Kaieteur News

GPA chides VP Jagdeo's attack on Association

The Guyana Press

Association (GPA) on Friday chided Vice President

Bharrat Jagdeo for statements he made during his last press conference on Thursday which attacked the Association.

The GPA, in denouncing all forms of intimidation and attacks on the media, in a statement said that it has always been a membership body that campaigns on behalf of journalists and mediaworkersinthecountry

The press association called on President Mohamed Irfaan Ali to stay true to his government's commitment to the Media FreedomCoalition.

According to the statement,theVicePresident has been using his press conferences as opportunities to forge ahead with his government's campaign to discredittheGPA.

The GPA responded to Jagdeobyaddressingseveral issues. Speaking about the delayed elections, the GPA explained that prior to the

May 14, 2023 elections, the GPApreviouslyheldelection for office bearers on January 7,2018.

The elections was scheduled to be held since 2020, however, the GPA explained that the delayed elections was as a result of a protracted delay due to the COVID-19pandemicandthe protracted 2020 general elections process that affected many facets of nationallife.

Asitrelatestotheissueof

registration for GPA membership,theAssociation said, “It is typical for Mr Jagdeo to side-step all information available to him and to use selectively information he feels will discreditanindividualand/or organisation. Mr Jagdeo's disinformation campaign conveniently failed to acknowledge that GPA's Business Registration was firstdoneinthenameofNeil Marks since 2015 following anexecutivedecision.”

The GPA questioned if there is a reason the VP is omitting that publicly stated fact in his “unvarnished preferentialattack.”

The GPA said that its recordsshowthatsignificant progresshadbeenmadeprior to the GPA's elections this month to regularise its systems.

In relation to the comments about the eligibility of the recently reelectedPresidentoftheGPA, Ms. Nazima Raghubir – it

was stated that the Association sought legal advice on whether Ms

Raghubir could have legitimately contested the positionforPresident,having regardtothefactthatshewas electedin2018andremained inofficeuntil2023duetothe pandemic and the 2020 general election fiasco. That advice essentially stated that shewaselectedonceandher term ended at the next election,notwithstandingthe delayedelections.

In conclusion, the GPA saidthegovernment,through VP Jagdeo, has signaled its intention to continue its attack on the GPA and the free press.As such, the GPA saiditwillcontinuetoengage all,includingthegovernment intheinterestofitsmembers andfreedomofthepress.

Further, it was said, “Coming from Mr Jagdeo whobannedajournalistfrom covering his assignments at StateHouseandOfficeofthe President, withholding government advertisements from Stabroek News and suspending CNS TV 'Sharma' television station, Guyanese generally and the mediainparticular,including thosealignedtohispartyand government, cast severe doubt on his sincerity about pressfreedom.”

Additionally, the Association explained that the success of numerical democracy is augmented by tolerance and good governance, clarifying that the work being done by the GPA is a broad-based representation.

New discoveries not enough to convince Exxon to give Guyana more –ExxonMGuyanaHead

De s p i t e t h e Stabroek Block unlocking over 10 billion barrels more of proven reserves since the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement(PSA)wasinked, multinationaloilcorporation, ExxonMobil is adamant that the country should not gain more fiscal benefits on its resources.

P r e s i d e n t o f ExxonMobil's subsidiaryEsso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) - Alistair Routledge made this clear during an engagement with the media, at the company's Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetownoffice.

He was at the time responding to a question from this newspaper on whether the company has now shifted its position on renegotiating the deal, in light of intensified calls to this end and the continued success, through more discoveries in the lucrative StabroekBlock.

Routeledge said, “This agreement was competitive at the time that we signed it andwestillbelieveittobethe case, and we have made investmentonthebasisofthe contractasitstands.”

Tothisend,heexplained, “That continued question

reallymissesthepointwhich is: How does the country maximizethevaluefromthe contractsthatithasandfrom futurecontracts.”

The President of ExxonMobil Guyana even pointedout,“Thisisthemost valuablecontractthecountry has and it should be focused on how we make it work the best we can. I think that is what the government is doing, it is saying let's make sure we attract the investment. The moment we trytochangethecontractthe investment will stop, the local content development willstop.”

In 2016, when the Coalition government renegotiated and signed the PSA with US oil giant ExxonMobil,thecountryhad only found approximately 1.1billionbarrelsofoilinthe Stabroek Block. More than sixyearslater,over10billion more barrels have been discovered in the country's ExclusiveEconomicZone,a major increase that stakeholders believe warrant a change in the lopsided contract.

Guyanese have been protesting for government to renegotiate the oil contract with Exxon. In fact, the People's Progressive Party (PPP) while in Opposition hadpromisedto“reviewand renegotiate” the deal entered into by the former government; however the partyhasnowdecidedthatit must maintain the agreement.

Citizens in Guyana believe that the present agreement only favours the oil company, as Guyana receives a mere two percent royalty for its sweet light crude and settled for 50 percent profit sharing, after Exxontakes75percentofthe earningstoclearitsexpenses.

The deal that the oil companyoftenbragsaboutto its shareholders, also force

Guyanese into paying their share of taxes, amounting to millionsofUScurrencyeach year This figure is likely to further balloon too as more operationscomeonstream.

In addition, the Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) is allowing ExxonMobil to operate offshorewithoutfullliability coverageintheeventofanoil spill, which means that the riskisbornebyGuyana.

This matter has since been challenged by two Guyanese, through their

Attorneys. Another key provision that is lacking in the document is ring-fencing provision, which would avoid the oil company from using the petroleum revenue in one field to cover for expensesinanother

ExxonMobil Guyana President, Alistair Routledge

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

President of the Guyana Press Association (GPA), Nazima Raghubir

Jagdeo leads appeal on parent company guarantee to appease investors

“Investorsspookeasily,” says Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo. This is the main reason for the Government of Guyana (GoG) taking the leadontheappealofacourt ruling by Justice Sandil Kissoon, ordering Esso Exploration and Production GuyanaLimited(EEPGL)to supply the nation with a parent company guarantee within 30 days, to cover the costs above its limited insurance, in the event of an oil spill in the Stabroek Block.

D u r i n g a p r e s s conference on Thursday at F r e e d o m H o u s e , Georgetown, Jagdeo defended the move by government, since he believes this could have a negative impact on the country's investment climate.

He was at the time respondingtoareporterwho was seeking clarity on why the government jumped out ofitsline,beforeacompany, to challenge the ruling in favour of the country; since there is the view that this would be a matter for the private sector to represent itself.

According to Jagdeo, it was a “common sense” decision, since “investors spook”easily.Heexplained, “It's common sense Sometimesyouhavetohave commonsense and we believe in leading from the front. We are not the PNC (People's National Congress). We don't hide behind private sector or subterfuge to make our positionsknown,sowewant this country to know...they hear from us, it is what we feelandwhatwewilldo.We don'tgointheshadowofthe night and shout something andthengetathirdparty Itis clearasday.”

He shared the view that

such a ruling could have “ i n t e r n a t i o n a l consequences”.

Jagdeo pointed out that Bloomberg, Reuters and other international agencies havebeentrackingGuyana's oil sector almost on a daily basis.

The Vice President contended that back in 2005 when Guyana lost over 50 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), due to the massive floods, this was not a major headline;howeverstoriesare n o w e m e r g i n g o n internationalplatformsmore frequently due to Guyana's petroleumindustry

As such, he noted, “It is naive to think that they wouldn't pick this up and then investors, that's how investors are, they spook easily so it doesn't require greatforecastingskills,orto know that that will happen. It'sjustthatIverbalizeitand it did happen, came to past because we are savvy to thesethings.”

Secondly, Jagdeo said people are asking why the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) appealed the rulingandnotExxon.Tothis end,heexplained,“Itwasthe EPA that was sued, not the company

The company joined in, The EPA was the only one with the real standing in the matter so Exxon couldn't appealtheruling.”

On May 3, 2023, High Court Judge, Justice Sandil Kissoon ruled that the EPA failed to fulfill its statutory dutytoprotectthecountry,as it did not enforce the provisions of the Liza One Permit, requiring a parent company guarantee to supplement the US$600 million insurance coverage, per oil spill activity in the 26,800squarekilometers,oil richStabroekBlock.

He therefore gave 30 days for the company to comply with the parent guaranteeprovision.

A notice of appeal into thedecisionwasfiledbythe EPA on May 9, 2023 ExxonMobil Guyana has also applied to join the matter

Appeal Court Justice Rishi Persaud only Monday refusedtooverturntheruling of Justice Sandil Kissoon. When the matter was called

for case management, attorney for the EPA, Sanjeev Datadin requested a Stay of Justice Kissoon's Order but his request was bluntly refused. The court also set May 25 for oral arguments.

The Court of Appeal intendstoapplythemerittest to the EPA appeal against JusticeKissoon'sruling.

In the meantime, ExxonMobilisstillexpected toprovidetheparentco

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

Georgetown, Guyana.

