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Opposition being stonewalled

Monday Edition March 21, 2022 - Vol. 15 No. 12 Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $80 readership yesterday, 75,894

...says Govt. blocking every Parliamentary scrutiny of oil issues

Guyana could take more than a decade to recover from a severe oil spill - Yellowtail EIA ‘Dissent being stifled by Govt.’

- civil society group

Fishermen robbed at gunpoint while offloading boat Guyana, Suriname private sectors deepen ties ...eye partnership in agriculture, mining and energy

Start-up of Liza Two operations in blatant violation of Permit

- Former EPA Head

Every vendor makes a profit but Govt.

Listen to Kaieteur Radio agencies running at a loss! @11:00hrs on 99.1/99.5FM

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Monday March 21, 2022

Kaieteur News

Albion/Port Mourant Estate’s production exceeds weekly target Despite the difficulties facing the ailing sugar sector, the Albion/Port Mourant Estate is in the spotlight having surpassed its sugar production target for the week ending March 19, 2022.

A Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) press release said that the estate exceeded its target by 7.9 percent for the week owing to better attendance and productivity among other factors.

The company said that, “Despite the challenges posed by the intermittent rainfall, almost 30 mm during this week, which has

stalled the Estate's mechanical harvesting operations, the Estate was able to leverage on the improved cane quality, better harvesters' attendance and increased human productivity on the fields to push past the weekly target.”

“As a result of this achievement, qualified employees who worked 80 percent or more days available for the week, of Albion/Port Mourant Estate will benefit from an additional day's pay, tax free.”

GuySuCo said that the corporation at the commencement of the first

crop, 2022, introduced an improved Personal Performance Incentive (PPI) Scheme, which saw cane harvesters responding positively, thus improving attendance and productivity.

“This PPI handsomely reward each worker progressively as they improve their productivity with some workers adding more than G$15,000 to their weekly pay packet this week.

The Corporation has also implemented a similar incentive scheme for the planters, fertilizing crew and chemical weed control workers,” GuySuCo said.

“I want to thank

An arial view of Albion. management and workers for achieving this weekly production incentive. With this, we will have more money for our families and I would like to encourage all

workers to come out and let us achieve more weekly targets in the future at Albion Estate,” a cane harvester of the 15B Albion/Port Mourant gangs, Omadat

Seecharan was quoted as saying after receiving the work incentive.

GuySuCo said that the Weekly Production (Continued on page 9)

Kaieteur News

Monday March 21, 2022

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‘Dissent being stifled

by Govt.’…civil society group C

ivil Society group, Policy Forum Guyana has again called out the Irfaan Ali-led government for what it says is the administration's role in shrinking public voices by not involving them in important policy making bodies and decision-making.

The body cited what it said is a deliberate act by the government to weaken the role of civil organisations and individuals by media attacks.

The local group said in a public missive that civil space in Guyana is shrinking and one way that is happening is with the, “Exclusion of civil society from policy-making bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Natural Resource Fund (NRF), Statutory Commissions and Boards.”

The group said that while, “Independent civil society nominees can bring valuable societal insights…,” it recognises that wellestablished and respected organisations such as the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA), Red Thread and the Transparency Institute (TIGI), along with other named religious and community-based organisations, have been targeted for attack by the ruling party for identifying themselves with a civic statement critical of decisionmaking in the extractive

sector.”

Policy Forum Guyana highlighted that in keeping civil society at bay, there seems to be an, “acceleration of the state-owned media agencies from information outlets into organs of partydirected public relations that are mobilised against civil society.”

The group said that a formidable mobilisation of intimidation involving Government Ministers, State institutions and the Government-controlled press, to daunt and dissuade criticism from civil society, is taking place, while there seems to be a highlycontrolled consultant mechanism, or lack thereof with civil society, on major national decision-making processes such as climate policy, the Amaila Falls Hydro project and Natural Resource Fund among others. “This level of intolerance for criticism is against the spirit of a democratic polity, which requires an active civil society, even when it disagrees with Government policies or actions.”

In relation to a recent press release co-signed by other civil groups, the body said, “concerted efforts to suppress criticism broke new ground with the deployment of Department of Public Information (DPI) personnel masquerading as 'free-lance'

journalists, who pressurized and panicked elderly citizens into disassociating themselves from their original statements.”

The body said, “Both Ministers and newcomers in Parliament found Facebook fortitude to troll what they described as 'unknowns' in civil society, emboldening assorted self-styled 'news' outlets and self-styled 'journalists' to reproduce the Facebook slander.”

“Slanted newspaper columnists and 'wanna be' elder statesmen joined the chorus, risking to be taken seriously neither by their friends nor their adversaries.

Everything, moral or material, it seems, is to be pawned in the anxiety for 'notice' from party grandees.”

Policy Forum Guyana opined that the challenge Guyana faces is one of c h a r a c t e r. T h e y s a i d , “Ministers derided civic bodies as few in number and small in size, while simultaneously mobilizing whatever was available to frighten and repress people from seeking to express their views. All of which makes politics loathsome to those who want to create a better society, particularly the young.”

“This race to the bottom in terms of shrinking civil society space should be a matter of concern for all.

“Policy Forum Guyana said

that, “Freeing civic space from constraints on truth and decency is of benefit to everyone and requires more people finding their voices more routinely on issues in the public domain.” They added that, given the economic and political good fortune the Government enjoys, its leadership would do well to adopt a more gracious, less strident and frenzied approach to governing.”

Numerous civil society groups have accused the government of failing to provide clarity in the management of the country.

They have accused the administration of overseeing media attacks on persons and groups who speak up.

Many of the questions raised by the civil groups involve transparency in various areas such as the oil and gas sector with the renegotiating of deals that puts Guyana on the losing end at the top of the list.

The National Resource Fund is also a huge area of contention since the government is accused of formulating policies that will not ensure proper oversight of oil funds. Other areas of contention not having civil society on state boards and commissions that would oversee specific areas of operation in the country.

President Ali had said in a Facebook post that his

government believes strongly that civil society has an important role to play in any democratic society. “But in civil society, a role cannot be convenient. And we cannot confuse civil society with individual o rg a n i z a t i o n s , t h a t i s , organizations that are run by individuals or are not open to the wider membership of our country.

These organizations cannot be the conscience of truth or the conscience of society when they are convenient in the way they address issues”.

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, SC, had also stated that, “There is in existence, a mysterious group of critics of the PPP/C Government, constantly spewing their

venomous attacks under the disguise of various fronts masquerading as civil society organizations - some known, some unknown and some simply fabricated.”

Among the bodies that have had to call out the government are CommunityBased Rehabilitation (CBR); East Coast Development Committees (ECD7); Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA); Guyana Organization of Indigenous Peoples (GOIP); Guyana Society for the Blind (GSB); Guyana Workers Union (GWU); National Toshaos' Council (NTC); Policy Forum Guyana Inc (PFG); Red Thread; Tr a n s p a r e n c y I n s t i t u t e Guyana Inc. (TIGI) and Ursuline Sisters in Guyana.

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Monday March 21, 2022

Kaieteur News

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

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

EDITORIAL

US$2B for oil spill

W

e have a number that is supposed to comfort us, leave us resting contentedly on our cushions. It is a big number, with a couple of billions involved, and anything involving the magical number of a billion means a lot to most Guyanese. For here are a people, largely poor and mostly new to the fast and fancy ways of the oil world, who are accustomed to dealing in pennies and poverty, now being overwhelmed by something called billions for oil spill insurance coverage.

It may be enough to ‘full the eye’ of many Guyanese, to use a local saying, but we at this newspaper must get this straight: US$2B does not full our eye.

It is way short, is far from enough, in representing full insurance coverage for oil spill insurance in the event of a catastrophic oil spill at one of Exxon’s offshore wells. It is not enough. It is too paltry. It is not sufficient and by miles, it is too measly, and could lead to more impoverishment of this already struggling nation.

US$2 billion may sound like a lot of money, and it is.

But not when a disastrous oil spill is in the mix of considerations and could occur.

We will have nothing to fall back on, nothing to cushion our fall from a high promise to the low indebtedness of the gutter, if not the cesspit.

We have neighbours that are too close, and who are alarmed. They are not as near as we, and not as responsible as we for any potential oil spill, but they are worried, and strongly so.

We cannot afford to be complacent and stay quiet in this matter of full insurance coverage that offers us the fullest protections in a worst case scenarios.

We don’t know of anyone who buys a brand-new Mercedes and takes out a pittance for insurance coverage.

If he or she didn’t buy with cash, then the bank that loaned the money would demand and never settle for less than the fullest insurance coverage in the event of a serious accident.

And just to ram home this point to uneasy Guyanese, we do not think that any of the Guyanese bigshots who own property in rich Pradoville is without the proper insurance coverage.

What they, therefore, do not deny themselves, or think that we should not worry too much about, must be the same for us. For it is the Guyanese taxpayer who will be burdened with the enormous liabilities should a real disastrous oil spill occur, and we are to find ourselves with less than the fullest insurance coverage possible.

Leaders don’t take out of their pockets when the pinch and squeeze come.

Those are passed on to ordinary citizens to carry the choking yoke for generations. Leaders do exactly what untouched business people do, they pass on costs to those who come to shop.

Guyanese are the ones who would have to foot any large liability bill that is beyond the US$2B being waved about, as though it is the answer to all of our anxieties. It is not.

To our fellow citizens, we make this appeal. Don’t be fooled, don’t let down your guard, don’t take this latest pig in a bag. It is little more than another instance of leadership trickiness, from both the PPP/C Government and Exxon.

We urge our compatriots to think of a few years ago, and that incredible oil contract with its even more incredible two percent royalty. Guyanese were told, actually felt, that they had gotten as good as could be had, only to learn quickly how foolish they were. Today, Exxon comes up with and has the brazenness to float that number ‘two’ again, as in US$2B for oil spill insurance.

There must be something devilish in the minds of Exxon’s leaders (and their local political coconspirators) that they think that Guyanese cannot count beyond two.

Two percent royalties first, and now two billion for insurance. Any Guyanese who is satisfied with that two percent contract and 2B for insurance will find out too soon that both are too little, and that they are too far gone to correct the problem.

Given today’s nuclear sabre-rattling by Putin, Dr. Mohamed Shahabuddeen’s Dissenting Opinion was prescient DEAR EDITOR, The Russian invasion of Ukraine has spawned a host of analysts. Overnight, Guyana has sprouted experts in foreign affairs, military tactics, economists evaluating the effects of sanctions, etc. In fact, we have had a former president who has expressed tacit support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. His support was cloaked in his analysis of the geopolitics of the region and his obliviousness of his patron’s threat to inflict nuclear incineration on the planet.

The world is creeping towards the nuclear precipice.

Putin has threatened nuclear conflagration. I hope they [Putin and Ramotar] understand that Uncle Sam may not speak loudly; he carries a big stick. It is within the context of a possible nuclear Armageddon that I write to salute the late Dr. Mohamed Shahabuddeen.

In 1996, The International Court of Justice was tasked by the World Health Organization to write an

Advisory Opinion on “whether the exercise of the right to self-defence can be taken to the point of endangering the survival of mankind.” In other word, is the use of nuclear weapons in war legal? By 11-3 votes, the ICJ refused to give an answer to the question. It reasoned that the WHO does not need to know whether the use of nuclear weapons is lawful in order to properly plan for health risks arising from their use.

