Kaieteur News

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Bartica NEWS seven-yr-old girl raped, juvenile held AIETEUR

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Saturday Edition December 05, 2020 - Vol. 14 No. 47

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Getting Exxon to give unlimited - Oil insurance is key sign that and Gas renegotiation is possible body p.

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Pres. Ali defers to ‘ministers’ on support for Int’l Oil Blocks probe p.

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Health Ministry President extends sets protocols for meeting invitation Guyana-Suriname to Fmr. Presidents border reopening on December 15 p.

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Our leaders make us look like morons In Nigeria, a former oil minister was hauled before the courts for corruption over the signing away of oilfields and the alleged failure to account for over a BILLION US dollars. His lawyer claimed that no law was broken and there was no corruption. Sounds familiar?

In Guyana, two oil blocks worth tens of billions of American dollars were secretly given away, and Guyana's Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo says that his position is that no laws were broken, nor was corruption involved. As if that was not insulting and injurious enough, the owners of the Kaieteur and Canje blocks turned around and presented Guyana with a bill for $200M for pre-contract costs.

These people think that we are morons and dumbheads who are devoid of any brainpower. They have licence to perceive us in this manner because we have leaders who have the temerity to claim no laws were broken, despite the country racking up billions of US dollars in losses.

Guyanese have to decide who are the biggest morons and dumbheads – the citizens who allow their leaders to insult people's intelligence or the leaders who defend the indefensible with pitiful and puerile excuses.

Farmers to be compensated for problematic GRDB seeds Agri. Minister calls in Auditor General to probe massive variations in NDIA contracts - One found to be more than double original contract price p.

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Listen to Kaieteur News tell it as it is about your oil wealth...11:am today on 99.1/99.5FM radio (Rebroadcast)

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Kaieteur News

Saturday December 05, 2020

Saturday December 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Minister calls in Auditor General to probe massive variations in - One found to be more than NDIA contracts double original contract price A

precursory examination of two contracts that were awarded under the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) by the APNU+AFC regime, four months after the 2020 elections were held, has shown massive variations.

According to Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, the former regime had awarded the two contracts to preferred individuals who subsequently made significant cost adjustments without receiving all the relevant approvals.

During a press conference held at his office yesterday, the Minister told members of the media that he examined two contracts

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha for the operation, servicing and monitoring of NDIA hydraulic excavators for

Region Four.

One contract was awarded on July 1, 2020 for $64,716,350. The contractor was expected to supervise and operate the NDIA machine and provide fuel.

The Minister said that the original bill of quantities had budgeted for approximately 44,000 rods of channel to be dug and 75,000 cubic yards of canal to be excavated.

He said that a request was made for variation to the cost of the contract to an additional $46M even though the contractor did not complete at least 90 percent of the work.

In fact, the contractor claimed to have cleared 25,000 rods out of 44,000 and dug less than 12,000 cubic yards of canal.

The Minister noted that before a variation is done, the contractor is expected to pause works and submit a separate document which explains the state of affairs and why more funds would be needed to continue.

The Minister said he was surprised to learn that NDIA still went ahead and ex ten d ed th e co n tr act without this justification.

“This just goes to show how these entities have been operating over the years,” the Minister said while disclosing that Auditor General, Deodat Sharma has been asked to investigate the matter and provide advice.

The Minister also exposed another glaring instance which showed

serious contract variations.

In this regard, he noted that the former government awarded a contract for similar works on July 6, 2020 to the tune of $34M. The budgeted bill of quantities stated that the contractor had 28 000 rods of channel to clear and 30,000 cubic yards of canal to excavate.

The Minister said that surprisingly, this contract was extended by NDIA even though the contractor only completed 19,880 rods and cleared 21,300 cubic yards.

The Minister said that the contract was extended to the tune of an additional $35M. “…This is cause for concern hence, I have sent this to the Auditor General

for advice. Places like NDIA and others, we are looking seriously to re-vamp their operations because they are getting millions of dollars in funding and we need to get value for money,” expressed the concerned Minister.

The official said it is clear that there have been breaches in the Procurement Act and, as such, he intends to take several measures to ensure that the state of affairs involving preferred contractors, lawless extensions for contracts and manipulation of the system for the benefit of families is changed for good.

The Minister said there is no doubt that the current system is one that is too open to corruption.

High Court dismisses $50M defamation claim Magistrate brought against DPP T

he High Court has dismissed a $50M claim for defamation brought against the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali- Hack by Magistrate Alex Moore.

According to the claim, Moore on July 22, 2020 filed a lawsuit for damages based on the contents of a letter written by the DPP. The letter addressed to the Chancellor of the Judiciary of Guyana and copied to the Chief Justice of Guyana was captioned: 'Re: Conduct of Magistrate Alex Moore in the charge of the Police vs Marcus Bisram for the offence of murder, Contrary to Common Law.' The letter purportedly expressed the view that Magistrate Moore has a personal interest in the matter.

In his claim, Moore said that by that publication that the DPP meant and was understood to mean that the claimant was unfit to be a Magistrate and that he was taking the side of the defence in a murder charge brought by the prosecution against

DDP Shalimar Ali- Hack Marcus Bisram.

In the document, Moore noted further that by reason of the matters, he has been greatly injured in his character, credibility and reputation, and has been held up to public ridicule and has suffered mental anguish, distress and depression.

However in a ruling delivered on December 2, 2020 High Court Justice, Navindra Singh noted that contrary to claims of Moore that he was defamed, the

Magistrate Alex Moore DPP, who has conduct of all prosecutions in the State of Guyana by virtue of the provisions of the Constitution of Guyana must be able to communicate frankly and freely with the Chancellor in order that the Chancellor can properly make an informed decision

with respect to a request under Section 12 of the Summary Jurisdiction (Magistrates) Act. Justice Singh noted that as a matter of public interest, the DPP is granted such privileges.

As such, the judge upheld Ali-Hack's application for the Court to strike out the claim on the ground that the pleadings disclose no reasonable basis for instituting the case.

Among other things, the DPP had called the claims by Moore an abuse of the process of the Court, frivolous and/or vexatious since, as the DPP she is protected in the execution of her office under the provisions of the laws of Guyana.

Further, she emphasized that the case is an abuse of the process of the Court since it seeks to ignore or bypass the provisions of the Justice Protection Act; CAP 5:07 of the Laws of Guyana, which protection she is

entitled to.

Given the circumstances, the Judge said that the claim shows that the letter is irrefutably 'absolutely privileged'.

In the circumstances, he granted the application filed by the DPP together with costs in the sum of $200,000.00 to be paid to the

DPP on or before December 24th 2020.

During the trial, Magistrate Moore was represented by lawyers Mayo Robertson and Arudranauth Gossai while attorneys Robin Stoby S.C. and Jamela Ali and Kim Kyte-Thomas for the DPP.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday December 05, 2020

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

Presidential Discourse and Beyond In recent news coming out of America, three living former American Presidents – Barrack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton – were reported as coming together to publicly take the COVID-19 vaccine, a move meant to bolster public in the upcoming vaccination government programme. The idea is that a bipartisan approach at the most senior symbolic level is necessary in a time of crisis as America is not only fighting a pandemic with the world’s highest rates of deaths per day and over quarter million citizens have lost their lives.

Yesterday, Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali extended invitation to all former Presidents of this country to a meeting, one he said that he hoped would signal inclusion and prepare a space for discussion on national issues. The former presidents invited are Samuel Hinds, Bharrat Jagdeo, Donald Ramotar and David Granger. Considering that Ali does not need a special invitation to invite his fellow PPP comrades, the reality is, that invitation really is for Granger.

This is of course where a harsh reality kicks in – there is nothing in Granger’s behaviour since March 2, when he decisively lost the elections to President Ali that shows that he is prepared to act as a former President and to acknowledge Ali as the current President. Outside of the relentless rhetoric of fraud, and the elections petition based upon that rhetoric, there is the fact that Granger – like his behavioral twin, Trump, when it comes to US Presidentelect Biden – has not publicly acknowledged Ali as President. When pressed upon conceding in August, only after the international community had drawn a line in the sand and threatened sanctions against him and those enabling his attempt to rig the elections, only then did he step aside and did not have the grace to concede.

Indeed, a reminder of his protean postures on conceding may be necessary. In July of this year, when pressured by civil actors to end his four-month attempt at rigging the election and to concede, Granger stated that he would concede after GECOM made a declaration. When GECOM finally made that declaration on August 2, when asked to concede, the former – and that is a word that he should acknowledge – president simply stated that he did not concede, GECOM merely made a declaration. That he is still extended an invitation despite this disgraceful obstinacy on his part needs to be taken into account, and President Ali has to be given recognition for the political maturity he has shown in looking over this. Unless he introduces some deliberately humiliating caveat, the invitation by President Ali should be taken for what he says it is – an act of inclusion extended to all former Presidents to discuss the way forward for the country at a critical juncture.

All that said, when it comes to discourse for the greater good, whatever the good faith intention that might be behind the invitation, the President, if he is interested in sustainable and effective inclusion and reconciliation, cannot restrict his key moves to reaching out to a predecessor that has not only shown himself to be unstable but has, after winning close to 50 percent of the vote, completely disappeared from public life and the responsibility of being accountable or even responsive to his constituents. In short, Granger’s inevitable refusal to meet, or to move forward even if he answers the invitation positively, cannot be fatal to the process of national inclusion and reconciliation. If it is treated as such, then President Ali cannot escape the charge of political theatre. It would be as if the former US Presidents invited Trump to be part of the public vaccination programme and if he refused, said that it was not worth vaccinating the general public because of his refusal. The invitation to Granger for dialogue, along with all former Presidents, needs to be part of a larger more clearly defined infrastructure of reconciliation and healing, led certainly

by President Ali, but including political and civil society leaders. And while the political leadership is skirting around it, no Presidential discourse – if by some miracle it takes place – will be complete without concrete commitments to constitutional reform.

Has the Govt. asked Exxon about improving the financial terms of the Stabroek Block oil contract?

DEAR EDITOR, The Guyana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was recently able to push back on the oil companies to improve the Stabroek Block agreement which was originally signed in 2016. Those improvements have centered around protecting Guyana from the devastation of oil blanketing our shores and those of our neighbours.

The Stabroek Block is Guyana’s golden goose with its nine billion barrels of oil.

Has the government inquired with Exxon about improving the financial terms of the Stabroek Block oil contract?

In an interview last week, Dr. Vincent Adams, former head of Guyana’s EPA, mentioned that the EPA was able to convince Exxon that it was their responsibility to have unlimited insurance liability to cover damages from an oil spill.

The oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, about 10 years ago, cost BP US$70 billion. Guyana signed the Stabroek contract with shell companies located in the Caribbean not their more financially capable parents.

Hence, if there were a major oil spill, without the new agreement in place, it would

have bankrupted Guyana.

The shell companies lack the resources to handle a major spill.

Dr. Adams and his team acted in the best interest of Guyana by working with and convincing Exxon to amend the terms associated with the Stabroek Block to protect Guyana. Dr Adams noted in the interview that Exxon will consider reasonable requests if asked.

In 2017, the media reported that Exxon had estimated that Guyana could get revenues of US$7 billion from Liza 1. Now, we would be lucky if we receive half that amount from Liza 1.

Last week, it was reported that Exxon’s expectation for oil prices over the next five years to be in the range of US$50 per barrel.

Liza 1 contains about 450 million barrels of oil. If we use a price of US$50/barrel, it would mean that Liza 1 is projected to produce revenues of U S $ 2 2 . 5 billion.

What should be our fair share of Liza 1 projected revenues of US$22.5 billion?

If we use the terms from Suriname’s oil contract for comparison, their government take is

approximately 36 percent of oil revenues, that works out to about US$8.1 billion.

If we recall, the Stabroek Block expenses are capped at 75 percent.

But because of a lack of ring fencing, which ensures oil well expenses don’t spill over to other wells, we may never see the expenses for Liza 1 fall below 75 percent.

The reason why is that Liza 1, Liza 2 and Payara have infrastructure expenses totalling US$18.5 billion.

Seventy five percent of US$22.5 billion is approximately US$16.9 billion, which is less than the US$18.5 billion expenses. Thus, Liza 1 won’t be able to payoff the debt that has accumulated, as part of capital costs, for the Stabroek block.

Thus, the maximum we could get from Liza 1 is about 14.5 percent. In dollar terms that is US$3.3 billion.

How is it reasonable that we are now projected to receive half of what we were originally led to believe on Liza 1? How is it reasonable to let the Liza 1 continue to destroy more than 10 billion cubic feet of our gas without any compensation to cleanup the pollution that flaring has

caused?

How is it reasonable to ask Guyanese to pay taxes but our government lets one of the richest corporations in the World pay no taxes on oil revenues?

Two of the major oil companies operating in the Stabroek Block, Exxon and Hess, are based in America.

A country that pulled out of the Paris Agreement this year after signing it in 2016. In 2018, the Americans renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), established in 1994, after the United States determined the deal was unfair to its citizens.

Was sanctity of contract ever brought up in these cases or is it only whipped out on us

by American oil companies?

Didn’t the oil companies already set a precedent that the terms of the original Stabroek agreement can be changed by agreeing to unlimited insurance liability? Did the present or previous governments ever engage Exxon and its partners to act in the best interests of Guyanese people to request a fair financial deal for the Stabroek Block?

Darshanand Khusial on behalf of OGGN (www.oggn.org)

Guyanese are poor, but our country is rich!

DEAR EDITOR, Today I had a fishing experience off the Kingston Jetty. Brought my Diaspora fishing rods and lures (bait). I thought the folks with their cast nets would have an advantage over me, however technology proved them wrong pound for pound. Two sizeable Gillbackers, one humongous flounder (Sole) and a 30-pound shark in under 60 minutes for me, not bad, not bad at all.

I checked to see if any of the fish were stamped Burnham, Hoyte, Jagan, Jagdeo, Ramotar, Granger or even Freddie Kissoon; none!

So, they were headed to my grill, as faded glories! Hot oil and coals put them to rest peacefully. “Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime” Aristotle.

Guyanese, ‘our Politicians and naysayers have kept us conditioned (operantly) fooled, got your $25,000 yet, in the belief we are in paradise, that is after half the country is overseas (most will never come back).

