Kaieteur News

K

Housing Ministry NEWS to now construct and sell houses for profit AIETEUR

Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

Wednesday Edition August 04, 2021 - Vol. 16 No.19

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Price $80

Online readership yesterday, 78,027

Amaila Falls Hydro Project - Dr. Kwesi unsuited for Guyana’s Sansculotte electricity demands -Greenidge …why invest a US$1B, for so little power?

MARAD sends home unvaccinated staff - Says non-compliant speed boat operators will lose licence

La Penitence Murder witness woman killed as another killed by escapes death for a second time drunk driver Fatal shooting in Sophia…

‘True cost’ of COVID-19 vaccines unknown ...as Guyana spends $2.2B to date procuring coveted drugs- Health Minister

The protest continues for change to the Exxon contract.

15 companies bid to market Guyana’s oil @11:00hrs on We are in economic slavery, Exxon's Parent Co. Kaieteur Radio collecting US$100s of millions in fees from our oil. 99.1/99.5FM

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Dr. Kwesi SansculotteGreenidge

Kaieteur News

Wednesday August 04, 2021

Amaila Falls Hydro Project unsuited for Guyana’s electricity demands …WHY INVEST US$1B, FOR SO LITTLE POWER? - DR. KWESI SANSCULOTTE-GREENIDGE The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration is attempting to resurrect one of its failed ‘flagship’ projects—the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project (AFHEP)—but eminent critics have already begun to not only question the rationale behind the

move, but its location and cost effectiveness altogether.

These concerns have been raised since official pronouncements on G u y a n a ’s p r o j e c t e d electricity note that the proposed project at 160 megawatts (MW)—and as adumbrated on Tuesday by

Head of State, President Irfaan Ali

Head of State, President Irfaan Ali—would not suffice.

The suppositions were proffered recently by Dr. Kwesi SansculotteGreenidge—a United Nations Development Fund ( U N D P ) p o l i c y advisor—who in a recent public missive, noted that “there are a number of questions around the AFHEP that still need to be answered specifically, around the cost, location, scale, and the rationale.”

D r. S a n s c u l o t t e Greenidge in publicising his reservations noted that in terms of the financials and location, “one has to ask why Amaila,” since “the site is not connected to any major artery, nor any major development plan. The majority of the Region’s inhabitants lives along the Ireng and the Pakaraimas

and therefore would not even benefit from the access roads.”

He posits that “in essence, the AFHEP would require huge investments in infrastructure leading literally nowhere and connected to nothing.”

Added to this, the government estimates that even without a huge jump in industrial output, Guyana would need some 460MW of power by 2025, he observed.

A c c o r d i n g t o D r.

Sansculotte-Greenidge, “one had hoped the PPP/C would be able to dream a bit bigger than the previous government” and questioned “why not invest in a site that would meet our needs not only now, but also for moderate growth in consumption?”

Referencing the Norconsult’s report on the Continued on page 3

Kaieteur News

Wednesday August 04, 2021

Fatal shooting in Sophia…

Murder witness killed as another escapes death for a second time After escaping death in early 2020, Brandon Smith, a mechanic had managed to evade a gunman with only the graze of a bullet. While he was able to live to fight another day, his friend was not so fortunate.

Investigators are currently tracking three suspects who they believe are involved in the gunning down of the mechanic’s friend on Monday at 17:50hrs, along B-Field, South Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

Police have identified the deceased man who was also a mechanic as Jaleel Leow, 21, of Dennis Street Campbellville. The suspects who allegedly murdered him go by the aliases of ‘Big John,’ ‘Double Clip’ and ‘Brainer.’ This newspaper understands that they were also involved in the killing of Kevin Campbell, the brother of Brandon Smith, to which, Smith and Leow were witnesses.

According to the investigators, Smith, while in the company of Leow and a female shop keeper, Felicia, was at the time liming along the B-Field Access road, in front of Felicia’s home when two of the suspects rode up to them on bicycles.

The killers reportedly dismounted the bikes and one of them who was armed with a cutlass, approached Felicia and said “Is problem you want?” She had reportedly responded in the negative together with Leow and Smith, she began walking into her yard.

Kaieteur News understands that Leow on the other hand was not afraid to stand up to the alleged attackers as he retorted, “yall could get problems if yall want.”

The other suspect, according police, then whipped out a handgun while approaching Leow from behind and fired several rounds, two of which impacted his back. However, not satisfied with the two discharged rounds, the gunman stood over him and shot him two more times to the chest.

Investigators were told that Leow somehow managed to get up and escape but had collapsed in the back of Felicia’s yard and died.

The gunman then turned his attention to Smith and fired a shot at him too but the bullet only managed to graze

his right arm before he had an opportunity to escape.

Leow’s killers then rode away on their bicycles, but not before turning to Felicia and saying, “We gun kill all ya’ll one by one. You gun be de las one we kill.”

On March 21, 2020 at BField Sophia, Georgetown, Kevin Campbell was chopped and stabbed several times about his body just after 8:00hrs at his home allegedly by a 13-member gang.

Kaieteur News had reported that on the day of the incident, two men attacked Brandon, while he was standing in the yard of their home. He was stabbed twice with a scissors, one to his abdomen and another to his chest. After hearing the commotion, Campbell rushed to his brother’s assistance and managed to get the attackers out of the yard.

It was reported that the two attackers returned later that day in the company of 11 other males, who were allegedly armed with knives, cutlasses and a pitchfork. Six of the alleged attackers went into Campbell’s house and dragged him outside. The men then allegedly chopped and stabbed Campbell until he collapsed to the ground, before making good their escape.

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15 companies bid to market Guyana's Oil During the opening of tenders yesterday at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), 15 companies submitted Expressions of Interest (EoI) for the provision of marketing services for Guyana's oil entitlement from the Liza

Destiny vessel. The procuring entity was the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Yesterday too, under this Ministry, bids were also opened for the consultancy to conduct a comprehensive Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

(GYEITI) systematic disclosure feasibility study and consultancy to conduct a comprehensive GYEITI beneficial ownership register scoping study.

Below are the companies and their bids.

Provision of Marketing Services for the Cooperative Republic of Guyana's Oil Entitlement from the Liza Destiny FPSO

Bidders

Amount Submitted

Shell Western Supply & Trading Limited (Bahamas)

0.25 USD per barrel

Chevron USA Inc.

0.1922 USD per barrel

Petraco Oil Company Limited (Chanel Islands)

0.055 USD per barrel

China Offshore Oil Singapore International

0.04 USD per barrel

National Gas Company of Trinidad & Tobago along with Heritage Petroleum Company Limited

0.26 USD per barrel

Hess Corporation (USA)

0.07 USD per barrel

Bitol SA (Switzerland)

0.07 USD per barrel

Mercuria Energy Trading SA (Switzerland)

0.10 USD per barrel

Totsa Total Oil Trading SA (Swi tzerland)

0.03 USD per barrel

Sinochem International Oil (London) Co, Limited

0.02 USD per barrel

Equinor ASA (Norway)

0.05 USD per barrel

Litasco SA (Switzerland) along with Lukoil Pan-Americas LLC (USA)

0.03 USD per barrel

Trafigura PTE Limited (Singapore)

0.03 USD per barrel

Aramco Trading Limited (UK)

0.025 USD per barrel

Bibi Energy Trading Limited

0.03 USD per barrel

Individual: Consultancy to conduct a Comprehensive GYEITI Systematic Disclosure Feasibility Study

Bidder Samuel Bekoe

Amount Submitted Financial Proposal Submitted

Consultancy to conduct a Comprehensive GYEITI Beneficial Ownership Register Scoping Study

Bidder Samuel Bekoe

Amount Submitted Financial Proposal Submitted

Amaila Falls Hydro Project unsuited for...

From page 2 AFHEP of December 2016, he observed that the study argued that the Potaro basin has potential for other hydro sites, which could also utilise the transmission lines and other infrastructure developed for AFHEP. “ A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e Norconsult report explicitly stated that more studies were needed to understand the hydrology of the basin and to assess if there is indeed enough water for one, much less two hydro schemes.”

He reiterated, “…while the Norconsult report stated that AFHEP was the best site at around 150MW- the question we now need to ask ourselves is ‘would a larger site make sense?”

D r. S a n s c u l o t t e Greenidge suggested that “when one considers the rapid annual increase in electric consumption, the answer can only be yes.”

He noted that the gas-toshore power project at

250MW, plus the Hope Beach Wind farm at 40MW “will give us some breathing room while we develop a more fit for purpose hydro project.”

A c c o r d i n g t o D r.

Sansculotte-Greenidge “Amaila might have made sense in 2011, but the question is, does AFHEP meet the needs of Guyana in 2021 and beyond or will this ole dawg come back to bite us all?”

