Kaieteur News

Pegasus is second highest bidder for “profitable” Marriott Hotel

…proposesUS$55.5M,highestbiddercomesinatUS$65M

ByRenaySambach

Local businessman and owner of the Pegasus Hotel, Robert Badal, is one of six vying for the acquisition of the “profitable” Marriott Hotel located in Kingston Georgetown and is the second highest bidder with a proposalofUS$55.5million.

The sale of the US$60 million hotel is being facilitatedbyGovernmentof Guyana through National Industrial and Commercial

Investments Limited (NICIL) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NICIL, Radha Krishna Sharma, disclosed to this publication that six bidders met Monday's deadline for the submission of bids for the MarriottHotel.

Among the bidders is an American company, a Jamaicancompany,aswellas local companies. Coming in as the highest bidder at US$65 million is the American company X, LLC whose principal is listed as Ramy El-Batwari and Badal in second with a bid of US$55.5 million. The third highest bidder spot goes to a local consortium, Integrated Group Guyana Limited, headed by Ravindra Prashad withabidofUS$55million.

At fourth spot there is GeorgetownInvestmentsand Management Services Inc. (Princess Hotel), General Manager Mustafa Eray Kanmaz bidding US$50 million. The lowest bidders are: NCB Capital Markets

Limited, a Jamaican Company headed by Steve

GoodingwithabidofUS$33 million and Muneshwers

Limited, owned by Amarnauth Muneshwer with the lowest bid of US$25 million.

According to NICIL's statement, after bids were closed, the six companies were invited to attend a Bid Opening Meeting at NICIL's boardroom located at 199 Camp Street, Georgetown. It w a s n o t e d t h a t representatives from two bidders were present at the boardroom while a third joined virtually Thereafter, thesixbidswereopenedand readaloudinthepresenceof the representatives as well NICIL officials. The bidders andtheirrespectivebidswere recorded, signed and acknowledgedbythebidders andNICILofficials.

Pegasus

Back in July last year Badal opened up the iconic Pegasus Suites and Corporate Centre next door tothePegasusHotel.Builtat a cost of some US$100 million, President Irfaan Ali had described the project as iconic and transformational, noting that no Guyanese living 30 years ago would imagine that such a project could have been possible here He said that the buildingisonethathassome history that no other could match, as it is the first that had so many Heads of Government stayed prior to itsopening.

The President noted that allwhostayedpreviouslyhad enjoyed their stay, so it is clearthatseriousthoughtwas

putintotheproject.

The Guyana Chronicle had reported that Badal, during his address at the officialopening,saidthatthe project is a historic one for the company, Georgetown, and Guyana as a whole. He noted that the project was conceived long before Guyana struck oil and even with the country's new oil prospects,theyarehappythat the business could benefit f r o m t h e s p i n o f f o p p o r t u n i t i e s

Theproject,theinvestorsaid, is in reaction to the need for capacity-building and the expansion of rooms and conference facilities along with corporate spaces Pegasus Suites and

Corporate Centre comprises two towers, which feature

and chic restaurant and undergroundparkingforover 200cars.

The luxurious hotel and corporate space was constructed by the China Harbour Engineering Company and features building materials from Spain, Germany, the United States ofAmerica and China and is said to be of internationalstandard.

Profitablebusiness

The VP justified the sale of the hotel by stating that within a few years several hotels are expected to come on stream and in order to avoidcompetition,thisisthe best time to maximize the profitandsellthehotel.

Kaieteur News had highlighted that under the syndicated loan agreement, the preferred rights goes to those investors – meaning that in the event of the hotel being unable to service the loan–theunknowninvestors would have the first lien on theproceedsofanysale.

Back in 2017, AHI was unable to meet its due financialobligationstorepay thesyndicatedloan.Assuch, AHI had requested the assistance of NICIL, the guarantor but the state agency was also unable to assist.Inordertopreventthe hotelfrombeingacquiredby the bank, the former Government in April 2017 madethedecisiontotransfer AHI'sfinancialobligationsto the Central Government This decision has resulted in US$1 1 million ($226 million)oftaxpayers'dollars comingouteverysixmonths (since 2017) to service the US$27 million loan – for a 13-yearperiod.

However,tothistheVice President had stated that while in opposition, the People's Progressive Party Civic(PPPC)wasopposedto the loan obligation being transferred to central government. Jagdeo claimed that the loan being burdened on taxpayers had nothing to do with the hotel being unabletoserviceitsloan.

nti

uites, a conference centre, a modern

Meanwhile, with the companiesbidsrangingfrom as low as US$25 million to US$65million–itshouldbe noted that Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo, on March 30, 2023, disclosed that the Marriott Hotel is “a profitable venture” and is “making a profit”, but stated that it is of no supreme benefit to the Government owningitanymore.

The US$60M hotel started under the Jagdeo administration when he was President using taxpayers' dollarsandwithasyndicated loan through the Republic BankLimitedofTrinidadand hadopeneditsdoorsonApril 17,2015.

D u r i n g a p r e s s conference Vice President Jagdeosaidthattheproceeds fromthesaleofthehotelwill be used, “to clear off the remainingloanandsomeofit will come back to the Treasury to be used back for whatever purpose is determined.”

The VP had pointed out toothatdespitethehotelwas started at a time when others touted it as “a white elephant”, the hotel is now a money-making machine. He explained that as a result of the Government being generous to help trigger a new wave of hotel building, “ there is no particular supreme benefit to Government owning (the hotel),it'sbettertomaximise the money and invest it in something else backing healthcare or maybe in anotherfacility…”

M o r e o v e r , t h e Government has been reported in the media encouraging investors to build hotels as part of their plan to advance the hospitality sector in Guyana. Notably,therearesevennew hotelsbeingconstructed.The new hotels are expected to meet a demand of around 2,000roomsby2025.

The Marriott Hotel

Local businessman, Robert Badal (right) at the opening ceremony of the Pegasus Corporate Suites last year July

No EIA needed for Schlumberger's radioactive - EPA and calibration storage facility in Houston

The Environmental P r o t e c t i o n Agency (EPA) on Monday issued a notice stating that Schlumberger Guyana is exempt from having to produce an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for a radioactive source storage andcalibrationfacilityatLot 1AreaXHouston,EastBank Demerara(EBD).

The EPA said it has evaluated the project as per section 11 (2) of the Environmental Protection Act, taking into account the project's Site Verification Report, Environmental A s s e s s m e n t a n d Management Plan 2022, Project Summary, the International Atomic Energy AgencySafetyStandardsand Security Guidelines, the Application submitted, and f u r t h e r r e l e v a n t environmentalinformation.

Based on its assessment, theEPAsaidithasconcluded thattheenvironmentwillnot be significantly impacted by theprojectassuch;itsaidthe project is exempted from the requirement for an Environmental Impact Assessment(ElA).

In outlining the reasons for its decision, the regulator explained that the inventory of radioactive sources submitted with the application has been categorizedunderCategories 3-5 as per the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Categorization of Radioactive Sources (No.RS-G-1.9).

The EPA said it is important to note that the IAEAhasspecifiedthatthese sources may only pose a potential risk to individuals close to them when they are unshielded, with typical durations ranging from days toweeks.

Furthermore, the EPA saidthefacilitywillcalibrate and store sealed radioactive sources, meaning the radioactive material is enclosed within a tightly sealed capsule, surrounded by layers of non-radioactive material,andsecurelyaffixed

to a non-radioactive source, effectively preventing any potential leakage or environmental release of the radioactive material. It said toothatpropershieldingand distancing can significantly reduce the risk of radiation exposuretothepublic.

Furthermore, the EPA explained that the operator has demonstrated adequate safety and security measures to effectively limit public exposure to radiation in keeping with the IAEA SafetyStandards.

Itsaidtoothatthesource storage pits are constructed with300mmthickreinforced concreteandlinedwith7mm thick carbon steel plates, providing optimal shielding to restrict the movement of radiationwaves.

K a i e t e u r N e w s understands that the results of a radiation assessment at the storage and calibration buildingindicatedanaverage cumulative annual radiation dose of 0.931 mSv/y within thebuilding,whichiswithin theIAEApublicdoserateof 1 mSv/y Moreover, the assessment has determined that the radiation dose at a distance of 30m from the storage and calibration building is 0 001 mSv/y, which is significantly below the IAEA's standard for publicexposure.

Additionally, the EPA

thoroughfares, e.g. the East Bank Public Road, since all calibrated sources are returned offshore via vessels leaving the Port west of the Facility.

It said the internal transport reduces the risk of accidents, loss, and public exposure to radiation during transportation.

According to project documents seen by this newspaper, Schlumberger GuyanaInc.(SLB)saiditisa registered contractor in Guyanaandprovidesoilfield services to the oil and gas industry

(Reservoir Performance), in order to determine details of the formations passed through (lithology, porosity, fluidcontent,etc.).

Thesemeasurementsare of fundamental importance both during the drilling and afterwards to determine the successofthewell.

regulations and safe operating requirements for the use of ionizing radiation inoilandgasexplorationand production.

said air emissions from the facility will be generated by the sole stationary source of emissions, a 550kW diesel standbygenerator,aswellas mobile sources transporting thesealedsourceswithinthe facility's compound, which willreleaseparticulatesfrom thecombustionoffuel.

TheEPAwaskeentonote that the company has demonstrated using the best availabletechnology,suchas spark arrestors, and practices, such as regular preventative and corrective maintenance of engines to reduce emissions An air quality assessment indicated that the Nitric Oxide and Sulphate at the Facility were below the World Health Organisation (WHO) limits fortherespectivegases.

Importantly,theEPAsaid the facility will not produce radioactivewaste.

It said, “All sealed sources that are no longer in use or fail to meet the requirements for operations willbedeemeddisused.

Disused sources will be returned to their respective manufacturers or suppliers outsideofGuyana.

Therewillbenodisposal of disused sources within Guyana.”

Itsaidtoothatthecurrent location does not require the transportofthesourcesalong t h e m a i n p u b l i c

CLARIFICATION

Kaieteur News on Monday, April 17, 2023, published an article headlined, “Review of ExxonMobil's US$12.7B fifth project completed in five weeks…Jagdeo says field development plan in final review

stages ” The newspaper wishes to categoricallyclarifythattheVicePresident, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo did not say the review wascompletebutrather,isinthefinalstages.

S p e c i f i c a l l y , Schlumberger Guyana Inc. provides upstream services with four primary areas of focus to include well construction, reservoir production systems, digital andintegrationandreservoir performance SLB said radioactive sources are used intheoilandgasindustryfor well logging and well drilling.

