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May 30, 2021

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Exxon contract has clause to renegotiate …but provision mandates ‘only with written agreement’ by all parties

Boat owners beg Govt’s help to retrieve boats held by - say vessels being Venezuelan authorities stripped for parts Coalition had doubled Reinstatement of 40% tariff GWI employees, Govt. on soaps in keeping with a claims as it moves regional ruling on trade - Govt.

- Opposition criticism misleading to lay off staff

Exxon to bring up 20,000 barrels more per day by 2022 from Liza 1 Listen @11:00hrs Int’l Court stops oil company in its track. Guyana to pay on Kaieteur Radio unknown US$ to clean up, while leaders silent on interest rates 99.1/99.5FM

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Sunday May 30, 2021

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Exxon to bring up 20,000 barrels more per day by 2022 from Liza 1 H

e s s Corporation's Chief Operating Officer (COO), Greg Hill, has revealed that Stabroek Block operator, ExxonMobil, will be increasing the production capacity of the Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel by some 20,000 barrels for 2022.

During his recent participation at the UBS Global Energy Virtual Conference 2021, Hill said, the Liza Destiny is already operating at 120,000 barrels of oil per day, even though the flash gas compressor is in the USA undergoing repairs and a small amount of redesign. That equipment was removed after

malfunctioning for a fourth time since being in operation.

Hill said, “It will come back out on platform in June and be operational by July 1, and once it becomes operational, we will be able to walk the production up somewhere between 120,000 to 130,000 barrels of oil per day. And then in November of this year, we will do two things, we will take a shut down and we'll install a new design flash gas compressor to hopefully get it more reliable.”

The Chief Operating Officer added, “But the second most important objective of the November shut down, is to debottleneck or optimise the facility so that a new nameplate of somewhere between

140,000 to 150,000 barrels of oil per day will be had. So hopefully, in December once all that work is done, we will see it begin to ramp up to that higher nameplate capacity for next year.”

Asked to say if the other ships – particularly Liza Unity and the Prosperity, which will operate the Liza Phase Two Project and the Payara Project respectively – will undergo the same type of changes, Hill answered in the affirmative. He said it is very typical for large projects like this too. He explained that once Exxon gets an understanding of the vessel and how it operates; the relevant changes can be made to increase the capacity.

Hill said, “You need the dynamic data of operating

Hess Corporation's COO, Greg Hill

that vessel to understand where your pinch points are, and so you need about six months to a year of operating data to do that, and then you can go in and put in some

piping changes and eliminate those bottle necks and then go to a higher nameplate and typically, you can probably count on 10 to 15 percent, but we will wait

Boat owners beg Govt's help to retrieve vessels held by Venezuelan authorities - Say vessels being stripped for parts

A

t least four Guyanese boat owners are seeking their government's help in retrieving their vessels from the Venezuelan armed forces. Their boats are in custody of the Venezuelan authorities at Puerto Chalanas, a port located in San Felix, Ciudad Guayana, Estado Bolivar, Venezuela.

Based on information received by this media house from Venezuelan journalists, a total six Guyanese boats were detained in October and December, 2020, and to date are still being held by the Venezuelan lawmen for investigation purposes.

The detained vessels are: Manesha Davi, M.V Gesgemani( a tug), Samara, Valentina, Vicram and

Cecilia. According to the Venezuelan authorities, the boats were intercepted in its waters with contraband.

Speaking with Kaieteur News yesterday, the owner of M.V Gesemani, Vajay Singh said, that he along with the other boat owners are calling for the Guyana government's intervention to speed up the investigation because their vessels are allegedly being stripped of key parts by the ranks of the Venezuelan armed forces.

It is believed that the ranks are selling those parts, and Singh related that they now fear that by the time the Venezuelan authorities are finished with its investigation, their vessels will be completed stripped and nonfunctional. He added

that he depends on his vessel to provide an income for his family and it is already tough on him that it has been detained so long. To receive

a boat that is completely stripped of its key parts, he said, would be even more devastating.

A news article published

in November, 2020 by a Venezuelan newspaper called La Primicia, had reported too, that Singh's (continued on page 13)

and see the dynamic data first.”

In providing an example, he said the Liza Unity, which is poised to produce about 220,000 barrels of oil per day, can increase to 240,000 barrels. The Liza Unity, an under-construction FPSO that will be Guyana's second offshore facility in production, remains on schedule for first oil in 2022.

The China-built FPSO hull recently arrived in Singapore for topside integration.

SBM Offshore, the company that has been tasked with delivering the Liza Unity FPSO, last month said, some delays in project execution would be unavoidable due to the Covid-19 lockdowns, but that the company was in close contact with clients and business partners to manage the situation, adjust execution planning and where appropriate, create mitigation plans.

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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

Poor systems spell disaster for oil money There is some more to that headline “Guyana’s poor systems spell disaster for oil money” (KN, May 25). There is more that could be added to the story underlying that caption, which conveys so much of what is wrong here. We make a start with the laments of the Auditor General, and then move on to other areas. Yet even as we do so, there is the full realisation, a haunting one, that the story of Guyana would still be largely incomplete. It is because there is so little being done in response, with the result that so much more is left hanging, and which doesn’t look likely to move in the least from that suspended state anytime in the near future.

The Auditor General does not like what his office reviews, where the trails lead, what they confirm. It is that in numerous ministries and other departments of the state, there is this casualness towards, this subtle resistance in, taking the bull by the horns and bringing about improvement. Audits are done, with many gaps and more deficiency uncovered, and yet there is seeming indifference to take action by those in charge of ministries and other government offices, be they in the capital city, or deeper in the Administrative Regions.

The annual audit reports point to rampant corruption and procurement breaches across ministries and regional departments, and the action taken to remedy is a yawn and a shrug. The result is that it is the same dirty business, as usual, and the same revealing audit reports year after year.

According to the Auditor General, the recommendations of his office to “improve systems and practices for governance and accountability are not acted upon” for the most part.

The Auditor General, Deodat Sharma, said that 76% of his recommendations were not fully implemented with many of them repeated each year. That’s 3 out of 4 recommendations acted upon in some halfhearted, or slipshod, or don’t give a damn manner. No business, individual or partnership or corporate or state, can operate for too long like this, and still remain a viable entity, a going concern. The only place such a business would be going is downhill, and straight into the deepest part of the gutter. And this is precisely what has occurred in government office after government office, and with much wastage and losses incurred.

Who is in charge of such agencies? Who is awake and alert, and driving the bus of the people’s business responsibly, and with some degree of dignity and self-respect? Why are those senior officers that are in executive management positions in those defaulting state entities still on the job?

And where are the political leaders, who are responsible for selecting and appointing them? What are they doing? It is frustrating and dispiriting that 55 years after National Independence, we are in the same place as Day One; maybe in an even worse place than where we started out postIndependence.

We at this paper have a few things to say, and they are largely based on the questions from the last paragraph. We agree that poor systems not fixed, but repeating themselves in the same or poorer shape annually, are part of the problem, and could be the death of our hopes. But there is more to it, than just that alone. We believe that poor leadership, chronically compromised and handicapped political leadership has to bear the brunt of the responsibility for where we are, what has been done (or not done), and what all this means for the future.

It is the same poor and pathetic political leadership, in one government following the next, that speaks powerfully about cleaning up and whipping things and people into shape, only for the same poverty in processes and results to happen again and again. Our leaders are among the best in talking a good game, but they are yet to deliver on anything of substance.

They have failed at the little things, such as delivering ultimatums to Heads of Department and Permanent Secretaries and Commissioners of this and that: get moving, get improvements. Or get out. Get going and deliver; or get ready to be kicked out. This has rarely happened, which means the celebrations of corruptions continue. What can they do with this oil treasure of ours? It is what the Auditor General presented to the whole world. Are leaders listening?

Central Govt. has assumed many Local Govt. responsibilities DEAR EDITOR, Over the past few weeks, the Mayor of Georgetown has been expressing dissatisfaction about the manner in which Central Government has been doling out subventions to his City Council, a situation that has left quite a few citizens perplexed.

From his utterances, it would seem as though the Council would be left immobilised and incapacitated without these subventions.

I would first like to remind the Mayor, that since Georgetown gained official city status on August 24, 1842, and up until relatively recently, the city was managed very well without a subvention, but rather on its own revenue generated from municipal fees and taxes. Of course, at that time, it did not have a nearly 1,000 strong workforce that is extremely top heavy, it performed its own refuse collection and disposal services, did not depend on expensive contractors, and did not have a lot of fancy non-essential departments, which place a heavy financial burden on the

citizenry. But, I think that it should be the Council that pays a subvention to Central Government and not the other way around. Let us look at just some of the services that the Council should be providing to the citizens of the capital from the property rates they collect, which have suddenly become the responsibility of the Central Government.

In the past, the Council had its own incinerator and managed its own landfill sites around the city for refuse disposal. Old Smokey collapsed in ruins and the badly managed Le Repentir dumpsite would regularly burst into flames smoking out all nearby residents. The result was the government had to borrow US$20 million from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to develop the Haags Bosch sanitary landfill. All over the world, the role of the City Police is to maintain law and order in local areas, by protecting members of the public and their property, preventing crime, reducing the fear of crime, and improving the quality of life for all

citizens of that city. Not here in Georgetown. Instead, the national police have had to assume that role in the city, whilst city policemen spend their time chasing vendors, harassing stallholders and other businesspersons, and searching out any would be litterer. Stray animals have been allowed to roam the city streets with wild abandon until the Ministry of Home Affairs got involved in stray catching. Slaughtering of animals and meat inspection came to a crashing halt when a crane which was involved in supporting offshore operations for the oil and gas industry, toppled and crashed into the city abattoir; they seem to be awaiting a promise made by the Minister of Agriculture for the construction of a number of modern abattoirs across the country with the aim of boosting beef and pork production. Most of the drainage pumps around the city have been left by the Council in a state of disrepair for a number of years. Central Government has had to purchase, install, manage and maintain dozens of mobile and stationary pumps to relieve flooding. Road

construction and maintenance of city streets, and I am not talking about the declared and main roads that are the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Works, have long been abandoned by the City Council and again left to Central Government for remedy. Same with bridges.

And if we are to venture into city public health matters, fogging for mosquitoes is now done by Central Government, day care services have been shuttered and left up to private facilities, sanitary inspection around the city is no longer done by City Hall and the list goes on and on. In fact, the municipality has refused to even maintain its own buildings, including the historic City Hall edifice, and is, instead, expecting Central Government to restore it and also construct an Administrative building for them. Shouldn’t the city take a part of the billions, which they collect yearly from the citizenry and hand it over to Central Government for all the slack that the Government has taken up around the city?

Best regards, Deodarie Putulall

Sunday May 30, 2021

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Fmr. Pres. Sam Hinds defends Guyana crumbs from our gold and oil, as Publisher Glenn Lall responds Dear Editor With regard to our natural resources, I believe like every Guyanese that we should always be looking to get a bit more directly and/or indirectly, but however well intended, it is inaccurate and there is great danger to believe and worse in preaching that we Guyanese are receiving crumbs from the ongoing extraction and commercialisation of our natural resources, gold and oil. WE ARE NOT. To judge whether we are receiving crumbs or not, we must think of all the benefits we are receiving. They may be considered in three groups: GL: Mr. Sam Hinds, you are either sick or insane, to say we are not getting crumbs.

The KN would have reported many times about the magnitude of incentives Guyana gave out compared to what we received.

I use as an example, RUSAL, BOSAI, Aurora Gold, Troy Resources, Bai Shan Lin, Omai Gold, Barama, etc.

KN reported that the duty free fuel alone, that Guyana gave to just RUSAL was US$100M and our bauxite disappeared.

Every year that company declared losses. They were even selling, competing with our local licenced fuel dealers, nice investment and business that is, Mr. Hinds. i) Royalty, and/ or a share in profits. Royalty is a percentage taken off the top, before anything else.

Royalty and profit-share may be taken in kind or in cash assuming sales at prevailing world market prices (not a giveaway sale to some family member: although there have

been lots of arguments about sale prices within a group of companies when there are no world prices).

GL: Did you read any contract before penning that letter Mr. Hinds?

If you did, you would have seen that Aurora Gold is paying what they decide to give us, meaning the sale price they, yes they, sell the gold for, and based on the price they tell us, they pay.

That’s the way to do business Mr. Hinds? You said, royalty comes out of the top, before anything else, read back the ExxonMobil (EEPGL) Contract. ii) Taxes – Corporate income tax; taxes on imports, on purchases, on sales (if applicable), etc. These may be waived to the extent allowable by law, and as stated in the general regime.

Note that these incentives and waivers are monies “foregone” by the Treasury, not paid out by the Treasury.

GL: Mr. Hinds, where is the investment, where are the promised taxes that these companies paying?

They came here empty handed with fancy proposals to get leaders like you to give them whatever they asked for in tax breaks and concessions, do no substantial investments, then they turn around and use the provisions in the sweetheart contract, hire a few locals and cart off the country’s wealth, that is investment and business Mr. Hinds. Please name the companies that brought meaningful investment here? iii) Employment and personal income tax; the provision of organisation and structure, purpose and training to the workforce employed; supporting “local

content” businesses; direct and indirect infrastructural development, etc.

GL: Mr. Hinds I would encourage as an elder statesman, to please stop spewing this nonsense about local content, and go back to school starting from Prep-A, or come let me teach you the meaning of those two words—Local Content.

Yes, when they hire a few of our citizens to work as guards, cooks and labourers, make some local purchases at the market and a few stores, you are proud of that Mr. Hinds?—Wow! Mr. Hinds, you come across, singing from the same songbook as the rest of the politicians who are trying to convince the nation that our forest is red. Mr. Hinds is that local content to be proud of?

In certain circumstances like the opening up of new distant hinterland areas, some economists may calculate and argue that benefit (iii) is important and great enough to waive altogether or to put benefits (i) and (ii) at the lowest lawful values, so that the development can happen.

Note also, that if the project does not proceed there are no cash benefits (i) and (ii). All the benefits are only enjoyed when there is an ongoing project – No project: No benefits. Note too, that our investment regime of incentives, waivers and prequalifications is based on the nature and size of the investment – the regime is available to everyone whether local or overseas Guyanese, or foreigners of all nationalities.

GL: Mr. Hinds is less than honest, his arguments are less than hollow and his

position that these sweetheart contracts are available to locals is far from the truth and is misleading.

Locals are entitled to nothing whatsoever and they are made to pay more in royalty and taxes than any foreigner does.

You can prove me wrong Mr. Hinds.

As to his position ‘No Project, no Benefits’ I would like to know which business school he went to. Because when it is you who have a project ongoing and we are still not benefitting, then of what use is that to a nation or its people?

Some countries may find it economically and financially beneficial to subsidise a key activity to a certain extent: a number of Caribbean Governments used to provide some cash support to hotels and airlines bringing in the tourists to keep the airfares low and the tourist flow high. The benefit is in the employment and economic activity created by the spending of the tourists.

GL: That’s laudable, every country does that, but no country or no one would give away their ‘behind’ to mess through their ‘ribs.’

We must think about all that we would not have had if there was no project, before engaging in any talk about crumbs.

What is often forgotten when one reads about 1,000 ozs. of gold mined and sold at US$1,800/oz. or one million bbls. of oil recovered and sold at US$60/bbl, is the cost of recovering and placing the commodity in the world market.

Those who say we are receiving crumbs are ignoring those costs, thinking that “our” gold and oil and other natural resources are

being recovered and put to market at negligible costs. It is the easiest thing to forget the costs and the work and sacrifices involved when counting the money the other guy is receiving.

GL: What Mr. Hinds is proud of here, the gold and the oil we are putting on the international market has a recovery cost, but whose pocket that recovery cost is going into and what is the country getting out of that?

It belongs to the people who are actually doing the work and Guyana is getting the short end of the stick, with a few low-end workers and some purchases in the local markets. Mr. Hinds are you saying this is what we should settle for and not call it crumbs, are you proud of that, is that investment and business that benefits all?

