Kaieteur News

Govt.tospend$500Mtoshelter Venezuelanmigrants

President Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Thursdaysaidthathisgovernmenthasset aside $500M to build a shelter for Venezuelan migrants. The President made this disclosure at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Building Expo being held at the Guyana National Stadium.

“We'vealreadysetaside$500million dollarsinSupplementary(funds)tobuild a proper shelter for those migrants who are squatting on sea defences and other places," Ali said during his feature address. The President was at the time speakingaboutthedemandforhousingin thecountry

According to Ali, the influx of Venezuelan migrants in the country has addedtothatdemand.

Vice-President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo hadnotedthistooinapressconferencehe heldearlieronThursday Jagdeosaidthat the government cannot have the Venezuelans squatting "all over the place". In 2021, a United Nations (UN) refugee agency (UNHCR) reported that over 24,000 Venezuelan migrants are living in Guyana That number is expectedtohaveincreasedbythousands.

An exodus occurred in Venezuela during 2012-2013 after the country's economy crashed, plunging it into a major crisis. Venezuela is Guyana's neighbour to the west and many of its

citizens fled to Guyana during the economic crisis. Over time, many of the migrants have been squatting along the country's sea dams. In 2019, Kaieteur News reportedthatscoresofVenezuelans were squatting along the Grove, East BankDemerara(EBD)SeaDam.

To address the situation, the then Coalition government had said that it would relocate all of them to the North WestDistrict,RegionOne.

Then Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, was quoted as saying that they would have been sheltered in the former National Service Training Centre atPapaya,avillagejustontheoutskirtsof Matthews Ridge, North West District, RegionOne.

An overhead photograph taken in 2019 of Venezuelan migrants squatting along the Grove Sea Dam on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).

President Mohamed Irfaan Ali

President Ali assents to new Petroleum Law arming Minister of Natural Resources with command over sector

President Irfaan Ali has granted approval for the new Petroleum Activities Bill, passed in the National Assembly on August 10, 2023tobecomeLaw

The Head-of-State assented to the legislation on August 16, 2023; six days after the government Members of Parliament (MPs) used its majority in the House to pass the law.

The Opposition MPs were in supportoftheBillbeingsent to the Special Select Committee for further deliberations. It is important t o n o t e t h a t t h e 3 0 amendments tabled by the Shadow Minister of Natural Resources, David Patterson wereallthrownout.

The Opposition has said the new legislation in its current form is “deeply flawed” as it lacks adequate environmental safeguards and robust measures for revenue management and accountability among others MP Deonarine Ramsaroop for instance, w h o s e c o n d e d h i s colleague's amendments, during his presentation pointed out that in the

absence of rigid provisions toaddresspotentialoilspills, pollution, and its long-term impacts, Guyana risks irreversible damage to the environment and the livelihoods of countless Guyanesewhodependonit.

The new legislation repeals the decades-old Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act of 1986. It was released for a two weeks' public comments period that commenced on June20,2023.

A British firm, IHS Markit, a renowned international firm that specializes in critical information, analytics and expertise was hired by the government to provide consultancy services in draftingthenewlegislation.

The PetroleumActivities Act of 2023 features 18

Sections to govern the nation's budding industry It

introduces significant i m p r o v e m e n t s a n d safeguards related to safety, emergency response, cross b o r d e r u n i t i z a t i o n , supervision and monitoring requirements and authorize the Minister to prescribe

operations, seek corrective action and impose sanctions fornon-compliance,develop terms of reference and qualification criteria for the grant of exploration and production rights, and grant geological storage licences fornaturalgasandlong-term storageofcarbondioxide.

Itwasfurthernotedthata company or licensee needs the written approval of the minister, to directly or indirectly assign any of the rights under a licence or petroleum agreement, whether in whole or in part, toathirdpartyoranaffiliate.

of the government's share of crude oil subject to c o m m e r c i a l t e r m s established under the petroleum agreement See morebelow:

President Ali has assented to the new oil law, grating the minister of Natural Resources sweeping powers over Guyana's Petroleum sector. f

regulations about key a d m i n i s t r a t i v e a n d operational aspects of exploration and production activities.

Notably, the Petroleum Activities Law vests the Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat with sweeping powers over the sector

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e legislation,theministershall be empowered to administer the licensing of petroleum exploration, production,

storage and transportation operations; cooperate with the relevant government

a g e n c i e s r e g a r d i n g environmental and safety

aspects of petroleum operations; and oversee the conduct of petroleum

operations to ensure compliance with the new law, and the terms of the respective licences and petroleumagreements.

The minister is also proposed to have the power to inspect petroleum

The minister would also havethepowertorequirethe licensee to market abroad on competitive terms all or part

https://www kaieteurne wsonline com/2023/08/11/h ouse-approves-new-oil-lawarming-minister-with-superpowers-over-multi-billiondollar-industry/ The PetroleumActivities Bill is expected to be supplemented by a set of regulations that will follow in the coming months and provide the government the necessary toolbox for responsible and ef cient m a n a g e m e n t o f t h e petroleum activities within theGuyaneseeconomy

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS

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

EDITORIAL

Handouts – another form of government hooliganism

ManyGuyanesehaveaskedthemselveswhythePPP/C Government is so delighted with itself to deliver cash handoutstocitizensatdifferenttimesfordifferentreasons. Thereareseveralcompellingreasons for thegovernment’s loveofcashhandouts,anditallhastodowiththefactthat theyareincoinandcurrency

FromPresidenttoVicePresidenttoalltheministerswho remember the script stuffed into their stomachs, cash handouts are the best expressions of giving and caring, of sharinganddelivering. Thefirstreasonforthefocusoncash reliefisskillful,inthatitleavesoutthelittlelooseends,the nuisancesofthe‘loose’cashthatnoleadernotministerever mentions. Cashistheperfectcoverforcorruptions,theselfhelpofPPP/CGovernmentcronies,theselectedhangers-on, whonowhavebecomeextremelywell-versedinmilkingthe bloatedcashcowthatisGuyana’streasury

Besides those receiving their envelopes of much-needed, precious,cash,therearethoseotherenvelopesandwhocollects them Thereportsareofthosewhogetmorethantheirshare, thosewhogetthebasicsthatwereannounced,andthosewho enduponthethinnerandlightersideofcashhandoutenvelopes

Considering the political culture in Guyana, say cash and corruptionimmediatelycomestomind,withcorruptionnow nothinglessthanahelplessstateofaddictionformany,the PPP/CGovernment. Thecompromisesandcorruptionsare soprevalentthatthereishesitancyandobstinacyfromtopto bottom in this country to speak with clarity and authority about even oil. When those in command do not have the confidencenorthecleanliness,tospeakwithfluencyabout thelongawaited,nowrecentlydiscovered,nationaltreasure that is oil, then there is nothing that they can stand for or speakabout.

Revealingly, some of what is behind the process of cash handouts have surfaced before, and showed its face again ThereisthecashcircusofworkersoftheState(mostlikelywitha solidpartyhistory)skippingarounddifferentpartsofthecountry withbagsofcash Then,thereareotherinstancesofmenand womenwithcashintheirsackstravellinggreatdistancesbyboat andoverlandtodeliveraid,asthiscountryisledtobelieve. Regrettably,someofthosewiththeirhandsaroundthecash sacksarepartoftheAIDSepidemicthatplaguesthelifeof this PPP/C Government. It is a financial and political epidemic,andthoughnotabodilyone,itisjustasdamaging. Damaging to those involved in the cash shenanigans, damaging to those who should receive much more in this timeofhardshipinthisGuyanaoilnirvana,anddamagingto Guyana’s coffers, through the millions and billions sucked out of it. It suits the PPP/C Government and its leadership apparatus to keep up this charade of caring for the people throughcashhandouts,whilebeneaththecalculatedhandoutsis the not-so-secret world of cash self-enrichment Amere four envelopesequal$100,000or4times$40,000equal$160,000 ((4X$40,000),andwhentherearebiggerenvelopesinvolved, thenmoreinthecabalofscoundrels,whoareupthepolitical foodchainreaptheirpleasingharvestsofcash. Itissimilar to how the system of graft operates in other government institutions,withthepolicealeadingproponentinthisway ofdoingbusiness,somethingaboutwhichmanyGuyanese are very familiar. Considering the environment and its rewardstothoseincontrolofit,itmakesnosensetohavea structuredprogrammethataddressesdireneedsofthoseinthe populationthatcanbarelybreathe Itwouldbeself-defeatingfor

the PPP/C Government to introduce a mechanism that boosts salaries and benefits for the many struggling segments in the workforce. Becauseitwouldbeanon-cashsystemreaching into the pockets of Guyanese workers and parents, and not much left for the pockets of the army of hustlers having a wonderfultimeattheexpenseoftheGuyanesetaxpayer

Stopthecashhandoutsandcomeupwithanationalplan todealwiththeproblemsandpovertyofordinaryGuyanese would be part of the answer Just don’t tell that to the Presidentorhisgovernment.

Contentious point of onshore pipeline laying

DEAREDITOR,

It is indeed curious, why the GtE Task Force and EEPGL on behalf of the Stabroek Block Partners would with more or less 25km of onshore pipeline to be laid, choose to begin in Canal #1. This is one of the locations where there is a legalchallengeintherightof way (RoW) of the Gas to Energy(GtE)pipelineroute. This is the same location, same Canal #1, where the residents penned a letter to the Executive Director of

EPA informing that they were not consulted as residents in the area of interest (AoI) presubmission of the EIA in 2022.

The letter also seeks the repudiation and/or nullification of the EIA, a copy of the letter is attached herewith Resident were asked, some refused, to sign aletterseekingpermissionto enter unto private lands by the joint venture subcontractor Why would this be necessary if the land is

vestedasStateofficialskeep reiterating?

Does this speak to the governance, management and oversight of the GtE project? Or maybe prima facie attempted acts of state a n d / o r c o n t r a c t o r provocation and/or intimidation?

Or maybe this is the process of selecting the scapegoatflashpoint;should the GtE project be further delayed? Or maybe indicativeoftheregardgiven to the judicial process? Or

maybe other unforeseen and/or unforeseeable reasons? What logical sense does it make to begin at this contentiouspoint?

This matter has been raised with the relevant parties, directly As has the question of the GoG’s authorizing party/parties to the pre-FID ongoing pipelinelayingworks.

No acknowledgement norresponseisexpected.

Yourssincerely, Elizabeth DeaneHughes

Where is equal application of the law in Guyana?

DEAREDITOR,

I am a simple man, but could you help me because reading the news in the independent media is sending up my blood pressure.

A man is jailed for 16 months for stealing a ram sheep,amanishauledbefore the Court for, they say, urinating at night in a secluded spot but our law enforcement agencies can’t catch what to most of us is massive corruption and nonsense. The contractor is

building substandard homes in the young professional scheme on the East Bank of Demerara, but this is not new To the best of my knowledge, it will be businessasusualbecausehe, like so many friends and supporters of the ruling party, is now beyond the reach of the law Nothing new I remember when President Ali was the Minister of Housing, houses allwithredroofssufferedthe same defects that are happening today Some

FromDolly,theGuyanaBag Lady,toMisterGladstone,son andheirofaslavemaster

DEEREDITOR, Pliizlouwii/miialilspees (nanuf – jus lilspees) fowelkom Mista Glaadstoon to wiihoomlanGaiyanaan–seem-taim–sendisinviiteeshonfohii–an aal dem Glaad-stoon a n s e s t a z h i i g u n biiapalajaizinfo – to jainwii JumbiiJambori. Dis inviteeshonkomin f r o m d i i AfriikanGaiyaniizSpirichal K o m u u n i t i i W i i biiliivdatwiiizdiidairekkaaz Manja Glaad-stoon jumbiimekhiigranpikniikom tilheefobeegpaadnfohii. If dis apalajiiizfosleevrii – fo se sariifo dii sleevriipon Plantation Success – fo aal dem ansesta chap-aafhed jook-up ponstikhai-op in-a d i i e e r f o k e r y a nkroofiispon? If do iz wo hiiapalajaizinfo – Mista Glaad-stoongaffotaaktowii dii diisendunts o dem

piiplhiifoorgranfaadameksle evpondatplanteeshon.

