Kaieteur News

K

Brazil breaks NEWS record for daily Covid-19 death toll

Thursday Edition

AIETEUR

March 25, 2021 - Vol. 14 No.11

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

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

Price $80

p.

12

Online readership yesterday, 104,209

Guyana paying Exxon to train oil regulator US logistics company p.

3

Cops reviewing Giftland will have records to seep. p. if stolen car 18 to pay taxes once 8 was used in gold proper procedure

to set up EBD waste treatment facility dealer’s execution is followed- CJ clarifies Gas price faces increasing instability moving forward - Energy Finance Analyst 10 days later…

Taxi driver Passenger Exxon still jailed 21 years reinstalling helps gunman for rape of repaired gas hijack taxi compressor schoolgirl p.

11

p.

2

p.

3

p.

17

p.

8

Govt. examining new rules for spending oil money p.

15

- all transfers, spending to be reflected in Budget - Dr. Singh Ashni Singh happy with Exxon’s lopsided deal, says we will settle with the pennies we get, while the Govt. pumping billions into GuySuCo, a dead industry. Listen to Kaieteur Radio (99.1/99.5FM) @11:00hrs

PAGE 02

Thursday March 25, 2021

Kaieteur News

Gas price faces increasing instability moving forward - Energy Finance Analyst E

nergy Finance Analyst, Bruce Robertson, is warning buyers of Gas and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to beware of what is to come. On behalf of Institute for Energy Economics and Financial A n a l y s i s ( I E E FA ) , Robertson said that the inherent volatility of the gas commodity is expected to increase in 2021, and that gas customers all over the world can expect that substantially higher prices will be a distinct possibility.

“While contract prices have been relatively stable in the recent past,” Roberton

said, “this stability is likely to give way to a renewed period of volatility as drilling activity has been low, gas industry investment

world.”

This prediction is not coming from a novice.

A c c o r d i n g t o I E E FA , Robertson has been an

The extreme volatility of spot prices “combined with the increasing volatility of contract prices will see many projects become unbankable. ” – IEEFA Energy Finance Analyst, Gas/LNG, Bruce Robertson in production and development has stalled, and oil and gas companies continue to experience financial instability and poor financial health around the

investment analyst, fund manager and professional investor for over 35 years.

He said that such volatility in spot prices causes gas-fired power plants to be under-

utilised, as gas can sometimes be expensive and unaffordable to source.

IEEFA posited that, that price spikes and volatility will exceed that which has been experienced in the last years, with increases in tariffs for gas and electricity customers as well. This means the electricity produced by gas will become unaffordable in emerging markets, because those markets are more price sensitive.

Robertson explained that recent spot price volatility has led to tenders being cancelled, and that prices are being offered at uneconomic

rates.

“The extreme volatility of spot prices combined with the increasing volatility of contract prices will see many projects become unbankable.”

He noted that this has a ff e c t e d c u s t o m e r s i n Pakistan, Vietnam and Bangladesh. “ Vo l a t i l i t y a n d increasing gas prices have placed 42.6 gigawatts (GW) of proposed LNG power p r o j e c t s i n Vi e t n a m , Bangladesh and Pakistan at risk,” Robertson wrote.

“These projects need LNG import infrastructure such as ports, regasification facilities, and pipelines to get the imported gas to the power stations. We estimate the cost of doing so at over US$1.25 billion per GW.” The ability of each country to fully utilise their existing LNG powered electricity generation plants, will be inhibited, IEEFA said. This puts over US$50 billion in proposed gas-fired

IEEFA Analyst, Bruce Robertson power projects at risk of cancellation due to high LNG prices.

This warning comes at a time when Guyana is sorting out the logistics for a plan to bring associated gas from the Liza Phase One operation, to shore, to power the country.

The gas would be way more than Guyana needs, raising questions about how Guyana's energy sector will be able to manage it without becoming financially unsustainable.

Logger killed by falling tree

T

he community of Wakapau in the PomeroonSupenaam area (Region Two) is now in a state of mourning, following the death of 27-year-old, Silas Allan Fredericks. Fredericks was killed on Monday, after a tree fell on him. At the time, the man was working at Kaburi Backdam, Region Seven.

The incident reportedly occurred just after 13:00 hrs. at a logging claim managed

by Derick Lim in the Kaburi area. One of the dead man's relative informed this media house that Monday made one month since he started working there.

Speaking with this publication, Lim stated that on that day, Fredericks was on duty cutting down trees.

The tree he was cutting at the time did not immediately fall to the ground, but ended up hooking onto a vine. The man then began to saw another tree “to help throw down the one that was hooked up,” this publication was informed.

In the process of doing that, the tree that was entangled “ended up cutting loose from the vine” and fell, pinning the 27-year-old to

DEAD: Silas Fredericks the ground in the process.

Fredericks was at the time, working with five other crewmembers, when he met his demise.

The man's motionless body was picked up, and taken to the Bartica Public Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

Meanwhile, Fredericks' m o t h e r - i n - l a w, K a r e n Richards, in an invited comment said, that it was only Saturday morning he had called home to speak (continued on page 13)

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 25, 2021

PAGE 03

Guyana paying Exxon to train Oil Regulator A

ccording to the Environmental Permit for the Payara Project in the Stabroek Block, American oil giant, ExxonMobil, has up to September 23, 2021 to submit an updated Environmental and Socioeconomic Monitoring Plan.

That document which has to be provided to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to include protocols, performance standards, and responsibilities in consultation with and jointly implemented by ExxonMobil and the EPA. I m p o r t a n t l y, w h a t e v e r capacity needs, such as

training, that is required by the EPA to implement the plan, ExxonMobil is bound by the permit to provide it.

Furthermore, the permit notes that external expertize (local and international) may be sourced by the EPA as may be required to augment this monitoring plan and/or conduct associated audits.

Once again, the permit holder will be responsible for all reasonable and jointly agreed upon costs associated with this monitoring plan and any associated independent audits.

It is important to note that ExxonMobil would be able to recover the foregoing costs from its production operations in the Stabroek

Block.

This protection is perfectly secured in Annex C of the Production Sharing Agreement that was signed in 2016 for the offshore concession. By being able to recover such costs, it therefore means that Guyana is paying ExxonMobil to support the nation's regulator in doing its job.

While Guyana has turned to ExxonMobil for this support, it is important to note that at least three countries, Trinidad, Suriname and Mexico, have made it pellucid over the years that they are willing to share their oil and gas experience with Guyana for these very matters.

In 2018 for example, Guyana had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with i t s C A R I C O M s i s t e r, Trinidad and Tobago, to engage in the exchange of knowledge on the oil and gas sector.

The document specifically noted that, the Parties may cooperate in the following areas: the exchange of information on public policies in the area of the regulation, administration and sovereign management of hydrocarbon resources and technology transfer; the promotion of training and capacity building of technical personnel and the

development of energy technologies through, inter alia, technical visits, secondments, seminars and presentations; the development of policies, plans and protocols relating to health, safety and the environment; and any other means of cooperation agreed to by the Parties in the areas related to the agreement in accordance with the legal system of each country.

Furthermore, Kaieteur News was the first to report in 2018 of Mexico's readiness to assist Guyana in making the EPA a robust regulator for the sector. The following year, Suriname had also made it clear that it stands ready to lend its

technical expertize. This too was reported on extensively.

Guyana would have also received technical assistance from the World Bank via a US$20M loan to help strengthen the capacity of the EPA. THE PAYARA PROJECT

The Payara development plan includes a floating production, storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, named Prosperity. It is expected to produce 220,000 barrels of oil per day.

The development will have up to 45 wells, including production wells, water injection wells and gas injection wells.

The Payara development startup is expected as early as 2024.

This development is ExxonMobil's third project.

North Ruimveldt man in court for more fraud charges

A

24-year-old, N o r t h Ruimveldt man, who was previously slapped with multiple fraud charges, yesterday appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts to answer to three similar charges. He was placed on $60,000 bail.

The defendant, Micah Sonaram, 24, of Lot 2273 Flying Fish Street, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, appeared before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, with his attorney-at-law, Latchmie Rahamat.

According to reports, Sonaram has reportedly defrauded several persons using his social media

Alleged fraudster, Micah Sonaram business page, Parts Zone GY, which advertises that he

Passenger helps gunman hijack taxi

A

passenger on Tuesday assisted an armed bandit to rob a taxi driver of his car and other belongings.

The victim, Royston Green, 36, of Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD), told the cops that the robbery took place around 20:00 hrs.

Green, who also works as a security guard, said that he was plying his trade as a taxi driver earlier that night in the Diamond area.

He was reportedly hired by a man who wanted to be transported to Soesdyke.

Green recounted to police that the passenger further

stated that they were heading there to pick-up another person.

When they arrived at the location in Soesdyke, Green recalled that a man armed with a handgun approached.

The passenger then joined forces with the gunman and together they robbed him of cash and his cellphone, before driving away with the car.

Green described his car to the police as a silver grey 2012 model Toyota Premio, with number plate PWW 1790.

Anyone who might have seen Green's car can contact the nearest police station.

ships parts and machinery.

He was charged and granted bail on all previous charges, pending the outcome.

The first new charge alleges that between November 19, 2020 and December 29, 2020, at Georgetown, while being solely entrusted with $3,500,000 by Mohamed Ahmad, to purchase a motor vehicle, he fraudulently converted the money to his own use and benefit.

T h e s e c o n d c h a rg e alleges that between November 29, 2020, and January 2, 2021, at Georgetown, while being solely entrusted with $3,000,000 by Mohamed Ahmad, to purchase an excavator, he fraudulently converted the money to his own use and benefit.

The third charge alleges that between December 2, 2020 and December 11, 2020, at Georgetown, while being solely entrusted with $2,000,000 by Mohamed Ahmad, to purchase an excavator, he converted the money to his own use and benefit.

Those three charges are indictable and he was not required to plead.

Rahamat then told the court that her client has no convictions, but highlighted that he is before the court for pending similar matters. In the bail application for her client, the lawyer said that Sonaram would attend all hearings of the matter and abide with any conditions

attached to a reasonable amount of bail.

The police prosecutor

made no objection to bail being granted to Sonaram, but asked that he lodged his

travel documents and report to the Criminal Investigation (continued on page 6)

PAGE 4

Thursday March 25, 2021

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

UG graduates We offer our congratulations to our young students at the University of Guyana for successfully achieving a major academic milestone in life. Our recognition goes out to those who rose to the top, the valedictorians, the best graduating students, and all the rest of the graduates. Whether two years or four years later, or otherwise, it is a time and a point in the journey of life to be treasured.

But as we join our hands with other Guyanese to applaud today, we say that our graduates must be about more. They must be much more than a moment in time under the sun and before the flashing of cameras. They must be more than a piece of parchment that is a part of the scroll of their lives.

Unlike scrolls, which are usually furled and carefully put away, the lives of our graduates must be unfurled in the diligence of their efforts, the quality of the service that they bring before their fellow citizens.

Our graduates, past and present, must find it in themselves to be more than a piece of paper proudly placed on the wall for all who come near or pass by to admire. At the individual levels, their lives must be a cause for a certain kind of ongoing commentary. It is that strain of commentary, which speaks so much of what they heard and absorbed, learned and retained, and what they must bring to the fore, because they are determined to be difference makers, they have visions of being contributors, and they harbour ideas that could stir their contemporaries, break down barriers and overcome all challenges.

If they are going to serve this country with character, and with distinction, then they must resolve themselves to be rid of the poisons that plague this society. Of necessity, their first look begins deep within themselves, then beyond the prevailing culture, last over the heads of all resistance to the noble things that they stand for, the constructive disagreements that come from the visions of how this society should be. They can continue to carry the ancient baggage indifferently; or they can say differently and be just that, and nothing else.

The priorities are sure to number taking their places in society that is believed to be well deserving and due. But, as we look at what went before with the great majority of our graduates, we say: please stay, don’t go! And as we look still more closely, and most critically this time, at most of those who came from our academic halls of learning, we say do not let it be just about the money and the position and the power that comes from both. We have had too much of those, which has failed us many times before, and now when we need it like never before.

We need our young men and women, our thrilled graduates, to rise above the political partisanship, though; it may be some of that relationship that got them there.

We need, and so urge, our graduating citizens coming from all corners of this country, to be about the sprawling uplifting universal and not the narrow self-defeating racial, which must not be the spectacles through which they see the world, this sharply torn and deeply wounded world of Guyana.

What we need today is for our graduates - the overachievers, the underachievers, the average, and all of them - to soar in this society in their manifestations of a different spirit.

That they will not be part of that which divides; if they don’t, then it can be said that, for all their learning, they have learned and know not anything. That they will not be part and parcel, in any form whatsoever, in those practices that are of the same self-fulfilling grabbing from the people, the same dirty corruptions that contaminate all and distress fewer and fewer.

Today we need our young graduates, in whatever field that they singled out as their calling, to excel in the trenches.

They must deliver quietly and cleanly to their fellow citizens, who come to them, or look to them, or hope in them. Should they embrace our nasty sickening politics, then all we can insist of them is: do it well, involve self in it honestly and with the best of intentions.

