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December 28, 2023 - Vol. 16 No. 52

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With ring-fencing.. Guyana would have been receiving full today from three oil projects

50%

Cop arrested for shooting man with unlicensed gun Man charged Man dies after for shooting at bikes collide cop in Essequibo at Wakenaam

Govt. to use $15 billion CDB loan to construct water treatment plants

GPOC still to account for over $300 million in old age pension transactions AG report:

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Thursday December 28, 2023

Kaieteur News

With ring-fencing... Guyana would

have been receiving full 50% today from three oil projects S

ince oil production a c t i v i t i e s commenced in Guyana, the operator of the Stabroek Block-ExxonMobil has deducted more than US$19 billion in revenue earned to cover its investments into the development activities across the massive 26,800 square kilometers block.

In the absence of a key provision known to the sector as ring-fencing, Exxon has spent the earnings from the operational projects for exploration works and to finance projects that are in the pipeline. Had Guyana ringfenced each project, the country could have already paid off the costs for the three projects that are in operation today.

A ring-fencing provision allows for each project to pay for itself. It would also allow each party to benefit from 50 percent of the revenue from each project after the development costs have been repaid. The first project in the

Stabroek Block, Liza One, is pegged at US$3.5B and Liza Two, US$6B. The third project, Payara, costs another US$9B. Together the three projects amount to US$18.5B. Given that Exxon has already deducted US$19B in costs from Guyana's oil, the three projects could have already been cleared had Guyana implemented a ringfencing provision. This means the country could have already been positioned to benefit from 50 percent of all revenue generated at each of the projects. Despite repeated calls from stakeholders, local and abroad, for the government to ring-fence each Stabroek Block project, the administration has been reluctant to include such a requirement in the new Environmental Permits.

So far, five projects in the Stabroek Block have been approved without this critical governance mechanism. A sixth project application is

before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awaiting approval. Calls have been made for all future projects in the Stabroek Block to be ring-fenced, however these have since fallen on deaf ears.

In the meantime, Exxon has been utilising resources that should be in Guyana's purse to finance the Stabroek B l o c k a c t i v i t i e s . Vi c e President and chief policy maker for the sector, Bharrat Jagdeo had previously explained that Guyana is foregoing revenue now to gain massive profits in the future. He said, “We admitted that we are foregoing revenue now in exchange for massive future income because it's going into new projects that will increase production, and so even with the same share of the 50/50, plus the two percent royalty that the future income, because of the bigger scale will be massive in Guyana's case and we are deliberately foregoing that in this period for that purpose

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo and then trying to grab this bone now could cause you to lose all the bones, the bigger bones too in the future.”

Even though the country is essentially acting as a coinvestor in the offshore oil activities by funding the development projects, the country does not receive any

additional benefits on its “foregone” profits. While the VP is comfortable waiting on the revenue to come in later, the country is faced with the real risk of losing billions, since oil prices are likely to drop in the future as the world transitions to renewable energy.

Cost recovery It was reported that during the period 2018 to 2020, Exxon racked up some US$7.3 billion in expenses for the petroleum activities in the Stabroek Block.

Meanwhile, in 2021, the company spent another US$610 million, according to its financial statement. In its 2022 Annual Report, ExxonMobil indicated that US$7.4 billion was deducted to cover its investments in the Stabroek Block.

Additionally, the Bank of Guyana (BoG) in its Half Year Report also revealed that some US$4B was already recovered during the first six months of 2023. This means that between 2018 and June 2023, ExxonMobil and partners recovered a whopping US$19B in costs.

Meanwhile, since oil production commenced, Guyana merely earned US$3,057,571,695.52 (inclusive of profit oil and royalty payments) as at September 20, 2023.

Guyana Post Office still to account for over $300M in old age pension transactions -AG report T

he Guyana Post O f f i c e Corporation (GPOC) has failed to account for $314.872 million in old age pension vouchers for last year, the 2022 Auditor General (AG) report has revealed.

The audit office initially found sum of $516.261 million was owed by GPOC to the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security- which is responsible for the old age pension disbursement.

However, further examination by auditors of the reconciliation statement received from GPOC for the month of December 2022 revealed that GPOC was actually indebted to the Ministry in the sum of $314.872 million leaving a difference of $201.389M between the Cash Book summary and the GPOC Reconciliation Statement.

According the 2022

report, the Head of Budget Agency discovered there is a variation in the amount indebted by the GPOC as recorded by the Ministry and the statement received from GPOC due to the transit time for vouchers to be received by the Ministry from the GPOC. “It should be noted that December coupons are received in January of the following year and recorded at that time in the Ministry's Cash Book,” the report added.

According to the document an additional $10.360M has not been resolved since the GPOC is claiming that the coupons were submitted to the Ministry but the Ministry has no record of this and it is not reflected in the Ministry's C a s h B o o k a n d Reconciliation Statement.

The Audit Office recommended that the Head

The main office of GPOC in Georgetown of Budget Agency continues to reconcile the Old Age Pension Account with a view of having the unreconciled difference cleared and ascertain GPOC's indebtedness to the Ministry.

In addition, the report pointed to an unreconciled difference of $115.931M, an amount was mentioned in the 2019 to 2021 Reports.

At the time of reporting in September 2023, the difference remained the

same.

The $115.931 million that was previously handed over to the GPOC for the encashment of old-age pension vouchers still remain unaccounted for, and will most likely have to be written off as unrecoverable since the Audit Office has deemed the reconciliation practically impossible.

According to the Audit Report, at the end of December 2019, records

showed that the GPOC owed the ministry $944.367 m i l l i o n ; h o w e v e r, t h e corporation's records showed its balance as owing $732.684 million, a difference of $211.683 million.

Included in the $211.683 million was a recurring balance of $115.931 million deemed an unreconciled difference, and used as a balancing figure. The unaccounted sum was among several issues dealt with when the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) resumed meetings in May of this year.

The committee deliberated on matters in the 2019 Audit Report under the former Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.

Permanent Secretary of the M i n i s t r y, S h a n n i e l l e H o o s e i n - O u t a r acknowledged that there were lots of errors with the ministry's cash books, and

going back for a number of years, the books were not balanced or prepared properly.

However, she affirmed that the books are being balanced correctly from month to month.

The ministry currently has a total of 72,441 pensioners in its system, with old-age pension currently being $33,000 per month. A former Chairman of the GPOC, PAC member and Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill gave a reminder that some years ago a decision was taken to close the Ministry ongoing accounts and effectively draw a red line and restart the ministry's books to ensure transparent accounting, going forward.

He questioned how the ministry could still continue to be plagued with issues in its transactions with the GPOC.

Kaieteur News

Thursday December 28, 2023

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US Secretary of State thanks Brazil for role in Guyana-Venezuela peace talks D

uring a recent conversation with Brazilian Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, US Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken expressed his gratitude for the diplomatic leadership displayed by Brazil in peace talks between Guyana and Venezuela.

Those peace talks were held at Argyle International Airport in St. Vincent and the Grenadines' on December 13, 2023.

The discussion aimed at getting Venezuela to scale back its aggressive efforts to annex Guyana's Essequibo region even as a case on the border controversy between the two is before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

A c c o r d i n g t o Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, Matthew Miller, Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the United States' position that the land boundary between Venezuela and Guyana should be respected unless—or until—the parties reach a new agreement—or a competent legal body decides

US Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinken

Brazilian Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira otherwise.

Following the talks that were held in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the presence of key CARICOM Heads of State and members of the Community of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAC), both Guyana and Venezuela agreed to a number of measures, including the pursuit of good neighborliness, peaceful coexistence, and the unity of Latin America and the Caribbean.

They also agreed to refrain, whether by words or deeds from escalating any conflict or disagreement arising from any controversy between them.

Both nations also agreed to cooperate to avoid incidents on the ground conducive to tension between them.

In the event of such an incident, the two States will immediately communicate with one another, the Caribbean Community, the

Comprehensive health plan to be implemented to tackle chronic diseases in 2024 A comprehensive health plan to tackle various chronic diseases in the country is slated to roll out in 2024, Technical Officer for Diabetes, Dr Nandishaw Ramsingh has reemphasised.

Dr Ramsingh was at the time speaking on the Ministry of Health's 'Health Matters' programme which was broadcast Friday last.

According to the technical officer, the ministry remains committed to bridging the gap in the delivery of advanced healthcare services even in remote areas. The medical practitioner outlined extensive plans for 2024, emphasising the commitment of the Ministry of Health, particularly the Chronic Disease Unit, to conducting numerous outreaches. Dr Ramsingh explained that the goal is to engage with a broader audience and promote a healthier population. Along with these outreaches, more screening activities are to be done for diseases such as diabetes as well as high and

low blood pressure.

Accordingly, he said new training programmes are also expected to be rolled out.

Incorporating these advanced courses will ensure healthcare workers are on par with the new evidencebased medicine that the ministry has to offer.

“We would also like the public to keep in tune with the ministry's page so that they will know when we will be rolling out these programmes and strategies.

Because come January and February we just want to see fewer persons being ill,” the technical officer stated.

Meanwhile, General Medical Officer at the

ministry's Diabetic Centre, Dr Davina Ramsingh, noted that like before, the health ministry will be targeting persons 25 years and older with these new strategies that are slated to be implemented.

She explained that these persons are being targeted because they are more at risk.

According to her, in most cases, persons who go to the clinic are older than 25 and already have diabetes.

Targeting persons at an earlier age will help the ministry to capture the disease at the right time or prevent it, which will also aid in the ministry's goal of eliminating certain diseases by 2030. (DPI)

Community of Latin America and the Caribbean, and the President of Brazil to contain, reverse and prevent its recurrence.

Another critical development was that both nations agreed to establish i m m e d i a t e l y, a j o i n t commission of the Foreign Ministers and technical persons from the two States to ad d r e s s matte r s as

mutually agreed. Kaieteur News understands that an update from this joint commission will be submitted to the Presidents of Guyana and Venezuela within three months.

Additionally, both States agreed that Prime Minister Ralph E. Gonsalves, the ProTe m p o r e P r e s i d e n t o f CELAC, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, the

incumbent CARICOM Chairman, and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil will remain seized of the matter as Interlocutors and the UN SecretaryGeneral, Antonio Guterres as Observer, with the ongoing concurrence of Presidents Irfaan Ali and Nicolas Maduro.

For the avoidance of doubt, Prime Minister Gonsalves' role will continue even after Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ceases to be the Pro-Tempore President of CELAC, within the framework of the CELAC Troika plus one; and Prime Minister Skerrit's role will continue as a member of the CARICOM Bureau.

Finally, both Guyana and Venezuela agreed to meet again in Brazil, within the next three months, or at another agreed time, to consider any matter with implications for the territory in dispute, including the abovementioned update of the joint commission.

Kaieteur News

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

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

EDITORIAL

The GTE Ponzi Scheme Guyanese taxpayers are choking on costs today, with prices soaring on just about every item. At the rate that costs are exploding, Guyanese are suffering from more than a spasm of choking. Costs are killing us, with what has to be spent to get what is needed. It is true also for what is pushed on us, whether we agree with it or not.

We focus not on the high cost of living today, but on the steeply increasing price tag of the Wales Gas to Shore project (GTE), which has gone unnoticed to many citizens.

At the moment the two plants and the pipeline for the project will cost taxpayers over US$1.8B. We have not factored in the cost to compensate landowners and transmission lines, substations, consultancy services, operational and maintenance costs. What was presented by the PPPC Government to be US$900M is now estimated to be well over US$2B and yet the final figure for the GTE is unknown.

This is because it is the PPPC Government that is leading the way with this project, and it is known for endless brazen financial skullduggeries whenever projects of these types are involved.

By ExxonMobil’s own initial estimate, the offshore pipeline, which it is constructing is expected to cost around US$1.3B, although head of the project, Winston Brassington had said that the cost would be around US$1B. By now, Guyanese have learned not to place too much confidence in the trustworthiness of ExxonMobil where their oil is concerned, and millions of dollars are at stake.

They almost always end up getting the wrong end of the stick.

Now, a contract was signed between Guyana and CH4/LINDSAYCA, another American entity, for US$759M for the other two huge aspects of the entire GTE project, which are the power plant and the Natural Gas Liquids facility. Using the currently available figures (Exxon’s and CH4/LINDSAYCA), Guyanese are now staring at US$2.059B, and not the earlier approximation of US$900M that officials of the PPPC Government were touting. It is either that the government and its senior people don’t know what is going on with the GTE project, or they are up to their usual tricks. Considering the steep increase in the GTE price tag, we believe that it is a combination of the two.

More than double than what the citizens of this nation was told, and they still don’t know what they are getting. That is, if it is going to mean definitely cheaper electricity at a significantly reduced rate, and what the new price for the GTE is going to mean for the operations of the GPL, Inc. To saddle the people of a poor nation with what could be a US$2B Ponzi scheme is not just appallingly callous, but totally lacking in conscience by anyone who first dangles an urgently needed product (cheap electricity) before an energy thirsty people, only for it to be discovered later that they were being led on a string by a cunning and manipulative government. The US$2B total for the GTE means that every Guyanese is going to be responsible for US$2500 more in debt, or a hard half million Guyana dollars. From every indication, this GTE looks more and more like a crime of unparalleled proportions, the shenanigans of scheming politicians and their henchmen working their magic with foreign exploiters.