As it relates to cost, Dr. Sansculotte-Greenidge noted that the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) highlights that the average investment costs for large hydropower plants typically range from as low as $1,050/kW to as high as $7,650/kW. Utilising the AFHEP 2011 price tag of US$900 million for 165MW, he calculates the AFHEP comes in at around $5,500/kW. This he asserted is expensive by global standards.

President Ali in an address to the nation marking his one year anniversary in Office, spoke to the importance of energy sufficiency, reliability, affordability and sustainability, and said “your government has commenced investment in

the energy sector, aiming for a new generation capacity of at least 500MW in the immediate term, with the option to expand this further in the longer term.”

To this end, he pointed to the proposed “gas-to-shore project terminating at the Wa l e s D e v e l o p m e n t

Authority, which will see 250MW of new power generation constructed; the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project which will deliver another 160MW of new power; and solar generating capacity which will also be installed to deliver at least 30MW of power…”

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday August 04, 2021

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL-TEL: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Truth and reconciliation

P

resently, there are a few things that Guyanese do not like to speak about, of which one is truth and reconciliation. We have neither time, interest nor energy to get serious and be genuinely engaged in anything related to truth and reconciliation. This nation’s time and interests are fully focused on other things, which are more immediate, tangible, and personally and tribally rewarding.

Oil is one of the enriching things that enchant us and hold us captive, like a moth to a flame. Cult leaders and their exercise of power is another. But, perhaps, the biggest of all is how Guyanese will line-up and bow down uncaringly to speak the language leaders speak, to prioritise the things they do, and to denounce any others, who don’t get with the programme of divisive tribal leaders.

Currently, the oil is like that white rabbit that skilled magicians pull from hats. Guyanese are hypnotised and distracted by the practiced hand movements of the magicians we have for political leaders that we lose sight of the bigger picture.

That is, what the supporting cast of trusted helpers are engaged in right before our eyes, and in their corruptions.

But just so that there is the mistaken impression that this editorial is about oil, we quickly correct such a misconception. This is about truth and reconciliation, and how something that should matter so much to us (and it does very highly), we could care less about, for all the attention and energy that we invest in it.

We deliberately use oil as part of our urgently needed truth and reconciliation background, because of its harsh and bitter and painful lessons known from other societies that have had much longer association with this most quarrelsome of commodities. It is because whatever passions and prejudices were there before in any poor struggling society multiplied hundredfold, once the news came that oil was discovered in bountiful commercial quantities. The finding of oil in Africa and Latin America has led to intensifying divisions and hatreds in those lucky (or cursed) countries that tasted its rich presence. Divisions and hatreds have sharpened along class lines, religious lines, and racial lines. Sometimes, it has even been along sectional lines.

While hurrying, scheming empowered leaders in divided societies work tirelessly and crookedly to capitalise on the incredible prosperities of their nation’s oil wealth, (for self and their own circle, of course), the rest of their sullen and seething society watch and never, ever, surrender to the promises that they will get their fair share of the bonanza from under the ground, or below the sea.

There are the randomly chosen, but more glaring, examples of oil rich Nigeria in Africa, of Iraq in the volatile Middle East, and of Venezuela in manipulated Latin America.

Speak of truth and reconciliation in any of those societies, and the anger sharpens, the distrusts rush in torrents.

The truth and reconciliation boat kept bypassing Nigeria for decades now, because of the devastating sectional and religious and tribal divides. Despite all of its billions of barrels of oil produced and shipped, that nation’s poor is poorer. It had a civil war in the late 1960s, but matters still remain unresolved, while a nation lives with its riches, and its raw, oozing wounds. Is that Guyana next in line?

In Iraq, the fissures and ruptures are largely of an intrareligious and tribal nature, and a virtual civil war unfolded there, too. It was because, nobody listened, and the oil fell into the hands of cunning political leaders, one in particular, who pitted the peoples against one another. We could talk forever about haves and have nots, but who is listening?

Could Guyana be an Iraq in waiting? Though we would hope not, the ingredients of such a situation are all present, and they bubble furiously.

And even if we insist on burying our heads in the sand, there is Venezuela next door to remind us of the futility of our ways, and of the roads that our self-centred leaders take us down. Unless we think hard and long about some form of truth and reconciliation, and soon, we risk trouble here. Just like those countries named.

CHAIRMAN OF GEA BOARD DENOUNCES SMEAR CAMPAIGN BY SBF DIRECTOR DEAR EDITOR, Embattled Director of SBF International Inc. and SBF Petroleum Inc., Dorwain Bess, continues to malign the characters and professionalism of the Officers of the Guyana Energy Agency while simultaneously portraying himself as an individual who has scant regard for the legal processes of Guyana.

Even though some of these matters are sub-judice and we have been restrained from commenting on them, as Chairman I have noted that Bess, through a series of articles published in the Kaieteur News, presents convenient half-truths and blatant misrepresentations in attempting to paint the GEA as a villain in his fallacious tale of woe and victimisation.

Having been provided a detailed summary as to the history of the companies Lynwil International Trading Inc., SBF Petroleum Inc. and SBF International Inc. and their operations throughout the period of the companies’ Importing Wholesale Licence and comparing the information provided by Bess in his various interviews, I am left puzzled as to the true intent behind his public outbursts and protestations.

Whether through the journalist’s editorialisation of the KN article dated July 26, 2021 or Bess’ false account of the sequence of events, attempts by Bess to portray the GEA as being involved in vindictive, high handed, conspiratorial actions against his company are easily proved inaccurate by following the written paper trail of communications concerning the company’s eventual eviction from the Christianburg facility.

Bess claimed to have had conversations with a former Director of his company, with the Director referencing charges against Christopher Jones and an attempted hostile takeover, which was

followed by the “sudden” investigation of the lease by GEA and refusal of GRA and GEA’s staff to conduct marking at the terminal.

A check of any media outlet’s reporting would show that the incident with Christopher Jones occurred in the latter part of August 2020.

The incident involving the refusal of entry to GEA and GRA’s staff occurred much earlier on May 29, 2020. SBF was written to about refusal of entry and requested to provide an updated lease on June 10, 2020 and Omani informed the GEA of the altered lease by letter dated June 30 but received on July 7, 2020. The Notice Before Cancellation issued on August 13, 2020, after the GEA had already received confirmation from Omani’s Director about the lease’s authenticity.

For the first time, Bess in KN article dated July 19, 2021, has claimed that the company knowingly submitted an altered lease to the GEA to support his application for an Importing Wholesale Licence an admission never once made in the 30 days within which he and his company were provided to show cause why his company’s Importing Wholesale Licence should not be cancelled.

Bess also admitted in KN article dated July 26, 2021,that even before the effective cancellation of his company’s licence, the company had been evicted from the Christianburg site and had no permission from the EPA to bunker fuel from one vessel to the other despite being informed by GEA of the need to obtain same months prior.

What he omitted to say was that at that time, the company had no other authorised storage facilities for the continuation of its business as an importer, and therefore provided no cause why the licence should not be cancelled.

It should be noted that

the company utilised the said eviction as an excuse to the EPA as to why it was unable to complete the cleanup and restoration activities required by that entity, following a spill of 59,000 litres of diesel at the site. In fact, this failure to comply with the conditions of the withdrawal of a previous Prohibition Notice resulted in that Notice regaining effect.

Nowhere in his many articles has Bess stated this.

Bess claims that his company, SBF International (or perhaps SBF Petroleum as the distinction between the two is negligible), has constructed large facilities and the articles published are accompanied by photographs of multiple red storage tanks standing on red soil. Bess on behalf of SBF has to date submitted no documents to the Agency with regard to this storage site, despite being aware of the documents needed to support an application for a licence. In fact, the site appears to be leased to another company Alpha Petroleum Trading Inc. of which Bess was a former Director. Persons familiar with the requirements for safe bulk storage of fuel can simply examine the photos displayed and determine whether the site in fact appears ready for fuel storage.

Bess on two consecutive days submitted applications for Importing Wholesale Licences on behalf of SBF International Inc. and Alpha Petroleum Trading Inc. Despite being from two different companies, the applications were almost identical in their contents, claiming to utilise similar suppliers and storage facilities. A further startling connection between the two companies was revealed in KN article dated July 22, 2021, where one Marlon Campbell of the “Osher International IDG Bank & Trust” was quoted as making statements concerning SBF’s licence

cancellation.

Another similarly titled company, Osher International Banking & Trust, supplied a letter of intent signed by one Marlon Campbell, to provide funding to the tune of millions of United States Dollars to another Director of Alpha for investments to Guyana. The stark similarity in the names and barely noticeable distinctions has not gone unnoticed by the vigilant and diligent staff of the GEA. Though very little information can be found about the capacity of this “international bank” to source and provide such significant funds to Bess, SBF, Alpha or any other entity, it’s very public and emphatic support for an individual is quite unlike the posture taken by the many publicly recognised and accredited international funding agencies with which the GEA and other entities have interacted.

