Kaieteur News

Citizens have a right to receive all information on oil and gas sector

AccordingtotheNatural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), it is imperativethatgovernments are upholding their constitutional duty to be transparent with citizens on how their resources are beingexploited.Itsaidrules and regulations ought to be inplacetoensurethatthereis a smooth flow of information to the people so that they can hold their e l e c t e d o f f i c i a l s accountable.

The Institute noted that therulesgoverningaccessto information on resource management are usually spread across different documents in a country’s legalframework.Itsaidthat these rules can make disclosureofcertaintypesof information mandatory, or they can create processes that citizens can use to compel the government to release specific pieces of information.

The Institute said that while the government is expected to release informationproactively,one must consider if the legal

-Int’lBody

Natural Resource Governance Institute

framework includes rules that enable access to information.

The Institute said, “It is important to consider w h e t h e r p r o a c t i v e disclosureismandated,orif disclosure is only required u p o n r e q u e s t The government should release almost all information proactively Request systems can be a useful complementtotheproactive release of data, but they should not be the primary method by which citizens can access information, as the need to go through a request process can significantly hamper access.”

Itcontinued,“Ifrequests are required, what are the grounds on which an institution can deny a request? How quickly are institutions required to respond?Whatistheprocess for an appeal? Are there

prohibitive fees for

accessing information? Does the legal framework include rules that prevent accesstoinformation?”

The Institute said that these are important questionsthatcitizensofoilproducing nations need to address.

The Institute also noted thatimportantplacestolook for these provisions include requirements in sector legislation and regulations, information laws, and provisions in contracts betweenthegovernmentand extractivecompanies.

NRGI said that where contracts are not publicly available,itcanbehelpfulto

consider model contracts to see if there is a standard clause agreed between

extractivecompaniesandthe governmentthatprevents

2023 - A MAKE OR BREAK YEAR FOR GUYANESE

We can look back at all that happened and frown. Weprefertolookaheadinthisbright

newyearandhope. Wehavebeengiventhe gifts,nowwemustdigdeepwithinourselves,andproveto beworthyofthesparklingendowmentsthatareours. Itcan be a glorious 2023 for all Guyanese, but we must do our part,eachoneofus.

Onthisthefirstdayinthisbrand-newyear,wehavethis to say to our fellow Guyanese. Let there be health to appreciatewhatwehave,lettherebethestrengthtoputour best foot forward to get the most from what is there, now beyonddoubt.

Weremindfellowcitizensofsomethingthatshouldbe familiartomany Itisofyoungstudentenrichedwithmany talents, great potential which everyone recognizes, but of which the unimpressive comes, sometimes nothing at all.

For the wondrous personal gifts are wasted, through folly and numerous failures. Because there was little listening, less preparing and dedicating of priorities and energies towards things that were positive. There was only the arroganceofbelievingthatthereisknowingwhentherewas noknowingatall.

We have seen such human wreckages littering the wayside and alleyways. What applies to individuals also has its place in the life and times of nations. Nations especiallygiftedmustrisetotheirfullpotentialbymaking thebestuseoftheirendowments,andtotheextentthatthey succeed in becoming the talk of the world. In 2021, and even more fluently in 2022, Guyana transformed from a sleepy, backward, unacclaimed country to the talk on the lipsofalmosteveryone.

Wehavethefoundationbelow Whatwedowithitisup tous,inourhandsfirst.

Sofar,wehavefailedtodowhatiswise,notevenwhat helpsourinterests. Butthatwaslastyear,theyearsbefore. This year, this 2023, must not follow in the same pattern. We,theGuyanesepeople,mustseetothat,anddosowith our hearts and our souls. Let that be our resolution. Nothingwillcomeourwayeasily,orinthefreegenerosity ofothers. Wearegoingtohavetogetupandgetwhatisdue tous. Asalways,weclarify-asweget,othersmustalsoget for the caliber of their expertise, their range of resources, andthedepthsoftheircommitments. Thatisonlyfair,and wemustbeexemplaryinfairness.

Similarly,wecannotbesosubmissivetothevisionsof othersthatwepunishourown. Weharbornohatredforour leaders, either in the PPPC Government or the Coalition Opposition, for that does not help them or one Guyanese. Theyhaveourassuranceofpresenceandvoice,butonthe onenonnegotiableconditionthattheymusterthecourageto fight with their last ounce of strength to lift us out of the poverty-strickenranks. Guyanahasbeengiventhemeans; our leaders must devise the methods to leverage our birthright into what is right and bright for us, the first shareholdersinthispatrimony

This new year must mark the fresh and inspiring beginningofmovingfromwhatcouldbe(potential)towhat is(reality).

We have the resources; we must accelerate the development of the muscular human resources, none as muchasleadershipresources. Thetimeforfeeblenessand shrinking (or gaming) must be about was yesterday’s behaviours. This2023mustbecharacterizedbyleadership vigor,leadershipacumen,andrealleadershipefforts. This year must be about Guyanese to get out of the gutter and drivetheirwaytohighereconomicground. Wecannotwilt; wemustnotfalter

Guyanese have a duty to push their leaders forward. Thisisamakeorbreakyearforthiscountryanditscitizens. TheGuyanesepoorcannotproceedatthesamepedestrian pace. Let2023provetobeallofthis. Itcanbewhenwe decidethatwemustandwillliveuptoourpossibilities,our potentialforprosperitytoall,includingourpartners.

A Happy New Year to everyone, beginning with our fellowGuyanesefirst.

THE CHALLENGE OFABCE DIPLOMATS IN GUYANA

DEAREDITOR, Napoleonic Wars when the It must be stressed that Formal independence of The great Austrian balance of power was the the concert worked for the hitherto colonized lands diplomat and statesman, dominant system of Europe and in Europe, but and peoples of the Third Clemens von Metternich, European continental nottherestoftheworld.The Worldwasonlyonemoment (1773-1859), declared in security nineteenth century saw the in the long history of our 1809 that the diplomatic Metternich’s strategy in massive expansion of emancipation. Both before strategy of the Habsburgs is the longue durée, was to Europeanimperialconquest. a n d a f t e r f o r m a l t o “ t o a v o i d a n y forestall France’s bid for It took one hundred and independence were the engagements whatsoever continental hegemony It thirty-three years (India’s decades of struggles andtoflatter.” worked in part because after independence in 1947) for institutionally channelled Metternich’s lesson may the defeat of Napoleon in the geometry of colonialism through movements have been appropriate 1814,theConcertofEurope to begin to fracture and includingbutnotlimitedto during the era of the beganitsillustriouscareer disintegrate.

Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox

Tackling poverty in new year requires a “systems” approach, not more Santa Claus strategies

DEAREDITOR, poorer and the rich will get

THE CHALLENGE OFABCE DIPLOMATS...

The other Guyana is currency is still lower than improvement” and “Santa Agreements (CBAs) and The Renegotiationist richer living hand-to-mouth in Haiti’s. Claus”approaches. implement them on an Movement and spokesmen We have two Guyanas – persistent poverty, praying While some progress is We usually say in ongoing basis, not impose have focused on the notion one filthy and deliriously that the nation’s oil wealth being made under the PPP, systems theory that “the arbitrary increases The that unless Guyana rich comprising of willmakethemrichsoon.So wehavetorunfaster,longer, whole is not the sum of its PPP/PNC contempt for renegotiates all natural Government officials and far, this is wishful thinking. harder to lift the working parts.”Whereisthe5or10- unions must stop Those resource contracts, their contractor friends (an Guyana has been behind in poor out of poverty This year National Development CBAs have as much especially those in oil/gas emerging local oligarchy) every social development requires a structured Equity Plan with strategies “sanctity of contract” as in and gold, to get more who live as every day is indicator after 60 years of “systems approach” not and timelines versus cherry- theworstoilcontractsinthe income, the poor will get Christmas. both the PNC and PPP Our ongoing “random acts of picking and piecemeal world that the PPP/PNC projects? We must give refuse to change under the credittotheGovernmentfor guise that those giveaway increasing salaries for those contractshave“sanctity.” in the military, health Government must services, and public service. develop structured ways to Free cement and steel are steadily increase Old Age good things The PPP Pensions, NIS benefits, Government’s housing unemployment benefits, programme is in overdrive benefitstotheself-employed and is its most outstanding andprivatesectoremployees accomplishment. who get no percentage

Frompage4 Napoléon more than anyone integration such as is being inclusivegrowth.Weshould Pan African Congresses, else),wouldstandtoday developed in today’s oil and proceed in no other way I Satyagraha, and (and Pan In Guyana, the ABCE gassector know that inclusive growth Africanism more broadly), stood firmly against the The challenge of the and inclusive excellence are and inter alia, the Bandung attempts by theAPNU-AFC ABCE countries is to indivisible, and I urge the ConferenceinIndonesia. to conduct election fraud. continue to stand strong on diplomatic community to Armed struggles of Theystoodupagainstallthe the protection of democracy avail resources aimed at liberationwerealsowagedin technologies employed by inGuyana.Theyhavestrong broadening the base of Kenya, Indonesia, Algeria, the leading intellectuals of record in this area. It is also entrepreneurial competence. and Vietnam, among others. the PNCR, WPA, and AFC, good to see more A diversity-based fund for The freedoms of today were who were determined to convergence of their start-upswouldgoafarway earned by the peoples of the publicly steal votes by a economic interests with in accelerating inclusive ThirdWorld. combination of intimidation ours. excellence.

The reflections above and harassments of polling What the ABE countries ItistheNewYear,andwe may also usefully serve as agents. need to be careful about is have new opportunities; the basis for some thoughts But the ABCE were not not to mix up the internal 2022 was a great challenge about the role ofABCE and alone. The stalwarts were history and politics of the but we made it through. other diplomats in Guyana. also from the Caribbean. A United States with that of Please allow me to T h e A B C E h a s a propos, the indefatigable Guyana.Theconcernhereis personally express thanks to complicatedroletoplay Sarah Ann-Lynch, Owen the extent to which the the diplomatic community The central question Arthur, and Mia Mottley set rhetoric of the opposition to forthehardwork. concernsDirectIntervention a new standard of direct thePPP/CinGuyanaisoften And of course, a special by residing heads of intervention. They did it to constructed around images thanks to the departing missions and their uphold the democratic will and imaginaries of American Ambassador, embassies. ofthepeople. oppression in America Sarah Ann-Lynch Thank

Surely, Metternich’s The diplomacy of the Guyana has a dramatically you for your sustained perspective on engagement ABEcountries(notCanada) different post-independence “engagement”. andflatterycannotwork.We inGuyanaiscomplicatedfor history

You have been the saw what happened in nootherreasonthatprevious This writer strongly antidotetoMetternich. Rwanda when more time foreign interventions are supports the ABCE’s Sincerely, was spent defining partly responsible for many perspectivesondiversityand Dr.RandolphPersaud “genocide” than taking ofthechallengesthiscountry concrete steps to stop the nowfaces. mass killings.We are seeing Thepoliticsofracecame the same thing in Myanmar, directly out of Cold War where the atrocities against global politics when foreign theRohingyashavenotbeen interventionsowedtheseeds met with the quality of of division At a more coercive diplomacy that structural level, our manythinkisnecessary economy was configured

Neither British splendid around the economic isolation of the early interests of foreign planter nineteenth century, nor classes and MNCs without Metternich’s flattery sufficient local content (perhaps meant more for protections or horizontal

Public infrastructure is increases as Government moving along although they workers get (farmers, taxiare suspiciously high-priced drivers, boat workers, retail and shoddy work is being workers,etc.).

approved. But everything in Wemustdesignasystem Guyana needs fixing in a togivebenefitsto“working” hurry and with oil; the housewiveswhotakecareof people have rising their families Devise a expectations and are system that delivers on an impatient. Poor people want ongoing basis so the the good life now because President, VP and Ministers they see the oil people and are not in perpetual “Santa rich people living large Claus” roles delivering every day The “systems goodies.Thenation’swealth approach” requires belongs to the people. The Government to honour wealthdoesnotbelongto Collective Bargaining (Continuedonpage6)

Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox

ANewYear’s Resolution for Guyana’s Politicians: Hasn’t

DEAREDITOR, and dominated by a fierce communities preserved thepopulation. took place in the Swiss andnotduckaway.” As a Guyanese of the politicaldiscourse. extensive local autonomy Failure to do so was national parliament The Reconciliation, as the Diaspora living in Ittookabriefcivilwarin including self-government, likelytoresultindefeatatthe seven-person Federal outgoingFederalCouncillor Switzerland and Germany, I 1848 to sweep away the old therighttoraisetaxesandto ballotbox. Council, which is the Simonetta Sommaruga have been following order of the Swiss allocate funds according to The mechanisms of executive body governing teaches us, requires a Guyanesepoliticscloselyfor C o n f e d e r a t i o n o f thelocalneeds. compromise finding Switzerland, had seen the willingness to compromise, the last few years. What has independent cantons and The concepts of direct enshrined in the Swiss resignation of two of its respect, trust and sincerity struck me most is the creates the modern Swiss d e m o c r a c y w e r e constitution of 1848 members, Simonetta Andtheawarenessthatthere uncompromising nature of FederalState. subsequently developed and transformed Switzerland Sommarugarepresentingthe is something bigger at stake politics in my mother’s As a result, Switzerland introduced. into one of the most stable leftist Social Democratic than one’s own sensitivities homeland. became the first republic in It meant, for example, democracies in the world PartyandUeliMaurerofthe ifonewantstogetahead. Thereistheabsenceofa Europe.Thenewnationwas that any law passed by the and laid the foundations for national conservative Swiss What will it take for the political culture of seeking organized as a federal state nationalparliamentcouldbe its rise from a poor PeoplesParty OnDecember dominant political forces in solutions to the nation’s key withaconstitutionmodelled challenged by a national agricultural state lacking 7, 2022, Federal Councillor Guyana, the PPP and problems by genuine along the lines of referendum. natural resources to a Simonetta Sommaruga, APNU+AFC, to abandon consultation, assessing the constitutionoftheonlyother This simple mechanism modern industrial nation s h o w e d u s h o w their policy of obstruction positions of the key republic of the time, the forced the main parties in providing education, health reconciliation works. In her and marginalization for one stakeholders, and finding UnitedStatesofAmerica.As parliament to find solutions care, social security, farewell speech on the floor o f c o o p e r a t i o n , compromises that tie in also a result, Switzerland got a for the country’s pressing economicopportunities,and of the Swiss parliament, she reconciliation, and thepartiesintheopposition. central government, a two- problems by seeking prosperity to the broad addressed her political compromise finding for the In Switzerland, the c h a m b e r n a t i o n a l c o m p r o m i s e a n d population. opponent, Ueli Maurer, bettergoodofGuyana? political culture is very parliament, and a federal reconciliation in a manner The political culture of directly. Will the people of differentdespitethefactthat judiciary thatreflectsthewishesofthe Switzerland is illustrated “Who would have Guyana have to wait for the country is multi-ethnic The cantons and their majority of the cantons and nicely by a recent event that thought that one day we political leaders of the would resign on the same calibreofNelsonMandelato day! In any case, it was not emerge for such change to agreed.Ifwehadtriedthat,it happen?

THE SILENCE ECHOES!

DEAREDITOR, Interestingly, the 33rd summarily announced as will be fully funded by the The internationally EditionofRamandMcRae’s unresponsive by the Vice taxpayers, without even renowned Chartered budgetaryanalysis,Focuson President during an allowing other prospective A c c o u n t a n t s a n d Guyana’s National Budget interview with the US Vice bidders to submit proposals Professional Services firm, 2022,madenosuchdemand News, when he was under this new financing Ram & McRae, in the 28th for comprehensive or questioned in connection arrangement. edition of their detailed technicalstudies,despitethe with alleged business To a causal bystander, it annual budgetary analysis, sum of G$21B being ventures with the now may appear strange that an titled Focus on Guyana’s allocated (and presumably infamousMr Su. internationally renowned National Budget 2018, spent). There have been no The PPP administration firm, which would have, on dedicatedanentiresectionto public calls for additional has now taken another loan behalf of the Guyanese t h e C o a l i t i o n informationonproposedtoll ofUS$172MfromtheChina people, demanded a holistic administration’sproposalfor fees or other financial Exim Bank for this project, and comprehensive the construction of a New arrangements. despite boasting that over approach for such an DemeraraRiverBridge. No concerns were raised US$1B will be deposited in important and massive Intheir2018publication, about the impact of our the National Resource Fund infrastructure project, has RamandMcRaeinsistedthat national debt, or the for2022,noexplanationhas five years later, dropped e x p a n s i v e a n d proposed financing beenofferedontherationale those demands for high comprehensive technical agreements No questions of adding this loan to our standards in government’s studies, including a full about the proposed route of National Debt, monies infrastructureprojects. feasibility study, a traffic thenewbridge,itsproximity which willhaveto be repaid However, those of us study, a full Environment and impact on communities by future generations, when living under the two-sided Impact Assessment (EIA) thatitwilllandinthemiddle interestfreefundsarereadily umbrella of One Guyana and geotechnical studies of – so much for detailed available. understand that the should be completed before studies. In fact, this year’s No information is GuardiansofDemocracyare the commencement of the report makes no mention of availableonthetollsthatthe nolongeronsentryduty proposedbridge. the New Demerara River end users will be forced to Our armchair engineers, The28thEditionalsodid Bridge other than listing it pay, especially when based and technical experts, once an analysis on the proposed under the government’s on prior experience, tolls of soprevalentfromthefirstof toll structure for the proposedcapitalprojects. the level of the Berbice thecoalitionyears,havenow proposed bridge, which was The PPP administration Bridge(G$2,200percar)are fallenintodeepslumberand listedatG$500percarforthe has awarded a contract for possible. our accountability sentinels first three years and US$260M to a contractor, Therehasbeennopublic arenolongeraseagleeyedas afterwards increasing by without any comprehensive commentonthefactthatthe intheveryrecentpast. fixed increments in the studies (technical or PPP administration, invited Asthesilenceechoes,we subsequentyears.Thereport financial).Further,theaward bids under a Design-Build- should be reminded in the questioned the viability and was mired in controversy Financeprocurementmodel; wordsofGinettaSagan,that sustainability of this with the cabinet’s approved however, they have now “Silence in the face of proposedtollstructure. top ranked contractor, being awarded a contract which injustice is complicity with theoppressor.”

Therefore, we can all take note, that the silence is deafening and speaks volumes to those who have ears!!

Yourstruly, DavidPatterson

probably wouldn’t have Iamadvocatingherethat worked. Because you can we cannot wait any longer hardly be much more andthetimehascomeforthe differentthanthetwoofusin current political leaders to the Federal Council,” she adoptanewpoliticalculture said.

of reconciliation,

And she emphasized the compromise and mutual -perhapsonly-thingthetwo respect as part of their New had in common: the job of Year’sresolutionsfor2023. seeking solutions - “even This should be followed withpeoplefromwhomone by a process of extensive ispoliticallyfarremoved,in constitutional reforms the Federal Council and in enshriningthisnewpolitical Parliament. culture in the nation’s

Because viable solutions institutions at the executive, are possible “if we move legislative, and judicial towardeachother.” levels and empowering the

S h e c o n t i n u e d : Guyanese people with tools “Concordance requires ofdirectdemocracy respect and trust. It only I hope that this vision worksifyoucancountonthe will not remain a mere otherpartytomove,thatyou fantasy arenottheonlyoneoffering Sincerely, ahandforsolutions.Andthat AndreBrandli,PhD you will stand up for the P r o f e s s o r, L M U compromiseyouhavefound Munich

Tackling poverty in...

Frompage5 When politicians give out politicians. Government national resources, it’s what functionaries are mere belongs to the people, not guardiansandcaretakers. theirpersonalresources.

I suspect the reason why Guyananeedsstructured, Government relies on Santa sustainable plans and Claus approaches is because strategies for development. they want people to be Government must stop beholdentothem,andmaybe playing Santa Claus and showgratitudebyvotingfor revealabigger“EquityPlan” them. forall10regionsofGuyana.

It’s the equivalent of We look for change and someone putting a mala bettergovernancedesignsin around their fridge every 2023. timetheytakeoutanitemto Let’sworktogetherfora use. The things in the fridge “Happy New Year!” It’s our belong to you. The fridge is country and our wealth, and not giving it to you. In the wemustcare! same way, the nation’s Sincerely, wealthbelongstothenation.

Dr JerryJailall

the time come for a new political culture of reconciliation and compromise or will this remain a fantasy forever?

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

GRENADIANS SHOW GUYANESE POLITICIANS AND OFFICIALS

It is good to start 2023 with a highly ethical example; Grenadian officials have set an example for Guyanese politicians and officials, Don’t take any gifts offered.

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

The second message is this: don’t ask for any.

The third is don’t expect any.

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

These are simple, but high standards to follow.

Bottom-line: if these standards are followed, Guyanese have clean governance.

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

When they are not, we live with what we have in Guyana... Dirty politicians, and crooked public servants, which Guyana has in abundance!

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

188 Criminal cases disposed of in 2022 by DPP

For the year 2022, 188 cases were disposed of by the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

Ofthecasesdisposedof,138 received attention in the High Court while 50 matters were nolle prosequi (a legal notice or entry of record that the prosecutor or plaintiff has decided to abandon the prosecution or lawsuit) by theDPP

The DPP's office in statement gave a breakdown of the cases. The statement explained that of the 138 cases, 93 were presented at the Demerara Assizes, 20 at theBerbiceAssizesand25at theEssequiboAssizes.

Of the matters, there were65casesfortheoffence of Murder, 59 cases for Sexual Offences, 9 cases for the offence of attempt to commit murder, 4 cases for the offence of manslaughter and 1 case for the offence of murder in the furtherance of a robbery

There were also 45 convictions, 53 guilty pleas, 26 formal verdicts of not guilty, 25 not guilty verdicts by jury, 4 Hung Juries, 2 Discontinued matters and 1 QuashedIndictment.

Additionally, in 2022, the DPP's Office received 237 Committal Documents; 115ofthesefromtheCounty of Demerara, 45 from the County of Berbice and 77 from the County of Essequibo.

Ofthese237depositions, 141 have been indicted, 23 charges were discontinued, 63 are receiving attention, and 10 were remitted to the

Magistrates'Courts.

The DPP's Office proffered legal advice in 7,294 police files received from the Guyana Police Force(GPF).

CourtofAppeal Counsel for the DPP appeared in 28 Appeals in the Court ofAppeal. In these matters, the State was represented by Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, AssistantsDirectorofPublic Prosecutions (ADPP), Ms. Dionne McCammon, Mrs. Teshana Lake, Mrs Mercedes Glasford, Mrs Diana O'Brien, Ms. Natasha Backer and Senior State CounselLisaCave.

Of these 28 appeals, one was for the offence of obtaining money by false pretense, eight for the offence of murder, seven for the offence of rape, seven for manslaughter and one e a c h f o r f e l o n i o u s wounding, inflicting grievous bodily harm, robbery under arms, causing death by dangerous driving and buggery and indecent assault Thirty appellants appearedintheseappeals.

Six applications were for bail pending appeal, the COA granted one appellant bailbutdeniedtheotherfive.

Five matters to appeal against sentences and convictions were heard; the appellants in three of these were allowed their applications in part and had theirconvictionaffirmedbut sentences varied from 81 years to 50 years, from 70 yearsto22yearsandfrom25 years to 20 years. The other

appellant had his sentence and conviction set aside and a retrial ordered within the nextpracticablesittingofthe criminal assizes. The COA dismissed one application to appeal.

Seventeen applications for Leave to File and Serve Notices of Appeal and for Extension of Time to File and serve Notices of Appeal wereheardandgranted.

In 2022, 15 matters for criminaloffenceswereheard in the Demerara Full Court. Seven of these were for possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking, three for trafficking in narcotics, and one each for the offences of unlawful possession, murder, affiliation, assault causing actual bodily harm and operating a civil aircraft without an airworthiness certificate

Of these 15 matters, the applications for five appellantswereallowed;one

of these will have a new hearing, two had their conviction and sentences set aside and another two were granted their applications to appeal and to file for extension of time to file notice of appeal. Another five appellants were granted their applications in part.

The appeals against convictions were dismissed but their sentences were varied The Full Court dismissed four applications while one appellant discontinuedhisapplication.

The Berbice Full Court heard one matter for the offence of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking. The application to file a notice of appeal was granted.

Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)

During 2022, counsel for the DPPappeared at the CCJ infourmatters.

According to the statement from the DPP's

office, one of the cases was in relation to an application by Marcus Bisram who was charged with murder for the quashing of the Direction by the DPP to the Magistrate pursuant to section 72(2)(ii)(a) of the Criminal Law (Procedure) Act Chapter 10:01 The CCJ found that the Section was unconstitutional and granted theapplication.

The other three matters were appeals from the Court of Appeal decisions in relation to the offences of rapeandmurder

One was for the offence of rape and assault causing actualbodilyharm.

The appeal against the conviction was dismissed and the appeal against the sentencewasallowed.

The sentence was reduced from 23 years to 12 years.

Theothertwocaseswere for the offence of murder. In one of them, the mother and

violence cases

her lover were charged for the murder of the deceased child.

The CCJ allowed the appeal against conviction andsentenceforthemother's lover The appeal against the conviction for the mother wasdismissedbuttheappeal against sentence was allowed. The sentence for themotherwasreducedfrom 106 years to 30 years imprisonment with no eligibility for parole before 15years.

The other matter is an appealagainsttheconviction and sentence. The appeal against the conviction was dismissed but the appeal against the sentence was allowed. The court is to give thedecisioninrelationtothe sentence.

M e a n w h i l e , t h e statement noted that the Demerara January 2023 Criminal Assizes will open th onTuesday10 January.

There are 307 cases listed to be heard. Justices Jo-Ann Barlow, Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and Simone Morris-Ramlall have been roistered to sit duringthisAssizes.

Justice Navindra Singh will continue the Berbice October 2022 Assizes in January until February 2023 when the February Criminal Assizes will commence on th Tuesday 7 February, 2023. And the Essequibo October, 2022sessionwillcontinuein January 2023 with Justice SandilKissoon.

The Essequibo February Criminal Assizes will open st on Tuesday 21 February, 2023.

The Ministry of Human Services a n d S o c i a l

Security has recorded approximately 900 cases of domestic violence for the year2022.

Subject Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud had announced the Ministry would be keeping track of the cases via the 914 hotline. She said a total of 360 domestic violence cases were reported via the 914 hotline during the first six monthsof2022.

This represented an increase in reports when compared to the 260 cases that were reported for the sameperiodin2021.

“Anumber of calls came in via the 914 hotline were directly related to domestic

violence at least 40% of those calls were related to domestic violence of all different forms,” the Ministersaid.

Dr Persaud said the ministry is paying keen attention to the situation and is working on extending shelters for persons facing abuse.

She noted that, “Right now, we are working on two shelters to add to the shelters thatwehaveinexistenceand have partnership we have with NGO for persons who are faced with domestic violence.”

“There are people who see it, they get into a habit of reportingit,andwealsohave been training the Police Force in the top squad initiative.We'vetrainedover

4800 of those persons so next we'll be able to have a graduation for them,” the Ministersaid.

The914hotlineinitiative came even as sustained efforts are being made locally to raise awareness aboutthesocietalscourge.

In collaboration with the Spotlight Initiative Guyana, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security launched an 'iMatter application' in 2022 to provide quick access to Government's services related to gender-based violence via an electronic panic button and to provide access to the 914 toll-free domesticabusehotlines.

According to the MidYear Report released by the Ministry of Finance last

year, of the 360 cases recorded for the first half of the year, a total of 46 were addressed by the legal aid services. The victims were notclassifiedbygender.

For its part, the government has promised a complete overhaul of the

Domestic Violence Act (1996) to help tackle the social issue. As part of the 2022 legislative agenda, with a view to address major s o c i a l i s s u e s , t h e government has also promised to overhaul the SexualOffencesAct(2010).

Over the years, there weremanycasesofdomestic violence cases that ended in death As such, Minister P e r s a u d h a s b e e n encouragingpersonstowork with the ministry to spread awareness to help reduce domesticviolence.

The Supreme Court of Judicature

Has Jagdeo ever heard of the law of unintended consequences?

