Kaieteur News

‘ExxonMobil would not turn its back on gold-bearing vein’ - AFC

...says

Govt. arguments against renegotiation mere excuses

The Alliance For Change (AFC) has described Guyana’s Stabroek Block as a“gold-bearingvein”sorich that even if changes are made to the agreement, that governs the fiscal terms, ExxonMobilwillnotbeable towalkaway

The party’s statement comes at a time when politicianshavebeenstating that renegotiating the lopsided arrangement can deter investors from the industry

AFC Member of Parliament(MP),Deonarine Ramsaroop on Friday argued, “There is no companyinGuyanathatcan hold government at gunpoint, none. This is your country; this is your turf. When you come as business people here, you have an opportunitytoworkwiththe g o v e r n m e n t Yo u (government) can’t say you’re working with the companies.”

Heinsistedthatinvestors mustplaybytherulessetby the governing authority, rather than the other way around.

Ramsaroop was at the time responding to a question from this newspaper on whether the AFC believes Exxon would turn its back on Guyana, should government decide changes are required to the lopsided 2016 Production SharingAgreement(PSA).

T h e P e o p l e ’ s Progressive Party (PPP) administration, though it promised in its Manifesto to renegotiate the oil contract, has changed its stance and now believes that if the deal is amended could drive investorsoutofthecountry Cognisant of the vast resources discovered offshoretodatehowever,the AFC which is responsible for signing the contract, believes that such a move wouldnotbeadeterrent.

Leader of the Party, Khemraj Ramjattan was the firstOppositionMPtothrow his support behind a renegotiationofthecontract. He told reporters at a press conferenceonFridaythatthe government has not been making use of its wild cards to haul the oil company to thetable.

Ramjattan said for instance that when the contractwasinkedunderthe

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU+AFC) Coalition government, the discovered resources were just around four billion barrels. Today, that figure hasmorethandoubled,with the Stabroek Block basin now estimated to hold in excessof11billionbarrels.

Assuch,thepartyleader explained, “I do not believe that they are going to walk away...this is a gold-bearing vein that they have found and so (I believe) that they aregoingtostay.”

He argued that the PPP governmentclearlyliedinits electionsmanifestotosecure thevotesofitssupporters,as it is refusing to renegotiate thecontracteventhoughthe circumstanceshavechanged significantly since the deal wasfirstinked.

F o r m e r Telecommunications Minister, Catherine Hughes argued that Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo could not have only now discovered the stability clause in the contract, as he passionately told Guyanese on numerous occasions that the deal wouldberenegotiated.

“I am sure when Mr Jagdeo said that he was goingtorenegotiate,hetook into consideration the sanctity of contracts. I think that is definitely just an excuse,”sheurged.

Meanwhile, Ramjattan was also asked by another reporter if he believes that thegovernmentmusthonour the contract signed by the previous administration, sincechangescouldbeasign of“badfaith”toinvestorsin thesector

To this end, the leader detailed that oil producing states have amended and even strayed from deals signed by their predecessors inthepast,listingtheUnited States of America as an example.

He outlined that the governmenthasmovedtoup its taxes on oil companies, a clearindicationthatitwould not “show bad faith” to investors.

Ramjattanaddedthatdue to the windfall (excess profits) being experienced by the oil giants, governments too must explore options to rake in morebenefitsforitscitizens.

The Exxon contract has been criticized by not only local players, but

international agencies as well In fact, some organizations even believe Guyanamayhavegottenthe worstdealonEarth.

The contract in question only allows for a mere two percent royalty to be paid to Guyana in addition to a 50

percentprofitshare,after75 percent was deducted towards the cost to develop theresource.

The deal that the oil company often brags about toitsshareholders,alsoforce Guyanese into paying their shareoftaxes,amountingto

millionsofUScurrencyeach year This figure is likely to further balloon too as more operationscomeonstream.

In addition, the country is allowing ExxonMobil to operateoffshorewithoutfull liability coverage in the event of an oil spill, which

means that the risk is borne by Guyana. Another key provision that is lacking in thedocumentisring-fencing provision, which would avoid the oil company from usingthepetroleumrevenue in one field to cover for expensesinanother.

This chart shows the success of the Stabroek Block and the excessive growth in resources discovered over the past few years as well as the “World class investment opportunity” that exists for Exxon and its partners.

Kaieteur News

PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Editor-In-Chief:NIGELWILLIAMS

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

EDITORIAL

EXXON VALDEZ – STARK LESSONS FOR COMPLACENT GUYANESE

Our headline ofWednesday, February 22 (“Exxon beat down US$5B court judgment for fishermen, natives, landownerstoUS$507M”)shouldserveasawakeupcallfor allGuyaneseonhowwellExxonMobilmanagesitselfwhen cornered. The American oil giant uses every available avenue,everylegalmanoeuvre,andspendswhateverithas toinlegalfeestodefeatallthosewhochallengeit.

ExxonMobilrarelyloses,andevenwhensuchappearsto be the case, it still comes out ahead, as it did in Alaska. Though we had editorialized about this before, we believe that this is so vitally important to the welfare of Guyanese thatwedosoagaintoday

The Exxon Valdez rupture in Prince William Sound, Alaska,in1989wasacatastrophe. Thetollonwildlife,the pristineAlaskanenvironment,andthewayoflifeoftensof thousands ofAlaskans was straight out of a nightmare, an utterdevastation.

In double quick time, the warhorses of Exxon (after 1999,ExxonMobil)wereunleashed. Oneofthetrademarks of Exxon, then and now, is never to admit responsibility, nevertoanything.

Thisisregardlessofhowglaringistheconnection. Like awell-oiledmachinery,thecontingenciesofcrisismanagers and legal case managers, are all given marching orders to takethetoughapproachimmediately,yieldnoground.

The public relations spin doctors earn their money in times like these, with the only objective being to make Exxon look angelic, nowhere at fault, even in the most blatantofinvolvements.

To put differently, what is set in motion is layers upon layers of protection for the company, with its messages designed to insulate at all costs, and by any means. Top politicians are sometimes recruited; friendly agents in science and academia earn their dollar by spitting out defenses and rationalizations that deliver covers under whichExxonshelters.

The bottom line is for Exxon not to part with a single dollar Thecompanypreferstospendmillionsonlawyers, lobbyists, and propagandists to make its case than to give anything, not even the courtesy of an apology, for a disastrous deed like what happened in Alaska in Prince WilliamSound33yearsago. Intheend,acourtjudgmentof US$5Bwasreducedbyalmost90%tojustoverahalfbillion Americandollars.

WhyshouldExxoncareabouttheplightofthepeopleof Alaska(fishermen,landowners,others)?

IfExxoncouldhavefoughttoothandnail,nevergiving up an inch, against Americans, what would it not do to Guyanese in the event of a cataclysmic oil spill in its offshoreGuyanaoperations?

Ifthiscouldbethethinking,thehardresponse,ofExxon when the livelihoods of fellow Americans were at stake, thenwhatwoulditnotdowhenpoor,atsea,colouredpeople aretheonespayingbitterpricesforthefarcesandfailuresof boththecompanyandcompromisedlocalpoliticians?And whentherobustAmericancourtsystemcouldbetoyedwith, exhausted in this manner, then what kind of chance do Guyanese in trouble have against this American oil monstrosity?

We have already seen the incomparable potency and coldheartednatureofExxonMobilinactioninGuyana. The 2016oilcontract,whichreducedtheAPNU+AFCCoalition Government to bystanders at its own funeral. The PPPC Governmentanditsleadershipforcedtoeattheirwords,and backtrack while licking ExxonMobil’s boots in abject surrenderwherethatsamevilecontractisconcerned.

The local Environmental Protection Agency rendered into a crippled shadow of itself, lacking voice, or any stoninessinitsanatomy

AndwehaveseenhowExxonMobil,withoutsayingone word, has an army of Guyanese analysts, Guyanese authorities, and Guyanese mouthpieces collapsing into a puddle,whileproudlysingingtributestothegoodnessand greatnessoftheAmericanoilsuperpower

It is time to rein in spending

DEAREDITOR,

It was recently reported that Pakistan has declared bankruptcy. Such news will haveaglobalimpactthatwill befeltforyearstocome.

A significant level of demand will be offline, whichwillnegativelyimpact global markets for key commodities including oil. Combined with the war in Ukraine, the rising tensions between the United States and China, and the high levels of global inflation,

these factors make it urgently important to be extremely cautious with the financing available to and the financial health of the country.

The oil earnings forecast closetotheupperendofthe range for Guyana over the next 20 years is the equivalent of what the Fortune 1 Company in the worldmakesin1year

The retail giant Walmart has also faced a significant increaseincostofgoodssold

andanetincomelevelthatis only 3 times that of our nation’sbudget.

That’s correct; the pace ofspendinginGuyanaisnot at a level that can keep up with its earnings. Guyana is spending a third of what Walmart earns in profit in a year,whilehavingtowait20 years to obtain the annual revenueofthecompany

A future financial crisis will not be avoided if the country doesn’t rein in spendingandfocusitsefforts

on increasing earnings from itsinvestmentstoalevelthat isaboveinflation.

Also, the longer the country is exposed to the financial downside of a majoroilspilltheprobability and risk of a financial collapse becomes even higher

It is imperative that the current gaps in the production agreement are fixed; the risky production levelsthatareabovethe

(Continuedonpage6)

All the learning that some Guyanese have obtained is dedicated to rolling over before ExxonMobil, selling themselves.Weatthispaperhavebeenbeggingfortheproper liability coverage, stronger laws and regulations, more

determinedleaders. ExxonMobilhaswonineveryinstance. Guyanesehadbettercometotheirsenses:ExxonMobilisnota trustedpartner,willneverbeontheirside. Notwhenmoneyis onthetable.

Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox

Deport them!

DEAREDITOR,

When President Irfaan Ali said “Guyana is a nice place,” I am absolutely sure he made that statement with the utmost sincerity and honesty, and I am in full agreement with the President. However, there are some in our midst who have misinterpreted that affirmation to mean, that Guyana is a “nice place” where anyone can carry out theireviltrades.Iguesssome would have opined that Guyana has now become a satellite country where they can setup their drug trafficking and money launderingempire.

I make my conclusion based on the prime fact that these cases of underworld activities are having a marked increase in their occurrences.Andwearehere speaking of an increase of persons being caught, heaven knows of the many others that have gone undetected Of this lot, foreignersorpersonsofother nationalitiesformthebulkof thearrests.

Inlightoftheforegoing,I call on theAttorney General Anil Nandlall to look into making some serious adjustments to the law that dealswithmoneylaundering and drugs trafficking. There shouldbearevisitofthelaws governing such activities as

Leaders need to fight societal ills

we go forward in our amendments to the constitution I am also making some suggestions as it relates to these heinous crimes, which mandates that attheendoftheirsentencing aliens should be promptly deported.

We have nothing to fear on this note, because we are in good company where the deportation clause comes into effect,The Government of The United States of Americadoesitsowhydon’t we?Wearealreadyburdened by an overflowing prison population with such criminals so why be further burdened by the foreign infiltration? As someone posited on my Facebook Pagethateventheforeigners are in “The hustle,” that is, taking advantage of the “GuyanaNice”slogan. Well for my part, I promptly respondedthattheforeigners attheendoftheirsentencing shouldtaketheirhustleback towheretheycamefrom.

I am most welcoming when it comes to foreigners taking advantage of a life here on our shores, but I cannot countenance for one momentthattheyaremaking criminal inroads in my country, and for this, I want punishment swift and condign.

Respectfully,

Neil Adams

DEAREDITOR,

Thank you for the opportunity to publish this missive in your daily publication.

On February 14, 2023, I was privileged to attend the opening ceremony of the second International Energy Conference and Expo in Georgetown Guyana. Once

again, the coordinator and his astute team has done an exceptionaljobathostingthe four days event in an atmosphere filled with the buzz of economic growth, innovations and business expansion with prosperity for all Guyanese and our visiting business executives f r o m w o r l d - c l a s s

international corporations who are seeking inroads to fortifytheirpathwaytoshare intheprosperityofourmost rewardingnaturalresource.

One cannot dispute that the Master of Ceremonies andallthepresenterswereof exceptional calibre who delivered inspiring, brilliant and dynamic speeches

However,themostimpactful speakertomewasnoneother than the Honourable Dr Ralph Gonsalves – Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. During his speech, Hon. Dr Gonsalves moved away from the traditional political discoursewhichisoften (Continuedonpage6)

IDPADA-G stripped of venue for town hall meeting

DEAREDITOR,

T h e I r f a a n A l i Administration has once again shown its hand on its disposition to IDPADA-G and the People of African Descent.

I D PA D A - G h a s organised a town hall meeting at GITC on Sun., Feb26todiscusslandissues affecting the people of Africandescent. Ontheeve of the meeting, IDPADA-G has been advised that the venueisnolongeravailable. No explanation has been offered.

IDPADA-Gfromitsvery inception, in 2018, had held

its public engagements at thatvenue. This denial has come in the wake of the withdrawal of the Government subvention as of Sept, 2022 and a smear campaign againsttheorganisation.

accused of not delivering to the people of African descent.

The withdrawal of permission to use a public spaceisinfactanattemptto hamper IDPADA-G from carrying out its mandate by those who have publicly accused IDPADA-G of not

carrying out its mandate. It also flies in the face of the constitutional rights of associationandassembly IDPADA-D will not wilt underthisrelentlessattack.

Yourssincerely,

VincentAlexander Chair IDPADA-G

Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox

The environs of the Botanical Gardens are in a deplorable state

DEAREDITOR,

Afewdaysago,Ivisited the Mausoleum area in the Botanical Gardens. I was delighted to see pupils on a schooltourhavingfun.

It was heart wrenching though,toseethestateofthe BotanicalGardens.

Editor,Icanrememberas a young girl being taken by my mom on holiday picnics eitherintheNationalParkor the Botanical Gardens

Those days the scenery was beautiful in the wellmaintained Park and Gardens.

The ponds were clearly well kept with the lilies adding much colour The Mausoleum,thefinalresting

place of Guyana’s first ExecutivePresident,thelate Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, was always well maintained including the polished appearance of the marble stones. During this visit to the gardens, I noted thattheexternaldrainsalong Vlissengen Road are in urgent need of de-silting.

Garbage was dumped along the parapet of the main driveway into the Gardens andthiswascompoundedby heavyvegetation.

The Seven Ponds, the final resting place for the Late President Hugh Desmond Hoyte, SC, President, Mr Arthur Chung, our first post -

It is time to rein in...

Frompage4 recommended rates are lowered; and the aggressive budget outlay is curtailed as soon as possible!At the end of all of our nation’s efforts, the minimum that should be achievedarethefollowing:

1 Improved security fromrisingsealevelsandthe negative effects of climate change

2. Improved economic

solvency resulting in an improved standard of living forourcitizens

Wemustnotlosesightof thesetwokeyobjectives,and we must ensure that we take themostsecurepathtowards achievingthem.

Sincerely,

Mr JamilChanglee Chairman

T h e C o o p e r a t i v e RepublicansofGuyana

Burnham at 100

DEAREDITOR,

independence Governor General,SirDavidRose,and Poet Martin Carter, was a sorrysight. Thepondswere filled with stagnant water andthickgreenmossandthe immediate surroundings poorlymaintained.

Editor, with the 2023 budget at $781.9B, I call on the government and the agency with responsibility fortheBotanicalGardens,to plugsomeresourcesintothe restorationandenhancement ofthislandmark,whichisin theheartoftheCapitalCity, Georgetown.

Iconcludebysayingthat it seems the Government’s plan is to continue spending taxpayer’s money building roads and bridges at exorbitant prices and without the necessary accountability It is time National Monuments, Heritage Sites and other Historical Landmarks be properly budgeted for and maintainedaspartoftheplan to manage our national patrimony.

It is time we get it…RIGHT!!!

Yourssincerely,

AnnetteFerguson MemberofParliament

Last Monday was the 100th birth anniversary of Forbes Burnham and not surprisingly, occasioned widespread retrospective analyses.

Burnham and Jagan are Rorschach tests for Guyanese and, if nothing else, confirm our national schizophrenia While narratives in the present should bring us together ratherthanfurtherdivideus, when these two individuals are invoked that becomes quiteachallenge.

Assuch,itbehoovesusto allow the facts to speak for themselves.

Back in 1979, the year before he was assassinated byBurnham(nowconfirmed byanofficialCoI)Dr Walter Rodney published a pamphlet–“People’sPower; No Dictator”. He declared Burnham a “dictator” and explainedwhathemeant,“A dictator is defined as one who wields absolute power…

There is nothing big or small which lies outside of hispersonalintervention.”

Rodney compared the Burnhamite dictatorship to Hitler’s totalitarian Nazi Germany, while noting that even though because of scale, Burnham’s strutting around in a general’s uniform was closer to “comedy and farce”, his “megalomaniac”actionshad thesamedisastrouseffecton hispopulace.

In 1988, in a paper “On the Dictatorship” , I developed the totalitarian claim by using Carl Friedrich’s “seven-point syndrome” abstracted from the experiences of Stalinist Russia, Hitler’s Germany andMussolini’sItaly

Thesewereasinglemass partyledby‘thedictator’;an officialideology;asystemof terroristiccontrol;controlof mass communication, state coercive institutions, the economy and social organizations.

The personality of the

leader is a most crucial variableinthedetermination of the precise form of the regime.

Burnham’s overriding characteristic was his ambitionandthisshapedhis life from childhood as he adopted Machiavelli as his guide.

Winning the Guyana Scholarship in 1942 from Queen’s stirred immense pride among African Guyanese, fighting to climb the race-based social ladder where the Whites and Coloureds were above and Indiansbelow

He was recruited from England by the Jagan-led PAC after he completed his legal studies as one who could rally the African section for the soon-to-be formed nationalist P.P.P He became Chairman of the partyundertheleadershipof Jagan; whose position he craved and fought for from thebeginning.

The party was an agglomeration of ethnic representatives who insisted they represented the “workingclass”.

The ambiguities and contradictions inherent in this approach were myriad but were masked by the electoral mobilization in the first general elections under universal franchise in 1953. They were, however, exposed as soon as victory was won and the “spoils” were to be distributed and exemplified by Burnham’s persistent pursuit to be the leader from 1953; his splittingthePPPin1955and hisformationoftheP.N.C.in 1958 Strategically, he exploited Jagan and other “extreme” leftists stance in the era’s geopolitical realities and rallied the “beleaguered” African and Creole sections, The dominanceofJaganasleader of the PPP and the entry of Indians into positions formerly dominated by Creoles andAfricans, raised concerns about the implications of their

“minority”status. Their discomfiture was exacerbated by the indignity of being possibly dominated by a group whose culture they had been taught was “heathen”and“inferior”.

“The horror! The horror!!”

The national ethos definedGuyanaasa“Whitebias Creole nation” with Creoles and Africans, as guardians of its ethos, and inheritorsofthenationonthe departure of the British Consequently,afteraninitial scepticism by the Coloureds pre-1955, Burnham did not have much difficulty in legitimising his drive for power by articulating the fears of the Creole and African sections, when he launched the PN C and providedavehicletoaddress thosefears.

Interestingly, Rodney identified Burnham’s “racist attitude to Indians” from the account of the latter’s sister inherpamphlet,“Bewaremy brother Forbes” while his wife Patricia claimed “Burnham and his regime promoted inherently racist policies”.

One of Burnham’s reasons for assassinating Rodney was the latter exposing his racism during theArnold Rampersaud trial and generally attracting broadIndiansupport.

Burnham’s fusion with theUnitedDemocraticParty (U D P) - the political offshoot of the League of ColouredPeople-andBlack nationalist Eusi Kwayana in 1958 to create the P.N.C., wasanaturaldevelopment.It combinedhissupportamong thelower-classAfricanswith the strategic support of the urban based Creole and Africanmiddleclass.

This has since remained the raison d’etre of the PNC evenastoday,itstrugglesas the representative of a minority bloc to broaden its support in a now nation of minorityblocs.

Sincerely,

RaviDev

Leaders need to fight societal...

Frompage5 decorated with politics, economicsandpromises.

Rather, he chose to redirect his thoughts and attention to the audience by highlighting the socioeconomic challenges which areprevailinginoursociety He has called on the leaders tofocusontheimportanceof the unique family structure,

domestic abuse, assault, divorce, poverty, teenage pregnancy and incest, alarming rates of obesity, high school dropouts, illiteracy, alcohol use and abuse in Guyana and the Caribbean.

I echo Dr Ralph Gonsalves appeal, I call uponoureducators,ourlocal civil society leaders, our

politicians, and leaders in our religious instructions to be cognisant of the ills and declines of the moral fabric ofoursociety Do not shy away from thechallengingissues.Work on addressing these matters urgently!

Respectfully,

NazarMohamed Businessman

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HOW

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Inflated expenses for executives and expatriates…

It could be how they include what is not allowed.

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How they pad those that are permitted…

Companies are skilled in finding new ways to cheat new producing countries!

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They never stop; this is how their profits swell!

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We pay close attention, or we pay the price!

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OIL COMPANIES CHEAT - PART I

'One Guyana' FPSO lends to record profits for Dutch Floater Specialist

The Dutch floater specialists, SBM Offshore that was contracted to construct four Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSOs) for use in Guyana's Stabroek Block has reported record profits, with the award of the 'One Guyana' vessel for the Yellowtaildevelopment.

The announcement was made by the entity Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bruno Chabas, who in announcing the entity's forecast for 2023 aiming to secure some revenues in excess of $2.9 billion for 2023, bringing its guidance for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) to above$1billion.

The group, which supplies and operates FPSO vessels, reported an EBITDA of $1.01 billion for 2022, roughly in line with the c o m p a n y - p r o v i d e d consensus of $1.00 billion, and improving from last year'sresultof$0.93billion.

"We achieved recordlevel underlying EBITDA, driven by our strong backlog whichalsogrewtoayear-end record level following the award of FPSO ONE GUYANA, " the Chief Executive Officer said, adding that its performance allowed the company to co n tin u e in cr ea s in g shareholderreturns.

Assuch,SBMOffshoreat the time also proposed a dividend of $1.10 per share, a 10percentincreasefrom$1it paidayearago.

Thegrouprecordedaoneoffimpairmentof$92million from the shutdown of FPSO Cidade de Anchieta, but the company said it did not affect itsEBITDA.

Although the pace of company's construction activities has been impacted by logistics issues from the Ukraine war, lockdowns in

China, and inflationary pressures — which increased costs — Chabas said, "at a portfolio level, margins remainrobust."

Additionally, he reported on SBM's progress “towards our 2030 targets of reducing emissions intensity by 50% per barrel of oil produced and developing innovative lowercarbon, new energy and digital technologies. Industry pacesetting and 'doing things right' at all levels of the organization is what SBM Offshore does and will continue to do. It is our contribution to the energy transition."

It was noted, the proforma Directional backlog at the end of December 2022 increased by US$1 billion year on year to a total of US$30.5billion.

“This increase was mainly the result of the awarded contract for the FPSO ONE GUYANA project less the turnover for the period which consumed US$3.3 billion of backlog. SBM Offshore's backlog provides cash flow visibility of28years,upto2050.”

According to Chabas, the pro-forma Directional backlog at the end of 2022 r e f l e c t s s o m e k e y assumptions, such as the fact that the FPSO Liza Destiny contract covers the basic contractual term of 10 years ofleaseandoperation.

He noted too that the FPSOs Liza Unity, Prosperity and ONE GUYANA contracts cover a maximum period of two years of lease and operation within which the unitswillbepurchasedbythe client.

For both FPSOs ONE GUYANA and Prosperity, the pro-forma backlog takes the operation and maintenance scope up to a two-year contractual period as it has been agreed in principle, pendingafinalworkorder

The One Guyana FPSO

Jamaica: Jean stays in jail Judge denies bail based on seriousness of the offences

J A M A I C A

OBSERVER - Lawyers representing Jean-Ann Panton, the woman accused of swindling billions of dollars from the accounts of at least 40 Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL) clients, failed to have the courtgrantherbailonFriday despite presenting Justice Lorna Shelly Williams with a list of illnesses they said haveafflictedtheirclient.

A previous bail application was made on February 17 when Panton first appeared in court to answer to three counts of larceny as a servant, five countsofforgery,fivecounts of uttering forged documents, three counts of engaging in transaction involving criminal property, and three counts of breaching the Cybercrimes Act.

However the judge, at that time, denied bail, citing a lack of adequate documents to support the application.

On Friday, attorney Tamika Harris presented additional documents intended to prove that Panton is a fit and proper candidate for bail According to the attorney, a lock-up is not a suitable placetofacilitateherclient’s full recovery from surgery andthenumerousailments.

However, at the end of Harris’s appeal, Justice Williams told her that nothing she presented indicated that her client couldnotremainincustody

JusticeWilliamsthenset June 15 as the next plea and case management date, whileApril19wassetasthe next mention date when a newapplicationforbailwill beallowed.

“ B a s e d o n t h e seriousness of the offences, bail is denied. If a further medical report is to be submitted to the court, then dosoandIwillconsideritat alaterdate.Therewerethree documents presented to the court.

The first is an affidavit from Lorna Panton and the affidavit sought to exhibit a number of newspaper photographs to tell of the illness of Ms Panton. The second document is a medical report from a Dr Graham,whichsaysthatMs Panton has hypertension, diabetes, chronic hip pain, and lumbar pain.As a result of this she was referred to a

DrSamuels,”thejudgesaid.

“She underwent surgery and got treatment for infection. The last medical report from Dr Samuels details of a health history of Miss Panton that she told himof.Hebasicallyreported what she said to him. I note the last part of the medical certificatespoketoproblems with post-operation complications and she requires a walker and wheelchair However, I do not see anything that would prevent her from being in custody,” Justice Williams added.

AdispleasedHarristried to explain to Justice Williams that the doctor did not indicate when Panton would be able to walk again andsaid,althoughthematter is very serious, “I must ask thecourttobearinmindthat theapplicanthasnoprevious c o n v i c t i o n s , h a s demonstrated a willingness tosurrendertothecourtsand tothecharges.

The fact that my client hastorelyoninsulinandhas tobegivenitseveraltimesa day,andthefactthatshehas to be assisted with regular simple tasks such as using the bathroom, I am asking the court for her to be

considered.”

Neither was Justice Williams swayed by an interjection by attorney Sylvester Hemmings, who said he was representing Panton’s family and, by extension,theaccused.

Hemmings told Justice Williams that Panton was beingkeptinconditionsthat are not even suitable for people who are in good health.

He also tried to downplay the offences for which Panton has been charged, claiming they are notasseriousasmurderand asked the judge not to make her determination based on mediareports.

“It is my instruction that most, if not all, of her necessary care is being attended to by inmates,” Hemmingssaid.

“I was thinking if, in these circumstances, that possibly a house would be appropriate The facility [wherePantonisbeingheld] is a correctional service. I ask the court to take into consideration the likelihood of further impairment to her health, mentally and physically In fact, this is a prisonandnotalock-upthat sheisin,”Sylvestersaid.

Former Stocks and Securities Limited WealthAdvisor Jean-Ann Panton is being taken to a police vehicle by this police sergeant on Friday after she appeared in court and was denied bail in a multi-billion dollar fraud case. (Photo: Jason Cross)

$14M Kokshebai Nursery School commissioned

The Ministry of Education on Tuesday commissioned for the first time a nursery school in theKokshebaiVillagelocatedin South Pakaraimas, Region Nine tothetuneof$14million.

The school which was commissioned by Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand and Minister of Local Government and Regional D e v e l o p m e n t , N i g e l Dharamlall will no longer see children from the village walk for miles to receive their education.

The Kokshebai Nursery School was constructed by Osbert Rebeiro.According to the Ministry, previously, the pupils manoeuvred the rough terrainsformorethanfivemiles as they travelled to Taushida, a neighbouring village to receive aneducation.

