Kaieteur News

Speaker disallows K NEWS scrutiny of GGMC, GFC despite Govt.’s oversight

Thursday Edition

AIETEUR

February 10, 2022 - Vol. 15 No.06 Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $80 readership yesterday, 77,825

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

‘Not so fast Jagdeo’ Glenn Lall calls on Govt. to correct flaws in oil contract th before approving Exxon 4 project

stresses need for full coverage insurance; fair payment of taxes Dharamlall confident executing enlarged budget with reduced staff …as MPs haggle over packages paid to Advisors, Mayors, others

Police suspect CCTV footage foul play after helps cops woman found nab two ‘choke and rob’ bandits hanging from tree

Jagdeo accused of bribery, corruption after terminating contract with Chinese firm

Earnings from rice exports Change last year pegged at - Min. Mustapha - industry projected to the contracts! over $43B see 25% growth Mr. Su owns 3/4 of Guyana, listen to the Glenn Lall Show @11:00hrs.

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Kaieteur News

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Thursday February 10, 2022

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‘Not so fast Jagdeo’ Glenn Lall calls on Govt. to correct flaws in th oil contract before approving Exxon 4 project

stresses need for full coverage insurance; fair payment of taxes

K

aieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall has once again called on the government to delay the approval of ExxonMobil's fourth project – Yellowtail until a full review of this country's oil sector is done and the necessary safeguards, including higher royalty payments and full coverage insurance are in place.

The Government of Guyana said it will approve the Yellowtail Project next month.

This newspaper had previously reported that even t h o u g h t h e Ye l l o w t a i l Project, the fourth to be developed in the Stabroek Block, is poised to see its costs going beyond US$9B, it is still regarded by Hess Corporation as having “outstanding economics” that will work in the company's favour. The American oil producer, which holds a 30 percent stake in the Stabroek Block, made this disclosure during its 2021 third-quarter earnings call.

S p e c i f i c a l l y, t h e company's Chief Operating Officer (COO), Greg Hill, disclosed that the final numbers have not been decided for the project, as this would only follow approval by the government. Be that as it may, it has predicted that inflationary pressures on the market will push the cost beyond the preliminary estimate of US$9B. Hill was keen to note, however, that the “superefficient” provisions of the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) will allow for all expenditure to be recouped.

At a news conference last week, Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo said there was the expectation that the review of the Field Development Plan and subsequent issuance of the environmental permit and licence would have been completed since December 2021. He said this did not occur as there were some setbacks. In spite of the internal challenges, Jagdeo said, “…We are working

more, and we are anticipating the completion of everything by the end of March latest.

We have consultancies in place and the Ministry of Natural Resources (in review mode).” Jagdeo said too that a draft licence is already worked out and a parallel process is being conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency for an authorisation permit.

The Government of Guyana has once again selected ExxonMobil's client, Bayphase Limited, to review the field developments plans for the Ye l l o w t a i l p r o j e c t .

Bayphase, which is headquartered in the United Kingdom, won with a bid totalling US$423,360. The contract for the consultancy was awarded to Bayphase since January 21, 2022. The

Kaieteur News Publisher, prudent businessman and advocate for a better oil deal, Mr. Glenn Lall (at Centre) was at the forefront of protest actions late last year against the rushed passage of the New Natural Resources Fund law by the PPP/C Government.

Bayphase is a well known client of ExxonMobil. In fact, Bayphase also works for Exxon's subcontractors which include Schlumberger and Technip FMC. Meanwhile, speaking during The Glenn Lall Show radio programme (99.1, 99.5

Guyana is running full speed with the 4th project, which can be used “as the trump card to bring in billions in US dollars in this project that we lost out in the other three projects.”

Noting that the government is yet to check

“My fellow Guyanese listen to me carefully, Mr. Jagdeo, can put a hold on this project and force ExxonMobil to deal with Guyana the way they dealt with other countries. Exxon needs Guyana more than anything else on earth. Guyana is their lottery, their saviour, and Jagdeo can do so many things to make Guyana the Dubai the world is talking about.” – Glenn Lall National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) disclosed the list of interested bidders on January 20, 2022.

The other companies that submitted bids are as follows: Infinity Services in collaboration with XWells Mexico – US$617,500; Orwell OffshoreUS$617,650; MSI International-US$817,761; Endeavour Management –US$598,934; Future Energy Partners Limited US$901,482; IHS Global Inc. – US$1,493,502; RPS Energy Consultants Ltd. – US$494,000; Sunstone Energy Advisory Service –US$785,040; Sproule – US$661,440; and StratOil Energy Services – US$324,080.

Kaieteur News previously reported that

FM), Lall who is also a prudent businessman and an advocate for a better oil deal for Guyana, emphasised that with a good oil deal every Guyanese can live the life of an oil producing country.

He iterated that the Irfaan Ali administration could have and should have used the third project as leverage to rake in the billions lost in Liza 1 and 2. “Instead Jagdeo gave away that project in one day to ExxonMobil and say fatten your shareholders and left the citizens of Guyana starving… And now they got to go borrow money for the 2022 Budget…” Mr. Lall told his audience, explaining that the project is certain to rake in billions of US dollars for the citizens.

Lall underscored that having been shortchanged on the Lisa 1, 2 and 3 projects,

Exxon's US$20B expenses from its first three projects, Lall asserted that instead focusing on doing those audits that can save Guyana billions of dollars, the Vice President is running full speed ahead to approve the 4th project with another US$10B Field Development Plan and Cost.

“My fellow Guyanese listen to me carefully, Mr. Jagdeo, can put a hold on this project and force ExxonMobil to deal with Guyana the way they dealt with other countries. Exxon needs Guyana more than anything else on earth.

Guyana is their lottery, their saviour, and Jagdeo can do so many things to make Guyana the Dubai the world is talking about,” Lall stated.

Additionally, Lall said the government can use this

4th project to stop this country from paying the US billions (of dollars) to the oil companies searching for oil immediately. “Our neighbour Suriname says plainly, oil companies have to suck up every cent they spend drilling, looking or searching for oil. Why is Jagdeo approving this 4th project for ExxonMobil and Guyana has to pay for another 70 holes at US$100M each, minimum, they plan to drill in this 4th project, can somebody help me here?…”

Lall said too that the government can use the approval of the fourth project, to guarantee ringfencing provision now, which will protect and safeguard Guyana with billions of USD in savings from oil companies. Lall noted that presently “ExxonMobil is spending anywhere and everywhere then dumping those bills on Liza 1 to pay – this is why Guyana is getting little or nothing from the oil.”

The newspaper publisher argued that every country has ring fencing provision in place including Suriname, even as he drew attention to remarks recently made by Jagdeo where he said that the administration will ensure ring fencing provision goes into place with the other oil companies, but not with ExxonMobil. “You believe this man? Bharrat Jagdeo is giving ExxonMobil a free reign to do Guyana and its people what they feel like doing to us. Can you believe that?”

Paying their fair share of taxes Turning his attention to the vexed issue of taxes, Lall said that the government can use this 4th project to ensure that ExxonMobil and the others pay their rightful taxes on every drop of oil coming out from Guyana. “We already made ExxonMobil walk away with US$720M in 2020, over a quarter of our 2022 Budget. Come 2023 that figure might double the 2022 budget.”

For the period 2019 to 2020, Guyana gave away $327B in tax exemptions in the oil sector and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has predicted that these exemptions will only continue to balloon if urgent policy changes are not made.

The authority made these and other remarks in response to queries from the Auditor General's office in its 2020 A n n u a l R e p o r t .

The Auditor General had found that tax exemptions for 2020 alone totalled $137B in foregone revenues, representing 62.75 percent of total collections by the authority. Meaning the $137B forgone by government through tax exemptions for that period, amounts to 62.75 percent of what was actually collected by the revenue authority.

Moreover, Lall said the government can remove all the high interest rates taken on loans by those oil companies to which Guyana has to repay. “No country takes on that burden – oil (Continued on page 16)

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Thursday February 10, 2022

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

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

EDITORIAL

Debt not down but double

In the thunder and throes of what passed for debate on the scheming Natural Resource Fund Bill, now the law of Guyana, then its tempestuous aftermath, there was a position taken by leaders in the PPP/C Government. It was that accessing and withdrawing monies from the oil fund would lead to reduced levels of debt, and benefits for Guyana. As is now customary, a slight, some would call it huge, contradiction has surfaced, which identifies what was uttered before to be nothing more than the misleading from government leaders, and nullifies the justification put forward. The caption of a news item carried recently in this paper summarises the details: “Guyana loan portfolio to double this year” (KN January 28). At first, it was going to be lower, due to oil fund withdrawals, but now it is going to be the opposite, as in doubled.

“According to the “Estimates”, Guyana’s loans and grant stock portfolio is expected to be some $37B this year, up from $17B last year. The loan aspect of this portfolio however, is expected to double moving from $13.6B last year to $26.8B this year.” When this is added to the expected withdrawals of hundreds of millions of American dollars from the nation’s oil fund sitting in a New York bank, it is the groundwork for governmental, political, public service, and private sector skullduggeries and thievery on a scale never seen or experienced in Guyana before. In a land where corruption is a sprawling aspect of the national culture, this is saying a lot. Yet, for some peculiar reason, known only to a man of learning and wisdom like him, this is what the Minister with official responsibility for the Finances of Guyana, Dr. Ashni Singh, has the audacity and brazenness to stand before citizens of this country and to call a “wellestablished track record of prudent public debt management…” This is what this man of some intellect and education dares to call “prudent public debt management” when the circumstances on the ground point to runaway borrowing and runaway spending. In fact, it could be said on strong foundations that the visionaries and strategists in the PPP/C brain trust have never seen a loan that they could resist borrowing. And now with this country’s discovery of oil, and more of it on a continuing basis, financial institutions are racing here and tumbling over themselves to lend as much as we desire (not need) for any purpose under the sun. The question could be fairly and reasonably put on the table: with projected debt levels estimated to be doubling this year, why is there this mad rush to withdraw, other may more accurately say raid, Guyana’s oil fund? Or, with another, since debt levels are planned to be in these enormous amounts, how come it is even necessary to still go near to the tempting oil fund?

We at this publication have put some pieces together from the record of Guyana over the years, which enable us to envision what is in mind, and how things are going to conclude. Debt finances numerous projects, mainly infrastructural and social, which means that invitation for bids and tenders have to be announced, leading to gargantuan contracts being awarded. This is where the sweet and juicy action is. When the tenders are fixed, then PPP/C Government comrades and loyalists are the almost exclusive winners of such contract awards. The bid winners, in turn, have frequently failed to deliver the goods and services they were contracted for, and to the tune of billions upon billions of precious dollars. The taxpayers feel the pain, while Government scoundrels get to celebrate their massive white-collar criminalities, to the torment of those same cash-strapped taxpayers.

The ecstasies over immensely rewarding corrupt practices were from mainly debt taken out in the name of the Guyanese people, who are still waiting to get any little value for their money that they can obtain in return. Now, with debt doubling and the oil fund accessed simultaneously, there are many more millions (billions in Guyana dollars) to electrify and delight the political rogues and the rogues with whom they surround themselves. Debt money and oil money spell doom.

There are some who hail Freddie to be the standard bearer of truth: They are either gullible or themselves culpable DEAR EDITOR, Freddie Kissoon in his February 7, 2022 column, in Kaieteur News, on the eve of his wedding anniversary, indulged in an act of idiocy and orgasmic self-stimulation as he paired me with Charles Ceres as being surreal (strange and unusual in my behaviour). I am sure that Ceres does not need my assistance and can speak for himself. However, based on the evidence that Freddie provides, against himself, I must agree with the label: a pseudoresearcher, which he said was attributed to him by Ceres.

