Kaieteur News

Bids close today for sale of “profitable” Marriott Hotel

Today is the final day for the submission of bids for the sale of “profitable”MarriottHotel.

Thesaleofthehotelwasannouncedback inDecember2022,andisbeingfacilitatedby the Government of Guyana through state agency, National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). NICIL had created a special purpose company,Atlantic HotelInc.(AHI),toowntheMarriottHotel.

ChiefExecutiveOfficer(CEO)ofNICIL, RadhaKrishnaSharma,hadconfirmedtothis publication that eight firms have submitted their Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for the acquisitionofthehotel.

The CEO had stated that several applicants had paid for and uplifted information packages and that the deadline forsubmissionsofbidsisonApril17,2023.

During his March 30, press conference Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo stated that while the Marriot Hotel is “a profitable venture” and is “making a profit”, it is of no supremebenefittotheGovernmentowningit anymore.

The US$60M hotel started under the JagdeoadministrationwhenhewasPresident usingtaxpayers'dollarsandwithasyndicated loan through the Republic Bank Limited of Trinidad and had opened its doors on April 17,2015.

TheVicePresidentsaidduringhispress conferencethattheproceedsfromthesaleof the hotel will be used, “to clear off the remainingloanandsomeofitwillcomeback totheTreasurytobeusedbackforwhatever

purposeisdetermined.”

Kaieteur News had highlighted that underthesyndicatedloanagreement,the preferredrightsgoestothoseinvestors–meaning that in the event of the hotel being unable to service the loan – the unknown investors would have the first lienontheproceedsofanysale.

Jagdeosaidthatdespitethehotelwas started at a time when others touted it as “a white elephant”, the hotel is now a money-makingmachine.

He explained that as a result of the Government being generous to help trigger a new wave of hotel building, “…thereisnoparticularsupremebenefit to Government owning (the hotel), it's bettertomaximisethemoneyandinvest itinsomethingelsebackinghealthcareor maybeinanotherfacility…”

The VP justified the Government's reason for selling the hotel now by saying, “The Government didn't need to ownahotelatthattime,buttheerawasthat we were not getting new hotels built and we hadtotriggertheinvestment.

So now it would be best to sell the Marriott off, you would probably maximise thepricethatyouwillgetwhenit'sprofitable and before the seven new hotels that are privatelybuilt,thatareinternationalsbrands comeonthemarket.

Itistheperiodyoumaximize,theperiod inwhichyousell.”

TheGovernmenthasbeenreportedinthe media encouraging investors to build hotels

aspartoftheirplantoadvancethehospitality sectorinGuyana.Therearesevennewhotels being constructed. The new hotels are expected to meet a demand of around 2,000 roomsby2025.

Backin2017,AHIwasunabletomeetits due financial obligations to repay the syndicatedloan.

Assuch,AHIhadrequestedtheassistance ofNICIL,theguarantorbuttheStateagency wasalsounabletoassist.Inordertoprevent thehotelfrombeingacquiredbythebank,the former Government inApril 2017 made the decision to transfer AHI's financial

obligations to the Central Government.This decisionhasresultedinUS$1.1million($226 million) of taxpayers' dollars coming out every six months (since 2017) to service the US$27millionloan–fora13-yearperiod.

To this, the Vice President had stated during his press conference that while in opposition, the People's Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) were opposed to the loan obligation being transferred to central government.

Jagdeo claimed that the loan being burdenedontaxpayershadnothingtodowith thehotelbeingunabletoserviceitsloan.

The Guyana Marriott Hotel

Review of Exxon's US$12.7B 5 project completed in 5 weeks

...Jagdeosaysfielddevelopmentplaninfinalreviewstages

ExxonMobil's Uaru project, which aims to produce250,000barrels ofoilperdayfromtheUaru,Mako, and Snoek fields in the Stabroek BlockoffshoreGuyana,isexpected tomoveforwardsoon,accordingto VicePresidentBharratJagdeo.

After a five-week period following the award of the review contracttointernationaloilandgas consultancyBayphase,theVPsaid thereviewispracticallycompleted. Hesaidthefielddevelopmentplan (FDP) is in its final review stages with Guyana's Ministry staff, and expects the final permits to be issuedinamaximumof2-3weeks.

Bayphase, which has previous business ties with Exxon, also recently reviewed Exxon's Yellowtailprojectandtheproposed

revisiontotheLizaPhaseOneFDP For Uaru, Bayphase snagged a US$797,480 contract from the Ministry of Natural Resources, according to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board on March 8, 2023. The consultancy firm, based in the United Kingdom, has decadesofauditingexperienceand is well-regarded within the oil and gasindustry However,afive-week reviewperiodisbrief.

That,coupledwiththefactthat BayphasehasbeenanExxonMobil client, raises eyebrows about the integrity of its review of the Uaru project.

The Uaru project, which is expectedtorunforatleast20years, will involve drilling between 38 and 63 development wells,

including production, water injection, and gas re-injection wells. It will also require the installation and operation of Subsea, Umbilicals, Risers, and Flowlines(SURF)equipmentanda Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) vessel in the eastern half of the Stabroek Block. Project decommissioning is also includedintheplans.

The Uaru project is part of Exxon's efforts to expand oil production in Guyana. Exxon has proposed that initial oil production fromtheUaruprojectwillbeginin late 2026 and May 2027, with development-well drilling scheduledtostartinmid-2024.The site is located approximately 191 kilometres or about 119 miles northeast of Georgetown's

coastlineinwatersthatarebetween 1,700 and 1,900 metres (5,577 and 6,234feet)deep.

According to Jagdeo, the EPA permit is nearing completion, and both the environmental permit and licence for the Uaru project are expected to be ready within the same timeline. But as quickly as thisreviewwasdone,itcannotbeat the ad hoc job by theAPNU+AFC when it approved the Liza Phase One project in 2017 on the same day that the environmental impact assessment (EIA) was submitted. Thethengovernmenthadgranteda 20-year permit to ExxonMobil, which later had to be truncated to five years by the High Court, because the extended period was unlawful It was International Lawyer,MelindaJanki,whofound

that the permit issued for Liza Phase One was issued on June 1, 2017, the same day the EPA receivedthe1,500-worddocument.

Peru officials detect new oil spill during routine check of Repsol's refinery

Peruvian authorities on Saturday reported that they have spotted a new oil spill near one of Repsol's refineries during routine checks being carried out as a result of the 2022oildisaster

On January 15, 2022 about 12,000 barrels of oil spilled from one of Repsol's La Pampilla refineriesoffthecoastofVentanilla in the region of Lima, Peru. The spill contaminated Peruvian waters, blackened several of the country'sbeachesanddisruptedthe livelihoodofartisanalfishermen.

As a result, a Peruvian judge had granted an order preventing Repsol officials from leaving the country for 18 months The company was also faced with a seriesofnon-compliancefines.

The Peruvian authority also filed a lawsuit against the Spanish oilgiant.Inthecivilsuit,authorities areseekingatotalofUS$4.5billion over the 12,000 barrels of oil spilled, US$3 billion for environment damages and US$1.5 billion for damages to locals and consumers.

Kaieteur News had highlighted that Repsol is one of the oil companies operating offshore Guyana.

Accordingtoastatementissued byPeruvianauthorities,theAgency forEnvironmentalAssessmentand Control (OEFA) supervision team was in the area verifying compliance with the measures issued to Repsol in relation to the cleanup and containment of the hydrocarbon spilled in January 2022, when they spotted a new oil

spill affecting surface seawater in an area of approximately 300 squaremeter

Upon identifying this finding, theOEFAtechnicalteamrequested immediately and urgently, that Repsol report what happened and report on the actions and measures implemented in its environmental management instruments, in order to avoid, minimize or rehabilitate the impacts on the marine ecosystemandverifythecausesof theenvironmentalemergency

OEFA stated that it is committedtoensureenvironmental and ecosystem quality by maintainingitspermanentpresence in the field to verify the actions carriedoutbythecompany;adding that Repsol has not yet submitted the Preliminary Environmental EmergencyReport.

Moreover, the agency stated

that to date, it has ordered 20 preventive measures aimed at cleaning, containment, monitoring and management of solid waste, among others; verifying the noncomplianceofsevenofthese.

On April 14, 2023, the OEFA issued four preventive measures aimed at the continuity of First Response Actions for protected naturalareas,islandsandislets,and the sub-tidal zone of the maritime terminals at the La Pampilla Refinery

Likewise, obligations were established for Repsol to carry out permanent surveillance and immediately report any incident that may occur in these areas affectedbythehydrocarbonspillin January2022,whilepresentingthe Rehabilitation Plan to the Ministry ofEnvironment.

While Peruvian authorities are

still dealing with the effects of the 2022spillandarenowfacedwitha newspill–incontrast,ExxonMobil Guyana is currently operating and ramping up production to about

400,000 barrels per day while the country is without a guarantee that Exxon's parent company would cover the cost for any oil spill that surpasses the capacity of its subsidiarytopay

At his last press conference, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo stated that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in the processofwrappingupdiscussions on a parent guarantee from ExxonMobil Corporation for the StabroekBlock.

Kaieteur News reported that during his press conference, the VicePresidentwaskeentonotethat he does not want to impose, whether unwittingly or not, any artificialdeadlinesontheEPAteam which could affect its ability to be thorough at the technical level. He didnotehoweverthatthematterof aparentguarantee,whichcouldbe inthevicinityofUS$2B,remainsa priorityforregulators.

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

Image of the 2022 oil spill in Peru.

(Photo: Municipality of Ventanilla)

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS

Tel:225-8465,225-8491. Fax:225-8473,226-8210

EDITORIAL

Kaieteur News under attack again

Thepressiscomingunderfireagain. Onceagain,the workofKaieteurNews,thepeopleofKaieteurNewsarein thefiringline,madetheobjectsofpalpablerage,byagroup ofmeninthePPPCGovernment,whowillstopatnothing tosuppressthepress,suppresstruth.

Weatthispaperhavenewsfortheintellectualauthors, leadership sponsors, and the actual hands, the doers, of whatqualifiesasamostfouldeed:wewillnotyield. We will not be intimidated. We will neither be cowed into silence nor retreat in fear Any government that has an ounceofprideleftinitssystemwouldbeashamedofwhat wasinflictedonourrespectedandcherishedcolleague,Ms. Davina Bagot. Any leader with any self-respect would hang his head in shame that one of his people could be possiblyresponsibleforsomethingasutterlyloathsomeas this.

It is one thing to stand to someone’s face and accuse with courage, regardless of the lack of foundation from which the charges are uttered. It is quite another, a most despicableact,toretreatbehindtheveilofsocialmediaand insultanddegrade,withasinglepurposeinmind. Thatis, to stop the press. Stop the press, stop KN, stop the revelationsabouthowtheoilismismanaged,stophowthe manypeoplearounditaremostlybenttowardscorruptions, andstopallthisfrombeingpresentedinhonestfashionto Guyanese,andawatchingworld.

We have some more news to share with the attackers and abusers of Davina Bagot, and those who aid and abet them: this abomination will not stand. This ugly monstrositywieldedagainsther,thisdirtytreacherywaged inthewaragainstKNinparticular,andotherindependent press sections in general, will not succeed The reproachablewillnottriumph,itneverdoes,andthepeople who commit them, or are behind such reprehensible acts, livetoregretthedisgracefulnessoftheirhandiwork. When a government and its agents see it fit to deliver the objectionable,andinthemostrevoltingofterms,thenitis suretodrawmoreattentiontotheirdistinctivefears,their chronic deceptions, their wrongs that just cannot be covered up for too much longer The wrongs are too numerous;theyaretoohugetobesuppressed. Giventhat Guyana now has oil, and in the kind of quantities that it does, the eyes of the world are sharply fixed on every development occurring here, because of this precious commoditythattheWesternworldneedssomuch.

Oilisknowntobringitsowndiseasesandothercurses, so there is vigilance the world over, on what surrounds it when it is discovered. In Guyana, secrecy has been the thickshroudthatgovernshowthisnationaloilpatrimonyis handled. Themorethegovernmenttriestorun,themoreit cornersitself,fallsintoahole. Themorethegovernment works overtime to cover-up, the more of what is unacceptable comes to light. The more the government lashes out at those daring to peer behind the curtains of secrecy and pull them back, the more determined those attacked and lashed become in pursuing the scent of corruptionsthatgrowstrongerbytheminute.