Those of us who lived through the nationalisations of the 1970s and early 1980s

(like I did) would know that it is a real challenge to keep costs less than world market prices over which we have no influence. Indeed for most of the time we owned and ran the bauxite operations it was more a situation like costs $120, world market price $100. Over the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s many believed that we were getting crumbs for our bauxite (and most likely we were, then) and that was part of the drive for nationalization but when we owned it over the 1970s, 80s, 90s, 2000s we were putting in lots of money from our Treasury to keep the operations from closing (as subsidies to those communities including myself and family).

GL: Mr. Hinds keep dreaming and living in the past, maybe you will eventually be confirmed as the Guyana Ambassador to Washington DC, with that mentality.

(Continued on page 6)

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...Fmr. Pres. Sam Hinds defends Guyana crumbs from our gold and oil, as Publisher Glenn Lall responds From page 5 Allow me now to respond directly to a question put to me earlier: if I (a Former Prime Minister and Minister Responsible for the GGMC) do not subscribe to the notion that Guyana and Guyanese are receiving crumbs then should I not show gold and oil contracts from other jurisdictions that are worse than the Aurora Gold and Exxon oil contracts.

I do not have any contract for any particular company in gold or oil in some other country, to show.

But the matter does not end there – Governments and Companies are required to publish and make available lots of information in different places/agencies, local and foreign as required by law.

Indeed as far as I can tell all the “secrets” that are being revealed have been taken from publicly available documents. Experienced, knowledgeable persons readily perform overall comparisons, which show that we are at least middling, in what our Government receives directly in royalty and/or profit share and taxes.

GL: I am surprised that he’s got the nerve to tell us that they signed away our resources without even checking to compare with other countries how they treated with managing their resources.

Any idiot signing a contract to do even a small scale operation with their resources, much less, a large scale project with the country’s wealth, would at the very least, check around, look around to see how these things are being done, see how countries managed their assets, the people’s assets. I am astonished Mr. Hinds.

In the case of gold, our GGDMA had obtained sponsorship about the year 2000 for one of the International Financial Services Companies to compare the investment regimes in about 20 significant gold producing countries.

Our regime was about the most demanding (taking the most) with Royalty at 5% when most were at 2.5 or 3%; and our Corporate income tax was the highest.

At that time of falling gold prices, our GGDMA argued for a lower royalty and we eventually settled for a sliding scale of reducing royalty for selling prices below US$400 an oz.

About ten years later, with gold prices running high, our Government argued for an upward sliding portion of

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Kaieteur News

the sliding scale and set royalty at 8% for gold prices over $1000/per oz for large scale operations. Small and medium scale operations were exempted as they received no waivers on their general purchases.

GL: Mr. Hinds, Glenn Lall is not living in the past, I am not living in the past, this is a fast moving world and commodities are changing prices of miners every second of the day, stop dreaming and living in the past.

I can maintain with all confidence that our gold mining regime is not a regime of the least Government take – crumbs.

Concerning what we, Guyanese and Guyana, receive from our oil, I will take refuge in a number of writings in prose and poetry (appearing in all our newspapers over recent months, and presentations at Moray House) of that Guyanese émigré living in Midland Texas – Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh. In particular I will refer to his article, which appeared in Stabroek News of March 2nd, 2021, “Guyana got 17.4% of oil sales in profit for 2020”. I quote one paragraph: ”To be clear Guyana got 17.4% of sales in its share of the profits plus 2% of sales in its royalty receipts, making a total of 19.4%. Not bad in a generally dismal year for the oil industry, especially for Guyana’s two main partners in this enterprise – ExxonMobil and Hess Corporation, both of which reported substantial losses for 2020.”

You don’t have to take my word that we are not receiving crumbs – go back and read the whole article and others

by Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh and other commentators too.

Some contracts may have a royalty of say 15%, seven and a half times Guyana’s 2%, they have no profit share, so for the year in question they would have received 15% of the oil, Guyana would have received somewhat more – 19.4%: not a bad share, not crumbs, but we would not have complained if it were a little bit more.

As indicated here one has to read and compare agreements/documents in total so as not to get carried away wrongly with a comparison of one or two headings only.

I think that I have justified my view that we are not receiving crumbs and dribbles. Indeed our question

should not/never be whether we are receiving crumbs or not, but about what alternatives are realistically available to us? What better alternatives can we make accessible to ourselves and apply ourselves at? In my experience getting bogged down in arguing and lamenting whether we are getting crumbs is to wallow and get lost in feelings of selfpity and victimhood; it provides us a cop out from doing anything constructive whilst inculcating destructive moods and attitudes and opening the door to recurring tantrums, which get us nowhere.

However, addressing the questions of what alternatives are realistically available to us, and looking to make better alternatives accessible to us, gets us knitting our brows, rolling up our sleeves and getting into action: gets our creative juices going, challenging ourselves and developing ourselves and country.

We Guyanese are a people of less than one million: with our history of slavery, indentureship and colonialism, in a world of 7,000 million we are understandably suspicious but we must be fair and reasonable. Our challenge is to avoid and overcome all in our history that might restrain our participation, survival and success in this huge evolved world of today and tomorrow, finding strengths in our history to serve us today, and developing partnerships with foreign peoples and countries of the world, for our mutual benefit.

GL: Mr. Hinds, you can continue writing but let me ask you, because you quoted Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh, what are his credentials, and could you please ask him how he arrived at that figure and what methods were used to arrive at that percentage?

It had to be that he plucked that figure out of thin air and you believe, because I know many oil and financial experts who cannot, to this day, tell us what Guyana is really getting because of the way the contract is worded.

Mr. Hinds I want to tell you there is no publicly available financial record, for the day to day operations in the Stabroek Block or any of the other large scale operations in Guyana that one can definitely conclude what Guyana is really getting from these, investments.

Have a good Sunday and God Bless You, Glenn Lall.

President should leave Local Government to local officers in place DEAR EDITOR, I earned the displeasure of many of my colleagues and friends when after Irfaan Ali was sworn in as President and delivered his initial address with all the ingredients of nationalism, I said let us support him and give him an opportunity to make true his words. Later President Ali spoke of One Guyana. The influence being one, of working together in the interest of Guyana, with unity being the main instrument.

Unity and the truth being cardinal.

As such, it was sad to read this latest assault dated May 25, 2021 titled “Central Government remains committed to improving conditions in Georgetown.”

After reading this, I observed as follows – first, the old adage that half-truth is dangerous came to mind, and second, that there must be something that is beyond my understanding that the Head of State and not his Minister of Local Government should find the time to deal with what is essentially a local government matter. In his statement, he refers to the year 2004, in the last audited financial statement, a disclaimer of opinion was issued by the Auditor General – a disclaimer is where the information submitted cannot stand up to scrutiny; in 2005, again a disclaimer opinion was issued; during 2006 to 2011, no financial statements were submitted; 2012 to 2015 financial statements have not allowed auditors to express an opinion.

I was Mayor at that time and the tone of the letter in a sense impugns my character and competence.

Violations referred to in the President’s statement, are serious matters of public concern.

However, as presently constituted, the persona of the Mayor and Councillors could only deal with matters of policy. It is the Town Clerk and the senior officers who must act.

In all of these matters and others, the Mayor and Council request, from time to time that the Town Clerk as Head of the Administration ensures that the many things referred to in the President’s Statement are complied with. In every organisation, the Head, if he or she is to be held responsible, must have the right to hire and fire.

Here lies the truth about City Hall and the dilemma faced for more than two

decades. After Local Government Elections were held in 1994, in Georgetown, the GGG prevailed. Since then, for several years, there was no functioning Local Government Commission and what we, therefore, witnessed was that the PPP Minister of Local Government carried out those functions and in fact, exercised direct control of the senior officers.

As Mayor, on several occasions I complained to all the Ministers of Local Government, Harripersaud Nokta, Clinton Collymore and Norman Whittaker.

Our pleadings fell on deaf ears. The worst was of the case before 2015, where the Minister ignored the recommendations of the M a y o r a n d C o u n c i l ’s nominee to be Town Clerk.

Instead, they appointed a lady with no administrative experience, who did not have the qualifications.

Once in place she defied the decisions and wishes of the Mayor and Council. The Council drew the Town Clerk’s attention to the many deficiencies in her administration. Such administrative matters as referred to in the President’s statement are the responsibility of the Town Clerk who is the Chief Executive Officer.

After listening to the rumbustious reply and disdain shown for the duly elected Mayor and Councillors, a Motion of ‘No Confidence’ in her was passed.

I can fill volumes to show that, at least from 1994, it was the Minister of Local Government who pulled the strings and, therefore, I argue that successive Ministers of Local Government never allowed the Mayor and Council to exercise authority and really supervise the Town Clerk and Senior Officers, who ought to carry out their administrative tasks in a professional manner.

At one time, President, Bharrat Jagdeo, visited City Hall and spoke with Councillors at a meeting I arranged.

He assured us of the Government’s co-operation to improve conditions of the City. We were joyful and hopeful, but it appeared that his then M i n i s t e r, m i s t o o k c o operation to mean confrontation and control.

If Government is serious

about the concept of Local Government, as enshrined in our Constitution, they would take the knee off the necks of the Mayor and Councillors of Georgetown and instead of this latest propaganda blitz, sit down and work with the Mayor and Councillors for the betterment of the City, which is crying out for help.

It will be otiose for me to chronicle the many efforts and initiatives, which were frustrated by the powers that be.

The Lottery is history, two, the establishment of a Warden Corp, where persons were identified in each of the wards of Georgetown, were trained and were expected to be the link between the citizens and those Municipal Officers tasked to do their work.

This initiative was frustrated. Three, we pleaded for a Municipal Court and next, an opportunity to interview and determine, who should be appointed to senior and sensitive positions in the Municipality.

When I came to the Council, I was popularly called ‘Action Green.’ The rest is no secret. The President said in his Statement “that we want a partnership for the development of the city, but we cannot allow the City Council to continue to blatantly disregard what is out there in terms of its responsibility and in terms of its fiduciary responsibility. And we will not allow the Central Government to be used as a political football.

Notwithstanding all of this, we are moving forward with a plan and programme to improve the welfare, wellbeing, living conditions, and standard of the people of the city and those who use the city and we are sparing no resources in achieving this.”

Fine words, the old people say “wha mouth nah load.”

The perception from his present Statement is not concern for “Partnership,” but a Path of “Paternalism.”

My advice is that the President should avoid this assault on the Mayor and Councillors and get together with the Opposition, civil society, the religious community and work towards developing a sense of nationalism and patriotism, where we all will learn to serve Guyana and vindicate the sufferings of our noble ancestors.

Yours faithfully Hamilton Green

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BL TLUNT.. UNT...B BL Sunday May 30, 2021

Kaieteur News

All those foreign companies coming here and claiming they are doing so bad. It is as if we have it so good, that we can afford to be charitable and give away the rent money and the children’s future.

Look at them: Troy Resources, Rusal and others. They are supposedly losing, or barely making money and can’t get by, but they remain here and ‘investing’ more.

They are doing so poorly year after year, but they are still here. Companies do not throw good money after bad, for so long.

They pull up stakes and leave.

Something is not adding up here.

And when it does not add up, that means that Guyanese are paying for what is subtracted from our treasury.

Less hopes. Less prosperity.

PAGE 07

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Sunday May 30, 2021

Kaieteur News

Indar presents long-term plan for public infrastructure to Caribbean development webinar Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, presented Guyana’s long-term transformational plans for public infrastructure on Thursday, when he participated in a “Caribbean Development in the Construction and Infrastructure Sectors” Webinar, hosted by the United States Government.

The webinar included representatives from the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago and the United States of America. In this regard, Ethan Talbott, Deputy Senior Commercial Officer of the US Embassy; Joanne Littlefair, Senior International Trade Specialist of the US Department of Commerce; Izalia Lopez, Director of Promotion of Public Private Alliances Administration; and Steve Garibsingh, Vice President

Engineering and Programme Management of National Infrastructure Development Company Limited; were also included in the session.

In his presentation, Minister Indar highlighted a number of current Infrastructural projects being implemented for the construction of roads, highways, bridges, stellings, sea defences and river transport.

With regards to energy Infrastructure, the Minister presented renewable energy projects being pursued by Government and Oil and Gas infrastructure to support offshore operations.

These include shore bases, lay down yards, chemical storage facilities and a 300 MW gas-to-power plant.

Minister Indar also cited the (Continued on page 16)

Canada mourns as remains of 215 children found at indigenous school (BBC) - A mass grave containing the remains of 215 children has been found in Canada at a former residential school set up to assimilate indigenous people.

The children were students at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia that closed in 1978.

The discovery was announced on Thursday by the chief of the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was a “painful reminder” of a “shameful chapter of our country’s history”.

The First Nation is working with museum specialists and the coroner’s office to establish the causes and timings of the deaths, which are not currently known.

Rosanne Casimir, the chief of the community in British Columbia’s city of Kamloops, said the preliminary finding represented an unthinkable loss that was never documented by the

school’s administrators.

Canada’s residential schools were compulsory boarding schools run by the government and religious authorities during the 19th and 20th Centuries with the aim of forcibly assimilating indigenous youth.

Kamloops Indian Residential School was the largest in the residential system.

Opened under Roman Catholic administration in 1890, the school had as many as 500 students when enrolment peaked in the 1950s.

The central government took over administration of the school in 1969, operating it as a residence for local students until 1978, when it was closed.What do we know about the remains?The Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation said the remains were found with the help of a ground-penetrating radar during a survey of the school.

“To our knowledge, these missing children are (Continued on page 57)

Sunday May 30, 2021

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

AG strongly disagrees with bail granted to men found with guns and ammo

A

ttorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C, has expressed his disagreement with a decision by Principal Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, to release four men on firearm related charges.

On Friday, the four men, who were recently arrested on separate charges of unlawful possession of illegal firearms in two separate incidents, made their first court appearance and were placed on $200,000 bail each.

In a Facebook post, the AG said that the decision of the Magistrate to release the four men on bail, on their first appearance “rightfully” evoked grave concern and criticism among members of the public.

“To assert that crime is a serious problem in our country, may be putting it mildly.

To not recognise that gun-

related crimes threaten the safety of every citizen would be forbearance in naivety. These and similar factors are which a tribunal of law is enjoined to take into account when considering the grant or refusal of bail,” Nandlall said.

The AG stated that the State might soon have to resort to the extreme measure

in writing and the trial shall be within reasonable time.”

Those charged in relation to the first incident are Tahj Fraser, a businessman of Lot 47 Norton Street, Lodge, Georgetown; Keith Cains, a labourer of Lot 22 Durban Street, Lodge, Georgetown;

Principal Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus of subjecting similar decisions of Magistrates to judicial review in the High Court, and lodge complaints with the Judicial Service Commission.

“As the Executive Officer of the State under whose responsibility the Justice Sector falls,” Nandlall wrote, “I can relate to both the public’s concern and criticism.

I can also relate to the negative impact which such a decision may have on the morale of the law enforcement agencies of the State.”

The Minister explained that in order to circumscribe

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C. the discretion in respect of the granting of bail in relation to firearm offences – due to the prevalence of such offences and the accompanying societal damage – the 9th Parliament of Guyana unanimously enacted an amendment to the Firearms Act, Chapter 16:05, Laws of Guyana, which stated that, “No person arrested for any offence under section 16, section 37 or section 38 shall be admitted to bail, unless the prosecution has had an opportunity to intervene, and unless there are special reasons for admitting the person to bail which shall be recorded

Dem boys seh...

Hamper coming pun turtle back!

People getting excited bout de flooding. Whenever de rainy season come, water does be high pun de land fuh a few days and then it does drain off.

It tekkin longer these days because dem drains nah in good condition even though de government spending billions every year fuh dig drains but fuhgetting de outfalls.

However, de water gan pull off eventually. People gan suffer losses as usual to dem crops.