That is, serve the people, hold them dear, and give them what is due to them. Deliver those, and we can ask for nothing more. Best of luck, make us proud!

The Vice-President is not his own man and it shows Dear Editor, The more I observe governance in this country, the more I conclude that what we have is a PPP yoyo tango in motion. In true tango coupling, it involves a president who is always bent backwards, and a vice president who steps on toes.

The president is about buzzwords, the vice president about a buzzsaw; the former a sorcerer, the latter a conjurer.

His Excellency flourishes with phrasings. Listen to him: “opportunities…boundless” and “upward trajectory” and “transformative agenda” and “reset our relations” among other such lip glosses.

Methinks that President Ali thinks he is President Burnham.

I have a feeling that he is a closet American, since all the corporate verbiages are embedded. I get it: de Americans providing de tutorin and schoolin. I congratulate the president for catching on quickly. I can’t wait to hear about synergistic visions and strategic planning and the rest of that crap. The president is the dancer and has the best lines.

They lack any ring of truth.

On the other hand, the Hon. Vice President (a word taken to new heights [or depths]), is the epitome of a glider under remote control; he is not his own man and it shows.

He sounds it, too; and pathetically so. I blame the Americans, who are why the

presidential half of this leadership combo and tango spoke about “reset our relations” to the Europeans.

He should acquaint himself with the map of Europe: Russia is the biggest bloc, but later may be greater, Vladimir.

The Europeans did help immensely with elections, and it is collection time.

“Transformative agenda” my derriere.

But hear the VP: “enormous pressure.” I inform him: it is part of the territory, buddy. If the heat can’t be borne, get out of the kitchen.

The VP needs to stop making an utter spectacle of himself. This is what he signed up for, when he tied bundle with the Americans

and Europeans. That is, unless he wants to turn Forbes Burnham on them. I remind of something to this effect: we must own and control the “commanding heights of the economy.”

David Granger might be the historian, but the VP remembers how Burnham ended up: out! The lesson is: don’t mess with the Americans, which is what the VP is finding out the hard way.

He can’t move, he can’t speak. He can’t even think on his own anymore. He is owned: lock, stick, and barrel, which is why he is back peddling in clumsy tango fashion; deh even tek way he dance card.

Yours truly, GHK Lall

It is high time that a Guyanese be elected to be at the helm Cricket West Indies Dear Editor, As West Indians are struggling to move up the ladder there is a keen contest for the leadership of Cricket West Indies (CWI). The West Indies Cricket Board of Control was established in 1920, the name was changed to West Indies Cricket Board.

The words of Control were removed and in November 2015 it was renamed Cricket West Indies (CWI). There are six members of the CWI, namely Barbados Cricket Association, Guyana Cricket Board, Jamaica Cricket Association, Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board, Leeward Islands Cricket Association and Windward Cricket Board.

Elections will be held on Sunday, March 28 and the incumbent Ricky Skerrit of St. Kitts and Kishore Shallow of St Vincent are being challenged by Anand Sanasie of Guyana and Calvin Hope of Barbados for the presidency and vice presidency respectively after serving only one term — two years.

The incumbent replaced Dave Cameron of Jamaica and Emanuel Nathan who served for six years.

Cameron had taken over from Julian Hunte of St. Lucia who also served six years.

Sanasie, the challenger for presidency, served for seven years as director of CWI, chairman of the Umpires and Match Referee sub-

committee, and several years as Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board, President of the West Demerara Cricket Association, and founder of Jaguar Cricket Academy. He is said to be a “go getter” and the years he has done a fantastic job in promoting cricket in Guyana hence the reason why Guyana is the top team in all formats of the game.

Hope is a former Baarbados Youth Cricketer and is an attorney by profession. A few days ago former CWI President, Dave Cameron endorsed Sanasie who he said will bring new visionary leadership to the cricketing body and that “Skerrit has failed to deliver the kind of leadership we hoped to see”.

Moreover he added that Guyana and Barbados are leading cricket nations. Skerrit was a Minister of the St. Kitts government and holds a first degree from the University of the Virgin Islands and a Master’s Degree from Oxford University.

Guyana has produced several world class cricketers like Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd. Lance Gibbs and outstanding captains like Lloyd whose remarkable leadership contributed to the Caribbean team winning the first two world cup tournaments in 1975 and 1979.

Unfortunately, although the Co-operative Republic boasts of dozens of (Continued on page 6)

Searching for a niche in the workplace Dear Editor, There were two totally contrasting conversations.

The first was with a wellqualified University graduate who after nearly two decades in a relatively small but well recognised organisation, had only achieved the level of a junior manager.

After all the years in a familiar setting this so called professional still had to apologise for late coming, and therefore could not speak to subordinates of the same deficiency. As a consequence the range of insubordination overflowed into other areas of their performance, since discipline could not be enforced with the respect that was required.

The outcome was an operational environment which exuded mediocrity that, for some unspecified reasons, was tolerated – climaxing in a long unrewarding day as far as this under-professional was

concerned.

Instead, just blaming others for having to leave work late almost on a daily basis – incapable of selfevaluation, unable to recognise how barely tolerable are the administrative services rendered.

What a contrast to the other professional, also a university graduate, imbued with desire to strive for excellence, at least technically, which in fact is the nature of the services rendered. The latter boasts about meticulous preparation and of insistence on meeting often demanding deadlines; while being impatient with own performance deficits, if any. What is interesting is that despite earning high credits from the supervising directorate, is the former’s reluctance to accept being upgraded to an appropriate managerial level; the explanation being a lack of

passion that should normally be complementary to the technical competence which achieves highly commended results.

These contrasting portrayals provide interesting pause for contemplation. For in both cases there exist different types and degrees of the lack of passion. In the first instance, one is patently unconscious, while in the other there is this active awareness, but which is never depletive.

The question to be asked is how many such contrasting attitudes to work obtain in organisations; and more importantly how many levels there are of the consciousness of ‘passion’?

How is passion (or the lack of it) related to the communication of ‘motivation’ by the supervision? Do managers understand enough of their responsibility to excite perpetually their subordinates

towards achieving a standard of performance that may not be immediately selfgenerated? Surely leaders charged to achieve the required organisational targets must set examples of having the passion to achieve excellence.

In other words they must have the moral authority needed to conduct performance appraisals of reporting staff that would earn credibility both laterally and vertically.

But this is not to say that the observance of productive protocols may well be constrained by the ‘virtual’ interactions imposed by the current (and future) pandemic times. So how then does the passionate executive transmit his/her intensity to the next level from whom must rise a successor? Asks a long retired but still passionate professional.

Yours truly, E.B. John

Thursday March 25, 2021

PAGE 5

Kaieteur News

Our heroes and icons must not be forgotten Had the Chairwoman not acted as she did, the rigging cabal might have found another way to derail the elections We as a nation must do our best to avoid a Dear Editor, wishes of a party and not At first impression one there to do the work of the repaid when increase returns at the lowest would readily jump to the commission. We would have large debt with China easily considering the risks still possible level of risk. conclusion that the been to this day in the dark of Dear Editor, March 22nd and March 23rd are two dates that mark the birthdays of two of Guyana’s most illustrious personalities.

Both passed away, one by natural cause and the other by politically-motivated murder/assassination. Dr.

Cheddi B. Jagan is described as the Father of the Nation, and Dr. Walter Rodney as a Martyr killed because he opposed the PNC government of the day.

As of today, I have not seen any public recognition of these iconic figures at this time.

On March 21st I was privileged to listen and see several eminent scholars remembering Walter Rodney at the online 18th Annual Walter Rodney Symposium, the keynote speaker being the inimitable scholar/activist was Angela Y. Davis.

How soon we forget! Is

it an inexcusable failure or a deliberate inaction – to forget the past? Shame on the Nation.

More shame on the PPP. Our heroes and icons must not be forgotten. Their legacy must live on for all posterity.

Yours truly, Gary Girdhari

Dear Editor, The recent concerns raised over indebtedness to China and possible unforeseen expenses in the oil sector due to an oil spill should be given further consideration.

In addition, we are not assured that the current Party with its history of prudent fiscal management will always remain in power.

The past five years has shown us how quickly a surplus can become a deficit when administered irresponsibly and corruption is allowed to take hold.

Although debt forgiveness as seen in the case of Kuwait and other lenders of the past was accomplished, China does show a preference for asset accumulation and the installation of new military

bases when debt payments are not made. Given the sensitive nature of the region due to the large Venezuelan oil resources and US led embargoes, we as a nation must do our best to avoid a large debt with China. Our financial independence is strongly and directly linked to our sovereignty.

The risks before us remain the same. Dry oil wells can reduce our profit by increasing cost in the oil and gas sector; an oil spill can also reduce the profitability of the sector and may result in a significant loss; and the delay in the sale of LNG resources while flaring occurs reduces the revenue intake for the sector.

Therefore, it would be best to be extremely cautious in our expenditures as a Nation to ensure that our financial debt with China is

present in the oil and gas sector.

It is currently a very sensitive geopolitical environment, and the best approach would be to pay down our debt quickly with our Chinese lenders while ensuring the profit from the current oil and gas finds is maximized and invested to

Maximizing the risk reward ratio on our SWF investments is essential to maintaining our financial independence.

As mentioned previously, the Norwegian SWF investment model is a great benchmark to review.

Yours truly, Mr. Jamil Changlee

...It is high time that a From page 4 test cricketers, the country never had a Guyanese President of the regional board since independence.

Research shows that John St. Felix Dare served as the West Indies Cricket Board of Control President from 19601965.

I think he was the Managing Director of Fogarty. Chetram Singh who

served two decades as President of the Guyana Cricket Board was nominated to be the President of WICB, but withdrew his candidacy over displeasure because he served as Head of a Racing Company.

It is high time that a Guyanese be elected to be at the helm Cricket West Indies.

Yours truly, Oscar Ramjeet

Chairwoman was a coconspirator in this whole election rigging fracas. Yes, with her seemingly laid back style of taking ages to come to a decision on any matter and failure to act in others, I would have been tempted to say that she was integral to the election rigging and should be punished for her inaction, but is she? And this is the million dollar question is she as guilty as we are making her out to be?

Well, for starters, if the Chairwoman had not acted the way she did we would never have come to the realization that there were members planted there to carry out the

the personalities involved as well as their diabolical plot.

And if I should add, that rigging cabal would still be intact, well and able to come up with another strategy to derail the electoral process in our country.

Now that we are apprised of the goings on in their nefarious minds, we can effectively deal with them - I am talking about their prosecution and removal then and only then can we safely navigate into the future. As the lyrics in the song by Jimmy Cliff states “I can see clearly now the rain is gone, I can see all obstacles (Continued on page 18)

PAGE 6

Thursday March 25, 2021

Kaieteur News

...North Ruimveldt man in Fibre Tech gets its fibreglass products approved From page 3 Department (CID) Headquarters. Chief Magistrate McLennan then granted Sonaram bail in the sum of $20,000 for each charge, with the prosecutor's conditions attached.

Sonaram is expected to make his next court appearance for those matters on March 31, 2021. However, that was not the first time Sonaram appeared before Chief Magistrate McLennan for fraud related charges.

During December 2020, he appeared before the Chief Magistrate for charges that alleged that he conned a businessman of $4.5M. Those charges alleged that between November 5, 2020, and December 10, 2020, at

Georgetown, while being solely entrusted with a total of $4,500,000 by Emile Cameron to purchase and deliver one Doosan DX 225 LCA, he converted the money to his own use and benefit.

He is also facing two similar charges before Principal Magistrate, Sherdel IsaacsMarcus, in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts. Those two charges amount to over $11M. Additionally, during 2017 he was charged for allegedly defrauding a man of over $5.8M under the pretense that he was in a position to grant him a firearm, a motor pick-up and a National Identification Card.

by GNBS On Tuesday, Fibre Tech Industrial Plastics (FTIP) was the first manufacturing company in Guyana to have its fibreglass bathtub and shower products certified by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GBNS) under the Standard body’s Product Certification Programme.

According to a GNBS release, the manufacturing company was found to be in conformance with the requirements of the Guyana Standard for plastic bathtub and shower units (GYS 557:2020).

The certificate, which is only valid for one year, was handed over to Ms. Amrita Panday, the Chief Executive Officer of FTIP, by the Head of the Certification Department of GNBS, Mr. Al Donavon Fraser.

Also in attendance at the handing over ceremony at the company’s Triumph, East Coast Demerara, location was the Managing Director of FTIP, Mr. Somat Ali. It is known now that FTIP

Mr. Al Donavon Fraser handing over the certificate to Ms. Amrita Panday. is permitted to affix the National Standards Mark to bathtubs and shower unit it manufactures, through the Product Certification Programme and by rights of the GNBS Act No.11 of 1984

subsections 17 and 19.

Speaking at the ceremony, Fraser stated that the certification of products ensures conformance to standards and provides the assurance of quality to consumers.

With that, he applauded the company for being the first to certify such products and encouraged other companies to get their products certified as well.

The Managing Director of FTIP, who expressed thanks to the GNBS and the FTIP teams for making the certification possible, said that the company would now be able to export its fibreglass products to countries in the CARICOM Region and beyond.

