Kaieteur News

K

Friday Edition Hundreds gather outside AIETEUR NEWS Israeli Embassy in Washington demanding ceasefire in Gaza May 03, 2024 - Vol. 26 No. 18

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Guyana’s largest selling Online Price $100 readership daily & New York’s most yesterday, popular weekly - Protesters vow to continue rallies, pay tribute to US service 45,476

member Aaron Bushnell who set himself on fire outside embassy last week

ExxonM spent Guyana’s oil profits to seek legal advice on how border controversy - 2nd Audit will affect their pockets reveals Four men robbed Man busted with gun, after attending Burna Boy Show ammo and cannabis

Guyana has least effective Access to Information Laws - Caribbean in the Region Media Institute

ExxonM will have to explain inflated - VP invoices in court Jagdeo

PAGE 02

Kaieteur News

Friday May 03, 2024

Kaieteur News

Friday May 03, 2024

PAGE 03

ExxonM will have to explain inflated invoices in court - VP Jagdeo V

ice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo stated on Thursday that ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) will need to explain in court why a massive US$12.192 billion invoice, submitted to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) by its former broker Ramps Logistics Guyana Incorporated (RLGI), was revealed to be inflated.

Last week, it came to light that Ramps, contracted by Exxon to import oil well equipment, had submitted an inflated invoice.

This discrepancy caught the attention of GRA, prompting an investigation. It was reported that in November 2023, Ramps submitted an invoice for oil well equipment valued at US$4,467,662 but the declared value to Customs w a s a s t a g g e r i n g US$12,192,103,923.91.

During his press conference yesterday, Vice President Jagdeo underscored that the government is fully supportive of GRA’s efforts to address the matter. In response to media reports of EMGL’s Country Manager Alistair Routledge stating that the company had not received a court summons, Jagdeo revealed that although he had been informed since last week that Exxon and Ramps would be served with the court order, that action had not been taken.

However, he said, “…I asked the Commissioner General (Godfrey Statia) why is this so, since they told me since last week, it was filed and he said that the court did not have the bailiff and they expect it to be filed, served today, the summons to go to court.”

Jagdeo explained that efforts by GRA to clarify the inflated invoice were not met with helpful responses from Exxon. According to him, the oil company told GRA that given that the price on the invoice is tax-free, it would not have resulted in the loss of any taxes. “But that was not the issue,” Jagdeo noted. Describing the

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

EMGL’s Country Manager, Alistair Routledge inflated invoice matter as “unbelievable,” Jagdeo expressed his surprise at how the companies arrived at such an exorbitant figure.

To underscore the enormity of the sum on the inflated invoice, he pointed out that it equates to the cost of two Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels.

The Vice President went on to elaborate on the ramifications of approving such an inflated invoice.

He first reminded of the provision in the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) Guyana signed with the Exxon-led consortium for the Stabroek Block which allows Exxon to retain 75% of the revenues earned towards cost recovery or repaying the investments by the company. The remaining 25% is then shared with Guyana as profit, meaning the country receives 12.5% along with a 2% royalty.

To this, he said, “We made it clear that if invoices are deliberately increase, it will have an impact on two things; it will overstate the cost bank and two, it will change the tax liabilities of the government, because as you know, in accordance with the PSA

RLGI CEO, Shaun Rampersad

that (former minister Raphael) Trotman signed, the responsibility for paying taxes rests with the Government of Guyana on behalf of Exxon and so we are treating this matter seriously as a result of this.”

Moreover, he expressed his eagerness to hear the explanations for the inflated invoice in court.

Jagdeo said, “It is a serious matter.

We take it seriously. If they have explanations (they) can give it to the courts, because now we have filed charges against them…” As a result of the incident, the VP stated too that GRA have been instructed to review the invoices submitted for the previous years.

“We are now ensuring that before we finalise, any of the audit, the second audit, that the GRA will go back and check all the back invoices last several years to see that there is really no overstatement of any of these invoices,” he noted.

Kaieteur News has reported that Exxon was informed that during the investigation, Ramps submitted a missive to the Revenue Authority stating that it was contracted by Exxon to provide brokerage and freight forward service and

attributed the erroneous declaration to information obtained from Exxon’s KABAL system. This publication understands that on December 11, 2023, Exxon representatives visited GRA to assist with the investigation, where enquiries were made in relation to Exxon’s conduct. Further, in response, Exxon in a letter dated December 13, 2023 claimed that it learned that Ramps, “incorrectly inputted USD as the currency of the commercial invoice on the referenced Customs declaration, in place of GYD; and the error resulted in an overstatement of the value of the items listed on the commercial invoice and consequently on the Customs declaration submitted by your broker.”

In response to this, the Revenue Authority indicated that Exxon’s claims/explanation cannot be deemed as accepted in law, particularly since a statutory duty is imposed on Exxon to verify and ensure that all information declared to GRA by its broker is true and correct. “In addition, evidence was obtained to prove that the untrue declaration was caused to be made and subscribed to the Revenue

Authority by your company. As such, be guided accordingly that this act constitutes a breach of Section 217 (1) (a) of the Customs Act, Chapter 82:01,” GRA told the company.

Exxon was given an opportunity to show cause why proceedings should not be instituted against them in accordance with the Customs Act. The company in response to the Revenue Authority made several claims: that it was not the declarant and has not made any false declaration, that the declaration was made by Ramps, that it (Exxon) has not made and subscribed or caused to be made and subscribed any false declaration, that any error made by Ramps was a typographical error which did not injure to the detriment of or cause any loss to the Revenue Authority, that to the best o f E M G L’s k n o w l e d g e a l l information that was available to Ramps from the KABAL platform was accurate and any error was not caused by Exxon.

Moreover, the oil company also told GRA that under its contract, Ramps had an obligation to review and verify all inbound shipping documentation (such as bills of lading, commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, etc.) and was contractually obligated to review and verify all relevant shipping information before preparing and submitting the declaration.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 04

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

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

EDITORIAL

World Press Freedom Day The Fourth Estate is yoked to a sacred duty. It is to present information honestly, accurately, and in a balanced way to the public. Moreover, on this World Press Freedom Day, it is that unfettered ability to pursue news items and report on them without fear, without hindrance. The experience of this paper, a member of the Guyana Press cohort, has not been what it should be, particularly where that hallowed freedom to interrogate and inform has been severely inhibited almost without letup.

When members of the press corps are forced to function in an environment of intimidation and hostility, then more than press freedom is at stake. The rights of citizens for a fair and clear picture on the developments impacting their lives are subject to duress, are curtailed. Any narrowing of that freedom, any restraint on what it represents in its fullest (and freest) expressions, has no place in a working democracy. Since the Government of Guyana loudly claims to be all about democratic freedoms, then the ones involving the local press cannot be taken as lightly and insultingly as they have been in recent times. There must be the freedom to access vital information on a timely basis, and not at such time that suits the whims and calculations of any political leader. The freedom to ask questions is a crucial component of the work of a professional press, either as an entity or at the individual journalist level. To circle around that freedom to escape providing answers generates reasonable doubts about motive and agenda. For leaders and officers of the government to derogate by attitude and action, in person or by proxy, the attempts of journalists to obtain information that Guyanese need to know, is indicative of the environment in Guyana that has become the norm.

Many freedoms are now routinely violated in the realm of the Fourth Estate in Guyana. As a presence in the dwindling local independent media cadre, the freedom to represent the press profession (and the interests of the people) has come under increasing attack week after week. One national leader, with others in close attendance, has gone out of his way to be hostile and derisive, manifesting a closed mind not to be disturbed, and a clenched fist invited at one’s own risk. Where he left off, his lackeys are delighted to continue via other channels to denigrate press parties found to be offensive, without restraint or any recognition of basic decency. When a former president could be publicly taken to task for speaking outside of his party’s playbook that is revealing enough of where the freedom to speak is concerned. But an unimagined and unprecedented depth is reached, when the family of that former president is insulted in the sickest manner possible in efforts to deny a fundamental freedom.

Press freedoms are not what and how leaders say they should be. Freedom to hold leaders accountable are inseparable from the calling of genuine media practitioners. When press freedom is under siege, then some of the objectives of those behind such a condition become clearer. There is some truth, some fact, that those in charge do not want to be ventilated publicly. There is one narrative that leaders are determined will be the only one circulating, and they will do anything so that monopoly position is not threatened or weakened. Counter narratives, through revealing press reports, or thoughtfully presented contradictory commentaries, must be quashed.

When efforts to do so fall short, then even more aggressive actions must be taken to undermine report and reporters.

This has been the case with this media house, which has been subject to the smearing and slandering of its people.

Before that, libel laws were weaponised and used for bludgeoning effect. We are still going strong, finding ways to carve out the freedom to dig for information and to present conscientiously and fearlessly. Taxpayer resources have been wielded to bring us to our knees through the withholding of advertising dollars. We have not only weathered the assaults on the press freedoms that are ours by right, but we have also risen above the meanness and vindictiveness intended to limit the work being done, and to derail it.

Friday May 03, 2024

The Government never ran Night schools in Sophia and Kildonan DEAR EDITOR I read a letter by Vincent Alexander in yesterday’s newspapers where Mr. Alexander falsely claims the Government closed night schools in Sophia and Kildonan, and attributed that to the Government being vindictive. Mr. Alexander in his haste to feed his o b s e s s i o n w i t h Vi c e President Bharat Jagdeo has ignored the truth.

Here are the facts: The Government never ran Night schools in Sophia and Kildonan. In Sophia, it was run by a nongovernmental group called the Sophia Community Development Association (SOCDA).

The PPP/C believes in making education available to as many persons as possible and has always realised that belief by actual programmes. When in opposition and under the leadership of its General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo, the PPP/C crafted a manifesto, which announced our intention to offer 20,000 scholarships to study in foreign universities paid for

by the government.

The Government began fulfilling that promise with the establishment of the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL). That programme has provided scholarships for more than 25,000 Guyanese to study in over 18 Universities locally and across the world.

Several areas and levels of study are offered. So successful has that programme been that it brought our attention to the persons who would have liked to benefit therefrom but who had dropped out of school and/or did not qualify for entrance into the universities and needed a second chance.

As such, GROW (Get Ready for Opportunities to Work) was birthed. This is second chance programme where students can acquire the General Education Development (GED) and the Scottish Certificate and Qualification Framework (SCQF). These serve as the equivalent to successful high school exit qualifications such as the Caribbean Examinations Council’s

(CXC) Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) or the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) that allows for further study at a tertiary level or simply for a feeling of accomplishment, capability and pride by the persons who ventured for that second chance.

In the two years since its birth, the Irfaan Ali led Government has granted 5,887 scholarships to students so that they may get that second chance. Of that number, 3567 (60 percent) of those students have moved up and are currently studying on degree programmes in different foreign universities.

Some 366 residents of Sophia have graduated GROW and are currently scholarship awardees on GOAL studying for their degrees.

Mr. Alexander may wish to take note of these realities and differences. His government did not believe in and/or could not imagine nor implement a programme like GOAL or GROW for mass public benefit of people from all over Guyana. They

relied on non-governmental organisations to do that in small numbers.

This Government gives second chances to large numbers of persons from every geographic location, religious persuasion, gender and ethnicity. This is how one changes lives.

Bellyaching with falsities in the newspapers, whining about Jagdeo daily, making everything about race and ethnicity has never worked to change lives and I daresay will not work to allow Mr. Alexander that second chance to lead at the Ministry of Education where he served in a leadership capacity for all the time APNU/AFC was in Government.

It would have been useful a n d b e n e f i c i a l i f M r.

Alexander’s concern for people had manifested in his service over at the Ministry of Education producing even a single like programme to benefit the people of this country or even only those, he says he represents.

Sincerely Priya Manickchand Minister of Education

An umbrella programme management unit needed for public infrastructure works DEAR EDITOR In an April 23 letter which was published in KN, D r. M u n i r a m B u d h u , Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering expressed his opinion that the Government with its new found oil wealth has been undertaking a wide range of infrastructure projects to develop the country and improve the living standards of its people. He noted however, that its efforts in this respect have been dogged by corruption, shortage of a skilled labour force and racial discrimination among other impediments. To resolve many of these problems, Dr. Budhu has suggested that the Government create an Umbrella Infrastructure Programme Management Unit which will not only prevent corruption but get value for its public infrastructure investments

and oversee the procurement and award of all contracts and their execution. He further suggested that this Unit be tasked with project management and be composed with a privatepublic partnership which would be more effective and efficient in the execution of its mandate.

The Government has already established such a Unit - THE NATIONAL PROCUREMENT AND T E N D E R A D M I N I S T R AT I O N (NPTA) but its mandate needs to be expanded for it to be more effective in its functions. Contrary to Dr. Budhu’s claim, NPTA is not an independent body but a Government established Unit and its members are appointed by the Government who lays out its policies and guidelines and uses its recommendations for such matters as contract

awards and procurement.

The NPTA has been functioning with a lot of criticism for its lack of transparency, allegations of racial discrimination and corruption in the award of contracts and purchase of equipment. Therefore, a review and upgrade of its mandate is urgently needed not as suggested - an Umbrella Programme Management Unit. For example, with respect to contract awards, the successful bidder should be selected as the lowest evaluated bidder and not as the lowest cost one. Bidders should be selected not only because of their low bid but because their selection takes into consideration their i n t e g r i t y, e x p e r i e n c e , f i n a n c i a l c a p a b i l i t y, personnel, equipment, etc.

Most of NPTA awards have been to bidders who were the lowest ones without taking

into consideration those other factors.

Because of this discrepancy, many of them have suffered from time, costs overruns and other factors and were unable to complete their contracts which the Government has had to take over and complete eventually.

In poor developing countries, such as Guyana corruption in formulating and executing infrastructure works is endemic at all levels. An audit should therefore be carried out on all completed large infrastructures contracts to determine such factors as time and cost overruns and their causes thereof. This will provide valuable information to the Government in the preparation and execution of its infrastructure projects.

Sincerely, Charles Sohan

Kaieteur News

Friday May 03, 2024

The accomplishments of the Agriculture Minister must be applauded DEAR EDITOR, It is my pleasure to pen this short letter to express my humblest opinion, moreso to “give Jack he jacket”. As a proud Guyanese with an avid interest in the progress of this country and a longstanding supporter of the work done by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, I took particular interest in the work done by Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha.

The minister has always shown how hardworking and committed he is, whether it is in his family life or work related.

These attributed compounded with the discipline to “get the job done” has done him well. I recall during his time as Regional Chairman in Region 6 many years ago, he did his utmost to see

development take place with whatever resources made available to him at that time.

Make no mistake, you will always see criticism creeping its way in some way or the other but this did not deter him from executing his duties fairly. He has brought that very attitude while performing the duties of Minister of Agriculture.

I am always attending meetings when he is in Berbice and whenever I do attend, farmers or residents are always satisfied at the conclusion of these very meetings.

He listens, he provides solutions, he ensures that the needs of the people are met, if not immediately, in the near future.

You may call me what you wish but I will not suppress my opinions. I have chosen this medium to do so because I have seen the

Minister come under heavy scrutiny lately but these are people that refuse to see the bigger picture, these are people who believe that they can do better but really cannot, these are people that find pleasure in highlighting the bad, these are people that are actually looking to score points. It is not constructive criticism.

