Kaieteur News

Judge awards $900,000 in damages for each of Winston Brassington’s libel suits against KNews

After being asked by Kaieteur News’(KN)Publisher,GlennLall, tomakethefinaldecisioninatleast five remaining libel suits that former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Industrial and Commercial Investment limited (NICIL), Winston Brassington filed against the newspaper; High Court Judge, Justice Fidela Corbin-Lincoln last weekawardeddamagesinthesum of $900,000 for each claim by Brassington.

Brassington had sued KN 19 times for defamatory remarks in which the newspaper published against him in the satirical ‘Dem BoysSeh’column TheformerCEO had won several cases before the courtinwhichhesecuredjudgment amountingtoover$40million

As such, in April last, Kaieteur Newsaskedthecourttoconsolidate the remaining matters and make a finaldeterminationinthecase This was done through Lall’s attorney, ChristopherThompson

Thompson submitted that the decision should be made considering the hefty judgment awardthatBrassingtonhadalready been granted in the multiple suits thathewonagainstthenewspaper Lall’s attorney asked the court toconsiderthattheFormerHeadof

the NICIL had already been adequately compensated for the purporteddamagestohisnameand character and as such, the court need not grant him any other monetaryaward.

The lawyer contended further thatifthecourtshouldconsideran award, it should be given in a nominal sum. The lawyer argued thatBrassingtonfiledoveradozen lawsuits outlining the same allegations over and over again. Thompson proposed therefore that to save precious judicial time, the matters should be dealt with collectively

For his part, Senior Counsel Timothy Jonas representing Brassington was not in agreement with the suggestion. He said that theCourtshouldconsiderthatLall engaged in a smear campaign againsthisclient,whosufferedand must be adequately compensated. He reasoned that though the court awarded judgment before it ought to consider that the repeated attacks meted out against his client.

I n h e r written ruling,

Justice Corbin-Lincoln noted that there is no evidence of any significant loss or impairment of Brassington’sreputationasaresult ofthepublication.

“There is no evidence of it affecting him professionally or his ability to attract or engage in business,”thejudgesaid.

The judge noted too that

Brassington’s assertion that the first information which comes to lightonagooglesearchofhisname concerns these publications from Kaieteur News is unsupported by anyotherevidence,addingthatshe found it speculative by the generalized assertion by the plaintiff that google searches are the first port of call for potential clientswhointeractwithhim.

Moreover, the judge said, “While the Plaintiff asserts that he was confronted with the publication when he applied for a loan from an unnamed bank in Miami,thereisnoevidencethathe wasdeniedtheloanorsufferedany otherdisadvantageasaresultofthe publication More importantly, thereisnoevidencethathesuffered any actual loss of income or business as a result of the publication. Indeed, no such loss waspleadedasspecialdamages.”

To this end, Justice CorbinLincoln noted that all the words complainedofinthevarious Continued on page 9

Kaieteur News’(KN) Publisher, Glenn Lall Justice Fidela Corbin-Lincoln

Former CEO of NICIL, Winston Brassington

Kaieteur News

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

Publisher: DR. GLENN LALL - TEL: 624-6456

Editor-In-Chief: NIGEL WILLIAMS

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

EDITORIAL

UTILIZINGAWESTERN/FOREIGN

PROTESTS

CONTINUE AGAINST CONTRACT RAPE, OTHER RAPES

The PPPC Government and its leaders need to get one thing straight in their heads. Guyanese who take to the streetstoprotestagainstcontractabuse,theabuseofpower, and other forms of vile abuse at the hands of agents of the government are not going away anytime soon, not until justiceoccurs. FromPresidentAlitoVicePresidentJagdeo toministerstocollaboratingandconsentingpublicservants to the army of Government defenders and deniers, the messages and actions must register on their consciousness. Protest actions against what wrongs Guyanese and wrongdoing by the powerful and protected in Guyana will continueunabated.

Guyanese are grappling for their birthright, for what is beneficial to their interests. Protests will continue despite efforts by officials to shuttle the protesters out of sight, or steer them to places where their messages are obscured. Limitations placed on protesters will not deter them, make them give up hope, or diminish their energies that grow stronger,theirpassionsforacauseintensifying. Themore that politicians with abundant power in their hands, and much malice in their minds, and their helpful agents try to suppressdissentingvoicesinthemedia,tovilifyprotesting citizens in the streets, and to squeeze Guyanese from speaking out, the more other citizens (growing numbers of them)arewatchingandcomingtotheirownconclusions.

Both loyal political partisans and neutral and independentGuyanesearemorefullyinformed,understand more,andarriveattheirownideas,aboutthedamagebeing done to the hopes and dreams of the people who are supposedtobetherichestintheworld. Theymaynothave knownasmuchbefore,butwitheachpassingday,theyare morefamiliarwithwhatthe2016ExxonMobilcontractdoes to each and every Guyanese. The barbaric ExxonMobil contract drains the nation’s patrimony for a pittance in return. The ugly ExxonMobil contract harms the hopes of Guyaneselookingforfairreturnsfromtheirnationalwealth toliftthemoutoftheirimpoverishedstatethatcondemnsto a life of daily struggle, need, and coming up short. The obscene ExxonMobil contract rapes Guyanese and then leavesthemnaked,brutalized,andinthemostdreadfulstate.

So much given to this nation, so much hoped for, so much robbed, so often wrested away, and so frequently raped. Onlytheworstofconnivers,themostunspeakableof covetousminded,couldhavedreamedupacontractlikethe onefrom2016,andthenmakeitbecomearealitybyforcing ituponapoor,ill-equipped,unpreparednation. Butthisis whatGuyaneselivewith,apennyhereandapennytherefor their rich patrimony, which is why Guyanese go out and protestinthestreet. Thisright,thisfight,thislightmustbe broughttothefullestfocusonthisabominableExxonMobil contract, and those Guyanese who lamely and sickeningly supportit.

Ourleadershavefailedusfromtheinceptionandagain and again today Our political cream consorts with those whoviolatethesoulofeachcitizen,beitfortheirpatrimony money, and as is now often for their body None is exempted,notyounggirls,nottheweakandvulnerable,not those who look high for help, only to be dishonored to the lowest,bythosetrustedtolookoutforthesafetyanddestiny ofallGuyanese. TheviolatorsofGuyaneseoldandyoung, poorandstarving,arebothforeignandlocal,withthelocals theworstoftheworst.

Theycleartheway,theyarethetoutsandsolicitors,they do the coverups. This is why protesters, no matter how small,regardlessofhowlimitedtheyare,taketothestreets of Guyana to get their messages across. The foreign embassies are put on notice of the rage of Guyanese. Foreign visitors of the highest rank, like the American SecretaryofState,aregivenatastethatallisnotwellinthis oilparadise. Farfromitwiththeorgyofrapesandplunder withbesmirchGuyanese,andsnatchtheiraspirationsaway Protests, even if one citizen and one placard, will resonate andgaintractionwhenitmatters. Mr Blinkenshouldhave takennote.

DEAREDITOR,

If all of Guyana’s population was densely concentrated in a particular area, it would be considered a medium size city But this is not Guyana’s reality Constituted of a multicultural, multi-racial population, sparsely scattered primarily in rural villages along the Atlantic coastline, the country has endured enormous neglect under colonial, and thereafter, over twenty-five years of PNC post-colonial domination The rural coastal villages, relatively small, and racially distinct, historically experienced limited opportunities for

year-round employment. To Guyanese,thisasimplefact. Why then is it worthy of mention?

Given the emergence of these ethnically distinct villages, Afro and Indo Guyanese happen to reside sidebyside,buttheirsocialcultural worldview –weltanschauung - remains relatively autonomous with different economic structures and relations, as well as political allegiances and loyalties Such populationdistribution,with its distinct relations of daily existence, present strategic planning, and development dilemmas for the Guyana government.

ForthePPP/C’splanning initiatives to succeed, it wouldbeilladvisedtoutilize a Western/foreign developmental model, especially one with no historical equivalence to Guyana’s multiracialcultural pluralistic population beset with relations of domination and underdevelopment.

As E. F Schumacher explainedinhisbook,‘Small Is Beautiful’ , “poor countries slip, and are pushed, into the adoption of production methods and consumption standards which destroy the possibilities of self-reliance andself-help.Theresultsare

u n i n t e n t i o n a l neocolonialism and hopelessness.”

Today, most developed countries share little similarities with Guyana Hence, it is crucial for leaderstofocusonthetypes of development befitting to the country’s advancement, andlessonwhattheywould like the country to be, or on what other nations with relatively homogeneous populationshavedone.

For example, should the governmentfashionthetype of modernization that integrates current economic relations of production, or pursueonethatlurespeople

(Continuedonpage6)

DEVELOPMENTALMODELMAYBE ILL SUITED FOR GUYANA’S TRANSFORMATION

Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox

Embracing Change: Ganesh Mahipaul,AYoung Leader for the PNCR’s Bright Future

DEAREDITOR,

Whilepoliticsmayseem distanttomany,itsinfluence permeates our daily lives.

Recognizingthis,itiscrucial to support leaders who can bring about positive change and address the needs and aspirations of the people they serve In my observations, there is a young politician within the PNCR who embodies the qualities necessary to lead the party into a new era. I believe that considering this young leader as the next PNCR leader, holds immense potential for the party’s success in winning thegovernmentandworking towardsthebettermentofall Guyanese.GaneshMahipaul iswithoutadoubt,themost fluentMPontheOpposition side of the house and in all his presentations we see the depthofresearchandfactsin his delivery Of all the MPs, heisratedinmybookatthe third best debater in our Parliament.Firstandsecond, no doubt are Ashni Kumar SinghandAnilNandlallwho areyearsaheadofMahipaul inthePoliticalworld.

1.FreshPerspectivesand InnovativeIdeas: Young politicians often bring fresh perspectives and innovativeideastothetable, unencumbered by the limitations of traditional political approaches. They are more attuned to contemporary challenges, t e c h n o l o g i c a l advancements,andchanging demographics. By embracing Ganesh Mahipaul,thePNCRcantap into a wellspring of creativity and visionary

The US-China conundrum

DEAREDITOR, US Secretary of State

thinking, enabling the party to adapt to the evolving needsofGuyanesesociety

2 Empowering the Youth:

Engaging young people inpoliticsisvitalforcreating a sustainable and inclusive future. By selecting Ganesh Mahipaul, the PNCR can inspire and empower the youth, encouraging their active participation in political processes and decision-making. This not only strengthens the party’s basebutalsoensuresthatthe voices and concerns of younger generations are effectivelyrepresented.

3 Connecting with DiverseCommunities:

A young leader can bridge the gap between the party and diverse communities, fostering i n c l u s i v i t y a n d understanding.Theypossess the ability to connect with different age groups, e t h n i c i t i e s , a n d s o c i o e c o n o m i c backgrounds, promoting dialogue and collaboration. Thisoutreachisessentialfor building a broad-based coalition, expanding the party’s support base, and ultimately winning the trust andvotesofallGuyanese.

4. Inspiring Hope and Change:

In times of political disillusionment, a young leadercanrekindlehopeand inspirechange.Theirenergy, e n t h u s i a s m , a n d commitmenttoprogresscan invigorate the party and attract a new wave of supporters who seek a fresh alternative. By instilling a sense of optimism and

purpose,thePNCRcanoffer a transformative vision for Guyana, with Ganesh Mahipaulappealingtothose who long for a brighter future.

5. Political Savvy and CollaborativeLeadership:

While youth, brings vitality, it is crucial for a young leader to possess political savvy and collaborative leadership skills.Theabilitytonavigate the intricacies of politics, buildbridgesacrossfactions within the party, and forge allianceswithotherpolitical entitiesisessential.Ayoung leaderlikeGaneshMahipaul canstrikeabalancebetween idealism and pragmatism and will be able to effectively lead the PNCR towards victory and govern with competence and integrity Conclusion:

My belief in this young politician, Ganesh Mahipaul, speaks volumes about his potential to effect positive change within the PNCR. A young leader can injectnewlifeintotheparty, inspire the youth, and connect with diverse communities. By embracing this young politician’s leadership, the PNCR can position itself as a dynamic forcecapableofwinningthe government and working tirelessly for the betterment of all Guyanese Let us support this young leader, whoembodiestheidealsand aspirations we seek, and pave the way for a brighter future for our beloved nation.

RonellaPaul

A PNCR supporter who isslowlylosinghope

Is there a shortage of Eliquis and Sotalol in Guyana?

DEAREDITOR,

I read with great interest the report which states Guyana has one of the h i g h e s t r a t e s o f cardiovascular deaths and that the Ministry of Health adequatelycaresforpersons with cardiovascular diseases.

is all sounds

impressivebutEditor,Igive one example of concern and can produce details if necessary There is a four score plus old patient where cardiologists in Ireland, United States and the CaribbeanincludingGuyana recommended two drugs, eliquisandsotalol.

Despite efforts for

Anthony Blinken’s visit and his meeting with President Ali followed one to China last month, where he met President Xi Jinping. From the reports emanating after the latter meeting, Blinken’s goal was to convince the Chinese to accept the US’s position that competition w a s t h e d e f i n i n g characteristic of their relationship, and that they should work together to manage the competition to prevent it from veering into conflict However, President Xi rejected the American premise and retorted: “Competition among major powers does not conform to the trend of the times, let alone solve America’s own problems andthechallengesfacingthe world.”

As the leader of a small state in a region that the US has considered its “backyard” since 1823, when it promulgated its “keep out” ‘Monroe Doctrine’, PresidentAli was

forced to dance between the raindropsbetweenthesetwo extremesinhismeetingwith SecretaryBlinken.

Itwasnotevenasubtext as a ABC correspondent explicitly asked President Ali if Guyana’s relationship with China was only economic or could it possibly become military?

Pres Ali developed the message he had sent two days before to President B i d e n o n t h e U S Independence anniversary: “…myGovernmentremains committed to deepening cooperation with the United States of America as our most strategic and valued partner.”Hetoldthereporter, “Weareapartnerwithmany countries, and China is one of our development partners.”Assuch,heclearly d e f i n e d G u y a n a ’s relationship with China as economic – a “development partner” However, he pointed out that in the economic arena, US corporations are not as “aggressive” as the Chinese ones But there had

discerned a change after the discovery of oil with the signing of a MOU with the US Exim Bank on a US$2 billion program The President candidly announced that borrowing costs would be a major criterion for accepting investmentfinancing.

What is ironic about the USpresentcontretempswith China is it of their creation?

It started with President Nixon’ssurprisetriptomeet Chairman Mao in 1972President Jimmy Carter’s diplomatic recognition in 1978, which kick started American investment in the country This became a deluge after President Clinton facilitated China’s entryintotheWTOin2001. However, from a US$83B trade deficit in that year, which caused the loss of 1 million high-wage manufacturing jobs, this ballooned to a deficit of US$295billionby2011with alossof5millionjobs.Itwas these job losses by predominantlyWhite

(Continuedonpage6)

DEAREDITOR, With good reasons, Guyanesearerighttomostly ignore the Calls for Submissions by the PPP government on its various public laws and policies. Personshavefocusedonthe short time to make submissions as the main complaint (for example, a mere two weeks for the new PSAandthedraftPetroleum ActivitiesBill).Buticeberglike, the tight deadline is merely the tip of the government’s ploy to bury opposingviews,stiflepublic debate, and promote its command-and-control agenda. BharratJagdeoand the PPPare not interested in anyone’s views on any of theirdraftlawsandpolicies.

months these two drugs are not available at both the private and public institutionsinGuyana.

Dear Editor, it would be useful if the Minister of Health and those who write gloriously can say if this is trueornot.Wewantfacts.

EricMoeley,MS Pensioner

To accept and concede to betterargumentsandideasis not in the PPP’s DNA. The party fears that any display of intellectual honesty and open-mindedness on its part willundermineitshoped-for projection of authoritarian power

Should the PPP governmentbeseriousabout getting the public’s input on such national matters, let it so demonstrate by (apart from granting more time for

submission): (i) publishing all submissions as they arrive on government websites and elsewhere so that all citizens can read for themselves, (ii) submit major executive actions (decisions not requiring parliamentary approval, such as multi-billion dollar gas deals) to the national assembly for enquiry, discussion, and input, (iii) adopt the practice of some advanced countries of explainingwhereaproposed bill or policy directly promotes inclusivity, transparency,accountability, g e n d e r e q u i t y , environmental security, government efficiency, etc., and(iv)curbingitsimpulses of automatically rejecting theviewsofthoseoutsideits

circleofcronies. The PPPwill do none of theabove.Itisthereforevery sensible for the opposition parties,thenews media,and individuals (such as columnists) to share their views in the open marketplace of ideas. All citizens can therefore be enlightened and voice their own opinions in a more informedmanner

The calls by Bharrat JagdeoandthePPPfordirect submissions to the government, are therefore a blatant political ruse to muzzle public debate, suppress the democratic process, and further their dangerous push for political domination.

Respectfully,

SherwoodLowe

VPJAGDEO’S CALLFOR SUBMISSIONS, ISADEVIOUS PLOYTO EXERCISE COMMANDAND CONTROL

RegmaPrimarystudenttopsRegion10at2023NGSA

RegmaPrimarySchool’s SelahErskinecoppedthetop positionforRegion10atthis year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) Examinations securing a place at Queen’s College. Erskine, who has always beenanoutstandingstudent, scored 504.8 marks. Her topping the Region came as no surprise to her teachers, family and friends Importantly, the young lady secured a place in the country’s top one percent at the examinations She attributedhersuccesstohard work and support from her parents. ”I didn’t expect it but I felt pretty proud of myself, I studied regularly andputinthehardwork,”the

elated girl said. Erskine told Kaieteur News that her mother supported her tremendously

Theproudmomtoldthis publicationthatthechildhas always been a diligent worker Erskine’s mom said her daughter was never complacent and worked really hard to become successfulattheexams.

“Itwasn’twork,workall thetime,IensuredIputinthe work with her during the weekends,” she said Meanwhile,thetopstudent’s teacherMs.LotoyaMcphoy, said she is pleased with Erksine’s results as she always remained consistent andfocused.

Preparing students for

NGSAwas not an easy task but she is happy she was rewarded at the end. “It’s a lotofhardwork,truthfully,it takes a lot out of you, especially mentally but when you have to push yourself to get the job completed, in the end the rewards are great,” McPhoy

told Kaieteur News Coppingsecondplaceinthe Region Deleanna Herculese who also secured a place at Queen’s College with 504 marks Herculese, like Erskine, said being consistent with studies was instrumentalinhersuccess.

The One Mile Primary School student was overly elatedwhen theresults were announced.“Wehadtostudy

alot,westudiedhardforthe mock exams and then we continued for the finals, we did not stop,” the future Presidentsaid.

S h e e x p r e s s e d appreciation to her teacher, parents and otherfamily members for supporting her during the preparation period. Her equally excited and proud mother said the processforherdaughterwas challenging but she supported her tremendously The woman said the child spentover12hoursatschool andextralessons,thenhadto complete homework and studyinguntilaftermidnight every night. “I feel very proud, I knew she would have done well, I feel very

excited,” Herculese’s mom toldKaieteurNews.

Theothertopperformers for Region 10 are Ateisha Frank, Gerimiyah Petal

Burgess,ShaniqueStorm, Amora Chesney, Keziah Ellis, Zylinna Jacobis, Avianne Basdeo and Deyse DosSantos.

Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox

UTILIZINGAWESTERN/FOREIGN DEVELOPMENTALMODELMAY...

Frompage4 off the land into wage earningmanufacturingjobs? Moreover, what incentives, or arrangements, are necessary to balance the integrationofthemodernize and traditional economies? Theanswerslieinthehands of Guyana’s development experts.

To date, the PPP/C government has embarked on several initiatives to develop the country and alleviate the deplorable conditions of colonial e x p l o i t a t i o n a n d dependency Cleary evident in Guyana, the colonial, and early post-colonial PNC administrations, kept infrastructure at a rudimentary level. So, quite understandably, among the developmental tasks to be accomplished,infrastructure ranks uppermost for the PPP/Cgovernment.

Some may recall that when British-American covert operations catapulted Burnham into political power, among his first acts was to disband the railway systems left behind by the colonizers. This he did despite Cheddi Jagan’s plea to keep operationally intact the Enmore to Georgetown portionoftheGeorgetownto Rosignol railway In the main, this railway served as t h e l i f e b l o o d o f transportation for travelers, and shipment of rice-paddy, rice, other agricultural products, cattle etc., from Rosignol to Georgetown And, upon return, it carried imported foods and

manufacturedproductsfrom GeorgetowntoRosignol.

Indo-Guyanese, the primary shopkeepers and

producers of animal, farm and other agricultural p r o d u c t s s u ff e r e d immensely,beingforcedinto securing costly vehicular transportation to and from Georgetown Besides disbanding the railway s y s t e m , t h e P N C government undertook minimal infrastructural development, concentrating primarily on areas in and aroundGeorgetown,Linden, and a few hinterland projects The principal beneficiaries were PNC supporters and others who pledgedloyaltytoBurnham.

Unlike the PNC government, the current PPP/C government considers infrastructural projects including roads, bridges, electricity etc , crucial to development. The modernization of the Berbice, and Demerara bridges, the construction of the road linking Ogle and Georgetown, the installation of sidewalks in Greater Georgetown are but a few examples. In addition, President Irfaan’s commitment to reestablish railwaytravelincertainparts of the country after the completion of feasibility studies is another indication of planned infrastructural development.And,plansare underway to erect a refinery inBerbice.Whileprogressis essential, the government must guard against hastily planned and executed development projects An example of such project is theBerbiceRiverbridge,the construction of which crippled the economy of

areas.

the location of the bridge, arguing that it should have stretched from Blairmont to NewAmsterdam,whichthey claim is a shorter span and would have contributed to the growth of both areas. Such perceptions cannot be readily validated given the absence of results from a comprehensivestudy

What became evident is how a development project can erode the economic f o u n d a t i o n o f i t s surrounding areas. In this regard, it is noteworthy that the PPP/C government has focusedontherevitalization of New Amsterdam. Given the distribution of Guyana’s racially pluralistic population, and the varied factors involved when undertaking development projects, the PPP/C governmentcouldbenefitby beingalertto:

(i) the location of projectsduetothepossibility of widening Guyana’s racial divide through the perception of preferential treatment to Afro or Indo communities; and (ii) the negative impact of the development project on surrounding communities Failing to consider these factors is likely to serve as fodder for anti-government forces’ racist-propaganda campaigns to discredit the government.Letustakeasa hypothetical example, the location of a Satellite City where Guyanese can readily access government services.

the ethnic sector that disagrees with the location. Hence, selecting Fort Wellington – a known neutralzone-asthelocation of the Satellite City would offset potential distrust, and eliminate potential negative impact to surrounding communities. In addition, since some government services are already available at this location, these can easily be expanded Noteworthy is that the development of a SatelliteCityatthislocation would contribute to the decentralization of essential government services which can only be obtained in Georgetown, thus bringing

government closer to the people. For Guyanese, the discoveryoilhasheightened expectationsofdevelopment and material comforts. But the income accrued from oil does not accumulate overnight, or in a year, so, prospective spending, or borrowing, must take into consideration projected income, and how it can be utilizedeffectively In the effective utilization of surplus, the PPP/C would find it worthy to consider the residuals of colonial, and then PNC’s post-colonial economic, political, and social structures and relations that s t y m i e G u y a n a ’ s

transformation.

These institutional structures contributed to the continued oppression of Guyanese,onethatcannotbe eradicated simply with income accrued from oil unless the structural relations of colonial type division of wage-labor is transformed into one of sustainable income Such transformation of wagelabor is unlikely without uniquely developmental planning strategies that economically benefits all sectors of the sparsely scatteredruralpopulation.

Regards,

NarayanPersaud,PhD ProfessorEmeritus

The US-China conundrum

Frompage5 Americans in what became the “Rust Belt” because of abandonedfactories,thatled to the ideological shift culminating with Pres Trump’s jingoistic MAGA (Make America Great Again)bullypulpit.

But China’s rise has not only been economic but military.

questioned

To locate it in the predominantly Indo-village Bath, or the predominantly Afro-village Hopetown, would likely heighten distrust/indifference for the government especially by

Yet even with trade restrictionsinthelastdecade – presently with advanced computerchips–becauseof the Chinese economic ‘aggressiveness” described by President Ali, the US trade deficit with China last yearwasUS$382.9–second only to 2018’s historic US$418B, making the US, China’s largest trading partner This distinction is shared by 124 other countries – compared to 76 havingthatrelationshipwith theUS.

In 2006, the US was the largesttradingpartnerof127 countries.

From 2000 to 2016, China’s military budget increased annually by about 10% annually before levellingofftoastillhigh6% annually reaching$230Bin 2022, second only to the UnitedStates.

This military spending, combined with the Chinese strategic ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative that now ties large swathes of the globe in the Chinesesphereofinfluence, has been the trigger for the US security concerns about China.

T h e l a s t A P N U governmentsignedontothe Belt and Road initiative in July 2018, hence the ABC reporter’s question to PresidentAli.

Back in 2015, a Harvard professor looked at the rise of China as challenging the

US, which was left as the sole superpower standing after the USSR collapsed in 1989, and analogized the situationtothatfacedbythe ancient superpower ‘Sparta’ confronting the rising ‘Athens’.

He invoked the words of thehistorianThucydides,“It was the rise of Athens and the fear that this instilled in Sparta that made war inevitable,” to predict the same possibility in the present.

Butasanotherexperthas pointedout,“warisachoice, notatrap.”

However, President Xi’s refusaltoacceptthesystemic effects of competition betweentwomajorpowersis troubling since he does not concede the need for coordination – especially in flashpointslikeTaiwan.

Sincerely, RaviDev

(From left to right) Deleanna Herculese and Shelah Erskine

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

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WHERE ARE THE AUDIT REPORTS ON EXXONMOBIL’S COSTS?

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When will the government provide the country with a status report on the two audits that were done on ExxonMobil’s bills for the Stabroek Block totalling US$8.9B?

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Readers would recall that those costs were incurred between 1999 and 2020.

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While the government keeps the nation in the dark about the completed audit report of these costs, it is working hurriedly with Exxon to ready documents for a sixth project which will cost Guyana over US$12B.

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This state of lawlessness regarding delayed audit reports accompanied by record breaking approvals for more costs to be incurred, is but another nasty stain on the government’s record with the oil industry.

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This is completely unacceptable!

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For how long will we allow this reprehensible state of affairs to continue without protest?

New oil Law preserves status-quo of secrecy for ExxonM expenses

The proposed Petroleum Activities Bill put forth by the People's Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) administration to grant extensive powers to the Minister of Natural Resources, fails to address the pressing transparency concerns raised by civil society and the media over the last seven years The government's period for public comments on the bill hasclosed.

Bethatasitmay,oneofthe most pressing matters raised about the Bill is its failure to address once and for all, the veil of secrecy surrounding cost recovery Last year, oil companies claimed nearly 90% of the oil extracted offshore Guyana under a 2016 production sharing agreement (PSA) that Guyana's Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, hasdescribedas“shi**y.”

The agreement allows ExxonMobil and its partners to recover costs, categorised as cost oil, up to a limit of 75%. While assurances have been given that Guyana's share will increase after cost recovery is complete, the specific timeline remains unknown. Despite the regular required submission of cost reportsbyoilcompaniestothe PPP/C government, no information regarding projections has been disclosed.

The public, the press, and transparency advocates continuetobedeniedaccessto reports outlining the costs presented by ExxonMobil to the government, as well as the rate at which these costs are being recuperated Despite r e p e a t e d c a l l s f o r transparency, these crucial details remain undisclosed. Hence, there is no way for the press to independently ascertain when Guyana's share of production and revenues will increase, as is oftenclaimed.

There is also no public record of how Exxon's initial estimated costs for several of its projects, compares to the actual expenses. Thus far, it hasbeenrevealedtothepublic that the initial estimated cost of the Liza Phase One project was US$4.4 billion, which later reduced to US$3 6 billion. However, there has been no disclosure regarding how the actual costs of subsequent projects, such as Liza Phase Two (estimated at US$6 billion), Payara (estimated at US$9 billion), Yellowtail (estimated at US$10 billion), and the forthcoming Uaru project

(estimated at US$12 7 billion), compare to Exxon's initial estimates.Additionally, no disaggregated information isavailableregardingthecosts a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e explorationwellsbeingdrilled offshoreGuyana.

The government has also failed to notify the public about how each lift of crude is allocated, though the offtaking of each lift is announced via the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD). To allocate the crude oil among the involved parties, the oil lifts are not divided based on calculated shares due to practical limitations Instead, each party (Exxon, Hess, CNOOC, and the Government) receives a series of lifts over an extended period, aiming to roughly align with their entitled share. However, the government has not provided a formula or indication as to which entity each lift is allocatedto,leavingthepublic without the means to independently determine the distribution.

As per the Stabroek Block P r o d u c t i o n S h a r i n g A g r e e m e n t ( P S A ) , E x x o n M o b i l ' s l o c a l subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), is obligated to submit its annual work program and budget to t h e g o v e r n m e n t Unfortunately, these reports have never been made public bytheregulators.

When it comes to audits, while the government is implicitly responsible for conducting regular audits of the submitted costs, it took years for Guyana to initiate its first cost audit of Exxon's precontract expenses in 2020. However, numerous delays and complications have led to significant confusion among the public regarding the final results of the examination of the US$1.6 billion in costs. In 2022, the government also awarded a contract to audit an additional US$7.3 billion in costs, with the final report expected in March. Despite promisesofmakingtheresults public, previous assurances of this nature have gone unfulfilled.

Given the government's posture on criticisms about transparency issues in the oil sector, it appears highly unlikely that such concerns will be incorporated into the amended draft. However, the Alliance for Change (AFC) has indicated that it will seek severalamendmentstothelaw i n P a r l i a m e n t

EXTRA LESSONS SHOULD NOT BE NECESSARY

Extra lessons did notemergeoutof acrisisindelivery withintheclassrooms.

Extra lessons did not become an industry in Guyana because of the failureoftheschoolsystem; it expanded in the seventies inGuyanabecausethepayof teacherswassoabysmalthat manyofthemwereforcedto resort to lessons to supplementtheirincomes.

Basicitemswereinshort supply Almost everything had to be procured from outside of Guyana at exorbitant prices. Inflated prices developed within the markets as shortages hit home.

In such conditions many teachersfoundthemselvesin the humiliating position of nothavingenoughtogetby Some of them were challenged to pay the high rentals that landlords began to charge as sub-letting increased.

Those were rough days and teachers therefore were forced to resort to extra lessonstohelp.Parentswere onlytoowillingtohelpsince many of them felt that the extralessonswouldclosethe gap between what they wanted for their kids and how the kids were p e r f o r m i n g Butitwasnotasiftherewas an absolute need for extra lessons. The good teachers were still in the schools and the syllabuses were being completed.

What this showed was the school system was not shortchanging the children yet there were extra lessons taking place since parents hoped that the extra help

wouldbringbenefits.

That said, what is important from the perspective of the Ministry of Education is to avoid the necessityofanychildhaving toattendextralessons.

The goal of the ministry should be to ensure that studentsobtainthenecessary training within the school system that would make the attendance of extra lessons something that they would n o t n e e d t o p a s s examinations.

Ensuring that this is done, is not going to end extralessons.

There will always be parents,astherewaswhenit all began, who will want theirchildrentogetthatextra help regardless of what happensintheschool.Right now, however, extra lessons are being forced onto childrenbecausethereisnot theconfidencethatenoughis being done with the formal classrooms to ensure that children are ready for examinations.

In this regard, the situation is different from what it was years ago when thispracticeofextralessons expanded.

It is no longer a case of teachersreceivingstarvation wages Obviously, the salaries of teachers are not goodbuttheycanstillgetby much better than their counterpartsinthepast.

But there is also the situationthereisahighlevel ofunqualifiedteachersatall levels of the educational system and these teachers however committed simply cannot bring about the desiredoutcomes.

The Ministry of

Dem Boys Seh...

