Kaieteur News

Splashmins investigating piranha attacks at resort

- Caution swimmers not to swim in restricted areas

The Splashmins Resort located along the Linden Soesdyke Highway has been forced to launch an investigation into alleged Piranha attacks at its creek, after a swimmer on Saturday reportedly had a piece of her feetbittenoffbythefish.

“Yesweareinvestigating because the reported attacks are getting to that extent”, a spokesperson (name provided) with the Resort toldKaieteurNews.

Saturday was reportedly the fifth alleged piranha attack that took place at the resortinrecenttimes.

The first attack was reportedinApril2021,when awomanandmanreportedly had 'chunks of their feet bitten off while swimming withchildreninthewater Eyewitness recalled hearing a woman screaming and then seeing blood in the water They claimed that

they saw about 11-15 piranhas circling where the blood was in the water A man next to her tried to help buthetoowasattacked.Both of them were eventually rescued.

A few more attacks had allegedly taken place since then,butwereneverpublicly

reported, until a fifth occurred on Saturday afternoon

According to reports a group of friends were “playing casually” in the water when a woman was bitten.

One of the friends, Rishma Ajodha, recounted the alleged attack in a FacebookPost.

She said, “What started out as a fun Saturday lime among friends ended in tragedy as one of my friend wasbittenbywhatIcanonly assumeisaPiranha!”

“All I heard her say”,

continued Ajodha, “was 'something bit me” The victim reportedly fell and other persons nearby rushed torescueher Ajodha claimed that when her friend was lifted out of the water, there was a “one and a half” inch bite mark on the bottom of her foot. Photos taken of the wound showed that piece of the flesh beneath her foot was missing Persons assisted in cleaning the wound and the injured woman was taken to the DiamondHospital.Piranhas

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Piranhas caught by residents living close to Splashmin's Resort

Photo taken of a patron's injured feet back in 2021

The injury sustained by the female patron Saturday afternoon

Economist questions Guyana 2022 share of oil revenue, says money short by US$93M

It has been reported that Guyana in 2022 received US$1.254 billion (12.6 percent) from the total value oil sales of US$ 9.978 billion, while Exxon subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) received US$8.724 billion (87.4 percent). Professor of Economics at the US-based Howard University, Cyril K e n r i c k H u n t e i s questioning the correct sum of money allocated to the country The former High Commissioner to South Africa told this newspaper that Guyana's share of oil revenue is short by some 92million United States dollars, since the manner in which the money was distributed does not meet the conditions of the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement(PSA).

“This distribution of the oil revenue between Guyana and EEPGL does not satisfy the conditions in the PSA in whichitisstatedthatGuyana receives2percentasroyalty; and after subtracting a cost recovery of 75 percent of totalrevenuefortheEEPGL, the remaining amount that is defined as profit, is shared equally.”

H u n t e t o l d t h e publication that based on reports in the media EEPGL received87.4percentoftotal revenue, with the remainder of 12 6 percent being Guyana's share The

Professor believes that Guyana should have received 13.5 percent of the totalsales.

Using a table, Table 1, the Professor explained that when Guyana receives its two percent royalty and EEPGLclaimsits75percent expenserecovery,77percent of the total oil sum has been utilized, leaving 23 percent of the total share to be divided equally This means each party should receive 11.5 percent. Adding this 11.5 percent to Guyana's 2 percent royalty would mean that Guyana should have received 13.5 percent of the total oil revenue. Based on those calculations, the Professor showed inTable 2, that Exxon would have received 0 9 percent of Guyana's share of oil since 12.6 percent was Guyana's reportedtake.

ProfessorHuntesaidthat “Because Guyana should receive 13.5 percent of total sales and not 12.6 percent as reported in the article, this implies that Guyana will be short-changedby0.9percent of total sales, as this share is capturedbyEEPGL.”

He opined that while some people might want to imply that 0.9 percent “is insignificant” small percentages make huge differences when working with large sums of money He said “when you are working with billions, this amount could be costly.” In

another table, Table 3, the Professor showed that“with total sales of US$9.9780 billion,GuyanaPSAshareis US$1.3470 billion (13.5 Percent)andnotUS$1.2542 billion (12.6 Percent), as reported in the article; and confirmed by the data in Appendix VII of the 2023 Budgetpresentation.”

“Likewise, EEPGL s h a r e , i f t h e P S A distribution is employed, wouldbeUS$8.6310billion (86.5 percent) and not the h i g h e r a m o u n t o f US$8 7238 billion (87 4 percent), as reported in the article.

T h e r e f o r e , t h i s distribution confirms that Guyana's share is short by US$92.8 million, which is no small amount, given the value of the loans the Government borrows from several international lending agencies.”

TheProfessoraddedthat in Table 1, which shows Guyana receives 13 5 percent of total sales and EEPGL receives 85 5 percent of total sales, means in other words, that “every time Guyana receives 1 barrel of oil, EEPGL captures 6.41 barrels of oil. This distribution of almost 7 to1isunacceptableandmust be changed,” the Professor said.

He charged that “there is work to be done, and I hope the responsible agency correctthiscostlyerror.”

T&Taimingtopower30%ofenergyneedswithrenewables - Prime Minister

Tr i n i d a d a n d

Tobago recently s i g n e d a n a g r e e m e n t f o r t h e construction of a 112 2 Megawatt (MW) solar project on the island, which when completed will be known as the largest in the E n g l i s h - s p e a k i n g Caribbean; but the nation does not intend to end its progress on transitioning to renewableenergythere.

The solar project which will soon commence construction, will power eight percent of the twin island's electricity demand, but to help meet the United Nations (UN) goal of access to affordable, reliable, modern and sustainable energy, T&T will be pushing for 30 percent of its electricity generation to be poweredbyrenewables.

This is according to the

Trinidadian Prime Minister, Dr KeithRowley Duringthe opening of the twin island's t h r e e - d a y E n e r g y

Conference last Monday, he told conference delegates at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain,TrinidadthattheSolar Project is scheduled to commenceinthefirstquarter of this year, with full operationalization of the Project by fourth quarter 2024.

To this end, Rowley n o t e d , “ I t i s t h e Government's stated objective to increase power from renewables to meet 30% of the country's requirements.”

He said he has already challenged the Ministry of E n e rg y a n d E n e rg y Industries, in a whole of Government approach, to move quickly to bring on more renewable energy

projectsonstream.

The Prime Minister said that a review of the country's power requirements has projected peak demand to increase from the 1400 MW in2022to1600MWby2032. During this period the Power PurchaseAgreements(PPAs) of two of the country's major i n d e p e n d e n t p o w e r producers representing 40 percent of the country's installed generation capacity areduetoexpire.

As such, Rowley explained, “We therefore have an opportunity to achieve much of the target of 30% of power from renewables.”

The Prime Minister was keen to note that the transition to renewables is notwithoutitschallenges.

“Pricesforwindandsolar power increased nearly 30 percentinthepastyeardueto

global supply chain issues, significantpriceincreasesfor components and increases in labour costs in producing countries, reversing a decade ofcostdeclines.

Another hurdle, as encountered by the Solar Parks Project, is the competition with prevailing low cost of electricity in Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.

The Prime Minister added, “While our primary focus is the optimum development of our hydrocarbon resources, we cannot ignore the initiatives being takengloballytodeveloplow carboneconomies.”

Kaieteur News had

r e p o r t e d t h a t t h r e e agreements were signed on January 6 with the country's project partners- BP, Shell and Lightsource BP, for T&T's first grid-scale

renewableenergyproject.

“The project partners signed an implementation

agreement with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, power purchase agreement with the state utility company, T&TEC, and a final investment decision,” the T&T Energy Ministrysaidinastatement.

T h e c o s t o f t h e arrangement was not d i s c l o s e d b y t h e Government.

It however reported that construction is estimated to take 10 months. The project will be constructed at two sites, one in Brechin Castle, nearthePointLisasindustrial estate, and the other will be built in Orange Grove, near Trincity

I n G u y a n a , t h e Government has been chasing the development of gasforelectricitygeneration,

even as the World races towards the implementation of renewable sources of energy

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in its 2022 Report titled: “Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping our Future in a Transforming World”,hasmadeitclearthat power generation through solar has become far cheaper thanwhichisbeingreported.

Showing the PSA Distribution of Oil sales to EEPGL and Guyana

Showing Shortage and Overage

Distribution of Sales between Guyana and EEPGL

Guyana.

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS

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

Two years of herculean effort

Guyana must learn from Trinidad and its recent renegotiation experience, as articulated by that country’s PrimeMinister,KeithRowley Oilcompanieswillnotyield an inch; they not give up a penny without a dogfight. Trinidadtootwoyearstorenegotiate,acontractisacontract isacontract.

In Guyana, our President labeled ExxonMobil a ‘superpower’. Itisthetruth,butalsoindicatestoomuchawe andfear Itisabetternottogiveanyadvantagetocommitted adversaries; to show any weakness, or too much regard. ExxonMobilisstronger,butGuyanacouldbestrongerwhen itisresolvedtogetbetterforitsoil.Guyanamustbetougher because it has the foundations: all those billions of barrels below the seabed. Fight and fight, and when ExxonMobil believethatwearereadytogiveupthefight,thenshockthe American killer whale by finding the energy, nerve, and passionthatreflectthefighthasonlyjustbegun.

We have the oil treasure, and we will exploit it at our pleasure. Instead of racing ahead in a web of weakness, Guyana must be wise, slowdown for its purposes. There mustbetheastutenesstopaceoildevelopments,tomanage ExxonMobil’s project approvals to benefit this country’s interests. For sure, we want royalties and oil profits, as meager as both are, but we also know that ExxonMobil’s executives, workers, and shareholders want Guyana’s cheap, high quality oil much more. That urgent need of ExxonMobilforprofits,forrulingtheglobaloilroost,hasits price. ItisonethatmustbepaidtoGuyana.

Theapprovalprocessmustbeutilizedtoouradvantage There isnothinginthe2016oilcontractthatpreventsusfromslowing approvalofnewoilprojects,operatingwithalldeliberatespeed Thoseareourtrumps,amongothers Butitcallsforcourageous leadership to go after ExxonMobil, and make it offers that the companysimplycannotrefuse Itisnotblackmail,onlytakingthe cunningcontractthatExxonMobilconcoctedandconvertitinto anarsenalofweaponsthatworkforus Thisiswhatleadersand citizens should be about, not fawning and drooling over ExxonMobil, which has maimed and crippled this country Take a careful look at PPPC Government ‘superstars’, and detect how they shrink from confronting ExxonMobil and squeezeoutmoreforGuyana Itiswellknownthatwelackthe humanandsystemscapabilitiestobethebeststewardsofthis bountyofnature. Itfollows,therefore,thatwehavetotake ourtimeandstudynewandunfamiliarmaterialstoreassure ourselvesastowhatisthebestdecisiontomake,givenour circumstances. Timeisourbestally,ourweaponthatshouldbe feared ItisvitalthatthePPPCGovernmentmakeskillfuluseof time in every approval process, every area of ExxonMobil’s operations offshore, so that the oil company sees the light, the nature of the terrain, and its choices The bottom-line is that Guyana must allow itself to be bullied, cave in, before ExxonMobil’s demands.This is where PresidentAli and Vice PresidentJagdeogettoshowtheirsubstances,howmuchthey areforGuyaneseinterests. IfExxonMobilwantstoplayrough, so must our two leaders. When ExxonMobil is ready to talk turkey,thensoshouldwebe,butonlywhenthelong-awaited time comes We can outwait ExxonMobil, for the oil is not perishable, not going anywhere Further, the demand for oil, with all of its ups and down, will be there for the foreseeable future,technologicaldevelopmentsandall

We have been backed into a corner by a rapacious, criminallycallousAmericancorporatepowerbackedbythe might of the American superpower (observe the Ambassador). But we are not without our assets, without our strengths. The President and Vice President and OppositionLeaderallknowthatiftheystopdividingGuyana, start mending fences, then a united Guyana has all that is requiredtostand-upandsay:thisisours,anditcouldbehad under these terms There is no stronger, better, more feared renegotiating weapon than that, and our politicians and ExxonMobilknowit. SoalsodotheABC&EUcountries.