The company said they are placed in tools that are loweredintothewell,bothon the drill string above the drillingbitduringthedrilling of the well (Well Construction) and on wireline lowered into the

SLBwaskeentonotethat itinventedthetechnologyof lowering measuring instruments into wells to evaluate the presence of hydrocarbons. Furthermore, SLB said it has been operating with radioactive sourcesthroughouttheworld sincetheearly1950'sandhas been in the forefront in assisting regulatory bodies such as the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the formulation of

SLB currently maintains licensed storage and calibration facilities in operating bases in many countries around the world including United States, Mexico, Venezuela, Trinidad, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Ecuador, all located in the Western Hemisphere. These facilities are built considering the highest safety standard in the industry preventing any potential human or environmentalrisk. All have been approved and licensed by the relevant regulatory bodies in those countries.

Publisher: DR. GLENN LALL - TEL: 624-6456

Editor-In-Chief: NIGEL WILLIAMS

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

FROM THE MOUTH OF BABES

Even the little children are speaking. Political leaders in government and opposition are best advisedtolistentothem,astheyhavesomething tosay Theymaybeyoung,buttheyalsohavesomethingto say about their oil wealth, what they expect from it, what theywillnotstandidlyby,andlethappen.

OurApril11theditioncarriedafrontpagephotographof threefemales,twoofwhomappeartobechildren.Thelatter were holding a placard with a simple, but powerful, message: “WEWILLNOTSETTLE FOR LESSTHANA FAIRSHARE.”

The children have stood up and said something in the shortestandsharpestterms.Itisthatwemustgetmorefrom ouroilpatrimony,wemustgetwhatrightlybelongstous,the trueownersofthismassivewealth.

We(they)wantafairshare,onlywhatisduetous. Wedo not want ExxonMobil’s share, we do not want everything, wedonotwanttopunishanyinvestor Allthatwewantis what is fair all around, meaning, fair to us and fair to ExxonMobilandpartners.

If we do not get that rightful share, ExxonMobil and othersofitskindcouldbeinforasurprise.Wheneventhe young children are coming out and speaking out, then ExxonMobilissavvyenoughtoknowthatwhatisinplace todayisnotlikelytohold.

It is because some of those children,possible future movers and shakers of Guyana, are who can and will be agents of change with this most damnable of oil contracts. When they do not get what they consider to be their fair share,thentheirfeetcouldbemarchinginthestreets,their anger and disgust in the faces of all foreign investors who come here to make money from their wealth, while they don’t.

The people at ExxonMobil should spend another momenttoweighthiswisdom. Ifthechildrenarespeaking assertively, it means that the adults in the home, their neighborsinthevillage,andtheirfellowcitizens(ofallages and political persuasions) throughout Guyana are making developments in their oil patrimony their business. Oil is more on the mind and on the lips of a greater number of Guyanese.

When oil is the subject, then the 2016 contract is an automaticpartoftheconversations. Now,whenthecontract is measured, then ExxonMobil transforms to the worst menacehangingoverthislandandblightingit.

ExxonMobilbecomesthebogeymanandconmanthatis lookeduponasGuyana’smostcruelandwantonenemy,and one that is mentally burnt in effigy A partner that is consideredfairandtrustworthy,onethatdoesnotstabinthe back, is never looked upon in this harsh, unforgiving manner

The hard truth must be faced: ExxonMobil has earned theincreasingwrathsofGuyanese,thegreatdistrusts,which are now attached to its name, the divide and devastate strategythatitemployshere.

ThechiefsofExxonMobilmayrestconfidentlyintheir thinking of how much they have the PPPC Government in hand, subject to their every command; and how much they have handcuffed the Opposition, getting it to go along. At the end of the day, it is the Guyanese people, adults and children, who will determine the destiny of this country Thechildrenarerisingandcallingnowforafairshare,wedo not think that either ExxonMobil or its Guyanese loyalists wouldbesolow,socheap,sovileastowagewaragainstthe childrenofGuyana.

ThePresidenthasahistoryofshoutingdownadultsthat he finds objectionable when their interest is about oil. It wouldberevealinghowherespondsnowthatthechildrenof Guyanaarepushingfortheirfairshare.

Thelessourelectedpoliticalleaderswanttotalkabout oil, the more Guyanese want to talk about their share, and know what their government is doing to get that for them. We encourage everyone: local politicians and foreign investors:pauseandlistentothechildren.

Guyanamustgetitsfairshare,ifnottherewillnotbeany settlingforthepaltry,insulting,andimpoverishing.

The PPP’s focus on infrastructure will not eliminate poverty and inequality in Guyana

DEAREDITOR,

By now, the people of Guyanawouldhavegrasped to varying degrees of understandingthatthePPP’s economic and political thinkingwillnot,forthevast majority of citizens, eliminate poverty, inequality, and economic insecurity,willnotliftliving standards,andwillnotcreate a society where shared prosperity and good governance prevail. The PPP’s approach to development is abundantly clear: spend most of the national budget on infrastructure, grant opportunities and favors to business cronies, and hope for growth in economic output and a trickling down of benefits to the ordinary people.

The PPP proudly refers to this approach as its focus onpublicinvestment.Weare told that one day it will land all Guyanese in the land of prosperity The PNCR and the Coalition believe differently The PPP’s

approach will deliver no significant development to thepeoplewhoneeditmost. AndhereiswhereGuyanese must see the contrast between the PPP’s approach a n d w h a t t h e PNCR/Coalition is proposing As the Opposition Leader Norton spelt out at his last Press

C o n f e r e n c e , t h e PNCR/Coalitionproposesto directly invest heavily in human development and the well-being of people. For two main reasons: i) direct expenditures on people spur economic growth and development over the shortto-longterm.

E x a m p l e s a n d explanations abound on this well-established correlation. One of the most conclusive examples comes out of the USwhereithasbeenshown that states that historically invested in childcare provision now perform better on several key socioeconomic parameters than states that did not; and (ii) spending directly on the

advancementandwell-being of people is a government’s foremostmoralobligationto thepeople.Thatobligationis enshrined in what is known as the social contract betweenthepeopleandtheir government which defines what is expected from government by the people and establishes the legitimacy of the state over the people. So, what the PPP likes to dismiss as public consumption is, in fact, a powerful driver of economic growth and development. The PNCR therefore rejects the PPP’s trickle-down approach (trickle-up,asitmostlyturns out)andisinsteadadvancing a bottom-up, middle-out s o c i o - e c o n o m i c development strategy by putting low-to-middle income people first. As Opposition Leader Norton explained:“Themorepeople participate as workers, producers, consumers, investors, and citizens, the better are the chances of building a vibrant and

prosperous society and economy for all.” He pointedly added: “We therefore believe that economic growth and development must be inclusive,wherenocitizenis excluded by virtue of poverty, deprivation, unemployment and underemployment, low income, no savings, social marginalization, and discrimination.”

At the end of the day, which is the better approach can best be tested not by GDP numbers or budgetary expenditures or miles of roads built, but by people’s subjective wellbeing and their quality of life, such as their guaranteed access to good and free healthcare, food and nutrition, and opportunities for selfadvancement and stable income-earning.

The PPP’s focus on infrastructure and business cronyism will not get the countryanywherenearthere.

Regards, SherwoodLowe

Confronting the Crisis: Tackling drug abuse among youths

DEAREDITOR,

Drugabuseisapervasive problem in today’s society, and unfortunately, it is a problem that affects many young people. Drug abuse among youths can have a significant impact on their physicalhealth,mentalwellbeing,andoverallqualityof life. One of the primary factors that contribute to drug abuse in youths is peer pressure. Young people are ofteneagertofitinwiththeir peers and may feel pressure toexperimentwithdrugsasa way of gaining acceptance. Additionally, many young people are simply curious and want to try drugs to see what all the fuss is about. However, experimenting withdrugscanquicklyspiral out of control, leading to addiction and a host of negativeconsequences.

Another factor that contributes to drug abuse in youths is the availability of drugs. Many young people have easy access to drugs, either through friends, family members, or drug dealers The ready availabilityofdrugsmakesit easier for young people to experiment with them and canleadtoaddiction.

Stress and anxiety are also contributing factors to drug abuse in youths. Many

young people face intense pressure to perform well in school, sports, or other activities, which can lead to stressandanxiety Drugscan provide a temporary escape from these pressures, but they ultimately only make theproblemworse.

So what can be done to address the problem of drug abuse in youths? One approach is to provide education and prevention programs that help young people understand the dangers of drug abuse and thenegativeconsequencesit can have on their lives.This education should be comprehensive and cover a rangeoftopics,includingthe physical and psychological effects of drugs, addiction, and the legal consequences ofdruguse.

Another approach is to provide young people with positive outlets for their energy and creativity This could include after-school programs, sports teams, music lessons, or other activities that help young people build self-esteem, develop social skills, and connect with positive role models.Byprovidingyoung people with positive alternativestodrugs,wecan help reduce the appeal of drugs and make it easier for

themtoresistpeerpressure.

Finally,itisimportantto provide young people with access to quality treatment and support services if they do develop a drug problem.

This could include counseling, support groups, andotherresourcesthathelp young people overcome addiction and develop the skills they need to lead healthy,drug-freelives.

In conclusion, drug abuse among youths is a serious problem that requires a multifaceted

DEAREDITOR,

The school term was scheduled to begin on Monday after the usual Easterbreak.TheMinistryof Education exercise poor judgment in allowing schools to be out for school forGECOMnominationday activities. GECOM should beblamedfornotlookingfor other options to facilitate its nomination day activities withoutdisruptingchildren’s education.

Every elections affect school children. Thus, 2 school days are taken away from our children On nominationdayandelection. Atatime,whenthenationis recovering from learning

approach to address By providing education and prevention programs, positive alternatives to drugs, and access to treatment and support services,wecanhelpreduce the incidence of drug abuse among young people and improvetheiroverallquality oflife.

Itisuptoallofustowork togethertocreateasaferand healthier future for our youngpeople.

Regards,

WayneLyttle

loss, it seems that the Ministerwhoherself,instead of functioning as a Minister was seen busy with nominationdayevents.

Inthefuture,theMinistry needstoinformthepublicof its plan to cater for learning loss everyone GECOM disrupts the school system. With a budget of $6 Billion, better arrangement can be made.Theoptions are many such as NDC buildings, RDC buildings, markets, a sports ground, etc. GECOM clearlydidn’tthinkaboutthe nation’s children when it asked for these scholls to be closed.

YourTruly, WorriedParent

Poor judgment by GECOM

Citizens more concerned about making ends meet, not lections

DEAREDITOR,

Local Government Elections are some eight weeks away Candidates filed nominations on Monday. The PPP that governs at the center says it has put up candidates in all seats in all eighty local entities (70 NDCs and 10 Municipalities).