On 8th July, 1996, Dr. Mohamed Shahabuddeen wrote his Dissenting Opinion. Noting that, “the destructive power of nuclear weapons cannot be contained in either space or time.

They have the potential to destroy all civilisation and the entire ecosystem of the planet.” Furthermore, the ICJ was “not dealing with the routine of established certainties of life but must come to grips with the great unsettled issues on which the future of the world depends.” The issue to be confronted was “how to

reconcile the imperative need of a State to defend itself with the no less imperative need to ensure that, in doing so, it does not imperil the survival of the human species.” Dr. Shahabuddeen confronts the majority on the panel head on for their “unwillingness to fulfil a task, which is within the orbit of the functions of the Court…” He reasons that humanitarian law does not provide an exception for States to use nuclear weapons “in an extreme circumstance of self-defence, in which the survival of the State would be at stake.”

Shahabuddeen’s dissent has its foundations in the critical study of history by the 14th Century Arab sociologist, Ibn Khaldûn, who explained that, “laws have their reason in the purposes they are to serve”.

And “... injustice invites the destruction of civilisation with the necessary consequence that the species will be destroyed”, and that the laws “are based upon the effort to preserve civilisation” [Ibn Kaldûn, The Muqaddimah, An

Introduction to History, trans.

Franz Rosenthal, edited and abridged by N.J. Dawood, 1981, p. 40.].

Shahabuddeen concluded, “Thus, the preservation of the human species and of civilisation constitutes the ultimate purpose of a legal system. In my opinion, that purpose also belongs to international law, as this is understood today.”

He further agreed with the Court “that the threat or use of nuclear weapons would generally be contrary to the rules of international law applicable in armed conflict, and in particular the principles and rules of humanitarian law”. Therefore, the use of nuclear weapons is illegal.

Given today’s nuclear sabre-rattling by Putin, Judge Dissenting Opinion was prescient. He sought to save Man from our selfdestructive impulses: He was not only a Guyanese. He was a man of the world.

Sincerely, Roger Ally Fort Lauderdale

Have we finally hit upon the solution for GuySuCo? DEAR EDITOR, In a recent speech, President Ali declared that GuySuCo can be made viable, just as the Guatemalan sugar industry. He quoted some revealing figures.

Among these were the Guatemalan sugar industry supplies 30 percent of that country’s electricity demand during the sugar crop.

The President also quoted figures on sugar cane yields showing that the Guatemalan yield is presently more than twice that of Guyana’s.

This latter statistic, Editor, holds the key to the perennial conundrum of GuySuCo: “too big to fail” and yet bleeding enormous resources from the Treasury, to the point where in less than two years, the Government has reportedly poured another G$30 billion into the industry.

We are aware that succeeding Administrations have struggled with this huge problem and have tried a number of very costly solutions to no avail.

What seems to have eluded our policy-makers is how to address the critical underlying variable, quoted by the President, of sugar cane yields.

These yields have been falling continually for more

than 60 years to the point where they are half of what they were back then. Stakeholders in and out of the industry warned of the danger to GuySuCo’s survival resulting from this reality.

GAWU has repeatedly referred to it.

In one instance, GAWU, in response to the proposal to close the most loss producing estates, communicated to the Government in February 2017, that it was critical that “research be furthered with a view to improving sugar cane yields”.

It is a truism in the sugar industry that sugar is produced in the fields, and on this fact rests the viability of the industry.

Increasing field yields and sucrose content is directly correlated with factory efficiency, quantity of sugar produced, bagasse available for cogeneration, and reduced cost of production. Doubling sugar cane yields could conceivably reduce cost of production by half.

Generally, increasing agricultural yields is founded on an effective research and development (R&D) system. This system requires highly trained professionals operating in an environment that is motivational, which usually means competitive and

market driven.

These requirements translate into the need for significant increases in resources spent on R&D. In general, Guyana spends far too little as a percentage of agricultural GDP, on R&D. We are way below countries such as Brazil and Chile, for example, who spend close to one percent of agriculture GDP on R&D. This has to change for GuySuCo and agriculture in general to be sustainable, and achieve dynamic growth. For the vision of agricultural expansion to be achieved, the R&D system needs urgent attention.

It is noteworthy that the EU provided huge resources over a decade ago for the country to invest to make the sugar and rice industries viable, in anticipation of the removal of the effective price subsidies.

In the case of sugar, the funds were spent largely on “budgetary support”, a new factory at Skeldon and other investments, with little emphasis placed on R&D. In contrast, for the rice industry, the EU support was channelled through the Caribbean Rice Association, a private sector body, which wisely put the funds to rice

research.

The result was dramatically improved paddy yields and the survival of the rice industry.

It can be noted too that back in 2017, a research proposal to address falling sugar cane yields was submitted to the Government by the Caribbean AgriBusiness Association (CABA).

This proposal was based on organic soil enhancement technology, as successfully used in India, and was a collaboration of CABA with researchers in the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry at UG. This proposal got lost in the “noise” of Special Purpose Units and, the preparation of estates for privatisation by the International Management Consultants.

We have somehow missed the opportunities to address the fundamental cause of our problem in the sugar industry.

President Ali’s quoting of the Guatemalan sugar cane yields will hopefully point us in the direction of the essential solution not only for GuySuCo but for the entire agricultural sector.

Yours sincerely, Fitzroy Fletcher Former Guyana Director of CABA

Monday March 21, 2022

Early Phagwah Celebrations among NY Guyaneses DEAR EDITOR, Phagwah was on Friday, March 18, in Guyana and among the diaspora.

Phagwah was introduced in New York and other USA locations by the Guyanese diaspora some five decades ago. Early Guyanese and Trinidadian migrants started celebration Phagwah, Diwali, Eid, and other Indian festivals going back to the 1960s. Facing discrimination at home, Guyanese and Trinis started coming to the US as foreign students and or as tourists during the early 1960s and decided to settle down rather than re-migrate ‘home’.

The early migrants lived in inexpensive hotel rooms or shared small apartments. Migrants of different religious backgrounds lived together.

They celebrated each other’s festivals that were held in the hotel room or the apartments during the early years of their presence in New York. In later years, when they could afford it, they moved to larger apartments and some purchased houses. Celebrations took place in the larger apartments or their homes depending on the weather or in the yard of their homes. And over time, they rented a ballroom or school auditorium for religious festivals like Eid, Holi, Diwali. When I first came to the US in 1977 as a student at university, I organised Diwali, Phagwah and Eid celebrations on campus from 1977 onward while I was a student.

City College provided accommodations for celebrations of festivals. When I finished college, I organised cultural variety concerts for Diwali and Holi at school auditoriums and ballrooms. Haji Zakir and other Muslim groups organised Eid celebrations that I patronised and wrote about in the community press. Guyana was in the throes of a fascist dictatorship during that period with the regime controlling the media. Nothing about the diaspora was carried in the Guyanese press.

The large influx of Guyanese (and Trinis), beginning in the late 1970s and continuing up until this day, has made it possible for Phagwah, Eid, Holi, etc. to be celebrated

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in NY and other American cities similar to Guyana except for the brutally cold weather which prevents all the traditions that we experience in Guyana. The Phagwah celebration was not always this large and did not include any public festivities or the trappings of today. In fact, it has only taken off over the last 35 years. Prior to 1990, Phagwah observances were minimal in the US and took place indoors in apartments. There were few mandirs. Religious services on Sunday mornings took place in hotel rooms or apartments. During the 1980s, services shifted to basements of some mandir or Masjid members who volunteered their place for worship. And later, these services were held in car garages that were converted into mandirs or masjids.

Churches came about in the 2000s.

I remember in the late 1970s, living in the South Bronx as a college student (attending CCNY in Harlem), it was unheard of to celebrate Phagwah in public. At CCNY, Indo-Caribbean students of the Indo Club joined Indian nationals for a short prayer, distribution of parsad, and snacks including jalebi, burfi, mohanbhog which I prepare on campus, watching a Bollywood film and a simple dinner organised by myself, Vassan Ramracha and Baytoram Ramharack, among others. Guyanese simply observed the Phagwah festival at home with prayers and without any abeer. Family members partook in a traditional vegetarian meal and mohanbhog (parsad). Some individuals would attend religious service at the Pandit Oumdat Maharaj led Mahatma Gandhi Satsangh temple on Townsend Avenue in the South Bronx and later in Jamaica where Phagwah and other auspicious holidays would be celebrated. Pt. Oumadat’s temple (God bless him) provided a critical spiritual need to Hindu Guyanese.

He also worked closely with Haji Zakir and Christian priests.

Thousands of Guyanese settled in the South Bronx and Jamaica and they would show up for Friday afternoon

Jumaa or Sunday morning havan service and on the evenings of auspicious days in the Hindu calendars. Even Guyanese Christians who felt lonely in NY during the 1970s and 1980s came for the Hindu religious service. Phagwah was celebrated at the temple’s yard on the Sunday before or after the official observance or on the day if it was a weekend. In Queens, Pandit Jadonath held worshipping service that attracted a significant following in Far Rockaway and later in 101 Ave and Liberty Ave in Richmond Hill. In Brooklyn, on Ave D, near Foster Ave, the huge basement of a tenement building owned by Guyanese, Pandit Misir, during the 1970s and continuing till this day, served as a make shift temple where Phagwah was observed in a somewhat subdued manner. The Arya Samajists also had a temple with the large basement of Vishnu Bandhu’s furniture store used for Phagwah celebration in Brooklyn during the 1980s.

During the 1970s and early 1980s, and later years, the few temples hosted chowtal singing on weekends and on Phagwah evening with celebrants using talc powder instead of abeer to sprinkle on one another. Some members of the temples also hosted satsanghs (prayer services) and dinners in their homes accompanied by chowtal singing.

As the Guyanese community grew in Queens in the mid 1980s with more migration, holi Samellan (variety concerts of music and dance) were held annually at public schools (beginning at first at Hillcrest) in Jamaica where thousands of Guyanese had settled. Hundreds would attend the concerts. But the use of abeer was not allowed and playful jollification was restricted to talc powder and minimal use of abrack. In 1990, the parade was launched in Richmond Hill where tens of (Continued on page 6)

Some things are more than accidents DEAR EDITOR, Some things that occur in this country are simply too mindboggling to contemplate. I use the caption “Corentyne hit and run leaves two dead -driver held in city” (KN March 20) as basis. So many pieces of this accident, maybe what qualifies the charge of negligent homicide, confirm what is missing here, what is wrong relative to how we go about serious matters.

The driver was sober enough (reportedly) to ditch his car in Berbice, which I conclude based on the vehicle already being held at the Springlands Police Station.

Somebody transported him to Georgetown, where he was later sober enough to pass a breathalyzer test. The timeline gave him enough space to ‘sober up’ if such was necessary, and get past our run of the mill breathalyzer test. According to SN, the accident occurred at 23:20hrs on Friday and the news from one of the Police Public Relations chiefs was that the fleeing driver had “promised to turn himself in.” Further, the article noted that the word from the police was that the driver was arrested yesterday (Saturday) afternoon.

