Kaieteur News

Senior & Junior Calypso Monarchs along with the Junior Soca Monach crowned

In keeping with one of the long held traditions of Mashramani, the Ministry ofCulture,YouthandSporthosted the Senior Calypso Monarch, Junior Calypso Monarch and the J u n i o r S o c a M o n a r c h Competitions on Saturday 19th February, 2023, at the Guyana NationalStadium Contestants vying to dethrone the reining monarchs, valiantly competed in the three categories andtheresultsarein!Below,arethe listsofthetopthreefinalistsofthe threeMonarchies:

*SeniorCalypsoMonarch2023*

1stplace:RogerHinds

2ndplace:DianaChapman

3rdplace:OseiClarke

*JuniorCalypsoMonarch

2023*

1stplace:TheodoraDennert

2ndplace:SimeonRaywarm

3rdplace:AngelKizzyEllis

*JuniorSocaMonarch2023*

1stplace:VinelHinds

2ndplace:TeijaEdwards

3rdplace:AngelKizzyEllis

In a Facebook post, the newly crowned Adult Calypso Monarch, Roger Hinds said:

“AstheNewCalypsoMonarchofGuyana,I would first like to thank Almighty God for giving me that endurance to keep on for the love of the calypso art form and many who recognise my effort and not discourage ...let me thank my Mom for her continuous blessings...My kids who were with me on stage Deanna and Daniel Hinds...moral

support from family and friends...my two dancers Shelly and Nozela...team Nesta doing great work with the backup harmony...Sir Mars who did a fantastic appearance ...to Refeal and Masquerade team, my tailor for over 25 years Vinu Mathan Claude Bascomb the music producer...EarlPaulandGermeyandthe592

band...Darell Pugsley DP records...Nishal b...old man pappy who had had his curfew...also to the MINISTRY OF CULTURE YOUTH AND SPORT for the hosting of the Competition...and most of all thesponsors.”

Congratulations are extended to the 2023 Monarch winners!

2023 Senior Calypso Monarch, Roger Hinds

2023 Junior Calypso Monarch, Theodora Dennert

2023 Junior Soca Monarch, Vinel Hinds

Glenn Lall’s constant exposure of Govt. mismanagement, sellout of country’s assets riles up VP Jagdeo

K a i e t e u r N e w s Publisher, Glenn Lall has respondedtoclaimsbyVice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo that he and his newspaper have scuttled some developmental projects here through misleadingreports.

Butthebusinessmansaid nothing could be further fromthetruth,arguingthatit wasthelackoftransparency on the part of government that has cost the country billions of US dollars and which motivated him to shinelightonsomeofmurky dealstheyhaveenteredinto.

Lallsaidthatheishappy, thathisconstantexposureof governmental corruption and mismanagement has rankled the VP who he said has been finding time to sit down for hours with a Facebook commentator rather than facing the legitimate media to answer critical questions about this country’sresources.

Lall made the comments during his radio show last Friday as he reacted to a recent interview by Jagdeo during which the former president sought to downplay the newspaper publisher’s campaign against corruption and his advocacy for a better oil deal. “…he called me a madman because I am

calling for our fair share of our wealth in this country, somethingwhichhehimself, the now President Ali and their party, while in Opposition, promised to get out of that lopsided Exxon contract. But let me be very blunt tonight, Jagdeo’s approval or disapproval of whatIdoorsay,isnotgoing to keep me back from my purposeinlife,sorrysir,you don’t have that power,” Lall stated.

Mr Lall said when you listen to Jagdeo and some other leaders “and see how theyaresellingoutallofus, theyaremoreangrythanwe the Guyanese people who getting shafted every day,

yes, we can’t ask them anything or say anything aboutwhat’shappeningwith our wealth, they are more offended…”Lallnoted.

He again stated that the Guyanese nation is in the dark on everything, and instead the leaders addressing the real issues, Jagdeo found the time to sit down social media personality and the selfstyled ‘Guyanese Critic’ speak on policy issues and respond to public concerns on a growing number of issues.

During the interview, Jagdeo tried to refute some of the allegations of corruption leveled against

hisgovernmentandalthough hedidn’tprovideanyfactual rebuttal, he accused the Kaieteur News of “making up stories”. He also said it was very difficult for a governmenttodealwithMr Lall.Speakingdirectlytohis radio and internet audience, Lallsaid:“Youguysbelieve what you heard…the Vice Presidentinchargeoftheoil sector, this man got any shame;hegotthegallandthe belly to talk about transparencyandmisleading this whole nation every day with their silence, and when theydotalk,youcan’ttrusta wordthatcomesoutoftheir mouth.”

SECRECYAND SILENCE

Lall said his constant c r i t i c i s m s o f t h e government’s handling of the oil sector is premised on the secrecy and blatant refusal to answer key questions about some of the projects being undertaken. Hecitedasexample,thelack ofinformationregardingthe interest rate ExxonMobil is payingbackonloansittook toserviceitsoperationshere. ThatcostisbornebyGuyana throughcostoil.

“Doesanyoneknowhow much we are paying on interest alone for the US$40B ExxonMobil said

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

they spent out there to date?

That’s a legitimate question every person in this country should know the answer to, after all is our oil, and remember, the President himselfpromisedhowhegot all the answers for Glenn Lall,butontonowtheycan’t answer that one. Is that the transparency he talked about? Lall asked The newspaper publisher observed that at a minimum of 10% interest rate on that US$40B Guyana will be payingUS$4Bayear,which iscomingoutfromouroilfor interest alone, “and how muchGuyanagettingayear? justoverUS$1B.Whyisthat question not being a n s w e r e d , i s t h i s transparency Mr Jagdeo, or is this ducking and hiding? Lallqueried.

Further, Mr Lall noted

that government did audits on some of Exxon’s expenses but to date, Guyanese are yet to be informedabouttheresults.

“Let me ask you guys, anybody has ever seen or heard anything about what the audit discovered during that investigation, Jagdeo haven’t said a word…” Lall asked why Jagdeo is hiding thefindingsoftheaudits.

“Six times I have asked him,forthegoldcontractsto bereleasedsothatthepeople of this country can see the extentoftherobberytheyare gettingfromthoseforeigners

Continuedonpage8

Kaieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall

24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.

Publisher:GLENNLALL-Tel:624-6456

Editor-in-Chief:NigelWilliams

Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Guyanese stars

ItisgoodtoseetwoGuyaneseoccupyingstarringroleson the international stage. Tajenarine Chanderpaul has done so brilliantly with the bat at the highest level, and consistently AnotheryoungGuyanese,GodakeshMotie,hasdonesowith the ball in two innings, again at the Test level, spinning his wayintotherecordbooks.

It has been a long and barren season for Guyanese cricketers, who once were a dominant and exciting presence intheWestIndiescricketteam.

We join our hands to the applause for Chanderpaul and Motie, who have been recognized for their grittiness and skills. FormerWestIndieslegend,Dr DesmondHaynes,has lenthisvoiceofwisdomandkeeneyetothepraisesgoingthe way of these young stars who have arrived on the biggest stage. According to Dr Haynes, the word from others is that thetwoarethe‘realdeal.’

This is good to hear from such a cricketing stalwart, and the hope is that these two, with other young sportsmen and sportswomen in Guyana, and the wider region, will work diligently at putting us on the map and keeping us there. In addition, other youngsters should take their examples and successes to heart, believe in themselves and their dreams, and never yield a backward step in their quest for a place in whatisthehighlycompetitivesportingarena. Insayingthis, wearenotonlytalkingaboutcricket,butotherfieldsofplay, where Guyanese must believe that they belong with the best, and they have what it takes to excel, regardless of the pressures,orthecompetition.

Guyana itself, as a country, is at a place that makes it the envy of the world. In Chanderpaul and Motie, we now have stars in the making, who could both go on to great glory for themselves and nation. We are enriched in the human presence of both of them, and others still unknown and unheralded.

Underour seas, belowandaboveour ground,aroundand inmanyplaces,wepossessanabundanceofnon-humangifts in dazzling array When we apply ourselves with the same grit and determination, then there is the greater probability that the best, a little bit at a time, could be extracted from the giftsthatareours.

Just as how two young Guyanese sons adjusted and applied, battled and kept beating on the door of opportunity, the same must be what characterises their peers, their elders, and those who could and must rise up to be champions in other fields of challenge and endeavour in this country Throwinguphandsintheair,andgivingup,areneverhealthy options, or ones which should ever cross the mind, notwithstanding how bleak the circumstances may seem, how overwhelming the adversary may appear to be. What Tagenarine Chanderpaul did with bat and Godakesh Motie did with ball, must open our eyes, and alert all of us, to the possibilities,andhowendlesstheycanbe,attimes.

They must have been told for as long as they could remember of how much potential they have, and how they must work tirelessly and sensibly to get the best from their gifts.

Today, they have lived up to their individual gifts, and made all of us proud, with potential now the reality that makes the West Indies cricket world (and elsewhere) sit up andlookatmostcarefully,hopefully.Inareverseofthenorm, these two youthful figures of local sport have now become models of effort and skill for us the ones who are older, the ones with more power, and with more and greater responsibilitiesontheirhands.

Nowadays whenever Guyana is spoken of, the very next word that follows almost automatically is potential. To be candid, we have disappointed as a country, due to the human handsthathaveledtheway

In a nutshell, potential has not translated to anything of substancetothispoint. Wehavehadtheoccasionalglimpse, butnothingoflastingimprint.

If we do expend the right blend of energies, passions, wisdoms,asapeople,asleaders,thenitisinevitablewecould riseandruleourdestiny

Guyana up for sale: The story of the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030

DEAREDITOR, carbon credit market are will become financially traditional features of life. From a pioneering ‘worthless’ , neither valuable. Over the past three decades, REDD+ Agreement with strengtheningforestcapacity Whether this is the Indigenous communities Norway a decade ago, to capture emissions nor attraction of the massive have begun to recover Guyana’s forests are now e

issions investment in Guyana’s aspects of their Indigenous being re-packaged as an captures. An earlier version carbon credits by HESS oil identity, especially related to ‘eco-system service’ in the of carbon marketing (USD 750mn – US75mn per land ownership, language Low Carbon Development attracted the attention of year for 10 years) is unclear andculture.

Strategy (LCDS) 2030 in Interpol which in 2007 It may be that in a decade’s Renewed confidence in which the world’s leading dubbed carbon off-sets as time, they can turn around their tribal identities have fossil fuel generating “an imaginary commodity and sell the credits at a seen the emergence of the companiesareencouragedto created by deducting what handsome profit Or the Wapishan South Rupununi invest. youhopehappensfromwhat reason may be more Development Council, the Buyingcreditsisadevice you guess would have mundane, relating to the Macusi-led North Rupununi for companies to avoid h a p p e n e d ” I n t h e avoidance of huge taxes in Development Board, the reducing their fossil fuel intervening period much theUSonHESSprofitsfrom Akawaio Upper Mazaruni emissions.To this extent, the effort has gone into cleaning Guyana Passing off the Council and others which r e - v a m p e d L C D S up the image and the science transaction as investment or have all challenged negative undermines the essential along with copious costs would benefit from the features of coastal purpose of low carbon references to the UN vague LCDS language development Underlying strategies namely reduction Framework Convention referred to earlier The odds the challenges to mining infossilfuelemissions. Commission Climate are that the US Internal devastation is a cosmoMoney-making rather Change (UNFCC) to add Revenue Service is no vision shared by the than reducing global respectability clearer about the nature of communities One that warming dominates the The money-making carbon credits than Interpol clashes fundamentally with breezy but opaque text of the emphasis of the LCDS was. the LCDS That cosmoLCDS 2030 document, as becomes clearer when we On the domestic front, visionseesallformsoflifeas typified in the following take into account that the the LCDS is emerging as a related and linked to each quote. “In Guyana’s case, New York Stock Exchange factor determining the future other The notion of humans harnessing the value of the has started to market a new of Guyana’s Indigenous dominatingnaturewhichlies country’s ecosystem class of natural assets to communities Colonial at the heart of the marketing services can build a long- convert them into financial ‘protection’ of Indigenous of ‘natural assets’ is alien to t e r m , l o w - c a r b o n capital.Thismarketisdriven peoples as in need of indigenous communities. If d i v e r s i f i c a t i o n by the basic economic rule protectionwasreplacedafter the LCDS is as successful as opportunity.”(LCDSp.7) thatrareobjectsattractvalue. Independence by the notion the Government intends, However, reputable Applied to the natural world, of ’development’. This was communal ownership rights international studies have it means that threatened understood as integration and other mechanisms that concluded that 90% of the species of plants, animals or into Guyana’s coastal protectthecommunalnature projects invested in by the –inthepresentcase–forests, communities by abandoning (Continued on page 6)

Sale of carbon credits exposes the PPP’s contempt for Indigenous peoples

DEAREDITOR, waterways. We would have does not serve its narrow handintoprivateproperties–For Mr Jagdeo and the poisoned our streams, purpose of personal titled lands – owned by People’s Progressive Party, creeks, and rivers taking and enrichment. It has no regard Indigenous Peoples the sale of carbon credits is consuming the last fish. We for anyone who it perceives Indigenous Peoples have all about money Money at would have killed and eaten as not supporting its inalienable ownership over their disposal to throw our animals to the last separatist, political some 18.5% of Guyana’s around in the grand voter suckling. objectives. Our Indigenous lands. The State negotiated procurement scheme and the Instead, we preserved, peoples, in large majority, the sale of carbon credits accompanying propaganda carefully managed and want our ancestral and using(some)landsownedby blitzhelpsthePPPasitseeks monitored our natural contemporary works these private citizens, to hoodwink citizens and the resources so that now, recognised and respected. withouttheirconsent.Infact, international onlookers, or Guyana can boast of an We want our rights, not just the PPP government, which sotheybelieve. eighty percent (80%) forest on pieces of paper and controlstheStatemachinery,

For the large majority of canopy with a deforestation conveniently talked about; failed, refused and/or Guyanese Indigenous rate of 0.4% to 0.5%per wewantourrightsrespected. neglected to consult with the Peoples,thisissueofthesale annum.Now,wecanboastas The Indigenous Peoples’ legal owners of lands before of carboncreditsexposes the a country that we possess a right to Self-determination engaging the potential government’s contempt for large amount of the world’s and right to Free Prior and purchaser In my humble the indigenous population. remaining fresh water, being Informed Consent (FPIC) opinion, the government For our people it is not about a part of theAmazon Region are not merely aspirational. possessesnosuchpower money It is about our (Guiana Shield) which These rights are enforceable In so doing, the heritage, our culture, our boasts of having 20% of the andoughttobeenforced,and government trampled upon works over the generations, world’s remaining fresh highly regarded by Guyana, the rights of a large and our rights, our dignity and water We can boast of a State Party to the United growing section (13%) of our pride as a people. Had it havingananimalkingdomof Nations Declaration on the our population without been about money, we, or giants: the harpy eagle, giant Rights of Indigenous flinching. They stripped our those who preceded us, otter, giant anteater, Jaguar, Peoples (UNDRIP). The people of their dignity They would have harvested our the arapaima to name a few PPP’s blatant disregard for disregarded the place of forests to the last stump. We We see our purpose here on these rights is, therefore, pride that we earned as a would have invited, and Mother Earth as her reprehensible, and we reject people. They believe that where they came uninvited, protector We can do no less it in the strongest terms money will make us blind to we would have encouraged, forsheprovidesforallofour possible. thetruth. Thiswillneverbe. miners to come into our needs. T h e S t a t e h a s Our people never agreed lands to dig up the last grain This government has no overreached. The State has tothesaleofcarboncredits of gold and pollute our respect for anything, which stretched its manipulative (Continued on page 5)

Way to go-Guyana must zero in on its cherry

DEAREDITOR, and on we can go.As per the Thisisindeedgreatforesight I heartily read that “The data of world trade, fresh and planning and it is West Indian Cherry cherries were estimated at consistent with the overall (Acerola) is a beloved and US$ 3.72 billion in 2021, so drive in the Agriculture popular fruit that many have wearetalkingbigbucks,and SectorofGuyana. enjoyed for years in its raw this is where the Ministry of The training in West form or in fresh juices, Agriculture must be Indian Cherry production j e l l i e s , a n d o t h e r commended. was all about helping preservatives (However) Internationally, in terms Guyana increase its While the demand for cherry of economics, fruit crops production of cherries for remainsstronginthecountry produce a higher yield per local market consumption. It (Guyana), especially for use unit area of land than any wiselyaddressedsomeofthe in the fruit juice industry, the other agronomic crop, technical production country has not been able to regardless of the crop type. challenges that have been maintain a consistent Fruit and vegetable yields plaguing agriculture overall supply.” So, my questions are in fact 10 to 15 times foryears.Ispeakhereofbest are ‘Why?’ and ‘How greater than those produced agricultural practices and come?’ I mean Guyana has by conventional agronomic battling the effects of the space and the weather, crops in the same area. So, diseases that affect cherry and for too long, we have the incentives more than trees The programme been wasting too many good justify why I am backing combined classroom opportunities, one of which Guyanainthisdrive. training and practical work has to do with how our fruits As per the local news, I on cherry nurseries, as the are being harvested and note that the Food and beneficiaries received processed. Therefore, this Agriculture Organisation hands-on training in orchard ‘cherry’ issue must be (FAO) said although the m a n a g e m e n t , s o i l capitalised on, and it seems Guyanese grown cherry is management, irrigation, as though the Agriculture preferred, some local fruit pruning, fertilization and Ministry is set on pursuing juice producers have had to nutrition, pre-and postthis. rely on importedconcentrate h a r v e s t h a n d l i n g ,

Weallknowthatcherries tomeettheirdemand. (And) propagation, grafting and are primarily consumed To address these supply p e s t a n d d i s e a s e fresh, but they are also used issues,over170stakeholders management. Indeed, it was incakesandbakeries,sweets participated in a week-long in-depth and intense and and snacks, jams and juice, Training Programme held rightlyso,asfortoolong, alcoholic beverages, and on from February 7 to 10, 2023.