Delivering remarks at the commissioning ceremony, Minister Manickchand stated that ensuring each child receivesaneducationregardless of their geographic location remains a top priority for the Government. She told parents that the Government firmly believes that once given the resources, the children of the hinterland can achieve the same success as those on the coastland.

The Minister further stated that constructing a school is only part of giving children a strong education; the other part is ensuring there are trained teachersineachclassroom.

The Education Minister highlighted that additionally, the Ministry's Breakfast programme will be extended to the village, textbooks will be given to each pupil and in July, each school-aged child will receive $40,000 through the 'Because We Care' cash grant programme.

said that the school's commissioning is part of the Government's agenda to ensure every citizen benefits from the rapiddevelopmentthatistaking place.

Meanwhile, Ministers Manickchand and Dharamlall commissioned a health facility in the village. They said the health facility will ease the villagers'burdenoftravellingto other neighbouring villages to accessbasichealthcare.

Nigel Dharamlall

M i n i s t e r o f L o c a l Government and Regional Development

Additionally, on Tuesday, thetwoministershadturnedthe sod for the construction of a $1.7billionsecondaryschoolin Karasabai,Region9.

The $14M nursery school commissioned in Kokshebai, Region Nine.

The Health Post which was also commissioned in Kokshebai Village. commissioned

OP:ED Whathappenedtothevoiceofthechurches,alldenominations?

By GHK Lall

There is a great, deep silence blanketing Guyana today. I start over, for it is moreaccuratetosaythatitis ashroudofsilenceduetothe spiritually deathlike state which has now become a blinding feature of our religious shepherds, given what is now going on in Guyana. In what and where are their hearts vested? What matters the most to them? Whose favours they seek first and then unfailingly after? What has happened to their courage, their Christian character? Though I pinpoint and highlight the Christian segment of Guyana, all others are encircled, challenged.

TheWorldBankreported a local poverty rate of 48%, which is among the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean. Another international report spoke of moderate to severe food insecurity facilitated by sharply rising prices. This means that people, members of the flock are hungry In Houston, East Bank Demerara, a hazardous facility is an ongoing source of severe anxiety and disagreement This indicates that some citizens are fearful of possible pollutioninenvironmentand atmosphere, and probable dangers to their quality of life, life itself. I have heard nothing from any religious leader If anyone has seen a stirring of concern from

religious leaders, inform me soIcanapplaud.

In Sri Lanka, one archbishop expressed public solidarity with protestors over the shortages and hardships that were tormenting and then paralyzing huge swathes of that country In Nicaragua, four priests are jailed for speaking out, and an archbishop, Roland Alvarez is jailed for 26 years by the government. Their crimes and their draconian punishments are for differing, taking a stand, speaking out against a corrupt and callous government. Then, there is Guyana.

We must have heaven in Guyana because our churchmen, our other

religiouslightshavedimmed to the point of unmoving darkness. It is either that, things are so universally good,orourreligiousleaders are unconscious (willfully blind). I think that our religious leaders took in the environment and decided that self-enrichment is the safest, sweetest, and s p i r i t u a l l y m o s t strengtheningcourse. Those who have not resorted to absolute silence, have taken comfort in linking arms with wrongdoers and perpetrators of an endless string of negatives on the Guyanese people and different spots in Guyana's environment

Like the poor Like Houston.

I study our church leaders, and a distinctive feature emerges. Most of them conduct themselves in amannerthatrunscounterto the teachings and priorities of the one role model given to them. The poor are hungry and hurting in discernible numbers, which is the general national picture in a State of the handful of haves and the hosts of have nots. This would be understandable, even pardonable, in a land lacking rich natural resources. But there are few countries, on a per person basis that has the arrays and staggering bulks of natural resources as Guyana. Yet, there is the army of hungry, despairing.

The daily struggles of 2

out of 5 in the

G u y a n e s e population, or half of it, depending on w h i c h

i n t e r n a t i o n a l s o u r c e i s considered, also oughttobethepain of our church leaders, others in non-Christian systems of worship. They should be persistent in pressing the government for relief for the poor, and the perennially poverty stricken in this lush era of oil in Guyana. If anybody has heard anyone of our Christian (Roman Catholic, Anglican, Pentecostal, and others) saying something to this effect, anything that addresses the plight of the poor, then do me the great favour of sharing that development.

The man from Galilee did not hobnob in the big houses of the State with the rich and powerful people. Hewastirelesslyministering to those that didn't have.

Their weakness and hopelessness he made his own.

Thecarpenter'sson hada specialplaceinthisheart,his programme, his mission, for those afflicted by woes and wretchednessthosetrampled upon: he felt for them

Because he identified with them. No big job for him. No payoff for him. Strong, authentic religious leaders make that identification

Lall

theirs, too. Not lining up for favors Or not ruffling feathers, so that commercial constituencies capitalizing on the oil gravy train are not disadvantaged,distressed. I u r g e m y contemporaries, those who still care, are not carried away by tribal passions, to examine the other great, storied faiths followed by manymillions.

Theinvitationisforthem to determine for themselves what mattered the most for the founders and trailblazers of those inspiring teachings and ways of life. It was not money

Nor was it to be recognized and patted on the head for being quiet, unseeing, friendly and supportive. Never was it about the surrender of caring for those who did not have, nor abandoning those who longed for the better that should be, but which was being withheld in cruelly cheatingfashion.

Guyana must be golden for our church leaders amid the grimness of the people. Studythem.

GHK

Four Livelihoods Projects funded by French Govt. commissioned in Moruca Sub-Region

The Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) and the communities of Warapoka, Kwebana and Santa Rosa e a r l i e r t h i s w e e k commissioned four projects in the Moruca Sub-Region aimed at further improving the lives of Indigenous peoplesinGuyana.

The projects which were funded by the Government of France under the Solidarity Fund for Innovative Projects (SFIP) are a 480ft bridge leading to farmlands and harpy eagle nesting sites and, a solar drier which were commissioned on Sunday at Warapoka and Kwebana, respectively Additionally, a biking tour and canoeing experience were launched in Santa Rosa Village on Monday

According to a release from the APA, the villages identified the projects and submitted proposals to them for funding under the SFIP g r a n t ' s l i v e l i h o o d s component. The SFIP grant e n c o m p a s s e d f o u r components advocacy, capacity building with District Councils, protection of the environment, and livelihoods.

During his address at the various commissioning ceremonies, Honorary

Consul of the French Republic to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, JeanFrancois Gerin expressed the French Government's pleasure in supporting such projects. He noted that they will continue collaborating with organisations to execute similar projects across the country

Meanwhile, Resident Representative of the French AmbassadortoSurinameand Guyana, Mr Pierre Gaté said that this is the first time that the French Government has collaborated to execute livelihood projects in Guyana. He noted that the projects are warranted since they were identified by the communitiesthemselves.

H e u r g e d t h e communities and leaders to use the projects as a foundation to build upon so that their lives can be improvedaswell.

“We are very glad to take part in these projects and as our first cooperation project in Guyana, I think we picked the best operator we could have, and I think the project has been a success…There areseveralcomponentsofthe project and this one ( l i v e l i h o o d s ) b e i n g componentfourandIreally

(Continued on page 60

From left: Honorary Consul of the French Republic to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana Mr. Jean-Francois Gerin; Executive Director of the Amerindian Peoples Association Ms. Jean La Rose; Toshao of Warapoka Jaremy Boyal and Resident Representative of the French Ambassador to Suriname and Guyana, Mr. Pierre Gaté at the Troolie Hill Bridge with a Warapoka resident during the commissioning ceremony

Four of the eight dugout canoes and the boat shed in the background, projects launched for Santa Rosa.

The bikes which were given to Santa Rosa for the biking tour at Kumaka.

21 fires since start of 2023 ...more than half electrical

By Shervin Belgrave

Ithasbeenabusyyearfor the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) so far At least 21 fires havebeenreportedacrossthe country in less than two months and almost half of this number was electrical in nature.

The GFS is still to report on the cause of four fires but out of 21, nine were ruled as electrical. For the remaining eightthathaveoccurred,four were ruled as alleged arson attacks, two as a result of children playing with matches, one because of a chemical reaction and one was ignited by welding

sparks. The fiery disasters killed two persons, injured several others and displaced several families. Guyana also lost a market that housed over 160 vendors and a secondary school that facilitated 502 students.

The GFS has been doing its best to spread awareness to prevent such disasters but what worries the agency is the recent surge in electrical firesthathassofarresultedin the death of two persons - a 60-year-old businessman, Rajendra Mohabir better known as “Slowie” of Windsor Forest West Coast Demerara (WCD) and eight-

year-old, Jermaine Johnson of Cummings Lodge, Georgetown.

In a statement made on February 18, the GFS stated, “We at the Guyana Fire Service are concerned and wish to highlight a few areas that are the likely cause of electrical fires and ways to reducetherisk.”

Some of the areas highlighted by the agency were, slack connections, aged electrical installation, overloading of circuits, malfunction of electrical appliances, substandard electrical equipment such as drop cords, power strips and illegalconnections.

As it relates to persons who steal electricity, the fire service stated, “It poses a significant danger to both the individuals working on the installations and to all the residents of the area. The chances of fire and electrical overloads are increased, which can cause serious damagetohouseholds”.

At around 15:32hrs on January 25, Carl Gill of Lot 2 5 N o r t o n S t r e e t , Georgetown almost lost his home after a house next door to his caught fire because of an illegal electrical connection. Luckily for him firefighters arrived in short order and were able to save

his house although it did receive some damage due to the heat radiated from the burninghouse.

One day later on January 27, a family of six in C u m m i n g s L o d g e , Georgetown paid a heavy price after one of their electrical appliances malfunctioned and started a fire that left two of them severely injured and eightyear-old Jermaine Johnson dead.

According to the GFS, the fire started around 02:43hrs that morning after a fan overheated and ignited combustible materials at the time.

The family was asleep and some only escaped in the nick of time while Johnson, his 75-year-old grandmother Lynette Gray and a four year –year child had to be rescued afterbeingtrapped.

They sustained burns about their bodies and had to be rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where Johnson later

died while receiving treatment.

H o u r s a f t e r t h e Cummings Lodge disaster, another electrical fire threatened to destroy the Linden Hospital Complex located at Riverside Drive, Watooka, in the Region Ten District.

At around 13:45hrs, a faulty fluorescent lamp overheated and exploded in the X-ray department causing a fire to erupt. The building was saved after an on-dutysecurityguardrisked

(Continued on page 62)

Perished in an electrical fire, Rajendra Mohabir

The faulty fluorescent lamp that nearly destroyed the Linden Hospital Complex

Firefighters battling an electrical fire at Agricola

IDPADA-G accuses Govt. of relentless attacks after being barred from holding town hall meeting at GITC

C h a i r m a n o f t h e International Decade for People of African Descent

A s s e m b l y - G u y a n a (IDPADA-G), Vincent

Alexander is accusing the Irfaan Ali-led administration of once again going to relentless lengths to hamper the work of the organization, established to assist GuyaneseofAfricanDescent improve their state of existence.

In a letter to the editor, published by the Kaietuer News,Alexander accused the government of barring the organization from using the Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC) located on Woolford Avenue as a venue to hold meetings to discuss land related issues that are affecting people of African Descent.

Alexander said the withdrawal of permission to useapublicspaceisinfactan attempt to hamper IDPADAG from carrying out its

mandate by those who have publiclyaccusedIDPADA-G of not carrying out its mandate.

He said it also flies in the face of the constitutional rights of association and assembly The IDPADA-G chair explained that though the meetings are usually held at the GITC, a last minute decision was taken by the school which falls under the Ministry of Education not to allowIDPADA-Gtoholdthe meetingthere.

Alexander and his team were informed of the decision last evening, hours before the meeting was scheduledtocommence.

“ I D PA D A - G h a s organised a town hall meeting at GITC on Sunday, Feb.26todiscusslandissues affecting the people of African descent. On the eve of the meeting, IDPADA-G has been advised that the venue is no longer available. No explanation has been

offered,” IDPADA-G's Chair said.

As a result, the venue has been changed to the Critchlow Labour College located onWoolfordAvenue, oppositetheGITC.

“

T h e I r f a a n A l i Administration has once again shown its hand on its disposition to IDPADA-G and the People of African Descent,” Alexander said whilenotingthatIDPADA-G from its very inception, in 2018, had held its public engagementsatthatvenue.

He said: “This denial has come in the wake of the w i t h d r a w a l o f t h e Governmentsubventionasof September 2022 and a smear campaign against the organisation.”

In that campaign, IDPADA-G has been accused of not delivering to the people of African descent.Hesaidnevertheless that “IDPADA-D will not wilt under this relentless

attack”.

Thegovernmenthasbeen withholding the $8M per month subvention from IDPADA-G hampering the organization from fulfilling its obligations based on the UN mandate. The AfroGuyanese organisation has since taken the Government toCourtoverthesubvention.

IDPADA-G said it has assisted hundreds of Guyanese in the process of developing businesses through training in the writingofbusinessproposals financials.

According to the lawsuit, IDPADA-G is seeking an Order of Mandamus to have the subventions that was budgeted for last year, returned to the Organisation a h e a d o f t h e f i n a l determination of the court matter.

Theorganizationsaidhad a legitimate expectation of the subvention based on engagementsandagreements made with the previous and current Governments. The organisation was given no reason or notification as to whythefundswereceased.

Their Attorney Nigel Hughes said that the Government “breached the legitimate expectancy” to pay the annual subvention which is handed over in 12

equal parts as per months of the year He said too that the actofcessationofpaymentis anabuseofpower

Further, he said that the Government should have declared or placed on notice, that changes to the distribution of funds would occur and give the organisation an opportunity tobeheard.

T h e G o v e r n m e n t nonetheless has been withholding IDPADA-G's monthly subvention of $8M o v e r c l a i m s o f mismanagement – an allegation the organisation hasrubbished.

Earlier this month, IDPADA-G wrote to the Government to hold talks on the issue of their subvention whichhasbeenwithheld. Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire called the c a s e a n a t i o n a l embarrassmentandurgedthe two sides to consider mediation.

Chairman of IDPADA-G, Vincent Alexander

Sunday – Feb 19, 2023

aspect of the project, insisting that Georgetown, Brassington in his its viability is simply no longer annual briefing explained, “We are

Oil Company in Guyana’s relevant owing to the mammoth buildingaprojectof300megawatts backyard moves to increaseincost. (MW) and as a general rule of arbitration to avoid paying He explained, “The pipeline thumb;electricitydemandgrowsin Ghana US$387M in taxes costs have escalated too much and line with GDP (Gross Domestic

~~ASIGN OFTHE TIMES ~~ have made the project no longer Product). Now reality is, in the last feasible.Clearlyweshouldgoback three years that (demand) has

The Government of Ghana has to the drawing board and rethink lagged as we would expect. We founditselfinadisputewithBritish thewholeproject.Itiscertainlynot knowthereareadozenhotelsunder oil producer, Tullow Oil over beyond our ingenuity to find a constructionorintheworks,alotof US$387M of taxes the company is solution, with the help of carefully new development and so we are trying to avoid paying. How this selectedinternationalexperts.” projecting- (Guyana Power and matter plays out between Tullow The project entails three major Light) GPL is projecting- that by and theWestAfrican Republic is of aspects, that is, the pipeline to 2026, we will need twice as much critical import for policymakers in transportthegastoWales,theNGL power(or)energyastheygenerated Guyana. facility that will treat and separate lastyear.”

Tullow Oil has interests in oil the gas, and the power plant to He said the country’s peak blocks offshore Guyana. It is the generate the electricity So far, demand in 2022 was 156 MW, breach TGL’s rights under its country’s total debt, according to operatoroftheOrinduikBlockwith Guyanese have been told that the while the average load was 112 Petroleum Agreements,” the statistics from the end of 2022. a 60% interest. It also has a 37.5% pipeline aspect, which is being MW To this end, he pointed out, company said in a February 14 These statistics show the country’s interestintheKanukublock,which pursuedbyExxon,willcostaround “By 2026, we (are) looking at a statement. total public debt stood at is operated by Repsol. Ghana’s US$1 3 billion Even this is peak at over 300 megawatts, so It said it believes that US$3,654.9M at the end of last experience could teach a salient expected to increase when Exxon even this project may not be international arbitration will bring year lesson about the extent to which closescriticalcontractsforsame. adequate to meet all of the demand certainty in the best interest of all What was not made clear wealthy oil elites will go to deprive

Back in 2018, the Inter- inthefuture.” stakeholders. Notwithstanding this however is how the country would the developing jurisdictions in American Development Bank The Government of Guyana formal step, Tullow said it intends manage to pay back these expenses whichtheyoperate,ofthehundreds

(IDB) had partnered with the State (GoG) on December 13, 2022 to continue to engage with the shouldtherebeanincidentthatputs of millions in revenues that could to conduct a feasibility study of the signed a US$759M contract with Government of Ghana, including theprojectoutofoperation,suchas liftcommunitiesoutofpoverty. planned natural gas pipeline. The CH4-Lindsayca to construct the the GRA, with the aim of resolving anexplosion.

Tullow said recently that its primary objective of the study, 300 MW gas-fired power plant and these disputes on a mutually Brassington explained that Ghana subsidiary, Tullow Ghana which was executed by Energy a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) acceptablebasis. Guyana will be required to pay Limited (TGL) has filed requests Narrative for US$70,000 an Tullow positioned itself in back ExxonMobil some US$55 for arbitration with the international entity that provides Guyana more than a decade ago. In million each year for 20 years to International Chamber of

strategic market analyses and the Orinduik Block that it operates, repay the company for its Commerce in London with respect advicewastodeterminetheoverall two heavy discoveries were made investmentinthepipeline. to two disputed tax assessments it feasibility of transporting natural at the Jethro and Joe wells, but the “That US$55 million is the received from the Ghana Revenue gasfromoffshoreGuyana,building company has not decided to amortized cost of US$1 billion for Authority (GRA). Arbitration is a a NGL separation plant and a produceduetothequalityoftheoil. 20yearsatadiscountrate,”hesaid. mechanism for resolution of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Reports indicate that Tullow will

In addition to this, Guyana will disputes, administered by a private production plant to market the drill theAmatuk well this year.The also be expected to repay another organisation. It is a more efficient liquids from the natural gas stream, termsofthedealsetcostrecoveryat US$51 million annually for 20 mechanism that occurs outside of aswellasbuildinganewelectricity 75% and the profit split gives yearsonaloanthecountrywilltake thejudiciary generation station to use the Guyana between 40% and 60% to pay for the Natural Gas Liquids

Tullowsaidthetaxassessments remainingdrynaturalgas. depending on production levels. (NGL) facility and the 300 relate to the disallowance of loan Notably,atablewasusedinthat Theroyaltyissetat1%. megawattspowerplant. interest deductions for the fiscal report that was sourced from TheGovernmentofGuyanahas Brassington explained, “The years 2010 – 2020 and proceeds ExxonMobil in which the oil said it will renegotiate all deals government is funding the power received by Tullow under its company said the project would except those associated with the plant and the NGL plant and the corporate Business Interruption cost US$478 million. Four years Stabroek Block However, EPCcontractprice,whichisalump Insurance policy It said the later, the project is now pegged at Tullow’s petroleum agreement sum fixed price is US$759 million requests for arbitration have been overUS$2.1billion. includes similarly restrictive (or) US$760 million. We allocated filedinaccordancewiththedispute stability provisions as in the thisbasedonthepricingatabout63 resolution process set out in the Monday – Feb 20, 2023 facility at Wales, West Bank Stabroek block contract. Tullow’s percent of US$477 million to the Petroleum Agreements which Demerara. contract also includes provisions power plant and US$282 million to governTGL’sactivitiesinGhana. 300MW gas-fired power It was reported that the for resort to arbitration as a dispute theNGLfacility.”

The first assessment: Tullow plant may not be government will be financing this resolutionmechanism.

“Now if we were to amortize said TGL has received a revised sufficient to meet electricity projectthroughaloan. the US$759 million over a 20 years corporate income tax assessment demand – Brassington Brassington dissected the costs Guyana saddled with period at three percent, that annual for US$190.5M from the GRA whilegivinghisoutline,notingthat US$106M yearly, for 20 years payment would be about US$51 relating to the disallowance of loan

The controversial US$2B Gas- US$477 million is allocated for the Gas-to-Energy project… million,”headded. interest for the fiscal years 2010 – to-Energy (GTE) project has been power plant, while the remaining

These costs are not the final 2020. The British producer said it questionable from its inception, US$282millionwillgotowardsthe

For the next 20 years, Guyana investment for the project however previously disclosed assessments and it seems as though the NGLfacility will be saddled with an annual debt as the Government of Guyana by the GRA relating to the same defenders of this major initiative, Presently, the GoG is awaiting of US$106 million to pay back (GoG) is gearing to pay out $400 issue; but this latest revised

arefindingitdifficultthemselvesto approval from the Environmental costs associated with developing million to land owners who would assessment received in December determine its feasibility and Protection Agency (EPA) to theGas-to-Energyproject. be affected by the 12-inch pipeline 2022 supersedes all previous convince Guyanese citizens of commence works on the power This was revealed on that will be used to transport the claims. same. plant. We d n e s d a y d u r i n g t h e naturalgas.

The second assessment: TGL

Project Head Winston The other two aspects of the International Energy Conference According to him, “We had 75 also received a new corporate Brassington was tasked with project- a pipeline to transport the and Expo when Project Head, acresoflandfromabout56persons incometaxassessmentanddemand providing the International Energy gas and the NGL facility- has Winston Brassington provided acquired. We’ve set aside over notice for US$196.5M from the Conference on Wednesday with an already been approved by the EPA, delegates with an update on the $400milliontopaythesepersons.” GRA relating to proceeds received updateontheproject,anddisclosed through a separate application that project and expected financial E v e n a s w o r k s h a v e by Tullow during the fiscal years thatthepowertobegeneratedfrom was made by Esso Exploration and gainsfromtheventure. commenced for the pipeline, 2016 – 2019 under Tullow’s this project may not meet the Production Guyana Limited Based on his presentation, it is government is still to produce an corporate Business Interruption demand required by 2026- some (EEPGL),

understood that the Wales Gas-to- updated feasibility study for the Insurancepolicy two years after the project is slated subsidiary Energy project has surpassed the project.

“Tullow considers that the two tocomeonstream. Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo US$2 billion mark, now totaling A Guyanese Engineer, Fitzroy disputed tax assessments, which During his presentation at the hadannouncedinDecemberlast US$2,120,000(GYD$424trillion). Fletcher, with over 50 years of total $387 million plus penalties, Marriott Hotel in Kingston, (Continued on page 17) This is more than half of the expertisehassofarchallengedeach

GTE Project Head, Winston Brassington

From page 16

The woman reportedly left

there temporarily for later subject to address the country’s

of trust-based funding for Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo year that he was “extremely birthday party at about 17:00hrs Mexico’spublicschools. during the opening of Guyana’s pleased” that the contract was Saturday following an argument “Companies would get to keep Energy Conference on February awarded for the construction of the withherhusband.Thesixty-two- 75% of the resources produced,” 14, 2023. The four-day event was powerplantandNGLfacility year-old grandmother to ewart told committee hosted at the Georgetown Marriott He was keen to note that the Kaieteur News that sometime members. “We want school Hotel,underthetheme‘Harnessing power plant is expected to be around 02:00hrs Sunday her kids to get 25%.” The bill is Energy for Development’ VP completed by December 2024 and granddaughter returned and now in the Senate Tax and Jagdeo was invited to speak on that “huge penalties” will be askedforherhusband[now Revenue Committee. But Guyana’s Energy Policy when he imposed on the contractor for deceased]. it will likely be tabled requested to deviate from the failingtodeliverontime. “ T h e y h a d a n

Governmentclaimsthatthe300 argument the afternoon review alongside other progress from last year’s event and MW power plant will slash and the mother [suspect’s bills to consider their insight into the driving factors of electricitybillsby50percent. mother] take she and carry collective fiscal impact governmentpolicies.

In the meantime, the country waybysheforlessproblem

before sending them to a The former Head of State said will be saddled with an annual debt and so. I don’t know why floor vote, Tallman told the in his presentation that Guyana is of US$106 million for 20 years, to they arguing because I don’t Journal. If approved, the bill cognizant of the fact that the pay back costs associated with like get in married people could generate between $50 country holds world class developingGTEproject. story, but they de arguing, she million and $84 million in new resources, also referencing the

Brassington explained that left and later like around 2 nue annually, starting in words of a previous speaker, Guyana will be required to pay Sunday, she come back. When year 2025, according to the President of ExxonMobil back ExxonMobil some US$55 come back, she ask where Legislative Finance Committee’s Upstream Oil and Gas Company, millioneachyearfor20yearsforits husband deh and I tell she that he fiscalimpactreport. who said there must be a investmentinthepipeline. deh in the downstairs and she left

Importantly, apart from raising partnership for investors to make billionbarrelsofoilpaysamere2%

“That US$55 million is the andgoneinsidetohe.” the current royalty rate, it would money as well as for the people of royalty to the country The 2016 amortized cost of US$1 billion for ThewomantoldKaieteurNews also impose royalties for the first thecountrytobenefit. deal Guyana signed onto has been 20yearsatadiscountrate,”hesaid. that she heard a commotion in the time on natural gas wasted through At the same time, Jagdeo said heavily criticised as being lopsided

In addition to this, Guyana will bottom flat of the home, but again venting, flaring or leaking. But government is often told by the oil and civil society groups and also be expected to repay another did not intervene, out of fear of revenue projections on that companies that they have “never citizens have been calling for a US$51 million annually for 20 being caught up in a family feud. provisionareunavailablebecausea done that before and we didn’t do renegotiation of the contract but yearsonaloanthecountrywilltake The elderly woman said that as she

newstatelawprohibitsventingand that elsewhere”. For instance, he their calls have fallen on deaf ears to pay for the NGL facility and investigated,shesawShivlalllying flaring going forward in order to explained, “When we spoke about thusfar powerplant. on the ground, and her reduce methane emissions to just Local Content Legislation, they

The Albuquerque Journal granddaughter over him;

2% by 2025. According to the werenotverypleasedwiththatand reported that the legislative ‘Teen wife’stabs husband repeatedly stabbing him to the Journal, if the bill advances out of we were told that it could lead to initiativebyNewMexicocouldnot to death in Essequibo chestareawithaknife. TaxandRevenue,it’sboundtoface shutting down operations only raise the royalty rate for oil Shesaid:“Ieventuallygoinand stiff opposition from industry and here…and we have done so and it andgasproducedonstatelandsbut

Anthony Shivlall, a resident of I see the boy on the floor lay down, fromRepublicanlawmakers. didn’t shut down the industry and could potentially generate up to Lima Sands on the Essequibo and he eye done rolling up, so I tell it’s driving more local business US$84M in new annual revenue. It Coast, was brutally stabbed to somebodyquickwatchlikethisgirl Jagdeo ignored threats of here.” was stated that earlier this month, death early Sunday morning by his kill this boy When I feel for he driving out investors with Delegates applauded the leader N e w M e x i c o ’ s S e n a t e 18-year-old wife, police have heart beat and so I didn’t feel any local content laws, but refusing for this bold step, even as he Conservation Committee approved confirmed. By the time I could figure out what to adopt same principle continuedtopointoutthatasimilar the proposal, Senate Bill 164, in a

The wife, who is now in police happen, she done run out the house on contract renegotiation issue was evident when party-line 6-2 vote. The bill is cocustody, has reportedly confessed anduptheroad.” government wanted to introduce a sponsored by three Albuquerque to murdering the man in her The suspect was later arrested ”Not having done it elsewhere fine for flaring of associated gas Democrats, Senators Bill Tallman by police at her mother’s house at in the world in Exxon’s global offshore during production and Harold Pope, and State Macknab, and had reportedly experienceoverthelastmanyyears activities. RepresentativeDebbieSariñana. admitted to stabbing her husband. isnotreasonfornotdoingitnowin “We had the same issue here

The Journal reported that

Onthescene,policeranksobserved Guyana If it’s necessary to when we were trying to redo the Tallman told committee members one stab wound on the victim’s left promote sustainability, we are Environmental Permits and we in the February 7 hearing that chest area, one stab wound to his goingtoensurethatthathappens.” weretold,wellwehaveneverhad increasing the royalty rate, which lower right chest area, and one to Thiswastheassurancegivenby (Continued on page 18) hasn’t changed since the 1970s, hislefthand. would put New Mexico on a par

The body was escorted to the withTexas,whichcharges25%. Suddie Public Hospital, where it “Our royalty rate was last was seen and examined and updated50yearsago,butTexashas pronounced dead. The body is been at 25% since the 1990s,” presently at the Suddie Hospital’s Tallman said adding, “… It doesn’t Mortuary awaiting a post mortem make sense to prohibit the state examination. from charging market rates on our resources.”

