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Thursday May 12, 2022

GUYANA HOLDS BILATERAL MEETINGS AT FUTURE AVIATION FORUM IN SAUDI ARABIA

MATERNAL, CHILD HEALTH SERVICES IN REGION THREE GET EQUIPMENT BOOST

GOVERNMENT MAKES FIRST WITHDRAWAL FROM THE NATURAL RESOURCE FUND

PRINCESS WILLIAMS CHARGED AGAIN!

Thursday May 12, 2022

GUYANA HOLDS BILATERAL MEETINGS AT FUTURE AVIATION FORUM IN SAUDI ARABIA

Minister of Public Works, Hon. Bishop Juan Edghill and Minister of Transport and Logistic Services, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, H.E. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser

A delegation from Guyana is attending the Future Aviation Forum being held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia under the theme “Innovation, Sustainability, Growth” with a focus on three core thematic pillars: passenger experience, sustainability and aviation business recovery post-Covid.

This is Saudi Arabia’s first-ever Future Aviation Forum which is being done to unite international leaders from the private and public sectors, international CEOs, and regulators to shape the evolution of international air travel and put forward new solutions.

The Forum is attended by more than 1500 delegates including several Ministers of Transport and Infrastructure from different continents.

Minister Juan Edghill, Guyana’s Head of Delegation, was invited by the Forum’s organisers to speak on a Panel dealing with how the aviation sector is recovering, finding resilience and emerging more sustainable.

Some of the key issues addressed by the panelists were an investment in sustainable alternative fuel, make aircraft operations and airports more efficient, financing investment in aviation infrastructure, tourism recovery and creating a better passenger experience post-pandemic.

In his presentation, Minister Edghill shared Guyana’s private-public partnership model as a means of driving major infrastructure investment, especially post-pandemic when there is rigid competition

for finance from other sectors within the economy.

Guyana held several strategic bilateral meetings during the Future Aviation Forum, to promote Guyana’s development agenda and stimulate greater interest, cooperation, partnership, and participation in the transformative development taking place in the country.

Government has recognized the need for a robust and viable aviation connectivity as a key requirement for development, therefore, significant efforts are being made to build infrastructure and capacity for both the services and regulatory sides.

Bilateral discussions were held with the Minister of Transport, Saudi Arabia, Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser. The

two ministers discussed closer cooperation, tourism opportunities, aviation connectivity, infrastructural development, investment and strengthening bilateral relations.

The ministers agreed to continue cooperation to promote and facilitate air connectivity between their two countries for greater socio-economic benefits of their peoples and economies.

Minister Edghill also met with the ICAO Council President, Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano to affirm Guyana’s appreciation for the level of support offered by the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation),

especially with Guyana’s compliance programme to increase its level of compliance with the ICAO’s Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).

The ICAO Council President was briefed on the economic development taking place in Guyana in the areas of tourism, oil and gas, domestic and international infrastructure, and agricultural sector. He was also advised on the need for ICAO’s continued support in capacity building in the areas of training, offshore helicopter operations and development of hinterland aerodromes.

The ICAO Council

President expressed the desire for Guyana to get more involved in the work of ICAO at the Headquarters in Montreal, Canada and for Guyana’s full participation at the upcoming triennial 41st General Assembly in September 2022.

Separate bilateral meetings were also held with the Directors General, Civil Aviation Authorities of Singapore and the United Arab Emirates to discuss technical cooperation, fellowships for aviation training programmes, aviation connectivity for cargo and passengers and technical assistance in aircraft accident investigatio

(L-R) Mr. Mohamed Abu Baker Farea, Regional Director (ICAO Middle East), Mr. Stephen Creamer, Director, ICAO Air Navigation Bureau, Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano, ICAO Council President, Hon. Bishop Juan Edghill, Minister of Public Works and Mr. Saheed Sulaman, Director, Air Transport Management, GCAA.

MATERNAL, CHILD HEALTH SERVICES IN REGION THREE GET EQUIPMENT BOOST

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony said during the simple handover ceremony.