Bharat Jagdeo, Guyana’s oil czar, explained that “simulations” were done under varying scenarios, and that the GTE will deliver the promised cheaper and reliable electricity. It is likely that he is talking about price simulations and different market conditions, and not factoring in the more than 100% price for the GTE. This puts the PPPC Government’s insistence of 50% cheaper electricity to Guyanese under severe pressure, and makes it look most unpromising, if not suspicious.

Even from now, this secrecy-riddled GTE registers as another political crime along the lines of what took place with the rich Stabroek Block, and its billions of barrels of oil. What the Coalition APNU+AFC agreed to with ExxonMobil in the form of the 2016 oil contract, the PPPC Government of today is doing something similar with US$2B and counting GTE project at Wales. The foreigners don’t have to exploit and deceive us, our own governments doing so.

Thursday December 28, 2023

Argyle, ICJ, PDVSA and dispute resolution: the view of a pragmatist DEAR EDITOR, I write with reference to a column, written by Mr. Neville Bissember, which appeared in the online version of the Stabroek News on December 27th, 2023. Mr December commented as follows: “Professor Stephen Vasciannie, writing in the Jamaica Observer of 24 December, stated that ‘it must be acknowledged that the Argyle initiative provides no long-term solution to the territorial dispute over Essequibo [sic.] region’.

Well of course it didn’t, because that was not the intention, as that solution would be provided in the fullness of time by the ICJ” (https://www.stabroeknews. com/2023/12/27/news/guya na/argyle-was-a-win-winbut-should-have-set-up-a-

multi-party-commissionwith-a-monitoring-function/ ).

I am not aware of the application of game theory to jurisprudence but it plays a significant role in the social sciences.

In the comment above, Mr. December, who is known for his expertise in international law and diplomacy, seems to suggest that the ICJ will provide a “long-term solution”. I beg to disagree. I suspect that the decision will be in Guyana’s favor but such a decision will not provide a lasting solution.

Venezuela has already asserted that it will not consent to, or recognize the ICJ’s “jurisdiction in the border controversy”.

A passing familiarity with game theory forces me to consider strategic options

to ratchet down tensions for the long-term. Trinidad’s Dragon Field agreement with Venezuela might provide an answer ( h t t p s : / / w w w. o f f s h o r e technology.com/news/venez uela-set-to-approve-licencefor-dragon-gas-field-totrinidad-shell/?cf-view ).

Let me for the first time publicly say that I was decidedly unimpressed by our first auction of oil blocks.

It is in light of those awards, and the border dispute, that I make bold and propose that consideration should be given to a partnership (the President is a strong advocate of p a r t n e r s h i p s https://www.stabroeknews.c om/2023/12/27/news/guyan a/local-consortium-beingformed-to-work-former-

troy-resources-main-mineali/ ) with Venezuela’s staterun oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) for the development of offshore blocks AFTER the ICJ has delivered its final decision.

This type of a pragmatic approach has the potential of providing a lasting solution.

If we are inviting the Americans, Chinese and Middle Easterners to make money from our energy resources then why not the Venezuelans?

The border dispute has its origin in a rush for gold centuries ago.

Today, it is primarily about a rush for oil. Shared development, on fair terms from Guyana, might well be the answer to peaceful relations.

Sincerely, Terrence Campbell

Will this era that is slowly passing, usher in another where ‘anger and fear will disappear?

DEAR EDITOR, By the time my missive reaches you we would have arrived probably at the 5th or 6th day of Christmas. That notwithstanding, the holiday season continues in keeping with Guyanese tradition.

In Alan Jackson’s ‘Let it be Christmas everywhere’ we are reminded that Christmas is “The story of hope, joy and peace. At the same time, he declares ; “Let anger and fear and hate disappear and Let there be love that lasts through the year” The genre of Jackson’s composition bears a striking resemblance to the lyrics of the carol ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ that tell us; Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting light; The hopes and fears of all the years; Are met in thee tonight.’

In contrast to the abiding symbolism and deep meaning of Christmas, there is a sombre reality; According to Reverend Munther Isaac Lutheran Pastor of Bethlehem, “If Jesus was born today, he’d be born under the rubble of Gaza.” Accordingly, the authorities at Bethlehem toned down their annual Christmas festivities.

The lofty and aspirational sentiments of ‘peace on earth, goodwill t o w a r d s m e n ’ notwithstanding, year after year the world careers from one crisis to another, with

never ending wars or hotbeds of tension, all man made, none by way of divine Providence.

The ravages of war is on the screens of many tv channels, social media platforms or the front pages of most newspapers.

Countless people are affected by climate-related flooding and drought, unemployment, poverty, domestic violence, homelessness, starvation, human and arms trafficking and mass migration.

These are just few of the global problems that greet us on a daily basis. In our ‘neck of the woods’ we were no e x c e p t i o n . T h e unprecedented tension between our country and Venezuela, had it not been cooled, would have created another conflict too many.

For our part, President Ali must be credited for the constructive contribution he made.

Over the last twelve months, we saw the emergence of new and diverse voices that provided different perspectives to the scope and depth of stories that captured their interest.

The political and diplomatic events prior to the December meeting at Argyle are testament to this new perspective.

Lurches to the political right and left in European and South American elections, and corresponding geopolitical shifts will only

be properly understood as newly elected parties pursue commitments made while campaigning.

But that is only the beginning. According to Patricia Cohen, a New York Ti m e s c o r r e s p o n d e n t ‘…more volatility lies ahead in the form of a wave of national elections whose repercussions could be deep and long. More than two billion people in roughly 50 countries, including India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, the United States and the 27 nations of the European Parliament, will head to the polls in 2024.

Altogether, participants in 2024’s elections olympiad account for 60 percent of the world’s economic output’ Of hemispheric interest will be our own general and regional elections as well as those due to be held in the USA and Venezuela in 2024 and 2025 respectively. The U.S. presidential election will be the most significant by far.

But as we Guyanese say, ‘ There is more in the mortar than on the pestle.’

According to Courtney R. McCaffrey, author of ‘2024 Global Economic Outlook Report;’ “In the last couple of months, there has been a rise in smaller players like Yemen, Hamas, Azerbaijan and Venezuela that are seeking to change the status quo. Even if these conflicts are smaller, they can still

affect global supply chains in unexpected ways,.

“Geopolitical power is becoming more dispersed,” and that increases volatility.”

What Argyle proved is that though the G u y a n a / Ve n e z u e l a controversy pales in comparison to others in Europe and the Middle East what mattered most was it was not neither the size nor the military but the political/ diplomatic factors that were the principal determinants.

As regards conflicts that erupted in 2023, it would be politically naive to deny that ideology, personality and geopolitics do not impact international affairs.

The infection of foreign policy by ideology is unavoidable. It is reflected in the contest between democracy and dictatorship; authoritarianism versus the rule of Law and Right versus Left in political praxis.

We Guyanese should recognize the dramatic change in the international situation in that what we once accepted as the existing “order” is currently being challenged by the rise of the “Global South.” Old uncertainties are now giving way to new ones.

This economic shift has gone hand in hand with the enhanced political visibility of countries in the ‘Global South’ who are increasingly asserting themselves on (Continued on page 06)

Thursday December 28, 2023

Kaieteur News

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Diaspora Reminiscing about a Guyanese Year End Holiday Season DEAR EDITOR, It is end of year and Guyanese in the diaspora reminisce about the enjoyment of the year-end season as they remember it from decades ago. The diaspora even transplants Guyanese practices in their new homeland of North America and Europe.

Living in Guyana, with strong European influence, one can’t escape being caught in festivities relating to Christmas (a Christian holiday) and year-end season even if one is from another faith. Christmas and the season take on a kind of secular atmosphere in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society like Guyana and e v en in Tr i n i d ad a n d Suriname and other multireligious nations. Everyone, regardless of faith, looked forward for the season as it was a time for new clothing, special entertainment and meals.

As in Guyana, almost everyone in the diaspora

celebrates the spirit of the holiday of sharing and caring for others especially of those less fortunate and gifting to children. They go out of their way to create joy for family members. Guyanese still hold on to that practice and others in North America and Europe for the holidays.

Some of the secular activities associated with Christmas are going shopping for new items including clothing, decorating the home, giftgiving, feasting, exchanging cards, charity, listening to music, watching movies, partying, being spectator of masquerade bands, going to the horse races, cooking special meals, baking, visiting friends and relatives, etc. The festivities last over a week from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day. Some of these activities are carried on USA. Masquerade bands appear in Brooklyn.

As they did in Guyana, the yearend season offers the opportunity for renewal

within the home and in the yard – a Fall cleaning to get rid of fallen leaves and spruce up the surrounding, organizing flowers, and mowing the lawn. Season decorations are put up — appropriate curtains, cushions, spreads on the beds, pillow cases to welcome the new season.

New furniture may also replace older ones.

In the olden days in Guyana, preparation for the holiday usually started weeks before X-mas even among nonChristians and the poorest sections of society. For Hindus and Muslims, the holiday season is a continuation of their festivals of Eid and Diwali which generally fall around the end of the year. It is the same in the diaspora.

In Guyana, for those who could afford, it used to be homes were festooned with trimmings, balloons and other decorations and some brilliantly illuminated in an unofficial competition of the

Were individuals given the choice not to attend political rallies without their jobs being threatened or victimised?

DEAR EDITOR Please permit me permission to print this article.

The purpose of this letter is not to attack anyone but to seek some clarity so that the younger generation can be educated from our experiences. I respect the struggles and commitments that every person has made and are continuing to do so.

In response to the letter, ‘Discrimination exists in Guyana’ I would like to point out that discrimination exists in every nation. Even on the African continent discrimination and prejudices exist In Europe and North America namely the United States where people of colour have lost their lives at the hands of police brutality is shocking.

In most cases, the security forces are exonerated.

Another technique used is stereotyping persons of

colour. However, America remains a great nation and one to which many ethnic groups aspired to live, despite the shortcomings of American policies towards ethnic groups there is hope for a great future.

Similarly, the government of the day is trying its best to provide opportunities for all groups of people.

It would be informative if Mr. Lewis could juxtapose the two periods, that is, the previous administration of the PNC with this present Government. I am making this statement to reflect on the following facts. For example, were international bodies allowed to visit Guyana and meet with the then-ruling party and was the same courtesy extended to non-government unions like GAWU, the opposition leader, and other political leaders like Walther Rodney

and the WPA? Were they invited to craft policies for Guyana? Were individuals given the choice not to attend political rallies without their jobs being threatened or victimised?

Unless we get a comparative view of the entire scenario namely race relations and discriminatory practices practiced by the previous government, then it is unfair to criticise and judge the present government.

Kind Regards, Marlon Innis

best lit home – a practice that still continues. Shopping districts were also well decorated and music blaring to attract customers. The same is transplanted in the d i a s p o r a .

No Guyanese Christmas is without special music.

Christmas carols or songs are very popular – the same ones heard in North America although there are local ones (calypso, reggae, chatney)

and Bollywood songs (favorite of IndoCaribbeans) as well.

Businesses advertised their Christmas goods and services early and as such radio and television stations started holiday programming a whole month before the season.

The season was associated with baking – bread, cake, pastries — and cooking a variety of dishes – and

making local drinks like ginger beer, sorrel, mauby, etc. The season is also one of giving gifts — to relatives, friends, business associates, neighbors, children, and the needy. Children were told that their gifts would be brought by Father Christmas and that they should hang socks; they were rewarded.

Gift to adults or families could take the form of food (Continued on page 06)

The ball is in Rickford Burke’s court to show up and defend himself DEAR EDITOR, The response by Opposition Member, Mr. Roysdale Forde, SC on the issue of a service of a summons on Rickford Burke (letter published 25th Dec, 2023) offers no solutions but seeks to confuse by raising ‘red herrings’. At common law, the Court would be unconcerned with how the service was done but more concerned on if it was done; and it was done.

The governing principle is to ensure a fair trial. The defendant is clearly now aware of the proceedings and if he chooses to still absent himself, he may find himself convicted in his absence. This would limit his right to ever raise a defence and would certainly affect his ability to challenge the evidence against him.

His options for judicial review or appeal would also

be significantly restricted.

Arguments that he is in the USA and an American are irrelevant. He is before the Guyana courts for violating Guyana law. It is no secret that every country can investigate and prosecute breach of its laws. Much is being advanced that the proceedings are contrived or unfair and Mr. Burke would be well advised to advance those arguments for consideration in the Court and not only on social media.

Mr. Forde’s assertion is that it’s unlawful and void and is difficult to support having regard to established principles of common law regarding fair trials. It is undisputed that a fair trial is most likely when the defendant is aware of the charge, present and defending the charges. Mr. Burke is now aware of the charge(s) and where it is

being held and what date.

The ball is in his court to show up and defend himself.

Secondly, in simple terms there is nothing to say a Magistrate cannot issue a summons for a defendant and definitely nothing to say a policeman cannot take the said summons overseas and have same served on the defendant.

Mr. Fords demands of me an authority to resolve the issue; but I remind him in the Ram v Scotland (election cases) it was advanced by me and others, without authority, that 33 was a majority of 65. Mr. Forde and his colleagues had numerous authorities against that mathematical fact. We all know how that ended. I remind him, common-sense and logic would always trump “authority”.