DEAREDITOR, Once in a while you publish letter where its contents are so disgusting that one feels compelled to reply

One such letter was carried on Jan 24, 2022 in KN titled ‘The sensitive issue of licenses and overall safety’.

Reading what this aggrieved individual had to say gave some insight into his warped thinking where he blames the Police

aboutillegalgunstargetingothers

Commissioner for issuing a disproportionate number of firearm licenses to IndoGuyanese, who, in his opinion,areusingthegunsto inflict injury on themselves aswellastocommitmurder andsuicide.

The author also claims that the issuance of gun licenses is a National Security issue and is concerned that the granting of these licenses were done notwiththe“Wisdomofthe late Cheddi Jagan’s

philosophy”, but instead withdeliberateracialbias.

Editor, the citizens of Guyana have had no reason at any time to be fearful of legalgunowners.

What people are afraid of are the brazen and lawless bunch of guntoting bandits in cars and on motorcycles, armed with ILLEGAL guns, operating openly in broad daylight, robbing and pillaging the helpless, inflicting harm on anyone

that resists! That is an indisputable fact of life in Guyana and that is what people should be most concernedabout.

Our author, however, willfully choosing to ignore this, has an issue withIndo-Guyanesewhose firearms were legally acquired It leaves one to wonder what sort of sick thinking guides the moral compassofsomepeople.

Bestregards, Dennis

Balgobin

Impressed with attention and investment in the shrimp industry

DEAREDITOR

,

The news from Budget 2023 about how “Gov’t. (is) to spend $350m on shrimp farms” is indeed very uplifting.

According to Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, the Irfaan Ali-led People’s Progressive Party Civic Administrationisfocusedon making the necessary investment to propel the sector.”

O v e r a l l , t h e commitment reads that, “We are committed to: increasing production and productivity through expansion in acreages and use of technology, diversifyingintonewcrops and varieties, promoting high-value and value-added, including through agroprocessing, and easing the access for farmers and consumerstomarkets.”

And specifically, addressing shrimp farms, the allocation is for the expansion of brackish water shrimp farms, and the establishment of vannamei shrimp farms ”

Editor, what Guyanese needtointernaliseisthatthis drive within the agriculture sector will redound in better proximitytomarketsandthe potential to offer the fresh producttoconsumers.

Thisthentranslatesinto reducing the need for middlemen in the business Let me add i n c e n t i v e t o t h i s investment by informing all that farmed shrimp accountsformorethanhalf of the shrimp produced globally

M o s t s h r i m p aquaculture occurs in China, followed by Thailand, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Brazil, Ecuador, and Bangladesh, and it has generated substantial incomeinthesedeveloping countries

So, I ask, “Why not Guyana?”

Think on this: Shrimp is one of the most traded species of seafood across the globe, and due to the high demand for shrimp and its improved supply, the shrimp industry

growth remains a stable prospect for long-term growth In fact, according t o t h e F o o d a n d Agricultural Organisation (FAO), in 2021, the international trade for shrimp was approximately 3 35milliontons

As a matter of fact, when the 2022 numbers are finalized, global shrimp production is expected to be up 4 percent to 5 6 million metric tons, following an 11 5 percent increase in 2021

Thus, Guyana must move in the direction of the major investors who are seeking profits, by thisfarmingmethod

Going back to 2020, when the brackish water shrimp initiative was promoted by President Ali, Guyana now has s o m e t h i r t y - t h r e e brackish water shrimp farms as a result of continued investments made over the past year andahalf

This speaks of good

sense too as according to the Finance Head, “In the face of challenges due to climate change and related factors, Government continues to support our f i s h e r f o l k a n d i s assiduously working to provide the necessary assistance and technical support to promote innovation and productivity within the marine and aquacultureindustries.”

I close this little missive by asking that complainers of Budget 2023 focus on what is actually happening in the countrysinceAugust2020, and in many areas too If they scan the landscape, they will see that ‘bit by bit’ Guyanese are seeing unprecedented positives in manyareas.

The shrimping success is something to be pleased about,andofcoursethereare many other things that I can point to, but for now, this suffices for optimism in the ascendencyinGuyana.

Yours truly,

HenrySingh

An appeal to PresidentAli and VP Jagdeo: ‘save Guyana cricket’

DearSir, Recently,the Guyana Cricket Board Selection

Panel held a press conference to justify their selection of the Guyana Harpy Eagles team to participate in the upcoming Regional four-day tournament and the nonselectionofAnthonyAdams inthesquad.Editor,inallmy years watching cricket press conferences, especially in relation to team selection, I

have never seen a selection panel giving such ridiculous and nonsensical answers to questionsposedbythepress. It was so painful and embarrassingtowatchthatit would have been better that they had remain silent and did not hold that press conference. They only left more questions than answers and embarrassedthemselvesand the Guyana Cricket Board by shifting blame

among themselves and not knowing their individual roles and functions.It is the worst cricket press conference I have ever witnessed.

I do not want to go into the details of the nonselectionofAnthonyAdams and Leon Johnson, knowing of the team selected by way of the press,that has already been well ventilated in the press and social media I would like to take this

opportunity to call on PresidentIrfaanAliandVice President Jagdeo to disband the board and install an interim management committee to save Guyana cricket.This committee can functionforashortperiodof timetoputtheGCBhousein order, until fresh elections are held Please Mr President,save Guyana cricket.

Yoursfaithfully, ImtiazBaccus

Theissueoffirearmlicenses,biggerconcern shouldbe

Apoliceseniormanagementteam politicised,apoliceforceunderduress

DEAREDITOR

,

The vexed question is who the next Commissioner of Police will be. Do you want to hazard a guess? Let me attempt to clear the air. While I was serving as a member of the Police Service Commission i saw recordswhichindicatedthat, on July 22,2023, Clifton Hicken the acting Top Cop will be fifty-five years old, and would reach the age of retirement.

Flashback! Theservices ofseveralCommissionersof Police were extended beyondtheageofretirement.

They include Laurie Lewis, Floyd McDonald, Henry GreeneandLeroyBrummel. Information received is that Hicken has accumulated enough annualized vacation leave that can carry him to retirement, but an application was made for him to be paid for his leave, whichwillallowhimtowork until his date of retirement. Thepossibilityofhimbeing extended beyond the retirement date cannot be overlooked That sparked some serious concerns among senior members of theForce.

There are many dangerously ambitious contenders anxiously awaitingtobeappointedthe next Commissioner of Police. In order of seniority Deputy Commissioner, Doctor Paul Williams is heading the list of aspirants. Of all the contenders, he is the most qualified professionally and academically He was banishedfromtheForceand sent to the Civil Defence Commission. In fact, the Commission now has a Deputy Commissioner, a Senior Superintendent and a Superintendent,allmembers of the Guyana Police Force aspartofitshumanresource. Among the duties of the Deputy Commissioner at that entity are recording and monitoring rainfall and floods in the country For unknownreasons,heisinthe Government’s black book. Therefore, he will not be appointed the next Commissioner of Police Wow! Next in line is Assistant Commissioner, RoystonAndriesJunior

He is on a trumped - up charge before the Court, therefore, he is ruled out for the job of Top Cop. He is followed by Assistant Commissioner, Simeon McBean, Commander, Regional Police Division 4

A He was unlawfully

dismissed when the present Government was in power after he went to the United Kingdom and successfully completed a Master’s DegreeinGlobalSecurityin Policing and Masters of Science. He subsequently appealed the decision and won his case. McBean was reinstated and promoted to his present rank. Despite his perpetual excellent performance and discipline, heisnotontheGovernment list as a candidate for the a p p o i n t m e n t o f Commissioner Sosad.

Sometime ago, I posited thatwhenNigelHoppiewas performing the duties of Commissioner of Police there was a ‘Gang of Five’ senior police officers workingagainsthimwiththe support of an office southwestofEveLeary

The gang is no longer operating.Theparadigmhas shifted.There are now five individuals operating separately like ‘snipers,’ shooting their way to be at the apex of management of the Guyana Police Force. This is so because there is a certain amount of distrust and disunity among them. It is as a result of what took placebeforeandafterthelast police promotions were announced by the not lawfully and duly constituted Police Service Commission.Itisheadedby the installed Bishop Patrick Findlay The police, while submitting the list for promotion from senior

superintendent to assistant commissioner without justification, rearranged the order of seniority Someone reshuffled the batting order fromnumberonetofour.As a result, a junior Senior Superintendentpreparedand headed the list of recommended promotions sent to the unlawful Commission. Remember the Hon Chief Justice, Madame Justice Roxane George SC described a c e r t a i n S e n i o r superintendent as selfserving.

Without due diligence the not lawfully and duly constituted Police Service Commission rubberstamped the list of promotions. It approved the recommended list of promotions, as was sent by the police The unlawful Commission did not add, alter or correct anything on the list. So, a juniorSeniorSuperintendent rose to the top of the list of Assistant Commissioners promoted, much to the chagrinofhisseniors.Thatis whenthedistrustand

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DEAREDITOR, T h e P e o p l e ’ s Development Movement was able to create the environment for the Government of Guyana to pay some attention to the Haurarini/Yarowkabra NDC a r e a , j u s t b y i t s establishment to take part in the upcoming Local Government Election and thedevelopmentofthearea.

On Wednesday, January 18, 2023, the President of Guyana visitedYarowkabra, which took the citizens by surprise because no prior notice was given to the citizens by announcement a week before or a day before that the President will visit. Themajorityofcitizensonly learned about the said visit the morning or after the President comes and go Editor since PDM has submitted its symbol to GECOMtocontesttheLocal Government Election for Haurarini/ Yarowkabra NDC,andisintheprocessof p u t t i n g t o g e t h e r development plans for the area and communicating

with the citizens, the Government is on the move to put money into the infrastructure development for the area, which we welcome.Manypromisesof handing out contracts to the people were also made, althoughwehadnotheardit in the 2023 budget for the NDC area, nevertheless we welcome the help the LAA canget.

Editor,thePDMisnotan anti-government movement.

We understand the

Constitution and the governance set out in the local government laws, and we are fully aware that an NDC is an elected Local Government Authority, an armoftheStateinthesystem called inclusionary democracy, and should cooperate with the State when it comes to the developmentofitsNDCarea and the State should do the same, even if they do not havethemajorityofvoteson the Council What PDM noticed is that the Government failed to have properconsultationswiththe

people, which is not good, starting with the Minister of LocalGovernment,whohad decided on his own, to reducetheLAAcouncilseats from8to6andthereduction ofconstituenciesfrom4to3. ThePDMseesthisaswrong andhadrejectedthedecision oftheMinisterbywritingto the press and GECOM by email, and was happy that GECOM condemned the move by saying that the Minister doesn’t have such power to change the boundariesofanLAA.

PDM would like to see betterconsultationthanwhat wesawonWednesdaythe18 andFridaythe20ofJanuary 2023 in Yarowkabra over squatting and other major development problems, by properly notifying the citizens about the consultation meeting. Editor while we know squatting is not right and we should not encourageit,wemustlookat why people squat. People have a right to live somewhere,especiallywhen theybecomeadultsandstart

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The PPP Govt must be a real partner, not a visitor

Frompage5

makingchildrenandhaveto leave their parent’s house, but cannot pay high rent, or have no way to go. It becomes a necessity to find somewhere to live until Government allocates land for them- the law of necessity force people to squat.

