imposed sanctions on violent settlers and urged Israel to do more to stop the violence.

Washington imposed sanctions on Friday on an ally of Israel's far-right National Security Minister and two entities that raised money for Israeli men accused of settler violence.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

EU Ministers to discuss air defence for Ukraine, Iran sanctions

European Union (EU) Foreign Ministers are to meet in Luxembourg today to discuss bolstering Ukraine’s air defences and expanding sanctions on Iran.

While the Ministers will also discuss the war in Sudan, most of their focus will be on the conflicts raging on the 27-member bloc’s eastern and southern doorsteps – in Ukraine and the Middle East.

With Russia having stepped up air attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and other targets, EU Governments are under pressure to supply more air defence systems such as Patriots to Kyiv.

Kyiv and its European allies got a big boost at the weekend when the US House of Representatives approved a package worth more than US$60 billion to address the war in Ukraine.

Israel indicts sister of Hamas leader on terrorism incitement

Iheads Egypt's antiquities repatriation department, said the piece is estimated to have been stolen in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

Egyptian authorities spotted the artefact when it was offered for sale in an exhibition in London in 2013. It moved to several other countries before reaching Switzerland, according to the Antiquities Ministry.

Ramses II is one of ancient Egypt's most powerful pharaohs. Also known as Ramses the Great, he was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt and ruled from 1279 to 1213 BC. (Excerpt from Reuters)

srael's State Attorney on Sunday indicted the sister of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on charges of incitement and showing solidarity with a terror group, after she allegedly praised Hamas' October 7 attack that sparked the six-month old war in Gaza.

Sabah al-Salem Haniyeh, 57, lives in the southern Israeli town of Tel Sheva. Her brother is based in Qatar, as are other officials from Hamas, the Islamist group that rules the Gaza Strip.

Haniyeh has been held in custody since her arrest on April 1, Israel's Justice Ministry said. There was no immediate comment from her lawyer.

According to the indictment, in the days after Hamas' October 7 killing spree in southern Israel,

Hamas' top leader Ismail Haniyeh speaks during a press conference in Tehran, Iran, March 26, 2024 [Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters]

Haniyeh sent messages to dozens of contacts, including to her brother, praising the cross-border assault and calling for further "slaughter". (Excerpt from Reuters)

But EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and NATO boss Jens Stoltenberg have been urging European countries to step up their own efforts to give arms to Ukraine, particularly air defence.

After a video conference of NATO Defence Ministers with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday, Stoltenberg said he expected announcements soon.

"NATO has mapped out existing capabilities across the alliance and there are systems that can be made available to Ukraine," he said.

"In addition to Patriots, there are other weapons that allies can provide, including (the French system) SAMP/T," he added.

So far, Germany is the only EU member to declare it will send an additional Patriot system in response to Ukraine's latest pleas.

The Ministers will be joined by their defence counterparts for today’s Ukraine talks, as well as Ukraine’s Foreign and Defence Ministers, before turning to the Middle East crisis sparked by the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 last year. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Massive river flooding expected in China's Guangdong, threatening millions

Major rivers, waterways and reservoirs in China's Guangdong province are threatening to unleash dangerous floods, forcing the Government on Sunday to enact emergency response plans to protect more than 127 million people.

Calling the situation "grim", local weather officials said sections of rivers and tributaries at the Xijiang and Beijiang river basins are hitting water levels in a rare spike that only has a one-in-50 chance of happening in any given year, State broadcaster CCTV news said on Sunday.

China's Water Resource

Ministry issued an emergency advisory, CCTV reported. Guangdong officials urged departments in all localities and municipalities to begin emergency planning to avert natural disasters and promptly disperse disaster relief funds and materials to ensure affected people have food, clothing, water, and somewhere to stay.

The province, a major exporter and one of China's main commercial and trading centres, has seen major downpours and strong winds for several days, in a weather pattern which has also affected other parts of China.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

A view shows the village of Al-Mughayyer through a damaged window after Israeli settlers attacked the village, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, April 17, 2024 (Reuters/Mohammed Torokman photo)

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CALVIN AND HOBBES

The first 11 overs of Gujarat Titans' spin won them the match, essentially. Before Rashid Khan came on to bowl the fifth over, Punjab Kings were going nicely, at 42 for no loss.

