Kaieteur News

Army spent $92M to - AG K NEWS fix 30 vehicles Report - $7.2M to repair one 11 year-old pickup

Sunday Edition

AIETEUR

December 27, 2020

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

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

Price $140

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- Police Force, other agencies engaged in similar practice

Online readership yesterday, 43,554

Some tax exemptions stifle local business development Police mourns

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- African Centre for Energy Policy

Unauthorized vehicle as fmr. Crime Chief, Heeralall collected $181M in Makhanlall, dies army fuel - AG’s report p.

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Cop beaten, Hindu community in NY Bandit

robbed, mourns after Uber slammed robs shot in by Lamborghini, killing himself the back Guyanese woman - driver flees of life ExxonMobil Advisor warns Guyana... p.

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Large discoveries must be managed for benefit of all - Path ahead not without pitfalls p. 8

PAGE 02 President Irfaan Ali, First Lady Arya Ali and their son sporting matching pajamas on Christmas Day. (Sally's Stitch Fix photo)

Kaieteur News

g n i h c t a M : s e i m m ja

Sunday December 27, 2020

First Lady celebrates 11 Christmas babies at GPHC First Lady, Arya Ali, speak with first time mom, Tiffany Ann Smith-John, who delivered a baby girl on Christmas morning at GPHC. Mrs. Ali delivered care packages for the newborns.

F

rk a p o t How boss like a

In yet another episode by our parking experts, it appears that it gets better each time. Shortly after midday, the driver of this Zone 48 minibus showed his colleagues how to safely park in a drain in front of the YMCA building, Brickdam. As always, they are more than happy to explain how it happened.

irst Lady, Mrs. Arya Ali, on C h r i s t m a s morning delivered care packages and holiday cheers to the mothers of newborns in the delivery unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

The First Lady was accompanied by Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony.

“As a young mother, I feel everyone needs a little bit of support and as it's Christmas morning too. I felt it was my duty as First Lady to visit. I know some moms have a challenging time, but they make it through and I am glad to give my support to our women with the little care packages for our newborns.”

The GPHC delivered 11 Christmas babies. The first babies were born at exactly one minute after midnight, a

Mrs. Ali delivers a care packages for the new-born to first time mom, Farnanda Suarez boy and a girl, to separate parents.

Mrs. Ali also acknowledged the nurses and doctors in the maternity unit and the hospital for their hard work.

She also extended greetings to the nation, noting that while festivities must be pared down this year, there is still much to celebrate.

“It has been a challenging

year for all of us. What I can ask is everyone to dedicate some time, just to reflect and be thankful for all that we have. COVID-19 has really put a damper on our society and our lives, but we should be appreciative of whatever little we have right now.”

Dr. Fawcett Jeffrey, Director of Medical and Professional Services at GPHC also accompanied the team on the visit.

Kaieteur News

Sunday December 27, 2020

PAGE 03

Some tax exemptions stifle local business development C

ertain tax exemptions have t h e e ff e c t o f stifling local business development for the value chains of the extractives industry, said the African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) after conducting research into the usefulness in Ghana's mining sector.

The finding is one of several, which developing countries could find useful.

ACEP is a think-tank that conducts high quality research, analysis and advocacy in the energy and extractives sectors in Africa.

In a January 2020 report, titled The Relevance of Tax Exemptions in Ghana: The Case of the Mining Industry, ACEP said that import duty exemptions on items that could be produced or sourced locally

- African Centre for Energy Policy

hurt the competitiveness and growth of local businesses.

Providing examples of this, ACEP said that, in Ghana, under the Tax Concession Agreement (TCA) of some of the mining companies, “import duty waivers are extended to petty items such as white boards, TV/monitor brackets and broadband routers…”

These are products, it said, which can be procured on the domestic market.

However, because of the granting of import waivers, locals who would want to develop those products are entering a market with buyers who are more incentivized to buy overseas.

“The wholesale granting of import waivers on procurements that could be done domestically could be disadvantageous to the competitiveness of Ghanaian businesses, the State's import substitution

industrialization, taxes and employment opportunities that such businesses would generate,” the policy thinktank said.

This is not favourable for ACEP. It is of the view that governments must focus on creating an environment that is conducive to supporting local manufacturing and boost the competitive of local businesses as they look to the value chains of this extractive sector.

“Key business growth interventions such increasing access to credits, reducing cost of borrowing and improving infrastructure and service delivery are critical pieces government must develop.”

Leonora man on fraud charges now accused to taking almost $3M for 486 pine doors

A

n importer was on Wednesday charged after he allegedly failed to deliver 486 pine doors. He had collected almost $3M to do same, prosecutors say.

The accused, James Emmanuel Ragnauth, 46, of Leonora, West Coast Demerara, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

The court heard that Ragnauth and Avinash Salim are known to each other and Salim would often utilize Ragnauth's services.

Ragnauth denied that between July 8, 2020, and August 4, 2020, he collected $2,972,000 from Salim to deliver 486 pine doors.

It is alleged that Ragnauth told Salim that the doors were already on the wharf in Guyana. However, since Salim made his last payment, efforts to contact

Charged: James Emmanuel Ragnauth Ragnauth proved futile.

In October, the Guyana Police Force

(GPF) issued a wanted bulletin for Ragnauth in relation to obtaining by false pretense, committed on 'Tap N Tiles' and others between January 03, 2020 and April 20, 2020.

Salim noticed the wanted bulletin and made a report to the police.

Ragnauth was arrested and told of the allegation. While in custody Ragnauth allegedly claimed that, the Brazilian company he purchased the doors from took back the doors.

However, Ragnauth could not produce any document to prove his claims. An investigation was launched and he was charged for fraudulent misappropriation.

The Chief Magistrate granted Ragnauth $200,000 bail and the matter was adjourned to January 9, 2021.

According to reports, Ragnauth currently has two matters of a similar nature pending.

Kitty businessman robbed by bandits posing as customers

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6 3 - y e a r- o l d K i t t y businessman was on Thursday robbed at gunpoint by three bandits posing as customers.

T he businessman was identified as Nohardauth Saywack of Pike Street, Kitty.

R eports are that the

robbery occurred at around 07:35 hrs. S aywack was reportedly in his store, located in the bottom flat of his two-storey house.

T he businessman told police that during that time, one of the suspects came into the store posing as a customer.

W hile being attended,

the “customer” pulled out a handgun from his pants waist and pointed it to the businessman.

S aywack reported that the suspect hit him on his face with the gun and demanded that he hand over cash. Two other bandits then came in and began ransacking the store.

T hey robbed the businessman of one cellphone valued $12,000, a passport containing a 'US Green Card' and an undisclosed sum of cash.

The three suspects then escaped.

T he police had since launched an investigation into the matter.

Further, ACEP said that the onus is on the government to pursue an agenda that improves on the parameters of waivers so that the desired transformation expected by tax breaks are realized.

ACEP holds that the extractive sector holds higher economic promise if the value chain is optimized to encourage local manufacturing and supply of goods and services.

In Guyana, tax waivers granted to extractives companies is a contentious issue.

All of Guyana's petroleum agreements have granted oil companies blanket waivers of all taxes.

These agreements are held in place by rigid stabilization

clauses. On another front, there is intense debate about the effectiveness of the government's efforts to provide an environment, which allows locals access to the oil and gas value chain.

Oftentimes, these conversations are unrelated.

Because of the permanent and immovable blanket tax waiver granted to oil companies, no local content policy has even suggested the use of tax waivers, or the removal thereof, to improve local content.

During a recent interview on Kaieteur Radio, Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo said that the tax regime for oil companies is too liberal, and committed to producing better agreements in the future.

Cop beaten, robbed, shot in the back Beaten and shot to the back: James Gordon

A

police constable was beaten and shot to his back yesterday at Middle Walk, Buxton, East Coast Demerara, (ECD), by a group of eight men.

The men are said to be from a gang known as the 'Team Diamond Crew'.

According to a police report, the cop, James Gordon, 21, is attached to the Port Kaituma Police Station, Region One, but lives in Buxton.

He was shot around 03:00hrs while attending a party at Middle Walk. He is presently being treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Investigators believe that his shooting might have stemmed from a year old feud Gordon had with one of

his attackers.

In 2019, the cop had a misunderstanding with the individual and allegedly broke off the rearview mirror from a car.

Yesterday, the same individual along with seven other males approached him and began kicking and cuffing him several times about his body. They also robbed him of his cellphone valued at $120,000 and three gold chains worth some $300,000.

During the attack, Gordon managed to free himself and ran but the men pulled out firearms and began shooting. One of the bullets struck him to the upper, right side of his back.

He fell unconscious and had to be picked up by publicspirited citizens who took him to GPHC in a car.

Kaieteur News

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Sunday December 27, 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

No confidence - a lifetime later Two years after that fateful no-confidence motion (NCM), the Democratic Republic of Guyana is in full swing.

In some ways, it is a different place, some for good and some that will prove to be costly. In other ways, it is too much of the old ways of old heads plotting new deceits.

The nation has a new government, hears of a new bridge, new roads, and countless new projects about plants to power civilization forward in Guyana.

It is of a nation on the move, though somehow it is of only a few specially chosen who are doing all the moving: cronies, the crooked, even political competitors. The establishment elite moves and monopolizes cascades of currency swirling.

There is the heady atmosphere of bingeing. This one is from borrowing in the tens of billions. The aggregated hundreds of billions are not free; but they provide the opportunities for lavish self-help, which we have had before. In this Guyanese democracy, half tells itself it will be happy, while the other scrambles for any little something.

Dark clouds encroach on the prosperous pictures painted, which should warn. In the new Guyana, the independent media matters, which should be a good thing, as it collectively floats along on the twin crests of democracy and oil. Things are rather up and down and not as they should be, as it has become undeniable that the partisan has seeped into the media framework. The partisan takes different forms: the ideological (cash on the barrel and upfront, keep quiet); the racial (speak up for one’s own only, the rest on their own); the commercial (what is good for individual and class). The so-called free media refuses to tell the people the truths about what is happening with its largest bequest, this oil that belongs to the nation.

The grassroots class may think that it counts, that it is being represented. It fools itself, for this is the group that is trampled, tricked and used, and told how good things are, that it has never had it like this before. Call the grassroots whatever suits, its members are happy to be part of the trickledown action.

In Guyana today, truth is bartered, then repackaged and sold to the naïve and gullible. This is how the major corporate powers operate, which includes ExxonMobil, Guyana’s wily saving presence and partner.

The politicians were already bagged and tagged, securely trussed up by the silence in what was paid to them. Citizens are urged to pay attention, then decide if it is not silence that reigns supreme. The talkative PPP/C government and its leaders all suffer from a case of acute laryngitis. There is not even a croak coming forth on oil matters. This is what cash pays for, and the more millions in Uncle Sam dollars, the more profound the silence. It is a silence so national in sweep in this once loud and raucous democracy, that even the usually combative APNU coalition is a shadow of itself. Its leaders, too, swallow hard and seek to say something soothing, but not even a gurgle comes.

As it is studied more, it becomes evident that Guyanese live in a time of thunderous silence that misleads. Yes, there are isolated noises from a few dissenters, but the heavyweight voices and presences have slithered into snakelike silence where this country’s oil wealth is concerned. That costs good money, and there is none better than a power like Exxon to make good things happen, and sway the influential to sing not a thing. Those needing confirmation listen in vain for sharp voices railing against the enslaving presence and reach of Exxon. They are few to none of such voices. The legal eagles are bought out, just like political players. Gorging from the bottomless and generous trough will do that to the best and brightest, who sell themselves and country down the drain for the joys of being on the inside oil track. They could learn of the right way, the patriotic way, from people named Lynch, Quinn, and Chatterjee. Post no confidence, this nation is poised on what could be really good. The trouble is that there are some really bad people leading the way downward.

A fixture was suddenly taken away with Reyaz Hussain’s passing Dear Editor, To say that I am shocked at the sudden death of Reyaz Hussain, would be a gross understatement. I am still to bring myself to the reality of his passing. It is extremely difficult to grasp that he has passed on especially since it was just over forty-eight hours prior to his death that he and I were engaged in conversation in a popular mall. We were both in the process of Christmas shopping.

There were no visible signs of illness from either his appearance and movements. Therefore, with his death not by vehicular accident or a robbery, the instinctive shock lingers and will for a long time. I cannot imagine what it’s like for his wife, children and immediate relatives.

Surely, they all had plans for the holidays. I am sure he looked forward to see the joy in the faces of his family when presents would have been opened. Similarly, they would have wanted to see his. Unfortunately, fate intervened and those

thoughts were drowned by unplanned tears on Christmas Day; tears of anguish and pain from losing a loved one.

Just as his family expected him to be there at the table for Christmas breakfast, his fans would expect him on television in the mornings to come; a routine he did for over two decades. Like his family, the viewers, will experience that void and to even contemplate disassociating him from the Colonial Cousins’ “Krishna” music video that was synonymous with his long running television program on NTN, could be virtually impossible. It reminds of the relationship listeners knew of between Matthew Allen and the song, “One Day at A Time Sweet Jesus”.

Reyaz and I go back over twenty-five years. We both started our entry into Guyanese television programing on STVS Channel 21 in Queenstown.

We were three; the third was Nazim Hussain; the one who broke the news of his death.

The late Freddie Sanchara’s

living room, became the studio and the proverbial canvas for us to design.

Over time, we became known as the Freddie Boys as reflected in a Bill Cotton’s piece in the Stabroek News many years back. It’s not surprising that Bill messaged me following Reyaz’s death while reminding of the title he gave to us.

Reyaz and I co-hosted a quiz program on Channel 21.

We donned T-shirts branded with our images; his on mine; mine on his. It was our innocent ploy to probably confuse viewers simply because our names sounded similar. Maybe that may have been responsible for people, at times, even up to today, calling me Reyaz and calling him Neaz.

Following his death, some though it was me and even informed some of my overseas relatives of my passing. Through that, the pain of his death transgressed directly into my circle; seemingly inescapable given our T-shirt prank.

Even as all three of us

moved on to different television stations and programming, we were always together through other endeavours. Through theatre, I was able to direct Reyaz in the stage adaptations of two popular Bollywood movies; “Deedar” of 1951 in which he played the Ashok Kumar’s role of Dr. Kishore and “Dosti”, of 1964, in which he played another Doctor. His pharmacyrelated job at the time, was not a factor for what may appear as stereotype casting; it was mere coincidence.

I still fondly remember the hiccups of him trying to get the choreography of a particular song sequence in “Deedar”, right in 1997. It was the first time he was doing something like that.

The downstairs of Uncle Freddie’s home (now HJTV Studios), was the rehearsal ground; a place of treasured memories in which Reyaz will forever be a part.

His willingness to accommodate and interview (Continued on page 6)

Sunday December 27, 2020

PAGE 5

Kaieteur News

This must be a season of sharing and cooperation for national development Dear Editor, It is not an unfair assessment that humans seem no longer to care about others as in the old days.

Today, it is all about selfpreservation with some people, the top few percent in particular, not realizing that life is meaningless if no one else is around with which to share it. Unlimited wealth in a vacuum is useless and meaningless.

So we must be caring and compassionate towards others, be willing to share whatever we have with the less fortunate. Giving a little would not impoverish anyone.

We must take note of the fact that Guyana is on the horizon about to

experience a spurt in wealth from oil discoveries. But it is a troubled nation facing development and social issues with some going to extreme measures to get their way. Such acts do not serve national interest. If people truly desire to make our nation become developed and a potential paradise, we must embrace the spirit of living together in peace and sharing with each other’s best interest and cooperate in the effort for developed nation s t a t u s . T h e a c r i m o n y, hatred, and selfishness must end.

As religious figures have implored, let us turn away from selfishness and deceit and embrace the true

spirit of the holiday season – of giving and sharing as written in all religious books. As we continue to celebrate the holiday season, let us contribute to efforts to help feed, clothe, and house fellow man. Let us pledge to work towards uplifting our people and showing respect to others regardless of ethnicity or party affiliation. Develop a graceful spirit of humanity during the season!

Amidst the gaiety and festive activities of the season, we must be cognizant of all the terrible things around us – robberies, violence, i m m o r a l i t y, election rigging, poverty, hunger, hate, homelessness, etc. –

and play our part to correct them. Let us not forget the horrific suffering and deprivation that exist among fellow humans and those who are trying to survive from various illnesses, including the novel coronavirus pandemic that has taken a huge toll among our people. We must take time to remember the needy and bed-ridden and those in hospitals and our service providers such as doctors, nurses, firemen, whose duty keeps is critical during this holiday season.

The end of year season is usually not a time of sorrow. But this year it so because of loss of so many lives and jobs caused by

The Guyana Police Force unilaterally blocked traffic to and from Giftland Dear Editor, During its entire tenure in business Giftland has held an outstanding record of supporting police causes, from items out of budget that are urgently required by the stations, to donations, charity drives and other contributions, including a presentation which was scheduled to deliver 10,000 rewashable cloth masks valued over $2 million next week.

It was therefore with great surprise that on our busiest night of the year that the police unilaterally blocked all

traffic from the main road from entering the mall – in the wake of that action, thousands of shoppers were stranded, many taxi drivers were denied access, children waiting for their parents, shop owners awaiting their pi c k u p s , pregnant women all had to make the long trek out to the access road and beyond as parking was not available.

Additionally, thousands of road users were inconvenienced by the unilateral and callous disregard for any sort of cooperative effort to enforce

the curfew in a way which would have avoided this.

Commander McBean could simply have contacted us and arrangements could have been made to close the doors at 9.30 PM with police officers if they wished, without causing all this confusion and discomfort which ended up blocking up the access road caused.

This leaves the Giftland Group pondering how it will view any partnerships and further assistance to the police, as calls were made higher up the ladder to no

effect; in fact assurances were given by a top senior officer that the block would have been removed which did not happen.

The cruelty and disregard to the public leads me to believe that the culture within the police force needs to be reviewed; this is not how one builds confidence or partnerships with this high handed arrogance displayed on Christmas Eve. Yours truly, Roy Beepat Chairman Giftland Group

COVID-19 and-or recklessness of bad governance, or road carnage. Families are without a breadwinner or he or she is out of work.

They need our assistance.

We should look to improve the wellbeing of not only immediate families but relatives and others around us, the community, and the wider family of man. We must give help to others living in deprivation, care for all. We must return to the old days of being thy brothers’ keepers as it used to be during s l a v e r y, indentureship, and colonial rule. In the old days, a certain civil compact was observed in which people did not do to others what they would not want others do to them. Thus for decades, there was relative peace and quiet and respect for one another

until in recent years when bullying raised its ugly head. Some politicians encourage their supporters to bully others.

I note that the private sector, including foreign investors, shall shortly be engaging in a proliferation of viable productive and commercial activities on a scale unprecedented in this country. They need the support of the politicians to feel at peace. The government and opposition should leave no stone unturned to work together to facilitate investment that would help create an environment that would lead to a better quality of life for all. They should work together with irreducible resolve to rid our society of obstacles to achieve developed nation status as early as possible.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

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Sunday December 27, 2020

Kaieteur News

December - a month of celebrations Dear Editor, The month of December is quite a celebrated month, especially ending a leap year, a much dreaded thought that entertains a negative imagination with contorted and convoluted perceptions.

This 2020 year has presented unbelievable unprecedented challenges and compounded

with the components of potent damages, devastation and destruction. The Jewish community celebrated their “Festival of Lights” called Hanukkah, earlier this month from the 10th to the 18th. This nine days of “dedication” is observed by the lighting of candles on a menorah. The seven days African

celebration of Kwanzaa is to follow on the 26th of the month to January 1st. This period is dedicated to the observance of life and to honour their heritage.

The much awaited Christmas is being celebrated on the 25th to observe the birth of Jesus Christ by Christians, this being a

‘Bill Cotton/reform’ praises Freddie Kissoon Dear Editor, He has played a blinder in 2020. Freddie deserves the title of ‘Columnist of the Year’ for this and few years before.

If brave journalism is about writing without fear and favour and holding truth to power he has done that in spades this year. Not cowed by personal and professional insults from all sides, he has kept to his position during and after that attempted rigged election.

He (and others) were the true friends of democracy.

Without them, it would have atrophied and Guyana become a military dictatorship with a failed Brigadier (and below par President) at its’

apex. A pariah state, The country had a lucky escape thanks to Freddie and the (mainly foreign) Dreamers.

Since, he has been relentless in calling out the guilty men and women and finding some more to put on to the naughty steps. He is relentless in his pursuit of the truth and blame.

From afar, I read him each morning as a change from the livy livers in the Johnson fan club called newspapers in the UK. He is refreshing and to the point.

My one caveat is ‘too much Freddie’! His daily columns sometimes appear dashed off. Reduce the

number and pay him more Chairman Lall. Plus less Psychology 101 please Mr. Kissoon, and they don’t talk philosophy in Canal Number Two! Freddie is no stooge of the PPP and has good reason to be despite opening the door to them; his pen will find targets there soon I am sure.

But, in 2020, Kissoon has proved to be a real friend to democracy and there is no substitute for that in the public sphere of journalism.

Guyana needs more Freddies.

Pickle him and make some clones.

Yours truly, John ‘Bill Cotton/ Reform’ Mair

national holiday throughout the world. Incidentally, Hindus in all parts of the world are also celebrating Gita Jayanti, the “birth” of the Bhagwat Gita, on the 25th of December this year, coinciding with Christmas Day. Gita Jayanti Mahotsav possesses huge significance and importance as it is regarded as the birthday of the Bhagwat Gita, which is considered as the most pious and influential scriptures of Hindu Philosophy. It comprises political, spiritual, psychological, practical and philosophical values. Thus, to commemorate the sacred day when Lord Krishna offered his philosophical teachings to Arjuna during the battle of Kurukshetra, people celebrate Gita Jayanti. Gita Jayanti falls on the Shukla Ekadashi of the waxing phase of Moon in the Hindu month of Margashirsha.

The celebrations of Gita Jayanti take place in several parts of the country of India but the grand fervor can be seen in Kurukshetra. Devotees across India gather in

Kurukshetra to participate in the ritual of taking holy baths in the sacred ponds named Brahm Sarovar and Sannihit Sarovar. To celebrate the day, a fair is organized every year which lasts for almost seven days popularly known as Gita Jayanti Samaroh.

Thousands of people gather and celebrate the festival with Gita readings, dance performances, skits, dramas, acts, bhajans, aartis, talks, etc.

The text is written in the third person, narrated by Sanjaya to King Dhritarashtra as it transpired between Sri Krishna and Arjuna. Sanjaya, the secretary of the blind King Dhritarashtra, had been blessed by his Guru, Veda Vyasa, with the power to remotely view the events taking place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra (modern day Haryana, India) as they transpired, some 5000 years ago. Gita Jayanti is celebrated worldwide by all devotees of Lord Krishna who revere Bhagavad Gita as their Divine Mother because she teaches (in a non-sectarian and scientific manner) how to reestablish our lost relationship with God Almighty (The Supreme).

The 700 verses of the Gita are chanted throughout the day. Devotees also fast on this day since it is an Ekadashi day (Ekadasi is the eleventh day of the waxing moon and waning moon) – it occurs twice every lunar month and is observed by fasting from grains and lentils (peas, beans, dhals) by those who seek to progress spiritually.

Special bhajans and kirtans are sung and poojas are held on this day.

In places where this festival is celebrated grandly, stage play and Gita chanting competitions are held for kids to show their talents as a way to encourage their interest in reading Gita. Yogis,

Sanyasins, Swamis and learned scholars give talks and hold forums of this Holy Scripture.

Leaflets, pamphlets, and books containing the essence of Gita are distributed to the public. It is especially auspicious to distribute free copies of the Gita on this holy day.

This has been a year particularly when the need for caring and sharing was highlighted and man was tested for the spirit of generosity and charity. The Bhagwat Gita teaches us that, “A gift is pure when it is given from the heart to the right person at the right time and at the right place, and when we expect nothing in return.”

No matter how great the struggle for survival becomes, regardless of the humongous challenges when many obstacles and impediments face us, the approach to a resolute determination is reproached by the will of strength and durability and the strong belief in a faith devoted to that “Higher Power,” referred to by multiple names but shadowed on a single path to oneness.

The Gita reminds us that, “The impermanent appearance of happiness and distress and their disappearance in due course are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from a sense of perception, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.”

On this grand and dual occasion, may peace, bliss, joy and happiness transcend upon all with the choicest blessings of Lord Krishna.

May the spirit of the season remain with all throughout our lives. Happy Gita Jayanti and Merry Christmas.

Respectfully, Jai Lall

...A fixture was suddenly taken away with Reyaz From page 4 myself and other cast members for various productions I did over time, was an engrained characteristic that many can testify to. He didn’t do it just for the sake of talking about a production; he did it because he felt a sense of responsibility to help in the promotion of local talent. For many, he provided that platform that artistes need.

He was a multitasker, involved in various things at the same time; cricket, imparting education and knowledge on aspects of medicine, in activities of his Masjid and of course, television. He juggled them effectively while finding

the time for his family.

He was more than a friend. He was a role model; one that has now fallen. He was a fixture.

He will be missed; missed by all he directly interacted with and those he touched through his long-running television program.

He will always be remembered especially when the Colonial Cousins’ “Krishna” is heard here. The song speaks to inclusivity; exactly what his program was all about. My sincere condolences to his family. Rest in Peace buddy.

Yours truly, Neaz Subhan

Sunday December 27, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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Sunday December 27, 2020

ExxonMobil Advisor warns Guyana...

Large discoveries mean nothing if they are not managed for benefit of all On December 20th, last, Guyana marked its one year anniversary as an oil producing state.

And on that occasion, many regional, local and international stakeholders were keen to remind the new oil producer of the herculean task it faces in ensuring that it transforms its nine billion barrels of oil equivalent resources for the benefit of all.

One such person who sought to highlight the importance of this task was Exxonmobil’s Senior Upstream Advisor, Maria Guedez.

In her message to Guyana, Guedez stressed that the nation’s prominence on the world market is rapidly changing. She recalled that prior to oil, Guyana held a low profile in comparison to its South American counterparts.

The Senior Advisor said that most folks who never heard ab out the country,

struggled to pronounce its name and frequently confused it with Ghana or Gui nea. This she said, changed since the rapid oil

discoveries in the Stabroek Block by ExxonMobil. Guedez was keen to note, however, that while Guyana maybe wellendowed with natural gifts, it is a country where there can be limited opportunities.