The law of unintended care drivers depend on aimedatpopularitybuilding are being created by the with much more time for consequences relates to student passengers to boost and vote-catching? Was it a government are crowding themselvesandfamilies. outcomes which were theirdailyincomes. Insome andbrainwaveinitiativethat out private sector The government’s partneither predicted no areas,thefreetransportation wasill-conceived? development. Even though time jobs initiative has had intendedbutwhichoccurred provided by the Granger There is no White Paper the jobs are part-time, they unintended consequences. It nonetheless. In some cases, administration crowded out of Green Paper or any paper areconsideredaseasywork. has aggravated the awarded government the consequences are theprivatetransportsector– at all available about the Some persons prefer to take difficulties of the private contracts are finding positivebutitothersitcanbe anunintendedconsequence. aims and objectives of this theparttimejobandusethe sectorinfindingemployees. difficultiessecuringworkers negative. Fortunately,theinitiative initiative.Thedetailsappear other hours to do as they There is a contradiction to complete the works on Sometimes, actions and did not benefit a substantial to be one man’s head. The please This means that whereby, on one hand, the timeandwithinbudget. policies which are intended numbers of students in any part-time job initiative businesspersons and even initiative appears aimed at (The views expressed in and generally accepted as areaandthereforeitsimpact appears to be a welfare private citizens looking for curbing or reducing this article are those of the being good, can have was not that severe on scheme conceived in the employees are finding great unemployment but on the author and do not negative and unintended private transport operators. mindofsomeone. difficulties. They are being otherhandtheprivatesector necessarily reflect the consequences. And this is But had it expanded, as was It is also suspected that toldbymanythattheyprefer is now scurrying in a opinions and beliefs of this whyitalwaysadvisablethat e x p e c t e d h a d t h e the part-time jobs to work the part- time jobs desperate bid to find n e w s p a p e r a n d i t s before implementing any APNU+AFC been reelected programme is a damage- because it provides them workers And ironically, affiliates.) initiative, governments tooffice,itwouldhaveeaten control measure aimed at with a decent income and contractors who have been shouldcarefullyconsiderthe into the private transport boosting the popularity possible adverse and market held by private ratings of theVice President unintended implications of minibusesandhirecars. followingthefalloutofover itsactions. But the experience there the controversy which When David Granger forewarned about the erupted over the Vice News wasthePresidentofGuyana, dangers of unintended feature. Why else would the heintroducedaninitiativeto consequences. It established initiative be spearheaded by provide transportation for the need for all government Jagdeo rather than by the schoolchildren This initiatives to have detailed MinistryofLabour? initiative was welcomed assessmentsofbothintended The initiative has because it was aimed at and possible unintended however had some assisting students who may consequences. unintended consequences have had difficulties either At present, there is an Evenbeforeitwaslaunched, accessing or affording initiativebeingimplemented business persons in the transportationtoschool. by the PPPC administration private sector, including in

For parents, it meant and which hardly anyone the construction and havingtospendlessontheir wouldoppose.Itisbeingled commercial sectors, were children’s transportation by Vice President Bharrat complaining about a There was considerable Jagdeo and it is aimed at shortage of employment, savingsbyparentsespecially providing part-time jobs to even though both anecdotal thosewhosechildrenliveda more than 10,000 Guyanese evidence and official fair distance from their i n G u y a n a ’ s t e n statistics pointed to schools. As such, the Administrative Regions. relatively high levels of initiative apart from getting Guyanese, particularly, unemployment in the children to school also had unskilled unemployed economy. the benefit of allowing persons, have welcomed the Jagdeo’s initiative, by parents to save sums which initiativesinceitputsmoney dolingoutpart-timejobs,has they otherwise would have intheirpockets. aggravated this problem. In had to spend on their But to what extent was almost every sector, children’stransportation. this initiative properly including finding domestics

But the free school conceived?Diditariseoutof and babysitters, there is a transportationdidhavesome any proper study of the problem. Storeowners are unintended consequences labour market, one which advertising for workers and Particularly in rural areas would have identified areas have difficulties finding where the volume of of greatest need and largest persons.Whatisthereason? passenger traffic is low, hire gaps? Or was this initiative

Dem boys seh...

Thepart-timejobswhich

A man know about de rigging before it even plan

Well hear dis now on de fuss day of de people life in jeopardy Dat is wan fancy year De nation gat some characters and a story wah hard fuh go down dem boys halfandnotallofdemdoeslivehere.Dem throat.Butdatisdetypeofcountrywelive mancouldwritemysterybook. in.Guyanesecouldatspinningyarns.

One man claim how he know about de It mek dem boys remember de story of elections rigging even before de riggers manwahgetstopbydepoliceearlyonNew themselvesknow Abirdbindropinponhe Year’s morning. He remember he mother windowsill and tell he how certain things didtellhefromsmalldathemussneverlieto gan happen and who gan be involved, even depolice. thoughdesamepeoplewahsupposedtobe So when de police ask he, “”Sir yuh involved nat even know dat dem gan be beendrinking?” involved.

Demananswer,“Yes,officer-7beers,5

Datiswhydemannahsehnuttingeven shotsofrumandabout4glassesofwine.” thoughifhebincomeoutandtalkaboutde De police turn to he and she, “Ok I’m vision he get, he could ah save de country goingtoaskyoutotekabreathalyzertest.” fivemonthsofagony

To which de man replied, “What! You Demansehevennowhecan’tcall,come don’tbelieveme?” orgoinfrontnocourtbecauseheganplace

Talkhalf.Leffhalf!

I have never seen a more ironic year than 2022

My birthday was last years their junior I thatdyetheirgreyhair That I had a little chat on Friday awardfromtheEU Friday and I devoted my discussed such things with pathway is their personal with Minister, Sonia Parag mission in Guyana column to that milestone in my daughter telling her if space. It is none of our in which I asked her to for professional mylife.Peoplehavechoices that marriage makes that business to discuss it appear on The Gildarie- journalism. You would that must be respected. One gentlemanfeelhappythenit because a man dyeing his FreddieKissoon Showinthe have thought that such ofthethingsIhaveaskedmy is none of our business to hair has nothing to do with comingdays. recognition would daughter, my only child, to frown on what does not ourlivesanddevelopmentin Iintonedthatitisurgent drive SN to be more heading in a democratic do in this life is to inculcate affectus. thecountry that she does so because ethicalandprofessional. direction. But where is civil respect for the choices I am 72 years of age. If So yes, I have no what we are seeing in Why is 2022 so ironic a society heading? Check people make once those peopledonotliketodisclose problem with revealing my GuyanasinceMarch2020is year? We are witnessing a their deportment. There is prioritiesarepersonal. their age, that is a personal age. And in those 72 years simply bizarre and trend of positive and nothing in it that tells you Igrewuphearingpeople matterthatdoesnotconcern that I have lived, I have inexplicable I told the negative neutrons going not theywanttoknoworcareto ridicule older men for other humans I know never seen a year that has minister not in my lifetime in opposite direction but knowwhatdemocracyis. marryingwomenthatare30 prominent citizens over 70 beenmoreironicthan2022. h a v e I s e e n s u c h crazy direction that makes The media fits neatly in disappointment in people the dialectic so interesting. thiscategory Afterwhatthe that I thought I knew She Here is my contention and SN did to me, can’t you see responded by saying she is the reason for describing the divergent pathways of enduring the same 2022 as the most ironic in themediaandthepresident? experience. mylifetime. A competent trained mind

What is taking place in Thegovernmentisbeing like financial analyst, Joel this country has no basis in criticized constantly for not Bhagwandin keeps telling rational thinking and in being democratic. But the me that he cannot get his 2022,wesawanoceanofit. criticsofthegovernmentare analysis on the oil economy Astheyearwasabouttoend, heading for undemocratic publishedinthemainstream lookwhatoneoftheleading pathways while the media while Hamilton mediahousesdid.Itiscause governmentitselfisgoingin Greenisgivenspacealmost for national concern. It is a democratic overdrive. Isn’t threetimesaweek. dangerous trend that thisconfusingdialectics?

Finally, the two threatens democracy. I am Here is a hypothetical OppositionpartiesPNCand warning this nation that this example. The critics of the AFC. What about these two act by the Stabroek News police accuse the police of parties that tells you that in ( S N ) n e e d s i t s

stealing. The police say 2022 there were bastions of condemnatoryattention. alright, we are ashamed and democraticthinking?Onthe

Please see my column will stop our unethical contrary, government and yesterdayontheissue. practice.Buttheverypeople Oppositionwentinopposite

The newspaper took out condemning the police are direction last year My my name out of a missive it c o m m i t t i n g g r a v e opinion is that while the published. Not a discussion criminalities. government followed the onme.Notsomeoneinhigh This is what I mean by democratic signpost in praise of me, but just my theyearofironies. 2022, the two Opposition name,mynameandnothing Civil society is partieskickeditdown. else; my name that was contending that the

(The views expressed in mentionedbyaletter-writer g o v e r n m e n t i s this article are those of the

Here is evidence of the undemocratic So the author and do not moral destruction that is president leaves his office necessarily reflect the emerging in Guyana.Afew and goes around the land opinions and beliefs of this weeksbeforetheSNdidthis trying to assess people’s n e w s p a p e r a n d i t s onFridaylast,itreceivedan need. In other words, he is affiliates.)

FrederickKissoon

OP-ED:

NEW YEAR

y God! It is a have,thatisthequestion. It

Mharbouredforalongtime. discovered new day The ismaybehealthiertothinkof We have all these assets, T h e r e i s full circle of a this in a better manner all these strangers in our confidence

new day, a through this little morsel of midstnowadays. Thus,Isay that it is there newweek,anewmonth,and commonsense: what is the why not... This 2023 can ineachoneof amdoingisatreasuredcivic all in a brand-new year best approach to get the transform into that kind of us. I already spoke of a duty Sure, it has Hello 2023! Wishes for a maximum in the plenty that year,ifwewantitthatmuch. resolution,sonowIamduea considerable strains of the Happy, Healthy, and a rests below our feet, outside Ido. Iwouldlovetoobserve wishsinceIhavemadenone. spiritual. But, then again, Hearty NewYear to all. No of our range of vision my fellow Guyanese, peers The wish is that we at least what is really real that exceptions. A New Year Among the first things that from the past, and younger, talk to one another doesn’t? Therecomesatime doesthattous;well,atleast we must endeavour to effect less known ones, being able Respectfully Patiently I that we have stop talking, it does so to me, and then istoeaseuponthemistakes to manage; wear a wide will now turn up the and start acting Not somemore. ateverylevel. smile across their faces, and temperature: even playacting, but pulling our Imadeoneresolution. It Iassertthatwehadthem taketheirpassportsandpush appreciatively I place this weightandproducingworks is more of a plan and a in2022,longbefore,andwe it into some far, forgotten wish-part hope, a word of thatstandtallandbowbefore programme: I am not going grapple with this tendency, corner I am not prayer,alittlechallenge,and no man, or no moment, and to do anything different this this modus vivendi, that hallucinating because there allinvitation-beforeus. Itis for one reason only They year, as God wills it twists us into knots, and isthebeliefthattherecanbe abitofadaretoo. Reachfor are clean, correct, and Perhaps, I shall go a little leave us prostrate, and this kind of Guyana, and it the citizen who is not a conscientious. gentlerintotheday Ithinkit vulnerable to the cleverness doesn’thavetobeadozenor friend. Theyareofcitizenshipof is powerfully possible that of others Also, the a score of years from now If I can do it, so can a kind that we have never the times call for a greater quarreling that is so chronic goodwill that we can drum Whynotrightnow? anyone, everyone. I reach had. I say we must now, dealofmaturityofthespirit. that it has become up. My word! Have we got What else do we need forthePresident. Iextenda right now in this new, Once the spirit is at that inseparable from our true our work cut out for us in when we already have so hand to the Vice President. sparking,waiting2023. elevation, the mental natureshastogo. 2023, if we want to make a much? And I hope to touch and stir Mayitbeanewyearlike faculties will creep up to A fell swoop isn’t going go at it, with the ultimate If only we could learn to the Opposition Leader No! wehaveneverhad. Ithinkit assure not just full bodily tohappen,orthroughaflick objective being a better live better, teach ourselves Ididn’tforget,forthereisthe canbe. compliance, but to will the of the fingers. This is Guyana. One I would be the wisdom that each has Speaker, no less a cherished AwonderfulNewYearto physical into the oneness another area that requires proudtocallmineandinvite something of substance to brother everyone, friend, foe, that can be a trial, on long hard devoted energies, myfolksfromapreviouslife offer Whatcouldbemoreof Just in case anyone gets favourite. May God bless occasion. lots of authenticity, and any tocomevisit. Nowthere’sa commonsense than that the rough idea that I am Guyana! That means all Whattodowithwhatwe amount of reciprocal thought. ItisonethatIhave deepness within to be lecturing or preaching, all I Guyanesealso.

By: GHK LALL

that glitters is not gold’ - GAWU

TheGuyanaAgricultural employment relations contractors and suband General Workers Union characterizedbyagencyand contractors. (GAWU)onFridaysaidthat contractemploymentaddsto “For the GAWU the despitebeingencouragedby theprecariousnessofworkin situation that confronts highersalariesofferedbyoil thesector,”TheUnionsaid. workers in this sector is a companiestoworkersinthat The Agricultural Union vivid reminder that all that sector, all that glitters is not said a comparison of the glitters is not gold,” gold. working conditions in GAWU’sstatementsaid.

The Union established a GuyanawithTrinidadshows The Union however newarmtodefendtherights that it is almost “chalk to made it clear that in 2023 it thanwasanticipated. another?” industry’s workers who ofworkersintheoilsectorin cheese” The Union will continue to play its role “We were told that the The Union argued that suffered the indignation of a June2022andsubsequently, explained that its in assisting, guiding and initial annual production while workers are being wage freeze between 2015 developed relations with the computations have educatingworkersinoiland estimate (64,889 tonnes blamed for the low output, and2020undertheCoalition Oilfield Workers Trade determined that Guyanese gassectoroftheirrightsand sugar) was arrived at after a theindustryharvestednearly Government. This massive Union (OWTU) of Trinidad workersarepaidone-tenthof assist them in addressing thorough and vigorous all its canes, except for a setback and stagnation of and Tobago which helped theircounterpartsinthetwin challenges they may be examination of the canes in smallamountatAlbionafter payratesplacedtheworkers define expectations in the islandrepublic. encountering. the fields. Lamentably, that the rains brought the crop to at a disadvantage To industry

Thoughtheargumentcan GAWU said it managed target was not attained anend. illustratethestarknessofthe In its end-of-year be put forward that to secure gains for

Expectedly, the Corporation

Against this backdrop, situation with the recent statement, GAWU said that Guyaneseareinexperienced, employees through hasjustifieditsperformance theworkersbodypointedout eight (8) percent pay rise, a Guyanese workers, in some many locals are certified collective bargaining at on account of the weather its concern about the sugarworkersispaid$1,285 instances,arenotbeingpaid withsimilarqualificationsas manyworkplacesnotingthat and workers,” GAWU managementoftheindustry tocut2,200poundsofcanes overtime and are being told theircounterpartsfromother workers have benefitted explained. Itexplainedthattheindustry and fetch those canes in 100 thattheirsalariesincludethis countries.Asaresultofwhat f r o m i m p r o v e d The sugar company said haslostcriticalskillsarising pounds bundles on their overtimepaymentbecauseit the Union believes to be a wages/salaries and better that the 2021 floods, which fromattritionandretirement. heads to the punts some iscalculatedonadailybasis, violation of workers’rights, workingconditions. particularly affected Albion As such, the Union said it distance away.While efforts ratherthanbyanhourlyrate. GAWU had raised its Sugarindustry Estate,wasoneofthecauses agrees with Vice President are being furthered to assist Additionally, GAWU concerns with American oil Meanwhile, the Union ofitslowoutput.

BharratJagdeothatthereisa through mechanization, saidthatthetreatmentmeted major,ExxonMobil. registereditsdisappointment Meanwhile, the Union need to strengthen the thereisneedtoalsoinvestin out to local workers by their The company responded over the underperforming reasoned, “As has become industry’s management theworkers,”theUnionsaid. foreign counterparts leaves via a letter outlining its sugar industry, which only the norm, the GuySuCo cadre to replace lost skills In addition, the GAWU muchtobedesired. commitment to the managed to produce 47,011 sought to blame the workers and to bring new ways of pointed out its concern over “Workers also expressed International Labour tonnes this year, though it for its production woes as thinking in addressing the purchase of incorrect concerns about the absence Organisation’s (ILO) was estimated to produce at well Though, for the presentdaychallenges. equipment by the sugar of any concern by their Fundamental Freedoms as least64,889tonnessugar GAWU, a worn out excuse, On the other hand, companyforworkerstouse. employers during the period enshrined in contracts with The Albion Estate the sugar company, at GAWU said it believes that Inonerecentinstance,itsaid they are off duty One group itsvendors. produced 25,834 while the several times, during the thefundsbeingpumpedinto it learnt that cane loading ofemployeessharedwiththe The Union said that Blairmont and Uitvlugt year praised its workers thesectorbygovernmentcan machinesdeliveredhadtobe GAWU that their medical while it is hearted by Estates managed to produce efforts in enabling the make a difference once returnedtothesupplierafter insurance ceases to be in ExxonMobil’s response it 1 5 , 0 9 7 a n d 6 , 0 8 0 realization of sugar targets. properlymanaged. it was deemed unsuitable. effect during off-duty does not believe in every respectively All three of the Howcantheworkersbebad “The GAWU also urges Whileitissaidthecompany periods. The labyrinth of instance this is translated to Estates produced less sugar ononeoccasionandgoodin similar focus on the

‘All

- says oil sector employees continue to complain of ‘unfair’treatment

Using oil money to solve infrastructure deficits too quickly increases risk of cost overruns, corruption, white elephants, slapdash work

- Chatham House urges nation to spend cautiously,

put rigid review system in place for monitoring

The Government of Guyana has already signaled its intention to use part of the oil money in boosting infrastructure. But some international organizations are advising that Guyana's authorities approach such spending with caution.

Chatham House for example has said that producers such as Guyana should consider carefully, the capacity of their economy to absorbpublicspending.

T h e L o n d o n - b a s e d organization said that many countries expect to use petroleum revenues to increase infrastructure spending and the productive potentialoftheeconomy

Although infrastructure spending can contribute to economic growth, the organization said that emerging producers have faced several problems when they have tried to scale it up to such an extent that the labour force of the economy cannot keep up. It said that such an approach oftentimes leads to wastage or even corruption

due to the limited capacity to operate and maintain new infrastructure and the conflation of short-term demand growth with long-termsupplygrowth.

Chatham House said that an effective approach would therefore be to increase such spending slowly, reviewing and evaluating projects as well as building public investment management capacity overtime.

Further to this, research at the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) shows that countries with giant discoveries tend to disappoint on economic growth forecasts. It also notes that many infrastructure projects it reviewed were delayed or faced costoverruns.

The Institute said, “Out of 308 projects, no less than 55 percent were late and 45 percent had cost over-runs averaging 58 percent over budget Some with early production faced a 60 percent drop in revenues as oil prices fell in 2014.Commontothecasesstudied was the expectation of

transformative economic impact from oil and gas as well as excessive borrowing, which led several countries in the study to be bailed out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The biggest discoveriesandcountrieswithpoor institutional governance had the most significant economic disappointment.”

On that note, NRGI and Chatham House note that Guyana will need to manage expectations about spending levels, be cautious on accruing debt and work to build stronginstitutions.

N E E D F O R

SYSTEMS/POLICIES

According to Chatham House, if Guyana intends to be successful withthegovernanceofitsoilsector then there are several guidelines it must follow It must ensure that there are clear oil related policies a n d s y s t e m s t o e n s u r e accountability of the oil wealth to come.

The London based body recommended that policies for the oil and gas sector be guided by a

clear vision for the development of the country and a strategic view of how the petroleum sector will deliver that vision.

Speaking to other guidelines, Chatham House warned that the rush to adopt international best practices may not always be appropriate in the case of emerging producers in the oil and gas sector

Instead, Chatham House said that the government should aim for more appropriate practices, taking accountofthenationalcontext.

Chatham House said, “In order to attract the most qualified oil company to a country with an unproven resource base, the host government can invest in geological data, strengthen its prequalification criteria and ensure transparency Itshouldalsoplanfor success and anticipate the implications of hydrocarbon discoveries in its tax code, and be robustthroughdecliningoilandgas prices.”

As for the aspect of licensing, Chatham House said that this is a key mechanism whereby the

government can reap early revenues and maximize long-term national benefits It said that government must ensure that it simplifiesbothnegotiationsandtax structures to mitigate knowledge asymmetrieswithoilcompanies.

It said, too, that the government andindustrymustengageandshare information with communities to manage local expectations regarding the petroleum sector and buildtrust.

It said, “In emerging producers, budgets for local content may be small and timelines for building capacity short. In this context, the focus should be on the potential for repeat use of any local capacity developed.

Additionally, meaningful participation of national organizations in resource development is a central objective ofmanyemergingproducers.”

The international body said that once the aforementioned are followed,Guyanawouldbewellon its way to laying a strong foundation for the protection of the oilsector

Oil revenue benefitting all Guyanese

Though a recent Wo r l d B a n k Report said that some48percentofGuyanese are living in poverty, the Guyanese Head-of-State, Irfaan Ali is arguing that revenue from the oil and gas sectorisbenefittingtheentire population.

The President, during an interview with Al Jazeera News that was only released yesterday, argued that the People's Progressive Party has invested the resources from the sector into various channels that have provided ease.

Ali was told by the J o u r n a l i s t t h a t a representative from the local Transparency Institute explained that average Guyanese if spoken to on the streetswouldsaytheyarenot feeling the benefits of this money and are not sure if in thefuturetheywill.

Inresponse,thePresident contendedthat,“somepeople a r e s e l f - a p p o i n t e d ” professors.

“I don't know what

survey he did but let me ask you, let me put this back to you now, when you are able to give your citizens the best possible health care; when you are able to announce measures that is giving every single citizen who require dialysis a cheque every year to help them with that dialysis;whenyouareableto give every school child a transportation grant to help them to go to school; when you are able to give them a uniform grant; when you are able to increase old age pension;whenyouareableto ensurethattheprimaryhealth care is working at its best for thepeople;whenyouareable to build roads all across the country to reduce the cost of transportation(through)farm to market access roads that reducethecostofproduction, make the farmers more competitive; when you are able to expand and open up tens of thousands of new acreage of land for agriculture; when you are able to deliver 50,000 house lots to people; when you are

able to deliver a children and maternity hospital that is world class to reduce maternaldeath;whenyouare able to invest in cancer treatment; when you are able to invest in free education20,000 scholarships; when you are able to have a programme that will see 150,000 Guyanese trained as coders; when I am able to get Al Jazeera to come to Guyana, because of oil, but I can use this opportunity to showcase the rest of Guyana, isn't there benefit that is coming to the people,” the HeadofStatereasoned.

Ali said “the sad thing” about the main stream media is that they would not go to developed states to ask whether the ordinary people felt the effects of revenue from fossil fuel but in small developing states, especially countries that are termed third world, some believe thesecountriesaresimplynot positioned to manage the resource and “need the guidinglight.”

ThePresidentwaskeento

note that contrary to this b e l i e f , t h e G u y a n a Government has a clear plan for the utilization of its resources.

“We have a very definitive plan and that plan includes all of humanity I have made it very clear that the prosperity of Guyana must lead to the prosperity of the Caricom region and the region around us,” President Alisaid.

The Head-of-State said, “For someone to say they don't understand how this is

translating to the benefit (of the people) is someone who is actually naive or someone who does not want to a c k n o w l e d g e t h e transformation that is taking place and sometimes you have to understand it is politically driven Small societies like these, you have many actors who shelter under the umbrella of independence but are very politically charged and politicallydriven.”

In November, it was reported that a recent study

conducted in Guyana by the World Bank has found that approximately 48 percent of the country lives in poverty, surviving on less than US$5.5 or GYD$1,000 per day

The Government later issued a rebuttal to this, insisting that these statistics were garnered during the tenure of the former A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition's term in office- between 2015 to2020.

President Irfaan Ali during the interview with Al Jazeera Journalist

Sunday – Dec 25, 2022

Petroleum Health

Regulations In his

Safety

Govt. keeps Guyanese report, Energy Expert, S i x ( E a s t B e r b i c e - level was above the legal in the dark on impacts Anthony Paul stressed the Corentyne). limit(.45micrograms). of abusive provisions in need for Guyana to close The injured persons have Stabroek Block deal legislative and institutional been identified as 8-year-old Wednesday – Dec 28, 2022 gaps as they leave the Shaniya McLeod, 10-year-

Three years into first oil… country open to losing old Shavine Laundry, 5- Three years into

*All oil laws significantvalue. year-old Javeer Blair and oil production… remain outdated He said: “Both the Shaveh Laundry (occupants Guyana yet to make

* Citizens still to know the Legislative and Institutional of the car) and motorcyclist ExxonMobil’s field effects of zero ring-fencing frameworks and their MarleyRoss. development and Exxon’s recovery of component parts are critical Kaieteur News was plans available for decommissioning costs for successful management informed that the speeding public scrutiny

* Types of expenses of the resource. Given the vehicle was being driven by being deducted such as pace of change, Guyana is at an intoxicated firewoman. While the PPP/C interests rates and costs riskoflosingverysignificant The Firewoman was driving administrationhasexpressed of wells still unknown value unless these gaps are motor car, PGG-278, north its intention to ensure

* Insurance coverage closedrapidly.” on the western lane of the transparency is one of the from Exxon for As for Guyana’s gas-to- Cumberland Public Road main hallmarks of the oil oil spills ‘in talks’ fencing provisions were part taking out more than it energy project, Vice when she lost control of the sector, observers say there is * No details on retirement of the Stabroek Block PSA, should Here again, the President, Bharrat Jagdeo vehicle and skid onto the still much work to be done of US$900M in ExxonMobil and its Partners PPP/C Administration has had said a portion of the easternlane. regarding disclosure of key pre-contract costs would not be able to use said that it will not touch this nation’s oil would be used to Her car collided with the documents.

* Impact of payment revenues made in the Liza aspectofthedeal. repay ExxonMobil for its motorcyclist Marley Ross Industry experts have of gas-to-energy pipeline One and Two Projects to Ofsignificanceisthefact investment in a pipeline that with pillion rider Jasmine lamented the need for from cost oil cover expenses for many of that Guyana does not know will be connected to the Liza Ross. Ross was travelling ExxonMobil Corporation’s still an unsolved mystery its exploration projects. Liza what types of expenses are Unity and Liza Destiny south at a normal rate of Field Development Plans One and Two revenues being deducted such as vessels offshore to speed. As a result of the (FDPs) for its projects to be On December 20, 2022, would be restricted to interest rates on loans processing facilities impact, the toddler and the made public as well as the Guyanamarkeditsthirdyear covering any related Government has the power onshore That pipeline motorcyclist were pitched guidelines being used by the as an oil-producing State. expenses for those projects toremovethisveilofsecrecy would cost upward of into the air and fell onto the administration for due The South American alone. The upside of this with the issuance of a cost US$1.3B. The Government parapet. diligence For readers producer has since earned approach is that it then recovery statement every has not explained what The firewoman’s car unfamiliar with the term, labels as being the “gateway makes more money quarter from Exxon but it impacts this will have on the spun out of control and F D P s p r o v i d e k e y to the world’s fastest available to be split between does not. To date, Guyanese profits to be split from the slammed into a nearby information about the growing super basin,” and the companies and the State. also don’t know the cost of StabroekBlockProject. bridge and fence before geology of an oil and gas a c c o r d i n g t o t h e The PPP/C Government has exploration wells or even InternationalMonetaryFund said nothing will be done to how much of the US$900M (IMF), “it is the fastest changethisfiscalflaw. in pre-contract bills Exxon growing economy of the Guyanese are also in the hasrecovered. worldonapercapitabasis.” dark when it comes to Alsotroubling,isthefact Many Transparency decommissioning costs that Guyana continues to Advocates are the least bit When oil companies have push its oil development at a impressed by such titles, extracted as much of the oil feverish pace in the absence claiming that they distract as they possibly can from a of a parent guarantee for oil from the real questions at well, it is standard practice spills from Exxon and hand. These include: How that they safely cap and Partners. There is only a transparent and accountable abandon it. This part of the US$600M per occurrence has the government been oil and development process coveragewhichstakeholders about its decision-making costsmillionsofdollars.The h a v e l a m b a s t e d a s forthesector?Towhatextent revenue has to be set aside in inadequate. has the administration aspecialaccount,heldbythe On the Legislative front, sought to educate its people government to cover these Guyana is yet to address key on the shortcomings of the costs when the time comes. reforms to the Petroleum Stabroek Block deal struck The agreement for the Exploration and Production withExxonMobil? StabroekBlockjumpsoffthe Act, No 3 of 1986; the Stakeholders such as precipice of international Petroleum Exploration and Opposition Member of best practice, and into a Production Act Regulations, Parliament, David Patterson b o t t o m l e s s p i t o f 1986, the Petroleum state categorically, that the abnormalityonthisfront. Exploration and Production

Taking these and other comingtoahalt. field, the commerciality of Government has built a ExxonMobil and its A c t , 1 9 9 8 , t h e critical matters into All of the persons the oil find, steps to be taken

Chinese wall between Partners which include Hess Environmental Protection consideration, stakeholders involvedintheaccidentwere to prevent a blowout or citizens and what really Corporation and CNOOC Act, and the Occupational are of the view that Guyana rushed to the New similar mishap, along with obtainsinthecontract.

Petroleum Guyana Limited SafetyandHealthAct. is woefully lacking in the Amsterdam Public Hospital all the associated costs to To date, Guyanese have are able to benefit from a Various documents for p r o p e r g o v e r n a n c e where Jasmine Ross was extractandproducethatoil. no clue about what ring- lopsided system that allows the sector also remain in framework needed for the pronounceddeadonarrival. Various arms of the fencingprovisionsare,much t h e m t o k e e p draft mode. These include sector

Meanwhile, Marley government such as the less how their absence in the decommissioning funds in but are not limited to the Ross, Blair (car occupant) Environmental Protection Stabroek Block deal affects theirpockets. following: an Upstream Toddler dies in and Laundry (car occupant) Agency (EPA) examine this profits to be split between Guyana must now hope, Petroleum Sector Policy, Corentyne accident were examined by the documentandensurethatthe Exxon and the State. Ring- pray, and trust that when the Petroleum Oversight and as drunken firewoman Doctor on duty and was requisite protective fencing provisions, for those timecomes,Exxonwillhand Regulation Legislation, loses control of car t r a n s f e r r e d t o t h e measures are in place, that unfamiliar with the over the sums needed. What P e t r o l e u m R e v e n u e

G e o rg e t o w n P u b l i c the data provided is accurate expression,explicitlyoutline is also egregious about the Management Legislation,

A two-year-old child Hospital. and the costs for production that a company cannot take entirearrangementisthatthe Upstream Petroleum died on Friday and four McLeod and Shaveh as outlined are not inflated. the money earned from one government, nor the people, Commission Bill 2016 others injured after a Laundry were also treated Oftentimes, the government project to satisfy the knowshowmuchExxonwill (Draft), draft Petroleum speeding car slammed into anddischarged. hires an expert to provide expenses of another ongoing be taking out annually for (Environmental Protection the motorcycle the child was The firewoman was assistanceinthisregard. project. decommissioning. No one & Pollution Control) being transported on along treated and taken into police

As an example, if ring- knows if the company is Regulations, and draft

and

the Cumberland Public custody A breathylizer test

2016 Road, East Canje, Region revealed her blood alcohol

From page 14 question whether they are that these plans should be has said it is readyto comply This was done in the case of economical.Hesaid,“…But m a d e p u b l i c T h e withthedirectiveoftheHigh the projects pursued by unfortunately in most cases, government should be Court after losing the case of ExxonMobil and its partners they aren’t. Companies tend insisting on it and the people its decision to waive an Hess Corporation and to argue that they contain should be demanding it, Environmental Impact CNOOC Petroleum Guyana geological or engineering becauseithasenvironmental Assessment (EIA) for Limited, in the Stabroek data and analysis that is implications while giving Schlumberger Guyana Inc. Block Local Content proprietaryandcouldbenefit youanideaofthecosts.” (SGI) to build a radioactive Expert, Anthony Paul has competitors.