Through the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara Region has received $20 million in

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medical equipment to boost its maternal and child health services.

The project was developed in 2017 to support and improve

maternal and child healthcare in Guyana. The country is among those with the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the Caribbean.

“When the project was first conceived, they looked at Region Three, Region Nine and Region Four as the regions where we need to boost the maternal and child health services. Having done the initial assessments, they recognise that some

of these things would be required at the health facilities.

“That is why we spent quite a lot of money in procuring these things,” Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony said during the simple handover ceremony.”

Some of the equipment include scales, examination stools and gynaecology examination beds. The minister said these will be sent to the

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healthcare facilities that are most in need, as well as areas that are ‘population centered.’

This way more persons can benefit from these improved services.

Training will also be provided to healthcare workers so that the equipment can be appropriately utilised.

“If there’s a need for training on any of the equipment that we have given I think some of the

contracts that we have come with that type of training so we want the staff here to make sure they utilise the equipment in the right manner as prescribed by the manuals that are here,” Dr. Anthony noted.

The medical items are the first batch of equipment to be delivered and distributed to maternal and child healthcare facilities in Guyana.

Thursday May 12, 2022

PRINCESS WILLIAMS CHARGED AGAIN!

GOVERNMENT MAKES FIRST WITHDRAWAL FROM THE NATURAL RESOURCE FUND

Senior Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh announced yesterday that the Government made its first drawdown from the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) in accordance with the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Act 2021.

The Minister said that pursuant to Section 16 of the NRF Act 2021, US$200 million equivalent to G$41.7 billion has been transferred from the

Natural Resource Fund to the Consolidated Fund to finance national development priorities.

This transfer was made in accordance with the strengthened legal architecture of the NRF Act 2021 and follows the publication in the Official Gazette of all petroleum revenues paid into the Natural Resource Fund during the period 1 January to 31 March 2022. The NRF Act 2021 which came into

operation on 1 January 2022, represents a significant improvement in transparency and accountability and the overall management of the natural resources wealth of Guyana for present and future generations.

As part of the Budget 2022 process, Parliamentary approval was granted for a total of US$607.6 million to be transferred during the fiscal year 2022.

Already facing a sentence over framing her ex-boyfriend of rape and for attempted extortion, 20-yearold Princess Williams was today charged for escaping from lawful police custody.

Williams appeared before the Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, today. It is alleged that Williams on May 7; last, at New Market

TWO FEMALE STUDENTS ROBBED AT KNIFEPOINT BY BICYCLE GAN

just after finishing 21:00 hours. classes at Critchlow The two female Labour College students — a 20-year-old of Camp Street, Werk-enDetectives in Regional Rust, Georgetown; and Police Division 4 ‘A’ a 28-year-old of Block 8 are investigating an Mon Repos, East Coast alleged robbery under Demerara, were robbed arms committed on two at knife-point by eight females, minutes after identifiable male suspects they finished classes at the (five males of African Critchlow Labour College Descent and three males of on Woolford Avenue, Mixed Race) on bicycles.

Georgetown on Monday, The 20-year-old victim May 9, 2022, at about has robbed of a Samsung info@guyanapostonline.com

Galaxy cell phone valued $30,000, and $23,000 cash, while the 28-yearold was relieved of a Samsung A30 cell phone valued $57,000 and $8,000 cash.

Initial enquiries disclosed that the victims had finished classes and were waiting on transportation to go home, when they were approached by the eight perpetrators, who were

on bicycles.

One of the suspects was armed with a knife, and he pointed it at the victims in a menacing manner while the other gang members relieved them (victims) of the mentioned articles.

After relieving the victims of their valuables, the suspects then escaped west along Woolford Avenue and onto

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Street, whilst being in the custody of a police officer for fraud, escaped.

She denied the allegation and was remanded to prison until June 1, 2022.

Reports are that Williams complained of feeling unwell at the East La Penitence Station.

She was later taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, from where she escaped while using the washroom.

An alarm was raised

and she was found at Thomas and Lamaha Streets, with a cloth wrapped around her hands hiding the handcuff.