He added that with the increase of local business from the Oil and Gas Sector and in construction, it is ideal for local manufacturers to have their products certified.

In 2019, Fibre Tech approached GNBS for certification for its fibreglass

products. Thereafter, the Bureau worked with the company to adopt the Standard from the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) and the American National Standard Institute (ANSI). Some other products that are certified to National Standards are PVC pipes, gold jewellery and concrete hollow blocks.

As it continues to create a culture of quality in the country, the Bureau offers Product Certification as a voluntary programme, under which local manufacturers can claim that their products are made to consistent quality.

This programme aims to implement and monitor systems within participating companies based on requirements of National Standards.

It gives buyers the assurance the quality of these products and provides a competitive edge to manufacturers in both local and international markets.

T N U L B . . .

T B N U T L N T B .

U .

L .

L T B .

N .

U .

N U T L N B .

U .

T .

L N T U N B .

N U .

L U L LUNT. B .

T . .

T T N N B U B .

U .

L .

L T B .

B . .

N . . .

T U T L N N T U U L N L B U .

B . .

L . . .

T B T . .

N .

N T U L N LU B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

NT LUNT...B NT...BLU N U L B . .

B .

U . .

T L .

N T B . .

U N .

L N T B U N . .

L .

U T L B . .

N B . . .

T U .

L N T B U . .

L .

UN T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L B U UN .BLUNT. . .

L .

T B . .

N .

T U .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

LU ...BLUNT LUNT...B NT...BL T B U . .

L N .

T B BLU T...BLUN BLUNT... UNT...B . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B BBLU T...BLUN BLUNT... ...BLU .

T .

N .

N T T U L U L N L B U T...BLU U B .

L .

N .

B T . . .

N T U N N N L U U U B L .

L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Thursday March 25, 2021

Kaieteur News

What sense does it make to have ExxonMobil train the EPA, and set the parameters for the EPA to regulate it?

The same company that flares billions of cubic feet of gas and dumps thousands of barrels of produced water into the ocean, is expected to teach Guyana to be a prudent regulator of its operations.

Is the Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, boasting about the 'superior' Payara permit?

PAGE 07

PAGE 08

Thursday March 25, 2021

Kaieteur News

Giftland will have to pay taxes once proper procedure is followed - CJ clarifies A

cting Chief Justice (CJ), Roxane GeorgeWiltshire, has clarified that once the proper procedures are followed, Giftland Mall, will have to pay up the taxes it owes to the Georgetown City Council.

This was revealed at the Mayor and City Council's Statutory Meeting on Monday, when a video clip of the ruling was played for the Council to get clarity on the decision.

The ruling stems from court action filed by Giftland over claims that it owed the Council in excess of $100M worth of taxes. The company had released a statement saying they were exonerated of owing taxes.

While several sections of the media had reported that based on her decision

City Mayor, Ubraj Narine Giftland owed no taxes, the CJ (Ag) clarified that her order stipulates that until proper procedures are followed, then the applicant is not liable to taxes.

While addressing the misconception, the CJ (Ag) noted, “If everyone listens to the recording of the proceedings, they will hear what was said are taxes have to be paid but paid according to law and as the law requires.”

She said further that, “Once the applicable procedures are followed then obviously, they would have to pay that which is required, according to law. So, if it is that the media and I don't know where they would have gotten it from, if it is that the media is of the view that the applicant is not liable to pay any taxes in perpetuity, then they are mistaken.”

The CJ (Ag) noted too that in her decision the phrase “or at all” was used and that might have caused some confusion.

“But or at all has to be

taken in the context of not liable until the proper procedures are followed. So, when you take a little snippet of something and don't understand the context, then that is where we have a problem,” Justice GeorgeWiltshire said.

The decision followed a bitter court battle between the M&CC and Giftland Mall over$100M in taxes.

Based on the court case, the Council had calculated the

alleged outstanding amount owed by Giftland using a valuation from the State's Chief Valuation Officer.

As such, the Court in its ruling set aside the valuation on the grounds that the Chief Valuation Officer failed to comply with the procedure for valuing the commercial property. As a result, the Court ruled that the demand for rates and taxes, based on the calculation of the municipality, was set aside. In

addition, the Court ruled that the claim of 21 percent compound interest by the Council under the Municipal and District Council Act is set aside.

Meanwhile, at the statutory on Monday, it was also announced that given the clarification, the M&CC would appeal certain aspects of the court decision, particularly as it relates to the valuation and interest in taxes.

Taxi driver jailed 21 years for rape of schoolgirl

A

32 year-old taxi driver was yesterday sentenced to 21 years in prison for the rape of a 12year-old school girl.

Sahadeo Pooran, known as “Omesh,” was on trial at the High Court in Georgetown before Justice, Jo-Ann Barlow, and a mixed 12member jury for the indictment, which stated that on September 27, 2019, he engaged in sexual penetration with a child, who is under the age of 16.

Pooran had previously pleaded not guilty to the charge and was represented by attorney-at-law, Euclin Gomes, at his trial.

Earlier this month, Pooran was found unanimously guilty of raping the 12-year-old

Jailed: Taxi driver, Sahadeo Pooran school girl. His sentence was however deferred until yesterday when Justice Barlow made several

considerations before imposing the 21 years jail term.

Both the man and his lawyer begged for leniency.

The lawyer disclosed that Pooran is the breadwinner for his family and that his reputed wife is currently pregnant.

Gomes begged the court to temper justice with mercy as his client who joined the hearing via zoom wept uncontrollably when the judgement was read.

In her calculation, Justice Barlow said that found no mitigating factors since Pooran has shown no remorse for the heinous act.

The Judge took into consideration, among other things, the prevalence of the offence and the impact the (continued on page 16)

Man confesses to killing lover's husband after being caught in bed

A

man, Sterfon B a r l o w, h a s pleaded guilty to killing his lover's reputed husband in 2016 after the man caught them in bed together.

Barlow and his lover, Alexis Turpin, were both charged with murder. Last month, they faced a trial before Justice Brassington Reynolds. However the jury was unable to arrive at a verdict and Justice Reynolds had ordered a re-trial of the case.

However, yesterday Barlow appeared again before Justice Reynolds and opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

He admitted that on July

Confessed killer: Sterfon Barlow 2, 2016, at Lodge, Georgetown, he unlawfully killed Sherwin Johnson.

Justice Reynolds ordered

that a probation report for Barlow be done and scheduled his sentencing for April 14, 2021. In the meantime, his co-accused, Turpin, remains on remand awaiting a re-trial.

According to the particulars of the case, Johnson and Turpin shared a relationship at Lodge, Georgetown. It was reported that Johnson arrived home on the day in question and found Turpin in bed with Barlow. A heated argument ensued between the parties which escalated into a fight, during which the two accused dealt Johnson several stabs about his body with a metal object, allegedly a crow bar.

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 25, 2021

PAGE 09

Start with the markets A

t a r o u n d 16:40hrs (4:40 pm) yesterday, two traffic ranks, this time arriving on a motorcycle, were again preying on motorists at the junction of New Garden and Church Streets.

It is hard to imagine with all the logjam of traffic during peak hours and the difficulties motorists have in exiting the city for their homes, that this is the efficacy with which the traffic authorities are deploying their ranks during rush hour.

As if this was not stressful enough, the National Communications Network (NCN) began announcing, from as early as 17:40 hrs (5.40 pm), that there will be an announcement by the President of the Republic.

The announcement was scheduled for 17:45 hrs (5:45 pm), according to NCN. Normal programming was interrupted by the airing of patriotic songs. This created anxieties that this announcement was indeed very important.

Speculation was rife about just what the President would announce. My neighbour looked through her window and shouted across our fence, “I hope you stock up on groceries. It looks as if the President will announce a lockdown.”

It seemed a distinct possibility. After all, there has been a massive spike in cases in recent weeks. The

Dem

boys seh...

C

ARICOM now begging fuh vaccines. And of all places dem go look fuh beg is de United States of America.

Dem read how Uncle Sam giving vaccines to Canada and Mexico. But dem fuhget how is de Americans, de European Union and de same Canadians wah bin lockdown all dem contract fuh vaccines.

Dem order suh much dat vaccines fuh dem other counties getting ration.

Guyana fall in dat bab-alap. COVAX bin tell we dem would give we vaccines fuh 150,000 persons or 20

number of active cases has more than doubled and it is being reported that more than 50 persons have been hospitalised.

The logical thing to do would have been to revert to the old curfew hours, impose a two-week closure of nonessential businesses, encourage workers to work from home and restrict all public gatherings, stop all outdoor events over the Phagwah and Easter weekends.

But it was always going to be much to ask a government to do these things. The government has shown no compunction in refusing to do anything which would hurt the profit line of its friends in the b u s i n e s s c o m m u n i t y.

Nonetheless, there was a sense that the President would announce some form of restrictions, at least for the next two holiday weekends.

The scheduled time for the announcement passed without any indication as to when it would commence.

The NCN switched to its normal programming. The daily newscast began some 12 minutes late. And it was not until another half an hour later that the newscast was interrupted to facilitate the special address by the President.

The President's address was a damp squib. It was a long boring diatribe about the plans for the rollout of the vaccination. It appears as if the government is now joining forces with the Guyana Defence Force and

regional COVID-19 Task Forces to expand vaccination to 10,000 jabs per day.

The government has missed the mark. The issue is not the rate of vaccination.

Even though there is need for more vaccination sites, the problem is that the vaccination rate has been slow because persons have not been responding, as expected, to the campaign.

There is a high-level of vaccine hesitancy and this will hurt any attempt at achieving herd immunity.

The President is hoping to expand the rate of vaccination to 10,000 jabs per day so that herd immunity can be achieved quickly. The President needs to be better advised about herd immunity. Medical professionals have indicated that for herd immunity at least 80 percent of the population would need to be immunised.

This is impossible given that the vaccines are not recommended for persons below the age of 18. More than 35 percent of the population is below the age of 18. So, how is herd immunity going to be achieved when 35 percent of the population will not be vaccinated? This is one of the drawbacks of having too young a population.

It is for this reason that this column has been consistently insisting that vaccination alone will not halt the local coronavirus epidemic. Vaccination will help reduce deaths providing

De Pee Pee Pee would beg from a beggar percent of de population. Den dem seh how it can be slightly more dan 100,000. Now dem chop dat further and it look like dem gan only give we 25,000 in de first tranche and we nah know whether we gan get anymore.

So is a good thing Burnham and Cheddi bin used to live good with de Russians and Chinese. De Chinese give we 20,000 doses and de Russians gan sell we 200,000. Dem boys nah know way de rest gan come from given de shortage of vaccines worldwide.

But we gat a government wah know fuh beg. De Pee

Pee Pee would beg from a beggar. Dem know fuh beg, borrow and buy.

Dem boys hear how dem now gat to buy billions of dollars in pharmaceuticals since dem hear how billions of dollars in stocks expire under de APNU. Dem boys wan know whether dem gan call in de Auditor General fuh verify dat indeed billions of dollars in medicine spoil.

But more important, dem boys wan know who gan get de contract fuh supply all de medicine wah gat to buy.

Talk half and watch this medicine thing with hawkeyes.

that everyone in the highrisk categories are vaccinated. But with two weeks of vaccination already completed, only 25,000 persons have been immunised. Given that the Minister has indicated that there were approximately 22,000 health workers, the numbers vaccinated so far has been a major disappointment.

Increasing the number of stations administering the 'jab' will not necessarily result in a corresponding reduction in the number of infections or deaths.

Vaccination and social restrictions have to be

combined.

The President has indicated that there will be stronger enforcement and that efforts will be made to ensure that businesses are complying with the regulations. He has instructed that charges be filed against business defaulters. This is a positive step.

However it is necessary for a more strategic approach. The authorities are likely to concentrate their efforts at ensuring that certain 'haunts' are better policed. It is in our markets where buyers and sellers are consistently flouting the

laws in relation to the wearing of masks. This is where greater efforts at enforcement are needed.

A positive step would be for the authorities to cordon off all markets and to ensure that anyone entering and leaving these precincts are wearing masks and are doing so properly. This would make a world difference.

(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

Thursday March 25, 2021

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

David Granger on the electoral value of Charrandass Persaud

O

ne is always amused and oxymoronically revolted at the sheer absurdities that pro-PNC people mouth off all the time. If they step back for a moment, and reflect on these insane ramblings, they will see they do irreparable damage to the PNC. In four years' time, there will be a general election.

One has to be living on another planet to think the traumas that hurt a majority of Guyanese in the fivemonth election drama will not be fresh in the consciousness of voters. Lincoln Lewis addressing a May Day rally told his audience that it should take dozens of votes in a no-confidence motion

(NCM) to remove a government.

David Granger said during the last rally of the APNU+AFC in the 2015 campaign that if returned to power, he would remove the no-confidence clause (he could not because it is a constitutional article).

Vincent Alexander as recent as March 4 in response to one of my columns, wrote the following, “Charrandass' vote, on the No Confidence Motion, was one of the most reprehensible and immoral acts in the history of Guyana's politics.

Charrandass was not directly elected and had no individual mandate.”

