Kaieteur News

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

eyeUS$59Bannually

Guyana, to ‘keep head on’ Int'l watchdog warns

during cost recovery audits

says oil companies often inflate bills with hidden

expenses for executives, expatriate employees and families duplicate invoices goods never bought or delivered ineligibleexpensesrelatedtomergers,acquisitions

exorbitantmarketingfees

Region #4 REO grabs mic from Chairman during flag raising event Nigerian nabbed trying to smuggle cocaine through Post Office

Mash Fever:

...objectstoimpromptuspeech fromMPCathyHughes

Man caught with ganja tells cops

“I does hustle it”

Absence of beneficial ownership screening in oil industry creates fertile ground for corruption

VP Jagdeo and India's Vice President discuss strengthening partnership in petroleum, agriculture, other sectors

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and India's Vice President, Jagdeep Dhankhar during a meeting on Thursday have agreed to continue strengthening bilateral partnership in varioussectorsincludingpetroleumand natural gas, agriculture, agroprocessing, education, healthcare, capacity building, ICT, renewable energyandclimatechange.

JagdeoisinIndiaonanofficialvisit from February 20-25, 2023, at the invitation of the Vice President of India He is accompanied by Senior Minister in the Office of t h e P r e s i d e n t w i t h Responsibility for Finance, Dr AshniSingh.

According to an official press release from India's Ministry of External Affairs, the two leaders acknowledged the close and cordial relations shared by their two nations, which are based on strong people-topeople ties, economic linkages and commonalities of approach on multilateralissues.

VP Jagdeo also met with External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar and Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare,ShriNarendraSinghTomar

He is expected to meet with

President of India, Her Excellency, Droupadi Murmu tomorrow, as well as the Ministers of Health and Family Welfare, Chemicals and Fertilisers, Petroleum and Natural Gas, and, HousingandUrbanAffairs.

He is also attending the World Sustainable Development Summit being organised by The Energy ResearchInstitute(TERI)inNewDelhi

Nigerian caught trying to post cocaine at Post Office, accomplice arrested

Over one pound of cocaine parceled off

fromFebruary22-24,2023.

The visit by Dr Jagdeo follows that of President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali back in January as the Chief Guest of the17thPravasiBharatiyaDivas.

The release added that high-level exchanges between India and Guyana reflect new energy and momentum in bilateralrelations.

(DepartmentofPublicInformation)

Ude's suspected accomplice, Gift Obioha

Ranks from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) on Wednesday caught a Nigerian man trying to post cocaine through the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC). CANU identified the Nigerian National as 33year-old Michael Emmanual Ude, of Golden Grove, East BankDemerara(EBD).

Further investigations resulted in the CANU arresting another Nigerian National, 26-year-old Gift Obioha, of Laing Avenue, Georgetown, who is

Guyana's Vice President, Hon. Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, along with Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for finance, Dr.

and Vice President of India,

Busted trying to post Cocaine, Michael Emmanuel Ude

suspected to be Ude's accomplice According to C A N U , r a n k s w e r e performing duties at GPOC when they saw Ude attempting to post a box containing several items They decided to search the box and they found cocaine stashed inside the box. Ude was detained immediately and the drugs were weighed. CANU stated that Ude was trying to post over a pound of cocaine worth some $400,000. Investigations are ongoing.

Residents bemoan colour of water in Linden

Kaieteur News was informed that the quality of water in Linden has been in a deplorable state for some time and residents are calling on the authorities to make efforts to correct the situation.

This photo is the quality of water flowing from the taps of a popular guest house in the mining town of Linden, Region 10.

Ashni Singh

Hon. Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar at a briefing.

Vice President, Hon. Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo met with Vice President of India, Hon. Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar

Exxon & partners eye US$59B annually while Guyana to get US$10B

Gu y a n a , according to the Ministry of Natural Resources in its 2023 Energy Brief, released on February 14 last, has projectedthatrevenuesfrom production of crude in the Stabroek Block will accelerate to more than US$10Bannuallybytheend ofthisdecade.

This would represent the country's 14.5 percent take from production by that time.

As such, it would mean that the total revenue being hadfromtheStabroekBlock would be some US$70B annually

With ExxonMobil's subsidiary,EssoExploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) and its partners, Hess Corporation and CNOOC Petroleum Limited still being able to recover up to 75 percent of revenues along with their profits, it would see them earning US$58,965,517,241 forits85.5percenttotaltake.

The ministry in its brief said that the expansion in Guyana's oil and gas sector “continues to evolve at a pace that exceeds industry records.

Inamatterofeightyears since the first discovery in 2015 to date, Guyana has managed to aggressively pursue two offshore developments, namely Liza OneandLizaTwo.”

Combined, the two Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels produce some 380,000 barrels of oil

daily This, the Ministry said, “has translated to the small

South American nation reaping over US$1 billion in petroleum proceeds in 2022 alone.”

To this end, the Ministry in its Energy Brief said, “for a country with a population under one million, these revenues are massive while their impacts are profound andlife-changing.”

Additionally, it was observed too that with the low breakeven costs, belowaverage emissions intensity and “an economy that preserves the sanctity of contracts, Guyana's prolific Stabroek Block can propel the country from a relatively small producer to a global leader in the coming years, solidifying the country's positionasacompetitiveand policy-friendly player for offshoreproduction.”

To this end, the Ministry forecasts,“revenuesfromoil production possess the potential to accelerate to more than US$10 billion annually by the end of this

decade ”This represents Guyana's 14.5 percent take while the oil companies are set to walk away with some US$59Bforits85.5percent.

According to the Ministry's Energy Brief, the mammoth investments and expansions in Guyana's oil and gas industry have boosted growth in the nonoil industry and that across every sector, whether it be

hospitality, construction, m e d i c a l s e r v i c e s , machinery, catering, agriculture or mining, a significant widening of g r o w t h l e v e l s h a s manifested.

“This has translated into more opportunities for training, employment, economic diversification andoverallsocialchange.”

To this end, it was noted that government is resolute in ensuring that Guyanese benefit directly from the blossoming petroleum sector23whichisinkeeping with this fidelity that the government implemented the Local ContentAct a year ago, which prioritises Guyanese nationals and companies for the supply of goods, services and capacity development.

Through these local content measures, Guyana retainsanestimatedUS$700 million annually in revenue spent in-country, the Ministry said, adding that “as the petroleum sector balloons, so will the local contentrevenue.”

Head of State, President Irfaan Ali

A breakdown of the 2022 earnings by Guyana as provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Editor-In-Chief:NIGELWILLIAMS

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

HURTING CITIZENS PRESSURING GOVERNMENTS

What does Sri Lanka, Great Britain, and neighboring Surinamehaveincommoninrecenttimes? Theshortanswer isthatmanyoftheordinarypeople,hardworkingcitizens,of those three very different countries are struggling with intensifyinghardships. Theyarehavingaverydifficulttime copingwithhigherandhigherpricesforeverydaynecessities of life, which have fueled a chronic and punishing cost-oflivingcrisisonworkers,pensioners,andcitizensingeneralin thosethreecountries.

Citizensinothercountriesarealsofeelingthesuffocating squeezes,butinthethreecountriesidentified,thepeopleare doingsomethingdifferent.

They are getting in the face of stubborn government leaders, sometimes corrupt leaders whose only interests are feathering their already fattened nests, and protecting their familiesandcronies,theonlyonesbenefitingandprospering.

WhatsetsapartthepeopleofSriLankafrombefore,then thoseofGreatBritainand,justlastweek,theSurinameseis the anger and energy that they brought to bear to make the wholeworldknowtheirpainandsuffering.

As said earlier, the cost-of-living is killing them in all threecountries,getsworsedaily,buttheresulthasbeenthat the governments of those countries have been largely unhearing,orslowtoreact,ornothingmovingatall. Thisleft citizenswithtwochoices.

First, sit on their hands and lament their woes, meaning doingnothing. Ortakingmattersintheirhandsandgetting uptogetgovernmenttomove.

InMarch2022,theballoonburstinSriLankawithtensof thousands of Sri Lankans taking to the street to protest corruption, mismanagement, crippling national debt, fuel, fertilizer,andothershortages,andthegeneralizedagonyofa population forced into a hand-to-mouth existence. The government resisted at first, then dismissed some senior officialsclosetoPrimeMinisterRajapaksa,butthatwasstill not enough for the angry people, who were branded as ‘terrorists.’ The protests eventually forced the Prime Ministertoflee,leavingSriLankanstofigureouthowtopick upthepieces.

InGreatBritain,thetradeunionsdidsomethingthatthey didnotdoforyears. Theyfoundthemuscleandtheenergyto take to the streets in strike action. More recently, British healthcareworkersareupinarms,andinthestreets,forthey tooarestrugglingandhurting.

Train drivers, teachers (Scotland), and ambulance staff areallonstrikeaction. Thisisaspecialtestforthenewand embattledRishiSunakConservativegovernment,andithas the ingredients that could make or break him and his ruling party Thebottomlineisthatfedupcitizensintheircapacity asworkershavehadenoughandareacting.

They just can’t take any more of what they have been taking for so long, with their backs bent double, and their pocketbooks bare. It is a certainty that other citizens, and other segments of the British workforce, are paying the keenestattentiontowhatfollowsfromtheiraction,meaning, whatgovernmentdoes.

In next door Suriname just a few days ago, hundreds of citizens raged at the government of President Chandrika Santokhiforrisingfuelandenergyprices,whichmeansthat cost-of-livingpressuresarebitingdeeply Notsatisfiedwith stormingtheSurinameseparliament,protestorsdegradedto looting businesses, which can never be condoned, and only condemnedintheharshestterms. Theobjectivesofprotests are defeated when they deteriorate to these kinds of ugly, criminalactivitiesbytheopportunistswhousethemascover to create mayhem. Further, genuine protests and protesters aregivenabadname,whichmakesitdifficulttogathermass and momentum, and lead to government leaders digging in theirheelswiththeirownresistancetosincerepleasforhelp.

Notwithstanding,theSurinameseprotestdescendinginto looting, peaceful protest actions by citizens are of incomparable value in opening the eyes of obstinate government leaders and recognizing that their citizens are sufferingterribly

We need justice for all - big fish and small fish

DEAREDITOR,

Iranintoanacquaintance of mine recently. I greeted him and asked him how his son was. Fighting back the tears he related how his son had been found - dead! This was a young man who had been introduced to drugs a fewyearsago.

He was in his twenties, brilliant, with a promising future, but his life came crashing down when someone introduced him to drugs!

I’m appealing to the authoritiesnottoturnablind eyeonthedrugkingpinsand hold on to the “ small fish”. Persons have become so unconscionable that they

trade the lives of our precious youth for ‘ big bucks’! The law is for the lawless! Too often the masterminds and the “connected”gofreeandthe“ smallfish”areprosecuted!

I recently read ( both online and in the press) of a gentleman who was bullied, gun-buttedandrobbedofhis cell phone, allegedly by the bodyguardsofsomeonewho boasted of having ‘ high connections’.Isthisfilestill with the DPP? When will travestyofjusticeend?

“Righteousness exalts a nation ” We will not prosper ( oil or no oil) if we allowlawlessnesstoreign!

Iappealtoearsandhearts

thathavenotbeenhardenedLetrighteousnessandjustice reign!

AletterfromDr.Roshan Khanrecentlyappearedinat least two of our daily newspapers. In it he lamented the cessation of religious education in our schools that so many of us benefitedfrom.

I quote from the Guyana Times edition, dated 11th.

