Kaieteur News

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Ghana was able to Sunday Edition NEWS take control of spending - Energy on oil field developments Strategist p.

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AIETEUR

January 24, 2021

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

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

Price $140

- Guyana should do the same

Online readership yesterday, 70,749

Liberia mandates all oil companies to contribute to renewable energy programme p. 9

- But Guyana demanded nothing Jail them!

Govt. yet to share procurement details on marketer for fourth oil lift p.

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Minister Dharamlall says...

Probe launched Mechanic stabbed into millions spent to for dropping home establish community another man’s wife development council p.

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p.

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SOCU questions Patterson, Adams on Harbour Bridge feasibility contract award

p.

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Thirty-three years (33) ago, robberies were rampant around the Stabroek Market area.

The pockets of housewives were slashed and their handbags ripped from their arms while they were focused on their purchases.

The authorities, including the Guyana Police Force and the City Constabulary, appeared helpless in preventing or halting these daily attacks.

Something had to be done, and it was by a citizen that triggered action. .Following a letter published in the newspaper by one Glenn Lall, the Commissioner of Police held a meeting with Lall and two policemen were specially assigned to address this problem.

Lall, with the support of

the authorities, built a lockup at the Stabroek Market to detain those targeting and robbing shoppers. The result was that crime disappeared from the area.

The idea of a similar facility, this time to jail our crooked politicians, is likely to enjoy public support, especially when one considers how these politicians have conspired to deprive our people of the country’s oil wealth.

We are not being funny or frivolous. All those who have colluded to sell-out our future and to allow our oil wealth to be plundered, can use the time in such a lockup to contemplate the harm that they have done to this country and its people, and to repent for their wicked deeds.

EPA makes no commitment to correct outdated insurance provision in Liza One permit p.

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Listen to Glenn Lall and Attorney Christopher Ram discuss the rampant corruption in Guyana @ 11:00AM on 99.1/99.5FM Kaieteur Radio (Rebroadcast)

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

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Ghana was able to take control - Guyana should do the of spending on FPSOs same - Energy Strategist T

rinidadian energy strategist, Anthony Paul, said that Guyana must take control of the spending it does on Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels and other aspects of p r o p o s e d f i e l d developments to ensure that the economics serve the people of Guyana well.

Paul, during a December 10 interview on Kaieteur Radio's 'Guyana's Oil & You,' told Senior Journalist, Kiana Wilburg, of how Ghana armed itself with officials who were technically capable of making the case, in one instance, that an additional FPSO proposed by oil companies, was not necessary.

“I was fortunate to actually be in G hana working for the government, advising the regulator at the

Energy Strategist, Anthony Paul time.” Paul said. “We would sit down as a team, look at seismic data, and look at models. Look at well part choices and discuss among the technical team what the choices were.”

Paul reported observing

a clear decision-making process about the need, or lack thereof, for the second FPSO. “They had a very strong manager/CEO [Chief Executive Officer] who was very technical as well, and who could make the case to the Minister. The Minister had faith in his regulator and his people, to tell the companies 'this is my decision',” Paul said.

Explaining this situation further in a telephone interview with Kaieteur News, Paul said that in the Ghanaian oilfield of Jubilee, there was a partial development with an FPSO, which would deplete a part of the field. Approaching the time for the implementation of a second FPSO, Ghana's regulator reviewed the plan and found that, as the well reserves had already been in decline, it would be better to use the existing FPSO alone

Health Ministry sends COVID-19 test samples to CARPHA to be tested for new variants

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he Ministry of Health has sent COVID-19 test samples taken in Guyana to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) located in Trinidad to have them tested for the new variants of COVID-19. This was announced by the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, while delivering the COVID-19 update on Friday.

The Minister had previously announced that Guyana currently lacks the capacity to test for the new variants at both public and private health institutions.

Testing for the new variants requires genetic sequencing, which cannot be done in Guyana, hence several samples taken were sent to CARPHA since Guyana lacks the resources to do so.

Further, he disclosed that additional test samples will be sent for testing soon.

Minister Anthony did not give a direct date in which the samples were sent out, but did state that the results from the test samples sent out could take more than a week.

Guyana has not recorded

any case of the new variants, which is because there are no resources available to conduct the necessary testing to confirm. The new variants include the United Kingdom strain commonly known as B-117, the South African strain 501Y.V2 and the Brazilian strain known as P.1.

The Minister also noted that cases of the new strains have already been recorded in the Caribbean region.

"Yesterday, the Ministry of Health in Trinidad and Tobago reported that they have identified the B117 variant in Trinidad.

They have reported that and so we are now alerted.

This probably is the 2nd case that we have had in the Caribbean with the first being in Jamaica and now we have one in Trinidad and I suspect once we start doing the genetic sequencing, we will find similar cases in o t h e r c o u n t r i e s , ” D r.

Anthony stated.

In the meantime, he has urged that persons continue to observe all COVID-19 regulations, especially the social distancing protocols set to prevent transmission.

This is because the new variants are said to be transmitted at an increased speed. Notably, persons have (continued on page 13)

to complete the production and preserve money.

The takeaway for Guyana, Paul explained, is that this country should have the capacity to review field development plans effectively, including the equipment, costs, reservoirs, production and have a holistic picture of the economics of each proposed operation.

“Managing your resource is very technical and you need strong c a p a c i t y, p e o p l e w h o understand those things to

negotiate with the companies to approve field development plans,” he said.

The energy strategist noted that it is often forgotten that the Government, in these situations, is the boss – not the other way around.

“Agreements are contracts. The operator is a contractor working for the government.” He said. “The government is the boss. We tend to forget that.”

Paul is of the view that if the developments are left to the mercy of oil companies, a

government runs the risk of results that are only in favour of the companies.

ExxonMobil sees potential for 10 FPSO vessels offshore Guyana, according to its Global Vice President of Deepwater Projects, Jayme Meier. Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, has said that he is in favour of aggressive and fast-paced depletion of Guyana's reserves, as he believes that Guyana has a short window to capitalize on its oil riches before renewables take over.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL - Tel: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

GECOM and the Local Government Elections A week ago, a brief flare-up took place between the People’s National Congress (PNC) and the GECOM Chair, Justice (rtd.) Claudette Singh, after Singh rebuffed a demand from PNC’s General Secretary, Amna Ally, for the Chair to meet alone with a PNC delegation supposedly to discuss issues surrounding this year’s Local Government Elections (LGEs).

The position taken by the PNC is a very strange one.

Firstly, it is not the PNC that is represented in Parliament on its own strength, but the PNC within two concentric circles of admittedly weak and diluted coalitions. There is, A Partnership for National Unity which now only consists of the PNC and the virtually non-existent, Guyana Action Party (which shows zero sign of life), and Keith Scott’s National Front Alliance, which is more front than it is either “national” or an “alliance.”

Therefore, the PNC, as a political entity in itself, has no intrinsic right to demand a solitary audience with the Chair of the Elections Commission on any issue, and this is just from a position of pure ethical logic.

An even more compelling reason however, for the Chair to have rightfully and reasonably refused to meet with the PNC Executive alone, is because that executive was materially involved in colluding with elements of GECOM, to engineer a fraudulent outcome in the last election.

From the PNC Chair, Volda Lawrence, signing on to the fraudulent declarations by Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, (with whom she is currently facing several charges), to the then President and PNC Leader, David Granger, personally leading the charge to undermine the legitimate work of GECOM for five months after an election he had decisively lost, Congress Place has no moral or legal right to an audience with the Chair of a Constitutional body that its leadership has sought to undermine. The political opposition has three commissioners sitting on the body that are mandated to raise its concerns at the level of the Commission, and is also free to meet with the Commission as a whole.

That is not to say that the ostensible reason that the party had proffered as a rationale for the meeting is completely unsound. The question of routine cleansing of the list in preparation for Local Government Elections is one that warrants discussion, considering that a new registration process was in the making before the No Confidence Vote toppled the Granger administration in December of 2018.

However, those discussions cannot be used as a ploy to derail the Constitutionally due LGEs slated for later this year.

One gets the sense that the PNC, in the wake of a disastrous showing in the 2018 LGEs, even as an incumbent with access to government resources that it generously directed towards its campaign efforts, sees it in its interest to delay the very local elections that it had brought back after a two decade hiatus under the PPP. The PPP government on its part has to not only, as it has indicated, lobby for the removal or denial of participation of GECOM staff that colluded with the coalition in the rigging attempt, several of whom are currently before the court system on electoral fraud charges, but that it goes into local government elections resisting the temptation of incumbent administrations to seek to abuse state resources to consolidate national political control by dominating local government organs.

Against this background, the autonomy of GECOM is going to be critical. Chairwoman Justice Singh, after a postelections period in which she gave the public not unreasonable justification to question her resolve in dealing with political players seeking to upset the democratic process, has recently shown that her Iron Lady label is not unwarranted. That resolve is going to be necessary to restore public confidence in the work of GECOM as the country goes to its first election after the 2020 debacle.

Stewards cheat citizens and citizens still embrace them DEAR EDITOR, Something has gone terribly wrong here, and not with me. Throughout our public service machinery, there are these baleful and defiant positions that boggle the mind, and incentivize the sharpest angers at what is placed on the table for consideration; it is of the contemptuous and insulting.

By my thinking, it is how the stewards entrusted with our welfare, think of, participate in, and react to charges of, costly wrongdoing while in office. I share some familiar high-profile instances from the dark side of real-life Guyana that repulse and unleash the worst misgivings.

It may involve the once secret personal award to senior public officers of

thousands of acres of prime state lands, while involving the questionable and suspected corrupt at work.

Almost unfailingly, the nation gets what sounds like this: nothing wrong was done.

The rules were followed.

Standing practices obeyed in complete cooperation. The claims are of innocence and cleanliness in what does not add up, is not deserving of a clean bill of health. On the heels of thousands of acres of land, there came news of hundreds of thousands of dollars (American) for what was initially denied in some peculiar business partnership on the East Bank and political people benefiting.

Then, as recently exposed, expensive jewellery took center stage; first for

almost a million for a senior executive, then just over a half million for a former minister.

The rebuttals followed the same time-honoured Guyanese tradition: clean hands only, no basis for, no truth to, allegations that upend. That is, until the roof fell in, and the walls of specious defences crumbled.

Somebody did wrong; somebody did not confess; all credibility was lost irretrievably.

Not unexpectedly, a short time before, that same kind of ‘Nancy’ story surfaced with two of Guyana’s oil blocks representing billions of barrels of oil that were mysteriously handled, through backdoor arrangement in deep darkness. The defence for

that rich one was even richer: no laws were broken; no corruption was involved.

And that assertion came from a former president.

Repeatedly, it is the same broken record played in this country, in revelations of costly depredations by its trusted, even beloved, elected and selected officials; there is that broad, deep strain of denial placed before a public that mostly doesn’t know better, doesn’t care at all. I had to dig deep to exhume the equivalent of what our vacuously dissembling, hairsplitting, and misleading leaders put before us, which required going back 75 years, and back to postwar Germany.

It was at Nuremberg that (Continued on page 6)

Sunday January 24, 2021

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Kaieteur News

Bow to or brave the beast in our belly DEAR EDITOR, As the sun rises peacefully in the East and sets magnificently in the West, the North blows hot and cold to cause the dust to remain unsettled in the South. Garth Stein wrote in “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” “I suddenly realized. The zebra.

It is not something outside of us. The zebra is something inside of us. Our fears. Our own self-destructive nature.

The zebra is the worst part of us when we are face-to-face with our worst times. The demon is us.” The decisions we make are either violent or peaceful, destructive or constructive, useless or profitable, wrong or right.

Man becomes selfdestructive or is annihilated by nature over a period of time. History is saddled with the devastation of wars from time immemorial and there is no beginning to its end nor any means to curb its finality.

Recent pronouncements have further attested to this and have underlined its pervading significance. The ruthless attack on Capitol Hill in America on January 6th leaving five deaths and hundreds injured explores the vulnerability of this

weakness, and the destructive earthquake in Indonesia on January 15th, which caused over 40 deaths and 800 injured, is a reminder of the force of what lies beyond man’s control. Again, 62 people died as a result of a plane crash on January 9th in Indonesia, a living proof of man’s limitation. Donald Trump departed from the White House on January 20th to reflect that nothing is permanent, paving the way for Joe Biden to occupy the seat of Presidency, an assertion that, “honesty is the best policy.” Amanda Gorman, the young US poet laureate, writes, “ there is always light,” to portray that there is a right way to pursue, while US Vice President, Kamala Harris, the Black/Asian/ American, illustrates, “if you’re brown, stick around,” dignifies a reason to defend and not to offend.

In Guyana, the Henry boys’ deaths paint a picture of the unending violence and the dangers of drugs, pointing out that the beast is within and without; Fitzgerald F. Scott wrote in “The Great Gatsby,” “I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by

the inexhaustible variety of life.” The ultimate arrest of the murderers is a hint that the arms of the law are long, maybe slow but sure. Haresh Singh’s retributive murder remains an unsolved mystery, but his death sourly indicates that politicians will use and abuse fools as tools to do their dirty job. The diabolic inciters are as large as Trump and publicly flaunt the law, openly parading and challenging the keepers of dignity and morality. Michael Sherwin, the acting US Attorney for D.C., repeatedly told reporters that his office would be investigating and potentially charging “all actors” involved in the riot at Capitol Hill. A federal prosecutor investigating the riots said he would not close

the door to investigating and charging President Trump for his inciting comments to the crowd of protestors.

The quick processing of the US election petitions surmise that freedom of speech is guaranteed in their judiciary system, but more so, the decisions from the courts, including the Supreme Court, underscore that, justice and fairness will not be stifled to satisfy the rich and famous, or, the whims and fancy of the high and mighty. The PPP/C election petition from 2015 is unheard of, yet, the APNU+AFC election petition from 2020 is currently engaging the attention of the officials and one of the petitions has already been dismissed. Justice delayed is justice denied and so the cry

for efficiency is an effective tool to remedy the limitations and bottlenecks of the current courts. Former US Attorney General, William Barr, resigned from his post with over a month left with the Trump’s administration, suggesting that he no longer wanted to tarnish his reputation with pro-Trump shenanigans that could irretrievably tarnish his legacy. It was a correct judgmental call, perhaps foreseeing the past insurrection. On the contrary, Guyana witnessed the past attorney in complicit with questionable legitimate advice to a weak president and incapacitating the process of wise decisions. For the stubborn APNU+AFC government to be clean

bowled in a hat trick by the learned Caribbean Court of Justice, exposes the fragility and literacy of their legal advisors. But then, Trump and Granger are synonymous with lies and deceits. Shame and disgrace are not easily erased.

Is there a special garrison for the likes of Rawlston, Patterson and Ferguson?

Perhaps, the gift voucher might have been used with the intention of a visit to Madison Square Garden had it not been for a sanction (COVID-19 or ?)! How long will you play hide and seek, the sun will eventually catch up with you. This is a clearcut case, which exemplifies the audacity of the APNU+AFC government’s (Continued on page 6)

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Kaieteur News

India’s Covishield/ AstraZeneca Vaccine DEAR EDITOR, I recently saw on the news India delivering its Covisheild Vaccine to its neighbouring countries and as far away as our neighbour Brazil. These vaccines are gifted to the countries.

It shows India’s generosity to the world. The rich countries have grabbed the lions share and have made no donation to the wider world. They are in a mad drive to look into their population interest.

India on the other hand is vaccinating its own population and delivering vaccine to the poor countries at the same time. India’s population is larger than any one of the rich countries yet it finds time to help other nations.

India is truly the poorer countries hope for an exit to the pandemic. This morning in the Hindustani Times in

India, there is an article where Prime Minister, Mia Mottley of Barbados wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking for vaccine in the form of a donation and a request to buy a further amount.

Guyana has strong ties to India, culturally and economically.

So my question is why isn’t the Guyana government engaging the Indian Government for vaccine help?

Why are we sitting and waiting when other countries are making requests? Imagine Canada asked its neighbour the USA for vaccine help, surely there is no harm if our Government makes a friendly request for a donation and purchase an extra amount from India. We must do all we can to save our Guyanese people and get our economy going again.

Sincerely, B. John

Sunday January 24, 2021

...Bow to or brave the beast in our belly From page 5 corruption saga. Play not with the righteous parson; he will direct the guilty person to the right prison! Leaving a defecating trail of obnoxious financial transactions, the APNU+AFC government did enjoy the good life at the expense of the poor taxpaying public.

How can a liar and denier, guilty of dishonesty and moral etiquette question transparency, challenge aberrancy or query complacency? But then, the APNU+AFC Party does represent everything callous, sacrilegious, devious and unscrupulous! By the way, is the Integrity Commission back from their yearlong holiday?

Isn’t their hibernation period over? Talk about throwing good money down the drain, or is it, throwing water on duck’s back? The honourable Attorney General and the Auditor General need to take

a peek and see if that body is sleeping on the job!

Whatever happened to all those goodly gentlemen and ladies who did not submit their declarations for 2019?

Why, this does tells us of the integrity of the Integrity Commission! Wake up; this is Year 2021 under President Dr. Irfaan Ali, not David Granger!

Why is it the ERC, GHRA, the Integrity Commission, GECOM and others have to be prompted to do their job?

In New York last Wednesday, during a medical evacuation exercise, a chopper crashed killing three National Guard Members.

Loyalty to their jobs brought them their demise. In Guyana, for many politicians, loyalty to indignity brings them much royalty.

The giving away of our lands and natural resources is a season with greedy reason. Is there a comparison between treason and a liaison, which is crimson? Also on

Wednesday, a traffic cop was struck down in the line of duty along the Houston, Public Road, EBD. A young father was unlucky the same day, killed when he was involved in an accident on the Mc Doom Public Road, EBD. These incidents help to identify the recklessness and carelessness of users on the roads of Guyana.

Where lies the blame for the overall picture in Guyana?

Pointing a finger doesn’t help, because there are three fingers pointing backwards.

At the end of the day, each of us is definitely a contributing factor.

The question is, can we accept the truth by being honest with ourselves? Now that our conscience is bothering us, can we sleep peacefully and restfully, knowing that the truth hurts?

Perhaps, we can do something, stand up for what is right and speak out against what is wrong! Come out from the shade of the dark and find the light.

Respectfully, Jai Lall

...Stewards cheat citizens From page 4 U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Robert H. Jackson, was compelled to articulate his scornful disbelief at defences placed before that historic tribunal, compliments of the arrayed parade of Nazi war criminals. Justice Jackson noted that ‘as the bloodstained Gloucester stood by his slain king, he still denies - say I slew them not.’

I think that Justice Jackson’s Shakespearean reference, his cry, applies to Guyana: its politicians and its public servants, its citizens, too.

For, despite the bloody and mutilated body of misdeeds, of lives tarnished and damaged before all, there are still the denials of senior political operators and wellplaced public officers: no knowledge, no association, no failure, no damage, no foul.

While citizens’ manifest a scarcity of interest, an overabundance of indifference and shameless partisanship.

Like the Germans before, Guyanese citizens don’t hear, don’t see, and they don’t want to know. Men were hanged over there; over here, the involved hang us, and not

content with that barbarism, they then mock an entire nation with the verbal corruptions they construct and pile upon a naïve and nonchalant population. We did not wrong. We broke no laws. We breached no rules.

We were not involved. If those howlers are not the height of comical absurdity, then all Guyana suffers from neurological paroxysms, and delight in its plight.

These absurdities stand, as the byproducts of bizarre political and bureaucratic endeavours that rest in open caskets and in state; and verbal perfumed bouquets do not remove the stench of dishonourable death. This piteous state that Guyana is reduced to speaks volumes.

It is the predominant norm in this society, where leaders invent a special cure to suit every atrocious situation. It explains why Guyana is so sick, despite being so rich. It begins with those we put in charge; it continues with those many citizens who could care less. As someone said: Guyana ain’t gat battam nah moh.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

Sunday January 24, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

EPA makes no commitment to correct outdated insurance provision in Liza One permit When it comes to ExxonMobil’s future oil developments – Liza Two and Payara – Guyana is covered in the event of an oil spill, but in the case of the Liza One project, the country is left exposed and runs the risk of acquiring massive debt to compensate for the damages.

But, while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), headed by Sharifa Razack, has the opportunity to amend the document as it sees fit, it has made no move to do so.

Kaieteur News had pointed out that Section 13 of the Liza One permit, which speaks to Institutional Authority, states: “The EPA reserves the right to review and amend the conditions attached to this Permit in accordance with Regulation 14 of the Environmental Protection (Authorizations) Regulations, 2000.”

Similarly, the Regulations state in Section 14 (1): “The Agency may at any time by notice in writing to the holder of the permit, cancel or sus-

pend an environmental authorization or impose such conditions as the Agency considers appropriate in addition to or in place of the existing conditions, with effect from such date as the Agency may specify provided that the cancellation, suspension or modification shall not give rise to an additional adverse effect.”

Then in 14 (2): “The Agency may cancel, suspend or modify an environmental authorization during its currency for any of the follow-

This photo, taken in 2004 by NOAA Fisheries researchers, shows Exxon Valdez oil found in a shallow pit they dug 15 years after the spill. It is expected to linger for decades. (NOAA Fisheries)

ing reasons… the Agency establishes new or revised standards in respect of the operations of the facility [among others].”

These provisions were pointed to Razack in an email on December 6 last with a very specific question attached inquiring whether the EPA intend to update the Liza One environmental permit to secure Guyana against financial liability. The EPA head responded on January 8 stating “As in the Liza 2 Permit, the Liza I Permit contains conditions (12.1, 12.3, and 12.5) which holds the Permit Holder liable for pollution and damage caused to the environment. References to section

39 (1), (2), (3) and (4) of the Environmental Act in condition 12.2 of the Liza 1 Permit also hold the Permit Holder liable to penalties for environmental harm as prescribed in the Fifth Schedule of the Act. Regarding the Liza 1 Permit, the EPA has already re-

quested that Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) for evidence of insurance and such evidence has been submitted to the EPA.” However, that response given was a mere deviation from the question being asked. Since then, Kaieteur News has sent approximately four follow-up emails to the EPA head and five phone calls, all of which went unanswered.

It was former EPA head, Dr. Vincent Adams, who made sure that it was Exxon – the parent company and not the subsidiary, EEPGL, – which accepted unlimited liability for any disaster that occurs during oil production at its Liza Two project. That provision would go on to be included in all oil companies’ future environmental permits.

In the meantime, the Liza One permit is set to expire on June 1, 2022 and at that juncture, EEPGL and its parent company would need to apply for a new environmental permit and be held to new standards.

Though that deadline is months away, the EPA can capitalize on it and correct the loophole. If not, Guyana would be left to expend billions for decades in the event of a large oil spill during this period, an event that would cripple the country and result in inconceivable damage.

Sunday January 24, 2021

Kaieteur News

Liberia mandates all oil companies to contribute to renewable energy programmes - But Guyana demanded nothing

E

ven though Liberia does not have a well-developed upstream oil and gas industry, it has certainly taken several measures to ensure that its citizens are well protected in the deals stuck with oil giants like ExxonMobil.

This is quite evident in a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) that it signed with the oil titan in 2013.

In that agreement, it notes that Exxon Mobil is required to contribute to a Rural Energy Fund (REFUND) in accordance with the African nation’s National Energy Policy.

The provision in the agreement outlines that the fund was established to integrate renewable energy technologies into rural development.

Considering that oil is a finite resource, the agreement goes on to note that it is the policy of the State that oil resources be used to support the development of renewable energy resources in order to ensure energy security and sustainability upon cessation of petroleum production.

It was further noted that the Contractor should therefore make an annual contribution of US$100,000 during exploration and production through the National Oil Company of Liberia to the REFUND. The provision states that the first payment shall be made within thirty (30) days of the Trigger Event Date of the Contract and thirty (30) days after each subsequent anniversary of the Effective Date (March 8, 2013).

The agreement also notes that the amounts payable pursuant to Article 19.4(a) during the exploration and appraisal phase shall be adjusted annually for inflation for each payment after the initial payment in proportion to the change in Deflator over the Contract Year ending on the last day of the Calendar Quarter for which a Deflator has been published immediately prior to the due date of each payment.

Importantly, Liberia was keen to note that the contribution to the REFUND referred to in Article 19.4(a) will not be recoverable and shall

therefore not be treated as Petroleum Costs.

In addition to this contribution, Liberia also requires ExxonMobil and other companies it signed such agreements with, to make payments to a Hydrocarbon Development Fund, which would be used to stimulate research in the field of hydrocarbons, most especially in continental areas, and to assist the State in its overall goal of achieving energy sustainability.

Within thirty (30) days of the Trigger Event Date of this Contract, the Contractor is mandated to make a one-time contribution of Five hundred thousand Dollars (US$500,000) to this fund.

The provision said that the contribution to the Hydrocarbon Development Fund referred to in Article 19.3(a) will not be recoverable and shall therefore not be treated as Petroleum Costs.

Although the Granger Administration and the PPP Government have both advocated for the need for renewable energy, neither have asked for the oil companies to make similar contributions.

Dem boys seh...

Lusignan Prison too small fuh dem political crooks Thirty-three years ago, a lockup was built in Stabroek Market. Was not de police wah build it. Was not de market constabulary wah build it.

Was not de prison service wah build it. Was not even the Market Committee wah build it.

De lockup was built by de boss man of de Waterfall paper. Well it did help de crime situation in de market. De boss man seh he willing to build another lockup. Dis time though, it can be fuh dem political crooks.

Dem boys wan tell he though dat he nah gat de money fuh build a prison big enough fuh dem political scamps. Not even Lusignan big enough fuh hold dem.

And if you think dem gat racket in de Lusignan Prison, wait till de political crooks end up in deh. It gan be organized crime. And dem political crooks gan be known as ‘cellebrities.’

One time a politician get jail. Two days after, he was on de road a free man. Dem boys ask he “Wah yuh did fuh get

jail?”

He answer, “Bribes!”

“So how come you escape jail?”

“Same thing!”

One time a prisoner, meet another prisoner in de lunchroom. De fuss one seh: “We’re really cut off from the news in here. For instance, I never found out the result of the last Presidential elections.”The other one replied: “Oh, I lost.”

Talk half and remember dat jail and politician is like oil and water.

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Sunday January 24, 2021

Kaieteur News

FRONT PAGE COMMENTS RECAP As we continue our mission to enlighten you about issues of importance to this nation, we at Kaieteur News, have been publishing a series of front-page comments in hopes of having our leaders take the necessary actions in order to realize the desired outcome.

Today, we recap the front-page comments that were published during the past week.

WHEN IT COMES TO OIL WEALTH, THE BALL IS IN YOUR COURT SUNDAY We at Kaieteur News have made it our duty to keep you informed about our newly discovered oil wealth.

We have been forthright about the facts concerning this resource with which we are blessed.

We have encouraged a discussion as to what we are going to do with this gift, which the Creator has provided. We have been critical of our politicians’ handling of the sector.

Guyana’s oil wealth is

vast.

If we had to distribute the total oil reserves equally among the population, each person would be entitled to 11,500 barrels.

We still have in reserve large unexplored fields. Many more discoveries are still to be made.

We must not allow ourselves to be misdirected and misinformed. It is normal that during exploration, a few dry wells will be found. So far, oil has been discovered in almost 80% of the wells drilled.

We should therefore focus

more on these ‘wet’ wells than the few ‘dry’ ones.

We here at Kaieteur News want to ensure that Guyanese enjoy the best and most from the country’s oil riches. But we cannot continue to allow our leaders to betray us in the management of these resources.

The time has come for you, the people, to decide about the country’s oil. The choice is yours: get up and do something or sit down and accept what is forced upon you.

The ball is in your court.

BE AWARE GUYANA, STAY FOCUSED! is fair and just. them.

We must hold our politiIt is their assets, their TUESDAY property, their blessings, cal leaders, both PPP govern-

We learn that one of the Fortune 500 powerhouses, Schlumberger Corp, is relocating its headquarters to Guyana. Companies at this level only do so when the prospects for profits are very high and assured; many more will come.

We are in favour of such presences that are about production and development of the economy and society.

Yet, as we share this with our readers, we point to other things and call upon our Guyanese brothers and sisters to pay attention, to focus continuously on what is going on with this oil of ours.

This oil belongs to us, and not to PPP politicians or opposition politicians, and their respective cliques and circles of friends and families.

Every square inch of this land and water is owned by the citizens of this country, all of

which should be organized and maximized for the benefit of all Guyanese citizens first and foremost.

To repeat: this wealth is not the plaything of Guyanese political leaders. It is not theirs to do as they feel like, for whatever purpose they have in mind, which they refuse to share with a hopeful, trusting nation.

Fellow Guyanese, the politicians are doing the things that are against our interests that will not benefit us, as it should.

Fellow Guyanese, we have to stand up for what is ours, what is our right, what

ment and coalition opposition, to the strictest accounting.

They do not want that, and shy away from such fires, to which, we at this paper, hold their feet.

We must make them uncomfortable, unsettled and unhappy. We must speak up and keep the pressure on them to get the most out of this oil for us, and to share the whole story of it with us.

Fellow citizens, if we do not speak and take a stand, we will pay a high price based on bad choices and decisions.

They will deceive us and cheat us as they did in the past.

MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER OF KAIETEUR NEWS TO OUR PROFESSIONALS THURSDAY I have been in the newspaper business for 26 years, during which time I have consistently been exposing the wrongs in our society. I am prepared to continue on the path on behalf of all Guyanese.

Guyana needs strong and smart leadership. I am not seeing this presently.

The lack of leadership threatens our future and those of our children. What will become of them if there is nothing left for them to inherit? Our country is blessed with tremendous wealth. But what are we, the people, obtaining as owners of these resources? And what is being left for our children?

Mr. David Granger, as President, had the integrity to make public the lopsided oil contract, which was signed by his administration. How many of you have taken the time to read and analyze its contents? If you have done so, what contributions have you made to the ongoing debate over the give-away of

our oil blocks and the sell-out of rights to our resources?

Guyana has become the laughing stock of the whole world. Everyone now wants a share of our resources and, if possible, for nothing or next-to-nothing.

Our leaders are ready to bend over and surrender our patrimony. Our bauxite, gold, diamonds, timber, manganese, and now, our oil wealth are disappearing into corporate treasuries, while leaving crumbs that are thrown at us.

Our resources are being handed out to friends, cronies and to foreign multinationals, who specialize in raping a country’s resources.

Imagine your parents own a huge agricultural estate on which a variety of crops are cultivated. Would you sit quietly and allow your parents to give away all and leave nothing for you? When are you going to become concerned and to speak out against this travesty?

I call on you to join us in condemning the theft of your future and that of your children.

Sunday January 24, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

Joinder decries lack of representation in parliamentary standing committees A New and United Guyana (ANUG), The Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) and The New Movement (TNM), three parties that contested the Match 2, General and Regional Elections as a joinder are decrying their lack of representation in the parliamentary standing committees.