Dat is why ‘greens’ prices does always raise dur-

ing rainy season. But after de water pull-off de land, de harvest does be better. But de price does tek longer dan de water fuh drop.

So dem boys nah getting excited about flooding.

Dem boys understand people looking fuh dem hamper. Dem boys don’t tun down hamper.

It mek dem boys remember de story about de turtle family dat went on a picnic.

When dem ready to eat den dem realize dat dem fuhget to bring de salad. So they asked Grandpa turtle to go back fuh de salad, promising he that

they would wait until he come back fuh eat.

Grandpa turtle set out on de journey to get de salad.

One day passed, two days passed and he ain’t come back. So de others decided to go ahead and eat without he.

On de third day he returned and noticed dat dem eat. He get vex and shouted, “I knew it! I knew it!

I knew dat you would start eating without me!... Dat is why I decided to turn back!”

Talk half and pray dat de hamper reach before de water pull-off!

Brandon Barker, a taxi-driver of Lot 85 Durban Street, Lodge, Georgetown. Fraser, Cains and Barker were jointly charged for having an illegal firearm and ammunitions in their possession.

The three men denied the charge, which allege that on

May 26, 2021, at Brickdam, Georgetown, they had one .32 Taurus Pistol and two.32 rounds of ammunition in their possession.

Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus placed the trio on $200,000 bail each and the matter was (Continued on page 16)

PAGE 10

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 30, 2021

Uncle and nephew allegedly chop each other to death at Three Friends Mines

Police in Linden are investigating a double homicide, between an uncle and a nephew, which occurred during the early hours of Saturday morning.

Dead is Leonard Reece, aged 58 years of Three Friends Mines, and his nephew Ronald Wong, aged 36 years.

Wong, said to be of unsound mind, was in April released from prison after serving time for an attempted murder conviction. After his release, he went and lived with Reece and his 25-year-old

son, Elvis.

Police said that around 01:30 hrs. the brother of Leonard, Maurice Reece, received a call from his niece, who told him that Ronald had chopped up his brother. After hearing the news from another family member, he then made a report to the station.

Police was summoned to the area, where neighbours showed them two bloodied bodies, with several chop wounds.

Reece’s body was discovered in the building in black (Continued on page 16)

The house where the two victims resided and where Leonard Reece’s body was discovered.

Sunday May 30, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Mabaruma Residents benefits from completed electrical network

R

esidents of Kokerite Hill, Mabaruma, Region One, were presented with a completed electrical network on Thursday.

On Friday, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, who holds parliamentary responsibility for Region One, visited the area. Croal stated that the Government has been actively working to address inadequacies affecting hinterland and riverine communities and that the electrical network will improve the standard of living for those residing in the area.

He stated that the aim of the ministry is to ensure that all Guyanese are equipped with basic amenities and utilities to live meaningful lives.

Stating that the installation of this electricity system will help residents in Kokerite Hill to have strengthened security and enhance their access to better educational opportunities, as well as improve their

The handing over of streetlights overall comfort.

The network consists of four 25 KVA transformers with approximately 600 meters of primary network (high voltage) and 1,500 meters of sec-

ondary network (low voltage network).

The scheme currently falls under the purview of the Ministry and the works will allow for residents within the

scheme to access 110/220 voltage to their homes. Another seven households just outside of the scheme’s boundaries are also expected (Continued on page 16)

Sunday May 30, 2021

The electricity power lines

Sunday May 30, 2021

Boat owners beg Govt's...

From page 3 vessel was being stripped. In fact, the article stated that two Venezuelan ranks were being prosecuted for the offence.

It was reported that ranks allegedly stripped Singh's boat of engine filters, air filters, tool boxes, fuel equipment and other key parts.

The ranks were also accused of removing microwaves, sound equipment, blenders, DVD players and other appliances.

Singh said that he believes that more ranks are involved and that his vessel is still being stripped. He claimed that as part of the investigation, the Venezuelan investigators did an inventory to document the missing articles of his vessels and noted that it was only five.

Singh said he had done his own inventory and recorded that a total of 186 articles were removed from his boat.

An organization name Representative of the Guyanese Community in Venezuela (RCGV), headed by a Mr. Hamraj, is doing its best to represent Singh and the other boat owners in getting their boats re-

leased in a timely manner, but so far they have been unsuccessful. RCGV related that the other boat owners also fear that their boats are being stripped and are concerned too about “material damage”.

The organisation stated that it sought help from the Guyanese

PAGE 13

Kaieteur News

consulate in Venezuela but they are still to make a breakthrough.

The other detained boats are wooden passenger vessels which were detained in December, 2020.

Singh's vessel was reportedly intercepted on October 26, 2020.

He had related that his boat had left Guyana for Venezuela around October 20, 2020, and was detained by the Venezuelan armed forces upon arrival.

His crew was also arrested but was released sometime after. He detailed that Venezuelan authorities accused him of carrying contraband on board.

“They accused me of smuggling fuel and other contraband,” he had stated.

Singh claimed that he told them that the items on board were legal and even provided the authorities with the relevant legal documents.

The Venezuelan lawmen insisted that vessel be kept in their custody for a more detailed investigation but six months have passed and they are yet to return Singh's vessel.

He is currently in Venezuela and has hired a lawyer to represent him, but still he has been unable to retrieve his vessel.

One of the other boat owners, according to what Kaieteur News was told, is in Guyana and is trying to meet with the relevant authorities here to seek their assistance in getting back the boats.

Coalition had doubled GWI employees, Govt. claims as it moves to lay off staff Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), Shaik Baksh, has confirmed that the utility company is gearing to lay off a number of staff members as a result of the entity’s high wages bill and related production. This, Baksh claimed, was due to the fact that the staffing complement was doubled by the Coalition Administration under the leadership of then Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Richard Van West-Charles.

CEO Baksh gave the disclosure this past week during a press engagement and told reporters that as it relates to staffing at the entity, “when we compare 2015 to August 2020, we found that the employment numbers moved from about just over 600 in 2015 to over 1,300 in 2020.”

This, he said, led to the employment costs being increased from about $96 million in 2015 to $240 million in 2020. He drew reference to a recent exercise undertaken at the utility company that addressed the rationalisation of the staff in the establishment of GWI. According to Baksh, “this muchneeded rationalisation process started about eight months ago, in which an in-depth study of the organisation was undertaken in the light of the huge employment numbers and especially the employment cost.”

To this end, it was noted that at August 2020, there was staggering 140 percent increase and “we recognised that this was not sustainable at GWI,” and this led to the decision to undertake the rationalising of staff at the entity.

The official said that the exercise was linked primarily to the productivity ratio, “that is, the staff count to 1,000 employees.”

He said the company had to address its financial operations saying, “We have to look at the expenses - not only employment costs, energy cost; we’re looking at other areas of operations, chemical uses and all of these things, and therefore, we had to proceed in this and we reached a stage where a number of employees will have to be terminated in accordance with the law.”Alliance for Change (AFC) General Secretary, David Patterson, had earlier this week forewarned of the impending retrenchment by GWI and called the move an unchecked assault on public sector workers. He had reported in a public social media posting that a decision was taken this past Monday when the executive management team of GWI “came up with their latest hit list.” According to Patterson at the time, “several dozen staffers are to be made unemployed from June 1, 2021. The usual lame excuse will be

GWI’s CEO, Shaik Baksh given, which is mainly GWI is financially challenged. However, instead of making operational changes, they are using this excuse to get rid of hard-working employees.” This, he said, is in light of the track record of GWI since August 2020, which includes two major frauds of $30M and $100M. Speaking to the dismissal of the workers, Patterson had cautioned, “In the next week, over 100 staffers of GWI will be dismissed. The right to employment free from discrimination because of gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation is a constitutionally guaranteed human right along with freedom of choice.”

GWI, he asserted “cannot be allowed to discriminate against these workers – after all Water is Life and this unchecked assault on Guyanese will affect all of our lives, now or in the near future.”

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Sunday May 30, 2021

Kaieteur News

BLUNTNESS ON INDECENCY! In case you haven’t heard, please be informed that as part of our continued effort to channel positive changes in our country, our publisher, Mr. Glenn Lall, has dedicated our Page Seven to be “BLUNT” about on-going indecency in our land that should matter, not only to us at this publication, but the entire nation.

SUNDAY Guyana’s regulatory framework for environmental protection against the oil industry continues to be a three-card shuffle.

Exxon is facing a serious challenge against its environmental excesses at the company’s highest level, while we here bend over backwards to facilitate the breach of our own laws and regulations.

MONDAY Just when you thought you would have learnt all there is to know about the evils contained in this Stabroek Block deal, further studies unearth more stomach-sickening provisions.

A key point learnt recently is that Guyana does not get a full two percent royalty on all oil produced and sold.

And while the contract says this royalty cannot be recovered, more loopholes actually allow this to happen right before our eyes.

Kaieteur News will show clearly in coming weeks, how this is happening.

In the meantime, it does make you wonder how the Ali administration can sit back and watch its people robbed blindly by a foreign entity.

How can a government be so insistent on not bringing

an end to the rape of our resources?

Who really runs this country? Exxon or the PPP/C? TUESDAY When desperate enough, any living thing would engage its survival instinct.

Worrying it is, however, when individuals engage in banditry (and other criminal activities) as a means of survival.

While our nation is home to a wealth of natural resources, many within our population are still living in poverty and will likely do whatever is necessary to survive.

Although criminal action may be a last resort for some, such acts should never be celebrated or condoned.

Rather, Government, having recognised the problem, should see the need for a collaborative effort to address the root of the problem.

Our nation is currently in a desperate state.

We at this publication believe that it is time that an urgent intervention is activated before our nation descends into anarchy.

WEDNESDAY All those foreign companies coming here and claim-

ing they are doing so bad. It is as if we have it so good, that we can afford to be charitable and give away the rent money and the children’s future. Look at them: Troy Resources, Rusal and others.

They are supposedly losing, or barely making money and can’t get by, but they remain here and ‘investing’ more.

They are doing so poorly year after year, but they are still here. Companies do not throw good money after bad, for so long.

They pull up stakes and leave. Something is not adding up here. And when it does not add up, that means that Guyanese are paying for what is subtracted from our treasury. Less hopes. Less prosperity.

THURSDAY Engine No. 1 is a small activist hedge fund that took the fight to mighty Exxon. It won a major victory.

It is the story of little David (Engine No. 1) going up against big, bad, and mighty Goliath (Exxon).

The battle is over climate change and sitting four new directors on Exxon’s 10-man board.

Engine No. 1’s tireless activism for a change in Exxon’s environmental and climate change record and

policy has led to it winning two seats on Exxon’s board of directors.

Exxon waged a war, including the use of guerilla tactics, to overpower Engine No. 1. It failed, in what is describing as a “seismic” development.

This brings hope to similarly little Guyana.

Engine No. 1 challenged giant Exxon and it won. And it is not even a top 10 Exxon shareholder. It has demonstrated to Guyanese that there is the willingness to stand up and fight, the Exxon(s) of the world lose.

The big bullies and predators retreat from their devastations.

Environmental and atmospheric, financial and economic, present and future devastations are some that can be laid squarely on Exxon’s head.

Guyanese must show some muscle and some fight.

Stand up to Exxon. Speak up.

We can and will win.

FRIDAY Our national leaders in Government and Opposition

have to be among the most presumptuous people around.

There they were telling the nation in their Independence Day messages about dreams and dreaming and benefitting. Nothing is wrong with that; what is wrong is with them.

Because they are so presumptuous to talk about dreams and dreaming, when they are leading all of us down a nightmarish path. The dream has become a nightmare and will be one that Guyanese live, unless they force leaders to change for the better. The betterment of all Guyanese, not these fluffy messages that mean nothing.

Only then will the dream be a really sweet dream!

SATURDAY The world is calling what happened at Exxon’s annual meeting on May 26 (Guyana’s Independence anniversary) “a stunning rebuke” to management, shareholder “revolt” and a “warning to boards all over.” We agree.

The shareholders’ rebuke

and revolt was over Exxon’s lackadaisical and dangerous attitude towards its climate change responsibilities. Now the senior management of the company is under siege, with top executives scrambling to stay afloat. We see this as a warning for Guyana’s leaders.

Like Exxon’s leaders, they may think that they have the voters in their pockets; but they would be wise to study what happened to Darren Woods and Exxon.

That was over climate change. The new directors are already saying that Exxon should slow down production.

In Guyana, our people are unhappy about something closer to their hearts: money and prosperity, their future and their children’s future.

There could be a voter revolt here, no matter how farfetched that sounds. After all, it is the livelihood of the Guyanese people and their wealth, which is involved.

Exxon’s executives didn’t listen or act; now they have lost control. Guyanese leaders had better pay attention.

Sunday May 30, 2021

PAGE 15

Kaieteur News

==CONSUMER CONCERNS==

Revisiting the march of the COVID-19 pandemic

By Pat Dial It has become necessary for us to revisit the impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Guyana.

The Pandemic first attacked Guyana over a year ago and the country was fortunate to have had Dr. Frank Anthony, the Honourable Minister of Health, personally taking charge of operations against it. Dr. Anthony immediately began to establish the infrastructure necessary to meet the Pandemic on its march. These included equipping a special hospital to treat Covid-19 patients; increasing the number of hospital beds for Covid-19 patients; ensuring oxygen supplies; testing kits; educating the public about the Pandemic and the precautions to be taken against the virus; fully extending the same quality of service provided by the best institutions on the Coast to the Interior regions; establishing farsighted bilateral and multilateral contacts so

as to facilitate the exchange of information and to secure the adequate supply of vaccines; the establishment of a countrywide vaccination regime which has, at the time of writing this article, had administered 70,000 vaccinations and will be moving in an increasing crescendo as vaccines are procured from abroad and of course, the tight-rope walking process of imposing the lockdown. Dr. Anthony and his team’s management of the pandemic compares with the best worldwide and has been so successful that the population tended to become relaxed and drop their guard and began to behave as if normality was about to return.

This attitude of confident complacency was at variance with the warnings and advice constantly being issued by the Covid-19 Team. The realism of the advice became apparent when at the beginning of March, there was a spike in the Pandemic and infection

and death rates rose to very uncomfortable levels. The leaders of the society including President, Irfaan Ali, himself appealed to the population to take safety measures to protect themselves and pointed out the seriousness of the situation and the immanency of the infection and the suddenness with which death could strike.

This message, which had now been internalised in the Developed countries, has now resulted in citizens being more careful to protect themselves and the curve very gradually is beginning to flatten.

In Guyana, the message is gradually beginning to be internalised and the Police has begun to take action against persons infringing the safety precautions such as ignoring the curfew or not maintaining social distancing.

The understanding that death could strike down anyone at any time irrespective of age, social standing, race, religion

or profession is a sobering realisation. Dr. Anthony and his Team are doing their part; if the public does its part, Guyana would be able to tame the Pandemic, achieve normalcy and enter into the realm of quick social and economic development, which the oil revenues promise.

Among the measures taken in all countries to curb the Pandemic is the lockdown of economic life so as to prevent the conglomeration of large numbers of people where the virus could be transmitted with great ease.

The lockdowns have devastated all economies and have resulted in much poverty and suffering though, they have saved millions of lives. As against the lockdowns, there is a body of opinion, which advocates that economies be allowed to function and that the Pandemic should be allowed to run its course though it may be responsible for much loss of life. They point out to the experience of

past Pandemics where societies were able to recover after the frightening loss of life.

The Spanish Flu, for example, killed at least 10 million worldwide but economies slowly began to recover after it had receded.

Fortunately, Governments worldwide have chosen the way of the lockdowns since no one knows for how long the Pandemic may persist or the human devastation it would cause. In the Middle Ages, the Black Death or Bubonic Plague, persisted for several years and killed at least half of the population of Western Europe.

Another issue that has arisen as a result of the Pandemic is the production of effective vaccines.

The normal vaccine takes about 5 to 10 years of research and trials before Regulators would give it a full clearance to be placed on the market.