The cows, bulls and calves, kicked down the barbwire and escaped. “Instead of

Politicians, let the monkeys govern the country at least they will only steal the bananas!” ¯ Mehmet Murat ildan I am a product of the great escape, nonaligned to any Party, and wish whomever in power, well and success. This is our country, so I returned back into a prison of naivete, corruption, lackadaisical behaviour, gross misinformation and “confluffle” (confusion) the foundations of poverty. Some of us need to stop behaving poor and thinking poor, Government cannot help you, selling dog food and plantain chips is just a daily grind to stay alive. Interestingly the plantain chip sold at CJIA were made in St Lucia, there you go! “Don’t shoot the messenger for revealing uncomfortable truths” Julian Assange.

Most folks bury their heads in the sand and do as their Leaders tell them, do not!

Rise-up, speak out, peaceful disobedience, free speech is ourelixir (medicine) for change. Guyanese overall are poor (World Bank Report 2020), but we are rich with

ideas, that are stifled by our Politicians “resistance to change”.

Some suggest encouraging the Diaspora to return is a good idea, get ready for a revolution on their part if they do return in masse, because most of them will not entangle themselves in the utter nonsense we allow to happen daily here. Yes, some locals do have negativity to Guyanese “Foreign” once the perfume, new cell phone and whisky wears off. Classic phrases “you think you better than me”, or “you don’t understand”, resistance to change. “The real tragedy of the poor is the poverty of their aspirations” - Adam Smith.

Life is a journey, with each successive generation aiming to be better off than the previous, however in Guyana it is measured in inches not yards. Still waiting for your house lot? Our oil discovery, agriculture, mining, timber, tourism, and human capital should be the engines of our organic growth. Look around you, those that are rich get richer (filthy rich) and most of you do a daily hustle to stay

above water. That’s Socialism for us, drink it! “Capitalism is using its money; we Socialists throw it away” Fidel Castro.

Most of our Leaders made terrible decisions related to our oil, bauxite, gold, sugar and even rice, now with the liberalization of the technology sector they are about to make more mistakes.

We can create thousands of jobs in the next five years in technology. However most do not understand Technology and how to execute. As I lay on my bed and make a payment to a company 7000 miles away on my laptop at 1:am in the morning, Freddie still believes walking in to SurePay or perhaps standing in a Bank/Western Union/ MoneyGram/Post Office line is good enough technology, time passed him by!

“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have enough; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little” - Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Regards, Everton Morris

Saturday December 05, 2020

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Kaieteur News

It is time to end the theft of public funds DEAR EDITOR, It has been very frustrating to read and hear about massive corruption in Guyana by public officials who are entrusted to provide value for the people’s money.

Over the last decade, governments did very little or nothing to stem corrupt practices or prosecute the alleged corrupt officials. The remedy instituted by past and present governments is to send the alleged offenders home on administrative leave in order to facilitate audits, but after the audits were completed no one was charged even though skullduggery was discovered. The word “corruption” should not be used to describe the massive stealing of state assets by kleptomaniacs in public office. In fact, we believe that the word “theft” should be used instead of corruption which is a very mild word for the colossal theft that has and continued to take place in almost every government department and state agencies. In 2015, an official was accused of stealing $28

million from GPL and fled Guyana to Canada and up to this day he has not been extradited, handcuffed and charged. If he was an ordinary, poor citizen, he would have been brought back to Guyana shackled in handcuffs, charged and imprisoned.

The fact that police have constantly break down the doors and arrest and handcuff poor citizens involved in petty crimes but have done nothing to senior government officials who are in the habit of stealing millions of state funds is not only a travesty of justice, but it also shows clearly that Guyana has a two-tier justice system—one for the poor and powerless and another for the rich and powerful. This kangaroo justice system favours the rich and punishes the poor. This type of blatant discrimination and disrespect of the poor by the heavyhanded police should not be tolerated by the government and human rights organizations in the country.

Those in authority are fully aware that police officers have

bullied and verbally and physically abused the poor in Guyana and have done absolutely nothing. It is shameful, reprehensible and appalling for governments to allow police officers to brutalize the poor.

The aforementioned twotier justice system exists not only with the police but also the judiciary, where judges and magistrates have and continue to place alleged criminals on remand for years on petty charges and the rich who embezzle millions of public funds are allowed to walk free. Such astringent actions against the poor seem not to bother our politicians, leaders of the church, the socalled “men of the cloth” or civil and human rights organizations in the country.

Such callous behaviour clearly shows that the rich and powerful do not care about the welfare of the poor and the powerless, whose dignity are stripped from them daily. Those in authority who ignore the evil acts or wrong doings perpetrated against the poor is an accomplice to them. The despicable

No will to deal with oil and gas dilemmas DEAR EDITOR, I promised myself that I have commented enough on the Oil saga’s as has been reported by KN, but the article “Where is the rest of the media” /KN Dec 4th”, deserves a final comment.

The rest of the media in my view at the end of the day are competitors; even though all the concerns raised in the papers various articles adversely affect the same Guyanese people. It is a shame.

However, I don’t see the rest of the media following your lead, as it relates to reporting on the overall management/mismanagement of Guyana’s Oil and Gas wealth. In a nutshell: You Own It. As they say; this is

your story, (the Oil & Gas Saga) and yours alone to run with. My practical opinion.

As a side thought, maybe a reason why the current government will not/has not taken up re-negotiation, and probably will not make much of an attempt to get certain corrective operational clauses in a lot of the Oil and Gas agreements, is that there really is no fire in the belly of the present government to take on these enormous issues with Exxon and the rest of the Oil and Gas syndicates.

It is so much easier to just give in.

So much easier. The secret handshake agreements made between different party members (“to their advantage”) as it relates to Oil

is another matter.

Oil and Gas issues are a new Industry for Guyana, and obviously is proving to be too time consuming, too cumbersome and too damn complicated for some to deal with the key granular details. Besides, under the reign of the previous military leader, with his “hands-off approach”, a huge mess has been left behind to clean up. Certainly, kudos to the present government’s efforts.

Much more comfortable for some to bury their heads in the sand and pretend not to know what has been done to the country. Makes life much, much easier.

Chi Kansi

behaviour by the rich and powerful is a clear indication that “massa” day still exists in Guyana after more than five decades of independence. It is time for the masses to take actions into their own hands and use any legal means necessary to enforce their right to be treated fairly and equally and be respected in society.

It is time for the rich and powerful to understand that the theft of public funds is analogous to robbing the poor by taking bread out their mouths and the mouths of their children. Most of us are aware that the United States, Canada and Europe became developed by slave labour and by trampling on the rights of the poor, but that was during an ancient and uncivilized period. However,

the rich in Guyana should heed the advice that Guyana cannot replicate what happened over 400 years ago, and if it is to develop in the 21st century, then it must treat all of its citizens, rich and poor alike, equal under the law.

Guyana should not have one set of laws for the rich and another set of laws for the poor. It must take very strong actions to end such wretched laws and against theft by public officials who put their interests ahead of those of the people and the country.

But it seems that governments past or present have not “bell the cat” against theft of public funds by party officials even though their actions of wrong doings are blatant. Not only have governments remained silent but they have completely

ignored the corrupt practices of their party officials. It is clear that those who are in the hierarchy of the two main political parties in Guyana can commit crimes and not be punished because they are considered as being above the law. The recent transfer of US$1 million dollars into the bank account of a senior member of a party via illegal land sale is a case in point.

And there are many other thefts of state assets and wrong doings by senior party members that are too numerous to mention. It is time for this government to expose the theft of state assets by public officials and put an end to such pilfering by politicians, party or nonparty officials. The law should be applied across the board.

Dr. Asquith Rose

An initial step to civil discourse DEAR EDITOR, It has been over a century that Indian intellectuals have consistently put forth that the use of the pejorative term “coolie” be removed from our vocabulary when referencing a person of Indian Heritage in Guyana, reference Joseph Ruhomon’s “India The Progress of Her People At Home And Abroad, And How Those In British Guiana May Improve Themselves”. In spite of this the term is still widely used in the African Guyanese community when referencing Indian Guyanese.

Those of other races have shown a more respectful discourse. It is important that our African Guyanese colleagues and associates help to rectify this ongoing problem. Fostering hate and discord is counterproductive to developing a civilized society which all of our citizens can appreciate. We

must not parallel the problematic faced by African Americans who struggle with the use of the disrespectful term “nigger”.

Thus, reference to fellow Indian Guyanese and acceptance of such a term in reference to those of the Indian Guyanese community must not be accepted.

It is with great hope that after a hundred years of discussion the use of the term “coolie” will be eliminated.

One must remember that our Indentured history was one in which payment based on the contract terms was not honoured, but the strength of the Indian prevailed to overcome non-payment.

Therefore, the negative stigma associated with Indentureship does not lay within the Indian community.

Likewise the African Guyanese community has progressed beyond their history as slaves. It is time that we as a Nation move beyond the conflict and strife that limits possibility and development. Respectful discourse is an excellent milestone by which to measure our progress towards such an achievement.

Best regards, Mr. Jamil Changlee Chairman The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana

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Saturday December 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

The future of Georgetown DEAR EDITOR, It is time for the question to be seriously asked, and answered, about the future of Georgetown, Capital of Guyana.

There needs to be the most comprehensive assessment of its viability in the immediate and subsequent future as the possible hub of a range of structural, social and economic development projected for this country.

I n f r a s t r u c t u r a l l y, Georgetown is already a constipative concentration of mismanaged traffic.

One has only to observe the chaos which surrounds the seat of political decisionmakers (including Minister of Public Works) to be concerned about movement and parking in the Stabroek area; and more critically the disaster that could ensue were there to be a conflagration arising from

those gasoline-filled vehicles - a situation that demands the creative attention of a wellfocused engineering/traffic management team urgently to plan the re-routing of vehicular movement from what would be pre-designed as the tourist attraction Stabroek Market square once was. (For the general relocation of parking accommodation, Port of Spain and Bridgetown may offer useful examples of storeyed accommodation).

It has been a continuing puzzle how both management and consumers ignore the fact that Stabroek Market is an exceptional historical edifice – now so badly in need of caring restoration.

Few, if any, note the peculiar feature of its now motionless clock-pointed out to me by the late Peter D’Aguiar many years ago, from his Demico House office. He cleared up my bemusement, even after

my identifying the face of ‘roman numerals’ which beautified it. ‘See’ he said, ‘the numeral IIII instead of IV’.

It has been worth seeing ever since.

And then there is City Hall, once of most admired architecture, without and within. There is a generation who remembers it as the centre of classical musical renditions and other performances, local and international. Its cultured architecture responded as more than a sensitive back drop to the presentations by the Georgetown Philharmonic and the Princessville Orchestras, the Police and Maranatha Male Voice Choirs, and of course the counterpart female Woodside Choir. In the milieu folk songs were also lustily applauded.

And the well groomed audience would show their informed appreciation of pianoforte performances by

There will be lots of empty chairs at the table this Christmas DEAR EDITOR, With less than 27 days left in the year, 2020, the Guyana United Artists (GUA) wishes to thank the Editors of Kaieteur News and Stabroek News for the coverage given to our exclusive Exhibition “From Cuffy, Bechu to Walter Rodney” a prelude on the

occasion of our 50th Republic Anniversary, on Main Street Georgetown, between January 23rd - 27th and our letters to the Editors, including the most recent seeking support for some of our Senior Artists who need urgent medical treatment.

Two exceptional

Guyanese responded to our appeal, met and interacted with the artists. Both did not want their identities disclosed, as their support came from their hearts and not for publicity. Are there anymore kindhearted and generous Guyanese out there?

(Continued on page 22)

international artistes.

Somehow the general ambiance of the building was reflected in the daily office arrangements in which business was conducted.

There was sophistication both in the persona of individual leadership and style of management. At random one remembers such ‘First Citizens’ as R.B.Gajraj, (Sir) Lionel Luckhoo, Forbes Burnham.

One pauses to reflect on any comparabilities during these past two decades. From any retrospective it has been a record of both structural and managerial depletion, that raises the fundamental question at this time as to

whether tax-paying citizens can indefinitely cope with the continuing low level of organisational performance.

But there is one challenge that could very well out-do any pandemic, and against which vaccines would be irrelevant – that is the throes of ‘Climate Change’.

It is uncertain how closely the relevant authority is measuring the inevitable threat to our low-lying coastlands, and whether our ‘first councillors’ are interested enough to be briefed in any ‘over-flooding’ discussion.

This is to suggest therefore that serious consideration be given by the

citizens of Georgetown about whether the current system of elective appointments to the Mayor and City Council is sustainable in the face of a dynamic future environment that even now demands the highest level of professionalism.

The argument therefore is for transforming the City Council into a proactive agency to be managed by relevantly qualified professionals, guided by a Chief Operations Manager.

The First Citizenship will be an appropriately Honourary position.

Look forward to votes for and against.

Retired Citizen

Caricom should not be seen as a tool of any one political tendency DEAR EDITOR, The Ministry of Home Affairs now has to face a High Court hearing in a challenge to the Government’s decision to deport a number of recently arrived citizens of Haiti. It appears that on arrival recently the Haitians were granted a stay in Guyana of six months. However, within a matter of days of their landing, the Ministry of Home Affairs made public its suspicion that the Haitian citizens concerned were victims of human trafficking.

Through their spokesperson, the Haitians denied any involvement with illegal activity and affirmed their right as Caricom citizens to the facilities they had been granted on landing. The government persisted in its suspicion and apparently concluded that the Haitians were in fact victims of human trafficking. It then proceeded to use its allegations as a ground for deporting. These Haitian citizens are clearly fleeing from an unsupportable situation in their homeland now under the rule of a client of the United States of America. At the human level, the Ministry of Home Affairs or the government as a whole is accusing the Haitian citizens of complicity in their own

exploitation and so far has refused to allow them to define their own situation.

The Government of Guyana has recently been very loud in its praise of the Caricom institution which played a critical part in resolving the post elections impasse which lasted from March to August 2020. Our information is that under the Caricom treaty members of the union are in general permitted to enter member states of Caricom without a visa. It seems timely therefore for Caricom officials to clarify the significance and intent of this treaty.