The run-in and run-out attitude of the Ministers on Friday 20/1/2022, and the behaviorthatweknow,what istakingplaceinthevillage, when villagers try to make their point, leave a bad taste inpeople’smouths,although the enticement of getting a contract was great PDM would like to see massive skills training in wood products production, with a 781 7 billion government budget, technical education shouldbeamust,andfinance availability for youth development must be easy access Editor, around 27 sawmills license were given

Corruptionandincompetence:whatnextandwhere

out on the highway, raw materials are in abundance,

but the skills and government support are invisiblesofar

We are calling on the government to invest in the wood value-added industry, byspendingmoneyonskills training and providing machinery

The other area of immediate need is for the development of agriculture onthehighway

With the hundreds of thousandsofpeoplewhowill becomingtoGuyanatolive, we would have a food shortage, and the people on the highway would have a great opportunity in agriculture if they got the necessaryhelpindeveloping their farmland. PDM is asking the Government to help farmers, don’t threaten themtotaketheirland

Sincerely,

MichaelCarrington Founder/Leader

DEAREDITOR, Daily,theSpeakerofthe House mutates into a more endearing, intriguing, and inspiring figure, who delivers the spectacular Often, I ask myself if he understands the sacrosanct nature of the House he presides over and what characterises the work of Speaker of the National Assembly It is my position that corruption and incompetencearenationalin scope, enduring essences of parliament.

C o r r u p t i o n a n d incompetence are more of the parliamentary than what isnowaparliamentinname, with grand abominations saturating. Both belong, both have relevance, both havebeensingularattributes

of our august house, a parliament of the less than sensible(aeuphemism),and a parliament of a word that beginswiththeletter‘w.’

Ibelievethattoomanyin parliament are both corrupt and incompetent. Show me t h e i r w o r k s o f incorruptibility and competence,andIwillyield, withdraw; smatterings only I grapple to decipher intellectualconstruct,ethical underpinning, and mental soundness of whoever is the authorofthisban. Thougha public figure of the now fabled prowess of the Hon Speaker is marginally capable of something like this on this own, it requires the extraordinary to transform the nationally notorious to the globally

ludicrous. We are already a universal joke; thanks Mr Speaker, for the encore

Never before has someone given so much, so eagerly and so valiantly, for party in d e f i a n c e o f t h e parliamentary; ultimately, country I ponder how he will purge corruption and incompetence from the Public Accounts Committee deliberations,records.

W e i g h i n g t h i s Speakership gem, the grand sweep of his glittering pettiness is singular for parliamentary pettifoggery, of unprecedented leadership profoundness with a special twist The Hon Speaker advances recklessly into the pristinewildernessofmental puniness, the luridly selfdemeaning. I discern a

testimony to profanity overcoming profound In America, this would be denounced as un-American; in Guyana, it is All Guyanese, the now irreversiblenorm.

In contemplating this newest pillaging of standards, this pilgrimage into parliamentary decay, I fervently hope that the Minister of Education doesn’t imitate, decide to ban both corruption and incompetencefromallofthis nation’s institutions of learning Meaning, in textbooks, in oral instruction, in written form, in classroom After all, c o r r u p t i o n a n d incompetence are not only unparliamentary,butboth

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Apoliceseniormanagementteam...

Frompage5 dissatisfactionamongthetopgunners–Imeanthe‘snipers’cameintoplay

Alittle about each ‘ sniper.’Here are the allegations: Due to ethnicity, one is highly favoured by a house in Robb Street. Another has the blessings of two offices southwest of Eve Leary He reports directly to them. The third is quietly gathering intelligenceabouttheincompetenceoftheothers,whichwillbesubmittedtothemoversandshakersoftheForce.Contestant number four apparently obtained a document indicating that Hicken has passed the age of retirement and that if Hicken’s servicesisextendedhe,thesniper,willshootthedocumenttomembersofthepublic.Thelastoneisdoingthebiddingsofthe politicians with ridiculous ease. He is boasting that he will be rewarded for his efforts with the top appointment as the a p p o i n t m e n t o f a Commissioner is a political one.Also,itisreportedthatan active army Colonel is in the running to become the next CommissionerofPolice.Heis, however, fearful that if he is appointed the ‘snipers’ will undermine him like what they didtoNigelHoppie.

The appointment of a Commissioner of Police is the sole responsibility of the President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. Article 211 (1) of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana states, “The Commissioner of Police and every Deputy Commissioner ofPoliceshallbeappointedby the President acting after meaningful consultation with the Leader of the Opposition and Chairperson of the Police Service Commission after the Chairperson has consulted with other members of the Commission.” As I alluded to above the Police Service Commission is not lawfully and duly constituted. To make itlawfultheChairpersonofthe Public Service Commission mustbeappointedasamember of the Police Service Commission There is no Public Service Commission. Hence, no Chairperson The ball is now in the court of the President. I hope that he plays itearlyandlegally

Sincerely,

ClintonConway Assistant Commissioner ofPolice (Retired)

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Big oil & lies

They could lie, they lie bad

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Calypsonian Lord Nelson called them 'King Liars'

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Now Guyana is blessed with 'liar the lion' operating right here

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The oil companies said that that they didn't know about global warming dangers

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They lie, they lie bad You hear lie, that's lie

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‘Economy caught up in the jaws of oil sector' - VoldaLawrence

...says Govt.'s talk about diversifying economy not working

Over the past two years, Guyana's k e y e x p o r t commodity has been its new found natural resource, oil. Oil exports accounted for 41.1 percent of exportations in 2020 and jumped to as muchas87.5percentin2022, thereby drowning out export earnings in the other commercialsectors.

Flagging this issue was Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Volda Lawrence during her contributions to Budget Debates on Friday She told the House that developments in the balance of payments mirrortheperformanceinthe rest of the economy It is here thatLawrencemadethepoint that “Oil dominates the export receipts of the country inanindecentmanner.”

She explained, “Sir it is instructive to note our merchandise exports for 2019 was US$1.587 billion.

Sir, since the first oil in December 2019, oil's contribution to export earnings from merchandise has risen sharply from 41.1% in 2020 to 87.5% last year and expected to maintain this veryhighsharein2023.”

The former Public Health

Minister reasoned that when merchandise exports are compared to 2019 when nonoil exports contributed to all the merchandise export receipts of the country, oil exportshavecrowdedoutthe non-oil exports in a very dramaticfashion.

To this end, Lawrence noted, “So, for all the talk of spending to avoid the 'Dutch Disease', all the talk of focusing on agriculture and achieving 25% reduction in food import bill by 2025, the evidence indicates that the Government's policies are having little to no effect on diversifyingtheeconomy.”

Shifting her attention to non-oil exports in 2019, LawrencetoldtheHousethat

thisfigurestoodatUS$1.567 million. In 2022 however, this dropped to US$1.425 million. She pointed out that Government in its outlook for 2023 projects that this would be increased to US$1.644million.

See table attached for statistics on performance of non-oilsector

These figures make it clear that since 2019, earnings from non-oil merchandise exports have not been matched or surpassed.

Lawrence explained, “In 2019, such earnings were US$1,567 million. But these declined in the next two years, before recovering slightly in 2022 The

projectionthattheseearnings in 2023 will surpass those of 2019 for the first time cannot be upheld to the scrutiny of t h e B u d g e t 2 0 2 3 ' s predictions of falling commodity prices and likely globalrecession.”

The Opposition MP said it is worrying that the economy “could be so quickly caught in the jaws of theoilsector.”

As a matter of fact, she noted that this unfolding situation “is as frightening as the fragility on which the economy's transformation is beingundertaken.”

The Corporate Finance Institute defines the 'Dutch Disease' as a concept that describes an economic

phenomenon where the rapid development of one sector of the economy (particularly n a t u r a l r e s o u r c e s ) precipitatesadeclineinother sectors It is also often characterizedbyasubstantial appreciation of the domestic currency 'Dutch disease' is a paradoxical situation where good news for one sector of the economy, such as the discovery of natural resources, results in a negative impact on the country'soveralleconomy

Several stakeholders have warned Guyana that the nation may already be gripped by the 'Dutch Disease', even while the administration continues to

argue otherwise. Former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan last August told KaieteurNewsthatoneofthe latest reports of the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) has projected that for 2022, Guyana's oil and gas resources would accountforalmost60percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), clearly outstripping the contributions of the other traditional sectors such as rice, sugar, bauxite, timber andgold.

Taking this level of domination into account, along with the heightened cost of living pressures, Jordan said the 'Dutch Disease' phenomenon is alreadyinGuyana.

Residents of La Reconnaissance, Annandale North to access house lots by February

Recognizingandunderstanding the positive impact of providing access to affordable housing as a means to improving the quality of life of Guyanese desirous of owning their own homes, the Government through the Ministry of Housing and Water will be providing allottees from Plantation La Reconnaissance, on the East Coast of Demerara, access to their houselotsbytheendofFebruary.

So far, over 1, 700 allocations weredoneforthatarea.

According to Housing and Water Minister, Colin Croal, “This areawasallottedinsevenlotswhen we tendered out. It is about $2.5 billion of investment here, and of that amount, we have spent about $800 million of work. We want, by theendofFebruarytostartshowing twoofthoselots,andtheremaining setbetweenMarchandApril.”

Alluding to the inability of persons being unable to view their lots, the Minister said there have been a few delays and challenges regarding accessibility, but he assured that they are working

assiduouslytoprovidepersonswith theopportunitytoviewtheirlots.

Meanwhile, the Minister inspected the construction works on the homes for the informal settlers at Annandale North, East Coast Demerara, noting that these families will be able to relocate to their new homes by the end of Februaryaswell.

“This is the kind of initiative you will see happening a lot more this year. We have had an initial focus on allocation, but that has beentocatchuponwhatweneeded to do for the people Those allocations will continue ” the Ministersaid.

The Housing Ministry has been working assiduously since 2020 to expediently address the backlog of applications it inherited from the previousadministration.

Since assuming office, 20,500 house lots have been allocated in new and existing housing schemes, withagoalofdistributing50,000in thefirstterm.

“But,theotherrealhardworkis working in communities to elevate

them, give them an opportunity to have a comfortable environment, givethemanopportunitytohavean area that they can be happy about. This is one of the models we are using to eradicate and address a number of these squatting settlements and areas,” Minister Croalunderscored.

Henotedthatthismodelwillbe replicated along the East Bank of Demerara.

This comes on the heels of His Excellency, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali's visit to the area in September last year, where he committed to relocating the 15 squatting families living along the sea defence reserve.

Immediately following the President'svisit,MinisterCroaland team engaged the residents of the community, where he assured that construction of these homes would soonbegin.

“Ten of them have opted for the house, and the remaining five have indicated that they will build, but they will have to complete in a similar time too, because we want,

Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal examining the map of planned developments for La Reconnaissance area

within two to three months, for those persons to be relocated,”

MinisterCroalexplained.

The Minister reiterated that no new squatting areas will be recognised.

“We know what we met, we knowwhatthesituationis.Wehave an assessment of all those areas where we have settlements. We have a Community Development Department that has been working overtime because while we want to addressrelocation,alotofactivities

havetotakeplaceforregularisation aswell.”

The Housing and Water Minister said works are 60 per cent complete on the homes for these families.

“Government will help to improvelives,butalso,youhaveto want this for yourselves. You have to play your role in wanting betterment for yourselves and your families We will be working c o n t i n u o u s l y w i t h a l l communities,”heexpressed.

Chart showing oil's contribution to export earnings

Table showing the performance of the non-oil sector and projections for 2023

Members of the National Assembly should exercise civility towards their peers

There is a certain person in the government who can be caustic criticizing members of the Opposition.