Education knows that there are high volumes of untrainedteacherswithinthe system.Theyareworkingto progressively reduce the ratio of trained to untrained t e a c h e r s While large numbers of teachers have migrated overseas. This has affected the quality of teaching within the school system, hundreds others have graduated from training school to replace those who havegone.

But to what extent have those who have graduated beenabletobeplacedwithin theschoolsystem.

This is something that the Ministry needs to examinesinceunlessthereis a high rate of attrition, what we will find is that when teachers graduate from trainingschool,theywillnot beabletosecurejobswithin the school system because the untrained teachers are notleavingfastenough.

The solution therefore has to be for the Ministry of Educationtocompilealistof alluntrainedteacherswithin thesystemaswellasalistof vacancies.

Thenassoonasteachers graduate from training schools, these teachers should be placed within the school system and the untrained teachers removed at a rate that would all for there to be adequate numbers.

However, this does not solve the problem of trained teachers leaving because of poorconditionsofwork.

And to deal with this problem,theMinistryhasto begin to pay teachers well, butonlytrainedteachers.All

Nobody nah backing up Trotty

Dem boys gat a story fuh yuh, an’it’s sweeter than dem sugar-coated promises dem politicians does mek during election season. De story of Guyana was always a littleslipperyissue.Itfullofoilyescapades.

So, we got Trotty who did sign de oil contact. When people start to criticize de contract,hejumpupan’declaresdathewas commanded, yes, commanded, to ink dat oil contract. But when dem critics start holleringlikehowlermonkeys,guesswhat he do? He zip it, my friends, for a whole seven years! Silence became golden Now, de man sprouts wings of a literary eagle and pens a book, swearin’by all de holy oil reserves, dat he had Cabinet and Presidential blessings to sign dat mighty c o n t r a c t

But here’s de kicker, dear readers: his colleagues, de ones who should back him

up like strong gusts of oil winds, are nowhere to be found! None of dem nah comeforwardfuhcorroboratedemanstory andfuhsupportdeman.It’slikedeyrunnin’ from dat contract faster than a jaguar chasin’itsdinner

Dem boys askin’ why dey keepin’ mum?Aretheyscaredofdemcritics?Oris deyplayin’hide-and-seeklikemischievous cats,thinkin’dey clever Butitsuregatdem scratchin’ dem heads heads .Dem boys imagine Trotter shoutin’from de rooftops, “I had de green light! I ain’t no rogue oilman!”

But his colleagues be like, “Nah, bro, weain’ttouchin’datoil-stainedtalewitha ten-footpole.”

Onlytimewilltell,folks,onlytimewill tell. Till dem, dem boys got yuh covered. TalkHalf!LeffHalf!

the untrained teachers should be encouraged to upgradeorbefired.

This will ensure that s t u d e n t s a r e n o t shortchanged with the schools.

The less the students are shortchanged, the less need there will be for lessons, even though it cannot be entirelyeliminated.

Theproblemrightnowis that extra lessons have become so profitable that many who carry out these extra classes, really do not need a teacher’s salary; they are making big bucks from the lessons and are simply using their presence in the schools as marketing for their private classes after schoolhours.

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

Judge awards $900,000 in damages for each of...

Frompage3 actions are serious as they impute some form of criminality and corruption. However, she stated that there is no evidence of any significant damage to the plaintiff’s reputation and standing, any evidence that hewasshunnedorsuffereda loss of prestige among his business and accounting circles as a result of the publications as suggested in hisassertion.Indetermining thequantumofdamages,the judge said she took into consideration several other similar cases. “Bearing in mind the objective of an award of damages in defamationistocompensate rather than penalize, I find that the previous award of damagesforwordsofsimilar effect which were published in close proximity should operate as a form of mitigation of damages,” she underscored.

Weighing all the aggravating and mitigating

factors and having regard to the purpose of an award of damages, and the awards already, the judge awarded damagesineachactioninthe sum of $900,000. Cost was alsoawardedtotheplaintiff.

Notably, the judge pointed out that while she considered that rather than continuing to trial the defendant admitted to liability with damages to be assessed, she noted that this actioncouldhavebeentaken earlier

This publication had reported that Brassington secured the judgments against the newspaper after the Court upheld his contention that statements published by KN were defamatory and meant or understood to mean that he as NICIL’s head was “dishonest and had been guilty of criminal activity and was habitually guilty of criminal activity and had engaged in criminal fraud andcorruptpractices.”

He claimed that the information severely impacted his character and integrity given that it was published in a newspaper which was widely read and circulated throughout Guyana and online where it isreadworldwide.

The former CEO had wonfivecasesbeforeJustice Corbin-Lincoln in which he secured judgment awards of $3.5 million for each case bringingittoatotalof$17.5 million In another case, which was tried before Justice Navindra Singh, Brassington was awarded $10 million against KN by theCourt.

Thesumscalculatedwith aninterestoffourpercentper annum along with legal fees brought the total to $34.4 million In another j u d g m e n t a w a r d , Brassington secured an additional $2 million award against the newspaper The sumtooktheamounttoover $36.4million.

H@RD TRUTHS

HALF YEAR REPORT

Therewaswhatwasboth good and terrible in the first halfof2023.

Thepeopleclosesttothe PPP, which means brother

Barry J, did extremely well. The people who were b e y o n d t h e P P P Government’sconsideration didn’t fare so well; in fact,

they did poorly in this rich country There was some malice on the PPP’s part, plus the expediency of politics, confluence of

circumstances, and choices

the headmen made Everything was lined up, and the PPP kicked away merrily, deliriously; and, when some got in its way, dealt with those deviants, distractors,anddestabilizers affectionately What qualifies as affectionate for thePPP(doctorsAli,Jagdeo, Nandlall) is not the same as thatofordinarypeople.

The numbers were aligned: GDP, expert computations. Sumptuous. There was the national b u d g e t M o r e sumptuousness Another record, another record for giving to PPP cronies, through infrastructure pipelines. Private sector business was good, with geysers from the national [budget] slush fund. It’s all legal and parliamentary, naturally Eachschoolchild gotUS$200;eachpensioner US$20 more monthly; plus, light, water, and pump bills all got a subsidy For every dollar the small people got, the big fish in Guyana got a million. Callittrickledown, spreadthewealth,orreverse redistribution of national patrimony No arguments here. The 1% people made out like banshees; the masses spoke about inequity Cost-of-living was/is killing; even cats fell before counting nine. For the disappointed that expected a rain of dollars in the richest country, they got a reign of pain. I wonder whatitisliketoliveinHaiti, with no caring PPP Government,nooil. The oil companies enjoyed more greenlights and protection rackets from the PPP, EPA; even the haloedGuyanajudiciarydid its part Well, partly anyway John Hess did his part also when he dismissed Guyanese anxieties and concerns as “noise.” Nice polite fellow isn’t he. See whatImean,thegoodhasto

be swallowed with the degrading. Man, being among the richest people on earth, I should own people like John Hess, American multimillionaire, Guyana zillionaire and all. His noble Guyanese friends shouldrelaymysentiments.

Numbers aside, the last corner of the bottom gave way qualitatively Media elections, media assaults (not from me), media broadsides. Regarding the latter, it was the brother’s version of Thanksgiving Day celebrations, as Dr Jagdeodidhisbestimitation of Benito. Women were shown the error of their ways: don’t leave the kitchen, no oil questions. When Guyanese want a fair deal,arawdealremains. Is thisregisteringbrotherB? It istheoldRussianinbrother Barry resurfacing, an unreconstructed Stalinist Yet, I swear that the local maestroismoreYankeethan me nowadays. Since he is nearertotheocean,Isuspect the saltwater variety It is PPP style democracy: do things this way, or don’t do them at all. No wonder Exxon’s master theatrician, Alistair Routledge is chortling. What happened to Southern gallantry, and theclassywaythatbellesare treated in Texas, Colonel? The dignity of Guyanese womanhood is just as precioustous. Definitelyto me,boss.

In the matter of national institutions,itwasacarnage. They are all at mudflat levels:beachedandbunched into the barrel of badly wounded I tender the police, the environmental police, the child police

O n l y t h e m e d i a stormtroopers are having a field day chasing down perceived enemies, and Guyana’slocalequivalentof Jews. Recallwhathappened to them in Europe. Justice, equity,truth,andfairplayall

collapsed. History does recharge its batteries, like a centipede or lizard (new limbs); or the PPP corruptionseasoninfusedby nationalbudgets[newlife].

The President was very much in the picture from Jan-Jun 2023. By now, he should have accumulated more flying miles than any ontaxpayer’sdime. Hedoes the job of two men, but the onlypairsmatchingareBud and Lou; or Laurel and Hardy The more I study President Ali, the more Columbus comes to mind. Cristobal was lost when he started; became more lost whenhearrived;andlargely lost all recollection about where he was when he returned to Madrid, or Castille. The beauty about all this is that in the President’s case, Guyanese pay the price. The people cry for relief Excellency, do something material, please. Careful sir, I don’t mean privatesectorpeople. Think of the poor multitudes, commander Theyarepoor, tired, and huddled in wretched agony; don’t let them bow below the Statue of Liberty Have a heart, Alistair R. How about a square deal, and not this sucker’sdeal,colonel?

Since all this is likely to lead nowhere, I need to try my prayers at the Holy See (Vatican), the sandy seas of Mecca, and the sea of the Ganges. Meanwhile, in the richest country globally, Guyanese cry a river They don’tcryforArgentina;they cryforGuyana. Ithasbeen that kind of dark, dismal, draininghalfyear Timefor thestatisticianstobendtheir numbers, take it from here. Percentagespunish.

Finally, when a head-ofstatelacksdignity,isdevoid of the fiber, to act timely, authoritatively, involving comrades making ugly headlines, then we have nothing,arenothing. People must come before the party, citizens ahead of comrades, especiallychildren.

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

Bulkan pushes back against Jagdeo on ‘consultations’ with Amerindians for sale of carbon credits

Environmental activist, Janette B u l k a n h a s pushed back against the statements made by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo that the Government of Guyana (GoG) held consultations with the Amerindiansoverthesaleof carbon credits earned for the forestsintheircommunities.

In a letter to this newspaper, published on July 8, 2023 Bulkan said the Department of Public Information (DPI) carried a

report on July 6, 2023 on the illegal sale of carbon credits from forests on titled Amerindian Village Lands. She said that the “statement mainly includes legally incorrect and misleading statements by the VicePresident, and which are damagingtoAmerindians.”

The activist went on to argue that a consultation held by government staff in an Amerindian Village on t h e L o w C a r b o n Development Strategy (LCDS)2030isnotthesame

asavoteataVillageMeeting convened according to the AmerindianAct2006.

Bulkan pointed out, “A consultation has no legal weightandisnotasubstitute for the procedure laid down by law And since the VicePresident refers often to his view that the lopsided Production Sharing Agreement signed in June 2016 cannot be negotiated with EEPGL and coventurers because of 'sanctity of contract', it is not clearwhy theVice-President

seems to feel that the legally validAmerindianAct can be ignoredtoallowgovernment theft of titled Amerindian resources.”

She said that while the government has decided to hand out large funds to Amerindian villages to finance their plans, prepared on a government template, it has nothing to do with the sovereign right of titled Amerindian Villages to decide themselves how they manage their own resources.

Bulkan in her letter

reasoned, “Amerindians in Guyana have steadfastly defended their territorial rights,sincethearrivalofthe first Europeans on their shores.

Amerindians have suffered from land grabs throughouthistory

Their territorial rights include the legal right that can be exercised by twothirds of the members of each titled village to dispose (ornot)oftheiraboveground resources.

The safeguards against continuinglandgrabssetout in the Amerindian Act 2006 cannot be set aside by Winrock's ART-TREES, Aster Global or the GovernmentofGuyana.”

Jagdeo during an interviewwiththe'Guyanese Critic'onThursdaylaunched an attack on Bulkan, describing the activist as a hater of his party According to him, she also comes from a group “who live abroad and think that they have all the answers for Guyana and they are the conscience of Guyanese.”

TheformerHeadofState who received an award as a 'Champion of the Earth' told his viewers on the interview, streamed live on Facebook, that such individuals live off ofadvocatingforIndigenous people and a clean environment.

He explained that the Amerindian People's Association (APA) similarly attempted to block the funding for the Amerindian communities; however these villages have already received the revenue and have commenced projects throughthatstream.

The Vice President said that these funds will create more jobs, improve their access to health, address youth issues and other developmental matters, therebychangingthelivesof theIndigenouscitizens.

Jagdeo therefore concluded, “They don't care, APAtriestoblockthat.They failed by invoking the grievance procedure under theArchitectureforRedPlus Transaction, they failed there...andnowJanetBulkan and the others are weighing in. This is what's going to happen, these people live off of this, they are like leeches...youarenotgoingto getridofthem.“

The VP said the government is forced to ignore those individuals and move forward with the supportofthecommunities.

newspaper reported that Bulkan believes the sale of forest-based carbon credits by the Government of Guyanawasfraudulent.

She explained that the Government had no authority to sell any of the resources on the titled Village Lands without explicit Amerindian agreementatVillagelevel.

“Thiswasasaleofstolen property, and Hess Corporation is likewise criminally guilty of purchasing such stolen property, having been informed of the illegality,” DrBulkanadded.

She explained that any Amerindian Village Council can agree to dispose of naturalresourcesofthetitled Amerindian Village Lands only through compliance with sections 13, 14, 34 and 44 of the Amerindian Act cap.29:012006.

According to Dr Bulkan, these sections require a properly convened village meetingandavoteofatleast two-thirds of villagers in favourofsuchdisposal.

To this end she said, “So far as I know, none of the titled Amerindian Villages hasconvenedsuchameeting orpassedsuchavote.”

Consequently, she said the sale by the Government of forest-based carbon credits was fraudulent, including the 2.299 million hectares of forest on Village Lands sold on December 1, 2022.

Back in December, the government inked what was dubbed a 'historic' agreement with U S oil company Hess Corporation for the sale of carbon credits the country earned for its massive forest cover The signing ceremony was hosted at State House, in the presence of members of Cabinet and the Diplomatic Corps, private sector representatives and other governmentofficials.

Themulti-year (Continued on page 61)

Environmental activist, Janette Bulkan

Guyana yet to put systems in place to show how money from the extractive sectors is used - EITI

While Guyana h a s m a d e progress on a number of key areas flagged previously by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), the global body has highlighted the country's failure to disclose how revenues from the extractive industry are utilized.

In the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GYEITI) Report fortheyear2020,itwasnoted that the country made no progressonthis'highpriority' rankedissue.

The report details that the EITI Requirement of 7 3 stipulates that the multistakeholder group (MSG) can consider agreeing on recommendations for strengthening government systems and natural resource governance.

Moreover, it stated, “the EITI Requirement 5 3 stipulates that the multistakeholder group is encouraged to disclose a description of any extractive revenues earmarked for specific programmes or geographic regions This should include a description of the methods for ensuring accountability and efficiency intheiruse.”

Be that as it may, the transparency watchdog institution explained that the Amerindian Development Fund (ADF) which was established to provide funding to support the socioeconomic development of Amerindian communities and villages andArticle 51 of the Amerindian Act (2006) stipulates that the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) shall transfer twenty percent of the royalties from the mining activitiestoafunddesignated bytheMinisterforthebenefit of Amerindian Villages

According to the EITI report, “GGMCdidnotincludeinits declaration any transfers made to ADF during the fiscalyear2020asdetailedin Section3.7.3ofthisreport.”

The body recommended thereforethatthegovernment agencies, particularly the Ministry of Amerindian A f f a i r s a n d G G M C implement automated controls to ensure the comprehensiveness of extractive revenues earmarked to be transferred totheADF Itadded,“Inview of strengthening government systems and natural resource g o v e r n a n c e , i t i s recommended that GYEITI

MSG sets up a work plan with different government agencies involved in the extractive sectors namely GGMC,GFC,Departmentof Fisheries to consider any extractive revenues that should be earmarked for specific programmes or geographicregions.”

While no specific mention was made of accountability with the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) or the oil account, stakeholders locally have been disputing the use of the revenue as there is no record of how these funds are being used.

In accordance with Section 16 of the NRF Act, withdrawals from the oil account shall only be used to f i n a n c e “ n a t i o n a l development priorities, including any initiative aimed at realizing an inclusive green economy and essential projects that are d i r e c t l y r e l a t e d t o ameliorating the effect of a majornaturaldisaster.”

While the Law is clear as it regards utilization of the fund, it also makes provision foranannualaudittobedone with the report made public in the National Assembly. This is provided for under Section 33 of the 2021 NRF Act.

It states at Section 33 (1)

“The Minister or any person directed by the Minister shall publish on the website of the Ministry and generally make available to the public – (a) the annual report, audited financial statements and external auditor's report on the Fund within three working days after they are laid before the National A s s e m b l y ”

The NRF Act also includes a number of other reports that must be published by the government to update its citizens on the use of the oil revenue One such key document includes the Investment Mandate which would outline the specific budget for an identified project.

Guyana first utilized a portion of its oil revenue in 2022. During the preparation phase for the Budget last year, the government indicated that the fiscal plan was backed with a total of US$607 million of oil revenue.

Similarly, in 2023 just over US$1 billion was approved in the National Assembly to support the Budget, however the nation hasnotbeentoldexactlyhow

the revenue from the sector w o u l d b e u s e d Back in January this year, Kaieteur News reported that the Audit Office of Guyana will be boosting its capacity with a new eight-member body this year dedicated to

conductingoilandgasaudits.

Auditor General (AG), Deodat Sharma told this n e w s p a p e r t h a t t h e Committee was expected to be established by March.

This special committee will be tasked with specific

functions such as fine-tuning spending by the Government of Guyana from the nation's NaturalResourceFundorthe oil account, according to Sharma.

He said: “We are the auditors for the Natural Resource Fund so all the expenditure when the money goes into the Natural Resource Fund and when it comes out there – like last year, it was US$607 million Budget support to the

government so we will have t o a u d i t a l l t h o s e expenditures.”

Sharma was asked to elaborate on how the team would be tracking this spending since the People's Progressive Party (PPP) government has signaled their intent to transfer funds from the NRF to the consolidated fund, thereby blending the various revenue streams.Thiswasasore

(Continued on page 62)

Week-in-Review change any law with the effect of authorities, the Financial Analyst (July 2nd to 7th) infringing on Exxon’s economic stressed that International Lawyer benefit, government would have to Melinda Janki had won a legal suit Sunday exempt the block from the against the state’s Environmental legislative change or find a way to ProtectionAgency(EPA),reducing

If Govt. says it wants to compensatethecompaniesfortheir Exxon’sPermitfromthepreviously renegotiate some terms of oil losses. approved 20 plus years, to five deal, Exxon and partners will

Despite this, Trotman yearsasspecifiedbylaw come to the table - Trotman expressed his certainty that if there

To this end, Sanzillo noted, is a genuine desire to alter the “Theyarecomplainingaboutevery

Former Minister of Natural terms, it can be achieved through single provision when the IHSResources, Raphael Trotman, has good faith negotiation and Markit experts who looked at the expressed his belief in a recently compromise. Reflecting on the contract said the contract was published book that the Stabroek initial concerns surrounding the effectively one-sided in Exxon’s Block Production Sharing agreement in 2015 and 2016, favour so they already have a Agreement (PSA), signed in 2016, Trotman in his book explained that favourable contract and now they canberenegotiatediftheGuyanese it was important to strengthen the are saying they can’t meet these, governmentshowsagenuinedesire country’s relationship with Exxon, what are effectively, quite I would forchange. a US conglomerate with global sayweakrequirements.”

”I permanently believe that if reach. At that time, he argued that The Financial Analyst argued the government signaled an theprimaryfocuswasnotsolelyon that one is left to wonder whether intention to renegotiate some the financial gains for Guyana but the oil projects would be profitable terms, that Exxon, Hess and also on establishing a framework for Guyana with all the existing

CNOOC would enter the that would allow the country to loopholes. He made it clear that he renegotiations,” the former peacefully and comfortably enjoy does believe this to be case for Ministerwrote. thebenefitsofitsnaturalresources. Guyana.

Trotman who signed the While Trotman, a former Sanzillo explained that Exxon originaldeal,andhascomeforward Member of Parliament (MP) has has “far superior ways” to beat withthisviewsevenyearslatersaid communicated this opinion, the Guyaneseinanynegotiationbutthe the current policymakers, the wider Opposition is yet to deliver a government must be willing to People’s Progressive Party Civic concretepositiononthequestionof participate in addressing the flaws (PPP/C), have no desire to amend the renegotiation of the Stabroek in the contract Instead, the the deal. In his new book ‘Destiny BlockPSA. specialist said that the to Prosperity’, Trotman said the Renegotiating the terms of the administration has made it clear agreement is not immune to StabroekBlockProductionSharing that it will allow lax law modifications. The attorney-at-law Agreement could provide an enforcementtocontinue. said that nothing is set in stone, opportunity for Guyana to “The willingness of the including the agreement’s strong maximize its benefits, ensuring a government to participate in this is “StabilityClause.” fair and equitable distribution of throughLocalContentandtheGas- well as a $156 billion global something that does need to be

Thisclauseisoneofthereasons revenues, while also safeguarding to-Energyproject.However,hehas pensionfund. addressed but it’s not going to thathavebeenprofferedasareason environmental concerns and the not shown fervour or desire to The financial analyst has change because they’ve made it why the contract cannot be sustainable development of the amend this deal. Despite criticising writtenseveralarticlesonGuyana’s clear that this is the plan, and the renegotiated. The clause forbids nation. Vice President Dr Bharrat the contract for being unfair, energy sector since the country plan will be to allow lax anyalterationtoitsterms,unlessall Jagdeo has often boasted about his Jagdeo said that Trotman’s book discovered the resources, and like enforcement, to allow this really parties, including Exxon and its government’s ability to secure will not be a bother to the several other specialists, have been lopsided fiscal deal to continue and partners, agree. Further, if Guyana greater benefits from the deal in government’s position on the keeping close watch on the tousetheresourcesthatdocomein were to amend its tax code or negotiations with ExxonMobil, contract. unravelingevents. which are substantial- I’m not

Citizensmustfightbackagainst Sanzillo in pointing to the need gonnasaythat’snottrue,thatis-but Govt. on lopsided Exxon contract - for citizens of Guyana to fight back to use it in a manner, in a pretty Int’lFinancialexpert highlighted that two Guyanese standard economic development

In an environment where the recently took ExxonMobil to Court manner where the politicians government has not only refused to overtheirfailuretocomplywiththe control it at the top and it doesn’t renegotiate the lopsided Stabroek Liza One Permit, which according get down to the benefits of the Block contract, but allows lax to the High Court Judge, warrants people.” enforcement of the laws governing an unlimited parent company He had also noted that the the sector to continue, Financial guarantee to cover all costs in the investments being made by Analyst and Director of the eventofaspill. government into the new roads and InstituteforEnergyEconomicsand In addition to this, Sanzillo the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project Financial Analysis (IEEFA), Tom madethepointthattheoilcompany may very well be to the benefit of Sanzillo said it is now up to has been failing to meet the flaring the oil companies, rather than the Guyanesetofightback. requirements too and has burned citizensofGuyana.

Sanzillogavethisviewduringa millionsofcubicfeetofgasperday In this regard, the Director of recent panel discussion on since the startup of production the Financial Institution urged, Guyana’s oil sector, particularly activities This too prompted “The people of Guyana really in focusing on whether or not its citizenstoheadtoCourt. termsoftheirgovernment,theyhad newfound wealth will bring Further, he observed that the better learn how to fight back prosperitytothepeople. company even has an objection to because we have seen what

He has years of experience in Guyana’s Local Content Law, now happenswhentheydon’t.” public policy and has also taught thatitisforcedtousetheservicesof energy industry finance. Sanzillo moreGuyanese.

Monday served for 17 years with the City “The local content law is not and the State of NewYork in senior Exxon’s only complaint, I mean it Leaders have a responsibility financial and policy management cameinthere,itreadthecontract,it to present what Guyana positions and as the first deputy knew what the rules were. Now offers to the World not to comptroller for the State of New since the beginning, it can’t meet Guyanese - PresidentAli York,oversawthefinancesof1,300 the flaring requirements that it units of local government, the claimed it would meet,” the IEEFA With Guyana positioning itself annual management of 44,000 Directorstated. to be a global leader in the energy, government contracts, and over To make yet another point to climate and food sectors, President $200 billion in state and local support his argument of lax law IrfaanAlisaidleadersandthe municipal bond programmes as enforcement by Guyanese (Continued on page 15)

From page 14 aspartofthesolution. citizens of the country should be The President’s statement on presenting what the country offers leaders’responsibilitytoofferwhat totheworld,ratherthanGuyanese. Guyana has to the World, rather

He gave the charge on Saturday than Guyanese would cause evening while delivering an concernespeciallysinceitsexisting address at the La Primavera agreement with oil giant, Banquet Hall in Ontario, Canada. ExxonMobil extends greater fiscal President Ali was on a three-day benefits to that company instead of visit to the state and is expected to the country. Despite the bebackinGuyanatoday administration being aware of the

During his presentation, the flawedtermsembeddedinthedeal, Head of State focused on the it still refuses to change the country’s development and the contract. investment opportunities that await Raphael Trotman, the former thediasporainCanada. Minister of Natural Resources who

Ali explained, “I am not here to inked the Production Sharing sell Guyana. A journalist asked me Agreement (PSA) on behalf of how would you sell Guyana, we Guyana in 2016 has said that the don’tneedtosellGuyana.Whatwe contract can be renegotiated. He need to do is to talk about Guyana. also pledged his support for Guyana is already creating its own changestothelopsidedagreement. path but we as leaders, we as Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo citizens, we have an obligation to has however refused Trotman’s present what Guyana offers to the support and has since made it clear World; not what Guyana offers to that the contract will not be

It was explained that only after Guyanese but what Guyana offers renegotiated. with the matter Kaieteur News not wishing to press charges would receipt of that statement did totheWorld.” Only on Sunday last, Kaieteur reported that the child, who has betopointoutthatthesupportfrom investigators meet with the teen,

she no longer wishes to continue combatting the reality of a victim

He added that this is important News reported that Director of the been in protective custody for just thepolicestillremainonoffer her parents and an officer from sinceitishisviewthatthecountry’s InstituteforEnergyEconomicsand over a week, told investigators that “Theoffercanextendtoclothes CPA. prosperity must not lead to Financial Analysis (IEEFA), Tom shenolongerwantstoproceedwith being stored and evidence kept in a “At that time, the Virtual “arrogance”butrather,toa“deeper Sanzillo has called on Guyanese to thecase. freezer in case they change their Complainant (alleged victim), in understanding of our responsibility fight back against the government

TheAssociation underscored in mind.The contrastingsad realityin the presence of her parent and the inthisWorld”. onthelopsidedoildeal. their press statement that the action Guyana is that credibility of the Childcare official, informed the

The Head of State went on to Sanzillo pointed out during a and inaction of politicians at every engaged Agencies is so low, they investigators that she was note that a deep understanding is panel discussion that the Guyanese step of the way in the matter are reduced to creating a withdrawing her complaint against what is required for Guyanese to government have not only refused involving Minister Dharamlall demeaningvideoofherretraction,” Minister Nigel Dharamlall and that make the World better and more so to renegotiate the Stabroek Block have been deferential to the itwasadded. she was doing so without anyone for the country’s prosperity to be contract, but also allows lax offenderratherthanthevictim. The Association explained that forcing her to do so and of her own shared with every citizen of the enforcement of the laws governing “Offender-deference dictated introduction of Safeguarding freewill,”thePolicedisclosed. World. the sector to continue. As such, he the choice of the Child Care & Policiesineveryorganizationinthe It was stated too that a video

“A deep understanding of what urged that it is now up to Guyanese Protection Agency to ‘protect’ the country should be the priority recording was made of the teen is required of us to make this world tofightback. child,effectivelyisolatingherfrom responsetothisincident. expressingherwishes.Notably,the abetterplace,whatisrequiredofus “The willingness of the the care, protection and legal GHRA outlined that, “The Police underscored that every to achieve shared prosperity for government to participate in this is support she required, while making Safeguarding Policy must be process of the child withdrawing every citizen of the world and I say something that does need to be her available and vulnerable to prominentlyplacedand accessible her allegation was done in the to you this evening that we in addressed but it’s not going to those seeking to change her mind,” by all staff and visitors A presenceofherparentsandtheCPA Guyana we will be part of a new change because they’ve made it itwasstated.

Safeguarding Officer (whose name officer global system and we will establish clear that this is the plan, and the GHRA continued: “Despite is displayed in the Notice) is Given this, the Police said the our credentials and we will be part plan will be to allow lax unprecedented public revulsion appointed to manage and enforce next step will be to send back the of the solution and not the enforcement, to allow this really over the incident, Government the policy and is ring-fenced from filetotheDPPforlegaladvice. problem,” he shared while lopsided fiscal deal to leaders continue to see nothing in retaliatoryaction.” Moreover, it was stated that, receiving a round of applause from continue…the people of Guyana the pattern of Dharamlall’s Moreover, the Guyana Police “Foremphasis,itmustbereiterated theaudience. reallyintermsoftheirgovernment, behaviour that even merits a Force (GPF) issued a statement that at no time whatsoever, was the Ali said in all three of the crises they had better learn how to fight rebuke. This non-reaction has all condemningandcautioningagainst Virtual Complainant [alleged that policy makers across the world back because we have seen what the hallmarks of the suspect being the peddling of misinformation on victim] interviewed and re- are faced with; including energy, happens when they don’t,” the in a position to embarrass others if social media about what occurred interviewed to exhaustion as is climate and food, there will be no FinancialAnalysisnoted. actionweretakenagainsthim.” inthecase. alleged.” conversation on those matters

The Human RightsAssociation It was first stated that no police The GPF expressed concerns without Guyana being mentioned GHRAsays public questioned the work of the Guyana investigator made contact with the over the fact that confidential interest demands trial into Police Force (GPF), adding, “In teen on Thursday to conduct any information surrounding the Minister Dharamlall case jurisdictions less complacent than interviewafterthefilewasreturned interview that was conducted by a …calls for implementation ours about sexual assault, police bytheDPP Non-Governmental Organization of systems to protect acting professionally would have TheGPFclaimedthatitwaslast was disclosed to several persons victims of sexual abuse encouraged the victim not to give Thursday when the girl informed who published details of same on up.” her parents and an officer of the socialmedia.

In light of the announcement

Added to this it was stated that Child Care and Protection Agency To this, the Police said, “This is that the 16-year-old girl publicinterestconsiderationsinthe (CPA) that she did not want to a serious development which can withdrawing her rape allegation Dharamlall case point heavily in proceed with this matter any undermine criminal investigations against Minister of Local supportoftheneedforatrial. further resulting in serious miscarriages of Government and Regional “Sexual assault cases involving Thereafter,itwasstatedthatthe justice.” Development, Nigel Dharamlall, young indigenous girls in Guyana teen girl and her parents then the Guyana Human Rights are widespread, systematic and prepared a statement to reflect that Tuesday Association (GHRA) in a recent rarely prosecuted, a conclusion the she is withdrawing her complaint. statement underscored that public forthcoming Commission of Notably, the Police said that no Exxon took out billions in 2022 interest demands a trial into the Inquiry into the Madhia dormitory investigator was a part of this to clean up 3rd and 4th projects case. GHRA also called for the fire will likely reveal,” GHRA process. The statement was then yet to start pumping oil implementation of a Safeguarding noted. delivered to the DPP’s Chambers Policyforvictimsofsexualabuse.

On Friday, the alleged victim professional policing approach to wasthendeliveredtothePolice. (Continued on page 16) informed police investigators that

It was underscored that a byaparentoftheteen;anothercopy Guyanahascommencedpaying

President Irfaan Ali during his address in Canada.

Minister of Local Govt. & Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall

From page 15 process that led to the now highly collective decision made by the ExxonMobil and its co-venturers controversialagreement. government. Hess and CNOOC millions of US-

Guyana’s third Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, Payara arrived in April 2023 and is expected to commence production activities later this year.