Then Rashid bowls a four-run over, and the Titans slow-bowling show begins in Mohali. He and compatriot Noor Ahmad lock up the early part of the middle overs, taking three wickets

Sam Curran (c) lbw

b Rashid Khan 20 Prabhsimran Singh c †Saha

b Sharma 35 Rilee Rossouw lbw

b Noor Ahmad 9 Jitesh Sharma †

b Sai Kishore 13

Liam Livingstone c Tewatia

b Noor Ahmad 6 Shashank Singh

c & b Sai Kishore 8 Ashutosh Sharma c Sharma

b Sai Kishore 3 Harpreet Singh run out (Sai Sudharsan/†Saha) 14 Harpreet Brar c Shahrukh Khan

b Sai Kishore 29 Harshal Patel c Shahrukh Khan

b Sharma 0

Did

bat: Arshdeep Singh Fall of wickets: 1-52 (Prabhsimran

(Rilee Rossouw,

(Sam Curran,

(Liam Livingstone,

ov), 5-86 (Jitesh Sharma, 11.4 ov), 6-92 (Ashutosh Sharma, 13.5 ov), 7-99 (Shashank Singh, 15.2 ov), 8-139 (Harpreet Brar, 18.6 ov), 9-140 (Harshal Patel, 19.2 ov), 10142 (Harpreet Singh, 19.6 ov) •

DRS BOWLING O-M-R-W

Azmatullah Omarzai 2-0-13-0

Sandeep Warrier 1-0-21-0

Mohit Sharma 4-0-32-2

Rashid Khan 4-0-15-1

between them. That's before left-arm spinner Sai Kishore rocks up and wrecks Kings' middle overs, taking 4 for 33. Kings manage no more than 142, but make a fist of the defence, with Harshal Patel taking three wickets for 15, and Liam Livingstone taking two wickets with his off-breaks. In the end, they didn't have a great total to defend, nor the slow-bowling quality that Titans had. The

Noor Ahmad 4-0-20-2

Sai Kishore 4-0-33-4

M Shahrukh Khan 1-0-7-0

Gujarat Titans (T: 143 runs from 20 ovs)

Wriddhiman Saha †c AR Sharma

b Arshdeep Singh 13

Shubman Gill (c) c Rabada

b Livingstone 35

Sai Sudharsan

b Curran 31

David Miller

b Livingstone 4 Azmatullah Omarzai c †JM Sharma

b Patel 13

Rahul Tewatia not out 36

M Shahrukh Khan

b Patel 8 Rashid Khan c Rossouw

b Patel 3

Sai Kishore not out 0

Extras (lb 2, w 1) 3

TOTAL 19.1 Ov (RR: 7.61) 146/7

Did not bat: Noor Ahmad, Mohit Sharma

Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Wriddhiman Saha, 3.4 ov), 2-66 (Shubman Gill, 9.3 ov), 3-77 (David Miller, 11.5 ov), 4-97 (Sai Sudharsan, 14.4 ov), 5-103 (Azmatullah Omarzai, 15.2 ov), 6-138 (M Shahrukh Khan, 18.1 ov), 7-142 (Rashid Khan, 18.6 ov) • DRS BOWLING O-M-R-W

Kagiso Rabada 4-0-40-0

Arshdeep Singh 2.1-0-17-1

Harshal Patel 3-0-15-3

Sam Curran 2-0-18-1

Harpreet Brar 4-0-35-0

Liam Livingstone 4-0-19-2

Sai Kishore's four-for, Tewatia's finishing act push Titans towards top half

visiting team eased home with five balls to spare.

Titans' spinners wreck Punjab Kings

Rashid made himself almost impossible to hit. He bowled a three-run fifth over when Kings had been going at 10.50, previously. Noor, the left-arm wrist-spinner, then had Rilee Russouw lbw in the seventh over to kick off the period of massive spin dominance, in which six more would fall to the slow bowlers.

Rashid and Noor bowled in tandem in the five overs after the powerplay and gave away only 24 runs, taking two wickets. Then came Kishore, and by this stage Kings were desperate for boundaries. They kept trying to hit out against him, but he varied his pace and flight beautifully and kept deceiving them.

Tewatia finishes again

It's not like the Titans were in serious trouble, but they needed someone to come in and play the match-winning batting innings nonetheless. And Rahul Tewatia was the guy once more. At one stage, Titans needed 38 runs off the last four overs, with five wickets in hand. A couple of wickets for Kings right then would have changed the match completely.

But Tewatia hit two fours off Brar's over to bring the required rate back in hand

there and essentially made the game safe, bringing the requirement to five off 12 balls.

