Kaieteur News

AnotherCanadiancompanyboastsabout Guyana'slucrativegoldfieldstotheirinvestors

Another Canadian gold company has revealed to investors how rich Guyana's gold fields are. Tajiri Resources entered Guyana's mining sector back in June 2020 and has labeled its mining projects in Guyana as “prettygood.”

Ta j i r i R e s o u r c e s considers itself as a junior mining company The company has three mining projects in Guyana: the Kuburi, Gargantuan and Epeius.

During an interview in April, the company's Executive Chairman Dominic O'Sullivan joined SteveDarlingfromProactive Investors with an update on the company's K4 North prospect in Burkina Faso, West Africa During the interview, O'Sullivan shared that while their gold projects in West Africa are in a more advancedstage;theirprojects in Guyana are of good quality Hehadalsopromised to release other news on Guyanaminingprojects. AboutTajiri

Tajiri Resources Corp. is a junior gold exploration and development Company with exploration assets located in greenstone belts of Burkina Faso, West Africa and Guyana,SouthAmerica.

It is engaged in the explorationanddevelopment of mineral properties Its Guyanagoldprojectsinclude Kaburi Gold Project, Gargantuan Gold Project, andEpeiusGoldProject.The Kaburi Project is located about four kilometers (km) northeast of the operating SmartsMine.

The Kaburi project comprises six medium-scale tenements covering over 2597 hectares (ha) The Gargantuan Project covers about four to 6.5 km strike of the source area (the Gargantuan Source). Epeius Gold Project is located about six km north of the Karouni Gold Mine. Its Reo Gold Projectcoversapproximately 1,002 square kilometers of a confluence on the Hounde andBoromogreenstonebelts in Burkina Faso. It also has interest in Wineperu Creek

property, which has interest in six mining permits located in the Wineperu Creek, Guyana.

C a n a d i a n g o l d companiesinGuyana

On July 27, Kaieteur News reported that Canadian mining company, Alerio GoldMineshailedGuyanaas a country with favourable mining laws and strong support from a pro-mining government This was relayed in a presentation on their gold mining projects in Guyanatoinvestors.Aleriois

the same gold company that had told its investors that there is “gold fever” in Guyana.

The company posted the news about Guyana's favourable mining laws and pro-mining government on theirwebsite.

Alerio entered Guyana's mining industry in June 2021, and had announced its presence in the country via multiple press statements it had posted on its website. Notably, while the company was sure to announce its

presence in Guyana via its website, the Guyanese government made no formal announcement to its citizens about the arrival of Alerio Gold.

Moreover, on July 17, 2023, just three weeks after Canadian gold company, OmaiGoldMinesannounced drilling results showing significant gold deposits in their Wenot pit, located in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni)–the company announced“similarexcellent drillresults.”

Omai is one of the few large-scale foreign mining companies working in Guyana. Omai holds a 100% interest in the Omai gold project in Guyana, which produced over 3.7 million ounces of gold between 1993 and 2005.The property hosts two gold deposits: the shearhosted Wenot Deposit and the adjacent intrusive-hosted GiltCreekDeposit.

On June 22, the company in a press release disclosed that within the first six months of 2023, it has drilled 11 holes which showed

significant gold in their Wenotpit.

In their July statement, Omai Chief Executive Officer(CEO)andPresident, Elaine Ellingham, said: “similar to our excellent drill results from a couple of weeks ago, these new results again confirm the significant expansion potential for the Wenot deposit, to depth as wellasalongtheflanks.”

The company had disclosed that since their return to Guyana's gold industry, they have been expanding their search in theirpitsaswellasincreasing the depth at which they search for gold. Ellingham had noted that the results so farhaveproventobefruitful.

SECRECY OF CONTRACTS

Astheforeigncompanies continue to explore Guyana's goldfields,thegovernmentis yet to deliver on its promise to make all mining contracts public.

While foreign companies have been rushing to cash in onthe“goldfever”in

(Continued on page 9)

Executive Chairman of Tajiri Resources, Dominic O'Sullivan

Jagdeo pretending not to like Trini companies but facilitating their exploitation of contracts, foreign

currency reserve - Ramjattan

Leader of theAlliance For Change (AFC) Kemraj Ramjattan, has cast serious doubt on the financial dealings of Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo and his administration Ramjattan's claim suggests that the government has been disbursing full payments to Trinidadian contractors operating in Guyana, despite evidence of minimal or nonexistent work carried out by theseentities.

This revelation was made during a press conference on Friday organized by the Alliance For Change, where pressing concerns were raised about the nation's ongoing foreign currency exchange challenges.

During his address, Ramjattan confronted the veracity of Jagdeo's recent statement, which posited that the surge in the US dollar's selling rate reaching GY$220 for US$1.00—could be attributed to Trinidadian businessesmakingsubstantial currency transactions in Guyanatofacilitatebothlocal andcross-borderoperations.

The Vice President said, “Wenoticeatrendherewhere some Trinidadian companies are procuring large quantities of goods for their businesses inGuyanaandinTrinidadand making payments from here to their suppliers, so they are utilising our foreign currency tomakethosepayments.”

However, Ramjattan a former government under the APNU+AFC Coalition government said, “And of course, I understand—-and this can be verified from you reporters, also ask the people

CGX racks up US$155M in expenses to recover against Corentyne Block

like Public Works Minister

Mr Juan Edghill and also his junior Mr Deodat Indar— we understand that they (T&T firms) have been paid fully 100 percent and they have not done any work. Some of them we understand now that they were the ones that went and bought the foreign currency and they are doing as mentioned, certain purchases of goods which they then returnedtoTrinidad."

The crux of Ramjattan's allegation is rooted in Guyana's intricate foreign exchange system, which he aptly labelled a "managed scouting system " He explicitly tied the Trinidadian contractors in question to Jagdeo's web of construction contracts, implying a systemic exploitation of currency flow Ramjattan contended that the PPP administration's role in channelling substantial amounts of Guyanese currency to these transactions should not be overlooked, especially when the beneficiaries appear closely alignedwiththeparty

In a poignant observation, he highlighted the dissonance between Jagdeo's vocal disapproval of these Trinidadian companies, noting that he will “cuss up” and give the impression that he does not like them and the evident association that allegedly exists, noting that Jagdeo is very close to those verycompanies.

Heappealedtothecitizens of Guyana, urging them to peel back the layers of rhetoric and perceive the subtletiesatplay

Canadian oil explorer, CGX Energy Inc. has made it clear that it intends to recover US$155M in costs brought forward from its original Corentyne Block license, if it develops the resources found there. This wouldmakethesecondtime acompanymovestorecover 'pre-contract costs', after ExxonMobil and the StabroekBlock.

CGXhasnotdecidedyet whether the resources it discovered at the Wei-1 and K a w a - 1 w e l l s a r e commercial. Once potential commercial production commences, CGX is permitted to recover its costs.

Should CGX decide to develop the resources, they will also attempt to recoup the current contract costs connected with the drilling of the Kawa-1 and Wei-1 wells Moreover, there's potential for more wells to be drilled by June 2024, which will add further to the costs to be recovered. CGX is also racking up expenses with the construction of a deepwater port at Berbice. Theport,aimingtoservethe oil and gas industry and provide a multipurpose terminal, is expected to be operational mid 2024 Together, CGX's precontract costs, the costs associated with its wells, and the cost of the deepwater port, will add up to hundreds of millions of USdollars.

ExxonMobil had racked up US$460 million in precontract costs for the Stabroek Block, and is now adding tens of billions more with wells and projects. If CGX goes forward with their Corentyne Block

development, it would mark the second time a company is inserting pre-contract costs into the cost bank.The government has been handling the audit of Exxon's pre-contract and current contract costs with a w o r r y i n g l a c k o f transparency It would be more worrying for another b l o c k t o m o v e t o development, with the government continuing to treat the transparency of auditsinthisway

CGX'sprojects

The Wei-1 well, as of June 11, 2023, reached a depthof20,450feet.ByJuly 5, the operations were completed. The Wei-1 well encountered 210 feet of hydrocarbon bearing sands in the Santonian horizon. The Joint Venture acquired wireline logs and extensive core samples from the

Santonian,however,duetoa tool failure downhole and a back-up tool not being available, oil samples were notobtained.

The rock and fluid properties of the Santonian are being analyzed ed by an independent third-party laboratory over the next two monthstodefinenetpayand a basis for the evaluation of this interval The Joint Venture updated its previously announced d i s c o v e r y i n t h e Maastrichtian and the Campanian intervals to 77 feetofnetpay

L a s t y e a r, C G X announced the discovery of 228feetofnetpayacrossthe Maastrichtian, Campanian, Santonian and Coniacian horizons at the Kawa-1 explorationwell.

Third-party analyses indicated the presence of

lightoilintheSantonianand Coniacian, and gas c o n d e n s a t e i n t h e M a a s t r i c h t i a n a n d Campanian.

CGX is also building a Berbice Deepwater Port facility to serve as an offshore supply base for the oil and gas industry and as a multipurpose terminal to service agricultural import and export, containerized and specialized cargo including aggregates for constructionpurposes. The port aims to enable provisioning of operators and vendors in territorial waters of both Guyana and Suriname.

A map showing the location of the Corentyne Block

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS

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

Money, supplementary money, more supplementary money

In February, the PPP/C Government piloted through parliamentthepassageofarecord-breaking$781.9Bbudget for 2023. In the space of two months, the PPP/C Government went back to parliament for an additional $31 billion. Then, in August, the same PPP/C Government returned to parliament for still more billions, this time for $61 billion. A whopper of a national budget followed in quick order by two additional multibillion-dollar boosts to theoriginal$781.9billion. AsissaidinGuyana,moneylike water: budget money, supplementary money, then another supplementary ThebillionsaremadetodanceinGuyana, andtheyarealldoingsoonthebacksofGuyanesetaxpayers.

ThefirstsupplementaryamountinAprilwas$31billionor 396 percent of the February budget The second was $61 billion,oranother78percent,andwithbothtotalingcloseto12 percent,(1177percent)oftheinitialnationalbudget Though pastthehalfwaymarkinthisyear,ifthepatternofsupplementary requests holds, then there could be yet another one from the fertilemindofthegovernment Inadditiontothe$92billion alreadygrabbedbythegovernmenttofeeditsinsatiableappetite forthetaxpayers’money,Guyaneseshouldbracethemselvesfor more supplementary billions coming up Another $28 billion couldappearbylateOctobertomakethataround$120billion altogether,or15percentofthe$781.9billionpassedinFebruary.

Whether12%insupplementarybillions(alreadyfinalized), oranother$28billion,asanticipated,whatisreallyhappeningto Guyanese? TherewasabudgetbusterinbillionsinFebruary, only for all these other billions being pushed ahead with, and approved in parliament This cannot be for emergency developments,forwhereandwhatarethey? Thiscannotbea matter of mere incompetence, but possibly an indication, throughongoingconfirmation,thatbringstothisquestion:what do these supplementary billions finance, other than more governmentalcorruptions,andthesatisfyingofmorepolitical ambitions,morepoliticalcleverness?Itisnotunusualforsitting governments to seek new financing to finish outstanding projectsandotherworks,duetocircumstancesthatcannotbe controlled But to do so twice and in the amounts specified, when it is barely past midyear, speaks poorly to budget preparation and compilation Because government after government in this country have been so fast and loose with budget money, the people’s money, there is great skepticism about what this PPP/C Government says the supplementary funds are for, as opposed to what they prop up in the manipulationsofcunningandeverresourcefulpoliticians.

Thereis$33billionmoreforpublicworks,afurther$3billion plusforeducation,andanotherhalfbillionforsports,withthearmy coming in for an additional $638 million Clearly, the PPP/C Government is having fun, with what are in some instances nothingbutthetoppingupofslushfunds Evenwhenlookedat kindly,thesesupplementaryamountsgiveofftheappearanceofan out-of-control government that presents budgets and spends recklessly, one that borrows and spends without end, just as carelessly The situation has become one where a runaway Governmenthasusedandcontinuestousebudgetedmoney,either in original or supplementary amounts, as if such were a party piggybank,orthepersonalpurseofrulingpoliticians,tobedone withaspleases Ithasbeenourongoingpositionthatnotevery publicworksprojectmustbestartednow,anddonenow Some canwait,andattentionandenergiespouredintoensuringthatthe bestexecutionisgottenfromcontractsawarded,andfrommonies spent It has also been our position that well broadcasted infrastructure projects provide the needed camouflage for numerous corruptions and many swindles by politicians in the government Thesamecanbesaidofthosepublicservants,who knowhowtoalignthemselves,andwhosebiddingtheyrushto obey

When the accounting, a proper and credible one, is completed for this total budget of $874 billion, it should revealwhatwasreallybehindthemillionsandbillions,and how much citizens benefited, and by how much they were rippedoff.Supplementarybudgetshavetheirpositives,but theycanalsobepartofacrookeddeck.

PPP leaders must have the wisdom, courage, and humility to consult

DEAREDITOR,

Itwaswithsomesurprise that I noted the recent statement by our Hon. Attorney General to the effect that power-sharing andsharedgovernanceinour circumstances is not an option. In a real sense, he is correct.Fromthetimeofthe Greeks, the Romans, Oriental and African dynasties and empires, sharing of power has presented difficulties. The idea of power sharing at the local and global levels is in essence the challenge of democracy and the realization of good governance. A government that does not ignore the wishes, plight and the conditions of sections of society that may not be considered in line or supportive of the ruling group,classorpoliticalparty is the problem that is facing Guyana.

AsIunderstandit,allthat the parties out of office require is the satisfying of the requirements and essence of our Constitution and the realization of good governance i e , meaningful, and appropriate consultations on important matters. The AG seemed confusedsinceheproceeded to mention the case of the appointment of the ChancellorandChiefJustice and let me deal therefore withthisexample.Irecalled

atapublicforum,thepresent Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Aubrey Norton, stated thathesawnodifficultywith the two persons acting in their aforementioned positions being confirmed. All that is, therefore, necessaryisforthePresident toconsultwith theLeaderof the Opposition so that this hurdleoftheappointmentof a Chancellor and Chief Justicecanbeovercomeand donewith.