Guedez then stressed, “...The path ahead for Guyana is not without pitfalls. Yes, large oil discoveries create opportunities, but only if the resources are managed responsibly for the shared benefit of all…”

The Senior Advisor is not the first to make this point over the past few years to Guyana.

In fact, The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has, on numerous occasions, pointed to the many loopholes the government needs to close in its governance framework so that the revenues of the sector can be spent for the benefit of all.

But these recommendations are yet to be taken on board. For example, the IMF has stated that Guyana needs to strengthen its petroleum fiscal regime through the revision of the Petroleum [Ex-

- path ahead not without pitfalls ploration and Production] Act 1986 (PEPA), the Petroleum [Exploration and Production] Regulations 1986, as well as other tax laws and sector regulations.

The IMF has been keen to note that while the PEPA gives the government broad powers to grant petroleum prospecting and production licences, and to negotiate oil contracts, it is silent on processing and refining of pe-

troleum products, pipelines and other modes of petroleum transportation, as well as how petroleum marketing arrangements are to be observed. In spite of this, the country has been pushing ahead with the marketing of its oil and plans to bring gas to shore.

Additionally, with regard to the lopsided oil deal, the IMF has expressed alarm over the opportunities Guyana gives Exxon Mobil and its partners to be abusive in the way they add interests to its

Exxonmobil’s Senior Upstream Advisor, Maria Guedez expenses, all of which would be recovered in full.

Left unchecked, the IMF said that this can have a detrimental effect on the oil profits that would be left to share.

In one of its reports, the IMF said it is a well-established industry norm to have limitations on how much interest can be charged and deducted

Army spent $92M to fix 30 vehicles - AG Report -$7.2M to repair one 11 year-old pickup - Police Force, other agencies engaged in similar practice

D

etails from the re cently laid Auditor General’s Report for 2019 highlighted a slew of high maintenance costs for vehicles attached to the

Guyana Defence Force (GDF), the Ministry of Social Protection, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Public Security, as well as Regions Three and Six. According to the AG’s report, these high maintenance costs were due to the ministries, departments and regions not assessing whether it was economical to retain or dispose of vehicles.

It is in this regard that the sum of $251.619M was expended on repairs and maintenance in respect of 118 vehicles during 2019, the report indicates.

In particular, the GDF had expended $91.629M on the maintenance of 30 vehicles, which represented an average

maintenance cost of $3.054M per vehicle.

“More significantly,” the report said, “10 vehicles were maintained at costs amounting to $46.429M, which represented an even higher average maintenance cost per vehicle ($4.643M).

Remarkably, one Toyota Hilux Double-Cab acquired over 11 years ago was maintained at a cost of $7.185M; whilst, a Ford Ranger was maintained at a cost of $5.660M.” The audit of the army’s 2019 spending found that a

Ford F-350 and Ford Ranger Double Cab were maintained at costs amounting to $6.486M and $5.599M, respectively.

However, based on a list submitted for audit, the force has deemed these two vehicles unserviceable.

on loans by oil companies. It noted that some countries disallow interest expenses or limit the amount of debt permitted for cost recovery purposes through caps.

Other countries, it advised, go the route of prescribing that interest may be deductible only on borrowing to fund development costs or a maximum percentage of such costs.

Interest on loans to finance exploration is not allowed. Considering the dire consequences this loophole can have for Guyana, the IMF said it would be appropriate for Guyana to limit the amount of debt for cost recovery purposes or disallow interest expense altogether.

Further to this, the IMF has called on Guyana to close other fiscal loopholes in existing Production Sharing Agreements; undertake a policy review of fiscal terms contained in existing PSAs to ensure that these are implemented appropriately, and assess areas of improvement for future investment; design

a new generally applicable fiscal regime for upstream petroleum projects that increases the government take and limits the scope for individual negotiations; introduce a re-

vised production sharing mechanism for new PSAs that provide the government with a higher share of profit oil as the profitability of projects’ increases; and publish a model PSA that includes the minimum fiscal terms accepted by the government for future contracts.

The IMF has also called on Guyana to apply tighter ring-fencing arrangements to contracts so that oil companies would be unable to deduct the costs associated with exploring other wells or developing other projects from another field that is producing oil.

The foregoing represents a mere fraction of the IMF’s recommendations which the nation’s leaders have failed to implement, yet continue to tell the nation that every possible measure is being put in place to protect the oil sector.

Two found dead in separate incidents Two persons are now dead after they were found motionless in their homes at two separate locations… in West Coast Demerara and in Berbice.

According to police reports, on Friday at around 07:00 hrs., Hubert Henry, 51, of De Groot, Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara, was discovered lying motionless on his bed by his 26-year-old son.

Reports are that the man was an alcoholic, who suffers from epilepsy. He would normally consume alcohol and would sleep wherever he found himself, even under his home.

The dead man’s son, Shivnanand Henry, reportedly told police that around 03:30 hrs. the morning, he went and use the outdoor washroom.

He saw his father lying on the ground. Shivnanand reported that he placed his father on a bed that was under the house.

Sometime around 06:30 hrs., he discovered his father motionless. The matter was reported to the Leonora Police Station and upon the police arrival, blood stains were

seen on the man’s stomach and his right ear. The body was taken to the Leonora Hospital where he was seen and examined by a doctor, who pronounced him dead.

The body was later taken to Ezekiel Funeral Parlour, where it is awaiting a post mortem examination. Investigations are ongoing.

Meanwhile, at West Canefield, East Canje, 64-yearold, Lilowtie Hanoman, was found motionless on the stairs of her house, at around 09:00 hrs. by her husband.

Kaieteur News understands that her husband, Narinedath Doodnauth, 67, reportedly told police that his wife got up from her bed and went to take a shower. After getting dressed, she went and sat on the steps.

Doodnauth reported that after sometime, he did not see her returning, so he decided to go and check on her. He found his wife motionless on the steps. No marks of violence were found but according to Doodnauth, his wife suffers from medical complications. Investigations are still ongoing.

Sunday December 27, 2020

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Second leg of ICJ exercise should - Greenidge take no more than three and half years clarifies Guyana/Venezuela border case…

Following the ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that it has jurisdiction to hear Guyana’s case on the border controversy with Venezuela, the Government’s Advisor on Borders, Carl Greenidge, has sought to put on record that he does not expect the court to take more than two to three and a half years to issue a judgment.

The official thought it prudent to have this matter cleared up since it has been reported in some sections of the media that the judgment on the border controversy could take as long as close to a decade to be handed down.

To this, the former Foreign Secretary said that Guyana would certainly not want to give the Court the impression that it would expect the exercise to take such an inordinately long time or that it would be comfortable with such a delay, especially if the other party, Venezuela, does not participate in the hearings.

Greenidge said: “I do not think that the second leg of the ICJ exercise should take more than two to three and a half years. Only Wednesday last, in the course of a presentation on: ‘A public Discourse on the Guyana -Venezuela Controversy’, I shared a listing of the 20 or so ICJ cases on territorial disputes since 2000.” He added: “The average time between the lodging of the complaint and the decision by the Court was 4.9 years. As might be expected, the actual time taken is a function of the complexity of the case and, of course, whether or not it is contested.”

Expounding further, Greenidge noted that Guyana’s application was filed on March 29, 2018. On the foregoing basis alone, he said there is no reason to expect another decade of delib-

erations or pleadings. The Advisor on Borders said it is true that some cases have taken as long as nine years to be completed…however, Guyana is not at the commencement of the process.

“We are already two and a half years into it,” the former Minister stressed.

Greenidge said what the government now know is that the case management will take place on January 15th, 2021 where the Court will then decide on the time to be allocated for the different elements of the hearing – presentation by the two sides and responses then deliberation by the judges. Greenidge stressed that none of these elements could take a year each and if Venezuela continues to abstain from participation, at least two elements will be suppressed.

CONFUSION ON DESIGNATIONS Based on subsequent media reports on the ICJ’s recent ruling, Greenidge also thought it necessary to clarify the confusion regarding designations in the case. In that respect, Greenidge said it should be noted that the December 18th hearing and the ICJ hearings to follow are part of a multistage political and diplomatic as well as legal process. He explained that Guyana’s teams for which the agent is responsible, reflects this multi-disciplinary reality.

He said that the effort to definitively resolve the controversy was set in train in 2015 at the meeting between former President David Granger and Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro with former United Nations SecretaryGeneral, Ban Ki-Moon.

He noted that the latter first called for a last effort at ‘dialogue’ between the two states.

Following preliminary exchanges, the Guyana and Venezuela Governments agreed, with different degrees

of enthusiasm, to the SG’s concrete proposal, termed “enhanced mediation” under the aegis of the SG’s Personal Representative, Ambassador Dag Nylander.

When in 2016, the Cabinet decided to field a team to pursue that initiative, Greenidge noted that Guyana established a multi-disciplinary, multi-sector, multi-national team, called the Advisory Committee (AC), to undertake the necessary preparation and representation.

Greenidge stressed that only Guyana’s “successful” navigation of the hazards posed by this process over the two subsequent years ensured that the matter would reach the Court.

That was, in other words, the single most important step in the entire process to date.

Within that AC, Greenidge explained that most of that work was carried by the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ team of diplomats and experienced former negotiators, supported by some six largely young Ministry of Foreign Affairs lawyers, and its Maritime Consultant as well as Professor Philippe Sands Q.C. and especially Professor Payam Akhavan from the International team of Lawyers.

In 2018, Kaieteur News understands that the 2015/6 Advisory Committee (AC), in order to deal with the June 30th Hearing of the ICJ, was reinforced with a team of international lawyers.

Greenidge said: “The lawyers are part of our national team and the lodging of the memorial and discussions of the case with the Registrar involved both lawyers and other representatives and were led by me. Guyana’s Agent to the ICJ is Carl B. Greenidge. Both Stabroek News and Kaieteur News prefer to designate me as the Co-

Dem boys seh...

Dem prisoners want weed De Lusignan Prison is a high-tech facility. Dem gat more weed inside dan outside de prison and de amount of cellphones dem prisoners gat, if yuh run out of phone credit you could ask dem prisoners to send some to you.

De amount of weed circulating in de Prison give a new meaning to being in de Joint.

It also gives a new meaning to de statement dat “prisoners in jail for weed.”

One of dem prison wardens notice one of de prisoners looking stoned. He turned to him and asked,

“How ‘high’ are you?”

De prisoner answered, “No officer, it’s ‘Hi, How are you?’”

Dem boys think dem know how all dem weed getting in de prison. It mek dem boys remember de story of a corrupt prison warden who bin leff nuff dope in one of de prisoners’ cell. When he went back after one week, he notice that de prisoner did not smoke a single joint. He asked him, “How come you in hay one week and you did not touch any of the weed?”

De prisoner ask, “Where

is the lighter?”

De prison authorities decide dat too many prisoners escaping. So dem call a meeting of all de convicts and tell dem dat from now on, dem gat to start doing chores all day so dat they will not have de time to plan escape. Dem ask de prisoners wah chores dem would prefer to do.

All de prisoners seh: “Weeding!”

Talk half and nah ask why dem who seize dem prisoners weed are being accused of highway robbery.

Agent, notwithstanding attempts to have this corrected.”

The advisor stressed that agent is not required to be a lawyer and is responsible for overseeing the preparations, finalizing strategy, liaising with the Government to ensure that it is informed of the needs for successful pros-

ecution of the process and ensuring that the AC is familiar with Government policy, for example.

Sir Shridat Ramphal S.C, as one of the two co-agents is responsible for coordinating the inputs of the legal counsels and advocates.

Greenidge also noted that the other co-agent is Ambas-

sador Audrey Waddell, CCH…a former Director-General of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

He has been coordinating the domestic team which includes Cedric Joseph, CCH; Dr Barton Scotland, CCH, S.C; Attorney Ralph Ramkarran S.C, and PPP/C’s, Gail Teixeira.

PAGE 10

BLUNTNESS ON INDECENCY! In case you haven’t heard, please be informed that as part of our continued effort to channel positive changes in our country, our publisher, Mr. Glenn Lall, has dedicated our page seven to be blunt on ongoing indecency in our land that should matter, not only to us at this publication, but the entire nation.

SUNDAY President Ali hailed the ICJ development as a victory for Guyana good.

Now his Excellency can give Guyanese an oil victory by getting more for all better!

President Ali: ICJ has years before a decision can be reached!

His Excellency live up to that title: make Guyana an oil winner now!

Give it a victory now!

Mr. President: Stop dancing about!

Send a clear message to Exxon!

Get more money for Guyana!

MONDAY What has a year of oil production by ExxonMobil given Guyana?

- Pollution of our air with more than 12 billion cubic feet of toxic natural gas.

- A year of dumping of more than a million barrels of produced water into the ocean.

- The fastest growing economy in the world, but with the majority of those revenues leaving Guyana with oil companies.

President Ali must protect Guyana’s environment and secure more value for the people.

TUESDAY The Coalition, now in Opposition, has forgotten its

Sunday December 27, 2020

Kaieteur News

mandate.

According to the results of the March 2 elections, more than 217,000 voters believed in them.

After just a few months in Opposition, the Coalition has done what many thought was impossible.

It has partnered with the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic on one issue…oil and gas.

On this one issue, the Coalition had a chance to stand tall and do the right thing.

Instead, it has remained a silent partner in the rape of Guyana’s offshore wealth.

But the Coalition still has a chance to redeem itself.

Will it choose to act ignominiously or will it be able to stand tall?

We, Guyanese, deserve so much more!

WEDNESDAY We have received excuse after excuse on why our oil blocks have been given away or handed over cheaply.

We have been given excuse after excuse why we are receiving peanuts in profits.

What nobody is talking about is how our national debt from oil operations is mounting, while the companies who were given the blocks started out with nothing, but are now hundreds of millions of US dollars richer, even before they started drill-

FRONT PAGE COMMENTS RECAP

ing for oil.

THURSDAY It is incomprehensible, and unthinkable, that the Government of the day can be wasting time.

It has been reported many times of critical studies being launched.

It has been reported many times of the fanfare that such reports were handed over.

It has been a public secret that such reports are thrown to the bottom of the drawer.

The recommendations are never acted on.

We know of critical reports on the oil and gas sector that have been given to the Government.

The clock is ticking but little is done to update our oil and gas laws.

Yet here we are at the 11th hour. Totally unprepared.

Rings are being run around us.

Yet, there is deafening silence.

The people of Guyana deserve much, much more from our politicians!

FRIDAY ExxonMobil and its ilk have colluded with the very worst of our leaders to rob this country of its wealth.

No flowery words or witty arguments will abate the fight for betterment.

Guyana must have a fair deal!

Harmon needs to stand, speak and deliver strong leadership in our time of silence to this extreme on of need, just like the biblical matters of national imporSUNDAY Joseph did for his own people. tance, then all Guyana is left How long is Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon going to dodge critical questions on the oil and gas sector?

As he should know from Scripture, little brother Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers, yet he turned around and rescued them in their hour of great need.

This is what we at the Kaieteur News call upon our own brother Joseph to do.

Don’t sell us down the drain with this oil, but give us, expectant Guyanese brothers and sisters, courageous and

Look at the Vice President, who gets away with babbling about releasing a whole set of things – permits, licences and reports – but delivers absolutely nothing.

Guyana needs an opposition leader to stand up and say something tangible. Say something meaningful on this oil and gas of ours. Mr. Harmon should know that the longer he keeps on dodging, the more suspicious – even terribly compromised – he appears.

When a man takes vows

to wonder, who he is protecting Which political friends is he covering for, and willing to make himself look impotent and lacking in understanding of his role and the expectations that go with his responsibility?

To Opposition Leader Harmon, we at KN say: “Stop the silence.

Stand up, say something, do something. Live up to the demanding obligations that are part of oil patriotism and national political leadership.”

Merry Christmas from Kaieteur News FRIDAY The Management and Staff of the Kaieteur News extend greetings for a Merry Christmas to all Guyanese.

Christmas is a time of goodwill. In the spirit of the Season, we call upon our political leaders, regardless of which side of the political divide they stand, to come together and work for the good of our country. We urge them to bring an end to their petty squabbling and jousting and

commit to working together for the benefit of our people.

Our people take their cue from our leaders. If our people see our leaders working side by side and hand in hand, they too will be encouraged to unite. This will be good for our establishing harmonious relations among citizens and communities.

When we work together, as a unified people, we position ourselves to extract the maximum benefit for our resources and to deter foreigners from taking advantage of

us. We lift our neighbour up; and we please the Creator who has gifted Guyana with great wealth.

We send Christmas greetings to President Ali, Vice President Jagdeo and the government’s team, and to Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon and his team.

We offer a heartfelt toast to them and all Guyanese, in the hope of a better and brighter future.

May God bless us all with a safe and enjoyable Christmas.

Bandit robs himself of life Police removing the man from the scene (Photo Courtesy of Joseph Allen)

The dead bandit lying at the Bourda Market (Photo courtesy of Joseph Allen)

Kaieteur News has learnt of a bizarre tale where a wellknown robber killed himself by accident at Bourda Market, on Christmas day.

Persons identified the dead man only as “Tricksy”. He was described as a well-known “thief”.

This newspaper was told that the man accidently shot himself in the head around 03:00hrs.

The man was having a few drinks and reportedly became intoxicated.

He then took out a firearm and reportedly began playing with it, boasting that he was a “bad man”.

Apparently, the safety of the weapon was not on.

“He was waving it around in the air pointing it all over the place before finally pointing it to his head,” they said.

There was a loud explosion and the man fell to the ground.

The police were summoned and he was taken away to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he was officially pronounced dead before his remains was sent to the morgue.Graphic photos of the scene were posted on Facebook and a few came forward with accusations against the dead man. One man commented that he was held at gunpoint and robbed of his chain by the bandit. Others commented that he committed most of his crimes in the vicinity of Bourda Market.

A spent shell lying at the scene (Photo Courtesy of Joseph Allen)

Sunday December 27, 2020

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Sunday December 27, 2020

Unauthorized vehicle collected $181M in army fuel - Auditor General 2019 report A

ccording to the Audit Report of 2019, one unauthorized vehicle uplifted 887,800 litres of fuel from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) totalling a whopping $181.567 million.

But that is just one of the many shortcomings discovered of the GDF with respect to the purchase, reconciliation and storage of fuel.

The Auditor General (AG), Deodat Sharma, stated in his report that $547.219 million was expended for the purchase of diesel and gasoline, of which $528.692 million was paid for fuel in bulk.

With regards to bulk purchases, Sharma explained that the Force makes payments to GUYOIL. Whenever the need arises for fuel, the Force would then make a request GUYOIL for fuel to be delivered to its locations at Base Camp Ayanganna, Base Camp Stephenson at Timehri, and the Coast Guard

Headquarters at Ruimveldt.

“The fuel would then be delivered to these locations

by GUYOIL's tankers. The drivers of the tankers would sign the respective invoices as having uplifted the fuel from GUYOIL, and upon delivery at any of the Force's locations, the rank receiving the fuel would sign the respective invoices as receiving the fuel for the Force,” Sharma explained.

However, on 103 invoices, the report pointed out, an unauthorized vehicle bearing registration number, GHH 7538, uplifted the fuel.

Audit enquiries revealed that the vehicle was not owned by the force nor was it owned by GUYOIL. In addition, the AG said, there was no contractual agreement for the vehicle to uplift fuel on behalf of the Force.

The AG also made several other worrying finds.

He stated that included in those 103 invoices were 75 invoices totalling $130.861 million, which purports that gasoline was uplifted and delivered to the force.

However, the signatures of the driver and the customer

receiving the goods “appear to be identical” indicating that the same person may have uplifted the fuel from GUYOIL and also from the Forces' locations.

Similarly too, the AG pointed out, for the purchase of diesel, there were 23 invoices totalling $41.487 million where the signatures of the driver and 'customer receiving the goods' appeared to be identical.

Additionally, the report noted that the Coast Guard Headquarters at Ruimveldt has one concrete reservoir with the capacity to hold

1,000 gallons of gasoline.

Strangely enough, audit checks revealed that on 26 instances, approximately 2,000 gallons of gasoline was delivered to that very location.

“As can be gleaned, on each of these 26 instances, the quantity of fuel delivered was twice the storage capacity of the reservoir,” Sharma stated.

Even more astounding, he added, was the fact that based on the invoice dates, multiple deliveries of approximately 2,000 gallons of gasoline were delivered on the same day to Coast Guard Headquarters at Ruimveldt.

“It should be noted that the gasoline delivered in these twenty-six instances a m o u n t e d t o $ 5 0 . 11 2 million. It should be mentioned also that based on the invoice dates, on one day, approximately 1,000 gallons of gasoline were delivered by a tanker registered to GUYOIL,” the reported said.

On that same day, a delivery of 2,000 gallons was also made by the unauthorized vehicle.

This further indicated that gasoline was delivered in excess of the Force's storage capacity at its Coast Guard Headquarters, Ruimveldt.

The AG noted that his office was unable to verify whether the fuel was received by the Force.

Moreover, it was reported that the Goods Received Book for Camp Ayanganna was misplaced; whilst, the records for Camp Stephenson - Timehri, and Coast Guard - Ruimveldt were not submitted for audit.

Stock Ledgers were submitted for Camp Ayanganna; however, the receipts of fuel by the said vehicle were not recorded in these ledgers.

Attempts to conduct alternative audit checks proved futile; since, the gatebooks in which the ingress and egress of vehicles are recorded were not submitted for audit.

Popular TV show host, Reyaz Hussain, dies Dead: Reyaz Hussain

L

ocal broadcaster, Reyaz Hussain, died suddenly on Christmas Day, sending shockwaves in the media and sports fraternity.

The late Hussain was a popular public announcer at regional and international matches held in Guyana.

On occasions, he also performed the duties of a moderator at official functions of the Guyana Cricket Board.

J u s t r e c e n t l y, h e officiated as the moderator at the opening ceremony of the LBI Flood Light facility.

Reyaz Hussain was also a long serving member of both

the Georgetown Cricket Club and Everest Cricket Club.

A t t h e G e o rg e t o w n Cricket Club, Reyaz performed the roles of second division captain and coachmentor for young players, while at the Everest Cricket Club, he served as an executive member, club captain, as well as performing the role of coachmentor for young players.

In addition to the media, Hussain was an educator, with his own private school.

His shows on NTN Channel 69 has been one of the more popular with news, music and even celebrities appearing.

Sunday December 27, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Sunday December 27, 2020

Shivanie Latchman

PAGE 14

This week’s beauty is the founder and lead dancer of the Ishara Dance Troupe, Shivanie Latchman. She was crowned Mrs. India Guyana Worldwide 2018.

This Guyanese beauty hails from Diamond/Grove, on the East Bank Demerara, and holds a Diploma in computer studies and a Diploma in marketing.

Sunday December 27, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Sunday December 27, 2020

A happy and healthy outlook at Christmas…

Reflections of a kidney transplant survivor

By Rehanna Ramsay

F

or more than 100 patients on the kidney transplant waiting list, finding the right donor could be the single determining factor on the question of whether they live or die.

Many of these patients have stories of how their worlds were turned upside down after they received a diagnosis of a failing kidney from their doctors; their quality of life became literally hinged on costly dialysis treatment. And for those patients, the impact of the ailment has wide reaching effects, especially on those closest -- their families.

This is an all too familiar territory for Nurse Chitra Sheonarine. She told Kaieteur News that when her father was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) or chronic kidney disease in February of this year, she felt as if her life was ending. As a healthcare provider, Sheonarine is cognizant of the struggles of renal failure patients and the slim chance many of them have for the life-saving transplant operation, due to the non-availability of organ donors.

As such, she immediately reached out to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)'s Head of Kidney transplant Mr. Sheonarine shares a moment with his daughter and donor

operations, Dr. Kishore Persaud. Sheonarine recalled, “Dr. Persaud gave us the best advice on our options for care and treatment.”

Soon after, she said arrangements were made for Mr. Sheonarine to undergo dialysis treatment, which cost $12,000 a session. The treatment, which was administered three times a week, was very taxing on the Sheonarine family.

“It was expensive but my father is worth the sacrifice, there is no question about that. He means everything to my family and I. I couldn't afford to lose him.

We have a very close connection and I want my daughter to have that same love and connection with her grandfather,” she said of her 54-year-old father. As a result, Nurse Sheonarine began to explore the possibility of undergoing the operation, while her father was being treated for his condition.

She explained that since a vital part of the transplant is to find a donor who matched her dad, she quickly offered to donate one of her kidneys to him. “It was his best chance of survival and having a normal life, one which is not dependent on dialysis,” she said.

The nurse said that her father received dialysis for three months at the 5G dialysis centre in South

Doctors and nurses during the transplant procedure

Mr. Sheonarine spent three months on dialysis

Nurse Sheonarine and her family are grateful to have their father, happy and healthy, this Christmas Georgetown before they were able to undergo the operation.

“We had been talking to Dr. Persaud and preparing for the operation. We had to do several blood and compatibility tests before we could go forward,” the nurse said, explaining that while the operation at the GPHC is free, testing can be costly.

One such component of the procedure is the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) testing. The test is done to determine whether the organ and tissue transplant recipients are compatible with their donors.

HLA testing also includes screening transplant recipients for the presence of antibodies that might target the donated tissue or organ as part of an immune response.

That test which is the most critical part of the

procedure is done at a Miamibased medical facility and costs close to G$1M. The expense is partly covered by the Government of Guyana, but it does not always prove compatibility between the donor and recipient, even if they are related by blood.

Fortunately, for the Sheonarines, the test was positive for compatibility and they were able to move forward with the operation, last October.

The nurse noted that despite concerns about the pandemic, she felt a sense of comfort and relief knowing that her father's condition would significantly improve after the surgery.

“I was not too concerned about getting the COVID-19 viruses because the nurses and doctors of GPHC made

us feel safe and comfortable about the entire procedure. It was absolutely no worries,” she said.

“This year was difficult on a lot of people, many persons did not survive and so, for my family and I, we are eternally grateful that we are able to pull through successfully.

I don't have words to say how thankful I am to Dr. Persaud and the entire team at GPHC that saw us through this life-saving operation,” Sheonarine said, adding that her father was one of the few persons, who benefitted from a kidney transplant operation this year.

So this season, while many persons are caught up with the festivities of the Christmas season, the reality of people like the Sheonarines is starkly different. Mr. Sheonarine told Kaieteur News, this year, more than anything else, he is grateful to be alive and to be able to spend the holidays with his loving and supportive family. The minibus operator spoke of the struggle of having to live on dialysis for three months.