(Continued on page 6)

Sale of carbon credits exposes...

From page 4 forum in a Village. The Act greater importance than in the first place. How can empowers the Village citizens’ rights and the rule the PPP now ask our people Counciltomanagetheassets oflaw? to agree to a miserly 15% (including land and money) T h a t s a i d t h e share from the proceeds of on behalf of, and in the best conversation about what our assets? What madness is interest of, the Village. The percentage of the carbon this? PPP has ignored these creditrevenuesisenoughfor

It is clear why the PPP provisions of statutory law indigenous Guyanese is a continuestoresistthecallfor As a prerequisite to d e c o y T h e r e a l amending the Amerindian receiving the money, Mr conversationmuststartatthe Act. It is equally clear why Jagdeo has instructed that beginning. the PPPis opposed to legally special bank accounts be set

How did we get to this recognising Indigenous up and special finance point? Who authorised the District Councils. A legally committees established to PPP regime to negotiate the recognised District Council, managethismoney sale? Who owns the forests, such as the South Rupununi In so doing, he has whichweretraded? District Council, may have usurpedthefunctionsofboth

Is it right to ignore the the power to negotiate and the elected Village Council owners and sell their sell its own carbon credits, and the Village General property then offer them a earning directly from its Meeting. This borders on pittance? Settle those issues, legally owned assets. Mr executive lawlessness and then, let the conversation Jagdeo and the PPPrefuse to has all the trappings of a regardingwhatpercentageis recognise the Moruca and dictatorship. appropriate begin. For now, Upper Mazaruni District No one is against money place a hold on the carnival Council and labels the being earned and distributed ofcorruption.

S R D C “ p o l i t i c a l l y to the citizenry The real Yours faithfully affiliated” so that they can question is this: Is money of Mervyn Williams continue to manipulate and d o m i n a t e t h e f e w handpicked members of the NationalToshaos’Councilin advancing their partisan agenda.

Mr Jagdeo and the PPP are violating basic provisions of the existing Amerindian Act. The Act provides that the Village General Meeting is the highest decision making

No thanks to teachers

DEAREDITOR, from that of the counterpart not speak for itself. It simply

TheEditorialintheSNof PublicServiceestablishedin confuses The above is Tuesday 14 February on the the 1990s, but substantively c o m p o u n d e d b y blighted socio-economic defies common sense. The expectations of ‘Nonenvironment teachers have following sample of Job Graduate’promotions. to increasingly endure, Grades remain puzzling in Like the Public Service, makes depressing reading – terms of basic career the overall salary scales, indeedforconsumersandthe aspirations. cramped as they are, very children they teach and TS2 (A) Temporary continue to be overtaken by the parents whom they must UnqualifiedTeacher non-negotiable periodic s a t i s f y , h o w e v e r ( B ) Te m p o r a r y increases There is combatively

QualifiedMasterIII absolutely no recognition of

In the meantime, it is ( C ) Te m p o r a r y the successes of their their employer – Ministry of QualifiedMasterII products who persistently Education—whoalongwith TS3- TrainedTeacher win Caribbean awards. Only the Teachers’ Service - Temporary Qualified the Minister of Education is Commission, albeit abetted Master applauded – probably for by the inept Guyana -AssistantLecturerII+I– retaining productive Teachers Union, with whom GTI/NATI underpaidteachers,ofwhom teachers actually have to - Instructor – GITC, thoseatthehighestgradeare c o m p l y F o r t h e y CSHE,LTI usually ‘scaled’ up to a overwhelmingly demoralised TS4-Non-Graduate ‘Fixed Salary’ – for the rest by how the respective SeniorAssistantMaster of their lives. Somehow the a g e n c i e s d i s r e g a r d T S 5 - H e a d o f GTU will be satisfied that fundamental humanity For Department their members’ recently the employment (infra) -Non-Graduate Senior promised promotions may structure in which they are Master simply earn further in this embedded has been totally -Non-Graduate Head, most unacceptable Colonial ignored ever since its GradeDNursery ‘era’ticcompensation(infra) creation in the colonial era. The contradictions on structure. It is a job structure that not being promoted to a Regards, only differs substantively ‘Temporary’ position does

E. B. John

Burnham was a dictator

DEAREDITOR, their ream of rubbish lifting machinery of Britain’s

As Burnham’s birthday the man who set Guyana successful effort to set our (February 20, February 21 back 50 years and severely countryagainstitselfasitdid for me, a link in our stars) damaged our culture in his India. approaches, along with the madeffortatretainingpower Britain has a lot to be annual Mash events, his f o r l i f e v i a ashamed of regarding brainchild, those affected by socialist/communist dogma, Guyana, and it would be his disease have started and as is happening in Russia, helpful for them to will continue to say glowing China, Venezuela, North acknowledge their crimes things and ‘pay tribute’ to Korea. against Guyanese. To be this ‘great man’, all of which Burnham was so bad clear, I see them as essential, perpetuate a great lie in our even his siblings rejected integral to Guyana’s history him and warned Guyanese development today, but they

But Forbes Burnham about him, but they didn’t became rich on the blood of must be remembered for listen even after he started our ancestors and are indeed who/what he was: a beating them with his rigged thesourceof theethnicstrife DICTATOR. Burnham elections and destructive that has divided us as a destroyed the livelihoods of economicpolicies. nation. They could rightly a generation of Guyanese, Burnham and his PNC say of themselves: Job well affecting subsequent are what society can easily done. generations and left a mark classify as a social disease, Yours faithfully, of ethnic insecurity on the the dreaded puppet and Craig Sylvester minds of both African and Indian Guyanese which continues to be used even today by political leaders come time for national elections.

The PNC would like to have Guyanese believe the historical lie they have about Guyanese. In a few days or so, we’ll see them printing

Workers were stabbed in the back and betrayed by the APNU+AFC cabal

And for daring to stand salary increase three months now because of how poor up for their rights they were after taking office. They and incompetent their called “selfish’’ and spent billions of dollars on leadershipwas.

DEAREDITOR, workersinthecomingweek. attractive are the PPP/C “uncaring” by a sitting food, fancy vehicles, and On the other hand, since

The APNU+AFC cabal McDonald’s willingness policies towards workers Minister in the APNU+AFC upgrading offices for returningtoofficethePPP/C continues to operate in an to sacrifice truth at the altar thatMcDonaldadvancedher Government. themselves. Had the governmentisimplementing a l t e r n a t e u n i v e r s e , of political expediency to desire, through discussions, Instead of focusing on APNU+AFC remained in holistic economic policies to completely insensitive to the fulfill the APNU+AFC’s to become the PPP/C’s 2020 the overall wellbeing of office during the COVID-19 lower prices for goods and anguish, pain, and suffering misleading narratives is elections, prime ministerial public sector workers, p a n d e m i c a n d t h e services which have Guyanese endured during extremely disheartening candidate, up until a officials of Coretta Russian/Ukraine conflict, increased globally At the their tenure which was She deliberately inflated the different approach was McDonald’s party rewarded Guyanese would have been sametime,wehavereversed marred by inhumane inflation rate to 50 per cent taken. Therefore, the slap in themselves with a 50% eating from garbage bins by (Continued on page 22) economic policies that which is another spurious the face McDonald refers to, ultimately ended with a claim used to buttress her in her statement should failed attempt to rig the argument against the salary really be directed inwards to outcome of democratic increase announced by the her colleagues in the electionsin2020. President. APNU+AFC because the

T h i s n o t i o n w a s The inescapable truth is m o s t d e h u m a n i z i n g cementedasIreadwithgreat thatMcDonaldknowsalltoo treatment workers have ever horror and utter disgust a well the unjust and harsh faced in this country was statement issued by the treatment Teachers endured during the tenure of the APNU+ AFC’s Coretta at the hands of David Granger-ledregime. McDonald, in which she G r a n g e r a n d t h e Teachers were forced to attempted to criticize the APNU+AFC regime take strike action in 2018 recent announcement by McDonald and her party following 3 years of delay in President Dr IrfaanAli of an believe that all of Guyana renewing the five-year eightpercentsalaryincrease was asleep between May salaries and benefits across the board for public 2015 and August 1st 2020. agreement first signed under servants, teachers, members They believe that Guyanese the PPP/C and which had of the disciplined services, have forgotten that it was expired in 2015 Their constitutional office holders McDonald herself who suffering, like every other and government pensioners proclaimed in 2018 that life Guyanese except for the as well as his intention to for Teachers was better coalition elites, was further announce an adjustment to u n d e r t h e P P P / C compounded by the the salaries of lower Government. imposition of, an increase of categories of public sector In fact, so good and over200taxesandfees.

Willing to serve the nation

DEAREDITOR, paid Advisor, or Consultant, deserving.Another President Overthelastfewweeks,I or Diplomat, or Minister of approached me to provide was approached by several Government, or technocrat publicrelationsservicetohis prominent and eminent or in some other capacity.I administration I also Guyanese appealing, am not now averse to formal declined his generous offer advising,urging,suggesting, service. But I have not been because propaganda was not and pleading that I enter into approached to serve the mything.Iwasnevertrained formal service for or on nationinanofficialcapacity in propagandistic affairs and behalfofthenation.Theterm Dr Jaganapproachedme I was not willing to ‘formal’was used because it to join his administration, compromisemyname.Since is widely known that I but I declined. He must have the change in administration ‘served’ the nation felt obligated to me for the in August 2020, I was never voluntarily for over fifty decades of struggle against asked to serve although years, much longer than rigged election and rights promises were made If current Politicians on both abuses. I felt those who asked, I will be willing to sides Some leading fought the dictatorship at serve providing I have Guyanese suggest that I home should get first competenceinthefield. should now use my vast preference of position and Yours truly, experience and skills to w e r e m o r e Vishnu Bisram formallyservethenationasa

Guyana up for sale: The story of the Low...

From page 4 oil, why does Guyana need a regarding the disposal of week from the Grantham of indigenous life are all fire-sale of its natural theirtitledland? Institute, a leading climate threatened. resources - minerals, rivers, 5 . W h a t i s t h e research group, exposes the

The Government will bio-diversity, beaches, and justification of communities shallowness and obsession have no difficulty finding wildlife? receiving 15% of the HESS with ‘prosperity’ of the Indigenous voices to shout

2. What is the legality of purchase? By what authority LCDS 2030 when it states down these views, given the t h e G o v e r n m e n t i s t h e G o v e r n m e n t “Our main aim should still decades of integration commercializing publicly- determining how the be radical emissions cuts to propaganda.However,ifour owned assets of which the communities should spend try to avoid breaching 1.5C criticism is groundless, why State is only the Trustee, not thismoney? but we should now also be does the launching of the the owner (Doctrine of

6. If carbon credits considering what happens if LCDS coincide with a PublicTrust)? genuinely aim to reduce we continue to fail…This campaign by Government

3 I n d i g e n o u s emissions why did the will mean bringing representatives denouncing c o m m u n i t i e s w e r e Government of Guyana temperatures back down indigenous activists and recognized as owners of allow HESS to make an [and] we will have to invest u n d e r m i n i n g t h e i r forests on community lands enormous investment in in geoengineering options organizations? A more under the REDD+ scheme credits? such as carbon dioxide constructive response which and payments were to be

7. Why are the proceeds removal and even solar would be widely welcomed proportionatetodeferredde- from credit sales not radiation management. But would be for the relevant forestation. Why was this deposited in the Natural it also means we will have to oversight mechanisms, changed? ResourcesFund? spend far more on dealing namelytheOfficeofClimate 4 W h y i s t h e

8. Why were Guyana’s with [climate] damage, Change, the Natural Government by-passing the Nationally Determined which will make it more Resources Fund and the r eq u ir emen t in th e Contributions to COP21 - difficult to make the G u y a n a F o r e s t r y Amerindian Act for the approved formally and transition to a sustainable, Commission to address the explicit agreement by two- unanimously by a wide inclusive and resilient respectiveissuesbelow: thirds of the villagers in cross-section abruptly world.”

1. With the immense everyvillagethatholdstitled abandoned? Regards, wealth to be generated from land to agree to any decision A study released this PolicyForumGuyana

Way to go-Guyana must...

From page 5 the Conference of Heads of things were just ‘left to Government of CARICOM chance.’ (Caribbean Community)

The omen overall was held back in May 2022. That great as FAO Tree Crop was when the commitment Expert, Dr Rogério was made that measures will Ritzinger, who led the be put into place, towards sessions, will continue to achieving the ‘25 by 25’ support the National Value agriculturetarget,whichisto Chain team in Guyana in the reduce the region’s US$6 production of cherry, to use billionfoodimportbillby25 the techniques learned percentbytheyear2025.So, duringthetrainings. Alsoon we can be optimistic. More hand was Dr Gillian Smith, sothattheFAOwillcontinue FAO Representative for to support Guyana in Guyana, who remarked that building resilient value “our aim is to help build a chains, that will ensure a resilient, inclusive, and consistent and high-quality sustainable value chain. By supplyofproduce. increasing knowledge and This is line with skills in good agricultural President Irfaan Ali, who practices among all keepsiteratingthat“Wehave stakeholders involved in the the physical and human chain, Guyana can achieve resources necessary to drive its objectives of improving agricultural development, its production, in an and improve food and environmentally responsible nutrition security. But such way, while promoting food an enterprise requires s e c u r i t y a n d t h e c o o p e r a t i o n , a n d consumption of locally cooperation across all grown produce” She sectors In terms of the concluded that this would People’s Progressive also contribute to reducing Party/Civic (PPP/C), since the CARICOM food being elected to office in importation bill by 25 August 2022, it has invested percentby2025. some 100 billion into the

Let me close on this last agriculture sector, and there aspect, as it brings out the are plans to significantly long-term plan of the increase both public and country private investments in the Editor, I think our comingyears. memory is very fresh with Itisawin-winsituation. what was said at the 33rd Yours truly, Inter-Sessional Meeting of H. Singh.

GlennLall’sconstantexposureofGovt.mismanagement...