But Editor, beyond the public statement by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Norton wrote to the Presidentonthisissue.Upto yesterday, Thursday, when I spoke to Mr Norton, there w a s n e i t h e r a n acknowledgement nor a reply I can only, therefore, assumethatthereisaserious disconnectatthelevelofthe Chief Legal Advisor to the President and the President himself. This reference by the AG is disingenuous, deceptive and perhaps dishonest. Had I been a schoolteacher, I would mark the AG’s paper a ‘D’ equivalenttofailure.TheAG must say publicly why the appointments of the two ladieshavenothappenedand perhaps let him tell us the realstory

The news item states as follows:“Lack of consensus on critical issues suchastheappointmentofa substantive Chancellor of

the Judiciary and Chief Justice is clear indication that Government and Opposition in Guyana are in no position to cooperate on the matter of shared governance.” Our Head of the Bar, even to an ordinary laymanlikemyself,isguilty of ‘reductio ad absurdum,’a state of mind unworthy of my country’s Attorney General and Minister of LegalAffairs.Allthatweask is for the AG and his colleagues to be faithful to the words they repeated whentakingoffice,thatis,to honourandrespecttheLaws and Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

Thelynchpinofourlaws and constitution is that the Head of State consults with the Opposition. Since this is not happening, it makes a mockery of what our democracyisallaboutanda travesty of the President’s recent invention of One Guyana. It is clear that our AGandothersknowlittleof ourpoliticalexperiencesand therefore speak ex-cathedra without that knowledge, without that history and without experiences. Many of us have been pleading withthePPPAdministration to, at least, listen and therefore learn how to lead. But sadly, editor and citizens, what we see is a massagingandmanipulation of democracy It is true that

democracy can be a chameleon word, meaning different things to different people. In Guyana, the separation of powers between the legislature, executive and the judiciary constitutes the viability of our society Unfortunately, the legislature has been reduced to no more than a talk-shop where rational thought is non-existent and proposalsbytheOpposition, no matter how reasonable, are ignored and the Executive seems to be the beginningandend,thealpha and omega of all things.All thisisworsenedbyeffortsto make the Police Force the handmaiden of the Government.

The AG, the President, and the Commanders of State must relieve themselves of this pettiness and proclivity to move towards the old dictatorship technique.IftheAGandthe rulingeliteareseriousabout making our country a wholesome democracy, they must have the wisdom to consult, they must have the couragetoconsult,theymust havethehumilitytoconsult, i.e. if they understand the urgent need in Guyana’s condition today, for this and succeedinggenerationstobe the beneficiaries of our magnificentresources.

Mr AG, encourage your colleaguestositandtalk,

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PPPloudmouthinGECOM’s NewAmsterdamoffice, somebodydosomething,please

DEAR

EDITOR

, Back in February, I visited GECOM’s New Amsterdam Office. While gettingmyIDbusinessdone, Ifoundtheloudbehaviourof the PPP scrutineer in the office to be shocking and disturbing.

I spent about 25 minutes in the office. During that time, that lady was loudly speaking on her phone and shouting all the time. From what I gathered, she has anotherjobshehadtoattend to. From the very loud talk, she was heard telling

someone about dragline issues. Then the phone rang again, she was talking about NDCmatters.Sheanswered loudly about family issues. Thenagainandagain.When she was finished, she then shemovedontotalkalotof derogatory things about fellow PPP/C comrades in thepresenceofall.Shealong with another woman seated nexttoherwentonandon.I leftthinkingthatIshouldlet the party officials know but then I got busy with other things,saidmaybeitwasnot agooddayforher

I visited again to collect my ID. Lo and behold, she wasontopofhervoiceonce again.Idon’tknowwhatour party views are on this, or if they are aware of her behaviour,butasasupporter, Idonotthinkthisisthebest representation. The office was quiet with everyone busy,exceptherloudtalking was heard all the way downstairs. I heard it while leaving.Irecalledbecauseof her loudness, back in February,thestafftwicehad toaskmetorepeatsinceshe was that loud carrying on

withtheotherlady Ourparty has many qualified and professional people, and I amaskingthattheyconsider better representation. This doesn’t make our party look g o o d , e s p e c i a l l y badmouthing other comrades loudly We are a partyofprofessionalpeople. We have ethics Cheddi Jagan was quite a professional and so must be thepeoplewhorepresentthe party

Yours sincerely, Disappointed Party Supporter.

Guyana is more Christian than Hindu, and by a wide margin

DEAREDITOR, Irecentlyviewedavideo WHYGUYANAISHINDU. This video is on Infinity Foundation’s YouTube Channel.

( V i d e o l i n k https://youtu be/kuaLXtAQ KRM). I am happy that Dr Vindya Persaud did not attempt to positively demonstrate that Guyana is Hindu. Yes, there are Guyanese who are Hindus, that does not make Guyana Hindu, as the misleading label of the video wishes to portray

The disbelief this title createdactuallyforcedmeto seek statistical evidence on our demographics. I looked at our National Census of 2012, and a US State Department report on religious adherents within theGuyaneselandmassonly to find that the Christian population is more than double that of the Hindu population of Guyana; one stated that as 63%, and the other65%,ofthepopulation are Christians while both pegged Hindus at a mere 25% of the population These figures juxtaposed alongside the name given to the video, (WHYGUYANA IS HINDU), in which the Minister of Human Services and Social Security was interviewed, in my mind is simply an embarrassment to theMinister

What is even more damaging to the claim the name of the video implies is that there is information available to show that the Hindu fraction of the country’s population has been declining even so during the years when the political party the PPP, with whichbothherselfandfather are associated, have administeredthecountry

On the other hand, I was shocked to hear her descent into political campaign

Republic Bank must do better for senior citizens

sloganeering. We all know that the economic constraintsofthelatterparts of the 70s and early 80s, did cause serious disruptions of Guyaneselifestyles.

By this I mean to the lifestyles of all Guyanese

However, our high caste (inthevideoshestatedshe is a Brahmin), Minister of Social Protection and Human Services chose to declare that there was a targeted attempt to disrupt Hinduism by curtailing f o o d s a n d o t h e r accoutrements associated withthatculture

It was the time when, because of Foreign Exchange constraints, the countrycouldnotaffordto import many items, some essential and others not so essential It was when we stopped importing

SALTED COD, and produced salted fish, a sourceofincomeformany Hindu families, from several species found locally It was the time when attempts were made to substitute rice flour for wheatenflour

Thericeflourprojectwas thwarted by the PPP Today, in oil rich Guyana, the current regime has it on a pedestal, and hoodwinking segments of the population that they have discovered it, orneedIsaycreatedit.

In event, she feels that thereisamisrepresentationI am willing to meet Dr Persaudatanyforum(except The Freddie and Gildharie Show)forustobringclarity to such issues surrounding thatperiodofour(country’s) existence.

It is appalling that the devotee refused to acknowledge that Hinduism in Guyana got support from the same government she subliminally tried to disparage. The festival she referenced that her father

(helped) developed got the prominence it enjoys because that government liftedDiwalitothestatusofa National Holiday In other words, acknowledging the roleandcontributionsofthat group of Indians in this country.

The government did not stop there, it also promoted to the status of a National Holiday, Phagwah, for the benefit of Hindus and went ontopromotesimilaritytwo Muslim holidays for the other major grouping of Indians that came seeking bettermentinBritishGuiana.

Inthescenariowherethe concept of ONE GUYANA is being pedaled alongside blatant attempts to e n c o u r a g e I n d i a n domination, public office holdersneedtobecarefulnot only about their utterances, b u t a l s o t h e wrappings/packaging of commodities with which theseareassociated.

Hence, I am requesting that the Hindu Minister request that this offensive label(definitelyamisnomer) of this YouTube video be changed,sinceitsintentisto mislead.

Yourstruly, EltonMcRae

DEAREDITOR, Iamwritingthisletterto express my recent disappointment with Republic Bank (Guyana). I am a senior citizen who has been a loyal customer of Republic Bank from its inception. I was a customer oftheRoyalBankofCanada and the National Bank of Industry and Commerce Limited, prior to the Bank’s re-branding as Republic Bank (Guyana) Ltd. I never took my business elsewhere because I have always been satisfied with the excellent service Republic Bank has providedovertheyears,with a few exceptions What happenedonJune7,2023,is one of those exceptions and has caused my wife and me, who is also a pensioner, muchdistress.

Mywifewenttothebank (Robb Street Branch) on the aforementioned day to withdraw some cash. She arrived at approximately 11:00 a.m. and no one attended to her for approximately 4 hours. She left the bank around 3:15 p m I was appalled to discoverwhenIcalledherat approximately 3:00 p m , thatshewasonlythenatthe counter To make matters

worse,mywifesuffersfrom a knee ailment that causes her to walk with a limp and she has difficulty standing forlongperiods.Asaresult, she walks with a cane. I too have problems standing for long periods and no longer visits the bank as frequently as my wife does, especially since the bank no longer extends any special courtesies to pensioners or longstanding loyal customers.

Something is seriously wrong here and I am not preparedtosubjectmyselfor my wife to such treatment. Thisisnotthefirsttimethat this has occurred. A few years ago, I was with my wifeatthebankandaslongstandingloyalcustomers,we had the privilege of conducting our business on thefirstfloor,awayfromthe crowdsandinacomfortable space. However, we were informed that the new management had changed company policies and that wewererequiredtoconduct our business on the ground

floorgoingforward. Whatisunsettlingisthat the bank’s Robb Street Branch seems to have no system in place to accommodate senior citizens, even though the groundfloorisusuallyfilled to capacity with customers every day I had written a letteraboutthisissuewhenit occurred and had it publishedinthenewspapers, which resulted in the bank extending the courtesy of assigning a bank officer to attend to us whenever we visited the bank. However, this facility only lasted for approximatelytwomonths. Through this medium, I am appealing to the management of Republic Bank to provide a more caring service to the senior citizens of this nation, especially those who are long-standing loyal customers. If they do not, I will have no choice but to take my business elsewhere, even though it would be emotionallydifficultforme

(Continuedonpage06)

Guyanese are priced out of the housing market, where are you, Mr. President?

DEAREDITOR, I refer to a statement by Junior Minister of Housing Susan Rodrigues in the Inews of August 1, 2023 where she boasted about the commencement of the construction of 210 young professional homes at LBI. Editor, I have two major challenges with this Government and the utterancesofitsofficials:

1.Theyalwaystalkabout the plan to do this, the commencement of this, construction of that, but you will never hear them talking about this project was completed and so many persons were hired because oftheproject.Letmesharea sample: July 18, 2023GUY$612millionincontracts to be awarded - NOT

A WA R D E D , N O T

STARTED; July 16, 2023US$45 million Blue Ridge Hotel at Liliendaal to c o m m e n c e - N O

MACHINERYMOBILISED, muchlessstarted;July1,2023 - VP Jagdeo announced GUY$400 million for the enhancement of sports groundsinBerbice-STILLA PIPE DREAM; January 29, 2023 - 100,000 persons to benefit from Hinterland ICT Projects,wedonotevenhave that many people in the hinterlands and the project has not started, so it is a

B L A T A N T mischaracterization of the truth; July 22, 2022PresidentAli turned the sod at the US$45 million AC Marriott Hotel at Ogle and promised not only this hotel

by the end of 2023, but a Sheraton Marriot also by Christmas 2023 but to date noneofthesefacilitiesareat the 50% development mark afteroneyear Andthesame old story of smoke and mirrorscontinues.

2.But,moreimportantly, it is an illusionary fraud taking place when it is allowing the middle class and the not so well off but working people a chance to decent housing.Any society that aspires to be the Dubai of the Caribbean has a duty to its citizens to provide a decentplacetolivethatdoes not eat up the majority of their income and that is not happening in Guyana under PresidentAli.Beitteachers, nurses or public servants, affording a home for your family to live in, is now increasingly harder than it was when His Excellency wastheMinisterofHousing. So clearly the situation has deterioratedtoday

For most ordinary Guyanese, if they are lucky enoughtoacquireahouselot andhavealittlesavings,they are faced with mortgage paymentchewingupcloseto 40% of their income if one person is working. But what isevenworse,theconnected and those who are fronting for the political elite are being given large swaths of land at peppercorn value to build rental accommodation at astronomical rates, so muchsothatonlyforeigners and those working in the oil industry can afford these rents. Guyanese are now

priced out of the rental market in their own country under President Ali. My friends, Guyana has a housingcrisisforGuyanese.

But let us reflect on the banks GBTI record mid-year profit of GUY$14 billion for thefirstsixmonthsof2023,an increaseof9%fromthesame period last year Republic BankGuyanaprofitswentby 19% in 2022 to GUY$42 billion DemeraraBankcredit portfolio went up by 25% to rake in profit of GUY$29 billion Citizen Bank record profit of over GUY$830 millioninthefirsthalfoftheir year in 2023, an increase of 16% compared to the same periodlastyear.

So, while the workers of Guyana continue to suffer from this crisis, the banking sector is collecting massive amount of profits from the sweat of the people who are struggling to make ends meet For thousands of holders of mortgages, they face the cliff’s edge. The cost of food, transportation andthegeneralcostofliving hasskyrocketedleavingless on the table for them to service their housing loans. But there is no end in the greedfromthebanks;theyhold the interest rates and squeeze thepeopleandwehaveawhole government operating as an impotent bystander How can any government allow its people to weather this financialstorminthecurrent mortgage market? But what is even worse, the Leader of theOppositionandhispoint man on Finance, one Mr

Lowe seems clueless on the policy recommendation that hastobemadepublictoease thepressure.Soitisclearthe deaf (the PPP Government who is not listening to the people and the blind (the PNC led Opposition that is indifferenttotheplightofthe people) are controlling this country to the detriment of the majority who are strugglingtogetby

SincePresidentAlicameto office, for the ordinary mortgageseekers,therehasnot been any welcoming news; only promises of this and promisesofthatandwhenthe ordinarymangoestothebank mostaregiventhewholenine yards of “you are too risky a clientsowewillhavetocharge you a higher interest rate” whichpricingpeopleoutofthe opportunity to own their very firsthome PresidentAli,rather than gallivanting all over the

place,pleasestayathomeand fix this mess; it is your job

Pleasedoyourjob

If PresidentAli was doing hisjobonthishousingcrisis,he wouldhaveknownthatthereis astructuralproblemwithhouse prices because they have rocketed since oil and gas arrived and this challenge is completed dislocated from the amountofmoneythemajority ofGuyaneseareearning Ifone istoreflectonpropereconomic principles, it will reveal that a house that is more than five times your annual income is unaffordable So, for a police constable that takes home GUY$150,000 a month, any house costing more than GUY$9 million means he has to“tekabribe”tokeepup.