Williams explained to the court that while at the station she was chased along the hallway. She said that she ran towards a step and the officer hit her. A claim against a police officer was denied in court and the court noted that no marks of violence were found.

Williams is also soon to be sentenced to jail over framing her exboyfriend for rape and attempted extortion of $10M after she was found guilty just a week ago.

Police investigating fatal accident at Mahaica Police in Regional Division 4’C’ are probing a fatal incident that occurred on the HandEn-Veldt Public Road, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara. That accident resulted in the death of 44-year-old Shazie Hoosain of Green Field, East Coast Demerara.

According to police reports from the Division, the incident occurred on Monday, May 9, 2022, shortly after midnight on the Hand-En-Veldt Public Road, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara.

It involved a motorcar PJJ 485 driven by Saif Arjune, 22. Others in the car were the now dead woman Shazie Hoosain, Arfeen Arjune, 19, and a 16-year-old male.

The driver of the motorcar PJJ 485 was proceeding east along the northern side of the said road, allegedly at a fast rate of speed, when he lost control of the vehicle and

collided with a utility pole on the northern side of the road, before crashing into a culvert.

As a result of the impact, the driver and other occupants received injuries on their bodies.

Police ranks who responded took the injured persons to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital, where Shazie Hoosain was pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor.

The driver and the 16-year-old, who sustained a broken right leg, were subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where they were admitted.

The body of Shazie Hoosain is at the Jerrick’s Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem examination.

A Breathalyzer test conducted on the 22-year-old driver read .186% and .183% BAC. Further investigations are in progress.

Friday April 22, 2022

ExxonMobil makes three new discoveries offshore Guyana

ExxonMobil IRVING, Texas – ExxonMobil has made three new discoveries offshore Guyana and has increased its estimate of the recoverable resource for the Stabroek Block to nearly 11 billion oilequivalent barrels.

The three discoveries are southeast of the Liza and Payara developments and bring to five the

discoveries made by ExxonMobil in Guyana in 2022.

The Barreleye-1 well encountered approximately 230 feet (70 meters) of hydrocarbonbearing sandstone and was drilled in 3,840 feet (1,170 meters) of water.

Drilling at Patwa-1 encountered 108 feet (33 meters) of hydrocarbon-

bearing sandstone and was conducted in 6,315 feet (1,925 meters) of water.

The Lukanani-1 well encountered 115 feet (35 meters) of hydrocarbonbearing sandstone and was drilled in a water depth of 4,068 feet (1,240 meters). Operations are ongoing at Barreleye-1 and Lukanani-1.

“These discoveries and the updated resource estimate increase the confidence we have in our ambitious exploration strategy for the Stabroek Block and will help to inform our future development plans for the southeast part of the block,” said Liam Mallon, president of ExxonMobil Upstream

Company.

“ExxonMobil r e m a i n s committed to delivering value at an accelerated pace to the people of Guyana, our partners and shareholders and reliably supplying affordable energy to meet increasing demand around the world.”

ExxonMobil currently has four sanctioned projects offshore Guyana. Liza Phase 1 is producing approximately 130,000 barrels per day using the Liza Destiny floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel.

Liza Phase 2, which started production in February, is steadily ramping up to its capacity of 220,000 barrels per

day using the Liza Unity FPSO. The third project, Payara, is expected to produce 220,000 barrels per day; construction on its production vessel, the Prosperity FPSO, is running approximately five months ahead of schedule with start-up likely before year-end 2023.

The fourth project, Yellowtail, is expected to produce 250,000 barrels per day when the ONE GUYANA FPSO comes online in 2025.

Guyana’s Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometers). ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration a nd Production Guyana Limited is the operator and holds 45% interest in the Block.

Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30% interest, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25% interest.

GTT, USAID DONATES GRANTS TO LOCAL INNOVATORS

Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company(GTT) and the United States Agency for International Development(USAID) have given seven Guyanese business owners a grant ranging from US$10,000 to US$30,000 to help fund and develop their businesses in science and technology.