Let's deal with Alexander first. No one from

another planet reading Alexander would believe that he heads an institute named, The Forbes Burnham Foundation, whose main purpose is to perpetuate the legacy of Burnham.

This very Burnham was never directly elected to be the president of Guyana. If Charrandass' vote “was one of the most reprehensible and immoral acts in the history of Guyana's politics,” then can Alexander say which emanations from his hero, Forbes Burnham would match, in his eyes, Charran's depravity?

When Guyanese read what Lewis, Granger and Alexander said then their only conclusion can be disgust. Granger, as Leader

of the Opposition, mounted a weekly picket (joined by yours truly) in 2011 for President Ramotar to convene parliament so that the PNC and AFC with a oneseat majority can debate an NCM, which was already on the Order Paper. Granger wanted to remove the PPP Government through an NCM in which the vote would have been 33 for the PNC and AFC, and 32 for the PPP. When Granger got into power, the NCM had no more value for him. When these PNC people behave like this, can you trust them with power? This is what caused the Charrandass vote. It was no act of treachery by Charran, but an act of deep conscience at work.

Throughout history, people have acted like Charran and they will continue to do so. People will always react against the abuse of power. In the evolution of his politics and his closeness to Forbes Burnham, Alexander would not understand what is meant by the moral rejection of the abuse of power.

So why did Charran do it? We can go back to the words of Opposition Leader, David Granger. In 2011, after the PNC and AFC won

a joint majority in the national election, the AFC proposed Moses Nagamootoo for the Speaker of the House. The PNC rejected his name.

Arguments began to flow from the AFC that if it weren't for Nagamootoo's votes in Berbice, the PPP would not have lost. Granger gave a cynical but plausible response. He said it wasn't Nagamootoo alone that took Berbice with him, but others like Charrandass brought in votes. He was right.

Frederick Kissoon Charrandass has always been a popular figure in Berbice. In 2015, both he and Dr. Ramaya were given enormous reception during the election campaign. I know this because I campaigned with them and we spoke at several meetings.

Granger, his PNC party, the

AFC, and people like Alexander, have no capacity to understand the depth of betrayal that Charran felt.

My take is that by 2017, Charran felt that the APNU+AFC was far worse than the PPP, had betrayed Guyanese who voted for them, and he wanted them out. By 2018, Charran had grown to hate the APNU+AFC. Those who study power would understand how hate could develop in politics.

For mundane minds that the PNC and AFC helped to twist, Charran was a political traitor who took money to vote against the APNU+AFC. To mask the hatred Guyanese people harboured for them over a three-year period made Charran the villain of the play.

He was their excuse.

He became a curse who opportunistically teamed up with the PPP. History records it differently. He was the man with a conscience who said deadly politicians have poisoned Guyana's future and I will intervene.

He did and the rest is history.

If Charran is a demon, so is Forbes Burnham.

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

Thursday March 25, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

PAGE 12

Thursday March 25, 2021

Kaieteur News

Brazil breaks record for daily Covid-19 death toll

A hospital flooded with critically ill patients (Photo: Getty Images)

B

razil, one of the countries with the highest COVID-19 case and death tolls, has broken a new record as it relates to its daily death reports.

BBC News reported yesterday that the country on Tuesday recorded 3,251 COVID-19 fatalities, being the first time it has ever surpassed the 3,000 benchmark in a daily report.

According to BBC, as the virus continues its rapid spread, Brazil's health care system is at the brink of collapse. “The country has

reported 298,676 deaths linked to the virus since the start of the pandemic, with experts saying the situation is virtually out of control,” the report noted.

Brazil has also recorded over 2.1 million cases. It was stated that many hospitals are running out of beds in their intensive care units and the drugs needed to treat critically ill patients are in short supply.

Six states also reported worrying levels of medical oxygen supplies, which was noted in the BBC report.

Despite the current

health crisis and a rapidly spreading new variant in the country, President Jair Bolsonaro has opposed lockdowns and criticised face masks. On Tuesday, the very day on which the record-breaking deaths were recorded, he said, “Very soon we'll resume our normal lives.”

On that day he also swore in cardiologist Marcelo Queiroga as the fourth health minister since the pandemic began. BBC reported that he replaces Eduardo Pazuello, an army general who currently is under

investigation at the Supreme Court over alleged negligence.

Brazil's authorities have been urged to foster a national response which will see the closure of nonessential businesses in all but two states for 14 days, but President Bolsonaro is of the firm conviction that “the collateral damage to the economy brought by restrictions would be worse than the effects of the virus itself.”

He had attempted to stop local authorities from imposing the protective

measures, but that was halted by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Here in Guyana the local health sector has been reporting deaths almost daily with the reported death toll up to press time being 221.

There have, thus far, been 9,820 confirmed cases and the numbers are steadily rising.

In fact, an official close to the Health Ministry recently expressed worry over the manifestation of new confirmed cases, which seems to suggest that a new strain has been imported.

The cases, the official said too, seems to be “spreading wildly”.

Even as concerns are raised over Brazil's proximity (Guyana's neighbour to the south), health officials announced earlier this week that the joint services will be stringently enforcing COVID measures in an attempt to de-escalate the situation here. As part of these efforts, persons failing to wear a face mask in public will be arrested and businesses not adhering to guidelines will be penalised.

Juveniles awarded certificates in academic and skills training prog.

T

he Ministry of Home Affairs' Juvenile Justice Department, in collaboration with the University of Guyana (UG), conducted a fivemonth Academic and Skills Training Programme for Juveniles at the Juvenile Holding Centre.

Twelve juveniles participated in the programme and were awarded certificates on Friday March 19, 2021. The programme, according to a Ministry of Home Affairs statement, was aimed at supporting the education, rehabilitation and reintegration of juveniles, through a Skills Development Project and Educational Workshop.

The Juveniles were trained in the academic areas of Phonics,

Mathematics, English, SelfAwareness, Goals Setting and its Achievements, the Effects of Drug Abuse, Anger Management, Conflict and Conflict Resolution, among others. Skills Training included Art and Craft, Cement Craft and Photo Editing.

During the closing ceremony held last Friday at the Juvenile Holding Centre, the Administrator, Ms. Yvette Sancho, noted that the Ministry was pleased to have collaborated with the University.

She expressed thanks to the social work students for their professional execution of an excellent training programme, which has contributed to the overall development of the juveniles.

With similar sentiments, Mrs. Debbie Hopkinson, Coordinator of Post Graduate Studies at UG's D e p a r t m e n t o f S o c i o l o g y, encouraged the juveniles to use the skills they have acquired as a pathway to become constructive members of society, when the time comes.

The juveniles displayed some of their art and craftwork during the closing ceremony.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is committed to providing youth offenders with the opportunity to develop their skills and potentials, which will allow them to lead productive law-abiding life styles upon reintegration into society, while reducing recidivism.

UG's Coordinator of Post Graduate Studies, Mrs. Debbie Hopkinson, presenting a certificate to one of the Juveniles

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 25, 2021

PAGE 13

US Embassy hosts medical Who has to be training in Region 1

Coalition's $10B drug wastage...

held accountable will be held accountable - Health Minister insists

M

inister of Healt h , D r.

Frank Anthony, has made it pellucid that individuals who were responsible for the mass drug wastage that occurred under the previous government will be held accountable.

He made this assertion during a virtual press conference on Monday which sought to bring more clarity on the occurrence.

Last week, Kaieteur News reported on a damning allegation made by the former Minister of Health and current Advisor to the Ministry of H e a l t h , D r. L e s l i e R a m s a m m y, w h e r e h e claimed that the A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) government had spent more money on the procurement of drugs/medical supplies in its five-year governance than the People's Progressive Party/Civic had spent its 23year reign.

In his detailed statement, he outlined that the APNU+AFC's hefty expenditure and broken supply chain resulted in the expiration of over $10B worth of drugs/medical supplies, which was found when the current administration took office last August.

During the press conference, Minister Anthony was asked what penalties will be extended to those responsible and in response, he stated that an audit of the Materials Management Units (MMUs) was conducted and will be jointly used with the findings from

the physical verifications that were also conducted. “...based on the final report that we'll get, I'm sure there'll be recommendations that will be made to us and we'll u t i l i s e t h o s e recommendations, we'll involve the necessary agencies, turn those findings over to them,” he noted, adding that “at this stage” however, the government's primary goal right now is to fix the current drug shortage that has been left behind.

“And those other things in terms of the findings and those institutions we'll be engaging with those findings, we will do that simultaneously and make sure that whoever gotta be held accountable will be held accountable,” Minister Anthony affirmed.

The government began dumping the expired drugs/medical supplies near September last year, which saw almost $1B in items being discarded and between October and recent days, another billion had to be “thrown away”.

Approximately 300 truckloads of drugs have been dumped so far and it has been stated that, that exercise has been very costly in terms of taxpayer's dollars.

In last year's emergency budget, a significant sum was allocated to replenish Guyana's drug supply, but despite that being done, there are still shortages of certain drugs in the health system.

Furthermore, the government has already put out new tenders, in hopes of further managing the on-going shortage.

Logger killed by...

From page 2 with his wife.

He had informed her that he was coming home next week Saturday and that he was okay. According to Richards, the family and the entire community are still in a state of shock and disbelief after learning of Fredericks' demise.

The woman shared that Fredericks was a wellknown person in the

community. He was once a teacher and a singer. Singing was one of the joys of his life, she said. But he was forced to stop after a diagnosis of throat cancer.

The dead man, who was described as a jovial, kind and friendly person, leaves to mourn his wife, his parents, five siblings and other family members. An investigation has been launched into the incident.

A

t w o - d a y medical training programme for health workers at Port Kaituma concluded yesterday in Region One. The training, according to a US Embassy statement, conducted by its Humanitarian Assistance Programme (HAP) Team and targeted members of the Ministry of Health in Port Kaituma from 23rd to 24th March.

The team, it was noted, instructed hospital personnel, teachers, local volunteers, police officers, and members of the Guyana Defence Force about basic trauma care, preventative medicine, women's health, sex education, and veterinary medicine.

The instructors were medical professionals from the Global Medical and Surgical Support Group

Ambassador Lynch engages with a participant of the medical training Corps, one Medical Specialist from the U.S. HAP team, one U.S. Veterinarian Specialist, and one Preventative Medicine Specialist. Along with training, the team made assessments for future USinteragency deliveries of medical supplies for those areas in need.

In her remarks, Ambassador, Sarah-Ann Ly n c h , p r a i s e d t h e community's participation and cooperation that made the largest medical training of the HAP team possible in Port Kaituma. “The continued partnership between the U.S. Embassy and Guyana is

critical, in order to address alongside the people of Region One, community needs in health, security, and prosperity. The United States is honoured to work with the people of Region One, hand in hand, with a goal of prosperity for all,” said Ambassador Lynch.

PAGE 14

Thursday March 25, 2021

Kaieteur News

ExxonMobil spends less to produce - break-even price set at US$25 more at Liza 2 per barrel; remainder is profit T

he ExxonMobilled consortium producing in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana believes that its second Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel will be producing at a much cheaper rate than its predecessor, in addition to its increased production capacity.

This was disclosed by consortium partner, Hess Corporation's Chief Executive Officer, John Hess, on Tuesday at the virtual Scotia Howard Weil Energy Conference.

Hess told the conference

that the Liza Phase One operation, which utilizes the Liza Destiny FPSO has a breakeven oil price of $35 per barrel Brent.

This, contrasted against the projected cost of $25 per barrel from its Liza Two operation using the Liza Unity FPSO, would mean a US$10 decrease in production cost for even more crude being extracted.

The Liza Destiny currently operating at full capacity produced some 120,000 bpd, while the Liza Unity is slated to produce almost double that at 220,000 bpd.

According to Hess, the projected cost for the Payara operation is pegged as $32 per barrel—a cheaper production cost from its first operation.

He told stakeholders that the partners at the Stabroek Block where Liza is located, and where two additional developments in various stages of construction will lead to their production in 2022 and 2024, also foresee two more developments that will come online in 2025 and 2026.

The total five developments will underpin production estimates of

The Liza Unity under construction in Singapore

more than 750,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day in 2026, John Hess said.

"We continue to see multibillions of future exploration potential remaining" in Guyana, where the three partners including ExxonMobil and China's National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) have made 18 discoveries.

According to Hess, the partners eventually foresee up to 10 separate developments produced by floating production, storage and offloading vessels.

Expanding on the Stabroek Block Operations, Hess reminded that Liza Phase Two—the second S t a b r o e k development—will have nearly double the FPSO capacity of 220,000 bpd, as will Payara, the third development on the block under construction north of the Liza field.

He disclosed too that the fourth planned development, Yellowtail, sited southeast of Liza, has not yet been sanctioned.

"Guyana's reservoirs rank among the highest

quality in the world," with high recovery rates, he added. "The reservoirs are relatively shallow with no salt, so wells can be drilled faster than other deepwater basins in the world," according to the Hess Corp.

CEO. According to Hess, the drilling time and costs at the Stabroek Block are less than half those of a typical offshore deepwater exploration, a Hess slide accompanying the CEO's presentation revealed.

ExxonMobil and its production partners in the Stabroek Block are currently on track to triple its production capacity offshore Guyana, as its second FPSO—Liza Unity—nears completion.

