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Omai expands Saturday Edition NEWS search, unearths another mega gold find in Guyana AIETEUR

May 28, 2022 - Vol. 16 No. 20

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $80 readership yesterday, 73,042

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

Guyana must ensure “clean up money” available before oil projects end ...country could foot bill if ExxonMobil walks away - Analyst

A fairer deal or NO RENEWAL! “There is a time in the affairs of men, which when taken at the flood leads on to fortune...” That was William Shakespeare, and this is such a time in Guyana’s affairs.

Our leaders must not shrink, must not hesitate, nor retreat.

President Ali, through the EPA, must lay down this country’s demands for what it

must get from the Liza-1 Permit Renewal. We are demanding.

We are no longer content with crumbs from Exxon; therefore, we are not begging anymore. There is not a single international expert who has said that this lopsided deal is fair or beneficial to Guyana.

Vice President Jagdeo has himself said that the contract is lopsided and that “we have now to find ways and means to eke out more benefits.”

The Liza-1 Permit renewal is such a godsend, the “ways and means” to get more for Guyana.

This is non-negotiable.

We m u s t g e t m o r e

financially, more environmental protection, better sharing of expenses and Exxon must pay taxes as locals do.

Strike now!

Strike powerfully. In situations such as these, is when leaders show what they are made of, how much they are for what is right, and for the people.

Protestors ask Govt…

Teacher found dead in- Police house wanted at Crane bulletinissues for husband Health Ministry’s driver shot dead in Sophia

How long do you propose to give cash hand outs before increasing wages?

ExxonMobil needs M.V. Kanawan will Guyana, more than be out of service for Guyana needs Exxon - Int’l experts ready to lend support

5 weeks from June 1

Exxon in breach of our right to prior consultation- Canal residents tell EPA Gas-to-Energy project...

p. 3

UK, USA and Canada just demanded more $$$ in royalties and taxes from their oil companies. What happen to Guyana? Goat bite we? Liza 1 Permit renewal can bring MORE $$$ without having to touch the lopsided oil Listen to The Glenn Lall Show contract. Let’s wait and see if the politicians love EM shareholders more than you and me. @11:00hrs on Kaieteur Radio 99.1/99.5FM

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An Omai pit in Potaro, Region Seven

Kaieteur News

Saturday May 28, 2022

Omai expands search, unearths another mega gold find in Guyana Gold Mining giant, Omai Gold Mines Corp yesterday announced that in its expanded drilling operations it has come across another significant find recording ore containing gold at just over five grams per tonne of ore mined.

The announcement was made by the entity, which in a public statement for its shareholders documented that two bore holes stepped out to the west and one hit 5.01 grams per ton (g/t) gold over 8.5 metres (m) from

215m depth at its Omai gold project in Guyana which has since been extended to the Wenot deposit to the west of its current operations.

The other bore hole, according to Omai, intersected 2.32 g/t of the yellow metal over 17.1m starting from 246.9m depth.

“This intercept is down dip of a zone drilled by shallow 1990’s holes, which hit 21m at 1.5 g/t gold and 6m at 1.88 g/t, suggesting continuity of this zone from surface down to at least a 140m depth,” said the firm.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Omai Elaine Ellingham, in a public statement following the find said, “We are very pleased that our drilling has established that the Wenot shear zone extends to the west and continues to host significant gold mineralization.”

According to the CEO, “The gold mineralization in these new holes is similar to the main zones at Wenot. We recently deployed the second drill to commence step out drilling on the eastern extension of the Wenot deposit, roughly two kilometers to the east.”

The CEO added that “our objective is to work towards a revised NI 43-101 Wenot resource, assuming favourable results continue as we explore both the east and west extensions of the Wenot shear.”

It was noted too that e x p a n d i n g t h e We n o t resource into these un-mined areas is significant for an ultimate mine plan as these could contribute to lowerstrip-ratio starter pits for the larger Wenot deposit.

In January this year, the company released an initial resource estimate for the We n o t d e p o s i t , w h i c h showed 703,300 ounces of g o ld in th e in d icated category and 940,000 ounces in inferred.

Omai CEO, Elaine Ellingham The company yesterday documented were assays from other five diamond holes, for 1,213m in four target areas west of the Fennell pit and to the southwest of the Wenot pit.

It was noted that three drill holes were completed in the Blueberry Hill area, with highlight results including 0.9m at 41.74 g/t gold from 150.6m depth.

“Another trench, following on from six large trenches reported in February, which showed high grade gold, was also completed on the eastern side of Blueberry Hill with one channel sample showing 5.13 g/t gold over 1m.”

Omai Gold Mines, via its wholly-owned subsidiary Avalon Gold Exploration, holds a 100 percent interest in the Omai prospecting licence that includes the past producing Omai Gold Mine, and a 100 percent interest in the adjoining Eastern Flats mining permits.

Once South America’s largest producing gold mine, Omai produced over 3.7 million ounces of gold between 1993 and 2005.

The company, in the short-term, said it wants to build on the known resources, while advancing exploration on key targets in a bid to create significant value for all stakeholders.

Kaieteur News

Saturday May 28, 2022

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Guyana must ensure ‘clean up money’ available before oil projects end …country could foot bill if ExxonMobil walks away - Analyst

A

ccording to the 2016 Production S h a r i n g Agreement (PSA) signed between the country and an ExxonMobil G u y a n a - l e d consortium—the joint venture is required to clean up and safely remove subsea infrastructure after it has emptied all the oil and gas from the respective fields.

This clean up exercise is done approximately two decades after operations begin at certain fields in the Stabroek Block.

Interestingly, Guyana’s authorities have allowed Exxon and its partners to start recovering the clean up money even before a cent is spent.

But of even more concern, is that while Guyana has afforded Exxon and its partners this unusual privilege, the country seems to have no plan in place to ensure the companies actually have money set aside for the cleanup activities.

Director of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) Tom Sanzillo, is adamant that this is not the way things are done in the oil industry.

Sanzillo said, “ExxonMobil is going against industry standards in Guyana by receiving US$3.2 billion for decommissioning costs that is required to be set aside for decommissioning and clean-up in the country.”

The IEEFA analyst said that ExxonMobil continues to benefit from the system, which requires Guyana to pay for costs of decommissioning wells in advance with no oversight of the company. At this point, ExxonMobil and its oil partners have a real

opportunity to pocket millions—if not billions—with no accountability, the IEEFA noted in a report.

“If they take the money, sell the project before the wells are decommissioned and pass the liability onto a weaker company, Guyana’s taxpayers could be left footing the bill,” Sanzillo highlighted.

“With no provision to ensure the money paid upfront will be available in 20 years, there is a real chance that the taxpayers of Guyana could be left footing the bill.”

Sanzillo reiterated that, ExxonMobil stands to earn big from this arrangement.

He said it would do the country well to have

additional disclosures regarding decommissioning which would benefit the people of Guyana.

Furthermore, Sanzillo pointed out that the decommissioning loophole, “…is yet another example of Guyana being shortchanged under its existing petroleum agreement with ExxonMobil, Hess, and the Chinese National Offshore Oil Company.” Sanzillo noted that ExxonMobil and its partners benefit from a system that requires the country to pay for decommissioning in advance installments, which starts from the beginning of the contract.

“Guyana then relies on the companies to pay for the decommissioning 20 years later. Industry practice establishes that a trust

account should be set up for such a fossil fuel drilling and extraction project. The trust account can only be used to pay for the abandonment costs when they occur.

H o w e v e r, G u y a n a ’s agreement does not require that a trust account be established.”

Last year, International Lawyer, Melinda Janki called out the government for not ensuring measures to protect the advanced decommissioning payments.

In a letter to the press, she said that, Guyana’s wells are ultra-deep and very d a n g e r o u s .

Decommissioning is expensive, she said, pointing to the IHS Markit Report 2021, which also estimated that some US$3.1 billion would be needed for the decommissioning of the Liza and Payara wells.

“Clearly, the government, as servants of the people of Guyana, have a duty to ensure that the Guyanese are not left to pay this US$3.1billion (roughly G$651 billion) or more for decommissioning. The government must therefore ensure that Esso puts this decommissioning money into an escrow account to pay for decommissioning and nothing else.”

Janki and Sanzillo, were recent panelists on a webinar hosted by international nonprofit organisation, Avaaz hosted webinar where they urged the Guyanese government to put certain measures in place before it renews Exxon’s Liza Phase One Environmental Permit.

Avaaz has also started a global campaign with thousands of signatories urging the Environmental Protection Agency to not renew Exxon’s Liza Phase One permit which comes to an end on May 31, 2022 due to environmental and financial inefficiencies.

Exxon in breach of our right to prior consultation - Canal residents Gas-to-Energy project...

More than a dozen residents of Canal Number One, West Bank Demerara have attached their signatures in a letter addressed to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), citing a breach to their right of prior consultation for the proposed Gas-to-Energy pipeline, to be constructed

by ExxonMobil in partnership with the Guyana Government.

In the letter dated May 26, 2022 to the Executive Director of the regulatory a g e n c y, M r . K e m r a j Parsram, the citizens said they were never consulted, and called for the suspension of the 60-days period, which was opened to allow persons with concerns to register same with the EPA. “We the residents of Canal Number One, an area through which the proposed pipeline runs, were not consulted at any time before the submissions of the EIA

A farmer in his rice field at Canal Number One and EIS for the Gas-toEnergy project. This is a fundamental breach of our rights and those under (the) Environmental Protections Act s.11 (9) along with a breach of the principles of internationally recognized consultation practices,” the letter detailed.

About 18 signatures were attached to the correspondence. The law states at Section 11(9) “During the course of the

environmental impact assessment, the developer and the person carrying out the environmental impact assessment shall (a) consult members of the public, interested bodies and organizations; (b) provide to members of the public on request, and at no more than the reasonable cost of photocopying, copies of information obtained for the p u r p o s e o f t h e environmental impact assessment”.

The EIA submitted by the Environmental Resources Management (ERM) for the Wales Gas-toEnergy project, has signaled that some land owners in Crane, Canal Number One and Canal Number Two, in Region Three may not be allowed to grow crops or develop new structures that may interfere with the pipeline to be laid by Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL).

The document said that

one residential property within the planned onshore pipeline route about 175 meters south of the shore crossing may have to relocate, along with four other dwellings located within 500 meters of the heavy haul road and temporary materials offloading facility (MOF).

EEPGL was keen to note that the government is responsible for Projectrelated land acquisition but the company will support the administration in developing and implementing a ‘Resettlement and Livelihood Restoration Strategy’ aligned with “international standards”.

When it comes to land use, the oil company explained that the project may result in a change of land ownership or tenure for all or part of a property, parcel, or land use area. It explained that a 12.2 meter wide permanent right of way (ROW) will be established to

aid in operation and maintenance of the onshore pipeline.

As such, any land that falls within the permanent ROW will be frozen. The document did not say how many homes will be affected by this ROW. According to the document, “Land use in the permanent RoW will be restricted and growing crops or construction of any structures will not be permitted in the permanent RoW. The legal formation of the RoW may result in changes to existing private property boundaries and/or the details of licences, leases, permits, or other tenures related to the use of affected public lands.”

M o r e o v e r, t h e E I A cautions that the project to be built at Wales can result in long-term hardships for farmers within close proximity to the plant and pipeline, as impacts to their agricultural products could extend beyond the

construction phase to the operations stage of the facility. This impact will be relevant to rice fields, north and south of Crane, West Minister/ Lust-en-Rust rice fields and pineapple and mixed crops in the northern part of Canal Number Two and the south and northern half of Canal Number One. In this regard, one resident and Attorney-atLaw Elizabeth Hughes told the EPA that the entire EIA process should be scrapped and redone. She gave her comments on the matter at a consultation hosted on May 11, last.

According to her, “What we can do is recall the EIA and fix the fact that, I am assuming that we (residents in the Area of Influence) are primary stakeholders, the people who live next to the pipeline so recall it and have meetings with us because we are in the Area of Influence (AOI)…but yet we were (Continued on page 20)

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Saturday May 28, 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

Pride in sharing a lost, now scorned practice

O

ur BLUNT page (page 7) presented something on January 17 that should make citizens of this country sit up and take stock. It is how we are and where we are today, as a collection of peoples. It is of what used to be the norm before in this poor society, but is now something that is rarely practised, and sometimes which is viewed in contemptuous terms. This is especially so among the ranks of those who are capitalising on connections to make a killing from this national oil bonanza.

The BLUNT commentary reminded us of a simpler time that is now history, and as good as dead. It is of “the days when people took pride in sharing with each other.” Indeed, there was a time when Guyanese did that, no matter how little they had. They always had the willingness; they found the heart to share. They did this we are told “not for publicity, but just because they had excess…” We would take the position that Guyanese, particularly those who were poorer took pride in sharing from their meager cupboards and paltry pots, whatever was there, sometimes even if that means that they had to do with a little less.

And all because somebody, some neighbour, some stranger, some family member, didnt have and it was the right thing to do, the only thing that those who had could think to do.

When we compare and contrast that standard of long ago to what is happening today, we shake our head in shame and regret at the self-destructiveness of what grips us, and leaves us at that place where we are smaller people, and less of a caring and sharing nation. The ugly irony of today is that we have so much. We have been told by many of the worlds authorities of how we are among the richest people in the world, and there is this incredible selfishness, this devotion to the self-enriching.

This is even when it means that such self-enrichment can only be possible at the expense of those citizens and brethren positioned lower down on the social and economic ladders.

Now that we have been blessed with these fabulous natural resource endowments, there is this massive outburst of energy to grab and get as much as can be had, even if this means that other Guyanese have to be pushed out of the way, or trampled upon in the mad rush to seize the biggest slices of the national pie. Our political and commercial leaders set the tone for this kind of wanton and callous behaviour, which has now become a startling feature of the embedded national culture.

As the BLUNT comment insisted and emphasized, those who dont remember “are probably too young or just part of the problem in our society.”

The ones that are too young can be excused, as they have no frame of reference, no actual experience being near that kind of environment, close to such kinds of caring and compassionate citizens, be they their own family members, or simply others that did feel for others.

Regarding those who dont remember because they are “part of the problem” only the worst could be thought of them, and the same written and spoken and believed about them. Their selfishness is staggering and frightening, so deep and so widespread it is, this knocking of others out of the way, and kicking their fellow Guyanese out of contention, because they have to have all of what is there for themselves. Thus, there is never anything, any scrap or morsel, left to share.

There is enough to go around with much left over for all Guyanese. It is called spreading the wealth, and we have so much wealth and so few people (relatively speaking) that the appalling selfishness that prevails in this country from leaders to insiders to some favoured followers just should not be. We dont think that this is going to change, but that it is only going to get worse.

It is dog eat dog, and down with the weak. It is the new breed of Guyanese, and of the madness, which riches have transformed them into being.

Raphael Trotman should declare, ‘My God what have I done?’

DEAR EDITOR, As the days eclipse the night and the battle for our fair share intensifies, the mindset of the Guyanese people plummets to the path of oblivion whilst pondering on the dismal horizon that seem to engulf this nation.

This aspect propels a great degree of anger, astonishment and disbelief when analyzing the insanity and obscurity embedded in the oil contract, which is presently

viewed as the greatest betrayal of the century. We can all recall in unison that when the atomic bomb was thrown on Japan, the aftermath of the glare caused a strange reaction from the pilot who after viewing the said catastrophe immediately in great shock exclaimed, “My God what have I done?”