On average across Guyana, house prices are 17 times the annual income of the average man. But the highest disparity is in

Georgetown where the average house prices are 28 times the income of the averageman Asmallishhouse in Kingston in not good conditionisonthemarketfor GUY$95 million How on earthcanateacheraffordthat?

So, she has to join the line at Brickdam and wait years for the lottery to pull a house lot numberoutofabagandinthe meantime pay average rental in Georgetown not cheaper thanGUY$50,000.

Editor, the end result is that the dream of owning yourownhomeforordinary workersisbecomingremote for people who do not earn more than GUY$200,000 a monthandguesswhat,thatis thousands of Guyanese families now priced out of the market. Mr President; HELP!

Sincerely,

FEDUPTeacher

RepublicBankmustdobetter...

From page 05 todoso,becauseIfeelas if I am a part of that bank. I have brought many other customers to Republic Bank because I was very comfortable with the service they provide and advocated for my friendsandfamilytodobusinesswiththem, especiallywhenMr Alveswastheheadofthe bank.

I humbly suggest that the bank’s Robb

Street Branch reinstate the previous intervention and have a particular bank officerattendtomywifeandIwhenwevisit thebankorhaveaspeciallineforpensioners. Unfortunately, if nothing can be done to remedy the situation, this will be the end of mylongrelationshipwithRepublicBank. Yourssincerely, ArthurTaylor

PPPleadersmusthavethewisdom...

Frompage04 talk so we can deal with the real or perceived concerns affecting our citizens, citizensrepresentedbyyour party and other parties. Mr AG,Mr President,it’sonlythis actofStatesmanshipwillallow ustoputanendtothisunhelpful rhetoric and so bequeath to succeeding generations a countrythatistrulyGood,Green

andGreatwhichsimplymeans

(1) morally sound and incorruptible,

(2) a green economy,truechampionsofthe earth, development without damaging the environment and third, a country respectedbyall,athomeand abroad. That is all that the Good, Green and Great Guyanameans. I am an optimist and

hopethatthisletterwilltake us one step to realize the dreams and hopes of our children and vindicate the sufferingsandhumiliationofour noble fore parents Of interest, thisletteriswrittenontheweek celebratingthe200yearsofthe DemeraraSlaveUprising. Yourstruly, HamiltonGreen

Elder

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

Moreforsugar!

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT ...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

Sugar is sweet, but only for big people at GuySuCo!

Four plus billion before, now another one and a half…

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

Sugar is sick, but this is how Guyana still get the shaft!

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

Sugar is sweet, but only PPP cronies have teeth…

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

And to the bank is the direction of their feet!

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

WorldBankagreestorestructure US$20millionloanforoilsector

Th e G u y a n a Government, via its Ministry of Natural Resources, has convinced the World Bank to restructure a US$20M loan, initially approved in March 2019 This loan aims to fortify in-country expertise fortheburgeoningoilsector

The crux of this restructuring request involves an extension to the

project's closing date, pushing it from its original date of March 30, 2024, by a substantial 21 months Consequently, the revised deadline will be December 31,2025.

According to documents seen by Kaieteur News, this marks the inaugural restructuringoftheproject.It is worth noting that all audit reports concerning this

endeavour are current and have been given the nod of approval by the World Bank. Therecordsalsoindicatethat there aren't any outstanding auditmatters.

Financial data reveals that, up to this point, 45 percent(orUS$8.59M)ofthe loan has been disbursed. Out o f t h i s , t h e a c t u a l documented spending stands at US$6 52 million This

Human skeletal remains found at Uitvlugt

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Friday reported that they are investigating the discovery of human skeletal remains (suspected to be a male) that was found on Friday morning in an abandoned two-storey wooden building at Uitvlugt Estate Road, West Coast Demerara(WCD).

Police were alerted after the discovery and visited the sceneataround09:45hours.

Enquiries disclosed that around 09:15 hours, a 51year-old labourer of Stewartville Squatting Area, was walking in the area when he entered the abandoned premises to use therestroom. Upon entering the building, he noticed a foul scent was emanating from theupperflatofthebuilding. As such, the labourer said he went to the upper flat of the building through an eastern

staircase when he observed the fully decomposed remainsofamanhangingby a white cloth on a wooden beaminthehall.

Detectives took photos oftheskeletalremains(inits original hanging position), after which it was cut down. The remains were taken to the Ezekiel Funeral Home, awaiting identification and post-mortem examination (PME).

equates to 33 percent of the total loan amount These figures have raised eyebrows at the World Bank, with the institution highlighting a significant delay in the financialimplementation.

A statement from the World Bank expressed concerns that, given the current pace, the loan's full disbursement before the original closing date is an unrealistic expectation. As a r e s u l t , t h e G u y a n a Government sought the aforementionedextension.

February 2023 saw the World Bank deployed a Technical Mission, which paved the way for the recent Midterm Review (MTR) held in June 2023 This mission scrutinized and endorsedaseriesofmeasures designed to counteract the perceived underperformance and to align the project more closely with the Guyanese Government's reshuffled priorities A significant outcome of these discussions wastheconsensusonthenew project's deadline and a

resources.

Sources familiar with the matter informed this publication that part of the funds will be redirected to other areas related to addressing the capacity constraints for management oftheoilsector

This pivot is a direct response to the unexpected needs stemming from the swift acceleration of Guyana's oil production and export activities since March 2019.

The World Bank, reflecting on the project's journey, commented on the evident momentum gained recently It pointed to the successful awarding of

consulting contracts, which bolster two primary facets of theproject.

The financial institution also noted that ComponentA focuses on refining the legal framework and enhancing stakeholder relations, while Component B zeroes in on the capacity building of pivotalinstitutions.

These strides, the Bank opined, are indicative of an upswinginbothprocurement andimplementation.

Given the recent surge in activities and the mutual understanding regarding future milestones, the World Bank concludes that the revised deadline is both appropriateandjustified.

Musical chairs are back!

The recent game of musical chairs involving Permanent Secretaries (PSs) has raised concerns and skepticism about the wisdom of rotating these high-level administrators This practice, made notorious under the PPP/C, contradicts the very notion of a permanent secretary - someone whose tenure within a particular Ministry is supposed to be securedandsustained.

Two new permanent secretaries have been appointed by the President But this has led to the reshufflingoftheexistingpool of PSs with six being reassigned to different ministries In many respects, however,onecanunderstand the logic of the President in this reassignment. Here, we have two new permanent secretaries – both capable andcompetentprofessionals that have considerable experience working within thepublicservice–andwho have to be now placed in

positions deemed suited their specific experience or lack of it As such, it is understandable that the one who has experience in regional planning should be placed in the Ministry of Regional Development and the other person placed in Legal Affairs where perhaps therearenotasmanyprojects as exists in other Ministries From that perspective, these are rational decisions made bythePresident.

But the reshuffling which resulted goes against the grain of the concept of permanence which are inherenttosuchappointments The concept of a Permanent Secretary implies stability, continuity, and long-term commitment to a specific ministryandnottoatitle

A policy of reshuffling PSs, however intermittent, contradicts this principle and disrupts teamwork and institutional knowledge. A policy of rotation also suggests thatanycompetentprofessional

can seamlessly transition between ministries But this is onlyintheoryPSsaresupposedto acquire much institutional knowledgeovertime Whena personworksinaMinistryfor a long period, they have knowledge about things, including system, intricacies and challenges Rotation disrupts this institutional memory can lead to inconsistencies in policymaking and bottlenecks and de l a y s i n p r o j e c t implementation during the period when the newcomer has to familiarize himself or herself with the Ministry, its systems and work A PermanentSecretaryisexpected todevelopadeepunderstanding of the ministry’s functions, policies, and challenges over time When PSs are frequently shuffled, the implementation of policies may be delayed or disrupted, as new appointees need time to familiarize themselves with ongoing projects and

Another Canadian company boasts...

Frompage2 Guyana, the country has been suffering massive declines in its annual declarations since2017.KaieteurNewshadmadeseveral requests for the Government of Guyana to release the mining contracts, particularly large-scale mining contracts. In 2019, when Guyana became a member of the Extractive IndustriesTransparencyInitiative(EITI),the country agreed to adhere to several requirements.Inthiscase,EITIrequirement 2.4 (a) of the 2019 Standard states that Guyanashouldpubliclydiscloseallmineral agreements entered into force prior to the reportingperiod,inthiscase,2019.Although the requirements were known to the administration,itcontinuedtomakeexcuses toavoidthereleaseofthesecontracts.

In this vain, this newspaper reported in December 2022 that Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo dodged the matter on four different occasions.DuringapressconferenceinApril

however,hepubliclycommittedtoreleasing thefiscaltermsforallminingagreements.

This was the second time the Vice Presidentpromisedto“personallyintervene” forthereleaseofthefiscaltermsofalllargescale mining contracts. The Vice President made a similar commitment inAugust 2022 during an appearance on ‘The Glenn Lall Show’ aired on Kaieteur Radio. While appearing on that radio programme, he told theKaieteurNews’publisher,GlennLall,“I don’t see the reason why many of these are notinthepublicdomainalready I’ll find out about it.” When pressed furtherJagdeosaid,“Icanundertaketofind out with you there, what the GRA[Guyana RevenueAuthority]issocageyaboutthatit doesn’t want to release… I will undertake anythingthatisnon-proprietythatyougetit. I will personally now see that this happen.” However, despite the promises by the Vice President,thecontractsremainhidden.

Dem boys seh...

Politics funny bad in Guyana!

Yuhwantknowwhydeh gat people wah don’t want to leff dis country fuh live outside Is because de politicsofdiscountry,while itnasty,doesbeinteresting. Dereisneveradullmoment inGuyanesepolitics.

We politicians full of contradictions.Wegatsome politicians who does contradict themselves but donotrealizedemdoingso.

Datiswahdoesmekwe localpoliticsbitter-sweet.It does be bitter tek-ups but it doesbesweetwhenyuhsee some politicians tripping over dem own words and contradictingthemselves.

Tek for example, we Vee Pee. De man tek it pon

heselffuhbeheparty’ssole spokesperson when addressing de media. He does hold regular press conference just fuh address what de Opposition leader and de government critics gatfuhseh.Andisonelong dingdong.Butdemreporter doesbearupbecause,while dem might not want admit it, dem too does find de contradictionsfunny DeVeePeeaskhowhe could debate de opposition Leader He sehhowhenah ganlowerheselftodatlevel to debate de Opposition leader He claim he would havetobeeducatingdeman whiledebatingdeman. Yet every week, he

holding press conference specifically fuh address de commentsofdeOpposition Leader Is dat not debating de man? And he doing so with a straight face while claimingthathewon’tstoop to de level of debating Norton.Buthefindingtime torespondtodesameman. He giving mo publicity to the Opposition Leader than de Opposition Leader giving to heself. If week after week, he don’t attack de Opposition Leader, nuff people would not even know what de Opposition Leader seh But dat is Guyana’s politics and politiciansfuhyuh! TalkHalf!LeffHalf!

programmes.Thiscanaffect policyimplementation.

As Guyana’s economy expands there is going to be a need for greater specialization withinMinistries PSsaregoing tohavetospendsufficienttime within their Ministries to acquire the specialized and technicalknowledgeaboutthe varioussectors Forexample,in aMinistrylikePublicWorks,a PS will have to acquire technical and specialized knowledge about construction so that he or she can better appreciate the advice rendered by the Ministry’s technical personnel Thesameappliesto every Ministry If there is rotation, this can affect the process of acquiring and masteringthisknowledge.

Rotation also disrupts teamwork Within most Ministries today, there is a team of persons who work under the PS to implement projects and programmes. Whentheheadofthatteamis removed, it disrupts the teamwork. And there is no guarantee that the new PS willbeabletohavethesame level of teamwork or will

maintainthesameteam.

ThePPP/C,however,must be commended, however, for granting professionals within the public service, the opportunity to graduate to the top administrative posts This rewards those who opt for public service careers rather than having political lackeys comeandsupersedethosewho have worked hard over the yearswithintheMinistries But wherethedanger comes in is whenpersonsarepromotedto positions beyond their competence

Despite what many people feel, the permanent secretary is answerable but not accountable to his or her subjectMinister ButthePSis notsupervisedormanagedby the Minister In the United Kingdom, permanent secretaries are expected to be answerabletotheMinisterbut areaccountabletotheCabinet Secretary In Guyana, there is noCabinetSecretary

Permanent Secretaries do not imply that they cannot be dismissed or removed They can and some have even been

promoted to the posts of Ministers If PSs can be dismissed, including for non-performance,thenthere should be a system for assessingtheirperformance.

Itisnotclearwhatsystem existsatthemomentisusedto assess the performance of permanent secretaries

Perhaps now that new appointments have been madeandareshufflingofPSs hastakenplace,thePresident maywishtoaddresshismind to instituting a system for assessing the performance of his government’s permanent secretaries.

(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.)

Success resident believes leaking gas bottle caused fire to his home

TheGuyanaFireService (GFS) is investigating the causeofafirethatdestroyed the home of a Success, East Coast Demerara (ECD) residentonThursdaynight.

Notwithstanding, the victim, 49-year-old Shafiez Mohamed, suspects that his leaking gas bottle might havecausedtheinferno.