Tuesday – Feb 21, 2023

The media entity reported that theStateLandOfficeisbackingthe U.S State seeking 25% bill,whichwouldraisetherateonly royalty from oil companies for leases on “premium” land – Senator says: “it doesn’t offered in competitive bidding. make sense to prohibit the That refers to the most productive state from charging market tracts with the highest oil-and-gas grandmother’s home.According to rates on our resources” reservoirs in terms of volume and police, the incident occurred at value, or the “best of the best,” said around 02:00hrs Sunday morning, New Mexico has introduced a LandOfficeDeputyCommissioner at Macknab Lima Sands. Kaieteur bill that could increase the current ofOperationsSunaleiStewart. Newslearntthatataround16:00hrs 20%royaltythestatereceivesfrom “Regular,” or less productive on Saturday), twenty-seven-year- oilandgascompaniesto25%. tracts, would remain at 20%, and old Anthony Shivlall and his wife This move by New Mexico, a only new premium leases would be were both at a birthday party at the state in the Southwestern United affected,notexistingones. home of sixty-two-year-old States, comes at a time when It was explained that all Bernadine Williams, who has been American oil giant, ExxonMobil- additional revenue would flow into identifiedasthegrandmotherofthe the operator of Guyana’s Stabroek the state’s Land Grant Permanent suspect. Block which has an estimated 11 Fund, which provides the lion’s

Deceased: Anthony Shivlall

New Mexico State Senator, Bill Tallman

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo addressing the Energy Conference

From page 17 in a “Not Recovering” or to pay a carbon tax globally for “Unknown” status: Killer whales flaring- because we have a no (family group known as pod AT1), flaring policy and any flaring Kittlitz’s murrelets, Marbled beyond the initial period now, it murrelets, and Pigeon guillemots. startsat$45pertonne-andwewere ( S e e l i n k : told we never did that before and https://darrp noaa gov/oilwe put it in the permits and the spills/exxonvaldez#:~:text=The% companies have agreed to it and 20spill%20affected%20more%20t they have paid when they flared han,2%2C800%20sea%20otters) beyond the allowable limits,” Some reports estimate the total Jagdeoboasted. economic loss from the Exxon

Similarly, the Vice President Valdez oil spill to be as much as said Exxon cried that supplying the US$2.8billion. country with free gas may “distort the market and send the wrong

Guyana’s oil production signals” however, government still peaked at 400,000 barrels last managed to strike an agreement for month – EPA says technical the company to supply the gas free analysis done to support ofcharge. increase at two ships

AccordingtoJagdeo,“thegasis free…thereisagassalesagreement

Guyana’s two oil ships—the butthat’sthevehiclethroughwhich L i z a D e s t i n y a n d L i z a wearepayingfortheinfrastructural Unity reached their highest costonthepipeline.” production mark last month at

Itwasagainstthisbackdropthat 400,160 barrels, according to data hemadeitclear“nothavingdoneit from the Ministry of Natural elsewhere in the world in Exxon’s Resources. This was attained on global experience over the last January 12, 2023. A breakdown of many years is not reason for not the data indicated that the Liza doingitnowinGuyana.” Destiny produced 153, 890 barrels

Hesaidtherelationshipwiththe on that day while Unity was oilcompanieshasnotbeeneasybut 246,270barrels. attempts to contain the oil failed, drag out for 26 years, showing just pushed the state of Alaska to seek “once the government knows

Following January 12, andinthemonthsthatfollowed,the how tedious and expensive the additional funds, was outraged clearly what it wants out of this production hovered around oil slick spread, eventually environmental litigation is. In fact, bythedecision. relationship” they have been

330,000-390,000 barrels of oil per blackening about 1,300 miles of thecasecametoacloseinOctober, “ I t w a s e x t r e m e l y accommodative Even though day January 31 closed with a daily Alaska’s coastline. It was, and still 2015 in a federal district court in disappointing,” he had said. “This

Jagdeo said government did not productionof393,290barrels. is, regarded as one of the largest downtownAnchorage,Alaska. was a very sad end to a very sad heed to threats of Local Content

Notably, both ships are environmental disasters in U.S. According to international chapter in Alaska’s history It is an shutting down the oil sector, his producing beyond their nameplate history media reports, one of which is unconscionable betrayal of public party has refused to change the capacity The Liza Destiny’s The case is often cited by attached to this news item, the state trust.Above all, it just validates the

lopsided Production Sharing nameplate capacity is 120,000 environmentalists here and abroad and federal governments decided public’s distrust of the oil industry,

Agreement (PSA) signed with barrelswhileitis220,000barrelsof asacautionarytaleofhowriskyoil not to pursue a final US$100- and government promises of Exxon in 2016, over fears that the oilperdayforLizaUnity operationscanbeandforGuyanato million from ExxonMobil over its responsible oil development in oil company would cease Concerns have been raised be on its guard. But what this case 1989 oil spill in Prince William Alaska.” (SEE LINK FOR MORE operationshere. about the implications of also highlights is the litigative Sound. D E T A I L S

The People’s Progressive Party increasing the production. Former powerofExxonMobilwhichisalso Judge H. Russel Holland — https://alaskapublic org/2015/10/1 (PPP) said in its 2020 Elections Head of the Environmental the operator of Guyana’s Stabroek who presided over the Exxon 5/hearing-ends-26-years-of- manifesto that the administration Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Block. The oil giant indeed faced Valdez case from the start — asked litigation-over-exxon-valdez-oil- would engage in better contract Vincent Adams has lamented time numerous lawsuits for the 1989 thestateandfederalgovernmentsif spill/) administration or renegotiation of and again, that in his view, such a spill. But it did not roll over and they had anything to add to their The Valdez spill had immense the oil deal, however after move is unsafe; that it spells grave accept all judgments handed down written filing. They said no. So the impacts for fish and wildlife and assuming office, the group now danger for Guyana and the wider forcompensationtothoseaffected. judgehimselfspoke. their habitats, as well as for local believes in “sanctity of contracts” Caribbean He believes this

The state of Alaska had sued “I understand that some will be industriesandcommunities. toensureinvestorconfidence. increases the risk for a major oil Exxonoverthespill,andthefederal displeased with the government’s The oil killed an estimated spill. government indicted the company decision,” he had said adding, “But 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters,

Wednesday – Feb 22, 2023

His successor, Kemraj Parsram for violating the Clean Water Act. what is clear to me is that the 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, does not share this view In an

Theoilcompanywasforcedtodish process has been lengthy, it’s been as many as 22 killer whales, and Exxon beat down US$5B court interview with Kaieteur News, out US$1 billion in settlements to extensive,it’sbeenexpensive.” billionsofsalmonandherringeggs. judgment for fishermen, natives, Parsram said the EPA has been the state and federal governments, Biologist Rick Steiner, who has More than 25 years since the landowners to US$507M working earnestly to ensure the and US$300 million in voluntary followed the case since 1989 and spill, the following species remain

After two decades of court battle integrity of the oil operations is not settlementswithprivateparties. over infamous Valdez oil spill… compromised. He also assured that

Alawsuit was also filed against no increase in production occurs ExxonMobilonbehalfofmorethan

On March 24, 1989, an oil without thorough review by the 32,000 fishermen, native Alaskans tanker owned by ExxonMobil EPA. and landowners, resulting in an Corporation and dubbed the Parsram said, “In all of the award of US$5 billion in punitive “Exxon Valdez” ran aground in a environmental permits, one of the damages. Exxon’s full strength in bodyofwaterintheGulfofAlaska. key requirements is that if there is the courts was demonstrated here. It was heading to Long Beach, any change to what was approved In2008,itappealedthecaseandgot California with over 50 million they (Exxon and partners) must the judgment reduced to $507.5 barrels of oil but had hit a well- seek approval from the EPAand in million (See link for article known navigation hazard in so doing, we will require r e f e r e n c e d : Alaska’swaters. information that will help assess if https://www washingtonpost com/ The impact of the collision tore it will cause significant impacts lifestyle/magazine/the-exxon- open the ship’s hull, causing some beforeapprovingsame.”

v a l d e z - o i l - 11 million gallons of crude oil to Head of the Oil and Gas spill/2017/03/14/d131b630-f876- spill into the ecologically sensitive Department, Joel Gravesande also

1 1 e 6 - 9 8 4 5 - location. confirmed this, noting that 576c69081518_story.html).

At the time, it was the largest ExxonMobil’ssubsidiary;Esso Importantly, the case would singleoilspillinU.S.waters.Initial

(Continued on page 56)

Head of EPA’s Oil and Gas Department, Joel Gravesande

EPA Head, Kemraj Parsram

Govt.-to-Govt. arrangements for nation’s oil blocks must be made public - Ramjattan

As the Government of Guyana (GoG) engages its allies to secure partnerships in exchange for the nation’s oil blocks, the Alliance For Change (AFC) has signalled its support,ontheconditionthatalldetails regarding the arrangements be made public.

Leader of the party, Khemraj Ramjattan in an invited comment told thisnewspaperonFridaythathehasno objection to this decision taken by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government.

“Idonothaveanobjectiontodirect government to government (agreements).WhatIwouldliketosee however is the transparency of whatever is the government-togovernment deals or transactions,” Ramjattansaid.

He was keen to note that the Oppositionwillbelookingforward,at theveryleast,forthedetailsregarding such arrangements to be shared in the NationalAssembly

According to him, “there should notbeanysecrecy aboutit,itshould be open and that is my position at this point.”

Head-of-State,IrfaanAlidisclosed back in October 2022, prior to the launchofGuyana’smaidenOilBlocks Auction in December that his government has set aside certain oil blocks which would be used for g

partnerships.

Ali made the disclosure during a press conference with British High Commissioner, Jane Miller He refused to divulge further details on whichspecificblocksweresetasideas well as what special purpose vehicle would be used to represent the State’s interestsinsuchmatters.Hedidpledge however to distil such details at the appropriatetime.

During Guyana’s International Energy Conference, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo disclosed that Brazil, Qatar, India and Kuwait are in line to benefitfromthenation’soilblocks.

“We’vegoneouttoauctionnowfor 14 blocks and we still have remaining some areas where we hope to work through a bilateral arrangement with thegovernmentsofBrazil,Qatar,India and those others who have expressed (interest). Kuwait has just expressed someinterestinthatregard.”

Last month, it was reported that VicePresident,BharratJagdeoissoon expected to leave Guyana to tie up agreements with the Government of Indiaforcooperationintheblossoming local oil and gas industry He is presently out of the country meeting withhighlevelgovernmentofficialson thisfront.

Jagdeo in announcing the auction of 14 of Guyana’s oil blocks last Novemberhadsaidtheprocess“is Continued on page 64

Map showing the location of Guyana’s offshore oil blocks Maritime Boundaries

ActiveBlocks

AvailableBlocks

UnavailableBlocks

the People’s Progressive

vi

willnotgothisroute.

PresidentIrfaanAli,Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, andotherseniormembersof

the administration have said that while they agree the contract is terribly lopsided, it is what they inherited and theywillabidebyitduetoits respect for the sanctity of contracts.

The Irfaan Ali-led administration has also said thatitwouldseekotherways ofclawingbackvalue.

Indeed, the government has used other mechanisms tooverridethesanctityofthe lopsided deal The most significant deviation in this regard pertains to the Local ContentAct2021.

That legislation affords theGuyanaGovernment,the power to not only ensure citizenshaveagreaterroleto play in the procurement and employment cycles in the sector but also investigate andpenalizethosewhotryto

fool the government with creative forms of noncompliance.

The law makes it clear that oil companies and their subcontractors must prioritize the use of locals and where necessary, provide training to upskill Guyanese The law also demands the use of Guyanesein40categoriesof work which include transportation, accounting, and legal services needed here, and catering. These categories are also poised to beexpandedsignificantlyin 2023.

Thegovernmenthasalso demanded more on the environmental front. In this regard, the PPP/C Administrationhasaskedfor theretobegreaterinsurance coverage that goes beyond the mere self-insurance in thecontract.

According to the 2016 deal, ExxonMobil’s subsidiary,EssoExploration and Production Guyana Limited(EEPGL)isallowed to self-insure. This practice allows EEPGL to keep a fund to cover losses instead of purchasing an insurance policy

Guyana has demanded much more on this front. In fact, the environmental permits for ExxonMobil’s Liza Phase One, Liza Phase Two, Payara and Yellowtail Projects all state that the oil companies are required to coverallcostsintheeventof an oil spill. The companies have provided an insurance policy that is to the tune of US$600M per occurrence. They also have to provide a parentguaranteethatensures indemnification of the State for all liabilities under the permitgranted.

for financial assurance for the entire Stabroek Block. Approximately US$2B is at the centre of those discussions.

The environmental regulatory provisions were further boosted with the imposition of a flaring fee totallingUS$50pertonneof carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emitted, up from an initialUS$30.

Government has also demanded that there be a capping stack in place too. Thisisapieceofequipment that is used to cap a well blowoutandpreventfurther damage that may have been caused.Exxonisrequiredto have one in the country and maintain a subscription for another

Notably,the2016PSAis silent on provisions to safeguard the measurement of oil. This loophole was closed with key provisions inserted into the Payara and Yellowtail production licences.

The production licences note that EEPGL must measure and weigh the volume, quality and compositionofallpetroleum won and saved from the Production Area, using the measurementappliancesand procedures in accordance with good international oilfield practices and from timetotime,approvedbythe Minister

The licensee is also expected to provide the Minister, with reasonable written notice of the c o n d u c t i n g o f measurements, and an opportunity to attend or to have one or more representatives attend the measurementsonhisbehalf.

h ExxonMobilanditspartners

in discussions wit

Significantly, EEPGL is required to provide to the Minister,reasonableand

Continuedonpage64

Ro beina Edinbo ro

Meetthe lovelyRobeinaEdinboro, DelegateNumberTwoofMissGuyanaTeen withaPurposeBeautyPageant.Theaspiring attorneyiscurrentlyabuddingentrepreneurintheareaof culinaryarts.Shealsoenjoysanythingthathastodowiththe creativearts,whichincludesmodeling,dancing,singing,acting, etc.HerfavouritequoteisbyGuyana-bornmoviestarLetitia Wright,whosaid:“I’mjustayounggirltryingtofulfillthe purposethat’sbeenplacedinmyhearttodo.”

Simple ways to conserve electricity in the home

By Richard Francois statistical information on

Guyana,butaccordingto the

Glass, cast iron, or ceramic use and when on standby

pans are best in the oven; than standard models

We all know that the cost US Department of Energy, stovetops love copper pots Energy savings differ based for electricity in Guyana is standby power accounts to (unless of course, you have on the specific appliance. expensive. As long as you five or ten percent of aninductioncooktop). For example, ENERGY are a paying customer of the residential energy use and

It is generally better to STAR-certified clothes Guyana Power and Light costs the average US invest in countertop washers use approximately Incorporated(GPL),youfeel household as much as $100 appliances like a pressure 20percentlessenergyand30 the pinch on your pocket peryear Andthisisamodest cooker or a slow cooker if percent less water than other everymonth,whenyouhave figure. you can. Rice cookers are washers, whereas ENERGY to pay your electricity bills. This phenomenon must excellent. Not only do they STAR refrigerators use only What if there was a way you exist right here in Guyana. use less energy, but they are 9percentlessenergy can control the amount you Imagine if every household designed to cook rice to I hope the points pay based on some in Guyana leaves on two perfection. discussed today are useful to adjustments to your appliances in standby mode, Purchase energy you and that you practice consumption patterns? In the sum total of the power efficient appliances more responsible electricity today’s article, we will being wasted nationwide When purchasing an use moving forward As examine some simple things maysurpriseyou. appliance,itisimportantthat usual, you are free to do you can do at home to Aslongasappliancesare you pay careful attention to additional research and conserve on the electricity in standby mode little two numbers: the initial broaden your knowledge on youuseandasaresult,savea amounts of electricity is still purchase price and the energy conservation and the little extra cash on your being utilised. Unplug all annual operating cost many ways you can do your electricitybills. appliancesnotinuse. Although energy-efficient partinconservingelectricity

Adjusting your daily Iron once a week! Less you could determine. Also, In the event of a power appliances might have Remember, the more behaviours electricity is actually utilised motion sensors allow the failure,foodwillremaincold higher upfront purchase electricity used, more

In the home energy when you do your weekly lighttorespondtomovement orfrozenforatleast20hours prices, they usually save you generation capacity is conservation must become ironingatonetimeasagainst and would switch on when if the refrigerator/freezer money on your monthly needed, which in turn everyone’s business doing it daily So please, I movement is detected door seals properly and is utilitybillaswellasenergy requires more fuel to be

Everyone in the home must know you hate ironing. I nearbyforaperiodoftime. keptclosed. burnedwhichcostsmoreand be encouraged to practice most certainly do. But, try as In the Kitchen Cooking energy conservation at all muchaspossibletomakethe The refrigerator is one of When cooking on an times. One of the important time and ‘press’your clothes the biggest electricity electric stove, consider steps to conserving fortheweekononeday consumers in the average the size of your pot and electricity in the home is to Replace light bulbs home. Try to refrain from howmuchliquidyouuse modify one’s behaviour to Lighting accounts for opening and closing your as this can greatly electricity use; what I would approximately 15 to 20 refrigerator more than is influence cooking time call the responsible use of percent of the power you use really necessary Every time (and therefore the electricity It is essential that each month. Install compact you open it, some of the cool amount of electricity everyone in the home fluorescent lamps (energy air is let out and the motor is youuse). develops a consciousness saving bulbs) and get rid of forced to work a little harder Electric ovens can about energy conservation. the incandescent bulbs you torestorethecoldair be quite power-hungry, P r a c t i c i n g e n e r g y have. Energy saving bulbs Before you start s o u s e t h e m conservation is learned use 1/5 LESS energy than preparing meals, think thoughtfully Do not behavior, therefore, it must regular bulbs and they last carefully about the things open the oven to be done repeatedly, until it longer you need from the frequently to check on becomeslikesecondnature. Energy saving bulbs do refrigerator and take out your food while

When no one is using a exactly what their name everything you need at one cooking; if possible, particular room switch off suggests; save energy Less time, instead of opening the check on the progress the light in it! Do not leave electricity is utilised and refrigeratorrepeatedly by looking through the oven lights on in unoccupied more light is dispersed when When packing the glass.Aninvestmentinanair

When purchasing an negatively impacts the rooms. you use energy saving bulbs. refrigerator, place the more fryercanalsoyieldlongterm energy-efficient appliance, environment.

Unplug ALL unused Change any and all frequently used energysavings. you should look for Let us all be responsible appliances! Many items in the A critical point to note is appliances with the about energy conservation not all of us are r o n t o f t h e that old cookware can cost ENERGY STAR label, a n d r e m e m b e r t h a t turning off appliances refrigerator or the top you in energy bills too. A which is a federal guarantee electricity is a cost you can leaving them plugged freezertolimitthe warpedpotcanwaste50%of that the appliance will control. in. How many of you of time the door the heat used on a stovetop. consume less energy during unplug your cel open. But, do not phones and leave the fridge too t h e c h a rg e r

stored loosely allow

ely Products plugged in?

When you’re good circulation done with the thecoldair computer, don’t Freezers work just allow it to e efficiently just go into sleep e n t h e i r mode, shut it compartmentsarefull. down.Turnitoff. Don’t store food in Standby pow containers or plates orphantompower refrigerator.Covering is sometimes called erly in plastic wasted electricity. placing foods in is electricity that containers prevents appliances use frostformationonthe energysavingkindtoday when they arein standby sides and coils of the fridge Security lighting mode. Thoughs t a n d b y and keeps the appliance

Instead of having your power may be miniscule to a workingefficiently security lights burn all night, single appliance, when Do not put hot food or install a photocell control numerous appliances are left water straight into the and timer that switches the in standby more, the amount refrigerator! Let it cool to l i g h t s o n a n d o f f ofstandbypowerusedcanbe room temperature first automatically at dusk and quitesignificant. before placing in the dawn, and at intervals that I do not possess refrigerator

The war on Ukraine is now a global war

BySirRonaldSanders

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely hisown)

The people of Ukraine are the principal victims of the unjustified and unprovoked war, launched against them by Russia on February24,2022.Butinthe year since then, it has become clear that other victims-onadifferentscale -havebeenallthenationsof the world, particularly the small,poorandpowerless.

When the Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, the global economy was still strugglingfromtheeffectsof the COVID-19 pandemic that had battered economies aroundtheworld,especially those of developing countries.

The supply of food and other goods had been severely affected by border closures, ships trapped in ports, airplanes grounded, and the resultant high costs of scarce goods. One year later, the global economy is in much worse shape as a consequence of Russia’s war Inflation rates are soaringandthecostofliving everywhere has increased dramatically These rising costs of finance, energy and food, and a debt burden that has expanded, have pushed somecountriestotheedgeof bankruptcy

Inarealsense,therefore, the Russian war is a war against the world, and while thepeopleofUkrainearethe main sufferers, the peoples of other countries have not been spared. Thiswar is no longer a “European war”,

nor is it only a contest for supremacy between Russia andthememberstatesofthe North Atlantic Treaty Organization,itisawarthat engulfs every nation with graveconsequences.

When Russia embarked onitswaragainstUkraine,it violated sacred principles that are enshrined in the United Nations Charter Those principles, which are highly valued by small and powerless states, are sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity.

As one of the 5 permanent members of the UNSecurityCouncil,which has responsibility for collective security, the Russian government was well aware of these principles.

Yet,withnojustification for its aggression and no provocation, it launched its war on Ukraine. Today, it stands responsible for the humanitarian crisis that its actions have caused in Ukraine, including rape and murder of civilians, and destruction of civilian objects and the natural environment.

The world community depends upon a rules-based system for collective internationalsecurity,andto ensurethatorderprevailsina predictable way to avoid warsandeconomicchaos.It is in the interest of every country in the international community, including those that are powerful in military and economic terms, to adherealwaystoasystemof rules.

For, while short-term national objectives might be achieved by breaking the rules, eventually such actionsarenotsustainable.

By its aggression in Ukraine, Russia has significantly weakened the rules-based system upon which the world depends, particularly the small, the

poor who are the least resilient.

The war is having an enormous impact on the global supply chain, impeding the flow of goods, fuellinghugeincreasesinthe cost of food creating catastrophic food shortages. There are now protests and riots in many parts of the worldovertherisingcostof living and the immense difficulties people face in trying to make ends meet. These protests and riots are directed at their own governments, even though none of these conditions were a result of any policy decision taken or implementedbythem.

Many governments, around the world, are now hapless victims of Russia’s decision to wage a war against Ukraine Further, having already accumulated a heavy debt burden, resulting from the COVID19 pandemic, the rise in interest rates in global commercial market, have rendered debt unpayable; except, by diverting money fromdomesticsocialwelfare andcapitalprojects.

These governments now find themselves having to pay high interests on new loans.Manyarespendingas much as 45 percent of their export earnings to service existing debt obligations Somewillfail,andtheworld mightbeconfrontedwithyet anotherdebtcrisis.

Let it be said, however, that the greatest victims in terms of loss of lives and livelihoods, and the decimation of their country aretheUkrainians.Theyare fighting for their identity, their territory and their survival. They deserve the admiration and support of the world for their courage, their strength and their resistance.

Right now, the world needspeacetoovercomethe immediateharmfuleffectsof

this war; lasting peace is what the world will need to recover from the impact of the war on their economies andtheirpeople.

Morethananythingelse, the world needs renewed commitmentbyeverynation to end the scourge of war, and to renew inclusionary engagement on supporting peace, including economic stability and predictability, and an end to dealing with territorial claims peacefully andwithininternationallaw.

Russia needs that peace as much as Ukraine and the restoftheworld.

A great deal of Russian

treasure is being spent on this war, which,afterayear, has not given Russia the swift

v i c t o r y i t s

g o v e r n m e n t expected The lives of Russian soldiers are being lost, and Russians are fleeing their country, depriving it of needed skills and talent Russia, like Ukraine, will also suffer a prolonged period of agony, whenever the war ends, before it can

Sir Ronald Sanders

war swiftly and returning to the principles of the UN Charter, are in every country’sinterest. Responses and previous c o m m e n t a r i e s : www.sirronaldsanders.com

Indulginginyourfavouritephysical activitiescanhelpyouloseweight

Exercise for some can feellikequiteachore.If you need to lose weight anddon’tfeelmotivated,thereisno reasontofeelhopeless.

Hittingthegymmaytakesome extra effort, but there are daily activities that you can partake inandsomemayalreadybehobbiesthatcanhelpwithyourweightloss goals.

DANCING

As Caribbean people, dancing is a gift that is embedded in our DNA! Dancing to lose weight requires no special choreography, though they arespecialprogrammessuch as Zumba that are specifically developed to helpburnfat.

Luckily, this does not require you joining a gym. There are DVD’s and if you are more tech-savvy, you may stream and follow YouTube routines on your television.

According to Medline

Plus, the workout you get from dance depends on the type of dancing you do and forhowlongyoudoit “For example, ballroom dancing will giveyouamoderateworkout This isaboutthesamelevelofexercise you would get from walking briskly or doing water aerobics Most types of ballroom dancing burn about 260 calories in an hour”

Meanwhile, “More intense types of dances such as salsa or aerobic dancing, will give you a more vigorous workout that is similar to jogging or swimming

laps.Youcanburnupto500 caloriesanhourwiththesetypesof dances.”

BICYCLING

If you are fonder of the outdoors then riding a bike may more intrigue you. Bicycling has actually been a form of recreation for many, but besides helping you to relax mentally, this activity can alsohelpyouloseweight.

Cycling is mainly an aerobic

prevention or management of disease.

SWIMMING

Iwasamazedatthebenefitsof swimming when I started doing research for this piece. It turns out that swimming can help you burn as much as 450 calories in 30 minutes.

This type of workout is perfect forpersonswhosufferfromaching joints,orhavesustainedinjuriesto

especially g r e a t alternative for persons who may be aging and are prone to joint pains or need just need to loseweight.

Jumpstart by WebMD, a credible website that offers medically reviewed articles said sinceswimmingallowsyourwhole body to work harder than what it

within 30 days.

WALKING

Walking has often been touted as one of the best exercises for weight loss This activity is convenientandeasyforbeginners as it helps ease the need to purchase equipment or pay gym membership It is also lower-impact which means it does not cause stress on thejoints

Another credible website,Healthlinequoteda HarvardHealthstudywhich found a 155-pound (70-kg) person burns around 175 calories per 30 minutes of walking at a moderate pace of4mph(6.4km/h)(5).

Additionally, a 12-week study of 20 women with obesity found that walking for 50–70 minutes 3 times per week reduced body fat and waist circumference by an average of 1.5% and 1.1 i n c h e s ( 2 8 c m ) , respectively

activity, which means that your heart, blood vessels and lungs all get a workout. You will breathe deeper, perspire and experience increasedbodytemperature,which will improve your overall fitness level.

Thisactivityhasbeenshownto notonlyaidindecreasingbodyfat, but also increases cardiovascular fitness.Afewotherbenefitsinclude improved joint mobility, reduced anxiety and depression and

their back, knees, or ankles

Swimminghelpstoburncaloriesas waterprovidesresistance.