Now, driven by the urgency of the situation, they have been giving temporary clear-

ances, which have caused some uncertainty in the public. Scientists in several countries have been feverishly working on the production of vaccines.

After a year, China has come up with four, United States with three, Europe with three, Russia with two and India with one. These vaccines have been evaluated at various levels of efficacy but they all could be used with some positive effect. Vaccine production is multinational business and though a vaccine may have been formulated in one country, its main production line may be in another country. Astra Zeneca, for example, is an English made vaccine but India produces a large part of its total production.

There is a worldwide shortage of vaccines and richer countries have been buying up available supplies leaving poorer countries on the waiting list. In Guyana, (Continued on page 61)

PAGE 16

Sunday May 30, 2021

Kaieteur News

Indar presents long-term plan for ...

From page 8 opportunities available for input materials for the development of these projects, which include cement, steel, crusher run, bitumen, electrical cables and conduits.

With respect to the aviation sector expansion in Guyana, he explained that the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) would soon be completed. The Minister also signalled Government’s intention to rehabilitate and upgrade local hinterland airstrips, for the ease of mobility into the Hinterland Re-

gion.

During his remarks, the Public Works Minister spoke of the construction permits and the Procurement Act (2003). He explained the permitting system for new entrances into Guyana with respective to construction work and the process for various permits that is required for the different types of construction work. Indar also took the time to explain the broad principles outlined in the Procurement Act. In closing, the Minister thanked the US Commercial Office for inviting him to

Uncle and nephew...

From page 10 boxer pants, while Wong’s body was found in a paddleboat in the river with several wounds, lying face down.

The CDC Chairman of Three Friends, told Kaieteur News, it was she who raised the alarm for residents to investigate what was transpiring, after she heard screams from Reece’s son, Elvis.

“After I hear the boy start scream murder, I run out because I live two houses away and I start call out neighbours and thing but when we go, Leonard was already lying in the house dead,” she related.

A few minutes after, Ronald’s body was seen in a boat in the river nearby.

The Chairman said she does not know who started the attack and who was trying to defend themselves.

She said it seems as though Wong tried to escape in the boat but subsequently col-

lapsed there. Leonard Reece was described by neighbours as a quiet and humble man.

Commander of Region 10, Hugh Winter, said it is too premature to determine what caused the attack and whether the two persons had an ongoing feud.

Investigations are ongoing.

Mabaruma Residents...

From page 12 to be connected to the electrical network. Before this development, only a small portion of the scheme received electricity.Additionally, the Minister handed over 15 light-emitting diode (LED) streetlights to the Regional Chairman, Mr. Brentnol Ashley. He said that the streetlights are aimed to complement the newly installed electrical system and to boost security for persons who traverse the areas at nights.

AG strongly disagrees...

From page 9 adjourned to June 25, 2021.

In the second incident, Antonio Fraser, 22, of Lot 94 Durban Street, Lodge, Georgetown, was separately slapped with two similar charges, which allege that on May 26, 2021, at Main Street, Georgetown, he had in his possession, one 9mm Glock 19 pistol and one 9mm ammunition. A police report stated that on the day in question around 03:40hrs, ranks acting

on information received went to Main Street, Georgetown, in the vicinity of Tower Suites Hotel where they saw Fraser.

A search was then carried out on the suspect and the gun and ammunition was found in his pants crotch. Antonio was arrested and subsequently charged. Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus placed Antonio Fraser on a total of $200,000 bail and his matter was also adjourned to June 25, 2021.

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 30, 2021

PAGE 17

Reinstatement of 40 percent tariff on soaps in keeping with a regional ruling on trade - Govt.

- Opposition criticism misleading

I

n response to criticisms from the Opposition over the reinstatement of 40 percent Common External Tariff (CET) on all soaps, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) last Wednesday issued a statement explaining that the decision to restore the tax is in keeping with a 2018 ruling of the Caribbean Community's (CARICOM) Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on the matter.

Further, the Ministry called the Opposition's criticism misleading given that it is well aware of the issue as the decision was taken while the Opposition was still in government.

On Wednesday, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) published a notice outlining the move to reintroduce 40 percent CET on all extra-regional soaps.

The announcement sparked criticism from the A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition with Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, calling the Government's decision unconscionable and unfair to Guyanese who are faced with economic hardships due to the pandemic.

Taking into account the statement of the APNU+AFC, the Government through the MoF pointed to the long history behind the re-

imposition of the CET. According to the MoF release, “the APNU+AFC is well aware of the history of this matter and they had themselves already started to take action to reinstate the CET before they got busy trying to steal the 2020 election.”

“Despite being in full possession of the facts surrounding this matter, they have chosen once again to follow the route of trying to mislead their rapidly dwindling number of supporters with a completely contrived and fanciful misrepresentation of this matter,” the Ministry said.

In explaining the issue, the Ministry noted that Dominica - a CARICOM Member State and the largest producer of soaps in the Region, had filed an official complaint at COTED against a number of other member States which were applying rates of duty on extraregional soap less than the prescribed CET rate of 40 percent. Guyana was amongst those countries, given that we were charging at the time a rate of 20 percent.

The Ministry said that as a result COTED ruled on the matter and directed that all such member States, which were in violation of the CET, should reinstate the 40 percent.

Following the 2018 ruling by COTED, the

Finance Ministry said the then APNU+AFC Government started to take steps to implement the reinstatement of the CET, including drafting the required legal instruments.

“However,” the MoF said, “they did not proceed to finalise these, presumably because they were more preoccupied with trying to find a way to hold on to office illegally and preparing plans to rig the upcoming 2020 election.”

Additionally, shortly after the onset of COVID-19, the Ministry noted that the A P N U + A F C Administration proceeded to

lower the rate of duty charged by Guyana from 20 to 0 percent, which further exacerbated the CET violation.

“Furthermore, they did so without invoking e m e rg e n c y p r o c e d u r e s through the appropriate COTED channels, which might have been used to r e g u l a r i s e t h e m a t t e r.

Instead, they acted with similar arbitrariness and highhandedness which characterised their entire five years of misrule,” the statement outlined.

Since then, the release added, Dominica has continued to pursue the

Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon

Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Ashni Singh

matter bilaterally and has suffered severe economic consequences as a result of the CET violation. Further,

it said that Dominica and Guyana share an important trading relationship. The (continued on page 55)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 18

Sunday May 30, 2021

ExxonMobil Contract has clause to renegotiate …but provision mandates 'only with written agreement' by all parties

T

he Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with the lead operator of the Stabroek Block — ExxonMobil — and their partners, Hess Corporation Inc. and China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC), provides that the heavily criticised agreement can in fact be renegotiated.

The provision obtains at Article 13.2 of the PSA but comes with the caveat — the renegotiations and happens only with a signed written agreement between all of the parties involved.

According to that provision in the PSA, commonly referred to as the contract, “This Agreement shall not be amended or modified in respect except by written agreement entered into by all the parties which shall state the date upon which the amendment or modifications shall become effective.”

Former Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams, during a radio interview on Friday, pointed to the provisions and suggested the fact it exists in the PSA, is indicative of the fact it can be renegotiated.

According to Dr. Adams, “since way back in 2016, I was on the front page of the newspapers calling for a renegotiation of the contract.”

He was adamant, “nothing has

Former EPA Director, Dr. Vincent Adams. changed my mind.” In fact, he posits, “to me anyway the government still owes the people of Guyana the obligation to renegotiate that contract and don't let anybody tell you that contract is not renegotiable.”

The former EPA Director insists the contract spells out provision for

renegotiations and said, “If it was not the intention that it can't be renegotiated, that clause would not be there.

He reminded nonetheless of the caveat calling for a written agreement by all parties involved to say, “…the parties must have to agree to renegotiate, I would love to see government tell Exxon(Mobil) we want renegotiation.”

The matter of renegotiating the agreement with ExxonMobil has been available by the David Granger administration on the advice of his then Petroleum Advisor, Dr. Jan Mangal, much to the consternation of many within his fold.

According to Dr. Adams, “when I hear people say we can't renegotiate, that's absolute nonsense.”

He was adamant, “it's in there, the clause was put in there because there's a possibility that it could be renegotiated, don't let anybody fool you and tell you that it can't be renegotiated because we sign it.”

A number of key political figureheads from across the administrations have in the pastadumbrated varying positions when it comes to the renegotiation of the PSA with ExxonMobil's G u y a n a S u b s i d i a r y, E s s o Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), and its partners.

In February last year, the Former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, under whose auspices the 2016 PSA was inked, said “The Government of Guyana believes in the sanctity of contracts and given all circumstances, sees no justification to the suggestion that the 2016 Petroleum Agreement is an improper contract.”

At the time, former President, David Granger, was of the view “once international contracts have

respect the sanctity of contracts.”

Former President now Vice President of the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) in the Irfaan Ali administration, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, is on record saying contracts are sacrosanct, must be respected and that the US Oil E x p l o r a t i o n C o m p a n y, ExxonMobil, has a right to make money on its investment.

On the sidelines of a January 2020 campaign rally at Anna Regina in Essequibo, Region

Govt. still owes the people of “ Guyana the obligation to renegotiate that contract and don't let anybody tell you that contract is not renegotiable.

”

been engaged in, there is no question of removal or renegotiation of those contracts.”

He had adumbrated the position, “we will move forward and ensure that we continue to get the best advice before we engage in any other negotiations.”

His second in command at the time, Joseph Harmon—now opposition leader—had told the local press “let me say from the outset that when we came into office, we made it clear that we

Three, Reuters had reported that President Ali informed that an Aliled PPP/C government would “keep the Exxon contract intact” but review and push for renegotiation of others signed after 2015.

The article quoted Ali as saying that Exxon was a pioneer investor here and “a different case” which he would not look at for a renegotiation, should he become president.

“Exxon was a pioneering investment,” Reuters quoted Ali as saying. “But those that came after that time they were not pioneering, so they have to be examined in totality,” he added.

Minister of Culture Youth and Sport, Attorney-at-law Charles Ramson Jnr., who had taken a break as a parliamentarian to pursue oil and gas studies, had also voiced the position he will not advise his party to renegotiate the Stabroek PSA because of “contract sanctity.”

Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, has in the past skirted the question of whether Guyana was getting a fair share of its revenue from its oil deals, to instead say, that what Guyana gets is already dictated by the contract and that, “We have to work with them and to make the best of them.”

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 30, 2021

PAGE 19

“Once international contracts have been engaged in, there is no question of removal or renegotiation of those contracts; we will move forward and ensure that we continue to get the best advice before we engage in any other negotiations,” Former President, David Granger.

Head of State, President Irfaan Ali

“Contracts are sacrosanct, must be respected and that the US Oil Exploration Company, ExxonMobil, has a right to make money on its investment,” Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo.

“We have to work with them and to make the best of them,” Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh.

“Let me say from the outset that when we came into office, we made it clear that we respect the sanctity of contracts,” Joseph Harmon.

“The Government of Guyana believes in the sanctity of contracts and given all circumstances, sees no justification to the suggestion that the 2016 Petroleum Agreement is an improper contract,” Former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman

Kaieteur News

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Sunday May 30, 2021

Our Frontline Worker of the week is...

Dr. Delleana

Anderson

By Vanessa Braithwaite

B

orn and raised in the mining town of Linden, Dr. Delleana Anderson's childhood was far from luxurious. Many may have even concluded that because she was born to a teenage mother, the cards were stacked against her from the get go.

Living in an unfinished house, she had to learn to overcome life's early struggles to reap academic success. This path, she noted, allowed her to be rewarded with a medical scholarship.

Dr. Anderson, the oldest of her siblings, was determined to not allow her childhood circumstances to define her future. She was also determined to not let her parents' struggles to raise them go to waste.

During a very emotional interview, Dr. Anderson related that her mother was only 16 when she got her. "My mother was a high school dropout, she got pregnant with me; she got me at 16 years when she was going to Multi school.

My father, he never finished primary school..." she related. But the couple was determined to give their children the education they did not receive.

Born to practice medicine

She said her early childhood years entailed moving from house to house, as her parents struggled to secure a permanent home.

When they actually did, it was far from the comfort a home is expected to give a family.

"We had no door, window, floor, just like a roof and the walls. I remember we had one neighbour and he had to nail us in at nights and pull down the zinc in the mornings so we could come out. I think that is when hard times hit my family because we started from scratch; we

had no light, no water...." she recalled.

She spoke of having to walk for close to an hour to get public transportation to take her to school. Of course, she was tardy quite regularly.

Dr. Anderson said she never allowed her home situation to be reflected on her physical appearance at school.

"I never wanted people to know the struggle I was going through; I never looked raggedy or untidy and always had my work done for school," she said.

Despite her struggles at home, she excelled in school and remained at the top of her class. When she wrote the National Grade Six Assessment at the Wismar Hill Primary School, she was

Dr. Delleana Anderson

named the best graduating student.

She was awarded a place at the Mackenzie High School where she continued to be a top achiever even at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) where she copped the title as top student for Region 10.

After high school, Dr. Anderson worked as a teacher for two years at a private school before she was awarded a scholarship to study medicine in Cuba.

This was the unfolding of the life she'd dreamt of -- one where she is financially stable and able to repay her parents for all their sacrifices. "My dream was to become a

w ith a different language was difficult for her, but this only motivated her to push even harder to return to Guyana as nothing less than a certified medical doctor, and that she did.

For one, the language was hard to grasp for her. "I remember vividly, my teacher asked me to open my mouth to see if something was wrong with my tongue because I was not pronouncing the words properly. The Spanish part

My dream was to become a doctor, I “wanted to become a doctor, I really didn't know why, but I remember one time I was talking to my grandmother and she said, 'you should become a doctor'.

”

doctor, I wanted to become a doctor, I really didn't know why, but I remember one time I was talking to my grandmother and she said, 'you should become a doctor'."

That memory she called to mind many times throughout her seven-year journey in Cuba to become a doctor. But the journey was no walk in the park. It was as if she was reliving her early years. The transition into a new culture

was difficult for me; it was hard for me to get it." After persevering and pushing to perfect her Spanish, Dr. Anderson was invited to make a presentation at a prestigious event and was given a prize for the most improved student.

In addition to the language, the living condition was also very challenging for Dr. Anderson and her colleagues.

"Using a washroom that probably had a blind or nothing at all, cooking on the floor; one time my bed broke down. I even survived a category five hurricane...that as well was a very big experience for me," she related.

After she was able to master the language, Dr. Anderson said the actual medical programme was not so challenging and she was able to graduate with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.69.

Apart from her academic success in Cuba, Dr. Anderson said she also invested a lot of time and effort into showcasing Guyana's culture.

She even won a University

page ant she participa ted in and copped the first runner up position in another. Dr. Anderson was also appointed leader for the Guyana Delegation in Cuba and as Leader for foreign students at her University.

Upon her return to Guyana, she served at the Linden Hospital Complex as a General Medical Officer. She is presently serving as the Medical Superintendent (Ag) of the Kwakwani Hospital Complex.

According to our featured frontline health care worker, choosing to become a doctor is in fact one of the best decisions she has ever made since it brings her absolute satisfaction to provide medical care for persons. “I cannot see myself being in any other profession. I see their (patients) pain and I want them to get better. I'm passionate about improving health care wherever I am, so it was the right call.

The moment I see somebody in pain or something, I put myself in their shoes. I feel that pain and all I want to do is help that person feel better... that gives me a lot of satisfaction. I love to see that smile, I love to hear that thank you,” she said.

Like any other frontline worker, Dr. Anderson had some challenges to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly when her 87 yearold grandmother was diagnosed with it. Now that she is in charge of an entire hospital, she takes pride in educating the residents of Kwakwani about the virus and the importance of becoming vaccinated.

A few weeks ago, the doctor, who plans on eventually specialising in internal and emergency medicine, miraculously found the time to produce a locally made movie – an inaugural feat for her – and word on the street is that Lindeners are excited to see it come next month.