In its first hundred days the PPP/C Government while playing lip service to Caricom has more than once taken a position which they read from that of those member states that strive to hold Caricom to a course of self-determination and independence of the tutelage of dominant world powers. At another level, in the investigation of three murders of young men in September 2020, the Guyana government, while announcing through its attorney general on global television one of the alleged findings of the Caribbean RSS investigators, has kept this report secret even from the Guyana parliament while

using some of its findings, even if accurately, to the disadvantage of members of the opposition in Guyana.

In the parliamentary procedure adopted by Guyana a Minister may not refer even in a debate in the House to a report or document without making it available officially to other members.

In the case of the RSS and its alleged findings the Guyana attorney general used the material well outside the parliamentary deliberations for purposes that remain unclear.

In fairness to all the parties concerned and regardless of where the chips may fall, the RSS report should be made available at least to members of the National Assembly with no delay now that a Minister leaked some of its findings as long ago as November 2, 2020.

In essence, my argument is that membership of Caricom should not be seen as a tool of any one political tendency, but as a facility that brings all Guyanese into fellowship with our Caricom counterparts for development, social justice, and human dignity.

Yours sincerely, Eusi Kwayana

I hope this clears everything up DEAR EDITOR, It is to my amusement that the chairman of a party, called The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana, has written in the letters section, that the sodomy laws of Guyana is necessary in Guyana to protect children.

Editor, this is a common

misconception by Christian apologists who seek to impose their “Christian lifestyle” upon the people of a country. Let me empathically state that I wholeheartedly support the removal of such an ancient and outdated law.

Editor, the trouble that the good chairman has, is that of

consent.

Rape is sexual activity without consent, whether verbally or legally and as we know, children cannot give consent. I hope this clears everything up for the chairman and anyone else thinking this way.

Amir Khan

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L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Saturday December 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

No contract is written in stone.

Any contract can be renegotiated and restructured.

All it takes is the will of the people involved to get it done.

Exxon is loyal to its shareholder interests and its executives' salaries.

The government of Guyana has to show that it is loyal to the welfare of its people and bring Exxon back to the negotiating table.

PAGE 07

Kaieteur News

PAGE 08

Saturday December 05, 2020

Supreme Court responds Twenty int'l companies to sentencing criticism submit bids to design new Demerara Harbour Bridge T

he Supreme Court of Judicature y e s t e r d a y responded to public criticism that was made about two recent sentences handed down in the court system.

In a statement, the Court noted that it firmly believes in the tenets of freedom of expression and the opportunities to provide for such discussion, while highlighting that such expressions must be guided by accurate data.

The release stated that on November 20, Devindra Bisoon was sentenced to six months imprisonment by Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh at the Albion Magistrate's Court for stealing a bale of toilet paper.

At the conclusion of the trial, the release noted, Bisoon was convicted after the Magistrate was informed that he is not a first time offender – the Magistrate exercised his discretion to impose a maximum sentence of six months imprisonment.

The latter matter, that was highlighted in the release is that of Devon Chacon, who was sentenced on November 17 to four

Devon Chacon years' imprisonment, by Justice Navindra Singh, for the offence of manslaughter.

According to the report, the accused was released on account of the deduction made for the time spent on remand. The sentencing was also as a result of a plea arrangement between the accused, his counsel and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

In the plea arrangement, the three parties agreed to the term of four years, which the trial judge imposed.

According to Section 4 of

the Criminal Procedure (Plea Bargaining) Act, Cap 10:09, makes provision for the DPP to enter into an agreement with defence counsel or the accused (if he represents himself) for the disposal of a charge against the accused.

In Chacon's case, he pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter, which by virtue of law gives the accused an automatic deduction of 1/3 of his sentence.

The release noted that the trial judge did not take a sentence out of thin air and that Justice Singh was mindful of the circumstances under which the offence was committed as well as the principles of sentencing.

The Court noted that the judicial function of sentencing is not a 'one size fits all' application. There are a number of factors that are taken into account, some of which include the antecedents of the offender, the age and character of the defendant, early plea of guilty, opportunity for rehabilitation, as well as the strength of prosecution's c a s e a n d a n y recommendations made by them.

T

he National Procurement and T e n d e r Administration Board (NPTAB) yesterday opened expression of interests for pre-qualifications and qualified contractors for the design build of the Demerara Harbour Bridge, as well as available financing options for the

said bridge. This saw 20 international companies submitting bids to NPTAB to secure the highlyanticipated project.

The construction of the new bridge, a hallmark project in the People's Progressive Party/ Civics' (PPP/C) manifesto, is set to land in Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara

from La Grange on the West Bank. This four-lane, highspan fixed bridge, which is commonly referred to as a “flyover bridge”, is set to be built with a lifespan of 50 years, and will not require opening or retraction to allow for maritime traffic.

Notably, no costs for the prestigious project have yet been established.

Saturday December 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 09

Masqueraders without masks I

do not know what route the Minister of Education uses to get to and from work. But if during the daytime she passes by the junction of Irving and Lamaha Streets, she should be disturbed by what she will witness there.

There are quite a few school-age lads who are hustling a dime at that junction by peddling water and drinks and by offering – and in some cases without invitation – to clean your windscreen in return for a few dollars.

They are now joined by a group of masquerade pretenders, most of whom are very young children who should not be on the streets doing what they doing. They are also endangering their lives by jumping in front of vehicles and stopping their flow in order to extort – because that's what it is – money from motorists. Most of those who I saw this past week did not have on a mask.

As the Christmas Season progresses, the extortion will expand. Other masquerade bands will prop up in other parts of the city but mainly on main roads.

The bulk of the masquerade bands which are parading the streets are a disgrace. They are doing a grave injustice to a traditional art form.

Dem

boys seh...

D

em boys does read some of dem posts pun social media and laugh.

People bin discussing de sad story about de 6-day old baby wah die from COVID19 related causes. Dem boys remember de TV doctor bin seh how de incubation period is 5 days or more. So dem boys wondering if dis baby develop pneumonia how come it die on day 6.

Duh gat to be a turbocharged pneumonia.

But is wah some of dem women talk gat dem boys laughing. One woman seh how de Best Hospital is the worst hospital. The hospital is called Best Hospital because it deh in a place dem does call Best. Dem pregnant mothers' seh how de hospital toilets nah flush and dem still gat fuh do dem thing.

The present crop of masquerade bands is not upholding any traditions.

The bands are destroying these traditions by their mediocrity and by using it to extort money from citizens by blocking their movement.

Masquerade has long been associated with the Christmas season. It is also an African tradition which, it is claimed, was used as part of the resistance during slavery. It survived the colonial process of cultural emasculation.

Unfortunately what the colonial authorities did not achieve – the erasure of this art form – may well be achieved by the majority of the present crop of masqueraders. They are bringing the art form into disrepute.

In the old days, colourful bands of dancers and musicians, bedecked in colourful costumes and equipped with props would take to the streets of villages and the wards of towns and perform for residents. In turn, the residents would make small donations to the band.

Dancers would flounce and perform deft steps much to the delight and envy of onlookers. In the old days, you could not but help admire the artistry of masquerade dancers. They

took pride in their craft and made the effort to entertain.

These days the bands do not go into the wards and villages. They stay on the main roads, use their 'privileges' to obstruct traffic in order to extort monies from motorists who are forced to slow or stop.

This practice has cheapened masquerade and turned it into extortion. In the old days, you had to dance to get a donation.

These days you just have to jump in front of a moving vehicle. Most drivers find these masqueraders as nuisances. They give mainly in order to be allowed to proceed.

The performers are also endangering themselves by jumping into the path of moving vehicles by strutting their stuff on some of the busiest thoroughfares. The practice of jumping in front of moving vehicles is extremely dangerous. God forbid if anything should happen to one of them while on the road.

In the main, what passes for masquerade bands is a poor imitation of the art form. Most of the performers are not properly trained.

They are more interested in holding out the collection cap than they are about moving their feet and upper body. Most of them do not

Weh de baby get de COVID from?

Dem boys thought it was only schools which had problems with toilets. But dem boys now realize is also de hospitals gat problems with toilets.

Some of dem people complaining dat dem nurses don't listen. Dem boys remember dis case about a nurse who walk into de ward under the clock and like she hear one of de patients ask she “Nurse are my testicles black.”

She went up to his bed, lifted his gown, took a look and said, “No your testicles are ok.”

The man turned to her and said. “You should listen properly. I ask you whether my test results are back!”

But is not only the nurses some patients have problems with, dem doctors too. One day a nurse was sitting at her station when de phone rang.

A sweet-sounding woman on the other end of the line said, “I was wondering if the patient in Room 3 is getting any better."

"Oh, yes,” said the nurse.

“She is doing very well. Her blood pressure is normal; she is going to be taken off the heart monitor; and her doctor is going to discharge her in a few days.”

The woman said, "That is wonderful news! That's fantastic! That's simply great!"

The nurse on the phone said, "From your happiness, I take it you must be a close family member or a very close friend!"

“No!” said the woman.

“I am the patient in Room 3.

My doctor tells me nothing!”

Talk half and wait fuh find out when de Best Hospital gan flush dem toilets.

have a clue about flouncing.

The police should have long taken action to discourage the masquerade bands on busy streets. It seems as if only when a tragedy strikes, the police are prepared to take action. One of these days, someone is going to be run over by a motorist and only then will the police issue guidelines on the use of roadways by masquerade bands.

The appalling lack of skill is just one of the many challenges standing in the

way of preserving the masquerade band. To be brutally frank, the costumes of most masquerade bands have seen better days. These costumes are mainly handdowns.

Masquerade needs a makeover. As has been said, this is a special Guyanese tradition and one which most people feel should be preserved. But to do this requires better standards and training.

It would be sad and a loss to Guyana's cultural heritage

if the masquerade goes into remission or is further degraded. The Ministry responsible for culture should intervene to help support the cultural tradition and by getting the bands off the main streets.

(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

Saturday December 05, 2020

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Rupert Roopnaraine is back but as what kind of revolutionary?

Y

e s t e r d a y, I described the collective mind of 60 persons who signed a letter in the newspaper demanding the government follow the law in relation to 26 detained Haitians but never composed a sentence about one of the most dangerous electoral fraud perpetrated by the loser in any general election anywhere in the world.

I named a few of the signatories in the hope of exposing their hypocrisy and chose not to name former APNU minister, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, because I wanted to do a separate analysis on his role as a minister. Now surely, if Dr.

Roopnaraine could speak out on the mistreatment of the Haitians, he has an obligation, a deep moral one at that, to answer questions about the nature of the APNU+AFC regime in which he was a senior minister.

Did Dr. Roopnaraine know that more than 26 persons from different nationalities who served their term for illegal entry ended up in permanent jail in the holding cell of the Diamond police station because Dr. Roopnaraine's government demanded that they pay their airfare out of Guyana? Since they couldn't, they ended up with a life sentence.

Two of them died in their cells and were secretly buried and one lost his mind.

Please see my column on the subject of Tuesday, March 26, 2019, “Guyana secretly buries dead foreign prisoners.”

David Granger cannot be criminally prosecuted for acts committed during his presidency.

He cannot be held accountable for what happened at Diamond.

Neither can Dr. Roopnaraine because he was Education Minister. But the former Commissioner of Police and Khemraj Ramjattan should be investigated for crimes against humanity.

There are two questions I

would do anything if the WPA or APNU or AFC asked me to, just to hear Dr. Roopnaraine's answers. The first one relates to his sudden shift of portfolio from Minister of Natural Resources to Minister of Education in May 2015.

Dr. Roopnaraine was pictured in all of the newspapers visiting a site in protective clothing (long boots and helmet) as Minister of Natural Resources where a mining pit collapsed killing a dozen workers.

Within a week of that appearance, it was announced that he was now Minister of Education.

Who made the change and why? And did that person had the political (as opposed to constitutional) authority to make that move when WPA was a crucial element in the APNU formation? Christopher Ram alluded to the removal of Dr. Roopnaraine from the Natural Resources Ministry in a letter in the newspapers during the election saga but did not elaborate.

Here is what I was told and this is where Dr. Roopnaraine's integrity is up for discussion. I was made to understand that the king of the AFC, its Jamaican

consultant, Alstrom Stewart, did not agree with Dr. Roopnaraine having the Natural Resources portfolio.

The second question relates to the attitude of Dr. Roopnaraine to the WPA

Frederick Kissoon after hebecame the WPA's representative in the Cabinet.

Ta c u m a O g u n s e y e informed the nation by way of a letter in the newspaper that Minister Roopnaraine conveyed to the WPA executive his position that he cannot discuss government's business at the party level.

He repeated his policy at a meeting with three WPA leaders in his office – Dr. David Hinds, Dr. Alissa Trotz and Keith Branch.

Dr. Roopnaraine can be accused of being a revolutionary fraud when you square this attitude of his as a government minister with his conclusion as to why the New Jewel Movement (NJM)

administration imploded in Grenada. His take on that was that the NJM had lost touch with the masses once it came to power.

To provide proof of the revolutionary fraud that Dr. Roopnaraine became after power went to his head and that of Professor Clive Thomas causing Walter Rodney to turn in his grave, let's quote what Dr. Roopnaraine had to say about the attitude of the NJM on page 76 of his book, The Sky's Wild Noise, “…had the party conflict been taken out of the airless hothouse of the Central Committee and brought into the open for resolution, the course of Grenada and Caribbean history might have been different.

And herein lies the revolution's greatest sin to hold out the promise of the ordinary people taking direct control of their destiny….”

The man who wrote these lines above became a senior minister in one of the Caribbean's richest and most powerful countries – Guyana – and told his own party that he cannot relate government's business to them because they constitute party people while he sits in the government as a minister.

There are millions of q u e s t i o n s t h a t D r.

Roopnaraine will never answer because his time in the APNU+AFC regime proved he was both a revolutionary fake and a revolutionary clown.

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

Saturday December 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Kaieteur News

PAGE 12

Saturday December 05, 2020

Health Ministry sets protocols for Guyana-Suriname border reopening M

inister of Health, Dr. F r a n k Anthony yesterday announced protocols that will be implemented for the opening of the Moleson Creek port linking Guyana and Suriname.

While delivering the daily COVID-19 update, the Minster disclosed that the border is slated to open on December 12, but in doing so efficient measures are needed.

According to Anthony, Guyana and Suriname have been liaising to develop proper guidelines before the border reopens and both governments wanted to ensure that the guidelines of both countries are synchronized.

