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AIETEUR NEWS

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Oil rich Nigeria, facing fuel scarcity

Friday Edition February 18, 2022 - Vol. 24 No.07 Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $80 readership yesterday, 99,913

'Exxon ducks from the media' ...as Energy Conference ends with no word on contract renegotiation, full coverage insurance

Guyana to build two large hydro power plants in coming years …Amaila Falls

- Winston Brassington

initiative now pegged at US$700M Citizens were out again in front of the Marriott’s Hotel protesting the lopsided ExxonMobil contract the Guyana Govt. signed back in 2016.

Give us a better deal! ...Civil society members join protest for renegotiation of ExxonMobil contract

Venezuelan woman charged for killing Guyanese partner

'Be wary of the oil consultants' ...OGCI Chairman, Bob Dudley tells Guyana some will bring good advice, others bring confusion

Our leaders are busy pimping out Guyana and its citizens to ExxonMobil on Kaieteur and the other oil players, and getting nothing in return.@11:00hrs Radio 99.1/99.5FM

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Kaieteur News

Friday February 18, 2022

Kaieteur News

Friday February 18, 2022

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'Exxon ducks from the media'

...as Energy Conference ends with no word on contract renegotiation, full coverage insurance

By Davina Bagot Guyanese across the length and breadth of the country, and even in the diaspora are still in the dark in relation to key issues, such as if Guyana will benefit from a better contract and if the US oil giant, ExxonMobil will provide full coverage insurance in the event of an oil spill, especially since major discoveries continue to be announced.

This, since the 'opendoor' sessions of the four day International Energy Conference on Thursday ended with ExxonMobil Guyana President, Alistair Routledge, evading burning questions pertinent to the local oil and gas sector. It must be noted that yesterday was the final day of public discussions at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown and wound up with a panel discussion between the Natural Resources Minister,

Vickram Bharrat and the ExxonMobil Guyana President. Although a question and answer segment was on the day's agenda, this critical component of the conference was skipped, as the host went straight into his vote of thanks, ending the session.

This newspaper however, at the end of the Conference, approached the Communications Director, Janelle Persaud attached to ExxonMobil, explaining that two major issues were unaddressed during the discussions.

Persaud responded that she was not sure she wanted her boss to speak with Kaieteur News. Nonetheless, when Routledge was approached with questions directly, he said that he has another engagement shortly.

The Exxon official was however later seen chatting in the lobby of the Hotel with a few gentlemen. This newspaper again approached

the Exxon Head with its questions but was prevented from doing so by the gentlemen who had formed a human barrier, insisting that Routledge was not taking any questions.

During the panel discussions hosted only moments before, he spoke to the importance of Guyanese benefitting from the new found natural resources, while boldly saying that he looks forward to more oil discoveries offshore Guyana.

He told the conference,

ExxonMobil Guyana President, Alistair Routledge (right) and Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat wrapping up the public sessions of the four day International Energy Conference and Expo.

“Hopefully more discoveries would be a great start…not just in the Stabroek Block but as we've seen more recently announced by CGX, the progress there and so we're hopeful you know that not just in the blocks that ExxonMobil participates in, but for the good of the country we certainly are hopeful that we hear more positive news from the wells that CGX will drill and Repsol that would be fantastic news for us all to celebrate in a year's

time”.Meanwhile, Minister Bharrat boasted to the international delegation that his government has been managing the oil sector in a transparent manner, in keeping with its elections promise.

He said, “When we campaigned in 2020, we made a promise to the people of this country. We made a promise that we will manage the oil and gas sector in a transparent and accountable manner”. Even though both of the officials painted their

respective illusions to the international community that visited for the conference, citizens in Guyana continue to protest for not only a better oil deal, but also full coverage insurance among several others. Presently, Guyana is only benefitting from a meager two percent r o y a l t y, b a s e d o n t h e Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) that was signed under the former Coalition government. When it comes to insurance, (Continued on page 22)

Oil rich Nigeria, facing fuel scarcity A

frica News - Nigeria's state-run oil company said it had started a 24hour distribution of petrol to service stations to end a week-long scarcity that has caused traffic snarls in major cities.

The fuel shortage which started last week in the commercial city of Lagos and administrative capital Abuja has caused long queues with few petrol stations selling the product.

Transport fares have gone up in several cities, curtailing services and forcing some residents and

workers to walk long distances to their destinations.

Most homes in Nigeria also rely on petrol and diesel to power their generators as the public power supply is unreliable and prone to blackouts.

The state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) blamed the situation on importation of adulterated petrol by four oil marketers into the country.

The company said in a statement late Tuesday that measures, including around-theclock distribution to service

stations, had begun.

"In order to accelerate distribution across the country, we have commenced 24-hour operations at our depots and retail outlets."

The NNPC has also directed oil marketers, depot owners and service stations to begin 24 hours loading and dispensing activities in some of their designated outlets.

The NNPC said it had enough stock to end the shortage, while more supplies were expected by the end of February.

"As of today, NNPC has over

one billion litres of certified PMS (petrol) stock that is safe for use in vehicles and machineries," the company said.

"As part of NNPC's strategic restocking, over 2.3 billion litres of PMS (petrol) is scheduled for delivery between now and end of February 2022 which will restore sufficiency level above the national target of 30 days."

It said a monitoring team, comprising security agents, to ensure smooth distribution of fuel nationwide had been set up.

The company appealed to

Nigerians to avoid panic buying, adding that its measures would restore normalcy in a few days.

Nigeria, Africa's biggest crude producer, depends on fuel imports to meet local demand as its four refineries are either not working at all or operating below their installed capacity.

Petrol is sold below market rate in Nigeria as part of measures to make it affordable, but the IMF and the World Bank have advised the government to stop the so-called fuel subsidy scheme to free resources for development.

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Kaieteur News

Friday February 18, 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

Survival of the fittest

S

ome 160 years ago, Charles Darwin became a global name with his theory of natural selection, and its close relationship ‘survival of the fittest.’

Whether biology or cold, bloodless corporate life forms, there is pinpointed this culling effect, which leaves the weaker, slower, and less adaptable behind, and ensures a more streamlined strain of species leading the way forward.

As we think of this continuing pandemic called COVID19, it appears that some weeding out is occurring right before our eyes, as we read of numbers ballooning globally, and older, weaker people being felled by the hundreds of thousands.

On January 11th, we carried an article captioned “Robust immune system needed to combat Omicron Emergency Medicine Specialist.”

‘Robust’ and being in a position ‘to combat’ this virus, which in the old days they use to call a plague or pestilence, both seem to have shades of Darwinism about them. Because if a person’s immune system is less than robust, it does not look good. Or, to state differently, the chances of survival of the virus in general is severely compromised.

In the article referenced, Dr. Zulfikar Bux is the Emergency Medical Specialist, and he had this to say.

For persons to give themselves the best chance of survival, they must work hard to ensure that their immune systems are “in tip top shape and ready to battle.” We agree fully, and thank him for his expert advice, which is timely. On the other hand, we must be practical, since we recognize that there are challenges with what Dr. Bux places on the table.

A robust immune system means many things, and we will not get into the science of it. But in layman’s terms that it is of our bodies being ready to fight off and overcome whatever is thrown at it in the air, in the water we drink, in what we consume, and in the environment in which we function, with all of its pluses, and the minuses in different forms and from countless sources. We did say that we have some problems in this country, which we now must face.

We have a population in which too many have some serious health situations. In both young and old, there may be obesity, or hypertension (high blood pressure), or diabetes, or heart disease. Those so afflicted may be with one of these chronic diseases (minus obesity) or a toxic combination of all of them.

This is a recipe for serious individual trouble with wider implications. Guyanese who live with these conditions have difficulty and are going to continue to encounter heavy weather in addressing them. Meaning, if they are to get within striking distance of that place that Dr. Bux rightly calls a “robust immune system.”

In this society, some resist things as basic as a visit to the doctor to get some understanding of what their bill of health would relay to them, be it clean or otherwise. If and when they do discover that there are some issue(s), then there is that other reality of disciplining oneself to the practice of taking medicines to control whatever the condition is. As we should all know by now, at least the great majority of us, for compromised health systems to be repaired to some acceptable state, things have to occur in tandem. There is no one size fits all, or single source remedy that clears things up.

There must be what is today termed a healthy lifestyle.

That involves several key components, among which are healthy eating, a consistent level of exercise, and tremendous discipline with regard to such attractions as alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes. As a society, and culturally, we do not have a history of dealing well (or sensibly) with these so-called good things in life, which are really among the worst for us. The recent holidays put on public display our tendency and joy in overindulgence. We relish its many forms, which could be one reason for the alarming surge in virus numbers. All of these essentials must be considered, hard choices made, with the interest to work still harder to give ourselves a chance at obtaining a robust immune system, and a better chance at survival.

Knowing the local realities is important DEAR EDITOR, The Prime Minister of Barbados, the Honourable Mia Mottley, who is on the cusp of being recognised as the Caribbean foremost Statesperson waxed poetic, including salutations of Love for her fellow statespersons (Ali, Addo, Santoke and especially Jagdeo) as she addressed the Opening Ceremony of the International Energy Conference in Georgetown on Valentine’s Day. This came after her recent presentations at the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in March of 2021; the First AfricanCARICOM Summit in September of 2021; and the COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference in November of 2021; and her recent absolute landslide electoral victory in Barbados.

Much of what Prime Minister Mottley articulated at the aforementioned conferences brilliantly reflected the application of the South-South Cooperation, and the Centre and Periphery Dependency paradigms as analytical tools.

Unfortunately, she seemed unaware of or unprepared, by analogy, to apply the same methodology to the analysis

of the internal dynamics of Guyana. This is demonstrated in her statement that “there are even regional and local conflicts and disagreements and it is our duty to be able to smooth that over” (author’s emphasis). Such sentiments lead to the trivialisation of the nature of conflict in Guyana. Consequentially, Guyana’s internal antagonisms/conflicts are treated as minor or mere irritants and responded to nonchalantly; with a shrug of the shoulder; and the nonapplication of her, otherwise, profound analytical methodologies.

In her presentation at the Energy Conference Prime Minister Mottley posed the question: “Will the world make the same mistake of 1945 or will the world accept that equity (author’s emphasis) demands of us, conversations that allow those whose poverty has been cemented by centuries of extraction and exploitation by a few to catch up with those whose per capita income is multiple times that found in … others.

Or will the world just simply ignore the reality of the disparity and perpetuate the hypocrisy that regrettably has become too familiar with our

condition as people.” An analogous application of that statement would cause one to pause and pose the question as to whether the evolution of the Guyanese society does not mirror that inequitable development, starting with the attempt to enslave the Amerindians that crescendoed with the enslavement of people of African descent and the institutionalisation of disparity and inequity to the extent that a conversation is urgently required to redress that legacy. The United Nations by virtue of its declaration of a Decade for Peoples of African Descent has acknowledged this need. However, when this scenario was brought to Her Excellency’s attention, by the International Decade for Peoples of African Descent Assembly-Guyana, in the height of the 2020 election crisis, she was unresponsive and simply sought to “smooth that over” as a matter that merely required arithmetic rectification. May I hasten to apologise to Her Excellency, if by chance the CARICOM secretariat, through which an appeal was made to her good office, failed to transmit the SOS. Alas, there has been no conversa-

tion and the situation festers even as solutions are proffered for the analogous global situation, while there is political gamesmanship, in Guyana, in relation to the constitutionally required conversations. It is to Prime Minister Mottley’s credit that in Barbados, which is largely an ethnically homogeneous society, she has sought to provide for conversation, which signifies her commitment to Good Governance, inclusivity in this instance.

Although her party won all of the seats in the recent elections, she announced her “Government’s intention to reach out to the Opposition parties to appoint senators in the Upper House” although the result of the elections nullified what would normally be the entitlement of the opposition.

Speeches like those made at the Energy Conference if not cognisant of the local conditions and not aimed at addressing the local realities may well be classified as pitfalls in the form of ignorance, or hypocrisy as expressed by the Caribbean premier statesperson herself in relation to the posture of others.

Yours truly, Vincent Alexander

Let’s remember who we are today DEAR EDITOR, On 29th January, 2022, my wife, Gem MadhooNascimento, wrote deploring the mismanagement of the stage and sound at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) for a cultural performance presented by the Indian High Commission on the occasion ofthe 72ndRepublic Anniversary of India. On 2nd February, 2022, Mr. Vishnu Bisram wrote supporting the concerns she expressed, but went on to echo a long standing complaint against the fact that the NCC had been built under the administration of former President, Forbes Burnham, with Indian Immigration Funds, proposing that the monies be returned with interest to build “Indian Cultural Centres” in various parts of the country.

My wife responded to Mr. Bisram acknowledging that funds assigned for the repatriation of Indian Indentured Labour were, instead, used to build the National Cultural Centre. I repeat, the National Cultural Centre, to host CARIFESTA 1972 for the celebration of our Caribbean and national culture and identity.

My wife also acknowledged the need for the permanent and appropriate recognition of the origin of those funds at the Centre.

My wife, however, disagreed with Mr. Bisram’s proposal which urged that the

money be used purely for building Indian Cultural Centres across the country, making the very valid point that this would exacerbate an already racially divided country. She argued in preference fornational theatres being built in every region which would serve as the home for the celebration of all of our cultural heritages, both separately and collectively.

To my surprise and disappointment, Mr Bisram on 12th February, 2022, responded to my wife’s letter, published in the Kaieteur News, vigourously maintaining an argument that has long since proved to be false, that the National Cultural Centre is not used by Guyanese of Indian descent. May I remind him that the late great Lata Mangeshkar performed there in 1981 to a full house of Guyanese of Indian descent.

The National Cultural Centre has also hosted the annual Nritrageet for over 40 years (out of production now), as well as, Naya Zaman and many other shows attracting audiences of Guyanese of Indian descent.

More disturbing from a man of his intellect, while recognising that we are “a multicultural nation”, his words, he persisted to urge that we build theatres confined solely to the performance of our separate cultural heritages.He even goes on to

suggest that any merging of these cultures is tantamount to “cultural genocide”.

So, according to Mr. Bisram, our government must spend the people’s money building Indian, Cultural Centres, and by inference, African, Chinese, Portuguese and Amerindian Cultural Centres and, presumably, more theatres confined to the performance of our Guyanese culture, or maybe Mr. Bisram doesn’t recognise that the very essence of our Guyanese culture is, as indeed is our

cuisine and the sports we play, a synergy of all of our heritages.

If you consult a dictionary for the definition of culture,you’ll find that it is “the customs, ideas and social behaviour of a particular people or group”, in our case, the culture of the people of Guyana. By all means, let us continue to recognise where we came from but, much more importantly, who we are today.

Yours Sincerely, Kit Nascimento

Temporary Convenience DEAR EDITOR, It’s no secret that throughout Guyana, there’s availability of various electronics for house use. From the inception, many were grateful for the opportunity to have these conveniences to live a more convenient life. But slowly the invasion of inferior/used products started and the dishonesty started while the authorities allow the plague to overtake the country. Editor, as the electronics started to enter Guyana, most of them were popular brands and gradually the brands migrated from the shelves, only to be replaced by unrecognised brands, selling at the same price of the popular brands cost and does not seems to last long. In other countries, before a product is

allowed on the market, tests are conducted to ascertain its effectiveness/durability.