Sunday May 30, 2021

Kaieteur News

Miss Divya Yabindranauth

Meet the dazzling Miss Divya Yabindranauth.

Divya is an aspiring model, humanitarian, and dreamer who is always eager to represent Guyana on the international platform.

One of her favourite quotes is, “Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.”

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

PAGE 22

Sunday May 30, 2021

The Guyana Foundation

- helping to transform the lives of the vulnerable

By Rehanna Ramsay

T

he Guyana Foundation ( T G F ) , a charitable trust established to contribute meaningfully to the lives of vulnerable Guyanese through its Sunrise Centre and satellite stations, has for the past decade, created a safe space for people to improve their mental and socio-economic status.

Mrs. Supriya SinghBodden, who founded the non-profit in 2012, explained that since the work commenced, the TGF has been able to contribute meaningfully to communities in nine out of

the nation's 10 administrative regions.

She said that TGF's first Sunrise Centre located at Z o rg - e n - V l y g t o n t h e Essequibo Coast has become the model for all the other satellite stations across the country. The TGF visionary explained that the centre at Zorg-en-Vlygt opened its doors specifically to offer the community mental health services to help combat the high incidence of suicide in the region.

Since then, the Sunrise Centre and its satellite stations have been able to offer skills training in a variety of areas to enhance the access to economic opportunities of several

communities.

The most recent project, a bakery at Capoey Lake in the Pomeroon/Supenaam, Region Two, has opened up employment opportunities for at least 18 persons, mostly women in that community.

Singh-Bodden said that the Sunrise Bakery in Capoey is just one in the 'string of community-based projects' established by TGF over the years. She reflected on when the first Sunrise centre was established.

According to Singh-Bodden, back then, TGF worked with several professionals to train and equip counsellors to offer holistic wellness therapy to individuals

Oven Fresh: A baker attached to the Sunrise Bakery at Capoey in Region Two, examines a fresh batch of bread

battling mental health issues (mainly suicide) to help them adopt positive lifestyle-related behaviours and practices.

According to her, the mental health project received significant support from the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) and Dr. Latchman Narain, a GuyaneseCanadian mental health professional as well as mental health professionals in Cuba.

Since then, SinghBodden said that TGF has been able to offer notable help to the region in their fight against suicide.

In addition, TGF has worked in collaboration with churches, hospitals and various community groups across the regions to develop the skill-set of persons in the

catering techniques and practices, makeup artistry and more.

With assistance from their highly trained staff and workers, the TGF continues to offer these services to youths, single parent households and other types

“

My husband and I contribute a lot to the work along with our overseas-based partners…So; we have 18 paid facilitators, mostly retired teachers and other trained professionals who work with us in these training workshops at the Sunrise Centre and other satellite outlets.

”

area of hairdressing, photography, IT training, floral and craft, wedding planning, music lessons, leather craft, massage techniques, soap-making, Some of the craft materials that the Guyana Foundation markets for Indigenous women of the Wai-Wai tribe

of vulnerable individuals.

According to SinghB o d d e n , T G F, w h i c h receives significant financial support from a number of overseas-based entities, individuals as well as the Canadian Government, has a f u l l y t r a i n e d s t a ff o f professionals who work 'around the clock' to ensure that the projects are successful.

“My husband and I contribute a lot to the work along with our overseasbased partners…So; we have 18 paid facilitators, mostly retired teachers and other trained professionals who work with us in these training workshops at the Sunrise Centre and other satellite outlets,” she said.

Alluding to some projects being executed countrywide to date, she said Sunrise Centre is a platform for which TGF will conduct several large and small-scale projects across the country in an effort to restore hope and purpose; rebuild lives; bring relief wherever it is needed, and create a better future for

all Guyanese.

SUNRISE CENTRES To this end, SinghBodden emphasised that the intention is always to strengthen communities.

In fact, Singh-Bodden said that TGF is driven by the conviction that great change can be made by people who are encouraged and supported.

In this regard, she said the TGF networks and lobbies support from local and international partners to reach its project goals. This, in turn, she said, empowers residents to conduct selfhelp projects to improve their quality of life.

Citing hurdles and developments realised, redounding to the benefit of the people of the various communities in which they operate, Singh-Bodden noted that as an organisation, TGF has certainly moved from strength to strength.

She said the ultimate plan is for it to establish community-based centres in various regions.

“We have our main centre in Essequibo and we want to establish one in Linden [Region 10],” she said.

As such, the Founder is open to working with organisations that have a genuine interest in helping TGF reach its humanitarian goals.

VILLAGE RENEWAL PROJECTS In addition, to the work at the Sunrise Centres, the Foundation continues to provide assistance through its village renewal project.

From time-to-time, she (continued on page 53)

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 30, 2021

PAGE 23

Yellowtail must not become Guyana's next cut-tail T

he government blows hot and blows cold. It promises the Guyanese people that future oil agreements will be subject to different and better terms than what presently exist. But privately when it meets with the oil barons, it cuddles up to them and promises expeditious approval of future field development plans.

This newspaper has reported a top oil official as saying that following a meeting with government he is of the understanding that the PPP/C Government is desirous of expediting the approval process for the Yellowtail Project, the fourth to be developed in the Stabroek Block. This newspaper also quoted Vice President Jagdeo as confirming.

The oil official's understanding of the perspectives exchanged and the Government's position on the matter was accurate while adding that before year-end provides ample time for all issues with the project to be addressed.

This is bad news for the people of Guyana. The approval for Yellowtail provides yet another opportunity for the government to claw back greater benefits for Guyana.

But 'clawing back' should become a euphemism for renegotiation.

The government's excuse has always been that it has to respect the sanctity of contracts. But this is foolishness, implying that new terms can only be agreed to in future contracts.

The Production Sharing Agreement between the Government of Guyana and ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC provides for renegotiation. Renegotiation by definition is not i m p o s i t i o n o r nationalisation; it has to involve the oil companies.

The Stability Clause of the Agreement makes accommodation for the

renegotiation, requiring only that it enjoy the consent of the oil companies. Article 32.1 provides for renegotiation but insists that this requires, as expected, the consent of ExxonMobil and company.

Jagdeo therefore has no excuse for not renegotiating the contract. It would not be breach of the sanctity of the contract if there were to be renegotiation since the contract makes provision for this possibility. But the weak-kneed government simply lacks what it takes or is unwilling to bring Exxon and company to the negotiation table, despite the numerous opportunities it had to do so.

The Coalition negotiated the present Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) after Exxon came to it seeking a production licence, following the discovery of oil in commercial quantities. This PSA is the greatest act of betrayal known in the history of the country.

The PPP/C protested the agreement and said it would renegotiate it. The party went as far as saying in 2018 that it would support a motion in the National Assembly to renegotiate the oil contract.

Then it began to change its tunes. It turned around and said that it will respect the sanctity of contracts but future agreements will be different. But what future agreements? Exxon will use this very agreement and through the buy-ins for other blocks enjoy the rights to those blocks under the present agreement. And the present contract will serve as a precedent for future production sharing agreements.

The PPP/C squandered a golden opportunity to right the wrongs in the present agreement. Exxon came to it for approval for the Payara Field Development Plan.

Nothing much changed.

Against this background,

Yellowtail – or Exxon's fourth field development plan for the Stabroek Block – must not be allowed to become a cut-tail for Guyana. Here again the PPP/C is presented with an opportunity to put things right.

But it has no intention of doing so unless it is forced to do so by the Guyanese people. It is therefore time for the Guyanese people to

issue an ultimatum to the PPP/C to renegotiate.

The PPP/C is prepared to once again grovel at the feet of ExxonMobil. It has already given assurances that it has between now and December to approve the Ye l l o w t a i l f i e l d Development Plan. If, as expected, it does so, then all Guyana can kiss their future goodbye.

Renegotiation is recognised in contract law, especially where one party is extremely disadvantaged.

No one needs a microscope or crystal ball to appreciate the compelling grounds, which presently exist for the renegotiation of the contract.

The PSA is so one-sided that it triggers its own grounds for renegotiation.

Renegotiation is possible

and is now absolutely essential. Without renegotiation, our children and grandchildren will remain poor forever. It is time for Guyanese to begin wearing T-shirts calling for a better deal, now.

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

Kaieteur News

PAGE 24

Sunday May 30, 2021

Get illegal migrants

vaccinated

By Sir Ronald Sanders

N

ot vaccinating illegal migrants against the coronavirus would be a fatal mistake in every country.

Unvaccinated persons pose a real threat to subduing COVID-19 and will delay the opening-up and recovery of economies.

There are two issues related to this matter. First, governments may be reluctant to inoculate illegal persons for fear that, by doing so, they will create attractive circumstances for more people to enter and remain illegally on their shores.

Second, illegal immigrants may be reluctant to be inoculated because of

concerns about exposing themselves to arrest and deportation by police.

This matter is an issue for all Caribbean Community (CARICOM) states from Belize in the north to Suriname in the south, including the Caribbean islands. It is well known that the Bahamas is home to illegal Haitians, Trinidad

and Tobago now accommodates Venezuelan refugees as does Guyana, which also has a share of Haitians and Dominican Republicans. In truth, every CARICOM country has a population of illegal immigrants to some extent.

The problem, therefore, is region wide.

The COVID-19

pandemic demands national plans to deal with inoculating illegal immigrants for the safety of the citizens and legitimate residents of each country, and as part of the process of economic recovery.

The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean has recently reported that the decline in Gross Domestic Product in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2020 “represents the greatest decline in 120 years.”

On May 27, the Government of Canada partly opened the way for CARICOM countries to implement programmes to vaccinate illegals, as part of a wider programme to reach vulnerable people. In a new collaboration with the Pan American Health O rg a n i s a t i o n ( PA H O ) , Canada has provided CAN$50 million (close to US$40 million) to support PAHO's work to vaccine atrisk women, migrants, refugees and transient persons.

But, this money is for use in more than 30 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, although I have been informed that there is a carve-out of CAN$6 million for the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), which has done remarkably well in providing testing and other COVID-19 related services.

All CARICOM countries, in thanking Canada for this generous donation to Latin America and the Caribbean, should ensure that they establish with PAHO their interest in implementing a programme to inoculate illegal migrants.

Dr. Carissa Etienne, the Director-General of PAHO, has explained why it is in the interest of Caribbean countries to ensure that illegal migrants are vaccinated.

She said: “By offering vaccines to transient populations, countries in the Caribbean and Latin America can deter additional burdens to their national health systems due to infections while mitigating further transmission of the virus. This alliance (between PAHO and Canada) is pivotal to offer much-needed technical cooperation for a comprehensive response

Sir Ronald Sanders against COVID-19, to save lives and leave no one behind.” To emphasise Dr. Etienne's point: countries that fail to inoculate illegal migrants could incur huge medical costs, treating citizens and residents who get infected.

Wi d e r infection will also mean a longer period for economic rebuilding.

Even if every Caribbean country inoculates all its citizens and legal residents, the entire society remains in real danger of infection while unvaccinated illegals move around in their country. Illegal migrants tend to live in heavily populated areas with poor sanitation facilities, where transmission of communicable diseases, such as COVID-19, is more likely. They also work on construction sites, in farming communities or in the homes of people as domestic help. Their nearness to their employers and fellow workers puts everyone at risk.

The onus is on governments to tackle this problem directly in several ways. Here are four steps that might be considered.

First, make it clear that illegal migrants who seek inoculation will not be rounded-up by the police and deported.

Such a programme of information could be disseminated in communities where illegal migrants are believed to live and on social media platforms.

Second, the health authorities should consider organising mobile facilities to go into the areas where illegals live and work, offering them inoculations in an environment in which they feel relatively safe. If mobile facilities are not available, setting up special clinics in the locations where migrants congregate might also be an option.

Third, the government should provide an undertaking that the gathered information would not be provided to the police or immigration departments for the purpose of deportation. The (continued on page 49)

Sunday May 30, 2021

PAGE 25

Kaieteur News

Dear Reader, in light of the economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, our publisher, with you in mind, has taken the decision to extend our weekly review of some of our major stories in their entirety.

SUNDAY AGM secret contract…Govt., Aurora tied to secrecy for 2 years after operations end The contract that was signed in 2011 between Canadian company Guyana Goldfields Limited and the Guyana government provides that all information and data to be had, in pursuit of the project, would be jointly owned by the parties and would be kept confidential.

This provision not only obtains during the life of the agreement and mines operations, but would hold effect for up to two years after the end of its time in Guyana under the agreement inked.

Should any of the parties wish to share the information with a third party, it would also need the written consent of the other party to the contract before making any disclosures.

The only exception provided is for financial institutions for loans—itself transactions that are also held confidential by commercial banks.

The Guyana Gold Goldfields’ Aurora Gold Mines operation was sold by the Canadians last year to a Chinese company – Zijin Mining Group – which acquired the largest gold mine operation in Guyana for some US$238M along with all of the protections therein.

Under the contract, since leaked to this publication, the company also enjoys paying a partial 10 percent excise duty for the import of petroleum products while local miners plying the trade and subjected to the standard rate of 50 percent.

Guyanese are subjected to a standard excise rate of 50 percent—a rate that was last revised downwards to 35 percent on February 18 in order to cushion against the higher fuel prices on the world market to be reverted again when prices rebound.

As such, petroleum products imported by Guyanese attract a rate three and a half times higher than their foreign counterparts.

Under the provisions of that contract, the company is provided with the reprieve where it shall “pay a partial Excise tax of 10% on fuel (diesel, gasoline, lubricants and other oils) from the date of the commencement of production

by the company.”

Additional provisions provided as incentives for the foreign based company includes waivers on imports for other machinery, equipment and other personal items.

This, in addition to there being a sliding scale for the payments to be made—five percent royalty when gold is sold for US$1,000 and below or eight percent, when sold at one cent above that price.

This publication reported this past week that according to the contract, the percentage of applicable royalty charged for gold produced would be applied to the sale price actually realises from a smelter, refinery or other arms-length third party purchaser.

Notably, Guyanese miners are required to sell their gold at the Guyana Gold Board where that entity determines the price to be paid and applicable royalty.

That contract also illustrates that when it comes to imports, the company also enjoys a wide range of waivers – under the provisions in the contract, is entitled to import into the country or purchase domestically, free of import duties, Value Added Tax and any other direct or indirect taxes on all equipment, supplies and materials for the project.

It is also provided under the contract that, “for greater certainty,” the company or any local or foreign contractor retained for the project purposes shall not be required to pay any licence fees, duties or other charges related to importing or purchasing materials in Guyana for the purpose of the project.

Additionally, the company shall also be entitled to import free of customs duties, VAT and other direct or indirect taxes on necessary personal items, including electronic and household effects.

Govt. credit may be crowding out private sector investments - C’bean Economist The Guyana Government, in the first quarter of the year, contracted some $44B in credit from domestic banks while local businesses managed to secure $6B, a position that is seeing the private sector—long considered as the engine of economic growth in a mixed market economy such as Guyana— being likely crowded out by government investments.

This is according to the latest analysis of Guyana’s economic standing, by Caribbean economist, Marla Dukharan.

In her most recent Caribbean Monthly Economic Report, Dukharan observes that domestic credit to the public sector in Guyana grew by 47 percent, year over year, in March 2021.

In contrast, private sector credit grew by a mere 2.4 percent year on year. According to Dukharan, credit to the Government this year—as at March end—expanded by $44 billion while credit to the private sector expanded by $6 billion. Dukharan observes that this suggests that Government “may be crowding out private investment activity.”

She also notes in the report that consumer prices rose two percent in the same period, mainly due to a 5.7 percent rise in food prices and 3.4 percent rise in cost of Health and Medical Services.

The Caribbean economist also noted in her summary report that Guyana exported its sixth cargo of oil in April 2021, adding an expected US$60 million to the March balance of US$268 million in the country’s Sovereign Wealth Fund.