As Chairman, I was requested to meet with another Director, Vincent Firth, of Alpha Petroleum, who said that if a licence was not granted to SBF and granted to Alpha instead, he would immediately transfer the licence from Alpha to SBF. In this meeting on April 22, 2021, Vincent Firth claimed that he was the sole financier of SBF. In what appears to be an attempt at negotiating away the illegalities committed by SBF, Vincent Firth offered to withdraw SBF’s court action against GEA challenging the licence’s cancellation if the Agency “restored” SBF’s licence. In this meeting, Firth even went so far as threatening to launch an aggressive public campaign against the GEA and Dr. Sharma if the licence to SBF was not restored. This I interpreted as an attempt to blackmail the GEA. On seeking clarity as to the relationship between the (Continued on page 6)

Mr. Ramjattan seems to have problems with the truth DEAR EDITOR, The July 31, 2021 Kaieteur News reported, AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, as saying, among other things, the non-expenditure of the $400M allocated to GuySuCo for mechanisation was as a result of the GAWU’s seeking to ascertain how many workers would be affected by the programme. It appears to us that Mr. Ramjattan is a stranger to the truth or maybe it was he was grossly misinformed. For the sake of clarity, the Union, at no time, was ever consulted by GuySuCo and/or the then

Coalition Government on the programme. The Union was not even aware that the programme was to be pursued until we learnt of it in the media recently. We, therefore, ask would it be even possible for our Union to request the information Mr. Ramjattan purported we sought. Our Union, for the record, has not been averse to mechanisation in the sugar industry. We in fact engaged the lending institution during latter 2014 when the programme was conceptualised. Moreover, in advancing our position

against closure we again pointed to the real opportunities’ mechanisation offered. Therefore, we would have been more than foolhardy to seek to the information it is said we requested. Our support for mechanisation is premised against several rationales including lessening the arduousness of work in the sugar industry while improving efficiency. We were aware too, that the programme had no impact on labour but rather augmented the workforce.

The statements by Mr.

Ramjattan are symptomatic of an individual who has problems with the truth. This is not the first time the GAWU has had to publicly point out what seems to be deceitful statement emanating from the AFC leader. Of course, the erstwhile gentleman has shown he is no friend of the sugar workers or the industry therefore to expect any semblance of honesty as it concerns sugar probably is highly improbable.

Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine President GAWU

Wednesday August 04, 2021

Let us not only celebrate emancipation from slavery but from COVID-19 also DEAR EDITOR, I read an article posted on the News Room Facebook page about a health care worker who lost the battle of life to COVID-19 because they were unvaccinated and the two doctors who are critical...again with COVID19.

This is disheartening as we the citizens of this beautiful country would expect our health care workers to lead by example.

I recently had an encounter with 30 plus health care workers and sad to say; only six reported that they had received at least one shot of the vaccine. Health care workers are our essential workers and I can’t fathom what would impede them from being vaccinated. They, of all

citizens, know how real the Coronavirus is. I have been vaccinated and I am happy I did. I did it because I have a responsibility to protect myself, my children and everyone that I come into contact with.

I am begging my Guyanese brothers and sisters to get vaccinated. I call upon the Opposition Leader to reach out to your supporters and encourage them to be vaccinated. The government is doing its best to ensure that preventative vaccines are available, let’s make the best of this opportunity. I am sure the people in Haiti wish they had access to the vaccines.

As we celebrate another Freedom Day, do what our ancestors would have

expected of us. Please don’t politicise the importance of saving lives.

My condolences to the relatives of those we have lost to COVID-19, I wish a speedy recovery for those hospitalised and those suffering from COVID-19 long haul...my prayers for this suffering to end soon. Please get vaccinated...if you don’t want to do it for you...think about your loved ones and those who grieve their loved ones who are not here because of COVID-19.

Fellow Guyanese as we celebrate Emancipation Day 2021, let us not only celebrate the emancipation from slavery but from COVID-19 also.

One love Shaundell Shipley

THE ENTIRE HEALTH MINISTRY FRATERNITY NEEDS TO ACT NOW FOR THE SAFETY OF GUYANA DEAR EDITOR, What I am about to relate here, needs to be acted upon swiftly, because the entire Guyana can be affected by a few rogue staff members at the Ministry of Health in Guyana.

Friday evening, I felt like having some Chinese food, I ventured down to Louisa Row and Hadfield Street to purchase Su’s Chinese Special.

After receiving my food about 21.00hrs, I walked towards the N2N taxi service, which is located up the street, there were no cars, up came a taxi bearing registration number HC 9008, bearing ‘UNIQUE CABS’ emblem.

I joined the car, whilst sitting, I fixed my mask over my nose, the driver said to me, ‘A HEAR DEM WANT TAXI AND MINI BUS DRIVERS’ TO TEK THE VACCINE,’ I said to him, ‘that’s a good move by the Health Ministry.

He yelled, ‘YOU TEK U OWN,’ I said to him I had both shots of the Sputnik V, May 11 and June 11, he yelled out in a louder tone, ‘ME AINT

TEKKIN NONE.’ I asked why, since you will be putting commuters at risk because of your negligence.

Guyana brace yourself for what you are about to hear, ‘THE BLUE BOOK SELLING, A PARTNER FROM MINISTRY OF HEALTH GET THAT ORGANISED, ME AND ME PARTNER (FELLOW TAXI DRIVER) WILL GET WE OWN NEXT WEEK.’Guyanese, the question must now be asked how many more FAKE Blue books are out there? I was hesitant to pen this letter, but it’s too risky to let this slide, many of us that uses public transportation will be at risk with the scenario presented above.

Too much negatives are being spilled about the vaccines and illiteracy in some cases prevail over reality.This is an urgent call to the relevant authority, some level of inventory mechanism has to be put in place, for we can well be having infected people in possession of the ‘BLUE BOOK’ and they weren’t

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Kaieteur News

vaccinated.

Regards, Ronald Shepherd

ROBBING OF TOURISTS AND FOREIGNERS

DEAR EDITOR, The videos now playing on social media for the world to see how tourists and foreigners are being attacked and robbed on the streets of Georgetown brings nothing but shame upon this nation.

People standing around watching, too afraid for their own safety to intervene while these thugs rob and pillage, without fear or concern. It is clear to see how low we’ve fallen as a nation. Crime is now out of control.

Am I surprised we’ve come to this?

Not at all. I have shared my observations in the recent past in KN about crime and punishment in Guyana or rather crime and a lack of punishment and consequences.

Our judges and magistrates have never been made to explain their reasons for the paltry fines and jail sentences handed out to gun-toting bandits and criminals brought before them in the Courts of Law. What is most appalling is that the bandits and criminals are shown more empathy

than the victims by our officials who are supposed to ensure justice is served for crimes perpetrated against humanity.

How on earth is a robber using a gun, knife or machete to perpetrate robbery and assault, allowed bail?

These criminals are supposed to be kept off the streets and not let back out on the street to continue their criminal activities, but that is not happening. Our judges and magistrates are blind and deaf to the crimes being perpetrated on the public.

They are singlehandedly responsible for aiding and abetting crime.

Minister of Public Safety, Chief of Police, Magistrates and Judges; please tell us when will this nightmare end?

There are many among us who bury their heads in the sand and come up with excuses like “there is crime in every country.”

I have news for you.

Guyana is one of the most crime-infested nations on this earth and it is shameful.

Where are the police officers who should be working

undercover, in plainclothes seeking out the perpetrators, and apprehending them in the act?

It seems to me that in broad daylight in the middle of Georgetown, not a single officer of the law is to be found anywhere near where a crime is taking place!

Who is in charge and what are they doing?

Whatever they are doing is not enough and none too swiftly. Get the lethargy out!

Start doing your jobs! You are paid to uphold the law and protect the public! If you are unable to do so, then stop calling yourselves policemen!

Editor, just like Glenn Lall calling on our politicians to ensure a fair and equitable deal for our oil, we need our news media and citizens across this nation to hold our politicians and law enforcement accountable for the poor job they are doing in crime prevention. Our police, judges and magistrates have to be held accountable.

Enough is enough.

Yours faithfully, Dennis Balgobin

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Wednesday August 04, 2021

Kaieteur News

VACCINATION IS THE BEST DEFENCE AGAINST THE VIRUS DEAR EDITOR, I refer to a recent statement made by Deputy Speaker, Lenox Shuman, that was obviously intended to encourage vaccination against COVID19.

While I may or may not share Mr. Shuman’s particular prescription, I unequivocally and unapologetically agree with his intent.

Editor, I am strongly in favour of the respect for individual rights, I have equal reverence for collective rights and the rights of the people who live in communities. As such, individuals have the right to refuse to be

vaccinated, and communities have the right to be protected from COVID-19.

Since it has been shown that the virus is more prevalent in unvaccinated persons, then, it is the duty of the authorities to protect everyone, including the majority of persons who would have done the responsible thing, and would have taken steps to protect themselves and others.