The AFC said it is not contesting LGE 2023. It is not known as yet how many seatstheoppositionPNCand independents are contesting. But the official opposition party says it is contesting in all of its strongholds. The statement suggests that PNC will not contest in PPP strongholds,givingtheparty a free pass. And even if the PNCdoesfieldcandidates,it will be decimated in seats traditionallywonbythePPP

Polling data from

January thru now shows defeatisstaringinthefaceof the opposition forces. There is no support for low key, unknown independents. The PNC is not attracting much support and several prominent individuals once associated with the party as recently as 2021 have crossed over to the ruling

PPP

There is no cross over supporttowardsPNC,andno voter indicated they will migrate from PPP to PNC.

However, there is a lot of cross over racial support (from PNC) for PPP that enhances its prospect of wresting seats traditionally won by PNC. The PPP is making inroads everywhere in every municipality and stronghold of the PNC PollingsuggeststhatthePPP will do extremely well in Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdam and other urban areas.

Theincumbentpartywill run away with the elections winning more than three quartersofthe80bodies.So far, the LGE has been a low key affair There is hardly any significant PNC p r e s e n c e i n a n y neighborhoods. There is virtually no election related materials not even in its strongholds. In contrast, the PPP election paraphernalia are overwhelmingly on display swarming entire neighborhoods including PNCstrongholds.

The PNC campaign c o m e s a c r o s s a s insufficiently funded, uncoordinated, and lacking focusandappearsdividedas prominent MPs and former stalwarts are not part of the LGEcampaign.

Supporters of the PNC blame the parlous state of affairsoftheoppositionparty on the leadership of Aubrey

Norton. Also, voters have nothing complimentary to say about the PNC and its leadership.

IncontrastwiththePNC, thePPPcomesacrossasvery united and organized and flushwithfunds.

It has been successful to attract several cross over candidates in NDCs that PNC won in the last two LGEs. In addition, President Irfaan Ali’s leadership has beenpraised,andhehasbeen credited for bringing people together and spreading development work all over the country as against what occurredduringthetenureof the coalition The ruling party has also been praised for focusing on economic recovery after the devastating consequences of Covid-19.

One problem with the LGE is many people are not aware there is an election. More than half of the populationappearstunedout and tone deaf and are more focused on making ends meetratherthanonjoininga campaign.

They complain about high cost of living and low wages to be bothered about elections. Thus, turnout will be very low, impacting both majorparties.

Yourstruly,

VishnuBisram

wish my friends who have abandoned the PNC-ship all the best

DEAREDITOR,

Human kind and nature have always throughout history maintained an interestingrelationship

When I learnt of the movementofacertainfriend and erstwhile political colleague to another political party, this recent defectioncausedmetorecall the activity of my wife, Dr. Basdeo who is now an avid gardener. It is necessary on occasion to have weeds plucked out to allow the usefulvegetablestoflourish.

My second observation is the constant attraction of thefilthylucre.

Third, I ask those in the struggle to be reminded to make Guyana a good and great place that all the great Prophets and Sages had to confront the shortsighted notunderstandingthenature of our struggle. Let us pity those in that latter category One example, Jesus of Nazareth had twelve disciples, one denied knowing him, one doubted him and one betrayed him forthirtypiecesofsilver

In life, material things alone must not dominate. Today with the enormous resources available, let us

Is Linden excluded from Govt.’s ‘One Guyana’Theme?

DEAREDITOR,

Linden Town Week is just five days away Thousands of residents in Linden and visitors from around the world are preparingtopartakeinoneof Guyana’s celebrations of richhistoryandculture.

We thank the many Local, National, and Internationalbusinesseswho havejoinedhandsinmaking the fifteen events managed bytheLindenMayorand T o w n C o u n c i l successful With the exception of the Ministry of Public Works, noticeably absent from the support and preparationsforthismassive tourismandsocialevent,for whichlettersweresentsince February, are the Office of the President, Prime Minister, and government agencies such as the Ministries of Culture,Youth and Sport, Business, Tourism, Local Government and Regional Development, Education, Home Affairs, Labor which provided overwhelming support to other recent regional events such as the Bartica Regatta

andLethemRodeo.

The ‘One Guyana’ concept seemingly does not extend to Linden, as there has been no response to the many emails, phone calls, and texts messages to these Ministers and their offices. This position taken is one that we have never

encountered over the 26 years that Linden Town Weekhasbeeninexistence. We pose these questions to President Ali, “Are we a partofthe‘OneGuyana’that his administration touts? If we are, then why isn’t the same support given to other partsofGuyananotprovided

toLinden?”

Despite this, Linden will showcase itself to the world as proud Guyanese despite the deafening silence from ourelectedofficials.

Yoursforservice, HerWorship WanekaArrindell,JP MayorofLinden

together heal and not peel. let us not forget the pain of our noble ancestors, indigenous people, those who were enslaved and those who labored long hours on the plantation as Indentured Labourers, all to make the ruling elite richer and richer and offering trinkets and clothing to the house slaves who did not recognise that they were at theendofthedaystillslaves.

Is this history repeating itself in Guyana today with the emergence of a superclass versed in the techniques and stratagem of the colonial masters who flourished using divide and rule for many generations andpartofthemasterplanto enrich one group and as we

see in Guyana, in the fast growing economy, cost of livingisincreasingeveryday andthegapbetweenthevery rich and the poor keeps wideningandthatpoorclass is mainly among the Indo and Afro Guyanese. I wish my friends who have abandoned the PNC-ship all the best and to remind them that those of us who know better will always forgive andwelcomethembackinto thefoalandhelpusblowthe trumpet for unity and togethernesssothatallofus can share equitable in the bountytheCreatorhasgiven us and to remind them that historywasnotkindtothose whobetrayedthegroup.

Regards, HamiltonGreen

I

Congratulations to Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPPC for their spectacular showing on Nomination Day

DEAREDITOR,

It cannot go unrecorded or unnoticed that Bharrat Jagdeo as the General Secretary of the PPPC is a masterclass political strategist and an inclusive l e a d e r a s c a n b e demonstrated in the PPPC’s organising and team selection for the upcoming localgovernmentelections. His ability to lead his partytogalvanisesupporters and leaders from all sectors of society is most

impressive To have motivated and inspired so many hardcore former PNC andAPNUmemberssuchas the former Mayor ChaseGreen to be part of his party list speaks volumes on what was always suspected as the destructionofthePNCbyits clueless and uninspiring leader Aubrey Norton and his inability to keep his core membership together. Mr. Norton’s PNC party’s nominations continue to show a lack of diversity, are

unimpressive,andprovethat he does not have what it takes to build a team or to even be a national leader Norton’s party needs to reexaminehisleadershipashe doesnothavewhatittakesto play in the big leagues as he continues to carry the party backward. Congratulations to Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPPC for their spectacular showingonNominationDay 2023.

Yourstruly, BrianAzore

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There is no end to the shenanigans of Exxon.

Exxon owns the insurance company providing coverage for Guyana.

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This is like a prisoner having a key to his own cell.

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He can do what pleases.

Cause as much damage as possible. But experience no penalty, bear no responsibility, pay any costs.

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Guyanese: this is how Exxon is exposing, endangering all citizens.

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Exxon's subsidiary insurance company and Guyana

Exxon declares force majeure on oil lifts in Nigeria amid strike by oil workers

Inresponsetoindustry action by oil workers, E x x o n M o b i l ' s

Nigerianaffiliatehasdeclared force majeure at multiple oil export terminals. Declaring forcemajeurehasallowedthe oil company to skip its contractualobligationsdueto events outside of its control.

A spokesperson for Exxon, Michelle

Gray said in a statement on Monday that, “This is due to an industrial action by our inhouse workers union,” adding, “We will continue to take all reasonable actions necessary to resolve the impasseassoonaspossible.”

Gray also said, “The safety of our people, assets and environment remains our toppriority.”

According to reports, unions took action after failing to resolve a dispute over pay, pension and other issues.

The disruption will be a blow to Nigeria, whose oil supply has been beset by disruptions, including theft from oil pipelines and sabotage,forseveralyears.

Reuters reported that Nigeria is trying to lift production to 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd), recovering its long time positionasthelargestAfrican producer of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC).

PAHO and partners launch report series to support healthy aging strategies in the Americas

In the third quarter last year, production in Nigeria fell behindAngola to about 1 millionbpdascompanieslike Shell PLC and TotalEnergies exited the country amid widespread corruption and securityissues.

Nigeria produced 1 38

Aseries of reports that seek to contribute tothedevelopmentofhealthyagingstrategies intheAmericaswaslaunchedonMondayby the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in collaboration with other United Nations agencies and the Inter-American System.

theseyearsarelivedinbetterhealth.Forthis to happen, strategies must be implemented not only during old age but throughout the entire life course. It is also key to provide favorable environments for the elderly and integrated, person-centered health care, with anemphasisonprimarycare.

million bpd in February, according to OPEC's latest report.Exxonhasbeentrying to sell US$1.2 billion in shallow-water assets in Nigeria, where it finds operations “challenging,” the company told Reuters in February, while keeping deep-water assets further fromthecoast.

“The series – 'The Decade of Healthy Aging in the Americas: Situation and Challenges' - presents an overview of different aspects of aging and the health situationofolderpersonsintheregion,where life expectancy reached 77.2 years in 2019. Thesereportsconstituteasignificantadvance in the consolidation of data and information on population aging and on the health and well-beingofolderpersonsintheAmericas," PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa said "Throughthem,itwillbepossibletoidentify, understand and address many of the challenges and opportunities that profound and accelerated aging will present for the Americas,"hesaid.

Theregionisagingrapidly Itisestimated that,by2030,therewillbemorepeopleover the age of 60 than under the age of 15.And while life expectancy at birth for both sexes increased by three years between 2000 and 2019, men and women in the region live on average 9.7 and 12.3 years in poor health, respectively

Poverty and inequality influence the life course and the conditions in which people spend their old age, a factor also highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The fact that peoplearelivinglongerreflectsprogress,but the challenge now is to ensure that most of

The series is launched within the context of the United Nations Decade for Healthy Aging(2021-2030)withtheaimofproviding accurate and reliable information so that countries can advance strategies, actions and policies that promote healthy aging of all populations.

The reports focus on various topics, including the human rights of older persons, their access to new technologies and the economic context of aging, as well as the situation of indigenous older persons and older persons within the LGBTIQA+ community Several articles present information on the impact of COVID-19 on older people with a view to protect this populationinfutureemergencies.

"We cannot imagine inclusive and sustainable development, if we do not put people at the center of strategies. This includes both older people and the next generations," said the PAHO Director The series is the result of collaboration between PAHO and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Economic Commission for LatinAmerica and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Organization of American States (OAS) and the International TelecommunicationUnion(ITU).

JAGDEO IS WRONG ABOUT EUROPE AND NATURAL GAS

Bharrat Jagdeo is misreading, yet again, the smoke signals emanating from the developed world. At his most recent press conference – if it can be called that – he suggested that Europe is changing its stance towards natural gas and is moving towards greater acceptance of it as a transitionalfuel.