In a statement to the press yesterday, the joinder parties stated that in the recent selection of members for sectoral committees of the National Assembly, the two main political parties, namely

the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) and the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) went back on their promise of inclusivity when it came down to a most critical and substantive matter, such as constitutional reform. They said that the parties did this by failing to nominate a member of the joinder to any of the parliamentary committees.

It is against this that the three parties reminded, “Including representation from

the smaller parties would have seen greater diversity in views, and undoubtedly, a voice of reason wherever gridlock might arise.”

The joinder’s statement went on to remind that the current standing orders, which govern the selection of these parliamentary committees, perpetuate the two party systems.

This, it said, forces all opposition parties to fall under the discretion of the “Opposition Leader”— a position (Continued on page 63)

(From left) Chairman of ANUG Ralph Ramkarran; TMN Presidential Candidate Dr. Asha Kissoon; and LJP Presidential Candidate, Lennox Shuman.

Sunday January 24, 2021

Guyana’s COVID-19 toll increases with 79 new infections

T

he Ministry of Health reported 79 new infections of the COVID-19 vi rus via their daily dashboard update yesterday.

That increases the country’s COVID-19 case toll to 7,222.

The dashboard also shows that seven pa-

tients are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit, 651 in home isolation, 33 in institutional isolation and 21 in institutional quarantine.

Additionally, a total of 6,361 persons have recovered from the virus with 33 new recoveries recorded yesterday.

The COVID-19 death toll remains at 170.

Serial robbers nabbed with stolen cash Two men suspected to be serial robbers, were yesterday nabbed with stolen cash in a house located at Charity Housing Scheme, Essequibo Coast, Region Two. According to police, they received a tip off of the men’s whereabouts and headed to the location, to search their home.

Police found a total of $356,000 cash along with some clothing.

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Kaieteur News

It is believed the men stole the money from a salesman attached to Suri Trading and two Chinese nationals. They were arrested and taken the Charity Police Station, where they remain custody.

On Thursday, the salesman of Suri Trading, Christopher Harricharan, 43, reported that, he was approached by two men around 18:45 hrs., in the vicinity of Plantation Opposite, Essequibo Coast. The

men reportedly assaulted him and robbed him of a gold ring worth $130,000 and $280,000 in cash.

The Chinese nationals, Steve Sue, 41, a businessman and Yu Rong Cao, 37, his business partner, were robbed the following day around 11:00 hrs. Sue and Cao were at Charity, when two masked men pounced on them, and robbed them of an Iphone valued $120,000 and $80,000 cash.

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 ongoing indecency in our land that should matter, not only to us at this publication, but the entire nation.

SUNDAY Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, claims he understands that the tax-free ride given to Exxon, its affiliates, sub-contractors and partners is too liberal.

Yet, he will do nothing about the fact that nine billion barrels of Stabroek block oil will be produced with no income or other taxes to benefit the Guyanese people.

What good is admission if it comes with no action?

Talk is cheap, Dr. Jagdeo.

What Guyana needs is action!

MONDAY Guyana’s leaders are alarmingly silent about the potential conflict of interest posed by the hiring of Canadian consultant, Alison Redford to review ExxonMobil’s US$9 billion Payara project.

She was discovered to have benefitted from donations from an ExxonMobil subsidiary in Canada during her political career.

Similar revelations about a potential conflict by a politician in the UK have caused their leaders to fume, calling for accountability and better ethics.

Guyana’s leaders cannot be serious in their quest to develop this country, if they do not develop their ethical standards. Corruption will only keep Guyana’s people stranded in a pit of hunger and poverty.

We must do better.

TUESDAY Guyana lacks capacity to monitor local content, to audit claims of billions of dollars in oil developments, and to properly negotiate and enforce oil contracts.

Yet, it has approved three oil developments for ExxonMobil to produce over a billion barrels of oil.

Now, it wants to move forward recklessly with the lifting of gas.

“It is clear that we are moving too fast,” Christopher Ram has said of the proposed gas project.

Do we want to become like every other oil-producing country that is rich in reserves, but poor nevertheless?

Have we not heard enough about the likelihood of a gasto-shore disaster if Guyana does not step on the brakes?

Guyana, it is time that we take control of our wealth and fast!

WEDNESDAY ExxonMobil has been dumping hundreds of thousands of barrels of toxic produced water into Guyana’s oceans at its Liza Phase One operations, though this country has no idea what effect that pollution will have on marine life and Guyana’s fisheries industry.

This is what the Granger administration allowed, when it approved Exxon’s Liza Phase One environmental impact assessment on the same day that the 1,500-page document was submitted.

The Granger administration repeated this abominable action with the Liza Phase Two project, allowing three times as much dumping as Liza Phase One. President Irfaan Ali must not let this lawlessness continue. Guyana’s natural environment must be protected at all costs!

THURSDAY How can the Alliance For Change (AFC) still consider itself a bastion of transparency a nd accountability when David Patterson, a man who received millions of dollars in “gifts” from agencies over which he presided, as its general secretary?

Even more egregious for this nation is that this same politician now sits at the helm of the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) – a powerful body responsible for scrutinizing the spending of taxpayers’ dollars.

We cannot be serious!

The government must take care of this grand corruption, and let the handling of this matter be a precedent for

how officials will be dealt with when they disrespect the nation and play around with its wealth.

FRIDAY The media was forced to run behind and beg the David Granger administration for information about our oil patrimony, information that should be public.

Secrecy around the handling of Guyana’s oil is unbearable. It is a cesspool for corruption.

President Irfaan Ali should not continue in the same vein.

Public registers of agreements and periodic reports are the bare minimum, if Guyana means to get things done the right away.

For the oil industry to prosper, Guyana needs full disclosures.

The Guyanese people should not have to beg. It is their oil. Information should be freely given!

SATURDAY When Raphael Trotman found that a fire would be lit under him for the poorly ne-

gotiated Stabroek block contract, he hired a big shot law firm called Clyde & Co. to prepare a report to clear his name, but he never officially published the report.

What is contained in it vindicates calls for a renegotiation, and demonstrates why Trotman did not release a report he himself commissioned.

Luckily, the media managed to get its hands on the report, and made a key finding -- demanding a better deal for the Stabroek block was not a priority for the government.

Health Ministry sends COVID-19...

From page 3 been concerned about COVID-19 variants being right in Guyana's backyard, and the dangers of them arriving in the country since the capacity to test is already lacking. The government has imposed restrictions to prevent the spread of the variant closest to Guyana, the P.1 variant in Brazil, maintaining the border closure that has been in effect since March last year.

The government, however, has not restricted flights from the UK and has stated that CARPHA (who is providing guidance on the issue) has not recommended a travel

restriction.

It is also unclear whether Guyana is accepting direct flights from South Africa and what measures are in place for travel from Trinidad, since the country has a new variant present and is in proximity to Guyana.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

SOCU questions Patterson, Adams on Harbour Bridge feasibility contract award The Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) appears to have reopened their probe into the award of the $148 million new Demerara Harbour Bridge Feasibility Study contract, one year after it determined that there was no wrongdoing in the procurement process.

SOCU on Friday had pulled in for questioning former Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson, along with the recently resigned General Manager of the Harbour Bridge, Rawlston Adams, regarding their involvement but no details were provided as to the next step in the investigations.

It is believed that charges will soon be instituted on

Patterson.

Back in 2018, the then Opposition, People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), had requested that the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) investigate the award of the contract due to suspicions that Patterson had broken the law by sole-sourcing the project instead of having it processed through the Procurement Board.

Then PPP/C Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira, had submitted a letter to SOCU requesting the investigation along with the findings from the PPC into the deal.

In her letter to the then head of SOCU, Sydney James, Teixeira said that the report was being submitted with a

Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson

Former General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge, Rawlston Adams. view to instituting criminal charges against the Minister Patterson.

The PPC in its investigation found that Patterson’s request to Cabinet for approval of the contract was not forwarded through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).

According to the PPC, 12 bidders had been shortlisted

for the project however, only two of the 12 companies had submitted proposals. An evaluation Committee deemed one of the two detailed submissions as being inconsistent with what was required, and the other, was far in excess of the budget, even after negotiations with the bidder.

This later lead to the process being reset.

The Commission had said that while the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) approved the move for the project to be retendered, it was not.

Instead, the $148 million project was awarded to a Dutch company, LievenseCSO, by the Public Infrastructure Ministry with (Continued on page 61)

Probe launched into millions spent to establish community - Minister development councils Dharamlall A probe has been launched to verify the operations of the Community Development Councils (CDCs) under the previous administration. Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, told Kaieteur News he had not been able to confirm whether the groups were created as there is no evidence to prove that they had been convened over the last five years.

The Minister noted that despite the fact that no new councils were established, evidence points to hundreds of millions of dollars being diverted to the CDCs. The Minister explained that the objective of the CDC initiative is to allow residents to contribute to the development of their respective communities. However, he said this had not been done as many communities did not benefit from a CDC project under the APNU+AFC government. Instead, Dharamlall noted, the former administration politicized the few CDCs that were already in place, hampering development and the country as whole.

As such, he said that his intention is to conduct an in-

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall. vestigation of the past administration, regarding their management of the CDC initiative, because resources were spent and staff was being paid to the tune of millions of dollars per month with no work done.

The CDC Secretariat consisted of 33 staffers.

“An investigation is warranted. I hope when it is completed, then the handlers of the CDC groups will face the consequences. If there was, they must have used it as a slush fund and as a means of

political man-handling of their supporters, because there is no evidence of intervention pursuit by the CDC,” he added.

Dharamlall said too that the last Government did not produce any evidence of any CDCs established in the five years of the APNU+AFC. He said “I met with the former CDC Director who has produced not a single piece of evidence on any CDC being established during their administration.”

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

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... is k e e W e th f o r e rk o W e in tl n Our Fro

Frontline Worker, Dr. Carolyn Jones

s e n o J n y l o r Dr. Ca

By Malisa Playter-Harry

S

ince the spike in Coronavirus cases in the county of Berbice, Region Six, our health-care professionals have had their work cut out for them. It leaves one to ponder on how these health care professionals, who are placed on the frontline, get up every day and decide to head to work knowing they will be at risk.

Just a few weeks ago, I interviewed a doctor from the Skeldon Hospital and interestingly enough, he had great enthusiasm about serving the people during this challenging time. Here again this week, I have hit the jackpot with yet another similarly compassionate and self-driven doctor.

Like her middle name, Carolyn Blossom Jones has “blossomed” into one of the many female doctors who have chosen to stick their necks out to serve without reservation. I don't know about you, but it makes me proud that our fellow women are fighting right alongside their male counterparts in helping to save the world, one human at a time.

The 30-year-old Dr. Jones has been working at the New Amsterdam Hospital for the past three years and is one of the six doctors on the Region Six COVID-19 Task Force. Born on October 7, 1990, Dr. Jones has been living up to the meaning linked to her zodiac sign, Libra. This is evident by the fact that caring for others gives her purpose. Since she was long passionate about this, it was

only logical that she joined the medical profession.

Although she hails from Lovely Lass Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB), because of her placement as a Government Medical Officer (GMO) she has been living in New Amsterdam.

Dr. Jones said that she attended the Latchmansingh Primary School in the village of Bushlot, WCB and after sitting the National Grade Six Assessment in 2001, she secured a spot at the Berbice High School in New Amsterdam. That, however,

Medicine. I basically received both (CPCE and the scholarship) acceptance letters around the same time, so of course I chose the Cuban scholarship,” she said. But it wasn't always her desire to delve into the medical field.

Dr. Jones revealed that when she was younger she suffered from hemophobia (the fear of seeing blood) and so it never dawned on her to pursue studies in Medicine.

However, she decided to challenge herself. “I went ahead and chose to do

“If we all play our part in following the necessary precautions and guidelines in keeping safe we can triumphantly conquer this pandemic.” proved difficult to attend since she grew up in a single parent home with her mother.

Her mother, she recalled, was forced to have her transferred closer to where she lived – the Bushlot Secondary School. That did not deter her from succeeding. She graduated in 2007 at the age of 16 and was eager to further her education. Dr. Jones said she applied at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) to pursue studies in Education.

CHANGE OF HEART After applying at CPCE, the GMO said she had a change of heart when a friend told her about the scholarships that are made available by the government.

“I found out more about it and decided to apply to do

Medicine but I can safely say the career ended up choosing me. Now, I have adapted to the situation and seeing blood, those things doesn't affect me at all anymore.”

Pursuing Medicine, however, wasn't as easy as she would have hoped since leaving her family was “one of the hardest sacrifices I have ever had to make,” she confided. But she found solace in the fact that a better life awaited her and the family she left behind.

Her decision garnered the support and constant encouragement from her loved ones, she recalled. She spent six years in Cuba and upon her return to Guyana in July 2015; she underwent a one-year internship “collectively at the Mahaicony, Suddie and Fort Wellington hospitals”.

August 24, 2016, Dr. Jones said, was, “one of the

Attired in her PPEs

Dr. Jones is a member of the Region Six COVID-19 task force

most memorable days in my life.” It was the day she successfully graduated as a medical doctor. She worked in various departments until the novel coronavirus swept the country off its feet. She was one of the few doctors chosen to work on the COVID-19 Task Force in Region Six. Her responsibilities include: daily testing, contact tracing, isolating and quarantining of patients.

“My roles and responsibilities are to ensure the safety of our region by containing and reducing the spread of the novel Coronavirus,” she confidently said. Dr. Jones has described her experience during the pandemic as a good one because “it makes me happy knowing I can contribute positively to help slow the spread of the virus.”

But although she has had her fair share of challenges, her aim is to never give up.

DEALING WITH PATIENTS

It may be easy for some people to judge our frontline workers merely from looking on from the outside, but many may never be able to fully comprehend what they go through on a daily basis as they combat the pandemic.

According to the doctor,

there are times when patients are non-compliant after they have been placed into isolation or quarantined.

Some, she said, are deceitful when questioned about their whereabouts since they could be labelled a suspected case. In other instances, “patients abscond after being placed into institutional quarantine facilities,” Dr. Jones revealed. But despite the challenges faced, the medical practitioner insists that she has no regrets being a part of the Task Force.

“I work with a really great team of people who are dedicated to executing their duties to the fullest of their capabilities,” she added.

Dr. Jones was among the few doctors who was sent to Orealla, Region One when it was first faced with an outbreak of the virus. In

fact, one of her greatest joys is seeing patients recover without complications.

“That gives me a sense of hope and motivation to keep fighting this battle on a daily basis,” Dr. Jones said. She believes that “if we all play our part in following the necessary precautions and guidelines in keeping safe we can triumphantly conquer this pandemic.”

She also believes in prayer and noted that keeping optimistic and focused is what pushes her to keep going.

For her too, family is the foundation that holds her up.

So with all the distractions the pandemic brings, our Frontline Worker this week chooses to unwind at weekends by spending quality time with her loved ones.

Kaieteur News

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Sunday January 24, 2021

esses…

sin bu ive ot m to au ng di lea s n' tio na e th of e on g rin Stee

, O E C s re a p S r to o M n a e b b Cari

CEO of Caribbean Motor Spares; Hardial Doobay

, y a b o o D l a i d r Ha

By Rehanna Ramsay

A

ccording to the O x f o r d dictionary, an entrepreneur is a person who sets up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit.

Our 'Special Person' this week is no stranger to taking risks. Just about nine years ago, the now blooming entrepreneur decided to step out on a limb after spending a considerable amount of time in the banking industry, to start his own business.

Today that enterprise, Caribbean Motor Spares Guyana, is one of the nation's leading dealers in automotive spare parts. The company is a supplier for all vehicle parts and a trusted distributor, wholesaler and retailer throughout the country.

Like most successful business people, its founder, H a r d i a l D o o b a y, h a d envisioned changing the business landscape with his ideas.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Caribbean Motor Spares told Kaieteur News that this is something he wanted to do ever since he was a child growing up in Bartica, Region Seven.

He said that he developed a passion for automotive equipment by watching the workmen fix his parent's cargo trucks.

“My parents, Sandra and

is a 'Special Person'

Venod, had a fuel trucking business to supply fuel from Bartica to the interior and whenever the trucks needed servicing, I would sit and watch the men work on

company has opened a second location at Grove, East Bank Demerara. This is in addition to the company's main branch located at Zeelugt Public Road, West

working in the banking industry “I While developed an appreciation for offering great customer service. That sets a strong platform for what Caribbean Motor Spares offers today. That's where it all started; the journey was fuelled by a desire to want to offer impeccable customer service and a wide variety of products.

”

them. As I got older, I became more curious about the vehicles,” he revealed during an interview with this publication.

Despite being a focused businessman, at the age of 33, Doobay is married and the father of three children.

He noted, however, that the road to successful entrepreneurship was not a straight path. He initially worked at the Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank) for six years before launching Pandit and Sons Auto, which has since been renamed Caribbean Motor Spares Guyana.

Recently, Caribbean Motor Spares made headlines for expanding its reach. With a demand for its products and service, the

Coast Demerara.

But, before Doobay could have established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the local automotive spares landscape, he was a just a young man with a dream.

FUELLING HIS PASSION He recalled that his passion for automotive machinery, arts and the lot, developed while he was just a teenager growing up in Bartica, where his family is originally from.

“I always had been around vehicles and trucks. I remember I was always ready to assist the guys with fixing and cleaning the trucks from my family's fuel

trucking business. As soon as I got home from school, I would drop my school bag and head to the workshop. I was always eager to learn,” he said of his interest in motor vehicles.

The Caribbean Motor Spares CEO did not remain in Bartica for much longer.

By the time he was 14 years old, his parents decided that he was showing enough promise to be enrolled at a city school.

He explained that they saw his potential and decided that Bartica could not offer him the kind of exposure he needed.

As a result, the teenage Doobay was sent to Georgetown to live with his aunt. While under the supervision of his aunt, he attended the School of the Nations - a private school.

He explained that the new school experience was very different from what he had at St Anthony's Primary and the Bartica Secondary School.

The latter institutions, he said, gave him the edge he needed to pursue higher learning and professional goals. Soon after completing his High School education, Doobay attended the University of Guyana.

By this time, he had secured his first job at Scotiabank and his two younger siblings - his brother Ajai and sister Vidya - had joined him in the city.

He said that it was while

working at the bank that he etched out a plan to turn his dreams of owning and operating his own automotive business to a reality. During the six years that he worked at various levels at the bank, the then aspirant businessman harnessed the customer service skills he needed to successfully pilot his own business.

“While working in the banking industry I developed an appreciation for offering great customer service. That sets a strong platform for what Caribbean Motor Spares offers today.

That's where it all started, the

journey was fuelled by a desire to want to offer impeccable customer service and a wide variety of products…” the CEO said.

According to him, filling a gap in the local market space is what led to the early success of the company.

“I've seen the gap in the market, the competitors want to offer the same thing over and over that lacked innovation, and that's where we hit it off as a company,” the spare parts dealer shared.

He noted nonetheless that with several other businesses offering a similar service, the competition (continued on page 57)

Doobay with his dedicated team at Caribbean Motor Spares Guyana

The Caribbean Motor Spares CEO pictured with his wife Kavita and three children

Kaieteur News

Ms. Arifah Baksh

Sunday January 24, 2021

This week's beauty of the week is Ms. Arifah Baksh. This 21-year-old dainty beauty is a student in Communication and Media Studies. During her free time, she enjoys producing YouTube videos for her channel @Arifah. A quote she lives by is, “Do things for people not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are.�

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

Sunday January 24, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Who God bless, no man curse!

T

he late Dr. Walter Ramsahoye once proposed that any person who takes up a political office should leave poorer than when he or she first entered. The former head of the Guyana Medical Council was addressing the issue of ministerial corruption, and as far as he was concerned, the office was one of service and not self-service.

I understood that his proposal was a safeguard against using public office for private gain, but I never agreed with the doctor on this score. I shared a different view: persons who hold political office should be well paid but, equally, they should be held to extremely high standard of public correctness.

The error, which Ramsahoye made, was to consider the issue of ministerial corruption divorced from the context in which it is taking place. That context in recent times has seen a proliferation of political appointees to public office, and the encroachment of these political appointees on the work of careeremployees, and because of their political connections, they are immune to sanctions. What exists is a highly politicized system of government, which feeds a corruption frenzy.

Arresting corruption and self-aggrandizement is a much more complex issue than is assumed. It involves ensuring a fairer system of appointments and remuneration as well as removing the resistance to disciplining government Ministers.

When you are a government Minister in Guyana, you can easily escape sanctions for wrongdoing. The political directorate operates as a clique, they do not oppose each other and the powersthat-be who can discipline Ministers for wrongdoing, adopt the position that if a Minister is fired or demoted then this indicts the entire Cabinet.

Once a Minister's hands are caught in the cookie jar, there is almost a reflexive action on the part of the political administration.

Instead of decisively dismissing that person, his colleagues rush to defend and protect the accused – something that is called circling the wagons.

Even Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham were intolerant of Ministerial wrongdoing. Burnham knew that one of his Ministers had misappropriated public funds for his private use. And Jagan had to know that a contractor had gifted a car to the son of one of his Ministers.

Greed, sometimes, knows no limits. Paying a Minister what he or she is worth will help but not necessarily eradicate corruption. The sterner test is severely punishing a Minister for wrongdoing.

Having square pegs in round holes is a contributory factor to corruption. Many political appointees are pretenders. They lord over competent public officials whose work is unrecognized and undervalued. Both the APNU+AFC and the PPP/C are guilty of paying their friends and conies supersalaries, while competent persons are paid below market rates.

A related problem is the false assumptions as to who is suited for what post. It is assumed that academics should administer the university; it is assumed that doctors make the best health managers.

But no one assumes that teachers should be running the Ministry of Education or that an environmentalist should head the environmental department and an oil-expert should be in charge of the oil industry.

The records will show that doctors neither academics are necessarily the best administrators.

Heads of most government agencies now are being assigned to noncareer employees. People who work within the system have come to accept that there are limits to their upward mobility, that when the time comes for them to be promoted to the upper echelons, be it the Guyana Water Authority, the Guyana Sugar Corporation, the Guyana Oil Company, the Environmental Protection Agency or the Guyana Revenue Authority, they are going to be bypassed in favour of a political appointee.

Many political appointees consider themselves as chosen ones.

Some of them are given all manner of fancy titles, but lack the ability to do the jobs to which they are assigned.

Many of them are learning on the job.

This can discourage competent persons from pursuing long careers in government department.

They stay long enough to earn experience and then move on to greener pastures.

For Ministers the pastures are evergreen. The job carries privileges.

Ministerial office comes with attractive benefits but it also entices unofficial

perquisites. There are persons out there who have calculated that it is in their interest to lavish Ministers with things, including gifts and bribes. It is the nature of the deformed post-colonial states that it has become a sacred canon for public officials to be bribed in order to get things done.

No amount of rules or codes of conduct is going to eradicate public mischief.

There will be persons who

see Ministerial office as a means to enrich themselves.

And the sort of power that is reposed in political appointees often makes them develop a haughty and domineering attitude, which lends to corruption.

If the corruption is to be pruned, then there has to be a complete rethink of appointments, rewards and sanctions within the public sector. But more importantly, the circling of

the wagons evidenced by persons rushing to their colleagues' defence has to give way to a more ruthless approach to ministerial wrongdoing.

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

Kaieteur News

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Sunday January 24, 2021

Caribbean-US relations: chance to merge might with right

By Sir Ronald Sanders

E

v e n t s i n Washington on January 20 were a welcome relief and release for the world.

Once Joseph R. Biden took the oath of office as President of the United States and the noon hour struck w h i l e D o n a l d Tr u m p arrived, as a private citizen, at his estate in Florida, leaders and ordinary citizens in every corner of the globe exhaled the collective breath of trepidation they had held for four troubling years.

In his first official acts – the signing of 17 Executive Orders – President Biden dramatically improved relations with the world, including the Caribbean, and gave reason for optimism

about the future.

Importantly, the U.S. will re-join the 2015 Paris Climate Change agreement from which Trump withdrew. It should be recalled that the U.S. is one of the world's greatest contributors to global pollution and the harmful effects of climate change.

Writing to Biden, just hours after his swearing-in as the 46th President of the U.S., Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, as Chair of the 44nation Alliance of Small Island States, welcomed the new U.S. Government's decision. Browne told Biden: “We are already failing to limit the global average temperature to an increase of 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels. It is urgent that: (i)

the machinery for global financial flows, including through International Financial Institutions, be adjusted to ensure that every country is served in accordance with its needs; and (ii) resources be provided to allow the most vulnerable countries to adapt to the present alarming conditions and to prepare for future negative occurrences.”

This is work that must be an urgent item on the agenda of U.S.-Caribbean discussions, including early contact with former U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, who Biden has appointed as his Climate Envoy.

Particularly significant for Caribbean countries, in the devastating epoch of the

COVID-19 pandemic, is that the U.S. will not withdraw from the World Health Organization as Trump had intended. Indeed, Biden is appointing the now renowned Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top infectious disease expert, to lead the U.S. delegation.

This should mean that the U.S. would play a constructive leadership role.

The matter of making vaccines available to Caribbean countries, that have been allocated numbers that equate to less than 10 percent of their populations, and an end to hoarding policies by the U.S. and some other countries, are also top priorities for Caribbean-U.S. discussion.

No country will be safe from the Coronavirus if it exists and thrives in any other. Therefore, it is as much in the interest of the U.S. as it is for its neighbouring Caribbean for the minuscule number of vaccines, allocated to the region, to be reviewed and rectified.

President Biden has also mandated the wearing of masks on Federal Government property and installed a coronavirus response coordinator to oversee the efforts to distribute vaccines and medical supplies in the U.S. This is also vital to the Caribbean tourism-reliant countries that need U.S. citizens to be free of the coronavirus and ready to travel as soon as possible. It is a hard task. The problem was allowed to grow out of

control, bringing the U.S. to its knees with high infection and death rates.

Every encouragement and support should be given to Biden's efforts.

D o m e s t i c a l l y, t h e President is also pushing for economic relief including more money for unemployed workers and for safety net programmes, especially M e d i c a i d a n d unemployment insurance.

The revival of the U.S. economy and restoration of employment levels are important to the Region because of tourism, U.S. capacity to purchase Caribbean goods, and remittances from Caribbean nationals in the U.S., many of whom are hardest affected by unemployment.

Work on a border wall between Mexico and the U.S. will also be halted. This is a symbolic acknowledgment that the world needs bridges, not walls. It is a rejection of Trump's unilateralist and bullying posture in foreign policy. On the practical side, since it is the U.S. taxpayers who have been paying for the wall (despite Trump's claims, Mexico did not pay a cent), that money can now be diverted to programmes that will help to stimulate the U.S. economy. A stronger U.S. economy is good for the countries of the region for which the U.S. is their largest trading partner.

One other executive order is notable for the Caribbean.

It is the fortification of the policy for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals,

Sir Ronald Sanders which allows some individuals, unlawfully in the U.S. having entered as children, to enjoy deferred action from deportation and to become eligible for a work permit.

Trump's administration had sought to undo those protections.

Caribbean nationals will benefit from Biden's action.

President Biden is yet to elaborate fully a Latin American and Caribbean policy. In his many years as a Senator and Vice-President, he gained profound knowledge of the Region. He has a good understanding of its challenges and potential.

Trump's Latin American and Caribbean policy was primarily directed at Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua as a sop to their dissidents in Florida, whose support he needed for the U.S. Presidential election.

Caribbean countries were pawns in that game.

Biden's policies will be broader, aimed at advancing democracy and human rights, but also economic advancement. He knows that without all these things, refugees will continue to gather at U.S. borders.

All Caribbean countries should show willingness to work with Biden, including by trying to influence his Latin American and Caribbean policy as its formulation.

A new era has dawned, it calls for new approaches.

The U.S. and the Caribbean might take as the guiding light for their future relations, a line from the gripping poem of the young, African American, Amanda Gorman, at Biden's inauguration: “If we merge mercy with might, and might with right, then love becomes our legacy and change our children's birth right.”

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda's Ambassador to the U.S. and the OAS. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and at Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own.)

Responses and previous c o m m e n t a r i e s : www.sirronaldsanders.com

Sunday January 24, 2021

Dear Reader, in light of the economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, our publisher, with you in mind, has taken the decision to extend our weekly review of some of our major stories in their entirety.

SUNDAY GAS-TO-SHORE: INT’L LAWYER CHALLENGES PRES. ALI TO PROVE ECONOMIC SOUNDNESS AND RELEASE STUDIES In light of the government’s intention to land a multibillion dollar pipeline at Wales, West Bank Demerara to bring gas from the Liza Phase One field in the Stabroek Block, international lawyer, Melinda Janki has called on President Irfaan Ali to provide the nation with evidence that the venture is e c o n o m i c a l l y sound.According to Janki in her January 13, 2021 letter to the Head of State, it is critical that this justification be provided to the citizenry in the interests of transparency, accountability and good governance. Towards this end, she has asked Ali to provide a series of plans which span the economic spectrum of this major project that could cost almost US$400M.In the letter seen by this newspaper, Janki has asked the President to present a Natural Gas Business Plan which provides a comprehensive, quantitative and qualitative presentation of the Guyana natural gas project. The lawyer articulated that this presentation should include, but not be limited to: a brief description of the major facilities to be constructed (drilling and extraction, offshore and onshore pipelines and natural gas power stations) including capacity, size, estimated start and completion of construction and anticipated lifecycle; comprehensive, estimated construction costs of each facility and an aggregate cost assessment and construction cash flow from ground breaking to commercial operation; and a comprehensive 30-year business plan of each individual facility and, if integrated, the plan should specify the operational assumptions.

Further to this, Janki said that the business plan should cover estimated revenues and expenses and financing costs; detailed financing assumptions of each facility and specific provisions of the business plan concerning Guyana’s annual revenues derived from the natural gas project.

The second piece of evidence, which she challenged the President to provide is an Energy Plan which outlines Guyana’s electric utility’s resource needs to meet expected demand over the next 30 years and the assumed additions and retirements, cost and performance assumptions used in the plan. In this regard, she said that a basic rationale should be provided as to why the proposed natural gas project is part of an optimal resource mix for Guyana and what will be the component parts of that resource mix.

Additionally, Janki said the analysis should contain a scenario analysis that includes a range of other resource mixes including scenarios that maximize wind and solar energy capacity in Guyana.

The international lawyer also requested the provision of an Economic Competitiveness and Rate Plan. This she said should be outline of an economic competitiveness analysis that compares the various energy scenarios to economic outcomes related to price and rate of electricity for various consumer groups in Guyana.

She said too that it should answer a range of questions such as what will be the major changes in the operating systems of the electricity grid upon the commercial operation of the natural gas plants; what will be the all-in rates of electricity and expected inflation factors overtime; and what would be the cost of electricity for people in the hinterland under the different scenarios.