Yours faithfully, Sanjeev Datadin

Kaieteur News

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Thursday December 28, 2023

Merry Christmas, dear Countrymen and women DEAR EDITOR, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose.

Yuletide carols being sung by a choir. And folks dressed up like Eskimos…Although it’s been said, many times, many ways Merry Christmas to you.” So, another year has almost passed and Christmas is upon us once again. It is the time of year when Christians reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ who they worship as their Lord and Savior. While Christmas is a festive season that represents peace on earth and goodwill towards all mankind, our sympathy goes out to all those who are bedridden in hospitals and have lost loved ones during the year. This Yuletide season should serve as a period of reflection on our lives and how we must redouble our efforts in 2024 to uplift others, live in peace and harmony and to make Guyana prosperous.

If there is ever a time when politics should take a

holiday, that time is at Christmas when families come together to celebrate. It would be very easy to dwell on the negative, but in this blessed and joyous season, let us choose happiness and embrace the special joy of a Guyanese Christmas. Those who are able to enjoy the warmth of the sunshine in Guyana and its fine dishes: pepper pot, curry, cook-up, ham, black cake and ginger beer should think of their sisters and brothers in the Diaspora who are overwhelmed with nostalgia at this time of the year.

Christmas is a time of healing and goodwill to all mankind. What more appropriate time can there be for us Guyanese to forget the hurt, the animosity, the persecution, the frustration and the bitterness of the past? We call on each one of you to renew your spirit and love towards one another, hold out the hand of friendship to neighbors, friends; to those from whom we have been estranged and

have done you wrong. Let us recapture the spirit of the message that brought joy to the world 2000 years ago by the Babe of Bethlehem. Let us celebrate and be happy and pledge to work together to free Guyana from the monsters of poverty, crime, and unemployment. We must spare no effort to understand the true meaning of peace, love and happiness.

In this festive season, we join our brothers and sisters to pray for Guyana as one nation, to make sure all of our 83,000 square miles of our territory remain intact, the prosperity of all Guyanese and for commonsense and understanding to prevail in their actions at all times. We also pray for peace, happiness and goodwill towards all and for love towards one another.

Perhaps the holidays will give our leaders a chance to reflect on a plan that is inclusive of all in society, embrace the new year as one of healing, atonement and

cooperation. There is no shortage of sharing and goodwill in Guyana, especially at this time of year. There are stories everywhere of people giving to the less fortunate, the elderly, and to children.

There are many more acts of kindness being displayed throughout the holiday season but which are not reported.

To those who have and continue to extend a kind and helping hand to others, we thank you for a job well done. For if that display of human compassion helps to change the life of just one person for the better, it would have been worth the effort. However, the spirit of giving has not been made easy for many because of the high cost of living. In fact, there are many others who wanted to give but are not in a position to do so because they could hardly provide for their families. However. the government has shown compassion in sharing hampers and giving toys to

children in almost every community across the country. Needless to say, the true meaning of Christmas continues to elude many Guyanese because of their poverty and unbearable living conditions. Too often, it is the greedy, not the needy; the rich and powerful and not the poor and the powerless that get the attention at Christmas.

We would be remiss if we did not express our deep concern and heartfelt love for the future of our beloved country and to the government, especially President Dr. Ali and Prime Minister Brigadier Mark Phillips for their tireless and gallant efforts to dissuade any attempts to invade Guyana’s Essequibo region by the Maduro regime of Venezuela. . We commend and admire them as our true leaders and those who are helping the poor, who through no fault of their own are struggling to make ends meet. Nothing much has changed in their lives during

the past year and from all indications, this may be a very bleak Christmas for many of them..

Our fervent wish in this season of goodwill is that all will put their shoulders to the wheel to help develop and build Guyana so that all, not only a selected few, can share in the bounties of its prosperity. We love politics but more importantly, we love Guyana and the people who are fighting for change.

God bless our beautiful and beloved Guyana and its resilient, loving and caring people.

We remain proud of the people of Guyana and wish them a bright, successful and happy future and sincerely hope that they live to see and enjoy many more Christmases.

Merry Christmas dear countrymen and women; we hope you enjoy the festive season in peace, love and happiness. May God bless all of you and keep you safe.

Sincerely Asquith Rose

Will this era that is slowly passing...

A Poem For Palestine: Do than countries in the “Global implemented. Already the From page 04 fronts. In this North that is, richer nations. GDP in terms of purchasing They Know Of Christmas time? shiftseveral in economic and However, their principled power of the Global South-

“From the river….”

I pray the cold wind blows and blows… until all sin is swept away….

I pray the Great Cleanse coming grant mercy upon us all…….

Do they know of Christmas… …Can they feel the snow? Carrying sons and daughters to burial, Bodies crumble from their backs Tell them when

it’s Christmas, fighting for their lives... ....Amongst the rubble, upon the ash….

Tender hearts of whom the world now casts its shadow upon their very souls, Snowstorm of smoke A Blizzard of bullets …..Path to silence, Do they know of Christmastime in this famous Holy Land?

Where every child …. ……..dreamer…….

every ray of hope …..born unto earth shall only know demise, Shine your light upon Bethlehem, Hold them in your hearts, Is this the place where Christ was born?

Amongst the rubble.... ...upon ash… ….smell of Bodies lined up and down the street?…. …..Have mercy upon us all…..“......to the sea” Yours faithfully, Nikhil Sankar.

political power globally, one thing is certain; the ‘Global South’ is flexing their political and economic muscles to gain leverage.

The ‘Global South’ is represented by countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America who oppose NATO over the war in Ukraine and Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. In general, they are poorer, have higher levels of income inequality, suffer lower life expectancy and harsher living conditions

and pragmatic positions on global issues have forced the ‘Global North’ to accept the ‘Global South’ as a strategic partner in a mix of energy, economic, social and e n v i r o n m e n t a l commonalities.

Small wonder why countries making up the ‘Global South’ have opted not to be aligned with any one great power. Under the Ali administration, Guyana is a good example of how this geo-strategic policy is

dominated BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – surpasses that of the Global North’s G7 club. Will this era that is slowly passing, usher in another where ‘anger and fear will disappear?, And will love last throughout 2024, or are we at the crossroads pondering which road we must take?

Yours faithfully, Clement J. Rohee Former Foreign Minister

Diaspora Reminiscing about a Guyanese...

From page 05 or hampers or cake. People baked and exchange cake.

These practices continue in the diaspora.

Christmas was a time for family get-together in Guyana.

The animal was killed or meat purchased the day before or on Christmas Day or Old Year’s or New Year’s Day. Fa milies prepared most elaborate seasonal dishes.

Relatives, friends, neighbors, and co-workers were invited for a hearty meal.

For dessert, cakes (black, sponge, fruit, etc.) and other goodies are served and washed

d o w n with traditional homemade drinks as well as imported cydrax, peardrax, mauby, sherry or Correia’s wine, soft drinks, and hard liquor.

Apples, grapes, walnuts, dates, and candies are also served (prior to their banning in the 1970s). The season was a time for new movies and horse races and many people would go to the cinemas to view hit movies from Bollywood or Hollywood or to watch the races. In the olden days, phone was not affordable or even available and TV was not easily accessible and even unavailable in some countries. On Christmas and

New Year’s Day, they huddled around radio stations for recorded holiday messages from loved ones in Europe and North America. People were very excited to hear their name on the air.

Guyanese also tend to receive seasonal greeting cards and or money from loved ones or neighbors from abroad bringing joy.

‘Yesteryear’s’ was a simple celebration lacking all of today’s modernities and entertainment.

But it was fantastic, enjoyable, and peaceful with memories for a lifetime!

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

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Kaieteur News

“All I want is for the Guyanese Politicians to ring-fence each new oil project, starting with the 6th one. If that is done, the trauma, the burden, and hardships, will no longer be on the Guyanese people's backs.

All of Guyana's 83,000 square miles, can be transformed with better wages and increased old age pensions, and the country can also upgrade its water and electricity supply, and assist Guyanese with the combating the high cost of living. The revenues to be earned by ring-fencing the oil projects, can build and upgrade highways and transform the country's medical facilities,” Kaieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall

PAGE 07

Kaieteur News

PAGE 8 10

Thursday Monday December May 02,28, 2022 2023

$19M CCTV system paid for since 2015 still to be delivered - AG Report A

$19M Closed C i r c u i t Te l e v i s i o n (CCTV) system paid for by the Government of Guyana (GoG) since 2015 is yet to be delivered.

Flagging this was the Auditor General (AG), Deodat Sharma in his 2022 Audit Report. According to the report, the system was purchased for the National Intelligence Centre for some $19.108M. The matter was reported to the AG's office for guidance on the way forward.

The Office of the President which was the agency under inspection by the AG responded that the Attorney General has since informed that legal action cannot be

taken.

“The Finance Secretary was written to for a write-off of this purchase after Public Accounts Committee advised that it was an option to be explored after advice from the Attorney General's Chambers posited that too much time had elapsed to legally pursue this matter,” the President's Office stated.

It added that measures have since been adopted to ensure that non-delivery of assets does not reoccur.

Meanwhile, the AG recommended that the Head of the Budget Agency submit an update to the Audit Office when this matter is resolved.

It was reported that the contract was awarded on December 14, 2015 to

'Moonblink Communication Incorporated', a US company based in California.

At a PAC Meeting in February last year the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Office of the President,

Cop arrested for shooting man with unlicensed gun Ranks of the La Grange Police Station this week detained one of their colleagues after he allegedly opened fire on a man following an attack by a dog on Boxing Day. The victim, Phillip Adams, hails from the Middle Street, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara.

Reports are that around 18:15hrs on Tuesday, Adams was walking past a motorcar which belongs to the rank when a dog attacked him. In an effort to defend himself, he picked up a glass bottle and threw it at the animal. However, the bottle hit the policeman's vehicle instead and the lawmen

allegedly ran up to Adams and drew a firearm. He then shot Adams to his lower right-side abdomen.

The injured man was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he was treated for the wound and admitted as a patient and is being monitored by medical staff.

The suspect was contacted by the police but he denied knowing anything about the incident. After he was cautioned, ranks of the force arrested and escorted him to the La Grange Police Station, where he is assisting with investigations.

Abena Moore indicated that the administration will be seeking a write-off of the

$19M. Moore told the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the decision was taken after it was noted that recovering the monies through the US court system would be tedious and costly.

She noted, “The position remains the same; however I recently received a legal opinion, which I'm guided by now, and I'm soon to approach the FS (Financial Secretary) so that this matter could finally be written off. Because from the legal opinion it was said that time has elapsed, it is now five plus years and

if you're going to bring a matter before the court it is supposed to be three y e a r s … ” “That's with the Guyana situation.

If we still want to pursue, we'd have to hire an attorney in the US, so that those laws over there can apply to the particular situation. So that's just an update on the matter,” Moore explained, while giving an update to the c o m m i t t e e .

As a result, PS Moore said the Office of the President will be approaching the Finance Secretary to have the sums written off.

Govt. anticipates another 1,000 acres in coconut production this year Guyana's coconut industry is slated for further development, as the government anticipates achieving another 1,000 acres in coconut production at the end of 2023.

The country continues to produce coconut on a large scale, to make it one of the most significant crops in the nation as a result of the sector's diversification.

T h i s y e a r, G u y a n a received some 13,000 highyielding Brazilian green dwarf coconut seed nuts at a cost of $12 million to expand coconut production.

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha Tuesday last told media operatives that Guyana is in the process of bringing in another 13,000 coconuts, specifically since nurseries are being constructed across Guyana.

“We have seen an increase of over 5,000 acres in coconuts since we assumed office in August 2020. This year, we are

hoping that we can achieve another 1,000 acres. And this came about because we have seen a great interest in the coconut industry,” the agriculture minister stated during an interview at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

Even though there are ten coconut nurseries spread across Regions One, Two, Three, Four, Six, Nine, and Ten, the agriculture minister said the government intends to expand the initiative to other regions due to the excellent potential for coconuts.

He highlighted that value-added components of the waste material from coconuts are now being used in the agriculture sector for mulching and other agriculture-related purposes, including coconut cultivation.

“We have also brought in these fibre machines where we are now using the byproduct of coconuts, and

we are helping farmers' groups across the country by making it available where they are using the husks for several purposes…A lot of byp ro d u c t s w e w i l l b e creating from coconut. The industry is well poised,” he stated.

As a way of assisting Guyana and accelerating growth in the industry, two specialists from India who recently visited Guyana conducted a study, where a report was compiled.

In addition, Minister Mustapha expressed hope about receiving the report in a few weeks, to consider s o m e o f t h e recommendations.

Meanwhile, he emphasised the enormous potential for Guyanese farmers to export in the substantial market, which includes the Caribbean, as well as North America and Europe, given the high level of interest in the coconut industry. (DPI)

Kaieteur News

Thursday December 28, 2023

PAGE 09

Jagdeo does not get it!

K

aieteur News r e c e n t l y published an article that irked Second Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo. The article highlighted the high level of fiscal concessions US$518M – given to the oil and gas sector and compared this to the 6.5 per cent wage increase offered to public servants.