Based on the complaints of most products selling in Guyana, questions are being asked such as: How are they being allowed to sell here when they are not working for long and the stores are not selling with them with any guarantee? Amongst the items, some of the most defective products are computers, music system and television. Store owners are quick to blame the fluctuations of electricity as the major cause and consumers are left to solve the issues on their own.

Any technician could tell you that tv/music systems are the most popular and replacement (Continued on page 6)

Friday February 18, 2022

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Kaieteur News

Historic achievement unsettles The Sound of Unity – In One Guyana Narine and the government DEAR EDITOR, Note has been taken of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union’s (GAWU) continuous efforts at highlighting problems faced by workers who do not enjoy bargaining rights at their places of work. Whereas in keeping with trade principles such efforts are supported it is important to peel back the new veil of deception being pursued by the Union.

Seepaul Narine, who is President of GAWU and one of Labour’s representatives on the Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board (TURB) is actively engaging in undermining the constitutional right of workers to join a trade union of choice.

A case in point is the matter of the Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union (GB&GWU) which was granted recognition by the TURB to represent workers employed by Cyril Taxi Ser-

vice, which is contracted by the oil industry. The current TURB, of which Narine is a part, took a unanimous decision to terminate GB&GWU’s recognition. This is the first time in the history of the TURB a Recognition Agreement has been terminated.

The Trade Union Recognition Act makes provision for the altering of a bargaining unit but it grants no authority to the TURB to terminate Recognition Agreements.

Narine is fully aware of this yet he sat and sided with the other members of the Board to support the violation of the law and the transgressing of workers’ rights. As an aside, it is important for society to know that the three Labour representatives on the TURB are drawn from PPP/Caligned FITUG. The GB&GWU is the first union to acquire bargaining rights for workers in the Guyana oil and gas industry.

Evidently, this historic

achievement unsettles Narine and the government. Also, as the government moves to deny other trade unions the right to pursue the representation of workers, they are working hand in hand with designated companies to have GAWU enter business places, uninhibited, to organise workers into their fold. Society ought not to be fooled by GAWU’s new public relations stunt about how much they care about workers. The case of Cyril Taxi Service exposes the deception.

For whereas on one hand the Union attempts to present to the public a desire to protect non-unionised workers, on the other hand its leadership is actively partnering with the government to deny workers representation if GAWU or a union considered friendly to the PPP/C is not the workers preferred choice.

Lincoln Lewis General Secretary GB&GWU

Disagree with Freddie that African Rights Activists have betrayed supporters DEAR EDITOR, In recent columns (KN Feb. 17, 16, and earlier), Freddie Kissoon unfairly berated African rights activists for what he described as “their betrayal” in championing African causes but has not similarly castigated Indian rights activists for their failure to achieve goals or the PPP administration for betraying its supporters. During the coalition and past PNC administrations, Ministers of African origin championed their community. Which Minister of Indian origin under this PPP or all previous PPP or PNC administrations ever championed Indian culture?

African rights activists and the coalition have not betrayed their supporters.

The coalition maximised resources to supporters. The same can’t be said of PPP. African rights activists have captured the attention of all governments. The same can’t be said of Indian rights activists. African activists have made demands from successive governments and backed up these with credible threats or actions if they were not met. They have a lot of achievements to show for their advocacy whereas Indian rights activists have

nothing to show for their requests or demands. Their own government ignored or marginalised them.

The coalition doled out billions of dollars annually to African organisations to host cultural programs and to provide services to their communities. Past and present PPP governments hardly doled out funds to Indian organisations for programs. The coalition hired thousands of young Africans and utilised the services of African rights activists as advisors, consultants, and in high profile positions. The PPP terminated many of them.

How many Indian rights activists has PPP hired and how much funding, if any, has the PPP given to Indian organisations to promote Indian culture?

Freddie is reminded that it was the coalition that gave several million dollars to Indian groups to observe the 100th anniversary of end of Indian indentureship in 2017.

Indian organisations would be dishonest if they don’t recognise the generosity of

the coalition towards Indian culture. And it was the coalition that gave funding for celebration of Indian Arrival Day in 2016 thru 2019.

The PPP did not give funding to any Indian group to celebrate Indian Arrival Day. In fact, it is the PPP that refused to label the celebration Indian Arrival Day whereas the coalition recognised it for what it was.

It was PPP that marginalised Indian groups that sought to promote Indian culture.

Which government decimated the Guyana Indian Heritage Association (GIHA) for advocating Indian culture and other causes?

The coalition gave $1million annually to Swami school (SVN) on West Coast.

The PPP government never gave a donation to SVN or to the Swami school (Hindu College) at Cove and John.

President Granger annually graced SVN on invitation for graduation ceremonies.

Coalition government Ministers of African origin attended Indian events when (Continued on page 6)

DEAR EDITOR, For some the actual name is unspeakable. He can only be referred to as the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development – a position that is a substantive contradiction of his own behaviour in the National Assembly displaying explicitly a level of underdeveloped morality, albeit unpardonably condoned by an equally amoral ‘Speaker’.

It has been a most depressing experience for witnesses and listeners of all generations. One pauses to reflect on the too late and hesitant apology, and wonders whether he has since earned any forgiveness from his spouse, and other female relatives, not to mention children. Shame is the name of the game? But there were also objectionable performances which degraded ‘Parliamentarians’, then supporters (befuddled and disappointed) communities at large and, conceivably, others of a population exposed to foreign witnesses here and abroad; not to mention the debasement of respective leaderships.

Wherever seated the parties did not appear to understand that they were controverting one another not in an enclosed ‘National Assembly’, but out to the larger ‘assembly’ of citizens.

Unfortunately, the very articulate and climatic presentation by the Minister of Finance which lasted some two hours and thirteen minutes, compounded the exercise in the diminution of opposing individuals and party; insisting at the same time that he was prepared to step down at any time from his goliathic perch to relate to them, presumably in the spirit of ‘unity’

as manifestoed.

One can only wonder how much some of the old, and young, felt when this human being could persistently portray the last Opposition Leader as ‘cardboard’. That reference was but a relatively small proportion of the vitriolic attack on ‘fossils’ who could only indulge in ‘empty and vacuous theatrics’.

In the early component of a presentation under the heading of ‘Policy’, the Minister spent some time repetitiously bemoaning the: ·‘self-insulation’ of Harmon ·the David G Boats and Buses ·Burnham’s Linden ·‘Democratic Dividend’ ·‘Pipe Dreams’ and a remarkably superfluous reference to the National Cane Farming Committee enacted since 1965.

So that not enough time was given to the productivity of a budget which boasted, among other things, of the number of hospitals to be built – confused by a later announcement by the Minister of Health of the substantial migration of Nurses to other climes.

One admits that, however eloquent the presentation, it did not lift the overall standard surrounding the 2022 Budget debate, in the sense that there was more ‘gas’ than ‘oil’. So that it is conceivable that more persons were left ‘choking’ on the former than others would have been sliding on the latter. For certain, together our leaderships did not inspire the ‘Unity’ they have proffered, for they overlooked the fact that young and old pay more attention to how they behave than to what is said. With the prom-

ised ‘liberalisation of the ICT’ there would be more exposure of behaviours. The promised ‘listening Government’ will be ‘listened’ to in turn for accountability. The whole ‘theatre’ provided pause for reflection: that it is the reaction to the messenger that gives credibility, more or less than to the message. In other words, it is the patterns of behaviour recorded, consciously or unconsciously, over time that cumulates into the receiver’s evaluation of the integrity of the messenger and therefore the credibility of the message. The conclusion, however hyper-sensitive, is that the image just keeps getting in the way of the communication.

But the factor of ‘trust’ is also critical. At the risk of over-emphasis, see the following quote from Stephen Covey’s highly respected book titled ‘The Speed of Trust’: “There is one thing that is common to every individual, relationship, team, family, organisation, nation, economy and civilisations throughout the world – one thing which, if removed will destroy the most powerful government, the most successful business, the most thriving economy, the most influential leadership, the greatest friendship, the strongest character, the deepest love. On the other hand, if developed and leveraged, that one thing has the potential to create unparallel success and prosperity in every dimension of life. Yet it is the least understood, most neglected, and most underestimated possibility of our time.

That one thing is TRUST.” A Conscientious Observer

Questions of a confused Guyanese DEAR EDITOR, These are very hard and troubling times. I humbly request that you permit me to publish some concerns, which have succeeded in confusing many Guyanese.

1. Is it customary that most international people seek to interview the Vice President, and not the President of a country?

2. Can anyone state any contributions Dr. Walter Rodney and the WPA made

to better the Guyanese people, and their way of life?

3. Did the people who are now demanding shared governance because of the PPP one seat majority, raised the same demands when the Coalition were in power and had the same one seat majority ?

4. Can we expect that the same people who are invoking the USAID’s report, will do the same when the USAID makes different conclusions in the future with the expected

change in U.S administration?

5. Should someone who enabled, assisted and worked for the most racist and antiblack Mayor in America’s history, be allowed to call others racist every night? 6. Is it not true that there are more blacks in this PPP administration than ever served in any of President Burnham’s PNC administrations? 7. Is the PPP government (Continued on page 6)

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Friday February 18, 2022

Kaieteur News

Appeal to ABCE for help to American disenchantments fight Guyana’s Corruption with Guyanese leaders show DEAR EDITOR, With regards to the Vice media interview on alleged corruption, the public and visitors as well as foreign business persons say Guyana is a very corrupt place, that corruption is a way of life – of getting things done or conducting business.

They are implying that unethical attitudes, bribery, coverups, poor accountability, and administration of justice, etc., have all conspired to create a culture of corruption. Few Ministries and government agencies are exempted.

Corruption takes a high toll on the nation. It is noted that corruption is a major drain on the country’s economy.

Tens of billions of dollars were siphoned off annually since 2016 and hundreds of millions increasing to billions annually post Jagans years between 1999 and 2011. Almost every business person admits to paying bribes or extortion costs in exchange for government contracts.

Pervasive corruption has long stymied development and fuelled emigration of some of the brightest talent in this poor, ‘largely backward’ country. There is also criminal penetration into the political establishment. Corruption curtails funding for development and agriculture and spending on social services, health care, education, public wage increase, infrastructure, and fishing and the like. The public is robbed all around. Corruption has led to an exodus of Guyanese in-

cluding many business persons fleeing the country. Decent staff are subjected to harassment or terminated.

The termination of decent people who are against corruption makes the prospect to combat corruption gloomier.

Unlike other countries, Guyana does not have an independent body like a commission against Corruption.

The court should be empowered to open corruption investigations into every public figure. No politician has ever been convicted of corruption. Hardly any is charged. Yet if you talk to Guyanese, they will tell you of everyone who is on the take. Few officials are exempted. Officials from political sides are implicated when in government. Even some who you thought are clean, are now taking bribes. Some demand bribes for a contract.

Has the public noticed that there is no effective whistle blower law and that since the PPP was restored into office in August 2020, there has been no anti-corruption legislation. The Chancellor of the Judiciary on her own can inquire and take on the corrupt. She has power to inquire into acts of corruption.

This would embolden the rest of the justice sector to take on major corruption cases.

Even the Attorney General himself, the second most popular political figure and perhaps among the least corrupt in the government, can launch an investigation into corrupt transactions. Would

he do it? Does he have the courage to go against his political boss and do it?

Those who serve the public ought to do so in the best interest of citizens and not self-interests. They should not serve the public to enrich themselves. They should minimise the costs and inconvenience that the public must endure. The country needs transparent political leadership at the top, but also civic activism against corruption from below.

What can be done about corruption? The United States and BCE countries can help to tame corruption in Guyana and improve accountability. The ABCE countries can fund an independent body to expose and combat corruption – providing training and a secretariat to investigate complaints about officials who are on the take.

When newspapers write about corruption, they face libel. It would be impossible to file libel against a body investigating complaints of corruption. The ABCE can also give support to Civil Society to speak out on corruption and to hold public engagements all over the country about the costs and to hear complaints of corruption.

The ABCE can also invigorate anti-corruption efforts by pressuring the government to set up a constitutional body to investigate complaints. I appeal to ABCE to please help the public to fight corruption.

Yours truly, Samuel Gittens

Temporary Convenience...

From page 4 parts are not readily available. Rural areas are the most affected with these defective products and some don’t last a week after purchase. And there is no proper consumer body to represent the consumer; he/she has to start saving all over again to purchase another. Finally Editor, whilst the origin of these products are vague, many don’t have to make a second guess which country they are being manufacture in, and whilst there’s various brands, all seems to be experiencing similar problems. The makers

seem determined to manufacture inferior products, with the clear intentions of fleecing unsuspecting buyers.

In order to achieve their goals, they go the extra mile by using misleading advertising on their products and including the USA name/feature on their products. Some advertising features and when programming, it’s accessible. Will there be an end to this blatant robbery? Guyana rapidly growing and are we going to continue living off inferior/used products?

Sahadeo Bates

DEAR EDITOR, I am hoping against hope than peers will come to some level of understanding, some keener place of perception.

There are these creeping indications of disenchantment from America that are either over local heads, or casually ignored by Guyanese, especially PPP/C supporters. I warn of turbulence ahead.

In no particular order, I single out a few of the more recent nuanced developments, to make my point.

America does not like where this country is at, what goes on here. The President and Vice President are the only drivers around, and they leave too much hanging, too much to be undesired, which is putting things nicely. Both leaders are hurting from the sum of their wrong actions, many misdeeds; when they do so, they hurt trusting, hopeful Guyanese. I interpreted the early official sharing by Her Excellency, the U.S. Ambassador, with Mr. Aubrey Norton to be of some significance, besides courtesy protocols. It should be remembered that their meeting occurred while Mr. Norton’s leadership place and role are still unsettled.

Mr. Norton didn’t invite himself, nor initiated the gathering that took place. I perceived a signature statement from the ambassador, one which astute PPP/C leaders should mull.

More recently, USAID came out of the blue with the startling: a call for power sharing on oil, and more political parties. If I were to mention power sharing, it would be a non-negotiable heresy, from which only stoning satisfies.

Regarding more political groups, that’s a no brainer, as they will be, but beyond that no more. That is, noncompetitive in tussles, nonexistent in recognition, and nonperforming in the trust department. There is a history of this, but the people of USAID must justify their presence. Focusing on power sharing, it was noticeable that the day that USAID revisited and resurrected that political blasphemy, the PNC came up with its own one: no nomination from it to the NRF; hence no contribution, no participation. This oil is trouble; but prophets have been dismissed from time immemorial.

Dismissed is when they are lucky. But with a society so bitterly polarised, oil could

serve as the spark, the Sarajevo incident which make the house of decayed straw collapse.

American disappointment runs high, blends with disgust, which recent postures confirm. They were not random. They keep trying with the PPP/C (VP); struggling with Government (VP); standing with the man in his corner (VP). Americans lose each time with an incorrigible, a simpler word is failure.

Chronic. The Americans are neither hoodwinked nor swayed by empty rhetoric.

The President is dismissed within the confines of diplomatic etiquette, diplomatic finesse. They hold their noses.

Wash thoroughly immediately after. When it is the other one, the soaps are stronger, stains and stench heavier, more pungent. They helped in 2011, removed in 2015, restored in 2020, yet nothing is learned by either party or leader.

Somebody close to them, better talk to both of them. I repeatedly warn, but is ignored. No offense taken, but Guyanese are vulnerable.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

Retribution

DEAR EDITOR, Nothing goes unpaid. In the case of the murdered female, who it is alleged cuddled with her male friend, encountered the irate of her husband, who elicited the help of the cuddling friend in her demise and the friend is

now cuddling a murder charge.