Whileswimming,youuseallof your body to fight against that resistance in an effort to swim. Swimming is classified as a total body workout since it allows your upper body and lower body to be fullyengaged.

This provides health benefits for your heart and allows you to burn calories. Swimming is an

would on land, 30 minutes in the pool is equal to 45 minutes of workingoutoutsideofthepool.As longasyoumaintainahealthydiet alongside your swimming regime, spendingjust30minutes3timesa weekinthepoolwillhelpyoustay fit.

For the best results, it’s important to stay consistent with your swimming routine. With a consistent water workout, you should begin seeing weight loss

Given that we all walk every day it would be easy to fit in extra stepsdaily Wecandosobytaking a walk during lunch breaks, taking the stairs at work, taking your dog for a walk or parking further away fromyourdestination.

To get started, aim to walk for 30 minutes about three to four times a week. You can gradually increasethedurationorfrequency ofyourwalksasyoubecomemore fit.

Glenn Lall loses case challenging tax waivers to ExxonMobil

Outside of upholding the tax Harnanan on Wednesday handed exemptions, the judge noted that down a ruling that affirmed the Lall was within his right to move legality of the government’s to the courts given the public decision to hand extensive tax interest in the matter Though, the waivers to Exxon Mobil and its publisher initially filed the case affiliates. under the private law, the court

High Court Justice Nareshwar

The decision comes almost used its discretion and converted one year after Kaieteur News the matter to one of judicial Publisher Glenn Lall filed a court review The court also set aside challenge to the Government’s any contentions over supposed right to grant the massive tax undue delay raised by the lawyers exemptions. For his part, Lall is of the oil companies, citing the already contemplating filing an importance and magnitude of the appeal. The court is expected to case. Both the government and assess cost that the publisher is the oil companies had fiercely likely to pay lawyers of the oil defendedthecase. companies.

Exxon Mobil’s Subsidiary

By Renay Sambach

Inhisapplication,Mr Lallhad Esso Exploration and Production out Lall’s application. Further, the contended among other things, Guyana Limited (EEPGL) had oil company reasoned that for the that many of the provisions listed declarations from the Court that a necessary and indispensable role contended that Lall stepped courttoentertaindeclaratoryrelief under Article 15 1 of the the provisions are unlawful, null in the exploratory efforts of the oil outside his boundary when he in private law proceedings, the Petroleum Agreement, dated June andvoid,andofnolegaleffect. companies.” moved to the High Court to applicant [Lall] must show an act 27,2016betweentheGOGandthe In his ruling however, Justice He explained that the idea of challenge the Government of or omission had infringed or oil companies, grant exemptions Harnanan said the minister is oil companies is often Guyana’s decision to grant threatened to infringe any right of to persons other than licensees, vested with the power under exaggerated; since the companies extensive tax waivers to the oil the applicant derived from private which violate the Petroleum Section 51 of the PEPA and the themselves may never own or operatoranditsaffiliates. law Exploration and Production Act Petroleum (Exploration and operate drilling rigs and seismic The oil subsidiary raised Meanwhile, Senior Petroleum (PEPA), and the Financial Production) (Tax laws) to grant operations– they rely heavily on several contentions for the court’s Coordinator Gopnauth Bobby Administration(andAudit)Act. EEPGL, CNOOC Nexen the subcontractors to get the job consideration including whether Gossai Jnr in his response on Lall had specifically flagged Petroleum Guyana Limited, and done As such, the judge the agreement between the behalf of the government had paragraph 2 ofArticle 15.10 of the Hess Guyana Exploration concluded the tax exemptions Government of Guyana (GoG) noted too that Lall failed or Agreement which states: Limited, all companies that are rightfully extends to “sub- and ExxonMobil are subject to the neglected to show how he was

“Notwithstandinganyprovisionto parties to the case, concessions of contractors, expatriate employees principles of private law or public directly affected. He claimed too the contrary in this Article, extensivetaxexemptions. and affiliated companies are often law; whether the acts of the that the newspaper publisher Affiliated Companies or Non- He said: “This court is of the the ones that actually carrying out Minister of Natural Resources and misconstruedthematterashiscase Resident Sub-Contractors shall view that the law empowers the the major functions of the oil certain sub-articles of the onlyaddressestheissuesofwaiver not be subject to the provisions of Minister with the responsibility companies.

Petroleum Agreement were ultra of taxes and makes no mention of the Income Tax Act (Cap 81:01) for Finance to issue an order “There has been a growth in so vires and in breach of sections 10 remission of taxes by the and Corporation Tax Act of exempting certain laws (Income called virtual companies which in and 51 of Petroleum Exploration Government on behalf of Guyana (Cap 81:03) during the Tax Laws) from applying to a some cases do not even have and Production Act (PEPA), sublicensees. “…Lall failed to show expiration period on income licensee who has entered into a offices… contractors carry out all sections 1Aand 1B of section 6 of the nexus as to how Section 49 of earnedinGuyanaforanygiventax production sharing agreement ormostoftheworkthemselves…” the Financial Administration (and the Petroleum Exploration and year if the affiliated company or withthegovernment.” Additionally, he noted that Audit)FAA;andWhetheruponits Production Act violates Section 6 non-resident Sub-Contractors has Further, he added that “the MinisterofFinancewhowasatthe proper interpretation the PEPA of the Financial Administration conducted business for one exemption applies directly and time Winston Jordan acting on permits the payment of taxes due andAuditAct…”headded. hundredeighty-three(183)daysor indirectly to the licensee and behalf of the A Partnership for onbehalfoflicensees.

To share any useful less on a cumulative basis in the anyone else in relation to their National Unity+ Alliance For In its submission, the Exxon information, you can contact me taxyearofassessment.” dealing with the licensee.” Justice Change (APNU+AFC) had oilsubsidiaryoutlinedanumberof v i a e m a i l : As such, the newspaper H a r n a n a n n o t e d t h a t intended to extend the waivers to grounds in which it contends is naesambach@gmail.com publisher had requested subcontractors and affiliates have thesesubcontractorsandaffiliates. valid enough for the court to toss

Access Entertainment pushing women empowerment with ‘WIS’ J’ouvert

Moore DJ’s and selectors in the entertainment womenintheentertainmentindustryandthat The event forms part of the official industry, so what we want to do this year is womencanbeDJsandselectorsjustasmen,” RepubliccalendarofactivitiesforRegion10. Linden entertainment company Access notpulloffaregularwetfetebuttorecognize hesaid.

By Vanessa Braithwaite

DJ Ana said she was DJing since the age of Entertainment is focusing on showcasing eight and is anticipating an exceptional night womenempowermentastheypreparetohost of superlative entertainment with Lindeners. this year’s Linden J’ouvert slated for 4th

“It has been an amazing journey, I am so March at Rasville, Wismar, Linden. This happy and grateful for where I am at today annualeventwhichiscustomarilyheldonthe and I appreciate the support I get from you eve of Linden’s Mashramani celebrations is guys...Iamreallyexcitedtocomeandseeyou themed ‘Women in Soca (WIS), which will guys,”shesaid. see only female DJ’s and Selectors

Meanwhile Aliyah Dey who goes by the headlining the event. Special Guest DJ Ana stage name Selector Bruuutal will also from Trinidad and Tobago will be the headline the event. She is Linden’s lone highlight of the evening, as well as Linden female selector and has been doing so since birthedandonlyfemaleselectorBruuutal. theageof12.

Meanwhile, the event will commence at Entertainment Anthony Whyte told The 20:00hrsandwillhavetwozones:thewetand Waterfalls that the aim of the event is to give thedryzonetofacilitatepatronsineachzone. recognition to women in the entertainment Early bird tickets are $1500, general $2000 industry “We are always hearing about male andVIP$5000.

Kaieteur News Publisher, Dr. Glenn Lall

President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge

This Day in History - Feb. 26

Compiled by Zena Henry

February26,1935

squadron in which the great German

Napoleon’s escape from Elba Hitler authorizes the founding of the Reich Luftwaffe

February26,1815

Forced to abdicate as French emperor in 1814, Napoleon escaped from exile on the island of Elba this day in 1815 and,gatheringsupporten route, retook power on his return to Paris on March 20, ushering in theHundredDays.

February26,1935

British physicist James Clerk Maxwell developed equations governing the behaviour of electromagnetic waves in1864.InherentinMaxwell’sequationsarethelawsofradiowave reflection, and these principles were first demonstrated in 1886 in experiments by the German physicist Heinrich Hertz. Some years later a German engineer Christian Hulsmeyer proposed the use of radio echoes in a detecting device designed to avoid collisions in marine navigation. The first successful radio range-finding experiment occurred in 1924, when the British physicist Sir Edward Victor Appleton usedradioechoestodeterminetheheightoftheionosphere,an ionizedlayeroftheupperatmospherethatreflectslongerradio waves.

The first practical radar system was produced in 1935 by the British physicist Sir Robert Watson-Watt, and by 1939 England had established a chain of radar stations along itssouthandeastcoasts to detect aggressors in theairoronthesea.

In 1935 WatsonWatt wrote a paper entitled “The Detection of Aircraft by Radio Methods”. This waspresentedtoHenryTizard,thechairmanoftheCommittee fortheScientificSurveyofAirDefence.Tizardwasimpressed with the idea and on 26th February 1935, Watson-Watt demonstrated his ideas at Daventry His idea was based on the bouncing of a radio wave against an object and measuring its travel to provide targeting information. It was called radar (radio detection and ranging).As a result, he was appointed headoftheBawdseyResearchStationinFelixstowe.

By the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939,Watson-Watthaddesignedandinstalledachainofradar stationsalongtheEastandSouthcoastofEngland.Inthesame year two British scientists were responsible for the most important advance made in the technology of radar during WorldWarII.

Radar was also used by ships and aircraft during the war Germany was using radar by 1940 but Japan never used it effectively. The United States had a good radar system and it wasabletopredicttheattackonPearlHarboranhourbeforeit happened.

Britain tended to have the best radar system during the early stages of the war and in 1940 the invention of the Magnetron cavity resonator enabled more centimetric waves to be transmitted. It also enabled more compact highfrequencysetstobeusedbyaircraftintheRoyalAirForce.

On February 26, 1935, Nazi leader ace Manfred von Richthofen–” The Adolf Hitler signs a secret decree RedBaron”–served ) authorizing the founding of the Reich

In February 1935, Hitler formally Luftwaffe as a third German military organized the Luftwaffe as a major step service to join the Reich army and navy inhisprogramofGermanrearmament. In the same decree, Hitler appointed

The Luftwaffe was to be unHermann Goering, a German air hero camouflaged step-by-step so as not to from World War I and high-ranking alarmforeigngovernments,andthesize Nazi, as commander in chief of the new and composition of Luftwaffe units Germanairforce. were to remain secret as before becomeLuftwaffepilots Aftercoming

The Versailles Treaty that ended

However, in March 1935, Britain to power in 1933, Nazi leader Adolf World War I prohibited military announced it was strengthening its Hitler began to secretly develop a aviation in Germany, but a German Royal Air Force (RAF), and Hitler, not state-of-the-art military air force and civilian airline Lufthansa was to be outdone, revealed his Luftwaffe, appointed Goering as German air founded in 1926 and provided flight which was rapidly growing into a minister. (During World War I, training for the men who would later formidableairforce. Goering commanded the celebrated air

Florida teen Trayvon Martin is shot and killed

February26,2012

white and mother is Hispanic, the case

On February 26, 2012, Trayvon sparked protests and ignited national Martin, an African American teen debates about racial profiling and selfwalking home from a trip to a defense laws. Zimmerman later was convenience store, is fatally shot by charged with second-degree murder George Zimmerman, a neighborhood Following a high-profile trial that watch volunteer patrolling the rivetedAmerica,hewasacquittedofthe townhousecommunityoftheRetreatat charges against him. The term “Black Twin Lakes in Sanford, Florida lives matter” was then used for the first Zimmerman later claimed to have shot timebyorganizerAliciaGarzainaJuly the unarmed 17-year-old out of self- 13, 2013 Facebook post in response to defenseduringaphysicalaltercation. Zimmerman’s acquittal. The phrase After police initially opted not to spread widely and became a rallying arrest Zimmerman, whose father is cryagainstracialinjustice.

World Trade Centre is Bombed

February26,1993

At 12:18 p.m., a terrorist bomb explodes in a parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York City, leaving a massive, multi-story craterandcausingthecollapse of several steel-reinforced concrete floors in the vicinity oftheblast.

Although the terrorist bomb failed to critically damage the main structure of the skyscrapers, six people were killed and more than 1,000wereinjured.TheWorld Trade Center itself suffered more than $500 million in damage After the attack, authorities evacuated 50,000 people from the buildings, arrested when he went to retrieve the there were found terrorist plans that hundreds of whom were suffering from $400 deposit he had left for the Ryder included a plot to kill Pope John Paul II smokeinhalation.Theevacuationlasted rental van used in the attack. Ajaj and and a plan to bomb 15 American thewholeafternoon. Ayyad, who both played a role in the airlinersin48hours.

City authorities and the Federal construction of the bomb, were arrested On the flight back to the United Bureau of Investigation (FBI) soonafter Abouhalima,whohelpedbuy States, Yousef reportedly admitted to a undertook a massive manhunt for and mix the explosives, fled to Saudi SecretServiceagentthathehaddirected suspects,andwithindaysseveralradical Arabia but was caught in Egypt two the Trade Center attack from the Islamic fundamentalists were arrested. weekslater beginning and even claimed to have set In March 1994, Mohammed Salameh, T h e m a s t e r m i n d o f t h e the fuse that exploded the 1,200-pound Ahmad Ajaj, Nidal Ayyad, and a t t a c k R a m z i A h m e d bomb. His only regret, the agent quoted Mahmoud Abouhalima were convicted Yousef remained at large until Yousef saying, was that the 110-story by a federal jury for their role in the February 1995, when he was arrested in tower did not collapse into its twin as bombing,andeachwassentencedtolife Pakistan. He had previously been in the planned—acatastrophethatwouldhave in prison. Salameh, a Palestinian, was Philippines, and in a computer he left causedthousandsofdeaths.

British physicist Sir Robert Watson-Watt first demonstrated the uses of radar technology

Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt

Trayvon Martin

World Trade Centre Bombing

Health Facts

Top 10 top health benefits of turmeric

In India, turmeric was turmeric is promoted as a infections, allergies, liver 1. Protective bioactive disease, traditionally used for dietary supplement for a disease, depression, and compounds t y p e 2 disorders of the skin, upper variety of conditions, manyothers. Colourfulplantfoodsare diabetes respiratory tract, joints, and including arthritis, digestive Here are the top ten good for your health, thanks and cancer the digestive system. Today, disorders, respiratory healthbenefitsofturmeric. to their plant pigments mayoccur Turmeric is no exception. Including Muchofthepublicityaround p r o t e c t i v e the spice is due to curcumin, antioxidant foods in curcumin appears to down- the main active component your diet makes the body regulate pro-inflammatory whichmakesupabout3%of better placed to cope with cytokines, compounds the root by weight.Although ageing and its associated whose prolonged activity an impressive constituent, inflammation. It also helps can lead to the damage curcumin is just one of the with exercise-induced causedbyinflammation. hundreds of bioactive inflammation and muscle When consumed at low compounds found in soreness. doses, curcumin may also turmeric.

By Rehanna Ramsay

3. May help ease arthritis enhance antibody responses,

2. Has antioxidant Studies comparing the helpingusfightoffinfection. properties a n t i - i n f l a m m a t o r y Animal studies suggest it The value of protective properties of turmeric with may even play a role in compounds like curcumin is those of Non-SteroidalAnticontrolling allergic that they help the body Inflammatory Drugs conditionssuchashayfever combat the damaging effects (NSAIDS)haveshowngreat

7. May help prevent of cell oxidation. Over time, promise. cancer this process may lead to Animalstudiesexploring Curcuminalsoappearsto chronic inflammation and, curcumin’s therapeutic lead to a number of cellular as a result, age-related potential as a treatment for changes that may help in the conditions such as heart arthritis have also been fight against cancer Active encouraging. at different stages of cancer Nevertheless,morewelldevelopment, studies designed clinical trials are suggest curcumin may help needed to determine the limit the growth of new efficacy of curcumin for blood vessels in tumours, a r t h r i t i s p a t i e n t s , reduce the spread of cancer particularly those who rely andcontributetothedeathof on NSAIDS to manage their cancercells. condition.

8. May boost mood

4. May support those with Once again, it is Alzheimer’s or dementia curcumin that may be A n o t h e r a c t i v e responsible for helping the ingredient in turmeric is spice lift your mood and turmerone. Although less is alleviate some of the known about turmerone, symptoms of depression studies suggest it may be One study examining its usefulfortreatingconditions anti-depressive effects such as stroke and found that curcumin was as Alzheimer’s disease, since it effective as the drug, helps trigger cell repair and Prozac. may potentially support the There’salsoasuggestion recoveryofbrainfunction. that curcumin may boost

However, these studies feel-good brain chemicals, typically involve animal and i n c l u d i n g t h e cell models only, and neurotransmitters serotonin b e c a u s e t h e a c t i v e anddopamine. constituents of turmeric are

9. May help with memory often poorly absorbed in Animal studies suggest humans, more research is that curcumin increases the needed before it can levels of a brain hormone establish how beneficial called brain-derived turmeronemaybe.

neurotrophicfactor(BDNF).

5. May lower the risk of Thishelpspromotethelifeof cardiovascular disease nerve cells and plays an Studies suggest the important role in memory antioxidant and antiandlearning. inflammatory effects of

More human studies are curcumin may protect needed to fully investigate against some of the steps these benefits, but initial inherent in the development findingslookpromising. of heart disease, such as

10. May have anti-ageing helping balance cholesterol properties levels.

6. May support the the ageing process by immune system activating certain proteins According to studies, and protecting cells from curcumin may act as an damage. Thus, it may delay immune system modulator, the progression of age- influencing important related conditions and immune cells; these include alleviate the associated T cells, B cells and natural symptoms. killer cells In addition,

Curcuminmayhelpslow

E.R. Burrowes School of Art to launch free jewellery-making course

Th e G u y a n a

Mining School and Training Centre Inc. (GMSTCI), in collaboration with the E.R. BurrowesSchoolofArt,will be launching a free jewellery-making course in Marchtotargetaspiringand practising jewellers and otherinterestedpersons.

“This was a very successful programme from last year, which was conceived by Minister [of NaturalResources]Vickram

Bharrat This was his brainchild.Thecoursecame about after realising there is a capacity to build for goldsmiths in the jewellery sector because there was a gap,” Administrator of the GMSTCI, Vaughn Felix explained in an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) thisweek.

Thecourseisdesignedto target those interested in

learning fundamental skills such as drilling, sawing, sanding, filing, forging, texturing, and soldering. It may also expand to include local semi-precious stones injewellerydesigns.

The first iteration of the programme, hosted in July 2022, aimed to train local jewellers to learn and develop essential skills related to jewellery-making processesandtechniques.

It saw 30 persons taking part in the pioneer programme over several weeks. This was to prepare for the Guyana Gold Hub, hostedinBarbados.

The establishment of a Guyana gold jewellery hub in Bridgetown, Barbados is part of the St Barnabas AccordsignedbyPresident, Dr MohamedIrfaanAli,and PrimeMinisterofBarbados, MiaMottley

Theagreementwas Continuedonpage65

The administrator of GMSTCI, Vaughn Felix

Some of the jewellers who participated in the jewellery-making course (Ministry of Natural Resources photo)

USArmymedicalteam inGuyanatoperform surgeries,dentaloperations

The United States (US) Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) ispartneringwiththeHealth Ministry to perform medical operations and engage in professional knowledge exchanges.

The series of medical interventionsisslatedtotake place from February 20 to March3andformspartofthe US Southern Command’s (USSOUTHCOM’s) EnduringPromisemission.

With a team of approximately 29 US Army medical and dental professionals and other support staff, LAMAT will providefreegeneralsurgery, emergency room, and dental care at the Georgetown

Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)andWestDemerara RegionalHospital.

Deputy Director for Regional Health Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr Veronica Griffith, expressed excitementaboutdeveloping the military-civilian partnership between the US team and Guyana’s medical professionals.

LAMAT’s operations have been coordinated with the health ministry and hospitalmedicaldirectors,to take advantage of additional operating room capacity without displacing medical providers US medical professionalswillworkwith local doctors to ensure continuity of care following

allsurgicalprocedures. The team brought the medicines and supplies necessary for the operations and will leave surplus supplies with the hospital. Approximately $44 million (USD $225,000) of supplies arebeingdonatedtomedical facilities.

Patients are selected in coordination with hospital medical directors, based on the types of surgeries and procedures the US medical team is certified to perform; primarily GI surgeries such asherniasandcystexcisions. The US dental team will f o c u s o n t r e a t i n g underserved populations, concentratingoncleaning, Continuedonpage52

Master Sgt. Timothy McClelland, LAMAT Biomedical Equipment Technician, receives a tour of the emergency department at GPHC. (U.S.Air Force photo by SeniorAirmanAlexus Wilcox)

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

Minister tells CNN journalist

On October 31, 2022, during an interview with a CNN journalist, India’s Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, disclosed that amid the energycrisishisgovernment was able to bring down the costforsolarpowerfrom25c to3c.

“And let me tell you what we have done, we are theone countryin theworld which have demonstrated thatwecanbringthecostof solar down. 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.Andersonposited 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, “ThepurchaseofRussianoil was 0 2% in the last FinancialYear Europe buys in one afternoon what we buy from Russia in one quarter Let’s be clear about theperspective.”

The minister disclosed thatthelargestsupplierofoil 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 it is petrol or diesel).”

Moreover, the minister explained that India is the fifth largest economy in the world that is making the transition to clean energy, while utilising fossil fuel to fosterthattransition.

“When you have an increase in oil prices, they have consequences. One of them includes inflation and recession. This also implies that we will transition to green energy alternatives faster,”hesaid.

When asked about his views on energy diversity, Minister Puri stated that India is already practising energytransition,notingthat thetransitioncanonlycome aboutfromusingwind,solar, fossil fuels and other forms of energy It was during this lineofquestioningwhenthe ministerhighlightedthat Continuedonpage52

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

HOW TO CONTROL ASTHMA

happen when you are exposed to “asthma triggers.” Your asthma triggerscanbeverydifferent from someone else’s asthma triggers.

Know your triggers and learn how to avoid them. Watchoutforanattackwhen you can’t avoid your triggers. Some of the most commontriggersaretobacco smoke, dust mites, outdoor air pollution, cockroach

allergen, pets, mold, smoke fromburningwoodorgrass, andinfectionslikeflu.

HOWISASTHMA TREATED?

Take your medicine exactly as your doctor tells you and stay away from things that can trigger an attack to control your asthma.

Everyone with asthma does not take the same medicine.

You can breathe in some medicines and take other medicines as a pill. Asthma medicines come in two types quick-relief and long-term control. Quickrelief medicines control the symptoms of an asthma attack.

If you need to use your quick-relief medicines more and more, visit your doctor toseeifyouneedadifferent medicine.

How to treat dandruff yourself

Dandruff occurs, essentially, when small bits ofdryskinareshedfromthe scalp. You might spy these flakesinyourhairoronyour shoulders.

WHATISASTHMA?

Asthma is a disease that affectsyourlungs.Itisoneof themostcommonlong-term diseases of children, but adults can have asthma, too. Asthma causes wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing at nightorearlyinthemorning. Ifyouhaveasthma,youhave it all the time, but you will have asthma attacks only when something bothers yourlungs.

We don’t know all the thingsthatcancauseasthma, butwedoknowthatgenetic, environmental, and occupational factors have been linked to developing asthma.

If someone in your immediate family has asthma, you are more likely to have it “Atopy,” the genetic tendency to develop anallergicdisease,canplaya big part in developing allergic asthma. However, not all asthma is allergic asthma.

Being exposed to things in the environment, like mold or dampness, some allergenssuchasdustmites, and secondhand tobacco smoke have been linked to developing asthma Air pollution and viral lung infection may also lead to asthma.

Occupational asthma

occurs when someone who neverhadasthmadevelopsit becauseheorsheisexposed

to something at work. This canhappenifyoudevelopan allergytosomethingatwork such as mold or if you are exposed to irritants such as wood dust or chemicals at work over and over at lower levelsorallatonceathigher levels.

HOWCANYOU TELLIFYOUHAVE ASTHMA?

It can be hard to tell if someone has asthma, especially in children under age5.Havingadoctorcheck how well your lungs work and check for allergies can helpyoufindoutifyouhave asthma.

During a checkup, a doctorwillaskifyoucougha lot,especiallyatnight.Heor she will also ask whether your breathing problems are worse after physical activity or at certain times of year

The doctor will then ask about chest tightness, wheezing, and colds lasting morethan10days.

He or she will ask whether anyone in your family has or has had asthma, allergies, or other breathing problems. Finally, thedoctorwillaskquestions about your home and whether you have missed school or work or have troubledoingcertainthings.

Thedoctormayalsodoa breathing test, called spirometry, to find out how well your lungs are working bytestinghowmuchairyou

canbreatheoutaftertakinga very deep breath before and after you use asthma medicine.

WHATISAN ASTHMAATTACK?

An asthma attack may include coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, and troublebreathing.Theattack happens in your body’s airways,whicharethepaths that carry air to your lungs. As the air moves through your lungs, the airways become smaller, like the branchesofatreearesmaller thanthetreetrunk.Duringan asthma attack, the sides of the airways in your lungs swellandtheairwaysshrink. Less air gets in and out of your lungs, and mucous that your body makes clogs up theairways.

You can control your asthma by knowing the warning signs of an asthma attack, staying away from things that cause an attack, and following your doctor’s advice. When you control yourasthma:

you won’t have symptomssuchaswheezing orcoughing, you’llsleepbetter, you won’t miss work or school, you can take part in all physicalactivities,and you won’t have to go to thehospital.

What Causes anAsthma Attack?

An asthma attack can

Dandruffmaymakeyour scalp itchy, too It’s a commonproblem,butitisn’t as simple as it seems Dandruff is actually quite tricky to define because it overlaps with seborrheic dermatitis(achronicformof eczema) and other skin conditions that lead to a scalyscalp.

Here’s what you need to know Signs and Symptoms ofDandruff

The big tip-off that an individual may have dandruff are the telltale patches of white flakes on the scalp, made up of dead skin,thatcomelooseinyour hair

According to the Merck Manual,othersignsinclude:

Attimes,thescalpcanbe itchy

GREASYORDRY SCALESONTHE SCALP

Yellowish to reddish scalyraisedbumpsalongthe hairline(inseverecases)

CAUSESANDRISK FACTORSOF DANDRUFF

Dandruff can happen for anumberofreasons.

Seborrheic dermatitis If you have a particularly bad caseofdandruff,it’slikelya mild case of seborrheic dermatitis (SD), according totheAmericanOsteopathic CollegeofDermatology

SD is a chronic form of eczema that affects areas of the body that secrete the mostsebum,oroil,notesthe N a t i o n a l E c z e m a Association.

Peoplewithoilyskinare often more prone to

dandruff The reason: A yeast called Malassezia globosa feeds on oils on the scalp.

Some people’s bodies perceive this breakdown of oilasanirritant,sothescalp reactsbyuppingthespeedat which skin cells renew, causingdandruff,notesAmy McMichael,MD,aprofessor ofdermatologyandthechair of the department of dermatology at Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

For those without dandruff, it takes a whole month for new skin cells on the scalp to mature, die, and shed.

But for those with dandruff,thisprocessoccurs inameretwotosevendays, according to a report in the Journal of Medical

Chemistry

Still, it’s important to note that while M. globosa has long been thought to be the main risk factor for dandruff, a causal relationship has yet to be firmly established, noted a July 2019 report in the journal Experimental

Dermatology

Contact dermatitis

Contact dermatitis is skin irritationcausedbyeitheran allergen or an irritant, resultinginanitchy,possibly painfulrash.Andinthecase of dandruff, that reaction is on the scalp. This generally occurs because of hair-care products or dyes, according totheAmericanAcademyof DermatologyAssociation.