Kings shine in spurts

Some Kings players shone but too briefly to make a defining impact on the game. The first of these was Prabhsimran Singh, who smoked three sixes and three fours in the 35 off 21 balls that raised the Kings innings off the ground. He was out before the powerplay ended though.

When they were defending their poor score,

His first dismissal –Jitesh Sharma – came via hitting the stumps. His second was the prized wicket of Ashutosh Sharma, who holed out to the sweeper cover. He later had Shashank Singh caught and bowled, and Harpreet Brar caught at the straight boundary at the death.

All up, the spinners took 7 for 68 from their 12 overs.

and restore Titans' grip on the match. Then he hit three fours – two clubbed down the ground, and one tickled through fine leg – off Kagiso Rabada's 18th over, in which Shahrukh Khan also hit a six. They reaped 20 runs

Livingstone took 2 for 19 from his four overs, and Harshal Patel and Sam Curran backed him up – Harshal taking three wickets and Curran one. But Kings had lost too much ground already with the bat. (ESPNcricinfo)

Prabhsimran Singh gave Punjab Kings a rocking start

Rahul Tewatia and Sai Kishore were the two stars of the game

Rahul Tewatia played innovative strokes to score boundaries Sai Kishore's four-for derailed Punjab Kings

KKR survive Karn scare to win by 1 run

emplified just how difficult it is to be a bowler in T20 cricket, and how he will always fly in the face of it. Having been hit for three sixes in the final over which reduced the equation down to 3 off 2, he went to his bread and butter. He went pace on. He went yorker. And he produced a wicket. Karn Sharma, who had brought this game back from the dead, was gone. As soon as the catch was taken – Starc himself diving low to his right in his follow-through – RCB knew there were no more miracles.

Ramandeep Singh contrived to give them one. His throw from deep point was poor. It didn't come in quick enough or straight enough. It left the wicketkeeper with a lot to do. Phil Salt, though, was fine with it. He was alert enough to step forward

they went a step further, dropped all pretence and tried to bowl nothing but leg-stump yorkers. KKR's biggest hitter this season needed eight balls to get off the mark. Salt came to his rescue though hitting 10 of the first 13 balls to the boundary and flirting with the fastest fifty of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He could have had it too, but in going for another six – to a ball that was very hittable – he got caught at deep midwicket. Still, 48 off 14 with seven fours and three sixes is nothing to scoff at.

The middle overs slowdown Karn bowled the first boundary-less over in the 10th. Cameron Green was keeping Rinku Singh quiet, their head-to-head for the first six balls yielding three dots and two singles.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (T: 223 runs from 20 ovs)

Virat Kohli c & b Harshit Rana 18

Faf du Plessis (c) c VR Iyer b Varun 7

Will Jacks c Raghuvanshi

b Russell 55

Rajat Patidar c Harshit Rana

b Russell 52

Cameron Green

c Ramandeep Singh b Narine 6

Suyash Prabhudessai c Raghuvanshi b Harshit Rana 24

Mahipal Lomror c & b Narine 4

Dinesh Karthik †c †Salt b Russell 25

Karn Sharma c & b Starc 20

Mohammed Siraj not out 0

The Australian had used his height to great effect earlier, leaping up to catch a ball that was 8.1m off the ground and travelling fast, to dismiss Angkrish Raghuvanshi. Now, he was digging off-pace deliveries into the pitch and getting them to soar past Rinku's bat swing. Even with Shreyas Iyer scoring his first IPL fifty since May

off and another too wide outside leg, which also beat the keeper and went for four. To make matters worse, he had overstepped.

Dayal was only trying to do the right thing, but it is so hard in this format. A nine-ball 17th over ended with Shreyas pinging the long-on boundary twice and yielding 22 runs. RCB

least-heralded players decided to shoot their shot.

Will Jacks took down Starc in the final over of the powerplay, hitting him for three sixes and a four. The whole over was symptomatic of the way KKR had bowled to him, pace on and in the slot. A tall batter with a strong front foot game loves it there. So did the RCB

a guy who wants to look like a UFC fighter, he keeps sucker-punching people. Running in nice and hard. Properly powering through his action. That tree-trunklike shoulder whipping the ball down the pitch. But then the fingers do their magic, and all of a sudden, a batter prepping for 140kph is caught off guard with 115kph. Starc has not learnt that lesson yet. He has found all his success – even here in the IPL when he was wearing the opposition's colours – by trusting his pace and his accuracy. According to ESPNcricinfo ball-by-ball data, he has attempted a slower ball only 11 times this season. It is part of why he has given up 44 boundaries, the most by any bowler in IPL 2024. The opposition sets up for his thunderbolts, which in India, don't always kiss the pitch and fly through. They sometimes sit up to be smacked.