Trotman stated that both the He has now come forward to dollars in decommissioning costs, former President, David Granger saythathebelievesthecontractcan to clean up the third and fourth andtheCabinetwerefullyawareof be renegotiated Despite the developments in the Stabroek the agreement being negotiated. “I stability clause, Trotman asserts Block, even though these projects was never acting alone, and did that if Guyana indicates an interest aretocommenceoilproduction. seek and obtain Cabinet’s approval to renegotiate some terms, the oil Decommissioning refers to the to enter into the agreement.” He companieswouldcometothetable. cleanup and restoration of the noted also that several weeks later, However, the former minister’s ocean floor, following the life of an the former Minister of Finance, seeming change of heart may be oil project. It involves the removal Winston Jordan had even tabled a seen as convenient. Kaieteur News ofthesubseaumbilicals,risers,and Motion for a Resolution to be and many other advocates have flowlines (SURF) and other adopted by the National Assembly carried the fight for this contract to technical equipment used during in accordance with the Petroleum be renegotiated for years, since its the process of oil extraction Act, further attesting to their publication. Trotman has only now However, although the third and involvement and approval. One of made this perspective known, after fourth projects yet to commence the main criticisms that was also his government has been voted out production activities, the financial levelled against Trotman was that ofoffice,andwhenhehasnopower documents from the oil companies heignoredexpertadviceduringthe to do what he appears to be for 2022 revealed that monies were negotiation process However, i n s i n u a t i n g t h e P P P / C d e d u c t e d l a s t y e a r f o r

Trotman vehemently denied this administration must do Vice decommissioning. claim in his book, asserting that he President Bharrat Jagdeo has

According to the financial followed the instructions and indicated that Trotman’s writings statement provided by China billion or US$237 million towards cumulative production from the guidance he received from his are of little concern, and will not National Offshore Oil Corporation this future expense according to its field or fields associated with the superiors. He acknowledged that impact the current management of (CNOOC): “During the period financial statements for 2022. It abandonment in question has President David Granger’s former Exxon’sStabroekBlockPSA. ended December 31, 2022, was also stated that for 2021 some reached fifty percent (50%) of the advisor on petroleum, Dr Jan additions to decommissioning and US$81.3 million was directed to provenreserves.” Mangal, among others, had their Wednesday restoration provisions include the scheduled decommissioning It goes on to point out that own perspectives on what the cost for one new development well activities. Vice President Bharrat deposits shall be made in equal agreement should entail, and these Guyana’s royalty for in Liza Phase One, six new Jagdeo, who has been heading the annual installments, based on the viewsweresharedwiththeHeadof 2022 is almost three development wells in Liza Phase local petroleum sector, had agreed initial and subsequent updates of State. He noted however, “If my times less than what Exxon Two, 14 new development wells in that this particular clause is a the abandonment cost estimates superiors wished, they could have took out for cleanup costs Payara and four new development concern and had said he does not provided by the Contractor in its stopped me from proceeding. No wellsinYellowtailthatspudduring believe that it is advantageous for abandonment plan The annual one stopped me from proceeding, In 2022, oil giant ExxonMobil theyear.”

ExxonMobil to hold Guyana’s contribution to the Abandonment and it was no secret that an took out some $49,790,273,570

Importantly, the third Stabroek decommissioningfunds. Fund shall be such that the full cost agreement with Exxon, Hess and towards cleanup activities while Block project, Payara will He explained: “that is what the of abandonment is paid to the Fund CNOOCwasintheworks.” Guyana received a mere commence production activities in contract (says) it’s out now so by two years prior to the anticipated

$18,892,021,213 in royalty the last quarter of this year mid-February, we will have a c o m m e n c e m e n t o f Theformeroilministerstrongly payments from the company in M e a n w h i l e , t h e f o u r t h completely new PSA which will d e c o m m i s s i o n i n g a n d argued that as no such intervention 2022. This means Exxon took out development, Yellowtail is not address those things which we abandonmentactivities. occurred, it is clear that his actions more than two times what it gave expectedtostartupuntil2027. believethatarenotadvantageousto were conducted with the Guyanainroyaltyforasinglecost.

It is also important to note that us because they hold the Trotman says had full knowledge and approval of his According to the Production decommissioning funds will not be decommissioningfunds.” backing of Cabinet to sign superiors. Sharing Agreement (PSA), the required until 20 years after the In the new model PSA’s lopsided Exxon contract Trotman’s assertions challenge A P N U + A F C C o a l i t i o n project would have started, since currently being finalised, the - says Granger, others the prevailing narrative which has Government signed with Exxon, these resources would be used to government has proposed that the could have stopped him from beenswirlingforyears,andhascast Guyana received a meagre two restore the environment until contractor establish an signing, but they didn’t doubt on his true motivations for percent royalty on the resources production activities cease at the Abandonment Fund which will be signing the contract Global sold. The contract also enables the wells. The Environmental Impact overseen by Guyanese authorities. Former Minister of Natural Witness,forexample,hadpainteda contractor to control the Assessments (EIAs) submitted by That account will see deposits Resources, Raphael Trotman, has picture of Trotman’s visit to decommissioning funds, until it is Exxon to the Environmental made by the oil companies as strongly refuted allegations that he Houston to meet with Exxon, in a needed.Decommissioningrefersto Protection Agency (EPA) had agreed by the minister Kaieteur acted as a rogue element in the manner that raised troubling the cleanup and restoration of the indicatedthattheoilprojectshavea News understands that the minister negotiation and signing of the questions about the former ocean floor, following the life of an lifespan of 20 years In the may access funds from the account StabroekBlockProductionSharing Minister’s integrity Global oil project. It involves the removal meantime, the oil companies have in the event that contractor fails to Agreement (PSA) between the Witness, which now has different ofthesubseaumbilicals,risers,and been deducting monies annually to effect environmental clean-up Guyanese government and an reporting priorities, has since flowlines (SURF) and other pay for the decommissioning during the term of this Agreement, ExxonMobil-ledconsortium. rescinded its ‘SignedAway’report. technical equipment used during activities. Guyana has however not or fails to properly abandon wells In his book ‘From Destiny to Trotman insists however that the theprocessofoilextraction. only erred by allowing the funds to or abandon facilities to the Prosperity,’ Trotman addresses negotiation process was Guyana has been paying come out at least a decade before satisfaction of minister upon these accusations and provides transparent,andtheagreementwith billionsofdollarseachyeartoward they are actually needed but the terminationofthisAgreement. insight into the decision-making Exxon, Hess, and CNOOC was a (Continued on page 58) country has allowed the Stabroek In the new PSA, which will Block partners to be in control of howevernotextendtotheStabroek the millions of US-dollars, rather Block, oil companies will be thancontrolthefunditself. required to contribute to the

This has been described as a decommissioning fund ONLY loophole in the Production Sharing AFTER 50 percent of the total oil Agreement (PSA) signed with has already been extracted. This ExxonMobil and its partners, since means, there will be more profit up countries have often been left to front for Guyana to benefit from, f o o t t h e b i l l f o r i t s after 65 percent of the revenue decommissioning activities after covers the contractor’s costs/ thepetroleumcompaniesleave. investments.

xxon

b

t

und when

l, Hess and This new provision is outlined CNOOC each took out monies last in Section 41.16 of the new PSA. It y e a r t o w a r d s f u t u r e states, “The Contractor shall decommissioning activities initiate contributions to the ExxonMobil alone deducted $49.8

Former Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman

Former President, David Granger

Almost$9Bincontractsawardedalreadytobuild7newschools

- Govt. to request $11B more in supplementary funds from Parliament

The Government of Guyana

has signed almost $9B in contracts in the last few weeks to construct and rehabilitate seven secondary schools across the country

The Ministry of Education has embarked on a very aggressive programmeaimedatensuringuniversal secondary education The government intendstoattainthatgoalby2025

Thisyeartheeducationsectorwas allocated some $94 billion out of the nationalbudget.Fromthis$12billion was set aside for the construction, rehabilitation, extension, and maintenance of educational facilities acrossthecountry

Ofthesevenschools,whichalmost $9billionhasbeenawarded,aretheSt. Mary’s Secondary School which will be rebuilt, the St. George’s High School which will be rebuilt, the Christ Church Secondary School which will also be rebuilt, and Kwebanna Secondary, Hosororo Secondary, Tushcen Secondary, and theKarasabaiSecondarywhichareall schoolsthatwillbeconstructedforthe firsttime.

Intermsoftheschoolsthatwillbe rebuilt, the ministry last month awarded a $688,161,006 contract for Christ Church Secondary which was completelydestroyedbyfirethisyear Thisschoolwillmeasure209feetx70 feet and have 20 classrooms to accommodate450to520students.Itis expected to be completed in seven months.

The St. Mary’s Secondary School will be rebuilt at the cost of $560.7 million and will be completed within sixtosevenmonths.Oncecompleted, the upper flat of the building will accommodate 10 classrooms, while the second flat will house 12 classrooms along with a teachers’ Staffroom and a sanitary block. The lower flat will be equipped with six laboratories,theministryhadstated.

The St. George’s High School whichwasalsodestroyedbyafirelast year,willbereconstructedtothetune of $253,831,122 and is said to be completed within five to seven months. When completed, the new building is said to be a two-story structure oriented with a panoramic view of the lower flat and measuring some109ftx70ft.Theupperflatwill feature12classrooms,whilethelower

flatwillhousesixlaboratories.

As for the new school buildings, forthefirsttime,asecondaryschoolis beingbuiltinKarasabai,RegionNine to the tune of $1,773,930,690. The modern school complex will be fitted with ten buildings, which would include the main teaching block and allied lecturing facilities, modern science laboratory for Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, TVET Centres, a combined Home Economics and cafeteria area, teachers’ quarters, and an outdoor sitting forecourt. The ministry noted that once completed, the facility will houseandwillcaterfor500studentsin theclassroom,and250studentsinthe dormitories.

The Tuschen Secondary School, Region Three, will be constructed at a cost of $864,705,395 This school is said to be a fully reinforced concrete one flat structure combined with a circularandcylindricalbuildingoutline that is covered in a dome roof The building is measured in several blocks from600sqft to7105sqft Theschool will consist of 24 classrooms to accommodateover800students

Theconstructionofthenewschool at Hosororo, Region One, will cost $2,619,208,261. This school which is measured409ft.by25ft.willhave29 classrooms to accommodate over 500 students.

InRegionOneaswell,theministry is building a secondary school at Kwebanna to the tune of $2,017,419,996.Thenewstate-of-theart building is said to house over 600 students and over 25 teachers. It will consist of 30 classrooms, space for science laboratories, TVET Centre, HomeEconomics,andIndustrialArts justtonameafew Thisbuildingissaid to be completed within seven to eight months.

Meanwhile,PresidentIrfaanAliat thecommissioningofthe$585million Abram Zuil Secondary School disclosed that the government needs an additional $11billion in supplementary funds to advance projectsintheeducationsector President Ali revealed that the fundswillbeallocatedforretrofitting, maintenance, and renovation of existing educational facilities and includes provisions for the improvement of teachers’ living quarters.

Thedesignofthe$864millionschoolwhich willbebuiltatTuschen,RegionThree.

Thedesignofthe$560millionSt.Mary’s SecondarySchoolwhichwillberebuilt.

Thedesignofthe$2billionsecondaryschool whichwillbebuiltatKwebanna,RegionOne.

An artist’s impression of the $253 million St. George’s High School which will be rebuilt.

Thedesignofthe$688millionChristChurch SecondarySchoolwhichwillberebuilt.

Waterfalls The Waterfalls

Ms. Alvina Rambarran is the new President of ROTARY CLUB GARDEN CITY (GEORGETOWN)

Meet “Celery Queen” Sookdevi ‘Amanda’ Kemlall

“It's more than photography; it's an expression of my creativity”

– Young Linden photographer

Jefforn Figueira

Billboard Music Guide: New Music from Taylor Swift, TOMORROW X TOGETHER & Jonas Brothers and More

Check out the must-hear releases of the week

(Billboard) Billboard’s Music planet, lounging in a beach chair under Guide serves as a handy guide to this an umbrella; the implication is that, no Friday’s most essential releases — the matterwhattheenvironment,Alejandro key music that everyone will be talking will be ready to unleash summery about today, and that will be dominating pleasures. The best moments of Playa playliststhisweekendandbeyond. Saturno find Alejandro enhancing the This week, Taylor Swift unveils her kinetic grooves that he previously l a t e s t r e - r e c o r d i n g explored on hits like “Todo De

T O M O R R O and “Party” with Bad TOGETHER cre Bunny; “Si Te Pegas,” summer fun wi aturing Miguel Jonas Brothers, and Bosé, is saved for new albums from the final minutes Rauw Alejandro ofthefull-length, and Dominic but may be the Fike are ready to most joyful be fired up distillation of Check out all of Alejandro’s this week’s picks formula in below: r e c e n t

Taylor Swift, memory Speak Now Dominic (Taylor’s Version) Fike, S p e a k N Sunburn (Taylor’s Version), the Florida is the newly released re-recording of beating, complicated TaylorSwift’s2010album,reanimatesa heart of Sunburn, Dominic country-pop masterpiece that was solely Fike’s second studio album, written by Swift as her teens gave her to which examines the singerher twenties. Speak Now showcased songwriter’s upbringing as he Swift’s aesthetic command and refines his singular approach to solidifyingpointofviewduringaperiod emotionally honest pop. Songs like of personal growth — and along with “Mona Lisa,” “Sick” and the Weezer revisiting one of the most complete collaboration “Think Fast” carry a projects of her career, the six “FromThe hangdog appeal on top of more serious Vault” songs on Speak Now (Taylor’s issues, as Fike pivots from rapping to Version)areofapiecewiththatgrowth. crooning over fuzzed-out guitars with

TOMORROW X TOGETHER & aplomb while prodding at the many Jonas Brothers, “Do It Like That” issues in the past and present of his

Shortly after offering a sparkling homestate.

summerjamwith“WaffleHouse,”Jonas FendiDa Rappa feat. Cardi B, Brothers have joined forces with “Point me 2”

TOMORROW X TOGETHER to Cardi B’s year of blessing rising faithfully provide fans with more fodder women in rap with scorching-hot guest for their cookout playlists: “Do It Like verses continues: after hopping on That” is a no-frills jam from a pair of GloRilla’s “Tomorrow 2” and Latto’s “Put It On Da Floor Again” — and sending both songs charging up the charts — the superstar has linked up with Chicago MC FendiDa Rappa on “Point Me 2,” scooping up the ominous beat as her own while also giving her new collaborator ample room to shine. Each of these guest verses have shown Cardi in smash-the-world mode, andhere,sheripsintolineslike

(Continued on page 45)

collectives whose brands of pop fit togetherquiteeasily.Muchofthesong’s immediate appeal comes from its percussive bounce, snaps and pops and found-sound clanging piquing eardrums, but the JoBros and TXT ride those drums admirably, offering plenty of charm over “Do It Like That’s” short runtime.

RauwAlejandro, Playa Saturno

The cover of Rauw Alejandro’s new albumPlayaSaturno featuresthePuerto Rican superstar alone on a desolate

Taylor Swift

TOMORROW X TOGETHER

Rauw Alejandro

Dominic Fike

FendiDa Rappa feat. Cardi B

NewJeans

DPP exercised her power to discontinue charges

FOrderonMay29,2020.Fung-AShalimar Ali-Hack, SC, Fat had advised theAG earlier in has been serving as the year that a recount of the

or the past 15 years,

Guyana’s Director of votes of the March 2, 2020 Public Prosecutions (DPP). Ali- Regional and General Elections Hack plays a vital role in the would be unlawful and administration of justice in unconstitutional. criminalcasesormatters.TheDPP

The final charge, filed by isthesoleauthorityvestedwiththe Joseph, is that Claudette Singh, power and responsibility to being appointed and performing exercise control over the duties of Chairman of GECOM, prosecutionofallcriminalmatters acted recklessly and unlawfully except the institution of a court between May 29, 2020 and June martial. 23, 2020, when she breached the

In this article, I will highlight Recount Order gazetted in the some matters where the DPP Official Gazette on May 4, 2020, exercised the powers conferred on and amended Recount Order on her by Article 187 (1) (c) of the May 29, 2020. The charges, ConstitutionofGuyana. however, were never served on

By Renay Sambach

According to Article 187:1: the GECOM Chair, thanks to the and in fact, the State should not “The Director of Public DPP have entered into such an Prosecutions (referred to in this

Meanwhile, in October 2020, arrangementinthefirstplace. articleas‘theDirector’)shallhave the charges against Minister of Moreover, in April 2018, the power in any case in which he or Legal Affairs and Attorney DPP discontinued the charges sheconsidersitdesirabletodoso– General, Anil Nandlall, SC, that against then Minister of Public (a) to institute and undertake alleged the theft of law books was Health, Volda Lawrence, and then criminal proceedings against any discontinued. Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr personbeforeanycourt,otherthan

Thechargeswerediscontinued GeorgeNorton. a court martial, in respect of any following a letter from the DPP to Using her authority under offenceagainstthelawofGuyana; Magistrate Fabayo Azore in the Article 187 (1) (c) of Guyana’s (b) to take over and continue any GeorgetownMagistrates’Courts. Constitution, the DPP noted that such criminal proceedings that Nandlall had denied the the charges concerned a grave may have been instituted by any charges which alleged that issue under the criminal law in other person or authority; and (c) between May 18, 2015 and May relationtotwoservingMinisters. to discontinue at any stage before 29, 2015 while being a bailee, in A week prior to the charges judgment is delivered any such his then capacity as Attorney being discontinued, PPP/C criminal proceedings instituted or General, he fraudulently Parliamentarians Juan Edghill and undertaken by him or her or any converted 14 Commonwealth Vickram Bharrat, through otherpersonorauthority.”

Law Reports valued at Nandlall,hadmovedtofileprivate

L a s t y e a r, t h e D P P sum of $100,000 and ordered the Melanie Damishana, East Coast $2,313,853, property of the criminal charges against the two discontinued the charge against lawyer not to make contact or Demerara, Onita Walcott of 25 Ministry of Legal Affairs, to his ministers for “misconduct in Attorney-at-Law, Nirvan Singh, causeanyonetomakecontactwith Section B, Victoria Village, East ownuseandbenefit public office contrary to the son of former Chancellor of the Bollers. The matter was then Coast Demerara and Keith The charges were instituted commonlaw”. Judiciary, Carl Singh, who was adjourned.

Ondaan of 2987 Central Amelia’s against Nandlall in 2017 by the According to court filings, charged for using racial slurs

On the following hearing, the Ward , McKenzie Linden. The Special Organised Crime Unit Norton, in June 2016, while towards an Afro-Guyanese matter was called before Acting three charges were filed under the (SOCU), an arm of the Guyana serving as Minister of Public policewoman who was tasked Chief Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs- Common Law Act, alleging that PoliceForce. Health, authorised the rental of a withguardinghisresidence. Marcus in the Georgetown the GECOM Chair in the State of MagistrateAzorein2019ruled Sussex Street, Albouystown

On Wednesday May 18, 2022, Magistrates’ Courts However, Guyana acted recklessly and that there is sufficient evidence propertyforthepurposesofadrug the charge was formally instead of the matter continuing, unlawfully when she refused to againstNandlallforhimtoanswer bond, from Linden Holdings discontinued against Nirvan the magistrate received a letter accept the CEO’s report, to the charges. Nandlall then Incorporated for $12 5M per Singh. InApril, 2022, he made his from the DPP which stated that in disregardedtheadviceoftheChief approachedtheCourtofAppeal,to month. first court appearance in the exercise of the powers conferred Parliamentary Counsel, and request a judicial review of a Norton had come under Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on her by Article 187 (1) (c), “I breached the Recount Order in the decision by Magistrate Azore to immense public pressure. He was before former Chief Magistrate, hereby discontinue the charge in OfficialGazette. overrule a no-case submission in partofaCabinetreshufflethatsaw AnnMcLennan. theabovematter.”

The first charge, filed by histrialfortheallegedtheftofLaw himbeingreassignedtothepostof

It was alleged that Singh As such, the matter against Walcott, states that Claudette Reports. Minister of Social Cohesion. He unlawfully excited and or Attorney-at-Law Singh was Singh, being appointed and The Appeal Court in its ruling subsequently received the attempted to excite racial hostility dismissed. performing duties of Chairman of hadsaidthatitwillnotintervenein additional appointment as or ill-will against police constable In 2020, just five days after GECOM, at Lot 41 High and the matter as the trial is already Minister of Culture, Youth and Shawnette Bollers Singh had three private criminal charges Cowan Streets, Kingston, underway However, earlier in Sport Lawrence, who was pleaded not guilty to the charge, were filed against the Georgetown, between March 14, 2020, Nandlall moved to the appointed Public Health Minister, which stated that on March 20, Chairperson of the Guyana 2020, and June 23, 2020, acted Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) was accused of the unapproved 2022 at the corner of Middle and E l e c t i o n s C o m m i s s i o n recklessly and unlawfully when to overturn the Court of Appeal’s single-sourcing of $605.9M in Cummings Streets, Georgetown, (GECOM), Retired Justice she refused to accept the CEO’s ruling. drugs and medical supplies from by means of words spoken by him Claudette Singh, alleging report on the March 2, 2020 Nandlall was previously Ansa McAl Trading Ltd. for the in a public place, he willfully misconduct in public office, the RegionalandGeneralElections. reported as saying that when he Georgetown Public Hospital excited and or attempted to excite DPPdiscontinuedthecharges The second charge, filed by took up the post as Attorney Corporation (GPHC) between hostility and ill-will against A letter, which the Director Ondaan, states that Claudette General, he did so at a loss and it JanuaryandFebruary,2017. Bollers on the ground of her race sent to the former Chief Singh, being appointed and was for that reason he agitated for The charges against the two as an Afro-Guyanese by using MagistrateAnnMcLennan,stated, performing duties of Chairman of the State to pay for the Law former ministers came exactly words directed to her and “In exercise of the powers GECOM, acted recklessly and Reports. one week after identical charges published by him, to wit: “black conferredonmebyArticle187(1) unlawfully when she disregarded He had said that the were filed by SOCU against Dr monkey”, “monkey”, “black (c) of the Constitution of the Co- the advice of the Chief arrangement received the Ashni Singh, Minister of people have no purpose in life”, operative Republic of Guyana, I Parliamentary Counsel Mr blessings of then Head of State, F i n a n c e , a n d Wi n s t o n contrary to the provisions of hereby discontinue the charge in Charles Fung-A-Fat, SC, on May Donald Ramotar However, Brassington, former head of the Section 2 (1) Racial Hostility Act theabovematter.” 17, 2020 and knowingly caused SOCU investigators had National Industrial and

Cap23:0). Thecomplainantsthatfiledthe the Gazetting of Recount Order in contended that because the books Commercial Investments Then Chief Magistrate chargesagainsttheGECOMChair the Official Gazette on May 4, wereboughtwithStatefunds,they Limited (NICIL) under the McLennan had granted bail in the were Lorraine Joseph of 16 2020, and an Amended Recount cannotbethepropertyofNandlall, PPP/Cregime

Guyana’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC

How To Be A Better Male Ally

(Men’s Health) Post- many barriers women face the patriarchal structure of girls to be able to grow up in gap’. ownteammatescallsitout,it #MeToo, there has been a and respecting that it is not sport in general that when a world where they can “There may be apathy,” carriesmoreweight. growing awareness of the j u s t a w o m a n ’ s men speak out, their voices compete in the same way as says Ali, “but also fear of 3. Provide support rolemenplayinmakingsafe responsibility to change the are more likely to be heard, men, earn a fair wage for it making mistakes or being If you’re someone who spaces for women, and the environment that creates especially if it’s a high- and get decent media judged. A big one is fear of wants to help the women in realisation that gender barriers,” says Kate Dale profilesportsstar exposure for their talents. I backlash and disapproval your life get active, give equality is not just a from This Girl Can, a Andy Murray has been believethatwillonlyhappen from peers. Men look to support. Doing an activity women’sissue. campaigntoencouragemore hailed for his efforts to push if we challenge the status other men for affirmation, together is also a great way

Weneedmentobepartof women into sport and through equal pay, and in quo, when we can and call especially in sport, and of being a positive ally: theconversation. fitness. 2014 he became only the out inequalities when they taking action against gender attendinganexerciseclassor

The problems faced in “We want male allies to second top-10 player to arise.” bias means potential loss of joining them in a space that the world of sport came into acceptancefrommalepeers. could usually be more malethe spotlight when four-time “Research shows that dominated and intimidating, Olympic gold medallist men experience social like the gym, for example. Simone Biles testified about penalties, including Knowing a male ally has a being sexually abused by rejection and loss of status. woman’s best interests in disgraced former team Lack of awareness or mind – and will help call out doctor, Larry Nassar. Biles ignorance, and not knowing unwanted discrimination if blamed institutional sexism what or where the problem needed – can make all the andracism. lies are often reasons why difference.

While the case sent men may not be active 4. Lead from the front shockwaves throughout allies.” One of the problems is athletics, the institutional How to step up inequality on a structural sexism that enabled the and be a male ally level, with more men in abuse to continue was no

1. Challenge yourself leadership positions than shock to many women in Begin by challenging women. If you are in a sport. yourself.Asanally,youneed leadershipposition,getmore

A survey by BBC sport to be open to making women involved and listen last year revealed more than consider what could stop appointafemalecoachinthe Intention gap changes in your everyday totheirneeds. two thirds of women had womengettingactive. form of grand-slam While many men want to interactions Educate Gender equality on and experiencedsexism. “Women can fear c h a m p i o n A m e l i e be allies, they don’t always yourself, recognise your off the sports field is the

That ranged from social judgement and harassment Mauresmo. step up, because they don’t privilege and acknowledge responsibility of everyone –media trolling and body in male-dominated spaces “I didn’t ever really set know how, or they’re yourresponsibility notjustwomen. shaming, to assault and like gyms. It’s important to out to be a male ally, but I w o r r i e d a b o u t t h e

2. Call out sexism

The more men who step bullying. have male allies in those will call out issues of sexism consequences, or having Wheneveryouseeactsof up and challenge the barriers

What is a male ally? spaces to make women feel if I see them,” Murray tells t h e i r i n t e n t i o n s sexism, call it out women face, the more

Fortunately, a growing safe, and who can call out Men’s Fitness misinterpreted. This is what Sometimes others don’t chance we have of achieving number of men have been harassment. “It’s pretty black and Her Allies author Hira Ali realise their behaviour is equality, which ultimately vocal about wanting to help. “This Girl Can’s work is white to me, and if my describes as the ‘intention inappropriate. If one of your benefitseveryone. While we hear the term male notdoneuntilallwomenfeel profile can help raise ally bandied around, how they have the confidence to awareness of these issues manyofusreallyknowwhat get active wherever they and help tackle them, then itmeans? want, and we need male that’sgreat.

“Male allyship is about allies to be actively involved “I think it’s really considering women’s lived insupportingwomen.” important to be an ally As a experiences, including the Unfortunately, such is fatherofdaughtersIwantmy

“Male allyship is about considering women’s lived experiences… and respecting that it is not just a woman’s responsibility to change the environment that creates barriers”

The Asian Unicorn (Saola)

can grow up to 20 inch long ForestryandtheWorldWide but they do not survive very that gives it a strong FundforNature. long and would die within a Unicorns are mythical resemblance to the unicorns

By Shervin Belgrave

The team found a skull matter of weeks. The Asian creaturesbutthereisonethat in fairy tales. The saola with unusually long, straight Unicorns have thin soft hair lives in the Annamite (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis)is hornsinahunter’shomeand on the head and neck but Mountains of Vietnam and also called spindle horn by knew it was something thickens to woolly hair on Laos Scientists call this many and is one of the extraordinary The find the insides of the forelegs creature Saola but it is world’s rarest and largest proved to be the first large andthebelly popularly known as the forest dwelling mammals. It mammal new to science in Studies before 1998 the same angle with the believed to have a diet of AsianUnicorn. was first discovered in 1992 more than 50 years and one reported a hint of red in the skull, but differ in their various species of broadUnlike the mythical following the discovery of of the most spectacular inspected skins. The neck lengths. leavedshrubsortrees. stories, the Asian Unicorn itsremainsatintheViQuang zoological discoveries of the and the belly are a paler The saola has one of the Very little is known does not have a horn with National Park,Vietnam via a 20thcentury shade of brown compared to smallest ranges of any large about the reproductive cycle magical properties. It has joint survey of the Scientists have since therestofthebody mammal; it inhabits wet of the saola but the creature two parallel sharp horns that Vietnamese Ministry of capturedSaolastostudythen It has round pupils with evergreen or deciduous is likely to have a fixed dark-brown irises that forests in eastern Southeast mating season, from late appear orange when light is Asia, preferring river Augusttomid-November shoneintothem,alongwitha valleys. Sightingshavebeen Only single calf births cluster of white whiskers reported from steep river have been documented, about2centimetreslong. valleys at 300–1,800 metres mainly during summer

Both male and females (980–5,910 ft) above sea between mid-April and late haveslightlydivergenthorns level. During the winters, it June. Source of Information: that are similar in migratestothelowlands. (https://en wikipedia org/wi appearance and form almost These animals are ki/Saola)

Recent photos taken of the Asian unicorn

This Day in History - July 09 July

Pres. Zachery Taylor dies unexpectedly

July9,1850

OnJuly9,1850,afteronly16monthsinoffice,President Zachary Taylor dies after a brief illness. The exact cause of hisdeathisstilldisputedbysomehistorians.

Taylor died on the evening of July 9, after four days of suffering from symptoms that included severe cramping, diarrhea, nausea and dehydration. His personal physicians concluded that he had succumbed to cholera morbus, a bacterial infection of the small intestine. His vice president, Millard Fillmore, was sworn in as the new president the next day

Wimbledon tournament begins

First Wimbledon Tennis Match

Enigma key broken

July9,1941

On July 9, 1941, British cryptologists help break the secret code used by the German army to direct ground-to-air operationsontheEasternfront.

British and Polish experts had already broken many of the Enigma codes for the Western front. Enigma was the Germans’ most sophisticated coding machine, necessary to secretly transmit information. The Enigma machine, invented in 1918 by ArthurScherbiuslookedlikeatypewriterand was originally employed for business purposes. The German army adapted the machine for wartime use and considered its encoding system unbreakable. They were over the next year, each conveying wrong. The British had broken their first information of higher secrecy and priority EnigmacodeasearlyastheGermaninvasion than the next. (For example, a series of of Poland and had intercepted virtually every decoded messages nicknamed “Weasel” message sent through the occupation of proved extremely important in anticipating HollandandFrance. German anti-aircraft and antitank strategies

Now, with the German invasion of against the Allies.) These decoded messages Russia, the Allies needed to be able to were regularly passed to the Soviet High intercept coded messages transmitted on this Command regarding German troop second,Eastern,front.Thefirstbreakthrough movementsandplannedoffensives,andback occurred on July 9, regarding German to London regarding the mass murder of ground-air operations, but various keys Russian prisoners and Jewish concentration would continue to be broken by the British campvictims.

Bob Dylan records “Blowin’ in the Wind”

July9,1877

and women’s doubles were inaugurated in

On July 9, 1877, theAll EnglandCroquet 1913. By the early 1900s, Wimbledon had and Lawn Tennis Club begins its first lawn graduated from all-England to all-world tennis tournament at Wimbledon, then an status, and in 1922 the All England Lawn outer-suburb of London Twenty-one Tennis and Croquet Club, as it was then amateurs showed up to compete in the known, moved to a large stadium on Church Gentlemen’s Singles tournament, the only Road. In the 1950s, many tennis stars turned eventatthefirstWimbledon.Thewinnerwas professional while Wimbledon struggled to totakehomea25-guineatrophy remain an amateur tournament. However, in

In 1884, the Lady’s Singles was 1968 Wimbledon welcomed the pros and introduced atWimbledon, and MaudWatson quickly regained its status as the world’s top won the first championship. That year, the tennistournament. national men’s doubles championship was TheWimbledonChampionships,theonly also played at Wimbledon for the first time major tennis event still played on grass, is after several years at Oxford. Mixed doubles heldannuallyinlateJuneandearlyJuly

First female army officer is appointed

July9,1947

In a ceremony held at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, General Dwight D. Eisenhower appoints Florence Blanchfield to be a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, making her the first woman in U.S. history to hold permanent militaryrank.