Dry skin If cold winter air dries out your skin all over, including your scalp, then dry skin may be the cause of your dandruff When dry skin causes dandruff, the flakes are usuallysmallerandlessoily thantheflakescausedbySD. (In addition, cold and dry climates can worsen SD, according to the Cleveland Clinic.)

Almost anyone can have dandruff, but the following factors can make you more susceptible.

Shampooing habits “For thosewhoarealreadyatrisk for dandruff, washing infrequently can worsen the condition, ” says Dr McMichael Taking extendedbreakscanleadtoa buildupofoilthatcanleadto dandruff.

Dry scalp caused by a lack of moisture can cause itching and flaking skin.

Lessons from a Lashpreneur !!!

LET’S TALK ABOUT OUR 2 NEW STYLES

ByLatoyaZephyr

Heylashbabes,Let’stalk aboutthetwonewstylesthat we offer, Y lashes and Silk lashes.

YLASHES

As the name implies, a lashsplitsintotwoandform aYshapeeyelashextension. Hence,it’scalledYlash.

Unlike other lashes, YLashes have the same lengths The distinctive quality of these eyelash extensions is their natural andsoftvibe.

This is to imitate natural lash growth, to appear natural.Itgivesyoureyesthe attentiontheydeserve.

As Y lash is thin in diameter,ithaslessercontact withyourskin.Besides,you don’tneedasmanylashesas it’sYshape.

Apart from saving you timeinyourmakeuproutine, Y-Lashes are a way to enhance your features. Yes, you look good without appearingoverly-done.

Y-Lashes have an easier and faster application technique The Y-Lashes have greater retention than

Legendary Yoruba Singers and Friends Concert billed for Georgetown Club

RussianVolume and Classic Lashes.

TheYshapelashgivesa fuller look as compared to classiclashes.

SILKLASHES

Silk Lashes are a premium option for enhancingtheappearanceof your natural lashes Silk lashes are known for their soft,fluffyandfeatherylook, theyarealsolightweightand comfortabletowear,making

them perfect for everyday use. The silk fibers are also more flexible and durable than synthetic fibers, providing a more comfortableandsecurefit.

These lashes are perfectforthosewhowanta subtle enhancement to their naturallashes,givingthema more defined and polished look.

They are also great for

s

ByLatoyaZephyr

pecial occasions, such as weddingsandparties,asthey can be worn with or without makeup, and can be used to create a variety of different styles.

E-Net’s Dream TV packed with captivating shows

FromFebruary4to11,E-Net’sDreamTV will feature a suite of entertaining shows for theweekend.Besuretochecktheguideand

gather with friends and families for your favourite shows See programme guide attachedformoredetails.

The legendary Yoruba Singers will be joining with 10 outstanding

Guyanese artistes to stage a

most unforgettable concert on February 26, 2023 at the Georgetown Club The event promises to be an explosiveculminationofthe

powerofmusicandthemost respected talents of the soil; arivetingexperiencelikeno otherfor2023. Getoutyour dancing shoes, grab your significantother,relativesor friends for a night of soul stirring night of authentic Guyanese entertainment Ticketscost$2000.

Gates open from 5pm with showtime at 6pm. See youthere!

RihannaToPerform:LiftMeUp”At2023Oscars

Rih’s comeback single has also been nominated for an Academy Award.

(VIBE) It’s been confirmed by The Academy thatRihannawillperformat the2023Oscars.Forthefirst time, she will perform her Oscar-nominatedsong,“Lift Me Up,” from the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack.Thisnomination for Best Original Song is Rih’sfirst.AccordingtoThe Academy, more talent announcements will be sharedinthecomingweeks.

The 95th Oscars, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will take place on Sunday, March 12, 2023 in Hollywood and air liveonABC

“Lift Me Up” served as the Anti singer’s return to musicafterasix-yearhiatus. The emotional tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman previously earned Rih her first Golden Globe nomination. The record topped the Billboard Hot R & B S o n g s , R & B

Streaming Songs, R&B Digital Song Sales, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songschartsuponitsrelease back in October 2022 and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Cowritten by Ludwig

Göransson, the franchise’s director Ryan Coogler, and Tems, the latter expressed, “After speaking with Ryan [Coogler] and hearing his directionforthefilmandthe song, I wanted to write something that portrays a warm embrace from all the

people that I’ve lost in my life.Itriedtoimaginewhatit wouldfeellikeifIcouldsing

to them now and express how much I miss them.

Rihanna has been an

inspirationtome,sohearing her convey this song is a greathonor.”

Rihanna performing at this year’s Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show (Getty Images)

REVISITING MANGROVES

By:PATDIAL

Recently,therewassome negative comment on the removalofmangrovesinthe process of constructing the Gas to Shore project in the Wales Estate area. This is despite the fact that the projectwillbestrengthening thecoastalandriverineareas from which the mangroves had been removed against soil erosion and flooding. Such comment one can assume was not done from a n i n f o r m e d e n v i r o n m e n t a l i s t perspective. The protection and cultivation of mangroves have always been advocated by the consumer community and today, we are revisiting the subject Mangroves are among the most important ecosystemsontheplanetand theyareunlikeothertreesin many important aspects They grow in low oxygen coastalareasandtheyarethe only trees that can grow in and tolerate salt water by riddingthemselvesofexcess salt through their leaves. Part of their sturdy roots is always above ground and fisherfolkoftenusethemas poles. Becauseoftheirhigh salttolerancemangrovesare among the first species of plants which colonize mud and sand banks flooded by seawater Accordingly,they grow on coasts and riverbanks Sometimes, they could grow into forests as is the case of the Sundarbans in the Bay of

Bengal, which is inhabited bytigersandotherwildlife.

Mangroves are strictly a subtropical and tropical plant and are never found in colder climates. Most Guyaneseknowofandcould distinguish only three species-black,whiteandred Mangroves and may be surprised to learn that there are approximately 80 species. When the Dutch colonists first came to Guyana, they were believed to have found thick mangrove forests all along the coast from the Mora Passage in the Northwest District to Canje, and these protectedthelowlyingcoast from flooding and erosion for centuries. Accordingly, the continental shelf was much wider than today As h u m a n h a b i t a t i o n progressed, the mangroves werecutdownandcleared.It wasonlyatthebeginningof the 20th century when coastal communities suffered flooding and land erosion,thatthetruevalueof Mangroves came to be fully recognized by the governmentandpeople.

It should be mentioned that mangroves not only offer protection against flooding and erosion, but as importantly, they afford protection against high tides andtidalwaveswhichcould comeuponcountrieswithout warninginthepresentmilieu of Climate Change. Tamil Nadu, a state in India, had never before been affected

byTsunamibutwasrecently soaffected. Theareaswhere the Mangroves had been cut down suffered physical destruction and death while the areas protected by Mangroves escaped comparativelyunscathed.

Mangroves have other social and environmental impacts: Theyprotectcorals and provide nurseries, habitats and spawning grounds and nutrients for a variety of fish, shellfish, migratory birds, and insects as well as for many endangered mammals, reptiles and amphibians and help to conserve the rich biodiversity of the country Mangrove honey is one of the most valued honeys in Guyana.

Mangroves are a carbon sink and combat climate change. Together with the forests, they add to the carboncreditsofthecountry Since carbon credits are a saleable commodity, mangroves now have a measurable financial value. Though there are still some individualsandcommunities who misuse and cut down mangroves,theGovernment and the population as a whole have now become aware of the value and importanceofmangroves.

In Guyana, there are a n u m b e r o f N o n g o v e r n m e n t a l Organizations (NGO’s) which continue to raise the awareness of the population as to the importance of Mangroves They have enlisted the help of the Educational System and have been executing programes and projects promoting the sustainable useoftheplant.

The Ministry of Agriculture, through its Mangrove Department, has a l s o b e e n d o i n g comprehensive work on the preservation and extension of Mangrove areas. They have undertaken some replanting which has been successfuldespitethedanger of livestock like goats feedingontheyoungplants. Finally, the importance of Mangroves has now been recognized at the highest levelswhentheGovernment has included them in the updated Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS)for2030.

(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.)

Emperor Tamarin (Saguinus imperator)

The emperor tamarin is a seen in movies”. The animal consume a wide range of This mating system very small primate so named grows to a length of 23–26 plants in their daily dietary works to ensure paternal for having a large mustache centimetres, weighs 500 routine and eat fruits and investment in offspring. If a like German emperor grams and sports a long tail flowers, many of which are female mates with multiple Wihelm II and can be found m e a s u r i n g o v e r 4 0 readily available due to their males and gives birth to a in Brazil, parts of Peru and centimetreslong. flourishing vegetation litter, males are more likely Bolivia that are part of the Aside from its colours habitats. to invest because of the southwestAmazonBasin. and visually striking beard, Exudes of plants such as possibility that one of the

It is considered to be an tamarins are very small, gums and saps, easily infants will carry their genes endangered species on the compared to most other gouged from the trees that onto the next generation. ICUN (International Union primates. Using their claws, theyliveinarealsopartofits Male emperor tamarins have for Conservation of Nature) they cling to tree branches, diet. Despite a large part of also been observed to spend redlist

Ithasapredominantly maintaining a consistent their diet consisting of the most time with infants, grey colored fur, with verticality in the jungle plants, they are not oftencaringforinfantswhile yellowish speckles on its environment To navigate vegetariansandareknownto thedominantfemaleforages. chest along with black hands their lush habitat, the prey on small animals such They are reported to be more and feet However, what is primates leap and move asfrogsandeveninsects. observant of their infants, most distinctive about this quickly through trees, rarely Unlike other primates more protective and known creature is its long, white touchingtheforestfloor where there is a dominant to react faster to infant beard, which extends to both Tamarins normally male that mates with many distresscallsthanfemales. sides of its face beyond the forage and live in groups of females, Tamarins have a Source of information: shoulders making it look two to eight but can range dominant female that can (https://en wikipedia org/wi “likeawiseoldChineseman from four to eighteen. They havemultiplemalepartners. ki/Emperor_tamarin)

An Emperor Tamarin

How to Set Boundaries and Build Better Relationships

(Reader’s Digest) If you feel like you don’t have any moretogive,itmightbetime to learn how to set boundariesatwork,athome and in your relationships. Here, experts explain the stepstotake.

We’veallexperiencedan overbearing friend, a superd e m a n d i n g b o s s , overstepping in-laws or significant others who seem tomakeourdecisionsforus. But instead of accepting many of the annoying behaviorsthatoftenmakeus unhappy, we can learn how to set boundaries to better communicate how we feel and take more control over how we’re treated in our relationships Although it may sound like boundaries keeppeopleout,it’sactually theopposite.

“Many might think boundaries are limiting to building connections, but they empower authenticity from both parties,” says Helene Lerner, author of Time for Me: Self-Care and SimplePleasuresforWomen

Who Do Too Much and f o u n d e r o f

WomenWorking com

“Boundaries create a relationship that is truly shared it’s not just one person catering to another but an exchange, with two people having their needs met.” Sounds good, right? Unfortunately, many people have a hard time setting boundaries and an even harder time keeping them.

“Ittakescourageformanyof ustosethealthyboundaries, because we may be afraid that if we do, we’ll lose someone we care about,”

Lerner says Then, if someone crosses our boundaries after we’ve communicated them, it can be difficult to stick to them because of this fear. “If we are used to people-pleasing, oracquiescingbecauseofthe fear of loss, then what were we really getting out of that relationship? Not a whole lot,” Lerner says. “Do we really want someone who doesn’trespectourneeds?”

How to be happy often dependsonfacingthisfearof lossorrejection,bylearning howtosayno,howtocreate work-lifebalanceandhowto stand up for ourselves and our identified nonnegotiables. “We should set boundaries with family, at work, in romantic relationships, in friendships and with technology,” says licensed therapist Nedra Glover Tawwab, the New York Times bestselling author of the inspirational book Set Boundaries, Find

Peace and the upcoming Drama Free: A Guide to ManagingUnhealthyFamily Relationships. “These areas are the top places most people struggle.” Read on for tips from our experts on exactly how to set boundaries.

Whatareboundaries?

“Boundaries are expectations and needs that help you feel safe and comfortable,”Tawwab says.

“It is knowing when to say no and when to say yes. Creating healthy boundaries leads to feeling calm, loved andrespected.”

If you’re always feeling like others ask too much of you and you’re reaching a breaking point, you’re not alone: According to a 2022 YouGov survey, 49% of Americans (including 56% of women) identify themselves as people pleasers who have a hard time saying no and instead put others’ needs ahead of their own. These are signs it’s time to think about how setting boundaries might help you feel more

empowered.

Consider boundary setting your new self-care routine:Puttingyourselffirst can help you maintain your identity, ensure you’re in healthy relationships and prevent others from taking advantage of you “Boundariesareanessential part of any kind of relationship,” Lerner says. For example, after we’ve grownup,settingboundaries with parents often becomes necessary; so if your nosy mother is always in your business, let her know you need her to back off “Relationships change, and if your mother wants you in herlife,sheneedstorespect yourautonomyandwhatyou need,”Lernersays.

Setting boundaries in relationships is also part of learning how to create a positiveattitudeforyourself, clearyourmindtolivemore intentionally, set goals for what you really want, have better time management by sometimes saying no and better enjoy spending time with family by making your connectionhealthier

Typesofboundaries

Ifyou’rewonderinghow settingboundariescandoall that,it’sbecausethereareso many types of boundaries to set. “There are six types of boundaries, ” Tawwab explains.Theyinclude:

1.Physical: Standing too close or unwanted hugging, handshakesorothertouch

2 Sexual: Molestation, assaultorsexualjokes

3 Intellectual: Name calling, yelling or ridiculing someone for what they believe

4 E m o t i o n a l : Oversharing, gossiping or invalidating someone’s feelings

5 Material: Borrowing and not returning an item or returning borrowed items in worsecondition

6.Time: Asking for free help, calling or texting too late,orovercommitting

Eachtypeofrelationship may deal with varying boundaries In exploring how to set boundaries with friends, for instance, you may need to create time, emotional or material boundaries Setting boundaries at work may involve creating time, physical and emotional boundarieswithcolleagues.

“When something doesn’t feel right, create a boundary and communicate that boundary with others,” Tawwabsays.Learninghow to set boundaries in the different areas of your life can give you more agency and control, improve your mental health and selfconfidence,andleadtomore moments of joy instead of thedreadofobligation.

Howtosetboundaries

OK, so how do you put those boundaries in place? Herearesomespecificsteps and tips from our experts on the best ways to set boundaries.

1. Think about where to drawtheline

Before you talk to the person you intend to set boundaries with, determine what you are no longer able to put up with. “Be honest with yourself. What are you willingtotolerate?”Tawwab says. “Setting successful boundaries begins with you. Learn your capacity.” This mightmeansettingatimeby whichyouabsolutelyneedto leave work (forget quiet quitting—you need to state your boundaries out loud to yourboss)orafterwhichyou won’t answer phone calls from that friend who always wants to discuss the latest drama at midnight. Ignore any guilt about what the other party might feel—this is about you and not being takenforgranted.

2.Practiceoutloud

You’ll need to have an honestconversationwiththe person you’re setting boundarieswith,andthiscan be scary at first, especially forpeoplewhotendtoavoid conflict.

“If you are not used to setting boundaries, role play with a trusted friend or

Boundary Relationship What to say

Emotional boundary Friend

Emotional boundary Family

Emotional boundary Partner

“We always go to restaurants that you want to go to, but you never ask me to choose Why don’t we have Italian food tonight? We can work together to pick a restaurant.”

“Mom, you are always asking me way too much about my personal life! I love you, but I’m not a little girl anymore. I will fill you in on my latest partner when I am ready.”

“I know you love me and want the best for me. I would like it if you supported me by listening instead of offering feedback.”

Time boundary Partner

“I work full-time like you do, yet you expect me to make dinner and take care of the kids without much help You can do the dishes, take out the garbage and drive the kids to school tomorrow.”

Intellectual boundary Partner

Time boundary Work

Physical boundary Work

Material boundary Friend

practice in front of a mirr or,”Lernersays.“Whenyou do it out loud, it lessens the discomfort of a new behavior You may feel less uneasy going into the real conversation.”

Stillneedamentalpush?

Try creating a goal-setting vision board that celebrates your plan to put your foot down. As you learn how to set boundaries and get more adept at it, the need for this practice will lessen. “Like any other muscle, the boundary muscle gets stronger the more you use it,”Lernersays.“Enjoyyour inner gym!” 3. Have the conversation The time has cometosayitloudandclear “Verballycommunicateyour needs.Assertivelystatewhat

“It really upsets me when you yell at me. If you’re unhappy with something I’ve done, please communicate that to me in a calm way.”

“Bob, I don’ t mind working overtime, but three days a week is too much. Let me know what day your priority is, and I will make it happen If there is an emergency, I’ll be there, but I need to spend time with my family ”

“I know you ’ re a hugger , but I prefer to keep things professional and offer a handshake instead when we meet ”

“I know we ’ re roommates, but I’ d appreciate it if you would ask me before borrowing my clothes ”

you expect. This way, there is little room for misinterpretation,” Tawwab says. As tempting as it is, never do this over text message.

This conversation may feel intimidating, but that’s normal. “Step out of your comfort zone and do it!” Lerner says. “Yes, a new behavior doesn’t feel comfortable, but the reward after a hard-fought battle with fear is a new sense of self-respect.”

But don’t go into it with guns blazing if you approach it as a discussion, notatirade,you’lllessenthe chance that the other person willgoonthedefensive.

“We must speak up and be brave enough to let the

people closest to us know how we can be better for each other,” Lerner says. 4. Tellthetruth

You may have been holdinginallyourgripesfor a long time, so you don’t want to leave the boundarysetting conversation thinking about what you should have said. You don’t want to waste time beating around the bush, but you need to respect the other person’s feelings by saying things in a gentle manner whilestillbeingup-frontand truthfulaboutyourneeds.

“Whenwetellthetruthto the people in our lives, we allowthemtoknowthe‘real you,’” Lerner says. “If we holdthingsin,westart

(Continuedonpage65)

The main character and narrator, Martha, is an 8th grade student who is closely approaching graduation

Every year, her school awards the student with the highest grades a jacket with an “S” monogrammed on it. Martha's older sister earned the jacket previously, which makes Martha next in line to win However, this year thereisachangeintherules. There will now be a fifteen dollar charge to win the jacket, and if the winner cannotpay,itgoestothenext studentinline

Students connect this story to social issues in the world, such as diversity and inequity Thereis so much to learn from “The Scholarship Jacket.” This short story is relatabletomiddleschoolers and is perfect for teaching theme and text-to-self connections.

“Eleven” by Sandra

Cisneros

“Eleven” is a story all aboutfindingyourvoiceand how no matter how old you get, there are still times in your life where you feel like a child. The story is narrated through the lens of Rachel who has just turned eleven. Rachel explores thoughts of getting older and not feeling any different. For example,

left her red sweater in the classroom Unable to communicate that the garment is not hers, the teacher gives Rachel the red s w e a t e r T h e misunderstanding leaves Rachel feeling helpless, embarrassed, and alone… when eventually another studentclaimsthesweater

she concludes that when you turn eleven years old, you're also ten, and nine, and eight, and seven, and six, and five, and four, and three, and two, and one on the inside. Then in school, Rachel's teacher falsely suggests that Rachel

This story works as a quality mentor text to teach writing. This female author shows the intricacies of an eleven-year-old girl's mind and is relatable to young girls who have ever felt afraidtospeakup.

iSpy -Animals edition

Let's imagine the animals in the big square are part of a zoo. Can you figure out how many

animals are in the zoo? Start by focusing on one animal type and then see how many other animals

you can spy Good luck seeking and counting. We provided boxes to put your final count.

T u l i p s a r e t h e centerpiece of International Women's Day The Tulip Festival, started several years ago in the US to celebrate this holiday, had distributed numerous tulip bouquetsinhonoroffamous w o m e n a n d t h e i r achievements.

What You'll Need: Cardstock Construction ; paper Double-sided ; adhesive

Directions

1. Fold cardstock in four tomakeasmallercard.

2.Maketheflowers.

1 Make five 7 5-cm squares from construction paper

2. Fold the square in half tomakearectangle.

3. Open the square, then fold the two upper corners

toward the center crease to resembletheshapeofaroof.

4. Make a slit on the remainder of the square, leaving about ½ inch from thebaseofthe“roof.”

5. Fold a triangle from the inner slit to the outer corner Repeat on the other side.

6. Unfold the triangle, make a smaller triangle, touching the crease you made with the first triangle fold. Make another smaller fold on the opposite side, still touching the middle crease.Thispartshouldlook like a two-ended tail on the “roof.”

7. Fold the “tails” up. The result should look like a 3-peaked mountain. Make a fold on the two outer peaks tomakethemlooknarrower

8. Make folds on the sidesofthetuliptocomplete theblossom.

3 Make the bouquet wrap.

1. Cut a triangle out of white construction paper Make small folds on each side to make a 3D bouquet wrap.

2. Decorate the bouquet wrap with ribbon cut from constructionpaper

3. Cut out stems and l e a v e s f r o m g r e e n constructionpaper

4. Assemble the bouquet.

1. Stick the bouquet wrap using double-sided tape on the card base you made earlier

2. Arrange the stems, leaves, and flowers, so the bouquet looks natural.

by Uncle Roy

Sometimes I feel like sleeping late, And get up after everyone, But when I do rise and come outside, My eyes burn from the bright sun.

At other times when I get up early, The sun is now peeping out, I find the air so nice and cool, It feels so good to move about.

That is why I now try every night, To sleep so as to rise early, Then I can greet the sun coming up, Which makes my whole day so happy

- Image by Tsuku Cafe

Identify the things you are good at andplanyourlifearoundthese

Each of us has our special qualitiesandtalents,andwewillgetthe most out of our lives if we emphasise and develop these, so that they will worktoachieveourgoals. Infact,once you have identified these talents, you should try to frame your goals to make the best use of them. This would give them the best chance of success, and you will feel more fulfilled in making full use of the special gifts with which youhavebeenendowedbyourCreator

Speak less and listen more.

People have a natural habit of wanting others to listen to and accept their own views, and so they listen less to what others have to say In fact, manytimespeoplearesoanxioustoget their own perspective across to others that they hardly ever listen. This of courselessenstheirchancesoflearning from others, which can serve to keep them from much information and opinion that would have enriched their ownfundofknowledge.

Formahabitofreallylisteningto others,andyouwillbesurprisedathow much you can learn, by which you can help yourself as well as see the opportunity to help others. In this effort, it is true that there are times when you can some problem listeningtothem. This happe people can find solutions just they know that have someone who willing to listen and understand them

Bethebest person you know No matter how much you may think of yourself, no one is ever performing at his best, simply because he is a human being. There is always roomforimprovement,anditmayvery well be the purpose of our life to keep searchingforways,andactingonthese,

One Nation, One Culture

so that we become better as time goes on. Therearemanywaysbywhich you can learn how you may become a betterperson.

Read books on character building,

by Roy Paul

(from his book – Shape up your Personality – soon to be published locally) In all the strife and turmoil we face, In all the problems that start with race, Our countrymen must acknowledge but one fact That only true unity can bring us back To peace and prosperity for our country fair, But to achieve same is much less clear

Can we really come together when we emphasise The culture each tribe has brought from its rise? Or do we strive for one true Guyanese mode, Intermixing the best of each people's good?

Masyu

The finished puzzle will contain a loop made of horizontal/vertical line segments that connects all the white and black circles.

The line going thru a white circle must be straight. However there must be at least one corner made on the dot immediate precedina or immediately following the white circle (or on both dots).

The line going thru a black circle must turn a corner on the black circle.

Both of the lines emanating from this corner need to go straight througn the next dot before making any more turns.

practise your religion, keep the companyofpeoplefromwhomyoucan learn, keep doing things that improve your body and elevate your mind, search for ways to improve the lives of others, and other ways which you can discoverforyourselfbymeditationand prayer

This may seem beyond reach when first appear, And true, we may never attain it for many a year, But even the endeavour to close the gap Will show we desire to move on the same track, And breed goodwill and trust among us all, So that again we walk together proud and tall.

UNCLEROY Tellitto

Hello,readers,

UncleRoyisagainaskingallofyoutotryinsomeway tomakeacontributiontothispage,andthustothewelfareof you and your fellow readers. This contribution can take any formthatyoufeelwouldbevaluable–anaccountofwhatis going on in your community and country, any advice you would like to pass on to your fellow teen readers and, on a broader level, any comment or recommendation you would liketomaketoyourfellowGuyanese.

Please remit same to my email –roypaul2002@yahoo com, and be assured that your worthwhile contribution will have a prominent place on our page.

Solutions to last week’s Slitherlink

Magic square puzzles

Taking the trouble to plan your ife beforehand will ensure that you get the most benefit out of it.

You should always remember that it is the duty of each of us human beings to continually strive for self-improvement

Reasons Maintaining a Skin-Care Routine Is Good for Your Mental Health 5

1.ASkin-Care Routine Provides Stability in Your Day That Benefits Your Mental Health

“One of the bigger things we're experiencing right now is the transition from being out and about to home all the time. What happens during that change is that you lose the structure and routine of your day Those routines include healthy eating habits, exercise, journaling, and skin care,” says Matt Traube, a licensed clinical psychotherapist and a psychodermatologist in Santa Barbara, California. Those routines are critical for your overall health, in both body and mind. In a study published in June 2018 in the Lancet Psychiatry, researchers found that people who have less consistent routines throughout the active parts of their day were more likely to suffer from major depressive and bipolar disorders, mood problems, loneliness, and less happiness.

2. Focusing on Doing Something Nice forYourself Helps Stop a Worry Spiral

You might find that certain times of the day can trigger intrusive thoughts, but you can break the negative thoughts with self-care. “Patients who experience anxiety and depression often report that their condition is exacerbated 30 minutes to one hour before bed. This is when they have more idle time, which increases worry for a lot of people,” says Traube. It's when you're engaged in an activity, including washing, toning, and moisturizing your face that you can get out of your head and focus on what you're doing.

3. Pampering Skin on a Regular Basis Triggers a Cascade of Chemicals in Your Brain to Boost Your Mood

Create a routine that feels good and includes products that you enjoy using. For example, don't underestimate the impact of gently massaging skin with a warm washcloth to cleanse, taking extra time to smooth a silky moisturizer on your face, or applying a mask.

4. Skin Care Provides a Chance to Bond With Loved Ones — and That's a Boon to Mental Health

Moreno and her partner are onto something with their mask routine. In general, spending this concentrated time with loved ones pursuing hobbies and enjoyable activities is linked to greater levels of happiness, according to a study published in May 2018 in the journal Psychological Science. In a time when it may feel as if you're too close for comfort with the other members of your household, you can carve out meaningful time together that will bolster your sense of personal satisfaction and family bond.

5. Caring forYour Skin Is anAct of Kindness That Sends a Powerful Message

Right now, the world is a stressful place. So it might feel tempting to watch TV late into the night and then roll into bed without so much as splashing your face with water — you're just too tired. But what if, instead, you focused on taking care of yourself in this small way. By spending five extra minutes to treat your skin, you're sending a message: “I'm worth it,” says Traube. This is akin to the perk you might get when you swipe on a coat of mascara in the morning, apply color on your cheeks to make them pop, or smooth on that tinted moisturizer that makes your skin glow

What might be one of the more impactful steps is finding a moisturizer that you really love. (Some things to consider: Does it feel good going onto your skin? Does it smell pleasant? Does your skin feel good after?) “Moisturizing serves to improve the overall look and appearance of the skin, while also restoring and maintaining the skin's function as a barrier to the environment.