The report also noted the dif-

fering growth projections for Guyana made by the two major international financial institutions, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The World Bank forecasts 7.8 percent growth in 2021 followed by 3.6 percent in 2022, while the IMF forecasts 16.4 percent growth in 2021 and 46.5 percent growth in 2022, 30.6 percent in 2023 then averaging three percent in subsequent years.

The economist had earlier in the year found that the 43.5 percent growth in 2020 was realised as oil production came online and that the sector accounted for 16 percent of total economic activity and contributed 65 percent more to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) than gold and 25 percent more than agriculture.

At the time it was noted that Guyana’s non-petroleum GDP contracted 7.3 percent as gold output declined by 8 percent, construction by 6 percent, wholesale and retail by 28 percent, and transport and storage by 30 percent.

The Financial sector on the other hand, realised growth by three percent, while Real Estate activity remained virtually flat.

It was noted that while international reserves ended 2020 at the highest level since 2014 at US$680.6 million, this has since dipped to $627 million in March, down from US$699 million in January.

More of Dukharan’s analysis can be found on her website, MarlaDukharan.com.

MONDAY ExxonMobil could recover $47B in decommissioning costs by 2024-Int’l Report When the Liza Phase One Project in the Stabroek Block comes to an end in the next

20 years, ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), would be responsible for executing a decommissioning or abandonment plan.

Such a plan would entail costs associated with the safe removal of pipelines and other infrastructure that were fixed to the ocean floor to extract the oil. This exercise often calls for millions of US dollars to be invested.

What is interesting to note however, is that ExxonMobil does not have to wait until the next 20 years to start recovering this money.

It can, and is most likely is doing this since production kick started in the Stabroek Block in December 2019. Highlighting this “abnormality” recently was the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) in its latest publication called, “TOXIC ASSETS: Making Polluters Pay When Wells Run Dry and the Bill Comes Due.” Founded in 1989, CIEL uses the power of law to protect the environment, promote human rights, and ensure a just and sustainable society.

In its report, CIEL pointed to ExxonMobil’s overview of its operations in Guyana which shows that it may drill as many as 92 wells in the Liza One, Two and Payara oil fields alone.

In fact, ExxonMobil has drilled exploration wells at more than 16 different potential production sites so far.

CIEL said it should be noted that ExxonMobil drilled the wells at an average water depth of 1782 meters (5846 feet) and some are as deep as 2735 meters (8973 feet).

The organization also highlighted that the eight wells already in production at Liza One are drilled in water depths of 1500-1900 meters

(4921-6234 feet).

To put those depths into context, CIEL noted that the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement defines any well drilled in more than 122 meters (400 feet) of water as “deep water,” and the average water depth of wells in the North Sea is 185 meters (607 feet).

With the foregoing in mind, CIEL said it is critical to note that decommissioning such deep offshore wells is expensive. While the cost depends on a number of factors, including ocean conditions, CIEL said it is significantly more expensive than the closure of conventional onshore wells.

It said too, that estimates consistently place the costs of deepwater decommissioning in the tens of millions USD per well, once all associated measures are taken into account.

Despite the significant looming expense of closing down these offshore operations, CIEL highlighted that the Production Sharing Agreement for the Stabroek Block does not require the companies to set aside any money for decommissioning in a dedicated fund, or provide any form of financial security while the wells are producing.

Instead, the Agreement permits the ExxonMobil-led consortium to deduct the estimated future costs of decommissioning as current operating expenses, according to a schedule based on production rates, without demonstrating that it has reserved those funds for future use.

CIEL also cited an independent report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) which estimates that (Continued on page 26)

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From page 25 ExxonMobil could charge Guyana as much as USD$227 million or $47B in amortized abandonment costs between 2020 and 2024.

With this in mind, the Center for International Environmental Law noted that the recovered costs ultimately diminish the amount of profit oil shared with Guyana, effectively passing the bill of decommissioning on to the

Guyana was paid on the other hand, G$17M or US$85,000 in royalties from that company during the same period, 2016 to 2018.

As such, it would mean Guyana received G$17 million for the two years or about $8.5 million each year in royalty or US$42,500 every year.

As it relates to the fuel waivers, this publication has learnt that the company imports on average some 19 million litres

government up front.

In its report, CIEL said, “The high costs of closure costs may come due sooner than expected.

The economically viable lifetime of the deepwater wells in Guyana is uncertain, given trends in the global oil and gas market, which is now unquestionably in decline. As a result, the time frame over which it is possible to spread those costs may be shorter than anticipated, and the revenues earned from the production may be lower than projected.”

Due to both the structure of the Production Sharing Agreement and market conditions, CIEL said Guyana faces higher costs and lower earnings than anticipated.

“Expense is not the only concern associated with the shutdown of deepwater drilling operations. If funds are insufficient to cover the costs of properly decommissioning the wells, there could be significant and lasting consequences for the marine environment and the human and biotic communities that depend on it,” the organisation concluded.

of diesel annually for its operations.

This works out to 5,019,269 gallons of fuel. Diesel is sold at $182 per litre, meaning a 25 percent saving would see the company paying $45.5 dollars less in fuel imports.

As such, this would mean that the company saves some US$4.5 million yearly or US$22 million over the past five years.

Troy Resources has been in operation in Guyana since 2013 when it took over the Karouni Project from Azimuth Resources and has been mining ever since.

The company enjoys similar concessions to that afforded to the principals for the Aurora Gold Mines—now Zijin Mining Group.

That company pays only 10 percent excise duties on petroleum imports.

Guyanese are subjected to a standard excise rate of 50 percent—a rate that was last revised downwards to 35 percent on February 18, last, in order to cushion against the higher fuel prices on the world market to be reverted again when prices rebound.

Troy Resources, recently announced that its operation is realising an average of 2,200 ounces of Gold from its operation this year but noted that having mined out its Hicks 4 and Spearpoint mining pits, it has since secured another lucrative concession in Guyana—20 kilometres South of its present operation—in the gold rich Potaro locale, an area, which it had identified as a ‘must have’ target.

The company made the announcement last week Monday, by way of a public missive to shareholders, and said, the secured tenements adjacent to its 100 percent owned Karouni Gold Project in Guyana, “is considered to be highly prospective for

TUESDAY Guyana gives more than US$35M in waivers to Troy Resources in past five years …as country gets about US$85,000 in royalty Troy Resources, an Australian based gold mining company in Guyana, has over the past five years, saved some US$22 million in fuel imports alone and has also benefitted from another G$2.5B or U$13M in tax breaks between 2016 and 2018.

It would mean that the country gave about US$35M in waivers for fuel and tax breaks to the company during the period mentioned.

Sunday May 30, 2021

Map showing the Kaieteur Block

large-scale gold discovery. “ With the new claim secured, the company said it increases Troy’s landholding, to an area of approximately 3,000 hectares.

The Aurora Gold Mines’ operation was halted in July last and was not restarted until after the takeover by Zijin Mining Group in November.

The Zijin Mining Group acquired the mine from Canadian owned Guyana Goldfields, which had acquired the licence for the Aurora Gold Mines, and as such, enjoys provisions that were enshrined in the contract for the operations in the CuyuniMazaruni locale.

Additional provisions provided as incentives for the foreign based company includes waivers on imports for other machinery, equipment and other personal items.

This, in addition to there being a sliding scale for the payments to be made—five percent royalty when gold is sold for US$1,001 and below, or eight percent when sold at one cent above that price.

WEDNESDAY More shares sold in “suspiciously awarded” Kaieteur Oil Block Cataleya Energy Limited (CEL), the company that was first awarded the Kaieteur Block in 2015 by former President, Donald Ramotar, has sold one fifth of its 25 percent working interest in the off-

shore concession to Hess Corporation. As a result of the transaction, Hess’ working interest has moved from 15 percent to 20 percent, while Cataleya is now left with 20 percent. Meanwhile, the other partner on the block, Ratio Guyana Limited, holds a 25 percent stake while ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), holds 35 percent, thereby making it the operator of the block.

The sale between Hess and Cataleya was reported by Westmount Energy Limited, a UK investment firm that gives overseas firms opportunities to buy shares in the licenced operators of Guyana’s offshore blocks. According to Westmount in its latest report, the increase in Hess’ working interest has occurred on the back of the Tanager-1 oil discovery, announced in November, 2020.

Westmount noted that Tanager-1, the first well drilled on the Kaieteur block, encountered 16 metres of net oil pay (20oAPI oil) in high-quality sandstone reservoirs. The UK firm said that the well was reported as an oil discovery, which is currently considered to be non-commercial as a standalone development.

Furthermore, Westmount cited aspects of a post-well report by Netherland, Sewell & Associates Inc. (“NSAI”) which state that the Tanager1 discovery contains a ‘Best Estimate’ of Unrisked Gross Oil Resource totalling 65.3

million barrels.

Following the announcement of the farm down, Gerard Walsh, the Executive Chairman of Westmount was keen to note that the move is consistent with the Stabroek partners’ assessment that the potential of the GuyanaSuriname Basin is now more than twice the discovered resource to date – indicating a potential in excess of 10 billion oil-equivalent barrels across the basin.

Additionally, Walsh whose company holds a 5.3% share capital in Cataleya Energy Corporation, the parent company of CEL said, “We believe this farm-in transaction reflects confidence in the prospective resource potential of the Kaieteur Block and augurs well for the continuing exploration of the area.”

CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION For several years, this newspaper was at the forefront of calls for there to be a thorough, independent investigation into the award of two blocks, Kaieteur and Canje, since several industry stakeholders who examined the matter, concluded that they were awarded under suspicious circumstances.

With respect to the Kaieteur Block, this publication previously reported that it was awarded by Ramotar on April 28, 2015, just two weeks before the 2015 general and regional elections on the advice of former Minister of Natural Resources, Robert Persaud.

Two companies received the

block with 50-50 stakes, Ratio Energy Limited (now Cataleya Energy Limited) and Ratio Guyana Limited.

Ratio Energy was incorporated in Gibraltar on April 15, 2013, and registered in Guyana on October 23 later that year. Independent watchdog, Global Witness, said in its damning report ‘Signed Away’ (which was subsequently pulled by the organisation), that at the time of receipt of the block, the company was owned by an Israeli-based lawyer named Richard Roberts.

Ratio Energy’s name was then changed on August 3, 2017, after it received the Kaieteur Block. Its two directors are Canadian, Michael Cawood and Guyanese, Ryan Perreira, who have experience in mining.

Cawood’s LinkedIn page lists him as Cataleya’s Director and Chief Executive Officer.

Pereira’s LinkedIn page lists him as Cataleya’s Director and Co-founder.

Research also revealed that Perreira has a history of collaboration with Cawood’s Riva Gold Corporation. In 2010, agreements were announced meant to allow Riva the option to acquire the rights to certain groups of mineral properties in Guyana, specifically gold. Importantly, neither of these men had any experience in oil exploration to talk about prior to Cataleya’s receipt of the Kaieteur block.

The other initial owner of the (Continued on page 27)

Sunday May 30, 2021

From page 26 Kaieteur block is Ratio Guyana, a subsidiary of the Israeli company, Ratio Petroleum.

The parent company has been active in the oil industry for decades.

Subsequent investigations showed that when Cataleya and Ratio Petroleum got the Kaieteur Block, they quickly sold it off piece by piece to ExxonMobil and later on to Westmount, without doing any work. In fact, Cataleya and Ratio Petroleum each sold 25 percent of their Kaieteur Block ownership to ExxonMobil in March 1, 2017.

ExxonMobil then sold part of its stake to Hess in April, 2018. Global Witness had said it gathered from Ratio Petroleum’s website that the companies didn’t even conduct seismic work before ExxonMobil bought its share.

It was only months after Exxon bought into the block that the oil major started a seismic survey. Exxon’s work revealed that the Kaieteur Block has an estimated 2.1 billion oilequivalent barrels.

Further to the fact that the original owners quickly sold portions of the block despite commitments in the Production Sharing Agreement to undertake several exploration activities, this newspaper had shown that the owners of the Kaieteur Block had set the stage for secrecy in their acquisition of the block by incorporating in a jurisdiction notorious for financial secrecy.

The use of secrecy jurisdictions like Gibraltar is what allowed the companies to keep the details of their transactions with ExxonMobil under the radar.

In addition to the aforementioned, this newspaper had exposed that while Ratio Guyana’s parent company, Ratio Petroleum, has nearly three decades of experience in the industry, it does not have the capacity to conduct ultra-deepwater drilling, which is required for the Kaieteur acreage. Only a handful of oil companies have the capacity to drill in ultradeepwater, including ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron, BP, and Total SE. Ultra deepwater has been closed to drilling for decades because companies just didn’t have the technology and the experience. Besides, there was a lot more oil and gas accessible in shallower waters.

Though the foregoing points among others were brought to the attention of Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, last year November, he was adamant that no corruption took place. He even stated that no laws were broken. Furthermore, he ex-

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pressed confidence in former President, Donald Ramotar, who signed the Kaieteur and Canje agreements away in 2015, just before he was ousted by the David Granger coalition in that year’s election. ”I’m convinced from knowing Ramotar,” Jagdeo said, “that there was no corruption.”

In his view, the issues raised by Kaieteur News over the years can be explained away since in that time, before the discovery of oil, Guyana was liberal with the way it went about issuing licences.

He also responded to the assertion that the blocks were given to companies that are not capable of developing them, positing that even oil majors like ExxonMobil and Total SA would take licences and flip them.

This is what the initial owners of the Kaieteur and Canje blocks did, without doing any work. ”So whether you have capability or not,” Jagdeo said, “that was never a requirement of the [Petroleum] Act, particularly in that period when you did not find oil… People would have to face a whole range of questioning, even with the transferral [of stakes].”

At the present time, he said, there would be much more stringent measures to determine the capability of applicants before awarding licences.

The Vice President was also asked to say whether he would support an independent probe by a competent foreign investigator. Jagdeo refused to commit to having said probe then. He said that he would not commit “at this stage.”

Preceding any investigation, Dr. Jagdeo had said he asked for internal documents to be prepared to get an understanding of the approval process for the awards of the blocks in 2015, the timelines for the incorporation of the companies which received the blocks, and the names of individuals involved.” In the meantime, he had said he found no breach of the law because “what has been raised [is] a lot of speculation.”

THURSDAY Small hedge fund delivers historic blow to ExxonMobil - Wins two Board seats to represent climate change issues Engine No. 1, a relatively small hedge fund, delivered a massive blow to ExxonMobil Corporation, America’s powerhouse in the fossil fuel industry, as it was able to get two of its four nominees

elected to the company’s Board.

In the preliminary results released Wednesday for the Annual Shareholder’s Meeting, Re-elected ExxonMobil Directors were Chairman of the company, Darren Woods; Michael Angelakis, Susan Avery, Angela Braly, Ursula Burns, Kenneth Frazier, Joseph Hooley and Jeffrey Ubben. Elected from Engine No. 1’s nominees were Gregory Goff and Kaisa Hietala.

This newspaper understands that Goff has a long track record of success in the energy industry. He served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Andeavor (ANDV), a leading petroleum refining and marketing company formerly known as Tesoro, for eight years ending in 2018. He was also named one of the “Best-Performing CEOs in the World” by Harvard Business Review in 2018.

With regard to Ms. Hietala, Engine One was keen to note that she is an experienced leader in strategic transformation in the energy sector who began her career in oil and gas exploration and crude oil trading.

She played a central role in the strategic transformation of Neste into the world’s largest and most profitable producer of renewable diesel and jet fuel, which was named

by Harvard Business Review as one of the “Top 20 Business Transformations of the Last Decade” in 2019.Up to press time, the outcome was not yet determined for ExxonMobil director, candidates Steven Kandarian, Douglas Oberhelman, Samuel Palmisano and Wan Zulkiflee, and for Engine No. 1 candidate Alexander Karsner. A fourth Engine No. 1 candidate, Anders Runevad, was not elected.

In a statement, ExxonMobil Corporation said

the Board will reconsider two shareholder proposals that received majority shareholder approval, one of which is dedicated to climate lobbying.