IndiiyanIndenchashipko m aaftaslavriiabalish; wozwiihuu did fiilin dii b l o o s f r o m datwipponwiibak; nou dii bloosponwii main in-a disy a t w e n t i - f i r s senchuriivorjhon o dii seem oolplanteeshon MistaGlaads t o o n , w i h o o p yuuovastaandat an biihaaf o yoransestaz – yuu gunbiiapalajaizing to AfrikanGaiyaiizanwiioon komdunghfromQuaminaan ii son Jak in-a dat 1823 revaluushon? Iz a inviiteeshon from Afriikanansestajumbii – to evriiGaiyaniizansestajumbii to komseliibreetwidwii –izinjunkshonwisorvinponHi storii. Mi neem izDaalii –demsemibaazidiidazwaidii p i i p s d o z k a a l m i –BaazidiiDaaliiDiiGaiyana Reen-faaresBaag-leedii

could not be occupied; leaking roofs, front steps movingawayfromtherestof thehouseandsoforth.Atone time after the Government changed in 2015, the CHPA spent millions correcting these bad works. The new Government after August 2020 ignored all efforts to have these contractors rectify bad work, or pay for the correction done. Forget the never-done airport and daily complaints that all these roads, bridges and buildings being constructed

arefaulty Whoarethefolks gettingthebigbucks?

ThePPPhasthegalltogo to Parliament to obtain billionstocontinuethisrape of our country The Holy Bookstellus“Thoushaltnot steal.” In Guyana when the big ones steal, nothing ever happens to them but the prison is overflowing with young men who snatch a chain or steal a bicycle. When will justice come to Guyana?

Yourstruly, Eric(Mutt)Moseley,MS

( From Dolly...CONT’D) Translation to Mr. Gladstone’s English

DEAREDITOR, Please allow me/us a littlespace(nottoomuch)to welcome Mr Gladstone to our homeland, Guyana, and, atthesametime,toextendan invitation to him—and all the Gladstone ancestors he will be apologizing for—to joinour‘Jumbi’Jamboree.

Thisinvitationcomesfrom theAfricanGuyaneseSpiritual communityWeunderstandthat our Spiritual Works have directly caused Manager Gladstone’s‘Jumbi’tomakehis great-great-great grandchild comeheretoapologizeforhim

If this apology is about slavery—to say sorry for slavery on Plantation

Success for all the ancestors whose mutilated heads were raisedintheaironpikesandleft forvulturestofeaston.Ifthatis whatheisapologizingfor,Mr. Gladstonewillhavetotalkto us, the descendants of the people his forefathers

enslavedonthatplantation. Indianindentureshipcame as a consequence of the abolitionofslavery AfricanGuianesewerethe ones who felt the blows from the whips on our backs; now the blows are to our mind in this21stCenturyversionofthe sameoldplantation

Mr Gladstone, we hope youunderstandthatonbehalf of your ancestors, you would be apologizing to African Guyaneseand our own, those who come down from Quamina and his son Jack of the 1823 Revolution? This is an invitation from African ‘Jumbi’ ancestors to all Guyanese‘Jumbi’ancestorsto come celebrate with us through this injunction weareservingonHistory.

MynameisDolly—they say I’m bassidy, and that’s why the people call me Bassidy Dolly, the Guyana RainforestBagLady

An Open Letter to President Ali: the NIS is sadistically murdering Guyanese, please do something

DEAREDITOR, Excellency, Dr Ali, it is notedwithmuchrespectthat over the past two years, you were dispatching the Minister of Finance, Hon. Dr Ashni Singh, and that NIS (National Insurance Scheme) would dispatch somelower-levelofficialsto certain locations to conduct site visits. Dr Ashni Singh achieved quite a lot but has not even “touch the wind abovethetipoftheiceberg.” Thereisalotofhurt,shame, pain, degradation, and humiliation in the hearts of Guyanese when it comes to NIS. That many start to shiver in fear and to suffer from anxiety syndrome as a resultofwhatNISisdoingto them I have a personal thought that the NIS will quickly attend to the ‘well known’, the ‘high and mighty’,outoffear Butthey will sadisticallytorment and humiliate the poor, the neediest,creatingallkindsof excuses and scenarios to harass and insidiously slowly murder citizens. Making many sick with depression hoping that they will die before they can collecttheirNISbenefits.All in an attempt for the NIS to enrichitself.

As a result of the poor management of the NIS, many people are in the streets turning into vagrants andbeggars.Theyclaimthat according to the NIS, their employersdidnotremittheir contributions; hence, they did not qualify for any benefitsorpensions.Itismy opinion, that if an employer is not remitting employees

NIS contributions, it is poor administration of NIS to not monitor the employers and inflict charges and imprisonment where possible.NISpenaltiesasfar as I know are not criminal. One never reads of any employers who have been known to have stolen up to billions going to jail and facingseriousconsequences.

The NIS is known to try to negotiatewiththesecriminal minded employers and in most cases to fail. They

continue to steal after negotiationsandneverfulfill their agreements after negotiations Even some security services seem to be cursed with this desire to cheat employees from their benefits.Itismyviewthatit is the NIS that becomes responsible for nonpayment by employers and should f o r k u p t h e payments/benefits that becomeduetoemployees.

However, historically, it has been known that many NIS inspectors were corrupt and some, I am advised, are protecting some corrupt employers even today I personally know of NIS inspectors in the days of ‘Stamps’ on the NIS contribution cards, that the inspectors would steal the stamps. Some would go to employersandsaytheycame toupliftthecardsandreplace theoldcardswithnewcards. Then, of course, stealing the stampsandresellingthemon the open market of employers willing to buy cheapertocheatthesystem.

As I am an ‘old head’in thesecurityindustry,Iknow for a fact that there was a leakage decades ago in a room where stamps were stored and hundreds of thousands of cards with stamps were destroyed.As a result, poor people suffered as cards then were not computerized.

Some years back, a former security guard came to see me being released fromthehospitalwithhisleg amputated. Begging me to help him as RK’s was the only company that he worked with that paid his NIS. All the others stole his NIS contributions and obviously were not filing them. These things could only happen as a result of poor administration, poor management of the NIS. As theyaresupposedtohavean

honest, dynamic breed of inspectorate.Motivatedwith the aim and power to serve thepeopleofthiscountryso that they can get their benefits.

Ifeelashamedthatevenin moderntimes,theNISisbent ondestroyingpeople’splansto enjoytheirretirementbytrying tofindexcusesnottopaythem foranylittlereasonsOneofthese reasonsitwouldappear,NISwas intentionallymisleadingpeopleto putthemintroubleinthedayswhen peopleneedtheirNISsothateven onecontributioncouldbeslipped due to NIS not updating their records and advising the people accordinglyIknowofaladyon whose behalf I have been communicating with the NIS This lady overpaid 30 contributions until NIS stopped her from paying further Hopingthatshewould haveenjoyedherbenefits,theNIS appearstohavemanipulatedherso that she would have missed one contribution. As a poor vendor demolishing her dreams of enjoyingheroldagepensionand possiblyjoiningthevagrantsand beggarsonthestreets,inordertoeat. Yet,theNISlikeaninstitutionof ‘Spanish,Inquisition’continues totortureandtormentheron a daily basis. This lady is now getting in poorer health every day, still working, selling as a vendor to make ends meet, as the NIS insidiouslymurdersher The NIS claims that it is one contribution that is missing eventhoughsheoverpaidby 30 contributions.And in my opinion, it is the fault of the NIS misleading and directing her and maybe many others so that NIS can enrich their coffers while people are suffering and dying, dear Excellency Dr IrfaanAli.

Imustgobackinhistory, to give credit to then Prime Minister/President, Mr Burnham.WhenIwasalittle boy, I had heard of this NIS ideaandchatterinourUpper

CorentyneSocietyTheNISwas establishedinSeptember1969in GuyanaandIthinkitwasagood thing However,whiletheWorld HealthOrganisationwasguiding Guyana and other countries in theCaribbean,ontheimportance of National Insurance, Forbes Burnhamwasoneofthefirstto initiate it for the benefit of the Guyanesepeople

However, it would appearthatGuyanafromthe date of establishment of the NIS got stuck in what was createdsomanydecadesago while other countries modernize and develop this scheme to help their people Forbes Burnham established the National Insurance Scheme and all the subsequent governments to date have done nothing to modernize the scheme in order to benefit the people and to prevent the people from becoming mendicants, looking for handouts from people in the streets, and even‘abeggarmyneighbour system to survive.’ Then look for Government handouts People have dignity, people who paid should benefit, Mr President.

Closertohome,myvery dear wife Mrs. Latchmin Khanqualifies,wastoldthat everything was okay Then suddenlywegotarequestfor more information from NIS. That request was fulfilled. Then we got another request for information, that request was fulfilled also Again, as usual with this institution of sadism, the entire thing seemstohavebeenstagedin order to enrich the NIS. To date Mrs Khan has not gotten her benefits The entireconspiracywithinNIS and its Board of Directors seems orchestrated to enrich the NIS and ‘pull wool over thegovernment’seye.’

I know of a case of another person who had askedmetoassist,andIdid.

That person is now entitled a n d h a s a l l t h e correspondence from NIS saying that they qualify and have fulfilled and met the criteria to receive their NIS benefits But here they are playing with that lady’s benefits and her sanity It seems the NIS romances the hopethatshewoulddie,and would not have a chance to makeaclaim.Onceagainfor theNIStofattenit’s“belly.”

Too many businesspeople havebeenstealingtheworkers NIS, denying their workers their rights Inclusive of security services, I am ashamedtosay Somebribing theirwaytogetcompliancesto tender Other security services have two or three employees’ insurance contribution record books to fool the NIS, VAT, PAYEsystemsinthiscountry

So that NIS gets nothing, and theworkersgetnothing.Even employingcontractedsecurity guardstogetthecompliances to win major government securitycontracts.Theaimof contractedsecurityguardsisto hidefromtheTaxandtheNIS system Yet the ones that are fully legal, uncorrupted, have to suffer the consequences

Even employers such as famous rice millers in Essequibo and other areas in thecountry Similarwithother industriesinthecountryalso

Thesecompaniesusually declare bankruptcy There was a security company UAS&DS, which no longer exists today, but usurped billionsofdollarsfromNIS. Another security service changed names, kept the uniform,eventhelocationof operation and yet was allowed to perpetuate these crimes This particular security service continues to cheat its employees of their benefitsandtheNISoffunds to enhance their coffers

Some of those who declare bankruptcy had already transported their company’s

wealth to the United Kingdom, The Swiss Bank, and Offshore Accounts around the Caribbean and othercountries.