All cannot be perfect when it comes to governing, the Minister is one man tasked with a million and one responsibilities, he is human too.

At least you cannot say he is sitting in his office, enjoying the benefits and not working for the people, it is etched in his DNA to get up and go! I cannot ask for a better man to serve our people!

Yours sincerely, Osborne Collymore Berbician

The core issue in the vendors’ matter

DEAR EDITOR The letter writer has made a compelling call for City Hall to act with regards to vendors and vending (SN May 2), one of many such calls.

The core issue in this vendors’ matter can be summed up thus: the wrong was allowed to fester, nurture and became permanent to the landscape until it became a right, a right for vendors to put down and take up spots and places in full view and knowledge of every one, all turning a blind

eye and looking the other way. Now it has become a monster only to be quelled by court orders. And these are coming fast and furious, and still no plan or course of action to deal with the issue.

NDCs should note the point raised in the letter about vending and unsightly shacks sprouting up across spaces in communities some even permanent. My point about a wrong festering and becoming a right while the authorities idly allow this.

The vendors have to earn and live.

So with no

immediate end in sight, the vendors/vending problem will not go away. As one columnist puts it, ‘the politicians seeking to control the City Hall’s purse, will do whatever it takes for those vendors’ votes’ (GT April 30).

And so we go...life rumbles on in dear Guyana.

Sincerely Shamshun Mohamed

PAGE 05

ARRIVAL DAY DEAR EDITOR For the last 172 years out of Bharat / India, Indians have contributed to the economic and cultural development that has given rise to economic and cultural civilisations in the various countries in which they were deployed. They have done so as economic survivors in their respective countries such as those in Africa, the Pacific, the Americas and the Caribbean.

However, this is not simply a general economic development but there was a significant contribution, practically revolutionary on this scale of economy. To illustrate my point on the Indian Diaspora’s economic contribution, let’s start with the arguments laid forth by Dr. Thomas Sowell, a Black American Economic Scholar who did his ground breaking research on Uganda where Indians were brought to build railways by the British, These Indians decided to stay in Uganda and other parts of Africa for various reasons. The Indians thereby brought about modern economic and cultural civilisations by engaging in mega farming, sugar factories and building cotton factories.

Meanwhile, they were building economic empires for themselves, they engaged in mega economic building blocks and globalised trade for those nations on such a never-before-seen larger scale which allowed for the elimination of the more primal and medieval BARTER system which

existed amongst tribes and villages in Africa till that time. This monetary system boosted trading by out competing with even the white traders. This historic economic behaviour in boosting the economics of parts of Africa / Uganda contributed to the changing African economic behaviour economically and culturally in terms of business which has had similar effect and repercussions played out in the Pacific / Fiji, Mauritius and the Caribbean-Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname. In these last three Caribbean countries, the arrival of Indians [Coolies] saved these Fallen States by reinvigorating the agriculture sector. Indians started up businesses when their contracts expired. Indians found a way to survive the colonial white and Angloblack elite landscape of the We s t I n d i e s b y t h e i r contributions in business as they were not given politically correct DEI jobs from the government. Many could not go to school if they had not converted far less get a government job dependent on a school certificate. They had to depend on their wits for survival. Armed with their Vedic Culture (because the greatest majority would have been Hindus with a lesser percentage of Muslims and Christianity not wiping out

Hindus numbers with conversion unlike the toll it has taken today), the Indians were taught cultural work ethics and fruitful habits to toil and be thrifty and accumulate wealth which injected prosperity into Tr i n i d a d , G u y a n a a n d Suriname.

In 2024, as Indians celebrate Indian Arrival Day in the Caribbean, mainly in Tr i n i d a d , G u y a n a a n d Suriname one must be mindful about the Economic and Cultural Suffering that Indians endured for about 172 years and more. We Indians added Economic / Cultural traits that work is not a SIN and while our other countryman failed to credit the Indian Race for the Civility and the economic development in Guyana, Trinidad and Suriname, it is not the end of the road.

It is important that today in Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname, in spite of the many political hurdles to jump over, Indians must remain united [Khoon Ka Rishta] – or Blood Bond to be strong and to prevail. As we know the word, “Indian” in Arrival Day was not allowed by a Black government. But today Emancipation Day is now changed to African Emancipation Day. It’s time Indians own their narrative in Trinidad.

Regards Sita Ram

Kaieteur News

PAGE 06

Friday May 03, 2024

GPHC wants vendors removed from outside hospital - threatens legal action against M&CC O

n Tu e s d a y, Attorneys-atLaw Sase R. Gunraj representing the Guyana Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) issued an ultimatum to the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) of Georgetown regarding the presence of vendors near the hospital’s premises.

In a letter addressed to the Town Clerk, Gunraj has warned of proposed legal action if the M&CC fails to take immediate steps to address the situation. The hospital is located in North Cummingsburg, and bounded by Middle Street, East Street, Lamaha Street and Thomas Street, with New Market Street running through. The letter stated that several of these streets, particularly East Street, New Market Street and Middle Street, have been encumbered by numerous stationary and itinerant vendors who purvey a variety of items from a range of makeshift stalls, immobile vehicles, caravans and push carts.

Despite repeated attempts by the GPHC to address the issue, the M&CC has failed to take concrete measures to remove the encumbrances. The attorney

emphasised that the presence of vendors not only disrupts the free flow of vehicular traffic leading to the hospital but also obstructs pathways intended for pedestrians.

The letter highlighted the critical need for unimpeded access to the hospital by all vehicles, including emergency vehicles, throughout the day and night. It was also outlined to the M&CC, the importance of ensuring that motor vehicular traffic can traverse the surrounding roadways without hindrance, especially in emergency situations.

In light of the M&CC’s inaction, the attorney representing the GPHC demanded that all vendors be removed from the vicinity of the hospital premises within seven days.

They further cautioned that the hospital is prepared to explore all available legal avenues should the M&CC fail to comply with the ultimatum. Back in December 2022, the government issued a final notice to vendors occupying spaces along the streets, citing concerns about the obstruction of traffic flow in the vicinity of the hospital.

The notice stated,

“ Ve n d o r s a r e b e i n g reminded that the seven-day period has expired and teams from the Ministry will begin the removal process today, Monday, December 12, 2022.” The New Market Street vendors were urged to remove all makeshift stalls, sheds, carts, caravans, or other receptacles used for vending or have these removed by the ministry’s team.

Vending done near GPHC

Indian Arrival has no significance for PPP DEAR EDITOR, This Sunday, May 5 is I n d i a n A r r i v a l D a y, commemorating the day Indians first landed on the territory in 1838. It is a day inscribed in the psyche of Indians, a day they held cultural and religious activities annually going back over 180 years to celebrate life and their survival after a long difficult journey and oppression on the plantations. It became a holiday that was fought for by a handful of Indians but opposed by the PPP government until it caved in to unrelenting pressure from Indian activists and organisations.

Ironic, the PNC supported Indian Arrival Day as a holiday reversing a position it held prior to 1992.

Desmond Hoyte declared a one-off holiday in 1988 for the 150th anniversary of Indian arrival.

Although it is the most important day for Indians and perhaps for the entire nation given the number of Indians who arrived from India, some 240,000, and the largest racial group in the country for some 125 years, and their contributions to the country and to the PPP, the PPP has disrespected Indians. The party has opted to hold its Congress coinciding with Indian Arrival Day. This is a day that Indians around the

country would host celebrations or commemorative activities nationally in every community.

Yet, the PPP chose to hold a political party Congress rather than organise or join in celebrations to mark the arrival of Indians, 186th anniversary. I doubt the PPP would hold a Congress on Good Friday or Emancipation Day or on a holiday of significance to any other religious or racial group.

Clearly, the day has had no importance for the PPP or else it would not have opposed the holiday during its 23 years tenure. It has no significance for the party except for a few Indians in its Central Committee, all of whom have lost their tongue to oppose the holding of a political party Congress on the most important day for the Indian Guyanese people.

The irony is the PPP depends on Indians for political support; 96% Indians support the PPP. If Indians withdraw their support, the PPP would cease to exist. It is de facto an Indian party.

Yet, no Indian has stood up to the leadership querying why Indians are disrespected. The party does not care about Indians. The party only wants their votes.

After elective office, to hell with supporters! If the day

was important to Jagdeo and Irfaan Ali, they would not have planned their Congress to conflict with Indian celebrations. Anil Nandlall, Vindya Persaud, Ashni S i n g h , S e e r a j D h a r a m k u m a r, I n d a r Deodat, Priya Manickchand, among many others, owe their presence in parliament and in government because of Indian support.

Yet, they have not voiced any object to their party leader or the President on holding Congress on Indian Arrival.

They are spineless and clearly lack Indian values.

They would all be at the Congress canvassing for votes to get elected to the Central Committee rather than join in community celebrations in their neighbourhoods, regions, and nationally.

Indian Guyanese at home and abroad should take note of how Indians are treated as second class and silenced by the party and send a clear message when elections are held next year.

Indians need to push back against abuses and the disrespect meted out to them by the PPP. And why haven’t the Indian rights activists speaking out on the PPP’s disrespecting Indian Guyanese?

Yours sincerely, Sharmila Ally

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 .

PPP Congress 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 .

T B . .

L LU ...BLUN .

T B . .

N .

T U L N T B U . .

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 U . .

L N .

T B B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U BBL T...BLUN BLUNT... ...BLU .

T .

N .

N T T U L U 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 Friday May 03, 2024

Kaieteur News

The unspoken objective of the PPP Congress which opens today is to solidify its hold on power, so that it can partner with ExxonMobil to continue ripping off Guyanese.

General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo would solidify his ways to dominate the PPP and controls its visions and thinking.

The congress will be a farce- it’s about one man ruling for the enriching of his favoured, to settle scores with opponents, including those inside the party.

No genuine and honest PPP loyalist is safe.

THE PPP CONGRESS is about one man and his ambitions, his betrayals of the party’s founders. The PPP Congress will be about what perpetuates his stranglehold on followers, stifling resistance, and killing Guyanese hopes.

The PPP CONGRESS is about how the PPP as a party and as a government have become the stooge of ExxonMobil and Jagdeo its enforcer.

PAGE 07

Kaieteur News

PAGE 08

Friday May 03, 2024

“Rights are only defended when people stand up; otherwise, they remain on the paper” Labour Day 2024 was observed on the heels of what many have called a ‘landmark ruling’ by High Court Judge, Sandil Kissoon, in relation to a month-long strike that teachers had initiated calling for better wages, conditions and a return of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CLA) process.

Justice Kissoon had ruled in favour of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), that its strike was legal and as such, prohibited the government from acting on its decision to deduct the salaries of teachers who participated in the month-long strike in February.

Addressing the May Day Rally on Wednesday–a holiday set aside to celebrate the contributions of workers–organised by the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), along with the GTU, Senior Counsel (SC) Roysdale Forde, was adamant the battle was not over. To this end, he was adamant, “that rights are only defended when people stand up; otherwise, they remain on the paper waiting to be brought alive.” According to the aspiring leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) and Shadow Attorney General (AG) in the National Assembly, who also served as one

– Forde tells Public Servants of the lead attorneys on behalf of the teachers, said in spite of the ruling, “you must not rest on your laurels, this is an ongoing battle.”

Referencing the promised appeal to the decision by Substantive AG and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C. Forde told those in attendance, “I want you to understand that the victory in the court will continue, the battle will continue, we’ll go all the way to the CCJ (Caribbean Court of Justice), but you must not rest on your laurels, this is an ongoing battle you must play and be an active part in it.”

He further pressed public servants, specifically teachers present at the rally, saying, “I have told the President of the GTU, I have told the GTU people, take your people on the streets, take your people on the streets.”

Forde S.C, further qualified his call by saying, “I will be presumptuous to say the Leader of the Opposition (Aubrey Norton) is supporting, and he has said it publicly, that he is supporting the labour movement, and as such, “you got to be ready, (and) this is a

battle, it’s never going to stop, keep going forward, it’s never going to stop.”

The Senior Counsel prefaced his fiery remarks to the May Day Rally held at Critchlow Labour College (CLC) compound, by pointing to Justice Kissoon’s ruling, which he described as “landmark” and “serious progress in vindicating our rights and standing up for our rights.”

To this end, he was adamant, “I want you to remember, as a lawyer, as a citizen, as a Guyanese, that rights are only defended when people stand up; otherwise, they remain on the paper waiting to be brought alive.”

To this end, he used the occasion to congratulate the “the leadership of GTU and GTUC in defending not just labour rights, but in defending all the Guyanese people.” Prefacing his remarks and calls for public servants to remain steadfast and resolute, he pointed to the fact, “we would have received calls from throughout the Caribbean, from Africa, trying to understand what it is that was achieved for labour by labour.”

Senior Counsel (SC) Roysdale Forde Meanwhile in dismissing recent criticism by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo–who had lambasted Justice Kissoon’s ruling as presumptuous, Forde S.C., was adamant that what had been happening “under the leadership, under the governance of Bharrat Jagdeo and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is to lock out labour as a critical element in our society.”

According to Forde S.C., what Justice Kissoon did in his ruling was to decide, “in circumstances where the government is being oppressive, they are acting unilaterally, imposing wages conditions, rejecting CLAs, and you can establish that the union has acted responsibly by seeking to go through the process of conciliation arbitration, that the union and the

workers have a right to strike and because of the government’s conduct, its failure to act in accordance with law, the workers are entitled to strike and no deductions be made from their salary.”

To this end, he posits, “...what would have happened by this decision, we would be able to break free from the clutches of the government, the court would have released all the obstacles in your way to ensure that you have better wages and conditions.” To this end, Forde S.C told the rally, “the only person, thing, or institution stopping you from moving from where you are right now, to ensuring you receive the wages and conditions you deserve is yourself.”

Kaieteur News

Friday May 03, 2024

PAGE 09

The case against the establishment of IDPADA-G The biggest mistake that t h e A P N U + A F C government made in promoting the International Decade for People of African Descent was to outsource the work of the Decade to a nongovernmental assembly. The establishment of the International Decade of People of African Descent Assembly-Guyana (IDPADA-G) effectively delinked government from a direct role in fulfilling the mandate of the international decade. This was a huge mistake that has now come back to haunt the APNU and AFC. The work of the international decade is now hobbled by the loss of government financing. Had the government been directly involved in the promoting the programme of action for the international decade, it would have been more difficult, but not impossible, for any government to extricate itself from the locallydeveloped programme of action. But there are other reasons why the government should have been more directly involved. The work of the international decade in Guyana got off to a lethargic start. There was lethargy and in-fighting during the first five years of the decade.

Little was achieved and this reduced the time available to pursue a programme of recognition, justice and development for persons of African descent. Had the government been involved or had a national commission been established for the international decade, it is likely that more progress would have been made and

made quicker.

Another reason why the decision was a mistake was that the United Nations itself placed an obligation on States themselves, rather than organisations within States, to promote respect, protection and fulfillment of the rights of people of African descent worldwide.

The ambitious action envisaged by the United Nations cannot be attained without the direct participation of governments in the work of the international decade.

Governments had key obligations including formulating and implementing policies aimed at addressing the historical and contemporary injustices faced by people of African descent. This included measures to combat racial discrimination, promote equality and nondiscrimination, and ensure acces s to ju s tice an d effective remedies for victims of racial discrimination.