The final piece of evidence she asked to see was a Fiscal Plan. According to the lawyer, this should show an assessment of how the budgetary and financial plan impacts of the new natural gas plan along with the necessary budgetary and debt outlays that are needed to secure the planned benefits of the new natural gas system. She also asked for it to show what impact that would have on Guyana’s annual budget.

In the absence of the foregoing, Janki registered her fears that the project which hopes to be a solution to the nation’s high electricity costs and power outages, would leave it in a risky position where it takes on substantial liabilities in order to secure benefits that are, at best, speculative.

CONTRACTORS TO BE SUED FOR NEGLIGIBLE WORK ON GOV’T. CONTRACT AWARDS – AG The substandard, shoddy works done by

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contractors who were awarded government contracts will no longer be tolerated as the new administration plans to haul them before the courts if they commit such an infraction.

Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General Anil Nandlall made this mandate explicitly clear on his show ‘Issues in the News’, citing that the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) regime is currently overhauling the entire process.

“For years, we have had millions of dollars haemorrhaging in this procurement process and the way that contracts are being executed. It will not continue anymore,” he stated.

Kaieteur News has it on good authority that government is planning to sue to contractors in the coming weeks for their substandard performance of a number of government contracts. Those contracts, it was revealed, would be terminated with millions to be claimed for breach of the contract, liquidates damages applied where necessary and the contractors as well as the project engineers will face sanctions for their negligent work.

Millions will also be claimed for the loss of use of the public facility, which they were contracted to build and interest will also be paid on contract sum along with other consequences that will affect those contractors’ ability to garner work in the future.

“It cannot be business as usual,” the Attorney General outlined, adding “Engineers who are supposed to be safe guarding government’s interest and who ought to be scrutinising the work of the contractor will also be penalised and will be joined as defendants and sued with the contractors.”

In many cases, the AG pointed out, the very project engineers collude with the

contractors to defraud the State of millions, “violating their contracts with impunity”.

“The engineers sometimes conspire with the contractors to get variations when sometimes this may not be required. And every time there is a variation, the new materials are always overstated as what was previously procured,” Nandlall explained, positing that it is all part of a well thought out “nefarious scheme”.

“We welcome contractors to do proper work because we are paying proper money for it,” the AG added, “This humongous wastage must stop.”

To boost their strong stance, the AG also revealed that there will be a review of the Procurement Act to create offences and add criminal penalties to them so that the report of the Audit General will have enough power to compel obedience.

ICJ THE ONLY WAY FOR GUYANA-VENEZUELA BORDER CONTROVERSY – WE CAN’T ASSUME ALLIES WILL LEAP INTO WAR FOR US – GREENIDGE Following the recent decree by President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, that he will “reconquer” the Essequibo Region, several of Guyana’s allies have rallied behind it to not only denounce such acts of aggression but also stress the need for the actions initiated at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to be respected.

The calls regarding the legal process were also made in the face of Maduro’s announcement that he intends to send a request to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, to lead negotiations between Guyana and

Venezuela as an alternative solution to the ongoing litigation at the ICJ. But Guyana’s Advisor on Borders and Agent on the case, Carl Greenidge, has categorically stated that the ICJ is the only option.

During an exclusive interview, the Advisor said that Guyana cannot allow itself to be distracted by such naïve utterances. He was keen to note as well that this is not the first attempt by Maduro to derail the ICJ process.

Greenidge reminded that the first attempt involved an offer in October last to have bilateral talks and although that did not elicit a favourable response, it was followed by an attempt to persuade the ICJ to post-pone or abandon the hearings. Greenidge said that the pretext offered was that bilateral talks were about to commence.

Greenidge said that many of those who followed the Strengthened Mediation process would be aware that the United Nations SecretaryGeneral (UNSG) and his Personal Representative, H.E Dag Nylander, worked with Guyana and Venezuela representatives for over two years in the expectation that a way forward based on the promise of irresistible proposals which Venezuela would be submitting could be found. “No such proposals were ever forthcoming. More I say not,” expressed the Agent.

In spite of this, Greenidge noted, President Maduro has called on the UNSG to require Guyana to enter into direct bilateral talks. The Advisor said, “We do not know of the SG’s response but note that the request is being made little more than two years since the failed UNsponsored effort to hold talks. The request is clearly intended as a diversion. The Court has postponed the case management session from the 15th to January 25

but so far has not accommodated the request to alter the dates of hearings which have in any case to be discussed at that session.”

As Guyana goes forward, Greenidge said that the task facing Guyana will be to avoid being diverted. He said, “None of the promises of Venezuela in this regard have ever been fulfilled. So our task as a nation is to avoid some of the past pitfalls as regards national unity, political maturity and consistency of approach so as to prepare and present the case to the ICJ and the world to the best of our ability.”

Greenidge stressed that Guyana should not be beguiled into believing that two parties, one of which is the victim of broken agreements and bad faith and of another which is determined to gain territory by attempting to impose its domestic laws and Constitution on the world, can be forced to negotiate bilaterally.

In such circumstances, the Advisor said that negotiations may be peaceful while adding that it is hard to see how the outcome could be mutually acceptable or practical.

For the court battle, Greenidge stressed that Guyana has engaged the most formidable and experienced legal team that could be mustered, adding that they have been preparing the case, acutely aware of the existential importance of this matter to the nation.

Greenidge said, “As Guyanese we have to be aware that there is no silver bullet available to us, a tiny state. Guyanese have to be prepared to provide sufficient resources to ensure that the negotiating and diplomatic effort remains robust enough to complement the legal skills.”

He added, “We do not have the option suggested by (Continued on page 22)

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From page 21 the naïve, namely to now abandon the ICJ case in the expectation that we will be able to persuade the rest of the world of the justice of our case, based on sympathy, our oratory or domestic mobilization…”

Outside of the Court, Greenidge said that Guyana has to continue to work with allies to refute the propaganda blitz of Venezuela which at times appears to be a cover for military action. He said this has concerned many observers. Be that as it may, Greenidge said the avoidance of a war is in the first place a matter for diplomatic effort and skill, essentially the diplomatic efforts and skills of Guyana and its allies. “There is no substitute for it. As much as we have powerful allies, however, we should not assume that they will leap into war for us. We have to continue and intensify our diplomatic efforts,” the Agent for Guyana concluded.

MONDAY CALL EXXON’S BLUFFAND DEMAND RENEGOTIATION – VINCENTADAMS – THEY CAN’T SURVIVE WITHOUT GUYANA Former Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams, is of the firm conviction that Guyana needs to stop being intimidated by petro giant ExxonMobil and demand favorable terms as the American multinational’s standing in the future is highly dependent on the successful outcome of its projects here.

During a live debate on Guyana’s Oil Priorities for 2021 facilitated by the Moray House Trust, Dr. Adams was keen to highlight that Guyana serves as Exxon’s lifeline and ‘cash cow’ hence he is a bit baffled as to why the government is hesitant to renegotiate the lopsided Stabroek Block contract.

“From day one, I felt that the contract should have been renegotiated. I am still baffled as to why we are so apprehensive to approach Exxon to revise that contract since despite what may be the impression out there, nothing in the agreement says that ‘thou shall not renegotiate’.

As a matter of fact, the contract specifically allows for renegotiation except under the condition of consent of both parties,” Adams relayed in his presentation.

But despite these provisions, Dr. Adams who has been in the industry for most of his professional life, noted that the government

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has still approached the subject with reluctance.

While Exxon had threatened September last to shift investments elsewhere if it did not get a favourable outcome during negotiations with the Payara permit, Adams stated that Guyana can merely call this “bluff” and open its doors to the long list of oil companies eager to get their hands on the sweet crude found offshore.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think we understand the fortune of leverage we have here. Exxon needs us more than we need them especially now that they are facing some real financial challenges. They cannot survive without Guyana…”

But Adams would be the first to make this proclamation regarding ExxonMobil. In fact, President of the Centre for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Mr. Carrol Muffett has categorically stated that ExxonMobil’s comment indicates how scared it actually is.

During a previous interview, he had expressed the view that Exxon’s future was hanging in the balance even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit while adding that the crisis only exacerbated that state of affairs. He was keen to note that the company’s financial health was dwindling after it lost more than 50 percent of its value in the last decade.

Added to that, he said that the company was losing money in the parts of its portfolio that it had long term growth opportunities and projections.

With the foregoing factors, among others in mind, Muffett had said that Exxon’s without question relies heavily on Guyana and the Stabroek Block PSA for its future success as no other country provides more lucrative benefits for the taking. He like Dr. Adams agreed that Guyana was and remains in a position to renegotiate its lopsided deal.

During the virtual debate held on Saturday, Dr. Adams was keen to note that this topic of renegotiation is one that should not be made into a political spat as both the governing People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/ C) and the previous A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) regime are equally to blame for the lopsided provisions in the Stabroek Block contract.

Further to his passionate arguments, Dr. Adams said he welcomed the move by shadow Oil and Gas Minister, David Patterson to support the governing administration if they decide to renegotiate

the contract.

Dr. Adams was also keen to note that the EPA had proved that renegotiation is possible if you push for it.

A prime example of this is when the agency ensured that the Liza Phase Two environmental permit handed to Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) included a provision committing the parent company, ExxonMobil, to accepting unlimited liability for all costs related to oil spills or any other such incident.

That provision was a clear departure from what is provided for in the Production Sharing Agreement for the Stabroek Block, which governs Liza Phase Two and other projects. “…We thought it was the right thing to do for the country and Exxon conceded,” he said.

According to Dr. Adams, Guyana needs to understand that Exxon is not “coming to do us a favor”. The former EPA Head said that the country also needs to bear in mind that whatever venture Exxon pursues here, it must be done in the best interest of Guyana. “They are gonna come and extract the oil in 20 years and they are gone.

They could care less about what happens to us afterwards and this is what we need to understand. We welcome foreign investors, we want them but we also have to think about what is gonna happen after they leave,” he concluded.

DISASTER LOOMS: GUYANALACKS CAPACITY TO HANDLE OIL, MUCH LESS GASTO-SHORE – CHRISTOPHER RAM Cognizant of the harsh reality that Guyana lacks the capacity to regulate the oil sector, Attorney-at-Law and transparency advocate Christopher Ram is of the opinion that it will be an even tougher task for the government to handle the multibillion dollar gas-to-

shore project.

During a virtual Moray House Trust discussion on Saturday titled, Guyana’s Oil: Priorities for 2021, a question was posed to panelists Ram, the former Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Dr. Vincent Adams and Professor Dr. Janet Bulkan, on whether Guyana should pursue gasto-shore. In addition, the panelists were asked whether the country is moving recklessly by pursuing this project without known studies on its financial and environmental soundness.

“It is clear that we are moving far too fast,” Ram said in response, while weighing in that “You would not normally, unless you have the capacity to enforce the laws passed. But we don’t have the capacity to regulate the petroleum, and now an additional element.”

One also has to bear in mind, Ram added, that gas in this case is a byproduct, so a strategic plan to assess the environmental, social, financial, and technological impacts of such a project should be conducted, he says.

Until those assessments have been completed, this Attorney believes that the Guyana would not be in a position to make well-informed decisions.

Professor Janet Bulkan proffered a different perspective. Dr. Bulkan categorically stated that she is not in support of this project simply because it is not compatible with Guyana’s Internationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) commitments to the 2016 Paris Agreement.

According to the World’s Resources Institute, the climate actions communicated in these INDCs largely determine whether the world achieves the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement, which are to hold the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C, to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C, and to achieve net zero

emissions in the second half of this century.

Dr. Bulkan, however, said that given the heavy petroleum production occurring in the Stabroek Block, the country might have already surpassed what its predetermined global contributions are.

“Gas-to-shore would exacerbate that,” she pointed out, while echoing statements

by International Environment Lawyer Melinda Janki that this project is “a recipe for disaster”.

Further in her remarks, Dr Bulkan, who lectures Forestry at the University of British Columbia, indicated that “In Guyana, we seem to be unable to manage even keeping the Demerara Harbour Bridge working. Ships which are coming in and hitting the bridge and [are] not paying the costs. That’s because of poor management of those ships, much less a gas-toshore pipeline.”

Rather than going forward with this gas-to-shore project, the Professor said that the county should instead invest in renewable energy, which she noted, will give the population secure energy.

Notably, Janki has challenged President Irfaan Ali to provide the nation with evidence that the venture is economically sound.

According to Janki in her January 13, 2021 letter to the Head of State, it is critical that this justification be provided to the citizenry in the interests of transparency, accountability and good governance. Towards this end, she has asked Ali to provide a series of plans which span the economic spectrum of this major project that could cost almost US$400M. GUYANASHOULD SECURE SLIDING SCALE FOR PROFIT OIL IN KAIETEUR, CANJE CONTRACTS – OIL EXPERT To ensure Guyana seizes greater value for its oil, former

University of Houston instructor, Tom Mitro has advised Guyana to advocate for a more attractive profitsharing provision in its future oil contracts. Such a provision he articulated, which would see the country’s entitlement increase when the profitability of producing wells are boosted by higher prices or overall production.

He gave this and other points of insight in an invited comment, after being asked what fiscal terms Guyana deserves for the Canje and Kaieteur block contracts if commercial discoveries are made. The question was posed in the context of the many mistakes Guyana has made in its negotiation of the Stabroek block production sharing agreement (PSA).

ExxonMobil was given a fresh lease on the agreement

by Harvard Universitytrained negotiator and former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman in 2016, following a world class discovery in 2015 at the Liza well. The terms have since been widely condemned as unfair and lopsided.

The contract allows the contractor – Exxon, Hess and CNOOC – to recover investments up to a ceiling of 75 percent of the production, after which the remainder of the production is shared 5050 between the government and the contractor(s).

The production sharing provision is at Article 11.4 of the PSA, and states “The balance of Crude Oil and/or Natural Gas available in any Month after Recoverable Contract Costs have been satisfied to the extent aforesaid (hereinafter referred to as “Profit Oil” and/or “Profit Gas” as the case may be) shall be shared between the Government and the Contractor for each Field in the following proportions: Contractor fifty percent (50%) and Minister fifty percent (50%).”

This is a fixed production sharing scale.

Referring to the profit oil provision, Mitro said “This is fairly standard in many places around the world. It recognizes that there is a windfall with higher prices which should mostly go to the government as owner of the resource.”

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had made similar comments about the Stabroek PSA in a technical report, calling Guyana’s fixed scale production sharing provision “uncommon”.

It had said that most PSAs around the world usually have a formula in (Continued on page 23)

Sunday January 24, 2021

From page 22 which the government’s share increases as a function of production, a combination of production and prices, or an economic variable such as the ratio of cumulative revenue to cumulative costs, or the project’s internal rate of return.

“Moreover,” Guyana’s development partner said, “in many countries, the top tier government share of profit oil could be as high as 80 or 90 percent.”

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has accepted that the Stabroek block PSA carries a fiscal regime that is “too liberal” and has vowed to negotiate future PSAs with very different terms. During a February 2020 press conference, Dr. Jagdeo had noted, while serving as Leader of the Opposition, that such negotiations would not exclude the Canje and Kaieteur blocks, which are owned and operated by ExxonMobil.

LARGE GUYANA, SURINAME OIL FINDS HINT REGION IS SLEEPING SUPERGIANT The massive discoveries offshore Guyana, Suriname, and French Guyana have not only wowed Brazilian study groups but motivated some to conduct deeper assessments of what similar potential may lie in their country’s offshore basin.

One such group that embarked on such a study was the Brazil Petroleum Studies (BPS). This body over the last few years has been offering several regional studies which provide a better understanding of the petroleum systems of offshore Brazilian basins.

These studies describe all the petroleum system elements (fluids, source rocks, reservoirs, traps and seals) and processes (generation, migration, accumulation and biodegradation) based on a 3D-modeling integrated with geological, geophysical, geochemical, satellite oil-slick and seafloor seep data.

According to BPS, it recently completed an integrated petroleum system study of the Brazilian Equatorial Margin and the results clearly show that the plays, associated elements, processes of the petroleum systems identified in Guyana and Suriname are identical to those present in the Foz do Amazonas and ParaMaranhão basins. These two basins are located in ultradeep waters near the Brazilian Equatorial Margin. (See map attached to article).

The discoveries that are of particular interest to BPS

and which motivated the latest assessment include the giant deep-water Liza, Payara, Turbot, Ranger, Liza deep, Snoek, Pacora, Longtail, Hammerhead, Pluma, Tilapia and Haimara fields in Guyana; as well as the Maka and Sapakara fields (discovered

by Apache in Suriname) and the Zaedyus field (discovered

by Tullow in French Guyana).

BPS went on to note that the study of the Equatorial Margin went far beyond conventional seismic and well-data mapping by applying state-of-the-art basin modeling and Advanced Geochemistry Technology (AGT) to oil samples recovered in the Foz do Amazonas and ParaMaranhão basins.

The Brazilian group said that the AGT data indicates that the oils are mixtures of highly-cracked lacustrine and non-cracked marine oils sourced from at least three main source rocks and oil systems: the rift-upper Aptian–late Albian lacustrine Travosas/Codo formations, the drift-upper Albian– Cenomanian marine anoxic Limoeiro/Preguiças formations, and the driftEocene marine deltaic Travosas Formation.

It explained that these source rock systems overlap each other, which may enhance the efficiency of the hydrocarbon generation pods and migration charges.

Furthermore, the fact that these distinct source rocks have different activation energies increases the chances of obtaining multiple charge pulses over a potentially wide timewindow, drastically boosting the potential for successful entrapment in the reservoirs, BPS stated.

Taking the foregoing into consideration, along with the new state-of-the-art 2D seismic data acquired by TGS in the Foz do Amazonas and Para-Maranhão basins, BPS said it is left to conclude that “the region could be a sleeping supergiant deepwater hydrocarbon frontier.”

It should be noted that the said data supported the incorporation of the offshore concessions into the list of approved 92 exploration and production blocks that Brazil had put up for sale in its 17th bid round.

They were subsequently removed as environmental groups started to protest against drilling in the region after the discovery of a coral reef in the turbid waters at the mouth of the Amazon River.

The groups said drilling could damage the reef and affect marine life in the area.

The claims have gained even more weight during the

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coronavirus pandemic, which has made companies reevaluate environmental issues amid calls for greater reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to counter climate change.

The removals, however, also underscored that regulators were working more closely together to avoid the types of uncertainties that undermine investors. (See link for more details: https:// www.spglobal.com/platts/en/ market-insights/latest-news/ coal/010721-brazils-cnpeapproves-92-offshoreblocks-for-17th-bid-roundanp) TUESDAY NEW OIL CONTRACTS SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO REVIEW ONAREGULAR BASIS – OIL EXPERT University of Houston instructor, Tom Mitro is of the view that future petroleum agreements should include features which allow a periodic review of the contract terms.

This, Mitro gave, among several recommendations when beckoned for advice on the revision of the Canje and Kaieteur Blocks contracts, in the event that commercial discoveries are made there.

This particular recommendation regards a strict provision of the Stabroek Block production sharing agreement (PSA) signed by former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, called the stability clause.

In advocating against such a strict stability clause, Mitro said, “The world changes dramatically in four or five years and the contract may not still be relevant or equitable in 2025/2026.”

The stability clause has been so bitterly condemned that Attorney-at-Law Christopher Ram said it gives the distinct impression that ExxonMobil went above and beyond to strangle Guyana’s Parliament and future governments.

The Stability Clause of the oil contract, at Article 32, states that, “Except as may be expressly provided herein, the government shall not amend, modify, rescind, terminate, declare invalid or unenforceable, require renegotiation of, compel replacement or substitution or otherwise seek to avoid alter, or limit this agreement without the prior written consent of the contractor.”

This is the basis of the clause, which binds Guyana to one set of terms for decades. The other terms serve to reinforce it. For instance, another term of the

Excerpt from Liza One EIA, showing details on produced water discharge stability clause dictates that if Guyana were to amend any of its laws or its tax code, which would affect the economic benefits of the contractor under the agreement, the Government would have to foot the bill to restore any lost economic benefits. Alternatively, it would require that Exxon and its partners, Hess and CNOOC, be exempt from any such new or updated laws.

Over the years, widespread condemnation of the Stabroek PSA and calls for its revision have met up with this rigid stability clause.

Guyana has been placed in such a position that, due to ExxonMobil’s suffering financial position, the company needs Guyana more than Guyana needs it, according to one energy expert, Gerard Kreeft. Yet, Guyana has not demanded better fiscal terms, despite years of sustained calls for a renegotiation.

“It’s basically a case right now of the tail wagging the dog,” Kreeft had said of the Guyana-Exxon relationship.

LIZA TWO WILL RELEASE 3 TIMES MORE TOXIC WATER THAN LIZA-ONE – EIAS Exxon’s Liza Phase Two development operation has been approved to dump produced water at three times the discharge rate of the currently producing Liza Phase One operation.

According to the Liza Phase Two Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approved by the former David Granger administration, the company will be dumping up

to 300,000 barrels of produced water into the ocean every day.

This is three times the discharge rate of 100,000 barrels per day listed in the EIA of the current Liza Phase One producing operation, where ExxonMobil has polluted Guyana’s ocean for 13 months so far.

As Guyanese companies and citizens move with growing global efforts to protect the natural environment, this aspect of ExxonMobil’s offshore operations sees Guyana moving in the opposite direction. This issue could prove perilous for the ecosystems of marine life and the fishing industry, but no one knows just how detrimental the impact is.

The former government had approved the two development projects which allow ExxonMobil to dump a combined total of 400,000 barrels of produced water into the ocean every day, with no requirement for the company to study the effects of such dumping.In an August 2020 engagement with the press, President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, had posited that the oil giant wants to continue with its mode of operations which, according to him, includes treating the produced water to international standards and dumping it into the ocean. He had claimed it has no effect on the environment.

Despite his claim, the company has never actually reported doing a study.

Former Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams, had said during a

November 2020 interview that Guyana erred when it allowed ExxonMobil to dump produced water into the ocean.

On the Kaieteur Radio show, Governance, Corruption and Justice, Dr. Adams told Senior Journalist, Kiana Wilburg that the produced water is high brine content which could have several times the salinity of seawater, and has many kinds of minerals in it, for which the effect on the marine environment is unknown. He added that the produced water is very hot and that it raises the water temperature near the Liza Destiny by 38 degrees centigrade.

“So you can’t tell me that that’s not gonna impact the environment…” Dr. Adams had said.

Dr. Adams had been leading the charge for ExxonMobil to have in place, the relevant technology to reinject any and all toxic water extracted during the oil production process.

However, he was fired by the Irfaan Ali administration before he could see this and other environmental issues regarding the Payara project to fruition.

In its last September approval of the Payara project, the current administration did not prohibit the dumping of produced water, but it required ExxonMobil to include tie-in points and space for produced water injection equipment, in the base design for the Prosperity Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel. According to the (Continued on page 24)

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From page 23 Payara production licence, the government is to oversee a study to be conducted by ExxonMobil by the first quarter of 2021 to examine the safe and efficient reinjection of the produced water, and to determine the effects of the reinjection on the reservoir.

The licence states that the study will also seek to determine how the effects of dumping produced water in the ocean can be minimized.

It has been nearly four months since this approval, and the deadline is fast approaching.

Kaieteur News sent questions Monday to ExxonMobil Guyana and the EPA regarding the status of the study. Up to press time, neither of the two responded to this newspaper’s inquiries.

MULTIBILLION GAS-TO-SHORE PROJECT IS “ALL CRAZINESS” – RAMON GASKIN SAYS When asked by Kaieteur News during an interview to share his thoughts on the multibillion gas-to-shore project set to land at Wales, transparency advocate and economist, Ramon Gaskin, vehemently said that the entire development is “all craziness!”

During the interview Monday, Gaskin premised his stance on his belief that the project is simply “not economically feasible.”

Gaskin observed too that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government is yet to publicize the analysis it had conducted to support the viability of the project.

Notably, preliminary reports that were done by the previous administration on the feasibility of bringing gas to shore from the Liza Phase One Project reveal that an offshore pipeline is estimated to cost between US$165 million and US$270 million to build, depending on the size and landing site location. As for the onshore compression and separation of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), this is estimated to cost between US$43 million and US$114 million. Also, distributing the natural gas to the various electricity generation locations is estimated to cost between US$95 million and US$127 million depending on the landing site selected.

“So the cost to land the pipeline and build the infrastructure is roughly about US$400M. That is a hefty sum of money. And when you invest all of it how much power are you going to receive, and most importantly, what are you going to do with

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all that power once it has been produced?”

Gaskin questioned.

Guyana is expected to handle the costs for the infrastructure of onshore facilities while ExxonMobil would take care of the offshore aspect of the project but all costs based on the terms of the Stabroek block PSA would be recoverable.

Guyana would also have to pay ExxonMobil for the transportation of the gas, but that price is still being worked out between the oil giant and the PPP/C Government.

Specifically, in October last year, the government had said that it is negotiating the price for the gas that would power a 300MW power plant.

It has said too that its appointed task force on the matter “will decide whether we will do a private/public partnership (PPP) or build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) arrangement, or whether government will fund it totally.”

Once the price is settled, ExxonMobil will not only be able to recover all costs incurred on realizing the project, but it will have another cash cow on its hands.

Gaskin also challenged the decision to land the project at Wales on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD) and questioned what prompted the selection of that site.

Rather than funnelling money into this project, the economist believes that the government should instead invest in renewable energy, which has been proven to be cleaner and cheaper.

Notably, International Environmental Lawyer, Melinda Janki, has since challenged President Irfaan Ali to provide the nation with evidence that the venture is economically sound.

According to Janki in a January 13, 2021 letter to the Head of State, it is critical that this justification be provided to the citizenry in the interests of transparency, accountability and good governance. Towards this end, she has asked President Ali to provide a series of plans which span the economic spectrum of this major project that could cost almost US$400M. CJ THROWS OUT ELECTION PETITION CASE OVER FAILURE TO SERVE GRANGER ON TIME – ORDERS GECOM TO HAND OVER SOPS IN 2ND MATTER Failure to comply with a fundamental principle in legal procedure has led to one of the election petition cases being thrown out of the High

Court. Chief Justice (Ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire, Monday dismissed election petition (99/P) for procedural non-compliance of service on leader of the A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) party and former President, David Granger.

The Chief Justice (CJ) nonetheless agreed to continue hearing the other election’s petition case (88/P) which was filed on behalf of Claudette Thorne and Heston Bostwick to challenge the legitimacy of the elections report which allowed for Dr. Irfaan Ali to be sworn in as President.

In this case, the CJ ordered the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to hand over its Statements of Poll and Statements of Recount to the High Court for safe-keeping pending the hearing and determination of the election petition case scheduled to continue in April 7, 2021.

The orders were issued at the request of Senior Counsel, Douglas Mendes, the lawyer of the People’s Progressive Party Civics’ leader, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, and Attorney-at-Law Kashir Khan who is representing The Change Guyana party.

Mendes had requested an order be made that the Chief Election Officer produces all of the election documents and put them into the custody of the Registrar of the Court for possible inspection by the Court at a later date.

The CJ granted the request to allow for safe keeping of the documents.

She noted the Statements of Recounts (SORs) will also be retrieved and kept in the possession of the Registrar.

Meanwhile, in her ruling to dismiss petition 99/P, Chief Justice George-Wiltshire, said that non-adherence of service in a specific timeline would make the petition a nonstarter. She noted that

because Granger was not served within the required five-day timeline, and he has been found to be a necessary party in the proceedings, the petition was declared a nullity and dismissed.

“From the time it was served out of time on the necessary party, it was a nonstarter,” Justice GeorgeWiltshire said, adding that the rules of filing an elections petition must be strictly complied with.

Elections Petition (99/P) filed by Monica Thomas and Brenan Nurse who sought to challenge the outcome of the March 2, 2020 Regional and General Elections.

In dismissing that case, the CJ rejected supplementary affidavits filed by the petitioners which sought to explain that Granger made a mistake when he signed September 25, insisting that he had signed on September 18.

Alluding to their explanations, the CJ in her decision described the arguments as no less than “preposterous” and “absurd.” She therefore noted that Court had no other choice than to discard the matter.

At the last hearing, Senior Counsel John Jeremie, one of the lead attorneys arguing in the election’s petition case, had asked the High Court to ignore the purported late service of documents on Granger.

Jeremie, who represented applicants in both petitions (88/P) and (99/P), was at the time responding to claims contained in a preliminary application by Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, to strike out the election’s petitions based on the faulty service.

In his submissions before the Court, Jeremie said that the issue of late or defective service upon which Nandlall based his application to strike out the petition should be

interpreted as nothing more than a careless blunder on the part of the petitioners.

However, Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes, lawyer for PPP/C Leader, argued strongly that the evidence in the date of service to Granger and the date of Granger’s acknowledgement was contradictory and unreliable.

The evidence, which included a signed document by Granger himself, acknowledging receipt, shows that the documents were not served within the legally prescribed period.

“The petitioner is arguing that the document was prepared on September 15 but all the other documents including one which Granger himself signed shows that it was served on September 25,” the lawyer had pointed out.

WEDNESDAY GO FOR ROYALTIES, TAXES; ABANDON PROFIT-SHARING – DR. VINCENT ADAMS It is without debate that the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) Guyana had signed with ExxonMobil is one of the world’s worst contracts in the world.

International and regional stakeholders have supported this through evidence of the unfair provisions that would cost Guyana billions of dollars in the lifetime of the project.

Cognizant of the lopsidedness of this contract, former Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Dr. Vincent Adams, says that Guyana should abandon PSAs and secure just royalties and taxes from oil companies operating in Guyana.

Dr. Adams made these and other statements on Saturday last, during a virtual Moray House Trust discussion titled Guyana’s Oil: Priorities for 2021. There, he reminded listeners that right now, Guyana accounts for more than S! of all of ExxonMobil’s recovery reserves.

“I think when I last checked, it was about 22 billion barrels. We already have put in the books eight billion barrels, and still are more to come,” the former EPA Director added, as he argued his case for the renegotiation of the 2016 contract.

Having noted that, Dr Adams posits that the “most critical change” that should be made in any renegotiation is the abandonment of the PSA, followed by the move to concession-type contracts, “which is just royalties and fees”, he added.

Further in his presentation, he said that, “We do not have the capacity to do PSA. A lot of countries have realised that and they are going back to these concession-type contracts.

All we need, to put it very simple, in a concession type contract is to be able to count barrels to make sure that we have the meter running right, et cetera, and we get our fees and taxes whatever they sell, or whatever they produce.”

A prime example of one country that abandoned PSAs is Indonesia, the country that created this type of agreement. In this arrangement, it stipulates that the host country will receive its profits after the oil company deducts its operating expenses.

At the beginning, the Government of this Southeast Asia nation had thought that this was a wise move, but with each passing year, it soon noticed that its cut of the spoils got smaller; the taxes from the oil sector began to shrink and the operators’ claims of deductable expenses were increasing by the millions.

This had convinced the government that petroleum companies were inflating costs. The government had tried everything it could to keep oil companies from exploiting this loophole in the PSA, but every accounting or auditing effort proved futile against the oil giants.