Mr President! Our President!ThePresidentofthe People!Thepeoplelooktoyou as their God for support and justice TheNISSystemasitis, needs to be revamped and modernized People who are shortofoneortwocontributions as a result of the fault of NIS failingtoprovideupdates,have no right to be denied their benefits NISmayhavetheright topayalessersuminbenefitsbut donothavetherighttooutright denyallbenefitssincemostofthe errors is the cause of NIS incompetencies. The mass torture,thementalandphysical harassment; the trauma and sickness and deaths caused by NIStoitssupposedbeneficiaries willbemarkedbyGodandthe Universe. Many in the senior administration and directorate oftheNISBoardwillhaveto face the divine consequences that the universe through the CreatorandtheLordGodwill unleashonthem

Excellency, you cannot depend on the Ministry of Financetosolvethisdisease of catastrophe and torture. Onanurgentbasisyouneed tointerveneandpassapolicy directive that anyone whom is short by one contribution caused by NIS and might have overpaid to show good intentions receive their benefits. Do you remember Mr President, how you kindly provided a grant to dialysis patients and NIS wanted to deny the people theirNISbenefitsbecauseof that grant? You had to intervene, Sir This Mr President displays the barbaric character of NIS to createhardship,pain,andthe NIS insidious murders, sadistic tortures on the Guyanesepeople.

Sincerely,

HajjiDr RoshanKhan

Leave the moon alone; focus on demanding issues on earth

DEAREDITOR, This week India made history by being the first country to land near the South Pole of the moon.

Congratulationstotheteam!

Earlier this week, Russia was also unsuccessful in its attempt to return to the moon. Colonization of the moon is beginning to become a hot pursuit. Some countries also have plans to mine it for minerals, start

coloniesandcreatebasesfor furtherspaceexploration. The main concern with these pursuits is the altering of the moon’s pull on the earth, which will affect the ocean’s tides. The current hostility on earth provides clear evidence that mankind has not reached a level of maturity where they can peacefully coexist and take care of what they have already been given The

earth is in turmoil and the pursuitofvanityintheform ofrichescontinuestoleadto wars and the destruction of the balance within the ecosystem. Mankind’s form of civilization is leading them to their own self destruction and will force change in how humanity exists Considering the current circumstances and the outlook for the future, it is in mankind’s best interest

that alteration of the lunar mass and its distribution be prohibited. Man has already unlockedthetechnologythat allows them to alter cloud formation, and in times of war having the capability to also change the tide will bring about further destruction Control of atomic and nuclear energy hasledtoitsweaponization. Cloud formation and tidal force control will also be weaponized if further developmentisallowed.

The United Nations has a resolutiongoverningthemoon and other celestial bodies, whichstatesthattheiruseshall be exclusively for peaceful purposes However, we must remember that the USA had recentlywalkedawayfromthe Paris agreement on Climate Change, but after a change in leadership has rejoined Mankind’s future is at a very criticaljunctureandweshould notallowanycountryrootedin greedforpowertobereckless andhaveadetrimentalimpact on the fragile existence of all humans The moral authority

ofmankindovertheearthmust returntoitsrightfulplace,and those lacking such moral authoritymustnotbeallowed to lead They must be sanctioned and controlled to prevent unjust wars and destructionfromtakingplace

The Treaty on the NonProliferation of Nuclear Weaponscontinuestonothave the full commitment of all nuclear states, and full disarmament has yet to take place

Thethreatofuseofnuclear weapons should not be tolerated and we should have zerotoleranceforsuchthreats

The United Nations needs to ensure that any country that takessuchastepwillbefully isolated and forced to completely disarm There are adequate alternative ways by which to win a war If a country’s leadership and militaryarewellpreparedand skilledinwarfare,theydonot have to resort to such an extremeandcowardlyformof attack In addition, the effective use and control of nuclear capability has yet to

occur This has resulted in disasters, which mankind is still unable to prevent and obtainazero-occurrencerate The changing climate will continue to bring with it unforeseen factors that are beyond the scope of past planning and construction considerations that were used when building nuclear reactors Retrofitting for extreme conditions has to be undertaken

This is but an example of where mankind is still in the learning phase of the planet’s capabilities Itisimportantthat we as a human race take the time to appreciate and fully understand what it is that we have here on earth so as to bettermasteritandunlockthe hidden gifts and potential of ourecosystem Thiswillallow us to avoid many pitfalls and self-destructive behaviours Thus, returning the joy of existence across the world First,weshouldlookatwhatis within our reach before looking beyond our borders and the earth A cure for the common cold and its eradication would be a great firststep

Mankind on earth recently went through an epidemic that continues to evolve Spending time and resourcesontheexplorationof other planets and space may notbethebestchoicetomake There is plenty to do here on earth At the beginning, I had mentionedthatIndiawasable tolandneartheSouthPoleof themoon Onthesameday,it was reported that an underconstruction railway bridge platform in India had collapsed here on earth killing 26 workers and injuring 2. Landslides and flooding have also been occurring in many major countries that have reached the moon, such as the USA, China,andIndia.OurNation hasn’treachedthemoon,but we are also spending enormousamountsofmoney in areas that do not improve ourdrainageandseadefence while the country continues to flood during high tide and therainyseason Allofthisis very telling of the current problematicfacedbymankind and the need for a serious wake-up call to relook at our priorities. Mankind must demandbetterofourleaders andGuyanamustalsodothe same.

Sincerely,

Mr JamilChanglee Chairman

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Pollutionand harassmentonly

Why not the impact on the people at Chinese Landing, Mr. Jagdeo?

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Impact on livelihoods has to be high on any caring government's agenda.

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Are the citizens at Chinese Landing people, too?

Targeting pollution and harassment is a good start.

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But there must be some study, some idea, on how the people are affected…

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Is looking out for big shots more important than the wellbeing of the weak and poor?

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Perhaps, Jagdeo would like to address that concern!

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

How did Jagdeo know this?

Recently, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago did an impromptu interview with a television reporter from his countrye was asked by the reporter about his reaction to one of the parties, which contested the recent local government elections, receiving some 30,000.

Clearly, the reporter’s numbers were wrong. And the Trinidadian Prime Minister shot back and said thismustbeGuyanadollars, whichprovokedlaughter

VicePresidentJagdeo,as a former Head of State and f o r m e r C A R I C O M colleague of theTrinidadian Prime Minister should have let the little banter slide. It wasunnecessaryandunwise forJagdeotohaveresponded tothatremark.

Even as he said that, he did not wish to get into a political cross exchange with Rowley, Jagdeo nonetheless came out swinging He sought to accuse Trinidadian companies operating in Guyana of paying for their imports,forbothhereandin Trinidad,byutilizingforeign currencyboughtinGuyana.

Now this is a strange criticism coming from the very person who was Guyana’s Finance Minister when the Exchange Control Act was repealed in 1996. This legislation allowed for the unhindered repatriation of funds overseas by

companies operating in Guyana.Infact,thePPPhas been wooing foreign investment by citing that foreigncompanieswerefree to repatriate their profits overseas.

Since the repeal of the Exchange Control Act in 1996, the Guyana dollar has continued to slide. In 1996, the US dollar was trading at G$140.Today,theexchange ratehasclimbedtoG$218.

As Chris Ram pointed out earlier this year, the oil agreements, signed under both Janet Jagan and the APNU+AFC,granttotheoil companiestherighttoretain theirexportearningsabroad.

They also enjoy the right to maintain foreign currency accounts outside of Guyana without having to convert anypartofallofitsproceeds into Guyana dollars. The companies also have the right to open foreign currency accounts in Guyana and to remit the salaries of their foreign employees overseas, which means they can pay these in foreigndollars.

Is anyone, other than Jagdeo, surprised then that since oil production began, the Guyana dollar has depreciated? Is anyone surprisedthatbusinessesare complaining that the US dollar is scarce in Guyana and is presently trading at US$1toG$218?

One IMF economist in a WorkingPaper, haspointed

outthatGuyanahasadejure floating exchange rate but a defactoratethatisstabilized t h r o u g h e x c h a n g e interventions and capital controls. He has said there hasbeenlittleexchangerate flexibilityinrecentyears.

The said Working Paper argues that Guyana’s oil expansion and exports should provide adequate buffers to sustain a fixed exchange rate or an exchange rate peg for the foreseeable future, especially if the planned publicinvestmentexpansion isdoneatapacethatdoesnot generate macroeconomic imbalances and is anchored in a medium-term fiscal framework. However, the paper argues a strong case for a gradual shift towards a more flexible exchange rate inthefuture.ButJagdeoand the PPP/C, however, do not appear ready and willing to go in this direction. And shift towards greater exchangeflexibilitywillnot be helped by the failure of the present PPP/C government to better regulate foreign currency transactions.

Since assuming office, the government for which Jagdeo works has not taken any steps to regulate the f o r e i g n c u r r e n c y transactions of the oil companies. And it is not likelytodoso.

But Jagdeo wants to throw bricks at Trinidadian

Dem boys seh... People tekkin’ on

Wh i l e earthquakes and their aftershocks are natural phenomena, some political tremors seem to have everlasting effects In Guyana, we gat some people suffering from de aftershocks of the Coal-aShundefeat.

DeCoal-a-Shunlosede electioninMarch2020and three years after some of demsupportersstillfeeling de aftershocks. Some of de loyal supporters are experiencing a seismic event of their own: three years after de electoral defeat,they’restillshaking andquaking,unabletofind asinglegoodthinginwhat degovernmentisdoing.

Some of dem get delayedreactionandlikeis only now dem realize dem lose. It gat dem bassidee and traumatized. Is like whenyuhaccidentallyteka

hammer and pound yuh fingerorwhenyuhhandget squeeze in a door De pain does knack yuh after a few monies and then it does reallystarttobite.

Is nuff moaning and groaning, every road being builtcausingdegnashingof teeth cronyism. Every sodturning ceremony for a hospital causing post traumaticstreedisorder De return of the schools’ cash grantsendingshinersdown de spines of some of dem Opposition supporters Every time de Sharrat Man announce de country growing,ittriggeringnight sweats. Every achievement of the government is a horrormoviemarathon.

Whendemseebusiness thriving, it throwing dem grumpies into a fit of nostalgia for de good old days when stagnation was thenameofthegame.Dem prefer fuh reminisce about

companies At a press conference two weeks ago, he accused Trinidadian companiesofbuyingforeign currencyinGuyanafortheir importsforbothGuyanaand Trinidad But how does he know this? It would appear thatininvestigatingthecauses oftheshortageofUSdollarsin the banking system, Jagdeo was provided with information on demands for and purchases of foreign currency And according to him, there is supposed to be sufficient forex in the system

to meet the demand

Obviously, for reasons of confidentiality, the data that Jagdeo received would have been aggregate numbers He wouldnothavehadorshould not have had access to individual transactions since this is supposed to be confidentialinformation.

How then did Jagdeo knowthatitwasTrinidadian companies that were buying up local foreign currency if he had access only to aggregate data? Perhaps, at hisnextpressconference,he

willtellus.

(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.)

the times when potholes were considered a tourist attraction and shortages built strong personalities abletofacehardtimes.Ah, thegoldeneraofpessimism andwant!

Dem master de art of finding clouds in every silver lining. The windfall of foreign investments? Mustbeaplottomakethem forget their “sufferation.”

Improved healthcare?

Clearly, a scheme to bring in foreign doctors and nurses. Every action of de government is seen as a trap.

While the rest of the world moves forward, they stand firmly in the aftershock, clutching their negativity like a treasured possession. In their world, progress is a menace, development is a nightmare,andthefutureis justamirage. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

GHK LALL

Anti-Exxon, anti-American, anti-PPP, anti-Indian

Itisstrange,enlightening, the slugs that result from standing up for country and the poor, downtrodden, and afflicted. Indirectly, I have heard of the tempers originating in the lavender and lace circuit about being anti-Exxon, then anti-PPP, even anti-American, and possibly in some corners, anti-Indian. Though none of this is ever said to the face, it would not surprise if in 'high' church circles, there isn't the label of antichrist. When there is principled distancing and differing from what many hold dear, the jaundiced insults rise with a roar My response is the same: the damnations are a

badge of honour Thanks for thefavour

I t a k e t h e s e denouncements one by one, andthefirstthingtobesaidis that they come with the territory, even though it is Guyanese interests, and Exxon's also, that I labour Believe it or not, Exxon's interests are intertwined with, always part of the mixture of, local visions and more. From my perspective, to be anti-Exxon is to want theAmericancompanyoutof here. I assure Mr Routledge that there is no such interest, no such vision, nary even contemplation.