Frompage3 in our gold and diamond fields.Hepushedaroundme and the media like you playing bumper ball, not releasing them, because again he hiding it from us, ask yourself why, is he getting something personallyoutofthesedeals, am just asking. Is asking for these things misinformation orsensationalism,youbethe

judge, ask Jagdeo and the President to respond to the thousands of questions I have been asking on these programmes.”

“Idon’tknowwherethis country is heading with these types of leaders but I will tell you guys one thing for sure, Guyana faces the greatest danger it has ever faced in its history When Guyana’s VP can swing

around everything that they are not doing to protect and safeguard this country and then blame Glenn Lall and the media for just asking simple questions and for exposing them, then you people are in the greatest danger To say Kaieteur News and Stabroek News are misleading the nation, and calling me madman, let me repeat what that wise

mansaid,themostbeautiful thinginGod’screationisan educated person, not an educated fool, a smart person fights with passion, a fool becomes his own slave, anyone who makes youangrywillbecomeyour master Well,itlookslikeI have become his master, because everything I say anddo,getshimangry,very angry,” Lall told his audience

CONTROVERSIAL PROJECTS

Meanwhile, during his interview, Jagdeo listed several mega projects conceptulised under his presidency and blamed Mr Lall for blackmailing or helping to scuttle some of them. He spoke of the Amaila Falls Project. Here, Mr. Lall said since 2007, Jagdeo had tried to shove thisprojectdownthethroats of Guyanese at a cost five times the world price “When Glenn Lall exposed that,theyrunandleftit.

When that project started, Jagdeo first told the nation it was going to cost US350M then suddenly it moved up to US450M, within weeks it jumped to US$600M, then to US$850M, within a few months, all this information is in black and white, you just got to Google Kaieteur News,”Lallrevealed.

“By now US$1.2B and more would have been hanging around our necks, likeahangman’snoose,had that project gone through. Guys, the cost per MW aroundtheworldforprojects like these was less than US$1M, but Jagdeo was telling us we were going to payfivetimesthatprice.”

Mr Lall noted that they didnotgetthroughwiththat project 16 years ago, now

they are trying to bring it back “President Ali just announced they bringing back the project, this time cheaper, this time the price them saying for the new project went down to US$700M for the same 165MW.” “You guys know ofanythinginthisworldthat thepricehasdropped,thisis the game Jagdeo has been playing all along. Is control theywanttobeincontrolof all the money-making businessinthisland.”

MARRIOTTHOTEL

Turning his attention to anothercontroversialproject - the Marriott Hotel, which the government recently advertised for sale, Mr. Lall spokeoftheroleheplayedin shining light of that project.

Lall said Jagdeo should tell the nation who he Ashni Singh and Winston Brassington installed secretly through Republic Bank, Trinidad into the Marriott Hotel, “collecting the fat fat cash for their 2 centstheyputin,whenisthe Guyanese tax dollars fund thehogofthemoneytobuild thehotel.”

“Guys, let me remind you,whenthathotelopened, built by Jagdeo, it was not even making money to pay the light bills, much less make a profit, but guess what, the secret investors them installed through the bank had to be paid every month,youknowwherethat moneywascomingfrom,the treasury,andthat’showthey designed it, to rape me, you andthenation.”

Thenewspaperpublisher disclosed that at one point, he had contacted the then Finance Minister, Ashni SinghtoinvestUS$1,000in the hotel, when at the time the government said they were looking for investors

forthehotel.

“I even texted the then President Donald Ramotar and told him to ensure my name is there with US$1,000.Youdon’twantto hear what Ashni Singh told me.AllIwantedtodowasto see the deal and the books, buttheydidn’tallowme.”

Mr Lall said when the APNU+AFC Coalition assumed office, they made contact with the bank to sit downwiththeinvestors,but the bank told them, “no we don’t give out private information, that’s how the coalition told them we can’t payyourclients,wewilltake over the loan and kick them out because it was a burden onthestate.”

“Jagdeo didn’t tell the nation that the hotel cost over US$80M and still incomplete, when a hotel of that size could have been builtforlessthanUS$25M.”

Restating that Jagdeo’s approval or disapproval of whathesaysanddoesisnot goingtodeterhim,Lallsaid two things define a person; their patience when they had nothing and their attitude when they have everything

“50,000 plus dead, 100,000+ homes and apartmentbuildingscollapse in 45 seconds inTurkey and Syria, there is an unknown figure as to how much personsstillburiedunderthe rubble,yettobefound. That isamajorlessonforallofus. 45 seconds, yes 45 seconds, turn home owners to homeless. 45 seconds turn kids with parents into orphans. 45 seconds turn parents with kids, children less 45 seconds made husbands and wives into widows, 45 seconds turn people who own businesses to jobless,” Mr Lall told his listeners.

Guyana is becoming the ATM of the Caribbean

Guyana is going to end government should make to the Production Sharing Guyana is now being asked Caribbean. What is Guyana up spending close to US$2B public the details of this Agreement, in which they to examine its role in the getting in return? Has any in order to generate an estimated US$1B dollars are no restraints on the oil revivalofLIAT non-tariff barrier been additional 300 MW of since it has to be repaid from companies’ spending. What This is another way of d i s m a n t l e d i n t h e electricity This sum will be oil proceeds. Exxon cannot happens if the oil company saying that Guyana is being Caribbean? needed to bring the gas to betrustedatfacevalue. decides it wants to build its asked to consider bailing out There was much ado shore and then to build an The company is building own airport and hotels for its the financially-strapped about plans to have such order It has to determine electricity-generatingplant. a headquarters which is workers? Will this too be airline.Acountrywhichdoes trade-restricting barriers whether cost recovery is

This is not a feasible estimated at US$160M, a allowedascostrecovery? not have a national airline is removed by last year But applicable for Exxon’s investment. It is estimated staggering cost. This will be While all of this is being asked to support the still there are complaints proposed headquarters; it that it costs US$1M per the most expensive office happening, we are told that bankrupted regional carrier abouthoneybeingprevented has to urge Exxon to either every I MW of solar power buildingsintheCaribbean. Guyana is now in a better It was just announced that from even passing in-transit scale down the project or

As such, it will cost a mere The Skeldon Sugar position to borrow more. Guyana will contribute through Trinidad and abandonitalltogether;andit US$300M to generate the Factory is believed to have And the PPP/C loves to beg US$1M to some food Tobago. hastostopbehavingasifitis same300MWwhichthegas cost US$187M, just shy of andborrow Andthecountry security fund in the Guyanahastosetitselfin theATMoftheCaribbean. to shore plant will generate. the cost of Exxon’s has been borrowing, despite This is one of the reasons headquarters The new having hundreds of millions whytherehavebeencallsfor headquarters will cost about parked in the oil account at a feasibility study that is twice what the government the Federal Reserve in specific to this gas-to-shore spent on the Marriot Hotel UnitedStates. project. and more than four times the Guyana has to be very

The studies which have cost of the National Stadium carefulwithitsborrowing.If been done have merely at Providence The itaccumulatestoomuchdebt examined the feasibility of government needs to and if oil prices collapse, as bringing gas to shore. But question this expenditure on they will sometime or the what is needed is a study of two counts. First, they need other, the country could be this specific project which is to question the need for such saddled with massive debt. being undertaken by the acostlyheadquarters. Ifthis What will happen then? One government. accommodation forms part Caribbean Prime Minister

Thestudyshouldinvolve of the oil company’s once said that her country looking at all options, operations,thenshoulditnot shouldnotbelookedatasthe including whether it will not be subject to local content ATMoftheCaribbean. be cheaper to graduate to requirements? In other It appears as if Guyana is solar and hydrogen rather words, should Exxon not be being viewed as the ATM of than using natural gas which required to rent local the Caribbean and we are isnotrenewable. facilities rather than build its behaving as if we are the

Halfoftheestimatedcost ownheadquarters? ATM of the Caribbean. The of the gas-to-shore project is S e c o n d l y , t h e government is yet to tell going to form part of government needs to Guyanese just what Exxon’s cost recovery The question details of this high contributionsitisrequiredto oil company is bringing the cost This is a stinking make as a condition of its gas to shore and will be paid amount of money to be membership of the Regional in oil for its US$1 B spent. It is one of the issues Security System. As this investment. But at least the which have arisen in relation column had predicted,

Dem Boys Seh…

Guyana need hospital not headquarters

Deoilcompanybuildingheadquartersin

But de best was de time when dem boys Guyana. Dem boys did prefer dem build a had to rush an 85-year-old grandfather to de hospital. Georgetown Hospital because he get hit in

Decountrygattoborrowmoneyfromde he head with a cricket ball and he suffered a IDB fuh build and fuh repair and renovate concussion. dem hospital wah we get. And de more De doctor wanted to know whether de money de government borrowing fuh de oldmanwascoherent.Soheaskedhim,“Do health sector, de more private hospital and youknowwhereyouare? clinics building. Dat is like a vote of no De grandfather answered, “Georgetown confidenceindehealthsector Hospital.”

It mek dem boys remember de story of De doctor asked, “Do you know who I demanwahwasadmittedtobeMentalWard am?” of de Public Hospital. De admitting nurse De grandfather answered, “Yes, Dr askhim,“Whatisyouname?’ Paul.”

”Jesus,”answeredtheman. De doctor then walked away At which The nurse found it funny and asked him, timedeoldmanturnedtodemboysandseh, “”WhydoyouthinkyouareJesus?” “I hope he don’t ask any more questions

Hereplies,“Godtoldmeso!” because de answers to the two he asked Immediately, another patient shouted, beforewereonhisbadge.” “NoIdidn’t!” Talk half. Leff half.

Pharmaceuticalcompanydistancesselffromemployee chargedintheUSforsellingfakeHIVtestingkits

Caribbean Medical Supplies Inc. (CSMI) has announced that Davendra Rampersaud, who was arrested last month in the UnitedStatesofAmericafor supplying fake HIV testing kits, money laundering and other charges – has been removed from the day-today management of the company

Rampersaud was May last year freed on charges of supplying fake HIV testing kits to Guyana’s Ministry of Health(MOH).However,on January 19 last, he was arrested in the United States basedonawarrantissuedin relationtosimilarcharges.

In a notice published in Kaieteur News February 19

edition, the company stated, “On 25 January, 2023, Davendra Rampersaud was removed from the day-today management of CMSI. This was done to allow the legal process against him to takeitscourseandforCMSI to continue its operations as a separate legal entity delivering pharmaceutical and healthcare products across Guyana and the Caribbean as a valued and dependable partner to many entities.”

Rampersaud along with others, have since been slapped with a number of charges after his arrest in Florida and the matter has since been transferred to another District, South

Carolina.Hewasreleasedon bail on Monday According toUSCourtdocumentsseen by this publication, Rampersaud along with his unnamed accomplices allegedly engaged in money laundering, aiding and abetting a crime, theft from the US Government, conspiracy, stealing or converting/unauthorised selling/unlawful receipt and theftinrelationtohealthcare supplies.

This publication reported, according to the records, Rampersaud during oneofhisinitialappearances had waived his rights to an identity hearing or a preliminary hearing in addition to other legal

Davendra Rampersaud

procedures which was granted by US Judge JacquelineBecerra.

In the superseding indictment against Rampersaud, the US prosecutorsoutlinedthatthe United States Agency for International Development (USAID,) is a US federal agency that provides economic development and humanitarian assistance around the world with missionsin80countriesand programmes in 100 countries including Kenya. As such, it was further outlined that USAID is part of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS relief (PEPFAR) as part of thecountry’sresponse.

Among the beneficiaries of that PEPFAR programme is Kenya, and is organised under the Kenyan Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) that falls under that country’s Ministry of Health and is provided monthly with vouchers for theoperations,includingfor

the supply of HIV testing kitsandothersupplies.

T h e u n n a m e d manufacturer, according to the court documents seen, authorises specific companies as distributors of its products in order to protecttheirintegrity

InGuyana,theprovision of the HIV testing kits had been supplied by an authorised dealer for the Caribbean, a practice that hadbeeninplaceforseveral years.Accordingtothecourt documents seen by this publication,CMSheadedby Rampersaud is not an authorised supplier of the manufacturers’productsand as such, was and is not permitted to provide the company’s products to the Guyana Government’s Ministry of Health. To this end, the documents allege that CMS, Rampersaud and others,knowinglyconspired to, and agreed to commit a number of offences against theUSGovernment.

T h e s e i n c l u d e

knowingly stealing and converting to their things of value from the US Government, namely the supplies provided under the USAID programs to their own use and gains Additionally, the alleged perpetrators,knowinglysold the items without authority as well as willfully stealing and converting to their own usethingsofvalueoftheUS Govt. It was noted that KEMSA through the US authorities had received in 2014HIVtestingkitsamong other healthcare supplies which was then found to be divertedtootherdestinations including in Guyana, which Rampersaud with others supplied to the Guyana Government. It was noted that between November 2015 and December 2019, RampersaudandCMSmade payments to the other allegedconspiratorsandthat the payment was for “medical commodities whichhadbeendiverted

Continuedonpage20

‘Teen wife’ stabs husband to death in Essequibo

Anthony Shivlall, a resident of Lima Sands on the Essequibo Coast, was brutally stabbedtodeathearlySundaymorningbyhis 18-year-oldwife,policehaveconfirmed.

The wife, who is now in police custody, has reportedly confessed to murdering the man in her grandmother’s home.According to police, the incident occurred at around 02:00hrs Sunday morning, at Macknab Lima Sands. Kaieteur News learntthatat around 16:00hrs on Saturday) twenty-sevenyear-old Anthony Shivlall and his wife were both at a birthdaypartyatthehomeof sixty-two-year-old Bernadine Williams, who has been identified as the grandmotherofthesuspect.

The woman reportedly left the birthday party at about 17:00hrs on Saturday following an argument with her husband. The sixtytwo-year-old grandmother told Kaieteur News that sometime around 02:00hrs Sunday her granddaughter returned and asked for her husband[nowdeceased].

“Theyhadanargumenttheafternoonand the mother [suspect’s mother] take she and carry way by she for less problem and so. I don’tknowwhytheyarguingbecauseIdon’t like get in married people story, but they de arguing, she left and later like around 2 am Sunday, she come back. When she come

back,sheaskwhereshehusbanddehandItell shethathedehinthedownstairsandsheleft andgoneinsidetohe.”

Thewoman told Kaieteur News thatshe heard a commotion in the bottom flat of the home,butagaindidnotintervene,outoffear of being caught up in a family feud. The elderly woman said that as she investigated, shesawShivlalllyingonthe g r o u n d , a n d h e r granddaughter over him; repeatedly stabbing him to thechestareawithaknife.

She said: “I eventually goinandIseetheboyonthe floor lay down, and he eye done rolling up, so I tell somebody quick watch like thisgirlkillthisboy WhenI feelforheheartbeatandsoI didn’tfeelany BythetimeI could figure out what happen,shedonerunoutthe houseanduptheroad.”

The suspect was later arrested by police at her mother’shouseatMacknab, and had reportedly admitted to stabbing her husband.Onthescene,policeranksobserved onestabwoundonthevictim’sleftchestarea, onestabwoundtohislowerrightchestarea, andonetohislefthand.

The body was escorted to the Suddie Public Hospital, where it was seen and examinedandpronounceddead.Thebodyis presently at the Suddie Hospital’s Mortuary awaitingapostmortemexamination.

Villagersassault WoodleyParkSchoolboys - one arrested

The Ministry of Home AffairsonSundaystatedthat one person is presently in police custody for the alleged assault of several malestudentsattheWoodley Park Secondary School, West Coast Berbice, and RegionFive.

Based on the allegations made, the school boys were reportedly attacked after noon on Friday, by several men of Woodley Park Village.

Acellphonevideoofthe incident showing several personsarmedwithpiecesof wood walking around the school compound was reportedly posted on Facebook by a parent of a student attending the school anditreportedlywentviral.