I have on numerous occasions identified fallacious information that Freddie peddles as facts or the truth.

In his February 7, 2022 column, he does just that in an attempt to discredit me, on which basis he sought to establish that I have no moral authority to expose his falla-

cious propensity. He, however, does not seek to refute any of his fallacies, misrepresentations, misinformation and downright lies, which I previously exposed.

There is no need for me to provide past evidence, since the evidence in his recent column will suffice.

Freddie wrote that I was the YSM chairman in 1973.

This is so far from the truth that it is laughable. At that time, I held no office in the YSM and was pursuing studies as an 18 plus adolescent at GTI. In 1973, Jeffery Thomas demitted the chair of the YSM and Robert Corbin assumed until he demitted in 1977. Freddie surreally even claimed that I told him I was in Moscow in 1973.

He questioned how long and for which period I was away in Moscow in an attempt to associate my presence with events in Guyana in 1983.

The records will show that I pursued studies in Moscow from 1979 to 1985. A facts check, which I continue to recommend that Freddie should be subjected to, less he be allowed to continue to mislead the young readers, will prove that Freddie is malicious in his contention that ‘I denied that Mingo`s conduct was unbecoming’. I never commented on Mingo`s conduct. He also continues to misrepresent the issues and the judgment in the Persaud vs. Alexander law suit. I am also inviting the readers to put their hands on the decision of the court. The single matter before the court was whether I accused Vishnu of pretending to have a qualification which he did not have. I never accused him of such an act. I stated that he was given the job under the pretext of him being duly qualified. I never stated that

he pretended or conspired. I indicated then, and repeat now, that the job required a first degree which he did not have at the time, however certain forces, other than Vishnu himself, represented that his diploma was equivalent to a first degree and on that basis he was preferred for the job.

Incidentally, there is no final judgment since the case is before the Court of Appeal.

On every count Freddie is a stranger to the truth and facts about me in his February 7, 2022 column and at maximum can only be described as a pseudo-researcher. If he had to submit this record for experiential assessment the score would be zilch minus (-0). There are some who hail Freddie to be the standard bearer of truth.

They are either gullible or themselves culpable.

Yours truly, Vincent Alexander

Future Petroleum Contracts to Address Concerns of Civil Society DEAR EDITOR There has been a continual flow of opinions during the past two years urging the PPPC government to re-negotiate the Exxon and Partners’ Profit-Sharing Agreement (PSA) of 2016. This stream was a trickle during the PNCRled government, but these opinions have currently evolved into a gush. What the critics are also implying is that the PPPC should clean up the horrible mess in the Exxon contract that was created by the PNCR-led coalition. They believe that should re-negotiation happen it could result in superior conditions (both financial and other wise) for Guyana. Not only the critics, but every Guyanese, including the Government, would have been happy to carve out a better deal, but re-negotiation is fraught with many formidable challenges that would be difficult to navigate.

The circumstances under which the Exxon contract was negotiated are filled with anomalies. It was reported, for example, that the contract that the address provided on the contract was that of a wellknown lawyer. It was also reported by Global Witness that the marriage celebration of the Minister of Natural Resources was funded by Exxon. In addition, Minister Raphael Trotman has blamed the Geology and Mines Commission for the deficiencies in the contract. More astonishing is

the claim of the Minister that he was instructed to sign the contract but has failed to provide the instructor’s name or his/her official title. If the instructor was not the President, who was it?

When these glaring aberrations are taken together along with the reluctance of the PNCR-led coalition to have made the contract public, credibility in the contracting process plummeted and suspicion multiplied. As a pretext, Guyanese were told that disclosure of the contract was a matter of national security (presumably Venezuela might expand its claim to Guyana’s territorial waters given its oil discoveries!). It was not until the $(US) 18 million signing bonus was exposed by social critic Chris Ram and subsequent pressures from the PPPC opposition and civil society groups that the PSA was made available to the public after being kept in secrecy for over one year. The deviance continued. The PNCR-led coalition’s Minister of Finance had denied receiving the signing bonus. It was also revealed that the sum of $(US) 18 million was not paid into the Consolidated Fund, as required by FM&AA. The many dark spots in the Exxon contact have led to much uneasiness, apprehension, and speculation. Critics feel that enough and careful thought were not injected

into the negotiation process.

The Guyana team under the Minister of Natural Resources was overwhelmed by the Exxon negotiators who succeeded in delivering a lopsided contract. It is for this and other reasons that critics have been pressing hard for the re-negotiation of the Stabroek Block Exxon contract. They want to re-negotiate, among other things, an increase in the size of the signing bonus, an increase in the proportion of profit oil, strengthening the EIS (including insurance coverage and safety measures), removal of the generous tax concessions, and introducing ring fencing.

To justify their position, critics point to Suriname which gets 6.25% as royalty compared with 2% for Guyana. They also indicate that Guyana gets 14.5% profit oil, while Suriname gets 35.84%. Suriname got $(US) 100 million signing bonus for Block 58, while Guyana got only $(US) 18 million. In Suriname, the oil company pays 36% income tax compared with zero for Guyana.

Under EIS, they want better control of flaring and want Exxon to provide insurance to cover oil spills and other potential environmental disasters. Guyana pays Exxon Income tax while Suriname makes the oil company pay 36% income tax. Ring fencing was not included in the 2016

PSA contract. Simply stated, ring fencing is the procedure that allows companies to recover development costs only within a defined geographic ring, and not outside of it. Where there is no ring fencing, a company can utilize the profits from operation A to conduct exploration elsewhere and thus reducing the size of the profits at operation A. While acknowledging that the Exxon contract was lop-sided, the PPPC government is constrained in what it could do to mitigate the situation. The repercussions of any contract re-negotiation could be detrimental to the country’s credibility as a haven for investment. The Attorney General, Mr. Anil Nandlall, refers to the “inviolability” of international contracts and further concedes that any attempt at re-negotiation would undermine investors’ confidence, especially at a time when the country needs their capital and technology to fund the country’s massive development projects. Then, there is the “stability” clause in the contract that makes re-negotiation almost impossible.

Chris Ram notes: “What Trotman has done is that he has crippled succeeding Parliaments and generations by a stability clause which will take expensive and heavyweight legal action to (Continued on page 6)

Thursday February 10, 2022

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The VP and alleged bribe taking Admission to GPHC’s Post-graduate DEAR EDITOR, Guyana’s Vice President must be given the benefit of the doubt with his spirited denials relative to probing questions about bribe taking on his part (“Jagdeo denies taking bribes from Chinese companies” -Demerara Waves, and “Jagdeo rebuffs claim of bribe taking” both datelined February 8, 2022).

Since the Vice President struggles to come across as an honourable man, ethical leader, and principled citizen, I think those desirous of associating such with him, must be given freest rein to do so.

After all, he is due to the same standards as every citizen of this society, and it is how democracy works.

Why, the newest mystery in this leadership saga is of the accuser now denying; sounds like a very fine fella in parliament.

I think and write this, even as I appreciate that as a public figure-one with the most uneven profile, one that casts the longest (and darkest) shadow, one that can generate the greatest disputes as to the richness (not a pun) of his presence and character or the poverty of his principleshe must be held to a higher standard than us lower beings in the wash of Guyanese humanity.

The Vice President has denied taking bribes from Chinese companies, which on paper is a good thing.

But in the essences of such things, the real heart and substances of such public postures, the person making them must be of a certain moral sinew, a particular ethical wiring, or DNA if you will.

Mention his name in this country in certain contexts, and there are knowing nods, which are the paler versions of the more slashing expressions that flare from lips unsealed.

Frequently, there is this paradox, which is another Guyanese mystery: the resigned shrug and shake of shoulder, of palms upwards as if in prayer, are from his own people, diehard supporters and insiders.

Now they must know something; more than I know.

I know what I know, and I also know what I don’t know.

I know that Chinese companies have a well-earned

reputation in the global marketplace for conducting themselves cleverly, and transacting business along known time honoured lines.

Both of those defining features, shall I say, do not measure up to accepted standards of Western practices.

Or, to put differently, the leaders and authorized functionaries of Chinese companies know what it takes to get business done in Third World countries.

They do it.

Those corporate personnel are neither scouts nor saints, and they do not have any binding operating policies and principles that say some practices are off limits, not ever to be done.

Ethics and money laundering and bribe giving do not enjoy much pride of place or prosperity in elevated Chinese commercial circles.

If one wants a clearer picture of how this is delivered in the broader domain, I point to Chinese Communist leaders, and there is proof and pudding.

If they could get in the face of an Olympic reporter doing his job on live camera, it does not require much thinking to appreciate how far they will go under the cover of darkness, be it in the realms of politics or business.

As I consider and present this, I pause at that strange and worrying statement made by the Honorable Vice President (and he is that, if all we have is his word and selfanointing to go on).

According to the Demerara Waves article referenced, the Honorable Vice President is reported to have said that he met more American than Chinese companies “not because they are paying a bribe and they can be prosecuted globally”.

If I am reading and interpreting this right, my question

then is this: since more Americans are interfaced with because “they can be prosecuted globally” why do the big billions that this country has on its plate with companies that can’t be prosecuted globally?

Now, if Chinese companies fall into that suspicious and red flag category, I would not want to have any dealings with them; or companies from any other country for that matter.

Naturally, this raises a second question for the sometimes fuzzy, sometimes funny (not comical at all) Vice President: how come, sir, that Chinese companies are so much present here, and doing so much big business here?

Something is not adding up here; but not many things do in Guyana, which has its own brand of leadership mathematics, ethics, acrobatics.

To his credit, the Vice President did attest that ‘Guyana’s laws are compliant with global standards to fight financial crimes.’

On this one, there is a moment of rare agreement with the Vice President, a leader and a citizen for whom I have a peculiar kind of regard.

I am of the belief that he wouldn’t be too thrilled to hear more of it.

But, there is always a big but, where the Vice president is concerned, I put before him and all Guyana, something that my American friends (I think they still are) on Duke Street shared with me.

They agree about laws, which they helped configure.

They have serious concerns, those Americans, as to why nobody has been charged and successfully prosecuted, jailed, and even extradited, (Continued on page 6)

Programmes continues to be strictly and overseen by a di- graduate surgery programme, merit-based teria verse selection panel which and while the GPHC will not DEAR EDITOR The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s (GPHC) management wishes to emphatically reject the unsubstantiated and disparaging remarks made by the former Minister within the Ministry of Public Health and Honourable Member of Parliament, Dr. Karen Cummings in the National Budget Debate on Thursday February 3, 2022.

In Dr. Cummings’ statement, she alludes to “significant disparities along ethnic lines” within the surgical department and surgical training programme at the GPHC. We wish to clarify that the process for selection for all postgraduate programmes offered by the GPHC through the Institute for Health Science Education (IHSE) are solely merit based on admission cri-

comprises of esteemed personnel from various entities including the University of Guyana and international partners.

The IHSE boasts a competitive surgical programme with a rigorous application process that requires that the applicant satisfy multiple conditions prior to admission.

At no stage of this process is information related to the race of the applicant requested or considered by the IHSE or the GPHC. Further, the GPHC is committed to expeditiously investigate these allegations and hereby invite Dr. Cummings to provide us with the evidence she claims to have.

Since 2015, the IHSE has admitted a total of 33 successful applicants, including the last intake of six (6) applicants in May 2020 into its post-

engage in identification or presumption of race of any applicant, we are confident that the selection process was unprejudiced and remuneration continues to be guided by clearly documented Human Resource guidelines that are compliant with Public Service regulations. The GPHC prides itself in being a diverse team of an exceptional cadre of healthcare professionals who mirror the composition of our multicultural society. We urge Dr. Cummings, as a fellow healthcare professional, to refrain from repeating unsubstantiated claims and hearsay that can hurt the reputation of this institution. We continue to work in service of the nation’s health.