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

Editor-In-Chief:

NIGEL WILLIAMS

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

EDITORIAL

ROAD SAFETY WEEK

This year’s UN Road Safety Week theme has significance, could save lives. “Rethinking Mobility”hasalottorecommendit,oneofwhich is that there is a diversion of risks, and another being diffusing the concentration of mechanical energy on the roadways, while at the same time something is being done with what goes up into the atmosphere and endangers this planet further, quicker At the crux of the theme of “RethinkingMobility”isthegettingoutofthecarandstart walking,cycling,andusingpublictransportation. Therecan be no question of the benefits that flow from that sensible bag of recommendations, and we think that it should be givenatryrighthere.

Right away, notwithstanding potential road safety pluses, we run into some concerns. It is easier to get a Guyanese to undergo a root canal than to get him or her to leave the SUV or sedan. Drivers will complain long and hardaboutthetrafficcongestionthatisnowadailynormin the morning and evening rush hour, but they will not come out of their vehicles. Similarly, they will lament at length about how many hours are lost in the daily roundtrip commutetowork,school,orbusiness,buttheywillnotleave theirmachines. Further,parkinginthecapitalcity,theheart of Guyanese activity, is a daily purgatory, but nobody is willingtoleavetheirpersonal4-wheeledmobilityapparatus behind.

Wedowelltoremindeveryoneofthewarthatbrokeout, whenamovewasmadetobringsomeordertothechaosthat isGeorgetown,throughtheintroductionofparkingmeters. The reasons were many, with some good ones, but the primaryonewasthatmostGuyanesehavegrownfondofthe freedomtoparkanywheretheywish,andtheclosertotheir destinationthebetter,sincesuchwouldmeandoingaslittle ofanyofthosethreeelementsthatgoundertheUN’sRoad SafetyWeektheme.

Iftheyhavetoparkillegally(blockaprivateresidenceor placeofbusiness),thenthatiswhatwillbetoagooddegree becauseofhowmuchGuyanesedrivershavefalleninlove withdriving.

Then, there is the matter of fear, the legitimate fear of local road users to walk on our roads due to deep anxieties aboutbecomingavictimofreckless,dangerousdrivers,who haveasmuchrespectforTrafficLaws,astheydoforwomen, children, and the elderly Walking is certainly a healthy activity, but with roads tight and no space to walk in, too many places on our roadways, to walk is to take one’s life intoone’shands. Or,puttingitintothatofaspeedingdriver Areas(zones)earmarkedforwalkingexclusivelyarejustnot available,whichmeansthatwalkersandcyclersaresharing thesamenarrowspaceswithdrivers.

Itisaninvitationtodanger Wewouldheartilysupport gettingoutofvehiclesandgettingontotheroads,butonlyon theconditionthattherearelanessetasideforbothwalking andcycling.

Regardingpublictransportation,thatisasafeandsecure environment,andusuallyafarmoreeconomicalone,inthe developed countries. In Guyana, public transportation largelymeansminibuses,andjustthementionofthewordis enoughtobringawaveofchills. Thereissimplytoomuch speeding, too much vulgarity, and too much lawlessness, whicharesomeofthemorememorableaspectsofthepublic transportationcultureinGuyana.

Wehavedifficultyvisualizinganydriver,particularlya femaleone,leavingherprivatevehiclebehind,andtakinga chancewithaminibus.

Realistically, some things have become too deeply embedded in the Guyanese assessment and outlook on life forsuchradicalstepsaswalking,cycling,andtakingpublic transportation to be warmly received, when one’s own vehicle has to be left behind. We think that robust and consistent application of Traffic Laws can be a big contributortoroadsafetylocally

A greater police presence on our roadways, with an emphasis on known danger areas, has its own values. SeriousandcleanenforcementoftheTrafficLawscansave theday,ifnotlives.

Outbursts against judiciary should be condemned

DEAREDITOR, I view with deep concern the statements attributed to two senior government officials concerning the recent judgement handed down by a HighCourtjudgecommandingtheEPA toadheretoitsowndirectives.

Theviewspubliclyattributedtothe

two persons are offensive in the least andtheyshouldberoundlycensoredfor such outbursts. It seems like these gentlemen believe that the Judiciary is their private preserve and they can say and do as they very well like. This is contemptuousbehaviour,anditmustbe roundly condemned by all right-

thinkingpersons. One branch of government ought nottocondemnanotherbranch. Thisisvulgarbehaviourandwethe people need to speak out when such occurs.

Regards, CyrilWalker

GPAchides VPJagdeo for attacking theAssociation and the free press

DEAREDITOR,

TheGeneralSecretaryof the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Mr Bharrat Jagdeo, who is also Guyana’s Vice President, during his recent press conferences has been using these opportunities to forge aheadwithhisgovernment’s campaign to discredit the Guyana Press Association (GPA).

Delayed elections: The GPA’s May 14th, 2023 elections suffered a protracted delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the protracted 2020 general elections process that affected many facets of nationallife.

The GPA’s previously held election for office bearers was on January 7, 2018.

Registration of THE GPA: It is typical for Mr

Jagdeo to side-step all informationavailabletohim and to use selectively information he feels will discredit an individual and/ororganisation.

M r J a g d e o ’ s disinformation campaign conveniently failed to acknowledge that GPA’s Business Registration was firstdoneinthenameofNeil Marks since 2015 following anexecutivedecision.

Is there a reason Mr Jagdeo is omitting that publicly stated fact in his unvarnished preferential attack?

Infact,theGPA’srecords show that significant progress had been made prior to the GPA’s elections this month to regularise our systems.

Eligibility of Ms Nazima Raghubir: The GPA sought legal advice on

whetherMs.Raghubircould have legitimately contested the position for President, havingregardtothefactthat she was elected in 2018 and remainedinofficeuntil2023 due to the pandemic and the 2020generalelectionfiasco.

That advice essentially stated that she was elected once and her term ended at the next election, notwithstanding the delayed elections.

Conclusion: The government, through Mr Jagdeo, has signaled its intention to continue its attack on the GPA and the free press. The GPA will continue to engage all, including the government in the interest of our members and freedom of the press.

Coming from Mr Jagdeo whobannedajournalistfrom covering his assignments at StateHouseandOfficeofthe

President, withholding government advertisements from Stabroek News and suspending CNS TV ‘Sharma’ television station, Guyanese generally and the media in particular, includingthosealignedtohis party and government, cast severedoubtonhissincerity aboutpressfreedom.

Thesuccessofnumerical democracy is augmented by tolerance and good governance.

That’s what the GPA is doing,henceitsbroad-based representation.

The GPA denounces all forms of intimidation and attacks on the media and callsonPresidentMohamed IrfaanAli to stay true to his government’s commitment to the Media Freedom Coalition.

G u y a n a P r e s s Association

Kit Nascimento responds to Enrico Woolford

DEAREDITOR, Mr.EnricoWoolfordhas offered a response to my letter on the subject of the recent Guyana Press Association elections in which he writes that Kit Nascimento “has decided to go into his toolkit to tinker with the Guyana Press Association and declare what should or should not obtain”.

What exactly he means remains unclear throughout his long letter, but it is reasonabletoconcludethatit isintendedtobedisparaging.

In fact, from all that Woolfordwrites,weareboth verymuchonthesamepage, when he concludes that the Association “must remain resolute to ensure that any attempt/subterfuge to u n d e r m i n e i t s credibility/operations is soundly and utterly discreditedandabandoned”.

I have said, for instance, that“itremainsessentialthat t h e G u y a n a P r e s s Association should recover and restore its credibility in

order to fulfill its responsibility to represent the voice and concerns of a freemedia”.

I p a r t c o m p a n y completely with Mr Woolford in that it is the Press Association itself which has caused the controversy over the way it has conducted its elections and sought to defend it by refusingtopublishthelistof its members deemed to be eligible to vote until the actualelections,bringingthe credibility of the entire electionintoquestion.

It is unheard of to conduct a free and fair election, without revealing forpublicscrutiny,thevoters list.RuelJohnson,writingon thesamesubject,hassoaptly put it; “if there were a country which Government conducted a long overdue election in which a small group of incumbents illegally changed voting regulations and produce an inscrutable voters list which not only returned those people to power, but put in

place a President whose reelected tenure is bound to surpass constitutionally bound term limits, who was up for yet another term after the renewed incumbency, and who had sole legal control of the Treasury, that country would not fulfill even the minimum governance requirements of a functional democracy” This exactly describes what theGPAhasdone.

The GPA’s four (4) person Executive, when constitutionally five (5) are requiredforaquorum,have, in fact, violated their own constitution in conducting the elections and have brought the controversy downupontheirownheads.

TheGPAhas:

1. Refused to publish a listofmembersdeemedtobe eligibletovote.

While it has been the GPA’s practice to allow registration and payment of membership fees up to the dayofelections,itwasnever thepracticetoconfinethisto exclusively on the day of

elections, excluding any possibility of prior scrutiny orchallengeofthelist.

2. Conducted elections without having audited accounts.

3. Conducted their last elections in 2018, five and a half (5½) years ago. Ms. RaghubirsatasPresidentfor those five and a half (5½) years She is, however, restrictedtoservingthree(3) continuous terms in office, leavingsix(6)monthsatthe time she ran for elections. She is now allowed to serve for another four (4) years, which will add up to some nineandahalf(9½)years.Is she, therefore, prepared to resign in six (6) months and callanotherelection?