The husband did not take his anger out on the friend but on his wife and ultimately got his revenge on the friend.

That’s retribution.

Shamshun Mohamed

Questions of a confused...

From page 5 making the same strategic, philosophical and government mistakes that were made 60 years ago, causing external forces to keep them out of power? 8. Should people who safely live overseas be the ones to criticise Guyanese, for not going out to protest and risk their lives?

9. Is an MP who every night calls the op-

position “dutty, wicked, stink, jagabats and trench crapos,” be the one to criticise others for their own language?

10. Isn’t it racist for a black person to call a fellow black a house slave, simply because he chose to work and provide for his family?

Respectively submitted, Chitrakha Persaud

Disagree with Freddie that ...

From page 5 invited. Do PPP Ministers of Indian origin attend Indian cultural events? President Irfaan Ali declined the invitation last week to attend SVN graduation ceremony. Education Minister Priya Manickchand also ducked the event. Yet Indian rights activists and PPP supporters were critical of Swami Aksharananda for inviting President Granger to his school.

In recent missives over the last month, Indian rights activists called for fair and accurate portrayal of Indians in the Atlantic Series school books published by the Ministry of Education. Has the Education

Minister reached out to any of the Indian rights activists on addressing the problem? I can assure Freddie and the public that no corrective measures will be taken in the books and no resources will be committed to Indian rights activists or Indian organisations. The Indian rights activists have a better chance of getting their programes implemented under a coalition government. The coalition and African rights activists have not betrayed supporters. They did well with the limited resources available. Their Indian counterparts have not done better.

Yours truly, Edward Burrowes

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BL TLUNT.. UNT...B BL Friday February 18, 2022

Kaieteur News

How long will we remain a developing nation?

We have always had wealth in abundance, even before the discovery of oil.

But clearly wealth does not translate to development.

Guyanese, are we really going to let this country retain that developing status for another 50 years?

It is time to stop the giveaway of Guyana; demand that your leaders prudently manage the affairs of this country.

PAGE 07

Friday February 18, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 08

Caribbean countries dropping

guard on COVID-19

D

eaths rose to 202 people per hour in the Region, despite overall decline in cases.

Complacency around mask wearing, travel, and indoor gatherings created a perfect opportunity for the new Omicron variant to spread rapidly throughout the region and increase deaths, Director of the Pan American Health Organisation, Dr. Carissa F. Etienne told a news conference on Wednesday.

She said despite the rise in deaths and new infections many places remain “just as they were before.” In Guyana, the government has lifted the curfew and relaxed a number of measures despite recording daily deaths and new cases. As of Wednesday Guyana's death toll from the virus was at 1,199 with 62,360 confirmed cases.

Additionally, some seven

patients have been admitted to the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 83 persons in institutional isolation, 1,289 in home isolation and 30 in institution quarantine.

To date, a total of 59,782 persons have recovered from the virus.

“Reduced public health measures were insufficient to reduce the scale of this wave.

And now we're dealing with the consequence. A rise in infections is driving a surge in deaths,” she said at a media briefing on Wednesday.

While still very high, COVID-19 infections declined by 31% this week, and deaths continued to rise by 5.6%.

“Undoubtedly, Omicron overtook us,” the Director said.

“Every time infections surge, there is a heavy toll for our families and communities,” with peaks in

cases followed by peaks in deaths three weeks later.

“COVID-19 is a preventable disease. And right now, we're losing far too many lives,” she added. “As Omicron arrived, we didn't use all the tools we had developed to slow the spread and prevent infections.”

More than half of deaths in the latest surge occurred in people over the age of 65 but many others occurred among those yet to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Unvaccinated people of all ages still fill up hospitals and ICU beds. “Omicron has shown that the vaccines we have at hand can protect most of us from severe illness and death,” Dr. Etienne said. To ensure more equitable access, PAHO's Revolving Fund has now delivered 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to 33 countries in Latin America and the

PAHO Director, Carissa F. Etienne Caribbean in coordination with COVAX. The PAHO Director thanked donors for contributing 30% of the 100million dose milestone and

...PAHO blames surge on reduced public health measures urged countries “to focus on filling in critical gaps in vaccination coverage,” to ensure that at least 20 million more people are fully vaccinated, particularly high-risk groups.

“We won't overcome this pandemic unless we protect these groups, and then go beyond to cover everyone who is eligible,” she said. Dr. Etienne also highlighted that countries must be vigilant about implementing public health measures quickly.

They must adjust hospital systems to accommodate new surges, while ensuring health care workers have the tools they need to safely treat COVID-19 patients.

“We need to activate our responses more rapidly to keep pace with the current wave and stay ahead of future surges of this very fast, very serious virus,” she added.

With up to 202 people dying every hour due to this latest surge, “inaction is not an option,” the PAHO Director said.

Turning to the COVID19 situation in the region, countries of the Americas reported 3.3 million new cases and more than 34,000 COVID-19 related deaths. In North America, the United States recorded the highest number of deaths in the sub region – 17,000.

Countries in Central America and in the Caribbean reported a surge in COVID-19 deaths, as well as a n i n c r e a s e i n hospitalizations, reaching 19% in some countries and territories of the Eastern Caribbean.

In South America, deaths in Brazil reached the highest numbers ever, setting a record for this wave.

Friday February 18, 2022

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

You can’t buy food with cigarette money The PPP/C is repeating the same mistakes as the APNU+AFC. The PPP/C is in a strong position to wrest concessions from the operators of the Stabroek Block, but has thus far refused to do so despite the leverage at its disposal.

Having discovered oil in 2015, Exxon Mobil was forced to approach the APNU+AFC for the renewal of its exploration licence and for a production licence.

Instead of using this opportunity to ensure a fair deal for the people of Guyana, the APNU+AFC opted to secretly sign an agreement with ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC – a secret which it hid from the Guyanese people for 18 months.

That agreement was lopsided. The agreement provided for a miserly 2% royalty, a 12.5% profit sharing (share of oil after expenses) and a pittance of US$18M as a signing bonus. The agreement also did not cater for ring fencing or full insurance. It obligated Guyana to pay Exxon’s taxes, gave over-generous concessions to the oil companies and placed them above the country’s laws by virtue of the Stability Clause.

The PPP/C government recently described this agreement, signed by the APNU+AFC, as the greatest crime committed against the country. Considering that in 1978, more than 900 persons died at Jonestown in Guyana, the PPP/C clearly was saying that the Production Sharing Agreement signed by the APNU+AFC was a greater tragedy than the Jonestown mass murder/suicide.

The PPP/C however during the campaign for the 2020 elections began to send mixed signals. The party

claimed that Exxon was a pioneering investor and therefore its contract would not be renegotiated under a PPP/C government.

It said that those who came after, including Tullow, would be subject to new terms.

It was the PPP/C however, which had argued that by virtue of the discovery of oil, the Guyana Basin had been de-risked. Yet, it contradicted itself by implying that as pioneers in oil exploration, Exxon would not be subject to renegotiation.

After it won the 2020 elections, the PPP/C abandoned the pioneering argument. Instead, it said that it has to respect the sanctity of contracts.

The irony of the PPP/C’s position is that the very contract, that sanctity of which it has to respect, provides for renegotiation.

The PPP/C also has the means to demand better terms. The oil companies have to approach the PPP/C for permits for the Payara Field Development Project and the Yellowtail Field Development Project.

Instead of using this leverage to renegotiate the contract, the PPP/C meekly approved the Payara Field Development Plan in a jiffy.

In so doing it has betrayed the country and its people.

But the PPP/C has another chance to make amends.

Exxon and her partners are going to approach – if they have not done so already – the government for the permit for its fourth field development plan.

The PPP/C has another opportunity to fix things, including demanding ring fencing and full insurance. It can stay within the terms of the existing Production

Sharing Agreement but insist that when it comes to the new field development plans, that the oil companies make provision for ring fencing and provide full insurance.

Glenn Lall, the publisher of this newspaper, has been leading the crusade for a better deal.

But he is insisting that the PPP/C use the present circumstances to demand full insurance, ring fencing and a lowering of the interest rate on the oil companies’ borrowing – an interest rate which Guyana has to repay.

The PPP/C however is very evasive on this issue. It is refusing to indicate whether it will make any such demands. In this regard it is looking and smelling just as the APNU+AFC did in relation to its dealings with the oil companies.

The future of Guyana depends on renegotiation and on wresting greater concessions from the oil companies developing the Stabroek Block. Guyanese must not become excited with all the talk about oil riches.

The oil revenue that Guyana is receiving is a trickle in comparison to the downpour which we should have been receiving. The sums which we have received for the first two years of oil production will not be enough to foot half of the gas-toshore pipeline.

One participant at the International Energy Conference advised that the government restrain itself in providing cash grants to citizens.

He is right on two counts.

It will create a dependency syndrome and it is unsustainable.

The crumbs which the present contract is delivering will not be sufficient to

Dem boys seh...

Political parties gat dem own pit bulls!

We gat nuff stray dags roaming around we streets.

And some ah dem does like to rush at yuh.

Yuh can hardly go fuh a stroll dese days around de village. Dem stray dogs mekkin yuh life miserable.

But is nat dem stray dogs dat people frighten.

Is dem wah inside dem people yard. Deh gat some fierce dogs nowadays including some pitbulls. And sometimes dem people does leff dem gate open and dem dog does run out and attack passersby.

And de owner does disown dem dog when de

victims ask is who dog it is.

Dem political party also gat dem own pit bulls. Dem does let dem loose pun yuh.

But dem bark louder dan dem bite.

Dat is why dem boys does tell people fuh listen carefully to dem political pit bulls and assess what dem saying and den mek up dem mind. Nah follow dem hook, line and sinker.

Like how some people echoing a statement dat how de Opposition should bin invited to de International Energy Conference.

Dem boys remember when de same Opposition was in

power and dem had dem own international energy conference.

And dem nah invite de den Opposition.

And all ah dem wah now talking how de present Opposition should get invite, nah bin seh nothing.

A man claim how half de population was not represented at de conference. So which half was represented when de former guvanment bin hold dem conference and nat invite de den Opposition? Is suh when you own argument tun round and bite yuh.

Talk half. Leff half.

sustain any substantial cash grants to the population.

And, unless there is renegotiation of the contract, our oil will disappear and we

will remain poor just as Guyana’s gold was extracted and exported by Omai and the country remained mired in poverty.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Friday February 18, 2022

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Dr. Keith Carter may have keratoconus like his uncle did I read a letter in yesterday's newspapers by Dr. Keith Carter, son of famous Guyanese, Martin Carter (I am doing an iconoclastic essay on the anti-Indian racism of the Creole middle-class in the nationalist movement including Martin and others like Rory Westmaas).

I mean no insult to Dr. Carter but he appeared as a figure of fun to me because while he was attributing the affliction of keratoconus to others, it looks like Dr. Carter may have a severe form of the problem which he, Carter described as shortsightedness.

Apart from that dimension of his letter which caused me to laugh, there is the Christopher Columbus aspect of it. His letter appears to be a subtle reference to the suspension of parliamentarian, Sherod Duncan by the Speaker.

Dr. Carter in his letter noted: “… based on reports in the newspapers of events

in Guyana, it appears that these days, there are no principles, either personal or public, for which one can be suspended or expelled from some organisation….”

It appears to me that this is in relation to Sherod Duncan, a citizen I feel is unfit to be a parliamentarian but maybe Dr. Carter sees things otherwise; that is the right of Dr. Carter.

Dr. Carter comes across to me to be a Christopher Columbus. Or is it possible that he was living in faraway lands and did not know when the following occurred: 1 – For voting based on his conscious, Member of Parliament, Charrandass Persaud was expelled from the Alliance For Change. Dr. Carter noted that his uncle, who was suspended from the PPP in 1956, said he was proud at being suspended for his principles. Charandass (a personal friend of mine) told me he was proud to be expelled for his principles. It

would be nice to hear Dr. Carter's opinion on Charran.

2 – The blatant disregard for the constitution in a noconfidence vote (NCV) in which not only was the required national election not held after three months of the NCV but the Caribbean Court of Appeal was asked to rule that the NCV was not valid because in a vote of a 65-member House, 34 not 33 is a majority. Dr. Carter had to do mathematics as a requirement to enter medical school. Can he tell us if 34 is a majority of 65?

3 – The obnoxious contempt for the rule of law when the Chief Justice's ruling was ignored and the world laughed at Guyana when the results of a general election was declared by the returning officer using a smelly bed sheet, a piece of corrugated cardboard and a defective projector to post the results.

4 – Post-election

Frederick Kissoon violence in Region 5 instigated by the losing party in which all the victims were Indians including teenage girls and aging grandmothers. Now this particular incident should have preoccupied the mind of Dr. Carter.

He knows about the violence on Black Friday in 1962 Georgetown in which hundreds of Indian citizens were beaten with a few f a t a l i t i e s . D r. C a r t e r informed us he went to the Georgetown Hospital to visit

his uncle who was a victim of Black Friday violence. I wonder if while visiting his short-sighted uncle in 1962, it ever crossed the mind of Dr. Carter that he could develop the same affliction in the future.

I end my discussion on Dr. Carter here and return to two themes that are present in several of my columns since the rigging of the 2020 election began on March 3.

First, I predicted that in some quarters, there will be the manifestation of barefacedness in which the voices of reticence during five months of attempts to guillotine the legal election results will find the fountain of atomic energy and start criticising the new government.This has been happening since the swearing in of Dr. Irfaan Ali on August 2, 2020. I predicted with incredible accuracy that the middleclass run weekly column in

the Stabroek News titled: “In The Diaspora” that never commented on the NCV and the five-month election saga will suddenly find reason to criticise governmental behaviour.

The second theme is an analysis of the Creole middle class in the modern history of Guyana.

I postulated that the attitude of the Creole middle-class to the election rigging of 2020 was the manifestation of an atavistic return to the early 20 th century where East Indians in Guyana were looked upon as unfit to hold public office.

I am engaged in research that makes me think that Dr. Carter's father, Martin, his uncle Keith and their Creole colleagues had a problem with Indian leadership of the PPP not Cheddi Jagan's ideology.

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

Venezuelan Natural Resources Ministry staffer woman charged had forged cheques and - PAC for killing cashed it at bank in 2018 hears A forensic audit conducted at the Ministry of Natural Resources in 2018 had uncovered theft by a clerk attached to the agency.

The matter was brought up before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) at Parliament Building on Monday as the committee examined the Auditor General's Report for 2017 and 2018. The issue was raised after Chairman (ag), Ganesh Mahipaul sought clarifications on an issue flagged in 2018 regarding “missing cheques”.

Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry, Joslyn McKenzie told the PAC that after the Natural Resources Ministry found that a forged cheque was successfully cashed at a commercial bank, the ministry quickly moved to implement a tighter system. McKenzie explained that at the time, the cheque books were not kept in a secured manner as was required. He said that the clerk who had responsibility for the cheque book did not properly secure it which later resulted in the member of staff acquiring the cheque book and forging the signature of the required

signatories.

He explained to the PAC that the cheque books were not properly secured because, at the time, the ministry was in the process of moving from its Brickdam Office. As such, he said, “the staffer was able to get access to the cheque books, forge the signature, go to a local commercial bank, and access $ 6 9 0 , 0 0 0 … ” “We discovered it and we immediately contacted the Accountant General, the Auditor General, and asked them to conduct an investigation,” the Permanent Secretary told the committee.