February 2023: “The question I have been asking myself after reading the reports of violence against our teachers in our schools here in Guyana is, “What is responsibleforthiscomplete breakdown of morals in our schoolsystem?”Theanswer

that I seem to be always gettingisstemmingfromthe removal of Religious Education from our schools’ academic curriculum.” I endorsethatletter.Manisnot justbody.

Our spirits need godly inputstothriveandwhenthis is lacking our imaginations and inclinations become warped.

May God help us all to seek Him, to instill good moral values into our children - the men and women of tomorrow- and thus enjoy a blessed and prosperous Guyana. Happy Mashramani!

Regards, ClaudiaHeywood

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not without consequences for Guyana

DEAREDITOR,

On 24 February 2022, exactly one year ago, we all wokeuptoanewworld.On that day, in violation of all international laws and agreements, Vladimir Putin’s Russian Federation launched a “special military operation”, in fact a fullscale aggression against Ukraine, a peaceful country, thatneitherhadattackednor threatenedRussia.

After World War II, the world agreed on a mechanism to deal with conflicts between countries andtheuseofforce.Theonly international body that can justify the use of force against a country is the United Nations Security Council,ofwhichRussiaisa permanent member The 15 members of the Security Council can decide that the use of force by a country in self-defenceis acceptableor decide to send a mission to restorepeace.

Russia has since been condemnedby143countries intheUNGeneralAssembly for its illegal annexations, while only five countries have supported it. In the critical period preceding the Russian invasion, European leaders made every effort to convinceVladimir Putin not to commit the irreparable. Instead,Russiastartedawar o f u n i m a g i n a b l e proportions.

On 24 February 2022 at five o’clock in the morning, Russiasentcolumnsoftanks and hundreds of planes and

missiles to attack Ukrainian civilian and military targets, causing massive casualties fromtheveryfirstdaysofthe conflict. Russia has flouted international law and committed war crimes that arenowdocumented.Russia is openly threatening to use its nuclear weapons, which would affect every living creatureontheplanet.

Since the Russian aggression, an estimated 200,000 civilians have been killed, including thousands of children Dozens of Ukrainian cities have been reduced to rubble, leaving millions of Ukrainians homeless Hospitals, schools, theatres, day care centres and churches have not been spared by the missilessentbyRussia.

Putin’s Russia has sent morethansixmillionpeople intoexile!Sixmillionpeople who had to leave everything theyhadbuilt,savedfor,and cherished to flee from the devastation and Russian brutality The vast majority of these families have now found refuge in Ukraine’s neighbours: in Poland, Slovakia, the Baltic States andthroughouttheEuropean Union. A war on European soil seemed unimaginable; the fact it is happening moves every European citizen, each in their own way The older members of ourfamiliesfeelasiftheyare reliving the last conflict in Europe The fear of the neighbour has returned, whereas it had disappeared

Many are hurting badly in Guyana from daily cost-of-living torments,andwhilethePPPCGovernmenthasfinalizedsome smallremedialmeasures,muchpainstillremains. LimpingGuyanesearegoingtohavetodecidehowmuchthey cantakeinacountrythisrich.

after 1989 when the Berlin wall and the iron curtain came down. The younger generation see their dreams shattered and fear that the valuestheytreasuresomuch –theruleoflaw,democracy, freespeechandequalitymay no longer be guaranteed for them.

Asforme,Ispentthelast 10 years of my career on conflict prevention and peacebuilding. The EU is a peace project since its inception and has always promotedpeaceintheworld. Not easy indeed, as I witnessedduringmyworkin countries like Libya, Afghanistan, Somalia, Ethiopia, and many others. Asapeacebuilderatheart,it pains me to see this aggression and violation of all human rights. There are andwillbenovictorieshere. This war will only know losers:inUkraine,inRussia, in Europe and in the rest of theworld.

Whatarethe consequencesforGuyana?

The consequences of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine are very real, of course in the first place for thepeopleofUkraine. Some Guyanesemaywonderabout the consequences for their country of this seemingly distant conflict, which is taking place ‘between Europeans’ Well, this conflict has direct consequencesforyoutoo.

Firstly, because the world has changed since 24 February 2022 It has become much more unstable. Russia has turned food and energy into a weapon, thereby willingly and knowingly cutting people off essential items.

The destabilisation of the international order and the food and energy markets is felt throughout the region. Forexample,manycountries used to source their wheat from Russia and Ukraine, and are now turning to CanadaandtheUnitedStates for their imports. These marketsarethereforeingreat demandwithpriceincreases asaresult.

Access to international financing has become more difficult Investment decisions by large multinationals may be delayed, given the uncertaintiesintheworld.

The already fragile globaleconomy,stillreeling from supply chain disruptions because of the pandemic,hasbeensetback even further, with the weakestandmostvulnerable countries affected the most. TheCaribbean,likesomany other parts of the world, has felt the economic shockwaves of the invasion of Ukraine: food insecurity, inflation, disruption of supplychainsinkeymarkets (food,energy,fertilizers),for which only Russia is responsible.

Faced with the threat of food insecurity and poverty as purposely created by Russia, the European Union has strengthened its partnershipwithcountriesof the South in the fields of health, education, and agriculture The EU has made Euro 600 million available for food security [Not sure actually if this is necessary to mentions] Europe has also changed.

The members of the EuropeanUnionhave

One year commemoration of the war against Ukraine

DEAREDITOR,

Today H.E Ambassador of the United States of America, Sarah-Ann Lynch, H E the British High Commissioner, Jane Miller OBE, H.E Canadian High Commissioner, Mark B e r m a n , a n d H E AmbassadoroftheEuropean Union, René van Nes, solemnly note the one-year commemoration of the war against Ukraine. Russia mustbeheldaccountable.

We all remember the fateful day when Russia’s premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustifiable full-scale invasionofUkraineshocked the collective conscience of democratic nations around theworld.

But we also remember how the Ukrainian people inspired the world as they defended their country from aggression. Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion was a blatant violation of

Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorialintegrityenshrined in the United Nations Charter InOctober,Guyana joined one hundred and forty-threeothercountriesat theUnitedNationsthatstood up for those principles and against Russia’s assault on them.

We commend Guyana for reaffirming the UN Charter, for supporting and co-sponsoring UN resolutions condemning Russian aggression against UkraineadoptedonMarch2, 2022 (A/RES/ES-11/1); on t h e h u m a n i t a r i a n consequences of aggression against Ukraine adopted on March24(A/RES/ES-11/2), 2022; and on supporting Ukraine’sterritorialintegrity on October 12, 2022 (A/RES/ES-11/1).

Today, as we mark the tragic start of the invasion, the United States and our partners reiterate our steadfast solidarity with the people and government of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s ongoing war of aggression. We will stand with them for as long as it takes.

We unequivocally condemn Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. The United States, Canada, the UnitedKingdom,andtheEU have imposed sanctions intended to cripple Russia’s ability to finance the war against Ukraine, enact costs on Russia’s elite, and diminish Russia’s economic base. Export controls and airspacerestrictionshavecut off Russia’s access to vital technological inputs and atrophied their industrial base To date, the internationalcommunityhas provided hundreds of billionsofdollarsinsecurity, humanitarian, economic, and emergency assistance aidtoUkraineandUkrainian peoplesincethewarbegan.

The events of the past year demonstrate that Russia’s actions against Ukraine undermine those basicinternationalprinciples vital to peace and securitythat the borders and territorial integrity of a state cannot be changed by force, citizensinademocracyhave an inherent right to determine their country’s future, and all members of the international community are bound by common rules with consequences if they break their solemn commitments./We also note that some Russian citizens have stood up to decry their government’s aggression, and we admire their courage./

Today, in the face of the global challenges we know that safety and shared prosperity comes through partnership, not aggression. Weaffirmthatcountriesthat respecthumanrights,uphold

the rule of law, and support inclusive and accountable governance for all their citizens produce the best solutionstothemostdifficult problems.

Asthefreenationsofthe world strive to uphold democratic principles that form the cornerstone of a free, independent, and sovereignsociety,Ukraineis a powerful example of a democracy rising to the occasion with resolve, courage,valor,andsteadfast determination.

Finally,makenomistake that our support for Ukraine and its people who are bravely defending their homeland is ironclad. Furthermore, we call on Russia to end the brutal onslaught against its neighbor

Russia chose this war –and the world is responding to hold Russia accountable for the atrocities it is committing in Ukraine. We want this war to end as quickly as possible – on just terms that respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity

A d e m o c r a t i c , prosperous, and secure Ukraineisintheinterestnot only of the people of Ukraine, but also of the democratic nations of the internationalcommunity Regards,

US Ambassador to Guyana,Sarah-AnnLynch, B r i t i s h H i g h Commissioner,JaneMiller C a n a d i a n H i g h Commissioner, Mark Berman Ambassador of the European Union, René van Nes

Over 21 dependent children now eligible for US Green cards

DEAREDITOR,

The US administration last week announced a new planned policy under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) to protect underage (under21minors)sponsored immigrants from losing eligibility to obtain lawful permanent resident status aftertheyattainedage21.

The new policy is intended to protect certain noncitizen children from losing eligibility to obtain lawful permanent resident status based on an approved visa petition by freezing the c h i l d ’s a g e w h e n determining an immigrant visa number for the minor So even if they cross 21 when green cards become available, they will still be able to obtain residency status.

Currently, for a child minor to obtain lawful permanent resident status in the US based on his/her parent’s (or other sponsorship) approved petition for a green card or employment-based visa, the child generally must be under the age of 21 at the time of granting of the residencypermit(finalactof approval and arrival in USA for green card residency status.

Under the old rule, if the child turns 21, he or she and “agesout”duringthewaiting period that could take many years, and the child is disqualified for the green card.

The child cannot immigrate with the parent undertheoldruleandhadto be re-sponsored under a different category by the parentorothersiblingsasan unmarriedadult

Under the new planned guidelines, the USCIS will freeze the child’s age at the time of sponsorship and protect him or her from “agingout”.

The planned policy will give non-citizens certainty about their eligibility to adjust their status, the US CitizenshipandImmigration S e r v i c e s ( U S C I S ) announced.

The policy will also allow these non-citizens to adjusttheirstatusandalsobe eligible to apply for employment and travel authorization based on their pendingadjustmentofstatus application.

In adjustment of status, theywillnotlosepreviously issued employmentor travel authorization Eligible youngsters should consult a

lawyer or specialist on US immigrationlawsandrules.

ItisnotclearifCongress has to approve the new planned policy and whether it will go into immediate effect and how the child’s age for eligibility for status will be calculated or frozen. But a report says the policy change take effect immediately and applies to pending applications

Therefore, minors with a pending application may nowhaveaCSPAagethatis under 21 based on this change.Over250Kchildren, including thousands of Guyanese and other Caribbean nationals, are impacted by this new policy change A lawyer for immigrants with pending applications of minors for green cards said “to permanentlyendagingout,a bipartisan legislative solution like the America’s Children Act will be needed”.

Yourstruly,

VishnuBisram

PresidentAlishouldnotbevacuumedintodominant,ragingcultural/religiousmould

DEAREDITOR,

I read most of the media pieces regarding President Mohammed Irfaan Ali’s recentvisittoIndia.

I am proud that our President received the prestigious Pravasi BharatiyaAward.

DEAREDITOR,

I want to express my sincere appreciation and admiration for your courageous work in exposing the truth and advocating for good governanceintheoilandgas sectorinGuyana.