I will take American on any Sunday (warts and all),

but only one that comes with proper offerings in hand for Guyanese Neither two percent it is, nor playing games with billions in expenses now subject to the equivalent of judicial seal. Exxon would still flourish, and all Guyanese could get more. IfExxonweretopony up a couple of percentage points more, then it would cease to be the centre of G u y a n e s e r a g e a n d resentment. There will only be corrupt Guyanese politicians on whom to set s i g h t s , c o n c e n t r a t e impassionedenergies.

It would be the hallowed American Way for Exxon to deliver what is fair, what is saturated with straightness, possibilities. Fairness and straightnessarethelynchpins of the American Way, and enough of both have been personally experienced, for instilling deep down not wanting things oil any other way

Not Chinese Not Russian. Not European. I'll takeAmerican, thanks; being otherwise would be un-

American.

It is why I laff at, (the mocking spelling should capture the derogatory manner with which I respond to) the pathetic claims of those fellow travellers, who have only the desperation of 'anti-American' to cloak their weakness, their limp stick attempts at denigration America has taught its native born and incoming hopefuls, about the hallowed founding tenets of truth, justice, and lifting up the underdog There is no deference. It is the American Way, and for me,thereisnoother Itisthe lesser of most evils, and as Winston (definitely not the local one) said about democracy: it is the worst form of government, but still the best thing around. Any questions (or slurs) about whereIstandwithExxonand America should have been puttobedbynow

Regarding being antiPPP, that is the sly ruse and refuge of the limited; the allpurpose solution to the many party crimes. Though there are some things-real big things-to differ from the PPP, thebiggercrisisisthestateof its leadership Any Guyanesewhosaidtomethat PresidentAliwouldbesofull of what is hostile to Guyanese interests, a prompt

running them out of town would have resulted. Ifanyonehad dared to say that Vice President Jagdeo (a former head of state) would have turned out to be so headless and toothless and spineless where oil is concerned, I would have branded him or her a repugnant Venezuelan mole. No! Not my two brothers entrusted with leadership powers in this time of what should have been Guyana's firstgloriousgleaminginthis thedawnofitsOilAge.

For sure, Guyana glitters for Chinese, Indians, Africans, and Europeans, thankstoDrs.AliandJagdeo. But Guyana's oil does not shimmer and glimmer for the rank and file in Guyana, compliments of Excellency Mohamed Ali, and the Almighty Barry who floats like a bulldozer With a twosome like that, we should be ruling the waves of the Atlantic and the jet streams above here Instead, Guyanese are mired more in the mud and muck, and it is all because of the puniness, the gutlessness, of these two remarkable national boys of our own entrusted with so much, who refuse to rise to realleadershipmen.

If being for what accrues

to the

benefit of voiceless, powerless Guyanese denouncesasanti-PPP,thenI stand guilty There are huge numbers of Africans and Amerindians making up the disempowered and the economically deprived Alongside of those fellow citizens, there are poor Indians also used and used and used again for political leadership ambitions and objectives. I know some of them from shared times shared They are not abstractions nor voting considerations for me; but peersandbrotherswithout.

If being about their wellbeingbrandsasanti-PPP, or anti-Indian, then let the blowsrain.Ifstandingforthe walking wounded in this country is deemed to be antiPPP, then the plea is guilty To be a contrarian has its limits; but to be for country has no restrictions for me, and there is no power in Guyanatodeter

(The views expressed in this article are those of the a u t h o r a n d d o n o t necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Tullow did not notify Govt. of plans to sell

majority shares in Orinduik oil block - Jagdeo

Guyana's Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday disclosed that UnitedKingdom(UK)-based Company Tullow Oil Plc, agreed to sell its Guyana's subsidiary majority stake in the not-yet producing Orinduik Oil Block, without formally notifying the GovernmentofGuyana.

OnAugust10,Tullowina statement said that it has agreed to sellTullow Guyana B.V (TGBV) total interest for the Orinduik licence, of 60% operated equity to its minority partner, Canadabased explorer, Eco-Atlantic Oil & Gas Ltd. in exchange for a combination of upfront cash, US$700,000, and potential future payments if productionstarts.

However, VP Jagdeo during his last press conference said that the government heard about the company's decision but was notformallynotified.

“The last two days ago, I spoke with (Minister of Natural Resources) Vickram Bharrat and at that time, we h a d n o t r e c e i v e d notification,” Jagdeo said, adding, “We had not been notified about this, we've been hearing about it…but that has to come through a formalprocesstous.”

Notably, the Vice President underscored that Tullow will need to formally notify the government because such decision has to

be approved by the GovernmentofGuyana. Moreover, if the deal is finalised, Eco's 15% stake would increase to 75% in the Orinduik oil block – making it the operator of the block with the remaining 25% i n t e r e s t o w n e d b y TotalEnergies(TTEF.PA).

In its statement, Tullow said, “Tullow's decision to exittheOrinduiklicenceisin line with its strategy to focus on its high return production assets in Africa and i n f r a s t r u c t u r e - l e d e x p l o r a t i o n a r o u n d producing hubs and delivers its objective to unlock value inemergingbasins.”

The company noted that in 2019, it drilled two exploration wells in the Orinduik oil block, which yielded uncommercial oil discoveries Nonetheless, Tullow said it recognises the material oil resource potential remaining in the Orinduik and as such, the

terms of the Transaction allow Tullow to retain exposure to any potential futuresuccessintheregion.

The transaction summary is as follows: US$700,000 cash payment upon transfer of Tullow's 60% equity and operatorship of the Orinduik licence to Eco. Notably, it was stated that the monies must be paid to Tullow Overseas Holdings B V (TOHBV) on completion of thetransaction.

Also, the contingent consideration is also payable to Tullow's overseas company: a US$4M in the event of a commercial discovery,US$10Mpayment upon the issuance of a production licence from the Government of Guyana and Royalty payments on future production – 1.75% of the 60% working interest entitlement revenue net of capital expenditure and liftingcosts.

Dhir.

Notably, the completion of the sale is expected to occur in the second half of 2023 and the proceeds from the transaction will be put towards general corporate purposes–Tullowsaid.

Jean-Medard Madama, Director Exploration, NonOperated Assets and Decommissioning, said, “This transaction is in line with our strategy to optimise our portfolio through opportunitiestounlockvalue from our emerging basin licences, whilst focusing our capital expenditure on our high return producing assets and growth opportunities a r o u n d e x i s t i n g infrastructure.”

BackinJuly,EcoAtlantic Chief Executive, Gil Holzman told Upstream that the Orinduik partners are in the analyzing stage to figure outthebesttargetstodrillfor “lightoil.”

“We are currently planning, reviewing and

analyzing to understand exactly what the best targets are to drill for light oil, and we have three options,” Holzman told Upstream.The Chief Executive noted too, “We're very bullish about the potential of Orinduik and are working with Tullow to find therightwayto[proceed].”

Lastyear,thispublication reported that from Eco's Competent Person's Report (CPR) on its assets Offshore Guyana, it was revealed that the Orinduik Block holds estimated 8.1B barrels of oil. With respect to its Guyana asset, the main one being Orinduik Block, it was noted that the concession carries a best estimate of 8.1 billion barrels of unrisked oil and gas liquids along with 6.8 billion cubic feet of gas. It was observed from the report that 681 million barrels of oil and 544 billion cubic feet of gasarenettoEco.

ABOUT ECO

EcoAtlantic is an oil and gas exploration company with offshore licence interests in Guyana, Namibia, and South Africa. Eco has often said it aims to deliver material value for its stakeholders through its role in the energy transition to explore for low carbon intensity oil and gas in stable emerging markets close to infrastructure.

Offshore Guyana in the proven Guyana-Suriname Basin, the company holds a 15 percent Working Interest in the 1,800 km2 Orinduik Block operated by Tullow Oil.

Two arrested for Speightland man's murder

Two persons have been arrested in connectionwiththedeathof40-year-old Kevin Surfin, a construction worker of Speightland Village, Lower Kara Kara, Linden who died early Thursday morning.

Surfin was beaten by a group of approximately 15 persons and subsequentlydied.

On Friday, Director of the Police Force'sCorporateCommunicationsUnit (CCU), Mark Ramotar said that investigators have arrested two individuals, an 18-year-old man and a 25-year-old man. However, the prime suspectremainsontherun.

Meanwhile, police in a statement on Thursday said that Surfin attended a birthday party at Speightland at around 23:45h on Wednesday He was accompanied by a 29-year-old woman withwhomhesharedarelationship.

According to the woman, at about

05:00 hrs on Thursday, she left Surfin standing with several of her friends (names withheld) to go to purchase cigarettesatthebar

Upon her return about five minutes later, she observed a group of about fifteen (15) persons, three of whom she identified, assaulting Surfin.“During the altercation, Surfin managed to jump into anearbycreektoavoidhisassailants.He eventually came out of the creek (with what appeared to be blood on his body), and he fell to the ground,” police said. Surfin was subsequently picked up and taken to the Linden Hospital Complex wherehewaspronounceddead.

Upon examination, a small wound was seen to the region of the man's heart andabruiseabovehislefteye.

Surfin's body is at the Pension Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Investigationsaregoing.

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

Guyana exit: Tullow Oil's Chief Executive Rahul

(Photo: Cairn)

Eco Atlantic Oil & Gas chief executive Gil Holzman.

(Photo: ECO ATLANTIC)

Dead: Kevin Surfin

The NISA building was dedicated to the late Dr. Roger Forbes Luncheon

NISA building officially renamed in honour of Dr. Roger Luncheon

DPI – The National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) building was on Friday renamed in honour of former Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Forbes Luncheon The now-

inaugurated “Doctor Roger Forbes Luncheon Building,” stands as a testament to Dr Luncheon's longstanding loyalty to the presidency during his 17-year tenure, his monumental contribution to the development of the country's security, andhisservicetothepeopleofGuyana.

During the commemoration ceremony, President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, noted that the renaming of the NISA building in Dr Luncheon's honour is fitting, as he played a central role in shaping the country's national securitypoliciesandplans.

He recounted Dr Luncheon's unwavering support for government policies, his shrewdness and his dedication.“Dr Luncheon has left an indelible footprint on our nation's

Guyana sees decrease in dengue cases

DPI – There has been a significant decline in the number of dengue cases in Guyana, given the nationwide fogging exercise that is ongoing, Minister of Health Dr FrankAnthonydisclosed.

The Health Minister during a medical outreach to Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara (ECD) last Saturday made the

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony

8,000testsweredonewith2,000 persons testing positive, however not all are current infections.

The health minister is urging persons to visit their local health facilities once they suspect they have been infected with the denguevirus.

“What we are seeing is people, especially children are staying at home, and when they come to the hospital that child is

security architecture. It therefore is fitting that the National Intelligence and Security Agency building should benamedinhishonour Insodoing,we arenotonlypayinghomagetoamanof exceptional calibre but also associating his legacy with the important work of protecting our motherland,” stated the President.

NISA's Director, Colonel Sheldon Howell, added that Dr Luncheon played a key role in acquiring funding and resources for NISA in the earlier daysofhistenure.

He said the renaming of the building in his honour is a great way to pay homage to his service and sterling endeavours.“As we look around, we should be reminded of the countless hoursofdedication,thesleeplessnights andcontemplation,andtheunwavering resolve that Dr Roger Luncheon poured into his work. His contributions were not just a job, but… a mission to safeguard the present and secure the f u t u r e o f G u y a n a , ” h e

expressed.Further, Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Brigadier Omar Khan said that the dedication of the NISA building is a move fitting for the giant of a man that Dr Luncheonwas.