States were obligated to enact and enforce laws that prohibit racial discrimination in all its forms and ensure equal protection of the law for people of African descent.

This involved reviewing and amending existing legislation to remove discriminatory provisions and enact new laws to address emerging challenges faced by the African descent communities.

States were further encouraged to recognise, celebrate, and promote the rich cultural heritage and contributions of people of African descent to the

societies in which they live.

This included supporting cultural events, festivals, and initiatives aimed at preserving and promoting African descent culture and h i s t o r y. S t a t e s w e r e responsible for promoting education and awarenessraising activities to combat stereotypes, prejudices, and negative perceptions associated with people of African descent. This involved integrating education on the history, culture, and contributions of African descent communities into school curricula and conducting public awareness campaigns to promote tolerance and understanding.

States were called upon to take measures to address the socio-economic inequalities and disparities faced by people of African descent. This included promoting access to education, healthcare, employment, housing, and other essential services, as well as implementing affirmative action measures to ensure equal opportunities for African descent individuals and communities.

In addition, States were expected to collect disaggregated data on the socio-economic situation of people of African descent and monitor progress in addressing their rights and needs. This involved establishing mechanisms for data collection, analysis, and reporting to identify areas of concern and measure the impact of policies and programs aimed at advancing the rights of African descent

DEM BOYS SEH

Not too long, not too short!

A

barber belongs to a profession that requires not only deft hands but also the ability to decipher the cryptic codes of hair-related desires that clients bring to the chair.

A man walked into a barber shop.

The barber, ever the seasoned professional, greets him with a smile and the age-old question: “How would you like it?”

And so begins the dance of words, a delicate negotiation between client and coiffeur.

“Not too long, but not too short,” the man says.

“Thick but not too thick, thin but not too thin,” he continues, as if he’s ordering a slice of pizza with just the right amount of cheese.

And then, the picce de résistance: the sideburns. “Pointed but not too sharp,” he declares. Dis he kind of mind-reading and deciphering dat dem barbers does gat to engage in. All de time, de barber know dat

he tekkin a chance with dis man head because if the man nah know what he want, how the barber gan know.

Now and then, yuh does also find some difficult customers. One time a balding, middle-aged man asked his barber, “Why charge me the full price for cutting my hair — there’s so little of it?” “Well,” said the barber, “I actually only charge a little for cutting it. What you’re paying for is my searching for it.”

But sometimes, de shoes does be on de odder foot. A man went to de barber.”How would you like your hair today?” asked the barber. “Look, I want this side all but completely shaved, with this 2 spots here bald, this side, shorn, and in the middle, do as you please.” ”I am sorry, but I don’t think I can do that,” said the barber.

“But that is how you did it last week.”

Talk half. Leff half.

communities.

It is not difficult to see how given the need to address these systemic issues how the government could have outsourced the work of the decade to a nongovernmental assembly.

This was a fatal mistake. It was always asking too much for IDPADA-G to be saddled with all these obligations.

The scope of the work envisaged for the International Decade for People of African Descent necessitated direct government involvement due to the multifaceted nature of the challenges faced by African descent communities, many of which required legislative

and political action.

Issues such as combating racial discrimination, enacting anti-discrimination laws, promoting equality in access to education and employment, addressing socio-economic disparities, and ensuring access to justice for victims of discrimination all required strong governmental leadership and intervention.

Legislative reforms, policy formulation, and the allocation of resources were crucial in addressing systemic inequalities and advancing the rights and well-being of people of African descent. Given the belated and lethargic start to its work, any programme

would have had to be scaled down. But much more could and would have been achieved had the government actually been directly involved in managing the programme for the international decade for Guyana.

(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 UTHS

D TR

HAR

HK

BY G

LALL

Friday May 2024 Monday May 02,03, 2022

H@RD TRUTHS

BY GHK LALL

Presumptuous is obnoxious, is sulfurous There must be some places that Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo must avoid going near. However deeply his sense of right and wrong is offended, he knows enough not to venture into critical public pronouncements of the judiciary over what he interprets to be overreach. Dr. Jagdeo knows all too well about the separation of the powers doctrine that stands between the executive and the judiciary. Dr. Jagdeo knows that Article 122A (1) of the Constitution of Guyana mandates: “All courts and all persons presiding over the courts shall exercise their functions independently of the control and direction of any other person or authority; and shall be free and independent from political, executive and any other form of direction and control.”

VP Jagdeo used a difficult word a few days ago to describe some of what came out of Justice Sandil Kissoon’s last decision in the matter involving the Guyana Te a c h e r s ’ U n i o n a n d t h e Government of Guyana. In normal circumstances, the use of “presumptuous” provokes anger.

In the context of a judicial ruling, the employment of “presumptuous” is preposterous. It is rancorous, offensive, and

overstepping into a protected realm. Jagdeo knows this. The judiciary is prohibited territory for anyone from president to vice president to all other Guyanese; yet that is where Jagdeo ventures irresponsibly. He knows what is called for under the umbrella of respect for the judiciary and its hallowed independence. I think that Dr. Jagdeo went too far, he should withdraw the comment. I return to the aforementioned Article 122A(1), which said, inter alia, “All courts and all presiding over the courts shall exercise their functions independently of the control of any other person or authority; …from political, executive, and any other form of direction and control.”

There is absolutely no question here that former president Jagdeo has ruptured that commanding constitutional restraint when he was so bold and reckless to declare Justice Kissoon to be “presumptuous.” The president is the leader of the national executive, but his powers and those of his secondary servants and affiliates do not extend, should never intrude, into the independent judicial arena.

Secondary servants, affiliates of the president number Dr. Jagdeo, among others. In many instances, he has risen to the level of primus

inter pares, and with that elevation or self-anointment comes the obligation for him to comport himself in every manner in a constitutionally honourable way.

An ignoramus may be excused for his imbecility, but Dr. Jagdeo is not an imbecile. When the union and government are locked in the throes of collective bargaining disagreements, and the president decides to meet with teachers, how should that be interpreted? The record of the government, present and past, has been to circumvent collective bargaining processes to subvert its flow and outcomes. It is my view that the advisers of President Ali should have cautioned him about both the optics of such moves and the purposes for which they were intended.

In layman’s language and commonsense perception, what else, save for issues that could normally fall within the boundaries of collective bargaining, could have been on the agenda, at its top? I believe that the president’s meeting was untimely and improper, given the conditions prevailing. There have been too many of these side door overtures and self-serving leadership schemes, which have not benefited Guyanese workers, be they teachers, others.

“Presumptuous” is derogatory, dampens judicial independence, introduces a dangerous chill into the universe of free judicial thinking. What Jagdeo did with “presumptuous” has its close cousin.

It involved the same Justice Kissoon, and followed in the aftermath of his parent company guarantee ruling that went against Exxon.

Within minutes, VP Jagdeo was touting what must be “predictable’ and about those decisions that could ‘spook investors.’

Taking “predictable” from before and what is “presumptuous” earlier this week, the alarming is seen. It is that Vice President Jagdeo, (a former president, I remind again) has arrogated unto himself the power, authority, and unfettered freedom to speak for his PPP Government.

It is to dictate to Guyana’s judiciary what it can say and what it cannot.

How it can decide, and how it must not. Regarding the latter, I refer my fellows to his post parent company guarantee adjudication outburst.

To take matters higher, and ensnaring Guyana’s judiciary again, it was CEO John Hess of Hess Corporation, a partner in the Exxon-led Guyana consortium, who interpreted what he heard in a conversation with Guyana’s

President Ali as the equivalent of a virtual ‘guarantee’ of a judicial ruling. I combine the three: judicial decisions must be “predictable” and Justice Kissoon is “presumptuous” and sandwiched between the two, what was tantamount to a ‘guarantee’ from the political executive about a favourable judicial decision to come, and I conclude as follows: 1. The Guyana judiciary is under siege from the executive; 2. The sinister and sabotaging, as directed against the local judiciary, are becoming alarmingly apparent; and 3. The constitutionally sacred local judicial independence is coming in for subtle and, sometimes brazen, forms of control and direction.

This must stop immediately.

Presumptuous is obnoxious.

Presumptuous is sulfurous.

Guyanese must reject.

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

Kaieteur News

Friday May 03, 2024

PAGE 11

Guyana has least effective Republic Bank Group rakes in Access to Information Laws US$150M in half-year profits in the Region - Caribbean Media Institute Guyana has enacted what the Media Institute of the Caribbean (MIC) calls the least effective piece of Access to Information Laws in the region.

This according to Dionne Jackson-Miller, of MIC, who this week provided the body’s legislative review of Freedom of Information Laws in the region for 2024 and its recommendations, singling out Guyana as,” a special case.”

The body has since recommended a complete revamp of the local legislation given its ineffectiveness. Addressing Guyana specifically, the specialist said, “having gone through the Guyanese legislation, I believe that this is, the let me pull from my rarely used diplomacy, let me just stay this is the least effective law that has been enacted across the region.”

According to JacksonMiller, “we believe that there are so many issues with it, we believe that it needs fundamental reform, we are suggesting that there isn’t a peace-meal approach to then try and patch this up, that the entire law be repealed, discussions take place and new laws enacted.

She did however insist that the laws still be tested even if to have data documenting the inadequacies in the Guyana law.

Further lamenting the Guyana situation, she observed that there is no provision for information officers in different ministries or departments, “there is one central commissioner for the entire Guyana and all the requests are supposed to go to this one person who is supposed to

field them.”

Further compounding the situation, he noted that “because the information commissioner is the be all and end all, there is no internal appeal so any kind of appeal have to go to the high court.”

To this she quipped, “I don’t know where the template came for that, don’t see that anywhere across the world.”

Acknowledging that while there are successful cases of Freedom of Information and Access to information laws working well, a survey conducted for the Caribbean has revealed that “the laws don’t work as smoothly as they should, there are instances of it working.”

Referencing some of the challenges faced by journalists in the Region, Jackson-Miller noted that as much as 34 percent of journalists in the region reports a flat our refusal on the part of governments when it comes time to legally accessing public information. Additionally, she said, where laws do exist, 86 percent reported not getting any response w h a t s o e v e r, w h i l e 4 9

The Media Institute of the Caribbean, Dionne Jackson Miller

percent say no clear explanations are provided and another 56 percent of persons surveyed called the legislations a “waste of time.”

“Across the region, we are seeing limited use, even where it exists, we are hearing frustration with how it works as well as we are hearing journalist saying it’s just not working,” according t o J a c k s o n M i l l e r.

Governments, she reminded, tend to adopt a culture of hanging onto information, especially when asking for certain types of information that they find might embarrass them.

To this end, she was adamant that it was the obligation on the part of governments across the region to engage in maximum disclosure, since all information held by public bodies should be for public information.

Governments she said were obligated to inform the public, “we shouldn’t only be asking for information, there is a lot of information that government have that they should be openly publishing, we should be able to watch see what is being done.”

The Chairman of Republic Financial Holdings Limited (RFHL), Vincent Pereira, announced this week that the Group recorded profit attributable to its equity holders of US$150 million for the six-month period ended March 31, 2024.

This represents an increase in profits after tax of US$32 million or 27% over the US$118 million reported in the corresponding period of the last financial year, the Bank said in a press release. Excluding one-off losses reported in the prior period, core profits after tax and non-controlling interest increased by US$19 million or 15%. Total assets stood at US$17.6 billion at March 31, 2024, an increase of US$0.5 billion or 3.0% over the total assets at March 2023.

In announcing the results, Mr. Pereira said, “The Republic Financial Holdings Limited Group (the Group) has delivered a strong performance for the half-year ended March 31, 2024. Throughout this six-month period, the Group continued to focus on advancing our strategic objectives, strengthening our market position across all the markets in which we operate, improving customer experience and maintaining our focus on delivering outcomes that are aligned to our sustainability commitments. This drive has resulted in enhanced performance across all the 16 countries in which the Group operates, as demonstrated by an increase of US$0.8 billion or 9.4% in the Group’s total loan portfolio and the sustained performance in our investment portfolio which continues to benefit from the current high interest rate environment.”

He added, “The Group remains vigilant in monitoring the rapidly changing external operating environment, and we continue to demonstrate agility and resilience in seizing opportunities and navigating challenges to sustain the Group’s performance.”

Based on these results, the Board of

Chairman of Republic Financial Holdings Limited (RFHL), Vincent Pereira

Directors has declared its second quarterly interim dividend of US$0.09 per share payable on May 29, 2024 to all shareholders on record at May 10, 2024. This brings the total dividend for the period to US$0.17, an increase of US$0.01 or 4.5% over the total US$0.16 paid in March 2023.

He went on to say “Our strategic emphasis on improving employee engagement, enhancing customer experience and satisfaction together with delivering on our digitisation plan, will continue to add value to all stakeholders. As such, we look ahead to the coming quarters with confidence and optimism.

In closing, Mr. Pereira said, “I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to all the members of the RFHL Team for their continued high level of commitment and to our valued customers for their dedication and loyalty.”

Kaieteur News

PAGE 12

Friday May 03, 2024

Man busted with gun, ammo and cannabis

P

olice have arrested a 41-year-old West Bank Demerara (WBD) man after he was caught with an AR-15 rifle, four live rounds of 7.62 x 39 ammunition, a quantity of suspected cannabis, and cannabis plants at his Roraima Housing Scheme property.

Acting on intelligence, a team of officers led by an Assistant Superintendent executed an operation that led to the discovery of the rifle, ammunition and cannabis.

The homeowner was approached and informed about the information police obtained and requested permission to search the property.

Permission was granted and during the search, the AR-15 rifle along with four live rounds of 7.62 x 39 ammunition, four blue pills, and three transparent bags containing suspected cannabis in the living room were found.

Further exploration of the yard led the officers to uncover three cannabis plants and four Ziploc bags

Ammunitions, Firearm and Narcotics Found

containing cannabis seeds.

The man was informed of the offence, cautioned, and subsequently arrested.

Police uprooted the cannabis plants, and confiscated the firearm, ammunition, and

approximately 11.2 grams of cannabis.

The illegal items were taken to the La Grange Police Station.

The man remains in custody as investigations continue.

Cyclist injured in Govt. calls for enhanced Mandela Avenue accident coordination to achieve SDGs A cyclist of Roxanne Burnham Drive is currently nursing injuries about his body at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) following an accident which occurred on Wednesday.

Reports are that at around 21:05hrs at the intersection of Nelson Mandela Avenue and Cemetery Road, a car with licence plate number PXX 240, driven by a 20-year-old individual from Lot I-2-897 Critchlow Circle, Tucville, collided with the pedal cyclist.

The motorcar was reportedly traveling west along the southern drive lane on the southern carriageway of Mandela Avenue. At the same time, the pedal cyclist was riding on the southern side of the southern carriageway of the road.

Police said it is alleged that the driver of the car approached the intersection of Nelson Mandela and Cemetery Road, the traffic light

was showing green in his direction so he proceeded further west and in the process of doing so, the pedal cyclist suddenly turned north to cross the road going from south to north.

It was at that point, the cyclist ended up in the path of the car and the left side front portion of the car came into contact with the pedal cyclist.

As a result of the collision, the cyclist fell onto the road and received injuries about his body.

The EMT was summoned, and he was picked up in an unconscious condition and transported to Georgetown Public Hospital.