Editor, if I use 12:01hrs on Saturday as the arresting time, it would have been at least 12 hours since the time of the fatal accident. I hope that

readers detect where I am going with the usefulness of a basic breathalyzer test at that time, which is being generous. I say this because “yesterday afternoon” when the test actually took place could have been hours later. This would have given the driver who recklessly (speeding) and callously (fleeing) cut short the time of two now dead young Guyanese, still more time. When I add all those home solutions that Guyanese privy to, such as garlic and clove and the rest, I point again to what was administered as meaning nothing, proving nothing.

Why did he believe that flight was necessary? Why wait so long? Who was coaching him? Maybe, more relevantly, who is he connected to, is running interference, if such is the case? How about a little blood test, folks, which is all we have, since I believe that hair testing is beyond us currently.

Further, it is appalling that a man who allegedly mowed down two people is given the choice of promising “to turn himself in” at a time and place of his choosing. What the hell is going on here? In this country? I shouldn’t have to say it, but if some of us (‘naysayers’) were to so much as sneeze in public, the SWAT team and COVID-19 enforcers would be out in full

battle gear and full force immediately. There would be no need for the mighty U.S. Embassy to send out an urgent all-points bulletin to galvanise Guyanese law enforcement into action, like what occurred in the instance of the Stabroek Market.

Further still, the SN story pointed out that one of the now deceased victims was still conscious, but precious time was lost getting him immediately to a medical facility. This was while the driver was resourceful enough to ditch his vehicle and disappear into the darkness. It is debatable if the stricken accident victim could have been saved, but since he is now dead, and the alleged driver did succeed in saving his own skin, this is now meaningless, as to what should have been done, and who may have been given an opportunity, however remote, of still being around. When I consider all this, it is clear that to label what took place as an “accident” is a gruesome understatement, a monstrous mismatch of what happened on the road, and the reality with which mourning families must now live. Some things are more than accidents; they possess all the components to be named murder, nothing less.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

PHAGUAA - Its Relevance to us in Modern Times DEAR EDITOR, Festivals are an important part of the sum-total of human culture. They seek to bring cohesiveness in a community and they point to the level of civilization that a particular nation or race has built over the years. Since festival time is always sacred, it provides man an opportunity to participate in a supernatural realm that informs or reminds him of his origin, identity and even destiny.

All countries of the world celebrate their own festivals, whether seasonal, agricultural, religious or national.

India, perhaps more than any country of the world, boasts

of several categories of festivals. These are so numerous, that they fill up the entire Indian calendar. There are seasonal festivals like Vasant Panchami and Makar Sankranti, religious festivals like Shravani Purnimaa, and national festivals like Independence and Republic Day. Diwali and Phaguaa are the most notable festivals in India. They are both agricultural-seasonal festivals, since they are celebrated at the time when crops are harvested and seasons are about to change.

Diwali is celebrated in October when the rice crop is harvested and Fall comes, while Phaguaa is celebrated in

March when the wheat crop is harvested and Spring comes. In Sanskrit, they are both called Nava Sasyeshti Parva (Festival of new grains).

Phaguaa is also known as Holi. Phaguaa (meaning, the festival of the month of Phaalgun) is the name of the Spring festival that is more known in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, whereas Holi (the festival of Holika) is the name that is universally used.

There are three principal ideas associated with the observance of Phaguaa, and these are seasonal change, grains, and brotherhood.

Seasonal Change: Winter (Continued on page 6)

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Monday March 21, 2022

Kaieteur News

11 new COVID-19 cases, Early Phagwah Celebrations... five persons in ICU Eleven new COVID-19 cases were on Sunday recorded here, with some five persons in the Intensive Care

Unit, the Ministry of Health has stated.

Since the first case was recorded here back in

march 2020, 1,226 persons have died. Some 63, 194 infections have been recorded to date.

From page 5 thousands of Guyanese had made their home.

Today, the area is home to about 250,000 Indo-Caribbean and another 50,000 South Asians.

As an outdoor celebration, people felt unrestrained in using abeer, powder and other Phagwah paraphernalia.

Today, the parade attracts over 30,000.

During the 1990s, parades were also held in Queens Village (now discontinued) which is home to thousands of Guyanese, the Bronx and Jersey City where thousands of Guyanese are also settled.

The Holi Samellans contin-

ued during the 1990s in public schools. But with the much larger crowds now, the samellans are held outdoors on the compounds of mandirs or in the streets blocked off by the police. In the past, a light snack was offered at the celebrations. Today, the samellans provide a full meal with people offering a donation.

In the past, people used to look at Phagwah celebrants as being weird for having their faces smeared with colours.

But more and more Americans have become familiar with the festival especially in the areas where the parades are held. Americans no longer

consider it odd to see Guyanese playing with talc powder, abrack, gulals and abeer in the city parks.

They also like the festival and join in the fun and they love the chowtal and loud tassa music. Many nonGuyanese and many non-Hindus participate in the parade today. Young Afro-Guyanese and Hispanics are also part of the celebration.

So Phagwah has come a long way in NY thanks to the interest shown by Guyanese to propagate the culture in the areas where large numbers of our people are settled.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

PHAGUAA - Its Relevance to us...

Farmer arrested for shooting in public space Police on Friday night arrested a farmer of Canal Number Two, West Bank Demerara (WBD) and seized his shotgun for allegedly discharging a round in public.

He was identified as 57-year-old Imran Khan,

a licensed firearm holder. Police received reports around 22:15 hrs that Khan was seen shooting off his 12-guage shotgun.

Ranks were dispatched to his home but when confronted with the allegation, Khan denied.

However, a spent shell found in his yard by the ranks landed him in water and he was arrested and taken into custody.

According to the ranks, they found the empty shell some 200 meters away from public space.

Is white sugar still a good option?

DEAR EDITOR, The recent increase in crude has also resulted in stronger sugar prices.

The world market deficit for sugar was reduced recently to just under an estimated 2 MMT and white sugar prices have recently jumped close to two percent.

Plans were being made to pursue this option with favourable terms in the Caribbean market and an investment in white sugar production capabilities at GuySuCo. The pursuit of this strategic investment appears to still be positive over long term and the

planned timing to bring production online during the early part of 2022 is well timed.

Looking forward to seeing the ribbon cutting.

Best regards, Mr. Jamil Changlee Chairman The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana

From page 5 is a long season, in which most of the world of vegetation “sleeps, as it were, in cold death”.

Many trees and plants lose all signs of life - there are no leaves, no flowers, no fruits.

After this period of death, Spring officially makes a declaration on the Calendar that it has come! But Oh! At this time, it is still cold.

Approximately forty days after the official commencement of Spring, Indians observe a festival called Vasant Panchami.

At this time, in the fields of North India, one can see the beautiful yellow flowers of the sarso (mustard) plant.

Yes! Spring is here! The more this season establishes its ruling presence, the more it succeeds in conquering the wintry effects of hibernation and death.

It brings warmth and smiles, color and fragrance, blossoms and flowers, fruits and grains, birds and natural sounds, fresh air and bright sunlight, farmers and their animals on their land, and even songs, music and dancing -and through these, the Season fortifies the foundations for life to assert its feeling of victory over death.

From this day of Vasant Panchami until the official day of Phaguaa-Holi, there is joy all over the sacred land of our forefathers.

It is for this reason, Spring (Vasant) is called Rituraaj, the King of all seasons.

Grains: Grains make up the very basis of a person’s life.

People cannot live on dollars and cents; they live on, and thrive with, grains.

The people of impoverished countries know the value of grains because there is very little to eat in those areas.

A country that possesses more grains (yad annam bahu) than the population can actually consume (attaa kaneeyaan) is a prosperous

country, says the Shatapath Braahman, one of the ancient texts of India.

It is for this reason that wealth is praised in superlative terms, and the Source of that wealth (God) is worshipped with profound fervor.

There are no grains reaped in Winter. Rituraaj Spring, however, brings grains.

Like Diwali, Phaguaa is celebrated when the crop is harvested.

Before the actual harvesting, people, especially in the villages of India, can, and sometimes do, experience a shortage of grain. Can we measure the joy a farmer experiences when he harvests his grains?

Perhaps that farmer’s joy can compare to the joy of an impoverished American citizen winning a million-dollar lottery.

It is in celebrating the coming of wealth that he, in his traditional style, sits down in a Havan ritual to make an oblation of his newly-harvested grains on to a blazing sacrificial fire.

The farmer knows that several cosmic forces are responsible for this wealth - the earth with its fertility, the rains with their nourishment, the sun with its rays, and God with His mercy.

And so, he wishes to express his gratitude unto all these cosmic forces.

By his act of offering onto the holy fire, he symbolically surrenders ownership of that wealth.

Since grain-wealth is given to him by the forces of nature, he is not the sole owner and enjoyer. He is bound by natural and moral law to share.

He eats sin who eats alone, warns the Rigveda.

And, Shri Krishna, echoing this Vedic teaching in the Bhagavad Gita, calls him a stena, a thief, who eats all alone without sharing with those who deserve a portion of his wealth.

So, on this same sacrificial fire, he roasts a set of newly harvested grains (like chick-peas). This roasted chickpeas is called holak or holikaa.

He distributes roasted holak/holikaa to his friends, for which reason Phaguaa is also called Holikaa Utsav.

Brotherhood: We have said that Winter spells death, and Spring ushers in life. Old forms of hatred help prolong death. New feelings of brotherhood facilitate the germination and growth of new roots of life.

On Phaguaa Day, we chant, Yo’smaan dwesti yam vayam dwishmas tam vo jambhe dadhmah - O Lord! I consign into Your Justice the hatred that I have for someone, or that someone may have for me!! And so, in the midst of merriment, singing and dancing, and spraying colors, we become colored in the colors of Spring that give life and share love.

In these modern times, we, too, like our foreparents, can celebrate Phaguaa-Holi in a meaningful way.

Let us not live in exclusion of the creativity in the cycle of seasons, and let us recognize the arrival of new life by chanting holy Vedic verses, spraying colors, singing songs, making new friends by giving up old hatred, and sharing a part of our wealth with our fellow human beings.

And, do not forget to teach your child that Phaguaa, like every other Arya/Hindu festival, is there to help him identify with his roots.

Tell your child that he/she belongs to the ancient-most civilization and that the beliefs and practices of our system have been tested for generations and proven true.

Phaguaa Abhinandan Phaguaa Greetings. Namaste!

Satish Prakash, Missionary of the Arya Samaj

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BL TLUNT.. UNT...B BL Monday March 21, 2022

Kaieteur News

O dear Guyanese how long?

Everyone, from all over coming to Guyana to get rich off our wealth, but as they reap Guyana's riches, the greatest number of Guyanese get nothing. In fact, many of our brothers and sisters are poorer despite all of our natural resources wealth.

Something is wrong with this harsh reality, where we Guyanese forever live in hopes, and place our dreams on potential that never touch us, never seem to lift us up. Now we have all this oil and from every indication, poorer and weaker Guyanese, the many left out Guyanese, are worst off for it.

The sweet promises from politicians are endless. The bitter reality of Guyanese lives is that it is empty and lacking in fulfillment.