Persons coming to

Guyana from Suriname will be required to produce a negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test that was conducted 72 hours prior to their travel date.

If these persons give a negative PCR test beyond 72 hours but it was conducted seven days before their travel date, they will be mandated to do a second PCR test upon arrival in Guyana.

These measures are similar to Guyana's air travel protocols that mandate the same, and states that if a person tests positive on their second PCR test in Guyana they will be confined to isolation.

The Health Minister described Guyana's guidelines as fairly stringent but highlighted that

Suriname's is only slightly different. In addition to the PCR test they require to enter, Anthony said, that they're also requiring persons going to Suriname from Guyana to quarantine for 14 days.

In noting the slight difference in protocols, he added that they are still trying to synchronize measures and are currently in deep discussion.

Upon the conclusion of those discussions he said, it will lead to the proposed reopening of the border on December 12.

Recently, President Irfaan Ali and his delegation visited Suriname where both governments decided that they would combine efforts for a safe border reopening.

A joint press statement

The Guyana-Suriname Ferry Service

between the two countries said that both countries acknowledged that the borders should only reopen when it is safe and that the health and safety of Suriname and Guyana's populations should be more prioritized than reopening.

Guyana closed all of its borders on March 18 as part of the measures to curb further spread of COVID-

19, following the first case being recorded on March 11.

That closure s aw the suspension of the GuyanaSuriname Ferry Service.

Discussions between the PPP/C government and Suriname's government on reopening the borders and allowing the ferry service to resume, have been ongoing since August.

In October, Dr. Anthony

had announced that the two countries will be establishing a team to collaborate on tackling the novel coronavirus.

This team, Anthony said, would be responsible for s e e i n g t o t h e synchronization and port health authorities from Guyana and Suriname exchanging necessary information.

Farmers to be compensated for problematic GRDB seeds

A

griculture Minister, Z u l f i k a r Mustapha has given all assurances that farmers who obtained the GRDB 10 paddy variety from the Guyana Rice Development Board and are recording poor germination outcome for the first crop of 2021, can look forward to full compensation.

The Minister gave this commitment following questions from this newspaper during a press conference yesterday at his office. There, the Minister said that he is aware of the germination issues farmers are facing with the seed paddy that was received from GRDB. He noted however, that the same issues would have been experienced with the GRDB 10 variety that some farmers sourced outside of the Board. He noted however, that farmers, once they can show that the seed paddy that is posing

difficulties came from GRDB, they will be compensated.

GRDB also released a statement yesterday where similar sentiments were expressed. The Board noted that it produces approximately 25,000 bags of seed paddy annually at the Rice Research Station at Burma, Mahaicony, and another 5,000 bags using contract growers. Kaieteur News understands that farmers purchase seeds from GRDB and also produce seeds.

Furthermore, GRDB said it is known that the variety GRDB 10 has slow germination. In this regard, it said, “GRDB 10 has always required that the conditions favoring germination (moisture, heat, oxygen) are optimum. Even when optimum conditions are met the variety GRDB 10 sometimes shows slow/poor germination. It is important to note that timely harvesting of seeds, proper drying and

storage affect germination of seed in general. Optimum conditions for germination are: Temperature (28-34 0C), free flow of oxygen, moisture.�

Currently, the Board said it is advisable to soak the GRDB 10 seeds for 18-24 hours and press in small pieces (to allow good air circulation), for 36 to 54 hours. Further to this, it said that GRDB officers are working closely with farmers, providing technical advice to towards better germination.

Further to this, the body said it would advise farmers to try its other varieties which include GRDB 14, GRDB 15, and GRDB 16. It was keen to note that the new variety GRDB 16 has the potential of actually becoming the preferred variety, especially since it addresses the issues found in earlier varieties and is of a different genetic composition than the GRDB 10.

Saturday December 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 13

Getting Exxon to give unlimited insurance is key sign that renegotiation is possible T

he Oil & Gas Governance N e t w o r k (OGGN) stands firm that ExxonMobil's Stabroek Block agreement is renegotiable, and that former Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams proved this during his stewardship in the post.

In October last year, Dr. Adams had told Kaieteur News how he had ensured that the environmental permit handed to Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) includes a provision committing the parent company, ExxonMobil, to accepting unlimited liability for all costs related to oil spills or any other such incident. This was done for t h e L i z a P h a s e Tw o environmental permit.

This is a departure from what is provided for in the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) for the Stabroek Block, which governs Liza Phase Two and other projects.

“The Production Sharing Agreements (PSA) we signed is with the limited liability companies, not the parents.” Dr. Adams had said. “Those subsidiaries don't have a lot of assets. So what we did was to ensure that in the permits, we got the parent companies to agree that they will pick up any costs that are not covered by the subsidiaries.”

The details would be worked out for all the members of the Stabroek Block consortium – ExxonMobil (Operator – 45 percent), Hess (30 percent), and CNOOC (25 percent) to have their share in the liabilities, if there is any oil spill.

“Those improvements have centered around protecting Guyana from the devastation of oil blanketing our shores and those of our neighbours.” OGGN cofounder Darshanand Khusial said.

“The Stabroek Block is Guyana's golden goose with its 9 billion barrels of oil.

Has the government inquired with Exxon about improving

- Oil & Gas body

the financial terms of the Stabroek Block oil contract?”

“Dr Adams and his team acted in the best interest of Guyana by working with and convincing Exxon to amend the terms associated with the Stabroek Block to protect Guyana. Dr Adams noted in the interview that Exxon will consider reasonable requests if asked.”

In this regard, many political commentators have found it unreasonable that Guyana is set to take home a 14.5 percent of revenues from the sale of its crude for years to come.

Royalty is set at two percent of oil produced and sold. Guyana also agreed to settle for 50 percent of the profit after ExxonMobil has recouped its investments, at a cost recovery ceiling of 75 percent of oil sales. The oil companies pay no taxes.

At an oil price of US$50 a barrel, Khusial said that Liza Phase One, with 450 million barrels, would produce US$22.5 billion. He added that if Guyana got a revenue share similar to Suriname, it would be taking home US$8.1 billion from Liza Phase One. Suriname is set to take home 36 percent of the revenue from the sale of oil from its lucrative Block 58.

Some of the features of that are a 36 percent income tax

rate and 6.25 percent royalty.

OGGN pointed to a 2017 report of former Exxon country manager, Rod Henson, saying that Guyana would get US$7 billion from the Liza Phase One project, assuming an average oil price of US$50 per barrel.

Khusial said Guyana would be lucky if it gets half that.

He explained that, due to a lack of ring-fencing provisions, Exxon could transfer its expenses from other wells to be recovered from the sale of Liza Phase One crude, which could result in Exxon staying at the top of its cost recovery ceiling for this project until the very end.

“The reason why is that Liza 1, Liza 2 and Payara have infrastructure expenses totalling US$18.5 billion.”

Khusial said.

These are the other projects which Exxon has received approval for, but hasn't started yet.

“Seventy five percent of US$22.5 billion is approximately US$16.9 billion, which is less than the US$18.5 billion expenses.

Thus, Liza 1 won't be able to payoff the debt that has accumulated, as part of capital costs, for the Stabroek block. Thus, the maximum we could get from Liza 1 is about 14.5%. In dollar terms that is US$3.3 billion.”

OGGN questions whether this is reasonable or fair, given that Henson had claimed that Guyana would get more than double that sum, given that Exxon continues to flare billions of feet of natural gas without compensating Guyana, and given that the Stabroek consortium is exempted from taxes ordinary Guyanese have to pay.

“Two of the major oil companies operating in the Stabroek Block, Exxon and Hess, are based in America.”

Khusial said. “A country that pulled out of the Paris

Agreement this year after signing it in 2016. In 2018, the Americans renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), established in 1994, after the United States determined the deal was unfair to its citizens.

Was sanctity of contract ever brought up in these cases or is it only whipped out on us by American oil companies?”

“Didn't the oil companies already set a precedent that the terms of the original Stabroek agreement can be changed

Former EPA Head, Dr. Vincent Adams by agreeing to unlimited insurance liability? Did the present or previous governments ever engage Exxon and its partners to act in the best interests of Guyanese people to request a (continued on page 17)

Saturday December 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Pres. Ali extends meeting invitation to Fmr. Presidents on Dec 15

President Irfaan Ali

Former Presidents: Bharrat Jagdeo, Samuel Hinds, Donald Ramotar and David Granger

M

aking good on his promise for inclusive governance, President Irfaan Ali yesterday dispatched invite letters to all of Guyana's previous presidents for a meeting on December 15.

The Head of State made the announcement during his address at the Canada-Guyana Chamber of Commerce launch ceremony.

According to Ali, there have been no responses to the invite yet, but he is hoping for a fruitful conversation

on moving Guyana forward.

“Remember in my inauguration speech, I spoke about convening that meeting. So it would be an open floor meeting where we will bring together all the former Presidents.

I think that it is an opportunity for us to continue to share ideas, generate ideas, to talk about how we see Guyana's development, different perspectives and then to work out a model and a framework of how we engage in

the future and how we can have continuous contribution,” Ali later explained.

The invite list comprises of now Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo; Donald Ramotar; Samuel Hinds, all former PPP/C government presidents and Ali's immediate predecessor, David Granger.

It is unclear whether Granger would be in attendance since his A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition had

failed to recognize the Ali administration as legitimate.

Granger himself has refused to concede to Ali despite formerly promising to do so after the GECOM declaration.

The invitation appears to be a departure from Ali's previous stance.

The President had made it clear that before any talk of inclusive governance begins with the Opposition, its leader, Joseph Harmon would have to rescind

public statements made, referring to the governing administration as “illegitimate.”

President Ali had stated, “Now if I am working with you, you have to be able to accept that I am the person you want to work with.

You can't speak with someone you don't recognize, you can't have a serious discussion with me because you are speaking to someone you don't recognize.

Therefore, we have to get it right. And I hope he (Harmon) gets it right very soon because if you come to me, you can't come to me to tell me you don't recognize me and if you are coming to me, it means you recognize me.”

Education Minister defends physical reopening of schools T

he Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, yesterday defended the conditional reopening of schools for face-to-face learning on the “Wakeup Guyana” radio programme on Kaieteur Radio.

On the programme, Manickchand addressed concerns that were raised about the reopening of schools, where she stated that most of those views were politically affiliated. She said that the former government had kept students disengaged and didn't have a plan.

A c c o r d i n g t o Manickchand, they didn't train teachers to handle the pandemic, worksheets were not distributed and as long as COVID-19 remained, they

had no intention of having school session.

The Education Minister lamented that it was important to keep students engaged.

She said that global research around the world proves that the longer you keep students away from school, the more learning loss they will suffer, which will most likely result in them dropping out. “We do not want to be a statistic,” Manickchand said.

Further, the Minister noted that keeping them disengaged might have a long-term impact the country might not be able to recover from.

Manickchand stressed that the government does not want the impact of COVID-

19 in 2020 to be prevalent in 2040 and many persons disadvantaged by its effect can lead difficult lives in the future.

The decision to reopen schools was not only taken by the Education Ministry but they also consulted with the Ministry of Health (MOH), t h e Wo r l d H e a l t h Organization and the Pan American Health O rg a n i z a t i o n . S c h o o l s reopened for grades 10, 11, 12 and Technical and Vo c a t i o n a l E d u c a t i o n students for face-to-face classes on November 9, after the Ministry of Health approved the conditional opening.

The physical reopening served to provide students with efficient teaching, so that

they could complete their School-Based Assessments (SBAs) and Internal Assessments (IAs), in light of the 2021 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

Manickchand said that upon consultations with teachers and students, both parties were extremely concerned that they would not be prepared for CSEC and CAPE next year because there was a lack of face-toface classes.

This she said had resulted in “black market learning” in schools, meaning that teachers were conducting classes in school without

permission. Manickchand stated that the black market provided no proper rules and regulations, which posed a risk of putting the children in harm's way.

She had also stated that the online learning was not efficient for the completion of SBAs and IAs, since many students lacked proper internet connectivity and

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand others were lacking focus, which could be prevented with in person learning.

Saturday December 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 15

Bartica seven-yr-old girl raped, juvenile held T

he residents of Bartica, Region Seven, are disgusted and upset after a seven-year-old girl was discovered bloody, muddied, sexually assaulted and unconscious, some distance away from her home, while the alleged perpetrator was found hiding naked in some nearby bushes.

Kaieteur News understands that the perpetrator, said to be the child's 15-year-old cousin, is currently in police custody at

the Bartica Police Station.

According to a source, a resident in the community, the child lives with her mother and older brother at Two and a Half Miles, Bartica. The incident happened sometime after 02:00 hrs. yesterday.

“Around 2am the mother said that she heard some noise but didn't go and inquire what was making the noise…when she got up between 04:00 hrs. and 05:00 hrs. to urinate, she went and check on her

Screenshot of the video in which the alleged perpetrator is being taken away by police

children and that's when she discovered that her daughter was missing and one of the doors to the house was sprawling open,” the resident told Kaieteur News.

After the child was discovered missing, an alarm was raised and persons nearby started a search party to locate the missing girl.

After some time of searching, the residents found the teenage boy naked in some bushes about a mile away from the child's home and the missing girl was nearby unconscious. This

publication was told that when the alleged perpetrator was located, the police were alerted but they did not arrive until hours later.

When the police arrived, residents had already tied up the teen who implicated another older teen as being involved in the crime.

Based on a video seen by this publication, residents were in an uproar on the street, while the teenage boy was being placed in the back of a police ATV to be taken to the station, residents armed with pieces of sticks,

including the victim's parents, started to beat him.

While the police officers attempted to restrain them, one of the officers shouted out, “I understand how everybody feel, but let the police do what they have to do.”

The little girl was taken to the Bartica Regional Hospital and according to a source, is now responsive and “talking a little.”

This publication was reliably informed that while at the hospital the child said that she did not scream

during her abduction because her cousin allegedly placed a knife to her neck and told her if she screamed he would kill her.

Sources say that the teen has a history of disturbing behavior, including stealing and sexually assaulting poultry.

At the time of writing this article, no official police report was released on the incident, but Kaieteur News contacted Regional Commander Dion Moore, who confirmed that the incident happened.