It is precisely, therefore, becauseoftheimportanceof the Press Association remainingacrediblevoiceof afreepressthatIhavecalled upon Ms Raghubir and those elected with her to put right what has clearly gone wrong.

Yourssincerely, KitNascimento

DEAREDITOR,

“First Lady to build multipurpose parks at Diamond,Tuschen” aroused myinterest,asweallconcur that outside of actual economic value, these types of projects offer tremendous benefitsintheareasofhealth and environment, inclusive ofthesocial.

The news reported that the ‘ever-active’ First Lady Arya Ali launched two projectsforthedevelopment of multipurpose parks in Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and Four (Demerara-Mahaica)

The details show that “The parks, which will be located atTuschenontheEastBank of Essequibo (EBE) and Diamond/Grove on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), arebeingdevelopedthrough the National Beautification Project which is currently being undertaken by the Office of the First Lady.”

Personally, I mean it is time that things of this nature happen in Guyana.After all, wehavethespace.

Let me instill in all of us that parks and recreation facilities are there in today’s worldbecauseweknowthat people go to them to get healthy and stay fit

According to studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (United States), creating, improving and promoting places to be physically active can improve individual and communityhealthandresult in a 25 percent increase of residents who exercise at least three times per week. I add that the very presence and availability of these places have a great ‘pull’ factor Another big plus regarding this venture, accordingtoastudybyPenn State University, is that it was clearly established that “… significant correlations (were found) in the areas of reductionsinstress,lowered blood pressure, and perceived physical health to thelengthof stay in visits to parks.”

If indeed ‘health is wealth,’ the First Lady is

‘rightontheball.’Myhopeis that we will all capitalize when all these opportunities are handed to us in the near future.

Editor, many think that socializinghasto beinabar orplaceofcelebration.Ibeg todisagree.

Theseplacesintheoffing will provide identity for citizens to reap multiple benefits as they cross paths and make many new acquaintances as they indulge in ‘keeping fit’ ventures. In fact, parks and recreation services are often cited as one of the most important factors on how livablecommunitiesare.

They offer gathering placesforfamiliesandsocial groups, as well as for individuals of all ages and economic status, regardless of participants’ ability or affluence.

Overall, cohesion is birthed when healthy spaces are used for the proper reasons.

In closing, let me firmly iterate, that I am really behind what is about to unfold.

Ilikehowitwasputover when Lady Arya stated that “I want you to know that once this project is completed, this park becomes yours. So, while it isthereforyou,theresidents to enjoy, you also have to take the responsibility of ensuring it is properly managed.”

Sheadded“…bothparks will feature recreational and sportingfacilitiesincludinga children’s play park and multipurpose court; a multipurpose building with conference hall, library, computer centre, training rooms, cafeteria, and washrooms; and amenities including Wi-Fi, benches, lights, fountains, and garbagereceptacles.”

Yourstruly, H.Singh.

E-Bikes, Government killed a great Green Initiative by regulation

DEAREDITOR,

I had heard rumours before of the government’s intent to regulate or rather bringelectricbikesunderthe tax regime, registration, licenses, fitness, etc. but I never thought it would happen.

Considering that these electric bikes are environmentally friendly, they offer affordable transportation to the less fortunate who constitute over 50 percent of the population, saving the country millions per year on its oil import bill, and most importantly, the country is a beneficiary for its green initiativefromNorway

What annoys me, although not mentioned anywhere in the bill, is that this bill entails a regularisation for revenue collection purposes and it is disguised and touted by the government as one for the protectionofthecitizens.

With the need for registration, licensees, insurance, fitness and the normalhasslingfrompolice, people are simply not going to purchase and use these bikes.

Thisbillisthekillerofa great green initiative favourable to the poor and wouldresultinthefalloutof support for the government from the numerable poorer class.

The opposition support for this bill came only as a result of their vision that the government has unwittingly decided to self-destruct When that happens, they becomethebeneficiary

T h e c o n c e p t o f awareness through education would have been more life-saving than regulation.

Tasked with coming up with solutions to stop the carnage on the road it is no surprise that the police choose regulation instead of education.

They have given themselves more meat to chew on. The carnage will continueontheroadsdespite theE-bikesnotbeingthere.

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall in his contribution to the debate said that since the advent of the E-bikes 11 personshaddiedand14were injured on our roads in accidents involving these bikes.

Conveniently, no comparative figures were givenfordeathsbytheuseof regulated motor bikes and other vehicles on our roads. Where is the evidence that regulationsaveslives?

Nandlall added that “the People of Guyana, and not oil, are the most important resource” and as such we needtoprotectthemfromthe scourgeoftheelectricbikes. Notwithstanding the day beforehewaspubliclyvocal in his advice to the EPA to appeal Justice Kissoon’s decision which entails the protection of all the citizens of Guyana from paying reparativedamageshouldan oil spill occurred, exceeding the 2 billion dollars cap guaranteedbyExxon.

This is hypocrisy, comingfromaguywholikes to see the mote in other

people’seyes.

Nandlall said that citizens (not some citizens) have been complaining about the way the E bikers use the road, linguistically thisrelegatestheEbikeusers toaliens.

We know for sure that many from the motorised class, the owners of cars, SUVs, etc. will rather have the roads for themselves by returning the E-bikers to the status of pedestrian - well Anil and the PPP government has just made theirdaybythislegislation. Yoursrespectfully, RudolphSingh

First Lady’s engages in another commendable initiative

Integrity Commission must go after defaulters

DEAREDITOR, Publicofficers,orifIcan put this in simple language, those at the top who purport to be our leaders must give an account for themselves, I am talking about those who leadmustgiveanaccountof their stewardship when calledtodoso.

For this same reason an Integrity Commission was set up to deal with such matters The Integrity Commission is not a new phenomenon, because it is the standard practice in all civilizedjurisdictions,inthe known world where this operation is applied, so an IntegrityCommissioncomes asnothingnew

Nor could anyone come upwiththelameexcusethat itisanentitythatwassetup bythegoverningpartytospy on the assets of the opposition An Integrity Commission requires the statementofassetsownedby government as well as Opposition Members of Parliament; none is excluded, as it is equally bindingonallofficeholders. Now, The Government side of the house have declared their honesty in this regard and have declared their assets to the Integrity Commission, whereas The Oppositionhavenot,theyfor some unexplained reason havewithheldtheirsfromthe

Commission.

In my book this constitutes a breach of contract and tantamount to misconductinpublicoffice.I would further add that it weakens their moral standing in the eyes of the widerpublicoutthere,andas such they lack the moral fibre to speak on any matter of transparency or good governance.

In this regard, I call on the Integrity Commission to bringintoforcethefullbrunt of the law on those defaulters, as it would go a far way in bringing civility back into public office

Respectfullysubmitted, NeilAdams

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PPP GOVT. IN FULL ATTACK MODE

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The PPPGovt. now attacking the judiciary. Its people attacked the media.

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Then, they attacked critics and naysayers.

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Everybody that doesn’t agree with the PPPis fair game.

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This is not a government, this is a gangster squad.

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Exxon's claim of “no excess gas”

highlights need for feasibility study

The People's

N a t i o n a l Congress Reform (PNC/R), a faction of the A Partnership for National Unity(APNU),iscallingon the Government of Guyana (GoG) to release all documents on the Gas-toEnergy project, in light of a recent statement by ExxonMobil Guyana that there is no excess gas in the LizaField.

In a statement to the press, the political opposition group said Exxon's comments cast doubts on the availability of natural gas for the US$2.1 billion venture that is

currentlybeingpursued. Itexplained,“ThePNCR is alarmed by a recent statement by ExxonMobil (Guyana) that there is no excess natural gas available fromtheLizaoilfield,asall gas is being used for production enhancement of the Liza Oil Field. This announcement calls into questionthefeasibilityofthe entire Gas-to-Energy project.”

T h e p a r t y s a i d g o v e r n m e n t m u s t immediately reassure the Guyanese people that sufficient natural gas from the Liza oil field will be availablefortheproject.

“There is no room for uncertainty given monumental scale of project, and no sane government would build an entire Gasto-Energy facility withoutclarityasto the supply of natural gas We have repeatedly warned of the recklessness of proceeding with this projectwithoutafulland updated feasibility study even though this is stipulated in the PSA,” the PNC/Rstated.

It was also keen to note thegovernmentcontinuesto fuse to protect Guyana's legitimate interests and

i hts, an attitude demonstrated in the audit of oil company's expenses and the question of an EEPGL oil spill parent company guarantee

According to the PNC/R, “If the PPP's recklessness and lack of patriotism remain unchecked, Guyana stands to suffer irreparable damage and to lose tens of billions of dollars.”

O n Tu e s d a y evening, ExxonMobil Guyana responded to commentsmade,thatit violated the sanctity of contract principle, by not conducting a feasibility study for the use of the excess associated gas in the LizaField.

The gas in the field will be piped to shore for utilization by the Government of Guyana for power generation and liquefaction, which will generate additional income through the sale of cooking gasandotherproducts.