In the caption of the videotheparentstated,“This is what is happening to our school children, yesterday afternoon several African children from the Woodley ParkSecondarySchoolwere attacked by out of school boys of Woodley Park village After physically abusing the children, they said this is a coolie area; blackmannotsupposedtobe here”.

Members of the Opposition including Shadow Minister of Education, Natasha Singh-

Screen grab taken from the cell phone recorded video of the suspects leaving the school compound with pieces of wood in their hands.

Lewis made calls for a thorough investigation to be launched and on Sunday afternoon the Home Affairs Ministry stated, “The police have already begun an investigationintothematter, andonepersoniscurrentlyin custody”.

According to the

ministry, investigators have already engaged the head teacher of the school and students Information gathered from the engagement led them to make contact with two persons,anadultandachild. Theministryalsorelated

Continuedonpage22

Deceased: Anthony Shivlall

CGX Energy & partners say Guyana investments nearly US$700 million

- all eyes on Wei-1 well being drilled in Corentyne Block

Veteran operator in Guyana’s offshore basin,CGXEnergyalongwithitsjointventure partner,FronteraEnergyCorporationrecently updatedthemarketaboutitsplanofactivities foritsCorentyneBlock

This update was outlined in a joint presentation by the Canadian duo at the International Energy Conference in Guyana which was held from February 14-17, 2023 TheCompanyhasbeenoperatingcontinually intheGuyanaBasinformorethan25decades, accordingtoinformationdisclosedinthejoint presentationbyMr OrlandoCabrales,CEOof FronteraEnergyandProfessorSureshNarine, ExecutiveChairmanofCGXEnergy

They said the two companies formed a joint venture with a 68/32 percent split, respectively, on the Corentyne block CGX Energydisclosedattheconferencethatithas thus far drilled four offshore wells and three onshorewells,andisintheprocessofdrilling its 5th offshore well, the Wei-1 well, on the Corentyneblock

Of these, CGX directly operated four of the five offshore wells and all of the onshore wells Dr Narine reminded the conference thatallofthecompany’swellswereoperated safely and without any spills, making CGX, after ExxonMobil, the most prolific explorer inthebasinwithastellartrackrecordofsafety

Furthermore,ProfessorNarinepointedout thatthroughoutthesetwoandahalfdecades, theCompanyhasremainedanactiveexplorer, keeping its Guyanese workforce intact even duringthe2014to2020periodwhenoilprices decreasedsignificantly

A few years ago, the Government of Guyana has indicated that it was somewhat concerned about the timeliness of some of CGX’s work commitments. CGX’s Executive Chairman disclosed that the companyhadinvestednearlyUS$700million in the basin together with its partners, on its exploration programme and its Berbice DeepwaterPortinfrastructureproject

As a comparison, ExxonMobil’s preproductioncontractcostshavebeenpeggedat US460 million Professor Narine also spent some time explaining that small independent companies like CGX will struggle with capitalization from time to time, given that theyhavenoproductionandspendsignificant sumsofmoneyontheirexplorationprograms TheProfessorexplainedthatgiventhelength oftimethatCGXhasbeenexploringthebasin, the significant sums expended and the

commitment that the Company has made to the country through its primary focus on Guyana and its transformative Corporate Social Responsibility programmes, the company has earned the description as “Guyana’sIndigenousOilCompany.”

Indeed, the Professor reminded the audiencethattheMaritimeBoundarybetween GuyanaandSurinameispopularlyreferredto as the “CGX Line” given the pivotal role the company played in funding Guyana’s legal appeal process to the United Nations Law of the Sea Tribunal, which Guyana won The company expended approximately US$10 milliononbehalfofGuyana

Narine and Cabrales also disclosed that CGX had recently cleaned up its major debt, duetoafarm-downtransactionbetweenCGX andFrontera,withCGXbeingabletoremove alldebttoFrontera,raisefundsforitsongoing GeneralandAdministrativecostsandacquire fiscal support for its share of theWei-1 well Narine pointed out that following this transaction,CGXholds32%oftheCorentyne blockwhileFronteraholds68%oftheblock

Of all the independent companies which heldoriginalPetroleumProspectingLicences intheGuyanabasin,CGXpointedoutthatit has retained the highest percentage Working InterestintheCorentyneblockandthisiswith a discovery at Kawa-1 and a carry on the Company’s next well, theWei-1 well CGX indicatedthatithadchosentofocusallofits attention on the Corentyne block, including the current Wei-1 well and its Berbice Port infrastructureproject

ItshouldbenotedthatCGXisnottheonly oil and gas company to miss work commitments in the past; ExxonMobil held theStabroekBlocksince1999,butdidn’tdrill the Liza-1 well until 2015; before this, the company had declared force majeure. Of course, since that time, ExxonMobil and its partners have had a fantastic string of discoveries,withtheStabroekblockbooking reservesofmorethan11billionbarrelsofoil equivalent to date CGX, in its presentation, pointed to its long history in pioneering the Guyana Basin, which eventually led to its Kawa-1discoveryin2022

CHANCE OF SUCCESS WITH WEI-1

Paul Langlois, Exploration Manager of CGX Energy provided a summary of the company’s geological models. Mr Langlois indicatedthatbeforeKawa-1wasdrilled,the chance of success on the Wei-1 well was

peggedat29%. AftertheKawa-1discovery, calibrationofthecompany’sseismictorock type correlations, and confirmation of its geological models, the CGX/Frontera JV raised the Chance of Success for Wei-1 to 56%.

Mr Langlois’presentationattractedalot of attention, as the Geologist showed the mannerinwhichdepositionsofsandsformed

Continued on page 16

President of Trent and Professors welcome first batch of Sustainable Guyana Students

Professor Suresh Narine at the Int’l Energy Conference-Guyana 2023

Paul Langlois at IEC Guyana 2023

CGXEnergy&partnerssayGuyanainvestmentsnearly...

Frompage15 reservoirs in geologic time in the various geological intervals such as the Maastrichtian, Campanian and Santonian. Mr Langlois made the argument that in the

northern section of the Corentyne block, these reservoirs were charged by the worldclass Canje shale source rock, as the hydrocarbons are only required to migrate veryshortdistancestothesereservoirs.

SHELF DEVELOPMENT AND SHELF EDGE MODEL (MAASTRICHTIAN AND CAMPANIAN)

Furthermore, at each of the geological intervals, the Geologist showed spatially resolved images demonstrating that the Company’s Wei-1 and Kawa-1 wells are located on-trend with neighboring discoveriesontheStabroekblockandBlock 58inSuriname.Kawa-1,accordingtoCGX’s ExplorationManager,provedthataworking petroleum system exists in the northern sectionoftheblock,as“virtuallyeverysand encountered hydrocarbons in the Kawa-1 well, over a depth of approximately 6, 000 feet.”

Langlois’ presentation also showed graphic representations of the depositional model,demonstratingthattheareawherethe Wei-1 and Kawa-1 wells are located in the northern area of the Corentyne block, are in the “fairway” of the Berbice canyon, acknowledged to be the main conduit which formedthereservoirsoftheGuyanaBasin.

Dr. Narine reminded the conference that Kawa-1 was a wildcat well, one of the deepest drilled in the basin and in an environment never before drilled – the shelf slope. Thecompany,havingdrilledKawa-1 safely in this challenging environment, pointed out that the knowledge and knowhow gained in that process has resulted in Wei-1 to this date being an efficient well withoutanyspillsorlostworktimeincidents. Although the company did not disclose this, Kaieteur News couldguessfrominformation presented that Wei-1 was about halfway drilledintermsofdepth.Dr Narineindicated that the company had deliberately retained

virtually the same workforce and the same drilling rig that drilled Kawa-1, for the drillingofWei-1. Evidently,thesedecisions arebearingfruit.

CGX and FEC also disclosed that the Wei-1 well is also an appraisal well, as the Joint Venture launches its Governmentapproved Appraisal Programme in the Corentyne block. Wei-1 will both appraise the Kawa-1 discovery as well as address its ownexplorationtargetsintheMaastrichtian, Campanian and Santonian intervals. Wei-1 therefore seeks to potentially expand the recoverableresourcesinthenorthernsection oftheCorentyneblock. Thecompanieswere keen to note that moving into theAppraisal phaseofitsprogrammeintheGuyanaBasin signals the confidence that the JointVenture reposes in its programme following the Kawa-1Discovery. Alleyeswillnowbeon the Wei-1 well, as success at Wei-1 will furtherstrengthenthepotentialoftheGuyana Basin acquiring another development and productionOperator

COMMITTMENT TO GUYANA

SchematicChannel&FanLobeDeposition

SantonianNorthCorentyneHor19&20

Hydrocarbons were encountered in multiple zones extending from 15,216’ in the Maastrichtian to 21,547’ in the Coniacian. Essentially every sand encountered over this interval indicated the presence of hydrocarbons.

CabralesandNarinebothcastaspotlight in their joint presentation on the Sustainable Guyana Scholarship and Training Programme The programme, Narine’s brainchild according to Cabrales, has up to thispointexpendedapproximatelyCanadian $3million. Theprogrammeisfundedjointly by CGX and Frontera, and seeks to offer scholarships for University of Guyana staff members to acquire tertiary degrees at a Master’sorPh.D.levelatTrentUniversityin Canada The scholars’ research must address one or more of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as it pertains to Guyana and the research must be located in Guyana The programme supports the student’s tuition, airfare, accommodations and researchexpenditures.

228 feet of net pay is associated with five primary zones. Independent geochemical analyses indicate condensate in the Maastrichtian and Campanian horizons and oil in the Santonian and Coniacian.

These findings are consistent with discovery wells reported by other operators surrounding the northern portion of the Corentyne Block and de-risks the Wei-1 Well, Spudded January 2023.

The Kawa-1 discovery confirmed the existence of an active petroleum system on the shelf slope in the northern portion of the Corentyne Block with source rock maturity and multiple sand reservoirs.

Wei-1 begins the appraisal process of the Kawa-1 discovery to estimate potentially recoverable reserves for the northern portion of the Corentyne Block. Success at Wei-1 will lead to additional Appraisal Wells.

Wei-1 is also an Exploration Well, seeking to expand resources in the Corentyne Block: targets multiple reservoirs in Maastrichtian, Campanian and Santonian intervals.

Cabrales shared that the programme currently has nine students from the University of Guyana, who are all contractually required to provide service to the University of Guyana when their training is completed. Currently,therearefourPh.D. students and five MSc/MA students in the programme. Narine shared that two of the current students are expected to return to Guyana in the summer of 2023, as these students by then would have completedtherequirementsto have obtained a Master’s degreefromTrentUniversity

channelcomplexes. intheNorthCorentyneRegion

CARICOM,UN,condemnviolentprotestinSuriname

T h e C a r i b b e a n Community and the United Nations have joined in condemning last week’s violent protest actions in neighbouringSuriname.

In a statement issued on Saturday CARICOM said Heads of Government received a report from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and

InternationalCooperationof Suriname on the ongoing disturbances in that country

In its statement CARICOM said it has reaffirmed its s u p p o r t f o r t h e

democratically elected Government of Suriname under the leadership of President Chandrikapersad Santokhi.

“

Governmenttooknoteofthe unfolding situation in Suriname and strongly condemned the violent attacks on people as well as private and public facilities

including the parliament They recognised the right to freedom of expression, and the right to peaceful protest but expressed the view that there can be no excuse for the use of violence in any typeofdemonstration.They affirmed that these actions only serve to undermine the rule of law and the stability o f d e m o c r a c i e s Furthermore, they threaten the lives and livelihoods of ourcitizensandareinimical to the interest of our population,” the statement added. CARICOM said it stands in solidarity with all law-abiding citizens of Suriname and urges all concerned to make every effort to maintain public safety All efforts must be made to restore calm as a matterofurgency

Meanwhile, SecretaryGeneral of the United Nationssaidheisconcerned about the violent protests thatoccurredinSurinameon 17 February, during which the premises of the National Assembly were breached, private property was damaged and numerous peoplewereinjured.

The Secretary-General stresses that freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are fundamental human rights that must be respected at all times, but protests must be carried out without resorting to violence.

The Secretary-General alsourgedallrelevantactors in Suriname to show restraint and engage in inclusivedialoguetoaddress constructively the challenges facing the country

Last Friday, dozens of protesters forced their way into Suriname’s parliament as hundreds more rampaged through the nation’s capital Paramaribo on Friday, clashing with police as demonstrations against the government descended into chaos.

Thousands took to the streets of the capital Paramaribo in initially peaceful demonstrations against government austerity measures, including eliminating subsidies, against a backdropofhighinflation.

But the protests turned ugly when demonstrators throwingrocksandbottlesat police stormed parliament’s grounds, with some making their way into the building before being forced back, a Reuters witness said. Police fired tear gas in return Others started fires and lootedcityshops,manyof Continuedonpage20

Third FPSO sets sail for Guyana

The third Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel-Prosperity-thatwilldevelop resourcesinthePayarafieldhasset sailforGuyana.

The new FPSO will add to Guyana’s current fleet- the Liza Destiny and Liza Unity FPSOs. TheMinistryofNaturalResources said yesterday on its Facebook page that the vessel departed Keppel Shipyard, Singapore around 9:27 on the morning of February19,2023.

Prosperityisexpectedtoarrive in Guyana onApril 18, 2023. It is thelargestvesselconstructedsofar and will boost Guyana’s oil production by some 220,000 barrelsofoilperday Productionat thePayarafieldwas initiallysetto commencein2024.

The FPSO is designed to produce 220,000 barrels of oil per day, with an associated gas treatment capacity of 400 million cubic feet per day and a water injection capacity of 250,000 barrels per day It will be spread moored in a water depth of about 1,900 meters and will be able to store around 2 million barrels of crudeoil.

The vessel, which measures 342Minlength,60minwidth,and 25m in height, has a minimum lifespanof20years.Roughly4,000

persons have been working on the FPSO which weights 110,000 metrictonnes.

First Lady Arya Ali officially dedicatedtheProsperityvesselata naming ceremony in Singapore earlierthismonth.

“This vessel offers another avenue to prosperity, an opportunitytobuildafutureforour people, a future they deserve. The Prosperity is more than just a symbol of development though; she is a physical manifestation of the hard work and collaborative

Guyana’s third FPSO - Prosperity (Source: SBM)

now produce approximately 600,000barrelsofoilperday

Evenasproductionispoisedto increase, the revenue from this source is hardly likely to significantlyenlargeaswell,dueto the lopsided 2016 Production SharingAgreement (PSA) Guyana signedwithExxonMobil.

Activists in Guyana have been lobbyingforchangestobemadeto the2016PSAasGuyanareceivesa mere two percent royalty for its sweetlightcrudeandsettledfor50 percent profit sharing, after Exxon takes 75 percent of the earnings to clearitsexpenses.

relationship between the people of Guyana and the collection of companiesdoingbusinessinouroil andgassector,”Mrs.Alisaid. Kaieteur News previously reportedthatPayaraislocated200 kilometres offshore Guyana in 1,800metreswaterdepth.Tendrill centresareplannedalongwithupto 41 wells, including 20 production and21injectionwells.Theproject will utilise onshore infrastructure which includes shore bases, warehouses, storage and pipe yards, fabrication facilities, fuel

supply facilities, and waste managementfacilitiesinGuyana.

The US$9 billion development willfocusonanestimatedresource base of about 600 million oilequivalentbarrels.

Currently,oilisbeingproduced attheLizaOneandTwoprojectsin the Stabroek Block by Esso Exploration and production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), ExxonMobil’ssubsidiary

Theaveragedailyproductionat those fields equate to 380,000 barrels. This means, Guyana will

The deal that the oil company often brags about to its shareholders,alsoforcesGuyanese to pay their share of taxes, amounting to millions of US dollars each year This figure is likely to further balloon as more operationscomeonstream.

In addition, the country is allowing ExxonMobil to operate offshore without full liability coverageintheeventofanoilspill, which means that the risk is borne by Guyana.Another key provision that is lacking in the document is ring-fencing provision, which wouldavoidtheoilcompanyfrom usingthepetroleumrevenueinone field to cover for expenses in another

RegionOnePolicefixbedriddenman’sdilapidatedstairway

Police Ranks based in Mabaruma,

North West District (NWD), Region One, on Sunday fixed the dilapidatedstairwayofabedriddenman.