This nation patiently awaits the said utterance from the former Minister of Natural Resource, Raphael

Trotman. For us as Guyanese people, we can proudly say without any fear of contradiction that the most barbaric of tribes would not have ventured into this abyss of despair that causes tremendous unabated suffering.

Presently, the distress signal is constantly being trumpeted from the lips of the Guyanese people seeking the glorious fortitude of protection but all is not lost for if the incumbent can produce

the Midas touch then our great future is ascertained although major doubts persist in this respect.

Today as the general population creaks under the economic pressure brought about by the hands of our socalled leaders, the lips of many people are giving utterances that no human being can bear to hear.

Regards, Ronald Alexander Drakes

The Liza-1 Permit runs out on this first phase of its existence on May 31 DEAR EDITOR, The renewal of this permit is a make-or-break opportunity for Guyana; and our leaders must seize the moment with both hands to make inroads in reversing the overwhelmingly lopsided character of the deal with which we live. What the President and Vice President do will signal to Guyanese and the world many things about them. Foremost is whether both are brothers of all Guyanese, or if they are fawning, craving, kowtowing followers of Exxon. Both of them can manifest to all citizens that they are warriors in a true cause; or that they are impotent, pathetic weaklings of the most pitied stripe. As I state where I stand, I include the Leader of the Opposition, who incidentally made a most timely call for the ‘forging of national unity’, a kind of steely social togetherness. Those elements must be lent without qualification to the efforts of the two government leaders I identified, so that there is a cohesive front in dealing with Guyana’s vulnerable partner, which is a financial exploiter, the worst of corporate predators.

In this the time of the Liza1 Permit renewal, the PPP Government leaders must not wilt, they must not fail this nation.

There is this opening, this leverage to extract terms that become the beginning of the norm for what happens in those 10,000 plus square miles of offshore exploration and production territory, its many possibilities. This permit renewal is simultaneously a little development and a most crucial one. It is little in that the window of opportunity to manoeuvre must be snapped up and exploited to the hilt, to get some material benefits for Guyana, some measurable concessions that are palpable and embraceable. In other words, they are welcomed because they mean something on the plus side of the ledger

for us.

The arguments about who is responsible for the ugly deal, and who could have done better, are all irrelevant, as long as we have to live with it. We can look back and quarrel until Judgment Day, but that does absolutely nothing to change one syllable, one clause, one provision of the same contract that so cruelly haemorrhages the wealth of Guyana. As I see it, it is so much better, much more practical, to look to what is in front of us right now, and grab on to the lever made possible by the permit renewal and hang on for all that our leaders are worth. I urge them to expend every fiber, every iota of energy that is at their disposal, and to wrest from a tight-fisted, strong, and seasoned corporate oil opponent (maybe even enemy) something of value for Guyanese. Looking at all this, it is obvious that our leaders, and none like those in the drivers’ seat in the PPP Government, have a rare occasion when the pendulum is in their corner. It must be held on to and not allowed to swing back to the side of Exxon and favour the oil behemoth as it has been from the inception.

Guyana must get some of what is due to it in what must be the first unraveling, the first reversing, of what we have lived within this burdensome, draining deal. Whatever menacing chips led to its current existence must now be revisited and refined. This is the crossroad at which the two top leaders in the PPP Government find themselves.

The time for posturing and promising is over. The long period of finger pointing and blaming, no matter how justified, must be left behind through a new leadership beginning.

This is where Guyana’s President and Vice President get to prove what they are made of, how much they can back up all the talk of the

‘wrong end of the stick’ and that there must be ‘renegotiating.’ This does not involve the Environmental Protection Agency, which is reduced to a passive and obedient bystander in this Liza-1 Permit renewal, let that be made clear.

This is the President’s and Vice President’s ball to run with and carry across the finish line. The muscle of the Leader of the Opposition can only be of help in the circumstances that are before today.

As Guyana’s leaders face what is before them, the choices they must make at this pivotal crossroad will determine what kind of men they are, how much of a fighter each one is. They can stay with what Exxon strangles Guyana; or they can bring everything to a screeching halt and say this is where we start over from right now.

Something has to give, a corner taken, a new direction traveled in this country’s management of its oil relationship and partnership. In the hands of our leaders rests this weighty responsibility. Today, they have some trumps: our oil resources are proven beyond doubt, our possibilities almost endless, our menaces down to a manageable

level.

For its part, Exxon has sunk too much in offshore fields to balk now, to quibble too much, over percentage points, to continue to be this one-sided, this rapacious. It stands to gain more by bargaining in good faith and with goodwill to Guyana. Goodwill to Guyana means more money, more of an environmental security blanket, more of a balanced expense and tax regime. From the perspective of Guyanese, what results cannot be of nickels and dimes, for those would represent only more of the same that is already there. My parting counsel to leaders is simple. If I were leading the charge currently, the recognition would be that once there is delivery of economic substance, and then everything else would be left in the dust.

All doubts dissipated, all questions and suspicions and speculations about what and who is stood for put to final rest. And it would be because the right choices were made at the challenging crossroad faced. It would be for Guyana. Then Guyana.

And all Guyanese again.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

Commendable Flag Raising show in Essequibo DEAR EDITOR, I wish to commend the Government of Guyana for choosing Essequibo Coast to celebrate this year s 56th Independence Anniversary in a grand way.

Indeed, Essequibians are delighted for this treat with the starting of the event by the paratroopers from the Guyana Defence Force and then the huge culmination at the Damon’s Square in the township of Anna Regina, this was a spectacular event.

His Excellency Dr. Irfaan Ali addressed the gathering after taking the salute by the guard

of honour. Also present were Vice President Bharat Jagdeo and many ministers of government. We are very thankful for this grand celebration of our 56th Independence and proud to be a Guyanese. I want to urge fellow citizens to do whatever you can to help our country in its development processes: be it keeping your surroundings clean and tidy or get yourself involved in community groups. Lets us continue to live in unity and harmony for a better Guyana.

Yours truly, Andrieko Basir.

Saturday May 28, 2022

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Kaieteur News

Honesty, decency, competence A Truth & Reconciliation lacking in public sphere Commission on Ethnic Violence

DEAR EDITOR, Treasured qualities of managing a business or for government employment or for being a Minister or state official (head of an agency) are honesty, decency, professionalism, trust, and competence. Are they no longer prized? These seem to have been thrown out the window when being considered for upper levels of government positions at some ministries and state entities. Promises were made for oil renegotiation but not honoured. Isn’t that a deception?

Since ancient times, as I learn from my degree study at UG, honesty has been a prized and priceless quality in all aspects of employment.

But today, there is a flip-flop of qualities needed to be a good valued worker. Dishonesty and corruption are prized. These have been eating away at the fabric of the society. The vices of deception and fraud are prized; these two qualities seem required to land a top job in government irrespective of which party in office. How can we get back to good governance that was promised by successive governments but never delivered?

In the 2015 election, there were the choices of corruption and the promise a good life. People went for the good life, which turned out to be a nightmare for the next five years. In the 2020 election, the choices facing the electorate were between the racist and the corrupt. The corrupt won out.

Just examine what’s happening! For some positions of state employment, being a ‘tief’ (a corrupt) is a good quality and makes one a good person for one’s boss. Many of those implicated in corruption pre-2015 are back in high positions. Some new faces have emerged and have also joined the ranks of the corrupt. The honest are left by the wayside. Being corrupt seems like the proper thing.

The more corrupt one is, the higher the position one is appointed followed by promotions. Females and young boys are coerced into bodily acts to retain positions or gain employments and promotions. The financial and regulatory systems seem compromised and are being massacred.

On work compromises and ethics, isn’t it true that engineers are instructed not to review quality of work offered and to sign off for approval of payment? Is it true that engineers have been instructed to approve purchase of sub-standard at exorbitant prices? Is it true that a most competent engineer from Berbice has been moved because he refused to take instructions from a contractor closely aligned with a high ministerial official? Is it true that huge contracts are given to totally unqualified bidders and contractors?

Since the passing of the

Jagan’s, the qualities of dishonesty, crookedness, incompetence, malfeasance, lack of probity, “cussing” out, and unprofessionalism have become the new virtues for employment; they are the treasured qualities used to hire people to work at high positions at some Ministries and at some state entities. Honesty, competence, effectiveness, efficiency, professionalism, selflessness, transparency, accountability, openness, ethics, and rule of law, which have been the hallmarks of good governance during Jaganism and colonial rule, no longer matter in hiring practices for some positions.

Clearly, the value system has changed since the passing of the Jagan’s. It is most unfortunate that the preceding qualities are no longer the guiding principles in governance.

Yours truly, Justin Defreitas

DEAR EDITOR, I thank Malcolm Harripaul for reminding us of what was perpetrated in the greater Linden area in May and July 1964, but I believe he erred (May 25) penning that elements of the PPP Liberation Army bombed the Sun Chapman that was on course to McKenzie from Georgetown on July 6, 1964 that resulted in the deaths of 43 Africans. It is not known definitively what led to the explosion. The launch or passenger boat was not ‘bombed’ unless Malcolm can cite the violence. Some 3,000 Indians were ejected from the area — on May 26, 1964 losing their homes, properties, possessions, and belongings that would amount in today’s vale, a couple hundred million American dollars.

It is a day of infamy and victims’ families still remember what happened to them 58 years ago. They hold private

Keep up the good work officers DEAR EDITOR, I had to write this letter because like most Guyanese, I have a very negative impression of the Guyana Police Force and its members and so I was pleasantly surprised when recently I had to interact with three members of the Force who were completely professional with the way they dealt with my matter yet at the same time, they were courteous and friendly.

Moreover, I am referring to Inspector Warde at Interpol, Inspector Reid at CID and DSP Halley at the Passport Office.

After interacting and talking to these three people, I am convinced that the Guyana Police Force is in good hands

and these people should be the face of the Force. I only do hope there are more like them who will be able to enhance the image of the force and change the public perception of that institution.

I know when this letter is published I will come in for blows from friends and families for praising the GPF, especially from those who have suffered at the hands of the police and therefore, I would like to call on the Commissioner of Police and Minister Benn to put programmes in place to deal with the few rogue elements of the Force who are giving the GPF a bad name.

I get the impression that the rogue elements are at the

lower level of the ladder and so we need to have another look at our recruitment practices and the quality of people we bring into the Force.

I will also like to recommend that we change the name of the Force to the Guyana Police Service in keeping with its motto, “to serve and protect.”

Once again, a heartfelt thanks to Inspector Warde, Inspector Reid and DSP Halley for a job well done.

All of you are true professionals and an asset to the Guyana Police Service.

The Police Commissioner should be proud of all of you.

Keep up the good work.

Regards, Imtiaz Bacchus

memorial services since government does not hold any to remember the victims. The PNC and the Granger administrations held memorial services for the Sun Chapman.

The Commission of Inquiry into the horrific act reported that explosives were kept near the engine room of the Sun Chapman launch with the heat triggering a blast. It is not clear if the explosives were planted by an agent (s) or were brought on board to be transported to WismarMcKenzie to unleash violence on people on account of race as alleged by many PPP activists.

In my interviews with individuals familiar with the incident, some alleged that the explosives were secretly brought on board and hidden near the engine room so as not to be detected. PPP leaders denied they were affiliated with those who planted the explosive near the engine of the vessel.

We may never know the truth about the Sun Chapman explosion. Each side put out their own narrative. A few years back, David Granger, as a historian wrote, about it in a paper delivered at a conference; there was a brief reference to the Wismar Indian Massacre. Prof. Alissa Trotz also made short shrift of the Wismar Indian Massacre while focusing on the Sun Chapman when she wrote on commemoration of historic events relating to violence.

Sharma Solomon also ignored the anti-Indian pogrom at Wismar when commenting on

the tragedy of Sun Chapman.

President Granger promised during an election campaign and put up a memorial site for the Sun Chapman; a wall with the names of the victims was established. There is no similar equivalent memorial site for the many killed and for some 3,000 Indians who were ethnically cleansed from Linden, a town named after the dictator Forbes Burnham after the butchery at Christianburg, Wismar, McKenzie communities.

The 1960s was a most difficult period for Guyana. The cold war affected race relations in the colony. Communism was injected into our politics in 1950 from which we have not recovered.

A Commission of Inquiry (or a Truth and Reconciliation Commission a la South Africa in the 1990s) should be conducted into the violence in Christianburg, Wismar, McKenzie communities (and nationally) to bring closure to those who were affected by the orgy of violence that swept the country during the 1960s.

We should not bury the past. We should record factually and dispassionately, without casting blame, what happened. And we should pursue forgiveness in order to move on as Nelson Mandela did in South Africa.

Pretending that ugly incidents never happened and that we live in a harmonious state will not allow us to move on.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

PAGE 6

It is unethical and unprofessional to take credit for the work of others DEAR EDITOR, I have reviewed the Guyana Development Initiative Project report and analysis led by Harvard University Professor Michael Porter, head of the Institute for Strategy and competitiveness (ISC) at Harvard School of Business. Below are excerpts from the attached article titled: Guyanese scholar discredits Guyana’s Development Initiative report by the Harvard Institute for strategy and competitiveness team.

At best, the report is unscientific. While lacking originality, it reuses material from various earlier reports and sources without citing or incorrectly taking credit for the data. It is unethical and unprofessional to take credit for the work of others. The report further asserts that Guyana last participated in the Global Competitiveness Index in 2015. However, there is a 2019 Edition of the Global Competitiveness Index where Guyana ranks 121 out of 140 Countries. The authors

stated that researchers consulted with New York and Miami diaspora members. Leaders of several diaspora groups deny that statement.

Again, the report’s authors took credit for research that they did not conduct used findings from a separate account from the Center of Strategic and International Studies.

Lifting material from other sources without giving credit is unethical in all academic and professional circles. Critics of Porter posited that

Porter’s diamond model used in the report lacked scope and focused on select, non-service-related industries. While Porter used the diamond Model to predict the prosperity of the Korean economy and was less optimistic about Singapore, Singapore has been more successful than Korea. This difference in performance raises questions about the validity of Porter’s diamond model used in the report.

Warm regards, Dr. Wayne Forde

The beneficiaries of the gravy are silenced by the hand which feeds them DEAR EDITOR, Independence is the freedom of self-determination the freedom to exercise the rights given to us as a people and recognized internationally as fundamental rights without restriction or oppression. At this 56th anniversary of Guyana’s independence from Great Britain, we continue to ask: have Guyanese been truly independent?

Saturday May 28, 2022

Kaieteur News

The central tenet of independence is freedom to elect our own leaders by a fair and democratic process. There must also be freedom of expression and freedom of the media so that we can be objectively informed of events in order to develop fair opinions. There must be access to justice, with an independent judiciary and police force, enforcing laws which

are fair and predictable.

Independence is impossible without the possibility of financial selfdetermination on a level playing field of equal competition in business and adequate pay in the workplace. We endured rigged elections which have deprived us of the right to democratic self-determination. Both large parties, while in Government, have maintained State media for propaganda purposes; using revenue to prop up the Chronicle and NCN media houses to spout the government line and using oppressive methods to scrutinize and punish the independent media withholding Government advertis-

ing and radio licences. For over two decades, the two large parties have failed to agree on the appointment of a substantive Chancellor or Chief Justice, undermining the independence of the judiciary and creating an atmosphere of intimidation and political interference in the judicial system. In the past two years, the Government has failed to appoint a Judicial Service Commission or a Police Service Commission.