“Dr Luncheon did not only shape lives, he also shaped progress, important progress for national development and security—a concept he held dearly, and was able to address through the application of an improved intelligence structure,” Brigadier Khan recounted.

Meanwhile, samples of Dr Luncheon's work, including handwritten notes, as well as a sculpturewillbeondisplayinthelobby ofthebuilding.

disclosure.

Dr Anthony stated that while there are several existing dengue cases, the viral infection is not on the rise.

“About a month ago, wehadabout400casesina given week, but we have seen that drop off significantly Now, we are down to about 200 cases per week. We are seeing a decline and that's because wehavebeendoingalotof work in terms of fogging. Every night once the weather permits, we have been fogging,” the health ministerdisclosed.

He said in recent weeks, approximately

severely sick So, it's more complicated when they come in atthatpointintime.

“Forthewholeyear,wehave had about 239 persons in hospitals across the country Right now, we probably have less than 10 patients in hospital, and of the patients that were hospitalised, over the year we have had 11 deaths, and six of them were children,” Dr Anthony revealed Minister Anthony explained that the use of certain medications like Ibuprofen can cause bleeding, thereforeadoctormustmedicate infectedpersons.

Dengue symptoms include muscleaches, pain at the back of the eyes, redness of the skin, and haemorrhaginginseverecases.

ExxonMobil funds entrepreneurial training for 130 women

Founder of Cherie Blair foundation for women: Cherie Blair

First Lady, Arya Ali

President Dr. Irfaan Ali

Almost an entire year's budget needed to address housing backlog – President Ali

The Government of Guyana (GoG) will need an investment of $570B to address 43,000 of the 57,000 housing backlog currently in the system – this is according toPresidentIrfaanAli.

The president gave the featured address at the opening ceremony of the International Building Exposition 2023, which is being held at the Guyana National Stadium, up to SundayAugust27,2023.

“It is very important for us to have an understanding as to what are the challenges, although we have made such monumental gains in the housing sector, there are so many challenges that we havetolookat,”theHead-ofStatesaid.

President Ali noted that the main issue plaguing the ministry is the backlog of applications that must be processed.

According to him, there areabout57,000applications in the database. He explained

thatbecauseofthevolumeof applications in Regions

Three, Four and Six the ministry is only processing applicationsupto2019.Asit relates to the other regions, the president said those applications should be processinginreal-time.

In order to address the housing woes, the president underscored that the government has planned to allocate 43,000 house lots withinthenextthreeyears.

A l i s t a t e d t h a t government will allocate 20,000 house lots in Regions

Four, 14,000 in Region

Three, 4000 in Region Six, and 1000 lots in Regions

Two, Five, Seven, Nine and Region Ten allocate 250 lots inRegionOne.

He also stated that a commitment was made to build 500 homes in the hinterlands.

“Now what will it take financially to achieve this when we add up the total number of lots that we will

deliver based on these numbers?

It comes up to 43,000, still more than 14,000 short of what is in the system,” the Presidentsaid.

According to President Ali, to get more lands to allocate, the government will needtogointonewareasthat willrequiredevelopment.

Reopening of Rose Hall Estate to put more disposable income into Region Six economy

DPI -With the Rose Hall estate expected to reopen in September, General Secretary (GS), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has said that government's investments in the estate are aimed at pumping more disposable income into the region's economy

Recognising that the sugarindustrywasoneofthe main economic drivers for the Berbice County, the GS recalled the closure of the estate and the economic breakdownthatresulted.

“The sugar workers' income served as the driving force for the local economy because the taxi drivers, the vendors in the stores, and in the market, almost everything depended on the sugar workers' income. When we had a massive withdrawal of that income, we saw economic activities plunging and joblessness rates skyrocketing in Berbice. People were losing hope. So, our strategy has been to put more disposable income back into the economy,” the GS told members of the media at a press conference at Freedom HouseonThursday He pointed out that the

government's spending is intended to bolster private economicactivity,hencethis investment in reopening the estate.

“Re-employingthesugar workers is part of restoring not only the sugar industry but the entire economy in Berbice,”hesaid.

The Rose Hall estate was shut down in 2017 by the previous government. The reopening of this estate was one of the government's manifesto promises, as part of a comprehensive plan to revitalisetheindustry

Approximately 1,100

w o r k e r s h a v e b e e n reemployed.

Recently, the National

“To get to 43,000 house lots, it will cost us an investment of $170 billion dollars,” PresidentAli noted, adding, “There is a bigger story, in order for us to get to the new lands, we have to build highways, and just to gettothelandsthatwillallow us to build the infrastructure for the 43,000 house lots, we

will have to develop 200 kilometers of new four-lane highways.”

The Head-of-State said that to open new lands and createaccesstothoselands,it isestimatedtocost$400B.

“That is the scale of the development and the m a g n i t u d e o f t h e development work that is aheadofus,thatisthelevelof investment that the government must find to deliver service to all applicants and this is a simpler example as to where the revenues will be spent and how it will be spent to create house lots that will give you homes that will empower you that will increase your net worth,”Ali stated.

He continued, “It also tellstheprivatesector,skilled workers, the contractors, aboutthelevelofopportunity and the scale of opportunity thattheeconomywillpresent inthecomingyears.”

Notably, President Ali

said the size of the investmentneededtoaddress the backlog in the housing sector,ismorethantheentire capital budget for 2023, not including the supplementary funds.

The President noted that there are 175 applications for industrial lots, and 416 applications for commercial lots,inthesystem.

Tothisend,hesaid,“The reality is that we do not have enough land available in the system now to service even 50% of the demand for industrial and commercial land.”

Additionally, he said, “It will take some more time for us to open up new lands new opportunity.”

As such, he said the government is looking at the Wales, Enmore, La Bonne Intention industrial zones, and ramping up the availability of commercial and industrial spaces in Region Six at Belvedere and inLethem.

MOU inked for construction of 200 Homes at Leonora

supplementary funding of $1 5 billion to provide additional resources to facilitatetherehabilitationof 1,572 hectares of land at the Albion, Blairmont, Rose HallandUitvlugtEstates.

Meanwhile, another measure implemented by the government to bolster the economy in the county is the part-timejobsinitiative.

“The part-time jobs take about $2 billion into the economy, in the region per annum.

So, you will see a lot more economic activities taking place in these areas. It appears that the strategy is working, and we are looking todiversifyintootherareas,” Dr Jagdeorelayed.

A Memorandum of Understanding

(MOU) was on Friday morning inked between the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) and South Atlantic Logistics and General Services Inc., for the construction of 200 three-bedroom flat homesatLeonora,RegionThree.

The agreement was signed by CH&PA's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sherwyn Greaves and New Century International Founder and CEO, Alex De La Cruz.

According to CH&PA, each home will measure 862 square feet, which is 62 more square feet than the other threebedroom homes being constructed under the national housingprogramme.Thehomes will however remain the same costof$9million.

Moreover, each unit will be

constructed on approximately 5,000 square feet of land, using interlocking columns and blocks and without the use of mortar The columnswillalsoformpartofthefoundation ofthehomes.Presentatthesigningceremony was Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, Minister within the Ministry of HousingandWater,SusanRodrigues,United States to Guyana Ambassador, Sarah-Ann Lynchandotherofficials.

General Secretary of the People's Progressive Party, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo

The officials at the signing of the MOU on Friday

President Irfaan Ali

WANTED VACANCY

Wanted: Experienced Puri Maker, Cashier, Counter Person, Labourer and Cleaner. Apply at Shanta's, 225 Camp and New Market Sts.

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

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

Male & female wanted to work in a printery located in Campbellville. Experience will be an asset. Call: 624-7436.

One Welder Fabricator needed for fabricating fire escape and installing on house at Eccles. Call: 227-1813.

Able-bodied male or Handyman needed. Call: 661-1000.

Able-bodied Sales clerk preferably Female. Call: 661-1000

Qualified Mechanic wanted for mining operation. Call: 688-6575.

Experienced Cooks and Crew wanted for mining operation. Call: 688-6575.

Porters needed at Hamson's General Store, 116 Regent & Bourda. Call: 226-3748, 6372061, 619-9161.

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

Experienced Land dredge Workers and male Cook needed to work in the Interior. Call: 684-1030.

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

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

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

One Clerk for TSI Eccles office.Must have grade 1or 2 Maths and English. Email: techserigy@yahoo.com or Call: 615-9132.

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 info Call: 226-2621.

Accounts Clerk needed. Must have a sound secondary education and 1-2 years Accounting experience. For more info Call: 226-2621.

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

Driver needed. All Applicants must have Motor Car, Van & Lorry Licence. Apply to: Human Resource Manager Global Healthcare Supplies Inc Or Via Email: globalhealthsuppliesinc@ gmail.com

Soup House is now hiring professional soup Cooks and Manager. Good pay, light hours. Call: 612-5739.

VACANCY

Two experienced Cooks/ Chefs needed to work on the WBD. Must have a valid food handler's license. Call: 679-2612/ 689-5100.

Vacancy for a Domestic/ Maid full time or part time and a night cleaner man. Call: 637-6700.

LEGAL NOTICE 1

Applicant in person:

Samantha Abigale Odetta Maughn nee Peters

Address: 873 Patterson, Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara

Tel#: 678-4436

2022-HC-DEM-CIV-FD-393 IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION Petition No. FD-393

Between: (MAUGHN) SAMANTHA ABIGALE ODETTA nee PETERS Petitioner -V(MAUGHN) EDWIN EDWARD Respondent

LEGAL NOTICE 1

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 8th day of August, 2023.

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TAKE NOTICE that on the 3rd day of March, 2023 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by SAMANTHAABIGALE ODETTA MAUGHN nee PETERS 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 31st 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

LEGAL NOTICE 2

Applicant in person: Bibi

Nesha Fordyce nee Khan

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

Tel#: 668- 7780

2023-HC-DEM-CIV-FD-756

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

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.

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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 thirty- five (35) days from the date of the final publication of this Notice. TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for Directions Hearing on Thursday the 19th day of October, 2023 at 9:00 am before the Honourable

BEFORE THE HONOURABLE MADAM

JUSTICE SANDRA

KURTZIOUS

DATED THE 31ST DAY OF_JUNE,2023

ENTERED THE 30TH DAY OF JUNE, 2023

UPON READING the Without Notice of Application on the part of BIBI NESHA FORDYCE nee KHAN, the above named Petitioner filed 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 Applicant in

Over US$3M needed to install transmission main at Onderneeming Water Plant

With ongoing works

taking place on the construction of the Onderneeming Water Treatment Plant in Region Two, the Guyana Water Inc. is preparing to spend another $1,002,842,665 to install

transmission mains at the water plant. This is according to the recent openingofbidswhichrevealedthat the project has been divided into threelots.

Works for the Onderneeming

Below are the companies and their bids: GuyanaWaterInc.

SupplyandInstallationofTransmission MainforOnderneemingWaterTreatment Plant(GoodHopetoPomona).

Plant are as follows: Supply and Installation of Transmission Main for Onderneeming Water Treatment Plant (Good Hope to Pomona)whichisestimatedtocost $380,714,895; Supply and Installation of Transmission Main

SupplyandInstallationofTransmission MainforOnderneemingWaterTreatment Plant(SuddietoZorg-en-Vlygt).

Kuru Kururu man electrocuted while working at Splashmins

TheMinistryofLabour’s Occupational Safety and Health(OSH)Departmentis investigating the death of a 21-year-oldresidentofKuru Kururu Squatting Area who was electrocuted while working at Splashmins Housing Project, East Bank Demerara(EBD).