On her Facebook page she hasbeenknowntousestrong adjectives and nouns to describe certain Opposition parliamentarians If those words were used in the National Assembly, they wouldhavetobewithdrawn a s c o n s t i t u t i n g unparliamentarylanguage.

What Members of Parliament say in the National Assembly is privileged. They cannot be s u e d o v e r t h e i r pronouncements. They can takecertainlibertieswithout fear of a libel action. But parliamentarians are expected to be polite and civil when addressing each other

Thethingsthatparticular person wrote on her Facebook page, against another honorable member, would not have been entertained in the National Assemblybecausetheuseof suchwordswouldhavebeen deemed by the Speaker as unparliamentary It is therefore ironic that the particularmembercouldsay certain things in Facebook which cannot be said in the NationalAssembly

Inordertoensuregreater civility within the Lok Sabha, India’s parliament, a list of additional unparliamentary words are compiled periodically Amongthenewlistofwords are “baloney”, “betrayal”, “cheat”, “cockroaches”, “coward”, “criminal”, “disgrace”, “hogwash”,

“hypocrite”, “liar”, “fool” and “corruption”. The publication of the list of unparliamentary words came under severe criticism in India Some persons vieweditasanattempttogag members of parliament and an affront to freedom of expression and privileged speechintheparliament.

It was later explained that the words in question were not banned but merely represented a list of words which in the past had to be scrubbed from the public record of the proceedings of theLokSabha.Itwasfurther explained that the rules of India’sparliamentpermitthe expunging of words which donotconformtothedignity befitting the National Assembly The issue of unparliamentary language has arisen recently recently in Guyana’s National Assembly And rather than claiming that the words are proscribed from being used, it would be much better if it is clarified that the list of unparliamentary words are merely there to guide parliamentarians during their presentations in the House.

Adistinctionneedstobe made It would be unparliamentary for certain words to be directed against certain members For example, it would not be befitting the decorum expected in the House for any member to be described ofaccusedofbeinga“cheat” or“corrupt”.

The Standing Orders of the National Assembly is to theeffectthat,“Itshallbeout ofordertouseoffensiveand

Dem boys seh...

insulting language about members of the National Assembly”.

Inordertoensuregreater civility within the National Assembly, the Standing OrdersrequirethatMembers be addressed with the word. ‘Comrade”appearingbefore their title or official designation or they be referred to as “Honourable Mr Ms...”

And it goes further to state that no Member of the National Assembly shall impute improper motives to any other Member of the NationalAssembly Assuch, no Member should describe another as “corrupt” or a “fool”. But certainly, the former should be allowed to describe a government, past ofpresent.

If the word ‘corrupt’ is proscribed from being used in the House to characterize theactionsofagovernment, it would make it impossible for a no-confidence motion to be debated since this is often the basis for tabling a confidence motion in the House.

Indeed.duringthedebate oftheno-confidencemotion against the APNU+AFC r e g i m e , t h e w o r d “corruption” and it derivativeswereusednoless than44times.

The context in which certainwordsareusedneeds t o b e t a k e n i n t o consideration If certain wordsareusedtodisparagea member of the Assembly, theyshouldbeexpungedand withdrawn, at the direction of the Speaker But greater latitude needs to be shown whenthesewordsareusedto

In Guyana prices nah come down as yet!

F

Dem boys want Fareed to know dat Guyana is de exceptiontothatrule.Prices nah really fallin in Guyana.

areed Zakaria, de man wah does appear on CNN onaSundaymorning,needs to come to Guyana. On yesterday show de man claimhowwhenRussiadid invade Ukraine, it caused prices to skyrocket. But he now say that de prices falling.Andheshowhowin graphhowdepriceoffood, oil and natural gas and fertilizer fall below de preinvasionprices.De only price wah bin drop ispetrolandisonlybecause de government remove some taxes. Otherwise, we still deh in de same boat as duringdeRussianinvasion.

describe the government, eitherpastorpresent.

It is easy to cast aspersionsontheintegrityof the Speaker But those who feelthatsomethingwassaid that ought to be expunged from the record and

withdrawn, need to be reminded that they have a righttoraiseobjections,ona point of order, to the use of unparliamentary language

remarks and for any offending remarks to be scrubbed from the public record.

no

argument

So dem boys want ask Fared fuh come here and study what really going on. Becausedepressureishard on de consumers and de government nah look like demcansolvedeproblem. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

Deconstructing Ramjattan's word

The French philosopher, Jacques Derrida has made a huge contribution to epistemology with his i n v e n t i o n o f t h e deconstruction methodology Deconstruction in simple term means that there are layers of meaning to a word ortext.

I will not attempt to deconstruct the word “transformation” as used by AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan in his contribution tothebudgetdebate.

A slight digression is in order I have never seen before a situation in politics where a politician speaks in Parliament under one organisation, then outside of parliament delivers under the nameofanotherentity When in the House Ramjattan speaks as a parliamentarian under the APNU+AFC banner Outside of the National Assembly, he ruminates as the leader of AFC.Istherealogictothis?I don't know but it sound comical. Is Ramjattan saying thatallthesubjectsandtopics

that come before the House, heisinsyncwiththePNC?

If the answer is yes, then whatpositionstheAFCholds that does not synchronise with the PNC? Are there are issues that the AFC does not see eye to eye with the PNC, and by what logical acrobatics, there is no difference with matters that are before the House? Sounds confusing but let's moveon.

T h e w o r d “transformation” is used in a linear, progressive way Transformation is science has a totally different meaning. You can have a transformation that is negative and undermines the expected results. It could not be possible that Ramjattan was applying Derrida's deconstruction methodology when during the budget debate he said the closure of the sugar estates was transformational.Onecannot analyse what Ramjattan means unless Ramjattan offershismeaning.

Applying deconstruction

to political debate, it is difficult to see how the retrenchment of 7000 sugar workers outside of Demerara which has far greater employment opportunities that any of the other 9 Regions could have been transformational.

The sudden removal of 7 0 0 0 w o r k e r s f r o m employment by simple logic means that their relatives and families that depend on the income of those 7000 workers will be facing misery

I would like to offer a personal example of how the dissolution of an employee's income has deleterious consequences. In the first year of my daughter' studies at UG, I paid no fees because she was entitled to free tuition because of my years ofservice.Afterherfirstyear at UG, the Ramotar Government terminated my contractatUG.

I had to find almost half a million dollars for the next threeyears.SinceIwasoutof income, it was not easy

Venezuelan bustedwith kiloof marijuana

The parcels of drugs found in the Venezuelan man's haversack.

A Venezuelan man was on Saturday evening busted with over 1000 grams of marijuana in Tuschen North SquattingArea, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

Police identified him as Adrian Meddia, 29, and stated that they carried out the operation at around 23:15hrs.

Meddia was reportedly standing at a location holding a bulky haversack when police ranks pulled up. OneoftherankstoldMeddiathat he would like to search him and the Venezuelanmanagreed.

When the policeman opened the haversack, he found two scotch tapewrappedbulkyparcelscontainingthe drugs. He was arrested and taken to Leonora Police Station where he remainsincustodypendingcharges.

Imagine what happened to the relatives and family members of those dismissed workers.

A rough estimate put the numbers at 42, 000 It boggles the mind to find out how that policy could have beentransformational.

What Ramjattan did not mention is that the workers hadtotakethegovernmentto court to receive their e n t i t l e m e n t s B u t transformation could still have occurred if the workers were given the lands that the sugar factories rested on and the adjacent lands that would nolongerbetilled.

Such an act would have been unique in the history of Guyana's political economy and could have become the template for land use to poor people to transform their lives. Here is where the word transformation would have taken on phenomenal meaning.

What happened with the income removal of 7000 sugar workers is that a transformation did occur but

in the context of the meaning of

the word in science. As stated above in science the transformation could be unwanted

and could have adverse chemical effect This is what

happened in the political landscape of the AllianceForChange.

The sacking of 7000 workers transformed the AFC from a winning card player to a pathetic loser Those 42, 000 citizens that were terribly affected reverted to the PPP It was disaffected Berbicians in 2011and2015thatexpanded the political fortunes of the AFC In a crazy act of political hara-kiri, the AFC participated in consigning 42, 000 citizens to the breadline in 2017. Yet this third party expected to win reelection.

Transformation is taking like crazy in Guyana. The AFC has now transformed itself into a separate entity

A u b r e y N o r t o n h a s transformed the PNC into a self-destructive force. The 2023 national budget will transform the economy A bigger budget in 2024 will further transform the economy u t t h e b i g g e s t transformation will be in the area of politics. In the 2025 national election, the results will be transformation- the AFC from a half-dead organism into dead meat. Can someone really deconstruct the word, transformation?

(The views expressed in this article are those of the a u t h o r a n d d o n o t necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this newspaper and its affiliates.)

Govt. asked to justify giving sports

Speaking during the recently concluded budget debates Opposition Member ofParliament,CathyHughes asked how can the administration justify putting over $4 billion into sports and little over three billion to the University of Guyana, the premier institution “we expect to provide the qualified professionals we so desperately need to fill the skills gap and local content requirements that currently exists.”

Hughes said 5 of the 8 faculties at UG are sciencebased with the faculty of social sciences housing 12 different disciplines. “How do you justify the Goal scholarship programme getting about half of UG's budget with no physical infrastructure to manage the highexpectationsweandthe private sector have of UG. Does this make logical sense? Mr Speaker Politics should never intrude on our educational capability,” Hughesthundered.

During his budget presentation, Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh had told the House that to meet the growing demand for qualified personnel, “our tertiary institutions will

The University of Guyana was allocated $3.7B of this year's budget

increase their intake to produce more graduates to boost Guyana's human capital.” He noted that over the last two years, 6,100 students graduated from the University of Guyana. As such he said for this year, an amount of $3.7 billion is a l l o c a t e d f o r t h e management and expansion

of operations at the University of Guyana, Turkeyen and Berbice campuses. Additionally, the sum of $1 8 billion is budgeted for the GOAL scholarship programme and catersfor8,555newstudents and 1,047 continuing students. This, he said will add to the nearly 14,000 scholarships awarded since 2021, fulfilling the Manifesto promise of providing 20,000 online scholarships.

Meanwhile, Hughes also flagged the low salaries

being received by teachers, saying, “Mr. Speaker how is it possible that the APNU+AFC Coalition at a time when there were no oil revenues was able to make permanent salary increase in the minimum wage of teachers, nurses, doctors, members of the defense services, police and security forces. In 2015 it moved from $39,570 to $50,000 a 26% increase, 10% in 2016, from55,000to60,000–20%, over the four years minimum wage increased from 39,570 to 70,000 by 2019 77% and in this booming oil economy, nothing extra on permanent salaries.YesMr SpeakerI'm making an important distinction. An increase on their salary, something extra every month…not a “one off grant” when the government feels like giving you something.”

Frederick Kissoon

$4B, but UG little over $3B

Opposition says Learning Channel is hamstrung by nepotism

exists,asksforevidence

Opposition Member of Parliament, Cathy Hughes while underscoring the importance of the Learning Channel in supplementing the delivery of education here, flagged what she describedasnepotismwhich continues to bedevil the entity Education Minister, Priya Manaickchand subsequently made an attempt to interrupt and called on the former Minister, Hughes to provide evidence.

“Mr Speaker, The Learning Channel, quite possibly is the most important mass education tool for primary and secondary education and must be commended. But thisentityhasbeenunableto reach its full potential because it continues to be constrained by nepotism and

limited thinking,” Hughes told the National Assembly last week during the budget debates “Why should someone who is related to the sitting Education Minister be running that facility with no broadcast or education background These are the issues that continue to plague us and

these are the issues that have to be addressed,” Hughes toldtheHouse.