“Living on dialysis altered my life and it was difficult on my entire family,” he said, adding “I was glad that my daughter was able to donate her kidney to help me.”

Having benefitted from the transplant operation, Mr. Sheonarine and his daughter are highly supportive of calls for legislation that will make it easier for patients who need transplant operations to find donors.

“I am feeling much better.

The surgery was helpful to me and I think it would be a very good thing if the government can pass the law to give patients like myself better

access to donor transplant operations,” he asserted.

Nurse Sheonarine expressed similar sentiments.

“I think legislation to govern cadaveric organ donation and transplant,” she said, “is an excellent idea because more people will be able to access organs even if they don't have a live donor.”

Cadaveric donation is organs, which are harvested from brain-dead patients, and donated to others. This method reduces the overall hospital cost compared to having to harvest the organ from a live donor.

Once the law is in place, GPHC will perform the operations free of cost. In the meantime, the hospital continues to fight for the necessary legislation to save lives and help resolve the burden of kidney failure in Guyana.

The healing process for Mr. Sheonarine has begun

Sunday December 27, 2020

Dear Reader, in light of the economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, our publisher, with you in mind, has taken the decision to add a few more pages to our newspaper to recap major stories, some in their entirety, carried during the past week.

SUNDAY TODAY’S THE ONE YEARANNIVERSARY FOR OIL… OUR LEADERS STILL TO PUT 30 SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE TO PROTECT GUYANA’S $$$ From a simplistic view, it may be a major achievement.

One year since oil production started.

However, it could be far from the truth as the reality is that Guyana has been operating without even half of the fundamentals for the efficient governance of an oil and gas industry.

Even before production began, the country benefitted from lessons shared by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Chatham House, the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and a slew of others.

These organizations handed to Guyana, critical recommendations on how to gear up to handle the influx of revenue from the looming oil sector along with prudent advice to help mitigate significant value loss and corruption safeguards.

But one year later, key pieces of advice given have not been acted upon. These include: 1. A review of the Local Content Policy 2020 with the implementation of accompanying legislation.

2. Putting in place appropriate technology offshore to monitor the measurement of oil remotely.

3. Outlining benchmarks for Corporate Social Responsibility.

4.

Establishing a Depletion Policy.

5.

Establishing a Decommissioning Policy.

6. Outlining a structure for what is to be expected in Field Development Plans (FPDs).

7. Strengthening key auditing agencies, specifically the Office of the Auditor General.

8.

Strengthening institutions that will be responsible for the expenditure of the oil moneyincluding the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Health.

9. Improving Guyana’s capacity to monitor and record emissions offshore, particularly in the case of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

10. Providing resources to the EPA so that it can make unannounced visits to the FPSOs while following safety standards.

11. Hire technical experts needed within the Ministry of Natural Resources, EPA, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), etc.

12. Review of massive tax concessions/ tax holidays.

Example: provisions in oil contracts that allow tax exemptions on capital gains tax, personal income tax and withholding tax.

13. Updating policy/laws/ regulations regarding direct and indirect transfers of interests in offshore blocks.

14. Establishing a Petroleum Commission.

15. Implement software solutions for compliance monitoring and for operating requisite controls for expenditure of oil money.

16. Update laws and regulations to address issues of ring-fencing, transfer pricing (and other financial loopholes/issues), health and safety of workers, monitoring of the environment (regarding issues such as flaring and stiff penalties for such infractions), pre-qualification criteria for oil blocks, etc.

17. Outlining a vision for the oil sector following consultation with citizenry.

18. Strengthen and increase systems for reporting on decisions in the oil and gas industry.

19. Strengthen its petroleum fiscal regime through the revision of the Petroleum [Exploration and Production] Act 1986 (PEPA), the Petroleum [Exploration and Production] Regulations 1986, as well as other tax laws and sector regulations.

20. Close other fiscal loopholes in existing Production Sharing Agreements (PSA).

21. Undertake a policy review of fiscal terms contained in existing PSAs to ensure that these are implemented appropriately, and assess areas of improvement for future investment.

22. Design a new generally applicable fiscal regime for upstream petroleum projects that increases the government take and limits the scope for individual negotiations.

23. Introduce a revised production sharing mechanism for new PSAs that provide the government with a higher share of profit oil as

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the profitability of projects’ increases.

24. Publish a model PSA that includes the minimum fiscal terms accepted by the government for future contracts.

25. Apply tighter ringfencing arrangements to contracts so that oil companies would be unable to deduct the costs associated with exploring other wells or developing other projects from another field that is producing oil.

26. Define, document and share a defined national integrated plan for oil sector with clearly established Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and timelines for achievement, supported by operational and funding

plans to support implementation.

27.

Transparently delineate the roles and responsibilities among and within government entities – The IDB had advised that good governance requires a clear separation between the roles and boundaries of policy making and regulation while stressing that the Department of Energy, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission’s Petroleum Division and the Environmental Protection Agency must enact this separation.

28. Design and implement strong, legal and regulatory frameworks.

29. Develop local talent in alignment with integrated

national plans.

30. Implement welldefined delivery models which promote strong planning, project management principles as well as strong leadership, management, supervisory, technical and administrative capability.

NO END IN SIGHT, AS EXXON CONTINUES TO POLLUTE GUYANA’S AIRSPACE Today marks one year since ExxonMobil began producing oil at its Liza One operations, in the Stabroek Block, about 100 miles offshore. It should have been a momentous occasion as it signifies the first commercial

oil venture in Guyana.

However, there are too many worrying signs. Aside from the country being illprepared to manage the sector, ExxonMobil continues to harm the environment by flaring billions of cubic feet of natural gas toxic gas at its Liza One operations.

What’s even more of a concern is that to date, the US oil giant has not publicly set a date in sight for the flaring to be cut down to zero.

Kaieteur News had reported in its 16th November edition that Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Sharifah Razack, had provided details which showed that Exxon had ramped up flaring to 16.496 (Continued on page 18)

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From page 17 million standard cubic feet of gas per day in October – an increase from the 15 million cubic feet per day in previous months.

This information is consistent with statements made by Hess’ representatives during its 2020 third quarter earnings call. The Stabroek Block coventurer had indicated at the end of October that it was happy to inform its shareholders that production rates at Liza Phase One have increased to 105,000 barrels of oil per day in the few weeks prior.

Before that, public knowledge was that Exxon’s production was hovering around 80,000 to 90,000 barrels of oil per day, as was the case in September.

Kaieteur News, last week, had reached out to EPA Head Razack requesting updates for Exxon’s December flaring, since she had indicated that she receives regular reports from the US oil company.

Those details were supposed to be lodged with this publication on Friday but were not. Razack has, however, assured Kaieteur News that same would be done by tomorrow.

Of concern, due to ExxonMobil’s ramp-up of toxic gas flaring at the Liza Phase One operation, so much has been emitted that Guyana is now one of the top five countries in the world for volume flared per year, per capita.

In September, Guyana had trailed Libya, Gabon, Oman, Qatar and Iraq, in total gas flared per capita, judging from statistics from the World Bank’s Global Gas Flaring Tracker Report (July, 2020).

However, the increased flaring in October caused Guyana to surpass Iraq.

It is important to note that Guyana’s total volume flared in a year is not as high as Iraq, which is one of the worst polluters in the world, alongside Russia and the United States.

However, due to Guyana’s small population, it is emitting more toxic gas per head than those three countries. Russia and the US emitted 161 and 53 cubic metres per capita, last year, respectively. Iraq emitted 456 cubic metres per capita last year, behind Guyana’s emissions in the past year, which stand at an average rate of 461 cubic metres per capita.

This would equate to the destruction of 2.17 acres of forest for every Guyanese, or 1.56 million acres of forest in total.

ExxonMobil’s flaring was only supposed to occur at project startup in December last year, to test the

Kaieteur News

equipment.

However, flaring went way past the project startup.

The company claimed it had to flare, since its gas compression equipment was defective and needed to undergo repairs overseas.

The repairs reportedly proved difficult to undergo with haste, given limitations the COVID-19 pandemic safety guidelines have placed on companies. Exxon is yet to complete the repairs to all of its defective equipment.

According to the EPA brief, ExxonMobil said that it started up the second main gas compressor in October, and operated it along with the main gas compressor and the injection gas compressor.

The third stage-flash gas compressor and suction silencer have been repaired in Germany and were returned to the Liza Destiny Floating Production, Storage and Offloading Vessel (FPSO) in late October.

It is being reinstalled, and is expected to restart in midNovember. Exxon, according to the November update, expects the equipment to take one to two weeks of testing to confirm that the repairs and modifications worked.

Some have pointed out that Exxon’s snail’s pace in repairing the defective gas compressor is another clear example of the company’s disregard for Guyana, its laws and the environment. These comments arose after Exxon had spent USD$186M to fix flaring at a Scottish plant, late last year.

Dangers of flaring Research by Kaieteur News has found that the flaring of gas is extremely damaging to the environment.

A special study conducted by the World Bank notes that flaring releases more than 250 toxins including cancer causing agents such as benzopyrene, benzene, carbon disulphide (CS2), carbonyl sulphide (COS), and toluene. It also releases metals such as mercury, arsenic, and chromium and nitrogen oxides.

The burning of the gas is damaging to the environment.

It tends to destabilise the greenhouse effect, a natural process which involves a delicate balancing act between the radiation coming into and leaving the earth’s atmosphere. This balancing act is tipped over when increasing levels of greenhouse gases, much of which is caused by oil production, is released into the atmosphere, resulting in global warming.

Flaring is also hazardous to human health. Nigerian scientists, Omosivie Maduka and Charles Tobin-West, in a

joint paper lodged with the US National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), had explained that flaring in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria has polluted the air and water, and precipitate the formation of acid rain. All of this, they said, has caused negative outcomes in the communities there, including chronic and recurrent respiratory diseases, abnormalities in the blood, increased susceptibility to certain diseases of the blood and others.

OIL-RICH SOUTH SUDAN TRAPPED IN DANGEROUS CYCLE OF DEBT The Republic of South Sudan is a landlocked country in East Central Africa that is trapped in a borrowing cycle that it is finding it very difficult to get out of. The country continues to borrow funds from multiple major financiers for projects to lend to its development. Despite having billions of barrels of oil reserves, the country is finding it difficult to drag itself out of debt.

Anti-corruption watchdog Global Witness (GW) sounded the alarm in 2015 on South Sudan’s borrowing, when its Parliament approved the decision by the government to negotiate a loan of hundreds of millions of dollars with the Qatar National Bank (QNB). GW called the loan risky. It pointed out that the country received US$1.7 billion in oil money in the year prior, and that the US$500 million Qatari loan has an interest rate so high that Qatari would owe an additional US$281 million to pay back over seven years.

This is no chump change to South Sudan. Its economy has proven to be very volatile over the years, due to years of ethnic strife, civil war, and over-dependence on oil. GW

said that the deal is risky also because the government agreed that if it is low on cash, it will pay in oil.

“Using crude as collateral threatens to lock the country into a dangerous cycle of debt,” GW said. “Oil dollars are used to pay off old loans while new loans fund the budget. By taking this loan, the government risks selling South Sudan’s future to pay for today.”

Worse yet, GW said, is that there are serious concerns about the government’s spending priorities and corruption, while millions suffer in poverty.

In October, Sudans Post, an independent media organization, said that the Qatar National Bank lodged a complaint against Sudan at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) for its failure to repay a US$700 million debt.

Sudans Post said that the African country has benefitted from multiple payments from the Qatar Bank and has defaulted.

In its Article IV consultation 2019, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that South Sudan is in deep economic crisis, and that debt sustainability is a key issue. Along with the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), the IMF prepared a debt sustainability analysis in 2019 which placed the decadeold republic’s total external debt stock at US$1.196 billion or 34.4 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

According to that analysis, as of March 2019, South Sudan owed the World Bank US$53 million, the African Development Bank (AfDB) US$28 million, the China Export Import Bank US$150 million, Qatar National Bank US$627 million, and oil-related advances US$338 million.

The IMF and the World

Sunday December 27, 2020

Bank said that South Sudan has weak debt-carrying capacity.

Even then, Reuters reported in August that South Sudan is seeking a US$250 million loan from the African Export Import Bank.

The loan was requested so the country can implement a delayed peace agreement from the war ended two years ago, fight COVID-19 and work toward food security.

EPA HAS AUTHORITY TO CORRECT EXXON’S OUTDATED LIZAPHASE ONE PERMIT NOW Given recent revelations that there is no commitment for comprehensive disaster insurance enshrined in ExxonMobil’s Liza Phase One environmental permit, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the opportunity to go back and amend the document so that Guyana is not trapped in a cycle of debt for generations if there is a massive oil spill.

The agency, headed by Sharifah Razack, can ensure that Exxon provides documented assurance that it accepts unlimited liability for any disaster which occurs at its producing Liza Phase One operation, where as many as 120,000 barrels of oil are being produced every day.

Former Head of the EPA, Dr. Vincent Adams, had ensured in his time there, that ExxonMobil – the parent company – not its lesser endowed subsidiary, accepts unlimited liability for any disaster during the production of petroleum at its Liza Phase Two operation.

The provision would go on to be included in all oil companies’ future permits.

During a recent telephone call with Dr. Adams, it was confirmed that the provision is still absent from the Liza Phase One permit.

Unlike the Stabroek Block Production Sharing

Agreement (PSA), environmental permits are not bound by rigid stabilization clauses. They do not require the agreement of the contractor in order for the terms to be amended. The EPA has the authority to amend the permit as it sees fit in order to keep up with new environmental standards.

Section 13 of the Liza Phase One permit, which speaks to Institutional Authority, states: “The EPA reserves the right to review and amend the conditions attached to this Permit in accordance with Regulation 14 of the Environmental Protection (Authorizations) Regulations, 2000.”

Similarly, the Regulations state in Section 14 (1): “The Agency may at any time by notice in writing to the holder of the permit, cancel or suspend an environmental authorization or impose such conditions as the Agency considers appropriate in addition to or in place of the existing conditions, with effect from such date as the Agency may specify provided that the cancellation, suspension or modification shall not give rise to an additional adverse effect.”

Then in 14 (2): “The Agency may cancel, suspend or modify an environmental authorization during its currency for any of the following reasons… the Agency establishes new or revised standards in respect of the operations of the facility [among others].”

The environmental permit expires on June 1, 2022 – thanks to a recent court ruling which reduced the unlawful 20+ year lifespan granted by the David Granger administration, to five years as the law allows.

At this time, Exxon subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) and its (Continued on page 19)

Sunday December 27, 2020

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From page 18 parent company, would have to apply for a new environmental permit and be bound by the new standards.

However, that expiry date is 18 months away. If the EPA does not move to amend the permit now and correct this loophole which allows Exxon liberty to walk away and leave Guyana exposed, any large oil spill which occurs in this period would cripple the country for years.

Thousands of marine life would die in and out of Guyana, and the fishing, tourism and other sectors of the CARICOM region could be tanked for years, threatening the livelihoods of millions of people.

Alaska still bears remnants of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill that happened over 30 years ago. Before Guyana becomes a victim of an Exxon oil spill, like Alaska was in 1989, the EPA has the opportunity to safeguard the country by amending the supermajor’s permit.

MONDAY GUYANACAN PLUNGE ITSELF INTO MORE DEBT EVEN WITH OIL MONEY – IDB QUARTERLY REPORT With Guyana poised to receive a fair bit of revenue from the sale of its oil resources, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is cautioning the authorities of the day to exercise extreme cautioning regarding the portion it will spend.

It is advising on saving for a rainy day, and particularly, the way in which it goes about taking on new loans.

In its latest Caribbean Quarterly Bulletin, the financial institution acknowledged that the oil money will give the government an opportunity to close budget financing gaps, avoid debt accumulation and/or retire expensive outstanding public debt. It stressed, however, that budget financing needs to be monitored or else Guyana could erode savings and return the nation to a position of high indebtedness.

The bank was keen to note that Guyana has been managing its debt quite prudently over the last two decades. Expounding further, it said that the Ministry of Finance is the key institution responsible for the formulation and implementation of fiscal policy and management of public debt. The ministry’s general fiscal policy objectives are the maintenance of output stability and debt sustainability.

From 1970 through the mid1990s, the bank said that Guyana was the most indebted country in the world as measured by the ratio of nominal public debt to GDP. The IDB noted that Guyana has since seen tremendous and sustained reductions in public debt levels, driven by, inter alia, debt relief initiatives such as the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative and Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative, as well as by policy reforms.

Debt relief under the Enhanced HIPC initiative was estimated at US$387 million based on end-2002

data and parameters (IMF 2003).

DEBT ON THE HORIZON While it is true that the country stands to get “a little money” now which it can use to clear off some of its debt, local and regional stakeholders are already warning that there is already massive debt that awaits Guyana on the horizon.

One such person who has sounded the alarm bells on this matter is international lawyer and transparency advocate, Melinda Janki.

In a recent interview, Janki recalled that even now, the country owes ExxonMobil approximately US$900M in costs it claimed to have incurred offshore Guyana before it signed the highly criticized Stabroek Block deal in 2016. With ExxonMobil rushing to have five oil vessels in operation by 2026, development and operational costs will soar to billions of US dollars which Guyana will also have to pay, explained the lawyer.

She said that this is just a small fraction of the debt that will be hanging around the nation’s neck in the future.

Also of concern to Janki is the deteriorating health of ExxonMobil, and how reliant it will be on Guyana to be its cash engine. In this regard, she reminded that recently, the oil giant said that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced it to make serious adjustments to its business plans. As part of its restructuring process, ExxonMobil said that it will be placing its advantaged assets in Guyana, high on its list of priorities.

But in order to keep the focus on Guyana, Janki said the company has had to write off US$17-20 billion worth of natural gas assets in other parts of the world. “Obviously, they wrote off the gas because it is worthless. It is a stranded fossil fuel asset. Nobody wants it,” expressed the lawyer.

Another critical development,

she said, is the fact that Exxon is cutting 14,000 jobs or about 15 percent of its global work force, while adding that the company has been forced to cut capital expenditure for 2020 to US$23 billion from $33 billion.

Taking the foregoing into account, Janki said it is clear to see that this company is in ill health while adding that it does not bode well for Guyana. The lawyer said, “…Guyana might get a little money now but in the long term it will have massive debt.”

EXXONMOBIL CONTINUES TO TOUT UNVERIFIED LOCAL CONTENT FIGURES ExxonMobil Guyana has yet again made unverified claims using block figures in its local content public relations campaign. In celebrating its one year anniversary producing oil at the Liza Phase One project, the company said “Investment in the local economy continues to increase as the Liza Phase Two and Payara projects advance. More than 2,100 Guyanese are now supporting activities on and offshore. ExxonMobil and its key contractors have spent over GY $69 billion with more than 700 local companies since 2015.”

Local content is the value that an extraction project brings to the local, regional or national economy beyond the resource revenues, according to the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI). The anti-corruption watchdog also maintains that a challenge with local content is that it can open the door for corruption and elite capture of an industry. In this regard, corrupt public officials can position themselves to benefit from oil companies’ contracts, and private local companies can partner with oil companies to create a false impression about the contractor’s local content efforts.

Hence, ExxonMobil has been called on, many times, to provide transparent, detailed breakdowns of how the money it claims was spent.

The company has provided no disaggregation of this block figure, like how much of the $69 billion has been spent to pay its Guyanese employees and those of its partners, sub-contractors and affiliates, as opposed to the amount spent to pay local companies for contracted works.

With regard to its employment of locals, the company’s block figures also fail to inform the public about the wage levels of the jobs held by locals. Exxon’s Local Content Advisor, Devon Seeram, said in a video published on the company’s Facebook page in November, that Exxon’s direct workforce is approximately 155 employees, of which 87 are Guyanese. While this represents a majority of the local ExxonMobil workforce, there is no representation of the salaries/wages or the type of employment granted to Guyanese workers, as opposed to those given to employees of other nationalities.

Neither is there such a breakdown for the employees of its partners, sub-contractors and affiliates that support its operations.

As for its claim that 700 local companies were contracted since 2015, Exxon does not disaggregate how much was spent per month.

Seeram had said in the aforementioned video that the company spent $60 billion as of the first half of 2020, since 2015. This means that the company claims to have spent nearly $9 billion in the latter half of the year. The company has not accompanied this with details on the categories of businesses hired and the amounts paid to those categories.

One submission made by ExxonMobil to the government in 2018 has demonstrated how block

figures with no explanation can be misleading. At the time, the company provided a list of “registered companies” to demonstrate its local content commitment in the first quarter of 2018, including names of Dennis Charran, Mokesh Daby, Colin Daniels, Colvin Lockhart, Kembleton Clyne, Kurt Branker, Ramesh Seebarran, Ganesh Ajodha, Gary De Jesus, and Stan Gouveia.

The list had duplicated names, such as accounting firm Ram and McRae, and included names of places such as Bourda Market, Haags Bosch Dumpsite, Shanta’s Roti Shop, Bounty Supermarket, Metro Office and Computer Supplies, Star Party Rentals, Maggie’s Snackette and Catering, Taste of India, Royal Castle Inc., and Java Coffee Bar. It also listed Guyana Revenue Authority. It is public knowledge that ExxonMobil and its subcontractors pay no taxes in respect of their petroleum operations. The only monies paid by them would be small fees to obtain licences, or small fines/penalties for breaches.

The company even listed utility companies like Guyana Power and Light (GPL) as part of its local content efforts.

One international local content expert had previously told Kaieteur News, “The number of companies used by ExxonMobil is immaterial.

The crux of the matter is ‘the value of the investment’ made by ExxonMobil.

They had consequently advised that Guyana’s parliamentarians call on the company to give a detailed breakdown of how many companies benefitted from US$1M, US$500,000, $100,000 and under US$50,000.”

“With that breakdown, you will be able to see if the country is getting chicken feed or real investment… With meaningful investment, the sectors that support the operations of the company would be able to see real expansion and development,” another local content expert had explained.

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) and Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) recently made a joint statement calling for more to be done for local businesses in the oil and gas value chain. The organizations held that, as the sector is poised for growth, oil and gas companies should move away from sole-sourcing to allow locals opportunities to grow.

OP-ED: GUYANA’S POLITICAL OPPOSITION IS ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL ON OIL Very few countries can profess that they have been able to change the lives of their citizens with the wealth accrued from oil and gas discoveries. In fact, many countries, like our CARICOM sister, Trinidad and Tobago and our continental neighbour Venezuela, are prime examples of how oil can leave a country in economic shambles when they fail to manage these resources prudently. In other cases, countries have seen more than half of their population plunged into extreme (Continued on page 20)

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From page 19 poverty, while the family and friends of the administration of the day revel in the billions of dollars they’ve stolen from its people.

In many of these cases which have been reviewed and published by Kaieteur News, there are some easily identifiable patterns which can be used as a blue print to ascertain if a new oil producing state like Guyana may be susceptible to the same fate. Some of these include weak procurement systems; the failure to bring on board modern legislation and policies for the sector; the absence of independent and experienced technical staff being appointed to key regulatory positions; the failure to renegotiate contracts to ensure adequate protection from the abusive tactics of oil companies and to ensure the country gets fair compensation for the exploitation of its resources; weak auditing capacities; and absence of transparent and accountable reporting on field production as well as how the resources are being monitored. Guyana has checked all of these boxes.

And even though it has been told to address these issues before oil production, the country is nowhere near where it ought to be to effectively regulate the sector and protect the interests of its citizens.

Indeed, one would think that the political opposition, which served one term in office, would be fully acquainted with these challenges and would therefore be championing, once a week at the very least, for these matters to be addressed. Instead of having an opposition that is hammering the new government to get critical oil and gas matters handled, the APNU+AFC remains quite frankly, asleep at the wheel.

This was the same posture it held while in office on the oil and gas sector.

Our political opposition has for the last four months sadly demonstrated that not only is it solely dependent on the media to spoon-feed it with the issues of the day, but it also appears to suffer from an unbelievable measure of shortsightedness. Since August to now, the political opposition has been stuck on one particular set of issues which it intends to hold the government accountable on… and that is only when they are asked by the media to do so. These issues include the audit of the expenses incurred by ExxonMobil in the Stabroek Block, management of the Natural Resource Fund, ensuring local content is

Kaieteur News

addressed, and keeping an eye on environmental issues like flaring and the dumping of produced water.

While these matters are critical, the political opposition has failed to add anything new to the conversation nor has it maintained a relentless campaign for change on these matters. More importantly, these issues which the APNU+AFC continuously regurgitates during media briefings, are not even a fraction of the many issues it should also lend its attention to. We have yet to hear the opposition’s views and plans to address the fact that Guyana is without the appropriate technology offshore to monitor the measurement of oil remotely; a roadmap to use a portion of the oil money to build sustainable industries; benchmarks for Corporate Social Responsibility for oil companies; a Depletion Policy; a Decommissioning Policy; the strengthening of key auditing agencies, specifically the Office of the Auditor General, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and the Ministry of Health; Guyana’s capacity to monitor and record emissions offshore, particularly in the case of the Environmental Protection Agency; the modernization of policies/laws/regulations; to address issues of ringfencing, transfer pricing (and other financial loopholes/ issues), health and safety of workers, monitoring of the environment (regarding issues such as flaring and stiffer penalties for such infractions), pre-qualification criteria for oil blocks, etc.

There is also a plethora of weaknesses which agencies such as the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and the Inter-American Development Bank, have pointed out as critical to fixing if Guyana intends to be a competent regulator for the oil sector.

The political opposition, like Kaieteur News, had and continues to have access to the detailed reports of these institutions, yet it continues to be dependent on being spoon-fed by the media on matters that are of importance. When will the political opposition bring an end to the apathetic approach it is taking on monitoring the government’s handling of the oil sector? How does it intend to prove to the nation that it is capable or worthy of being considered a holder of office when it displays such an abhorrent lack of interest in doing its part to ensure oil is not a curse for Guyana?

When will the political opposition awaken from its slumber at the wheel?

TUESDAY EXXON’S FLARING THIS YEAR EQUIVALENTTO THE REMOVAL OF 1.6M ACRES OF FOREST Just two days ago, ExxonMobil announced that it had ceased its significant flaring of toxic natural gas at its Liza Phase One operations, its first commercial investment offshore of Guyana. This development followed after Exxon, which prides itself on being an effective manager of emissions, failed to mitigate flaring at Liza One for one year.