In January of 2017, the Indonesian Government walked away from the PSA approach, and is now using the “gross-split” method.

This gross split rules make contractors bear all the costs in turn for a higher share of the output. The base split for oil blocks is 57% to 43% for the government and contractors, respectively, and 52% to 48% for natural gas fields.

It is against this background that Dr. Adams has drawn the conclusion that PSAs, and in particular Guyana’s PSA, is “a nightmare,”, and reiterated the need for its abandonment.

This newspaper would have published, as one of its investigative pieces, a comparative examination of Guyana’s PSA with ExxonMobil against that of others. It turns out that out of over 130 PSAs this newspaper examined, Guyana’s is in a class of its own.

It is the only one, which has more than a dozen odd provisions all in one place. For example, the PSA sees the government paying the contractor’s income tax out of (Continued on page 25)

Sunday January 24, 2021

From page 24 the country’s share of the profits – none of the other 130 PSAs examined show this arrangement.

Further, Guyana’s PSA is the only one out of 130, which has very moderate work obligations for contractors who are vested with offshore licences.

Additionally, the GuyanaExxonMobil PSA is the only one out of 130 contracts, which has no ring-fencing provisions to prevent costs of unsuccessful wells being carried over to that of successful wells. There is also no sliding scale for royalty to increase as production improves.

Finally, Guyana’s PSA is the only one out of 130 that allows insurance premiums to be fully recovered as well as interest on loans and financing costs that are incurred by the contractors.

UK FIRM WESMOUNT BUYS UP MORE SHARES IN CANJE BLOCK OWNER – BULLETWOOD-1 DRILLING RESULTS EXPECTED NEXT MONTH United Kingdom investment firm, Westmount Energy Limited, on Monday announced yet another purchase of shares in the Canje Block owner, JHI Associates. ExxonMobil, the Canje operator, is currently drilling at the Bulletwood-1 well, where results are expected in February.

“The Board of Westmount is pleased to announce that it has purchased 287,500 common shares in JHI Associates Inc. at an aggregate cost of CAD$718,750.” The firm said in a statement. “The purchase of the 287,500 common shares in JHI has completed [sic] on 15 January, 2021.”

Westmount now has 5,651,270 shares in JHI, it revealed, or about 7.7 percent of the issued common shares in JHI as of November 13, 2019. Westmount’s holdings in JHI account for approximately 90 percent of the value of its gross assets.

“Drilling operations at the first well in the Canje drilling campaign, Bulletwood-1, are ongoing since the start of the year with completion of the well anticipated around mid to late February,” Westmount noted in the same release.

The owners of the block expect a discovery of 500 million barrels of oil in Bulletwood-1. Moreover, Exxon expects to find 10 billion barrels of oil in all of the prospects it has identified in the block, which amount to just over a dozen.

Westmount expects there to be follow-up drilling the

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Canje Block in the first half of 2021. The next prospects in the block are Jabillo and Sapote.

The UK firm has been buying up shares in several companies operating offshore Guyana, with the previous purchase occurring last month, also of shares in JHI Associates. It owns shares in four companies with interests in blocks offshore Guyana. Westmount touts that the Canje block is located adjacent to the Stabroek block, which has yielded 18 commercial discoveries since 2015 of about nine billion oilequivalent barrels, and is in the same geologic basin.

Westmount owns shares in JHI Associates, which has a 17.5 percent stake in the Canje block, Eco-Atlantic Oil & Gas Limited that has a 15 percent stake in the Orinduik Block, as well as Cataleya Energy Corporation and Ratio Petroleum, which each have a 25 percent stake in the Kaieteur block.

JHI had participated in the suspicious handling of the Canje block, following its award to a local company with no experience or money, MidAtlantic Oil & Gas, in March 2015. This was just days before the 2015 elections.

Mid-Atlantic and JHI planned to control the block even before it was awarded.

Together, the two companies sold interests in the block to ExxonMobil and Total SA without doing any work. JHI was a key player in setting the stage for secrecy as the two companies handled the Canje block licence, because of its incorporation in the British Virgin Islands – a secrecy jurisdiction and tax haven.

As a result of the 2018 farm-out to Total, JHI is carried for the drilling of up to four wells and is funded for the drilling of additional wells.

HARBOUR BRIDGE GM TO BE SACKED OVER $900K BRACELET PURCHASE – MINISTER EDGHILL The $900,000 bracelet purchase made by General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge, Rawlston Adams, will soon see him being removed from the post says Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill.

Minister Edghill also relayed to Kaieteur News that Adams was also repaying the sum spent. “When I last spoke to him, he told me that he paid off 50% of the sum and that he will also be returning the bracelet,” he added.

Adams’ purchase was only revealed during an audit of the state-owned asphalt

plant at Garden of Eden by a special team back in December. He had honoured himself in a rather unique fashion for International Men’s Day 2019, with a bracelet worth a whopping $897,000, using funds from the company.

Head of the team, Chateram Ramdihal, had stated, “we found that the Harbour Bridge went about buying gifts for their staff during International Men’s Day November of 2019. It was the Board’s request that any gifts purchased must be approved by the Board.”

However, those purchases were not given a stamp of approval by the Board, Ramdihal had said, while adding that, “we came across an alarming gift to the value of $897,000, a bracelet that was purchased for the General Manager and approved by the General Manager.”

He had explained that in normal circumstances, approval for such a large purchase comes directly from the Board. If no Board is present, the matter is escalated to the Public Infrastructure Minister, who was David Patterson at the time. But Adams apparently bypassed all these levels and presented himself with the high-priced gift.

And while he sported the bracelet, other employees at the DHB were said to have received gifts with a maximum value of $10,000.

Patterson himself was also said to have received high priced gifts from the Plant. While he vehemently denied the purchase, documents revealed that on May 2, 2017, a “Requisition to Purchase” was placed with King’s Jewellery World to acquire “one hand band (movable)” at the cost of $424,000 and “one tie pin” at $76,000 to be given to the then Minister in commemoration of his birthday. Both purchases totaled $500,000 but it is unclear whether he ever received same.

In addition to that,

recently surfaced documentation from DHB showed that another gift meant for Patterson was purchased from King’s Jewellery World valued at $370,400. That purchase, according to the documents was made on July 19, 2019.

In light of these findings, Minister Edghill revealed that investigations are being conducted into other agencies including the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) among others.

According to Minister Edghill, that move was taken after it was discovered that the Harbour Bridge might not have been the only agency to grant expensive gifts to the former Minister.

GOVT. SUES BK FOR $718M IN DAMAGES FOR INCOMPLETE YARROWKABRA SCHOOL Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, on behalf of the Government of Guyana, is suing BK International Incorporated over their failure to complete the $827M Yarrowkabra Secondary School and their breach of contract terms. The AG is also suing North American Fire and General Insurance Company Limited, an insurance company, which is listed as the second named defendant, and is now seeking $718M in damages.

In the statement of claim, dated at January 19, Nandlall is seeking general damages “in excess of $100M” from BK International for breach of contract dated December 31, 2019, for the construction of the Yarrowkabra Secondary School on the Linden Highway; for the sum of $83M as liquidated damages pursuant to the provisions of the contract; the sum of $83M due, owing and payable under the Performance Bond issued by the

aforementioned insurance company; the sum of $165M due, owing and payable under the advance payment guarantee issued by the insurance company; an order of restitution from BK International in the sum of $137M for which there were no works done; damages in excess of $50M for trespass committed by BK on November 2, 2020; aggravated damages in the sum of $100M for BK’s breach of contract agreement; an Order of Restitution against the insurance company for all monies owing on the Advance Guarantee and Performance Bond to the government, as well as such further or other orders that the Court deems just and reasonable.

Kaieteur News had previously reported that the Ministry of Education, on December 31, 2019, had entered into this contract with BK International.

Despite the law preventing the government from signing contracts after mid-December, the former A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) regime nonetheless illegally went ahead and awarded the contract. It was signed on January 7, 2020 with completion projected for March 12, 2021.

The AG made it clear that even with receiving a $214M advance, only 5% of the scheduled works have been completed in November of last year. AG Nandlall had indicated in a letter that BK International had committed a “fundamental breach of the terms of the contract” thereby causing the government to terminate the contract with “immediate effect” on November 2.

However, BK was still occupying the site some 21 days after the contract had been terminated. On November 22, the contractor finally vacated the Linden

Highway site.

THURSDAY NATION WITHOUT MONTHLYOIL PRODUCTION REPORTS – RAM Thirteen months into oil production, the nation should be receiving monthly updates on the status of oil production in the Stabroek Block, and other details.

ExxonMobil is mandated to report this information to the government, but Guyana does not know what the government knows.

These and other comments were shared by attorney-at-law and anticorruption advocate, Christopher Ram, during Kaieteur Radio’s – The Glenn Lall Show, on Monday night.

He said that the government should have a monthly production report detailing the quantity of crude oil produced, as well as natural gas.

This is because the agreement signed with ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC for the Stabroek Block arrangements requires full disclosures on operations therein.

“The government would have received by now at least 11 [of the monthly production] statements,” Ram said. “[But] we are not being told any of these things… We don’t know what the government knows.”

Ram noted that the lack of monthly production statements from the government is part of a wider issue of information, which should be shared with the public being kept under wraps.

This applied to the discourse on Monday night, during which Kaieteur News publisher Glenn Lall and Ram were discussing the gas-toshore project. Concerns about a potential oversupply of natural gas in the future are what led Ram to point out that (Continued on page 26)

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From page 25 the public should receive regular reports of how much associated gas is coming up from the Liza well.

Historically, public disclosures of documents and information related to the petroleum industry have come after sustained calls for their release, and criticisms from the press. If they were publicly shared without being beckoned by the media, those disclosures have not been consistent. This is the case with the monthly production statements.

When oil production started in December 2019, the public received oil production reports, which also included the revenues received in that month from royalties and the sale of the crude. The Ministry of Finance was the agency responsible for producing them.

“The regular publication of the [report] will allow for greater transparency in this new sector of the economy,” the Finance Ministry had said while announcing the reports, “ensuring that the public is fully aware of the amount of petroleum being produced and revenues being generated. Such transparency is important, given the magnitude of revenues that will be generated from this resource.”

A few of these reports were produced and published but the regular publications waned during the elections saga. They did not resume when the new administration took over in August. The website of the Ministry of Finance has been down for weeks, as it is being revamped.

FORMER MINISTERS PATTERSON AND FERGUSON RECEIVED OVER $6.7M IN GIFTS FROM HARBOUR BRIDGE, OTHERAGENCIES – INCLUDED BED, IPADS, COMPUTERS AND JEWELLERY Kaieteur News had reported that former Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson, had received from the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DBHC) and the Asphalt Plant, gold jewellery valued at some $500,000 paid for by taxpayers’ dollars.

The allegation was vehemently denied by Patterson but his tune changed after even more damning evidence came to the fore, showing that those were not the only agencies that he received expensive gifts from.

In a statement, Patterson deemed the reports against him “misleading and mischievous” and done with the intention of embarrassing him to further political advantage.

Patterson noted too that the “practice of giving memorabilia and other gifts” to Ministers is not a novel undertaking. He even reminded that Ministers from both sides of the political divide have been presented with gifts as well to mark special occasions.

“In my case, at no time did I ever request, solicit or influence in any

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way the action of any agency in relation to the presentation of gifts to me or other officials of the government,” Patterson explained.

“I believe it is also necessary to state that I had no prior knowledge of any decision or details relating to the purchase or presentation of gifts to anyone, including myself,” he added.

The former Minister stated that he was under the assumption that the gifts being presented to him during his tenure were fully compliant with the procurement guidelines of the “giving agency.”

The standard policy directives stipulate how such matters should be handled as directed by Cabinet decision, by circular from the Ministry of Finance or by Board policy.

Further on he said, “It has also come to my attention that it is further alleged that I received a number of electronic items, such as phones, iPads and laptops. This is absolutely untrue, and I categorically deny it. Whoever fabricated this lie obviously does not know that for security and other reasons, I do not accept electronics of any kind from any agency, including the government, and I have always personally selected and purchased all electronic items I own. For instance, for this reason, I did not accept a mobile telephone offered by the Parliament to Ministers.”

But documents from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), the Transport and Harbour Department (T&HD), along with more from the Harbour Bridge paint a different picture.

And these were all the agencies under Patterson’s purview during his stint in office.

These documents were all presented to the media Wednesday

by Patterson’s successor, Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill.

Patterson and his gifts

Referencing Patterson’s statement, Minister Edghill said it is “barefaced” and merely contains words that lacked consistency. “He said I don’t wear jewellery but he was seen photographed wearing gold bands and so on,” Minister Edghill noted.

In total, according to the Public Works Minister, Patterson received from those agencies under his control a total of $2.664 million in gifts and personal effects.

Not only that, the purchase of the gifts spanned the five-year period during the Coalition’s tenure in office, and even included some that were purchased in 2020, during the five-month election impasse.

For several of his birthdays (May 4), the then Minister received multiple gifts from the various agencies under his purview.

In 2016, he received several gift items from MARAD with invoices stating that the payment was for “Gifts for Minister Patterson’s Birthday.”

In 2017, documents show that he received a band from the GGAA valued at $117,000 purchased from King’s Jewellery World. Included in that purchase was an additional US$90 for the addition of Patterson’s initials using 14K gold.

In August 2018, MARAD also approved payments for gift items for Patterson birthday valued at $243,000. Also in May 2018, he received gifts as well with vouchers spelling out payments of $76,818 and $300,000.

From the CJIA, in 2018, he also received a pen valued at $25,000 from King’s Jewellery World.

On May 6, 2019, Patterson was also said to have received another gift from King’s Jewellery World valued at $516,000.

Moving on to 2020 when the country was faced with the elections debacle, the then Minister received a host of gifts for his birthday celebration in May. On May 4, 2020, documents show Patterson received a gift from

MARAD valued at $$704,292. On the very same day another gift was presented valued at $387,486, both purchased from Steve’s Jewellery World by the very agency.

The T&HD also presented Patterson with a gift valued at $54,700 on the same date.

Household supplies and electronic gifts It was not only Patterson who benefited from gifts, but his Junior Minister of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, did too.

In total, Ferguson received $1.4 million in gifts from the very agencies listed.

But it was not just jewellery. In fact, both Patterson and Ferguson, according to Minister Edghill received $6,757,015 in electronics and household materials all from the DHBC. Those items, he explained, were not listed as asset registers but merely donations.

On the list of items he noted, two dell desktops computers valued at $387,222 were purchased for both Ministers along with Apple iPAD Airs priced at $213,750 each.

In addition to that, purchases were also made of televisions, printers, cocktail tables, hallway tables, rugs, safety boots, a bookshelf, two dell PC’s valued $164,600 each, along with a king-size bed set, a king-size mattress, a queen-size bed set and chest of drawers, Minister Edghill told media operatives.

PATTERSON SHOULD BE REMOVED AS PAC CHAIR IMMEDIATELY– EDGHILL In light of former Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson’s involvement in the multimillion dollar gift-buying scandal, Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill, has called for Patterson’s removal as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

With the PAC currently scrutinizing government’s spending in 2016, Edghill has urged Patterson to recuse himself from the meetings until investigations in the scandal are concluded.

In a press statement, Patterson insisted that the reports and “revelations” against him are a deliberate attempt to derail his objective of overseeing the government’s expenditure and procurement practices through his chairmanship of the PAC. Those reports, he said, “would have precisely the opposite effect, as I will be guided by the oversight rules, laws and policies to relentlessly ensure good governance, including proper expenditure according to best practice.”

Minister Edghill during at a press conference Wednesday urged him to “do the decent thing and resign.”

Patterson said he assumed that gifts presented to him were fully compliant with the procurement guidelines of the “giving agency”.

But Minister Edghill stated, “this is the kind of gifts that Mr. Patterson

accepted. He thought everything was okay, he never solicited. Yet at no time at all, did he say to agency heads ‘why are you bringing me all these expensive gifts?’ Where is the moral compass?”

“When you are caught with your hands in the cookie jar, you throw the agency heads under the bus.

Where is the level of decency?” the Public Works Minister asked.

Edghill called for the Integrity Commission to investigate the matter, noting that any gift over US$50 must be declared. If these gifts were not declared then, he stated Patterson is guilty of an offence.

It was during an audit of the state-owned Asphalt Plant at Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara that the gift-buying scandal was discovered after auditors noted a $900,000 bracelet purchase for Rawlston Adams, the General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC).

Checks were then made at the other agencies under the Public Infrastructure Ministry’s purview and it was discovered that millions of taxpayers’ dollars was spent on items for then Minister Patterson and his Junior Minister, Annette Ferguson.

The discoveries resulted in a shakeup at the DHBC with Rawlston Adams no longer holding the post as GM. He was said to have tendered his resignation Wednesday.

Those actions, Minister Edghill stated, were necessary to ensure public confidence as it relates to public monies being spent.

In addition, he also put on record that a shakeup is imminent at the other agencies that facilitated the gift buying spree.

FRIDAY US LAW FIRM PROBING EXXONMOBIL FOR ALLEGEDLYMISLEADING INVESTORS INFLATED VALUE OF PERMIAN BASIN ASSET… Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announced Thursday that it has launched an investigation of potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of ExxonMobil Corporation. The probe stems from allegations that the oil titan may have issued materially misleading business information regarding its Permian Basin asset to the investing public.

Kaieteur News would have reported that on January 15, 2021, the Wall Street Journal published an article titled, “Exxon Draws SEC Probe Over Permian Basin Asset Valuation.” The article reported that the U.S. Securities Commission probe is premised on a whistleblower complaint that during a 2019 internal assessment, workers were forced to use unrealistic assumptions about how quickly wells in the Permian Basin could be drilled to reach a higher valuation, and that at least one worker who complained about the assumptions was fired. On this (Continued on page 27)

Sunday January 24, 2021

From page 26 news, Exxon’s stock price fell US$2.42 per share, or 4.81%, to close at $47.89 per share on January 15, 2021.

Following the release of the WSJ report, ExxonMobil was quick to inform the media and its shareholders that the claims made by an alleged whistleblower are demonstrably false. It said that actual and provable performance exceeded drilling plans for the Permian, and such performance has been accurately represented to the investment community while noting that the Wall Street Journal has been aware of these facts since September.

Further to this, ExxonMobil said it has an extensive and rigorous planning and budgeting process that considers many sensitivities and ranges of outcomes. The oil giant said it takes into account thousands of inputs including hundreds of drilling curves over a seven-month period. The Stabroek Block operator said, “Learning curves were developed as a collaborative effort between the drilling team executing the work, who had the most expertise with current drilling performance, and the development team, who leveraged data from demonstrated learning curve performance in other unconventional projects.

There were multiple learning curves considered and evaluated throughout the process.”

Taking this into account, Exxon said it is obvious that the employees who are alleged to have made the false claims lack the breadth and depth of experience to understand how and why drilling curves are routinely revised as technologies improve and understanding of the resource base expands.

Exxon was keen to note as well that historically, the company’s unconventional drilling performance has increased in short timeframes as engineers and planners gather more data in basins across its portfolio.

In conclusion, Exxon said that it stands by its statements to investors, and, if it were to be asked about this matter by authorities, it would provide information that shows the accuracy of its valuation of the Permian assets, and that actual drilling performance exceeded the plans.

WITH 10 FPSOS, 2M BARRELS OF TOXIC WATER WILLBE DUMPED INTO GUYANA’S WATERS EVERYDAY – DR. VINCENT ADAMS SAYS Oil supermajor, ExxonMobil, is planning for

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Kaieteur News

water has to be to the only option.”

Notably, Dr. Adams had been leading the charge for ExxonMobil to have in place, the relevant technology to reinject any and all toxic water extracted during the oil production process.

However, he was fired by the Irfaan Ali administration before he could see this and other environmental issues regarding the Payara project to fruition.

SATURDAY

10 Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels offshore Guyana. With those 10 FPSOs, former Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams, projects that the US oil giant would be dumping about two million barrels of toxic, produced water into Guyana’s pristine ocean, if Guyana allows it.

Produced water is a term used in the oil industry to describe water that is produced during the extraction of oil and natural gas. It is a kind of brackish and saline substance filled with minerals and brought to the surface from deep underground.

Dr. Adams made these and other comments during a Moray House Trust virtual discussion titled, Guyana’s Oil: Priorities for 2021, last Saturday. There, the former EPA Director indicated that based on his perusal of data from the Payara Environmental Permit, Exxon – which flashes itself as an effective manager of its waste – is expecting to dump 200,000 barrels of produced water per day. Multiply that by 10, and Dr. Adams indicates that it would amount to two million barrels of toxic water being dumped into Guyana’s ocean, which can leave significant environmental damage, placing marine life and ecosystems at peril.

It should also be noted that Dr. Adams’ two-millionbarrel projection appears to be based on an assumption that all FPSOs moving forward will have similar specifications as Liza Two and Payara.

During the virtual discussion, Dr. Adams also weighed in that the produced water is allowed to contain “.42 milligrams per litre of oil,” and with the dumping of about two million barrels per day, about 80 barrels of oil would also be thrown into the ocean.

“On top of that,” he added, “the temperature of the water that is being

dumped is like 55 degrees centigrade. The temperature of the ocean is about 20-23 degrees centigrade. Now that’s about two and a half times, so you cannot tell me that and make public statements that are totally, as far as I am concerned is irresponsible to say,” as he referenced claims by President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, who had said that the water has no effect on the environment.

Despite Routledge’s claim, the company has never actually reported doing a study.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF PRODUCED WATERAND DRILLING WASTE FROM NORWEGIAN OFFSHORE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY According to an Elsevier report titled, Marine Environmental Research, authored by Torgeir Bakke, Jarle Klungsøyr, Steinar Sanni, operational discharges of produced water and drill cuttings from offshore oil and gas platforms are a continuous source of contaminants to the continental shelf ecosystems.

This 2013 piece had sought to review research on the biological effects of such discharges with focus on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, with the greatest concern linked to effects of produced water.

To this, the piece had articulated that hydrocarbons from produced water had accumulated in Codfish and Blue Mussels that were caged near outlets.

These hydrocarbons, however, were rapidly metabolized in Codfish.

Further, it stated that these chemicals may disturb reproductive functions and affect several chemicals, biochemical and genetic biomarkers. Water-based cuttings may seriously affect biomarkers in filter-feeding bivalves, a type of mollusk, and cause elevated sediment

oxygen consumption and mortality in various organisms found on the seabed, the article had said.

One should be mindful that no two wells are the same.

The disturbances caused by produced water from one well from the Norwegian Continental Shelf would not necessarily be the same as disturbances caused by produced water offshore Guyana.

Even the disturbances caused by produced water at the Liza well may be different from the disturbances caused by produced water at Payara well.

This uncertainly, however, should be the driving for Exxon and its partners to assess the impact of produced water on Guyana’s ocean life.

“Reinjection of that water has to be the only option” – Dr. Adams With aims of protecting Guyana’s marine life and environment, Dr. Adams was adamant that Exxon must reinject the extracted, toxic water, while admonishing the US-oil giant for misleading the public after it said that the World Bank recommended that it should dump the water into the ocean.

“That is a lie,” he said.

“The World Bank never recommended the discharge of water in the ocean. The World Bank said, however, that that has to be the last resort if it is not technically or financially feasible. Well, we know that it is technically feasible and you cannot tell me that it is not financially feasible.”

It would cost Exxon $300M to re-inject the produced water in the Payara well, Dr. Adams reminded, while weighing in that, “You’re telling me that the lives and the health and safety of the environment of the Guyanese people are not worth $300M when you’re making tens of billions, or even hundreds of billions of dollars?”

It is against this background that Dr. Adams said, “Reinjection of that

EXXONMOBIL’S PRIME CONTRACTOR TOUTS AGGRESSIVE LOCAL CONTENT PLAN – BUT SIDESTEPS KEY QUESTIONS ON TARGETS AND ACHIEVEMENTS On the heels of a decision to move its regional headquarters to Guyana, ExxonMobil’s prime contractor, Schlumberger, has touted an “aggressive” local content plan to identify and utilize local talent in its value chain. It pledged to support Guyana for many years to come.

However, in an invited comment, Managing Director of Schlumberger’s Guyana, Trinidad & Caribbean GeoUnit (GTC), Ernesto Cuadros did not provide any of the requested information on the company’s definitive local content targets and achievements thus far.

“On the supply chain side, our intent is to localize our supplier base where possible and to facilitate local supplier development.”

Cuadros stated. “For our people, our talent identification process is robust and value proposition for Guyanese very clear. As a company, we recruit where we work, provide continuous learning with training both locally and internationally, offer ‘borderless’ opportunities for career development, and promote from within. Our recruiting efforts local content strategy for Guyana is simple—find and develop local talent to be the next generation of leaders.”

He also pointed to the Schlumberger Excellence in Education Development (SEED) program, which encourages youth education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

“To facilitate this objective, we will establish partnerships to provide insights on local needs, resources and systems to further support local efforts and use STEM activities to build capacity of local educators, young people and communities.” Cuadros said.

Further to this, the Manager

Director noted that he sees Schlumberger as a pioneer in Guyana.

“We were the first service company to have a large-scale physical presence in country,” he said, “first to fully localize our recruiting efforts and provide direct access to recruiters via local career fairs, and the first to contribute to oil and gas educational activities, donating a computer lab to the University of Guyana.”

Cuadros said Schlumberger’s ambition is to support the company’s growth from Guyana.

The new regional headquarters, Cuadros calls the company’s flagship facility, is at Lot 1 Houston, East Bank Demerara (EBD). Expected to operational by June, the building is designed to keep Schlumberger’s carbon footprint reduced, Cuadros said.

Schlumberger and ExxonMobil’s other contractors will face increased scrutiny as the local oil industry grows.

Many have announced plans to utilize local talent, but it remains to be seen how well these plans have translated to definitive results for swift local assimilation into the oil and gas value chain.

ExxonMobil Guyana, for one, has made unverified claims for years using block figures in its local content public relations campaign. Most recently, ExxonMobil claimed that the Stabroek Block licensees and contractors have spent over GY$69 billion with more than 700 local companies since 2015. It has also been claimed that more than 2,100 Guyanese are now supporting activities on and offshore.

The supermajor has provided no disaggregation of these block figures, such as the types of business procured from locals. With regard to its employment of locals, the company’s block figures also fail to inform the public about the wage levels of the jobs held by locals. There is no representation of the salaries/ wages or the type of employment granted to Guyanese workers, as opposed to those given to employees of other nationalities. Neither is there such a breakdown for the employees of its partners, sub-contractors and affiliates that support its operations.

GO TO DIASPORAAND STOP HIRING FOREIGN OIL EXPERTS – DR. VINCENT ADAMS The former Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams, believes that if the integrity of the country is to remain protected, Guyana (Continued on page 28)

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From page 27 should stop the hiring of foreign experts and instead seek all needed consultants from its large Diaspora.

Dr. Adams made these and other comments at a Moray House Trust virtual discussion titled Guyana’s Oil: Priorities for 2021. There, the former EPA Director reminded listeners of the urgent need for a National Strategic Plan, which would map out what plans and goals the government hopes to achieve from the anticipated inflow of oil revenue. And one of those plans, Dr. Adams added, should include the utilization of the Guyanese Diaspora.

“We have this so-called brain drain. But we should use this opportunity as a brain gain. I know we’ve got probably more Guyanese in the Diaspora than we have in Guyana,” Dr. Adams said while adding, “but you can find every single position needed in Guyana, advisory et cetera, [which could be filled by a] Guyanese in the Diaspora who can do it better than the other foreigners.”

He went on to add, “You know we still, and it’s sad to say, have this colonial mentality, where we believe that anything that comes from aboard, as long as it isn’t our people, then that’s what we need to go with,” while weighing in the need for this mindset to change.

Dr. Adams reminded that these consultants are merely “hired guns” here to capitalize on an opportunity, “make a few bucks” and then leave.

“They don’t care about Guyana.”

He believes, however, that Guyanese in the Diaspora still have their country at heart and have the potential to contribute “overwhelming” value to Guyana.

The former EPA admonished the former A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) government, and now the current People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/ C) administration for failing to implement a Diaspora plan of action.

He recalled that there was a plan in development some years ago, but this never saw the light of day.

“We have got to start taking Diaspora involvement very seriously. They can add a lot of value, overwhelming value to Guyana’s development,” he concluded.

Controversial hires

Kaieteur News

Dr. Adams’ well-intended advice comes on the heels of a slew of controversial hires made by both the past and current governments.

In fact, Kaieteur News reported on controversial Canadian consultant, Alison Redford, who had headed a team for the review of the US$9B Payara Field Development Plan (FDP). She was expected to review the work already done by the consultant hired by the former David Granger administration on the project, Bayphase Oil & Gas Consultants. That company is a client of ExxonMobil and some of its sub-contractors have raised concerns about a conflict of interest.

Scandal plagued Redford’s former political career. As Premier of the Canadian province of Alberta, she drew widespread public controversy in Canada when it was discovered that during her attendance of the funeral of Nelson Mandela, the State footed the CAD$45,000 cost of her trip, including about CAD$10,000 for a privately chartered return flight from South Africa.

Redford reportedly refused several calls to repay the money spent for the South Africa trip, but eventually bowed to pressure in 2014 and returned the funds to the public purse, along with an apology.

Redford had announced her resignation in March 2014 as Alberta Premier, and as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in August, a day before an Attorney General (AG) report on her spending practices was scheduled for release.

The AG report found that she and her office had “used

public resources inappropriately;” “used public assets (aircraft) for personal and partisan purposes” and that Redford “was involved in a plan to convert public space in a public building into personal living space.”

The AG determined, in short, that Redford abused her power and fostered a culture of entitlement. A month after the Government’s approval of the Payara project, reviewed by Redford, Kaieteur News discovered that she, like Bayphase, appeared to have had a conflict of interest in the execution of her review.

Furthermore, Elections Alberta, an independent, nonpartisan office of the Legislative Assembly in Canada, keeps records of donations made to political parties.

According to its data, Redford’s party, Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta (PCA), received donations from an Exxon subsidiary called Imperial Oil over many years, while she was a member.

In the period during which the donations were received, Redford quickly moved up in the PCA, eventually becoming its leader and Premier of the Canadian province of Alberta. The donations to the party, since Redford became active in the party, up to the months after her departure from politics, amounted to nearly CAD$70,000.

Before Redford was handpicked to review the Payara FDP, the Coalition had awarded the contract to UKbased firm, Bayphase Oil and Gas Consultants.

Kaieteur News had reported, however, that the company was not only a client of ExxonMobil, but even a number of its primary contractors working in Guyana. In fact, Bayphase is contracted by NEXEN, a

subsidiary of the Hong Kongbased China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and also works for Exxon’s subcontractors which include Schlumberger and Technip FMC. Not only that. This paper had showed too, that Bayphase never gave any unflattering report on its clients.