A member of the Army Nurse Corps since 1917, Blanchfield secured her commission following the passage of the Army-Navy Nurse Act of 1947 by Congress. Blanchfield had served as superintendent of the Army Nurse Corps duringWorldWarIIandwasinstrumental in securing passage of the Army-Navy Nurse Act, which was advocated by RepresentativeFrancesPayneBolton.

In 1951, Blanchfield received the Florence Nightingale Award from the International Red Cross. In 1978, a U.S. Army hospital in Fort Campbell, Kentucky,wasnamedinherhonor Florence Blanchfield

July9,1967

have been precisely what made it so

“This here ain’t no protest song or effectiveasaprotestsong.Alyriclike ”How anything like that, ’cause I don’t write no many roads must a man walk down, before protest songs.” That was how Bob Dylan you call him a man?” lendsitselfperfectlyto introduced one of the most eloquent protest those seeking racial justice, just as “How songseverwrittenwhenhefirstperformedit many seas must a white dove sail, before she publicly It was the spring of his first full sleeps in the sand?” does to those seeking yearinNewYorkCity,andhewasonstageat peace The moving, vaguely spiritual, Gerde’s Folk City in Greenwich Village, clearly dissatisfied, yet ultimately talking about a song he claims to have ambiguous nature of “Blowin’In the Wind” written in just 10 minutes: “Blowin’In The madeitthequintessentialprotestsongofthe Wind.” A few weeks later, on July 9, 1962, 1960s—”A song that the times seemed to Dylan walked into a studio and recorded the call forth,” in the words of critic Greil songthatwouldmakehimastar. Marcus.

Dylan’s recording of “Blowin’ In The It also represented a significant Wind” would first be released nearly a full breakthroughforBobDylanasasongwriter year later, on his breakthrough album, The From “Blowin’ In The Wind” onward, Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan This was not the Dylan’s songs would reflect a far more version of the song that most people would personal and poetic approach to selffirst hear, however That honor went to the expression—an approach that would lead cover version by Peter, Paul and Mary—a him away from songs like “The Times They version that not only became a smash hit on Are a-Changin’” and toward songs like the pop charts, but also transformed what “Like A Rolling Stone.” And Dylan’s Dylan would later call “just another song” development as a songwriter would, in turn, into the unofficial anthem of the civil rights have a similar effect on The Beatles, whose movement.

own move from “IWanna HoldYour Hand”

“Blowin’In The Wind” bore little or no to“ADayInTheLife”canbetraceddirectly resemblance to the highly topical, highly to their exposure to The Freewheelin’ Bob literal protest songs of the day, but that may Dylan inthespringof1964.

Venus Williams wins

Wimbledon for the first time

July9,2000

Florence Blanchfield On July 9, 2000, VenusWilliamswinsatWimbledonforthefirst time. Her victory over defending champion, Lindsay Davenport, made Williams the first Black female Wimbledon champion since AltheaGibsonwonback-to-backtitlesin1957

(Continued on page 39)

Compiled by Richard Francois. (From history.com)

Zachery Taylor

Venus Williams

Ms.AlvinaRambarranisthenewPresidentof ROTARYCLUBOFGARDENCITY(GEORGETOWN)

As the Rotary Club of Garden City forges ahead with its programme of volunteering to address some of the more pressing humanitarian challenges in Guyana,anewPresidentand Board of Directors were recently installed at the Club.Ms.AlvinaRambarran has been elected and installed as the Club’s President, along a supportive Board of Directors for the period 2023-2024.

In a statement the Club expressed their eagerness to embark on this new journey with the new President and Board as they continue to work tirelessly together to Create Hope in the World.

“We share the vision of Rotary International President Gordon McInally, whoenvisionstoseeRotary continue to change and reflect the post pandemic environment. Our District 7030 Governor Brian Glasgow has challenged us toembraceourdiversity,not as individual clubs but as a District to make our impact bigger and better,” the statementsaid.

“It is indeed an honour andaprivilegetobeelected as President of this most

distinguished Club. Being chosen by my peers to lead this club into the future is a responsibility that I will

endeavour to fulfil to the best of my ability, with the help and support of the new Board of Directors My

stewardshipofthisClubwill ensure continuity of the great work started by my predecessor, as well as to

chartapromisingcoursefor the future of the Club

Together we will work assiduously to not only create and spread hope in Guyana,buttheworldover,”

President Rambarran underscored.

“My anticipation is that during the Rotary year our “EPIC” club – Enthusiastic People Influencing Change will firmly place its imprint on our community, building on what has been

established We look forwardtohavingallhandson Deck!” President Rambarransaid.

The Board and the membersoftheRotaryClub o f G a r d e n C i t y (Georgetown) are prepared togetonwiththeirworkand look forward to the facing and overcoming the challenges of delivering quality service projects that epitomises the ideal of ServiceAboveSelf.

Newly elected Rotary Club of Garden City President (2023-2024), Ms.Alvina Rambarran

The New Executive of the Rotary Club of Garden City (2023-2024) from left front: JermaineSoftley,AdminDirector,ImmediatePast President,NatashaBacker,PresidentElect/Secretary,MelissaDeSantos,PresidentAlvinaRambarran,VicePresident,RisaDeSantos, ClubTrainer,ArronFraser. From left back: RonaldBurch-Smith,SergeantatArms,LisaFoster,ExecutiveSecretary,OniecaDennis, Treasurer,ArianeMangar,RotaryFoundation,SchemelPatrick,PublicImage,MischkaWhite,YouthDevelopment,ColinRoberts, EnvironmentalOfficer.OtherBoardmembersareServiceChair,ElizabethCox,andMembershipChair,PearsonBurch-Smith.

Threads app: Instagram owner’s Twitter rival logs 5 million users in first hours - Mark Zuckerberg

targets Elon Musk’s troubled platform with new app from Meta that’s closely modelled on Twitter

Threads from Meta is now available on the Apple and Google app stores in the US, UK and other countries, although not yet across the EU.

Photograph: Davide Bonaldo/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

(The Guardian) Meta’s with retweets called pointed out the app’s speedy to make Threads compatible Twitter rival, Threads, “reposts” and tweets called integration with Instagram w i t h A c t i v i t y P u b , logged 5m sign-ups in its “threads”.Metahasnotbeen showed just how powerful technology that also first four hours of operation, averse to copying rival Meta has become. Much of underpins Mastodon and according to CEO Mark products in the past, the conversation, ironically, allows social networks to be Zuckerberg, as the company including the 2020 launch of took place on Twitter, where interoperable, which would seekstowoousersfromElon Instagram’s Reels feature, the hashtag “Threads” was letusersofThreadstaketheir Musk’s troubled platform noted for its similarity to trending on Wednesday accounts and followers to through an offer of lengthier TikTok’sshort-formvideos. evening. otherActivityPub-supported posts, a handful of celebrity Posts on Threads can be News of Zuckerberg’s apps. backers – and a strong 500 characters long, impending unveiling of Meta said users could r e s e m b l a n c e t o i t s compared with 280 for most Threads had resulted in the stop using the Threads app understands that Meta will Meta is defaulting every UK competitor Twitter users, and videos of Facebook founder and Musk and transfer their content to not be accepting ads on Threads user under 18 to a

The Facebook and up to five minutes in length apparentlyagreeingtoacage another service that uses the Threads for this year at least. private profile that can only Instagram owner brought can be posted while a post fight over the matter, same underlying technology Currently, the main feed is a beviewedbypeopletheuser forward the app’s debut by can be shared as a link on although a date has not been – such as Mastodon. “Our mixture of content that users approves. 15 hours to 7pm EDT in the other platforms. Users can set for the unlikely vision is that people using follow, as well as content Mike Proulx, research US and midnight in the UK, unfollow, block, restrict or confrontation. compatible apps will be able recommended from the director at the analysis firm making it freely available in report others. Users can also Meta described Threads to follow and interact with algorithm There are Forrester, said Threads was 100 countries on the Apple filter out replies with certain as a “new, separate space for people on Threads without currently no plans to allow “yet another” copycat move and Google app stores, wordsinthem. real-time updates and public having a Threads account, people to limit that to only but had been launched at a although regulatory Meta has launched conversations”, aiming to and vice versa, ushering in a people they follow People time of “peak Twitter concerns mean it will not be Threads in the wake of “take what Instagram does new era of diverse and will keep their usernames frustration”, although the availableintheEU. another turbulent period at best and expand that to text, interconnected networks ” fromInstagram,reducingthe marketplace for rivalling B r a n d s s u c h a s Twitter, which imposed creating a positive and As with Mastodon, Meta possibility of people name- Twitter was already flooded Billboard, HBO, NPR and tweet viewing limits at the creative space to express e n v i s a g e s m i n i - squatting high profile with alternatives such as Netflix had accounts set up weekendinamoveitblamed your ideas”. Twitter has a communities forming with usernames. H i v e , B l u e s k y a n d within minutes of launch. partly on data harvesting by user base of more than 250 their own community Mindful of criticism Mastodon. “This only serves Meta said initial celebrity companiesbuildingartificial million, while Instagram standards and moderation from politicians and to fracture the Twitter backers included Shakira intelligencemodels. reportedly has 2 billion policies. campaigners over the safety alternative-seeking user and Gordon Ramsay, with a In subsequent Threads users. T h e G u a r d i a n of children on its platform, base,”hesaid. recent report suggesting that posts, Zuckerberg addressed Meta said the app would OprahWinfreyandtheDalai those challenges. “I think also resemble Twitter’s Lama had also been there should be a public rivals such as Mastodon, approached.

conversations app with 1 which is based on a

Threaduserswillneedan billion+ people on it.Twitter decentralised platform that Instagram account to log in. hashadtheopportunitytodo would allow accounts to be Once they have signed up, this but hasn’t nailed it. transferred to other services. theycanchoosetofollowthe Hopefully we will,” he It said: “We are working same accounts they follow wrote. toward making Threads on Instagram, if they too Reaction to the debut on compatible with the open, havejoinedthenewapp. Wednesday ranged from interoperable social

T h e a p p c l o s e l y caution to enthusiasm, many networksthatwebelievecan resembles Twitter visually, praising its ease of use and shape the future of the although some of the some saying that Elon Musk internet.” wording has been changed, should be worried. Others Metasaiditwasplanning

This Day in History - July 09

Venus Williams wins Wimbledon...

From page 33 reachthefinalofherfirstU.S.Open.In1998, and 1958. Overcoming a tough childhood in shewonherfirstGrandSlamattheAustralian Compton, California, Williams became a Open.Ayear later, she won the French Open champion women’s tennis player with seven women’sdoublestournamentwithhersister Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam When Williams won at Wimbledon in doubles titles and four Olympic gold medals. 2000, she said, “It’s really great because I’ve WilliamsandhersisterSerenaareconsidered been working so hard all my life to be here… twoofthegreatesttennisplayersofalltime. It’s strange. I’d go to bed at night and I’d Williams was born on June 17, 1980, in dream I’d won a Grand Slam, but when I Lynwood, California. Her father, a self- woke up, there was the nightmare. Now, I taught tennis coach, trained his daughters on don’thavetowakeuplikethatanymore.” thelocalcourts.WhenWilliamswas10years That same year she went on to win the old,thefamilyrelocatedtoWestPalmBeach, U.S. Open, two gold medals at the 2000 Florida so Venus and Serena could attend a Summer Olympic Games in Sydney and tennisacademy signed a $40 million sponsorship deal with By the age of 10, Williams’serve topped Reebok. off at an impressive 100 miles per hour In 2011, Williams revealed she was Thanks to that serve and athletic prowess on battling Sjögren syndrome, a chronic, the court, Williams was 63-0 on the United incurable immune system disorder Many StatesTennisAssociationjuniortour expected her to take a step back from tennis. On October 31, 1994, Williams turned Instead, she went on to win gold at the 2012 pro at 14 years old. In 1997, she became the Summer Olympics and the women’s doubles first woman since Pam Shriver in 1978 to titleatWimbledon.

By Wayne Lyttle

For decades, a curious mythhaspersisted,claiming that masturbation by men can lead to vision loss. This beliefhasinfiltratedcultural conversations, passed down through generations and perpetuated by anecdotal tales.

However, it’s time to separate fact from fiction and shed light on this topic. In this column, we will explore the scientific evidence and dispel the notion that masturbation causes men to lose their eyesight.

The myth suggesting a link between masturbation andvisionlosscanbetraced back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries. During this time, societal views on masturbation were steeped inmisinformationandmoral panic.Medicalprofessionals promotedatheoryknownas “spermatorrhea,” which claimed that the excessive lossofsemen,eitherthrough nocturnal emissions or selfstimulation, could lead to a host of health problems, includingvisualimpairment.

Fortunately, modern sciencehascomealongway since those erroneous beliefs.

There is no credible scientific evidence to support the claim that masturbation causes vision loss in men Numerous studies have examined the effects of sexual activity, including masturbation, on various aspects of health, and not a single study has found a direct connection between sexual activity and visionimpairment.

To understand why the myth is unfounded, it’s essentialtoexaminethetrue causesofvisionloss.

Eye health is influenced by factors such as genetics, aging, disease, and lifestyle choices.Conditionslikeager e l a t e d m a c u l a r degeneration, cataracts, and glaucomaarefarmorelikely to impact vision than any formofsexualactivity

Contrary to the myth’s negative implications, masturbation can actually have positive effects on overall health and wellbeing. It serves as a natural and healthy sexual outlet,

Corner

DEBUNKING THE MYTH:

Masturbation and Vision Loss in Men

providing stress relief, promoting relaxation, and aiding in better sleep

Masturbation is also linked to the release of endorphins and the hormone oxytocin, which can contribute to improved mood and overall mentalwell-being.

It is crucial to challenge

we can foster a culture of sexualhealthandwell-being based on scientific evidence andaccurateinformation.

Tocombatmythslikethe one linking masturbation to vision loss, comprehensive sexual education is vital Schools, parents, and healthcare providers should

about their bodies and wellbeing. The myth suggesting that masturbation causes men to lose their eyesight is nothingmorethanaproduct of misinformation and societal stigma surrounding sexuality. It lacks any scientific evidence and disregardsthecomplexityof

accurate sexual education, and embrace a more enlightened and informed approach to our sexual health Understanding the historical context in which the myth emerged can shed further light on its origins.

During the Victorian era, society held repressive views on sexuality, with masturbation considered a sinful and immoral act. The myth about vision loss may have been a means of discouraging this perceived sexual deviance rather than being grounded in any scientificevidence.

Lack of Plausible Mechanism: From a biological perspective, there is no plausible mechanism that would connect masturbation to vision loss.

ophthalmology and sexual health dismiss the myth as a baseless claim The American Academy of Ophthalmology and other r e p u t a b l e m e d i c a l organizationshaveexplicitly stated that there is no scientific evidence to support the notion that masturbation leads to vision loss.

Historical and Cultural Variations: It’s worth noting that the myth primarily focuses on men and vision loss This exclusion of women from the narrative further emphasizes the m y t h ’s f a l l a c y I f masturbation were truly linked to vision impairment, itwouldaffectindividualsof allgendersequally

and debunk myths that perpetuate harmful misconceptionsaboutsexual health Spreading baseless rumors only serves to create unnecessary guilt, anxiety, and shame around a natural aspectofhumansexuality By encouraging open and informed discussions,

play a proactive role in providing accurate information about sexual h e a l t h , i n c l u d i n g masturbation Promoting a healthy understanding of sexuality not only dispels harmful myths but also empowers individuals to make informed choices

factorscontributingtovision loss Masturbation, when practiced in a healthy and consensual manner, is a normal and natural part of human sexuality that can contributepositivelytoone’s overallwell-being.

Let’s debunk these unfounded myths, promote

The act of self-stimulation does not involve any direct manipulation of the eyes or visualsystem.

Vision loss is typically associated with specific eye conditions, diseases, or injuries, which have no c o r r e l a t i o n w i t h masturbation.

Experts in the field of

The persistence of this mythcanhavepsychological c o n s e q u e n c e s f o r individualswhobelieveitor feel guilt or shame around masturbation.

Promoting accurate information about sexual health helps to debunk such myths and foster a healthier attitude towards one’s sexuality

How are skin tags treated?

WHATARE SKINTAGS?

Skin tags are small growthsontheskinthatlook a bit like warts. They are connected to the skin by a small,thinstalk.

Skin tags are common, especially as a person ages. They don’t cause any harm, butifyouhaveaskintagthat isbotheringyou,youshould talk to your doctor about havingitremoved.

They are usually less than 2mm in size, but they can grow much larger. They feel soft, and can be smooth and round, wrinkly and uneven, or look like a grain of rice. They can be flesh c

,

sometimesdarkblue. If you ever notice a new spotorgrowthonyourskin, you should always see your doctor to confirm what it is. Read more about whether you should be checked for

skincancer

Skin tags are made of collagen (a type of protein) and blood vessels surroundedbyskin.Theyare usually found in the folds of the skin, for example, in the

armpits, groin, thighs, eyelids, neck or under the breasts.

WHATARETHE SYMPTOMS OFSKINTAGS?

Most skin tags are painlessanddon’tcauseany symptoms.Butiftheyrubon clothing or jewellery, they maygetsoreandbleed.

Skin tags look different fromwartsandotherbenign skin lesions because of the smallstalkthatattachesthem to the skin. Warts tend to be flat,whileskintagshangoff theskin.

WHATCAUSES SKINTAGS?

Skin tags occur when extra cells grow in the top

layersoftheskin.Theytend to develop when the skin rubs against itself, so are morecommoninpeoplewho areoverweightandtherefore havefoldsofskin.

They grow both in men and women and are more commoninolderpeopleand people living with type 2 diabetes. Pregnant women are also more likely to develop skin tags, although they usually disappear after thebabyisborn.

HOWARESKIN TAGSTREATED?

Skintagscandropoffby themselvesovertime.

If you decide to have a skin tag removed — for example, because it is

bothering you or you don’t likeitsappearance—talkto yourdoctor Yourdoctorcan removetheskintagsby: freezingthemwithliquid nitrogen cutting them off with surgical scissors or a scalpel burning them with e l e c t r i c a l e n e r g y (cauterising). It’s not a good idea to try to remove skin tags by yourself since they can bleed heavily or get infected. If you have a very smallskintag,youcouldask yourdoctorhowtoremoveit athome.

You can buy solutions fromapharmacyoronlineto freeze off skin tags, in the same way as you remove a wartathome.

Creative Ways to Painlessly Remove a Splinter

It happens when you leastexpectit:maybeyou’re taking a stroll on a pier and you grab the wooden handrail; or maybe you’re building a wooden deck in your backyard; one minute everything is fine, and then suddenlyyoufeelashooting pain.You just got a splinter

Getting a splinter may not exactly be a traumatic experience, but it definitely canbeannoyingandpainful. Andwhilethereisn’talotof genuine danger in getting a splinter, it can become infected if not removed in a timely manner But how do youremoveasplinter?

HOWTOREMOVE ASPLINTER

As with all injuries in life,gettingasplinterisalot faster than removing a splinter It can take a split second for the little sliver of wood to get lodged in your skin, but it requires a bit more patience (and maybe evenamagnifyingglass)and time to reverse the process. For adults, a splinter is u s u a l l y a m i l d inconvenience; for children, though, a splinter can be a harrowing ordeal. The good newsisthatthereareseveral creativemethodstoremovea splinter that will quickly bring relief for you—or for your child. Below are some examples:

TWEEZERS:

A classic in splinter removal, a pair of tweezers canbeyourbestfriendwhen the circumstances are right.

Regardless of how deep the splinter is, if enough of it protrudesfromthesurfaceof yourskin,youshouldbeable topluckitrightout.Thisisa generally less effective method if very little of the splinterisprotrudingorifit’s skinny enough to preclude gettingagoodgriponit.

TOENAILCLIPPERS:

For thicker wooden splinters, or for other materials like metal, nail clippers can be quite effective.Assuming that the splinter is also protruding from the skin, nail clippers can be used in place of tweezers to grab hold of the splinter and yank it out. But the sharp edge on nail clippers can also be used to make a small cut in the skin along the length of the splinter;ifitisn’ttoodeeply embedded, you should be able to cut the skin just enoughtoaccessthesplinter without actually causing yourskintobleed.

NEEDLE:

For splinters that are a little deeper, a small needle canbeusedtoessentiallypry one part of the splinter up and out past the surface of the skin. After making sure to sterilizetheneedlebefore usingit,gentlypokeaholein theskindirectlyovertheend of the splinter that is closest to the surface. Then use the needle to pry the splinter up and out; once enough of the splinterisoutsideoftheskin, you should be able to use tweezers (or even possibly

your fingernails) to remove therestofthesplinter

TAPE:

Sometimes a very tiny splintermayevenbeslightly sticking out of the skin, but tweezers aren’t fine enough to get a grip. In these cases, tape can be used instead. Simplytakeasmallpieceof tape (probably something like duct tape with a little more stickiness than scotch tape) and press it onto the splinter Wait for a few minutes to let the adhesive do its work, and then pull it off;thetapeshouldbringthe splinterwithit.

GLUE:

This works on the same basic principle as tape; pour alittleglue(thesamekindof whiteglueyoumightusefor a science project) over the area and wait for it to dry Then peel it off and the splinter should get pulled along with it. As with the tape, this is generally more effectiveforsplintersthatare small and have some protrusion from the skin’s surface.

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE:

For a less violent approach to splinter removal, hydrogen peroxide is a good option When pouredovertheareawiththe splinter, the peroxide will begin to bubble (which happens because of a reaction to the enzyme catalase that is released by thebodyafterdamagetothe skin); this bubbling reaction

can actually get under the splinter and push it to the surface. In some cases, the peroxide alone can lift out the splinter; in other cases, youmightstillneedtoreach for thetweezersto complete theprocedure.

BAKINGSODA:

Baking soda can have a similar effect as hydrogen peroxide,thoughyou’llneed alittlemorepatiencetohave it work effectively. If a splinter is especially deep, you can make a paste with baking soda and water and apply it to the affected area. Then,coveritwithabandaid or bandage and wait about a day; the paste should move the splinter closer to the surfaceoftheskin.

EPSOMSALT:

This versatile substance canbeusedforallmannerof ailments, and its list of uses includes removing splinters. After dissolving some salts in warm water, soak the splinter-ridden skin in the waterforaround10minutes;

the briny water can help draw the splinter to the surface and make it much easiertoextract.

OIL/VINEGAR:

Ifyoudon’thaveEpsom salt readily available, you can also soak the affected skininoilorvinegarfor2030 minutes; both substances canhelpdrawthesplinterto thesurface.

FRUITS/VEGETABLES:

Asweirdasitmaysound, thereisevidencethatcertain fruits and vegetables can actually help remove a splinter Both onions and potatoes can potentially work: similar to the baking soda paste, cut a very small sliceofeitherfoodandusea bandaidtoaffixittotheskin; afteraday(orovernight),the splinter should be closer to the surface Amazingly, banana peels can also be usedinthesameway

With all of these DIY methods, it’s important to use good first aid habits and make sure the area is clean

before and after whichever method you choose. Since a splinter is actually a foreign object breaking the skin, it’s entirely possible for bleeding or infection to occur To address this, it’s a good idea to keep rubbing alcohol or antibiotic ointmenthandy.

DOINEEDMEDICAL ATTENTION?

Obviously splinters are notaseriousconcern,soany ofthehomeremediesshould work quickly to solve your splinter problems. In some rare cases, however, a deep orlargesplinter,ifleftalone, canactuallybecomeinfected and potentially cause other problems. If you have a pretty bad splinter that you’renotabletoremoveon your own, or if there are signs of infection, you can always stop by one of TrustCare’s convenient locations to have one of our s k i l l e d m e d i c a l professionals provide excellenthealthcare.

Skin tags are small growths on the skin and are usually less than 2mm in size.

RUSH TO BUY ALBOUYSTOWN PROPERTIES AT RISING PRICES

ByPATDIAL

T h e h i s t o r y o f

Albouystownasarealestate

investment has been changing over the years. In 1906 when Albouystown was integrated into the City ofGeorgetown,itwasaneat suburban village. There weresmallcottagesandeven some ranges in spacious yards, usually with fruit trees. Thestreetswereclean and crime was almost unknown. Owners lived on their properties and may usuallyhaveatenantortwo. Its multi-racial community

lived in fraternity Property prices compared with those of the wards south of Brickdam and since not many people sold their properties, whenever a property was for sale, it was quicklybought.

In the 1960’s racialpolitical disturbances envelopedGuyanaandthere were shifts and movements ofpeopleandlargenumbers of people from the villages migrated to the City and mostofthemfoundtheirway to Albouystown since rents were cheaper than in other

areas. The settled original population mostly migrated abroad, selling their properties at knockdown prices. Since the economy was depressed, most of the new migrants could not find work and became a lumpenproletariat. The physical conditions of the ward rapidly deteriorated and crime grew Property pricesfelltotheirlowest.

From the 1990’s the countryregaineditsstability and the economy gradually began to improve and this w a s r e f l e c t e d i n

Albouystown. Middle class peoplebegantobuyproperty and to live in the ward. Houses were repaired and crime was brought under control and the area became cleaner Real estate prices begantoriseagainuntilthey compared with those of We r k - e n - r u s t a n d Wortmanville. In the last threeorfouryears,reflecting the fact that Guyana had become an Oil country, Albouystown entered a boom. The Government made Albouystown a developmental priority and hundreds of millions of dollars were allocated to its development The expressed aim was to transform Alboustown into thebestwardintheCity

The streets were all asphalted; all government s t r u c t u r e s w e r e rehabilitated; new houses began to be built and old ones repaired; the old slummy structures were being eliminated; the drains wereconcretedandflooding came under control; crime was reduced to the same levels as other parts of the Capital.

f the most

remarkable developments has been the transformation of Independence Boulevard into a modern highway leadingfromSaffonStreetto Ogle. Morepeoplebeganto b u y p r o p e r t y i n Albouystown both as an investment and as residences.Thoughproperty prices are increasing, they arestillnotattheiroptimum and this has prompted the political leadership of the country- Mr Christopher Jones on behalf of the PNC/R and Vice-President Jagdeo on behalf of the PPP/C to advise property owners to be in no hurry to dispose of their properties sincevalueswouldberising much higher Albouystown properties have become the premium real estate in the City

With the new road system, it is within easy reachofthetwoairportsand isthatpartoftheCitywhich has the fastest connectivity with the Cheddi Jagan airport and between Ogle Airport and Albouystown is a ten minute drive along IndependenceBoulevard. It iswithinwalkingdistanceof the Law Courts, the main

Administrative Offices and the commercial hub of the City Indeed, Independence Boulevardisfastbecominga commercial district similar to Regent Street. It is also within easy reach of the onshore Oil and Gas developments at Vreed-enhoop and Houston where employmentcouldbefound. Indeed, several people employed at Houston have taken up residence in Albouystown Educational facilitiesarebeingupgraded and this includes Dolphin and Carmel schools and Health facilities with the upgrading of the Selman Fraser centre and easy connectivity with the new state-of -the art Hospital beingbuiltontheEastBank Demerara.

As these social and economic developments come into stream, Albouystown properties are becomingmorevaluableand entrepreneurs are quietly buying up properties there and it is this trend that has prompted the national leaders,asmentionedabove, to advise Albouystown people to be in no hurry to partwiththeirproperties.

VERIFICATION OF MEASURING INSTRUMENTS RESUMES IN JULY TO ENSURE ACCURACY IN TRADE

The Guyana National

Bureau of Standards (GNBS)hascommencedthe secondperiodofverification (mobile stamping) for 2023 which will see Inspectors checking all weighing and measuring instruments used at markets, shops, and other retail outlets countrywide. Verification of measuring instrumentsisdonetwiceper year (every six months) to ensureaccuracyintrade.

Conducting routine verification ensures consistency and certainty in measurement that support fairandaccuratetrade.Inthe realm of trade, accurate measurementsplayacrucial role in business, including manufacturing and commerce.

Verification guarantees that instruments are

functioning well to safeguard retailers from incurring losses due to the use of defective and inaccurate weighing and measuring instruments, while also protecting consumers from short weight and measure during purchases.To maintain the highest standards of precisionandreliability,itis vital to periodically verify weighing and measuring instruments which include scales, masses, measures, storage tanks, flow meters,

measuring rules, electricity metersandpetrolpumps.

As such, by virtue of the 1981 Weights & Measures Act, the GNBS is mandated to verify all measuring instrumentsusedintrade.All verification and monitoring activitiesaremanagedbythe GNBS Legal Metrology ServicesDepartmentandare conducted by trained and experienced Inspectors of the Main and Sub-Offices, and Weights and Measures

Officers within the AdministrativeRegions.

During the first half of the year, the GNBS successfully verified a total of 15,569 weighing and measuring instruments at various shops, markets, supermarkets, at factories in thericeandsugarindustries, fisheries, manufacturing companies, hospitals, health centres, airlines, shipping companies, post offices, petrol stations, bulk terminals and on fuel vessels Measuring instruments verified included 6,206 masses, 4,129 scales and 3,961 electricity meters for the Guyana Power and Light Corporation.

After successfully verifying these measuring instruments, the GNBS Inspectoraffixesanapproval seal to the measuring

instrument. The blue and yellow approval seal is usually placed in a manner which makes it visible to consumers The GNBS encourages consumers to look for the approval seals whenmakingpurchases.

Additionally, vendors, shopkeepers and other users of weighing and measuring instrumentswhocontinueto use the unapproved dial scales for trade, are being reminded that the GNBS does not verify these scales. They were not designed for commercial use and consumers should avoid buying from users of these domestic measuring instruments Alternatively, the red equal arm scales and the electronic/digital scales are among the instruments approvedforuseintrade.

Mobile verification for the second half of 2023 commenced on Saturday, July 08 at the Rosignol Market on theWest Bank of Berbice followed by the Sisters Health Centre and Bath Market later in the week Verification will continue in the week of July 17 at municipal markets in the city Advertisements indicating the schedule for mobile stamping will be published in local newspapers, radio, television and the GNBS

Facebookpage. Finally, the onus is on users to submit measuring i n s t r u m e n t s f o r verification.It is important

that all instruments be fully metric, and be well painted and clean when they are submittedforstamping.

F o r f u r t h e r

information, please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0065, 2190066 or WhatsApp: 6924627

Lessons from a Lashpreneur !!!

DO YOU EVER NEED TO TAKE A BREAK FROM EYELASH EXTENSIONS?

Takingabreakfromlash extensions – is it really necessary?

So – you love your lash extensions. They make your facelooksofreshandawake, and it’s just so simple to get readyinthemornings…why wouldyoueverstop?

Clientssometimesaskus whentheyshouldbetakinga break for the sake of their lash health. Their biggest worryisthatlashextensions are straining their natural lashes or making them fall faster than they should. The answer? Properly applied eyelash extensions can be wornindefinitely–aslongas the lash extension applied is the correct length, weight

and thickness for your natural lashes, there’s absolutely no reason why they would be damaged Persons have been wearing lashes for years with zero issues.

Remember, your natural lashes work on a cycle exactly like your hair; there arenewitty-bittybabylashes growing constantly, and older lashes shedding off whenit’stheirtimetogo.In yourinfillappointment,your lash tech will be on the lookout for new lashes that arestrongenoughtoholdan extension, and voila!You’re backuptofulllashcapacity, lookingfabulous. thehealthofyournatural

lashes is our first priority If we think that the extension look that you’re after will damage those lovely natural lashes, we can assess them and suggest simple ways to createasimilarlookwithout the weight. We always keep trackofyourlashhealthand if any changes happen we’ll letyouknow

Of course, sometimes you just feel like you need a break from extensions, and that’s okay sometimes you need to be on a break. Here are our golden rules on how torecognise(anddealwith!) alashbreak.