Mohamed’s two storey wooden and concrete house reportedly caught fire at around 23:15 hrs on Thursday He told investigators that he was in the bottom flat of his home

cooking when tragedy struck. The man explained thathehadleftthegasstove unattended and stepped outside to fill a bucket with water Upon return, his kitchen was engulfed in flames. Suspecting that his gas bottle was leaking, Mohamed said he threw a wet cloth over it to extinguish the fire but his attemptwasfutile.

Mohamed was left with nochoicebuttoevacuatethe kitchen and alert the rest of his family who were in the upperpartofthehouse.

Theywereabletoescape before the blaze became uncontrollable. Neighbours assisted in calling the Guyana Fire Service and Guyana Police Force but by time fire fighters arrived the entire building was engulfed The fire was extinguished and prevented from spreading to nearby buildings but Mohamed’s housecouldnotbesaved. His home was uninsured andasaresult,heispleading with the public to provide anyformofassistanceinhis rebuildingefforts.

Sketches in oil leadership – Opposition Leader Norton, a profile in retreating, hedging

Opposition Leader, Mr Aubrey Norton, is a victim of his reputation Expectations blossomed on his taking up the leadership mantle, only for frustrations and resentments to followinthelightofhisreimaging. In the red-hot age of Guyana's massiveoildiscoveries,Mr Norton has been too cold to the developments around him, which call for a spirited return to his days of potent energy, the driving leadership force that he was hailed tobe.

As expectations around the arrival of oil, and his own, climbed to the heights, Mr Norton has become best friends with low levels, and slow walks. When he should be a towering figure rising, he is a presence that is fading. WhenAubreyNortonhaseverycall and every cause to be dogged streetfighter and resourceful political battler, he now whitegloved, soft spoken, dean of the diplomatic corps. His words are the essence of the tactful, the fitful, and what is full of political goodwill when oil is the subject underreview

Nobodywantsachargetowards

breaking up the town. But Mr Norton must find ways to break the tightening stranglehold that his counterparts Ali and Jagdeo have on the Guyanese vision, Guyanese condition, and Guyanese imagination. In all three instances, botharefortheworst,andtheworst that I believe the leaders are capable of, the weakest that all three can ever manifest. A good system of government will only come through the energies of a good Opposition A better government is driven by a tougher, better, stronger Opposition. This should have been Mr Norton's shiningmoment;mostmiserably,it is his dullest, and by more than the minimummargin.

Consideringthehighrewardsin the high-stakes oil Olympics, Mr Norton should be advancing, polevaulting,andhigh-steppingintothe face and craw of the PPP Government, staring down the leadership tango of President Ali and Vice President Jagdeo. The tale of the tape is that the Opposition Leader is a profile in retreating and hedging. When he surrendered his trump card, his muscle,forwhateverreason,thenit

was the backfoot and defensive to whichheconsignedhimself.

The Americans are happy, but his people are angry, plus growing numbers of Guyanese. Thus, Mr Nortonisalreadywellpositionedto be on the wrong side of this country's oil history I was invited to share in a village space recently, and a couple of things caught me slightly off-guard, so startling was the level of emotion. There were anger and resentment, both of which were expected. What was remarkable was the impatience and the intensity of the ardor surging from those present, the hard cadences about being left behind withthisoil. Ireplicatewhatissure to be present, to varying pitches of intensity, in many other communities across Guyana, and arrive at this conclusion: it is the greatest of gifts for any leader, oppositionorotherwise.

Guyana is a volatile environment, and $25,000 is brushedasideasinsulting. So,too, are the races to make amends with some belated millions and a bridge and playfield when a few tires and pieces of old wood are dispatched totheirsmokyend. IthinkthatMr.

Norton has a better appreciation of the role that is expected, nay demanded, of him by his own. Instead of bridge keeper and chess player, his role has to be that of a special kind of disrupter of complacency, of others taking Guyaneseforgranted. Oh,forsure, the foreigners are not going to like that version of Aubrey Norton. But, then again, the only kinds of Guyanese that the foreigners will ever like are those that crawl on their bellies, or the locals that worship them on their knees. As in the days of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, the owners of the Guyana plantation prefer when Guyanese give them the widest berth on the streets. On their own pavements,Guyanesehavebecome putty; for their own oil heritage, Guyanese have been condemned to spoilageandwreckage.

Every Guyanese leader, government or opposition, should beinfull-throatedroaragainstsuch oil degradations. No Opposition Leader worth his salt should wriggle with hedges, or retreat beforetheheat. Oilisvolatile,oilis incendiary,andthosefurnacesmust befaced,dealtwith,overcome.

Notwithstanding the suit of political cards that Exxon holds, there is still the rest of the raging pack that it cannot yet claim as its own. The Guyanese people, they are,andtheyareintheway Thisis not just Mr Norton's ace up the sleeve, but also that of President's Ali and Jagdeo. This asset has not been marshalled, rallied, or released. The discontents flourish, thedisappointmentsmultiply Mr NortonhasdoneGuyanese, none more than his believers, a greatinjusticewhenheexemplifies retreat-full or partial, quasi or pseudo-and convert to the innocuous Opposition Leader that he now is. His aura has been assaulted; he must retrieve it. His presence abused, he must resist that, regain equilibrium and known energy His hedging and retreating overthisoilmustbeover Heeither takes the fight to the elements, or thetowelishistothrow

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

Jagdeo's excuse to grant ExxonMobil extension on Stabroek Block deceiving

The Alliance For Change (AFC) is questioning the grounds on which the Government of Guyana (GoG) has extended ExxonMobil's hold on the 26,800 square kilometers StabroekBlock.

The multinational corporation was expected to relinquish a 20 percent portion in October this year; however, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has announced an extension of the relinquishment provision for a period of one year, owing to the company's work programme being delayed by the Corona Virus (COVID) Pandemic.

According to the AFC, this excuse is unacceptable, since the company was granted permission by multiple state agencies to continue their operations uninterrupted.

D u r i n g a p r e s s conference on Friday, the party in an invited comment explainedthattheMinistryof Health, the then Ministry of Public Infrastructure (now Ministry of Public Works) a l o n g w i t h t h e Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had approved the company's work plan to continue its operations duringthepandemic.

Several documents were sharedwith Kaieteur News to this end. In fact, a Gazetted Order datedApril 9, 2020 for 'Emergency COVID-19 M e a s u r e s ' g r a n t e d

ExxonMobil permission to continue its operations as an ' e s s e n t i a l s e r v i c e ' In fact, this provision allowed for the oil giant to workfor24hours.

TheOrderwasspecificto “(r) businesses that ensure globalcontinuityofsupplyof mining and petroleum materials and products...(s) mining and petroleum development operations, production and process; (t) mineral and petroleum e x p l o r a t i o n a n d development; (u) mining and petroleum supply and services that support supply chains in the mining and petroleumindustries.”

In this regard, Patterson noted,“AsMinisterofPublic Infrastructure at the time, Exxon were allowed special flights and I have copies of them right in front of me fortunately and there were special flights for crude c h a n g e s , e s s e n t i a l offshore activities and there are several thereJuly 10, 2020,specialround trip to Port of Spain, July 14, 2020,JunefromHouston,we havefromLondon.

So what happened during that period of time all their personnel was allowed to come in by charter even though the airports were closed.”

The chartered flights wereapprovedweeklybythe Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), an agency under the remit of the PublicWorksMinistry

He added that the Ministry of Public Health was even providing a special service to allow Exxon to continue their operations throughthisperiod.

TwofloorsoftheMarriott H o t e l i n K i n g s t o n , Georgetown were rented to provide a quarantine facility for the staff of the company in addition to other locations in the country, the former Ministerpointedout.

Patterson therefore argued that ExxonMobil's operationswerenotimpacted during the pandemic. He was keen to note that in keeping with the Gazetted Order, ExxonMobil's contractors and suppliers were also granted a waiver to continue theiractivitiesaswell.

The Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) said that while he can attest to the Coalition not hampering the company'sworkprogramme, the People's Progressive Party (PPP) administration should come clean on whetherthedecisionsitmade causedExxontobeaffected.

It can be recalled that when the PPP returned to office, it reversed several o f t h e C O V I D - 1 9 measures instituted under the previous government to facilitate a “reopening” of the country This included the return of international travel and the ultimate lift of a 'curfew' amongothers.

Patterson therefore noted, “We totally don't

Govt. to overhaul 1893 Evidence Act – AG

The Government of Guyana has commenced consulting with a firm to overhaul the 1893 Evidence Act and some otherarchaiclaws.

ThiswasannouncedbyMinisterofLegal Affairs and Attorney General (AG), Anil Nandlall, S.C, on Wednesday during the commissioning of the new Vigilance Magistrates' Courts. In his address, Minister Nandlall underscored that restorative justice will be practised across the length and breadth of Guyana. “Massive changes are takingplaceacrossthelegalsector,acrossthe legislative landscape and in particular in the area of criminal justice and in areas that will impactthismagistrate'scourt,”hesaid.

TheAttorney General then disclosed that on Wednesday morning, he held discussions with a consultant to overhaul the archaic evidence law In fact, he stated that the law requiresoverhaulsoitisontheGovernment's nd agenda.Duringthe32 sittingoftheNational Assembly, the Evidence (Amendment) Bill 2021 was passed. Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn had presented the Bill to the House, with amendments made to Section 42

of the Evidence Act, Chapter 5:03. The section was amended to allow officers of the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory and other analysts when required to provide evidence in matters before the courts. Clause 2oftheBillseekstomodifySection43ofthe Principal Act to include the report of an 'evidence officer' as receivable by the court. Notably the clause also amended subsection (4) to expand the list of objects that can be examinedbyananalysttoinclude'hair.'

Amendments were also made to make receivable as evidence certificates or laboratory examination forms issued by the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory or any other accredited forensic science laboratory, as prescribed by the minister, by order, after consultationwiththeDirectoroftheForensic Sciencelaboratory

Furthermore, subsection (5) was amended to include a science officer of the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory, thereby removing scientific officer of the Guyana Police Force – for subsection (6) there was an insertion to include the definitionofanevidenceofficer

agree that they should be given any extension...there was no hindrance to their operations.”

Supportingthecomments made by the MP was Executive Member of the AFC and former Head of the EPA,Dr VincentAdams.

Hetoldreporters,“There was no impact whatsoever (to Exxon), I was there until August of 2020 and Exxon's business operations continued as per normal Throughout we were holding meetings, we were putting together documents with Exxon; nothing stopped Exxon.

Their production was not impacted.”

This newspaper in a follow up query asked the party whether Exxon's exploration programme could have been hampered; however, it maintained that thiswasnotthecase.

“The short answer is no. It's the same ship...the crew changes were not only for production;thecrewchanges wereforExxonactivities. It included Exxon personnel; the tier one personnel; the people who are doing the exploration, who are doing the surveys, all of them came on one charter...so it did not impact anyoftheiractivities.”

The former EPA Head also noted that “it was

business as usual” for the company since the Agency processed all the Permits for exploration and other activitiesinatimelymanner

In June this year, VP Jagdeo revealed that the Stabroek Block partnersExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC- were granted an additional year to keep the concession, since it was affectedbyCOVID.

He said, “The force majeure that was given to them in the COVID period extends the relinquishment provision.”

The extension of ExxonMobil's hold on the concessionwasalsoraisedby Chief Executive Officer of Hess Corporation, John Hess who noted that the partners will get more time to explore the block since they experienced setbacks during the height of COVID-19 in 2020.

The CEO said, “During COVID, we really had a forcemajeureperiodbecause Exxon couldn't even get workers in the country We couldn't run three rigs for exploration.

So we took that explorationdrillingpause…”

Already, the main political Opposition has called on the government to justify extending the relinquishment provision, sincenodocumentedproofin

thisregardhasbeenprovided toGuyanese.

During the Opposition Leader's press conference on Thursday, the spokesperson on Oil and Gas, Elson Low explained, “While I can understand COVID-19 being a reasonable reason, what I would always ask is can the government provide to the public, a document which is evaluating the situation; which they were able to receive expert advice as to whether or not they should relinquish.”

Lowpointedoutthatover the past few years, ExxonMobil through the Stabroek Block operator, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) has substantially ramped up oil production, pushing Guyana's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) aboveitsforecastedgrowth.

He therefore reasoned, “This indicates that the company's operations are functioning and have been functioningwell.

What we need to see is what evaluation has the government done to d e t e r m i n e t h a t t h e company's operations were i n h i b i t e d a n d w h a t evaluation was done to give us an understanding that the company should not be relinquishing the blocks.”

One jailed, another remanded for drug trafficking

Andrew Rodriguez and Duane Joseph

Aman was on Friday jailedfor trafficking narcotics and his alleged accomplice was remandedtoprison.

Forty-three-year-old Andrew Rodriguez of 4-C North of South Dakota Racing Circuit, Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD), was sentenced to four years imprisonment and fined $3,240,000 after he pleaded guilty to trafficking2.160kgofcocaine.

He was sentenced by Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Diamond/Grove Magistrates'

Court Meanwhile, 20-year-year Duane Joseph, of 161 Soesdyke Public Road, EBD, was charged with aiding the commission of trafficking in narcotics in the same case when heappearedbeforeMagistrateScarce.Joseph pleaded not guilty and was denied bail. His matterwasadjournedtoSeptember19,2023.

The duo was arrested on Tuesday after Custom Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Officers discovered four brick-like packages ofcocaineatRodriguez'sresidence.

Linden arson: Man remanded for murder of sister, niece

Ushalisi Akali Moore, the man accused of setting a Silvertown, Wismar, Linden house on fire on Monday which claimed the lives of his sister and niece, was on

Friday charged and remanded to prison for the crime.

Thirty-seven-year-old Moore of Lot 112 Second Street, Wismar Linden made his first court appearance at the Linden Magistrates' Court via ZOOM before Magistrate Leron Daly where the charge was read to him.

Moore was not required to plead to the charge which alleges that onAugust 14, he murdered Cheryl Moore and Eukeila Adams during the course or furtherance of arson.

He was remanded to prison and is expected to make his next court appearance on September 7, 2023.

