Kaieteur News

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GECOM backs NEWS biometric system …to formally make proposal for voting to Attorney General today

Thursday Edition

AIETEUR

May 19, 2022 - Vol. 15 No. 20 Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $80 readership yesterday, 74,919

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

Another foreign company boasts to shareholders of mega gold find in Guyana - but Guyanese still in the dark

Opposition leader in visit to ‘Little Africa’ - residents complain about poor conditions of roads, drainage

Russia/Ukraine DPP discontinues war a wake-up call to press for ‘racial assault’ renewables charge against …UN SG calls on governments, financial institutions to step up

attorney-at-law

‘Don’t sign any MoU with Trinidad’ - GCCI tells govt. to demand from T&T removal of non-tariff barriers

th

Exxon’s 5 project will sink fishing industry into deeper trouble

‘Take stock of rising COVID-19 numbers and act’ - PAHO urges

Kaieteur News

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Thursday May 19, 2022

Intimidation, vicitmisation order of the day in oil and gas sector - GAWU

By Zena Henry The oil and gas sector is a new one, and an extremely lucrative one. But for a poor nation like Guyana, government officials have stated directly and indirectly that they do not wish to scare off or frustrate the players assisting Guyana in developing its oil endowments.

The new sector however, is taking a serious toll on Guyanese who have ventured within this new area of work the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union’s (GAWU) General Secretary, Aslim Singh has stated. In an exclusive interview with this newspaper, Singh painted the grim reality that oil and gas workers face.

Among them is the fact that earlier this year, GAWU had to intervene where a “big” oil and gas company was refusing giving their employees their personal

protective equipment (PPE).

A few later, Singh said, an oil and gas worker received a serious cut on the oil rig, but not while performing his duties. Not only was that worker fired for the injury, but he was also made to pay for the flight onshore where he would receive better medical attention. A few months ago, Singh said, another worker lost a piece of finger while working on an oil rig. He was supposed to receive compensation, but instead the worker was fired without receiving the necessary returns.

As recent as last We d n e s d a y, S i n g h continued, another oil and gas worker from a recruitment company, one the GAWU executive said he had never heard of, was sent home for raising issues about his rights in terms of health and safety at the work place.

The sad thing, Singh said is that the worker was on probation and was easily

GAWU’s General Secretary Aslim Singh disposed of following his health and safety concerns.

“These are just some of the hellish situations,” Singh said the labour union is coming across in the oil and gas sector. In offering help to the affected workers, the labour rights advocate explained that they are so fearful of victimisation that they are refusing to publicly highlight what they experience and to seek

redress.

Where the worker lost a piece of his finger, Singh said he offered to help the worker in addressing his National Insurance Scheme (NIS) compensation as well as bringing his plight to the Labour Ministry, but the worker continues to refuse the assistance. Singh said that the oil and gas workers are extremely fearful because of the intimidation they face. He explained that given the few players in the oil and gas sector, workers are fearful that word would spread about them and that it would hamper them from accessing future opportunities within the sector. Singh said these are some of the reasons why workers say they need representation; but the union must approach with prudence to protect the workers. “The minute these guys hear; get a whisper of anything, they take action,” Singh opined.

Singh went on to highlight that in a casual conversation with a company which supplies labour to the oil and gas sector, he was made to

understand that many oil companies do not budget for certain benefits such as leave pay and health and safety, “although these things are law.”

Singh said the conversation revealed that while some recruiting agencies may want to provide certain benefits to workers, they cannot, since the oil company to which the labour is supplied does not provide the funds for the recruitment agency to deliver the benefits. Singh said that he learnt too that in some instances, Guyanese agencies are helping to undermine their countrymen by advising the foreign companies not to provide extensive benefits to the locals.

Additionally, Singh highlighted a grave injustice to the local oil and gas workers. He explained that in some cases where Guyanese are told about hefty pay schemes, the reality is that the salaries are padded by discretional benefits. He said that for example, if a worker is said to be paid $200,000 monthly, the truth is that these workers are really paid at the

minimum rate of over $200 an hour, while the benefits and allowances make up the rest of the pay. But these allowances are payable, only if the company decides to pay up.

More recently, some 70 workers from a Guyanese and Trinidadian joint venture complained about being sent home until further notice, w i t h o u t p a y, w h i l e Trinidadian workers remained on the job. Those workers had claimed that they were sent home, but could do the same work as the Trinidadians who were retained. They said that although they were doing the same work, their Trinidadian counterparts were being paid significantly more. So much so, that their stipends were alleged to be two and three times that of the Guyanese workers. This was despite having to pay more to feed and house the foreign workers who were also said to be going back to a job in Trinidad when their work rotation was over. Singh confirmed complains such as those highlighted by the joint venture workers. After two (Continued on page 19)

Kaieteur News

Thursday May 19, 2022

PAGE 03

Russia/Ukraine war a wake-up call to press for renewables …UN SG calls on governments, financial institutions to step up “The global energy system is broken and bringing us ever closer to climate catastrophe; Fossil fuels are a dead end — environmentally and economically; the war in Ukraine and its immediate effects on energy prices is yet another wake-up call; the only sustainable future is a renewable one.”

This was the clarion call made yesterday by United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, who in his Wo r l d M e t e o r o l o g i c a l Organization’s State of the Global Climate 2021 Report, stated: “We must end fossil fuel pollution and accelerate t h e r e n e w a b l e e n e rg y transition, before we incinerate our only home; time is running out.”

The UN Secretary General Report comes at a time when Guyana despite the direction of the world as it relates to the development of energy sources, is still pressing ahead with a project to cost in excess of US$1B namely the Gas to Shore Energy Initiative. That project will see associated gases being had from the Liza fields in the Stabroek Block being piped to the Wales Development Zone, where a Natural Gas fired power plant is expected to be set up in order to utilise the fossil fuel.

According to Guterres however, “renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar are readily available and in most cases,

cheaper than coal and other fossil fuels; over the past decade, the cost of wind energy has declined by more than half.” He in fact noted, that the cost of solar energy and batteries has plummeted 85 percent and that an investment in renewables creates jobs — three times more jobs than fossil fuels.

Reiterating “we don’t have a moment to lose,” the UN SG used the occasion to propose five critical actions to jump-start the renewable energy transition. Among his proposals, Guterres is contending that “renewable energy technologies, such as battery storage, must be treated as essential and freely-available global public goods.” In a video address yesterday, he said there should be the removing of obstacles to knowledge sharing and technological transfer – including intellectual property constraints. This, he said, “is crucial for a rapid and fair renewable energy transition.”

He noted that storing renewable electricity is often cited as the greatest barrier to the clean energy transition and as such “I am therefore calling for a global coalition on battery storage to fasttrack innovation and deployment – a coalition led and driven by governments, bringing together tech companies, manufacturers, and financiers.”

Additionally, the UN SG was adamant “we must

secure, scale up and diversify the supply of critical components and raw materials for renewable energy technologies.”

Recognizing that today’s supply chains for renewable energy technology and raw materials are concentrated in a handful of countries, he contended that “the ren ew ab le age can n o t flourish until we bridge this vast chasm, This will take concerted international coordination.”

Governments, he said, must invest in skills training, research and innovation, and incentives to build supply chains.

Governments, according to Guterres must also build frameworks and reform bureaucracies to level the playing field for renewables.

This, since in many countries, these systems still favour deadly fossil fuels. ” We m u s t p r e v e n t bottlenecks, where gigawatts of renewable projects are held up by red tape, permits and grid connections….I call on governments to fast-track and streamline approvals of solar and wind projects, modernize grids and set ambitious 1.5-degreealigned renewable energy targets that provide certainty to investors, developers, consumers and producers.”

According to Guterres renewable energy policies are fundamental to reduce market risk and drive investment into the sector.

Security guard remanded for shooting bar patron A security guard is now behind bars on remand after he reportedly lost his cool on Sunday last and allegedly shot at a patron of the Eclipse Bar, Leonora, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

The defendant in the shooting incident has been identified as 25-year-old Kadeem Andrews, a resident of Crane Housing Scheme, WCD and made his first court appearance on Tuesday at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Zamilla Ali-Seepaul.

Andrews was charged with discharging a firearm with intent and reportedly plead not guilty to the allegation leveled against him. He is expected to make his next court appearance on

Remanded security guard, Kadeem Andrews June 17, 2022.

According to police reports Andrews had allegedly used a handgun to shoot at Ricardo Poloram, a patron at Eclipse Bar around 0 2 : 3 0 h r s o n S u n d a y.

Poloram reportedly received injuries to the left side of his neck and had to be rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital for treatment that morning. Luckily the bullet did not cause Poloram to receive any severe injuries and he is currently at home recovering.

Investigators learnt that Poloram was at the bar drinking with some friends but had exited to urinate outside. Upon re-entering the bar he was reportedly confronted by Andrews and they began to argue with each other. The argument reportedly led to an altercation between the two.

Andrews allegedly pulled a handgun from his haversack and shot at Poloram.

F u r t h e r, h e u s e d t h e opportunities to again reiterate that governments must shift subsidies away from fossil fuels to protect the poor and most vulnerable people and communities.

“Every minute of every day, coal, oil and gas receive roughly $11 million dollars in subsidies…Each year, governments around the world pour around half a trillion dollars into artificially lowering the price of fossil fuels — more than triple what renewables receive,” he observed.

According to Guterres while people suffer from high prices at the pump, the oil and gas industry is raking in billions from a distorted market. He was adamant that there is a need for private and public investments in renewable energy must triple to at least $4 trillion dollars a

United Nation’s Secretary General, Antonio Guterres year.

“For solar and wind power, upfront payments account for 80 per cent of lifetime costs. That means big investments now will reap big rewards for years to come.”

To this end, he observed that some developing countries pay seven times more in financing costs than developed countries.

As such, “we need blended finance that provides the necessary

structures to close existing funding gaps and unlock the trillions held by private actors. This means adjusted risk frameworks and more flexibility to scale up renewable finance.”

He was adamant, the management and shareholders of multilateral development banks and development finance institutions must take responsibility and be held accountable. Commercial (Continued on page 16)

Suspects arrested for killing of ex-convict

P

olice have arrested two other persons in connection with the brutal chopping to death of Akash Pechia, the 22-year-old exconvict from No. 50 Village, East Berbice Corentyne.

Regional Commander Boodnarine Persaud confirmed the arrests late Tuesday night and indicated that the two men were captured and arrested in the Moleson Creek backdam, Upper Corentyne.

Meanwhile, police sources have since revealed that the two persons have since admitted to their role in the alleged murder and have implicated a third person who they identified as the mastermind in the crime. It is understood that investigators are in possession of a video footage of the incident, a piece of evidence that was critical in the capture of the two suspects. Police are said to be hunting for the alleged mastermind.

Additionally, the two persons that were initially arrested still remain in police custody up to press time.

Akash Pechia called ‘Loogoo’, was discovered on an empty plot of land at No.55 Village, (burial ground street), EBC. His body was discovered with gaping wounds to the neck, wrist and back by residents

Akash Pechia in the area and was lying face up in the opened space. The discovery was made Tuesday morning around 07:00 hrs.

A cousin of the dead man, Hemwattie Pechia called ‘Diane’, told journalists that he was released from prison just about three weeks ago and since his return home he has been partying heavily with friends and close relatives almost daily (in the nights) at Skeldon. She added that while he was not permanently employed with anyone, he had been working as a labourer in the village and he would sell coconuts as well.

She said the last time she saw him was three days ago and they were having a conversation about him

staying on the right track and not returning to prison. She said at some point during the conversation, he mentioned to her that one of his former prison mates who was also out, was asking for him. He then told her that the individual had attacked one of his friends and beat him mercilessly recently.

She added that upon remembering the conversation she had with him, she went to the Springlands Police Station to provide the police with the information and they indicated to her that they were investigating the matter.

She believes that the men who allegedly attacked the friend of her cousin should be questioned by the police about his death. Pechia was arrested in August 2021 in relation to larceny and theft, had escaped from police custody at the No.51 Police Station.

Police after launching a manhunt for him, subsequently recaptured him at Hazel Street, Springlands, Upper Corentyne, Berbice and he was expected to be charged. It is unclear if Pechia was charged for escaping custody and according to Commander Persaud, the penalty for escaping custody is three years imprisonment.

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Thursday May 19, 2022

Kaieteur News

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

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

EDITORIAL

One loophole closed, more must be It is a small beginning, but a significant one that holds out the promise of what could be, the long journey that waits to be undertaken. It must be, now that the first step has been taken. The essence of this small start is under our caption, “Govt. plugs loophole for accurate measurements of oil without renegotiating Stabroek Block deal -Yellowtail licence reveals” (KN May 11). Indeed, where there is a will, a way is usually found, no matter how difficult, how impossible the task that stands before appears.

We welcome this movement, and we commend the leaders of the PPP/C Government for thinking of it, pushing for it, and succeeding at it. The same skill, resourcefulness, and more dogged determination must be brought to bear so that other loopholes, bigger and still more material ones, could also be closed. Guyana can only benefit when such is the case, for loopholes represent leakage in the best of instances; or, when the situation gets really out of hand, through what is exploitative and haemorrhaging. Hence, measuring how much oil is being produced is as good a place to start as any.