The massive 220,000 bpd FPSO is being constructed at the Keppel shipyard in Singapore with SBM Offshore announcing recently that the topsides lifting campaign for the Liza Unity FPSO was recently completed.

The vessel, which is scheduled to arrive in Guyana as early as mid-year,

is scheduled for production in the Stabroek Block and will bring the country's total capacity to some 340,000 taking into account the 120,000 bpd Liza Destiny—currently operating offshore Guyana.

The hull was built in China, with topside modules built by Keppel and DynaMac. Once completed, the FPSO is expected to sail to Guyana, where it will be deployed as part of the second phase of ExxonMobil's Liza field development.

The Liza Unity FPSO is also designed to have an associated gas treatment capacity of 400 million cubic feet per day, and water injection capacity of 250,000 barrels per day.

The vessel, moored in a water depth of about 1,600 meters, will be able to store around two million barrels of crude oil. According to the company, “the project continues to target first oil in 2022 in line with client planning.”

Once online, the FPSO will be the second FPSO in (continued on page 17)

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 25, 2021

PAGE 15

Govt. examining new rules for - all transfers, spending to be spending oil money reflected in Budget - Dr. Singh D

espite having an enacted Natural Resource Fund (NRF), with in excess of US$267M deposited in the New York Federal Reserve, the Guyana Government does not intend to utilize any expenditure under the current protocols, but is instead currently examining new rules under which the fund would operate.

This is according to Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh. He, during a live Globespan 24X7 broadcast on Monday last, disclosed that the administration is currently examining the matter and is studying it closely and considering the options.

He used the occasion to

Senior Minster, Dr. Ashni Singh impress that “we are going to be looking at ways in which we can strengthen the Act, both in terms of management

Commemoration of 'The Lord's Meal' to be done virtually

J

ehovah's Witnesses and friends, the world over, will commemorate The Lord's Evening Meal on Saturday, March 27. This is the second year in a row that the Witnesses are celebrating the event virtually, owing to the arrival of the Coronavirus pandemic, a J e h o v a h ' s Wi t n e s s e s ' statement noted.

In what is considered to be the most important event of the year on their calendar, Jehovah's Witnesses have recently embarked on a worldwide campaign to invite as many persons as possible, through letter writing, telephone calls and other virtual means. Locally, the event will be held after sundown and anyone interested in attending can contact them for the meeting time and login Zoom information. The annual event is also being broadcasted on Voice of Guyana 102.5 F.M. and 560 A.M. at 6:45 P.M. on Saturday March 27, 2021.

As a build-up to this important event and in this time of pandemic, when many have lost the things they thought was of the highest value, the Witnesses are featuring the talk: “Have You Found a 'Pearl of High

Value'?” This 30-minute programme is based on one of Jesus' parables regarding the Kingdom that many pray for when they say The Lord's Prayer. This global virtual event, to which Jehovah's Witnesses are inviting the community to in March, will provide comfort and hope.

This too is available on the Voice of Guyana radio network at 11:30 a.m. and via Zoom on March 21, 2021.

“The pandemic has caused us to think about the things that are truly important, like our health, family, and most important, our relationship with our Creator,” said Andre Darrell, a spokesperson for Jehovah's Witnesses.

“Those who are searching for peace, security, comfort, and hope are warmly invited to attend,” Darrell said. “This special talk and the Memorial of Jesus Christ's death will provide an outlook on present world events that will soothe aching hearts and provide a bright hope for the future.”

There is no charge to attend, nor is registration a requirement. To learn more about how to attend locally, ask any Jehovah's Witness or visit www.jw.org.

and governance of fund.”

According to Dr. Singh, the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration is looking to promulgate a strong and robust arrangement that would guide the transfers of the money from the NRF to the Treasury.

Dr. Singh lamented that the existing NRF legislation was enacted by the coalition, A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), after it had been defeated by a No Confidence Vote in the National Assembly.

This, he reiterated, was also done in the absence of an Opposition and a mandate by the constituents of the c o u n t r y. H e t o l d t h e G l o b e s p a n 2 4X 7 Moderators—Charles Sugrim and Dr. Asquith Rose— that the administration will approach the House for enactment of its proposed legislation when it has been deemed optimal.

The Minister with responsibility for the sector was adamant that his administration would, in pursuit of transparency,

publish details surrounding the transactions involving the oil revenues.

Adamant that none of the resources earned thus far have been spent, the Minister with responsibility for Finance said, “we have been accumulating resources in the fund and have been extremely transparent.”

According to Dr. Singh too, the monies will not be transferred to the Consolidated Fund until there is a reform of the legislation. He did seek to assure that any transfer of funds from the NRF will be

processed through and reflected in the National Budget annually and that the resources will be used in pursuit of a national agenda.

The Ministry of Natural Resources in its most recent update on oil revenues collected had said it “recommits to transparency and accountability within the Petroleum Sector…”

Inclusive of Royalties, and sales from five, one million barrels entitlements, the total in the Natural Resources Fund Account n o w s t a n d s a t US$267,668,709.12.”

PAGE 16

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 25, 2021

Taxi driver jailed 21 years for rape...

WANTED VEHICLE FOR SALE ONE NZE 2005 $1,150,000 ONE KA MOYOR CYCLE $220,000 EXCELLENT WORKING CONDITION PRICE NEGOTIABLE 2160671/ 692-8464/ 622-0267 CAR RENTAL AIDAN'S CAR RENTAL & TOW TRUCK SERVICE:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE#698-7807.

Farm workers in Timehri tel#661-1585/ 617-2032 1 dental nurse/ assistant apply to, C. Persaud dental 14 Peter's Hall, EBD email: svpersaud25@gmail.com Tel#233-5137/ 5927 or 6932565 Hauler truck driver 5 years experience, mimimum apply at A&R Trading & Investment Inc. Contact 661-1254/ 6591771 Wanted Drivers must come with a car Tel#653-4318 Wanted one experience or knowledge in shipping industry, must be able to use a wide spectrum of programs whatsapp 516-305-1333

SERVICES

Kitchen assistant to work in resturant in Mazaruni River Tel# 677-0869 Parbo

Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040

From page 8 rape has on the life of the victim. In addition to the 21 years imprisonment, the Judge ordered that Pooran attends counselling sessions while behind bars.

The case against him was presented by State Counsels, Sarah Martin and Nafeeza Baig.

According to the case, on September 27, 2019, the complainant (victim) left home early in the morning to get a taxi en route to the bus for school.

Pooran reportedly stopped his car and offered her a free drop. The 12-yearold claimed however, that he picked up two other persons, dropped them off, and then took her to a house. She said she did not know who lived at that house, but the taxi driver held her by the hands and forced her into the house. She said she tried to loosen his grip, but could not. He locked her in the house and said he had to go pick up someone and drop them somewhere.

While he was gone, she tried to escape by window or door but all were tightly closed. She had said that she checked his tablet and learnt VACANCY One experienced teacher to teach a grade one and two subject interest teacher can call 623-1615.

Power tools repair friendship East Bank Call 627-7835

VACANCY House plan drawing and estimate K. Lakeram building One experience general docontractor Call 216-0671/ 692- mestic apply at Alabama Trading 65 Robb Street Bourda 8464/ Whatsapp 622-0267

Porters, log truck drivers, for TM & AM Gerneral Trucks, live in maid Call 609-7675/ 6741705 Vacancy for night handyman Call 645-5676

Live in caretaker for visually impaired elderly central Georgetown Tel#624-5734

For experience porter apply at Alabama Trading 65 Robb Street Bourda.

Administrative clerk must have excellent knowledge of microsoft word and excel, filing Tel#624-5734 1 able bodied sales clerk ARK Enterprise Tel#227-3580

One female cleaner to clean store apply at Alabama Trading 65 Robb Street Bourda

Installation, Repairs and parts for AC,Fridge, Washing machine, Stove etc.Call Nick #630-1600.

PROPERTY FOR SALE Commercial property for sale or rent Providence old road Call 623-3440 / 233-5600

Experience sales girl apply at Alabama Trading 65 Robb Street Bourda

FOR RENT Luxury apartment 2 or 3 bedroom fully furnished for rent properties, apartments Tel#664-8641, 682-2585, office 219- 2815

Looking for a job & educational services? Contact The Job Centre 43 Croal & Alexander Street or call: 6008457.

Technical services 18-23 industrial site, Eccles 1. Fitter/ Machinist 2. Welder Frabricator 3. Apprentice 3 years experience apply in person.

Shop opposite stewartville Sales assistant 5 subjects cxc secondary school Contact experience in stock taking, 611-4793 Paye, Payroll, salesmanship skill keyfood Mcdoom village fully furnishd apartment hot next post office. & cold water system installed eccles, victoria Ave Tel#628- Taxi and Bus Drivers Call 6281185/ 225-3234 0016 Vacancy exists for a cook in Space to rent in Georgetown the interior , 40yrs & over for small resturant Call 623- Tel#602-0502/ 681-1443/ 6728070 0083

Harish Variety Store, 1 Supervisor, 2 Manager Call 603-7490 1 Female counter clerk, Creative Jewellery & Pawn shop 46 Boyles place stabroek Brickdam Tel#231-7878, 2238955 Maid to cook and clean for the East Bank area Call 615-9132 TO LET Spaces 12x 25ft, entire top floor 25x275. Enmore mall E.C.D excellent commercial spot Call 609-7675/ 674-1705 LAND FOR SALE Land for sale, Berbice, Georgetown, East Coast, East Bank Tel#664-8641, 682-2585, office 219- 2815 EDUATION Qualify yourself in Cosmetology & Nail technology pakages starting from $25,000 classes commence: April 12,2021 Call Abby 617-6751

his name was Omesh Pooran.

The complainant said about an hour later Pooran returned, placed a mattress on the ground, pushed her on it, and then raped her. She claimed that before he let her go, he told her not to tell her

teacher or anyone, just say that she was in an accident as a reason for running late to school.

She said that she went back onto the road and caught a bus to school. Upon arrival at school, the complainant

said that she told the lie about the accident, but her teacher summoned her mother who visited the school. The complainant was further pressed to tell the truth after which she revealed what really happened.

Thursday March 25, 2021

PAGE 17

Kaieteur News

10 days later…

Exxon still reinstalling repaired gas compressor Yesterday marked 10 days since ExxonMobil announced that the repaired flash gas compression system for the Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel had commenced, and from its latest update, that reinstallation is yet to be completed. The compressor was damaged in January and resulted in the company having to temporarily increase gas flaring above pilot levels in order to maintain safe operations.

The faulty compressor was then removed and sent to Germany for immediate repairs, later arriving on Guyana’s shores on March 13.

In its operations update on March 15, ExxonMobil had stated that the offshore team began preparations for reinstalling key components of

Exxon flaring at its Liza Destiny operations the flash gas compression system on the Liza Destiny “after they were safely transported offshore.”

Days later on March 17, the US oil giant said in another update, that the team was still reinstalling the flash gas compressor. It outlined that additional vibration and processmonitoring specialists were being mobilized to join the team offshore.

“Safety remains our top priority throughout this process as we take special care to maneuver these large pieces of equipment. We are also focused on the quality of the work to ensure successful re-start of the flash gas compression system,” the company said.

When a subsequent update was provided on March 19, questions were raised regarding the process for flash gas

Regional consumption reports necessary for proper drug procurement - Dr. Ramsammy Former Health Minister and current Advisor to the Ministry of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, has highlighted the need for regional consumption reports to ensure drug procurement is properly done and prevent the wastage of funds.

Speaking during a virtual press conference on Monday, Dr. Ramsammy outlined that one of the prerequisites for efficient drug procurement is “good information” which can be obtained through a consumption report. He also noted that “Whether it has to do with infectious diseases like malaria and TB and HIV, etc., or the chronic diseases like diabetes etc., the consumption reports from the region represent the fundamental principle through which you determine how much you will buy.”

It was stated that in every region there is someone responsible for pharmaceutical supplies. That person usually conducts stock checks, and would usually wait until there is a shortage to report.

However, Dr. Ramsammy also outlined that every region

Former Health Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy. has a consumption pattern.

He said that it was found that two critical pieces of information were not being used. “One, what we have or don’t have and secondly, the pattern or usage in the region,” he highlighted. The information systems across the health sector were not being kept updated and therefore pertinent data, like, what was available and what was not available could not be used to determine what is procured.

“Overtime exactly when those things were abandoned or those things were no longer available to the technical persons, we don’t

know, but certainly something happened between 2015 and 2017 where the system crashed,” the former Health Minister noted.

Technical personnel at the Materials Management Units were simply provided with data on what drugs are incoming and played little role in determining what had to be procured, according to Dr. Ramsammy.

Further, in many instances, sole sourcing was done, not based on actual needs but on “spending money,” hence the current drug shortage crisis is existent today.

It was also stated that in some cases there was no need for certain medications that were bought, so there was a stockpile with no one using them.

Some of the drugs procured also had short expiry dates, so, before they could be dispatched to the respective facilities a lot would have already expired.

The electronic systems at the MMU’s were also said to be “dysfunctional” so there could be no proper record of drugs and medicines going in and out.