At this juncture, Manickchand made an attempt to intervene but was not allowed by the Speaker, Manzoor Nadir She subsequently used her Ministry to issue a press release condemning Hughes'

statements. “The Ministry of Education strongly rejects the statements made by Opposition Member of Parliament, Ms. Catherine Hughes directed to a senior officer within the Ministry, Ms. Anieshaw Mohamed, Head of the Guyana Learning Channel These statements were made

during Mrs. Hughes budget 2023 presentation in the National Assembly on Friday,January27,2023.“

The release added: “Mrs. Hughes tried to tarnish the reputation of Ms. Mohamed bystatingthatMs.Mohamed was employed to Head the Learning Channel because she is related to the

Honourable Minister of Education. This could not have been further from the truth. Ms. Mohamed and Minister Manickchand are not related in any way This untruth told by the Opposition Member of Parliament should be rejected fully It was a cowardly act to attack a professional public servant. A woman who is making significant changes in the educationsector.”

The Ministry said since assuming the leadership of the Learning Channel in 2020, the GLC has been transformed in every aspect and is now able to better serve children, teachers and the general public. “The GLC which was struggling from 2015 to August 2020 with one channel, now has sixchannelsdedicatedto

(Continued on page 15)

World Bank, suppliers sound alarm over high fertilizer prices

Last year, theWorld Bank reported that fertilizer prices had more than tripled compared to two years earlier It warned that high input costs, supply disruptions, and trade restrictions, was driving the hike, while natural gas prices started rising due to tensions between Russia and Ukraine, leading to widespread production cutbacks in ammonia—an important part of nitrogen-based fertilizers Similarly, the rising price of coal in China, the main feedstock for ammonia production there, forced fertilizer factories to cut production.

The Bank said this month that fertilizer prices have eased from their early 2022 peaks, but remain at historically elevated levels. The priceeasing,itnoted,partlyreflects weak demand as farmers have cut back fertilizer field applications due to affordability and availability issues.

The industry is also affected by supply-side issues, including a production crunch in Europe, disruptions due to sanctions on Russia and Belarus, and trade restrictionsinChina.

As of October 2022, about 70 percent of European ammonia production capacity had been reducedorshutdown.

Supply disruptions from the Ukraine-Russiawarhadsignificant impact on the fertilizer market.The Bank said that following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022,severaleconomies(including the EU and the U.S.) imposed

sanctions on Russia and Belarus, both important fertilizer suppliers. However, the trade sanctions have specified “carve-outs” for the food and fertilizer sectors to avoid adverse effects on global food security These carve-outs, the Bank continued, have enabled Russia to continue exporting fertilizers, but, potash (mined or manufactured salts) exports from Belarus have fallen by more than 50percent due to the restriction on using EU territory for transit purposes.

In particular, Lithuania has halted the use of its railway network to transport Belarusian potash to the port of Klaipeda, which typically handles 90 of Belarusexports.

Since last year, China also implemented export restrictions. Supply concerns were exacerbated by the country's decision to extend its export restrictions on fertilizers until the end of 2022, in order to maintain domestic availability DiAmmonium Phosphate (DAP) exports from China, which accounts for 30percent of global trade in DAP, fell by nearly 50 percent during the first ten months of 2022, while Chinese urea exports declined by about 60 percentoverthesameperiod.

Earlier this month, one of the world's largest fertilizer companies warned that every country, even those in Europe, is facing a food crisis.Speakingattherecentlyheld World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland earlier this month, Svein Tore Holsether, President

and CEO of Yara International, a Norwegian fertilisers giant, also warned that countries needed to cut their reliance on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine hit global food suppliesandprices.

ABBCreportontheissuenoted that with Russia being a top exporter of fertilisers and chemicals used to make them, the war has caused supply issues and driven up the price of natural gas, which is key to fertiliser production. The report said that global fertiliser prices have hit

Also speaking to the BBC was the International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director, Kristalina Georgieva who said that the world should “move attention today to fertilisers, because this is where we see particular threat for food production and therefore food prices in 2023". She added that "Fertiliser prices remain very high. Production of ammonia in the European Union, for example, shrank dramatically All of this is connected, of course, to the impact of Russia's war on gas prices and

blow in recent years due to drought in many countries. The eastern Horn of Africa including Somalia, Sudan, and Kenya—has been particularly hard-hit, as it is likely on the verge of a sixth straight failed rainy season, the worst drought conditions in 70 years of recorded data ” The magazine said that securing additional sources of fertilizer was the cornerstone of a $2.5 billion U.S. food assistance package to Africa signed last month, while Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen noted the importance of stabilizing fertilizer supply in Africa multiple times during a visit to Zambia last week.

Last year, Guyana too had to cushion high fertilizer prices President IrfaanAli had announced that the Government would be purchasing and distributing, free of cost, $1 billion in fertilizers to both cash crop and rice farmers across thecountry

record levels and forced farmers to raise food prices, putting pressure onconsumersworldwide.

Holsether has accused the Russian President Valdamir of weaponizing food “Putin has weaponised energy and they're weaponising food as well," Holsether told the BBC at the start of the Forum in Davos. "It's the saying, 'fool me once, shame on you.Foolmetwice,shameonme'."

gasavailability."

US business magazine, Fortune, said that if fertilizer is in short supply or prices remain unaffordable to many countries, farmersmaybeunabletokeeptheir soil fertile enough for crops

“Concerns over fertilizer have taken center stage in recent weeks in Africa, which is heavily reliant onRussianfoodimports,andwhere agricultural production has taken a

The Government said that it would have intervened to absorb rising global costs for the commodityandtopreventthecosts from being passed on to consumers atthemarket.

The $1 billion was drawn from a $5 billion sum the government had set aside in the 2022 national budget to implement measures to ease the cost of living for citizens. The Government had said that of the $1 billion, $900 million would go towards the procurement of fertilizerforthericeindustry,while the remaining $100 million would havegonetocashcropsfarmers.

Guyana Government allocated $1B for fertilizer assistance last year

Education Minister, Priya Manickchand

Opposition MP, Cathy Hughes

Govt. 'digging a hole to full a hole' saddling citizens with greater public debt

The Government of Guyana under the leadership of the People Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) is in the habit of what Guyanese refer to as 'digging a hole to full a hole,' when it comes to servicing the country's internal and external debt.

Shadow Minister of Finance and Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Juretha Fernandes made this point during her presentation in the 2023 Budget Debate. She noted that Government loves to borrow loans to pay for outstanding loans, which onlyincreasesthepublicdebt that is then saddled on the backsofcitizens.

TheOppositionMPnoted that Minister within the Office of the President with the Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh saidtheexistingexternaldebt at US$1,571.9 million and internal debt at US$2,080.6 m i l l i o n , a t o t a l o f

US$3,652 5 million This debt, she said increased the liability of each Guyanese

household significantly, as the increase of debt is estimated to now cost each householdatleast$531,000.

To compound the domestic debt issue,

Fernandes noted that while Dr Singh was quoted saying that the, “'The growth of domestic debt service payments was, in turn, l a r g e l y d u e t o t h e commencement of principal repayments on debentures issuedin2021tosecuritisean inherited overdraft at the CentralBank;'”

According to Fernandes, this statement was wholly misleading.

She said, “Mr Speaker it wastheveryAshniSinghthat stood in this House and said that as of August 2nd 2020 when the PPP took office the overdraft was $78.7 billion and after four month the PPP racked up the overdraft to $116.6 billion, $37.9 billion in a few months. But that wasn't all Sir, because six months after that in June of 2021, the Government sold

over $200 billion in debentures to clear the overdraft ” Fernandes claimedthatthePPPCracked up, in less than a year more overdraft than they reached after the APNU+AFC five years in office. She therefore told the House for Dr Singh to deceive the Guyanese people that the debentures were sold to clear an inherited overdraft from the A Partnership For National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC's) term in Office is a clear attempt to willfully mislead or spread disinformation to the people ofGuyana.

During his budget 2023 presentation, Dr Singh had announced that the country's total public debt stood at US$3,654.9M an increase by 16.9percentfromlastyear

Almost all of its recently a n n o u n c e d p u b l i c infrastructural projects Government has been borrowing to finance them despite earning over US$1B intheoilaccountforlastyear

- Juretha

Fernandes

Delivering his budget presentation Dr Singh sought to allay the fears of Guyanese by claiming that Governmenthas“maintained its long-standing practice of prudentdebtmanagement.”

Tothisend,heannounced that total public and publicly guaranteed (PPG) debt amounted to US$3,654 9 million at end-2022, up 16.9 percent from end-2021, on accountofgrowthinexternal a n d d o m e s t i c d e b t “Notwithstanding, the ratio of total PPG debt-to-GDP declined substantially over the past year, from 38 9 percent at end-2021 to 24.6 percent at end-2022. This outcome is testament to our judicious contracting of development financing, at a level well within Guyana's debt carrying capacity,” Singh told the National Assembly

He added that at the end of 2022, Guyana's external

Shadow Minister of Finance and Opposition, Juretha Fernandes

debt totalled US$1,571 9 million, representing a 12.9 percent increase compared to end-2021, mainly as a result of positive net flows from bothbilateralandmultilateral creditors.

Meanwhile, he claimed that domestic debt amounted toUS$2,080.6millionatend2022, up from US$1,731.5 million at end-2021. This increase is attributed to Government's issuance of new fiscal treasury bills

Total public debt service rose from US$121.9 million in 2021 to US$150.2 million in 2022 This increase was driven primarily by domestic

debtservicepayments,which totalled US$65 million in 2022, up from US$41 2 million in the preceding year The growth of domestic debt service payments was, in turn, largely due to the commencement of principal repayments on debentures issuedin2021tosecuritisean inherited overdraft at the Central Bank When compared with the previous year, external debt service payments increased by 5.5 percenttoUS$85.2millionin 2022, mainly on account of higher principal and interest payments to multilateral creditors.

PPP Gov't. paying over $40M more on every kilometer of roadwork-Patterson

Since the People's Progressive Party (PPP) assumed office in 2020, Budgets ensuing have ballooned each year, but less work has been completed. Not only that, but the quality of work being done, has also diminished.

This is according to former Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson.

He used statistics during his contribution to the 2023 Budget Debates to underline his point. Patterson firstly noted that under the Special Projects Unit (SPU) established under the A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) more work has been done with one fifth of the Budget, the PPP now has.

Patterson said that in 2017, 410 kilometers (KM) of road works were completed, while in 2018 some 450 KM of roads were done. Another 450 KM were completedin2019,hesaid.

Meanwhile, under the PPPin2020,175KMofroads were completed and another 420and520in2021and2022 respectively. According to the Opposition Member of

Parliament (MP), this is clearly a case where less money was spent for more workatabetterquality

In making his case, Patterson pointed out, “The Honorable Minister (of Public Works, Juan Edghill), spoke about the extent of Urban roads completed duringhistenure,onceagain, we are grateful on behalf of thecitizensofGuyana,forall infrastructural works, but once again, the devil is in the details.”

He pointed out that in 2017, the former Coalition Government completed 20.22 KM of roads, and another 21 1 KM and 16.6KM in 2018 and 2019 respectively Patterson said this was followed by a mere 6.4 KM of roadwork in 2020 by the PPP and 3.6KM in 2021 In 2022, the administration reportedly completedsome18.13KM.

Similarly, he noted that the Minister of Public Works mentionedthesumofmonies available to the Coalition a d m i n i s t r a t i o n f o r miscellaneous roads as opposed to the sums disbursed to his ministry from 2020 to 2022. Patterson explained that the then

M i n i s t r y o f P u b l i c Infrastructure (MoPI) received according to the Minister G$8 522B as opposedtoG$45B.

To this end, the former Minister went into detail comparing the amount of work done by the two governments. Patterson said

only wonder where the extra moneyisgoing.”