Regards, Chelauna Providence Strategic Planning and Communications Manager

Dr. Karen Cummings was wrong on several fronts DEAR EDITOR The Honourable Opposition Member of Parliament, Shadow Minister of Health, Dr. Karen Cummings, made a number of serious but absurd allegations and fictitious and damaging claims during her Budget 2022 presentation.

She noted that her party believes that the proposed location for the six new hospitals (Anna Regina, Region Two; Tuschen, Region Three; Diamond & Enmore, Region Four; Bath Settlement, Region Six; and No. 75 Village, Region Six) is being done based on voter population. Dr. Frank

Anthony, the Minister of Health, was quick on his feet to dunk her figment of a wild imagination and vociferously defended the Government’s decision for the proposed sites that were chosen based on the population size increase in the region and that people must have easy access to healthcare services.

Dr. Anthony elaborated on the additional facilities which would be equipped with their own CT scans, digital x-rays, ultra sound machines and modernized laboratories and that all

devices will be internet enabled. He explained that people should not have to travel from all parts of the country to come to Georgetown to get access to these services. He also highlighted that the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation has always been seen as the national referral hospital but sometimes be referred to as a regional hospital in the region. “We want to change that. We want to ensure that Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (Continued on page 6 )

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DR. JADOOPAT NOT A MEMBER OF must inform the pub- initiatives. The AFC is of the THE AFC sources lic of the government’s real view that these false

DEAR EDITOR, The Alliance for Change (AFC) refutes outrightly, the false assertion that Dr. Rudy Jadoopat was a member of the AFC. Perusals of the AFC’s records, both local and overseas, show that Dr. Jadoopat was never a member of the party in Guyana or in the North American Chapter. The Minister of Natural Re-

reason in replacing Dr. Jadoopatat this critical juncture of the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GYEITI) work. On the contrary, to the government assertions, Dr, Jadoopat is being replaced by a known PPP activist, Mr.PremMisir, who has no previous knowledge or background in anticorruption and transparency

claimsagainst Dr. Jadoopat are mere ‘red herrings’ which should be patently seen for what they are.

The MSG members and EITI International ought to condemn this political interference by the Government and see this replacement as a dilution of the independence of GYEITI. Alliance for Change

The VP and alleged bribe...

From page 5 under the PPPC (PNC, too) watch.

I sense grounds for denials on that one, too. To sum all this up, the Honourable Vice President took his stance, and for some unearthly reason, I am reminded of Custer’s Last Stand. This Vice News interest, Americanbased of all places, was neither accidental nor

random. The Americans are sending two messages. First, be warned that we know. And the second is that Chinese companies are getting too much, doing too much, and paying too much. Remember, it was America that cleared the way for return to power.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

Thursday February 10, 2022

Dr. Karen Cummings was...

From page 5 remains a National Referral Hospital and do the complicated cases,” he said.

As one published letter write noted, “As Guyanese, we need to widen our vistas beyond narrow political patronage.

Forward together, Guyana.”

Minister Gail Teixeira did say Guyana will not be taken backward by the PPP/C Government.

Dr. Karen Cummings also asserted in her speech that, “In addition, significant disparities along ethnic lines at the surgical departments at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and within the surgical training programs, needs to be addressed.

Hon. Member and Minister of Health, you know these folks tell me these things and I think this is the forum for me to tell you.

It has been alleged that young black doctors who are aspiring to be surgeons, are unlikely to get into surgical residency programs, not because of a lack of intellect but because they might not be of the right race.

To this end and to confront and remedy this issue, we are asking for a race disparity and remuneration audit into the admitting of residents, and the hiring of registrars be it junior and senior consultants. As the shadow Minister of Health, I am going somewhere, and I am telling it as it is.

I am feeling it is because of a certain section of populace.”

This claim has been vehemently refuted by the

Administration at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and its management categorically stated that, there is absolutely no foundation for any such aspersion on the dignity of the Hospital.

There is no discrimination practiced in any hiring process and, in addition, no group or people are singled out for any of its training programs are given priority over others.

This allegation is baseless and therefore, it must be seen to have ulterior motive to satisfy another political agenda at the expense of the GPHC, which is being used as a tool to achieve this motive.

This allegation is an attempt to malign the credibility of GPHC and to obstruct the smooth function of the organization in an effort to create a rift between management and staff.

As reported, the Hospital said, “We wish to clarify that the process for selection for all of the postgraduate programmes offered by the GPHC through the Institute for Health Science Education (IHSE) are solely merit based and overseen by a diverse selection panel which comprises of esteemed personnel from various entities including the University of Guyana and some international partners.”

The Hospital also “boasts a competitive surgical programme with a rigorous application process that requires that the applicant satisfy multiple requirements prior to admission.

At no stage of this

process is information related to the race of the applicant requested or considered by the IHSE or the GPHC.” Will Dr. Cummings provide the necessary proof to substantiate her allegations?

The Hospital invited her to comply. How interesting (amusing?) to learn that since 2015, the IHSE has admitted 33 successful applicants, including the last intake of 6 applicants in May 2020 into its post-graduate programme, it was a period when Dr. Cummings was a Minister in the Ministry of Health and then in Foreign Affairs, representing her Party which was in power.

Does the Honorable Member of Parliament have something to reveal? A guilty conscience speaks louder than words!

Guyana will not forget the March 5th, 2020 General Election embarrassing episode when, the very Dr. Karen Cummings, then Foreign Affairs Minister, visited GECOM’s Command Centre where she met with members of the International Observer Mission and issued a threat to revoke their accreditation.

The observers expressed their disappointment that she would sink to such levels, noting that, they would not allow the respective bodies they represent to be disrespected and asked that she take her leave. The then APNU/AFC Government had to apologise to the international observers to save their face, all because of her (power-drunk?) attitude.

Respectfully, Jai Lall

Future Petroleum...

From page 4 unshackle.” The PPPC government, however, has pledged to negotiate better terms and conditions for the future PSAs. And in respect to the 2016 PSA, the Government has been exploring avenues through administrative action (such as imposing a fee for flaring at a cost of $(US) 45 per tonne of carbon emitted until emission could reach zero) to enhance benefits, as well as to use other legal means to add to existing benefits. For example, through Local Content legislation all foreign investors must form joint partnerships with Guyanese so that the latter

owns 51% of the shares and employs 75 Guyanese as managerial staff. .

Judging from the public pronouncements, combined with the reasons cited before, re-negotiation is not likely to happen. What is perplexing is that opposition MP Mr. David Patterson has conveniently jumped onto the re-negotiation band wagon. For 5 years his PNCR-led government never considered re-negotiation. Is he trying to bait the PPPC into a tricky situation?

Why isn’t local content policy cast at the center of the political radar?

Regards Dr. Tara Singh

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BL TLUNT.. UNT...B BL Thursday February 10, 2022

Kaieteur News

From time immemorial we have embraced the maxim: practice makes perfect.

However, here in Guyana, it would seem, the maxim has been revised to: practice or not perfection will never be attained.

This is especially worrying when we take into consideration some of the poorly constructed roads across this country.

Many citizens have complained about this state of affairs but little is done to appease their concerns.

With a barrage of roads being built, we at this publication ask: Is this the legacy the PPP/C Government wishes to have?

With more vehicles flooding our roads, it is hoped that the 'visionaries' in office would see the need to improve the quality of our road network.

PAGE 07

Kaieteur News

PAGE 08

Thursday February 10, 2022

Speaker disallows scrutiny of GGMC, GFC despite Govt.’s oversight M

embers of the National Assembly were this year unable to pose any questions to the Minister with oversight for the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC).

This was the position adumbrated to the House by Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, who disallowed any questions on the Agency during the considerations of the Estimates for the Ministry of Natural Resources. This is since no money had been allocated for those government bodies.

Subject Minister, Vickram Bharrat was the first to object when questions were posed by his Shadow counterpart in the House,

Alliance for Change (AFC')s General Secretary, David Patterson.

According to Bharrat, there is no allocation in the Budget for the named a g e n c i e s a n d f u r t h e r, “…these agencies are statutory agencies and I don't believe we have ever discussed their budgetary allocations.”

Seeking guidance from the Speaker, since the named agencies did fall under the oversight of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the MPs were told, “these estimates consists of sums that we appropriate to be spent for works in the estimates. If there are agencies that are not drawing money from the consolidated fund, it's not going to be included here but I am sure there are other

opportunities.'

To this end, he suggested to members that there is the opportunity to pose the questions on the agencies to the Minister at the Economic Services Committee for example.

Despite the House being reminded of a previous position by the late Winston Murray, that zero did in fact have a value for budgetary purposes and as such scrutiny should be allowed, AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan reminded that the Ministry had oversight for those bodies and that the opposition scrutiny was being excluded.

Coalition Member of Parliament, Annette Ferguson attempted to ascertain, since the entity is not getting any money from

Correction: G$4B not US$4B In yesterday's edition of the Kaieteur News we reported that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has been given a US$4B subvention from government in

the 2022 Budget. Kaieteur News wishes to clarify that the amount allocated is G$4B and not US$4B. This publication apologises for any confusion or embarrassment this error caused.

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat the consolidated fund, whether the people of Guyana can be provided with the balance of payments for the entities at the end of last year.

This was refused by the Speaker, however, who explained at the time, that the question could not be put forward since the Committee of Supply scrutinises the allocation being requested in the 2022 budget.

Yet again, he reminded of

other opportunities to pose the questions to the Minister, and repeated that the Economic Services Committee is an appropriate forum.

The Members of the House were informed, nonetheless, of a $200M allocation for the completion of a National Forest Inventory Programme as well as a Mining Station to be constructed at Aranka.

Senior Minister within

the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, during his presentation of the Budget told the House that the forestry subsector is estimated to have expanded by 11.3 percent in 2021.

According to Dr. Singh, there was some level of recovery noted in the latter months of the year after the initial impact of the floods affected accessibility and declarations.

To this end, he disclosed that, “timber output grew from 344,179 cubic metres in 2020 to 383,189 cubic metres in 2021, reflecting strong demand as a result of the expansion in construction activity.”

Regarding gold, Dr. Singh said, “a turnaround is anticipated for the gold mining subsector, which is projected to grow by 12.2 percent in 2022 on account of higher expected declarations from one large operator, and the small and medium scale miners.”

Govt. yet to withdraw oil money - AG clarifies

A

lthough money from the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) is included in this year's Budget, the Attorney General (AG) has clarified that the funds have not yet been withdrawn from the oil account.

The response by the AG, Anil Nandlall, SC, comes on the heels of a report published by Kaieteur News on Monday, in which it was stated that the administration is now seeking Parliamentary approval for the funds that were withdrawn “illegally”, and included in this year's Budget.

This year some $126 billion from the oil account is expected to be included in

the Budget.

However, the AG and Minister of Legal Affairs has contended that “not a single cent has been withdrawn from the Natural Resource Fund” to date.

According to the Minister, “The Natural Resource Fund Act, 2021, No 19 of 2021 provides for withdrawal from the Natural Resource Fund in the manner set out in the First Schedule. The procedure for withdrawal is set out in Sections 16, 17 and 19 of the NRF Act.” He added, “Section 19 of the NRF Act mandates the Minister responsible for Finance to request the National Assembly to approve the withdrawal

from the Fund, and, permits the said withdrawal to be included in the annual Budget proposal for that year.

Importantly, Nandlall said, in accordance with Section 19 of the NRF Act, the sum which is to be withdrawn from the Fund for this fiscal year has been included in the annual budget proposal.

When it comes to the Motion that was submitted to the National Assembly seeking approval for the withdrawal, the Minister explained that the Motion is yet to be considered.

He assured that only after approval of that Motion will the monies be withdrawn from the Fund.