...ExxonMobil spends less to produce more at From page 14 production in Guyana, after the Liza Destiny FPSO started producing oil in December 2019. The Liza Destiny was also refurbished by SBM Offshore, which converted the one million barrels storage capacity Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) into an FPSO. The Dutch based company was last October awarded a contract with the Stabroek Block Operator—

ExxonMobil and its Guyana partners – to build an FPSO for what will be the third offshore development in Guyana, namely at the Payara field.

Under the contract, SBM Offshore will construct, install, and then lease and operate the FPSO named Prosperity at the Payara project offshore Guyana for a period of up to two years.

The FPSO's ownership and operation will transfer to ExxonMobil, which operates

the Stabroek offshore block in Guyana, along with consortia partners, Hess Corporation and China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC).”

The Prosperity FPSO is said to utilize a design that largely replicates the design of the Liza Unity FPSO with first oil expected in 2024.

ExxonMobil has so far signalled intentions to have six FPSOs producing from the Stabroek Block by 2027.

compressor’s reinstallation, as the process appeared to be taking quite some time.

In response to those, ExxonMobil’s Government and Public Affairs Advisor, Janelle Persaud, responded, “As stated in the last update, the team offshore is taking special care to maneuver these large pieces of equipment as they are focused on the quality of the work to ensure successful re-start of the flash gas compression system.”

The reinstallation process continued up to Tuesday as outlined in ExxonMobil’s most recent operations update. It stated, “Critical equipment alignments, lifting of the suction silencer and piping into place and key operating parameter improvements are to be completed.”

And up to press time, there has been no update to indicate

that the flash gas compressor has been installed. In the interim, the company continues to flare 16 million cubic feet of toxic natural gas daily because of that damaged flash gas compressor.

Kaieteur News had calculated that at 16 million cubic feet per day, the company had already flared 176 million cubic feet of natural gas 11 days after announcing that it would be flaring beyond pilot levels in January and that number continues to increase.

Dangers of flaring Based on research, the flaring of gas is extremely damaging to the environment.

A special study conducted by the World Bank notes that flaring releases more than 250 toxins, including cancer causing agents such as benzopyrene, benzene, carbon disulphide (CS2),

carbonyl sulphide (COS), and toluene. It also releases metals such as mercury, arsenic, and chromium and nitrogen oxides.

Flaring is also hazardous to human health. Nigerian scientists, Omosivie Maduka and Charles Tobin-West, in a joint paper lodged with the US National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), had explained that flaring in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria has polluted the air and water, and precipitated the formation of acid rain. All of this, they said, has caused negative outcomes in the communities there, including chronic and recurrent respiratory diseases, abnormalities in the blood, increased susceptibility to certain diseases of the blood and others.

PAGE 18

Thursday March 25, 2021

Kaieteur News

Govt. aiming to vaccinate 10,000 citizens per day - Persons 40 and older eligible for jab from next week Government is aiming at vaccinating 10,000 citizens per day, even as it gears to expand the COVID-19 vaccination programme to

include persons 40 years and older. This was announced last evening by President, Dr. Irfaan Ali. The announcement was

made by President Ali as he presented an update on Guyana’s COVID-19 vaccination programme.

During the update, President

Ali said, “Our goal is to vaccinate 10,000 Guyanese per day,” he then stated that in order to achieve that goal, the government is embarking on an integrative approach.

According to President Ali, the integrative approach includes: Cabinet oversight, Local Government bodies; civil society, medical and nursing students and the medical brigade of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

He added that those persons would be trained to assist in the documentation of the citizens so as to speed up the vaccination process.

Additionally, President

Ali stated that during the new week, persons 40 years and older will be eligible for vaccination. The government had previously announced that persons 50 years and over will be vaccinated.

However, since the government procured 200,000 doses of vaccines, the vaccination programme has expanded to include more persons.

President Ali also noted that the government is exploring its options to procure another 200,000 doses of vaccine, so as to keep expanding the vaccination programme.

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali.

Cops reviewing records to see if stolen car was used in gold dealer’s execution Detectives are currently reviewing records to see if a stolen car was used to transport the men who executed Ricardo Fagundes in front of Palm Court, Sunday night.

Fagundes, a popular gold dealer better known as “Paper Shorts,” was shot at least 15 times by two men who emerged from a heavily tinted, white Toyota Fielder (new model).

Hours after he was gunned down, a burnt out car, similar to the one used by the gunmen, was found abandoned at Swan Village along the Soesdyke/Linden highway. Cops believe that it could be the same car, but so far they have been unable to verify this.

Kaieteur News understands that the chassis number of the burnt car appeared to have been scraped off. Another theory being explored by detectives is that a stolen car was used to transport Fagundes’ killers.

As investigators try to put pieces of the puzzle together, it was noted that some cars had been stolen recently.

In fact, sources revealed that a man, who had lost a car similar to the one used in the execution, notified detectives that it could his.

Executed: Ricardo Fagundes Speaking with Kaieteur News, Commander of Region Four ‘A,’ Simon McBean, said that there is a possibility that the “stolen car theory could be true.”

As a result, detectives are reviewing the records to narrow down the stolen cars that match the one seen in the video, which surfaced of the gold dealer’s execution.

Meanwhile, as police continue their efforts to track down Fagundes’ killers, one of the dead man’s friends said that he (Fagundes) was not lured outside by a phone call.

According to the friend, he was hanging out with Fagundes at Palm Court on the night he was murdered.

He said that Fagundes did receive a phone call but not to meet anyone outside.

He explained that Fagundes had gotten up and went outside to make a “spot check” on the pick-up he was driving.

Based on the video, which surfaced, Fagundes was walking towards a black Ford pick-up when the gunmen emerged and riddled him with bullets.

...Had the Chairwoman not acted as From page 5 in my way.” We are now in the zone of putting away the rigging party while at the same time moving this country forward, free from the last vestiges of rigging and destabilization.

Make no mistake, had it

not been for the tardiness of the chairwoman, the scope and extent of this rigging apparatus would not have come to light, as we would say in Guyanese Creole “she gave them enough rope to hang themselves.” All those in the rigging fraternity would have to account for their actions and

dire will be the consequences.

In hindsight I would say again, I am glad that Madam Chairwoman acted the way she did, so that this ghost of Burnham can finally be put to rest.

Yours truly, Neil Adams

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 25, 2021

PAGE 19

US logistics company to set up EBD waste treatment facility A

s Guyana's oil industry expands, companies are rushing to grab a piece of the action by establishing a presence here to support ongoing activities.

This time, a US based Logistics Company, Global Oil-Environmental Service (GOES), is seeking to set up on Guyana's shores, with a project already filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

On the EPA's latest public notice dated March 21, 2020, it outlined that GOES proposed the construction and o p e r a t i o n o f a Wa s t e Treatment Facility for transfer, storage, treatment and disposal of Exploration and Production (E&P) Oil and Gas Waste. That facility would be housed at Block 'X'

TE Huiste, Block I, 'T' Hustle Cove r d e n , E a s t B a n k Demerara.

The EPA outlined on its notice that the project would not significantly impact the environment, therefore concluding that it does not require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). This has been a contentious issue in the past as the EPA, tasked with being Guyana's environmental watchdog, severely lacks the capacity to monitor the influx of oil chemical set to increase as the sector expands.

The GOES intended project would make the sixth project the EPA has not required an EIA for.

Not only is the move alarming to most industry

advocates, but equally concerning is the fact that the agency severely lacks the capacity to monitor the influx of chemicals set to increase as the sector expands.

In addition to severely

lacking basic capacities such as human resources to assess simple environmental issues, the EPA is also devoid of simple equipment to measure pollutants in the air.

An EIA is a critical tool used to identify the environmental, social and

Another COVID-19 fatality recorded

T

he Ministry of Health (MOH) y e s t e r d a y reported the death of a 69year-old man from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) as the latest COVID-19 fatality.

In its press release the Ministry stated that the man succumbed while receiving

treatment. His death has been recorded as the 221st COVID-19 fatality.

The MOH also reported 88 new infections via its daily dashboard update yesterday increasing the case toll to 9,820.

The dashboard shows that 12 patients are in the

COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit, another 19 in institutional quarantine, 56 in institutional isolation and 900 in home isolation.

Additionally, a total of 8,632 persons have recovered to date with 30 new recoveries recorded yesterday.

economic impacts of a project whether it may be for the construction of a plant or warehouse for industrial or chemical purposes. Once completed, the document, which comprises the risks the project would pose to the environment, would be assessed for approval by the relevant authorities.

It is unclear how the EPA arrived at the conclusion that such a project would not require an EIA without the requisite equipment to conduct tests or a study to determine the impact which the project will have on the environment and nearby environs.

The common denominator amongst the projects was the fact that they would all be located in proximity to residential housing areas and even in one case, in proximity to a community reservoir. And while the EPA stipulates a 30day period for complaints and objections to be lodged, that deadline would be missed by concerned residents who only

discover the small notice tucked away in the local newspapers weeks after.

By that time, the projects would be given the stamp of approval leaving residents to deal with whatever harmful effects that may follow.

Guyana's response capacity was already tested in a major way after a “Rheduce” chemical spill at the Guyana National Industrial Company (GNIC), leading to the EPA

putting a halt on chemicals being stored at the wharf.

A forklift pierced the container holding the chemical that was left at the facility for months after being imported

by Schlumberger Guyana.

While the chemical placed no harm on the environment and human life, what was worrying about the incident was that the EPA was notified more than nine hours after the spill had occurred.

PAGE 20

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 25, 2021

Thursday March 25, 2021

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

...St Lucia footballers demonstrate before SLFA T&T player tests positive From page 20 Nicaragua yesterday in Group E of the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Pushed to the point of frustration, the players marched to the SLFA office in Castries calling for the resignation of SLFA President Lyndon Cooper.

Bearing placards saying ‘Lyndon Cooper must go’, the players are of the view that the SLFA president told FIFA that the pandemic was the primary reason behind the decision to withdraw from the World Cup qualifiers. However, they believe otherwise.

Zaine Pierre, who has been representing his country for about 12 years now, and who believes Cooper has done nothing to improve local football in Lucia, told me-

dia outlets covering that protest that there were indications from last year that they would not be playing.

“These guys had no intention to take part in the World Cup. I remember clearly about a year ago this president was like, ‘the chances of us qualifying is slim and it makes no sense,’ so right now Covid is just an excuse for them to pull out,” said Pierre, who said in recent times the national team won two games, drew one and lost another yet the president said that that was not good enough.

Pierre also indicated that the SLFA does not respect local players preferring instead to use those playing in the lower leagues in the United Kingdom for any campaign. It is believed that travel

restrictions would have prevented those players from travelling to St Lucia to prepare for the World Cup qualifiers.

Pierre told Sportsmax.TV that the federation did not contact any local clubs seeking the release of their players for training camps despite the fact that some of them had as much as 15 years experience representing the country.

The midfielder, who was also quoted in a story published yesterday on Sportsmax.TV, saying they had heard nothing official from the SLFA regarding the qualifiers, showed Sportsmax.TV a message he said the president sent him afterwards via Whatsapp saying, “Who told u that u

Thursday March 25, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) If you feel cautious today, don't be alarmed. This can be a good thing, as you can be too trusting at times or forget to take care when going into something new.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Taurus, personal dignity may be important to you today. This may come about when things go wrong or if you're accused of something you didn't do.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Don't be surprised if someone describes you as conservative, Gemini. It may be true. It could indicate that it's important for you to maintain control over most things.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Your mother may be on your mind today, Cancer. Your mother probably affects how you think, act, and feel, both in the past and now.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Focus on yourself today, Leo. Take note of your health. You probably know that this is something you must take care of always, not just sometimes. Daily routines are important. It's up to you to stick to them.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) No dream is too big or too late to fulfill. You may be thinking about your special dreams today, Virgo.

Perhaps you aspire to do something really great, be a pioneer in some field, or be a prominent figure.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Chances are good that you will receive a helping hand or comfort from someone many years your senior who cares about you. Don't hesitate to ask for their thoughts, ideas, and assistance.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Today, Scorpio, you may think about competition and possible future goals. Imagining and dreaming can serve you well. What did you dream about as a kid?

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You may think about your finances today. It's never too late to learn about saving and investing, especially if there's something you really want to do, like travel.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Take the time today to consider your health, Capricorn.

Do you get enough rest, eat the right foods, take vitamins, exercise every day, go to the doctor when you need to, and take time to relax?

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Today you may emphasize organizing things and managing your life. Take a look at your time management.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) ne day, I want to be…. When you were little, how did you finish that sentence, Pisces? See what your memory and imagination come up with. Is your life what you dreamed it would be? If not, consider what you could do to change it.

was part of St Lucia team and any team was call by the SLFA to be release by their club for national training…”

What is particularly frustrating for Pierre and other locally-based players, is that the SLFA’s decision to withdraw from the qualifiers robs them of the opportunity to play in a World Cup competition when they are in their prime.

“We just need an explanation as to why,” he said.

Police eventually broke up the protests in the early afternoon.

Efforts to contact St Lucia’s Minister of Sport were unsuccessful. Sources indicate that he was off the island yesterday.

...FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 From page 21 Physios, Equipment Manager and everyone else connected even back in Guyana.”

Guyana’s Group ‘F’ action commenced yesterday at the Panamericano Stadium where Saint Kitts and Nevis took on Puerto Rico.

...USA Tri State U-15s arrive for From page 22 March 28 v GCA President’s X1 (50 overs D/N) at DCC March 29 Rest Day March 30 v GCC (50 overs) at Bourda March 31 v Everest (50 overs) at Everest April 1 v TSC (50 overs) at Bourda April 2 Rest Day April 3 v DCC (50 overs) at DCC April 4 v MYO (50 overs) at MYO April 5 Rest Day (Easter Monday) April 6&7 v GCA Executive’s X1 (2 DAYS) at Bourda April 8 Rest Day April 9 v Bel Air Rubis (50 overs) at Ogle or LBI April 10 v GCA/ CDC X1 (50 overs) at DCC April 11 Depart Guyana All matches start at 09:30 hrs expect the 2-Day game which starts at 10:00 hrs and the Day/Night game which starts at 13:30 hrs.

for COVID-19 ahead of clash with Guyana TFA said in a statement: Following the latest set of COVID-19 PCR testing for all members of the Men’s National Team contingent in Santo Domingo, there was a positive result for a player on the night of Tuesday March 23rd, 2021.

The individual tested positive and was immediately isolated at the team’s hotel. All COVID-19 protocols are being followed and

he is presently awaiting a retest for confirmation purposes.

Strict contact tracing was then performed and all primary contacts have been quarantined, they would then be tested accordingly following the player’s retest results. The player is asymptomatic at this time.

The TTFA also respects the confidentiality wishes of the player.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 22

Thursday March 25, 2021

Nissanka, Dickwella star for Sri Lanka as Windies chase 375-run target

A

Kemar Roach also took three wickets for the Windies © Associated Press

FP - Pathum Nissanka’s hundred on debut and N i r o s h a n D i c k w e l l a ’s pugnacious 96 solidified Sri Lanka’s outstanding second innings rearguard with a total of 476 that left the West Indies with the challenging victory target of 375 on the fourth day of the first Test yesterday.

Notwithstanding their remarkable successful chase of 395 on the last day of the first Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram six weeks earlier, the hosts face a daunting task at 34 for one overnight heading into today’s final day.

West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite will resume in partnership with Nkrumah Bonner after Vishwa Fernando prised out John Campbell via a catch to a rueful wicketkeeper Dickwella.

Nissanka, who lost overnight partner Dhananjaya de Silva in the first over of the morning, slowed to a crawl in the second session of the day but finally reached the coveted century landmark just before tea to join Brendon Kuruppu (who completed a doublecentury), Romesh Kaluwitharana and Thilan Samaraweera as the only Sri Lankans to score hundreds on Test debut.

Samaraweera was the last to achieve the landmark before Wednesday, getting to three figures in his first Test, against India in Colombo in 2001.

“I wasn’t even aware of any records or anything like

that. I just wanted to perform for the team,” said the 22year-old Nissanka speaking through an interpreter.

“Niroshan kept telling me for us to prolong the innings for as long as possible and get a big total to make sure the bowlers had enough runs to work with.”

Nissanka and Dickwella dominated the first two sessions of the day, putting on 179 for the sixth wicket and frustrating a West Indies team that was fast running out of ideas and doing little to help their own cause.

Bonner dropped the simplest of catches at gully off fast-medium bowler Jason Holder when Dickwella was on 45.

He also enjoyed a slice of luck closing on the elusive century when a half-hearted appeal by Alzarri Joseph for a catch to the wicketkeeper down the leg-side was turned down by the presiding umpire.

Replays revealed that the batsman edged the ball but the West Indies had no course for review having exhausted their television referrals earlier in the day.

If it appeared then that Dickwella was destined for a maiden Test hundred in his 42nd match, his growing anticipation of the moment came to nothing as he was bowled by Kemar Roach playing a lazy shot at the start of the final session.

He had been struck on the back of the helmet in the fast bowler’s previous over when the ball rolled onto the stumps but did not dislodge the bails. Nissanka had already departed for 103,

Rahkeem Cornwall took late wickets to end with three © AFP via Getty Images

compiled in 341 minutes off 252 balls and including six fours, and the innings quickly subsided in the rush for quick runs.

Roach and off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall claimed three wickets each.

West Indian spirits had been lifted at the start of the

day when de Silva, on reaching an even 50, was comprehensively bowled by Joseph operating with the second new ball. However the rest of the day belonged to the Sri Lankans who will believe they can end a run of four consecutive Test match defeats on the final day.

St Lucia footballers demonstrate before SLFA office against withdrawal from World Cup qualifiers SportsMax - National footballer players in St Lucia demonstrated in front of the St Lucia Football Association (SLFA) headquarters in Castries yesterday against the country’s withdrawal from t h e F I FA Wo r l d C u p qualifiers.

They also protested the absence of communication between the players and the association and the disrespect shown to the country’s localbased players, who they feel were not even being considered for the qualifiers.

St Lucia was to have played Nicaragua in (Continued on page 19)

National footballer players in St Lucia during their demonstration in front of the St Lucia Football Association (SLFA) headquarters.

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 25, 2021

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Guyana take on T&T today

Experience and youth will combine to lead Guyana charge against T&T today. Omari Glasgow (left) and Kadell Daniel battling during a practice session. (Franklin Wilson photo)

It would be a tough game but Guyana is prepared - SMNT Head Coach, Márcio Máximo

By Franklin Wilson in the Dominican Republic, compliments of Secure Innovations & Concepts, Industrial Safety Supplies Inc., Fazia’s Motor Spares and GFF G u y a n a ’s f l a g s h i p football team, the ‘Golden Jaguars’ will kick off their quest for qualification to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 competition this evening from 19:00hrs against Trinidad and Tobago’s ‘Soca Wa r r i o r s ’ a t t h e Panamericano Stadium here in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The match is the Twin Island Republic’s home fixture which is being played at this venue owing to challenges faced by the T&T Football Federation as a result of the covid-19 pandemic. All the nations in the Concacaf region for that matter, have been affected in some way shape or form by the pandemic and as a result, 11 nations have opted to play matches here in the Dominican Republic.

Guyana’s Senior Men’s National Team (SMNT) Head Coach Márcio Máximo in acknowledging that this evening’s clash would be a tough one for Guyana also noted that the team arrived here one week ago and would have made use of every minute to get his charges prepared, p h y s i c a l l y, t a c t i c a l l y, technically and physiologically for the two matches they’ll be playing

here.

He noted that himself and Technical staff are very pleased with the level of commitment being shown by the players and the interest being shown to grow as individuals and as a team.

Included in the Guyanese 23-man squad are four teenagers, thirteen of the players are under the age of 23 with Goalkeeper Akel Clarke being the only player over 30 years old.

First timers in the squad are 17 year-old Omari G l a s g o w, 1 8 y e a r- o l d Goalkeeper Shawn Adonis,19 year-old Nicholai Andrews and 22 year-old Jobe Caesar, all local based along with the English based trio of 19 year-old Nathan Moriah-Welsh, 20 year-old Bayli Spencer-Adams and 21 year-old Miguel Scarlett.

Seasoned campaigners in Captain Sam Cox, Clarke, Matthew Briggs, Kadell Daniel, Terrence Vancooten, Daniel Wilson, Callum ‘The Pit Bull’ Harriott, Keanu Marsh-Brown, Trayon Bobb and Emery Welshman will be marshalling the still fledgling Pernel Schultz, Jeremy Garrett, Kai McKenzie Lyle, Nicholas Mc Arthur, Kelsey Benjamin, Ryan ‘Bum Bum’ Hackett along with the first timers in building a cohesive and unbeatable unit.

Máximo also noted that the team is in a transition phase but will maintain the competitive level whilst acknowledging that their opponents have experienced

players that play at a good level.

“But for us, this is motivation and presents the opportunity for us to bring some surprises to the game.

We have trained intensive, the players gave maximum effort to understand what we are doing and to fit into it.

Their level of discipline has been good too, given the challenges faced by covid19 and having to be in the hotel and to the training grounds, this is tremendous by them.”

The new players he said have been accepted very well by the experienced players and they are blending into a team that will make Guyana proud on and off the pitch positing that what is shown on the pitch, reflects what is shown off the pitch.

“Our first focus is against Trinidad and we have our strategy and after, it’s against Bahamas next week. The two games are very important for us and we hope

PAGE 23

we take maximum points as possible to continue to fight strong in this qualifying competition.

We a r e o p t i m i s t i c because we go to the pitch to compete, we represent a new era in football in Guyana and we should have results to consolidate it. Everybody believe we are at another step but we have to prove it every time, that’s why we are very confident and very optimistic that we can start to do it tomorrow (tonight).”

Captain Cox echoed the sentiments of the Head Coach in citing the fact that the training has been intense and the players have all adapted well.

“I must admit that from when we arrived from the 18th we’ve hit the ground running, especially those first couple of days getting acclimatised to the environment; the international boys integrating with the local players was something that seemingly happened easily

to be honest.”

Cox also noted that the gelling was as if they hadn’t left having not seen each other in over one year following their last match against Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League in 2019 which ended 1-1.

“I want to say huge credit to all of the lads who have applied themselves with professionalism, maturity and an open mind to take on the technical and tactical demands of the game. The camp up to now has been highly intensive and the boys have applied themselves really well.

“The connection between all of us has been brilliant so, we’re doing everything we can and we are all looking forward and excited for the game tomorrow (today) which we know will be a tough one as they have been a giant in the Caribbean and the rivalry between us runs rich. We’re going to put our best performance possible to get

the three points as we know how important this game is and could be with the implications for the rest of the group.”

Cox made a call for all Guyana to get behind the team and show their support: “We’ll do our best on the pitch to get the result and we’ll go from there.”

Gratitude was extended to the President and Executive of the GFF for the vision being shown; Technical Director Ian Greenwood also came in for praise from Máximo for implementing the junior training programmes (Academy Training Centres) which have produced these young and exciting players.

“My regards also for all my staff and assistants, Wilson Toledo and Charles Pollard as well as the Manager who have been working very hard every day.

They do invisible work which many do not see.

Coach De Vieira, my (Continued on page 19)

Windies Player Kevin Sinclair fulfills promise to Berbice Cricket Board Hands over sponsorship for U-17 cricket competition

West Indies Senior Player Kevin Sinclair (2nd left) presents the sponsorship cheque to BCB Vice Presidents Albert Smith and Qualis Winter as his Grandfather, who is his coach and mentor, Carlton Sinclair (left) appreciates the moment.

West Indies player Kevin Sinclair who recently made his debut with the West Indies Cricket team in the ongoing series verses Sri Lanka has fulfilled his promise to assist The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) with sponsorship for a cricket tournament.

On Monday the lanky All-rounder handed over his sponsorship for the ongoing under17 interclub cricket tournament to the Berbice Cricket Board.

Sinclair, who made his debut by playing in the T20 segment for the West Indies verses Sri Lanka series,

presented the cheque to Vice Presidents Albert Smith and Qualis Winter. According to a release from the BCB, “Sinclair is one of several Berbice players who have supported our cricket as we seek to continue the rich tradition of Kanhai, Butcher and Solomon”.

The presentation was done at a simple ceremony in the BCB office in New Amsterdam during the executive meeting of the Board. Sinclair also met with executives of the board and promised to keep the flag of Berbice cricket flying high.

President of the BCB Hilbert Foster in speaking at the simple ceremony urged the player to remain focused, to stay grounded and to make sure that he takes good care of his Grandfather who is responsible for his success.

Sinclair grandfather, Carlton Sinclair is his coach and mentor. He was a multitalented sports man and a former first division cricketer in his younger days.

The board expressed thanks to Kevin Sinclair for his assistance and wished him all the best in the future.

(Samuel Whyte)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 24

Thursday March 25, 2021

CWI and ECB announce expanded England Men’s Tour of the West Indies in 2022

S

T JOHN’S, Antigua – Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) yesterday announced the scheduled match dates for England’s next tour of the Caribbean in 2022. It represents an expanded schedule to the original International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Future Tours Programme (FTP).

The January 2022 Tour will now feature five T20 Internationals (T20Is) – increased from three matches – to be followed by England returning to the Caribbean for three Test matches in March – increased from the original two Test matches.

The Test series will be the first in which the two teams compete for the newly commissioned “RichardsBotham Trophy,” named in honour of West Indies’ batting icon Sir Vivian Richards and England’s great all-rounder Lord Botham. The new trophy pays tribute to the two legends whose rivalry and friendship embodies the close relationship and mutual respect between the two sides.

The T20I Series will be

the biggest Series to date between the two teams in the shortest form of the game and will be part of the preparations building up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia in October 2022.

Ricky Skerritt, CWI President said: “This expansion of next year’s England tour to the Caribbean is welcomed news for West Indies Cricket and for the region’s tourism economy. It has come about because of the special relationship that has been developed between our respective boards and we are looking forward to working with ECB Chair Ian Watmore, and CEO Tom Harrison, to expand our partnership even further into new areas of cooperation and support. We have already begun discussions on how the ECB can help us in our development programmes and I am pleased that ECB has been showing so much appetite and goodwill to assist.”