As the article referenced noted, “The government has done so by inserting a suite of robust provisions on measurements into the Petroleum Production Licence (PPL) for Exxons US$10B Yellowtail Project.” We have always held the position, and listed among the many recommendations that we have put before the PPPC Government, that we work to undo the disastrous lopsided oil contract with ExxonMobil in mainly one of two ways.

We can go head-on in challenging the contract, or we can use these big new oil projects as leverage, or bargaining chips, to squeeze concessions out of Exxon, and get a steady flow of benefits for Guyana.

For sure, they may appear small at first, but they are incremental in the long run. They add up, and before long, through continued diligent and versatile effort, we can succeed at wearing away at some of the provisions (low hanging fruit) in the one-sided deal that is all in Exxons favor.

Now, we will be able to monitor and verify for ourselves whatever figures Exxon hands to us by way of reports and such. It is not only the amount of oil coming out of the Yellowtail field, but also the quality and composition of this precious commodity. Both of those have an impact on either the selling price, or the cost of refining the raw crude into other fuels or petroleum byproducts.

It is comforting that the instruments and the related procedures to be used in these exercises must be not what Exxon shoves before us, but what meets “good international oilfield practices.” Further, that good notice of measurements times and dates must be given to the minister standing as overseer of our oil asset. And, when there has to be resetting of measurement instruments, agents of the state must be present. These developments may look minimal in the bigger picture of the overall oil contract, but they count because there is always opportunity (and temptation) for this country to be cheated at the pump, meaning, at the source of our oil, the oilfields themselves.

Using this loophole shut off, leaders in the PPP/C Government must now demonstrate the strength to venture into other bolder territory to close out gaps presented by other loopholes. They are many because Exxon has been around the oil business forever, with few knowing the tricks of the trade more than this giant American company. Though we regret the opportunities that went a begging, Guyanese cannot continue to lament endlessly, curse each other continuously, and wring hands helplessly.

We must act and with a steeliness in our minds. Our leaders must work tirelessly to get something for our oil, much more than we are getting now. This is in motion with the qualitative steps that have been agreed to in the Yellowtail Project (loophole closed), and which must now escalate into the quantitative, in how many more dollars come into Guyanas coffers. The longer we dont get those additional dollars for our oil, the more we end up losing.

Those loopholes must also be closed through wise, relentless efforts.

Ethics and representing murderers DEAR EDITOR, News of an attorney withdrawing from the trial of a city businessman allegedly seen kicking his daughter lying on the ground in a store has caught my attention.

The news article said the lawyer has withdrawn himself from representing a city businessman, who is accused of brutally assaulting his 25year-old daughter, for a charge filed under the Domestic Violence Act. According to the lawyer, “certain ethical and other considerations” have influenced his decision to withdraw and discontinue all fur-

ther involvement in the case.

There is a joke that you cant use “lawyers” and “ethics” in the same sentence.

I had to rebuke my friend Suresh that “not all lawyers are crooks, and money-hungry.”

I do wish that more of them would step up and fight cases for the renegotiation of the rapacious oil contracts in the national interest.

There was one lawyer in Berbice, now a senior counsel, who facilitated the unauthorised sale of my aunts property through someone given full power of attorney. There was another law-

yer in Georgetown, a senior counsel, who was paid a million dollars to process transports. When I asked him why after 13 years, we dont have the transports, he got angry and said he was not going to do them anymore.

He was not going to refund any money until I confronted him and threatened exposure in the media, and he refunded 20%. I suggest that when “Senior Counsel” is being contemplated that there is an invitation to the public for comments before the award is given.

How about all those lawyers, charging high prices,

who defend murderers as a specialty in their legal practice? Are there not ethics issues there too, or does big money remove the ethics considerations?

I understand that an accused has a right to legal representation regardless of ones guilt or innocence, because thats how the justice system works. So, I am trying to figure out how withdrawing from an assault and battery case is such a big ethics problem compared to lawyers who like to take murder cases.

Sincerely, Dr. Jerry Jailall

Ali’s Govt. continues to show signs of desperation with its inability to control the inflation that it is creating DEAR EDITOR, First, it was the removal of VAT on machinery. He also removed VAT on fertilizers and agro-chemicals. VAT was removed from all medical supplies. VAT was removed on hinterland travel. He then removed the duty on the additional freight charges for imports ostensibly to prevent foreign inflation from harming Guyanese consumers. Then, it was the removal of VAT on cement. That did not work.

So, he has gone further to remove VAT on other construction materials. With money and prices out of the hand reach of most Guyanese, the Ali government, in another desperate move, has decided to create a home construction facility. This latter initiative is a sign that the profligate spending of the government is biting deeper into the pockets of Guyanese. A look at the money supply puts the blame for inflation squarely in the lap of the Ali government and not on foreign goods.

Between 2012 and 2013, the money supply increased

by GYD11 Billion. Between 2013 and 2014, the money supply increased by GYD17 Billion. Between 2014 and 2015, the money supply increased by GYD4 Billion. In 2021, the money supply increased by GYD70 Billion.

From March 2021 to March 2022, the money supply increased by GYD65 Billion, and we are yet to get to the end of 2022. The money put into the 2022 budget for spending by the government is 54% greater than it was in the 2021 budget.

Instead of preparing the country to handle the higher expenditures it had in mind, the Ali government has plunged the country into an inflationary crisis in a rush to prove that it could spend money faster than the previous administration. This selfserving behaviour is tantamount to cruel and inhuman punishment of a people, especially civil servants, whose

incomes are already insufficient to meet their everyday needs and who must depend on the whims and fancy of a merciless government for an increase.

The desperation of the Ali government is seen in the rapidity and frequency with which it had to abandon its rights to collect VAT revenues. This is not a common practice among governments that seek to achieve stability in their revenue collection.

This is an act of desperation to control inflation that will not work if government keeps flooding the slow-producing Guyanese economy with money.

The piecemeal measures of the Ali government are like the flawed thinking of the little boy who chopped off the tail of the dog in small pieces in the belief that it would be less painful for the dog. In a similar vein, the series of VAT reductions is indicative of the misunderstanding of the cause of the inflation problem

and the pain that Guyanese households are experiencing.

The problem does not come from the VAT rate. It comes from the profligate spending by the government to impress Guyanese that it can pump lots of money into the economy and create whatever asset it feels like creating.

The Ali government believes that it is unaccountable to the people and is spending money extravagantly. For as long as the government goes on spending lavishly, inflation will continue to eat up the VAT relief and the costof-living will keep rising.

This reckless mishandling of the economy is typical of men who cannot manage money properly and should bring fear to the people of this country about the fate of the Natural Resource Fund. The Ali government is faced with a dilemma of its own making and does not know how to deal with it.

Sincerely, Joshua Luke

Madness all over Guyana, not just in parliament DEAR EDITOR, Three captions in KN s May 18th edition caught my attention that I actually stopped and scanned the underlying stories. They were about a brawl over not parking appropriately, another about wounding for not buying rum, and the third about why not engage international people to assist with oil management. The first two are of the madness in this country that is not just prevalent in parliament, but seeps into the public sphere, while the third is this oil that driven political leadership to completely irreversible madness.

Three men were wounded in Kitty over parking and blocking, which ended up in the sharing of the sickening.

It was road rage Guyana style, not even one unleashed by a moving violation, but trig-

gered by the unmoving, the unhearing, and the uncaring that are all now embedded in Guyanas way of life from the highest office to the lowest denominator, which is the street. The gutter is the street, so that should clear the air; it includes Carmichael and Main Streets, and we know who inhabits that still pristine space. It is not the sick people at the institution. I see this parking obscenity all over the town. By hospitals (East, and Carmichael Street again); in front residences with neonlike No Parking signs. I know Guyanese dont read and cant read, but they cant be this dumb, this ignorant, this drunk and disorderly.

But they are. Parking is not a problem, it is a pandemic, and most Guyanese infected with its dangerous, destructive sickness. Thus,

we have DAndrade Street among all the gritty streets that overwhelm this town and country. It is not only parking and blocking, but of irate men cursing women drivers for going too carefully, or pedestrians for navigating too slowly, or others for wisely observing traffic rules, such as traffic lights and major roads. Incidentally, right of way is a new constitutional right arrogated and monopolised by most Guyanese for themselves only. Everybody has this supreme right, which transforms our roads into veritable butchers blocks. Road users could get tailgated, T-boned, totalled, or taken away in a body bag. The lawless and arrogance of political and socalled commercial leaders now stretches into this new Guyana. If we are this poor

and cavorting like Crown Princes, what happens when some real (clean) money come down the pike and our way?

In the second instance, a man nurses a broken leg for refusing to buy rum. Apparently, just say “NO!” is the latest right removed arbitrarily. It is a conflict between coworkers and countrymen that deteriorated to the dogs.

Just like how the clashes between political believers degrade to the broken Guyana that the Prime Minister has been given the responsibility to put together again under his One Guyana umbrella. To naysayers, I recommend a check of social media (or parliament). As I see it, there is only room under the One Guyana umbrella, and it is for PPP people. I pity the man, the PM not the one (Continued on page 5)

Thursday May 19, 2022

It is a bad oil deal DEAR EDITOR, Reference is made to retort captioned: “Guyana is benefiting from oil deal” (May 18) by one Romel Khan (a name that appears for the first time in local media). I was wondering whether Khan (real or a fictitious name) actually read and understand my missive (May 10). His retort is replete with inaccuracies, deriving claims and assertions I did not make. In addition, it contains factual errors to buttress his hypothesis, making it hyperbolic if not outright propagandistic.

I cant comprehend the purpose of the retort contradict-

ing me when several of our positions are similar except for his flaws and non-facts.

There is a silver lining in the retort. It has the hallmarks of a scholar perhaps educated in the UK with good diction and using the English language correctly well written, articulated and buttressed with figures — but highly flawed — deficient in facts.

One cant use ones own imaginative and creative numbers to support an argument. It is not accepted in academia. A writer cannot have his/her own facts but what is objectively real and actual as available from credible sources.

Madness all over...

From page 4 with the broken leg for he will mend; but regrettably I dont think that anybody (with due respect for the PM) could put this Humpy Dumpty country together again. Like the man now living with two pieces of bone where he had one before, that is the story of fractured Guyana. Oil only made the split quicker and surer.

Last, there was Dr. Vincent Adams speaking boldly like Peter and Paul before the infidels about partnering with internationals for oil management wisdoms. He could get stoned for his troubles. Notwithstanding my rare regard for a Guyanese, I think he is not reading the tea leaves right. To partner with internationals who know, can help, add value is a no brainer for PPP leadership. But not in the way that he or other Guyanese may imagine. Because importing of expert foreigners runs counter to PPP

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leadership visions. First, they will displace PPP flunkies; second, they will be too near to the tricks and brigandage; and third, they will speak of a regulatory oversight regime which is sure to cause the President fits. If fits assaults the dignity of his office, I substitute constipation; the man goes into seizures when standards are tabled. It is simply because the blueprint the PPP Government has crafted for Guyana parallels that of Saddam, Hugo, Abacha, and that evergreen favourite of mine, Muammar. I think our guys are slicker and smoother: they extract the most self-enriching from the records of those fine fellows, and they then sell to a dumb society how pure their intentions are. It is the depth of the total madness that has taken hold here. Rum didnt do it to us, but the oil did Sincerely, GHK Lall

Khan accuses me of engaging in hyperboles. No Sir, I stated facts that you have not debunked. No country gets only 2% royalty. The average is 16%.

It is not factual that “the Guyana deal is fair compared with other new oil producing states and that Guyana has similar oil benefits as Suriname and Brazil”. Ghana, a new oil producing country whose leader visited Guyana in March for an oil conference, gets royalty of between 5% and 12.5% depending on the block more than double ours.

Surinames royalty is 6.25% whereas Guyanas is 2%. Brazils royalty is 10%, five times ours. Brazil offers an incentive that if production reaches a certain threshold, royalty decreases to 5%, still more than double that of Guyana.

Oil companies pay dividends or profits and taxes to Suriname, and Brazil, whereas in Guyana, the state pays the taxes. Brazil has a minimum profit sharing agreement that varies between 18% and 41% depending on the block. It is an average of 25% for all blocks.

And the companies pay taxes on profits. In Brazil, profit is taxed at 36% but subject to declining percentage based on profit. Guyanas profit sharing is 12.5% (half that of Brazils) and with zero taxes.

Brazil got signing bonuses in the billions of American dollars. Suriname got $100M. Guyana got $18M although it has more reserves in oil than Surinam and Brazil.

Khan notes that the (Continued on page 6)

Any person of legal drinking age who is found driving under the influence should face the full brunt of the law DEAR EDITOR, The strengthening of the laws governing vehicular homicides and drunk driving is most welcome. It is a piece of legislation that was long coming and when put into law book would usher in some sanity to the lawlessness that presently exists on our roads.

This writer is on record calling for this type of legislation to be enacted, since the situation on our roads has gone totally out of control. I have written countless articles calling for stiffer penalties for those who break the law governing proper road use and finally our efforts have paid off.

Now I have a few reservations as regards the new legislation and this is as it relates to the owners and operators of liquor stores. This new legislation has placed them in a very awkward position in that this legislation is actually calling on liquor licence operators to be policemen, as well as judge of persons purchasing spiritous liquor at their stores.