According to the PS after it was brought to their attention, “the bank recognised that the signatures were highly forged and they couldn't understand why they honoured it in the first instant…” Notwithstanding, he said the Ministry was successful in recovering all the monies and the staff was dismissed.

Mckenzie said nonetheless that the Ministry is now in the possession of a new safe in which the cheque books are stored.

“We also have access control

Guyanese partner

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Joslyn McKenzie.

Yesica Carolina Rondon Mayo, also known Dead, Beauford Watson. as Yesica Rondon. with two keys. One is held by the Accounting Officer while the other is kept by the PS for Finance. We haven't had any reoccurrence of that issue since then,” he added.

In that new system, a new safe had been installed at the ministry which carries a specialised access control requiring two keys which are shared between the accounting officer and a representative of the Finance Ministry. Meanwhile, the

ministry also saw an issue in 2018 with the deduction of more monies than required for PAYE from about nine employees.

The Permanent Secretary explained that the matter was already sorted with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and there has been no reoccurrence. In fact, he said the 2019 Auditor General's Report will speak to the situation being rectified amicably.

Thirty-three-year-old Yesica Carolina Rondon Mayo, also known as Yesica Rondon, a Venezuelan National was on Thursday remanded to prison for the fatal stabbing of a miner over the weekend.

Rondon appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, when the indictable manslaughter charge was read to her. She was not

required to plead to the charge which alleges that on February 12, 2022, at Sandhill, Backdam, Kaikan, Upper Mazaruni, she unlawfully killed Beauford Watson. Chief Magistrate McLennan remanded the woman to prison and the matter was transferred to the Kamarang Magistrate's Court.

The next hearing of the matter is slated for March 14, 2022.

Friday February 18, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

PAGE 12

Friday February 18, 2022

Kaieteur News

Man found guilty of killing schoolboy during concert

Freed, Andy Peters (left) and found guilty of manslaughter, Shannon Cox.

T

wenty-four-year-old Shannon Cox of Lot 261 Kaneville, Grove, East Bank Demerara, was on Thursday found guilty of killing 16-year-old Brian Charles Yearwood during a concert in 2017.

Cox was on trial before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the Demerara High Court.

He had denied the charge which alleged that on April 29, 2017, at Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara, he murdered Yearwood.

A 12-member jury after deliberating for almost two hours, found Cox not guilty of murder but guilty for the lesser count of manslaughter.

As such, Justice Morris-Ramlall deferred sentencing until March 10, 2022.

Cox was represented by attorney-atlaw Madan Kissoon while the State was represented by prosecutor Lisa Cave. On Monday, Cox's co-accused Andy Peters, 21, was freed after the judge upheld a no-case submission that was made to the court by his lawyer, Latchmie Rahamat.

According to reports, Yearwood of

Killed, Brian Charles Yearwood.

Kaneville, East Bank Demerara was stabbed in the region of the heart during a scuffle.

The stabbing took place during a concert that was being held at a school.

Kaieteur News

Friday February 18, 2022

PAGE 13

Local business Development Company takes services to Suriname Action INVEST Caribbean…

A

fter achieving notable success by helping local businesses reach the goal of increased profitability, ActionINVEST Caribbean Inc. (ACI) is taking its services abroad.

Guyana's premier business development institute announced on February 14th, 2022, the opening of its first Suriname location.

The new location is at Emmastraat, Nieuw Nickerie, Suriname.

According to a release from t h e c o m p a n y , ActionINVEST Caribbean

will also serve as the gateway for reciprocal investment by companies in both Guyana and Suriname.

N S B O M E G A , ActionINVEST's joint venture company will also now provide its technical staffing and recruiting services to the Suriname market.

The overarching goal is to allow Guyanese products to serve the Suriname market and vice versa whilst improving the logistics between these neighbours. It is intended that with these investments, credible steps would be taken by the private

sector in support of both governments' intentions to deepen collaboration and develop the regional economy.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e G u y a n e s e s o l e proprietorship business, Doerga Business Enterprise, owned by Dr. Vishnu Doerga (ACI Chairman) and the Surinamese sole proprietorship business, Lesarah Trading, owned

by Chris Soedamah, which have both traded between Caricom countries for over twenty years, will merge into a r e g i o n a l c o m p a n y,

Man feared drowned in Cuyuni River mishap

Area where “Brother Ken” went missing A Region Seven man is now feared dead after he slipped and fell into the Cuyuni River at Matope Falls and never resurfaced.

The missing man has been identified as “Brother Ken” of Karrau Village, Mazaruni River, Region Seven. The Guyana Police Force (GPF) reported that the incident occurred on We d n e s d a y a r o u n d 14:30Hrs, while “Brother Ken” and captain Pargia Gibson, were on their way back from the Matope Falls

when tragedy struck.

Kaieteur News understands that “Brother Ken” and captain Gibson were transporting fuel with a metal boat which was being powered by two 75 HP Yamaha outboard engines.

The police reported that the men offloaded the fuel at the foot of the falls and were on their way back when one of the engines developed a problem and stuttered.

The engine failure caused the boat to drift, while taking in water in the

process. In an effort to tie the boat to a nearby rock, “Brother Ken” went to the front of the boat and while attempting the task, he allegedly slipped and fell overboard.

Captain Gibson, along with the help of others searched for “Brother Ken” but was unable to find him.

At the time of reporting, the last update from the police on the matter is that preparations are being made to visit the location and search for the missing man.

INTERCARICOM Trade & Logistics N.V. with locations in Guyana and Suriname.

ActionINVEST CARIBBEAN INC. (ACI) is an ISO 9001:2015 certified educational institution and business development company of Guyanese origin benefitting from female ownership and leadership.

ACI is focused on becoming the Caribbean's solution to p r o f e s s i o n a l & o rg a n i z a t i o n a l g r o w t h through our action-oriented team delivering targeted

The new ActionINVEST Caribbean location in Emmastraat, Nieuw Nickerie Suriname. business development services to entrepreneurial

individuals organizations.

and

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Friday February 18, 2022

Teixeira queries absence of records for $30M IDB loan Government Chief Whip and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) member, Gail Teixeira has queried the absence of records in the Auditor General's 2018 report for a $30M loan disbursed by the InterAmerican Development Bank.

The sum was part of a series of disbursement by the IDB to the former A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) government to facilitate a startup oil and gas development programme in 2018. During her remarks, Teixeira noted that while the audit report mentions that

the entire amount was disbursed, there was no record of an audit being done.

Though the issue was later clarified by Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Joslyn McKenzie, the Government Chief Whip was adamant that absence of audit records for the disbursement is a matter for concern. The PAC member therefore queried the reason for the lack of a paper trail.

“I understand that the entire amount was expended.

The Auditor General mentions that the entire sum was disbursed by the IDB but

Government Chief Whip and PAC member, Gail Teixeira. when such payments happen you don't audit the payments made by the IDB or is it done separately as a foreignfunded projected? Is that what happens?” Teixeira asked Auditor General, (AG) Deodat Sharma.

Sharma in an attempt to explain said that the audits are done separately for the IDB. He noted that his office

would audit the disbursement since it was made directly through the IDB not the Ministry of Finance.

However, Teixeira noted that this does not clarify how the AG is able to have paper trail or records of the transactions for an audit.

“How do we account for the monies that is released?” she

questioned. The AG then specified that 'in scenarios like these,' there is separate opinion report that is issued to IDB concerning the loan or the grant.

He noted too that for records the Audit Office will rely on documents garnered through the capital receipt, capital expenditure transaction process. PS of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Joslyn McKenzie added some clarity to the explanation.

Mc Kenzie explained that the $30 million disbursement was made as part of a startup exercise to the oil and gas development project. He explained that it was done at a period when it could not be included in the budget and for this reason the AG could not audit the project through the Ministry.

According to the PS, the only way of auditing this type of transaction is through the records garnered by the agencies executing the projects.

The Natural Resources Ministry representative noted that the formal request made for amounts by those

agencies would provide a record for the audits. In response to the explanation given, acting Chair of the PAC, Ganesh Mahipaul, noted that the Committee therefore expects that the AG would be accurate with his records. In 2018, the APNU+AFC government was granted the sum as part of a US $11.64 million policy-based loan from the IDB. The project was designed to support the strengthening and the sustainability of the energy sector in Guyana by contributing to the institutional development of oil and gas governance and the development of cleaner energy sources for electricity generation.

The specific objectives of the loan programme were first, to develop a management and planning framework for Guyana's oil and gas sector and second, to contribute towards the development of a policy framework so that Guyana may diversify its electricity generation matrix using cleaner or renewable sources.

Pork-knocker killed as mining pit collapses A pork-knocker was on Monday killed after a mining pit caved in at Highwood Backdam, North West District (NWD), Region One.The dead porkknocker has been identified as Christopher Bumbury, 58, of Pakera, Matthews Ridge, NWD.According to police report, the dug-out mining pit which measured about 15 feet in width, 20 feet in length and 22 feet in depth collapsed and covered B u m b u r y .

It was reported that Bumbury and another porkknocker identified as Hilton Ward was at the time digging gravel at the bottom of one of the walls when it collapsed on Bumbury.

Ward then ran out of the pit and went for two other workmates, Paul Bumbury and Wilfred Bumbury, both of whom aided with the s e a r c h f o r t h e victim.Kaieteur News understands that it took the men 45 minutes before they discovered Bumbury's motionless body.

It was stated in the police report that no marks of violence were seen on the man's body. On Tuesday around 13:45Hrs when Bumbury's body arrived at the Port Kaituma District Hospital he was pronounced d e a d .

His body is presently at the district hospital awaiting a post mortem examination.

Kaieteur News

Friday February 18, 2022

PAGE 15

CGX to inject US$100M this year targeting second well

By Gary Eleazar

C

a n a d i a n 'wildcatters' Frontera Energy and CGX Energy have announced plans to spend b e t w e e n C $ 11 0 M a n d C$130M or up to US$100M this year on exploration activity , primarily to drill Wei-1, their second high impact exploration well in Guyana described by them as “the most exciting offshore basin in the world.”

A d d i t i o n a l l y, i t i s anticipated that they will spend a further C$10M or just over US$7M on Guyana infrastructure to advance the Berbice Deepwater Port Project. The announcement was made by Joint Venture partner, Frontera Energy which noted that, “despite increasing industry-wide inflationary pressures, Frontera remains focused on maintaining its competitive cost structure with p r o d u c t i o n a n d transportation costs remaining relatively

unchanged year over year."

Gabriel de Alba, Chairman of the Board of Directors, in making the announcement noted that, "Frontera's 2022 capital programme optimises both capital efficiency and free cash flow after development capex (Capital Expenditure) in 2022 and beyond, builds on the significant progress the Company made in 2021 against its objectives and maintains a disciplined approach to spending in the face of increasing inflationary pressures.

Orlando Cabrales, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Frontera, said, “we will capitalize on the sweet spots of our portfolio by investing in development facilities at VIM-1, drilling opportunities at the recently acquired PetroSud, assets development drilling at Quifa, exploration activities and maintenance and production integrity activities across our portfolio. This activity is also expected to create a platform

for future growth in 2023 and beyond.”

The news by the Canadian based wildcatters comes on the heels of an announcement earlier this month that after a decade long search it has discovered oil in commercial quantities offshore Guyana in the Corentyne Offshore Oil Block.

At the time, the partners said the Kawa-1 well encountered approximately 177 feet (54 metres) of hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs within Maastrichtian, Campanian and Santonian horizons based on initial evaluation of Logging While Drilling (LWD) data.

It was drilled to a depth of 21,578 feet (6,578 metres)

One of CGX Energy's directors speaking at the Guyana Energy Conference and Business Expo 2022, Suresh Narine. and targeted the easternmost Campanian and Santonian channel/lobe complex on the northern section of the Corentyne Block.

Frontera and CGX were keen to note that the Kawa-1 results support the geological and geophysical models used while noting that they have

helped de-risk equivalent targets in other parts of the Corentyne licence area. At the time, the partners did (Continued on page 22)

Friday February 18, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 16

Give us a better deal! ...Civil society members join protest for renegotiation of ExxonMobil contract

By Shervin Belgrave Members of civil society, Veteran trade unionist, Lincoln Lewis and Article 13 member, Dr. Yog Mahadeo joined citizens on Thursday for day three of protest actions being staged, in front of the Marriott's Hotel calling for a better oil deal for Guyana from ExxonMobil.

The Marriott's Hotel is the venue for the ongoing four-day Guyana Energy Conference and Business Expo 2022. Over the last few days a new joint venture was formed, and a local joint venture was granted the contract for the Enmore Packaging Plant and an additional 50 acres of prime lands to establish a manufacturing facility for the oil and gas sector. Although these recent private sector developments are expected to

provide jobs for locals and gave local companies the opportunity to rake in significant revenues from Guyana's emerging oil and gas sector, the calls by protestors over the last few days are for its government to secure a better oil deal for Guyanese.

Mahadeo in an invited comment said: “I am not here as a representative of Article 13, but as a citizen, fighting to secure a bright future for my children.” With a copy of the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) that the previous coalition government had signed with ExxonMobil's subsidiary, Esso Exploration Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) for the Stabroek Oil Block, Dr. Mahadeo told reporters, “he did not fight against the APNU + AFC (A partnership for National Unity +Alliance

for Change) for another government to do the same.”

Mahadeo was one of the persons who criticised the coalition government for signing a lopsided contract with American Oil Giant, ExxonMobil and during the protest he said that the current administration, the Peoples Progressive Party/ Civic (PPPC), is failing to keep its manifesto promise to negotiate a better contract for Guyana.

The Article 13 member said that during the 2020 elections campaign, President Irfaan Ali had promised that if he wins the elections he will “Revise, Review and renegotiate a better oil deal for Guyana, but two years have passed and it is still to fulfill this promise.”

He added, “you (PPP/C) brought down a government

Dr. Yog Mahadeo speaking to reporters during the protest on Thursday. in three years by a no confidence motion, one that I have personally supported because it has failed to keep campaign promises and now two years have passed and you are still to revise, review and renegotiate the oil contract.” With that being said, Dr. Mahadeo, along with Lincoln Lewis, a veteran trade unionist, challenged President Ali to keep its manifesto promises to provide a better oil deal for the citizens that voted them in office.

The current government, since it took office, has repeated the phrase that the contract with ExxonMobil cannot be renegotiated because of contract sanctity and has chosen to shift all the blame for this, on the past administration for binding Guyana to a clause in the contract that states that one cannot alter or change anything once it is signed.

Mahadeo however, is of the view that this is not entirely true and there is a way that a change can be made.

He read the section of the contract (Section 32:1) where the clause is located

Veteran Trade Unionist, Lincoln Lewis sharing his views.

and explained that despite it states that one cannot change anything there, it is the “last line” that the government might be ignoring.

Dr. Mahadeo read, “Seek to avoid, alter or limit without the prior consent of the contractor” and said “but hold on. Sanctity of contract I want ya'll to read back this last couple line; Written consent of contractor.”

He then explained when Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and President Ali are saying the contract cannot be renegotiated they are ignoring the last line. “… It doesn't say that yuh can't go back to the contractor. It says he must have written consent but it does not say never come back and talk to us about renegotiation.

The door is open.”

He also reminded that Guyana is known for breaking contracts and highlighted a recent one was the liberalization of the telecommunications sector.

The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) had tied Guyana to a deal that allowed it to have a monopoly over the

Scenes from Thursday's protest.

telecommunications sector.