Recent details from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) now show that in that same year, ExxonMobil would have flared 12.4 billion cubic feet of gas per day, equivalent to the removal of 1.6M acres of forest. In simpler terms, this means that Exxon flared toxic natural gas that could have been offset by a forest the size of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

Monday, Acting Director of the EPA, Sharifah Razack, in a report indicated that as of December 15, the total volume of gas flared from the Liza One operation was 12.429 billion of standard cubic feet (BSCF) of gas. Her report had also stated that an average of 8.310 million standard cubic feet per day of gas was flared during December, while adding that flaring was reduced to 0.661 million standard cubic feet per day by the reporting date.

“The total volume of gas injected as of 15 December, 2020, at the Liza One operation was 12.895 BSCF with an injection volume of 126.416 million standard cubic feet per day of gas reached on 15 December, 2020 itself,” the EPA report stated.

Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) reported that it experienced safe and steady

operations during the prior week, with an average production of 105 kilo barrels per day and average flaring at 8.6 thousand cubic feet per day.

The EPA indicated that the third stage Flash Gas Compressor (FGC) completed its Phase Three Test programme, including a 72 hour run on December 5, with both the LP and MP Compressors running and a flare at safety pilot levels.

During the test programme, monitoring and control parameters were developed for ongoing operations.

The FCG was shut down on December 8, the EPA noted, in preparation for restart on December 11.

Following this, the FCG is said to have undergone a seven-day endurance run to ensure reliability and to monitor operating conditions and any issues in order to make final procedural improvements for reliable operations.

Importantly, Liza One is currently operating at pilot flare, which is said to provide the ignition source for combustion.

Notably, at the end of October, the company had flared more than 16M cubic feet of natural gas, thereby making Guyana one of the top five countries in the world for volume flared per year, per capita. In September, Guyana had trailed Libya, Gabon, Oman, Qatar and Iraq, in total gas flared per capita, judging from statistics from the World Bank’s Global Gas Flaring Tracker Report (July, 2020).

However, the increased flaring in October caused Guyana to surpass Iraq.

The company claimed it had to flare, since its gas compression equipment was defective and needed to undergo repairs overseas.

The repairs reportedly proved difficult to undergo with haste, given limitations the COVID-19 pandemic safety guidelines have placed on companies.

Even as Guyana pursues the exploitation of its

Sunday December 27, 2020

resources in the Stabroek Block, Conservationist, Annette Arjoon-Martins, had categorically stated that the authorities of the day must not neglect the nation’s commitment to addressing climate change. ArjoonMartins had said Guyana’s authorities need to, at all times, factor in the environmental costs of projects.

The Conservationist had said to this publication, “Environmental costs associated with flaring have a significant impact on our climate and is conveniently pushed aside since these costs are not monetized in our management of these sectors like oil and gas. This untenable situation is exacerbated by failing to account for medium and longer term impacts in planning by thinking of the current impacts.”

She added, “We may not feel the impacts of flaring now but this is certainly affecting our climate for future generations. Thinking only of the current is short sighted to the detriment of our sustainable development of future generations.”

Arjoon-Martins had also noted that Guyana has signed on to several international and bilateral agreements including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Guyana Norway Bilateral Cooperation on climate and forests. The advocate for the protection of the environment said it is critical that every man, woman, and child understand that the recent spike in flaring puts these in jeopardy as it is counter to those commitments.

JOHN FERNANDES LIMITED MOVES TO CONSTRUCT STORAGE FACILITY FOR HAZARDOUS MATERIALS FOR OIL SECTOR Conscious of the fact that the country is in dire need for shore base facilities needed

for the rapidly developing oil sector, John Fernandes Limited has decided to approach the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to construct a 5,000 square meter storage and transfer facility.

According to the project document perused by Kaieteur News, the proposed facility is expected to be constructed at Plantation Fairfield, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara. It will be strictly used for storage of products and equipment, repackaging of products into tanks, filtering product as they repackaged, quality control of the filtering operation, and transportation of inventory to supply vessel.

The document goes on to state that finished products imported from the US would be brought into Georgetown, Guyana and after clearance from customs, they would be transferred to the proposed site where most of the products are filtered as they are transferred into internationally approved transportation containers through a closed-loop system to eliminate vapor emissions. The developer, who is listed as Zach Gonsalves, stated that oilfield materials would be stored in these containers at the proposed site until needed offshore.

Upon receipt of the project summary, the EPA has asked for additional information specific to the containers which include the type of chemicals that would be stored along with the make and capacity of the containers.

Kaieteur News understands that the company plans to store materials such as asphaltene inhibitor, corrosion inhibitor, biocide, biocide filter, hydrate inhibitor, demulsifier, chlorine scavenger, defoamer and hydrate inhibitor. The product will be stored in tanks constructed from stainless steel and with certification from the International Organization of Standardization (ISO). The Fernandes Group was keen to note that material compatibility, material specific gravity, vapour pressure, and flash point are key elements which feed into the decision on the kind of container selected and used for transport and storage as well as the fill weight of the material.

The company has said that it intends to comply with UN package performance standards to ensure safety and regulatory adherence to laws and regulations.

GUYANAMUST PREPARE Earlier this year, former Energy Minister for Trinidad and Tobago, Kevin Ramnarine, had cautioned (Continued on page 21)

Sunday December 27, 2020

From page 20 during an exclusive interview with Kaieteur News that Guyana needs to increase its preparation to meet the demands of the oil sector or it will find itself overwhelmed.

Unfortunately, Guyana has already found itself facing this crude reality as it is unable to meet the needs of the Liza Phase One Project which is using the Liza Destiny oil vessel.

Five more oil development projects are expected to come on board by 2026. These projects will also have floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels loading up the oil for sale and will require the services of shorebase facilities. Along with the Liza Destiny that is in operation, there are four drill ships and about 25 support vessels operating in the Guyana basin.

The former TT minister had recalled that international consultancy firm and trusted data provider, Wood Mackenzie, had said that Guyana would soon become the 11th nation in the history of the world to produce over one million barrels of oil per day. Taking this into consideration, he said that Guyana has to prepare its industry to be equipped with robust institutional capacity and legislation.

He acknowledged that the Energy Department has made some moves in this direction but noted at the same time that it should have been in place since 2015. “The country is therefore a bit behind the curve at this time,” the now business studies lecturer said.

Ramnarine also said that it is critical that Guyana does not find itself in a place where the industry grows exponentially but the capacity to manage it does not. He said this was one of the blunders made by his home country while adding that Guyana has the good fortune of having borrowed experience as it endeavours to do better.

LARGEST QUARRY LICENCE IN REGION ISSUED TO JAGMOHAN – TO CATER FOR INFLUX OF LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS – AT LEAST 300M TONNES OF ROCK AVAILABLE FOR EXTRACTION “Finally, after almost one decade since the last Quarry Licence (QL) was issued, Black Jaguar Investment Group Inc.(the company), a wholly owned subsidiary of the El Dorado Trading group of companies, has obtained on December 1st, 2020, a

Quarry Licence (Large Scale).”

That was how a statement from the company described the issuance of the licence.

The principal is Tamesh Jagmohan, one of the biggest gold dealer in the country who has also been investing in housing.

Production of stones from the quarry will help to reduce incidences of shortages, especially with indications of a significant number of largescale projects in the pipeline.

“This quarry licence was issued by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) for the extraction and processing of rock to produce boulders and various sizes of aggregate.

The last QL issued was to Durban Quarries Inc. in 2010.”

The licence, obtained by the company, is located on the Mazaruni River in Region Seven in the vicinity of Marshall Falls.

“The QL covers an aerial extent of 7,086 acres, making it the single largest QL in existence in Guyana and the Caribbean. The combined acreage of the other existing QLs in Guyana is not equal in size to this newly issued QL. The area covered by this QL hosts deposits of granite and gabbro type rocks. These rocks are excellent for use as first class aggregate in the construction industry.”

According to Black Jaguar, the elevations, within 75 percent of the area, are enclosed by the QL and are greater than 200 feet – the maximum elevations exceed 300 feet.

“The 300 feet contour covers approximately 40 percent of the aerial extent of the QL. The elevation at the Mazaruni River bank is less than 50 feet. The overburden in this area is usually less than 40 feet. This leaves approximately 200 feet of rock standing above the level of the river bank which can be easily extracted.”

Black Jaguar said that the aerial extent of the 200 feet contour line with the adjustments for the river bank overburden indicates that there will be approximately 300 million tonnes of rock available for extraction above the level of the river bank.

Unlike the other quarries in operation, the company insisted that it will be engaging international quarry operators to set up multiple sites of extraction and production to maximize the output of the quarry to meet the current and expected demand in the local and regional economy.

“Other quarries in Guyana have a very limited approach to extraction and production, they operate only a single

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extraction and processing system no matter the size of the QL and the availability of the resource. The company plans to revolutionize the way the quarry industry operates in Guyana and to solve the chronic shortage of supply that has resulted in a resource rich country having to import aggregate to meet demand.”

Black Jaguar said that the proposed facility will be developed using state-ofthe-art technology to maximize capacity and operational efficiency.

“The target for initial production is 20,000 tonnes of aggregate per week. The chronic shortage of aggregate has long been causing government infrastructure projects to run years beyond the projected deadline for completion. No longer will government or private construction be delayed due to shortages in the supply of aggregate.”

The company said that this highly efficient, new, large scale operation will allow the company to supply products to the local market in a timely manner and at very competitive prices to support the rapidly expanding development in Guyana.

The company said it is hoping to produce two million tonnes annually using new equipment.

“We will bring down cost for materials which will in turn bring down cost for expensive projects and housing, etc., that are related to the quarry sector.”

WEDNESDAY GUYANAMAKES NO USE OF UNDP REPORT TO AVOID CORRUPTION, ABUSE IN OIL SECTOR In response to a request in 2016 to help Guyana arrive at good legal, regulatory, contractual and fiscal measures needed to keep corruption at bay, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had commissioned an analysis to be done on the state of the nation’s governance systems.

The subsequent report on the review done was called “Rapid Analysis of the State of Readiness of Guyana’s Hydrocarbon Regulatory Framework.” It was produced

by Trinidadian energy strategist, Anthony Paul.

But, after four years of being in possession of this document, which proposes close to 100 critical recommendations on how Guyana must safeguard itself, nothing had been done.

That report which was perused for years by Kaieteur News, was keen to note that

the requirements and expectations of government to manage the sector, especially when one considers the magnitude of the resources discovered, are enormous.

It notes that requests for new licences and exploration have accelerated, in spite of the drop in oil prices. In light of this, Paul noted in his analysis that reviewing, approving, and overseeing the implementation of the field development plans for oil projects and subsequent production will require very significant human and other resources.

Paul pointed out, however, that Guyana has a very limited capacity in this area, while adding that its laws, contracts and institutions are outdated and under-resourced to meet the demands of upcoming activities.

The industry expert was keen to note that improving the foundational components of the country’s petroleum governance system, that is to say, its legal and institutional frameworks are fundamental to managing oil money successfully. If the country fails in this regard, Paul noted that Guyana would be left wide open to risks of corruption and abuse as well as losing very significant value.

Among his many recommendations was a call for the frequent use of Guyana’s parliamentary sectoral committees on natural resources and economics. Paul stressed that these committees can be effective regulatory tools for the sector.

In capturing value, Paul said that Guyana needs to implement systems which will allow it to make the proper decisions on various issues such as the right rate of production and depletion of

the resources, getting the best possible contract terms for Guyana, ensuring the actions of companies are done in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, and ensuring there is maximum capacity development among locals to enable their participation.

In managing revenue, the Trinidadian Strategist said that Guyana would also have to urgently put mechanisms in place, which will allow for the effective collection of all oil revenue due to the State, while ensuring that there is prudent spending by enhancing infrastructure, services and capacity for future sustainability along with ensuring savings for future generations.

Further to this, Paul was keen to note that the authorities of the day must make every effort to ensure that it is informing Guyanese of how and when they are making decisions about the oil resources. He said that it is required of the citizenry to make sure that these decisions are in their best interest.

He said, too, that Guyanese must demand that the government implements systems to ensure transparency and accountability for each institution tasked with spending the oil money and regulating industry performance.

Overall, Paul’s report highlights the need for Guyana to make urgent reforms, otherwise, the nation stands to lose billions more, and that is outside of what is already lost by way of the lopsided Stabroek Block deal.

CHINESE CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FOOT US$9M BILLFOR ADDITIONAL WORKS ON CJIA Government Tuesday announced that it penned a new agreement with troubled Chinese contractor, China

Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC), to the tune of US$9M for supplementary works to be completed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

The catch is that the contractor will have to solely foot the bill.

Since taking office, the Irfaan Ali government has been under pressure to resolve the almost-decade long project.

CHEC was contracted to build a new and modernized airport since late 2011.

But Guyanese would have to wait a little longer as the new agreement signed, gives CHEC until end of next year.

According to a release from the Ministry of Public Works, the new works will include an extension of the airport’s boarding corridor in order to accommodate two more passenger boarding bridges, providing the airport with a total of six boarding bridges capable of servicing aircraft such as the Boeing 777, Dreamliner, the AirBus and similar trans-Atlantic aircraft.

It will also entail the terminal building being extended to provide accommodation for additional commercial space, including food courts and duty-free shops.

The extended building will feature a modern airport façade covering the full length of the Departure Terminal, the release outlined.

It stated too, that CHEC agreed to “rectify and complete all outstanding remedial works” within prescribed timelines.

The new agreement was reportedly signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Public Works Ministry Vladim Persaud, on behalf of the Government of Guyana and (Continued on page 22)

PAGE 22

From page 21 Liu Keliang, Project Manager for and on behalf of CHEC. That contract was controversially signed back in late 2011 under then President Bharrat Jagdeo and later passed through the short presidency of Donald Ramotar.

In fact, it was not till in early 2013 that the sod was turned. The project chugged along under the David Granger presidency and now is being inherited by the Irfaan Ali administration.

When Granger’s administration took over in 2015, it claimed that the plan was in need of adjustments.

Then Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson, had said that only seven percent of the work was completed, with claims for US$90 million equating to more than half of the contract sum.

He laid the blame on the PPP/C’s management of the project.

But the adjustments made were kept hidden from the public for several years and were only revealed after consistent reports by this newspaper of several red flags related to the project.

In addition, while different aspects of the construction works were completed, several issues pertaining to quality of materials and work required dire attention. Those issues and more are listed among the reasons why the project has been delayed for years.

Now it is back with the new Irfaan Ali-led People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/ C) administration.

The issues with the renovation only worsened over the years.

It was only in early July of this year that the CJIA sought bids for additional works to be completed.

Invitations for bids advertised indicated that the airport needs a new fence for its public car park and an access control security hut.

These intended projects, which stand outside of the US$150 million contract, are not alone.

There are also plans for a new parking lot valued at GYD$122 million, a cargo facility, a commercial centre, an office area and a parking lot, all advertised last year.

However, many were of the contention that the added projects should never have been excluded in the first place.

Numerous contractors had revealed that the amount and quality of work being done to renovate the port were inflated many times over…and it is all for the

Kaieteur News

taxpayers.

Moreover, CHEC was caught using its equipment illegally on a private job.

Officials had reported that the company used its trucks and other vehicles and possibly even sand from the airport project on the MovieTowne construction at Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara.

CHEC’s trucks, more than 25 of them, were granted duty free concessions and reportedly received tax waivers on at least six pickups and four SUVs. Somewhere along the line, the company’s sister company, China Harbour Engineering (T&T) Ltd (CHEC) also managed to win the contract to construct the MovieTowne project in December 2014 for US$30 million.

However, it appeared that CHEC decided to use the equipment that it has stationed at the airport, including the trucks, to work along with the MovieTowne project.

Under the terms of conditions for the granting of concessions, equipment and vehicles have to be utilized specifically for the purposes it was granted – in this case the airport project.

For the airport project, CHEC was allowed use of three sandpits, two loam pits and two pagasse pits. A few pieces of equipment including a tower crane that came for the CJIA project was put into use at MovieTowne.

In fact, the MovieTowne Mall has since been completed and put into operation while construction at CJIA still awaits completion.

The company later denied the allegation and added that it sought at all times to be compliant, and it will continue to make “compliance a priority for as long as we operate in this territory.”

However, the noncompliance only continued as the months went by and the PPP/C tried several avenues in attempts to force CHEC to complete the airport per the initial contract specifications.

The lucrative concessions that the contractor benefited from were halted by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) after it failed to meet the contract obligations.

ILL-PREPARED GUYANAMULLS NEW BID ROUNDS FOR OIL BLOCKS The Government of Guyana is considering putting up oil blocks for sale via bid rounds in 2021.

This would allow Guyana to get much-needed revenue, as those awarded before were given out for free. However, concerns remain about Guyana’s preparedness for such a move.

The plan to have bid rounds was reported in another section of the media, with Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, quoted as saying that the rounds will happen in 2021.

However, when this newspaper contacted the Minister Tuesday, he said that the matter is still being discussed. The Government, he said, is expected to make a decision on the way forward, early 2021.

Unlicensed acreages are limited. All that remains offshore are the area known as Block C and the area relinquished from the Canje block by ExxonMobil in 2019.

These areas could bring in a lot of revenue for Guyana.

ExxonMobil expects to find 10 billion barrels of oil in the Canje block. The area relinquished by Exxon is tucked under the Canje block and is situated very close to several of ExxonMobil’s Stabroek block discoveries.

Block C sits right on top of the Canje block and east of the Kaieteur block, which is expected to hold 2.1 billion barrels.

Key to the award of oil licences is the review of Guyana’s oil laws, the establishment of a Petroleum Commission and the production of a model Production Sharing Agreement (PSA).

Before it assumed government, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/ C) touted plans to establish a Petroleum Commission to keep politics out of oil. The Government is yet to outline its legislative agenda for the introduction of the Petroleum Commission Bill, and other oil laws, which urgently require

revision.

The Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act is over three decades old.

Despite Guyana’s laws providing for competitive bidding, which have been used in the mining sector, they are still outdated and require revision to keep up with modern, international best practices.

Politicians who are part of the current administration had criticized the former Government for not adequately preparing Guyana for oil, especially as it had approved two field developments without modern laws.

Additionally, in June last year, the then Opposition Leader, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo had cautioned the David Granger administration not to award any new licences until it completed the model PSA. This followed sustained criticism of the Stabroek block PSA, which was signed by former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman in 2016. The Minister granted the deal under questionable circumstances with provisions widely seen as less than the country deserves. It was later revealed that Trotman ignored expert advice on multiple occasions with respect to the award of the licence and certain key financial provisions.

Jagdeo had said that no other oil company should be afforded the concessions granted to ExxonMobil for the Stabroek block, which included a permanent waiver of all taxes and the right to self-insure against natural disasters.

Jagdeo is now Vice President and is yet to publicly pronounce on the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C)’s campaign promise of providing a superior model PSA. The party had also promised to renegotiate

Sunday December 27, 2020

several petroleum agreements, with the exception of ExxonMobil’s Stabroek block deal. Those deals have not been renegotiated. Yet, the government is considering awarding new deals.

It was the PPP/C that signed several deals with oil companies, more than the Granger administration did, giving away oil blocks at extremely generous terms.

The most controversial of these were the Canje and Kaieteur blocks, which were given away by former President Donald Ramotar under suspicious circumstances, just before the 2015 elections.

Any new awards made to companies which are unqualified and which do not demonstrate proper track records of petroleum exploration and development would raise major red flags.

One of the major issues, which had plagued the awards of the Canje and Kaieteur blocks, and still does, is beneficial ownership.

The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) has given a deadline of yearend for the revelation of all beneficial owners, but the Irfaan Ali administration is yet to provide such a register to the public and the EITI. The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) has said that when rights are awarded, governments should ensure that certain information about the companies is made transparent, including who owns them. NRGI also urges governments to develop reliable and consistent mechanisms to keep track of the owners of oil blocks and other extractives licences.

The Guyanese public has learnt a lot from the controversial Kaieteur and Canje awards, and would expect much improvement from any new licensing

process. If President Ali intends to licence new blocks in 2021, he will have a lot of preparatory work to do in a very short time.

THURSDAY FAILURE TO START AUDIT LEAVES GUYANA FORCED TO ACCEPT EXXONMOBIL’S 20152018 LOCAL CONTENT COSTS AS CORRECT According to the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) Guyana signed with ExxonMobil in 2016, the Minister responsible for the oil sector has only two years to audit the expenses the US super major incurs at the end of each fiscal year. In other words, the Minister only has up to 2017 to audit the company’s expenses incurred in 2015. The official would also have to foot the bill for all costs associated with that audit.

Apart from the relatively short deadline to conduct this assessment, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has highlighted the need for Guyana to complete these audits in a timely manner since its failure to do so would leave the country forced to accept the company’s costs as reported.

The IMF pointed out too that the only other auditing power Guyana has rests with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). In this regard, the tax body is only empowered to raise an assessment for Corporate Income Tax (CIT) (which is paid out of the government share of profit oil), or additional tax, within seven years after the expiration of the year of assessment.

In light of the fact that Guyana has failed to establish a Local Content Committee to review costs incurred by (Continued on page 23)

Sunday December 27, 2020

From page 22 Exxon, it would have to accept as correct, whatever expenses the company incurred for the years, 2015 to 2018. ExxonMobil had said that it spent US$1.7M in 2015, US$11.5M in 2016, US$23.8M in 2017, and US$58M in 2018.

In total, this would be US$95M or $20B. Since ExxonMobil began operations in 2015, the company has kept away from scrutiny, its local content reports, which would expose just how seriously it takes capacity building.

As for the local businesses, which it has used for the first half of the year, ExxonMobil said more than 600 Guyanese suppliers were used for services.

These “services” included the procurement of “food stuff” and “engineering” works. Again, the company provided no breakdown of the names of companies it used for the first half of 2020. The only time ExxonMobil ever released the list of companies it claimed to have used for its local content efforts was back in June 2018.

The company had claimed that it had used over 300 Guyanese registered companies to supply services.

In response to calls for evidence of same, a list was provided. Upon examination, however, it was found that ExxonMobil padded its list with the names of places like Bourda Market, Haags Bosch Dumpsite, Royal Castle, Bounty Supermarket, Metro Office and Computer Supplies, Star Party Rentals, and S h a n t a ’s R o t i S h o p . I t listed utility companies such as the Guyana Power and Light and the Guyana Revenue Authority as part of its local content efforts too.

Persons were also listed as registered companies.

They included: Sonia Noel, Chontelle Sewett, Andron Alphonso and Mokesh Daby.

As part of one of its statements earlier this year, ExxonMobil had claimed that the Centre for Local Business Development, which is located on South Road, has remained supportive of local businesses with a transition to virtual courses.

However, no evidence or report of any kind was provided to confirm this.

Additionally, ExxonMobil said that the centre continued mentorship of 10 Guyanese companies in the process to be compliant in the ISO 9001 quality

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management system. Those names were not released.

COVID-19 DEATHS BEGIN TO ABATE, BUT NEW HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS FOREIGN STRAINS LOOM An examination of the current environment and COVID-19 statistics since March, paints a picture some would find promising: with the September to November period being the deadliest and most infectious months for Guyana, COVID-19 has slightly begun to abate. The number of new cases being detected is on a slight but noticeable decrease. The death rate is also decreasing.

However, two new highly contagious COVID-19 cases detected in the United Kingdom are threatening to spread across the world very quickly. After a scary 10 months, Guyana awaits advice from its international partners on the way forward.

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, had very early in the new government’s term discussed plans to reopen the economy, even though some international experts say the pandemic may last well into 2021, or even 2022. In the months following the new government’s term, testing spiked, new cases spiked, and so did deaths.

Twenty persons had died in July, and that almost doubled, to 39 in August. In September, 41 persons died.

In October, 44 persons died – the deadliest month yet. In November, 27 people died – a lower but still startling figure as almost one person died every day. As of December 23, 11 people died this month from COVID-19.

These statistics reflect the efforts of the government of the day at any given point.

The former APNU+AFC Government had announced early in April that it would be implementing emergency measures to tackle the pandemic, including a curfew, closure of a series of businesses, and bans on social activities. Otherwise, the country was focused for months on the contentious general and regional elections of 2020.

In those months, testing slowly began to increase, until August when the electoral process came to a close. In early August, the PPP/C took up office, and immediately noted deficiencies in the public health infrastructure to manage the pandemic. But despite ramping up testing, which gave a truer idea of the impact of the pandemic; the government slightly relaxed

the curfew and decided to allow mining, despite a spike in COVID-19 cases in certain hinterland parts. A total of 893 cases were detected in August, then 1,588 in September. October and November saw Guyana recording 1,268 and 1,244 more cases, respectively. A total of 852 cases have been recorded in December as of Wednesday, representing a slightly lower detection rate than November.

Many have grown tired with the restriction COVID-19 has placed on their lives and have just about disregarded them. To others, the apparent decrease in figures – especially deaths – represents a sign that the depression COVID-19 has wrought on society will come to an end soon, especially since many countries have started taking in the Pfizer and BioNTech coronavirus vaccine. But a second global wave appears to be on the horizon.

The United Kingdom recently recorded a sharp uptick in cases, and scientists have all but attributed it to a new strain of COVID-19 that is way more contagious. The UK government said that it is 70 percent more infectious. It was detected early in December, said UK Health Secretary, Matt Hancock.

About 40 nations responded quickly by banning entry from travellers from the UK. There is insufficient evidence yet to prove that the new strain is more deadly, but it has already spread to several countries. New cases have been confirmed in Denmark, Italy, Gibraltar, the Netherlands, Australia, and South Africa. The US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) thinks it may have already arrived in the US in November and that many people could already be infected. Similarly, experts from the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) in New Delhi, India worry the strain could already be in the populous

country.

On top of that, a yet more infectious variant of the various was detected in the UK, which was determined to have come from South Africa.

That country is also studying the strain to determine whether it is responsible for a surge in cases there. The UK is considering even stricter, wider lockdown measures to curb the spread. Guyana is yet to decide whether it will return to stricter measures. $200M OVERPAID FOR GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS - AG REPORT Details from the Auditor General’s 2019 Report show that some $199.381M was overpaid by the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) for four major governmental projects.

According to the report, these overpayments had occurred under four ministries, namely the Ministry of Finance (MoF), Ministry of Public Telecommunications (MoPT), Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) in 2019.

Against this, the report said, “Included in the $199.381M are amounts totalling $145M and $25.529M, which were overpaid on the rehabilitation of the Leguan Stelling, and expansion of offices at the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) Headquarters, respectively.”

Advance payments With respect to the construction of St. Rose’s High School, two advance payments totalling $81.869M were paid to the contractor, Courtney Benn Contracting Services Limited, despite no significant works being completed. When the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) assumed office, the Attorney General terminated this contract on the basis of the contractor failing

to comply with their contractual obligations.