The Guyana Economic Development Trust, a body that consists of many

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Guyanese in diaspora, today hosted a simply ceremony by announcing the winner of the grant.

This comes after a oneyear training programme by experts for some 30 participants in Guyana who dabble in Innovation in science and technology.

The programme was funded by GTT and USAID. In one category, four Guyanese innovators received a grant of US$10,000.

Those

recipients of the Guyana Innovation Prize Awards were Jubilante Cutting of Guyana Animation Network (GAN) and GAN Studios; Vickacy Williams of Aurora Technologies (Decorative Construction Tiles Made from Plastic Waste); and Lisa Dublin of EcoCarb GY (Activated Carbon to Clean Drinking Water Made from Coconut Waste).

Five Guyanese also received a grant of

US30,000 under the Economic Development Accelerator (EDA), a programme that is funded by the USAID. Winner of the 2022 prizes in the Economic Development Accelerator was Tasmin Pellew of Taz Foods (Cookup-ina-Cup); Grace Parris of Asdel Foods (Prepared Packaged Pepperpot); Osric Hacker of Blue Ribbon Mfg. (Vanilla Extract); Dianna Plowell of Pleasurable Flavors (Shake N’ Fry Fish and Poultry Coating) and Dwayne Wade of Country Style Foods (Plantain Chips), US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah Ann Lynch, explained that the US Government will continue to support Guyana, especially in the area of innovation.

“The United States is committed to economic strengthening and diversification of Guyana and this programme

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is just one example.

Commitment to US trade with Guyana is close to $2B annually and small and medium enterprises like some of the ones represented here today must become a part of that trade relationship if Guyana is to effectively diversify its economy,” Ambassador Lynch explained.

Ambassador Lynch also said that those innovations in her Government especially when diversification of the country’s economy will see the avoidance of the Dutch disease.

“Your success is critical for the overall success of Guyana’s economy not just for the jobs you provide but also your assistance for Guyana in avoiding the dreaded Dutch disease.”

Subject to the need for more agricultural produce, Ms. Lynch noted that the US is also supportive of such

initiatives.

Chief Executive Officer of GEDT, Oslene Corrington, who oversees the running of the programme said that the programme will be a continuous process since Guyana has the talent to represent science and technology that can compete with the world.

“This long term relationship is birthing many scientifically and technological oriented start-up in Guyana.

Guyana will become a place of innovation in science and technology; we have the talent.”

Speaking also at the ceremony, GTT Representative, Tanya Wilcott, said that innovation is crucial to preventing the challenges.

The said programme will in the next four years see 120 participants going ahead and more persons given the opportunity to benefit

ACCUSED KILLER REMANDED AFTER FOUR YEARSJarvis’s ON THE RUN body as well as

Damian Bissoon

Four years after being on the run over allegedly stabbing and chopping a Dowding Street, Kitty resident to death over some money, 33-yearold, Shell Road resident, Damian Bissoon, turned up suddenly to the police and was today charged and remanded to prison.

The defendant, Bissoon, appeared this morning before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan and was not required to plead to the indictable charge.

It was disclosed that Bissoon on May 30, 2018 at Barr and Alexander Streets, Kitty, murdered Taj Andrew Jarvis.

It was reported that on the day in question, Bissoon approached Jarvis and asked him for some money. Jarvis responded in the negative and an argument broke out between the two.

The argument escalated and Bissoon allegedly dealt several cuts about

Minister Gail Teixeira, M.P

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, M.P, said ‘findings’ from the national public opinion poll conducted by the International Republican Institute (IRI) on Guyana’s electoral reform, lacks integrity and do not reflect the views of Guyanese.

Minister Teixeira made it clear that any poll conducted in Guyana that involves humans, must go before the Ministry of Health’s Ethics Committee. In this regard, no request was made or approval granted.

On April 13, 2022, the IRI revealed its ‘findings’ from data it claimed was collected here between January 4 and January 24, 2022. It stated that a high percent of Guyanese believe electoral reforms are necessary.