Former Executive D i r e c t o r o f t h e Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Vincent Adams during an Alliance For Change (AFC) press conference onApril 22, told members of the press, he believes the company has violated the said principle that is hindering the g o v e r n m e n t f r o m renegotiatingtheoildeal,as there is no evidence of a feasibility study, though requiredunderthe2016PSA governingtheoilblock.

According to the subsidiary of the American oil company, “The

Associated Gas produced from the Liza Oil Field is with priority used for the purposes related to the operationsofproductionand production enhancement of the Liza Oil Field, in accordance with Article 12 1(a) of the Stabroek B l o c k P e t r o l e u m Agreement.”

It went on to note, “EEPGL has established through numerous studies that all of the associated gas produced from the Liza Oil Field is fully utilized for production and production enhancement purposes Therefore,thereisnoexcess Associated Gas and a feasibility study for excess Associated Gas is not required under Article 12.1(b).”

Thecompanyalsoshared that gas produced at Liza is used for fuel and re-injected toimproveoilrecovery Article 12.1 (b) of the Exxon contract states, “…If there is any excess Associated Gas in the Oil Field after utilisation pursuant to Article 12.1(a) theContractorshallcarryout a feasibility study regarding theutilisationofsuchexcess Associated Gas of such Oil Field.”

Meanwhile, EEPGLin a brief statement last evening indicated, "There is no uncertainty about the ability todeliverthegasfortheGTE project. Extensive reservoir modelingshowsthatthegas could be committed for delivery and we have determined that we can release up to 50 million cubic feet of gas per day without significant impact onoilrecovery."

Last Sunday was Mother’s Day

While not a publicholiday,itisoneofthe most popular days in the calendar

It is a day devoted to honoring mothers and is usuallyobservedbychildren giving of gifts, family gatherings, dining and other special.

Mother’s Day is a special day not only for mothersbutforfamilies.Itis oneofthoseoccasionswhen almost the entire family gathers together Mothers have that effect of bringing peopletogether.

Thepopularityoftheday is enhanced through advertising. Businesses make it their duty to advertise their goods and services prior to Mother’s Day

And because most children want to show their appreciation of their mothers, the day before Mother’sDayhasbecomeof thebusiestshoppingdaysof the year, second only to ChristmasEve.

Businessesmakeatonof money on Mother’s Day because there is a deluge of shoppers seeking presents fortheirmothers.

The last shopping day beforeMother’sDayusually witnesses a surge in sales as persons try to find the best andaffordablegiftstogiveto theirmoms.

From the jewelry stores to the flower shops to the clothing stores, to the shoes stores, to the stores that sell household items, they all do well, even to the point of having to extend their openinghours.

On Mother’s Day itself,

DAY GREETINGS IN THE NEWSPAPER

restaurants are usually bookedfullyaschildrentake the opportunity to taking theirmothersouttolunchor dinner

And many children prefer to purchase food on that day rather than burden their mothers with cooking. Thetake-awayfoodbusiness alsothrivesonthisday

You would therefore expect,likeatChristmas,for businesses to extend Mother’s Day greetings to theircustomers.

But this was not to be when it came to newspaper advertising.

A perusal of last Sunday’sKaieteurNewsand Stabroek News was very revealing. Not a single business entity extended Mother’sdaygreetingstoits customers in the Kaieteur NewsortheStabroekNews, the country’s two leading dailies. In the latter, there were 3 advertisements concerning Mother’s Day, all of which were about the sale of lunches and food for theday

On certain special days, businessesmakeittheirduty to take out small advertisements in the newspapers in order to send greetings to the public and their customers So for example, for Phagwah, Diwali, Christmas etc businesses purchase a few columninchesinwhichthey place greetings in the newspapers.

Itistheirwayofshowing appreciationandatthesame time, tapping in on the popularityoftheoccasion.

So why not do the same onMother’sDay?Afterallis Mother’sDayoneofbriskest daysfordoingbusiness.

Dem Boys Seh...

Placing newspaper greetings is a tradition and traditions do count to customers.Andthiswasone traditionthatshouldnothave beenbypassed.

But it is also a way of givingback.Businesseslike to boast about their social responsibility, yet this opportunitywasspurned.

Father’s Day is coming soon. But do not expect the stores to be packed, the streets to be overflowing with customers nor the newspaper to have a single Father’sDaygreeting.

You would have thought that Mother’s Day would have been an occasion for businesses to extend their connection to the public by tapping into the nostalgia associatedwiththisday

You would have e x p e c t e d s o m e heartwarming and kindhearted greetings expressing appreciation for mothers and the roles which theyplayinsociety

Strictly from a commercial point of view you would have expected advertisers to tap into the sentimentsofthisdayandin so doing strengthen the appealoftheirbrand.Butfor somestrangereasonthisdid nothappen.Youwouldhave presumed that this was an opportunityforgreaterbrand visibility But this too was passedup.

The Caribbean Premier League is coming and you can bet that companies are going to be buying spots on television and in the newspaper, trying to establish an association betweenthepopularityofthe T20 tournament and their products.

Death-row prisoners getting good treatment

Dem Boys never knew dat death row prisonersdoesgetvisitationrights.Evenin Uncle Sam, dem states wah does allow visitstodeathrowprisoners,demdoesnot allow contact visits. So dem boys nah understand how de prisoner wah escape hadtobetransportedtoSibleyHall.

Dem death row prisoners does get special treatment. Dem does be kept away fromdegeneralpopulation.Thatiswhatit usedtobelangago.Butitlookasiftimes changingandnowdemdeathrowprisoners getting visitors and being transported in ATVs.Talkaboutmovinginstyle!

When dem hang dem death row prisoner in Guyana, dem don’t give de body to dem family Some of dem family does gat to stand up outside de prison and waitfuhhearwhendetrapdoorslam.Isden

dem does start cry because dem nah allowed fuh see de body De authorities doesevenburydeminanunmarkedgrave. So how come dem allowing visitation for deathrowprisoners?

When a death row prisoner escapes, it does cause fear in de society People does bescareduntildeprisonergetcaught.And nuff people hoping that dis chap get recaptured because is de second time he escapefromcustody

Just de adder day, a man jump over de courtbalconyandrunaway Deinteresting thing was dat he was on trial but was on bail. So just why he run away nobody knows. But de next day he turn up and admithemekamistake.IsonlyinGuyana demthingsdoeshappen.

Talkhalf.Leffhalf!

But for some strange reason the same was not doneforMother’sDay

Therewasagreatdealof advertising before Mother’s Day

Stores and shops advertised their products inviting customers to buy their products as gifts for mothers And touching verseswereusedinmanyof theads.

The same would have

been nice in Mother’s day greetings on Mother’s Day itself

And that is why it was most disappointing that the same attention was not paid to sending out greetings on Mother’s day to mothers in Guyana.

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

H@RD TRUTHS

GHK LALL

JUDICIARY UNDER FIRE

It may be just short of openseasononthejudiciary in Guyana. But, all things considered, we may not be too far from such a grim time the Hon Vice President fired the first salvos with his “predictable decisions” and venture into “murkywaters”onbehalfof all people, believe it or not, foreign investors. Dr.

Jagdeohasdeclaredhimself to be the champion and patron saint of the foreign investorclass. Itsmembers are in good hands, so they should rest assured, for the time being.Next up was the Hon.Attorney General who let loose on a magistrate on another matter, one that reeks of the usual lovely local politics, with its

paybackcircles,andendless snarling, with the judiciary nowfindingitselftrappedin anoman’sland. Whenitis politicsinthiscountrythatis involved, the judiciary can never win: damned if it decides this way, damned if itdecidesinanother.

Those are the local contexts, and my concern is how does it climax, where

does it end? I can

understand the Vice President, who is desperate foranykindofcoverhecan get from any source for his s t r a t a g e m s a n d orchestrations. ButIcannot understand the man of the law, the town marshal, AG AnilNandlall. Althoughhe has given cause to look at him most poorly recently, I still think he is made of better stuff, not necessarily, the right stuff, but better stuffthanhehasmanifested. I believe that he knows better, but still have to ask myself if he is so far gone downtherancorouspartisan road, that he has lost all of his equilibrium, all of the reasoning and rigor that should be at his fingertips, perhaps even some of the stuff on the inside. Please don’t ask me where that wouldbe.

I hear about the right to “faircomment”andInodin agreement. But what one man has arrogated as “fair” from himself and to himself couldbecalumnytoanother By whatever deftness of helpful intellect that theAG hasusedtodefinehisideaof what is “fair” there are legion of others outside of his roost of cheerleaders,

who think that he went one attack too far, one example into which should not have beenbreathedanylife. The nation’sattorneygeneralcan be the leading voice in the condemnation of those who crosshispath,whocrossup his conclusions of what ought to be. He is not the solearbiterofknowledgeor insight in this country, far from it. He can express reservations; he can voice regret;buthecannotplunge soheadlongintothefraylike some cheap and selfdisrespecting ambulance chaser Like I said, he shouldn’tdothistohimself, for any purpose, or for any leader There is no rationalization that can be summoned in his defense that would be sufficient to smooththisover,tocoathim inknightlywhite.