As a citizen who cares deeply about our country’s future, I am deeply grateful foryoureffortstoholdthose in power accountableand to shed light on the complex and often opaque workings oftheenergyindustry

At the same time, I am disappointed(ashamed)with t h e P r e s i d e n t ’ s communication with his counterpart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other high-ranking officials Unlike Chan Santokhi, the Suriname President,

President Ali gave a halfbaked“Namaskaar”whenhe addressedtheIndianPMand others Santokhi moved hands and hearts when he spokethefirsttwosentences in Hindi. Why couldn’t Mr Ali do the same - even if he had to read them in

romanized words? The advisors to the President should have done better and given adequate instructions regarding how to say “namaskaar” and the appropriate body language accompanying that rich greeting “Namaskkar” is

Your reporting has been invaluable in informing the public about the risks and opportunities presented by Guyana’s newfound oil wealth, as well as the challengesandobstaclesthat must be overcome to ensure that this wealth benefits all Guyanese, not just a privilegedfew

Yourinvestigationshave exposed corruption, conflicts of interest, and regulatory failures that threaten to undermine the integrity of our institutions

anderodepublictrust.

Your advocacy for transparency,accountability, anddemocraticparticipation hasbeenabeaconofhopein atimeofuncertainty

Byshiningalightonthe shadowy corners of the oil and gas industry, you have empowered citizens to demand a fair share of the benefits and to hold our leaders to account for their actionsanddecisions.

Weknowthatyourwork isnoteasyorwithoutriskfor daring to speak truth to

power Yet you persist, driven by a sense of duty to your profession and your country

I salute your courage, your professionalism, and your dedication to the principles of freedom and justice.

Thank you for your servicetoGuyanaandtothe cause of good governance. Your work inspires us and gives us hope for a better future.

Regards, AshraLukhan

usually spoken with a slight bow,handspressedtogether, palms touching and fingers pointing upwards, thumbs closetothechest.

IfthePresidentisserious about appreciating the

Indian culture and strengthening it (as he indicated in many of his encounters in India), he ought to know that it is essential to pronounce the wordclearlyandthoroughly And the accompanying gestureisvital.

While the President’s

attempts to connect linguistically and culturally with the Indian officials are commendable,oneismiffed

as to why President

Mohammed Irfaan Ali uttered only the Hindu greeting, “Namaskaar” and not the Muslim salutation, “As-salamu alaykum”

President Ali is a

conscientious, proud

Muslim Why, therefore, didn’therenderthatrichand beautiful greeting (meaning “Peace be unto you”) to the PrimeMinister?

President Ali, while

lauding increased bi-lateral relations between India and Guyana in several fields (science, education, technology, trade, economics, culture, etc ), should have used that opportunity to speak up againstminoritypersecution wheremillionsofChristians and many more millions of Muslims are discriminated against - with some beaten and sometimes murderedbecause they’ve opted to believe differently from Sanaatan Dharma of worshipping what they fathomas“God”.

It is time someone reminds Mr Modi that Indians in and out of India may have various religious beliefs(ornone)butarestill Indians.

President Ali should use Guyana’s political and economic clout to speak up for human rights worldwide andnotbevacuumedintothe d o m i n a n t , r a g i n g cultural/religiousmould.

Yourstruly, Dr.DevanandBhagwan India

Russia’sinvasionof...

Frompage4 strengthened their internal solidarity in the face of the Russian aggression and are united in their support for Ukraine. Ukraine has been granted candidate status for eventualEUmembership,as has Moldova, another countryintheregion.

TheEUcannotstandidly by in this conflict and finds itself forced to providing arms to Ukraine to help it defenditselfagainstRussian aggression, as required by the UN Charter (Article 51). The EU did not reduce its ambitionstofighttheeffects of climate change, on the contrary it is more committed than ever to become the first climate neutral continent in the worldby2050andtoreduce its dependency on Russian oil and gas as soon as possible.

We express our admirationfortheUkrainian people who have been fighting valiantly for a year now to defend the values of freedom,democracyandthe rule of law, which lay at the heartoftheEuropeanUnion andofGuyana.

We also have respect for thosefewindividualRussian citizens who have courageously and publicly expressed their rejection of thewarandwearegratefulto the Guyanese government for supporting resolutions

condemning Russia for its illegal annexations and a murderous war that should have no place in today’s world.

Guyana may soon be well placed – as a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council – to playanevenmoreimportant role in promoting a rule based multilateral world order with the UN at its centre Guyana must be commended as well for the way it is handling its own territorial dispute with its neighbour and that is by putting its trust in the international mechanisms to deal with conflicts of such nature.

The EU will continue to standbytheUkranianpeople intheirfight,foraslongasit takes, to preserve their right to independence, territorial integrity and for their basic human right to live in peace and security We will continue to support Ukraine withfinancial,humanitarian, military and energy support and we will support the reconstruction of Ukraine. We count on the support of Guyana to stand shoulder to shoulder with the EU and those countries defending h u m a n r i g h t s a n d condemning this senseless Russianaggression.

RenevanNes

Your advocacy for transparency, accountability, and democratic participation has been a beacon of hope

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ALL EYES ON THE SPEAKER

The Opposition is asking for all gas-to-energy documents.

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All the Speaker has been about with things like these is nay, not here.

What will the Speaker do now, what will he fear?

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The Speaker can manifest that he is a Guyanese of principle.

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Or, demonstrate of whom he is a disciple.

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International watchdog warns Guyana, to ‘keep head on’ during cost recovery audits

says oil companies often inflate bills with hidden

expenses for executives, expatriate employees and families duplicate invoices goods never bought or delivered ineligibleexpensesrelatedtomergers,acquisitions

exorbitantmarketingfees

Cost recovery is considered an integral part of production sharing agreements (PSAs) that are signed between governments and oil companies. The mechanism is one that allows operators to recoup money spent for activities r e g a r d i n g e x p l o r a t i o n , development and production of oil andgasresources.

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

In some cases, the international watchdog on corruption, said that expenses claimed by oil companies have been found to be simply ineligible. Examples, drawn from hundreds of cases between 2000 to 2015,includecompaniesseekingto claimexpensesincurredpriortothe signing of the “host government agreement” contract; expenses for personal interests of executives, expatriate employees and families; expenses for the technical training of expatriates; a duplicate invoice for a good or service that has alreadybeenexpensed;inclusionof expenses such as oil and gas marketing fees, or expenses related to mergers, acquisitions, or transfers in participating interests

thatarenormallydeemedineligible accordingtothecontract.

In other cases, CPI stated that the price of legitimate goods and services are intentionally inflated. The non-profit organization said this practice, known as transfer mis-pricing or mis-invoicing, is of particular concern for transactions betweenaffiliatedcompanies.

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

profit for the company This “profit” is ultimately reported in a low tax jurisdiction – a process knownasprofitshifting.

Furthermore, CPI said it also found that contracts normally contain clauses requiring that all transactions between affiliated companies are based on international market prices It stressed however that these provisions are “notoriously difficulttoenforce.”

Turning its attention to another controversialcategoryofcosts,CPI said that overseas headquarters costs are a legitimate expense but have often been used to inflate projectexpenses.Inmostcontracts, it said that these costs are supposed

to be limited to a small percent of overallprojectcosts.

It also said that countries have to be wary of the interest on the loans taken to finance projects, as theseareoftentimesapotentialarea for abuse. CPI said that many tax regimes put in place limits on the ratio of debt to equity (to avoid what is known as “thin capitalization”).

Finally, the non-profit said that countries should also be wary of invoices submitted for goods that were never actually acquired and for services that were never actually delivered It has documented hundreds of examples wherecountrieshavebeendupedin thisregard.

The oil companies are also no paragons of transparency

Too much fuss is being madeoverthesuspensionof Guyana from the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). Guyana’s recent suspension should be used to permanently exit fromthearrangement.

Guyana has no need for EITI The reports which form part of the country’s reporting obligations are hardly ever studied or brought to the attention of the principal stakeholder in thisprocess–thepublic.And the costs of establishing an EITI Secretariat and of paying the super-salaried head of such a Secretariat is not worth the intangible benefits which can be derived from subscribing to theInitiative.

Few Guyanese today, can indicate how much and onwhatoilandgoldmining revenues are being spent. Many may not be aware of the total withdrawals made from the Natural Resource Fund.

Howmanypersonsknow about the weekly gold declarations made? Each day, the radio and newspapers give you the

international price of gold andwhatisbeingofferedby theGuyanaGoldBoard.But you have to wait until either thegovernment’shalfyearly report or its annual budget speech to get precise informationastoactualgold declarations.

And there is no information provided about dailyoilproduction. When it comes therefore to making information available to the public, the EITI process has not been successful. And this was supposed to be one of the mainobjectivesoftheEITI–it was supposed to ensure greater transparency in the flow of information about theextractivesectors.

Instead of the public being enlightened, the goalpost has been shifted. The focus is now on government rather than the oilcompanies.

One of the original aims of the EITI was to ensure greater transparency on the part of oil and mining companies There was tremendous concern at the turn of the century over the truthfulness of the

TheEITIwasintendedto ensure that these companies are encouraged to provide moreinformationabouttheir operations. But instead of forcing these companies to make public more information, the burden is being shifted towards reporting standards on the part of governments. How come Guyana is being suspended for noncompliance and there is no process to test whether the oilcompaniesarecomplying with their reporting obligations?

Today, one can hardly boast about transparency in the extractive sectors. Kaieteur News has been tryingforalongtimenowto obtain copies of certain mining agreements. Those agreements have been promisedbutnotdelivered.

The oil companies are also no paragons of transparency Thecountryis not provided with the opportunity for near real timeauditingofitsexpenses and production The

RegionFourREOgrabsmicfrom Chairmanduringflagraisingevent

- Objects to impromptu speech from MP Cathy Hughes

It was high drama at the Region Four Flag Raising Ceremony on Wednesday when the Regional Executive Officer (REO), Donald Gajraj grabbed the microphone from Region Four Regional Chairman, Daniel Seeram in a bid to stop an impromptu speech by Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Catherine Hughes.

In a Facebook post Seeram stated that the activity was marred by the inappropriate and vile actions by REO Gajraj “Today, as Regional Chairman,Iwitnessedoneof the most atrocious acts of political thuggery perpetratedbysomeonewho can only be considered a lackey of the Government,” the Region Four chairman statedinhispost.

According to Seeram as he finished his remarks as Chairman of the Region at theevent,hesaidhenoticed that the programme was predominantly maledominated and, therefore, invited the Hon. Catherine Hughes MP to give brief remarks and add diversity. Basedonavideoseenbythis publication, as Seeram invited MP Hughes to give

REO Donald Gajraj as he was about to grab the microphone from the Regional Chairman, Daniel Seeram

herremarks,REOGajrajcan be seen going after Seeram before snatching the microphone out of his hand. “In the spirit of ‘One Guyana’ and I know she is not prepared but I must ask Miss Catherine Hughes to m a k e s o m e b r i e f remarks very brief remarks before we move on to the other speakers,” Seeramsaid.

It was at this point that Gajraj reached over and made his first attempt to get the microphone from Seeram.

As Seeram moved away,

Production Sharing Agreement signed requires notice to be given to the oil companies before any inspection of their books takes place. And the oil companiesdonotpublishfor the benefit of the public weekly or monthly production figures or expenses.

The verdict is mixed aboutwhetherEITIhasbeen successful. On the one hand it is generally claimed that the process helps to spread the norm of transparency But there is also the finding thatthereisnoevidencethat EITI has improved natural resourcesgovernance.Itwas also found that there is limited space for public engagement in the process, outside of the multistakeholder representation. And in terms of its methodology, there is little to point to suggest that the process can effectively measure its impact on national development. The initiative is voluntary and

there are no sanctions to force countries or companies to be more transparent.

It is high time that Guyana exits this EITI. Not only does Guyana have to compile reports but the county is also saddled with the responsibility of having an independent firm review thedataavailable.