Jagdeo could not be more misinformed. Europe isfirmlyontheroadtowards increasing the use of renewables and is not necessarilyshiftingitsfocus away from this objective.

Europe remains firmly committed to increasing renewables as a share of its energysupplyby2030.

Europe, of course is highly dependent on natural gas for its heating during winter More than 30% of homes in the European Uniondependonnaturalgas for heating. Prior to the invasionofUkriane,Russian accounted for about 40% of Europe’sgasimports.While Europe has cut imports of pipeline gas from Russia, it has ironically increased its imports of liquefied natural gas(LNG)fromthatcountry

The conflict involving Russia and Ukraine triggered Europe to take a

decision to reduce its dependence on pipeline gas

from Russia Europe developed a plan to cut natural gas imported by almost two-thirds and to reducetheuseofgasby15% in 2022. Russia countered thisbyputtingconditionson imports.Thecombinationof these threatened to throw energy markets in Europe into a tailspin during the wintermonths.

But America and milder winter came to the rescue. America’s exports of liquefied natural gas to Europemorethandoubledin 2022 over the 2021 level. Thisisjustoneofthewaysin which the Americans are benefitting from the war in Ukraine. Norway was also a primebeneficiaryofcutback inRussiansupplies.Itisnow the leading exporter of naturalgastoEurope.

But Europe did not use as much of its natural gas reserves as its presumed because the winter was less severe than had previously been predicted. As such, Europe has higher than anticipated inventories. All of this had the effect of pulling natural gas prices downwards, something that does not fit into Jagdeo theory about Europe’s relationshipwithnaturalgas. This cutback in supplies of

Dem Boys Seh...

natural gas by Russia and fears over shortages led to increased investment in LNG infrastructure Germany, in particular, acceleratedtheproductionof LNG storage infrastructure. However, it is now being suggested that Europe may have overshot its mark and risks having more LNG capacity than it would need leading to the end of the decade.

Jagdeo is therefore confusing investments in LNG terminals and storage infrastructure, intended to handle greater imports of LNG, with the idea of Europe switching more to natural gas as a transition fuel.

The fact is that natural gas production in Europe is on a declining path, includinginNorwayandthe Netherlands, major natural gas producers. Prices have alsodeclinedinrecenttimes thusservingasadisincentive to new investments in naturalgas.

Europeplanstocutback gas consumption by a massive40%by2030.Ithas alreadycutbackonitsuseof naturalhasby20%. Sowhy invest in natural gas when these things are happening? It makes you wonder where Jagdeo came up with this idea that Europe may be

FASTING IS GOOD FOR DE SPIRIT AND DE BODY!

Guyana is land of many religions.And yuhcanlearnalotfromreligionspractices likefasting.

Fastingnahonlygood fuh yuh spirit.It also good fuh yuh body It does give it a chance to rest, purify, heal and remake itself.Demboysdoesshowrespecttoallof we major religions.And so dem boys does fast during Lent, Ramadan and Navatri. Dem boys does try fuh keep up with de traditions of dem religions. Dem boys system get attuned to de fasting. So dem boysdoeshardlygetanymajorsideeffects. Sometimes, dem boys does feel hungry whendemfastingbutafterafewdaysdem boysdoesgetaccustomedtoit.

Butstilldemboysdoesbecarefulwhen

dembreakingdemfast.Demboysdoeseat light and drink nuff liquids so as to not put desystemundertoomuchstrainwhendem breaking de fast.And dem boys don’t feel anyeffectsofdefastingbecauseofdat. But deodderdaydemboystekapeeppunsome menwahbreakingdemfast.Demchapseat loud and lavish. If yuh see dem man plate when dem breaking fast. Is nuff food and nuff fancy food dem eating. It mek dem boysfeelenvious. Butdemboysknowdat de fasting is intended to mek yuh a more humble, disciplined and contended person. Andsodespitewhatdemboysseedemman eating, dem boys gan stick to dem simple dietwhenbreakingdefast. Talkhalf.Leffhalf!

making an about turn on its position regarding natural gas?

He obviously needs to justify the highly risky investment which the PPPC is making in a gas-to-shore project That project is intended solely to meet domestic demand and is not likely to be factor in natural gasexports.

Guyanaisnevergoingto be a major LNG exporter TheUnitedStatesisnowone ofthreeleadingexportersof natural gas in the world and

this why Jagdeo needs to be extremelycautiousaboutthe role of US companies and financinginthegas-to-shore and gas- to-energy projects the PPPC is undertaking. And it is for this reason also that he needs to examine alternatives to the use of natural gas in Guyana. By turning a blind eye of less riskier and cheaper alternatives, Jagdeo may be clutching at straws and at misinformation concerning the future of natural gas in Europe’senergymix.

(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.)

H@RD TRUTHS

BY GHK LALL

AMID THE UNTHINKABLE, THE UNMENTIONABLE

Let me be about love where there is hate. Let me be about serenity amid the putridity. Let me about pardon where there is great injury. All of these must prevail today, if only for standardssake.

There was a time when anger flared easily No more, so unbreachable the armor. Even disgust is a difficultstatetoreach,andit

is not because of any j a d e d n e s s f r o m oversaturation by the d r e a d f u l n e s s n o w normalised in Guyana. It is because of the supreme confidence that this is the better way to walk this life. Itcanbeadrainingstandard, on rare occasions, but there mustbetheirondisciplineto overcome amid a system of governance, a caliber of

leadership that is decayed and twisted to the core. I know Ms. Davina Bagot. She qualifies to be a respected sister of mine, evenadaughter Asmuchas recoiling flares at what agents of the PPP Governmentdidtoher,Idig deep for calm amidst an unspeakableoutrage,forthe willingness to speak to His Excellency, President Dr.

Irfaan Ali, my leader, my brother I confess that at a time like this I really do not wish to address my brother, thePresident.ButImust.

PresidentAliwastheone who said “we are an honorable government….” I respectfully disagree, Excellency. Today, the disagreements are miles longer, oceans deeper, than before. I present Journalist Ms. Davina Bagot, and she stands as what mocks any claims to the “honorable” Excellency An honorable government does not descend into the sewer to send the most scurrilous of signals to those engaged in honest toil, in the pursuit of truth, real truths An honourable government does not employ so many people plagued by so manychronic sicknesses No, President Ali. And, Excellency, leaders of stature do not include in theircircleofworkerseither thesordidorthecowardlyor thesocriminallyinclined. It is but the smallest of steps, Dr President, to progress with infectious energy from savaging with words from cyberspacetowoundingina physicalmannerduetorage andrancorflowingoverinto the uncontrollable, and also theunmentionable.

Thereweregovernments in Argentina and Chile that made a living by killing the reputationofothers.

In time, they proceeded

to other types of destroying In today’s Nicaragua, dissenting citizens are cutoff from the umbilical cord of their motherland. Itisofan enraged government again, and the brutes that are employed to do such dirty deeds. Howmanystepsare we away from that disfiguringstate,Excellency

Ali? An honorable government, I take pains to remindthePresident,hasno fear Of truth. Of probing media. Ofhonestjournalists working on a principled basis to get the bottom of what is mysterious, when it should not be; to shed light wherethereisdarkness,and which also should not exist; and to hold leaders and ministersaccountable,when suchisthethingmostdistant fromtheirminds.

Similarly, I go to the lengths of humbly alerting President Ali that Ms Davina Bagot’s rights have been tampered with, and in the worst waysthat could be conceived. Ms. Bagot’s right to work has been sabotaged. Ms. Bagot’s right as a woman, right as a daughterofGuyana,rightas a sister rising from this soil have all been stabbed and scornedandsavagedinways inhuman, by those possibly less than human Ms Bagot’s right to freedom of expression, freedom of association, and freedom to

livewithoutfearandinpeace have all been interfered with,andlefthemorrhaging.

To President Ali, my brother, I am left with no choice but to say that those violations are the actions of a dishonorable government. It is a government made insecurebyitsownsecrets,a government frightened by the sum of its failures, its follies, and its endless farces I humbly recommendtomyPresident Alithatheconsultswithhis owntrustedpeopletoarrive at still better conclusions of the accuracy of everything thatIputonthetableinfront ofhim.Tohiscredit,itismy belief that the President is trying for a better standard ofgovernance. Regrettably, there are those destructive elements within his government that he should preside over, but which are not in his grasp, not under his control Those dangerous and destructive components-some human, some the litany of corrupt practices-arebiggerthanthe President himself, and of that it is my disturbing, unwanted duty to deliver to his face. When a government does what is right, Dr President, there is nothing to defend. When governance is honorable, Excellency, there is no need to attack and libel and defame anyone, especially someone like Ms. Davina Bagot (as was inflicted on me). And when leadership is characterized by an impeccabilityofsagacity,an immaculacyofdignity,then there is absolutely none under his or her watch who woulddaretoconceivesuch an ugly, deformed, and diseased thought and, then worse still, do it. President Ali: it is my terrible task to bethemessengerandinform this nation and the world of the dreadful, criminal, state thatGuyanaistoday,andthe nature of the PPP Government that leads it. I prayformycountry

(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.)

HARDTRUTHS BYGHKLALL

Hundreds of millions to supervise construction of four stellings

Five firms have submitted millions inbidstosupervise the conduction of four stellingsacrossthecountry

The stellings are being built by the Ministry of Public Works This was revealed during a recent opening of tenders which stated that the ministry is seeking supervisory services fortheconstructionofLot1: the Kingston Goods Wharf and Port Kaituma Stelling in Region One and Lot 2: the BarticaandLeguanStellings.

The firms that submitted bids at the National Procurement and Tender

Associates bid $95,032,000 for the contract at Lot 1, and $72,578,000 to oversee the projects at Lot 2; Kalitech Inc placed a bid of $37,700,100 for the two facilities at Lot 1 and $37,700,100 for the stellings at Lot 2; CEMCO Inc. bid $43,700,000 for the contract at Port Kaituma and KingstonWharf;whileCB& Associates bid only to supervise Bartica and Leguan works to the tune of $37,734,000.

K a i e t e u r N e w s understands that while the ministry is carrying out worksattheKingstonGoods

Works ongoing in March at the Leguan Stelling. (Photo courtesy, Ministry of Public Works)

Administration Board (NPTAB) office are: E&A Consultants Inc.$69,533,400 to supervise works at the Kingston Goods Wharf and Port Kaituma Stelling (both fall under Lot1) and a bid of $53,722,308 for Bartica and Leguan Stellings (both fall u n d e r L o t 2 ) ; SRKN'gineering &

Wharf and Port Kaituma Stelling to accommodate a new vessel, works has been ongoing for some years for the reconstruction of the Bartica and Leguan Stellings.

Back in March, a $553 millioncontractwasawarded to K&K Construction and Hardware Supplies to

complete the works at the Bartica Stelling a project which has been ongoing since2017.

As for the Leguan Stelling, the $413 million facility was given until June tobecompleted.