Remove them in a way thatworksforyou.

You have two options

with a break: let the lashes shed gradually over time, or pop into the salon to have t h e m r e m o v e d professionally. It takes aroundfivetosixweeksfora typical lash set to shed completely, and even then you might find a few very determinedstragglers.Ifthis iseasier,we’dsaygoforit!

For those wanting to go cold turkey, a salon removal is best. It’s a super simple process – a technician applies a removal serum to yourlashesandslidesoffthe extensions.

We’d recommend against home removals for the sake of your natural lashes, as you can never quite be sure how successful/non-damaging they’ll be! Our removal products are fast-working, professional products and

none of us here would attempt our own removals.

Tryaserum.

Lash serums are a clever way of reviving your lash game – these specially formulated solutions are meant to make your natural lashes grow longerandstronger

Most good lash serums contain conditioning and stimulating ingredients, which can improve your lasheswhenusedonthereg. Theseproductsusuallyshow results after a few weeks, so combining a serum with a breakislikeaspaholidayfor yourlashes!

Make sure the timing is right.

There’s no hard-and-fast rule about how much time you should spend sans extensions, but we’d

ByLatoyaZephyr

recommendatleastamonth. This gives your lash cycle time to reboot itself, with those baby lashes growing through nice and strong. It also gives any lash serums a chance to really work their magic!

Timing your break right up to the week of big event can be a lovely way to treat yourself, especially if you usuallyrockaglamlook.

Some clients can spend months without lash extensions, some prefer just one–it’salluptoyou!

But if you feel you want to take a break just have a talk with your lash technician and they will adviseyou.

Does Shampoo for Thinning Hair Actually Work?

(Shape)Whetherwelike thinning improves the structure of testosterone levels to decreasefungusonthescalp. dirt and natural oils and can it or not, a head full of thick, · Stopping or starting keratin, a protein that makes promote hair growth. While Factors to Consider when also irritate the scalp. If you flowing locks is often hormonalbirthcontrol up hair, skin, and nails the research is limited, some Choosing a Shampoo decide to use products with promoted as the standard of · Overtreating or using Biotinisknowntoboosthair d a t a s u g g e s t s t h a t for Thinning Hair sulfates, I recommend using beauty – but it’s not a reality excessiveheatonhair health,includingvolumeand ketoconazole can effectively While you might think them one to two times per for everyone. In fact, it’s ·Anemia coverage of the scalp. A stimulatehairgrowth. lathering up with a shampoo month.” estimated that 50% of · Pregnancy (this is often study published in the Caffeine: While an extra ormasktwiceaweekwillfix Complementary women will experience hair referred to as ‘hair shedding’ Journal of Clinical and shot of espresso in your theproblem,it’simportantto Hair Care Practices loss or hair thinning in their and will stop roughly four Aesthetic Dermatology morning latte can get you notethatnoover-the-counter W h i l e O T C a n d lifetime, and it’s often monthsafteryougivebirth) f o u n d t h a t w o m e n moving for the day, caffeine product can reverse or cure prescription shampoos can completely out of their If you’re experiencing experiencing temporary hair can also provide other hair thinning. Volumizing be helpful, there are control. hair thinning, trichologists thinning who took a boosts The stimulant is agents and scalp treatments numerous complementary

Luckily, the market is recommend finding and supplement containing k n o w n t o i n c r e a s e with certainingredients(like practices that can help overflowing with hair care addressing the underlying circulation, which allows those mentioned earlier) can support hair health. These products claiming to combat causefirstoryou nutrients and helptheproblemandprovide include: hair thinning, but it can be results. Gaunitz to be delivered to some relief. But if you’ve Exercise that will hard to know where to begin once you block hair follicles to keep noticed a loss of density in producesweating or what will work. So, we underlying ca m healthy and your hair or persistent hair · Giving yourself a scalp s p o k e w i t h t h r e e y o u s h o u growing. Research thinning, you should speak massage two to three times a trichologists (licensed automaticall as shown that with a licensed professional week professionals who specialize s e e h a i r caffeine can help to formulate the best- Avoiding chemical in hair and scalp health) and regrowth to b l o c k t h e personalizedtreatmentplan. applications such as asked them about all things some degree. conversion of Kayla Jones, certified permanent hair color or hair thinning, the science “ A s a testosterone to trichologist and owner of relaxers directly onto the behind shampoos for trichologist, dihydrotestost HairJones411 Hair Clinic scalp thinning hair, and how to it is my job erone (DHT), says she creates a regimen ·Eatingabalanceddiet make informed decisions to manage ahormonethat that structures the client’s · Getting adequate sleep aboutourhaircareroutines. expectations h a s b e e n diet, exercise, hair styling, (opt for a silk pillowcase to Understanding aswellasfind linked to hair treatment schedule, and preventhairbreakage)

Thinning Hair the greatest follicle damage, vitaminintake.“Mostclients Gaunitz adds that things

The difference between potential with which can lead to neglect self-care and, crazy like excessive alcohol, hair loss and hair thinning is h a i r c a r n d r o g e n e t i c enough, stress is one of the smoking cigarettes, vaping, fairly straightforward, says products for pecia, also major causes of hair loss,” medication, and recreational William Gaunitz, FWTS, clients,” exp n as female- she says “I recommend drugs may have a negative certified trichologist and Gaunitz. “Many hairloss. products to each client to liver and kidney burden. ”If founder of Advanced have unre

Minoxidil: If you suffer help control their progress t h o s e o r g a n s a r e Trichology “Hair loss is expectations of what can be from alopecia or severe hair throughout their hair overworked, it [can] have a when you are actively losing done related to hair thinning, a dermatologist restorationjourney.” negative consequence on biotin over a six-month hair,” he says. “Thinning regrowth Typically, the might prescribe minoxidil. Each person’s scalp is your hair and immune period had a significantly hair is when you have lost best-case scenario with a Fredrichssaysthesolutionis unique, so what might work system,”hesays. greaterincreaseinthickhairs overall density because hair proper thinning hair or hair not used in shampoos, but is for one person won’t work If you notice hair comparedtoacontrolgroup. is not regrowing as usual. regrowth protocol is to an active ingredient in for another. Factors like thinning or loss of hair If you want to add biotin to Hairlosscanleadtothinning regrow what was lost in the products like Rogaine and is scalp health and the cause density, it’s important to your hair care routine, you hair, but hair loss may also last three to five years, applied directly to the scalp. and severity of hair thinning equip yourself with the best can take biotin as a not become thinning hair if depending upon the The drug works to increase are all things to consider evidence-based information supplement to encourage thehairlossstops.” individualsituation.” the size of hair follicles whenchoosingtherighthair- when considering shampoos hair growth or look for a Hair Loss The Science which promotes thicker hair thinning shampoo And for thinning hair Adopting a shampoo that includes it as vs. Hair Thinning Behind Shampoos

It’s only one of two FDA- Jones recommends looking holisticapproachtohaircare aningredient.

Hair Thinning: When for Thinning Hair approved treatments to for products free of harsh that combines the use of K e t o c o n a z o l e : your hair is thinning, you I n a d d i t i o n t o regrow hair, following chemicals, sulfates, and appropriate shampoos with Ketoconazole treats will notice your head of hair maintaining a clean and various studies looking into parabens, which can further otherhealthyhabitsisagreat infections caused by fungus becoming translucent. Hair healthy scalp, regularly itseffectiveness. damagefragilehair place to start, but don’t or yeast, as well as Loss: Hair loss usually washing your hair with

Some hair-thinning “It is very important,” hesitate to seek professional conditions like dandruff and happens quickly and shampoo specifically shampoos even have explains Jones. “Parabens advice if you’re not seeing seborrheic dermatitis (scaly excessively, and you will designed to combat hair ingredients like saw are known for interfering results. patches on the scalp) by find your hair coming out in thinning is key Using hair- palmetto to help slow down with hormones in the body With the proper support lowering levels of yeast and clumps with a clear view of thinning shampoo will help genetic hair loss, or tea tree When your hormones are and knowledge, you can inflammation Tabitha thescalp. removebuild-upandbalance oil and rosemary oil which imbalanced, you lose your embrace a future where Fredrichs, a certified

There’s a variety of the scalp to keep the hair work as antiseptics that hair Sulfates strip the hair of healthy,fullhairisareality trichologist and educator reasons why your hair may healthy and in the growing says that ketoconazole is an be thinning. From nutrient phase These products antifungal, and unless you deficiencies to hormonal c o n t a i n i m p o r t a n t are having hair loss from changes, external factors, ingredients that promote scalp fungus, this will not and genetics, they can density and growth and help help with hair thinning. This include: thicken existing strands, ingredient comes in over-

·Adietlackinginvitamin such as biotin,ketoconazole, the-counter products or D,iron,B12,orfolicacid caffeine,andminoxidil. prescription medicated

·Chronicstress

Biotin: This water- shampoos that block the

·Menopause soluble vitamin is part of the enzyme 5-AR in your body

· A family history of hair vitamin B family, and This enzyme lowers

Billboard Music Guide: New Music from...

From page 23 a type of bubblegum wonder that fans of “I blow fifty racks in Target, on some stupid any strain of popular music can happily shit” with enough force to flatten a city chew block.

“Super Shy” sports rapidly shuffling

Editor’s Pick: NewJeans, “Super Shy” beats, subtle synth work and the NewJeans

While songs like “OMG” and “Ditto” members seamlessly weaving in and out of have helped NewJeans mount their rap breakdowns and melodic yearning, as position as one of K-pop’s most exciting theytrytocombattheirbashfulnesstogether new acts, their new single expands their and achieve one of the summer’s most boundariesevenfurther,simplybylocating undeniablepoptracks.

Wayne Lyttle to direct Spine-Chilling Horror

Masterpiece,

“The Silent Room” - Embrace the Darkness and Step into the Unknown …seeking

Wayne G Lyttle, a distinguished investigative journalist, documentary narrator, and scriptwriter, is e m b a r k i n g o n a n extraordinary mission to transform his mesmerizing and suspenseful storytelling into a spine-chilling horror masterpiece called “The Silent Room.”With a vision thattranscendsconventional boundaries,Lyttleisnowset totakeontheroleofdirector inthisupcomingproject,and he is eagerly searching for dedicated volunteer actors andactressestojointhecast.

volunteer actors and actresses

experiencethatlingersinthe mindsofviewers.

This open call for volunteer actors and actresses presents a unique opportunity for aspiring talents to work alongside Lyttle and an experienced productionteam.Thechosen individuals will have the chance to showcase their skillsandbreathelifeintothe chilling characters of “The Silent Room,” gaining invaluable experience in the filmindustry

Toensurethatthechosen actors and actresses are

genre. The cast members will have the invaluable opportunitytotapintoavast pool of knowledge and receive guidance from seasoned industry professionals, ensuring their readinessfortheproject.

“Set within a secluded mansion shrouded in a hauntinghistory,“TheSilent Room” delves into the lives of a close-knit group of friends ensnared in a realm ofenigmasandotherworldly happenings Their very salvation hinges upon uncovering the fabled

Lyttle encourages individuals from all backgroundsandexperience levels to audition, whether they are seasoned actors, actressesorpassionateabout exploring their acting skills. This is an opportunity to showcasetalentandbecome part of a truly unforgettable film.

Auditionsfor“TheSilent Room” will be held at Yotang Motion Pictures’ studio in Bel-Air Park Interested participants are encouraged to submit their applications, including a headshot,resume,andabrief introduction highlighting their passion for the horror genre The application deadlineisFriday,July14th, 2023, and selected candidateswillbeinvitedfor auditionsshortlythereafter

Lyttle expressed his unwavering dedication to creating captivating and thought-provoking films

W i t h a s t e a d f a s t commitment to delivering immersive storytelling and upholding high production values, the production company wholeheartedly embraces the horror genre, fueled by their genuine passionforit.

“The Silent Room” represents a new chapter in Lyttle’s exploration of horror, aiming to push boundaries and challenge conventional tropes. With Lyttle’s keen directorial vision and the collaboration of a dedicated cast, the film aspirestoredefinethehorror landscape and leave an indeliblemarkonthegenre.

development sessions, and receivespecializedcoaching in the art of horror acting t e c h n i q u e s T h i s comprehensive approach ensures that every actor and actress possesses the essential skills to deliver spine-chilling performances that resonate with audiences long after the final scene concludes.

With“TheSilentRoom,” Lyttle aims to create an immersivehorrorexperience that transcends the screen. Throughskillfulinterplayof cinematography, sound design, and visual effects, the film will transport viewers into a world of darkness and suspense, evoking visceral reactions and a lingering sense of unease.Lyttle’scommitment to storytelling extends beyond mere entertainment, as they strive to craft an experience that immerses audiences in the depths of theirfears.

horror genre I warmly extend an invitation to join me on this extraordinary adventure,ashebrings“The Silent Room” to life with a castthatwillleaveaudiences s p e l l b o u n d , ” h e enthusiasticallyposited.

As the deadline for applications approaches, aspiringactorsandactresses areurgedtoseizethisunique opportunity to be a part of “TheSilentRoom”andleave their mark on the world of horror cinema With executive director Lyttle at the helm, this is a chance to step into the darkness and emerge as a force to be reckonedwith.

For more information and to submit applications, interested individuals can reach out to Lyttle via email a t yotangmotionpictures uk@ gmail.com or contact the casting department at +592685-1770.

Duringaninterviewwith Lyttle,heelaboratedonhow “The Silent Room” aims to captivate audiences with its gripping storyline, atmospheric setting, and bone-chilling performances. Lyttle, renowned for his expertiseinthehorrorgenre, is dedicated to delivering an unforgettable cinematic

adequately prepared for the upcoming challenges, Lyttle

and a team of local filmmakers will provide extensive training and support throughout the production process This includes honing acting techniquesanddevelopinga deep understanding of the intricacies of the horror

“Silent Room”, a concealed chamberwithinthedepthsof the estate. With an air of bone-chilling suspense, this captivatingnarrativeensures that audiences remain perched at the edge of their seats, their pulses racing with each unexpected revelation,” Lyttle told this publication.

“Aspiring actors and actresses have an incredible opportunity to be part of a Wayne Lyttle production, where excellence and innovation are deeply ingrainedintheteam’sethos. Iamcommittedtonurturing talent and fostering a supportive environment Chosen actors can expect to flourish and enhance their craft in this exceptional setting,”Lyttleemphasized.

L y t t l e f u r t h e r emphasized the importance oftrainingandpreparationin order to unlock the full potential of their actors and actresses. The selected cast members will participate in

“This extraordinary opportunity invites aspiring performers to explore the depths of terror and suspense, pushing the boundaries of their abilities as they embark on a captivatingjourney Withmy exceptional talent for storytelling,anunforgettable cinematic experience awaits one that will both haunt and thrillaudiences.Thisproject serves as a remarkable platform for actors and actresses to showcase their skills in an unforgettable endeavor If you have an unwavering desire to immerse yourself in a world of dark secrets and psychological terror, seize this chance to be part of an ambitious project that promises to captivate audiences and redefine the

The search for volunteer actorsandactresseswhowill bring “The Silent Room” to life is now underway The chosenfewwillsoonembark on a spine-chilling journey that will test their limits and captivate audiences worldwide.

Lyttle highlighted that “The Silent Room” is more thanjustafilm—itpresentsa uniquechanceforactorsand actresses to push their boundaries, delve into their artistry, and join a revolutionary endeavor that will leave an everlasting impression on the realm of horror cinema The application window is open, inviting those who dare to embrace the shadows and venture into uncharted territory Are you ready to seize this opportunity and stepintotheabyss?

“The Silent Room” Executive Film Director, Wayne Lyttle

Thesebugrepellentsactuallywork-ifyouusethemcorrectly

(National Geographic) Sprays, ultrasonic devices, wristbands, citronella candles: There’s a ton of products on the market that promise to keep away mosquitoes, ticks, and other bothersomebugs.Butwhich productsbestprotectagainst t h e s e b i t i n g a n d bloodsuckingpests?

It’s important to protect yourself, as mosquitoes and ticks can transmit debilitating diseases like West Nile virus and Lyme disease.Yetnotallrepellents are created equal, and some don’t work at all The repellent you might want to use depends on where you live, how long you’ll be outdoors, and which bugs you’retryingtorepel.Italso comes down to personal preferences, like fragrance strength.

Mosquitoes are attracted tothe“bouquet”ofscentson your skin, according to Conor McMeniman, an entomologist and infectious disease expert at Johns HopkinsUniversity

These are chemicals our bodiesproduceastheybreak downsugarsandproteinsfor energy, like lactic acid and carbon dioxide, as well as those produced by bacteria on the skin. Some people smell more tantalizing to mosquitoes based on their unique cocktail of chemicals.Scientistsbelieve that repellents disrupt mosquitoes’ and ticks’ abilitytosmellus.

Here’swhatworks

The EPA keeps a handy list of compounds that effectively fight off diseaseharboringpests,andtellsyou which pests each repellent keepsaway Theserepellents have a relatively low environmental toxicity and are safe for humans in accepteddoses.

Of these, DEET was the first chemical-based repellent on the market, and some experts consider it to bethemosteffectiveagainst many biting insects, says Dan Markowski, technical advisor at the American M o s q u i t o C o n t r o l Association.

Although repellents are sold in concentrations of up to 100 percent DEET, protection doesn’t get better after about 50 percent, says Erika Machtinger, an entomologist and chemical ecologist at Pennsylvania State University, and even low concentrations offer

good protection. There is a negligible increase in how well a repellent works once its DEET concentration gets above 30 percent; the EPA recommends between 10-30 percent.

The EPA also states that DEET most likely doesn’t pose a risk to the environment,atleasttheway we use it on ourselves

According to the National Pesticide Information Center,whileDEETstaysin the soil and wastewater, it degrades quickly Several studies have shown the concentrations of DEET found in streams and rivers are too low to do damage to aquatic wildlife. The same goesforallotherproductson the EPA’s list, explains Machtinger:allofthemhave been scientifically tested for safety for humans and wildlife.

DEETcan,however,ruin your favorite pair of shorts. DEETdegradesspandexand other plastics, meaning you mightwanttobecarefulwith what you wear if you also spray yourself with DEET products.AndasMachtinger pointsout,“itsmellshorrible andit’sgreasy.”Sheoptsfor products that contain picaridin herself, but notes that it’s harder to find than DEET

Adelaide Herbert, a dermatologist at UTHealth Houston, says DEET is considered safe for most adults, but ingesting large amounts has been linked to seizures She adds that pregnant women and young childrenmaywanttofindan alternative to DEET (she usually recommends picaridin to protect against mosquitoes).

Many experts consider picaridintoworkjustaswell as DEET, and it may even last a bit longer They both offer protection against a slew of irritating insects, including biting flies, gnats, ticks,chiggers,andfleas.

Outdoorsy types may want to consider using permethrin on their clothes. It’s another EPA-approved repellentthatnotonlymasks human scent but also acts as aninsecticide,killinginsects oncontact,saysHerbert.

Permethrin is super effective, especially against ticks, says Herbert, and the EPA hasn’t found any evidence that permethrintreated clothing is toxic to humans or wildlife when used as directed When

applying, avoid getting it on your skin as it can cause irritation It’s toxic to humans when swallowed, especially for young children As a pesticide, permethrin is extremely harmfultoaquaticorganisms and beneficial insects—so you should also be mindful where you spray it and only useitfollowingdirectionson thelabel.

Other options may not workaswell

Other chemicals may be EPA-certified but less effective. Experts add that productsthataren’tsprayed on your person don’t offer

muchprotection.

IR3535 is also a good option if you want something completely odorless. It offers strong p r o t e c t i o n a g a i n s t mosquitosandotherinsects, but doesn’t last as long as DEET and picaridin, and it’sabithardertofindinthe U.S.

For those that want a completely plant-based option, oil of lemon eucalyptus is the only plantderived repellent that most experts recommend. Its active ingredient, PMD, is effectiveagainstmosquitoes and ticks (although less so

than other options), but not chiggers and other biting insects. It also can’t be used in children under three years old, as it can cause skinirritation.

Be wary of other essential oils—”every bottle you buy” can have different contents, are often not tested for safety, can cause skin reactions, and even kill beneficial insects, says Machtinger. Opting for a bracelet,clip-on,orstickeris probably ill-advised, says Markowski, even if the wearable product contains an EPA-approved chemical.

“I get it, no one likes to put

DEET on. But these just d

Markowski says “The reason is that when there’s a strong gust of wind, or even when you walk too fast, the cloudofrepellentaroundthe product doesn’t follow, leavingyouunprotected.”

One thing most experts agree on is that citronella candles aren’t effective Studies showed citronella candles and incense only decreased the chance of a bitebyabout20to40percent (DEET decreases these chances by more than 95 percent).Windcanalso

(Continuedonpage62)

Even the best products can be dangerous if used incorrectly. Here’s what the EPA recommends - and what experts say are completely ineffective.

The story I am going to tell you i s a b o u t something that really happened, many years ago, when most of the mothers and fathers of the children here were not born, themselves. At that time, nearly all the people in the United States lived between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mississippi River Beyond were plains, reaching to the foot of the mighty Rocky Mountains, where Indians and wild beasts roamed. The only white men there were a fewhuntersandtrappers.

One year a brave little company of people travelled across the plains in big, covered wagons with many horses, and finally succeeded in climbing to the top of the great Rockies and down again into a valley in the very midst of the mountains. It was a valley of brown, bare, desert soil, in a climatewherealmostnorain falls; but the snows on the mountaintops sent down little streams of pure water, the winds were gentle, and lying like a blue jewel at the foot of the western hills was a marvellous lake of salt water - an inland sea. So, the pioneers settled there and built them huts and cabins forthefirstwinter

It had taken them many months to make the terrible journey; many had died of weariness and illness on the way; many died of hardship during the winter; and the provisions they had brought in their wagons were so nearly gone that, by spring, they were living partly on roots, dug from the ground. Alltheirlivesnowdepended on the crops of grain and vegetables which they could raise in the valley They made the barren land good by spreading water from the little streams over it - what

w e c a l l "irrigating;"

enough

and

a n d vegetables for all the people Everyone helped, and everyone watched for the sprouting, with hopes, and prayers, and careful eyes.

In good time the seeds sprouted, and the dry, brown earth was covered with a carpet of tender, green, growing things. No farmer's garden at home in the East could have looked better than the great garden of the desert valley And from day to day the little shoots grew and flourished till they were allwellabovetheground.

Then a terrible thing happened. One day the men whowerewateringthecrops saw a great number of crickets swarming over the ground at the edge of the gardens nearest the mountains They were hopping from the barren places into the young, green crops, and as they settled down, they ate the tiny shoots and leaves to the ground. More came, and more, and ever more, and as they came, they spread out till they covered a big corner of the grain field. And still more and more, till it was like an army of black, hopping, crawling crickets, streaming down the side of the mountain to kill the crops.The men tried to kill the crickets by beating the ground, but the numbers were so great that it was like beating at the sea. Then they ran and told the terrible news, and all the village came to help. They started fires; they dug trenches and filled them with water; they r a n wildly about in

One Thing at a Time FUNWITHPOETRY

by Uncle Roy

Sometimes I find, when doing something, That I try to do another, Like when I am at homework, I want to play with my brother.

I even know when I am at school, Doing some work for my teacher, I stop to chat with some friend, And then cannot finish whatever

So I now see that whatever I am doing, I must put my whole mind to it; This is the only way I can do my best, And so make the most of any effort.

This is also true of everything else, That I have to do each day, Whether eating, bathing, or any work at home, It is one thing at a time always.

the fields, killing what they could. But while they fought in one place new armies of crickets marched down the mountainsides and attacked the fields in other places. Andatlast,thepeoplefellon their knees and wept and cried in despair, for they saw starvation and death in the fields.

A few knelt to pray Others gathered round and joined them, weeping. More left their useless struggles and knelt beside their neighbours. At last, nearly all the people were kneeling on the desolate fields prayingfordeliverancefrom theplagueofcrickets.

Suddenly, from far off in the air toward the great Salt Lake, there was the sound of flapping wings It grew louder Some of the people looked up, startled. They saw,likeawhitecloudrising from the lake, a flock of sea gulls flying toward them. Snow-white in the sun, with great wings beating and soaring, in hundreds and hundreds, they rose and circledandcameon.

"The gulls! the gulls!" was the cry "What does it mean?"

The gulls flew overhead, with a shrill chorus of whimpering cries, and then, in a marvellous white cloud of spread wings and hovering breasts, they settleddownovertheseeded ground.

"Oh! woe! woe!" cried the people. "The gulls are eatingwhatthecricketshave left! they will strip root and branch!"

But all at once, some one called out, "No, no! See! they are eating the crickets! They are eating only the crickets!"It was true. The gulls devoured the crickets in dozens, in hundreds, in swarms. They ate until they were gorged, and then they flewheavilybacktothelake, only to come again with new appetite. And when at last they finished, they had stripped the fields of the cricket army; and the people weresaved.

To this day, in the beautiful city of Salt Lake, which grew out of that pioneer village, the little children are taught to love the sea gulls.And when they learn drawing and weaving in the schools, their first design is often a picture of a cricketandagull.

DIY MERMAID CRAYONS

Asimple way to upcycle and reuse broken crayons.

WHATYOUNEED

*Crayons

*MermaidMould

*Glitterextrafine

*CookieSheet

*HotPad DIRECTIONS

1. Peel the crayon wrapper off and preheat yourovento250degrees.

2. Sprinkle a little glitterintoyourmoulds.

3. Break the crayons in several pieces and place into the mermaid tails a few of the samecolouredcrayonsatatime

soitwill have an Ombre look.

4. Place your silicone moulds onto a baking sheet and place in a preheated250°ovenfor8 to 10 minutes, checking halfway through to see if they'vefullymelted.

5. Carefully remove the pan with a hot pad, place on the stove until cool and then transfer to the freezer for about 15 minutes.

6 Carefully stretch out the sides of the moulds and pop your crayonsout.

Develop a Sense of Purpose in your Life

In preparing for the future,itisveryrelevantthat at various times we reconsider the direction in which we are headed in our lives, and, if we find that we are headed in a wrong or uncertain direction, make a fresh start in an attempt to achieveourgoals.

Did you ever ask yourself why we are here on this earth? People all throughtheagesandallover the world have been constantly looking for the

answertothisquestion,soas to give some meaning to theirlives.

In the modern world, things have become so unstable that people are desperately searching for something which is steady

Galaxies

direction, we wonder why they seem to lack any sense of purpose in life. These people have never taken the time to develop any kind of plan to follow so as to achievethisfulfilment.

and sure, in which they could believe, something they could embrace, to which they can make a commitment, love, share withothers,strugglefor,and feelcomfortablewith.

In other words, everyone needs to have a sense of direction, so that in following that direction, they would be always moving towards the truth, happiness and fulfilment which we all feel should be thepurposeofliving.

As we look around us and observe the way some people seem to drift through life without this sense of

Theydonothaveanyone to believe in them or encourage them to trust in themselves, to have the couragetogoforwardboldly towards accomplishing something which would be of benefit to themselves and others They have not worked towards definite goals in life, or towards a career, nor put in any effort tosucceedinthese.

In the coming weeks try to make a conscious and determined effort towards developing this Sense of Purpose, and we will deal withthestepstofollowsoas tomakeitclearertoyou.

You Have what

It Takes

You have what it takes to succeed, You have within you everything you need to become anything you want to be, and the spirit to approach your tasks enthusiastically You have power within you to apply yourself energetically; You have wisdom within you to wisely take the right steps to your goals; You have imagination within you to see in your mind what you want manifested; You have love within you to be loving in all your methods and ways; You have life within you to pursue the happiness that is your birthright; You have strength within you to hold and pursue true ideas; You have intelligence within you to renounce every bad thought and action; You have faith within you to fulfil your destiny and make the most of yourself. This proves you have all within you to answer the call to be whatever you want to be; So don't be afraid to use what you have, and you will reap the reward of a life well lived.

Solutions to last week’s

When you have developed a sense of purpose, you will move forward in full confidence that you are on the path to achieving the life goals you have set yourself.

Natural Hair Treatment Tips for Hair Growth

What is hair loss?

Hair loss can be categorized by several symptoms. Male or female pattern baldness, also called androgenic alopecia, is most common among men over 50 and women who already experienced menopause.

Male pattern baldness

For male pattern baldness, causes include:

* genetics

* cancers

* thyroid conditions

* medications

* nutritional disorders

* high levels of sex hormones called androgens

Female pattern baldness

It's less likely for women to go completely bald, but it's common for thinning to occur. Doctors divide female pattern baldness into 3 types:

Type I: This is when a small amount of thinning starts around the hair part.

Type II: This involves widening of the part and increased thinning around it.

Type III: This is thinning throughout, with a seethrough at the top of the scalp.

Female pattern baldness can be naturally occurring, related to genetics, a side effect of medication or treatments, or hormone changes caused by pregnancy or menopause.

Women are less likely to experience hair thinning in their 20s and instead may start to see symptoms in their 40s, 50s, and beyond.

Natural hair regrowth treatment options

Treating hair loss or hair thinning can be a challenge, and not all treatments may work for you.

If you are experiencing certain types of pattern baldness or a health condition that can cause hair loss, it may not be possible to regrow your hair. However, there are some natural treatments that some people have found to be effective while trying to regrow hair. Here's our list of 10 of the best natural hair regrowth treatments.

1. Massage -Massaging the scalp, which people can combine with hair oils and masks, stimulates the scalp and may improve hair thickness.

Massage your scalp with your fingertips, not your fingernails. Move your way across your scalp in small circles, applying light to medium pressure. While there's no set amount of time that you have to do a scalp massage, each scalp massage was given daily for 4 minutes for a period of 24 weeks in the 2019 study above. The bottom line: Be patient and consistent.

2.Aloe vera

Aloe vera has long been used for treatingTrusted Source hair loss. It also soothes the scalp and conditions hair. It can reduce dandruff and unblock hair follicles that may be blocked by excess oil.

3. Coconut oil

Coconut oil contains fatty acids, called lauric acid, that penetrate inside the hair shaft and reduce protein loss from hair. Coconut oil can be used before or after you wash your hair, depending on your hair type. If your hair tends to be oily, you can do a leave-in treatment overnight or for a few hours before you wash it.

Massage coconut oil into your scalp and all of your hair. If your hair is dry, you can also use it as a leave-in treatment. There needs to be more research on coconut oil as a promoter of hair growth, but it's been shown to lubricate the hair shaft and prevent breakage.

4. Viviscal -Viviscal is a natural hair growth supplement that promotes hair growth in people with thinning hair

5. Fish oil - Consuming omega fatty acids can help improve your hair from the inside, since they are filled with nutrients and proteins. Taking an omega supplementTrusted Source, along with antioxidants, helps improve hair density and diameter. It also reduces hair loss.

6. Ginseng

Taking ginseng supplements can promote hair growth by stimulating hair follicles. Ginsenosides are the active components of ginseng and are thought to be responsible for ginseng's positive effect on hair.

(Continued on Next Sunday Edition)

https://www.healthline.com/health/regrow-hair-naturally

“It’s more than photography; it’s an expression of my creativity”

Young Linden photographer

ByVanessaBraithwaiteMoore

“Growing up I have always been a creative kid lookingforwaystoexpressmycreativity,so,whenI startedphotography,Irealisedthisistheperfectway to do so.” Many persons take jobs to fulfill their innate desires or their childhood fantasies. For upcoming Linden photographer Jeffon Figueira, he soughtoutphotographytodosoandwhatstartedout as a behind the scenes pass time, is now commercialized and he is now becoming a household name in the mining town of Linden for professionalphotography

In 2019, Jeffon tagged along with well-known photographerMichaelBondsandhewouldpitchhis ideastohim,butBondsencouragedhimtomakeuse of his own ideas independently I did understand because art is subjective but he mentioned “your ideasareverydifferentandcreativeandyoushould testthewaterintheartofphotography”andthatwas the beginning of my journey With his desire to revolutionize the local photography landscape, Figueira made strides to show his audience that photographyismorethancapturingmemories,butit isaformofart.