Instead of creating a fair and transparent economic environment to encourage independent business enterprise, the Government has awarded contracts on a family and friends basis.

29 new COVID-19 cases, 3 patients still in ICU With three patients still admitted into the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the Ministry of Health on Friday reported that from a total of 651 COVID-19 tests, they have recorded 29 new cases across the country within the last 24hours.

The new infections which now bring the total number of confirmed cases to 64,521 were detected in Region Four which recorded 20 cases, Re-

gion Six which recorded four cases, Region Five which recorded one case and Regions Two and Three which recorded two cases each.

Additionally, the Ministrys latest dashboard shows that 16 persons are in institutional isolation, 603 are in home isolation and one person is quarantined institutionally. To date, a total of 62,667 persons have recovered from the virus.

T N U L B . . .

T B N U T L N T B .

U .

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L T B .

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N U .

L U L LUNT. B .

T . .

T T N N B U B .

U .

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L T B .

B . .

N . . .

T U T L N N T U U L N Liza-1 Permit Renewal is a Godsend L B U .

B . .

L . . .

T B T . .

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N T U L N LU B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

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

B .

U . .

T L .

N T B . .

U N .

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U T L B . .

N B . . .

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L N T B U . .

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UN T B U . .

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L B U UN .BLUNT. . .

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

L N .

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T B BLU T..President U . .

L N .

T B U .

Ali and VP Jagdeo must deliver L N B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B B U or forever hang their heads in shame. . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

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

T .

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

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L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Saturday May 28, 2022

Kaieteur News

We have waited and we have borne our chafe with an oil contract that enslaved us for years.

Now there is this first glimmer of opportunity to escape from the bondage in which Exxon’s devastating oil contract has trapped Guyana.

President Ali and Vice President Jagdeo must not miss the moment.

This opportunity must not be wasted.

The permit renewal must be jumped upon to extract from Exxon what is rightly due to every Guyanese. It is more benefits, as in more money coming to us and more protection for us.

The President and Vice President must flex their muscles, show that they mean business, and stand eyeball to eyeball with Exxon and force it to treat Guyana in a fair manner, in a way that is acceptable to us.

No more chickenfeed money, no more ‘fine change’, no more playing at nice guys with sweet talk. This is serious business.

PAGE 07

Kaieteur News

PAGE 08

Saturday May 28, 2022

M.V. Kanawan will be out of service for 5 weeks from June 1

F

or a period of five weeks, the MV Kanawan which usually operates between Parika and Supenaam will be docked for rehabilitative works.

According to a notice posted on the Transport and Harbours Department’s Facebook page yesterday, the vessel will be out of service from June 1, 2022.

During the five weeks, the Department stated that the MV Sabanto which also operates the same route as Kanawan, will be departing Supenaam at 05:00hrs daily and work on a “touch and go basis as traffic warrants and tide permitting.”

As a result of this, there will be no formal schedule for the month of June.

Kaieteur News had reported that both vessels are slated to undergo rehabilitation this year and that a contract was already awarded to execute the works on Kanawan.

According to information released from the National Procurement a n d T e n d e r Administration Board, the $124,134,846 million contract was awarded to

M.V. Kanawan

Dock Yard on April 19, through the National Competitive Bidding Procedure. When bids were opened for this Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Harbour Department project back in March, the engineer had pegged this project to cost $106,433,760. Kaieteur News had reported that the Ministry is looking to also repair M.V. Sabanto for an estimated cost of $148 million.

This publication understands that the MV Kanawan underwent some $279.6 million in rehabilitation works between 2016 and 2019.

It was reported in the media that in 2016, the former government (APNU/AFC Coalition) had awarded a contract to EC Vieira Investments Limited for the rehabilitation of Kanawan to the sum of $76.9 million.

Following this, in 2017, emergency repairs had to be done on the vessel for some $13,048,010 a contract, which was given to Courtney Benn Contracting Services Limited. In the 2019 budget, $180 million was allocated for the M.V. Sabanto and Kanawan vessels to undergo general repairs. That same year, a contract was awarded to the tune of $89.7 million

for the Kanawan vessel.

Speaking briefly with Kaieteur News, General Manger of the Transport and Harbour Department, Marcelene Merchant stated that this year’s project will be to do general repairs and maintenance works on the boats. “We are going to address the underwater fittings, the shaft, the p r o p e l l e r, c h e c k t h e thickness of the plate, repairs

to the super structure, painting of interior, exterior, repairs works inside, to the washroom and pipes etcetera,” she explained.

The Sabanto and Kanawan ferries, which have been operating between Parika and Supenaam for some 10 years now were gifted to Guyana by the Chinese Government.

It was reported that in December 2010, the PPP/C government signed contracts with the Chinese Government paving the way for the ferries.

The US$14 million boats, which were funded by a US$17 million grant from the Chinese government were described as a New Year’s gift by the local C h i n e s e E m b a s s y.

Following the signing of the contracts, the vessels arrived in the country in December 2011 at Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling and became operational the next year.

Each vessel has three decks and can hold up to 800 persons, 44 cars, and 20 lorries and can travel at a test speed of 12.5 knots.

Senior Minister with the responsibility of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, who presented this year’s budget, had announced that over $500 million was allocated by the government to rehabilitate these two vessels and the Makouria Ferry.

“The rehabilitation of our ferry vessels, which facilitate the travelling public, is also critical for the movement of people and c a r g o . To t h i s e n d , Government has allocated, in 2022, the sums of $2.1 billion for the construction of a new ocean-going passenger and cargo vessel, which will ply the North West District route and $562 million for the docking of Makouria, Sabanto, and Kanawan,” the Minister had said.

Fisherman finds boat in his seine

A fisherman on Wednesday evening felt his seine “tugging strongly” and thought he had caught a whale or a very large sea creature but when he pulled it up, a small aluminum boat with a brand new 15Hp outboard engine was trapped inside.

Speaking with Kaieteur News on Friday, the fisherman, Carl Chung recounted that he made the “boat catch” around 19:30hrs at Fourth mouth, a fishing area located a few miles of the Georgetown shore.

“I see ma seine start pulling strong strong, and I jump up, cause I seh wah like is a big whale or sumting I ketch deh. Then I heard the seine start ripping up and when I pull it up, I see the propeller from the engine (Continued on page 21)

Carl Chung and his helpers posing with the boat he caught in his seine

Saturday May 28, 2022

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

The APNU+AFC has disqualified itself from democratic participation The APNU+AFC and its constituent parties, as at 2nd March, 2020, do not have the moral authority to demand a system of broad-based participation in national decision-making.

The APNU+AFC set out to benefit from rigged elections an act which constitutes utter contempt and disregard for the democratic rights of the people.

The APNU+AFCs objective could not have been broad-based participation in government when it sought to benefit from rigged elections two years ago. The Coalition was interested in itself and not in ensuring any inclusive system of government. The APNU+AFC was seeking to unlawfully hold on to power despite the expressed will of the people.

In seeking to benefit from rigged elections, the APNU+AFC was violating the rights of all Guyanese, including its own supporters.

It violated the right of the people to a government of their choice. By seeking to benefit from rigged elections, the APNU+AFC was attempting to impose a government onto the people.

Guyanese must therefore reject any hypocritical notion that the APNU+AFC stands for broad-based political participation. Rigging an election would have returned Guyana to the status of a political dictatorship in which the Coalition would have dictated what happened in the country.

The concept of broadbased participation is at odds with a dictatorship.

Had the rigging been successful, there would have been dire consequences for the people of Guyana. The country would have been

thrown back to the Stone Ages. Their freedoms would have been curtailed and there would have been nothing they could have done about it. This is not conjecture.

Guyana has been down this road before.

It is hypocritical of the APNU+AFC to now be demanding broad-based participation in decisionmaking. The APNU+AFC spent five years in government and it did not engage in any broad-based participation. In fact, one of the partners of the APNU complained bitterly about not being consulted.

The Opposition is seeking credibility. But this credibility cannot come by pretending that it is serious about inclusive governance. You cannot pretend to be inclusive when there is an attempt to steal an election.

The international community certified the March 2nd elections as free and fair. Yet, the APNU+AFC continues with its discredited narrative that the elections were marred by gross irregularities which distorted the outcome of the polls.

But this was not the original narrative. The original narrative was that the Coalitions Statements of Poll showed that it won the elections statements of polls which it has never made public. The APNU+AFC will contend that it is the legitimate representative of almost half of the voters who cast their ballots in its favour.

But this cannot be the sole source of the Coalitions legitimacy. That legitimacy springs from its participation in a democratic process and respect for that process.

The APNU+AFC violated that process. It ran afoul of the rules and therefore it

cannot claim to be the legitimate representative of anyone. The situation is akin to a boxing match in which one boxer consistently hits below the belt forcing the referee to disqualify that contestant.

The APNU+AFC Coalition by attempting to benefit from rigged election has effectively disqualified itself. It therefore cannot lay claim to be the legitimate representative of those who cast their votes in its favour.

Legitimacy, in the final analysis, is based on a democratic outcome.

Being disqualified from the democratic process, the APNU+AFC has no role and should have no expectation of participating in any system of inclusive government or broad-based participation in decision-making. It has forfeited that expectation.

The government would be remiss if it facilitates the APNU+AFC in any role in official decision making, save and except those which are mandated by the law and the Constitution.

The government will be courting danger by seeking to engage with the APNU+AFC in any attempt at shared decision-making or governance. A mother does not allow a child molester to babysit her child. A firm does not employ a burglar as its security consultant. A businessman does not entrust the deposit of his earnings to a pickpocket. So why should the government entertain a party which blatantly tried to benefit from rigged elections?

The APNU+AFC crossed the proverbial red line. It went beyond the pale. It violated the trust that is necessary to be a partner in national development. It should be banned from democratic

Dem boys seh...

Same story, different day!

Wuk sharing out like Wild West. People lining up in droves hoping fuh earn a lil freck. Dem nah know wat kind wuk dem gan get. But when tings brown, it nah matter whether yuh mash dog down.

Any port fuh a storm.

And right now, de storm in full force. Pressure buss pipe. Tings tight.

But wuk sharing out. De same people who bin seh dat we must give dem foreigners concession because dem gan create jobs, dem wah bin talking bout creating 50,000 jobs, is dem now gat to create parttime jobs. If de economy did

really generating de jobs wah dem seh it would, yuh would not need fuh get part-time wuk.

De people lining up fuh de wuk. Because a bird in de hand is worth two in de bush.

Dem lining up fuh de wuk and dem politician talking bout de thousands of parttime jobs dem creating. Dem telling de people fuh accept and bless wah dem get. Dem tell dem fuh go wherever we send yuh, even if is Timbuktu.

But up to now, dem can’t tell de people whether dem gan put dem fuh sit down in office or clean drain.

Nuff people nah know how fuh sit down in office.

Dem accustomed to hard wuk and dem seh sitting down in office is not fuh dem.

Den dem gat some people wah nah know how fuh do hard wuk.

Some people think dem had wuk. But now dem hearing fuh create dem own business.

It remind dem boys of de time when dem bin get promise wuk and den when de time come fuh de wuk, dem bin get send fuh sell plantain chips and mek cook-up.

Talk half. Leff half.

participation and from any role in Guyanas politics.

The Preamble of the Constitution does indeed point to the need to forge broad-based participation in national decision-making.

But it qualifies that this should be based on democratic values, social

justice fundamental human rights and the rule of law.

None of which will be respected when elections are rigged.

(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

Saturday May 28, 2022

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

There were no glorious days of the PNC under Forbes Burnham

H

ere are the words of the PNC leader during his visit to the US as reported in the media: “I hope to restore the party to the glorious days of Forbes Burnham.” The PNC was never a glorious party under Forbes Burnham.

History has judged both the PNC and its founder harshly and continues to do so.

Please see the following columns of mine. Tuesday, October 15, 2019, “History of the PNC: Part 1.”

Saturday, November 23, 2019, “A history of the PNC: Part 2” and Saturday, July 31, 2021, “A history of the PNC – Part 3.” This is a five-part series with two remaining installations – the PNC after 1992 under Hoyte and Corbin and the PNC a f t e r 2 0 11 u n d e r M r.

Corbin’s successor, David Granger.

I will resume the analysis in the future but for now, let’s examine if the PNC was a

glorious party under Forbes Burnham. I will not rehash materials already contained in the three parts of the series. The PNC under Burnham after 1975 became a humongous entity by virtue of the Declaration of Sophia.

This proclamation created the doctrine of the paramountcy of the party.

What happened then was that the private organisation named People’s National Congress became a state entity fitted out with funds from the treasury. Burnham merged the state and the PNC under the umbrella of the Ministry of National Development. That ministry was essentially the PNC. It was not run by civil servants and technical, professional staff but by PNC leaders.

Every PNC leader was a boss at the ministry. This dubious entity suffered a humiliating death when the WPA burnt it down.

If you are going to describe the PNC as having a

glorious era under Burnham, then your research methodology will be a fascinating one – how are you going to separate this private political party from the state. Normally the two are distinct. At the moment, there is the private People’s Progressive Party which is distinct from all the ministries. The manager of the PPP’s head office, Freedom House has no role to play in any ministry whatsoever.

The PNC then under Burnham was an artificial organism. It was resourceful because it was fitted out with state funds. It was powerful because it was synonymous with the state. It was large because in a dictatorship, citizens can only survive by joining the ruling party. It was feared because it was headed by a maximum leader who was willing to use harsh methods to silence his detractors.

Now the current leader of

the PNC has to resolve a contradiction he created. In competing for the position of leader of his party, Mr. Norton told the nation, he would not run the PNC as a maximum leader as Burnham did.

Here is a quote from a r e p o r t o f M r. N o r t o n speaking in Agricola in the Village Voice of December 20, 2021: “Norton declared that the age of maximum leadership in the party is over.

Interestingly, Norton prefaced his statement with an admittance that in the final analysis the party’s founder-leader, the iconic Forbes Burnham had been a maximum leader.”

Could a party be a democratic institution with a maximum leadership?

Aren’t the two antithetical?

But it must raise the curiosity of Guyana watchers in the world as to what the PNC will be like if it is returned to the shape it was under

Burnham. First, the PNC was not seen as glorious under Frederick Kissoon Burnham by a majority of Guyana.

S e c o n d l y , W a l t e r seniors because they were Rodney just 10 years after power-drunk. Yesu Persaud Burnham won power in 1964 felt the wrath of the began to weaken both “watchman” at DDL and Burnham and the PNC. For went to Burnham to resign. more on this see my analysis Burnham calmed down of this period in my column Persaud and told him that he of Saturday, February 26, would warn the “watchman” 2022: “Burnham at 99 is but he was not removed among the angels? ( s o u r c e : P e r s a u d ’s autobiography – page 213).

Really?”

Fourthly, Guyana has Thirdly, anyone who lived through the period of changed so profoundly since the PNC from the seventies Burnham’s “glorious” PNC until Burnham died in 1985 days that it is virtually came to despise PNC leaders impossible to reshape the because of their power- PNC to the era to which it became a national intoxication. institution.