However, people under pressure trust what has worked for them in the past and the Starc yorker is still money. He went for it. It came out as a low full toss. Karn, who had already carved three sixes off near yorkers, set up to smash it down the ground. But this time he couldn't get enough power on it. He could only bunt it and Starc was agile enough to dive to his right and come up with a blinder. That was the decisive play in a game full of them. Pace on for the win. Who knew. (ESPNcricinfo)

Lockie Ferguson 4-0-47-1

Karn Sharma 4-0-33-0

Cameron Green 4-0-35-2

Lockie Ferguson run out(Singh/†Salt) 1 Extras(b 1, lb 4, w 4) 9 TOTAL 20 Ov(RR: 11.05) 221 Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Virat Kohli, 2.1 ov), 2-35 (Faf du Plessis, 3.1 ov), 3-137 (Will Jacks, 11.1 ov), 4-138 (Rajat Patidar, 11.4 ov), 5-151 (Cameron Green, 12.3 ov), 6-155 (Mahipal Lomror, 12.6 ov), 7-187 (Suyash Prabhudessai, 17.2 ov), 8-202 (Dinesh Karthik, 18.6 ov), 9-220 (Karn Sharma, 19.5 ov), 10-221 (Lockie Ferguson, 19.6 ov) • DRS BOWLING O-M-R-W

Harshit Rana 4-0-33-2

Mitchell Starc 3-0-55-1

Varun Chakravarthy 4-0-36-1

Sunil Narine 4-0-34-2

Suyash Sharma 2-0-33-0

Andre Russell 3-0-25-3

2022, RCB had the better of the middle overs (economy rate 8, from 12.5 in the powerplay). Ferguson, who conceded a boundary with every ball of his first over, gave up only one more after that in the next three. He also took a wicket, a skilful use of the knuckle ball which got big on Rinku and took away his power.

Small margins

Andre Russell had walked in during the 14th over. At the time of the 18th, he was still 11 off 13 with only one hit to the fence, and still, he was toying with the bowlers.

Yash Dayal was desperate to keep the ball out of his hitting arc, which forced him to spray one too wide outside

trusted him to close the innings out, but that over went for 16. Once again, he did the right things. Went wide yorker, but missed the mark and got hit. Took pace off, but Muscle Russell found a way. Recovered to string two yorkers and a bouncer that cost only three runs, but the last ball was cleverly ramped for four by Ramandeep. KKR 222 for 6.

Jacks and Patidar step up Angry Virat Kohli made an appearance after a long time, disputing the technology that gave him out off a full toss that he was certain was over waist high. Faf du Plessis couldn't stick around for long enough. RCB were in familiar dire straits once again when two of their

fans who were sat down the ground or at midwicket.

At the other end, Rajat Patidar found his rhythm. He has looked short of confidence ever since he was dropped by India during the Tests against England. A batter who relies on feel more than technique was struggling to get it back, until it all came back, and he was sitting pretty with a 21ball fifty. He scored 16 off 8 off Narine, with two sixes, and 30 off 9 against Suyash Sharma, with three sixes and two fours.

Russell goes slow, Starc goes fast RCB were 77 per cent favourites at this point, needing 86 off 54 balls. Then on came Russell for

Mohammed Siraj is distraught even as KKR celebrate their dramatic one-run win

Suyash Prabhudessai and Dinesh Karthik steadied RCB after a wobble

Phil Salt effects the run-out that won KKR the game

Taylor, Ramharack, Henry headline West Indies' thrilling win

Stafanie Taylor's 73 on the back of tidy three-wicket hauls from Chinelle Henry and Karishma Ramharack helped West Indies beat Pakistan by two wickets in the second One-Day International (ODI), but not before a late twist.

The game all but seemed to be heading in West Indies' direction when they were placed at 180 for 3 after 41 overs, chasing 224. However, Captain Nida

nal over needing five off six. Fatima Sana then conceded just two off the first five balls which included the wicket of Afy Fletcher. But with three needed off the final ball, Ramharack got an edge to squirt just past the wicketkeeper's left for a four and spark delirious scenes in the West Indies camp. With the win, West Indies also claimed an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.