Further, in the report it was recalled that a contract was awarded on 31 December 2019 by National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) for the construction of a Secondary School at Yarrowkabra, Linden Highway in the sum of $827.756M. It was indicated that a request to the Finance Secretary for multiyear approval was seen dated December 31, 2019, the same date the contract was awarded. A mobilization advance in the sum of $26.041M was paid to the contractor on January 7, 2020.

But this contract has since been terminated.

Meanwhile, the report stated that the Ministry of Public Telecommunications had approved an advance payment of $17.171M and an interim payment of $31.829M, on the same date, for renovations and functional enhancements to a Call Centre Building at Linden, Region 10.

Concerningly, the contract between the Ministry and the contractor was signed one day after the advance and interim payments were approved.

Capital works charged to current expenditure According to the report, payments totalling $67.473M were made for capital works but charged to current expenditure, thereby breaching the Fiscal Management Accountability Act. It added that seven such payments totalling $54.358M representing approximately 81 percent had been made under Ministry of Public Infrastructure.

Negligent supervising consultants The report said that several instances were noted whereby Supervising Consultants failed to administer contracts in the best interests of the Ministries/Departments. In particular: The MoPT made

full payment on a contract to an engineering firm for design and supervision services for the renovations and functional enhancements to a Call Centre Building at Linden, Region 10. However, the audit office’s physical verification on September 4, 2020 revealed that there was no representative from the consultant on site to supervise the works.

“Further, the roof sheeting installed did not meet the specifications in the contract, while materials valuing $16.249M, already paid for, were not on the site,” it said.

The report continued, “With respect to the construction of Ministry of Finance New Annex Building, an advance payment of $64.55M was made to the contractor in 2017. As at 31 December, 2019, $26.506M out of the $64.55M was still not recovered. Further, the Bond provided for this remaining balance expired since 30 December 2019.”

Further, the AG Office stated that “the Ministry of Public Health had engaged a consultant to provide supervision services for the construction of its Head Office Building Phase One. It indicated that all valuations for payment were prepared without any breakdown of the works being paid for at the time. “Instead, only a summary sheet with the sums being paid for was prepared and submitted by the consultant recommending payment to the contractor. In addition, it was noted that payments totalling $26.408M were made as lump sums for variation works which, as a consequence, could not be measured and quantified.”

Finally, the AG office noted that the supervising consultants engaged by the GDF and the MoF for supervision services for the expansion of offices at CDC, and the construction of MoF New Annex Building, respectively, prepared and recommended full payments in several instances for works which were not completed by the contractors at the time.

FRIDAY TRICKS OIL COMPANIES USE TO ROB NATIONS Cost recovery is considered an integral part of production sharing agreements that are signed between governments and oil companies. The mechanism is one that allows oil operators to recoup money spent for activities regarding exploration, development and (Continued on page 24)

PAGE 24

From page 23 production of oil and gas resources.

But the process, if not properly scrutinized by governments, is often used by oil companies to rob nations of billions of dollars by inflating costs. In fact, the Centre for Public Integrity (CPI), which researched this matter for decades, has documented many of the ways oil companies go about abusing the cost recovery process.

In some cases, the international watchdog on corruption, said that expenses claimed by oil companies have been found to be simply ineligible.

Examples, drawn from actual cases, include companies seeking to claim expenses incurred prior to the signing of the “host government agreement” contract; expenses for personal interests of executives, expatriate employees and families; expenses for the technical training of expatriates; a duplicate invoice for a good or service that has already been expensed; inclusion of

Kaieteur News

expenses such as oil and gas marketing fees, or expenses related to mergers, acquisitions, or transfers in participating interests that are normally deemed ineligible according to the contract.

In other cases, CPI stated that the price of legitimate goods and services are intentionally inflated. The nonprofit organization said this practice, known as transfer mis-pricing or misinvoicing, is of particular concern for transactions between affiliated companies.

In this regard, it noted for example, one case where offshore drilling work was contracted to another subsidiary of the same parent firm. It said that the invoice ultimately submitted for the work was inflated by 30% beyond what the drilling was actually worth. The 30% in this scenario was recorded as a cost to the project, but is in fact profit for the company.

This “profit” is ultimately reported in a low tax jurisdiction – a process known as profit shifting.

Furthermore, CPI said it also found that contracts

normally contain clauses requiring that all transactions between affiliated companies are based on international market prices. It stressed however that these provisions are “notoriously difficult to enforce.”

Turning its attention to another controversial category of costs, CPI said that overseas headquarters costs are a legitimate expense but have often been used to inflate project expenses. In most contracts, it said that these costs are supposed to be limited to a small percent of overall project costs.

It also said that countries have to be wary of the interest on the loans taken to finance projects, as these are oftentimes a potential area for abuse. CPI said that many tax regimes put in place limits on the ratio of debt to equity (to avoid what is known as “thin capitalization”). Finally, the nonprofit said that countries should also be wary of invoices submitted for goods that were never actually acquired and for services that were never actually delivered.

It has documented hundreds of examples where countries

Sunday December 27, 2020

have been duped in this regard.

GUYANARECEIVED US$150M IN OIL REVENUES THIS YEAR BUT GAVE AWAY US$600M IN TAXES FOR 2019 The total revenue Guyana received so far from oil exports and royalty is almost at US$150 million since production began last December. However, the country lost a lot more in 2019 due to the huge tax exemptions it granted to oil companies operating on its shores.

Those tax exemptions total a whopping US$600 million. Same was revealed i n t h e A u d i t G e n e r a l ’s report for 2019.

“During the year 2019, the Oil and Gas Sector received tax exemptions totalling $125.849 billion through the Go-Invest and the Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC),” the Audit Report for 2019 noted.

To put that figure into perspective, the magnitude of those exemptions measures up to 37% of G u y a n a ’s 2 0 2 0 $ 3 2 9 . 5 billion budget. In addition, the report pointed out too that two companies objected to assessed taxes totalling some $265.626 million.

Guyana will continue along this path of billions being lost in revenue because these very exemptions it granted. For context, instead of allowing ExxonMobil and its partners, Hess Corporation and CNOOC/ NEXEN to pay their fair share of Corporate Income Ta x e s ( C I T ) , G u y a n a agreed to pay the same on behalf of the contractor from its share of oil profits.

In other words, if Guyana

gets $50 in profits and the taxes to be paid to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) amount to $20, it means that Guyana has only gained $30 in profits. If Guyana did not agree to such a provision in the Production Sharing Agreement to begin with, it would have walked away with a total of $70.

Tom Sanzillo, Director of Finance at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, commenting on this very issue had stated that the public is fundamentally being shortchanged when the government pays the income taxes for the company.

Sanzillo who has 30 years of experience in public and private finance, had noted too that in a five-year-period, ExxonMobil would be walking away with US$653 million which it should have paid in taxes.

Based on his calculations, Sanzillo stated, that bill is what Guyana would be left paying from its share of the profits. A simple calculation of that figure over the 40year life of the agreement, considering Exxon’s plan for five oil vessels by 2026, would see Guyana losing US$40 billion in taxes throughout the deal.

However, the US$653 million projection is based on the early years of Exxon’s oil

production in the Stabroek Block, when it is recovering most of its investment in the development of the fields.

Exxon’s profit will increase to a large extent after it has recouped those investments, therefore, higher taxes would be due, and the actual loss of tax revenue for Guyana will likely be much higher.

Canadian Engineer, Darshanand Khusial had also pointed out the unfair precedence this sets as taxes for big name oil companies are waived while the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) hassle commercial enterprises to pay theirs.

“One cannot help but notice the irony of small Guyanese businesses struggling to pay 40% taxes but wealthy multinational companies having to pay no taxes,” he said.

Meanwhile, industry analysts as well as global organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IBD) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have said that Guyana should have taken more than a 50% split of the profits made from the Stabroek Block since it is satisfying the tax obligations of the oil companies.

Both institutions acknowledged that Guyana is shortchanging itself by opting to pay the oil companies’ taxes without increasing its take.

Sunday December 27, 2020

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Kaieteur News

==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==

How do family, relatives and friends react to naked, ugly minds?

One of the things that have always bothered me about life is what do the family members, relatives and friends say to humans who do ugly, vile things, things that are so unbearable, that it calls into question their value as humans and whether they are worthy of being humans.

This thing has rested on my mind since I became a husband, then father. I married a very decent woman that was interested in doing good for others.

Then I fathered a kid whose concern for justice and equality among people is solid. Throughout the years of marriage and parenthood, I have had interventions from both wife and daughter about things I indicated I wanted to do and say.

I have always been fascinated with how family members, relatives and friends deal with wrong things that their loved ones do. I remember a few years ago, the daughter of a well-known lawyer, Vic Puran, wrote a nasty letter on me in this newspaper. Puran died in mysterious circumstances with one of his daughters publicly proclaiming that he was murdered.

When I wrote about the sordid side of Puran’s transactions that may have caused

his death, the daughter was angry and penned her letter.

I would never know if she was aware of certain aspects of her father’s life.

The daughter of the Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, cried profusely when he was executed but she didn’t cry for those her father murdered.

Maybe he would have become an international hero if she had persuaded him to be a democrat and not a dictator.

See my article of 10 years ago on the subject with more examples; Wednesday, February 10, 2010, “Parents and victims: The injustices of life.”

One night, years ago, when Dr. David Hinds and I were friends before he showed his true colours (in both senses of the word) we were having plantain chips and fried fish at Nicky’s Fish Shop on Drury Lane, Campbellville.

He mentioned something about knowing the youngest daughter of President Burnham. I immediately jumped on him about her silence on what her father did to Guyana. I recall vividly, David’s expression, he intoned; “Freddie how can she do that?” Of course, she can still acknowledge the horrible things her father did to this

country for which he should have been toppled and put in prison. But she wouldn’t.

So I guess this particular mystery about life will never end. We will never know why family members, relatives and friends do not confront their loved ones when they do wrong things.

I was moved to write this piece here after I witnessed another manifestation of some ugly minds in the Stabroek News of December 24 captioned, “We call on the President and Police to enable EAAF team to carry out forensic probe into murders of Henry cousins, Haresh Singh.”

This is one of several letters written, since the rigging of the March 2020 election was stopped by the Caribbean Court of Justice, the Chief Justice and the Court of Appeal. One of the missives was condemnatory of the visit to Guyana by Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. Another was about the detained Haitians. Now this one on the three murdered youths.

This country passed through one of its most terrible moments since the three counties were united to become British Guiana.

That moment took the shape of five months of a se-

ries of sickening attempts to rig the March 2020 election that if succeeded would have created mayhem and destruction so intense and extensive that Guyana could not have survived and the placid zone of peace that the Caribbean is would have exploded.

Yet other less exigent situations seem to preoccupy the minds of some of those who wrote those three letters than the five months of rigging. I could understand some of those who sign those three letters (alluded to above) are not parents or have spouses so there is no one in their lives to talk to them about their

double standards, morbid hypocrisy and psychic contortion. But others do have children and spouses.

Why can’t these family members ask their loved ones how they feel about what took place from March 3 until August 1? Can’t these family members tell their loved ones that in writing those three letters and not one comment on the election rigging it shows what horrible minds they put on display in shamelessly avoiding the denouncing of rigged election in Guyana?

Sadly, there is no quarter in Guyana that wants to expose these hypocrites. When I

Frederick Kissoon read about these things, believe me, on each occasion I love my pets far, far more than humans.

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

PAGE 26

Kaieteur News

Sunday December 27, 2020

Kaieteur News

Sunday December 27, 2020

PAGE 27

>>> ENCOURAGING EVENTS, DISTURBING DEVELOPMENTS <<<

ICJ ruling, United Airlines COVID-19 midflight moment, Nigel Hughes, Guyanese fisherman, and a wish

By GHK Lall

I

trust that everyone had a healthy, peaceful, and joyful Christmas holiday.

Guyanese received some encouraging pre-Christmas news, which sets the stage for the New Year ahead. It was good to learn that the ICJ ruled that it has jurisdiction over the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela.

This over a century-old matter comforts from beingin the capable hands of the ICJ. Though our neighbours are extremely unhappy with any ruling that is not for it, this is where Guyana has to pin its case and hopes, and a good start has been

made with the issue of jurisdiction now settled.

It was with awe that I absorbed the story of one man, who during a United Airlines flight rushed to the aid of a fellow passenger displaying COVID-19 symptoms.

This man, Tony Aldapa, (an EMT) didn't think twice before hastening to perform CPR on a stricken traveller, despite being familiar with the risks.

Unfortunately, the passenger died, and Mr. Aldapa has since come down with symptoms of the virus himself (New York Post December 20). I hail this human being who showed us what the best in us require be done in times of crisis, even when strangers are involved. There is a lesson in selfsacrifice there for us, which should resonate in this season of Christmas.

Contrastingly, it was disturbing to absorb what was placed upon the

head and put in the mouth of Nigel Hughes, via a Facebook development. I am always amazed at the lengths to which Guyanese will go to divide and distress, to menace the fragile racial peace that exists in this land.

Some things should not be thought of, much less approached and then delivered into the public arena, where untold harms can result. Some of us, for wicked political purpos es , like to experiment with fire. I am not concerned when those doing so get burned. What is ruffling is that the unassociated could be collateral damage for these rancid political antics. The concerning came from reading that Guyanese “commercial fishermen will lose access to some farout fishing areas due to Payara project” (KN December 17).

Exxon, however, has stated that the “impact on livelihoods will be negligible -EIA.” This company, which has a terrible environmental

record, and dumps toxic wastewater in our seas, and still carefully denies climate change science, is essentially saying to Guyanese fishermen: trust us on this. The impact is negligible.

This is the company, whose leaders extract every advantage for themselves by strangling the aspirations of Guyanese, and is brazen enough to assert that the “impact...will be negligible.” That is a bag of crock, and the company knows it. Run a few fishing boats repeatedly over an area, and the catch diminishes before too long, because of the agitations from related activity.

Now multiply that by a thousandfold from oil production efforts at the wells - the sonic effects, the turbulence, the disruptions - and Guyanese are being told the equivalent of: 'doan tek worreez.'

This our partner!

I urge Guyanese to think of these people as more of our predators: ferocious,

ruthless, and devastating. The company disturbs and the Guyana government disturbs for falling for a line like that; and especially when the latest reports show Exxon flaring night and day. I do not trust anything that this oil supermajor says or does.

Both endanger severely.

It is now timely to leave with a few wishes for my fellow Guyanese for 2021. I wish that our government will rise to the challenges of clean and inclusive governance.

I think it can, if it really tries. I wish that our opposition would find itself and be a force to reckon with in the New Year. To all citizens: my wish is that it would be a better year than we had in 2020, that we can lift ourselves above what drags us down. To everyone: the best for the New Year.

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

Kaieteur News

PAGE 30

g ts in s... re ture e t In rea C

T

Sunday December 27, 2020

The Turtle Dove

urtle Doves are featured in the song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” as the gift “my true love gives to me” on the second day of Christmas. If added cumulatively, by the end of the song, the recipient has been given 22.

Perhaps because of Biblical references (especially the well-known verse from the Song of Songs), its mournful voice, and the fact that it forms strong pair bonds, Turtle Doves, have become emblems

of devoted love.

In the New Testament, two turtle doves are mentioned to have been sacrificed for the Birth of Jesus. In Renaissance Europe, the Turtle Dove was envisaged as the devoted partner of the Phoenix. Robert Chester's poem Love's Martyr is a sustained exploration of this symbolism. It was published along with other poems on the subject, including William Shakespeare's poem “The Phoenix and the Turtle”

(where “turtle” refers to the turtle dove).

The Turtle Dove is also featured in a number of folk songs about love and loss. One of these is a setting by Ralph Vaughan Williams. This bird species also appear in the title and lyrics of a spiritual from the Georgia Sea Islands.

Also known as the European Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur), the Turtle Dove is a member of the bird family Columbidae, which includes the doves and

pigeons. It is a migratory species with a southern Palaearctic range, including Turkey and North Africa, although it is rare in northern Scandinavia and Russia. It winters in southern Africa.

According to the State of Europe's Common Birds 2007 report, the European Turtle Dove population in Europe has fallen by 62 per cent in recent times. This is partly because changed farming practices mean that the weed seeds and shoots on which it feeds,

especially Fumitory, are more scarce, and partly due to shooting of birds in Mediterranean countries during their migration.

Smaller and slighter in

build than many other doves, it measures 24–29 cm (9.4–11 in) in length, 47–55 cm (19–22 in) in wingspan and weighs 85–170 g (3.0–6.0 oz).

Its browner colour, and the black-and-white-striped patch on the side of its neck may recognize the Turtle Dove. The tail is notable as the bird flies from the observer; it is wedge shaped, with a dark centre and white borders and tips. When viewed from below, this pattern, owing to the white under-tail coverts obscuring the dark bases, is a blackish chevron on a white ground.

This can be seen when the bird stoops to drink and raises its spread tail.

The mature bird has the head, neck, flanks, and rump blue grey, and the wings cinnamon, mottled with black.

The breast is vivacious, the abdomen and under tail coverts are white. The bill is black, the legs and eye rims are red. The black and white patch on the side of the neck is absent in the browner and duller juvenile bird, which also has the legs brown.

The Turtle Dove, one of the latest migrants, rarely appears in Northern Europe before the end of April, returning south again in September.

It is a bird of open rather than dense woodlands, and frequently feeds on the ground. It will occasionally nest in large gardens, but is usually extremely timid, probably due to the heavy hunting pressure it faces during migration. The flight is often described as arrowy, but is not remarkably swift.

The nuptial flight, high and circling, is like that of the Common Wood Pigeon, but the undulations are less decided; it is accompanied by the whip-crack of the downward flicked wings.

The arrival in spring is heralded by its purring song, a rather deep, vibrating “turrr, turrr,” from which the bird's name is derived.

Despite the identical spelling, the “turtle” of the name, derived from Latin turtur, has no connection with the reptile; “turtle” in that case came originally from Late Latin tortuca. (Source: Wikipedia)

Kaieteur News

Sunday December 27, 2020

PAGE 31

Ho Ho Ho it's Christmastime again...

Santa Claus is not always dressed in red and white, sporting a flowing beard!

By Enid Joaquin

C

hristmastime is here once again, and children the world over have been scrambling for toys and all the other goodies associated with the festivity.

Well, at least some are.

Others are more concerned about what they're going to eat, or if, in fact, they're going to eat!

Sounds corny or cliché?

Well unfortunately, it's not!

For some, that's their reality; it is what they live everyday wondering what they will eat and sometimes, whether they would even enjoy that privilege.

That is where Santa Claus comes in.

Mind you, he isn't always dressed in red and white with a black belt accentuating his very ample waistline and sporting that milky white beard! Ho, Ho, no!

Lots of times, Santa has no beard, almost no waistline and seldomly dresses in red and white.

There are many of these kinds of Santas and the children love them just like the other traditional Santas, um, I mean the bearded, red attired and belted ones.

O n e o f t h e s e underdressed Santas is Dr. Joseph Haynes, of Toucan Drive, Amelias Ward, Linden.

Reflecting on the annual Haynes' family 'Christmas Tree light-up and toy giveways' event that had to be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, Haynes grew pensive as he reminisced on his own childhood.

Those childhood m e m o r i e s , h e acknowledged, triggered the need to give back. He wanted to share, especially with the less fortunate.

He said that as a child, he was always filled with optimism, as the season approached. There was the usual excitement as he and his siblings, wondered out loud, 'what Santa would bring'. And then there were all the foods, to look forward to, such as: ham, pepperpot and garlic pork.

Dr. Joseph Haynes and his wife, Esther Anne (on his right), find joy in making children smile at Christmas time. " We r e a l l y l o o k e d forward to Christmas as children, because it's a special time of year, and it was a very significant time for us.

We grew up poor, not having much, but when it came to Christmas, our father used to get the smoked ham and hang it up in a room in a mesh bag, and it smelled so good; so we knew Christmas was coming. He used to prepare that ham like you wouldn't believe. My mother was a hard worker, she was a businesswoman, and I was with her foot and foot, so dad would assist a lot in the home.

The children would also assist to get the home ready,” Haynes noted.

He said too that almost as significant, at the time, was the grand Mackenzie Sports Club Fair which, because it came in November, seemed to be the perfect precursor to Christmas, almost as if it was ushering in the Festive Season. "To me the Fair brought Christmas," he declared.

"Christmas time was a big time back then. It was so great....we looked forward to the Christmas tree being decorated by our father, we used to help him to do the little things. We would help

then go to bed all excited and before you knew it, it was morning...Christmas morning, and we, we would scramble out of bed to see the gifts under the tree. We really thought it was Santa that brought them, we believed Santa was real!"

Haynes said it was a truly wonderful time, as they would hold hands and dance around the Christmas tree.

"Then we would have a big breakfast. The table would be all decked out with so many things. There was the Dutchman head (cheese) cereal, back then we only had cereal at Christmas, and of course there was Milo, pepperpot...the whole works.

After eating all these goodies, we went out to play.

I used to look forward to my gun and socket. And we couldn't wait to play hide and seek, get dressed up as Apache and Cowboy and then playing on the Washer Pond (area cleared by bauxite mining),” he added.

The Haynes family was a big one - 13 children to be exact.

It therefore goes without saying that their budget had to be well managed to afford the toys.

"My favourite gift was the toy gun, which came in its holster and sometimes, I

would get a cowboy hat. On Christmas day after lunch, we would go on the Washer Pond and play,” Dr. Haynes continued.

His elder sister, Esther, who was visiting during his interview, chimed in by recalling that, "at Christmas I would sew the curtains and helped to put new covers on the cushions for the chairs. I also used to make dolls for myself and sisters.....even for some of the neighbours.

Sometimes I made up to 15 dolls, because I knew that by doing that I was helping our parents save in on money to buy more important things.”

“And because it was 13 of us, we grew up learning the need to share. Our parents taught us that. So it is innately part of us, that is why we continue to have that passion to share and care for others," she added.

With hard work and sacrifice, the financial standing of the Haynes family improved tremendously after their migration to the United States.

Before opting to study medicine, Dr. Haynes was first an engineer who enlisted in the navy. The other siblings did equally well, including Esther.

But life overseas, even

with all it had to offer, was not enough for these two who, by then, had families of their own.

The problem was, they yearned to return home because they had so much to give back to their hometown.

Also, Christmas in the US could never compare to a Guyanese one! Christmas abroad was not the same as in Guyana, Haynes mused.

To emphasize his point, he said that he tried to emulate his father, and what he had done when they were little, with his own children, but it was not the same.

"Christmas abroad is not like Christmas in Guyana, there is no Christmas that could compare to a Christmas in Guyana!"

Haynes returned to Guyana, with his wife,

Esther Anne, and set up Clinics in both Georgetown and Linden. His sister Esther would follow later and delved into the private education sector, despite admonishments from friends not to do so.

These siblings had never forgotten where they came from, and certainly never forgot the Christmases they spent in Guyana as children.

Over the past couple of years, the siblings have been reliving many of their childhood memories, as Dr. Haynes, along with his wife, share Christmas cheer with hundreds of children in Linden at their annual Christmas Tree Light Up event.

Haynes pointed out, "My wife and I, we celebrate our (continued on page 41)

Dr. Haynes' sister Esther is also a proud player in the annual 'Christmas Tree Light up and giveaway' event.

Kaieteur News

THE

PAGE 32

Sunday December 27, 2020

STORY We can WITHIN THE

breathe a little

By Leonard Gildarie

T

he year 2020 will go down in Guyana's history as a juncture where our people have been tested to their limits. We still have a few days before it is overâ&#x20AC;Śthe year, that is.

In my view, the next six months will be critical. Like the US' 911 felling of the Twin Towers in New York, and the aftermath, the events of 2020 will continue to reverberate for years.

We are slowly learning to cope with a pandemic, which is far from over. The elections in Guyana and the US have seared its DNA in our being. No longer are ethics and morals watchwords. Rather, the use of the Constitution and delaying tactics have all become weapons of mass destruction unleashed on our people.

I paid attention to the world's handling of the Coronavirus. Many of them gambled, and the people erred as they viewed the pandemic as something alien happening in Timbuktu.

At the time of writing, several countries are reporting that they have found mutating strains of the virus. This is not good news.

In fact, it can throw our war sideways and derail the mass production and introduction of vaccines.

It is expected, therefore, that we are not, by any stretch of the imagination out of the woods yet.

Several parts of Britain are in lockdown with the UK government not ruling out a national lockdown.

Several parts of Europe are reporting rising numbers in what is a second wave.

The hospitals in California, one of the biggest states in the US, are reporting a major spike in numbers.

North America is bracing and has been warned of a brutal winter, which could provide an unwitting support to the virus.

Across in Canada, which borders with the US, the province of Ontario was scheduled to go on a lockdown yesterday.

CTV Toronto reported that nearly all non-essential

businesses would remain closed until January 23, almost a month.

During the lockdown, it was reported that no indoor public events or social gatherings would be allowed, except with members of the same household. All publicly funded elementary and secondary schools in the province will close for inperson learning until at least January 11.

Under the lockdown orders, bars and restaurants are only allowed to open for takeouts.

There is bad prognosis.

Officials said that regardless of the scenario, occupancy in Ontario's ICUs would be above 300 by the new year.

In the worst-case scenario, COVID-19 patient occupancy could surpass 1,500 by mid-January.

The above represents a reflection of what is happening in the world.

There is a major issue.

Canada is a developed country. First world, if you will. That country has resources. Far more, per capita, than what developing nations like Guyana can muster.

Herein lies the problem. I have friends and families in the islands.

Take St. Maarten for example - located right next to St. Kitts and Nevis, this little dual-state island of less than 100,000 people, will not be getting visitors via cruise ships or yachts for the next few months. It will take a year before the island can recover to a sense of normalcy, if it is lucky that the ships come calling again.

I predict that will be a tough one.

People simple don't have money to get by much less go on a vacation.

So St. Maarten's US$100M harbour is in trouble. So is its US$100M airport. Very few planes are landing. The ripple effect on shopping, casino and hotel life, fine dining, taxis and car rentals, etc., will all take a hit. The reality is that this island has very little going for it. No agriculture, nothing.

The story is the same for many islands across the Caribbean.

Leonard Gildarie Economists will tell you more of the multiplying effects of the virus pandemic on countries.

There is one piece of good news for one country.

China, it has been projected, will overtake the US in 2028 as the world's biggest by 2028.