PAGE 16

Kaieteur News

Saturday December 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

Saturday December 05, 2020

PAGE 17

Confirmed COVID-19 Three men arrested for having large... cases pushes to 5,601

T

he Ministry of Health yesterday recorded 73 new COVID-19 cases, pushing Guyana's total number of confirmed cases to 5,601.

This was presented in their daily dashboard update which also revealed that 705 persons are in approved home isolation, 45 are in institutional isolation, 22 are in

institutional quarantine and five are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit at the Liliendaal Infectious Disease Hospital.

The COVID-19 death toll remains at 151 deaths and 4,695 persons have recovered.

Additionally, 31,270 persons have been tested for the virus countrywide to date.

Getting Exxon to give unlimited insurance is key sign that...

From page 13 fair financial deal for the Stabroek Block?�

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo had even said it himself in August that there were provisions in the contract that he was uncomfortable with and that he would work to improve them.

During an August 14 press conference, Dr. Jagdeo had said that the Government wants ExxonMobil to prosper, but that Guyanese must share in that prosperity.

Hence, he said, he would expect them to take those issues seriously.

These provisions related to local content and the cost of gas.

The contract requires ExxonMobil to pay a paltry yearly amount of US$300,000 for training of Guyanese. Jagdeo had said that that amount is inadequate, and will have to improve.

As for the gas-to-power project, he had said that Government will have to get the gas at a cost that is very different from what it is in the contract, and that the price will depend on technical assessments.

The size of Guyana's revenue share from the sale of its crude did not feature in his considerations.

He has said on several occasions that he will not renegotiate those terms.

From page 11 year-old labourer of Buxton was found with a Ziploc bag containing a quantity of cannabis, which amounted to 112 grams. Meanwhile, the ranks also discovered 107 Ziploc bags in some bushes at the same

location, which contained a total of 262 grams of cannabis.

Based on information received, the suspects were told of the offence committed and taken to the Vigilance Police Station, where they were placed in custody,

pending charges.

Commander of Region Four 'C' Khalil Pareshram, could not confirm whether or not the bags in the bushes belonged to the men. He noted that an investigation has been launched.

PAGE 18

Saturday December 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

Essequibo teen's killer charged with murder, remanded to prison

T

he 34-year-old murder accused, who allegedly m u r d e r e d 1 6 - y e a r- o l d Sanesha Lall in Essequibo last month, was finally remanded to prison yesterday.

Yougeshwar Kumar, also called 'Fat Boy,' a resident of Bounty Hall on the Essequibo Coast, made his first court appearance yesterday, when he appeared at Suddie Magistrates' Court before Magistrate Esther Sam, charged with murder.

Now deceased sixteen-year-old Sanesha Lall

Murder accused, Yougeshwar Kumar

The court heard that on November 11, 2020 at Richmond Housing Scheme on the Essequibo Coast, the accused allegedly murdered Lall.

He was not required to plead to the charge and was subsequently remanded to prison. The case was

adjourned until December 29 for statements. Kaieteur News understands that Kumar was discharged from the hospital just two days ago, after being admitted for some 21 days, for ingesting a poisonous substance, shortly after killing Lall on November 11.

Saturday December 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 19

PAGE 20

Kaieteur News

Saturday December 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

Saturday December 05, 2020

PAGE 21

President defers to 'ministers' on support for Int'l oil blocks probe Q

u e s t i o n e d yesterday on when Guyana can see an international probe launched into the Kaieteur and Canje oil block giveaways, President Irfaan Ali, told Kaieteur News that he would not comment on the issue, as his 'ministers' have already addressed the issue.

Ali's comments on the sidelines of an event at the Arthur Chung Conference Center come on the heels of bipartisan calls for an international probe into the giveaway of the lucrative oil blocks.

While President Ali deferred to his 'ministers,' the reader should note that Guyana's Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat, has never once addressed issues relating to the award of the Kaieteur and Canje oil blocks. In fact, only the Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, has been vocal on the topic.

And, it should be noted that Jagdeo is technically not a 'minister.'

The Vice President had recently stated that he does not believe that the there was any corruption in the award, nor were any laws broken.

Back in 2019, when

Kaieteur News had chronicled extensively how the award of the two lucrative blocks raised a number of red flags, Jagdeo, then Opposition Leader, had stated that an independent probe would receive his support.

But his tact changed this year, as at a recent press conference, he refused to commit to a probe, only stating that he requested documents be prepared on the matter.

On the other side of the political aisle, former Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman called for

Driver's license can be used at Citizens Bank as proof as address

C

u s t o m e r s opening bank accounts at Citizens Bank Guyana Inc. can now use their driver's licence as proof of address.

This is according to a source from Citizens Bank, who spoke with Kaieteur News on Thursday.

The source further detailed that the provision was introduced earlier in the week and it goes for all of its branches.

Speaking with this paper, Governor of Bank of Guyana, Dr. Gobin Ganga, stated that the Bank has indicated this guideline to all the commercial banks and hopes to see them implementing this measure.

Back in October, the Bank of Guyana revealed that it was in the process of modifying the requirements for the opening and maintenance of customer accounts at Licenced Financial Institutions (LFIs).

In a statement, it said that the

Governor of the Bank of Guyana, Dr. Gobin Ganga amended guidance is intended to specify

simplified due diligence measures for customers who are categorized as “low risk.”

The Bank in its statement went on to say that, it “would include the acceptance of one form of identification document, either a national identification card, passport, or a driver's licence.”

The measures, which will conform to the Financial Action Task Force recommendations, are to reduce the burden on individuals who had previously faced challenges in securing the requisite documentary requirements for the opening and operating of accounts at LFIs.

Three men arrested for having large amounts of cannabis in their possession

O

n T h u r s d a y, ranks of the Guyana Police Force arrested three men after they were found with over a total of 300 grams of cannabis in their possession.

According to police reports, the ranks were conducting a cordon and search operation between

16:00 hrs. and 16:30 hrs. at Spliff Street, Church of God Road, Buxton, East Coast Demerara.

Reports are that during the operation, a 34-year-old resident of Middlewalk, Buxton was found with 66 transparent Ziploc bags containing a quantity of suspected cannabis, which

when weighed amounted to 212 grams.

The second suspect, a 27-year-old warden of Section 'B' Buxton was found with 11 Ziploc bags containing a quantity of suspected cannabis, which amounted to 9.3 grams, while the third suspect, a 35(continued on page 17)

an international probe into the blocks by an independent international firm, echoing recommendations by anticorruption watchdog, Global Witness. His position was also bolstered by that of former State Minister, now Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon.

While the blocks were awarded by the then Donald Ramotar administration, the former APNU+AFC regime that Trotman served under is believed to have ignored key red flags, when it approved the transfer of stakes.

In a series titled 'The Fleecing of Guyana,' Kaieteur News exposed some of the red flags in the Canje and Kaieteur oil blocks agreements. The Canje Block was awarded by the Donald Ramotar

President Irfaan Ali administration on March 4, 2015, days before the elections, to local company, Mid-Atlantic Oil & Gas.

The Kaieteur Block was awarded on April 28, 2015 – just two weeks before the elections – and like Canje – on the advice of former Minister of Natural Resources, Robert Persaud.

Two companies received the block with 50-50 stakes Ratio Energy Limited (now Cataleya Energy Limited) and Ratio Guyana Limited.

The red flags which have manifested in both situations include that the awards were given to unqualified companies, that the initial owners quickly flipped the blocks without doing any work, that they are incorporated in secrecy jurisdictions, and that Guyana likely lost revenue due to the avoidance of an open, competitive bidding process.

PAGE 22

Saturday December 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

Time Kid of the Year Gitanjali Rao aims to ‘solve world’s problems’ SERVICES

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US (BBC)- A teenage scientist and inventor named Time magazine’s first-ever Kid of the Year has said she hopes to inspire others to come up with ideas to “solve the world’s problems”.

Gitanjali Rao, 15, has invented technologies including a device that can identify lead in drinking water, and an app that detects cyberbullying.

She was chosen from more than 5,000 US nominees for the landmark title.

“If I can do it, you can do it, and anyone can do it,” she said.

In an interview for Time magazine with actor and humanitarian Angelina Jolie, Ms Rao said she does not look like “your typical scientist”.

“Everything I see on TV is that it’s an older, usually white man as a scientist,” she said.

“My goal has really shifted not only from creating my own devices to solve the world’s problems, but inspiring others to do the same as well. Because, from personal experience, it’s not easy when you don’t see anyone else like you.”

Ms Rao, from the US state of Colorado, said there are many issues that need to be solved.

“Our generation is facing so many problems that we’ve never seen before. But then at the same time we’re facing old problems that still exist,” she told Time.

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Gitanjali Rao says she doesn’t look like “your typical scientist” “Like, we’re sitting here in the middle of a new global pandemic, and we’re also like still facing human-rights issues. There are problems that we did not create but that we now have to solve, like climate change and cyberbullying with the introduction of technology.”

The Time award is just the latest accolade for Ms Rao.

S h e w as previously named “America’s top young scientist” for inventing a quick, low-cost test to detect lead-contaminated water.

Time magazine began naming its Man of the Year in 1927, and later updated it to Person of the Year.

Last year, Greta Thunberg, the Swedish schoolgirl who inspired a global movement to

fight climat e c h a n g e , became the youngest person ever to be chosen by the magazine.

Time said the new Kid of the Year title was a “barometer for the rising leaders of America’s youngest generation”.

It is set to announce its 2020 Person of the Year next week.

Suspected Hollywood ‘Con Queen’ arrested in UK UK (BBC)An Indonesian man suspected of being the “Con Queen of Hollywood”, a figure who allegedly impersonated female executives to defraud aspiring stars, has appeared in court in London.

Hargobind Tahilramani, 41, is alleged to have swindled hundreds of thousands of dollars out of hopeful actors.

The FBI is investigating the alleged

scam, which it said began in 2013.

M r Ta h i l r a m a n i w a s recently arrested in the UK. The US has made a provisional application for his extradition.

The application is on the grounds of aggravated identity theft, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and a full extradition request is expected in January.

At Friday’s hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court, District Judge David

Robinson said there were substantial grounds to believe Mr Tahilramani would fail to surrender to the court in future if he was granted bail, so he is being held in custody for another 28 days.

The Hollywood Reporter said Mr Tahilramani was arrested by police in Manchester last week with the assistance of private i n v e s t i g ators from a company called K2 Integrity.

...There will be lots of empty From page 6 Unfortunately, the Event scheduled for the Square of the Revolution which was both a fundraising exercise and a display of Artworks that deal with the burning issues of sensitizing Guyanese on the prevention of COVID-19 and the need for National Reconciliation has been cancelled to a later date as permission for the use of the Square of the Revolution has not been granted by the COVID-19 task force.

On the other hand minibus drivers and conductors are telling commuters that things

have gone back to normal and are filling their buses to full capacity.

For over three weeks pictures were posted on FB and nothing is being done to prevent what can only result in more deaths and the spread of the deadly Coronavirus.

Already 151 persons have died and over 5000 persons have tested positive, we can only hope that the Authorities that are entrusted with the lives of our people would urgently address the issue that has already gone out of hand.

There will be lots of empty chairs at the table this Christmas, a time when

families get together.

There will be much sadness and mourning of those who died during the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic.

Cherished memories, we have all suffered, experienced the pain, the agony in some way or the other.

Let this season of goodwill bring love and peace into our hearts and blessings into our homes.

Stay Alert! Stay Safe!

God Bless Guyana and all of our people.

Yours Faithfully, Desmond Ali (General Secretary Guyana United Artists)

Kaieteur News

Saturday December 05, 2020

PAGE 23

President defers to 'ministers' on support for Int'l oil blocks probe Q

u e s t i o n e d yesterday on when Guyana can see an international probe launched into the Kaieteur and Canje oil block giveaways, President Irfaan Ali, told Kaieteur News that he would not comment on the issue, as his 'ministers' have already addressed the issue.

Ali's comments on the sidelines of an event at the Arthur Chung Conference Center come on the heels of bipartisan calls for an international probe into the giveaway of the lucrative oil blocks.

While President Ali deferred to his 'ministers,' the reader should note that Guyana's Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat, has never once addressed issues relating to the award of the Kaieteur and Canje oil blocks. In fact, only the Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, has been vocal on the topic.

And, it should be noted that Jagdeo is technically not a 'minister.'

The Vice President had recently stated that he does not believe that the there was any corruption in the award, nor were any laws broken.

Back in 2019, when

Kaieteur News had chronicled extensively how the award of the two lucrative blocks raised a number of red flags, Jagdeo, then Opposition Leader, had stated that an independent probe would receive his support.

But his tact changed this year, as at a recent press conference, he refused to commit to a probe, only stating that he requested documents be prepared on the matter.

On the other side of the political aisle, former Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman called for

Driver's license can be used at Citizens Bank as proof as address

C

u s t o m e r s opening bank accounts at Citizens Bank Guyana Inc. can now use their driver's licence as proof of address.

This is according to a source from Citizens Bank, who spoke with Kaieteur News on Thursday.

The source further detailed that the provision was introduced earlier in the week and it goes for all of its branches.

Speaking with this paper, Governor of Bank of Guyana, Dr. Gobin Ganga, stated that the Bank has indicated this guideline to all the commercial banks and hopes to see them implementing this measure.

Back in October, the Bank of Guyana revealed that it was in the process of modifying the requirements for the opening and maintenance of customer accounts at Licenced Financial Institutions (LFIs).

In a statement, it said that the

Governor of the Bank of Guyana, Dr. Gobin Ganga amended guidance is intended to specify

simplified due diligence measures for customers who are categorized as “low risk.”

The Bank in its statement went on to say that, it “would include the acceptance of one form of identification document, either a national identification card, passport, or a driver's licence.”

The measures, which will conform to the Financial Action Task Force recommendations, are to reduce the burden on individuals who had previously faced challenges in securing the requisite documentary requirements for the opening and operating of accounts at LFIs.

Three men arrested for having large amounts of cannabis in their possession

O

n T h u r s d a y, ranks of the Guyana Police Force arrested three men after they were found with over a total of 300 grams of cannabis in their possession.

According to police reports, the ranks were conducting a cordon and search operation between

16:00 hrs. and 16:30 hrs. at Spliff Street, Church of God Road, Buxton, East Coast Demerara.

Reports are that during the operation, a 34-year-old resident of Middlewalk, Buxton was found with 66 transparent Ziploc bags containing a quantity of suspected cannabis, which

when weighed amounted to 212 grams.