This is where we are at KN. If the objective is to terrorizeintosurrender,thenconsiderthatafailedobjective from right now This oil patrimony is too vital to the nation’sinterests,toosignificanttothepeopleexpectingso muchfromit,tobelefttowhatgovernment,orleaders,say that that is happening with it. Better governments and cleanermenthanthosewehaveinGuyanahavebeennear oil, and only the worst of devastations has been the lot of dependent citizens of those countries. There is no secret about the kind of governments and leaders that Guyanese have had; they are not what inspires, or comforts that the nation is in good hands. We must be watchful like never before,andwecommittodoingso. Tothosewhoattacked DavinaBagotandKN,wehaveworktodo,andwewilldo it,byGod’sgrace.

The extremes to which men can go to get at others

DEAREDITOR, As a Guyanese, I am proud to state that there are honourablemenandwomen in our judicial system who are inclined to follow the letter and spirit of our nation’s Laws. I take this opportunity to publicly applaud Justice Gino Persaud for his ruling in the caseofPaulSlowe,etalvthe PoliceServiceCommission.

It was interesting to read the submissions by both parties, including affidavits submitted by Mr Mark Phillips, in his capacity as PrimeMinister

This particular case has taught me the extremes to which men can go to get at others.Mr.Phillipshasbeen caught in the act of perjury, having submitted and sworn tofalseinformation,whichis prohibited in any court of law Ilookforwardtotheday when Mr Phillips will be indicted.

Theentireworldhasnow

seentheblatantviolationsof the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic by Mr IrfaanAli,whositsintheseat ofPresident!Thisisindeeda crime committed on the people of Guyana Unfortunately, the “Guardians of Democracy,” who were boisterous after theMarch2020,Generaland Regional Elections, are now painfullysilentatthisassault onourdemocracy Editor, I would like to remind Guyanese about the 2017 Tribunal, established by then President David Granger, to conduct an investigation into alleged criminalactivities,involving then Chairman of Public Service Commission, Mr Carvil Duncan. Mr Duncan was represented by Attorney-at-Law, Anil Nandlall. The Tribunal was chaired by Justice Roxane George to advise the President whether or not to remove Carvil Duncan from

the Commission This is what Mr Anil Nandlall argued,” In short, the President has flagrantly violated the letter, spirit and intent of some of the most sacrosanct constitutional procedures and indeed his actions strike at the very heart of our constitutional democracy Presidents (or Prime Ministers as the case may be) have been impeached for less in democratic countries.” Now Editor, if it was wrong then, isn’titwrongnow?

Clearly, it can be established that this PPP/C regime,sinceAugust2,2020 has shown that they are prepared to govern undemocratically in an increasingly lawless environment.

Editor, I also wish to applaud Mr Paul Slowe, former Chairperson of the Police Service Commission, who has meticulously chronicled all the occasions

when Mr Ali attempted to interfere in the work of the Commission, including directing who should be promotedandwhoshouldbe disciplined. Again, Editor, this was another flagrant violation of the Constitution oftheCo-operativeRepublic ofGuyana.

Editor, I am reminded in Ecclesiastes 8:11 that, “becausesentenceagainstan evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart ofthesonsofmenisfullyset inthemtodoevil.”

If the violators of our constitution. who hold high office, continue to escape speedy justice their hearts will be set to do more and more evil in this nation? I therefore urge the judiciary to ensure justice is executed speedily to this category of violators.

EnoughisEnough!

Sincerely,

AnnetteFerguson MemberofParliament

D

EAREDITOR

IndependenceinGuyana was a good manifestation of Neocolonialism.

Vincent Alexander letter “Covert and over aid from global powers have the fuel ofourdefiningmoments”in Stabroek News dated April 11, 2023 dealt with a plethora of issues that were contradictory In the letter, he made some broad generalization and subjective accusation the content of which I will deal inmyresponse.

First of all, having been embarrassed that Forbes Burnham was receiving from of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) someUS$5,000monthlyfor two years, he desperately tried to draw a parallel by citing a letter from Dr Cheddi Jagan to the Czechoslovak Communist Party in 1951 requesting financial assistance to contest the upcoming elections These are two different scenarios since Dr Jagan was requesting assistance for his Party election campaign while Burnham was receiving money from the CIA, a reactionary organization Thisisvulgarattempttomix oranges with apples. It is important to note Dr. Jagan

was never on the payroll of anyforeignagency

A l e x a n d e r complimented Burnham for playingsmartmanpoliticsto gain political Independence. Historically, Burnham’s approach by playing between the East and West during the cold war borders on political opportunism Patrick Gordon Walker, before he became British ForeignSecretary,described Burnham as a demagogue and opportunist who would trackandturnasthesituation demands. The granting of political independence to Guyana transcended into a form of neocolonialism under Burnham. In fact, Dr Jagan strongly believed that political independence means nothing without economicindependence.Dr Walter Rodney argued that independenceformostofthe colonieswas like‘briefcase revolution’ where a local upper-class elite turns up to Lancaster House and was givenaflag,andpledgewith a mandate to continue serving Western Interest. In Guyana, long after Independence colonial economic and social structures remained with an economy totally engulfed in thedependencysyndrome.

Jagan was the most

a r d e n t c r i t i c o f neocolonialism that left many developing countries poor,underdevelopedandits people improvised until today In fact, Jagan saw economicindependenceasa critical component of political independence. In this context, Professor Cary Frazer of African and AfricanAmerican studies at Penn State University (19/05/08) argued that “as politicalleaderwhoemerged out of the sugar plantation regime, Jagan threw himself intothechallengetoboththe colonial order and the sugar plantations that largely defined the limits of possibilities for his generation Key to his politicalengagementwasthe search for national independence,andstrategies to make sugar and bauxite industriesprovideabasisfor economic expansion that would pave the way for seriouseconomicgrowth.

He continued that while many may have disagreed with Jagan’s embrace of Marxist-Leninist ideology, hisundoubtedwillingnessto grow beyond the profession of dentistry into a political activist, and his deep emotional commitment to improving the lives of the workers and small farmers,

stood as a testimony to his intellectual growth and political seriousness”. Jagan never saw Guyana role as a supplier of raw material to metropolitan countries. His s t r a t e g y w a s t h e diversification of both bauxiteandsugarintohigher value-addedproducts.

Alexander stated in his letter that British Guiana’s attainment of Independence was predicated on it remaining within the sphere ofinfluenceoftheWest.This statement alone is a grave a d m i s s i o n t h a t Independencewillofferlittle to the people. It is therefore not surprising, after more than two decades in power, Burnham left Guyana the second poorest in the Western Hemisphere and saddled with a massive external debt. There were a number of reasons why Independence was not granted to British Guiana as promised by the British in 1963, the details of which cannotbefullyexpoundedin this short letter Finally, no onecandenythatDr Cheddi Jagan had been in the trenchesleadingthestruggle for real independence in the then British Guiana ever sinceheenteredpolitics.

Sincerely RajendraRampersaud

NoonecandenyDr.Jagan’sstrugglefor realindependenceinthethenBritishGuiana

Some questions SOCU needs to ask of City Hall

DEAREDITOR, Once again, the Georgetown Municipality is in the news and once more for the most dishonourable and ignominious reasons.

This time the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU)hasbeencalledinto investigate a conspiracy allegedly involving staffers of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, some Councillorsandacontractor, to defraud the city of well over a hundred million dollars.

As the story goes, a contractor who was hired waybackin2015toexecute works such as weeding parapets, raking up debris, desilting alleyways and streetdrains,clearingempty lots, cutting down trees, and painting tree trunks and lanterns was found to be attempting to double dip. And this is for no small

change but rather a whopping 127 million dollars.

A number of glaring questionsimmediatelycome to mind which I hope that SOCU will be asking of them.

First, were these works that were purportedly done, approved by the Council, prior to them being executed?

Second, were these works budgeted for by the Council?

Third, why are these worksnotbeingdonebythe nearly 1,000 strong w o r k f o r c e o f t h e municipality instead of being farmed out for exorbitantsums?

Fourth, why did the Council’s Internal Auditor and the internal audit department fail to detect these and so many other scams within the Council?

What are they being paid for?Fifth,whyisthepresent Council pressing for an additional 25% to be paid urgentlywhenthecontractor wasalreadypaid?

Sixth, is this the only contractorseekingtodouble diporaretheremore?

But the big question is when will this nonsense come to an end? When will the residents be relieved of this albatross around their necks? Will this latest scam see the prosecution of anyone or will it be swept underthecarpetlikesomany othersthatwehaveheardof? When will there be a t h o r o u g h a n d comprehensive audit of the GeorgetownCityCouncilbe carried out?We keep asking forauditsintheOilandGas industry why not of the capitalcityofGuyana?

Withthanks

RileyMatthews

Cheddi vs Burnham

DEAREDITOR

I shall attempt to give a quick comparison between the two presidents, Forbes BurnhamandCheddiJagan. It has already been established that Cheddi Jagan in his quest to build a strongandprogressive nation, he was first vilifiedbynoneotherthanhis own compatriot Burnham, later imprisoned by The Colonial Sovereigns of the day It was a very deceitful plan by Burnham who knew fully well where the sentiments of the world powers of the day were For theBritish,theyneverwanted a communist dictatorship statehereinGuyana,andthe Americansthesamepolicy

Burnham played that opportunistic “Nice Boy” trick very well. I am talking about the erudite orator guy fromLincoln’sInnplayedup to The World Powers of the day in earnest In that ambience of biasness, there was not a ghost of a chance forCheddi,hewasrelegated to a place where he could

people of the development funds

DEAREDITOR, I write to publicly state myalarminlearningthatthe Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) had filed a “formal complaint” to the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) SecretariatagainstGuyana’s National Forest Carbon Programme–akeyaspectof theLCDS2030.

I have since seen the 18page letter with appendices dated March 8, 2023, addressed to the ART Secretariat and copied to several international institutions including the UnitedStatesDepartmentof State and the Norwegian ClimateandForestInitiative (NICFI),amongothers.

It is glaring that no person or agency in Guyana was copied; not even the National Toshaos Council (NTC), the legislated representative of the Indigenous peoples of Guyana.

never be a leader of this nation ever But was Cheddi the communist dictator, B u r n h a m a n d h i s internationalalliesmadehim out to be? Was Cheddi a racist?Well,theanswerishe wasnoneoftheabove,anindepthanalysisofthemanand hispolicieswouldreveal Dr Jagan for his own part was a nationalist who wanted his people to prosper and be independent Thiscouldonly beachievedbycarvingouta developmentalplanseparate and distinct from the template left us by the imperialists. It also meant that he had to turn to The Communist Block of Countries such as Cuba and TheSovietUnionforadvice.

Cheddi did make headway with his policies amidst the debilitating odds against him, vivid evidence of this was seen in the massive influx of other Caribbean nationals into Guyana This South

American country was the place to come to for a better life. During the late 1950’s

and early 1960’s Guyana, as it were, became overrun by Islanders seeking their fortune here. This was all due to Cheddi’s robust developmentalplan.

Ironically, when Burnham came into power, there was a reverse in fortunes,asIslandersaswell as Guyanese alike were flushed out of Guyana We ran away under disgraceful circumstancessuchaslackof jobswithwhichtofeedone’s familyaswellasascarcityof basic food items Guyana at this stage was ranked below Haiti Wearenotgoingdown thatroadagain,whichmeans wearedissociatingourselves from Burnham and the remnants of his party Their influencewasablueprintfor underdevelopment, as that racist state capitalism of Burnham ran riot. That type of backwardness is now done away within the modern dispensation of things. One Guyana is the watchword!

Respectfully

Neil Adams

Further, as Chairman o f t h e N T C , I categorically state that our Council. Including its executive, was not informed, much less consulted on the APA’s intention to file a complaint purportedly on behalf of our Indigenous peoples, and we were not given even the courtesy of notification that the ART Secretariat was being contacted and a complaint registered.

The APA goes as far as to recommend to the ART Secretariat that “the credits issued to Guyana that have not yet been purchased be frozen and suspended, and that no further credits be issued” until theAPA’s demands are met.

This is presumptuous, totally unacceptable and does not represent the wishes of our Indigenous people

E d i t o r , i t i s outrageous that the APA,

a local NGO with a handful of members in 2 administrative regions, and with no legislated authority to represent Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) in Guyana or anywhere for that matter, could be brazen enough to take such a position.