Thursday February 10, 2022

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

Did Burnham err in nationalising the sugar industry?

Did Forbes Burnham err when he nationalised the commanding heights of the economy and removed foreign involvement from the local financial sector?

If Forbes Burnham erred, it means that the socialist experiment pursued by the PNC was ill-conceived.

The fundamental basis of the socialist experiment was both national ownership and control of the main pillars of the Guyanese economy, namely sugar and bauxite. If it was an error to nationalise, then the socialist experiment was a colossal mistake.

The PPP has never accused Burnham of making an error by nationalising the commanding heights of the economy.

The PPP supported those policies and had it not been cheated out of office would have most likely also nationalised the bauxite and sugar industries which at the time were owned and controlled by foreign multinationals.

The PPP offered critical support to the PNC because of the PNC’s decision to nationalise and its accompanying anti-imperialist postures at the time.

What the PPP has always contended was that the PNC mismanaged the nationalised industries, resulting in inefficiency and the loss of export markets at a time when, had it enjoyed the benefits of increased exports, Guyana would never have found itself in the situation it found itself.

In making a decision as to whether Guyana should have nationalised the commanding heights of the economy, Forbes Burnham must have considered the ability of locals to manage the industries.

Did Guyana, at the time, have the capacity to manage the industries?

Was it a blunder by Forbes Burnham to have concluded that we did when we

did not?Forbes Burnham was never in doubt as to the ability of Guyanese to become masters of their own destiny.

He believed that the commanding heights of the economy should and could have been wrested from the hands of foreigners.

He believed not just in ownership of the bauxite and sugar industries but in keeping with nationalism that if independence was to have any meaning, then locals had to occupy the upper rungs of the managerial chain.

Ownership of the commanding sectors of the economy had to be complemented by the Guyanese managing these enterprises.

Burnham believed this and died believing this.

He cannot ever be described as a visionary if he was wrong on this score because this was the main plank of his economic policies and his political beliefs.

For him, Guyanese were not second to any other and he believed that locals had a right to own and control (manage) all aspects of national life.

This is why he did not restrict nationalisation to only sugar and bauxite but also extended it to the banks.

In the financial sector, Burnham pressured a number of foreign owned banks, including the Royal Bank of Canada and Barclays Banks International, to dispose of their shares to the State. Most did for $1.

As such, Burnham not only ensured national control of the productive sectors but also of the foreign-owned financial sector.

It should be noted that these banks, when nationalised, continued to make a healthy profits and add to national development.

There were locals who rose to top positions in those nationalised banks but some foreign management was also retained right into the 1980s.

Was it the foreign managers that ensured that these banks succeeded?

Not so at all, because over time local mangers took over and the formerly owned foreign banks continued to do well.

On the other hand, Forbes Burnham also established local banks.

These banks did not do well, not because of the absence of foreign management, but because of political considerations which affected their lending policies and which eventually led to these banks accumulating massive bad debts.

What this says is that the problem was never about Guyanese not being able to manage their own affairs.

The problem was political interference, which was greater in the indigenous banks than it was in the nationalised banks.

The managers of the latter enjoyed greater autonomy and were freer from political influences.

The problem therefore could never have been our inability to manage our own resources.

It was the implanting of political lackeys, by the PNC within state-enterprises, that was mainly responsible for the failure.

If today however, the PNC/R wishes to concede that Burnham erred when he nationalised the commanding heights of the economy, it should then ask itself whether in a globalised world, where the managerial demands are greater, Guyanese can effectively manage their own affairs, more so considering the very ambitious plans which are being laid by the PPP/C administration.

It is posited that if Burnham erred by underestimating the local capacity to manage the bauxite and sugar industries, then is it safe to say that Guyanese will be

Dem boys seh...

Who is Su?

Dem boys know dat when somebody tell yuh dat yuh ‘su-su’ pun dem, it does mean yuh talk dem name.

Well nuff talk-name tekkin place, or at least suh it being alleged.

One foreign reporter talk how a man name Su bin susu. Well if dat is not true, den Su gan sue de reporter.

But if is true den Su might end up getting sue.

In de meantime everybody want know who is dis man dem called Su and whether indeed he did ‘susu’.

Right now de slightest thing and people suing.

Deh gat one lawyer who does be combing de newspaper everyday fuh find grounds fuh sue de newspaper.

De lawyer tekking case to de client instead of de other way around. One time dem boys sue de airlines fuh losing dem luggage.

Dem boys lose de case.

But deh gat some people does sue airlines and win money, so much so dat it gat dem flying high fuh de rest ah dem life.

A man turn up at a legal firm fuh a job interview.

De firm human resource manager ask he, if he think he honest.

De job seeker say, “Let me tell you how honest I am.

I borrowed $50,000 from my father for my university education and I paid him back every cent after my first case.”

“Dat is impressive,” said de human resources manager. “But what case was dat?” “After he sued me for the money.”

Talk half. Leff half.

unable to manage the movement to a different economy, the foundations of which are being laid by the incumbent PPP/C administration.

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

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Thursday February 10, 2022

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Does Ms. Isabelle DeCaires know what sustains a functional democracy?

T

he daughter of David DeCaires, the founder of the Stabroek News recently wrote that Guyana is not a functional democracy. I wanted to give this article the caption, “Isabelle DeCaires shouts eureka, eureka.”

I thought it would not be appropriate for some people; not that I care who says it is not. I chose to change it because I think the present headline is a more curious one. But Ms. DeCaires did in fact exclaim, “eureka, eureka.” Why? Because, it is only after 2020 she discovered that Guyana is not a functional democracy.

When a government won

a general election by less than one percent, that country cannot be a functional democracy. I don't know where Ms. DeCaires was at the time in May 2015 but she certainly did not address that philosophical caricature. A country could not have been a functional democracy when it retrenched 7,000 sugar workers without financial compensation as required by law. The wider connection with family and relatives meant that 42,000 persons connected to the sugar industry were devastated. I didn't see the invocation of sympathy for these helpless people by Ms. DeCaires.

A country cannot be a functional democracy when its political leadership refuses to accept a legitimate no-confidence vote (NCV) and embarrassed Guyana in front of the world by asking the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to rule that in the Guyana Parliament of 65 MPs, a majority vote is 34 not 33. The CCJ ruled a majority of 65 is 33. I didn't read anything about this comical adventure from Ms.

DeCaires.

I don't know the area of scholarship to which of Ms. DeCaires belong but if it is political theory and comparative sociology, then she ought to know that a functional democracy does not emerge from the impulses and actions of the government or the state.

Democracy was an evolution process in which the government plays a part like the rest of society.

The 21st century bears a strong resemblance to ancient societies where class struggle determines if a country becomes a democracy or an oligarchy.

This is ironic and is bound to meet with skepticism with the response that the world has changed beyond recognition from ancient societies. It has not in terms of class dynamics.

In his 1966 magnum opus, “The Social Origins of D e m o c r a c y a n d Dictatorship,” Barrington Moore produced a stunning study of ancient societies of how class struggle shapes society (one of the best

scholarly books ever written). Moore's thesis is still relevant today. What has changed in the 21st century is form not substance.

Post-colonial Guyana can be studied by the application of class struggle and in using that methodology one can see why Guyana has not been a functional democracy since Independence. Whereas Moore made use of class structures to account for the birth of democracy, in Guyana the race problematic is the twin of the class methodology.

What has happened since the 1940s is that class and ethnicity have been the propelling forces that have stultified democracy in Guyana. From the time the Jaganite organisation won power in 1957, there have been ethnic and class forces that continue to reject Indian acquisition of power.

The 2021 onslaught from the non-Indian sections of Guyana plus the Creole middle class is a continuation of what happened to successive Jagan governments of 1957 and

1961, 1992 and t h e P P P administrations of 1997, 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2020.

The dramatic rejection of the Natural Frederick Kissoon Resource Fund Act (NRFA) is just one more catalyst for the subtle which sponsors repudiation of Indian control monthly symposia to educate of government. In 2022. The the population on vital furor seen against the NRFA challenges facing democracy will continue against all in Guyana.

Moray House has government policies. As I remarked to attorney Sase avoided any discussion of the Gunraj recently, the issue is NCV and the five months of not the NRFA or election rigging. It wasn't in the reform, it is about anti-Indian interest of Moray House to acknowledge that the NCV class confrontation.

Ms. DeCaires ought to and the election rigging were know that a functional dangerous threats to a democracy is sustained when functioning democracy. But civil society educates the no doubt we will see Moray population about moral H o u s e “ e d u c a t i n g ” values, political rights and Guyanese on the danger of philosophical foundations. the NRFA in weeks to come. I Civil society activism hope Ms. DeCaires herself preserved democracy. But in doesn't become a threat to Guyana civil society is anti- G u y a n a ' s f u n c t i o n i n g philosophy, anti-democracy democracy.

(The views expressed in and obsessed with displacing what they see as an Indian this article are those of the author and do not necessarily government. reflect the opinions of this Ms. DeCaires is in charge of Moray House in Guyana newspaper.)

Thursday February 10, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Kaieteur News

PAGE 12

Thursday February 10, 2022

Jagdeo accused of bribery, corruption after terminating contract with Chinese firm

Days after it was revealed that the contract between China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited (CSCEC) and Guyana, to build the $53.7B New Demerara River Bridge has been terminated, Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo has taken the spot light for allegations of massive corruption and bribery with the Chinese.

During a recent interview with the American news agency, Vice News, Jagdeo was asked whether he accepts bribes and specifically by Chinese companies seeking infrastructure and other development projects in Guyana.

In a stuttering response, the Vice President explained that the allegations were false.

The journalist asked, “What about in your government? Do you accept bribes?” Jagdeo said, “No I don't,” after which the reporter explained that after speaking with numerous Chinese sources, information is pointing to

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo being interviewed by the reporter from Vice News. “bribery” as the only way to get business done locally.

“We've spoken to a number of Chinese business people in Guyana who said that you do accept bribes. In fact, they said it's the only way to get business done…to bribe you. One Chinese businessman we talked to involving timber logging told us that basically, as long as the Vice President is okay with it, its fine. He just needs to get one phone call to whoever is in charge

and they'll get it done right away. The real big boss is the Vice President. Everything goes under the table.

The whole country is like this,” she said while quoting her source.

In response the VP said, “I can't comment on that” proffering that it was a mere anonymous person who made the allegations, which could have even been fabricated by the media group.

He went on to say that if

the source was named, it would have substantiated the allegation. The journalist then questioned Dr. Jagdeo about his relationship with a Chinese national named 'Su'.

The Vice President affirmed that he is a friend of the gentleman who happens to be his tenant.

“Su? Oh Su? My relationship? Nothing. He is a tenant in my place, yeah.

He is a friend of ours. His father was here from many years ago,” the VP fumbled.

The American reporter then went on to explain that Su said through his relationship with Dr. Jagdeo, he is able to get any deal done. “Su told us that if you want to get anything done in Guyana, you need some hookups. I'm very close friends with the Vice President and the other officials. The Vice President and I share a very close relationship. Also if we do the business, he'll help out no matter what…he's really treating us as close brothers.

He's already trying to help us as much as possible.

Of course I need to give back to him in return,” she said, while regurgitating what was reportedly said to her.

While Jagdeo said he is unaware of the “giving back” aspect, he said his business style extends to not only China, but any other company that approaches him to invest. “I help out as many people as I can.

That's totally accurate what you read there, unbelievably accurate. It's accurate. So I help people out but it doesn't mean for consideration. It does not mean for bribe because I

believe that we have a mission to help as many people as possible (to) move forward in this country,” the VP stated.

The reporter however, went on to point out to Dr. Jagdeo that the agency is in receipt of copies of contracts between Chinese companies and 'Su', whom she referred to as the “middle man”, that have been used to keep the VP's hands clean.