Earlier this year, atthefacilityatHouston. told Kaieteur News on more But since the planned Kaieteur News had asked The EPA issued a than one occasion that in the developmentcanhavesucha Vice President, Dr Bharrat statement in respect to the interest of transparency and large and wide impact, Jagdeo about the release of outcomeoftherecentcasein accountability, these field public interest should FDPs in the interest of which Danuta Radzik and developmentplansshouldbe override the company t r a n s p a r e n c y a n d others challenged the made public, while noting concerns.” accountability agency that Norway, in particular, Mitro who has over 30 He said at an August It acknowledges its error the Norwegian Petroleum years experience in the press briefing that he saw no andpromisedtoadheretothe Directorate, publishes this industry added, “They could issue with the release of the Court’sjudgment. type of information. Paul always separate any guidelines and the FDPs The agency clarified categorically stated that the competitively sensitive with proprietary information however that the judgment information contained in informationifneeded.” removed. was not against the agency’s these documents allow Also in agreement with He has not provided the decision to waive the citizens to be more informed Mitro was Chartered media with an update on the requirement for an EIA, but about their resources and Accountant, Christopher government’s position on ratheritsfailuretopublishin empowers them with the Ram. He opined in a thismatter. the statutory notice data they need to hold the previous interview with this reasons/adequatereasonsfor reasons/adequate

authorities of the day newspaper that if the FDPs EPAsays ready to comply the decision not requiring an a

accountable. haveproprietaryinformation with court order EIA.

Former University of then indeed, he can see how …after losing case over The High Court of the

not only Houston Instructor, Tom thiswouldbeanissueforthe waiver of EIA for SupremeCourtofJudicature o f a s o u r c e quashing the EPA’s decision Mitro was also in agreement companies as well as the Schlumberger Houston of Guyana, on December 16, storage/calibration building to grant permission to the as he noted that citizens government Ram noted radioactive storage facility 2022 issued several in accordance with Sec.11 US-owned company to ought to know what the nonetheless, “But I don’t see administrative orders, which (2) of the Environmental construct and operate the associated costs for the how it can (have proprietary The Environmental dealt with the issue of the Protection Act, Cap.20:05, facility but also halting the project are and be able to information). I do believe Protection Agency (EPA) EPA not publishing LawsofGuyana. works at the radioactive

According to the EPA, storagefacility

Justice Nareshwar Harnanan Justice Harnanan inhisjudgmentstated;“That declared that the EPA’s the EPAs decision to waive decision to not conduct an the requirement of an EIA into the effects of the Environmental Impact construction of the facility Assessment with respect to was illegal, ultra vires, Schlumberger Guyana Inc. unreasonable, and irrational (SGI)’s application for since it breached the environmental authorization Environmental Protection for the construction of the Act,Cap.20:05. said facility is in breach of Section 11 of EPA Act, the EPAs statutory duty for stipulates that any project failuretoprovidereasonsfor thatmaysignificantlyaffects the wavier as mandated the environment requires an under section 11(2) of the EIA and such an assessment Environmental Protection requires publication in the Act,Cap.20:05.” newspapers of the intended

It continued that notably, p r o j e c t a s w e l l a s J u s t i c e N a r e s h w a r consultations with the Harnanan, further stipulates public. in paragraph 56 of his The Judge said, “This judgmentthatit’s“[t]heEPA court is of the view that the by section 11(2) is mandated EPA’s decision to waive the to determine whether the requirement or EIA cannot project requires an EIA or be found to be lawful as it not”,astheregulatorybody directly contravenes

In the meantime, the [section] 11 (2) of the [EPA] agency said it remains Act, the court also finds that committed to working in the no adequate reasons were best interest of the contained in the notice Guyanese people and the publishedbytheEPA…” environment On February Justice Harnanan 1 4 , 2 0 2 2 , t h r e e highlighted that while the Environmental Activists EPA contended that by and residents who live granting a permit to nearby the facility, Vanda Schlumberger to construct Radzik, Danuta Radzik, and the facility it does not RaphaelSingh,throughtheir guarantee storage of the Lawyers: Marlene Alleyne, radioactive sources at the Siand Dhurjon, and Ronald facility – the EPA Act Burch-Smith, filed a lawsuit explains – that the agency at the Demerara High Court should not issue a against the EPA, the construction or operation Environmental Assessment permitunlesstheagency Board,andSchlumberger

reasonsfor The residents won their

decision in relation to not case last Friday when the

requiring an EIA for the Judge handed down his

construction and operation ruling in the case

T&T Energy Expert, Anthony Paul

From page 15

Several Soldiers on Wednesday

Ukraine war has sent oil prices includes in the permit conditions soaring and triggering a cost of that are reasonably necessary to living crisis in many countries. protecttheenvironment.

get

Amid the war, oil and gas companies have been seeing Thursday – Dec 29, 2022 record-shattering profits and as such, many Western Governments

applications for home loans processed by staff of the New Building Society during a special housing initiative at GDF Headquarters, Base Camp Ayanganna.

ExxonMobil allowed to have introduced a windfall tax on break Laws of Guyana while the big profits to alleviate the costLocals are being prosecuted of-living crisis and balance their – Former EPA Head economy …Govt. playing with fire with no

For the third-quarter of 2022, parent guarantee for oil spills Exxon announced that its overall earnings were a record-shattering

Upon reflection of the US$19.7 billion. The Financial Government’s management of the Times reported that the lawsuit is oil and gas sector, former Head of the most significant response yet the Environmental Protection againstthetaxfromtheoilindustry. Agency (EPA), Dr. VincentAdams Theactionthreatenstheviabilityof said there are two alarming issues a levy the European Commission allGuyanesemustraisetheirvoices said would raise €25bn “to help against. bringdownenergybills”. Hesaidthecitizenryoughttobe The news agency also reported outraged that for two years, the that Exxon said the lawsuit was PPPC Administration has allowed filed on Wednesday by its German ExxonMobil Corporation through and Dutch subsidiaries at the itssubsidiary,EssoExplorationand European General Court in Production Guyana Limited Luxembourg City The lawsuit (EEPGL) to operate two ships, the challenges the Council of the EU’s Liza Destiny and the Liza Unity, legal authority to impose the new Guyana has been running for two the marine life and ecosystems of Trinidad and Tobago has the without securing a full coverage tax—apowerhistoricallyreserved years without a parent guarantee nations such as Trinidad and highest probability of any of the liability He recalled that the for sovereign countries — and its that would ensure it does not go TobagoandVenezuela. Antillean islands of shoreline Government has only secured a use of emergency powers to secure bankrupt. Dr Adams said it is very Esso Exploration and oiling as a result of a loss-of-well-

member states’ approval for the disturbing that the Administration Production Guyana Limited said it control event. The probability of andisyettotellthenationthestatus measure. is neglecting its responsibility to identified 16 spill scenarios, oiling at least a portion of the coast of talks for a US$2B parent

US$600Mperoccurrencecoverage

It was also reported that the ensure that the Rule of Law is includingspillsofdifferenttypesof of Trinidad and Tobago and/or its guarantee for the Stabroek Block European General Court will compliedwith. hydrocarbons (e g , crude oil, coastal waters is approximately 10 fromExxon. decide whether to rule on Exxon’s He said citizens ought to hold marine diesel, fuel oil, lubricating to 100 percent, the oil company Dr Adams said what is even lawsuit. If it does, any future the Government accountable for oil), with several being applicable said. more disturbing is that in the judgment may be appealed at the such reckless endangerment for spills at the shorebases and on Despite the foregoing risks, absence of such parent guarantee, European Court of Justice “Exxon is essentially breaking the vessels in the Demerara River EEPGL was keen to note that it is ExxonMobilispumpingoilbeyond Proceedings could drag on through law and they are allowed to get estuary (e.g., from a supply vessel) taking every possible measure to the approved safety limits for the much of next year The away with it. Why aren’t they or in theAtlantic Ocean (e.g., from ensurethatitsoperationsaresafe. Liza Destiny He noted that the CommissionistheEU’sExecutive, prosecuted for their actions? But a well, drillship, supply vessel, ExxonM sues EU to avoid Environmental Impact Assessment which has the power to propose we will send the full force of the tanker,FPSO). payingwindfalltaxon‘big-profits’ (EIA) for the Liza Phase One Legislation. The Council is the Law to unleash retribution on But the largest of these A m e r i c a n o i l g i a n t , Project outlines the safe operating Inter-Governmental arm of the EU, Locals for illegal acts with lesser scenarios considered a loss-of- ExxonMobil on Wednesday filed a limit as 120,000 barrels of oil per in which representatives of its 27 consequences,” expressed the well-control incident at the day Exxon is now pumping formerEPAHead. seafloor In such a scenario, 150,000barrelsperday

While Dr Adams’concerns are EEPGL said there is a 5 to 40

Taking this state of affairs into also shared with other industry percentchanceoftheoilcontacting consideration,Dr Adamssaid2022 stakeholders, the Government the coast in Region One, and a 5 to has been plagued by poor appears to be nonchalant in 10 percent probability of the oil governance He said with the addressing same At a Press reaching Region Two. Expounding absence of a parent guaranteeConference held two months ago, in this regard, EEPGL said, “If oil Guyanese authorities are playing the Vice President was asked to weretoreachtheGuyanashoreline, withfire. address the concerns raised by Dr those resources most at risk would

During his recent appearance Adams on the safety limits being include protected areas (i.e., Shell on Kaieteur Radio’s Programme, violated and the status of Beach), coastal habitats (especially Guyana’s Oil and You, Dr Adams discussions on the parent mangroves and marshes), and said, “I wish I could report good guarantee. He was dismissive on coastal wildlife (especially birds), news about the Government’s both fronts, stating that such issues as well as coastal communities and performance this year but are for the EPA to address. That indigenous peoples dependent on unfortunately I cannot. Exxon has regulatory body has not held an fishing in the ocean and other been allowed to get away with engagement with members of the ecosystemservices.” thumbing their noses at our Laws media to address these specific EEPGLfurthernotedthatbased and an excellent example to start matters. on the oil spill models it with is the full liability coverage

OIL

SPILLRISKS

considered,thereisthepotentialfor which means securing financial Should an unmitigated oil spill an unmitigated oil spill to reach protection from the parent lawsuit to challenge and stop the member states debate and agree occur at any of ExxonMobil’s four three main geographic regions: company to cover all costs if European Union (EU) imposed Legislation. sanctioned projects, namely the Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, somethinghappens.” windfall taxes, arguing that the Thenewtaxisduetotakeeffect Liza Phase One, Liza Phase Two, and the so called “ABC Islands”

Dr Adams recalled that when Brussels exceeded its legal from December 31, 2022 and will Payara and Yellowtail in the (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao). he had served as the EPA’s Chief, authoritybyimposingthelevy applyalevyofatleast33percenton Stabroek Block, Kaieteur News Other countries that could be Exxon had agreed in writing to

Kaieteur News had reported any taxable profits in 2022-23 that would have reported, that it could affected include: Barbados, St. comply with the provision of full that a windfall tax is a one-off tax are 20 percent or more above have far-reaching effects for Vincent and the Grenadines, St. coverage. He said Vice President, imposed by a Government on a average profits between 2018 and RegionOnetoTwo. Lucia,andGrenada. Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, had also company, specifically targeting 2021. Exxon, one of the largest

For the Yellowtail project in Due to its location at the admitted to this when he last those that benefit from something petroleum suppliers in Europe, particular, the EIA notes that there southern end of the LesserAntilles, appearedontheGlennLallShow they were not responsible for In notedinaNovemberfilingthatits can be devastating implications for EEPGL was keen to note that Much to his disappointment, this instance, the ongoing Russia-

Former EPA Head, Dr. Vincent Adams

were able to

their

Govt. must say what steps taken to guard against inflated costs by oil companies-Int’lGroup

REPRINT: This article was first published on December 31, 2022

What guarantee d o e s t h e Government

have that reported production costs by oil companies have not been inflatedtoreducetaxesalong with the State’s share of profitoil?

Without proper controls, companies may use abusive transfer pricing tactics (purchasing from or selling to related parties at artificially high or low prices) to shift taxable income out of the hands of thehostcountry

This is the view of the National Resource Governance Institute (NRGI).Itisaninternational body which provides expert advice to administrations aroundtheworldasitrelates to getting the best deals and arrangement s out of extractive sectors It h a s o n s e v e r a l occasions, provided advice to Guyana on severalmatters.

Giventhefrequencywith which oil companies have beenfoundengaginginsuch devious accounting methods, the group insists that the Government of any oil producing nation has a responsibility to tell the citizenry what steps are being taken to guard against inflatedcosts.

It also notes that Parliamentarians and the citizenry as a whole are within their right to demand certain information from the Government. In this regard, NRGI said that questions should not only be asked about transfer pricing but also about the assumptions whichhavebeenusedbyoil companies in projecting revenuestoberecovered.

It said that questions should also be asked on whether these ‘revenue projections’ are based on company assertions or independent analyses and verification.

It noted that one should also ask the Government whatkindofriskanalysisthe relevant Authorities have done; that is to say if prices increase by 50, 100, or 200 percent,howwillthereturns totheStateandthecompany

change?Andifpricesfallby 25,50percent,ormore,what wouldbetheoutcome?

LACKOFPROVISIONS

A careful assessment of Guyana’s Production SharingAgreements (PSAs) with ExxonMobil , Tullow Oil, Ratio Oil, Eco Atlantic and CGX, would reveal that there are mechanisms in place for these oil operators to recover their exploration, developmentandproduction costs.

Butwhatislackinginall of these contracts is a single clausethatspeakstohowthe Government of Guyana should deal with inflated costs,oncedetectedbythese entities.

While such lose provisions exist, other nationshaveensuredthatthe necessary provisions have been taken to guard against inflatedcosts.

Liberia for example, is known for its oil rich

Natural Resource Governance Institute

potential just offshore West Africa. Its oil industry has attracted multi-nationals such as Chevron and ExxonMobil.

Even though the Government of this English speaking nation is elated to havetheattentionoftheseoil giants, it is by no means an indication that there would be a free for all for those entities as it relates to inflatedcosts.

In one of its PSAs, LiberiatiesExxonMobiland itsotheroilpartnertoastrict setofprovisions.

The 2013 Production SharingAgreement says, “If any such inspection or audit isfinallydeterminedtohave overstated Petroleum Costs or understated revenue derived from Total

Production by more than three percent (3%), all costs of the inspection or audit shallbeborneorreimbursed by the Contractor and no portion of such costs of inspection or audit may be includedinPetroleumCosts. Appropriate adjustments in payments and cumulative recoverable costs shall be made to adjust for all misstatementsidentifiedasa resultofanysuchinspection oraudit.”

(More in this regard on

the contract can be seen by following the said link: (http://wwwtheperspective org/2012/block 13 agreem ent.pdf)).

Inthemeantime,Guyana hasbeenadvisedtoputrules and regulations in place to guard against price manipulation between relatedparties,instituteantiabuse Legislation, and publish on a regular basis, thecostrecoveryprojections and statements by oil companies.

US$192M loan agreement signed for Phase 2 of East Coast Road Project

The Government of Guyana and the People’s RepublicofChinaonFriday signed a Framework Concessional Loan Agreement to the tune of US$192 million to finance Phase II of the East Coast RoadProject.

The agreement was signed by Senior Finance MinisterDr AshniSinghand HerExcellencyGuoHaiyan, Ambassador of the People’s RepublicofChinatoGuyana andwitnessedbyMinisterof Public Works Juan Edghill and other officials of the Ministry of Finance and the ChineseEmbassy

Phase II of the project willincludeextensionofthe Railway Embankment Road into four lanes from Sheriff Street to Orange Nassau, extension of the main East Coast Roadway from Orange Nassau to Mahaica as well as rehabilitation of the existing East Coast DemerararoadfromBelfield toOrangeNassauwhichwill allow for additional lanes. This Phase will also see the construction of 48 bridges and 22 culverts and another Bridge across the Hope Canal The loan for the project is being provided by the Exim Bank of China. Phase I of the project was

done during the previous term of the People’s Progressive Party /Civic Government (PPP/C) and includedtheextensionofthe EastCoastmainroad.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Guyana Her Excellency Guo Haiyan recalled that Guyana and China had recently celebrated 50 years of good relations, cooperation, mutual respect and mutual support and benefit and noted that China cherishes the friendship and cooperation with Guyana. She added that China is willing to strengthen this cooperation and the roadbuilding project forms part of its global development initiative.

“We believe that the project borne through cooperation of the two countries will bring more benefit for people The current financial situation is so volatile and poses a great challenge to developing countries and the concessional loan demonstrates China’s commitment to common development and gives an indication of China’s confidence in Guyana’s development and in the two

countries’ bilateral cooperation,” Ambassador GuoHaiyanadded.

Making brief remarks as he witnessed the signing Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill noted that the road project is a major intervention in the

road network along the East Coast corridor and will create greater accessibility, especially with the kinds of investments that the P r e s i d e n t A l i - l e d Administration is making and the possibilities of what could develop at Enmore in terms of industrialization and job-creation for people ontheEastCoastcorridor

“The already congested new four-lane needs to be supported by additional carriageways. It was the

PPP/C while in office in the 2011 period that started that East Coast expansion and widening and here we are today Itwillseetherailway embankment from Sheriff Street(fromtheroundabout) to Orange Nassau being expanded into four lanes then the expansion of the East Coast. Then there will be the rehabilitation of the existing ECD road from Belfield to Orange Nassau. This will allow us to have additional lanes (four lanes

on the railway embankment and for some sections-two lanessothatwe’llbeableto see greater comfort in commuting into the city or outofthecitywhileallowing for larger capacity in terms of containerized traffic to help with the movement of goods that will eventually evolvewiththedevelopment of Enmore as a major jobcreation centre,” Minister Edghillexplained.

Finance Minister Dr AshniSinghpriortosigning theagreementexpoundedon theeaseoftrafficcongestion and decrease in commute time which the road project completion will allow for and the ramping up of economic activity and development.

D r S i n g h a l s o highlighted the increase in vehiculartrafficduetomore persons being able to own their own homes. He also alludedtotheincreaseinthe number of trucks and other largevehiclescarryinggood and materials and noted that this is a reflection of the c o n s t r u c t i o n a n d developmentboom.

“This is something that wewelcome…inresponseto it,wetakeveryseriouslythe obligation to expand our road network to ease this pressure and so as soon as President Ali came into office,Governmentsetabout an aggressive campaign to immediately transform our transportnetwork.Wehave

Senior Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh and Her Excellency Guo Haiyan, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Guyana exchange handshakes following the signing of the FrameworkAgreement. (DPI)

US$ billions in clean-up cost held by ExxonMobil not being

-Jagdeo changed on other projects

...gives no commitment to plug loophole in new PSA

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

Oil-producing states across the World are all tasked with ensuring sustainable development of theresource.Inkeepingwith its responsibility towards restoring the environment, a decommissioning fund is established to ‘safe keep’ fundsthatwilleventuallybe used to remove oil production equipment from the sea floor at the end of a project’slife.

The 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) that Guyana signed with oil giantExxonMobilallowsfor thecompanytodeductthese costs years before it is needed;notonlythatbutthe developer is also allowed to holdthesefundsonbehalfof thecountry.

This has been flagged in the past as a major loophole intheAgreement,especially since lessons from other oil producing nations have shown instances of the companies trying to evade this responsibility, though deducting these costs up front.

In Guyana, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, who has been heading the local petroleum sector, has agreed that this particular clause is a concern However, when it comes to pluggingthisloophole,heis unable give a direct commitment.

At his most recent press conference, Kaieteur News raisedtheissuewiththeVice President, who said he does not believe that it is

a d v a n t a g e o u s f o r

ExxonMobil to hold Guyana’s decommissioning funds.

He explained, “That is what the contract (says) it’s outnowsobymid-February, we will have a completely newPSAwhichwilladdress those things which we believe that are not advantageous to us because t h e y h o l d t h e decommissioningfunds.”

In trying to brush the matterasideandmoveonto another question, Jagdeo urged, “I wouldn’t want to comment on things that we have already commented on publicly about deficiencies in the PSA. We have done that a million times. I am tryingtofixitnowlikehow we fixed the fiscal part. We arefixinganumberofthings in the PSAand that’s what I said earlier It’s right now, a totalre-writeofthePSAthat (iswhat)wearedoing.”

When he was pressed to say if this means Guyana will be holding the funds going forward, he made it clear that a commitment in this regard cannot be given yet.

Jagdeosaid,“Sowe’re… I don’t wanna, you know how cautious I am. When Glenn [Kaieteur News Publisher] was pointing out about the fiscal terms and was trying to get me to commitonhisprogramme,I said we are in the process. Weexamineditandwecame up after we finished the simulations, we came up

withtheformulathatwedid10 percent royalty, 10 percent taxes, etcetera. We are in that process now I don’t want to be premature again about its components but that is a concern. It is a

concern that will be addressed.”

TheVicePresidentmade it clear that the provisions governing the Stabroek Block will not change. This meansthatallfutureprojects

to be approved in the rich offshore oil reserve will be subjected to the same lopsideddeal.

projects to bring the oil companybacktothetableto securebetterterms,however the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration isadamantthattheExxon

on

Frompage18

seen already parallel bypass roads constructed on the East Bank. Today you can drive from Sheriff Street to Diamond without ever touching the traditional East Bank road as we know…,”Dr Singhemphasized.

He added that Government is building an Ogle to Diamond Road so that there will be multiple roads, pointing outthatGovernmentisnotonlyaddressingtheEBD,butalso theECDasGovernmentcontinuesbuildingouttoprovidean additional artery for travel between the East Coast and the East Bank which ultimately form an important part of Government’s transport infrastructure modernization plans. (Article modified from the Department of Public Information).

Arti Cameron

As we begin the new year, Guyanese beauty and former modelArti Cameron wishes to encourage others to live more purposefully by working to become their best selves, pursuing worthier battles, and evolving within their unique journeys. Her interests include, building sustainability within the creative arts and cultural industries, and writing.Among her favourite quotes is one by Socrates’, “To move the world, we must first move ourselves.”

St. George's Cathedral

is over 130 years old

Pro-Cathedral building. ficially of design Bloomfield. foundation the was

opened for worship. On November ge's It British

site of the present cathedral Overtime, the membership eventually outgrew this structure too.

The second cathedral was located approximately 12 metres (40 feet) west of the first church. The foundation stone was laid by Governor Henry Light on September21,1838.

The building was completed on June26,1842,andwasconsecrated by the newly appointed Bishop William Piercy Austin, the first Anglican Bishop to British Guiana. It was a brick building and had a square tower located along the western end, which proved too heavyforitsfoundation.

At 33 years old, the second building was demolished due to it being rendered unsafe and the parish was relocated in 1877 after

The Gothic Revival church, raised on a terrace and over 40 metres (132 feet) tall, was once considered the state church of the colony Some architectural features of the structure include its spire, buttresses, and Gothic arched windows.

The church was gazetted as a NationalMonumentinApril2001.

Besides its captivating magnificence, the St George's Cathedral provides a warm environment for Christians to connectwiththeirSaviour

The structure is known as the tallest wooden building in the Western Hemisphere, standing about 143 feet tall. It has been a major tourist attraction over the years;evenlocalsenjoythesightof theSt.George'sCathedral.

Guyana's magnificent St. George's Cathedral (Photos by Wayne Lyttle)

A section of the intricate interior designs featured on the building

Doctor Bush

FOCUS - A place once populated by doctors

By Malisa Renada Playter Harry

Iam quite sure that many of you do not know of the small village named Doctor Bush. This community is a village withinAlbion, Corentyne, Berbice, and comprises of just over 15 families.

LocatedalongtheAlbionEstate road, Doctor Bush is said to be unpopular and is often times forgotten, according to some residents.Butdoyouknowwhythe village is called Doctor Bush? Residents said based on old stories told, the entire community once consisted of doctors who worked at theAlbion Estate dispensary, when GuyanawasunderBritishrule.The people during that era considered the health institution a hospital that served residents from across the lower Corentyne; hence the name DoctorBush.

As you enter the main cross street, you cannot miss the Hindu temple, which is attended by the majority of the residents who are mostly Hindus. It is an integral part of their life since they make sure they attend weekly services and also volunteer at the Mandir, by either cooking or assisting in cleaningit.

Hema Suklall, 29, has been living in Doctor Bush for 10 years and noted that her community is very quiet with mostly relatives populating it. She added that there are a lot of vacant houses because personsmigrated.

Suklall said most of the persons are employed at the Albion Estate thatislocatedafewminutesaway For her, the villagers are very supportive, especially when there is a function at the Mandir

“How you find they support because there is a Mandirhereandifthereisa function, you would see people come out and help, if there is a programme they would come out and help...the people are very religio here...”She added that one of interesting things about the village was that it once had a huge farm with a farm house where officers from NAREI would visit, but since the last major flooding, it was

destroyed and no grant was given to help get it back up and running. The farm she said was a means toearnaliving since a variety of cash crops were grown and

Entering Doctor Bush

old at the local market. There was alsoagreenhouseinplace,"wetake down the greenhouse; we grew like celery,lettuce,sweetpepperetcand after the flood, we applied for the floodreliefbutwenevergetcall...”

A normal day for Suklall, sees her preparing her kids for school and preparing lunch for her husband. When they are sent off, the remainder of the day is spent quietlyathome

Further down the street, I caught up with Kabir Azeez who has been living in the village with hispartnerforjustabout3years.

He is a welder at the Albion Estate who enjoys his job because it's close to home and he makes a decent living while also doing it on the side when time is available to him.

Azeez said since he has been living in the village, there has been no development, the streets remain the same and the drainage is in a miserable state. He added that only recently, a few streetlights were erected.

As it relates to the drainage, he mentionedthatwhenitrains"allthe water flows over the drain and into theyardsbecausethereisnowayto lead it out, both sides, where the drain suppose to go across into trench, the street block it...”

Despite those issues, he said the people and the community is very nice. He enjoys the serenity of the village and said that based on what he was told aboutthehistoryofthe village, "it was a village for doctors, it hadbiggerhouses...itwas like a hospital in the British where the finance office attheestateisnow

He opined, "is like this village don't exist sometimes but it's nice hereman...

Malisa Playter-Harry

One of the old abandoned houses in the village

A section of the clogged and stagnant drain

Gaitree Mohan

“Dhall Puri For Sale” sign

Hema Suklall

Kabir Azeez

The mandir in the village

Mother of three forges ahead in Business

By Malisa Playter Harry

At just 37-years-old, businesswoman

Samantha Reid, a Cumberland, East Canje born resident has been making waves in the business sector with “boss moves ” Reid is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of SAWAInvestmentInc,DePeople’s Pawnshop, and the Public Relations Officer of the Berbice ChamberofCommerce.

Talk about big moves, this highly motivated Canje born mother of three, has been capably managing her own success as a single mother, and is also pursuing her Master’s Degree in Business and Entrepreneurship at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. Reid, who previously owned a clothing boutique and a bar, is also part owner of the well known “De People Pawnshop” in NewAmsterdam,Berbice.

Butwhileitmayseem Reid is well established, did not come easily Her struggles and th humble beginnings, in which she was raised, h a v e b e e n instrumental in her successtodate.

Reid obtained her education at the Cumberland Primary School, Berbice High S c h o o l a n d subsequently the University of Guyan where she read for D i p l o m a i n P u ManagementandaBsc in Business Management. She

said that as a little girl growing up with her grandmother who had a small vending stand, she was always inspired to be something great and to do great things. She challengedherselftoworkhardand studyhard.

“I wouldn’t say I grew up in poverty, but we didn’t have everything we needed so that motivated me to strive for better.” She said. According to her, as a little girl, she became interested in business because of her grandmother

“She sold dry fish…etc, so when school was out, she had myself and other siblings helping her with that and would a put a standinfronttheyardandhave ussell,’Reidrecalled.

Fast forward to 2010, she started her business, a clothing boutique well known by many as “Designer Clothing” and was located at the J&S Mall in New Amsterdam That businessranfrom2010upuntil 2014. During that time, she recalled that a customer always advised her to start a pawnshop andshedid.

“So, I had those two businesses but then I saw potentialinthepawnshop,andI decided to focus on it. I sold out the clothing store and put the proceedsinthepawnshop.”Life became complicated when she wentthroughadivorcefromher husband. It forced her to liquidateanumberofassetsthat

(Continued on page 32)

The road that her company did, the Black Bush Road, first road construction.

CEO of SAWA Samantha Reid

From humble beginnings to CEO of her own company;

Samantha sharing a light moment at an event with Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, Author Mandeep Rai and others.

With staff - Samantha poses with some of her staff at an exposition.

Samantha Reid posed for a picture with Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo.

Not only a CEO that sits at the desk, she is active in the fields too!

Tipsforasuccessfulfitness NewYear’sresolution

It’s that time of the year when we start penning our list of New Year’s resolutionsorthingswewanttodo differently Iffitnesshappenstofall intothatlist,youwillfindthesetips useful in helping you stay committed to whatever your objectiveis.

As we have discussed before, fitness for everyone is different. For some, it may mean dropping a few pounds, or maybe gaining some weight. For others, it may mean building muscle mass or toning.

Staying committed can be a huge burden especially if you do not see results within a specific timeline.Don’tgiveup!

I came across an interesting article a while back that was medically reviewed by Dr Carol DerSarkissian, a certified emergencyphysicianintheUnited States that has actually been inspiringandmotivatingtome.

Thesetipswereputtogetherby WebMDandIcouldnothaveputit better myself. Even though these weresharedbefore,itcanserveasa great refresher that provides you with the encouragement you need to remain focused and committed toyourfitnessgoalsin2023.

Do it for yourself. Studies show that people who are “externally motivated” — that is, theyhitthegymjusttolookgoodat a class reunion — don’t stick with it Those who are “internally motivated” meaning they exercisebecausetheyloveit—are theoneswhoaremorelikelytostay initforthelongrun.