At his most recent press conference, Jagdeo took umbrage to the article. He rejected the comparison or link between the fiscal concessions and the pay increases for workers, contending that the two were not related. At the level of superficial analyses, the two are not related. But the level of fiscal concessions offered to the oil and gas sector as compared to what is paid to workers in the form of salary increases, is fundamental to an understanding of who gets what in Guyana’s oil economy.

Determining who gets what is a function of the ideology of the government.

If the PPPC government was a working-class government, there would have hardly been the need for complaints about the high cost-of-living or the intimation that the rich are creaming off the greater benefits from the country’s oil earnings and its spending.

After four years, the working class is not much better off than it was before oil production began. Where have all the monies gone?

To better understand this

issue, one must examine government expenditure since oil production began.

Central government wages and salaries were projected to increase by 47% over the 2020 levels. Actual wages and salaries, we are told, have only increased by 33%. On the other hand, the g o v e r n m e n t ’s c a p i t a l programme was projected to have increased more than five-fold, that is by more than five-fold.

Who are the primary beneficiaries when government’s capital budget increases by more than 500%.

It is the contracting class that benefits and this tells a story of who benefits from the country’s oil economy.

Therefore when the government says that the concessions to the oil and gas sector have no relationship to the payment of wage and salary increases they are missing a key aspect of the distribution of the economic pie. They are overlooking who gets what in the economy.Over US$500M in one year is foregone to attract and to reduce the cost of investment. The argument here is that without this investment there will be no jobs and thus no incomes for workers. Despite all the investments in the economy since oil production began, a quarter of public sector employees are on welfare jobs – the government’s part-time jobs programme.

While workers contend with a 33% increase compounded in wages and salaries, there are sections of the business class that are

receiving larger chunks of the economic pie. Public sector workers have to settle for 6.5% wage, investors and others in the oil and gas sector received US$500M in fiscal concessions in 2022 alone. Since then, the sector has expanded. Production has expanded. The figures for 2023 are therefore likely to be far higher. Very few persons, however, want to discuss or debate the issue of who gets what in Jagdeo’s neo-liberal economy. No one wants to discuss who benefits from the present oil and gas sector. No one even wants to discuss who benefits in the non-oil economy. To do so would expose the crass class inequalities in our society.

Nothing better exemplifies these inequalities than the share of fiscal concessions. Teachers are limited to a few hundred duty free concessions each year. But the oil companies have almost total waivers of everything they import and export. Workers are required to pay taxes, at almost onethird of their earnings above the income tax threshold.

But the oil companies pay no taxes on their profits. The fiscal concessions offered by the government are prone to risks. Investors like to line up to meet officialdom to get concessions approved. The Guyana Office for Investment has become a f a c t o r y f o r recommendations for fiscal incentive agreements. The politicians can find ways of exercising discretion as to

DEM BOYS SEH

Times are changing!

'Tis the season for change, my dear readers!

Once upon a time, the newspapers used to proudly declare de arrival of de first newborn on Christmas Day. De baby and her mother’s pictures used to grace de front pages of the newspapers.

But now in the age of social media and brevity, we are reduced to a mere tally of newborns—no names, no details, just a stark number as if babies were delivered by an algorithm, not by doting parents. Remember the days when June was synonymous with weddings, and when “I dos” echoed all around.

December used to be a similar month for weddings. But deses days yuh have more people

watching Home Alone movies than tying nuptials.

Times are changing.

The traditional churches that once overflowed with fervent worshippers during the holidays have found themselves in competition with the bars and nightclubs. It seems the path to salvation has been rerouted.

Remember those beloved a n d m e m o r a b l e s t a ff Christmas parties that would keep the tongues of gossip wagging all year around. De corporate Grinch has stolen that joy too. De bosses decide dem must have exclusive gatherings of dem friends.

Now is mainly VIP-only soirees. Yet, in this whirlwind of change, some things endure like de glitter clinging stubbornly to some

dresses. The spirit of caring and sharing persists, as does the joy of exchanging good c h e e r. E v e n i f o u r celebrations have been hijacked by the elites and Christmas weddings relegated to second fiddle , the true essence of Christmas remains untouched. So, as we exit the holidays, let’s cling to thread of human connection and the enduring warmth of togetherness that comes with the holidays. These are the things that truly makes Christmas special. Cheers to the fading holidays and to welcoming in the new bouncing babies of the New Year, with the hope that at least this year, we will learn of their names and that of their parents.

Talk half. Leff half

who gets concessions and who do not. Years ago, forestry operators such as Barama were granted massive fiscal concessions under the PNC regime. This continued under the PPPC governments. Yet, one company had to park its equipment to rot in the jungle because it claimed it did not receive the same concessions which others enjoyed and to which it felt it was entitled to. The oil and

gas companies, however, do not have to worry about lining up to meet politicians.

They did their lining up a long time ago. They have a Production Sharing Agreement which grants them widespread fiscal concessions. In the meantime, somewhere in a government M i n i s t r y, a n o r d i n a r y employee is trying to figure out why the paltry 6.5% salary increase for 2023 had to be taxed. (The views expressed

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

PAGE 10

Kaieteur News

Thursday Monday December May 02, 28,2022 2023

Thursday December 28, 2023

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Govt. to use $15 billion CDB loan to construct five more water treatment plants On the back of a US$76,249,000 loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the Government through the Ministry of Housing and Water is gearing up to utilise the funds to build five more water treatment plants across the country.

This is according to an invitation for bids (IFB) issued by the ministry which was published in Sunday's edition of the Kaieteur News.

The ministry's IFB stated that the Government of Guyana has applied for financing from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in an amount equivalent to US$76,249,000 towards the c o s t o f Wa t e r S u p p l y Improvement Project (WSIP) and intends to apply a portion of the proceeds of this financing to eligible payments under a contract for which this invitation is issued. It was noted that the ministry is seeking contractors for the “Procurement of Plant Design, Supply and I n s t a l l a t i o n o f Wa t e r Treatment Facilities”.

This project has been divided in three lots. These are Lot1 – Maria's Delight in

Region Two; Lot 2 – Leguan and Wakenaam in Region Three; and Lot 3 – Bath in Region Five and Adventure in Region Six. Being responsible for the overall implementation of the project, the ministry in its document revealed that the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) would be the executing agency for the project. The ministry stated that the works included but may not be limited to the following “the The $1.2B Sheet Anchor construction of five water Water Treatment Plant, treatment plants along the in East Canje coast (average plant size of Berbice, Region Six. 7.3million litres per day).”

In a release in July this year, CDB said it had approved the US$76.2 million loan to Guyana for the Guyana Water Supply Improvement Project under which the water supply systems serving five coastal communities will undergo supply to the communities. major upgrades.

The Bank related that the Nearly 15,000 households in infrastructure development these communities will initiative involves the b e n e f i t f r o m t h e construction of five water interventions, CDB noted.

Upon assuming office, treatment plants, complete with storage tanks, and the the Housing and Water installation of transmission Ministry had rolled out a mains and water meters to massive programme aimed at vastly improve the quality enhancing water service by and reliability of the water 2025.

Man dies after bikes collide at Wakenaam The island of Wakenaam has been plunged into a state of sadness after a young father, identified as Rickey Boodhram called 'Shawn,' died in a motorcycle accident on Tuesday night.

According to the police, the accident occurred around 22:00hrs on Tuesday on the public road at Maria's Pleasure. Boodram, who became a father only two weeks ago, was riding a motorcycle bearing registration CK 6068 when he collided with another motorcycle being driven by Martin Adams, 57, of Zeelandia, Wakenaam.

According to the police, residents in the area related that they heard a loud sound which drew them to the roadway where two motorcycles were observed with extensive damage lying on the southern side of the road.

The residents observed two men lying on the southern parapet, both in an unconscious state, with injuries about their bodies.

DEAD: Rickey Boodram

Ranks visited the scene and with assistance from public-spirited citizens, the two men were picked up and placed in a police pickup and rushed to the Wakenaam Cottage Hospital where they were seen and examined by a doctor on duty. Boodram, who resided at Maria's Pleasure, was pronounced dead on arrival.

Adams was treated and transferred to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he was further seen and examined by a doctor on

duty and admitted a patient.

He sustained a fracture to his left foot and head injuries.

The body of Boodram is lying at the Wakenaam Cottage Hospital's Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination. News of Boodram's death sent shockwaves across the island as many residents noted that he would be greatly missed.

He was described as jovial and always supportive of others.

Investigations into the accident are ongoing.

Kaieteur News had reported that in October 2022, the ministry had inked three contracts worth $8.5 billion for the construction of seven new water treatment plants in communities along

the coast. These plants form part of the first phase of the water treatment plants programme, whereas the projects that are out for tender currently will form part of phase two of the

programme. It was also reported that the GWI is working with a five-year strategic plan from 2021 to 2025, with the overall aim of having 90 per cent of treated water by 2025.

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Thursday December 28, 2023

Kaieteur News

A happy sad story ...Torn by emotions, dad receives baby daughter after mom dies in childbirth ( J A M A I C A OBSERVER) When his companion of 20 years passed while giving birth to his fourth child on November 25 this year, Richard Gordon was a man on the verge of losing it, as doctors at Victoria Jubilee Maternity Hospital in Kingston battled to save the life of their daughter Azalia.

A m o n t h l a t e r, o n Monday, December 25, Gordon, who said he was "all cried out", emerged from that same hospital clutching the sleeping infant — who was being allowed home for the first time — like a lifeline.

"It's a happy sad story...

She is my eyeball, my heart, I can't see and I can't breathe without her.

My greatest joy is when I get her, that's the only joy for the year to this whole ordeal," he told the Jamaica Observer, smiling wistfully.

The dedicated father said he has already had several bouts of grief brought on by the

"bittersweet" realisation that Azaelia, who has also been named Nicola in honour of her mother, will have many firsts which will not be witnessed by the woman with whom he had built a life.Richard Gordon is a picture of joy as he makes much of his daughter Azalia on receiving her from Victoria Jubilee Maternity Hospital in Kingston on Monday, December 25, 2023. His joy is shared by the child's grandmother Sharon Campbell (centre) and hospital CEO Natalie Whlie.

Gordon's partner of 20 years, Nicola, had died during childbirth on November 25.

"Sometimes I look at her and cry to know that her mother never got to touch her, she never got to feed her.

When I changed her for the first time on the ward I cried; when I feed her for the first time on the ward I cry to know that her mother didn't get the chance," he said, his voice filled with emotion.

He also feels another bout of grief that their

daughter is yet too young to understand.

"She is the last daughter, and to know that every time her birthday comes is her mother's memorial," he said before pledging, "she will never forget her mother; she will always be loved by me.

No matter what it takes, I take care of all my kids, but this one here is special. She is so special."

Gordon, in reflecting on the approach by himself and his partner in raising their other children, paid homage to the woman who he said dreamt with him as they navigated life.

Sharon Campbell is all smiles as she and Richard Gordon leave Victoria Jubilee Hospital in Kingston with Gordon's daughter, Azalia, on Monday December 25, 2023.

Campbell is the child's grandmother. Gordon is carrying a basket of baby products presented to him by Kiwanis International in collaboration with Kirk Industries and Answers for Children. "I lived with her mother for 20 years. We grow three nice kids; my daughter graduate with six subjects, my son is going to Jose Marti [High School].

My next son goes to Calabar [High School], so we did a good job parenting.

Not everybody is perfect,

but we do what we can to make sure that they have what we didn't have," Gordon, who said he was not raised by a father, told the Observer.

In the meantime, he also rues the fact that the mother of his children missed out on seeing their dream of homeownership together, which they had set sights on for 2024, materialise.

"Right now I am in the middle of planning her funeral. We did the postmortem on Wednesday, they give us the burial order to go ahead and do the funeral, but it hurts me.

What cuts me, you know, we were saving to buy a house. We said we would save a million dollars so if we get a $10-million house we have the 10 per cent up front, and I showed her like a week ago and said 'I reach $600,000 babes,' and said by March we have a million," Gordon shared.

"Now I have to use the money to bury her. It hurts me, it hurt me so much. From 2002 we are working; we don't take back any returns (National Housing Trust contributions refund) because we said when we reach certain age we want to have this in place… I can't cry anymore, I'm cried all out, I have to be there consoling the children,"

Richard Gordon kisses his daughter Azalia on receiving her at Victoria Jubilee Hospital on Monday, December 25, 2023, a month after she was born. Her mother, Nicola, had died during childbirth. (Photos: Garfield Robinson) Gordon said.

The St Andrew father — who was presented with a basket of baby products by Kiwanis International in collaboration with Kirk Industries and Answers for Children — had high praises for the medical team that tended their child.

"Even though her mother gone, I have to give the neonatal unit praises.

They did a good job to bring back the baby to life because she was born in real distress, I am telling you… I had to just gather all the nurses and doctors and tell them thanks. They could have turned their backs, but the humanitarians that they are, the work that they dedicated to, I appreciate it.

They give me follow-on tests to do… I am going to do

those and come back March for her review; anything the doctor says, I will do," he said.While still uncertain as to the cause of death of his 36-year-old life companion, Gordon is certain about one thing for now: "Mi up and running, man, mi over the baby like Google ennuh," he said, cradling his precious bundle of joy and smiling. In the meantime, the heartbroken father had a parting word of advice to other fathers.