Now, the concern is that this opens the door to an endless litany of so-called “fair comments” being hurledatoffendingjudiciary members,i.e.,thosewhodo not adjudicate along the expected lines. In Guyana, that means the party line, which currently is the PPP line. I don’t think that I recall hearing so much

c onsternation or objection from the PPP side of the fence, when the party, then in Opposition, wonlegalvictoryafterlegal victory during the last combustible elections season. If the AG’s sharp comments are what made it into mainstream media because of the office he holds, I can only begin to imagine what else is like what the AG put out, only pungently worse, from his comrades on various social media platforms, now the havenofassortedself-styled intellectuals, self-acclaimed critics, and selfcongratulatory stickup men and women. The latter group may be more recognizable from the ordinary descriptive of the usual closet racists and political bigots. They are now given the keys to freedom and all the camouflage equipment they need to carry on their venomous attacks and savaging of others without limit. What I am observing, hearing, absorbing is one bastionofindependenceand safeguard after another being put to the PPP sword in this One Guyana of myth and magic. It is either toe thepartyline,orgetreadyto pay the fine, in whatever formittakes. Criticismand condemnation have become the norm, and there is no exception. Just get in line. The Guyana Police Force is alllinedup;theindependent mediaisbeingwhippedinto shape;andnow,itistheturn of the judiciary to get with the PPP Government program. It is that or get ready for a baptism of fire (“fair comment”) and whateververbalpogromcan be concocted in the fevered minds of unready and unsteady set of people in charge of the important thingsinthiscountry Ican’t wait to see what is going to unfold come the next elections go around. On second thoughts, I don’t want to know, could care less.

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

Exxon paid bill for independent consultant who provided US$2 billion parent company

guarantee estimate for Guyana

Head of Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), Alistair Routledge has confirmed that his company paid the bill for the independent consultant that was used to determine how much its parent company, ExxonMobil Corporation, shouldgiveGuyanatocover

oilspillcosts.

That consultant determined that US$2B is sufficientenoughtoserveas aparentguarantee.

Thatsumcomplementsa US$600M package that has beenprovidedtoGuyanaby EEPGL.

D u r i n g a p r e s s conference yesterday at its Kingston Office, Routledge

said the estimate was provided by an independent expert that does this kind of workonaglobalbasiswhile using standards that are appliedintheAustralianOil andGasIndustry

He said, “We are also doing a follow up study whichusestheUKstandards andwhichispartofsomeof the highest standards in the

world.”

Routledgeadded,“…We paid for the bill for the consultant but the work has been done and very transparently for the Environmental Protection Agency…”

Routledgealsonotedthat the documents pertaining to the US$2B insurance guaranteearebeingfinalized withtheotherpartnersonthe block, namely Hess Corporation and CNOOC, andwillsoonbeprovidedto theEPA.

Hewasalsokeentonote that the company's position isthatthisisasufficientsum for a parent guarantee that covers credible costs pertaining to an oil spill.

Routledgesaidthecompany firmly disagrees with the demands of a recent court ruling for an unlimited parentguaranteeagreement.

That ruling was handed down on May 3, 2023 by Justice Sandil Kissoon in relation to a case filed last September by two Guyanese. Justice Kissoon had disregarded copies of unsigned documents

pertaining to the US$2B parentguarantee.

He categorically stated in his ruling that the Liza Phase One Environmental Permit calls unequivocally for an unlimited parent guaranteeagreement,adding that anything less leaves EEPGL and its partners in breachofthepermit.

He has since given EEPGLaswellastheEPAto comply with the provisions of the permit by June 10 or seeitssuspension.

Both parties have since appealed the case, the judgment for which is expectedinMay29.

Internationally, the ruling has had a significant impact on Exxon's stock price It plunged by 12 percent in recent weeks to US$105.

E x x o n M o b i l shareholdershavealsotaken note of the ruling and are poised to challenge the oil gianttocomecleanaboutthe potential risks and liabilities ofitsoperationswhichcould affect not only Guyana but 12 other Caribbean nations. Thatchallengeisexpectedto manifest by way of two proposals come May 31 at E x x o n ' s A n n u a l ShareholdersMeeting.

Essequibo man on bail for sexual activity with a minor

A 47-year-old man from Supernaam, EssequiboCoast,RegionTwowasonFriday granted $150,000 bail for having sexual activitywitha15-year-oldgirl.

The man identified as Anil Singh, a bowman, made his first court appearance at the Suddie Magistrate Court before

MagistrateEstherSamwherehewascharged withSexualActivitywithaChild-Contrary toSection16(3)oftheSexualoffensesAct, Chapter8:03.

Singh was not required to plead to the offence and was granted bail. The case has beenadjournedtoJune1,2023.

ExxonMobil Guyana Head, Alistair Routledge

$507M contract awarded for infrastructural works in Lethem

The Ministry of Housing and Water's – Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) on Friday awarded a $507 million contract for a number of infrastructural works slated for the development of the Tract 'CHPA' (Poke Bridge) housing scheme in Lethem, RegionNine.

According to the

Ministry, the contract was awarded to R Kissoon Contracting Service by CHPA's Director of Operations, Denise KingTudor during an outreach exerciseinthearea.

Briefly, the Ministry shared that the contract will see the construction of roads and installation of pipe networks in the housing scheme.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal was presentattheoutreachwhere over 200 persons allocated landsintheareaweresigning up for their Agreement of SaleandCertificatesofTitle.

AlsojoiningtheMinister were Regional Chairman, Mr BrianAllicock,Mayorof Lethem, Mr John Macedo and other officials of the Ministry

Minister

At the simple ceremony, Minister Croal told the residents that $570 million hasalreadybeeninvestedfor first phase infrastructure works in the area over the past two years. Moreover, a new well will also be drilled in the scheme and electrical networkswillbeinstalled.

It was reported that approximately 575 persons

have been allocated lands at Tract CHPA Early last month a number of allottees also signed up for their Agreement of Sale and titles duringasimilarexercise.

As part of housing hinterland housing programme in Region Nine, Minister Croal also announced that 100 homes (10each)willbeconstructed

i n t h e f o l l o w i n g communities: Crash Water, Yakarinta, Quatata, Nappi, Shiriri, Rupunau, Parabara, Shea,Yurong Paru andTiger Pond.

Kaieteur News had reported that the Ministry was allocated some $72 billion from the national budgetthisyeartoexecuteits projects.

Four more officers selected for ITEC scholarships in India

Four more officers have been selected as part of the Police and Military training courses being offered by the Government of India under the Indian Technical and Economical Cooperation (ITEC)Programme.

The recipients are GuyanaPoliceForce's(GPF) AssistantCommissioner,Mr. Fazil Karimbaksh and from the Guyana Defence Force's (GDF), Staff Sergeant Dork Pompey of Fellowship, West

Coast Demerara (WCD), Sergeant Jamal Cambridge from Belladrum Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB) andCorporalDennisPompey of Victoria, East Coast Demerara(ECD).

The three GDF officers were chosen to study a two (2) month General Intelligence and Security Course at the Military Intelligence Training School in Pune, Maharashtra while the Assistant Commissioner

ofPolicewillstudyaone(1) week course on Economic Offences at the premier Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, the four (4) officers recently called on H.E. Dr. KJ Srinivasa, High Commissioner where he briefed them on the courses, ongoingpartnershipbetween India and Guyana and advised them on the details andlogisticsofthesetraining programmes During their meeting, the officers expressed their gratitude to the High Commission and GovernmentofIndia.

The ITEC Programmes are short-term courses at prestigious institutions of India to selected partner countriesacrosstheworld.In 2022nineteen(19)officersof the Guyana Defence Force

Frompage13

havebeenselectedtostudyin India and for 2023, the Government of Guyana was allocated forty-six (46) slots ofwhichseven(7)havebeen used. The Guyana Police Forceutilizedseven(7)slots last year and so far, three (3) thisyear TheGovernmentof India will continue to foster andbuilditsrelationshipwith theGovernmentofGuyana.

groundwork at the sale outlet level, that is primarily at the supermarketsandwhatwefindisthattherearediscrepancies. Icantellyouinsomecases,theywereoverand,insomecases, theywereunder.”

Incaseswherediscrepanciesarefound,anon-conformity form will be issued and products will be placed on hold pendingcorrectiveactionforwhichatimewillbegiventodo so.

The $507 million contract being handed over to a representative of R. Kissoon Contracting Service by CHPA's Director of Operations, Denise King-Tudor

of Housing and Water, Collin Croal with the contractor and officials of the Ministry at the Tract CHPA (Poke Bridge) housing scheme. (Photo courtesy, Ministry of Housing and Water)

L-R Assistant Commissioner of Police Fazil Karimbaksh, H.E. Dr. KJ Srinivasa, and Mr. BD Tyagi (Indian High Commission)

L-R Mr Amir Chand, CPL Dennis Pompey, H.E. Dr. KJ Srinivasa, SSGT Dork Pompey & SGT Jamal Cambridge (Indian High Commission)

Only Math Paper 01 and School Based Assessment (SBA) to be marked

T h e C a r i b b e a n Examinations Council (CXC) on Friday disclosed that students writing the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate ( C S E C ® ) 2 0 2 3 Mathematics examination will only be graded on their School Based Assessment (SBA) and Paper 01 of the examinations.