Take baby steps. You would never try to run 10 miles on day

one,right?Whenyoudotoomuch too soon, you’ll end up sore, injured, and discouraged. Take it easyasyougetstarted.Maybeyou only run a quarter of a mile your first week. When that becomes easy, you can make it more challenging.

Hang tough No one has perfect form the first day of strength training. Every workout takes practice. You’ll get the hang ofitifyoukeepmakinganeffort.

Mixitup Dodifferenttypesof workoutstokeepthingsinteresting and to exercise different muscle groups. If the elliptical machine is usuallyyourthing,hoponthestair climber for some cardio instead. Also, switch between machines

and free weights when you strength-train. You don’t have to reinvent your entire routine every week, but you do want to shift it aroundalittle.

Don’t be your own drill sergeant. Half of all people who start a new exercise programme ditchitwithinthefirstyear Itoften happensbecausetheycan’tkeepup theboot-camppacethey’veforced on themselves. It’s better to work within your limits, and gradually getstronger

Bring a friend. When your inner demons order you to hit the couch instead of the treadmill, a workoutpartnercansteeryouback in the right direction. It’s easier to bail out on the gym than on the

f r i e n d who waits for you there. Studies show you’ll also work out longerwhenyouhaveapalalong.

Show the clock who’s boss Healthexpertssayyoushouldaim foratleast150minutesofexercise a week (30 minutes a day, five times a week, for example), plus weight training at least twice a week. Can’t find room in your crazyschedule?Takeacloserlook. Ifyouworktoolatetogettoagym, keep a set of weights at home. If you can’t do 30 minutes at once, breakexercisesessionsupinto10or15-minutebursts.

y o u missed a week at the gym and polishedoffapintoficecreamover theweekend?Leavetheguiltinthe past.Youhaveachancetogetback intoyourroutinetoday

Keep it real. You’re not going to skim off 30 pounds in a week. Aim for something that’s realistic asafirststep.Forinstance,increase yourworkoutschedulefromtwoto three days a week, or exercise for 15moreminuteseachtime.

Trackit.Keepafitnessjournal or use an app to record your

Get used to it Your workout should be just as much a habit as brushing your teeth or eating breakfast. When it’s part of your routine, you won’t even have to think about it. In a few months, fitness can be a regular feature in yourday.

Liveinthepresent.So,whatif

progress — for example, how muchyourun,walk,orliftandthe caloriesyouburn.

Celebrate! It takes weeks to see real changes. Even a pound of weight loss or a pound of muscle gain is reason to reward yourself. Gooutwithfriends,orspringfora newpairofjeans.

It’s no sin to exercise in the comfort of your own home

Exercise with your friends can be fun and motivating

Health Facts

‘Vaping’ and the serious risk of heart disease

There is a growing number of your adrenaline levels, which will and trainees in cardiovascular Reports. young people who ‘vape’as part of make your heart beat faster and medicine found that habitual e- Other dangerous their recreational and other leisure boost your blood pressure, which, cigarette users had abnormal heart chemicals in the eactivities in Guyana. However, in turn, will increase your heart’s rate patterns similar to tobacco cigarette mix include the today’s piece will highlight needforoxygen. cigarette smokers. The abnormal inhaled aerosol whic research from short-term nicotine You may also feel heart heart rate pattern is associated with contains other potentially studies that help shed light on what palpitations but overall, e- increased heart attack risk and harmful chemicals, such could happen to your heart if you cigarettes may increase heart sudden death in people with and Acrolein, Acetaldehyde, and of usee-cigarettesorvape. rhythm abnormalities, which are withoutknownheartdisease. Formaldehyde. heart failure. Someone with an According to info posted by linkedtoheartdiseaserisk. The rise in oxidative stress in All of those can lead to arrhythmia—atrialfibrillation,for Everyday Health.com, ‘vaping’can A study published in March people who used an electronic premature atherosclerosis and example — could have an episode have a serious impact on the heart. 2017 in JAMA Cardiology an cigarette for 15 minutes had abnormalheartrhythms. provoked by nicotine. As bad as Vapingcanresultinabumpinheart internationalpeer-reviewedjournal significant increases in oxidative The levels of these chemicals the nicotine in e-cigarettes is for rate and blood pressure. When you and the definitive journal for stress markers in their immune are much lower compared to you, e-cigarette smoking is still vape, the nicotine jolt will increase clinical investigators, clinicians, cells, according to research tobacco cigarettes, but if a large preferable to regular cigarette published in Vascular Health population starts using electronic smoking. and Risk Management in cigarettes, a significant number of

By Rehanna Ramsay

Tobacco smoke contains 60 to 2019 “Oxidative stress people will develop health issues 70 carcinogens that e-cigarettes increases your risk of many and we’ll have another public don’t. Although e-cigarettes aren’t diseases, including heart healthproblem. marketed as a smoking cessation disease, premature aging, and Vaping helps aid, like nicotine gum or patches, cancer,”thepapersaid. aggravate heart disease some believe they have the

Oxidative stress in blood If you already have an irregular potential to help regular cigarette vessels—asituationinwhich heartbeat or high blood pressure or smokers kick the habit as a step- harmful free radical oxygen diagnosed with heart disease, the downapproach. molecules outnumber nicotine in e-cigarettes is an

Still, for your heart health, it’s detoxifying antioxidants — especiallyriskybusiness. wise not to start vaping — even if can lay the groundwork for “People with coronary artery you think you’re young and atherosclerosis,thebuildupof blockages and people with invincible — especially if you dangerous, artery-clogging congestiveheartfailurecouldmake don’talreadysmoke. plaque, according to a review theseconditionsworsebyexposure

( A d a p t e d f r o m in the September 2017 to nicotine. They might develop https://www.everydayhealth.com) Current Atherosclerosis chest pain or increased symptoms

From humble beginnings to CEO of her own company;

Mother of three forges...

From page 27

they both acquired together and as such, she was left with a mortgage and other bills to pay She was living in Georgetown when the divorce happened and so she made thedecisiontoreturntoBerbice.

“The pawnshop was the only source of income at the time and I went to my accountant and he advised me and he asked me if I wanted to form a company and that he would talk to some people to givemeworkfromthegovernment so I said why not if it will help me payalotofdebts.”

Shortlyafterthingsgotbumpier as she was left with taking care of her three children, she started SAWA Investment, the word SAWAar

e th initials of her and her children. With the formation of the company, she began getting small contracts from the regional administration in Berbice and it was assisting her along with the pawnshop.

“I used to scrape, I couldn’t sleepatnight,Ihadseriousanxiety, there were people threatening me

and my kids and I had to pay them off so that’s when I started SAWA Investment and I used to get little work from the region. I would supply them with stationery, dietary items, field materials, capital materials, whatever little theywouldgiveme,Iwouldtake.I startedwith$200,000"

Samantha believes that everything happens for a reason and since the conceptualization of her company, she has expanded with a second branch in Georgetown, employing just over 20 persons directly and 50-100 persons indirectly, depending on the project they are working on. She noted that tremendous growth was recorded within the past 2-3 years.

While the company started out withprocurementandmaintenance for schools and buildings, washroom facilities etc, in the last three years, they have expanded to road construction and housing projects.

Since venturing to road construction, Samantha said she was eager to learn and have the

company give its best and so the first road they built was one in Black Bush Polder, she said it intriguedhersincethen.

“Entrepreneur by heart”

Even though Samantha has been doing well with her company, she is always looking to make her next idea a reality, her brain is always ticking and so she hopes to one day get into the oil and gas industry by providing procurement and construction services, “that’s something I want to work on this comingyear.”

She is confident that her company SAWA will grow even bigger and she also hopes to one day have an empowerment home forwomen.Shementionedthatshe hadcraftedaproposalforthatsome 10-15 years ago and had taken the proposal to the previous governmentbutwasturneddown.

“At that time Amna Ally was ministerandItookittoher,andshe turneditdown.

They had the SLED programme, so they had funding at thetime.

I spoke to the new minister and

am working on that but I am using myself, my company, my platform as an empowering tool for women toseethat.

You can’t short change yourself.

There are things that I went through in life that I could have easily said I am done but every struggle, every lesson learned has propelled me to where I am at today I am stronger and more resilient, and my kids are my biggestmotivation.”

Samanthaspeaksproudlyofher children and notes that doing it as a single parent is not the easiest but knowing that her children are benefitting is the most rewarding feeling. She pushed for herself and children even when she felt she could not anymore. Her eldest is currently pursuing studies to becomeadoctor

“Women have dreams and many times their dream die to take careoftheirchildrenandfamily,or a man and it shouldn’t be. When I attended UG, I had my business, husband and child and I used to do everything. I remember driving to

Turkeyneveryday first,Iopenmy store, drive to Turkeyen, come b a c k , a n d c o l l e c t m y son everyday was a routine When people see me now, just knowthatIputinthework,nothing comeseasy.”

Thebusinesswomanbelievesin her heart that “women are the biggest conduit of loving and sharing”andshehopesthatwomen canbeinspiredtoneverquitdespite thestruggleslooming.

“Nothing in life is easy; you havetoputyourselfoutthere.Iwas knocking on every door and telling people what I want and what I am capable of. I have to thank the President, the government, they heardme.”

Today Samantha Reid is breaking barriers and pushing the envelopetoalwaysbebetter Sheis jumping at opportunities and holding on to them with a firm grasp.

Her journey to where she is today is inspiring and, in that regard, we wish her the absolute bestcome2023.

Let’s try to become better versions of ourselves in 2023

ByRichardFrancois

Another year has

come to an end.

A new one begins.Isincerelyhopethat 2022wasagoodyearforall of you, and as the year ended, you would have accomplished much of which you set yourself to achieve,atitsbeginning.

Now that 2023 has begun, I urge that you continue into this new year with an enduring positive mindset and a focused determinationtomake2023 anevenbetteryearforyou.

For those of you who may not have had a good 2022, do not lose hope, do not give up! Continue to persevere and work industriously towards those things you wish to accomplish.Remember,life wasnevermeanttobeeasy

Life is filled with challenges The way we creatively work around and overcome those challenges, builds and strengthens our character, and works to make us better versions of ourselvesovertime.

AsweembracetheNew Year, let us focus on becomingbetterpeople.Itis not an easy task, but it is achievable once there is the desireandcommitment.

Sometimesourpriorities can become misaligned as we focus on the material things we wish to acquire. Weneedthathouse,thatcar, that degree, that job, that promotion, and the list can go on, that sometimes we lose track of ourselves and the ways in which we can develop into better versions of ourselves as time

progresses.

More pressing issues likethecostoflivingandthe need to survive from one month to the next can take precedenceandovershadow the need for us to introspect and reflect on our personal developmentandgrowth.

The vicissitudes of life cansometimesmakeuslose trackoftheneedtoinvestin our personal peace and spiritual wellbeing. Even as you set your resolutions for 2023, please try to set aside time for personal spiritual growth.

Try to smile a bit more, be nice, be civil, be courteous, and be supportive.Trytonotletthat annoying co-worker get the better of you. Spend more time with your family Do simple things. Try to find peaceandjoyin2023.

Regardless of the denomination to which you belong, try to make a little more time for devotion.Try to connect or re-connect spirituallywiththeSupreme Being.

Remember life is all about balance. There is a time for everything. Don’t let your drive for success make you lose sight of your own humanness and that of the people with whom you interact. Try to be a little kinder Our society needs more people who are respectful, caring and understanding. Let 2023 be the year for the positive transformationofself.

As you work to achieve your individual goals, let your words and actions inspire those around you. Don’tjustlivelife;livelife

Doctor Bush

From page 26

abandoned houses that are either in a dilapidatedstateoroverrunwithvines.

My eyes caught on to a sign reading, "Dhall Puri For Sale". A lover of the treat, I was told the person residing where the sign was placed made some of the best dhall puri around.Gaitree Mohan called 'Joany' said she has been making her delicious dhall puris to sell or to supply the Mandir for about a year now She added that it was never a lingering idea but one day, she was asked by a member oftheMandirtocookfriedriceforareligious function,shedidanditwasahit!

They praised her cooking skills and so now, she is a regular cook volunteering and supplyingtheMandir

She thought about making and selling dhall puri and decided to give it a try While she does not do it on a large-scale, she does briskbusiness. Shealsotakesorders.

"I love cooking," she said with a bright smile on her face.All her puris were sold out when I arrived, but I am quite sure they taste delicious.Althoughshesaidthatshelovesher

community, she mentioned that she endures quite a lot from a neighbour and is scared for her safety and that of her family She mentioned that the neighbour who is often intoxicatedwouldcurseorthreatenherandat one point placed a cutlass at her husband's throat. She had to call the Albion Police several times but her calls always fell on deaf ears.

"When he kill me then dem go show up", she said angrily She believes that the police should be taking matters such as these seriously since they can escalate and get worse."Nightanddaythisguycursesme,Iam tired going to the station to make a report and they always say, they will come and they never come..."She added that it's not like it wasbefore,sincealotofnewpersonsarenow living in the village. According to her, many ofthepeoplekeeptothemselves.

Shesaidshelivesandkeepsherpeace.For the Christmas, she said her grandchildren cameoverandspenttheholidayswithherand their grandfather.Everyone said that they all hadaveryquietChristmasandBoxingDay

CONSUMER CONCERNS

SVN CONTRIBUTES TO NATIONAL TRANSFORMATION

IN MANY WAYS; STATE COULD MAKE TANGIBLE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BY PAYING ITS TEACHERS

BY PAT

DIAL University of London had staff recruited was persons wasnotfunctioningwelland access to Education He admittedtootherschoolsand started offering overseas who did their Senior allowedprivateschoolstobe therefore decided to its admission policy has It is a rarity in the degrees and there were a Cambridge and many of re-established Private establish a school, alwaysbeen‘firstcome,first educational history of any number of correspondence these teachers were trying to schools, both in Georgetown synthesizing the best served’. country for one school to collegesofferingtuition.The study for London University and the countryside, sprang western techniques with the Such a policy saved provide an example that first step in the ambition to degrees via correspondence up. Most were below the ancient time-tested values of hundreds of children from could be adopted by the join the Civil Service and to courses. Queens, Bishop’s standards of the better VedicEducation. being denied an education national education system to graduate with a London and St Stanislaus still government schools and The name chosen for the and indeed, many of these improve itself. In 19th degree, was the passing of remained the premier and were, in most cases, schoolwasSaraswatiVidya childrenhavedevelopedinto century England, Rugby the Senior Cambrigde or elite schools, whose results entrepreneurial ventures Niketan, which roughly being students who have S c h o o l u n d e r t h e London Matriculation were infinitely better than Two in particular, however, translates as “An abode of performed well at both headmastership of Dr examination. the private secondary stand out - the School of learning which humbly C S E C a n d C A P E Thomas Arnold is one well- The secondary schools schools; almost all staff of Nations in Georgetown and invokes the inspiration of examinations. This policy known example Dr which offered these these schools held degrees the Saraswati Vidya Niketan Saraswati; the Cultural and has also freed numerous Arnold’s methods of school examinations were Queen’s from British universities at Cornelia Ida in the Educational aspect of God”. parentsandchildrenfromthe administration, and his College and The Bishop’s Yet, the private secondary countryside which, in time, ThislengthyEnglishattempt anxiety which afflicts them approach to discipline High School which were schools were able to supply turned out to have as good at conveying the Sanskrit atthebeginningoftheschool among the students, his Government owned and St. stafffortheCivilServiceand results as the top of the line meaning is to be expected year It has also prevented curriculum and his elevation Stanislaus College for boys businesses and many of their Government schools, which since Sanskrit is a language intellectualwaste. TheSVN of the cultivation of ethical andSt.Joseph’sHighSchool graduates went abroad after once had a monopoly of the withcompactmeaning. example should lead to a and moral life as a necessity, and St. Rose’s High School WorldWarIIandqualifiedin outstanding results at the The school depended on review of the present policy influenced other great for girls which were variousdisciplines. Caribbean examinations the community for its of admission to Secondary British Public Schools and foundations of the Roman The private secondary School of Nations has now financing, since Swamiji, Schools based on CE marks the English education CatholicChurch. Theimage schools had now become an moved away from being a like all Swamis, had no andonstreaming. system.TheSaraswatiVidya of these schools was that integral and necessary In purely secondary school to material possessions. The Secondly, SVN has Niketan (SVN) School at theirfeeswereveryhighand 1966, the country became a one involved in University school began with a small exposed the long held myth Cornelia Ida, West Coast that they catered only for the Socialist state and education Education. building with the support that a student has to go to a Demerara, stands out as a eliteandupperclasses. was nationalized The Swami Aksharananda from the Temple, on the Georgetown school to do school most deserving of To meet this need for the private secondary schools was the founder of the swampy portion of the land, well. SVN has shown that such accolade. However, demand of a large expansion fell under government Saraswati Vidya Niketan and admitted children of any the Education System before we focus on the ways of the secondary school control and students paid no School. Before he became a religion, race or class. All of countrywide could be SVN has impacted on the system, numbers of persons fees. No private schools Swami, he was a brahmchari itsfirstintakeswerechildren uniformly elevated and is assumptions of mainstream who had a vocation for were permitted to be devotedtoalifeofdiscipline who would not be admitted capable of delivering a good educationists in Guyana, we teaching and had some established. Secondary and abstinence. In that to any other school since education anywhere in think it is appropriate for entrepreneurial skills schoolsweregradedwiththe persona,hedidmanynotable they were in effect streamed Guyana. readers to understand how founded secondary schools three top schools, and the things among which was his outoftheEducationSystem. Thirdly, the moral and private schools like SVN in Georgetown and New systemofstreamingchildren membership of the Working Gradually, teachers were ethical aspects of life are haveevolved. Amsterdam These oftheprimaryschoolsbythe People’s Alliance with Dr trained, buildings and stressed In almost all At the end of the 1930’s, schoolmasters became C o m m o n E n t r a n c e Walter Rodney, manfully equipment were acquired schools, their motto a revolution in secondary legends and among these Examination (now replaced struggling for democracy and Swamiji had the encapsulates some moral or education began to explode were J.C. Luck who founded by the National Grade Six and a better Guyana, and his unrelenting task of ethical guidance, but here in Guyana. Into the CentralHighSchool;R.B.O. Assessment)wasinstituted. achievingaPhD,aDoctorate administering the school, students pass through the societalchanges,whichwere Hart, Enterprise High W i t h S o c i a l i s t from one of the better building new structures and school without knowing the responsible for this, we shall School; J I Ramphal, management, standards American Universities. He raising funds locally and relevance of the motto. At not go, but only to point out Modern Educational declinedandatthebeginning saw the futility of politics from abroad. In a few years, SVN, in addition to the that at that particular Institute; O. Alleyne who of the school year, parents andwenttoBenarestostudy thebuildings,equipmentand unobtrusive daily ethical juncture,many parents, even founded Alleyne High desperatelytriedallmeansto Here, after ten years of physical surroundings of the teaching, the students know from the remote villages of School; and R. E. Cheeks, have their children accepted rigorous tapasya and study, school compared with the the motto by heart and it is the countryside, felt that Cheeks High School. These into the “better part” of the he was accorded the rank of b e t t e r G e o r g e t o w n prominently displayed in the their children could have a schools competed with each country’s Educational Swami. We shall refer to government schools. Far school That motto is better future by joining the other and advertised their System. Independence was himasSwami-ji,jibeingan more important, is the Satyam vada Dharmam C i v i l S e r v i c e , t h e successes at the Junior and granted in schools. It was a honorifictermofrespect. performance of students at chara Swadhyayan Ma commercial banks and the S e n i o r C a m b r i d g e time of great confusion and Swamiji assessed that in the CSEC and CAPE Pramadh which roughly big stores. Further, many examinations and the greatanguishforparentsand addition to poverty, the other examinations which was translates: now saw the achievement of London Matriculation even children and those in great evil which had beset superlative when compared Everspeakthetruth a university degree was now These schoolmasters would the countryside felt even the communities of West with the best in the country Ever practice ethical and possible without going to visit parents campaigning more hopelessness and Coast Demerara and and the entire Caribbean. moralbehaviour Englandtostudy,anexpense for recruitment of students despair E s s e q u i b o w a s t h e Just as an example, SVN’s Always keep to your which no one could afford. and selling the virtues of a Eventually, the State impossibility of the poor and AtishtaSeenarinetoppedthe studies and pursue This was now possible since secondary education. The recognized that State control disadvantaged having equal entire Caribbean in CAPE in intellectualdevelopment. 2022 with 18 Unit I and II Thereareotheraspectsof gradeones. the school administration

Employers are worthy of emulation in increasingly having elevating the Education a preference for System.

SVN

graduates At this point, we would

SVN has provided an like to remind that SVN is a example which could be non-profit institution and adopted by other schools in that its fees are subsidized raising educational and kept affordable to the standards of the country and community by much we will identify a few of its voluntarism. The school is characteristics: The early doing a great deal for the intakes of SVN were Social and Educational children who would not be DevelopmentofGuyana.

Court Journal

Accessing your partner’s phone without consent can land you in jail, with million dollar fine

intentionally, without fromacomputersystem.” Devonish recently highli sation or in excess of “As such, creating a ‘dummy’ interesting aspects of Guyana’ authorisation, or by infringing ofaperson’sphoneoranyoftheir CybercrimeActof2018. security measure, accesses social media, thereby allowing

Attorney-at-law C

Firstly, cybercrime is the computersystemoranypart you to intercept the messages or use of a computer to carry out of a computer system of othercommunicationtheyreceive illegal acts. Cybercrimes are another person. A person is a crime. This would include, usuallydonewiththeuseof who commits an offence for example, activating, without a the internet and different under subsection (1) is person’s knowledge or privacy, a devices that have internet liable (a) on summary WhatsApp Web of a person’s access. conviction to a fine of account so as to allow you to read

Many people are not three million dollars and alloftheirmessages,etc.” even aware of thisAct and to imprisonment for Added to the aforementioned the penalties that are three years: or (b) on he said, “Importantly, being in a attachedtotheoffencesthat conviction on indictment relationship with someone, or fallunderthisAct. to a fine of five million evenbeingmarriedtosomeone,is Guyana’s Cybercrime d o l l a r s a n d t o not an exception; least not on the Bill2016waspresentedbythe mprisonment for five faceofit.” then Attorney General a years.”

By Renay Sambach

Section 4 (1) of the data interference, illegal Minister of Legal Affairs, Devonish also pointed out CybercrimeAct states, “A person acquisition of data, illegal system Williams. It was published accessing a computer commits an offence if the person interference, illegal devices, August 4, 2016.After the Bill ( phone) in excess of intentionally and without lawful unauthorised granting of access to presented to the National permission To this end, he excuseorjustification,interceptsor giving of electronic data, Assembly, the proposed Section explained, “If a person gives you (a) the transmission of electronic relation to computer devices, computer-related forgery, 18, ‘Sedition,’had caused a public permission to access their email data or any communication of whichincludecellphones. computer-related fraud, offences outcry but you then proceed to run their anotherpersonto,fromorwithina

Attorney-at-law Chevy Devonish

He added that Section 3 (1) affecting critical infrastructure, However,onJuly20,2018,the WhatsApp or Facebook chat, this computer system; or (b) any statesthatitisacriminaloffenceto identity-related offences, child Coalition Government used its isalsolikelyacrime. electromagnetic emission access a person’s computer, pornography, child luring, majority to pass the Cybercrime

Additionally, if a person gives carrying electronic data from a including their cellphone publication or transmission of Bill with an amendment you permission to use their computersystem.” intentionally without their image of private area of a person, expunging the controversial

password to access their phone “A person who commits an consent, in excess of any multiple electronic mail messages seditionclause. today at this time, unless they say offence under subsection (1) is permission given to access the and fraudulent website, offences Since the passage of the Bill, or otherwise suggest so, this liable (a) on summary conviction phone, or by infringing a security againsttheState,usingacomputer numerous persons were charged, permissiondoesnotextendtolater toafineoffivemilliondollarsand measure. system to coerce, harass, put before the court and even inthedayoralaterday,sothatany to imprisonment for three years or

The lawyer further explained, intimidate, humiliate, etc., a convicted. lateraccessmayalsobeacrime.” (b) on conviction on indictment to “Memorising a person’s password person,infringementofcopyright, In a Facebook post on Another section of the law a fine of eight million dollars and and later accessing their phone patents and designs and Thursday, Devonish in an effort to

Devonish highlighted was “Illegal toimprisonmentforfiveyears.” with that password is likely a trademarks, corporate liability, inform others highlighted how interception.”

The lawyer added, “If you or crime. Using a sleeping person’s attempt, aiding or abetting, use of breaching your partner’s privacy

He said, “Section 4 (1) anyoneyouknowhadorcontinues fingerprint or face to surmount computer system to commit on their cellphones is a criminal criminalises the act of to have any of these things happen biometric protections also likely offence under any other law, act. intentionally and without lawful to you, it is likely that a crime has constitutes a crime. There are o f f e n c e s p r e j u d i c i n g Devonish, a State Counsel excuse intercepting the been committed against you, and otherwaysbutyougettheidea.” investigation. attached to theAttorney General’s transmission of electronic data or you should go tell the police, have According to the Cybercrime (To share any useful Chambers, explained that the any communication of another them charged and tried. The Act, Section 3 (1), “Illegal access information you can contact me CybercrimeAct 2018 criminalises person from or within a computer penaltiesarestiff.” to a computer system - (1) A v i a e m a i l various conduct on electronic system, or any electromagnetic Moreover, some other person commits an offence if the @naesambach@gmail.com) platforms, and also conduct in emission carrying electronic data Cybercrime offences are: illegal

Young Professionals Series:

Crime reporter & Photographer...

From page 34 accurately

assemble

“

ll He added that memories became a hobby the opportunity when the quite satisfied with his for a story with punchy confidence are keys to dedication is another key that has grown into a small opening for a crime reporter position as a crime reporter headlines may also be a becoming a good reporter,” element for a reporter, as it business called Snap Brim came. He said he could not despitethejoblandinginhis challenge, but again, this is Belgrave opined He wouldbeforanyotherjob.It Photography believe he was covering an lap without any warning. an issue that will be emphasizedthatasareporter may require longer hours Belgrave said that he area he enjoyed so much, The reporter said he is remediedwithtimehesaid. you must have, “confidence and demand that one maynothaveachievedbeing while making a meaningful determined to succeed in his “Love your job. I love in yourself to overcome fear functions at unusual hours, a neurosurgeon, but he has contribution to society, by profession as the service he what I do,” Belgrave when seeking information but once the dedication and found a profession that he getting the news over to the provides is valuable to all advised. from politicians, the police; love for the job is there it is lovesandwherehecanfitin. public promptly and withinthesociety

said he quickly jumped to Belgrave said that he is

“If you want to be confidence that your reallyapleasureattimes. “I am still able to touch the accurately Belgrave said that there successful and excel at what information is accurate Outside of reporting, lives of many through my id he quickly jumped to the are challenges that come you do, then do what you enough to ignore critics, Belgrave also dabbles in reporting,”hesaid. opportunity when the with being a crime reporter, love.” Belgrave said some thosewhomaywanttocover photography, another He noted we may make opening for a crime reporter butheispreparedtohandle things he does to ensure he's the truth or manipulate it.” activity he engaged in as a all the plans for our lives, came. He said he could not them accordingly For on the right track with his Belgrave said that for child. and it may be the greatest believe he was covering an one thing, he said, not being stories are to question its intriguing stories one could Belgravesaidhelovesto feeling once we achieve it. area he enjoyed so much, a trained reporter makes purpose, to gauge what he be creative in the way the travel and visited a number He opined however that the while making a meaningful writingtheperfectstoryabit believes readers need to story is told to captivate of beautiful places in the feeling of satisfaction must contribution to society, by of a challenge; but that is an know,andtoensuretheright readers. region Photography, he be the same when someone getting the news over to the issue he knows could be m e s s a g e i s b e i n g

One may also look to be said, is an excellent way to findstheircallingandbegins public promptly and rectifiedwithpractice. communicated to his creative in the way they holdontomemories. tosettleineffortlessly

Belgrave said that readers.

the information as Overtime, capturing

choosing the perfect angle

C r e a t i v i t y a n d we

This Day in History - Jan. 01

Compiled by Zena Henry Amazing Grace”

is first

used to accompany a sermon led

by writer John Newton

“Amazing Grace” is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet, John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn used for both religious and secular purposes. Newton wrote the words from personal experience; he grew up without any particular religious conviction, but his life’s path was formed by a variety of twists and coincidences that were often put into motion by others’reactions to what they took as his recalcitrant insubordination. He was pressed (navally conscripted) into service with the Royal Navy, and after leaving the service, he became involved in the Atlantic slave trade.

In 1748, a violent storm battered his vessel off the coast of County Donegal, Ireland, so severely, that he called out to God for mercy While this moment markedhisspiritualconversion, he continued slave trading until 1754 or 1755, when he ended his seafaring altogether Newton began studying Christian theology andlaterbecameanabolitionist. Ordained in the Church of England in 1764,NewtonbecamethecurateofOlney,Buckinghamshire, where he began to write hymns with poet William Cowper “Amazing Grace” was written to illustrate a sermon on New Year’s Day of 1773. It is unknown if there was any music accompanying the verses; it may have been chanted by the congregation. It debuted in print in 1779 in Newton’s and Cowper’s Olney Hymns but settled into relative obscurity in England. In the United States, “Amazing Grace” became a popularsongusedbyBaptistandMethodistpreachersaspart of their evangelizing, especially in the American South, duringtheSecondGreatAwakeningoftheearly19thcentury It has been associated with more than 20 melodies. In 1835, American composer William Walker set it to the tune known as “New Britain” in a shape note format; this is the version mostfrequentlysungtoday (Wikipedia)

The United States bans the importation of slaves

At the Constitutional Convention in 1787, delegates fiercely debated the issue of slavery They ultimately agreed that the United States would potentially cease importation of slaves in 1808. An act of Congress passed in 1800 made it illegal for Americans to engage in the slave trade between nations, and gave U.S. authorities the right to seize slave ships which were caught transporting slaves and confiscate their cargo. The “Act Prohibiting the Importation of Slaves” took effect in 1808. However, a domestic or “coastwise” trade in slaves persisted between ports within the United States, as demonstrated by slave manifests and court records. (US NationalArchives)

Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom is proclaimed Empress of India

While Queen Victoria was the Queen of the United Kingdom, she also held the additional title of (the first) Empress of India. She was proclaimed as Empress on 1 January 1877 and held the title until her death on 22 January 1901.Intotal,sheservedasIndia’sempressfor24years,eight months, and three weeks. The idea of the Queen becoming EmpressofIndiahadbeendiscussedfordecadesbeforeitwas instituted, first being brought up in 1843. Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar had been deposed in 1857 at which point controlofBritishIndiawastransferredtotheCrownfromthe East India Company (EIC). Victoria was offered the position of empress after the EIC was dissolved; she accepted it on 1 May 1876 with it being officially proclaimed in India on 1 January 1877 Obtaining the title of Empress of India, came 15 years her beloved husband, Prince Albert had died. As such, Victoria had no consortwhilereigningoverIndia.