Furthermore, the coalition had hired US Law firm, Hunton Andrew Kurth, to revise Guyana’s antique petroleum legislation. But that firm shared a solid relationship with ExxonMobil spanning 40 years.

The US$1.2 million bill was set to be financed by the World Bank – the very financial institution, which pledged not to fund activities related to the oil and gas industry. An article from The Guardian revealed that Hunton Andrews Kurth has acted for ExxonMobil for 40 years, while noting that it has worked on multiple cases for the oil giant, some of which were in relation to climate impacts. It was only after Kaieteur News made this exposure, that the firm disclosed it dropped the contract to rewrite Guyana’s outdated laws.

Lastly, there was the hire of UK Consultant, Dr. Michael Warner, who was selected to complete the current draft Local Content Policy. This newspaper would have exposed, on several occasions, Dr. Warner’s ties to ExxonMobil, as well as the fact that he has never independently produced a policy for any country. He had also removed key provisions that put Guyanese first.

EXXON HAD OFFERED MORE GAS THAN NEEDED. NOW, IT’S OFFERINGGUYANAEVEN MORE - NOW, IT’S OFFERING GUYANAEVEN MORE After it was revealed

Sunday January 24, 2021

earlier this month that ExxonMobil offered the former government more gas than Guyana needs, the numbers have gone even higher. ExxonMobil country manager, Alistair Routledge said that ExxonMobil’s local subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), could deliver about 50 million cubic feet of gas per day – 20 million cubic feet higher than previously published numbers.

Routledge said “… we’ve identified and are certain that we can deliver the kind of volumes that are needed to support a gas-powered plant.”

There is so much gas among the 18 discoveries that Exxon estimates the gas to account for a fifth of the discoveries.

“We’ve reported recently,” Routledge said, “with the 18 discoveries to date, we’re approaching 9 billion oil equivalent barrels of resource in the country.

Now of that, a little bit less than 20% probably now is what we think is gas.”

ExxonMobil’s current offer is significantly higher than previous numbers.

Former Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson had told Kaieteur News’ Senior Journalist, Kiana Wilburg that Exxon had offered to bring 30 million cubic feet of gas to shore per day to meet Guyana’s energy needs.

But even Patterson admitted that that was more than Guyana needs. The previous offer was made to the David Granger administration since 2018.

Patterson had registered his support for the project as a viable one because, he noted, Guyana’s electricity needs have been growing seven percent per annum since 2015, and it has struggled with power outages due to the poor state

of the nation’s power grid and power generation capacity.

He said it would be the first big petroleum project to have a direct impact on the lives of all Guyanese.

The government had, according to Patterson, sought to make clear to ExxonMobil that the government should be paying not for the gas itself but only for the transportation of the gas. He said that, as “Exxon was under tremendous pressure regarding the equity of the contract, it was amenable to the government’s suggestions.”

However, Patterson noted discussions about “take or pay” as Guyana would not be able to utilize all of the gas.

This provision is one that has placed the country of Ghana in dire straits.

Finding itself in a similar situation several years ago, Ghana approved the Sankofa gas project in 2015 to reduce power costs, lower emissions and make electricity services more reliable.

While those benefits were realized, Ghana now suffers in other ways.

The Institute of the Americas, an independent policy firm wrote of how Ghana signed a long-term take-or-pay Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with suppliers, through which it would have to pay for 90 percent of the produced gas from the field, no matter the demand. In 2019, Ghana’s bill for unused gas was US$250M. Realizing what had happened; the current administration had to start finding uses for all the extra gas and work on ensuring fairer agreements in the future.

International Lawyer, Melinda Janki has since challenged President Irfaan Ali to prove the economic soundness of the proposed gas-to-shore project by releasing the studies, which have been conducted.

Sunday January 24, 2021

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==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==

The ERC should prosecute David Patterson Former Minister in the APNU+AFC regime, David Patterson, confronted with evidence that he received gifts from public sector agencies has put a nasty, deadly spin on the mounting embarrassment that is drowning him. He has accused his successor in the Ministry of Public Works, Juan Edghill, of racism.

When one reads Patterson’s twisted logic, the immediate reaction is to laugh.

But once more, I will highlight the theory of Melinda Janki.

She is a lawyer and not a political theorist but Ms. Janki is postulating the theory of toxic politics created by leaders, which fertilizes the spread of racist sentiments in people.

The traditional approach in the perspectives on Guyanese politics is that the nation is historically divided along ethnic lines and politicians achieve success by feeding on this sarcoma, which is always available to them. Ms. Janki is holding the opposite position. She posits that Guyanese politicians induce toxic politics in the society and this is what generates racial animosities in the citizenry.

In my writings the past few months, I have moved in the direction of Ms. Janki by providing evidence to support her claim. I have used the degeneration of two highly respected multi-racial parties – the WPA and AFC – to ad-

vance the concept that politicians’ lust for power and their decayed politics induce ethnic resentment among Guyanese.

I have polemicized on the failure of the WPA and AFC to use their vast multi-racial roots to build a new political culture of racial harmony. Instead, I have shown where politicians in the WPA and AFC abandoned their multiracial constituencies, embraced traditional politics of power intoxication; thereby driving despair and pessimism into the society, thus pushing Guyanese back into their cocoon of ethnic insecurity.

Today I offer more evidence of my theory, which supports the direction of Ms. Janki’s. David Patterson accused Minister Edghill of racial targeting. As I wrote above, Patterson’s explanation on the surface appears comical but there is a deadly racial serpent lurking beneath the surface. Patterson fumes at Edghill’s citation of the bed that was bought for him as a gift.

He exclaimed that it is racist because Edghill is in fact saying that as a Blackman he couldn’t buy a bed for himself. He went on to say that the accusations of Edghill constitute racial stereotyping.

This is the toxic politics Ms. Janki referred to.

Where is the racial profiling? If a minister receives

items such as bed sheets, etc. that violate the laws of integrity and his detractors cite the evidence, where is the racial profiling when the evidence is there? Patterson could have cited a number of determinants – vendetta, political malice, character assassination, etc. but he settled on the racist thing.

He received jewellery?

What that has to do with racial motives? He received electronic stuff.

Where is the connection between collecting such stuff and condemnation by his political opponents of his inappropriate conduct?

What Patterson has done is to introduce a dastardly stratagem of insulating African Guyanese politicians from exposure of corruptibility. If you point to corrupt practices involving any item on earth, then you are saying Black people can’t buy these things so they have to receive them as gifts.

Apart from the asinine nature of such a defence, it is also dangerous peddling of a racial vocabulary.

But there is also an evil dimension that needs to be exposed thus the urgent need for the intervention of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC).

The person, who referred to the bed material as a gift is African (Minister Edghill) and is accused of racially stereotyping Black people.

Patterson then in actuality is saying that no non-African person can condemn him for corruptibility because once that is done they have racist motives.

The analysis is simple and it is also my belief that Patterson has embarked on a sick journey of spreading racial threads in Guyana. That is his motive. The ERC should study his emanations and charge him.

The scenario needs repeating for emphasis. Minister Edghill produced documents showing that public agencies under the aegis of Patterson’s ministry bought

gifts for him that totalled millions of dollars.

In decrying Patterson’s conduct as a minister, where is the racial determinants in Edghill’s confrontation?

There is no reference to items Patterson received that is connected to African culture, African people and the continent of Africa.

I am nonplussed that a minister improperly received bed sets as a gift and when the media and his political opponents describe such conduct either as scandalous or corrupt, the minister claims it is manifestations of a racist mind. I end this column with

Frederick Kissoon this question: Is an Indian Guyanese condemning Patterson for his inappropriate gifts using racism against him?

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

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Sunday January 24, 2021

Coronavirus: Fears about the COVID-19 vaccine answered

By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt Medical Center he world is going through the worst phase of the pandemic thus far. Cases and death rates are on the rise as the virus mutates into more effective strains.

The only obvious way we can get a hold of the situation and slowly exit the pandemic, is to vaccinate approximately 80 percent of the world’s population.

Getting vaccinated is voluntary and we depend on each other to do the right thing by getting our COVID-

T

19 shots. Unfortunately, there are many myths being peddled about the COVID-19 vaccines and it’s creating unnecessary fears and skepticism.

Today, I will address some common misconceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine with the hope of bringing clarity to the mistruths that are being peddled especially on social media.

The COVID-19 vaccine was developed so quickly, doesn’t this make it unsafe?

Millions of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered and thus far, it has been proven safe/and effective.

Although it was devel-

oped in record time, it has gone through the same rigorous Food and Drug Administration process as every other vaccine, meeting all safety standards.

No steps were skipped.

The clinical trials and safety reviews actually took about the same amount of time as other vaccines.

Scientists utilized existing technologies, which saved most of the time that would have been needed to develop a vaccine from scratch.

Also, this is the first time that there was such a worldwide focus and investment into the creation of a vaccine.

Sufficient funding and collaboration meant that the pro-

cess was much more efficient.

Aren’t there serious side effects such as severe allergic reactions?

Some participants in the vaccine’s clinical trials did report side effects similar to those experienced with other vaccines, including muscle pain, chills and headache.

And although extremely rare, people can have severe allergic reactions to ingredients used in a vaccine.

That’s why experts recommend people with a history of severe allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis to the ingredients of the vaccine, should not get the vaccination.

There is more media coverage on the COVID-19 vaccine than any other vaccine in history.

Because of this, routine vaccine side effects get more exposure than usual and create unnecessary fears.

While panadol is a safe over the counter drug, if we were to give 50 million persons it to drink, we would definitely find persons with side effects and allergies to

it. This doesn’t mean that panadol or the COVID-19 vaccine is unsafe; it’s a logical expectation that comes with giving any safe drug or vaccine to such mass numbers of people.

Do I need the vaccine if I already had COVID-19?

If you have already had COVID-19, there’s evidence that you can still benefit from the vaccine.

At this time, experts don’t know how long someone is protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19.

The immunity someone gains from having an infection, called natural immunity, varies from person to person.

Some early evidence suggests natural immunity may not last very long.

Can I get COVID-19 from the Vaccine?

You cannot get COVID-19 from the vaccine because it doesn’t contain the live virus.

Shouldn’t those that are at high risk for COVID-19 be vaccinated alone?

Regardless of your risk, you can still contract the infection and spread it to others, so it’s important you get vaccinated.

Once the vaccine is widely available, it’s recommended that as many eligible adults as possible get the vaccine. In addition, doctors are finding long term complications in those that are not high risk and had COVID-19.

Can I move around without a mask once I’m vaccinated?

Dr. Zulfikar Bux Masking, hand-washing and physical distancing remain necessary until a sufficient number of people are immune.

The best protection we can offer each other right now is to continue to follow current guidelines.

As more people get vaccinated, experts will have a better idea of how long natural and vaccine immunity lasts. In any case, most of the vaccines require you to get two doses and to wait about a month for your body to develop immunity.

I am optimistic that the day will come where we do not have to wear masks and we can be free to move around.

However, that day will not come without sufficient vaccination of the world’s population.

We therefore, need to do our part and get vaccinated and avoid spreading fears and misconceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Sunday January 24, 2021

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Major accounting firm launches Berbice office Businesses situated in the county of Berbice would now have access to accounting and other professional services. On January 8, 2021 last, the Berbice branch of Chateram Ramdihal Chartered Accountants, Professional Services Firm was launched at Outback Adventures, Canje. Its office is located at 14-30 Pitt Street, New Amsterdam, Berbice.

The accounting firm was established in October 2015.

It is managed by Partner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chateram Ramdihal, a Chartered Accountant with 17 years of experience in the accounting and auditing profession. Mr. Ramdihal’s professional experience includes working with the government, including the Auditor’s General Office. He has worked as the Finance and Ticketing Manager for Guyana World

Cup Inc. and has also spent years working at other accounting firms. Recently, he was elected President to oversee this year’s affairs at the Institute of Internal Auditors (Guyana) Chapter.

Present at the launch were businessmen and businesswomen from across Regions Five and Six. In his speech, Mr. Ramdihal expressed the desire to give back to his home county – Berbice.

He sees this as not only an opportunity for persons residing in Berbice to enjoy the services the firm has to offer but also as a way to create job opportunities in the long run for those who wish to pursue accounting and auditing.

In sharing his experience, he related the perspective of businessmen and businesswomen when it comes to (Continued on page 34)

The ceremony to launch the new audit office was held at Outback Adventures.

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Major accounting firm launches...

From page 34 accounting. “They do not see it as essential or important,” he said, adding that he could understand why, as “they see accounting as a service which does not create a product that brings in revenue but instead it is viewed as a function that will cost the company unnecessary amounts of money.”

But according to Ramdihal, “it does not only cost the company but if done right it can result in more sales, hence, more revenue and more profit.” Accounting, he pointed out, is even viewed by some businesses as what is needed just to satisfy the Guyana Revenue Authority. However, Ramdihal added, “if this is a business view on accounting, then they are missing out on increasing their profits because accounting gives businesses so much more information which would help in the maximization of profits.” The firm comprises of Chartered Accountants and other professional personnel with a distinct focus on the desire to provide the highest quality professional services that adds value to each of its client’s business. These professionals have a combination of over 100 years of experience in the field of Accounting, Auditing, Taxation, Legal, Engineering, Training and Management Consultancy.

The company’s main office is conve-

niently located at 25 Craig Street and Delph Avenue, Campbellville, Georgetown. Spreading its wings in January 2016, the firm entered into a joint venture with Haynes Inc. to form Ramdihal and Haynes Inc. Haynes Inc. is a Washington D.C. based management consulting firm that specializes in accounting transactions, process improvement, information technology and network support.

To add to the expansion of the firm, in January 2019 another joint venture was formed. This time, it was between the Caribbean Institute of Forensic Accounting (CIFA) which resulted in the formation of the Caribbean Institute of Forensic Accounting (Guyana) Inc. This joint venture will enable CIFA Guyana to provide services in the field of forensic auditing and accounting, fraud auditing, asset tracing and recovery, investigations, due diligence, procurement audits, document examination, process re-engineering, computer forensics and data recovery, contract compliance auditing, anti-money laundering compliance services, fraud risk and loss management and forensic and anti-fraud training.“Our service line includes Audit and Review Engagements, Tax Advisory and Compliance Services, Accounting and Payroll, Corporate Services, Management Consulting and Forensic Accounting,” Ramdihal shared.

Sunday January 24, 2021

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

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>>> ENCOURAGING EVENTS, DISTURBING DEVELOPMENTS <<<

Gifts of gold and more, CSEC success and Hetmyer's helping hand

By GHK Lall

T

here is no choice this week but to begin with the terribly disturbing. It involves gifts, now amounting to millions of dollars of public money, given first to former minister David Patterson, and now his colleague former minster Annette Ferguson.

I am so disgusted by what occurred, how developments unfolded, and where things stand currently, that I shared some of this earlier on a radio segment, and am doing so again here.

It is disturbing that former minister Patterson first resorted to silence, then the distance that affords disappearance, only to find out that

both are temporary ointments that embarrass and humiliate further because of the defensive actions taken. I will spare the details about that expensive gold bracelet and cut to where I stand.

I n r e g u l a r circumstances, such a costly gift should raise questions from the intended recipient, who claims that he didn't know nor solicited nor influenced in any way.

In view of his prior silence, and assertions of being targeted unfairly and scapegoated irresponsibly, his denials are looked at most critically and scornfully.

Putting myself in his place, and only as a regular citizen, not a sitting minister of government - my reactions and questions would be: what is this for? Who came up with this idea that spends, definitely splurges casually, taxpayers' assets? Why should I

take it and why me? In fact, I would have serious problems with whoever is behind such a glaringly troubling development. It is why I would refuse. Perhaps, if it was something that was priced at GY$10,000, I may (may) see some way of justifying acceptance.

But not for a piece of jewellery that costs a half million dollars.

That is my standard, and one of which I am proud, and wish that there were more Guyanese who saw life similarly.

The then minister owed himself and his reputation, now in tatters, that essence. He owed his office and citizens the same. And because former minister Patterson failed miserably on all counts, he stands disgraced, which weighs heavily and disturbs endlessly.

Without any prompting from Minister Juan Edghill, Mr. Patterson should do the only honourable thing left for him to do and stand down from heading that Public Accounts Committee.

I need some air, so I now go in an altogether different direction. Two of our younger ones did very well at the CSEC examinations, when they both succeeded at gaining passes in 17 subjects. What is stirring about the achievement of both Ms. Jamelia Amanda Paddy and Mr. Ajay Kissoon is that they are from working class families.

Families that I gather are godfearing and devout.

That is as good a foundation from which to face the special challenges that our young people encounter in today's world, which is what this young lady and young man are immersed in, and from the wrong side of the tracks, too. Ajay is from Albouystown and Jamelia from Fryish Village, Corentyne.

Their stories are of dedication and excellence, as ably supported in the home, the classroom, and in the demands, they placed upon themselves, so that they can fulfill the visions that they harboured.

This is encouraging and inspiring,

that these two could rise above environment and circumstance, and excel. I hear that Mr. Kissoon wishes to be a neurosurgeon and Ms. Paddy to be an attorney.

They have made a good start, and with continuing application and focus, they have a good chance of being outstanding presences in the professions of their choice. I wish them the best!

And last, I read of remembering roots and giving back. Even if we don't come home again, there are those avenues through which we do, which is what Guyanese and West Indian cricketer, Shimron Hetmyer, did recently. He was generous to cricket in Berbice, when he stepped forward to donate a decent sum from his earnings, so that cricket could flourish there. I say: nicely done! It encourages, and we need more like this.

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

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

The 19-year-old photographer, Abel Harris

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Abel Harris: a humanitarian helping to promote small businesses through photography and more networking “ Networking is a vital element in business; the more businesses get their name out in the market, is the more exposure which would lead to more sales opportunities for them. photography.

Harris said that from observing small businesses overtime in Guyana, he recognized that many of them were not able to present visual representations of their products on a level which is most appealing. “I

”

that small business owners should take up his offer because it provides a platform for both parties to gain exposure, grow their network and gain new clientele.

“Networking and more networking is a vital element

Photographs shot for a local accessory business

By Sueann Wickham

A

bel Harris is a 19-year-old l o c a l photographer who has been taking social media by storm with his outstanding photography skills. He is currently using his skills to help new small business owners properly market their products by offering his service free of cost to them.

To kick start this noble initiative, he recently made a Facebook post which attracted the attention of his sizeable following.

In the post he encouraged small business owners to reach out to him for photo shoots of their products. His post was well received by the local Facebook community; some persons, in complete shock, even claimed that they have never seen such a kind gesture coming from a local creative in Guyana.

During an exclusive interview with Kaieteur News, the young and fruitful photographer revealed that after completing his secondary education at the St. Rose's High School, he ventured into photography in early 2019.

Fresh to the art of photography, he no doubt was merely an amateur in most components but he knew he would eventually elevate.

Being able to showcase art in its truest form with a camera was always his dream and, according to him, while growing up, he saw many picturesque places and nature scenes across the country which evoked a passion within him to pursue

Photographs shot for a local juice making business

handcrafted beer, decorative items, accessories and local fruit juices.

As a young creative, he is certain that the local creative community can play a great role in boosting the economy by using their talent and social media following to

A photograph shot for a local handcrafted beer business

have seen so many small businesses with great products but terrible photographs of their products,” Harris expressed.

It is known that the way in which a product is presented affects the overall marketing and “many small business owners need that boost,” according to Harris.

He further added that amidst the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, many small businesses emerged and he managed to witness and experience the effects the pandemic had on many that had existed prior. In light of that, he was urged to assist some of these business owners to market their products through good photography in hopes of making their businesses more fruitful in the already challenging pandemic.

Harris strongly believes

in business; the more businesses get their name out in the market, is the more exposure which would lead to more sales opportunities for them,” Harris counselled.

Further, he stated that the country should have an annual exposition specifically designed to showcase and introduce small businesses and their products or services.

This, he said, is because many small businesses provide and produce products and services which many people may need but since they are not that discoverable persons cannot find them or even know that they exist.

From the time of posting to now, Harris has already had photo shoots for a number of new small businesses, including businesses that make

promote others besides themselves.

That hand in hand approach has the ability to take individuals and the country to greater heights and aligns with the country's motto: “One People One Nation One Destiny”.

Photographs taken for a local decorative items business

Kaieteur News

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g ts in s... re ture e t In rea C

T

Sunday January 24, 2021

White-lipped

Peccary

he white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) is a peccary found in Central and South America. Most of its range is in the rainforests, but it is also known from a wide range of other habitats such as dry forests, grasslands, mangrove, Cerrado, and dry xerophytic areas. It lives in herds of 20–300 individuals that typically take up about 120 km2 (46 sq mi) to fully function.

Members of this species are omnivorous, feeding mostly on fruit, and are usually found travelling

great distances to obtain it. If this resource is in demand a n d d i ff i c u l t t o f i n d , peccaries eat leaves, stems, or animal parts. Whitelipped peccaries have several unique attributes that allow them to stay with and identify their herd, which is essential for their survival in the wild.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

The white-lipped peccary lives to be around 13 years old and can give birth to two young ones at a time.

The head and body length

ranges from 90–139 cm (35–55 in), the shoulder height is between 40 and 60 cm (16 and 24 in), the tail length is from 3–6 cm (1.2–2.4 in), and the adult weight is 25–40 kg (55–88 lb). Their colour is generally brown or black.

The coat is bristly and has hairs running lengthways down the spine growing longer than the hairs running down the body, making a crest, which rises when the peccary becomes excited. The peccary has a round body with a long snout that ends in a circular disk where the nasal cavity starts.

It has white markings that start below the snout and run to the cheek area just below the eyes.

FOOD White-lipped peccaries are omnivores feeding on fruits, nuts, vegetation, and small amounts of animal matter. Since the whitelipped peccary relies heavily on fruit, they travel to where the fruit and other essential resources are located. The fruiting season dictates most of their behaviour. Fruit is more abundant in primary forests rather than secondary or coastal forests, so their populations are more dense in these regions. Generally, a period of fruit shortage occurs during the end of the wet season, so the consumption of secondary foods, such as leaves, stems, and animal parts, is increased.

DISTRIBUTION, HABITAT, AND MOVEMENT The white-lipped peccary is native to Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. An example ecoregion of occurrence is the Belizean pine forests.

The peccary is regionally extinct in El Salvador and Uruguay. They thrive in dense, humid, tropical forests, and can also be

found in a wide range of other habitats such dry forests, grasslands, mangrove, Cerrado, and dry xerophytic areas. They range from sea level to an altitude of 1,900 m (6,200 ft).

BEHAVIOUR The white-lipped peccary is a diurnal feeder, and it performs all of its activities during the day, more specifically in the mornings and afternoons. It can spend up to two-thirds of its day travelling and feeding.

Herds can number 20–300, including both males and females; some reports have described herds reaching 2,000 peccaries.

The sex ratio within herds is about 1.4–1.8 females per male. The home range for the peccary is from 60–200 km2 (23–77 sq mi) in the Peruvian Amazon.

The rangelands of peccaries are massive due to the large number of individuals within the herd.

Often, peccaries can be smelt before seen because they give off a skunk-like odour.

White-lipped peccaries have a scent gland on their backs, which emits a scent, allowing a strong bond between members of the herd. They are a good indicator of the health of a forest, because they live in such large herds and in large areas.

They are known to be aggressive when cornered or feel threatened. They maintain contact with the (continued on page 56)

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

PAGE 39

Alert, articulate and immaculate...

s e n y a H n Herma test Centenarian is Linden's la

By Enid Joaquin

L

iving to a ripe old age, to many, is but a dream. Few experience the reality. But for Herman Fitzgerald Haynes, it is not merely a dream for he is currently experiencing it.

On Wednesday January 20th last, Haynes celebrated his 100th birthday with much pomp and ceremony.

The Section B, Christianburg resident celebrated the milestone at the Blue Berry Hill, Mount Carmel Catholic Church surrounded by his children, relatives and friends. Also gracing the event was Mayor o f L i n d e n , Wa n n e k a Arrindel and Regional Chairman, Derron Adams.

I did not attend the festivities because I wanted to have Haynes all to myself.

Finally, I was being given the golden opportunity to meet this man whom I had secretly admired for many years. Naturally, I did not want to have to vie for his attention!

I wanted to know the secrets to his longevity and from whence he derived his passion for fashion.

Haynes, at 100, dresses immaculately and looks as dapper as he probably did at 30, 40 or 50. He also

possesses a memory that is enviable and the alertness and articulation of a man half his age.

During my interview with him, I was astounded by his prompt answers to questions and his penchant for details.

He proudly chronicled his journey over the years, citing dates of events that occurred several decades ago quite accurately and off the top of his head.

I listened and I was enthralled by his recollection of those events, and how they impacted his life.

At Mackenzie, he was fortunate to land a job with a local dispensary. That was on September 7th, 1939. He later went to work with a naval base in Essequibo.

Haynes graphically remembers securing employment with the Demerara Bauxite Company (DEMBA) on May 10th, 1946. “I worked there until

early days, when he sought employment, one had to acquire a pass to come to Mackenzie.

Haynes worked in the bauxite industry, in the civil engineering and construction departments, moving from the rank of labourer to a supervisory capacity.

He worked as supervisor He tells you exactly what he wants to wear!

And he has his clothes lined off...his suits and everything."

Regarding the way some young men dress these days, Haynes expostulated, "I blame the parents, especially the mothers. They have to pay more interest in their children. They also need to pay attention to how they dress and carry themselves.

Set a standard and the children will follow!”

With two of his children: Claudette and Joseph

Life's Journey Haynes is not a born Lindener. He was born at Den Amstel, West Bank Demerara. There he spent part of his childhood and attended school. He even remembers the name of his head teacher, which he told me, but I'm ashamed to say I forgot.

Haynes later moved to Georgetown with his parents.

Our centenarian's first job was at the Atkinson Field (Timehri Airport). He subsequently moved to Mackenzie (Linden) after the company he worked for at Timehri faced imminent closure.

Back to Church

Herman Haynes still takes his appearance seriously at 100

November 30th, 1983,” he stated matter of factly.

He recalled that in those

during the construction of the number eight and nine Kilns at the bauxite plant.

Haynes also worked in the area of road building and maintenance until the Mayor and Town Council took responsibility for that.

He remembers being threatened by a project engineer who observed him demonstrating a particular process to an employee. "He told me that if I was caught doing that again I would be served a warning letter. But I continued to do it, and so I was called into his office and was told that I was flouting his instructions. I told him no, and that there were many employees who had no experience at all where their work was concerned, and therefore needed leaders, who could pilot them."

Haynes said he was never bothered again.

Haynes also served as

councillor with Linden's first Mayor, Egbert Benjamin.

His constituency stretched from One Mile to Section C, Christianburg.

He proudly reminisced on delving into politics and contributing significantly to the development of the formidable PNC party in Linden.

He confessed though that dabbling in politics saw him moving away from church.

"As a child I had to be in church every Sunday. My mother ensured that. She also ensured that we were all properly attired, or we couldn't leave the house!”

Haynes, even at 100, has not deviated from his mother's principles, regarding his dress code.

His daughter Claudette attests to this. "My father always knows exactly what he wants to wear...which jersey, which shirt, what suit.

Haynes underscored that it was Claudette who eventually steered him back to church. "She invited me to her church one Sunday because I had not been going to mine for some time. From then on I started attending every Sunday."

His recent failing health would, however, curtail those religious rendezvous.

But despite the health issues, Haynes still weeds his yard and burn the debris.

He also clears the drains. He proudly asserts that it is his active lifestyle, religious persuasion and contentment that are responsible for his longevity.

Strict but loving Haynes was married to Clarice Haynes nee Lewis.

He is the father of nine. They are Mayglen, Doreen, Claudette, Wesley, Joseph, Denise, Merle, Dolorese and Lennox. He is the grandfather of 30, great grandfather of 49 and great, great grandfather of 26.

Claudette and her brother Joseph described their father as a strict but loving and caring man, who has a humorous side. "He was strict but he was funny...he used to make us laugh," they quipped in unison.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

Sunday January 24, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Sunday January 24, 2021

Kaieteur News

The facts about Liver Cirrhosis Before we take a look at this rapidly on the rise disease, we must first understand why the liver is so important in the first place.

The liver is the largest solid organ in the human body, weighing in at approximately three pounds. It performs a myriad of important functions, these include: · Production of bloodproteins that aid in clotting, oxygen transport, and immune system function · Storing of excess nutrients and returning some of the nutrients into the bloodstream · Manufacturing bile, a substance needed to help digest food · Helping the body store sugar (glucose) in the form of glycogen · Ridding the body of harmful substances in the bloodstream, including drugs and alcohol · B r e a k i n g down saturated fat and producing cholesterol Now what is cirrhosis?

Cirrhosis is a slowly progressing disease in which the normally healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue. This eventually prevents the liver from carrying out its functions properly. What the scar tissue does is that it prevents the flow of blood through the liver and thus slows the processing of nutrients, hormones, drugs, and all naturally produced toxins. It also causes the sloth in the production of proteins and other substances made by the liver.

What specifically causes cirrhosis of the liver?

Most persons would be au fait with the fact that alcohol abuse over a prolonged period of time can lead to liver cirrhosis but it is not the only cause. Liver cirrhosis can also be caused by a host of other factors, including Hepatitis C and fatty liver disease.

Basically anything that causes damage to the liver can cause cirrhosis. These could include one or more of the following: · Fatty liver associated with chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes · Chronic viral infections of the liver e.g.

Hepatitis types B, C, and D although D is very rare) · Blockage of the bile duct, which allows for the passage of bile formed in the liver to the intestines, where it helps in the digestion of fats; in babies, this is usually caused by biliary atresia in which bile ducts are absent

or damaged, causing bile to back up in the liver. In adults, bile ducts may become inflamed, blocked, or scarred, due to another liver disease called primary biliary cholangitis. · Repeated heart failure with fluid backing up into the liver. · Certain inherited diseases such as: Cystic fibrosis Glycogen storage diseases, in which the body is unable to process glycogen, a form of sugar that is converted to glucose and serves as a source of energy for the body Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency, the absence of a specific enzyme in the liver · Diseases caused by abnormal liver function, such as hemochromatosis · R e a c t i o n s to prescription drugs, prolonged exposure to environmental toxins, or parasitic infections.

Is it possible that all alcoholics can get liver cirrhosis?

While it is true that alcoholics can harm their liver in more ways than one with constant drinking, not all of them usually get liver cirrhosis. Coincidentally female alcoholics are at a higher risk for developing cirrhosis than men and people who have either hepatitis B or C are more likely to suffer liver damage from alcohol consumption.

What can you look for in terms of symptoms?

The symptoms of cirrhosis of the liver differ with each stage of the disease. In the earlier stages, it might by asymptomatic or present with no symptoms.