Kaieteur News understands that works on thisstellinghasbeenongoing

since 2018 by contractor S. MarajContractingServices. It was reported in the media that this project includestheexpansionofthe

stelling platform through the construction of the reinforced concrete stelling that will be adjacent to the existingstructure.

The new reinforced concrete section of the stelling will be constructed on 228 pre-stressed concrete piles and will measure some 160ftby130ft.

A new link-span bridge will be incorporated into the structure.

It will also facilitate the mooringoftheferry,theoffloading of commodities and the ingress and egress of passengersandvehicles.

Theprojectalsocatersfor the construction of an admin building which will be utilized by the staff of the Transport and Harbours Department to oversee the operations.

Meanwhile,latelastyear, the Ministry had signed a $1,056,452,458 (US$5M) contract with Kares Engineering Inc. to upgrade the Kingston Goods wharf. This project is being conducted to facilitate the newUS$12.7millionNorthWest Ferry – MV Ma Lisha. Similarly, the stelling at Port Kaituma would be upgraded toalsoaccommodatethenew ferry

A section of the Kingston Goods Wharf.

Bartica Stelling back in 2021. (Photo courtesy DPI)

Moruca residents urged to speak out against sexual and domestic Violence…duringthree-dayoutreachbyDPPandW&GEC

Residents of Kwebanna and Manawarin in Sub-Region 1, Moruca are being urged to speak out against sexual and domestic violencewhichareprevalent inthecommunities.

The call was made by representatives of the Director of Public Prosecution's Chambers during a three-day collaborative outreach with the Women and Gender Equality Commission ( W & G E C ) t o t h e communities from April 13 to15,2023.

The mostly women and girls who attended the meetings,wereurgedtostop peeping from behind their curtains during acts of domestic violence and call thepolice.

islonghebeatingsheorshe

beating he, " DPP's Communication's Officer, Liz Rahaman told the residents.

R a h a m a n w a s accompanied by State CounselMarisaEdward.

Several residents complained that they would make reports of sexual offences and domestic violence to sitting Toshaos, butoftenthereportswerenot reported to the Acquiro Police Station and sometimes when such reports were given to the police, they were not investigated.

T h e D P P ' s Representatives explained that while Toshaos are empowered to deal with issues within their communities, they do not

Region One obtained from theChildcareandProtection Agency's 2022 Annual Report revealed that there were29SexualOffences,30 matters for delinquent behaviour, reports of physical abuse, reports for attempted suicide, cases of neglect committed on children, a total of 13 underage and teenage pregnancies and one stab woundreport.

From2022topresent,the DPP's Chambers received

andgavelegaladviceinnine police files for the offences of attempted murder, sexual offences and felonious wounding.

Other major complaints

highlighted were the consumption of alcohol by teenagers and selling of alcohol to them, teenage pregnancy, selling and smoking of marijuana by schoolagedchildrenandthe inhalation of gasoline by youths.

IntheremoteManawarin

area, one elder made an appeal for the relevant authority to establish a Police Outpost in order to have a constant police presence.

ThemainAcquiroPolice Stationisapproximatelyone hour'sdrivefromthisareaby trailduringthedryweather

Toshaos and residents thanked the DPP's team for its outreach since it gave themtheopportunitytolearn and better understand the functions and works of the

DPP's Office within the CriminalJusticeSystem.

M e a n w h i l e , t h e W&GEC representatives urged the women to become moreinvolvedincommunity leadership and governance andtosupporteachother

"Unity is strength, so cometogetherandpoolyour knowledge and whatever small resources you have to come up with ways that would be beneficial to your community," a W&GEC representativesaid.

"Stop peeping from behind your blinds when your neighbor is being beatenup,regardlessifit'sa man or woman...domestic violence, sexual violence is all crimes and crime is everybody's business. Call the police; stop the whispering in your home, 'lookhebeatingsheagainor look she beating he again because when the beatings escalate to more serious crime like murder, it will be too late when you tell the police,"islongtheyfighting,

have the authority to deal with serious and indictable criminalmatterslikesexual offences, murders and domesticviolence.

"You can deal with the issues like disorderly behaviour and noise nuisance, not the serious oneslikerapeanddomestic violence,” a representative from the DPP's Chambers toldtheresidents.

Meanwhile, the DPP's Chambers in a statement following the outreach noted that statistics for

State Counsel, Marisa Edwards interacting with residents

CReW+ Guyana Project launched to improve water quality and sanitation in Guyana

The launch of the Caribbean Regional Fund for Wastewater Management+ Guyana Project (CReW+) was held on Monday at the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) boardroom in Shelterbelt, Georgetown.

It was attended by various government officials and i n t e r n a t i o n a l a g e n c y representatives, including the Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, and the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, StephanieZiebell.

The CReW+ Guyana Project aims to support local efforts in improving water quality and sanitation in Guyana through an integrated approach to water and wastewater management, using innovativesolutionsandpromoting financing mechanisms. One of the keyareasoffocusundertheproject

is the upgrade of the sewage network and the construction of a biodigester in Kwakwani, a community of about 2,500 residents located up the Berbice River Thisbiodigesterwillprovide energytothesewageplant,helping to improve the wastewater managementinthearea.

T h e L i n d e n Wa t e r InfrastructureProgrammewillalso receive support from the CReW+Guyana Project, with a focusonreducingwaterlossesand improving access to treated water for all residents in Linden

Additionally, efforts will be made to protect vital water sources through stakeholder training to ensure proper management A portion of the fund from the CReW+ Project will also be utilized to protect the water source atWestWokoota,whichGWIplans

Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal (fourth left) with senior officials of GWI and other agencies

to exploit soon in order to reduce relianceontheDemeraraRiver

Other initiatives under the CReW+GuyanaProjectincludethe establishment of a National ElectronicDatabasethatwillguide GWIinitsstrategicplantoprotect groundwater resources and other water sources, as well as measure

sewageoutflowsintotheDemerara River Furthermore, a wastewater treatment plant will be constructed inGeorgetown.

MinisterCroalcommendedthe project, stating that it supports national efforts to improve the quality of life for citizens and contributes to the achievement of

APNU confident of holding on to Linden

ByVanessaBraithwaite

Former Region 10 Chairman, Sharma Solomon and former Member ofParliament,VanessaKisssoonareon the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) list of candidates for the municipalityofLindenattheupcoming LocalGovernmentElections.

Solomon and Kissoon are seen as criticalvote-gettersforthepartnership. Local Government Elections will be th heldonJune12 2023.AtNomination DayonMondayKissoonandSolomon hadtheirnamespresentedaspartofthe APNU's list by their political party's representativesattheGECOMofficein Mackenzie,Linden.

The entire proceeding was filled with pomp and circumstance as the People'sProgressivePartybroughtout scores on the streets of Republic Avenue. Led by Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill, who has ministerial oversight of the town, the PPP's list is being headed by Dr ShurlandMurray

Regional Chairman Deron Adams

ledtheAPartnershipforNationalUnity along with Solomon and Kissoon. Partysupporterstradedwords,chanted and heckled as they waited for the

representatives to submit the lists. While there was some initial disagreementwithwhoshouldsubmit (Continuedonpage16)

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, which focuses on clean water and sanitation.Guyanaaimstoachieve SDG6by2025,fiveyearsaheadof the UN's 2030 target The CReW+GuyanaProjectisexpected to play a crucial role in helping Guyanareachthisgoal.

Rice farmers seeing higher yields despite lower acreages sown

Thenationalyieldforthe secondcropofricefor2022is averagingoversixtonnesper hectare despite challenges faced by farmers due to climate change, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustaphahasdisclosed.

During his weekly sector update programme, the minister revealed that the improvements seen by the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) were a result of farmers applying the correct agronomic practices,

didn'thavetheissueswehad, we would've had a bumper crop,”theMinistersaid.

Minister Mustapha said too that, “With the crop that we are currently reaping, we've seen that yields have increased tremendously, to over six tonnes per hectare. That shows a marked improvement where the weather condition is concerned. So far, we've had favourable weather conditions for reaping and

as well as the government's intervention to ensure farmers had the necessary support throughout the productioncycle.

“Overthelasttwoyears, the weather conditions were very unfavourable.Although we've experienced this and what the pandemic has done with other input costs

associated with rice production, we persevered, achieving higher production figuresandyieldsthanwedid lastyear Whenyoucompare 2021 production figures to that of 2022, because we are indeed harvesting the last crop of 2022, we've surpassed those levels. If we

generallyfortheentirecrop.I amhopingthatforthesecond crop of 2023, we'll have a bumper crop; a recordbreaking production,” he noted.

While acknowledging that input costs continue to pose challenges to farmers, Minister Mustapha said that the government has been working to lower the cost of production, improve yields, and offer support to farmers acrossthecountry

“The government is cognisant of the fact that input cost for production has increased tremendously. However,we'vemade (Continued

….asexiledSharmaSolomon,VanessaKissoonreturntothefoldforLGE

Rice harvesting activities (DPI photo)

Part of the PPPC contingent on Monday

Former Region 10 Chairman, Sharma Solomon and former MP, Vanessa Kissoon, have been added to the APNU LGE list

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UN chief appeals to rival

Sudan leaders to end violence

Aljazeera - United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned the outbreak of violence in Sudan and called on the leaders of the warring sides to immediately cease hostilities and engage in dialogue.

residents to stay in their homes as they suffer electricity outages and water shortages.

Hospitals have been struck by shelling, and incidents of looting have been reported.

region.”“I urge all those with influence over the situation to use it in the cause of peace, to support efforts to end the violence, restore order and return to the path of transition,” Guterres said.

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Guterres made the comments on Monday, the third day of fighting between the Sudanese army and the powerful Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group.

About 100 civilians have so far been killed, according to doctors, but there are fears the death toll is higher.

Both sides have claimed advances in strategic areas, but there was no information on the number of combatants killed.

The fighting between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo has forced

Sudan battles intensify on 3rd day; Army orders RSF dissolved

In his opening remarks at the Forum on Financing for Development on Monday in New York, Guterres said he had spoken with the two rival leaders and urged them to restore calm – even as both al-Burhan and Dagalo have expressed no desire to hold talks. “The situation has already led to horrendous loss of life, including many civilians,” the UN secretary general said. “Any further escalation could be devastating for the country and the

The violence has once again interrupted Sudan’s fragile transition towards democracy in the wake of the 2019 removal of longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir.

“The humanitarian situation in Sudan was already precarious and is now catastrophic,” Guterres said, as he reaffirmed the UN’s “full support” for the efforts of people in the country “to restore the democratic transition and build a peaceful, secure future”.

The UN Security Council was due to hold a closeddoors meeting to discuss the situation in Sudan later on Monday.

Rice farmers seeing higher yields...