The second suspect, a 27-year-old warden of Section 'B' Buxton was found with 11 Ziploc bags containing a quantity of suspected cannabis, which amounted to 9.3 grams, while the third suspect, a 35(continued on page 17)

an international probe into the blocks by an independent international firm, echoing recommendations by anticorruption watchdog, Global Witness. His position was also bolstered by that of former State Minister, now Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon.

While the blocks were awarded by the then Donald Ramotar administration, the former APNU+AFC regime that Trotman served under is believed to have ignored key red flags, when it approved the transfer of stakes.

In a series titled 'The Fleecing of Guyana,' Kaieteur News exposed some of the red flags in the Canje and Kaieteur oil blocks agreements. The Canje Block was awarded by the Donald Ramotar

President Irfaan Ali administration on March 4, 2015, days before the elections, to local company, Mid-Atlantic Oil & Gas.

The Kaieteur Block was awarded on April 28, 2015 – just two weeks before the elections – and like Canje – on the advice of former Minister of Natural Resources, Robert Persaud.

Two companies received the block with 50-50 stakes Ratio Energy Limited (now Cataleya Energy Limited) and Ratio Guyana Limited.

The red flags which have manifested in both situations include that the awards were given to unqualified companies, that the initial owners quickly flipped the blocks without doing any work, that they are incorporated in secrecy jurisdictions, and that Guyana likely lost revenue due to the avoidance of an open, competitive bidding process.

PAGE 24

Kaieteur News

Saturday December 05, 2020

Saturday December 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Saturday December 05, 2020

Saturday December 05, 2020

PAGE 27

Kaieteur News

South Africa-England ODI called off amid Covid scare ESPNcricinfo - The first ODI between South Africa and England in Cape Town has been called off, less than an hour before the toss. As reported by ESPNcricinfo, the postponement related to a further positive Covid-19 test within the South Africa camp, amid suggestions that protocols had been breached during the T20I series.

All players and support staff are set to undergo another round of tests on Friday evening, in the hope of starting the series on Sunday (tomorrow). A CSA statement said: “This decision results from a player from the Proteas team testing positive for Covid-19 after the teams’ last round of

Eoin Morgan and Quinton de Kock at the toss Getty Images scheduled testing performed on Thursday ahead of the ODIs.

“In the interests of the safety and well-being of both teams, match officials and all

Saturday December 05, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) This is a good day to look at the big picture and discuss your ideas with others. As you walk down the street, make sure you pay attention to what's going on around you.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You will be in an excellent mood, and find your positive attitude amplified as you communicate with more and more people. The one thing to watch out for today is laziness.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Speak your mind clearly, Gemini. Other people aren't mind readers like you are. If you keep waiting for someone to figure out what you're thinking, it will be a long time before the truth comes out.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Dress in your very best today, Libra. Feel free to kick up your heels and have some fun. This is a great time to communicate with friends, socialize if possible, and have a fabulous time.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You will find that the more peaceful and understanding you are today, the better off you will be in general. Doors will open and people will welcome you with great fanfare.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Make sure you leave things in better condition than you found them. This is a good time to tidy your personal space and the environment.

CANCER(June21–July22) You can soar to great heights on a moment's notice today, Cancer. There's a fast-paced, socially minded quality to the day that will encourage people to share more of themselves with others.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) This is one of those days in which it's easier to be yourself. Don't feel like you need to change your personality to fit a situation. You naturally add an important dynamic to the group.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Try to see the positive in people, Leo. Relax and don't get so worked up over your internal drama. You're the one responsible for creating this turmoil. Find comfort in a creative project.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Communication is a key part of the day, Aquarius. You will find that a great deal of information is available to you when you ask for it.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You should find that the adventurous side of you has the support of your emotions, Virgo. These two parts of your spirit are working in harmony to help you stretch beyond your limits.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Bring things back into balance, Pisces. You've probably been so focused on yourself that you've completely forgotten about others. It's time to fill in the rest of the equation and take into account what other people feel.

involved in the match, the acting CEO of CSA, Kugandrie Govender as well as the CEO of the ECB, Tom Harrison, have agreed to postpone the first fixture to Sunday.”

The news emerged as the England team bus arrived at Newlands to begin their preparations for the match, whereupon the players immediately returned to the teams’ bio-secure base at Cape Town’s Vineyard hotel.

A contingent of South Africa players and support staff later arrived for a short net, including David Miller and Andile Phehlukwayo, who are understood to have been the two players who had previously tested positive for Covid-19. Both were keen to increase their workloads after missing the T20I series, however, they were soon instructed to return to the team hotel by CSA. CSA and the ECB now hope to stage the three games on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. The first game will take place at Paarl, with the second and third fixtures under lights at Newlands in Cape Town.

Govender, CSA’s acting CEO, confirmed the news to ESPNcricinfo. “The doctors on both sides have told us that it is a perceived risk and not an actual risk, but both boards have decided that we would rather have the players not go onto the field if there is any kind of risk at all,” she said. “Everybody will be tested again today and there is a 24-hour turnaround for results.”

Asked what would happen if there were more positive cases, Govender said that the board would seek further medical advice, but insisted that the infected player had not come into contact with any others. A

...World Athletics Council sets From page 26 disruption caused by the global pandemic this year.

The World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22 will be held one month later, from 18-20 March 2022. This moves the championships back by one week from the original dates of 11-13 March 2022.

Additionally, the Council has approved the qualification systems and entry standards for the World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 21 and the World Championships Oregon22, which will be released later this week.

CSA spokesman later added that the board was “not aware of any protocol breach”.

The Western Cape, where both Cape Town and Paarl are situated, has seen a resurgence in Covid-19 cases in the last few days, and as of Thursday, the region had 10,000 active cases. Three positive tests have now been recorded in the South African camp, and CSA’s chief medical officer Dr Shuaib Manjra had previously flagged that the schedule could be affected if more players returned positive tests.

Although the player or players in question cannot be confirmed by CSA due to doctor-patient confidentiality, it is understood that the England camp has been unsettled by the protocol breaches, and the players may be reluctant to agree to the rescheduling.

Plans to hold a joint press conference between CSA and the ECB were cancelled, with Ashley Giles, England’s team director, putting out a statement instead.

“On behalf of the England touring party and the ECB, I would like to thank Cricket South Africa for their collaborative approach to

postponing today’s one-day international,” Giles said.

“Our number one priority is the health and safety of the England team and management group, and the correct decision was made following discussions between the two boards and respective medical teams.

“The England party will remain at its base in Cape Town on Friday and Saturday, and we are hopeful that the three-match series will be played before we depart next Thursday, starting with the match at Paarl on Sunday.”

The England squad is due to fly out of South Africa on a chartered flight on December 10, with several players also due to link up with their franchises for this year ’s Big Bash League in Australia - and there are understood to be concerns within the squad about jeopardising those plans unnecessarily.

A further complication could arise with the speed at which the latest round of tests are returned. It is understood that Thursday’s batch were returned after 11pm on Friday, meaning that a similar timeframe over the weekend could have implications for Sunday’s rescheduled fixture.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday December 05, 2020

Abbas Abubakar Abbas: Bahraini says Nigeria ‘struggles to handle’ its athletic talent

Abbas Abubakar Abbas All four of Bahrain’s bronze-medal winning team for the 4x400m mixed relay at the 2019 World Athletics Championships were born in Nigeria. From left, Musa Isah, Aminat Jamal, Salwa Eid Naser and Abbas Abubakar Abbas.

BBCsport - Bahraini athlete Abbas Abubakar Abbas was just 16 years old when he was scouted to swap allegiances from Nigeria, the country of his birth. Now he is one of four Nigeria-born sprinters recruited on unique security force salary schemes who are targeting 4x400m mixed relay gold for Bahrain at next year ’s postponed Olympics.

The 24-year-old, who won bronze at last year’s World Athletics Championships in the mixed relay event, has no regrets about his swap. “In Nigeria we have many talents but we don’t know how to handle them,” he told BBC

Sport Africa “Of all the athletes I used to run with, I only know one in Nigeria who is still in the sport [Orukpe Erayokan]. The difference in Bahrain is the support.” Erayokan was in demand himself in 2012 when he had just beaten Abbas at Nigeria’s National Sports Festival.

“The official for Bahrain came to my coach, but I didn’t have a phone at the time, so I didn’t know anything about it until a year later,” says Nigeria’s former national 400m champion. “Sometimes I cry, because I know - I wish - I would have followed. In Nigeria, I often struggled to

pay for the restroom after training.”

He is now attempting to keep his career on track in the UK after competing for Nigeria at the Rio Olympics.

Scouted early - Unlike Erayokan the young Abbas and his family talked to the officials from Bahrain after competing at the festival which is Nigeria’s premier athletics meet.

Abbas’s father was persuaded that a prodigious talent like his son’s would be wasted in West Africa as he was given a brand new pair of running spikes and told about the kind of life awaiting for him in Bahrain.

“My father asked, ‘what about his career after sport?’

They [the representatives] said ‘Don’t worry, he will never regret it. When you finish running you can say, ‘I’m ready to go to the army’,” Abbas told BBC Sport Africa.

“Most of the athletes from other countries here have two salaries. You have a choice: some are army; some are police. Most athletes are youths when they come to Bahrain. “If you are running good you can make a lot of money from the federation.

Even if you don’t, the money will be enough to take care of you, your family, even some people you know.”

Abbas insists he ‘always wanted to be a soldier’ and the money he has earned since moving to Bahrain has enabled his father to quit his job working for an electricity company.

Homesick - He admitted that he was not fully prepared to move to the middle east as a teenager and say goodbye to his father, who had escorted him out to the tiny island from Kano State. On arrival he moved in with his new coach, a fellow Nigerian but a man he had never worked with previously.

“Before I lived there, I used to think Bahrain was somewhere in Russia. I missed my mum. I cried every day but I got used to it after a year,” he admitted. “My coach used to tell me, ‘don’t worry, I’m your father’, and

he bought me things.”

When he turned 18 Abbas was sponsored to move into his own apartment in an athletes’ complex in the city of Riffa. The relay team members were promised new houses from the King of Bahrain, 70-year-old Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, after their Doha success last autumn.

There was further success for Abbas and his adopted nation when he won individual 400 metres gold at the World Military Games, held in the Chinese city of Wuhan just prior to the Coronavirus outbreak.

Abbas has been unable to compete for prize money in 2020 due to travel restrictions caused by the pandemic, leaving him grateful for the ‘top-up’ salary provided by the Bahrain Defence Force.

World Athletics Council sets course for 2021 in latest meeting WorldAthletics - The final World Athletics Council meeting of 2020 has made a range of far-reaching decisions to guide the sport into the near-future. The Council received reports and updates on a variety of events and issues and considered actions involving the global calendar, World Athletics Series events and the Russian Federation. The following decisions were made.

Russian Federation - The chair of the Russian Taskforce Rune Andersen reported that there has been progress on the part of the Russian Federation in developing a meaningful Reinstatement Plan to drive the cultural change required for Russia to return to full international membership of the sport.

Andersen said that a foundation had been laid in recent months for the new

RusAF leadership, which was elected on Monday, to put an appropriate plan in place by the deadline of 1 March 2021. “ We l l - q u a l i f i e d international experts have been appointed who will work on the ground with RusAF in Russia, helping it to draw up a detailed strategic and operational plan with clear objectives and timelines,” Andersen said.

“A new framework agreement has been put in place that sets out how the

Taskforce and the international experts will help RusAF to finalise and implement that plan, and that commits RusAF to continuing to pay the costs incurred by World Athletics in the process. The international experts have already begun working with the senior RusAF management team, and have reported that that team has been very responsive and constructive in its approach.”

The two independent experts appointed by World Athletics to work with RusAF are Margarita Pakhnotskaya, the former deputy DirectorGeneral of the Russian AntiDoping Agency RUSADA, and Vladas Stankevicius, a Russian-speaking change management professional, lawyer and ethics and compliance expert. Former World Anti-Doping Agency

international expert Peter Nicholson will support the other two experts remotely.

Andersen confirmed that he had an “open and constructive” first discussion with the new RusAF President Piotr Ivanov yesterday and requested that Ivanov work closely with the international experts to move the plan forward.

“If he puts the necessary commitment and resources behind the project, and wins the support for that effort of RusAF’s key stakeholders in Moscow and in the regions, then the Taskforce and the international experts stand ready to help him achieve the reinstatement of RusAF’s membership of World Athletics and the reintroduction of its athletes to international competition,” Andersen said.

The Council approved

revised terms of reference for the Taskforce to reflect these recent developments. RusAF must meet the deadline of 1 March 2021 and continue to pay the costs associated with the reinstatement process or the Council decision from July this year – to propose that Congress expels RusAF from membership of World Athletics – will come into effect.

The Council will consider whether to allow Russian athletes to compete again as Authorised Neutral Athletes in international competitions (including allowing up to 10 ANAs to participate in World Athletics Series events and the Tokyo Olympic Games) at its next meeting, in March 2021, or earlier if the Taskforce so recommends, based on the progress made

by RusAF to that date.

Belarus - The Council

agreed that World Athletics’ newly established Risk Committee should undertake a thorough review of the situation in Belarus for discussion at the next meeting in March 2021. This discussion will include whether World Athletics should move forward with hosting the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Minsk in 2022 or find an alternative host.

World Athletics Series events - The Council has also approved new dates for two World Athletics Series events scheduled for early 2022. The World Athletics Cross Country Championships will be held in Bathurst, Australia on 19 February 2022. The championships were postponed from March 2021 due to the international (Continued on page 25)

Saturday December 05, 2020

PAGE 29

Kaieteur News

Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal take India 1-0 up amid concussion controversy ESPNcricinfo Concussion substitute Yuzvendra Chahal plucked three vital wickets and opened a fresh chapter in cricket’s long history of debating topics after being chosen - controversially - to replace Ravindra Jadeja, delivering India a comfortable victory in the opening T20I at Manuka Oval in Canberra.

Jadeja’s exit from the contest - he suffered a hamstring injury first and was then hit on the helmet in the last over of India’s innings allowed India to call upon a wristspinner in Chahal, who had been harshly treated during the ODI series but found himself defending a serviceable total on the night and responding grandly.