Considering that there is the Delta variant on a rampage — a COVID-19 variant that takes 16 seconds of exposure to allow person-to-person transmission — it is imperative that the maximum

number of Guyanese is protected.

I, therefore, call on the installed PPP government to take such action as is needed to ensure that the majority of Guyanese is protected.

Further, if a person is so reckless and irresponsible as to endanger the community, as well as family members who may be left with medical and funeral expenses, not to mention tremendous grief and distress, then, that person may have, arguably, abdicated some of the rights to which he or she would otherwise be entitled.

Yours faithfully, Mark DaCosta

MARKETING OUR OIL BETTER DEAR EDITOR, We do not seem to be making much headway in the renegotiation of the lopsided ExxonMobil/Guyana oil contract.

The politicians are not keen on renegotiation; ExxonMobil would not be keen on renegotiation as well, especially when renegotiation will put ExxonMobil in a worse financial position.

Therefore, Guyana needs to market its oil

discoveries more effectively, so that we gain more Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and create more jobs for Guyanese. There are 50 states in the USA where we can market the oil discoveries and other investment opportunities in Guyana. We need trade missions to these states to sell investment ideas in Guyana.

Yours faithfully, Sean Ori

AIRPORT COVID-19 RULES DEAR EDITOR, Once again, I have to vent my thoughts on the most recent measures regarding incoming passengers at CJIA. As it is, passengers need to produce a negative PCR test 72 hours prior to landing at CJIA. My issue with this is, that not all places are issuing PCR test results in such a swift manner, why not opt for the antigen/rapid test? Yes, the PCR maybe more effective, but we are talking about ensuring persons catch their flights to come home (if you are a national). More so,

persons that are vaccinated should have that option to produce a rapid test or be tested at the airport free of cost and be placed in quarantine and then again, be tested within seven to 10 days.

Currently I am in the USA and the clinic where I took a test from upon my arrival is now issuing the results three days after! We only learnt of this today! Now I am rushing and looking all over to find another clinic close by to avoid being around many people that can issue me my test results within 24 hours.

The other issue is, if a person has a test that exceeds 72 hours but not seven days, I must take a test at the airport, who will stand that cost? Me or the Government? What happens if my flight gets delayed due to bad weather or some other issue? What then happens to my COVID19 results?

The Ministry of Health in conjunction with Public Works must revise these rules and regulations and be considerate while safeguarding the nation!

Sincerely, Tanya Niamatali

AGENCIES SHOULD REVIEW POLICIES PERIODICALLY dealing with the public in a This in no way negates the

DEAR EDITOR, The complaints levelled against two state agencies by a columnist have some merit.

After all, it is unacceptable for simple transactions to be time consuming following the red tape bureaucracy.

On the other hand, personnel such as security cannot really be faulted, since they are merely carrying out instructions.

They do not see it as their prerogative to bend or to act outside of the issued instructions. That is why it is important for agencies

large way to always review policies, systems and procedures to ensure these are working in the best interest of all concerned.

Nothing is cast in stone.

Perhaps, the agencies mentioned in the commentary can consider having forms, which do not require a fee, placed with security for easy access and collection by members of the public.

Of course, it can be argued forms are available on the website of the companies for downloading and printing.

right to collect the hardcopy.

Companies can also consider, as happens at a city bank, where officials are on hand and traversing the lines, asking customers the nature of their business and making on the spot decisions, thereby alleviating frustrations and in some cases waiting time.

In the end, customer satisfaction is one of the hallmarks of a great customer experience.

Yours faithfully Shamshun Mohamed

CHAIRMAN OF GEA BOARD...

From page 4 two entities considering the overt similarity in their applications, the GEA received two letters, one from Bess and Firth containing almost identical language that Bess was just a Consulting Director of Alpha which was the business of Firth and that SBF was really Bess’ business, with which he shared a Directorship with one Dannel Munroe.

As what may be viewed as an attempt to paint a picture of distance between the two companies, Firth claimed that Bess had resigned as a Director of Alpha, however checks in the Commercial Registry showed that its Directors remained the same. It was not until after the GEA requested incorporation documents from Firth showing the change in Directors, that changes were made to the records in the registry. The shareholding of the company also changed showing Firth as the sole shareholder, while Bess and a named Attorneyat-Law were previously the only two Directors.

While Bess claims to have several employees on the breadline, two service stations on the West Coast of Demerara bear the names SBF Petroleum on their canopies. What Bess has not revealed, is that one of those gas stations is leased to

Alpha Petroleum and not SBF as the canopy may portray.

The other gas station is in fact unlicenced despite the GEA requesting the owner to regularise the station’s status.

Had the GEA and its officers been as vindictive as Bess claims, the Agency would not have exercised the great leniency it has and Bess and/ or his company would be facing their third criminal charge for unlicenced operations. Of note, contrary to what was said by Bess on July 26, 2021, GEA has not instituted a private criminal charge against his company for the altered lease. All charges relate to unlicenced operations, including the wholesale of gasoline, which the company was never licenced to import or sell.

While Bess made much ado about “having to fight tooth and nail to get [fuel]released” to him he is no doubt aware that the many checks and balances put in place not only by the GEA but also the GRA were to ensure that all the fuel imported by his company was taxed appropriately and marked effectively. Naturally, he would have had to report the movement of vessels carrying unmarked fuel, to prevent the sudden disappearance of this product before he request legal compliance. This would no doubt be of concern to all citizens, including KN which

on April 20, 2018 published an article titled “Authorities Seize Ship with Smuggled Fuel” concerning a shipment of fuel aboard the Jubilee, a vessel owned by Bess’ company.The GEA granted Import Licences to small dealers in an attempt to broaden the sources of fuel, generate income and jobs, and create competition within the downstream sector; however, this presented new challenges for the Agency in monitoring the said sector. As a result, additional internal controls were created with the objective of ensuring that all fuel of standard quality was appropriately taxed, marked and distributed to consumers across the country. While this may have placed additional requirements on the smaller importers, a necessary balance had to be struck.

SBF’s operations on varying occasions appeared to create new challenges for the Agency; however, we continued to work with them to address same.

The GEA is sympathetic with the employees of SBF whose jobs were lost as a result of the callous acts of its employer, however GEA calls on those employees, if they are indeed so, to examine the past and present actions of the company and view all facts with objective eyes.

The Board of Directors and Agency will not allow threats of baseless lawsuits, reports to the local and international media and penning of letters to international representatives and bodies to sway the Agency from enforcing the law. Bess and all others are advised to focus their efforts on the legal means available for dispute resolution rather than engaging in continuous smear campaigns.

The Board of Directors will continue to review and provide guidance to the Agency to ensure fairness, transparency, accountability and compliance with the law.

Jerome Khan Chairman, GEA Board

Wednesday August 04, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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Wednesday August 04, 2021

‘True cost’ of COVID-19 vaccines unknown While Guyana has already expended some $2.2B on vaccines meant to combat the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the true cost of the vials of medicine is not known on the international markets, since “countries were required to sign confidentiality agreements that prevents the disclosure of price.”

The situation obtains, since governments have been outbidding each other to get access to the vaccines, among other factors.

At least, this is according to the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, who, during yesterday’s sitting of the National Assembly, responded to enquiries made by A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Shadow Minister for the sector, Dr. Karen Cummings.

The opposition member had sought to query from the Minister whether the administration had in

...as Guyana spends $2.2B to date procuring coveted drugs — Health Minister

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony fact managed to procure enough of the coveted COVID-19 vaccines in order to contain the outbreak domestically and to achieve herd immunity.

This is in addition to ascertaining

from the Substantive Minister, the factors that influenced the purchase of the AstraZeneca, Sputnik V and Sinopharm in preference to Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

To this end, Dr. Anthony informed the House—through a written response—that while there was an agreement with COVAX for vaccines to cater for some 20 percent of the population, “COVAX had difficulty fulfilling this commitment because of the global shortage and funding difficulties.”

As such, he disclosed that this quota has not been filled.

Speaking directly to the Moderna vaccine, the Health Minister informed the House that in the early part of the year, that company could not export the

vaccine to other countries because of export restrictions and supply commitments to the US Government.

As it relates to the Pfizer version of the COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Anthony said that the company had made bilateral commitments with more affluent countries, and that doses from that company would only become available from next year.

According to the Health Minister, there has been a global shortage of the raw materials used for the production of the vaccines, and that this too, has led to lower availability.

Compounding the situation, Dr. Anthony informed the House that increased domestic demand for

vaccines as manufacturing countries experience surges of cases due to new strains, has led to countries stopping exports in order to fulfill their domestic demands.

According to Dr. Anthony, these factors, among others, “have contributed to vaccine inequity, where many of the richer countries have been able to vaccinate their population while poorer nations struggle to acquire vaccines.”