To begin with how would I know that someone is intoxicated, is there a verification process that the liquor licence owner has to use to ascertain this? And if so, what is this instrument to verify

this? Secondly, how would a bar owner be made culpable of the offense of selling an already drunk patron alcohol?

That means he would have to produce a receipt that he purchased liquor at Bar Owner X’s Shop? Further, him purchasing liquor at Bar Owner X’s Shop does not logically follow that he was inebriated from the purchase of the liquor there?

The point I am making is “real rum drinkers” do not stop to drink at one liquor store only, they purchase liquor at several liquor spots.

So which one out of that long chain of drinking spots that caused him to become impaired, would you hold accountable, the first one, the last one, which one?

Hence the extreme call by some in the wider community to close down all liquor stores would be the only viable option! This is unthinkable by any stretch of the imagination so let’s start by addressing the problem where it really exists.

And that is, any legal drinking age person found under the influence and driving, should face the full brunt of the law, end of discussion!

In my book as long as you have been impaired, then getting behind the wheel of a

motorable vehicle and causing an accident, fatal or otherwise, that person ought to get the maximum sentencing as prescribed in the law. This should also run the scope of compensation for the surviving husband, wife, kids or other dependents. When persons start feeling it in their pockets this nonsense will stop.

Not forgetting that there should be a total revocation of the licences of repeat offenders.

This brings us to the place where the GPF needs a fully computerised system of vehicular licences of all road users. It means whenever a suspected driver is pulled over the finer details of his road usage can be verified at a glance.

What I am advocating would go a far way in helping the authorities to bring to an end this ongoing car bandit menace. It is also another crime fighting strategy being strengthened in this new system.

It is my firm view that the new legislation would stem the tide of lawlessness that is on our roads and bring some stability and decency where road usage is concern.

Respectfully Submitted, Neil Adams

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Thursday May 19, 2022

Kaieteur News

‘Take stock of rising COVID-19 numbers and act’ - PAHO Director urges As cases of COVID-19 rise sharply throughout the region – by 27.2% over the past week – the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director, Carissa F. Etienne, has called on countries to take action to increase surveillance, public health measures and vaccination, and to make sure that health systems are prepared to cope with a potential influx of COVID-19 patients.

“Last week, our region reported more than 918,000

cases,” the director said in a media briefing on Wednesday.

“COVID-19 hospitalizations increased in 18 countries, and admissions to Intensive Care Units rose in 13 countries and territories.” Following a period of lower transmission, the PAHO Director highlighted that many countries have abandoned public health measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing. But with only 14 of the 51 countries and territories in the Americas reaching the World

Health Organization (WHO) goal of 70% vaccination coverage, far too many people remain unprotected.

In some countries, vaccination coverage is particularly low among those at risk of severe disease, including the elderly, pregnant women, and people with preexisting conditions, she noted. “Each country is only as protected as the most vulnerable in their population,” Dr. Etienne said.

“It is time to take stock of these numbers and act.

COVID-19 is again on the rise in the Americas.”

Despite having built “incredible networks for COVID testing and genomic surveillance” over the past two years, the PAHO Director said that testing rates have steadily declined since January. “We must keep our eyes on the virus,” she said, calling on countries to maintain and strengthen testing infrastructure and to ensure that in places where self-tests are available, results are reported

to health authorities.

Countries must also maintain investments in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and hospital capacity so that services can be quickly scaled-up to meet a potential surge in new infections, she added. The PAHO Director called on countries to be ready to reinstate public health measures in areas where cases (Continued on page 17)

PAHO Director, Carissa F. Etienne

It is a bad oil deal...

From page 5 investors take the risk (working interest is the term used in economics) and Guyana does not (non-interest owner is the term used in economics) points I also made.

Khan feels I used hyperbole but he used what the Greek philosopher Aristotle would call litotes. And I never stated that Guyana does not benefit from oil. In fact, I opposed the position of those who said leave the oil under the ocean; that would be idiotic.

The centre piece of my argument was the coalition entered into a badly negotiated deal. Contrary to what the writer penned, I did not cast blame on PPP or even Exxon but squarely on the coalition for such a poorly arrived agreement that cheated Guyana of a fair amount of funds to finance or industrial development.

I also praised Exxon for its negotiating skills. My letter suggested what the coalition should have done higher royalty, profit sharing, and bonus; reduction in cost recovery, taxes on profit; a clause for revisiting the contract, and a clause for reduction of cost recovery if price of oil increases beyond a certain amount so that we get more revenues.

I dont see how such a proposal can be considered as a critique of the PPP administration.

In fact, Vice President Jagdeo is in agreement with my position. On May 12, Jagdeo on the Guyana Dialogue social media programme, described the contract as “lopsided and pledged to improve the benefits in other PSAs”. The VP also stated that this position was in the partys mani-

festo.

Khan argues that Guyana benefit financially from oil; I too made that point. Guyana gets 14.5% of oil produced (hundreds of millions in American dollars annually) whereas before oil it was zero dollars. But benefits are relative and come with costs. There is a concept called externality in Economics that is a cost that cannot be measured in dollar value (damage to environment, soil, coastline, sea life, etc.) and other losses (like income to fisherfolks).

Khan claims that Guyana gets 60% of profits (using dollar value) when 2% royalty is added to the 12.5%. That is utter rub b i s h , p l a y i n g around with numbers. It is engaging in magician math akin to that of the coalition on what constitutes a majority of 65. All countries get royalty for natural resources and one must not mix or confuse it with profit which remains 12.5%. And when one deducts states payment of the taxes on Exxon profits, it is substantially less than 12.5%.

There are also several other questionable claims and inaccuracies.

No need to address them all as the point is made that Khan plain wrong in his contentions.

He has now quoted figures to show any country that has a worse oil deal than Guyana.

All the data I cite above are available from contractual sources on the web for Ghana, Brazil and Suriname and from the reputable New York Times. They can be accessed through Google. I should note that the surname Khan does not come with first name Romel, not typical anyway.

Khan comes in Nazar, Mohamed, Sharief, Wahid, Yusef, and the like. If one uses a fictitious name, use a credible one. And why hide behind a name? In this case, the writer may be right because his re-statement of what I wrote is distorted and his argument is erroneous.

Guyana’s deal on oil is among the worst if not the worst.

Yours sincerely, Dr Vishnu Bisram (PhD)

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L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Thursday May 19, 2022

Kaieteur News

The Guyana Chronicle has become a national embarrassment.

It is the view of many that the Guyana Chronicle serves no useful purpose other than duplicating content being produced by the Department of Public Information. In fact, the DPI, Guyana Times, Newsroom, MTV and all the other PPP surrogate news entities individually and collectively are doing a far greater, more professional job in selling the government than the Guyana Chronicle. It seems as though even government ministers do not sit down to give interviews to the newspaper.

Its choice of lead story earlier this week: “Gas-to-shore project could save Guyana $653B”, quoting the so called ‘well-known finance professional and business analyst, Joel Bhagwandin’ is nothing more than rank propaganda.

The sliminess of such an article demonstrates how low the government and others would go to hoodwink the nation. Imagine, this Finance Professional, sees profit without knowing the present cost to set up the project; doesn’t know the price the gas is going to cost Guyana to the plant, but this financial fella already know you making profit.

This project would have further ongoing costs that we don’t know as yet, when they have to move from one oil platform out there to another, from Liza 1 to Liza 2. Despite all of this, the so called ‘Nation’s Newspaper’ made these cheap comments into a lead story selling to a country.

As the state newspaper, the Guyana Chronicle has had its issues over the years, but to allow itself to be used and abused in such a manner to deceive this nation with a fake story is almost criminal. No wonder the reporters want the Editor-in-Chief, Tajeram Mohabir removed.

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Kaieteur News

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Thursday May 19, 2022

GECOM backs biometric system for voting …to formally make proposal to Attorney General today

By Zena Henry Commissioners at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) are supporting the use of a biometric system to assist with transparency when it comes to voting at elections.

The representatives of both, the current Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government as well as the Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU+AFC), have agreed that the use of the technological system would greatly help in preventing many inconsistencies raised during the voting process at elections. As such, the matter could be up for discussion when GECOM meets with

Attorney General Anil Nandlall at his chambers today. The AG’s team is expected to meet with GECOM to discuss matters relating to the draft Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill and Regulations. Among the issues that the GECOM team wishes to highlight are those relating to the use of a biometric system, a comprehensive review of GECOM following the 2020 elections and possibly, the collating of elections laws into one comprehensive document.

O p p o s i t i o n Commissioner Vincent Alexander told the Kaieteur News that the biometric

technology would assist in ensuring that all persons who cast a ballot during elections do not do so in the name of deceased persons, migrants and other absent individuals.

He said that the matter would address the issue of the names of dead persons being on the voters list. Double voting and ghost voting have been contentious issues given the difficulty in removing the names of deceased persons whose deaths have not been registered. The claims of ghost voting were even more pronounced, especially by the Opposition party following the contentious 2020 elections.

The APNU+AFC had

argued strongly that the voter’s list is bloated with the names of deceased persons as those unregistered deaths remained on the National Register of Registrants, from where the voter’s list is deduced. This situation causes irregularities when persons illegally access the identification cards of deceased persons and vote in their names. Alexander told the newspaper that the biometric system will be part of the suggestions being offered in relation to the election law reform. “Our proposal was not on the substance. It was more on the procedure, but I am pushing the biometric idea,” the Commissioner highlighted.

Additionally, PPP/C Commissioner Bibi Shadick also showed support for the use of the biometric system.

In fact, Shadick said she had brought up the idea of using a biometric system more than a year ago. The idea, she said, has nonetheless been floating around since the chairmanship of Dr. Steve Surujbally, who left the GECOM in 2017. Shadick said that she had made it clear a long time ago that the folios used to identify voters on election day are “so small” that the idea was presented to load the information onto a laptop and each person’s finger would then be scanned so they could be identified before voting. This, Shadick continued, would also help in preventing any instances of double voting since the system would be integrated.

She said the technology would be able to show if an individual would have voted anywhere else in the country and thus prevent them from doing so again.

“Of course, this system

comes as a cost,” Shadick told the newspaper. She said that that the biometric system would require specialized programs and systems; and would have to be placed at various polling stations around the country.

She added however, that Guyana could look to collaborate with its foreign partners, especially those countries that already have the biometric system implemented in their country. She said that the country could work with these nations to help guide Guyana within the specific direction. The biometric technology involves the use o f p e r s o n ’s o r g a n i c information such as finger prints or retina to identify them. The system would scan the person’s finger or other organic information and identify the person as who they say they are.

There is really no easy mechanism for removing the names of deceased persons from the National Register of Registrants if they were registered to vote but passed away and their death not registered as such.

The High Court also ruled that the adjustment of names on the Register of Registrants cannot be done through house-to-house registration. The biometric system, it is said, would add transparency without disenfranchising any citizen.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall said that the government’s job right now is to present elections reform on the statutory level, rather than constitutionally. This is despite calls for a comprehensive reworking of the electoral process. The Electoral Reform Group (ERG) expressed their concern over the “narrow” way in which government was conducting the reform activity and its consultation process. They noted that the statutory changes to the RoPA were not enough to achieve complete electoral reform.

ERG, other civil society groups as well as the Opposition Commissioners, are calling for a full review of the controversial 2020 elections which lasted some five months and saw about five persons being charged for uttering false documents to the public. The 2020 election review the Opposition and civil society are saying would shed light on GECOM’s procedures and other areas of work. The results would lend significantly to the desired reform. Government had promised to look into the last election, but there has been no word on this matter. It is alleged that GECOM has somewhat abandoned the idea of an investigation given the ongoing registration exercise.

‘Don’t sign any MoU with Trinidad’ - GCCI tells govt. to demand from T&T removal of non-tariff barriers The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) is urging the government against the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Trinidad and Tobago (TT) until the twin island nation removes its non-tariff embargo that is preventing Guyanese businesses from exporting produce to that country. The GCCI said in a press statement that it is aware of the Government of

Guyana’s intent to establish and sign a MoU with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, but is not in support of the move.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Rowley and members of his Cabinet arrived in Guyana on Tuesday for the five-day Agri-Investment Forum and Expo at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. The conference will see numerous regional Heads of

Governments and members of their Cabinets, international agencies, banks and other financial institutions coming together to find ways to invest and develop the region’s (Continued on page 17)

Thursday May 19, 2022

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

The elements of a charge must be established The Racial Hostility Act creates an offence for willfully exciting racial hostility or illwill either against a segment of the population or against a member of the public. But in order for this specific offence to be committed, the offensive comments must either be communicated through the mass media or in a public place.

The latter, namely a public place, is defined in the Racial Hostility Act as any highway, or any open space, building or other place to which the public, at the material time, had access or re permitted to have access. It is respectfully submitted that a private residence does not constitute a public place within the meaning of the Racial Hostility Act. As such, it is hardly likely for an offence of exciting racial hostility or ill-will to be proven if the offending words took place at a place, which in the context of the Racial Hostility Act, is not considered a public place.