Kaieteur News had reported that the fire was set by Moore who had reportedly escaped from the

scene just after setting the house ablaze but was subsequently caught in a clump of bushes two streets away Hewasarrested.

Earlier on Monday, relatives had held a small birthday celebration for the 12-year-old girl. At the time of the fire, it is believed that the duo had not retired to bed. However, reports are that Moore, who is said to be

of unsound mind, had threatened to kill Cheryl withacutlass.

Shortly thereafter, it was alleged that the man doused the lower flat of the house with kerosene before setting thehouseablaze.

Phillip Moore, the girl's father, was forced to jump overtheverandahalongwith other relatives while another sister, Pauline jumped through a window to escape the blaze. Efforts were made to rescue Cheryl and Eukeila, but they were unsuccessful.

Cheryl's body was found on the step leading downstairs It was burnt beyond recognition. Reports from the scene indicate that something apparently fell on thewoman,trappingher Eukeila's body was found under the step. She sat the National Grade Six Assessment earlier this year and was preparing to attend Secondary School in September Subsequently an investigation was launched intothefatalfire.

River & sea defence works for Regions 3, 4, 5 & 6 estimated at $1B

Sea Defence

F i v e f i r m s h a v e submittedbidsforthedesign and supervision of the construction of a new school to be built at Vreed-enHoop,RegionThree.

This was revealed at the recentopeningoftendersfor the Ministry of Education project.

According to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), the firms are Kalitech Inc , GR Engineering Company, CB & Associates Inc., Origin Investment, and Sizwe

Jackson Consultancy Service.

Speaking briefly with Kaieteur News on Friday, Region Three's Regional Executive Officer (REO) Mr Jagnarine Somwar stated that the new school is being built to address the i n c r e a s i n g s t u d e n t populationintheregion.

Somwar noted too that the Ministry of Education is not only looking to build another school at Vreed-enHoop to cater to the i n c r e a s i n g s t u d e n t population but looking at

Z e e b u r g , L e o n o r a , BagotvilleandPhiladelphia.

Last month, Kaieteur News reported that the regional administration signed two contracts totalling$75,605,530forthe extension of the Leonora Secondary School and BagotvillePrimarySchool.

Whenaskedifthereisan area earmarked for the new secondary school, the REO said, “We are looking just behind the RDC [Regional Democratic Council] building,thereisaplotof

(Continued on page 17)

Sodturnedforconstructionof $303MTimehriMagistrates'Court

Regions Three, Four, Five and Six will soon benefit from $1B in sea and river defence work. This is according to a recent Invitation for Bids (IFB) published in the local newspapers by the Ministry ofPublicWorks.

AccordingtotheIFB,the projectisdividedintosixlots and the ministry's engineer estimates the cost to be $1,076,000,000 The IFB stated that the works are slated for areas such as Orangestein on the East Bank of Essequibo, Region Three; Grove on the East Bank of Demerara, Hope on the East Coast of Demerara, Essex and Concord at Mahaica, Bengal at Corentyne, and at Tucber at CanjeRiver,RegionSix.

According to the tender, the works slated for Orangestein is estimated to

cost $94 million and this is fortheconstructionofriprap river defences there, some $350 million is estimated to do the works at Grove and this is for the construction of steelsheetpileriverdefences structure, $190 million for works at Hope and this is for construction of rip rap sea defences, $235 million estimated for Essex and Concord and this is for construction of rip rap sea defences, some $138 million for the project at Bengal, and $69 million is estimated for the works at Tucber for the construction of timber revetmentstructure.

K a i e t e u r N e w s understands that funds to support the roll out of these projects were recently a p p r o v e d i n t h e

Supplementary budget passed in the National Assembly last week. As part of its $33 billion sought by

the Public Works Ministry, $600M has been allocated to facilitate sea and river defenceprojects.

During the deliberations o n t h e r e q u e s t f o r supplementary funds, subjectministerJuanEdghill said the work programme is aimed at addressing erosion and breaches in sea defence intheidentifiedareas.

The minister also explainedthatatOrangestein some 130 metres of sea defence works would be done, at Grove it will be 160 metres in works, at Hope it will be 225 metres, at Essex and Concord it would be 200 metres, at Bengal it will be some 200 metres, and at Tucberitwillbe160metres.

Bids for project are expected to open on September 7, 2023 at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board(NPTAB)office.

AttorneyGeneral(AG)andMinisterof Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC, Chancellor of Judiciary (ag) Yonette Cummings-Edwards, Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire, SC and Chief Magistrate (ag) Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus on Friday turned the sod for the construction of a $303M Magistrates' Court atTimehri, EastBankDemerara(EBD).

The $303,905,015 contract for the construction of the courthouse was awarded to Orion Engineering Inc. by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) after a publictender.

The building will house a courtroom, magistrates' court office, magistrates' court chambers, living quarters for a magistrate and a clerk of court, washroom

facilities, parking facilities and a perimeter fence. Notably, when operational, the court will handle cases from the lower East Bank Magisterial District all the way up to Silvertown, Linden. The project is expected to becompletedbySeptember,2024.

Present at the sod-turning were staff of the Supreme Court, the Contractor Benson Simon and Puran Ram, and a representative of the engineers for the project.In her remarks, the Chancellor expressed deep gratitude to the Attorney General for assisting in securing the plot of land from the Government of Guyana and thanked the Government of Guyana for financingtheproject.

“This is yet another demonstration of the Government's commitment to the Rule of Law andinensuringaccesstojusticebythecitizens,” shesaid.

(From left) Chief Magistrate (ag) Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC, Chancellor of Judiciary (ag) Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire, SC

Charged

remanded

prison, Ushalisi Akali Moore

An artist's impression of the Tuschen Secondary School.

Guyana's all-female National Robotics Team set to shine at International Challenge

Guyana's allfemale national robotics team is gearing up to compete at the prestigious 2023 First Global Robotics Challenge (FGC) in Singapore this October, STEMGuyana said inapressreleaseonFriday

“This inspiring team of exceptional young women will showcase their talent, i n n o v a t i o n , a n d determination on a global platform, highlighting their invaluable contributions to the STEM fields within Guyana.For the first time, Guyana will be represented by an all-girl team at the 2023 FGC Among the participants from over 180 countries, Guyana's team will shine as one of the rare all-girl teams, symbolizing the significant role that girls continue to play in advancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) within the nation,” the press releasesaid.

The team is composed of five talented individuals with impressive credentials reflecting their passion for robotics and STEM education Among the distinguished members,

Ariel Taylor, a third-year Team Guyana veteran, has been an integral part of STEMGuyana since its inception. Italy Ton-Chung, a second-year Team Guyana member, is a national Chess player, the voice of "Robin the Robot" on Guyana's sole technology TV show, and a STEM club leader Lateisha McArthur, also a secondyear Team Guyana member, is a founding member of the Queen's College STEM club Xaria Holder and T'SehaiHolder,bothsecondy e a r Te a m G u y a n a members, are club leaders at the New Sports Hall STEM club at Camp Street. The team will be coached by 5year veteran Arrianna Mahase and Joshua Reece. The extended team includes team members Keeland

Cummings, Zionara

Lawrence, Naliah Fordyce and Lucas Simpson. While Sahief Posse, Tarico Henry and Daniel Eastman are mentors for the team

S T E M G u y a n a i s a technology education organization based in Guyana, managing 41 learning pods that provide enrichment and academic support to mostly vulnerable

children three days a week, including one technology day where they learn to code a n d b u i l d r o b o t s

STEMGuyana also manages 15 STEM clubs (soon to be 35) and has launched a production studio that created a children's show called "Robin the Robot". Additionally, STEMGuyana has recently launched the Parent Academy, where parents learn to support their childrenacademicallybetter, thereleasesaid.

As the global stage prepares to witness the aweinspiring innovations and collaborative spirit of Guyana'sall-femalenational robotics team, the country stands united in celebrating the team's accomplishments and their dedication to propelling the nation forward in the world of science and technology. The 2023 FGC Robotics Challenge promises to be a showcase of cutting-edge robotics and a testament to the transformative power of diversity and inclusion withintheSTEMfields.

Duke Lodge Hotel continues to sponsor the team's STEM Lab where the young people are building

UNICEF warns against fraudulent link circulated on social media

UNICEF Guyana on Friday has cautioned the public about a fraudulent website and social media accounts that are using the name of UNICEF Latin America and the Caribbean in order to defraud people and steal their personal information.

In a press release, UNICEF Guyana said it “encourages persons to remain alert and to avoid visiting any unofficial links or websites claiming to represent UNICEF Persons are also advised to refrain from giving out their personal information on thosesites.”

Further, UNICEF's Area Representative, Nicholas Pron said, “UNICEF does not give any kind of money prize through any channels, either online or physically Thisisascamattempttotake advantageofpeople'strust.”

Pron urged the public to desist from sharing the link to avoid other persons from fallingpreytothescam.

“The best way to stay informed, protected and avoid falling for these types

of scams and tricks is to know the UNICEF official channels.

Persons can follow UNICEF on its Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channels or its authentic w e b s i t e o n https://www.unicef.org/guy anasuriname/ to stay informed,”UNICEFsaid.

AboutUNICEF

UNICEF works in some of the world's toughest

theircompetitionrobot. The organization continues to solicit support to cover the expenses associated with

About STEMGuyana:

technology education organization based in Guyana that provides a c a d e m i c s u p p o r t , enrichment, and technology education to vulnerable children through its learning

pods, STEM clubs,

production studio, and Parent Academy. Their mission is to foster STEM interest among Guyanese youthandprovidethemwith the necessary skills to excel in the global technology landscape.

places, to reach the world's most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190countriesandterritories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better worldforeveryone.

For more information about UNICEF and its work f o r c h i l d r e n v i s i t www.unicef.org

Follow UNICEF on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

WANTED VACANCY

VACANCY

Streets Georgetown, Guyana. Tel: 225-9238/ 225-9246 Email: legalaid@networksgv.com

2023-HC-DEM-CIV-FD1089

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIALJURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION

TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for Directions Hearing on Monday the 18th day of September, 2023 at 9:30am before an incoming Family Court Judge.

Petitioner/Applicant in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara.

AND FURTHER TAKE

Looking for a reliable live-in aide for an elderly woman. Call: 686-8051.

Security Officers urgently needed! Must be able to read and write, $350 and $400 hourly. Contact: 603-5140.

Security/ Handyman needed. Contact: 223-5273/223-5274.

Experienced Nanny preferably from the East Bank. Contact : 693-5014.

Wanted! Male & Female workers for packaging pasta and chowmein on the Back Road (Mandela Ave). Call: 611-7839.

One male and female ablebodied Staff needed to work in a store. Call: 225-2313, 2261497, 658-8559.

Looking for a land to buy in Kuru Kuru, offering price- 58 mil. Call: 261-5926.

Handyman needed to work shift, Security Guard and Housekeeper at Signature Inn Hotel. Contact Rosa: 644-2020.

One office Assistant needed. Experience will be an asset. Call: 688-7911.

East Bank Electrical is now hiring Electrical Engineer, Outside Sales Staff & Counter Sales Staff. Call: 604-6394, sales@eastbankelectrical.com

Male Engineer needed, Must have atleast 10 years experience in road & building construction. Email CV: rbinvestmentinc@gmail.com, Call: 613-0855.

1 Male Project Supervisor (construction field), ages 35-50 years. Must have atleast 5-8 yrs managerial experience. Email CV: rbinvestmentinc@gmail.com, Call: 613-0855.

Bobcat & Roller Operators needed. Ages 30 years & older. Must have atleast 5 years experience. Email CV: rbinvestmentinc@gmail.com, Call: 613-0855.

Truck & Canter Drivers needed. Ages 30 years & older. Must have atleast 5 years experience. Email CV: rbinvestmentinc@gmail.com, Call: 613-0855.

Diesel Mechanic and Skilled Labourers needed for road construction. Ages 20 years & older. Must have atleast 5 years experience. Email CV: rbinvestmentinc@gmail.com, Call: 613-0855

Maid needed to cook and clean at East Bank area. Call: 615-9132.

One male Cleaner needed for Eccles area. Call: 615-9132.

Factory Worker needed. For more information Call: 2262621.

Accounts Clerk needed. Must have a sound secondary education and 1-2 years Accounting experience. For more information Call: 2262621.

Demerara Transportation & logistics Inc is looking for suitable and qualified individuals for Site Manager & Supervisor positions. Call: 671-5433.

Vacancies exists for Glass & Window Installers. Must have at least 3 yrs experience & a valid drivers license. Send applications: 654-3905.

We are now hiring Bartender, Waitress and experienced Cook. Preferably from WCD, attractive salary offered. Call: 689-7481.

PETITION NO. FD-1089

BETWEEN:(OLOFINTUY DONNA WENDELLA nee YAW Petitioner/Applicant -and-(OLOFINTUYl) SAMUEL OLAGUNDOYE Respondent

TO: SAMUEL OLAGUNDOYE

OLOFINTUI

Last known address Lot 59 Vigilance North, East Coast Demerara

TAKE NOTICE that on the 13th day of July, 2023 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by DONNA WENDELLA OLOFINTUYI nee YAW the Petitioner/ Applicant in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara.

AND FURTHER TAKE

IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of Service/Notice of Intention to Defend, Answer and/or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the Divorce.

The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts [Georgetown, Demerara].

The office is open to the public between 8:00am and 3:30pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed. Dated the 28th day of July, 2023.

NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 27th day of July, 2023 the Petitioner/ Applicant was directed to effect service of her Petition on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News, a daily newspaper printed, published and circulated in and around Guyana and on the Worldwide Web (online).

AND FURTHER TAKE

NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with related documents.

AND FURTHER TAKE

FOR SALE

Canje transported farm land

207 acres, recently used for rice cultivation, fresh water own koker. Email: gelgin15@gmail.com

Vacancy for Driver, Salesman, Porter, Bakers, Cleaners, Pastry maker and Baggers at Humphrey's Bakery 38 Ketley st. Charlestown. Call: 225-7864.