As it relates to the amount of money spent thus far, Dr. Anthony informed the Members of the Legislative Assembly that the government “has spent approximately $2.2B Guyana dollars on vaccine purchase and logistics of getting vaccines to Guyana.”

Wednesday August 04, 2021

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Kaieteur News

The PPP/C is its own worst enemy T

he APNU+AFC d e s t r o y e d whatever chances it had of being returned to office. It affected its own fortunes by the attempts to rig the 2021 elections.

Had it simply conceded, accepted its defeat and took action to remove the underperformers who were responsible for its electoral loss in the March 2nd, 2020 general and regional elections, it may have been able to return to government in 2025. It cannot now do so because of what it attempted to do with the elections results.

The PPP/C took a different approach. It lost the 2015 elections and went into Opposition. It spent the next five years organising its base, then expanding its support, winning two local government elections and then humiliating the APNU+AFC by the successful passage of a nonconfidence motion.

The four years elapsed quickly and the PPP/C is now back in the political saddle again. The PPP/C is riding into a long tenure in office because of the silly shenanigans of the APNU+AFC. The APNU+AFC did not have the patience of the PPP/ C. Some of its leaders were unprepared to go back into Opposition and therefore there was an attempt to steal the elections which has now backfired.

If only the APNU+AFC had conceded gracefully and waited out its five years, the PPP/C would have been booted out in 2025. But that is not going to happen because a critical segment of the electorate will never again trust the APNU+AFC with political office.

It was democracy which

had delivered a razor slim majority – but a majority nonetheless – to the APNU+AFC in 2015. And, instead of the Coalition accepting that its best chance of regaining power was through the ballot, it tried to rig and bully its way back into office.

If the APNU+AFC had accepted its defeat, the Irfaan Ali administration would have been a one-term government. Ali is a young man and he will learn on the job but he cannot bring about the economic transformation which he is promising. The resources are simply not there, the economy does not have the capacity to absorb the projects which he has in mind for over the next five years and the usual suspects are around and are doing the same nonsense which cost the PPP/C its majority in 2011 and the presidency in 2015.

Irfaan Ali is a young man who must be encouraged.

But it should be clear to all by now that so long as the usual suspects are in his order, so long as he is pursuing the big projects which his administration is incapable of executing, so long as these projects serve the interests of a small oligarchic class which has re-emerged, Ali cannot deliver the transformation he promises.

He has just celebrated his first anniversary as President.

These occasions provide a chance for leaders to present their report card, to tell the nation what they did. But Ali instead of doing this last Monday, went off on and on about medium and long-term plans, the same type of plans which we used to hear about in the past and which seemed like a rolling stone.

The President disappointed tremendously in his presentation to the

country and to the media last Monday. Instead of focusing on the big plans, he should have concentrated more on his report card. His address was imbalanced.

There was too much about what is to be done, rather than expanding more on what was done.

The Opposition need not worry about Ali’s wish list of projects, including three new drainage canals for which the nation has not heard about any study which justifies it.

They need not worry about the gas-to-shore project for which the government has not yet done its own feasibility study but for which it is already inviting investors.

The Opposition need not worry about the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project. No one is going to invest in that when the government holds a oneseat majority in the National Assembly.

And while the President was eager to speak about his long term plans, nothing was heard about the more immediate concerns. Nothing was heard about the Commission of Inquiry into the elections. Nothing was heard since about the democracy awards for those who the President hailed for saving the country. Nothing was heard about diplomatic appointments.

The President was asked questions by a Kaieteur News reporter. He insisted that his government had made public all its plans. Yet he could not directly answer the three questions.

The PPP/C is its own worst enemy. The Opposition does not have to do anything to undermine the PPP/C. The usual suspects will take the economy and the PPP/C down the drain as they did to Donald Ramotar. The Opposition does not need to

Dem Boys Seh…

Guvment nah control wah happen upstairs Karma does ketch up with yuh. De guvment bin playing God with cricket. Fuh years now dem bin trying fuh displace de old cricket Board.

Dem bin even mek up story how de people accounts not in order.

Dem press and press because some of dem gat friend wah pushing tuh. And dem get through eventually by shocking out de old Board. And now just when is time fuh de new boys fuh show wah dem can do, de man upstairs decide fuh cry.

He cry so much dat it rain out two of de three T 20 matches

wah dem was to host at Providence.

Is karma ketch up with dem. De rain fall Sunday and wash out de second T 20 match. Was only a half-hour heavy downpour but it flood de ground.

Dem boys feel if Tony bin still in charge of de stadium dat would not have happened. But dem shock out Tony too.

Tony would ah gat dah ground in order and rain or no rain cricket woulda play on Sunday And yesterday, de rainfall light and steady and again de

match get abandon. And as soon as dem abandon de match, de rain stap.

Is de big man above letting dem know dat while dem can control things below, he totally in charge of de things above, including de rain.

It mek dem boys remember de competition wah get organise recently. It coincide with de rainy weather. Dat was one big laugh story. Who does put on cricket matches during de rainy season?

Talk half and remember if yuh want flood bring cricket to Guyana!

do anything; just leave the PPP/C to its ways and it will self-destruct.

But the PPP/C has a ticket to power until 2030. And it was the APNU+AFC which

handed it that ticket.

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

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Wednesday August 04, 2021

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

My advice to President Ali; don’t be like Obama

I

t takes years after a great individual emerges to truly and objectively assess the inner character and the contents of their reign. The great, Brazilian footballer, Pele, has led the way with his approach.

He rejects Lionel Messi as the next greatest footballer after him because he argues that Messi lacks the talent to score using the agility of both legs. In this respect, Pele seems to favour Cristiano Ronaldo as the better player. It is when you look at the complete skill-set of a leader and the complete box of accomplishments after a long period then a more sober analysis emerges.

As time passes, Obama’s presidency will undergo tremendous revisionist treatment. The newness of a nice, Black president is still with the world and Obama’s

personality preserves the sheen on it. But there will be formidable questions asked as time passes?

The curiosities will be countless but two questions will be pyrotechnical. First, what has he really accomplished after being president for two terms?

Secondly, was he different from any of his predecessors in dramatic and historical ways to earn the title of a radical man who helped to change America?

Barack Obama basked in the glory the world offered him because at a deep, Freudian level, the world wanted a non-white president to rule the US. Even countries whose leader hated the US welcomed him over all other previous presidents.

He is gone from power and the time-lapse is not long. He left in 2016, a mere four years ago. But as years

roll on and as liberal presidents emerge, the historians I am afraid are going to lacerate the “nice boy” image of Obama. The one accusation that is going to stick and stick forever is that he made no difference to what the US is and he did not even attempt to reshape it.

There are hidden faults, very serious ones, that are now coming into the open and these revelations will show that he was just another ordinary president. The danger of Obama’s failure is that it is going to hurt future Black prospects, especially Kamala Harris’.

The world is not going to be fascinated with an Asian, East Indian or another Black prospect because people are going to say they had one Black president and they didn’t see any unusual, untraditional, radical pathways.

My choice for the next

president of the US is either Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren. It should be Harris because she is both West Indian and East Indian and I am both, that too. I am afraid Harris is going to be like Obama - mountainous sheen but no radicalism.

Trump promised he would clear the swamp. He probably got that idea from Obama and put it in his own words. This was the expectation of the world when Obama came into power - he will clear the swamp. He didn’t and that is why Hilary Clinton lost the record of becoming America’s first woman president.

President Irfaan Ali has nine years left of his presidency (I can’t see him not winning in 2025). He could join the four big names that will forever remain big – C h ed d i J ag an , F o r b es Burnham, Walter Rodney

and Desmond Hoyte.

Dr. Ali must clear the swamp. He must shake up Guyana the way Desmond Hoyte did it but with more shapely intentions than Hoyte, with deeper sociological understanding of his country than Hoyte.

He must pursue the transformation of Guyana’s total landscape where all classes – big business, small business, the middle classes and the working people – must believe and accept that Guyana belongs to them that they are benefitting from Guyana’s richness and that they will enjoy Guyana’s potential through the benefits that potential will offer.

There is oceanic backwardness that exist in this country that three of the big four – Jagan, Burnham, Hoyte – tried in removing but did not succeed. This backwardness defies description even by the most experienced sociologists and political theorists. They stultify Guyana’s future.

They undermined liberty, justice and democracy.

Under Obama, income

e a r

Frederick Kissoon nings got more distorted and the poorer classes and the middle classes were not elevated. President Ali must avoid the pitfalls of Hoyte and Jagdeo at all cost. Both of these presidents believed with the growing success of mega investments extensive income benefits for the working masses would have accrued.

Cheddi Jagan was skeptical of this pathway. A small economy like Guyana cannot rely only on that methodology. There has to be a more balancing act. My advice to Ali is to avoid the misdirection of India and the US in Guyana where they are only two classes – the very rich and the very poor.