In fact, it may be What happened under a difficult task saving the the Burnham regime is that e a c h p u b l i c s e c t o r very existence of the PNC in corporation had a “party the future.

(The views expressed in watchman” who was not this article are those of the integrated in the company author and do not nor was a paid employee.

These apparatchiks were necessarily reflect the hated by public sector opinions of this newspaper.)

Guyana, Barbados Export & Investment Bodies forge key partnerships ahead of Agro-fest 2022

E

xport Barbados and the Guyana Office for Investment (GOInvest) have organized a series of meetings that would hopefully improve channels for business collaboration between the private sector of Guyana and Barbados.

These meetings were held ahead of Barbados’ Agrofest 2022.

According to a press statement, 56 delegates from Guyana arrived in Barbados on Monday May 23 to exhibit their entrepreneurial talents at this year’s Agrofest.

It was noted that 11 of those businesses were involved in several strategic business-to-business level meetings with members of Barbados’ Private Sector.

From the meetings, the businesses gathered information and forged key partnerships.

Notably, the delegates represent a cross section of sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture and agro-processing, jewelers, craft and industrial supplies.

Executive Director of

A scene from the meeting between Guyana and Barbados representatives.

Barbados Manufacturers’ Association (BMA), Ms. Shardae Boyce said, “There are several projects which we are working on that this collaboration will benefit.”

The BMA Executive also cited pineapples and other non-traditional agricultural imports as immediate needs, which can be supplied from Guyana for the production of rationing packages as part of their Rationing Pack Initiative.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) Mr.

Nizam Hassan suggested that his membership is keen on developing such partnerships with their Barbadian counterparts. In fact, he stated, “We are looking forward to working with BMA and their members to understand the needs of the Barbados market in order to ensure that products which are supplied from Guyana meet the expectations of the Barbados consumer both from a pricing perspective as well as in terms of quality.”

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Export Barbados,

Mark Hill has also indicated that his team will be working with their Guyanese counterparts to develop the Guyanese export market for Barbadian products, citing that currently Barbados exports approximately $25 million worth of products and services to Guyana. As such, over the next three years, Export Barbados through its collaboration with GO-Invest and the Guyanese Private Sector will seek to move this total to $50 million.

The question of the removal of trade restrictions

to ensure easy and affordable access to products and services was raised.

It was stated that the private sector is willing to invest on growing their capacity to supply the regions’ food needs, however trade restrictions and limited access to affordable and appropriate logistics services must be addressed.

Further, the President of the GMSA Mr. Rafeek Khan said that he is pleased at the level of urgency which has been placed on strengthening collaboration and is optimistic of the prospects of enhancing the value-added manufacturing activities.

As for CEO of GOInvest Dr. Peter Ramsaroop, he stated that, “Both President Ali and Prime Minister Motley are wasting no time in putting the necessary resources in place to ensure that this elusive dream of a single economic space is realised.”

In the midst of the global challenges facing the region, driven in large part by COVID-19, resulting in increasing supply chain

disruptions, the CEO indicated that they are in collaboration with Export Barbados to set up Trade and Investment Facilitation offices in Guyana and Barbados. This will see Barbados having a constant presence in Guyana and vice versa. Additionally, it was noted that this move by GOInvest and Export Barbados is intended to ensure that commercial initiatives can be easily and expeditiously operationalized.

Moreover, the Representative of GO-Invest will be housed within the Secretariat which has been set up by Export Barbados in Pelican Village, while the Representative of Export Barbados will be housed within the Guyana Office for Investment in Guyana. The collaboration will also seek to address some of the financing challenges which have been identified by key stakeholders.

The initiative of Export Barbados will establish the Export Bank of Barbados.

This will see businesses in both countries benefiting from development financing opportunities.

Saturday May 28, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Kaieteur News

PAGE 12

Saturday May 28, 2022

Exxon needs Guyana, more than Guyana needs Exxon …Int’l Experts ready to lend support Given the current provisions in the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement inked between the Government of Guyana and Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited along with their partners, coupled with how the stakeholders are expending money and the prevailing market conditions, there is the growing conclusion that EEPGL—ExxonMobil Guyana—needs Guyana more than Guyana needs Exxon.

This was the conclusion of Martyna Dominiak of the Non-Profit Global Organisation Avaaz, which earlier this week hosted a webinar with members of the global media corps to speak on a global movement that has been gaining momentum with regards bringing about a better deal for the country or to halt the operations altogether.

The activity spearheaded

by Avaaz saw contributions

by Director of Financial Analysis for the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA),

IEEFA Director of Financial Analysis, Tom Sanzillo To m S a n z i l l o a n d International Lawyer Melinda Janki.

The forum was organised in order to call on the Environmental Protection A g e n c y ( E PA ) H e a d , Khemraj Parsram, to not renew the Liza I Environmental Permit when it expires next Tuesday, unless and until, there are additional restrictions embedded as well as fiscal reforms.

Dominiak—a senior campaigner with Avaaz leading the campaign against ExxonMobil—told those in

Senior Avaaz Campaigner, Martyna Dominiak attendance virtually, “this is a really bad deal for Guyana environmentally and financially, simply put the

organization’s position further by pointing out that it was not just the Guyanese environment at stake but the world at large given the emissions to be had as a result of the hydrocarbons being extracted and climate

“…it is very difficult for the people in Guyana to stand against Exxon alone, people are afraid of that and that’s why we want to support them with the power of our global movement,” Martyna Dominiak. people of Guyana may not see this money back.”

She qualified her

change. “ I t ’s r e a l l y, r e a l l y important for Mr. Khemraj

The Liza Destiny FPSO producing from the Liza I field, the permit for which is up for renewal

Parsram the head of the EPA in Guyana to make the right decision.”

Addressing the virtual session, it was noted that the campaign was launched by Avaaz, “because it is very difficult for the people in Guyana to stand against Exxon alone, people are afraid of that and that’s why we want to support them with the power of our global movement.”

Lending support to Avaaz’s campaign, IEEFA Director of Financial Analysis Tom Sanzillo in response to queries noted that the contentious contract/PSA has been structured in such a way that it is “basically frontloaded.”

He explained saying “all of the costs that are incurred, 100 percent of the costs are paid by Guyana and they are put into a formula essentially and at the end of each month if the revenues don’t cover expenses,” the balance would simply roll over to the next month.

This since, under the PSA Exxon would deduct those payments from cost oil, which is earmarked at up to 75 percent each month and the remainder split as profit.

According to Sanzillo, at present in excess of US$30B has been put in as capital expenditure so far and “it’s going to take a very long time for Guyana to pay that (Continued on page 23)

Kaieteur News

Saturday May 28, 2022

PAGE 13

Kwakwani, Rockstone hard hit by flooding - residents preparing for evacuation The flooding situation in the Upper DemeraraBerbice Region is worsening with persistent heavy rainfall. Flood prone communities such as Kwakwani and Rockstone are now hard hit with residents preparing for evacuation.

In Kwakwani, a main access road is virtually impassable with rising water levels. This is according to residents and Regional Councillor Elroy Adolph, who explained that while some areas were under about three feet of water, this situation escalated on Thursday following overnight showers. He said the road leading from the Kwakwani Park to the Kwakwani Waterfront area is flooded. Some places he said, the water level is as high as 10 inches, while in some other communities such as Lamp Island, it is about six inches of water.

“After about five hours of rain last night (Thursday), the water overflowed from one side to the other, and now the road is under water.”

The road leading from the Kwakwani Park to the Crushing Plant currently is eroded as a result of the gushing water. The road he said, was upgraded earlier in the year and allows for access to the gas station, the

Photographs taken of flooded areas in Kwakwani and Rockstone air strip and the burial ground. “The culvert has been eroded under the entire road, so it needs urgent repair. It is at risk of caving in,” the regional representative said.

Kwakwani is one of the most flood-prone communities in Region 10.

Last year, it experienced the worst flooding in the country.

Meanwhile, the Toshao at Rockstone, Flagon Carter, has confirmed that some homes are flooded due to recent heavy rainfall. The residents have chosen to remain in their homes while they observe the situation.

Wa t e r i s s a i d t o b e approximately three feet in height, and houses along the

banks of the creek have accumulated flood waters in their yards.

Kaieteur News understands that the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) is working with the To s h a o a n d r e g i o n a l authorities to monitor the situation and render aid if necessary.

Regional Chairman Deron Adams, said the Regional Disaster Preparedness Committee in collaboration with the security forces and other stakeholders, is closely monitoring the situation in an effort to enforce preventative measures so that the region would not be severely hit as it was during the last May/June period.

Berbice man in viral video Govt. awaiting US$120M loan to fighting cop admits he was wrong

repair Linden-Soesdyke Highway

N

arine Ramdharry, the West Coast Berbice man who was caught on a now viral social media video fighting with a policeman on Monday last in New Amsterdam, has expressed regret for his actions.

Ramdharry was caught on camera attacking a traffic constable who took possession of his car keys because he was suspected to be driving under the influence of alcohol. The attack on the officer did not end well for Ramdharry who was “knocked out” on the ground from punches he received to the face by the hands of the constable.

Speaking with Kaieteur News on Friday, Ramdharry said he was not aware that a rank had the legal authority to take possession of someone’s car keys and reacted violently when the officer tried to do so because the car he was driving was not his.

“I fight he for the key because is people car not my own and I did not want the police to impound it because I would have got into trouble with the owners,” Ramdharry told reporters.

According to reports, the policeman had approached Ramdharry that morning for breaching a traffic rule by parking in a noparking zone in front of New Amsterdam Town Council’s building. He reportedly

Narine Ramdharry, the taxi driver who was knocked out after trying to beat a policeman. verbally abused the constable, which led the officer to believe he was drunk.

The policeman then ordered him to step out of vehicle but he continued his disrespectful rant and did not comply with the instructions. As a result, the officer reached for Ramdharry’s car keys and turned off his ignition.

Ramdharry got angrier at this point, stepped out of the vehicle, and punched the officer.

The Government of Guyana (GoG) is hopeful that the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) will grant approval for a US$120M loan to resurface the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.

On Wednesday night, during his Independence Day speech President Irfaan Ali stated “…We anticipate approval to repair the entire Linden-Soesdyke Highway from the Islamic Developmental Bank at a projected cost of US$120 million…”

Notably, if the loan from the IsDB is approved, it will be added to the $2.6B that was allocated for the project in the 2022 budget for the rehabilitation of the highway.

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo had stated that muchneeded rehabilitation works is needed for the highway. It

was during an outreach in Linden on Sunday, March 27, 2022, when the Vice President stated that while the government has spent money repairing the road, because of exhaustive use, it has returned to a dilapidated state over time.

Notably, in 2021, the government spent about $150 million on rehabilitative works on some sections of the roadway and engaging in drainage works.

Despite this following a trip to the mining town, Jagdeo stated “… the highway is in a horrible state; it is in a bad state coming up here.”

The government is hopeful that the bank will approve the loan by next month so that the rehabilitation of the 72kilometre-long road can commence. According to Jagdeo, the work entails the paving of the highway from

the junction all the way into Linden.

Additionally, just last Friday, the government officially signed a contract with Construtora Queiroz Galvao S.A., the Brazilian company, which will be constructing the 121km asphaltic concrete road from Linden to Mabura Hill.

The company has been given the Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB) no-objection to build the US$190 million or GY$32.4 billion road.

Kaieteur News had reported that this infrastructure project is being pursued by the government in partnership with CDB and the United Kingdom Government. The UK funded US$66 million, the CDB funded US$112 million, while the Guyana Government provided US$12 million.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Saturday May 28, 2022

Guyana pursuing 10-year plan to be lead exporter of Atlantic seabob shrimp Improved fishing practices, better compliance with regulations and higher quality and safety of the end product – these are the core elements of a 10-year plan recently endorsed by key partners of Guyana’s seabob sector. The plan aims to strengthen the country as a leading exporter of Atlantic seabob shrimp, while ensuring long-term stability of stocks.

The plan is also seen as timely given the desire of the government to improve the sector’s performance in the face of concerns over declining catches.

According to the Department of Public Information, a broad

coalition of partners has since joined hands with F I S H 4 A C P, a g l o b a l initiative of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) with funding of the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), to strengthen fish value chains.

“The European Union supports this comprehensive strategy for a more sustainable and productive seabob value chain,” said Dr Fernando Ponz Cantó, Ambassador of the European Union office in Guyana. He added: “[the value chain strategy] looks at responsible management of

shrimp stocks and reducing bycatch, as well as the economic development of Guyana, while also improving livelihoods and food security.”

It was further noted that this project is implemented through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Fisheries Department, Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and national fisherfolk organizations. At t h e l a u n c h c e r e m o n y, Permanent Secretary of MOA, Ms. Delma Nedd reiterated the government’s commitment to the fisheries sector which is of critical importance to the economy,

food security and livelihood.

Ms. Nedd noted, “The government has pledged a 65 percent increase in the 2022 budget in support the fisheries sector.”

Responding, Pameshwar Narine, Chairman of The Guyana National Fisherfolk Organization (GNFO) noted, “We as the artisanal fishers are grateful for this initiative, we are very concerned about the industry and thankful for this support’’.

With an annual harvest of 17,000 tonnes, valued at an estimated USD$46 million, Guyana is the world’s largest producer of Atlantic seabob shrimp. Employing over 1,600 people, the seabob

shrimp sector is made up of industrial firms that export frozen peeled shrimp to markets in North America and Europe.

At the meeting, 40 representatives of Guyana’s seabob sector - artisanal and industrial fishers, processors, market vendors, and other industry

stakeholders – embraced a vision of a sustainable, resilient, well-managed and inclusive fishery. They agreed that improved fishing practices, better compliance with regulations and higher quality and safety of the end product are essential to realize this vision. FAO (Continued on page 23)

Saturday May 28, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 15

Kaieteur News

PAGE 16

Saturday May 28, 2022

Digicel supports Tiger Bay education project with laptop donation

I

n support of the Tiger Bay project facilitated by members of the Community Open Door Alliance, Digicel Guyana

has delivered on its promise to donate several laptops.

Kaieteur News understands that this donation will support the phase one aspect of this

project, which is geared towards training in literacy and numeracy skills for children of Tiger Bay. Digicel said it commends this initiative and the works

of Community Open Door Alliance as they seek to create a safe space for the youth in the area by encouraging positive lifestyle changes through learning and education.

Digicel has committed to the members of the group to continue their support towards this project for both phases one and two as they seek to aid in the development of children and youth.

“We have over the years been committed to fostering the development of youth, and this initiative is one that

we give our support to one hundred percent.

We are optimistic that this will grow into something much bigger and influence more children.

“This community is always close to our hearts since it is within the direct environs of our offices. We w o u l d l i k e t o wholeheartedly thank the members of this Alliance for this project and we look forward to continuing our support, as we positively impact the lives of the children and families of Tiger Bay,” added Ms.

Simone Pierre of Digicel.

Digicel Group is a total communications and entertainment provider with operations in 31 markets throughout the Caribbean, Central America and Asia Pacific.

Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets, including Digicel Foundations in Haiti, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea and Trinidad and Tobago, which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.

Digicel’s Chief Commercial Officer, Simone Pierre (far right) stands with children and members of the Community Open Door Alliance during the donation.