OnJanuary1,1914,theSt.Petersburg-TampaAirboatLine was born -the world’s first scheduled airline using winged aircraft.AplaqueontheentrancetoSt.PetersburgInternational Airport proclaims: ‘The Birthplace of Scheduled Air Transportation.’Travelinginthatfirstpassengerairplanemade of wood, fabric and wire was a far cry from flying in today’s comfortable, air-conditioned airliner From all accounts, however, those first a i r l i n e flights were not so bad, provided youdidnotmindsittingoutinthebreezewithwatersprayingin your face. Passengers sat on a wooden seat in the hull of a twoplace seaplane that did not have a windshield and rarely flew more than five feet above the water. That is the way it was on that momentous day in sunny Florida only a decade after Orville and Wilbur Wright made their historic first flights at Kitty Hawk, N.C.The pilot on that historic January 1914 flight was Antony H. Jannus, a Benoist test pilot and instructor who had carried CaptainAlbert Berry The pilot and two passengers madethe22-minuteflight.

The Haitian Revolution was a successful insurrection by self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in SaintDomingue,nowthesovereignstateofHaiti.Therevoltbegan on 22 August 1791 and ended in 1804 with the former colony’s independence. It involved black, biracial, French, Spanish, British, and Polish participants—with the ex-slave Toussaint Louverture emerging as Haiti’s most prominent general. The revolution was the only slave uprising that led to the founding of a state which was both free from slavery and ruled by non-whites and former captives. It is now widely seen as a defining moment in the history of the Atlantic World.

The revolution’s effects on the institution of slavery were felt throughout theAmericas. The end of French rule and the abolition of slavery in the former colony were followed by a successfuldefenseofthefreedomstheformerslaveshadwon andwiththecollaborationofalreadyfreepeopleofcolor,and their independence from white Europeans. The revolution represented the largest slave uprising since Spartacus’ unsuccessfulrevoltagainsttheRomanRepublicnearly1,900 yearsearlierandchallengedlong-heldEuropeanbeliefsabout alleged black inferiority and about slaves’ ability to achieve and maintain their own freedom. The rebels’ organizational capacity and tenacity under pressure inspired stories that shocked and frightened slave owners in the hemisphere. At the end of the revolution, Haiti became the first blackmajority republic and second independent country in North AmericaaftertheUnitedStates.(Wikipedia)

Victoria did not have much power over the Indian government, serving more as a figurehead. Instead, the Governor GeneralstoodinhersteadinIndia wherehepresidedoverlegislative branches at the federal and provincial levels. One significant difference in Victoria’s reign over India from the United Kingdom was religion Whereas in the Uni Kingdom, the Church of England reigned supreme with the Queen as the head of the church, in India this did not apply MostIndiansfollowedtheHindu religion, and this eliminated the power oftheChurchofEnglandinthecountry Victoriawasadamant that freedom of religion be observed in the country having respect for Indians and their various beliefs. The lack of religious freedom threatened to undermine the “native religionsandcustoms,”shesaid.

Empress of India, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom

Empress Victoria threatened to abdicate several times as she wanted the UK (under the leadership of Conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli) to fight against Russia in the Russo-Turkish War The threats were just that, threats, as Victorianevermadegoodonherultimatum.

While as Queen of the United Kingdom, she was referred to as Her Majesty, as Empress of India, she was called Her Imperial Majesty And subsequent emperors were known as His Imperial Majesty until 22 June 1948 when King George VIrelinquishedthetitleaftertheSecondWorldWar Indiahad gaineditsindependenceayearearlier

The World Trade Organization comes into being

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish,revise,andenforcetherulesthatgoverninternational trade. It officially commenced operations on 1 January 1995, pursuant to the 1994 MarrakeshAgreement, thus replacing the GeneralAgreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) that had been establishedin1948.

The WTO is the world’s largest international economic organization,with164memberstatesrepresentingover98%of globaltradeandglobalGDP

Amazing Grace writer John Newton (1725-1807)

The SPT Airboat Line becomes the world’s first scheduled airline to use a winged aircraft

Airboat at Tampa Bay in 1914. (Wikipedia photo)

Haiti becomes first black-majority republic and second independent country in North America

Act banning slave importation

Painting of revolutionist holding the Haitian flag (Courtesy: King Flex Entertainment)

Lessons from a Lashpreneur !!!

Taking a break from lash extensions – is it really necessary?

ByLatoyaZephyr

absolutely no reason why extension look that you’re gradually over time, or pop products are fast-working,

So – you love your lash they would be damaged. after will damage those into the salon to have them professional products and extensions. They make your Persons have been wearing lovelynaturallashes,wecan removed professionally It none of us here would There’s no hard-and-fast facelooksofreshandawake, lashes for years with zero assess them and suggest takes around five to six attemptourownremovals. rule about how much time and it’s just so simple to get issues. simple ways to create a weeksforatypicallashsetto TRYASERUM. you should spend sans readyinthemornings…why Remember, your natural similar look without the shed completely, and even Lashserumsareaclever extensions, but we’d wouldyoueverstop? lashes work on a cycle weight. then you might find a few way of reviving your lash recommendatleastamonth. Clientssometimesaskus exactly like your hair; there We always keep track of very determined stragglers. game – these specially This gives your lash cycle whentheyshouldbetakinga are new itty-bitty baby your lash health and if any If this is easier, we’d say go formulated solutions are time to reboot itself, with break for the sake of their lashes growing constantly, changeshappenwe’llletyou forit! meant to make your natural those baby lashes growing lashhealth. andolderlashessheddingoff know.Ofcourse,sometimes Forthosewantingtogocold lashes grow longer and throughniceandstrong. Their biggest worry is whenit’stheirtimetogo.In you just feel like you need a turkey, a salon removal is stronger Most good lash It also gives any lash that lash extensions are yourinfillappointment,your break from extensions, and best. It’s a super simple serums contain conditioning serums a chance to really straining their natural lashes lash tech will be on the that’s okay sometimes you process – a technician and stimulating ingredients, worktheirmagic! or making them fall faster lookout for new lashes that need to be on a break. Here applies a removal serum to which can improve your Timing your break right than they should The arestrongenoughtoholdan are our golden rules on how yourlashesandslidesoffthe lasheswhenusedonthereg. up to the week of big event answer? Properly applied extension,andvoila! torecognise(anddealwith!) extensions. Theseproductsusuallyshow can be a lovely way to treat eyelash extensions can be You’re back up to full alashbreak. We’d recommend against results after a few weeks, so yourself, especially if you wornindefinitely–aslongas lash capacity, looking REMOVETHEMINA home removals for the sake combining a serum with a usually rock a glam look. the lash extension applied is fabulous. WAYTHATWORKS ofyournaturallashes,asyou breakislikeaspaholidayfor Some clients can spend the correct length, weight The health of your FORYOU. can never quite be sure how yourlashes! months without lash and thickness for your natural lashes is our first Youhavetwooptionswitha successful/non-damaging MAKESURETHE extensions, some prefer just natural lashes, there’s priority If we think that the break: let the lashes shed they’ll be! Our removal TIMINGISRIGHT. one–it’salluptoyou!

What to look for in Season 2 of ‘House of the Dragon’

House of the Dragon season one ended with poor sweet Prince Luke, doomed son of Queen Rhaenyra,gettinggobbleduplikea grape. You’ve heard of snatching victory out of the jaws of defeat? Yeah.Lukejustplaingotchomped bythem.

Andwhileseasononeconsisted ofalotofmeetingsthatcouldhave been conducted by raven, it made sense. We were witnessing the events that brought the Seven Kingdoms – and the Targaryens whorunit–tothebrinkofwar Well,war’shere.It’sbeenwelland truly brinked and a willful Vhagar was the one who brinked it. Now that Prince Luke has been reduced to a sticky toffee wedged in the dragon’smolars,here’sahandylist ofthingstoexpectoutof House of the Dragon season two, when it arrivessometimeinearly2024.

1.Awideningout andapickingofsides We stuck to a handful of locations in season one, because the story wasthatofhairlinecracksforming within a single ruling family and spideringoutward.Asthecivilwar knownastheDanceoftheDragons locations,asbattlesbigandsmall

erupts in season two, we’ll see starttodetonatethroughoutthe

into the brutal alotof

anddevastatingconflict. atleastwe’llgetsome

air

2.Draftingofdragonteams– slew of other dragons that were be clashes between armies in without losing focus on the LordsofHouseswithnameswe andpeopletoridethem currentlyriderlessand/orwildwho seasontwo,plentyofthem.Among characters we care about, this time know from Game of Thrones will Speaking of air: We saw in the were all living on Dragonstone. them, we’ll see a handful of out,there’sanaddeddimension–a choose to get in line behind either season finale that Rhaenyra’s He’s going to spend a bunch of bloodless victories – the presence third one, as dragons can swoop KingAegonIIorQueenRhaenyra: husband Daemon is trying to put a season two trying to get some of a dragon or two can be hugely downonabattlefieldandtakeouta Stark,Arryn, Frey, Greyjoy, Tarly, dragon team together It’s like a saddlesonthosedragonsandsome intimidating, after all. But most of battalion with a single breath. We Tully fantasy draft, except the fantasy in butts in those saddles.To find said them will feature plenty of blood. gotabitofthisinseasonone–we’ll MoreHousesmeansmore questionisepicfantasy butts, he might need to think Greatgurglinggoutsofit. getalotmorein2024.

SponsorMessage

He went deep into the outsidehisimmediatefamily Blood and, you’ll forgive the

Dragonmount, singing a song in 3.Battles.Lotsofthem: expression, fire. Because while Houses across Westeros getting SevenKingdoms.We’llstillspend OldValyrianinanattempttoentice Dragonsvs.dragons,dragons Game of Thrones showed us that pulled inexorably

timeintheRedKeep,but the old dragon Vermithor out of vs.men,menvs.men thisteamcancreatesweepingbattle

fresh

retirement. And he mentioned a Asmentionedabove,therewill scenesthatcapturethechaosofwar

The Fairy's New Year Gift

Tby Emilie Poulsson

wo little boys were at play one day when a Fairy suddenly appeared before them and said, "I have been sent to give you New Year presents."

She handed to each child a package, and in an instant wasgone.

Carl and Philip opened the packages and found in them two beautiful books, with pages as pure and white asthesnowwhenitfirstfalls.

Many months passed and the Fairy came again to the boys. "I have brought you eachanotherbook?"saidshe, "and will take the first ones backtoFatherTimewhosent themtoyou."

"May I not keep mine a littlelonger?"askedPhilip."I have hardly thought about it lately I'd like to paint somethingonthelastleafthat liesopen."

"No," said the Fairy; "I musttakeitjustasitis."

"I wish that I could look through mine just once," said Carl; "I have only seen one page at a time, for when the leaf turns over it sticks fast, andIcanneveropenthebook at more than one place each day."

"You shall look at your book," said the Fairy, "and

Philip, at his."And she lit for them two little silver lamps, bythelightofwhichtheysaw thepagesassheturnedthem.

The boys looked in wonder Coulditbethatthese were the same fair books she had given them a year ago? Where were the clean, white pages, as pure and beautiful asthesnowwhenitfirstfalls? Here was a page with ugly, black spots and scratches upon it; while the very next page showed a lovely little picture Some pages were decorated with gold and silver and gorgeous colors, otherswithbeautifulflowers, and still others with a rainbow of softest, most delicate brightness. Yet even on the most beautiful of the pages there were ugly blots andscratches.

Carl and Philip looked up attheFairyatlast.

"Who did this?" they asked "Every page was white and fair as we opened to it; yet now there is not a single blank place in the wholebook!"

"Shall I explain some of the pictures to you?" said the Fairy,smilingatthetwolittle boys.

"See, Philip, the spray of roses blossomed on this page when you let the baby have your playthings; and this

pretty bird, that looks as if it were singing with all its might, would never have been on this page if you had not tried to be kind and pleasant the other day, insteadofquarreling."

"But what makes this blot?"askedPhilip.

"That," said the Fairy sadly; "that came when you told an untruth one day, and this when you did not mind mamma. All these blots and scratches that look so ugly, both in your book and in Carl's, were made when you were naughty Each pretty thing in your books came on its page when you were good."

"Oh, if we could only have the books again!" said CarlandPhilip.

"Thatcannotbe,"saidthe Fairy "See!theyaredatedfor this year, and they must now go back into Father Time's bookcase, but I have brought youeachanewone.

Perhaps you can make these more beautiful than the others."

So saying, she vanished, and the boys were left alone, but each held in his hand a new book open at the first page.

And on the back of this book was written in letters of gold,"FortheNewYear."

Junior page DYI party hat

Materials

· Party hat template

· Scissors & craft knife or cutting machine patterned cardstock

· elastic cord

· pompoms

· Glue gun

·Stickers for decorating (optional)

1. Download a party hat template. If you're cutting the hats by hand, print the template outline the back side of your patterned cardstock. Print as many sheets as you'd like hats.

2. If you're using a cutting machine, upload the party hate template file to your cutting machine's software and cut out your hats. We were able to fit two hats on one 12Ó x 12Ó sheet of cardstock.

3.Once your hats are cut, start assembling. Gently roll one hat in on itself to create a cone.

Slip the tab on one side of the hat into the slot on the other side of the hat to make the cone stay in place.

If you'd like, reinforce the seam with clear tape. (We skipped this step and they held fine.)

4.Cut a length of elastic long enough to fit under the chin. Press the anchor tabs on

either side of the hat slightly in. Then wrap each end of the elastic around each anchor You can knot the ends of the elastic first if you feel that it holds better. Otherwise, you can just wrap a few times and it should hold.

5. If you'd like pompom toppers, use a small dot of hot glue to attach a pompom to the top of each hat.

6. Feel free to add glitter or props and scribbles as you desire.

FUNWITHPOETRY

Prepare for the New Year

by Uncle Roy

Christmas time has come and gone, With much fun and happiness; Now we prepare for the New Year, And we have to get a little serious.

We have to think of different ways To make ourselves better, To do our best in everything, To make our lives become greater

We will need to help more at home, And work to improve at our lessons, But most of all we have to try To make ourselves better persons.

I expect that most people have by now decided, and started working with,theresolutionstheyhavechosen toimprovetheirlivesinthisnewyear Anyway, here are some suggestions that you may well consider for adding tothose:

1. Start eating healthier food, and lessfoodoverall:Alongwithexercise, switching to a healthier diet is essential for achieving your best physical condition. This can be very tricky when we are surrounded by cheap junk food. However, with a good amount of determination and some basic tips, you can slowly develop healthier eating habits. Learn to control eating just because you like fastfood,andchooseadietthatisgood foryourhealth.

2. Watch less TV: The average person wastes a lot of time in front of theTV,timethatcouldhavebeenbetter spent developing skills, learning or keeping your body active. Once you manage to cut down on TV time, you will realise just how long and

Krypto inkies

Krypto Inkies are regular Inky (or KenKen) puzzles that have been encrypted. Each digit has been substituted with a letter Tosolvethepuzzle, you must deduce what digiteachletterstandsfor while working out the solution.

In the solved puzzle, each row and each columnwillcontainallof the digits 1 thru 8. The heavy lines indicateareas (called cages) that contain 2 or more numbers that can be combined (in any order) to produce the result shown in the cage, with the indicated math operation. For example, 'AB ×' means you can multiply the squares together to produce the numberencodedbyAB.

Note that numbers in cages may repeat, as long astheyarenotinthesame roworcolumn.

+meansaddition -meanssubtraction

× m e a n s multiplication / means division

productiveadaycanreallybe.

3. Read more: Books are an excellent way to gain a lot of knowledge on a huge variety of topics, and are also a great exercise for your brain. It's not that difficult to go through 20 or more books in a year –you only need to make it a habit, discover your type of books and find a bit of time for readingregularly, if not daily

4. Become tidier: There are a lot of slobs out there who cannot really get their stuff organised, and a cluttered desk or chaotic home will negatively affect your productivity and even your

mood. It therefore helps to clear the clutter, clean your house and lead a tidier and, consequently, a more organisedlife.

5. Pick up useful skills or fun hobbies: Just sitting around all day would not get you anywhere. It is muchbettertouseyourfreetimeina constructivemannerandpickupnew skills, while having fun at the same time. In the future you will be glad that you did. Apart from your present interests, make an attempt to learn new skillsandhobbiesinashorttime.

6 Manage your time more efficiently: It does not matter how much time you have on your hands - if you can't manage it properly, you will just spend most of the day running around aimlessly When you start and go through each day in an organised manner, there will suddenly be more time to spare, and things will start falling into place. Make it a habit,and you will have more time to do what is important, as well as enjoy your newly foundleisure-time.

Happy New Year to all

Another year has come to a close, We can forget our past troubles and woes; For many, that year was hard and tough, It brought many emotions, tearful and rough.

Now another year is moving fast, Let's hope with love and health it will be a blast; ,May all of your dreams come true And you find peace and love in all that you do.

May this world know the gentle sound of a hush, May it be calm and slow its pace from the rush; May we all always hear the sound of joy, And push away all that hurts, that destroys.

The New Year I hope will be good to us all, Care and calm, a helping hand when we fall; Listen more, slow down, and often say I love you, Stop for a moment; take a breath, take in the view

Appreciate your family; tell them you care., Do something exciting, a thrill or a dare; Enjoy all that the New Year may give, We have but one life, so let's learn to live.

It's a New Year, a brand new start, Always remember, live and love from your heart; Wishing each and everyone a year to behold, And may it be full of wonders for you to unfold.

Plentiful love, hugs, and kisses too, Avery happy New Year from me to you.

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

The New Year always gives us the opportunity to renew our efforts in all we want to achieve

9 NATURAL BEAUTY TIPS THATARE ABSOLUTELY FREE

These simple acts of self care help you FEEL BEAUTIFUL, and it is your inner beauty that you radiate out into the world.

HEREARE NINE EASY BEAUTYTIPS + THEY WON'T COSTYOUATHING!

It always helps to have a gentle reminder, even with things we already know. Hearing them again helps reinforce good habits. Read to the end with the intention of bringing these helpful tips into the forefront of your consciousness.

1. MINDFULLY MAINTAIN YOUR OVERALL HEALTH + WELL-BEING.

Acknowledge yourself and your mental, physical, and spiritual needs. How can you incorporate more acts of self care into your daily routine? Make extra time to do something special for yourself. Self care is valuable tool! True beauty comes from within. Sparkling eyes, glowing skin, vitality and confidence are attractive.

2.

GO OUTSIDE MORE OFTEN

Fresh air is a great beautifier. Forest bath, sunbathe, feel the wind in your hair. It's easy to take for granted, these simple activities, but they're truly replenishing to your spirit + bring out a natural radiance in your appearance.

3.

DEVELOPHEALTHY EATING HABITS

With food, fresh is best and quality is better than quantity Don't eat too much, or too quickly. Like Michael Pollan says: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Moderation is key, but don't deprive yourself either. It's okay to have a little treat every once in a while, but an important aspect of self care is making conscious choices.Appreciate your food and the nourishment it brings to your body

4. GET PLENTY OF SLEEPIN AWELLVENTILATED ROOM.

Your body and your mind need rest to regenerate and recuperate from the work of the day Your whole system suffers without enough sleep. They don't call it beauty rest for nothin'! If you live in a city with lots of cars and pollution, consider getting an air purifier for your bedroom. While they're not free, they work wonders to filter out microscopic particles of pollen, mold, pollution etc. When I moved into my condo in the city, close to a freeway I started waking up with lots of congestion and sometimes a headache.After a few months of this, I put an air purifier in my bedroom and noticed significant improvement in my allergies. The white noise helps with the street sounds as well. Houseplants are also a beautiful way to increase the clean oxygen levels in your home.

5. BATHE OFTEN.

Oils, dirt, dead skin, and toxins build up on your skin and you need to wash those off or they get re-absorbed into your bloodstream, clog your pores, and leave your skin dull and ashen. Even if you don't wash your hair every day, it's best to do a quick daily rinse off! Let the water flow over your body and wash away the accumulated layers of stress, dirt, pollution, etc.

6. PRACTICE GOOD POSTURE.

Be mindful of how you sit, stand + move. When you walk, hold your head high and shoulders back and engage your stomach muscles. When you sit, do not hold one shoulder higher than the other, or sit crooked? Bring some awareness into your posture and gently remind yourself to lift up and straighten out.

7. GET SOME EXERCISE.

Keep your muscles firm and youthful by moving around, get your blood flowing, and oxygenate your cells.Add some joyful movement to your day. If it's fun, it's a lot easier to motivate and keep to a routine.

8. DON'T LETYOUR SKIN GET TOO DRY

Dry skin is not radiant and it doesn't look or feel healthy Dry skin makes wrinkles more profound and gives a dull, drab appearance. Moisturized skin is glowing and healthy in comparison.

9. MEDITATE.

All forms of meditation can help reduce stress and improve well-being. Meditate in the morning before beginning your day. By meditating first thing in the morning, you will be setting the energy and your own physiology before placing yourself in situations that may generate stress. This will ensure that your day runs more smoothly and that you are in the proper energetic state to experience miracles! Meditation reduces stress and allows your inner beauty to shine through.

https://spagoddess.com/blogs/spagoddesswellness-blog/58732037-nine-free-beauty-tips

Let’s try to become...

Frompage38 withpurpose.Alwaysrememberthatasweworkonbecoming better versions of ourselves, others are looking to us for inspiration and example. Ensure you set good examples throughyourwordsandactions.In2023,livealifeworthyof emulation.

Self-development is a lifelong process—but not a linear process. As you encounter new situations, you will require newanddifferentskills,andaschallengesarise,youwillhave toaddressthemfrontally

So make a valiant effort to become a better version of yourselfin2023,trytocommunicatemoreeffectively:listen more, speak less. Work on developing your interpersonal skills. Establish efficient time management, and very crucially, schedule time for you. Keep an open mind and remember learning is a lifelong experience. Step out of your comfort zone in 2023; you’d be surprised at how much you growasaresult.Careforyourbody;ensureyoumakepositive healthy adjustments to your lifestyle.And most importantly, findpositivepeersupport;surroundyourselfwithlikeminded individualswhosupportandencourageyou.

Let2023beyourbreakthroughyear!Mayyoucontinueto be blessed and I wish that you accomplish all that you set yourselfforthisNewYear Andastheyearunfoldsmayeach ofusmakeconcertedanddeliberatechoicesthatwillenableus tobecomebetterversionsofourselves.

WishingyouaHappyandProsperousNewYear!

his legacy Guyanese and

Jameel‘Hafeez’Ali

is a Special Person is a Special Person

By RehannaRamsay

Beforeleavingthese shores in search of g r e a t e r opportunities in America, some thirtyyearsago,NewYork-based Guyanese businessman, Jameel ‘Hafeez’ Ali played an integral role in his family’s farming and subsequentfishingbusinesshere inGuyana.

These experiences gave him the groundwork he needed to develop what people now know, as Rockaway Roti Shop, the popularWestIndiancuisinespot locatedinQueens,NewYork.

This week’s Special Person has spent the last three decades building his business based on the tenets of Guyanese hospitalityandphilanthropy

The Guyanese businessman told Kaieteur News that though he had to work on creating a legacy from the ground up, he always knew he would be successful at what he does because, in Guyana, his family wasalwaysinbusiness.

“Businessisinmyblood,it’s allIknewgrowingupinGuyana. So when I came to America as soonasIgotmyfooting,Istarted to work towards developing my ownrestaurant,”Alisaid.

Not only did he become successful in business but Mr Ali has made philanthropy a trademarkofwhathedoes.

Among his numerous efforts to give back, Ali returns home yearlyforthepastthirtyyearsto host end-of-year outreaches where he caters to the needs of hundreds of people in communities throughout Guyana.

He said, “Every time I work in Guyana, I am aware of God’s blessings in every aspect, and it makes me happy to know that at the end of the day, I have made someoneelse’sday.”

LIFEINGUYANA

AligrewupinDochFourEast Coast of Demerara, a village not toofarfromwherehewasbornin Plantation Hope. He is the fifth childoutofatotalofsevenforhis parents,ShairaandAsgar‘Aska’ Ali.

He said, “Growing up there

impacts the work I do today in many different ways, starting with working with parents in farmingandlaterfishing.”

The young Ali attended the Ann’s Grove Methodist School and the Bygeval Secondary SchoolinMahaica.

He said “ I’ve always thoughtofmyselfasbeingfairly intelligent because when I was younger, I skipped classes and went straight to the Common Entrance (now Grade 6) class. Fun fact, I also shared a class with Bharat Jagdeo, a former president of Guyana, during my schoolyears.”

When he was a teenager,Ali made a decision to assist his father on his farm. He recalled therewerenumerousdifficulties. He explained, “One of those difficultieswasthat,in1982,the government had banned flour, I wasattheageof18yearsandour family had planted 35 acres of

rice, 18 acres of sweet cassava, and 5 acres of other garden crops…They took away all the land with our crops under the Burnham administration and CecilRam’scounsel.”

Ali continued that, “In order to purchase a fishing boat, my father ultimately had to sell the tractorandtrailer.”

This compelled the young man to become a fisherman in ordertosupporthisfamily

He said, “It wasn’t an easy moment for me; rather, it was a bit of a miserable time. I bit my tongue and learned as much as I couldaboutfishingwiththeleast amountofexperiencefeasiblein ordertosupportmyfamily Itwas

the beautiful Floretta, who was from Strathspey on the East CoastofDemerara.

Hesaid,“Mylifewasforever changed. We had a daughter, a boy two years later, and then another son who came several years after I had to spend two monthsawayfrommyfamilyon a trawler while working hard to support my family, which at the time consisted of simply my wife,daughter,andson.”

Given the greater level of responsibility, Ali made a decision that fishing wasn’t enoughandthatitwastimefora change.

“I decided to go out on my own.Itookthefishtosellinother

difficult because I had to travel backandforthfromClonbrookto Lusignan, which is not always a straightforward trip to undertake inGuyana.”

Ali recalled there were moments the boat’s captain couldn’t make it, he had to take chargeandlearnhowtosteerthe vessel, this required giving up sleep and waking up as early as 4:00 am. He said there were instances when the boat had to travelallthewaytoPomeroon.

The businessman also recalled when he got married to

areas, such as Buxton.Although it was exceedingly laborious, it wasworthwhile,andIlearnedthe valueofdiscipline,”hesaid.

FINDINGHISFOOTING

WhenhemovedtoNewYork in1990,Alistartedontheroadto becomingabusinessownerinhis adopted homeland He admitted thatfindinghisfootinginaforeign land was not easy but he was steadfastinachievinghisgoal

He said, “I was a resident of Richmond Hill, Queens, New York,andinitiallyworkedinthe

New York-based Guyanese businessman, New York-based Guyanese businessman, Building his legacy based on Guyanese hospitality and philanthrop

NewYork-based Guyanese businessman, Jameel ‘Hafeez’Ali

Mr.Ali is pictured during the initial stage of his business

Businessman, Jameel ‘Hafeez’Ali hands over some sports gear to Commissioner of Police (ag) Clifton Hicken.

Mr Ali stands alongside his family members, his wife, and three children, whom he credits as his loyal support team.

‘Teenie’s’: ‘Teenie’s’:

DELICIOUSLY MADE!

By Renay Sambach

“I’vealwayswantedtobemyownboss,” thisiswhatled31-year-oldDianneMekdeci to opening her own business: ‘Teenie’s’, whichoffersscrumptiouscakesandsavoury bakeddips.

DuringaninterviewwithTheWaterfalls, Dianne said, “My business started in 2019. Mainly,Iwouldmakebirthdaycakesformy friends.Mybiggestpetpeeveisaprettycake thattastesawfulorisdry I’dalwayssay“dry cake is bread with icing, not cake ” Eventually,theybeganorderingfrommefor other people’s birthdays – and it snowballed fromthere.”

There are about 30 different flavours of cheesecakes and cakes on ‘Teenie’s’ menu. Also, Dianne explained that she is always addingtothelist.

“Lately, I’ve been experimenting with seasonalflavours.Ialsomakesavourybaked dips. For example, I make a mushroom dip, pizza dip & buffalo chicken dip. I also have sweet dips like ‘Twix or s’mores’. I have a varietyofsauceslikemysweetchilisauceor myvodkasauce.There’salsoafairselection of other sweet treats like my apple peanut butterdessertormy‘sexinapan’,whichisa layereddessert,”theBusinessOwnersaid.

Being versed in the kitchen, Dianne also offers other food like stuffed pasta shells, lasagna,andmuchmore.

To this she added, “I’m constantly torn betweenaddingmoreitemsorcuttingdown.”

When asked about her best sellers,

Dianne said, “It’s hard to chooseone,Icannameoneof a few though Bailey’s chocolate cake, apple crumble cheesecake, sweet chili sauce, sweet pepper and spinach dip, ‘sex in a p a n ’ a n d probably my stuffedshells.”

Dianne’s business has catered for businesses like DigicelandWTG.Shedid Mother’sDaycakesforDigicel and desserts snacks for WTG press conference. In addition to that, she also catersforweddingsandparties.