This is an additional financial cost. All the sums whicharebeingusedforthe EITI process can be saved and put towards a scholarship fund for universitystudents.

There are better ways to promote transparency in the mining sector. For one, the Mining Act and the Petroleum Act can be amended to insist on timely public disclosures about which companies and individuals have been assigned mining rights, the production in mines and oil fields, the taxes earned and paid, the number of local employees involved in each

Dem Boys Seh...

entity, the names of the principals of companies involvedintheminingsector andtheusestowhichmining revenueshavebeenput.The laws of Guyana can be amendedtoallowtomakeit mandatory for governments to publish such information. There is no need for any EITO or for that matter for requests for such information to be obtained via the Freedom of Information Act These provisions should be legislatedlocallyandbacked bytheappropriatesanctions.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this n e w s p a p e r a n d i t s affiliates.)

Is noise everywhere!

Iseverywhereyuhgoisnoise.Yuhdehin church and is noise. Yuh deh at home and yuh neighbour blasting stereo.Yuh drive in de petrol station and dem odder car gat big speakerindemtrunkblastingdecibels.Yuh gotopartyanddemusicplayingsolouddat yuh can fire off squib and nobody nah gan hear

Demolepeoplewahlivingbysomebars punishing. Dem can’t sleep when de night come.Denoisegoingtilldaybreak.Andnah bothercalldepopo.

When dem turn up, de people does turn downdemusic.Andwhendepopogone,de peopledoesturnitagain.

One man had a solution to de problem. But it involves making more noise.Wah he proposewasdatifsomebodyplayingmusic

loudindemcar,yuhshouldgoneartodem and turn up yuh stereo full blast. But dat is fighting loudness with loudness. Even when yuh passing de cemetery yuh hearing noise.Itmekdemboysrememberdestoryof de two men wah did walking home and decide fuh tek a short cut through de cemetery

Dem hear a loud tapping noise coming fromatombandwhendemabouttopassit, dem see a man chiseling away at one of de headstones. One of dem men said, “Holy cow! Yuh almost scared us to death. We thought was a jumbie. But why are you working so late at night?” De man with chisel turn to dem and said, “Those fools. Theyspeltmynamewrong.”

Talkhalf.Leffhalf!

Gajraj followed him saying, “You hand me the mic man, you are not the chair of this meeting, I am the chair of this meeting...you are very disrespectful.

There is a programme and that is not on the programme so we need to sticktotheprogramme.“

According to Seeram, MinisterofHealth,Dr Frank AnthonyandotherMembers of Parliament (MP), members of the joint services, school children, andotherlocal,regional,and nationalstakeholderswereat (Continuedonpage24)

$113M to continue works on Moleson Creek to El Dorado Road project

The Ministry of Public Works has set aside some $113,401,155 to continue phase two of the Moleson Creek to El Dorado Road project.

S i x c o n t r a c t o r s submitted bids for the project when bids opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board(NPTAB)office.

The contractors are Rim Construction Inc$128,197,650; Associated Construction Service$201,021,345; Annirud Ramcharitar Construction Firm - $161,347,305; Shaffeeullah Sawmills$148,670,445; Kascon Engineering Service$167,147,610; and B&J

CivilWorks-$99,025,224.

It was reported in the media that the Moleson Creek to El Dorado Road project has been ongoing for some time. The construction of the 1.6km fair-weather road project began back in 2021 by contractor, Shaffeeullah Sawmills According to reports, the road goes far beyond just improving accessibility for farmers.Uponcompletion,it will culminate at the abutment where the Corentyne River Bridge will land.

While the Ministry is lookingtocontinueworkson theroad,lastmonthMinister of Public Works, Juan Edghill had terminated a

contract for a section of the El Dorado road after the contractor failed to carry our anywork.

Kaieteur News had reported that N&S General Engineering Contracting Services, the contracting firm which was terminated, was required to construct 1km of road from third bridge at Eldorado, Moleson Creek, Upper Corentyne, Region Six. However, after paying the Contractor a mobilisation advance of $22M, the Contractor failed to start works eight months after Minister Edghill, who wasintheRegionSixareaat the time checking on road works and engaging the

Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDC) and residents, found that the worksontheroadthatleadto El Dorado had not started though the contract was awardedlastyear

In a video on the Ministry's Facebook page, Edghill said, “This is Friday th the 13 , 2023, a contract for the continuation of this road gettingintoElDoradowhich is where we are supposed to beopeningupfarmlandsand to make life easier for the people, N&S Contracting received that contract and received a mobilisation advance of $22M and I am hereatthesite,it'snow8:30, I asked to meet the Contractor and he hasn't

The road that the contractor had failed to start works on.

arrived and none of his workmen is here, there is no visiblesignofwork…”

T h e M i n i s t e r subsequently instructed his Permanent Secretary to immediately terminate the contract. Edghill said that monies are available and contractors who were engaged from the start of the projecthaverolledover

TheMinisterassuredthat the road works will be completed in the interest of those residing in the community

“We are not going to be in a mode of any Contractor doing a work when he feels to do it. When you finish something somewhere else then you gonna come and do this, when you get time, when you get money that is

not the way we do it…,” Ministerdeclared.

Edghill said that when Contractorsbidforaproject, despitehavingotherprojects to complete on hand, they mustshowthattheyhavethe equipment, personnel, the financial capabilities to execute the project awarded tothem.

“This is eight months, a Contractor has received $22 M of taxpayers' money, he could have invested, gone to Miamiandgonetowherever he wants to go and the farmers in this community have not benefitted from this , ” Minister Edghill said.

Kaieteur News reported that the contract N&S Contracting was awarded wasvaluedat$88,134,378.

Man caught with ganja tells cops “I does hustle it”

The vendor's weed

Police on Wednesday arrested a vendor at his La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD) home after he confessed to hustlingweedforaliving.

According to police, ranks went to his house around 05:00hrs after receiving information that illegal activities might be taking place there.The police requested to search his home and he invited them in.Afew moments later they found a

bulky plastic bag next to his bed. Inside the ranks found some 390 grams of marijuana parceledoffinzip-lockbags.

When asked if the drugs belongs to him, the vendor responded, “Sir is me own, I doeshustleit”.

Hewasarrestedandtaken to the La Parfaite Harmonie Police Station where he remains in custody pending charges.

home after he confessed tohustlingweedforaliving.

OP:ED

By GHK Lall

I publicly state where I stand with His Excellency, President Dr Ali. I love President Ali like a brother, the small brother that he is. I couldonlyhavegreatlovefor Guyana's President Ali if I were an Exxon director, Exxon manager, Exxon shareholder, Exxon worker, Exxon supplier After all the greatthingsthathe,President Ali, is doing that facilitate Exxon's flourishing profitability, how could I (in one of those capacities) not have a love for the Guyanese leader, since it guarantees the future financial wellbeing of mydreamofacompany?

Though the love is not as powerfully emotional as Whitney Houston's great love, it comes close. Just so all is on the table: I speak as someone who has an interest in Exxon; read however it pleases, I have disclosed. Andjustsothatnooneshould come to the conclusion that I amnotextendingtheloveand

LoveforPresidentAli,VP,andtheAmericanCaesar

good feeling to that other great son of Guyana's rich earth, the mightyVP, another smaller brother, nothing could be more distant from the truth. The trials and troubles of a bigger brother, an older one, are endless, aren't they, the things that have to be put up with, given a smoothing over, ever so often Though I loathe sharing this with the Guyanese public, I am duty bound to do so. The love for President Ali and the Vice President stops there. As a Guyanese I cannot love them as I should. Not with what theyaredoing. Notwithhow they are managing the great responsibilitiesgiventothem at this most crucial of times. The time of oil. Not with h o w t h e y s t a n d i n stewardship of this national patrimony I look; I wait, for President Ali, and the Vice President, both men of known meanness and no mean honor, to take less of a stand for what accrues to Exxon's benefit. They are

bothnowthemoststalwartof dogged defenders for Exxon's ambitions in Guyana England had Horatio Nelson at Trafalgar; the Romans had Publius Horatius at the bridge; and theSpartanstheirLeonidasat Thermopylae.

Guyana has PresidentAli manning Exxon's bridge Nobodytouchesthecontract. Guyana has not one, but two courageous warriors standing guard at Exxon's fortress: don't even think of coming here and near to the Exxon contract It is inviolable It is the honorablethingtodo. Honor suddenly has a blackened face,abadname,likeitnever had before. Whose bridge are they defending? Certainly, not that of Guyanese?

Douglas MacArthur wanted to nuke the upstart Red Chinese at the Yalu for daring to cross that unbreachable line. Today, closinginonthreequartersof a century later, Guyana's

President Ali and the Vice President continue to direct their verbal salvos and their cohort of ready snipers to blow apart any uppity Guyanese who articulates tinkering with Exxon's golden child. It is Guyana's 2016oilcontractwithExxon. It was a demon once for the PPP before and up to recent times. But now all prior commitments, deceptions really, to renegotiating that contract, which humiliates countryandeverycitizen,are now off totally off the table. And if the PPP Government and its leaders would have theirway,itwouldalsobeoff the table of conversation. In time to come, as in Daniel Ortega's Nicaragua, it could be a subversive activity to even speak about the suddenly angelic contract, much less insisting on its renegotiation.

Unsurprisingly, President Ali's latest Solomonic stance is that to renegotiate would incur legal fees. As sure as they would be hefty, we are

losing multiples of the total legal fees due, from how Exxon makes rings around us, ties us into knots, and walks away with both what we know ( c o n t r a c t provisions), and what we do not have a clue about ( o f f s h o r e developments). My humble advice to His Excellency is that to do nothing is to lie down, rollover, and play dead. Fine lot of leaders we havehereinGuyana.

With leaders like His Excellency Ali, and the mighty VP, then the wellsituated local viceroy, Mr Alistair Routledge, could lean into his golf swing; check his handheld for the latest oil disputes from his Guyanese turncoats. He can thank the Oil Gods; quietly incite both local leaders from his exclusive golf sanctuary: gogetemboys;give'emhell. Shut them up. Show them

who is boss. The versatile Mr Routledge has trained them well With close convenient friends like the President and the VP, he could care less about making an enemy of the Guyanese people Mr Routledge doesn't give a damn about holding the Guyanese people closer They could picket, they could protest, but all they would all be doing is putting their energies on the losing side. Though some hard words may have been expressed today, it is tough love only What I owe the President,VP,Guyanese(and Mr Routledge).

GHK Lall

PAHO finds unemployment, education inequality among main causes of suicide in Americas

A new study conducted by the PanAmerican Health Organisation (PAHO) and partners found that betweentheyears2000to2019,the main drivers behind suicide mortality in the Americas has been unemployment, educational inequality, homicide and the use of alcohol.

PAHOsaidthestudywhichwas published on Thursday in 'The LancetRegionalHealth'-Americas highlights the importance of considering gender-specific social determinants of suicide when developing risk reduction interventions and prevention

strategies.

According to PAHO, the study contextual factors associated with country-level suicide mortality in the Americas, 2000-2019, identified that while homicide and the use of alcohol and other substances are associated with an increaseinsuicidemortalityamong males, educational inequality was themainfactoramongfemales.

For both sexes it reported, unemploymentwasassociatedwith anincreaseinsuicidemortality

Dr Renato Oliveira e Souza, head of Mental Health and SubstanceUseatPAHO,andoneof

the authors of the article said that "In order to prevent suicide, we must go beyond limiting access to methods of suicide, strengthening socio-emotional skills, and improving access to mental health care."He added "We must also address the contextual factors that affect men and women differently, which require an all-of-society approach."