Itisincrediblethatoneof the main accusations the APA levels against the Government of Guyana is the alleged absence of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) regarding issues of ourpeople

Yet, the same APA appointsitselfasspokesman of our people and is making demands and even challenging the integrity of G o v e r n m e n t a n d international institutions whilefalselyclaiming to be ourrepresentatives

The APA has not informed us of their intentions; they did not provide us with any information of their complaint or demands; we were not consulted and therefore, we have not and could not give our consent to their letter and complaint to the ART Secretariat

In other words, the APA is guilty of the accusations they have unjustifiably leveled against the GovernmentofGuyana.The APA does not honour or respectFPIC.

Editor, the APA is a member of the national multistakeholder steering committee (MSSC) which takesdecisionsandoversees t h e L C D S 2 0 3 0 implementation including the forest carbon credit programme I have confirmed that the Committee was not informed of this move by the APA and I am sure that the Guyana Organization of Indigenous Peoples (GOIP), The Amerindian Action Movement of Guyana

(TAAMOG), Amerindian Development Foundation (ADF) and the Indigenous Peoples Commission (IPC), a l l o f w h o m a r e representativesofourIPLCs and are MSSC members, were not consulted or informedbytheAPAeither I call upon my fellow Toshaos and other community leaders to call out the APA on their offensiveactions.

I urge the ART Secretariat,ourinternational partners,andallGuyaneseto see through this veil of deception

I am at a loss as to why theAPAwould take such an extreme position which is notbasedonfact.

However, I am almost certain that their views and opinions do not represent me,myvillage,orthetotality of242villages,communities and satellites of our Guyanese Indigenous sistersandbrothers

Editor, our Indigenous leadersarecurrentlyactively engagedindevelopingplans and projects in consultation with their residents to determine development programmes for their respective communities

There is a hive of activity in all communities across ourcountry

This is a process of selfdetermination regarding how the funds earned and already disbursed to our villagebankaccounts,under the carbon credit scheme would benefit our people, their livelihoods, and future generations.

The APA must not be allowed to deprive our villages, our communities, our people of the development funds we need to pursue the vision of our people.

Yourssincerely,

DerrickJohn Toshao, Moraikobai Village,Region5 Chairman, National ToshaosCouncil

APA must not be allowed to deprive our villages, our

When will Exxon declare the billions in diamonds they are mining in Guyana?

DEAREDITOR

Africans and Indians in Guyana must be careful

that as we continue divisions along lines of race and deep-seated dislike for each other, White Americans and Europeans along with the Chinese, take over

Guyana

In fifteen years, the demographics of Guyana may not reflect us the real inheritors of that country Guyanaisnothingshortof a paradise with oil and

untold resources and wealth ThatiswhenIndoGuyanese will realise that Guyana’s new colonisers willseethemasBlack

T o d a y , W h i t e foreigners are enjoying the beauty of our interior andwaterways

They are occupying virgin lands where they areprotectedandsafe

Our Guyana may end up with a civil war between Africans and Indians while the foreigners own and enjoy

More needs to be done to develop sports in Guyana

DearEditor

thebeautyofthatnation

We will only be left with hate for each, our ignorance and a paradise lost

The White world has a long history of quietly taking over the economy of poor countries with an abundanceofoil

WhenwillExxondeclare thebillionsindiamondsthey aremininginGuyana?

Sincerelyyour Norman

Browne Social and Political Activist

The PPP/C Government is to be commendedfordevelopingsportsinLinden wherebysportsgroundsarebeingdeveloped to ICC (cricket) and FIFA (football) standards. However, better consultations withcitizensareneeded.

Guyanese need better sporting facilities

inGuyanaacrossthewholecountry Iamnot talking just about cricket and football. Swimming pools and athletic tracks are also needed.

It is a small step in the right direction to developsportsinGuyana.

Sincerely

SeanOri

What about the employees?

DEAREDITOR

Some weeks ago, it was reported by the side which filed the court matter in the suspended subvention to the organisation that progress wasmadeontheissueofthe return of the subvention. This was swiftly refuted by theAttorneyGeneral. Nowinaturnofevents,it isreportedthatthemediation talks have collapsed and hit rockbottom.

The court has set a date forafullhearingonthefiled matter

Now, in a further turn of events, it is reported Government will disburse the approved 2023 budgeted funds directly to organisationsaffiliatedtothe umbrella organisation (Demerarawaves April 14). Thisisaboldmove.

Butnomentionhasbeen made of employees of the

organisation who are caught in the storm between the sides and of course are now collateral damage.

It stands to reason if the affiliated organisations can benefit from the disbursement so tooshould theemployees.

They must be afforded considerationinthisregard.

Regards

ShamshunMohamed

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Politiciansandhypocrisy

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Most of Guyana's politicians are the best at chronic hypocrisies.

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Now, incredibly His Excellency calling some Guyanese hypocrites.

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Guyana haven't hidden anything; Guyanese haven't misled anybody.

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Who is pot and who is kettle with hypocrisy?

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Who more barefaced, whose face blacker?

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Government tackling sexual violence through sensitisation

Hundreds of G u y a n e s e countrywide were sensitised last week on sexualoffencesandreporting mechanisms to mitigate the social ill, as part of Sexual AssaultAwarenessMonth.

This year's campaign is themed, “D raw ing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity,” and highlights the importance of addressingsexualviolencein a way that recognises and addresses systemic inequalities.

The two-day campaign was spearheaded by the Ministry of Human Services andSocialSecurity's-Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit, in collaboration with the Community Advocates Network(CAN).

Theeventwasrolledout

in Coconut Walk, La Belle Alliance,RichmondScheme, Versailles Health Centre, New Amsterdam Market, Bartica Market, Rockstone, Albouystown Health Centre, Belle West Multipurpose Hall, Vreed-en-Hoop Market, Bath Market, Anna ReginaMarket,PortMourant Market, Daag Point, and Amelia'sWard.

The government recognises that community sensitisationexercisesarean important part of addressing sexual violence in society And thus, it provides a platform for people to learn abouttheissueandtodiscuss ways in which they can contribute to preventing sexual violence in their communities.

The initiative also serves as a reminder that sexual violence is not something

that should be swept under therug,ratheraproblemthat mustbeconfrontedhead-on.

As such the government hasconceptualisedanumber of essential programmes and initiativestograpplewiththis growing issue including the 914-toll-free hotline, survivor advocates, and the COPSQUAD2000initiative.

The24-hourhelplinewas createdtopropelGuyanainto reporting mode and enable persons to report acts of abuse in confidentiality Once utilised, vulnerable persons will be linked to a survivor advocate who has the responsibility of informing victims of their rights and the services available to them.Free legal aidisalsoprovidedtoensure that perpetrators are held accountable Additionally, persons were taught of their

rights under the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act, a critical tool

for protecting individuals fromsexualviolence.

Thegovernmentbelieves

that sexual violence is not just an individual problem butasocietalone.(DPI)

Nomination Day for LGE is today

As political parties in Guyanagearuptocontestin LocalGovernmentElections (LGE), the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has put all systems in place for the smooth conduct of Nomination Day on Monday,April17.

Thedayisdesignatedfor political parties, voluntary groups, and individual candidates contesting in the LGE to submit their lists of candidates to GECOM's returning officers in the municipalities and/or Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) where theywouldbecontesting.

Contestants in the electionsareaskedtoensure that they prepare the respective Lists of Candidates using the prescribedstatutoryforms.

Contestants are also reminded to adhere to other stipulatedguidelinessuchas ensuringthattheirlistshave titles, meeting the required number of eligible candidates and nominators, and ensuring that their lists bear the name and signature of each person, as well as their identification card number.

Anylistsnotmeetingthe statutory requirements would be classified as defective and the representative of the list would be allowed to correct thosedefects.

Thestatutoryprocedures following Nomination Day ensure that all legal requirements are met by the

...Contestants must adhere to statutory regulations for effective process

contestants for their Lists of Candidatestobeapprovedto contesttheelections.

While the commission has already approved a total of 64 symbols, approval to contest in the elections is only guaranteed upon the submission and approval of theListofCandidates.

LGEs are necessary for

and business licensing requirements, maintaining roadsandpublicspaces,and waste management, among others.

LGEs are therefore important, as they allow citizens to have a direct say in who will represent them and make decisions on their behalfatthelocallevel.

the appointment of persons inchargeoflocaldemocratic organs.

Localdemocraticorgans which include NDCs and municipalitiesprovidealink between the central g o v e r n m e n t a n d communities.

They are responsible for assessing the needs of residents and ensuring development at the communitylevel.

T h i s i n c l u d e s implementingandenforcing local laws such as building codes, zoning regulations,

It also gives citizens a voiceinshapingthepolicies and priorities of their community and ensures that local government officials are held responsible to their constituents.

The local democratic organs fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.The ministry,headedbyMinister Nigel Dharamlall, ensures the smooth operation of these local democratic organs and provides central governmentsupport. (DPI)

A resident inspecting the list of voters ahead of Nomination Day

Boycott Jagdeo’s next press conference!

How much longer will thelocalpresscorpsallowits memberstobeabusedbythe political directorate and its lackeysonsocialmedia?The mediahasaresponsibilityto report the news and the opinions of policymakers, but it certainly is not obligated to be used as a medium for government attackingitscritics.

At his last Press Conference Bharrat Jagdeo threw a tantrum against the publisher of this newspaper, accusing him of lying in relationtoasecretinvestorin the Marriott Yet, onto this day,Jagdeonoranyoneofhis acolytes has been able to tell this nation just who were the personsand/orentitieswhich loaned the government of Guyana the monies for the MariottHotel

Regardless of the merits of demerits of Jagdeo’s criticisms of Kaieteur News, the key issue which needs to be addressed by the media is the basis of summoning a press conference Press

conferences by senior government functionaries shouldcovermattersofserious publicimportancenotthepetty and puerile issues which Jagdeosoughttoaddressinhis opening statement last week Whyshouldthepresscorpsbe summoned by the Vice Presidenttolistentoarebuttal ofsomeminorcriticismwhich wasmadebytheLeaderofthe O p p o s i t i o n ? T h e government’s right to rebuttal could have been exercised through a press release or throughastatement

The Vice President has recently seen it fit to issue a statement in relation to a complaint filed by the

Amerindian People’s Association. So why could henothavedonethesameor utilise his party’s political platform to respond to comments made by the Leader of Opposition?Were these comments of such importance that they deservedtobedealtwithata Press Conference? And in what capacity was he

addressingthosecomments? Was it as General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party? If so, the Press Conference should have beenheldatFreedomHouse.

The recent vulgar and vile attack on a Kaieteur News reporter by a known pro-PPP social media platformmustnotbeviewed in isolation It must be examined in light to the PPP/C’srecentassaultonthe media, including comments made at Babu Jaan, the heckling of reporters at a Presidential Press Conference hastily called at Leonora and the recent attacksleveledattheGuyana PressAssociation.

The PPP has a track recordofanti-mediaactions. ItwasunderthePPP/Cthata person was banned from attending presidential press conference simply because of questions this person asked at a press conference. It was under the PPP/C government that the television licence was

UG to host job fair, open day this week

TheUniversityofGuyanawillbehosting its Annual Open Day and Job Fair on April 20-22, 2023, atTurkeyen Campus andApril 28, 2023, at Tain Campus (Berbice), under the theme, ‘Advancing Local Content Priorities:MaximisingOpportunities’.

The Open Day and Job Fair 2023 will return to in-person engagement but with a number of exciting innovations, including live-streaming of the event on UG’s F a c e b o o k p a g e : www.facebook.com/uniofguyana/ and UG B r o a d c a s t i n g S e r v i c e : https://broadcasting uog edu gy Edited recordings of the event will be posted on UG’swebsite:https://uog.edu.gy

Additionally, this year’s event will feature two main aspects – an Open Day, which will allow all potential University students an opportunity to explore the 150+ programmes being offered and learn about

various career paths directly from Faculty and students, and a Job Fair component which will provide information on job and internshipopportunitiesbeingofferedbytop local and international organisations who will be present to connect with current UG students,alumniandthegeneralpublic.

According to a press statement, UG said students of senior secondary schools across Guyana, all post-secondary institutions, professionals from both the public and private sectors, and members of the public are invited to participate in this year’s Open Day and Job Fair The event opens from 10 am to 4 pm daily and is open to the public. Admissionisfree.

On April 20, at the Turkeyen Campus, UG’sAcademicDivisionsandServiceUnits willhostinformationsessionsthatwillallow personstoengagewithrepresentativesofthe

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Dem boys seh...