Kaieteur News understands that the preliminary vote count is subject to certification by the Independent Inspector of Elections.

It should be noted however, that Wednesday’s voting process was not without its fair share of challenges as there was an unprecedented move by ExxonMobil to adjourn the voting for more than an hour.

Upon noting this, Engine No. 1 said, “In seeking to delay the closing of the polls, ExxonMobil is using corporate machinery for its own purpose rather than that of shareholders and avoiding the election of individuals with the transformative energy experience required to position the Company for long-term success in a changing world.”

It added, “Shareholders should not be fooled by ExxonMobil’s last-ditch attempt to stave off muchneeded board change in response to significant shareholder pressure and the prospect of losing a proxy contest.

Shareholders have spoken.

ExxonMobil should accept the result, take the vote and move forward.”

Furthermore, the Coalition United for a Responsible Exxon (CURE) that recently published a paper that analyses ExxonMobil Corporation’s critical governance failures and poor performance disclosed to the international press that it sees the election of Engine No. 1 nominees, Gregory Goff and Kaisa Hietala, to the Board of Directors as significant steps towards bringing Exxon in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.”Today, share-

holders sent a strong signal to Exxon and other oil majors that business as usual is not an option,” said Andrew Behar, CEO of As You Sow, a member of CURE. “The fact that at least two of Engine No. 1’s four board candidates were elected reflects the right of shareholders to escalate the demand for transformation at companies such as Exxon,” expressed Behar.

He added, “The new board should act on this mandate for change and adopt Paris compliant transition plans immediately and begin the hard, but necessary work of creating the roadmap to transform the company’s core business.”

As of today, CURE represents over 135 stakeholder organisations, which collectively represent $2.5 trillion in assets focused on sustainability and committed to delivering long-term returns that account for the realities of a changing energy sector.

Since December last, Kaieteur News had reported that Engine No. 1’s challenge for board seats was rooted in its dissatisfaction with ExxonMobil’s emissions output. According to Bloomberg, the oil giant’s annual emissions from its operations are set to increase from 122 million metric tons in 2017 to 143 million metric tons in 2025.

The investment firm was also concerned about the company’s decisions, which have led to its declining fiscal health.

In a statement to industry stakeholders, Engine No. 1 had said, “Investors increasingly want to see companies focused on the long-term and ExxonMobil is no exception.

We believe that ExxonMobil’s Board needs new members who have proven success positioning energy companies for today as well as tomorrow, and who are suffi-

ciently independent from the current Board to ensure a clean break from a strategy and mindset that have led to years of value destruction and poorly positioned the Company for the future.”

While ExxonMobil has recently taken incremental steps to improve its performance in the face of financial and shareholder pressure, Engine One said it is of the firm belief that a reactive short-term approach is no substitute for a proactive long-term strategy that addresses the threats and opportunities facing the company in a changing world.

Taking this into consideration, among other factors, the new investment firm had proposed four independent nominees – each of whom it said brought a differentiated skill set that made them uniquely suited to help the Board chart a new value-creating path, including better long-term capital discipline, strategic planning, and management incentives.

Dutch Court orders oil giant to slash emissions by 45 percent For decades, fossil fuel producers have been dodging accountability for the role they play in the climate crisis.

But Wednesday marked a turning point in history as a court in the Netherlands ordered Royal Dutch Shell—the world’s third largest oil giant—to reduce its carbon emissions by 45 percent compared to 2019 levels. It has up to 2030 to reduce emissions of its subsidiaries, suppliers and customers through group policy.

The District Court in The Hague did not say how the Anglo-Dutch energy giant should achieve the ordered cutback, saying that it “has complete freedom in how it (Continued on page 28)

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From page 27 meets its reduction obligation and in shaping the Shell group’s corporate policy.” But what the court made pellucid is that the oil king has a duty to reduce emissions and that its current reduction plans were not just not enough.

In a written response,

lands has sent a clear signal to the oil and gas industry: continuing business-as-usual production of fossil fuels amidst the climate emergency is fundamentally incompatible with corporate duties to respect human rights. The organisation said carbon majors like Royal Dutch Shell will be compelled to change

Shell said it intends to appeal the “disappointing court decision” while adding that it is already “investing billions of dollars in low-carbon energy, including electric vehicle charging, hydrogen, renewables and biofuels…”

The case was first brought to the Dutch court by Friends of the Earth (FoE), an environmental group, alongside six other bodies and more than 17,000 Dutch citizens.

They have since hailed the decision as “a victory for the planet.” In particular, Roger Cox, a lawyer for the Dutch arm of Friends of the Earth said, “This ruling will change the world. Worldwide, people are in the starting blocks to take legal action against oil companies following our example.”

Sara Shaw from Friends of the Earth International was also ecstatic about the victory and even added that “this verdict will trigger a wave of climate litigation against big polluters to force them to stop extracting and burning fossil fuels.”

The verdict will also have a big impact on the way Shell does business, said Mike Coffin, Senior Analyst at Carbon Tracker, a London-based not-for-profit think tank that researches the impact of climate change on financial markets.

To achieve the new courtmandated targets, Shell would “have to rapidly accelerate the pace of their renewable energy business rollout, to bring down the fraction of emissions per unit of energy, but they will likely also need to commit to oil and gas production reduction,” he said. h t t p s : / / uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/ inziendocument?id=ECLI:NL:RB DHA:2021:5339&show b u t t o n = t r u e Commenting on the historic ruling as well was the Centre for International Environmental Law (CIEL) which said in a statement that the Nether-

course or face legal consequences.

Specifically commenting on this ruling was CIEL’s President, Carroll Muffett. He said, “The Shell decision is a watershed for the oil and gas industry.

The court recognised the growing international consensus that the world must strive to keep warming below 1.5 Degrees Celsius.

The court’s ruling…recognises that Shell not only has the capacity, but the responsibility to bring its operations into line with what the science shows is necessary to prevent catastrophic climate change.

Such reductions are by no means sufficient — the world needs to phase out fossil fuel production entirely — but they are an essential step toward a fossil-free, safe climate future.”

Furthermore, Muffett highlighted the wider significance of the case for global oil and gas companies. For the industry, the CIEL President said the court explicitly extended this responsibility to include the operations of Shell’s subsidiaries around the world and to the full scope of Shell’s emissions.

He added that the court has made clear that Shell and similarly situated actors must take responsibility for reducing not only the direct emissions that arise from its own operations, but the far greater emissions that result from the burning of its products. “And the court recognised that this has immediate and significant implications for where Shell’s future investments should be made.

This echoes and reinforces the International Energy Agency’s warning last week that investments in new oil and gas developments must end immediately,” expressed Muffett.

GUYANA’S FIGHT In Guyana, two citizens

have also launched a challenge against another significant contributor of the climate crisis—ExxonMobil. The constitutional case argues that government approval for ExxonMobil’s development projects offshore is a direct violation of the right of future and current generations to a healthy environment.

The first applicant in the case is Dr. Troy Thomas, a scientist and a University of Guyana lecturer. The second applicant, Quadad de Freitas, is a young man from the South Rupununi Region of Guyana, an area rich in biodiversity, now threatened by climate change.

The legal team for the duo consists of Ms. Melinda Janki and Mr. Ronald BurchSmith, with support from Richard Lord, QC at Brick Court and Joshua Jackson of Cloisters in the United Kingdom.

According to the court documents seen by Kaieteur News, the two applicants, through their lawyers, are asking that a declaration be made by the court to say that the State’s duties under Article 149J (1), require that it refrains from authorising activities that would contribute significantly to climate change, ocean acidification and/or sea level rise.

The applicants are of the firm conviction that based on their research, which was attached to the claim, the court should provide a declaration that the direct emission of 22,030,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases from petroleum operations in the Liza Phase 1 Development Project, pro-

posed direct emission of 34,545,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases from the Liza Phase 2 Development Project, and the proposed direct emission of 35,720,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases from petroleum operations in the Payara Development Project would make the environment more harmful to the health and wellbeing of citizens and future generations.

It was further noted that Article 149J(1) imposes upon the State, two primary obligations: (a) An obligation to respect the environment, which requires the State to refrain from interfering with or causing damage to the environment; and (b) An obligation to protect or guarantee the health of the environment.

Further to this, the applicants are asking the Constitutional

Court to declare that the State’s duty under Article 149J(2) to take reasonable measures to protect the environment for present and future generations requires the State to carry out or obtain independent verification of the types and amounts of greenhouse gases actually emitted by the Liza Phase 1 Development Project, and the greenhouse gases actually emitted by future petroleum development in the Liza Phase Two Development Project, the Payara Development Project and other subsequent oil and gas projects.

Finally, the applicants are asking for a declaration that any bill or delegated legislation to amend or alter the Environmental Protection Act Cap 20:05 or subsidiary legislation made under such stat-

ute, with the aim or effect of allowing activities that make the environment more harmful to human health and wellbeing would be a violation of the State’s duty under Article 149J(1).

FRIDAY Hess Boss says Ali, Jagdeo agreed to expedite Yellowtail project before year end – President says there is enough time to address all issues Following his meeting with President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, and Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, Hess Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), John Hess, said he is of the understanding that the PPP/C Government is (Continued 29)

Sunday May 30, 2021

From page 28 desirous of expediting the approval process for the Yellowtail Project, the fourth to be developed on the Stabroek Block.

Hess made this revelation during his participation in the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) Global Energy Virtual Conference 2021.

During that engagement on May 26, the Hess boss was asked to relate his experience in working with the new government.

He was keen to note that the Ali administration – in power since August 2020 – is very pro-business, while adding that it wants oil investments to be accelerated.

The CEO said, “The people of Guyana and this current Government especially want to keep the momentum of oil investments because that is the best way for them to get shared prosperity and to improve all lives of every Guyanese.” Following this, the Hess official disclosed that he met with Ali and Jagdeo about three weeks ago and had a “very constructive dialogue.”

Hess said, “We spoke about Yellowtail and how important it is to have a thoughtful but expeditious approval for that project.

You know, the fact of the matter is that they took over in August and before September 30, last, gave us approval for Payara (ExxonMobil’s third oil project) and now we are talking about Yellowtail, a large resource…”

Hess said that the Environmental Impact Statement for the project has been submitted already and the company will be ready to go once the necessary approvals are given.

He was keen to note as well that there is an active discourse with the operator, ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), and Government to get it sanctioned and approved before year end so that it can be on track for first oil in 2025. ”I would say Government is very constructive in working with us…and the Government is working with us to give us, I’d say an expedited approval…”

Hess said that the administration is also interested in using the ongoing period to get all issues it wants addressed.

He further stated, “I would say the attitude of the Government is pro-oil investment because that’s the best way to lift the country out of poverty and have a much better future for all Guyanese.”

Thursday, Kaieteur News contacted the Vice President to ensure that Hess’ conclu-

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sion of the said meeting was accurate. Dr. Jagdeo said that Hess’ understanding of the perspectives exchanged and the Government’s position on the matter was accurate while adding that before yearend provides ample time for all issues with the project to be addressed.

ABOUT THE YELLOWTAIL PROJECT According to EEPGL’s project summary, the Yellowtail development is located in the eastern portion of the Stabroek Block, approximately 200 km from Georgetown and southeast of the Stabroek Projects. EEPGL noted it is expected to produce 220,000 barrels of oil per day by 2025. Production from this project is expected to last at least 20 years.

The production facilities to be installed include subsea equipment attached to the seafloor as well as processing equipment on the ocean’s surface known as a Floating, Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.

The subsurface equipment is expected to be installed at approximately 1,700 – 1,950 m of water depth.

The main pieces of kit in the subsurface include the following: production tree, production manifold, flowlines, risers, and umbilicals. The subsurface umbilicals, risers, and flowlines are commonly referred to as SURF. Building on the previous Stabroek Projects, EEPGL said Yellowtail would be designed to demonstrate continuous improvement in environmental performance.

EEPGL in this regard said it routinely strives to make improvements in environmental performance through emissions controls, technology enhancements and process improvements.

Expounding further, the subsidiary said in 2020, the FPSO Liza Destiny experienced unanticipated technical challenges and unplanned gas flaring during its start-up and commissioning process.

As a result of the foregoing, EEPGL said it conducted comprehensive root-cause analyses of these issues and evaluated potential improvements to gas handling systems, sparing philosophy and execution procedures.

The company assured the EPA that it plans to take significant steps to incorporate the lessons learned from the commissioning of the Liza Destiny into future projects, including Yellowtail.

CJ orders release of SOPs, SORs for police investigations into elections fraud Chief Justice (Ag),

Roxane George-Wiltshire, S.C, Thursday ordered the Registrar of the Supreme Court, Sueanna Lovell, to release certified copies of the Statements of Polls (SOPs) and Statements of Recount (SORs) for a police investigation into fraud cases being prosecuted in relation to the March 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Previously, in dismissing the first election case, the Acting Chief Justice (CJ) had ordered that the documents be released to the Supreme Court Registrar for safekeeping until the hearing and determination of the second Election Petition filed to challenge the outcome of the elections.Back then, attorney for the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Douglas Mendes, S.C, reminded the Court that the Representation of the Peoples Act allows the CEO to destroy all elections documents after a 12-month period had elapsed after an election.

That 12-month period would have been up on March 2, 2021.

Since then, the second elections case was dismissed in the High Court on April 25, 2021, but a criminal case is pending in the Georgetown Magistrate Court, where the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, is charged, along with Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Roxane Meyers, and the Returning Officer (RO) for District Four, Clairmont Mingo, for misconduct in public office in relation to electoral fraud.

In that case, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, S.C, and Commissioner of Police, Nigel Hoppie, had applied to the High Court for the release of the documents, but Lowenfield who was seeking to be added as a respondent in the case through his attorney Nigel Hughes, had argued strongly against the release of the SOPs and SORs. Earlier this week, Justice George-Wiltshire had considered an application from the CEO to join the case filed by the DPP and the Commissioner of Police.

At that time, attorney Nigel Hughes, had been arguing for Lowenfield to join to the matter.

Hughes had contended that SOPs and SORs could only be legally released for an election petition.

The DPP and the Commissioner of Police had requested an order to release the elections data, citing that the information is necessary in the furtherance of the investigations of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in relation to the charges filed against CEO, DCEO and Returning

Officer for District Four. In their application, the parties had contended that the information forms relevant evidence for the prosecution to prove the commission of the offences, which are charged.

Further, it was stated that pursuant to the Representation of the People Act, the SOPs are required to be delivered to the CEO at GECOM. ”These documents are public records and there should be no restriction to the police obtaining copies of the said records,” the application added. ”By Common Law and Statute namely Section 50 of the Criminal Law Procedure Act. Cap. 10:01, the Commissioner of Police and any member of the Police Force, has the lawful right to collect and recover all documents and property which are relevant to the investigation and prosecution of any criminal offence,” the application had outlined.

In giving her ruling Thursday, the CJ dismissed Lowenfield’s application to be added to the case. She noted, that for the Court to allow the CEO to become a party in the matter would have complicated the legal proceeding unnecessarily. Justice George-Wiltshire stressed that although Lowenfield is the legal custodian of the documents, the CEO does not have any right to object to the court granting permission for its release.

The Chief Justice said too, that the CEO has not disclosed how he would be affected by the release. She added too, these are not his personal documents but belong to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) of which he is the custodian.

Additionally, the Judge said the case could have been

handled by the lower court. ”The police could have obtained a search warrant if Mr. Lowenfield had refused to turn over the documents.

There can be nothing unlawful about this, a common occurrence in criminal proceeding,” Justice George-Wiltshire pointed out.

In her ruling the CJ emphasised that “the provisions of the Representation of the People Act and the National Validity of Elections Act, speaking as they do, to the custody and safekeeping of election documents and the challenge to the validity of elections, do not mean that these documents cannot be released to law enforcement entities as part of their inves-

tigations, or in support of criminal proceedings even where the CEO is also a defendant in criminal proceedings in relation to the elections.”