Dr. Mahadeo is of the view that government can make the same move in securing a better oil deal for Guyana so that citizens can free themselves from poverty.

He said that even if it may be a challenge, the government can use the resources it now has in its coffers to hire the best lawyers to represent the country in the courts for a better contract.

“When we had this Venezuela Border issue we tek money to hire the best lawyers to represent us at the international court.

Now we have more money, employ the best legal minds in the world and challenge this (referring to the contract)”, he told reporters.

Meanwhile, Lewis told reporters that the government has chosen to exclude the civil society and the opposition from making decisions in the oil sector and for Guyana to get a change it must host consultations with members of the opposing party and civil society.

Kaieteur News

Friday February 18, 2022

PAGE 17

USAID report highlights need for comprehensive plan to manage oil funds The United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG) assessment for Guyana has highlighted among other things, the need for a comprehensive plan to effectively manage its oil wealth.

The report which was published mid-2021 also points to the need for cooperation between the two main political parties, the ruling People Progressive Party /Civic (PPP/C) and the main Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) for proper management of the sector. The information based on USAID's DRG Strategic Assessment Framework sought to identify key DRG opportunities and challenges in Guyana.

The report also provided a political economy analysis of reform supporters and

opponents (both actors and institutions) within the DRG sector, and offered strategic recommendations that account for mission priorities, available resources, and the initiatives of other donors and stakeholders.

The main conclusion of the exercise was that the broader context of consensus and inclusion are the underlying challenges for Guyanese citizens and impede the framing of a common vision of the country's future.

Among the challenges which were identified was the absence of a National Development Strategy that accelerates democratisation of public institutions and spending. According to the report, the government and opposition parties must find non-partisan areas of cooperation reaching far beyond political parties to include technical experts and advocates for public

spending on health, education, job creation and climate change risks.

The document noted that a participatory effort involving the public and private sectors for public input can build consensus and public confidence in the equitability of the plan.

“Guyana is becoming a more important partner in the region for the US and other countries while at the same time Guyana's political instability raises concerns that the country is unprepared for its newfound wealth without a plan to manage the new revenue and equitably disburse the financial benefits,” the report added.

It continued, “International experience shows that transparent oversight by national authorities is crucial to manage the risks that the oil and gas sector generates while maximizing the economic benefits. Effective governance of the country's

vast new wealth will be dependent upon prioritizing institutional reforms, strengthening the civil service and ensuring inclusive oversight of the country's national development strategy.”

According to the DRG, the key challenges are improving the government's accountability and transparency across the public sector and designing appropriate national development policies that deliver equitable services to all its citizens.

As such, the assessment pointed out that “Inequitable distribution of oil wealth will exacerbate the deep disparities between regions and ethnic groups so social

protection and cash transfers will become important for the country's poorest and most vulnerable.

The country can afford to provide the most basic social services to every citizen of the country.”

Moreover, the report added that the ruling PPP/C party and the APNU+AFC opposition coalition need to find a way to form a functioning democracy based on power-sharing rather than a “winner takes all” mentality. The DRG noted that this would ensure that the unprecedented wealth in oil reserves can be transparently and equitably managed for the benefit of all Guyanese.

The assessment team

conducted a robust desk review of articles and documents that reflect the most significant political and economic changes, donor priorities, and external drivers of change that have impacted Guyana in the period 2016-2021.

The DRG assessment report which calls for inclusion and cooperation between the nation's leaders is being highlighted weeks after the government rushed to pass the legislation governing the oil account is in breach of transparency standards and an international agreement Guyana adopted since 2018 that speaks to the inclusion of the public, and access to information on the oil wealth.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 18

Friday February 18, 2022

Guyana to build two large hydro power plants in coming years …Amaila Falls initiative now pegged at US$700M

By Gary Eleazar The Government of Guyana has announced plans to pursue not one but two large hydro power plants in the coming years as part of its transition to a grid that is powered by renewable energy sources.

The disclosure was made

on Thursday by Prime Minister, Mark Phillips, who holds the energy portfolio for the government during his address to the International Energy Conference and Expo 2022, which wraps up today at the Marriott International Hotel. The Prime Minister was at the time outlining Guyana's

three-phase approach in its transition towards renewable energy. According to Prime Minister Phillips, from this year government is aiming to use a combination of natural gas, together with the realisation of the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project (AFHEP) and a significant expansion of solar power.

He told conference delegates, between 2027 and 2030 the administration would be looking towards the continued replacement of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) together with the expansion of wind and solar, to be complemented by the construction of a second AFHEP type hydro project.

The third phase, he disclosed would see future expansion being determined by the prevailing market conditions including use of new technology such as hydrogen still in its early developmental stage.

According to Prime Minister Phillips, clean energy and energy efficiency continue to play an essential part in Guyana's energy transformation and his government remains committed to providing affordable, stable and reliable energy to benefit all, while reducing the country's dependence on importing fossil fuels.

It is with this in mind, he said government is charting a dynamic path for the country's future, “a future where sustainable energy, like solar PV and hydro power are harnessed to service the energy needs.”

The objectives he said are rooted in the administration's expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy.

Government he said will pursue a strategic development of low carbon energy resources like solar, hydro, wind, natural gas and biomass to meet the rapidly rising energy demands, while keeping greenhouse gas emissions low.

According to Prime Minister Phillips, the new energy mix will lead to the installation of some 500 mega-watts (MW) of capacity to meet the expected tripling of demand for electricity by 2025.

According to the PM, with the Gas to Shore initiative, which is also expected to complement the installed capacity by some 300MW, will result in substantial cost savings for power generation while reducing electricity cost for consumers.

Addressing AFHEP d i r e c t l y, Wi n s t o n Brassington, project lead of the gas-to-shore project told delegates at the conference that the two-decades-old initiative is still to bear fruit but “we believe we are very close now to making it a reality.”

A c c o r d i n g t o Brassington, the new iteration of the 165MW project will be coming in cheaper than its 2012 price tag, which the then project developers—the Blackstone

- Winston Brassington

Prime Minister, Mark Phillips Group—walked away from.

At the time, the reported price was pegged in excess of US$1B but according to Brassington, this time around, the project is earmarked to cost some US$700M. The financing for the project, according to Brassington, will be borne by the contractor, China Railway First Group and will include the installation of some 270 kilometres which he said would run from the Amaila Falls to the Sophia Substation.

Included in the new project scope, according to Brassington, is the upgrade of the Amaila Falls Access Road, two substations—one in Linden and another in Georgetown. Insisting that Guyana has not made any other financial commitments to the project, other than to pay for power when it arrives in Georgetown, Brassington said that the Chinese contractor is expected to put in the finances in part from Chinese institutions. Being pursued under a Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) model, Brassington related that the contractor will have to establish a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) in which the owner—China Railway—will assume all of the debts and equity and that power will be purchased by the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL). “GPL will buy all of the power under a PPA (Power Purchase Agreement,” and the contractor will have to assume the majority of the risks in the project, he said.

A c c o r d i n g t o Brassington, “like any large project there are a lot of risks (Continued on page 22)

Friday February 18, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 19

Mother of five battles stage 3 vaginal cancer ...husband seeking help amid struggle to keep things afloat at home

A

mother of five children was late last year diagnosed with Stage 3 Vaginal cancer and has been hospitalised at the New Amsterdam Hospital for the past two weeks.

Trisha Ramdass, 28, of Vryheid Village, West Canje Berbice has been bleeding excessively and experiencing unbearable pain since she gave birth to her daughter in September 2021. She was later diagnosed with stage 3 vaginal cancer. Her husband, Matidial Pooran on the other hand has been struggling to keep things afloat financially and at home while he takes care of Ramdass during her hospitalisation period.

According to Pooran, who is a Weeder, he cannot work as he would like because he must take care of the children, ages 6 months to 11years-old.

He added that when his wife was diagnosed last year, she had been in and out of the hospital for months, but her situation got worse and she was admitted to NA Hospital

about two weeks ago. Pooran noted while he must cook meals suitable for his wife to consume, he is faced with the task of cooking separate meals for his children and make baby food for his infant.

He pointed out that there isn't much time in his day to venture out to work because his time is otherwise occupied with his children and wife.

Pooran said that in September 2021 when his wife gave birth at the New Amsterdam Hospital, the baby was pre-mature and she had undergone a c-section to deliver the baby.

However, after delivery, the baby had to be incubated for two weeks along with the mother.

Following their discharge from the health institution, Pooran said his wife was bleeding all the time and when it got worse, he decided to take her back to the hospital for a check-up.

After several visits, he was told she may have cancer.

He was given a referral to the Woodlands

Hospital for a check-up and there he said he had to pay $6000. He was later told by the doctor that he had to pay a sum of $41,000 to do an ultra sound and a CT scan.

Despite his financial struggles, Pooran said he managed to get some assistance from family and was able to pay the fee. Following the CT scan he was told to return within ten days. He said when he returned and uplifted the results the doctor broke the dreaded news that his wife has stage 3 vaginal cancer.

Pooran said since his wife was admitted to the New Amsterdam Hospital there has been no improvement in her condition and he has received no word as to what are the next steps for him and his wife.

Pooran said he is willing to accept assistance from the Government and the public since he has been financially strapped since his wife's diagnosis.

Three of his children he said have not been able to attend school because it is hard on him. According to Cancer Research UK,

Trisha Ramdass stage 3 cancer means that it has spread outside the vagina and reached the side walls of the pelvis.

There may also be cancer cells in lymph nodes close to the vagina. Persons interested in assisting Pooran can make contact with him on cell number 625-6362.

Friday February 18, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 20

President's College gets boost for Agriculture SBA project Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha handed over 400 broiler chicks and starter feed amounting to approximately $310,000 to the President's College Agriculture Science Department to assist students with completing the farm management aspect of their School-Based Assessment

(SBA).

The donation was made after the school's headteacher wrote to the minister requesting urgent help with restoring the school's agriculture science department as the students prepare for their CSEC and CAPE Exams later this year.

According to a Department

of Public Information release, during the handing over, which was done at the ministry's head office on Regent Street, Minister Mustapha said that the ministry has already embarked on several other projects aimed at improving the school's farm which is managed by the students in

Students with some of the chicks.

Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha with some of the President's College students.

t

he agriculture science department.

“In addition to these chicks that you are receiving today (Thursday), the ministry is also in the process of rehabilitating the school's entire farm so that students have the necessary resources and facilities to fully prepare for their exams. I hope that we will be able to replicate this initiative across the country at different schools because it is important for us to start the process in the school system to ensure our students are well prepared for the professional agricultural field. Guyana's average pass rate for agriculture at the last sitting of CSEC was about 95%. This shows that our students are very passionate about agriculture so, as a government, we have to ensure that both their theoretical and practical knowledge are strengthened.

This is the only way they will be able to have an all-around and comprehensive understanding of the industry,” Minister Mustapha said.

Minister Mustapha further stated that with Guyana now tasked with driving the agriculture agenda in CARICOM and His Excellency, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali

spearheading the CARICOM agri-food systems agenda, it was important for the government to facilitate the development of a strong agriculture sector locally.

Under the ministry's Rural Agriculture

expressing gratitude to the minister for the donation said that the vision for agriculture in Guyana was clear and that the school's agriculture department was enthusiastic about playing their part in bringing that vision to life.

Bags of feed for the SBA project.

Infrastructure Development (RAID) Project the ministry has since completed the construction of a shadehouse and a timber bridge at the school's farm as well as upgrades to the farm access road. A cattle perimeter fence will also be constructed at the farm to assist with the rearing of livestock as well as the establishment of a one-acre passion fruit plot. Coconut seedlings will also be planted at the farm.

President's College's Headteacher (acting) Ms. Samantha Success, while

“We wrote a letter pleading our cause and I want to thank the Minister for his timely response. Almost immediately after sending the email, we received a response so I can say to the country at large that you have a vision and you want that vision to be accomplished.

Just like you, we are passionate about having that vision accomplished too. We are very grateful, Minister, that you reached out to us. We are enthusiastic. We are synergized that we must keep (Continued on page 22)

Kaieteur News

Friday February 18, 2022

PAGE 21

'Be wary of the oil consultants' ...OGCI Chairman, Bob Dudley tells Guyana some will bring good advice, others bring confusion

By KianaWilburg Guyana's oil bonanza brings with it an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate its growth and development. But during this process, it will most likely be besieged by a flurry of consultants who will be eager to share their words of wisdom. The Government of Guyana must therefore be wise in determining the best advisor for its cause. This was one of the key perspectives offered by Chair of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), Bob Dudley.

The official made the foregoing comment during the International Energy Conference and Exhibition which started on Tuesday February 14, and comes to an end today at the Marriott Hotel. During his contributions, Dudley, who is a former Group Chief Executive of BP, noted that Guyana is squarely on the global stage with this event as he believes it is a major accomplishment.

Dudley, who has worked in the

industry for four decades, said he believes Guyana is on a successful path and would agree with members of government, that the oil opportunity before the country is not about luck, nor will it be an easy task. It is going to be complex.

“There will be challenges, but if it is done in the spirit of win-win partnerships that the government has spoken about it will move rapidly. I have seen transformational growth projects similar to Guyana's which have transformed countries. I have also seen transformations that went very slowly, that became uncompetitive for that investment capital which is scarce in the world. And those projects did not bring the prosperity that was hoped for,” expressed Dudley.

The industry expert said sometimes the risks that can hinder the potential progress a country can have from a project is not always associated with geological risks.

He said sometimes the main risks are “above the ground.” Dudley

Chairman of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), Bob Dudley

said these can be in the form of the cost of construction, the investment environment changing, the misalignment of goals between the host nation and the operating investors, and a frequent change of terms or regulatory rules.

Dudley said even issues with

procurement processes have unintended consequences. He was keen to note that mandating transparency in tendering for contracts in the oil sector is key, but stressed that oftentimes, going for the lowest bidder does not always guarantee quality service or a product. He said this kind of environment can demotivate good bidders from participating.

He is optimistic however that Guyana would not be affected in this regard. He noted that Guyana will be besieged by consultants to help in the process. Dudley warned however that some will have good suggestions while others will bring confusion. Dudley also cautioned that this can delay the success or progress to be had in the sector. As Guyana continues to navigate conversations about its future while building on its exciting production projects, Dudley said it would be wise for the nation to take note of the lessons and practices of other countries that have done spectacularly well in stewarding

their resources, avoided many of the well known problems like the Dutch Disease and established strong sovereign wealth funds (SWF) for future generations. In this regard Dudley said, “Norway, I have always felt over the last 60 years, has been very successful.

Today, it has a very high standard of living and the world's largest SWF valued at an eye-popping US$1.4trillion. Qatar is another success story. Azerbaijan, which transformed its country in 20 years on the shores of the Caspian Sea, is also great to look at.”

The Chairman of the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), an international industry-led initiative established in 2014, also spoke to Guyana's emissions reduction goals alongside its pursuit of oil development. He said, “You have been told or you will find that there are some people who don't want you to develop your oil and natural gas resource and you will not be popular in certain groups with some (Continued on page 24)

Schlumberger urges 'zero-flare' operations in Guyana A

By Davina Bagot

s the curtains were drawn on this year's public session of the International Energy Conference, Guyana has been urged to pursue alternatives to routine flaring and challenge oil companies to zero-flaring operations.