Further, Patterson reasoned that what makes it worse is that for 2022, only 55 percent of the roads were completed under this program, which means that of the 290km that the Minister boasted of, only

“The coalition constructed approximately 165km of roads from 2017 to 2019 at a cost of approximately G$46M per km, the PPP is paying approximately G$92M per km, more than double the cost per km, for half the quality of work. One can only wonder where the extra money is going”- Patterson

that while the total roadworks done in these areas exceed the Coalition's achievements “the devil has alwaysbeeninthedetails.”

He said, “The Coalition constructed approximately 165km of roads from 2017 to 2 0 1 9 a t a c o s t o f approximately G$46M per km, the PPP is paying approximately G$92M per km, more than double the cost per km, for half the quality of work – one can

160km has been finished –with the remainder rolled overto2023.

As it regards expenditure on sea defence structures across the country, the Opposition MP argued that the same phenomenon is evident.HesaidthatMinister Edghill announced that since coming to office, his Ministry has completed 5.4km of new works, rehabilitated 1km of sea defense and maintained

81.8kmofseadefense.

However, in comparing the achievements of the Coalition, he outlined that between 2017 and 2019 13 83km of new works executed, along with 50.3km of rehabilitation works and 253km of maintenance works. Patterson said that this is comparing “chalk to cheese”asthiswasrealvalue for money, with no “kickbacks for the boys”.

“Mr Speaker, we did so much more with so much less, and at a higher standard,”hecontended.

To c l o s e o ff h i s presentation, he was keen to highlight that the Ministry of Public Works and the Government by extension have been awarding multimillion-dollar contracts to its friends and families, though the owners have no history of construction background.

“In 2020, you were a race car driver, no worries; you will be awarded a contract under the Ministry of Friends, Family and Favorite.In2020,youwerea dealer in gold and other metals, no worries, you will be awarded a contract under the Ministry of Friends and

Favorite.In2020,youwerea Joker on social media, no worries, you will be awarded a contract under the Ministry of Friends and Favorite. In 2020, you were a dancehall promoter, no worries; you will be awarded a contract undertheMinistryofFriends andFavorite.

Your son, daughter and wife never build a road before, no worries, you will be awarded a contract under the Ministry of Friends and Favorite,”Pattersonsaid.

Former Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson

SBM Offshore launches Guyana-Monaco Mousetrap Car Grand Prix

SBM Offshore, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education last week officially launched the Guyana-Monaco Mousetrap Car Grand Prix Competition attheRoraimaDukeLodge.

The Monaco Mousetrap Car Grand Prix is an international competition that is held annually in the PrincipalityofMonaco,SBM said in a press release. The competition will see high school students using the Laws of Physics to create a model race car utilising a mousetrap to propel the car forward by triggering the original trap mechanism. It was created under the High Patronage of His Serene Highness, Prince Albert II of Monaco to promote Science and Engineering to students inafun,excitingway

Through SBM Offshore, Guyanawasofficiallyinvited to participate in the international event, opening an avenue for the skills and talents of Guyanese students toexpresstheircreativityand compete in the areas of

Aftermath of the fire.

Science and Engineering. In acollaborativeeffortwiththe Ministry of Education, the company invited several secondary schools that contested in the National Science Fair to participate in the launch of the local leg of the competition Three categories are open for three entries – Acceleration, Endurance, and Innovation andCreativity

GeneralManagerofSBM Offshore,Mr MartinCheong expressed his gratitude to the organisers of the Monaco Mousetrap Car Grand Prix for extending this exciting opportunity to Guyana and encouraged students to make fulluseoftheopportunity He said, “It is an extremely exciting opportunity to display your creativity, innovation and demonstrate your understanding of the LawsofPhysics.

Guyana is home to many brilliantstudentsandcreative minds who can certainly compete on an international level once given the chance to do so We wish to encourage you to make full

use of this occasion and displayyourcreativity.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Education Officer for Amerindian Hinterland Education Development, Mr Marti DeSouza, stated, “The time of this competition is very apt so that we can engage our children at a very highlevel.Evenasyougoout and take part in the competition,youaregoingto be using your scientific knowledge.Giveityourbest! You have to think critically and apply yourself. I want to see excellent, creative designs that will be sure to win the competition in Monaco.”

The participating schools will have to apply to be part of the competition. Once all the applications have been submitted, an official request will be sent to Monaco, and a number of mousetrap kits will be mailed to Guyana. Once the schools receive the kits, they will be given a timeframe to complete their mousetrap cars, following which the entries will be judged. The first, second and

Boy, 8, killed after house catches fire

- Grandmother,brotherinjured

Aneight-year-oldboyonSundaydiedata City hospital while receiving treatment for burns he received after the house he was in caughtfire.ThefireoccurredonFridaylastat Lot 873 South Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara. His 75-year-year grandmother, Lynette Gray, is still in a critical condition while the boy’s four-year-old brother is also recoveringfromminorburns.

The dead boy was identified as Jermaine Johnson.

According to the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), their home caught fire at around 02:43hrs while they and other family membersweresleeping.

The family of six woke up just in time to escapetheburningbuildingbutnotbeforethe

eight-year-old Johnson and his grandmother wereseverelyburnt.

Fire trucks and ambulances were sent to thescene.Whilefirefightersbattledtheblaze Gray, Johnson and the four-year-old were rushedtotheGeorgetownPublicHospitalfor treatment.

They were admitted to the burn care unit whereJohnsonlaterpassedaway

Firefighters were unable to save their homefrombeingdestroyed,butInvestigators did learn that the deadly blaze was caused by anelectricalfanthatoverheated.

“The purported cause of the fire is an electrical fan that overheated and ignited nearby combustible materials”, the Guyana FireServicehadstated.

SBM Offshore's Human Resource Manager, Onecia Johnson, SBM Offshore's General Manager, Martin Cheong, Deputy Chief Education Officer for Amerindian Hinterland Education Development, Mr. Marti DeSouza, SBM Mr Offshore's Trainee Programme Coordinator, Ms. Nevellean Dundas, and students at the launch of the Guyana-Monaco Mousetrap Car Grand Prix.

third-place winners of each c a t e g o r y w i l l b e automatically entered into the international leg of the competition, while the firstplace winner of each category will be awarded acash prize to purchase materials for the schools' ScienceDepartments.

Resource

Once the three best performers of each category are determined, videos of their performance willbe submitted to Monaco by way of a video recording for judging in the international competition.Ifalocalteamis s u c c e s s f u l i n t h e international leg of the

competition, they will be offered free travel to Monaco where they will have a chance to view the Grand Prix from a prime location. SBM Offshore will pay for travels to Monaco, while the Monaco Mousetrap Car Grand Prix organisers will payfortheirstay

Construction of young professional homes at LBI to begin today

Wh i l e

conducting several site visitsalongtheEastCoastof Demerara on Saturday, HousingandWaterMinister, Collin Croal laid out the infrastructural framework that will see development in the La Bonne Intention housingscheme.

He noted that persons whohavebeenallocatedlots in the residential areas have beenshowntheirlotsandare now able to apply for a mortgage,theDepartmentof Public Information reported. “All those persons have already started to sign their letters of agreement of sale. We have also sorted out the ownership, because, when we take over, they did not have ownership. So, that is now taken care of,” the Minister saying.

allocated the The

series of zones, beginning with the residential house lots The second zone c o n s i s t s o f y o u n g professionalhomes.

The Minister said infrastructural works are being prepared for close to 600 of these homes. He highlighted that, similar to t h e i s s u e s i n L a R e c o n n a i s s a n c e , accessibility poses a challenge with the ongoing works. “So,youmayseethe front of the scheme developing, but then to get access to go inwards is difficult, because sometimes acontractoriswaitingonthe contractor in front of them, or in another case, we would need to get the access road done in order to have the i n f r a s t r u c t u r e , ” h e explained.

other development that is happening on the Eastern side is where private investors will be conducting infrastructural works for high-end housing, hotel type activitiesandsoforth.

We will also be seeing a commercialzone,whichwill run close to the road connectingAubreyBarkerto Enmore-Foulis. So, you can see how interconnected all the areas on the East Coast are,” the Housing and Water Ministerstated.

TheMinisterassuredthat this level of development will be duplicated in all regionsacrossthecountry

“We have to develop all regions,andifwearetalking about'OneGuyana',itmeans that we will develop all regions,” He said the allocation of house lots in on that residential of

Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal surrounded by a team of engineers and contractors as he inspected the ongoing works at the LBI Housing Scheme on Saturday

Regional Chairman says Government misses mark with Linden visit, fails again to meet with representatives

After accusing the Government of ignoring the budgetary needs of Region Ten, and blanking projects proposed by its Council, Regional Chairman, Deron AdamssaidtheGovernment hasagainfailedinitsdutyto meet with the elected representativesofthepeople orengagetheminawaythat would bring relief to the issues they are facing. The Chairman in a Facebook statement Sunday said that PresidentIrfaanAlimadehis way to the mining town less than 48 hours after regional leaders held a press conference to address some inadequacies facing the region.

He said that it was commendable that less than 48 hours after the elected leadership in Linden held a pressconferencetohighlight the state of the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) Ground and the need for input in the agriculture sector, “the President responded by flying to Linden to commit thattheMSCGroundwould be completed expeditiously andthecallsoftheresidents put forward by their elected representatives would be addressed” “A better position though would have been to engage the leaders electedbythepeopleorhave thevariousMinistersengage them, so that for example, the Minister of Youth Culture and Sports could be informed that Linden is a football (soccer) town, different in focus to other areas in Guyana where cricket may be the focus,”

theChairmansaid.Headded that while the development work at the MSC Ground is welcomed,itispreferredthat “ratherthanfixingitto“ICC standards” as the President was quoted in the media as saying, we would prefer FIFA standards to be the guide,evenasweencourage the upgrading of the ground near to the Mackenzie High School to ICC standards to encourage those in the Region who play cricket.”

“We also encourage the Presidenttoengageusonour proposal to develop a sporting facility inAmelia’s Ward, where we have already advanced a particular location for this development,” the Chair informed.

On another note, the Chair said the Council is concerned about what is taking place in the public service. “We are also really regretful that the President again displayed a lack of concernforhiscolleaguesin the public service, who are engagedlikeheistoprovide development for and on behalf of the people of Guyana,butwhounlikehim

are not fortunate to fly around in a helicopter, but have to endure the unsafe, hazardous and filthy conditions of their current work environment at the Regional Democratic Council building.” “Avisit to assure them that this situationwasbeinglookedat and the return of the project tocontinuebuildingthenew facility for them to work in wouldhaveensuredthatthis visit was not seen as just a token publicity jaunt,” the Chairmansubmitted.

Adams said earlier this week in a public statement thattheGuyanaGovernment continues to ignore projects budgeted for by Region Ten’s Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and submitted for allocations in theNationalBudget.

He said that while membersoftheCounciltake lotsoftimeandefforttomeet with residents via community consultations to have their input, the Government “continues to pursue a policy of not only refusing to fund projects proposedbytheCouncil,but to ignore input from local governanceperspective.”He said in a statement that this has been the situation since 2020.

The Regional Chairman had alluded to projects proposed under its agriculture programme to securefundingforfarmersin s e v e r a l o u t l y i n g communitiesinRegion10as the Council saw first-hand the challenges the farmers face,particularlyasitrelates

Corruptionandincompetence...

Frompage6 are also now un-Guyanese, so alien they are to the local environment and culture

Goinghigher,Ihopethatthe Attorney General refrains from introducing a bill in parliament (where else, folks)thatmakesitacrimeto utter words like corruption and incompetence anywhere.

This could be extensions of thecharadeslivedwithhere.

As the Speaker, the parliamentarydefenderofan obscene faith, banned, then the two offices mentioned couldmakeacleansweepof things by suppressing expressionsfoundoffensive.

I have news for Speaker andmasterminds:somebody is going to have to lock me up.