General Domestic needed to work 4 days per week, must know to cook. Apply at Keyfood Mc Doom village next to the post office.

Pump Attendants urgently needed at Two Brothers Gas Stations, WCD/ EBE. Call/ WhatsApp: 592-708-3256.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

One CRV Honda, $3.3M negotiable and 1 Toyota Allion, $3.350 M, fully loaded immaculate condition, low mileage . Contact: 649-0956.

EDUCATION

Supercharge your child/ loved ones reading and writing skills using the highly effective hooked on phonics program. 7 years & older. Call: 650-8925.

Cashiers needed at Two Brothers Gas Stations, WCD. 1+ experience. Call/ WhatsApp: 592-708-3256.

Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles, age 23-50, Car/ Van licence. Call: 615-9132 or 645-8443.

Wanted: Experienced Puri Maker, Cashier, Counter Person, Labourer and Cleaner. Apply at Shanta's, 225 Camp and New Market Sts. One Clerk for TSI Eccles office.Must have grade 1or 2 Maths and English. Email: techserigy@yahoo.com or Call: 615-9132.

Bottom flat, 2 bedrooms and top flat 3 bedrooms at Durban Street. Call Leon or June: 612-5296 or 623-1562.

Live-in and business quarters for rent at James Street. Call: 674-0614.

NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 18th day of July, 2023 the Petitioner/ Applicant was directed to effect service of her Petition on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Guyana Kaieteur News Newspaper, a daily newspaper printed, published and circulated in and around Guyana and on the Worldwide Web (Online).

AND FURTHER TAKE

NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with related documents.

LEGAL NOTICE 2

Filing Attorney: Ms. Shellon Boyce GUYANA

LEGALAID CLINIC 185

Charlotte & King Streets, ‘’Maraj Building’’

Georgetown, Guyana. Tel: 225-9238/ 225-9246 Email: legalaid@networksgy.com

2023-HC-DEM-CIV-FD639

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION

FAMILY DIVISION

NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Petition, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (Forms are available at the Registry), Answer and/or Cross Petition in the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 35 (thirtyfive) days from the date of the final publication of this Notice.

TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for Directions Hearing on Thursday the 28th day of September, 2023 at 1:30pm before the Honourable Mr. Justice Gino_Persaud. Via Zoom meeting ID: 733 558 9086 and Password: Court3. IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of Service/Notice of Intention to Defend, Answer and/or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the Divorce.

SERVICES

Elevate your brand with our professional Graphic design services. Call: 619-0007, 6295526.

Visa Application to Canada and U.S.A, graphics design, advertisements,USA passport application forms & i130 application. Call: 6267040.

LEGAL NOTICE 1

Filing Attorney: MS.

MATTHIAS

ANA LEGAL AID

Maraj Building”

Charlotte & King

AND FURTHER TAKE

NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Petition, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (Forms are available at the Registry), Answer and/or Cross Petition in the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 35 (thirtyfive) days from the date of the final publication of this Notice.

PETITION NO. FD-639

BETWEEN: -

(CAPTAIN) SHAKILA

ALISA NEE ELCOCK

Petitioner/Applicant -and--

(CAPTAIN) LANCELL

LEON Respondent

TO: LAN CELL LEON

CAPTAIN

Formely of 22 Durban Street, Lodge, Georgetown, Guyana.

TAKE NOTICE that on the 20th day of April, 2023 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by SHAKILAALISA CAPTAIN nee ELCOCK the

The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts [Georgetown, Demerara]. The office is open to the public between 8:00am and 3:30 pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such days as the Registry is closed. Dated the 31st day of July, 2023.

LEGAL NOTICE 3

Applicant in person:

Sandra Ramlochan nee

Harold Address : Lot 2414

Tuschen Scheme, East Bank, Essequibo

Tele#: 592-608-1143

2023-HC-DEM-CIV-FD1033

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION

Petition No. FD-1033

Between:SANDRA RAMLOCHAN nee HAROLD Petitioner -vPARMANAND RAMLOCHAN Respondent

TO: PARMANAND RAMLOCHAN

Formerly of Lot 22 Zeeburg South, West Coast Demerara.

TAKE NOTICE that on the 4th day of July, 2023 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by SANDRA RAMLOCHAN nee HAROLD the Petitioner in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara.

AND FURTHER TAKE

NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 24th day of July, 2023 the Petitioner was directed to effect service of her Petition on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaietuer News, a daily newspaper printed, published and circulated in and around Guyana and on the worldwide web.

AND FURTHER TAKE

NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with related documents.

AND FURTHER TAKE

NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Petition, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (Forms are available at the Registry), Answer and/or Cross Petition in the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 35 (thirtyfive) days from the date of the final publication of this Notice.

TAKE NOTICE that the

divorce is fixed for Directions Hearing on Friday the 20th day of October ,2023 at 9:00 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Sandra Kurtzious via Zoom Meeting ID: 648 772 9256 and Password: 5hRiHf.

IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of Service/Notice of Intention to Defend, Answer and/or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the Divorce.

The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts [Georgetown, Demerara]. The office is open to the public between 8:00am and 3:30pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed.

Dated the 4th day of August, 2023.

Policemen clueless about Force’s Standing Orders, citizens’ rights - PCA

By Shervin Belgrave Head

of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), Justice (Ret’d) William Ramlall in three consecutive yearly reports pointed out that hundreds of police ranks have “little” to “no” knowledge of the Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) Standing Orders (SOs) and the fundamental rights of

LEGAL NOTICE 4

herein on the 20th day of June, 2023 AND the Affidavit in Support of the said Petitioner sworn to and filed herein on the said 20 day of June, 2023 in support thereof. AND

UPON HEARING

LEGAL NOTICE 4

Applicant in person: Bibi

Nesha Fordyce nee Khan

Address: Lot 185 Fourth Street Alexander Village, Georgetown Guyana.

Tel#: 668- 7780

2023-HC-DEM-CIV-FD756

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION

BETWEEN:

(FORDYCE) BIBI NESHA

nee KHAN Petitioner/ Applicant -V-

(FORDYCE) IVOR FITZALBERT Respondent BEFORE THE HONOURABLE MADAM JUSTICE SANDRA

KURTZIOUS

DATED THE 31ST DAY OF_JUNE,2023

ENTERED THE 30TH DAY OF JUNE, 2023

UPON

Applicant in person IT IS ORDERED that personal service of the Petition with Affidavit in Support of, Notice of Proceedings and Acknowledgement of Service by a person authorized by the Registrar in this cause be and is hereby dispensed with AND that the mode of substituted service of the Petition with Affidavit in Support of, Notice of Proceedings and Acknowledgement of Service be effected on the Respondent by the Advertisement of a Notice of Petition in 2 (two) consecutive Saturday issues of the KAIETEUR NEWS, a daily Newspaper,printed, published and circulated in and around the Republic of Guyana and on the worldwide web. AND IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Respondent do have thirty-five (35) days after the date of the second and final publication of the said Notice of Petition to file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend, an Answer and/ or Cross Petition. AND IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that an Affidavit of Publication sworn to by the Petitioner/ Applicant with copies of the Advertisement exhibited thereto be deemed sufficient proof of Service of the Petition herein. AND IT IS. FURTHER ORDERED that the Directions Hearing is fixed for Monday the 4th day of September,2023 at 9:00 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Sandra Kurtzious via Zoom Meeting ID: 648 772 9256 and Password: 5hRiHf.

citizens. The PCA is a constitutional body tasked with investigating alleged misconduct by policemen and recommending disciplinary actions against them.

One of the glaring things that the PCA noted in its 2020, 2021 and 2022 reports is that policemen do not have knowledge of the Constitution that governs them.

In the 2020 report, Ramlal said that “a few hundred” policemen he interviewed in 2019 showed poor knowledge of the Force’s SOs. Justice Ramlall said too that the police’s knowledge of the law and its application in criminal matters coupled with the fundamental rights of citizens, especially when it concerns arrests and stop and search operations are very poor.

Similarly, in the 2021 report, the head of the PCA said that nothing changed based on the interviews he conducted. There was no difference stated in the 2022 report and in fact, he said the situation was worse in that none of the more than 300 policemen interviewed in 2022 had knowledge of the Force’s SOs.

“These interviews have established that not one police rank showed knowledge of the Force’s Standing Orders in its entirety or even in a substantial way,” the 2022 report stated while adding, “Likewise, all these ranks have shown very little knowledge of the fundamental rights of all citizens which are clearly written in Articles 138 to 153 of the Constitution”.

The report further stated that they do not have a working knowledge of 13 laws that govern their policing work.

These laws, according to report, include the Summary Jurisdiction Act, the Customary Jurisdiction Act, the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, the Criminal (Procedures) Act, the Administrative Justice Act, the Evidence Act, the Juvenile Offences Act, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic (Control) Substance Act, the Sexual Offences Act, the Domestic Violence Act, the Firearms Act, the Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act, the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Finance of Terrorism Act.

According to the PCA, the lack of basic knowledge of these laws can cause police ranks to infringe on the constitutional and statutory rights of suspects. The PCA has received numerous complaints in this regard.

In 2022 alone, the PCA recorded a total of 194 complaints. A significant number of that amount had to do with unlawful arrests and the violation of citizens’ rights. The Complaint’s Authority warned that poor knowledge of the law by policemen can lead to civil suits being filed against the State, costing it millions of dollars.

A recent example of the

PCA’s warning of civil suits is the wrongful arrest of Tamieka Clarke an attorney, by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) investigators for advising her client to remain silent during an interrogation by the Unit.

Clarke had filed a lawsuit against the State demanding hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. On July 8, 2023, she won the case after Chief Justice Roxane George, SC ruled that Clarke’s arrest was unconstitutional.

To avoid such hiccups, the PCA has made a number of recommendations in its reports.

However, the most repeated one in the three yearly reports is that “the Police Force needs to have competent lawyers to help with the training of all police”.

In recent times the Force, under the leadership of Acting Commissioner of Police; Clifton Hicken has been making efforts to educate its ranks. It has upgraded its training college to an accredited police academy. It has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Guyana for courses related to its operations.

Bids open for design & supervision services...

From page 14 land there that we are trying to acquire also, so we can get additional space for this new school.”

It was reported that the ministry is looking to also build a brand new secondary school at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

Kaieteur News had re-

ported that in July, the Education Ministry had signed contracts totalling $864,705,395 to build the school at Tuschen.

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand had stated that her Ministry is on a massive drive to enhance secondary education across the country. Minister

Manickchand explained that with more students attending school, it is a necessity for them to learn and be taught in a comfortable environment.

The building of more secondary schools, the minister had said it is part of the ministry’s goal to achieve universal secondary education in Guyana.

Acting Commissioner of the Guyana Police Force, Clifton Hicken

Head of Police Complaints Authority, Justice (Ret’d), William Ramlall.

Policemen conducting duties at a crime scene

Wauna $18M carbon credit scandal

…residentswalkoutofmeetingwithRegionalChairman …moreprotestsplannedforMabaruma

Residents of Wauna on Thursday night walked out of a meeting with Regional Chairman Brentnol Ashley after he and officials of the remote area's CommunityDevelopmentCouncil (CDC) failed to provide them with any answers regarding the community's $18M electrification project.

Theproject,whichshouldhave been completed earlier this year, would have seen the community receiving 24-hours electricity However, the monies have reportedlybeenusedupevenasthe project hangs in the balance Residents are accusing the Chairman of the Community Development Council (CDC) Ammon Thom, its treasurer Ohad Layne and council member Mike Adamsandothersofmismanaging the sums allocated for the project and lying to them regarding its completion.

The monies are part of the Carbon Credit Fund which was allocated to Indigenous communitiesbythegovernmentto implement projects that would aid their development The government sourced the funding from selling Guyana's carbon credits.

Earlier this year, $18M was allocated to Wauna to aid its developmental projects The CommunityDevelopmentCouncil (CDC) set aside $15M for the electrification project but on Tuesday,theCouncilwasforcedto meet to discuss the funds and the concerns raised by the residents whoprotestedonMonday Todate, only $5M in Chinese-made wires hasbeenprocuredfortheproject.

According to residents, the meeting at Wauna on Thursday afternoon was called by Ashley after this newspaper published an article on Wednesday in which the residents levelled corruption allegations against Thom and membersofthecouncil. Confrontation

According to Wauna residents, the meeting did not last long since Ashley started the forum by defendingThomandothers.

“As soon as the Regional Chairman started defending his friend Mr Thom, the people started walking out,” a resident who attended the meeting told this publication.

The resident said that residents awaited an update on the project and how soon it would be completed. But when the residents sought answers from the Regional Chairman, he swayed the conversation,defendingThomand spoke at length about the former chair of the council, Kamla Armogan.

“But we wanted to know what the position is of this $18M project We don't care what happened when Kamla was chair We heard nothing about the $18M. All the regional chairman said was that they bought the wire and that we should accept what they bought,”anotherresidentadded.

“The meeting was basically

about the regional chairman picking up for his friend, Thom. And then the rest of the time was about accusing the previous chair of mismanagement,” the resident added.

According to a resident, Ashley, accompanied by a team of police officers, showed up at the meeting late, sometime after 17:30hrs on Thursday when the sunwassettinginthedistance.She said darkness had already taken over the venue at the Wauna Primary School when the meeting started.

During the meeting, Adams, a Councillor who the residents alleged bought $5M in substandard quality, Chinesemade wires for the project along with two other businessmen from Wauna, started pointing fingers at other residents who called him out fordeliveringthesubstandardwire and for spending the council's moneyonpersonaluse.

“Adams was telling another man about his wife, in full view of the regional chairman and the

police and they did nothing about it,” an attendee said. Reports are that residents left the meeting with morequestionsthananswers.

On Thursday, it was noted that a youth group, which falls under t h e P r o g r e s s i v e Yo u t h Organisation (PYO) group, the youth arm of the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), was formed in Wauna some years ago and funds from that meeting have gone missing. Thom, who was the leader of the group, has failed to give an account of the group's funds. Today, the youth group at Wauna has fallen apart whilethefundsremainmissing.