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As you know, we assisted farmers with fertiliser subsidies for the last crop in 2022. We’ve been giving seed paddy to farmers. We’ve expended hundreds of millions of dollars to rehabilitate dams as well as drainage and irrigation structures. Immediately when we returned to office, land rental and D&I charges were reduced to bring down the cost. We’ve implemented measures to make other input costs more affordable and we’ve been working with the farmers to improve yields.”

producing facility and production can be enhanced in order to have higher-yielding seeds. With this, he added, the national average can be moved from over six tonnes to close to eight to ten tonnes per hectare.

GRDB’s Deputy General Manager, Mr. Kuldip Ragnauth while noting that to date harvesting is just about 56 per cent complete, loweryielding farmers have seen increases in their yields through the support of the board and its training sessions on better agronomic practices.

yields were achieved because the board would’ve aggressively pursued its programme of training for farmers in terms of the improved technologies that are available.”

Ragnauth added: “We also worked with the loweryielding farmers; those farmers who were achieving 25 bags per acre or less; they were targeted and given special attention, assistance, and support from the board in order for them to increase their level of performance and ultimately their yields,” he explained.

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The Agriculture Minister said that a joint team consisting of scientists from the GRDB and GRMEA (Guyana Rice Millers and Exporters Association) has travelled to Brazil to gain technical knowledge on how Guyana’s seed-

“The yields have been exceedingly good despite the challenges faced during the crop.

Those challenges were overcome in the sense that the less acreage sown was compensated in some way by the higher yields that we received for this crop. These

According to Ragnauth, some 85 per cent of the acreage sown in Region Four has been harvested, followed by Region Six with 61 per cent, Region Five with 58 per cent, Region Three with 45 per cent; and Region Two with 39 per cent.

(Department of Public Information)

APNU confident of holding on to Linden...

From page 14 their list first, the A Partnership for National Unity submitted first.

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Adams said that despite the numbers were in favour of the PPP, he is confident that APNU will win the elections. He accused the government of coercing public servants and temporary workers to join their parade.

“We are going to win these elections, we have credible candidates that were vetted and the community will welcome them, unlike what is on the other side and we are going to beat them on E Day,” Adams said.

In addition to Solomon and Kissoon, the APNU list includes: Alister Webster and Dominique Blair.

Meanwhile, Minister Edghill said that despite his party’s list was not submitted first, he is confident of taking over the municipality of Linden.

Presently the council only has one PPP councillor.

“We are going to knock on every door, every stall, we are going to talk to the Christians, the Muslims, the Hindus, the old and young…we are going to ask them to support the PPPC and we will present them programmes and policies that will bring development to Linden.

Linden cannot remain the same. We are proud of the team of candidates we have,” Edghill said.

Some candidates filed for the PPP include: Mr. Daren

Henry, Taniela Croal, Dwayne Charles and Warren Witz and Reycia Nedd.

In addition to the two main political parties, the lone independent party, the New Horizon Movement submitted its list to contest for Constituency One, Amelia’s Ward.

Candidate Godfrey Isaacs said his team is seeking to create a change.

“I am looking to see a change in our society in a holistic manner, our intention is try to breathe new life, new existence in our community, we are going through the pace over and over and it’s the same thing and we need change,” Isaacs said. Both parties will officially commence campaigning.

One apartment for rent at 13 Stewartville Pasture, opposite the secondary school. Call: 649-2179.

Vladimir Kara-Murza: Russian opposition figure jailed for 25 years

BBC - Opposition

activist Vladimir KaraMurzahasbeensentencedto 25 years in jail in Russia for charges linked to his criticism of the war in Ukraine.

He was found guilty of treason, spreading “false” information about the Russian army and being affiliated with an “undesirableorganisation”.

The Russian-British former journalist and politician is the latest of several Putin opponents to havebeenarrestedorforced tofleeRussia.

He has denied all of the charges.

From November: KaraMurza’slettersfromjail

Mr Kara-Murza, 41, has spent years speaking out against Russian President Vladimir Putin and, alongside the war in Ukraine, has also been critical of the government’s crackdownondissent.

Last week, he said in a statement that he stood by “every word that I have said... Not only do I not repentanyofthis,Iamproud ofit.”

“Iknowthatthedaywill come when the darkness engulfing our country will clear,” he added in remarks posted online. “Our society

will open its eyes and shudder when it realises whatcrimeswerecommitted initsname.”

Mr Kara-Murza’s 25year sentence, which has been widely condemned, wasthemaximumsoughtby prosecutors and is the longest sentence an opposition figure has received since the war in Ukrainebegan.

It took only minutes for thejudgetoruleonhiscasesometimes the delivery of verdicts and announcing sentencing can take a long timeinRussiancourts.

ThejudgesaidMrKaraMurza would serve his time

in a “strict regime correctionalcolony”andthat he would be fined 400,000 roubles($4,900;£4,000).

The tough sentence is a sign that in today’s Russia the authorities are not only determined to silence critics but also to neutralise anything or anyone they believerepresentsathreatto thepoliticalsystem.

The BBC was not allowed access into the courtroom and only a handful of journalists from Russian state media were granted access, along with the defendant’s mother and lawyer

Instead, reporters and

foreign ambassadors crowded into a separate roomtoviewproceedingson twoTVscreens.

Speaking outside the court after the sentencing, his lawyer Maria Eismon, said the sentence was “terrifying” but also a “high appreciation” of her client’s work.

“When[MrKara-Murza] heard it was 25 years, he said: my self-esteem even rose, I realised I’d been doing everything right!” she said.

Ukraine war: Where are Russia’s opposition leaders now?

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny also weighed in on Mr KaraMurza’s sentencing, calling it “revenge” by the Kremlin “for the fact that he did not die at one time” after he allegedly survived two poisonings by Russian authorities.

MrKara-Murzaplayeda key role in persuading Western governments to sanction Russian officials for human rights abuses and corruption.Hewasarresteda yearagoinMoscow,initially for disobeying a police officer Moreseriouscharges werelevelledathimoncehe wasincustody

Mr Kara-Murza’s case waspartlybasedonaspeech he made to politicians in the US last year, where he said Russia was committing war crimes in Ukraine with cluster bombs in residential areas and “the bombing of maternity hospitals and schools”.

Those claims have been independently documented - but deemed f a l s e b y R u s s i a n investigators who said the defence ministry did “not permit the use of banned means of conducting war” and insisted Ukraine’s civilian population was not a target Another charge stemmed from an event for politicalprisonersatwhich Mr Kara-Murza referred to what investigators called Russia’s “supposedly repressivepolicies”

Last week, a copy of a speech he made to the closed court was released, in which he said his trial reminded him of a Stalinerashowtrialofthe1930s.

“Ionlyblamemyselffor onething,”hesaid.

“I failed to convince enough of my compatriots andpoliticiansindemocratic countries of the danger that

the current Kremlin regime poses for Russia and for the world.”

His sentence has been widelycondemned,withthe British government summoning its Russian ambassador and saying that it would look at measures for holding those involved in Mr Kara-Murza’s d e t e n t i o n a n d “mistreatment”toaccount.

The UK had already sanctioned the judge who presided over the trial for previous involvement in humanrightsviolations “Russia’s lack of commitment to protecting fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression, is alarming,” British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a statement The United Nations and the US State Department have also condemnedtheverdict,with the latter describing Mr Kara-Murza as “yet another target of the Russian government’s escalating campaignofrepression”.

Not-for-profit group Human Rights Watch, meanwhile, described the verdict as a “travesty of justice”andcalledonRussia to “immediately vacate the verdict and unconditionally freehim”.

Mr Kara-Murza comes from a well-known Soviet dissident family His father, Vladimir Sr, was also a Kremlin critic. He received British citizenship when he moved to the UK as a teenagerwithhismotherand he attended Cambridge University

He began his career in journalism before becoming anadvisertoBorisNemtsov, another prominent Russian opposition leader and politicianwhowasshotdead inMoscowin2015.

Vladimir Kara-Murza pictured during a hearing in October 2022

Chase-Green switches from PNCR to PPP

By Rehanna Ramsay

Se v e r a l A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) supporters have joined the ruling People's Progressive Party /Civic (PPPC) for the upcoming LocalGovernmentElections. But Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton appeared unbothered, maintaining that the party will hold onto its strongholds despite a few defections.

The two main parties as well as a number of independent candidates submitted their symbols and list of contestants to the G u y a n a E l e c t i o n s

Commission (GECOM)

station at the Critchlow Labour College Woolford AvenueonMonday

PPPC General Secretary, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo led his party contingent, accompanied by formerMayorofGeorgetown and APNU Councillor

PatriciaChase-Green,APNU Councillor, Tricia Richards andformerIndependentCity Councillor for the Albouystown/Charlestown Constituency, Malcolm Ferreira.

Other new candidates for thePPPCareformerNational Cricketer and Businessman, Steven Jacobs, and national footballer, Jeremy Garrett, a

former Citizenship Initiative Executive. In an interview with the media, Jagdeo said that the party welcomes all the newcomers. Jagdeo said the party's candidates across the80LocalAuthorityAreas includepeoplefromallstrata of society, irrespective of theirrace,religionandcreed. Thelists,hesaid,consist,ofa lot of women and young people.

“We have fielded over 2,000 candidates and we have about 26,000 backers. So,wearegoingintothisbig, right across the country As you know, even in opposition, we are the only partythatcontestedallofthe local government areas across Guyana but this time around we have exceeded those because we have contestedeveryconstituency inGuyananow.”

Chase-Green was last elected to the Georgetown City Council under the APNUbannerin2018.

InhercapacityasMayor she had complained against the PPP government in the pastofstymieingtheworkof the City Council “All I wouldsaytothepressisthatI support One Guyana, unity and progress. That's all I say fornow,One,Guyana,Unity and progress”, Chase-Green said while addressing members of the media when asked about her change of

...but

Norton confident of victory in strongholds despite defections

party Chase-Greenbelieves the municipal elections for Georgetownwillseea“clear win”forthePPP

Unbothered,confident

M e a n w h i l e , t h e Chairman of the APNU and Leader of the People's National Congress Reform, Aubrey Norton told the media that he is not too bothered that some of the party members have crossed the floor and joined the PPPC Norton said he believes theAPNU's support remains solid in its strongholds.

Norton who has been coming under criticism from many within his party over his leadership style believes thepoliticalworkthathehas beendoingonthegroundwill see theAPNU holding on to itsbase.

“We know from our support base on the ground that they will support us and wewillbeatthePPPinallof our strongholds and in many other areas,” a confident Nortonsaid.

'We have been doing our political work on the ground inGeorgetownandallaround and we will continue to do our political work and we will beat the People's Progressive Party and that is allthatmatters,”headded.