Region One Police Commander, Himnauth Sawh and his ranks under the recently launched Men on a Mission (MOM) initiative, had earlier this year reportedly visited the bedridden man identified as Allan Caleb of Mabaruma Township

According to police, Caleb had been livingforanumberofyearsintheupperflat of a two-storey house with a dilapidated

stairway The ranks noted that it posed a danger not only to him but to his family members and friends who would visit to assisthim.

Commander Sawh promised that he and hisrankswouldhavereturnedtobuildhima brand new stairway and they delivered on thatpromiseyesterday(Sunday).

TheRegionOneranksofficiallyfinished the job around 12:00hrs. Sawh reportedly said that the ranks in his division will throughouttheyearcontinuetoproviderelief to senior citizens or vulnerable persons withintheregion.

Region Commander, Sawh and his ranks posing for a photo with Caleb after finishing the job.

Commander Himnauth Sawh using his skills with an electric saw

A before and after photo of the Allan Caleb’s stairway

TheGovernmentofGuyanahasclarified anarticlethatappearedintheFriday,January 17, 2023 edition of the Kaieteur News headlined, “Out of US$750 million carbon

US$22.5 million carbon credit money is from first tranche of payment - Govt. …says Amerindians

credit payout, Govt. gives US$23M to Amerindians.”

Thearticleincorrectlypurportedthatthe GovernmentisinreceiptofthefullUS750M

payment from carbon sales under the agreement with Hess Corporation. In a statement the Department of Public Information clarified that on December 1, 2022, the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions announced the issuance of 33.47 million TREES credit to Guyanaforthefive-yearperiodfrom2016to 2020 The Architecture for REDD+ Transactions(ART)isaglobalinitiativethat seeks to certify the reducing of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD),aswellasrestoreforestsandprotect intactforests.

On December 2, 2022, the Government ofGuyanaenteredintoanagreementwiththe

Hess Corporation for the sale of carbon credits for a minimum of US$750 million between 2022 and 2032. The first payment fromtheHessCorporationtoGuyanaforthe saleofcarboncreditshasbeenmade.

Initialreceiptsfromtheonecarboncredit agreement completed to date will total US$150 million by the end of 2023 – with US$1125 million already received and a furtherUS$375milliontocomeinJuly2023

The payment of US$22.5 million to Amerindian communities represents allocationsfromthefirsttrancheofUS$150

Continued on page 22

Pharmaceuticalcompanydistances...

Frompage10 from Kenya and other countriestoGuyana.

The court documents reiterated that some of the productshadbeenfundedby USAID with the money being transferred to Kenya from the US. In June 2015, CMS through Rampersaud solicited HIV testing kits from the manufacturer indicatingthattheincumbent supplierfortheCaribbeanat the time was “no good” and thathewaslookingtosecure some 30,000 such kits. The f o l l o w i n g m o n t h , Rampersaud reportedly provided the manufacturer with a fraudulent letter of authorityforCMStooperate as the distributor for the Caribbean.

By November 2015, under the stewardship of then Health Minister Volda Lawrence, CMS was awarded a sole source contractforthesupplyofthe testing kits from the manufacturer It has since beenfoundthatbetweenthat time and 2020, Rampersaud through CMS had been wiring monies to his alleged conspirators, as payment for the HIV testing kits, a number of which was divertedfromKenyathathad already been paid for by USAID.

The court documents

n

n 2016, Rampersaud was informed thathewasnotauthorisedto sell the manufacturers products. The matter was raised again in March the following year, when the manufacturer wrote to Rampersaud’s partners, indicating that the actions involving Rampersaud were unlawful. This however did not prevent Rampersaud or his partners from persisting with the unlawful practice, thecourtpapersread.

In January 2020, it was discovered that 400 HIV rapid testing kits for Kenya hadbeendivertedtoGuyana and supplied to the Ministry of Health In Guyana, Rampersaud had denied charges which alleged that on January 16, 2020, Caribbean Medical Supplies Inc allegedly sold and supplied400units(20packs) of Uni-gold HIV Test Kits, Batch #HIV7120026, with misleading representation, a violation of the Food and Drugs Act of 1971

According to reports, a quantity of the testing kits was seized by the GA-FDD from the Materials Management Unit of the MinistryofPublicHealth,at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, and from local hospitals and laboratories. Theprobewaslaunchedinto

CARICOM,UN,condemn...

Frompage18 whichhadclosedasaprecautionamidtheunrest.

The government of President Chan Santokhi condemnedtheviolenceandsaidithadsetupataskforceto trackdownthoseresponsibleforattackingparliament.

“Vigorous action will be taken against the individuals whoinstructed,carriedoutandcauseddestructioninthese attacks,” it said in a statement. Suriname, a former Dutch colony in northern South America with a population of 610,000reportedinflationof54.6%for2022.Theprotests come in the same week that the smallest party in government left the ruling coalition, citing disagreements overpovertyandsocialpolicies.

thefakeHIVtestingkitsafter an Irish manufacturer last January wrote to the former Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, warning that it is aware that there are counterfeit Uni-Gold HIV testkitsinGuyana. The Irish company supplied photographic evidence, which indicated clearly that the kits expired inJulythepreviousyear The company,TrinityBiotech,in its complaint, named CMS. A c c o r d i n g t o t h e manufacturer,thefakeboxes were created with expiry datesextendedby17months and the kits repacked in t h e m T h e I r i s h pharmaceutical company said that the products were already six months out of date when it was brought to Guyana.TrinityBiotechalso claimed that its Trinidadbased authorized distributor, Transcontinental Medical ProductsLimited,istheonly authorizeddistributorforthe Uni-GoldkitstoGuyanaand it had not participated in the transaction.

In fact, Trinity called on Lawrence to remove the expired kits from testing centres immediately as they posedhealthriskstopatients.

In May last year, Magistrate Zameena AliSeepaul freed Rampersaud, after he had been charged with supplying the Ministry of Health with expired HIV test kits. The case against Rampersaud was dismissed asthecourtupheldano-case submission,agreeingthatthe prosecution failed to prove essential elements of the offence. The defence also contended that the prosecution failed to obtain sufficient evidence to show that Rampersaud imported the test kits and they also failed to establish that the courthadjurisdictiontohear thematter

will get more funds as payments come in

Govt information agency lags in submitting financial reports for audits - PAC hears

A meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

The Department of committee an update on the Public Information (DPI) audited financial statements formerly known as the fortheagencies. Government Information Based on a line of Agency (GINA) has been q u e s t i o n i n g f r o m among the State agencies representatives of the A that are still yet to submit Partnership for National their financial statements to Unity +Alliance For Change beaudited. (APNU+AFC) opposition

T h e s t a t e - o w n e d In response to inquiries from information outlet is still to APNU+AFC members finalize the reports for the Juretha Fernandes and years 2019, 2020, and 2021. Ganesh Mahipaul those on This was revealed by the the panel revealed the status Permanent Secretary (PS) of of the audit of their financial Prime Minister, Derrick statement. It was pointed Cummings. out that while the other Cummings joined the agencies have completed the Chairman of the National process for audit, the years 2001- 2007 and 2010 Outsideofexaminingthe by the Ministry of the thereisacircularadvisingall Communication Network government information and2011. status of the audited Presidency Included in the persons below 45 of the (NCN), Neaz Subhan, agency is still to complete

It was reported at the financial statements, the sum of $1.938 billion were decision by the current DeputyPermanentSecretary the process which should be PAC that the agency had not PAC also made enquiries amounts totaling $1 844 administrationtoallowthem (DPS) Jodie Brown Griffith, done in the first quarter of laid financial reports in the about the policy in billion, which were to remain on contract if they andSecretaryoftheIntegrity 2023. National Assembly for a 2017/2018 to have all expended for the payment of sodesire.

Nonetheless, she said Jaisinghatthemeetingofthe previously highlighted lawsrequiresuchagenciesto employees placed on the

Commission Dr Amanda The agency had been total of nine years. Guyana’s government-contracted wagesandsalary

Previously, PS for the Permanent Secretaries have Public Accounts Committee before the PAC for the non- layintheNationalAssembly pensionable establishment Office of Prime Minister been engaging contract (PAC) last week. The panel submission of audited annual reports, which nolongerbeingenforced.

MMG+ says positioned to provide key financial services to businesses

Derrick Cummings had employees who are not was asked to give the financial reports for the includefinancialstatements. Former President David confirmedthatthenumberof qualified for the transition to Granger had employed a contracted employees has upgrading their resumes if total of 471 contract workers grown in the last two years. they are desirous of going to for2019withtheirpayments This is so because of the t h e p e n s i o n a b l e accounting for a whopping expanded portfolio of the establishment. 75% of employment cost for Office. She said, in large thatyearalone. The Office of the Prime measure, the only difference

- company’ssubscriberbaseofover60,000constantlygrowing

Mobile Money Guyana is positioned to provide several key financial services to businesses in Guyana according to Partner Support Representative of mmg+ Rashawna Quintin.

Quintin made the comments during the recently concluded Internatioanl Energy Conference and Expo, for which mmg+ was the official payment partner According to a press release by the company Quintin said that businesses can register as merchants to receive one-off payments, as billers to receiverecurringpayments,asagentstoearn more money or as disbursement partners to easily send money with transparency and withoutahassle.

According to theAuditor Minister has 30 contract betweenacontractemployee General’s Report for 2019, employees currently, up and someone on the amounts totalling $1.954 from15attheendof2018. pensionable establishment is billion were budgeted for Former PS of the Prime the twice-yearly gratuity. Employment Costs, while Minister’s Office Abena The salaries are similar for $1.938 billion was expended Moore had revealed that thesamepositionsandtasks.

ANSA McAL launches start fresh with Ariel promotion

Officials of Ansa McAl at the launch of the Fresh Start with Ariel promotion

Partner Support Representative of mmg+ Rashawna Quintin

She added that many businesses are currently registered to the service because it’s an app that their customers and business colleagues are already familiar with and use frequently “We have over 60,000 subscribers and this number is constantly money for various types of business growing When customers hear those transactions or to make payouts to staff. businesses & services they use are on the “Let’ssaythatyouremployeeswantapartof mmg+ platform, they are excited to know their salaries to go directly to their mobile that they can process their payments quickly wallet, as a disbursement partner, those without having to go to a physical location. payments can be processed and your staff What we offer are convenience and can now easily conduct transactions from transparency for both businesses and their cellphones without ever having to visit customers and businesses have the anATM,andiftheyneedcash,wehaveover opportunitytotapintommg+andallowtheir 800 agents across all ten Administrative customersthatoption”. Regions”.

The mmg+ representative added that She added that many small businesses there are no limits to any category of have also set up on the mmg+ platform as business that can register for an mmg+ merchants, to allow their customers to account. “Any business can register, what process payments to them with ease, while they need to do is let us know what type of mmg+ also continues to expand its biller business they offer and once we are aware, options. The Mobile Money service also then we will be able to offer some guidance recently onboarded the New Building astowhichbusinesscategorytheyshouldgo Society (NBS) to its platform, to allow intotobestcatertotheirneeds”. customers to pay their mortgages via the Quintin said too that many businesses application Businesses interested in currently use the service as disbursement registering for the service can visit mmg+ partners,toeasilyandtransparentlydisburse websiteforinformationandguidance.

ANSA McAL’s Ariel brand launched its conference launching the promotion on first promotion for the year titled Fresh Start Friday at ANSA McAL Trading Ltd at with Ariel This recent Ariel promotion Beterverwagting. Atisha Isaacs, Business allows persons to win fantastic cash prizes, UnitHeadforProcterandGamble,ensuedby with five hundred dollars ($500,000) as the claiming that consumers are always looking grand prize and two hundred dollars forward to Ariel’s promotions. “Since Ariel ($200,000) in consolation prizes up for didnotlaunchapromotionduringChristmas, grabs. this promotion puts an end to the long wait, Ariel’s brand manager, Phillip Persaud, hence the name Fresh Start”, Isaacs encouraged consumers to take advantage of announced.

the promotion with the new extended lines of Toenter,personscansubmitonepacketof ArielSoapPowderavailableatsupermarkets, Ariel in an envelope with name, address and which cater for effective stain removals in contact details in entry boxes provided at consumers’ laundry These are the Ariel participating locations nationwide. Persaud regular, double and triple power, available in also mentioned that Ariel has a new sizesincluding225gto9kg.“ dishwashing liquid available nationwide in

“Consumers love our products, and we various sizes. Ariel is one of ANSA McAL tend to reward them when they shop our Trading Ltd’s leading brands from Procter products”, Phillip noted in the press andGamble.

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US$22.5M carbon credit money is from...

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From page 20 under the Hess contract for the period ending 2023. Therefore, continuous allocations to Amerindians will be made, as other payments are made to government under the agreement and potentially additional agreement that may be entered into - recognising that the Hess Contract covers a third of Guyana’s national credits.

“All this was meticulously explained by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo during an engagement with several Amerindian leaders at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Wednesday, February 15. The meeting was also live streamed for media houses and the general public to follow the discussions,” DPI stated.

It added that in keeping with the commitments government made in the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030 and Resolution No. 45, adopted by the National Assembly on August 8, 2022, the National

Assembly, including through its Committees, will have oversight of the investment of all national revenues received from forest climate markets and managed via the Consolidated Fund through the budgetary process.

“The Government is on record as committing to be fully transparent regarding payment source which will be communicated publicly at the point of payment, and at the point of transfer into the Consolidated Fund, when the payment value in Guyana Dollars will also be communicated. Already, all payments under the Hess Contract are publicly available on the LCDS website homepage.

We have also been very clear on how deposits will be allocated. The allocation of 15 percent will go to community/ village-led programmes for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) as set out in Village Sustainability Plans or equivalent, put together by communities themselves, and

the remaining 85 percent will be allocated to national priorities outlined in the LCDS 2030 (e.g. renewable energy as described in Chapter 3, land titling as described in Chapter 4, repairing canals, and protecting against climate change as outlined in chapter 5).”

According to the DPI release, given the volume of information in the public domain and available to the media, Kaieteur News must be condemned for this misleading report. Therefore, the Government of Guyana calls on Kaieteur News to undertake a full retraction of the aforementioned article. The Government of Guyana will continue to champion press freedom in Guyana, but cautions media houses, particularly the Kaieteur News, to adhere to the sacred tenants of the media profession by being responsible in providing accurate information to the members of the public, the DPI release ended.

Villagers assault Woodley Park School boys...

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From page 14 that another planned engagement will be held between the police, teachers and the students of the secondary school, to further aid with ongoing investigations.

Meanwhile, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand assured that the matter “will be fully

investigated both by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) as well as the Regional Education Department”.

“…And as soon as those findings are available, I will make them public”, Manickchand said while adding that measures will be put in place to keep students attending school safe.

She warned too, “…

Anyone who attempts to interfere with that will be dealt with condignly”. The Education Minister and the Home Affairs Ministry and the Opposition have all condemned “all occurrences of racially motivated attacks, particularly on our schoolchildren”.

Workers were stabbed in the back and...

From page 6 the punitive taxes that had been imposed by APNU+AFC on electricity, water, medical services and educational supplies, basic household necessities, and basic construction materials.

includes adjusted salary scales for various categories of workers to be announced next week, President Ali.

The APNU+AFC willfully omits to mention this information in their haste to be critical.

Driver required, ages 23-50 yrs. Must be able to assist in Workshop at Eccles and must have car and van licence. Call: 645-8443.

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The salary increase announced by the President should not be viewed in isolation, but in unison, with the several other measures, we have implemented since assuming office, all with the aim of improving disposable incomes for public sector employees and Guyanese at large.