Johnny Grave CWI CEO said: “We are delighted that the ECB have agreed to increase the number of matches in their tour to Caribbean next year. An England Tour to the West

Indies is a special event, so by adding a third Test match and two T20Is to the original schedule it will enable more fans to watch the teams do battle and afford more of our countries the opportunity to host matches.”

Ian Watmore, Chair, England and Wales Cricket Board said: “We hugely appreciated the support of Cricket West Indies, and all its men’s and women’s players, in helping us host a full season of international cricket in the summer of 2020.

Following the conclusion of those tours to England we have been in discussions with CWI to understand how we can best support them moving forward and one way was to extend our existing England men’s tours to the Caribbean in 2022.”

Tom Harrison, Chief Executive Officer, England and Wales Cricket Board said: “A tour to the Caribbean is one of the most iconic for both England players and fans alike. So, we are delighted to confirm that our England men’s team will play two additional IT20s and one more Test Match as part of their planned tours in January and

March respectively.

“The three Test Match series will form part of the n e x t I C C Wo r l d Te s t Championship, whilst the additional IT20s will provide our England men’s team with valuable preparation ahead of the ICC World T20, which takes place in Australia later that year.”

The venues for the matches are expected to be announced by the end of April.

West Indies and England restarted the international cricket schedule following the outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic when West Indies toured England in July 2020.

The teams played a three-match ICC World Test Championship Series in a bio-secure bubble at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton and Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester.

It must be noted: the value of the England Tour to the Region with each Test match said to be worth between US$20-25m in economic impact country, or circa US$4m T20I match day (Source: 2016 and 2019 Independent Research from YouGov).

The whole Tour is

England vs West Indies in 2020. (Getty Images) estimated to be worth nearly US$100m to the Caribbean region – with a media value of over US$35m in West Indies tourism promotion around the world.

Closer ties between CWI and ECB Stemming from the 2020 tour of England, which restarted International cricket around the world; it reinvigorated Test rivalry with the Richards-Botham trophy starting in 2022. It also collaborated on the exciting redevelopment plans of the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua which will become the Home of West Indies Cricket, including a worldclass High-Performance centre.

The two boards aim to establish a long-term

strategic partnership as they forge ahead for the future success of the sport.

Match Schedule Friday, January 28: 1st T20 International Sunday, January 30: 2nd T20 International Wednesday, February 2: 3rd T20 International Friday, February 4: 4th T20 International Saturday, February 5: 5th T20 International Tuesday, March 1 to Friday, March 4: warm-up match Tuesday, Mar 8 to Saturday, March 12: 1st Test Match Wednesday, March 16 to Saturday, March 20: 2nd Test Match Thursday, March 24 to Monday, March 28: 3rd Test Match

USA Tri State U-15s arrive for Guyana tour today Will play 11 games from March 26 to April 10

By Sean Devers A New York Tri State U15 team, coached by 56year-old former Guyana Pacer Linden Fraser, arrives today at 12:51 hrs for a 17day tour of Guyana where they will play 10 matches in the City and one in Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara.

Fraser, who played four First-Class matches between 1983 and 1990 including a single Shell Shield game for Guyana in 1984, explained that the tour is to help in the pathway of development.

“Getting to play against opponents who play in a much more developed system where the standard is higher and that is something we hope to take away from this tour. Learning is our main focus,” said the quickie who made his First-Class debut for Demerara against Berbice in the 1983 Jones Cup four-day Inter-County final.

The team which has no

Guyanese players is predominantly of Indian and Pakistan players and will stay at the Princess Hotel next the Providence Stadium, Guyana’s only International cricket ground.

Fraser, who was born in Port Mourant Berbice and played for that County at the U-19 level, said the youngsters are looking forward to playing at Bourda where the West Indies won its first ever Test match when they beat England in the second Test in 1930.

“We would love to meet Sports Minister Charles Ramson who we heard is doing good things for Sports and facilities in Guyana and would also be delighted to have a match at the Providence Stadium,” added Fraser who played for eight years in the English leagues and who played First-Class cricket for three different teams in Guyana.

“We have some talented

U-15 cricketers in the USA but Turf pitches are a problem since we don’t have any in New York or New Jersey where there is a lot of talent. We play on Matting but we have not had a National U-15 tournament if five years. The boys will have a chance to play on Turf pitches in Guyana and that should be a great experience for them,” posited Fraser who represented both Berbice and Demerara at the Senior Inter-County final.

According to the host GCA, the teams that will oppose the NY Tri State team will be responsible for their own food, balls and coloured tops and with pants or coloured uniforms along with $4,000 Umpire’s fee for one Umpire and are expected to adhere to all Covid-19 guidelines and protocols.

The tourists will be led

by Nayan Elamurugan and includes Arya Garb, Aryan Singh, Ansh Rai, Utkarash

Linden Fraser, second from left, New York regional cricket head coach, chats with John Adams High School player Derick Narine, left, before he bats in a match against Midwood High School.

Srivastava, Saharsh Shewthan, Mihir Patwardhan, Nikhil Mudaliar, Anirudh Bolisetty, Mukunda Rao, Tanisha Dongre, Ali Virk, Abhram K. Yeruva, Tracy Glasgow (Manager), Linden Fraser (Head Coach).

The Scorers will be National Female cricketers Akaze Thompson and Hema Singh.

The tour begins in earnest tomorrow when the Americans face-off with GYO at Bourda which hosted 30 Tests and 10 ODIs

and where the Indian and Pakistan super stars played.

The tour opener commences at 09:30 hrs with a 50-overs affair.

Fixtures: March 27 v E’bo (50overs) at MYO (Continued on page 19)

Kaieteur News

Thursday March 25, 2021

PAGE 25

Former Nat. U-20 Captain Jobe Caesar relishing maiden opportunity to represent SMNT Jobe Caesar focused on a bright future.

By Franklin Wilson in the Dominican Republic, compliments of Secure Innovations & Concepts, Industrial Safety Supplies Inc., Fazia’s Motor Spares and GFF “I’ve endured some challenges in life but I have lifted my head up high and I have come again.” The words of National midfielder Jobe Caesar who has earned his maiden call up with the Senior Men’s National Team (SMNT) ‘Golden Jaguars’ here in the Dominican Republic for the start of Guyana’s quest to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The former Santos FC player who is now a member of the Guyana Defence Force FC would have endured some challenges in his life but is on a path to show that those challenges would not define who he is but will prove to one and all that he is worthy of being given a chance to attain his true potential.

Caesar sat down with Kaieteur Sport to share a bit of his story. He said that he started playing the beautiful game around the age of eight (8) and it was at Santos FC that his skills were honed and fine-tuned before moving on to Fruta Conquerors for a brief period a few years ago.

It was back to Santos

once again before he recently made another move, this time, to the GDF FC. His love for the game came naturally as a resident of Bent Street, Wortmanville where he played with the likes of fellow ‘Golden Jaguar’ Daniel Wilson as a youngster.

“We used to go opposite Cuffy Square at that small field which was there to play with Daniel Wilson and a small group in the afternoons and evenings.”

He attended the St. Sidewell’s Primary School which is situated opposite the field where he started playing the sport. Later he a t t e n d e d S t . M a r y ’s Secondary and later Chase’ Academy after securing a football scholarship to attend the latter learning institution.

“I consider myself a very talented and good footballer who has come through the various junior levels and also playing for Guyana. I just have to keep working hard at my game and seek to get better all the time as well as being disciplined which is one of the main things.”

Caesar further shared his thoughts on being selected to represent the Golden Arrowhead in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers: “I feel very jubilant about my selection, it’s an honour to represent your country and being an

ambassador for your country. You just have to lift your head up high because it’s an entire nation you are representing so it’s an honour for me and I feel very excited among the international players who have been sharing their experience with a youth like me.”

It’s human to make mistakes and Jobe is no different; he fell along the way and paid the price not only by the law but his football career was also hampered. Now, he is totally refocused and on a path to prove that his pitfall will not define his future in a negative way.

“Things do happen in life that you regret and I have regretted making a mistake and paying the price for it by the law.

Everyone do make mistakes, no one is perfect and I would just like to say that I’ve come back to everyone that it is a stepping stone in life for me, I will lift my head up high and go again and continue because life has ups and downs pertaining to anything. I have gotten up and am going again to be even better than before.”

Jobe, a former National Under-20 Captain who also represented Guyana at the Under-17 level, informed that after overcoming that

Devin Permaul representing Archery Guyana at Pan American C/ships

M

ore than a year ago, Archery Guyana reported on two members, Devin Persaud Permaul and Wayne DeAbreu who would have been participating in the Olympic Qualification process…. Then unfortunately the Covid-19 Pandemic hit globally. Right now however, in the world of Archery, there is some glimmer of hope as things return to a new “normalcy” and Guyana is once again back on track to seek to secure spots in the Tokyo Games for Archery.

Tuesday in Monterrey, Mexico, 20 countries sent representatives to shoot at the Pan American Championships under the strict pandemic regulations as set by World Archery and the local health authorities.

And present there in Monterrey, Mexico is Guyana’s very own Devin Permaul, flying the Golden Arrowhead amidst fierce competition for the quota places. There are three quota places reserved in these Pan American Championships which are reserved for countries in the Americas and can only be won by countries who have not already secured a place and each nation can only collect a maximum of one quota place per gender in Monterrey, Mexico.

Devin Permaul in action.

There is only one last qualification tournament, which will take place in Paris in June, after these continental championships which will be open to all countries. However, with travel plans uncertain, and the Global pandemic still of great concern, this competition in Monterrey might be the last chance for some of the athletes, and especially for Guyana to qualify for the Games. The pressure on our Archer and countryman is high – and the battle for these quota places will be intense.

The Board of Directors wishes Devin Permaul all the best and urges all of Guyana to rally around him and send positive energy across the miles for Guyana.

speed bump in life, he met with GFF President Wayne Forde and following a good conversation, he promised Forde that he would be a different individual and Forde committed the GFF to meeting him {Caesar} halfway in terms of assisting him to reach his true and full potential.

“My promise to Mr. Forde, the President of the GFF was that I’ll be coming and show the GFF that I made a mistake and I just want to get over it and make them proud and do what I have to do to represent my country once again at the highest level.”

The confident midfielder who has been putting in the hard work here in the Dominican Republic along with his colleagues and looking forward to the two matches against Trinidad and Tobago and Bahamas, noted that lots of youngsters would get caught up in situations that can set them back in life but they shouldn’t allow that to keep them down.

“There are a lot of youngsters out there that get themselves caught up in

things like me too; I would like to encourage the youths with talent to rise up and look at me as a stepping stone. I went through some challenges but I have lift my head up high and just come

again. I would assure the nation, the federation and all who support me that I am a different person in life and with my football. I will make the GFF and my family and country proud.”

Blatter hit with FIFA ban again SportsMax - Sepp Blatter has been handed a new ban from football of six years and eight months, FIFA has announced.

Disgraced former FIFA president Blatter was originally banned for eight years, reduced to six, in 2015 over breaches relating to a “disloyal payment” to exUEFA chief Michel Platini.

That suspension is up in O c t o b e r o f t h i s y e a r, although the 85-year-old will now be barred from all football activities for a further eight years due to “various violations” of FIFA’s code of ethics.

Jerome Valcke, the f o r m e r F I FA g e n e r a l secretary who is banned from football until October 2025, has been given the same punishment on those grounds.

Both men have also been fined 1million Swiss francs (€900,000/$1.1m).

A statement issued by FIFA read: “The investigations into Messrs Blatter and Valcke covered various charges, in particular concerning bonus payments i n r e l a t i o n t o F I FA competitions that were paid

Sepp Blatter has been handed a new ban from football. to top FIFA management officials, various amendments and extensions of employment contracts, as well as reimbursement by FIFA of private legal costs in the case of Mr Valcke.

“As the previous bans from taking part in all football-related activity imposed on Messrs Blatter a n d Va l c k e b y t h e independent ethics committee in 2015 and 2016 have not yet been purged, the bans notified today will only come into force upon the expiry of the previous bans.”

In the written reasons covering the decision of the adjudicatory chamber of the ethics committee, FIFA said Blatter’s breaches included “accepting and receiving

extraordinary bonuses” of 23m Swiss francs, “as a result of the conflict of interest created by the allocation and execution of extraordinary bonus payments between limited top-ranking FIFA officials” between 2010 and 2014.

The investigation highlighted a scheme through which Blatter, Valcke, the late former Argentinian Football Association (AFA) president Julio Grondona and ex-FIFA finance director Markus Kattner were “allowing themselves to obtain extraordinary benefits with minimum effort”.

“This vicious circle saw three of them (Blatter, Grondona and Valcke) signing the amendment contracts of the others and approving the respective extraordinary bonuses, while the fourth (Kattner) was in charge of implementing the payment of such bonuses (as well as of keeping the matter “off the books”, by not reflecting the bonuses in the FIFA financial statements and not reporting them to the FIFA auditors),” the verdict read.