The Racial Hostility Regulations was instituted by the then Governor General Richard E Luyt in the latter part of 1964, and in the context of racial violence in the 10 colony of British Guiana. The Explanatory Note of the Regulations was instructive as to its intention and scope. It said that the intention was to cre-

ate the offence of inciting or attempting to incite racial animosity.

Governments, civil society and international organisations have long recognised the dangers of hate speech. It is now widely acknowledged that racial incitement can foster hatred, violence, distrust and division among persons and communities. It can lead to highly destructive ends.

Guyana is no stranger to such hostility and ill-will. Indeed, now with social media, the incidence of hate speech becomes more harmful. International Conventions now require governments to institute laws which prohibit the excitement of hostility and illwill by reason of race.

The use of the mass media and social media, to disseminate racially-laced views and to incite racial animus is now a major public concern.

One of the early political initiatives of the President of Guyana was to invite the former Presidents for a dialogue. This followed riotous conduct in West Berbice where violence broke out allegedly following comments by political operatives associated with the main Opposition. No one, however, was charged then with making statements which excited racial hatred and ill-will.

Only the PPP/C former

Presidents, Donald Ramotar and Samuel Hinds accepted the President’s invitation to the dialogue. And when they did meet, one of the issues of concern was the use of mass media to excite racial hatred.

After the meeting the President was reported as saying that he was aggrieved by the daily doses of race baiting, racial hatred and racial hostility which pervades social media platforms. He pledged to do everything to use the laws to end this behaviour.

In 2015, a lawyer brought totally outrageous and baseless charges of racial incitement. The charges were purportedly brought on the Representation of the People Act which makes it an offence to make public or cause to be published any statement or takes any action which results or can result in racial hatred. The charge was eventually thrown out by the High Court.

But if Bharrat Jagdeo had been found guilty, his political career would have been in tatters. The Constitution of Guyana provides for the disqualification of persons to be eligible for election as members of the National Assembly if those persons have been convicted of seeking to excite racial hostility or ill-will.

The said Constitution also permits free speech. But

Dem boys seh...

Pray de weather behave itself today Deh gat big meeting in Guyana today. Dem gan gat people hurrying and scurrying around.

Dem boys hoping dat de rain don’t embarrass de guvament. Because if de rain fall a little too heavy we does gat floods. And when dem investors see flood, dem gan turn up dem nose and nah gan want invest in Guyana. But is who idea it was to host wan agricultural conference during de rainy season?

But dem gan gat plenty experts wah gan convince people fuh sink dem money

into mega farm. Dem boys waiting to see who gan invest in planting wheat in Guyana.

Dem gan gat nuff agricultural experts at de conference.

But not all ah dem know de difference between onions and garlic. Some ah dem gan be book experts and nuff ah dem never yet went pun a farm.

Dem nah known de difference between combine and front-end loader or between tractor and trailer.

But dem gan be busy today showing how much dem nah know. It mek dem boys

remember de story about a man who was late fuh he train and seeing a farmer asked him, “Sorry sir, would you mind if ah crossed yuh field? instead of going around it? You see, ah have to catch de 4:30 train.”

De farmer tell de man, “Sure, guh right ahead. And if my bull sees you, you’ll even catch the 4:00 o’ clock train.”

Nuff hustle and bustle nah mean nuff wuk tekking place.

Dem boys waiting fuh see wah gan happen with dis latest conference.

Talk half. Leff half.

as with all rights it has limitations. An intention to excite racial hatred is not protected under freedom of expression.

You have a right to vent your opinion but not, in doing so, to excite hatred and ill-will against others.

A woman was charged in 2016 with using an App to make derogatory remarks aimed at exciting hostility and ill-will towards then President David Granger in 2016. This was done on a public network application known as

Whatsapp. The Court held that the woman was charged under the wrong Act, the Racial Hostility Act and that the charge did not reveal any offence. According to reports, the woman’s lawyer had argued that the woman’s comments did not excite racial hostility.

It is important that in assessing cases brought before the court, that account is taken of the need to satisfy the elements of the offence of exciting racial hostility and ill-

will. The failure to satisfy the mandatory elements would render a charge subject to dismissal.

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

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Thursday May 19, 2022

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

This country’s political and journalistic insanities are incredible

I

didn’t know about this interview until it was sent to me. I would suggest you contact me by email at fredkissoon@yahoo.com – or phone- 614-5927 – and I will identify the interviewer and the interviewees.

I wanted to call the two journalists who were the guests for answers to my questions but I held back because of experience.

When you do that, they call your newspaper and indicate that a column is coming out by me on them and if anything is not put correctly, they will sue. Naturally, the paper would suggest not to court trouble.

What you are about to read is incredible for a country with such a small population. The ocean of hypocrisy is bottomless in this country. So read on now and communicate with me and tell what kinds of humans this country has produced.

At the recent state sponsored symposium on the

media, the Guyana Press Association (GPA) advised government leaders to speak to the mainstream media and not seek coverage on social media. Here is what the GPA pronounced on at that symposium: “If politicians across the divide claim to have any modicum of interest in improving the standard of journalism, then they ought to immediately cease utilising social media influencers (SMIs) in the place of journalists.”

It is widely suspected that this was in reference to policy-makers appearing on programmes run by a particular SMI where the policy-makers feel an ambience of comfort. Across the divide, opposition politicians are almost daily on the shows of SMIs who are open supporters of the opposition.

There is no such division as SMIs who are progovernment and independent SMIs. This society is well aware that Sherod Duncan, an

A P N U + A F C parliamentarian has a social media platform. There are opposition supporters like David Hinds, Rickford Burke and Mark Benschop who are extensively involved in the social media landscape. There is a progovernment SMI, Mikhail Rodrigues, who goes under the name “Guyanese Critic.”

It is unadulterated nonsense for journalists in Guyana to advocate the avoidance of SMIs then the same journalists appear on SMI programmes where the emphasis is on bashing the government. Now brace yourself for an insane revelation. I was sent a programme where one of Guyana’s most senior journalists together with an executive member of the Guyana Press Association (not the president) appeared on an SMI show.

Read on please! While being interviewed, these two senior journalists were trenchant in their condemnation of SMIs. One

of them referred to SMIs as propagandists. They were harsh in their chastisement of SMIs but were interviewees on social media hosted by a SMI that this columnist considers one of the most dangerous propagandists and racist preachers in Guyana today.

In fact, this SMI opened his show by condemning the government’s refusal to allow a scholarship holder to stay abroad and do his graduate degree with his own money rather than coming home to serve. Since time immemorial governments send students with good A-level grades to do their Bachelor degrees.

They then return, serve for five years, then the bond is finished and they can either finance their higher degree by private funds or seek a post-graduate scholarship.

That has been the pattern in Guyana before I was born and it obtains in most countries in the world. The entire social media show was anti-government. It would

have been n o r m a l i f ministers and o p p o s i t i o n politicians were the guests. But look who Frederick Kissoon the interviewees were – journalists who the people who want have been relentless in their accountability and good chastisement of SMIs governance. They are least passing themselves off as tolerant people when it journalists. comes to accepting criticism.

What do you make of this Read in Guyana who the hypocrisy? One of those people are who speak of the guests is an executive need for credibility in the member of the GPA. Here is deportment of high state the question that all, not actors. They are the least most, government ministers p e r s o n s t o s p e a k o f will ask. credibility because they have Will the GPA ask its none. member for an explanation?

Read in Guyana who the The story of those two advocates of justice, rights j o u r n a l i s t s w i t h t h a t and liberty are. They are the extremist SMI who said least interested in the rights inciting things that a of poor Guyanese. The ship mainstream media would of good men and women has never carry is the story of a sunk off shore. A new ship lost moral compass in has docked. It consists Guyana. mostly of hypocrites.

Read in Guyana, the (The views expressed in p e o p l e w h o w a n t a n this article are those of the independent press. They are a u t h o r a n d d o n o t the least independent in their necessarily reflect the thinking. Read in Guyana, opinions of this newspaper.)

Thursday May 19, 2022

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

PAGE 12

Overheated fan caused fire at CID headquarters The Narcotics Branch building in the CID compound which had caught fire on Monday.

Thursday May 19, 2022

Another foreign company boasts to shareholders of mega gold find in Guyana - but Guyanese still in the dark A Map outlining the entity’s concession

A

n overheated fan caused the fire that erupted at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Eve Leary, Georgetown on Monday the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) has said.

On Monday, just after 10:00hrs fire broke out at the Narcotics Branch building located in the northwestern side of the CID compound.

The blaze reportedly started on the southern side of the building at the ground floor and had destroyed a quantity of mattresses, a fan, four desks, four chairs, two duplex switches, a panel door, the entire ceiling among other equipment.

Kaieteur News was informed yesterday that the electrical fan was left plugged-in which eventually got overheated resulting in arcing and sparking. This subsequently ignited nearby combustible materials which resulted in a fire.

The fire, which was contained to that building, was quickly extinguished by some members of the

Guyana Police Force (GPF) who were in the facility at the time.

Commending the efforts of his ranks in helping to extinguish the blaze was Commissioner of Police (ag) Clifton Hicken, who spoke glowingly of the firefighting training they had received from the GFS. Their efforts he recognised helped to avert a major fire from occurring.

The police chief told media operatives that “having collaborated with the Guyana Fire Service, the police would have had some initial training, so if there was a fire drill it will be activated whenever there is a report of a fire.

So the alarm was sounded, they activated the fire drill at the same time we called the Fire Service and other agencies.

So initial response by the police in collaboration with the members of the Guyana Fire Service, we quickly deescalated the fire and so you can see normalcy is prevailing.”

Also commended the ranks for their prompt response was Acting Fire Chief Gregory Wickham, who said, “I want to give thanks to members of the Police Force who would have used the training that they would have received from the Guyana Fire Service in basic firefighting, with the use of fire extinguishers, that would have helped to keep the fire under control until the arrival of the Fire Service.”

The Fire Chief had stated that after receiving a call alerting fire service of the blaze, five water tenders – two from the Central Fire Station, one from the Campbellville Fire Station, one from the Alberttown Fire Station, and one from the West Ruimveldt Fire Station – responded to the scene.

“On arrival of the first appliance, smoke and fire was seen emanating from a particular room and so the fire service was able to get entrance in that room and find the seat of the fire and out it,” he explained.

C

anadian mining c o m p a n y, Golden Shield Resources Inc., on Tuesday boasted on its website in a release to its shareholders that the results of its drilling activities in Guyana have yielded significant results.

To date the Guyana Government, namely the Ministry of Natural Resources responsible for the sector, is yet to make a formal announcement as it relates to the drill results from an initial hole of a 13hole, 3,000-metre programme at Mazoa Hill, the most advanced of eight prospects at the company’s flagship, 5,457-hectare, Marudi Mountain gold project located in the Rupununi District of southwestern Guyana namely the “Marudi Project.”

Golden Shield is currently drilling the ninth hole of its 3,000-metre, 13hole Phase 2 drill programme at Mazoa Hill.

Drilling of the remaining four holes of the programme is progressing and will be finished before the end of this month.

According to the company in a release, Golden Shield interprets gold mineralisation to occur in a series of en-echelon high-grade shoots defined by intense silicification within a

broader silicified zone, previously described as quartzite-metachert (QMC).

Dr. Colin Porter, Vice President, Exploration of Golden Shield in making the announcement said, “because historical drill holes did not intersect the lower limb extension, previous models assumed the QMC host-rock terminated at depth.

However, Golden Shield’s reinterpretation of the Mazoa Hill mineralisation has shown that the deposit is open at depth along the lower limb extension. This will allow the Golden Shield team to continue to define a new, updated resource at Mazoa Hill, as we continue to step out laterally, and at depth.”

As such, the company noted that following the completion of the Phase 2 drill programme, company geologists and field crews will focus on advancement of the existing prospects to drill stage, if merited, and exploration for additional prospects, “Once results from Phase 2 drilling are received and additional drilling will be planned.”

The company also announced the signing of an agreement with OGIB Corporate Bulletin (OGIB) for a six-month term for which the company will provide certain marketing, online corporate

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat communications, publishing, writing and investor relations services.

Leo Hathaway, P. Geo, Executive Chair of Golden Shield, and a ‘Qualified Person’ as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed, verified, and approved the scientific and technical information in this news release and has verified the data underlying that scientific and technical information.

Golden Shield Resources was founded by experienced professionals who are convinced that there are gold mines yet to be found in Guyana.

The company is said to be well-financed and has three wholly controlled highgrade gold projects: Marudi Mountain, Arakaka and Fish Creek.

Notably this information has only been made public by way of the company making announcements to its shareholders and not by the Guyana government, the elected leaders that are expected to manage the country’s resources.

Kaieteur News

Thursday May 19, 2022

PAGE 13

Exxon’s 5th project will sink fishing industry into deeper trouble E

sso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL)—Exxo nMobil Guyana—has in its project summary conceded that the project will, in addition to emitting additional Green House Gases into the atmosphere but can possible decimate not only the fishing industry, but could potentially impact beaches, mangroves, and wetlands as wildlife habitat.

As such, according to the company, throughout the life of the project there will be a continued threat to Guyana’s environment and marine habitat in the event of an unplanned event such as an oil spill.

This much is contained in the Project Summary for the oil company’s fifth project in Guyana Urau that will likely also incorporate the Mako location into its operations.