Brothers and sisters, fellow Guyanese, for how long are we going to let leaders rub our noses into the dirt? For how much longer are we going to sit idly by and let the tricky, snaky and slippery leave us disappointed and dispirited?

PAGE 07

PAGE 08

Monday March 21, 2022

Kaieteur News

Uncertainty about GuySuCo assets …as PPP/C's dream of reopening shuttered estates fades

By Zena Henry

W

hen the former A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) government decided to close four nonperforming sugar estates in 2016 and 2017, the then administration decided to place the assets of Wales, East Demerara, Rose Hall and Skeldon sugar estates under the control of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).

This information was also placed in the Official Gazette dated December 30, 2017.

The order made under the Public Corporations Act, states that the title of property- property in this sense meaning all moveable and immovable property owned, used, leased or licensed by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) or the state save and except Albion Estate, Blairmont and Uitvlugt Estate - shall, “… as from the appointed day, stand transferred to and shall be vested in NICIL absolutely, free and clear from all claims and liabilities.”

As companies wholly owned by the state, the order said that the state decided that it is expedient to vest the property, such as land, m a c h i n e r y, p l a n t a n d equipment, motor and agricultural vehicles,

furniture, tools, shares, residual rights, titles and interests among other assets to NICIL. The then Finance Minister, Winston Jordan had said that government's plan was to divest and privatise the non-performing estates that were bleeding billions of dollars from the industry. He said that numerous proposals to acquire the available sugar assets were coming in from local, regional and international interests and had suggested at the time that government's plans were moving along.

However, just one year after transferring GuySuCo's assets to NICIL, the then administration was hit with a no confidence motion that significantly changed the project's business atmosphere. So much so, that it forced the then David Granger-led government to repay a $30B syndicated bond for the support of the remaining sugar estates, with proceeds from that very bond. Something Jordan had told the media had to be done since apart from the noconfidence motion, the then People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) opposition was threatening to reverse transactions made or to take legal action relating to business conducted and that scared investors away.

Fast-forward today, all the assets of the closed

estates are under the control of NICIL, and according to Senior GuySuCo officials, that means that the sugar corporation has no control over the assets. When Kaieteur News asked about GuySuCo's role in relation to the closed estates the newspaper was told that “It is not our property. It is under the control of NICIL and so we do not own it.”

The newspaper was told by the sugar official that, “NICIL is owned by the state, GuySuCo is owned by the state so it was the state that transferred the assets of GuySuCo to NICIL. NICIL is a holding company that holds the assets of state companies on behalf of the state.” As the owner of both entities, Kaieteur News was told that a request was made by the government to have GuySuCo work along with NICIL in keeping with the administration's promise to reopen the estates and develop the assets. The newspaper was told further that when it comes to spending, GuySuCo is paying for nothing at the closed estates and that, “all the spending is being done by government.”

This however leaves sugar stakeholders, particularly the thousands of severed workers in a peculiar position since now unemployed, the task of managing the closed estates

is no longer with their old employer. General Secretary of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers' Union (GAWU) Aslim Singh told Kaieteur News that while he understands that some workers are currently employed with GuySuCo and engaged in various tasks, there is hope for better clarity on what would be happening at the closed estates. He said, “So far, nothing has been officially told to us though GuySuCo has workers on all the estates. It can be concluded that GuySuCo is actively managing the assets however at the end of the day whether the assets are under the auspices of GuySuCo or NICIL, it is ultimately owned by the Government of Guyana.”

“In terms of the future we have not been given an official indication of a diversion though we have seen media reports.” Singh said, “We have raised these with GuySuCo who we have a legal relationship with and they themselves said they cannot offer a comment.”

However, what concerned the union even more, “…is that the workers are able to have decent jobs where they can provide for their families as the vacuum created by the (estate) closure was simply heart breaking.” “Whether such jobs are within or outside of sugar is not yet clear, but we did see a recent

Sugar may no longer be viable for Guyana, but change remains a political time bomb. report arising from an interview with the Vice President (Bharrat Jagdeo) who indicated other ventures alongside sugar may be pursued though nothing at this time appears clear.”

Media reports have quoted both President Irfaan Ali and Vice President Jagdeo as touting crop production, land sale, and the diversification of business operations as means of turning around the closed estates. And while stakeholders seem not to have a clear idea as to what will happen to the closed sugar estates, reopening and rehiring the severed sugar workers remained a major selling point on the PPP's 2020 election manifesto.

The estate closure by the APNU+AFC was deemed “ h e a r t l e s s a n d unconscionable” by various sectors of the society to place some 7000 sugar workers on the breadline. It was this reaction that saw the PPP vowing to reopen the sugar estates. Two years later not one estate has been reopened and one of the closed estates has already been leased to a private company for nonsugar activities.

Very difficult Economist, Ramon Gaskin has posited that the

reopening of the sugar estates would be very difficult for government given factors such as the high sugar production cost to market prices, poor performing factories, lack of machinery and among other things, cost of reactivating the factories after such long closure period. Gaskin is adamant however that more questions must now be asked regarding GuySuCo's assets, since he believes the company's assets are now at the disposal of the government to do as they please.

“More questions must be asked about this questionable (Enmore packaging plant) lease because the packaging plant, land and assets belongs to the company.” Gaskin explained that as the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc. the company is registered as a separate and legal entity under the Companies Act. He explained further that, “NICIL acts as a trustee holding shares on behalf of the government, but when it comes to the disposal of assets the government has no such authority.” The same could be said about other entities such as the Guyana Oil Company (GuyOil) and the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) for example. Gaskin argued (Continued on page 16)

Fishermen robbed at gunpoint while offloading boat

F

ive fishermen, returning from sea on Saturday, were robbed at gunpoint by two bandits while offloading their boat at Goed Fortuin on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD).

The men, ages 61, 59, 55, 47 and 44, told Region Three police that they were robbed during the wee hours of Saturday.

They recalled that as they were offloading their boat, two men armed with a gun and a knife approached them and stuck them up.

The bandits relieved them of $303,000 in cash and two cellphones before making their escape.

According to investigators, the suspects are known perpetrators. Investigations are ongoing.

Monday March 21, 2022

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

The government has no answers to local inflation

T

he rise in local prices is hurting the pockets of consumers. It has been especially hard on the poor who have seen food prices, in all categories, skyrocket.

The government’s response to this crisis has been typical but ineffective.

It has employed a sliding scale for fuel taxes which has failed to stem prices at the pump which are reaching their highest ever. Petrol is now retailing at G$243 per litre.

Even during the global fuel crisis, when oil prices reached as high as US$147 per barrel, the prices at the local pump was not as high as it is today.

The government says it will subsidise electricity but it is also, at the same time, subsidising GPL’s inefficiency.

It promises to also absorb any increase in the water tariffs. Rice farmers are complaining about a decline in the price which they are receiving from millers, and at the same time are having to pay more for fertilisers.

The government has waived some payments by the millers which had led to a pitiful increase of G$200, in one area, of the price which the millers are offering farmers. The government’s strategy is clearly not working.

The country’s financial gurus do not have the answers to rising inflation.

They are lost and clueless.

Local inflation is not all imported.

There has been an

unconscionable increase in local food prices by farmers.

The prices of vegetables and fruits ought not to have been subject to the high increases which are being experienced by consumers. These are not imported items. But everyone is cashing in on the crisis, everyone other than fixed waged earners.

But consumers have the power to counter these increases.

If they refuse to buy items for which prices have been unreasonably increased, they will force a reduction.

A few weeks ago, sellers of ground provisions were demanding G$300 per lb for plantains and G$250 per lb for sweet potatoes.

People stopped buying and those prices have now fallen to G$100 and $75 per lb respectively.

The price of chicken has also increased, it said, due to an increase in demand.

If Guyanese refuse to eat chicken for the next month, the prices will fall regardless of supply constraints.

Guyana can also learn from the mistakes of other countries in addressing inflation. In the United States, the government doled out COVID-19 relief grants to its citizens. This aggregate increase in the money supply coincided with a global supply chain problem and a contraction in production due to the pandemic.

As such, more dollars were chasing fewer goods.

Inflation was inevitable.

As the economy reopened, employment

increased.

This has added to the problems of more money chasing fewer goods and when compounded by the global supply chain problems, this further aggravated inflation. A danger thus exists in any strategy aimed at pumping more money into the economy. Or to increase the disposable income of citizens, since this will only increase demand and drive prices up.

Yet, this is the approach which our government is taking. They have been pumping more money into the economy even without any corresponding increase in local production and at a time when shortages of imported items, such as garlic, are occurring.

This is a recipe for further price increases. Instead of trying to curb demand, the government is fuelling an inflationary spike through its excessive spending.

This year, the government increased its annual Budget by more than 40 percent.

This surge in spending has already started and will further drive prices up including building materials.

What is needed, at this time, is not increased spending.

The government needs to look at its spending policies since it is the largest spender in the economy and if this spending is going to drive inflation, it is advisable for the government to curtail public expenditure in non-critical areas.

However, our financial gurus believe in pumping more oil and spending more oil revenues.

Albion/Port Mourant Estate’s production...

From page 2 Incentive (WPI) is one of several initiatives in place to boost employees' productivity and was implemented on May 13, 1989. The payment of a WPI is based on the individual Estate's achievement of one hundred percent or

more of its weekly sugar production target.

“Once the target is achieved, employees on the Estate receive one additional day's pay. If the Estate's achievement is one hundred and thirty percent or more of its target, then employees on

the Estate will receive two days' pay. The Executive Management of GuySuCo congratulates the management and workers of Albion/ Port Mourant Estate and urges all employees of grinding estates to strive towards the achievement of WPIs.”

Dem Boys Seh…

Still wear yuh mask De COVID nah done yet.

Nuff people feel dat because de guvament slacken de restrictions dat de virus disappear.

Dem wrang. De virus still deh about. Is just dat is more people surviving de Omicron variant. Suh when some people fell sick, dem nah worry fuh guh and get tested because dem feel dem gan survive it. Suh de testing low and de positive cases low.

But if yuh look at de

number of people in de ICU yuh gan understand dat while it falling, it also mean dat dem gat plenty more case out deh wah nah recorded.

Suh dem boys seh nah drop yuh guard yet. Keep yuh face mask on even though it nat mandatory.

Deh gat nuff event tekkin place. And people still going to dem event without wearing a mask. But what does get dem boys annoyed is when dem see people wearing dem mask under dem nose. Is like

dem feel dat is enough fuh just cover dem mouth alone.

Dem boys glad when dem walk down de road and dem see nuff people wearing dem mask.

In fact, dem boys still wearing dem mask because dem boys owe some people some money and dem nah wan dem people recognise dem. So de face mask still helping to disguise dem boys from people who dem boys owe money.

Talk half. Leff half.

They do not have the economic foresight to respond to the challenge of inflation.

As such, it is left for consumers to make the right choices.

That choice should be not to buy anything which is not necessary and which is being overpriced. Consumers can

force prices down by simply curbing their demand. Buy less and eat less, if possible.

And most importantly, do not buy items the prices of which have been unreasonably increased.