"Once you have it, support your child, be a father to your child. Once somebody [else] mentor your child you already lose the child because the child is going to always listen to who they look up to. So be a role model for your child," he encouraged.

The shotgun and ammo which were found in the salt bag.

Police find gun, ammo in 'salt bag' on Xmas Eve W

hile responding to a report on Sunday, two police ranks found a12guage shotgun along with ammunition in a salt bag off the Morowah Trail in Region Seven.

According to reports, on Christmas Eve Day around 13:45hrs, the two ranks, who left the Regional Division police station to respond to a report of an

alleged wounding, observed the man walking on the Morowah Trail with a white 'salt bag' in his hands.

Upon seeing the ranks, the man reportedly ran into some nearby bushes.

The police reported that they gave chase and while running, the man dropped the bag and made good his escape further into the bushes.

On inspecting the bag, the ranks

found the 12-gauge shotgun along with eight 12-gauge cartridges.

The weapon's serial number and maker's name were both filed off.

The ranks said they combed the area for the suspect but their efforts proved futile.

The firearm and ammunition were lodged at the police station. An investigation is ongoing.

Kaieteur News

Thursday December 28, 2023

PAGE 13

Magistrate dismisses $10M fraud charges against serving, retired police officers ....attorney laments misuse of authority

Retired Senior Superintendent, Mark Gilbert

Retired Assistant Commissioner, Claude Whittaker

Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Paul Slowe

Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Clinton Conway

Retired Senior Superintendent, Michael Sutton

More than two years after six senior retired and three serving senior Police O ff i c e r s w e r e j o i n t l y charged with conspiracy to defraud, the case was on Wednesday dismissed by Magistrate Rhondel Weever.

M a g i s t r a t e We e v e r dismissed the case against Assistant Police Commissioner, Royston A n d r i e s - J u n o r, S e n i o r Superintendent of Police, Marcelene Washington, Assistant Superintendent, Marlon Kellman and retired

senior Officers Paul Slowe, Clinton Conway, George Fraser, Mark Gilbert, Claude Whittaker and Michael Sutton.

The charges were brought against the defendants by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), an arm of the GPF. The joint charge alleged t h a t S l o w e , C o n w a y, Whittaker, Fraser, Gilbert, Andries-Junor, Washington, Sutton and Kellman between March 1, 2019 and July 7, 2020, at the police

headquarters, Eve Leary, conspired together with others to defraud the GPF of $10,056,000. The charge further alleges that Slowe, Conway, Whittaker, Fraser and Gilbert were paid the sum of $10,056,000, without following the correct procedures, in allegedly reviewing the Force's Standing Orders.

The Prosecution asserted that a team of Policy Analysts from the Strategic Planning Unit of the Guyana Police Force conducted the

review of the 2002 Guyana Police Force's Standing Orders between July and August 2018. They argued that no written agreement or contract existed between the defendants and the Police Force.

However, Magistrate Weever sided with the Defence Attorneys' no-case submission. The Magistrate ruled that the evidence presented by Prosecution witnesses contradicted their own case regarding whether an agreement existed

between the defendants and the Police Force for revising the Standing Orders.

According to the Magistrate, the evidence indicated that the review of the Force's Standing Orders was carried out by retired Officers, and the Commissioner of Police at the time was aware of their involvement. She found no evidence suggesting unauthorized arrangements or unapproved services provided to the Police Force.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e Magistrate highlighted that specific documents, including a Memorandum detailing the retired officers' work hours and related materials, were in the possession of the SOCU but were not disclosed to the Court. This raised concerns about SOCU's conduct, as critical evidence was not

Bartica businessman nabbed with large quantity of ammo charged

Retired Senior Superintendent, George Fraser

Attorney-at-Law, Dexter Todd presented by the Prosecution.

Emphasizing the lack of evidence supporting any conspiracy or fraudulent agreement between the (Continued on page 16)

Labourer jailed after damaging gold miner motorcycle The seized ammunition.

A 57-year-old Businessman of Second Avenue Bartica identified as Carl Reddy was on Wednesday charged for Unlawful Possession of Ammunition without License and remanded to prison until January 19, 2024.

Reddy appeared before Magistrate Crystal Lambert at the Bartica Magistrate's Court where he pleaded not guilty after the charge was read to him. He was arrested at Kumung Kumung Landing, Puruni River on Friday, after police conducted an operation in the area between 18:30 and 20:00hrs. Several persons as well as

businesses were searched and it was during the operation that motorcar PTT 3770, which Reddy owns and was driving at the time was intercepted and also searched.

This revealed sets of ammunition for eight different weapons totaling 428 live rounds. In his possession he had thirty (30) 20-gauge cartridges, twenty (20) 16-gauge cartridges, fiftyseven (57) 12-gauge cartridges, one hundred and thirty (130) .32 rounds, twenty-nine (29) .38 Special rounds, one hundred and eleven (111) 9MM rounds, forty-nine (49) .40 rounds and two (2) .25 rounds. A 12-gauge

Carl Reddy

Browning single-barrel shotgun was found, for which Reddy produced a license.

A labourer of Anna Regina, Region Two, is to spend 30 months in jail after he maliciously damaged a motorcycle, property of Timothy Simon called 'Sanko' on December 19, 2023.Travis Persaud, 31, appeared before Magistrate Esther Sam, where the charge was read before him.

Notably, he was charge with the offence, malicious damage to property.

According to Police, on December 19, 2023, at Anna R e g i n a , R e g i o n Tw o , Persaud maliciously damaged a motorcycle belonging to Simon, a 36year-old Gold Miner of Cotton Field, Essequibo

Jailed: Travis Persaud Coast.

The accused entered a guilty plea to the court and was then sentenced to 30 months in jail.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Thursday December 28, 2023

Berbice single mom gets new home for Christmas A Berbice family will now be spending the Christmas season in their own home, as they were presented with a wellconstructed and furnished house by the government through the 'Men on Mission' (MoM) initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Water.

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, travelled to the community of Belvedere along the Corentyne coast in Region Six to hand over the house to the mother of six.

Also present was Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal and Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Omar Khan.

While cutting the ribbon, President Ali urged the family to take care of the home.

“We are very pleased this morning that we can be here to share this glorious moment with you and your six children.

We hope that you know that the community is standing by you. You have a responsibility to the community and an even greater responsibility to

Berbice single mother gets new home your children,” the president stated.

The Head-of-State encouraged the mother to explore the opportunities that the government has to offer to develop herself.

He also urged her to ensure that the children remain in school to enjoy Guyana's future.

“We have more than 350 families that will benefit from home improvement or housing .

We h a v e a b o u t 1 0 communities that will benefit from important pieces of investment in the

social aspect…of their development,” President Ali underscored.

Additionally, he revealed that government will be launching a new programme under the MoM initiative in January, 2024, explaining that this is where communities will become more involved in various activities pertaining to education.

The president believes that this undertaking will positively impact the youths in society.

Va r i o u s p r i v a t e businesses also helped in

furnishing the house for the family. They have also committed to providing educational necessities for the children to attend school.

Wi t h m a n y h o u s e s already distributed through MoM and the housing ministry, Minister Singh said the government's commitment of distributing 50,000 house lots is reaping success in the country.

“The story of providing shelter to Guyanese families is replicated a thousand times over. In fact, we have the good fortune of having a

President Irfaan Ali and the family president who is a former Minister of Housing…We have someone who is more than acutely aware of how important it is for every single Guyanese family to have their own home,” the senior minister stressed.

Meanwhile, according to the Chief of Staff, the MoM

initiative is an important aspect of the president's vision to develop Guyana and its people.

As someone who has been tasked with the responsibility to lead the initiative, Brigadier Khan said more work is slated to be done in the new year.

Demerara Bank opens $485M branch at Leonora ...Pres. Ali highlights importance of supportive policy framework D

emerara Bank Limited (DBL) last week opened its ninth Branch in Leonora, West Coast Demerara, Region Three, contributing to the substantial development unfolding in the region.

The state-of-the-art facility, constructed at a cost of $485 million, operates entirely on solar power.

During the official commissioning ceremony on F r i d a y, P r e s i d e n t D r.

Mohamed Irfaan Ali emphasised the crucial role of a supportive policy framework and fiscal planning in fostering the success of banks like Demerara.

“The success of this bank is the success of Dr Ashni Singh, the Ministry of Finance and the Government of Guyana.

“Banks do not become successful by themselves, it is the policy framework, it is the government, it is the fiscal planning,” he underscored.

President Ali highlighted a specific indicator, noting

The Demerara Bank Leonora branch

that in September 2018, nonperforming loans in the banking sector were nearly 12 per cent. Presently, nonperforming loans stand at approximately 3 per cent.

“This building is testimony to the speed, efficiency and quality that is associated with the bank,” President Ali remarked while praising the bank's responsiveness to national development needs.

He emphasised the importance of 'innovation, reorientation, and integration' as key drivers of success in today's business landscape, urging the bank to continue its forward-thinking approach. Next year, the bank aims to collaborate with a major company to undergo a complete digital transformation, thereby significantly reducing the

President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali at the opening of Demerara Bank's Leonora branch

need for face-to-face transactions.

The president noted that two to five years from now, with the modernisation of the financial sector, Guyana must become a major hub for financial service, which encompasses not just monetary transactions but also the utilisation of human assets to provide comprehensive financial

services. He envisions a future where physical bank branches transition into 'back offices' supporting a faceless banking system.

This shift, driven by advancements in technology, will unlock opportunities for nearshoring, thereby creating more jobs and stimulating the economy. “So, the concept of the assuring is certifying, and this is where the

revenue from oil and gas will go, certifying our young people for higher paying jobs. “So, they will b e c e r t i f i e d b ro k e r s , certified public accountants, chartered accountants, auditors, certified management specialists,” President Ali explained. Highlighting the advancements in the banking (Continued on page 16)

Thursday December 28, 2023

Kaieteur News

PAGE 15

PAGE 16

Thursday December 28, 2023

Kaieteur News

Man charged for shooting at cop in Essequibo

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Onderneeming/Sand Pit, Essequibo Coast, Region Two. The accused appeared virtually, via zoom, before Magistrate Esther Sam, where the charge was read before him.

The charge was laid under section 55 (a) of the Criminal Law Offences Act, Chapter 8:01. Following the court proceedings, Moniram was granted bail in the sum of $500,000. The court case is adjourned to January 26, 2023 at the Suddie Magistrate’s Court, for a report on legal advice, and disclosure of statements.

Granted bail: Rajendra Moniram

Magistrate dismisses $10M fraud charges against serving...

From page 13 accused and the Police Force, the Magistrate concluded that the Prosecution failed to establish its case on all aspects, and upheld the no-case submission.

SOCU alleged that their investigation had revealed that retired Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, solely hired Slowe, Conway, Whittaker, Gilbert and Fraser, to conduct a complete revision of the Force’s Standing Orders during March 2019.

It was noted that the former Commissioner, had failed to prepare a budget for the revision and also did not make any contractual agreements specifying what needed to be revised and the terms of payment for the job.

It is alleged by SOCU that the then Police Commissioner, never sent for nor received approval from the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Security nor the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board.

The payments amounted to over ten million dollars. As such it should have been budgeted and sent to Tender Board for approval.

SOCU had further alleged that the Force’s Standing Orders comprise of 104 orders and it was discovered that the

former officers were reportedly paid for the job but had not completed the revision.

Moreover, according to reports the Orders that they were hired to revise, had already been revised in its entirety during the period July 2018 and March 2019, by the policy analysts of the Strategic Planning Unit (SPU).

Additionally, it was alleged by SOCU, that the former Head of the Strategic Planning Unit (SPU), Assistant Commissioner AndriesJunor, had instructed for payment accounts to be prepared for each ex-lawmen from March 2019.

Andries-Junor was later transferred from SPU during November 2019, but before moving, he had instructed the new head, Nicola Kendall, to continue making payments to the accounts for the retired officers – Kendall had reportedly done as she was instructed until February 2020. Notably, Conway had told this publication, that they were paid $3,000 per hour and that the payment stopped after Kendall informed him and others that they were instructed not to do any more work on the Standing Orders until the pandemic is over.

The retired officers reportedly reviewed 68 Standing Orders.

For his part, Attorney-atLaw Dexter Todd who was part of the defence team, addressed the unsettling trend of levying charges without due process, shedding light on the shortcomings within the judicial landscape.

“The persons who are responsible for the instituting of those charges are not really concerned about a conviction at all,” he said.

Todd further expressed concern over the apparent misuse of charges as tools to stifle voices or instill fear, rather than seeking genuine justice.

“My concern goes way beyond that. My concern is that these matters at some point in time, would have had to receive advice, whether it’s advice from the police legal adviser or advice from the from the Director of Public Prosecutions office…And I’m looking at the statements and I’m saying I am in doubt that any person with legal training, looked at these files and recommended these charges.

Because clearly no witness in this case connected to the elements of the offense.” A deeply concerned Todd added.

Drawing attention to the meticulous process of charging individuals, Todd emphasized the significance of both evidential and public interest

tests, which he argued were not diligently applied in certain cases.

He underscored the necessity for complete disclosure of facts, lamenting the absence of this crucial aspect in a particular case.