“I guess it’s my personal demand for change in

thewayhowpersonsviewtheartbypushingthemintoa differentscope thatteachesthemthatphotographyis not aboutjustgrabbingacamera/phoneandtakingapicture, itscomposition,itsemotionbutmostofallit’sauniversal language that speaks to the heart, you can take one momentoflifewhichcanbecomeastoryfrozenintime,” heexplained.

During the pandemic he focused on nature photographybutnowhasgravitatedtowardsportraitsand event photography His following is steadily gaining momentumandheisoptimisticaboutbecomingoneofthe best local photographers. He mostly enjoys portrait photography

In five years, Figueira sees himself continuing to develop his craft and taking on more responsibilities within this industry by leveraging the expertise he obtained over the years. He also intends to work on more challenging projects, in an effort to get comfortablewithhisart.Hefindsmostsatisfactionis makingapositiveimpactonperson’slives.

“Bygivingthemathirdeye,whichenablesthemto perceivetheworldfromadifferentperspective.Aswell as capturing moments that signify a moment of emotionsandatimethattheyneverwantedtoend,”he boasted. While his job has many challenges, he most enjoys the opportunity of travelling and meeting new peopleandbeingcreativeasmuchashewantswithout being criticized for it, since photography has no rule book.

In addition to photography, the 26-year-old photographer enjoys doing things differently, travelling andfootball.Infact,hedescribesfootballashisfirstlove. In an effort to perfect his skill, Figueira pursued a certificate at School of the Nations to study the art of photographyandgraphicdesign.

To contact Jeffon Figueira, please call him on 6840477,oratJeffonFigueiraPhotographyonFacebook

Jeffor

F igueira

Aaliyah McKoy

Meetthisweek’sbeauty,the alluringAaliyahMcKoy This22-year-olddollis competinginthisyear’sMissEmancipationQueenPageant. SheisaDocumentController&QualityAuditorbyprofession. Thisdollenjoysphotography,graphics,andthingsfashion.Herfavourite quoteis,“Sometimesthesmalleststepintherightdirectionendsupbeingthe biggeststepofyourlife.Don’tsecondguessyourselfbelieveinwhoyouare.”

Bellhelicopter,refurbishedplane Bellhelicopter

...asPresidentAlitalksupAirCorpsmodernisation

helicopter, at the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF), Air CorpsStationatTimehri,EastBankDemerara(EBD).

Duringhisfeatureaddress,thePresidentsaidthatthe introduction of the additional aircrafts signals the dawningofatransformationalerafortheDefenceForce, adding that it complements the larger human resource asset.

“The modernisation of the air corps or the aviation wing of the GDF has just begun. We have invested heavilyinensuringthatwehavetherightcomplementof human resource personnel, and also the right level of training,”PresidentAlisaid.

He continued, “We are sparing no effort in ensuring thatweputourGuyanaDefenceForceandAirCorpsin the frontline of modernisation and transformation and creatinganenvironmentinwhichwearesecondtonone. Thisvisionrequirestransformationalthinking,”theHead ofStateunderscored.

The Beechcraft Super King Air 350 has been identified as one of the most sought-after turboprops within the industry and has spent the last two years undergoingextensiveupgradestoserveastheexecutive aircraftforthegovernment.

It is equipped with twin engines, a cruising capacity of some 35,000 feet, and a 1600-pound weight capacity withmaximumfuel.

Meanwhile, the Bell 412 EPI Helicopter is expected to tremendously enhance GDF’s capacity for rapidly deployingforcestotheremoteareasofthecountry Itwill also play a significant role in improving the country’s territorial defence, and improving surveillance capacity, inkeepingwiththecountry’srobustdefencepolicy

ThisisthesecondBellHelicopterinGDF’sFleet;the firstarrivedinMarch2021andcostGuyana$414M.

TheNewBell412helicopter

The refurbished Beechcraft

Breaking Stereotypes and Redefining Beauty:

TameshThaman’sJourney

as a Trailblazing Makeup Artist

“Makeup is malleable and mercurial. The biggest joy I have every day is the opportunity to create, to play, and to invent with something I’ve loved forever. Young generations coming up, follow your dreams. It doesn’t matter who you are, be proud of yourself,” says Tamesh Thaman

ByWayneLyttle

In this week’s issue of Waterfall Magazine, TameshThaman,theowner of Tamesh’s Makeup Studio, shared his inspiring journey of becoming a makeup artist, fueled by passion, perseverance, and a determinationtobreakstereotypes. From humble beginnings experimenting with his mother’s and sister’s makeup to owning his own thriving studio, he defied conventions and became a prominentfigureintheindustry,as he revealed to the Waterfall Magazine.

Thaman’s love for makeup artistryignitedatayoungagewhen he found solace in applying makeup to himself, drawing inspiration from movies and music videos. Despite societalbiasesandthe l a c k o f m a l e representation in the makeup industry, he fearlessly pursued his passion, drawing strength from his own self-expression By the age of seventeen, hehadhonedhisskills and embarked on a professionaljourney

Overthepasteight years, Thaman’s careerasamakeupartisthasbeena testament to his dedication and talent. Despite initial skepticism regarding his suitability as a makeup artist, he found an accepting and appreciative clientele. Some highlights of his journey include creating stunning looks for high-profile events, collaborating with renowned photographers, and garnering recognition for his exceptional artistry

Thaman is characterized by a unique blend of creativity and innovation. He excels in adapting and incorporating the latest techniques and trends into his work, ensuring that his clients receivepersonalizedandup-to-the-

minute looks. His ability to create diverse styles while accentuating his clients’ natural beauty is what he believes sets him apart in the industry

However,Thamanexplainsthat what truly sets him apart from his peersishiscommitmenttoconstant growth and development.

Throughout his career, he has nurtured unique skills and specialties, ranging from flawless contouring to transformative bridal looks. His expertise in makeup for different skin tones and textures has earned him an exceptional reputation among clients and industry professionalsalike.

To stay up-to-date with

His journey as a makeup artist has been dotted with inspiring moments One of his most memorable experiences was transforming a client for her wedding day “Witnessing her happiness and confidence radiate afterIhadworkedmymagicfilled

evolving trends and techniques, Thaman actively participates in workshops, conferences, and industry trainings. By immersing himself in continuous learning, he ensures that he remains at the forefront of the ever-changing beauty landscape, providing his clients with cutting-edge makeup artistry

me with immense satisfaction and further fueled my passion for this craft,”heshares.

According to Thaman, key qualities for success as a makeup artist include excellent communication, patience, adaptability, and a keen eye for detail. Throughout his career, he has sharpened these qualities,

ensuring that henotonlyunderstandshisclients’ expectationsbutalsoaddshisown creative touch to every transformation.

Astrendscomeandgo,Thaman gracefully navigates the balance between staying current and maintaining his artistic vision. By carefullyselectingtrendsthatalign withhisstyleandadaptingthemto suit his clients’ needs, he creates timeless looks that transcend fleetingfads.

For aspiring makeup artists, Mikayla Nogueira, who shares her name, emphasizes the importance

o f p a s s i o n , perseverance, and authenticity She advises newcomers to invest in their education, seek mentorship, and actively build a strong portfolio to establish themselves in the industry Thaman encourages aspiring artists to embrace their uniqueness,asitisoften whatsetsthemapartand fuelstheirsuccess.

When working with clients, Thaman places great importance on understanding their desires and personal style. He engages in thorough consultations, actively listening to his clients’ preferences and concerns By blending his expertise with their vision, he creates a c o l l a b o r a t i v e environment that results in breathtakingtransformations.

Looking to the future, Thaman excited about potential projects collaborations that will allow o explore new creative avenues. His passion for pushing boundaries and constantly expandinghisskillsetdriveshimto seek fresh opportunities to showcasehistalent.

What Thaman enjoys most about being a makeup artist is the ability to empower his clients and help them discover their beauty Witnessing the transformation and thehappinessitbringsfillshimwith anunparalleledsenseoffulfillment For Thaman, makeup artistry is aboutmorethanaesthetics;it'sabout boostingconfidenceandembracing one'strueself

In the face of challenging situationsordifficultclients, Continued on page 62

CEO

T amesh Thaman

Flamboyant Television Talk-Show

Personality, Joel Ghansham

Sookdevi ‘Amanda’ Kemlall

ByAllyiahAllicock

While some young people may not find farming interesting or exciting, farming was all Sookdevi ‘Amanda’ Kemlall ever wantedtodo,sincetheageofeight.

Inthisweek’seditionofYoung Entrepreneur, we shed light on young Amanda, a mother of one who hails from the farming community of Bath Settlement, WestCoastBerbice.

During a recent exclusive interview with this magazine, Amandasaidwhathadinspiredher to take up farming, was being motivated by her family from a youngage.

YouseeAmandacomesfroma background of farmers; her grandparents were farmers ever sinceshewaslittle,andhermother tooisafarmer Amandaevengrew up and still lives with her grandparents who did farming to bringaboutanincome.Sofarming was what she was mostly exposed to,andthishappenedtoleadherto developthatdeeppassionforit.

How her journey started, Amandashared,“Wehadagarden atthebackyardandfromtherewe wereadvisedthatwecangoanduse a reserve at the backlands. So my grandfather,myuncletheywentto the land which was basically bush andtheyclearedit.Andfromthere westartedtodofarmingwherewe plantedeschallotforstarters,Iwas like8or9yearsoldatthetime.”

There, littleAmanda was even givenapieceoflandwhereshetoo startedplantingeschallot.“Iusedto go to school and come home and plant eschallot and it was so exciting like I didn’t wanna go to school anymore I wanted to keep planting eschallot, because I see what my grandmother had

achieved with her planting, so I said to myselfIcanachievethisat a small age too,” she shared.

At times, she said, she would want to stay home but was not allowed to because she had to go to school. But she recalled those exciting moments cominghomefromschool tohelpoutonthefarm.

Afterplantingherown setofeschallot,Amandasaidwhen it was time to reap them; she recalled reaping over 100lbs of eschallotatthetime.Shewasproud ofherworkandwhathadmadeher even happier was that she had foundabuyerforherproduce.But shortly after, all did not go as planned because the buyer had nevercollectedtheeschallotwhich causethemtodamage.

“From there I had givenupIdidn’twantto plantanymorebecauseat that time eschallot the pricewasveryhighandI had already budgeted how much I would have earned,”sherelated.

After sometime Amanda decided to get back into farming and thistimeshestartedwith celery, because according to her at that time celery started to have a higher pricing.

“SoIstartedwithasmall amount, I started planting celery and eventually it was successful and after that my grandparents ended up giving me half of the land. So from there I started to plant celery andI’mstillplantingit,” shesaid.

When asked at what age she made the decision that farming was something she wantedtodoforaliving, she said it was in high school. She mentioned her celery produce were r e a l l y t h r i v i n g successfullyandshehad

a feeling that she would achieve a lotifshecontinued.

Having started planting celery, Amandarelatedthatovertheyears, one challenge she recalled facing was persons poisoning the water which would end up damaging the land.According to her, this would affect them for months from planting.

Though it was a serious challengeatthetime,sheneverlet herhardshipbringherdown.Little did she know, her business would takeaturnforthebetter

That was when she was introduced to the Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean (SAC) Project (SAC) through the NationalAgriculturalResearchand Extension Institute (NAREI) extension officers who would usuallycheckontheirfarmlands. Amanda related, having

learned about this project, it was a game changer for her and her farming.

For many of you who may not know,theSACprojectisbeingled bytheWorldUniversityServiceof Canada (WUSC) WUSC is a Canadian non-profit organization workingtocreateabetterworldfor all young people WUSC Caribbean is implementing a fiveyear project-the SAC Project, which is aimed at promoting climate-resilient agriculture for equitable economic growth to increasetheeconomicprosperityof women and youth in more sustainable agricultural markets in theCaribbean.

WUSC Guyana is supporting women and youth (male/female) across Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten within the fruits andvegetablemarkets.

Two things, the young woman spoke ofsincebeingapartof this project is having been introduced to Green Agro products andhavingbeenapart of the WUSC Gender and Leadership workshop.

The Green Agro S e r v i c e s , t h i s p u b l i c a t i o n understands is incorporating micronutrients into their farming regimen for thepurposeofcreating awareness of climate smart agriculture to increase productivity and profitability of produce, regardless of theweather

Being the first to trytheproductsonher celery, Amanda said the results were amazing Having initially done a trial, Amanda explained that what she noticed with the products is that her celery ended up being reaped early thanexpected.Usually itwouldtakeaboutsix tosevenweekstoreap

her celery but having applied the micro-nutrients into her farming; her celeries were ready to reap within three weeks. Not only that, her produce was growing extremelybig.

As a result of using the Green Agro products on her celeries, Amanda was later called the “Celery Queen” because of the amount of celery she was able to reap.

“I would like to thank them (SAC project) for introducing greenagrosuppliestousbecauseit has been like a year I have been using the green agro supplies and frompreviousreapingtonowwith my celery it has increased, by actually a 100 percent. Normally from my products that I use I normally used to get like 25 lbs of celery,nowIgetlike50lbsandover so it was really good,” she expressed.

Speaking briefly about the workshop she attended earlier in theyear,shedescribeditasagreat experience, especially because she gottolearnmoreaboutfarmingand was able to share her own journey withothers.Onethingshesaidshe was able to grasp from the event wasbeingabletomakeamint-like product to get rid of insects on her farm, which indeed worked when shetriedit.

AsAmandacontinuetodevelop herselfmoreinthelocalagriculture sector and be able to make a meaningful contribution to our society, she encourages everyone, especially young people to get involveinfarming.

She noted for some persons, farmingmayseemaboringthingto do, but when you reallyget into it, youtendtoseethebenefitsofbeing in the industry and that it opens doorsforalotofopportunities.

The young woman shared, that through farming she has been able to provide and support her family Throughfarmingtoo,Amandaand herhusbandwereabletobuytheir first vehicle which was one of the bigachievementsforthem.

Sheisoftheviewthatalotmore can be done locally to help young thrivingfarmersinoursociety One way she suggested, is in terms of farmingequipmentforfarmers.

YoungEntrepreneurandfarmer, SookdeviKemlallknownalsoas‘Amanda’

Someoftheproduce,eschallotandcelery onAmanda’sfarmatBathSettlement.

Jason Christie and JaylaAmanda Christie, Amanda’s husband and daughter who also help out on their farm.

Guyana To Host 2nd AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum in October

Th e s e c o n d

AfriCaribbean T r a d e a n d I n v e s t m e n t F o r u m

(ACTIF23) will be hosted in Georgetown, Guyana, from 30 to 31 October, 2023, African Export-Import Bank ( A f r e x i m b a n k ) a n d Government of Guyana (GoG)announcedtoday

Organised under the overarching theme “Creating a Shared Prosperous Future”, a n d c o n v e n e d b y Afreximbank and the GoG, ACTIF23 will focus on consolidating commercial collaboration between the Caribbean region and Africa, for increased inter-regional trade and investment; building on the successes of the inaugural edition that was held in Barbados, in September,2022.

Commenting on the announcement of ACTIF23, Minister of Foreign Affairs a n d I n t e r n a t i o n a l Cooperation, Hugh Todd, said “Guyana looks forward to h o s t i n g t h e s e c o n d AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum. We are keen to actively harness the potential of our economic relations as we build on the historic ties between Africa andtheCaribbean.”

“We are excited to announce the second AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum,” said Prof. Benedict Oramah, PresidentandChairmanofthe Board of Directors of Afreximbank. “Going by the impressive gains we have recorded in less than one year since ACTIF2022, we have every reason to look forward to a further deepening of commercial relationships between Africa and the Caribbean when we meet in Georgetown, Guyana. We are exceedingly grateful to the Government of Guyana for agreeing to host this important bridge-building Forum”.

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e Department of Public Information (DPI), the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum was introducedin2022toenhance the growth of trade and investment between Africa and the Caribbean, including promoting airlinks, tourism, technology transfer, financial stability, food security, industrialization and cultural ties The inaugural event welcomed over 1,267 delegates from 108 countries, including participants from 50 African countries, 13 Caribbean countries, and regions as far away as Oceania.

There has been growing commercial cooperation

b e t w e e n A f r i c a a n d

CARICOM supported by Afreximbank Eleven

C A R I C O M m e m b e r

c o u n t r i e s a r e n o w participating States in the Bank and the Bank's Board approved a limit of USD3

billion for Caribbean economies to enhance trade and investment opportunities between the two regions. The bank is launching its representative office in Bridgetown, Barbados; and p r o v i d i n g t e c h n i c a l assistance towards the establishment of the Caricom Export-Import Bank, and the deployment of the Pan African Payment and Settlement System in the Caribbean.

AboutAfreximbank:

African Export-Import Bank(Afreximbank)isaPanAfrican multilateral financial institution mandated to financeandpromoteintra-and extra-African trade. For 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structurestodeliverfinancing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa's trade, accelerating industrialization and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank is setting up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries to effectively participate in the AfCFTA. At the end of 2022, Afreximbank's total assets and guarantees stood at over US$31 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$5.2 billion. The Bank disbursed more than US$86 billion between 2016 and 2022 Afreximbank has investment grade ratings

a s s i g n e d b y G C R (international scale) (A), Moody's(Baa1),JapanCredit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-)

a n d F i t c h ( B B B )

Afreximbank has evolved intoagroupentitycomprising the Bank, its impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure, (together, “the Group”).

From page 16

expressingherwishes.Notably,the raped and sodomised her before this cost even though the funds will Police underscored that every handingherasumofmoney. not be required until after a project process of the child withdrawing Following the official report ends According to Exxon’s her allegation was done in the madetothepolicebytheteengirlin financials, it took $17 million in presenceofherparentsandtheCPA the company of an officer from the 2021 towards this cost. With a officer CPA, Minister Dharamlall was noticeable spike in the In a press release last evening, arrested and subsequently released decommissioning costs, this thepolicedisclosedthatthefilewas on$1Mbail. newspaper reported only yesterday sent back to the office of the DPP Amid calls and protest by civil that in 2022 the oil companies for legal advice on Tuesday societyforDharamlalltobesacked, deducted monies from the morning. President Ali announced that the country’s revenue to pay for “Consequently, the DPP rape accused proceeded on decommissioning activities for the returned the file this afternoon administrativeleave. third and fourth oil projects in the containing her legal opinion. In her Stabroek Block though oil advice, the DPP disclosed that Thursday production is yet to commence consideration was given to the fact there. that the complainant gave a further Probe into rape allegations

Importantly, the third Stabroek statement to investigators that she against Dharamlall was a sham Block project, Payara will wishes to withdraw her complaint …Indigenous body disappointed commence production activities in against Minister Dharamlall and with outcome; questions silence the last quarter of this year thatherdecisionwasnotinfluenced of Amerindian Affairs Minister –M e a n w h i l e , t h e f o u r t h by anyone and that same was in her Indigenous body development, Yellowtail is not best interest The DPP also expected to start up until 2027.The proferred her advice based on the The Amerindian Peoples oil projects each have an expected fact that the virtual complainant’s Association (APA) in a statement life of 20 years, meaning the funds statement was taken by a forensic on Wednesday, contended that the will only be required more than a interviewer in the presence of a investigation into the allege rape decadelater parent, a Child Care officer and a and sodomy of a 16-year-old Kaieteur News has been on the Police officer and that such Indigenous girl by Nigel forefront highlighting the statement was free and voluntary,” Dharamlall, former Minister of numerous ways in which the thepolicestatementsaid. Local Government and Regional country can be cheated out of its The statement continued: “In Development, was to save face resources when it comes to this light of the above, the Director of insteadofjustice. single expense Notably, the Public Prosecution concluded that The body noted that the Commonwealth Secretariat earlier in the absence of the victim’s investigation into the rape this year cautioned its member complaint, there is no legal allegation has cemented the fact countriesintheoilandgasindustry provision for the Police to proceed that Indigenous people are not o f t h e u n c e r t a i n t y o f withthematter.” equal in the eyes of Guyana’s decommissioning costs, which can Kaieteur News had reported justice system. As such, it was result in the price tag to restore the that in a letter to President Irfaan stated that it is convinced that the ocean floor, easily moving from Ali, the teen girl shared gruesome outcome of the investigation was US-millionstoUS-billions. detailsabouthowshewasallegedly neverforthedeliveryofjustice.

As such, the body urged groomed and later raped by the The APA comments come on Governments to ensure they minister In her letter, she pleaded the heels of the announcement by implement policies and regulations which are the equipment that goes statement announced that the teen with President Ali, Minister of PresidentIrfaanAlithatDharamlall that would require oil and gas from the seabed floor to the surface informed police investigators that Education, Priya Manickchand and has resigned from his post as Local companies giving regular estimate of the FPSOs After that is she no longer wished to continue relevant authorities to look into the Government Minister and Member on decommissioning costs. It was removed, he said the lines will be withthematter matter of Parliament, following the stated that decommissioning cost, purged to ensure there is no water, The police disclosed that it was According to the letter seen by statement by the police that the like development cost can vary oil or gas left there.Thirdly, he said on Thursday that the girl informed this publication, the girl first met Director of Public Prosecution significantlyfromprojecttoproject that the wells must be capped her parents and an officer of the the minister at an event last year, (DPP), Shalimar Ali Hack, SC in and that it can easily amount to thereby plugging to abandon it, Child Care and Protection Agency when she was 15-years-old. She her legal advice stated that with the billions of US-dollars to restore the after it has reached its production (CPA), that she did not want to said she was raped three months child withdrawing her complaint, oceanfloor timeline.Itmustbesealedtoensure proceedwiththematter Thereafter, after meeting the minister and at “there is no legal provision for the

InFebruaryofthisyearduringa there is no release of hydrocarbons it was stated that the teen girl and that time, she was 16-years-old. Policetoproceedwiththematter”. publicscopingmeetingforthesixth totheenvironment. her parents then prepared a She disclosed in the letter that after “President Ali’s statement planned development in the statement to reflect that she is continuously harassing her to meet following the announcement of no Stabroek Block, Projects Manager DPPaccepts withdrawal withdrawing her complaint up with him, she eventually agreed chargesagainstDharamlallisaslap for ExxonMobil Guyana, Anthony of complaint from minor who Notably, the Police said that no to meet the minister The teen said inthefaceofallGuyanese.Itsends Jacksonexplainedthateventhough accused Minister Dharamlall investigator was a part of this this is when the minister allegedly (Continued on page 59) the operator may abandon its of raping and sodomising process. The statement was then equipment on the seafloor, the her …advises Police to delivered to the DPP’s Chambers countrystillhastopaythesecosts. discontinue matter byaparentoftheteen;anothercopy

At previous consultations, wasthendeliveredtothePolice. Exxon said it may leave its The Director of Public

Minister

Affairs, Pauline Sukhai

From page 58 instead of waiting for him to of our representatives as a over the past three years, the message that the system resign. step back in addressing the with a tripling of the works for some and against MORE QUESTIONS s e x u a l a s s a u l t a n d country’s exports, mainly the masses when they are THANANSWERS exploitation of not only driven by the petroleum poor and disadvantaged.The The APA called on indigenous women and sector President said that they have Guyanese to advocate for an children but also all

Tothisend,Alisaid,“We allowed the system to work investigation surrounding Guyanese,”theAPAadded. have tremendous investment and never intervened but the procedures adapted by The body called on from the U.S private sector howcanasystem,inherently thePoliceandotheragencies Minister Sukhai to advocate and they continue to show stacked against the poor and involved in the probe of the for her people and the greaterandgreaterinterestin powerless, work in their allegations. protectionoftheirrights. our country.” He was f a v o u r ? ” t h e b o d y It was highlighted that Notably, the body referring to the continued questioned. the circumstances which the highlighted that Indigenous investments in the Stabroek

T h e A PA q u o t e d child giving a “no further peoplesarenotonlyvaluable Block by Exxon and its President Ali saying, “Nigel action”statement,wishingto around election time, adding partners as he noted that the Dharamlallhascommittedto no longer proceed with the that it is time Indigenous country is responsible for me that he will continue to matter, remain mysterious as people start demanding building a society that support and be a member of thePolice’sversionofevents respect from those elected to encourages more investment the People’s Progressive leaves more questions than serveandprotecttheirrights. bytheUS. Party and also be supportive answers.

Finally, the APA called “We must continue to of the government,” noting Thebodynotedthatithas for the implementation of build a society in which our that the fact that the been consistent in its call for better systems to protect our systems, and our institutions President could say that the protection of the child at women and girls from being are strong in which our shows that the Government t h e c e n t e r o f t h e preyedupon. institutions and systems can is more concerned about the investigation, but those calls withstand scrutiny, point to disgraced minister’s loyalty hasfallenondeafears.Itwas ‘Govt. more interested in a c c o u n t a b i l i t y a n d legalprovisionforthePolice to not let their memories and than ensuring justice for the added, “What we have seen self-image than justice’– transparency, so that we can to proceed with the matter”. sense of moral outrage fade allegedvictim. is the insurmountable Opposition says on continue to present Guyana As such, the rape case over these acts of atrocities

It was stated too that the pressure meted out to the Dharamlall rape matter as a sustainable destination against Dharamlall was bythePPP president’s statement shows child to break her spirit and for more U.S. investment,” dropped. that party paramountcy frustratehertotheextentthat The political Opposition, thePresidentexplained.

Hoursafter,PresidentAli Friday trumps their obligation to she no longer wants to A Partnership For National

In highlighting the announced that Dharamlall protect Guyana’s children as pursue the matter Sadly, we Unity (APNU) yesterday importance of the U.S. to has resigned from his post as Pres.Ali wants thesittingadministration. have all watched that reacted to the President Guyana, Ali pointed out that a minister and Member of country to prepare PRESIDENTALI’s successfully play out, which Irfaan Ali statement on the the country is Guyana’s Parliament (MP). President smooth pathway

INACTION l e d t o t h e D P P resignation of Nigel

largest trading partner with Ali said, “ Minister for more US investors

“The mere fact that recommending that no Dharamlall, from his anaccumulatedtradeofover Dharamlall has advised that President IrfaanAli failed to criminal charges should be ministerial post at the US$3.9 billion in 2022. Not hewilltenderhisresignation Amid heightened calls, take concrete action against b r o u g h t a g a i n s t M i n i s t r y o f L o c a l only is the United States as the interest of the both internationally and Dharamlall when the Dharamlall.” Government and Regional Guyana’s top export government is important to locally, for the lopsided oil allegations surfaced speaks NO WORD FROM Development and as a destination with US$2 7 him and he will not want contract with American oil v o l u m e s a b o u t t h e PAULINE, INDGENIOUS memberofCabinet. billion in goods shipped last anyone to bring the giant, ExxonMobil to be government’s blatant REPRESENTATIVES In their statement, the year, but it is also the government into disrepute.” renegotiated, President disregard for the gravity of “The silence of the Opposition underscored that country’s highest ranked “I’ve,therefore,acceptedhis Irfaan Ali has said that the accusation levelled Minister of Amerindian the People’s Progressive import source, with over resignation as a Cabinet Guyana must continue to against his Minister,” the Affairs Pauline Sukhai and Party (PPP) Government is US$1 2 billion in items Member and a Member of present a sustainable bodysaid. the Indigenous Peoples more interested in self- shippedduring2022aswell. Parliament,” Ali said on his environment for more

TheAPAhighlightedthat Commission reinforces the imagethanjustice. According to Ali, the OfficialFacebookPage. investment from the United President Ali should explain belief that the protection of On Tuesday evening, the U.S. is also one of Guyana’s In reaction to the States. why he did not order Indigenous peoples is not of Guyana Police Force (GPF) strongest partners, with the statement by the president, The President made this Dharamlall to proceed on importance to these two revealed that with the 16- two countries sharing a the Opposition said, “We clear during a joint press leave when the allegations e n t i t i e s , ” t h e A PA year-old girl withdrawing number of common values find Ali’s statement to be engagement with the U.S. surfaced – instead of waiting underscored. her rape allegation against andprinciples. shameless, pathetic, callous, Secretary of State, Antony for the then minister to The body said that the Dharamlall, the Director of “ We s h a r e m a n y and unacceptable. Irfaan Ali Blinken at State House on request to proceed on protection of Indigenous Public Prosecution (DPP), common values and expressed no remorse or Thursday Blinken visited administrative leave. Also, womenandgirlsremains“all ShalimarAliHack,SCinher principles. We both believe sympathy towards the Guyana on July 6, 2023 for the body questioned why talkbutnoaction”. legal advice to the Police intheruleoflaw,democracy unfortunate (allege) victim the first time, during which PresidentAli did not remove “ W e s e e t h i s stated that in the absence of and ensuring that everyone, of his now ex-Minister…He he engaged the Guyanese Dharamlall from his post, investigation and the silence the complaint, “there is no every country abides and expressednoempathyforthe President and members of work within a democratic feelings of the masses of Cabinet on energy, food and framework...ourrelationship Guyanese who experienced, climate security, among with the United States has and continue to experience, otherkeyissues. been one that spans many shock and moral outrage Following a meeting sectors,”PresidentAlinoted. overtheinjustice...” with the U.S Secretary of He went on to explain

APNU said that instead, State, President Ali told that that both countries President Ali sole concern reporters at State House, “So pursue a foreign policy that was the image of his I believe at this time of our seeks to ensure the World government. development, the United exists peacefully where “the

“The PPP is not States as a strategic partner, rights of every human is interested in justice, is not only helpful and respected”. Added to that, accountability, and the rule s u p p o r t i v e i n t h e the President said it also of law The PPP is instead development of Guyana, but shares other common bent on putting its self- more importantly, they are interests with the U.S. on interestabovethehumanand playingakeyrole.” three critical areas inclusive constitutional rights and It is safe to conclude that of food, energy and climate welfare of our children, the American oil company, security women, and citizenry as a ExxonMobil has contributed On this note, Ali whole,”itwasfurtherstated. to the significant growth in indicated that Guyana is M o r e o v e r , t h e the country’s Gross seekingtoexpandits Oppositioncalledoncitizens Domestic Product (GDP) (Continued on page 60)

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development in Guyana Nigel Dharamlall

President Irfaan Ali at State House U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken addresses the press and members of Cabinet.

(Photo credit: Office of the President)

alongside

From page 59

– Region Seven acquired 498.3 partnership with the U.S. in all of marks and placed at The Bishop’s the areas mentioned. He said, High School, Ken Kyle Mark –“There are a number of other areas, RegionEightacquired489.3marks crimeandsecurity,ensuringthatwe and placed at St. Joseph High, build systems to ensure Makeda Gwen Johnson – Region transnational crimes are addressed.