Dead is Robert Chin, a serviceman.

According to a release from the ministry, the incident occurred shortly

before noon on Thursday while Chin was performing workduties.

Afterbeingelectrocuted, Chin was immediately rushed to the Diamond DiagnosticCenter,wherehe waspronounceddead.

The Ministry said following reports of the incident, an OSH Officer visited the worksite where the incident occurred and commencedinvestigations.

Intherelease,Ministerof

Labour, Joseph Hamilton expressedcondolencestothe grieving relatives, coworkers and friends of the deceased.

He also took the opportunity to remind both employers and workers about the need for good workplace safety and health practices so that similar incidents/accidents can be avoided.

An investigation is ongoing.

for Onderneeming Water

Treatment Plant (Suddie to Zorgen-Vlygt) which is estimated to cost$259,955,575,andSupplyand

Installation of Transmission Main

for Onderneeming Water

Treatment Plant (Riverstown to

Suddie) which is estimated to cost $362,172,195.

The Onderneeming Water Treatment Plant is being constructed at the cost of $1.2 billion and is set to benefit some 5,000residents.

SupplyandInstallationofTransmission MainforOnderneemingWater TreatmentPlant(RiverstowntoSuddie).

Niger military rulers order France ambassador to leave the country

Military government also authorised troops from neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso to come to its defence, raising the stakes in a standoff with other West African nations threatening force.

Niger army sergeant and artist Maman Sani Maigochi performs as supporters of the coup gather at Place de la Concertation in the capital Niamey [AFP]

Aljazeera - Niger’s militaryleadershipaskedthe Frenchambassadortodepart thecountry–amovefurther escalating the international crisis in the West African nation after a coup that deposed the democratically electedpresident.

Niger’s military government also authorised troops from neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso on Fridaytocometoitsdefence, raising the stakes in a standoff with other West African nations threatening force to reinstate Niger’s democratically elected president.

French Ambassador Sylvain Itte was asked to leave Niger within 48 hours inaletterthataccusedhimof ignoring an invitation for a meeting with the foreign ministry.

The letter dated Friday, also cited “actions of the French government contrary to the interests of Niger” as among the reasons for Itte’s expulsion.

France’sforeignministry on Friday said Niger’s “putschists have no authority” to ask its ambassador in Niamey to leave.

“The ambassador’s approval comes solely from the legitimate elected Nigerien authorities,” AFP news agency quoted an unnamedofficialassaying.

Niger, a former French colony,wasFrance’spartner before last month’s coup in

the fight against armed groups. A growing wave of anti-French sentiment has followed recent coups in the region with some locals accusing the European countryofinterferingintheir affairs.

French President Emmanuel Macron sharply criticised Niger’s coupmakers on Thursday and demanded the release of deposedPresidentMohamed Bazoum.

Interactive_Niger_coup

The military leader, General Abdrahmane Tchiani, signed two e x e c u t i v e o r d e r s authorising the “security forcesofBurkinaFasoand Mali to intervene on Niger territory in the event of aggression” , military official Oumarou Ibrahim Sidi said late Thursday after hosting a delegation fromthetwocountriesinthe Nigeriencapital,Niamey Sidi did not provide further details about the military support from the two countries whose military regimes have said any use of force by the West African bloc ECOWAS against Niger’s military government would be treated as an act of war against their own nations

The agreement was the latestofseveralactionstaken byNiger’smutinoussoldiers to defy sanctions and consolidate a military leadership they say will rule

for up to three years, further escalatingthecrisisafterlast month’s coup in the country of more than 25 million people.

‘Stillonthetable’ Nigerwasseenasoneof thelastdemocraticcountries intheSahelregionbelowthe Sahara Desert that Western nations could partner with against growing violence by armedgroups.

T h e E C O W A S commissionpresident,Omar AlieuTouray,saidonFriday that the bloc’s threat to use force to reinstate Bazoum is “still on the table”, rejecting the three-year transition plan.

Eleven of the bloc’s 15 countries – not including the military-ruled countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger itself – have expressed commitments to deploy t r o o p s t o r e s t o r e democracy in Niger once a decision is made to intervene.

ECOWAS leaders say theycannotacceptanother coupintheirregion

“Even now, itis nottoo late for the military to reconsider its action and listen to the voice of reason as the regional leaders will not condone a coup d’etat,” Touray told reportersinAbuja

“The real issue is the determination of the community to halt the spiral of coup d’etats in the region.”

UG launches International Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies

The University of Guyana (UG) has taken a significant step towards enhancing its academic l a n d s c a p e w i t h t h e inauguration of the International Centre for Migration and Diaspora Studies.

The campus at Turkeyen saw the official launch of this Centre on Friday, opening doors for students to delve deeper into the intricate social and economic implicationsofmigration.

At its core, the Centre is settobringafreshdimension t o t h e u n i v e r s i t y ' s curriculum, introducing a diverse range of courses that spotlight the multifaceted experiencesoftheDiaspora.

Duringitslaunch,Coreen Jacobs-Chester, a Migration and International Specialist at UG, emphasized that the Centre'sprimarymissionisto establish a dynamic environment for research and education, catering to scholars passionate about mattersconcerningmigration andDiaspora.

Pooling the expertise of both local and global academics, agencies, organizations, and civil society members, the Center aspires to be a hub of collaborativelearning.Inline with the government's ongoing efforts to elevate the nation's education system, the Center is slated to introduce five new programs onMonday,furtherenriching

…amidapologyfrom Gladstone family for slave trade and indentureship

catalyst for creating a more equitable world. He aligned with CARICOM's ten-point justice plan and urged the British government to engage in constructive dialogueswithCARICOMto forge a collaborative path towardsabetterfuture.

theacademiclandscape.

The foundation of the Center is rooted in discussions that commenced during the inaugural Diaspora Conference in 2017, followed by more recent deliberations in May this year This thoughtful approach underscores the commitment to addressing migration and Diaspora issuescomprehensively

Taxi driver remanded for Clay Brick Road murder

Ataxi driver was on Friday remanded for the murder of 29-year-old Bharrat Gendalall which took place on Saturday last at Clay Brick Road, Canal Number Two, West Bank Demerara(WBD).

Policehadissuedawantedbulletinforthe taxi driver, Mark Anthony Mohan. Mohan was wanted for questioning in relation to Gendalall'smurder

MohanappearedattheWalesMagistrates' Court before Magistrate Z. Alli-Seapaul. He was not required to plead to the indictable charge and his case was adjourned until September21,2023.

According to reports, the victim was murdered after allegedly cuffing a man to his face.

Investigators learnt that Gendalall had just come home from work that evening and was hanging out with some friends in front of his house. reportedly crossed the road to urin when a car drov besidehim.

The driver of the car, according to police, stepped out of the car and started arguing with Gendalall.As the argument was ongoing, Gendalall allegedly cuffed the man to his face.

man then entere vehicle and drove off while Gendalallenteredhisyard.

A short while after, the car returned and

Gendalall's home The driver and five masked men ran out of the vehicle and ambushed him. Gendalall was reportedly stabbed to the chestandintheprocess,fellto thegroundasthemenescaped. Relatives picked up Gendalall rushed him to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he diedwhilereceivingmedicalattention. Policearestillhuntingthemaskedmen.

Gladstone apology

The Centre was launched after a poignant moment unfolded within the walls of the University's George Walcott Lecture Theatre, where Charles Gladstone, a descendant of John Gladstone, issued an official apology for the historical injustices of slavery and indentureshipinGuyana.

Invited by the University of Guyana and the Guyana Reparations Committee, the Gladstone family expressed remorse for the actions of theirancestor

In a powerful statement, C h a r l e s G l a d s t o n e acknowledged the gravity of slavery as a crime against humanity, acknowledging its enduring repercussions across the globe. He offered sincere apologies to the descendants of those who endured enslavement in Guyana and recognized the unjust nature of indentured labour

Charles Gladstone, speaking on behalf of his family, highlighted the significance of not altering historybutratherusingitasa

As a testament to their commitment, the Gladstone family has been actively supporting the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery at the University College of London, as well as other cultural projects shedding light on the horrors of slavery

N o t a b l y, C h a r l e s Gladstone announced the establishment of a financial fund aimed at supporting projects in Guyana, solidifying their dedication to building meaningful and enduring relationships with thenation.

Eric Phillips, Chair of the Guyana Reparations Committee, accepted the written apology from the Gladstone family, marking a significant stride towards acknowledging and healing thewoundsofhistory

Remanded: Mark Anthony Mohan

Dead: Bharrat Gendalall

Professor Paloma Mohamed, Vice Chancellor, University of Guyana

Charles Gladstone

Jagdeo tight-lipped on investigations into falling gold declarations

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday assuredthataninvestigation, into the falling gold declarations, is ongoing but refusedtoreleaseanyfurther details.

During his press conference at Freedom House, the Vice President was asked for an update on the probe which he announced was ongoing sincelastmonth.

In response, the VP noted, “The investigations are going on. I'm not part of theinvestigation.Ihavebeen assuredthatit'sgoingon.I'm not part of it but I'm hoping soonitwouldyieldresults.”

J a g d e o s a i d t h e governmentdoesnotwantto disclose who is conducting the investigation, but continued, “I know that the Ministryhasalreadynotified people and they are assessing now, even currently while the investigation is going on, looking back at the years too because there's several years wehavetogobackinto.”

The former President pointed out that there were major variances in the gold declared versus declarations made locally to the Guyana Gold Board (GGB). He said, “The Ministry has already notified a lot of the people that the concessions and

everything else would be linkedtodeclaration.”

In announcing the probe last month, Jagdeo said government was formerly of the view that gold from Venezuela was coming into Guyana to bypass the sanctions, then head North through a legal route However,ithasnowrealized thatitisGuyana'sgoldthatis beingsmuggledintoBrazil.

The VP said he believes that miners are engaged in this activity to avoid paying thefivepercentroyaltyowed to the State, along with the two percent final tax attached to the mining activities.

According to him, “That

might be one of the reasons, so we, there is an ongoing investigation into that and we are gonna take tough measures against people because we are gonna track also those who are b e n e f i t t i n g f r o m concessions.”

An analysis of available statistics, done by this newspaper, found that even with foreign gold companies announcingmegagoldfinds, declarations have been decliningsince2017.

AccordingtotheBankof Guyana (BoG) Annual Report for 2022, the total gold declarations last year declined by 2.5 percent to 486,415troyounces(oz).

Meanwhile, in 2021 and 2020, declarations were 499,054 oz and 585,433 oz

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

respectively In 2019, the gold sector had performed better with declarations amountingto641,828oz.

Further, for the years 2016, 2017, and 2018, notable decreases were recorded; a total of 712,706 oz, 653,753 oz, and 613,073 o z w e r e r e c o r d e d respectively

Notably, in the first quarter of this year, the trend continued with the Bank of Guyana reporting a contraction of 5.3 percent in declarations when compared with same period last year Thispublicationunderstands that the declarations were approximately 110,000 ounces.

Nothing in Constitution bars President from extending tenure of Acting Top Cop – Nandlall

Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC has revealed that President Irfaan Ali's decision to extend Clifton Hicken's t e n u r e a s A c t i n g Commissioner of Police was based on recommendation from the Police Service Commission(PSC).

Speaking at his weekly programme 'Issues in the News,' Nandlall sought to defend President Ali's decision to extend Hicken's timeinofficestatingthatitis indeedlegal.

“There is nothing unconstitutional about the extension. I wish to confirm, in my humble and respectful viewthatHisExcellency,the President complied with the Constitution and complied with the laws in relation to the extension of Mr Hicken's acting tenure b e y o n d h i s a g e o f retirement,” the Attorney Generalsaid.

