Ann McLennan heads GDF promotions list
—Scorpions book last semi-finals spot
In accordance with Part III Section 16 of the Defence Act 15:01 of 1977, Chief of Staff (ag) of the Guyana
Defence Force (GDF) Brigadier Godfrey Bess yesterday announced that President and Commanderin-Chief Irfaan Ali has approved the promotion of forty-eight officers with effect from January 01, 2021.
A release from the GDF yesterday said that heading the list of promoted Officers is Acting Colonel and Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan who was made Substantive in her rank.
Eight Substantive Majors have also been promoted to the rank of
Substantive Lieutenant Colonel. Those Substantive Majors are Mohinder Ramjag, Anson Weekes, Matthew Chichester, Andy Pompey, Dale De Mendonca, Kennard Liverpool, Earl Edghill and Miguel Benjamin.
Fourteen Substantive Captains are now Majors. Those Substantive Captains are Troy Cordis, Kirk Marlock, Esan Reid, Bernard Cunjie, Cleon Coppin, Daryl Britton, Mirza Wahid, Dawn Singh, Denolle Sankar, Jermaine Newton, Sven Douglas,
Oral Thom, Dwighton Bess and Paul Castello.
The release added that Substantive Lieutenants Samuel Klien, Steffon Cameron, Teffurn James, Pete Da Silva, Trevon Poole, Rohan Marshall, Obitre Hytmiah, Dishon Harris, Steffhon Branche, Curtlan Melville, Shaheed Zaiboon, Neil Asregadoo, Lawrence King, and Keevin Salaru have been promoted to the rank of Substantive Captain.
Topping the list of promoted Coast Guard Officers is Lieutenant Coast
Guard Wayne Richmond who was promoted to the rank of Substantive Lieutenant Commander. Sub Lieutenant Carlos Moore was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Coast Guard.
Substantive Majors Michael Charles, Sean Welcome and Bhageshwar Murli, who serve in the Guyana People’s Militia (GPM) Reserve, have also been promoted to the rank of Substantive Lieutenant Colonel. Substantive Captains Salim October, Lancelot Khan, Mahendra Carpen and Marlon Daniels have been promoted to the rank of Substantive Major. Substantive Lieutenants Lakshman Persaud and Patrice Jacobs have been elevated to the rank of Substantive Captain, the release added.
APNU+AFC MP Christopher Jones yesterday took the government to task over its proposed 2021 national budget, saying that it has failed to address the challenges and economic hardships that have been imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic on many Guyanese.
During the budget debate yesterday, Jones told the National Assembly that for a second time since last year the PPP/C government failed to introduce a COVID19 recovery plan.
“In my 2020 budget presentation, I emphasised that what was frightening to every Guyanese was the fact that budget 2020 was devoid of a COVID recovery plan. It is even more alarming that almost a year into the pandemic this regime presents budget 2021 in this house, similar in scope and is also devoid of a COVID recovery plan,” Jones told the House during his contribution.
He pointed out that businesses have suffered tremendously due to the pandemic, while noting that many were forced to close permanently, resulting in hundreds of persons being laid off.
As he sought to paint the grim picture of what businesses have been experiencing during the pandemic, Jones lamented that the proposed budget failed to provide a stimulus package for small- and largescale businesses, and he singled out the operators in the tourism and hospitality industry.
Jones also alleged that despite government announcing a $7 billion COVID-19 cash grant relief initiative, “many households in the communities hard hit by the pandemic have not benefitted, due to corruption, discrimination and lack of empathy.”
Jones also argued that the proposed $2 billion allocation for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), could have been better spent in the public sector rather than a “failing industry.”
“Budget 2021 has in excess of $2 billion for this failed industry that is supposed to be the mainstay of Guyana’s economy, but instead it has been the blood sucker on the backs of the Guyanese taxpayers,” he said prior to indicating that the sum could have been allocated to the public sector or salary increases.
He used the opportunity to remind the House that under his party’s governance the public service minimum wage was raised from $39,500 in 2015 to $70,000 in 2019. On this note, he criticised the government for failing to make any consideration of raising the income tax threshold or even increasing minimum wage in the public sector for two consecutive budgets.
Jones took note of a claim by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo that the sum of $10 billion has been allocated in the budget for the revision of wages and salaries for public servants and argued that if the government had any plans of increasing public servant salaries they would have “plastered it all over in the budget.”
According to Jones, the government also failed to make provision for job creation for unemployed youths across the county. “Our vision for the young people of Guyana is to have a society where young women and men realise their full potential individually and collectively and are effectively integrated as agents of change for development. How then could
that be possible when this regime has clearly demonstrated there remains no coherent vision for youths in this country?” he questioned?