Dar's four-wicket burst brought Pakistan back to life. West Indies lost wickets at regular intervals to slip to 219 for 7 in the fi -

Opting to bat, Sidra Ameen and Bismah Maroof struck fifties, but didn't get much support from the rest of the batting unit as

Pakistan were bowled out for 223 in 48.5 overs. This despite West Indies conceding 30 extras (21 wides and nine leg byes) in their innings.

Henry struck with her third ball taking out Muneeba Ali for 1. Ameen and Maroof then added 80 for the second wicket to take Pakistan forward. Ameen fell for 50 lbw to Fletcher, and once she was dismissed, the hosts failed to stitch any partnership of note. Maroof held one end up as she recorded her 20th ODI fifty off 91 balls. She was the seventh Pakistan

wicket to fall with the score on 196 in the 42nd over.

For West Indies, while Ramharack and Fletcher cut a swathe through the middle order, Henry cleaned up the tail. That Pakistan reached 223 was down to wicketkeeper-batter Najiha Alvi's 28-ball 25.

West Indies Women

(T:

Stafanie Taylor c Fatima Sana

52

b Sadia Iqbal 73

Chedean Nation lbw

b Nida Dar 6

Chinelle Henry c Umm-e-Hani

b Nida Dar 23

Aaliyah Alleyne

b Nida Dar 2

Afy Fletcher c Sidra

Chinelle Henry 8.5-1-37-3

Aaliyah Alleyne 3-0-11-0

Hayley Matthews 10-0-41-1

Afy Fletcher 10-0-46-2

Karishma Ramharack 10-1-48-3

Zaida James 3-0-18-0

In the chase, while West Indies lost opener Rashada Williams relatively early, Hayley Mathews kept the innings going with 44. Once she fell, it was Shemaine Campbelle and Taylor, who kept the innings chugging along. The duo added 88 off 106 balls for the third wicket going toe-to-toe in a bid to reach their fifty. Campbelle got there first, reaching the landmark in 70 balls, while Taylor reached their three balls later off 61 balls.

Taylor kept the innings going even as Campbelle fell, but Dar brought about a flurry of wickets to silence the visitors. Sadia Iqbal took out Taylor in the 47th over while Dar picked up two wickets in the 49th to tilt the scales marginally in Pakistan's favour. But Ramharack kept her cool when it mattered the most.

CWI President congratulates GHE on West Indies Championship win

The Guyana Harpy Eagles (GHE) have emerged triumphant once again, retaining their West Indies Championship title and collecting US$250,000 in a thrilling showcase of cricket prowess.

President of Cricket West Indies (CWI), Dr Kishore Shallow, extended his heartfelt congratulations to the team, emphasising their remarkable consistency and dedication. He stated, "The Guyana Harpy Eagles have demonstrated immense skills, tactical astuteness, and resilience throughout the tournament, showcasing the true spirit of West Indies cricket."

In a gripping finale to the championship, the Harpy Eagles secured a decisive eight-wicket victory over the Combined Campuses and Colleges, propelling them to the top of the table with 103.8 points. Their path to victory was charted by key performances from Raymond

Perez, an unbeaten 79 runs, and skipper Tevin Imlach's crucial half-century. The championship culminated in a gripping showdown between the Leeward Islands Hurricanes and the Windward Islands Volcanoes, resulting in a hard-fought draw that ultimately secured Guyana's reign as champions for the

seventh time in nine years.

Dr Shallow lauded the collective efforts of all participating teams, stating, "The West Indies Championship is the pinnacle of regional cricket and serves as a testament to the rich legacy and tradition of cricket in our region. Therefore, it was only fitting that Cricket West Indies further invested in this level of

CWI Director Enoch Lewis presenting the US$100,000 ? runnersup cheque

cricket by increasing the financial winnings to incentivise players further and build interest across the Region”.

As the cricketing community reflects on the tournament's outcomes, Cricket West Indies remains committed to fostering excellence and nurturing talent at all levels. Dr Shallow expressed optimism for the future of West Indies cricket, affirming, "The dedication and passion exhibited by our teams

reaffirm cricket's enduring significance and relevance, which we are confident will positively produce more desirable and sustained success at the international level."

The conclusion of the West Indies Championship saw the following standings:

1. Guyana Harpy Eagles – 103.8

2. Windward Islands Volcanoes – 98.2

3. Leeward Islands

WCC/Trophy

ameer Zaman led Sans Souci Jaguars to a 63run win over Maria’s Pleasure while Good Success beat Zeelandia by four wickets when the Wakenaam Cricket Committee (WCC)/ Trophy Stall T20 tournament commenced recently at the Wakenaam Community Centre Ground, Good Success.