According to the study, i n c r e a s i n g e m p l o y m e n t opportunities, improving access to and availability of health services including those for substance use, could potentially reduce suicide

mortality rates in the area

Similarly, enhancing social connections in rural and underpopulated areas is also a recommended suicide prevention strategy

Despite efforts to reduce suicideglobally,theAmericasisthe only region in the world where suicide mortality has been increasing since 2000, the PAHO finds The majority (79%) of suicidesintheAmericas,theynoted occur among men, but suicide among women has also been increasing In 2019, PAHO reported there were more than

97,000suicidesintheregion.

The analysis published in 'The Lancet' also highlights that the average suicide mortality rate amongmalesintheregiondeclined as per capita health spending grew, while that of females declined as thenumberofphysiciansemployed per 10,000 population increased. It noted that for both sexes, the rate declined as moderate population density grew, a cautionary note highlighting the need to support peoplelivinginisolatedruralareas.

"Cultural expectations around genderlargelydeterminethesex

(Continued on page 24)

Absence of beneficial ownership screening in oil industry creates fertile ground for corruption

In light of the fact that the oil and gas sector is prone to corruption, Guyana is being urged to increase beneficial ownership screening so as to reduce the sector'srisktocorruption.

This was recently noted by the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), an independent non-profit organisation dedicated toimprovingcountries'governance over their natural resources. Since 2015, the institution has been providing advice to Guyana's authorities.

The Institute noted that in most natural resource-rich countries,

when a company is seeking the right to explore for or produce oil, gas or minerals, sector, rules require that regulators check some basic information before granting the company a license and accompanyingcontract.

In this regard, NRGI said that the regulator is supposed to judge whetherthecompanyistechnically competent, financially sound, and i s i n c o m p l i a n c e w i t h environmental and safety rules. It noted,however,thatlicensingrules generally do not require screening of whether public sector officials have interests in an applicant

company, which could create seriousconflictsofinterest.

The Institute said, “We reviewed over 50 mining and oil laws around the world and found that about half contained prohibitions on government officials or their close associates –often called 'politically exposed persons' (PEPs) – holding interests in companies applying for extractives licenses, but none required regulators to actually check whether or not such PEP interests existed as part of screeninglicenseapplications.”

It added, “This is a potentially

critical gap in regulatory oversight, because a large body of real-world cases suggests that the ability to hide a company's true beneficial owner is a major enabler of corruption in the granting of extractiverights.”

In Guyana, there is no legislation or piece of regulation, which requires beneficial ownership screening. On that note, NRGI has pointed out that a growing number of governments are developing legal policies and information systems for collecting and publishing data about the beneficial owners of extractives

- NRGI cautions

companies – the real people who own, control, or economically benefitfromacompany

It stressed that these reforms range from amending company registration laws and creating national public registers to sectorspecific approaches like establishing extractives transparency laws and licensing requirements.

But to have an impact, NRGI said that extractive sector reforms may need to go beyond just requiring beneficial ownership disclosure,namelybyestablishing

(Continued on page 24)

Mangal family donates Triumph land to Guyana Foundation

The Mangal family, t h r o u g h t h e siblings Basdeo (Guyana), Shirley and Devika (New York), Taikchand (Canada) has donated their family land located at 17 Triumph Village,EastCoastDemerara (E C D) to the Guyana Foundation.

The Guyana Foundation is a charitable organization whose mission statement reads "To release the power of people and organizations globally, to empower disadvantaged persons, to improve their skill sets,

improve their mental wellbeing, to achieve stronger coping skills, trust, and respect for each other regardless of race, gender, religious or political persuasion.”

The siblings, in a statement said that the only request is for the Foundation to carry out its work at that location in memory for their deceased brother, Alfred 'Bobby'Mangal.

"We pray that his kind and generous nature will shine through in the various charitable services to be offered by the new Sunrise

Center, which will be erected in his honor," the family said.

The Guyana Foundation isintheprocessofdesigning, fundraising and planning for the establishment of a new 'SunriseCenter'onthisland.

“We are extremely grateful and proud to partner with the Mangal family to bring our services to persons on the East Coast, an area where we have received countless requests over the years to bring our Sunrise Center,” the statement issued by the Mangal family said while explaining that the name 'Sunrise Center' was

Cops injured in East Bank Berbice accident

Two policemen were on Thursday morning injured following an accident at HeathburnPublicRoad,East BankBerbice.

The accident, which occurred around 11:20am resulted in injuries to Police Corporal Alden Reynolds, 40 and Sergeant Javon Thomas, 37. Both men are currently hospitalised at the New Amsterdam Hospital.

According to reports, Reynolds and Thomas were standing in close proximity to a car that was parked along the Heathburn parapet when hire car HD 2816 owned and driven by Troy Henry of EdinburghVillage, East Bank Berbice slammed into them. Police said Henry

was speeding along the eastern lane when he lost controlofhiscarandcrashed into the rear end of a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), PAC 4187, owned by Karen Thomas which was parked. After the hit, the car ploughed into Thomas and Reynoldswhowerestanding

nearby

Both men were seriously injured as a result of the impact and they were both takentotheNewAmsterdam Hospital where they remain as patients Henry was arrested at the scene and blood alcohol level test was doneonhim.Hewasoverthe

chosen so that through the free services provided, people are empowered with newskillsandfindbalancein theirmentalwellbeing.

“This in turn inspires themtowakeupdayafterday to see another Sunrise,” the familysaid.

Sincetheformationofthe Guyana Foundation 12 years ago, free vocational skills training courses in a variety of disciplines have been offered Further, the Foundation undertakes villagerenewalprojectssuch (Continued on page 24)

The aftermath of the accident at Heathburn, Public Road, East Bank Berbice on Thursday

The plot of land donated to the Guyana Foundation by the Mangal family.

The design of the new 'Sunrise Centre' to be located at Truimph, East Coast Demerara

Guyanese Pilot Haslyn Peters, First Officer

On Jetblue To CJIA - Haslyn Peters is a former Captain and Pilot in the GDF

travelled as the First Officer (co-pilot) on JetBlue flight #1965 with non-stop service f r o m N e w Yo r k t o GeorgetownThursdaynight.

This was Peters' first flight home as part of the crewonamajorcarrier Haslyn Peters grew up in Princess Street, Lodge

Becoming a pilot was his childhood dream, hence assuming the nickname 'Pilot' since he was a little boy He attended Dolphin

Government School and then The Bishops High School after he wrote Common Entrance Exams (National GradeSixExams).

Even though, he was passionate about airplanes and flying he only got the opportunity to go on an aircraft for the first time in 1995 when his sister,Allison Peters, who was a flight attendant with the now defunct national carrier, Guyana Airways, asked one of the domestic pilots, Captain Astell Paul to take himonadomesticflight. Captain Paul took him on one of his trips to Kamarang and gave him the following advice “make sure this is what you want to do because it is not as glamorous as people say it is, it is hard work” In pursuit of his dream, Haslyn worked at National Bank of Industry & Commerce, now Republic Bank Limited, to start saving forflightschool.

With his parents financial assistance he went to Trinidad in 1996 where he got his Private Pilot License from Briko Air Services Ltd. Upon his return to Guyana, he joined the Guyana Defense Force (GDF) Standard Officer Cadet Course #30 in May 1997, graduating as the Best Graduating Student in April 1998. As an Officer with the GDF, Lieutenant Haslyn Peterswaschosentoraisethe GoldenArrowheadonMount Ayanganna for three consecutive years, 1998 –2000.

In 2001, Lieutenant Peters gained a Government of Guyana Scholarship from theGDFtoattendtheSunrise AviationFlightSchoolin (Continued on page 24)

Guyanese Pilot Haslyn Peters, former Captain and pilot in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF)

Guyanese Pilot, Haslyn Peters

India reduced cost for solar energy from 25c to 3c

On October 31, 2022, during an interview with a CNN journalist, India's Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, disclosedthatamidtheenergycrisishis governmentwasabletobringdownthe costforsolarpowerfrom25cto3c.

“And let me tell you what we have done, we are the one country in the world which have demonstrated that wecanbringthecostofsolardown.We brought it from 25 cents down to 3 cents,”PuritoldtheCNN.

His aforementioned statement was made after a series of questions from CNN journalist Becky Anderson Anderson posited that India is benefiting from discounted oil imports from Russia, amidst the RussiaUkraine war However, the minister was not having it and he responded stating, “The purchase of Russian oil was 0.2% in the last Financial Year Europe buys in one afternoon what we buyfromRussiainonequarter Let'sbe clearabouttheperspective.”

The minister disclosed that the largest supplier of oil to India was Iraq, adding, “We owe our moral duty to our consumers. We have a 1.34 billion population and we have to ensure that they are supplied with energy (whether itispetrolordiesel).”

Moreover, the minister explained thatIndiaisthefifthlargesteconomyin the world that is making the transition to clean energy, while utilising fossil fueltofosterthattransition.

“When you have an increase in oil prices,theyhaveconsequences.Oneof them includes inflation and recession. Thisalsoimpliesthatwewilltransition to green energy alternatives faster,” he said.When asked about his views on energy diversity, Minister Puri stated that India is already practicing energy

transition,notingthatthetransitioncan only come about from using wind, solar, fossil fuels and other forms of energy It was during this line of questioning when the minister highlightedthatIndiawasabletolower the cost for solar energy to consumers to just 3c. “If you want to make green hydrogen,then,whatdoyouneed?You need cheap power and electrolysers. Wearegettingboth.Wehaveoneofthe most comprehensive and ambitious greenhydrogenplantsintheworld,”he emphasised Moreover Economic Times reported in November 2022 that IndiasavedUS$4.2billioninfuelcosts throughsolargenerationinthefirsthalf of 2022 and 19.4 million tonnes of coal that would have further stressed an alreadystraineddomesticsupply

It was reported that the information wastakenfromareportbyenergythink tankEmber,theCentreforResearchon Energy and Clean Air and the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. “In India, solar generation avoidedUSD4.2billioninfuelcostsin the first half of the year It also avoided the need for 19.4 million tonnes of coal that would have further stressed an already strained domestic supply,” the reportstated.

Last year, this publication had

- Minister tells CNN journalist

'Teen wife' charged for killing husband

The 18-year-old woman accused of killing her reputed husband on Sunday at Lima Sands, Essequibo Coast, Region Two was on Wednesday charged for his murder.

Reahona Moses appeared at the Suddie Magistrate Court before Magistrate CrystalLambert.

reported that the World Bank approved US$165millioninadditionalfinancing to accelerate the adoption of solar photovoltaic (PV) units on rooftops in India by residential consumers by makingitmoreaffordable.

It was reported that the money directly finance 450 megawatts (MW) ofresidentialrooftopsolarcapacityand the initiative is expected to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 13.9 million tons. This works out to aboutUS$376,000permegawatt.

Kaieteur News had pointed out that Guyana on the otherhand is racing ahead with a gas-to-energy project that will supply the grid with some 250MW with a speculated cost of over a billion US dollarsanda175MWhydroplantatAmaila Falls,peggedalsoatinexcessofabillonUS dollarsinitspreviousiteration Notably,the AmailaFallsprojecthassincebeenshelved buttheGovernmentofGuyanahasdisclosed thatdespitethehiccup,theywillbepursing withtheproject.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo is in India on an official visit from February 20 to 25, 2023, at the invitation of the Vice President of India. VP Jagdeo is accompanied by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh.

It is alleged that Moses stabbed 27-year-old Anthony Shivlall to death at approximately 02:00hrs on Sunday at Macknab, Lima Sands.