Responding to a letter which was critical of the extension written by retired Assistant Commissioner of Police and former Member ofthePSC,ClintonConway, Nandlall stressed that the President is empowered to extend the tenure of the Commissioner of Police beyondhisageofretirement, providing that he receives a recommendation from the

Police Service Commission tothateffect.

Nandlall noted too that nothing in the Constitution bars the President from extending the tenure of an A c t i n g P o l i c e Commissioner.Hesaid,“Itis m y c o n s id e r e d a n d respectful view that there is nothingintheconstitutionor in any other law, which confines the extension of tenure of the holder of that office to substantive appointees only In my considered and respectful view,theholderofthatoffice w h e t h e r a c t i n g o r substantive, enjoys all the powers, all the facilities and all the privileges of that office.”Earlier this month, President Ali told reporters that he has officially c o m m u n i c a t e d t o Commissioner Hicken that he desires him to remain on the job as the country's Top Cop.“Ihavealreadyissueda letter extending the services of the Commissioner of Police to a date to be determined,” President Ali said.Hicken has been acting i n t h e p o s i t i o n o f Commissioner of Police since March 2022. He took charge of the Police Force after the retirement of Deputy Commissioner, Nigel Hoppie, who was also actinginthatpost.

Hickenturned55,theage

of retirement, on July 22, 2023 The Guyana Police F o r c e ( G P F ) Communication's Unit in a press release to the media had said that the extension by the President is indicative of the confidence reposed in Hicken “The President's decision to extend Mr. Clifton Hicken's tenure is a clearmessagethathehasfull confidence in Hicken's c o m p e t e n c i e s , professionalism and abilities to continue leading the Guyana Police Force,” the GPFsaidinitsrelease.

The GPF also lauded Hicken for his leadership and dedication to the role of Commissioner of Police (ag.).“His passion and drive in getting youths and members of the public involved in the process of p o l i c i n g h a s s e e n tremendous results,” the statementread.

Jamaica’s Aisha Praught-Leer elected to World Athletics’ Athletes Commission

SportsMax - Jamaican middle-distance runner Aisha

Praught-Leer, the 2018 Commonwealth Games 3000m champion, is among the newly elected members of World Athletics’ Athletes Commission. The event took place during the ongoing 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

Praught-Leer, who got 559 votes joins New Zealand’s Valerie Adams (NZL), who garnered 627 votes, Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie (FRA)

who polled 604 votes, Spain’s Diego Garcia Carrera, who took in 553 votes, the USA’s Jasmine Todd (USA), who had 546 votes and Great Britain’s Adam Gemili, who got 542 votes on the commission that is tasked with empowering athlete representation in Olympic Movement decision-making processes as well as supporting athlete development in their sporting and non-sporting careers.

Six additional Athletes’

Commission members will be appointed by the World Athletics Council over the course of the next month to bring the number back to its intended 18. The Chair and Deputy Chair positions will be voted on by the Athletes’ Commission once the membership is finalised. All athletes accredited for the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 had the right to vote in this year’s elections.

To be eligible for election, athletes needed to have com-

Saturday August 26, 2023

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19)

Get-togethers with friends or meetings with a small group, if possible, should prove informative and enlightening today, Aries, although some of it may be a bit perplexing.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Today things could be rather hectic at work, Taurus. You'll probably be very busy and happy with whatever results you produce. You could tire yourself out,

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

Some new information about an interesting field could have you browsing the web and looking through books to learn more, Gemini. This could involve law, philosophy,

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

Today you might learn about new and creative ways to increase your income, Cancer, possibly involving technology in some way. So much new information could come your way.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22)

Social events could put you in touch with interesting people in intriguing professions, Leo. You might get involved in some fascinating conversations that provide you with a lot of useful information.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22)

A friend or colleague could recommend some books that you want to read right away, Virgo. Be sure you take breaks and rest your eyes from time to time to avoid eyestrain and headaches today.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

Today your mind will be quick, insightful, and inspired, Libra. Your creative impulses should go a thousand miles an hour and ideas should pop in and out of your head like crazy.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

If visitors are able to pop in and out during the day, Scorpio, you'll be in the right frame of mind to enjoy their company. Expect interesting news and stimulating conversation.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

Don't be surprised if your inbox fills with email or your phone rings off the hook, Sagittarius. Friends, relatives, and colleagues could have great news and useful information.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) = It

Inspiration is the word for today, Capricorn. Your creative talent should blossom and motivate you to work on wonderful ideas. This could involve music, painting, decorating,

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)

Today your physical and mental energy should be operating at a very high level, Aquarius. You probably won't spend much time inside if you can avoid it. Expect get-togethers

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

Your intuition is likely to be very keen today, Pisces. Accurate psychic insights could come to you thick and fast. Your imagination is also strong, and you might come up with ideas to enrich your home,

peted in at least one of the past two editions of the World Athletics Championships, or in the most recent Olympic Games, or be a competitor at this year’s World Athletics Championships.

This year’s elections introduced a new method of voting. For the first time, voting was done electronically, on portable voting devices, rather than via paper ballots. This transition to electronic voting is in line with World Athletics’ commitment to sustainability, and was intro-

From page 22 work and I hope I can maintain at least this level and we will see if the world record will come.

“I wrote a time on my bib and it was a fast time - 21.2something. Then I wrote beside it 21.40 for tonight and I got close to that. As for the world record - I’m close, I’m close, I’m getting there.”

Thomas said: “I knew that I was coming into the final hot so that was to my advantage but it was such a fast race.

“I couldn’t believe it when I looked at the screen afterwards. I ran my race and I stayed composed so I am happy to come out with a silver.” Richardson described reaching the final of both sprints in her first global competition as “mission accomplished” but said “being able to win the 100m and get a medal in the 200m, that’s a dream come true. “The competition is only going to get hotter from here so I need to prepare myself for the Olympics. This week has been indescribable and I know there is better to come.”

St Lucia’s Julien Alfred was fourth in 22.05 while Briton Daryll Neita ran a second personal best in two days of 22.16 for fifth.

All the medallists are expected to share the track one more time after Jamaica and the United States qualified for today’s 4x100m relay final earlier yesterday.

duced to enable a more efficient polling and counting process.

Since 2019, the Chairperson and one other member of

the Athletes’ Commission –one woman and one man –have been full voting members of the World Athletics Council.

Guyana’s elite strong men...

From page 25 are renowned for bringing together the best of the best from across Central America and the Caribbean. Athletes showcase their months and even years of dedication to rigorous training and disci-

plined nutrition to vie for the top honours in their respective categories. It’s not just about displaying well-chiseled physiques, but also about embodying the dedication, passion, and commitment that the sport demands.

Jackson wins 200m...

Lyles completes sprint double in Budapest

SportsMax - Jamaica’s Andrew Hudson and Alexander Ogando of Dominican Republic failed to challenge for a medal, as American Noah Lyles completed the sprint double with another dominant performance in the men’s 200metresfinalattheWorld Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary yesterday

Lyles, who entered the Championships brimming with confidence to not only win three gold medals, but also to challenge Usain Bolt’s World Record of 19.19s in the half-lap event, delivered to some extent, adding the gold to his 100m triumph However, his winning time of 19.52s, was welloffBolt’smarksetback in2009.

Another American Erriyon Knighton (19.75s) wassecondwithBotswana’s Letsile Tebogo (19.81s) in third.

Hudson, who was a late addition to the final after he gotglassinhiseyesfroman accident which hindered his semi-final performance, placed eighth in 20 40s, whileOgandowasseventhin 20.23s.

Jackson wins 200m gold In second-best time ever

BUDAPEST, (Reuters)Jamaica’s peerless Shericka

Jackson delivered a command performance to retain her world 200 metres title in 21 41 seconds yesterday – the secondfastesttimeeverrun.

Jackson, second in the 100m final, ran a brilliant bend, was two metres clear coming into the home straightandtoretothefinish to win by a street. She crossedthelinewithatotally expressionless face as if she expectednothingelse.

Jackson’s time beat her previous best of 21.45 - the championshiprecordshe set winninginEugenelastyear Italsoedgedherclosertothe late Florence GriffithJoyner’s 21.34 world record fromthe1988Olympics.

Gabby Thomas, who came to Budapest as the fastest in the world this year with the 21.60 that won the American trials, ran an excellent race to take silver in 21.81, but was not in the same picture as the champion.

Fellow American

Sha’Carri Richardson claimed bronze with a personal best 21.92 running in the same lane nine from

where she won gold in the 100monMonday

“I feel like I am a living testimonythatyoucancreate somethingifyoureallywant it and never give up,” said Jackson.

“Yesterday I ran the curve a little bit

conservative. I think I did prettygoodtonight-21.41is a time I cannot complain about.

“Even if I was pretty close to the world record it wasnotthethingonmymind whenIran.Iwillcontinueto

(Continuedonpage21)

American Noah Lyles powers across the line to complete the sprint double with another dominant performance in the men’s 200 metres final. (Loop News/Marlon Reid)

Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson reacts after winning gold in the women’s 200m final. (REUTERS/ Dylan Martinez)

Shericka Jackson retained her world 200m title. (Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV)

KFC hands over spoils to top four finishers of the GFF Elite League

In a grand display of commitment to the development of sports and thenurturingofyoungtalent, therenownedfast-foodgiant KFC (Guyana) has once again shown its unwavering supportforthelocalsporting community In a ceremony brimming with excitement and appreciation, KFC presented cheques totaling $4.5 million to the top four teams in the recently concluded Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Elite League.

This gesture not only highlights KFC’s dedication to fostering athletic growth but also underscores the symbiotic relationship between corporate sponsorship and the elevation of sports in Guyana.Thepinnacle of the event was the heartwarming moment when a cheque valued at $1.2 million was handed over to the exceptionalGuyanaDefence Force FC, a team that demonstrated unmatched skill and determination throughout GFF’s Season Five Their electrifying performance on the field rightly earned them the top

spot, and KFC’s recognition oftheiraccomplishments.

The ceremony also celebrated the achievements of the remaining top finishers. The second-place Western Tigers, third-place Guyana Police Force FC, and fourth-place Santos FC each received substantial sums as a token of KFC’s appreciation for their remarkable efforts on the field.Thisfinancialboostnot only acknowledges their contributions to the league but also serves as an incentive for continued dedicationtotheirsport.

Pamella Manesseh, the Marketing Manager of KFC Guyana, expressed the b r a n d ’ s o n g o i n g commitment to supporting events that promote sports, culture, and education. She emphasized,“WeatKFCare alwaysprivilegedtosupport these events, so we will continuedoingso.Basically, sports, culture, and education–wewillcontinue tomakeouryouthssmileand develop.” Manesseh also highlighted the significance of football in their sponsorship efforts, reminiscing about

witnessing the league’s history and glory. She assured that KFC remains dedicatedtobuildingonthis successinthefuture.

The sentiment of gratitude echoed in the words of GFF Director of Competition Troy Peters, who praised KFC Guyana for adding a distinctive flavour to the GFF Elite League. Peters commended the unwavering passion and invaluable support from KFCandotherstakeholders, whichhenotedhadenriched thisyear’sleague.

Peters also took the opportunitytocongratulatethe fans,theextraordinaryplayers, andalltenparticipatingteams for their contributions to yet another exhilarating tournament AstheGFFlooks ahead to the forthcoming SeasonSix,slatedtokickoffin a few months, Peters expressed the organization’s eagerness to continue partnering with KFC for future events. The enduring collaboration between the GFF and KFC promises to shape the future of sports in Guyanaandpavethewayfor more aspiring athletes to reachtheirfullpotential.