The residents repeated their call for the government to replace Thom and other council members on the Wauna CDC. They also called on the police to investigate the mismanagement of the $18M CarbonCreditfund.

Personalattacks,moreprotests

Meanwhile, reports are that Armogan, former chair of the Wauna CDC, has been under attack from top government

officials in Region One ever since the residents protested the situation in their community on Monday

“ThemeetingonThursdaywas about attacking the former chair Ms. Armogan, they even accused her of corruption but cannot give receipts to support their claim,” a residentnoted.

A r m o g a n h a s b e e n campaigningforthegovernmentat elections over the years and she was recently elected as a representative of the PPP/C for Wauna at on the Mabaruma Town Council following Local GovernmentElectionshisyear On Thursday, she was asked to attend ameetingbyAshleyatMabaruma, thesamedaythemeetingatWauna wasscheduled.

However, while the woman was engaged with other Council members at that meeting, Ashley and others hurried to Wauna to meet with residents of her constituency

“They had her at Mabaruma waiting for the Town Council meeting to finish. They did not want her to be at Wauna because they went with a plan to level allegations about her at to the residents,” another Council membernoted.

Armoganwasreportedlyasked to stay until the end of the meeting in Mabaruma and by the time she arrived at Wauna, Ashley's meetingwithresidentshadalready splintered.

Wauna residents told this publicationonFridaythattheywill robustly continue their protest on the Carbon Credit fund, and they issued a call on the government, mainly Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo,tointerveneinthematter

“Wecannottakethecorruption with this CDC chair He is always in some money scandal and the Regional Chairman is his friend and he keeps shielding him,” a disgusted resident told this publication.

Two protesters at Wauna on Monday. The residents are calling on the government to intervene in what they perceive as mismanagement and corruption regarding the community's $18M Carbon Credit Fund.

Wauna residents plan to take their protest to the town of Mabaruma. They are calling on the government to intervene and remove the current chair of the community's Community Development Council (CDC) and other members over mismanagement allegations regarding the $18M Carbon Credit fund.

Fantastic Forde bowls Kings to victory

CPL - Saint Lucia Kings bounced back from opening day defeat to get their tournament underway with a comprehensive 54 run victory over the Barbados Royals in the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL)onThursdaynight.

The Kings won the toss andoptedtobatfirstandthey filled their boots with a barnstorming innings that saw them post the highest total of the season thus far withafantastic201/6.

Healthy contributions from all members of the batting order negated a brilliant spell of bowling from Jason Holder and ensured the Royals would have to produce something veryspecialtowin.

Guyana Amazon Warriors in action tonight

The Royals failed to get goingintheirreply,losingfive wicketsinthePowerPlaytoall butendthechasebutaspirited 48fromNyeemYoungensured the Royals added some late respectabilitytoproceedings

Earlier on the Kings had posted201/6,ledbyablistering show by the opening pair of Johnson Charles and Faf Du Plessis, the Kings raced to 61 but two wickets in Jason Holder's first over brought things back Charles and Shadrack Descarte falling in quick succession to give the Royals something to work with.

However that joy proved to be short-lived as first Sean

Williams and Du Plessis, then Williams and Sikander Raza madelightworkoftheRoyals bowlingtoputtheKingsintoa commandingpositionheading intothefinalfiveovers

Butthatplatformfailedto be fully exploited as Qais Ahmed and Jason Holder pulled the momentum back by dismissing Williams and Razarespectively

Holder was to finish the match with 4/38 adding Roston Chase to his list of scalps but the lack of consistent support elsewhere ensured the Kings were still abletopostanimposingtotal for the Royals to chase. 202 towinwasalwaysatallorder

Saturday August 19, 2023

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19

Openupandrevealmoreof your sensitive side, Aries. The more willing you are to share with others, the more they will feel comfortable sharingthingswithyou.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Things should go well for youtodayaslongasyoucan keep the drama to a minimum.Youcanjumpover anyhurdleinyourway

GEMINI(May21–June20)

You may have to bring yourself down to ground level in a rather sobering fashion, Gemini Maybe you're forgetting an importantpieceofagoalthat you'vebeenshootingfor

CANCER(June21–July22)

You have a tremendous ability to understand the inner workings of any situation, Cancer You may need to give someone a realitycheck.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Don't say anything about someone behind his or her back that you wouldn't want to say if the person were standing right next to you, Leo.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

When it comes to decisions, Virgo,dowhat'sbestforyou today. Don't feel like you needtoperformcertaintasks just because of guilt over a past situation Do things becauseyouwantto.

for the Royals to chase but the reply was over before it began, following a run out for Rahkeem Cornwall, Matthew Forde was destructor in chief removing theRoyalstopordertoleave theinningsintroubleat21/4.

homesideSaintLuciaKings in the evening encounter at 7:00pm.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

It'stimetosettledownfrom therapid-fireactivitiesofthe pastfewdaysandretreattoa quieter state of mind, Libra. Take care of the details you failed to attend to while you wereouthavingfun.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)

This is an excellent day in which your thinking is clear and your emotions stable, Scorpio. Use this powerful combinationofasolidframe of mind and compassionate feelingstoexpressyourself.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Turn your energy inward today, Sagittarius. Make a detailedlistofwhatyouneed to get done in order of priority

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Your head and heart are working in concert today, Capricorn Things are coming together just as you expected them to Have confidenceinyourself.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

Get in touch with your vulnerable side today, Aquarius.Don'tpretendtobe someone you're not. Realize that you can be yourself and stillhaveagoodtime.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

This is your day, Pisces, so don'tletanyonetakeitaway fromyou.Thekeywillbeto get a head start on whatever goals you wish to accomplish.

From there the Kings took the game away with wickets falling at regular intervals to dismiss the Royals for 147 to chalk up their first win of the tournament. Thetournament continues today and tomorrow after today's rest day with two double headers in St Lucia. Today Guyana Amazon Warriors play their opening game of the tournament when they face

The morning encounter from 10:00am pits the Trinbago Knight Riders versustheStKittsandNevis Patriots.

Tomorrow, Sunday, two more matches will be played at the same venue and times withMatches#5and6.

Kyle Mayers briefly threaten to counter attack before Alzarri Joseph had him caught on the third man oundaryfor16. b

At 10am Jamaica Tallawahs face Barbados Royals, while 7pm Saint Lucia Kings challenge St KittsandNevisPatriots.

Richardson looks to dethrone...

Frompage27 including the best performance of her career, a 1 0 7 1 i n t h e U S championships heats last month.Thatsawherbrieflyin command of the world lead until Jamaican Shericka Jacksonbestedheradaylater witha10.65inKingston.

Days after that, Richardsontookthetopofthe podium in 10.76 at Silesia Diamond League meet, two hundredthsofasecondahead of Jackson. The 2022 silver medallist Jackson is hoping to keepalivetheJamaicanstreakin the 100 metres, and her compatriotshavetakengoldinsix ofthelasteightfinals "I'vegotten, I think, a lot faster since the Jamaican trials," Jackson told Athletics Weekly "Definitely expecting good things" Their rivalry-Jacksonfinishedsecond behind Richardson at the Doha DiamondLeague-couldproduce fireworks in Budapest, where thewomen's100metreswillbe one of the most compelling events

Richardson, who is also on the entry list for the 200 metres, will be without some notable team mates in BudapestaftertheAmericans dominated the medal table a y e a r a g o S y d n e y McLaughlin-Levrone broke her own world record in the 400metreshurdlestotakethe championship last year and was among the most highly anticipated athletes of the meet as she was expected to try400metresflatevent.

But after claiming the world lead in 48.74 seconds last month, she announced daysagothatshewouldmiss worldsduetoakneeissue.

On the men's side, Michael Norman will not defend his 400 metres title, citing an "extremely frustrating season" and his desire to focus on the 2024 ParisOlympics.

Berbice River Bridge Closure to Road Traffic

SaturdayAugust19,2023

ForOceangoingVessels&Trawlers5:40hrs

SundayAugust20,2023

ForOceangoingVessels&Trawlers6:15hrs

For Ocean Going Vessels opening last 1-1½ hrs

Demerara River Bridge Closure to Road Traffic

ForOceangoingVessels&Trawlers05:00hrs

SundayAugust20,2023

ForOceangoingVessels&Trawlers07:00hrs

For Ocean Going Vessels opening last 1-1½ hrs

West Indies Rising Stars Men's Under19s squad named for tour of Sri Lanka

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua –Cricket West Indies (CWI) yesterday announced the West Indies Rising Stars Men'sUnder19ssquadforthe upcoming tour of Sri Lanka starting on 25 August. The Selection Panel named 15 players for the Rising Stars Under19s Tour which will featurethree50-overmatches and two four-day matches against the Sri Lanka Under19 team at the Rangiri

Dambulla International CricketStadium.

Top-order batter Stephan Pascalwillbecaptainforthe white ball matches with NathanSealy,theleft-handed slow bowling allrounder, to lead the side for two red ball matches which conclude the Tour. The squad includes three players who played in the ICC Men's U19 World Cup in 2022 which was hosted in the West Indies.

They are: fast bowler Isai Thorne, allrounder Nathan Edward and left-handed batterJordanJohnson.

Rohan Nurse, CWI's Talent Pathway Manager is theHeadCoach.

Robert Haynes, Lead Selector for the Rising Stars Men's Under19s said: “This isaveryimportanttourtoSri Lankaforthedevelopmentof this group of young cricketers. We have some

excellentplayersinthesquad who did very well in the recent West Indies Rising S t a r s U n d e r 1 9 s Championships in St. Vincent,andwebelievethey will continue to grow and develop on this upcoming tour.”

Haynesadded:“Thisisan integral part of the preparations for next year's ICC Men's U19 Cricket WorldCupwhichwillalsobe played in Sri Lanka. The players will get a first-hand look at the conditions and becomeacclimatized.Weare also very happy that we will have the chance to play two four-daymatches.Weseethe red ball format as very important and vital to the development of our young players.Wehavenotplayeda Youth Test in a long while and so this is a welcome returntothetouritinerary.”

The next ICC Men's U19 Cricket World Cup will be played in Sri Lanka in JanuaryandFebruary2024.

FULLSQUAD

Stephan Pascal (coCaptain)–right-handedbat

Nathan Sealy (coCaptain) – left-arm spin/right-handed bat Jewel Andrew – right-handed bat/wicket-keeper Mavendra Dindyal – right-handed bat JoshuaDorne–right-handed bat Nathan Edward – lefthanded bat/left-arm fast Tarrique Edward – righthanded bat/right-arm off-

Jordan Johnson (CWI)

spin Reon Edwards – leftarm fast Deshawn James –right-arm fast Jordan

Johnson – left-handed batDevonie Joseph – lefthanded bat/wicket-keeper

Tamarie Redwood – rightarm leg-spin Isai Thorne –right-arm fast Steve Wedderburn – left-handed bat Adrian Weir – righthandedbatT

EAMMANAGEMENT

RohanNurse(HeadCoach)

Rohan Clarke (Assistant Coach) Nick Wilton (AssistantCoach)

Gibbs Williams (Team Manager) Dominic Angoy (Physiotherapist) Gregory

Seale (Strength and ConditioningCoach)

MATCHSCHEDULE

25 August: 50-over warm-up match at Colts Cricket Club, Colombo 27 st August: 1 Youth ODI at R a n g i r i D a m b u l l a International Cricket nd Stadium 30 August: 2 Youth ODI at Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium 1 rd September: 3 Youth ODI at R a n g i r i D a m b u l l a InternationalCricketStadium st 5-8September:1 YouthTest at Rangiri Dambulla InternationalCricketStadium nd 12-15 September: 2 Youth Test at Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium -ENDS-

Sheriff Security in as title sponsors for this year's Cricket Carnival Linden Regatta

This year, New Era Entertainment has secured Sheriff Security Inc. as the Official Title Sponsor for the 2023 Edition of the Cricket Carnival Linden Regatta 2023. Mr. Ameir Ahmad, Chief Executive Officer of Sheriff Security shared the following comments with regards to the event on his Facebook page:“Iabsolutelyadorethe town of Linden. Its friendly faces and close-knit community make it a truly special place. The tranquil surroundings and slower pace of life provide me and my family a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives inGeorgetown.

Linden has a way of

making you feel like you're partofsomethingbigger–a place where I've made countless memories and lifelongconnections.So,the decision to venture to Lindenforthiseventwasan easy one. See you guys there!”

This year's event is slated for the 17th September,2023attheKara KaraBlueLake,Linden.An exciting line up of jet boats races will be done featuring drivers such as Dave Scott, Conan Belle, Sanjay, Neil Gonsalvesandmanyothers.

Forthisyear,therewillbea new addition of some swimming competitions beingheldinadditiontothe traditional races held for a

horsepower,40horsepower, 75-90 horsepower, 150-200 horsepower, Formula 1, Jet Ski and Kayaking. Mr. AubreyMajorJnr.,Director ofNewEraEntertainmentin delivering his comments stated, “Last year's regatta was undoubtedly a tremendous success

However, this year we intend to go bigger and better We have made notes ofsomeoftheareaswecan improveonfromhostingthe inaugural regatta, and we are excited to now execute thiseventonceagainforthe biggest CPL party in Guyana.”

This year's Linden Regatta has a total of over eight million dollars to be wonincashprizes!

Regan Rodrigues Memorial Cycle Race happens today

Ricks and Sari

A g r o Industries

Limited is once again making its mark as a steadfast supporter of the cycling community by sponsoring the 17th edition of the Regan Rodrigues MemorialCycleRacewhich is scheduled for today at the National Park (inner Circuit),ThomasLands.

This year's event is set tocommenceat9:00am.The race will feature cyclists across various categories, including Open, Veterans

over 50, Veterans 40-50, Juniors, Ladies, and Juveniles.Theanticipationis high as riders from diverse backgrounds gear up to secure top podium finish in theirrespectivecategories.