PAGE 18

Kaieteur News

Saturday May 28, 2022

Woman who confessed to killing husband before going to bed gets manslaughter charge

The 50-year-old Port Kaituma woman who reportedly confessed to stabbing her husband to death in their kitchen before heading to bed, was charged with manslaughter after she appeared in court earlier this week.

The defendant, Inese Richards, a farmer of 10 Miles, Port Kaituma, North West District, Region One made her first court appearance on Tuesday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Richards appeared before Magistrate Dellon Bess where the charge was read to her.

She was not required to plead to the charge which alleges that between May 19 and May 20, at 10 Miles, Port Kaituma, she killed 43-yearold Felix Henry, who was a chainsaw operator. Richards was granted bail to the sum of $750,000 and is expected to return to court on August 5, 2022 for the commencement of trial.

It was reported that the fatal stabbing occurred following an argument that the couple had on the night of May 19.

Richards had reportedly told police that after stabbing Henry, she left him in a sitting position on the kitchen floor and then headed to bed for a nap.

The woman claimed that she did not know he was dead until she woke up around 06:00hrs the following day and saw his motionless body in a pool of blood on their kitchen floor.

Police in a report had stated that they only learnt that Henry was killed after his 28-year-old son visited t h e c o u p l e ’s h o m e .

According to police, the son got there around 06:30hrs and when he saw that Henry was dead, he immediately alerted police at the Port Kaituma Police Station.

Ranks visited the home around 09:40hrs to conduct the necessary investigations a n d r e m o v e d H e n r y ’s remains.

Investigators were also able to locate the suspected murder weapon, a brown handle knife with bloodstains at the crime scene and noted that there was a wound measuring two inches at Henry’s neck.

The woman was arrested shortly after and while being interrogated, she admitted to killing her husband.

She had confessed that they had started drinking together at 17:00hrs on May 19 and later that evening, they got into an argument (Continued on page 22)

Kaieteur News

Saturday May 28, 2022

PAGE 19

Pres. Ali leads delegation to ‘Agro Fest’ in Barbados P

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali

resident, Dr. Irfaan Ali is expected to lead a delegation to ‘Agro Fest’—The National Agricultural Exhibition, to be held at Queen’s Park in Bridgetown, Barbados, from May 28-29.

President Ali is accompanied by several government representatives, including the Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha and the Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond.

Over 45 Guyanese businesses, ranging from agro-processors to furniture manufacturers and jewellers, will be part of Guyana’s delegation at the expo. Their participation is being organised by the Guyana

Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) in collaboration with the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the Government.

The Agro Fest will provide the opportunity for many new businesses, owned by young entrepreneurs to be given the chance to showcase t h e i r p r o d u c t s internationally.

Both President Ali and the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, have reaffirmed their commitment to advance their nations together with many projects in several areas, including hospitality, import-substitution, food security, and agricultural diversification.

Several CARICOM

heads, including the Barbadian Prime Minister, had attended Guyana’s inaugural “Agri-Investment Forum and Expo: Investing in Vision 25 by 2025”, held between May 19-21, which was organised by the Government of Guyana and the CARICOM Secretariat.

During that event, the Heads of Government discussed the global shortages and high prices of imported food, fertilisers and other agricultural inputs; and the severe problems affecting transportation and logistics.

In an impact statement released after the three-day activity, CARICOM said the Heads noted “with great concern that CARICOM Member States continue to

be deeply impacted by these developments which have resulted in a dramatic increase in the cost of food, exposing still further the region’s food insecurity due to its vulnerability to external influences and the impact of climate change.

The group recognised that CARICOM member states have the capacity to attain a high level of food security for the Community as a whole provided that urgent action is taken to effectively implement necessary actions”.

Kaieteur News

Saturday May 28, 2022

PAGE 17

Protestors ask Govt…

“How long do you propose to give cash hand outs before increasing wages?”

Article 13’s Yog Mahadeo (left) with GWU President Norris Witter Taking into account the uninformed manner in which the government has been providing, among other things, financial relief to sections of the country, labour unions and other civil society bodies have

expressed grave concern over the continued use of “hand outs” to citizens rather than the employment of useful measures such as increasing the meager $44,200 minimum wage to address the rising cost of

living. The General Workers’ Union (GWU) held another round of its more than two month running protest action yesterday, this time in front of the Ministry of Labour’s Brickdam office, and with the support of civil society

group Article 13. Given the increased cost of living, and particularly, rising food prices, the GWU has been relentless in seeking the pay increase which was agreed to since 2019 with the former administration and later

committed to by the current People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government.

Prominent Article 13 member Yog Mahadeo expressed solidarity with the underpaid workers. He said that the government must

“stop talking about increasing workers wages and just do it.” He said that instead of the administration talking about a bankrupt National Insurance Scheme (NIS), they must pay (Continued on page 21)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 20

Health Ministry’s driver shot dead in Sophia Police are now looking for a man who on Thursday shot and killed a driver attached to the Ministry of Health at his D-Field Sophia home. The dead man has been identified as 43-yearold Collin McPherson, a father of four.

McPherson was gunned down around 21:40hrs.

Kaieteur News learned that McPherson was at the (Continued on page 23)

Gunned down in Sophia on Thursday night, Collin McPherson.

Saturday May 28, 2022

Exxon in breach of our right to prior... never engaged.” The resident reasoned that while it is established that the Consultant has conducted meetings, these were never done with those who are expected to be impacted, but rather State agencies.

In its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Exxon’s consultant noted that robust public consultations were done for the developer to not only gather information to inform the study, but also to understand stakeholder concerns. However, the document states that engagements were held with the government and agencies

related to the offshore activities while surveys of businesses and households within and around the direct area of influence (AOI) were conducted.

The Consultant explained that 11 in-person public scoping consultations took place in Regions One to Six, and two virtual public scoping consultation meetings. In addition, 36 representatives from the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) in Region Three were engaged while 150 businesses in Regions Three and Four were surveyed along with 370 individuals in Region Three

during the 2021 socioeconomic household surveys, including 122 individuals categorised as members of vulnerable groups. Importantly, in volume three of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the Consultant explained that “key informant stakeholders that have been engaged to date include, but are not limited to: African Culture Development Association, Association of Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors, Big Bird & Sons Fishing Complex (Charity), Bureau of Statistics, Centre for Local Business

Development (CLBD), Conservation International (CI), Department of To u r i s m , F i s h i n g Cooperatives (e.g., Lima Fishermen’s Development Co-op, Georgetown Fishermen’s Co-op Society Ltd., Parika Fishermen’s Development Co-op, etc.), Georgetown-based real estate agents, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha,” and a number of other organisations. It, however, made no mention of engaging communities that will be impacted by the project.

Saturday May 28, 2022

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

Teacher found dead in house at Crane - Police issues wanted bulletin for husband The decomposing remains of 41-year-old Omega Ault was found in her Crane West Coast Demerara Home on Friday Afternoon. According police, her brother discovered her body around

17:00hrs.

He reportedly did not hear from her for awhile and she was not responding to her phone calls.

Worried about her safety, he decided to pay her a visit

and made the grusome discovery. Police have since issued a WANTED BULLETIN for her husband Clarence Farley. Anyone who knows where he might be are asked to contact Police.

Omega Ault and her husband, Clarence Farley in happier times

Argentina reports case of monkeypox; man traveled from Spain BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (AP) - Argentina reported a case of the monkeypox virus on Friday in a man who recently traveled to Spain. It also reported a suspected case of the rare virus in another person.

A man from the province of Buenos Aires has monkeypox, Argentinas health ministry said in a statement. An official in the ministry earlier confirmed the positive case but said health authorities were waiting to finish sequencing the virus before making the official announcement.

It is the first time the presence of the virus has been confirmed in Latin America during this latest outbreak in countries

around the world that are not usually known to have outbreaks.

The sequencing of the virus revealed a high degree of similarity with monkeypox from western Africa, as has been the case with the new infections around the world, Argentinas Health Ministry said.

Authorities have revealed little about the patient beyond saying he traveled to Spain from April 28 through May 16 and had symptoms compatible with monkeypox, including lesions and a fever, on Sunday.

The man is being treated for his symptoms.

All of his close con-

“How long do you propose to give cash hand outs before...”

From page 17 workers better so that they can make all necessary contributions that go toward supporting them as part of the country’s work force.

“How long do you propose to give cash hand outs before you increase wages?”

Mahadeo questioned the administration. He said that when workers are paid properly, they put their money into the bank or spend it; and those sums get back into the community. “Empower our people, pay them well and treat them well and you will

Fisherman finds boat in his...

From page 8 kak up in the air,” Chung said.

He continued that he noticed that there was a rope attached to the boat and grabbed it quickly. He then tied it onto his fishing boat and decided to call on his colleagues to help him out.

When help arrived, they turned over the boat, bailed it out and then strapped it tightly to Chung’s boat.

Chung proceeded to tow the vessel to the Ruimveldt Police Wharf and left it there in the ranks’ care.

Police are currently trying to locate its owner.

Kaieteur News learnt that the aluminum boat had sunk on Monday close to the Marriott waterfront Area.

Eyewitness recounted that four persons were on board at the time and were lucky to be rescued quickly by a passing boat.

One individual said, “It look like the people were surveying the area or something, and as they were drifting, a big swelling (wave) knocked the boat over”.

The boat had gone down but somehow the tides carried the boat straight into Chung’s seine.

see how this country will transform,” he voiced.

Mahadeo further expressed his concern about the cash grants and other reliefs being used as campaigning tools since there is no public provision on how the government is selecting those receiving the grants.

For instance, Mahadeo questioned, when the government says they are paying sugar workers, how do they determine who is a sugar worker?

He submitted that if the government is paying or assisting sugar workers, then that money should go to the Guyana Sugar Corporation, which is responsible for those workers. “How do we determine who is a sugar worker?

There is an audit that needs to happen,” Mahadeo noted.

The Article 13 member agreed that government’s current position translates to handpicking recipients for assistance. He continued that there was a lot of confusion relating to the flood relief for instance where some persons said they were affected but received no help. “Unless and until we can see a proper audit from since the first cash hand outs, then we know the money is just being funneled down the wrong road,” Mahadeo charged.

“We cannot trust a political party to give out to anybody other than its supporters. Simply put in my view, all the cash give outs are electioneering, campaigning from day one. And that is fine if you want to campaign, but whose money are you campaigning with? It’s tax payers’ money, it’s oil money, it’s our money,” he insisted. “So for the President or anybody else to determine on their own sole

basis to give a million dollars here and a billion dollars there without looking after the basics like workers wages, then something is wrong with that picture.”

Article 13 says it is in full support of the calls of the labour unions because the minimum wage of $44, 200 is around US$1.16 per hr, “and nobody can live on that.”

Mahadeo said if citizens are finding it hard to satisfy their needs and that of their families, some may find ways not conducive to the system to do so. He said every passing day, workers are suffering, “so if they are talking about caring for all of Guyana then it means wages and salaries need to go up.”

President Irfaan Ali had announced earlier this month that following numerous consultations with Guyanese across the country, the government would be accessing some $1.8B of a budgeted $5B in relief funds to purchase fertilizers and handout one-off cash grant payments to riverine and hinterland communities. Calls by all labour unions poured in during the recent May Day events for increases in not only the private sector $44,200 pay, but also the $60,000 minimum wage, which the public sector enjoys since the latter sum can no longer stand up to rising living costs. GWU President, Norris Witter said that the government has not responded to letters for consultations, meetings or collective bargaining with unions, far less to seek their input on tackling the dreaded cost of living that grew from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and later amplified by the raging Russian-Ukraine war.

“There has been no response to the unions call for negotiations, for increased benefits and wages, for workers representation or even a response to the unions to discuss the current state of affairs as it affects the working people.” Witter said that he is aware that earlier in the year, sister unions such as the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) and the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) had written to their respective employers, the state, requesting meetings to discuss increases in pay and other conditions. The GWU, he said also wrote to the government, this time, the Agriculture Ministry to have it intervene in a negotiation deadlock between East Demerara Water Conservancy and the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) since both agencies fall within that ministry’s remit. “We have not to date received any response or any acknowledgement of our letter from the Ministry of Agriculture,” Witter informed. He said his hope is that accusations of being unreasonable and assuming political positions are not used when certain actions are taken due to the government’s refusal to engage with the relevant bodies. Witter said the GWU is also concerned about the manner in which government seems to be handpicking those it proposes to provide aid. The union categorically stated that it is not against any group or groups being awarded relief from the government. He noted however that the handouts must be done in a way that does not exclude any group and does not insinuate biasness on the part of the government.

tacts are being monitored and none have presented any symptoms to date, the Health Ministry said.

Health authorities in Argentina also reported an additional suspected case of the virus in a resident of Spain who is currently visiting the province of Buenos Aires and has no ties to the first case.

The man presented lesions compatible with monkeypox on Thursday, a day after arriving in the country.

“The patient is in good general health, isolated and receiving symptomatic treatment,” the Health Ministry added. None of his close contacts have yet to present any symptoms.

Nearly 200 cases of monkeypox have recently been reported in more than 20 countries not usually known to have outbreaks of the disease, the World Health Organization said on Friday. But that looked to be an undercount. Spain has emerged as an epicenter of this recent outbreak and health authorities confirmed on Friday there were 98 confirmed cases in the country.

The United Kingdom has reported 106 confirmed cases while Portugal said Friday the number of people with monkeypox had increased to 74. Cases have also been reported in the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, France and Italy, among others.

PAGE 22

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Saturday May 28, 2022

Kaieteur News

2022-HC-DEM-CIV-FD-287 IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATUREFAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRI MONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISIONPetition No. FD-287Between: KANHAI DEUYANI née ALBERT Petitioner KANHAI (ANTHONY MARIO) Respondent TO: ANTHONY MARIO KANHAI (Last Known Address)Lot 253 Bell West Canal Number 2,West Bank Demerara,Guyana.TAKE NOTICE that on the 3 rd day of April, 2022 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you

by DEUYANI KANHAI nee ALBERT, the Petitioner in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara.AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 3 rd day of May, 2022 the Petitioner 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 Newspaper, a daily Newspaper printed, published and circulated in and around Guyana and on the Worldwide Web (Online).

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 the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with related documents.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 Acknow ledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (Forms are available at the Registry), an Answer and/or Cross Petition in the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 35 (thirtyfive) days from the date of the Second and final publication of this Notice.

TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for Directions Hearing on Friday the 1st day of July, 2022 at 9:00 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Sandra Kurtzious at the High Court at Georgetown via Zoom Meeting ID: 648 772 9256 and Password: 5hRiHf. IN DEFAULT of you filing an Acknowledgementof Service/Notice of Intention to Defend, an 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 8:00 am and 3:30 pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00 am to 2:30 pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed.Dated the 10th day of May, 2022.

Dated this day May 9th,2022.

mendously from your efforts on the finance side, including through support for debt management and resource mobilisation,” he told the Secretary-General.

“The Commonwealth Secretariat has really helped our business agenda as well.

Something very new I’ve seen at the Commonwealth is connecting countries with the private sector, through which we have been able to benefit from the expertise and resources.”

Dominica is one of 32 small states – including 25 small island developing states - in the Commonwealth.

It is highly vulnerable to external shocks caused by climate change and global economic crises.