In outlining the potential impacts of the project it was firstly noted, that the air quality climate generally will be impacted.

It was explained that as it relates to the air and the environment “Localized, increased concentrations of criteria pollutants, in ambient air could contribute to health concerns in exposed humans and

wildlife. Combustion of hydrocarbons from Project activities will contribute to GHG emissions.”

This the company said, could result from emissions from construction equipment and back-up diesel-fired power generation, emissions from operational point sources, non-routine, temporary flaring, pilot flare and other de minimis background flaring, plant emissions, fugitive emissions from construction or operations and non-routine or unplanned events.

It was noted too, that the Project has the potential to affect marine geology and sediments along in the Project Development area.

According to the Project Summary, the drilling of the wells and the installation of the subsea equipment and Floating Production Storage and Offloading Vessel to be used, will lead to the disturbance of the seabed during offshore drilling, and installation activities has the potential to affect benthic habitat and cause death/injury of benthic fauna.

The company said too, that the development could have localized impacts to marine water quality in the Project development area

from discharge of drill cuttings and from routine operational and hydrotesting discharges, and that the development could also potentially impact marine water quality in the Project area of interest (AOI) as a result of non-routine, unplanned events such as a spill or release.

In such an instance, the impacts would mean an increase in total suspended solids concentrations, chemical concentrations, or temperature in water column that has a potential to affect marine water quality and marine habitat quality and affect wildlife.

Additionally the company said while the development is not expected to impact beaches, mangroves, or wetlands in the Project AOI during routine, planned operations and activities, “the development could potentially impact beaches, mangroves, and wetland habitats in Project AOI as a result of non-routine, unplanned events such as an oil spill or release.

A c c o r d i n g t o ExxonMobil Guyana, “an unplanned event could potentially impact beaches, mangroves, and wetlands as wildlife habitat, or could result in declines in fisheries

A map depicting the location for ExxonMobil’s 5th Project productivity, and/or affect other ecosystem services,” such as flood control.

As it relates to the coastal wildlife, it was noted that an “unplanned event could potentially impact coastal wildlife including chronic sub-lethal effects such as decreased vigor or reproductive impacts from direct exposure or ingestion of contaminated prey items.

As it relates to marine life such as fish, turtles and other marine mammals, the

company said, “Potential auditory injury to or disturbance of marine organisms from Projectrelated noise could occur.”

It said too that, potential injury/mortality of marine mammals or marine turtles from collisions with Projectrelated vessel traffic may occur and that there could be minor potential impacts from decreased water quality on all taxa could occur from changes in water quality in the AOI. Additionally,

Entrainment of early life stages of fish, and potential trophic (ecology) effects associated with concentration of prey species around artificial lights could occur.

It noted too, that nonroutine or unplanned events such as an oil spill or release could potentially cause a range of effects from acute and or chronic sub-lethal toxic effects to mortality throughout the indirect AOI depending on the magnitude of the event.

‘Resume LEN’s operations, construct Wismar Bridge’ Member of Parliament, Jermaine Figueira, in denying claims that the opposition elected representatives of Region 10 are trying to hinder development, is calling on the Government to resume operations at the Linden Enterprise Network.“A lot of the small businesses in the community are starved of access to funds, particularly those funds and the millions of dollars stored up in the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN). The community’s business people and young people cannot have access to those funds because the Government has stymied development, not me.”

At a recent outreach to Linden, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said the viability of the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN) is still under review and until that review is completed, no additional resources will be put into its coffers. He was explaining the reason for the

- MP Figueira tells government

Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueira

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

almost two-year long suspension of LEN’s loans for small businesses. In January 2021, Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, said that LEN was being reviewed to ensure its sustainability.

More than a year after, the government is announcing that the review is still underway since a lot of

money was placed into the financial institution but it has not yet become selfsufficient. Vice President Jagdeo said that the government will have dialogue with those who would have borrowed money but were unable to repay because of financial constraints, so that an amicable solution can be

reached between the two parties.

Following the announcement, members of the business community in Linden expressed their disappointment with the decision to not restart loans for small businesses given the current economic situation and the financial strain the pandemic placed on businesses. Since August 2 0 2 0 , L E N ’s l e n d i n g account has been frozen and residents of Region 10 have not been able to access business loans. Since its recommissioning in 2015, LEN has received at least three subventions from the previous administration.

This however, should not have been the case since the fund was expected to r e v o l v e . S i n c e recommissioning, LEN issued over 600 loans for the expansion or startup of businesses. It also constructed low income homes and executed several

projects in the area of agriculture, construction.

Meanwhile during a recent PNCR press conference, MP Figueira also called out the Government for not i n c l u d i n g t h e Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge in its budget. “The bridge which is in dire need of being redone, the government had taken that bridge off the budget that is stymieing development, not me. A lot of deplorable roads in the community are not being upgraded or catered for, especially those roads proposed by the Regional Democratic Council.”

The Member of Parliament indicated that the Government had removed the developmental initiatives proposed by the region’s officials from the National Budget 2022 adding, “so, when it comes to those allegations of stymied development, the Government needs to look in

the mirror and not accuse me.”

Figueira pointed out that the synthetics track in Linden which was started by t h e A P N U + A F C administration has been at halt since the PPP/C has entered government. He added, “Agriculture is being stymied by this Government in power. Farmlands at Millie’s Hideout and in West Watooka are being stymied because this Government is failing to put the development required for farmers to have access to those farm lands so that they could ensure the region could achieve some form of food security, that is stifling development, not me.”

R e c e n t l y, t h e Vi c e President of Guyana, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo alleged that the opposition, APNU+AFC is attempting to block development in Region 10.

During a social media interview Dr. Jagdeo said the (Continued on page 16)

PAGE 14

Kaieteur News

Thursday May 19, 2022

Govt. gives in to private sector demands and removes tax duties …Bill only takes care of business elites ahead of poor, working class - Opposition

Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh

Shadow Minister of Finance in the Opposition benches of the National Assembly, Juretha Fernandes

By Gary Eleazar When the Private Sector in Guyana tells the current government to jump, its response is to ask how high, a sentiment expressed by Shadow Minister of Finance in the Opposition benches of the National Assembly, Juretha Fernandes.

She was at the time debating in the National A s s e m b l y t h e Ta x Amendment Bill, which was

successfully piloted by Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh. Fernandes said the bill highlights the priorities of government namely addressing the needs of the business class ahead of addressing with a sense of urgency the plight of the poor and working class citizens. Fernandes qualified her opinion as a result of utterances made by Dr. Singh when he presented the Bill for debate during Tuesday’s sitting of the National Assembly, and said that it had been presented as a result of a demand made by the Private Sector.

LONGSTANDING IRRITANT During his presentation of the Bill to the House, Dr. Singh noted its relative simplicity since it only abolishes the need for the use of revenue stamps by businesses in retail sale.

According to Dr. Singh, the measure had been announced since Budget 2022 and that the Bill being presented was simply bringing that commitment to a realisation. Recognising that over the years the requirement for the revenue stamp to be affixed has been observed more in the breach, Dr. Singh disclosed that the “requirement has also been a longstanding source of, perhaps I shouldn’t say irritant but it has been an issue that the Private Sector has raised from time to time and the removal of the requirement that revenue stamps be remove for retail transaction was in fact a specific representation made by the Private Sector.”

This he said was done during one of its many consultations held.

According to Dr. Singh, the move simply seeks to remove the requirement in relation to revenue stamps on receipts issued for retail transactions. While supporting the Bill in principle since the quantum received on stamps by the coffers was negligible and that the Guyana economy was in a much better place than it was when such tax sources were needed, Fernandes noted too, that in many cases even established businesses are in breach of the requirement and that would cost more going after the defaulters than what would or could be recovered.

As such, she said the Bill was

in principle easy to support.

She did use the opportunity nonetheless to highlight that the Tax Amendment Bill being passed at the request of the Private Sector illustrates in a pellucid fashion where Peoples Progressive Party C i v i c ( P P P / C ) administrations priorities are—the business class and not the working, poor and vulnerable groups. She told the House that the amendment was simply adding to the list of tax exemptions being made available for a specific group in Guyana.

Expanding on her position she observed for the House what she termed a “profound statement” made

by Dr. Singh during an unusually rare, short presentation to a debate, namely that the amendment was being promulgated as a result of the demands of the Private Sector.

“A specific request was made by the private sector and the government in its optimal wisdom that it has been seeing believes that when the private sector says jump they ask how high,” she quipped. She acknowledged that adjustments and amendments to tax legislation are nothing new, and it is in fact impactful when they meet the demands of the pressures being faced

by Guyanese. To this end, t h e O p p o s i t i o n Spokesperson on Finance noted that the Bill being debated in the House would have little to no impact on the ordinary Guyanese at a time when the country is simultaneously battling with inflation.

COMPREHENSIVE REFORM She noted that while that Bill was being debated, the Income Tax Threshold is yet to have meaningful adjustment in order to give the Guyanese some reprieve in meeting the exorbitant increase in the cost of basic food items. The Bill, which proposes to remove the stamp duties on retail transactions which represented a negligible source of revenue for the coffers and as such it can be agreed with in principle but it should have been extended to all stamp duties and not just for retail transactions.

According to Fernandes, “…it is only removed from the retail transactions because this is a response to a (Continued on page 16)

Kaieteur News

Thursday May 19, 2022

OP:ED

By Alison Drayton A cursory glance at newspaper headlines across the Caribbean paints a grim picture of the impact of gender based violence (GBV) in the region, particularly violence against women and girls (VAWG): ‘Woman hacked to death at home…’, ‘Cop convicted of raping teenager…,’ ‘Man charged with raping daughter’… ‘St Jamesbased pastor charged with the rape of a teenage girl’...

‘Mother, step-father charged with inciting 13 year old daughter to have sex’...

These are headlines that appeared in newspapers in Jamaica, Guyana and Tr i n i d a d a n d To b a g o recently and there are many other similar media reports all over the Caribbean. Are we prepared to accept this as our legacy?

G B V, i n p a r t i c u l a r VAWG, is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations. GBV refers to any harmful act perpetrated against a person’s will, and that is based on socially ascribed (gender) differences between males and females. It includes acts that inflict physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering, threats of such acts, coercion, and other deprivations of liberty.

These acts can occur in public or in private. Recent studies undertaken in Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago also estimate a high prevalence in intimate partner violence and child sexual abuse, as well as a significant risk for women and girl survivors being killed by their intimate partners.

While prevention of these crimes lies mainly at the perpetrator’s hands, a number of these incidents (including deaths) can be prevented by service providers, who, with the proper training and resources, will be able to mitigate risks, protect survivors, and hold perpetrators accountable for their crimes. Essential services, such as health service providers are also considered as entry points for survivors of GBV, especially those who are suffering from Intimate Partner Violence and are being isolated from their support networks, or those who are unaware of having been subjected to GBV or don’t know where to find

PAGE 15

Ensuring access to essential services for survivors of gender-based violence

help.

These entry points, when properly trained and provided with adequate resources, can become safe havens for survivors, and can ensure their protection and contribute to their empowerment and recovery by effectively linking them to protection services.

Additionally, when services such as the police, justice mechanisms, health points and the social protection system work together to ensure that referral pathways are clear and responsive, survivors are better supported to navigate their options, without having to tell their stories to multiple actors and be re-traumatized all over again. When essential services are in place and follow a set of standards, service providers become more accountable to survivors.

As such under the EUfunded Spotlight Initiative Regional Programme, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), have established the regional Essential Services Package Community of Practice (ESP CoP), a space that will allow for key regional institutions and National Gender Bureaus across the Caribbean, to establish standards and priorities in ensuring service provision for survivors of GBV is of the highest quality.

What is the Essential Services Package (ESP) for Survivors of Gender-Based Violence?

The Essential Services Package (ESP) is a guidance tool for the provision of essential services that will be available to all individuals who have experienced gender-based violence.

These services fall under four sectors of work, namely: health services, social services, justice and policing services. When these services are in place and offered to all survivors and those at risk of experiencing GBV, the consequences of violence on the health, wellbeing, safety and resilience of survivors, can be mitigated, and can essentially save lives. When these services are ensured, survivors can be empowered and better supported in their recovery process, and in some cases they can contribute to breaking the cycle of violence.

How can a Regional Community of Practice

(CoP) help survivors?

Etienne Wegner, in his seminal work, defines a community of practice as a group of people who share a common concern, a set of problems, or an interest in a topic and who come together to fulfill both individual and group goals. They develop a

shared repertoire of resources: experiences, stories, tools, ways of addressing recurring problems—in short a shared practice. As the United Nations Sexual and Reproductive Health Agency, it is UNFPA’s responsibility to collaborate

with partners and stakeholders, like CARICOM, to ensure that services are carried out in safe, ethical and confidential ways, and in a manner that is non-judgemental or discriminatory. Essentially, ensuring survivors will not (Continued on page 16)

Alison Drayton

PAGE 16

Thursday May 19, 2022

Kaieteur News

Russia/Ukraine war a wakeup call to press for renewables...

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From page 3 banks and all elements of the global financial system need to dramatically scale up investments in renewables as they phase out fossil fuels, he said. According to Guterres in his plea, “renewables are

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From page 13 APNU+AFC is spending more time on the ground now than it did during its five years in office, creating mischief and trying to stymie development in that region.