Nine acquired 495.4 marks and Issues of drug trafficking, the placed at St. Stanislaus College, United States have played a and Selah Pearl Erskine – Region tremendous role in the training of 10 acquired 504 8 marks and our security forces in the last two placedatQueen’sCollege. years We have the greatest For District 11, Georgetown partnership in terms of the training area, top spot was awarded to of our security forces and AnayaJagnandan. partnership in combating many

This year’s examination was different forms of crime and we entirely conducted by the Ministry have gained tremendous success in of Education in collaboration with the last three years in these areas,” the Caribbean Examinations hereported. Council (CXC). Candidates were

Ali noted that the two sides are tested in four subjects namely, committed to continuing and Mathematics, English, Science and expanding the partnership, forging Social Studies. The examination in stronger relations and creating each subject area consisted of two greaternetworks. papers. Paper One consisted of

Meanwhile, the U.S. Secretary forty multiple choice items while of State, Antony Blinken in his Paper Two consisted of essay type address, reaffirmed the country’s or open-ended items. It was said at commitment to a more secure and yesterday’s ceremony that out of sustainable region. Weighing in the 15,360 who wrote the exams, specifically on Guyana, Blinken approximately 287 were Spanishsaid the Export Import (EXIM) speaking candidates. For the first Bank of the U.S. is working with time,theministryhadsetthepapers the Guyanese government on the in Spanish to cater for those center Blinken was keen to note passenger’s seat making good his Gas-to-Energy project that will cut candidates. that the United States appreciates escape. Up to press time, there was harmful emissions to the

the increasingly significant role no police statement about the environment. In this regard, the

Speaking with media

operatives yesterday after the that Guyana is playing in incident. Secretary of State noted, results were announced, top addressing regional and indeed “American companies can bring performerGlasfordArchersaidthat globalissues. Saturday unparalleled expertise, high he feels very happy having secured He said, “Guyana will soon be environmental standards and one of the top spots. He added that the highest oil producing country Three students again transparency to help power he was expecting to be among the per capita in the world, but it’s also cop top spot at NGSA Guyana’s dynamic growth to top5operformersinthecountry a leader on forest conservation, advanceregionalenergysecurityto

ByAllyiahAllicock

“I am happy to know that my demonstrating it is possible

deliver tangible benefits to all the school is having a rank, it’s finally prioritize climate mitigation, peopleofGuyana.” up there. I was expecting to be in environmental protection while Out of the 15,360 candidates According to him, “We greatly thetop50,”hesaid. responsibly using fossil fuels who wrote this year’s National value the leadership of Caribbean

Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) nations on our shared priorities and saidheusedtobestudyingupto12

In preparing for the exams, he resources.”

Meanwhile, he pointed out that examination, it was Glasford the President referred to a number in the night, before school and the U.S. is also working with ArcherofLeonoraPrimary,Ritisha of them- strengthening democracy sometime in class when he had the Guyana to counter illegal narcotics Gobin of Academy of Excellence, in the Americas, to addressing the free time. Looking forward to his and train the police to reform the and Anaya Jagnandan of New global climate crisis to creating new school, he hopes to learn new justice sector to improve Guyana School who were named even greater and more inclusive languages and business. Archer accountabilityandtransparency thecountry’stopperformers. economic opportunity for our mentioned that when he gets older,

Critical after execution attempt,

The 2023 NGSA results were people.” hewantstobecomeabusinessman. Man critical following onFridayannouncedbyMinisterof Blinken also shared that his trip Advising pupils who would be execution attempt Education, Priya Manickchand at to the Region builds on what he sitting the next year exams, he said the Pegasus Suites and Corporate described as the “most significant, “They should be very attentive to

A Campbellville, Georgetown Centre,Kingston,Georgetown. Saraswat Primary, Rhea the most sustained engagement in theirschoolwork”andhavetimeto resident is presently nursing According to the Minister, Jaiserrisingh of New Guyana decades between the Unites States study multiple gunshot wounds to his Archer, Gobin and Jagnandan, all School, Afeerah Ali of Chateau and the Caribbean”. He added that Also copping first place was body after a gunman in a tinted tiedforfirstplacewith506.7marks Margot Primary and Jada Pike of last year at the Summit of the Jagnandan who too expressed that silver car attempted to execute him and have acquired a space at Winfer Gardens Primary who all Americas, three U.S. Caribbean shewasveryelatedwithherresults. onThursdaynight. Queen’sCollege.Itwasannounced shared the nineth position. They ActionCommitteeswereformedto In getting here, the young girl said The victim has been identified yesterday that this year, the highest secured505.7markseach. improve the lives of people across she prayed a lot to God “that he as 42-year-old, Safraz Khan and possible total score obtainable was Topping their regions at the the Region, address energy and wouldhelpme.” according to his relatives he is 507.7 marks. At last year’s exams, examsareSashanaHenry–Region foodsecurityandaccesstofinance. In preparation for the NGSA, critical. three students had also placed first Onewhoacquired498.1marksand According to the top U S Jagnandan said she studied a lot, The shooting took place at inthecountry placedatTheBishops’High,Avron government official, “Just now, did a number of different quizzes AustinStreet,Campbellville. Among the country’s top Joshua Doodnauth – Region Two with President Ali, with Foreign and programmes online to help Security cameras mounted on performers for this year are whoacquired503marksandplaced Minister Todd, with many of our build her skills. “The exams was nearby buildings captured Khan Savanna McIntosh of Green Acres at Queen’s College, Glasford colleagues from the government not too easy and not too difficult, pulling up in front of a building in Primary,AradhyaRamjagofMae’s Archer and Ritisha Gobin topped here in Guyana, we had very it’s just like an average exam that hiscar Under 12, Relance Marcus of Region Three, Afeerah Ali –productive discussions on the full you have been preparing for your Moments later, a tinted silver Green Acres Primary, Samara Region Four who acquired 505.7 scope of what is already a very wholelife,”sheadded. car pulled up behind and a gunman JamesandAriannaSamadofMae’s marks and placed at Queen’s strong bilateral relationship Topping Region Eight at the in a yellow hoodie stepped out and Under 12 who all copped fourth College, Diana Hariprashad –betweenourcountries.” exams was Ken Mark, who said he opened fire on Khan while he was position. They all attained 505.8 Region Five acquired 502.1 marks He indicated that among the was a little sad to be leaving his stillsittinginhisvehicle. marks and also acquired a space at and placed at Queen’s College, numerousissuesdiscussedwiththe family back home but at the same After firing multiple shots, the Queen’sCollege.

(Continued on page 61) and he ran and entered the front Queen’sCollegeisReyadBakshof Queen’s College, Aresia Cornelius

Annalisa Siriram – Region Six Guyana government, energy and timegladtoberepresentinghis gunman’s getaway car drove off Also given a placement at acquired 502.9 marks and placed at climate adaptation were front and

The gunman fleeing the scene

Safraz Khan

From page 60 region. He noted that getting where he is now was not an easytask.Hewouldsometimehelpoutonhisfamily’sfarm andmaketimeforhisschoolwork.

“To get the top score for this exam, I had to work very hard, although my family has been struggling a lot, I had to stayupverylateatnightstryingtostudy,”hesaid.

Markwhowantstobecomeasurgeonbecauseheisvery interested in health, recalled his mother telling him “You maystrugglewhenyouaredoinghardworkbutintheend,it paysoff.”

Anotherpupil,ReyadBakshtoldthemediathathefeels happy and proud with his results. He noted a lot of hard work and dedication was put into his preparation for the exams.According to him, he wants to become an engineer whenhegetsolder,havingbeeninspiredbypeoplewhoare buildingrobotics.

The NGSAresults for this year can be accessed via the websitehttp://exams.moeguyana.org.

BOSAI bars KN reporter from covering event ...reportedly over ‘code of conduct story’

BOSAI Minerals on Friday barred reporters attached to Kaieteur News and INFO 10 Media from providing coverage to the company’s Kiln #15 and US$150M Maz ProjectinLinden,Region10.

When the reporters attempted to enter the compound, staff at the entrance sternly informed the reporters that they donothavepermissiontoenterandthatnomediapersonnel otherthanthestatemediaisallowedtoenterthefacility

President IrfaanAli and several of his ministers as well as the Chinese Ambassador to Guyana and officials of Region 10 attended the commissioning ceremony in the mining town.The reporters were then asked which media entitytheyrepresentandbeforeutteringKaieteurNews,the security personnel said they were given instructions to not havethemediahousesenter

The barring of the media was witnessed by regional officials who tried to intervene with along with BOSAI’s PublicRelationsOfficerSherryDomer

Domer and the General Manager indicated that no such instructionwasgivenhoweverotherjournalistsallegedthat the instruction was indeed given by Domer based on a recent article written by Kaieteur News relative to barring employeesfromengagingthemedia.Theinstructionswere reportedlyhandeddownfrom‘higherup’.

When the article was published, Domer contacted the Linden correspondent for Kaieteur News, who related that she did not write the article and that her grievances should bemadewiththeEditor

The countenance of BOSAI in relation to treatment of the media was condemned by regional officials and other members of the media who expressed disappointment in barring the fourth estate from an event where government officialsarebeingfeatured.

The move by BOSAI also demonstrated the company’s politicizing of the momentous event by only inviting State media and giving strict orders for independent media operatives not to attend and more so allegedly over an article that held the company accountable for silencing employees.

Regional Chairman Deron Adams expressed disappointmentwithwhattranspiredandsaiditformedpart of his reason for leaving the event prematurely Similarly, Member of Parliament (MP) Jermaine Figueira also expressedangeranddisgustovertheincident.

“The fourth estate helps not just by reporting and providinginformationbutalsobykeepingelectedofficials, individualsandbusinessesincheckinrelationtothelawsof the country This being a monumental occasion for the company and the community at large, it is worrying and it begs the question why would a company that is integral to the economic sustainability of this community with the largest employ of people with over 500 staff as private company not want the community via the media to share in this level of investment that will benefit the community with boosting investors interest and increasing the prospects for the creation of more permanent jobs opportunities for the people with the community,” Figueira said.

Bulkan

back against Jagdeo on ‘consultations’ with

Amerindians

for sale of carbon credits

From page 12

agreement is for 37.5 million Reducing

Emissions from Deforestation

Degradation (REDD+) jurisdictional Hess is Guyana’s first client, At that time, Jagdeo announced that carbon credits. This initiative is a global purchasing 30 percent of the country’s 15 percent of all proceeds from any sale mechanism that was created by the carbon credits for a minimum of of forest carbon will go to Amerindian Conference of the Parties to the United US$750M.Itwasexplainedthatthecost communities.

Nations Framework Convention on of the carbon credits can increase and if

Climate Change (UNFCCC) in support this shift occurs, Guyana will benefit

and oftheParisAgreement. more.

pushes

WANTED VACANCY

One live-in Housekeeper needed to work in Virginia, USA. Ages 30-50 yrs. Call: 592-615-5476/ 845-3258241.

Porters, Driver and Salesman needed. Attractive salary offered, experience will be an asset. Call: 2269800.

One able- bodied male or female staff needed to work in a store. Call: 225-2313, 2261497, 658-8559.

Driver with MV licence, ages 25-40 years. location: R.M Bhaichandeen Inc, 78 Church st, G/town.

One diesel Mechanic and Welder Fabricator needed to work in the Interior. Interested persons can make contact on: 701-4000.

Domestic/ Cook needed. Contact: 223-5273/74.

Diesel Mechanic wanted. Contact: 688-0417/ 2235273/74.

Honest Driver and Saleman needed. Must have experience in sales and Lorry licenses. Contact: 233-3512

Email-prestigefoodsguyana @gmail.com

Ladies needed to wash 5 gallon water bottles. Preferably living between Parika and Cornelia Ida area. Call: 661-9447.

Experienced canter Driver/ Salesman, to work on water delivery truck. Preferably living between Parika and Cornelia Ida area. Call: 6619447.

Office Clerk needed, ages 1725 years. Must have CXC Maths & English and must be computer literate residing on WCD or WBD. Call: 2540087.

One Cook needed to work in the Interior. Interested person can Contact: 698-4064/ 680-4868.

One general Domestic needed to work 3 days per week in Campbellville, Georgetown. Must know to cook. Call: 616-8842.

Qualified Welder and Mechanic, Wanted for mining operation. Call: 688-6575.

Experienced male Cooks wanted for mining operation. Call: 688-6575.

Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles, age 23-50, Car/ Van licence. Call: 615-9132 or 645-8443.

One Clerk needed for TSI Eccles office. Must have English and Mathematics. Email:techserigy@yahoo.com or Call: 615-9132.

Hick's Ville Hotel is now hiring Receptionist and Hotel Attendant. Required to work shifts. Call: 6400673, 227-7714. Email: info@vegeworld.net

Cashiers & Stock Clerks urgently needed at Two Brothers mini-mart. Experience will be an asset. Call/ WhatsApp: 592-708-3256.

Vacancy exists for one Driver, ages 20 - 60 yrs. Must know to drive Manual and must have car, van & motor lorry License. Contact: 679-7391.

Vacancy exists for Sales Representative at Innovations America. Contact: 679-7391.

Vacancy exists for Junior Book Clerk at Innovations America. Contact: 679-7391.

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

One Salesman, 3 subjects cxc, experience in writing bills, stocktaking & cashing. Apply at Keyfood Mc Doom village next to the post office.

General Domestic needed to work 4 days per week, must know to cook. Apply at Keyfood Mc Doom village next to the post office.

Ladies needed to wash 5 gallon water bottles. Preferably living between Parika and Cornelia Ida area. Call: 661-9447.

Experienced canter Driver/ Salesman, to work on water delivery truck. Preferably living between Parika and Cornelia Ida area. Call: 6619447.

Aulicio Mining Inc is hiring Accountant, Database Administrator, Hr Assistant, Truck Driver, Human Resource, Operations and Security Manager. Email: ve@officegy.com

Cook needed at Poppyshow, Mid Mazaruni. Attractive salary offered, must know to cook: fried rice, roti, etc. Call/ WhatsApp: 6950337/ 677-0869.

VACANCY

Accounts Clerk needed @ Beacon Cafe, 127 Quamina St, Georgetown. Must have FIA/ CAT and knowledge of microsoft Suite/ quickbooks. Call 225-9409/ 655-8944. Email: ateeyyeaali@gmail.com

Sales Clerks, Delivery Clerks and Porters needed. Apply at Lens 136 Sheriff St, next to Buddy's/ Pizzahut. Call: 227-2486/227-1511. Email: lensgy@outlook.com

These bug repellents...

From page 47 disperse or douse the candle’s flame, meaning mosquitos will come find you anyway, Markowski explains.

There are some products that heat up and release synthetic pyrethroids, which work in calm weather. But the elements can also render these products useless.

Multiple experts also agreed that zappers and ultrasonic devices are completely ineffective.

The bottom line, says Machtinger, is that you should read the label, do your research about bugs in the area, and make sure to reapply if applicable.

SERVICES

Filing Visa application forms. Call: 683-0916.

Visa Application to Canada and U.S.A, graphics design, advertisements,USA passport application forms & i130 application. Call: 6267040.

Elevate your brand with our professional Graphic design services. Call: 619-0007, 6295526.

These pyrethroids are also harmful to aquatic species, so you shouldn’t use them if you live near a stream or lake.

“The best thing you can do is just be prepared and remember to protect yourself,” Machtinger says.

“An ounce of prevention goes a long way.”

Guyana yet to put systems...

From page 13 concern for transparency activists but the Auditor General (AG) clarified that the Investment Committee will be tasked with outlining the projects funded by oil money.

to inform policymaking and multi-stakeholder dialogue in the extractive sector.

FOR SALE

Good quality parkay and vinyl with glue. Please Call: 693-1071/ 232-0269.

Farm produce for sale: pumpkin, plantain, lemon, lime, cayenne and apple banana. Call: 688-0417.

For sale rice farmers-132 laverda rice combine, 290 Massey tractor, 110-90 fiat tractor. Call: +592695 2220/ 9544648614.

Pure breed Huskies for sale. For more information Call/ WhatsApp: 626-0679.

Pure honey, wholesale and retail quantity. Call: 621-4273.

Three land in Rose Hall, Corentyne. Contact Bobby Reality: 679 2497.

Large Seaside Land in New Amsterdam measuring 1000 ft x 211 ft. Contact Bobby Reality: 679 2497.

House & Land in Princetown, New Amsterdam, Berbice. Contact Bobby Reality: 679 2497.

Two story building with large Concrete bond on two lots in Cumberland East Canje. Contact Bobby Reality: 679 2497.

Land for sale at Port Mourant Corentyne Berbice. Contact Bobby Reality: 6792497.

LAND FOR SALE

Ideal for apartment building or residence, located at Vlissengen into Lamaha street. Call: 223-6218, 6565544, 623-7805.

11 acres land at Kahsmir, Pouderoyen, WBD. Near new Four line to Crane. Call: 709-5234.

He explained: “If you look at the various committees that they (government) set up, one of the committees that I think has been set up will determine how the money will be spent, so you will have to check with the committees at the BoG (Bank of Guyana) that is overseeing the Natural Resource Fund.

They would have that responsibility to say okay we are going to be building x, y and z. So, in other words, this Committee will say exactly how it was spent. We would then check to verify whatever they say that the money was used for that it went to the project intended.”

By becoming a member of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), countries commit to disclose information along the extractive industry value chain – from how extraction rights are awarded, to how revenues make their way through government and how they benefit the public.

In each country that has joined the EITI, a multi-stakeholder group composed of government, companies and civil society, supports implementation of the EITI Standard.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

One CRV Honda, $3.3M negotiable and 1 Toyota Allion, $3.350 M, fully loaded immaculate condition, low mileage . Contact: 649-0956.

PROPERTY FOR SALE

Newly renovated building with 2 sections, ac and 3 bedrooms each, located at Norton Street. Call: 223-6218, 656-5544, 623-7805.

Two level home (situated on two lots) at Manatee Place, South Ruimveldt Park, gated premises. Price: $ 50 mil. Call PMIS: 226-4322.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo was asked for an update on the audit of the NRF during a press conference last month but he directed the media to the Committees established to monitor the account.

EITI

Guyana was suspended from the body on February 1, 2023 for failing to submit a report documenting revenues received by the state from the extractive sector for the period 2020.

On July 4, 2023, the EITI Board decided to lift the suspension following Guyana’s publication of the report. President Irfaan Ali in a brief statement said government was pleased as he disclosed the country published its report on June 30 within five months of the six-month deadline.

FOR RENT

Fully furnished 2 bedrooms apartment in Albert Street, Alberttown. Preferably students, no smoking and no pets allowed. Call 231-5695/ 611-9134.

1-8000 sq ft Modern Warehouse/Manufacturing facility located in the Eccles Industrial site. $10,000 US per month. Telephone: 695-0333.

One bottom flat and storage space available in Vreed-enHoop suitable for clinics, salon/ barber shop, taxi service, office, etc. Call: 683-4281.

The EITI Board approved Guyana’s application to join the EITI at its meeting in Manila on 25 October, 2017.

EITI sets out to promote an understanding of natural resource management, strengthen public and corporate governance and accountability, and provide the data

FOR RENT

One large Upper Flat situated at Cumberland, East Canje Berbice. Ideal for restaurant and other businesses. 65ft x 44 ft. Contact Bobby Reality: 679 2497.

From page 55 Thaman’s composed demeanor and professionalism shine through. He recalls an incident where a client expressed dissatisfaction with her makeup. Rather than becoming defensive, Thaman actively listened to her concerns and offered a complimentary touch-up session. By focusing on resolution and client satisfaction, he diffused the situation and turned it into an opportunity to strengthen the client-artist relationship.

Understanding the significance of social media in the beauty industry, Thaman leverages platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube to showcase his work and connect with clients. By sharing his expertise, tips, and behind-the-scenes glimpses, he has cultivated a strong online community that appreciates his artistry.

Looking ahead, Thaman envisions continued growth and success in his career as a makeup artist. His goals include expanding his studio, collaborating with influential artists, and establishing a cosmetics line that celebrates individuality. He aims to leave an indelible mark on the industry while inspiring others to embrace their passions fearlessly.

As Thaman’s journey continues, his dedication to his craft and authentic approach to makeup artistry are sure to leave a lasting impact on the beauty industry and beyond.

Tamesh Thaman’s...

‘Bharrat Economics’ will doom our development ...as country borrows six times more this year - AFC

Th i s y e a r , G u y a n a ’ s national debt is settoincreaseby$79billion, as the government enters into more financing agreements, with the expectation of continued success from the nascent petroleumindustry.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had expressed the view that while the revenue from the oil sector is “not much” presently, the government is still taking loans now for development andwillpaybacklaterwhen ithasthe“capacitytodoso”.

“…Soit’sacombination of spending what we have, and a judicious set of borrowing, where we know based on future capacity we canrepay”,Jagdeosaid.

TheAllianceForChange (AFC)onFridaysaidthatthe ‘Bharrat Economics’ will doom the country’s development as the existential threat of the climate crisis will see a major shift away from the use of fossil fuels by 2030. With an already volatile market where the oil prices have been fluctuating with influencefromtheEuropean war, the political party worries that the country’s prospects could be bleak with the current regime in office.

Party member, David Patterson on Friday said the

group is appalled at the number of loan agreements the government has entered intofortheyearsofar

Just last month it was reported that government inkedanagreementwiththe government of SaudiArabia to the tune of US$150 million. In the month prior, the administration secured a loanfromQatartothetuneof US$350million.

It is still also currently seeking financing from the United States Export Import Bank (EXIM) to fund the Gas-to-Energy project Government had said it had approached the financial institutionforsomeUS$646 million to support the initiative.

By the end of last year, Guyana’s total stock of publicdebtincreasedby16.9 percentcomparedto2021.It was the Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh who said during this year’s Budget presentation that the nation wasUS$3.654billionindebt attheendof2022.

Patterson, while addressing reporters at a party press conference explained that the administration has been turning to lending institutions and countries to finance projects that were neverconceptualizedintheir Manifestoplans.Hebelieves that there may be a sinister motive behind the debt

Guyana is being burdened with, especially as the ‘Su allegations’ for bribery and corruption are to be investigatedindependently.

The former Minister of Public Infrastructure added thattheuseoftherevenueis also concerning, since the projects are being awarded to‘fly-by-night’contractors. Hereferencedthewhopping $346 million contract that was awarded to St8ment Investment Inc. to build a new Primary School at BamiainRegion10,withno publicrecordsindicatingany constructionexperience.

Patterson also flagged that contracts are now being awarded to companies that are still on the blacklist by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board(NPTAB).

He argued that even though complaints have been filed with the Public Procurement Commission,

the body is yet to conduct a single investigation. ”That alone should raise flags in this country but that’s what they are doing so there is no need,noneedwhatsoeverfor us to be borrowing the money but of course they [are] borrowing to squander itaway,”hecontended.

I m p o r t a n t l y , Chairperson of the AFC, Catherine Hughes said Guyanese must begin to consider the fluctuating oil prices and the fact that the leaders are borrowing more loans without understanding thatthecostperbarrelwillbe considerably lower in anotherfewyears. She reasoned, “The fact that we are borrowing excessive amounts without understanding or knowing whatthepriceisgoingtobe in another two, three or 10 years, especially when you consider that the world is moving towards renewable

energy and the US government, as you know, denied a loan to one of our local companies because they said their focus is renewable energy.” Hughes added that this leaves Guyanese in a very difficult position and “very worrying situation”.

Meanwhile,leaderofthe AFC, Khemraj Ramjattan added that Guyana must “live within its means” and usetherevenuethatcomesin wisely However,hesaidthe government has embarked on a spending spree and has borrowed over US$2 billion in the last three years since takingoffice.

According to him this “makes nonsense of a balanced budget as it were. When you borrow, you also make the future generations start becoming indebted and theyaintevenbornyet!That is also the repercussion of excessive borrowing but as Jagdeo indicated that one yearwecanpayoffthedebt that we owe, but...one year the oil could go down to US$36 per barrel and then what happens to our children?”

To this end, the party leadersaid,“ThatiswhyIdo not understand ‘Bharrat Economics’anditisgoingto doom our development because he is basically in charge of the government in relation to that and of

course the benefits of spending so much money loans and all of that got big corruptionbehindit.”

He said a number of Guyanese have recognized this and have been writing about it in the newspapers daily,whiletheevidencecan beeasilyspottedthroughthe substandard work accepted for the “big” multi-million dollarcontracts.

Only on Tuesday this newspaper reported that PresidentIrfaanAlirebuffed the concerns over his government’s increased borrowing.

The head of state was speaking in Canada at a forum when he explained thatalthoughthereischatter that Guyana is borrowing a lot, the country has made it clear that it would only borrowfrominstitutionsthat are offering loans at a fixed interestrateof no morethan 3.5percent.

”Somepeoplesayweare borrowing a lot…although we are a country that is the fastest growing economy in the world, we have set ourselves an internal target in Guyana that we are only going to borrow fixed rates, less than 3.5 percent,” he explained.

TheAFCalsoresponded to the President’s statement, arguing that it does not justify the significant increaseinloans.

Police detention of lawyer who advised client to remain silent unconstitutional- Chief Justice

Chief Justice Roxane George Wiltshire, SC has ruled that arresting an attorney because she instructed her client to remain silent during an i n t e r r o g a t i o n , i s unconstitutional, Attorney Nigel Hughes revealed on Saturday

The ruling was handed downonJune12.

Theattorneyinquestion, Tamieka Clarke, was arrestedonOctober28,2022 by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) after she advised her client, who was at the time being investigated by the agency, not to answer the questions askedofherbySOCU.

Following her arrest and subsequent release, Clarke suedthepoliceformorethan $300,000 in damages from SOCU for wrongful arrest, false imprisonment and breachoffundamentalrights and freedoms. The attorney

also asked the court for exemplary damages in an amount to be determined by thecourt.

Clarke’s detention had caused protests by lawyers who stood in solidarity with her Meanwhile, The Chief Justice issued five orders in relation to Clarke’s arrest

According to the ruling, the ChiefJusticesaidthatClarke’s fundamental right to personal liberty as guaranteed and protectedbyArticle139ofthe Constitution was breached by

SOCU on the 28th day of October2022

Further, the Chief Justice said that the detention and seizure of Clarke’s cellular phone by officers of SOCU without her permission and without lawful excuse was wrongful

“An Attorney-at-Law admittedtopracticeinGuyana is entitled to advise a client to remainsilentwhenquestioned by any lawful enforcement agency”

TheChiefJusticeruledthat “An Attorney-at-Law entitled topracticeattheBarinGuyana isentitledtoconsultwithhis/her client in private without the contents of the consultation being recorded in any way including by means of audio visual recording by any law enforcement agency in the Guyana or elsewhere and Ms ClarkeasapracticingAttorneyat-Law admitted to practice in the Cooperative Republic of Guyanaisentitledtoadviseany

person who has sought her counseltoexercisetherightto remainsilentwhenquestioned by a member of any law enforcement agency in Guyana”.

Clarke during a press conference held the day after her arrest, disclosed that after advising her client to remain silent a SOCU officer said, “Do you know what is obstruction of justice, under rule one, your client is compellable [Name provided] told me that you

are going to come back on Thursdayat1pmandifyour client does not give a statement,Iwillarrestyou.”

Clarkeandherclientwere initiallytoldtoreturntoSOCU on Friday after being told the previous day that the officer investigating the matter was busy The lawyer had shared that when she arrived at SOCU,herclientinformedher that the ranks had already prepared a statement, which theygave to him to read and sign Clarke’s client reportedly informed her that he visited SOCU’s office on multiple occasions, and would like to leave. The lawyer subsequently inquired from three SOCU ranksifherclientwasunder arrest. This then led to the ranks informing the officeri n - c h a r g e o f t h e investigationthatthesuspect wantedtoleave.

Clarkerecalledwhenthe senior officer arrived, he

instructed his juniors to arresther

According to Clarke, the SOCU ranks collected her cellular phone, her watch and blocked her from leaving the building. She addedthatshethenremained silent and waited until her lawyer, Nigel Hughes arrived.

Theissueofthequantum of damages has been adjourned for additional submissions on September 19,2023.

AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

Head of SOCU, Fazil Karimbaksh Chief Justice Roxanne George, SC.

Attorney-at-Law, Tamieka Clarke

GuyanalostUS$443Minsixmonths forfailingtorenegotiateExxoncontract

Guyana has missed out on a staggering sum of US$443 million due to its continued failure to apply a 10% royalty rate to the StabroekBlockin2023.This revelation comes as the country’s receipts of oil revenues totaling US$658 millioninthefirsthalfofthis year, were published in The Official Gazette As the government expects to get US$1 63B in 2023, the amount received represents about40%.

The revenue generated by Guyana can be attributed tothefiscaltermsoutlinedin the 2016 Stabroek Block

Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) Under this agreement, the country has received approximately US$547 million in profit oil

revenues and around US$111 million in royalties.

However,ifthenewermodel PSA,whichmandatesa10% royalty rate, had been applied to the Stabroek Block, Guyana could have secured an additional US$443 million in royalties duringthefirsthalfof2023. This substantial loss is primarily attributed to the government’sdecisionnotto adopt the new model terms fortheStabroekBlock.

The significant loss of US$443 million in royalties for Guyana underscores the need for the government to reassess its approach to the StabroekBlockandconsider implementing the new model PSA terms to maximize the country’s revenuepotential.

Withthefutureprojects on the horizon, it becomes even more critical for Guyanatoensureafairand beneficial agreement that protectsitsinterests

The government has a l s o w i t h d r a w n a substantial amount of US$400 million from the

fund to supplement the annualbudget

The exact balance and marketvalueofthefundas

of June 30 remain unknown as the Natural Resource Fund reports for June and the second quarter of 2023 have not beenreleasedyet.

The Stabroek Block, operated by ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana

reached its peak capacity of 120,000 barrels per day

(bpd) in December 2020.

Subsequently, Liza Phase 2

began production in February2022andachieved its full capacity of 220,000 bpdbytheendofDecember 2022.

However, concerns

some shareholders of the company ExxonMobilplans to initiate four additional projects within the next 4-5 years, with oil production expected to surpass a staggering one million barrelsperday

Li

ed, has been a significant source of oil production for Guyana

commenced production in late 2019 and

h a v e b e e n r a i s e d regarding ExxonMobil’s continued efforts to push production beyond design capacities at both projects. This has not only sparked apprehension a m o n g G u y a n e s e environmentalists but has also drawn scrutiny from

The Stabroek Block is estimated to possess a p p r o x i m a t e l y 11 billion oil-equivalent barrels of resources While ExxonMobil holds a 45% interest in the block, Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. retains a 30% interest, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited possesses theremaining25%.

Building Expo 2023 launched ...as Govt.ʼs rolls out infrastructural programme

The International

B u i l d i n g

Exposition, slatedtobeheldfromAugust 24 to 27, was officially launched on Friday evening at the Amazonia Mall, Providence, East Bank Demerara(EBD).

The event will provide a platform for small, medium, and large businesses in the construction sector, to exhibit theirdiverserangeofproducts andservices.

Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, who deliveredthekeynoteaddress, highlighted the building revolution taking place in Guyana, evident in the constructionofhotels,homes, warehouses, commercial buildings,industrialfacilities, townhouses, factories and various infrastructure projects.

“We are rolling out our infrastructural programme. This is being executed on a transformative scale, from the new four lane highways to the vast network of community roads that have beenandarebeingbuilt,”he underscored.

He also noted that this building revolution is showcasing the exceptional artistry and skills of the Guyanese workforce. Regardless of the design requirements, Guyanese buildings are rising to the challenge with remarkable expertiseandcraftsmanship.

“The building revolution signifies an improved quality of life for the people of Guyana Just look at the construction of the boulevard in La Penitence, the transformation of many other open spaces such as the old

train line between Parade Street and Vlissengen Road, the improvements to the Georgetown Seawall and in La Jalousie in West Demerara,” Prime Minister Phillipsnoted.

Within this context, the Prime Minister emphasised the significance of this year’s exposition Heencouragedall exhibitorstoputtheirbestfoot forward and demonstrate the offeringsthatcancontributeto

supporting the country’s buildingrevolution Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal said through innovation and new products and services, the expo aims to provide ample opportunities for exhibitors and patrons to enjoy a sublimeexperience.

“Weintendtoensurethat the interactions are results d r i v e n , a n d t h a t opportunities for sales are

fullyexploredandthathome builders are also fully benefiting from the interventions…not just an allocation, but simply for homeownership,” Minister Croalsaid.

Even prior to the official launch, Minister Croal announcedthat30companies have already expressed their interestinparticipatinginthe event. Meanwhile, Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodriguesstatedthattheexpo presents a valuable opportunity for the ministry to forge strong partnerships withprivatesectorentities

Minister Rodrigues also emphasised that the expo will feature its signature ‘Dream Realised’ event, dedicated to addressing individuals who are eagerly awaiting the allocation of

theirhouselots.

Afteraseven-yearhiatus, the largest exposition was heldattheNationalStadium, Providence, last year, attractingover100,000local and overseas visitors. It garnered the participation of 356 local, regional, and internationalcompanies.

This year’s exhibition will be held under the theme ‘Building For All: One G u y a n a , M a n y Opportunities.’