In contrast, the Australians gradually lost grip of a contest that had appeared more or less in their keeping when India were restricted to 114 for 6 with 19 balls of their innings remaining after Aaron Finch sent them in to bat. A target of 162 should still have been well within the grasp of Finch’s team, but their innings sank steadily into the mire thanks to Chahal, T Natarajan’s zippy left-armers, and Virat Kohli’s growing command of the battlefield.

Starc returns in finer fettle - Something was not quite right about Mitchell Starc in the first two ODIs, and he was missing from the third with what was described as a minor side and/or rib complaint.

This had been a surprise to many, given his recent displays with both white and red ball, but the physical ailment had at least gone some way to explaining why he had been lined up so effectively by India’s batsmen at the SCG.

At Manuka, Starc returned, and while not quite firing on all cylinders, he offered something far closer to his best in his opening two overs. At high pace, he found a hint of swing into KL Rahul during the opening over of the match, and found the lines and lengths that made him hard to dispatch to the boundary on a good pitch. In his second over, Starc struck, and Shikhar Dhawan was the victim.

Seeing a delivery of fullish length, Dhawan leant forward to drive, but, to his horror, saw the ball curl away late to flick off stump. Starc celebrated with a touch of the rueful grin - there was something of “so that’s where I left it” about his response.

Henriques does a Watson - Back in the day, when he was a strapping teenager, Moises Henriques was regarded as one of Australian cricket’s brightest young pacebowling prospects by no less a judge than Damien Fleming.

He was undoubtedly able to bowl faster at a younger age than many. In this, he shared something with Shane Watson, who suffered early in his career from the injuries and fluctuations of a body trying to cope with his efforts to bowl as fast as possible while still developing into maturity.

At length, Watson evolved into a highly intelligent swing and seam bowler at a little over medium pace, and right up to his retirement from T20s this year was a highly challenging opponent for any batsman in the shortest format. Australia had certainly felt his absence at key times since his retirement from internationals in 2015. Five years later, Henriques has returned to the

Yuzvendra Chahal made a big impact after coming on as a concussion substitute Getty Images

KL Rahul muscles one over the leg side ©Getty Images Australian team and shown that he too has evolved with time into a clever middleovers merchant.

His spell of 3 for 22 ensured Rahul could not take control of the latter part of the innings after Mitchell Swepson had pouched the key wicket of Kohli, and also ensured that Hardik Pandya could not exert the kind of late-innings influence he had in the third ODI. Even when Marcus Stoinis is fit, Henriques’ bowling has given the selectors something to think about.

Like for dislike - When Jadeja was struck on the helmet by Starc in the final over of an innings he played a key role in pushing to competitive territory, having already been restricted by an apparent hamstring strain

while batting, his case raised all sorts of questions.

Not checked for concussion on the field, Jadeja was apparently assessed between innings and found to be suffering from a possible concussion. India’s squad lists include a doctor - Abjihit Salvi - but there had been no mandatory test on field for a hit on the helmet as now has become commonplace in Australia.

Once the decision for a concussion substitute was made, the questions evolved into those around the right replacement. In what was a very public debate between Langer and match referee also his first batting partner in a Test match - David Boon, it was very clear the hosts were miffed by both the concussion situation and the fact that Chahal was chosen

as Jadeja’s replacement.

But just as Langer himself had recently demonstrated when he revealed the selection debate around whether to choose Mitchell Marsh or Marnus Labuschagne to sub for Steven Smith in the 2019 Ashes Test at Lord’s, “like for like” is a very subjective concept. It only became more so when Chahal dismissed Finch and Smith, to give India a chance of upsetting the Australian chase.

India make it 2-2 - On one level, Australia have won the ODI series and are still in the T20I series. On another, India have emerged from the funk of the first two games of their tour in Sydney, and have now twice beaten the hosts in two games in different formats to give their visit a sense of momentum.

They did so with an impressive ensemble effort with the ball, whatever the whys and wherefores of Chahal subbing in for Jadeja.

Australia’s innings, having

begun well through Finch and Short as they added 56 in 46 balls, went on a long, slow decline after the loss of the first wicket. The quick exits of Smith and Glenn Maxwell, the latter after an interminable delay while ball-tracking was summoned on an lbw that appeared to feature a good deal of doubt about whether the ball had pitched outside leg stump, rather took the wind out of the home viewing area, and it was clear that Short, as his innings slowed to ineffectiveness, Henriques and Matthew Wade were not going to be able to step up.

Ultimately, the game was not particularly close as T20Is go, leaving the Australians to choose between their evident frustration at the substitution and the fact of an increasingly resurgent India.

India 161 for 7 (Rahul 51, Jadeja 44*, Henriques 3-22, Starc 2-34) beat Australia 150 for 7 (Finch 35, Short 34, Chahal 3-25, Natarajan 3-30) by 11 runs.

Sakhir Grand Prix: Mercedes stand-in George Russell sets pace in Friday’s are a little bit deceiving and bruised,” he said. “We have practice sessions aren’t a true representation of gone through what needs to BBCsport - Mercedes’ George Russell completed a clean sweep of Friday’s two practice sessions at the Sakhir Grand Prix as he stood in for Lewis Hamilton.

Russell beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.128 seconds with the second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas 11th.

The Finn set the fastest lap of the session, just under 0.2secs quicker than Russell, but had the time deleted for exceeding track limits.

Racing Point’s Sergio Perez was third ahead of Renault’s Esteban Ocon.

It was a highly accomplished performance from Russell, 22, in a car he had not driven before after being drafted in following Hamilton testing positive for coronavirus.

Russell described the Sakhir circuit a shortened version of the traditional configuration used for last week’s Bahrain Grand Prix - as “tricky” and “not easy”.

“It’s going to be very tight in qualifying and in the race it’s going to be carnage,” he added. “I’m learning so much every single lap. The lap times

pace.

FP2 was not a great session for me, I struggled especially on the high fuel and that is going to be key on Sunday (tomorrow), still got a lot of work to do to be comfortable in the car and with the set-up.”

At 6ft 1in, Russell is five inches (14cm) taller than Hamilton and revealed on Thursday it had been a “tight fit” getting him into the car.

He has also been required to wear one size smaller driving boots.

“I am pretty battered and

change and it’s not the work of a moment, changing the seat here and there. We are working hard to improve that for Sunday (tomorrow).

“I am doing my best to be as prepared as possible but jumping in the car with two days’ notice is tricky. “Just because I am quickest today does not mean I am going to be there tomorrow. I am probably a good tenth and a half behind Valtteri in the low fuel and Verstappen was incredibly quick in the long runs.”

Bottas appeared to have

Mercedes’ George Russell. © Daimler Media/Mercedes AMG F1 a little pace in hand over the Briton but was visibly more on edge, especially through the bumpy middle sector of

the new, shorter layout of Bahrain’s F1 track that is being used for the first time this weekend.

PAGE 30

Kaieteur News

Saturday December 05, 2020

Kwakwani residents volunteer to serve on Ad Hoc Committee with the aim of ‘Bringing Football Back To Life’ In a profound demonstration of community eagerness, members of the Kwakwani community last Sunday responded to a call from President of the Guyana Football Federation, Wayne Forde, and on the spot selected members for an Ad Hoc Committee to be responsible for resuscitating football in that area.

The action came following the GFF’s President historic visit to the mining community at the request of long time Football Coach Jimmy McLean, who has been making the rounds in the community to keep the game alive by working with the youths.

Those persons volunteering to serve on the Kwakwani Ad Hoc Football Committee are Stephon Profitt, Dion Ross, Dean Gordon, Harlan Bethune, Winslow McCurdy, Hubert Williams, Dereck Daniels, Anne Gordon, Royston Hetemyer, Carl Pitt and Jimmy Mc Clean.

GFF President, Wayne Forde (seated 4th left) with members of the Kwakwani Ad Hoc Football Committee.

The specially arranged town hall meeting between Forde and members of the community, held at the Workers Club under the theme “bringing football back to life,” witnessed an interactive session with residents, who freely aired their concerns on how the game can be revived as well as reminiscing on what used to be.

They noted that the community is blessed with talented players, not only in football but other sports disciplines.

Among the concerns raised by the residents were: the need for an organizational structure to be put in place to facilitate proper planning leading to holistic development of the game; the need for lights at the community ground as residents work mostly 12 hour shifts, and for the ground to be fenced; coaching assistance for Jimmy McLean who has been the torch bearer holding the kids together and keeping them focused; the need for leaders of the community to step up

for the sake of the youths; equipment assistance and for the game to be placed back in the schools.

In response President Forde committed the GFF to working closely with the community to ensure that the game is played like never before, noting that for the realisation of the proposed goals, maximum support would be needed from community members.

Forde’s proposal included: the formation of an Ad Hoc Committee for one year; training of Coaches and

Referees; organising of competitions in conjunction with the Ad Hoc Committee; and the commencement of player registration.

It was in response to formation of the Ad Hoc committee that saw the spontaneous reaction of the attendees to select the volunteers.

Whilst thanking the members for rising to the occasion and giving of their time, Forde informed that the GFF would officially communicate with the members and guide them

accordingly in this new endeavour.

The Committee will meet this week to elect a Chairperson and Secretary.

Accompanying Forde at the meeting were Upper Demerara Football Association President Terrence Mitchell under whose Association Kwakwani falls, GFF Youth Development Officer Brian Joseph, GFF Director of Coaching Wilson Toledo and GFF Referees Technical Instructor/Assessor Abdullah Hamid.

West Indies ‘A’ face uphill climb on 2nd Women’s tour aligns tournament categories with ATP day as New Zealand ‘A’ openers hit tons Mumbai (Reuters) - The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) will rename its tournament categories from next season to align with the men’s ATP, a sign of further collaboration between the tours following a season that was severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The global health crisis decimated the 2020 tennis calendar and prompted calls for a merger of the governing bodies, a suggestion that was well received by both the WTA and ATP. The women’s tour has comprised of five tiers — Premier Mandatory, Premier 5, Premier, International and $125K events, while the ATP has Masters 1000, 500, and 250-level tournaments.

From the 2021 season, the WTA’s Premier Mandatory and Premier 5 tournaments will be categorised as WTA 1000, the Premier events will be WTA 500, the International level will be renamed WTA 250 while the $125k events will be known as WTA 125.

“A numerical system allows for immediate understanding of tournament level, providing fans with a simple way to understand and engage with the Tour and tournaments,” WTA President Micky Lawler told Reuters.

“In addition to providing simplicity and immediate

Windiescricket - West Indies ‘A’ Team bowlers were made to toil as New Zealand A batsmen made use of the good batting conditions on the second day of the fourday first class match.

Openers Glen Phillips and Tim Seifert each scored centuries as the home team batted all day to reach 321-3 at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.

This was in reply to 322 made by West Indies ‘A’ on the opening day. Phillips and

WTA President Micky Lawler. Marta Jordi understanding, this provides alignment with ATP’s tournament nomenclature so that professional tennis is consistent and reflects the same tournament naming system.”

Prize money and ranking points of the renamed WTA categories will not be changed to mirror that of their ATP equivalent. Merging the professional tours would be no easy task.

As many as seven associations run different parts of tennis around the world. In addition to the ATP and WTA, the sport is also controlled by the International Tennis Federation and the boards of the four Grand Slam tournaments.

The men’s and women’s tours have a separate ranking system while some rules,

including on-court coaching, are also different. However, a merger could simplify television contracts and sponsorship deals as viewers currently need different payTV platforms to watch matches.

“2020 has paved a unique opportunity for greater synergy across all the governing bodies of tennis,” Lawler said, adding that she was proud of the WTA’s work with the ATP and looked forward to further collaboration to help strengthen the sport.

As part of its rebranding, the women’s governing body will reveal a new logo on Wednesday and launch a ‘WTA For The Game’ here campaign, featuring top current players, to better connect with fans.

Seifert added 226 at a run-aminute in 60 overs before the attacking Phillips was well caught and bowled by Hayden Walsh Jr. for 136. He faced 184 balls and struck 15 fours and five sixes.

Seifert and Mark Chapman then put on 80 before Seifert was adjudged leg-before to left-arm seamer Raymon Reifer for 111.

Chapman was the last wicket of the day caught by Romario Shepherd off the slow

bowling of Nicholas Pooran.

It was the first time Pooran bowled in his professional career and got the wicket with his second ball.

On the first day the West Indies ‘A’ scored was built around a sensational 133 by Shepherd, batting at Number 9. The powerfully-built righthander came to the crease with the score at 113-7 and added 199 for the eighth wicket with Raymon Reifer, who made 65.

Rahim and Shariff finish in top 20 of FIDE Worldwide Youth and Cadet Tournament Angel Rahim finished 7th in the Women’s Under-18 category of the World Chess Federation (FIDE) Youth and Cadet Tournament.

In what turned out to be a sensational performance from wildcard entry; Rahim shook up the U-18 female draw by rattling up 4 points before losing in the fifth and seventh (final) rounds.

In round 5 Rahim lost to World International Master (WIM) Demchenko Sviylana of Canada who eventually finished second. In her sixth round game she moved passed Adani Clarke, a Jamaican women’s candidate

Master (WCM) rated1811.

This had her well positioned in 7th place with 4 points from six games. The phenomenal form of Rahim was the highlight of Team Guyana and could place her among the best junior girls in the America’s.

Some other creditable performances came from the U-10s where Anaya Lall and Arysh Raghunauth picked up two points each.

In the U-18 open Jaden Taylor also copped two points.

Sasha Shariff who finished in 19th place in the Women’s U-18 category

registered one win along with Ethan Lee, Harmony Dodson and Kyle Couchman who also registered solitary wins.

Team Guyana comprised of the following players: Open U–10 Arysh Raghunauth, Girls Anaya Lall and Mayas Khan; Open U-12 Kyle Couchman, Girls Harmony Dodson; Open U14 Ronan Lee, Girls Maliha Rajkumar, Open U-16 Joshua Khan, Girls Anasie Federicks, Open U-18 Ethan Lee and Jaden Taylor, Girls Sasha Shariff and Angel Rahim.

Captain/ Representative was Loris Nathoo.

Saturday December 05, 2020

PAGE 31

Kaieteur News

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

Schedule confirmed for Concacaf Qualifiers Miami, FL - Concacaf has confirmed the schedule for the eagerly anticipated regional qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

World governing body FIFA today announced that certain international match windows will be extended to enable Confederations to schedule triple-match dates.