According to the body,

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to 165 persons above 18 years old reported that they were not registered to vote in an election, while a further 29 percent said they did not vote in the 2020 elections.

“So how can you be coming up with a survey response that says that people were not registered to vote when in fact, they were below the age of 18?

These are questions that come up when we look at the responses in the document,” she stressed.

The minister added that there is a host of odd questions in the survey, pointing to one which asked about whether people would vote in the local government elections regarding the candidate.

“Well first of all we don’t have Local Government Elections, and secondly because elections haven’t been called for Local Government Elections, one doesn’t know who the candidates are or who they will be. So how do you know how to answer that question?”

There were questions also on whether persons felt there was voters’ discrimination which, Minister Teixeira deemed “very ambiguous”.

SOPHIA SHOOTING VICTIM SUCCUMBS TO INJURY

several stab wounds to his stomach.

Jarvis fell to the ground and Bissoon made good his escape. Jarvis who was left lying on the ground was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Subsequently, an arrested warrant was issued for Bissoon, who was never to be seen until Monday when he turned himself over to the police in the company of his lawyer, George Thomas.

He was then charged Yarden Jacobs, a today and remanded to 27-year-old labourer prison until May 17, when his matter will be called of lot 5S North Sophia, succumbed on Tuesday again before at 17:00hrs at the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was receiving treatment for injuries he sustained in a “voters’ discrimination shooting incident.

The incident occurred and voters feeling that on Saturday, April 16, someone may have 2022, at about midnight discriminated against in the Tanary area of them by making North Sophia, involving comments on an ethnic basis are not the same the suspect, and Steve Bacchus. thing.

Investigations revealed And there were no that the now deceased such claims of persons Yarden Jacobs was liming being discriminated at the Tanary North Sophia during the March 2020 along with his cousin, General and Regional elections, the minister Steve Bacchus, when he pointed out. In fact, the got into an argument with observers had declared the suspect.

As a result, Steve the day as peaceful.

Bacchus intervened which The document caused the suspect to disclosed that four percent of the samples pull out a firearm from was taken from Region One, six percent from Region Two, 14 percent from Region Three, 42 percent from Region Four, seven percent from Region Five, 15 percent from Region Six, two percent from Region Seven, two percent from Region Eight, three percent from Region Nine and five percent from Region 10.

With Region Four occupying the largest space on the IRI survey’s geographical map, government is yet to locate at least one of the persons who participated at the exercise, the minister noted.

IRI ‘FINDINGS’ ON GUYANA’S ELECTORAL REFORM LACKS INTEGRITY – MIN. TEIXEIRA the poll was conducted in all regions of Guyana, through face-to-face interviews in respondents’ homes. The IRI claims that the samples consisted of some 1,500 Guyanese adults with a responses rate of 20 percent.

Minister Teixeira said a survey conducted with a 20 percent response rate cannot answer for all Guyanese. After thoroughly assessing the survey, it only leaves one to consider whether the questions were asked in a way persons could clearly interpret, she said.

She stressed that one must be convinced that a survey is done according to ethical, scientific and technical issues and that the methodology and the integrity of the survey must be above board.

“We are concerned how it is managed and because of COVID-19 that whether other means of ensuring that the sample that was used effectively so that people in Guyana between January 4 and January 24, who were being sampled were able to answer,” the minister noted.

Minister Teixeira pointed out that 11 percent of the sample equivalent

Friday April 22, 2022

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his pants pocket and discharge several rounds in the direction of the two cousins.

Jacobs received a gunshot wound to his lower back while Bacchus was shot in his abdomen.

The gunman escaped.

The cousins were later picked up and rushed to the hospital, where Jacobs remained until yesterday when he died around 17:00 hours.

Police Corporal 20844 Brown visited the said hospital on 2022-0426 at about 18:00hrs to check on the shot victims and was informed by medical personnel on duty that Yardan Jacobs had succumbed to his injury.

The body of the deceased is at the Georgetown Public Hospital mortuary awaiting post-mortem.

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