“I’ve always wanted to be my own boss, you could say entrepreneurship runs in the family MyGrandfatherhadhisownbusiness andsodomanyofmyrelatives.I’vealways beeninspiredbymyGrandfather’sstory–he tookhisfamily’ssmallbusinessandhelpedit toflourish,”Dianneexplained.

The business is located at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara and is opened sevendays weekly Notably, all items are made by order

Dianneshared,“Iwasbornandbasically raised in Canada by my mom – whom I’m gratefulfor InCanada,you’reexposedtoso

m a n y differen cultures a n d types of food love to travel meet new love speaking strangers, interestin writing, I morethanthat,Ilovetoread.I’masuckerfor a good fictional romance novel, Kresley Cole’s ‘Immortals After Dark’ series is

Toneofmyfavourites.” Her long-term goal with her business is that shewouldlikefor er products such her dips and es to be in stores d the region, and North America as

contact Dianne, you her Facebook page or contact her via placeorders@+592

useful information you can contact me via email

Marriott Hotel profits can hike all public servants’ salaries by 10% each year -Glenn Lall

Ahead of the impending sale of the lucrative Marriott Hotel by the Guyana Government, transparency advocate and businessman, Glenn Lall believes that the profits currently being made by the hotel can hike public servants’salaryby10%,but theIrfaanAliadministration isdeterminedtosellittoone oftheircronies.

Inaspecialmessagefirst published on his Tiktok account,Lallsaidthecurrent profitsonMarriottalonecan give 10% increase to all Public Servants every year, yet the government was hell bentonsellingit.

Only recently Former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan called for the release of the hotel’s financial documentstogiveGuyanese a clear picture as to whether selling it would be a plus or minusforGuyana.

In an interview with Kaieteur News Jordan had describedtheadvertisedsale of the hotel as “interesting” giventhedilemmainvolving the project’s realisation. He indicatedthatalotofmoney was needed to correct defectsatthehotelandeven more to service loans taken by the project’s handlers. It is unclear what position the hotel is in, and the former Minister believes that information should be communicatedtothepublic.

Lallforhispartsaidthat

theMarriottwith197rooms was built with an ill-gotten plan in mind. According to Lall, the Publisher of the Kaieteur News saidfromthe time the first block was laid on that structure, his newspaper reported many times“itwasfortheboys,it wasonlyamatteroftimefor them to snatch it out we hands. When it opened for business in 2015, the hotel couldn’t even pay its light bills, that was how bad the investment was on hotels at that time in Guyana. Thank goodness the Coalition won the elections and kicked out

the secret players that were installed inside through RepublicBankTrinidadand APNU+AFC took over the hotelinfull.”

Lall continued, “Then God smiled on Guyana with the oil discovery and the hotel began seeing its way, this eased the burden on our taxdollars.

NowthePPPisbackwith thesameoldtricks,themsay the hotel is for sale…” Lall cautioned Guyanese to watch and wait “and see whosehandsitwilllandin.”

The Kaieteur News publisher asked, “who in

their true and righted sense would sell out the best milking cow in their pasture?”“Marriottisnowa money-makingmachineand President Irfaan Ali is allowingittodisappearfrom ourhands.”

FULLYBOOKED

Lall disclosed that the hotel has been fully booked for a long time now, “at US$200 a night, we are talking about US$15M a year, take out a third of that as maintenance and salary, US$10M profit a year, see what kind of money we talkingaboutthere.”

According to Lall, US$10M is more than 10% salary increase per year for all public servants, police, teachers, soldiers, nurses and if the room rate doubles to$400anight“youcangive all the public servants 20% increaseeveryyearaloneon thatMarriottprofits.”

MONEY-MAKING MACHINES

Meanwhile, making possible links as to whose handsthehotelcanfallinto, Lall recalled that months after Bharrat Jagdeo had become President in 1999, he sold to Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’Ramroopfor“nextto-nothing” the entire Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation.

At the time Lall said the then state company used to rake in decent foreign exchange for this country throughtheexportationofits popular Whizz, Limacol, Nutrophus, Ferrol and other products. “From then on, right up to 2015, Ramroop and his companies were giventhebulkofallthedrug contracts to the tune of billions and was being paid hundredsofmillionstostore theMinistryofHealthdrugs in the same GPC bond that Jagdeosoldtohim.”

Additionally, Lall said Jagdeodidnotstopthere,he proceeded to spend hundreds of millions of tax dollarstorenovateandfixup the Sanata Complex which was worth US tens of millions in West Ruimveldt andagainsoldittoRamroop atabargainprice.

“Like the Sanata Complex, the bulk of the

money to build the Berbice Bridge came from our tax dollars,yetBobbyRamroop companyisthesinglelargest shareholderinit,reapingthe hog of the profits.” Further, days before Jagdeo left office in 2011, he granted television, radio and cable licenses to the Ramroop GroupofCompanies.

Lall reminded too that Ramroop had put in a proposal to buy out the Bourda Cricket Ground, but aftertheletterwasleakedto him and the Kaieteur News exposed the story, the plan wasabandoned.

“The 20% shares

Guyana owned in GTT, that usedtogiveGuyana

…says Govt. lining-up one of its cronies to buy hotel

Kaieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall

President IrfaanAli

The Guyana Marriott Hotel

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

Jameel‘Hafeez’Ali... Jameel‘Hafeez’Ali...

professionally.”

Today,Mr Alifeelseternally grateful to the Almighty, for a tremendously successful company

From page 51 construction sector, but soon after I was hired as a gas station attendant. I picked up new skills extremely fastinthisposition,andaftersix months, I received a wage raise and promotion to Assistant Manager.”

Later, he realized there was better waiting for him. He made thedecisiontostartacabservice and eventually became fairly proficientinit.

Ali explained, “I started operatinglimosin1995andwas having a blast until, after three years;Inoticedataxiservicethat had been put up for sale. After purchasingthecarservice,Iwas abletoestablishcontactwithand gain contracts with the hotels at John F Kennedy International Airportbytheyear2000.”

“Since we are open around the clock, I have increased the scope of my contracts with the airport, and my car service company has been doing quite well,”thebusinessmanadded.

ROCKAWAYROTISHOP

Along with the vehicle service, Ali told The Waterfall that he bought a property and started Rockaway Roti Shop. In additiontotherestaurantandthe carservice,healsolaunchedthe wildly popular Royal Empress CateringHall.

He said that this was mainly due to a scarcity of roti businesses in the South Ozone P a r k , Q u e e n s , N Y neighbourhood. The roti shop openedonMarch15,2005.

Ali noted, “When I opened therotishop,atthetime,Sybil’s w a s t h e o n l y o t h e r predominantlyownedGuyanese RotiShop/BakeryinNewYork.”

Asafisherman,hewasquite familiar with curries and cooking in general because he learned to cook while working ontheboat,whichwasoneofthe otherreasonsforhimstartingthe restaurantandrotishop.

”I had learned how to cook when growing up in Guyana, so whenIestablishedtherotishop,I alreadyknewhowtodoit.Ialso hadexpertiseincustomerservice from operating limos, so I knew how to interact with people

He noted, “Since the day I establishedRockawayRotiShop and the other business, I have seen many successes. Many Guyanese and West Indians knowandlovetheservicethatwe offer.”

Ali continued, “As the Publisher of Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall, always stops by the restaurantwheneverheisinNew York, I can say that Rockaway RotiShopisthegreatest.”

OUTREACHINGUYANA

From the inception of his successes in businesses, Mr Ali has paired work with philanthropy

Hesaidwhenhestartedtosee therewardsofhislabour,hisfirst thought was how he could assist thepeopleofhishomeland.

Aliexplained,“I’velovedthe game of cricket for a very long time…but I remember the days when I yearned for and wanted nothing more than some appropriategeartoplayagameI loved but was unable to acquire cricketequipmentformyselfasa child.”

He continued, “The primary reason I have always helped my

fellow countrymen as much and willcontinuetodosoisthatIam aware of how difficult it is for themtoobtainmanyofthethings weinAmericatakeforgranted.”

As such, over the years, the NY-based businessman has contributed money, cricket gear, and uniforms and to assist in the restoration of cricket as well as many other playgrounds in Guyana.Hehasalsohelpedfund cricketteamsinGuyana.

He stated, “I strive to do as much as I can for the citizens of the nation I adore. I have also given financial support to religious institutions all around Guyana, such as the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG), where I annually sponsorateacher.”

In addition, Mr Ali has provided financial support to numerous other groups in Guyanathroughouttheyears.

He told this publication that, “I recently returned over the holiday and took care of everyone by giving them dinner, givingthekidstoysandclothing,

“I recall how it was when I was growing up, and I always thought and was taught that the moreyougiveandthemoreyou help people, at the very least make them smile, the more blessings you will ultimately receive from the Almighty I never have a moment without feeling utter joy and happiness for what I have done for the peopleofGuyana,”hesaid.

He stressed, “My family is always there for me, no matter how ridiculous the concept may have seemed to them. So at the end of the day, I cherish the fact that my wife Floretta Ali, my adored children Sherita Ali Roopnarine, Imran Ali, and JavedAli, as well as my adoring granddaughter Ameera Ali, will always support me and encouragemeinallIdo.”

He added, “From starting Rockaway Car Service, Rockaway Roti Shop, and then Royal Empress Hall, to the charitable work I’ve done in Guyana, they are always there withme.Forinstance,oneofmy sonsrecentlytraveledwithmeto Guyana to help me distribute food and gifts to a community centerthatwashometoover300 people, and I am confident he understoodwhatitmeanstohelp others.”

Consequentially, the businessman believes that everyoneshouldhavesomething tocontributetotheirnativeland.

“I say this because, while thereis unquestionablypotential inAmerica,oneonlyneedstoput inthesameamountofeffortand commitment to get Guyana to a place where it can succeed,” assertedAli.

giving the adults clothing and other things they wouldn’t typically have. I try to do this, everytimeIvisit.”

He said the philanthropic workhehasdoneinGuyanahas alwaysbeenenjoyableforhim.

SUPPORTSYSTEM

Behind every successful venture is a strong support system, and Mr Ali is very aware of this To this end, he credits his many achievements tohisfamily

Evenashethrivesinbusiness and other aspects of his life,Ali notes that his ultimate goal is to leave a legacy of success so that his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will have somethingtolookforwardtoand haveastheirown.

“ThisistrueoftheworkIdo inGuyanaaswellastheworkat the roti shop, car service, and cateringhall,anditappliestoall ofthem,”hesaid.

New York-based Guyanese businessman, New York-based Guyanese businessman,

The businessman is pictured with one of the many beneficiaries of his charitable efforts in Guyana.

Well-known cricketer, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, is one of Mr.Ali‘s cherished customers. He is pictured in front of the Rockaway Roti Shop in Ozone Park, Queens, NewYork.

ByAllyiahAllicock

Looking for creative custom printing

ervices for your company or looking to have some of your items personalized then looknofurther,'PrintIt'hasgotyou covered.

'PrintIt'whichhasbeenmaking a name for itself in the local customizingindustry,isabusiness owned by young entrepreneur Rickford Shawn Garrett. Twentythree-year-old Garrett, who is currently a third year Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Guyana told this magazine that the business has beenaroundsinceDecember2021.

When asked how it all started, he related that the idea came from an encounter he had with a

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR

‘PrintIt’ CATERING

c

ustomer through another business he owns. “This business wasactuallyinspiredfromanother business I currently have which I started about two years earlier called'ThePlugElectronics'.Iwas selling phone accessories at the time and one day a customer requested to have her picture printed on a case she had purchased.Icouldnothavemether need because I lacked the equipment and knowledge to do same. So, I did some researching and I was intrigued by the process. T h i s i s w h a t sp arked m y inter

es o beco e involvedinthebrandingindustry,” heexplained.

Havingbeeninthecustomising business for over a year now, Garrett proudly stated that he not onlyofferscustomphonecases,but custom T-shirts, notebooks, puzzles, teacups, ornaments, balloons, wine glasses, hats, keyringsandsomuchmore.

He shared that since being in thebusinessarena,thesupportbase hasbeenamazing.“Ireallycannot complain I've been met with immense support f

romthelocalcommunityand Iwouldjustliketogiveabig shout out to my mom, my girlfriendandmyfriendsfor referring my business to everyone they meet,” he expressed.

Garrett also mentioned that the main challenge he faced thus far is balancing his studies with his business. He elaborated thatitishardtogiveboth100%but with discipline, good time management and effective planning, he has managed to get better at juggling these two responsibilities.

In addition, the digital designing aspect of this business poses as a challenge, he added.

“Since I had no previous graphic designing skills I had to start from the beginning of the learning curve YouTube and Google are my two best friendswhenitcomes

tothis,”henoted.

Having improved on his skills since he first started, Garrett told thismagazinethathisplanmoving forwardistoexpandhisservices.

“The role of young entrepreneurs is critical, as we contribute to the socioeconomic development of societies in various ways, including identifying existing opportunities in the market, creating employment opportunities, contributing to national income and assisting in community development.”

FOR ALL YOUR CUSTOMIZING NEEDS

Some of the young man’s creative work since he has been in the customizing business.

Young entrepreneur, Rickford Shawn Garrett

From page 16 law by having a responsible tax liability under the new agencyreportonmeasurable solidaritylevy,couldamount outcomes.” to US$2B through to the end

The Advisor said that of2023. unless that agency is

Brussels has made empowered to effectively regularuseduringtheenergy undertake its responsibilities crisis of emergency powers and keep citizens informed granted in Article 122 of the with independent data, there Treaty on the Functioning of is no guarantee that the truth theEU.Thearticlestatesthat will be known about the “in a spirit of solidarity” extent to which Guyanese member states may approve are benefitting from their Legislation directly from the resources. Commission, circumventing theEuropeanParliament,“in Woman

particular if severe

difficulties arise in the

supply of certain products,

notably in the area of establishment of a regulator that the NCDMB has D’Urban St.

Corporation and Income yearlyplanfortheutilization energy”. in the form of the Local dedicated teams and has

Tax.As such it would mean, of qualified Guyanese Exxon’s lawsuit argues ContentSecretariat,industry been very effective in that Guyana foregoes each resources for the upcoming the windfall tax will not stakeholders have stressed transforming the local The two alleged suspects year, billions of US dollars. year. Following the remedy any shortage of t h e n e e d f o r t h e content landscape in in the Boxing Day robbery O n t o p o f t h i s , submission of the plan, the energy supply and so the administration to keep its Nigeria. and shooting to death of documentation to this effect Contractor and the Minister Commission and Council focus on releasing timely Closertohome,Paulsaid Shimron Adams, the is then provided to the US shall meet to discuss and were wrong to use information to the public on that the Ministry of Energy D’UrbanandChapelStreets, based company allowing it consider the effectiveness of emergency powers to secure Exxon’s performance As and Energy Industries Lodge businessman have to not have to pay any taxes theplan.” its approval with a majority citizens await verified (MEEI) in Trinidad and been arrested, police have in its home country for its Since being in office, the voteratherthanaunanimous information from the Local Tobago is responsible for all confirmedintheirreport. earnings overseas. Guyana’s People’s Progressive Party one. Content Secretariat, aspects of regulating the The two men have been StabroekBlockis6.6million C i v i c ( P P P / C ) T h e E u r o p e a n ExxonMobil continues to industry, other than fiscal identified as Andrew ‘Aids acres (26,800 square Administration has not Parliament has protested dominate several platforms andenvironmental. M a n ’ R i d l e y o f kilometers) and has outlined details about its against the Commission’s with its selective local Paul said that Trinidad Albouystown and 20-year- approximately 11 billion e n g a g e m e n t s w i t h repeated use of Article 122, contentstatistics. and Tobago has some strong oldAkelow Marshall of East provenbarrelsofoil.EEPGL ExxonMobil on this front, saying that it undermines the Chatham House Advisor regulations requiring local La Penitence. Ridley was holds 45 percent interest in especially as it relates to the democratic process even if and Trinidadian Energy capacity development and arrested on Wednesday the Block Hess Guyana company’s local content laws would take much Strategist, Anthony Paul has local content and for whileMarshallwasnabbed Exploration Ltd. holds 30 utilization plan for 2021, longer to pass with its s a i d t h a t p r o p e r reporting and monitoring (Continued on page 58) percent interest, and 2022or2023. involvement. implementation and performance, but these have CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Article 18 goes on to The EU’s levy was regulation of companies’ not always been robustly Limited holds 25 percent state, “The Contractor shall followed in November by compliancewiththelawwill applied. interest. provide half-yearly reports the UK, which increased its be critical to Guyana’s He said that the MEEI submitted within 30 days windfall tax on oil and gas abilitytoclawbackvalue. does not have dedicated Friday – Dec 30, 2022 after the end of each halfproducersfrom25percentto During a previous Local Content Personnel, yeartotheMinisteroutlining 35 per cent and extended it interview, Paul told Kaieteur butithasestablishedamulti- Nation still to its achievements in utilizing until 2028 The move News that the regulator will stakeholder Permanent see ExxonMobil’s qualified Guyanese prompted outcry from local be essential to providing Local Content Committee, local content reports resources during the Producers who said the citizens with the truth on the to oversee implementation for 2016 to 2021 previous half-year and make measure would threaten extent of goods and services of its 2004 Local Content appropriate adjustments to future investment Casey used by oil companies. He Policy which is aligned with Since assuming office, the yearly plan to better Norton, a spokesperson for further noted that there are the provisions of the neither President Irfaan Ali accomplish the goal of Exxon, said the US super different models which can PetroleumRegulations. nor his Vice President, Dr increasing the qualified major recognised high be used to achieve this. The The Oil and Gas expert Bharrat Jagdeo has ensured resources available for use energycostswere“weighing Chatham House Advisor said,“Thereisanoldsaying, the release of ExxonMobil’s by the Contractor in its heavily on families and said that in Ghana, by ‘what gets measured, gets local content reports which Petroleum Operations and businesses” but argued the regulations, the Petroleum done.’So it makes sense that are submitted to the State on other entities performing l e v y w a s C o m m i s s i o n i s t h e Guyanese are made aware of a half yearly and annual and petroleum operations in “counterproductive” and responsible regulator He the progress of the policy or basis. Guyana.” would “undermine investor said that the Petroleum Infact,itiswellovertwo To date, neither the confidence, discourage Commission has instituted years since the Ali Head-of-State nor the Vice investment and increase guidelines and procedures government has been in Presidenthasdisclosedthese reliance on imported for reporting as well as office and the public is none reports for the public to energy”. auditing what is provided to thewiserabouttheoilgiant’s peruse and hold the oil

On the local front, it. true performance on hiring companies accountable Exxon’s affiliate Esso

He noted that the and training locals as well as Neither has also informed Exploration and Production regulations include targets the use of indigenous the nation about whether Guyana Ltd (EEPGL), is the which are to be achieved.He products and services for the theyreviewedpreviouslocal operator of the country’s also revealed that the period2016to2022. content reports submitted by richest oil block (Stabroek Commission has a dedicated Article 18 of the 2016 Exxon and partners and Block) and continues to local content team and work Production Sharing whether those were enjoy tax-free earnings systems that cut across Agreement (PSA), which satisfactory and in keeping owing to the Production differentdepartments. was signed for the Stabroek with the PSA’s call for Sharing Agreement (PSA)

In the case of Nigeria, Block, speaks to the use of increased use of Guyanese Guyana signed onto with the Paul noted that a specific Guyanese Resources It servicesandskills. oilmajor agency,theNigerianContent specifically states, “Within LOCALCONTENT According to the 2016 D e v e l o p m e n t a n d 60 days prior to the REGULATOR PSA, Guyana has agreed to, M o n i t o r i n g B o a r d beginning of each year or While the government u n d e r t h e t a x a t i o n (NCDMB), was established part thereof as applicable, has made significant steps p r o v i s i o n s , t o p a y by legislation for managing the Contractor and the withthepassageoftheLocal ExxonMobil’s share of Nigerian Content. Paul said Minister shall provide a Content Law and the

confesses to

sharing relationship with

alleged killer and slain

businessman

robbery/

murder…

Businessman, Shimron Adams

Akelow Marshall

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo

President, Irfaan Ali

From page 57 entities.

on Thursday close to the Berbice

Missionaries

While such lose provisions the

Bridge. It is believed that he was exist, other nations have ensured

years

trying to escape to neighbouring that the necessary provisions have The gruesome discovery of Suriname. beentakentoguardagainstinflated ‘Sister Jean’ was made by her

The Guyana Police Force costs. husband and grandson around (GPF) had issued a wanted bulletin Liberia for example, is known 06:00 hours on Thursday It is for Ridley in connection with the foritsoilrichpotentialjustoffshore believed that the woman was murder of Dexter McFarlene of West Africa. Its oil industry has beaten and murdered during a Laing Avenue, in November attracted multi-nationals such as robbery A post mortem Meanwhile, 41-year-old Adams of ChevronandExxonMobil. examination conducted on Friday Lot 129 Macaw Drive, Kaneville, EventhoughtheGovernmentof revealed that Sister Jean died from East Bank Demerara (EBD) was this English speaking nation is suffocationandblunttrauma. shotataround23:40honMondayat elated to have the attention of these The elderly woman was last hisbusinessplace. oil giants, it is by no means an seen alive around 19:30 hours on

Police had reported thatAdams indicationthattherewouldbeafree Wednesday when she and her operated a wholesale and retail for all for those entities as it relates husband retired to bed after closing alcoholic beverage business at the toinflatedcosts. up their shop. ‘Sister Jean’headed three-storey building while at the

In one of its PSAs, Liberia ties home while her husband went to bottom flat, located on the south- ExxonMobil and its other oil another house located in the same western side of D’Urban and partnertoastrictsetofprovisions. yard that is used for mediation and Chapel Streets. The business place

The 2013 Production Sharing prayers This publication is fitted with a zinc shutter to the Agreement says, “If any such understands that around 06:00hrs northernside(front)andhasCCTV inspection or audit is finally the next morning, Sister Jean’s cameras. determined to have overstated grandson and husband found her

According to police reports, Petroleum Costs or understated battered, lifeless body in her when ranks arrived at the scene revenue derived from Total bedroom. Monday night,Adams’29-year-old

Production by more than three At the time of reporting, the femalefriendsaidshearrivedatthe percent (3%), all costs of the GuyanaPoliceForce(GPF)hadnot businessplaceatabout21:30h.The inspectionorauditshallbeborneor issued an official statement on the woman told investigators that reimbursed by the Contractor and murderofSisterJean. Adamswaswearingagoldringand no portion of such costs of In the meantime, Residents of a gold band and had a small bag inspectionorauditmaybeincluded Paramakatoi expressed their hangingonhisshoulder in Petroleum Costs. Appropriate sympathy to the family and friends

Ramdai Balkaran known as ‘Sister Jean’ (Photo credit, Big Smith News Watch)

At about 23:30hrs, the woman adjustments in payments and ofSisterJeanonsocialmedia. said Adams closed his business cumulative recoverable costs shall One person said in a Facebook place and started to pack items into be made to adjust for all post, “If there was a time that

seeing photographs and text insists that the Government of any a freezer About ten minutes after, misstatements identified as a result Paramakatoi should come together, messages in her phone. She said oil producing nation has a Adams opened the shutter for them ofanysuchinspectionoraudit.” that time is now Community Ridley took away her phone and responsibility to tell the citizenry toleavefromthebottomflat.Itwas (More in this regard on the members need to come forward told her that he will rob Adams. what steps are being taken to guard while doing so that two persons contract can be seen by following with information which can lead to The woman said she begged him to againstinflatedcosts. entered the building through the t h e s a i d l i n k : the arrest and eventual prosecution change his mind. However, the I t a l s o n o t e s t h a t shutter and ordered them to lie on (http://www theperspective org/20 of person(s) responsible for the

suspect robbed and shot Adams. Parliamentarians and the citizenry the ground. The woman told police 12/block_13_agreement.pdf)). deathofSisJeanBalkaran.Shewas The gun used during the robbery as a whole are within their right to that they complied The two

In the meantime, Guyana has the most gentle of souls and always was found at the Ridley’s demand certain information from suspects reportedly wore surgical been advised to put rules and greets me with a smile and when residence, Kaieteur News the Government. In this regard, facemasks and one of was armed regulations in place to guard she has bananas. May her soul rest understands. NRGI said that questions should withahandgun. againstpricemanipulationbetween i n e t e r n a l p e a c e not only be asked about transfer

Police were told that the related parties, institute anti-abuse #justiceforsisbalkaran” Saturday – Dec 31, 2022 pricing but also about the unarmed suspect then took off the Legislation, and publish on a Anotherpersonsaid,“Ihopethe assumptions which have been used businessman’s gold band and ring Govt. must say what steps taken by oil companies in projecting and ordered him to get up. He to guard against inflated costs revenuestoberecovered. followed the instructions given. by oil companies -Int’l Group It said that questions should The suspect then held onto the also be asked on whether these businessman’s shoulder bag and What guarantee does the ‘revenue projections’ are based on pulledatit,butAdamscontinuedto Government have that reported company assertions or independent hold onto the bag to prevent the production costs by oil companies analysesandverification. suspectfromtakingit. have not been inflated to reduce Itnotedthatoneshouldalsoask

The suspect, who was armed taxesalongwiththeState’sshareof the Government what kind of risk with the firearm, discharged a profitoil? analysis the relevant Authorities round at Adams, which struck him Without proper controls, have done; that is to say if prices to the right side of his abdomen.As companies may use abusive increaseby50,100,or200percent; a result of this, the businessman transfer pricing tactics (purchasing howwillthereturnstotheStateand regular basis, the cost recovery perpetrators of this evil will be ended up releasing the bag and fell from or selling to related parties at the company change?And if prices projections and statements by oil found and the whole Book of Law to the ground while bleeding from artificially high or low prices) to fallby25,50percent,ormore,what companies. bethrownatthem. thegunshotwound. shift taxable income out of the wouldbetheoutcome?

This wanton killing is one time,

The suspect removed his handsofthehostcountry.

LACK OF PROVISIONS

Body of Paramakatoi too many, by very wicked and evil shoulder bag, picked up the This is the view of the National

A careful assessment of granny found bound, people. It seems they left businessman’s phone and the Resource Governance Institute Guyana’s Production Sharing gagged in bedroom something there at the Balkaran’s woman’s cellphone and made good (NRGI). It is an international body Agreements (PSAs) with

home and went for it. I can’t begin theirescapethroughtheshutter which provides expert advice to ExxonMobil , Tullow Oil, Ratio An investigation has been to imagine what this lady went

On Thursday, police sources administrationsaroundtheworldas Oil, Eco Atlantic and CGX, would launched into the murder of 78- through before drawing her last close to the investigation, in an it relates to getting the best deals reveal that there are mechanisms in year-old, Ramdia Balkaran also breath. interesting twist, revealed that the and arrangements out of extractive place for these oil operators to known as ‘Sister Jean’ of Awomanwhowon’tevenhurta woman who was with Adams on sectors.Ithas onseveraloccasions, recover their exploration, ParamakatoiVillage,RegionEight, fly was killed. She took time to Boxing Night told investigators provided advice to Guyana on developmentandproductioncosts. who was discovered, bound, serve wholeheartedly the that she shared a relationship with severalmatters.

But what is lacking in all of gagged, and battered in her Amerindian people in the interior both Ridley and the businessman. Giventhefrequencywithwhich these contracts is a single clause bedroomonThursdaymorning. for many years. This is tough news The woman reportedly told police oil companies have been found that speaks to how the Government KaieteurNewsunderstandsthat to receive earlier on this morning. that Ridley had found out about her engaging in such devious ofGuyanashoulddealwithinflated ‘Sister Jean’ and her husband, The Balkaran family is very dear to relationship with Adams after accounting methods, the group costs, once detected by these ReverendBasilBalkaran,servedas usandweareafamily.”

for over 50

at

Wesleyan Church located in

ParamakatoiVillage.

Murdered:

Agri. Ministry acquires $438M amphibious excavators

Three amphibious excavators which cost $438,654,750 and procured b y t h e M i n i s t r y o f

Agriculture's Agriculture Sector Development Unit (ASDU) were on Friday inspectedandtestedaspartof the government's ongoing flood risk management project.

The equipment will be usedtoexecutetheupcoming phaseofreconstructionofthe north-eastern dam of the East D e m e r a r a W a t e r Conservancy (EDWC), the Ministry of Agriculture said inapressrelease.

W i t h f l o o d r i s k management being high on the government's agenda, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha said that the government has been consistently investing in developing improved drainagestructures.

“These excavators will

not only be used in this conservancy They will also be used to execute work in different parts of the country depending on the needs within those areas. Outfalls that lead directly to the AtlanticOceanbecomesilted and we have to do work to desilt them.We'll have to use thesetypesofmachinestodo those works. We will ensure we continue to invest in modern machinery to develop the sector and make it more sustainable and attractive,”theMinistersaid.

Chairman of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth said “The acquisition of these equipment would give support to in-house capacity and add to the skill set within the management of the conservancy so that we can execute and implement all plannedworks,”

Wordsworth said that should there be phenomenal amounts of rainfall; NDIA has the ability to discharge capacity with the new Hope Canal, and the restored CunhaCanal.

The Chairman also noted that similar upgrades would be done to infrastructure alongtheCoast.

Theexcavatorsaresaidto be the largest in the Caribbean, comprising DX300 Long Reach superstructures, each mounted on two hydraulic amphibiouspontoons.

Following the 2005 flood and overtopping of the EDWC, former President and now Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo sought assistance from international donor agencies to fund projects to develop Guyana's floodriskmanagement.

The Vice President was also responsible for pursuing

$75M contract awarded to rehabilitate Mazaruni's Prison Admin. Building

Dassco Inc. has been awarded a $75, 514, 050 contract to rehabilitate the M a z a r u n i P r i s o n ' s administrative building, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office revealed on its website a few daysago.

Dassco Inc. was one of three contractors that submittedbidstoexecutethe rehabilitative works at the Mazaruni Prison which was estimatedtocost$70M.

Back in October, during an inspection exercise at the Mazaruni Prison, the Ministry of Home Affairs

had identified a number of structures that are in dire need of repairs. The Prison's Administrative building was one of the identified structures.