Yes, the same China from which the virus came. The world, ironically, was forced to turn to China for its medical supplies to combat the virus.

You want to hear more?

China is predicting an eight percent growth next year.

Some cynics will say that China is being rewarded.

There was deep worry in certain quarters in October when the Irfaan Ali government took some bold decisions to reopen the economy.

Controlled flights at the Timehri airport. Pushing back of the curfew. Easing the restrictions on the number of passengers in public transports, including water taxis.

The police force simply does not have the manpower to force compliance.

The Ali government therefore had to be gambling that the people will have to self-police.

The closure was killing t h e c o u n t r y. M a n y businesses have folded. It will be a nightmare to restart, for them to get back on their feet.

The poor workers who lost their jobs will not be getting help, like before, from families in North America via the barrels and small change from Western Union.

Remittances have been a major support for thousands of families.

The pandemic has taught us some brutal lessons. We will have to adapt, if we intend to survive.

It has always been a tradition that one partner works in the home.

We have to find ways to supplement our incomes. We have to find ways to bring down our expenses.

Conserving on energy, a little kitchen garden, and (continued on page 41)

Sunday December 27, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 33

Kaieteur News

PAGE 34

The Cat On The Dover-Mountain

By Basab Ghosh Once upon a time, lived a man named Halvo. He had the chance of catching a great white bear.

But as luck would have it, it was Christmas Eve and he had no place to stay. The man and his bear were on the Doverfell hill in Denmark. Soon, he found a cottage and asked, “Will I be able to find lodgings for me and my bear?” The woman said that they had a room, but at night Trolls happened to come by, which really was a nuisance. And the man added that the pack of elves was bound to come for a feast on Christmas Eve. The man was desperate and took the room.

He laid out a table for himself and the elves.

The old couple left, as they always did before Christmas. Halvor took a place to sleep and his bear lay under the stove. At midnight, the army of Trolls strolled in.

They came in various shapes and sizes.

Some big, some small, some with long noses, some bald. All of them helped themselves with the food. Enjoying and munching, no one took notice of the white bear. Except for one.

The Troll found a fork and stuck a sausage to it, and went to the bear. Holding the sausage to the bear’s nose, he asked, “Kitty, do you want some.”

Once the bear awoke, there was no stopping it from hunting every last one of the Trolls. The ones that weren’t devoured ran for cover! And that was that.

When next Christmas Eve came, the Trolls came to call Halvor. “Halvor Halvor” one of them yelled. The man was chopping up some wood and answered the Troll. “Tell, me,” asked the Troll, “Do you still have the cat of yours?” “Yes, I do,” replied he.

The Troll, scared out of its wits, ran yelling, “We will never see you again. Neither you nor your cat.” And they upheld their word!

Sunday December 27, 2020

Junior page Cinnamon Stick Ornament Bend a 3.5-inch piece of naturally coiled wrapped wire in half to form a loop, then gently push each end into the hollow part of a cinnamon stick. Use hot glue to attach cut sprigs of fresh rosemary for branches and small gems for ornaments.

Suguru

Do it with a smile At times when I have to deal with others, Like a sister, teacher or friend, I find the way how I look to them Does make a lot of difference.

It made me wonder why this was so, Until I asked them to tell me why; They told me that most times I look too serious, When they would feel better if I smile.

So I now try to become more cheerful, Whenever I have to speak with others; And I now find that just a smile At every time can do wonders.

The heavy lines indicate areas, called cages, from one to five squares in size.

Fill each cage with unique digits, counting up from 1. So for example a 2-square cage contains the numbers 1 and 2; and a 5-square cage contains the numbers from 1 to 5. Adjacent (touching) squares, even ones that touch diagonally, may never contain the same number.

Kaieteur News

Sunday December 27, 2020

TEEN TIME Inculcate proper

values on which to base your life Apart from the principles which must be adopted to make your life proceed in the right manner, you need to inculcate the values necessary for proper living.

Values are what we believe in, the things we stand for and against, the things that give direction and meaning to our life.

As a young person, at the brink of the period when what you do will affect your entire future, you have to decide in good time the values which will direct how you will conduct yourself, and deal with the persons and things around, so that you are prepared mentally, psychologically, spiritually and even physically, to withstand the pressures you will meet that will be acting against your own ambitions, in your achieving the things you want to do, and the way you want to live.

Without this direction in your life

at the outset of your gaining some sort of independence from your parents and the other guides in your life, you will find yourself as in a boat without a rudder to guide it, and drifting through life subject to all the dangers which the world will undoubtedly thrust in your way.

You therefore have to develop a value system which will be able to deal with all these pressures through your attitude, through your behaviour, and through the choices you make as you face the various experiences.

You have to realise that you seal your fate with the choices you make on the way.

These choices during your younger days will determine the destiny or direction of your entire future.

You do not need to look too hard to observe all around you many examples of those who did not think it necessary

to determine beforehand what those choices should be, and who as a result drifted through life and failed in making something worthy of their life.

Take a positive step NOW to determine this value system which in your situation will be able to guide you through all the difficulties you are likely to encounter on your way.

Take a sheet of paper and write down all the qualities that would make you an ideal person. Keep this list in a place where you can refer to it during your normal day. Resolve in your mind to constantly work on your own personality to adopt those qualities, and make it a habit to display them in your speech, your thoughts and your actions. In our next issue we shall be advising on those values which you can compare with your own list and making any necessary adjustments you may find.

PAGE 35

A Principled Life

by Uncle Roy (from his book: “Shape up Your Personality” As sure as night follows day, and gravity holds us down, So the laws of nature control our emotions; If we must live in harmony with all on earth, We have to abide with the natural regulations.

And just as our material world is ruled, So too our behaviour needs control; We must adopt the principles that make us human, Or we will never achieve worthy goals.

Man was given a free will to choose The manner he would steer his life; You have the option - whichever you take Will determine whether you end in peace or strife.

We oftimes allow others our actions to dictate, As we tend to react to what they do; Nay, we should ever strive to be proactive, And behave as we know is true.

So take the time to decide for all time The principles to say how you will act, Then stick to these come what may, And you will surely keep always on track.

Keeping on the right path in life entails adding worth to it by adopting true values.

TELL IT TO UNCLE ROY Uncle Roy is once again appealing to all teens to write to him about any problem you may be facing for which you need a solution.

He would also like you to contribute to this Page by submitting other material that he can include here. These include: 1. A poem, short story or bit of advice that you have written and would like to share with your fellow teens.

2. Any significant event that has happened, or any interesting item about what is going on around you.

3. A commentary about where you live to acquaint others about it.

As mentioned before, you can email me at: uncleroy1992@yahoo.com

Solutions to last week’s

Slitherlink

INKIES

In a Slitherlink Puzzle, you connect horizontally or vertically adjacent dots to form a meandering path that forms a single loop, without crossing itself, or branching.

The numbers indicate how many lines surround each cell. Empty cells may be surrounded by any number of lines (from 0 to 3).

Killer Sudoku

PAGE 36

Dry skin: Seven home remedies There are a variety of home remedies a person can use to relieve dry skin. Most of the treatments below can be used as moisturizers unless otherwise stated. The best way to use a moisturizer is to apply it liberally to damp skin after a bath and let it soak in.

1. Sunflower seed oil A 2013 study found that sunflower seed oil improved hydration when used as a moisturizer on participantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arms.

The same study found that olive oil actually damaged the skinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s barrier, suggesting not all natural oils are suitable for use as moisturizers.

2. Coconut oil Another natural oil that works well to treat dry skin is coconut oil. A 2014 study found that coconut oil is as safe and effective as petroleum jelly for treating dry skin. It was found to significantly improve skin hydration and increase the number of lipids (fats) on the surface of the skin.

As 2016 research explains, coconut oil contains saturated fatty acids that have emollient properties. An emollient is a fat or oil that acts as a moisturizer by filling in gaps in dry skin, making it smooth.

3. Oatmeal bath Oatmeal is another natural ingredient that can help treat dry skin. Adding powdered oatmeal to a bath or using creams that contain oatmeal may help to relieve dry skin.

A 2015 study found that extracts from oatmeal had antiinflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, suggesting it can help treat dry skin.

4. Drinking milk Milk could also offer relief from dry skin, but not when applied to the skin. Research from 2015 suggests that a diet including milk could improve dry skin.

The study found that a fat contained in milk, called phospholipid, improved the skin barrier in mice when added to their diet. More research is needed to see if drinking milk has the same effect on skin in humans.

5. Honey A 2012 review of research notes that some studies have shown honey to be beneficial for many types of skin diseases.

Some studies suggest that honey may be used as an at home treatment to relive dry skin.

Various studies have found honey to be: moisturizing healing anti-inflammatory These are all qualities that suggest honey is an ideal at home treatment to relieve dry skin. It is completely natural and can be applied directly to the skin.

6. Petroleum jelly Petroleum jelly, otherwise known as mineral oil, has been used as a moisturizer for years.

In 2017, researchers found that the skin barrier in older people improved after they used petroleum jelly. This finding supports the use of petroleum jelly to treat dry skin, especially when caused by aging.

7. Aloe vera Aloe vera gel may help provide relief from dry skin, according to a 2003 study.

A person with dry skin on their hands or feet can apply aloe vera gel and cover the affected area with a sock or glove. People may prefer to do this before they go to bed and leave the gel on all night.

If dry skin is on another area of the body, applying aloe vera gel liberally and allowing it to soak in may achieve a similar effect. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/ articles/319555#home-remedies-for-dry-skin

Kaieteur News

Sunday December 27, 2020

Sunday December 27, 2020

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Sunday December 27, 2020

Kaieteur News

CONSUMER CONCERNS Police mourns as fmr. Crime Chief, Heeralall Makhanlall, dies Guyana Fully Prepared For Vaccination The Guyana Police Force yesterday announced that they have joined with the family in mourning the passing of retired Assistant Commissioner of Police and former Crime Chief, Heeralall Makhanlall, MS. He was the head of the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). He died Wednesday night.

The police said that Makhanlall was one of the 69 Guyanese who were rewarded with National Awards. He was the first in the force to receive an individual Medal of Service by then Chancellor of the Orders of Guyana, former President David Granger, in 2017.

Makhanlall, born on November 10, 1952, joined the Guyana Police Force on March 01, 1974 and was issued with regulation number 9531.

In 1978, he joined the Criminal Investigation Department where he served until he retired on November 30, 2007. At the time, he was the Crime Chief with the rank of Assistant Commissioner. His retirement came after 33 years and 10 months of service.

“Immediately after his retirement, he was attached to the Office of Professional Responsibility as the Deputy Head and was appointed as the Head of the said Office on August 18, 2013. During his tenure in the Guyana Police Force he served as the Divisional Detective Officer in all of the Policing Divisions with the exception ‘E’ & ‘F’ Division (Linden/Interior Locations).”

According to the GPF, Makhanlall conducted numerous high profile investigations in all the Divisions including ‘E’ & ‘F’ Division, in which scores of persons were arrested, charged and convicted. He also benefited from several professional development courses including Summer Courses at the University of Guyana and was a participant of the 108 session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Academy, United States Department of Justice, at Quantico in the State of Virginia for a period of eleven weeks ending March 24, 1995.

Phase of COVID-19 Pandemic help of the group consisting

Died Assistant Commissioner (Ret’d) of Police, Heeralall Makhanlall, MS He also attended the FBI National Academy Retraining Session, which was held in Brazil in 1997 where he obtained a Certificate of Achievement in Criminal Justice Education from the University of Virginia.

“On three occasions he achieved the Guyana Police Force overall Best Cop Award and the Runner-up Best Cop award on one occasion. Further, on four occasions he achieved the Divisional Best Cop award, surely an outstanding achievement which may not be surpassed in decades to come,” the GPF said in its statement.

On August 16, 1999 he was the recipient of the GPF’s 150th Anniversary Medal and the Discipline Services Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct and now a Medal of Service.

“He served the GPF with dedication, commitment and distinction, since enlisting 46 years ago,” GPF said.

By Pat Dial When the Coronavirus struck the world in early 2020, no one could have imagined that one’s own country and the world would have been immediately engulfed in a pandemic. People knew of the small pox pandemic, which killed off over half the Amerindian population of the Americas in the early years of the Spanish conquest and destroyed their civilization.

There was of course the Black Death of Medieval Europe which killed off more than half the population with deep social, economic and political effects or the Spanish Flu of over a century ago which killed over 10 million persons.

The appearance of a pandemic in the 21st century was unthinkable.

The COVID-19 pandemic is being addressed in a different way than past pandemics.

The members of the scientific community of the world were in communication with each other and exchanged information. Statistical data relating to the depredations were generated, lockdowns of the economies of the world were effectuated and there was a determination to scientifically defeat the pandemic.

The loss of life, as compared with past pandemics, was moderate.

But after several months and no cures or vaccines had been discovered, people became pessimistic and the pandemic became more fearsome.

In the third quarter of the year, however, information began to trickle out that effective vaccines were being developed and the world felt a

spark of relief.

By November, three companies - Pfizer, Moderna and Astrazenica/Oxford declared that they were ready to release tens of millions of effective vaccines on the market.

The regulators could not accept the pharma companies’ word without doing their own research and evaluations.

They have given temporary permission for these vaccines to be on the market. Russia, in the meantime, has been using their Sputnik vaccination nationwide.

There has been a rush to secure the vaccines and the richer and developed countries would have monopolized them to the detriment of the poorer countries.

A number of international bodies have come into the picture, prevented this scenario, and are trying to ensure that developing countries get timely supplies of the vaccines.

The unit, which is responsible for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in Guyana, is under the control of Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony.

Guyana is fortunate in having such dedicated, professional, well-informed and internationally trusted and respected leadership in this field. Dr. Anthony, with characteristic foresight, has been working to secure vaccines in a milieu, which is highly competitive.

Guyana has made submissions to COVAX and has signed the terms of agreement to confirm its inclusion in the COVAX facility. COVAX is a body consisting of the World Health Organization (WHO) and other important international organizations that are working to ensure that there is fair access and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

In the words of Dr. Anthony: “We have started working with COVAX and have submitted information about possible vaccine candidates and our preferences.”

With equal foresight, Guyana has also secured the

of WHO, UNICEF and GAVI (the Vaccine Alliance) and other partners to help Guyana begin the COVID-19 vaccinations.

Such help would include adaptable guidance, tools, training and advocacy material.

On the international scene, President Irfaan Ali has reinforced Guyana’s position when he addressed the 31st Special Session of the UN General Assembly.

In his speech, he enjoined, “The United Nations must continue to be in the forefront - as it has been over the last eight months - in piloting the international roll out of mass immunization for the developing countries.”

Guyana has been creatively moving forward: It has already appointed a National Vaccine Task Force under Dr. Anthony’s chairmanship.

The Task Force consists of a number of specialists and persons from the public as well as the private health sector, the University of Guyana, the Joint Services and other key stakeholders.

The Task Force has already begun work on a draft plan of operations: They have already begun to develop a training manual for the administration of COVID-19 vaccines.

They have already started work on the cold chain and acquiring refrigerators where the vaccines would be stored.

A number of health centres would be expanded to create adequate space.

They are working on the priority list as to who and when they receive the vaccine, the first group being the front line health workers and high-risk patients.

With its own preparations and efforts, Guyana would be able to utilize, to the optimum, the external assistance it receives.

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

Kaieteur News

Sunday December 27, 2020

PAGE 39

‘The Twistmas Twee’ – Art to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable!

By Kemol King Every year, we see the common Christmas Tree, the fake, the real, the white, gold and multicoloured. But how about a Christmas Tree made entirely out of sticks and pieces of garbage? Now that’s an unusual sight. And that’s exactly what you’ll find if you take a little trip down to the Kingston Seawalls in Georgetown.

The ‘Twistmas Twee’ is a makeshift Christmas Tree, fashioned and erected by volunteers on the seawall.

The twee is made entirely of sticks and garbage picked up from the beach and the seawall, and is the brainchild of the local clean-up and activist group, Seawalls & Beyond.

“Made by 20 of our volunteers and set up on Friday [December 11] evening,” the group said on its Facebook page, “the 15feet tall structure is made of re-used, re-purposed materials. Its main structure is made of driftwood and decorations from plastic bottles, food boxes, fried chicken boxes, pizza boxes, plastic spoons, snack bags, popsicle sticks, bottle caps, plastic cups and plates, fishing equipment, among other items that can be found littering the beach.”

What do you think of such a twee? Wouldn’t you

rather a beautiful, more picturesque Christmas tree out on the Kingston seawall, instead of a contraption of sticks and trash? Many people would. Yet, they litter indiscriminately every day, leaving our waterways clogged, our streets littered with plastic bottles and food boxes, and trash washing up on our otherwise beautiful beaches. There would be no Twistmas Twee without litter.

It can be depressing to see. The Christmas Tree, in its origin, came out of a sad and depressing situation too.

Christmas only became a federal holiday in the United States of America in June, 1870.

In the next 100 years, Americans built a Christmas tradition all their own that included pieces of many other customs, including decorating trees, sending holiday cards and giftgiving. The newer customs were influenced by Catholic and Episcopalian Immigrants.

The tradition became infectious. Even in countries like Guyana, where there is no winter, the concept of Santa Claus “dashing through the snow on a onehorse open sleigh” has been romanticised by and for many children. So too did the tradition of the Christmas tree, because of America’s influence.

Today, the most iconic Christmas tree is the Rockefeller Christmas tree i n N e w Yo r k C i t y.

Although the first official Rockefeller Christmas tree was erected in 1933, the first was lit in 1931. It was during a time of economic downturn in the United States of America called The Great Depression.

Though they didn’t have much, construction workers decorated the first 20-foot tree with garlands,

The Twee stands proud on the Kingston Seawall.

Volunteers decorating the Twistmas Twee.

cranberries and tin cans, because they were not going to let The Great Depression stop them from celebrating the most wonderful time of the year.So what sparked the idea among the volunteers of Seawalls & Beyond to build such an unusual structure?

“Our simple guideline in building the twee was to spend absolutely no money on its construction,” the group posted on its Facebook page.

“Only found materials, items found on the beach or items no longer wanted were to be used. This is a contemporary work of art intended to provoke thoughts, conversations, discussions and debate on addressing our waste management and waste disposal culture, our (over)consumption patterns and other related environmental issues.”

“Cups were made to look like Santa suits, popsicle sticks like reindeer and stars,

Volunteers pose in front of the Twistmas Twee .

bottle caps like candy cane and elves, pizza boxes cut into shapes of gingerbread men and fishes, plates into flowers (and a tribute to Corona) - it’s not just trash but ‘upcycled’ decorations.”

“If you’re not bothered by litter and garbage on the streets (and accept ugliness as part of the landscape),” one volunteer is quoted as saying, “but at the same time you’re offended by a work of art in the ‘Twistmas Twee’, then the group has successfully made its point of how much twisted our culture has become. And that twisted culture is what needs fixing! After all, we know that art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable!”

Seawalls and Beyond was started in July this year to bring together nature lovers who are passionate about keeping the natural environment, particularly the oceans, clean and free of litter.

The >>>first Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree was decorated with tin cans.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday December 27, 2020

Sunday December 27, 2020

Santa Claus is not...

From page 31 birthdays at Christmas, even though we were born in September and October. We celebrate at Christmas by giving back to the community. That is why we do the 'light-up and the toy giveways'.”

Dr. Haynes said, “Our family gives, and I have a beautiful family; because when we get we give, the more we give, the more we receive, and that is a philosophy that we were taught by our parents.

So we give to others and we want others to try to do the same...share with others, especially now, because it is the season of sharing and we need to help our children to understand how important it is to give, and to realize that it's a beautiful thing....that there is joy in giving!”

He added, "I want to say to people the world over, we

need to love more, we need to live more, we need to care more, and we need to give more and stop looking to receive more, because the more we give, the more we'll be blessed.

We give because God has blessed us and we want to pass on some of these blessings.

So when Christmas comes around, it provides the perfect opportunity for us to share!"

Given how important it is to give back to the society, Dr. Haynes expressed disappointment that he has been unable to host the annual 'Christmas Tree light-up and toy giveways' event this year.

He is nevertheless optimistic that “Christmas will come early next year because we have all the toys here....hundreds of toys and we look forward to making many children happy!"

We can breathe...

From page 32 generally watching our budget and putting aside a little for a rainy day, will have to come naturally to us.

This Christmas, despite Guyana being a poor country, we have seen the crowds. We did have a little money to spend.

That $25,000 did help many families.

We stayed home, with our families. We had some drinks. We ate. Some families struggled.

But we are doing better than in September.

People are adapting.

We can breathe a little e a s i e r n o w. A s 2 0 2 1 beckons, we have to brace ourselves. There are many uncertainties.

For now, let us breathe a little easier. We have made it this far.

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

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Sunday December 27, 2020

Sunday December 27, 2020

Kaieteur News

Traditional delicacies that characterize the ideal Guyanese Christmas season

I

t is all well and good to indulge in the most expensive bottles of champagne, the best selections of wine, cheeses, and even chocolates from the most exotic places of the world. But no Guyanese Christmas is ever complete with the dishes we have come to know and love.

Indeed, a Guyanese Christmas without that mouthwatering pepperpot, freshly baked bread, the rum infused black cake, the tantalizing ginger beer and that sumptuous garlic pork, undoubtedly lacks that ethnic flare and pizazz that pulls us together at the dinner table and cloaks us with a deep sense of appreciation for our uniqueness.

If you're desirous of having some of these delicious meals that characterize the ideal Guyanese Christmas as part of your festivities today, here are some easy-to-follow recipes. Happy cooking!

Let's start things off with the most sought after dish of the season, PEPPERPOT. You will need:

· Beef cuts, although some persons opt for chicken, duck or wild meat · 3 cow heels (not always necessary) · 3-4 chunks of oxtail (again, not always necessary) · 8 fl. oz. cassareep · 5 wiri pepper (more or less, depending on how spicy you want it) · 5 cloves · 1 ½ chopped onion · 3 cloves of garlic · salt · 1 cup of Demerera Gold brown sugar · Mixed thyme (fine leaf, broad leaf) Preparation is simple, just follow the step below: · Thoroughly wash the meat and other meat products (cow heels and oxtail) · Put the cow heel in a pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil (If you do not want to use this, move on

to the next step) · Add all your meats into the pot of boiling water, along with the mixed thyme, onion and garlic. Cover and allow to boil. · Once the fragrance of the thyme can be smelt and the meat is cook a little, add all of the other ingredients and slow cook for about 2 hours or until the meat is tender or the sauce is thick.

When finished, allow to cool and serve with homemade white bread or cassava bread.

Next on our list is GARLIC PORK. However, if pork is not your fancy, you may also use beef, lamb or chicken.

You will need: · 3 pounds of pork or your meat of choice, 1 inch thick, tender cuts · 12 large cloves of garlic · ½ cup of fresh thyme leaves or 2 tbsp of dried thyme · 8- 10 wiri peppers · 1 ½ tbsp. salt · ½ tsp black pepper · 2 cups of white vinegar · 2 cups of boiled water, must be at room temperature

at the time of use · 3-4 whole cloves · 3 unpeeled cloves of garlic · 4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme · 3 tbsp. canola/ soya oil Once you have all of that, you're ready. Just follow the steps below: · Ensure that the meat is clean by wiping with a damp cloth or paper towel. · Using a sharp knife, cut small grooves into the meat on both sides. · Chop and puree the garlic, thyme, and wiri peppers in a blender/ food processor, then pour this would-be seasoning rub into a small bowl. · Using a butter knife or your fingers spread a large amount on the meat, rubbing it in to fill the small grooves. · Apply salt and pepper to both sides, ensuring that you keep ½ tsp salt. · If you have any leftover seasoning, use it up and rub it

onto the meat slices. · Using a wide-mouthed glass jar, layering pieces of the seasoned meat, stacking

until all meat has been used up. · Mix the vinegar and (continued on page 45)

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Kaieteur News

PAGE 44

Sunday December 27, 2020

…

D N I L B N R BO

s a m t s i r h C e e s s g n i l b Si e m i t t s r i f e h t for

By Rehanna Ramsay

U

nlike most children, six year-old ShennyAnn, five year-old ShellyAnn, Two year-old Tariq and one-year-old Aaron are four children from Zeelugt, West Coast Demerara, who actually got to see and experience Christmas for the first time.

The four children are the offspring of Mr. Ghanie and Miss Lisa Henry. All four of these siblings were born with congenital cataract, a condition where the lens of the eyes is opacified from birth which causes blindness.

In 50 percent of children, only one eye may be affected and hence the child may see clearly from the other eye.

This usually causes parents not to recognize that the child has a problem in one eye. In the case of the Ghanie family, both of the eyes were affected in all four of the children.

Hence, neither of the children has been able to see the world until now.

Their story was highlighted on social media in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. A video by “Sheikh and Sonia” highlighted the impoverished conditions that their family was living in.

Mr. Ghanie, who is a carpenter by profession, was out of a job due to the pandemic and could not provide for his four children.

They lived in a 10'x10' one-bedroom zinc sheet shack in the squatting area of Zeelugt. The shack has one bed and a hammock that was shared by the entire family of six with a single table top kitchen area.

Their story caught the eyes of many organisations who reached out. Mr. Munesh Ruplall of Ready Mix Concrete reached out to the family and was able to move the family towards a rented accommodation.

Contact was made with Optique Vision Care - a leading eye care service provider in Guyana that coordinate many charitable vision saving outreaches.

Optique Vision Care arranged for the children to be examined by lead

ophthalmologist (eye surgeon), Dr. Shailendra Sugrim.

Dr. Sugrim confirmed that all four children were blinded by congenital cataracts to both eyes. After further investigation it was discovered that the mother of the children and an aunt of the

Congenital cataract, a condition where the lens of the eyes is opacified from birth which causes blindness

Photo shows the Ghanie siblings with the Optique Vision Care team (left to right) Madonna Narine (Optometrist), Dhani Narine (CEO, Optique), Dr. Shailendra Sugrim (Eye Surgeon), Divina Singh (Optometrist) and Nurse Amanda Jarvis (Ophthalmic Nurse). children also suffered with similar condition when they were younger. In light of this, it was deduced this was a condition inherited through the genes of the mother's family. Examination of the mother's eye also revealed that she is suffering with low vision due to her long-term consequences of this condition.

Treatment of completely opaque congenital cataracts is by early surgery (cataract surgery to remove opaque lens with replacement with artificial intraocular lens).