This charge was given by a representative of Schlumberger, one of the world's leading providers of technology for reservoir characterization, drilling, production, and processing to a global energy industry. The company's Emissions Business Director, Kahina Abdeli-Galinier who holds an Associate degree in Mathematics from Lycee Louis le Grand, a Masters and Engineering degree from Institut d'Optique, and a Doctorate in Physics from Ecole Polytechnique, France, said yesterday that Guyana has a unique opportunity to become a global leader in championing the zero-flare requirement, even as she pointed to the specific dangers associated with this rampant activity taking place in Guyana.

She explained during her presentation, “The oil and gas industry contributes about 30

percent of the greenhouse gas emissions and if we zoom into where they do come from…they may be coming from say methane. Methane is, I would say, a heavy greenhouse gas emission. It is about 84 times more harming to the global heating than this huge molecule because its heavier so it captures the heat much more and 57 percent is actually emitted in the oil and gas industry either from leaks that happen throughout the life cycle of operating the oil field or through operations that release the methane into the atmosphere”.

She was keen to point out that these operations include flaring, as she urged Guyana to commit to clean oil production, without this harmful activity.

“There are alternatives to flaring and there is an opportunity as well to commit to what I would say, is called zero routine flaring, meaning that outside of emergency flaring that needs to happen, there is an opportunity for us to basically operate without having to flare,” AbdeliGalinier told the conference during her virtual presentation.

She was keen to note too

that it is critical for the country to implement the right technologies to avoid routine-flaring. While she did not delve into the options available to Guyana in this regard, the presenter argued that it is possible for the country to achieve a zeroflare objective.

“We believe in the fact that operating I would say in a zero methane and a zero flare operation is possible and that at the same time, we have a commitment actually to show in total transparency the actions and the data that could be required, and that could be needed actually to deliver to that journey,” she said.

To t h i s e n d , t h e Emissions Director at Schlumberger added, “Beyond the richness of what exists in Guyana, Guyana today has the opportunity to become I would say, world leader in setting a benchmark around (flaring), yes it can operate, I would say it can do it differently because from day one the right solutions and the right technologies were properly planned and properly positioned in order to enable the extraction and the product…with almost zero carbon footprint”.

Even though the

importance of achieving zero-flaring was highlighted by her, she was also keen to point out that another critical component of Guyana reaching this objective is collaboration between the government and the operators, the regulators and other stakeholders. “This requires a lot of collaboration, a lot of good leadership and a lot of trust that needs to happen,” she advised.

Presently, US oil giant ExxonMobil is being allowed to flare unlimited gas, as long as it forks out a meager sum as penalty. In fact, the oil company is paying Guyana US$45 per tonne of carbon dioxide.

While appearing on a Kaieteur Radio programme late last year, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Kemraj Parsram revealed that Exxon was flaring 15 million standard cubic feet of gas per day but this is now down to six million standard cubic feet of gas per day.

The EPA Head said, “The EPA and by extension the government's policy is zero routine flaring.

Flaring is only permitted in circumstances where it is necessary to ensure safety

Schlumberger Emissions Business Director, Kahina Abdeli-Galinier delivering her presentation via zoom yesterday. and in cases where emergencies occur.

We know there are issues with the compressor (for the Liza Destiny vessel) and we have been working with the operator (ExxonMobil).”

While he gave this reassurance in September last year, ExxonMobil is yet to operationalise its gas compressor to ensure that this dangerous activity ceases.

Extensive research conducted by Kaieteur News shows that gas flaring contributes to climate change, which has serious implications for the human

security and wellbeing globally.

In fact, the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, outlined in one of its studies, that gas flaring is actually a major source of greenhouse gases, which accelerates global warming.

It was noted that flaring releases Carbon Dioxide and Methane, the two major greenhouse gases. Of these two, Methane is actually more harmful than Carbon Dioxide.

It is also more prevalent in flares that burn at lower efficiency.

PAGE 22

Kaieteur News

Friday February 18, 2022

Guyana to build two large hydro power...

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From page 18 but most of the risks are being put to the developer.”

With this in mind, he told the conference delegates, “Government is not guaranteeing the project.”

Government he said would only be guaranteeing the performance of GPL. Providing some background into the development of the project, Brassington reminded that China Railway had initially secured an Engineering Procure, Construct (EPC) contract for the project since, according to Brassington, it had been found to be the lowest evaluated bidder in 2012.

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opposed to the project given the cost.

The Chinese contractor remained in play over the course of the years and had even been approved by the Inter-American Development Bank in 2015 but the then coalition government which secured the executive following that year's election, abandoned the venture.

According to Brassington, although China Railway remained an interested party in pursuing the project, the government on assuming office decided to retender in the interest of transparency.

This, he said, saw a Request for Proposal being advertised by government to which 19 groups responded and ultimately five bids had been submitted—four from

Chinese contractors and one a Brazilian. According to Brassington, all of those that had submitted proposals had been given copies of every bit of information and documentation at the government's disposal.

These include, according to Brassington, all of the feasibility and other studies undertaken in relation to the project such as hydrology surveys and others.

Under the BOOT arrangement, Brassington said Guyana would, in 20 years' time, take over ownership of the project.

He did, during his presentation seek to point out that during the three-and half-year period expected for construction, an independent supervision firm would be hired by the administration to ensure

the hydroelectric plant is built to specifications. This is in addition to the recruitment of an Operations and Management consultant. With Guyana taking ownership of the project 20 years after commissioning, Brassington noted that the project's average price measured over that time period would be about 7.7 cents which is largely going towards the repayment of the US$700M financing.

According to Brassington, the project will be funded by China Rail and Chinese institutions, they will own the project, and it will be operated under a concession for 20 years.

At end of the 20 years, he said it will be handed over to government at no cost and as such “I think this a great project.”

President's College gets boost for...

From page 20 the hope of agriculture. We are no longer looking back.

We are very optimistic about the future,” the headteacher noted.

Additional support will also be given to the department through the RAID Project which will see the construction of a poultry and vegetable processing facility.

The facility, which is currently under construction is expected to be completed by May 2022 at a cost of $15 million. An additional 25 bags of grower feed and 10 bags

of finisher feed will also be handed over to the school when the birds have matured.

Since assuming office in August 2020, the PPP/C Government has been making a significant impact in the sector, more so, among the younger demographic. To date, the ministry has made several donations to a number of schools, communitybased agriculture groups, and Co-ops across the country.

Last month, President Ali launched the Agriculture and Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme which forms part

of the government's vision for empowering youths while further developing Guyana's agriculture sector.

This programme, in its first phase, will see the construction of twenty-five (25) shade houses that will be used to cultivate high-value crops such as carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. The programme targets both current and past students of the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA), the University of Guyana (UG), and other budding agriculture entrepreneurs.

CGX to inject US$100M this year...

From page 15 signal an intention to spud its second commitment well, called Wei-1, in the northwestern part of the Corentyne Block in the second half of 2022. They have since exercised their option to use the Maersk Discoverer semi-submersible mobile drilling rig for the Wei-1 well.

The partners were keen to note that this is an important step from a health and safety, efficiency, and operational perspective and will maintain

both continuity in the exploration programme during a period of high demand in the region and consistency in working with a team familiar with the rig.

Kaieteur News understands that the Wei-1 exploration well, will target Campanian and Santonian aged stacked channels in the western fan complex in the northern section of the Corentyne Block.

The Wei-1 well is named after one of the tallest peaks

in the Pakaraima mountain range, which has commanding visibility over the surrounding terrain.

Wei Tepu was historically used as a sentinel post by the Patamona people to guard against attacks.

It would be apposite to note that because of the fact that the Kawa-1 well took longer than anticipated to spud, the cost for the well was revised upwards to between US$115M and US $125M.

'Exxon ducks from the media...'

From page 3 ExxonMobil has not been forthcoming with a secure package for the country, despite significant discoveries and the company boasting on several occasions of their great returns from investments in the local sector.

To this end, the political Opposition has submitted a Motion to the National Assembly, urging that the government uses Exxon's fourth

project, the Yellowtail development as leverage for insurance.

Since 2015, ExxonMobil Corporation, the parent company of Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), has steered clear of being tied to full coverage insurance for its Stabroek Block projects, which are certain to deliver multi-billion dollar profits on an annual basis.

Instead, it has placed only its

subsidiary (EEPGL) on the hook if such an eventuality occurs offshore. This is the state of affairs with its Liza Phase One, Liza Phase Two and Payara Projects.

Given that these companies lack the financial assets to cover an oil spill and environmental damage liability, the Opposition has argued the need for ExxonMobil to supply full coverage insurance.

Friday February 18, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 23

Contractor bids $27M above engineer's estimate to build Onderneeming access road

O

ut of the 14 firms vying for the contract to construct the Onderneeming Access Road in Region Two, Kalico Guyana Inc. placed a bid which is some $27 million above the engineer's estimate for the project.

During the opening of tenders at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office on Tuesday, the company placed a bid of $86,517,160 million for Ministry of Agriculture-National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Construction of Access Road at Onderneeming, Region Two.

the project while the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) engineer estimated the project at some $59,236,000. Also at the NPTAB, eight companies bid to supervise and design the new general secondary school at Prospect on the East Bank of Demerara. This project is being undertaken by the Ministry of Education.

During the 2022 budget presentation, Senior Minister with the responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, Rehabilitation of Secondary Channels 50/52 Acre Dairy Plots at Region Five.

announced that a total of $6.6 billion has been allocated towards the construction, rehabilitation, extension, and maintenance of educational facilities across the country.

These include the commencement of construction of Prospect Secondary, and reconstruction of North Ruimveldt and North West Secondary school, which were both destroyed by fire last year.

Below are the companies and their bids: Construction of concrete bridge at Mahaica, Region Five for Lots 1 to 3.

Construction of drainage structures at Vriesland, West Bank Demerara, for Lots 1 to 3.

Transportation of fuel and lubricants for Lots 1 to 3.

Ministry of Education Design and Supervision of a new general Secondary School at Parcel 106 Plantation Prospect, EBD.

Ministry of Health Floor care and janitorial services for the Infectious Disease Control Hospital.

Provision of sanitact services.

Garbage disposal services.

(To continued on Saturday Edition)

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Kaieteur News

Region 6 woman is country’s latest COVID fatality The Ministry of Health on Thursday reported that t h e c o u n t r y ’s l a t e s t COVID-19 death is that of a fully vaccinated 77-year-old woman from Region Six who died on Wednesday at a medical facility. As a result of this, Guyana’s COVID-19 death toll has moved to 1,203. Meanwhile, in its updated COVID19 dashboard, the Ministry recorded 72 new infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 62,537. The dashboard shows that 10 patients are admitted into the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 84 persons in institutional isolation, 940 in home isolation and 16 in institutional quarantine. To date, a total of 60,300 persons have recovered from the virus.

'Be wary of the oil consultants...'

From page 11 as they passionately believe the world should stop production of all fossil fuels. I believe such people mean well. “But many do not have any real understanding of the complexity and the vast size of the world's energy systems, particularly outside of the wealthy regions of the world. They may lecture to you. But it is prob-

ably best to just listen politely, remain humble and as the President (Irfaan Ali) said, stick to your plan and strategy.” At the end of the day, Dudley said people should bear in mind that the primary energy sources of the world in 1999 were 81 percent oil, gas, and coal. In 2019, those statistics, he said, remained the same while adding that this shows the reliance the

world has on these resources.

Importantly, Dudley said by 2050, there will be two billion more people in the world and they will need all forms of energy to survive. In conclusion, it is ideal to have more renewables as part of the energy mix later on. But one undeniable reality remains, said Dudley--The world needs Guyana's light, low sulphur oil.

Friday February 18, 2022

Friday February 18, 2022

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Friday February 18, 2022

Friday February 18, 2022

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Kaieteur News

West Indies seek consistency to stay alive against red-hot India ESPNcricinfo - Big picture Having sleepwalked their way through the ODIs, West Indies posed a tougher challenge to India in the first T20I, even though they ended up on the losing side. Now, they are in a must-win situation to keep the series alive and build from their gains from the home series win against England.

High on explosive power, they bat deep and have enough utility cricketers whose games are tailor-made for the format. They have so far been let down by inconsistency, which they need to address quickly.

They have carefully tried to balance potential versus performance. The inclusion of Roston Chase and Kyle Mayers, both of whom offer all-round depth, are perfect examples. Not traditionally known for their T20 game, the

pair has had to put in solid performances for two seasons to get here. Without Andre Russell, they have built their lower order by backing Odean Smith and Fabian Allen. It’s time for them to repay the faith.

India are rediscovering a winning formula in T20Is. They are finally beginning to show signs of moving away from their safety-first approach. On Wednesday, Rohit Sharma laid down the marker with his 40 off 19 for the rest of the line-up to follow.

Things are beginning to fall into place. Suryakumar Yadav’s calming presence in the middle order, Venkatesh Iyer’s finishing, the emergence of Ravi Bishnoi and the return of Yuzvendra Chahal all bode well. Virat Kohli hasn’t had the runs, but his presence within the group has remained

unchanged. The team management isn’t fretting over his lack of big runs. Friday is another opportunity for India to get it all together and seal the series.

In the spotlight Kyle Mayers has been part of the CPL since 2013 but has managed 200 or more runs in just one CPL season, in 2020. Initially seen mostly as a long-format player, Mayers has made massive improvements to his fitness and power-hitting over the past two seasons, something Kieron Pollard touched upon prior to the series. His handy medium pace also gives the team an extra bowling option and a head start. In the first T20I, he looked in excellent nick, making 31 breezy runs before falling to a marginal lbw call. He would want to cement his spot as a T20I opener in

Friday February 18, 2022 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Is your boss a woman, Aries? If so, stay out of her way today. To put it mildly, she isn’t in a good mood.

Work hard, be very sweet to everyone, and make copious use of your innate diplomacy.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Travel may cause more problems than it's worth today, Taurus. You may forget some vital items when packing or there could be too little time to get everything ready.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Finances may cause an upset between you and a friend today, Gemini. Perhaps this person owes you money and can't pay it back, or vice versa.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) A social event could put you in touch with someone who's carrying around a lot of bitterness and anger, Cancer.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) The workplace could be very hectic today as a colleague prepares to leave on an important business trip, Leo. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You may have a wonderful day today, Virgo. Your imagination, intuition, and creativity are all high, and inspiration for new artistic works could be filling your heart and brain.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your home could be a very busy place today, Libra. Visitors could come and go throughout the day, probably annoying you at times.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Someone you work with might need a sympathetic shoulder to cry on today, Scorpio. Stresses on the job extend beyond everyone's capacity to endure, so don't be surprised if at some point a colleague sheds a few tears.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Children or possibly some close friends or a love interest could be upset today, Sagittarius. The financial coffers aren't full enough to afford something they think they absolutely have to have right now.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Worry about a family member may be on your mind today, Capricorn. This person could be all wrought up over work, money, or possibly a love affair that's broken off.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Uneasy feelings may be plaguing you throughout the day, Aquarius. There could appear to be no valid reason for this.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) A friend, perhaps a woman, could well be upset or even angry with you today, Pisces. Money might be involved in some way.

the next two games.

Venkatesh Iyer’s IPL success has been as an opener, but the team management sees him as a finisher currently, and he did his chances no harm with a quickfire and unbeaten 24 off 13 balls to see off the chase with Suryakumar. He lost his ODI place after just two outings in South Africa but has an opportunity to establish himself in the shortest format with a few handy performances like the one on Wednesday. Team news India will probably make one forced change if the swelling on Deepak Chahar’s wrists rules him out. He got hit while fielding a Pollard pull and left the field immediately.