Jones said he could not give his support to the budget since it lacks vision and has no plans to improve the life of Guyanese. “We cannot support this budget…,” he stressed, after saying that it lacked vision and planning to improve the lives of Guyanese.
Before concluding, Jones, like his fellow APNU+AFC colleagues during the course of the day, pointed out that the government failed to consult with his party, which represents 49% of the electorate, on the budget.
After Jones’ presentation, members of the opposition walked out of the National Assembly. He was the last opposition speaker for the day.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – A sensational hat-trick by parttime off-spinner Andre McCarthy floored Barbados Pride, as Jamaica Scorpions surged into the semi-finals of the Super50 Cup here Sunday night with an emphatic 51-run victory.
Chasing a below par 219 for victory at Coolidge Cricket Ground in the decisive preliminary round match to determine the last semi-final spot, Pride were ripped apart by McCarthy’s career-best six for 19, to crumble to an embarrassing 167 all out in the 42nd over.
They appeared to be storming to victory on 141 for two in the 29th over behind Shai Hope’s top score of 51 and opener Justin Greaves’s 36 but once McCarthy sliced through the innings, Pride shockingly lost their last eight wickets for just 26 runs.
With the scales slowly tipping in Scorpions’ favour, McCarthy rammed home the advantage for his side by turning the game on its head in the 40th over.
Starting his eighth over with Pride perched on 165 for six, McCarthy kept Ashley Nurse (2) scoreless off the first two balls before having the right-hander caught at the wicket cutting, and then followed up by comprehensively bowling Akeem Jordan on the back foot.
Joshua Bishop, who had earlier snared a brilliant career-best five-wicket haul, then played down the wrong line to the hattrick ball and had his off-stump pegged back, sparking celebrations mong the Scorpions camp.
McCarthy fittingly picked up the last wicket in his 10th over when he breached Chemar Holder’s uncertain defensive prod to bowl him for two, and earn Scorpions a clash with Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in Wednesday’s first semi-final.
“From ever since I went out there and I never made any runs I knew I had to contribute with something in the game and I told the skipper ‘give me the ball and I am going to do the job for you today,’” a hoarse McCarthy said afterwards.
“I’ve been working on my bowling. I was in Bangladesh with the [West Indies] team and I was doing a lot of bowling. The coach really recognised my bowling and it’s something that is working for me now.”
McCarthy’s heroics nearly overshadowed a courageous unbeaten 68 from number 10 Odean Smith who inspired two successive half-century stands at the back end to pull Scorpions out of the mire at 87 for eight and propel them to 218 all out in the 46th over, after they chose to bat.
Better known for his fast bowling, Smith resisted stoutly with five fours and four sixes in a 75-ball knock as he added 80 for the ninth wicket with Jamie Merchant who made a breezy 37 off 34 balls with four fours and a six. Smith then found an ally in Jeavor Royal (16), the pair putting on a further 51 for the last wicket to see Scorpions past the 200-run mark.
Handed the new ball, the 20year-old Bishop snatched the first five wickets to fall to end with five for 35 while off-spinner Nurse supported with two for 51, as none of the Scorpions specialist batsmen suggested permanence.
All-rounder Fabian Allen chipped in with 23 in a 29-run, sixth wicket stand with captain Rovman Powell (19) before holing out to long on off Nurse in the 24th over.
Despite their momentum, Scorpions found themselves on the ropes again as Hope, in only his second match of the tournament, put on 52 for the first wicket with Greaves before adding a further 66 for the second with Shamarh Brooks who made 27.
Greaves struck five fours and a six in a robust 26-ball knock before miscuing a drive at offspinner Merchant and being taken at point in the 10th over, and Brooks was run out in the 22nd over in a mix-up over a single with Hope who faced 81 balls and counted three fours and a six.
Even then, there was no sign of the pending drama, as Hope and left-hander Jonathan Carter (26) confidently added 23 for the third wicket.
But Allen (2-41) accounted for both with his left-arm spin, Hope slicing a catch to Brandon King diving forward at point in the 29th over and Carter driving a sharp return catch in the 33rd.
Six balls later in the next over with one run added, captain Jason Holder missed a pull and perished lbw for one to give McCarthy his first wicket in his sixth over and when left-hander
Nicholas Kirton (3) clipped a straightforward catch to substitute Sheldon Cottrell at short mid-wicket in McCarthy’s next over, Pride were slumping 163
for six in the 38th over.
Two overs later, the 33-yearold McCarthy struck the killer blow with his hat-trick to end the game as a contest.