Unlike adults with full-sized eyes, children need special surgical instruments and techniques and most importantly they need to be done under general anaesthesia. When performed by an experienced surgeon, cataract removal is generally safe.

Dr. Sugrim has been

performing paediatric cataract surgeries for the past 10 years and immediately volunteered to perform the procedures without charging any surgeon fee.

During the period of the pandemic most hospitals had ceased elective surgical procedures and hence Dr. Sugrim arranged for the surgery of the three older siblings at Woodlands Hospital - a private institution in the city. Hospital fees and cost for surgery and anaestheia were covered by Optique Vision Care and Mr. Ruplall. The youngest child's surgery was arranged to be done at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

All pre-operative tests and preparation for surgery costs were provided by Optique Vision Care's charitable programme.

The treatment of congenital cataracts is usually

long-term and the children need regular follow-up care.

Surgery is the first step in a long series of tasks to ensure that vision is restored to these children.

After congenital cataract surgery, these children often need to be monitored for secondary complications such as strabismus (squint), glaucoma, detached retina, infection, post-operative inflammatory reactions, further surgery such as release of scars and secondary intraocular lens implantation.

Post-surgical patients also need regular follow up with paediatric optometrists as much as every six months to assess for spectacles, contact lenses. One significant effect of congenital cataracts is amblyopia. Due to the inability to see objects in the early years of life, children do not “learn” to see and hence their vision may become

Dr Shailendra Sugrim, Eye Surgeon, Ophthalmologist

p e r m a n e n t l y blunted/decreased in what is referred to as a “lazy eye”.

Close monitoring of these children will allow for treatment options such as patching, which encourages the child to repair the connection between the eye and the brain to allow for improvement in clarity of vision.

Ongoing monitoring of these children are being done by the Optique Vision Care team of ophthalmologists and optometrists (of which one paediatric optometrist, Ms. Claudia Sanchez was integrally involved). Regular checks for spectacles, followup and spectacles are provided free of charge by the Optique Vision Care's charitable programme.

According to Dr. Sugrim, from birth to the age of eight years, the eyes of children go through a period where they learn to see and this allows their eyes to develop a strong connection with the brain.

Any obstruction in vision (such as cataracts, trauma, eyelid abnormalities and refractive errors, etc.) can disrupt this learning process.

Without treatment, cataracts will lead to permanent deficient eye-brain connection s

that lead to a life time of impaired vision. For this reason, it is important that congenital cataracts need to be detected early and treated at earliest chance to prevent permanent vision loss in children. Examination by a doctor, during infancy and childhood, are able to detect most congenital cataracts.

Close observation by parents is also another way in which this condition is discovered.

A new lease on life is now extended to the four Ghanie siblings who are now able to see their parents' faces and to see objects around them, which will allow them to gain a better quality of life. This year is extra special as they will be celebrating this joyous season of Christmas with their gift of vision.

During this season, Nurse Amanda Jarvis and Nurse Welch - two of the nurses that assisted with their surgeries at the Woodlands Hospital have gathered a collection of clothing, toys, books and sweets for the four siblings, which they presented to the children at the East Street Office of Optique Vision Care. During this season, the Optique Vision Care's charitable programme would like to encourage us all to continue to exude compassion, kindness and charity to the less fortunate amongst us.

The Ghanies lived in a shack at Zeelugt, West Coast Demerara

Kaieteur News

Sunday December 27, 2020

Traditional delicacies that characterize the ideal Guyanese Christmas season From page 43 water together, then carefully pour into the jar of meat until it is covered by two inches. · Shake the jar to distribute meat, then place thyme stems and cloves in the jar. Add three cloves of unpeeled garlic, as part of the garnish. · Place additional sprigs of thyme on top of jar, or slide it down the sides. · Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt, and seal the jar tightly. · Store in a cool dark place (not your refrigerator), and let it sit for 3-5 days. · After curing, drain the meat on a rack, and discard the liquid. Do not allow the seasoning to go to waste. · In a skillet, pour 3 tbsp.

Canola oil. · Pan-fry on medium heat, until nicely browned for

· Cream the butter and 1 lb sugar together, after which you add the beaten eggs gradually. · Continue mixing and add soaked fruits and rum and enough caramel to make it as dark as you want it. · Add sifted flour with baking powder, mixed spice and vanilla flavouring. Mix thoroughly. · Add peel and chopped nuts. · Pour mixture in baking pan. Bake in slow oven at 375oF for about 1 ½ hours, or until toothpick inserted to test comes out clean. · Soak the finished cake with more rum and allow to preserve.

Enjoy with ginger beer.

The recipe for which is as follows.

about 2-3 minutes on each side.

Now that you're done, just let it cool and serve with crusty bread and any cold beverage of your choice.

You will require: · 1 lb. of ginger · 10 cups of water · 2 cups of dark brown sugar · 2 cinnamon sticks · 6 cloves · 5 3 x 3-inch pieces of orange peel · 1 4-inch piece of orange peel · Uncooked rice to help with fermentation · Glass jars What next: – Grate the ginger with the fine side of any box grater.

– In a large pot, mix together all of the ingredients, except for the cinnamon and the (3×3) pieces of orange peel.

– Rapidly boil for 10 minutes.

– Remove from heat and strain.

– Using a cheese cloth, remove the ginger bits.

– Pour into a large glass jug.

– Break orange peel and cinnamon sticks into pieces; add them to the ginger beer, and bring to room temperature – Place 12 uncooked rice grains in each glass jar; pour into glass jars and let rest.

– Ferment for 5-7 days.

Now for the best part, everybody's favourite, GUYANA BLACK CAKE! Yo u w i l l n e e d t h e following: · 1 lb raisins · 1 lb preserved carambola · ½ lb currants · 1 cup brown rum · 2 lbs brown sugar · 1 lb butter · 12 eggs, beaten · 1 lb flour · 1 tsp baking powder · 1 teaspoon mixed spices · ¼ pound mixed peel · ¼ pound chopped nuts · 1 tsp vanilla flavouring Once you have all of this, you're ready: · Wash and dry fruits.

Grind and soak with ¾ cup of rum. Store while covered in a glass jar to cure for 2 weeks or longer. · To make the caramel: Heat 1 pound of the sugar in heavy bottom frying pan until melted. Simmer until dark brown.

GINGER BEER

– Discard cinnamon sticks and orange peel.

– Serve over crushed ice or ice cubes.

If the heat is too much for you, you can mix it with pineapple juice for hint of fruitiness and sweetness.

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Kaieteur News

PAGE 46

Sunday December 27, 2020

Hindu community in NY mourns after Uber slammed

by Lamborghini, killing Guyanese woman - driver flees T

he Guyanese H i n d u community of New York is in deep mourning after a prominent mandir member was killed tragically on Christmas Eve day.

The New York Daily News reported that Ritawantee 'Aunty Rita' Persaud planned to forgo her annual gathering with friends on Christmas Eve due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but changed her mind at the last minute and ordered an Uber to a small get-together, hoping to spread some cheer.

Persaud, 54, made it just

Killed: Ritawantee 'Aunty Rita' Persaud

Maintaining a tradition with the Rahaman's Christmas Tree The driver of this white Toyota Premio was keen on maintaining a yearly tradition. He ploughed into the Christmas Tree at the Houston bypass, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The tradition was successfully maintained on Christmas Day. He will have a major bill on his hands for repairs.

The vehicle ended up alongside the fence, in the drain, of this home.

The accident scene

five blocks from her Ozone Park home in the back of a black 2018 Toyota Camry before she was killed by a heartless hit-and-run driver who remains on the loose.

According to the news report, Persaud's 50-year-old Uber driver was making a left from Rockaway Blvd. onto 103rd Ave. when the car was hit by a man driving a Lamborghini Urus SUV about 7:05 p.m. Thursday, police said.

The Lamborghini overturned from the impact while the Camry was left a twisted wreck on the sidewalk next to a church.

Persaud devoted her life to helping her community and fundraising for local Hindu temples. She had no kids but was considered a mother figure by the many children whose lives she touched through her community work.

“She won the hearts of m a n y, m a n y c h i l d r e n because she dedicated her life to a lot of childrens' activities in the temples,” said Sandra Sankar, 57, the victim's friend since they were children growing up in Guyana together.

Persaud immigrated to the U.S. about two decades ago and worked as an accountant in Queens — when she wasn't singing in local temples.

“She was a selfless individual,” Sankar said.

“We think we're only here to grab and grab and take for ourselves but this is a young individual who would just give and give.”

Persaud died at Jamaica Hospital from head and body trauma, police said. Medics took her Uber driver to the same hospital in stable condition with head and leg

injuries.

“She had only (just) stepped into that vehicle — maybe for two or three minutes — and bam,” said Sankar.

Her cousin, Deurani Ghani, wrote on Facebook that Persaud was “always there for everyone, family, friends, co-workers kids and even strangers.”

“Our entire Queens Hindu community lost a gem of a soul tonight,” wrote Persaud's nephew Vikash Misir.

“Never once have I seen her in a negative mood. She may be upset but always has a huge smile on her face and does what she has to make sure everyone around her is happy.”

The Lamborghini driver who killed Persaud ran off on foot after the crash, leaving his 26-year-old passenger behind in the flipped SUV, according to cops. Medics took her to Jamaica Hospital in stable condition with head and spine injuries.

Cops were still hunting for the Lamborghini driver Friday. Police sources said they found marijuana in his flipped SUV. Sankar hopes police soon catch up with her friend's killer.

“He cannot give back that life,” she said. “But at least he should be punished and he should be taught a lesson that you know what, you need to take care.

Because we all know what goes around comes around, right?”

There was an outpouring of love on social media yesterday from Guyana as well with persons recalling Persaud's work in the mandirs, even in Guyana.

Sunday December 27, 2020

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Kaieteur News

President Ali pledges more support services for elderly - at Dharm Shala Christmas luncheon

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President Irfaan Ali, on Christmas morning, pledged to implement more programmes and initiatives to ensure elderly people have more access to medical and social welfare services.

The President gave this assurance at the annual Christmas luncheon hosted by the Dharm Shala Home of Benevolence for All Races at its King Edward Street, Albouystown complex.

“I want to assure you that in the coming years, we will be working on specific programmes, specific initiatives, to ensure that facilities like these are not only supported, but that the residents are also supported in key and important areas of life like healthcare.”

President Ali, a government statement, added: “These are things that you can expect; more social support, social programmes, welfare programmes that are important.”

The President made a monetary donation to the Home to help it to continue its service.Komal Singh, Managing Director of GAICO Construction and General Services Incorporated also presented a cheque to the Home.President Ali said he is pleased that the private sector is partnering with his Government to advance development.“This tells us that we have a private sector now that is keen on corporate social responsibility… Know that you have a Government that cares for you, you have people in our society that cares for you and will always be looking out for you,” he told the gathering.

The PPP/C Government has made several steps to ease the burdens of the elderly. Pensioners are no longer required to pay for the consumption of water with the passage of the Emergency Budget 2020.Additionally, old age pension was increased to

President Irfaan Ali serving lunch to the elderly at the Dharm Shala $25,000 per month effective January 1, 2021. The seniors currently receive $20,500 per month.Rector of St. George’s Cathedral Reverend Thurston Riehl and his wife Clarissa also attended the luncheon.The Dharm Shala has served residents of the Albouystown ward and its environs for nearly a century.

The facility is managed by sisters, Kella and Pamela

Ramsaroop, who serve as Managing Head and Vice President, respectively.

The sisters took on the mantle of managing the Home on the death of their father Mr. Harry Saran Ramsaroop in 2013, who himself had assumed the responsibility after his father, founder of the Dharm Shala, Pandit Ramsaroop Maraj died in 1950.

Police mourns as fmr. Crime Chief, Heeralall Makhanlall, dies

The Guyana Police Force yesterday announced that they have joined with the family in mourning the passing of retired Assistant Commissioner of Police and former Crime Chief, Heeralall Makhanlall, MS. He was the head of the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). He died Wednesday night.

The police said that Makhanlall was one of the 69 Guyanese who were rewarded with National Awards. He was the first in the force to receive an individual Medal of Service by then Chancellor of the Orders of Guyana, former President David Granger, in 2017.

Makhanlall, born on November 10, 1952, joined the Guyana Police Force on March 01, 1974 and was issued with regulation number 9531.

In 1978, he joined the Criminal Investigation Department where he served

until he retired on November 30, 2007. At the time, he was the Crime Chief with the rank of Assistant Commissioner.

His retirement came after 33 years and 10 months of service.

“Immediately after his retirement, he was attached to the Office of Professional Responsibility as the Deputy Head and was appointed as the Head of the said Office on August 18, 2013. During his tenure in the Guyana Police Force he served as the Divisional Detective Officer in all of the Policing Divisions with the exception ‘E’ & ‘F’ Division (Linden/Interior Locations).”

According to the GPF, Makhanlall conducted numerous high profile investigations in all the Divisions including ‘E’ & ‘F’ Division, in which scores of persons were arrested, charged and convicted. He also benefited from several professional development

Trigger-happy East La Penitence man in court after attempting to ditch unlicensed gun A man who was allegedly caught disposing a firearm, was on Wednesday charged for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.The defendant, Junior John, of Freeman Street, East La Penitence, Georgetown, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

He denied the charges which alleged that on December 20, 2020, at Freeman Street, East La Penitence, he had in his possession one .38 revolver and one .38 live round of ammunition without being the holder of a firearm licence in force at the time. According to the facts, on the day in question, around 23:00 hrs., police ranks

were on motorcycle patrol duty in the East La Penitence area when they received information about John discharging a firearm in the air at Freeman Street, East La Penitence. Upon receiving the information, the ranks proceeded to the location where John was seen sitting in a chair. The ranks then approached John, who got up from the chair and ran.The ranks gave chase and he was apprehended in an alleyway.

John then removed the .38 revolver from his pants waist and attempted to throw it over a fence. The gun fell to the ground and it was retrieved. John was arrested and was subsequently charged.The Chief Magistrate granted John $70,000 bail for each charge and the matter was adjourned to January 13, 2021.

courses including Summer Courses at the University of Guyana and was a participant of the 108 session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Academy, United States Department of Justice, at Quantico in the State of Virginia for a period of eleven weeks ending March 24, 1995.

He also attended the FBI National Academy Retraining Session, which was held in Brazil in 1997 where he obtained a Certificate of Achievement in Criminal Justice Education from the University of Virginia.

“On three occasions he achieved the Guyana Police Force overall Best Cop Award and the Runner-up Best Cop award on one occasion.

Further, on four occasions he achieved the Divisional Best Cop award, surely an outstanding achievement which may not be surpassed in decades to come,” the GPF

Died Assistant Commissioner (Ret’d) of Police, Heeralall Makhanlall, MS said in its statement.

On August 16, 1999 he was the recipient of the GPF’s 150th Anniversary Medal and the Discipline Services Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct and now a Medal of Service.

“He served the GPF with dedication, commitment and distinction, since enlisting 46 years ago,” GPF said.

Boat captain hospitalized after ATV accident A 53-year-old boat captain is now hospitalized at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) following an ATV motor vehicle accident in the North West District, Region One, on Friday.

The injured man was identified as Clarence Williams of Citrus Grove, Port Kaituma.

Reports are that the accident occurred at around 14:07 hrs. on Floor Access Road, Port Kaituma.According to a police report, Williams was riding an unregistered ATV motor vehicle, which was traveling north along the western

side of the road at a fast rate.

While negotiating a right turn, Williams reportedly lost control and toppled over in northwestern direction.

He was picked in unconscious state by public-spirited citizens and taken to the Port Kaituma District Hospital where he was examined by a doctor who later referred him to the GPHC for further medical attention.

He was admitted as a patient. Kaieteur News understands that man is suffering from head injuries. Investigation is in progress.

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Venezuela’s opposition-held Congress extends term after disputed vote CARACAS - (Reuters) - Venezuela’s opposition-held National Assembly yesterday approved a statute extending its term into 2021, after a disputed Dec. 6 election in which allies of President Nicolas Maduro’s ruling socialist party won 91% of the seats in Congress.

The South American country’s four main opposition parties boycotted the parliamentary vote, arguing conditions for a free and fair election were not met, and most Western democracies, including the United States, have said they do not recognize the election results.Thursday’s vote

paves the way for opposition leader Juan Guaido, recognized by dozens of countries

as the crisis-stricken OPEC nation’s legitimate leader, to retain his role as the parliament’s speaker. Guaido’s nearly two-year push to oust Maduro, who he labels a dictator, has been unsuccessful.“Despite threats from the dictatorship and intimidation from the regime, the parliament will continue in this extraordinary period,” Guaido said day.The statute provides for a small group of legislators to carry out the National Assembly’s functions. The change comes as

dozens of legislators have fled the country, or have expressed unwillingness to continue serving in Congress next year, due to what they describe as threats from the government.

Sunday December 27, 2020

Berbice man dies after driving off road at Number 10 Village A welder yesterday succumbed to injuries he received after he lost control of his car and drove off the Number 10 Village Public Road, West Coast Berbice. (WCB).

Dead is Sunil Seeram, 34, of McRae Street, Rosignol Village, WCB. Seeram reportedly drove off the road around 13:00hrs on Christmas Day. According to police, the welder was driving his car west along the southern side of the road and lost control while negotiating a right turn. His car ended up some 100 feet away off the road and came to a halt in a clump of bushes.

Public-spirited citizens rushed to assist and found him in an unconscious state.

He was taken to the Fort Wellington Hospital where he was treated by doctors and later transferred to New Amsterdam Hospital. He remained a patient there until he died.

Dead welder: Sunil Seeram

Guyana records no new COVID-19 cases after months For the first time in several months, Guyana recorded no new COVID-19 cases.

The case toll remains at 6,289. This was revealed in the Ministry of Health’s daily dashboard update, yesterday.The dashboard, however, shows 97 new recoveries.

Further, it shows seven persons are in the

COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit; 16 in institutional isolation; 13 in institutional quarantine and an additional 452 persons in home isolation.

The COVID-19 death toll remains at 162 deaths with 37,299 persons tested for the virus since March.

Sunday December 27, 2020

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Sunday December 27, 2020

Sunday December 27, 2020

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Why the APNU+AFC lost the elections?

- A retrospective look at 2020 A

s we come to the end of the year, it is usual for columnists to analyze the significant developments of the preceding 12 months.

Over the next few days, this column will attempt to examine the two major developments for this year: the local outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic and the elections of March 2nd, 2020.

Many aspects of the 2020 elections and the ensuing crisis have already been examined. But not much attention has been paid to dissecting why the APNU+AFC lost the elections by almost 25,000 votes.

To better understand this loss, one has to examine the dynamics of the APNU+AFC Coalition. The APNU+AFC projected itself as a multi-party alliance. But it essentially consisted of two parties the PNC/R – a party which draws the bulk of its support from African Guyanese – and a middleclass grouping known as the AFC which never had any experience in running a government. All the other parties were piggy-backers.

Unlike what most believe, it did not require a great deal of skills to manage the Coalition. What, however happened was that one party opted to become subservient to the other and that virtually reduced the ruling administration to a PNC/R outfit – the dominant outfit. This would have disappointed persons who supported the AFC and who would have hoped that the AFC would have acted as a counterfoil to such a dominance.

The PNC/R began to

treat the other Coalition partners as doormats. The WPA complained bitterly and was ignored. The AFC was dumped for the 2018 local government elections and as a result was humiliated in those elections, something that impacted on the party's popularity.

And during the elections campaigned it was clear that the PNC/R had no intention of announcing him as their Prime Ministerial candidate.

Reports are now emerging which suggest that had the Coalition won the elections, by hook or crook, he would have been sidestepped for the Prime Ministerial post.

You do not win an election by such actions.

The second reason for the downfall of the APNU+AFC was that some Ministers did as they pleased, and they were not called to account. From as early as the second week in government, controversy exploded about the rental of the bond on Sussex Street. Despite a team being appointed to examine this issue and despite a promise made that the deal would have been scuttled, it continued for years. This cost many persons to view the Coalition government as being an exchange rather than representing change.

A third contributing

factor to the defeat of the APNU+AFC was the nature of many appointments. The new government began to stack the administration with a host of political appointees, in the process getting rid of persons who had the institutional knowledge which would have aided the administration. Many of these political appointees turned out to abject failures, not having a clue about what to do.

Fourthly, the government committed a number of mistakes. The parking meter contract was highly unpopular and irregular. While this was a decision of the Georgetown City Council, the PNC/R could have used its influence to veto this ill-conceived decision before it was implemented.

The imposition of taxes on water, private education and certain medical supplies was dumb. The decision to pay a bonus in 2015 – something that is not part of the tradition in the public service – then to halve it in 2016 and to not pay it ever since was not smart politics. It was also poor thinking for the government to reward itself with a hefty increase before doing the same for public servants. These and other mistakes resulted in the loss

of support which the Coalition could not afford.

Fifthly, the APNU+AFC had narrowly won the 2015 elections because it was able to secure a marginal but crucial number of swing votes in the sugar belt.

The treatment meted out to sugar workers was not only appalling and insensitive but was in contradiction to the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into the sugar industry. That COI did not recommend closure of any estates. The Coalition opted to do so. The Coalition paid a huge price for throwing 7,000 workers on the breadline.

Sixthly, there emerged a power struggle within the AFC which cost that unit

support. Given the slenderness of the Coalition's victory at the 2015 elections, it amounted to political suicide for there to have been a challenge for the Prime Ministerial slot. It smelt of rank opportunism.

That decision further weakened the AFC which was expected to bring it the critical votes to determine the winner of the elections.

The AFC failed to do and the PPP/C romped home.

The supporters of the PPP/C would want Guyanese to believe that Bharrat Jagdeo was singlehandedly responsible for the PPP/C's victory. But the result of the elections showed that the PPP/C ended up with a one-seat majority. Jagdeo was not the

factor that decided the elections.

He is no superman. In fact, he may have even been a liability to the party, through his perceived s domination of the process of selecting the party's presidential candidate.

The PPP/C won because the APNU+AFC failed. It failed miserably. When the Coalition has the honesty and courage to undertake a truthful assessment of its defeat, it should critically ask itself if whether it had done things differently, it would have lost the elections.

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

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Kaieteur News

Sunday December 27, 2020

Sunday December 27, 2020

...New Zealand 222-3 at stumps on 1st day,

New Zealand’s Kane Williamson reacts while during play on day one of the first cricket test between Pakistan and New Zealand at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

Sunday December 27, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Take charge of your health today, Aries. You'll likely wake up feeling energetic.

Take advantage of the energy boost from the planetary movements to actively do things that maintain your sense of well-being.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) If you saw something in a craft shop or art studio that you'd like to buy but can't afford, consider making it.

Even if you don't think you're artistic, you could surprise yourself if you try.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) It's the perfect day to head outside, Gemini. You'll likely be feeling positive and energetic, and the fresh air, sunshine, and physical activity may be long overdue.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) It won't be surprising if you're frustrated with a close friend or partner who's far less ambitious than you, Cancer.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) See about using your good relationships with friends and loved ones to get future group activities going, Leo. You're probably feeling great, and the idea of socializing appeals to you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) If you lack a regular exercise routine, Virgo, today's a great day to remedy that. Exercise doesn't have to exhaust you or hurt. Even activities like walking or yoga are excellent ways to stay healthy.

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Kaieteur News

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Put your ambition into action today, Libra. The day's planetary aspects should find you feeling energetic and positive, so take steps to achieve your goals.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Don't hesitate when it comes to taking on a project or making plans today. Extra energy will complement your organizational skills, making a perfect combination for handling almost anything.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Today should go well for you, Sagittarius. Expect to feel a renewed energy and fresher perspective, especially concerning anything work related.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Today you may feel very creative and ambitious. You might want to use this energy to work on an artistic project, or you may choose to channel it into such activities as organizing your home or workspace.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Don't be surprised if you feel super today. Chances are good that you'll enjoy renewed physical strength, with energy to spare.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) The influence of the planetary aspects will bring an end to any lethargy you've been feeling, Pisces. It's an excellent day to head outside and do something active. Gardening or landscaping can make great use of your energy and creativity.

From page 55 Haris Sohail when he was 86.

But he batted on, unruffled by those moments.

His late partnership with Nicholls gave substance to the New Zealand total and concern to Pakistan.

Williamson made a career-best 251 in his most-recent innings in the first test against the West Indies while Nicholls made 174 in the second test.

Shaheen finished the day with 3-55 while Abbas had no wicket for 25 runs from 21 overs, 11 of which were maidens.

Scores: New Zealand 222 for 3 (Williamson 94*, Nicholls 42*, Taylor 70, Afridi 3-55) vs Pakistan.

...NBA roundup: Irving, Nets From page 52 quarter, and Los Angeles won at Denver. Leonard went down after getting hit in the face by the elbow of teammate Serge Ibaka with 6:11 left. He was bleeding profusely before walking to the locker room and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest.

Ibaka had 15 points, Nicolas Batum scored 13 and Ivica Zubac had 12 points off the bench for the Clippers.

Los Angeles exacted a bit of revenge after blowing a 3-1 series lead against the Nuggets in last season’s Western Conference semifinals and falling in seven games.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic finished with 24 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds and Jamal Murray had 13 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter.

(Field Level Media)

...The best names currently From page 53 Vandyke, Kerwin Maxwell, Sherwin Skeete, Nickosie Denny, Jamar Harrigan, Dwain Jacobs, William Europe, Shawn Adonis, Kevon Barry, Quincy Adams, William Europe.

Manager - Quacy Johnson, Head Coach - Winston Pompey.

Linden All Stars: Abumuchi Benjamin (Georgetown), Sese Norville (East Bank), Curtez Kellman (Georgetown), Pernel Schultz (Georgetown), Colin Nelson (Georgetown), Shemar Fraser (East Coast), Eric Moore, Kelon Major, Omar Brewley, Omarie Gordon, Romain Adams, Deshawn Joseph, Shane Lucky, Clive Hudson, Kendall Lewis, Kevin Charles, Denzil Fordyce, Andre Mayers, Rajan Ramdeholl, Delon

McAllister.

Manager - Seon Barratt, Head Coach - Charles Pollard, Assistant Coach Troy Nelson, Goalkeeper Coach - Eon Deveira, Equipment Manager - Quacy Paddy.

City Stars: Alex Murray, Joel Yap, Rafael Edwards, Jeremy Garrett, Lionel Holder, Trevon Lythcott, Joshua Campbell, Lazon Lord, Daniel Wilson, Job Caesar, Ryan Hackett, Kelsey Benjamin, Kimba Braithwaite, Orin Yarde, Dorwin George, Stefan Reynolds, DaCosta Aboagye, Nicholas McArthur, Delon Lanferman.