He didn’t return to complete his full quota of overs. India have a like-for-like replacement in Shardul Thakur.

Jason Holder got hit on the chest during training prior to the opening T20I and was rested. The team management expects him to be fit for

Kyle Mayers will hope to give West Indies a good push © Getty Images today. He could slot in for allrounder Akeal Hosein.

Pitch and conditions West Indies vice-captain Pooran, who top-scored with 61 on Wednesday, felt the ball held on to the surface a tad longer, especially when the bowlers bowled back of a length. This made hitting through the line difficult. He also observed the ball skidded through faster in the second innings because of dew.

The receding winter nip and

evening chill that engulfs Kolkata will mean the dew factor will come into play again, which means the captain who wins the toss will most likely want to chase again.

BCB lauds...

From page 30 express thanks to Minister Bharrat for his passion, dedication and hard work as the Patron. The board also expressed confidence that Berbice cricket under his patronage would continue to grow and most importantly would make sure that every youth is given the opportunity to fulfill his/her potential on and off the cricket field.

The board would also like to express thanks to the Government of Guyana for its cooperation with special mention been made of President Irfaan Ali and Ministers Charles Ramson, Zulfikar Mustapha, Nigel Dharamlall, Colin Croal, Susan Rodrigues and Attorney General Anil Nandlall. President Ali during a recent Courtesy call with Sir Curtly Ambrose had committed to assisting the BCB with a modern grass cutter.

Host DCC...

From page 31 their hopes on the immensely talented Dindyal and will expect a good start from Winston Forrester and Ryan Hemraj for Martin Pestano Bell, Zachary Jodah and Renaldo Ali Mohamed to build on.

Mohamed and Bernard Bailey will aim for early wickets with the new ball while left-arm spinner Devon Lord will spearhead the bowling attack. The GCA also has plans for live streaming of the game. Teams: GCC: Winston Forrester, Ryan Hemraj, Mavindra Dindyal, Zachary Jodah, Renaldo Ali Mohamed, Martin Pestano Bell, Rovaldo Phillips, Bernard Bailey, Devon Lord, Krishna Singh. DCC: Christopher Barnwell, Trevon Griffith, Steven Sankar, Ashmead Nedd, Totaram Bishun, Joshua Persaud, Raj Nannan, Peter Perez, Sachin Singh, Nikosi Beaton, Jamal Byron, Paul Wintz, Cohen Ismond, Qumar Torrington.

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Kaieteur News

Friday February 18, 2022

Herstelling A and B to clash in EBDCA 40-over final on Sunday Herstelling A and B teams will clash in the final of the East Bank Demerara Cricket Association 40-over tournament on Sunday at Farm.

Both teams recorded victories in their respective semifinal matches played last weekend and an exciting final is anticipated.

Herstelling A will be led by Anand Bharat, while Buddan Baksh will lead the B team.

Ricky Sergeant, Martin Salick, Safraz Esau, Derrick McCalmon and Beepaul Bandoo constitute a strong batting line up for the A side, while Richie Looknauth and

Keshram Sehodan will spearhead the bowling.

The B team will depend on Lawrence Smith, Baksh, Jurmin Ramroop, Rian Narine and Clement Archer to post a decent total, while Ravendra Samramgeet and Darren Manohar will look to apply the brakes on their opponents’ batsmen. The pitch is expected to favour the batsmen with some support for the spinners.

The umpires for the fixture are Andre Hurry and Abena Parker. Action commences at 11:00hrs.

In the semi final games,

Herstelling A defeated Silver Bullet by 121 runs at Farm.

Herstelling A took first strike and made 243 all out in 32.3 overs. Martin Salick struck six fours and three sixes in a top score of 57, while Safraz Esau made 55 with six fours and one six, Derrick McCalmon contributed 25 and Rickey Sargeant 24. D. Paul claimed 3-40 and Roopnarine Ramsundar 2-29.

Silver Bullet were bowled out for 122 in 26.2 overs in reply. R. Rajaram made 26, C .Ragnuath 17 and Abdul Bacchus 11. Sargeant grabbed 4-16, Anand Bharat 2-26 and Reaz Esau 2-27.

At Queen’s College, Herstelling B overcame

Ruimveldt by four wickets.

Ruimveldt batted first and were bowled out for 111 in 26 overs. Ershad Ali made 30 with one four and two sixes while Danny Narayan got 18 not out and Shemroy Barrington 15. Ravendra Samramgeet claimed 3-17 while there were two apiece for Darren Manohar and Jurmin Ramroop.

Herstelling B responded with 112-6 in 22 overs. Jurmin Ramroop scored 35 not out with four sixes, while Buddan Baksh made 19 and Rian Narine 18. Ali and Raydon Austin took two wickets each.

Teams; Herstelling A Anand Bharat ( C ), Ricky Ser-

Captains Buddan Baksh (L) and Anand Bharat with the trophy. geant, Derrick Mc Calmon, Martin Salick, Unnis Yusuf, Safraz Esau, Riaz Esau, Vivian Beckles, Delroy Williams, Mahendra Dhanpaul, Keshram Seydohan, Beepaul Bandoo, Roman Daniels, Richie Looknauth and Quazim Yusuf.

Herstelling B - Buddan Baksh ( C ), Pernell London, Darren Manohar, Lawrence Smith, Clement Archer, Jurmin Ramroop, Rian Narine, Rawl Reid, Chandrashakar Bisram, Puneet Jaigopaul, Shawn Pooran, Shemroy Keldon and Ravendra Samramgeet.

Parasram (68*) leads Reliance Hustlers to victory in CECC T10

Rovindra Parasram Rovindra Parasram hit an impressive, unbeaten 68 to lead Reliance Hustlers Sports Club to a commanding 79-run win over Reliance Sports Club (RSC) in the quarter-final of the Central Essequibo Cricket Committee (CECC) inaugural T10 knockout tournament on Sunday last. Parasram struck three fours and five sixes as Reliance Hustlers piled up a formidable 140-4 then dismissed RSC for 61 in the final over at Reliance Sports ground. The right-handed Parasram got support from Narindra Madholall who clobbered one four and five mighty sixes in an entertaining 38.

Off-spinner Premnauth Persaud picked up 2-7 off one over.

In RSC’s innings, Kumar Das made 19, while there were two wickets apiece for

Pavindra Persaud, Safraz Ally and Madholall.

In another fixture at the same venue, Queenstown made light work of Charity.

Wasim Mohammed scored 48 not out to see Queenstown surpassing Charity’s modest 66.

Bacchus Bulls got the better of Invaders Masters in a super-over, while Rising Stars beat Aurora Knight Riders by three runs. More details from those fixtures were not available.

Meanwhile, president of the CECC Trevis Simon informed this publication that the two semi-finals and final are set to be played on February 27 at Reliance Ground.

Reliance Hustlers will confront Queenstown, while Bacchus Bulls will lock horns with Rising Stars.

Friday February 18, 2022

PAGE 29

Kaieteur News

West Indies 4-day C/Ships...

Hurricanes decimate Guyana by inns & 67 runs - Joseph snatch 5-94 despite 50s from Bramble & Hemraj

By Sean Devers Another horrendous batting performance from the Guyana Harpy Eagles’ top order played a huge role in them being decimated by the Leewards Hurricane by an innings and 67 runs on the penultimate day of their second round match in the West Indies four-day Championships yesterday at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad.

Set 323 to avoid an innings defeat, fifties from 31 year-old Anthony Bramble, who made 58 from 70 balls with five fours and two sixes and Chanderpaul Hemraj, whose 50 lasted 45 balls with 11 boundaries offered token resistance.

The 28 year-old Gudakesh Motie was unbeaten on 49 from 52 balls with six fours and two sixes and shared in a last wicket stand with Nial Smith (17), while Keemo Paul (28) and Clinton Pestano (22) got Guyana to a decent total.

The lower order were the dim lights at the end of dark tunnel of mediocre batsmanship as Guyana slumped to 14-3 and then 845 before being bowled out for 265.

West Indies pacer, 25year-old Alzarri Joseph bowled fast on a good track for batting to finish with 5-93.

He got support from Colin Archibald (2-31) and Jeremiah Louis (2-50).

Volcanoes began the day on their overnight score of 266-5 and declared at 438-7 at 10:49 as Terrence Ward, took his overnight 46 to 78 from 168 balls with eight fours and a six to register sixth FirstClass 50.

Colin Archibald clobbered 38 from 19 balls with two fours and four sixes and he was removed by Smith to break the 66-run stand, the declaration came leaving Ward unbeaten five runs short of his highest score of 83.

Smith 3-100 and Motie 3113.

When play began Rakeem Cornwall (15) was caught in

the deep off Motie 272-6.

Ward clobbered Motie over mid-wicket for six to take the stand to 99 before guiding the next ball behind for four to post the 400.

Archibald took the attack to the bowlers and was especially severe on Paul; swatting him four to take the lead to 300 and celebrated the landmark with consecutive sixes when Paul was re-introduced into the attack with the new ball, while Ward cut Smith for consecutive fours as the new ball leaked runs.

When Guyana began their reply, Chanderpaul cut Joseph for four but he gloved a pull and was caught down to leg-side next ball as Joseph struck at 4-1.

Shimron Hetymer, who was dismissed ‘obstructing the field’ for duck in the first innings, survived a confident appeal for LBW before he had scored and stroked Louis for four before Hemraj sweetly drove Louis for another boundary in the same over.

Hetmyer (5) cut the lively Joseph to gully at 14-2 as his failures continued, while Leon Johnson played across the line and was LBW for duck at 14-3 as the impressive Joseph, who struck twice in quick succession, to leave Harpy Eagles stunted.

Hemraj executed a delightful on drive and followed up with a glorious cover drive of Archibald, while the diminutive Vishaul Singh pulled Cornwall for four.

At Lunch Guyana were 523 with Hemraj 29 and Singh 14 still needing another 270 to the Leewards bat again.

After the interval, in sweltering heat, Hemraj spanked Joseph for four consecutive boundaries before Singh walked across his wicket and was bowled by Louis for 18 to break the 58-run stand and leave Guyana on 73-4.

Bramble, the top scorer in the first innings with 28, joined Hemraj who played an uppish cover drive for four to post his 12th fifty in FirstClass cricket and second for

this tournament.

Hemraj missed a defencive push off Louis as the ball left him to knock out his off stump at 85-5.

Paul, looking well set, edged a ball from left-arm seamer Archibald which moved away from him and was caught behind at 125-6 before Bramble and Pestano staged a recovery.

Bramble dumped Cornwall for six while Pestano swept the towering six feet seven inch Doram for four to post the 50 stand before being LBW next ball at 177-7.

At Tea the score was 1827 with Bramble, whose highest of his three tons is 196 against the Leewards, three

away from 13th fifty. With him was Veerasammy Permaul on three.

After the break Permaul was beaten for pace and LBW Joseph first ball after Tea. Bramble got his fifty with a six off Doram but with the score on 205 Joseph picked up his seventh five-wicket haul when Bramble was caught down the leg side.

Last man Smith joined Motie, who threw caution to the wind and hit Joseph for a six. He continued to counterattack and deposited Joseph for his second six to bring up the 250, while Smith hit Archibald for four as the last wicket stand kept growing much to frustration of the Hurricanes.

However, with Motie one short of his second fifty, Smith (17) pulled Archibald to mid-wicket to end the match.

Match summaries on Day

3 of Round 2 of matches in the West Indies Championship played yesterday: Leewards beat Guyana by an innings and 57 runs.

Guyana Harpy Eagles 116 (Anthony Bramble 38, Keemo Paul 20; Daniel Doram 3-16, Colin Archibald 3-29) and 265 (Anthony Bramble 58, Chandrapaul Hemraj 50, Gudakesh Motie 49; Alzarri Joseph 5-94) Leeward Islands Hurricanes 438-7 declared (Terrance Warde 78 not out, Kieran Powell 74, Devon Thomas 72, Montcin Hodge 71, Jahmar Hamilton 48, Colin Archibald 38; Nial Smith 3100, Gudakesh Motie 3-119).

Trinidad & Tobago beat Windward Islands by an innings and 43 runs.

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 326 (Joshua Da Silva 73, Yannic Cariah 72, Jeremy Solozano 66, Terrence Warde 57; Shermon Lewis 5-43)

Windward Islands Volcanoes 97 (Alick Athanaze 33; Anderson Phillip 4-32, Jayden Seales 3-31) and 186 (Denis Smith 65, Shermon Lewis 33, Kenneth Dember 25 not out; Imran Khan 4-38, Anderson Phillip 3-31).

At the Kensington Oval: Kraigg Brathwaite: 276 off 407 balls with 18 fours in 10 hours was the highest score (521-8) for Barbados vs Jamaica all time. Seventh highest first class score at Kensington Oval.

Jamaica Scorpions 328 (John Campbell 127, Paul Palmer 76, Nkrumah Bonner 49, Leroy Lugg 39; Ramon Reifer 6-23) and 56-1 (Jermaine Blackwood 24 not out) Barbados Pride 521-8 declared (Kraigg Brathwaite 278, Raymon Reifer 71, Jonathan Carter 68, Shamarh Brooks 39; Patrick Harty 5111).

PAGE 30

Friday February 18, 2022

Kaieteur News

20 records set at GAPLF Novices/Juniors C/Ships

By Zaheer Mohamed The discipline of competitive weightlifting, which severely tests competitors’ ability, athletes fight to succeed, is won or lost in their mind long before they chalked up and curled their fingers around a barbell.

And athletes are cognizant of the fact that in order to succeed, their desire for success must be greater than their fear of failure, and this was evident when the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) staged its Novices/Juniors Championship on Sunday last at the St. Stanislaus College Auditorium.

The athletes must be commended for their courageous efforts throughout the day.

As they decided their own fate in an atmosphere which provided the kind of motivation that is needed in iron sport, 20 records were broken as the season commenced in

Yogaishawar Seecharan in action.

(Zaheer Mohamed photos)

Richard Fredericks

Shelly Ann Gomes

fine fashion, setting the tone for the intermediate meet within three months.

Among the highlights of the day’s proceedings was Shelly Ann Gomes earning international qualifi-

cation for the NAPF international meet in August.

Arnold Archer, Romeo Hunter, Richard Fredericks, Sherene Williams, Dennis J o n a s a n d Yo g a i s h a w a r Seecharan currently hold

new records, while Hunter, Nicholas Albert (male), Williams and Sarah Goptar (female) were crowned overall champions.

The records are as follows.

Powerlifting Records Broken on Sun Feb 13 2022 Athlete Name Wt Class Division Shelly Ann Gomes 63 Women’s Open Raw Arnold Archer 74 Men’s Master 4 Raw Romeo Hunter 74 Men’s Sb-Jr EQ Arnold Archer 74 Men’s Master 4 Raw Romeo Hunter 74 Men’s Sb-Jr EQ Arnold Archer 74 Men’s Master 4 Raw Arnold Archer 74 Men’s Master 4 Raw Romeo Hunter 74 Men’s Sb-Jr EQ Romeo Hunter 74 Men’s Sb-Jr EQ Richard Fredericks 83 Men’s Master 3 Raw Richard Fredericks 83 Men’s Master 3 Raw Richard Fredricks 83 Men’s Master 3 Raw Richard Fredricks 83 Men’s Master 3 Raw Sherene Williams 84 Women’s Open Raw Sherene Williams 84 Women’s Open Raw Dennis Jonas 120 Men’s Sb-Jr Raw Yogaishawar Seecharan 120+ Men’s Junior Raw Dennis Jonas 120 Men’s Sb-Jr Raw Yogaishawar Seecharan 120+ Men’s Junior Raw Yogaishawar Seecharan 120+ Men’s Junior Raw

Event Kgs Bench Press 72.5 Squat 35 Squat 247.5 Bench Press 27.5 Bench Press 155 Deadlift 55 Total 117.5 Total 615.0 Deadlift 212.5 Squat 107.5 Bench Press 75 Deadlift 137.5 Total 320 Bench Press 67.5 Total 367.5 Squat 122.5 Squat 222.5 Bench Press 82.5 Deadlift 237.5 Total 567.5

Lbs 159.835 77.162 545.644 60.627 341.717 121.254 259.043 1355.843 468.482 236.997 165.347 303.136 705.479 148.812 810.199 270.066 490.529 181.881 523.598 1251.124

Albert Archer became Guyana’s oldest powerlifter at 82 years.