Why Self-Care, Including When It Comes to Your Skin, Is So Important Now

There are numerous ways to practice self-care, but focusing your efforts on improving skin health pays off for your mental and emotional health, too — and that's critical in the time of COVID-19. “I find that there is a direct correlation between my skin-care routine and my mood,” says Moreno. “Taking the time to nurture my skin affects my mind and body. It boosts my confidence and gives me a sense of control over how my day will go.”

https://www.everydayhealth.com/skin-beauty/5-reasonsmaintaining-a-skin-care-routine-is-good-for-your-mentalhealth/

a fascinating adventure awaits

The blue lakes of Linden, in the heart of Region

10 has become a major tourist attraction for both locals and foreigners seeking to enjoy the wondersofthecountry.

Though it is believed that the lakes are naturally blue, the history and science behind these bodies of water would teach us differently

There are approximately seven such lakes in the mining town of Linden. One of these however has received the stamp of authorization, permitting recreational activities.

The lakes were reportedly created during bauxite mining some 100 years ago.

These activities are likely the reason for the ponds

developing across the Wisroc area. Some believe that the lakes portray blue waters as the soil types (marl and kaolinite) a type of clay and rocky soil is clear and reflects the colour of the sky, as opposed to the usual golden brown or dark coloured waters Guyanese may be morefamiliarwith.

Due to the mining activities that once occurred there, some still believe the site is not safe for swimming as landslips may occur, causing the ground to swallow its contents.

The site was however declared safe by the Ministry of Tourism in November2021fortourists.

Asonecanimagine,thevenueis quite exciting as it offers a unique picturesque view that can only be enjoyedinLinden.

Not only is it now an attraction for swimmers looking to indulge in a day of fun, but also for lovers looking to tie the knot at a serene andintimatespot.

Several couples have already madetheKaraKaraBlueLaketheir

wedding destination, while others are anxiously planning their next visittothesite.

If you are travelling from the capital city of Georgetown to the blue lake, prepare to sit tight for about two and a half hours on the drivetoLinden.

The distance from Georgetown to Linden is approximately 90 kilometers, while the drive will amounttoabout108kilometers.

Be prepared with sunscreen and make sure you wear comfortable shoes to embark on the journey to the lake. Some of the activities you enjoy of besides swimming include kayaking and if you are like me, simply floating in your favourite inflatable ring will be quite satisfying!

It is advised that you take extra caution during your trip to the blue lake and keep an extra eye on any child or children that may be part of yourvisit.

Looking to make your next outof-town trip? Then visit the Kara KaraBlueLake!

One of Linden's blue lakes (photo credit: Visit Guyana) V

calming view of Linden's blue lake (Photo Credit: Emeoko Wilson)

Indiareducedcostforsolarenergy...

Frompage37

India was able to lower the cost for solar energy to consumerstojust3c

“If you want to make green hydrogen, then, what doyouneed?Youneedcheap

power and electrolysers We aregettingboth.Wehaveone of the most comprehensive and ambitious green hydrogen plants in the world,”heemphasised.

Moreover, Economic

TimesreportedinNovember 2022thatIndiasavedUS$42 billion in fuel costs through solar generation in the first halfof2022and19.4million tonnes of coal that would have further stressed an

already strained domestic supply

It was reported that the informationwastakenfroma report by energy think tank Ember, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air and the Institute for Energy Economics and FinancialAnalysis.

“InIndia,solargeneration avoided USD 42 billion in fuel costs in the first half of the year It also avoided the needfor19.4milliontonnes of coal that would have further stressed an already strained domestic supply,” thereportstated.

Lastyear,thispublication

had reported that the World Bank approved US$165 million in additional financing to accelerate the a d o p t i o n o f s o l a r photovoltaic (PV) units on rooftops in India by residential consumers by makingitmoreaffordable.

It was reported that the money directly finance 450 megawatts (MW) of residential rooftop solar capacity and the initiative is expected to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 13 9 million tons.Thisworksouttoabout US$376,000permegawatt.

Kaieteur News had pointed out that Guyana on theotherhandisracingahead with a gas-to-energy project thatwillsupplythegridwith some 250MW with a speculated cost of over a billion US dollars and a 175 MW hydro plant at Amaila Falls, pegged also at in excessofabillonUSdollars in its previous iteration Notably, the Amaila Falls project has since been shelvedbuttheGovernment ofGuyanahasdisclosedthat despite the hiccup, they will bepursingwiththeproject.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo is in India on an officialvisitfromFebruary20 to 25, 2023, at the invitation of the Vice President of India VP Jagdeo is accompanied by Senior Minister in the Office of the P r e s i d e n t w i t h Responsibility for Finance, Dr AshniSingh.

See link to full interview with Minister Puri on CNN: https://twitter.com/BeckyCN N/status/158715083880343 9616?s=20

USArmy medicalteam...

Frompage36 fillings, extractions, and preventativecare

“My team is humbled to have been invited by the Ministry of Health and US Ambassador to Guyana to participate in this muchneeded operation,” said Lt Col GentryMobley,LAMAT MissionCommander

“It is important to the US to provide whatever help we can to take care of people in need.Ourteamispreparedto engage in Guyana, whether that be in the operating theatre, the dental clinic, helping with the emergency room, or experiencing the culture,”headded

InadditiontoGuyana,the LAMAT team completed operations in Suriname and will proceed to St Lucia to conduct medical assistance operations,providingreliefto overwhelmed medical facilities and improving the region’s collective ability to meet complex global challenges (DPI)

Cuisine Culture Chrissy’sDelight_Gourmet Style:

ByRenaySambach

Her enduring fascination with culinary art has led to a budding career for 35year-old Christine DouglasVyfhuis, who is also a wife, mother and educator Christineistheproprietor o f C h r i s s y ’ s Delight Gourmet Style, a business she co-owns with herhusbandMark Vyfhuis.

D u r i n g a n interview with The Waterfalls, Christine shared, “I have been baking and cooking since I was in my teens for family and friends. These opportunities allowed me to try new recipes, and be creative, innovative, and unique in my product presentation and taste.”

Fromthere,sheexplainedthatshecontinuedto expandhercookingandbakingskillswhilewidening h erknowledgeofvariousaspectsoftheculinaryworld.

Back in 2017, Christine was given the opportunity to showcase her culinary concepts and handiwork to an audience of enthusiastic entrepreneurs and tourists at Herdmanston Lodge’s Christmas Village and Modeling Exhibition.

“I presented homemade coconut, rum and raisin, and strawberry cheesecake ice cream, slices of black, fruit, and cheesecakesaswell.Theseitemswereanimmediatehit.The guests enjoyed the samples, including the proprietors of the

AN OASIS OF FLAVOURS

L o d g e , commending me formycreativityand overall product pitch. This was a glimpse of the opportunities for g r o w t h a n d de velopment in the futur eformeasanaspiring Culinary Artist.”

Thebusinesswomanshared that her greatest inspiration comesfromthedesiretomake people happy through her products “Good food makes people happy, and I take great pride, joy and commitment in catering to my customers, family and friends’needs,” she added.

Christine shared that in 2020, she bought a Mother’s Day lunch basket for her mother from a popular food establishment. However, she shared that thefoodwascoldandinsipid.

“Atthatmoment,IrecognizedthatIhadwhatittakesto createmybasketofhighquality Iwasalreadyreceivingquite a bit of recognition and praise from friends, family and a growing clientele. On Father’s Day the said year, the Chrissy’s Delight_Gourmet Style paid homage to fathers with a lunch basket event which was a success and a great boostofconfidence.”

Sheexplainedthatagainstthebackdropoftheinaugural Father’sDayevent,manyproductswerebirthedsuchastheir flavourboxes,cheese-in-a-jaranddessertboxes.

“I am continuously motivated and encouraged by my husband,mom,family,pastorsandfriends.”

Christinestated,“Idobelievethereisnolimittowhatwe

can prepare at

Chrissy’sDelight,sincewe constantlychallengeourselvesto trynewexoticrecipes.”

Someitemsontheirmenuare:appetizers

- cheese straws, chicken puffs, pine tarts, white pudding,cheeserolls,vegetable&chickensamosas, patties,teriyakipineapplemeatballs,maccheeseballs,sweet &tangychickenwings,ripeplantainempanadas,mangoand corn salsa, coconut choka, deviled eggs, pan-fried chicken dumplings.Forentreescustomerscanenjoylasagnas,creamy garlic linguine, chicken fettuccine alfredo, vegetable fried rice, stuffed bell peppers, Mediterranean grilled chicken couscous, French onion soup, honey baked salmon or trout with lemon and sweet honey pulled pork and for desserts, homemade ice-cream, customized cheesecakes, red velvet andchocolatecakes,Spanishflan,fruitymousses,cinnamon andlemonrolls.

“My long-term goals are to expand services, increase production, and diversify our menus. I also plan to further developouralready-ownedrealestateintoapreparationand distribution facility fuelled by e-money transactions and to startourrestaurant,”Christinesaid.

The businesswoman noted that she aspires to create a world-class dining experience catering to the exquisite gastronomical needs and urbane tastes of those who choose Chrissy’s Delight. The business caters for birthday parties, anniversaries,graduationsandotherevents.

Chrissy’s Delight Gourmet Styles is located at President’s College Road Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara. ThebusinessisopenedMondaytoSaturdayfrom 08:00hoursto17:00hours.

TocontactChristine,youcanvisitherbusinessFacebook page @Chrissy’s Delight Gourmet Style or call/WhatsApp+(592)621-7841.

Toshareanyusefulinformation,youcancontactmevia email:naesambach@gmail.com.

‘Zeek 592Customs’

ByAllyiahAllicock

“With Zeek 592Customs, I’ve had peoplewhotoldmetoquit,thatIshould stopcustomizingsneakers,butIkeptmy head over what they were talking and kept myself positive.” Those are words of Ezekiel Castello, a young entrepreneur who never allow the negativity of others to ruin his plans of followinghisdreams.

Twenty-one-year-old Castello, a current student at the Government Technical Institute (GTI), is the proud owner of a popularly known footwear customizing business called ‘Zeek 592Customs’, which was launched in Januarylastyear

In a recent interview with this magazine,theyoungmansaidthatwhat inspiredhimtopursuethisbusinessidea washislovefordrawing;somethinghe has been doing since a young age. Castello said, “My love for drawing providedmewiththeinspirationtostart customizing sneakers, but the business isnotlimitedtojustsneakers,itincludes crocs,slides,etc.”

He mentioned that in starting this journey, there were just about four personswhoinitiallysupportedhimand believed in his ability at the time. He added they would have been the ones

whogavehimtheextraboosttostartthis venture.Nowthatthebusinesshasbeen reachingalotofpeople,thesupporthas been overwhelming and provides the motivationtokeeppushingfurther

Castello shared that a challenge he hadfacedatthebeginningofthingswas thathehadtofighthispasttobestrong enoughtostartthisbusiness.

“ReasonwhyIsaythatisbecauseas I could remember, I think it was a Sundayeveningwewerewalkinghome fromchurchandmymomhadaskedme whatIwantedtobecomewhenIgrowup andmyreplytoherwasthatIwanttobe an artist. With that, my mom and my sister told me that I wouldn’t make money off of being an artist and I gave up on perfecting my art skills I overcame that initial hurdle by keeping myself positively motivated and I prayed, not every day, but most days about it and here I am, with my own business started,” the young man explained.

Keepinghimselfmotivated,Castello said now he is more focused on improving himself and his skill set. As forthepandemic,henotedthatitdidnot affecthisoperationsbecausemostofhis workisdoneathome.

With Zeek 592Customs already a year old, the young entrepreneur said that his long-term goal is to further expandhisbusiness.

Our featured entrepreneur is of the viewthatyoungentrepreneursandsmall businesses play a pivotal role in our society today “I think that young entrepreneursplayahugeroleinsociety because not everyone has a mind whereby they have a business idea and work towards it and be consistent with it,”hesaid.

He also stated that to boost small businesses in our society, there should bemoreplatformsthatwouldgivethese businessesexposure.

“WhatIthinkwecandoislikewhat Kaieteur News is doing, whereby it createsmoreexposureforthebusiness,” hementioned.

Persons interested in Castello’s services, he can be contacted on Instagram,Facebook&TikTok@Zeek 592Customs, or Email him @zeek592customs@gmail com or contact via WhatsApp on telephone number (592)609-4805. Also if anyone has sneakers that they would want to donate for the business, they can contacthimaswell.

“I think that young entrepreneurs play a huge role in society because not everyone has a mind whereby they have a business idea and work towards it and be consistent with it.”

Some of Ezekiel’ customizing work.

MarkArcher self publishes his fourth book, 'Return to Sender'

Return to Sender is a collection of short stories that were written over a period of fifty years. The book is authored by former Director of the Public Information andPressServiceUnitoftheOffice ofthePresident,MarkArcher

The book was launched officially last Saturday at H e r d m a n s t o n L o d g e i n Georgetown.

Archer has written and selfpublished three other books. He told Kaieteur News thatthisbookis different in that it is not based on a single topic but is a compilation of short stories based on his life

experiences.

“These are stories I wrote since IwasateenagerandkeptthembutI believe now is the time to release them. So I put them together in a book I hope readers would enjoy,” Archersaid.

The book includes short stories such as From Lot Twelve which he wrote as a teenager--- to the more recent writings; Green Card, The Engagement, Return to Sender,and Hassan - The donkey cart man

He explained that “Many of thesestorieshavebeenaroundfora very long time. If the characters seemfamiliar,itisbecausetheyare

our neighbours, o friends, and in some c a s e s f a m i l y members.

The book also includes a short story based on the i n f a m o u s Jonestown incident. Archer said, “I am honoured to share High Priest - The story of Jonestown; told by Guyanese who have never been heard. This is a collection of storiesfrompeoplewhowerethere; the players. The Guyanese players

n the internationally renowned tragedy known to theworldsimplyas Jonestown.”

The author said that the stories are now offered in the tradition of his ancestors; the original

storytellers, who shared their histories, superstitions, and life experiencesbymoonandfirelight.

“It is with humility and pride thatIaddmystoriestotheirstories,

(Continued on page 62)

Author of Return to Sender, Mark Archer

from page 18

However, Ali in his address ability to meet the provisions of the Exploration and Production stated that the country has an EITI Standard. The Validation of Guyana Limited (EEPGL) did seek extension for submission in May Guyana commenced on October 1, permission before pumping more 2023 from the EITI Secretariat. He 2021. A public call for stakeholder oilatitsStabroekBlockoperations. pledgedthatthiswouldbemet.The views was issued on September 1,

G r a v e s a n d e s a i d t h e

Head of State also shared his 2021 Stakeholder consultations E n v i r o n m e n t a l I m p a c t understanding of the root cause for were held virtually on October 11Assessments (EIA) makes two the suspension. Ali said: “I have 29, 2021. The draft Validation important points on production. made it clear that it is unacceptable report was finalised on December “Both vessels which are floating, tohaveadelayinthesubmissionof 6,2021.Followingcommentsfrom production, storage and offloading the report. Notwithstanding, the the Multi-Stakeholder Group (FPSO) facilities, can operate fact that an extension was given by (MSG) January 31, 2022, the beyonddesignparameters.Thereis the EITI secretariat for it to be Validation report was finalised for an operating parameter and a completedbyMaythisyearwestill considerationbytheEITIBoard. design parameter The design for should have been in a position to Destiny for example is about havethereportsubmitted.” Linden woman found 150,000barrelsbutitwasoperating Aside from the fact that all guilty of raping minor at120,000barrelsofoilperday…,” reporting countries were given an theofficialsaid. extension in 2019 as a result of the Twenty-year-old Gabriella

G r a v e s a n d e s a i d t h e pandemic, and in Guyana’s case, Allen called “Gabby” of Lot 26 consideration of impacts from a extensive floods that obstructed Buck Hill, Wismar Linden, was on worst-case scenario of an data collection,Ali said he will not Wednesdayfoundguiltyofrapinga unmitigated oil spill is also The capacity of the EPAwill be loan which the country received tolerate delays in the presentation minor considered in the EIA for the Liza further heightened following an backin2019. and submission of the nation’s Allenhaddeniedtheindictment Destiny at 200,000 to 300,000 agreementthatwassignedbetween r e p o r t F u r t h e r t o t h i s which stated that she raped a child barrels of oil per day “So even the the Ministry of Natural Resources Thursday – Feb 23, 2023 understanding of the reasons for impacts are considered beyond the and Maxar Technologies, a world- delay and subsequent suspension, operating level and now they are at r e n o w n e d p r o v i d e r o f Guyana’s suspension from EITI Ali said an independent 150,000 barrels of oil per day The comprehensive space solutions and unacceptable, persons will be administrator was hired to work on emissions and impacts on water are precise, geospatial intelligence. held accountable – Pres.Ali the report but the Terms of all considered. When they The two organizations inked a Reference (ToR) for the consultant requested to go to 150,000 we still three-year contractual agreement President, Dr. Irfaan Ali has was held up by the Multirequired that a technical analysis f o r M a x a r t o p r o v i d e vowed to expose and hold Stakeholder Group (MSG) which done on the equipment to ensure environmental monitoring services accountable, those individuals who consists of members of civil there are no mishaps,” the Head of for both offshore and terrestrial are responsible for the country’s s o c i e t y , g o v e r n m e n t theOilandGasDepartmentsaid. applications. temporary suspension from the representatives and industry Gravesande shared too that a The Environmental Protection Extractive Industries Transparency players He said the MSG’s Hazardous and Operability Study Agency will utilize Maxar’s Initiative(EITI). approval was held up for four (HAZOP) was also done for Crow’s Nest Maritime Monitoring

Maritime Tipping and Cueing transparency and accountability, months that we were able to have

In a video statement released months. The President said, “This government This document and Security products to support yesterday,theHeadofStatesaidhis begs the question whether there are outlines that the vessels could offshore petroleum monitoring. It government is committed to persons in that group with ulterior function at a higher production will also use the Crow’s Nest upholding the tenets of motives. It was only after four level.

He added, “When the EIA was Service, which leverages Maxar’s adding that no effort will be spared the Terms of Reference agreed done, a lot of the data used were very-high resolution optical to bring the country in line with its upon with two persons abstaining. hypothetical data so what we satellites, to monitor drilling reportingrequirements. It is unacceptable to put a country’s ordered as well was an analysis of vessels for regulatory compliance Guyana was reportedly reportingframeworkatstake,totry theeffectsbasedonrealdatawhich and safety It will also use the suspendedafteritfailedtosubmita to damage the government’s we have been gathering over the Crow’s Nest Multi-Sensor Oil report documenting revenues credibility is not being a good last two years for the Liza Destiny Detection Service to identify received by the state from the citizen.” and over the last year for the Liza potentialspills. extractive sector for the period Be that as it may, he added, “I under the age of 16, contrary to

The agreement with Guyana 2020. EITI on its website said that am pleased to say this has been Section 10 (3) of the Sexual quality modeling and it was in marks Maxar’s first Crow’s Nest Guyana is not eligible for an sorted and the work on completing OffencesActChapter8:03. keepingwiththeEIA.” contract in Latin America and the extension of the reporting deadline the report will be done She was on trial before Justice Gravesande said the foregoing Caribbean. for fiscal year January 2020- expeditiously, long in advance of Simone Morris-Ramlall at the is a testimony to the EPA’s Maxar Technologies Inc ’s December 2020. It said too that the the extended period that was DemeraraSexualOffencesCourt. commitmenttoensureallboxesare three-year contract with Guyana deadline for the publication of the approved by the EITI Secretariat.

Unity Soweredidthewaterandair

After deliberating, the jury checked when monitoring offshore costs US$ 1,160,714.0. It will be outstanding report remains Ali said the irresponsibility returned with a guilty verdict. As oilandgasoperations. taken from a US$20M World Bank December31,2022. displayedinmissingthedeadlineis such, Justice Morris-Ramlall set unacceptable and would not Monday February 27 for reoccur He said, “Persons will be sentencing at 11:00hours andAllen exposedandheldaccountable.” wasremandedtoprisonuntilthen.

On 28 April 2022, Guyana was alsofoundtohaveachievedafairly Friday – Feb 24, 2023 low overall score (52 points) in implementing the 2019 EITI

Int’l watchdog urges Guyana, Standard. The Validation Report to ‘keep head on’during outlines the full assessment of cost recovery audits Guyana’scompliance.Itisbasedon

- says oil companies often inflate e x t e n s i v e s t a k e h o l d e r bills with hidden expenses for consultations and a review of three executives, expatriate employees templates namely “Outcomes and andfamilies i m p a c t ” , “ S t a k e h o l d e r

-duplicateinvoices engagement” and “Transparency”.

-goodsneverboughtordelivered The Board decision, including

-exorbitantmarketingfees corrective actions needed before - ineligible expenses related to Guyana’s next Validation, is mergers,acquisitions publishedinthedecisionsregister Validation is the EITI’s quality

Costrecoveryisconsideredan assurance mechanism to assess

(Continued on page 57) implementing countries on their

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali

Found guilty, Gabriella Allen

The Liza Unity FPSO

From page 56

Mash Fever:

willapplywhenthatlineiscrossed. integral part of production sharing Further to this, NRGI research agreements (PSAs) that are signed shows that a number of countries between governments and oil havealreadyestablishedsuchrules, companies. The mechanism is one but monitoring and enforcement is that allows operators to recoup lacking.Giventhecorruptionrisks, money spent for activities the Institute said that improving r e g a r d i n g e x p l o r a t i o n , national policies and practices on development and production of oil allocating extractives licenses andgasresources. should be at the forefront of these

But the process, if not properly efforts. scrutinized by governments, is

Going forward, NRGI said that often used by oil companies to rob resource-rich countries such as nations of billions of dollars by Guyana will need to choose inflating costs. In fact, the Centre beneficial ownership assessment for Public Integrity (CPI), which rules that best address the political, researched this matter for decades, legalandindustryrealitiesinwhich has documented many of the ways theyawardlicenses. oil companies go about abusing the

Given the relative newness of costrecoveryprocess. evaluating corruption risks using

In some cases, the international beneficial ownership information watchdog on corruption, said that in licensing decisions, NRGI said expenses claimedby oil companies that officials may want to put much have been found to be simply of the detail into less formal ineligible. Examples, drawn from documents such as guidelines, so hundreds of cases between 2000 to international market prices It Natural Resource Governance growing number of governments that the rules will be easier to 2015,includecompaniesseekingto stressed however that these Institute (NRGI), an independent are developing legal policies and amendbasedonlessonslearned. claimexpensesincurredpriortothe provisions are “notoriously non-profit organisation dedicated information systems for collecting Regardless of where rules are signing of the “host government difficulttoenforce.” to improving

ountries’ and publishing data about the stipulated, NRGI commented that agreement” contract; expenses for Turning its attention to another governance over their natural beneficial owners of extractives they should be subject to public personal interests of executives, controversialcategoryofcosts,CPI resources Since 2015, the companies – the real people who consultation during their expatriate employees and families; said that overseas headquarters institution has been providing own, control, or economically development, and publicly expenses for the technical training costs are a legitimate expense but advicetoGuyana’sauthorities. benefitfromacompany. disclosed once finalised in order to of expatriates; a duplicate invoice have often been used to inflate The Institute noted that in most It stressed that these reforms facilitate monitoring and for a good or service that has projectexpenses.Inmostcontracts, natural resource-rich countries, range from amending company accountability. already been expensed; inclusion it said that these costs are supposed when a company is seeking the registration laws and creating of expenses such as oil and gas to be limited to a small percent of right to explore for or produce oil, national public registers to sector- Saturday – Feb 25, 2023 marketing fees, or expenses related overallprojectcosts. gas or minerals, sector, rules specific approaches like to mergers, acquisitions, or It also said that countries have require that regulators check some establishing extractives ‘We must stop tax giveaways transfers in participating interests to be wary of the interest on the basic information before granting transparency laws and licensing to oil companies’–AFC thatarenormallydeemedineligible loans taken to finance projects, as the company a license and requirements. …disappointed in accordingtothecontract. theseareoftentimesapotentialarea accompanyingcontract. But to have an impact, NRGI outcome of Court case

In other cases, CPI stated that for abuse. CPI said that many tax In this regard, NRGI said that said that extractive sector reforms the price of legitimate goods and regimes put in place limits on the regulator is supposed to judge may need to go beyond just The Alliance For Change services are intentionally h i of debt to whetherthecompanyistechnically requiring beneficial ownership (AFC) believes that the excessive inflated The (to avoid competent, financially sound, and disclosure, namely by establishing tax waivers being granted to oil profit organization what is known as i s i n c o m p l i a n c e w i t h rules on what types of beneficial companies operating in Guyana s a i d t h t h i n environmental and safety rules. It ownership linkages will be mustcease. p r a c t i c e apitalization noted,however,thatlicensingrules considered unacceptable self- During the party’s first press k n o w n a s ”). generally do not require screening dealing or corruption, and by conferencefortheyearonFriday, transfer mis- Finally, of whether public sector officials determining the consequences that (Continued on page 58) pricing or the non- have interests in an applicant m i s - profit said company, which could create invoicing, t h a t seriousconflictsofinterest. i s o f countries The Institute said, “We particular s h o u l d reviewed over 50 mining and oil concern for a l s o b e laws around the world and found transactions w a r y o f that about half contained b e t w e e n n v o i c e s prohibitions on government a f f i l i a t e bmitted for officials or their close associates –companies. goods that were often called ‘politically exposed

In this regard, actually persons’(PEPs) – holding interests noted for example, one acquired and for in companies applying for case where offshore drilling services that were never extractives licenses, but none work was contracted to another actually delivered It has required regulators to actually subsidiary of the same parent firm. documented hundreds of examples check whether or not such PEP It said that the invoice ultimately wherecountrieshavebeendupedin interests existed as part of submittedfortheworkwasinflated thisregard. screeninglicenseapplications.” by 30% beyond what the drilling

It added, “This is a potentially wasactuallyworth.The30%inthis Absence of beneficial ownership critical gap in regulatory oversight, scenario was recorded as a cost to screening in oil industry creates because a large body of real-world the project, but is in fact profit for fertile ground for corruption – cases suggests that the ability to the company This “profit” is NRGI cautions hide a company’s true beneficial ultimately reported in a low tax owner is a major enabler of jurisdiction – a process known as In light of the fact that the oil corruption in the granting of profitshifting. and gas sector is prone to extractiverights.”

Furthermore, CPI said it also corruption, Guyana is being urged

In Guyana, there is no found that contracts normally to increase beneficial ownership legislation or piece of regulation, contain clauses requiring that all screening so as to reduce the which requires beneficial transactions between affiliated sector’srisktocorruption. ownership screening. On that note, companies are based on This was recently noted by the NRGI has pointed out that a

AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan

From page 57 Ramjattan said due to this “Notwithstanding any provision to Leader,KhemrajRamjattansaidhe agreement, Guyana is now earning the contrary in this Article, wasdisappointedthatthecourtcase significant revenue from a new Affiliated Companies or Nonchallengingthetaxgiveawaystooil generationstream. Resident Sub-Contractors shall not giant ExxonMobil and its At the same time, he said when be subject to the provisions of the subcontractorswasdefeated. the losses from the tax waivers are Income Tax Act (Cap 81:01) and

ThatcasewasfiledbyPublisher consideredtoday, theAFC believes Corporation Tax Act of Guyana of Kaieteur News, Mr Glenn Lall that the tax provisions in the (Cap 81:03) during the expiration in January 2022 to reverse the Stabroek Block agreement must be periodonincomeearnedinGuyana excessive tax waivers being renegotiatedinthefuture. for any given tax year if the granted to persons other than “ T h e r e a r e c h a n g e d affiliated company or non-resident licensees, which violate the circumstances (in the Stabroek Sub-Contractors has conducted Petroleum Exploration and Block); when we signed up, it was business for one hundred eightyProduction Act (PEPA), and the about four billion barrels, it is 11 three (183) days or less on a Financial Administration (and billion barrels now and we had cumulative basis in the tax year of Audit)Act. signed up in relation to that one assessment.”