Manager - Frank Parris, Head Coach - Wayne Dover, Assistant Coach - Anthony Benfield, Goalkeeper Coach - Calvin Allen, Medical Denzil Hernandez.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 54

Sunday December 27, 2020

Pandemic badly affected Table Tennis It’s important for players to start preparing for 2021

By Sean Devers The Covid-19 Pandemic forced a Global shut down of all sports and Table Tennis in Guyana was no exception when the Guyana lockdown was instituted in March.

According Linden Johnson, who was appointed National Table Tennis Coach in 2003 when he coached the National Cadet team’s boys and girls to two silvers and a pair of bronze Medals in Cuba, the pandemic hit Table Tennis hard and only three tournaments were held this year. “ We ( G T TA ) o n l y managed to host three tournaments in 2020 with the junior’s and Cadet Table Tennis Championships in January, the Senior National Championships in February and the Forbes Burnham Memorial tournament which was also held in February before the Corona Virus arrived here,” informed the 58-year-old Johnson.

In the junior’s and Cadet tournament; Yuteshwar Persaud won the boys Novice, while Samirah Burrowes took the Girls Intermediate title, Thuraia Thomas won the Girls U-15, while National U-15 Cricketer Jonathan Van Lange captured the Boys U15 title.

Cristal Melville won the U-18 Girls, while Van Lange, playing with a fractured finger in a cast, won the Boys U-18s to finish with two Gold Medals.

In the Senior National Championships, Kyle Chung won the Women’s ‘C’ class U-21 title while Elishaba Johnson took the ‘B’ class Open with the talented Van Lange copping the Silver Medal.

Christopher Franklyn won

the Men’s Singles, while Natalie Cummings was top of the pack in the Women’s Singles.

In the Forbes Burnham Memorial tournament, Narren Persaud took the ‘C’ class Open Singles while Elishaba Johnson won the ‘B’ class Open Singles.

Johnson returned to capture his second Gold Medal when he won the U-21 Open title.

Orin Hickeson won the Singles Open.

The Pandemic resulted in the cancelation of international and local tournaments which were scheduled for this year.

“At home, the Mini/Pre Cadet Nationals which was set for March 2020, hosting of the Caribbean Hopes Camp and Caribbean Mini/Pre Cadet in August also had to be cancelled.

On the International front the Caribbean Cadets and Juniors Championships in the Dominican Republic set for March, the Latin American Olympic Qualifier and the Caribbean Senior Championship in Cuba which were fixed for last April were all cancelled.

Ta b l e Te n n i s i s considered a non-contact sport and after six months of inactivity, the GTTA got the green light in August to resume training in small numbers while adhering to the COVID-19 guidelines.

“Most of the players are working on training and are eager to get back into action because just continuing to train without getting to compete could be disheartening.

According to Johnson, the International Table Tennis Federation’s (ITTF) guidelines focus is mainly on health and safety on the Van Lange won two Gold medals playing with fractured finger with his hand in a cast.

- says National Coach Johnson National Table Tennis Coach Linden Johnson.

National Men’s Champion Christopher Franklin.

athletes who have shown the intentions to participate, they also want them to completely obey the guidelines that surround the hosting of any event in the Pandemic with adherence the rules set out by WHO, the Covid Task Force and the Ministry of Health.

Apart from the Pandemic, Johnson lamented that the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) faced several Challenges like a home for the Sport, Elite support for National Team and team members, financial support for Coaches, Human Resources Personal and Club structure, sponsorship for National Teams and more administrative support.

“My vision for Table Tennis is to make it a truly National sport where every Guyanese will play. The aim

is to decentralise the sport with its ‘Table Tennis for schools’ programme’ which will see every primary and Secondary School in the Country equipped with a Table Tennis Table, four Racquets and a net. This has already started, Johnson said.

Looking towards the future, Johnson, who is responsible for the Table Tennis Development in Guyana, the Management and coordination of all tournament activities in Guyana, disclosed that the GTTA recently met with Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr. and revealed some of the projects to be undertaken by the GTTA. He listed nine programmes to be undertaken by the local table Tennis body which is headed

former Caribbean Champion Godfrey Munroe.

1: National Table Tennis for Schools Project to continue with of teachers and providing equipment.

2: Building a home for Table Tennis 3: Exchange programme with China and Cuba.

Training National players in a high quality environment.

Provision of training for Coaches to go and learn from their systems 4: Development of the Club structure 5: Stag International grants, equipment and team uniform and sponsorship once every two years to continue.

6: Decentralization of the Sport

7: Hosting of more International and local tournaments 8: Engagement with department of Education 9: Collaboration with the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) “It’s important for the players…local and International… to get back into action since there are few important tournaments scheduled for 2021 such as the National Pre Cadet, National Cadets/ Juniors, National Seniors, Caribbean Mini/ Pre Cadets, Caribbean Cadet/Junior and the Olympic Qualifiers/ National Senior Championships,” concluded Johnson, who is married and has three children.

NBA roundup: Irving, Nets prevail in Boston Kyrie Irving scored 37 points, Kevin Durant added 29, and the visiting Brooklyn Nets enjoyed a successful return to the NBA’s Christmas Day schedule by pulling away in the second half for a 123-95 victory over the Boston Celtics on Friday.

In his first regularseason game in Boston since joining the Nets, Irving made 13 of 21 shots, hit seven 3-pointers, and handed out eight assists.

Irving scored 17 by halftime, but the Nets trailed by three before outscoring Boston 72-41 in the second half in their first Christmas Day game since facing Chicago in 2013.

Durant made 9 of 16 shots, hit including 3 of 4 from 3-point range, and came to life with an array of moves in the third quarter when he scored 16 points

and made 6 of 7 shots.

Jaylen Brown scored 27 points for the Celtics, who shot 32.6 percent in the second half and 37.8 percent overall. Jayson Tatum added 20 points and eight rebounds.

Los Angeles Lakers 138 Dallas Mavericks 115 Anthony Davis had 28 points and eight rebounds as host Los Angeles coasted to a victory over Dallas. Davis converted 10 of 16 shots and 3 of 5 3-point attempts.

LeBron James had 22 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds while Montrezl Harrell contributed 22 points and seven rebounds for the Lakers. James passed Oscar Robertson for second place in total points scored on Christmas Day and he tied former teammate Dwyane Wade for career Christmas wins at 10.

Six Mavericks scored in

double figures, led by Luka Doncic with 27 points.

Miami Heat 111 - New Orleans Pelicans 98 Miami lost star Jimmy Butler due to injury in the first half but held off Zion Wi l l i a m s o n a n d N e w Orleans for a home win.

Butler departed due to right ankle stiffness.

Williamson, making his Christmas Day debut, produced his second doubledouble in two contests this season with 32 points and 14 rebounds, both game highs.

Brandon Ingram added 28 points for the Pelicans.

The Heat were led by Duncan Robinson, who had 23 points and made 7 of 13 3pointers. Bam Adebayo had 17 points, and Goran Dragic added 18 points and a gamehigh nine assists off the bench.

Milwaukee Bucks 138 Golden State Warriors 99

Khris Middleton scored a game-high 31 points and Milwaukee used brilliant shooting from 3-point range to gradually pull away from visiting Golden State.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was held to 15 points on 4for-14 shooting, but Middleton and four other teammates scored in double figures as the Bucks quickly erased the bad taste of a lastsecond loss at Boston with their first win of the season.

Stephen Curry had a team-high 19 points and rookie James Wiseman 18 for the Warriors, who have been outscored by a combined 65 points in their first two games.

Los Angeles Clippers 121 - Denver Nuggets 108 Paul George had 23 points and nine rebounds, Kawhi Leonard scored 21 before leaving in the fourth (Continued on page 51)

Kaieteur News

Sunday December 27, 2020

PAGE 55

Golf enjoyed success in 2020 despite Covid 19

2

020 was probably the strangest year for Guyana and the world and sports struggled because of the covid-19 pandemic and our elections confusion.

Yet seemingly, one sports discipline has thrived during the worst year in recent history and that is the game of Golf.

The Guyana Golf Association and NexGen Golf Academy continued to push the envelope when it came to innovative ways to increase public awareness of the sport, seizing upon the opportunity that permitted golf, a socially distanced sport to flourish under the tough conditions.

When asked about the year in retrospect, President of the GGA, Aleem Hussain said it was phenomenal, a word not used by any of the other heads of sporting organizations in Guyana.

“Despite the challenges faced in 2020, we were able to do things that were planned and exceeded our goals set for the year. And it

Aleem Hussain during a sponsorship event recently.

will only get better in 2021.”

Hussain rattled off a list of plans and goals for the sport.

“Guyana will be home to no less than five golf courses in the next few years and will become a Golf Tourism destination, one of the highest sports tourism revenue generators.

Maraiko Bay Golf and Country Club in Mahaica is expected to lead the way and be the first full length 18hole PGA-standard golf

course in the region (7,800 yard course is being built).

Additional courses are planned for the Soesdyke, Linden, Essequibo and West Coast Demerara regions and will be available for play as early as August 2021.

Additionally, after years of pushing for golf to be an official sport on the CSEC/CAPE syllabus, we are now starting to teach in 8 Pilot Secondary Schools – G e o rg e t o w n , B e r b i c e , Essequibo, Linden and East

Coast, a programme brought to life by the hard work of Nicholas Fraser, head of the Allied Arts division of Ministry of Education and Al Junior Wilson, a Physical Education teacher on the East Coast.

This project will expand in 2021 and we expect that 6,000 students will be exposed to the game in a single year.”

The NexGen Golf Academy is expected to improve its facilities with a putting green, sand bunkers and short game practice area to be ready by early 2021 and continues to be the catalyst for development of new players due to its central location in Georgetown.

Hussain said there were no plans to increase fees for players (as low as G$500/hour) and more teaching professionals will be added to support the growth.

“When you consider that we have over 450 new players in less than six months, the majority of

which are women, one has to be extremely happy with our current position.”

The Guyana Golf Association was formed in February 2020 and has led the way in promoting the sport as a healthy, covid compliant activity for all ages but more importantly, it has brought a new energy and direction to the use of sports as a fundraising avenue for a variety of charities and organizations from cancer awareness to orphans.

The GGA president felt that there was still work to be done but was extremely grateful to the golfing community and his extraordinary large list of supporters who were always ready to help with just a phone call.

NexGen Golf Academy recently signed a major marketing deal with Copa Airlines, the region’s largest and one of the largest airlines in the world to brand and promote the sport in Guyana, especially to women and children.

This will take the form of tournaments, contests and giveaways through-out the year with the first promotion expected to be a Hole-inOne Challenge that will give the winner a round-trip ticket to any destination Copa Airlines flies (restrictions do apply).

Hussain thanked the sponsors, players and staff who had worked hard to fulfill the aggressive goals in 2020 and promised that 2021 would bring much more excitement, fun and players to the sport than ever before.

“The attention that the sport attracts worldwide allows us to plan for events and tournaments that if televised, can help to market Guyana, its opportunities and resources to an audience that spends the most in terms of travel, so it will boost tourism in ways beyond our imagination.”

For more information on trying the sport, sign up for lessons, or hosting an event at the Academy, contact them on Facebook or call 645-0944.

GFF/K&S/MCYS Bounceback Football

The best names currently in the business to collide pending clearance after covid-19 tests Tuesday evening at the Guyana National Stadium Providence, the first sport to fill this facility to capacity will make a grand return when the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport (MCYS) and the entity that was responsible for the sold out facility, Kashif and Shanghai (K&S) brings off the first of two nights of football being called, ‘Bounceback’.

These two nights of action which will feature star studded line-ups from East C o a s t , L i n d e n , We s t Demerara and the City would be played under circumstances like no other following the ravaging and rippling effects of the worldwide, covid-19 pandemic.

The principals involved in bring off this event have all expressed delight that they can collaborate for the common good of the game as they look forward to shaping a great 2021 which is anticipated to be a very hectic year for the sport.

All the players involved

Coach Wayne Dover with his City Stars team warming up in the foreground. in this mini-competition will be subjected to mandatory covid-19 tests and would only be eligible to play once they are tested negative.

Tests have been ongoing and are expected to be concluded today based on information garnered from the organisers.

The winning teams from Tuesday night’s battles will clash in the final on New Year’s night. Fans would be able to follow all the action live on January 1st (next Friday) via NCN Ch. 11, Enetworks and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Facebook page.

Following are the teams:

West Side All Stars: Ronaldo Blair (East Bank), Shane Morrison, Sherwin Bernard, Marcus Wilson (Georgetown), Kevin Dundas , Rondel Hutson, Kwasi Henry, Sebastien Edwards, Deron Harvey, Joseph DeFreitas, Trayon Bobb, Trevon Pluck (East Bank), Darren Niles (Georgetown), Stephen Jupiter, Jamal Pereira, Leo Lovell, Tyrell Khan (East Bank), Tyrone Khan (East Bank), Sheldon Holder (East Bank), Taleten Adolph, Sherwin Caesar, Quessey Alleyne.

Manager - Orin Ferrier, Head Coach - Oneal

Trevon Pluck

Kevin Dundas (left) and Kelsey Benjamin Heywood, Assistant Coach - Devnon Winter, Goalkeeper Coach - Travis Bess, Medical - Denzil Hernandez.

East Coast All Stars: Inceford Charles, Kevin

Williams, Obessie Johnson, Omari Glasgow, Delwin Fraser, Rondell Bowman, Shemar McPherson, Clevon Barnwell, Andre Williams, Karlos Cole, Samuel (Continued on page 51)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 56

Sunday December 27, 2020

Gutsy India bounce back to skittle Australia in second Test AFP - A resilient India bounced back from their embarrassing first Test exploits to bundle out Australia for just 195 and take a grip on the second Test in Melbourne after a riveting opening day yesterday.

After their horror show in Adelaide last week, where they lost by eight wickets and were skittled for 36 in their second innings, the tourists were desperate to start well.

And they delivered after Australian captain Tim Paine won the toss and chose to bat in front of 27,615 sociallydistanced fans, just short of the maximum allowed under coronavirus restrictions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

On a pitch offering turn and bounce, the hosts found it hard going against a highquality attack led by Jasprit Bumrah (4-56), Ravi Ashwin (3-35) and the impressive Mohammed Siraj (2-40), making his debut for the injured Mohammed Shami.

Marnus Labuschagne top-scored with 48 but that was as good as it got.

Marnus Labuschagne led the fightback for Australia.

It left Indian openers Shubman Gill, also on debut, and Mayank Agarwal needing to negotiate 40 minutes at the end of the day.

Agarwal was not up to the task, trapped lbw by a Mitchell Starc inswinger in the first over.

Gill was dropped on five

by Labuschagne but otherwise looked comfortable, smacking five boundaries to reach 28 and help steer India to 36 for one

at close with the experienced Cheteshwar Pujara unbeaten on seven.

“In the first session we were just trying to bowl in the rights areas,” said Bumrah, who praised Siraj for “bowling his heart out”.

He added that the plan today was for the batsmen to be positive, rather than conservative.

“We’re just looking to control the controllables, not being reckless but being

confident.” With Ajinkya Rahane captaining the side in place of Virat Kohli, who has returned home for the birth of his first child, India got off to a perfect start, getting Burns (0), Matthew Wade (30) and Smith (0) before lunch.

It left Australia in trouble but Labuschagne rode his luck, surviving two review decisions, to lead a recovery, putting on 86 with Travis Head (38).

Head had a nervous start but grew in confidence before Bumrah enticed an edge which carried to Rahane at gully, sparking a collapse.

Labuschagne looked set for a ninth half-century but a brilliant catch by Gill ended his vigil and handed Siraj his first Test wicket.

Allrounder Cameron Green ground out 12 before he too fell to Siraj, then an excellent catch by Hanuma Vihari off Ashwin accounted for Paine (13).

Nathan Lyon hit a cameo 20 but Australia’s tail otherwise failed to wag.

- Still in game “We had probably three innocuous dismissals that we probably didn’t need to, frustrating dismissals and they were guys who were set and in,” said Labuschagne.

“Just need to be better there ... that whoever gets in on the day, whether myself or anyone else in the top order, we make sure we get big scores.”

But he added: “I think we’re (still) in the game.”

With David Warner still injured, the hosts went into

the clash unchanged, with Burns opening alongside Wade.

Burns hit an unbeaten 51 in Adelaide to relieve some pressure after a long lean spell, but his performance Saturday will once more raise questions over his place in the team.

He looked tentative against Bumrah and got a nick to a delivery he should have left.

At the other end, Wade had an escape on four but started finding the gaps before attempting a big hit off Ashwin, which proved his downfall for 30.

Ravindra Jadeja took the catch, but only just with Gill also underneath it. The pair collided but Jadeja managed to hang on.

Ashwin then claimed the crucial scalp of Smith, who was undone by an off-break with Pujara holding a catch at slip after the world’s top batsman faced just eight balls.

Scores: India 36 for 1 (Gill 28*, Pujara 7*) trail Australia 195 (Labuschagne 48, Bumrah 4-56, Ashwin 335) by 159 runs.

Leicester fight back twice to Arsenal beat Chelsea to end seven-match winless league run earn drawn with Man Utd Jamie Vardy had a quiet afternoon before he played a big role in Leicester’s late equaliser. (Getty Images)

Lacazette is Arsenal’s top goalscorer in all competitions this season with six goals.

BBC Sport - A rejuvenated Arsenal recorded an important 3-1 victory over Chelsea to end their seven-game run without a win in the Premier League and ease the pressure on boss Mikel Arteta.

Two first-half goals set the platform for the Gunners’ first top-flight win since 1 November.

Alexandre Lacazette sent goalkeeper Edouard Mendy the wrong way from the penalty spot and Granit Xhaka curled in a superb free-kick 10 minutes later to put Arteta’s side in control.

Bukayo Saka’s cross then dropped into the top corner early in the second half to put the game beyond the visitors.

Tammy Abraham tapped in from close range to make it a nervy final five minutes for the hosts and Jorginho then saw his weak penalty saved by Bernd Leno.

But it was an otherwise lacklustre performance by Frank Lampard’s side, who missed the chance to go second.

It was a well-deserved victory for Arsenal, who climb to 14th and will hope any talk of a relegation battle is now behind them.

BBC Sport - Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers said his side showed the personality of a “huge club” as they came from behind twice to earn a point against Manchester United.

Axel Tuanzebe diverted a close-range effort from Jamie Vardy - who had an otherwise quiet afternoon into his own net in the 85th minute to deny the visitors a r e c o r d - e q u a l l i n g 11 t h consecutive away win in the Premier League.

Bruno Fernandes had given United the lead with just over 10 minutes left when he latched on to substitute Edinson Cavani’s through ball and finished past Kasper Schmeichel.

Marcus Rashford opened the scoring when he got on

the end of Fernandes’ pass to slide in his 50th top-flight goal, before Harvey Barnes hit a fine first-half equaliser.

The Foxes remain second in the table and Rodgers says his side’s resilience shows they can “compete at the highest level”. “We showed lots of potential last year but with more coaching time and more confidence the players will improve,” said Rodgers, whose side have already beaten Manchester City, Tottenham and Arsenal this season. “When you play against huge clubs, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, they have that personality but we played with personality and authority in the game.

“We’re nowhere near in

terms of budget but from a football perspective we were competitive.” The result at King Power Stadium ended United’s 10-match winning league run on the road - one short of the record set by Chelsea in 2008. “We gave them lots of problems and, looking at it, we had some real authority in the game,” added Rodgers.

“It was the very least we deserved. We showed real quality and showed we can compete at the level against a team who had won every game away from home.”

Both sides retained their pre-match position in the table before yesterday’s other fixtures, with Leicester three points behind leaders Liverpool and one ahead of third-placed United.

Kaieteur News

Sunday December 27, 2020

PAGE 57

West Dem Masters donate GCB extends heartfelt condolences on the passing of Reyaz Hussain cricket prize money to kidney transplant patient T he Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has joined many in Guyana who have expressed shock and condolences to the family of the late Reyaz Hussain, who died suddenly on Christmas day. The news of the passing of the popular Television personality, announcer and cricketer left many in utter disbelief.

Reyaz had just a few days ago served as the Master of Ceremonies (MC) for an event hosted by the GCB. Here is the full text of the message sent by the GCB: “It was with great sadness that the executives and staff of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) learnt of the sudden passing of Reyaz Hussain on Friday 25 December 2020. The late Reyaz Hussain was a popular Public Announcer at Regional and International matches held in Guyana. On occasions, he also performed the duties of moderator at official functions of the

West Dem Masters Chabiraj Ramcharran (left) and Mohamed Abid Haniff presenting $100,000 to assist Aditya Mohabir (centre) with dialysis.

West Demerara Masters have played a life-changing stroke by donating their entire prize money from a recent cricket tournament to a teenager who is preparing for renal surgery.

The WD Masters ended the inaugural Guyana Cricket Board over-40 tournament as runner-up to Regal Masters where they walked away with $100,000 and have passed on the entire sum to Nadia Budwah to assist with dialysis for her teenage son.

Aditya Mohabir, 15 years old, was diagnosed with renal failure in August this year and has since been battling for his life with his single parent mother by his side. The surgery which will be done at the Georgetown Public Hospital by Dr Kishore Persaud and his

team of surgeons will see Nadia donating one of her kidneys to her son.

Aditya was forced to quit Endeavour Secondary School in Canal Number Two after he started to ‘drop back’ in his class. His mother then sent him to private tutoring in Canal Number One but he would often fall asleep during the sessions. It was then that his mother realized that something was wrong and after a series of visits to the West Demerara Regional Hospital and then the Georgetown Public Hospital the terrible news was confirmed.

At that point it seems as if the already bad situation in the family was getting worse since Budwah lost her job following the outbreak of Covid-19. However, the determined mother still

manages to take Aditya to the Doobay Medical Centre twice per week for dialysis travelling all the way from their home at Vriesland Wa l e s , We s t B a n k Demerara.

Members of the WD Masters heard of the situation and immediately following the conclusion of the cricket tournament early in December, handed over the cheque to Aditya and his mother.

The WD Masters are also urging others to reach out to Aditya and his mother in any way to make the already tough time a little easier.

Persons may contact 6861355 with assistance.

Budwah was grateful to the WD Masters and is hoping and praying for better days for her family. (John Ramsingh)

WD Masters finished the inaugural GCB Over-40 tournament in second place.

Reyaz Hussain at the recent GCB function at LBI. Guyana Cricket Board. Just recently, Reyad officiated as the moderator at the opening ceremony of the LBI Flood light facility and portrayed his usual charismatic and embracing approach in delivering his presentations.

Reyaz Hussain was a long serving member of both the Georgetown Cricket Club and Everest Cricket Club. In the pass at the

Georgetown Cricket Club, Reyaz performed the roles of second division captain and coach-mentor for young players, while at the Everest Cricket Club, Reyaz served as an executive member, Club captain, as well as performing the role of coachmentor for young players.

Besides taking up club responsibilities, Mr. Hussain was known for his friendly, cohesive passionate and professional personality to Public Announcing. This social integrative and professional approach will no doubt be embraced by members of local cricket bodies.

His passing is a great loss to the members of the entire cricket fraternity. It is with a heavy heart that we extend our deepest condolences to his family, clients and friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time, as we share their pain and grief.

May his soul rest in eternal peace!”

New Zealand 222-3 at stumps on 1st day, 1st test vs Pakistan M O U N T MAUNGANUI, New Zealand (AP) — Kane Wi l l i a m s o n m a d e a n unbeaten 94 and shared a 120-run partnership with Ross Taylor which lifted New Zealand into a strong position at stumps yesterday on the first day of the first cricket test against Pakistan.

Taylor made 70 and Williamson added a further 89 with Henry Nicholls who was 42 not out at stumps when New Zealand was 2223.

Williamson came to the crease when only three balls had been bowled and remained for the next 86.3 overs, reshaping the New Zealand innings and changing the course of the first day.

Pakistan had been on top after winning the toss, bowling on a green pitch and after Shaheen Afridi removed New Zealand openers Tom Latham for 4 and Tom Blundell for 5 with only 13 runs on the board.

New Zealand faced its first real crisis of the domestic summer. In two tests against the West Indies it lost the toss and made scores of 519-7 and 460 to set up innings victories and a 2-0 series sweep.

On Saturday, Pakistan’s more disciplined attack made much better use of the toss and conditions than the We s t I n d i e s . S h a h e e n brought pace and bounce which generated catches behind the wicket: Latham and Blundell were caught in the slip cordon and Taylor fell to a catch by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.

Mohammad Abbas brought immense accuracy and perseverance, conceding only 10 runs from his first 11 overs.

Williamson and Taylor were forced to graft for runs early. Taylor’s half century from 127 balls was his 34th in tests but second slowest in terms of balls faced while Williamson’s, from 154 balls, was his 33rd and his second slowest in New Zealand.

By lunch they had lifted New Zealand to 55-2 and they reached their half century partnership from 125 balls.

The pitch mellowed in the second session and, while the Pakistan bowlers maintained good line and l e n g t h , Ta y l o r a n d Williamson were able to bat more freely. They posted their 10th century

partnership in tests from 249 deliveries, adding to the record of New Zealand’s most prolific test partnership.

Taylor had special cause to celebrate as he was making a record 438th international appearance across all formats, overtaking Daniel Vetorri’s record of 437. He has form a special alliance with Williamson, with whom he has batted more than 150 times in tests and scored more than 3,000 runs.

“At the start of my career I was happy just to play one or two games and to have come this far is nice,” Taylor said.

“Throughout the whole of the summer the pitches have been a little bit green, this one not as green as the other two. In tests you expect it to do a little bit for the first couple of hours and it certainly did that.

“We’re happy to get through pretty unscathed: 222-3 after losing those early wickets we certainly would have taken at the start of the day.”

Even Williamson had his moments. He was dropped at second slip, a hard chance, when he was 18 and again by (Continued on page 51)

Gutsy India bounce back to skittle Australia in second Test

Jasprit Bumrah dismisses Joe Burns for a duck Š Getty Images

R Ashwin takes off on a celebratory run after dismissing Steven Smith Š Getty Images

GFF/K&S/MCYS Bounceback Football

The best names currently in the business to collide pending clearance after covid-19 tests Ronaldo Blair

Omari Glasgow

Nicholas McArthur

GCB extends heartfelt West Dem Masters donate cricket prize money to condolences on the passing of Reyaz Hussain kidney transplant patient 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.