It was reported that this building was established in 1887 and that rehabilitation worksonthebuildingwillbe done in accordance with Chapter 20:03 of the National Trust Act 7/1972, which is to restore and preservenationalheritage.

Additionally, the M i n i s t r y s a i d t h a t construction of a security fence and watch tower at building one at the Mazaruni

Prisonwillbecompletedand according to NPTAB's website, that contract was awarded to Navin & Sons Construction to the tune of $76,320,112.

The Ministry had also committed to construct a chicken pen at the Prisons to house some 2,000 chickens. According to information p r o v i d e d , G r y p h o n Engineering Inc was awarded that contract to build the pen to the tune of $19,281,680.

S o m e $ 2 7 B w a s allocated from the 2022 National Budget to execute itsprojectsfortheyear

the construction of the Hope Canal which drains excess water from the EDWC to the Atlantic Ocean, the Ministry said.

The project, which is funded by a loan from the I n t e r - A m e r i c a n Development Bank (IDB),

aimstosignificantlyincrease flood resilience in the lowlyingcoastallandsoftheEast Demerara area, which includes the country's capital, Georgetown, where much of the population, as well as administrative and commercial activities, are

concentrated.

The additional financing also caters for extensive work to improve the East D e m e r a r a W a t e r Conservancy (EDWC), one of Guyana's major water storage and flood control facilities.

US$ billions in clean-up cost...

From page 19 PSA will not be amended to maintain 'sanctity of contracts'.

It must be noted that this a rg u m e n t h a s b e e n discounted by at least two international Lawyers, who have explained that this term does not mean changes are prohibited.Atthesametime, theExxondealwasamended before by the Coalition government, to make it definitive that the two percentroyaltybeingpaidby the contractor would not be recoveredasanexpense.

US$355.7Mdeducted

For 2020 and 2021, ExxonMobilanditspartners, Hess Corporation and CNOOC Group, have recovered a whopping U S $ 3 5 5 7 M f o r decommissioning costs which would be incurred in another 18 years for the Liza PhaseOneProject.

Based on its 2021 financial statements, Exxon's subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) recovered $15.2B in 2020 and $17B in 2021 for decommissioning costs associated with the Liza One Project. It therefore means that its total take for the two yearswasUS$160M.

Its partners also recovered monies too Though their financial results have not been made public as yet, Kaieteur News was able to calculate their take based on the percentage ofworkinginteresttheyhold in the Stabroek Block. With Hess' 30 percent stake, it

recovered approximately U S $ 1 0 6 7 M w h i l e CNOOC's 25 percent working interest would be equivalenttoUS$89Mbeing r e c o v e r e d f o r decommissioning.

D u r i n g a r e c e n t engagement with media operatives, ExxonMobil Guyana acknowledged that decommissioning funds are not needed until 20 to 30 years down the line. Be that asitmay,thecompanynoted that the provisions of the 2016 Stabroek Block deal allowforearlyrecovery The oil giant assured nonetheless that when Guyana needs that money for clean up, it said the country would not be left tohandlesame.

Exxon,Shellwalksaway fromCaliforniawells

In November, it was reported that ExxonMobil Corporation and British oil giant Shell are selling their Californiawellsandofficials are worried that the reason behindtheirdeparturesisthe looming liability for environmental cleanup –which can be left on taxpayerstofootthebill.

ProPublica, a non-profit newsroom that investigates abuses of power particularly in the oil and gas industry –reported that despite the price of oil produced in California this year reached its highest level in a decade, – Exxon and Shell who have donebusinessintheStatefor more than a century, are selling assets and beginning topulloutofCalifornia.

ProPublica also reported that the oil giants agreed to

sell more than 23,000 wells in California, which they owned through a joint venture called Aera Energy, t o G e r m a n a s s e t management group, IKAV, for an estimated US$4 billion.

Other industry experts, l a w m a k e r s a n d environmentalists are concerned about the deals, noting that the sales shift environmental liability from corporate powerhouses to less-capitalized firms, increasing the risk that aging wells will be left orphaned, unplugged and leaking oil, brine and climate-warming methane. They see a threat that the State's oil industry couldrepeatapatternseenin other extractive industries like coal mining and lead to taxpayers bearing cleanup costs.

California Assembly Member, Steve Bennett, a Democrat who has long worked on oil policy, has seen oil companies in his Ventura district walk away fromenvironmentalliability “It gets passed on to a smaller company and to a smaller company until s o m e o n e d e c l a r e s bankruptcy and the public is stuck with the cleanup bill,” hesaid.

AccordingtoProPublica, if it's not profitable to return wells to production, they need to be plugged. But if a company does not plug its wells before walking away, wells are orphaned and the cleanup costs ultimately fall to taxpayers and current operatorsthroughfees.

Mazaruni Prison's Administrative building which will soon be rehabilitated.

One of the three amphibious excavators procured by the Ministry of Agriculture

WANTED

Driver,salesman,portersto work in warehouse. Must haveexperience,attractive salary offered. Call: 6964444.

TaxidriversneededatPrincessTaxiService,Ramada Hotel.Call:265-7075/76or 616-5419,690-2242.

Wanted:Maid$4,000daily/ $40,000 10 days & skilled labourers $4,500/ $7000 daily. Call: 682-5230/ 6154414.

Onemaleablebodiedclerk. Tel:231-2029,616-5954.

One male and female able bodiedclerk:225-2313/6588559.

One hauler driver needed. Tel:611-7088.

Urgently needed 3 kitchen assistant, $20,000 wkly, 1 cook $30,000 wkly and 1 dishwasher $18,000 wkly Call:633-1933/688-9507.

Whole day domestic to workinBel-Air-Park,excellent salary & conditions. Call:226-2322.

Diesel mechanic, security andcooktoworkinCharity Essequibo. Contact: 687-5814/ 688-0417.

Security,Drivers/ExpeditersandPorters.Contact: 223-5273/74 or 627-9647.

VACANCY

Sales girls and porters needed.SendWrittenapplication to Best Buy Food Supplies, Deniss and MiltonStreetC/ville.

Cook/baker, pitmen, servicemen and hauler operators for interior location. Applicantsmustbeexperienced.Call615-0545.

Vacancy for a male cleaner forthenightjobandduring dayamaid.Call:+5926376700.

Able bodied porter, Salesclerkneeded@ TellesSteel & Hardware. Must have CXC Maths & English and must be computer literate. Call:231-3265,226-6771

Water Delivery Driver and Porter for E.C.D. Tel: 6761363/692-6768.

Urgentlyneededqualified andexperienceddaycare& preschool teachers. Contact: 600-9229/ 231-4885.

For experienced Lorry/ Hauler driver Apply in person toAlabama Trading, 65 RobbSTBourda.

SERVICES

VEHICLESFORSALE

OneHondaCRV,fullyloaded immaculate condition, low mileage3.3M negotiable& 1 new super custom Hiace Bus 2.5M .Contact:6490956.

DAF CF85 Double Axle TwinSteerDumpTrucksfor sale.Call612-8369forinquiries.

Visa application: Canada andUK&U.S.A.Graphics design & advertisements. Wedding decorations & elderlygrooming:hair,nail etc.Call:626-7040.

Repair & install fridge, freezer,washer&dryer,AC units, stove, etc. Whatsapp/ Call:637-4927,654-9511or 683-8734.

PENPAL

Maleage40yrsseekingfemale pen pal. Whatsapp 698-6391.

LAND FOR SALE

Located at 54 Durban and Cross streets, Werk-enRustGeorgetown.Price15 M,contact:227-0303.

‘All that glitters is not gold’ - GAWU...

From page 12

did not pay over any monies to the supplier, the lost opportunity of not having the machines would impede the industry’s progress

In other instances, it learnt that certain implements and equipment have been purchased only to lie idle at estates The union said these serious worries r e q u i r e f u r t h e r examination

It said that while the industry hopes to produce 100,000 tonnes sugar by 2025 such targets are not only attainable but can be s u r p a s s e d w i t h a committed workforce and capablemanagement

Cost-of-living impacts onworkers

Amid the heightened cost of living situation in the

country, the Workers’Union said that while efforts are being made by government, t h r o u g h w e l c o m e d initiatives, these were not being passed on to the consumer

“It is unfortunate that there may be some who rather than seeking to share the relief offered by public policies were seeking to p r o f i t e e r We a r e disappointed by such behaviourasitrepresentsyet another form of exploitation perpetuated against our people, especially the workers.

We abhor those who engage in such practices and we believe that a reevaluation of policies may be necessary to seek to provide greater support to the people directly,” GAWU reasoned.

MarriottHotelprofitscanhike...

From page 54

$US2.5M a year, Jagdeo sold it out and on to this day, the Guyanese people don’t know whose hands those shares went into - we were told it’s a Chinese company, that’s it, we are still to receive a missing US$5M on that deal. The AmailaFallsHydroProject that Jagdeo wanted to push down our throats, telling us it’s a Chinese investment, read through the lines,” Lall cautioned Guyanese. He also raised suspicion about the New Demerara HarbourBridge. The administration said on Friday that it will be seeking a loan from the Chinese Government to buildtheproject.

In 2017, during a state media broadcast, Jordan had said that massive misspending by the current Governmentappearedtobe “more than just mistakes” and advocated for some typeofaccountability

He said that the Government was at the time saddled with a large debt despite putting a large amount of equity

He had highlighted the Marriott project and the Skeldon Factory, another failed expensive Government venture, at the time.

He said the David Granger Government was forced to “take over Republic Bank’s debt of US$17 7M to repay because the Atlantic Hotel Incorporated (AHI) was broke and had no money.” He said too that on that

p r o j e c t a l o n e t h e Government had to find another Guy$5.3B to fix defectsonthehotel.

Marriott was opened in 2015 to be a first class brandedhotel.

It is owned by the Government through the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) but was owned by bankrupt AtlanticHotelInc.(AHI),a special purpose company established by NICIL. To prevent the hotel from beingacquiredbyRepublic Bank, the Granger Government transferred AHI’s financial obligations to the Central Government costing taxpayers US$1.1 million ($226 million) every six months since 2017 to service the entire US$27 million loan for 13years.

In the advertisement announcing the sale NICIL said it is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from persons or companies, individually or as part of a joint venture / consortium, with an interest in purchasing its shares in AHI for the acquisition of the Guyana Marriott Hotel. Prequalification must include financial capability in terms of net worth, audited financial statements for the last three financial years), net worth minimum (approximately US $250 million), and letter of financial capability from a recognized financial institution(s) to acquire NICIL’s shares in AHI for theGuyanaMarriottHotel.

Benedict XVI, first pope to resign in 600 years, dies at 95

AP — Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the shy German theologian who t r i e d t o r e a w a k e n Christianity in a secularized Europe but will forever be remembered as the first pontiff in 600 years to resign from the job, died Saturday Hewas95.

Benedict stunned the world on Feb. 11, 2013, when he announced, in his typical, soft-spoken Latin, that he no longer had the strength to run the 1 2 billion-strong Catholic Church that he had steered for eight years through scandalandindifference.

His dramatic decision paved the way for the conclave that elected Pope Francis as his successor The two popes then lived sideby-side in the Vatican gardens, an unprecedented arrangement that set the stage for future “popes emeritus”todothesame.

And now Francis will celebrate Benedict’s funeral Mass on Thursday, the first time in the modern age that a current pope will eulogize a retired one As tributes poured in from political and religious leaders around the world, Francis himself p r a i s e d B e n e d i c t ’s

“kindness” Saturday and thanked him for “his testimony of faith and prayer, especially in these finalyearsofretiredlife.”

Speaking during a New Year’sEvevigil,Francissaid only God knew “of his sacrifices offered for the goodofthechurch.”

The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger never wanted to be pope, planning at age 78 to spend his final years writing in the “peace and quiet” of his native Bavaria.

Instead, he was forced to follow the footsteps of the beloved St. John Paul II and run the church through the fallout of the clerical sex abuse scandal and then a second scandal that erupted whenhisownbutlerstolehis personal papers and gave themtoajournalist.

Being elected pope, he once said, felt like a “guillotine” had come down onhim.

Nevertheless, he set about the job with a singlemindedvisiontorekindlethe faith in a world that, he frequentlylamented,seemed to think it could do without God.

“In vast areas of the world today, there is a

FILE - Pope Benedict XVI (AP Photo/ Domenico Stinellis, File)

strange forgetfulness of God,” he told 1 million young people gathered on a vast field for his first foreign trip as pope, to World Youth DayinCologne,Germany,in 2005 “It seems as if everything would be just the sameevenwithouthim.”

He echoed that theme in his final will released by the Vatican on Saturday night, urging the faithful especially in his homeland to “stand firm in the faith!”Two pages in length and dated 2006, the will also touched on a theme dear to his heart of the beneficial dialogue between faithandreason.

With some decisive, often controversial moves, he tried to remind Europe of itsChristianheritage.Andhe

set the Catholic Church on a conservative, traditionminded path that often alienated progressives. He relaxed the restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass and launched a crackdown on American nuns, insisting that the church stay true to its doctrine and traditions in the faceofachangingworld.

Itwasapaththatinmany ways was reversed by his successor, Francis, whose m e r c y - o v e r - m o r a l s priorities alienated the traditionalists who had been soindulgedbyBenedict.

Benedict’s style couldn’t have been more different from that of John Paul or Francis. No globe-trotting media darling or populist,

Benedict was a teacher, theologian and academic to the core: quiet and pensive with a fierce mind. He spoke i n p a r a g r a p h s , n o t soundbites He had a weaknessfororangeFantaas well as his beloved library; whenhewaselectedpope,he had his entire study moved as is from his apartment just outside the Vatican walls into the Apostolic Palace. The books followed him to his retirementhome.

“In them are all my advisers,” he said of his books in the 2010 booklength interview “Light of the World.” “I know every nook and cranny, and everythinghasitshistory.”

It was Benedict’s devotion to history and tradition that endeared him t o m e m b e r s o f t h e traditionalist wing of the Catholic Church. For them, Benedict remained even in retirement a beacon of nostalgia for the orthodoxy andLatinMassoftheiryouth — and the pope they much preferredoverFrancis.

In time, this group of arch-conservatives, whose complaints were amplified by sympathetic U.S.-based conservative Catholic media, would become a key source of opposition to Francis who responded to what he said were threats of division by reimposing the restrictions on the old Latin Mass that Benedict had loosened.

Like his predecessor, Benedict made reaching out to Jews a hallmark of his papacy His first official act as pope was a letter to Rome’s Jewish community and he became the second pope in history, after John Paul,toenterasynagogue.

In his 2011 book, “Jesus ofNazareth,”Benedictmade a sweeping exoneration of the Jewish people for the death of Christ, explaining biblically and theologically why there was no basis in Scripture for the argument that the Jewish people as a whole were responsible for Jesus’death.

“It’s very clear Benedict is a true friend of the Jewish people,” said Rabbi David Rosen, who heads the interreligiousrelationsoffice for the American Jewish Committee, at the time of Benedict’sretirement.

Yet Benedict also offended some Jews who wereincensedathisconstant defense of and promotion

toward sainthood of Pope Pius XII, the World War IIera pope accused by some of having failed to sufficiently denounce the Holocaust And they harshly criticized Benedict when he removed the excommunication of a traditionalist British bishop who had denied the Holocaust.

Benedict’s relations with the Muslim world were also amixedbag.

He riled Muslims with a speechinSeptember2006— five years after the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States — in which he quoted a Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as “evil and inhuman,” particularly his command to spread the faith “bythesword.”

A subsequent comment after the massacre of ChristiansinEgyptledtheAl Azhar center in Cairo, the seat of Sunni Muslim learning,tosuspendtieswith the Vatican that were only restoredunderFrancis.

The Vatican under Benedict suffered notorious PR gaffes, and sometimes Benedict himself was to blame He enraged the United Nations and several European governments in 2009 when, en route to Africa, he told reporters that the AIDS problem couldn’t be resolved by distributing condoms.

“On the contrary, it increases the problem,” Benedict said. A year later, he issued a revision saying that if a male prostitute were to use a condom to avoid passing HIV to his partner, hemightbetakingafirststep toward a more responsible sexuality

But Benedict’s legacy was irreversibly colored by the global eruption in 2010 of the sex abuse scandal, even though as a cardinal he was responsible for turning the Vatican around ontheissue

Documents revealed that the Vatican knew very well of the problem yet turned a blind eye for decades, at times rebuffing bishops who tried to do the rightthing

Benedict had firsthand knowledge of the scope of the problem, since his old office the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which he had headed s i n c e 1 9 8 2 w a s responsible for dealing withabusecases

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.

SUNDAY – December 25 2022

ChristmasinGuyana

Christmas is normally a happiertimeforGuyanese.

Christmas today should be the happiest time ever for Guyanese.

It is not to be for many Guyaneseatthebottomofthe ladder

Weak and woeful Politicians prefer for Exxon toprosper

Clever and cruel local Politicians prefer for Guyanesetosuffer

Christmas is the most wonderfultimeoftheyear

Please don't tell that to

Guyanese who are hungry andhurting.

Exxon saw to that sorry state.

The PPP/C Govt. ensures thatitstaysthatway

WEDNESDAY –

December 28, 2022

Exxonisonthemove Exxon is on the move, andExxonisinagroove.

Thanks to Bharat Jagdeo, Exxon does whatever it pleases.

E x x o n a p p r o v e s multimillion dollar projects for what is still unapproved byGuyana.

C l e a r l y , p u b l i c

c

onsultations, review processes, and government approvalsarebigshams.

There is no stopping Exxonnow

Not even Bharat Jagdeo can do anything about that, andheknowsit.

If he pretends not to know, we do, which is why wesayhemustgo.

THURSDAY

– December 29, 2022

Parliamentary Public Accounts(PAC)Committee ACommittee of any kind cannot get anything done if it doesn'tmeet.

The PPPC Govt. sees to that when its members don't turnupforPACmeetings.

This is how oversight is sabotaged in Guyana at the highestlevel.

This is what Guyanese Taxpayers get for their loans andtheirbudgeteddollars.

Instead of taking recesses, Parliament should justshutdown.

Parliament itself is a farce,thankstotheSpeaker

The PAC is an empty shell, thanks to the PPPC Govt.anditsmaneuvers.

FRIDAY

– December 30, 2022

One Guyana against the lopsidedExxondeal

President Irfaan Ali has been trying hard to rally Guyanese behind his 'One Guyana' project.

Though laudable, given

thefracturedrelationsamong the various groups here, the initiative is bound to fail becausemanycitizensdonot think President Ali and his governmentaresincere.

We at the Kaieteur News believe that a rallying point, from which One Guyana can t a k e f l i g h t , i s t h e renegotiation of Exxon contract to bring greater benefitstoGuyanese.

With the high levels of poverty and inequality here any real effort to extract more for Guyana from the oil deal will see all and sundry lining up behind Ali on his 'One Guyana' project.

But no, he and his Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, are hell-bent on keeping Guyanese impoverished, while pushing their unity agenda.

There will be no 'One Guyana' when all the dealing and wheeling of our oil benefit only the foreigners andafewinthePPP/C.

SATURDAY – December 31, 2022

PPPhappyhour

As the year comes to a close government is in a frenzytospendouteverylast dollarbudgetedthisyear

With that, we have already seen all kinds of dubious contracts being awarded at this eleventh hour

As we conclude this year, letusnotforgetthedamaging USAID report, which stated in part, that there remained a

idespr e a d p u b l i c

Govt. committed to free education at UG before completion of first term in office

- Jagdeo

Vice President, Dr BharratJagdeohassaid that the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration will ensure education is free at the University of Guyana (UG) before the administration's first term in office ends, the Department of Public Information(DPI)hasreported.

The Vice President said that making education free at the University would be in keeping with the Government's manifesto promise.

Jagdeo was at the time addressingagatheringatthelaunch of government's part-time jobs initiative at the Diamond SecondarySchoolonFriday “We promised free education in our manifesto, free university education in the five years. So… beforetheendofthefiveyears,UG will become free,” the Vice Presidentstated.

The Vice President's statement follows concerns raised by the A Partnership for National Unity + A l l i a n c e F o r C h a n g e (APNU+AFC) Coalition on the matter Recently, the Opposition –led Coalition said that the GovernmentofGuyanaisequipped with wherewithal to clear the UG's mountingstudentdebt.

Addressing the issue at the Press Conference of the Leader of the Opposition, Economic and Youth Policy Advisor, Elson Low, stressed on the need for Government to step up and handle thematter

“The Vice Chancellor just recently said $600 million is owed in student debt to the University of

Guyana. We had called for all student debts to be written off One day of oil revenues for the country and that debt could be wipedoutinstantly

The Government could have easily wiped out everyone's University of Guyana student debt,”Lowsaid.

He noted however that the Government keeps breaking its promises to invest in the education sector “We see the Government saying that it intends to increase education expenditure to about 20 percent of the national budget.This yeareducationexpenditureactually fell from 16 percent which was the budget for last year to 13 percent,” Lowsaid.

He added that, “We have seen the Government actually missed the target that they themselves had set when it comes to education expenditure and we have actually seenthesupplementarybudgetpass withnothingextraforeducation.”

Low noted that while the Government is touting the idea that UG can be free in the future, it has thecapacitytoactnow

“In what world does the University need to be free in 2025, when the Government has the capacity to make it free now… we have been lobbying for this for the longest time and it is part of plan to makeitareality,”hesaid.

Low's comments comes on the heels of Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana Dr Paloma Mohamed-Martin revealing that theUGisowedinexcessof$600M instudentdebt.

Dr Mohamed- Martin noted however that despite the large sum

ofmoniesowed,theUniversitystill allows students to complete their education.

“We have allowed them to continue studying and we're collecting fees from them as they can pay and that of course is not very good for our cash flow but it's good for the country,” MohamedMartinexpressed.

Shecontinued,“Becausewhat's going to happen, if we say 'if you

can't pay', and we stop you from learning, what's going to happen to all that pent up talent and energy and all those needs that we have. So, the University has taken that decisiontorelaxitsfees.”

“Oneofthe critical things that people do not understand about the University and its funding is when they hear that the University gets a Government subvention, they think that

funds everything for us and it actuallydoesnot…”

The UG has evolved from its launch in 1963 into a mid-sized University with over 10,000 students, more than 1,500 staff and over500on-campusvisitorsdaily

Additionally,theUniversityhas met another milestone this year with the hosting of its largest graduation, with a total of approximately3,000graduates.

Citizens have a right to receive all...

From page 3

publicaccesstocontracts.

With the aforementioned in mind,theInstituteemphasizedthat transparency in the oil and gas sector, which is particularly notorious for being corrupt, is critical. It said relevant and timely information being easily available to all actors so that they can observe and analyze decisions made and actions performed by authorities, is an inherent right of thepeople.

In addition to deterring bad behaviour, the Institute articulated

that transparency also helps lay foundations of trust between citizens, the private sector, and the government.

It commented that the need for transparency in the extractive industries is particularly strong, given that resource extraction and revenue management are processesthatarehighlytechnical, typically involve few people, and usually take place in locations that are physically distant from much ofthepublic.

Furthermore, the Natural Resource Institute reminded that

large sums of money are on the line. It said that in order to assess whether there is sufficient and effective transparency, citizens must consider the rules regarding access to information, how information is managed, what information is disclosed, and how itisdisclosed.

While Guyana does have AccesstoInformationLegislation, stakeholders have criticized its usefulness. They believe it is actually a deterrent to easy information access as opposed to beinghelpfultotheprocess.

University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus (DPI photo)

Hamilton Green Annual Inter-ward KO Soccer Tournament listed for February next

The organisers of the HamiltonGreenCupFootball tournament returns with the Annual Inter-ward/village knockout competition slated for25thFebruary2023–2nd April, 2023 with over $1,000,000upforgrabs. Teams fromEastCoastofDemerara, as well as East Bank, West Bank, Georgetown and Berbice will be battling for a firstprizeof$500,000,while 2nd place carry home $250,000and3rdplacetakes $150,000.

However,eachmatchwill run for the duration of ninety minutes, divided into two halves, forty-five minutes each. If at the end of

regulation time there is no winner, an extra time of 30 minuteswillbeaddedtoplay, consisting of two 15 minutes half each and if there still is not a winner at the end of such,thenpenaltykicksshall be taken, with each team being allowed five kicks. If there is still no winner at the end of the penalty shootout thena‘suddendeath’penalty kickbecomesapplicable.

The tournament consist of twenty teams, all matches will be played across three venues namely; the GFC ground, Den Amstel ground and Buxton ground. Starting with four preliminaries matches between;

Charlestown VS Timehrimatch A, Tucville VS Soesdyke - match B, Sophia VS Airy Hall – match C and Bourda All Stars VS Belle West Stars – match D.

After this, all winners of

Sunday January 01, 2023

ARIES (Mar.21–Apr.19)

Today your brain is supercharged, Aries. If you've been thinking about doing somewritingorhaveputoff analyzing a particularly trickyproblem,thiswouldbe the perfect day to get started.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

With today's planetary energy,you'llfindyourselfa little more extraverted than usual, Taurus. You'll finally beabletosaywhatyoureally think about things.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Today you're unstoppable! You'reaveryhardworkerby nature, and with the current planetary alignment you'll be able to accomplish even more than usual.

CANCER(June21–July22)

Discardthoseitemsfromthe past for which you really no longerhaveuse.Asmuchas youliketosurroundyourself with objects of sentimental value.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Intimacy will be in the air over the next few days. Loved ones suddenly want tospendmoretimewithyou, and you'll want to invite friendsovereverynight!By allmeans,do.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

Feelingunusuallyadventurous,Virgo?You'reoftenmotivatedbyyouridealisticexpectations, and the planetary configurations today .

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

The celestial energy signals a pleasant change for you today, Libra. Finally, the overpoweringemotionsthat havebeensurgingfromyour relationships will subside. You are now beginning a more contemplative phase.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21) This is a good day to devote timeandthoughttospiritual pursuits,Scorpio.Dosomething inspirational that instillsasenseofwonderdeep in your soul.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

A new phase in your life is beginning, Sagittarius. The previous phase could be interpretedashavingtaught you to be serious and devoted to professional responsibilities.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Today's aspects might clear up some rather sketchy ideas about your professional future, Capricorn. If you long for a change, such as daring to undertake a moreartisticpursuit.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

You have acquired some sound confidence in yourself,Aquarius.Nowitistime for you to show everyone else by actually putting it to use in your life.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20) Today's planetary energy should compel you to commitcertainactsofself-affirmation that are needed to define your territory and protect your rights.

thefourpreliminariesmatches will head straight into the knockout stages with the winner of matchA, taking on Stewartville in the first knockout encounter While the winner of match B meet with Uitvlugt for the second knockout encounter on Saturday 4th March, 2023. While Pouderoyen come up against the winner of match C and match D winner go headtoheadwithDenAmstel on Sunday 5th March, 2023.

On Saturday 11th March, 2023 witness four additional teams entering the competition with a doubleheader between Melanie VS Beterverwagting (BV) and Diamond VS Mahaica/ Mahaicony

And on Sunday 12th March,2023anotherDoubleheader between Golden

GroveVSAnn’sGrove,while Buxton goes up against Victoriaathome.

At this time, eight teams wouldhaveadvancedintothe Quarter final stages with the 1st of two quarter final matches happening on 18th March 2023 at the GFC ground, followed by another two Quarter final matches on Sunday 19th March, 2023 at Buxton ground.

Semi Finals actions happens on Sunday 26th March, 2023 at Buxton ground. While the Grand FinalandThirdplaceplayoff willbeheldatGFCgroundon Sunday2ndApril,2023.

Teams can contact

coordinator of the event LennoxArthuron666-9667or 626-9351formoreinformation on the event.

Arthur, a former national player and coach, has been in the lead in organising the tournament in recognition of Mr.Green,whowasaformer PrimeMinisterofGuyanaand MayorofGeorgetown.

Arthur has expressed thanks to the sponsors who have assisted in the past in keeping the event alive and mainly the youths in competition. He is encouraging them to continue this support for this first event of the New Year 2023.

Hamilton Green Lennox Arthur,

NBA roundup: LeBron James pours roundup: in 47 points on 38th birthday

Reuters - LeBron James celebrated his 38th birthday by scoring a season-high 47 points to help the visiting Los Angeles Lakers erase a 15-point deficit and beat the Atlanta Hawks 130-121 on Friday

James made a seasonhigh 18 field goals and was 4-for-6 on 3-point attempts. He added 10 rebounds and nine assists to fall just short of his first triple-double of the season. James had a 3pointer and a three-point play in the fourth quarter after the Hawks cut the lead toonepoint.

Los Angeles also got 19 points and a season-high 17 rebounds from Thomas Bryant, 14 points and 11 assists from Russell Westbrookand12pointsand nine assists from Dennis Schroder.

The Lakers were without Lonnie Walker IV (tailbone contusion).

Trae Young, who missed a game with a left calf contusion, returned and led the Hawks with 29 points while dishing out eight assists Dejounte Murray added 20 points and nine assists, and Onyeka Okongwu had 17 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots. It was the thirdstraightlossforAtlanta.

Wizards 119, Magic 100

Kristaps Porzingis scored 30 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked four shots,MonteMorriswentfor 12 points and dished 10 assists, and Washington led almost wire-to-wire in routinghostOrlando.

Washington, which has won four straight games and five of six, went on a 16-2 run midway through the second quarter and never looked back. Kyle Kuzma finished with 23 points, and Rui Hachimura added 16 points and seven rebounds fortheWizards.

Franz Wagner led the Magic with 28 points and eight assists, while Paolo Banchero added 21 points. The Magic have lost three straight.

Kings126,Jazz125

Kevin Huerter scored 15 of his team-high 30 points in the fourth quarter, including a game-winning 3-pointer with 9.2 seconds remaining, to lead Sacramento past visitingUtah.

Lauri Markkanen topped all scorers with 36 points for the Jazz, but his attempt at thebuzzerwasoff.

It was the third straight roadlossforUtah.

Domantas Sabonis went 12-for-12 from the field,

scored 28 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out eight assists for the Kings, who earned a second consecutive one-point victory De’Aaron Fox added24points.

B u c k s 1 2 3 , Timberwolves114 Giannis Antetokounmpo had 43 points and 20 rebounds as Milwaukee snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over visitingMinnesota.