Those who believe that they can profit off the misery of consumers need a wake-up call. (The views expressed in

this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Monday March 21, 2022

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Crude vulgarisations if not confronted will get into the history books

I

am hoping that decent Guyanese with vast experience in Guyanese contemporary history will intervene to stop literal asininities and crude irrationalities from masking as academic analysis.

This vulgarisation is a threat to democracy. But more importantly, it is an assault on the psychology of the huge percentage of young people we have in this country. When depraved fiction is passed on to them as historical and current facts, then we arrive at a stage where alternative facts replace genuine history.

Two depravities need to be energetically consigned to the rubbish heap. One item is about the despicable attack on the Private Sector Commission (PSC) on its role in the election controversy. The other is a recent letter by an overseas based Guyanese. In another column, I will respond to that.

This article here is about the falsehood peddled about the PSC.

It is morally incumbent on the PSC to immediately publish a rebutting delineation on what was said about it a few days ago by people purporting to be from leading civil society groups.

Let me be graphic and pellucid here. I have been critical of the PSC during the long rule of the PPP. Those columns are not two or three but several. They are there for people to read.

You may have your reason for disliking the PSC. You may have your reason for criticising it. But the wild and nasty denial of the positive role of the PSC in protecting free and fair election in those five months, after the voting in the March 2 general election concluded, must be rejected by those who openly saw that role.

This columnist saw that crucial intervention.

I am publishing my cell number 614-5927 and my e m a i l a d d r e s s fredkissoon@yahoo.com for executives of the PSC to contact me about the

identification of the specific item so it can shape its response if it wants to. Here is what happened. There were four panelists on a Zoom programme, two of which were very critical of the PSC. One of the persons from the transparency aspect, dismissed the PSC as a civil society entity and openly said he did not find it as a model to look to. The woman panelist was also dismissive of the PSC but went further, after stating her credentials as a civil society, that it was her group that was there from the beginning involved in exposing the attempts at rigging.

Only Timothy Jonas was circumspect in his words on the PSC. I will repeat what I wrote here in my column, “Some interesting words from a seasoned politician” of Thursday, March 17, 2022.

I quote: “This country owes many civil society organisations an unpaid debt in 1997.” That was the year when civil society leadership u n d e r Y

esu Persaud secured the intervention of CARICOM when the PNC refused to accept the election results.

The superb period of civil society in that period of our history will be recorded in the second installation of Yesu Persaud's autobiography which I think will be published posthumously.

This is a fascinating country.

What civil society did in 1997 was replicated in 2020 in identical ways. Can you imagine, the Private Sector Commission was instrumental in 1997 in saving electoral democracy and did the exact thing in 2020?”

From the first day of the election, journalist Leonard Gildarie and I were on Kaieteur Radio monitoring the election. It was Mr. Gerry Gouveia that constantly supplied us with information on the irregularities that were taking place.

Mr. Gouveia and other PSC members were instrumental in their logistical support for the international observers particularly with transport facilities.

The crucial factor that allowed for the global acceptance of the election

results was the insistence and conscience of the international observers. The Frederick Kissoon leadership of the EU, Canada, the UK, CARICOM, Commonwealth this article are those of the countries, OAS countries and a u t h o r a n d d o n o t the United States were not in necessarily reflect the G u y a n a t o a s s e s s f o r opinions of this newspaper.) themselves the conspiracies (The last and crucial that were taking place.

T h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l paragraph of my Sunday observers transmitted their Column was inadvertently daily findings to their omitted. I have included it below so that readers can respective governments. better understand the thrust This facility was made of the article. possible through the Sorry, space has run out. relentless energy of members In the second part, I will of the PSC. argue that Aubrey Norton is As stated above, Gildarie and I were in the studio of only the second working Kaieteur Radio and we were class leader the PNC has in daily contact with KN produced in its history after Robert Corbin. Ptolemy Reid reporters.

We got no information, and Hamilton Green though and we are not aware that from the working class, did there were other civil society not become leader of the organisations, apart from the PNC. And it is no accident PSC (and yes the PSC is part that both Corbin and Norton of civil society), on the became head when the PNC ground exposing the election was in opposition.

The complete article can fraud from March 3. To deny b e f o u n d h e r e the priceless role of the PSC in preventing a return to https://www.kaieteurnewson dictatorship on March 3 is a line.com/2022/03/20/irfaanmanifestation of a deeply ali-and-aubrey-norton-pppand-pnc-a-class-analysis/ ) flawed mind.

(The views expressed in

Monday March 21, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

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Monday March 21, 2022

Kaieteur News

Start-up of Liza Two operations in violation of Permit - Former EPA Head E

xxonMobil has started producing oil at its second offshore oil development in the Stabroek Block, the Liza Two development; however, the operator has allegedly violated the Permit by commencing the pumping of Guyana's oil, without first giving assurance that it will cover costs beyond the insurance offered by its subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL).

This is according to former Head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Dr. Vincent Adams.

Adams in a letter to this publication on Sunday detailed that Section 12.1 of the Permit directs that, “The Permit Holder shall have insurance” while Section 12.4 instructs that, “The EPA shall review the environmental liability policy” with determinations to include “amount of cover; notification to EPA of modification, cancellation, intent to renew, expiry dates of the policy; and evidence of payment of premium.”

M o r e i m p o r t a n t l y, Section 12.5 manifests that the “Permit Holder must provide from the Parent Company or affiliate companies, one or more

legally binding agreements to the EPA, undertakings to provide adequate financial resources to pay or satisfy their respective obligations if EEPGL fails to do so”, the former Executive Director of the EPA wrote.

To this end, he concluded that Exxon's US$2 billion insurance must be seen as a “hoax” as it is nothing short of a “distraction” from the company's noncompliance with the Liza Two Permit.

In fact, he reasoned, “The foregoing provides irrefutable evidence of the legal requirements for insurance, plus a parent company Agreement to cover amounts exceeding the insurance, which the Government and Exxon have dishonourably denied.

As such, by their own denial, Exxon and the Government have admitted breaching the Liza 2 Permit by commencing operations in February 2022, without these critical requirements in place.”

As a consequence, Dr. Adams called on the ExxonMobil Guyana President, Alistair Routledge and the government to explain why the nation's laws were so blatantly disregarded, when production of oil

Former EPA Head, Dr. Vincent Adams

commenced at Liza Two, without the legal requirements for full liability coverage.

ExxonMobil on February 28, last, in a statement to the press, said it wished to categorically state that it has insurance coverage that meets international industry standards for all of its petroleum activities in Guyana.

Exxon explained that its subsidiary, EEPGL, the Operator of the Stabroek Block, was established since 1998, and had, as of year-end 2020, almost US$5B in assets, which is a primary form of financial assurance.

The oil company was keen to note that this is

separate from the assets of the other Stabroek Block coventurers who also have substantial assets and share any liability for response activities.

In addition, Exxon said it was working with the EPA, and its co-venturers, to put in place a combined US$2B of affiliate company guarantees.

In an invited comment, the former Head of the regulator body argued that Exxon's talk of US$2 billion is “irrelevant”, as the company is mandated by the Liza Two Permit to cover costs beyond the insurance policy secured by the o p e r a t o r, E E P G L . H e contended, “Macondo has been running in excess of

US$70 billion, so US$2 billion is nothing…this here is miniscule to what it could cost (Guyana). Who is going to cover the rest of it?

Guyana is going to go bankrupt! Not to mention the additional lawsuits and everything else from neighbouring countries if we wipe out their economies that depend on tourism, wipe out their beaches, their livelihoods and so on.”

Adams pointed out that countries as far as Jamaica, Ve n e z u e l a a n d o t h e r Caribbean nations may be impacted by a spill that occurs offshore Guyana, while registering his point that US$2 billion is inadequate to cover expenses associated with an oil spill.

A United States news agen c y , N O L A . c o m , r eported in 2 0 2 0 that more than $71 b illio n has been spent for clean-up activities, following the British Petroleum (BP) M aco n d o oil s pill in t h e G ulf of Mexico. https://www.nola.com/news /business/article_ca773cc080f4-11ea-8fbeffa77e5297bd.html The report said that the vast majority of the tab – about $69 billion – has been

picked up by BP, while the remainder has been split among Transocean, which owned the Deepwater Horizon, and BP's drilling partners, Anadarko and MOEX. However, BP's tally could still rise. A number of large business claims are still pending in federal court.

The company's settlement with individuals who filed medical claims immediately after the accident requires BP to pick up costs well into the future.

And more recent lawsuits filed by hundreds of individuals with lateoccurring health effects are still pending.

BP also agreed to pay $4.9 billion to five states over 18 years for economic and other non-natural resource losses, and another $1 billion for claims of more than 400 local government entities.

The oil company, British Petroleum, had a blowout a mile under water, which sent oil and gas surging up to the Deepwater Horizon exploration rig, setting it on fire, sinking it and even killing 11 crew members.

The well leaked for 87 days, pouring at least 3.19 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

Motorbike clubs host memorial ride for 'fallen' colleagues M

ore than seventy-five b i k e r s engaged in a memorial ride on Sunday to remember their colleagues who perished in road accidents.

Members of the motorbike club during yesterday's memorial ride.

Riders from four motorbike clubs, Sonic Hunters, Assassins Full Throttle, Piranhas and Essequibo Road Rippers, gathered for the event that saw riders making stops between Soesdyke on the East Bank of Demerara to as far as Rosignol West Bank Berbice.

Roderick Dyer, President of the Sonic Hunters told the Kaieteur News that the event was in honour of “fallen riders” and to bring safety awareness regarding the use of motorcycles.

“I must insist on the use of protection.

Riders must wear protection, must wear a helmet.

A lot of persons riding on the road and they think it's all fun and games and skills, but protection; a helmet can save your head, a helmet can save your life.”

Dyer said that safety is a message he would like to drive into the minds of especially young riders that they must invest in protective gear.

He s aid man y times riders die or suffer from head injuries w h en th ey do n o t w ear h elmets .

Dy er als o appealed to drivers to be c o n s i d e r a t e o f motorcy cle op erato r s , s tatin g th at th ey to o are r o ad us er s .

At least 12 deceased persons were remembered having been members of the motorbike clubs.

Kaieteur News

Monday March 21, 2022

PAGE 13

Guyana could take more than a decade to recover from a severe oil spill - Yellowtail EIA

By Davina Bagot

E

ven after cleanup activities, the lasting and devastating impacts of an oil spill stemming from the Yellowtail project site could take more than a decade before the country fully recovers.

The Yellowtail project is ExxonMobil's fourth development that is currently awaiting approval.

It is located in the Stabroek Block of Guyana's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Production of some 250,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) is scheduled to commence in late 2025 or early 2026, with operations continuing for at least 20 years.

The Project is located approximately 203 kilometers (approximately 126 miles) northeast of the coastline of Georgetown in waters approximately 1,700 to 1,900 meters (5,577 to 6,234 feet) deep.

The Project will develop the offshore resource by drilling approximately 41 to 67 development wells, including production, water injection, and gas re-injection wells, and using a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel to process, store, and offload the recovered oil.

Exxon's subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production

Guyana Limited (EEPGL) in its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for review, has warned that Guyana could take more than 10 years before it recovers from an oil spill offshore.