Sherene Williams

Friday February 18, 2022

PAGE 31

Kaieteur News

D’ Edward CC defeat Cutton Tree to lift BCB/Jaferally /WBCA 20/20 Tournament - MP assists BCB to obtain three more sponsorships for West Berbice

MP Faizal Jafferally hands over winning trophy and gears to Jaipaul Heeralall of the D Edward CC. D’ Edward Cricket Club on Sunday last defeated arch rival Cotton Tree CC by twelve runs to lift the Berbice Cricket Board / WBCA / Jaferally 20/ 20 tournament . Playing under very strict covid 19 guidelines at the Cotton Tree Ground, the powerful visiting team maintained their winning streak against their neighbours. The tournament was sponsored by People Progressive Party Member of Parliament Faizal Jaferally, who described it as a remarkable success. The popular politician renewed his sponsorship for this year and also announced to loud applause

a fifty percent increase in the sponsorship.

The game was delayed for thirty minutes due to overnight rain. The sponsor and West Berbice Cricket Board President David Black met the two teams before the start of play. Batting first after been sent in, D’ Edward rattled up an imposing 193 for 8 from their allotted 20 overs. Altaf Khan top scored with an even fifty and received support from Devindra Lalsa 26 and Kevin Jawahir 25. Bowling for the home team, Abdul Sudhan and Narsad Gaffoor took two wickets apiece for 33 from four overs, while

Roshan Gaffoor, Waqar Hassan and Pooran Persaud took a wicket apiece. Needing to score 194 from 20 overs to lift the trophy, the home team disappointed their fans by falling twelve runs shorts despite a top score of 82 not out from former Berbice youth player Nick Ramsaroop which included three sixes and six boundaries. Abdul Subhan 31 and Roshan Gafoor 28 were the other main scorers as Cotton Tree ended on 181 for 4. Akash Herilall took 2 wickets for 11 runs from four miserly overs to claim the Man of the Final prize, while Kevin Jawahir and Ricky

BCB lauds its Patron Vickram Bharrat - hails him as a positive role model and leader

President of the Berbice Cricket Board, Hilbert Foster, has hailed Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat as an outstanding Patron of the board. The BCB President stated that he and his executives have made hundreds of decisions for the board over the last four years but the appointment of Minister Bharrat was perhaps the best ever.

The BCB in early October 2020 had visited the Minister and had offered him the position to become the first ever Honorary Patron and he readily agreed. He was officially sworn in on the 7th of November and immediately established the Patron Fund with a one million dollars contribution which was used to provide cricket balls to all the clubs in the county. Several youths also received a com-

Minister Vickram Bharrat bined two hundred thousand dollars worth of cricket gears.

In 2021, The Patron committed $2.5M to the Fund which was used to provide white balls to first division clubs along with some catching cribs. He recommended the hosting of special social development seminars for youth players and the fund assisted to organise four sessions which attracted a total

of over one hundred and fifty under 19 players.

The fund also assisted fifty youths with an educational grant to assist them in their pursuit of an educational career.

The Patron, the BCB noted also attended the opening ceremony of the social skills seminar and was heavily involved in the programme.

The BCB Patron has also met the executives of the board on numerous occasions at very short notice and has committed himself to make the proposed Professional League, a success later in the year. He also played a major role in the recent visit of the legendary Sir Curtly Ambrose for a fast bowling clinic and has assisted junior cricketers with their own gears including West Indies junior player (Continued on page 25)

The winning team poses with BCB President Hilbert Foster and sponsor Mr Faizal Jafferally MP. Moore took a wicket apiece for 26 and 28 respectively.

BCB President Hilbert Foster stated that the sub association can expected at least five more tournaments in 2022 and hailed the support of Mr Jafferally , who he described as a true friend of Berbice Cricket. He congratulated the winner while urging the runner up to work harder.

MP Jaferally, noted that he was very proud of the way the game is been run in the county and pledged his support as long as Foster remains at the helm of the game in the ancient county. He also announced that he was able to obtain three additional sponsorship for cricket in the area at the under 15, under 23 and senior levels. These tournaments would be launched shortly.

The BCB over the last few months has assisted clubs

BCB President Hilbert Foster hands over a special gift to Mr Jaferally.

with cricket balls, catching cribs, grass cutters, youth information booklets, coaching manuals, bicycles, educational materials, scorebooks among other items. The sub association also benefitted

from a $324,000 pitch cover.

The covers played a major role in allowing the game to be played despite heavy overnight rain. The winning team carried home sixty thousand dollars and a bag of cricket gears.

PAGE 32

FIDE to assist GCF players in acquiring ratings The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF), represented by Vice President, Anand Raghunauth, attended the meeting organized by the planning and development committee for International Chess Federation (FIDE) which was hosted by CCA in Mexico City, Mexico.

Present at the meeting were the President of FIDE, Arkady Dvorkovich, Managing Director Dana RenizniceOzloa, Executive Director Victor Bologan GM, and President of FIDE-America’s IA Jorge Vega, along with delegates from 28 Federations from North, Central and South America.

GCF was able to secure an in-person meeting with the FIDE president and interacted with the major players in the development of chess in the region and throughout the world. The GCF presented its ambitions and was able to forge relationships to better prepare its players for the future. Promising agreements were made with the Federations of Uruguay, Costa Rica and Barbados to provide mutual support and assistance.

The first joint project will be to assist Guyanese chess players to acquire FIDE ratings, which is the first step on the journey to gaining international titles like FIDE Master and Grand Master. The project will consist of staging Hybrid Chess Tournaments to be recognized by FIDE and therefore qualifying players to earn rating points.

Hybrid Tournaments are structured so that players from each country are seated

Friday February 18, 2022

Kaieteur News

FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich (left) was presented with a token from the GCF

by Vice President Anand Raghunauth. in a single location in their home jurisdictions, and playing against others located similarly in their own countries. Each location will be supervised by FIDE certified arbiters, who will be in constant communication with each other throughout the tournament, to resolve issues and to ensure fair play.

This opportunity is important for the long term and sustainable development of chess within the country. This exposure will ensure that a larger pool of rated players is created, hence, the natural progress towards titles.

According to a release from the GCF, it stated: “We are humbled by the generosity of the community of Chess Federations in the Americas, in

their willingness and enthusiasm to assist in the development of Chess in Guyana.

Coupled with the GCF chess in schools program, chess players will have a valuable opportunity to become even more competitive on the international stage.” ”The creation of invitational tournaments with close collaboration with the larger Federations in the region will influence our strategic approach to development. This approach will have an immediate impact on player development as their goals become more defined, concrete and achievable.” Meanwhile, the Federation continues to make progress at the beginner level with players in outlying regions that are being trained to play the game.

Rawle Toney 3x3 Classic...

Venue shifted to Burnham Court - Team Mohamed support production The recently refurbished Burnham Basketball Court will play host to this weekend’s (February 19 & 20) Rawle Toney 3X3 Classic.

Toney explained that the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport moved their Mashramani Panorama Steel Pan competition from the National Culture Centre to the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, forcing him to relocate to the spruced-up outdoor facility.

He added that while the Panorama event will only be held on Sunday, “logistically, it would cost me more to host the event at two venues.

So now both days of the tournament will be held at Burnham Court.

It means that I will have to add a temporary washroom and changing area at Burnham Court.”

“Ideally, 3X3 is meant to be played outdoors. The Sports Hall was chosen because of the amenities that we lack at our outdoor basketball facilities.

Also, taking the level of investment to bring a premium basketball event to Guyana, the Sports Hall eliminates the issue of being affected by the weather,” Toney highlighted.

Thanks to Ansa McAl and the Hennessy brand, the Burnham Basketball Court was given a complete upgrade in keeping with the renowned cognac’s global community basketball programme.

In addition, the historic tournament will be seen all over the world as Team

Rawle Toney

Mohamed’s through their principal Azruddin Mohamed has decided to sponsor the video production of the twoday event that will see 16 teams comprising of top players from Guyana and the Caribbean vying for t h e t o u r n a m e n t ’s f i r s t place prize of $500,000 and four championship commemorative gold rings.

Principal of Team Mohamed’s, Azruddin Mohamed, who has been a supporter of sport in Guyana for many years, in an invited comment, explained that he was happy to lend a helping hand.

He maintained that Team Mohamed’s remains committed to not only sports but

their corporate social responsibility and such a memorable occasion needs to be seen by the world.

This is the second edition of the Rawle Toney 3X3 tourney which is one of few, if not only, FIBA sanctioned 3X3 tournament in the region to date.

Sponsors of the event include, Mackeson, Guyana Lottery Company and Hennessy, FireSide Grill, Bush Cook, Stuff, MVP Sports, FK Sports, Shi Oil, Brother’s Security, The Muse Bar, Pressy’s Gift Shop and 94.1FM are some of the other sponsors.

Jump ball time is 6:00 pm nightly.

CONCACF ‘W’ Championship…

Lady Jags roam to top of table, Coach impressed with opening victory Following Guyana’s confidence boosting triumph in their opening match of the CONCACAF ‘W’ Championship against Dominica, the Lady Jags have taken control of Group F with the first three points.

Leonora was the venue where the action unfolded as Guyana’s senior women’s football team won 4 – 0 against the visitors.

Shortly after the final whistle was blown, the media had an opportunity to speak with a seemingly satisfied head coach, Dr. Ivan Joseph.

On his thoughts about the victorious commencement to the tournament, he said: “I’m

grateful for the performance the team put out there.

Dominica was a tough opponent, they came really hard at us and today the ball bounced our way a few times, so, it’s on to the next game now.”

Touching lightly on the technical aspect of their gameplay on the night, the coach stated, “I thought we worked on our four days; we worked on some things, we worked on some plays during the flank, we worked on making sure our shape was tight, and so, from a tactical point of view, we were pretty sharp.”

“You know, we always like to execute a little better than

Lady Jaguars’ head coach Dr. Ivan Joseph we did, but I thought we made a lot of our goalscoring opportunities count, and so, when you put the early ones away it opens up the game

and allows you to have the freedom to play.

I was really happy with the way we played especially in the centre of the park.”

With the win in the bag, the squad now moves on to face Turks and Caicos on Saturday at the Turks and Caicos Island Football Association (TCIFA) Academy from 20:00 hrs.

Dr. Joseph further disclosed that it’s quite a tight travelling schedule for the team since they left at 2am on Thursday, just hours after the opening match against Dominica.

“We’ve got three hours sleep; we leave at two in the morning but we don’t get in Turks and Caicos ‘til’ Friday night at seven o’clock.

We got to turn around

and play a game in less than 24 hours. We’re going to have our work cut out for us.

We’re going to have heavy legs, we’re going to have tired legs, so Turks and Caicos can’t be understated how tough that match is going to be.”

On Wednesday night, Shanice Alfred, Annalisa Vincent a n d S y d n e y Cummings all scored once in the first half for Guyana before Brianne Desa accounted for the final goal in the second half.

The head coach was also extremely proud of young Vincent’s performance.

He said, “Since Puerto Rico I can see her she’s elevated her game.

She scored her first goal

there. She scored her second one there.

We pulled her off early in the game because we’re going to need her in Turks.

We want to make sure her legs are well rested. She did exactly what she was supposed to do. She was a terror on the offence.

She harassed them defensively to create turnovers.

You know what, she is just starting to blossom now and we’re ‘gonna’ see a lot more of her name and the newsprint.”

On Thursday, the second Group F encounter unfolded between Trinidad and Tobago and Nicaragua as the twin-island republic claimed a 2 – 1 victory at home to move up to second in the Group.

Kaieteur News

Friday February 18, 2022

PAGE 33

GISE, Star Party Rental & Trophy Stall cricket

Host DCC favoured against for tomorrow's Final

By Sean Devers Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) will collide with Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) from tomorrow at the DCC ground in the Georgetown Cricket Association's (GCA) GISE, Star Party Rental & Trophy Stall Two-Day Division One Cricket Final from 9:30 am.

A handful of fans in the stands at Everest & Bourda were last Sunday treated to superb centuries from 16year-old West Indies U-16 batsman Mavindra Dindyal

and 35-year-old Chris Barnwell in the semi-finals.

Barnwell continues to be the most consistent batsman at club level and smashed a commanding 179 for DCC against Everest at Camp Road while Dindyal stroked an elegant 110 for GCC against Police at Bourda in the other semi-final.

GCC qualified by virtue of taking first innings points from the Cops in a contest which had only three hours of action on the opening day, while DCC advanced due the more outright wins than

Renaldo Ali-Mohamed could be key with bat and ball for GCC. (Sean Devers photo)

First-Class batsman Trevon Griffith took 7-32 against GCC at this level.

(Sean Devers photo) Everest in the preliminary rounds after the entire first day at Everest was washed o u t .

DCC has four players who played senior cricket for Guyana and several who have played at the Regional Youth level and will be favoured against GCC in tomorrow's grand finale which has not been completed in two years due

Chris Barnwell smashed 179 against Everest in the Semis. (Sean Devers photo) to the adverse weather and t h e p a n d e m i c .

The small ground should produce big scores and Barnwell, the tournament's leading run scorer, will relish batting on his home ground.

The host will hope for no rain since in addition to Barnwell, DCC's powerful batting line-up includes Trevon Griffith, Sachin Singh and Joshua Persaud,

while Ashmead Nedd, Paul Wintz and Raj Nanan, who made 77 in the semis, can all produce with the bat.

DCC bowling attack will include seamers Qumar Torrington, Wintz and Barnwell, while their spin bowling line-up has lots of variety.Nannan and Nedd bowls left-arm orthodox, Totaram Bishun bowls leftarm chinaman and googlies,

while Steven Sankar is a right-arm leg spinner and off-spinner Griffith had 7-32 against GCC at this level.

The Guyana Harpy Eagles are scheduled to r e t u r n f r o m Tr i n i d a d tomorrow afternoon and GCC will not have their two Test batsmen Leon Johnson a n d Vi s h a u l S i n g h .

The Bourda boys will pin (Continued on page 27)

Rawle Toney 3x3 Classic

Venue shifted to Burnham Court

Rawle Toney

Azruddin Mohamed

- Team Mohamed support production An aerial view of the refurbished Burnham Court

s t r o Sp West Indies 4-day C/Ships

Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer sealed India's win in the opening game. (BCCI)

Hurricanes decimate Guyana by inns & 67 runs Joseph snatch 5-94 despite 50s from Bramble & Hemraj

Alzarri Joseph Anthony Bramble

West Indies seek consistency to stay alive against red-hot India

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