Bobby Portis Jr had 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Joe Ingles recorded season highs with 14 points and 10 assists for the Bucks, who trailedby11athalftime.

Minnesota lost its fifth straight game despite the efforts of Anthony Edwards, who had 30 points, 10 rebounds and four steals.

Luka Garza, Jaylen Nowell and Naz Reid added 16pointsapiece.

Bulls 132, Pistons 118

Zach LaVine scored 18 of his season-high 43 points in the first quarter to lift host Chicago over Detroit, which has dropped 14 of its past 18 games

LaVine made 15 of 20 shots from the floor, including5of9from3-point range. He also sank all eight

ofhisattemptsfromthefreethrow line and dished out six assists DeMar DeRozan scored 22 points and Nikola Vucevic collected 19 points and nine rebounds for the Bulls, who have won five of six games overall and 12 straightagainstthePistons.

Rookie Jaden Ivey scored 22 points, Bojan Bogdanovic had 20 andAlec Burksadded19offthebench for the Pistons, who played without Killian Hayes and Hamidou Diallo, suspended for their roles in a scuffle involvingtheOrlandoMagic onWednesday Warriors 118, Trail Blazers112

Jordan Poole exploded for 41 points and teamed with Klay Thompson and Donte DiVincenzo for three 3-pointers in a 16-2, gameending flurry that allowed Golden State to rally past PortlandinSanFrancisco.

Thompson finished with 31 points after hitting seven 3-pointers for Golden State, which won its fourth straight at home over the past six

days Draymond Green logged10pointsandagamehigh-tying 11 rebounds, while Kevon Looney also grabbed 11 boards as the Warriors took advantage of the absence of Portland big man Jusuf Nurkic, out because of a non-COVID illness.

DamianLillardpouredin a team-high 34 points in another of his San Francisco BayAreahomecomings.

Anfernee Simons returned from a scary fall to chip in with 22 points for Portland, which lost for the fourth time in its past five games.

Pelicans127,76ers116

CJ McCollum scored a season-high 42 points and setafranchiserecordandhis own career high with 11 3pointersashostNewOrleans defeatedPhiladelphia.

McCollum made 13 of 20 field-goal attempts, including 11-of-16 from long range, and Zion Williamson added 36 points on13of19shootingfromthe field and making 10 of 16

f r e e t h r o w s Wi l l y Hernangomez scored 13 points as the Pelicans won theirfifthstraightgame.

Joel Embiid scored 37 points, James Harden had 20 points and 10 assists, Tobias Harris scored 14 points and De’Anthony Melton added 11toleadtheSixers.

Nuggets124,Heat119

Nikola Jokic had 19 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists for his eighth tripledouble of the season, and host Denver erased an eightpoint deficit in the fourth quartertobeatMiami.

Kentavious CaldwellPope scored 20 points on 7for-7 shooting for the Nuggets, who won for the ninth time in 11 games. Bones Hyland had 16 points andVlatkoCancarscored15 for Denver Aaron Gordon (rightshoulderstrain),Jamal M u r r a y ( l e f t k n e e management) and Bruce Brown (right ankle sprain) returned to the lineup after m i s s i n g D e n v e r ’ s We d n e s d a y l o s s a t Sacramento.

Washington Wizards center Kristaps Porzingis (6) passes the ball against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) is defended by Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray (5) in the second half at State Farm Arena. (Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)

Pele showed the most famous guy on the planet can

(Reuters) - Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp is convinced no one can be greater than Pele but what he marvelled at the most was the Brazilian football great’s humilitydespitebeingoneof the most popular people on theplanet.

Pele died on Thursday at the age of 82, and people from all walks of life mourned the death of the only man to win the World Cupthreetimesasaplayer Klopp said he did not have even “0.01%” of the skills of Pele and described how he received a signed number10Brazilshirtonhis birthday when he met the former striker and German great Franz Beckenbauer at theWorldCupin2006.

“Whatever anyone tells meinthefuture,Pelewasthe best. I will not forget that,” Klopp said. “Both of them showedmethatifyouarethe most famous person on the planet, you can still be a completely normal guy That’s what I love the most, that’swhatItookasalesson,

that’s something I will never forget “So because I’m Christian,thisisnotover.He will now play football in a wonderful stadium with fantastic players from the past.”

Leagues the world over will pay tribute to Pele during this weekend’s matches The Premier

League, English Football League and Australia’s ALeaguesaidtheywouldhave a minute’s applause before games while Spain’s LaLiga and Italy’s Serie A said they would observe a minute’s silenceaheadofgames. Premier League and EFL players will also wear black armbands.

think he is better suited as a batting consultant”

SportsMax - FormerTest opening batsman Philo Wallace doesn’t believe that Shivnarine Chanderpaul should become the new head coach of the West Indies cricketteam.

Speaking on the Mason And Guest cricket radio show on Tuesday night, Wa l l a c e s a i d t h a t Chanderpaul was lacking coaching experience at the international level and was notthemanforthejob.

“Shiv Chanderpaul as head coach would surprise me. If he is appointed, is it based on scoring 11,000Test r u n s , h i s c o a c h i n g e x p e r i e n c e a t t h e international level is very limited. We cannot continue tokeepfollowingpeople.We have to set the example. Chanderpaul has been a fantastic player He has had some success with the Jamaican Tallawahs, is it possible he can transfer that intoredballcricket?”

“Is there a bigger role outside of head coach for

Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Can he be our batting consultant? Is he better suited for that role rather than a being head coach. These are things that need to be discussed Just don’t appointamanbecausehehas over 11 000 Test runs,” Wallacesaid.

Wallace, 52, a former Barbados captain, said that selecting a head coach of the West Indies is going to be a majorheadache.

“Weneedtogetsomeone to get our young people to understand what Test cricket is all about. Is Chanderpaul capableofdoingthat?

“I know he has matured now,heisabetterpersonbut is he not better suited to be the batting consultant. The head coach of Cricket West Indies is going to be a headache. If you have not appointed one for the new year for the serious tour of ZimbabweandSouthAfrica, you are staring down the barrel in relation to applications for the head coachjob,”headded.

T h e 4 8 - y e a r - o l d Chanderpaul is one of the most prolific bastmen in the history of West Indies’ cricket, scoring 11,867 runs with30hundreds.

“I

- Wallace against idea of Shivnarine Chanderpaul becoming West Indies Head Coach

Former Test opening batsman Philo Wallace

be ‘completely normal,’ Klopp says

PiLiverpool manager Juergen Klopp before the match. (REUTERS/Carl Recine)

Guyana Chess Federation year-in-review…

The year started off with virtualchesstournaments,as had become the norm throughouttheearlyyearsof thecovid-19pandemic.

In January, the National U12tournamentwasthefirst with 11 year old Alexander Zhang winning the Open Category and Kristin Xavier coppingthefirstplaceforthe GirlsCategory

Three Guyanese chess players managed to earn prizes in the Suriname hosted virtual Master of the Guianas chess tournament. In this event, Justino DaSilvawasrewardedasthe top Guyanese finisher in the event.FrancisSimmonsalso receivedaprizeforbeingthe oldest competitor in the tournament.

Jessica Callender came close to dominating the female division, but finished in third Over-the-board chess finally returned after two-years with the annual GAICO Grand Prix in March. The GAICO Grand Prixtournamentsmarkedthe beginning of the Olympiad Qualification cycle, where players can earn Grand Prix Pointsbycompetinginthese events.

The players with the most points at the end of the Grand Prix cycle ultimately represent Guyana at the biennial FIDE Chess Olympiad, the highest level ofinternationalcompetition.

Chelsea Juma and FM AnthonyDraytondominated the first grand prix event. CM Taffin Khan and former

Women’s champion Sasha Shariff won the second grandprix.

The Junior Nationals showed intense rivalry among Guyana’s younger players who emerged from the lockdown eager to show their dominance over the board with over 70 students competing, the largest ever contingent. Ethan Lee won the Junior Qualifying event andwentontobattleRicardo Narine for the Junior Title in a thrilling series of tie breakers where Narine emergedvictorious.

FIDE Master Anthony Drayton and Jessica Callender won the National Open and Women’s QualifiersinMaytogoonto the National Championships among 16 other players Candidate Master Wendell Meusa earned the National Chess Champion title for 2022 Fourteen year old Pooja Lam notably became Guyana’s youngest ever women’schampion.

Top junior players Kyle CouchmanandCielClement finished as winners of the one-dayNationalU14Rapid Open and Girls Chess Tournament respectively For the National U16 Rapid Open, Kyle Couchman once again copped the first prize with Italy Ton-Chung gaining the first place for the GirlsCategory

Guyana was represented at the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India by CM Taffin Khan, FM Anthony Drayton, Roberto

Neto, Loris Nathoo and 19year old Ethan Lee on the Open team, while 18-yearold Sasha Shariff, 14-year old Pooja Lam, 12-year old Anaya Lall, 20-year old Jessica Callender and 21yearoldNellishaJohnsonon thewomen’steam.

Drayton, Callender and Shariff were the standout performers for Guyana at this prestigious event where players and team were able t o i n c r e a s e t h e i r internationalranking.

A major achievement at this event was Sasha Shariff and Jessica Callender earning their conditional Women’s Candidate Master Titles.

Later on, Barbados hosted the annual Margaret Prince Memorial Rapid tournament where Jessica Callender tied for the top spot in the Under-1400 rated division and Ciel Clement, a 13 year old up-and-coming player, was able to finish 18thoverall.

Callender also later finished in third place at the SrefidensiBlitzEventwhich earned her a spot to go on to represent the Caribbean in a showdownversusChina.

This year, chess was systematically introduced to childrenwithdisabilitiesand special needs at the David Rose Special School, Schoonord Centre for Children with Diverse Needs, New Amsterdam Special Needs School, Gifted Hands Learning CentreforSpecialNeeds,St.

Barnabas Special Needs School and the Linden CentreforSpecialChildren.

The Federation also formed their Women in Chess Committee this year to promote, encourage and teach the game of chess and increasetheawarenessofthe educational value of chess among women in Guyana. While this year served to build membership and set the foundation for the committee, the committee will continue to expand and host a number of training sessions and engagement for young female players in the comingyear

Withtheformationofthe GCF’s weekly chess club at School of the Nations and therigorousexpansionofthe Chess in Schools program, hundreds of children across Guyanawereabletobecome actively engaged in the sport for the first time. Students from various schools including Bishops’ High, Queens College, St

Stanislaus High, Anna

Regina High, Better Hope Primary, Essequibo and School of the Nations were engaged in a virtual 6 week training program in the early part of the year In addition, severalstudentsfromLinden were taught by Stephen Francis.

The GCF was also given the opportunity to showcase chess at the Giftland Mall where the public was able to engage in games with chess players, join the federation and witness simultaneous chess games among some of Guyana’sfinest.

The GCF made great strides in broadcasting live games due to the newly acquired electronic chess boards, compliments of the Ministry of Culture, Youth andSport.

Games were streamed live on the GCF’s website and YouTube giving the public the opportunity to view the games from anywhereintheworld.

PresidentoftheGCFand FIDE Arbiter, Anand Raghunauth and also the head of the Chess in Schools Programme, has stated that the federation will continue its training programmes and plans to encourage schools to continue and form chess clubs as this will serve as extra-curricularactivitiesfor school children across the country

T h e F e d e r a t i o n continues to extend free p r e m i u m C h e s s K i d accounts to all participants of the Chess in Schools programme, wheretheycan play online in a safe and controlled environment as well as learn and get new ideas from ChessKid’s extensivevideolibrary

The Board of Directors of the GCF wishes to extend best wishes for a successful New Year to its membership and numerous s p o n sors who have continuously supported chessthroughouttheyear

SportsMax - The preparations for the IPL 2023 are underway, and all ten franchises have completed their squads after buying their preferred players at the recently concludedIPLauction.

Sam Curran became the most expensive player in IPL’s history after Punjab Kings bought him for 18.50 crore.

M e a n w h i l e , B e n Stokes and Cameron Green alsowentbig.

One surprising pick that went for big money was West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran Lucknow Super Giantsspent16crore(US$2 million) on the 27-year-old, whichleftmanyshocked. Pooran has had his

IPL, but his overall stats are

disappointing, which is why the fans felt that Pooran has been overpaid by the KL Rahul-ledfranchise.

In 47 matches in his IPL career, Pooran has scored just 912 runs, including four fifty-plus scores

LSG’s global mentor, G a u t a m G a m b h i r , responded to the trolls and criticism for Pooran and justified the big spending on the Caribbean star

Gambhir said that he does not judge a player by last year’s performance but looks at its impact on

the game

“I do not look at the last season. I look at a player’s ability and impact. Pooran can win us 2-3 matches, and with age on his side, we wantedhimtobuildtheteam aroundhim.”

Gambhirtookanindirect dig on old-school players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma,whoscorefifty-plus r u n s b u t a t a n underwhelmingstrikerate.

“The tournament is not about scoring 500-600 runs inaseason.

It is about winning matches by scoring impactfulruns.”

moments of fame in the

Nicholas Pooran

Guyana Chess Federation’s current top male and female players.

SAO PAULO, (Reuters)

- In 2022, Britain lost its queen and Brazil its soccer ‘king’ - two giant figures of the20thcenturywhocrossed paths at least twice over the years.

Former Pele team mate Gerson recalled one of those times in an interview with Reuters this week. The year was1968,andElizabethwas guest of honor at a soccer match at Rio de Janeiro’s monumental Maracana stadium during an official visit to Brazil. After the game, she presented Pele with a trophy “I was there,” said Gerson, who won the 1970 World Cup with Brazil and also played against Pele’ssideinthe1968game. “It was a remarkable moment,havingthequeenat asoccermatchwasnotusual - and here in Brazil it happened only once, exactly thatgame.”

Gerson appeared in pictures next to Pele, the queen and her husband Prince Philip, and said he had a photo of the moment framed and put on display in his home. Known as “O Rei,” or “The King,” Pele

died on Thursday at the age of 82 following a battle with colon cancer, less than four months after Britain’s longest-reigning monarch passedawayaged96.

Pele, who scored a goal in the friendly match that brought together the top players from the state of Sao Paulo and the best players of Rio de Janeiro, recalled the game when the queen died onSept.8.

HesaidonTwitterhehad admiredElizabetheversince the first time he saw her in person, when “she came to Braziltowitnessourlovefor football and experienced the

magic of a packed Maracana.”

Years later, in 1997, the queenhonouredPelewithan honorary knighthood of the British Empire He remembered the moment in an Instagram post in 2017 when he thanked “all the British people for their affection”.

After the news of his deathonThursday,London’s Wembley Stadium was lit up in the yellow and green colors of Brazil with a sign readinghisname.ThePrince andPrincessofWalesshared a picture of the tribute on socialmedia.

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) officially kicked off their Tiger Rentals-sponsoredUnder-13 football tournament yesterday at the National TrainingCenter(NTC).

The 11-team tournament was officially started following the ceremonial MarchPastattheProvidence facility, featuring GFF president, Wayne Forde, Tiger Rentals’ Country Manager, Shane Singh, and GFF Technical Director BryanJoseph.

During remarks, Singh reiterated Tiger Rentals’ support for local football, especially at the grassroots level. He mentioned that, “We are confident that this can only bode well for Guyana and its nurturing of youthforthefuture.Welook forward to supporting this tournament while assisting the GFF to fulfil its obligations to grow football throughoutGuyana.”

T i g e r R e n t a l s ’ commitment to the

tournament surpasses $10m and Forde was quick to express gratitude to the partnerfortheirsupport.

”The GFF alone cannot organise football in Guyana. Partnerships like these, with the corporate community and other stakeholders, are key for the continued development of the game locally,”Fordesaid.

Forde also expressed

gratitudetotheGFFstaffand players who assisted in multiple capacities to ensure the tournament’s success becomesareality

The GFF Tiger Rentals’ tournament will be played in the group round-robin stage between clubs andAcademy Training Center (ATC) teams, before moving forward to the knockout round.

BBC Sport - Arsenal moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League with an entertaining victoryatBrighton.

This result, allied to Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Everton, extends Arsenal’s advantage headinginto2023.

The visitors were cruising at 3-0 thanks goals by Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Eddie Nketiah before Kaoru Mitoma pulled one back

Gabriel Martinelli settled any nerves with Arsenal’s fourth before Evan Ferguson added Brighton’s second with his first league goal. Mitoma had a second goal chalked off to deny the home fans a grandstand finish as Arsenal held on for a deserved three points

Brighton were a long way off the pace for the first hour, but after Martinelli had restored the three-goal

advantage they showed great spirit to reduce the arrears again through Ferguson.

T h e y w e r e t h e n convinced they had made it 4-3 with two minutes remaining when Mitoma lookedtohavescoredagain, but after a VAR check the Japanese midfielder was revealedtobejustoffside.

Arsenal are back in action against Newcastle United on Tuesday, buoyed by an increasingly formidable-looking lead over champions City with both sides having played 16 games.

Arsenal stand firm despitedefensivewobbles Although the Premier League season is still not at the halfway point due to the World Cup hiatus, this win could be a key moment in Arsenal’s bid for a first title since2004.

Brighton had been the lastsidetobeatArsenal-a31 Carabao Cup win in November-buttheprospect

of a repeat looked unlikely as soon as Saka had latched on to a rebound from Martinelli’s shot to tuck the ball home for his sixth leaguegoaloftheseason.

The absence of striker GabrielJesusthroughaknee injury collected while on World Cup duty may have worried Arsenal fans, but Saka and Odegaard are compensating for the Brazilianstriker’slayoff.

A r s e n a l c a p t a i n Odegaard’s seventh goal of the season came when he capitalised on a poor header out by Billy Gilmour to put his side 2-0 ahead before half-time, the Norwegian’s shot going down into the ground and beyond Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

And they started the second half just as well as the first, Nketiah poking the ballinfromcloserangeafter S a n c h e z f u m b l e d Martinelli’sshotfromatight angle But they wobbled when full-backs Ben White

and Oleksandr Zinchenko were substituted after an hour

Rattled by Mitomo’s goal and then a good spell from the hosts, Martinelli finished off a length-of-thepitch move with a shot that wentinoffSanchez’slegsto seemingly put the game beyondBrighton’sreach.

William Saliba was then too casual on the edge of his own area, allowing Ferguson his chance to pull anothergoalback,andwhen Mitoma seemed to have made the score 4-3, Mikel Arteta’ssidelookedworried untilthedecisionbyVAR.

Arsenal face a tough January before reaching the l e a g u e c a m p a i g n ’s midpoint, with Tottenham and Manchester United to followafterNewcastle.

Their two meetings with second-placed Manchester City are also yet to come, and Arteta will want to address the defensive frailties that surfaced on the south coast. Year-end high

for Seagulls despite defeat The Seagulls returned from the World Cup break in fine style, winning 3-1 at Southampton on Boxing Day, but they will regret theirslowstarthere.

Errors by Sanchez played a part in Arsenal’s third and fourth goals, but Roberto de Zerbi’s side finished strongly after capitalising on a dip in the Gunners’ performance following the substitutions ofWhiteandZinchenko.

Ferguson, 18, was a handful on just his third PremierLeagueappearance, allassubstitutes,andhewas smart enough to latch on to Saliba’serrortogivehisside asniffofacomeback.

Mitomawasunluckynot get on the scoresheet twice, b u t t h e S e a g u l l s nevertheless end 2022 in eighth - their highest-ever placing in the top flight at theendofacalendaryear

Former soccer star and Brazil’s minister for sport Pele.

Petra ‘Returned to Play’ with six tournaments... Director anticipates a better year for grassroots football

commencement of the Milo Schools Under-18 Football Tournament in July, which w a s w o n b y

Christianburg/Wismar Secondary School (CWSS) of Linden, following a final showdown with North Ruimveldt that ended 3 – 1. That tournament was completedinAugust.

The ExxonMobil Boys and Girls Under-14 Tournament followed and concluded in September with a historic feat that had Charlestown Secondary winning both Divisions of theTournament.

In the Male Division, the champswon3–2onpenalty kicks after finishing 1 – 1 at regulation time, against Ann’sGroveSecondary The femalechampsdefeatedEast Ruimveldt, 2 – 0, in the finale earlier in the day, which was the first step in a c h i e v i n g t h e accomplishment.

December 23, 2022, marked the end of the Petra Organisation’s ‘Return to Play’ schedule for the year, which saw the Organisation execute half of a dozen football tournaments in the second half of the year, mere months after Guyana’s decision to alter COVID-19 restrictions to allow sporting activities.

The Organisation, led by C o - D i r e c t o r s Tr o y Mendonca and Marlan Cole, had initially planned a few more tournaments for the

resuscitation of their operations, but marred by inclement weather and perhaps a few unavoidable hurdles, they discovered in hindsight that they will be able to successfully host six tournaments before the year expires.

Of the six tournaments hosted, five were at the School level and the other was a community-based undertaking.

They ended the threeyear hiatus dominated by the pandemic, with the

Simultaneously, Petra turned their attention to the GuyOil/Tradewind Tankers Under-18 Schools Football League, a title claimed by CWSS in commanding fashion when it wrapped up inOctober

The runner-up was Golden Grove, who, along with the champs, qualified for the KFC Goodwill Tournament, another brainchildofPetra.

The Courts Pee-Wee Under-11 Tournament also made its return in fine fashion for the ninth year.

That heavily anticipated event was won by Enterprise for the first time after an intense final against St. Pius, whichended2–1.

Futsal front runners, Bent Street and Fruta Conquerors, claimed the male and female titles of the MVP Sports Futsal Tournament, respectively, which was hosted by Petra a t t h e N a t i o n a l Gymnasium Bent Street settled Future Stars 8 – 4 to win the Men’s title while F r u t a C o n q u e r o r s steamrolledTiger Bay 11 – 2 tocoptheWomen’stitle.

The final event of the y e a r w a s t h e K F C sponsored event, which was impressively won by Desrey Fox Secondary School Team after a nailbiting finale against St Benedict’s College of TrinidadandTobago

Kaieteur Sport had an opportunity to speak with Mendonca following the conclusion of their half-year calendar of events, and he was ecstatic to share his viewsabouttheircampaign.

Shedding some light on the organisation’s return, he stated, “We are happy to know that we were able to have a return because due to the absence, we would have put a pause on partnerships

with our sponsors and supporters.Butwewereglad thatoncewereturnedtoplay after two years, our sponsors and supporters instilled a lot of faith in us to help achieve ourobjectives.”

Mendonca disclosed that even though Petra hosted six tournaments this year, it was more meaningful and impactfulthatthemajorityof events hosted were schools football, which kept to their mandate of helping the grassrootsplayerstogrowth.

The Co-Director was very satisfied with the response by the Ministry of Education (MoE) for their partnership that allowed the schools to be involved and the use of the MoE Ground, which was home to all the tournaments.

Mendonca’s wish is to see more fans of the fraternity turn out to support the youths as the parents and teachers have done tirelessly throughouttheseason.

The Courts Pee Wee Under-11, which was recently staged, is the tournament that Mendonca believes is the one he has seen bore many fruit for the current senior national team and is happy to continue staging grassroots level tournaments from Under-11 to Under-18 in both Boys

a ndGirlsDivisions.

For 2023, there is not a definite number of tournaments Petra wishes to hostbutrathertheirobjective to effectively provide the avenue for school players amongthatagegroup.

He also added that they will revisit the table for the hosting of their Futsal and Senior Level football Tournaments, but their main focus is to fill that gap that has been nonexistent for some time

“We are very happy and thankful for the support provided by the Ministry of Education and Schools and the sponsors, they played a big role; we worked very closely with them and hope we can grow from strength to strength ”

“ I n t e r m s o f development, the most satisfyingthingtoseealotof these youngsters that are now excelling at the highest level came through the programmes that we organized and that itself is satisfaction for the

organization.

We w o u l d h a v e identified an area that we think we can contribute and having done that, we have seen the impact,” Mendonca concluded.

Petra

Charlestown Secondary Boys Captain, Malcolm Henricks (L) and Chinwendu Rover, Captain of the Girls team, display their Championship Trophies after winning both Divisions of the Exxon Mobil Girls and Boys Under-14 Tournament.

Jashan Haynes was the ninth Courts Pee Wee MVP and was rewarded accordingly for his performance, which led Enterprise to their first title. He is seen with his ever-present Grandmother, who had to assist displaying the bounty of accolades, and Director of Consumer Finance COURTS Guyana Inc., Richard Allan.

Part of the action in the KFC Goodwill Tournament between Champions, Desrey Fox Secondary (on ball), and Golden Grove Secondary, which commenced at the GFF National Training Centre.

The battle of Edinburgh!

By Rawle Toney

It came down to the two best teams in the One Guyana President’s Cup tournament, Region 4 and Region 3, going head-tohead tonight at the National Track and Field Centre at Edinburgh,from8:00pm.

The two sides reached the final of the inaugural tournament after topping their respective groups and winning their semi-finals in anemphaticfashion.

Region 4 booked their placeinthefinalswithan8-1 victory over Region 5, while Region 3 had a 5-2 win over Region7.

Both Pre-tournament favourites, Region 4 and Region 3, will play for the winner’s purse of $2M, with the second-place team going homewith$1M.

The two teams earned each $400,000 for their semi-final wins while pickingup$200,000foreach group-stagevictory

President Irfaan Ali along with members of his C a b i n e t a n d o t h e r Government officials are expected to be on hand tonight to witness the colossalshowdown.

Region 4 will enter the contest as the favourites to cart off the trophy, taking into consideration how dominant they’ve played throughoutthetournament.

Also, loaded with players from the country’s senior men’s national team

– the Golden Jaguars –Coach Wayne Dover will turn to his young brigade to get the better of a Region 3 team that depends heavily on its captain, Leo Lovell and goal-scoring exploits of Trayon Bobb and Delon Lanferman Lanferman, Bobb and Lovell have been doing the heavy lifting for Region 3 The team have shown that they can also play from behind in unusual circumstances and still come out victorious, as in the case of their final group stage win over Region 10 and the semis against Region7

Region 4 is yet to be tested, perhaps outside of their Group A game with Region 9, where they won 1 – 0. Kelsey Benjamin, the tournament’s leading goal scorer (9), has been superb for Coach Dover, while his attacking partner, Nicholas McArthur and Omari Glasgow have both scored sevengoalseach.

While Region 3 doesn’t lack firepower, Region 4 holds the edge for having more arsenals in their armoury

Defensively, Region 4 once again holds the edge, with their back-line being marshalled by Colin Nelson a n d t h e y o u t h f u l exuberance of former youth captain and current Golden Jaguars,JeremyGarrett.

The midfield will be interesting, with Lovell

coming up against a clinical CurtezKellman

Kellman has shown tremendous growth in his role, especially since his stint in the MLS Next Pro League with Sporting KansasCity

Meanwhile, the thirdplace game is also expected to be a mouth-watering battle between Region 7 and Region 5 That game is

-Region4andRegion3battle tonightinPresident’sCupfinale

expected to kick off at 6:00 pm. Following the InterWard tournament played throughout the country, the districts selected their best 25 players to play in the RegionalTournament.

In Group A, Region 4 (Demerara/Mahaica), ranked as the top seed, will be joined by Region 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne), Region 7 (Cuyuni/Mazaruni),

R e g i o n 9 ( U p p e r Takutu/Upper Essequibo) and Region 8 (PotaroSiparuni).District10(Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice) was placed as the top seed in Group B and joined by R e g i o n 5 (Mahaica/Berbice), Region 1 (Barima/Waini), Region 3 (Essequibo Islands/West Demerara) and Region 2 (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

The teams played in a round-robin format in the initial stage, where the top two teams from each group advancedtothesemi-finals.

Matches were played at the National Track and Field Centre, the Buxton Community Centre Ground, the Bartica Community Centre Ground, #5 Ground and the Albion Sports Complex.

Ronaldo joins Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr until 2025

(Reuters) - Portugal

captain Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Saudi Arabian clubAlNassrona2-1/2year contract, the club announced on Friday, after leaving Manchester United to becomeafreeagent.

Ronaldo departed Old Trafford last month following an explosive television interview in which the 37-year-old forward said he felt betrayed by the club and did not respect their Dutch manager EriktenHag.

Al Nassr issued a statement saying the fivetime Ballon D’or winner willjoinonadealuntil2025 but did not disclose any financialdetails.

Ronaldo’s contract has been estimated by media to be worth more than 200 million euros ($214 04 million). “I am fortunate that I have won everything I set out to win in European football and feel now that

this is the right moment to share my experience in Asia,” Ronaldo said in the statement.

“Iamlookingforwardto joining my new team mates and together with them help the Club to achieve success ”

Ronaldo will arrive in Saudi Arabia with a vast collection of club honours after a glittering spell at Spanish giants Real Madrid from 2009-18 where he won two LaLiga titles, two Spanish Cups, four Champions League titles and three Club World Cups

He went on to score a club record 451 times for Real and has more than 800 senior goals overall for club andcountry Ronaldo claimed two Serie A titles and a Copa

Italiatrophyinthreeyearsat Juventus before rejoining United with whom he had bagged three Premier League crowns, the FACup, two League Cups, the ChampionsLeagueandClub WorldCup.

He played for Portugal in Qatar, where he became the first player to score in five World Cups after netting a penalty in his side’s opening Group H gameagainstGhana

Portugal were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Morocco

Ronaldo said Qatar would probably be his last World Cup as he plans to retire at 40, with a move to Saudi Arabia likely to mark the swansong in the career one of the game’s greatest current players alongsideLionelMessi

“This is more than history in the making,” Al Nassr Football Club P r e s i d e n t M u s a l l i Almuammarsaid

“This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations.”

The Saudi Arabian club, who have won nine Saudi Pro Premier League titles, are hoping Ronaldo can help them win another domestic league title and a first AFC Asian Champions League.

H o w e v e r , t h e Portuguese forward will miss his first two domestic games after being banned for knocking a phone out of a fan’s hand after United’s defeatatEvertoninApril ($1=0.9344euros)

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo during the warm up before the match. (REUTERS/Carl Recine)

President Irfaan Ali and the One Guyana trophy that will be up for grabs between Region 4 and Region 3 in the finals.