He stated, “The regional chairman doesn’t want part-time jobs, because

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He was adamant however, “most of all, it’s time for leaders — public and private alike — to stop talking about renewables as a distant project of the future, because without renewables, there can be no future.” According to

the UN SG, as is made pellucid by the World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Global Climate 2021 Report, “makes clear, it’s time to jump-start the renewable energy transition before it’s too late.”

‘Resume LEN’s operations, construct...’

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the only path to real energy security, stable power prices and sustainable employment opportunities; every country, city and citizen, every financial institution, company and civil society organization has a role to play.”

we’re going to put in maybe 1,000 part-time jobs, where persons are going to get $40,000 per month and work 10 days. 1,000 families will get these jobs.

They don’t want part-time jobs, but APNU took away jobs from the community.”

The Vice President said the opposition is also against in-

frastructure development in the region by encouraging persons to engage in the illegal act of squatting.

Noting the government’s intent to provide 400 families with house lots in Linden, VP Jagdeo said, “they don’t want that, because if that happens, it shows the PPP is making progress.”

Govt. gives in to private sector demands...

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From page 14 request by the private sector.”

Stamp duties were necessary when the revenue base was thin, she said, and every effort was necessary to broaden the tax base today the country is in a far better position to remove the stamp duties altogether. She was adamant however, that while supporting the move in principal, “it would have been more prudent for the government to come to this House and to present to these House amendments that are more comprehensive.”

According to Fernandes, a more comprehensive tax reform “is something we need right now.”

With this in mind, she posits, that the Bill as presented goes to show only a few businesses that are specifically bothered by that tax requirement, “when they cry out to the government for assistance their needs are met with a sense of urgency that poor and working class

Guyanese are never afforded in this country and that is the fact at hand right now; we should not tolerate this, it is in your face as it can possibly be and I do not understand the pride that comes with such an announcement.”

SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE To this end she accused the government of approaching tax reform in an ad hoc manner instead of a comprehensive approach and that government in its approach was only looking to take care of a few. A tax cut, she said, was akin to a cash hand out and that House should be able to better determine into whose hands this money is being placed and reiterated, “…this (Bill) is geared to the private sector, this is the type of policy that the administration has employed from day one.” Guyana, she said, is a country where the majority of its citizens belong to the poor and working class and that “this is unacceptable.”

She posited that the amendment will result not in a reprieve for the poor or working class but rather would only increase the profit margin for businesses that would stand to benefit from the tax reprieve.

According to the Opposition Members of Parliament (MP) and that for the House to meet at a cost of millions to debate a Bill that benefits only a few “is simply unacceptable.”

To this end, she posited that the people of Guyana are tired of being pushed on the back burner while the most affluent in society are catered for with urgency. Other contributors to the debate included the Minister of Tourism Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Waldron, and A Partnership for National Unity’s (APNU+AFC) Volda Lawrence. Given the voting strength in the House, the Bill was successfully passed following a rebuttal by Dr. Ashni Singh.

Ensuring access to essential services for...

From page 15 be put in danger. Unfortunately, a lack of coordinated services, human resource capacity and general mistrust in our systems results in underreporting, and the burden of care, healing and recovery often lies on the shoulders of the survivor - And this is one of the reasons for this collaborative effort to establish the ESP CoP. The ESP CoP is cochaired by CARICOM and UNFPA. It is a space for representatives of the health, social services, justice and policing, coordination and

Corruption benefits the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor. Say no to it.

governance, humanitarian and education sectors at the regional level, including UN Agencies overseeing the implementation of the Regional Spotlight Initiative Programme.

A space where these regional institutions will sit together with representatives of National Gender Bureaus across all countries and territories of the Caribbean, to exchange good practices, adapt global standards and facilitate south-south cooperation in the prevention and response to GBV. In addition, several civil society organizations have also been invited to participate in all relevant events and meetings, so as to ensure a common approach and understanding.

Following a virtual regional inception workshop held at the end of 2021, the first in-person meeting of the ESP CoP will be hosted in Trinidad & Tobago during the 24th and 25th of May, 2022.

Members of the ESP CoP will embark on a two day working meeting to agree upon the key priorities and action plan for the coming year, based on the finding of a regional ESP Lessons learnt Study, currently being conducted by UNFPA. UNFPA continues to be committed to achieve, by 2030, our three transformative results of zero unmet need for family planning, zero preventable maternal death, and zero gender-based violence and harmful practices.

The ESP COP will undoubtedly contribute significantly to the achievement of the third zero here in the Caribbean and we can rest assured knowing that the success of this community of practice will redound to the benefit of survivors in our region.

(Ms Alison Drayton is the Director and Representative, Sub-regional Office for the Caribbean, United Nations Population Fund)

Thursday May 19, 2022

PAGE 17

Kaieteur News

DPP discontinues ‘racial assault’ Steep climb in COVID cases charge against attorney-at-law - May infections surpass total recorded in March & April - complainant vows to challenge decision all the way to CCJ Director of Public P r o s e c u tion, Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, has discontinued the charge against attorney-at-law Nirvan Singh, son of former Chancellor of the Judiciary, Carl Singh, who was recently charged for using racial slurs towards an Afro-Guyanese policewoman who was tasked with guarding his residence.

On Wednesday April 20, Singh made his first court appearance in the Georgetown Magistrates Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. It was alleged that Singh unlawfully excited and or attempted to excite racial hostility or ill-will against police constable Shawnette Bollers.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on March 20, 2022 at the corner of Middle and Cummings Streets, Georgetown, by means of words spoken by him in a public place, willfully excited and or attempted to excite hostility and ill-will against Bollers on the ground of her race as an Afro-Guyanese by using words directed to her and published by him, to wit: “black monkey”, “monkey” “black people have no purpose in life” contrary to the provisions of Section 2 (1) Racial Hostility Act Cap 23:0).

Chief Magistrate McLennan had granted bail in the sum of $100,000 and ordered the lawyer not to make contact or cause anyone to make contact with Bollers. The matter was then adjourned to yesterdays date.

On Wednesday, the matter was called before Acting Chief Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus in the

Director of Public Prosecution, Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC. Georgetown Magistrates Courts. However, instead of the matter continuing, the magistrate received a letter from the DPP which stated that in exercise of the powers conferred on her by Article 187 (1) (c) of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, “I hereby discontinue the charge in the above matter.”

According to Article 187:1, “The Director of Public Prosecutions (referred to in this article as the Director) shall have power in any case in which he or she considers it desirable to do so (a) to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person before any court, other than a court martial, in respect of any offence against the law of Guyana. (b) to take over and continue any such criminal proceedings that may have been instituted by any other person or authority; and (c) to discontinue at any stage before judgment is delivered any such criminal proceed-

Attorney-at-law, Nirvan Singh. ings instituted or undertaken by him or her or any other person or authority.”

As such, the matter against attorney-at-law Nirvan Singh, who was charged for using racial slurs against the policewoman, was dismissed. In response to the DPPs action, attorney-at-law Eusi Anderson, who is representing the policewoman, issued a statement in which it was stated that the matter will go as far as the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

The lawyer stated: “The DPPs letter contains 33 words and is one sentence long. It is signed by Dionne McCammon on behalf of the DPP.” He noted too, that the DPP showed no courtesy to send a copy of the letter to either himself or his client, especially since the letter is dated April 27, 2022. “We live in modern democracies where it is still vogue for complaints to be ventilated in a Court of law and not in the Court of the DPP’s Chambers.

Shawnette Bollers will speak her truth in a witness (Contintued on page 18)

‘Don’t sign any MoU with Trinidad...’

From page 8 agricultural sector to reduce CARICOM’s food import bill by 25 percent by 2025. This sum amounts to the removal of a US$6B food import reduction in the next three years.

Many partnerships, MoUs and other collaborative connections are expected to be made.

GCCI said it understands that the target areas for the TT/ Guyana MoU are intended to be in agriculture, energy and national security.

The Chamber said it wishes to express its disagreement with this action by the Government of Guyana.

Their concern, it was noted, comes in light of the fact that there are still many non-tariff barriers (NTBs) implemented by Trinidad and Tobago against Guyana.

“These NTBs prevent exports from Guyanese businesses and, by extension, inhibit the

growth of Guyanese enterprises,” the Chamber highlighted.

As such, the organisation reiterated its position for the government to refrain from partnering with the twin island nation, a call they said, was also made in 2018 with a previous MoU of a similar nature.

The Chamber said it, “… strongly urges the Government to refrain from signing any MoU with Trinidad and Tobago until these non-tariff barriers are removed. Being the oldest and largest privatesector representation organization in Guyana, it is our mandate to ensure that the concerns of the enterprises that have continuously expressed difficulties as it relates to doing business in and with Trinidad and Tobago are voiced.” “The Chamber of Commerce, therefore, reiterates its disagreement with this action by the Government of

Guyana and, once again, urges that these long-standing NTBs be removed.

Trinidadian manufacturers had stated in March that non-tariff barriers were hampering the importation of agricultural produce from Guyana. That country’s Manufacturers Association’s (TTMA), CEO, Dr. Mahindra Ramdeen had said that it was not that Trinidad’s private sector did not want to import from Guyana, but that the political directorate needed to clear the hurdles.

Phytosanitary and sanitary measures were said to be curtailing the pace of the trade. The measures were also said to be in place so that produce could be sourced from other places. The matter has frequently come up at the CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) and at the bilateral level.

With the recent increase in COVID-19 infections recorded over the past week, cases in the month of May have now surpassed the total recorded for the entire months of March and April.

According to the Ministry of Health data, from May 1 to 17, a total of 538 persons have tested positive for the virus. While in March some 312 persons contracted the virus and approximately 224 contracted the virus last month.

Guyana started to record a surge in new cases at the end of December and this took a toll in January and part of February. At the end of January, approximately 20,293 cases were detected while over 2000 were recorded in February. The Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony along with other health authorities at that time had attributed the increase in cases to the easily transmissible variant called Omicron. During an emergency press briefing on the issue, the Minister had said, “Based on the current epidemiology, what we are seeing, we believe strongly that there is omicron here.”

The cases in May are currently increasing again and according to the Minister this

is perhaps being fueled by a sub-variant of Omicron, the BA.2. The Minister during his last COVID-19 update stated “we have notice for the last four, five days an upward trend of new cases, and we have to be vigilant about that.”

With Omicron still circulating globally, the Health Minister added that there are a number of sub-variants that are in circulation that is causing cases to rise in different parts of the world. “So with the initial Omicron wave, you have a BA.1 and a BA.3 that were circulating. In January we would have seen a huge increase in cases and that was predominantly driven by a BA.1. Subsequent to that, we had a decline in those cases and then we have seen new sub-variants emerging, so one of the newest sub-variants is BA.2 which is now becoming very dominant globally. So we are seeing more countries in Europe, in the Americas have a BA.2 variant that is circulating. In the United States it is causing an increase in cases, increase in hospitalization and I think because we have such close contact with the US and other countries that eventually we would have those cases coming here as well,” he said in

his interview.

According to Minister Anthony, health authorities will be monitoring these cases.

“We are going to send some of these samples to do the genetic sequencing to determine exactly which type of variant we have circulating in Guyana,” he explained.

The Minister continues to encourage persons to get vaccinated and to wear their masks when going in public places.

Meanwhile, via its latest dashboard data, the Ministry on Wednesday revealed that within the last 24 hour period, a total of 94 cases have been recorded in the country.

The cases which now bring the total number of confirmed cases to 64,020, were detected in Region Four which recorded 62 new infections, Region Six which recorded 19, Region Three which recorded 10, Region 10 which recorded two and Region Nine which recorded one.

The dashboard also shows that 15 persons are in institutional isolation and 429 are in home isolation. Additionally, 24 persons have recovered from the virus within the last 24 hours taking the total number of recovery to 62,346.

‘Take stock of rising COVID-19...’

From page 6 spike, and to ensure that the most vulnerable groups are protected, particularly now that vaccine supplies are no longer a barrier. “We have sufficient doses to cover those most at risk, and we have an obligation to do so,” she said. Turning to the COVID-19 situation in the region, the Director noted that more than half of the new infections were reported in North America, where cases have been climbing for seven

weeks, driven by a surge in the United States.

In Central America, COVID-19 cases have increased by 80%, and cases have also spiked in countries across South America. In the Caribbean, new infections have been on the rise for five consecutive weeks, with a 9.3% increase in cases and a 49% increase in deaths. As the world’s highest health authorities meet next week for the World Health Assembly in Geneva to determine the

global priorities for public health, the PAHO Director said that health emergencies will remain top of the agenda.

“We must take what we learned from past emergencies to shape a future where our health systems and leadership are better prepared to face the next challenge,” she said.

“The better prepared our health systems are, the less lives we lose and the stronger and more resilient our societies become.”

PAGE 18

Opposition leader in visit to Little Africa

- residents complain about poor conditions of roads, drainage After receiving reports that “Little Africa” a community located in Corriverton Berbice, Region Six, has been neglected by the government, Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton decided to visit the residents on Wednesday.

Norton was accompanied

by Chairman of the Peoples National Congress, Reform (PNCR), Shurwayne Holder, and other officials of the party.