“Su has shown us very lucrative contracts between himself and Chinese staterun operations to develop big infrastructure projects in Guyana.

He told us that China State Construction Engineering Corporation helped the Chinese company to make a deal. Up to now they pay me $500,000…”

Again, Jagdeo declined to comment, saying that the allegations were false.

He then suggested that the Integrity Commission, which is yet to be installed should probe the allegations.

He said, “The best way to do this is not to have me investigated, but write the Integrity Commission.

The Integrity Commission should get all of this. They should be able to access what my assets are then see if I can't account for any of the assets.” On Tuesday evening, the Vice President hosted a press conference to convince the nation he is not corrupt or involved in the bribery allegations.

New DHB contract The Chinese company, China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited (CSCEC), which was listed as one of the

beneficiaries of underhand business with the VP, recently had a contract to build the four-land high span bridge across the Demerara River terminated.

During his interview, Jagdeo suspected, “Maybe the Chinese company that did not get their agreement that they wanted here, maybe they are the ones who told you, or, it could be just a fictitious thing.”

CSCEC was selected to construct the bridge since government found the company's bid to be the most impressive, during the procuring process. In fact, Cabinet gave its noobjection to the project back in November last year.

The Chinese company submitted the lowest bid, to the tune of US$256,638,289 under the Design-BuildFinance (DBF) model.

Nonetheless, it was only a few days ago that government concluded the company's bid was no longer favourable.

During the interview Jagdeo said, “we have just terminated the negotiations with them (CSCEC) because the cost of financing is too high.”

To this end, he signalled that the second lowest bidder would have been engaged. In October last year tenders were received from four companies for the construction of the new Bridge.

The firms were China Gezhouba Group Company Limited, which submitted two financial proposals of U S $ 3 8 7 , 5 6 6 , 11 6 a n d US$491,810,000, China Road and Bridge Corporation in joint venture with Peutes and Calzadas Infrastructuras SLU (China and Spain) which submitted bids US$340,698,473 and US$ 364,160,202, China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited which submitted a bid of US$256,638,289, and China Railway Construction Corporation International Limited who is in joint venture with China Railway Caribbean Company Limited; and China Railway Engineering Bureau Group Company Limited submitted three financial proposals of US$260,852,464, US$260,852,464 and US$300,000,000.

Thursday February 10, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 13

Photographer sues Guyanese Critic for $101M about “Mudwata” claims

Photographer, Keron Bruce, who was arrested for allegedly being the man behind the “Mudwata” character, has filed a lawsuit in excess of $100 million, against popular social c o m m e n t a t o r, M i k h a i l Rodrigues, popularly known as “Guyanese Critic”.

Last month, Bruce was arrested on allegations that he is “Mudwata”. It was reported that several pieces of electronic equipment were seized and the police were also able to acquire some voice messages and w h e n a n analysis/comparison was done, there was a match with the “ M u d w a t a ” commentary.

H o w e v e r, Bruce was later released on $100,000 bail p e n d i n g t h e investigation and he has not been criminally charged.

Through his lawyers, Anastasia Stanford and Tameika Clarke, Bruce filed a lawsuit against “Guyanese Critic.”According to the document seen by this publication, Bruce claims that on January 29, 2022, Rodrigues made several

Let me tell you, Keron Bruce, myself and another individual stood on Robb St. between Cummings Street and Orange Walk, on Robb Street and we had this discussion on this animated thing, and I told him Keron Bruce what I wanted to do. I told him I wanted to do Guyanese Critic.

Keron Bruce told me he wanted to do mud-wata and we agreed he would do YouTube & I would do Facebook & he would share my stuff & I would share his stuff.”

Bruce further The Mudwata claims that the aforementioned character. statement is false since he never engaged in a n y conversa t i o n w i t h t h e defendant neither did t h e defendant s present any evidence to (s the contrary. In fact it was ic) c stated that Rodrigues merely om e in made such a statement for and mudw a t a the sole purpose of doesn't have it. increasing views, followers, Keron Bruce doesn't reactions and his own have it, I got it. personal clout. false and defamatory statements on his Facebook live post via an account under the name, “Guyanese Critic” about the claimant. It was further stated that the post that was made attracted 761 comments, 933 reactions, 33,000 views and 91 shares.

It was stated that during the Facebook live, Rodrigues said, “Everybody is saying free mud- wata , well let me tell y ' all something w h e r e Ethnic

Mikhail Rodrigues, popularly known as “Guyanese Critic” Keron Bruce The photographer is alleging that Rodrigues further falsely claimed, “For those of who (sic) did not know and now know Keron Bruce is mud-wata.

They didn't get the wrong person. You tell them de Guyanese Critic sey (sic) Keron Bruce is mud-wata, cause he come out he self.”

The document states that Rodrigues, without any evidence to the contrary, falsely stated that the photographer was the “Mudwata” character, and at the point of filing the lawsuit

the photographer was never charged with or convicted of a crime.

The claimant alleges that Rodrigues made a further false accusation in relation to his job with the Miss World Organisation.

It was added that the allegations Rodrigues made about the claimant having sexual relationship with the models have caused irrevocable damage to his reputation and has subjected him to public ridicule, contempt, hatred and embarrassment and has also

brought his career into disrepute and caused him to be suspended from the Miss World Organisation.

To this end, it was noted that as a result of the false accusations that were made about the claimant, his 16year-old son is also suffering and is subject to ridicule by his peers and for the protection of himself and family he has hired a 24-hour security service. As a result, Bruce is seeking a declaration that the social media posts published (Continued on page 17)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Thursday February 10, 2022

Earnings from rice exports last year pegged at over $43B - Min. Mustapha

- industry projected to see 25% growth Despite the devastating economic effects of the unprecedented flooding last year and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international trade, Guyana's rice exports still secured over $42B in earnings for 2021.

Motivated by this creditable performance in the face of such odds, the PPP/C Government said a series of new and improved initiatives are planned for 2022 that would push industry growth upward by 25 percent.

Speaking to some of the plans outlined for this year, A g r i c u l t u r e M i n i s t e r, Zulfikar Mustapha said the primary focus will be on increased production and rebuilding the sector to improve profitability on a sustainable basis. Towards this end, he said plans are in the pipeline to plant 185,000 hectares that will produce 1,091,500 tonnes of paddy or 709,475 tonnes of rice.

Mustapha said there will also be increased attention to maintaining and expanding

the marketing and trade of rice and its by-products locally and internationally.

In this regard, Minister Mustapha said his ministry projects to export 86 percent of the rice production this year.

Further to this, the official said there will be increased research on new varieties and best practices together with quality seed production and mitigating losses due to pests and disease, certification of laboratories and mills will all contribute to this growth. By the autumn crop 2022, he said a new high-yielding candidate variety of paddy with excellent quality traits is expected to be identified and released in the autumn crop of 2024.

Minister Mustapha also recalled that in 2021, two new laboratories were established, the Value Added Laboratory and the soil Laboratory. For 2022, he said these laboratories will be equipped to make them functional in conducting soil analysis and research on rice

Rice harvesting in Guyana.

Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha base products. He said this work would be a critical layer to the increased research and innovation that is needed to boost yields.

Additionally, Minister Mustapha said an insectary will be constructed to facilitate study on the management of pests in the rice industry, especially the paddy bug, which limits the rice yield quantitatively and qualitatively, and causes the

greatest economic loss. He said this is a crucial initiative as the paddy bug led to major losses in the second crop for 2021, which is estimated to be over $600 Million.

Kaieteur News understands that the government will also invest $49.5 Million for the provision and installation of pre-cleaner and rehabilitation of a seed paddy facility at

Onverwaght in Region Five to increase seed paddy production from 9,000 to 50,000 bags per crop within the Mahaica Mahaicony Abary - Agricultural Development Authority benefitting thousands of rice farmers in that area.

Additionally, he noted that $20M has been set aside for the procurement of a seed dryer for Black Bush Polder which will benefit more than

600 rice farmers in the catchment area.

To ensure there is timely drying of paddy for over 200 farmers in Regions Two and Four as well, two drying floors will be constructed to complement the six such structures in Riverstown, Wakenaam, Cane Grove, De Hoop, Adventure and Lesbeholden.Turning his attention to an exciting (Continued on page 16)

CCTV footage helps cops nab Vendor killed two ‘choke and rob’ bandits during street fight With the aid of “clean footage” from surveillance cameras, police were able to positively identify and later arrest two 'choke and rob' bandits around 22:00Hrs on Tuesday.

Surveillance cameras captured the men working in sync to rob a 33-year-old businessman of Foulis, East Coast Demerara (ECD) earlier that day on Croal Street, Georgetown of a mere $700 and a cell phone worth $48,000.

The detained suspects, according to police, are two men – a 21-year-old and a 25-year-old – who were arrested at a house on David Street, Kitty, Georgetown.

Based on footage obtained, it appeared as though the men were trailing their victim and had planned to rob him.

As the businessman walked along the pavement, one of the suspects attacked him from opposite directions – one came from behind and the other approached from the front.

The one who was walking behind picked up the pace and suddenly

The suspects being transported to the police station moments after their arrest.

choked the unsuspecting businessman. Even as the bandit wrestled his victim to the ground, the other ran up to them and began searching the victim's pockets taking whatever he found. The

bandits then made good their escape on foot.

The footage of the robbery was handed over to police and was uploaded to various social media platforms. According to

police, the footage was of good quality and it did help them to identify the robbers.

After locating their whereabouts, police ranks were dispatched to arrest the men.

A street fight on Tuesday at Hardina Street, Georgetown ended with the death of a clothes vendor.

He has been identified as 40-year-old Aubrey Baird, a father of three, who resided at 22 E Hardina Street, Georgetown.

A 46-year-old man who has been accused of killing Baird has since been arrested by police.

Residents of the area told police that around 21:00hrs on Tuesday, they observed the suspect and the victim involved in a fight. The suspect was reportedly seen lashing Baird with a piece of wood. As they continued fighting they both ended up in a drain.

It was while fighting in the drain the suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed the clothes vendor twice to his chest.

After inflicting the wounds, he reportedly attempted to escape on a bicycle but the onlookers rushed behind him and managed to apprehend him.

They reportedly handed him over to police as the wounded Baird was rushed

Killed during a street fight, Aubrey Baird to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Unfortunately, when Baird arrived at the hospital doctors pronounced him dead.

The suspect, according to police, was also injured during the fight and was taken to the hospital too where he is currently admitted under police guard.

Thursday February 10, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 15

Dharamlall confident executing enlarged budget with reduced staff …as MPs haggle over packages paid to Advisors, Mayors, others Ye s t e r d a y, t h e 6 5 Members of the National Assembly met for a third consecutive day to continue its examination of the specific allocations in this year's $552.9B Budget with Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, informing the House that government is confident that despite the Ministry's enlarged Budget over the previous year and reduced staff, each of the programmes for which monies have been allocated will be executed.

A bone of contention which the members haggled about was the package paid to government MP Dharamkumar Seeraj, who is employed as a Ministerial Advisor.

Coalition Member of Parliament, Ganesh Mahipaul, in posing his enquiries suggested that the MP was in fact being handed some $1.5M as a salary, inclusive of other benefits.

To this end, the Minister was vehement in his position of not disclosing a figure save to say that the individual was being paid on the GS14 pay scale and that the advisor was in fact being paid far less than what the ousted coalition had been paying its advisors and other political employees.

Recognising that Mahipaul was a “causality” of one of the programmes in the Ministry—since he was terminated as Community Development Officer (CDO) within the Ministry during the more than five years that the coalition administration had been in office—Minister Dharamlall said that he is yet to see any work completed by the member during his tenure with the Ministry.