Todd meticulously deconstructed the case, pointing out discrepancies between witness testimonies and statements, thereby questioning the foundation of the prosecution’s case. He highlighted the inability of the prosecution to establish a prima facie case, emphasizing the absence of critical elements supporting the charges.

“The magistrate left no stone unturned and she showed clearly how this could not be right. It could not be right.

There was not even one limb that the prosecution was able to have success.

They (the prosecution) failed so miserably,” the lawyer said.

Todd’s critique extended to the prosecution’s flawed arguments, notably emphasizing the lack of vital documents and the questionable basis upon which the case was built.

He condemned the misuse of authority, asserting that the case relied on inadequate premises and lacked substantial evidence.

Demerara Bank opens $485M branch at Leonora...

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twenty-three-year-old Labourer of Onderneeming/Sand Pit, Essequibo Coast, Region Two, was granted charged and granted bail on Wednesday in the sum of $500,000, when he appeared at the Wakenaam Magistrate’s Court, for discharging a loaded firearm with the intent, on a Police Detective Corporal.

Rajendra Moniram is accused of discharging a loaded firearm with intent, on a Police Detective Corporal attached to the Suddie Police Station, on September 29, 2023 at

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From page 14 sector, the president noted that as of November 2023, private sector credit had increased by 13.7 per cent.

Notably, credit to the rice milling sector experienced a substantial surge of 59.2 per cent since August 2020. President Ali acknowledged the significant role played by Demerara Bank in this growth.

Additionally, credit to the agriculture sector witnessed a growth of 34.9 per cent while the mining sector expanded by 25.1 per cent. Furthermore, credit extended to the construction and engineering sector saw a notable increase of 23.4 per cent, and lending for real estate experienced a growth rate of 21 per cent. In terms of deposits, the private sector accounted for 77.9 per

cent of the total deposit, while deposit by residents grew by 22 per cent. President Ali spoke about the government’s planned development for Region Three including the commencement of a new stadium, new hotels,

apartment buildings, and two additional shore base facilities.

“This region will see massive transformation in agribusiness, investment opportunities, manufacturing, industrial development. In

this area alone within this NDC, we are talking about 20,000 houses,” he said. He was joined by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with within responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh. (DPI)

Kaieteur News

Thursday December 28, 2023

PAGE 17

President Ali pledges $1.5M to Dharm Shala President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali flanked by Kelly Ramsaroop and CEO of the board, Edward Boyer

T

he elderly residents at the Dharm Shala in Albouystown, Georgetown, will continue to feel the government’s unwavering appreciation and dedication, as President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has committed to donate $1.5 million to support the institution.

The president made the

announcement on Christmas Day at a luncheon for the residents. This is the fourth Christmas that the head of state has spent time at the institution. In his brief remarks, he commended the management and staff for their continued efforts to provide and care for the elderly. “It is institutions like these that add to the

humanness of living, and to humanity. It is institutions and families like these that keep us grounded to that humanness of our existence,” the head of state said.

In light of the many global challenges, the president underscored that institutions like the Dharm Shala serve as pillars that

President Ali assisting in serving lunch to the residents of Dharm Shala

demonstrate the value of love and care. He added that the invaluable contributions made to the country’s development by its elderly population must be celebrated.

Residents were treated to a variety of food and drinks, accompanied by musical entertainment reflecting the merriment of the Christmas

season. President Ali also distributed toys to the children of the community in the spirit of spreading joy during this season. Last year, the head of state donated some $2 million to the institution and announced that its water charges would be waived. For over 100 years, the Dharm Shala has stood as a haven for the

elderly, living up to its mandate of providing benevolent services to the vulnerable group. It was founded in 1921 by Pandit Ramsaroop Maharaj, who firmly believed in the virtue of serving humanity. The organisation is now headed by his granddaughters, Pamela and Kelly Ramsaroop. (DPI)

Rapper Canserbero’s ex-manager Govt. moving to build two confesses to killing him call centres in Region Five

The office of the Attorney-General also released the tape confession by Guillermo Améstica

(BBC News) The former manager of Venezuelan rapper Canserbero has confessed to killing him in a video statement released by Ve n e z u e l a ’s a t t o r n e y general.

The death in 2015 of Canserbero, who had been named best rapper in Spanish by Rolling Stone magazine, had originally been ruled a suicide. Exmanager Natalia Améstica said she had drugged the rapper and stabbed him.

With the help of her brother, she then threw the rapper’s body from a 10th-story window, she said. The death of the 26-year-old rapper, whose real name is Tyrone González, had shocked his fans, especially because it was ruled at the time that the star had killed his friend Carlos Molnar in a knife fight before jumping from a window.

His family and friends

Natalia Améstica confessed to killing her partner Carlos Molnar and rapper Canserbero

always doubted the official version of events and the case was reopened last month after much pressure from them. On Tuesday, Ve n e z u e l a n A t t o r n e y General Tarek William Saab released video statements recorded on 19 December by Natalia and her brother Guillermo, in which the two recounted what had happened on the night Canserbero was killed.

Natalia Améstica claims that she had become enraged during a tour of the rapper to Chile, when the rapper’s friend and producer, Carlos Molnar, had told her that she would not be reimbursed for plane tickets she had bought, nor receive a share of the profits of the tour, which she claims she had organised.

Améstica and Carlos Molnar, 35, were a couple and had reportedly been in a relationship for more than 10 years. She also says that she

learned during the tour that Canserbero no longer wanted her as his manager.

“This hurt me a lot and left me with a lot of internal pain,” she says sitting in a chair looking at the camera.

She recalls how on the night of 19 January 2015, Canserbero and Molnar came to her apartment in the Venezuelan city of Maracay.

“The kids had left to stay with their grandmother and the chance arose to make them a tea,” she says calmly.

Améstica says she spiked the tea with a powerful tranquiliser. When her drugged partner Carlos Molnar entered the kitchen, where she was cooking dinner, she stabbed him in the neck, in the back and in the arm. “Tyrone saw me and was very worried, but he was also sleepy. I explained that it was an attack of rage, that I hadn’t been able to control myself,” she recalls.

The Ministry of Housing and Water, through the Central Housing and Planning Authority is seeking bids for the construction of two new call centres in Mahaicony and Hope Town, Region Five.

These centres will be vital communication hubs, enhancing public access to essential services, a Department of Public Information release stated.

Eligible bidders are asked to submit their bids (one hard copy and two electronic copies) by January 3, 2024, to the Chairman of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB). They must meet

all requirements, including bid security.

Bidding will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding (NCB) Procedures specified in the Procurement Act 2003. The government aims to create over 15,000 jobs across the country by 2025 through this booming sector, driving economic growth and local opportunities. With its ideal location near the Americas, favourable time zone, and educated young workforce, Guyana is becoming a magnet for BPO companies seeking a competitive edge.

The Guyana Office for Investment conducted studies in several regions including Regions Two,

Three, Five, Six and Ten to assess the region’s potential for the expansion of BPO outlets. With positive findings, the government is undertaking the construction of call centres nationwide.

T h e P P P / C government’s focus on ICT development, education, and telecommunications reform is paying off.

Residents of Linden, Berbice, and Essequibo are enjoying greater access to affordable internet, empowering them to connect, learn, and thrive.

This digital revolution is transforming lives and boosting economic opportunities across Guyana.

Cruise passengers inject US$1.4M for 2023 (TRINIDAD GUARDIAN) Upwards of US$1.4 million has been injected by cruise ship passenger arrivals for 2023.

This was revealed by the Tourism Ministry on Wednesday in a news release. It said in a May 2023 ‘Survey Report of Cruise Visitors to Trinidad’ prepared by Tourism Trinidad Ltd (TTL), cruise ship visitors spent on average approximately US$50 and crew members US$ 26 per visit.

“By these estimates, the money injected into the economy thus far is upwards of US$1.4 million.

This figure is expected to continue to grow as we welcome 22 more cruise calls to the Port-of-Port of Spain for the season.” The ministry said visitors enjoyed pre-packaged tours to key

tourist attractions such as the Maracas waterfalls, a city tour, and then to Maracas beach or Mt St Benedict, kayaking on the Caroni River and a Paramin 4x4 adventure.

It noted that a total of 21 maxi taxis transported visitors to the various sites that showcase the island’s history and natural beauty. In terms of arrival, 28,000 visitors have come to Port of Port of Spain since 2023/2024 Cruise Season began. Destination Trinidad noted 2,600 passengers arrived on the Jewel of the Seas, while the MSC Seaside’s inaugural visit to Trinidad last Thursday, brought 4,234 passengers, the largest group to Trinidad’s shores for the current cruise season.

Thursday December 28, 2023

Kaieteur News

PAGE 18

Turkey’s PM says Israel’s PM Netanyahu no different than Hitler - The Turkish president asks if what the Israeli leader is doing in the besieged enclave is ‘any less than what Hitler did’.

(AL JAZEERA) Turkish President Recep Ta y y i p E r d o g a n h a s compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler, likening Israel’s assault on Gaza to Nazi Germany’s killing of Jews.

In remarks at an awards ceremony in capital Ankara on Wednesday, Erdogan asked what difference there was between Netanyahu and Hitler.

Netanyahu later responded by pointing to Turkey’s own history of alleged rights abuses.

“They used to speak ill of Hitler. What difference do

you have from Hitler? They are going to make us miss H i t l e r. I s w h a t t h i s Netanyahu is doing any less than what Hitler did? It is not,” Erdogan said. “He is richer than Hitler, he gets the support from the West.

All sorts of support comes from the United States. And what did they do with all this support? They killed more than 20,000 Gazans,” he said.

Erdogan’s remarks have come as Turkey ratchets up criticism of Israel, reversing a trend of growing ties between the two nations before Israel’s assault on Gaza took a devastating humanitarian toll

that has sparked outrage across the region. The Turkish leader has previously levelled harsh criticism at Netanyahu and Israel, calling Israel a “terror state” with “unlimited” Western support in November.

Under Hitler’s rule, Nazi Germany embarked on an effort to systematically eliminate European Jews, killing six million through death and labour camps, mass shootings, and a variety of other methods.

The Israeli prime minister later hit back at Erdogan, criticising Turkey for its own record of alleged rights abuses at home and in its

conflict with Kurdish armed groups.

“Erdogan, who commits genocide against the Kurds, who holds a world record for imprisoning journalists who oppose his rule, is the last person who can preach morality to us,” Netanyahu said in a statement.

Despite such firm criticism, Turkey has maintained commercial ties with Israel throughout its nearly threemonth assault on Gaza in a “genocidal” campaign that has killed more than 21,000 people, wounded 55,000 others and displaced almost the entire 2.3 million population. The Israeli bombings began on October

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks come as Turkey ratchets up criticism of Israel over the Gaza attacks [File: Brendan McDermid/Reuters] 7 when the Palestinian armed group Hamas launched an attack on

southern Israel, killing more than 1,100 people and taking about 240 captives.

Israel expanding ground offensive into central Gaza refugee camps (BBC News) Israel is expanding its ground offensive into Palestinian refugee camps in central Gaza, as it warns the war with Hamas will last for months.

The UN has expressed grave concern after Israeli strikes reportedly killed dozens of people in Bureij, Nuseirat and Maghazi camps in recent days.

Heavy fighting is also continuing to the south, in the city of Khan Younis.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian president has described what is happening in Gaza as “beyond a war of annihilation”. The Hamasrun health ministry has said at least 195 people have been killed across the territory over the past 24 hours. More than 21,100 have been killed - mostly children and women - during 11 weeks of fighting, according to the ministry. The war was triggered by an unprecedented cross-border attack by Hamas gunmen on southern Israel on 7 October, in which at least 1,200 people were killed - most of them civilians - and about 240 others taken hostage.

Palestinian media cited local officials and witnesses as saying dozens of civilians were killed as Israel kept up its strikes across Gaza overnight. Heavy bombardment was reported in the Middle Area, particularly in Bureij, Maghazi and Nuseirat camps.

In Nuseirat, Israeli warplanes targeted the

Israel has ordered the evacuation of areas of central Gaza where the UN says more than 150,000 people are living

homes of the Nasser and Hazouqi families, killing a number of people and wounding dozens more, according to the official Wafa news agency.

Hamas-affiliated Safa news agency also reported that five had been killed in a strike on a girls school in Maghazi.

Residents meanwhile told Reuters news agency that there was heavy fighting east and north of Bureij district and in the nearby village of Juhr al-Deek.

There was no immediate comment from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), but spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters on Tuesday evening that its forces had “expanded the

combat to the area known as the Central Camps”.

The IDF had earlier released videos and photos that it said showed several tanks operating on the outskirts of one of the camps, as well as a tunnel shaft and a Hamas training facility discovered in Bureij.

It also reiterated an order for residents to leave more than a dozen central areas running from the Gaza-Israel perimeter to the coast, including Bureij and Nuseirat camps.

According to the UN, the affected areas were home to nearly 90,000 people before the war.

They also now include six shelters hosting about 61,000 displaced people,

mostly from the north.

The residents have been told to move immediately to shelters in the nearby town of Deir al-Balah, which is already struggling to cope with several hundred thousand displaced people. The UN human rights office said on Tuesday that it was gravely concerned about the continued bombardment of the Middle Area and its densely populated camps, citing a report from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) that Deir al-Balah’s al-Aqsa hospital had admitted 131 dead following Israeli strikes on Maghazi and Bureij on Sunday.