However as the illness progresses, symptoms may include: · Loss of appetite · Lack of energy (fatigue) · W e i g h t loss or sudden unexplained weight gain · Unexplained Bruises · Jaundice and Itchy skin · Fluid retention which leads to and swelling in the ankles, legs, and abdomen · Darkening urine colour · Light colored stools · Confusion, disorientation, personality changes · Blood in the stool · Fever How can this disease be diagnosed?

Cirrhosis of the liver is diagnosed through several methods including: · History and

Physical exam- This is the mainstay of all diagnoses as 90 per cent of the time the doctor can tell what disease you are suffering from based on your history and physical examination. During a physical exam, the doctor can observe changes in how your liver feels or how large it is (a cirrhotic liver is bumpy and irregular instead of smooth). · Blood tests- If cirrhosis is suspected, blood tests can be done to find out if liver disease is present. · Other testsSometimes images of the liver are needed to make a definitive diagnosis. As such a computerized tomography (CT scan), ultrasound, or another specialized procedure called a radioisotope liver/ spleen scan may be recommended. · Biopsy- Diagnosis can be confirmed by taking a sample of tissue from the liver and looking at it both macroscopically and microscopically.

Are there any complications associated with liver cirrhosis?

In fact, there are quite a few.

Some of the complications associated with cirrhosis of the liver include: · Variceal bleedingwhich is caused by portal hypertension. With portal hypertension, the This is an increase in the pressure within the portal vein (the large vessel that carries blood from the digestive organs to the liver). This increase in pressure is caused by a blockage of blood flow through the liver as a result of cirrhosis. Increased pressure in the portal vein causes other veins in the body to enlarge (varices), such as those in the esophagus and stomach, to bypass the blockage.

These varices become fragile and can bleed easily, causing severe hemorrhaging and fluid in the abdomen. · Altered Mental Status which includes confused thinking and other mental changes brought about by hepatic encephalopathy. This occurs after prolonged cirrhosis and the liver cannot break down toxins, which gets into the bloodstream and then affects the brain. · Kidney failure · Reduced oxygen in the blood · Diabetes · Changes in blood counts · Increased risk of infections · Excessive bleeding and bruising

· B r e a s t enlargement in men · Premature menopause · Loss of muscle mass Is there any treatment?

It must be noted that there is no cure for cirrhosis of the liver. However there are treatments that can help to stop or delay its progression, minimize liver cell damage and reduce complications.

Treatment all depends on the underlying cause. For example, when the cirrhosis is caused by alcohol abuse, stopping the consumption of alcohol would help to stop the progression.

If a person has

hepatitis, steroids or antiviral drugs may be prescribed to reduce liver cell injury. For those with cirrhosis caused by autoimmune diseases, Wilson’s disease, or hemochromatosis, the treatment varies.

S y m p t o m a t i c management is also key to survival so medications may be given to help with symptoms. Edema and ascites are treated through the reduction of salt in the diet and drugs called diuretics are used to remove excess fluid and to prevent edema from recurring. Liver transplantation may be necessary for some people

with the advanced form of the disease.

Remember that prevention is always better than cure so it would be better to safeguard yourself. Do not abuse alcohol and if you do drink alcohol limit the quantity and frequency with which you drink. Abstain or keep away from having casual unprotected sex with multiple partners. Always take caution when handling or using synthetic chemicals such as cleaning products and pesticides. And one of the most important precautionary measures, get vaccinated against Hepatitis B.

All you need to know about Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) You have heard of persons complaining that they have constant heartburn, or you yourself are a victim of this distasteful disorder. But what exactly is it and what causes it to happen?

Constant and recurring heartburn is actually a disorder known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, GERD for short. GERD is a disease of the digestive system with the main pathology occurring at the lower esophageal sphincter or the LES. The LES is a circular muscle between the stomach and the tube leading to the stomach (the esophagus) that seals the stomach and prevents its contents from backing up. Many persons, especially pregnant women and persons suffering from obesity, suffer from heartburn or acid indigestion caused by GERD. GERD is one of those diseases which can be fixed through lifestyle changes including diet and exercise. However, due to long term effects, some persons may require medical or surgical intervention.

In order to understand the disease we must understand the name. Gastroesophagealis the term used to refer to the stomach and esophagus while reflux means to flow back or return. As such, gastroesophageal reflux is the return of the stomach’s contents back up into the esophagus. Reflux occurs when the LES is weak or it opens up inappropriately thus allowing the contents of the stomach to flow into the esophagus.

What causes GERD? For some, the causes of GERD is multifactorial, however certain diets and

lifestyle choices are the main contributors to this disease. Foods like chocolate, peppermint, fried or fatty foods and drinks like coffee and alcohol, can trigger reflux and heartburn.

Cigarette smoke causes relaxation of the LES, along with the obesity factor and pregnancy.

These therefore have significant roles to play in the symptoms of GERD. What are the symptoms that you must beware of?

The most major complaint of anyone suffering from GERD is heartburn. It is also called acid indigestion and is characterized by a burning chest pain on the left side of the upper chest, radiating to the neck and throat.

To put it into context, it usually feels like food coming back into the mouth and leaving a sour or bitter taste.

These symptoms can last up to two hours and are exacerbatedespecially after eating.

Two other phenomena that could cause heartburn occur upon lying down or bending over. As such it is not unusual for a lot of persons to obtain relief by standing up or through the use of an over the counter antacid to neutralize the acid in the esophagus.

A common issue is with this issue is that sometimes the associated pain is mistaken for that of heart disease or cardiac arrest. The differences however are easily distinguished.

For heart disease, the pain is aggravated with exercise and can ease when resting. It is can also radiate to the left arm, axilla, shoulder, neck and jaw. Heartburn pain is not affected by physical activity and radiates only toward the neck and throat.

Sunday January 24, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

Larry King, CNN talk-show legend, dies at 87 after being hospitalized with COVID-19 Larry King, the Brooklynbred man who became cable TV’s most well-known talkshow host, died Saturday. He was 87.

King had been hospitalized with COVID-19.

He passed away Saturday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to Ora Media, a production company King founded with Mexican media mogul Carlos Slim.

“For 63 years and across the platforms of radio, television and digital media, Larry’s many thousands of interviews, awards, and global acclaim stand as a testament to his unique and lasting talent as a broadcaster,” the company said.

Over the course of more than five decades years in radio and TV broadcasting, half of it spent hosting CNN’s “Larry King Live,” King mingled with the famous and infamous, and average people who became either.

By his count, he interviewed well over 60,000 subjects, and when his run on cable ended in 2010, he segued to the Internet with “Larry King Now,” a daily talk show on Hulu from Ora TV, and became an active presence on Twitter.

He vowed never to retire and to keep interviewing until he died. But King was not immune to other illness: 30 years after undergoing quintuple heart bypass surgery, which prompted him to quit a lifelong three-packa-day cigarette habit and lose weight, a 2017 checkup revealed a cancerous lung tumor that was removed with

surgery.

He revealed he had a stroke in March 2019, was in a coma for weeks and considered suicide. “I thought I was going to bite the bullet; I didn’t want to live this way,” he told an interviewer at Los Angeles station KTLA. In April of that year, he had an angioplasty after complaining of chest pains. But once again, he recovered and kept working Near the end of 2020, King landed in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with COVID19. Hospital protocols prevented his family from visiting him. He was moved to the ICU on New Year’s Eve and was receiving oxygen but moved out of the ICU in early January and was breathing on his own, said David Theall, a spokesman for Ora Media, said at the time.

The author of several books, King started his career in Miami radio before moving on to TV and newspapers. His nightly CNN program, which premiered in 1985, remained the network’s top-rated show throughout his tenure, which ended in 2010.

While some traditional journalists tended to dismiss him as a celebrity interviewer who didn’t ask tough questions, the truth was a good deal more complex.

“King was one of the few people in broadcast history who basically created his own phenomenon,” said Tom Rosenstiel, executive director of the American Press Institute. “He didn’t need a network. The network needed him.”

He added: “He coaxed, rather than challenged, and

the result, while not always groundbreaking, was always interesting and smart. His dirty little secret was he was a much more intelligent guy than he let on, and a much better listener than most people in television. But he really believed that his guest was the star, and his job was to help reveal that.”

King’s interview subjects were a virtual Who’s Who. They ranged from the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and thousands of others, including Paul McCartney, Bette Davis, Dr. Martin Luther King, Eleanor Roosevelt, Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, Madonna and Malcolm X. “I’ve interviewed everybody once,” he wrote in a 2011 book, “Truth Be Told.”

“How did I miss Bruce Springsteen?”

The end of his show came unexpectedly. “Over and over, the execs had told me, ‘You’re here as long as you like,’” he wrote, recounting a meeting in which he’d been given a few months’ notice and promised a series of four yearly specials (later scrapped).

He blamed CNN for installing a former guest, Joy Behar, as host of a competing show on its Headline News Network: “My own network was cutting into my ratings and then wondering why they were falling,” he wrote.

He rued the changing face of TV news: “People are tuning into cable news now not so much to get educated as to be entertained and have their

own political opinions reinforced.”

And he recalled one of his final guests, Conan O’Brien, who had just endured a messy exit from NBC: “It was good to talk with someone who could tell me what it was like to be on top of the world one minute and off the air the next,” though “Conan felt screwed about being replaced.

I didn’t.” However, he was puzzled by the choice of his replacement, Piers Morgan, whom he knew only as a judge of “America’s Got Talent.”

King admittedly had ups and downs in his personal life. The son of an Austrian immigrant who had settled in Brooklyn, N.Y., he was born Lawrence Harvey Zieger.

King has talked about surviving as an “acnefaced” overweight child entertaining classmates by imitating famous radio personalities. His father died of heart disease at 44, impoverishing the family.

King’s break came on a radio station in Miami, doing a night-time interview show.

A Miami Herald column

followed, in which King talked up stars performing at Miami Beach hotels, such as Frank Sinatra. His weekly musings column ran in USA TODAY from 1982 until 2001.

King described his early years as often chaotic, ruined by his wild spending on cars, gambling and women. He was married eight times to seven wives, earning him a reputation as a womanizer.

(He filed for divorce from his most recent – and seventh – wife, Shawn Southwick, in 2010; they later reconciled, but he filed for divorce again in 2019.) Constantly in debt and borrowing from friends, he at one point ended up being charged with grand larceny after he failed to repay a $5,000 loan from a friend.

He had five children: Andy and Chaia, the two conceived with his third wife, Playboy bunny Alene Akins, died within weeks of each other in 2020, at 65 and 51, respectively.

Along with his trademark suspenders, King was known for his live interviews and viewer call-in segments.

And he never seemed to run out of questions.

“I don’t even understand it myself,” he told Toronto’s Globe & Mail in 2003. “It’s incessant with me. Who, what, where, when, why, never leaves me. I’m just insatiably curious, which helps in my job.

I’m the kind of person you don’t want to sit next to on an airplane. I’ll drive you nuts!”

Fans of King shared messages online Saturday morning.

“He will be missed by so many CNN employees past and present,” CNN anchor Jim Acosta wrote on Twitter.

“To be a good interviewer is one part asking good questions and a large part just listening,” radio host Michael Smerconish said Saturday on CNN. ”He knew how to handle that.”

Contributing: Grace Hauck, Peter Johnson, USA TODAY (https:// www.usatoday.com/story/ entertainment/celebrities/ 2021/01/23/larry-king-cnntalk-show-legend-dies/ 331963002/)

Magnum Tonic Wine ‘Tek Charge of the Season’ Christmas Promotion comes to a close Magnum Tonic Wine recently announced the winners of its ‘Tek Charge of the Season’ Christmas Promotion that concluded on Tuesday January 19, 2021.

Mitchell Thomas, Richard London and Marcia Seepersaud won $500,000 each after the final drawing concluded

at Hits and Jams in Queenstown.

During the promotion that began in November, customers had a chance to win instant prizes such as cooler bags, headphones and jerseys.

Brand Coordinator of Magnum Tonic Wine Jamal Baird noted that the promotion was a success and

that “Magnum was happy to give back to their customers.

It is important to give back to the community especially our loyal consumers,” Baird noted.

In addition, Baird thanked all consumers and shred that all should look out for bigger and better promotions from Magnum Tonic Wine.

Sunday January 24, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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The Fairy Tulips An English Folk-tale Once upon a time there was a good old woman who lived in a little house. She had in her garden a bed of beautiful striped tulips.

One night she was wakened by the sounds of sweet singing and of babies laughing. She looked out at the window. The sounds seemed to come from the tulip bed, but she could see nothing.

The next morning, she walked among her flowers, but there were no signs of any one having been there the night before.

On the following night she was again wakened by sweet singing and babies laughing. She rose and stole softly through her garden. The moon was shining brightly on the tulip bed, and the flowers were swaying to and fro. The old woman looked closely and she saw, standing by each tulip, a little Fairy mother who was crooning and rocking the flower like a cradle, while in each tulip cup lay a little Fairy baby laughing and playing.

The good old woman stole quietly back to her house, and from that time on she never picked a tulip, nor did she allow her neighbors to touch the flowers.

The tulips grew daily brighter in color and larger in size, and they gave out a delicious perfume like that of roses. They began, too, to bloom all the year round. And every night the little Fairy mothers caressed their babies and rocked them to sleep in the flower cups.

The day came when the good old woman

Sunday January 24, 2021

Junior page

Crayon Art

died, and the tulip bed was torn up by folks who did not know about the Fairies, and parsley was planted there instead of the flowers. But the parsley withered, and so did all the other plants in the garden, and from that time nothing would grow there.

But the good old woman’s grave grew beautiful, for the Fairies sang above it, and kept it green - while on the grave and all around it there sprang up tulips, daffodils, and violets, and other lovely flowers of spring.

How to: 1. Lay the white canvas horizontally.

2. Apply glue with the hot glue gun and stick the crayons as shown in the image.

3. Stick the same shades of crayons together and let them dry. You could also mix up the colors if you want.

4. Cut the silhouettes and stick them at the bottom of the canvas.

5. Cover the top of the silhouette with the cup.

6. Holding the cup with one hand, use the blow dryer with another to melt the

You will need: • A blank canvas • A pack of crayons • Hot glue gun • A cup • A blow dryer • Silhouettes of your choice • Scissors crayons.

7. Melt the crayons enough to give the impression of a rainy day.

8. Let it dry before you hold it vertically.

Jigoku Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 3-by-3 block contain all of the digits 1 thru 9. > and < connections between squares indicate that one number is greater than or less than another. If you use logic you can solve the puzzle without making guesses.

Need a little help? The hints page shows a logical order to solve the puzzle.

Use it to identify the next square you should solve. Or use the answers page if you really get stuck.

Never give up

by Uncle Roy I used to think some work was too hard, And so did not even try; This is because I had tried before, And gave up when I could not get by.

But then I looked around my class, And saw others doing swell, When I thought I was brighter than them, And felt I could do just as well.

So I decided to never give up, And to always feel I could do better; I put my whole mind to my work, And soon everything got so much easier.

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

PAGE 47

TEEN TIME Desire to make the best of yourself As a person with ambition and the desire to make the best of yourself, you must realise that you need to continuously make the effort at improving yourself in the various aspects of your life. In this week’s article, we deal with one of the most important factors by which we can keep on this path of selfimprovement. *Exercise daily – Take some time every day to do some physical exercises, such as stretching, walking, running and lifting weights, even if this is minimal.

Here are some benefits

of regular exercise that you will do well to keep in mind to encourage you to keep at this practice: *Exercise not only makes you physically fitter, but it also improves your mental health and your general sense of well-being. *Exercise increases energy levels, so that you will do better in all other activities. *Exercise improves muscle strength, which you need to make you able to better perform physical work. *Exercise can help you to maintain a healthy

weight, a necessity in being at your best physically. *Exercise improves brain function, which is so necessary at this stage of your life. *Exercise is good for your heart, the organ of which the health is so vital to our living. *Exercise enhances your immune system, making you less likely to contract disease. *Staying active reduces the likelihood of developing some degenerative bone diseases. *Exercise may help to reduce the risk of certain

cancers, a disease which we can contract at any age.

Exercise improves your mood and gives you an improved sense of wellbeing, the value of which cannot be overstated. *Exercise can help prevent and treat mental illnesses like depression, which can help us in time of loss of the things and people we cherish.Active people tend to sleep better, which keeps them more able to function when awake and active. Please look forward to these articles on selfimprovement in the weeks ahead.

Be the Best Of Whatever You Are

by Douglas Malloch If you can’t be a pine on the top of the hill, Be a scrub in the valley — but be The best little scrub by the side of the rill; Be a bush if you can’t be a tree.

If you can’t be a bush be a bit of the grass, And some highway happier make; If you can’t be a muskie then just be a bass — But the liveliest bass in the lake!

We can’t all be captains, we’ve got to be crew, There’s something for all of us here, There’s big work to do, and there’s lesser to do, And the task you must do is the near.

If you can’t be a highway then just be a trail, If you can’t be the sun be a star; It isn’t by size that you win or you fail

As a human being, we must appreciate that one of your most important duties is to seek ways by which we continuously improve ourselves.

Solutions to last week’s

Cryptograms

Laves Slitherlinks

Cryptograms are simple-substitution ciphers where every letter of the alphabet has been switched. Your task is to use pattern recognition and your grammar and vocabulary abilities to decipher the hidden quote. Hint: start with the 1, 2 and 3 letter words, and remember that the most common letters in the English language are E-T-A-I-O-N, in roughly that order.

Good luck!

JTKGDGPW GW DXI FIHDKI EZD TU FIDDGHF QTDIW UZTA DXI JTTZ EHS PEAJEGFH UOHSW UZTA DXI ZGPX, YB JZTAGWGHF DT JZTDIPD IEPX UZTA DXI TDXIZ. — Oscar Ameringer ENHAH IAH JITC AHZBDEITE CGBTL AHISHAR XNG NIUHT'E CHE WGBTS FGGPR ENIE JIPH ENHJ ZIBLN. — Barbara Park Puzzle #M349ZI TBKN LUD GTBRGOTMRBDRR TQ F JMWJTRD LUFL OR ZOAULODW LUFB FBN ZFB FBX HTWLUN TQ FKK ZDB GFB QTWLOQN FBX OBRJOWOL FBX GTZJTRD LUD RTMKR TQ ZDB. — Walter Lippmann Puzzle #J779RJ NJRR WUI YFU, FUX DWH FCI F YHCXICIC. NJRR YJRRJWUG WP YIU, FUX DWH FCI F TWUAHICWC. NJRR QSIY FRR, FUX DWH FCI F BWX. — Jean Rostand Puzzle #G624RS

Inkies

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5 home remedies to get rid of facial hair 1. Sugar and Lemon Juice All you need to do is mix two tablespoons of sugar and lemon juice, along with 8-9 tablespoons of water. Heat this mixture until bubbles start to appear and then, let it cool.

Apply it on the affected areas using a spatula and keep it for about 20-25 minutes. Wash it off with cold water, rubbing in circular motion.

Wondering how it works? Well, sugar is a natural exfoliating agent, and warm sugar sticks to your hair, not skin. Lemon juice works as a natural (and cheap) bleach for the skin hair, and also helps to lighten the skin tone. Say bye to the painful facial waxing!

2. Lemon and Honey This is another method to replace waxing. Start with mixing two tablespoons of sugar and lemon juice, and one tablespoon of honey. Heat the mixture for about three minutes and add water to make the mixture thinner, if required.

Once the paste cools down, apply cornstarch on the affected areas and spread the paste in the direction of hair growth. Next, use a waxing strip or a cotton cloth, and pull the hair out in the opposite direction of growth.

Honey helps in moisturising the skin, and hence this method is highly reccomended if you have dry skin.

3. Oatmeal and Banana This method is quite handy. Blend two tablespoons of oatmeal with a ripe banana, and apply this paste on the affected areas. Massage it for 15 minutes, and wash it off with cool water.

Oatmeal makes a great, hydrating scrub and is loaded with antioxidants that helps to remove redness from your skin. Apart from removing your facial hair, this paste will also give you a glowing skin.

4. Potato and Lentil Mix a tablespoon of honey, lemon juice each with five tablespoons of potato juice. Meanwhile, grind the lentils (soaked overnight) to a smooth paste. Add all the ingredients and apply the mixture for about 20 minutes on the affected area. Wash it off once it is completely dry.

This paste makes a thin crust that helps in hair rmoval. Plus, potato helps in bleaching the hair, making them less visible.

5. Egg White and Cornstarch Mix a tablespoon each of cornstarch and sugar with egg white. Apply this mixture on the areas where you have unwanted hair and peel it off once it is dry. Quite simple, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it?

Egg white is sticky, and forms a thin film on skin when combined with sugar and cornstarch. This method is not suitable for acne prone skin as egg white contains Vitamin A which may lead to breakouts. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/beauty/5home-remedies-to-get-rid-of-facialhair/articleshow/57356375.cms

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

Sunday January 24, 2021

Man who killed girlfriend in 2017 sentenced to 16 years imprisonment

Sentenced: Ryan Singh

A man, who killed his then 16-year-old girlfriend in 2017, was recently sentenced to 16 years imprisonment.

The sentence was handed down to Ryan Singh, formerly of Eccles, East Bank Demerara, by Justice, Simone Morris-Ramlall, after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the Berbice High Court.

Prosecution was led by state prosecutor, Tuanna Hardy, while Singh was represented by Mursaline Bacchus. Singh, in August 2017, was charged with the murder of 16-year-old Parbattie “Rosanna” Lakhpal, of Lot 369 Number Two Vil-

lage, East Canje, and Berbice.

She was his girlfriend at the time of the murder.

On July 29 2017, Lakhpal’s body was found with her throat slit in the living room of her home just around 13:00 hrs. Singh, with whom she had shared a live-in relationship for more than a year, allegedly slit her throat during a heated argument. He fled the scene and was subsequently arrested in Nickerie, Suriname, nearly two weeks later.

He was handed over to local authorities in Guyana, was charged and remanded to prison for the murder of Lakhpal.

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

Britain to discuss tighter travel restrictions: BBC

Protests against Israeli PM Netanyahu continue nationwide

LONDON - (Reuters) - British ministers are to discuss tomorrow further tightening travel restrictions, the BBC reported yesterday, adding that people arriving in the country could be required to quarantine in hotels.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a news conference on Friday that the UK may need to implement further measures to protect its borders from new variants of COVID-19.

Britain’s current restrictions ban most international travel while new rules introduced earlier in January require a negative coronavirus test before departure for most people arriving, as well as a period of quarantine.The government is considering making it mandatory for travellers to spend that 10-day quarantine period in a hotel for which they would have to pay, as a way to enforce the quarantine rules, the BBC

JERUSALEM - (AP) — Over a thousand protesters gathered in Jerusalem yesterday for weekly demonstrations demanding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu step down over corruption charges, as smaller protests were staged at intersections and bridges across the country.

Netanyahu faces charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting brib es in three

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.Amid growing worries about new COVID19 variants, critics of Britain’s current quarantine policy say it is not sufficiently enforced.

Stricter border rules would be a fresh blow for the aviation and travel sectors, already under great financial strain from close to a year of COVID-19 restrictions and minimal revenues.In England, the 10-day quarantine requirement can be reduced if the traveller has a negative COVID-19 test after five days, while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have slightly different rules.

cases involving billionaire associates and media moguls. He denies wrongdoing, but the protesters say he cannot run the country

properly while under indict-

With the country’s third lockdown still in place, Israel’s economy has been hit hard by virus restrictions amid surging infection rates.

Yesterday, more than 2.5 million of Israel’s 9 million population had received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine amid Israel’s world-leading inoculation drive, which challenges from defectors Netanyahu has placed at within his Likud party. the center of his reelection The government’s han- campaign. dling of the coronavirus criHowever, this appears to sis has also fueled the pro- have done little to restrain the tests. protests. ment.

The protests have taken place each week since last summer, primarily at a Jerusalem square near Netanyahu’s official residence, and continued despite lower turnout in the cold winter nights.

In March, Israel will hold its fourth national election in less than two years, and Netanyahu is facing further

Sunday January 24, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Farmers and Region Six officials butt heads over the location of $1.7 B all-weather road

Farmers at the meeting on Thursday.

D

ozens of farmers who turned up to the meeting with Ministers Zulfikar Mustapha and Anil Nandlall on Thursday at the New Market School, Number 63 Village, Upper Corentyne, Berbice, expressed their frustration about the location chosen to construct a 25 kilometer allweather road.

The stretch of road which is expected to cost $1.7 B was set to be built from Number 52 to Canje Creek and Minister Mustapha had told the Farmers that cabinet had given a no objection to the project.

He further stated that responsibility was given to Region Six administration to execute consultations and the

region would have advised that the road be built from the No. 52 location.

However, there was a huge uproar among the rice and cattle farmers present at the meeting, who argued that the No. 52 location is not the best spot, requesting for the road to be built at No. 58 instead.

The Regional Chairman, David Armogan, came under fire from the farmers, after he stated that the regional administration invited farmers “and asked the organizers of people within these areas to bring to the region, delegations of cattle farmers and delegations of rice farmers and people generally within the 52/74 areas, because there was a debate as to where this

road is to be situated.”

Armogan said that after all the “arguments and people shouting,” a vote was taken and “the majority of the people, a large majority of the people decided that the most benefit will come to the people if we do the 52 road right down to the Canje Creek.”

This, however, caused farmers to shout and heckle with many of them asking, “Who you consult with?”

Many of them could be heard among the shouting saying, “Let we vote now!”

All the farmers present at the meeting said it would benefit all the farmers if the road was built at No. 58.

Minister of Agriculture Mustapha, then interjected (Continued on page 61)

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

Sunday January 24, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

White-lipped

Peccary

From page 38 herd by making a low moaning sound and will alert or intimidate others by proclaiming a loud â&#x20AC;&#x153;barkâ&#x20AC;? and show their teeth in an attempt to avoid conflict.

When these animals roam in their rangeland, they can be very loud, clattering their teeth and grunting to one another to communicate and stay within the herd.

They communicate with olfactory, acoustic, and physical contact to keep together in the herd.

This is essential when warding off predators such as the jaguar, because it may not attack when 200 peccaries are in a herd.

BREEDING The white-lipped peccary can breed throughout the year depending on location.

The breeding season is extremely variable and consists of two distinct peaks in areas such as Costa Rica, one occurring in February and one in July.

Mexico has distinct breeding seasons in April and November.

The breeding season follows the fruiting season, so the variability can be consistently different in each different region where they are found. Babies usually weigh about 1 kg (2.2 lb) at birth.

The young stay with the mother but are weaned by six months old. Sexual maturity is reached between one and two years old.

MAJOR THREATS

The two main threats to their survival are deforestation and hunting.

Destruction and subdivision of their natural range can have devastating effects on their population.

Loss of habitat can lead to exposure for poachers, who can easily kill many peccaries at one time.

Natural predators include the jaguar and puma.

ENDANGERMENT STATUS The white-lipped peccary is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN and listed on Appendix II on CITES.

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

Caribbean Motor Spares CEO,

Hardial Doobay, POISED FOR SUCESSS

Caribbean Motor Spares have locations at Zeelugt, West Coast Demerara and Grove, East Bank Demerara

From page 16 remains stiff. But according to him, “we purchase from manufacturers across the globe so we are able to offer the customer the best quality products,” he said.

Added to that, the businessman noted that at Caribbean Motor Spares, adequate automotive research is done to help the customers find the products that best suit their needs.

“We are always evolving as a company; that's due to the fact that we're always finding solutions to problems and we supply all over the country,” he said, adding that, “We have saturated the Guyana market really well and our customers have become so comfortable with us, with the level of service that they keep coming back for more.”

Given the demand for the products, the business, which started in the bottom flat of his family home at Zeelugt Public Road, had to transition to multiple locations.

“We recently opened our new branch at Grove and later this month or early February.

We will open another in Georgetown,” Doobay added proudly.

LEGACY Our 'Special Person' credits his achievement to his close-knit family background. He told this newspaper that most of his values are rooted in his lineage of Hindu priesthood.

Doobay recalled that his induction to the religious priesthood started as a child.

“My family is very religious.

My grandfather was a Pandit.

When he died, I was 11 years old and I started to continue his work as a pandit,” he revealed.

He revealed that although he did not have any formal training back then, he was very aware of the customs and rituals associated with performing religious

functions.

“I took over from grandfather who was the pandit for Bartica. After he passed away, for a brief period I started to perform the functions and so forth because I had been learning the principles of Hindu priesthood since I was about five years old,” Doobay said.

As he grew older, Doobay decided that he wanted to continue to walk in the legacy of his grandfather.

“I felt the need to fulfill that legacy, so at the age of 20, I started formal training with Pandit Ramdial Balbadar. He gave me a deeper understanding of Hindu philosophy and practices,” Doobay noted.

Still a practicing pandit, Doobay is often challenged with sorting out his priorities.

Happily married to his wife Kavita, their union has produced three adorable children – Vinash, Varun and Vindya. Although fully aware that family time is important, the businessman admitted that, at times, finding time could be challenging.

“I am always challenged to find enough time to spend with my family and my siblings. I have the business

to run and I'm also a qualified pandit, so something is always demanding my time.

So my main challenge also is not always having enough time to show to all the functions that I am invited to,” he said.

Despite the minor challenges, Doobay remains humble and grateful for the life he has managed to carve out for his family. He noted too that this year he has something extra to be thankful for.

When some businesses saw a decline in their output and profitability due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Caribbean Motor Spares saw progressive growth. Doobay said that it is not surprising that we have not slowed down.

“We pivoted through the partial lockdown because of the industry that we were in

PAGE 57 people still needed spare parts because people still had to drive their cars to get to where they needed to be,” he said.

While he has seen his business propelled to the next level, the entrepreneur is looking to the next chapter.

“I am optimistic and I am also partners with Action Coach Guyana, so I am looking forward to the growth in 2021 and onwards,” he added. The CEO said that from his vantage point, the company is poised for growth. At present, he has moved into franchising his business — something that will allow his brand to be established throughout the country.

Added to his work with the company, Doobay said that he has delved into some humanitarian efforts. He noted that giving back is part of his corporate social responsibility.

“This is part of what I

have been doing my whole life - helping out the needy and now that the company is growing we will be looking to do more,” he said.

Alluding to the accomplishments of his company, Doobay credits his hardworking and dedicated team who have always been the driving force behind the company.

“My wife is also an active partner in the business, we spend most of our time together on finding solutions and putting in the work to help build the reputation of the company,” he said.

Speaking about the future of the business, Doobay says that he hopes to take his brand outside of Guyana and establish it in various parts of the Caribbean Region.

For now, however, the businessman is satisfied with sitting at the helm of one of the fastest growing and leading businesses in the local automotive industry.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

Government spends $500M on 4km road to link Diamond and Eccles

Ongoing works on the 4km road linking Eccles and Diamond

S

ome $500M (US2.3M) is being spent by the government to construct a four-kilometer road linking Greater Diamond and Eccles on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).