The teen was not required to plead to the indictable charge and was remanded to prisonuntilMarch28,2023.

According to reports, Moses reportedly confessed to murdering the man in her grandmother's home Kaieteur News learnt that at around 16:00hrs on Saturday, Shivlall and his wife were both at a birthday party at the home of 62-year-old Bernadine Williams, who has been identified as the grandmotherofthesuspect.

The woman reportedly leftthebirthdaypartyatabout 17:00hrs on Saturday following an argument with herhusband.

T h e 6 2 - y e a r - o l d grandmother told Kaieteur News that sometime around 02:00hrs Sunday her granddaughter returned and asked for her husband [now deceased].

“They had an argument the afternoon and the mother [suspect's mother] take she

and carry way by she for less problem and so. I don't know why they arguing because I don't like get in married people story, but they de arguing, she left and later like around 2 am Sunday, she comeback.

Whenshecomeback,she askwhereshehusbanddeh

(Continued on page 24)

...Report says country saved over US$4B in 6 months by using solar power over fossil fuel

Remanded to prison, Reahona Moses

Murdered, Anthony Shivlall

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Region Four REO grabs mic from Chairman...

From page 9 the event when the incident occurred.

In response to the REO’s behaviour, Seeram stated that he withdrew from the ceremony. “In a time when maturity should prevail, especially in public settings, this would

be a prime example of how not to do so. In a ceremony when all speakers up to the time of my departure spoke on peace, love, and unity, this was clearly a contradiction to everything said, and the most profound misrepresentation of the Government’s ‘One

Guyana’ initiative championed by none other than President Irfaan Ali,” Seeram said. He added that if this is the Government’s representation of ‘One Guyana,’ by the actions of the REO, “then I fear for where we are headed.”

Several other opposition MPs

also condemned the actions of the REO.

Kaieteur News made several attempts to elicit a comment from Gajraj yesterday but was unsuccessful. There has been no official statement from the government on the incident as well.

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From page 15 as building bakeries, upgrading vital facilities and we also offer counselling services to combat the excessive rate of suicide.

The Foundation has

partnered over the years with several international organizations including the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, The Canada Fund For Local Initiatives and Scotia Bank.

The Guyana Foundation’s work has been conducted through Sunrise Centers located in Essequibo and the West Coast of Demerara (WCD).

The Guyana Foundation

expressed gratitude and said “Today, we are extremely honored and pleased to announce that a Guyanese family, now resident in the USA, have reached out to support our work in a most vital way.”

Absence of beneficial ownership screening...

From page 14 rules on what types of beneficial ownership linkages will be considered unacceptable selfdealing or corruption, and by determining the consequences that will apply when that line is crossed.

Further to this, NRGI research shows that a number of countries have already established such rules, but

monitoring and enforcement is lacking. Given the corruption risks, the Institute said that improving national policies and practices on allocating extractives licenses should be at the forefront of these efforts.

Going forward, NRGI said that resource-rich countries such as Guyana will need to choose beneficial ownership

assessment rules that best address the political, legal and industry realities in which they award licenses.

Given the relative newness of evaluating corruption risks using beneficial ownership information in licensing decisions, NRGI said that officials may want to put much of the detail into less formal documents such as guide-

lines, so that the rules will be easier to amend based on lessons learned.

Regardless of where rules are stipulated, NRGI commented that they should be subject to public consultation during their development, and publicly disclosed once finalised in order to facilitate monitoring and accountability.

Guyanese Pilot Haslyn Peters, First...

From page 18 Ormond Beach, Florida and was promoted to the rank of Captain when he returned to Guyana and began flying as one of their military pilots.

Captain Peters had the opportunity to be mentored by some of Guyana’s top aviators, such as Captain Lloyd Marshall, Captain Egbert

Field, Captain Patrick Nichols, Captain Russell Edun, and Captain Aziz Nizamuddin.

Captain Peters continued as a pilot with the GDF until his migration to the USA in 2009 where he still resides with his wife Shelley Lewis- Peters and their two daughters Judeyah and Jaliyah.

While living in the USA, Haslyn Peters flew the EMB145 and CRJ 700/900 for sev-

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eral Regional US Airlines on behalf of Delta Airlines, American Airlines and United Airlines and was the Captain on the CRJ-900 for an American regional airline prior to joining JetBlue.

In November 2022, he joined Jet Blue as First Officer on the Airbus 320/321. Haslyn continues to rely on the mentorship and career guidance from Captain Lloyd

Marshall who still plays an integral role in his life.

Even though Guyana no longer has a national carrier, Haslyn Peters is honoured to be able to follow in the footsteps of his mentors by serving the people of Guyana in his current capacity with Jet Blue. Haslyn and the rest of the crew will leave today on JetBlue flight #1966 for New York.

PAHO finds unemployment, education...

From page 13 difference in suicide mortality,” Dr. Shannon Lange, a scientist at the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research (CAMH) in Canada and lead author of the paper said.

She stated that “Multi-

sectoral measures aimed at the health and well-being of society should be emphasized in prevention efforts.”

Meanwhile, PAHO said it works to improve the mental health of the population of the Americas and reduce suicide mortality. The Organization

noted that it provides technical cooperation in suicide prevention to countries through the application of WHO’s Live Life guide, which proposes evidence-based interventions and a comprehensive national response to prevent suicide.

‘Teen wife’ charged...

From page 23 and I tell she that he deh in the downstairs and she left and gone inside to he,” the grandmother had said.

The woman told Kaieteur News that she heard a commotion in the bottom flat of the home, but again did not intervene, out of fear of being caught up in a family feud. The elderly woman said that as she investigated, she saw Shivlall lying on the ground, and her granddaughter over him and repeatedly stabbing him to the chest area with a knife.

She said, “I eventually go in and I see the boy on the floor lay down, and he eye done rolling up, so I tell somebody quick watch like this girl

kill this boy. When I feel for he heart beat and so, I didn’t feel any.

By the time I could figure out what happen, she done

run out the house and up the road.”

The suspect was later arrested by police at her mother’s house at Macknab.

England cricketer in ‘terrifying’ Cape Town cable car drama

AFP - England cricketer Danni Wyatt revealed yesterday the “terrifying” moment when Cape Town’s famedTableMountaincable car lost power and left her hovering helplessly high abovetheground.

Wyattandherteammates had joined tourists on the ride which sweeps over 1,000metres(3,200feet)up totheplateauabovethecity

“There were a few technical issues that made me very nervous before we

boarded the cable car and thenitdecidedtodropalittle bit and swung,” said the 31year-old.

“Itwasaveryterrifying experience I don’t think I’ll be going up that mountain again anytime soon.”

Wyatt, who is in the country taking part in the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup, said the system lost power due to load-shedding whichcanblightthecountry forupto10hoursaday

“I’m not going on that cable car ever again It’s theloadshedding,oncethe electricity goes, that’s it,” shesaid.

“Next time, I’ll take the stairs ”

The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, as it is officially known,

opened in 1929 and carries around 900,000 peopleayear

The company said that ahydraulicsystem,which kicks into action during

Friday February 24, 2023

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

You may be courting your lover today, Aries. Whether you're in a relationship or starting one, you're in the mood to seduce your partner withatouchofsophistication.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

You will get the most satisfaction today through your activities with others, Taurus.Soyoushouldtakethe initiative and propose something you and your friendscoulddotogether

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Todayyouwillbelikeagoodluckcharmtoyourfamilyand friends. It's up to you to motivate people to get going and have fun together. Show themyourenthusiasmforlife.

CANCER(June21–July22)

If you can't feed your artistic tendenciesintheworkyoudo, todayisagooddaytocreatea better balance and make your daysmoresatisfying.Artisn't justforartists,Cancer

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Regardless of your gender, why not show a bit more virility in your relationships and actions? If you're dominated by your emotions, the day could be extremely trying for you Protect yourself from your anxieties by talking things over with a friend or someone else close toyou.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22)

Todayyoumayfeelalotmore energetic after a tiring past fewdays.Whenyou'refeeling good,everything'sfine.You're feelingmotivatedagaintoget down and tackle the work that'swaitingforyou.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Itmaybedifficulttogetpeople tolistentoyouatthemoment, Libra. The people around you may even be annoyed at hearing all of your new ideas. The stars are pushing you to changeyourtacticsbeforeyou alienateeveryone.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov 21)

You may not have been taking very good care of yourself lately, Scorpio. The planetary aspectsareencouragingyouto be a little more disciplined in yourlifestyle.

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

What would happen if you decidedtotakecareofyourself today,Sagittarius?Thisiswhat the planets are trying to tell you. You need to relax, to let yourself be taken care of, and closeyoureyesanddream.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

This is an intense phase of interior modification, both p h y s i c a l l y a n d psychologically.Don'thesitate to padlock your refrigerator andavoidyourfavoritestores.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

The period you're in now is about getting ahead. If you've been dissatisfied with some aspect of your career over the lastfewmonths,don'twaitany longer to do something about it. Things aren't going to get betterallbythemselves.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

What meticulousness, Pisces! You may feel a sudden, urgent needtotakeacloselookatyour financial situation, wardrobe, cupboards, or car List the things you need to do in order to fix them over the next few days.

load-shedding, had suffered a technical fault onWednesday

“What happened is not what we aim for,” said managing director WahidaParker

“We sincerely regret the experience that passengers had who were stuck in our cars We are happy to confirm that all the passengers safely reached the upper and lowerstations.”

On Friday, Table Mountain will form the stunning backdrop as Wyatt and her England teammates face South Africa in their World Cup semi-finalatNewlands

Wyatt, who made her international debut in 2010,made59asEngland piled up 213 against Pakistan to complete a perfect run in the group stage of the tournament‘Lot of love’ - Now she is determinedtocontinuethat momentum as England seek a second T20 world titleaftertheir2009triumph and to make up for the personal disappointment of missingoutontheinaugural Women’s Indian Premier League.

Wyatt went unsold in the auction for the moneyspinning showpiece which takesplacenextmonth.

“I got back to the hotel and just wanted to stay in myroom

I was literally heartbroken,” recalled Wyatt, when she discovered shehadmissedout.

“The girls really got around me, which is really nice Obviously, some people got what they wanted.

Some people didn’t. I wasjustsoproudoftheway everyone handled it. I certainlyfeltalotoflove.”

England are favourites todefeatSouthAfrica,who only squeezed into the semi-final on net run-rate after winning two of their fourgroupgames.

WyattsaidEnglandwill

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continuetheirpolicyofallout attack which propelled them to aWorldCuprecord scoreagainstPakistan.

“We speak about wanting to break records,” she said “We’ve been givenalicenceatthetopof the order to go from ball one We’ve got the depthin the order to allow us to do thataswell.

“Evenifit’sgoingtobe tricky conditions, we’re still going to keep going hard ” However, South

Africa skipper Sune Luus, whose side also made the semi-finals in 2020, believes that England’s attacking game-plan could alsobetheirAchillesheel.

“Ithinkoncetheylosea wicket, they don’t stop being aggressive, which I think can definitely play into our advantage tomorrow,” said Luus. The winners of Friday’s match will face defending champions Australia in Sunday’sfinal

‘Doesn’t matter,’ says Sabalenka as perfect run ends in Dubai

AFP - Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka sawher13-0undefeatedstart totheseasoncometoanend as she squandered a 6-0, 3-1 lead in a Dubai quarter-final defeattoBarboraKrejcikova yesterday

Sabalenka had not lost a match in 2023 coming into the clash, winning two titles in Australia in January, including a maiden Grand Slamtrophy

But that streak was snapped as Krejcikova scooped a 0-6, 7-6(7/2), 6-1 victorytosetupasemi-final clash with American No.3 seedJessicaPegula.