According to the EIA, at Section 3.5, the Project would not cause irreversible damage to onshore areas of Guyana.

The same could not be said however for the country's waters.

According to that subsection “…in the unlikely event of a large marine oil spill, little irreversible damage would be expected, although it could take a decade or more for all resources to fully recover…”

The text goes on to explain that the impacts of the spill would be dependent on several factors, inclusive of the volume or severity of the spill as well as the duration of the release, in addition to the time of year at which the release were to occur.

N o t a b l y, E E P G L ' s Consultant that prepared the EIA, the Environmental Resources Management (ERM) acknowledged that the risk of an oil spill would be present in this project.

ExxonMobil has consistently assured that such events are “unlikely” to occur.

At Section 3.2.5 of the EIA, ERM details “The Project will be producing, processing, storing, and offloading oil as its core activity, so the risk of an oil spill would be present.”

In fact, EEPGL in the EIA identified 16 spill scenarios, including spills of different types of hydrocarbons such as crude oil, marine diesel, fuel oil, lubricating oil and non-aqueous drilling fluid (NADF), with several being applicable for spills at the shorebases and on vessels in the Demerara River estuary (e.g., from a supply vessel) or in the Atlantic Ocean from a well, drillship, supply vessel, tanker, or FPSO vessel.

The largest of these scenarios considered a lossof-well-control incident at the seafloor.

The document concluded, “Even though the probability of a spill is very low, such an oil spill would likely have adverse impacts on marine resources in the area impacted by the spill.

Those resources most at risk would be m a r i n e w a t e r q u a l i t y, seabirds, marine m a m m a l s , a n d marine turtles...although effective implementation of the OSRP (Oil Spill Response Plan) would help mitigate this risk by further reducing the ocean surface area impacted by a

spill and oil exposure to these species, the residual risk to all of these resources aside from marine mammals and seabirds as a whole is considered Moderate.”

Research by this newspaper has found that the impacts of an oil spill, even after a cleanup, are likely to have lasting effects on ecosystems.

For instance, a study published by Science Direct, a website which provides access to a large bibliographic database of scientific and medical publications and hosts over 18 million pieces of

content from more than 4,000 academic journals and 30,000 e-books said “a time period of up to 20 years or longer is required for deep mud coastal habitats to recover from the toxic impact of catastrophic oil spills.

This is due to the long term persistence of oil trapped in anoxic sediments and subsequent release into the water column.”

That article summarized the results from a long term assessment of an oil spill into a coastal fringe mangrove ecosystem in Panama.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA) also explained that cleanup activities never remove 100 percent of the spilled oil, which also contributes to prolonged impacts.

Here in Guyana, the regulator body, EPA is now in the process of securing a US$2 billion insurance coverage from the major oil company operating in the country.

This is so even as the Liza Two Permit issued by the body mandates full insurance coverage, from the parent company to cover for damages, relating to an oil spill.

Govt. in move to consolidate, revise all laws In keeping with plans to overhaul and modernise Guyana's legislative landscape, the Government of Guyana, through the Attorney General's Chambers and Ministry of Legal Affairs has embarked on an initiative to consolidate and revise all of the Laws of Guyana, including principal and subsidiary legislation in force as at 31st December 2022.

This consolidation and revision exercise, is a collaborative effort between the Law Revision Commission, a Unit within the Attorney General's Chambers and Ministry of

Legal Affairs, and the Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean (IMPACT Justice) Project, and will be executed by the Regional Revision Centre Inc., an Anguillan company.

According to a press release by the AG's Chambers, Attorney General, Anil Nandlall is of the view that this consolidation and revision process, taken together with several other transformative initiatives currently underway, will deliver on a manifesto promise to modernise the legislative landscape.

The release noted that the last consolidation and

r ev is io n ex er cis e w as undertaken pre-2012. That exercise produced the 2012 Revised Edition of the Laws of Guyana. That process took place nearly twelve years ago, and a plethora of news laws have been promulgated since, the r e l e a s e s t a t e d .

“Incorporating those laws into principle legislation, and the consolidation of them has become necessary.

The time is therefore ripe to produce a new volume of the Laws of Guyana which is current, comprehensive, and accurate,” Nandlall is quoted in the release as saying.

He added, ”quite importantly, this process will

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall also see the rectification of several deficiencies which

afflicted the last revision exercise. This exercise will take place over a twelvem o n t h p e r i o d . Wo r k commenced on 21st February 2022 and will conclude on 20th February 2023.” Meanwhile, to facilitate the required work, the Attorney General's Chambers and Ministry of Legal Affairs, through the IMPACT Justice Project, will supply the Regional Law Revision Centre with: electronic copies of the last (2012) Revised Edition of the Laws of Guyana; the printed edition of the last (2012) Revised Edition of the Laws of Guyana; a copy of the Consolidated Index of

the Laws of Guyana for the revision periods 2009, 2010 and 2021; and The Gazette publications of the Laws of Guyana for the revision period 31 December 2010 to 31st December 2021.

When the current consolidation and revision exercise is completed, the Regional Law Revision Centre will provide Guyana with completed electronic ( M S Wo r d a n d P D F versions) files of the Laws of Guyana as of 31st December 2022.

These files will then be used to produce the 2022 Revised Edition of the Laws of Guyana, the release concluded.

PAGE 14

Monday March 21, 2022

Kaieteur News

Guyana, Suriname private sectors deepen ties ...eye partnership in agriculture, mining and energy

G

uyana and its e a s t e r n neighbour Suriname, is set to tackle three main areas of business as the private sector of the English and Dutch speaking nations strengthen bilateral relations. Guyana's Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the Suriname Trade and Industry Association (VSB) have established a GuyanaSuriname Private Sector Business Council, dedicated to strengthening economic ties and initiatives regarding shared interests and the creation of the envisioned Single Market and Economy.

PSC Chairman, Paul Cheong, told Kaieteur News that the Council which was formed March 16, is gearing to, “immediately commence work in the areas of agriculture, mining and energy.”

In tackling the areas mentioned, Cheong said that the body will be looking at

existing trade barriers.

“The Council will first take a comprehensive look at these barriers in relation to the free movement of goods and services and take immediate action to address these areas.”

Cheong noted however, that as a new body, the Council is in the process of compiling necessary information regarding barriers and where work in the mentioned business areas could commence.

A press release from the PSC said that as the governments of Guyana and Suriname strengthen bilateral relations, the countries' private sector also realized the importance of their involvement as the engines for growth and development in both countries.

Cheong described the collaboration as historic noting that, “The relationship with Suriname is necessary.”

Members of the new Guyana-Suriname Private Sector Business Council pose with Suriname's President Chandrikapersad Santokhi (centre)

He said that there are many synergies that could be achieved.

According to the release, VSB's Chairman, Bryan Renten said, “The private sector will find opportunities to collaborate in the various sectors, and with the assistance of the Guyanese and Surinamese governments are working on the removal of all barriers for the realization of efficient bilateral trade.”

The VSB Chair noted that the Council's next meeting will see a detailed strategy, with a list of issues that

would need to be addressed.

The PSC release said that the Council's information was shared with Suriname's President, His Excellency, Chandrikapersad Santokhi during a courtesy visit by the newly established Council Chair.

The Council's first official meeting was held on March 16, 2022, where ambitious but necessary targets were set, and a meeting agenda for the next 12 months was set out.

The next council meeting is slated to be held in May 2022 in Guyana, after which

bi-monthly meetings will be held, the PSC said.

The Business Council will have joint leadership with VSB's Chairman, Mr. Bryan Renten elected as Chairman for the first six months, after which the Chairmanship will be handed over Mr. Paul Cheong for the next six months.

It was noted that, President Sanotkhi pleaded for the relationship between Suriname and Guyana to be an example for the region.

“We will show the region how it should be done.

We don't sit next to each

other as competitors but as partners”, the President said.

The Council has 10 members from the private sector comprising five from both countries.

The members from the Surinamese side are Mr. Bryan Renten, Mr. Derrick Klaverweide, Mr. Rishie P a r b h u d a y a l a n d M r.

Farsi Khodabux while the members from the Guyana side are Mr. Paul Cheong, Mr. Norman Mc Lean, Mr. Ryan Alexander, Ms. Latoya J a c k a n d M r. L e e k h a Rambrich.

Guyana Cancer Foundation now member of American Cancer Society ...Local patients to benefit from timely support

T

he Guyana Cancer Foundation (GCF) is moving closer to its goal of helping to provide improved care and support for cancer patients in Guyana. This comes after the GCF gained membership to the American Cancer Society.

GCF founder Ms. Bibi Saeedah Aktar Hassan told Kaieteur News that the foundation will soon sign a contract in Miami and participate in a training programme as it finalizes the partnership.

Hassan, who recently observed her 17th Anniversary as a cancer advocate in Guyana is elated at the prospects of the new partnership with the American Cancer Society.

She told this newspaper that the news of their acceptance comes months after she was invited to be part of the group by the Strategic Director for the American Cancer

Society in the Caribbean.

“This is actually timely support and an answer to a prayer I made years ago for the Cancer Foundation to be a member of the American Cancer Society. So, I'm really excited about the tremendous support that it can garner for cancer patients here,” she said.

The cancer treatment advocate explained that Guyana has a far way to go in terms of improving the treatment offered to the terminally ill. She noted that as Head of the foundation, she is often reminded of this fact. “We are in need of several pieces of equipment and so forth to help with the treatment for cancer patients. For instance, we need a bone scan machine. That's something that we don't have. We also need a low cost radiation therapy centre…That's something we have been lobbying some

overseas partners like the Mount Sinai International Hospital in New York to get,” she said.

The cancer advocate noted that while the ultimate goal is to eradicate cancer altogether, acquiring assistance from the American Cancer Society to improve the care and treatment offered to patients here will go a far way in meeting the end goal.

Hassan said “We can make a difference in saving lives, and while our goal may seem enormous, we want to eradicate breast and cervical cancer in Guyana by 2025, if not the whole or even a half of the country, at least in one community or area, where we can say women are free from cancer.”

She emphasised nevertheless, that the success of this task depends on partnership with the

government, international funding institutions, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and all of society.

The GCF is registered under the Friendly Society of Guyana Act as a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

Hassan has been with the GCF since 2005 when a small group of Avon part-time representatives was selected by the CEO of Beauty and Home Innovations (BHI) Guyana, Ms. Ann Singh, who also helped to set up the Avon Community Help Fund to start breast cancer awareness in Guyana. Hassan was selected by the committee to be the treasurer of the fund. From there on her journey started with the fund to create awareness and education.

The Avon Community Help Fund and its representatives started to raise funds through the business

GCF founder Ms. Bibi Saeedah Aktar Hassan. community and with the help of their close friends they started their education and awareness programme.

Over the years, Hassan has been lobbying corporate sponsors to continue her work.

Kaieteur News

Monday March 21, 2022

PAGE 15

Opposition being stonewalled ...says Govt. blocking every Parliamentary scrutiny of oil issues

A

part from submitting to the N a t i o n a l Assembly, questions and motions on oil and gas issues that need to be addressed, there is another mechanism the political opposition, the APNU+AFC Party, has at its disposal to ensure scrutiny of the government's decisions and policies. This mechanism pertains to two key Standing Committees of the House: the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources and the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Economic Services.