Upon his arrival at the village, Norton said he was taken aback by the poor condition of the roads within the community and its poor drainage system. In a cell phone recorded video, Norton heard complaints by residents about poor drainage, “and the roads are also very terrible” Although the road and the drainage system are a major concern for the residents some of them pleaded with the opposition leader to assist them in finding jobs with a wage that is sufficient enough to take care of their childrens needs in a country where cost of living is on the rise.

One of them, a 24-year-old woman said: “What about the young people them, we aint getting jobs them aint giving

Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton during his visit to Corriverton on Thursday we jobs all over we going for job and we aint getting… I get me child to look after I am single parent I dont have a man to support me and my child and I also have to assist my mother. Why they doing those things we aint getting work nowhere,” the woman lamented.

The frustrated woman continued that she went in search of job and all she got was offers to weed grass and clean up from Monday to Fri-

day for only $10,000. According to her that is small wage for “a slavery time of work” while noting that the prices for basic goods are “raising high, high”.

At the end of his visit the residents, made sure that they warned Norton not to deceive them by say “yes” but rather use his position to assist them. Their exact words were, “Dont do like the others just come and say yes, yes and them aint do nothing for us”.

Law passed for juveniles to be charged, tried jointly with adults Juveniles will now be charged and tried jointly with adults for indictable matters in the criminal justice system.

This was made possible after the Juvenile Justice Amendment bill 2022 was passed in the National Assembly on Wednesday. Presenting the new bill in Parliament was the Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn.

Although opposition Member of Parliaments (MP) particularly Khemraj Ramjattan disagreed with the amendment to charge juveniles-between ages 14 and 18jointly with adults, the new law was still passed with a majority vote. Benn while presenting the bill to the House explained that one reason for amending section 3B (i) of the principal Juvenile Justice Act, is to reduce the time it takes a judge or magistrate to hear a matter where a juvenile committed a crime with an adult(s).

The old law mandated

Thursday May 19, 2022

Kaieteur News

that the juvenile justice system must be separate from the adult justice system. This meant that a juvenile must not appear before the court together with an adult and if they committed an offence together then two separate charges must be instituted against them.

According to Benn this old law “leads to a significant increase in judicial time and expenses”. “The current criminal justice system often results in witnesses testifying twice and this speaks to the issue of repetition and a lot of time being used with the evidence being presented”, related the Home Affairs Minister. Benn noted that by reducing the amount of time the court takes to hear such matters, “its work will be more effective, more efficient and more efficacious”.

The minister then went on to highlight that the amended law now “provides for appear-

ances where a juvenile commits or is alleged to have committed an indictable offence with an adult and it cannot be disposed of summarily that they be charged jointly with an adult and also that the charge be heard in one hearing”.

Benn listed some examples of these indictable offences as, “murder, manslaughter, sexual assault, abduction of a person or persons, trafficking of narcotics and the use of a weapon while committing a crime”.

Although the act was amended to allow a joint charge and hearing, Benn pointed out that it can only be employed by a magistrate or judge if they adhere to all of the other rights of juveniles catered for in the Juvenile Justice Act. Some of these rights are keeping their identity discreet and the type of sentencing they receive for a crime they were convicted of.

Nurses and Midwives to be registered and licenced as new law passed

The Nurses and Midwives Bill 2022 which makes provision for the registration and regulation of nurses, midwives and nursing assistants, was passed in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

The new legislation, among other things, seeks to establish the Nurses and Midwives Council, thereby setting out the functions and powers of the body, allowing it to appoint committees. Prior to the passage, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall SC told the House the new law will be replaced by the amended Nurses and Midwives Bill of 2019. During his presentation, Nandlall sounded off on the other side of the House as he alluded to the “callous” manner in which the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition passed the previous bill and purported to make it law.

He explained that the Nurses and Midwives Bill of 2019, though well intended was passed not through the legally required legislative process, but by a government that was ousted from office by way of a No-Confidence Motion.

Nandlall explained the caretaker APNU+AFC government brought, debated by themselves and passed the Nurses and Midwives Bill of 2019.

According to Nandlall, the former administration put the bill through a “bastardly process,” then “later produced it to be assented to by a President [David Granger] who at the time was mandated by the expressed language of the constitution to resign.”

Describing the act as the height of lawlessness, Nandlall noted the previous purported legislation is invalid, null and void and of no effect. According to Nandlall, given the manner in which piece of legislation was passed in the National Assembly the People Progressive Party /Civic (PPP/C) has taken the initiative to remove the impure bill from the Laws of Guyana. “…That’s why, Mr. Speaker the PPP/C government had to put a repeal clause in the bill… Notably, the Nurse and Midwives Bill, was prepared before the APNU+AFC government took office in 2015, so what they did was adjusted and passed it…”Nandlall said, noting nevertheless that the Nurses and Midwives Bill is very important because it creates essential infrastructure for the nurses and midwives.

To add to the debate, Opposition Member of Parliament, Dawn Hastings told the

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall SC. House that there is no need to repeal the Act. “From my knowledge the reason for repealing a law is, make it simplify and modernize the statue but listening to the Attorney General, I am not convinced Mr. Speaker that this is what is happening here…” Hasting said.

She continued: “”We see change to critical parts of this bill.”

According to her, the former Nurses and Midwives Bill had included a section that would see the establishment of a council to oversee the work of Nurses and Midwives in Guyana; in a more inclusive and transparent manner. She noted that under the old bill, provision was made for a council to regulate training, preparing the curriculum of studies for nurses.

“Those sections have been replaced… What we are seeing are changes made to the way in which persons are selected to sit on the disciplinary committee…”she changed.

To this end, Hasting said the sections of the bill should not be changed.

The bill, which repeals the Nurses and Midwives Act, provides for the establishment of Nurses and Midwives Council to oversee the profession, including the registration and certification of nursing personnel; development of a code of ethics and conduct for nursing personnel and monitoring compliance; and exercise of disciplinary control.

Minister of Health Dr.

Frank Anthony in presenting, the Nurses and Midwives Bill 2022 for its first reading, noted that the new legislation will see the regulation of nurses, midwives, nursing assistants and specialist nurses, among other things.

It would also be responsible for establishing standards of education, training, conduct and performance for nursing personnel and to ensure the maintenance of those standards; promoting the interests of nursing personnel; advising the Minister on matters related to nursing personnel; and performing any other functions as may be conferred on it by law The council will consist of fifteen members appointed by the minister and shall elect from among its members a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson and any other officers as it considers fit.

It will include among other persons the Chief Nursing Officer; the Director of Nursing at the Georgetown Public Hospital; and representatives of the Guyana Nursing Association, the Midwives Association, the University of Guyana’s Nursing Programme, the Health Sciences Education at the Ministry of Health, the School of Nursing, a private nursing school, and civil society.

The members who are not ex-officio shall hold office for a period of three years and shall not be eligible for re-appointment or re-election.

DPP discontinues...

From page 17 box in a Magistrates Court in the Republic of Guyana…The DPPs power is neither divine nor absolute.

It is circumscribed by the supervisory jurisdiction of the High Court and its final ap-

pellate Court the CCJ. It is circumscribed by my client’s God ultimately.

I close with my Client’s instructions- let this go all the way to the CCJ,” Anderson noted in his statement.

Kaieteur News

Thursday May 19, 2022

PAGE 19

FAO regional head to attend Agriculture expo Food and Agriculture O r g a n i s a t i o n ( FA O ) Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, Julio Berdegué will participate in the Agriculture Investment Forum and Expo 2022, which opens here on Thursday. The event theme is “Investing in Vision 25 by 2025” and is sponsored by the Government of Guyana and the CARICOM

FAO Assistant Director-General, Julio Berdegué Secretariat.

Berdegué will moderate the first Panel session on “Primary Production – Intensifying Primary Production to achieve 25 by 2025”, a release from the FA O s aid. “Th e FA O supports this 25% by 2025vision of reducing regional food imports by fostering accelerated and targeted investment in agriculture and food production and its business ecosystem within CARICOM member states,” a statement from FAO said.

Berdegué is also expected to sign a Memorandum of Responsibilities with the Guyana Government to

Intimidation, vicitmisation order...

From page 2 articles highlighting this particular matter in the Kaieteur News, the newspaper was told by the President of the National Mine Workers Union of Guyana (NMWUG) Sherwyn Downer, that a meeting was subsequently held with workers who were reportedly threatened with dismissal if the company was to ascertain which worker (s) was feeding information to the union. NMWUG has been instrumental in highlighting the plight of those workers.

prepare the next FAO Regional Conference in 2024 (LARC 38), which will be held in Guyana.

Mr. Berdegué will be

available to answer media inquiries and to schedule press interviews one to one during the whole event, where he can address, among

other topics: The significance of FAO 38th Regional Conference for Latin America, the Caribbean and Guyana,

where agreements such as measures to mitigate climate change in Agriculture can be achieved. The importance of Agri- food investments in

the Caribbean and Guyana in the current global scenario of inflation and high food prices.

PAGE 20

Kaieteur News

Thursday May 19, 2022

Thursday May 19, 2022

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

Asian Confederation to support FIFA chief Infantino’s re-election bid (Reuters) - Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa pledged Asia’s support for Gianni Infantino’s reelection bid as FIFA president yesterday while confirming he will seek a third term at the helm of the AFC. Infantino will be standing f o r a t h i r d s t i n t i n charge of soccer’s global governing body having defeated Sheikh Salman to claim the presidency in 2016 following Sepp Blatter’s resignation.

“The Asian football

family is forever grateful to president Infantino for his steadfast support and commitment to developing the game in our contin e n t , ” Sheikh Salman said during his address by video to delegates from Bahrain.

“We were encouraged by the motivated leadership provided by president Infantino d u r i n g t h e COVID-19 pandemic, not only to Asian football but also to world football.

“As the Asian football family warmly wel-

comes president I n f a n t i n o ’s r e - e l e c t i o n bid, I can assure him today that we will stand united b e h i nd his candidateship.”

Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to receive the pledge of s u p p o r t from Asian delegates and “for your trust, for your commitment to continue working together.

“To me this means a lot,” he said.

“You know my very tight ties with Asia, a continent I cherish, that I love, that I fondly believe in, a

continent that had a great past in football and will have a much greater future.” Sheikh Salman confirmed he would stand for a third term as AFC president after initially taking over in 2013 from then-acting president Zhang Jilong.

“Much has been accomplished and there is still much more to be done.

Together we will continue to implement our cherished agenda of transforming Asian football and taking it to greater heights,” he said.

De Kock hits third highest...

Thursday May 19, 2022 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You might be planning to host a social event in your home tonight or perhaps in a few days. It could have you doing a lot of cleaning, rearranging, and beautifying around the house.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) An exciting new project or opportunity could be presented to you today, Libra.

It could involve a new love or at least a new friend.

Something you've been working on for a long time.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Today you might want to spend time visiting friends in your neighborhood, Taurus.

Small purchases might be necessary, perhaps new clothes.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) A chance to earn a small amount of money, perhaps by doing a little extra work at home, could come your way today, Gemini. You could hear about it through a friend or colleague.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Contact with friends who live or work far away could bring a string of new opportunities your way. You might also be thinking of taking a trip, perhaps to another country or by boat. .

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) New investment possibilities could present themselves to you today, Sagittarius. This could involve an investment of time, money, or other resources.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Expect a lot of intellectual stimulation to come your way today, Cancer. Important news could come on the phone, necessitating action on your part in order to bring about a desired end.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) An opportunity to travel with a partner or colleague could come your way, perhaps for business. Any travel planned or begun today is likely to go well and bring you whatever results you hope for.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Your creative talents should be operating at an all-time high today, Leo. You might be offered an opportunity to earn some money putting them to use.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) News of a possible raise could come your way today, Aquarius, possibly through some enterprise that you've been working on.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22) Getting out and working with groups could seem especially appealing today, particularly groups involving athletics or other physical activities.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) A group might invite you to participate in a creative project of some kind today, Pisces. Whatever you do is likely to be stimulating and exciting.

From page 21 needed three runs to win, with four wickets in hand, but Marcus Stoinis removed Singh and Umesh Yadav with the final two deliveries to clinch victory and finish with figures of 3-23.

Scores: Lucknow Super Giants 210 for 0 (de Kock 140*, Rahul 68*) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 208 for 8 (Shreyas 50, Rinku 40, Mohsin 3-20) by two runs.

PAGE 22

Thursday May 19, 2022

Kaieteur News

CWI regional First-Class cricket

Fifties from Chanderpaul, Imlach ensure Guyana bat all day

By Sean Devers in Trinidad In association with WD Hotel & Mall Charity & Dave’s West Indies Imports Fifties from opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Tevin Imlach ensured Guyana Harpy Eagles batted all day against defending Champions and tournament leaders Barbados Pride to reach 219-4 at the end of day one of the third round of the CWI Regional First-Class tournament yesterday at the Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad.

The 25-year-old Chanderpaul, who broke

the record for slowest fifty in West Indies First-Class cricket since 1966, shared in a half century stand (94 for the second wicket) with Tevin Imlach who faced 148 balls and batted for 194 minutes for his 53 which was decorated with eight fours.

Chanderpaul, who faced 258 balls, spent over four hours at the crease and reached the boundary six times, added another 58 with Skipper Leon Johnson, who batted for 91 minutes, 77 balls and reached the boundary seven times in his 37.