Students sat Paper 02 of the examination on Wednesday but it was discovered that the paper wasleakedbeforethesitting oftheexams.OnFriday,the CXC said that based on its investigation, the paper was leakedinJamaica.

“OnWednesday,17May 2023, the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) launched an investigation following concerns that the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Mathematics Paper 02 was leaked, prior to the administration of the examinationonthatday CXC has been in constant contact with regional Ministries of Education since this information came to light. CXC has now concluded its investigation.

The security measures whichCXChasputinplace, has led to us locating the country as Jamaica and the examination centre where the leak originated In discussionwiththeMinistry

of Education and Youth, the matter will be dealt with following CXC's security protocols,”theregionalbody said. Further, CXC said that it recognises that candidates havespentmonthspreparing for their Mathematics Paper 02 examinations and the news of the security breach (leak)oftheexaminationhas caused much anxiety and concern.

“Asaresultofthebreach and the compromise of the examination, as well as consideration for the mental health and wellbeing of our candidates,timelyreleaseof results, and matriculation requirements, CXC has determined that for this examination the modified approach will be used to award fair and valid grades. The modified approach entailsassessmentof:(1)the SchoolBasedAssessmentor

Paper 032 (Alternative to SBA)forprivatecandidates; and (ii) Paper 01 ”The Examinations Council said that its decision was communicated to the regional Ministries of Education during a meeting Fridaymorning.

“CXC would like to reassure candidates that the security of the regional examinations is paramount, and their best interests continuetobeatthecentreof the organisation's decisions andprocesses.”

Meanwhile, following the regional Ministries of Education meeting, Guyana's Minister of E d u c a t i o n P r i y a Manickchand in a video postedonherFacebookpage saidthatleakedMathematics paper was available before the beginning of the exams. “They have confirmed that, thatdidnotoccurinGuyana. SoIwanttobeveryclearon that, that it did not occur in Guyana,” the Minister emphasised.

Minister Manickchand said that CXC examined a fair means of addressing the issue across the region. The solutionshesaid,“istomark Paper 01 and the SBA and disregard completely paper two because of the compromising of the integrityofthepaperandthe process and so I want Guyanese children to know that your best interest is being looked at, this is the

most sensible application at this point of a solution to your mathematics exam Paper02”.

The Education Minister appealed to the students not to allow the leaking of the MathPaper02toaffecttheir preparations for the other exams.

“You are sitting other exams, you are preparing still for other exams, go

aheadanddothattothebest of your ability put this behind you and trust us to make sure your paper ones and SBAs are properly counted,”sheurged.

O n We d n e s d a y, following the breach, CXC in a statement said “this matter is of great concern to us;wehavecommencedour investigationsandwillmake a definitive statement once

- CXC

the investigation is completed.Inthemeantime, candidates can rest assured that this matter is being treated with the highest urgency.”

It is not the first time there have been breaches of theCXCexaminations. Back in 2005 the entire Mathematics examination wasleakedwithcopiesofthe papersoldanddistributedin parts of this country and onlineatpricesrangingatthe time from $20,000 to $50,000.

In 2008 there was another leak inTrinidad and TobagooftheEnglishAand MathematicsPapers02.

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand

LEGAL NOTICE 3

the 9th day of March, 2023 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by GAIL ANN WILLIAMS nee MARSHALL the Petitioner/ Applicant in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara.

AND FURTHER TAKE

NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 21st day of April, 2023 the Petitioner/ Applicant was directed to effect service of her Petition on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News, a daily newspaper printed, published and circulated in and around the Republic of Guyana and on the Worldwide Web.

AND FURTHER TAKE

NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara Where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with relateddocuments.

AND FURTHER TAKE

NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Petition, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (Forms are available at the Registry), Answer and/or Cross Petition in the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 35 (thirty- five) days from the date of the final publication of this Notice.

TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for Directions Hearing on Monday the 26th day of June, 2022 at 9:15 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Sandra Kurtzious via Zoom Meeting ID: 648 779 9256 and Password: 5hRiHf.

IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of Service/Notice of Intention to Defend, Answer and/or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the Divorce. The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts [Georgetown, Demerara]. The office is open to the public between 8:00am and

Govt. loses at Privy Council: Armour working hard and fast to advise Cabinet

TRINIDAD EXPRESS -

Attorney General Reginald Armour, SC, yesterday sought to put the best possible spin on Government’s 3/ 2 defeat at the Privy Council on the issue of the postponement of local government elections.

Speaking at a news conference at his Port of Spain office called to address the Privy Council’s judgment which was delivered seven hours earlier, Armour could not say what the Government’s next move would be in light of the ruling since he was giving it “active consideration”.

The Privy Council ruled that the extension of the term of office of councillors and aldermen as contained in the Local Government Amendment Act, 2022, did not apply for the current councillors and aldermen, whose term of office, under the previous act, had been three years. It means that the term of office of the incumbents ought to have expired on March 1, 2023.

The attorney general could not say when local elections would be held since that was not his call.

“The decision ultimately as to when an election is to be called will be for the prime minister,” he said.

Asked whether legislation would have been brought to Parliament to validate all actions and decisions of the current local government bodies (made since March 1), Armour said: “You (the media) are asking me to give the advice which I haven’t fully considered as yet.

The study of law, and particularly against the background of the fact that we’ve eight judges rule on his matter, five of them went one way, three Court of Appeal judges unanimously, and (there

LEGAL NOTICE 3

3:30pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed.

Dated the 27th day of April, 2023.

were) two very strong dissenting minority judgments of the court of the Privy Council, with the majority of them in the Privy Council taking the majority, which we respect, I hope that you would appreciate that it would be irresponsible of me to rush to advise or (reach) conclusions without giving careful consideration to all that needs to be considered on the judgment,” he said.

Told that the decisions of the Appeal of Appeal were irrelevant given that the Privy Council is this country’s final court, the Attorney General said the Court of Appeal’s decisions were not irrelevant and were referred to by the Privy Council.

NO BREACH OF CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

The attorney general stressed that all the judges who had heard this matter had rejected the argument claimed by activist Ravi Balgobin Maharaj (the petitioner) that there occurred any breach of the Constitution or of any common right to vote by the extension of the date for the calling of local government elections, which the amendments to the Local Government Act triggered. In his analysis of the current legal position, the attorney general consistently weighed the views of both the local Court of Appeal and the Privy Council, noting that “any issue of interpretation of legislation remains a question of degree and impression, which the distinctly differing views of eight members of the higher Judiciary who have heard this matter profoundly illustrates.”

He said: “The Privy Council has ruled that these amendments did not apply to the incumbent Councillors and Aldermen. By so finding the three judges in the majority (Lords Richard, Reed and Hodge) disagreed with the views of the other five appeal judges who have heard this matter, that is to say Lord Briggs and Lord Kitchen (who render dissenting opinion) and the unanimous Court of Appeal of Trinidad and Tobago, namely Justices of Appeal (Prakash) Moosai, (Gillian) Lucky and (James) Aboud,” the Attorney General said.

Parliament to so extend the term of incumbent councillors providing sufficiently clear language was used”.

Stand up for the people, not a company looking to exploit Guyana's resources

In response to claims

m a d e b y t h e

Government of Guyana (GoG) that the recentcourtrulingbyJustice Sandil Kissoon could cause harm to the momentum of the investment in the country'soilandgassectorFormer Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Vincent Adams, has called on the government to stand up to its moral responsibilitytothecitizens, rather than worrying about discouraging investors from a company that “wants to exploitourresources.”

On Friday, Dr Adams, a member of the Alliance For Change (AFC), made the aforementioned statement during the Party's press conference.

Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo, during his recent press conference warnedthatthecourt'sruling that the EPA must secure unlimited parent guarantee from Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) parent company, ExxonMobil Corporation could hurt investors' confidence and deter future investments in the country's

oilandgasindustry

Also, on the evening the ruling was handed down, AttorneyGeneral(AG),Anil Nandlall, SC issued a statement signaling the government's intention to appealtheruling,alsosaying that, “This ruling can have profound ramifications and grave economic and other impacts on the public interest and national development…”

In response, Dr Adams shared that he recently read in the media the comments that were made about the impact the court's ruling couldhave.

“Areyoutellingmethata companythatgonnacomein Guyana to explore for oil, and because it's a requirementforthemtotake care of any damages that they have incurred they're notgonnawanttocomein,” Dr Adamsasked.According to him, the talks about discouraging investors, is justatactic.

He explained that while at the EPA, and before the change of government, he was working on securing a parent company guarantee fromExxon,beforetheEPA approved another Stabroek

Essequibo bartender charged for theft

- Vincent Adams tells Government

Block project for the

oil company

He assured that Exxon was aware of the deal that they were about to sign.

“Exxon knew the deal they were signing how come we did not discourage them when they signed up for the parent company guarantee? Howcometheydidn'trefuse

andsaywellokayyouknow what I'm gonna leave…” he added.