CT scans are like photocopying now!

De government

claiming how de Georgetown Hospital does do 2,000 CT scanseverymonth.Datone hardtoswallow Justlikede 5,000 complaints wah get processedatdelastCabinet OutreachinRegion3.

If 2,000 CT scans do in one-month dat mean an average of 65 CTscans per day

ItmeandeGPHCdoing CT scan like photocopy.

Dem boys wan know though,howcomesomuch CT scans gat to be done. Is like some of dem private

hospital sending dem patients fuh do CT scan at depublichospital.

CTscan is nat a routine test.

Dem doctor does only recommend dem CT scan when yuh gat serious muscle and bone problem ortodetectinternaldiseases or injuries. Is a scan wah does be recommended sparingly So how come 2,000 scans gat to be done everymonth?

Each one of dem scan cantek15minutes.Itmeans that dem technicians gat to wuk 16 hours on average

suspended, temporarily taking it off the air A previous plot was exposed plans to attack the Kaieteur Newsandjailitspublisher A staff member of Kaieteur News was urged to remove himself from the offices of the newspaper because of a possible assault on Kaieteur News. A columnist of this newspaper had a miasmic substancethrown inhis face and was later told that there were prior discussions to fatallyharmhim.

The litany of anti-media actions of the PPP/C is long and exhaustive. The recent maligning of a young female reporter of Kaieteur News is reasonenoughforthemedia t o r e c o n s i d e r t h e environmentinwhichitnow operates. It is well-known that the social media outfit that launched the recent vile attack on the young reporter is a pro-PPP/C and it is believed to be connected to individuals who are close to the bosom of the PPP/C. Whenitreturnedtoofficein

2020, the PPP/C crafted a newstrategyfordealingwith media criticism. It began to wooawayreportersfromthe private media by offering

t h e m g e n e r o u s compensationpackages.The PPP/C government has also beenlessthanfairintermsof the media houses and personalities to which it offersexclusiveinterviews.

Attacks against the media were not confined to private mediapersonnelalone.

The US Department of State Human Rights Report onGuyana2014recalledthat

the government-run National Communications Network had suspended a newsroom producer for

b r o a d c a s t i n g a parliamentary presentation

by a member of an opposition political party

The report said that the PPP/C government had instructed the NCN to broadcast presentations by theparliamentaryopposition lateatnightwhenviewership is low The report also

mentioned how independent media houses had complained about the use of libel suits to limit unfavourable media coverage of certain issues.

Themediaisunderassaultin Guyana. The media must not cower in the face of this barrage It must demand respect.

Itcandothisbyrefusing to attend the next forthcoming press conference hosted by the Vice President. This would represent a strong protest againstthegovernmentanda demand to be treated with greaterrespect.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this n e w s p a p e r a n d i t s affiliates.)

per day fuh complete dem scansusingonescanner So how much CT scanner we really gat at GPHC? And howmuchworking?

And if we doing so much CT scans per month, howcomewehearingabout a backlog and how dem private hospital gan gat to help out de situation? It convince dem boys dat all detalkaboutimprovements inhealthcareisjusttalk.

It’s de same talk we getting since Independence andthingsneverrightinde publichealthcaresystem. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

GHK LALL

Mr. Tucker dug deep, came up with dirt

I believe that Mr Timothy Tucker is a wonderful citizen, a well-meaning man, who allowed hisemotionstotakecontrolofhim. I regret that he plunged deep, and came up with the dirty and nasty betweenhisteeth.

To use a word like 'lowlife' in ordinary settings as premediated slur,calculatedsmear,againstthose found reprehensible because of their honest convictions is off the reservation To employ that frightful, spiteful, and vengeful pejorative is the equivalent of the decayed meat that a dog unknowingly, but happily, trots forward with in public. Lowlife is to allow one's less admirable impulsestogetthebetterofus,and torunwithgrislyabandon. Touse it in the context that he did and for the weakening purpose that he did isonthefarside. Thefar,farsideof beyondthebeyond.

For when Mr Timothy Tucker, a former chief of Guyana's most regarded Chamber of Commerce could demean others like this for wanting more from something as vital as their oil patrimony, then muchmoreisatwork. Lowlife for wanting a better contract for their oil, Mr Tucker? Lowlife for pressingforafaircontractwithfair

terms and conditions, Mr Tucker?

Ishouldbeoffended,allGuyanese should, including those collecting handsomely, but I have progressed past that stage, which is what I lay gentlybeforemybrother

I am of the firmest conviction that Mr Tucker knows better, is madeoffinermettle,whichmakes his descent into this volcanic and vitriolic expression of lowlife all the more inexplicable, ragingly inextinguishable. Mr Tucker may know, but he may not care, that more from their oil wealth means the difference between grinding poverty and some level of prosperity, regardless of how minimalsuchturnsouttobe. With underpinnings like those, current passions over the 2016 contract could surpass today's low temperature agitations, and spiral into full-blown convulsions

Already Guyanese are privy to the signs of the first autumn of gathering discontent over oil, its management,anditsyokes.

Icouldabsorbthatthosecalling for renegotiation of the venomous and vicious (it is both) 2016 oil contract with Exxon may be misguided, chasing straws, and investing their eggs in a bucket without bottom, possibly no

supportingsides. But lowlife isthe bottom of the bottom, what no Guyanese could never be; or for whichtheyshouldneverbekicked aboutandspatuponinthismanner Notovertheircallsontheoildeal. As a businessman of some standing, likely high, Mr Tucker has to be aware that the table of discussion is one of BBC-like existenceandmagnitude.

Thatis,thetableisalwaysopen for business discussions on some new condition, some new development, some new anxiety In the business world, there is always jostling and jousting for an edge that could be grasped, any angle that could be had any difference-maker that should be pursued. Knowing all of this, it is whyitissobaffling,sounpalatable, that a man of Mr Tucker's local renown, and his growing international stature, was so comfortableresortingtotheodious termofdenunciationthathechose, with probable secret relish. Mr Tucker is advised to familiarize himself with what happened last week to a female KN journalist in the forefront with questions about renegotiation. Whatcouldbemore lowlife thanwhatwasmetedoutto her,sir?

Now, I take the liberty of informingmybrother,Timothy Tucker, that due to where Guyanaisnowpoised,whereitis set to go, every domestic news developmentisfollowedwithavid interestbythosebeyondourshores. It would be the foreigners, who have ecstatic ideas of prospering like they never did anywhere else with Guyana's oil assets. Because they were watching and reading, they could have picked up on his one-wordmissilethatinflictedsuch apiercingstab,suchabludgeoning broadside, on the consciousness and conscience of his own fellow Guyanese citizens. I could detect that a few of them would recoil in disbelief: if he could do that to his own,thenwhataboutothers? From the outside. Or from across the bargainingtable,whenitishisown intereststhatareinvolved,orunder stress. What word could he be capable of using then, when thwarted, when disturbed? What action?

It is of immense regret to me that this greatest of boons, these fabulous oil finds, have pitted GuyaneseagainstGuyanese,andin the worst ways. Mr Tucker's positionisnotanisolatedinstance. There are those who proudly jump

about and skip around, like delirious children, with their rich spreadsheets and grand narratives ofhowmuchthesameoildealthey once cursed is now the best thing that could have ever happened to thiscountry,givenwhatGuyanais collecting.

Nowadays, there are these kinds of breathtaking citizens only toojoyfultomarinateandmassage theirfiguresandphrasestosingthe songs of those who strip us naked. Where Mr Tucker was insulting, theseguysareconning. Itwouldbe interesting to see who next takes umbrage at calls for renegotiation ofthecontract,andthewordswith which they do so. Dogmeat? Local trash? Road rodents, anyone?

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this newspaperanditsaffiliates.)

President Guard dies after crashing vehicle into lamppost

A 24-year-old member of the Presidential Guard attached to CastellaniHousediedonSundayafter crashing a Land Cruiser into a lamppost at Coverden, East Bank Demerara(EBD).

Dead is Avandel Kevin Narine of New Market Street, Georgetown Three other persons were also seriouslyinjuredintheaccident.Police identified the injured passengers travelling along with Narine in the Land Cruiser as:Arvin Enouch, 24, of Good Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD), Marcia Dundas, 23, of Old Land of Canaan, EBD and Cassie Atkinson,22,ofKitty,Georgetown.

According police, Narine crashed the vehicle around 06:20hrs while overtaking several vehicles along the Coverden Public Road. “Enquiries disclosed that the Land Cruiser was proceedingsouthalongtheeasternside of the public road at Coverden, East BankDemerara,atafastrateofspeed, whenthedriverwasovertakingseveral vehicleswhichwereproceedinginthe same direction.” The Guyana Police ForcestatedthatNarinereportedlylost controlofthevehicleandcrashedintoa lamppost situated on the western side oftheroad.

The Land Cruiser reportedly flipped and ended up in a nearby trench. The passengers were quickly rescued but eyewitnesses said that Narinewaspinnedandthevehiclehad tobepulledaparttofreehim.Allofthe victims were rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Center for treatment but Narine was pronounced dead on arrival.

CassieAtkinsonwastransferredto a city hospital for further medical attention while the other passengers received treatment at the Diamond Hospital.

Head of the Presidential Guard unit, Assistant Commissioner Edgar Thomas and Deputy Commissioner of Administration, Calvin Brutus accompanied by GPF's Welfare Officer, Allison Moore have since visitedNarine'sparentsandrelativesto expresstheircondolences.

India's external affairs minister for two-day visit to Guyana

India's Minister of External Affairs Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will be on an official visit to Guyana fromApril 20-24,2023.

Several events are planned for this period which includes IndiaGuyana Business Round Table Event and an India Diaspora Reception.

According to a press release fromtheIndianHighCommission, keepinginviewthesignificanceof this event, important dignitaries including President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Vice President Bharat Jagdeo and other ministers of government.

According to online news site, Firstpost, born 9 January, 1955 in New Delhi, Subrahmanyam

Jaishankar was appointed the Minister of ExternalAffairs. He is an India Foreign Service officer who served as a former India ambassador to the US, foreign secretary in the Ministry of ExternalAffairs,alongwithseveral otherskeypositions.

He graduated from Delhi University's St. Stephen's College and holds two master's degrees –one in political science and the otherininternationalrelations.

He also has a PhD in international relations from JawaharlalNehruUniversitywitha s

Subrahmanyan was the author of India'snucleardoctrine.

Jaishankar joined the Ministry

ofExternalAffairs(MEA)in1977. His first international posting was to Moscow where he served as the

third and then second secretary at the Indian Embassy In 1985, he wasappointedasthefirstsecretary in the Indian Embassy in Washington.Duringhistenurewith the MEA, he worked as first secretary and political advisor to the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka (1988), commercial counsellor in the embassy to Hungary(1990).

The biggest USP of Jaishankar is that he was not only the chief architect of the India-US nuclear deal,andthusclosetotheAmerican officials, but also has a very good equation with the Chinese after having served in Beijing as ambassador

In 2015, he was made the foreignsecretaryintheMinistryof

External Affairs and retired from thepostinJanuary2018.

During his tenure in the Ministry of External Affairs, Jaishankar was responsible for India's open engagement with the US-led Western world, keeping aside the now irrelevant stance of non-alignment, India's embrace of "regional initiatives" by focusing on regional initiatives like BIMSTEC,afterSAARCremained a non-starter after 2016. He is also responsible for the upswing in India-Israel relations as Modi became the first prime minister to visittheJewishstate.

Attheendofthethree-dayvisit, India had upgraded its relationship with Israel to a strategic partnership.

India's Minister of External Affairs Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar

Dead President Guard: Avandel Kevin Narine

The mangled Land Cruiser that Narine reportedly crashed into a lamppost at Coverden, EBD.

Head of the President Guard, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Edgar Thomas, and Deputy

Govt. engages Ann's Grove residents on transformative development initiatives at ministerial outreach

The community of Ann's Grove on the East Coast of Demerara is earmarked for a number of transformative development initiatives that includes infrastructure improvement and enhanced social welfare programmes, asgovernmentaimstofurther strengthenthecommunity

During a ministerial outreachinthecommunityon Saturday, residents were giventheopportunitytoraise a number of issues affecting them.

Chief among the concerns was the Ann's Grove Market which, residents said, is in need of repairs, as well as the community drains that requirecleaning.

Addressing those concerns, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall made a commitment to have the persons from Ann's Grove meaningfully engaged in the government's facilitation of the rehabilitation of the market.