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

Teen remanded on armed robbery Eighteen-year-old William Kowlessar, of Lot 452 ‘C’ Field Sophia, Georgetown, was yesterday remanded to prison after he appeared before a City Magistrate on an armed robbery charge.

Kowlessar made his first appearance in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan. He was not required to plead to the indictable charge which alleges that on Friday July 30, 2021 at Croal Street, while being in the company of others and armed with a knife, he robbed Brandon Mohan and his brother of one Samsung Galaxy A10S cellular phone valued $23,000.

According to facts of the charge, on the day in question, the brothers were walking along Croal Street in the vicinity of the Sophia Bus Park, when the armed defendant approached them.

The court heard that Kowlessar in the company of others ordered Mohan and his brother to hand over their valuables before making good their escape. However, an alarm was raised by the brothers and a policeman who was on duty in the area gave chase after the suspects. Kowlessar was later arrested and placed into police custody.

Kowlessar was later charged and placed before the court for the offence. He is expected to make his next court appearance on August 11, 2021.

Wednesday August 04, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

PAGE 12

Kaieteur News

Wednesday August 04, 2021

MARAD sends home unvaccinated staff - Says non-compliant speed boat operators will lose licence In light of the latest gazetted COVID-19 emergency measures, 50% of unvaccinated employees at the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) were yesterday morning sent home for failing to take the requisite vaccines. They were informed to only return to their job after addressing same.

Yesterday, the Government entity also posted a notice on its Facebook page stating that unvaccinated speed boat operators are not allowed to operate and can lose their licence if found in breach of the new measures. However, up to press time no notice was posted in relation to employees being vaccinated before they are allowed to work.

According to the notice seen by this publication, the employees were informed that, “The law requires that every person must present proof of COVID-19 vaccination prior to entry to these premises.” The notice further stated that the vaccination card, along with official identification must be presented to the security personnel for verification.

However, it was noted that unvaccinated persons will only gain entry by appointment.

According to one of the employees that were sent home, “They had told us before to get vaccinated, but we were told that it’s not

mandatory, it was optional now today [yesterday] they saying something different that we MUST get it before we return to work.” The employee also explained that they were informed that they will not be paid for the time they are away from work.

This publication was told that when the employees reported for duty at MARAD’s headquarters, they were called to a meeting where they were informed of the new requirement for staff members by MARAD’s Director General, Stephen Thomas.

It was related to them that the new requirement is in keeping with the Government’s gazetted order, which outlines that persons who are unvaccinated are not permitted to visit Government agencies, unless they have an appointment. However, the orders does not mandate that staff members of Government agencies be vaccinated.

MARAD’s notice yesterday to speed boat operators outlines that captains, bowmen and monitors are required to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Like MARAD employees, the speed boat operators must also have their identification and vaccination cards in their possession and must produce same upon request by a police officer,

The notice that was sent out yesterday to MARAD’s employees.

MARAD officer or persons authorised by the Ministry of Health.

According to the notice, no unvaccinated speed boat operator is allowed to operate in any part of Guyana and any person who fails to comply with the new restrictions may result in suspension or revocation of their licence.

The COVID-19 vaccines are not mandatory but in keeping with the new gazetted COVID-19 emergency measures, persons who wish to visit public agencies, take part in certain public activities or to operate public transport must now be

vaccinated.

The partial vaccine mandate came into effect from August 1 and will last up to August 31, 2021.

Cinemas, casinos and betting shops are being reopened at 40% capacity, indoor and outdoor dining at a restaurant and bar are only allowed at 60% capacity – with only vaccinated patrons being allowed access.

The requirement to be vaccinated does not apply to children under the age of 18 years and vaccinated persons are required to have their identification and vaccination cards in their possession when out in public.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday August 04, 2021

PAGE 13

US President orders environmental review of US$38B Natural Gas project T

he Alaska Liquid Natural Gas project is facing a supplementary environmental review under the new Biden Administration before it can proceed. The project, which is estimated to cost US$38.7 billion dollars, proposes to send Natural Gas flowing from the Alaskan North Slope down to a proposed plant in Nikiski on the Kenai Peninsula, where it would be liquefied, sold and shipped out.

Additionally, the project only got the go-ahead from environmental regulators under the Trump administration last year.

Local media site, Alaskan Public Media (APM), has reported that on the North Slope, the gas is already being pumped out of the ground — it’s just not being sent to market. To get it there, the State, under Trump, had approved the construction of an 800-mile pipeline, but now the Biden administration has opted to conduct another environmental review of the project.

The decision, which was announced in early July by the federal Department of Energy is part of the Biden administration’s focus on fighting climate change, and is also in support of a legal challenge from the Sierra Club, a

national environmental organisation.

According to APM, under the review, regulators will take a fresh look at the environmental impacts of Natural Gas production on Alaska’s North Slope. In addition, they will analyse the project’s full greenhouse gas emission potential — from its extraction to its export and use overseas. At the conclusion of this, the federal government could then decide whether to keep, change or overturn approval for the project.

The Alaska Gas line Development Corporation, a public corporation under the State, doesn’t see the order as an obstacle, according to company spokesman, Tim Fitzpatrick. “The project has been thoroughly scrutinised over a period of about six years or so, taking a look at over 150,000 pages of data,” Fitzpatrick said. “So we’re confident that the project is going to continue to stand up to any environmental scrutiny.”

Despite this optimistic and confident outlook however, others, such as Larry Persily, a coordinator for gas transportation projects under President Barack Obama, doesn’t see the gas line project happening. “I looked at it and thought, ‘Well, okay, that’s good.

Artist’s concept design for the LGN project.

You can do a supplemental EIS on a project that’s probably never, ever going to go ahead. But hey, if you got the time, go for it,’” he said.

APM states that three large oil and gas companies were once signed onto the project and filed a permit to ship the resulting Natural Gas overseas. But they later pulled

their support, due to high project costs and Alaska’s declining market for liquefied Natural Gas. Furthermore, a spokesperson from the Department of Energy said, the department will foot the bill for the supplemental environmental assessment. The department also said, it will issue a

notice when the draft supplemental statement is released.

It will take comments and hold hearings on the draft. Once the assessment is finalised, the agency could decide to reaffirm, modify or retract the federal authorisation for the project, according to an April rehearing on the project.

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday August 04, 2021

Govt. moves apace with amendments for child adoption, birth and death registration bills The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration is moving apace with efforts to amend several pieces of legislation governing the adoption of children, birth and death registration. The Adoption of Children (Amendment) Bill as well as the Birth and Death Registration Amendment Bill came up for debate as part of the order of business at the sitting of the National Assembly yesterday.

The bills were each read for the second and third time in the Assembly respectively, each by their subject Minister. The presentations received overwhelming support from those on the government side of the House.

In her presentation of the Adoption of Children Amendment Bill 2021, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, noted the purpose of amendment is to give the Hague Convention on the adoption of children (an international treaty) the force of law in Guyana.

She noted that adoption amendments would allow for international best practice and procedures to be used in the process of inter-country adoption of Guyanese children.

“Guyana like many other countries has its adoption laws but by bringing it into conformity with the Hague Convention; a corporate respect and protection for intercountry adoption is made,” Dr. Persaud said, adding that the amendments will make way for an

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud ease of the legal hurdles associated with the international adoption of children.

Dr. Persaud noted too, that the Hague Convention helps safeguard against abduction and the illegal sale of children. She said that there are entire sections of the bill that will address those issues and deal with those safeguards.

Dr. Persaud’s presentation was supported by several members of the government including Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC, who in his remarks, noted that “the purpose of developing the Hague Convention was to create a multilateral instrument which would define certain substantive principles for the protection of children, establish a legal framework of co-operation between authorities in the States of origin and in the receiving States.”

According to the Attorney General, the Adoption of Children (Amendment) Bill represents the government’s commitment to ensuring that any system involving children has as its guiding principle the best interests of those children.

Moreover, he noted that given that the world has changed with the increase in migration, “therefore there is greater need for reform of our legislative framework to ensure that children are protected.”

“As our Constitution recognises in Article 38B, “the best interest of the child shall be the primary consideration…in all matters concerning children” and more specifically, as it relates to adoption, Article 38C states that “the State shall ensure that adoption of a child takes place only if that adoption would be in the best interests of the child.”

To this end, Nandlall said government is also drafting new legislation to counter people smuggling.

“We have a new trafficking Bill that will be brought to the Parliament that has in it several provisions that will go hand-inhand here with the provisions against transnational smuggling,” he said.

Further in this regard, Nandlall said that the Bill amendments of the Adoption of Children Act, Cap. 46:04 is consistent with the fundamental purpose and intention of the Hague Convention.

Guyana became a state party to the Convention on June 1, 2019, joining Haiti and St. Kitts as the

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn only CARICOM nation to be a contracting party to the Convention.

As of this year, Nandlall noted the Hague Convention has over 100 Contracting Parties, including United States of America, United Kingdom, India, Albania, Australia, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Fiji, France, Ireland, Lithuania, Ghana and Zambia.