It also warned of a

“deepening and already catastrophic humanitarian situation”, saying that all roads connecting the three camps had been destroyed and that any shelters and hospitals still operating were critically overcrowded and under-resourced.

A Palestinian woman living in the UK, Alaa, told the BBC that her family had been in Maghazi during Sunday’s strikes and were “having to live with... constant loss, constant fear”.

“Pulling people from under the rubble and losing friends, losing family members, being displaced, losing homes,” she said. “My four-yearo l d n e p h e w. . . h a d t o

evacuate with my family the other day and he was crying, asking for his dad who was killed a month ago.” The bombardment of the north and south of Gaza also continued on Wednesday.

In the afternoon, the Hamas-run health ministry said 20 people had been killed in an Israeli air strike on a house where displaced people were staying near the al-Amal hospital in Khan Younis. The Palestinian Red Crescent, which runs the hospital, said dozens were killed or wounded and posted a graphic video that showed paramedics and bystanders retrieving several bodies on a street. The IDF has not yet commented on the incident, but a spokesperson did appear to confirm reports from Tuesday that Israel had handed over the bodies of 80 Palestinians after checking there were no hostages among them.

“During the war, bodies have been transported to Israel for an identification procedure as part of our effort to locate the hostages and the missing persons,” the spokesperson said.

It is believed that more than 100 hostages remain alive in Gaza, after 105 were released from captivity in late November, most of them Israeli women and children.

A number of bodies have also been recovered and I s r a e l i o ff i c i a l s h a v e confirmed the deaths of more than 20 people who had been held by Hamas.

Thursday December 28, 2023

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Thursday December 28, 2023

Thursday December 28, 2023

Elgar century sees South Africa to 11-run lead over India

PRETORIA, (Reuters) An unbeaten century from veteran Dean Elgar and fifty on debut from David Bedingham allowed South Africa to take an 11-run lead with five wickets in hand over India when bad light ended play on the second day of the first test at Centurion yesterday.

The 36-year-old Elgar is retiring from international cricket after the two-test series but played one of the best innings of his long career as he scored an emotive 140 not out to help the hosts to 256-5 in reply to India’s first innings total of 245. He will resume on Thursday with Marco Jansen,

who has three, with South Africa seeking to build a substantive lead.

Elgar, who took over the captaincy after Temba Bavuma pulled his hamstring fielding on Tuesday, played some unusually flamboyant front foot strokes in a chanceless innings against a fearsome attack on a track set up for the seamers.

He scored a 14th test century but his first at Centurion, which is his home ground.

“It just clicked for me today. I didn’t have a lot to lose.

I wanted to play with a bit of freedom,” Elgar said at stumps. He brought up his ton in 140 balls and featured

in two important partnerships — first 93 runs for the second wicket with Tony de Zorzi, which set a good foundation, and then 131 with Bedingham for the fourth wicket. The 29-year-old Bedingham looked assured and confident on debut as he scored 56 before being bowled by Mohammed Siraj, who finished the day with figures of 2-63. Jasprit Bumrah also took two wickets, squaring up De Zorzi (28) and forcing a thick edge to third slip and then bowling Keegan Petersen for two. FIRST WICKET Siraj had taken the first wicket of the innings when Aiden Markram went

cheaply for five in the fourth over of South Africa’s knock.

Earlier, KL Rahul completed his century before India were dismissed for 245 in their first innings, moving on from 208-8 overnight with play commencing 25 minutes late because of light drizzle.

Rahul, who was 70 not out at the start, went to an eighth test ton in spectacular fashion, hammering a six into the crowd as the tourists added 37 runs to their first day score before being bowled out.

He had provided stout resistance on the opening day on Tuesday as South Africa threatened to dismiss India cheaply but were let down by spilt catches and inconsistent bowling.

Novak Djokovi...

Thursday December 28, 2023 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You might be extremely busy now. Invitations to large parties, small gatherings with close friends, and intimate evenings with romantic partners might come up today.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Adventure is the word for today, Libra. A lot of physical and mental energy, as well as enthusiasm, might lead you to aim for goals that others consider too risky or unrealistic.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Unexpected visitors could wake you up to the possibility of new work opportunities, Taurus. This could advance your current job or be work you can do on your own - maybe on a volunteer basis.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) New career goals may come your way with the current aspect, Scorpio, opening up possibilities you may not have considered. This could be very exciting. .

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Fascinating new information could arrive today from TV or the Internet, opening up new educational opportunitie. The possibility of making contact and perhaps visiting new friends.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) If you aren't romantically involved, an errand, walk, or other foray into your neighborhood might bring an exciting new person into your life.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Money that you may have been hoping to use to better your living or working condition could suddenly come your way today, Cancer.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) When you run errands today, check the bulletin boards in local businesses. You may have been longing for adventure and dreaming about getting away from it all, Leo. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22) Information received today excites your imagination and encourages you to start a new artistic or creative project, Virgo. Stories, pictures, abstract concepts - all could come together.

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) The A sudden burst of physical energy and determination could lead to additional income for you, Capricorn.

This is probably due to an unexpected opportunity to do some extra work.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Friends or a group with which you're affiliated could propose a trip. This might seem like a great adventure, Aquarius, so you're likely to go for it. You will probably have a wonderful time.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) An opportunity to do some extra work outside the scope of your regular job could present itself to you. Take it, Pisces. Not only could you earn some extra money.

From pagee 22 is likely to be his final season on tour, after needing surgery on a hip injury and slipping down to 670th in the world rankings.

He won the Australian Open in 2009 and 2022 and is a record 14-time champion at the French Open.

World number two Carlos Alcaraz, who played Djokovic in an exhibition match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia yesterday, also believes his compatriot is ready for action.

“I saw some videos of him practising, he’s 100%,” said 20-year-old Alcaraz. “I hear from other players that they practised with Rafa in these past weeks and they said that he’s going to return to his good level.

His top level.

“I think he’s ready for great things this year as well.

Monedderlust, Beacon...

From page 25 (East Coast Demerara Football Association), Dartmouth (Essequibo/Pomeroon Football Association), Herstelling Raiders (East Bank Demerara Football Association), Monnederlust (Berbice Football Association), Slingerz (West Demerara Football Association), Tabatinga (Rupununi Football Association), and Winners Connection (Upper Demerara Football Association).

The Elite League represents GFF President Wayne Forde’s vision for advancing club football, acting as a crucial avenue for players aiming to transition into the national programme.

The league concludes on January 6, 2024.

Michael Holding hits out at hypocrite and spineless ICC for stopping Usman Khawaja Crictoday - Usman Khawaja has been told by the International Cricket Council to keep his humanitarian appeal for the people of Palestine away from the cricket field. He was officially warned for wearing a black armband during the first Test between Australia and Pakistan in Perth.

Usman wanted to sport a black dove on his shoe and bat in the upcoming Boxing Day Test but even that was rejected by the ICC. Former West Indies pacer Michael Holding has opined on the ongoing saga. The fast bowler hit out at the apex body and said he was not “surprised” by their stance.

“The ICC says any message which is about politics, religion and racial activities

will not be allowed,” Holding said. “So how the f**” cricketers were allowed to take a knee for Black Lives Matter movement and stumps were coloured with LGBTQ colours?” Holding said while speaking to the Weekend Australian. Holding questioned the ICC for not making their stance clear. “If it would have been some other organisation with a consistent track record, I would have been surprised, but not the ICC. They are hypocrite and has shown it again. They lack spine as a governing body,” he added.

As per The Sydney Morning Herald, Khawaja took permission from Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association for the black dove logo but failed to convince the ICC.

Kaieteur News

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Thursday December 28, 2023

Camille’s Academy of Soesdyke capture School Girls Windball Cricket title

Camille’s Academy of Soesdyke.

Camille’s Academy of Soesdyke captured the A. Munroe Sports Officer, MCYS, NSC organised Ministry of Culture Youth & Sport National Sports

Commission Janet Jagan Birth Anniversary school girls Windball Cricket, East Bank Championship.

In the game for second place, Covent Garden

Secondary defeated Yarrowkabra Secondary.

Covent Garden won the toss and sent Yarrowkabra into bat and they made 98-1 with Deliah Walton hitting

an unbeaten 64 (8x6s), Shemika Stoll 14 and Chelsea Benjamin 12.

Covent Garden’s turn in the middle saw them hitting off the required runs in 3

overs, 104 -3, as Malea Johnson top scored with 41, Emily Dubre made 22 and Deuyani Singh 10.

Diamond Primary School Top will received the

4th place trophy. Special thanks to the Dept. of Education Region 4 for assisting with transportation for the students during the Christmas holiday.

Five breakout sporting stars in 2023 AFP - In 2023, Sha’Carri Richardson finally came good on the global stage, while Victor Wembanyama quickly left his mark on the NBA and Rachin Ravindra lit up the Cricket World Cup. As eyes turn to a packed 2024 schedule featuring the Paris Olympics and men’s football European Championship, AFP Sport looks at five breakout stars from the last 12 months: Victor Wembanyama (basketball/FRA) — The 19-year-old French sensation was selected as the number one pick in this year’s NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs and his performances in the first few months of the season, albeit on a struggling young team, have confirmed predictions he will be one of the biggest future stars in the sport.

We m b a n y a m a , w h o stands 7ft 4in (2.24m) tall, is expected to be one of the faces of the Olympic Games

on French soil next year.

But his first target will be to help turn around the fortunes of the Spurs in the NBA — they are currently rock bottom of the Western Conference. Wembanyama has already impressed, though, averaging more than 18 points and 10 rebounds per game so far in his debut season.

Sha’Carri Richardson (athletics/USA) — Richardson was long tipped for greatness but had struggled to make her mark on the global stage until her stunning win in the world championship 100m final from lane 9 in Budapest in August.

She was set to go to the Tokyo Olympics two years ago as a medal contender, but controversially missed out after testing positive for cannabis. More heartbreak followed in 2022 as Richardson surprisingly failed to qualify for the worlds on home turf in

Sha’Carri Richardson powered to a surprise victory in the women’s world 100m final. (Ben Stansall) Eugene.

But her championship record run of 10.65sec to upset Jamaicans Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in Hungary will see Richardson head to Paris as the USA’s best hope of a women’s individual sprint gold medal.

She also inspired the Americans to gold in the 4x100m relay.

Linda Caicedo (football/COL)

— The teenager burst onto the scene at the women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, helping Colombia reach the quarter-finals for the first time.

Caicedo scored a magnificent individual goal, which was nominated for FIFA’s Puskas award, in Colombia’s shock groupstage victory over two-time champions Germany after also netting against South

Korea.

The 18-year-old has since moved from Deportivo Cali to Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Caicedo will be a key player in Colombia’s bid to win a first-ever Olympic football medal in Paris.

Rachin Ravindra (cricket/NZL) — Batting all-rounder Ravindra only made his oneday international debut in March and would likely have played a back-up role at the World Cup if not for an injury to New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.

But he nailed down his starting place with a remarkable 123 not out in the Black Caps’ nine-wicket thrashing of holders England in the tournament opener in India.

The 24-year-old went on to become the first New Zealander to score three World Cup centuries with tons against Australia and Pakistan as his team reached

the semi-finals.

Ravindra will be hoping to make a further impact for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League and the T20 World Cup next June in the United States and the Caribbean.

Q i n H a i y a n g (swimming/CHN) — China had been without a stand-out swimming star since the doping ban of Sun Yang, but Qin Haiyang stepped into the void at the world championships in Fukuoka in July.

The 24-year-old powered to four gold medals including the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke finals, breaking the world record in the latter.

Qin may have to deal with a returning Adam Peaty in the 2024 Olympics, but will be expected to deliver multiple gold medals for China.

Thursday December 28, 2023

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Boxing legend Wladimir Klitschko is fighting on the front line to defend Ukraine – Here’s how investing legends Warren Buffett and Ray Dalio inspired the head of his $100 million family office Business Insider U k r a i n e ’s W l a d i m i r Klitschko won more heavyweight title bouts than Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson.

But the retired boxer is currently engaged in a different sort of fight right now — defending his homeland from Russia’s ongoing invasion.

Klitschko returned home in February 2022 to join Ukraine’s army alongside his older brother Vitali, a fellow former world champion who is now Kyiv’s mayor.

In London, Klitschko’s family office continues to run smoothly. KLIWLA allocates around 35% of its $100 million assets under management to Ukraine, and invests the other 65% internationally. It employs two staff in the UK, with another two based in Liechtenstein.

KLIWLA is headed up

by Kostya Kovalchuk, who spent a decade in UBS’s oil and gas corporate advisory group and has known the Klitschkos for over 25 years.

Kovalchuk, who still has several relatives based in Ukraine, told Business Insider the Klitschkos’ most important role would be as figures of hope.

“To see the brothers, as well as [fellow boxers] Oleksandar Usyk and Vasiliy Lomachenko defending Kyiv is incredibly inspirational for the people of Ukraine,” the 37-year-old said in a March 2022 interview. “Ukraine is ours

— it’s not Russia’s.”