The former EPA head arguedthatasaGuyanesehe wouldtelltheoilcompanies “we don't need you” claiming they are just coming to Guyana to get rich, destroying the country intheprocess.

Former Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams

Coast,RegionTwo.

The defendant was identified as Bibi FaneezaAmin ofJohannaCecilia,EssequiboCoast.Shemadehercourt appearanceattheAnnaReginaMagistrates'Courtbefore Magistrate Esther Sam facing a simple larceny charge. Amin pleaded not guilty and was granted $50,000 bail. SheisscheduledtoreturntocourtonMay30,2023.

Charged for stealing, Bibi Faneeza Amin.

‘Return of the Scorpion’ boxing C/ship postponed until June 3

The highly anticipated "Return of the Scorpion" InternationalPro/Amboxing championship, originally scheduled for May 21 at the National Gymnasium, has been officially postponed due to unexpected difficulties in the travel arrangements for the participantsfromColombia.

The event will now take place on June 3, as announced during a press conferenceheldyesterdayat the 704 Restaurant and Bar, located at the corners of AlbertandLamahaStreetsin Georgetown.

Seon Bristol, the promoter of the event from Briso Promotions, along with the Guyana Boxing Board of Control, a c k n o w l e d g e s t h e

disappointment caused by this hurdle and wishes to apologize to the general publicforanyinconvenience experienced.

During the press conference, Promoter Bristol expressed his disappointment, stating, "Firstly, I would like to

Saturday May 20, 2023

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19

Todayisyourday,Aries!Do yourbesttomakeyourmark on the people around you, especially those closest to yourheart.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

You have an excellent day ahead, Taurus. It's likely to opennewhorizonsforyouat a time when the future may haveseemedbleak.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Several days ago you may have experienced a strong feelingofconnection.People close to you opened their hearts and expressed their hopesforthefuture.

CANCER(June21–July22)

There are some wonderful surprises in store for you, Cancer They could come in the form of a new career opportunity or potential dates.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Youcanlookforwardtoaday full of satisfaction, Leo.You may have made a strong impression on the people aroundyouasyoulearnedto m o d e r a t e y o u r outspokenness.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

You're definitely going to appreciate the harmony today, Virgo. After the confrontational mood of the past several days, it looks as thoughyouwillbeabletorest a bit. If you feel somewhat weary,it'sforgoodreason.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

The day will come when an authority applauds you for your work or research. Only thenwillyouunderstandthat you've let yourself be fooled bysociety

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)

You may feel that certain values in your profession won't let you undertake certainactivities.Butareyou sure about this, or have you triedtoconvinceyourself.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

Here you go again, philosophizing about what personal expression, creation,andauthenticityare allabout.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Think about tolerance, Capricorn,andnoticetowhat extent it can liberate you. If you let others do and think what they like, you will find that you grant yourself this sameright.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

Whynotsayyesalittlemore than usual, Aquarius? You can be stubborn and want to doonlywhatyouwant.Itisn't easy to lead you into the unknown.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

You could write fiction or journalism well today There's a good possibility that you have given some thought to a literary line of work. Why do you hesitate? It'snevertoolate.

express my gratitude to everyone here and around the world for your support. However,Imustinformyou all that both the promoter

and organizer received an unexpected blow last evening, forcing us to postponetheeventuntilJune 3."

Bristol went on to say, "Assomeoneinvolvedinthe boxing business, I can confidently say that every fighter in the ring has experiencedatoughpunchat some point in their career Today, we have faced that punch. But, like any great fighterwouldsay,whenyou gethit,youbobandweave." He reassured everyone that "despite the delay, the event will remain just as exciting onJune3."

The event was touted as the biggest Pro/Am boxing card in nearly two years, drawing comparisons to the historic Patrick Forde boxingeventfromthepast. Ticketscanbepurchased atthesolelocationofHot& Spicy Creole Corner. The prizes are: VVIP $10,000, VIP$6000,Ringside$3000, andStands$1000.

ExxonMobil Boys&GirlsU-14...

Frompage22 matches of the day which begin at 17:00 hrs, Ann's Grove will do battle with North Ruimveldt while Dolphin and Queenstown rekindletheirrivalry

TheExxonMobilBoysand G i r l s U n d e r - 1 4 Championships is an important event for young footballers in Guyana, since it provides an opportunity for them to showcase their skills and compete against their peersfromacrossthecountry

Thetournamentalsoserves as a platform for identifying talented players who can potentially represent Guyana attheinternationallevel.

This tournament is sanctioned by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) withsupportfromtheMinistry of Education, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), Guyana Shore Base Inc (GYSBI) and MVP Sports.

From left; Technical Director Terrance Poole, Sales and Marketing Manager of GreenWay Nigel Harry, Promoter Seon Bristol, Director of Sports Steve Ninvalle, GBBC Secretary Vikash Panday and Coach Sebert Blake during yesterday's press briefing.

Who will it be?!

Th e highly anticipa ted One Guyana F u t s a l Championship final is set to take place tonight at the National Park tarmac, with Bent Street and Sparta Boss vying for $1M, courtesy of KFCGuyana.

The two teams are expected to put on a thrilling display of futsal, followingthethirdp l a c e m a t c h between California Square and Back C i r c l e T h e previous encounter between Bent Street and Sparta Bossinthefinalsof the GFF/Kashif

and Shanghai F u t s a l championship was a fierce battle that saw Sparta Boss emergevictorious. Akel Clarke, captain of Bent S t r e e t , h a s expressed his team's desire to settlethescoreand claim the coveted prize Clarke

believes that his team's attacking prowess, led by Daniel Wilson, Sheldon Holder, andCliveNobrega, coupled with e x c e p t i o n a l goalkeeping, will be enough to securethewin.

Sparta Boss captain, Curtez Kellman,iswaryof

Bent Street's attackingthreatbut remains confident inhisteam'sability tocomeoutontop.

JermaineJunor, Kellman,andRyan Hackett have been the main goal scorers for Sparta B o s s i n t h e tournament thus far Aside from the top prize of $1M, t h e secondp l a c e team will

-SpartaBoss,BentStreettoclashfor $1MtonightatOneGuyanaFutsalfinals

receive $500,000, while the third and fourth-place finishers will take home $200,000 and $100,000 respectively

In addition to the exciting futsal action, a line-up of l o c a l a c t s , includingJamaican DJ and dancehall artiste Noah Power, is set to entertainthecrowd when the finals cometoaclose.

Bangladesh'A'holdWestIndies ‘A’toadrawinfirstunofficialTest

West Indies 'A' was forced to settle with a draw againstBangladesh'A'asthe first unofficial Test concluded at the Syhlet International Stadium on Friday

Bangladesh 'A', who were bowled out for 264 in their first innings and followed on, resumed from their overnight score of five without loss still trailing the tourists' score of 427-7 by 158runs.

Opener Shadman Islam top scored with 64 and Mahmudul Hasan Joy, 20, but the hosts would eventuallystaredefeatinthe face as the West Indies 'A' attack reduced them to 1327,still32runsshyofmaking thetouristsIndiesbatagain. However, as has often been the case with West

Indies teams in recent years, the attack seemed to run out ofsteamandwasrepelledby a late-innings rally that saw wicketkeeperJakerAliAnik, score an unbeaten 36 and Rishad Hossain, 20, in an unbroken eighth-wicket

stand of 55 that led Bangladesh'A'tosafety Gudakesh Motie took 213, Jair McAllister 2-48 and there was a wicket each for Raymon Reifer, Akeem Jordan and Kevin Sinclair (SportsMax)

Organizers of the One Guyana Futsal Tournament (L-R) Frank Parris, Kashif Muhammad, Colin 'BL' Aaron and Aubrey 'Shanghai' Major.

Captains square off! Akel Clarke (L) Captain of Bent Street, and Sparta Boss' captain, Curtez Kellman with the One Guyana Futsal championship trophy.

Affif Hossain and Joshua Da Silva share a hand shake following the coin toss of their first match.

Lady Jags drawn in Group A 2023 Road to Concacaf W Gold Cup…

This past Wednesday, Concacaf conducted the official draw for the 2023 Road to Concacaf W Gold Cup in Miami, which has pitted Guyana's Lady Jags in GroupAofLeagueB.

Guyana's Senior Women's Football squad shares the Group with Antigua and Barbuda, SurinameandDominica.

A total of 35 Concacaf women's national teams, excluding the two who will compete in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games Wo m e n ' s F o o t b a l l Tournament (USA and Canada or Jamaica), have been split into three leagues according to their Concacaf Women's Ranking as of March2023,andsub-divided intogroups.

The other Groups in League B with Guyana are Group B, which has El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras and Martinique, and Group C, which comprises of Dominican Republic, Bermuda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines andBarbados.

In 2022, Guyana

narrowly missed advancing to the Concacaf W Championship when they finished second in Group F with eights points behind Trinidad and Tobago, who topped the Group with ten points, while Nicaragua (7), Dominica and Turks (3) and Caicos (0) occupied the remainingspots.