Zaman hit six fours and nine sixes, plundering the bowlers on both sides of the wicket, and he and Gladwin Henry added 136 for the first wicket to give Sans Souci Jaguars a strong start. Henry scored 20, and Nokta Moses added 27 as the Sans Souci Jaguars finished with 201. Maria's Pleasure answered with 138-9. Kevin Hemraj scored 34 runs, Bernard Lewis added 25, and Kennard Lewis had

19. Chandrika Jairam and Ameer Mohamed each took two wickets.

Zeelandia batted first in the second game and finished with 175 all out. Ravi hit five fours and four sixes in a maximum score of 68, while Joshua made 32, with

Hurricanes – 94.0

4. Barbados Pride – 92.8

5. T&T Red Force – 92.0

6. West Indies Academy – 71.6

7. Jamaica Scorpions –59.4

8. Combined Campuses and Colleges – 30.2

Cricket West Indies extends its heartfelt thanks to all stakeholders who contributed to the tremendous success of the West Indies Championship 2024.

Imran Khan taking 4-22, Vickram Ramnarine 2-28, and Mohandass Surujpaul 2-35.

Good Success answered with 176-6 from 19.4 overs. Tulsiram Ramadeen hit 63 with two fours and six sixes, while Komesh Sudin added 34 and Surujpaul 22. Joshua and Varun Pooran took three wickets each.

Good Success defeated Sans Souci by eight wickets. Sans Souci batted first and scored 152-6. Heera Sukram scored 32, Reon Venture had 27, Kamal Khan had 23, and Oyono Sampson had 22. Wazir Khan and Bomesh Lall both claimed two wickets.

Good Success replied with 153-1 in 11 overs. Mohandass Surujpaul slammed 95 laced with 12 fours and eight sixes while Komesh Sudin made 49.

With three needed off one, Ramharack scored a four to take West Indies to a thrilling win

Karishma Ramharack and Chinelle Henry shared six wickets between them

The Guyana Harpy Eagles celebrate with their West Indies Championship spoils

Zameer Zaman

It was a 3-0 kind of night on Saturday at the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) National Training Centre (NTC), Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD), as so-far-unbeaten teams Slingerz Football Club and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) FC maintained their perfect streak. What was actually a triple-header saw the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Women’s

team give a taste of the excitement to come with a 17-0 thrashing of Pakuri Jaguars in the GFF Women’s Division League One. Akeelah Vancooten led the charge for the Police women with a burst of five goals in the second half. She netted in the 65th, 71st, 77th, 80th and 80th+2 minutes. Meanwhile, Lakeisha Williams (4th, 45th, 69th) and Melina Larson (21st, 24th, 31st) both netted

hat-tricks while Keedola Chester added her name to the scoresheet twice in the 44th and 52nd minutes. Collette Rutherford (11th), Sasha James (31st), Jenelle Edmondson (34th) and Latoya Williams (38th) scored one apiece to push Police’s tally to 17.

Later on in the eve ning, an ‘off’ Slingerz FC eased past Den Amstel FC in a West Coast derby, 3-0.

Marcus Wilson capital ised on a corner kick to slot in his team’s first and only goal of the first half in the 22nd minute. However, the scoresheet could’ve read at least 5-0 after the first, as Slingerz missed out on a number of great opportu nities in front of the goal.

Nevertheless, Curtez Kellman found the back of the net in the 58th minute, while Ricardo Halley did the same in the 78th to ensure Slingerz would remain undefeated af-

ter seven games in this year’s league. The script was almost the same in the following game featuring GDF FC and Ann’s Grove United FC, the only difference being Ann’s Grove’s ability to keep the soldiers at bay until the second segment.

It was Abumuchi Benjamin who broke the ice in the 59th minute and he made it a 2-0 affair in the 74th. Amos Ramsey found the back of the net in the dying minutes of the game to push the score to 3-0 in the 87th minute.

The KFC Elite League is expected to continue on Tuesday, April 23 with a clash between Monedderlust and Buxton United FC at 18:30h. That will be followed by a battle between Western Tigers and Fruta Conquerors FC from 21:00h, both at the Providence venue.

Ann’s Grove (blue) fiercely challenged GDF FC

Marcus Wilson (on ball) opened the scoring for Slingerz FC