“Maybe,wecanemploya few people within Ann's

Grove give you some contracts, and you can start theclean-up.So,youhaveto let us know how soon you wanttostart.Ontheupgrade of the market, we can also have a similar arrangement, where we employ you, and provideyouwithmaterialsso that you can have some money circulating in the community,” the minister said.

He suggested that the residents set up a market committee to liaise with the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) for a collaborative effort on this project.

Theintentistogivework tothesmallcontractorsinthe area.

Herequestedthatalistof persons be compiled so that thesepersonscanbeengaged to take on these small infrastructuralprojectsinthe community

Additionally, Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill addressed residents' concerns regarding communityroadsinthearea, adding that the roads and bridges to every school,

health centre, and public facilitywillbeprioritised.

“The commitment of the IrfaanAli-led administration istotakecareofalltheroads within each community and create greater accessibility by expanding the road network, and cutting travellingtime,”theminister

assured.

He added that, over the past two years, more than $1B has been expended on community roads between EnmoreandMahaica.

Further, two major ongoing infrastructural projects on the East Coast Demerara, the extension of the Railway Embankment Road into four lanes from Sheriff Street to Orange Nassau, and the extension of the main East Coast Roadway from Orange Nassau to Mahaica will see the creation of linkages

between the main road and therailwayembankment.

The lion's share of issues surrounded land titling and regularisation, many of which will be addressed directly by the Ministry of Housing, in collaboration with the Attorney General's Chambers,theGuyanaLands and Surveys Commission, and the Ann's Grove- Two Friends Multi- Purpose CoopSociety.

Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret'd) Mark Phillips, said that these kinds of engagements provide a

golden opportunity for ministers and residents to build rapport, as they work togethertoimprovelives.

“ We w a n t m o r e involvement from you, the people.

One Guyana means development for all the people of Guyana As a government, we will not discriminate. We are committed to bringing development to all thepeopleinthevillages,and communitieswheretheylive. That is why we are here,” he said.(DPI)

The man found dead on Saturday Night at Eccles, East Bank Demerara was reportedly stabbed to death during an alleged robbery, the Guyana Police Force (GPF)statedonSunday

Hewasidentifiedasa45year-old truck driver, Kerry Sears.

Searswasfounddeadnot toofarawayfromhisCanter truck close to Haags Bosch landfillsiteatEccles,EBD.

Police have reportedly questioned another Canter truck driver and two porters whotoldthemthatSearswas murderedduringarobbery

Sears had reportedly left his workplace in the Canter around18:00hrsonSaturday toconductbusinessonbehalf of his employer at Sarah Johanna,EBD.

Hewasexpectedtoreturn to his workplace after

completing his duties, but never did. It is unclear how SearsendedupinEccles,but accordingtotheotherCanter driver questioned by police, he met Sears there alive and was having a conversation with him when four motor motorcycle bandits attacked them.

The Canter driver works foranothercompanyandwas reportedly heading to his employer's parking lot located in Eccles with some porters onboard his truck when Sears reportedly signaledhimtostop.

He claimed that Sears was an ex-employee of his companysohecompliedand stepped out of his truck with theporterstomeethim.

According to the man, it was while “gaffing” with Sears, four bandits on two separate motorcycles pulled up The delinquents

reportedlyarmedwithaknife andagun“stickthemup”and beganrobbingthem.

Theporterswererelieved oftheircellphones,cashand a silver band but Sears reportedly got into a confrontationwithoneofthe banditsandwasstabbed.

Sears then reportedly turned and ran through a street where he fell to the ground and the bandits escapedontheirmotorbikes.

Anambulancewascalled and police were summoned to the scene A doctor onboard the ambulance pronouncedSearsdeadatthe scene and the cops began theirinvestigation.

Apart from the porters and the other Canter driver, police have also contacted andinterviewedseveralother persons They are all in custodyassistingpolicewith thenecessaryinvestigations.

Investigators at the scene on Saturday night

Man found dead at Eccles was killed during robbery - Police

Residents of Ann's Grove and surrounding communities listen attentively during the ministerial outreach on Saturday (DPI Photo)

Several local businesswomen heading to US trade exchange programme

S e v e r a l f e m a l e entrepreneurs will be heading to the United States to participate in a four-day Women in Business Trade Exchange Programme; Advancing Women in Business, from April 19 to April22.

The programme will be held in New Orleans and hosted by the Louisiana District Export Council, Jones Walker LLP and Techniques International, a pressreleasestated.

Anita Rampersad, director of communications fortheWomen'sChamberof Commerce and Industry Guyana, said this is the first women in business trade exchange. “It is a reverse trade exchange. Typically, trade missions come from other countries into Guyana and they are hosted by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, the United StatesEmbassyorthrougha government ministry It allows businesses to participate in various businessbuildingsession.”

TheBusinessLeadership exchange is somewhat different, as it focuses primarily on women, she said.“Throughcollaboration with the Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry Guyana, our partners in Louisiana reached out and planned the event that will afford women the opportunitytotravel,sitand

experience a trade mission f r o m a d i f f e r e n t perspective”.

Ms. Ramprasad said the women participating in the trade exchange represent various sectors, among them, logistics, marketing, c o n s u l t a n c y a n d construction. “Each of these women is at a point in their business life where they are lookingtodowhattheynow do better; expand, grow or leverage what they have, to

Business Development

Manager, SocialRank Media/ACE Consultancy; Ulex Smith – CEO/Owner, Signature Move Marketing Agency; Donna RickfordCEO/Owner, Supreme Laundromat and Office Cleaning Services; Dr Melissa Varswyk - CoFounder and CEO, Georgetown American

University; Beverly Whittaker – Associate Manager, Global Logistics

venture into something new”.

T h e e x c h a n g e programme will see the groupparticipateinbusiness meetings, round table discussions and networking opportunities that could further develop their businesses. The delegation will also hold discussions with US leaders and stakeholders on business opportunitiesinGuyana.

Thewomenparticipating are: Rowena Elliot, President of the Women's Chamber Commerce and Industry; Arifa Mohamed –

and Business Services Inc; Nicola Whittaker –President/CEO, Global Logistics and Business ServicesInc;JosephineTapp – Managing Director, B&J Civil Works; and Anita Ramprasad–Founder/CEO, Prestige Management Consultant. Thisdelegation was selected after an invitation was sent to business chambers countrywide with the hope of attracting nominees from women-owned and operated businesses. The delegation will leave Guyana on Tuesday

WANTED VACANCY

Skilled Carpenters, Masons and Labourers needed. Call: 602-9469, 660-6385 or 6257642.

Canter and Truck Drivers needed, must have atleast 3 yrs experience. Call: 6447088/ 624-7248.

Excavator Operators required, must have atleast 3 yrs experience. Call: 6447088/ 624-7248.

Office Clerk wanted, must have experience in Microsoft Excel and Words. Call: 6447088/ 624-7248.

Experienced Mechanic/ Welder (must hold qualifications) and Servicemen wanted for mining operation. Call: 697-2533.

Experienced male Cooks and Medic/ Camp Attendant wanted for mining operation. Call: 697-2533.

Wanted: Experienced Cashier, Cooks, Counter Person, Supervisor and Labourer. Apply @ Shanta's, 225 Camp and New Market Sts. or WhatsApp: +592-6541361.

Canter/ pick up Drivers needed. Call: 223-5273/ 223-5274.

Mini bus and taxi Drivers needed. Call: 628-1183.

1 Junior Accounts Clerk with NIS paye payroll knowledge, live-in Handyman and Night Guard needed in Hill Foot, Soesdyke and Industry area. Call: 227-5222/ 6750587/ 219-2170.

Professional Carpenters, Painters and Labourers wanted, attractive salary offered. Call: 686-1982.

Female Domestic/ Maid for house keeping $4000 daily, Male Labourer $4000, semi skilled $5000, skilled $6000$7000. Call: 6825230, 6154414.

Armed & unarmed Security Officers needed! Military background will be an asset. Contact: 603-5140.

Intelligence Officer and Driver needed. Must own a car. Call: 603-5140.

One male night Guard to work on the Lower E.C.D and Labourers/ persons to pluck chicken. Call: 227-5222/ 6189186.

One Maid needed. Call/ WhatsApp: 680-3678.

Experienced Hair Colorist, Hairstylist, Receptionist/ Massuese and Nail Tech needed. Call/ WhatsApp: 649-5005/ 226-6705.

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Commonwealth finance ministers call for systemic reform of global financial architecture

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Finance ministers from various Commonwealth countries have called for a systemic reform of the global financial architecture to enhance access to development financing for vulnerable countries.

Their collective call for reform came at the Commonwealth Finance Ministers High-Level Working Group Meeting in Washington D.C. on April 14. At the inaugural Commonwealth Finance Ministers High-Level Working Group Meeting held on the margins of the 2023 World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings, finance ministers discussed national fiscal policies, measures for financial sustainability, eligibility criteria for development finance and potential reforms required for a more equitable financial architecture.

A section of the Commonwealth finance ministers at the meeting to emerging and existing challenges, with a view to building long-term resilience and achieving sustainable development.”

She continued: “To create meaningful change, the global financial system must take into account the realities of vulnerability when allocating support to developing countries.”

Eligibility criteria for accessing concessional finance are based on sole metrics of gross national income (GNI) per capita, which mostly disregards national vulnerabilities. However, recent overlapping crises have exposed and provided evidence of countries’ susceptibility to external shocks. The traditional rules and governing conditions for access to international development finance are no longer relevant in this era of interlocked and overlapping crises.

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In their call, ministers stressed that any reforms must increase funding and consider the realities of vulnerability when allocating support to help vulnerable countries invest in resilience and achieve sustainable development. In her opening remarks, the Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland KC said: “Our world faces overlapping, interlinked and accelerating economic, security and environmental challenges. They entwine and accelerate to amplify existing inequalities, threatening stability, resilience and development prospects.

“The need for ambitious, systemic change has never been greater. As the Commonwealth family, representing one-third of humanity, we are joining forces to call for reform of the global financial system to deliver an architecture that is multi-dimensional, fit-for-purpose and adaptive

In this regard, SecretaryGeneral Scotland highlighted that the Commonwealth’s Universal Vulnerability Index provides a solid basis to better target support for those who need it the most. Delivering a keynote address at the working group meeting, the Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, said: “One sure thing is that the status quo is not working for us. The continued discriminatory treatment between the global north and the global south really cannot continue, especially in a poly-crisis … The time is now for action and to ensure that the global financial system is fit for purpose.”

The working group meeting also gave ministers an opportunity to focus on the urgent need to influence the global financial architecture, which is still underpinned by fiscal rules and conditions deemed unfit to meet the needs of the current global economic landscape and overlapping challenges.

The Commonwealth Secretariat paper entitled ‘Fiscal Policy Options for Resilient and Sustainable Development’ considers the multi-dimensional vulnerabilities and socio-economic development challenges faced by countries and recommends several fiscal and policy reforms to facilitate more resilient and sustainable development outcomes.

Speaking at the meeting, Dr Ruth Kattumuri, Senior Director of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Economic, Youth and Sustainable Development Directorate, said: “Collaboration among Commonwealth countries [through this group] would enable knowledge exchange, and facilitate data sharing, research and toolkits, including use of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices to monitor and accelerate progress on sustainable investing toward enabling an environmentally responsible economy and society, together with protecting our planet.”

The ministers agreed for India to be the chair and Nigeria to be the deputy chair of the Finance Ministers Working Group for a Commonwealth Call for Reform of the Global Financial Architecture.

DHB’s ‘span nine’ complete, to be installed soon – Min. Edghill

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(DPI) The Demerara Harbour Bridge’s (DHB) ‘span nine’ which is valued at $1.2 billion will be transported from the dockyard to the bridge for installation soon.

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill made the announcement on Friday, when he handed over the new self-loading machine and power barge to the DHB.

The new retractor spanning 170 feet long and 40 feet wide was undertaken by local company, Industrial Fabrications Inc (InFab), and was completed in 2022 and will

enhance the DHB’s retraction operation by enabling wider vessels to pass.

Minister Edghill said the new retractor has been successfully completed and the team is awaiting the next suitable tide to replace the span.

“We are looking at timings, tide, and least interruptions. There have been rehearsals that have been done with both the contractor, and the Demerara Harbour Bridge staff to ensure that we can get this done swiftly,” Minister Edghill stated.