The nation suffered tremendously from the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Erika in 2015, which incurred losses equivalent to 90 per cent of its annual GDP. This was followed by Hurricane Maria in 2017, in which damages amounted to 226 per cent of the annual GDP. More recently, the country has been severely affected by the impacts of the COVID19 pandemic on its tourism industry, which accounted for more than a third (36.9 per cent) of GDP in 2019.

Borders were closed and the imposition of lockdown measures to contain the virus led to a 10 per cent decline in the economy in 2020, according to the Caribbean Bank.

Prime Minister Skerrit said Commonwealth support is vital in ensuring the nation’s recovery from the pandemic.

“Certainly, we want to advance the digital economy and we are looking to share expertise and knowledge, particularly among the Eastern Caribbean states, to refine our march towards a digital economy,” he said.

Upon her arrival in Dominica, Secretary-General Scotland said: “Dominica has shown in-

Storm Erika, Hurricane Maria and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The story of Dominica’s recovery from these shocks is one of resilience, determination, regeneration and innovation.

Under my leadership, the Commonwealth Secretariat will never waver in its determination to support Dominica, the wider Caribbean and the whole Commonwealth. I am proud of the work we do in partnership, and I am confident that ever-deeper ties and collaboration can deliver even better results.

I am grateful to the Prime Minister for his leadership and friendship.

I look forward to our continued work together and look forward to seeing him again at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali next month.”

Secretary-General Scotland highlighted a range of useful initiatives offered by the Secretariat, such as the Commonwealth Fintech Toolkit , the Innovation Hub and the Connectivity Agenda on Trade and Investment, particularly the work under its Digital Connectivity cluster.

She conveyed her deep appreciation for the Prime Minister ’s confidence in the Commonwealth Secretariat, including her capacity to continue delivering results for the 2.5 billion p e o ple of the Commonwealth. Dominica has also benefitted from the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub, which has managed to mobilise nearly US$50 million in climate finance for member countries, with around US$762 million of concrete projects in the pipeline.

This includes a grant of US$22 million from the GCF to support three countries – Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda and Grenada - to advance climate adaptation and build resilience.

Woman who confessed to...

From page 18 with each other. The woman further alleged that Henry armed himself with a cutlass and began to chase her around the yard. She then allegedly retaliated by heading to the kitchen for a knife to defend herself.

Henry reportedly followed

her there, she stabbed him to his neck and he fell to the floor.

According to her, Henry has been abusing her for some 20 years now.

However, persons who knew the couple well said it was the other way around and that the couple has not been together for that long. The individuals related that the woman would normally get violent when she is under the influence and on one occasion, she had stabbed one of “Henry’s eyes out.”

Henry was described as a hardworking man who cut wood for a living.

Kaieteur News

Saturday May 28, 2022

Exxon needs Guyana, more...

From page 12 off and they don’t receive a fair share or 50/50 split until they pay off the development costs.”

He elaborated further by pointing to the fact that in addition to the discoveries to date, future ones will mean increasing development costs.

This, he said, would mean there is going to be a “very long time before Guyana is able to pay off everything and to then enjoy the benefits, in the meantime they (Guyana) get a small amount of money every year.”

Additionally, Sanzillo used the opportunity to reiterate, that Exxon and its partners are walking away with 85.5 percent of the oil produced, while Guyana receives 14.5 percent, which will continue as is into the foreseeable future.

“I am not sure if Guyana will ever see the more robust profits,” according to Sanzillo.

During the same forum and reported on previously by this publication, Sanzillo had noted that at present, for every US dollar that Guyana earns per barrel of oil produced in the Stabroek Block, the Oil companies walk away with six dollars.

Compounding the situation is the fact that at present, given the developments already undertaken and underway, each citizen of this country owes the oil company some US$44,000 or just about G$9M. According to Sanzillo, ExxonMobil Guyana has envisaged the developments; those already identified would see the country repaying ExxonMobil at least US$75B to develop which would mean that the country would be repaying debts on that amount until 2070. This situation is likely to change, since the rapid pace of discoveries would also lead to the rapid increase in debt.

Health Ministry’s driver shot...

From page 20 time sitting in front of his home fraternizing with some friends when a blue masked gunman ran up and shot him.

McPherson reportedly turned around and ran inside of his home but the gunman followed and shot him at least three more times until he was dead. Two of McPherson’s children were also home at the time when he was brutally murdered.

Police showed up at the scene a few minutes later to assess the scene.

Crime scene experts observed that McPherson’s body bore four gunshot wounds, one to his shoulder, another to his groin, a third to his leg and the fourth to his arm. Investigators recovered two .9MM spent shells from the scene and are currently reviewing footage from security cameras mounted on nearby buildings to see if they can identify McPherson’s killer.

McPherson worked with the Ministry of Health for two years.

Guyana pursuing 10-year plan...

From page 14 Representative in Guyana Dr. Gillian Smith urged participants to work closely together, “Strong collaboration among stakeholders is the pathway for more inclusive and sustainable livelihoods which result in success for all”.

Dr. Smith highlighted that the challenges and opportunities that exist will be best addressed by collaborative efforts.

At the launch, representatives of the value chain, Mr. Pameshwar Narine, Chairman of

G N F O ; M r. R e u b e n Charles, President of Guyana Association of Tr a w l e r O w n e r s a n d Seafood Processors; Desha Husbands, Chair of the Seabob Working Group; and Mr. Denzil Roberts, Chief Fisheries Officer of the Fisheries Department, signed the Georgetown Declaration.

This declaration embodies the commitment of all major groups of stakeholders to support and monitor the Guyana’s seabob shrimp value chain to ensure a healthy future for the industry.

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Saturday May 28, 2022

Kaieteur News

HJ Ent. kicks off road to Cricket Carnival…

Patrice Roberts riles up massive crowd at “Touchdown Cooler Fete” with unforgettable performance

By Shervin Belgrave The rain threatened but it did not stop Guyanese from turning up in their numbers to get riled up by Trinidadian Soca artist, Patrice Roberts at Wednesday nights “Touchdown Cooler Fete” hosted by Hits and Jams Entertainment at the Marriott Beach front.

Speaking with Kaieteur News after her live yet unforgettable performance that had a massive crowd dancing and feting to her hits, Roberts said, “The performance in Guyana was amazing. I havent been here in over two years and when I was on stage tonight, the crowd was epic, I enjoyed it, I enjoyed it.”

Asked if she would return to rile up another massive crowd, the Soca artist responded, “Definitely, I would be back tomorrow if they call me. Definitely, it was amazing.”

The “Touchdown Cooler Fete” was the first of a series of live concerts planned and organized by Hits and Jams Entertainment for Guyanas Independence Carnival celebrations, which will end on May 29.

According to Kerwin Bollers, one of the companys directors, Wednesday nights event was the first to “kick start the road to cricket carnival in September during the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Season.

“This is the first event to kick start the road to carnival, cricket carnival September during the CPL season and so what we are doing this week is we are launching our band

Patrice Roberts performing at Marriott Beach Front

Utopia and Genesis which will be out on the road for cricket carnival” Bollers told Kaieteur News.

Bollers added that apart from kick starting the road to cricket carnival, it feels really good “to be back outside at live concerts” after a two year break due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Wednesday nights concert was an almost sold out event. Gates were opened at 19:00hrs and the crowd trickled in with their coolers.

Popular DJs Energy, Akeelo, Selector Diamond, Ace Exclusive and Darry wet the crowds appetite with some hot mixes as they got settled for the live performances.

As the eager crowd

waited, the rain threatened to spoil the show and had many scurrying to find an umbrella but it quickly passed and by time the clock struck 22:00hrs, they were dry and rocking away to the lead up performances by local artists, Vanilla, Jomo, Kwasi Ace among others. It was then time for the main event, “Drink water and Mind my business”. The featured artiste took the stage around 01:27 on Thursday and had the crowd going wild.

She performed her hit songs and closed up the show teaming up with Kes the Band, another Trinidadian Soca Artist, who performed at HJs second event in carnival week called “Stinging Nettles”. This was held on Thursday night.

Police waited 45 minutes in school before pursuing shooter UVALDE, TEXAS (AP) Nearly 20 officers stood for about 45 minutes in the hallway outside the adjoining Texas classrooms where the gunman killed students and teachers this week before U.S. Border Patrol agents unlocked the door to confront and kill him, authorities said Friday.

At least some of the 911 calls made during the Tuesday attack on Robb Elementary School in Uvalde came from inside the connected classrooms where 18-year-old Salvador Ramos was holed up, Steven McCraw, the head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said during a contentious news conference.

The commander at the scene believed Ramos was

barricaded inside and that the children were not at risk, McCraw said. “It was the wrong decision,” he said.

McCraw released new details about the attack in which Ramos killed 19 children teachers, though his motive remains unclear.

The Border Patrol agents eventually used a master key to open the locked door of the classroom where they confronted and killed Ramos, he said. There was a barrage of gunfire shortly after Ramos entered the classroom where officers eventually killed him, but that shots were “sporadic” for much of the 48 minutes when officers waited in the hallway, McCraw said. He said investigators do not know if or how many children died during that time.

Throughout the attack, teachers and children repeatedly called 911 asking for help, including a girl who pleaded: “Please send the police now,” McCraw said. Questions have mounted over the amount of time it took officers to enter the school to confront the gunman.

It was 11:28 a.m. Tuesday when Ramos Ford pickup slammed into a ditch behind the low-slung Texas school and the driver jumped out carrying an AR-15-style rifle.

Twelve minutes after that, authorities say, Ramos entered the school and found his way to the fourth-grade classroom where he killed the 21 victims.

But it wasnt until 12:58 p.m. that law enforcement radio chatter said Ramos had been killed and the siege was over.

Scenes from HJs “Touchdown Cooler Fete” on Wednesday Night

What happened in those 90 minutes, in a working-class neighborhood near the edge of the town of Uvalde, has fueled mounting public anger and scrutiny over law enforcements response to Tuesdays rampage.

“They say they rushed in,” said Javier Cazares, whose fourth-grade daughter, Jacklyn Cazares, was killed in the attack, and who raced to the school as the massacre unfolded. “We didnt see that.” Fridays briefing came only after authorities spent three days providing often conflicting and incomplete information.

According to the new timeline provided by McCraw, After crashing his truck, Ramos fired on two people coming out of a nearby funeral home, officials said.

Contrary to earlier state-

ments by officials, a school district police officer was not inside the school when Ramos arrived. When that officer did respond, he unknowingly drove past Ramos, who was crouched behind a car parked outside and firing at the building, McCraw said.

At 11:33 p.m., Ramos entered the school through a rear door that had been propped open and fired more than 100 rounds into a pair of classrooms, McCraw said.

Department of Public Safety spokesman Travis Considine said investigators havent yet determined why the door was propped open.

Two minutes later, three local police officers arrived and entered the building through the same door, followed soon after by four others, McCraw said.

Within 15 minutes, as

many as 19 officers from different agencies had assembled in the hallway, taking sporadic fire from Ramos, who was holed up in a classroom.

Ramos was still inside at 12:10 p.m. when the first U.S. Marshals Service deputies arrived. They had raced to the school from nearly 70 miles (113 kilometers) away in the border town of Del Rio, the agency said in a tweet Friday.

But the police commander inside the building decided the group should wait to confront the gunman, on the belief that the scene was no longer an active attack, McCraw said.

The crisis came to an end after a group of Border Patrol tactical officers entered the school at 12:45 p.m., said Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson Travis Considine.

Saturday May 28, 2022

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Saturday May 28, 2022

LCDS 2030 Series Pt 6...

Dedicated Fund Proposed for Indigenous Communities with revenues from Guyana’s forest climate services The provision of meaningful financial support for Amerindian and other hinterland communities and villages has always been at the core of the nation’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) since 2009. In fact, revenues earned during that period were used to start the Amerindian Land Titling (ALT) project as well as the Amerindian Development Fund (ADF).

As a result of those projects, LCDS financing has allowed for the completion of 21 demarcations, and the issuance of 19 Certificates of Title along with 13 Absolute Grants. There is also a ‘Grievance Redress Mechanism’ formulated under the ALT Project which will continue to address grievances related to the land titling process and provide an alternative course of dispute resolution outside of legal redress.

In an effort to build on these outstanding accomplishments, the draft LCDS 2030 proposes for a dedicated allocation of 15% of all revenues earned from forest climate services to go to Indigenous communities. Once the Government’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030 is finalized and implemented, more revenues would be directed towards the socio-economic development of Amerindians and various Hinterland communities.

According to the document, Amerindian communities will benefit from a further 15% of the revenue earned from Guyana’s forest climate services.

This financing will be invested in communities’ priorities, including Land Titling to address the outstanding requests for the grants and titles and capitalization of the Amerindian Development Fund to implement Community Development Plans.

Financing will also continue through a number of pillars to be determined in consultation with communities, which will likely include: - Financing of Identified Activities in Village Plans; - A new phase of the Amerindian Development Fund; -Support for their participation in REDD+ which stands for countries’ efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and foster conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stock; -The completion of the ALT project. Towards this end, outstanding requests for the issuance of 32 Absolute Grants, 47 demarcations and issuance of 49 Certificates of Title would be addressed.

At the same time, communities will benefit from projects covered in other parts of the document, notably from renewable energy and climate adaptation projects.

ABOUT LCDS 2030 LCDS 2030 outlines how the Government of Guyana will accelerate economic growth and development in a non-polluting, low carbon way. It outlines how Guyana will utilize and monetize its natural resources such as its lush and pristine forests in a sustainable manner so as to combat the impacts of climate change.

The document also ensures the country’s world-class forests, biodiversity, water, and marine resources are valued for the vital contribution, which they make to the health of the planet.

The current draft that was launched by President, Dr. Irfaan Ali in late 2021 is undergoing a period of consultation with citizens on how the nation can re-double its efforts towards achieving the outlined vision, the roots of which can be traced back to 2009.

In 2009, Guyana had launched the first Low-carbon Development Strategy as a developing country, setting out a vision for inclusive, sustainable development, while simultaneously maintaining the country’s forests, about 85% of the country’s territory, to help meet some of the most urgent challenges the world faces.

There is no doubt that Guyana intends to stay true to the vision set out in 2009, which is to create a model low-carbon economy for the world.

Since 2009 however, local authorities have gained a greater understanding of the outsized contribution Guyana’s ecosystems make to the world’s health and economy, as well as its role as one of the world’s most important countries for biodiversity conservation.

Here are some interesting facts about the important role Guyana’s forests play as noted in the LCDS 2030. · Guyana has the second-highest percentage of forest cover on earth and is working with partners to sustain 99.5% of that forest while building the foundation for a new low carbon, ecosystem economy. The government has said it expects to tap opportunities to access a market mechanism for forest climate services and other ecosystem services. This will enable Guyana to store 19.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (the measure used for greenhouse gas emissions). *

Deforestation rates are among the lowest in the world and Guyana is one of only four countries in the world (and one of only two in the Amazon Basin) verified to have sustained a High Forest Low Deforestation (HFLD) state.

*

Guyana is one of four countries which host the Guiana Shield, one of the most pristine rainforest landscapes in the world. The Guiana Shield stores around 18% of the world’s tropical forest carbon and 20% of the world’s fresh water.

LCDS 2030 is currently undergoing a period of national consultation. Once this is completed, the LCDS will be finalised and then tabled in the National Assembly.