Ramjattan in an invited Liza arrangement and said that we As such, the newspaper comment Friday said, “I am are going to change certain publisher had requested disappointed by the decision, I (provisions) as we go along,” declarationsfromtheCourtthatthe thought that Glenn was going to Ramjattansaid. provisions are unlawful, null and win it. I knew it was going to be a Courtchallenge void,andofnolegaleffect. very difficult case…indeed if we High Court Justice Nareshwar However, Justice Harnanan hadwonit,wewouldhavecertainly Harnanan on Wednesday handed said the minister is vested with the gotten some more revenues in the down a ruling that affirmed the power under Section 51 of the formoftaxeswhichwereexempted legality of the government’s PEPA and the Petroleum andwaived.” decision to hand extensive tax (Exploration and Production) (Tax

Hewentontoexplainthatatthe waivers to Exxon Mobil and its laws) to grant EEPGL, CNOOC time the contract was signed in affiliates. For his part, Lall is Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited, 2016 under the A Partnership for already contemplating filing an and Hess Guyana Exploration National Unity coalition with the appeal. Limited, all companies that are AFC, the then administration

In his application, Mr Lall had parties to the case, concessions of believed it was in line with the contended among other things, that extensivetaxexemptions. regulation that allows pioneering many of the provisions listed under It was reported that due to this industries to be tax free for the first Article 15 1 of the Petroleum provision in the contract Guyana fiveyearsofexistence. Agreement, dated June 27, 2016 gave away more tax waivers than

Whenhewasaskedifheregrets between the GOG and the oil the revenue it earned in 2021 from makingthedecisiontograntthetax companies, grant exemptions to thesector

Minister of Housing

Thisinformationiscontainedin projects in an efficient and timely waivers however, the AFC leader personsotherthanlicensees,which TheGuyanaRevenueAuthority the Auditor General’s report for manner He also urged them to noted, “Nope, I do not because violate the Petroleum Exploration (GRA) at the end of the fiscal year 2021. communicatewiththeMinistryand indeed it seems the law is now andProductionAct(PEPA),andthe 2021 granted a total of $266.774 The report for 2022 is not yet CH&PAshould they encounter any vindicating us. What I wanted to Financial Administration (and billion in tax waivers with a available.According to the Natural issues during the execution of the say here is that to get that great Audit)Act. whopping $203.8 billion alone to ResourceFund(NRF)Summary,as contracts. The CH&PA CEO in his decision signed up it was an Lall had specifically flagged the oil and gas sector or 78.3 at December 31, 2021 the total address yesterday urged the important thing that we take all of paragraph 2 of Article 15.10 of the percent of all tax exemptions balance was $126,694,310,000 contractors to ensure their work these things into consideration.” Agreement which states: grantedfortheyear. billion (US$633.47M); while the matches necessary standards and total tax waivers for this period that the works are done in a timely amountedtoUS$1.019billion. manner as the citizens are awaiting theseworks.

Housing Ministry inks over The contracts signed on Friday $50B in contracts for are for the construction of a fourinfrastructural works in lane highway from Great Diamond Regions 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 &10 to Craig worth $3 43 billion; – to construct $3.4B infrastructure development works four-lane road from Great at Meten-en-Meer-Zorg Phase 3, Diamond to Craig Stewartville East and West, Leonora Phase Two in Region

The Ministry of Housing and Three worth $15 47 billion; Water along with the Central infrastructure development works Housing and Planning Authority at De-Engrat, Hope Block 6, Hope (CH&PA) on Friday signed BlocksAandB,LaResouvenirand contracts valued $56.8B to kick- Success,GoodHopePhase4,Great startits2023housinginfrastructure Diamond Block 3, Great Diamond development programme in Block 7, Golden Grove Block 2, Regions Three, Four, Five, Six, Golden Grove Block 13 in Region Sevenand10. Four worth $21 78 billion;

The 126 contracts were signed infrastructure development works by CH&PA Chief Executive at Burma Phase 2, Balthayock, Officer (CEO) Sherwyn Greaves at Shieldstown in Region Five worth the Arthur Chung Conference $3 31 billion; infrastructure Centre. The contracts were signed development works at Palmyra, for the execution of infrastructural No. 75 village, No. 76 village in works including roads, bridges, Region Six worth $9.4 billion; culverts and electrical networks infrastructure development works across the four regions and also for at Bartica in Region Seven worth the construction of a new four-lane $1.08 billion; and infrastructure highway from Great Diamond to developmentworksatSilicaCityin Craig,EastBankDemerara(EBD). RegionTenworth$2.11billion.

Minister of Housing and Water, The Ministry was allocated

he some $72 billion from the national contractors to mobilize as quickly budget this year to execute its as possible and to complete the projects.

CEO of CH&PA Sherwyn Greaves signing one of the contracts. (Photo courtesy, Ministry of Housing and Water)

Collin Croal

Louisa Row fire was caused by children playing with matches - Fire Service

Friday's fire that gutted an apartment building at Louisa Row, Georgetown was caused by children playing with matches, the GuyanaFireService(GFS) reportedonSaturday.

“ F o l l o w i n g investigations by the Fire Prevention Department, it was determined that the fire was the result of children left unattended playing with matches which ignited nearby

combustiblesandspreadto the entire apartment,” the GFSstated.

Four families occupied the building located at Lot “ C ” L o u i s a R o w, W o r t m a n v i l l e , Georgetown.

The fire reportedly started at around 16:00h.

Firefighters responded quickly and were able to save the building from b e i n g c o m p l e t e l y destroyed.

Apartment one which was occupied by 48-yearold Simone Moe and her familyofthreewasslightly damaged by smoke and water while apartment two occupied by 37-year-old Candacy Lowe and her family of six was completely gutted leaving themhomeless.

Apartment four was also gutted but firefighters managed to limit the damagetoapartmentthree.

Firefighters extinguishing the fire at Louisa Row

Four Livelihoods Projects funded by...

From page 13 like this component because I reallyliketheconceptofsustaining the development of new livelihoods because this is clearly something long-term, something sustainable and something that can benefit the communities after,” Mr Gaté mentioned Executive Director of the APA, Jean La Rose said that it is the first time that the organisation is doing livelihood projects and is pleased with the response from both the donors and beneficiaries. She noted that the communities have been asking for livelihood projects and when the APAwasapproachedbytheFrench Government informing of the availability of funds, the opportunity was taken to facilitate

those requests. As part of the project, teams from the villages were trained in proposal writing, project management and budgeting.

InherremarkstooLaRosealso challenged the villages to build on their projects noting that the APA will continue providing technical assistance to facilitate the developmentofideas.

She said that the communities can now collaborate with the schools and other areas to further expand the projects for maximum benefits. As for the projects, in Warapoka,a480ft.bridgewasbuilt at Troolie Hill to the tune of $4.09 million That bridge connects residents to their farmlands as well as tourists to the harpy eagle

nesting site. There are 13 families farmingintheTroolieHillareaand they accessed their farms by crossing on logs placed over the swampy area at the source of the Warapoka Creek. The community designed and constructed the bridge with materials sourced from theirlands.

In Kwebana Village, the Kwebana Arapah Flour Enterprise proposed the procurement and installation of a solar drier as its livelihood project The $5 57 million solar drier will be used to dry cassava and process it into flour As for Santa Rosa, two projects were launched in a biking tour at Kumaka and a canoeing experience at Lower Cabrora Creek. The biking tour saw the

acquisition of 16 bikes and safety gear as well as a boat house to the tune of $3.66 million. A sum of $2.45 million was spent on the construction of a boat shed and the procurementof8dugoutcanoes.

Santa Rosa's Councillor Maurice Torres, who had oversight of the project said that a lot of options were explored to market Santa Rosa as a tourist destination. He noted that biking and canoeing were selected because of the health

benefits and the uniqueness of the experiences Guyana Tourism Authority's Senior Product Development Officer Clyde Edwards said that the projects now put the Moruca Sub-Region in a better place to be marketed as a touristdestination.

He said that the GTA is assessing the potential of a tourism circuit in the Moruca Sub-Region to offer different packages to personsvisitingGuyana.

The Solar drier for Kwebana Village.

Western borderlands can be a bulwark against bandits - says Former President

Violent crimes, including armed robbery, banditry, contraband smuggling, trafficking in persons and murder are not uncommon but former President David Granger feels the Guyana's borderlands could be a bulwark against the 'law of the jungle' imposed by Venezuelanbanditsandmade safeforGuyanesecitizens.

Granger made this statement during his recent 'Public Interest' Programme. He reminded his viewers of the images of Venezuelan bandits' beheading a young Guyanese – Romascindo in 2018– causing public outrage That grisly execution was only one exampleoffrontierviolence.

He pointed to others – of Davinda Saywack, Vernon Eudoxie, Cologne Solomon and Samuel Moses earlier –were equally atrocious Venezuelan 'bandas' (ie, gangs, incorrectly called 'sindicatos' but are really

'bandidos' – bandits) have raidedminingcamps;robbed business places; shot at military-police patrols and attacked vessels in the Westernborderlands.

“Police stations in the borderlands are still underequipped, under-funded and under-staffed The Force simply does not possess the aviation, vehicles, vessels, personnel and other resources required to investigate crimes, pursue criminalsandprotectcitizens in the widely-dispersed villages, logging and mining camps, ” the Former Presidentclaimed.

The Western borderlands extend for 2,100 km with Venezuela and Brazil and comprise an area of 160, 000 km²infourregions–BarimaWaini; Cuyuni-Mazaruni; Potaro-Siparuni; and Rupununi – but possessed only 40 police stations and outposts,”Grangersaid.

Mr Granger reminded

that the APNU+AFC

Coalition had introduced innovative 'master plans' called 'Plans of Action for Regional Development' (PARD) to develop the borderlands. These aimed at enhancing educational and employment opportunities, economic development and environmental and human safety

The Coalition created four hinterland capital towns and conducted local government elections to enable the election of town councils, enlarge democracy, stimulate local economies andimprovepublicsecurity

Police administration was reconfigured into four separate public security divisionstoemphasisesenior police commanders' responsibility for the four frontierregionsinwhichthey functioned. He commended the judiciary for launching magistrates' courts in the capitaltowns.

Mr Granger recalled that theCoalitionre-establisheda mounted police troop (in Region No. 9) to enhance operational capability, flexibility and mobility; reintroduced a People's Militia company to mobilise residents to guard the borderlands; and created the Corps of Wardens to help to safeguard the country's humanandnaturalresources.

However, the former

Granger

p

resident regretted that the People's Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) administration did not appoint ambassadors inBrasiliaandCaracasintwo and a half years, thereby restricting rapid responses to border incidents and constrictingrepresentationof Guyana'ssecurityinterests.

The Former President warned against ignoring national security in the

Western borderlands He feels that with sound advice; however, frontier violence can be suppressed and communities can be secured against the ravages of

Former President, David Granger

21 fires since start of...

From page 14 his life to extinguish the f l a m e s w i t h a f i r e extinguisher that was in the building.

The very next day (January28),afamilyoffour was left homeless after the circuit panel of their Lot 243 Downer Street, Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home, exploded by a fluctuation of electricity Their home was burnt to the ground.

Aweek later on February 3, a faulty electrical wiring ignited a fire at Agricola on the East Bank of Demerara (EDB) destroying the house of a family of seven and damaging three others in the

vicinity

The following week on February 12, 60-year-old Windsor Forest businessman Rajendra Mohabir lost his life after electricity fluctuations set his house afire.

The GFS had stated that the fluctuations caused arcing and sparking at the breaker panel box of his home and ignited nearby combustiblematerials.

Mohabir was reportedly showering at the time and had no clue that the building had caught fire until his son had ran upstairs to alert him, his wife, daughter and grandson.

Amidst the panic,

Mohabir had reportedly grabbed some clothes and dressed and was already down the stairs when he turned back to save his grandson who he taught was stillinthebuilding.

Hisfamilymemberstried to tell him that the boy the safe but by the time they could have alerted him, he was already trapped and burnedtodeath.

His loved ones tried to save him but the flames were too much and they had to retreat after sustaining injuries.

Thesearejustafewofthe fires that have taken place during the first 56 days of 2023.

MarkArcher self publishes his...

From page 55 and I hope you find the same enjoyment reading them as I did when I wrote them,” he said. Archer said books are currently available in electronic and hardcopy for sale on Amazon. He revealed that copies should beavailableinlocalbookstoresinthecoming weeks.

He promised that readers won't be

disappointedinthebook.

Archer has been writing for years before heself-publishedhisfirstbook, anoveltitled “Where do broken hearts go?” His next book, “Exile” was based on the immigrant experience and the third book: The Dark Horse—letters from the campaign trail is based on events of the 2011 General and Regional Election campaign in Guyana.

El Salvador moves 2,000 alleged gang Salvador members to new ‘mega prison’

The Salvadoran government has been accused of widespread abuses as it waives civil liberties to combat gang activity

Aljazeera - The Central American nation of El Salvador has transferred 2,000 people accused of gang membership to a recently opened “megaprison”. The transfer comes after a wave of anti-gang operations in which police swept up more than 64,000 peopleandkeycivilliberties weresuspended.

In a Twitter post on Friday, President Nayib Bukelecelebratedthearrival oftheallegedgangmembers at the prison, which has space for 40,000 people and issaidtobethelargestinthe Americas.

“At dawn, in a single operation,wetransferredthe first 2,000 members to the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT),” said Bukele. “This will be

their new house, where they will live for decades, all mixed, unable to do any further harm to the population.”

Bukele and his allies passedacontroversial“state of exception” last year, suspending key rights such as the right to a lawyer and the right to private communication The declaration also allowed police to make arrests without a warrant and withoutexplanation.

Human rights groups havecriticisedthemeasures, accusing the government of empoweringitselftoactwith impunitywithlittlerecourse for the wrongfully

imprisoned Dozens of imprisonedpeoplehavedied duringthestateofexception, which has been extended severaltimes.

However,thecrackdown has garnered widespread support from Salvadorans. Many credit the measures with curbing the criminal

gangs that have inflicted campaigns of violence and exploitation on entire neighbourhoodsfordecades.

In a February article, the Salvadoran paper El Faro, which has reported on the alleged abuses during the state of exception, said the government had dealt a serious blow to the gangs, even as it questioned how durablethosechangeswould be.

“Critics of the state of exception admit, with nuance, that it has produced tangible results for the population,” the article reads. “But they focus the discussion on the future: Howwilltheseorganizations mutate?Howsustainableare theachievementsofapolicy ofrepression?”

Some critics also asked what would happen when thosewhohadbeenarrested were eventually released fromprison.

On Friday, Bukele and his allies seemed to offer a

reply:Theywon’tbe. “Weareeliminatingthis cancerfromsociety,”justice and security minister Gustavo Villatoro said on Twitter “Knowthatyouwill never walk out of CECOT, youwillpayforwhatyouare

Peru recalls ambassador to Mexico amid row over ousted leader

Mexico’s president says Peru’s former leader was illegally overthrown, prompting rebuke from currentPeruvianpresident.

Aljazeera - Peru’s President Dina Boluarte has ordered the “definitive removal” of the country’s ambassador to Mexico after rebukingMexico’sPresident Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for again voicing his support for her overthrownpredecessor.

The move comes after Lopez Obrador told a news conference on Friday that “Mexico will continue to support [Castillo] who was unjustly and illegally removedfromoffice”.

Lopez Obrador, who has been one of Castillo’s most fervent supporters along with leftist leaders in Bolivia, Argentina and Colombia, also referred to Boluarte as a “spurious president”.

Castillo was impeached and arrested on December 7 last year after seeking to dissolve Congress. He was replaced by then-vice president Boularte the same day Announcing the ambassador’s withdrawal in

atelevisedaddre ss, Boularte said “diplomatic relations between Peru and Mexico are formally reduced to the levelofcharged’affaires”.

She added that Lopez Obrador has “decided to support the coup d’etat carried out by the now former president Pedro Castillo on December 7, 2022". “I strongly reject the remarks made today by the president of Mexico on Peru’sinternalaffairsandhis repeated unacceptable questioning of the constitutional and democratic origins of my government,”shesaid.

Peru had already expelled the Mexican ambassadortothecountryat the end of December, after Mexico granted political asylumtoCastillo’swifeand twosons.

Castillo’s removal led to weeks of protests that have left at least 60 people dead, according to Peru’s ombudsman’soffice.

Boularte’s government has been criticised for violently cracking down on the demonstrations led by supporters of Castillo, who

hasmaintainedastrongbase among poor rural voters and disenfranchised Indigenous groups.

Amnesty International said 48 of the deaths during the unrest were the result of “staterepression”.

Boularteinitiallysaidshe would stay in office until

cowardlyterrorists.

The complex, located about 74 kilometres (46 miles) southeast of the capitalSanSalvador,ismade up of eight buildings, each with 32 cells that hold more than 100 people apiece. A

single cell, however, only hastwosinksandonetoilet. The prison’s warden, wearingaskimasktoprotect his identity, told journalists when the project was unveiled that the cells will notincludemattresses.

Thousands join Berlin rally calling for Ukraine peace talks

AP Thousands of peopleprotestedinBerlinon Saturday to condemn Germany’ssupplyofarmsto Ukraine and call for peace talkstoendthewar

The organizers were criticized before the protest for downplaying Ukraine’s right to defend its territory from Russian aggression and failing to distance themselves from political extremists on the far right and far left, where proRussiaviewsarecommon.

feminist author Alice Schwarzer, said it was time tolookbeyondleftandright. Protesters jeered whenever she and Wagenknecht mentioned the name of German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who has strongly backed the deliveryofarmstoUkraine.

POLITICS

Castillo’s term ended in 2026, but the vote was later moveduptoApril2024. She has since supported moving the vote to December 2023, however, efforts to do so have repeatedly failed in the country’s deeply divided Congress.

One of the organizers, opposition lawmaker Sahra Wagenknecht of the excommunist Left party, said during the rally that there was no place for neo-Nazis, butthatanyonewhowanted peace“withanhonestheart” was welcome. While most placards at the protest reflected traditional leftwing positions, some participants bore banners with the slogan “Americans go home” and the logo of a far-right magazine. Some wavedRussianflags.

Wagenknecht accused the German government of seeking to “ruin Russia,” andsaidthatMoscowshould be made an “offer” in order toresumepeacetalks.

A n o t h e r o f t h e organizers, prominent

Police said that about 13,000 people took part in the rally at Berlin’s iconic Brandenburg Gate, while organizers claimed that 50,000peopleparticipated.

One of them was Konstantin Schneider, an academic from Berlin, who said he understood that countries in Eastern Europe wereafraidofRussia.

“Of course (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is an idiot to attack Ukraine,” hesaid.“Butwestillneedto find new solutions (to the war) instead of sweepingly saying there’s nothing to negotiate.”

Therewereseveralsmall counterdemonstrations. On Friday, about 10,000 people staged a protest at the same siteinsupportofUkraine.

GermanChancellorOlaf Scholz said in a recent television interview that he doesn’t see a prospect for peacetalksatpresent.

Peruvian President Dina Boluarte at a press conference at the government palace in Lima, Peru [File: Martin Mejia/TheAssociated Press]

Dozens of people are reported to have died in prison amid a state of exception that has suspended civil liberties [File: Salvador Melendez/APPhoto]

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VACANCY

Maid required to cook and clean in East Bank area. Call: 615-9132.

Log Truck Driver, Diesel Mechanic, Porters, Timber Grant Manager & Maid. Call: 609-7675/ 674-1705.

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Govt.-to-Govt. arrangements...

From page 19 consistent with the promise we made while in Opposition that future blocks will be given out only through auction. We are not going to do this directly, except if it’s a state-to-state engagement with the government participating.”

AWARD OF KAIETEUR AND CANJE OIL BLOCKS

FOR RENT

One apartment for rent @ First St Mon Repos E.C.D, Market street. Call: 6140005/ 602-4105.

4 acres of river side land & 18 acres of road side land on the E.B.D for rent/ lease. Call: 623-1615.

Two bedroom concrete, bottom flat. Call: 630-0961 after 5 PM.

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Transparency in the award of the oil blocks is especially important since the “giveaway” of the Kaieteur and Canje blocks still leave much to be desired.

In a series entitled, ‘The Fleecing of Guyana’, Kaieteur News had exposed some of the red flags in the Canje and Kaieteur oil Blocks agreements. The Canje Block for in-

stance was awarded by the Donald Ramotar administration on March 4, 2015, days before that year’s General and Regional Elections, to a local company, Mid-Atlantic Oil and Gas. Similarly, the Kaieteur Block was awarded on April 28, 2015, just two weeks before the elections, and like the Canje Block, it was done based on the advice of former Minister of Natural Resources, Robert Persaud. Two companies received the block with 50-50 stakes – Ratio Energy Limited (now Cataleya Energy Limited) and Ratio Guyana Limited.

The award of the oil blocks to the companies was especially concerning since the ultra-deep drilling is required for those blocks, a

technique which only a handful of companies in the world have the technology, track record, and capability to execute.

The red flags which have manifested in both situations are that the awards were given to unqualified companies, that the initial owners quickly flipped the blocks without doing any work, that they are incorporated in ‘secrecy’ jurisdictions, and that Guyana likely lost revenue due to the avoidance of an open, competitive bidding process.

That matter was marred with controversy and the former president faced public scrutiny due to the fact that the blocks were given out so close to Election Day.

Govt. overrides “sanctity of Exxon...

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General Domestic needed to work in Herstelling, ages 35yrs and older. Call: 6970157.

Experienced Crew for pit (jet, maroc) wanted for mining operation. Call: 697-2533.

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Passion fruit, plum, jam, syrup and juice for sale. Call Andrew: 661-2828

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Pure breed German shepherd pups for sale. Call: 6801828, 632-9022/ 639-4966.

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From page 20 written notice and the opportunity to be present, either in person, or through a representative(s) whenever a piece of equipment or an appliance for measuring or weighing crude oil or gas is being calibrated, re-calibrated, tested, compared, measured or weighed against a standard.

Any such calibration, recalibration, testing, comparison, measurement or weighing shall be conducted in accordance with accepted methods and procedures consistent with good international oilfield practices and as previously approved in writing by the minister.

It also categorically states that the licensee shall not make any alteration in the method or methods of the measurements without the prior consent in writing from the Minister.

Though this is not catered for in the 2016 PSA as well, government still demanded to have “consistent, daily twenty-four hour ongoing

‘real-time’ access to production and injection activity outputs, reports or statements, in respect of Yellowtail development production, including such particulars in such form and manner as the Minister may from time to time direct.

Government has also demanded more on decommissioning arrangements too. It is an international best practice that oil and gas companies return the seabed to its original state after setting up various contraptions to extract oil. The process is one that involves permanently removing some or all installations from the seabed and securing wells.

ing a Stabroek Block Decommissioning Security Agreement (SBDSA).

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Swimming pool, family fun, crystal clear pool, kids and adults sections at Aracari Resort, Call: 264-2946-9.

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PROPERTY FOR SALE

Property for sale in Prashad Nagar on double lot. Call Persaud Real Estate: 6532477.

House & land for sale in East Patentia river side, 50x100. Call: 619-8626.

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Companies are primarily responsible for decommissioning and provide funds in a trust in advance so that those funds are available when decommissioning occurs. Such trusts are created by a decommissioning security agreement (DSA), a contract between two (or more) parties that obliges a party to create a trust in favour of another party (or parties) for the future cost of decommissioning. The trust will either hold cash or security and, usually, will be administered by an independent trustee.

Guyana’s PSA with Exxon does not state that such a trust should be established. In fact, Exxon is allowed to hold onto those funds until that time arrives. The government in the Yellowtail licence, instituted provisions to plug this loophole by implement-

EEPGL is also required to facilitate, on an annual basis, an independent audit of its Drilling and Production Operations, including waste management, and compliance conducted by a Chief Inspector. For a total of three consecutive years, the licensee is required to pay to an account held and controlled by the Government the sum of US$400,000 to be used by the Government for the preparation of the audit scope and the procurement of thirdparty auditors to supplement the Chief Inspector’s resources and develop institutional capacity for the ongoing conduct of audits.

This is also a new requirement that is not part of the 2016 PSA.

Accordingly, the government stated that Yellowtail licence “does not limit nor in any manner restrict the right and authority of the State to impose taxes or enact and enforce legislative, regulatory or other statutory instruments in respect of specific or general aspects of petroleum operations and activities or otherwise.”

From the foregoing, it is clear that the Guyana Government has been able to work its way around the tentacles of the 2016 PSA to garner more value.

Many industry stakeholders now ask—why the same is not possible for royalties for each project?

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Have your child/children (7 years and older) accelerate in their reading, writing and phonetic skills. Call 6508925 or email nmf1010 @gmail.com.

Cuba denounces presence of foreign military bases

Legislators in Cuba this week denounced the presence of foreign military bases.

OnThursday,thedaywas declared a Day of Action againstenclavesoftheUnited StatesandtheNorthAtlantic TreatyOrganization(NATO).

Accordingto AnaTeresa Napoles Disotuar, the president of the Cuban FriendshipInstitute(ICAPby its Spanish acronym) who w a s s p e a k i n g i n Guantanamo, the date –February 23, coincides with the 120th anniversary of the

signingoftheagreementthat made official, the US naval base on Guantanamo’s territory.

She said that for persons living in close proximity to the naval base, military exercises affect their tranquility , they are unable

E.R.BurrowesSchoolofArttolaunch...

Frompage35 signed as a result of the high demand for gold in Barbados, and the high-quality jewellery produced in Guyana, which is of particularinteresttoresidentsandtouristsin Barbados.

In 2022, a total of 30 persons participatedinthetraining.

Several jewellers were also allowed to showcase their products at the Agro Fest, which was held from May 26-29, 2022 in Barbados.

Whilethisyear'sprogrammewilltarget personsintheminingandjewellerysectors, any interested person will be able to participate.

Just recently, GMSTCI commenced its comprehensive Map Reading and Navigation Short Course to equip miners with the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate difficult terrain and read maps effectively That programme will last for threeweeksandwillconcludeinlateMarch.

HowtoSetBoundariesandBuild...

Frompage47 resentingthepeoplewecare aboutthemost,soitisbetter to take the risk and draw clearlineswhenwefeelthey arenecessaryorbeneficial.”

5 Use “I” language

During the conversation, yourlanguageshouldreflect the fact that these are your own, personal feelings

“Talk in the first person, rather than putting the onus entirelyontheotherperson,” Lerner says “This will minimize feelings of defensiveness while ensuring that your priorities arebeingfullyvocalized.”

She offers a few examples of using “I” language while setting boundaries: “When [blank] h a p p e n s , I f e e l uncomfortable,” “I am proposingwedo[blank]this way,” “I don’t think this is feasible,because[blank].”

6.SetprioritiesAlthough youshouldhaveaclearidea of your boundary, you can leaveyourselfsomeleverage if you think you’ll get pushback. “Figure out what your priorities are and find clarity on what is important toyou:whatyoumusthave, what would be nice to have andwhatdoesn’tmatterthat much,” Lerner says. “Musthave is non-negotiable

Would-be-nice can be negotiated, but stay true to yourself! Doesn’t-matterthat-much is exactly as it sounds; that’s your currency to ensure you get all your must-haves.”

So when setting boundaries at work, if you tellyourbossyou’redoinga digital detox and no longer want to check emails on the weekend, you might be able to negotiate a one-time check-in if you’re OK with it—but that’s it. Or if you’d like to be more involved in

making the plans with a friend or partner who often shuts you out of decision making, let them know you’dliketogiveyourinput too, and then you can make thechoicetogether Indoing so, “you’ve created a collaborative discussion,” Lernersays.

7 Be flexible Having flexibilityreferstoyourown needs, which may alter over time After all, your boundaries aren’t set in stone “Flexibility is important when deciding where our boundaries are p l a c e d , w i t h t h e understanding that people change,”Lernersays.“What was good for you yesterday may not be good for you today; people who truly growtogetherknowthat.”