For, presently, the thought is to stand outside

parliament, before high official residences, and workplace of those with Far Eastern friends, and shout those two words at high volumerepeatedly

I would do so as a test casetothefaceofanycreator of this singular mockery of what characterizes local reality through and through. Today it is corruption, tomorrow it could be that other national blackeyediscrimination.

A n d w h e n incompetence could be denied its rightful putrid existence, then insipidity and deformity become embeddednorms.

Itiswherethecoarseand common have become the commonplace.

And this we are supposed to cheer, think infinitelybetter

As I think of the noble Speaker of Guyana’s now derelict House, I salute him for his finest hour yet C o r r u p t i o n a n d incompetencearebotholder and more rooted than the Republic itself, but in one fell swoop, Guyana’s most a d m i r e d S p e a k e r vanquished both into nonexistence.

Welldone,Mr Speaker Now, if we only had more like him, then Guyana would be at the head of the class.

Just don’t ask for what, and in front of whom he would stands as the first amongequals.

I inquire if this means that the media must follow suit, constitutional freedom ofspeechandall….

Sincerely, GHKLall

to the marketing of their crops.

Another major project that was submitted for funding but was removed is the continuation of the new Regional Democratic Council Headquarters at Speightland, Mackenzie The current building, which is decades old he said, is locatedonRepublicAvenue, and was listed as a fire hazard by the Guyana Fire Service as it is currently overcrowded and is structurallyfaulty

The Chair had said too that the ground floor floods every day as a result of plumbing deficiencies and on several occasions, operations have to be brought to a halt and staff

sent home as a result of sewerage backing up and overflowing into office spaces. He said that the Administration building at Kwakwani is in a similar state of disrepair and begs the question why would any administration that cares for the persons in its direct employ, refuse to allocate resourcestomaketheirwork environment safe and comfortable.

The Chair had said too that while the budget for his office operations was increased to $47M, the actual sum to facilitate operations has been reduced by $700,000 since stipend for Toshaos and Councillors has been increased He claimed that this reduced

sum will affect the office’s community consultation programmesamongstothers.

“When cost of living increasesarefactoredin,you canseethattheRDCisbeing forced to do less work in Region 10 due to a net reduction in its funding F u e l , s p a r e s a n d maintenance costs to facilitateourinteractionwith residents across the 6,555 square miles of this region, fromtheBerbiceRivertothe upper reaches of the DemeraraandtheEssequibo Rivercommunitiesaswell.” The Council called on the Government to ensure the electedarmoftheRDCisnot sidelined and the wishes of the constituents are respected.

Protester dies in Lima as Peru’s crisis continues

Protesters clash with police in Lima after lawmakers vote down proposals to hold elections thisyear

(Al Jazeera) A man in Peru’scapitalLimahasdied andotherswerehospitalised as nationwide clashes between protesters and police continued in the eighth week of the South American country’s politicalcrisis.

The death of Victor Santisteban Yacsavilca, 55, on Saturday brought the nationwide toll in the protests that began in early December after the impeachment and arrest of President Pedro Castillo to 58.

Initially focused in Peru’s rural, mountainous south, protests have gained steaminthecapitalinrecent weeks. Saturday’s protests weremostlyinLimaandthe

southern Cusco region, Peru’sombudsmansaidina statement.

Santisteban had suffered a severe head injury, the national health insurance agency said in a statement

S o m e p r o t e s t s escalated as demonstrators armed with rocks and makeshift shields clashed with police, who deployed gasandrubberbullets

Peru’s ombudsman condemned reports of attacks against journalists coveringtheprotests

P r e s i d e n t D i n a Boluarte expressed regret early on Saturday after Congress refused to speed up the timeline for a presidential election amid theunrest,herofficesaid

Lawmakers had given an initial green light to move elections from 2026 to2024,butonFridayvoted

down proposals to hold the electionthisyear

Boluarte has repeatedly backedmovingupelections asshestrugglestoquellthe protests calling for her resignation.

A motion to move elections up to April 2024 passed one vote and has a final vote in February Congress will continue the debateonMonday

“We urge lawmakers to putdowntheirpartisanand group interests and put the interest of Peru first Our citizens promptly await a clearresponsethatwillpave a way out of the political crisis and build social peace,” Boluarte’s office saidonTwitter Boluarte, who took office after Castillo’s removal, has maintained she will stay on as president until elections areheld

Regional Chairman, Deron Adams

Aphoto provided by the Chairman of President Ali’s Linden visit

One dead, several injured as contractor rams pick-up into crowd

A businessman from East Bank Berbice is currently in police custody following an accident that saw him driving into several persons that were on a street inEastCanje,Berbice.

That accident resulted in the death of a man and injuries to three others includingan11-year-old.

Dead is Somdatt Indal called 'Fats', of Canefield Settlement, East Canje. The injured persons have been identified as Dion Kistnen, 11, Daniel Sakichand, 21 and Leon Revon, 34. The driver of the vehicle, a Toyota Tacoma has been identified as Shazad Sattaur, a contractor and owner of N&S Engineering Services in East Canje Berbice Regional Commander, Shivpersaud Bacchus confirmed that Sattaur who initially drove off after ploughing through the residents, turned himself over to the police yesterday Police said that Sattaur who was speeding through the Workshop Street, Canefield, East Canje Berbice was heading in the direction where several persons were gathered on the street. He was driving his Toyota Tacoma at the time. Sattaur drove allegedly into the gathering hitting 11-yearo l d K i s t n e n , R e i s , Sackichand along with Indal (deceased). They were flung several feet in the air before falling on the road surface.

They were all picked up and takentotheNewAmsterdam Hospital Indal was pronounced dead on arrival while the others were admitted in a stable condition Meanwhile, Kaieteur News understands that the cousin of Sattaur (driver) was involved in an argument at the location of accident The cousin

Electrical fire leaves four homeless at Grove

Shazad Sattaur, a

reportedly summoned Sattaurtothescenewhenthe accident occurred. A video recording showed Sattaur driving off after hitting the people. Sattaur was recently in the news for not completing works on the El Dorado to Moleson Creek stretchofroad.

His contract was t e r m i n a t e d b y t h e

G o v e r n m e n t T h e contracting firm was required to construct 1km of road from third bridge at Eldorado, Moleson Creek, Upper Corentyne, Region Six. However, after paying thecontractoramobilisation advance of $22M, the contractor failed to start workseightmonthsafter Minister of Public Works,JuanEdghillduringa tour of road works in Berbice recently had stumbled on the issue while e n g a g i n g t h e Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and residents. It was then he found out that the works on the road that lead to El Dorado has not started even though the contract was awarded last year In a video

Dead, Somdatt Indal called 'Fats'

on the Ministry's Facebook page, Edghill was heard saying: “This is Friday the th13 , 2023, a contract for the continuation of this road gettingintoElDoradowhich is where we are supposed to beopeningupfarmlandsand to make life easier for the people, N&S Contracting received that contract and received a mobilisation advance of $22 M and I am hereatthesite,it'snow8:30, I asked to meet the contractor and he hasn't arrived and none of his workmen is here, there is no visiblesignofwork…”

A visibly annoyed

Edghill subsequently instructed his Permanent Secretary to immediately terminatethecontract.

Four persons were left homeless on Sunday after an electrical fire reportedly destroyed a one-flat wooden house at 243 Downer Street Grove, East BankDemerara(EBD).

The fire reportedly begun around 13:10hrs and two fire trucks were immediately dispatched to thescene.

Despitefirefightersbest efforts, the building could notbesaved.Investigations conducted immediately led the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) to believe that the firewaselectricalinnature.

“The fire was the result of a fluctuation in electricity that caused an overload in the electrical panelandthisresultedinan explosion which ignited and spread to nearby combustible materials”, the

contractor and owner of N&S Engineering Services in East Canje Berbice.

GFSstated. The building was owned by Belinda Bunbury and at

thetimewasoccupiedby31year-old, Ivy David and threeothers.

Firefighter combing through the rubble during their investigation.

Dominant India win inaugural U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo - A long, long wait for a World Cup win in women’s cricket finally ended for India. It was fitting that Nooshin Al Khadeer was at the helm of it all as the head coach, 18 years after she was part of India’s runners-up finish in the Women’s World Cup in South Africa.

An athletic effort on the field, some disciplined bowling, and a canter with the bat helped India defeat England to claim the inaugural Under19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Potchefstroom.

Fast bowler Titas Sadhu, offspinner Archana Devi and legspinner Parshavi Chopra picked up two wickets apiece

to bowl England out for 68. Soumya Tiwari and G Trisha then saw off the chase to set off celebrations for the Shafali Verma-led side.

Tiwari, Trisha ensure minimum hiccups

Chasing 69, Shafali got going with a giant six over long-off off left-arm spinner Sophia Smale.

She cleared her front leg and tonked her high and long. But legspinner Hannah Baker, opening the bowling with Smale, prised out Shafali. Baker impressed throughout the tournament, varying her flight and lengths. She tossed one up on off, enticing Shafali to go over the top

but giving her little room to get under. What resulted was a miscue towards mid-on, where Alexa Stonehouse dived low to her left to grab that.

Soon England captain Grace Scrivens had Shweta Sehrawat, the leading rungetter in the competition, sky one to short fine leg to create brief flutters.

But one-drop Tiwari and then Trisha walked out to calm the nerves.

They saw off the testing spells from Baker, Smale and Scrivens, with a bit of fortune, too.

Tiwari had just hit a glorious lofted extra-cover drive to

Monday January 30, 2023

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19)

There's an important lesson to learn today, Aries, so don't shy away from the classroom. It's important to control your attitude now or it's likely to control you. It could be that your ego is a bit too inflated

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Consider the romantic relationships in your life right now, Taurus. It's important to remember that regardless of how hot and steamy a partnership is at first,

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

Today is your day to become a hero, Gemini. You don't have to be dressed in fancy tights and a cape to make an important difference in someone's life.

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

There's a great deal of fun to be had today, Cancer. Money isn't always necessary to make this happen, however. In fact, money isn't a great way to keep score.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22)

Remember that the important thing isn't necessarily what you're doing but the people you're with, Leo. There's a great deal of passion in the air today that you can latch onto and put to good use.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22)

You could learn a tough lesson today, Virgo. More than likely, the harder the message hits you, the more important it was for you to hear. It's important that you accept failure gracefully.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

There's a great deal of fuel to keep your fire raging today, Libra. Powerful situations are apt to come your way in which you're asked to take decisive action. Don't shy away from added responsibility.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

Remember that one wrong move today could cause you to have a headache for a good long while, Scorpio. Don't take uncalculated risks. There's dynamism and confidence in the air.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

It's a long road to becoming exactly the person you want to be, Sagittarius. You can't change who you are. Input from every person you know and lessons from every bump in the road.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19)

You should always leave a loved one with loving words, Capricorn. Each time you exit a room, consider that you're never going to enter that room again. Perhaps you'll never see those people again.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

Just when you think you have absolutely no energy left, you're able to kick into a higher gear. Push beyond your limits today, Aquarius. You'll find that you can achieve a great deal.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

Regardless of how you feel today, Pisces, it's important to own up to your mistakes. Keep in mind that you're responsible for your actions. No matter how much you might want to shrink away,

get off the mark on her tenth ball when Baker floated one fuller and wider. She couldn’t resist and went for the drive away from the body only to edge it to slip, where Scrivens couldn’t hang on.

Thereon, Tiwari and Trisha tightened up and never offered any chance and scored against England’s allspin attack till the 10th over, when they were 48 for 2. Trisha then greeted right-arm fast bowler Ellie Anderson with back-to-back boundaries before hitting the left-arm seam of Stonehouse for another four in the next over. With three needed, though, Trisha’s ungainly heave saw her be clean bowled. But Tiwari was too setand experienced, having led Madhya Pradesh to the Under-19 domestic T20 title - to let things slip from there.