The road link is said to be the first phase of a road bypass project to link the East Coast with the East Bank of Demerara. The bypass road, according to government's plans will

stretch from Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD) to Diamond (EBD) and is funded by a US50M loan from the Indian Exim Bank.

Ongoing works on the first phase are being carried out by the Ministry of Housing and Water through the Central Planning and Housing Authority (CH&PA). According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), work on the four-kilometer road will

be completed in April and will connect Sixth Avenue, Diamond with the Eccles Landfill Road.

The Minister of Housing, Collin Croal has stated that 65% of the works are already completed.

He added that the ongoing works include the construction of two heavyduty culverts, two heavyduty reinforced concrete bridges, and the installation of street lights along the road.

Sunday January 24, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Hole in bow, engine failure, park recently renovated North West vessels - Emergency repairs ongoing The North West Vessels, the MV Kimbia and MV Barima currently under emergency repairs.

R

ecently renovated Region One, North-West vessels, the MV Kimbia and the MV Barima, are currently docked for emergency repairs.

According to the Ministry of Public Works and the Transport & Harbours Department (TH&D), the MV Kimbia has developed a hole in its bow and is currently in dry dock at the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC).

The ministry is hoping that the necessary repairs to this vessel will completed soon and it will be up and running before the end of January.

Concerning the MV Barima, TH&D and the Public Works

Ministry stated that it experienced an engine failure to its port engine.

The ministry is currently unsure as to when this vessel will be operational again.

Nevertheless, it promised that together with TH&D and the private sector, all efforts are being made to have the service up and running as soon as possible.

The MV Kimbia, which normally travels from Georgetown to Mabaruma, was built in 1980 and was recommissioned in April 2019 by the former Coalition led administration after a $488M renovation.

MV Barima, which travels from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, was renovated in 2017 to the tune of $150M. According to residents of Region One, the vessels have been inoperational for some nine days now.

Many are affected, not only passengers or residents, but also shop owners who use the vessels to transport basic goods to both Mabaruma and Port Kaituma.

Some shop owners who spoke with this media house have already hinted that if the service is not operational soon, then they will have to raise the prices for their goods since it costs more to transport them, via plane.

PAGE 60

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration is yet to disclose to the public, the procurement process that led to the selection of Hess Corporation, one of the Stabroek Block partners, as the marketer of Guyana’s crude for its fourth oil lift. These revelations come on the heels of promises by Vice President (VP) Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, after he had assured Kaieteur News that he would conduct a press conference to discuss these procurement details in the first week of January.

This publication has not received any updates from the VP on when this press conference will be held.

In late December, Kaieteur News had reported that Guyana’s fourth lift of approximately one million barrels of sweet, light Liza crude was actually marketed by Hess International Sales LLC, and sold to BP Oil Supply, a division of BP Products North America. VP Jagdeo had confirmed this with this publication.In another section of the media, Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, is quoted as saying that the fourth oil lift was sold by Hess via “spot sale.” No explanations were given by Bharrat regarding what this type of sale meant. Cursory checks, however, would show that a spot sale means a one-off commitment for a defined volume of goods to be delivered at an agreed location on an agreed date at an agreed price.

In the meantime, Central Bank Governor, Dr. Gobind Ganga, had said that the country is expected to receive US$49.3M for the sale of the fourth lift. He had told this newspaper that this amount will take the total revenue in the Natural Resource Fund (NRF), which also holds royalties from the Liza Phase One Project, to approximately US$198M.

Kaieteur News

Guyana’s first three cargoes of approximately one million barrels of oil were sold to Shell Western Supply and Trading. The first cargo was sold on February 19, 2020, raking in nearly US$55M. The second lift brought in US$35M while the third brought in US$46M. One resource watchdog that is expected to provide information on oil sale agreements in a prompt fashion for public scrutiny is Guyana’s Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GY-EITI).Following several checks on the local chapter’s website, no independent information was published about the agreement the Government entered into with a new oil marketer, Hess Corporation or even for Shell Western Supply and Trading.

Requirement 4.2 of the EITI Standard that Guyana is expected to adhere to explicitly states: “Where the sale of the State’s share of production of oil, gas and/or mineral resources or other revenues collected in kind is material, the government, including state-owned enterprises, are required to disclose the volumes received and sold by the state (or third parties appointed by the state to sell on their behalf), the revenues received from the sale, and the revenues transferred to the state from the proceeds of oil, gas and minerals sold.

Where applicable, this should include payments (in cash or in kind) related to swap agreements and resource-backed loans.”

The Standard goes on to state that, “The published data must be disaggregated by individual buying company and to levels commensurate with the reporting of other payments and revenue streams (4.7). Multi-stakeholder groups, in consultation with buying companies, are expected to consider whether disclosures should be broken down by individual sale, type of product and price.”

Sunday January 24, 2021

STANDARDS IN FOCUS GNBS monitors 17 categories of products to ensure conformance to standards The monitoring of products in any country for conformance to standards is essential for consumers to get the level of satisfaction and benefits they need from such products. The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), under its Product Compliance Services Department, ensures that goods offered for sale are labelled and are of acceptable quality in accordance with the requirements of national standards.

Today, as mandated by the Standards Act of 1984 and amendment of 1997, the GNBS monitors 17 categories of products under its purview.

Whether imported or locally manufactured, inspections are conducted at ports of entry, warehouses and at sale outlets to ensure products meet requirements.

The products monitored by the GNBS are: Electrical/ Electronic appliances, Tyres (new and used), Textiles, Garments, Footwear, PVC pipes, Weighing and Measuring Devices, Furniture, Electrical Fittings and Equipment, Gas stoves, Cigarettes, Safety matches, Helmets for road users, Gold Articles, Cellular phones, Decorative lighting

outfits, and Toys and Playthings.

It is important to note that the Bureau does not monitor commodities such as foods, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, plants and animals, meats and seafood, as is the perception of many. It is only mandated to develop standards pertaining to these commodities, which are regulated by other agencies.

The monitoring process is very straightforward. Firstly, all importers, manufacturers and dealers of products monitored by the Bureau are required to register annually with the Standards Body. To register, each stakeholder must complete the requisite form and pay the annual fee.

Products imported in commercial quantity are flagged for inspection by the GNBS. Once the inspection fee is paid, arrangements are made to inspect the consignment at the ports of entry, points of sale, or at warehouses.

Additionally, surveillance inspections are conducted at manufacturing premises and at dealers’ sale outlets, countrywide. In the case of products (tyres, footwear) which require proper storage prior to and during sale, Inspectors conduct routine checks to ensure that storage requirements are adhered to thus avoiding product deterioration.

Conforming products are released for sale to consumers and the appropriate actions are taken by the GNBS when products fail to comply with requirements. These actions include, placing prod-

ucts on hold pending relabelling, request for the submission of test certificates proving conformance to quality requirements, and adjustments to the method of storage. There are also instances where commodities are seized and destroyed by the GNBS or importers are asked to reship non-complying items to the country of origin.

Last year, 456 importers, 357 dealers and 19 manufacturers registered with the Bureau, which resulted in approximately 3,400 inspections conducted. There was a notable decline in Surveillance inspection due to precautions taken at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For 2021, the GNBS will intensify the monitoring of products that fall under its purview to ensure compliance to available standards and guidelines, which will ultimately provide consumer protection and satisfaction.

Finally, importers, manufacturers and dealers are reminded that they all have a significant role to play when selecting, manufacturing, and selling products. Further, consumers need to develop a preference for quality and demand such at the time of purchase.

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

For further information, please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 2190065, 219-0066 or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgy.org.

Sunday January 24, 2021

CONSUMER CONCERNS THE NEED TO MAKE THE COST OF FUNERALS AFFORDABLE Complaints about the high cost of living are universal and this topic, either directly or indirectly, occupies much of the discourse of media coverage. One rarely hears, if ever at all, complaints about the high cost of dying.

The funerary arrangements for burials cost the bereaved families scores of thousands of dollars, which they cannot afford and which leave them impoverished.

Families exhaust their savings and often take oppressive loans since money is needed urgently as undertakers never give credit and demand all payments must be made upfront.

In a usual burial, the family has to enter into a contract with a funeral home who will undertake to bathe and dress the body, but usually such is done by members of the family on the premises of the funeral home, but yet they are charged for this service.

Then there is the purchase of a coffin and many bereaved relatives, unbalanced with grief, feel that by choosing the most expensive coffin or casket, they would be pleasing the departed or paying due reverence and honour to him or her.

Many families feel that buying expensive caskets would win them prestige.

Then comes the church, which has its own type of expenses such as paying for the organist, printing of programmes, paying the priests and other helpers.

Finally, there is transport, purchase of land and cost of building the tomb and payment of grave diggers and other such ancillary expenses.

And the priest would always be there to give the final committal.

Families and even friends are exploited by all of those involved.

Hindu burials, in their original form, were quite simple and affordable since there was the understanding that the body has no value and had been shed by the owner who moves on to another body. The body would be bathed, dressed in about six yards of white cotton and placed on a doli. A doli is a kind of stretcher made of bamboo and covered in white cloth. If the burial ground is within walking distance, the doli is borne there by friends and relatives. The doli is usually covered with a net material. The pandit performs the last rites when the body is being interred. Nowadays, funeral homes are engaged for

provision of transportation, coffins, grave diggers and tombs. Despite using many of the trappings of Western burials, Hindu burials are still less expensive.

Probably the most efficient and least expensive form of burial is the Muslim. Muslims try to inter the body the same day as death or at least next day.

The body is washed dressed in two pieces of white cotton since at Resurrection, all Muslims would be dressed alike.

The coffin is a box usually made by a carpenter at the home.

Many Muslim families have adopted the custom of engaging a funeral home to transport the body and arrange for grave diggers and tomb, but most Muslims feel it an honour to help in the whole burial process.

And the committal is quite simple and efficient. Indeed, some Muslim organizations have minibuses converted into hearses and these are supplied to the bereaved families or these organizations themselves take over the whole responsibility for the funeral.An alternative way of disposal is by cremation.

There are two types of cremation used in Guyana: an electrical process, which is quick and clean and allows for the ash to be later entombed and the pyre process, which is very ancient and is found in all Civilizations.

The electrical process is offered by the authorities of the Le Repentir Cemetery, while the pyre system is

found at various cremation grounds throughout the Coast. Actually, cremation was illegal in Guyana until 1956 though it was clandestinely practised on the foreshore. Cremation was a custom brought to Guyana by the Indian indentured immigrants in the 19th century and as such, the cremation grounds are maintained by Hindu groups who happily cremate persons of any Faith.

Since the Law requires that bodies for burial or cremation should be put in coffins, coffins were wastefully burnt at pyre cremations. Cremation as a form of disposal has been rapidly growing in popularity and wooden dolis rather than bamboo dolis are used, saving the cost of a coffin. Ms. Eileen Cox, the founder of Consumerism in Guyana and the doyen of consumer advocates in the Caribbean and the only President Emeritus of the Guyana Consumers Association (GCA) was cremated by Hindu rites at the Ruimzight cremation ground. She was one of the early Guyanese disciples of Swami Paramhamsa Yogananda.

Pyre cremations, using dolis, could be as inexpensive as Muslim funerals.

The cost of funerals could be made far more affordable to bereaved families if the public were to be educated as to how to arrange affordable but dignified funerals.

This would involve the religious bodies and interested NGO’s meeting and planning and executing such education campaigns.

SOCU questions Patterson...

From page 14 Cabinet approval. Though the PPP/C was adamant that the bypassing of the procurement process was illegal, SOCU stated that it has sought legal advice, and that there is no evidence that a criminal offence was committed.

The PPC report had noted too that monies to be spent on the project were taken from Asphalt Plant Accounts controlled by the Harbour Bridge,

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Kaieteur News

a move then Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, said constituted a misuse of funds.

But even on that front, the SOCU investigations cleared the Public Infrastructure Ministry of that accusation. SOCU said there was no misuse of funds and noted too that there was no evidence of collusion between LievenseCSO and personnel from the Public Infrastructure Ministry.

Farmers and Region...

From page 13 and announced that technical personnel will be sent back to work along with the farmers “and then we will decide which is the most suitable location for the road.”

Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General, Hon. Anil Nandlall, also agreed with the Agriculture Minister and stated, “a decision has been taken to review the location. The technical people will go and look at it...”

Drunk driver blames cow for crashing into parked truck, pickup A drunk driver, told police that a cow caused him to lose control of his car, which crashed into a parked pickup and truck, along the Parika Public Road, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

The driver, Leo Gibson, 22, of Hyde Park, Essequibo, according to police, had to be rushed to West Demerara Regional Hospital, after he sustained multiple injuries about his body. He was immediately admitted and police took a breathalyzer test, which showed that his Breath Alcohol Content (BAC) was 54% - way over the prescribed limit.

Investigators reported that Gibson was heading north along on the eastern side of the Parika Public road, when he reportedly swerved from a cow. He lost control and slammed into the truck parked at side of the road. He further lost control and then drove over a concrete median before crashing into the parked pick-up on the western side of the road.

Scenes from the accident.

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Kaieteur News

Mechanic stabbed for dropping home another man’s wife

A

mechanic, who was dropping home an other man’s wife on Friday morning, was stabbed four times to his back and abdomen.

Reeaz Khan of 14 Clay Brick Road, Canal Number Two, West Bank Demerara, is currently a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

According to the police, his condition is regarded as stable.

Khan was stabbed around 01:00 hrs. that morning, while dropping home a woman.

Sources revealed that the

mechanic was the woman’s “Sweetman” and was stabbed by her husband.

Khan told police that while he driving across the Belle West access bridge, the woman’s husband blocked his path with his (the husband’s) car.

He added that both him and the lady’s husband exited their respective cars and started to fight.

During the process, the husband pulled out a sharp object and stabbed Khan to his abdomen and back.

The mechanic managed to free himself, rushed back into

his car, turned it around and sped off to the West Demerara Regional Hospital.

Doctors there transferred him immediately to GPHC, where he was treated and admitted.

Region Three police learnt of the incident and visited the scene but received no information about the woman or her husband.

Khan also refused to tell police about his stabber’s address and occupation.

He reportedly told investigators that he wants no further action to be taken by police in the matter.

Sunday January 24, 2021

Sunday January 24, 2021 VACANCY

One general domestic apply at Alabama Trading 65 Robb street Bourda

Police raid suspected drug blocks - several arrested

New York marketting firm wants to hire sales manager.

Paid Training. Serious Candidates. Email: sally@jwiz.com

WANTED SERVICES Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040 Repairs,Services,Spares to Washing Machine Refridgetor Store, Treadmill, Deepfryer,Cooler,Dryer,Grains mill.Call:#694-9733 Contact 677-3169 Lulu for eldery/ children/ Humancare and Domestic chores. Call at anytime.

If you have a land to sell, call us today. We are paying cash. Tel#651-1969/ 617-9930

Male & Female to work in factory. Apply in person to R.P'S Enterprise area "K" Le Ressouvenir. E.C.D Wanted (1) One welder to do grill work. Call 625-5763

Yamaha outboard motor 115hp 150hp 9.9hp 50hp all foreigh use and amplifiers Call 670-4795 Leyland daf truck 6.5 Mil Yamaha motocycle 700k 6876072/ 661-4307

Wanted to buy 2 door MK 1 Ford Escort must be in resonable condition.Call 6003271/ 600-1767

Maid to cook and clean for East Bank area Call: 615-9132

Toyota Fortuner 2012 model G$11.9 Million. automatic, Low Mileage (40,000 km) Tel#660-0192, 233-5859, 6885554

Toyota Carina 212 for sle. Contact 624-5650 for details LAND FOR SALE La Penitence, Bacheler's Adventure (double lot), Paradise Kuru Kuru, Cornelia ada, Plaisance Contact Ray's Realty 627-9685

For Sale - 4.018 acres of prime land in New Amsterdam, Berbice. Call 679-2497 TO LET One bedroom apartment living room, kitchen and bathroom Cummings lodge E.C.D 222-0401 preferable UG students FOR RENT

1 officer worker with 3 years experience and have knowlege of payroll Contact # 621-6969/ 615-7784

One counter girl to work in Georgetown Call 226-2320

VEHICLE FOR SALE

VACANCY Vacancy exist for the following positions: 1 civil engineer, 1 secretary. Call 608 2114

Individuals to work with reputable company. Age 21 and above. English and mathematics required. Attractive benefits- Call 679-2497 Bus driver, hire car driver Tel#225-3234, 698-7807

Joinder decries lack of...

From page 12 that is held by Joseph Harmon.

“This gives the largest opposition party control over whether the three parties will be given a seat on the parliamentary committees, and institutionalizes an undemocratic system which leaves a significant portion of the electorate unrepresented in the decision making processes,” the three parties stated.

As an amendment, the three parties proposed that all voters who have representation in the National Assembly should fairly be represented at the table, and this should be reflected in the standing orders.

Further, the recent history of Guyana, the three parties said, demonstrates that an interlocutor is or ought to be conside red to be a vital

Telehandler (fork lift) long or short term rental 687-6072/ 661-4307 Fully furnished 1 & 2 bedroom house / apartment / parking, E.C.D. US$600, US$700, daily $40, whatsapp/ call 868-7474343, 648-1787

Workers for P.S.G.C.S Labourers, Cleaner, Maintenance worker, Semi- skilled labourer. Contact number 615- component in Guyana’s politics.

7784, Mon- Fri 8am- 3pm

Large property with huge concrete bond, prime location Cumberland, Canje. Ideal for business. Sale or Rent.

Call 679-2497

1 experienced sales clerk to work in a lumberyard / hardware store.Preferably from the W.B.D or W.C.D 612-9344 / 646-1738

PROPERTY FOR SALE Kitty,Republic Gardens, Thomas street, Paradise & Enterprise, East Coast, Uitvlugt & Diamond.. Contact Ray's Realty 627-9685

R

egion Four police, yesterday, car ried out a raid in several Georgetown areas suspected to be places known 3 Cooks, Janitors Counter for selling drugs. During the raid, ranks staff, 1 baker @peoples searched several houses between 04:30 hrs. choice kitchen Tel 689-9426 and 10:30 hrs.

Pitmen and Hauler operator for interior location. Applicants must be experienced. Call 6182020

Residence: Diamond & Pearl East Bank, Business: Saffon, Hadfield Georgetown Bond in East Coast Ray's Realty 6279685

The items found by police during the raid.

(1) trained and qualified night security graud must have: valid police clerance two references. contact sofia razak @ 266-3256

Immediate vacancy exists for one canter lorry driver+ male workers @ Del Ice Co Call 2311408/ 642-9191

Toyota rush- PRR series year:2006 excellent condition price: $2.3million please call 628-4029 FOR SALEFOR SALE

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Kaieteur News

It asserts that no one can fail to see that the political gridlock, which has prevailed for decades in Guyana, will not be resolved unless there is a group

that is prepared to hold both Driver must be able to assist institutionalized parties acin workshop at Eccles, age 25countable and ensure trans45, Car/ Van license Call: 642- parency.

9823 In the circumstances, the Emmanuel's Delight sec S three parties issues a call on Grove Diamond 1 night cook, the main political parties in 1 baker server's Tel#696-5492 the National Assembly to put aside their “harmful and poSearching for Labourers to larizing politics” by permitting work on cash crop farm paid the “only interlocutor in Par$5,000 - $6,000 per day. tele- liament a voice in these Parliamentary committees in phone #695-6139/ 638-7420 Guyana’s interest.”

They found 179 grams of suspected marijuana, along with a laptop and four cellphones - articles, which police believe, were stolen.

As a result of the discovery, a total of eight persons associated with the items were arrested and taken into police custody.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

Sunday January 24, 2021

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Kaieteur News

Report: Jennifer King to become NFL’s first Black ...‘Rest in peace, Luton’ has fallen asleep at the age of page 68 female full-time assistant coach in Washington From only 35 years old. Our 35 after a period of fighting thoughts go to his family and the disease ALS. Our

Yahoo Sports - After spending last season as a fullyear intern, Jennifer King is set to make history in Washington.

Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera is planning to hire King as a full-time offensive assistant, which will make her the first Black woman assistant in the NFL, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and The Athletic.

After spending last season as a full-year intern, Jennifer King is set to make history in Washington.

Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera is planning to hire King as a fulltime offensive assistant,

which will make her the first Black woman assistant in the NFL, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and The Athletic.

It’s unclear specifically where King will work on Rivera’s staff.

King first served as an intern under Rivera with the Carolina Panthers for four months ahead of the 2017 season.

She then joined the Dartmouth College staff as an offensive assistant in 2019 after a short stint as an assistant in the Alliance of American Football before the league shut down. She was one of three female assistants

friends. Rest in peace Luton, in Valerenga you will never be forgotten.”

Helsingborgs IF, who first signed the player from Jamaica Premier League outfit Harbour View, in 2006, took to social media platform Instagram to express their condolences.

“We have been reached by the tragic news that our former player Luton Shelton Jennifer King, right, spent last season as a full-year intern under Ron Rivera in Washington. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) in the AAF, and the only offensive one.

King is one of a handful

Sunday January 24, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You can look forward to a busy day, Aries. Don't schedule any additional tasks. Your home, family, or mate is likely to demand a great deal of you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) At certain moments you can feel where your destiny lies. Today will be such a moment for you, Libra. You may want to shift your fundamental orientation.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) You're likely to spend time with someone who energizes and rejuvenates you today. With luck, this meeting won't occur too late in the evening, or else you will have a problem going to sleep.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) The day ahead will reenergize you after these last few days of apathy, Scorpio.

Anyone who tries to hold you back today had better watch out, because you won't be in the mood to tolerate any objections.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You may feel an urgent need to use your physical energy. This need will raise the issue of how to incorporate more exercise into your life.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Today you may be touched by a person who exudes the kind of determination produced by a combination of spiritual and intellectual strength and faith.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) A day such as today should demonstrate an old truth people remember the good and forget the bad. You will be brimming with energy, Cancer, hopeful and optimistic for the future.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Today you may be touched by a person who exudes the kind of determination produced by a combination of spiritual and intellectual strength and faith.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Do you have a desire to go away on a trip? Would you like to live in Europe or Asia? These are desires that you may well have at the moment as you begin the process of widening your field of vision.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) The day will be fairly eventful. There's some likelihood that you will feel suddenly compelled to settle a tedious matter once and for all. It may concern something in your domestic life that's been left unattended.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) What's happening in your personal relationships? It seems as though you're looking for a fight. Could it be that someone has stolen a leadership position out from under your nose?

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) The day may be somewhat trying for you, Pisces. You may have a speech to deliver or a private performance to put on for your beloved. In any case, you will have to prove yourself.

of female coaches in the league. Lori Locust and Maral Javadifar are full-time assistants with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Before leaving the San Francisco 49ers earlier this month, Katie Sowers spent the past four seasons with the team and was the league’s first openly gay coach and the first woman to coach in the Super Bowl.

Cleveland Browns chief of staff Callie Brownson was briefly promoted earlier this season for a game when she replaced tight ends coach Drew Petzing after his wife gave birth, making Brownson the first woman to serve as a position coach in NFL history.

The Washington Football Team went 7-9 last season, Rivera’s first with the organization. Despite the losing record, they still won the NFC East and reached the playoffs for the first time since the 2015 season. The organization is reportedly set to hire Martin Mayhew as its next general manager.

...AIBA President waives annual From page 71 took the helm with the organisation in disarray and promised to do his best with the help of all to clear heavy financial debt and turn around the fortunes of the organisation.

This waiver of fees is among the first set of his efforts to reach the member association and federations with several others on the cards for this year and beyond as the amateur boxing world prepare for serious work to reverse and improve their tattered image and struggling fortunes.

thoughts go to his relatives.

Rest in peace, Luton!”

Through its official Twitter website, FIFA declared that global football was in mourning, following the passing of the young Jamaican.

“FIFA and World Football are mourning today.

Jamaica’s all-time top scorer Luton Shelton has passed away. He was 35 years old.

Rest in peace, Luton.”

Kaieteur News

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Sunday January 24, 2021

Central Police Station Recreation and Sports Hall gets boost The Central Police Station compound being rehabilitated.

Making the donation to part of the Police leadership team in East Berbice (Commander Ramlakhan is third from right).

T

he Central Police Station, which is situated at New Amsterdam, Berbice, is in the process of setting up a recreation and Sports Hall in the compound of the Central Police Station.

The area which was once used as an area for sports was subsequently converted to a dump site for derelict vehicles.

However, the station which is the headquarters of the Police operation in East

Berbice Region 6, is situated at the junction of Strand and Cobourg Street, New Amsterdam, Berbice and is under the command of Divisional Commander Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan and Deputy Commander Superintendent A. Roberts, a number of efforts are being taken to transform the location into a full-fledged recreation and sports hall.

Over the past weeks a number of developmental

activities have been ongoing at the location. The derelict vehicles have been removed while landscaping of the lawns and remodeling of the interior of the building are ongoing.

A number of entities and individuals have pitched in to help so far.

On Friday the Little Angel Feeding Programme of Lot 14 A, Chesney Front Corentyne Berbice donated a 32" television set to Commander Ramlakhan to

be used at the location.

The organisation was led

by President Shamiak Haniff and Secretary C. Ramsammy.

Also present at the simple presentation ceremony were OC No1 Inspector Marlon O’

Donahue and Assistant Superintendent Khemraj Shivbaran.

Commander Ramlakhan and OC O’ Donahue thanked the organisation for coming on board with the GPF and wished them well in the future.

The venue when completed will be used for both indoor and outdoor activities and sports and games and recreational purposes. The B Division Police Steel band is also located at the venue.

(Samuel Whyte)

Unstoppable INEOS Team UK win Sepp Blatter spent a week in an again to reach Challenger Series final induced coma, daughter says Ineos Team UK, right, leads Italy’s Luna Rossa during the Prada Cup challengers series on Auckland’s Waitemate Harbour, New Zealand, Friday, Jan. 15, 2021.

(Brett Phibbs/NZ Herald via AP)

(Reuters) - INEOS Team UK won a tight third roundrobin race against Italy’s Luna Rossa yesterday for their fifth victory from five starts to storm into the final of the Challenger Series, which decides who will take on Team New Zealand (TNZ) for the America’s Cup. Luna Rossa will now meet winless American Magic in the best-of-seven repechage semi-finals starting on Jan. 29 for the chance to face INEOS Team UK in next month’s final.

The American Magic team is repairing damage to the electronic system of their vessel “Patriot”, which went

airborne and hit the water before falling on its side last Sunday when leading the Luna Rossa team.

Ye s t e r d a y ’s c o n t e s t between INEOS Team UK and Luna Rossa was delayed after the British side’s skipper, Ben Ainslie, called for a 15-minute delay due to problems with the cunningham, a control for the mainsail.

T h e t e a m ’s v e s s e l , “Britannia”, showed signs of issues even after the race began at Waitemata Harbour in Auckland and trailed by 10-seconds after four out of the six legs in a see-sawing contest before finding their

groove to secure victory by 33 seconds.

“That was one for the fans, a pretty awesome race.

It was great to take part in ... lots of lead changes, neck and neck all the way to the line. Full credit to the Luna Rossa guys for pushing hard,” Ainslie said.

“We had a few issues ... we were missing one of the key settings for the power of the boat. The guys did an awesome job getting us round the track in one piece and getting the win.” Both teams then took part in single-yacht “ghost races” against the absent American Magic.

GENEVA (AP) — Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter spent a week in an induced coma after having heart surgery in December, his family said Thursday.

The 84-year-old Blatter, who also tested positive for COVID-19 late last year, was well enough only this week to be moved out of intensive care at the hospital in Switzerland.

“The doctors are satisfied with his condition. But there’s still a long way to go,” Blatter ’s daughter, Corinne Blatter Andenmatten, said in an interview with Swiss media. “It was the hardest and saddest Christmas of my life.”

Blatter has been under criminal investigation by Swiss federal prosecutors since 2015, and has not yet been told that FIFA filed a further criminal complaint against him last month, his daughter said in an interview circulated on behalf of the family.

The latest case relates to FIFA financing the World Football Museum in Zurich. It was a pet project of Blatter that did not open until February 2016, after his presidency ended following the fallout from American and Swiss investigations of soccer officials.

“He knows nothing about the museum complaint yet,” his daughter said. “And that is a good thing. He would just get unnecessarily agitated.”

Asked about the stress of facing multiple legal cases and interviews with prosecutors, Blatter Andenmatten said “you can imagine that he has been under great pressure.”

She spoke in detail about Blatter’s health for the first time ahead of a scheduled meeting next week in one of several civil and criminal cases between FIFA and its president from

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

(Peter Schneider/Keystone via AP, FIle) 1998-2015.

Blatter had seemed to overcome his COVID-19 infection and expected his heart surgery to be routine.

“But then everything became more complicated and dangerous,” his daughter said. “In total he spent over a week in an artificial coma and was no longer able to communicate.”

Blatter had a previous health scare in 2015, while he was first suspended by FIFA’s ethics committee for suspected financial mismanagement.

Hr later said he had been “close to death” after taking ill while visiting the graves of his parents.

“He has earned the right to be able to enjoy the rest of life without constantly being torpedoed by his previous employer,” Blatter Andenmatten said, asking that her father “should be granted what he needs on the path to, hopefully, a complete recovery: rest, time and relaxation.”

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

PAGE 67

Root helps England recovery vs Sri Lanka in 2nd test

G

ALLE, Sri Lanka (AP) — J o e R o o t reached an unbeaten 67 to put England back on course after they lost their openers cheaply in the second test against Sri Lanka yesterday.

England finished on 98 for two at stumps on day two, still 283 runs behind Sri Lanka.

Lasith Embuldeniya, who took the new ball from the City End, accounted for both openers. Root joined Yorkshire teammate Jonny Bairstow with the side in trouble at five for two and counterattacked, adding an unfinished 93 runs for the third wicket.

Root, the English captain

who posted a double hundred in the first test, was unbeaten on 67 off 77 balls with 10 fours while Bairstow was on 24.

Root was the more dominant partner of the two England batsmen, using the sweep shot to good effect — both the conventional and reverse.

Sri Lanka know how crucial Root’s wicket is and they unsuccessfully reviewed a leg before wicket shout with the batsman on 39.

Earlier, Sri Lanka did well to post 381 runs having batted for five sessions.

They lost centurion Angelo Mathews (110) and debutant Ramesh Mendis (0) in the first 15 minutes of the

morning. But a determined Niroshan Dickwella scored a career-best 92 to help Sri Lanka recover.

Dickwella had been under pressure coming into this game after a string of low scores, but this effort should silence his critics.

“Unfortunate to miss my hundred — bit frustrated,” Dickwella said at stumps.”I got a fair amount of runs for the team. I spoke with support staff and asked them how I should adjust myself when building an innings.

Glad it worked well. I should thank the captain and selectors for backing me for not having a hundred after 40 test matches.”

Dickwella said there is “more responsibility”

Rodgers vs. Brady:

NFC C/ship a quarterback clash for the ages Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates in the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints in a NFC Divisional Round playoff game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. (Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports) (Reuters) - Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers stand between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Tom Brady and his shot at a record-extending seventh Super Bowl ring in a NFC Championship showdown between two of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game today.