Youcancommunicateto your overbearing mother thatweeklyvisitsareallyou can handle right now while understanding that in the future, you might adjust the frequency You can tell your nosy siblings that single women can be perfectly happy and that you’d like them to stop insinuating it’s time you marry—all while understanding you might findTheOnenextyear

8. Decide what happens if someone crosses your boundary If setting boundaries is hard, sticking withboundariescanbeeven harder: Your boss may ask you to stay late even though you said you wouldn’t, your friends might ask you for money when you told them you simply can’t give loans anymoreoryourpartnermay continue belittling somethingyou’repassionate aboutafteryou’vetoldthem notto.

“Whensomeoneviolates your boundary, you get to decide what happens next,”

to enjoythebeacheslocated in Guantanamo Bay the fishing has also been affected.

Napoles Disotuar also pointed out that with this initiative ICAPjoins the call

of the World Peace Council, which every year promotes the realization of different actionsworldwidetoexpress the strong international rejection against military bases on foreign soil.

Currently, the United States has more than 800 military bases in more than 100 countries around the world, 76 of which remain in the Latin American region. (CMC)

Tawwabsays.Insomecases, you may want to consider endingatoxicrelationshipor getting out of your toxic workplaceforgood.

9 Learn to let go As we’ve discussed, “fear of how others may respond to our boundaries can keep us fromsettingthem,”Tawwab says. In facing this fear, you also have to come to terms with the fact that your boundary setting may mean the relationship cannot continueasitis.Butifthat’s the case, it means the relationship was not healthy tobeginwith.

When you stand up for yourselfandlearnhowtoset boundariesinarelationship, “some people will not like this—theymayfeellikethey are losing control of the relationship,” Lerner says. “But they never really had control over you! Their insecuritiesarenoneofyour business. Keep your focus on yourself and what you need.”

Stop trying to be happy by only focusing on other people’s happiness. Repeat after us: You are not responsible for how others feel, and you don’t need to apologize for telling them howyoufeel.

How to communicate boundaries Still unsure of how to set boundaries? Our experts have some specific language you can use to communicate good boundarieswithothers.

“Iknowyoulovemeand wantthebestforme.Iwould likeitifyousupportedmeby listening instead of offering feedback.”

These discussions aren’t always easy, but they’ll set you on the path to healthier relationships, better worklife balance and a happier life.

G20 meeting ends without consensus over Russia’s war in Ukraine

At meeting of world’s largest economies, China and Russia refuse to sign statement condemning Moscowoveritsinvasionof Ukraine. Published On 25 Feb 202325 Feb 2023

Aljazeera-Financechiefsof the world’s largest economies were unable to agree on a joint statement condemning Russia for its waronUkraineonSaturday, with China and Russia itself decliningtosign.

India, which as chair of the Group of 20 (G20) economies was hosting a meeting in the city of Bengaluru, was reluctant to raisetheissueofthewarbut Westernnationsinsistedthey could not back any outcome that did not include a condemnation.

The lack of consensus among G20 members meant India resorted to issuing a “chair’s summary and outcomedocument”inwhich itsimplysummedupthetwo days of talks and noted disagreements.

“Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraineandstressedthatitis causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy,” it said, citing disruption of supply chains, risks to financial stability and continuing energyandfoodinsecurity

“There were other views and different assessments of thesituationandsanctions,”it said, referring to measures put in place by the United States, European countries and others to punish Russia fortheinvasionandtostarve it of revenues. The outcome was similar to that of a G20 summit in Bali last November when host Indonesia also issued a final declaration acknowledging differences The G20, formed more than 20 years

ago to tackle economic crises, has increasingly struggled to reach the consensusneededtoissuean official end-of-meeting communique.

“Although there was not what we would call a communique, but only an outcome statement, we still think we’ve made some progress in having all the ministers on board,” Indian finance minister Nirmala Sitharamansaid.

German finance minister Christian Lindner said China’s refusal to join the declarationwas“regrettable”

US Treasury secretary JanetYellenearliersaidthatit was “absolutely necessary” foranystatementtocondemn Russia. Two delegates told ReutersthatRussiaandChina didnotwanttheG20platform tobeusedtodiscusspolitical matters Russia,amemberof theG20butnotoftheG7,has referred to its actions in Ukraineasa“specialmilitary operation”,andavoidscalling itaninvasionorwar

BottomofFormIndiahas kept a largely neutral stance, decliningtoblameRussiafor the invasion, seeking a diplomatic solution and sharplyboostingitspurchases of Russian oil China and Indiawereamongthenations that abstained on Thursday w h e n U N v o t e d overwhelmingly to demand Moscow withdraw its troops from Ukraine and stop fighting. Besides the G7 nations, the G20 bloc also includes countries such as Australia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia “It’s becoming difficult for the G20 to engage in constructive discussion because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,whichisanactthat shakesthefoundationsofthe global order,” Japanese finance minister Shunichi Suzukitoldreporters.

India’s finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman speaks, as economic affairs secretaryAjay Seth and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das look on [Samuel Rajkumar/Reuters]

BLUNTNESS ON INDECENCY!

In case you haven’t heard, please be informed that as part of our continued effort to channel positive changes in our country, our publisher, Mr. Glenn Lall, has dedicated our Page Seven to be “BLUNT” about on-going indecency in our land that should matter, not only to us at this publication, but the entire nation.

Ogle Street Challengers win 8th Annual Fitzroy Weever Junior Street

Memorial Football Championship

The Fitzroy Weever Jr Foundation held its 8th Annual Fitzroy Weever Junior Memorial Football Competition on Sunday, 19th February, 2023 in the St.Mary’stheVirginChurch Compound, Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara The Fitzroy Weever Junior Foundation was established in 2016 to memorialise the life

a n d c o n t i n u e t h e contributions of Mr Fitzroy Weever Jr who was a Mechanical Engineer, AssistantDeanandLecturer intheFacultyofTechnology attheUniversityofGuyana, Convenor for the Building andMechanicalEngineering Drawing Programme at the Caribbean Examination Council and an avid

promoterofyouthfootballin Guyana.

Sunday February 26, 2023

ARIES(Mar 21–Apr 19)

Aries, personal dignity may be important to you today This may come about when things go wrong or if you're accused of something you didn't do. You always have controloveryourdignity

TAURUS(Apr 20–May20)

Don'tbesurprisedifsomeone describesyouasconservative, Taurus.Itmaybetrue.Itcould indicatethatit'simportantfor you to maintain control over most things - what you say andhowmuch.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Your mother may be on your mind today, Gemini. Your mother probably affects how you think, act, and feel, both in the past and now If your mother's sign is opposite yours.

CANCER(June21–July22)

Focus on yourself today, Cancer Take note of your health. You probably know that this is something you must take care of always, not just sometimes Daily routinesareimportant.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Nodreamistoobigortoolate tofulfill.Youmaybethinking about your special dreams today, Leo Perhaps you aspire to do something really great, be a pioneer in some field,orbeaprominentfigure.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22)

Chances are good that you willreceiveahelpinghandor comfort from someone many years your senior who cares about you, Virgo Don't hesitate to ask for their thoughts, ideas, and assistance.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Today, Libra, you may think about competition and possible future goals Imagining and dreaming can serve you well. What did you dreamaboutasakid?Whodid youwanttobecome.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)

T h e e v e n t w a s coordinated by Veteran Football Coach, Mr Bill Wilson and completed as a limited Under15 and Under10 Knock-Out Competition, with 6 teams participatingin6games The final game of the tournament wascontestedbythereturning champions; Ogle Street Challengers and the Block 4 Team. At the end of the second half of the final game,thescorewastiedat2 goalsapiece.Thegamethen went to penalty kicks to decide the champion. Block Four Team scored 1 penalty while the Ogle Street Challengers scored 2 to become the Champions of the8thAnnualCompetition. The Gulf Warriors won the semi-final game against the QuaminaRoadteambothof Beterverwagting with a score of 5-1, earning them the third-place spot in the competition.

You may think about your finances today, Scorpio. It's never too late to learn about saving and investing, especiallyifthere'ssomething you really want to do, like travel Preparing for retirement.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

Takethetimetodaytoconsider your health, Sagittarius. Do you get enough rest, eat the right foods, take vitamins, exercise every day, go to the doctor when you need to, and taketimetorelax.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Today you may emphasize organizing things and managingyourlife,Capricorn. Take a look at your time management. It's possible to plan every day so you have enough time to do what you havetogetdone.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb.

18) One day, I want to be…. Whenyouwerelittle,howdid you finish that sentence, Aquarius? See what your memory and imagination comeupwith.Isyourlifewhat you dreamed it would be? If not.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar 20)

If you feel cautious today, Pisces, don't be alarmed. This canbeagoodthing,Pisces,as youcanbetootrustingattimes or forget to take care when goingintosomethingnew

The most goals scored in the competition were contributed by Isiah Ifill; the captain of the Ogle Street Challengers who scored 13 goals, the Most Valuable Player of the tournament was GaryNeddoftheOgleStreet Challengers who scored 12 goals and the Best Goal was scored by Deshawn Dennis The Most Valuable Player of the Under10 competition was Trevon Glasgow of the Gulf Warriorswhoscored2goals

TheFounderoftheFitzroy Weever Foundation, Ms StaceyWeever;anAttorneyby profession, commended the young footballers who displayed maturity and football skills beyond their years. Ms. Weever emphasized that the competition had become an anticipated event which gave the young footballers, their parents,mentors,coachesand their community great pride

Shestatedthatprogressofpast participantsofthecompetition is encouraging and that she was heartened by the impact made by them in the competition, particularly the playerswhoarenownational and international footballers and those who are pursing higher education in a sport relatedfield.

Ms Weever commended theparentsandpatronsontheir impassionedsupportofallthe teams and encouraged the

young footballers to continue to seize the opportunities provided by the Government of Guyana through the MinistryofEducationandthe MinistryofCulture,Youthand Sport, the Guyana Football Federation and the private sector which will allow them to play at the highest level of competitioninGuyana

The Co-ordinator of the event Mr Bill Wilson, who coaches the Guyana Defence Force’ Team, commended the junior footballers on the improvementoftheirskillsand competitivelevelatwhichthey played the tournament Coach Wilson noted that past participants; Omari Glasgow, Jerome Harrigan, Jamar

Harrigan,TyreseDennis,Jaden Harris,IsiahIfillandIanBooker Jr were now members of Guyana’s Under20 Golden JaguarsTeam,theSeniorGolden JaguarsTeamandtheRegion4 Teamwhichwontheinaugural One Guyana President’s Cup FootballCompetition.

Coach Wilson and Ms. Weever thanked the Guyana Anglican Dioceses for providing a venue for the event over the years and lauded the generous support of the sponsors; Banks DIH Ltd , Gafoors, Builders Lumber Yard, Consultancy ExpertsInc.,TrophyStall,V I. Graham &Associates and Iconnect Cellphone Store duringtheclosingceremony

Winner of 8th Annual competition Ogle Street (left) and second placed Block 4 display their prizes.

Georgetown Dominoes Association Big Bash Minister of Sport tourney on today

The stage is set for the Georgetown Dominoes Association (GDA) – Big Bash – Minister of Sport

Edition fund-raising tournament today at the Guyana National Stadium tarmac, East Bank Demerara. The tournament,

the first of its kind to be hosted at the National Stadium will bring together affiliates of the Association aswellasteamsfromacross the country as well as Corporation, Ministries and the Private Sector Colin Boyce,VicePresidentofthe

GDAsaid the tournament is being sponsored by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Hon Charles R a m s o n a n d t h e Association’s first event for its calendar year. Also sponsoring the event is Trophy Stall of Bourda

market Boyce expressed gratitude to Minister RamsonandRameshSunich of Trophy Stall for contributing to the tournamentduringassimple presentation ceremony yesterday Prizes will be awarded to the top four

finishers with the first place team receiving $300,000 dollars and a trophy, second securing $150,000 plus a trophy, third place $75,000 andatrophyandfourthplace $35,000andatrophy

The Most Valuable Player in the final will

receive $15,000 and a Trophy Associations and first division teams will pay $15,000 to register while ministries and private sector teams will pay $10,000 registrationfee. Registrationwillcloseat 13:30hours.

Root shines before New Zealand collapse in second test

(Reuters) - An unbeaten Joe Root century and a bowling masterclass by JamesAndersonputEngland in complete control of the second test yesterday, as New Zealand’s hopes of levelling the series plunged with shambolic batting on a rain-hitdaytwo.

New Zealand were 138 for seven when showers fell midway through the last sessionatBasinReserveand forced play to be halted for theday,still297runsshortof England’s declared first inningstotalof435foreight.

Though Harry Brook (186) was denied a doublecenturyina302-runstandwith Root, the former England skipper marched on to an unbeaten153.

Ben Stokes’ declaration paid immediate dividends as Anderson, the world’s toprankedtestbowlerattheageof 40, scythed through New Zealand’stoporderwiththree quick wickets Spinner Jack Leach grabbed another three and Stuart Broad one victim, leaving wicketkeeper Tom Blundell(25notout)andtailender captain Tim Southee (23 not out) with an improbablerescuemission.

“Ijustthinkitwasabrilliant call, personally, from him,” Root said of Stokes’ declaration “Wemightnot be sat here with them seven down tonight, so credit to him” Though New Zealand werethrashedby267runsinthe series-opener in Mount Maunganui,theyhaveplumbed new depths in the nation’s capital, leaving home fans in the sold-out crowds dismayed Theirbowlerswere humiliatedbyBrookandRoot ondayone,andtheirbatsmen

crumbledmeeklyondaytwo Fiveofthemfellduetopoor shot selection, including Kane Williamson who was caught behind off Anderson forfourwithalooseshot.

top-edgedintohisownelbow, with the ball pinging over his shouldertothefielder

All-rounder Michael Bracewell later spooned a catchstraightbacktoBroadto be out for six Only opener Devon Conway (0) and number four Will Young (2) might feel at peace with their dismissals, both beaten by goodballsfromAndersonthat caughtthinedgesonthewayto wicketkeeperBenFoakes

though, as his batting partnersdwindled,thrashing theNewZealandbowlersfor 10foursandthreesixesinhis 224-ballknock. He flicked a Henry delivery over backward square for four to get past

150 and trigger Stokes’ declaration.

Withrainforecastonday three, the weather could yet thwart England’s hopes of sweepingNewZealand.

first series win in the nation since2008.

Anderson has now dismissed New Zealand’s top batsmanninetimes “It’sbeen disappointing,” New Zealand batting coach Luke Ronchi told reporters. “Because I think guys are sort of struggling with the trust element of things “But that’s the message that we’re going tokeepgivingthem,istotrust their skills”

However, a draw will be enough to complete their

Scores: New Zealand 138 for 7 (Blundell 25*, Southee 23*) trail England 435 for 8 dec (Brook 186, Root153*,Henry4-100)by 297runs.

ONE-HANDED

England’s batters also threw away wickets on day one but it was of no consequence due to Root and

CATCHES Opener Tom Latham(35)andnumberfive Henry Nicholls (30) made starts but both fell trying to reverse-sweep Leach

Number six Daryl Mitchell was out for 13 off Leach’s lastballbeforetea.OlliePope took a brilliant, one-handed catch at silly point to remove the all-rounder but Mitchell wasculpableforhittinginthe airoffthefaceofthebat Itwas Pope’s second one-hander, havingtakenthefirstwithhis left after a sweeping Nicholls

Brook’scontributions

Thetouristsstartedtheday at 315 for three, with the Yorkshireduolookingtocarry on Recalled New Zealand paceman Matt Henry ended theirepicstandwhenBrookhit areturncatchtothebowlerbut Stokes kept up the pressure with a quickfire 27 before he was caught slogging Neil Wagner to mid-off England lost 3-27 in that phase, with Bracewell trapping both Foakes (0) and Stuart Broad (14) lbw Root stayed firm,

Ollie Pope grabbed an outstanding catch at silly point to remove Daryl Mitchell. (Getty Images)

Jack Leach plucked out three wickets during the afternoon. (Getty Images)

No frontrunner as GOA’s nomination day nomination deadline draws near Electionssetfor

ByRawleToney

March14

The GOAwill host their elections on March 14, where for the first time in almost three decades, they will have a new president since an age-limit clause in the new constitution prevents current president Kalam-Juman Yassin from seekingre-election.

Following the return of theauditor’sreport,theGOA set a February 28 deadline for nominations to their various positions on the ExecutiveCommittee.

However, there’s yet to be any public proclamation

or support for a potential candidate, though sources indicated to Kaieteur News Vice Presidents Godfrey Munroe and Dr Karen Pilgrim at the forefront of upcomingGOAelections.

The GOA’s general council, on June 16, 2022, after much deliberation, voted 29 – 13 to include the 70-year age limit for Executive Committee members The decision ultimately ended the 75year-old Yassin’s reign as GOApresident,apositionhe has held since 1996. In a

subsequent article in the Kaieteur News, Yassin stressed his support for the incoming president of the GOA, pointing out that “I would wish the new president and executive all the best, and whatever I coulddoandcontinuetodo,I wouldsodo.”

Yassin currently serves with Charles Corbin, Dr Karen Pilgrim and Godfrey Munroe as his Vicepresidents, with Hector Edwards as Secretary General and Assistant SecretaryDeionNurse.

Minister Ramson Jr visits GNS Providence ahead of the start of Senior Men’s Inter-County cricket tournament

The Minister of Youth Culture and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, along with the President of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Bissoondyal Singh, the Director of Sports Steve Ninvalle and the Chairman of Selectors Ramnaresh Sarwan visited the National Stadium Providence ahead of the re-commencement of Senior Men Inter-County Four-Day tournament after severalyearsofitsabsence.

Speaking at the press briefing the Minister RamsonJrnotedthat,“Ihave metwiththeGCBexecutives and I am pleased with the outset of the board Of which, they have my full confidence moving forward.”

He also mentioned: advancing the interest of cricketers is high on his agenda. The Minister also stated that his Ministry is adamant on making every community centre ground

ready and available to the GCB to facilitate competitionofthisnature.

The Minister also pointed out that the new allweather Cricket Academy which is being built at the Providence and also nearing completion will be available to players in the coming months for developing their craft, which is aimed at eliminatinganysuchexcuses relating to the unavailability of venues for training of our nationalathletes.

However, at present the Albion, Anna Regina a n d M a c k e n z i e community centre grounds are currently undergoing state of the art upgrades, while the community of Palmyrawillnowhaveanew stadium, similar to the Providence National stadium.

The Minister also stated that; “As part of the upgrading processthe Albion, Mackenzie and

Uitvlugt stadiums will be getting new international Cricket Council (ICC) standard lighting which will allows them to host Internationalmatches.”

According to the Minister, much are in store for cricket and sports as a whole.

The main objective is restoring the country’s International recognition that was lost over the years. In another light, he also promises the return of the U19 championship by April as well as the inter-schools tournamentbyyearend.

M e a n w h i l e , t h e ChairmanofSelectorRonnie Sarwan told Kaieteur news, “Having a full time trainer and physiotherapist, fitness ofplayersaremostimportant movingforward.”

He noted that based on information coming in the overall fitness have been improving which is a good signastheheadselector

In what could be one of the most anticipated

elections under the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), there seems to be a

cloud of uncertainty over whowilltakethereinsofthe importantsportsinstitution.

The Executive Committee of the Guyana OlympicAssociation (GOA).

Amateur Boxing’s Triumph – The Patrick Forde Memorial

Combat sports hold a placeofspecialreverencein theworldofspectatorsports. It’sthebeautyinthebrutality that evokes a sentiment of cohesion that we all can, unfortunately, appreciate andcomprehend.

Boxing, in particular, is at the zenith of this human phenomenon and was evident in all its grandeur during the return of internationalpugilism[since 2019] at the National Gymnasium under the banner of the Patrick Forde MemorialChampionship.

Therelevantliteratureon the legendary pugilist is immense. However for the sake of newcomers, and casual readers, a brief trip down memory lane is a deserved and respectable exercise for this fabled figure.

Fordeetchedhisnamein the annals of Guyana’s boxing history by becoming thefirstGuyanesetocontest for a world title under the GoldenArrowhead.

His maiden attempt at international immortality endedinacontentiouslossto SalvadorSanchezofMexico for the World Boxing

C o u n c i l ( W B C ) featherweight title on September13,1980.Though he was able to acquire the WBC Fecarbox and C o m m o n w e a l t h featherweight straps respectively, Forde lost his second attempt at international glory to Panamanian Eusebio Pedroza on February 14,

1981, for the WBA featherweighttitle.

Forde, who transitioned toanotherplaneofexistence in 2011 at the tender age of 55, ended his career with a remarkable 23-fight record of19winsandfourdefeats.

G u y a n a B o x i n g AssociationPresident,Steve Ninvalle, during a posttournamentremark,said,“A lotofplanningwentintothis andwearereallyhappywith the turnout. If you go to all the spectators they will tell you that they had a wonderful time and this is what we are about, not only having the exposure for our boxers but to make sure too thatthespectatorstoohavea good time.” He further said, “Eachandeveryfightonthis card is something to be applauded and I don’t want toblowourowntrumpetbut we will try to transform this tothestatutorycompetitions that we have so that Guyanesekeepclamoringto return to the good days.You don’t have to return to the gooddays,thesearethegood daysofamateurboxing.”

The brief above-

mentioned soliloquy was an understatement of the evidence at hand, which couldbeseen,felt,andheard by the decibel level emanating from the facility Bottles of brew, each of a differentmake,coupledwith music, a military-styled band,andacocktailsection, created a distinctively inspiring environment that wasculturedbutcombative.

To use the modern or mainstreamjargon,‘Itwasa movie’, would paint an applicabledescriptionofthe cinematography, and ambiance that was at the forefront of the collective atmosphere experienced by thelegionofspectators.

The fluidity of the tournament’s logistical machinery was staggering and played a seminal role in this undertaking. Precision was the hallmark of the evening, both in and outside thesquaredcircle.

Fittingly, the prestigious event had an ensemble cast of international repute from Barbados, Suriname, St Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago, who ultimately played their parts to perfection in delivering performances worthy of the theatre Every jab, each hook,andbodyblowseemed to be met, with a collective chorus of contrasting emotions. Unmistakably, it appealed to their tribal nature, as our perceived appetite for controlled brutality, a derivative of the sweet science was on full display Afterall,thecliqued

expression of blood, sweat, andtears,whicharepavedin the journey of preparation, execution, and eventually, the conclusion of the respective battles, were mutually appreciated by the throng of screaming spectators,whocomprehend the rudimentary reality and consequences of the fistic endeavour, much to the gratitudeofthecombatants.

Theaforementionedisan unwritten law Boxing is rooted in our cultural DNA, and the Patrick Forde Memorial given its extraordinary significance a n d r e s u l t i n g accomplishmentandsuccess should be celebrated, as it provided the perfect advertisement of the discipline’s continued societalandsportingvalue.

This is a coefficient that can be measured and translated in the simplest of answers,fromoftenthemost

ardent of questions, of what can be achieved if a logical understanding of both the sport’s culture and history, a n d t h e G B A ’ s developmental plans are weddedtoperfection.

Many sub-plots were interwoven in the event, though the most prominent was the return of female international boxing, as means of preparation for impending international campaigns. For this simple decision, acclamations should be forthcoming for the leadership of the GBA, giventheindifferencethatis often meted out to women’s sports. The only criticism, though of a minimum consequence, that could be foisted on the tournament is t h a t m o r e f e m a l e internationalfights,ofwhich three transpired on the evening, should have occurred. One suspects that this reality will be

accommodated in future editions Overall, the flawless execution of the eventbytheGBAillustrates that a notable market exists for the product given its overwhelming achievement. The marriage of a festival and fight night, which could be used to appropriately describe the evening’s proceedings, illustrates the steps required for not only the resuscitation but the future for the sustained growthofthesport. Given the response and overwhelming turnout, one wonders what can be achievedifboxingwastobe given the fiscal assistance often afforded to other disciplines of less a c c e s s i b i l i t y a n d egalitarianism, and historic status.Amateurboxingison the right path and in good hands That can’t be questioned! Kudos to the GBA.

Imlach 62 as Demerara post 228-9, Permaul 4-47 on the first day of Men’s Inter-county four day tournament

Senior Men’s Intercountyfirstroundbowledoff yesterday at the Guyana N a t i o n a l S t a d i u m Providence. Demerara went up against Berbice, Berbice won the toss and decided to field. Demerara posted 2289 on the first day with VeersammyPermaulpicking up 4-47 from 27.1 overs. TevinImlachmadeapatient half century, while Leon Johnson and Christopher Barnwellweretheonlyother batters to get scores over twenty (21 and 28 runs respectively).

Opening the innings for the Demerara side, Matthew Nandu and Sachin Singh got offtoaslowstart NialSmith and Romario Shepherd

opened the bowling for the Berbice The opening pair bowledafewtidyoversbefore Nandu moved into double figures with a brilliant flick down to the square leg boundaryforfour Shepherd later pealed the edge of Sachin Singh to give Kevin Sinclair an easy catch at third-slip.Berbicepickedup theirfirstwicketondayone, thescore27-1. TevinImlach joined Nandu at the crease pushedthescoreto39-1atthe endofthefirstsessiononDay One Atlunch39-1Nanduon 13 and Imlach on 7 Nandu and Imlach returned to the crease after the lunch break, with the ball Veersammy Permaul bowled a few tidy oversbeforeheeventuallygot

his man dismissing Nandu; tryingtoforceadeliverydown to the square leg boundary onlytofindthehandsofJavid Karim standing at the backward square-leg position. Akshaya Persaud followed shortly; trying to cutadeliveryfromSmith,he was out caught; cutting into the hands of the fielder standingatpoint.

Leon Johnson and Imlach were looking to play themselves in at the crease, quickly pushing the score to 92-3 before Johnson gifted Kevin Sinclair his first wicket, patting a gentle full toss into the hands of Junior Sinclair standing at mid-on. The score now 92-4 when ChristopherBarnwelljoined

Imlach, with a cameo contribution of 28 runs in a 57 runs partnership between thetwo,pushingthescoreto 121-4 from 52 overs at the endofthesecondsession.

Barnwell and Imlach returned after tea, Imlach moving into the forty’s with anexquisitecut-shotforfour totakehimto43runsnotout followedbyacoupleoffours throughtheoffsidetoregister a well constructed half centuryinseniorinter-county cricket Barnwell eventually got out; edging one through to first slip off the bowling of Junior Sinclair Demerara slipped to 149-5 in the final session on the first day of play, they later lost Ronaldo

Ali Mohamed taking the score to 169-6, Shortly after Imlachwent;trappedinfront hisstumpsoffthebowlingof Permaul, out LBW for 62 runs;hittingnineboundaries. Demerarareachedto200-7in 82.4overs.

Ashmead Nedd was out caughtatthecover-positionto givePermaulhisthirdwicket

oftheday StevenSankarwas last to get out, LBW to Permaul as he grabbed his fourthwicketofthematch. Close of play Demerara were 228-9 on Day One of the Senior Men’s InterC o u n t y F o u r - D a y tournament. Day Two is scheduledtostartat10:00hrs ontodayatthesamevenue.

Veerasammy Permaul Tevin Imlach

Desmond ‘Dynamite’Amsterdam (standing) knockdown of Trinidadian Nickell Joseph (on his knees) was a fitting result to the immense billing of the card.

Steve Ninvalle, GBAPresident

Imlach 62 as Demerara post 228-9, Permaul 4-47 on the first day of Men’s Inter-county four day tournament

Sports

Root shines before New Zealand collapse in second test

JamesAnderson struck twice in his spell before lunch. (AFP/Getty Images)

Colin Boyce, Vice President of the Georgetown DominoesAssociation receives one of the trophies from a representative of Trophy Stall.

Minister of Culture,Youth and Sports Charles Ramson Jr along with President of the GCB Bissoondyal Singh met with both teams ahead of the start of the Senior’s inter-county tournament.