The MPs having resolved into a Committee of Supply commenced the proceedings by scrutinising a $363.8M current allocation for the Ministry's Policy Development and Administration department which had seen an increase for salaries to be paid despite a reduction in the staffing complement.

FULL DISCLOSURE In providing his response to the House however, Minister Dharamlall was adamant that there are former advisors, currently opposition MPs, including

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall Devin Sears, Jermaine Figueira, who he said had been earning hundreds of thousands of dollars from the coffers with nothing to show for it.

“I have not seen any I's dotted by any of these advisors that APNU (A partnership for National Unity) had in their government,” Minister Dharamlall insisted, adding that “I have not seen Mahipaul one day report what he has done and what he intended to do during the five years he worked there; there must be full disclosure.”

Adamant, “this is serious business,” the Minister said that the former advisor to the previous Minister had been earning far more than the successor and further, it was his prerogative as Minister to employ MP Seeraj as his advisor—an advisor who, he said, is doing a fantastic job in promoting the work of the Ministry.

Referencing the pay scale GS14 identified by the Minister as the salary paid to Seeraj, Mahipaul was quick to point out that there is an upper and lower cap for this scale and further there are other benefits included for which the House was not being provided with answers.

Addressing the current expenditure allocated for spending under the Programme Head of Regional Development, the matter of staffing and emoluments was again a matter of contention.

This time around, Mahipaul sought to ascertain whether the documented decrease in the staffing complemented the fact that there was an increased Budget. Minister Dharamlall

responded in the affirmative stating, “we have a philosophy in government that a bloated government is not a solution to our problems; employing people very wildly would not resolve the problem but it's how we manage the resources that we have.”

Conceding, “we have a massive budget,” the Minister was adamant “I believe there is enough competence in the Ministry and they will be able to engage in all of the resources covered under this

programme.”

AMAZED Pressed again on the capacity of the Ministry, given the noted reduction in staff compliment under other programme heads that would have seen increased allocations, Mahipaul queried whether there was also a reduction in technical staffers.

According to Minister D h a r a m l a l l h o w e v e r, “Mahipaul is one of the casualties of one of the programmes and I think that is what is hurting Mahipaul.”

Opposition MP, Ganesh Mahipaul To this end, he sought to explain that the increased catered for, among other things, the increase in salaries paid to public servants.

He was adamant too, his Ministry's staff “is extremely competent because they are the ones who put the budget

together and I believe and they believe that they are going to be able to execute this budget.”

Notably during the consideration of this programme head, the Minister sarcastically dismissed a question posed (Continued on page 17)

PAGE 16

Kaieteur News

Speaker disallows scrutiny...

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From page 8 man, he claimed, told him that he was leaving.

The husband said that after the man left he returned to bed.

According to him, it wasn't until around 06:30hrs, when he awoke and when downstairs, that he saw his wife hanging from the mango tree in their yard.

Investigators were notified of the discovery and they arrived soon after.

Crime scene experts noted that based on the position the woman's body was found in, it could be that she was murdered. One of the investigators who spoke with this media house said, “We are at

this time assuming that it could be murder since her feet was touching the ground.”

He explained that while not impossible, “it is extremely difficult to die from hanging if your feet are touching the ground.”

The investigators believe that it might be a case where Reuben was killed by someone who then decided to hang her remains on the mango tree, “just to make it look like if she committed suicide.” Meanwhile, investigators have tried to locate the man who had slept at the couple's home, but according to reports, he has disappeared. Investigations are ongoing.

Rice export earnings was...

From page 14 project to be launched this year, Minister Mustapha said citizens can look forward to seeing all the rice cultivation plots in Region Five being digitised. “This has never been done before. This technology will provide a more accurate representation of the acreage cultivated and a base for the monitoring and verification of rice production as it seeks to reduce future challenges and increase productivity. Real-time data will be generated and early advisory to farmers will be achieved, especially in the cases of disasters (floods and droughts),” the Minister explained. Further to his efforts to use agriculture technology in modernising the sector, Mustapha was pleased to anVACANCY Fitter Machinist,Welder fabricator,Mechanic,Apprentice & Male cleaner.Three year’s experience.Call:642-9823 or email: techserigy @yahoo .com.

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nounce that a T20 drone will be purchased in 2022. In this regard, he noted that currently, manual spraying of plots is being carried out.

Mustapha said this proves to be costly since sourcing the service is often times a challenge.

Additionally, Mustapha said pesticides are applied unevenly across the fields during a manual process. With spraying done by drones, Mustapha said this provides more precise distribution of chemicals, is less costly and more likely to increase production yields.

Mustapha said, “These innovations and expenditures will certainly support the industry in achieving its targets and goals. I have said before that this government has been working to ensure that the rice industry remains an economic pillar in the agriculture sector while providing Guyanese with the important staple in their diet.” He concluded, “In the short time, this government has been in office, we have been able to achieve that; imagine the possibilities for the next four years! The rice industry will continue to prosper given the initiatives we have outlined…”

Thursday February 10, 2022

‘Not so fast Jagdeo...

'From page 8 companies when they go to invest in oil countries, they go with their own money and take their own risks. Guyana allowed them to take all their billions on Liza 1, 2 and 3 and agree to pay back the loans with an interest rate that we don't even know…” Lall noted that the interest rate is another major issue that can be corrected before granting not only the 4th project but all future projects even as he questioned, “Is Jagdeo ready to do this?”

Touching on another vexing issue, Lall pointed out that Government should seek to change the two-year time limit for Guyana to audit Exxon's expenses - something which came into sharp focus when this country last year missed the deadline to conduct cost audits.

This will allow ExxonMobil's subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), to recover all stated costs for its Liza Phase One and Two Projects.

Both projects total approximately US$9.5B. Given the nation's capacity deficiencies, international transparency bodies have strongly contended that the two-year deadline the government has accepted, along with the fact that it can only do one audit per year, is not sufficient.

They have stressed that the timeline should be extended.

Specifically making this point is Oxfam America. It has made this perspective known since 2015 alongside the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Oxfam America, a confederation of 20 charitable organisations which seek to fight poor governance of extractive wealth, has said that the expiration periods for audit rights are set out in petroleum contracts and tax laws.

It stressed, however, that these deadlines differ from

one country to the next.

It noted that in Ghana and Kenya for example, the authorities there retain the right to complete auditing companies within seven years.

In Peru, the time limit for audits is a minimum of four years.

Even in the USA, the transparency body highlighted that audits are allowed to be completed within a minimum of three years.

Oxfam warned however that even a three-year deadline is not advisable for developing countries such as Guyana, given the limited financial and human resources that are likely to delay the audit process.

Further, the organisation said it is equally important to keep an eye on record-keeping provisions in the petroleum contracts and tax laws.

It said, “Oil companies should be required to keep all their records in-country for easy access by the auditors during the audit period.

But once that period expires, it becomes very costly to access records and therefore practically impossible to audit them…”

Oxfam warned that Guyana needs to take the auditing timeline for these costs as a matter of grave concern as it could cost the nation billions more.

To this end, Lall said if done right, the 4th oil project – Yellowtail can give every adult Guyanese a brand new car, a house and land, triple public servants salary and also triple the minimum wage in this country.

He said it is time citizens make their voices heard on these issues and push their government to demand more from the oil companies operating.

“You have to take a stand, we all have to take a stand because unless we do so we will remain paupers in a country teeming with wealth…” the newspaper publisher said.

Thursday February 10, 2022

PAGE 17

Kaieteur News

Dharamlall confident executing enlarged budget...

From page 15

by Opposition MP Nina FloBess, who sought a disaggregation of a $2.6M allocation under a line item 'other.'

To this end, Minster Dharamlall—true to form— responded, “…we have a multi-billion dollar budget and a member is asking about $2.6M; imagine that, like seriously, I am amazed.”

He, nonetheless, informed the House that the money would be used for notices, advertisements, radio programmes, signage, markings, work study stipends and other payments.

During the examinations of the $1.3B allocation in the Estimates for the Ministry's Local Government Development Department, the House heard of a likely slush fund being used by the Ministry and that at least one Deputy Mayor had not been paid for about seven months.

Mahipaul told the MPs that the Mahdia Deputy Mayor had not receive a stipend for some seven months now to which the Minister

told the House it was the first he had heard of the matter.

He further contended that the Georgetown Mayor, Ubraj Narine, had complained of the same thing only to find out that he did not actually collect it.

Some $290M has been allocated in this year's Budget to pay the 20 Mayors and Deputy Mayors, Regional Chairpersons, Overseers and others.

SLUSH FUND When it was pointed out to the Minster however, that the salaries identified could not account for the total allocation, he told the House he was unable to provide specific information on what the remainder of the allocation would be spent on.

This led MP Mahipaul to impute that he had possibly identified a slush fund for the Ministry.

A position vehemently denied by Minister Dharamlall who was adamant “this is not a slush fund, it caters for other expenses, many of which

will be announced to the public in the very near future.”

Pressed for additional details, Minister Dharamlall told the House, “ …there are some proposals that would be announced in the very near future.”

He was adamant however, that the initiatives will redound to the benefit of the councillors across the country but without the specificity, Mahipaul posited, “I think I just found a slush fund.”

The House learnt too that this year, the government has allocated some $650M to cater for the management of the Haags Bosch Landfill at Eccles East Bank Demerara (EBD)—a site which capacity is currently being depleted exponentially by ExxonMobil Guyana.

On the matter of the $165M allocation for the Local Government Commission, Mahipaul in posing his question expressed the belief that there would have been a breakdown of the allocations as is the case with Constitutional Agencies.

Minister Dharamlall was

adamant however that the Local Government Commission is not a Constitutional Agency.

He, nonetheless, informed the House that the pay scales for Commissioners range from $232,000 to $696,000 before going on to read each of the allocations

for the Commission.

When he was completed, the Speaker of the House informed the MPs that the time allocated for the considerations o f t h e c u r r e n t e x penditure for the Ministry was exhausted and had in fact gone over time.

To t h i s e n d , t h e a l locations were put to a vote which was unsurprisingly approved to be included for spending under the authority of the imminent passage of the Appropriations Act for t h i s y e a r.

Health Ministry records 3 more COVID-19 deaths The Ministry of Health yesterday reported three more COVID-19 fatalities. This time, the deaths are that of an 86-year-old woman from Region 10 along with two men – a72-year-old from Region Two and an 80-year-old from Region Three who died over a three-day period (February 7

to 9).

As a result of this, the country’s COVID-19 death toll has moved to 1,188.

Meanwhile, in its daily COVID-19 dashboard, the Ministry recorded 167 new infections, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 61,901.

The dashboard shows that 17 patients are admitted into the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit, 98 individuals are in institutional isolation, 3,289 are in home isolation and 25 are in institutional quarantine.

To date, a total of 57,309 people have recovered.

PAGE 18

Kaieteur News

Thursday February 10, 2022

Contractor bids $20M above engineers estimate to supply MMA-ADA with two excavators One of the four contractors vying for the Supply, Delivery and Testing of the of Two Super long reach Hydraulic excavators for the Mahaica-Mahaicony Abary/Agricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA), bid a total of Mahaica-Mahaicony Abary/Agricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA) Supply, Delivery and Testing of the Two Super long reach Hydraulic excavators

$20,505,000 million above the engineers estimate which initially was $68,000,000. Of the three remaining contractors, Farm Supplies Limited secured the lowest bid with $71,700,000 even though the figure is still above the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) The Supply and delivery of Fiber Optic Cables

engineers estimate.