As announced by the President, the increase, which is retroactive from January 2022, is part of Government’s wider efforts and also

The APNU+AFC plunged the economy into freefall. They governed in a way that brought hopelessness and despair to people. The unabated theft of state resources and the trauma of the five-month period APNU+AFC spent trying to rig the 2020 Regional and General Elections were not just a slap in the face, but a stab in the back of Guyanese.

Hon. Joseph Hamilton Minister of Labour

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Looking at Brassington’s numbers informs me that somebody is doing a number on Guyanese

By GHK Lall

tothesmoother,theclearer costs) of the aforementioned in excess gas, or gas-to-shore

AItismypositionthatitwouldbe hand, Guyanese are then in good considerations. The thinking was ll Guyana that pays more enlightening, of much more shape to take matters from there that the gas was going to have to be attention owes M practical value, if he was astute andgettoaplacethatisconfidence reinjected by Exxon into its

Winston Brassington nough to give Guyanese a inducing. In other words, locals offshoreoperations. Inreinjection, a word of thanks for his lovely calculation that captures and candotheirowncalculations,make there was a cost for Exxon (really, offering on the gas-to-shore conveysthefollowing: their own conclusions, and all on a Guyana’s). Fast forward to today, project at the International

1) 50MM x 365 x 20 x 1k numbers-driven basis, thanks to and now the air is saturated with EnergyConferenceof2023. It (daily cubic feet quantity of gas their own studious efforts. The great passion and devotion about was a beauty of a symphony, times number of days x years x release of assumptions used (and gas-to-shore from Exxon’s ops to that mere US$55M annually conversion rate/factor) to arrive this is crucial) would assist Wales In the gas-to-energy for the eternity of 20 years for at the total quantity of gas immensely Essentials on this gas- regime, the gas is free. Well, the gas to get to the ground at involved. Itshouldbenotedthat to-energy, and related issues and somebody is paying for it and the Wales. Jazzy that symphony of Ihavearbitrarilytakentheliberty concerns, such as the real cost of only suspect left standing is Mr Brassington. of using a British Thermal Unit electricity, and how economical Guyana.

TheTaskforceHeadfurnished conversion factor of 1000 and not (feasible) this project would turn Thatconvolutedbusinessabout an array of numbers which, with 1050units,asismoreconventional. out to be, would all be out in the paying for the pipeline though free mainly uncritical nod to his careful This is to be on the safe side, with a open, and matters can distill from gas delivered to the Wales plant efforts and work product, laid out lotofleewayforwhatIshallcallthe there to wherever they terminate, looks like a pig with plenty Yves where things stood with this ‘unusual’. howevertheyterminate. SaintLaurentlipstickonit. project, so watched, and the cause At this stage, we have the total I don’t think that this is asking This is good old capitalist depressed,andfallingbehindside. of such considerable unease in quantity/output of gas anticipated for too much of either Mr profitability101. Mr Brassington I read about cubic feet and Guyana. to flow through the pipeline to Brassington, or the PPP and the VP get their gas-to-energy thermal units and conversion

Without attempting to pry into shore. Then, I mention to Mr Government. In fact, I would be (and other considerations), Exxon factor, and much more, for all of the head of theTaskforce Head, my Brassingtonthatcitizensaresureto surprisedifthishumblesubmission makes money; matter over This is which Mr Brassington is owed a thinking is that if his objectives be better equipped, well on their would not be found endearing, business by another book. It is roundofapplause,perhapsadebtof were to impress and intimidate his way, to making their own somethingtotaketoheart. either the communist’s version of gratitude. Yeoman handiwork, fellows, then he may not have done calculations, when the following As a quick aside that still has economics and business indeed. as well as expected on both counts, costdetailsareprovided: some relationship to Mr machinations;orthatmadepopular

Notwithstanding the Taskforce and some additional work on the

2)Pipelinecost B r a s s i n g t o n ’ s E n e r g y by the Sicilian Cosa Nostra Chief’sherculeanefforts,Istillfind d r a w i n g b o a r d i s n o w

4)Theoperationscost,and theseadditionalpointsareplacedin numbers informs me that that he could have done a tad better

3)Gasplantcost Conference/Expo presentation, Looking at Mr Brassington’s it necessary, however, to suggest recommended.

From a numbers perspective

5) The cost of funds (money to the public domain, because they do somebodyisdoinganumberonthe and, in the process, do a great alone, Mr Brassington’s output is makealloftheabovepossible,each haveabearingonthingsgas. Guyanese people. From energy servicetohisfellowGuyanese. sure to open eyes, while leaving ofwhichwouldbemassive). A few years back, there was blackout to information brownout. Inacuppedhand,hecouldhave others a bit on the blank, confused, With both sides (quantity and never a word from Exxon about Mentalwhiteoutresults. made things much simpler, leading

Pomerooncommunities toreceivefirst-time accesstopotablewater

As government and safe water, for drinking continues its and sanitation purposes, e f f o r t s t o remains an important

p r o v i d e national goal to be achieved, improved access to and and is a prerequisite to the enhancedqualityofwaterto successful implementation communities across of many other dimensions of Guyana, four villages in the the sustainable development Pomeroon, Region Two, goals, such as health, food will receive first-time security, and poverty access to clean potable reduction.

water Currently, the villagers -

New wells will be drilled who are predominantly at Wakapoa and Akawini Amerindians - source water (Baracaro) in the Lower from the river and through Pomeroon and Karawab and rainwater harvesting Kabakaburi in the Upper MinisterCroalstatedthatthe Pomeroon. incoming systems are in

Minister of Housing and Water, Hon. Collin Croal addressing residents at Akawini (DPI Photo)

This is according to keeping with a commitment Minister of Housing and of H E President Dr 2025. begin at Wakapoa in April, CommunityServiceOfficers residents also took the Water, Collin Croal who MohamedIrfaanAli.Healso The wells will be drilled before moving to Baracaro (CSOs) will be trained to opportunity to highlight made the announcement said the government is through GWI with a new for the drilling of another assist GWI with the issues affecting them in their during a two-day outreach in heavily investing to ensure PAT Rig acquired by the well GWI also aims to operation and maintenance communities. the region on February 17- that hinterland and riverine water company The rig is connect three nearby islands of the systems upon These issues will be 18,2023. communities receive 100% expected to arrive in March at Akawini to the system. completion. addressed by the relevant The provision of clean access to potable water by anddrillingoftwowellswill Therigwillthenbemovedto With the villages also set subject Ministers and theotherareas. to benefit from monies agencies.Accompanyingthe

“That well will provide a earned from the sale of Minister was the Regional better quality of life for our Guyana’s carbon credits, the Vice-chairman, Mr Humace people. It will help you to Minister also urged them to O u d i t ; D i r e c t o r o f reduce some of your beinnovativeandembarkon Hinterland Services at the hardships that you may be projects that will foster Guyana Water Incorporated faced with in the dry sustainable economic (GWI), Mr Ramchand Jailal season,” Minister Croal told growthandjobcreation. and other technical officials. residents. Additionally, two During the meeting, (DPI)

GHK Lall

300MW gas-fired power plant may not be sufficient to meet electricity demand - Brassington

The controversial US$2B Gas-toEnergy (GTE) project has been questionable from its inception, and it seems as though the defenders of this major initiative, are finding it difficult themselves to determine its feasibility and convinceGuyanesecitizensofsame.

Project Head Winston Brassington was tasked with providing the International Energy Conference on Wednesday with an update on the project, and disclosed that the powertobegeneratedfromthisprojectmay notmeetthedemandrequiredby2026-some two years after the project is slated to come onstream.

During his presentation at the Marriott HotelinKingston,Georgetown,Brassington in his annual briefing explained, “We are building a project of 300 megawatts (MW) and as a general rule of thumb; electricity demand grows in line with GDP (Gross DomesticProduct).Nowrealityis,inthelast three years that (demand) has lagged as we would expect. We know there are a dozen hotels under construction or in the works, a lot of new development and so we are projecting- (Guyana Power and Light) GPL isprojecting-thatby2026wewillneedtwice asmuchpower(or)energyastheygenerated lastyear.”

He said the country’s peak demand in 2022 was 156 MW, while the average load was112MW Tothisend,hepointedout,“By 2026,we(are)lookingatapeakatover300 megawatts, so even this project may not be adequate to meet all of the demand in the

future.”

The Government of Guyana (GoG) on December 13, 2022 signed a US$759M contract with CH4-Lindsayca to construct the 300 MW gas-fired power plant and a NaturalGasLiquids(NGL)facilityatWales, WestBankDemerara.

It was reported that the government will befinancingthisprojectthroughaloan.

Brassington dissected the costs while giving his outline, noting that US$477 millionisallocatedforthepowerplant,while the remaining US$282 million will go towardstheNGLfacility

Presently, the GoG is awaiting approval

rom the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to commence works on the power plant.

The other two aspects of the project- a pipeline to transport the gas and the NGL facility- has already been approved by the EPA,throughaseparateapplicationthatwas made by Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), ExxonMobil’s subsidiary

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had announced in December last year that he was “extremely pleased” that the contract was awarded for the construction of the power plant and NGL facility

He was keen to note that the power plant is expected to be completed by December 2024 andthat“hugepenalties”willbe imposed on the contractor for failingtodeliverontime.

Government claims that the

300 MW power plant will slash electricity billsby50percent.

In the meantime, the country will be saddled with an annual debt of US$106 million for 20 years, to pay back costs associatedwithdevelopingGTEproject.

Brassington explained that Guyana will be required to pay back ExxonMobil some US$55millioneachyearfor20yearsforits investmentinthepipeline.

“That US$55 million is the amortized costofUS$1billionfor20yearsatadiscount rate,”hesaid.

In addition to this, Guyana will also be expected to repay another US$51 million annually for 20 years on a loan the country

GTE Project Head, Winston Brassington

ThrillingfinishtotheBountyFarm’sMash... Georgetown Dominoes Association to stage fund raising tourney on Sunday

hand, won the third place playoffs, defeating senior’s and junior’s athletes would have Rylee Rodrigues (15-11, 15-12). While, competed in the tournament to see who will Malia Maikoo won the Junior Plate finals, take the top spots. Jason-Ray Khalil won the NoahRahamanwasadjudgedrunner-up. senior’s Open final and also wrote his name WhileintheseniorOpenfinal:Jason-Ray into the GSA history books for having the Khalil and Alex Arjoon provided the semihighest handicap wins.While JustinTen Pow crammed venue with some electric likewisesnatchedtheJuniorCategoryAfinal, entertainment in the senior’s final. Both in only his second squash tournament as players would have had a wonderful Taylor Fernandes was adjudged Most tournament leading up to this final but in the ImprovedPlayerofthetournament. end Jason-Ray came out victorious winning

From page 33

Over in the junior’s Category A final: the two games-to-love (15-10, 15-12), as Arjoon small statured Justin Ten Pow was eager to settled for second place in the seniors Open win this contest, he eventually defeated final. While Daniel Ince defeated Taylor DemetriLoweinanexcitingthirdgamebattle Fernandes 3-15, 15-9 and 15-13 to cop the between the two to claim the Junior’s thirdplaceaccolade. championship. Justin won the contest 15-12, The tournament was sponsored by the 9-1 and 15-12. Jeremy Ten Pow on the other BountyFarmLimited.

Monday February 20, 2023

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

Someone or something may spur you on today, Aries. You may feel a nagging impulse to get up and do something. Follow that instinct and stop moaningaboutstayinginbed.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Bite the bullet and get it done, Taurus.Finishtheprojectsand get the lingering odds and ends out of your way There are stable energies today that will bring a practical breath of freshairtoanysituation.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Today might not be as lighthearted and free-spirited as you'd like, Gemini, but don't sweat it. Work with the grounded energy of the day to complete tasks that have been wearingonyouforawhile.

CANCER(June21–July22)

Today is a fantastic day for you Things are naturally flowing your way You can accomplishagreatdeal.There are few hurdles in your way You're well disciplined about yourtimeandwhat'sneededto get the job done and how to meetyourgoals.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

There's a conservative air today that doesn't fit well with your erratic, unconventional nature,Leo.Thingsmightpop up to remind you that you should be a bit more disciplinedinyourapproach.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

Somethingistuggingyouback down to reality, Virgo Your mind has tended to be in the cloudslately,butnowyouneed to ground your emotions and realize that you operate on a physicalplane,too

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

There's a conservative veil over your emotions. Issues from the past might arise and rub you the wrong way. You move onward and upward by nature, plowing ahead without thinkingoftheconsequences.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov 21)

Today is fantastic for tuning in toyourinnerself,Scorpio.You will have a level, grounded mind from which to make conscious evaluations of your emotional state. Trust your instincts and make realistic plansforthefuture.

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

You may feel a bit weighed down today, Sagittarius, and perhaps more reserved than usual.Someonemayberaining on your parade, but don't let it getyoudown.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Today's a good day to ground your fluctuating emotions

Step back from the drama you create and evaluate your inner state. Are you fooling yourself into thinking everything's OK whenitreallyisn't?

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

Things may be calm today, Aquarius. You might not be your boisterous self, but that could be a good thing. Use the sobering energy to evaluate your emotions and honestly lookatyourrelationships.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

Today is a great day for you, Pisces. Everything is flowing your way as more pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Your fluctuating emotions are groundedandcalm,lettingyou stand back and evaluate your trueinnerstate.

T h e G e o r g e t o w n fund raiser for the trophy, second securing Dominoes Association Association as Guyana $150,000 plus a trophy, third (GDA) will stage a fund- prepare to host the World place $75,000 and a trophy raising tournament next Dominoes championships in andfourthplace$35,000and Sunday at the Guyana Augustthisyear atrophy National Stadium tarmac, “We anticipate over 40 The Most Valuable EastBankDemerara. teams to take part in the Player in the final will

The tournament dubbed tournament and we have receive$15,000.

“GDA Big Bash – The extended invitations to clubs Association and first Minister’s Edition” will in Linden, Berbice, East division teams will pay attract affiliates of the Coast Demerara, Bartica and $15,000 to register while Association as well as teams WestDemeraraaswellasthe ministries and private sector fromCorporation,Ministries p r i v a t e s e c t o r a n d teams will pay $10,000 andthePrivateSector government ministries,” he registrationfee.

President of the GDA added. Interested officials can Hazim Hakh said Sunday’s Prizes will be awarded to contact the following tournament will be a first of thetopfourfinisherswiththe numbers to register 642its kind at the National first place team receiving 8179,659-8672or600-6200. Stadium and will serve as a $300,000 dollars and a Double-sixtimeis2p.m.

Vinícius again the target of insults in Spanish league match

MADRID (AP) — The countries on Feb. 6, killing investigating their alleged insults against Real Madrid morethan44,000people. use of verbal abuse against forwardVinícius Júnior have There has been little Vinícius. Spanish media said continued in Spain, with the punishment for hate attacks Sunday that the Mallorca fan Brazil forward again being against soccer players in who called the Brazilian “a targeted by opposing fans in Spain, though recently monkey” in another match aSpanishleaguematch. Valladolid suspended 12 has been identified by

Theinsultsstartedduring season ticket holders while authorities. the moment of silence before Madrid’s 2-0 win at Osasuna on Saturday, and continued with fans chanting, “Die, Vinícius”laterinthegame.

“The insults continue, but so does the dancing,” Vinícius said onTwitter after thevictory

Returning from a onegame suspension, Vinícius led Madrid’s attack and set up the late goal by Federico Valverde that put Madrid on itswaytoawinontheroad.

T h e 2 2 - y e a r - o l d Vinícius, who is Black, has beenthetargetofhateinsults since arriving to play in Spain in 2018. Several racist attacks have been made against him during matches, and his effigy was hanged by the neck off a bridge before a derby against city rival AtleticoMadridlastmonth.

“It’s lamentable, ” Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said. “There’s no place for this nonsense. We have to stop looking at Vinícius, we have to start looking at the fans. It’s a shame, because you see kids with their parents and they areshowinghimthefinger.”

Madrid’s veteran Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti said the foul language directed at Vinícius during the moment of silence in honor of earthquake victims was “a disrespect toward Tukey and Syria.”