Saturday May 28, 2022

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Kaieteur News

Rockaway Group of Companies supports Savannah Star CC

R

ockaway Group of Companies has supported the Savannah Star Cricket Club.

Javed Ali, son the entity’s Chief Executive Officer, Hafeez Ali, recently presented quantity of cricket uniforms to the club.

Javed said he is pleased to be given a chance to render ass i s t a n c e t o t h e club and encourage them to take the sport s e r i o u s l y.

The club thanked t h e c o m p a n y f o r t h eir assistance and said they are happy for the gesture.

Javed Ali (right) and a member of the Savannah Star CC display a team jersey.

Saturday May 28, 2022 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) A change has occurred in our solar system, Aries, a shift that will probably be imperceptible but nonetheless profound. You have seven months to understand how this change impacts you.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) You mustn't expect any enormous changes today, Taurus. However, the process you began three or four years ago will accelerate slightly. You're changing the moorings of your identity.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) The day should be fairly positive, Gemini, and you'll begin to feel the faintest hints of a major change beginning. This new phase will last seven months.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) The solar system is shifting gears today, Cancer, and it's liable to trigger a great transformation that will last seven months.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) It's an excellent forecast for you, Leo! Although no specific events will occur, there is the huge promise of freedom over the next seven months.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22) To understand the major shift that's taking place, Virgo, you must look at events from a lofty perspective.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) The gentle winds of change are blowing through your life at the moment, Libra. You have a feeling of newness and an open attitude toward the world.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) The idea of a turning point in one's destiny often brings a smile to the faces of cynical people, but in your case, Scorpio, it definitely has some meaning. .

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) It may be that you've returned deeply changed from a long voyage, Sagittarius. Of course, we're all changed to some extent by travel, but in your case, the change is truly profound.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) If you feel suffocated by your romantic relationships, if you feel they lack some spice or are too traditional, then why not liberate yourself.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) During the last few months, Aquarius, it could be that you've met some strange people who have greatly influenced your attitude about marriage or partnership.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) The last months have been very challenging - and there's a very good chance that you no longer feel up to meeting the challenges. If you've been yearning to modify something in your daily life.

Tottenham head coach to stay on next season (BBC Sport) - There had been doubt over the Italian staying on, despite Spurs qualifying for the Champions League.

However, the news in midweek that owners ENIC were injecting £150m into the club has allayed fears about whether Tottenham would meet Conte’s demands for improvement.

Conte met director of football Fabio Paratici in Italy on Friday and re-affirmed his commitment to the club.

It remains to be seen whether Conte will be willing to extend his contract.

The 52-year-old’s current deal ends in 2023, although the contract does contain an option to extend for a further 12 months.

Conte was named Tottenham boss in November last year and guided the club to a fourth-place finish in the Premier League.

However, he appeared to suggest he was not happy at the club as recently as February, seemingly unhappy with the situation he had inherited.

After losing to Burnley on 22nd February - their fourth loss in five Premier League games - Conte said he was

frustrated and that “if the problem is the coach I am ready to go”. He had also appeared to question Spurs’ transfer strategy in an interview with Sky Italia but later said that his comments had been mistranslated. However, Tottenham finished the season strongly and, after a 3-0 north London derby win against Arsenal on 12 May, he said he was “very happy”.

Forster to join Tottenham…

Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster is set to sign for Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer. The England international’s contract expires at the end of next month, which allows him to move

clubs as a free agent. BBC Sport understand that the 34year-old has already undergone a medical and the deal will be announced soon.

Forster will provide backup to Spurs captain Hugo Lloris.

Lloris’ current deputy Pierluigi Gollini is on loan from Serie A side Atalanta, but his future is unclear. Spurs have the option to buy him, but in recent days he revealed he would be happy to return to Italy.

Former Newcastle and Celtic keeper Forster joined Southampton in 2014 and made 156 appearances for the south coast club. He has been capped six times by his country.

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Saturday May 28, 2022

Kaieteur News

2022 Champions League final: Up to 60,000 Liverpool fans expected in Paris (BBC Sport) - Liverpool will look to win European club football’s most prestigious prize for the seventh time when they face Real Madrid in a mouth-watering Champions League final in Paris on Saturday.

Up to 60,000 Liverpool fans - many without tickets are expected in the French capital as Jurgen Klopp’s Reds attempt to seal an FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Champions League treble in their 63rd and final game of 202122.

However, Real Madrid are record 13-time winners and their Italian boss Carlo Ancelotti is looking to win the competition for a fourth time - the most by any manager in the tournament’s history - after leading AC Milan

(2002-03, 2006-07) and Real (2013-14) to European glory.

Liverpool head into their third Champions League final in five seasons on the back of the disappointment of narrowly losing out to Manchester City in the Premier League title race last weekend.

“We are all in a good mood. If you are healthy, as the boys obviously are, life gives you opportunities again and again and in this case it is the Champions League final,” said Reds boss Klopp.

The German added: “Three finals in five years is exceptional because this competition is really difficult. It is really special. We really want to give it a proper go and we will see.”

While Liverpool are look-

Gareth Bale scored one of European football’s great goals the last time Real Madrid faced Liverpool in the Champions League final (Rex Features) ing to seal a cup treble, Real are attempting a league and

European double after being crowned champions of Spain.

By steering Real to a 35th La Liga title last month, Ancelotti became the first manager to win the league in all five of Europe’s major leagues.

“Two great teams will face each other, and the one with more courage and personality will win at the end,” said former Chelsea boss Ancelotti.

The final will be decided on the day with extra time and penalties coming into play if the sides cannot be separated.

Battle of the heavyweights Saturday’s eagerly anticipated final brings together two super heavyweights of European football.

While Real Madrid are aiming to win it for a 14th time, which would then be

twice as many as any other club, a Liverpool win would take them level with AC Milan (7) in second place on the list of overall champions.

Liverpool’s Senegal forward Sadio Mane and Real Madrid’s France forward Karim Benzema are both in the running to win this year’s coveted Ballon d’Or which is awarded to the world’s best player.

Benzema, 34, has struck 15 goals in Europe this season - including two hat-tricks - and is the Champions League’s leading scorer in 2021-22, while Mane was instrumental in his country’s first Africa Cup of Nations triumph in February.

Mane also helped Senegal qualify for the 2022 World Cup, with the 30-year-old winning two domestic cups with Liverpool this season. Linked with a move away from from

the Reds this summer, Mane said he will give a “special” answer over his future after the final.

Mohamed Salah said earlier this month Liverpool had “a score to settle” with Real after losing 3-1 to the Spanish giants in the 2018 final in Kyiv.

Four years ago, the Egypt star left the pitch in tears after falling heavily following a challenge by Sergio Ramos.

“I want to play against them and hopefully win it from them as well,” added Salah, who has yet to extend his contract that expires in June 2023.

This is the third time Liverpool and Real have met in the final.

As well as 2018, the two clubs met in 1981 when Liverpool emerged 1-0 winners in Paris. Forty-one years later, will history repeat itself?

Monaco Grand Prix: Hamilton...

From page 28 front left is popping up as well. You’re almost doing a wheelie. We’re doing everything we can to make it easier for us.

“It was a relatively good day but we are not where we want to be.

“We want to be best of the rest. That is a fair result this weekend behind Ferrari and Red Bull but we want to make sure we don’t have cheeky little Lando popping it in there too.”

Leclerc and Ferrari looking good Ferrari’s pace, with both cars at the front, and more than 0.3secs back to the Red Bulls underlines their status as pre-race favourites, on a weekend Leclerc needs to beat

Verstappen having seen the Dutchman turn a 46-point deficit into a six-point lead in three races.

The Ferraris were quickest on both short runs and over a series of laps when simulating race performance later in the session.

On these race-simulation runs, Leclerc was on average 0.2secs quicker than Sainz, who was in turn 0.1secs ahead of Verstappen, all running the soft tyre.

Leclerc was also fastest in the first session - by 0.039secs from Perez.

“For now we are competitive, so I’m happy,” Leclerc said.

“The car looks strong.

Also in the race pace we look good. The initial feeling is good so hopefully we can do

the step we want for tomorrow and have a great weekend after that.

“But I really think we need to do another step for tomorrow because everyone has quite a bit of a margin on Friday so it is a bit the unknown.”

Verstappen said: “We have been trying a few things around here to see how the car was behaving.

I was a little bit happier in P1 than P2.

“Of course if you have a little bit of a better balance you can attack a bit more and then the lap time comes out a bit better.

“But clearly compared to Ferrari we have to find a little bit more and now it is all about trying to fine-tune my balance as well.”

Saturday May 28, 2022

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Kaieteur News

French Open: Novak Pride strengthen lead with Djokovic & Rafael Nadal dominant win over Red Force into last 16 at Roland Garros West Indies Championship…

Roston Chase was instrumental with the ball for Barbados Pride

(SportsMax) - Barbados Pride strengthen lead in West Indies Championship with dominant win over Trinidad & Tobago Red Force West Indies all-rounder, Roston Chase, starred with the ball as the Barbados Pride strengthened their lead atop the West Indies Championship table with a dominant innings and 22-run win over the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force on Friday’s third day at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.

The Red Force started the

day 51-3, needing 110 more runs to make the Pride bat again, and they got off to the worst possible start after Chase removed Jason Mohammed for 10 to leave the score at 55-4.

55-4 became 64-5 as opener Keagan Simmons was next to go for 31, caught off the bowling of Chase.

Yannic Cariah was the only other batsman to put up any resistance, finishing 35 not out as Joshua Da Silva (14), Imran Khan (2), Terrance

Hinds (1), Uthman Muhammad (7), and Shannon Gabriel (8) all fell in quick succession to restrict the Red Force to 139 all out, condemning them to their second straight outright loss.

Chase took 3-26 from 12 overs while Akeem Jordan and Justin Greaves were also instrumental with 3-31 off 11.1 overs and 2-27 from nine overs, respectively.

Final scores: Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 133 and 139, Barbados Pride 294.

Monaco Grand Prix: Hamilton says track is ‘bumpiest ever’ - Leclerc and Ferrari looking good (BBC Sport) - Lewis Hamilton said Monaco this year is the “bumpiest” track he has ever driven because of problems with his Mercedes car in Friday practice.

Hamilton was only 12th fastest after a difficult day, complaining he did not manage to get a lap together.

Team-mate George Russell was sixth.

“There are, like, 100 bumps on just one straight,” Hamilton said.

“I don’t know whether the others are experiencing the same as us. But it’s the bumpiest roller-coaster ride.”

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc set the pace in both sessions, leading team-mate Carlos Sainz by the end of the day, both drivers more than 0.3 seconds quicker than Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen of title rivals Red Bull.

Russell was 0.7secs off the pace, and Hamilton a further 0.9secs back.

Hamilton complained about “bouncing” - but said it was not the same as the high-frequency aerodynamic

(BBC Sport) - Defending champion Novak Djokovic produced another outstanding display as he reached the French Open fourth round without dropping a set all week.

Serbia’s Djokovic, 34, won 6-3 6-3 6-2 - saving one break point in the third set - against Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene.

The top seed remains on course for a potential quarterfinal meeting with Spain’s 13time champion Rafael Nadal.

Nadal, 35, also moved into the last 16 on Friday with a 63 6-2 6-4 win over Dutch opponent Botic van de Zandschulp.

Nadal, who was beaten by Djokovic in a gripping semifinal last year, will face Canada’s Felix AugerAliassime in Paris on Sunday.

An intriguing element to that match is that Toni Nadal - Rafael’s uncle, who coached him to 16 of his 21 major titles - is part of ninth seed AugerAliassime’s team.

Nadal is seeded fifth in Paris after missing two months of the season with a rib injury, which he picked up at Indian Wells shortly after winning a men’s record 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.

The chronic foot problem which he thought would end his career last year also flared up at the recent Italian Open.

But so far at Roland

Novak Djokovic won the French Open in 2021

Garros he has not been overly troubled by either an opponent or his body.

Nadal secured his victory over 26th seed Van de Zandschulp when he saw off a break point before serving out the win to set up the meeting with Auger-Aliassime.

Ninth seed AugerAliassime, 21, earned his spot in the last 16 with a 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-2) 7-5 win over Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic.

When Toni Nadal linked up with Auger-Aliassime, he said he would not be able to sit in his new player’s box in any match against his nephew Rafael.

Nadal revealed he spoke with his uncle shortly after beating Van de Zandschulp and that any split loyalties will be “zero problem”.

“He’s my uncle. I don’t think he will be able to want me to lose, without a doubt, but he’s a professional and he’s with another player,” Nadal said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, if he’s going to stay in the box or not, but I don’t care. I have zero problem with that. So it’s not a story at all for me. I know what’s the feelings that we have between each other.

“I know he wants the best for me.”

Auger-Aliassime said: “I think Toni will watch from a neutral place and enjoy the match.

“It was black and white from the first time we started working together, we knew it was a possibility that eventually I would play Rafa when I’m working with Toni.”

Guyanese softball cricketers on show...

McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo crashed during the second session (Getty Images) problem that had afflicted Mercedes until their upgrade in Spain last weekend.

“It’s the bumpiest the track’s ever been. It’s probably the bumpiest track I’ve ever driven,” the seven-time champion said.

“That makes it difficult but in general our car bounces a lot. It’s different bouncing to what we’ve experienced in the past because it’s in the low speed [corners] also, but it’s not aero. The bumps are making it worse.

“Putting a lap together is, wow, whole new ground. I don’t remember experiencing that before.

“The grip doesn’t feel terrible but it’s just eyeballs coming out of the sockets. As anticipated, I didn’t think we would be as quick as the Ferraris and Red Bulls. Our battle is to try and stay ahead of the McLarens.”

Russell added: “The car is constantly smashing against the floor. We have experienced a lot of that this year but this is a very different philosophy and reasoning for the bouncing.

“There are sections where both tyres are off the ground - in Turn Five, the front right in the air, and it’s so stiff the (Continued on page 28)

From page 31 everyone contributed and that was important; the effort was absolutely collective and yes we are heading into the competitions with the similar approach,” Mahadeo, who bowls and bats right-handed, related.

Sunshine will begin their season against former champion team Spartans at the Robert J Lee Public School ground, Brampton from 09:00hrs.

There will always be a

sense of antagonism when facing up former trophy holders but Mahadeo is anticipating a keen contest.

“Spartans will come out to win without a doubt; we are prepared for any challenge and just try to be victorious,” an enthusiastic Mahadeo mentioned.

Meanwhile, president of the ORSCA and Canadabased Guyanese, Mitch Bacchus, has great expectations of another successful season. He conveyed his best

wishes to all the teams that taking part while he thanked the supporters and contributors in every aspect of making season eventful.

Among the Canadabased Guyanese softball cricketers representing various teams are Damodar Daesrath, Shaun Deonandan, Royston Crandon, Azi Al Haniff, Troy Gobin, Zaheer Haniff, Rovendra Mandolall, Dillon Heyliger, Fazil Gani, Devon Ramnauth and Bobby Parasnauth.

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Saturday May 28, 2022

Kaieteur News

2022 TATA IPL: RR breeze past RCB to enter final (IPL) - The Rajasthan Royals (RR) marched to the finals of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 campaign with a comprehensive 7-wicket win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Friday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

A spectacular batting display by Jos Buttler, who slammed his fourth century of the season, powered RR to a clinical 7-wicket win and sealed their spot for their final.