While League A comprisesthetopnineteams in the Women's Ranking, LeagueBconsistsofthenext 12 best-ranked teams and League C contains the remaining14teams.

Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago,PuertoRico,Canada

or Jamaica, Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Haiti, and Saint Kitts and Nevis make up League A while Belize, Aruba, Turks and Caicos Islands, Bonaire, Cuba, Saint Lucia, Guadeloupe, Saint Maarten, US Virgin Islands, Grenada, Bahamas, Curacao, Cayman IslandsandAnguilla.

The road to the first-ever Concacaf W Gold Cup will begin this September, after the conclusion of the FIFA Women's World Cup, which

takes place this summer in Australia and New Zealand, and will include a record six competing Concacaf women'snationalteams.

According to a release from CONCACAF, after home and away group stage play within each League in the FIFA Women's Internationalmatchwindows

of September, October and November 2023, the top finishers in each of the League A groups (three teams) will qualify for the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup Group Stage Furthermore, the second-place finishers in each of the LeagueAgroups (three teams) and the firstplacefinishersineachofthe

League B groups (three teams) will advance to the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup Prelims.

The W Gold Cup is the region'spremiercompetition for women's senior national teamsandisakeypartofthe "Concacaf W" women's football strategy the Confederation launched in

2019. The inaugural edition will be played between February 17 and March 10, 2024, in the United States, and will include a six-team prelim, a 12-team group stage and a three-round KnockoutStage.

Concacaf will announce the 2023 Road to W Gold Cupscheduleatalaterdate.

ExxonMobil Boys & Girls U-14 Championships kicks off today

The fourth edition of the ExxonMobil-sponsored Boys and Girls Under1 4 S c h o o l s F o o t b a l l Championships will commence today at the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) Ground following a week's delay due to inclement weather

According to Troy Mendonca, Co-Directoroftheorganisingteam – Petra, some brilliant sunshine duringtheweekhasgiventhemthe opportunity to get the ball rolling. Thetournamentwasinitiallysetto beginonMay13.

Following the first day's opening ceremony, a total of 24 matchesarebilledtounfoldacross thetwodivisionsonthefourpitches that will be used. Matches will be contestedsimultaneously

In the Girls' Division, which commences alongside the Boys' Division, New Central High and President's College will collide while West Ruimveldt will go up againstWestminsterfrom11:00hrs.

At 12:00hrs, East Ruimveldt battleNewAmsterdamandBartica tackle Marian Academy while at 13:00hrs, spectators will witness the defending champion, Charlestown, versus St. Cuthbert's Mission and Waramuri Top versus Vergenoegen.

Ann's Grove play Dora while Cummings Lodge lock horns with Tucville,bothfrom14:00hrswhile Mackenzie face the Institute of Academic Excellence while St. Stanislaus will battle a team to be named.

For Boys, Annandale meet

Patentia and defending champion, Charlestown,collidewithBushLot intheopeningmatchesfrom11:00 hrs.At noon, New Central High tackles St Cuthbert's Mission while Charity take onWestminster while at 13:00hrs,West Ruimveldt battle Fort Wellington and Bartica

go

head-to-head with New Amsterdam.

EastRuimveldtandMackenzie

HigharetomeetChristChurchand Manchesterfrom14:00hrswhileat 15:00hrs, Marian Academy and Christianburg/Wismar collide with St. Stanislaus College and Canje

Secondary, respectively.At 16:00 hrs, Waramuri Top battle Institute of Academic Excellence, Carmel take on Vergenoegen, President's College meet Cummings Lodge and Chase'sAcademic Foundation tackleDora.Inthefinaltwo (Continuedonpage19)

The Lady Jags ended their campaign at the 2022 Concacaf 'W' Qualifiers undefeated. (Photo: Concacaf)

Representatives of the 42 teams were briefed on May 9 at the National Library Conference Room.

‘Wonder girl’ Springer shatters South American U20 in Athletics 400m record

ByRawleToney

Tianna Springer wrote her names in the annals Guyana's track and field, when the 16-year-old shatteredtheSouthAmerican U20 Championships in Athletics400mmetrerecord, on her way to win gold in Bogota,Colombiayesterday

- EzekielNewtonsecures100mbronze

Springer, who hails from thevillageofPlaisanceonthe East Coast of Demerara, became the seventh Guyanesetowinagoldatthe eventwhichstarted1959.

This year's CARIFTA Games 400m gold medallist also became the first female

to win an individual gold medalattheSouthAmerican U20 Championships since Chantoba Bright 2017 performance in the women's LongJump.

Springer was just two years old when Brazil's Bárbara de Oliveira ran

53.44s in 2009 in São Paulo to set the Championships' record.

Fast forward 14 years later, Springer came close to Oliveira'srecordinthesemifinals of her 400m event whensheran53.53stofinish aheadofthefield.

Nevertheless, it seems like coach Johnny Gravesande must have told the Tutorial High School student about how close she came to 400m record, since Springer returned in the finalsandaddedanextrapace inthefinal100metresonthe tracktoensurethattherecord andaplaceinhistorydoesn't slipway

Brazilian Camille de Oliveira finished second (54 1s) and Mahomy Valasquez of Colombia (54.5s)wasthird.

Springer is now the only Guyanesewitharecordatthe South American U20 in Athletics.

However, Kadecia Baird's 51.04s silver medal performance at the 2012 WorldJuniorChampionships in Athletics remains the fastest time by a South American female at the U20 category

Meanwhile, Ezekiel Newton sprinted to a bronze medal in the Men's 100m,

doingsowithapersonalbest 10.42s.

His race was won by Brazil's Renan Gallina, who shatteredthemeetrecordand SouthAmericanU20Record with10.01s.

His time was also a top fiveall-timeinthe100m.

The previous 100m record (10.23s) was held by Brazilian Erick Cardoso, set in2019atthechampionships inCali,Colombia.

NewtonnowaddsanU20 bronzetohisSouthAmerican U18 Championships silver medal,earnedinthe200min SãoPaulo,Brazillastyear

In the women's 100m finals,KareseLloydcameup shortwithhertimeof12.15s

not enough to see the Guyanese sprinter on the podium.

Tianna Springer (200m, 400m), Ezekiel Newton (100m,200m),WesleyNoble (800m), Karese Lloyd (100m, 200m), Jaheel Corvette(100m,200m),Erin Leitch(longjump),andIsiah Trim (high jump) are the athletes representing the Land of Many Waters at the Championship which will concludeonMay21.

The team has received tangible support from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, the National Sports Commission and the GuyanaOlympicAssociation (GOA).

Ezekiel Newton (L) and Tianna springer

Guyana's Devin Permaul qualifies for Archery Pan Am Games

Cyclists ready to excite at Three Stage meet

Archery Guyana's Devin PersaudPermaul has earned a spot at Pan Am Games.The Santiago 2023 PanAmerican Games serves as a qualifier for the next OlympicGamesinParis2024.

Permaul and Wayne DeAbreu, who both competed at the recent Copa Merengue (Pan Am Games Qualifier) in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, shared their scores. The practice began last month with qualification matches which began onWednesday 12th, with 12 rounds of 6 arrows at 70 meters.Permaul shotarankingscoreof610andDeAbreua ranking score of 534. Advancing into the Elimination Rounds on Thursday 13th, Permaul won against Andrees Icaza of

Ecuador and then lost to Andres Gallardo of Chile, while De Abreu lost to Daniel Velarde Gonzales of Peru. Permaul stated, "It was a mediocre performance but enough to put me in themiddleofthepack;finishedranking22nd."

However, this has put Guyana in a spot to qualifyfortheOlympicGamesattheupcoming qualifiers and will be encouraging our locallybasedathletestokeep'aiming'forthegold.

TheBoardofDirectorsofArcheryGuyana congratulates Devin Persaud-Permaul for this high international ranking for Guyana for the first time. Sincere thanks are also extended and recorded to the Executive Committee of the Guyana Olympic Association for the contribution recently given to assist Guyana's toptwoArcherstoparticipateinthisevent.

The 40th Independence Three-Stage Cycling Road Race organized by the NationalSportsCommission and Guyana Cycling Federationissettotakeplace today, with over 50 elite cyclists from Guyana, Trinidad, and Suriname expectedtoparticipate.

Thismuch-awaitedevent in the cycling calendar of Guyana will feature the customary routes in Berbice and Demerara, with the first two stages moving from

Corriverton to New Amsterdam and then from the Berbice River Bridge to Carifesta Avenue in Georgetown.

The third and final stage will take place from Linden to Homestretch Avenue in Georgetown.

Theoverallwinnerofthe race is guaranteed G$150,000, with cash prizes forthetopsixfinishers.

Last year's event was dominated by Team Foundation, with Akil

- Over 50 cyclists registered for lucrative event

Independence three-stage cycling road race starts today

Campbell of Trinidad and Tobago and Guyanese Jamual John finishing first andsecondrespectively

The NSC and the GCF said they have left no stone unturnedinensuringthatthe event is a success, with emphasisbeingplacedonthe safety and well-being of the participants.

All necessary measures have been taken to ensure a smooth and hassle-free experience for everyone involved.

Guyana's Devin Permaul lines up a shot.