KLIWLA doesn’t manage any of Vitali’s assets, given his political position as mayor of the Ukrainian capital. But Kovalchuk and the younger Klitschko brother have spent the last five years developing a portfolio of investments in commodities and disruptive technologies.

“Wladimir is optimistic, very entrepreneurial and always interested in meeting new people”, Kovalchuk told Insider. “Whereas I’m the guy who’s always looking for value or a particular niche.”

Value investing Kovalchuk allocates Klitschko’s $100 million portfolio through specialist managers who better understand tech and commodities. He said the most important skill for heading up a family office is being able to absorb knowledge.

“I’m a highly-paid librarian — I read all day,” he said. “I focus on investor letters, market research, raw equity data, and crypto white papers.”

Kovalchuk described himself as a value investor.

He and Klitschko try to invest in quality companies that are trading at an attractive price.

“Value investing isn’t about just buying stocks when they’re extremely cheap,” Kovalchuk told Insider. “We are happy to pay high multiples for companies that are growing fast, but already have a

profitable business model.”

“We avoid hype stories that have no path to profitability over the next few years,” he added. “Last year there was a SPAC boom, but we didn’t touch them - we treated them as if they were radioactive.”

Kovalchuk listed Warren Buffett, Ray Dalio, and Fundsmith chief executive Terry Smith as three value investing influences.

Klitschko’s portfolio Throughout his boxing career, Klitschko was n i c k n a m e d “ D r Steelhammer” because of his PhD in sports science. He also teaches a master’s degree level course at Switzerland’s St Gallen University.

That’s encouraged him to invest in disruptive technologies.

“We like to concentrate on ‘frontier technologies’,” Kovalchuk told Insider. “We define those as something t h a t i s n ’ t y e t commercialized, may not be commercially viable within the next three years, but could be revolutionary in the long-term.”

KLIWLA also invests in biotechnology, e-commerce, and video gaming as other disruptive tech plays.

Kovalchuk told Insider that he’s recently spent time r e s e a r c h i n g cryptocurrencies and Web3 as well.

“At first I was very negative about crypto - I thought it was purely speculative,” he said. “But then I realized that there are

Novak Djokovic: Rafael Nadal can be Grand Slam threat on injury return in Australia BBC News - World number one Novak Djokovic believes Rafael Nadal will be competitive at next month’s Australian Open, despite his injury absence.

The Spaniard, 37, a 22time Grand Slam winner, is set to make his comeback in Brisbane this weekend ahead of the first tennis major of the year.

His last match was a second-round loss to American Mackenzie

McDonald at the Australian Open in January.

The 2024 edition of that tournament begins on 14 January in Melbourne.

“I always expect him [Nadal] to play at his best, to be honest,” said Djokovic, 36, who won three Grand Slams in 2023 to reach a record 24 for his career and overtake Nadal.

“Many times they’ve signed him out, they’ve done that with me as well. But

we’ve proved them wrong.

“He’s not a kind of a player that will come back to the tour just to play - let’s say - on a medium level, play a few matches.

“He wants to win titles, he wants to be the best, that’s why he is who he is: a legend of our sport. I’m sure that his training and preparation is done with an intention to win a Grand Slam.”

Nadal has said that 2024 (Continued on page 21)

actually companies with good business models, and that tokenization is a revolutionary new way to finance tech projects.”

Commodities also play a major role in Klitschko’s $100 million portfolio.

Kovalchuk said that he has held gold, silver, and oil positions in the past.

“There’s a supply-side crunch right now on all sorts

of commodities,” he told I n s i d e r. “ F r o m m y background in oil and gas M&As, it makes sense that we’d focus on those sorts of assets.”

W h i l e K l i t s c h k o ’s actively-managed portfolio continues to perform well in a volatile market, Kovalchuk said that his long-term priority is to support the Ukrainian economy as war

drags on.

“Market volatility often creates an opportunity for investors like us,” he said.

“But that’s no consolation when there is so much trouble back in Ukraine.”

Pic - Wladimir Klitschko has been fighting in Ukraine after Russia launched a fullscale invasion. (Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo)

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Thursday December 28, 2023

Cummins changes the day after Shafique and Masood hint at dominance ESPNcricinfo - Captain Pat Cummins clean bowled Babar Azam with a gem of a delivery during a spectacular spell late on day two to trigger a Pakistan collapse as Australia gained control of the Boxing Day Test.

With the MCG surface seemingly flattening in sunny conditions, Pakistan had moved confidently to 124 for 1 before Cummins took over with three wickets as Australia look set for a valuable lead on the first innings.

It was a disappointment for Pakistan having mustered a resolute performance for much of the d a y. A f t e r d i s m i s s i n g Australia for 318 by lunch, Pakistan responded well with opener Abdullah Shafique and captain Shan Masood building a 90-run partnership as they scored briskly after tea.

Having batted

watchfully through the second session, Shafique put the foot down with several superb strokes square of the wicket as he raced past his half-century.

Masood before the series promised his team would play a proactive brand and he led from the front by charging at offspinner Nathan Lyon and hitting him down the ground to good effect.

It was the type of domination rarely seen from Pakistan during more than two decades of misery in Australia, where they have lost 15 straight Test matches.

But Cummins took it upon himself to change the game with a magical fiveover spell where he accounted firstly for Shafique with a brilliant return catch in his follow through.

Then he renewed his battle with Babar, who

Pakistan desperately needed to stand up if they were to close in on Australia’s first innings. Cummins in Perth had worked over Babar before having him nicked off in Pakistan’s second innings.

He produced an even better delivery with a pearler that had late inward seam movement to befuddle Babar and hit the top of off stump.

Having removed Babar for 1, Cummins leapt in the air in celebration and Pakistan could not recover from the dispiriting dismissal of their talisman.

Lyon exacted revenge when Masood, shortly after reaching his half-century, holed out attempting another big stroke. It was Lyon’s second wicket having earlier removed opener Imam-ulHaq in his first match since taking his 500th Test wicket in the series-opener.

In his 16th innings of a fledgling Test cricket, Saud

Shakeel was dismissed for the first time under 20 when he was knocked over on 9 by a stellar delivery from quick Josh Hazlewood.

Cummins returned to the attack shortly before stumps and was met by an extraordinary six from recalled Mohammad Rizwan, who flicked him audaciously over deep backward square in a shot more reminiscent of whiteball cricket. But Cummins was not to be denied and capped what might prove to be a game-changing performance by dismissing allrounder Agha Salman.

Pakistan’s hopes of avoiding a hefty first innings deficit rest with Rizwan, who was in aggressive form in his return having been contentiously overlooked for the first Test with selectors sticking with incumbent wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed.

Pakistan’s calamitous finish negated their earlier hard work having clawed back into the game with seven wickets in a prolonged first session after Australia resumed on 187 for 3 following a rain-interrupted opening day.

Pakistan’s quicks were backed up by a much better fielding effort. After several shoddy dropped catches so far this series, they hung on to tough chances in the

Pat Cummins wheels away in celebration after cleaning up Babar Azam. (Getty Images and Cricket Australia) outfield while wicketkeeper Rizwan produced a spectacular one-handed take diving to his right to dismiss counterpart Alex Carey.

But having enjoyed favourable bowling conditions, after Masood elected to field, Pakistan rued inconsistencies from their quicks while 52 extras bumped up Australia’s total.

Spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi’s tough start to the series continued and he finished with 2 for 85 from 27 overs. He has been unable to consistently find the right length and his pace continues to be down in what has been a bane in recent times.

Quick Aamer Jamal continued his strong start to Test cricket with three wickets, including Marnus Labuschagne who topscored for Australia with 63

in the only half-century in the innings. Having entered the match averaging just 35 in Test cricket this year, marked by troubles outside the off stump, Labuschagne looked far more assured as he navigated the tricky surface.

Labuschagne combined well with a confident Mitchell Marsh, who hit a quick 41 on the back of his twin half-centuries in Perth as he cements his position at No.6.

But Australia lost their last six wickets for 68 as P a k i s t a n ’s m o m e n t u m continued into their batting until Cummins’ unforgettable spell.

Scores: Pakistan 194 for 6 (Shafique 62, Masood 54, Cummins 3-37) trail Australia 318 (Labuschagne 63, Jamal 3-64) by 124 runs.

Impending retirement spurs South Africa’s Elgar to emotive test ton PRETORIA, (Reuters) The freedom of impending retirement from the test arena allowed South Africa opener Dean Elgar to produce one of his best innings as his unbeaten 140 handed the hosts an 11-run lead over India after day two of the first test at Centurion yesterday.

Last week the 36-yearold announced his intention to retire from international cricket after the two-test series and said having made the decision he had little to lose as the home side were 256-5 at stumps in reply to India’s first innings’ 245.

“I wanted to play with a bit of freedom,” Elgar said at the close of play after a knock of 211 balls that included 23 fours and saw

him celebrate with gusto as he reached the milestone.

Elgar, who made his test debut in 2012 and has played 84 since, said he had gone into the contest against the highly rated Indians with confidence after a good domestic season.

“I know people say it’s only domestic cricket and you still have to do the time in the middle but I’ve been in some really good form with the bat coming into the series and I was pretty confident. I don’t have a lot to lose now, do I? It’s my last series and I want to play with a bit of freedom.”

Elgar said that with the shackles off he felt freer.

“But I still want to perform, I still want to contribute to the

side and still want to get us into winning positions, still want to score test hundreds.

Today the luck was all on my side.”

It was a 14th test century for Elgar but the first at his home ground.

“It’s the one place where I’ve really wanted to score a test ton. I got 95 against Sri Lanka, buggered that one up and I thought today luck is on my side so I need to try and cash in and I’m extremely proud of it,” he said.

Elgar reached his century after lunch and said the pitch had eased off a little as the day wore on.

“Yes, obviously once you get in but you’ve got to earn that right, getting through 30 overs and the new ball,” he added.

Kaieteur News

Thursday December 28, 2023

PAGE 25

Monedderlust, Beacon (Georgetown) and Slingerz Football Clubs lead groups after Christmas weekend action in GFF Elite League Promotional Playoff The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Elite League Promotional Playoff concluded its Christmas weekend action with Monedderlust, Beacon and Slingerz football clubs top of Groups A, B, and C, respectively.

On Christmas Day, G e o rg e t o w n ’s B e a c o n triumphed over Tabatinga in a thrilling 5-3 showdown, while Winners Connection claimed a walkover, bagging three points and three goals due to Dominators’ absence.

At the Eve Leary Sports Ground in Kingston, G e o rg e t o w n , A n t h o n y Abrams set the tone with a stunning goal a mere two minutes into the match, matched swiftly by Ta b a t i n g a ’s D e i v i s o n DaSilva’s goal in the 3rd minute, leading to a halftime deadlock.

However, Beacon surged in the second half with Abrams showcasing remarkable prowess, netting three goals in the 41st, 50th and 53rd minutes, while Keon Douglas sealed the deal with a 70th minute fifth goal.

Despite Tabatinga’s spirited efforts at a comeback, with another goal from DaSilva in the 75th minute and a strike from Victor Peres in the 85th minute, Beacon’s dominant second-half display secured their victory.

Georgetown’s Beacon is top of Group B with two wins and six points, an undefeated streak. Tabatinga is close behind with three points from one win and one loss, while Herstelling Raiders have yet to secure a

point after two games, positioning them at the bottom of the group standings.

M e a n w h i l e , Monedderlust is poised to face off against Buxton Stars on December 27 at the N u m b e r F i v e Vi l l a g e Ground in Berbice, aiming to maintain their position at the summit of Group A. Currently leading with one win and three points, Monedderlust holds the top spot. Buxton Stars secured a draw in their initial game, claiming one point, while Beacons (Bartica) have yet to notch a point after playing two matches Slingerz maintains their dominant position atop Group C, clinching two consecutive wins and accumulating six points. Their recent victory, a hard-fought 1-0 triumph against Winners Connection on December 23, was sealed

by Clive Nobrega’s goal in the 39th minute, solidifying their place at the summit.

Following closely behind is Winners Connection with six points from two victories, while Dominiators is yet to put points on the board.

GFF Competition Directory Troy Peters said the teams showed remarkable determination during the Christmas weekend solidifying their positions ahead of the upcoming semifinal round of the league.

“The teams exhibited an inspiring level of determination over the Christmas weekend, fortifying their standings in the groups as we move towards the pivotal

Beacon FC (G/Town) semifinals on December 29 and final on January 1, 2024.

Anticipation is high for what promises to be a riveting culmination to this tournament.”

The GFF Elite League Promotional Playoff commenced on December 17 with nine victorious teams from the Member Associations’ Leagues fervently competing for a coveted spot in the prestigious Elite League Season Six, scheduled for 2024.

Participating clubs are Beacons (Bartica Football Association), Beacons ( G e o rg e t o w n F o o t b a l l Association), Buxton Stars (Continued on page 21)

Slingerz FC

Monedderlust FC

rts Spo

Monedderlust, Beacon (Georgetown) and Slingerz Football Clubs lead groups after Christmas weekend action in GFF Elite League Promotional Playoff Former West Indies pacer Michael Holding.

Abdullah Shafique brought up an excellent fifty. (Getty Images)

Michael Holding hits out at Cummins changes hypocrite and spineless ICC the day after Shafique and for stopping Usman Khawaja Masood hint at dominance 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.