Meanwhile in his presentation of the Birth and Death Registration Amendment Bill, Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, noted the amendment would help to eliminate the troubles of those who experience difficulty obtaining birth certificates. He noted that the amendments will also help to safeguard against fraud and fraudulent practices used in the issuance of birth certificates.

According to Benn, “the amendments relate to strengthening the process and measures in which persons can validly govern birth certificates… this will expedite the process of persons getting birth certificates.”

“The amendments provide a simpler pathway and one with integrity, for the registration of birth and deaths,” the Minister added.

Speaking in support of the proposed amendments, the Attorney General noted inter alia, that the current Section 43(2) provides for the correction of wrong entries in a birth or death registration form.

The amendment to Section 43(2) clarifies the type of errors that the subsection governs by substituting “any error” with the words “any minor clerical error.”

Nandlall stressed that the procedure set out in Section 43(2) to correct the erroneous entry is deficient as it empowers the magistrate to direct the Registrar General, the custodian of the registration forms, to correct the entry without providing for the magistrate to hear the Registrar.

He noted that directing the Registrar without hearing him is a serious breach of the rule of law. As such, Nandlall said that the amendment to Section 43(2) corrects this deficiency. “It expressly provides for the Registrar to be heard before the magistrate makes his decision on whether the error in question is genuine,” added the Attorney General.

La Penitence woman killed by drunk driver

Lewis, moments before the motorcar collided with her.

The motorcar involved in the accident.

Twenty-three-year-old Melissa Lewis, of La Penitence, Georgetown, was yesterday morning killed by a 29-year-old drunk driver who collided with her while she was crossing the road.

The accident occurred on H o m e s t r e t c h Av e n u e , Georgetown, around 04:13hrs.

According to CCTV footage seen by this publication, Lewis was

standing in the middle of the road attempting to cross over to the other half, to Durban Park. She was seen making her first attempt but subsequently turned back.

The woman was still standing in the middle of the road, but while facing east, motorcar PSS 4025, driven

by Delroy Dominique D’Aguiar, who was

proceeding east on Homestretch Avenue at an alleged fast rate collided with her.

Upon impact, Lewis’ body was flung into the air and went over the motorcar.

According to the police, the driver alleged that the pedestrian was crossing the road from north to south into his path. The driver further

alleged that he applied brakes to avoid a collision but failed and hit the pedestrian.

Lewis was picked up in an unconscious state by the emergency medical technicians (EMT) and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where she was seen and examined by a doctor.

However, she succumbed to her injuries while receiving medical attention.

The police reported that a breathalyser test was conducted on the driver, which revealed that he was above the prescribed limit.

He was subsequently arrested and placed into custody and the motorcar was impounded.

Wednesday August 04, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 15

MoU signed for multi-million dollar agro-processing facility in Black Bush Polder The Ministry of Agriculture together with the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) and UMAMI Incorporated yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the construction of a multimillion dollar agroprocessing facility in Black Bush Polder, Region Six. Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, during his previous visits to Black

Bush Polder had announced that an investor had signalled his interest to materialise a processing facility.

The construction of the facility is set to commence within the next six months with an employment expectation of over 50 persons.

Minister Mustapha said since assuming office that the intention of the government is to have more

value-added products produced for export and domestic consumption.

The Minister had told residents that during a previous meeting with the Minister responsible for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, that in addition to the processing facility, his ministry will be constructing a packaging facility to assist farmers and agro-processors with properly packaging their produce for marketing.

CEO for GO-Invest, Dr. Peter Ramsaroop, receiving a copy of the MoU from Managing Director of UMAMI, Chris Persaud, in the presence of Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha. (middle).

PAGE 16

Kaieteur News

COVID-19 claims lives of two women

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One domestic maid contact 233-2865 & 226-5793.

A cook for a restaurant in the interior.Tel:677-0869.

Domestic/Cook.Tel:2235273/74.

SERVICES Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040

Male & Female to work in factory.Apply in person R.P'S Enterprise,Area "K" L e R e s s o u v e n i r E.C.D.Tel:220-2818.

Welder fabricator for grill work.Call:621-5310.

M i n i b u s & Ta x i Drivers.Tel:225-3234/6281183.

Installation, Repairs and parts for AC,Fridge, Washing machine,Stove etc.Call Nick#630-1600.

Repair and Rebuilt of diesel e n g i n e s a l s o Caterpillar.Tel:694-5158.

Book your swedish massage and get a free manicure,Home visits available.Call:623-0594.

VACANCY One salesman,5 subject cxc.Experience in writing bills,stocktaking& cashing.Keyfood Trading,Mc Doom village.

One female cashier & one welder/fabricator to work at Del Ice Co.Call between 8am-1:30pm.Tel:642-9191.

FOR SALE Pure breed German Shepherd pups,black,tanned & pure white.Contact:6659140.

2&3bedroomhomes.

Onderneeming, WBD,Tuschen,EBE H a s l i n g t o n , ECD.Whatsapp:673-6210/ 694-9793.

Porters,apply in person at Alabama Trading at 65 Robb Street,Bourda.

E x p e r i e n c e d Carpenters.Apply in person at Alabama Trading at 65 Robb Street, Bourda.

Experienced Accounts Clerk, must pass in Maths,Accounts, English.Apply at Alabama Trading at 65 Robb Street,Bourda.

ExperiencedSales Clerks,must be computer literate.Apply at Alabama Trading at 65 Robb Street,Bourda.

FOR RENT Vr e e d - e n - h o o p junction.Place for hair salon, pedicure, manicure ,other.Call:603-6400.$15,000 per month.

1 2 bedroom apartment.Lot 2043 Plot C Herstelling E.B.D.Contact:6961 6 8 0 . Av a i l a b l e 1 s t Aug,2021.

WANTED Experienced mechanic and servicemen needed for mining operation.Call:6972533.

Wednesday August 04, 2021

Maid to cook and clean for East Bank.Call:615-9132.

Driver Eccles office,Car/Van licence.Call:642-9823.

Female cleaner for office.Call:642-9823.

One clerk for TSI Eccles officeEnglish& Mathematics,grade 1 or 2 . E m a i l application:techserigy @yahoo.com or call 6429823.

Vacancy for persons to assemble bicycles,apply at Alabama Trading.65 Robb Street Bourda.

Receptionist & Room Attendant,25-50yrs.233 S o u t h R o a d Lacytown.Tel:225-2304.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) yesterday reported that two women who tested positive for the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease have died.

According to the Ministry, the latest fatalities are that of a 54-year-old from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) and a 55-year-old from Region Two (PomeroonSupernaam).

Both women passed away on Monday while receiving treatment at a medical facility.

As a result of this, the country’s COVID-19 death toll has moved to 549.

Further, the MoH via its daily COVID-19 dashboard recorded 24 new infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 22,643.

The dashboard also shows that 12 patients are admitted into the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 87 persons in institutional isolation, 648 in home isolation and two in institutional quarantine.

To date, a total of 22,327 have recovered from the virus.

VACANCY One male supervisor & male ice handlers @Crystal Ice House,Rosignol Berbice.Call:618-3800 between 8-12am.

Wednesday August 04, 2021

Kaieteur News

Housing Ministry to now construct and sell houses for profit The Ministry of Housing and Water earlier this year inked some US$13.9M in contracts to provide for, among other infrastructure works, the construction of a number of housing units across the low, moderate and middle to high-income brackets.

But the expenditure has since attracted queries in the National Assembly, which have now revealed that the Ministry is in fact constructing homes to be resold for profit.

In response to queries raised yesterday by Shadow Minister, Annette Ferguson, during a sitting of the House, Housing Minister, Colin Croal, disclosed that the Ministry is aiming to construct some 2,000 homes across Regions Three, Four and Six. To this end, the Minister indicated that while the estimated cost for the construction of the low income homes are pegged at $5.2M each, they are earmarked to be sold to citizens falling in the lowincome bracket for $5.5M. As it relates to the moderate income earners, the Minister indicated that these homes would cost some $7.2M and these would be resold at $7.5M. Persons falling in the middle and high income brackets, will be able to purchase the completed units for between $14M and $19.5M while being constructed at costs ranging between $13M and $18M. Construction, according to Minister Croal, commenced back in April 2021 with the contracts having been signed a month earlier.

It was noted that for Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) some 500 units would be constructed at Edinburg, Anna Catherina, Stewartville and MetenMeer-Zorg.Another 500 units will also be constructed in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) at Hampshire, Ordinance Fortlands and Williamsburg.

As it relates to Region F o u r, M i n i s t e r C r o a l disclosed that 5,000 units will be constructed across Grove, Great Diamond, Little Diamond, Prospect, Providence, Cummings Lodge and La Bonne Intention (LBI.) As it relates to the process used with regards the procurement of contractors for the 199

contracts that had been inked, Minister Croal in responding to his Shadow O p p o s i t i o n M e m b e r, disclosed that this was done through a national competitive bidding process by public tender.