Rodgers is the favorite to take league MVP honors this season but to reach the Super Bowl the 37-year-old will have to overcome a stout Bucs’ defense and the iron will of Brady, who won six NFL titles in two decades with New England before heading south to Tampa.

Rodgers threw for 4,299 yards in the regular season, 48 touchdowns and finished with the league’s best passer rating and says the Packers have come a long way since being hammered 38-10 by

the Bucs in October.

“That was so long ago ... and I think we learned a lot from all of our wins and losses,” said Rodgers, who led the Packers to six straight wins to end the regular season and won the Super Bowl with the team in 2011.

“The most important thing is how you’re playing going into the playoffs.”

Brady’s decision to leave the Patriots for the Buccaneers, whose sole Super Bowl triumph came in 2003, raised some eyebrows around the league but he proved his doubters wrong by throwing 40 touchdown passes, his most since the 2007 season.

Brady rolls into Green Bay with an array of reliable pass catchers including wide receiver Mike Evans, who just completed his seventh straight season with more

than 1,000 receiving yards.

Tight end Rob Gronkowski, who won three rings with Brady in New England and came out of retirement to join him in Tampa, told reporters this week that this offensive group is one of the most talented he has been part of.

“I’ve been around a lot of great, talented players, but I would say overall – as a group, from position to position (with) how many guys we have at each position – I would say this definitely ranks up there, if it’s not number one for talent as a whole,” said the 31year-old five-time Pro Bowler.

“The main goal, obviously, is always to make it to the Super Bowl, but it’s hard. It’s one of the hardest things to do out there in the sports world.”

James Anderson claimed his 30th five-wicket haul, Sri Lanka vs England, 2nd Test, Galle, 2nd day, January 23, 2021 © SLC

batting at number six.

“Today, Angelo was out early and I wanted to hang around and make the most,” he said. “Compared to the last game, this wicket has bit more pace and bounce as well. The last wicket was bit slower. The odd ball turns and we should dismiss them cheaply and get a decent lead.”

Dickwella was involved in an 89-run stand with Dilruwan Perera for the seventh wicket and deserved a maiden hundred but crafty James Anderson dismissed him eight runs short of the milestone.

Anderson set up Dickwella having placed two extra-covers and a wide mid-off and Dickwella took the bait, driving uppishly and was well caught by Jack Leach at wide mid-off. That gave the Lancastrian a five wicket haul — the 30th time he had done so in test match

cricket. Three balls later, Suranga Lakmal was caught at gully by Zak Crawley for no score to give Anderson his best figures in Asia.

The 38-year-old Anderson, playing his 157th test match, was on the money rarely bowling a loose ball.

He finished with six for 40.

Of his 29 overs 13 were maidens.

“I have worked really hard on my fitness over the last few months,” he said.

“The lockdown has helped. I don’t see why I can’t improve as I am getting older. The more work you put in, you get the rewards.

That’s how I felt in the last couple of days.”

Anderson said they did well to keep Sri Lanka under 400 runs.

“We have to bat big now and bat long time to win this game,” he said. “We have got a decent start. The pitch is going to deteriorate and if we

are to win, we shouldn’t look at chasing too many in the fourth innings. That 73 we chased in the first game, it can look tricky if you lose a few wickets early.”

While Anderson was all about line and length, Mark Wood complemented him well with raw pace. He finished with three wickets with Sam Curran accounting for the last wicket of Dilruwan Perera.

Perera made a fighting 67 off 170 balls with eight fours and a six.

Spin bowlers dominate in Galle, but in Sri Lanka’s first innings all wickets were shared by the three fast bowlers. It is the first time it has happened at this ground.

Scores: England 98 for 2 (Root 67*, Bairstow 24*) trail Sri Lanka 381 (Mathews 110, Dickwella 92, Dilruwan 67, Chandimal 52, Anderson 6-40) by 283 runs.

Rapinoe scores twice for US in thrashing of Colombia

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BC Sport Megan Rapinoe scored her first goals since her return to international football as the United States thrashed Colombia in a friendly.

The winger, who until January had not played for the World Cup winners since March, scored twice including a penalty, before half-time.

Catarina Macario, on her first start, had earlier opened the lead.

Second-half goals from Lynn Williams, Lindsey Horan and Midge Purce, her first for the US, wrapped up the win.

Manchester City midfielder Sam Mewis was forced off with an ankle injury midway through the second half.

The US are now unbeaten in 34 games, and have not lost on home soil in 50 matches.

They play their first game of the SheBelieves Cup against Canada on 18 February. The tournament, also featuring Brazil and Japan, will take place at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, where Friday’s friendly was held.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 68

Sunday January 24, 2021

Carifta Games pushed back to July, but JAAA remains committed to participating Jamaica Observer Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) remains committed to the Carifta Games despite its second postponement in less than a year and President Garth Gayle is prepared to send a team if the situation is safe.

F r i d a y, t h e N o r t h American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC), organisers of the annual regional junior track and field championships, announced that the 49th edition of the three-day event that is usually held over the Easter weekend had been pushed back to early July in Bermuda out of concerns over the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“Time is running out, and the situation is not improving globally. The NACAC family, the Carifta family is affected,” Mike Sands, president of NACAC

was quoted in a release from the organisers. “We took a decision at council level to do a survey with membership to determine the best course of action.

There were several options for a date change, and we ultimately decided on July 2nd to 4th.”

The event was set to be hosted in Bermuda in April 2020 but was pushed back a year after the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic and the date was further pushed back to July, the first time it would be held so late in the year since its inception in 1972.

Gayle told the Jamaica Observer yesterday that they were aware of the decision prior to the announcement, but said: “Jamaica remains committed to the Carifta Games and we will find a way to be able to send a team, we will be meeting with our competitions commission and other stakeholders and to

ensure that we can send a formidable team to take part.

We have topped the tables in many years and we don’t intend to stop, we will continue to be victorious.”

Gayle added: “We will ensure that all protocols established will be adhered to for the travel to and from and safe return of athletes a n d o ff i c i a l s b a c k t o Jamaica.”

The release said Sands was optimistic that the championships would be held, adding, “but it’s cautious optimism.

Obviously, what eventually happens will be dictated by the turn of events. But I’m confident the Games will go on. I’m happy we’ve arrived at a point where we have definitive dates. This is the pre-eminent junior championship meet in the region, and arguably the world. I’m looking forward to continuing the legacy.”

The release further said that in a letter to Bermuda

Jamaica’s Britany Anderson (left) runs to a new record of 13.16 seconds in the Under-18 100m hurdles event at the Flow Carifta Games in Curacao in this 2017 file photo. (Photo: Collin Reid) National Athletics Association (BNAA) President Donna Raynor, Thursday, NACAC General Secretary Keith Joseph officially informed the host country of the decision to shift the Carifta dates.

The NACAC Council, the release said,

“unanimously approved the convening of the 49th edition of the annual Carifta Games in Bermuda during the period July 2-4, 2021 on Thursday, with arrival being on June 30 and departure on July 5 “, and said the council also approved the retention of the existing Carifta

Games programme of events as well as team quotas.

“COVID is going to dictate what happens,” Raynor was quoted as saying, “but from a preparation standpoint, we will be prepared. As long as COVID allows us, we will be ready to host the Games.”

NBC Sports Network Is Shutting Down ‘Rest in peace, Luton’ - FIFA, Sheffield

United among global organisations paying tribute to Jamaica striker

The NBC Sports logo. (NBC Sports Group) Road and Track - NBC Sports Network, the cable sports channel that airs NASCAR, IMSA, and IndyCar, is expected to shut down at the end of this year, according to separate reports by the Sports Business Journal and the Wall Street Journal. The end of the network, which has also been the home of scripted automotive shows and televised auctions, will mark the end of one of the American automotive world’s most significant media partners.

NBC’s current contract to broadcast IndyCar ends after the 2021 season, but its contracts with NASCAR and IMSA both stretch into 2024.

According to the Wall Street Journal, NASCAR broadcasts are likely to begin moving to the NBC-owned USA Network this year as part of a plan to use the

demise of NBC Sports Network to bolster its other cable offerings.

“At the conclusion of 2021, we have decided that the best strategic next step for our Sports Group and the entire Company is to wind down NBCSN completely, with key elements of NBCSN’s programming moving to USA Network and, in some cases, Peacock for 2022 and beyond,” NBC Sports chairman Pete Bevacqua said in a memo to staff Friday. “This will make USA Network an extraordinarily powerful platform in the media marketplace, and gives our sports programming a significant audience boost.

We believe that the power of this offering is the best longterm strategy for our Sports Group, our partners, and our Company.”

While USA offers a

solution to NASCAR, other properties may be left seeking new TV options. The Sports Business Journal report makes no direct reference to either IndyCar or IMSA, but it specifically lists both car shows and “Some motorsports” as properties that will be forced to change their linear television distribution plans going forward.

NBC currently offers a subscription-based sports streaming package for auto racing, NBC Sports Gold TrackPass, in addition to its new over the top streaming channel, Peacock.

NASCAR joined the NBC Sports Network in 2014 as part of a deal that assumed NASCAR would draw a consistent live sports audience for the then-young channel. In the years that have followed, ratings have spiraled downward.

SportsMax - Tributes have poured from around the globe for former Jamaica striker, Luton Shelton, who died on Friday, after a battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Shelton, who was 35 years old, spent several years plying his trade abroad between 2006 and 2015, where he represented six clubs. On Friday, many of those clubs that once celebrated when his lighting speed resulted in breathtaking goals, paid homage to the fallen striker.

Prominently featured among them were Swedish club Helsingborgs IF, English club Sheffield United and Norwegian football Vålerenga, along with world governing body FIFA. Shelton represented Sheffield between 20072008 where he made four Premier League appearances towards the end of 2006-07, that included a debut against Manchester United but the club was relegated that year. He then scored four goals in 21

Former Jamaican national striker Luton Shelton.

outings the following season.

Famously, the striker was part of a famous 2-1 FA Cup win against Manchester City when the ball deflected to him having hit a balloon. The Blades paid tribute to Shelton with a message posted to the club’s official website.

“Sheffield United is saddened to hear reports in the Caribbean indicating the passing of our former striker, Luton Shelton, aged just 35.

“In recent years he has bravely battled

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) - a p r o g r e s s i v e neurodegenerative disease.

“The condolences of all at the Blades are with Luton’s family at this difficult time.”

Vålerenga, where the player scored 17 goals between 2008 and 2011, also memorialized the player.

“The sad news (of) Luton Shelton’s untimely passing has reached us.

“He had ALS and was (Continued on page 65)

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

PAGE 69

Jaguars aim to break 16-year barren 50-over run

Carl Hooper was Skipper when Guyana won three of their eight 50-over titles. (bipictures.com)

- Return to Antigua where Guyana 1st tasted success in 1980

By Sean Devers

A

full strength Guyana Jaguars team will aim to lift their tenth Regional 50over title when this year’s Regional Super50 bowls off next month in Antigua where Guyana, who begin their campaign on February 8, 2021, captured their first title in 1980.

Guyana’s last title was achieved in 2005 at Bourda and although Leon Johnson has led Guyana to five consecutive First-Class titles in the last six seasons, Guyana has not won a 50over title in 16 years.

In 2005, Ramnaresh Sarwan scored 462 runs with three centuries; the most runs and most centuries in the tournament. The elegant right-hander scored two tons in Barbados before following it up with another classy hundred in the semifinal at Bourda.

A delightful innings from Sewnarine Chattergoon who scored a century in the final of the KFC Cup at Bourda resulted in Guyana beating Barbados by seven runs on the Duckworth/Lewis

Clive Lloyd has led Guyana to two 50-over titles.

(Getty Images)

system.

Neil McGarrell hit leftarm spinner Sulieman Benn onto Regent Street in the 49th over in near darkness before bad light stopped play with two runs to win.

McGarrell’s six had pushed Guyana ahead of par s c o r e o n t h e Duckworth/Lewis system to give his team victory to the delight of a ram packed Bourda.

The Umpires had earlier offered the batsmen bad light

but not realising they were a h e a d o n t h e Duckworth/Lewis system they home team opted to bat on.

Leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo finished with 12 wickets the most in the tournament. The preliminary round was played in Barbados before the Semis and final were staged in Georgetown.

Of interest is the fact that Manager/Assistant Coach Shivnarine Chanderpaul was

Ramnaresh Sarwan scored the most runs and most tons in 2005 when Guyana last won a 50-over title. (Getty images)

the Captain in 2005, while Head Coach Esuan Crandon, a member of squad in that 2005 Championship winning Guyana team.

The Regional 50-over tournament began in 1976 with the Gillette Cup when Barbados beat Trinidad & Tobago.

Barbados again won in 1977 when Emmerson Trotman scored the tournament’s first hundred against Guyana at Bourda.

T&T was again the runnersup.

A century from Skipper and West Indies opener Roy Fredericks helped his team to 327-7 off 50 overs in the final against the Leeward Islands at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

Guyanese Timour Mohammed, unlucky not to play an international match despite making a century for West Indies in a tour match in England, scored the most runs in the tournament as Guyana won its first title in 1980.

Guyana’s second title came in 1983 at Bourda, when Guyana, under the leadership of West Indies’ most successful Captain, Clive Lloyd, won both the Shell Shield First Division tournament and the Regional 50 overs title. West Indies batsman Faoud Bacchus scored the most runs in the tournament, while fellow GCC seam bowler Garfield Charles took the most wickets as Guyanese dominated the tournament and beat Jamaica in the final by 128 runs. Lloyd had also led Guyana to 1983 FirstClass title that year.

In 1985, Captained by West Indies ODI Keeper, Berbician Milton Pydanna, Guyana beat Jamaica by five wickets in the final at

Bourda.

In 1993 in the Geddes Grant Shield, under the leadership of Roger Harper, who finished the tournament with the most wickets, Guyana shared the title with Leewards after the final was washed out at Albion in Berbice. Harper had also led Guyana to the ‘double’ after they had won the 1993 FirstClass title.

In 1995, under new sponsors Shell Sandals, rain in Guyana washed out the final at Bourda and the home team shared the title with Trinidad & Tobago. Skipper Carl Hooper scored the most runs and Shiv Chanderpaul, bowling leg-spin, captured the most wickets in the tournament.

Under the Captaincy of Hooper, Guyana won the 1998 Red Strip Bowl title when they beat the Leewards by 52 runs in Jamaica as Chanderpaul scored the most runs in the tournament.

Guyana, again led by Hooper, beat Barbados by six wickets in the 2001 final of the Red Stripe Bowl in Jamaica before Guyana, captained by Chanderpaul, won the 2003 Red Stripe Bowl when they beat Barbados by 27 runs in Jamaica while their last title was won in 2005 at Bourda.

Guyana has qualified for the final 17 times since 1976 with Carl Hooper (1995, ’98 & ‘2001) being this Country’s most successful Regional 50-over Captain.

Chanderpaul (2003 & 2005), Fredericks (1980), Lloyd (1983), Pydanna (1985) and Roger Harper (1993), who have all represented the West Indies in ODIs, have also led Guyana to 50-over titles.

Every successful Guyana Captain in this format, with

the exception of Pydanna (three ODIs), have played Test and ODI Cricket while Lloyd, Hooper and Chanderpaul have led the West Indies in Test and ODI cricket.

The first time Guyana finished as Runners-up was in 1989 when the Windward Islands won their first ever title as the Islanders registered a thrilling onewicket upset win against Guyana in the final of the Geddes Grant Shield in Grenada.

In 1994 the Leewards beat Guyana in the final as Skipper Carl Hooper scored the most runs in the tournament.

Guyana lost to Trinidad & Tobago at Bourda in the 1996 final after Rajendra Dhanraj’s hat-trick (Sarwan, Kenrick Wong & Hooper) gave the visitors victory after a good partnership between Chanderpaul and Keith Semple was broken.

Guyana were again Runners-up when they were beaten by the Leewards the 1997 final in Jamaica.

Since 2005 they have reached three more finals without success; with T&T winning by 81 runs at Providence in 2009 under the Captaincy of Sarwan.

Guyana again lost in the 2014 final when were defeated by T&T, while the last time Guyana qualified for the final was in 2018 when they lost a nail-biting contest at the 3Ws Oval by one wicket as the Combined Campuses & Colleges (CCC) emerged Champions on their home ground.

T h e We s t I n d i e s Emerging Players surprised almost everyone when, on debut, they won the last tournament in Trinidad in 2019.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 70

MP calls on Sports Minister to curb impulse of Ministerial control and intervention

NBA roundup: Clint Capela’s triple-double leads Hawks past Wolves

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Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) grabs a rebound over Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) during the first quarter at Target Center. (Brace HemmelgarnUSA TODAY Sports)

Clint Capela recorded his first career triple-double and Trae Young scored a seasonhigh 43 points to pace the Atlanta Hawks to a 116-98 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis on Friday and extend their winning streak to three games.

Capela had 13 points, 19 rebounds and a career-high 10 blocked shots, becoming the first NBA player to have a triple-double with blocks since 2018. Capela joined Dikembe Mutombo (2000) and Tree Rollins (1979, two in 1982 and 1983) as Atlanta Hawks to record a tripledouble including blocked shots. Capela also became the third Hawks player ever to post 10 or more blocks in a single game.

The Hawks got three key pieces back from injuries, and their presence made a difference. De’Andre Hunter returned after missing one game with right knee soreness and scored 11. Cam Reddish was back after missing three games with a left knee contusion and had 15 points and five rebounds.

Danilo Gallinari, back after missing 11 games with a right ankle sprain, scored 10.

Malik Beasley led the Timberwolves with 17 points. Jarrett Culver scored 15, Naz Reid had 13 and Jarred Vanderbilt finished with 10.

Denver Nuggets 130 — Phoenix Suns 126 (OT) Nikola Jokic had 31 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, Gary Harris scored 19 points and Denver Nuggets beat host Phoenix for its fifth win in seven games.

Jamal Murray had 18 points and nine assists for Denver, and Will Barton scored eight of his 17 points in overtime. Michael Porter

Jr. scored seven off the bench in his first game since Dec. 29, having been sidelined due to COVID-19 protocols.

Devin Booker scored 31 points, Deandre Ayton had 27 points and 13 rebounds, Mikal Bridges contributed 24 points and 10 rebounds and Chris Paul totaled 11 points and 15 assists for the Suns, who lost for the third time in four games.

Los Angeles Clippers 120 — Oklahoma City Thunder 106 Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points and Paul George added 29 as host Los Angeles won its sixth straight contest, knocking off Oklahoma City.

Leonard also had eight rebounds and three steals while George collected seven rebounds and five assists. Serge Ibaka finished with 17 points, making seven of his eight field-goal attempts, and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Nicolas Batum scored 14 points on 5of-6 shooting for the Clippers.

Former Clipper Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 30 points and eight assists for Oklahoma City, which lost for the fourth time in five games. Luguentz Dort scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half.

Chicago Bulls 123 — Charlotte Hornets 110 Zach LaVine scored 25 points and Chicago posted its first three-game winning streak of the season by defeating host Charlotte.

Lauri Markkanen poured in 23 points for the Bulls, who shot 51.6 percent from the field. Markkanen was 10for-17 and LaVine 8-for-12.

Gordon Hayward posted 34 points and Devonte’ Graham scored a seasonhigh 24 points for the Hornets, who hadn’t played

Sunday January 24, 2021

since Saturday. Charlotte lost its fourth game in a row.

Indiana Pacers 120 — Orlando Magic 118 (OT) Malcolm Brogdon made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3.6 seconds remaining in overtime to give Indiana a victory over Orlando in Indianapolis.

Brogdon finished with 23 points, Jeremy Lamb had 22 off the bench and Myles Turner tied a season high with 22 in his return from a two-game absence.

Nikola Vucevic collected 24 points and 12 rebounds, and Aaron Gordon finished with 17 for the Magic, who have lost seven of their past eight games.

Toronto Raptors 101 — Miami Heat 81 Norman Powell scored 14 of his game-high 23 points in the first quarter and Toronto went on to defeat visiting Miami. The teams split two games at Toronto’s temporary home in Tampa, with the Heat winning 111102 on Wednesday.

Pascal Siakam, who was listed as questionable for the game because of a groin injury, scored 15 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Toronto. OG Anunoby added 21 points for the Raptors, who completed a five-game homestand with a 4-1 record.

Kendrick Nunn scored 22 points off the bench for Miami. Bam Adebayo had 14 points and eight rebounds.

In other scores: Philadelphia 76ers 122 — Boston Celtics 110 Cleveland Cavaliers 125 — Brooklyn Nets 113 Dallas Mavericks 122 — San Antonio Spurs 117 Houston Rockets 103 — Detroit Pistons 102 Sacramento Kings 103 — New York Knicks 94 (Field Level Media)

n a letter dated January 22nd, 2021, APNU, AFC Shadow Minister of Culture, Youth & Sport, and Member of Parliament (MP), Jermaine Figueira called for the Autonomy of Sports Associations and Federations in Guyana; Rejection of Ministerial Control and Intervention.

This was in response to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Press Statement dated 6th December, 2020.

MP Figueira in his missive described the MCYS statement as “an affront to, and makes a mockery of d e m o c r a c y, v i o l a t e s international conventions which are based on governments’ nonintervention in sport.”

Citing that the “ M i n i s t e r ’s l u d i c r o u s statement should be a wakeup call to all other sports disciplines and administrators…” to guard against any ‘control and domination’ agenda. The MP’s letter noted that, “The APNU+AFC vehemently condemns attempts by Mr. Ramson to weaponize the use of state resources to settle political scores with citizens and thereby seek to dominate and control bodies that must be independent of government and all politics.”

“Is the Minister comfortable with destroying the autonomy of sports associations and federations

Jermaine Figueira MP (facebook) in Guyana? Is he aware that sport is one area of activity that unites our people and that his…actions will destroy that unity that characterizes s port in Guyana over the years? Is the Minister so partisan and insensitive that he cannot appreciate the positive role that sport plays in our society when there is good governance and political non-intervention in sport in our society?”

Figueira stated that, “Guyana cannot allow this sports minister to bring disorder to sport. Mr. Ramson should desist from interfering in sport. Let our sport associations and federations continue to be autonomous and govern themselves based on transparency, accountability and the rule of law and not based on the wishes of any political directorate.

The duly elected officials in football, athletics,

basketball and all sports must be allowed, in keeping with their rules and regulations, to discipline their members for participating in unsanctioned tournaments.”

“The APNU+AFC urges the Minister to curb his interventionist and authoritarian instincts.

The Minister must know that FIFA and other sports’ governing bodies will not tolerate a situation in which international football or its local principals will not get the use of the Nation’s Stadium…. Such behavior is unacceptable in sport and is repugnant to established rules and regulations in international sport.”

He further noted that, “The APNU+AFC supports accountability in sport and wants to see the challenges in cricket resolved rationally, and with the involvement of all stake holders, and not by the demonizing of administrators or by the withholding of state resources to individual associations/federations.

These different bodies have Constitutions and Rules let their members exhaust them to the benefit of the Sport.

We urge the Minister to recognize that the role of the Ministry is to create an enabling environment for sport to flourish in Guyana and not domination and control,” the MP’s missive concluded.

Jamaica distance runner Praught-Leer signs with Puma SportsMax - Jamaica middle-distance runner, Aisha Praught-Leer, has signed with sporting goods giants Puma ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, which will be held later this year.

The 31-years-old Praught-Leer is Jamaica’s record holder in the 3000m Steeplechase event and represented the country at the 2015 and 2017 IAAF World Championships, as well as the 2016 Olympics, where she qualified for the final.

In addition, the athlete also captured gold in the event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia. Praught-Leer has, however, contemplated switching events to try her hand at competing in the 1500m.

The athlete had hoped to make her 1500m Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games but like many others had to set aside those plans as the event was postponed due to the onslaught of the coronavirus. She has already begun her quest to qualify for this

Aisha Praught-Leer summer’s Games by targeting three events, the 3000m steeplechase, 5000m, and 1500m.

She currently has personal best times of 15:07.50 in the 5000m, 9:14.09 seconds in the 3000m steeplechase, and 4:05.52 in the 1500 metres.

Praught-Leer previously represented Under Armour after signing a contract with that brand in 2017, earlier this month, however, she announced via social media that her contract with the company had come to an end.

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2021

PAGE 71

Statement by South Essequibo Cricket Committee on non-selection of Anthony Adams Otis Roberts

S

outh Essequibo C r i c k e t Committee (SECC) demands an explanation for the nonselection of Anthony Adams by the Guyana Jaguars selectors. Cricket is a game of love and unity it’s that game that brings our Guyanese people and cricketers together.

Therefore, the SECC wishes to make a statement on the non-selection of Anthony Adams and other players from the county of Essequibo by the selectors and coaches of the Cricket Guyana Inc (CGI) Guyana Jaguars Franchise team for this year Regional 50 overs tournament.

The SECC would like to register its displeasure and disappointment with the non-selection of Anthony Adams, especially at a time w h e n Ve e r a s a m m y Permaul, the leading leftarm spinner, is not available due to Cricket West Indies duty.

We strongly believe that this is the time Adams should have been given his opportunity at the Regional

level, after his consistency over the last three years at the CGI franchise competition and academy.

The SECC would like to condemn in the strongest possible terms the treatment given to Adams over the years as it relates to Jaguars’ selection.

We would like to see the players such as Adams, Kemol Savory, and Ricardo Adams, all of whom are from the county of Essequibo and have done well over the years at the CGI franchise competitions, be treated with respect and be given fair opportunities to represent their country at the senior level.

Undoubtedly, Anthony Adams would have fulfilled the selection criteria with his performances, which are a testimony for the Essequibo Franchise team to be crowned champions in the CGI 50 overs format competitions in 2018 and finished runners-up in 2019 under Adams’ captaincy.

In the 2018 CGI 50-overs competition, Adams batted at number seven and scored a total of 187 runs with two

Anthony Adams half centuries, and still managed to capture the award of most wickets a total of 12 wickets and best of 426.

In the 2019 CGI 50 overs competition he finished with a total of 189 runs, again with two halfcenturies, a best of 65, and captured 13 wickets with a best of 6-26.

It must be noted that the Chairman of Selectors, who is also a former Assistant

Coach of Guyana Jaguars, stated in the press, “The criteria is based on performances, you have fitness test involved and you have to consider potential players you can develop.

Performances are big but as I said fitness is just as big as performances.”

However, SECC was reliably informed that there are players selected, who have not passed the required fitness test the records are

there to show.

We therefore would like to know what grounds and which criteria were used to select those players.

The Cinderella County is known to produce great cricketers and therefore believe this was the right time where players like A n t h o n y, S a v o r y, a n d Ricardo should have been part and parcel of the Guyana Jaguars team.

The continuous nonselection of Anthony Adams and other Essequibo players cannot be accepted.

The SECC is humbly calling on the selectors, coaches especially, Rayon Griffith, who hails from South Essequibo Coast, and by extension the CGI for an explanation.

We would like for the CGI to conduct a full review of its operations in the selection of players so that it can represent a more unified team, one which the entire country can be proud of.

Otis Roberts Public Relations Officer South Essequibo Cricket Committee

AIBA President waives annual fees by members for 2021, regional bodies applaud move National boxing federation’s and associations affiliated to AIBA will have a chance to breathe some financial fresh air as the world governing body has waived the payment of the annual US$250 membership fees this year.

Due to the Covid pandemic AIBA will not be collecting annual fees for 2021, a statement from the organization said. “Only in unity with the national federations will we be able to achieve all the ambitious goals that AIBA is facing.

Our task is not to take money from our members but to help them in everything. We have established new membership criteria to ensure good governance, integrity and transparency,” recently elected AIBA president Umar Kremlev of Russia said.

The move is expected to cost AIBA over US$50,000 as the organization has 203 members and three of the leading figures in Caribbean

Steve Ninvalle

David Christopher

boxing have come out in support of the move. Vice president of the Americas Boxing Confederation and president of the Guyana Boxing Association Steve Ninvalle hailed the wavier as a simple move with significant impact.

“We have countries in the region who were struggling to pay fees so this comes as breath of fresh air. Umar Kremlev has hit the ground running. His modus operandi is that of more action and less talk. It is just

over a month since his election and the entire world of boxing is already benefiting. The child is the father of man,” Ninvalle said yesterday.

“There will be many more positive changes in boxing and again I will caution that it will not be business as usual. The time has come for us all to roll up our sleeves as there is a lot of work to be done to right our boxing ship. Luckily, our captain who has accepted the offer is competent enough to

complete the task. On behalf of the Guyana Boxing Association I would like to say a hearty thank you to president Kremlev and his team and to reassure him that he has our full support,” Ninvalle added.

President of the St Lucia Boxing Association, David ‘Shakes’ Christopher, a staunch supporter of Kremlev during last year’s election applauded the new initiative noted, “Last year Cecil Forde (of Trinidad), Steve Ninvalle (of Guyana) and myself, who I now refer to as the Three Wise Men openly and publicly supported Mr. Kremlev’s election bid. We were and still are without a doubt that he was/is the man for the job.

This new move is a most welcome gesture on behalf of our new president. It shows that Mr. Kremlev means what he says. He is a president for all. Those who did not vote for him will still benefit from his vision,” Christopher declared.

“It’s a step in the right direction and from the bottom of my heart and on the behalf of my executive, officials and boxers I want to thank Mr. Kremlev for reaching out and looking out for us, not only in the Caribbean, but all over the world. I am proud to have been one who raised my two hands early and voted for him.”

Meanwhile, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Boxing Association Cecil Forde said: “The TTBA is one of three countries in the Caribbean that openly supported Mr. Kremlev for the presidency of AIBA. One of his first decisions he has made is to remove the yearly membership fees that has become a burden to most national federations. We applaud him for this. In 2019, even before he announced his intentions to run for the presidency, he was a guest at the Caribbean Championship held in Trinidad and Tobago and

Umar Kremlev gave his full support. The TTBA pledges to give him and his staff our full support and we remain positive that he is the person to make amateur boxing great again.”

Kremlev has taken over a body fraught with problems and financial improprieties which saw the previous executive having to demit office in unpleasant circumstances and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) sanctioning the body. This resulted in an interim body running AIBA until the recently held elections in which Kremlev won. He (Continued on page 65)

Root helps England recovery vs Sri Lanka in 2nd test

Joe Root drops back to punch square © SLC

‘Rest in peace, Luton’ - FIFA, Sheffield United among global organisations paying tribute to Jamaica striker

Tributes have poured from around the globe for former Jamaica striker Luton Shelton.

Roy Fredericks scored a century in the 1980 final when led Guyana to its first 50-over title. (Getty images)

Jaguars aim to break 16-year barren 50-over run - Return to Antigua where Guyana 1st tasted success in 1980

AIBA President waives annual fees by members for 2021, regional bodies applaud move Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.