Rojas claims fourth straight world triple jump title with last attempt

BUDAPEST, (Reuters)

-YulimarRojasofVenezuela

soared to her fourth consecutive world triple jump title yesterday, securingvictoryonhersixth and last jump to narrowly avoiddisaster

The world record holder and Olympic championunbeaten in more than two years-onlysneakedintothe final round of eight jumpers in last place before summoningamagical15. 08 metres on her final attempt to overtake Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk of Ukraine.

Bekh-Romanchuk,silver medallistinthelongjumpat the2019worlds,hadtosettle foranothersilverwith15.00. Leyanis Perez Hernandez of Cuba won the bronze with 14.96.

Rojas, whose world record is a massive 15.74m, was eighth with just 14.33m and three fouls through five

jumps,throwingherhandup in frustration with each failedattempt. Afterflyingpastthe

KFC Marketing Manager Pamella Manasseh (left) hands over first-place cheque to GDF FC Manager Randy King, as team captain and GFF official share the moment.

15m

markinthepit,shesqueezed her eyes shut hopefully before the winning distance wasposted.

PiVenezuela’s Yulimar Rojas celebrates after winning gold in the women’s triple jump final. (REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel)

Republic Bank GCB U23 tournament… East Bank, North Essequibo to face off in tomorrow’s Republic Bank U23 Final -

Tomorrow’s Essequibo Finals leg of the GCB Republic Bank U23 cricket tourney is set to be an exciting clash as the East BankZonesecuredtheirspot inthisSunday’sfinalagainst North Essequibo ahead of their battle at the Golden FleeceGround.

According to Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB)

Hicks scores century for QC

Chairman of Competitions, Kumar Dass, the Cinderella County leg of the competition was highly competitive and expects tough competition on Sunday when the two teams battle for supremacy Dass thanked Republic Bank for further opening up the spectrum for Essequibo cricketandwishedbothsides

bestofluckforthefinal Blairmont “Blazers”

Cricket Club beat West Berbice Achievers by 10 wickets

Achievers were kept to 89alloutin(25.5overs)with S.Ramsay15O.miller14J. Samuels 12 the only double figure players National players Nigel Deodat (5-21) andSeonGlasgow(3-30)led

the charge for Blairmont. In response, the Blazers raced to90-0in11.4overs,thanks to Farouk Subhan hitting 59 notout

Queens College beat Agricolaby156runs

Tuen Hicks hammered 18 fours in his 101 off 106 balls to headline Queen’s College’s 156-run mauling against Agricola, after posting 287-10 in 45 overs. Kevin Williams (36) and Ntini Permaul (27) were the otherscorersforQC.

JoelGilkessnappedup447 bowling forAgricolaand also scored a run-a-ball 29 with four fours and a six for Agricola, who were bowled

out for 131 in 21.4 overs. QC’s star with the ball was Daniel Persaud who captured 4-26 with Kampta Seepersaudgrabbing2-3.

East Bank Essequibo beatBarticaby3wickets

Batting first, Bartica made118alloutin24overs with I. Baccus (22) and H. Lamb (33) providing the runs. National player Aryan Persaud ended with 4-32 in 7 2 overs, including 2 maidens, 1 wicket maiden

and1doublewicketmaiden. WazimMohammedalsohad astellargame,grabbing3-38 in 5 overs, featuring one doublewicketmaiden EastBankthenbattledon their way to 119-7 in 14.2 overs Mohammed 21 returned to hit 21 off 15 while Ronaldo Scouten finished on 36 off 21 balls. Bartica’s bowling toiled as H Lamb (2-22) and S Sutton(2-34),gavetheirbest efforts.

Impressive showing for Guyana at ongoing Youth CAC chess event

10-year-old Kataleya

Sam is currently poised to medalattheCACgamesfor chessinTT Aftersixrounds she has shown grit and determination to stay within striking distance of tournament leader in the female under10 division The next three rounds could create the impetus for the futureofchessinGuyana.

During a recent bout against her Trinidadian adversary, Kira Nanan, Sam’sstrategicprowesstook center stage. Her gameplay showcasedatenaciousblend of aggression, tactical precision, and adept piece coordination, resulting in a compelling assault on her opponent’s king The meticulously orchestrated sequence of sacrifices and checks culminated in a resounding checkmate, underscoring Sam’s exceptional mastery of the game.

G u y a n a ’s c h e s s representation extends beyond Sam’s impressive showing. National Under14 Champion Kyle Couchman, hasemergedasaformidable contender in the Caribbean

chess arena Currently positioned 9th in the Under 14 division, Couchman’s upcoming match against Jamaican contender Corbin Harvey carries considerable significance, potentially solidifying his prowess on theregionalstage.

Alexander Zhang, the Under16Champion,hasalso garnered attention with his strategic finesse. A victory against Trinidad and Tobago’sMichaelRobertsin round-3,coupledwithdraws against formidable opponents from the Twin Island Republic and St Lucia in rounds 4 and 5, has thrust Zhang into the spotlightasanascendingstar inCaribbeanchess.

Additional standout performances from the Guyanese contingent are notable.

Ronan Lee’s round-5 triumph over the higherrated Trinidadian player, Keagan Ragoobar, and MatthewSingh’simpressive round-3 victory against TrinidadianchallengerKalel Scoonfurtherunderscorethe depth of talent within Team Guyana.

ThepivotalRounds7and 8, scheduled for today at the Cascadia Hotel in Port-ofSpain, promise riveting encounters. Team Guyana will square off against seasonedadversarieshailing from Trinidad, Haiti, Jamaica, and Suriname. The outcomes of these matchups holdthepotentialtoredefine the trajectory of Guyana’s presenceinregionalchess.

Theninthandfinalround will be played on Saturday August26.

Pointssofar:

Ciel Clement - U14

Female-3

Kaija Clement - U14

Female-2

Kyle Couchman - U14 Open-4

AniyahCouchman-U18

Female-1

RonanLee-U18Open2.5

Dominic Sam - U14 Open-2

Kataleya Sam - U10

Female-4

Matthew Singh - U18 Open-2

Nicholas Zhang - U12 Open-3.5

Alexander Zhang - U16 Open-3

Spinner Aryan Persaud will play a big role for East Bank Essequibo come Sunday

Shazif Mohammed scored a half-century in the previous round to take North Essequibo to the finals.

Space Gym 2.0 and Sunny & Sweetie Roti Shop lifts with GAPLF for Raw Nationals

Some of the nation’s best set to display their strength

With a number of Guyana’sleadingstrongmen andwomenalreadypenciled in to compete at the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) Raw Nationals, tomorrow at the National Gymnasium, two morecorporateentitieshave added their support for the event.

Space Gym 2 0 and Sunny & Sweetie Roti Shop have both contributed to the competition which will lift offat09:00hrsfollowingthe weigh-inoftheathletes.

SupervisoratSpaceGym 2 0, Ms Roann Pierre handed over their contribution to the GAPLF President, Franklin Wilson. Ms. Pierre said that they were pleased to be supporting the sport once again, as they have done in thepast.

”We were on board for

your Intermediate competition a few months agoandwearehappytobeof assistance once again. The sport has been steadily growing in popularity here and we have been observing that the athletes are being afforded the opportunity to represent Guyana abroad, whichisgratifying.Wewish you continued success and assure you that we will continue to support the athletesandthesport.”

Manager of Sunny & Sweetie Roti Shop, located at Mon Repos, Public Road, East Coast, Demerara, Mr Brandon Badal, a former lifter, expressed delight at beingapproachedtosupport thesport.

”As a former lifter myself, I am more than happytobeabletogiveback to the sport. It has come a long way and I am seeing

good things happening for ourathletes.Weapplaudthis newexecutiveoftheGAPLF and will be working along with you as best we can, to further advance our athletes and the sport ” GAPLF President,Wilsonexpressed, on behalf of his executive, t h e F e d e r a t i o n ’ s appreciation to both Space Gym 2 0 and Sunny & Sweetie Roti Shop for partneringwiththeentityfor tomorrow’sevent.

”It is never an easy task to attract sponsorship, especiallywhenyouhaveso many things going on, all at the same time. So, we are very thankful to Space Gym 2.0 and Sunny & Sweetie RotiShopforansweringour call for support. We anticipate a very exciting competition as a number of our top athletes will be competing.

GCC, Hikers in finals at BHF‘Banks Festival’ in Barbados

ByRawleToney

Hikers and GCC

Hockey Clubs are having a successful run at the Barbados Hockey

Federation (BHF) “Banks Festival”heldattheWildey Astroturf, Garfield Sobers SportsComplex.

Guyana’s teams, includingHikers,GCC,and Old Fort, are participating in the tournament, which marks its 38th edition and the first since the COVID19pandemic.

While Old Fort’s exceptional journey came to an end, Hikers and GCC showcased the high quality ofhockeyinGuyana.

In the Mixed finals, Hikers will face the University of the West Indies Rockets, where both teams will integrate their maleandfemaleplayerson thefield.

GCChasbeenoneofthe most exciting teams in the tournament, consisting of several of Guyana’s top youth players, many of

whomhavecompetedatthe

a n A m U 2 1 championships and CAC Games.

After cruising through the tournament, GCC’s penultimatechallengecame against the ABC Hockey teaminthesemifinals.

The 2-0 scoreline

C ’s dominance in the game, as

Fanscanlookforwardto good entertainment as the lifters seek to outdo each other by exhibiting their strength in the squat, bench press, and deadlift, both femaleandmaleathletes.”

Meanwhile, Wilson also shared that the Federation is in a very busy period, “We have two of our best subjunior and junior athletes (RomeoHunterandDominic Tyrell) at the moment in Romania getting ready to competeattheWorldClassic & Equipped Sub-Junior &

respectively

We are also well into plans for the

slated for 6th to 10th September 2023 in Lima, Peru.”

Guyana’s elite strong men and women destined for successat 2023 CAC c/ship in Aruba

The Golden Arrowhead will be well represented at this year’s prestigious Central American and Caribbean Championship (CAC) Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships in Aruba, as Guyana’s finest bodybuilding and fitness athletes gear up to participate in the 2023 championship. The Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation(GBBFF)willbe well represented at this premier event which is scheduledforSeptember2125.

M

and Shaquille Assanah scored on opposite sides of the half.

Guyanese teams are regular participants in the marquee event on the BHF calendar

This year’s tournament hasseenaninfluxofplayers and teams from overseas, particularly the USA and Canada.

The CAC championship isyetanotheropportunityfor Guyanese athletes to demonstrate their prowess, determination, and sportsmanship on an international platform Guyana’slineupfortheCAC 2023 boasts a team of remarkable athletes who have honed their bodies and skillstoperfection.

The event will feature a

, showcasing the incredible diversity of talents that the country has to offer.Ateam comprising of Emmerson

Albert, Rawle Greene, and Julio Sinclain are set to take center stage in the Men’s Physique and Bodybuilding categories. While Hannah Rampersaud, the reigning Miss Guyana Bikini Champion, and Christina

King, who clinched a CAC silvermedalinthepast,will alsobeondisplayinArubato reiterate Guyanese presence atthisyear’schampionship. Meanwhile, the CAC Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships (Continuedonpage21)

Space Gym 2.0 Supervisor, Ms. Roann Pierre, hands over sponsorship to GAPLF President, Franklin Wilson.

GCC scorers Mark Sargeant (left) and Shaquille Assanah.

Flashback of Darious Ramsammy (left) receiving his Mr. Guyana trophy from GBBFF Head Keavon Bess.

GCC Men’s team will play in the finals of the Banks Festival Hockey Tournament in Barbados.

GFF Director of Competitions Troy Peters (extreme right) and Pamella Manesseh of KFC share a photo with representatives of the four teams at the handing over ceremony