Ferguson had tabled the slew of questions for Croal on the official order paper of the National Assembly for yesterday’s sitting seeking to have the House be informed as to the number of units to be constructed in Regions Three to Six, in addition to providing the House with detailed locations, along with a breakdown of what it will cost the government to construct each unit.

Ferguson has premised her line of questioning for the Minister in light of public reports by the Department of Public Information, dated March 16, 2021, captioned, ‘The Central Housing and Planning Authority has awarded some $13.9 Billion in contracts to start infrastructural works and construction of housing units in Regions Three, Four, Five and Six.’ The Ministry in March had signed 199 contracts totalling US$70 million (G$13.9 billion) for housing development, forging ahead with its promise to provide 50,000 house lots for Guyanese.

Minister Croal had at that time pointed out that the number of contractors carrying out works would also include 26 new ones in the system.

He pointed out as well, that it was expected that works totalling $4 billion would be carried out by June 2021, while another $6 billion is expected to be completed in the last half of this year. “We live in a society where the quality of housing is important,” Croal said in later remarks as he pointed to the spin off effects of the measures taken in totality.

He pointed out as an example, that with the 199 contracts, it would also mean increased employment, which would in turn lead to increased demand for varying goods and services.

This past week, scores of persons were awarded low income house lots through the government’s “Dream Realised” initiative, which is intended to ensure that 1,000 low income house lots are distributed.

Those lots are being allocated from Block 18, Plantation Golden Grove,

East Bank Demerara (EBD), and are said to be tailored to specifically target lowincome earners.

Junior Housing Minister, Susan Rodrigues, on Monday last had said that the low-income bracket is as important as those in the higher brackets are when it comes to accessing house lots, adding that the Ministry will continue to ensure that they are benefitting. She explained that 75 percent of the allottees are from the

low-income bracket.

“Sometimes the lowincome earners tend to be f o rg o t t e n b u t t o d a y ’s activity; today’s allocation exercise is solely for the purpose of low-income earners, for the households that need it the most. Your Government is here to support you. We can think of no better use for the land that we have made available,” she said.

Rodrigues said the government is well within its promises of ensuring that 50,000 house lots are allocated during its five-year term.

PAGE 17

Housing Minister, Colin Croal

PAGE 18

Kaieteur News

Wednesday August 04, 2021

Wednesday August 04, 2021

PAGE 19

Kaieteur News

Karsten Warholm bests Rai Benjamin in race for the ages From page 20 race for the ages. Warholm shattered his previous record, running a stunning 45.94 seconds for gold, and Benjamin ran an incredible 46.17.

The bronze medalist, Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, finished in 46.72.

When the race began, the world record was 46.70. On June 30, the day before the first time Warholm claimed it the first time, it was 46.78.

And that number, by American Kevin Young at the Barcelona Olympics, had stood for nearly 30 years.

“I think ... no, that was the best race in Olympic history,” Benjamin said. “Three guys pretty much broke the world record and 45.9, man. 46.1.

And lost. Nature of the beast.”

In a sport where improvement is so often measured in such small increments — tenths of a second, hundredths of a second, centimeters — seeing a world record at the 400m distance lowered by three-quarters of a second is gobsmacking.

Consider: In the men’s flat 400m opening round on Sunday, 17 of the 47 competitors ran slower than Warholm did, and he had 10 barriers in his path.

“I knew that with my fast opening, I was up on the side of dos Santos and [Abderrahman] Samba really early in the race. I knew that was a hard opening, and that

was my tactic,” Warholm said. “I think I really went out hard and tried to get the guys to go with me on a really, really tough race. I was trying to stress them, and I think I succeeded with that.

“I didn’t expect to go past Samba and dos Santos so early, and then I knew it was a good opening. I knew that I had really gotten them out to probably a place they didn’t want to be.

I didn’t want to be there myself because it hurts, but then I changed it up to 15 steps [instead of his usual 13] between hurdle 9 and 10 and that’s because when you have an opening like that, to do 13 steps it takes a lot of patience on the ground, and

Wednesday August 04, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You can look forward to a busy day, Aries. Don't schedule anything extra! Your home, family, or mate is likely to demand a great deal of you.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) It's easy to imagine a friend coming to your house to have a cup of coffee and ending up transmitting all of their energy to you.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Romantic desire tempers spiritual passion today, and you may want to pursue both, Gemini. Perhaps your romantic partner is as spiritually inclined as you, and you aspire toward the same ends.

CANCER(June21–July22) A day like today should give you the perfect demonstration of an old truth - people quickly forget the difficulties they've had in life and remember periods of happiness for a long time. You will be brimming with energy, Cancer.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Do you have a desire to take a trip far from where you live, Leo? Would you like to live in Europe or Asia? These are desires that you may have at the moment because you're in the process of widening your field of possibilities.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) What's happening in your usually amicable relationships, Virgo? It seems you're looking for a fight. Could it be that someone has stolen a leadership position from you that you wanted? You tend to like being at the head.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) There are moments when everyone strongly feels where their destiny lies, Libra, and today will be one of those moments. You may soon want to give your life a fundamentally different orientation that will be valid for several years.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)After a few days of apathy, the day ahead will give your energy a new boost.

Anyone who tries to hold you back had better watch out, Scorpio, because you won't be in the mood to tolerate

objections.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Today you may be influenced by a person (probably a man) who exudes the kind of determination that is produced by a combination of spiritual and intellectual strength and faith.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) You may have had a tendency to go about your daily routine lethargically lately, Capricorn. But today the alarm clock wakes you up.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) The day will be fairly eventful, Aquarius. There's some likelihood that you will feel compelled to finally settle some tedious matter, either the details of a project or a problem concerning your domestic life.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) The day ahead will be trying for you, Pisces. You will have a fire raging inside.

You may have a speech to deliver or a private performance to put on for your loved ones.

when you’re stressed and you’re behind, you don’t tend to give yourself that patience.

“After that I just run for my life. I would have died for that gold medal today.”

Benjamin said he felt he was in the race for the first three hurdles but then had to alter his stride a bit into hurdle 4, which impacted his approach for hurdle 5, and that may have made all the difference.

“When you get to an event like this, you cannot manage to make mistakes like that because it costs you so much.” he said. “It’s a lot to process. It’s a lot of things that I could have done differently, but at the same time how could you know? Never ran that fast before, so it’s just a

matter of experience I would say.“But if you would have told me I was going to run 46.1 and lose, I would probably beat you up.

And tell you to get out my room. But I’m happy to be part of history.”

Benjamin said he and Warholm are friendly, with Warholm telling him before their semifinal heat, “Let’s go out there and have fun.”

Now silver medalist to Warholm in the last two global events — the 2019 World Championships and now the Olympics — it didn’t take long for Benjamin to look toward their next major meeting.

“2022, man — Oregon,” Benjamin said. “Going to be home, that’ll be great, it’s my backyard [Benjamin trains in

California], and then we’re in Paris for ’24, so I’m excited for the next couple years to come.”

Benjamin had nothing but respect for Warholm.

“The kid’s amazing, man.

You can’t be mad at that at all. As a competitor it hurts a lot, but that’s just the nature of the sport,” Benjamin said.

There has been talk about the track here, and whether its composition has been helping runners get faster times.

Warholm said he loves the track, but wasn’t about to cede his achievement to a surface.

“It’s a very great track, but I think it’s not just the track, I think it was the guys that were out there today,” he said.

Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah ...

From page 21 knowing that I belong here, but I also want more for myself and I want to come with the gold at some point.”

Though her preferred race is the 400m, 18-year-old silver medalist Mboma dropped down to the 200m after a somewhat arbitrary World Athletics rule meant that she was banned from the 400m because her naturally occurring elevated testosterone level means she’s in the category of DSD, or athletes with “differences of sexual development.”

The Caster Semenya rule, as its known, was put in place as punishment for Semenya, the two-time defending 800m gold medalist who is also DSD but of course has meant other women are subjected to its cruelty.

World Athletics stated last year that women who are DSD must either take hormone treatment to suppress their testosterone or they cannot run in any race from 400 meters to the mile.

Semenya tried to qualify for these Games in the 5000m but fell short.

Mboma and her countrywoman, Beatrice Masilingi, chose to drop down to the 200, and both reached the final.

GCB peeved with Under-19...

From page 23 August 02 2021 intervened by discussing with CWI President Ricky Skerritt the selection issue in general and the continuing omission of Guyanese players in particular.

On August 03 2021, President Singh also had a discussion with CWI Vice-President Dr. Kishore Shallow on the very matters. President Singh was given the assurance that CWI will address the concerns of the GCB and update him accordingly.

The GCB remains committed to Guyana and West Indies cricket and is prepared to represent the best interests of both,” the release concluded.