He was examined by a doctor on duty and was treated for a broken left leg and multiple injuries to his body and later admitted.

The driver of the motorcar is currently in custody, assisting with the investigation.

The Government of Guyana has called for enhanced coordination to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, co-chaired the annual meeting of the Government of Guyana and the United Nations Joint Steering Committee, held at the Herdmanston Lodge, Georgetown on Monday. In her opening remarks, Minister Teixeira emphasized the need for increased collaboration in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). “Here in this microcosm of the UN country team in the government, [we have to assess] how well we are coordinating and collaborating, to make sure that we are all on the same page, and to ensure that the programmes are going the way we would like,” she stated.

The minister highlighted the changing governance strategy as the country’s economy expands and commended the UN’s support during challenging times, particularly in civil defence strengthening.

Minister Teixeira pointed out a diverse array of challenges faced by organisations like

these, which can affect the progress of their policies.

According to the minister, enhanced coordination and collaboration are key to tracking these programmes and policies, ensuring that they deliver the desired outcomes.

However, the minister was also quick to highlight the Guyanese desire to take the helm of the nation’s development.

She said that while Guyana needs development partners, tangible solutions in the country must be championed by the Guyanese. “We do believe that, based on our knowledge and experiences, that we want to drive this process. Based on the history, the view of Guyanese is that we want to determine where we go, how we get there, and how fast we get there,” the Parliamentary Affairs Minister underscored.

The Joint Steering Committee assessed the UN’s response to regional development priorities during the implementation of the UN Multi-Country Sustainable Development Framework. The meeting saw discussions on food systems, data protection, and mechanisms for achieving SDGs. (DPI)

Friday May 03, 2024

Kaieteur News

PAGE 13

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Friday May 03, 2024

ExxonM spent Guyana’s oil profits to seek legal advice on how border controversy will affect their pockets During the period 20182020, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) spent Guyana’s oil profits to seek legal advice on how the Guyana/ Venezuela border controversy could affect their profits.

This was flagged in the audit report prepared by VHE Consulting, a partnership between Ramdihal & Haynes Inc; Eclisar Financial; and Vitality Accounting & Consultancy Inc. The local consortium was supported

by International firms- SGS and Martindale Consultants for the cost recovery audit of Exxon’s uS$7.3B expenses, racked up between the period 2018 to 2020.

According to the report, Exxon spent a total of US$500,000 or GY$100M on legal costs not recoverable. Included in the amount were costs for legal advice on the ongoing border controversy. The document states that the company utilised the services of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, a top US law firm to provide legal advice on the potential impact the border dispute may have on the contractor’s interest in the Stabroek Block. Further, Exxon also sought advice on what could be done to “defend that interest”.

Auditors however highlighted that ExxonMobil has no official leading standing as the

dispute is solely between the two countries. They therefore pointed out that any legal fees incurred by the Contractor must be shared only among the Stabroek Block partners- Exxon, Hess and CNOOC. “Even though the Stabroek Block is within the disputed area, it is only a portion of the entire disputed area. This dispute dates to the Good Office process over three decades ago; it is reasonably presumed that the Contractor was aware of this dispute before their acquisition of Stabroek Block interests,” the auditors said in the report.

Therefore, the team made it clear that the legal services retained by the Contractor from Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom for advice pertaining to the b o r d er d is p u te is n o t recoverable since it does not meet the requirements outlined in Section 3.1(h) of the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA).

ExxonMobil is the operator of Guyana’s oil rich Stabroek Block, where over 11 billion barrels of oil has been discovered since 2015.

In 2016, the oil giant signed the infamous 2016 PSA which allows it to exploit the resources in the 26,800 square kilometers block.

Presently over 600,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) is being produced by ExxonMobil, with the company aiming to increase

Exxon’s first Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel in Guyana, the Liza Destiny

daily capacity to 1.3 billion bpd by 2027.

Guyana and Venezuela are presently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) pending the outcome of the border controversy, where that country is claiming two thirds of Guyana’s mineral rich lands, Essequibo. Venezuela has historically claimed Guyana’s Essequibo region as its own despite its initial acceptance of the 1899 Arbitral Award that gives Guyana control of the

Essequibo. Essequibo is Guyana’s biggest county, filled with gold, diamonds and significant natural resources.

The case finds its genesis in Venezuela’s challenge to the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award of the boundaries that separate the two countries. As a result, the two countries were sent to the world court through the United Nation’s (UN) peacekeeping process to settle the controversy once and for all.

- 2nd Audit reveals

Four men robbed after attending Burna Boy Show

Four men were robbed at D’Urban Backlands, Georgetown early Thursday morning by three men on bicycles while returning home from the ‘Burna Boy Show’.

According to reports, among the victims was a 41-yearold man of South Ruimveldt, Georgetown. He was robbed of a gold chain valued at US$1000, along with $150,000 Guyana Currency.

Another victim, a 31-year-old Office Clerk residing in D’Urban Backlands, Georgetown, was robbed of an iPhone 12 valued at GY$100,000, a 5-pennyweight gold chain, and GY$40,000 cash.

The perpetrators also targeted a 25-year-old unemployed female from South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, who was robbed of a 3-pennyweight gold ring valued at GY$45,000. Additionally, a 34-year-old Quality Assurance Officer, also from D’Urban Backlands, Georgetown, was robbed of a 12 R One Plus cellphone valued at GY$120,000 and GY$6,000.

Investigations into the incident revealed that the victims had just disembarked from their vehicle and were about to enter a yard at D’Urban Backlands when the three suspects approached them from the western direction. The suspects swiftly demanded the victims’ said valuables, with one suspect specifically targeting the female, coercing her to surrender her bag.

The assailants proceeded to strip the other victims of their cash and possessions before making their escape on bicycles. No arrest was made and investigations are ongoing.

PAGE 16

Kaieteur News

Friday May 03, 2024

Friday May 03, 2024

Kaieteur News

PAGE 17

Kaieteur News

PAGE 18

Friday May 03, 2024

Sukhai accused of meddling in the affairs - reportedly says only Amerindians of Indigenous villages eligible to vote in village elections The main opposition on Thursday called out Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai for allegedly meddling in the elections’ a ff a i r s o f I n d i g e n o u s Villages.

Speaking at a news conference hosted by Leader of the Opposition, PNCR Executive Member, Mervyn Williams said that Sukhai’s intention is to determine who gets elected in each Village, in keeping with “the known PPP policy of domination and control.” Williams told the news conference that in one case, the minister is on record as saying that only Amerindians are eligible to participate in the electoral process. “She speaks of nonAmerindians and “those who don’t look like us” in describing the mixed descendants of Indigenous Guyanese and Guyanese of other ethnicities. The latter description is cause for worry. It is a matter that any functioning Ethnic Relations Commission would have a keen interest in inquiring into,” Williams charged.

Saying that the minister is patently wrong in her pronouncement regarding the ineligibility of nonAmerindians to participate in the Village election process, Williams pointed out that Sukhai’s observations laid bare two conflicting provisions of the Amerindian Act. “This fact begs the question, why the PPP is hell bent on resisting calls for the resumption of the consultative process intended to result in a revised Amerindian Act? Williams noted that Section 2 of the Act defines an “Amerindian” as “… any citizen of Guyana who – (a) Belongs to any of the native or aboriginal peoples of Guyana, or (b) Is a descendant of any person mentioned in paragraph (a);” “It follows, logically, that for Pauline Sukhai to live by her publicly stated position on eligibility for participation in Vi l l a g e e l e c t i o n s , t h e element of DNA testing may become necessary. Section 2 also defines “resident” as, “… an individual – (a) Who

PNCR Executive Member, Mervyn Williams is an Amerindian who was born in, lives in or has his principal place within the Village… ; or (b) Who lives within the Village and is recognised as a resident by the membership rules of the Village;” Williams further stated that Section 69 (1) (a) provides that the Village Council “Shall” “compile an electoral list of all adult residents” no later than sixty days before the election date.

This is clear evidence that “residents” as opposed to

“Amerindians” are qualified for inclusion on the voters’ roll and are entitled to vote.

The Minister should read the Act and operate based on the Law. The law stipulating the publication of the list at least sixty days before the election is being violated since most of the villages were not given the sixty days’ notice as is stipulated in the Law. The conflict arises, Williams said when it comes to eligibility to hold office in the Village. Section 71 (1) (a) through (d) lists the

prerequisites for one to be elected as a Councillor.

Among those is that one should be “… an Amerindian of at least eighteen years of age…” How can one be eligible to elect one’s leaders but not be eligible to be elected as a leader? Can you imagine what it would be like if our Constitution said that citizens could elect a government but only one category of citizens can offer themselves as candidates?

This is clearly an attempt to exclude persons the PPP are unable to control. The PPP holds on to the Amerindian Act as is, refusing to consult with the Indigenous citizens of Guyana with regard to their demand for its revision.

We call on the government to immediately resume the nationwide consultation aimed at revising the Amerindian Act. These consultations which begun under the APNU+AFC were well advanced. The Minister has in her possession the Reports which emanated from the consultative process and she must act.

Williams further explained that this conflict in the legislation is causing major discomfort for residents in some Villages.

“We have received reports that the names of so-called non-Amerindians are being removed from the voters’ lists in some Villages. In many reported cases, persons of other ethnicities living in Villages for more than fifty years, married to Indigenous spouses, their union producing children, and grandchildren, watch on in horror as Village Councils post voters’ lists from which their names have been deleted. This is electoral fraud. The PPP government is causing serious divisions i n Vi l l a g e s . M a s s i v e disenfranchisement is taking place. Families are now embroiled in conflict over exclusion from the electoral process. Children of Indigenous and mixed parentage can no longer participate in the electoral process.

PPP operatives now have no regard for their (Continued on page 20)

Kaieteur News

Friday May 03, 2024

PAGE 19

$346M Bamia Primary School to be completed

by June month-end

H

aving missed its third deadline to complete the $346 million Bamia Primary School project in Region 10, the contractor now has up to June month-end to complete the works.

This is according to Chairman o f t h e r e g i o n ’s R e g i o n a l Democratic Council (RDC) Deron Adams who told Kaieteur News that he was advised by the Regional Executive Officer (REO) that a two-month extension was granted for the project.

Kaieteur News had reported that the school project was expected to be completed in April, but at the time, works were only 75 percent completed. The school is being built by contractor, St8ment Investment Inc. that was formed

some six months prior to being handed the contract.

During a telephone interview with this publication on Monday, Adams said that during a visit to the project site with his team in April, a number of works were yet to be completed on the building.

He shared that electrical works, installment of several windows, completion of ceiling, corrective works to some walls, painting of interior and completion to exterior were yet to be done.

Expressing his dissatisfaction with the slothfulness of the project, Adams said it is hoped that the school could be completed soonest so as to eliminate the challenges students from the Bamia community are currently facing.

“The issue is that because of the

Some of the completed works on the Bamia Primary School. distance children have to walk from the Bamia area all the way to Amelia’s Ward Primary; it is a challenge for them. The delay of this school is bringing more hardship on them,” he expressed.

Earlier this year, $127 million was approved by the National Assembly to go towards completing the school.

This publication had reported that the contract for the school was

signed in November 2021 with St8ment Investment. St8ment Investment Inc. was incorporated in March of 2021 and its principals are Rawle Ferguson and Kerwin Bollers of Hits and Jams Entertainment along with Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major and Kashif Muhammed of the Kashif and Shanghai football tournament.

At the time of the signing, the project was expected to be completed within 20 months, that being completed by July 2023.

However, the contractor was unable to finish the project, and was given a new deadline of November 2023 to complete the works. That deadline also passed and the works appeared to have been stalled.

During the Consideration of the 2024 Budget, the Minister of Education was asked by the members of the Opposition about the status of the school, to which she announced that the school will be completed for April 1, 2024.

PAGE 20

Kaieteur News

Friday May 03, 2024

Canada and CDEMA sign agreement on disaster response

A

CDEMA’s Executive Director Elizabeth Riley (right) and High Commissioner of Canada H.E. Lilian Chatterjee shaking hands at the signing the MOU at the High Commission of Canada.

head of the o f f i c i a l commencement of the Atlantic hurricane season, the Government of Canada and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) have restated their commitment to cooperate and collaborate in responding to natural hazards that result in disasters within the region.

Executive Director of CDEMA Elizabeth Riley and the High Commissioner of Canada to Barbados Lilian Chatterjee, on Thursday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

According to a press statement, the MoU allows CDEMA to request Canadian Armed Forces support to assist affected countries during disasters.

The MOU was initially announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Canada-CARICOM Summit in October 2023, as part of the CanadaCARICOM Strategic Partnership. Its aim is to provide timely and targeted support to the Caribbean through the Regional Response Mechanism.

During the signing, C D E M A’ s E x e c u t i v e Director, Elizabeth Riley, thanked Canada for its support in strengthening disaster risk management.

She highlighted the importance of the MOU given the region’s multihazard realities and the forecasted intense Atlantic hurricane season in 2024.

Riley praised Canada’s c o n s i s t e n t r e l i a b i l i t y, including assistance with airport specialists, financial aid, and logistical support during COVID-19, and contributions to recovery initiatives like the Caribbean

Early Recovery Fund. The MOU complements Canada’s partnership with CDEMA through projects like Targeted Support to CDEMA and EnGenDER, which enhance disaster response and recovery capabilities. Canada also supports the establishment of a Regional Logistics Hub and Centre of Excellence in Barbados with CDEMA and the World Food Programme.

High Commissioner Chatterjee emphasized Canada’s ongoing support for its Caribbean neighbours during disasters, acknowledging the increasing complexity of response operations.

Canada is committed to providing timely assistance through its Armed Forces.

Canada and CDEMA recognise the vulnerabilities of the Caribbean region to climate change and natural hazards.

Regional support, cooperation, and coordination are vital to enhancing preparedness and resilience, considering the escalating frequency, scale, and complexity of these hazards over the past decade.

Sukhai accused of...

From page 18 Indigenous lineage and the definition of “resident” in the legislation.”

According to Williams, over in Campbelltown in Region #8, former Toshao Marbel Thomas who was unlawfully removed from her elected office soon after the PPP assumed office has again been a target of Pauline Sukhai. “Ms. Thomas told her story on social media. She claims that after being nominated, seconded, and having her name placed on the list of nominees for the position of Toshao, the returning officer received a phone call. Following that call, Ms. Thomas alleged that the returning officer removed her name from the list of nominees. She alleged that the returning officer explained that he received instruction that caused him to remove her name. This is unlawful and a manifestation of the dictatorial nature of the PPP. The PPP must allow the residents of Indigenous communities to elect the leaders of their choice and allow Returning Officers to function independently and not be dictated to by PPP politicians,” Williams reported.

Williams said Marbel Thomas satisfies Section 71 of the Act in its entirety. “Notwithstanding her unlawful removal from elected office, she did not present herself as a candidate in the election immediately following her removal. She was never convicted of any criminal offence. What then is her crime? Only Pauline Sukhai can enlighten us as to the reason(s) for Marbel Thomas not being eligible to be a candidate for the Campbelltown Village election. Vindictive is a word that springs to mind, because the Minister seems not to care about the massive allegations of corruption on the part of some elected officials whom the PPP supports for re-election.