This is due to the challenges faced by global football due to COVID-19, in particular for those regions where several 2020 FIFA international match windows were suspended.

In Concacaf ’s case, FIFA’s decision means the Confederation can schedule three matches in each of the September and October 2021 and January and March 2022 FIFA international match windows.

This will enable Concacaf

Flashback! ‘Golden Jaguar’ Matthew Briggs (#3) being challenged for the ball by Reggae Boyz’ Elvis Powell in this 2019 Nation’s League at the Leonora Stadium. to begin its eight team Final Round of the Concacaf Qualifiers in September 2021, following a First Round played in March and June 2021 and a Second Round in

June 2021 (June 2021 includes two FIFA international match windows).

The draw for the Concacaf Qualifiers for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 took

Golf Association continues Gift of Giving Tradition Tomorrow from 11:00hrs the Guyana Golf Association (GGA) and Nexgen Golf Academy will host its annual event for the Enmore Orphanage with a CURRY-Q. This novel idea was proposed

by Ramesh Dookhoo from Banks DiH and Christopher Ram of Ram & McRae, and features a break from the traditional meal offered by fundraisers.

Nexfen Golf Academy Coaches Avinash Persaud and Dr. Joaan Deo will be on hand to give supporters a chance to play or learn the game at the Academy for half hour with a chance to win prizes, at no additional cost!

Director Kenneth Finlayson said, “This is a time of year that our kids look forward to something special and we are thankful for the constant support from Mr. Hussain and the golfing community.”

Several entities such as Maraiko Bay Resorts, Hits & Jams 98.1 Real Radio, the Guyana Critic, Toolsie Persaud, Assuria General, New Trend Auto, AR Printery, Banks DIH, Crown Mining, the Shafura Hussain Foundation, and Panko Steel have already thrown their support behind the activity that combines a worthy cause with a day of fun for families in a socially distanced environment.

Tickets for the event are available at the Golf Academy, Scouts Association of Guyana

place in August 2020and with the certainty provided by FIFA’s decision regarding the triple-windows, Concacaf can now confirm the schedule.

First Round: March 2021 and June 2021 (four matchdates) The First Round will be played between the Concacaf Member Associations ranked 6-35 based on the FIFA Men’s Ranking as of July 16, 2020.

The 30 men’s national teams were drawn into six groups of five as follows: Group A - El Salvador (SLV), Antigua and Barbuda (ATG), Grenada (GRN), Montserrat (MSR), US Virgin Islands (VIR).

Group B - Canada (CAN), Suriname (SUR), Bermuda (BER), Cayman Islands (CAY), Aruba (ARU). Group

C - Curacao (CUW), Guatemala (GUA), St. Vincent and the Grenadines (VIN), Cuba (CUB), British Virgin Islands (VGB). Group D Panama (PAN), Dominican Republic (DOM), Barbados (BRB), Dominica (DMA), Anguilla (AIA).

Group E - Haiti (HAI), Nicaragua (NCA), Belize (BLZ), Saint Lucia (LCA), Turks and Caicos Islands (TCA). Group F - Trinidad and Tobago (TRI), Saint Kitts and Nevis (SKN), Guyana (GUY), Puerto Rico (PUR), Bahamas (BAH).

Each team will play every other team in their group once, playing a total of four matches; two home and two away.

These games will be played in the FIFA match windows of March 2021 and the first FIFA match Window of June 2021. At the end of the First Round, the six group winners will progress to the Second Round.

Second Round: June 2021 (two match-dates) The Second Round will be played between the six group winners from the First Round, with the pre-determined matchups as follows: Group A winner vs Group F winner; Group B winner vs Group E winner; Group C winner vs Group D winner.

The teams will play home and away, in a direct elimination format, during the

second FIFA match window of June 2021. The three winners will progress to the Final Round. Final Round: September, October, November 2021; January and March 2022 (14 match-dates).

The Final Round of the Concacaf Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will see the three winners from the Second Round join the Concacaf Member Associations ranked 1-5, who had already gained enough FIFA ranking points to guarantee their place in the Final Round prior to the development of a new format.

The eight teams will play each other home and away, with each team playing 14 matches. The Final Round will be played in the following five international FIFA match windows: September 2021 (triple match window), October 2021 (triple match window), November 2021, January 2022 (triple match window), March 2022 (triple match window).

The Final Round was also drawn in August 2020. The match schedule is included in the graphic below. At the end of the Final Round, the top three finishing teams will qualify directly to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The fourth-placed team will qualify for the FIFA Intercontinental Playoff, scheduled to be played in June 2022.

Cyclists saddling up for 2nd leg in Linden tomorrow Speed Sundays Time Trials

GGA President Aleem Hussain gives instructions to a Beginner. ground, Assuria General offices located at Giftland, Church Street, Diamond, and Vreedenhoop or by calling 645 0944 to reserve.

President of the GGA Aleem Hussain said that this was the continuation of support for the Enmore Orphanage which has been home to more than 100 kids over the years ranging in ages from 3-20 years old.

“We have been blessed with a fantastic year of growth for the sport of Golf, with more than 450 new persons taking part in learning and playing in just four months.

The Association with the

support of Mr. Nicholas Fraser of the Ministry of Education Allied Arts Division will launch a pilot programme to introduce Golf into Secondary Schools and the response from PE Teachers has been absolutely mind blowing!’

The fully lighted Academy and Driving Range is covid guidelines compliant, providing a socially distanced environment, and is open daily from 09:00hrs to 20:00hrs.

Prices to learn the game starts as low as $500/hour and includes unlimited balls and equipment.

Following a successful return to cycling via the Speed Sunday Time Trials series, the first leg pedaling off in the city, cyclists are getting ready to hit the course once again tomorrow in the Bauxite Mining Town of Linden where the second of three legs will be contested.

Intent on allowing affiliated members to organize the event in conjunction with the governing body, the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) has given the Linden Bauxite Flyers Cycling Club the task of organizing tomorrow’s event which will see the first competitor pedaling off at 09:00hrs.

The starting point is KD&J Supermarket located at Amelia’s Ward Public Road; senior, veteran, junior, juvenile and female riders are expected to face starter’s

orders. Riders will be heading into the Linden Soesdyke Highway from eth starting point with the seniors and veterans turning back at Moblissa Hill, a total distance 13.5 miles while the junior, juveniles and female cyclists will turn back at Bamia Hill, covering a distance 8.5 miles.

Following are the prizes on offer for the respective categories at each event, 1st to 3rd: Open - $15,000, $10,000, $5,000; Junior - $8, 000, $6,000, $4,000; Veterans $8, 000, $6000, $4000; Females - $8,000, $6,000, $4,000. The overall winners after the three legs are completed will also be rewarded.

The first leg which saw riders starting at Sparendaam, heading West through Kitty then turning back at the roundabout before finishing

at the COVID-19 Hospital in Liliendaal saw Lindener, Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams won the senior category with Jamal John and Briton John copping the 2nd and 3rd positions.

Aaron Newton (son of Raymond ‘Steely’ Newton) won the junior category ahead of Alex Leung and Mario Washington in that order.

The two females who competed in the first leg and expected to saddle up once again are Denise Jeffrey and Suzanne Hamilton.

Tomorrow’s event in Linden has received support from the following corporate entities: KD&J Supermarket, Bolo’s Variety & Furniture Store, Ele’s Trading & Hardware, Benard’s Variety Store, Well Point Service Station, Country Grill, Semple & Sons Hardware & Variety Store, O&O Construction Service and Sandgate Hardware.

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Saturday December 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

Kane Williamson’s 251 puts New Zealand in a dominant position ESPNcricinfo - Control your game, you control the game. That is Kane Williamson in a nutshell.

Every defining trait of his batting - the obsession with playing late, the aversion to hitting in the air, the freakish ability to never ever follow a swinging ball - is an effort to put his team in the best possible position to win a Test match and he did just that, while also scoring a careerbest 251.

West Indies couldn’t hold a consistent line and length at the start of play on day one, but since the first break in play at Hamilton, they settled into better rhythm. Those good habits filtered into their openers as well with Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell batting out 26 testing overs to stumps. They showed great determination and skill. They had to after watching an opposition batsman dominate for almost 150 overs.

Williamson was so precise with his decision-making. If a ball was full and wide and he could reach the pitch of it, he went for the drive. That was how he went past 200. If it was short and wide, he stood tall and smashed ‘em square on the off side. That is how he went past 100. If it wasn’t any of those things, he called on his unyielding technique to protect him from being dismissed.

Kemar Roach was able to conjure several dangerous

Shannon Gabriel in his delivery stride ©Getty Images deliveries, routinely going wide of the crease in search of the outside edge. With his remarkable ability to straighten the ball no matter how steep the angle is into the right-hander, he was a constant threat.

Williamson faced several jaffas like those and although he was beaten more than once, he never looked like nicking off. It isn’t the first time the New Zealand captain has exhibited such slipperiness.

For some reason, he seems immune to the very human instinct to follow the ball, especially when it

threatens to move late. If you’re even a half-decent batsman, you want to feel bat on ball. If you’re a great one, you just know better.

These really aren’t easy conditions to bat in. The amount of grass on the pitch preserves that red Kookaburra so that even at 80 overs, it keeps swinging and seaming. And yet Williamson, all through the second session, was going at monster pace.

He bolted from 136 off 294 at the end of the 103rd over to 251 off 412 when he was finally dismissed.

That’s 115 runs off 118

balls and in light of such mastery, even fate couldn’t help but fall for him.

On 221, after Williamson had dismissed Roach to the long-on and midwicket boundaries with devastating authority, he was caught behind to an outswinger. But even as he was leaving the field, after more than 550 minutes at the crease, the cricket gods decided they wanted more.

They wanted to see more shots like that audacious flick down the ground. A full ball outside the off stump, searching for his outside edge, had no business being treated that way. But it was and it was thanks to Williamson’s wristwork, his balance and the way he stood tall and waited for it to get right under his eyes. It was all quite mesmerising. So, naturally, the gods made the one ball that was good enough to take Williamson’s

Kane Williamson raises the bat after his doublehundred Getty Images edge a no-ball.

They couldn’t protect him

from himself though. As he went for back-to-back sixes in order to enable a declaration, he was caught at deep midwicket. Kyle Jamieson, who may be prompting people to start calling him an allrounder, also chipped in with his maiden Test halfcentury to lift New Zealand to 519 for 7.

West Indies would have been dreaming of a very different day. It had begun with Shannon Gabriel securing Ross Taylor ’s wicket in the second over of the morning. Roach had Henry Nicholls flashing outside his off stump.

Those two wickets in the first hour of play threatened the notion that West Indies would be able to limit the damage they let happen on the first day. Instead, they ended up like the villains in a Scooby Doo cartoon. “I would’ve gotten away with it if not for that meddling Kane.”

South American 10k postponed to next weekend Long distance athletes will have to wait an additional week for the next competition since the 18th South American 10k Road Race, which was scheduled to run off tomorrow, has been postponed.

The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) confirmed such in a correspondence that read, “(the AAG) would like to advise that the South American 10K Classic Road Race, which was scheduled for December 6th, 2020 on the West Coast Demerara has been postponed. The AAG is currently working with the COVID-19 Task Force to make sure that competitions conducted by this association will be done with strict regulations which will prevent the spread of the coronavirus. We are therefore taking this extra week to ensure all necessary health protocols are in place.

We remain committed to protecting the health and safety of our athletes and officials. The new scheduled date for this event is December 13th, 2020 at 14:00hrs.”

The South American 10k will be the AAG’s fourth track meet following restart of sport activities. The other three meets that were competed since health authorities and the COVID-19 Task Force green-lit sports’ resumption included the respective crosscountry races in Berbice at the Esplande ground and in Linden at the Bayrock ground, while the third race was the Asics Ekiden Marathon in which team Guyana finished in the top 100 amongst thousands of entries.

Among the top racers set to compete next Sunday include, last year’s runner-up Winston Missigher, Cleveland Thomas and Jonathan Fagundes who won the cross-country races in Linden and Berbice, respectively.

The likes of Cleveland Forde, Ronnel Newton, Royston Fordyce and possibly Devaun Barrington will all make for good competition. Last year’s South American 10k leg in Guyana witnessed a clean sweep by Kenyans Alex Ekesa and Veronica Jepkokei who won the open male and female categories, respectively.

In that race, the Kenyans weren’t the only foreign competitors but athletes from Grenada,

South American 10k 2018 Female Open winner, Kenisha Pascal (Calvin Chapman photo) the United States, Suriname, St. Vincent & the Grenadines (SVG) and Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) also competed.

Following the South American 10k, the final Cross Country race for 2020 will get underway on December 14th at National Park, while the 2020 calendar of events will conclude with a Developmental Meet at the Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) ground at Eve Leary on December 28th. (Calvin Chapman)

Saturday December 05, 2020

Governor General, Her Excellency Dame Sandra Mason presenting the Gold Crown Medal to Randolph Harris.

Barbados National Award for CFU President CFU - Bridgetown, Barbados – Caribbean Football Union President Randolph Harris was among 29 individuals bestowed with national honors at National Heroes Square, as Barbados celebrated the 54th a n n i v e r s a r y o f Independence.

Harris, also President of the Barbados Football Association (BFA) and a

Concacaf Vice-President, received the Gold Crown of Merit for his contribution as a Sports Administrator in football locally and regionally.

The CFU President’s inclusion on the 2020 Independence Honors List pays tribute to his 43 years as a Sports Administrator, with a career of service to sports beginning in 1977.

Kaieteur News

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Cyclists saddling up for 2nd leg in Linden tomorrow

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Rahim and Shariff finish in top 20 of FIDE Worldwide Youth and Cadet Tourney

- GCF Speed Sundays Time Trials

Angel Rahim who finished 7th in the Women’s U-18 Division.

Anaya Lall of the Deaf Academy who picked up two points in the U-10 Division.

Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams at the starting line for the first leg.

GFF President, Wayne Forde (seated 3rd right) take time out for a photo following the meeting with members of the Kwakwani Community on Sunday night last at the Workers Club.

Kwakwani residents volunteer to serve on Ad Hoc Committee with the aim of ‘Bringing Football Back To Life’

Kane Williamson’s 251 puts New Zealand in a dominant position Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.