Chasing 158 to win, RR were off to a flier after Yashasvi Jaiswal whacked two sixes and a four in the first over. Jos Buttler at the other end took Siraj to the cleaners and punched two fours and a massive six. RR added 19 off the fifth over after Buttler attacked Shahbaz Ahmed’s spin in the 5th over.

Josh Hazlewood provided the opening wicket for RCB after Jaiswal was caught at point but RR were going strong with 67/ 1 at the end of the powerplay.

Buttler creamed a four to reach his fifty and was joined by skipper Sanju Samson.

The duo continued the easy flow of runs and RR were comfortably placed at the halfway stage at 103/1 after 10 overs.

The fifty partnership was up for the second wicket before the RR skipper was out stumped against Hasaranga.

The equation was down to run-a-ball for RR as Devdutt Padikkal joined the well-set Buttler at the crease.

After a couple of quiet overs, Buttler clubbed two sixes against Hasaranga to bring the equation down to 18 off 24.

While the RR opener

Jos Buttler celebrated his fourth century of the 2022 IPL Season with Shimron Hetmyer moved into the nineties, Hazlewood scalped his second wicket to dismiss Padikkal, who was caught behind in the 17th over.

Buttler reached his fourth century of the season and

finished the game in style with a maximum as RR successfully chased down the target with 11 balls to spare. Earlier, RCB were put in to bat first as both teams remained unchanged.

Virat Kohli hit the first six of the innings before the RCB opener was caught behind off Trent Boult’s bowling.Rajat Patidar, who joined skipper Faf du Plessis at the crease, played two exceptional shots for four in the final over of the powerplay and was given a reprieve as RCB moved to 46/1.

The fifty partnership was up for the second wicket but RR kept things tight with the ball as RCB were placed at 74/1 at the halfway mark. Obed McCoy put an end to the partnership after dismissing du Plessis, who was caught at short-third man.

New batter Glenn Maxwell made an immediate imp a c t w i t h a straight six against Ashwin.

The next over produced 15 runs after Maxwell crunched a four and six each against Chahal.

However, Obed McCoy’s

brilliant catch in the outfield off Boult put an end to Maxwell’s quick-fire knock.

Patidar reached his fifty in style with a maximum but the explosive right-handed batter was caught at long-off in an attempt to clear the ropes against Ashwin.

McCoy scalped his second wicket to dismiss Mahipal Lomror and RCB were 146/5 with two overs to go.

Prasidh Krishna dismissed Karthik and Wanindu Hasaranga on consecutive deliveries in the penultimate over.

Only three runs were conceded in the final over of the innings, bowled by Obed McCoy, who took his third wicket in the form of Harshal Patel as RCB posted 157/8 in the first innings.

Bri e f Scores: Rajasthan Royals 161/3 (Jos Buttler 106*, Sanju Samson 23; Josh Hazlewood 2-23) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 157/8 (Rajat Patidar 58, Faf du Plessis 25; Prasidh Krishna 3-22) by 7 wickets.

ECCB selects U-17 squad for DCB Tournament East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB) ha s s e l e c t e d their U-17 squad to compete in the Demerara Cricket B o a r d ( D C B ) To u r n a ment scheduled to start t o d a y, M a y 2 8 , 2 0 2 2 a t the La Bonne Intention (LBI) Facility Ground.

Romeo Deonarain has been charged with the duty to captain the the team while Nicholas Shiopersad will be h i s d e p u t y.

The M a n a g e r o f t h e team is Ye u v r a j Khemraj while the coach is Kumar Bishundial.

The full team reads: Vi k a s h Wi l k i n s o n , A n thony Khan, Romeo Deonarain (Captain), Nicholas Shiopersad ( Vi c e - C a p t a i n ) , H e m r a j Harripersaud, Suresh Sugrim, N e e r a n B a n i , Alex Datterdeen, Saif R a g b e e r, Joshua Behari, Sasenarine Harricharran, Jahiene Beckles, Tularam Chintamani and Romel Persaud T h e r e s e r v e s f o r the team are Tyriq Walters, Arun Gainda, Josh Behari and Obrien McCulay.

ECCB U-17 captain, Romeo Deonarain

Saturday May 28, 2022

DDL/Michael Parris U16 and Junior Boxing Championship returns June 5 The sixth edition of the Demerara Distillers Limitedsponsored Michael Parris U16 and Juniors Championships is set to return on Sunday, June 5, at the National Gymnasium.

The competition is held annually by the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) in honour of the country’s first and only Olympic Medalist.

Parris won bronze at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.

Last held in March at the Andrew ‘Six Heads’ Lewis Gym in Albouystown, Forgotten Youth Foundation boxer, Michael Greenidge, was a cut above his peers in the 47 – 49kg category when he forced the referee to stop the bout against J a y d o n King in the first round. Berbice Jammers walked away with the Best Gym title, following the performances of Curtis McDonald, Travis Sancho, Aubrey Austin, Javar Jones and Marcus Humphrey.

With the Caribbean Schoolboys and Juniors tournament set for August,

Guyana’s lone Olympic Medallist, Michael Parris GBA president Steve Ninvalle had promised that along with the help of DDL under their Pepsi brand, the tournament will be a regular

feature since it plays an important part in identifying G u y a n a ’s r e p r e s e n tatives for the prestigious championship.

Guyanese softball cricketers on show as ORSCA President Cup starts Sunday A plethora of Canadabased Guyanese softball cricketers will be on show as the 2022 Ontario Round-Arm Softball Cricket Association (ORSCA) 20-overs Regular Season is set to get cracking from Sunday at various venues across the Mississauga/ Brampton Peel Region Areas and teams will be vying for the President Cup trophy.

Eight sides are in the Elite A division while ten sides will be contesting in the Premier B Division.

Captain of Sunshine, Anil Mahadeo, has expressed confidence in his boys roaring to glory again after they would have emerged champions last year in the both the 20 and 10 overs categories.

They will be participating in the 15-over knockout competition as well. The genuine all-rounder Mahadeo stated that his team is ready to churn out good performances and at the same time anxious to get on the field.

“I [am] confident we can do well again this year; this obviously is the new beginning but I think we have enough confidence to come out on top again,” Mahadeo explained.

There was no division in 2021 and Sunshine dominated proceedings from the commencement to the culmina-

PAGE 31

Kaieteur News

Anil Mahadeo

tion as they were left unbeaten.

In the 20-overs championship fixture, they got the better of Cambridge Jaguars while they beat Masters for the 10-over trophy.

According to Mahadeo, they played with a great degree of positivity last year and he and his lads are planning to ply their trade with the same method.

“You have got to be posi-

tive when playing in a major tournament like this; winning two trophies in 2021 was just tremendous but obviously we have to start all over again; but the important thing is to keep the winning momentum,” Mahadeo declared.

Quizzed on what were some of the tricks to lift the trophies, Mahadeo responded: “As I said is about committed cricket; I think (Continued on page 29)

Andrew Lewis National Novices set for June 24 – 26 The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) will host their Andrew Lewis National Novices Championships, on June 24 – 26, at the National Gymnasium.

It will see the return of the tournament for the first time since 2019.

According to the GBA, the fistic sport’s newbies from across the country will be engaged in battle from 18:00hrs nightly, as the Association seeks to unearth new talent ahead of several regional tournaments.

Technical Director, Terrence Poole, pointed out that medical and weigh-ins will be held on Thursday, June 23, at 16:00 hours at the National Gymnasium.

Several of the country’s premier amateur boxers had their origin in the ring via the Andrew Lewis Novices, which is held in the honour of the former World Champion, who died on May 4, 2015, in an accident.

Chanderpaul, Singh tons keep hopes...

From page 32 seventh wicket partnership with Kevin Sinclair (36) as Guyana finished the day on 584-7. Jamaica’s Nicholson Gordon has been the most successful bowler with 4122. Resuming on their overnight score of 213-1 with Chanderpaul four away from his fourth first-Class century and Imlach on 39, the left handed batsman reached his second hundred of the season and from 243 balls after batting for 287 minutes.

He drove o f f - s p i n n e r Jamie Merchant sweetly past mid-off for his 18th boundary to reach the milestone in style.

The pair extended their partnership before Imlach reached his second consecutive fifty in only his fourth match.

Imlach celebrated his half-century with a glorious off-drive off Merchant before another boundary to fine leg by and Guyana reached 250 to take their second batting point.

At Lunch, the pair had progressed to 285-8 with Chanderpaul whose previous tons were 101 against

Barbados in Barbados in 2018, 117 against Jamaica in Guyana in 2019 and 140 against Barbados in Trinidad…all unbeaten knocks.

Chanderpaul who has played 47 matches since making his debut at this level against the Leewards in Antigua in 2013, was looking like a wall on 128 while Imlach was on 78 when the first session ended.

After Lunc h , t h e J a maicans employed a wide of off stump line adding psychological pressure and started the second session with a succession of maidens.

Imlach, 21 away from his first hundred, seemed rattled by the chatter of the opposition’s players made a sudden reckless charge down the pitch at Alwin Williams and edged a wild swipe to Thomas as Guyana moved to 292-2.

By Tea, Chanderpaul had passed his previous best of 140 and was unbeaten on 159 while skipper Johnson was on 31 as the Harpy Eagles desperately tried to score quickly.

After the break,

Johnson batted with lots of positivity and raced to his 40th half century before he was beaten by flight and was stumped by off Jamie Merchant who made the break through at 386-3.

Chanderpaul, the glue that holds the Guyana innings together, pulled a short ball from Gordon to short mid-wicket, to bring another supberb innings to an end at 443-4 while Akshaya Persaud (4) was taken by Thomas off Gordon at 451-5.

Singh, who has p l a y e d t h r e e Te s t s , started his inning with an audacious reverse sweet for four along with an array of sweeps, pulls, cuts and cover drives.

He batted sensib ly and show great intent and reached his fourth fifty before Keemo Paul, at the other end, hit a six and four in his quick-fire 17 before he was also removed by Gordon at 4946.

Sinclair joined Singh who has been playing at this level since 2009 and added a fifty-run stand before was he went LBW to

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Saturday May 28, 2022

Kaieteur News

Banks DIH partners with Meusa still commands the GOBSA for Independence board in Open National Track & Field Meet Chess Championship - Johnson, Shariff, Lam tied at the top in Women’s Nationals

The simple launch was conducted at the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Office.

Banks DIH through their Rainforest Water brand is onboard with this Sunday’s Independence Track and Field Meet scheduled for Leonora and organized by the Guyana Overseas Based Sports Association Inc. At the press conference on Friday, organizer Gordon Lewis shared that meet is about giving the athletes a platform to perform.

“For us it is about giving back and giving the athletes a meet to look forward to… It is going to be a good meet on Sunday and we want to encourage persons to come out and support the athletes,” Lewis noted.

President of the Athletics

Association of Guyana, Aubrey Hutson noted that events such as these aid in the development of the athletes.

“We need events such as these to give our athletes more competition to compete at and I must thank GOBSA and Banks DIH for supporting track and field in Guyana,” Hutson highlighted. Corporate Communications Manager of Banks DIH Troy Peters shared that the Beverage Giants will always support the development of athletics.

“We understand the importance of supporting our athletes and Banks DIH is always willing to support and

we must thank GOBSA for organizing this event for the athletes. Banks DIH will continue to support the development sport in general,” Peters mentioned.

The event which is also sponsored by the National Sports Commission and the Ministry of Sport will commence from 9AM on Sunday at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora.

Caption From left; GOBSA representatives William Benjamin, Gordon Lewis, President of the AAG Aubrey Hutson, Banks DIH CCM Troy Peters and Banks DIH Water Beverages Manager Colin King at the press conference.

Wendell Meusa

CWI Regional Frist-Class Championships...

Chanderpaul, Singh tons keep hopes of win alive

By Sean Devers in Trinidad in association with WD Hotel & Mall Charity & Dave’s West Indies Imports Centuries from Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Vishaul Singh kept hopes of a Guyana Harpy Eagles last day win alive against the Jamaica Scorpios as they ended the third day with a lead of 191 with three wickets in hand in the third round of the CWI Regional First-Class four-day Championships at the Diego Martin Sports Complex, yesterday.

Chanderpaul’s magnificent 184 lasted 425 balls, 567 minutes and was decorated with 27 boundaries. That innings followed up scores of 140 not out and an unbeaten 23 from 10 against defending Champions Barbados, to move him onto 414 runs which

Tevin Imlach is the third highest aggregate on the list behind West Indies Captain, Kraigg Braithwaite and Devon Smith.

The 25-year-old lefthander from the Village of Unity shared in a 112-run partnerships with Chanderpaul Hemraj (78) and a 180-run part-

nership with Tevin Imlach (79) while Skipper Leon Johnson (57) added 94 with Chanderpaul. Singh, unbeaten on 100 from 86 balls, batted for 127 minutes in which he recorded 13 fours as he featured in 63-run (Continued on page 31)

Nellisha Johnson

Roberto Neto defeated Candidate Master Wendell Meusa during the sixth round of the nine-round Championship. However, Muesa maintains his lead with 5 points in the Gaico sponsored National Open Chess Tournament where a new National Champion for 2022 will be declared.

Tiny inaccuracies by Neto gave Muesa an early advantage. The middle game progressed evenly with Muesa making a material sacrifice as well as a mistake which turned the game from a win to a draw.

Neto was able to convert to a win after Muesa once again blundered. Neto was able to capitalize on this, resulting in Muesa resigning shortly after. Muesa has already defeated no. 2 seed FM Anthony Drayton, who won the Qualifier, and defending National Champion CM Taffin Khan. The reigning champ has a good chance of making a comeback if Meusa suffers any further defeats since

Khan currently stand just half a point behind Meusa with 4.5 points.

Frankie Farley and Ethan Lee are on 4 points each, with Anthony Drayton and Roberto Neto on 3.5 points each.

Meanwhile, in the KFC Guyana sponsored Women’s Nationals; Nellisha Johnson, Sasha Shariff and Pooja Lam are currently tied in the top position on 5 points each after 6 matches.

Johnson’s only defeat so far was against the defending women’s champion Sasha Shariff. She convincingly won her game with Jessica Callender after a laborious three hour match. Minor inaccuracies by Callender give Johnson the advantage from the beginning.

Although the two players had equal material during the middle game, Callender’s position had weaknesses which Johnson took advantage of.

After trading off pieces, Johnson queens and played

a principled end game leading to her victory over Callender.

Shariff and Lam have not yet lost any matches but drew their games against each other and no.2 seed Jessica Callender who won the Qualifying tournament. Adia Alphonso and Maliha Rajkumar follow closely behind the top three players on 3 points each.

The Open and Women Nationals are being run concurrently at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence and will end on Sunday May 29. The top finisher in each tournament will be named National Champion and Women’s National Champion respectively.

Additionally, a point based system inclusive of results from the Grand Prix Tournaments as well as the Nationals will determine the ten member team to represent Guyana in India at the 44th Fide Chess Olympiad in July/ August of this year.

Saturday May 28, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 33

CWI Regional First-Class Championships... rts Spo

Chanderpaul, Singh tons keeps hopes of win alive Tagenarine Chanderpaul

Vishaul Singh

2022 TATA IPL: RR breeze past RCB to enter final Rajasthan Royals made it to their first IPL finale since the 2008 season. (BCCI)

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