Pauline Sukhai must tell the Indigenous population of Guyana the reason some Villages enjoy one month between nomination and election dates while others have only one to four days in some cases, and in others, both nomination and elections being conducted on the same day. In some cases, the tradition of holding elections on Sundays to facilitate the full participation of Villagers who work outside of the Village is now being discarded and conveniently abandoned,” Williams told the news conference. Williams said these village elections in 2024 are laying bare the PPP desire for total domination and control of the Indigenous Guyanese population. “The Indigenous peoples of Guyana reject, in the strongest terms, the PPP’s unrelenting campaign to exercise total domination and control over their very lives.”

Friday May 03, 2024

Kaieteur News

PAGE 21

PAGE 22

Poor data gathering ‘hindering inequality fight’

VACANCY Male & female needed to work in the Interior, ages 18 years and older. Call: 6609093

WANTED

VACANCY

Porter needed for truck. For more information Call: 6611000.

Vacancy Exist For two Experienced Dispatcher At Confidential Cabs. Call: 231-5784, 231-4001, 231-4000.

One male able- bodied Staff.

Call: 231-2029, 616-5954.

Wanted: Skilled Masons, Carpenters and Labourers to work in Linden. Call: 6029469, 660-6385 or 625-7642.

Caricom Insurance is now hiring Sales Agents/Representatives. Attractive Commission and Training provided. Call (592) 610-6650.

Wanted! Workers for packaging pasta and chowmein. $4100-$5000 per day. Workers paid weekly. Call: 6117839.

Hiring Manager for Akash people Variety store at lot 4 Robbstreet, Georgetown.

Contact - 709-0340 Experienced landridge worker to work on 6 inch. Call: 6883844 or 681-3801

One Clerk for TSI Eccles office. English & Mathematics, grade 2. Email application: techserigy@yahoo.com or Call: 615-9132.

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

Experienced Salesperson, knowledge in writing bills, stocktaking, cashing & 1 General Domestic. Apply at Keyfood Mc. Doom Village next to the Post Office.

Hiring spray Painter, Joiner & Carpenters, experience would be an asset, Interested persons can Call: 667-0859.

FOR RENT 1 fully furnished Luxurious, 4 bedroom apartment, Hot and Cold water, remote gate etc in Campbellville. G/ town. Price US$2000. Call: 621-5140.

Vacancy for professional or trainee Welder. Call: 698-1267/ 657-9121.

1 Honda CRV, includes TV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, sproiler, crashbar, low mileage PTT Series (first owner). Contact: 649-0956.

Vacancy for Receptionist and Hotel Attendant at Hick's Ville Hotel.

Email: info@vegeworld.net or Call: 227-7714/ 223-3448.

Masons, carpenters, & skilled men labourers wages $8,000-$10,000 per day & Labourer 5-7K per day. Call: 650-1394, 692-7110.

1 Toyota Allion, Pioneer DVD, CD & USB deck, reverse camera, alarm, low milage. Call: 649-0956.

1 Office Assistant, must have atleast maths and english.

Ages 20-35 years. Email CV: rbinvestmentinc@gmail.com, Call: 613-0855.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

One BMW for sale, mileage 082443. Call: 655-7405/ 6947817.

LAND FOR SALE LFS at Soesdyke. Call: 700-0797.

EDUCATION First AID/CPR/AED & home nursing courses Available at St. John Headquarters. For more information Call: 2259082.

TO LET To let one bedroom apartment. Please call : 612-8305

Friday May 03, 2024

Kaieteur News

Canter Driver needed. Ages 30 years & older. Must have atleast 5 experience. Email CV: rbinvestmentinc@gmail.com, Call: 613-0855.

Skilled Labourers needed for road construction. Ages 20 years & older. Email CV: rbinvestmentinc@gmail.com, Call: 613-0855.

Male Engineer & Project Supervisor at road and building construction. Must have atleast 5 years experience.

Email CV: rbinvestmentinc@gmail.com, Call: 613-0855.

Vacancies Exist for Carpenter, Mason, Labourer, and Security Guard at Happy Acres, ECD. Call or WhatsApp Saoud Osman: 643-9861 / 611-6151.

Room Attendant, Receptionist, Deskstaff, Supervisor needed at 233, South Road Lacytown. Call: 225-0198.

Cook and Male & female needed to work in the Interior, ages 18 years and older.

Call: 699-8486 / 674-9999

FOR SALE Two SUV Lexus for sale @ 8.9 mil each. For more information Call: 650-0402/ 652-0251.

One income generating property. Land size 37'x 345' at Middle road, Pouderoyen.

For more information Call: 655-7405/ 694-7817.

One 6076 John Deere 6 cylinder engine. Interested persons an make contact 7014000. Monday-Friday 8 am4 pm

PROPERTY FOR SALE One, three bedroom selfcontained house for sale in Republic Gardens, gated community. Call: 655-7405/ 694-7817.

SERVICES Visa Application and consultation, advertisements publishing, graphics design, local & USA passport application forms & i130 application. Call: 626-7040.

Elevate your brand with our professional Graphic design services. For more information Call: 619-0007, 629-5526.

For Land Clearance (Grubbing), Sand fill, Housing Plan and Estimates. Call K. Lakeram Building Contractor 692-8464 or whatsapp 622-0267.

(BARBADOS TODAY) A trio of experts at a World Bank forum on poverty and inequality in the Caribbean have urged more frequent and consistent poverty surveys to get a better fix on the problem.

Caribbean countries struggle with weak statistical capacity and low data usage, according to the multilateral lending institution. The World Bank’s Statistical Performance Indicator (SPI), which measures statistical capacity at the country level, ranks the Caribbean in statistical performance compared to other regions, aligning more closely with low-income countries.

Appearing Tuesday at a World Bank webinar on Closing the Caribbean Data Gap: Addressing Poverty and Inequality, Trinidad Saavedra, a World Bank economic analyst, said the lack of data continues to challenge authorities. “In many Caribbean countries, the frequency of the data collection of key data sources is not aligned with the best practice recommendations,” Saavedra said.

“None of the countries, except for Jamaica, conduct household surveys for measurement according to the recommended time span of three to five years. Caribbean countries have produced only one or no poverty estimates in the past decade.

“This absence of up-todate household survey data for poverty measurement hinders the effective tracking

of Sustainable Development Goals related to poverty and inequality.”

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat’s Director of Regional Statistics Halim Brizan said the lack of a skilled data-gathering staff throughout the bloc has also hindered regular data collection. “Obviously to conduct poverty surveys, a team of interviewers or field staff must be hired and other support staff as well,” said Brizan.

“Poverty surveys are normally done on an ad-hoc basis as a result, thus not very frequently administered in most countries in the CARICOM region. Therefore another challenge will be that skill sets are not easily retained.”

However, he quickly added: “Although there have been improvements in general survey collection and processing, countries are still heavily dependent on technical support from external experts or international development partners to analyse poverty data, to produce the poverty results and indicators, and to interrupt the results and write the analytical reports. Not having ready access to the skill sets required for data analysis and interpretation, can contribute to significant delays in the data production process, and thus, the dissemination of the results.

“The conversation when the results are available is [also] limited to just the overall poverty rate, and does not

get into the characteristics of the poor, and also the composition of the poverty.”

Brizan said that the importance of relevant surveys and statistics cannot be underestimated when seeking to have an accurate view and framework to support the country’s sustainable goals.

“I would say factoring poverty and inequality measurement is an important component of monitoring and evaluation in the context of a country’s national sustainable development plans, which may give priority to either budgeting to either poverty surveys in the recurring expenditure of government, or mobilising funds so that these surveys can be implemented on a consistent basis,” said Brizan. “Ensuring that the surveys are budgeted for annually can therefore be seen as key best practice.”

Rosita Sobhie, a senior researcher and the dean of the Interfaculty for Graduate Studies and Research of Suriname’s Anton de Kom University, also explained that though such statistics are usually seen as only being important for the government, private sector players can also benefit. She suggested better promotion of statistical exercises. Sobhie said: “The National Statistical Office is very reliant on decision-making from the government. Maybe when we also take the chance to promote our own data and the usefulness of it, we can have other ways of funding.”

Iran charges journalists after BBC report on teen protester’s death (BBC NEWS) Iran’s judiciary has filed charges against “a number of journalists and activists” after the publication of a BBC report alleging men working for the security forces sexually assaulted and killed a 16-year-old protester.

The judiciary-run Mizan news agency described the BBC Eye investigation into Nika Shakarami’s death in 2022 as “fake, incorrect and full of mistakes”.

It did not identify the individuals summoned for allegedly “disrupting the psychological security of society”. But two Iranian journalists who had commented on the report online said prosecutors had opened cases against them.

One of them, Mohammad Parsi, wrote on Twitter/X that the Tehran Prosecutor’s Office had summoned him for publishing an “article about Nika Shakarami and the details of her murder”.

The second, Marzieh Mahmoodi, posted that “neither the charges nor the

details are known”. On Wednesday, Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi dismissed the findings of the BBC’s investigation as a plot by Iran’s enemies, becoming the first official to comment publicly.

“Enemies and their media have resorted to false and unreal reports to carry out psychological operations,” he told reporters outside a cabinet meeting, according to state media. Mr Vahidi claimed it was “an attempt to divert attention” from the current pro-Palestinian protests in the US as well as Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel last month.

There was no immediate comment from BBC News on the statements by Mr Vahidi and the judiciary. Nika Shakarami became a symbol of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protest movement that shook the Islamic Republic two years ago. The protests erupted in response to the death in custody on 16 September 2022 of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman

who had been detained by morality police in the capital for allegedly wearing her hijab “improperly”.

On 20 September 2022, Nika was filmed at a protest in Tehran setting fire to her headscarf, while other protesters chanted “death to the dictator” - a reference to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

She disappeared that evening after telling a friend that she was being chased by security forces.

Her family eventually found her body at a mortuary more than a week later. They alleged that she died from blows to the head and rejected claims from officials that she had killed herself by jumping off the roof of a building.

The BBC Eye investigation, published on Monday, was based on what is understood to be a leaked internal document summarising a hearing on Nika’s case held by the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC).

Kaieteur News

Friday May 03, 2024

PAGE 23

Messages on World Press Freedom Day Guyana Press Association’s World Press Freedom Day 2024 statement The Guyana Press Association salutes all media workers in Guyana for this World Press Freedom Day 2024. The UNESCO Theme, “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the Environmental Crisis,” not only places media workers on the frontline of another crisis and highlights the importance of the press in addressing challenges brought on by the environmental crisis but it also gives us an opportunity to work towards solutions.

In Guyana, the press observes this WPFD at a time when the country faces a prolonged dry spell which seems to be now abating in a number of regions, an uncontrolled solid waste management crisis to varying degrees in many areas, and dismally poor environmental management of a number of gold mining and coastal sea defence areas. Dried and cracked

canals, increased food prices and shortages of staples such as cassava all point to a world and a country in the throes of a deep environmental crisis.

At a global level, scientists attribute such a phenomenon to climate change which, as we had seen in 2005, also causes devastating floods and can also trigger dangerous rise in sea levels to the detriment of Guyana’s coastland where the majority of people live, work and produce their food.

On a larger scale, what is visible is a country where littering and indiscriminate waste disposal is now a national pastime with authorities failing dismally to prosecute perpetrators and collect waste in a timely manner. The local, regional and central governments must take collective blame for the state of our country’s environmental crisis- dirty streets and parapets, clogged drains and canals, and unregulated and unofficial dumpsites/ garbage piles.

The huge Martian-like

scars could be seen in Guyana’s gold mining areas where there is no backfilling of mined out areas, miners have changed the course of creeks and rivers and there are huge questions surrounding the actual use of mercury abatement techniques and the eventual elimination of mercury use.

Many of our Indigenous Amerindian communities have no alternative but to use polluted water for their domestic use and as a source of fish hunting.

Similarly, the coastline near the sea defence structure symbolises bad waste disposal practices in our towns and villages when one takes into consideration the millions of plastic drink bottles and other debris that wash up and wash off with each tide. Sections of the sea defence are now veritable dumping grounds for domestic and commercial waste. No one seems to care.

All this is happening before our very eyes while the blame game between government and the

opposition continues.

Taken together- solid waste and climate phenomena- Guyana is indeed facing an environmental crisis.

Then, what’s needed by the media is constant and sustained training of a pool of specialist journalists whose task will be to simplify science information to make it palatable and connected to their daily lives. The Guyana Press Association also recommends that the Guyana government, private sector and various United Nations organisations inject resources into special serialised productions on environmental issues that will go beyond the average news story whose lifecycle is perhaps one day or a few hours or even minutes. At the same time, media workers need to jealously guard against oil resources being used to bribe them from covering the real issues or engaging in disinformation.

The Guyana Press Association also calls for an

ABCEU Joint Statement - World Press Freedom Day The Heads of Missions of the Embassy of the United States of America, H.E. Ambassador Nicole Theriot; the British High Commission, H.E. High Commissioner Jane Miller OBE; the Canadian High Commission, H.E. High Commissioner Mark Berman, and the Delegation of the European Union, H.E. Ambassador Rene van Nes, join together to observe World Press Freedom Day under the theme, “The importance of journalism and freedom of expression in the context of the current global environmental crisis”.

Climate change and related environmental issues have been at the forefront of international dialogue for many years but recent and increasingly erratic weather patterns around the world, growing pressures on flora and fauna, food insecurity and water scarcity have all created new impetus for action. While governments and the international community are prioritising these environmental crises, solutions are not easy and sometimes controversial.

Given the differences in opinions and complexities of the crisis, the need for accurate and reliable information cannot be

overstated.

Journalists therefore find themselves in a pivotal position, where their pen and their words can influence the hearts and minds of citizens in the high stake global environmental conversation. Freedom of expression is essential, allowing journalists the ability to deliver the facts about climate change and related issues freely and fairly, without influence or intimidation as climate research, climate talks and climate action progress.

Wi t h a l o w - l y i n g coastline and rising sea levels, Guyana is continuously affected by environmental crises like flooding, and more recently, prolonged dry spells. Under such conditions, access to information is crucial to help the Guyanese population understand local environmental impacts, planned interventions and costs, in order to make informed decisions and be a part of the global conversation. The reliability of the information available to the public requires journalists to be given more access to data and science to analyse in order to accurately inform the public. New research, data and findings should be made

readily available to the media. Journalists should be allowed access to speak to local experts and researchers involved in climate work. Additionally, they should also have the opportunity to see environmental work in action, facilitating ongoing learning and staying informed about new interventions and climate activities.

This right to access comes with the responsibility for due diligence in reporting, especially at a time when misinformation and disinformation is rampant.

Journalists are expected to be neutral and fair when representing the facts. A misrepresentation of facts and figures, whether deliberate or accidental, can have damaging effects, manipulating public perception (locally and internationally) of the environmental situation.

This can in turn affect public perception of a Government’s response and use of funds during an environmental crisis.

We therefore encourage Government, Opposition and Stakeholders to be thoughtful and deliberate in their action and to practice transparency and

accountability. Engagement with the media and the availability of accurate environmental and other information should be a norm and actively in practice.

We encourage journalists to maintain the integrity in their work and to continue to be curious and enquire. We encourage the public to show respect for the work of journalists, enabling them to present information without the threat of intimidation or attack (physically or online), particularly women, and LGBT persons.