Meanwhile, a lone company placed a bid of $11,160,000 for the Supply and delivery of Fibre Optic Cables for the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Ministry of Labour - Board of Industrial Training Procurement of Security Services

Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) Digitization of the beneficiary Selection Processes for Subsidies at the CH&PA

Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Supply and Delivery of High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Lot 1, 15 inch/381mm Dia, Lot 2 12 inch/305mm

MMA-ADA Supply, Delivery and Testing of one new Tractor

National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) Supply and Delivery of Shade Nets and Ultra Violet (UV) Plastic for NAREI

Supply and delivery of laboratory equipment for NAREI

Supply and delivery of six new All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV) for NAREI

Police suspect foul play after woman found hanging from tree Police suspect foul play after woman found hanging from tree East Bank Police believe that a woman, who was on Tuesday found hanging from a mango tree with her feet still on the ground at Yarrowkabra, SoesdykeLinden Highway, might have been murdered.

The dead woman has been identified as 48-yearold Edith Reuben. Police believe that the woman died between 00:30 and 06:30hrs Tuesday.

She was reportedly last seen alive around 00:30hrs drinking high wine with her husband and another man on her verandah. Police found too that the drinking session at her home had started on Monday evening, with other individuals included, but they had finished drinking and left.

Only Reuben, the man and her husband were left there and they had reportedly continued drinking.According to the woman's husband, at 00:30hrs he and the man decided to go and sleep.

Around 04:00hrs the husband recalled being awakened by the man. The man, he claimed, told him that he was leaving. The husband said that after the man left he returned to bed.

According to him, it wasn't until around 06:30hrs, when he awoke and when downstairs, that he saw his wife hanging from the mango tree in their yard.

Investigators were notified of the discovery and they arrived soon after.

Crime scene experts noted that based on the position the woman's body was found in, it could be that she was

murdered.

One of the investigators who spoke with this media house said, “We are at this time assuming that it could be murder since her feet was touching the ground.”

He explained that while not impossible, “it is extremely difficult to die from hanging if your feet are touching the ground.”

The investigators believe that it might be a case where Reuben was killed by someone who then decided to hang her remains on the mango tree, “just to make it look like if she committed suicide.”

M e a n w h i l e , investigators have tried to locate the man who had slept at the couple's home, but according to reports, he has disappeared.

Investigations are ongoing.

Kaieteur News

Thursday February 10, 2022

PAGE 19

Guyana pays more than $188M annually to rent building for UN office M

By Renay Sambach

ore than $188 million is spent annually by government to rent a building to accommodate the United Nations (UN) office in Guyana, which is located at 107-108 Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown.

The revelation was made on Tuesday in the National Assembly during the ongoing consideration of the 2022 estimates of revenue and expenditure. Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, was faced with several questions from the Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) David Patterson and Annette Ferguson.

The issue was brought up after MP Ferguson questioned the Minister on buildings that are currently being rented and the locations. In response Edghill said, “You would recall this is a matter that came up for public discourse and contention while we sat in the opposition benches.”

He then noted that it was the two Opposition MPs who signed a contract with, “a distinguished Guyanese gentleman for a rental of a house to facilitate the UN offices.” To this end the Public Works Minister stated t h a t “ e v e r y q u a r t e r, taxpayers of Guyana pay U S $ 2 3 5 , 5 7 6 (GYD$47,115,200) because of the said contract.”

“This is just one building and this is the quarterly rent, US$235,576, four times every year, at the exchange

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill.

The front of the building which cost taxpayers' more than $188M yearly to rent.

An image of a milling machine. rate of G$200,” he added.

After expressing his dissatisfaction with the contract that the PPP administration inherited from the APNU+AFC, he disclosed that even if the government wants to terminate the contract with the owner of the building, due to the contractual

agreement the previous administration signed onto, the government would have to pay the owner $188,460,800, which is equivalent to one year in rent.

The Minister added that the Government of Guyana (GoG), as a State party, has a responsibility to host UN

agencies in Guyana. He highlighted that these agencies were first hosted at different locations.

However, according to him, that was later changed and now the government is paying more for less.

Opposition MP Patterson then took the floor to question if Minister Edghill

was aware that the UN is the one that selected the building through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“Mr. Speaker, I am not aware of that, but what I am aware of, is that if we had invested US$5 million which is G$1 billion that we have already paid to the owner of the building, we would have had a facility which we would have hosted the UN offices comfortably on a plot of land that would have been owned by the state,” Edghill responded.

To this end, he stated that if the government continues to pay the rental fee for the building for 10 years it would cost an additional G$2 billion.

He posited that while the UN would list the criteria

that they are looking for, the State has the responsibility to select the building in the context of what the State can afford.

Edghill went on to express his appreciation to the UN agencies that are working in Guyana and noted that the government will work assiduously to ensure that they are properly housed in an energy efficient, cost effective facility where they can all be comfortable.

Moreover, during his presentation, Minister Edghill noted that his Ministry will be purchasing a milling machine to advance its work since it has been renting one from the private sector for $2,400 per square foot.

PAGE 20

Kaieteur News

Thursday February 10, 2022

Thursday February 10, 2022

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

Senegal awards $87,000, land to Cup of Nations-winning squad DAKAR, Senegal (AFP) — Senegal’s President Macky Sall awarded the national football team cash prizes and plots of land on Tuesday, AFP reporters said, following the squad’s weekend victory in the African Cup of Nations. In a ceremony in the presidential palace in the capital Dakar, he also appointed team members to the West African country’s prestigious Order of the Lion, as thousands of fans cheered outside the gates.

“By your vital force and your creative genius, you have reversed the course of history,” the president said, standing on a podium beside the Cup of Nations trophy.

“We dreamed of the cup, you built this dream and you made it come true,” he added. Led

by Liverpool star Sadio Mane, Senegal overcame Mohamed Salah’s Egypt 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out in Sunday’s final in Cameroon.

The game had finished goalless after extra time. The victory marked Senegal’s first success after over fifty years of fielding teams in the tournament — and sparked jubilant celebrations across Dakar on Sunday. Hundreds of thousands of ecstatic fans also flooded the streets of the city of three million people on Monday — which the government had declared a public holiday — to greet the

team as it returned from Cameroon.

Three people lost their lives during the massive celebrations, Sall said. On Tuesday, he announced a prize of the equivalent of some $87,000 for each team member, as well as a 200 square-metre (2,100 square-foot) plot of land in Dakar, and a 500 square-metre (5,400 squarefoot) plot in the nearby city of Diamniadio. “There are no words to express you to our pride, our joy and our gratitude,” Sall said.

The president also urged Senegal Coach Aliou Cisse to lead his team to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup to be held in Qatar.

Thursday February 10, 2022 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) News could come your way, perhaps through local magazines or newspapers, about possible renovations occurring in your community.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) If you've been striving for success in the field of writing, speaking, or publishing, Taurus, you have the chance for a real breakthrough today.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Success and good fortune might be in the wind for you today, Gemini. Whatever it is will probably have you feeling especially elated and satisfied with your accomplishments.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Successes have been coming your way continually for a while, Cancer. The downside is that excessive celebrating and overindulging in food and drink could have you feeling physically out of sorts today.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Upheavals within a group with which you're affiliated, perhaps professionally, might cause you to alter your goals slightly, Leo. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) A number of people in interesting fields, such as law, education, or writing and publishing, could cross your path today, Virgo.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) A chance to take a long journey, perhaps to a distant state or foreign country, could suddenly present itself to you today, Libra.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Some traumas, phobias, or hang-ups from the past that have been limiting you in some way could suddenly come to the surface today, Scorpio.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Romantic novels and movies might have caused you to feel especially passionate and sensual.

Today you long to schedule a romantic evening alone with a love partner, Sagittarius.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Although you may have been feeling somewhat out of sorts for the past few days, Capricorn, today you could feel as if you just got a new lease on life.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Today you're likely to be longing for a little break from your daily routine, Aquarius, and for an evening alone with a love partner.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Some welcome visitors from far away could come to see you today and cause temporary chaos in your home.

You'll be glad to see them, however, Pisces, as they'll have some great news and fascinating information.

Macky Sall, President of Senegal

Figure skating -Russian gold...

From page 22 the news broke.

Russian athletes are competing in Beijing as representatives of the ROC rather than

their home nation due to doping sanctions.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), as part of a policy change last year, re-

duced its bans for recreational drugs so that athletes who test positive out of competition would be banned for one to three months instead of two years.

According to WADA, for a substance to be on its prohibited list it must meet any two of the following criteria: performance enhancement, danger to an athlete’s health, and a violation of the spirit of sport.

Calls to remove marijuana from WADA’s list of in-competition banned substances have become more frequent, and many athletes and experts have openly advocated for legalisation.

Gayle, Bravo...

From page 22 total after opener Collin Ingram put on a brilliant 90 from 49. Bravo, however, continued to feature prominently throughout the match, claiming a catch at long-on off Najmul Hossain Shanto to dismiss Ingram and ending the late innings resistance of Mosaddek Hossain, who had 34 from 21, in the final over.

Bravo successfully defended 24 for the last over.

The win was the 6th for Barishal who top the table with 13 points.

Seeraj Bhimsain...

From page 24 competitions. He expressed gratitude to the sponsor and said he is pleased the youths will be given an opportunity to hone their skills.

Bhimsain, who plays softball cricket for Wellman Masters, said he is happy to support the youths in the area and added he is looking forward to a successful tournament.

The teams will play each other once, before the top two face-off in the final. The MVP, best batsman and nest bowler as well as man-of-the-match in the final will be rewarded.

PAGE 22

Thursday February 10, 2022

Kaieteur News

Figure skating -Russian gold on hold amid reports of positive drug test BEIJING, (Reuters) - The Russian figure skaters who won the team event at the Beijing Olympics on Monday have still not received their gold medals with media reports yesterday saying one had returned a positive drug test.

The International Olympic Committee, International Skating Union, Russian Olympic Committee and international agency in charge of drugs testing during the Games declined to comment on the reports in USA Today and The Guardian.

It was not clear in the media reports when the positive result occurred and what substance was traced. Under Olympic rules, performanceenhancing drugs attract a different penalty to those for recreational use.

The medal ceremony was postponed on Monday after the Russian team’s victory and had still not taken place.

The United States took silver and Japan bronze in the competition.

Earlier yesterday, the IOC said “legal consultations” had forced the postponement of the medals ceremony, but said it would go ahead even-

Kamila Valieva of the Russian Olympic Committee after winning gold during the flower ceremony.

(REUTERS/ Aleksandra Szmigiel)

tually.

“A situation arose at short notice that requires legal consultation,” IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said.

“You can bet your bottom dollar we are doing everything that this situation can be resolved as soon as possible. I cannot give you any more details but we will do our utmost.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said they would wait for official statements before commenting on the matter.

Kamila Valieva, the 15year-old who landed the first quadruple jumps by a woman

in Olympic competition, was one of four ROC athletes who did not appear at their practice sessions yesterday.

Pairs dancers Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov, and Mark Kondratiuk, also missed their sessions.

Ice dance pair Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov, who were also on the winning team, showed up at practice.

No Russian ice dancers, however, trained at a session slotted for them at a practice rink near Beijing’s Capital Indoor Stadium last night after (Continued on page 21)

Thursday February 10, 2022

Kaieteur News

STR Wood Inc National Online Blitz C’ships…

Meusa cops National Chess title, Kandavel crowned Junior Champion

Chess Master, Wendell Meusa, was crowned the new National Online Blitz Champion after playing nine rounds undefeated in the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) organised STR Wood Inc National Blitz Tournament.

The former national champion carted off with the top prize of $40,000, while Irshad Mohamed finished second with 8 points, and earned $25,000 for his effort which saw him conceding only one match to the Meusa. Finishing third was Ronuel Greenidge with 7 points who had to settle for the $15,000 prize. The chess championship was held on www.tornelo.com Saturday last and saw 9 rounds of fierce competition amongst junior and senior players. In the 5th round, Meusa was challenged by Mohamed; as the opening was a clear indicator of both players’ experience, but Meusa lead the game towards a favourable position and an unfortunate trade left stark weaknesses in Mohamed’s structure. With that, Meusa confidently led the match towards the endgame where he traded his queen for Mohamed’s two rooks. On the verge of the final checkmate, Meusa made a fatal mistake which Mohamed took advantage of.