The replacement of span nine is a massive undertaking

that cannot be done while traffic is flowing. The removal of the existing span will leave a significant gap on the bridge.

Therefore, it is imperative that everything is done correctly and that the replacement process is executed flawlessly. Once replaced, citizens will be able to see an enhanced retraction operation with a wider capacity to move vessels through the bridge. The ministry will be utilising the newly commissioned power barge to transport citizens from the east to the west side during the replacement operation.

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APAcallsoutgovernmentagainforfailingtorespectrights ofIndigenouspeoples

The Amerindian

P e o p l e s

Association (APA) said it is not opposed to development but maintains that development should not come at the cost of Indigenous peoples' full andinformedparticipation.

The association comments come amid a flurry of attacks by the government, particularly Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and the National Toshaos Council after the APAhadfiledacomplaintto Architecture for REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) Transactions (ART) Secretariat hosted by WinrockInternational.

On March 8, 2023, the APA,followingconsultation withIndigenousleadersfiled a complaint with the ART Secretariat outlining the Government's violation of the principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).Thecomplaintstems from the December 2022 issuanceofcarboncreditsto the Government of Guyana andthefailuretoaddressthe grossviolationoftheTREES Standards.

In a statement, the APA said its objections to the

manner of consultation and “deliberate violation of the FPIC process by the Government are well documented in the local media and with our partners.”“Thoseobjections were raised during the certifying process and after the first issuance of carbon creditsbyART

Therefore, it is disingenuous on the part of Vice President Jagdeo to accusetheAssociationofnitpicking on indigenous issues,” the APA statement noted.

Theassociationobserved that at his press conference, onThursday,April14,2023, theVicePresidentcontinued topeddleaccusationsthatthe APA is being controlled by the political Opposition. “APA has repeatedly stated that it is a politically neutral organisation.

The Vice President seems incapable of comprehending this point sinceheseesanycriticismof his government as an attack that requires him to go to battle.VicePresidentJagdeo also claimed that theAPAis trying to block funding to Indigenous communities T h i s , a g a i n , i s a misrepresentation of the

Association's position. We have asked the ART Secretariat and Board to publish its reasons for its decisions to approve the credits, considering the substantialconcernswehave raised regarding Guyana's respect for Indigenous peoples' rights and therefore compliancewiththeTREES standard.

We also recommended that the credits issued to Guyana that have not yet been purchased be frozen and suspended and that no furthercreditsbeissueduntil the government fully respects the rights of Indigenouspeoples.”

The Amerindian body said the Vice President Jagdeo, in his tirade against theAPA,failedtoaddressthe s u b s t a n c e o f t h e Association's complaint to ART which is his government's failure to respect the right of Indigenouspeoplestoproper consultations and failure to fully comply with TREES Standard, among others Additionally, Vice President Jagdeo has consistently failed to defend his government's violation of Indigenous peoples' right to FPIC. “We are extremely

concerned to see the ART Secretariat and the verification body, Aster Global Environmental Services, take the Government's claims of havingrespectedIndigenous peoples' rights at face value without a critical analysis of whether the Government's actions constituted proper consultation, let alone true respect for Indigenous peoples' rights to effective participationandFPIC.

The Government's summary of “consultations” did not record comments specifically made by many Indigenous peoples at these meetings that they did not consider that the meeting could properly be called a “consultation”, but a mere information-sharingsession.

I n a d d i t i o n , t h e Government'sownsummary of “consultations” noted requests for information to be shared in simplified languageandintranslations, and for training to help

communities better understand the LCDS Despite Government officials' commitment to share translations and to conduct training of trainers, to date, there have been no translated copies of the

LCDS, or simplified information regarding ARTTREESsharedinIndigenous languages, nor any such trainingconducted.”

TheAPAsaidtherightto effective participation requires, inter alia, that Indigenous peoples are providedwithadequatetime

and understandable information [including translation into a language that they understand], and access to technical support andguidancesothattheycan effectively participate in the decision-making process Theserequirementswerenot met by the Government and several Indigenous communities have complainedinthatregard.

It is alarming that Vice President Jagdeo continues toattacktheAPAasopposed to providing evidence that the principles governing FPIC, and effective participation were adhered to In that regard, we challenge theVice President and his Government to answer the following questions: [How much time w e r e I n d i g e n o u s communities given to prepare for those “consultations”? How long did a “consultation” session

last?; How many sessions were held with the communities?; Were Indigenous communities p r e s e n t e d w i t h simplified/user-friendly versions of documents relating to the LCDS 2030, ART TREES Standards and carbonmarkets?;Werethose d o c u m e n t s s e n t beforehand?; Were Indigenouspeoplesafforded the opportunity to present theirownproposalsonhowa carboncreditingschemecan work?; Was there any meaningful way for Indigenous peoples to present our own proposals forbenefitsharingunderthis carbon deal? ; Does the government believe that their “consultations” were effective in seeking the consent of Indigenous communitiespriortothesale ofcarboncredits?;Wasthere any meaningful opportunity for Indigenous peoples to giveordenyconsenttotheir lands being included in the proposal?]

As such, the APA reiterated that it is not opposed to development but maintains that development should not come at the cost of Indigenous peoples' full andinformedparticipation.

US legal team in Guyana to interview potential witnesses for parking meter project court case

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, SC, last Thursday met with a team of lawyers from the United States law firm Foley Hoag, who are representing Guyana in the US$100M proceedings filed byMexicanfirm,SmartCity Solutions (SCS), over the failed parking meter project inGeorgetown.

The meeting was held in the AG Chambers, Carmichael Street, Georgetown.

The lawyers are representing Guyana in the arbitrationproceedingsatthe International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) based in Washington D.C., and were in Guyana to interview potential witnesses for the legal proceedings. In this regard, many persons who played a relevant role in the t r a n s a c t i o n w e r e interviewed.

Smart City Solutions (SCS), a Mexican Company, has sued the Government of Guyana (GOG) for

US$100M as compensation inrelationtoaparkingmeters projectwhichwasintroduced under the previous administration, some five yearsago.

BackinJanuary,thiswas revealed by the Attorney General Nandlall He recalled that the project was introduced in 2016 by the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) under the stewardship of Mayor Patricia Chase-Greene However, the project was stalled after it was rejected andfacedmassiveprotestby manycitizens.

Nandlall said that most people might have forgotten about the parking meters project, but the company has not. “We all forgot about the parkingmetersproject.

Well, the company that was responsible has not forgotten.

The Attorney General then highlighted that SCS is claiming compensation against the government for the project in the sum of US$100M. The ICSID is an

international arbitration institution established in 1966 by the World Bank Group for legal dispute resolution and conciliation between international investorsandStates.

The case was filed on December 22, 2021, by the claimants: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, NewYork,NYandHouston, TX, U.S.A, and Fraser & Housty, Attorneys at Law, Georgetown, Guyana. The Attorney General's

Chambers,MinistryofLegal

Affairs, Georgetown, Guyana, was listed as the respondent.

According to the ICSID website, the status of the matter is pending and the latest development in the matter is that the acting Secretary-General has registered a request for the institution of arbitration proceedings.

Nandlallnotedduringhis television programme that thisisthekindofdestruction

that the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition,hasleftbehind.

“Fastforward,ayearand ahalfafter,westillnowhave to fetch another burden, another burden in which we have to hire lawyers in Americatodefendacontract that they entered into…This isthekindofdestructionthat these people have done,” the AttorneyGeneralsaid.

Nandlall had revealed that the Attorney General

Chambers served copies of all the documents filed on behalf of the company, and the Chambers has since retained a law firm in Washington,FoleyHoagand Associates, which would be leadingateamfromtheAG's Chambers to defend the proceedings.

According to theAG, the p r o c e e d i n g s h a v e commenced and one of the firsttasksistoappointapanel of arbitrators who will be presiding over the case However, that process is ongoing and when the tribunalisappointed,thenthe AG Chambers will file answers to the claims that weremadeandtheywillalso make their technical objections.

F o l l o w i n g t h e announcementoftheM&CC plans to implement the parking meters in the capital city, hundreds of people had gathered to protest. The court case against the decisiontoleavethecontract due to public pressure is ongoing.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, with the team of lawyers from Foley Hoag and Associates

Government wants to divide Afro-Guyanese over subvention - IDPADA-G

International Decade for People of African Descent

Assembly - Guyana ( I D PA D A - G ) h a s condemned the move by the government to bypass the organisationandunilaterally disbursegrantsdirectlytoits members.

Last Friday government through the Attorney General, Anil Nandlall signaled its intention to sidestep the organisation, even as it said it was committed to advancing the cause of Afro-Guyanese “The Government of Guyana in the person of the Attorney General has gone public in relation to its treatment of the subvention that has been withheld from IDPADA-G although the concerned parties had given theCourtanundertakingnot to address this matter in the public domain. Of greater concernistheannouncement that the Government will unilaterally disburse monies tothemembersofIDPADAG, directly, as if it is the disbursing the subvention,”

IDPADA-G said in a statement The assembly added: “This action clearly shows contempt for the decadetowhichtheypurport to be committed Their unilateral decision seeks to dividetheAfricanGuyanese community that collectively determined its modus operandi. Their pretext is that they are responding to concerns expressed by memberorganisations,albeit theyhaveindicatedthatfour of sixty-five organisations have approached them. We areawarethattheyhavebeen canvassing IDPADA-G s membership and are now seeking to give them carrots intheformofgrants,instead of releasing the subvention to the collective. They have sought to pit IDPADA-G against itself by juxtaposing theBoardtothemembership although the membership

determines the composition of the Board and constitutes the Board from among themselves.“

IDPADA-G said it regards the matter as being before the Court and will continueitslegalstrugglefor justice “The Court has appointedJune13astheday for oral arguments as a precursor to ruling on the matter IDPADA-G is confident that its cause will prevail but regrets the actions of Government that isstymieingtheprovisionof service to the African Guyanese community under the guise that the monies should go to organisations when in fact the collective would have determined that the community should be served, not to the exclusion of organisations as they outreach to the community Our strength has been in unitedactionandourbenefit economy of scale, albeit in relative terms IDPADA-G, given its mandate, has been underfunded.”

The Government of Guyana said it will disburse the 2023 subvention meant for the advancement of the lives of Afro-Guyanese, but instead of giving it to the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly - Guyana (IDAPADA-G), it will hand it over directly to the 55 organisations that make up that coordinating body The PPP/C Government has accusedtheIDAPADA-Gof being partisan and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo hadallegedthattheagency’s Board of Directors were personally benefitting from an almost $500M state allocation. In a statement on Friday, the Government of Guyana said that it remains committed to honouring the o b j e c t i v e s o f t h e

January 2015 to 31st December 2024 “This Decade was proclaimed by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in accordance with UN Resolution 68/237 of 2013 and was fully supported by the Government of Guyana on 23rd December 2013.As a demonstration of its c o m m i t m e n t , t h e Government has allocated monies for the advancement of the objectives of the Decade since it assumed office in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 and will continue to so do until the end of the Decadein2024,”astatement from the Attorney General Chamberssaid.

According to the statementwhileapartofthe budgeted sum for the year 2022 is, “unfortunately, the subjectoflegalproceedings, the monies budgeted and appropriated for the year 2023 are not. Government plans to disburse the 2023 s u b v e n t i o n t o 5 5 organisations representing Afro-Guyanese across the country, who are the founding members of the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly-Guyanatopursue theobjectivesoftheDecade.

In keeping with the instructionsofthecourts,the International Decade for People of African Descent

Assembly- Guyana (IDPADA-G) back in February had formally writtentotheGovernmentto hold talks on the issue of

their subvention which has been withheld The organisation dispatched its letter to Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, SC. During a news conference that followed Chairman of IDPADA-G’s Coordinating Council, Vincent Alexander toldthemediathattheideais to have dialogue “Our objective is to pursue the releaseofmoneyforlastyear andtoensurethatthemoney isreleasedfortherestofthe decade,”Alexandersaid.

The UN Decade for PeopleofAfricanDescentis themed “People of African descent: recognition, justice and development.” It calls on Governments around the world where people of African Descents reside to put mechanism in place to help improve their state of existence Alexander said that IDPADA-G has been fulfilling its obligations based on the UN mandate. IDPADA-G said it has assisted hundreds of Guyanese in the process of developing businesses through training in the writing of business proposals financials The Governmentnonethelesshas been withholding IDPADAG’s monthly subvention of $8M over claims of mismanagement – an allegation the organisation has rubbished. The AfroGuyanese organisation has since taken the Government toCourtoverthesubvention.

Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire had called the case a national embarrassment and urged the two sides to consider a mediator. However, Mr. Alexander said while IDPADA-G has written the Attorney General, it has not nominated a mediator IDPADA-G’s lawyer, Nigel Hughes said, “it is hoped that the Attorney General will act withsomeformofalacrity It is an unconditional invitation

to engage,” he said “This letter,eventhoughitemanated from Court proceedings does not have an impact on the Court proceedings The court proceedings continue in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Procedure Rules,” the Attorneyexplained “

Despite the withholding of the subsidy, Alexander said IDPADA-G is not completely crippled but “handicapped.”Onthisnote, IDPADA-G’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Olive Sampson said that from September 2022 to February 2023, government owes the organisation an estimated GY$49 million. She said the organisation was relying on local and diaspora donations to carry out some of its work especially to help residents of Mocha, East Bank Demerara where their housesweredemolished.

According to the lawsuit filedbyHughes,IDPADA-G is seeking an Order of Mandamus to have the subventions that was budgeted for last year, to be returned to the Organisation ahead of the final determination of the matter Hughes explained that IDPADA-Ghadalegitimate expectation of the subvention based on e n g a g e m e n t s a n d

agreements made with the previous and current Governments The organisation was given no reason or notification as to whythefundswereceased.

The Attorney said that the Government has “breached the legitimate expectancy” to pay the annual subvention which is handedoverin12equalparts aspermonthsoftheyear He said too that the act of cessation of payment is an abuse of power Further, he said that the Government should have declared or placed on notice, that changestothedistributionof funds would occur and give the organisation an opportunity to be heard He had explained to reporters thatIDPADA-G’scaseisalso supportedbythefactthatthe Governmentbudgetedforthe sums to be disbursed to the Organisationandbylaw,this should have been done IDPADA-G had consulted with and developed relationships with both the David Granger-led and I r f a a n A l i - l e d Administrations with both sides making a commitment to fund the Organisation within the United Nations designated decade The Organisation received funds from the Government up to August 2022 when it was abruptlystopped.

UGtohostjobfair,openday...

Frompage09

various university departments.

AndonApril21and22, there will be Job Seminars

featuring keynote presentations and panel discussions involving industry experts from the public and private sectors. All interested persons, especially those seeking to enter the job market, are encouraged to attend and engagewiththeexperts.

OnApril 28, at the Tain Campus, academic departments of the UGBC will host information sessions for potential students,andcompanieswill be conducting interviews for jobs and training opportunities Several top companies and organisations havealready come on board to support this event and will share perspectives on topical issues impacting theirareaofexpertise.

Members of the Coordinating Council of the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly – Guyana (IDPADA-G)

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall

$82M drill commissioned to expand wells countrywide

Residents of the hinterland and r i v e r i n e communities will continue togetbetteraccesstotreated waterasan$82millionPATDrill, compressor, and mud pumpwerecommissionedat the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) headquartersonFriday

The PAT-Drill can dig wellsupto600feetandisthe secondtobeprocuredbythe government.

Themachinewillexpand the GWI's capacity of providing potable water

nationwide.

During the simple ceremony, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal said there will be no hassle to move the newly commissioned drill to other regions.

A twelve-member team from GWI will undergo trainingfortwodaystolearn how to effectively operate themachine.

“Because of the geographicalmakeupofour country, much of the access isviatheriver.

And so, this serves and

allows us to put this on mobile, whether its boat or vehicle mobile to transport into particular villages,” the housing and water minister noted. Minister Croal said the ministry is hoping to tender two other drills to advancethedrillingofwells tomeetits2023mandate.

Meanwhile, GWI's Chief Executive Officer, ShaikBakshsaidawellwill bedrilledatSilverHillalong the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

Hesaidthemachinewill then be transported to the

Pomeroonwhereanothersix wells will be dug “We expecttocompletethesesix wellsbytheendoftheyear It'sabigtask.Thisisahuge investment of the government, ” Baksh underscored.

The ministry has budgeted some $1.8 billion to further upgrade and extendthewatersupplythis year. While the government continues to ensure every citizenbenefitsfrompotable water, there is already 95 percent water coverage in RegionNine.(DPI)

The new drill that was commissioned.

Iyer’s maiden T20 century in vain as Mumbai beat KKR

SportsMax - Venkatesh

Iyer’s maiden T20 century was in vain as Mumbai Indians produced an excellent run chase to beat Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets yesterday.

Iyer took over as the leading run-scorer in the IPL with a magnificent 104 from 51 balls in KKR’s 185-6 at the Wankhede Stadium.

The left-hander struck nine sixes and another six boundaries, facing only 49 balls to get to three figures as he ended a 15-year wait for a KKR century since Brendon McCullum achieved the feat. He finished on the losing

side, though, as Ishan Kishan (58 from 25) smashed a quickfire half-century and Suryakumar Yadav (43 off 25) returned to form to give Mumbai back-to-back wins.

Iyer put on a show after Cameron Green and the excellent Piyush Chawla (1-19) dismissed Narayan Jagadeesan and Rahmanullah Gurbaz respectively in the powerplay.

The in-form number three carted the Indians attack to all parts, dominating a fourthwicket stand of 50 with Shardul Thakur in a masterclass before finally falling to Riley Meredith soon after bringing up a swash-

Monday April 17, 2023

ARIES (Mar. 211pr. 19)

If you've been concerned about your health for any reason, Cancer, today your medical professional could give you a clean bill of health. You will believe it, because you're likely to feel wonderful.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Some strange but wonderful things could be happening to you now, Taurus. Sheer luck could well be in the picture. Have you wanted to move to a nicer place.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

A rather black mood that's been plaguing you since early morning could suddenly disappear when a business or romantic partner brings wonderful news your way, Gemini.

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

If you've been concerned about your health for any reason, Cancer, today your medical professional could give you a clean bill of health. You will believe it, because you're likely to feel wonderful.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22)

Creative energies are flowing like a river today, Leo. Ideas for projects should come thick and fast. You can't wait to get started. You may even formulate plans to market them once they're done.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22)

Dreams should shed light on some difficult issues you've been trying to resolve, Virgo. You can finally make the problems disappear. This should be more than a relief to you - it's a blessing!

buckling hundred. There was a late flurry from Andre Russell (21 not out from 11), but it soon became apparent KKR were short of runs as Kishan and Rohit Sharma –batting as an impact player while struggling with a stomach bug – got Mumbai off to a flyer.

Suyash Sharma (2-27) had Rohit (20) superbly caught by Umesh Yadav to end a partnership of 65 in the fifth over, with Kishan hitting five sixes and as many fours before he was bowled by Varun Chakravarthy.

Suryakumar and Tilak Varma (30) then put on 60 to

put the Indians well on their way to victory before Tim David (24no from 13) got the team home with 14 balls to spare.

Iyer takes orange cap in style

Iyer took the Indians attack apart, scoring KKR’s first century since current England Test head coach McCullum bludgeoned a brutal 158 back in April 2008. The 28-yearold’s hundred was the second of this tournament, two days after Harry Brook’s 100 for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Iyer’s exploits ensured he took the top scorer’s orange cap from Shikhar Dhawan, with 234 runs from five visits to the crease at an average of 58.50. Suryakumar steps up as captain It had been a miserable IPL so far for Mumbai’s Suryakumar, but he was back in the runs skippering the side with Rohit unable to play a full part.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

More than one call could come today with absolutely wonderful news! Exciting and wonderful changes are in the wind, Libra, but you need to bear in mind that with the good news comes the unknown.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

A sizable sum of money could come your way today, Scorpio, probably as a surprise. This is a significant day for you. The money will open up new doors, particularly where creativity is concerned.

SAGIT (Nov.22–Dec.21)

Today you may wake up feeling energetic, enthusiastic, optimistic, and very happy, Sagittarius. You may not be able to trace this to anything logical.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) The Have you been feeling psychic lately, Capricorn? Has a recent dream or premonition come true? Any insights that you receive today aren't likely to be clothed in complex symbolism - they should be easily understood.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

Today you might gather with some very smart friends at a coffee house for an intellectual conversation, Aquarius. Some fascinating ideas and useful information could be exchanged.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

A fabulous career break could come your way today, Pisces. It could be a raise, promotion, or even a new job in a new field. It could also involve a completely different location.

He missed out on a halfcentury after nicking Thakur behind, but looked in good touch as he cleared the rope three times and hit another four boundaries. Scores: Mumbai Indians 186 for 5 (Kishan 58, Suryakumar 43, Suyash 2-27) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 185 for 6 (Venkatesh 104, Shokeen 234) by five wickets.

From page 23 Gujarat to 177-7 after being invited to bat first in the second match of the day.

Gill started strongly despite losing partners including Wriddhiman Saha to a dramatic mid-pitch catch by Trent Boult off his own bowling after the ball bounced off Samson’s gloves following a near collision between three fielders.

Gill put on a 59-run stand with Pandya to take the attack to the opposition.

Sandeep Sharma denied Gill his fifty but the lefthanded Miller smashed boundaries in his 30-ball knock and got help from the other end with Abhinav Manohar hitting 27 off 13 balls.

Scores: Rajasthan Royals 179 for 7 (Samson 60, Hetmyer 56*, Shami 3-25, Rashid 2-46) beat Gujarat Titans 177 for 7 (Miller 46, Gill 45, Sandeep 225) by three wickets.

Venkatesh Iyer swings it over long-off for a biggie. (Associated Press)

Samson, Hetmyer keep...

MHS, Multi, LTI in winner’s row

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ExxonMobil/New Era Ent. Inter-School football resumes on Tuesday

ByRawleToney

The frenzy and the fanfare at the Wisburg Secondary School ground, caused by the New Era Entertainment Inter-School Football Championship in theinitialstages,itsettingup the tournament for an entertainingclimax.

The tournament, sponsored by ExxonMobil, kickedoffonFridayApril14 and will conclude on April 28, with all matches played at the Wisburg Secondary Schoolground.

Following the 2 – 0 win over Kwakwani Secondary, the Linden Technical Institutemovedtothetopof the eight-team table of the tournament.

Leancy Baker (56’) and Dixie Peters (60’) were the players finding the net for LTI, which had opened the tournament with a 1 – 1 stalemate with Mackenzie HighSchool(MHS).

Like LTI, MHS would rebound to secure a 2 – 1 win, handing Wisburg

Secondarytheirfirstdefeat.

LebronRaymond scored inthe12thminuteforMHS, but Kiland Newland pulled one back in the 34th minute forWisburgSecondary

However, Dexter Milo’s 66th-minute goal would break the deadlock to hand MHS a much-needed win to put them second on the pointstablebehindLTI.

Meanwhile, a pretournament favourite, Christianburg Wismar Secondary School, had their first taste of the competition, emerging 2 –0 winners in their match against Linden Foundation Secondary(LFS).

Jamal James (30’) and Kelvin Hunter (51’) scored for ‘Multi’on both sides of the half to give their side three points to startthetournament

With the defeat, LFS remains without a win following their two outings in the tournament, first going down New Silvercity Secondary on

openingday

The ExxonMobilsponsored tournament continues tomorrow with another doubleheader, startingat2:00pm

In the opening match, Harmony Secondary will play its first match against N e w S i l v e r c i t y Secondary, a team hunting three points to stay unbeaten.

Tomorrow’s second game brings together a team hoping to stay at the top of the table, LTI and Wisburg Secondary, who are currently fifth on the table with three points and playing their final groupstagematch.

The winning school will receive $400,000, which will go towards a project at their institution, equalling the first-place purse Second place will receive $200,000, and the school coming in third will collect $100,000, withallprizemoneygoing towardsaschoolproject

Latest points standing in the ExxonMobil/New Era Ent. Inter-School Football Championships.

General Marine Company supports DCB’S “Friends of Demerara Cricket Fund”

General Marine Company of 231 Middle Street, Georgetown is the latest to provide support for the Demerara Cricket Board’s initiative “Friends of Demerara Cricket Fund”. This new initiative was launched recently. The Company, Distributor of Marine Equipment, Motor Cycles, Power Products, Bearings and Licensed Firearms and Ammunition Dealer joins Gafoors of Guyana, KW Logistics and Bus Services and Sunita TravelAgency

The DCB will use the funds raised to cushion the cost of its junior Inter Association Cricket tournaments.Fundswillalso beusedtoassistinfulfilling its mandate to develop the game.