We commend the efforts of the government of Guyana towards providing training opportunities for members of the media and we encourage more training and open discourse, including dialogue with the Guyana Press Association.

It is important to acknowledge that in all aspects of society, the work of journalists is essential to human rights and a cornerstone to democratic processes. Media freedom and the freedom of expression benefit us all.

When the media is reliable, fair and free to operate, and the government is transparent, our countries are more successful.

end to manufactured segregation and division in our society as the nation seeks to tackle the environmental crisis. The convenience of engaging the Guyana Press Association needs to cease immediately. In as much, as an institution, the Association is always ready and willing to work for the national good, it cannot be at the behest of the political directorate.

Sadly, neither the Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat nor the Head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Khemraj Parsram responded to the Association’s invitation to participate in its event for World Press Freedom Day 2 0 2 4 . H o w e v e r, t h e Association responded in the affirmative to the government’s invitation to participate in its World Press Freedom Day event.

In light of the intolerable discourtesy extended to the Press Association by Mr. Bharrat and Mr. Parsram, the Guyana Press Association decided to withdraw its wellintentioned participation in the government-organised event.

The GPA wants to take this opportunity to reiterate its commitment to building the capacity of our media workers as we remain open to pursuing specialised training covering various issues. This is evident with our proposals to the PAHO/WHO and the Ministry

of Health in 2023 to help our journalists understand and report on suicides in Guyana, our proposal to the Ministry of Health to assist the media with training to help assist with its campaign on HPV Vaccines and our commitment to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to ensure that press be informed before it informs on challenges to Guyana’s sovereignty.

The GPA takes this opportunity to call on citizens to ensure the protection of media workers in Guyana. There has been an alarming increase in online attacks against media workers. In some cases, women are trolled and bullied, in other cases, some of our journalists are met with aggression by public o ff i c i a l s w h e n a s k i n g probing questions.

GPA also calls on the Guyana Police Force to act swiftly in several matters before the police involving media workers. These including the cyber bullying meted out to journalist, Davina Bagot in 2023, shooting incident involving journalist, Travis Chase in 2023 and the alleged sexual assault against the photographer also last year.

As we end our statement, the GPA calls on all to make a valuable commitment towards saving our planet.

A Press for the Planet Association of Caribbean Media Workers The Association of Caribbean Media Workers joins with the global fraternity of journalists and other media workers in observing World Press Freedom Day 2024 under the theme “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the Environmental Crisis”.

This year ’s observance comes as we in the region grapple with the existential crisis climate change presents to the Caribbean with rising sea levels, more violent storms, and more of the droughts we are currently experiencing.

Therefore, the time has come for regional media to highlight the impact the environmental crisis is already having in our respective countries, especially its impact on the socio-economically disadvantaged. The media plays a major role in reporting on environmental problems and possible solutions. Freedom of Expression, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in our constitutions, is accompanied by a number of

limits through the region which means that this right is not absolute.

Therefore, the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) urges our members and others in the Information Industry to act responsibly and not engage in misinformation and disinformation. Further, this year ’s observance highlights the need for specialised training of journalists in science communication so that practitioners are better able to report on the science of climate change for our diverse audiences. Beyond news reporting, the ACM recommends that regional governments, NGOs and International Agencies provide much needed resources to support sustained reporting on environmental matters through features, documentaries and investigative reports.

T h i s Wo r l d P r e s s Freedom Day, the ACM takes the time to salute our colleagues while urging them to continue to execute their tasks bearing in mind that the planet is our home, and we need to preserve it.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 24

Friday May 03, 2024

Hundreds gather outside Israeli Embassy in Washington demanding ceasefire in Gaza - Protesters vow to continue rallies, pay tribute to U.S. service member Aaron Bushnell who set himself on fire outside embassy last week

ANADOLU NEWS Hundreds of people on Saturday gathered outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC to demand a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

Demonstrators carrying Palestinian flags chanted slogans against President Joe Biden while unfurling banners saying “Free Palestine”, “Stop The Invasion”, “Hands Of Rafah”, “Stop The Genocide”, “End All US Aid To Israel”, “Jews For Free Palestine”, and “End All US Funding Of Israeli Apartheid.”

The protesters remembered the US service member Aaron Bushnell who set himself on fire outside the embassy last week.

Bushnell, 25, an activeduty member of the Air Force, died after selfimmolating in protest against Israel’s war on Gaza, and he wrote in his will that he wanted his ashes to be scattered in a free Palestine.

“I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest, but compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it’s not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal,” he said during a live stream on his mobile phone.

Then he proceeded to douse himself in gasoline, setting himself ablaze.

Dressed in military uniform, Bushnell shouted “Freedom for Palestine” repeatedly, until he could no longer speak.

‘We will not leave streets until we achieve freedom’ One of the protesters, who is also a director at American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Mohammad Habehh said people are in front of the embassy to give a message to the US administration and to the Israeli government.

“We will not stop, we

will not leave the streets until we achieve freedom and an end to this genocide that is being committed by the Israelis and the US government.

“I think the President (Joe Biden) and those who are guilty, are well aware of what is going on in the streets, whether it is this or the disruptions or the many actions that we are taking here in DC and around this country right now,” Habehh said.

He added protests are going on around major cities in the US for Palestine, saying the Biden administration knows what the American people stand against.

“I think that Joe Biden has proved time and again, that he is incapable of having any empathy for the Palestinian people.

“You heard him last week when he was eating ice cream, talking about a ceasefire while our people are being starved, while our

people are being killed in food lines. He’s eating ice cream talking about a ceasefire,” Habehh said.

He stressed that he is hopeful that Palestinian people will get the justice and freedom that they deserve.

Mohammad Qasim, organizer of the Palestinian Youth Movement, told Anadolu that they are calling for a permanent cease-fire after nearly five months of Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza, and for ending the occupation of Palestine.

“There’s an impending invasion of Rafah. There has already been bombardment of Rafah, and we’re out here to pressure here in the heart of US empire, here in Washington DC to prevent that from happening,” Qasim said.

When asked whether the protest gets to the people in power, he said: “Absolutely, we have power in numbers, in the more numbers we have here in DC and across this

country and across North America.

“They are feeling all the disruptions that are happening.

They are feeling this pressure and we will continue to apply that pressure until we achieve all of our demands,” he added.

‘We will win’ An American citizen Dominique Fierro, for her part, said they are demanding a cease-fire.

“I’ve seen too much carnage, I’ve seen too much massacre. It was never okay.

It will never be okay. My heart breaks every day for everything I’ve seen.

“I think if enough people show up every single time then yes, we will win.

I’m hoping that this will all end if enough people talk and if people aren’t silent anymore, and if they see something that they have to say something. I mean, you feel it in your soul that it’s wrong. And if you don’t feel it in your soul then

something is inherently wrong with you.”

People also staged protests across other states in the country for Palestine.

Israel launched a military offensive on the Gaza Strip after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas incursion, which Tel Aviv said killed about 1,200 people.

At least 30,320 Palestinians have since been killed and 71,533 others injured besides mass destruction, displacement and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which, in an interim ruling in January, ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

Friday May 03, 2024

PAGE 25

Kaieteur News

Football is in a quagmire...

From page 31 multi-purpose sports halls in Regions 1, 3, 7, 8, and 9, alongside multi-purpose sports facilities in Regions 2 and 10.

Despite the apparent increase in Ground Enhancement funds as reflected in records, the stark reality remains: there is a severe lack of facilities, particularly in Regions 3, 4, 6, and 10, capable of accommodating football. Aside from the GFF Elite League and school football, which are sustained partly by the efforts of organizations like the Petra Organisation and New Era Entertainment, football opportunities are scarce in Guyana, and this isn’t solely the fault of the GFF. In January, President Ali

convened with members of the Golden Jaguars at State House, expressing his government’s steadfast backing for the nation’s endeavour to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, affirming, “We will be rallying a new wave of energy and support around you.” However, I regret to convey that Guyana’s prospects for World Cup qualification are bleak, at least in the foreseeable future. Why? It appears that President Ali and the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport are diverging in their approaches to football and the development of community grounds.

I challenge anyone reading this to locate a single public ground in Georgetown and Linden that meets the basic

FIFA requirements for senior football. The truth is, there aren’t any. So, why are we harbouring dreams of World Cup qualification and aspirations when we struggle to provide the fundamental necessities for the game in Guyana?

Interestingly, the Government of Guyana might be the only entity in CARICOM that doesn’t financially support any league football. Unlike in Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and numerous other countries, where league football receives government backing, the GFF’s Elite League doesn’t receive any funding from the ruling administration.

We’re seeing massive construction for cricket, and

Friday May 03, 2024 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) There's an important lesson to learn today, Aries, so don't shy away from the classroom. It's important to control your attitude now or it's likely to control you. It could be that your ego is a bit too inflated

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) There's a great deal of fuel to keep your fire raging today, Libra. Powerful situations are apt to come your way in which you're asked to take decisive action. Don't shy away from added responsibility.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Consider the romantic relationships in your life right now, Taurus. It's important to remember that regardless of how hot and steamy a partnership is at first,

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Remember that one wrong move today could cause you to have a headache for a good long while, Scorpio.

Don't take uncalculated risks. There's dynamism and confidence in the air. .

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) It's a long road to becoming exactly the person you want to be, Sagittarius. You can't change who you are. Input from every person you know and lessons from every bump in the road.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Today is your day to become a hero, Gemini. You don't have to be dressed in fancy tights and a cape to make an important difference in someone's life.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) There's a great deal of fun to be had today, Cancer. Money isn't always necessary to make this happen, however.

In fact, money isn't a great way to keep score.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You should always leave a loved one with loving words, Capricorn. Each time you exit a room, consider that you're never going to enter that room again. Perhaps you'll never see those people again.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Remember that the important thing isn't necessarily what you're doing but the people you're with, Leo. There's a great deal of passion in the air today that you can latch onto and put to good use.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Just when you think you have absolutely no energy left, you're able to kick into a higher gear. Push beyond your limits today, Aquarius.

You'll find that you can achieve a great deal.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22) You could learn a tough lesson today, Virgo. More than likely, the harder the message hits you, the more important it was for you to hear. It's important that you accept failure gracefully.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Regardless of how you feel today, Pisces, it's important to own up to your mistakes.

Keep in mind that you're responsible for your actions.

No matter how much you might want to shrink away,

a commitment by President Ali to support the West Indies, but, what about football in Guyana? It’s a striking reality that there’s a larger audience for domestic football compared to domestic cricket in Guyana. Additionally, there’s a higher participation rate in football than cricket. Despite football being the world’s most popular sport, it receives minimal support from the Guyanese Government.

It’s a common practice for top-league clubs to receive grants from the governing administration elsewhere. So, what’s preventing this from happening in Guyana?

However, this doesn’t absolve the GFF of responsibility for the local state of the game. The GFF Executive Committee may attempt to deflect criticism by highlighting the Elite League, but the reality is that it’s the only offering for senior football in Guyana, and that’s not a cause for celebration.

There’s still significant room for improvement in terms of the Elite League’s marketability. However, it’s challenging to achieve much when the league is being played at an incomplete facility due to the lack of suitable playing venues.

Garcia denies...

From page 26 muscle growth, has been on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned substance list since 2008. It is a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM).

Garcia floored Haney three times in his upset victory, but did not win his American compatriot’s WBC light-welterweight title after missing weight for the contest. The WBC requires all its fighters to enroll in its ‘clean boxing program’ and employs Vada to oversee the drug testing. Golden Boy Promotions, Garcia’s promoters, said they will “determine how this finding came to be”. “Ryan has put out multiple statements denying knowingly using any banned substances - and we believe him,” the statement added. Haney told ESPN the result has “put the fight in a completely different light”.

“We learned about this situation not too long ago and it’s unfortunate Ryan cheated and disrespected both the fans and the sport of boxing by fighting dirty,” Haney said.

“Ryan owes the fans an apology, and by his recent tweet he still thinks this is a joke. We put our lives on the line to entertain people for a living.” British boxer Amir Khan was handed a two-year ban by UK Anti-Doping after he tested positive for ostarine in 2022.

Applications open for vendors in West Indies host venues for ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2024 ST JOHN’S, Antigua – The ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2024 is inviting applications from persons interested in securing concessionary opportunities during the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Tournament.

The ninth edition of ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup takes place from 1 to 29 June in the West Indies and USA. It will be the largest ICC Men’s T20 World Cup ever and is expected to attract thousands of fans to its nine host venues.

Residents of the six West Indies host venues who are interested in securing a spot in their host venue should submit inquiries to cwivendors@cricketwestindies.org with the following information: · Country of interest · Business Name · Contact Person(s) · Contact Number(s) · Preferred email address · Type of product or service on offer (food, bar, craft, etc)

Applicants must note that available spaces are limited and applications will be handled on a first come, first serve basis. Once an applicant’s submission has been received and approved, rates for the preferred stadium, and an outline of the documentation required to confirm their position will be provided to the applicant.

The ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2024 aims to have a diverse selection of food, drink and other retail options available for the general public. As such, all types of vendors are encouraged to apply.

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Tournament Director Fawwaz Baksh said: “This is the biggest and most exciting event to come to our shores in a long time.

Business minded persons should do their best to be prepared for the opportunities presented and act quickly.”

Applications close, Wednesday 8 May at 5pm Eastern Caribbean.

PAGE 26

Friday May 03, 2024

Kaieteur News

Garcia denies steroid use after positive test report Ryan Garcia floored Devin Haney three times in his upset win in April. (Getty Images)

BBC Sport - Ryan Garcia has denied taking performance-enhancing steroids after testing positive for a banned substance before his win over Devin Haney.

Sanctioning body the WBC confirmed it had “received notification” from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada) that Garcia returned “adverse findings” in tests taken in April.

ESPN has reported that it obtained a letter, external from Vada showing Garcia’s positive result for ostarine.

The samples were allegedly taken the day before and the day of his win over Haney in April, but the results came through afterwards.

“Everybody knows that I don’t cheat,” Garcia, 25, wrote on X. “Never taken a steroid, I don’t even know where to get steroids. I barely take supplements. Big lies, I beat him.”

Garcia has 10 days to request for his B sample to be tested. BBC Sport asked the New York State Athletic Commission to comment on

the reported failed tests and whether the fight with Haney could be ruled no contest.

“Safety, fairness, and integrity in professional athletic competition are essential. The Commission is in communication with Vada and is reviewing the matter,” it replied.

Vada president, Margaret Goodman, told BBC Sport the organisation “does not publicly discuss results of any athlete without express permission.”

Ostarine, which is nonsteroidal and used to support (Continued on page 25)

Tonali given suspended FA ban for betting breaches BBC Sport - Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali has been given a suspended twomonth ban after admitting to breaches of Football Association betting rules.

The Italian, 23, will not serve the ban if he does not commit further breaches before the end of next season.

He is already serving a 10-month ban running until August for offences during his time in Italy.

Tonali was charged by the FA in March and admitted placing between 40 and 50 football bets after joining Newcastle from AC Milan last July, including four on the Magpies’ results.

The FA said the money placed on the bets by Tonali, who has also been fined £20,000, would have been “well in excess of 100,000 euros” (£85,600).

Tonali’s four bets on Newcastle were all on his side to win, the FA said. He played in three of the four fixtures.