Debutant pacer Akeem Jordon has 2-50, while Raymon Reifer and Skipper

Kraigg Braithwaite have one wicket each.

On day blessed with glorious sunshine at the start of the Hurricane season here, Guyana Harpy Eagles, without the ill Vishaul Singh and Kevin Sinclair, won the toss and opted to bat on a track with good carry and a well-manicured Queen’s Park Oval in the third round of CWI Regional FirstClass tournament yesterday.

Chanderpaul Hemraj, who was dropped at second slip

by Jonathon Carter off debutant Akeem Jordon on 17, reached the boundary on four occasions before he

Tevin Imlach plays one during his half century yesterday. (Brandon Corlette photo) got one that left him to wicket Keeper Shane Dowrich for 19 at 20-1 as left-arm seamer Raymon Reifer struck in the fifth over.

Imlach, in his third game a t t h i s l e v e l , joined Chanderpaul and dominated the partnership as Chanderpaul dropped anchor and by Lunch was still there on 11 from 120 minutes, while Imlach, batting with a positive intent, played a few well timed shots and was on 32. Harpy Eagles were 68-1 at Lunch from 28 overs.

After the interval, Imlach was dropped at slip on 32 and again at point on 38 off of luckless Jomal Warrican before getting to his maiden fifty from 135 balls with seven fours.

Chanderpaul, showed a lot more intent and played an exquisite cover drive of Roston Chase for a boundary and counter attacked the pacers when they bowled short with controlled pulls as his confidence increased as

his innings progressed.

Imlach edged Jordon to Shemar Brooks at second slip at 114-2 to bring Johnson to the crease.

By Tea, Chanderpaul was still there on 35, while Johnson, who was miss-stumped before he had scored off Chase in the last over, on one, and Harpy Eagles on 116-2.

After the break, Johnson stroked some well-timed boundaries before he fell to part time offspinner Braithwaite at 172-3.

Chanderpaul eventually reached his eleventh FirstClass fifty from 216 balls.

Akshaya Persaud (13) soon got a ball that kept low from Jordon and was bowled at 191-4.

Bramble joined Chanderpaul and got off the mark with an on-driven boundary and before hitting a four and a six off the last two balls of the day bowled

by Warrican.

Today is the second day and play is scheduled to commence at 10:00hrs.

Thursday May 19, 2022

Kaieteur News

Girmay out of Giro after eye injury caused by prosecco cork JESI, Italy (AP) — An accident with a prosecco cork while celebrating his historic stage victory at the Giro d’Italia forced Biniam Girmay to pull out of the race yesterday.

The Eritrean rider became the first Black African to win a stage at a grand tour when he beat Mathieu van der Poel in the sprint to the line in Jesi in the 10th stage on Tuesday. But he had to be taken to a local hospital after getting injured when he popped a prosecco cork into his left eye during the podium celebration.

Medical tests revealed a haemorrhage in his eye and the team doctor said it was “strongly recommended” he avoid physical activity.

“The news about the incident felt like a cold shower,” said Girmay’s team d i r e c t o r , Va l e r i o Piva.

“It is of course a pity to lose an element like Biniam, but the advice of the medical team is clear and the health of Biniam is our priority.”

The 22-year-old Girmay still celebrated with his Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux teammates when he returned from the hospital.

“When I arrived after the hospital, the bad moment, I enjoy a bit with my team-

mates, the staff, everybody,” Girmay said in a video on his team’s social media channel.

“I’m also happy now.

I was a bit sad about what happened with the champagne but when I come back to the hotel they were super happy also.

“They were a bit afraid but when I looked OK we really enjoyed.

But today luckily I didn’t start the race because still my eyes, I need some rest to give more power to the eye … I’m OK now, see you soon.”

In March, Girmay became the first rider from a sub-Saharan country to win a single-day classic at the Gent-Wevelgem race.

Girmay almost won the Giro’s opening stage this year, for which he would have also worn the famous pink jersey of the overall leader.

But he was edged by Van der Poel — one of the top riders in the sport — in a chaotic bunch sprint in Hungary.

“From the opening stage, Biniam Girmay showed that we were right to believe in our chances to win a stage,” Piva said.

“It is remarkable to see how his teammates go though fire each day to obtain the best possible result and how happy everyone is to work with him.”

De Kock hits third highest IPL score in Lucknow win BBC Sport - Quinton de Kock claimed the third highest score in Indian Premier League history as Brendon McCullum lost his last game as Kolkata Knight Riders coach before taking charge of England.

Lucknow Super Giants posted 210-0 as De Kock hit 140 not out, smashing 10 fours and 10 sixes from 70 balls.

It made De Kock and KL Rahul, who made 68 not out from 51, the first opening pair to bat throughout an IPL innings.

Yet Kolkata fell just short of victory, losing by two runs in the final over.

Only record-holder Chris Gayle and McCullum have bettered the score of South Africa’s De Kock in an IPL innings.

Gayle hit an unbeaten 175 for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2013 and McCullum scored 158 not

out for KKR in the first IPL match in 2008.

Victory sees Lucknow secure one of the four playoff places while Kolkata miss out as they can finish no higher than sixth.

McCullum was due to join up with England once Kolkata’s tournament is complete, which is now in good time before the first Test against New Zealand on 2 June.

KKR lost both their openers - Venkatesh Iyer and Abhijeet Tomar - inside their first three overs but regrouped as Nitish Rana scored 42 and captain Shreyas Iyer hit 50.

Iyer ’s dismissal left Kolkata on 131-4 in the 14th over but power-hitting from Rinku Singh (40 from 15) and Sunil Narine (21 from seven) put them on the brink of an incredible chase.

With two balls left KKR (Continued on page 21)

PAGE 23

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Thursday May 19, 2022

Kaieteur News

Football returns to Regional Associations is first for Guyana Football swept the nation on Sunday as all nine of the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) regional associations relaunched senior league competitions following the COVID-19 pandemic, creating history as the first time that all regions have kicked off league competitions simultaneously.

T h e S e n i o r M e n ’s Leagues (SML) in Bartica, Berbice, East Bank Demerara, East Coast Demerara, Essequibo/ Pomeroon, Georgetown, the Rupununi, Upper Demerara, and West Coast Demerara will see 108 teams and around 2,700 players compete in about 400 games for regional bragging rights, followed by a national play-off.

The Rupununi Football Association also relaunched its Senior Women’s League, which runs on equal billing with the men’s edition.

“Football is back in a huge way, and we are extremely pleased with the huge efforts our regional associations have put in to make this possible,” said G F F P r e s i d e n t Wa y n e

Forde. “For the first time in our history, all nine regional associations are playing league football at the same time.

This shows the strength of unity and collaborative spirit that exists among our community, and just how far we have come in developing football and organising competitions.”

“The annual delivery of these tournaments across the country will provide opportunities for our youths to showcase their talent, improve their health, and build bridges between our communities,” Forde said.

“It will also ensure that our homegrown talent gets the requisite playing time to grow and reach its potential in the coming years, boosting our national programmes in the process.”

In some of the weekend’s mouthwatering, stand-out fixtures, Fruta Conquerors beat the Guyana Police Force 2-1, Monedderlust drew 1-1 with Rosignol United, Tabatinga held Guyana Rush

All nine GFF regional associations kicked off at the same time - a first for football in Guyana.

Saints to 1-1 draw, and Eagles United emerged winners from a thrilling encounter with Hi Stars by three goals to two.

“As the season progresses, we urge the public to come out in force and support your teams,” Forde added. “We wish

ESCL final set for Sunday The 2022 Essequibo Softball Cricket League (ESCL) Over-40, 20-overs final is slated for Sunday at the Affiance Number 1 ground, Essequibo Coast, Region Two, Pomeroon-Supenaam.

Caribbean Cricket Club will clash with Sunrisers Masters, while preceding the championship game is the third-place playoff between Ravens Sports Club and Queenstown Tigers.

In the semi-finals last Sunday at the same venue, Caribbean Cricket Club defeated Queenstown Tigers by ten wickets, while Sunrisers Masters got the better of Ravens Sports Club by seven wickets.

Queenstown Tigers were bowled out for a modest 58 in the 13th over while Caribbean Cricket Club responded emphatically with 60-0 off four overs. Seasoned batsman Patrick Rooplall led the way

Yaseer Mohammed with 24 and former senior Essequibo Inter-county player Prashad Mahadeo made 22.

In Queenstown Tigers’ innings, only Motielall Deepnarine made an impression with 20 as Yaseer Mohammed grabbed five wickets for six runs from four incisive overs. He was supported by Jamuna Persaud

and Eshwar Singh with 2-10 and 2-17 respectively.

In the other fixture, Ravens reached a competitive 190-9 at the expiration of the 20-overs while Sunrisers Masters surpassed the target with three overs to spare.

Gopaul Deen hit a topscore 73 for the victorious combination while Ravi Beharry struck 68.

Jermain Trotman claimed two wickets for 13 runs off three overs.

When Ravens Sports Club batted, the consistent Sugrim Ahiram slammed 75, while veteran softball player Ramesh Narine scored 37.

Shisankar Bissoon took three wickets for 23 runs off three overs while good assistance came from Seon Sankar who finished with 2-28 (04).

The winning side will collect $100,000 and a trophy and the runners-up $50,000 and a trophy too.

the players, staff and regional associations all the best for the coming weeks and, if the first weekend is anything to go by, we look forward to some highly competitive, entertaining football and healthy local rivalries.”

Through its Members

Financial Assistance Programme (M-FAP), the GFF has provided technical support, training, equipment and financial resources to its regional associations to enable the delivery of the leagues.

“This is why we created

M-FAP,” Forde said. “It is designed to put the power in the hands of our members, so that they have all the resources they need to deliver on their mandates.”

Here is the list of results from last Sunday as submitted by the GFF: football Results 4 (1 to 3)

Mentore, Gajnabi, Grimmond slam tons as Berbice crush Essequibo by 481 runs Katana Mentore, Shabika Gajnabi and Sheneta Grimmond struck centuries as Berbice announced themselves as firm favourites to take the Guyana Cricket Board senior female intercounty 50-over title with a crushing 481-run win over Essequibo when the tournament commenced yesterday.

Berbice Women opted to bat and posted a record 519-3 at the Guyana National Stadium.

Essequibo Women struck early when Analeisa D’Aguiar trapped opener Marion Samaroo lbw for one in the third over, however, Mentore and Gajnabi put on 252 for the second wicket to frustrate their opponents.

Mentore struck 21 fours off 129 balls in a top score of 159 before she was caught by Rhonda Jones off Kumarie Persaud.

Gajnabi and Grimmond continued the onslaught as they added 148 for the third wicket before Gajnabi was bowled by D’Aguiar for 129.

She stroked 18 fours and

Shabika Gajnabi accepts her player of the match award from Peter Persaud. faced 91 balls. Grimmond slammed 11 fours off 66 balls to remain unbeaten on 101, while Sherica Campbelle made 43 not out with five fours as D’Aguiar took 2-114.

Essequibo lost openers Navika Narine (05) and Varuni Pitamber (08) to be reduced to 13-2 in the fifth over. They never recovered and were

bowled out for 38 in 17.3 overs.

Jones (08), D’ Aguiar (04), Kumarie Persaud (02) and Laveena Ragobeer (01) were the other batters that got off the mark as Gajnabi captured 3-2, Campbell 2-9 and Erva Giddings 2-15.

Gajnabi was named player of the match. The competition continues today.

Thursday May 19, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 25

Suresh Ganouri Memorial game & Fun day set for June 11 - USA vs Canada at Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Suresh Ganouri

A

ll Roads will lead to Waterloo, O n t a r i o , Canada, on June 11 for Suresh Ganouri Memorial Cricket Match and a day of fun and frolic for the entire family with Dominoes, Cards, Karaoke and much more.

Entertainment provided

by Krish & M Sharma along with other leading artists who will perform live.

“This Event was organised by former Guyana and West Indies B team player Derick Kallicharran for Ganouri who died at age 63 just before Covid,” explained former Albion and Berbice U-19 player Raj Misir, who along with Kallicharran organised the Event.

A team from the USA comprising friends of the late Ganouri will face off with the Kaieteur Cricket Club from Canada which West Indies U-19 player Matthew Nandu and his dad, former Guyana leg-spinner, Arjune Nandu, the nephew of Ganouri, represents.

Ganouri was born on January 6, 1957, played ten first-class (two for Guyana in Shell Shield Cricket in 1976 & 1984) and two List A matches in the Geddes Grant/ Harrison Line Regional 50-over tournament for Guyana in a career which spanned from 1976 to 1984.

Ganouri played for Albion and played eight First-Class matches for Berbice. (Sean Devers)

CWI regional First-Class cricket

s t r o Sp Tagenarine Chanderpaul in action yesterday. (Brandon Corlette photo)

Fifties from Chanderpaul, Imlach ensure Guyana bat all day Quinton de Kock brought up his second IPL century, this one off 59 balls. (BCCI)

De Kock hits third Mentore, Gajnabi, highest IPL score Grimmond slam tons as Berbice in Lucknow win crush Essequibo by 481 runs Shabika Gajnabi accepts her player of the match award from Peter Persaud.

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