TheDCBisaggressively embarking on playing cricket competitions at all levels, from Under-13 to Senior males and females. Training programmes for coaches and cricketers,

seminars for managers, book, board and electronic scorers and match referees will be done.Academies for juniorcricketerswillalsobe held across the five Sub Associations.

At a simple ceremony, held recently, Business Owner Rahaman Khan, a softball cricket legend and member of Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association,statedthatheis impressed with this innovation, hence his support He promised to continuetosupportthegame in Demerara and further afield. DCB newly elected Marketing Manager, Anil Beharry was grateful for the support as the board aims to dominatecricketatalllevels astheypreviouslydid.

T h e D C B u rg e s GuyanesetosupportGeneral Marine Company so that they can continue to c o n t r i b u t e t o t h e development of cricket in Demerara, Guyana and the West Indies Sponsorship

hasrisento$760,000.

The DCB, while in negotiations with several sponsors, some of whose approvalshavealreadybeen secured, recognises the limited sponsorship dollars available resulting in this innovation and encourages private individuals, private businesses, and Corporate Guyana to support it According to the DCB, “We assure accountability for the funds with widespread print and electronic media coverage”. It should be noted that sponsorship for sports and charitable organisations can enjoy tax breakswhichthelawallows.

The DCB release said that anyone willing to support this project can contact Bissoondyal Singh, club president, at 623 0055; Davteerth Anandjit, Secretary, at 617 8502; Vicky Bharosay, Treasurer, at 652 0947; Anil Beharry, Marketing Manager, at 623 6875oranyotherExecutive MemberoftheDCB.

Samson, Hetmyer keep Rajasthan top of IPL table

AFP - Powerful knocks by skipper Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetmyer led Rajasthan Royals to a stunning three-wicket win over holders Gujarat Titans to stay top of the IPL table yesterday

Chasing 178 for victory, last year’s runners-up Rajasthan depended on Samson’s 32-ball 60 and an unbeaten 56 by Hetmyer to achievetheirtargetwithfour ballstospareinAhmedabad.

Rajasthan were two down for four and then 55-4 when Samson and Hetmyer put together 59 off 27 deliveries to bring alive the chase at the world’s biggest cricketground.

Samson took on legspinner Rashid Khan in an overandsmashedahat-trick of sixes and then took on anotherAfghanistan spinner beforedeparting.

Noor Ahmad, a left-arm wrist spinner, came in as impact player for Gujarat andaftergettingsmashedfor a six and four got Samson caughtout.

But the dismissal only

Shimron Hetmyer made a match-winning 56*. (Associated Press)

fired up the left-handed Hetmyer who kept up the chargeasheandDhruvJurel, whohit18,got20runsfrom an Alzarri Joseph over to nearthetarget.

Hetmyer finished off the chase with a six offAhmad, an IPL debutant who was given the final over by

skipperHardikPandya. MohammedShamistood out with figures of 3-25 for Gujarat, who won the title last year in their fairytale debut season in the T20 tournament Earlier Shubman Gill (45) and DavidMiller(46)guided (Continuedonpage21)

Marketing Manager Anil Beharry (left) receiving the cheque from Rahaman Khan in the presence of Board Executives and young Gainda.

2023 Kares Crossfit Championships Mahadeo, Zalman clinch titles as Crossfit Championships conclude

Guyana and Suriname sharedthewinningspoilsas curtainscamedownonwhat turned out to be 2-days of intense workouts in this year’s Kares Crossfit Championship.

Five-time national champion Dillon Mahadeo added another piece of silverware to his collection, dominating this year’s events to end as the winner, keeping Guyana’s reputation in Crossfit at a highlevel.

For Suriname, it was almost too simple for Women’s champ Ava Zalman, who held down the top spot for the women as she beat off the competition to give her country some reignintheladiescategory

Opening day ended with the Guyanese athletes positioned nicely in the driver’s seat, holding top spots in both Male and Femalecategories.

Events commenced on Saturday at the National AquaticCenteraswellasthe National Park, displaying some of the Caribbean’s top endurance athletes and their desire to become this year’s Crossfitking/queen.

Several intense and vigorous workouts spanned the two-day event, which tested and exhibited the raw talents possessed by the competitors.

Surinamese Zalman, who led the Women’s RX category with 192 points when day 1 ended, maintained her dominance assherackedup594points, destroying the competition onherwaytothewin.

Aliyah Abrams is first Guyanese to qualify for World Championships

ByRawleToney

Aliyah Abrams became thefirstGuyanesetoqualify f o r t h e W o r l d ChampionshipsinTrackand Fieldafterher50.77secondsrun in theWomen’s 400m at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational on Saturday (April15).

Abrams was second behind Jamaican Stacy-Ann Williams, who won the race inatimeof50.12s,whilethe USA’s Brittany Brown was third(51.15s)attheJamesG. PresslyStadium,Florida.

Some tight competition followed as Guyanese DelcieAdoniskepttheother women on their toes. The 2nd placeAdonis poured on 553pointsinatopeffortbut it was tough going as Zalman kept applying the pressure all throughout the finalstretch.

Third spot at the end of day 1, belonged to Aurelie Tian Soi Po of French Guiana, who turned her 174 pointsinto529pointsbythe end of the Day 2’s proceedings, as the ladies had a great two days of action.

However, the headline was no doubt the big competition between the men,asthefinalssawthetop 5 RX males duking it out, with 3 Guyanese and 2 Trinidadians locked in a tussleforthevictory.

In the end it was the multiple-time champ,

Mahadeo who finished the Men’sRXcategorywith176 points following the end of day 1, closing off his tally with 651 points, outlasting the competition to win yet anothertitle.

His countryman in Omissi Williams, who was thefirsttofinishWorkout#7 andwon3ofthe7workouts, was next in line at the 2nd spotwith628pointsafterhe endedday1with158points.

Trinidad took the final place to round off the 3rd spot within the top 5 Male contestants, with Mikhail Ragoonanan589pointsafter eclipsing his countryman BryantSnaggs(557).

Another fan favorite in Guyanese Kellon Reid (434 points) capped off a sterling performance from the Guyanese male athletes, helping his country finish thisyear’seventindominant fashion.

Women’s champ Ava Zalman (centre) and the rest of winners in the Women’s RX category pose following their outstanding performances.

South American Indoor 400m record-holder’s time was her Personal Best and shy of Aliann Pompey’s National Record of 50.71s, set at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany

T h e W o r l d ChampionshipsinBudapest, Hungary, is set forAug 19 –29 and carries a qualifyingstandard time of 51.00s for thewomen’s400m.

At the 2022 World Championships, Abrams reached the semi-finals of theWomen’s400m;shewas 5thinthefinalsattheIndoor World Championships last year

Aliyah Abrams is the first and so-far only Guyanese to book their spot at the August 19 – 29 World Championships in Hungary.

Meanwhile, to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Abrams will be asked to replicateorbetterSaturday’s performance during the Olympic Qualification July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024

window The2024Olympic qualifying time for the women’s400mis50 95s Abrams was the only Guyanese athlete to run the qualifying-standard time for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

ConcacafU20Women’sChampionshipQualifiers...

A spectacular win as Guyana defeat Suriname in first match

Guyana’s Under-20 Women’s National Team on Saturday secured a spectacular 6-0 victory over Suriname in the Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship Qualifiers in theDominicanRepublic.

The young Lady Jags controlled the April 15 match from the start, confidently breaking through Suriname’s defence to score two impressive goals by Sehanna Mars in the 24th minute and Sandra Johnson in the 40th minute of the game. The second half saw four more spectacular goals from Mars (47th), Glendy Lewis(55th),captainSamantha Banfield (61st) and Jalade Trim(90th).

HeadCoachPaulDeAbreu saidtheteamexecutedastrong defensive strategy and capitalised on Suriname’s weaknesses

“Today, our first game

was about making sure we were strong defensively while imposing our style of playonouropponent.

For the next game we need to keep improving our tacticsandtakeadvantageof all the weaknesses of our opponent The team is bonding well, and it will be reflected in our play ”

Guyana is in Group C with host nation Dominican Republic, Suriname and Dominica They play Dominica today, Monday, April 17 at 3pm in the Felix SanchezStadium.

Arecord32teamsareinsix groups - two groups have six teamsandfourgroupshavefive teams each - competing betweenApril 14 and 23 The winner of each group will advance to the May 2023

Concacaf Women’s Under20 Championship in the Dominican Republic, joining top-ranked teams

UnitedStatesandMexico.

Women’s Football Association (WFA) President Andrea Johnson said the win was the result of months of training and absolute commitment from the young footballers

“Congratulations to our young Lady Jags on their victoryoverSuriname.

Their hard work in training over the last few months and dedication were evident in today’s match. Our players had fire in their hearts and the focus to take careofbusinessonthepitch. Asacountry,weareproudof ourteam.

I am confident that they will continue their exceptional performance Again, I want to encourage all Guyanese, including those in the diaspora, to support our young ladies because female football is thefuture.”

Dillon Mahadeo added another title to his collection

Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago score wins in Concacaf U20 Championship qualifiers

SportsMax-Guyanaand Trinidad and Tobago got t h e i r Wo m e n U 2 0 Championship qualifiers off to winning starts on Saturday

Sixgameswereplayedin GroupsC,DandF InGroup CactionattheEstadioFelix Sanchez Stadium in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Guyana drubbed Suriname6-0.

Se-Hanna Mars opened the scoring in the 24th minute before Sandra Johnson scored the first of her two goals in the 44th as Guyana took a 2-0 lead into half-time.Johnsonaddedher second shortly after the resumption in the 47th minute.

Glendy Lewis added Guyana’sfourthinminute55 and Samantha Banfield made it 5-0 five minutes later JaladeTrim completed theroutinthe90thminute.

In the second match on the night the Dominican Republic clobbered Dominica 15-0 as Angelina Vargasscoringadoublehattrick,hergoalscominginthe sixth, 11th, 33rd 44th, 73rd and 78th minutes. Jaylen

Guyana celebrating their victory on Saturday. (Concacaf)

Valecillo (7’, 21’, 63’) also had a hat trick, Ariana Diaz had a brace (14’, 37’) while JazmynJackson(9’),Renata Mercedes (11’), StellaTapia (86’) and Isabella Ventura (90’) all chipped in with scores.

The Rignaal Jean

Francisca Stadium in Willemstad is serving as the site for Group D, and Trinidad and Tobago got off to a winning start in a 3-0 final against Cayman Islands. Talia Martin scored goals in the 22’ and 68’, while Nikita Jackson found

thebackofthenetinthe66’ to giveTrinidad andTobago thethreepoints.PuertoRico enjoyed a winning start in Willemstad as they topped Guadeloupe 5-0 Kenedy Garcia (12’), Enasia Colon (40’), Estefania Gonzalez (52’), Jocelyn Chinea (73’)

and Fabiola Martinez (88’) supplied the goals for the Boricuas.

The Estadio Nacional in Managuawasthelocationof the day’s games in Group F, beginning with Costa Rica’s 13-0winoverBelize.

Alexa Herrera had four

goals (7’, 14’, 20’, 33’), Sheika Scott notched a hat trick (4’, 45+2’, 56’), TanishaFonsecacontributed a brace (12’, 29’) and JocelynBriceno(33’),Dayra Dinarte (56’), Veronica Matarrita (71’) and Luciana Gonzalez (89’) all added scoresfortheTicas.

Host nation Nicaragua took on Guatemala in the second game of the day in Managuaanditendedwitha 3-1wintoNicaragua.

Aryeri Mejia (56’) and Daniela Manzanares (64’) scored for the Pinoleras in addition to an own goal (69’), while Guatemala got their score from Karen Gonzalez(19’).

All of the teams will be backinactiontoday.

In Group C in Santo Domingo, Guyana will look tomakeittwowinsinarow versus Dominica, while the DominicanRepublicwilltry to continue their scoring waysagainstSuriname.

Group D in Willemstad willseeTrinidadandTobago seek a second win against Guadeloupe, while Puerto Rico take on Cayman Islands.

2023KaresCrossfitChampionships

Top performers in both Male and Female categories pose last evening at the winner’s podium.

Aliyah Abrams is first Guyanese to qualify for World Championships

Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago score wins in Concacaf U20 Championship qualifiers

AliyahAbrams is the first and so-far only Guyanese to book their spot at theAugust 19 – 29 World Championships in Hungary