Newcastle said Tonali is “continuing to follow a therapeutic plan and educational programme with the club’s full support and will continue to train with his team-mates”.

An independent regulatory commission heard the process has had a “profound effect” on the midfielder and “is something he does not want to experience again”.

The independent commission, in summarising the evidence, said the FA contended it was “highly unlikely” that it “would have ever become aware of Tonali’s misconduct but for his admissions”.

The written reasons

issued on Thursday stated the four Newcastle matches Tonali admitted betting on were: an accumulator involving either Newcastle to beat Brighton on 2 September 2023 or to beat Burnley on 30 September; -an accumulator including Newcastle to beat Brentford on 16 September; -a single bet on Newcastle to beat Manchester City on 27 September; -an accumulator including Newcastle to beat West Ham on 8 October.

It was also confirmed Tonali took part in an FA training programme about betting in August, nine days before his offences began, but he had not fully understood the content because of “his English being extremely limited”.

Kaieteur News

Friday May 03, 2024

PAGE 27

ICC bans Devon Thomas for five IPL: Kumar the hero as Sunrisers years under Anti-Corruption Code stun Royals for final-ball win SportsMax - The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced yesterday that they have imposed a five-year period of ineligibility from all cricket on West Indies player Devon Thomas.

The 34-year-old, who has represented the West Indies in one Test, 21 ODIs and 12 T20Is, accepted breaching seven counts of the anti-corruption codes of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

T h o m a s w a s provisionally suspended for corruption on May 23, 2023 when he was slapped with the following seven charges: Article 2.1.1 of the SLC Code - contriving or being party to an agreement to fix or attempt to fix, contrive or influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or other aspects of matches in the Lanka Premier League 2021.

Article 2.4.4 of the SLC Code – failing to disclose to the Designated AntiCorruption Official, without unnecessary delay, full details of an approach or invitations received to engage in Corrupt Conduct in the Lanka Premier League 2021.

Article 2.4.6 of the SLC Code - failing or refusing, without compelling justification, to cooperate with the Designated AntiC o r r u p t i o n O f f i c i a l ’s investigation by failing to

Devon Thomas provide accurately and completely any information and/or documentation requested by the Designated Anti-Corruption Official.

Article 2.4.7 of the SLC Code – obstructing or delaying the Designated Anti-Corruption Official’s investigation into Corrupt Conduct, including (without limitation) concealing, tampering with or d e s t r o y i n g a n y documentation or other information that may be relevant to that investigation and/or that may be evidence of or may lead to the discovery of evidence of Corrupt Conduct.

Article 2.4.4 of the ECB Code – failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official, without unnecessary delay, full details of an approach or invitations received to engage in Corrupt Conduct at the Abu Dhabi T10 2021.

Article 2.4.4 of the CPL Code – failing to disclose to the Designated AntiCorruption Official, without unnecessary delay, full details of an approach or

invitations received to engage in Corrupt Conduct in relation to the CPL 2021.

Article 2.4.2 of the CPL Code – failing to disclose to the Designated AntiCorruption Official (without unnecessary delay) the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or benefit (a) that he knew or should have known was made in order to procure a breach of the CPL Code, or (b) could have brought the player or the game of cricket into disrepute.

The “period of ineligibility,” as the ICC called it in yesterday’s release, is backdated to when he was provisionally suspended last May. ICC also ruled that “the last 18 months of the period of ineligibility would be suspended.”

“Having played both international and p r o f e s s i o n a l domestic/franchise cricket, Devon attended numerous anti-corruption education sessions.

He therefore knew what his obligations were under the Anti-Corruption Codes but failed to meet these obligations across three different franchise leagues,” said Alex Marshall, ICC General Manager – Integrity Unit in the release.

“This ban is apt and should send a strong message to players and corrupters that attempts to corrupt our sport will be dealt with firmly,” he added.

Bowlers dominate as Jaguars, Piranhas clinch T10 Blast wins

S

ome excellent bowling from leftarm spinner Veerasammy Permaul and the young Ashmead Nedd, gave their teams crucial wins as yesterday’s round of the GCB T10 Blast continued.

Essequibo Jaguars defeat Demerara Hawks by 7 wickets Chasing 94 set by Hawks, the duo of Mavindra Dindyal (36) and Guyana Harpy Eagles wicket-keeper Kemol Savory (36) took the Jags comfortably to 96-3; with Aryan Persaud picking up 2-10 and Ronaldo Alimohamed (1-25).

The Hawks batting suffered earlier at the hands of spinner Ashmead Nedd as he continued his form in this competition, starring with 4-6.

Support came from Harpy Eagles speedster Nial Smith who claimed 2-7, leaving David Williams (41) the only threat

for the Hawks batting.

Berbice Piranhas beat Essequibo Anacondas by 50-runs Quentin Sampson pummeled 50 off 17 balls with a quartet of fours and a handful of sixes while Rickey Sargeant (46),Tagenarine Chanderpaul (23) and Rajiv Ivan (15) took them to a daunting 148-3; with Bruce Vincent (2-18) the lone wicket-taker for Anacondas.

The Anacondas were then mowed down for 98 in 9.3 overs.

Only Anthony Adams who spanked 28 off 12, Raymond Perez (20) and the consistent Ushardeva Balgobin (18) managed to trouble the scorers.

Spin master Veerasammy Permaul continued to torment batsmen this tournament, bowling his way to 4-24 with Garfield Phillips supporting with 3-10.

Action continues today from 12:30h.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the hero as Sunrisers Hyderabad came back from the brink to secure a final-ball win.

S p o r t s M a x Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the hero as Sunrisers Hyderabad came back from the brink to secure a finalball win over Indian Premier League leaders Rajasthan Royals yesterday.

Kumar left the Royals reeling at 1-2 as they chased 202 for victory, dismissing both Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson for first-over ducks, flattening middle wicket to send the latter walking five balls in.

A 127-run partnership between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag then seemed to have the Royals closing in on a fifth straight win, only for their chase to unravel in spectacular fashion.

Two wickets apiece from Thangarasu Natarajan and

Pat Cummins left the Royals needing 20 runs off 11 balls, and Rovman Powell came up with a thrilling cameo, the highlight being an unbelievable dive to avoid being run out on the penultimate delivery, which took Rajasthan within two runs of victory and one of a super over.

However, there was one more twist to come as Powell swung at Kumar’s full toss, which clipped his back leg and was confirmed as out following a review, sealing a memorable win for Sunrisers.

The Sunrisers had also found themselves in a hole in their own innings, only for Nitish Kumar Reddy (76) and Heinrich Klaasen (42) to finish unbeaten and bring up a total they were just about

able to defend. Data Debrief: Kumar bookends back-and-forth innings For much of the Rajasthan innings, it looked l i k e K u m a r ’s e a r l y dismissals of Buttler and Samson would count for nought, with some expensive overs from Cummins and Marco Jansen leaving the Royals on the brink.

However, Kumar stepped up when it was all on the line on the final delivery, leaving Powell in a tangle to end Hyderabad’s two-match losing streak and lift them into the top four.

Scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad 201 for 3 (Nitish Kumar Reddy 76*, Head 58, Avesh 2-39) beat Rajasthan Royals 200 for 7 (Parag 77, Jaiswal 67) by one run.

‘One Guyana’ Beach Football C/ship to crown champions Platinum disqualified ahead this weekend - Team of Sunday’s 3rd place Playoff The excitement will reach its peak this Sunday (May 5) as fans eagerly await the climactic showdown in the One Guyana Kings and Queens of the Sand Beach Football championship. Who will reign supreme as the champions of the sand? Will it be the dynamic Young Gunners or the formidable Hi Flyers claiming the 2024 Men’s title? Or could the undefeated Speightland Ladies thwart the aspirations of Hururu Stars for the championship crown?

The final showdown is set to unfold at the PPP-C Office compound in Linden.

The stakes are high as the competition culminates with the crowning of its champions.

In a battle of skill and determination, the Hi Flyers

Football team will clash with the Young Gunners, vying for the grand prize of $1,000,000 and the prestigious trophy. Even the runners-up will not leave empty-handed, securing a respectable $500,000 in prize money.

Meanwhile, in recent developments coming out from the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation coordinating unit; Team Platinum has been disqualified from the tournament, awarding automatic third-place position to MS Ballers, following Team Platinum’s misconduct during a semifinal clash.

As a result of this disqualification, MS Ballers has already secured the third-place cash prize of $200,000. This unexpected

turn of events leads to an exhibition match between MS Ballers and Hururu.

The grand finale kicks off at 7:00 pm, featuring Aroaima Ladies facing off against Rockstone Women for the Queen’s third-place trophy. At 8:00 pm, all eyes will be on the showdown between Speightland Women and Hururu Women, battling for the first-place trophy and a cash prize of $400,000. Tournament runner-up will claim $200,000, while third and fourth place finishers secure $100,000 and $50,000, respectively.

The tournament is organised by the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation under the One Guyana brand, with the support of Bakewell and other prominent entities.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 28

Friday May 03, 2024

Pakistan bowlers shine to hand West Indies first loss of tour in fourth T20I Sadia Iqbal celebrates with her team-mates. (PCB)

SportsMax - West Indies Women suffered their first loss on their tour of Pakistan as the hosts secured an eightwicket win in the fourth T20 International at the Karachi National Stadium yesterday.

Excellent Pakistan bowling meant the tourists were restricted to just 84-9 off their 20 overs after winning the toss and batting first.

Shemaine Campbelle

(26), Zaida James (19) and Jannilea Glasgow (10) were the only West Indian batters to get double-figures as Sadia Iqbal and Nida Dar dominated with 3-18 from four overs and 3-19 from

four overs, respectively.

Pakistan then needed only 16.3 overs to reach 87-2 and secure their first win of the series.

Ayesha Zafar led the way with 42* off 48 balls while

Gull Feroza finished 21* off 24 balls.

Afy Fletcher and Shamilia Connell took a wicket, each, for the Windies.

Full Scores: West Indies

Women 84-9 (Shemaine Campbelle 26, Sadia Iqbal 318, Nida Dar 3-19); Pakistan Women 87-2 (Ayesha Zafar 42*, Gull Feroza 21*, Afy Fletcher 1-6, Shamilia Connell 1-8).

Official Anthem for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, ‘Out of this World’, released by Sean Paul and Kes T

he International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the release of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Official Anthem, Out of this World, by Grammy award winning artist Sean Paul and Soca superstar Kes. With just under 30-daysto-go until the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 begins, the release of the anthem sets the tone for what will be the biggest cricket carnival spectacle ever, with 20 international teams playing 55 matches across the West Indies and USA from 1-29 June.

The anthem, produced b y M i c h a e l “ Ta n o ” Montano, was launched along with the music video, which features cameos from eight-time Olympic gold-

medallist and tournament ambassador Usain Bolt, cricket stars Chris Gayle, Ali Khan, Shiv Chanderpaul and other Caribbean personalities.

The music video is a visual celebration of cricket that captures the atmosphere and energy fans from around the world can expect when they attend ICC Men’s T20 World Cup matches.

The track and music video are available to view and is also available on digital streaming music platforms Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, SoundCloud, JioSaavn, Yo u T u b e , I n s t a g r a m , Facebook, and others.

Fans can also get into the spirit of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup by creating their own dance interpretations of

the “knock it out of this world” dance step, which is featured in the video.

Grammy Award winner Sean Paul said: “I have always believed that music, like cricket, has the power to bring people together in unity and celebration.

This song is all about positive energy and Caribbean pride and I can’t wait for the carnival of cricket to get started and hear everyone singing along to the anthem, bringing the party to stadiums across the West Indies and USA.” Soca Superstar Kes said: “Cricket has always been a major part of Caribbean culture, so I’m honoured to write and record the official anthem for the T20 World Cup.

Respect goes out to the entire crew whose creative input inspired this anthem.

The track embodies the vibrant culture and energy of cricket and is a real anthem for people to sing out and feel the spirit of u n i t y. ” I C C G e n e r a l Manager - Marketing and Communications, Claire Furlong said: “With just 30 days to go until the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup begins, the release of the official anthem sets the tone for a celebration in which global fans will come together to experience an incredible month of cricket.

We are delighted to have two globally recognised artists in Sean Paul and Kes produce our official anthem, which will be at the heart of the event, heard across our

stadiums, global broadcast, and ICC digital platforms.”

Additional hospitality opportunities and tickets will be released today to all ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 matches from 10h00 Antigua Standard Time.

Fans are encouraged to secure their World Cup tickets to avoid missing out on this historical event. Visit tickets.t20worldcup.com for details or email hospitality@t20worldcup.c om. Ticket box offices for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup also open across the West Indies today at Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.

Box office locations: · Antigua and Barbuda:

Antigua Recreation Ground · Barbados: Kensington Oval · Guyana: Guyana Cricket Board Office · Saint Lucia: Daren Sammy Cricket Ground · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Commercial Centre · Trinidad and Tobago: Queen’s Park Oval and National Cricket Centre Box office operating hours: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago: Monday to Friday 10:30 am - 6:00 pm and Saturdays 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.

Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Monday to Friday: 9:30 am 5:00 pm and Saturdays 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.

Kaieteur News

Friday May 03, 2024

PAGE 29

Andre Fletcher smashes unbeaten 84 Celtics are ‘learning from mistakes’ after series win over Heat as West Indies A extend dominance to take 3-1 lead against Nepal SportsMax - In yet another commanding performance, Andre Fletcher led from the front with an unbeaten 84 as the West Indies A secured a comprehensive 28-run victory over Nepal y e s t e r d a y, t a k i n g a n unassailable 3-1 lead in their five-match T20 series.

Fletcher, who had scored 53 against the hosts on Wednesday, continued his rich vein of form with a scintillating knock of 84 not out from just 54 balls, including nine fours and four sixes.

His explosive innings, coupled with Johnson Charles’ brisk 58 off 30 balls, propelled the visitors to a formidable total of 209-3 in their allotted 20 overs. The duo shared a pivotal secondwicket partnership of 92 runs in less than nine overs to lay a solid foundation for their team.

Charles, coming off an unbeaten 119 in the

previous match, played another impactful cameo, striking three fours and six sixes before his departure. Fabian Allen contributed a quick-fire 33 not out from 19 balls and with Fletcher shared in an unbroken stand of 83, to boost West Indies A beyond the 200-run mark for the second consecutive game.

The Nepalese bowlers struggled to contain the West Indies batsmen, with Kushal Bhurtel being the most successful among them, claiming 223 from his four overs.

In response, Nepal’s chase was anchored by a valiant effort from their captain, Rohit Paudel, who blazed his way to 82 off just 47 deliveries, featuring seven fours and five sixes. However, Paudel lacked substantial support from his teammates as Nepal faltered and eventually folded for 181.

Apart from Paudel, Sundeep Jora, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Gulsan Jha contributed 19 each but failed to capitalize on their starts against a disciplined West Indies bowling attack. Matthew Forde and Hayden Walsh Jr starred with the ball, claiming three wickets each, while Fabian Allen chipped in with 2-34.

Gudakesh Motie, despite being expensive, managed to pick up two crucial wickets.

With this victory, West Indies A have taken an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series, setting the stage for the final match scheduled to be played on Saturday.

The dominant display by the tourists bodes well for their confidence heading into the final encounter and also ahead of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, with Cricket West Indies set to announce their squad for the tournament on June 1.