As regards, ChaseGreen's defection, Norton said her transition is

“absolutely not a blow for APNU ” According to Norton,Chase-Greenhasnot b e e n s e r v i n g t h e constituency in which she waselectedtorepresent,that isconstituency12. I am her replacement in that constituency The residents of constituency 12 electedPatriciaChase-Green bothin2016and2018,andif

you move around the constituency, you will see Patricia Chase-Green has been absent, no one in the community has been seeing her for the last three or four years, so really she has not been doing what she was electedtodo.So,wedon'tsee it as a blow, in any case she wasgoingtobereplaced”,he said.

At the last Local Government Elections in 2018, the APNU won 21 of the 30 seats for the Municipality of Georgetown while the PPPC secured seven (7) seats and the Alliance For Change (AFC) twoseatsinthemixedsystem o f P r o p o r t i o n a l Representation and FirstPast-The-Post.

Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton flanked by some of his supporters on Nominations Day

PPP/C General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo flanked by some of the Ex APNU party affiliates

Dolphin SC hosts its Inter-Clubs Short Course Swim Meet 2023

The Dolphin Speed Swim Club hosted its Annual InterClubs SC Swim Meet at the National Aquatic Center on Sunday, 16 April 2023. Along with the host, the other clubs that participated were Sea Otters Swim Cl ub, Torpedo Swim Club, Silver Shark Aquatic Swim Club, Trident Swim Academy, and Dorado Speed Swim Club.

There were over three hundred swimmers, coaches, and patrons in atte ndance. Referee Stephanie Fraser, Meet Director Shefetah Tzedeq, Chief Timekeeper Valmiki Singh and Time Keepers and Stroke Of-

ficials. The competition included swimmers at the national and beginners’ level. The national swimmers locally based Paul Mahaica (Jnr.) and Sekhel Tzedeq were in good form, achiev-

Tuesday April 18, 2023

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19)

Staying indoors might not be the best thing today, Aries. You might feel vague muscular aches and pains for which you can't find any reason. They could be the result of inactivity rather than any dysfunction.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

A family member may be absent without explanation, Taurus. This might worry everyone, and not without reason. It's best to stay calm and phone friends, colleagues,

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

A sibling or neighbor might not feel very communicative, Gemini. It may seem that this person isn't behaving in their normal, friendly manner, but isn't sharing why. Give him or her a break.

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

Are you working on a project that requires a little ingenuity? If so, today you may draw a blank. No matter how hard you think about it.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22)

Your intuition is operating at a very high level, Leo, except where your family is concerned! No matter how hard you try, you can't seem to make sense of anything anyone says, let alone does.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22)

Telepathic messages you get from a friend or relative could seem confused and garbled, Virgo. This might bother you, especially if the person is normally practical and rational.

Se-Hanna Mars slams six in Guyana’s 10-0 win over Dominica

Winners of the Dolphin Annual Inter-Clubs SC Swim Meet take a photo after the competition.

ing new personal bests. All the Swimmers showed improvement, potential Goodwill Swimmers Dunamis Singh, Adon Ramdatt, Katy Budhan, Yaseen Hope, Elissa

Shipley-Thompson, Malakhiy Patokie, Shahid Matthews, Ashley Ramsammy, Heaven Belony, Makeen Hope, Andica Vieira, Ronella Peters, Nia Burch-Smith, De Andrea Leitch, Ashleigh Denny, Naomi Peters and others, according to the Dolphin Speed Swim Club was due to dedication and commitment to their training schedule.

Six remarkable goals from Se-Hanna Mars, two from Jalade Trim and one each from Heike Clarke and Glendy Lewis secured Guyana’s Under-20 Women’s National Team’s second victory yesterday in the Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship Qualifiers in the Dominican Republic.

Displaying confidence from the start of the April 17 match, the young Lady Jags defeated Dominica 10 - 0 in the Felix Sanchez Stadium in Santo Domingo.

Trim slotted home the game’s first goal five minutes into the contest, followed by Mars’ five goals in the 14th, 16th, 19th, 31st and 37th minutes. Defender Clarke made the seventh goal at the 48thminute mark. Mars scored her

sixth goal in the 66th; Lewis in the 78th minute, and Trim finished the game by scoring in the 92nd minute.

Guyana had opened with a 6 – 0 win over Suriname and will next face the Dominican Republic tomorrow from 6:00 pm. Se-Hanna Mars’ eight goals in two matches lead all players in the tournament.

The Dominican Republic had a 15-0 win over Dominica in their first game.

With only one team advancing, Guyana will be in a must-win game against the Dominican Republic.

The winner of each group will advance to the May 2023 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship in the Dominican Republic, joining topranked teams the United States and Mexico.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

Are you upset over money, Libra? Try to be rational. Your concerns are probably far more negative than the reality of the situation. Be objective and go over your budget to learn the facts.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

Some news about a major event could unsettle and confuse you, Scorpio. There could be contradictory reports, and commentators may confound the issue even more.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

Spiritual studies might seem fascinating and confusing, Sagittarius. Are you reading a book whose author isn't clear? Perhaps this isn't the best work to bring you the information you seek.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) = It

Your intuition may guide you in a direction that seems at odds with what logic and practicality tell you, Capricorn. This could put you in a quandary. Should you try to be practical or should you follow your heart.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

Family problems may have a friend or love partner feeling unsettled and helpless, Aquarius. This person could have a few communication problems, especially if firmness is required.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

Has someone given you a chore to do and then taken off without giving you any instructions? It's no wonder you feel confused and frustrated! If there is no manual,.

Throughout the competition, swimmers were enthusiastic about showcasing their talent and various swim strokes.

These include freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly; also, the Novice Kickboard and freestyle. Swimmers Elliot and Ethan Gonsalves, Latisha Blair, Kyra Soares, Zara Crane, David George, Randy Spencer, Mira Culpper and others performed well. The swimmers were met with much jubilance by the cheering patrons.

At the end of a fun-filled day, the Dolphin Speed Swim Club was triumphant with 1562 points.

Sea Otter Swim Club copped second place with 921 points, third place with 741 points was Torpedo Swim Club - Linden.

There were prizes and Medals awarded to first, second and third place winners of the various events. Thanks to Sterling Products Ltd., hampers were given to the First Place winners Male and Female in the 50m Freestyle Category and Parents race.

The Dolphin Speed Swim Club wishes to thank Head Coach Paul Mahaica, coaches Floyd Skeete, Kenita Mahaica, Shanice Olaleye, Yelema Philips, and the sponsors of the event Sterling Products Limited, Qualfon Guyana, Guyana Bev erages Inc., Guyana Breweries Inc., Tulsie Ram Contracting, SAC Packaging, SM Engineering, Maggies Catering, O’Neil Maxwell, King Scorpion Music System, National Sports Commission, Dolphin Family and others who contributed to making the event a success.

Guyana upstage Brazil to finish 5th at Jr Pan Am Hockey C/Ship

ByRawleToney

While falling short of hoistingthecovetedtitleand qualifying for the 2023 FIH Hockey Junior World Cup, Guyana’s men’s team finished5thattheJuniorPan AmHockeyChampionships inBarbados.

It was Guyana’s highest placing at the tournament that started in 1978. The country’s previous bestfinishwasatthe1988edition in Trinidad and Tobago, finishingsixth.

“I thought the team showed great improvement from where we started to where we ended the tournament,” Coach Robert Fernandes told Kaieteur News after the team’s final game against Brazil, where the Guyanese men managed tosecurea3–2victoryviaa penaltyshootout.

Playing at Wildey Hockey Centre, Shaquon Favorite (26') and Warren Williams Jr (34') scored for Guyana, while Lucas Varela (28') and Luiz Santoro (33') nettedforBrazil,forcingthe game down to penalty to decidethewinner Williams, Oshazay Savory and Samuel Woodroffe penetrated the Brazilian keeper in the penalty shootout to seal an emphatic and historic victory for the Guyanese men.

It was the Guyanese men’s second victory, defeating Barbados 1 – 0 (goal by Shaquon Favorite) inthegroupstagetoearnthe country’s first win at the Championshipssince1992.

Guyana conceded 11 goals in the tournament while scoring three For context, it was the least amount goals conceded by Guyana since their first participationin1988.

“Ithinkifwehadplayed theUS,howweplayedtoday probably have been a lot closer,” Coach Fernandes said, reflecting on his side’s opening game of the championship against the

Americans, where they fell 0-3.

Guyana was the only teamatthetournament,both male and female, that doesn’t have turf hockey, with the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) being forced to use the Guyana National Stadium.

International Hockey is not played on grass, as Coach Fernandes stated, “The frustration has been that we adapted the turf late in the tournament, but most of the time we’ve already lost important group matches which would have gottenusoutofthegroupor soon.”

“I think we showed that we can compete with these teams.Ithinkverylackingin two main areas, which is exposure to constant international matches that are played at this high level ofintensity,theyneedtoget this experience over-andoveragainsothatitbecomes their new normal, ” Fernandessaid.

He added, “I think playing consistently on the surface and the speed and

intensity that is required to playonthesurfaceIthinkis important Can’t be replicated on any other surface. A simple thing like shiftingfromonesidetothe next when the other team transfers the ball; on the grass, you have so much more time to do it here. It’s likelightning.

You got to be sprinting acrosstotheothersideofthe field.”

Fernandes believes, “If wecangetourfacilityanda little more international exposure, I think we close the gap because you can see here we can match them physically, and we have the skills.Theplayerswereupto thetask.”

Meanwhile, Guyana’s women’s team will be in action today against Uruguayat9:45am,playing forthe5thand6thpositions.

Argentina stopped Canada 6-1 to win the tournamentforthe12thtime. Sincethetournamentstarted in 1978, Argentina held every title except the 2021 edition, where they lost to Chileinthefinals.

Warren Williams Jr in full celebration mode after scoring against Brazil.

- Coachproudofteam’shistoricperformance

Berbice crowned champions of the U19 Inter County

Super 50 tournament

Th e G u y a n a Cricket Board ( G C B ) , Government of Guyana (GOG) and Ministry Of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) Under-19 BOYS Inter-County SUPER-50 cricket TOURNAMENT

final round concluded over the weekend seeing Berbice

U19 thrashing the Select XI by 117 runs powered by blisteringhalfcenturiesfrom Rampertab Ramnauth and Isaiah Thorne as Berbice stunned Select XI to claim U19 Super 50 title

Demerara U19 defeated Essequibo by 9 wickets in a lowscoringmatch.

AtEnmore

The match was reduced to 26 overs a-side due to constant rain. Berbice opted to bat first; posted a formidable 208-3 decorated with brilliant half centuries from Rampertab Ramnauth

90 (79 balls) and Isaiah Thorne 73 (29 balls) to put theirsideincommandofthe match. Select XI bowlers E z e i k e l W i l s o n , Chanderpaul Hemraj and Sachin Balgobin took one wicketapiece.