The 24-year-old Belarusian will now fly home to Miami before heading to Indian Wells, whereshehopestorecapture hertitle-winningform.

“Probably there will be less attention (now that the streak is over). It doesn’t matter, I lost it,” Sabalenka toldAFPafterherdefeat.

“Barboradeservedit,she playedgreattennisandIwill just keep working and keep gettingbetter;makesurethat IndianWells will be a better result.”

Many were predicting a Dubai final between the world’stoptwo,IgaSwiatek and Sabalenka, who has openlydeclaredherambition to dethrone the top-ranked Pole.

“Ireallywouldliketosee that happening (playing

finals against Swiatek) but firstofallIhavetoworkhard and I have to focus on myself,”saidSabalenka.

“You cannot predict anythingintennis,especially women’s tennis, but I really want to see that I’ll work reallyhardtomakesurethat thisisgoingtohappen.”

Krejcikova — a runnerup in Dubai in 2021 — lost the first seven games of the contest and needed 44 minutes before she finally got on the board, holding serve for 1-1 in the second set.

The 2021 French Open championfellbehind1-3but clawed her way back, forcingadecider Krejcikova kept up the momentum as she broke Sabalenka twice for a 5-1 advantage and she knocked outtheworldnumbertwoin undertwohours.

It was the Czech’s first win over Sabalenka in three

meetings and it earned her a showdownwithPegula,who received a walkover into the final four after her opponent KarolinaMuchovawithdrew fromthetournamentwithan abdominalinjury “I was just fighting for every ball. I’m never going toleaveafightinanymatch that I’m playing, any score that is there. Definitely the Czech fans, they really helped,”saidKrejcikova.

-‘Nopressure’onGauff-

Meanwhile, Coco Gauff said she will approach her semi-final against Swiatek with “no pressure” despite her0-5losingrecordagainst theworldnumberone.Gauff has never taken a set off of Swiatek in any of their previous five meetings –including a defeat in last year’s French Open final –but the 18-year-old is relishing the opportunity to face her nemesis once again today

Three-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek received a walkover into the Dubai semi-finals due to the withdrawal of Karolina Pliskova, who is suffering fromaviralillness.

Gauffsecuredpassageto the secondWTA1000 semifinal of her career with a composed 6-2, 7-5 victory over fellow American Madison Keys, and will be trying to reach the championship match at this levelforthefirsttime.

West Indies tour match against South Africa Invitational XI ends in a draw

SportsMax - The threeday tour match between the West Indies and a South Africa Invitational XI ended in a draw at Willowmoore ParkinBenoniyesterday

The tourists began their second innings facing a deficitof34afterdismissing theSouthAfricansfor317to closeoutdaytwo.

C a p t a i n K r a i g g Brathwaite, who made 23 in the first innings, didn’t bat this time around as Raymon Reifer joined Tagenarine Chanderpaulatthetopofthe innings.

Chanderpaul reached a run-a-ball 12 before he was dismissed by Thando Ntini with the score on 13. Three runs later, Devon Thomas was dismissed by Corbin Bosch for one Reifer followed not long after for

three as the Windies found themselves18-3intheeighth over Kyle Mayers and Jermaine Blackwood came together and orchestrated a recovery before Mayers went for a whirlwind 38 off just24ballswiththescoreon 71inthe15thover Blackwood was then joined by first innings halfcenturion Joshua Da Silva and the pair put on a further 62forthefifthwicket.

That fifth wicket came when Blackwood was dismissed by Irvin Modimokoane for 39 in the 31st over In the end, Da Silva followed up his first innings fifty with 44 while JasonHolder,whoalsogota first innings fifty, made 32 andKemarRoachmade29* as the West Indies reached

208-8off49oversbeforethe matchwasdeclaredadraw

TheWestIndieswillnow turntheirattentiontothefirst Test against South Africa whichbowlsoffonFebruary 28.

Scores:West Indies 2839off89overs(JasonHolder 57, Joshua Da Silva 54*, Roston Chase 35, Raymon Reifer 30, Corbin Bosch 217, Irvin Modimokoane 239, Smangaliso Nhlebela 271) and 208-8 off 49 overs (Joshua Da Silva 44, Jermaine Blackwood 39, Kyle Mayers 38, Thando N t i n i 2 - 1 0 , I r v i n Modimokoane2-29)

SouthAfrica Invitational XI317off89.5overs(Wihan Lubbe71,DewaldBrevis50, Ruan De Swardt 40,Akeem Jordan 3-32, Roston Chase 3-94,ShannonGabriel2-45)

Aryna Sabalenka

Mercedes say new car ran like clockwork, no bouncing

(Reuters) - Mercedes enjoyed a faultless first day of Formula One testing yesterday with seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton hailing the team’s “amazing work” since their bouncingstarttolastseason.

Team boss Toto Wolff also sounded positive about the campaign to come, contrasting the positive mood to the atmosphere 12 monthsago.

“It seems to be balanced in the right way There’s no bouncing, which is good news,” the Austrian told reporters at the Sakhir circuit.

“I think we have a solid base now to work from and trytooptimisethecar.”

Mercedes finished third overall last year, their run of e i g h t s u c c e s s i v e constructors’titlescomingto

an end as Red Bull swept both championships with Max Verstappen winning 15 of 22 races and sealing his secondworldcrown.

Hamilton failed to win a race, the first time he had gone through a season withoutavictoryinarecordbreaking career that started in2007.

“It’sgoodtobebackinthe car,”hesaid

“It was a nice, cool afternoonweather-wise,though windy We got through our programmeandhavegathered lotsofdata Wealsohadgood reliabilitywhichcontributedto ourstrongmileagetotal

“That is down to the amazing work done back at BrackleyandBrixworth We’ve got to keep pushing, focus on ourselves, and stay focused” The Briton produced the sixth fastestlapoftheday,andteam

mateGeorgeRussellwasninth, but times meant little as teams focused on mileage and ran on different fuel loads.Tracksideengineering director Andrew Shovlin said it had been a solid start and the car had run faultlessly

“Italwaystakesafewdays to understand a new car, but we’ve got a reasonable handle on where we want to improve thebalance,”headded “Itwas encouraging that it’s a much calmer,morestableplatformto workwiththantheW13”

Shovlin said the team were working on the assumption they were still playing catch-up with rivals who also had problem-free sessions.“Hopefully,thecar continues to run like clockwork,andwecanmake the most of the remaining tracktime,”hesaid.

Mercedes’Lewis Hamilton during testing. (REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed)

Women’s World Cup 2023 line-up confirmed as Portugal, Panama and Haiti qualify

SportsMax - Portugal, Panama and Haiti have secured their place at the 2023Women’sWorldCupas three of eight tournament debutants.

The tournament, which has been expanded to 32 teams, will be held in Australia and New Zealand inJulyandAugust.

PanamabeatParaguay10 at Hamilton’s Waikato Stadium yesterday to confirm their place, while Portugal overcame Cameroon 2-1 at the same venue.

Haiti, meanwhile, defeated Chile 2-1 in Auckland.

The three nations, along with Morocco, Vietnam, Zambia, the Republic of Ireland and the Philippines are set to play in aWomen’s WorldCupforthefirsttime.

Indeed, Panama, Portugal and Vietnam had never previously qualified for a FIFA women’s competition,whileMorocco

–whosemen’steamenjoyed a stunning run to the World Cupsemi-finalsinQatarlast year – became the first-ever

Arab nation to be represented in FIFA’s f l a g s h i p w o m e n ’s tournament.

Haitihavebeenplacedin Group D alongside China, Denmark, who are making their first World Cup appearance since 2007, and

European champions England.

The matches in that pool will be played in Australia, as they will be in Group F, with Panama set to face

Jamaica along with heavyweights Brazil and France. Portugal will go up against Vietnam, the Netherlands and two-time reigning champions the United States in Group E, which will be played out in NewZealand.

Co-hosts New Zealand takeonNorwayinAuckland in the tournament’s opening gameonJuly20.

Haiti players celebrate their qualification.

AustraliaedgeIndiainthrillertoreachWomen’sT20...

Frompage32 effectively over, although Deepti Sharma kept swinging until the end, making20notout.

Brown earlier broke a rapid 69-run partnership between Kaur and Jemima Rodrigues when Rodrigues was caught behind attemptingarampshotoffa shortdelivery

Browntooktwofor18in four overs, comfortably the best bowling performance

oftheday

Beth Mooney made 54 for Australia and captain Meg Lanning scored 49 not out, including two sixes off Renuka Thakur in the last over

There were other useful contributions from Alyssa Healy, who made 25 in an opening partnership of 52 with Mooney, and Ash Gardner, who hammered 31 off18balls.

Mooneywasdroppedby

Shafali Verma at long-on when she had 34 and Lanning survived a stumping chance off late replacement Sneh Rana whenshehadmadenine.

India were hit by the withdrawal from the tournament of seam bowler Pooja Vastrakar because of illness.

I n d i a o b t a i n e d permission to bring offspinningall-rounderRana, a travelling reserve, into

the squad and she was drafted straight into the startingteam.

Brief scores: Australia 172-4 in 20 overs (B Mooney 54, M Lanning 49notout,A Gardner 31; S Pandey 2-32) v India 167-8 in 20 overs (H Kaur 52, J Rodrigues43;D Brown218, A Gardner 2-37)

Result:Australia won by 5 runs Toss:Australia

West Indies Rising Stars Under 19s Squad announced for High-Performance Camp

Camp at CCG Antigua is first step in West Indies plans for ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2024

DemLife golf tournament to tee off this Saturday

Demerara Mutual and Demerara Fire and General Insurance Companies have teamedupwiththeLusignan Golf Club to host their annual golf tournament this Saturdayfrom12:30hrs.

The format will be 18 holes which will be divided into front nine and back, for whichprizeswillbeawarded to the net score for both divisions.

There will be an overall prize due to the combination offrontandbacknineforfirst, second and third; in all six prizeswillbeupforgrabsasit willbeashot-gunstart

MACORP Tournament ”

ST JOHN’S, Antigua –

Cricket West Indies (CWI) hasannouncedthesquadfor theWest Indies Rising Stars U n d e r 1 9 s H i g hPerformance camp being hosted at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) in Antigua. This is the first activity to bring together the best Under19stalentintheregion and build towards the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cupin2024.

Thesquadof29includes twoplayerswhowerepartof theWest Indies Rising Stars Under19s squad at the 2022 ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup which was hostedintheCaribbean:lefthanded batter Jordan Johnson, and right-arm fast bowler Isai Thorne. A third squad member, top-order batter Justin Jaggessar played two Youth ODIs on theWest Indies Rising Stars tour of England in September2021,butdidnot playintheWorldCup.

Nathan Edward, a lefthanded bowling allrounder, wasoriginallyselectedinthe squad but is currently representing St. Maarten in the Leeward Islands Senior Men’s Tournament being playedinStKitts.Hewillbe available for future Rising S t a r s c a m p s a n d tournaments.

The players were selected based on performances during the Rising Stars age-group tournaments in 2022. Later intheyear,CWIwillhostthe 2023 regional age-group Rising Stars presenting the opportunityforotherplayers

tocompeteforselectioninto the squad ahead of the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup.

The Rising Stars U n d e r 1 9 s H i g hPerformance camp will feature targeted coaching sessions and physical preparations as well as sessions geared towards their off-field development. The camp started on 21 February and will run to 9 March. It will feature 50overmatchesattheCCGon 25 February; 1, 5 and 8 March.