SportsMax - Jayson Tatum claimed that the Boston Celtics are learning from their mistakes after securing their place in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Celtics are into the semifinals following a 4-1 series victory over the Miami Heat after winning Game 5 118-84 on Wednesday.

In taking the series, the Celtics avenged their 2023 Conference finals loss to the Heat, who routed them in Game 7. Tatum praised the team’s attitude during the win, saying: “That’s how it should be.

“We should be learning from our mistakes and things we could’ve done better and applying it to the next season, because we’re trying to have a different outcome this year.” Jaylen Brown and Derrick White each scored 25 points, while Sam Hauser had 17 points and Tatum added 16 with 12 rebounds for the Celtics.

Despite a recordbreaking shooting performance by the Heat in Game 2, they struggled to

Jayson Tatum claimed that the Boston Celtics are learning from their mistakes. gain a foothold in the series.

They missed 26 of 29 from 3-point range and were outrebounded 56-29 in Game 5 while playing without the injured Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier and Jaime Jaquez Jr. The Celtics were also without a key player, as Kristaps Porzingis missed his first postseason game with a right calf strain that will keep him out for at least a week. Brown insisted that the Celtics have proven that

they were never reliant on any single player.

“I think we just have to continue to play our game like we’ve been doing our whole career and continue to show our growth by trusting our teammates,” he said.

“I think if we’re going to win, we’re going to win as a team.” Up next for the topseeded Celtics is the winner of the Cleveland-Orlando series that the Cavaliers lead 3-2.

Bolt pleased with Ja’s male sprinting resurgence; hopeful Seville will medal in “wide open” men’s 100m in Paris SportsMax - Take it from the incomparable Usain Bolt that the race for the men’s 100m title at this summer’s Paris Olympic Games will be wide open, as he is yet to identify any clear favourite to stake a claim on the coveted gold medal.

Bolt, whose words carries the weight of his unparalleled legacy, gave his views on the possible Olympic outcome, as he also shared thoughts on the progress of male sprinting in Jamaica, which he believes remains alive with the emergence of Rohan Watson, Oblique Seville, Ackeem Blake, Ryiem Forde, and Kadrian Goldson, in particular.

Seville has been the main protagonist on that list, as he has consistently knocked at the door of a global 100m medal over the years. He placed fourth at both the 2020 Olympic Games and last year’s World Championships.

The 23-year-old’s rise from promising newcomer to bona fide contender has captured the imagination of Jamaican track and field

Usain Bolt...I am really hoping Oblique can break into the top three this time around. enthusiasts at home and abroad. With blistering speed and unwavering determination, Seville has carved out a name for himself as one of Jamaica’s most promising talents, and along with the others, carries the hopes of a nation known for its sprinting prowess.

“I think these athletes represent our chances, but it is all about execution. I think over the past years, it (Jamaica’s male sprinting) has been struggling, but I do think that Oblique has been keeping it alive,” Bolt, the ambassador for Red Stripe’s ‘Guh Fi Gold and Glory’ campaign, told journalists

during the event’s launch in H a l f Wa y T r e e o n Wednesday.

“He has made all the finals so far; it is just for him to now get in the top three.

And I think it’s just consistency. I think the one thing with Oblique is that he always gets injured, but hopefully he can be consistent this season and stay on the right path and he’ll be fine. So, I’m just looking forward to seeing them,” the iconic sprinter added.

Though American Noah Lyles, who copped the sprint double at last year’s World Championships, has been a dominant force, his compatriots Fred Kerly, silver medallist at the 2020 Games in Tokyo, and Christian Coleman are also prominent contenders, while the young generation of Jamaican sprinters –Watson, Seville, Blake, and Goldson –have also entered the conversation.

Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes, and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, are also expected to be in the mix in Paris, while Italy’s Marcell

Bolt is pleased with the emergence of Rohan Watson, Oblique Seville, Ackeem Blake, Ryiem Forde, and Kadrian Goldson, in particular.

Jacobs and Canada’s Andre De Grasse, the gold and bronze medallists from the 2020 Games in Tokyo, are yet to enter the fray ahead of the global multi-sport showpiece.

While it is still early days yet, Bolt, an eight-time Olympic gold medallist and the world’s fastest man over 100m and 200m, expressed optimism about Seville’s Olympic

Games medal prospects, as he believes the young sensation has proven that he can match strides with those names on the list.

“Let’s see what happens. I think it’s early. No one is doing anything, and I haven’t seen anything impressive so far. So, I think it is still wide open. I am really hoping Oblique can break into the top three this

time around. I think he has always worked hard over the years, and he is always in the final and always doing well.

So hopefully, he will break into the top three,” Bolt said.

On that note, Bolt, who is looking forward to a second Olympic Games as a spectator since his retirement in 2017, believes the athletes stand ready to write the next chapter in the country’s storied history of success.

“Overall, we all have high hopes. The throwers, j u m p e r s , e v e r y b o d y.

Everyone is doing well, and you can see where they are stepping up.

The medal tally will be good as always. Jamaica always shows up. We always get at least five medals, and I think we are aiming to get eight to 10 medals in Paris,” he shared.

“I think the athletes will (maintain their performance). Jamaica is always up there. We are still the sprint capital of the world, and I think we will continue to dominate,” Bolt ended.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 30

Friday May 03, 2024

Over 45 Girls benefit from empowering ‘Kickin’ Conversations’ activity hosted by SBM Offshore Guyana

The event, which took place on March 28, brought together over 45 young female athletes along with their six coaches.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – SBM Offshore Guyana successfully hosted its inaugural ‘Kickin’ Conversations’ mentorship session with the beneficiaries of its Women in Football Development Programme, executed in partnership with the Vurlon Mills Football Academy.

The event which took place on March 28, brought together over 45 young female athletes along with their six coaches, offering them a unique opportunity to engage directly with esteemed women

professionals of the SBM Offshore Guyana team.

The session featured motivational talks and interactive sessions led by SBM Offshore Guyana female employees, who covered a range of empowering topics. Onecia Johnson, the Human R e s o u r c e s M a n a g e r, presented on the topic ‘Never stop learning’. Karla Coimbra, Operations Manager for the Prosperity Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel discussed how ‘Loving what you do is a

Legitimate Career Goal’. Dr. Shivon Lewis-Isles, Health and Industrial Hygiene Advisor, spoke about how ‘Failure is Also Progress’.

Tanisha Selby, Instrument and Controls Engineer, advised on ‘Investing in Valuable Relationships,’ and Narima Rodrigues, Category Buyer, highlighted the importance of ‘Aligning Time Spent with What is Important to You’.

In addition to the mentoring sessions, participants had the opportunity to share their views, personal experiences

and career paths in the oil and gas industry, as well as those outside of the industry.

Further, the young athletes enjoyed creative and artistic activities like painting, spoken word poetry, and live music performances.

Senior Coach attached to the Vurlon Mills Football Academy, Ms. Sheron Abrams, expressed her gratitude, stating, “I would like to give a hearty round of applause and gratitude to everyone who took part in making today’s occasion a special one, the SBM Offshore Guyana

management and everyone in attendance for coming out today and helping to make this event a huge success.”

In her closing remarks, Ms. Johnson reflected on the day’s achievements and the importance of having a plan, saying, “I want to encourage you, everything that you do, ensure you have a plan.

Ensure it adds value, ensure it’s meaningful to yourself, to your life and even to your future generations.”

The Women in Football Development Programme is designed to teach football skills and empower young

girls by exposing them to a range of potential career paths, mentorship and all the other positive benefits derived from participating in football. The programme aims to foster confidence and ambition in the participants, equipping them with the skills necessary to succeed in any endeavour they choose to pursue.

For more information about the Vurlon Mills Football Academy and its initiatives, please contact Mr. Vurlon Mills at 6131361 or Marisha Fernandes at 600-3332.

Boris Becker no longer bankrupt, court says BBC News - Former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker’s bankruptcy has officially ended, after a UK judge found he had done “all that he reasonably could do” to fulfil his financial obligations.

The German tennis player was declared bankrupt in June 2017, owing creditors almost £50m.

The High Court was told he still owed about £42m but lawyers for Becker said the 56-year-old had reached a settlement agreement with the trustees appointed to oversee his finances.

They said Becker, who was jailed in 2022 for hiding £2.5m in assets to avoid paying debts, will provide a “substantial sum” into the bankruptcy estate.

Becker was catapulted to stardom, aged 17, in 1985 when he became the youngest singles male player to win the Wimbledon Championships.

He went on to win a further two Wimbledon titles, two Australian Opens and the US Open.

After retiring from tennis in 1999, he commentated at Wimbledon for the BBC and turned his hand to coaching, working with Novak Djokovic.

He moved to London in 2012, and his bankruptcy stemmed from an unpaid loan of more than £3m on a luxury estate in Mallorca, Spain.

Although bankruptcy orders end after a year in England and Wales, a judge suspended the automatic

Boris Becker [PA]

discharge of the order in 2018 because Becker was “failing to comply with his obligations”.

Lawyers for Becker last month asked a judge to lift the suspension saying he had done “the best possible he is capable of doing”.

Giving written reasons for his decision, Chief Insolvency and Companies Court Judge Nicholas Briggs said said it would be “perverse” not to lift the suspension now.

He said: “On the spectrum of bankrupts who

range from ‘difficult as possible and doing everything to frustrate the trustee’s inquiries’ to ‘cooperative, providing information and delivering up assets’, Mr Becker clearly falls on the right side of the line.” The judge said an “unresolved matter” was the location of some of Becker’s trophies that are missing.

He noted Becker has no further information relating to the whereabouts of the trophies but did not object them being minted or monetised.

The judge said: “As the joint trustees are concerned to realise and distribute assets this offer provides a commercial outcome.”

Louis Doyle KC for Becker told the court the settlement agreement

“affects a compromise of all outstanding matters in the bankruptcy although that is predicated on Mr Becker making payment which will have the effect of providing a substantial sum into the bankruptcy estate”.

He said the resolution with the trustees includes the “outstanding trophies” and that Becker “can’t do more than he has done to bring us to this point”.

Becker was jailed for two-and-a-half years in April 2022 at Southwark Crown Court after being found guilty of four offences.

He was acquitted of 25 other charges, including nine counts of failing to hand over trophies and medals from his tennis career.

Kaieteur News

Friday May 03, 2024

PAGE 31

HEAR ME OUT! Football is in a quagmire The Guyana Football

BY RAWLE TONEY The football scene in Federation (GFF) and its Guyana finds itself in a Member Associations are quagmire—not the comical grappling with a shortage of character Glen Quagmire facilities for the beautiful game. from Family Guy, mind you.

This struggle was I’m speaking about the real challenges facing h i g h l i g h t e d b y t h e football in Guyana and the announcement that the Guyana Football Federation country’s National Football Team, the Golden (GFF), which seems to Jaguars, will have be using its KFC to host their June Elite League as a 11th “home” facade to game in the conceal the FIFA World s p o r t ’ s C u p underlying Qualifiers issues. I’m against Belize referring to the in Barbados. insufficient T h i s investment situation is f r o m t h e undeniably a Government of Guyana in football Rawle Toney n a t i o n a l embarrassment, and the dire shortage of adequate facilities across the particularly considering that country hindering the issues surrounding the poor condition of the National game’s development.

W h e t h e r y o u ’ r e a Track and Field Centre at football enthusiast or not, it’s Edinburgh have been wellhard to deny that the state of d o c u m e n t e d s i n c e i t s football in Guyana has been opening in 2015.

To provide context, the declining, exacerbated further by the challenges Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport, under President brought on by the pandemic.

Irfaan Ali’s administration, h a s a l l o c a t e d $13,405,300,000 to the sports sector.

In 2020, out of the Ministry’s $2.7 billion budget, $805.3 million was allocated to sports.

The following year, in 2021, the sports sector received an allocation of $1.5 billion from the national budget.

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh underlined that of this amount, $915.5 million was earmarked for enhancing community grounds nationwide, with plans to transform them into parks and establish premium, multi-purpose sports facilities meeting international standards in Regions Two, Six, and 10.

In 2022, the sports budget increased to $2.2 billion, with $250 million designated for the ongoing enhancement of community grounds throughout the country.

By 2023, the Ministry of Sport saw a significant boost in its budget, reaching $4.3

Slingerz FC’s Simeon Moore in action against Den Amstel FC in the GFF Elite League. (Keno George photo)

billion, as disclosed by Dr Singh during the presentation of the National Budget.

This year marks a milestone for the sports

sector, receiving its largestever allocation of $4.6 billion dedicated to advancing sports in Guyana.

Within this allocation, $1 billion is earmarked

for ongoing ground upgrades nationwide, while $957 million is allocated for the continued construction of (Continued on page 25)

Nine newly trained teachers are now equipped to assist with FIFA F4S programme - As part of GFF Child Safeguarding Policy Teachers pay keen attention during the GFF FIFA F4S Child Safeguarding Workshop.

GFF officials and Teachers share photo-op at NTC following the conclusion of the FIFA F4S workshop.

N

ine school t e a c h e r s successfully completed a three-day FIFA Football for School (F4S) workshop on Child Safeguarding led by Orin Francois, GFF’s Senior C h i l d We l f a r e a n d Protection Officer, from April 25-27 at the F e d e r a t i o n ’s N a t i o n a l Training Centre (NTC) in Providence.

The training was in preparation for the upcoming Blue Water Shipping National Girls Under-15 Football Development League starting on May 4, with over 50 schools participating nationwide.

The educators, Saskia David, Janacy Johnson, Thon Barnwell, Riaz Rupnarain, Christopher Gaskin, Tinesha Trotman,

Akiliah Butcher, Anandi Blair, and Gailan Barnwell, underwent the F4S training module and familiarized themselves with the GFF Child Safeguard Policy, launched in 2022 with support from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture.

The F4S programme, a l i g n e d w i t h F I FA’s Guardians initiative,

promotes sports as a means to develop essential life skills. GFF President Wayne Forde aims to ensure all youth football officials undergo Child Safeguarding training in the coming months.

Facilitator Francois expressed satisfaction with the group’s response, noting t h e i r d e e p e n e d understanding of F4S and insights into GFF’s child

safeguarding measures.

The GFF is committed to providing a safe environment for children in football. The Blue Water Shipping Under-15 Girls’ National Secondary School Championship marks the competitive phase of F4S, involving over one thousand student-athletes from sixty public schools across Guyana.

Towanda McCalmon,

F4S Coordinator, emphasized the transformative potential of football in imparting life skills and creating a safe environment. Teachers from various secondary schools, including Soesdyke S e c o n d a r y, M o c h a Secondary, South Ruimveldt Secondary, New Campbellville Secondary and Tucville Secondary also attended the seminar.

S

s port

Andre Fletcher smashes unbeaten 84 as Windies A extend dominance to take 3-1 lead against Nepal

Veerasammy Permaul had another exceptional game yesterday picking up 4 wickets.

Andre Fletcher led from the front with an unbeaten 84.

Bowlers dominate as Jaguars, Piranhas clinch T10 Blast wins p.

27

Official Anthem for ICC Men’s T20 ICC bans Devon Thomas World Cup 2024, ‘Out of this World’, for five years under Anti-Corruption Code released by Sean Paul and Kes Devon Thomas

ICC 2024 T20 Album Cover

Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.