Red-hot Rashford nets double as Man United outclass Leicester

M A N C H E S T E R , MarcelSabitzerwasluckyto allow Rashford to feed England, (Reuters) - remain on the pitch after a Sancho, who played a quick Manchester United striker dangerous challenge left exchange of passes with Marcus Rashford’s superb Leicester’s Wout Faes Fernandes before drilling run of form continued needing treatment, with the home. when he netted a goal in Austrian, who is on loan Leicester rang the each half of his side’s 3-0 from Bayern Munich, changes in an effort to get Premier League win over escaping punishment back into the game but Leicester City yesterday to altogether United continued to have the extend his scoring streak to United were a different better chances, with Sancho fivegames. sideafterthebreak,Lisandro andWoutWeghorstspurning

It was exactly what his Martinezhittingthecrossbar good opportunities to add a side needed as they in the 49th minute with a fourth. weathered an early storm header and Rashford going

United moved on to 49 from the visitors, with close after another run and points, three behind secondkeeperDavidDeGeapulling shot as Leicester lost their placedManchesterCityafter off a superb save to deny composure. 24 games and five adrift of Harvey Barnes in the eighth England international leaders Arsenal, who have minute and topping that with Rashford bagged his second played a game less. Fourthan even better effort to keep in the 56th minute, cutting placed Tottenham Hotspur out a Kelechi Iheanacho in from the left and tearing trail Manchester United by header into the box before guiding sevenpoints.

Leicester were left to rue the ball home to register his

“”We’re close but both those near misses when 14th league goal of the teams in front of us are good Rashfordlatchedontoapass season and 25th in all teams and playing good EuropaLeaguegameagainst continues. game in the week (against down the right from Bruno competitions football. We have to just Barcelona and a League Cup

“It’s still early in the Barcelona) to hopefully go Fernandes and rifled the ball BRILLIANT THIRD focus on ourselves, do as final against Newcastle season, we’re fighting for a through to the next round of across keeper Danny Ward Substitute Jadon Sancho well as we can and keep United coming up, United lot of different things,” the Europa League and then and into the net after 25 added a brilliant third five pickinguppoints,”Rashford fans will be hoping Rashfordsaid. amassivegameforus(inthe minutesatOldTrafford. minutes later when Martinez toldSkySports. Rashford’s prolific run “We have another big cupfinal),”headded.

r won the ball in midfield to With a second-leg

Guangzhou Evergrande’s Robinho eyes the ball during a training session ahead of their Club World Cup semi-final soccer match against Barcelona in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, Japan, December 15, 2015. (REUTERS/Toru Hanai)

Italy asks Brazil forward Robinho to serve prison sentence in home country

SAO PAULO, (Reuters) - Italy has Souza, lives in Brazil and has always denied requested that former AC Milan and Brazil thecharges. striker Robinho serves a 9-year prison Earlier this week, Italy’s Justice Ministry sentence for rape in his home country, local had issued an international arrest warrant for media reported, citing Brazil’s Foreign the player, after the country’s top court RelationsMinistry confirmedhisconvictionforrapeinJanuary

Jamaica, Dom. Rep., Haiti eliminated after losses on Saturday

SportsMax - Jamaica’s matches, Jamaica conceded and the USA’s fourth in the U17 Reggae Boyz were alategoal. 57th before Micah Burton eliminated from the That problem cost them addedafifthinthe62nd.

C O N C A C A F U 1 7 three points against Ezekiel Soto scored the ChampionshipsonSaturday Guadeloupe and two points third brace of the day for the night, going down 2-1 in a againstCostaRica. U.S., with goals in the 83’ hard-fought game against On Saturday night, and 90’to round out the 7-0 hostsGuatemala. Gabino Vasquez’s 77th scoreline.

Withthewinnertoearna minute strike cost them a In the nightcap in place in the quarter-finals, placeinthequarter-finals. Antigua, Canada ended Guatemala assumed the Meanwhile, the USA Haiti’s hopes of a quarterearly advantage when drubbed the Dominican finalspot by handingthema Selvin Sagastume put them Republic 7-0 in their 3-0defeat.

AMilancourtin2017foundRobinhoand

In a statement, the Brazilian ministry But the SouthAmerican country does not confirmed it has received such a request extradite its nationals, which would mean without naming the player Robinho’s Robinhowouldonlyfacearrestifhetraveled defence lawyer could not be reached for abroad. comment.

The request will be analyzed by the five other Brazilians guilty of gang raping a Justice Ministry’s Department of Asset woman after plying her with alcohol in a Repatriation and International Legal discotheque. The conviction was confirmed Cooperation,theministryadded. by an appeals court in 2020 and validated by Robinho, whose full name is Robson de Italy’sSupremeCourtlastmonth.

1-0 up in the 32nd minute, a encounterinAntigua. Antoine Sedar N Diaye lead that would last until the Christopher Aquino opened the scoring in the half-timebreak. scored in the 22nd and 30th fourth-minute of play and Jamaicawouldpulllevel minutestogivehissidea2-0 Lucas Ozimec netted in the in the 54th minute when lead. 16th as Canada took a 2-0 Ronaldo Barrett scored Keyrol Figueroa then lead within the first 20fromafreekick. scored just before the break minutes.

However, as has been to give the US a 3-0 lead. Erik Pop scored in the the case in all their previous Figueroa added his second 88thtocompletethevictory

Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford celebrates scoring their second goal with Wout Weghorst. (REUTERS/Molly Darlington)

Guatemala advanced as three big teams were eliminated from the CONCACAF U17 Championships.

Indiawin2ndtestby6wicketsafterAustraliacrumble

NEW DELHI (AP) —

Australia’s Matthew Kuhnemann, left, is bowled by India’s Ravindra Jadeja during the third day of the second cricket test match between India and Australia in New Delhi, India, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023.

(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

The hosts had won the

30 runs with Srikar Bharat Australia started the third (23 not out) to finish off the day of the second test with proceedings shortly before high hopes, but in less than tea. four hours it had instead Australia scored 263 s u f f e r e d a n o t h e r runs in its first innings. India embarrassing batting replied with 262 on day two, collapse before India chased thanks to Axar Patel’s down a meagre total to win fighting half-century Lyon by six wickets before tea pickedup5-67. yesterday

Australia was 61-1 at the first test in Nagpur by an start of the day and looked to innings and 132 runs, also continue its batting withinthreedays. counterattack from the “I thought 260 was a previousevening. decent score in the first

But instead it was India’s innings. India batted well, spinnerswhoranamokasthe even with just one or two visitors crumbled to 113 all partnerships. We were ahead outwithRavindraJadejaand of the game and slipped. So Ravichandran Ashwin that’s disappointing for us. takingalltenwickets. We need a review on what

Left-arm spinner Jadeja could have been done tookcareer-bestfiguresof7- differently,” said Cummins, 42 in a devastating spell but aftertheloss. was aided by some poor shot

The third test will be selection by a panicked playedinIndorefromMarch Australiabattinglineup. 1. Dharamsala was initially

It was Jadeja’s 12th five- scheduled to host the game, wicket haul in tests, as he Australia made a poor opened the floodgates as successive overs to end the out after a mix-up with before the venue was pickedupamatch-haulof10 start losing Travis Head (43) Australia collapsed from 95- innings and set India a Pujara. changed after a delay in the wickets for 110 runs. His to the sixth ball of the 3 to 95-7 in the space of 11 straightforward chase of 115 The latter added 30 runs relayingoftheoutfield. previous innings best was 7- morning as Ashwin had balls. runstowin. with Virat Kohli (20) for the Scores: India 262 (Axar 49 against England at Head caught behind with After Labuschagne, In the chase, India lost third wicket before Kohli 74, Kohli 44, Lyon 5-67) and Chennaiin2016. Srikar Bharat holding on for Ashwin (3-59) trapped Matt Lokesh Rahul for one run wasstumpedoffMurphy 118 for 4 beat Australia 263 Making Australia’s asmartcatch. Renshaw (2) lbw as the before lunch but Sharma Shreyas Iyer scored 12 (Khawaja 81, Handscomb morning collapse count, Marnus Labuschagne batterstriedinvaintosweep. teed off, hitting 31 off 20 off10ballsbeforeholingout 72*, Shami 4-60) and 113 India chased down the 115 (35) and Steve Smith (9) Peter Handscomb was balls, hitting three fours and inthedeepoffLyon. (Head 43, Jadeja 7-42, runs it needed to take a 2-0 added 20 runs for the third caught at slip for a three- two sixes. He was then run- Pujara(31notout)added Ashwin 3-59) by six wickets. lead in the four-match series wicket in the calmest ball duck, and Jadeja with 100-test veteran passage of play for the bowled Pat Cummins off CheteshwarPujarasmashing tourists. the next ball after the a four off Todd Murphy to That changed soon after Australia captain went for endthematch. whenAshwin trapped Smith an unsightly slog, which Australia put up a lbw at the end of the 19th defined his team’s poor semblanceofresistancewith over, and the decision stayed battingapproach Nathan Lyon (2-49) and in India’s favor despite the It got worse as Jadeja Todd Murphy (1-22) sharing batsmanoptingforDRS. bowled Alex Carey (7) with three wickets to accompany Labuschagne was the thescorejustpast100. a bizarre run out of captain next to go, bowled off Jadeja He also bowled Nathan Rohit Sharma but to no avail two overs later, as the ball Lyon (8) and Matthew asIndiawonbysixwickets. kept low His dismissal K u h n e m a n n ( 3 ) i n

India’s Mohammed Siraj leaps on the back of Ravindra Jadeja after he took his seventh wicket during the third day of the second cricket test match between India and Australia in New Delhi, India, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023.

(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

American Crouser breaks shot put world record

Ryan Crouser of the U.S. celebrates after winning the men’s shot put final.

(REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach)

(Reuters) - Double Olympic champion 23.37m he set in 2021 at the U.S. Olympic Ryan Crouser broke his own shot put world Trials in Eugene and the indoor mark of record when he threw for 23.38 metres while 22.82mheachievedearlierthatyear competing during an indoor event in The reigning world champion has now Pocatello, Idaho, on Saturday, according to surpassed the 23m mark in seven WorldAthletics. competitions during his career, a barrier that

The 30-year-old American’s effort in the only three other athletes have ever bettered, first round of competition at the Simplot according to a report on the World Athletics Games beat both the outdoor record of website.

Broad, Anderson and Bazball devastate NZ in 1st test

M O U N T hand.” New Zealand had again in time to send New MAUNGANUI, New shown some signs of Zealand in under floodlights Zealand (AP) — For New resistance after the collapse forthesecondtime. Zealandtheendatleastcame of its top order when ThistimeBroadwrecked quickly Englandneededless allrounders Daryl Mitchell the New Zealand top order, than a session on the fourth andMichaelBracewellstuck bowling Devon Conway, day yesterday to complete a together for almost an hour Latham, Williamson and 267-run win in the first day- beforestumpsondaythree. Blundell. night cricket test and to take The resistance was

England’s James Anderson appeals successfully for a LBW decision to dismiss New Zealand’s Scott Kuggeleijn on the fourth day of their cricket test match in Tauranga, New Zealand, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

“It was all set up,” Broad a 1-0 lead in the two-match broken spinner when Jack said. “The way we set the series. Leach removed Bracewell whole game up, we were

Stuart Broad who clean (25) in the third over of the building towards knowing bowled four New Zealand day Sunday and England we wanted to bowl as much top-order batters late on the resumed a rapid push for as possible under the lights third day to leave the home victory withtheharderpinkball. side 63-5 overnight and Anderson trapped Scott “All our conversations make the win imminent, Kuggeleijn lbw next over, through the day were about finishedwith4-49.Hislong- then had New Zealand not so much (about) runs but time and record-breaking captain Tim Southee caught the timing of when to bowl, partnerJamesAndersontook first ball by Joe Root at slip whichisabitweirdbutthat’s 4-18, sealing the win when with his next ball and the the day-night system. It’s he bowled No. 11 Blair England players likely were nice to be on that side, and Tickner(8)about15minutes setting up tee times with the you’ve got to put a lot of before tea as New Zealand endinsight. work in to control when you wasalloutfor127. Neil Wagner followed canbowlatthegoodtimes.”

That raised Anderson quickly but Mitchell and last

That control is the and Broad’s tally of test man Blair Tickner made essence of Bazball, the wickets in partnership to England wait a little longer, doctrine of Stokes and coach 1,009 in 103 matches, sticking together for almost Brendon McCullum eclipsing the record of 1,001 11 overs. Mitchell was able Bazball is mischaracterized previously held by to post his sixth test half- when it is portrayed as a Australians Glenn McGrath century and he finished policy of attack without they bowled under lights last New Zealand hung in at that period Anderson and andShaneWarne. unbeaten on 57. “All credit restraint or caution. It is night.” times but never gained the Ollie Robinson dismissed

England will now take a t o E n g l a n d . T h e y about taking control and Almostfromthefirstball upperhand. Kane Williamson, Tom 1-0 series lead into the strategically played it pretty dictating terms as England of the match the difference England twice routed Latham and Henry Nicholls second and final test in well,” New Zealand captain did when they were able to between the teams was New Zealand’s top order and left New Zealand 37-3

WellingtonfromFriday. Tim Southee said. “We were cherry pick when they obvious: England constantly under floodlights when the before it clawed back to 306

“Obviouslyanothergreat on the receiving end of a wantedtobowl. was on the attack, New ball moved around more with Tom Blundell’s 138 on performance. We were very couple of night periods

Scores: England 325 for Zealand constantly was than in daylight on a thesecondday clinical with the bat and which obviously weren’t 9 dec (Brook 89, Duckett 84, defensive. relatively docile pitch. That England then raced to obviously very clinical with ideal. Wagner 4-82) and 374 (Root Even when it lost the was not by accident but 374 in its second innings at a the ball,” England captain “That spell (by Broad) 57, Brook 54, Foakes 51, t o s s , E n g l a n d w a s design Stokes made the one-day international rate of Ben Stokes said “When last night was obviously Tickner 3-55) beat New determined to go on the second-earliest first day more than five runs an over you’ve got Stuart Broad and impressive but we knew if Zealand 306 (Blundell 138, offensive and opener Ben declaration in test history with half-centuries to Joe James Anderson in your we got through last night Conway 77, Robinson 4-54) Duckett blasted a half- when he ended his team’s Root, Harry Brook and Ben bowlingattackit’sobviously there would not be many and 126 (Mitchell 57*, century from 37 balls to put first innings at 325-9 almost Foakes. England’s lead was going to very hard for demons in the pitch today I Anderson 4-18, Broad 4-49) his team on the front foot. 90minutesbeforestumps.In 393 and the innings ended anyone with a bat in their think it’s credit to the way by 267 runs.