The weight of the match completely shifted in Mohamed’s favour. In a panicked frenzy, Mohamed attempted to convert his advantage into a victory, but his time had elapsed. Meusa walked away victoriously from one of the most entertaining games of the tournament. Former national champion Anthony Drayton was fourth after finishing on six points, while Frankie Farley finished fifth on 5.5 points. Reigning JunTejasvarun Kandavel is the new Junior Chess Champion

National Chess Champion Wendell Meusa

Jessica Callender was adjudged the Best Female Player

ior Champion, Keron Sandiford, was unable to retain his title despite losing to Tejasvarun Kandavel in the final round of the tournament.

This game ended up being the deciding factor for Sandiford would hold on to his title against the 11-year old, Kandavel. The juniors played the opening moves immaculately showing good preparation on both sides of the board. After 10 moves of the quiet opening had passed, chaos had erupted; Sandiford threatened Kandavel’s king, while Kandavel blew open the centre to attack his opponent’s King in centre field. One attack was more potent than the other as Kandavel, either through sheer luck or brilliance, played an incredible pawn and knight sacrifice stranding Sandiford’s king. Three moves later, Sandiford re-

signed, making way for Kandavel to be crowned the 2022 Junior Blitz Champion after a decisive 18 move victory. Kandavel ended the tournament on 5.5 points after defeating five of his opponents and drawing his match against, Jessica Callender who was adjudged the ‘Best Female Competitor. Callender finished the tournament on 5 points after winning four of her games and drawing two.

For their efforts, both Kandavel and Callender claimed trophies and the cash prize of $20,000. The tournament was supervised by FIDE-arbiters John Lee and Anand Raghunauth. The GCF would like to express its gratitude to STR Wood Inc. for sponsoring the Championship. STR Wood Inc specializes in the harvesting and production all species of wood used in construction, bridge building, utility poles and the making furniture. STR Wood is an associate of STR Group.

The Group, through its associate companies, has been a proud sponsor of chess tournaments over the years, especially in the junior categories. STR graciously affirmed “that chess teaches planning and foresight, increases concentration and memory and helps a person develop problem solving skills, critical thinking and creativity. STR Group commits our continued support to the Guyana Chess Federation in its laudable efforts to make chess more accessible to all. We encourage other corporate sponsors to do the same.”

PAGE 23

Seeraj Bhimsain U19 40-over tournament set to commence on Saturday in Wakenaam The Wakenaam Cricket Committee/ Seeraj Bhimsain U19 40-over tournament is set to commence on Saturday.

In the opening fixture at Belle Plaine, host G Square Cavaliers will face Zeelandia/ Maria’s Pleasure.

Noitgedacht SC and Good Success/Sans Souci are the other teams in the competition.

WCC competition committee chairman Vickram Ramnarine said he is hoping to stage two games simultaneously the following week, but this will depend on the availability of grounds.

Ramnarine stated that this tournament will be used as preparation for upcoming inter county and other (Continued on page 21)

Seeraj Chimsain (left) andRamesh Sunich display the winning trophy.

PAGE 24

Thursday February 10, 2022

Kaieteur News

Krishna stars as India down West Indies to clinch ODI series

A

FP - Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna led India’s inspired bowling to outplay West Indies by 44 runs in the second one-day international and clinch the series yesterday.

West Indies faltered in their chase of 238 to be bowled out for 193 in 46 overs as India took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series in Ahmedabad.

Krishna returned careerbest figures of 4-12 and fellow pace bowler Shardul Thakur took two wickets as

India extended their successive ODI series win record over West Indies to 11.

Suryakumar Yadav’s 64 remained key as India posted 237 for nine, a total that looked below par but proved enough for the tourists who came into the match without injured skipper Kieron Pollard.

In reply, West Indies lost opener Brandon King for 18 and Darren Bravo for one with Krishna taking down both the batsmen in his first two overs.

Krishna struck again in his second spell to send back

Prasidh Krishna reacts after dismissing Brandon King • Feb 08, 2022 © BCCI

stand-in-skipper Nicholas Pooran, for nine, as West Indies slipped to 66-4.

Shamarh Brooks raised hopes of a fightback with a 41-run partnership with Akeil Hosein who attempted to keep up the chase after his partners’ departure in another gritty stand with Fabien Allen.

Odean Smith also gave India a scare with 20-ball 24 but Washington Sundar got him out and Krishna took the final wicket.

Earlier Yadav and KL Rahul, who made 49, put on 90 runs for the fourth wicket

after West Indies fast bowlers struck early to reduce India to 43-3.

Pace spearhead Kemar Roach drew first blood after getting skipper Rohit Sharma caught behind for five in the third over of the innings.

Pollard’s replacement Smith rattled the hosts with his double strike in one over to send back Rishabh Pant, who opened the batting, out for 18 and Kohli also walked back on 18.

Rahul, who survived a dropped catch on four by wicketkeeper Shai Hope off

KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav during their partnership • Feb 08, 2022 © BCCI

Roach, made use of the reprieve to rebuild the innings with Yadav.

But he fell short of his fifty after being run out while attempting a second run with Yadav.

Yadav, who made an unbeaten 34 in the previous match, went on to complete his second ODI fifty and surpassed his previous best of

53 in his sixth match since his debut last year.Yadav fell to Fabian Allen’s left-arm spin and the Indian middle and lower order stumbled apart from Deepak Hooda who hit 29 off 25 deliveries. Scores: India 237 for 9 (Suryakumar 64, Rahul 49, Smith 2-29) beat West Indies 193 (Brooks 44, Hosein 34, Prasidh 4-12) by 44 runs.

Gayle, Bravo combine to push Fortune Barishal past Sunrisers SportsMax - West Indies T20 star Chris Gayle stroked an unbeaten half-century and was backed up by stingy death bowling from Dwayne Bravo as Fortune Barishal eased to a 12-run win over Sylhet Sunrisers in the Bangladesh Premier League on Tuesday.

Gayle’s 51 from 45 balls provided the backbone for Fortune, who posted a formidable 199 for 4 after being sent in to bat. The team was off to a solid start after the big left-hander formed part of an opening stand with Munim Shahriar to put 72 on the board. The partnership was broken after Shahriar was bowled by Sohag Gazi for 51.

Wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan then joined Gayle at the crease but was dismissed after just four balls for 2.

Barishal captain Shakib Al Hasan then joined the West Indian to push the score along, adding 38 from just 19

balls before being caught off Alauddin Babu.

Towhid Hridoy added 10 before Bravo joined Gayle athe crease and added an unbeaten 34 off 13, as the two put on 42 for the last wicket.

In response, the Sunrisers made a game of the (Continued on page 21)

Kaieteur News

Thursday February 10, 2022

GCOS throws support behind Table Tennis

PAGE 25

Panthers remain undefeated in GRFU 10s League

Panthers' captain Rondel McArthur

Chelsea Edghill (left) and Joseph Ramkumar of Payless.

The Guyana Committee of Services (GCOS) on Monday made several donations to the sport of t a b l e t e n n i s .

The Committee, which has made it its business to lend a helping hand to several sport disciplines across the c o u n t r y, w a s c h i e f l y motivated by the electrifying competition over the weekend hosted by the G u y a n a Ta b l e Te n n i s Association (GTTA) at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH).“Our mandate is to support our sportsmen and women in Guyana and we've been doing little things here and there, but we know it means quite a lot,” Linden “Jumbie” Jones said on

behalf of the GCOS during the presentation.

The first donation was made to the Malteenoes Sports Club for their table tennis programme and was presented to National Coach I d i L e w i s .

Jones explained why the Committee opted for a cash donation, stating, “Many times, when you give stuff and you're not sure what is needed, you miss sometimes like that. So, we much prefer to finance whatever it is that t h e y n e e d .

“Thank you very much for your contribution to table tennis in Guyana and keep up your good work,” he said to Coach Lewis.The next donations were made to

individual players, which included Olympian and national women's champion Chelsea Edghill.

“We saw her perform yesterday and I was very impressed,” Jones said.

He continued as he made the presentation to Edghill, “We believe that showing appreciation and thanks goes a far way. Guyanese need to know that they're supported and loved by their fellow Guyanese and so we just decided that we want to show some love for you.”

Additionally, vouchers from the Payless Variety Store were handed over to Coach Lewis, in order to reward some of the younger, hardworking players.

Match summaries on Day 1 of Round 1 of the West Indies four-day first-class tournament

Windward Volcanoes hold on to post challenging score vs Guyana Harpy Eagles CWI - At Queen's Park Oval: Windward Islands Volcanoes chose to bat against Guyana Harpy Eagles and the Volcanoes rallied to 277-9 at the close.

Alick Athanaze 68, Devon Smith 52, Preston McSween 46 not out and Kerron Cottoy 34 set a good platform for their decent score. Bowling for the Guyana team, Gudakesh Motie 3-61, Keemo Paul 3-63 and Veerasammy Permaul 3-75 were the bowlers on target.

At Brian Lara Cricket Academy: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force trail Jamaica Scorpions by 43 runs with 7 wickets in hand.

Scorpions were held to

141 with Jermaine Blackwood 44, John Campbell 25 and Paul Palmer 24.

Bryan Charles bagged 648 and Jayden Seales 2-17 for the T&T Red Force.

The Red Force reached the close on 98-3 with Joshua

DaSilva 32 not out and Jason Mohammed scoring 22. Nicholson Gordon has so far taken 2-23 for the Scorpions.

At Kensington Oval: Barbados Pride trailed Leeward Islands Hurricanes by 145 runs with all 10 wickets in hand.

The Hurricanes made 172-9 declared with Devon Thomas 58, Kieran Powell 43 and Jahmar Hamilton 29.

Keon Harding 4-42 and Jonathan Carter 2-9 were the wicket-takers.

The Barbados Pride were 27-0 at the close of the day.

Play resumes today from 10:00am (9:00am Jamaica Time).

The Panthers Rugby Club remained undefeated after two rounds have been completed in the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) 10s League.

Over the weekend, inclement weather plagued the Rugby Playfield in the National Park but that did not stop the league's proceedings. An unsurprisingly wet pitch was not enough to impede the Rondel McArthur-led side's good start.

Panthers, faced the more experienced Caribs/Hornets combined outfit that was led by national 7's captain,

Jamal Angus, and prevailed 27 – 19 in the feature match on Saturday.

McArthur credited the team's victory to the younger players on the squad and being able to hold their composure while under pressure.

The Panthers were actually trailing for the majority of the encounter but being able to readily assess the situation and apply pressure in their own right made them secure late tries to prevail.

The skipper added that one of the club's major goals is to remain undefeated for

the entire year. According to McArthur, that determination also attributed to the win.

Meanwhile, in the clash of the lawmen, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and Guyana Defence Force (GDF) were apparently too evenly matched since the side battled to a 15-15 stalemate.

On Saturday the tournament continues with the third set of matches at the same venue as the combined unit faces the GPF and the GDF going head to head with the tournament leader, Panthers.

Prasidh Krishna shares a few words with Akeal Hosein • Feb 08, 2022 © BCCI

Krishna stars as India down West Indies to clinch ODI series t r o Sp STR Wood Inc National Online Blitz C'ships…

Meusa cops National Chess title, Kandavel crowned Junior Champion

National Chess Champion Wendell Meusa

Match summaries on Day 1 of Round 1 of the West Indies four-day first-class tournament

Windward Volcanoes hold on to post challenging score vs Guyana Harpy Eagles 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.