Inreply,SelectXIwitha target of 209 could only muster 91-6 from their allotted 26 overs. Top scoring for Select XI were Marlon Resunance 24 runs and Lakeram Matura 20. Thanks to a fine display of bowling from Leon Cecil, Jonathan Rampersaud,Aron Rogers and Salim Khan, all taking a wicket apiece to securethetitle.

AtEverest Essequibo won the toss and chose to bat first Perhaps not such a good decision as they met with a destructive bowling performance from Rivaldo Phillip. The young paceman

ledfromthefront;taking5-7 from his five overs. Krsna Singh took 3-6, whileAlvin Mohabir finished 2-15 as EssequiboBoyswererooted out for a paltry 47 runs including 13 extras with no batter getting into double figures.

In reply, Demerara crossed the line in 10.5 overs, losing one wicket in the process. Lawrence Pellew top scored with 20 runs (20 balls) while Jaden Campbelle and Mavindra Dindyal were left unbeaten on 17 runs and 5 runs respectively Joash Charles finished1-31.

The longer format (Three-Day)ofGCBUnder19 season starts today Demerara will face Berbice at Everest Cricket Club ground, while Essequibo tackle Select XI at Georgetown Cricket Club. Starttime10:00hours.

2023 Men’s Caribbean Premier League fixtures confirmed -GNSearmarkedfor10matches

The venues and fixtures for the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) have been confirmed with the tournament taking place from 16 August to 24 SeptemberinSaintLucia,St Kitts & Nevis, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana.

The tournament gets underway in Saint Lucia with six matches at the Daren Sammy Cricket ground between 16 August and 20 August with home side the Saint Lucia Kings appearing in four of those fixtures. From there the tournamentmovesontheSt Kitts & Nevis with six matches at Warner Park

between 23 August and 27 August with four games for thehometeam,thePatriots.

The next leg of the tournament will take place in Barbados with the CPL returning to the country for the first time since 2019. Withsixmatchesscheduled for the iconic Kensington Oval, and four home games for the Barbados Royals, there will be lots of excitement about the tournament’s return The matches will take place in Barbadosfrom30Augustto 3 September From 5 September to 10 September the tournament will be in Trinidad & Tobago. There willbefourhomegamesfor the Trinbago Knight Riders andsixmatchesintotal.

The final leg of the tournament will take place inGuyanawiththematches running from 13 September to 24 September The knockout stages will be in Guyana again in 2023, with excitementalreadybuilding after the successful running ofthefinallastseason.

Pete Russell, Republic BankCPL’sCEO,said:“We are very pleased that the tournamentwillbestagedin five countries in 2023. As ever,theCPLisachancefor fans across the region and around the world to enjoy world class cricket.And for the players from the Caribbean it is an opportunity to showcase their skills and further their careers.”

Berbice team are champions of GCB’s U19 Super50 Inter County cricket tournament. (Brandon Corlette photo)

National Women’s 3x3 Championship

set for Linden on Saturday Linden

The Guyana Basketball Federation(GBF),willhost, forthefirsttime,itsNational W o m e n ’ s 3 x 3 Championship on Saturday (April 22) at the Retrieve HardCourtinLinden.

According to the Federation’s president,

Michael Singh, the tournament is being held to select their 3x3 Women’s National team for the 24th edition of the Central American and Caribbean (CAC)Games,setforJun23 -Jul8,inElSalvador

“The GBF will be

emphasizing women’s development, and more importantly, in the shorter format. Only the women’s team qualified for the CAC Gamesand,assuch,wehave togivethemachancetoplay as part of the preparation,” Singh said in a Press

Release. The GBF president highlightedthatalong-listof playerswassubmittedtothe G u y a n a O l y m p i c Association (GOA), which alsoincludessomeoverseasbasedplayers.

The University of GuyanaTrojans(twoteams), President’s College (two teams), Kwakwani (two teams) and Linden are the teams competing in the tournament that will be played in a round-robin format.

“For many of the girls, this would be the first time playing 3x3, and it will be a start to our approach to women’s basketball in Guyana. We’re hoping that

the associations could also play its part in organising women’stournamentsgoing forward,”Singhhighlighted.

Under Singh, Guyana has participated in back-toback FIBA AmeriCup 3x3 tournaments, “We want to expose our women to more international tournaments in allformatsofthegame.Itis something that we’re committedtodoing.”

Meanwhile, the GBF was happy to announce that Spain-based point guard, Ruth Adams, is their latest overseas recruit, who currently plays in Spain’s second Division women’s professional league with Miralvalle. Adams, 27, was

shortlisted by the GBF for theupcomingCACGames. Adams, who hails from Plaisance, migrated to the US at eight years old and following a stellar NCAA Division 2 collegiate career with St Thomas Aquinas College, she turned pro and headedoverseas.

GBF president, Michael Singh

Mackenzie, CAF, Carmel & Santa Rosa secure semi spots

Thenintheditionof the Nestlésponsored Milo Under-18 Schools Football Championshipwillseeanew champion following the defending champion’s elimination in the quarterfinal round on Sunday, at the Ministry of Education (MoE) Ground, CarifestaAvenue.

Christianburg/Wismar Secondary (CWS) were dethroned by their Linden counterparts, Mackenzie High, in a nail-biting showdown, which ended 01.Thefirstteamtoenterthe semi-finalroundwasCarmel Secondary when they prevailed4-3againstBartica while the all-Linden encounter was the next matchtounfold.

Chase’s Academic Foundation (CAF) was the third team to secure a final-

four ticket following a hardfought battle with Ann’s Grove,whichended3-2.

The day’s finale encounter between Santa Rosa and East Ruimveldt went the way of the former, whotriumphed6-1.

This means, when the Petra-organised event continues on Wednesday at the same venue with the semi-finalround,Mackenzie High and CAF will lock horns while Carmel goes up againstSantaRosa.

The winners will advance to the finale while the losers will contest the thirdplaceshowdownonthe championship’s day of culmination, scheduled for Saturday, April 23, at the MoEGround.

The winner of the event will cart off with $300,000 towards a school project alongwiththechampionship

trophy, with the second, third, and fourth place finishers pocketing away with $200,000, $100,000, and $75,000, respectively, all for a school initiative a l o n g w i t h t h e correspondingaccolade.

Quarterfinal stage produces20goals…

Sunday’s proceedings produced a total of 20 goals across the four matches as a goal-laden encounter kicked offtheday

Ian Daniels played a magnificentroleinCarmel’s victory with a hat-trick of goals scored in the 8th, 61st and 93rd minutes while his teammateShemJamesdrew first blood as early as the fourthminute.

Bartica on the other hand, had goals scored by ShawnBrown(17’),Ezekiel Baldeo (63’) and Ashton Dutchin (60’) but their

GAPLF congratulates Demetri Chan for his 3rd place at Cuban Classic Powerlifting C/ship

President of the Guyana Amateur Power Lifting Federation (GAPLF) Franklin Wilson, on behalf of his executive and members, has congratulated Demetri Chan for his podium finish at the Cuban Classic Powerlifting Championship.

Chan, on a Government of Guyana scholarship in Cuba, will conclude his degreeinAugustthisyearas a Physical Therapist and informed that, while the competition was a challenging one for him, he rose above the tests presentedandwasabletodo himself and the nation proud.

Aboutsixyearsnowinto the sport and having represented Guyana with flying colours at the international level, Chan coppedthegoldmedalinthe 74kg weight class and won thebronzemedalOverall.

Informing that the powerlifting community in Cuba is very competitive, Chan was also presented with certificates for

achieving second and thirdbestoverallbenchpress.

Heachieved207kginthe Squat, 152kg Bench Press, and 260kg deadlift for a Totalof619kgand91.59IPF points.

Thanks were expressed bythestrongmantoGuyana Embassy staff in Cuba and Ambassador Halim Majeed

efforts proved futile in the end.Inthesecondmatch,an e v e n l y m a t c h e d performance from Mackenzie High against defending champion, CWS, along with Azizi Grant’s 30thminutegoalwasenough to end Petra’s League champion’scampaign.

C A F s k i l l f u l l y eliminatedtheAnn’sGrove unit in a mostly one-sided affair with goals coming from Seon Cato (16’ & 75’), Neeaz Baksh (90’) and via an own goal in the fourth minute for the eventual winner while the opposition secured a consolation goal in the 35th minute from Baron Jerrick Inthefinalmatch,

Santa Rosa bulldozed their way into the next round

with a no-nonsense presentation against East

Ruimveldt Keshan Campbell (12’), Darius Williams (58’ & 90’+2’), Troy Boyer (60’), Roy Vansluytman (86’) and

Travis Jervis (88’) accounted for Santa Rosa’s goals while Daniel Sutton spoiled their clean sheet with a 61st minute consolationgoal.

This tournament is sponsored by Nestlé through their Milo brand, organised by the Petra Organisation, sanctioned by the MoE and supported by MASSY Distribution, MVP Sports, Guyana Industrial Minerals Inc (GINMIN), General Equipment Guyana Ltd (GENEQUIP), Farm Supplies Ltd (FARMSUP), Yellow Steel Inc and WestzydeMarineInc.

Doubleheader today at ExxonMobil/New Era Ent. Inter-School football

ByRawleToney

The New Era

E n t e r t a i n m e n t , ExxonMobil-sponsored Inter School Football tournament, will continue today with another double-header at the Wisburg School Ground.

Intheopeningmatch from2:00pm,Harmony Secondary will play its firstmatchagainstNew Silvercity Secondary, a team hunting three pointstostayunbeaten.

for the great support that theyareofferingtoChanand the other scholarship students.

Chansaidonhisreturnin August, he would be continuing his career as a competitive powerlifter apart from focusing and making an impact as a qualifiedPhysicalTherapist.

Today’s second game brings together a team hoping to stay at the top of the table, Linden Technical Institute (LTI) and the home side, Wisburg Secondary, who is currently fifth on the table with three points and playing their final group-stagematch.

Mackenzie High School sits second on the table behind LTI, f o l l o w e d b y

Christianburg Wismar

Secondary, New Silvercity Secondary, Wisburg, Kwakwani

Secondary and Linden

FoundationSecondary

Following today’s m a t c h u p s , t h e tournament continues on Wednesday, with Christianburg Wismar

Secondary facing HarmonyandMackenzie High School playing

KwakwaniSecondary

The winning school will receive $400,000, whichwillgotowardsa project at their institution, equalling thefirst-placepurse.

Second place will receive $200,000, and the school coming in third will collect $100,000,withallprize money going towards a schoolproject.

Javon Dennis has been in form for MHS

Carmel’s goal scorers were Ian Daniels (left) and Shem James.

Demitri Chan (right) with the gold and silver medalists.

Oshazay Savory showing off his acrobatic skills following Guyana’s historic win over Brazil at the Jr PanAm Hockey Championship.

Guyana Goal scorers (from left) Glendy Lewis, Jalade Trim, Se-Hanna Mars, and Heike Clarke.