Interestingly, neither of these committees has examined a single decision or policy ever executed by the PPP/C Government since the Twelfth (12th) Parliament was opened on September 1, 2020. It therefore means that it has been 18 months since these parliamentary committees have optimally executed their duties with respect to the oil sector. In

fact, Kaieteur News recently c o n t a c t e d Ya n n i c k December, Parliament's Public Relations Officer to ascertain the number of times these committees have met.

December related that the Natural Resources Committee has not held a single meeting since the start of the 12th Parliament while the Committee on Economic Services has met a few times.

On those occasions, however, only matters related to the Agriculture Sector were examined.

This publication subsequently contacted Shurwayne Holder, PNC/R's Chairman and Vice Chair of the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Economic Services to ascertain why the opposition has not pushed for more meetings to scrutinise the oil sector, and when it would do so. Holder was keen to note however that it is not that the political opposition is bereft of interest to examine issues in t h e o i l s e c t o r. H e

emphatically stated that efforts have been made to do so but the opposition is essentially being stonewalled.

In explaining some of the challenges in this regard, Holder said, “Currently, the chairmanship for the Economic Services Committee rotates. One year I am head and then (Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan) Edghill takes over from there. My chairmanship, the stint was short, while it was over the year, you have to remember there was no parliamentary activity for 100 days due to COVID and then you had budget activities and we were waiting to get that over with.”

Holder continued, “that being said, when we got into the work of the committee to set the work plan, I wanted to focus on oil; that was my priority, I wanted to look at critical issues such as the US$900M gas-to-shore project, and even full coverage insurance… but

government has a majority at the committee and so they can influence how the programme is set…” Holder said for the time being, the committee is stuck on examining issues pertaining to the agriculture sector, which painstakingly, is moving at a snail's pace. The Vice Chair commented too that there is also the perception that the economic services committee should not examine matters pertaining to oil and gas, and that the said subject should be handled in full by the Natural Resources Committee, which is chaired by Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat. “…I am challenging this perception as I don't agree with it. I have asked the Clerk of Committees to talk with the Clerk of the National Assembly to present a firm position on it because I want it to be discussed in my committee.

I think it has relevance there,” Holder expressed.

Taking the foregoing issues, among others into consideration, the Vice Chair holds the view that the government is mounting a concerted effort to prevent parliamentary scrutiny of the oil sector on all fronts.

A c c o r d i n g t o Parliament's website, the Sectoral Committee on Economic services has the power to examine all policies and administration for each sector to determine whether the execution of Government policy is in consonance with the principle of good governance and in the best interest of the nation.

Along with Holder and Edghill, other members of the committee include Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar; Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Anand Persaud; PPP/C MP Alister S. Charlie; PPP/C MP Seepaul Narine; A P N U + A F C

Vice Chair of the Economic Services Committee, Shurwayne Holder Parliamentarian Haimraj B. Rajkumar; APNU+AFC MP Juretha V. Fernandes; and A P N U + A F C Parliamentarian Dineshwar N. Jaiprashad.

With respect to the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources, it is also empowered to examine all policies and administration for each sector to determine whether the execution of Government policy is in consonance with the principle of good governance (Continued on page 16)

PAGE 16

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Monday March 21, 2022

Kaieteur News

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Opposition being stonewalled...

From page 11 and in the best interest of the nation. Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Outar Bharrat is the Chair while the Vice Chair: is the APNU's Dawn Hastings-Williams.

Other members include Minister of Home Affairs, Brindley H.R. Benn; Anand Persaud, Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development; Faizal M. Jaffarally-PPP Member;

Lee G.H. Williams-PPP Member; and from the opposition: Catherine A. Hughes of the AFC; Vincent P. Henry of the APNU+AFC ; and Deonarine Ramsaroop, also from the APNU+AFC.

Uncertainty about GuySuCo assets...

From page 8 that the move by the former administration to place the closed estates assets under NICIL was an illegal one, since power is held by the Board of Directors of GuySuCo to handle the company's business affairs.

He opined that this has been part of the politicians' way of intervening in GuySuCo's affairs.

GuySuCo's Chief Executive Officer, Sasenarine Singh has said however that, “More than G$80 billion in fixed assets, property, plant or equipment was lost between 2017 to June 2020 under the APNU+AFC.” “When I went to Rose Hall, there were zero moving equipment. I went to Rose Hall in September 2020.

More than 80 billion in fixed assets were plundered.”

While Singh could not offer information regarding the leased Enmore packaging plant, the only closed estate to have seen some definite change since the closures, he said that government is planning to build a new packaging plant at Albion along with the expansion of one at Blairmont for 2022.

He said it is part of a design to sell sugar at a higher value and to ensure the country has enough capacity to produce packaged sugar products for the international markets.

In the meantime, the less than 10 year old US$12.5m Enmore Packing Plant facility has been leased to a 52 percent Guyanese owned company for repair works to machinery in the oil and gas sector. The Rose Hall estate is

now said to be reopening in 2023 as work there is around 51 percent complete with more than 1000 persons being recruited.

As it relates to the 12year-old US$200M Skeldon factory that never delivered, VP Jagdeo had said that investors no longer wanted to produce sugar there, and not much has been mentioned about what will happen to the other shuttered estate.

Severed GuySuCo workers received their severance pay and was given an additional $250,000 payout by the PPP/C government.

Some observers say that the $250,000 may have been a “conscionable” payoff by the government given the difficulty it faces to reopen the estates and rehire the workers as promised.

Monday March 21, 2022

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Bel Air decimate Everest in GCA’s U-19 Cricket

PAGE 21

Ajay Gainda had

Shidpersaud (65) & Gainda (4-2) shine Led by a solid half century from Nicholas Shidpersaud, Bel Air on Saturday at the Queen’s College ground, decima t e d E v e r e s t b y a whopping 230-runs in the Georgetown Cricket Associations’ Ramchand Auto Spars, Survival Group of Companies & Trophy Stall U-19 50overs cricket tournament.

S h i d p e r s a u d’s 65 included five fours and a six as Bel Air amassed a massive 320-8 off 50 overs which is highest total ever made in a GCA youth tournament.

Everest were then skittled out for 90 as Ajay Gainda spearheaded the destruction with 4-2 while there were two wickets each for Neelan Bani and Jadesh Dowlatram.

After Kush Seegobin was run out for a duck, Nityanand Matura and Varun Mangal were beginning to build a partnership before Mangal was removed by Dowlatram to trigger a collapse despite the fight shown by Matura who hit four fours and six in his 34, but nobody else apart

from Vishal Persaud who made 14, offered any resistance.

Once Matura was dismissed by Bani and Persaud was run out, the five batters all failed to score as Gainda ripped through the middle and lower order like a sharp knife cutting butter.

Earlier, Lawrence Pellew who smashed six fours and two sixes in 48 and Anthony Khan whose run-aball 24 included three sixes gave Bel Air a rollicking start.

R u d r a n a u t h Kissoon

with a cameo 35 with three fours and six, 37 with three fours and six from Mark Sukhai, an explosive unbeaten 26 from 12 balls with three boundaries which included two sixes from Sasenarine Harricharran added impetus.

Harricharran and Asif Mohammed 11 not out featured in an unfinished ninth wicket stand to take Bel Air, aided by 46 extras, to their record total.

Vishal Persaud 2-62 and Kevin Rameshwar 2-42 were the most successful bowlers for Everest. (Sean Devers)

Shomari...

Monday March 21, 2022 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Extra money may come your way today as a reward for work well done. Perhaps you're getting a substantial bonus, or maybe you're slated for a significant raise.

Either way, Aries.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Today you might be feeling a very powerful and all-consuming love for everyone around you, and perhaps for all life forms in general.

You're also likely to be feeling romantic.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) You may attend a party or other group activity this evening, Taurus. However, you and the special someone in your life could well leave it early in order to steal some time for intimate conversation together.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You could feel a lot of fond affection for everyone around you today, even those you normally might find irritating.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You should feel exhilarated today, Gemini. You might choose to channel some of this enthusiasm into decorating your home.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) A lot of warm and loving communications could come your way today, Cancer. It could be in the form of letters, phone calls, emails.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Good news! It looks as if money is coming your way.

Perhaps you're getting a good bonus, or perhaps you've received a good review and will be getting a substantial raise.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Today you might experience, however briefly, the most intense and refined type of spiritual love, Virgo.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Work may seem more like a drag than usual, as today your thoughts are at home with family, friends, and your partner in life, Sagittarius.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Your natural sensitivity and compassion are given a powerful impetus today by strong feelings of love and affection for everyone around you, Capricorn.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You're a gregarious person by nature, Aquarius, and today you might want to socialize and enjoy yourself.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You may start the day feeling a little insecure about everything going on around you, Pisces. The increased pressures of work might have strained your nerves a little.

However, a lot of love and attention from friends, children.

From page 23 match point was claimed at 11 – 3.

In the third place showdown, Alex Arjoon defeated Daniel Ince 3 – 1 with scores of 11 – 6, 11 – 9, 13 – 15 and 11 – 5.

Fifth place in the Men's Draw was won by the new Senior Women's National Champion, Nicolette Fernandes.

She defeated Nicholas Verwey 3 – 1 with scores that read 11 – 7, 11 – 5, 5 – 11 and 11 – 9.

Seventh place went to Sam Ince-Carvalhal who defeated Steven Xavier 11 – 7 and two sets which ended 11 – 6 in Carvalhal's favour.

O n S a t u r d a y, t h e semi-final round saw Wiltshire trounce Arjoon 13 – 11, 11- 6, 2 – 11, 11 – 6 while Khalil won against Daniel Ince in straight sets 11 – 5, 11 – 5, 11 – 6.

Nicolette flexes on the competition Undoubtedly one of the most known Squash personalities i n Guyana, Nicolette Fernandes, exuded sheer brilliance against the defending Women's National Champion, Ashley Khalil, to sweep the women's division on Saturday.

Fernandes was no nonsense in her approach as she won in straight sets 11 – 5, 11 – 2 and 11 – 3.

Finishing third was Taylor Fer n a n d e s w h o eased past Gabrielle Fraser 11 – 7, 14 – 12, 12 – 14, while Ashley De Groot brushed aside Tian Edwards 11 – 0, 11 – 0, 11 – 2, to end in fifth place.

PAGE 22

Monday March 21, 2022

Kaieteur News

GMR&SC Return to Quarter Mile....

Team Mohamed’s speeds up track preparation One week remains before the highly anticipated Return to Quarter Mile drag race meet is staged and fans and racers alike are licking their chops at the enticing battles that will take place.

March 27 is designated as D-Day for the racers with the South Dakota Circuit undergoing major preparation work ahead of the event.

Spearheading the works is the team Mohamed’s Enterprise camp, headed by Principal and owner, Azruddin Mohamed.

Mohamed, in a comment said, “We are glad to see drag racing return to the South Dakota Circuit after having such a long layoff. As soon as we got the word we began putting things in place to begin track preparation immediately after the club’s circuit race event.”

“What we are doing is

correcting some amount of damage that an errant racer had caused earlier in the year and then we will begin laying rubber up and down the 1320 to ensure that there is maximum grip. The reason we are doing this is to ensure that on the day, the highest level of competition can be achieved for spectators and fans.”