Robert Haynes, Lead SelectorfortheMen’sYouth Selection Panel said: “This camp is all about the importance of the development of West Indies cricket and this is laying the foundation for the future of ourgameintheregion.This is not just about playing in the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup next year, but also about developing the overallplayeronandoffthe field. We have some very talentedplayersinthisgroup and we know they will do very well. We still have the age-group tournaments later thisyearwheremoreplayers canputinperformancesand earnselection.”

Rohan Nurse has been named as CWI’s newTalent PathwayManager.Aspartof his role, he will design and lead the programme for the players’preparationsleading up to the next ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup scheduledtobeplayedinthe SriLankainearly2024. The former Assistant

Coach of the West Indies Rising Stars Under19s will lead the day-to-day management of the developmentsquadaspartof his wider high-performance role managing our best young talent across the region.

During the camp he will be joined by Assistant Coaches Nikita Miller and Rohan Clarke; Nick Wilton, specialist wicket-keeping coach;GraemeWest,CWI’s High-Performance Manager; Chris Brabazon, CWI’s Coach Development Manager; and Steve Liburd, WestIndiesWomen’sUnder 19HeadCoach.

FULLSQUAD

JacenAgard

JewelAndrew

BrianBarnes

SolomonBascombe

GolcharanChulai

MavindraDindyal

JoshuaDorne

TarriqueEdward

ReonEdwards

JustinJaggessar

DeshawnJames

OrlandoJames

JordanJohnson

DevonieJoseph

JadenLorde

MicahMcKenzie

JoshuaMorris

StephanPascal

JatarioPrescod

AndrewRambaran

RampertabRamnauth

TamarieRedwood

NathanSealy

IsaiThorne

DevinTyson

YaniqueWatley

StevenWedderburn

AdrianWeir

TrevaunWilliams

Speaking on behalf of the LGC was PRO Paton George who said, “This is DemLife second year with theLGC,weareexpectinga full turnout with a points chasethatwillexciteallthe golfers To recap the points system, the winner of every tournament will receive 10 points their best ten tournamentsoftheyearand the overall winner and top five at the end of the year will receive entry into the Suriname Invitational Golf Tournament, free entry into the GTT Guyana Open and free entry into the

George noted that these tournaments are packed to maximum capacity with a plethora of players from around the world He explained that the DemLife tournamentisapartoftheyear end chase as the three major tournaments approach George further related that each sponsor that comes onboardwiththeLGCplaysa majorcontributioninsupport of the kids golf activities which is expected to be held on Easter Saturday free of cost. All participants are advised to contact the club’s manager on the day of the tournament, to collect their score cards, paythetournamentfees,and

proceedtotheirallocatedtee boxestoteeoffat12:30pm.

For further registration persons are asked to contact the Lusignan Golf Club on 220-5660 to register

RegistrationclosesonFriday 24thFebruary

Demerara Mutual has established itself over the last hundred years to be one of the best insurance providers in Guyana and other territories in the Caribbean region. An everexpanding team of trustworthy staff and agents have been serving over 20,000 policyholders, ensuringtheirtroublesinlife are covered A dynamic managementteamwith (Continuedonpage27)

Guyanese pacer Isai Thorne is one of four from Guyana at the CWI High Performance Camp in Antigua.

LGC VP Brian Hackett receives the sponsorship cheque from a DemLife representative.

Queens College becomes 3rd archery school club under Archery Guyana

On Tuesday, February 21, 2023Archery Guyana’s Secretary General, Mrs VidushiPersaud-McKinnon, Head Coach Nicholas Hing and AG member Kenrick Cheeks, presented the official Certificate of Affiliation together with a bow and arrow set, to QC Archery Club’s President

Ms. Leaska Holder in the presenceofQueen’sCollege

Sir Mohamed Nassir, other distinguished Teachers and some club members, at a simple ceremony at the school.

In January 2023, several Queens College students initiated the process of launching their archery club and began initial training at SchooloftheNationswhich welcomed them to join in during their practice sessions.Mr Cheeks,whois the Physical Education teacher there, has been conducting the practice

sessions under the guidance from Archery Guyana and was also instrumental in encouragingtheQCstudents tojoininthesport. This is yet another milestone in Archery Guyana’s vision of growing thesportintheschools.

Secretary-General, Mrs Vidushi PersaudMcKinnon in her opening remarks opined that she was pleasedtoseeaforwardstep since her batchmates, the alumnifromtheClassof9095 in collaboration with Archery Guyana, had the honour of introducing a novel sport into Queen’s College at the 175th anniversary on the fields in November2019.

Againstthisbackground, on behalf of Archery Guyana, Mrs PersaudMcKinnonexpresseddelight ingivingthecurrentstudents the opportunity to partake and perhaps be future

Olympians!Infact,shewent on to indicate that anyone can participate and excel in this safe sport which builds discipline, character, selfesteem, and confidence. It improves health, fitness, focus, motor control, learning skills, and opens opportunitiesinanOlympicstylesport.

Mrs.Persaud-McKinnon urged the students gathered to take this opportunity seriously and indicated her confidencethatsittinginthe audience are Guyana’s Future Olympians, both maleandfemale.Sheopined “Remember,Greatmoments are born from great opportunity!”

Remarkswerealsomade by Head Coach, Mr Nicholas Hing and Mr Kenrick Cheeks. Mr Hing informed the gathering that Archery Guyana is committed to providing the necessary training for

instructors and certified coaches and judges, both juniorandsenior With this in mind, Archery Guyana sees archery as an additional

eventatschoolsports;Interhouse, Inter-schools and Nationals, thereby fostering a competitive spirit among studentsandthecamaraderie t h a t a r c h e r y i s

internationallyknownfor Vote of thanks was delivered by Ms Athea Allicock on behalf of the newly affiliated Queen’s CollegeArcheryClub.

Australia edge India in thriller to reach Women’s T20 World Cup final

AFP - Australia reached their seventh successive Women’s T20 World Cup final when a thrilling Indian run chase fell agonisingly shortatNewlandsyesterday

Australia won by five runs when India finished on 167 for eight in reply to Australia’s172forfour.

Australiawillfaceeither England or South Africa in Sunday’sfinal.

“One of the best wins I’ve been involved in. India came hard at us. We knew this score would’ve been

hard to defend. We pulled through in the clutch moments,” said Australia captainMegLanning.

India batted with aggressive intent from the firstballandformuchofthe innings were ahead of Australia’s total at the equivalent stage despite losing three wickets in the six-overpowerplay.

The match turned dramatically when India captain Harmanpreet Kaur wasrunoutwithjust40runs neededoff32balls.

Kaur batted superbly to make52off34balls.Shehit aballtodeepmidwicketand seemed set to complete a comfortable two runs only forherbattojabintotheturf justshortofthecrease.Kaur threw her bat angrily as she walkedoff.

“The way I got run out, can’tbeunluckierthanthat,” saidKaur.

Big-hitting Richa Ghosh was caught on the boundary offDarcieBrowninthenext overandIndia’shopeswere

(Continuedonpage30)

Certificate of Affiliation and archery set being presented to Ms Leaska Holder by Mr Hing. Also in photo, Mr Kenrick Cheeks (far left), Mrs Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon (2nd from right) and teacher Mr. Mohamed Nassir.

Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur take off for a run. (AFP/Getty Images)

WCC/NewDoctor’sClinicU19tourney Henry's half century overshadows Mohamed's 5 for as Wakenaam Eagles triumph

Medium pacer Shahid Mohamed grabbed five wickets, but his efforts went invainasWakenaamEagles defeated Wakenaam Rhinos by 111 runs when the Wakenaam Cricket Committee/New Doctor’s Clinic U19 40-over tournament commenced recently

GladewinHenrystrucka fine half century to guide Wakenaam Eagles to a

P&P

challenging 206 all out in 31.3oversaftertheyoptedto bat at the Wakenaam Community Centre ground inGoodSuccess.

Henry’s knock held the innings together after medium pacer Mohandass Surujpaul removed openers Ravy Nandalall (04) and AaravSukram(01).

Ramesh Ramnarine and Henry provided some resistancebeforeRamnarine

wasbowledbyMohamedfor 11. Mohamed made further inroads as he uprooted the stumps of Jayden Dowlin (00) and Vivek Ramnarine (00), while Tomesh Persaud bowled Bhomeshwar Lall (05)topegbackthescoring. However, Henry timed the ball well and played somelovelydrivesasheand KhemolHarackramstageda recovery

Harackram deposited

Mohamed for consecutive sixes, but he was bowled by the same bowler for 27; his innings also included one four Henry struck nine fours and one six before he was bowled by Trivel Evans for 72. Evans and Mohamed mopped up the tail as Mohamedbagged5-15from five overs, Surujpaul 2-19 and Evans 2-20. Wakenaam

Eagles were aided by 38 extras.

Surujpaul got the chase going with a flurry of boundaries before he was caught and bowled by Nandalall for 15, while Varendra Pooran removed Evans (02). Nandalall sent back Jeremiah Melville (00) beforeNazamMohamedand Shahid Mohamed staged a recovery Nazam Mohamed

hitonefourandtwosixesbut was taken off Pooran for 19 while Shahid Mohamed hit two fours before he was bowledbyRamnarinefor21. Therestofthebattingfailed to offer any resistance as Wakenaam Rhinos were bowled out for 95 in 13.4 overs.Ramnarineclaimed33 from two overs while Pooran had 2-14 and Nandalall2-26.

Localsportshooterswill be given an opportunity to participate in a match sponsored annually by P&P Insurance Brokers and ConsultantsLimited.

Fortheeightconsecutive year, this match marks the start of the year’s shooting calendar for matches hosted by the Guyana Sport ShootingFoundation.

One of the Match Directors, Captain Roul Bhudu of the Guyana Sport Shooting Foundation, noted that shooters will be competing under two divisions: Production and Limited.

Thematchwillconsistof threestages,witheachstage being shot five times.Times are recorded and the worst oneisdiscarded,leavingthe shooter with four recorded

times, the total of which is their score for the stage. At the end of the match, the scores are tallied and prizes will be awarded for the top three performers in each division.

Captain Bhudu in his remarks expressed

profound thanks on behalf of the GSSF to thank P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Limited for theircontinuedsupportand dedication to the shooting sport and further opined that “we note proudly that P&P has always provided sponsorship for the first matchoftheyear”

At the Ceremony at P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Ltd’s office located at Lots 272273 Lamaha Street, North C u m m i n g s b u r g ,

Georgetown, Captain Bhudu and Director of the Foundation, Mr Andrew P h a n g , m e t w i t h representatives of P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Limited for t h e h a n d o v e r o f sponsorship funds and in accepting the kind sponsorship, conveyed thanks to the Executive Director of P&P, Mr VikashPanday

The Foundation expresses its thanks once again to Chief Executive Officer, Mr Bishwa Panday andP&PInsurance,whounhesitatingly came on board tosupportthesportshooting fraternityforthesixthyear

Formoreinformationon the G S S F please visit wwwguyanasportshooting comforfurtherdetails.

Insurance Brokers to open G.S.S.F.’s 2023 shooting calendar with steel challenge match

From right, representative of P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Ltd., Senior Account Executive Ms. Bibi Shanaz Haniff hands over sponsorship funds to G.S.S.F.Match Director Capt. Roul Bhudu in the presence of G.S.S.F. Director Mr Andrew Phang.

From left Shahid Mohamed, Gladewin Henry and Ramesh Ramnarine.

Sports

Joshua Da Silva had scores of 54* and 44 in the match.

Group photo with Queens CollegeArchery Club andArchery Guyana officials.

Ashleigh Gardner finished off the game. (Getty Images)