Defending champion, Alexander Leung, will be aiming to reclaim the open title after a remarkable victoryatlastyear'sevent.In a heart-stopping finish, Leungetchedhisnameinthe annals of Guyana's cycling history as the youngest cyclisttotriumphinanopen event, all at the age of

fourteen(14).

Spectators and enthusiastsareeagertoseeif Leungcanrecreatethemagic and claim the title once again, making it a true nailbiting showdown. The esteemed Mr Regan Rodrigues Jnr, along with Mrs. Rodrigues, the widow ofthelateReganRodrigues, willbepresentattheeventto pay homage to the memory of the cycling enthusiast whose legacy continues to inspire. The event holds a special place in their hearts as it commemorates the

Republic Bank GCB U23

Inter-Club Super50 tournament Round 1 underway

The Guyana Cricket Board(GCB)bowledoffthe opening round of the Republic Bank U23 InterClub Super50 tournament, with huge wins for East Bank Essequibo, Blairmont andothers.

East Bank Essequibo beatLeguanby234runs

East Bank Essequibo made a daunting 268 all out in 39.5 overs after Opener Jermaine string of contributions from Shahid Veira(57),WasimMohamed (41), Thaddeus Lovell (26), Lalltram Seetram (24), RonaldSchouten(22),Azim Mohamed (23) and TrewayneMohabir(20*).

BowlingforLeguanwas good despite the big total as K Shaw and R Shaw grabbed 4-41 and 3-24 respectively However, their side could not come out the

blocks and as a result were moweddownforjust34in9 overs.

East Bank Essequibo's Jason Holder put on a performance similar to the former West Indies fastbowling captain, which he shares similar names with, snatching5-17.

Spinner Aryan Persaud also had a phenomenal day, also returning identical figuresof5-17,cappingofa brilliantbowlingexhibition.

Blairmont Blazers beat Rose Hall Canje by 5 wickets

Rose Hall Canje was bowledoutfor40afterNigel Deodat bagged 5- 6 with support coming from Hemchand Ragbeer (3-1) andChrisHarry(2-13).

Blairmont "Blazers"

Cricket Club in reply finished on 41-5 led by

Farouk Subhan who hit 25. BowlingforRoseHallCanje wasledbyRichardRamdeol whosnatched4-13.

B a r t i c a d e f e a t Wakenaamby28runs

Bartica after batting first posted 130 all out in 18 overs Opener Ronaldo Jeffery hit (19) along with Justin Sutton (19) while LeroyBrownhad(17).

Trivel Evans, Dennis C r o s s m a n , N a z a m Mohamed and Tishal Surijupaul all returned 2 wickets apiece bowling for Wakenaam, who were then kept to 102-10 in 19 overs, withnationalyouthbatsman, Bhomesh Lall hitting 44 in vain.

Ashber Hohenkirk starred with 4-10 while Suttonreturnedtograbbed3 wicketstoendoffagoodallroundday

Double-double on West side this weekend

The West Demerara FA's Senior Men's League(SML) will continue this weekend with double-header fixtures today (Saturday 19th) and tomorrow (Sunday 20th) at the TuschenCommunityCentreground. Today'sschedulesetfora2pmkick

enduring spirit and passion for cycling that the late Mr. Rodriguesembodied.

To inaugurate the event,thestartingsignalwill be given by none other than Mr. Hassan Mohamed, former National Cycling Coach,andacloseconfidant of Mr Rodrigues His presence adds a touch of nostalgia and reverence to the event's proceedings. As the cycling community gathers to honour a beloved figure and celebrate the athleticism that brings them together

This exciting tournament continues tomorrow, Sunday with just two fixtures in Berbice and Essequibo. Unfortunately, several grounds in Demerara

areunavailableforplay

The fixtures for the rd3 -round matches to be played on Sunday, th August 20 , 2023, are as detailed hereunder Everest Masters journeyuptoReliance

in the Cinderella countyofEssequiboto lock horns with Essequibo Masters, whilst Jai Hind Jaguars will be at home to X Berbice PoliceMasters.

Rachel,aracehorse...

Frompage27 remembered most by me, andthepeopleofGuyana," Cheefoon on his advice to fellow breeders declared, "When you want to breed a good horse, send your mare to a good stallion, not any stallion, and not any mare. Getagoodstallion,andgive your mare and foal cow's milk also. For me that is working."

Tomorrow's games will begin with WalesFCversusBellWestFCat2pmand inthefeaturematchslatedfor4pm,Eagles FC confront a goal-hungry Slingerz FC who have scored 20 unansweredgoalsintheirfirst2games.

TheWestDemeraraFA'sSeniorMen's League like all the RegionalAssociations havebeengivenfundingandsupportfrom t

n a F o o t b a l l

deration under the Members-Financial AssistanceProgramme(M-FAP).

Sharing the story of Rachel's name, Cheefoon related, "We were watching someAmericanraces,andsaw RachelAlexandrarun,andmy daughter suggested we name her Rachel Alexandra, but wereadvisedthatisaprotected name Wecouldnotuseit,and named her Rachel, but it did notonlystartthere Whenshe born, she was a dark/bay filly We felt she resembled

RachelAlexander,andthatis how she got the name, but hercolourchangedtogreyas she grew older Her sire is grey." Dad, John (70-yearold)reachedonthesuccessof his son's Rachel, said, "My father use to always breed goodhorses MybrotherandI took the same pattern Now our 'offsprings' are doing the same There was a time in Guyana'sracingseveralyears ago, we had the best horses such as Flashmonger, who won20straightraces,from21 races He was out of Carpetmonger/Humble Princess an ordinary mare. WhilemybrotherJameshad NorthStar,andwecontinued tobreedhorses."

Veteran horseman, John, sharing his opinion on the development of the sport during his period to now,

related, "Firstly we used to racetwodays,Saturday,and Sunday, so if your horse not fitenoughitwillcomeonfor thenextday(Sunday).Itwas niceatthattime."

He then heaped praise, "Now I see young (Nasrudeen) Mohamed jr is improving it, and it is going togetbetter Theyoungman isinvestingalotofmoneyin the sport for the benefit of the country, and the sport. The country has to support him, and not criticise him. Horse racing is team work, and the owners, breeders, sponsors, and patrons will benefit from his labour of love. In my time the late Uncle Sonny (Habibulla), Mr Crawford, and the late Judge Kennard were the people who saved it, and developedit."7

Alexander Leung aims to retain the Regan Rodrigues Memorial Race Open title.

SVC Inc./Precision Service Center, DCB launches

U19 Inter-Association T20 tournament

The Demerara Cricket Board ( D C B ) i n partnership with SVC Inc. /PRESCION Service Center launched their inaugural Under-19 T20 InterAssociation cricket tournament.

The brief ceremony was held at the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) head office, Regent Street, where DCB executives including Marketing Manager Anil Beharry and Secretary DavteerthAnandjit,received thesponsor'scheckonbehalf of Badesh Thakur, CEO of

SVC Inc and Precision ServiceCenter

Mr Beharry noted that his relationship with Mr Thakur stretches back a number of years and he has always been a quiet support of all things cricket in Guyana, contributing to various cricket events over theyears.

Players will be selected from 5 zones like Georgetown, East Bank, EastCoasttonameafewand must represent the team in whichever area they may be currently residing in, thus ensuring that competition is

spreadevenly

Beharry added that the new DCB is seeking continuing is journey to returning at the helm of Cricket in Demerara, with eyes trained on hosting a Super50U23andpossibly2daycompetitionsnextyear

"We want to make the competition even for all teams while setting exciting and set a high standards of cricket. T20 is still a good format so we are looking forward to hosting a Highprofiletournament."

Also, 2 players who are currently at the U19 level

andareeligibleforselection next year to represent Guyana, must be selected to each respective team with a rule that 1 of the 2 players must feature in the playing XIatalltimes.

Color clothing for all teamswillbedonatedbythe sponsorswiththe3rdand4th place games preceding the finalwhichissettobeplayed underlights.

Thakur said while both his companies are relatively new, he gave his word to support any endeavors that theGCBorDCBmayseekto pursue.

He outlined that his love for cricket is overwhelming, citing the sport as 'Our culture' and as such he will also be participating in the upcoming Prime Minister's CupSoftballtournament,

Giving the closing remarks, SecretaryAnanjitsaid it was a great pleasure having anyone come on board, especially when the offerwasmadebyasponsor He promised financial accountabilityanddiscipline throughout the tournament, while wishing the sponsors aswellasthepotentialteams andplayers,allthebestwith theupcomingventure.

Archery Guyana 2023 National Outdoor C/ship commences today

Get ready to witnessadisplay of precision, skill, and determination as Archery Guyana prepares to host the highly anticipated 2023 National Outdoor Championships scheduled for August 19-20 at the Queen's College Playfield, nestled in the heart of Camp Street and Thomas Lands, Georgetown.

Prepare to be amazed as Guyana'smosttalentedlocal archers converge to vie for the coveted title of the best Outdoor Archer The championshipisn'tjustabout hitting the bullseye – it's a

test of discipline, strength, and endurance that pushes participants to their limits in the quest for championship glory

T h i s y e a r ' s championship features two distinctformats:theRecurve and the Barebow, both contested at a distance of 30 meters.Theeventfocuseson showcasing remarkable talents in the Men and Women Under18 categories, ensuring that the future of archery in Guyana shines brightly

Theexcitementkicksoff at 8:00 am and continues until 5:00 pm each day,

promising action-packed daysfilledwithanticipation. Therankingrounds(720)on Saturday, August 19th, will setthestagefortheclimactic eliminator rounds and finals scheduled for Sunday, August 20th. Expect heartpounding moments, intense competition, and a culmination of skill that promises to leave spectators ontheedgeoftheirseats.

The tournament is proudly sponsored by Sterling Products Limited, a name synonymous with excellence, with a storied history spanning nearly sevendecades.

DCB Marketing Manager Anil Beharry (left) receives the sponsorship cheque from Badesh Thakur, CEO of SVC Inc and Precision Service Center alongside DCB executives and members of the 2 companies.

Flashback! Archery Guyana National Outdoor Championship (2022).

Rachel, a racehorse to note

RACHEL defeated inoneofthethree premiereventson Guyana Cup day of racing, will be remembered for a very long when Guyana's horse racing history is discussed.

Theroan/greythree-yearold filly named after Rachel Alexandra, darling of the American racing circuit was beatenbutnotdisgraced. She was seen as a winner after a head bobbing battle entering the homestretch with Firecracker that had patrons and horsemen on their feet andinawe.

Rachel Alexandra is a r e t i r e d A m e r i c a n Thoroughbred racehorse mare. She was named 2009 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra won the 2009 PreaknessStakes,thesecond leg of the Triple Crown. She became the first filly to win theracein85years.

In the process the roan/grey'petit'fillybyRock Moviestar/whose dam is an 'un-named' daughter of Kabila boosted the local breedingindustry,despiteher defeat.

As battling qualities and determined stretch battle

with winner, Firecracker in Sunday's 1,600-metre Associated Construction Derby Stakes run off at Rising Sun Turf Club (RSTC) gained her more respectthanthewinner

The unofficial distance betweenwinner,Firecracker, and runner-up Rachel was closer to a neck separating bothhorses.

Itwason15threnewalof Guyana Cup ten-race card and on a day that the country's biggest social sportingeventisheld.

Herrunner-upfinishtook her earnings for the season closerto$3million.

Thisnewspaperspeaking toherowner/breeder,Bronso Cheefoon on the filly's performance, name, and what helped, with her defeat that brought her respect, revealed, "She grew up as a young horse on plenty cow's milk I never used any imported supplements. The firsttimesheracedwasinlast year's President's Cup. She ranfourth.Shemetwithalot of interference in the race, and still managed to finish fourth."

Cheefoon,pressedtofind out why Rachel finished

unplacedatthePortMourant Race Club's (PMTC) Derby on 30th July, 2023 over the same trip 1,600-metres, when in her previous start at PMTCshefinishedsecondto T&T-bred Gypsy King with RedRubythirdinthatrace.

Richardson looks to dethrone Jamaican stars in 100m

Sha'Carri Richardson of the U.S. celebrates after winning the women's 100m final. (REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel/File Photo)

The ecstatic Cheefoon responded, "It had a lot of rain, and we could not prepare her properly for that race. For this race, we got enough time to prepare her, and that race although well beaten, brought her on for

thisrace.Iknewshewillrun well, because going into the PMTC's Derby race, we did nothaveenoughtimetotrain her She is also a late foal horse, and is now strengthening up. I felt she could spring the surprise.

Although beaten, that performancetome,shewasa winner, not only for me, but for Guyana breeding industry She won at Bush Lot, but Sunday's performancewillbe

(Continuedonpage25)

NEWYORK,(Reuters)-

Sha'Carri Richardson is in her prime and leading the U.S. effort to break up the Jamaican reign of dominanceoverthewomen's 100 metres when the World Championships kick off in Budapestthisweek.

The fan favorite lost her placeattheTokyoOlympics afterapositivecannabistest and failed to qualify for worlds last year in Eugene,

Oregon, but put those disappointments behind her toproducethebestseasonof hercareerin2023.

Budapest will be the ultimate proving ground for theTexas-borndynamoafter years of enormous expectations, beginning in 2019whenshebrokethe100 metres NCAA collegiate recordatjust19yearsold.

"I'm so blessed and thankful,Ifeelatpeace,"she

told reporters after winning the Doha Diamond League meet in May in 10 76 seconds."AllIdoisthebestI doandI'mexcitedtodoit."

Richardson kept a busy schedulethisseasonandher record was unblemished untilasecond-placefinishin the Hungarian Athletics GrandPrixlastmonth.

Sheproducedfourofthe top10fastesttimesof2023, (Continuedonpage23)

The nail biting finish at the Guyana Cup that caught everyone's attention. (Jumbo Jet Events Facebook photo)

Isai Thorne (CWI)

In photo, from left are: Mr. Divesh Ramjattan, Marketing Manager of Sheriff Security, Mr.AmeirAhmad, Chief Executive Officer of Sheriff Security, Mr.Aubrey Major Jnr., Director of New Era Entertainment and Mr.Yannick Charles at the presentation.