Home to the fastest machines locally including the Godzilla and Goliath Nissan GTRs, the team is also planning to showcase its newest monster, a fully built rail car.

“I don’t want to speak too much about the actual cars yet. They have been ready for quite some time now and I feel that if all goes well Sunday, we may see another track record but only then can we know,” Mohamed added.

The current strip record held by the Godzilla GTR

Team Mohamed’s intensifies track preparation at South Dakota.

stands at 7.5 seconds in the 1320.

Tickets will go on sale from Wednesday at the club’s Albert Street, & Thomas Lands venue, Mohamed’s Enterprise; 29 Lombard Street,

Georgetown, Motor Trend Service Center; Area L Foulis Public Road E.C.D, West Coast Customs Wash Bay; Vreed-en-hoop, W.C.D, Massive Audio; Parika, E.B.E, Homeline Furnishing; 592

New Amsterdam, Berbice, Sukhpaul’s Business Enterprise & Auto Sales,;Lot 7-8 Strand New Amsterdam, Berbice and Sukhpaul’s Service Station; Corriverton, Berbice.

Adult tickets will cost $2000 while children will cost $500.

Meanwhile, competition is expected from Suriname with more than 10 cars so far confirming participation.

Monday March 21, 2022

PAGE 23

Kaieteur News

West Indies hold out for test draw as England fall five wickets short (Reuters) - West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite was again a gigantic roadblock that England could not dislodge as the second test ended in a tense draw in Barbados yesterday.

England declared in enough time to give themselves 65 overs to bowl out West Indies a second time and picked up five wickets inside 45 overs, including three by spinner Jack Leach.

But a singing Barmy Army in typically good voice could not quite inspire the visitors across the finish line as West Indies finished on 135 for five in a match best remembered for the remarkable batting performances by Brathwaite.

After stoically occupying the crease for almost 12 hours in scoring 160 from 489 balls in the first innings, he was there at the bitter end on Sunday, unconquered on 56, having spent all but about one hour on the field over five long days.

A 282-run victory target was never a realistic possibility for West Indies in a contest that followed a remarkably similar trajectory to the first test.

England declared setting West Indies a winning target of 286 from 71 overs in that contest in Antigua which was ultimately drawn, though not before West Indies lost four early wickets which left Nkrumah Bonner and Jason Holder to hold out for the remaining 36 overs.

Holder could not repeat the feat on Sunday, caught off Leach for a 24-ball duck in the 45th over, at which point the visitors must have fancied their chances.

However, wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva, whose batting average is a respectable 26, proved a good foil for Brathwaite, surviving unbeaten on 30, as Leach and part-time spinner Dan Lawrence could not make another breakthrough.

While Brathwaite continued to defend with the straightest of bats, Da Silva gleefully dispatched bad balls to the boundary as the closein legside fielders ducked for cover.

Leach finished with 3-36 from 25 overs, while test newcomer Saqib Mahmood got the other two wickets, making it four for the match.

Earlier on Sunday, England declared their second innings at 185 for six at lunch,

though commentators were puzzled why they did not make the decision a little earlier, with the target already seemingly well beyond the capabilities of the hosts.

West Indies had trailed by 96 runs after the first innings on Saturday.

The third and final test in series starts in Grenada on Thursday.

Jack Leach made the breakthrough after tea • Mar 19, 2022 © Associated Press

England’s Dan Lawrence in action.

(Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff)

PAGE 24

Monday March 21, 2022

Kaieteur News

GCA’s NBS 40-overs 2nd Division Cricket...

Cheddi and Janet Jagan Memorial cycle road race

Kevin Christian again Curtis Dey cops senior title, Spencer is female winner among the runs as Police beat GNIC At the Police Sports Club Eve Leary, the Cops beat GNIC by five wickets on Saturday in the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) New Building Society (NBS) second division 40-overs cricket tournament.

Quincy Ovid top scored with 37 from 58 balls with four fours while David Dick reached the boundary twice and cleared it once in his 24.

Shun Desouza hit a four and six in a 30-ball 19 as GNIC were dismissed for 128 all out in 35 overs as none of the other batters reached double figures although Extras contributed a healthy 20 runs.

Ameer Mohamed captured 5-20 to add to his 3-22 against Bel Air in the last round.

He was supported by Pernell London with 2-31 and Troy Benn with 2-21 bowling for Police who marched to 129-5 in just 17 overs.

The in-form Kevin Christian stroked an attractive 62 from 55 balls in an innings decorated with seven fours and a six to follow-up his half century two rounds ago and his unbeaten century in the last round of the Noble House Seafoods 2-day two-tournament against Third Class.

Extras contributed 29 with Chemroy Kendall being the

Curtis- Curtis Dey accepts his prize from Minister Anand Persaud.

Kevin Christian followed up his unbeaten 102 in the two-day game 62 on Saturday. only other batter to reach double figures.

Trevon Jones, who trapped Christian LBW and

also had the wicket of Kendall, was GNICs best bowler with 2-24, while Rashid Benjamin picked up 2-44. (Sean Devers)

By Zaheer Mohamed Curtis Dey won the senior men’s title while Clivecia Spencer took the female crown when the 22nd annual Cheddi and Janet Jagan Memorial cycle road race was held yesterday.

Dey recovered from a sedate start at Schoonord, West Bank Demerara and kept his composure as the race proceeded to Bushy Park, East Bank Essequibo before returning to point of origin.

Dey managed to keep up with the bunch and started his attack at Ruimzeight on their way back before sprinting to victory in the last 100 meters to win the event which covered 45 miles, for the second time in his career. He clocked one hour 41 minutes 34.75 seconds.

Deeraj Garbarran took the runner up spot, while Andre Green placed third; Christopher Griffith was fourth followed by Geron Williams and Paul De Nobrega.

Clivecia Spencer won the female title ahead of Denise

Jeffery and Marica Dick in that order. Mario Washington won the junior category, while Alexander Leung placed second and Sherwin Sampson third. Robin Persaud took the top podium spot in the veteran division while Alexis Mendez was second and Paul Choo Wee Nam placed third.

Speaking with Kaieteur Sport following the event, Dey said he worked hard for the event and was confident of winning the title.

“I executed well in the race, I was under a lot of pressure at the beginning and I had a lot of work to do. I didn’t take any primes because I realised I can get injured, so I kept looking at the clock and stepped up accordingly,” he added.

Dey explained that he had to work along with Garbarran and credited him for his efforts. He showered praises on the Almighty and expressed gratitude to his parents and sponsors.

Spencer said she put in a lot work prior to the race and

Clivecia Spencer receives her trophy from Neil Kumar.

was confident of doing well.

She expressed gratitude to her parents and supporters.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Anand Persaud said he is pleased to see that cycling in region three is being resuscitated. He gave the assurance that the sport will once again become a norm across Guyana and thanked the cyclists, members of the Guyana Police Force and organisers. “We will try our utmost best to bring the corporate sponsors on board not only for prize money but also for sponsorship of the cyclists,” he stated.

Persaud also lauded the female cyclists. Former NSC chairman Neil Kumar lauded the cyclists and said he will ensure the annual training programme returns to the National Park. The event was sponsored by Mohamed’s Enterprise and Joe Jagmohan and was organised by Coach Hassan Mohamed.

Kaieteur News

Monday March 21, 2022

PAGE 25

Guinness Senior National Squash Championship…

Shomari Wiltshire is the new reclaims Men's Champion - Fernandes Women's crown Shomari Wiltshire held his nerves against defending champion Jason Ray Khalil to whisk away the title of Senior National Men's Champion in the finale of the Guinness Senior National Squash Championships yesterday at the Georgetown Club Courts.

Contesting the last match of the day which was observed

by a boisterous crowd, Wiltshire defeated the more experienced senior player 3 – 2 to lift the title. Wiltshire and Khalil battled in perhaps the most intriguing match of the tournament that also featured the longest rally of the event.

The former champion got off to a great start as he won the first two games 12 – 10 and

14 – 12, but they were not without a fight. The eventual victor was able to claim his first game, 12 – 10, and that boosted his confidence to secure the fourth set (11 – 9) in grinding fashion.

It all boiled down to the fifth and final set. Even though the effort given by both sides was 110%, it was

the better composure down the final stretch which got Wiltshire the victory. On the other side, Khalil was bent on challenging the referee for marginal calls at regular intervals.

At one point, Wiltshire led the final set 9 – 1 and kept piling on the pressure until the (Continued on page 21)

Shomari Wiltshire drops his racquet and shouts in celebration upon winning the match point in the finale of the Senior Men's National Squash Championship.

Jason Ray Khalil's performance was very commendable. His ability to reach and execute shots was a cut above the rest.

Wiltshire lunges into the final stroke that won him the Senior Men's National Squash Title.

Ganesh, Seyhodan lead USA team to win over Chesney ACS Guyana tour...

By Sean Devers in Berbice n a sun kissed day in the agriculture setting of the Chesney Cricket ground in Corentyne Berbice, the American Cricket Society (ACS) registered their third consecutive victory when they beat the home team by 152 runs to maintain their unbeaten streak on their eight-match tour of Guyana.

With the branches of Coconut trees swaying in a very strong breeze and a good sized and vocal gathering, which included National players Jonathon Foo, Nial Smith and Gudakesh Motie along with the BCB President, watched as ACS reached 286 in their 35 overs.

The 35-year-old Karran Ganesh fashioned a delightful unbeaten 92 from 58 balls with eight fours and six sixes on a track with good pace and carry and a lush

Jeetendra Sookdeo is bowled by Narine Deonarine who had 4-45 yesterday. (Sean Devers photo)

O

Karran Ganesh drives during his unbeaten at Chesney yesterday.

(Sean Devers photo) green outfield.

Ganesh got good support from openers Randall Wilson who hit four fours in his 34 and Askaya Homraj who contributed 24 with three fours and a six, while

Kevin Boodie whose 34 was decorated with a four and four sixes.

Narine Deonarine had 445 for Chesney who lost an early wicket before Imran Khan, who played in

Guyana's winning Sanford T20 team, hit a Breezy 21 with a four and two sixes but once he was dismissed it was 45-2.

B u t o n l y Yo u r d o n Gurdyal with an entertaining

31 towards the end reached double figures as Jacobs had 2-22 to take his tally the nine from three matches.

But it left-arm spinner Krsna Seyhodan with 4-19, who did the most damage

with the ball, while Seecharran had 2-24.

ACS will play Everest at E v e r e s t t o d a y, w h i l e tomorrow they come up against a Keemo Paul led Guyana X1 at Everest.

West Indies hold out for test draw as England fall five wickets short Kraigg Brathwaite defends with close fielders surrounding the bat Mar 19, 2022 © Getty Images

Cheddi and Janet Jagan Memorial cycle road race...

s t r po

S

Curtis Dey cops senior title, Spencer is female winner

Respective prize winners with the accolades alongside organisers and representatives of the sponsors. (Zaheer Mohamed photos)

Guinness Senior National Squash Championship…

Shomari Wiltshire - Fernandes reclaims Women's crown

is the new Men's Champion

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