Sublime Messi free kick earns PSG 4-3 win over Lille

PARIS, (Reuters) - Lionel Messi squeezing a shot under keeper Lucas Donnarummatogivehissidethelead. scored a stunning free kick in added Chevalier “Thematchwasnotgreat,we The visitors let their intensity drop, time to earn Paris St Germain a 4-3 made a lot of mistakes but we have however, and they were punished when comeback win over Lille yesterday and shown that even when the context is not MbappeturnedinJuanBernat’scrossto lift them seven points clear at the top of favourable,wecangetthrough.Wearea make it 3-3. Messi won a free kick five the Ligue 1 standings. PSG, who have different team, we can get by all the minutes into stoppage time and the struggled for consistency since their time,”MbappetoldPrimeVideo. Argentine curled it into the bottom return from the World Cup break, Christophe Galtier’s side doubled corner to score his 11th league goal of extended their lead over the chasing their lead six minutes later when the season and seal a dramatic victory pack, while AS Monaco moved into Neymar tapped in a Vitinha cross to forPSG. secondwitha2-1winoverBrest. finishoffaflowingmove. Lille dropped to sixth following Third-placed Olympique de However, Lille were far from StadeRennais’s2-0winoverClermont. Marseille travelled to Toulouse later passive as Jonathan David tested Lens secured a 3-1 home win over yesterday Lille almost caught hosts Donnarumma with a bullet header Nantes to move up to 49 points, level PSG off guard in the opening 40 before Bafode Diakite nodded home an withMarseilleinthird.DeiverMachado secondswhenTimothyWeah’slowshot Andre Gomes cross to pull one back in scored the first goal in the 34th minute took a wicked deflection, but Gianluigi the 24th minute. PSG suffered a blow withanexcellenteffortfromlongrange, Donnarumma was down fast to save early in the second half when forward beforeAdrien Thomasson, signed from withhislegs.PSGquicklygrewintothe Neymar was taken off on a stretcher Racing Strasbourg last month, gameaftertheearlyscareattheParcdes withasuspectedankleinjury hammered home from close range two Princes, with Messi hitting the target Lille won a penalty after Marco minutes later to double Lens’s from a tight angle after being played Verratti tugged Tiago Djalo’s shirt and advantage. Florent Mollet gave Nantes throughbyNeymar David coolly converted the spot kick to a glimmer of hope when his curling Kylian Mbappe, making his first levelthescore. strike from the edge of the area sailed start since a two-week injury layoff, Lille piled on the pressure and were past Lens goalkeeper Brice Samba in opened the scoring in the 11th minute rewarded when Gomes pinged a long the 40th minute, but a Charles Traore with a brilliant piece of individual skill, ball in to the feet of Jonathan Bamba, own goal in the second half wrapped up ghosting past two opponents and who smashed his effort past thethreepointsforthehosts.

Paris St Germain’s Lionel Messi in action. (REUTERS/ Sarah Meyssonnier)

New Zealand thrash Sri Lanka to keep semi-final hopes alive

BBCSport-NewZealandkept

Sri Lanka also needed to start their hopes of reaching the aggressivelytotrytokeepontopof Women’s T20 World Cup semi- the run-rate, but that expansive finals alive with a dominant 102- approach led to some risky runwinoverSriLanka. strokeplay and a flurry of early

Amelia Kerr hit 66 from 48 wicketstheydidnotrecoverfrom. balls and Suzie Bates added 56 Opener Chamari Athapaththu from 49 as New Zealand posted looked like the only player capable 162-3inPaarl. of producing a match-winning

SriLankacrumbledto60allout innings, but when she departed for in reply to end their own last-four 19 from 21 balls Sri Lanka were hopes. flailingon33-4.

The win moves New Zealand

AchiniKulasuriyacouldnotbat up to second in Group 1, but South after sustaining a shoulder injury Africa will replace them and seal a while bowling so New Zealand semi-final spot if they beat only needed to take nine wickets, BangladeshonTuesday with Kerr capping a fine all-round

Whoever finishes second in display by bowling Malsha Group 1 is likely to face England, Shehani for 10 to seal the win and who are already assured of a semi- endwithfiguresof2-7. final place and will progress as

Scores: New Zealand 162-3 Group 2 winners if they avoid (20 overs): A Kerr 66 (48) Bates 56 defeat in their final game against (49), Bezuidenhout 32 (29) Bezuidenhout smashing 32 from Bezuidenhout’s dismissal acceleration perfectly to average PakistanonTuesday Sri Lanka 60 (15.5 overs): just20ballstohelptheWhiteFerns brought Kerr to the crease to join nearly 10 an over in the final five

Athapaththu 19 (21); Kerr 2-7, reach 47-1 after the powerplay - Bates and they put on 110 for the overs of the innings and lift New aggressively knowing they needed Tahuhu 2-12 theirbestofthetournamentsofar second wicket, timing their Zealanduptoanimposingscore. a big win, with opener Bernadine New Zealand won by 102 runs

Dutchwoman Femke Bol breaks 41-year-old world -indoor 400m record

Singh, Sadiek guide Everest CC Masters to six-wicket win over Enterprise Masters

SportsMax - Femke Bol Jarmila Kratochvilova on 7 standing records on the stormedtoasensationaltime March 1982. It’s not the first books.InApeldoorn,Bolgot of 49.26* to break the world time that Bol has made a typical strong start and indoor 400m record at the history. The world and went through 200m in 23.63 D u t c h I n d o o r Olympic 400m hurdles before surging over the C h a m p i o n s h i p s i n medallist set a world 300m finish line in 49.26, chased Apeldoornyesterday(19). hurdles best of 36.86 in by Lieke Klaver who was

The 22-year-old dipped Ostrava last year and in her secondin50.34. under50secondsforthefirst first race of this season she “It was because of all the time indoors with 49.96 in ranaworldindoor500mbest fans here that I ran this Metz last weekend but in of1:05.63inBoston. record,” Bol said after her Apeldoorn she took 0.7 off Now she has a world race at the Omnisport arena. that mark to better the world recordonherCV,too,having “Never have I ever seen that indoor record of 49.59 set by broken one of the longest- manypeoplehere.

Gavin Singh and not out, while C. Tikaram 4in23.4overs.

Imtiaz Sadiek contributed15,R.Mangal15 UcilArmstrong made six

s t r u c k h a l f and H Sookdeo 13 as not out as R. Pooran took 2centuriestohandEverestCC Enterprise Masters managed 28. Masters a six-wicket win 150-8. Singh and Sadiek were over Enterprise Masters Beharry claimed 3-24 declared joint man-of-thewhen the teams collided in a andRajeshSingh2-30. match The fixture was 25-overfixturerecently EverestCCMasterswere sponsoredbyTrophyStall.

Enterprise Masters reduced to 5-3 in the chase Meanwhile, both teams batted first and lost three before Singh and Sadiek extended congratulations to quick wickets as Anil resurrected the chase with Basil Persaud of Everest and Beharry made early inroads level-headedbatting. Chanderpaul Singh of leaving the score on 32-3. K. Singh struck seven fours Enterprise for being selected Mohamed and C. Tikaram and one six in an unbeaten on the West Indies over 50 added 54 for the fourth 67, while Imtiaz Sadiek team for the over 50 World wicket to steady the innings slammedfivefoursandthree Cup in South Africa next somewhat. sixesinscoring56asEverest month. The duo is expected

C. Ramnaresh made 23 Mastersrespondedwith152- todepartlaterthismonth.

Suzie Bates (left) and Amelia Kerr put on 110 for the second wicket. (Getty Images)

From left Imtiaz Sadiek, Anil Beharry and Gavin Singh

Bol shattered the record previously held by Jarmila Kratochvilova.

West Indies Women edge Pakistan by three runs in thriller for second win in a row

SportsMax - On the Shemaine Campbell added their first two wickets with consecutive fours but then back of their win against 40 for the second wicket but only 15 runs on the board chopped the fifth onto her Ireland that broke a streak of thenWilliamswasdismissed duringthePowerplay stumpstobeoutfor29. 15 consecutive losses inT20 bySadiaIqbalfor30. Captain Bismah Maroof Matthews, who took the Internationals, the West Chinelle Henry, who and Dar put on 44 for the wickets of opener Muneeba Indies Women pulled off a joined Campbell at the third wicket but then Dar Ali for five and Maroof thrilling three-run win crease, scored a quick 10 was dismissed by Afy endedwith2-14. against Pakistan Women at from 11 balls but was soon Fletcher for 27. Maroof was Karishma Ramharack Paarlyesterday dismissed, out leg before to nexttogofor26aftersheand took 1-18 while Connell

After winning the toss Nida Dal with the score at Aliya Riaz had put on 30 for returnedfiguresof1-31. andchoosingtobat,theWest 86. Campbell was next to go thefourthwicket. Scores in Brief: West Indies scored 116-6 from for 22 and the West Indies Riaz threatened to take Indies 116 for 6 in 20 overs their 20 overs. Needing 117 Women had lost their way, the game away from the (Rashada Williams 30, for victory, Pakistan fell scoring 26 from the final 26 West Indies in the final over Shemaine Campbelle 22; shortscoring113-5. balls with Shabika Gajnabi with her teamneeding 17 for Nida Dar 2/13, Fatima Sana

After winning the toss scoring 13 and Aaliyah victory. 1/10). andchoosingtobat,theWest Alleynenine.

After Fatima Sana hit Pakistan 113 for 5 in 20 Indies Women got off to a Having bowled Alleyne ShamiliaConnellforfouroff overs (Aliya Riaz 29, Nida solid start scoring 33 runs at the death, Dar finished the first ball, she took a Dar 27; Hayley Matthews but lost their captain Hayley with 2-13 with Iqbal taking single to leave Pakistan nine 2/14, Karishma Ramharack Matthews for 20 in the six 1-18. runs short of the target with 1/18) over Pakistan Women made threeballsremaining. Player of the Match: Rashada Williams and hardworkofthechaselosing She hit Connell for Hayley Matthews

Empire Cricket Club excited to participate in NYNCL Premier Division tournament

Newly-formed Empire Cricket RoystonCrandonintheirlineupfor setup as well. Cabose said that a acquisition was the announcement Club(ECC)isexcitedtoparticipate thisesteemedtournament. plethora of US local seasoned of one of New York’s most trusted in this year’s New York National “Crandonwouldcertainlybring campaigners has made up a real estate firms in SkyPort Homes Cricket League (NYNCL) Premier a lot of experience to the team; he formidableteamtocompete. LLC being named as the premier 40-over tournament which is slated willdefinitelybeanassettotheside The tournament is expected to sponsor of the team. Additional tocommenceApril23rd. as well,” Cabose declared. The 39- rununtillateAugust.Sixteenteams thanks were echoed to Mr Kissoon

According to one of the year-old Crandon will be taking will be featuring with a semi-final Dhanraj and the SkyPort Homes founding members of the club, partasaplayer/coachheadded. segmentandchampionshipfixture. LLCteam. Brandon Cabose, the team is ready Quizzedontheformationofthe Meanwhile, Cabose reserved Thelistofsponsors: The ECC teams reads: to rumble. He informed that they club, Cabose responded: “The club specialmentiontothesponsors.He 1: Caribbean Restaurant and

beganpreparationsassiduouslyand was formed last November by me took the opportunity to express his SportsBar Alphonso, Brandon Saugh, is confident ECC would make an and Samuel Mahabir, a local player sincerestgratitudetoallofthemfor 2: 3 Sisters’ & Shanta’s Mahendra Boodram, Kumar impressionattheirfirstouting. who has shown tremendous theirsupportandpromisedtomake RestaurantBakery Joseph, Brandon Cabose, Samuel “We [are] confident of doing enthusiasm; we were very excited themproud.

3: Real Guyana West Indian Mahabir, Avi Sooraj, Rovin well; the team is highly confident and we are looking forward now to The marketing exploits paid FishMarket Dusrajh, Mario Lobban, Ahmed and optimistic of producing top participate with the same level of greatdividendsastheteamsecured 4:BedesseSportingGoods Ashfak, Kenley Adams, Emanuel performances,” the US-based dynamism,”Cabosestated. several sponsorship deals from

5:CottageHomeCareServices Seecharran, Royston Crandon, GuyaneseCaboserelated. In addition to Crandon, ex- various local business in the 6:AMJDemolition Larando Best, Anand Roopnarine, Cabose mentioned that the club Guyana youth batsman Mohindra Queens Boro, who pledged

7:SkyportHomesLLC Shawn Roopnarine, Rejaul Rajel, isalsooverwhelmedtohaveformer Boodram and Jamaica quickie tremendous support towards the 8: Jerry’s Plumbing & HVAC Joash Charles, Vijai Surjpaul, Guyana and West Indies player Mario Lobban have been in the new team. One such sponsorship Inc. ShahidKhan,SureshDhani.

Hayley Matthews with her player of the match award. (Jan Kruger-ICC)

Shemaine Campbelle made 22. (Jan Kruger-ICC)

Rashada Williams top scored for the West Indies ladies. (Jan Kruger-ICC)

Royston Crandon

Briton ‘Mr Dependable’ John wins Forbes Burnham Memorial Road Race

Another day and another victory for Briton John, this time around the We Stand United cyclist took home the Forbes Burnham Memorial title

B r i t o n h a s b e e n unstoppable on the local cycling spectrum, and his victory yesterday came just about a week after his convincing win in the Beacon Cafe 35-lap inside theNationalPark.

R i d i n g f r o m

Briton John in celebration mode as he crosses the finish line to win the Forbes Burnham Memorial Cycling Road Race title.

CARIFESTA Avenue to Belfield on the East Coast of Demerara, John blazed to the finish line after d r o p p i n g R o m e l l o Crawford and Aaron Newton and celebrated his solo finish in his usual animated fashion in a time the betterAlex Leung for the portfolio as Prime Minister of One Hour, 12 minutes, topjuniorprize. from 1964 to 1980 and then 38s(1:12 38s)

The annual event is held as the first Executive Crawford was second, tocelebratethelifeofformer President of Guyana from Newton grabbed the third President Forbes Burnham, 1980untilhisdeathin1985. spot while Robin Persaud who served as Premier of This year marked his edged Alex Mendes and British Guiana from 1964 to 100th birth anniversary, CurtisDeyforfourth. 1966. having born February 20, However, Newton got Burnham also held the 1923.

Thrilling finish to the Bounty Farm’s Mash Handicap Squash tournament

Jason-Ray Khalil and Justin Ten Pow among winners

Day Five had two superexciting finals, followed by two third and fourth place playoffsinboththeCategory AandOpencategories.

Afterfivedaysofsquash, the Guyana Squash Association (GSA) 2023 Mashramani Handicap Squash tournament ended with a thrilling Open final between Alex Arjoon and Jason-Ray Khalil yesterday afternoon at the Georgetown ClubCourts(GTC).

The Squash Handicap tournament initially started in 1982 and has grown over the years into what we know now as the Bounty Farm’s Mash Handicap Squash tournament Interestingly, the first handicap squash match would have been played some 40 years ago between Sandra Plummer and Bruce Roberts with Sandra Plummer coming out winnerofthatmatchup.

However, across at the GTC, after the five days of play and a draw of thirty-two players divided into two categories;whereboththe (Continued on page 27)

Part of the action between Tiger Bay and Bent Street’s semi-final encounter in the Rocks Auto Trans and Spares Parts ‘Legendary Cup’ Futsal Championship.

Bent St, Back Circle to contest ‘Legendary Cup’ Futsal final

BackCircleandBentStreetwillcontestthe and 40thminutes, whilst fellow rearguard inaugural final of the Rocks Auto Trans and operative Marcus Wilson amassed a quickSpares Parts ‘Legendary Cup’ Futsal firedoubletostartthecarnageinthethirdand Championship, after commanding semifinal fourthminute. wins on Saturday evening at the National Assisting with goals in the 12th and 23rd Gymnasium on MandelaAvenue Back Circle minutes apiece were Daniel Wilson and embarrassed Sparta Boss 5-1 in a thoroughly Trayon Bobb. On the other end, DeonAlfred lopsidedencounterthatwasessentiallyoverat talliedabraceinthe10thand20thminutes. the end of the first half, as the East Ruimveldt Theresultingvictorswillnowfaceofffor outfitrompedtoa3-0advantage thecovetedtitleonSaturday25thatthesame Jermaine Beckles recorded a hat-trick in venue. The losers will contest the third-place the 18th, 22nd, and 33rd minutes to lead the playoff. rout of their fierce rival, while Stephon The winner of the tournamentwill pocket ReynoldsandSimeonMoorecommencedthe $500,000 and the championship trophy On thrashing with conversions in the sixth and the other hand, the second, third, and fourth10th minute respectively For the loser, place finishers will receive $250,000, Darron Niles recorded a consolation goal in $150,000,and$100,000respectively the30thminute. On the individual side, the MostValuable Similarly, Bent Street dismantled Tiger Player (MVP) will receive one motorcycle. Bay 7-2 Experienced defender Quincy Similarly, a patron will receive one Adams bagged a hat-trick in the 17th, 38th, motorcycleonthenightofthefinal.

Jason-Ray Khalil (right) in action at the Mash Handicap squash finals against Alex Arjoon (left).

Jason-Ray Khalil (right) receiving his trophy from the President of GSA David Fernandes (left).