England falter with the bat for the second successive game

England were served well by their opening pair of Liberty Heap and Scrivens through the tournament but Heap fell early just like she did in the semi-final.

Sadhu got a length ball to climb up and Heap ended up top-edging it for Sadhu to take an easy catch in the very first over of the match, after India opted to bowl.

Archana, opening the bowling instead of India’s preferred choice of left-arm spinner Mannat Kashyap, then struck to spin one past Niamh Holland’s attempted scoop to bowl her.

She struck a telling blow by dismissing Scrivens, the only other player apart from Sehwarat with over 250 runs in the tournament, cheaply, with Trisha taking a tumbling catch running in from longoff.

Archana saw Scrivens give her the charge and threw it wider because of which the batter couldn’t control her stroke.

Soon, Chopra struck twice in two balls to have England stuttering at 43 for 6 in the 12th over.

She trapped Charis Pavely lbw before Archana’s stunning one-hander at extra cover saw the back of Ryana MacDonald-Gay, England’s top-scorer for the day.

Smale then hit a couple of fours to push the score up but was the last wicket to fall when she spooned a catch back to left-arm spinner Sonam Yadav.

While England had successfully defended 99 in the semi-final against Australia, 68 was too low a total to do that.

Scores: India 69 for 3 (Trisha 24, Tiwari 24*, Baker 1-13) beat England 68 (MacDonald-Gay 19, Sadhu 26, Chopra 2-13) by seven wickets.

India U19 Women's team players celebrate a wicket (Photo credit: Twitter @BCCIWomen

Aquilani Swaminadha and Kataleya Sam win DeSinco National U12 Chess Championships

The DeSinco Ltd National Under12 Chess Championships was held on January 28 at School of the Nations, with 25 excited children competing The tournament saw keen competition among the top players who were all vying for a chance at the National titles.

Seven rounds of play were contested under a time control of 20 minutes per player,with5secondsadded totheclockaftereachmove.

Aquilani Swaminadha took the Under12 Open Championship title with 5.5 wins He defeated his counterparts: Jacob McDonald, Joseph Prendergast, Javier Davenand, Julian Mohabir and Arush Ramnarine. His half-pointcamefromadraw inthefifthroundagainst11year-oldNicholasZhang.

Swaminadha also won theprizefortheBestUnder10 player Zhang went on to claim second place in the competition While he scoredthesamepointsasthe champion, he was ranked below Swaminadha due to the Buchholz tiebreak system, which takes into account the scores of the opponents that a player has defeated.

The player with the highesttotalBuchholzscore (the highest sum of the scores of the opponents that the player has defeated) is ranked higher In 3rd Place for the Open category was JacobMcDonaldon5points. Also on 5 points were JeremyCole,JulianMohabir and Arush Ramnarine who came in 4th, 5th and 6th in thecompetitionrespectively, who all played extremely well. Their positions were also determined by the Buchholztiebreaksystem.

The Girls Under12 champion is Kataleya Sam, whofinishedninthoverallin the event with 4 points. Her losses came from Julian Mohabir, Jacob McDonald andNicholasZhang.

She also took home the prize for Best Under-10 female player In second placeforthegirlsisChelsea Harrison and third place went to Skyler Gurchuran. Both nine-year-old girls finishedon2.5pointseach.

Seven-year-old, Landon Mohabir, the youngest player in the tournament, earned a prize for his exceptional performance

granting him a trophy as the Best Under-8 player He finished on three points, having defeated Harrison, Ethon Marks and Lucas

S m i t h N o t a b l e performances came from Joseph Prendergast, Adam Rahaman, Veer Persaud, Francis Thomas and Shaheem Khan who all finishedon4points.

TheGCFisverypleased withtheperformancesofthe players most of whom are part of the training programmesprovidedbythe GCF The tournament was supervisedbyFIDEArbiters John Lee and National Arbiter Jessica Callender

The GCF wishes to express immense gratitude to the Management of the School

of the Nations who generously provided the venue for the hosting of the tournament. School of the Nations also provides the

GCFwiththeopportunityto hold its weekly chess club for school-aged children on Saturdays.

The Guyana Chess Federation extends its most sincere appreciation to our generous sponsor, DeSinco Limited, for their unwavering support in the development of chess in Guyana, particularly at the youth level. We couldn’t haveheldthischampionship without their assistance and we look forward to continuingourpartnershipin the future. Congratulations to all of the winners and participants in the tournament We look forward to seeing your continued growth and successintheworldofchess. Thenexttournamentwill be the Under14 Nationals which will be held in February and will be announcedsoon.

Kataleya Sam was handed the Girls Championship hardware by GCF’s Jessica Callender.

Aquilani Swaminadha received his prize from GCF PRO Jessica Callender.

GCBexecutivesmeettheGuyanaHarpyEagles…

GHE looks to regain Regional four-day Supremacy

The executives of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) met with the players and management staff of Guyana Harpy Eagles (GHE) on Saturday, January 28, 2023. The engagement was arranged prior to the team’sdepartureforAntigua to begin this year’s West

Indies Championship which commences on February 1, 2023.

In addressing the gathering President of the GCB Bissoondyal Singh, who arrived in the country just three hours prior to the engagement, showed his unwavering commitment to the administration of cricket

by attending the planned function to motivate the GHE team. He encouraged theplayerstoremainfocused on the task at hand which is to regain supremacy in the four-day format; a format Guyana dominated for five (5) consecutive years before Barbados won the Covid shortenedseasonon2020.

The GHE departed Guyana at 05:00 hours on Sunday, January 29. Their opening match is against defending champions Barbados Pride on February 1 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. The second round match will be against Windwards Volcanoes beginning on February 8 in

Grenada, after which, they returnhomeforaone-month break between the second andthirdround.

TheGHEsquadis:Leon Johnson (Captain), VeerasammyPermaul(Vicecaptain), Chandrapaul Hemraj, Matthew Nandu, Kemol Savory, Tevin Imlach, Anthony Bramble,

Kevin Sinclair, Nial Smith, Ronsford Beaton, Akshaya Persaud, Ashmead Need, Shamar Joseph The ManagerisAlbertClements, Head coach Ryan Hercules, Assistant coach is Garvin Nedd, Cricket analyst is Keshava Ramphal and the physiotherapist Angelica Holder

GCB Eexcs 1- The Guyana Harpy Eagles players and coaching staff at the meeting with officials of the Guyana Cricket Board.

Da Silva cracks unbeaten 100 as West Indies takes complete command against Zimbabwe XI

SportsMax - Joshua Da

Silva scored the second unbeaten century of the innings to leave the West Indies in total command against a Zimbabwe XI yesterday’s second day of their three-day match at Bulawayo.

The Trinidadian wicketkeeper/batsman retired not out as the West Indies amassed 517 from 132.5 overs. The visiting bowlers then struck early and often to reduce the Zimbabwe XI to 52-5 at stumps. Da Silva’s ton that came from 149 balls and included 13 fours followed that of Captain Kraigg Brathwaiteretiredon116on Saturday

Resuming on his overnight score on nine and Devon Thomas on 42 with the score on 313-5, the pair added23totheirpartnership of 18 before Thomas was dismissedfor49.

Da Silva and Roston Chase then mounted a seventh-wicket stand of 158 before he retired leaving Chase unbeaten on 87 at the end after Jason Holder and

Alzarri Joseph were dismissed for four and 11, respectively

Milton Shumba was the best of the Zimbabwe XI bowlers with 3-80. Donald Tiripanotook2-34.

Chasing the mammoth total, Zimbabwe XI were in early trouble when Joseph had opener Kudzai Maunze caught behind for a duck in the second over of the innings. He later dismissed Joylord Gumbie in similar fashion for 11 in the sixth over to have Zimbabwe XI struggling on 12-2. Kyle Mayers got among the wickets when he dismissed TanunurwaMakonifor13as

NSC-instated committee decides Sports Awards winners

The country’s top-performing athletes andofficialswereinthespotlightlastnightat the National Sports Awards, hosted by the NationalSportsCommission(NSC).

The awards this year were consolidated for the period 2021 – 2022 since 2020 was losttotheglobalCOVID-19pandemic.

AcommitteeputinplacebytheNSCthat comprisessomeofthemostprominentsports journalists and editors, met last week and deliberated over the nominations sent in by NationalsportsassociationsandFederations.

thesideslippedto30-3. JasonHoldermadeit314 when he trapped Wessly Madhevere lbw for nought and Shannon Gabriel dismissed Tony Munyonga foronetomakeit36-5.

Timycen Maruma (15*) andShumbawhoisninenot outmanagedtoinchtowards the close of play without furtherloss.Josephhassofar taken 2-14 for the West Indies while Holder has 1-2 fromfourovers.

Scores: WI 517 Kraigg Brathwaite retired on 116, JoshuaDaSilva100notout, Roston Chase 87 not out; ZimXI52/5. Day2-ZimXI trailby465runs.

Boxer Desmond Amsterdam, Olympian EmanuelArchibaldandWestIndiesbatsman, TagenarineChanderpaulledthenominations forSportsman-of-the-yearAward.

FootballerOmariGlasgow,squashplayer ShomariWiltshire,alongwithLeonSeatonJr were some of the nominees for Junior Sportsman-of-the-year

Over in the female Sportsman-of-theyear award category, Squash players Nicolette Fernandes and Ashley Ray-Khalil received several nominations, as well as Bodybuilder,RosannaFung.

Meanwhile,CARIFTAGamesmedallist, AttoyaHarvey,OlympianAlekaPersaudand cricketerAshminiMunisararethenominees forJuniorSportswoman-of-the-year Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports CharlesRamsonJrsaidtheAwards,lastheld inMay2019,isanimportantpartofSportsin Guyana since it allows the Government of Guyana to give recognition to athletes and associations for their outstanding performances.“It’simportantthatpeopleare recognized,andit’simportantthateverybody that’s involved in sports that they’re recognized.Sosportsawardissomethingthat has existed for a long time, and there’s a reason why it existed for a long time. It alwaysmadesense.Sowe’rehappytobepart of the recommencement of the awards, and we expect it to be of a distinct flavour,” Ramsonstated.

TheSportsAwardswillculminateabusy weekendfortheMinistryofSport,whichalso hosteditssecondNationalSportsConference Saturday

Nicolette Fernandes

National Boxer Desmond Amsterdam

Joshua Da Silva scored the second unbeaten century of the innings

TigerRentalsU-13football... Georgetown, East Coast, Berbice and Bartica pick up wins

Match-day three of the interassociation/cl ub leg of the Tiger Rentals Guyana sponsored GFF National under-13 development football initiative saw Georgetown and East Coast ATCs going top of the points table with sevenpointseach.

The day also saw a total offourmatchesbeingplayed at the National Training Center (NTC), Providence on Saturday last, where Bartica registered their first win and points from their three games played, while West Berbice earned their secondvictory

West Berbice breezed pastEastBerbice3-1thanks to a brace from Kahiem Hercules and one goal from Ramzan Hussein Allan Spencer scored the consolationforEastBerbice.

Jashawn Hughes and Darius Chester netted one goal each in Georgetown ATC’s 2-1 win over Upper Demerarathathadwonboth oftheirprevioustwogames. Anthony Gordon scored the solitarystrikeforthelosers.

Rayleigh Tracy and Lebron Wharton scored one goal each for Bartica who madethetrekbacktoRegion Seven on Saturday with a wonderful three points after easing past West Demerara 2-0.

Isaiah Williams’ lone goal was enough to secure three points and bragging rights for East Coast following their needling victoryoverEastBankATC.

The victorious Indian team pose a top the podium after winning the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup. (ICC/Getty Images)

The top performers took a photo op at the conclusion of the Championships.