Also in attendance were MinisterwithintheOfficeof the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy, Minister within the Minister withintheMinistryofPublic Works, Deodat Indar, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, Komal Singh and other officials. (DPI)

Food for the Poor distributes hampers to 800 families

Gu i d e d b y

continuing the goal to provide relieftothevulnerable,Food For the Poor (FFTP), Guyana Inc, a NonGovernment Organisation (NGO),onSaturdayhosteda public distribution exercise at its Festival City, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown office, where 800 families benefited from food, clothing and other necessities.

Food for the Poor, Public Relations Manager, Jonelle Deviera told this newspaper that the exercise commenced around9:00hrsandconcluded at12:00hrs Shesaidnotonly

did the distribution activity benefit residents of the North Ruimveldt area, but also residents of nearby communities. Deviera said that the organisation distributed a variety of food supplies including beans, cornmeal, rice, mackerel, vitamins,sanitizersandjuices among other supplies She added that clothes, footwear andhampersforseniorswere alsodistributed DeViera pointed out that the organization’s aim is to help alleviate poverty and improve lives by providing relief, rehabilitation, and sustainabledevelopmenttoall Guyanese To this end, the

Public Relations Manager explained that an advertisement was shared earlierintheweekforfamilies tobenefitfromtheexercise.

Food for the Poor stated that it continues to do needs assessments in regions across Guyana to assist the most vulnerable

Thebodyalsoaddedthat, “ourfaithinspiresustobean organization built on compassionandmotivatedby love Our mission is to bring relieftothepoorestofpoorin Guyana” Reflecting on the development of Food for the Poor, the PRO said that the group started off with only three persons, receiving a

smallnumberofcontainersper yearfromitsparentinstitution, since it is an international body. Today, more than 60 persons have been employed, withasmanyas180containers being shipped to Guyana for those in need, which means that donations are now possible for almost all of the administrativeregions

Accordingtoitswebsite, FFTP is an ecumenical Christian non-profit organisation based in Coconut Creek, Florida, United States that provides food, medicine, and shelter, among other services, to the poor in Latin America and theCaribbean.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips

BLUNTNESS ON INDECENCY!

In case you haven’t heard, please be informed that as part of our continued effort to channel positive changes in our country, our publisher, Mr. Glenn Lall, has dedicated our Page Seven to be “BLUNT” about on-going indecency in our land that should matter, not only to us at this publication, but the entire nation.

SUNDAY–JULY02,2023

JAGDEOAND RENEGOTIATION

Jagdeo doesn’t want to hearaboutrenegotiation.

What is that is so frightening about renegotiation to him? What could be exposed, given away about him? His f l o a t i n g a r o u n d renegotiation will not get him anywhere. He can run, he can dodge, but renegotiationofthecontract isn’t going anywhere. This willbethedecider;thiswill be the game-changer Jagdeo had better change that vile Exxon contract… Orbepreparedtochangehis official title and his official address. “Moon duz run til dayketcham.”

MONDAY–JULY03,2023

FALLFROMGRACE

West Indies being knocked out of the Cricket World Cup, which has not even started, is the most disgraceful thing that could happen to the Caribbean side. It would be the first time the West Indies would not feature in the global show piece. Even after a revampedcoachingstaffand so much talk about improved performance, the team was a virtual no-show atthequalifiers.Perhapsitis thebestthingthattheyhave been knocked out now, to spare their fans further embarrassment.

TUESDAY–JULY04,2023

WITHDRAWALOF COMPLAINTDOES NOTINVALIDATE SERIOUSNESSOF ALLEGATIONS

T h e p u r p o r t e d withdrawal of a criminal complaint against sitting LocalGovernmentMinister, Nigel Dharamall does not invalidatetheseriousnessof the allegations of rape of a school girl that have been levelled against him. It is well known that victims of sexual assault may experience immense pressure, fear, and societal backlash, leading them to retract their accusations. In such cases, the justice system must ensure that every possible avenue is explored to provide justice to victims, particularly youngteenagers.

WEDNESDAY–JULY05,2023

LETTHECOURTS DECIDE!

Thefactthatacomplaint

hasbeenwithdrawndoesnot bring an end to the investigation of the allegation of sexual misconductagainstMinister ofLocalGovernment,Nigel Dharamlall.Itis,webelieve, for the court to decide on whether to accept the withdrawalofthecomplaint or to proceed with charges. Justice cannot be solely determined by the willingnessofacomplainant toproceed.

THURSDAY–JULY06,2023

THEDPPSTEPSIN

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has accepted the purported statement by a schoolgirl

declaring that she no longer wishes to pursue the rape complaint against former LocalGovernmentMinister, Nigel Dharamlall We believethattheDPPerredin makingsuchadecision,which resulted in the case against Dharamlall being thrown out. We have said in this column before that a competent court shouldhavebeenempoweredto decidewhethertoproceedor dismiss charges By allowing the court to decide the fate of the charges, we would have been upholding the principle that no individual, regardless of theirsocialstatus,shouldbe immunetotheconsequences of their actions. Our legal

system exists to protect and serve the interests of the public, particularly the vulnerable. Therefore, it as for the court to examine the evidence, consider the circumstances and reach an unbiasedjudgment.

FRIDAY–JULY07,2023

ATTENTIONSEEKER, VPJAGDEO

Yesterday US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken metwithPresidentIrfaanAli at State House during a historic visit to Guyana. On any given day that is big newsforsmallcountrieslike ours- with all attention firmlyfixedatStateHouse. However, not willing to play second fiddle, Vice President Bharrat was determined he must command some spotlight –so he released one of those sycophantic soft ball interviews- more like a talk

shop with the man who calledhimselftheGuyanese Critic.It was a sick and pathetic show to see a twoterm president trying to competeformediaspotlight with the youthful President Ali.Giventheimportanceof the visit of Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, one would have expected irrelevant activities like the Critic’s interview be put on the back burner for another day-butnotsowiththeman whoisthedefactopresident, the prime minister, and the ministerofeverything.

SATURDAY–JULY08,2023

NATIONAL DISCUSSIONON STRENGTHSAND WEAKNESSESOF LOCALCONTENT NEEDEDURGENTLY

With the passage of the LocalContentLegislationin

December 2021, Guyanese businesses and individuals have seen tremendous benefits The law has allowed for over US$400M to be trapped in-country As the government pursues efforts to amend this landmarklaw,thereisaneed for a candid national discourse with all stakeholders on the strengthswecanbuildupon as well as the weaknesses being exploited and how those loopholes can be closed. Regulations are still tobeputinplaceandwecall upon the government to not lose sight of this important mechanism to increase the gainsmadeinthesector The Local Content Law is indeed a step in the right direction. But we must take care in doing what is necessary to stay on this trajectory

Hanif enjoying season so far with three impressive innings

Son of former Guyana’s first-class wicketkeeper/batsman, Azib Alli Hanif, is making headlines with his last three consecutive innings in the 2023 Toronto and District Cricket Association Under19, T20 tournament.

The 14-year-old righthanded, Fayyaz Alli Hanif, representing Superstars A team struck 51 not out, 46 not out and an unbeaten 50.

Fayyaz has opened batting and on all three occasions as he delightfully helped his team emerge victorious.

His 51 against QCA saw his team gallop to a ninewicket triumph and also

shared an attractive 72-run stand with Muadh Shariff (14*).

Again he was engaged in a steady 80-run, unbroken second-wicket partnership with Jatan Mehta, who contributed 35 to fire their team to another comprehensive nine-wicket victory against Ontario Titans.

In the other encounter against Mississauga Ramblers, Fayyaz spurred Superstars to a comfortable eight-wicket win as well.

Even though he started off the year with a few low scores, Fayyaz not only displayed his tremendous talent now but his consistency is admirable.

Sunday July 09, 2023

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19)

Today your brain is supercharged, Aries. If you've been thinking about doing some writing or have put off analyzing a particularly tricky problem, this would be the perfect day to get started.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

With today's planetary energy, you'll find yourself a little more extraverted than usual, Taurus. You'll finally be able to say what you really think about things.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

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

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

Discard those items from the past for which you really no longer have use. As much as you like to surround yourself with objects of sentimental value.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22)

Intimacy will be in the air over the next few days. Loved ones suddenly want to spend more time with you, and you'll want to invite friends over every night! By all means, do.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22)

Feeling unusually adventurous, Virgo? You're often motivated by your idealistic expectations, and the planetary configurations today .

Meanwhile, the competition will continue this Sunday with Superstars Under-16 A back in action on July 16th as they are set to clash with Actionzone/ Centurions Under-16 at Thackery Park ground in Etobicoke, Ontario.

Tour de France: Sadness and tears as Cavendish breaks collarbone

(BBC Sport) - Race director Christian Prudhomme said “the Tour de France is sad” after Mark Cavendish crashed out of what is set to be his final appearance in the

CWI Rising Stars U19 Men’s Tournament… All-round Guyana beat Barbados by 54-runs

A collective assault from Guyana spurred them to an emphatic 54-run win over Barbados when the CWI Rising Stars U19 Tournament continued its round of exciting matches across T&T.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

The celestial energy signals a pleasant change for you today, Libra. Finally, the overpowering emotions that have been surging from your relationships will subside. You are now beginning a more contemplative phase.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

This is a good day to devote time and thought to spiritual pursuits, Scorpio. Do something inspirational that instills a sense of wonder deep in your soul.

SAGIT (Nov.22–Dec.21)

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

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19)

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

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

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

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

Today's planetary energy should compel you to commit certain acts of self-affirmation that are needed to define your territory and protect your rights.

event.

Manxman Cavendish, 38, broke a collarbone in an innocuous-looking crash about 60km from the finish of stage eight from Libourne to Limoges.

That means he is set to retire on a record-equalling 34 stage victories - the same as Belgian legend Eddy Merckx.

“It is an emotional day, he was so sad just after the fall,” said Prudhomme.

Cavendish announced in May he would retire at the end of the season.

“He is the best sprinter in the history of the Tour de France and he wanted to try to win the 35th stage,” added Prudhomme.

“He is sad, we are sad, the Tour de France is sad.”

After missing last year’s Tour, Cavendish entered this year’s race looking to take sole ownership of the record for stage victories.

The Astana Qazaqstan rider was agonisingly close to doing just that on Friday, but an issue with his gears allowed Jasper Philipsen to pip him.

Cavendish was “bitterly disappointed” by that - and within 24 hours his race was over.

He hit the deck after touching wheels with Pello Bilbao and was helped into the back of an ambulance and taken to hospital in Perigueux.

“Everyone in the team is hurting,” said Mark Renshaw, who was Cavendish’s leadout man from 2009-2011 and in 2016, and joined Astana as a sprint adviser prior to the Tour.

“I won’t lie, I cried.”

Cavendish made his Tour debut in 2007 and has failed to finish seven of his 14 appearances.

Mads Pedersen, who won Saturday’s stage, said it had been a “pleasure” to ride against him.

Guyana’s batting revolved around Joshua Rampersaud who hit 31 not out, Rampertab Ramnauth (35), Zachary Jodah (28) and Shamar Yearwood (18) and Zynul Ramsammy (17) who helped Guyana finish nicely on 178-9 in 50 overs, following a shaky start.

Saurav Worrell, Isaiah Folkes and Nathan Sealey grabbed 2 wickets each for Barbados who in reply to Guyana’s 1st innings score, were kept to 104-8 in 27.2 overs, thanks mainly to the combined efforts of Jeremy Sandia (2-21), Rampersaud (320) and fast-bowler Isai Thorne (2-25), who ripped through the Bajan batting or-

Rampertab Ramnauth

(Photo: CWI)

der. The Guyanese tapped into their talented line-up and as a result , exhibited brilliant all-round cricket which allowed them to gain momentum and advance to the next round with confidence.

In other matches played, Jamaica U19 beat Leeward Islands U19 by 6 wickets (D/L) and Windward Islanda U19 versus Trinidad & Tobago U19 was adjudged a no result.

Fayyaz Alli Hanif

Digicel Schools Football Championships 2023… Kato, Soesdyke walk away with Regional titles

Young Robinson scored both goals for the eventual Champion

When the action in the eighth edition of the Digicel’s Schools Football Championships continued on Saturday, Kato and Soesdyke were crowned RegionalChampionsofEast Bank(Region4)andRegion Eight.

Kato faced Paramakatoi in the finale and emerged victorious, 2 – 0. These two sidesweretheonlyteamsin the competition, but, only the Champion will move on t o t h e N a t i o n a l Championships.

The final which took place in Madhia saw Young Robinsonscoreonceinboth halves to propel his team to victory

Soesdyke were the next teamtofindglorywhenthey trouncedFriendship,3–0,in the Region 4 - East Bank finale at the Ministry of EducationGround.

There were five other Georgetown zone matches yesterday at the MoE and National Insurance Scheme (NIS)Grounds.

Up to press time, the resultswhichwereavailable saw Dolphin sank Queen’s College 5 – 0,, West Ruimveldt defeated Brickdam 3 – 0 and Charlestown needled RichardIshmael(1–0).The other two matches were St Rose’s versus Carmel and Marian Academy versus St Winifred’s.

More details will be available in tomorrow’s issue.

Archibald’s historic gold is Guyana’s lone medal at CAC Games

ByRawleToney

It was a bittersweet conclusionforTeamGuyana atthe25thCentralAmerican and Caribbean (CAC) Games, which concluded yesterday

Guyana competed in various sports disciplines, including men’s hockey, fencing, track and field, archery, badminton, women’s 3x3 basketball, swimming, table tennis, and weightlifting.

Thegames,heldthisyear in El Salvador and the Dominican Republic, witnessed Emanuel Archibaldmakinghistoryas the first Guyanese, male or female, to win the 100m event. Archibald won his race in 10 24 seconds, securingGuyana’sfirstgold medal in the 100m since the country’s inaugural participation in the CAC Gamesin1959.

Archibald now joins Ralph Gomes (1959800m),JuneGriffith(1982800m), Oslen Barr (1986 -

800m), and Brenda Archer (1962 - High Jump) as track and field athletes who have wongoldattheCACGames.

Guyana’s other gold medals in the history of the CACGameswereearnedby Squash queen Nicolette Fernandes (2006 singles) andthemen’sSevensRugby team(2010).

Before Archibald’s

Standing Tall! Emanuel Archibald at the top of the podium at the CAC Games.

400m In the 2018 Games held in Colombia, the Sq

r r a n q u i l l a b y finishing third in the Women’sDoublesevent.

outstanding performance, the last time Guyana earned track and field medals at the CAC Games was during the 2010 event in Puerto Rico, where Cleveland Forde came third intheMen’s5000m,Marian Burnett secured bronze in the women’s 800m, and Aliann Pompey finished second in the women’s

Young Green Machine receives uniforms

The Men’s Under-19 Rugby team that will be representing Guyana in the u p c o m i n g R u g b y

America’s North (RAN) championship has received their team uniforms from ANSA McAL (Guyana)

Limited, their longstanding sponsors The ceremony took place at ANSA

McAL’s Triumph- location onFriday

This generous gesture highlights ANSA McAL’s commitment to supporting community development through sports, as they equip the young players with championship jerseys fortheirparticipationinthe 2023RANchampionshipat the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus in Kingston from July 12th to 16th.

Looking ahead, the team is expected to depart Guyana to compete in the 2023 Ran championship in Jamaica on the 10th July, a h e a d o f t h e commencement of the tournamentonWednesday

The squad selected for the tournament consists of twenty-three members, withElishaCrawfordbeing the sole survivor from the Guyana team that participated in the RAN tournamentasa16-year-old in 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic halted all sports activities in Guyana. Guyana has been placed in a group with the host country, Jamaica, and TrinidadandTobago.

Importantly,thiswillbe Guyana’s first participation in the event since 2019, as

they were unable to compete last year due to a lack of funds. The Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) expresses sincere gratitude to their sponsors for providing The Greens (Guyana’s team) with the opportunity to compete in thisyear’schampionship.

TheGRFUhasreceived support from various prominentbusinessentities, including the Guyana Olympic Association, the N a t i o n a l S p o r t s Commission, S&L Electrical Agency, Massy Gas Product, Modern Optical, P&P Insurance Brokers, ANSA McAl, Cummings Electrical, NAMILCO, Vish’s Pharmacy,WilfredNeblette (NY), and Freddy Fish Shop,amongothers.

West Indies name squad...

Frompage71

West Indies and India. Fans can purchase tickets in their preferred viewing locations fromtheWindiesTicketsservice,presentedby Mastercard, at ticketswindiescricketcom –where they will be able to download tickets securelytotheirmobiledevice,orprintouttheir tickettopresent for scanning at the entrance point.

FULL SQUAD: Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Jermaine Blackwood (Vice Captain), Alick Athanaze, Tagenarine

Chanderpaul,RahkeemCornwall,JoshuaDa Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kirk McKenzie, Raymon Reifer,KemarRoachandJomelWarrican Traveling Reserves: Tevin Imlach and AkeemJordan

FULLMATCHSCHEDULE: 12-16July:1stCyclePureAgarbathiTest Match,WindsorPark,Dominica20-24July: 2nd Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Match, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad start at 10am localtime(9amJamaica/7:30pmIndia)

CWIappointsShaneDeitzasnewHeadCoachofWIWomen

ST JOHN’S, Antigua –Cricket West Indies (CWI) onSaturday announced the appointment of Shane Deitz as the new Head Coach of the West Indies

Women’s team The a p p o i n t m e n t w a s confirmed at the CWI BoardofDirectorsmeeting on Friday 30 June 2023 at the Coolidge Cricket

GroundinAntigua

Deitz, 48, is a former first-class player who represented South Australia as a wicketkeeper/batsman in 66 first-

class matches between 1998and2008 Hebringsa wealth of knowledge and experience to the position, having been coaching at the professional and

international levels for over a decade He was the HeadCoachofBangladesh

Women team and is currently the Head Coach oftheNetherlandsWomen

Shane Deitz

Johnny Grave, CWI’s ChiefExecutiveOfficersaid: “Wearepleasedtoannounce ShaneasournewWestIndies Women’s Head Coach following a robust global recruitmentprocess

Shane is well equipped fortherolehavingcoached extensively in both the Men’sandWomen’sgame,in hisnativeAustralia,aswellas otherpartsoftheworld

He is dynamic, energetic, and is very familiar with t h e requirements of the women’sgame.

He brings the right skills and experience to drive the team and the women’s game in the West Indiesforward.”

Shane Deitz said: “I am very honoured to have the opportunity to coach the WestIndiesWomen’steam West Indies cricket both men and women have a great history of success whilst playing entertaining cricket and my aim is to continuewiththatformula

The team has a great blend of world class senior players and some talented younger players which is a good starting point to build from.

We have a lot of work to do though as reality is we are behind the top few sides in the world and we need to bridge that gap and becomecompetitiveagainto challenge forWorld Cups in thefuture.”

He added: “I do believe thoughthenucleusisthereto create a world class competitive side and that is whatIwillaimtodo

The standard of women’s cricket is at an all-time high and we need to strive to reach thoseheightsthroughgood planning,alotofhardwork and then executing on the pitch.

I am very excited about that challenge and can’t wait to start working with this talented squad ”

Deitzwillstarttherolein late August ahead of the Women’s CPL and the West Indies Women’s next international assignment, the away tour of Australia in October(CWI)

CyclePureAgarbathiTestSeries… West Indies name squad for 1st Test against India

(CWI) - The Cricket West Indies (CWI) Senior Men’s Selection Panel on Friday announced the squad for the first match of the

Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test SeriespoweredbyYesBank against India The Panel named 13 squad members and two traveling reserve

players for the match which will be played at Windsor ParkinDominicafrom12to 16July

Thereisafirst-timecall-

up for left-handed batter Kirk McKenzie, while fellow left-hander Alick Athanaze is the other uncapped player in the

squad. There are recalls for allrounder Rahkeem Cornwall, who played his lastTest in November 2021, and left-arm spinner Jomel

Warrican who was in the squad which toured Zimbabwe but missed the last tour of South Africa in February

Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie is unavailable for selection as h e i s u n d e r g o i n g rehabilitationfrominjury “ We w e r e v e r y impressedwiththeapproach tobatsmanshipofMcKenzie and Athanaze on the recent ‘ A’ Te a m t o u r o f Bangladesh. These are two youngplayerswhogotgood scoresandplayedwithgreat maturity, and we believe t h e y d e s e r v e a n opportunity,” said Lead Selector, The Most Hon. Dr DesmondHaynes.

“We are without Motie, w h o i s d o i n g h i s rehabilitation, and this has created an opportunity for Warrican and Cornwall in t h e s p i n b o w l i n g department. They have both played at Test match level before and are capable of doingthejob.”

Haynesadded:“Wehad Jayden Seales here in the camp and he has made good progress during his rehab from surgery However, we felt he is not yetquitereadytoreturn,and we don’t want to risk him at this stage. Kyle Mayers was also considered but he has some niggles, and the precautionisnottohavehim in the rigors of a five-day matchatthisstage.

“Looking ahead to the series we know it will be a challenging one as we start thenewcycleoftheICCTest Match Championship. We wanttobuildandimproveand strivetomoveuptheladder”

West Indies squad will traveltoDominicaonSunday following their ongoing preseries camp at Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua They will have training sessionsonMondayafternoon and Tuesday morning in the build-up to the match The Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Series powered by Yes Bank will be the first fixtures for bothWest Indies and India in thenew2023-2025ICCWorld TestChampionship

The first match bowls off on Wednesday at 10am (9am Jamaica/7:30pm India) The secondTeston20to24Julyat Queen’sParkOvalinTrinidad willbehistoric–markingthe 100thTestmatchbetween

(Continuedonpage 69)

‘Teach Dem Young’ Learn to swim

programme underway

The importance of swimming was highlighted yesterday at the National Aquatic Centre in Lilliendaal as the ‘Teach ThemYoung’LearntoSwim programme commenced

More than two thousand aspiring swimmers, accompanied by their parents/guardians, gathered to witness the opening ceremonyofthismonth-long event.

The‘TeachThemYoung’ Learn to Swim programme serves as a stepping stone towards creating national athletes, as well as promotingoverallhealthand wellness, and instilling valuable life lessons in the youth of Guyana It is through such investments in s p o r t s a n d y o u t h development that the country’s future can be shaped, ensuring a brighter andhealthiertomorrow

The Director of Sports, Steve Ninvalle, along with Assistant Director Frankie

Wilson and other members of the National Sports Commission (NSC), spearheaded the ceremony The Minister of Culture Yo u t h a n d S p o r t s (MCY&S),CharlesRamson Jr., also graced the occasion and engaged with the children, emphasizing the significance of physical activitiesandtheimportance ofacquiringlifeskills.

The Minister even took the time to guide them through warm-up drills, emphasizing their importance in achieving goalsandmasteringskills.

As part of the opening ceremony, national coach PaulMahaicaselectedafew participants from the crowd who had previously participated in the inaugural Learn to Swim programme heldinApril.

These brave individuals showcased the four swimming strokes to the audience, providing a demonstration of their

progress By organizing programmes like ‘Teach Them Young, ’ the government and sports authorities are actively working towards ensuring that swimming becomes accessible to all Guyanese children Such initiatives provideaplatformforyoung

swimmers to learn, grow, and potentially pursue a career in competitive swimming.

During his opening remarks, Minister Ramson expressed his commitment to investing in sports, ensuringthattheyouthofthe country are provided with

the necessary opportunities that previous generations may have missed He

encouraged those in attendance to join the National Sports Academy, which is open to all Guyanese citizens The Minister also urged parents to invest in their children,

Enet South Dakota Grand Prix…

highlighting that, the academy is not only for aspiring swimmers but it also covers all twelve coresports This initiative, a collaboration between the MCY&SandtheNSC,aims to shape the future of the country through nurturing thepotentialoftheyouth.

Superstock and Street Bike to ignite fans with two-wheel action

and fierce battles for supremacy

SuperStockClass

The super stock class boasts a lineup of renowned ridersvyingforglory Atthe forefrontisStephenVieira,a seasoned competitor who has dominated the series so far with an impressive 68 points. Vieira’s unmatched speed and exceptional racecraft has made him a force to be reckoned with.

However, the competition is fierce, and Stephon Boodhram,with45points,is hot on Vieira’s heels

makehispresencefeltonthe track.

The adrenalinefueledlocalriders aregearingupfor anexcitingshowdownatthe South Dakota Grand Prix powered by Enet today

Riders from across the countryaresettocompetein variousclasses,buteyeswill be specifically set on the

street bike and super stock classes.Asthechampionship race intensifies, let’s look at the top contenders and their prospectsforsuccess.

StreetBikeClass

In the street bike class,

Boodhram’s consistent p e r f o r m a n c e s a n d exceptional skills on the track have propelled him to the top of the standings. However,hecannotaffordto rest on his laurels, as Dowayne Caesar trails closely behind in second place.Caesarhasshowcased

incredibledeterminationand talent, making him a formidable opponent for Boodhram And to be noticed is John Bennett, currentlyinthirdplace,who has shown great potential throughout the season. The street bike class promises to deliver high-speed action

Boodhram’s consistent podium finishes have kept him within striking distance of the championship lead.

Followingcloselybehindare Matthew Vieira with 43 points and Kevin Persaud with 42 points, both hungry for victory Shem

Chattersingh, currently on 20 points, will also aim to

As the South Dakota GrandPrixpoweredbyEnet approaches, anticipation reaches a fever pitch. The event promises an actionpacked spectacle with motorcycle racing enthusiasts on the edge of theirseats.Theskill,bravery, anddeterminationtheseriders displaywillleavefansinawe. Whilethefocusmaybeonthe championship contenders, it’s essential to acknowledge the dedicationandtalentofallthe riders participating in the South Dakota Grand Prix Each competitor brings their unique style and passion for the sport, making the event a celebration of motorcycle racing.

Action starts at 10:00hrs on Sunday Tickets cost $2000 fpr adults, $1000 for children and $5000 for clubhouseentry

MCY&S Minister Charles Ramson Jr. engaged with ‘Teach DemYoung’participants during the opening ceremony

Kevin Persaud leads Matthew Vieira at a previous meet (Ackeem Thomas photo)

South Dakota Grand Prix… Prem’s Electrical Championships culminates today

Th e h i g h l y a n t i c i p a t e d

Prem’s Electrical Group 2 Championship reaches its climax today at the South Dakota Grand Prix, powered by ENet. The championship is tightly contested, top drivers Shan Seejatan and Chet Singh are tied at 43 points each. Their fiercecompetitionhassetthe stageforanepicbattleonthe racetrack, while Peter Morgan,MarkWilliams,and Rameez Mohamed closely trail behind. Let’s delve into the storylines and rivalries unfoldingduringthispivotal race.

Shan Seejatan: The DominantForce

Shan Seejatan has been a dominant force in Group 2 racing, showcasing exceptional driving skills and consistency throughout theseason.Despitesuffering aDNF(didnotfinish)inthe openinground,Shanquickly reboundedandsecuredawin in the next race with his Honda Civic With one victory and an impressive points tally, Shan aims to extendhisleadandclinchthe championshiptitle.

Chet Singh: A Former Champion’sDetermination

Chet Singh, a former champion in Group 2 racing, is determined to reclaim his throne.Although Chet faced

adversityintheearlyrounds, includingaDNF,hereturned with a resounding victory in thethirdrace,demonstrating h i s u n w a v e r i n g determination.Withhiseyes firmly set on the championship,Chetseeksto halt Shan Seejatan’s domination and again establishhissupremacy

Rameez Mohamed: The ChallengerwithaRevamped HondaCivic Rameez Mohamed has quietly been making waves i n t h e G r o u p 2 championship Despite sittinginfifthplace,Rameez has shown flashes of

brilliance, culminating in a race victory during the opening rounds. Fueling his ambitions, Rameez has invested time and effort into completely overhauling his Honda Civic, hoping to unleash its full potential at the South Dakota Grand Prix. With a rejuvenated car and a desire to dethrone the reigning champions, Rameez poses a significant threat to Shan and Chet.

Peter Morgan: The Podium Consistency

While Shan, Chet, and Rameez have grabbed the spotlightwiththeirvictories, Peter Morgan has been the

epitome of consistency With aFordFiestathathasproven reliable and fast, Peter has consistently finished on the podium, accumulating valuable points race after race. Despite trailing the leaders by just one point, Peter understands that a strong performance in the upcoming race can catapult him to the top of the standings

TheMechanics’Battle

Behindeverysuccessful driver is a skilled and dedicated team of mechanics The Prem’s Electrical Group 2 Championship also

witnesses a captivating battleamongthemechanics who strive to deliver the best-performing cars for theirdrivers.BrianTenPow, Mark Barker, and Balram Ramdeohavebeentirelessly working to fine-tune their respectivecars,ensuringthe perfect balance of speed, handling, and reliability

The outcome of the championshiphingesonthe ability of these mechanics to extract every ounce of performance from their vehicles.

The Prem’s Electrical Group 2 Championship at theSouthDakotaGrandPrix

poweredbyENetpromisesa thrilling event in an actionpacked season. With the top contenders Shan Seejatan, Chet Singh, Rameez Mohamed,andPeterMorgan battling it out for glory, fans can expect intense wheel-towheel action and fierce rivalriesonthetrack. As the drivers push their limits and the mechanics fine-tunetheirmachines,the o u t c o m e o f t h e championship remains to be determined. The stage is set for an unforgettable race determining who will emerge as the championship leader

Lara says India challenge could bring the best out of West Indies

(SportsMax) - West

Indies great, Brian Lara, believes India can bring the best out of the West Indies when they square off in a two-match Test series beginning on July 12 in Dominica.

“It’sayounggroup,ably ledbyKraiggBrathwaite,of course,butIfeellikesomeof theguyscanreallycomeinto their own in this series,” Lara,whoiswiththeteamas a performance mentor, said in a CWI interview on Saturday.

“It’s a tough opposition but I believe that’s the way we can get the best out of them,”headded.

The West Indian selectorshavestartedtolook

to the future in the batting department with the selections of 22-year-old KirkMcKenzieand24-yearoldAlickAthanaze.

Jamaica’s McKenzie earned his selection on the b

inaugural Headley Weekes

Tri-Series and in a subsequent A-team tour of Bangladesh.

Hehadscoresof221and 50 in the Headley Weekes seriesandfollowedthoseup with scores of 91 and 86 againstBangladeshA.

Athanaze captained the Windward Islands Volcanoes in this season’s West Indies Championship and scored 647 runs in five matches at an average of 64.70withapairofhundreds andfourfifties.

“They’re both young, capable players. Of course, you’d hope they had a little more experiencein the firstclass arena but, looking at their style of play and their attitude, I believe they do

havewhatittakestoperform at the highest level,” Lara said.“Itmaytakesometime but, obviously, as an international cricketer, if you’re entering this stage it doesn’t matter what age you enter; you’ve got to learn veryquicklyandIthinkthey have that sort of attitude to want to learn and be willing to listen. I look forward to goodthingsinthefuture,”he added. These matches will markthestartofthe2023-25

I C C W o r l d T e s t Championshipcycleforboth teams. “Obviously, we’ve got two very important Test matches against India that start the two-year cycle for us.We know, whether it’s at home or away from home,

they’re one of the top teams intheworld,”Larasaid.

“I think the guys are movingintherightdirection intermsofwherewestarted thecampandwhereweareat this present moment only a few days out from the first TestmatchinDominica,”he added.

The two teams had very differentresultsinthe202123cycle.India,currentlythe top-ranked Test team in the world, finished the cycle second behind Australia, who they recently lost to in t h e W o r l d T e s t ChampionshipFinal.

On the other hand, the West Indies ended the cycle in eighth, only finishing aheadofBangladesh.

Chet Singh in his Honda Civic leading the pack (Ackeem Thomas photo)

Brian Lara has a few words with Kemar Roach during a training session.

EmanuelArchibald following his historic win in the Men’s 100m at the 2023 CAC Games

ANSAMcALManaging Director, Troy Cadogan (right) hands over uniforms to National U-19 Rugby Team Manager Sherlock Solomon in the presences of a few member of the team as well as GRFU Treasurer TroyYhip