As such, the Registrar of the Supreme Court was ordered to photocopy the SOPs and SORs, certify the copies and deliver them to the DPP and the Police within 10 days.

SATURDAY Liza Two financiers hire consultant to manage their affairs …will provide technical support to Japanese Bank involved (Continued on page 29)

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Sunday May 30, 2021

Kaieteur News

From page 28 A group of unidentified lenders have hired a technical consultant to manage their affairs relating to the financing facility for Guyana’s Liza Unity Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Vessel, among other responsibilities, The FPSO is being built by SBM Offshore and will be located in the ExxonMobil led Liza field II development, in the Stabroek Block and is scheduled to being production, following its hook up and commission scheduled for later in the year.

The company- Crondall Energy’s consultancy business—in announcing the contract Friday, said it was awarded a contract, to be the lenders’ technical consultant for the project financing of ExxonMobil’s Liza Unity FPSO bound for Guyana.

Crondall Energy Consultants said it will be supporting MUFG Bank Ltd, the largest Japanese bank, as the Lenders’ Technical Consultant for the Liza Unity FPSO project f i n a n c i n g MUFG is acting as Technical Bank on behalf of a group of Lenders for the financing facility.

Crondall Energy noted that its scope of services includes the initial technical due diligence on the project as well as an ongoing monitoring role through the Engineering Procurement Construction Installng (EPCI) project development phase.

The scope of work also includes project management, process engineering, marine engineering and a review of the project contracting framework, according to Crondall Energy.

The entity’s Managing Director, Anna-Louise Peters, said that the ongoing work in support of Lenders and financiers on a number of FPSO developments reflects Crondall Energy’s deep knowledge and understanding of such complex projects, as well as its ability to assist Lenders in managing the development phase and addressing the risks inherent in offshore projects. ”We continue to be grateful for the trust placed in Crondall’s team by both MUFG and SBM in appointing Crondall on this important project.”

Furthermore, AnnaLouise noted that Crondall

Energy also acted on behalf of Lenders for the Liza Destiny FPSO project completed at the end of 2019.

Crondall Energy is a leading independent consultancy providing strategic, commercial and technical services for offshore energy projects that use floating production and subsea technologies.

The company boasts working with a range of project stakeholders, including energy companies, investors and law firms, “to help clients to manage technical, commercial and strategic risks and achieve positive project outcomes.

The Liza Unity vessel which was constructed in the Keppel Shipyard in Singapore, by Dutch Specialists, SBM Offshore, is expected to arrive in Guyana next month The Liza Unity FPSO, is slated to have a capacity of 220,000 gross barrels of oil per day, The development of the Liza II project is estimated to cost a total of US$6 billion and will add to production already occurring in the Liza field, in which production began with the Liza Destiny in December 2019.This will move ExxonMobil’s production in the Stabroek Block to 340,000 barrels per day, and more, if the operator succeeds in increasing the nameplate capacity of the currently producing Liza Destiny.

Sunday May 30, 2021

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Sunday May 30, 2021

Sunday May 30, 2021

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Kaieteur News

==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==

Sherwood Lowe puts me in the category and legacy of Walter Rodney

I

hardly reply to people like Sherwood Lowe whose political perspectives I have nothing but contempt for. Lowe is a PNC ideologue with large overtones of ethnically driven sociological views.

I read his support for the APNU+AFC’s refusal to constitutionally honour the noconfidence vote (NCV) in a letter in the newspapers.

I replied with a column of Friday August 30, 2019, captioned, “We have an obligation to Guyanese to provide the other side.”

I wrote about Lowe’s politics back then in that piece saying that it was, “A dangerous, nauseating and propagandistic interpretation by a university lecturer on the NCM.” Lowe had the temerity to state in that letter that the Guyanese people saw the NCV as a betrayal. He didn’t express the same feeling when the PNC engineered a no-confidence motion in 2010 to topple the Ramotar presidency. Please consult the column for more of my disgust on Lowe’s politics.

I remember he wrote a letter to the Stabroek News during the 2020 election campaign requesting the newspaper to drop Ralph Ramkarran as a columnist because he is a politician contesting the election.

He deliberately chose to ignore that Moses Nagamootoo was doing a column at the same time in the Guyana Chronicle. I decided not to reply after Stabroek

News penned an editorial note stating the paper had no intention of removing Ramkarran’s column.

Yesterday I was in the National Park with my dog and this gentleman that I knew from UG years ago, came out of his car and told me if I saw a few people praising Lowe in the newspapers.

I told him I didn’t but the world has and will always have fools who are enemies of freedom and I refuse to be bothered with those people.

Then this gentleman informed me of something that I never knew.

I opened my mouth in disbelief.

I did not know Lowe wrote a disparaging letter on me during the March 2020 election campaign.

That was a busy time for me and like all humans, you miss a few things you shouldn’t.I went and researched Lowe’s letter based on the timeline I was given by the gentleman.

It is titled, “Personal bitterness has driven these comments,” SN, February 25, 2020.

Lowe contends that the criticisms by me and Christopher Ram against the APNU+AFC administration was because we were bitter we didn’t get particular things we wanted from the APNU+AFC regime.

Here is what Lowe wrote about me, “For Kissoon, that instant came when he suspected that the government most likely believed that placing him anywhere near his beloved UG would be an act of destruction.”

If the government of the PNC, WPA and the AFC felt that way, they are the most idiotic politicians in the world with tiny brains, infinitesimal minds and zero morality.

Political parties win elections out of the electorate’s expectation that they will right egregious wrongs done to individuals and organisations by previous regimes.

Two of Guyana’s most brilliant lawyers researched my dismissal from UG for the Ombudsman and ruled it was illegal.

The new government had a deep, moral obligation to either compensate me or have my contract termination deemed illegal so I could have resumed my professional career.

It would be morbid dishonesty for me to say that after 2015 I didn’t want to go back to UG. I loved teaching philosophy.

I think young students’ lives will forever be changed if they study the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche, Aristotle, Michel Foucault, etc. Between 2015 and 2020, I never asked any government minister to get me back at UG. I never raised the issue, never did.

Lowe was an unpublicised consultant to the PNC during the election campaign, so he knew what he was talking about when he said my presence at UG after 2015 would have been viewed by APNU+AFC as destructive.

Here is what Hamilton Green said to me about Walter Rodney at UG, “Why would you want someone like Rodney in of all places at the university.” See my column of Monday October 16, 2017, “Explosive Interview

with Hamilton Green.”

I taught for 26 years at UG. My tenure included 20 years of PPP government and in that time, the PNC and AFC never thought of me as a destructive force on campus. When I was removed, the PNC and AFC picketed for me during two weeks of demonstration on campus. Mr. Granger met with the leaders of Operation Rescue UG that staged the protest.

I was present. Granger phoned me to express his soli-

Frederick Kissoon darity. I didn’t know he thought so negatively about my presence at UG. Thanks Mr. Lowe for informing me.

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

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Sunday May 30, 2021

Kaieteur News

Coronavirus: Avoiding these ‘4Ds’ will help you avoid COVID-19

By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt Medical Center Data is now emerging to help us to zone in on hotspots for COVID-19 transmission so that we may be able to manoeuvre around them and sustain our livelihoods.

The most convincing data thus far are from two studies which showed high transmission rates of the virus indoors and very limited transmission in the outdoor setting where free flowing air

dispersed virus particles quickly. The first study was carried out in Denmark where 3,030 participants were studied while the other study was done among 1,848 U.S Marine recruits in South Carolina. Experts concluded from these studies that COVID-19 transmission were predominantly indoors and even occurred in those that were wearing standard surgical/cloth masks.

They found that the ‘4Ds’ were the main risk factors that predicted COVID-19

transmission in the indoor setting. Today, I will expand on the 4Ds and why you should avoid such settings if you want to avoid COVID-19.

Density Density meaning the number of people in a room was a major factor in predicting COVID-19 spread.

The basic idea was that the more persons you have in a closed space, the likelier COVID-19 would spread if one or more person had the infection. Viral particles will be expelled from the infected

person’s mouth and nostrils and will “hang around” in the air longer because of poor air circulation in a closed space.

With everyone breathing, the odds become higher of breathing in air with viral particles given the limited air to person ratio.

Duration The longer one spends in a closed space with someone who is infected, the likelier they will become infected even if they are wearing standard surgical/cloth masks. An infected person in a closed space will expel more viral particles into the air every time they breathe, sneeze, cough or speak. It is obvious that the longer someone spends in such an environment, the higher the chance of them being exposed to expelled viral particles because they will be exposed to a higher concentration with time. Also, think about being in a room where the virus is moving around; the longer you spend in that room, the likelier the chances of you coming into contact with it as it moves around.

Dimensions The smaller the

dimensions of a closed space the higher the chance of getting infected. As an infected person expels virus particles into the air, it will disperse faster once there is sufficient space for it to move into. However, in smaller spaces, the virus particles become stagnated and will circulate in that space for some amount of time. It is therefore obvious that one’s chances of coming into contact with viral particles will be higher when they are in a smaller, closed space.

Draft In closed spaces where there is limited entry of fresh air and poor airflow speed, chances of COVID-19 transmission become higher.

When viral particles get expelled into the air, they will remain floating for a while if the air is stagnant.

However, if there is free flow of fresh air or air is mechanically propelled by fans, the viral particles will quickly disperse and not float around and infect persons that come into contact with it.

Offices, Restaurants, homes, Bars, Gyms, Cinemas, etc., are example of closed

Dr. Zulfikar Bux spaces where the risk of transmission will be higher.

Therefore, it is obvious that we should minimise our presence with others in these and other indoor spaces as much as possible. If we have no choice, then ensure that these spaces are large, with minimal occupation and have free flowing air and we should minimise the time we spend in them when possible.

While infections still occur with standard mask use in these spaces, it is far less and masks will help minimise severe infection risk by decreasing the amount of virus that gets into you. So, we should continue to practice mask wearing but change our lifestyle to ensure we avoid the 4Ds as much as we can, and carry out our exposures with others in the outdoor setting as much as possible.

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 30, 2021

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>>> ENCOURAGING EVENTS, DISTURBING DEVELOPMENTS <<<

Diaspora, Ponzi scheme and Kidney Foundation

By GHK Lall

I

consider the outreach to the diaspora an interesting development, which can be encouraging, if it results in what is being trumpeted. I am cautious, since diaspora programmes, from government to government; seem to be no more than some campaigning trick like manifestoes, or presidential inaugural speeches about clean governance and unity.

If some overseas-based Guyanese had waited on government, the odds are, they would still be waiting somewhere out there, with their hopes and frustrations, their disappointments

and disgusts.

But with oil in the mix today, I think that a wellconceived diaspora programme can be a game changer here.

Skills, finances, track records could all make a significant difference locally.

To those, I would add the priceless benefits of those who were exposed to a different way of life, operating under different conditions and succeeding on their own, and without a government sponsor or handout.

In other words, people who are confident and take no nonsense from anyone, be he or she a president, a viceroy (of a certain kind), or any preening sycophant in the government's inner circle. To make it utterly clear: they are no beggars coming from the outside looking for alms from the state.

For sure, this government is not going to be comfortable with that, but if the returning members of the diaspora are only about grabbing

and bootlicking, then this place would only be the worse for their arrival. On another note, any programme from any government with this one especially in mind must be comprehensive. It must not screen and weed out those considered 'undesirables.'

To be frank, there are going to be interested PNC stalwarts in the diaspora, who would want to participate in any government vision for Guyanese exiles. They must not be excluded; or be made to meet different requirements, made to dance endlessly, pushed around.

For whatever the government has in mind for the diaspora, it must be inclusive and comprehensive. It would be encouraging to observe such.

In the next pen stroke, I am compelled to visit this tiring saga of the Ponzi scheme played out on Guyana's stage. It is disturbing that the chains around the necks of thousands of dejected Guyanese investors are being yanked this way and that, with one cruel trick after another played upon them. It is

clear that, no matter the oaths taken, the loud promises made, these investors are sent rushing from corner to corner, as their cages are being rattled, with one shabby development following on the heels of the other. As much as I regret having to be the bearer of bad – really bad – news, I sense that these shortchanged and abused Guyanese investors will be lucky if they get any money back anytime soon.

What is disturbing is that I can detect very clearly that a clever game is being played. They are being setup with some rosy words about repayment, but with those making the promises knowing all along that there is nothing to backup those commitments.

It is all smoke and mirrors to buy time, and to make arrangements to dodge obligations.

The only way that I will believe in the sincerity of what is committed to, in terms of repayment, is when I learn that investors have gotten something back for their pains.

Some may get something small -

some fraction - of what is owed; and once that happens, they can kiss the rest goodbye. And, by the way, I think that those responsible will get away with their delaying tactics, which I interpret to be nothing less than full-blown trickeries.

There was the encouraging from the Kidney Foundation of Guyana (KFG) aiming at raising the level of national awareness about Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Many sufferers, and those still not knowing or admitting, could use such timely education.

What constitutes healthy nutrition, risk factors, warning signs, and helpful lifestyles, are essentials that can be beneficial to many Guyanese, some of whom still harbour antiquated ideas about sickness. I applaud the efforts of the KFG, and would be even more encouraged should Guyanese take the messages to heart.

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

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Kaieteur News

Sunday May 30, 2021

Sunday May 30, 2021 Daniel Idal, the young entrepreneur behind 'Idal Artistry'

Kaieteur News

< < < e ov M e th on r u ne re ep tr En ng u Yo >>>

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' y r t s i t r A ‘Idal y h p a r g o t r ideal pho

- fo

By Allyiah Allicock

“

Photography is like my escape, it's where I can be myself and just create my art, where I can do things my way and make my ideas become a reality.”

Those are the words of Daniel Anthony Idal, a young photographer who uses his camera to show the world the breathtaking beauty of nature.

Like many others, amid the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Idal took a chance and turned his creative skills into a business venture, which, according to him, has not only been a great impact to his life but an inspiration to others.

This 21-year-old, on February 1 of this year, officially launched his business called 'Idal Artistry,' which showcases a range of landscapes and portrait photography.

But where did it all begin for him? What led him to pursue his passion in photography? In an exclusive interview with Kaieteur News, this young entrepreneur revealed that it all started back in 2016, while he was touring the interior lands of our country. There he was part of a church group called 'Nulli Secundus' which travelled to the hinterland Regions. It was the vast beauty of Guyana's nature and being able to experience that first-hand that captured his attention and led him to pick up a camera in the first place. His liking for adventure and h a v i n g t h e opportunity to travel

and see so much beauty that the country has to offer, were the factors that inspired this 'go-getter' to chase his dreams.

Idal, a self-taught photographer, said that it was the many YouTube videos he watched that helped him to develop the skills he has today.

“Everything I know about using a camera, the composition of subjects, I learn all on the internet,” he shared. In approaching the business part of his work, he said that it was the knowledge he grasped while attending the Morgan Learning Centre that prepared him for the different aspects of a business.

A few months after kick starting his business, Idal's support base for his business has been tremendous.

The way his work stands-out with their naturalistic feature really helped to gain him a good following on his social media platforms.

He said that the numerous posts he made on his Instagram and TikTok pages resulted in several persons booking him for various photo shoots. This, he said,

helped him even more and brought about new ideas.

Like many others similarly inclined, Idal was faced with challenges. For him it was not being able to get many persons to recognise his work. The pandemic, he said, was a contributing factor.

This shortcoming, he said, has had a major negative on his business since certain locations that he uses for his environmental shoots are closed.

But all is not lost. Idal revealed that he is able to spend even more time learning new skills and techniques that will better his craft.

Recently he has been focusing a great deal on portrait photography.

When asked what he has planned moving forward, Idal said that his ultimate goal is to become an adventure photographer and filmmaker.

Speaking about young people who are in business and the responsibility they have in society, he noted that “young entrepreneurs are the future; becoming young business owners, becoming more

it's not all about the financial aspect but it's about creating and building each other up.

“I've seen so many photographers shoot one way and not think outside of the box when I

Young entrepreneurs are the future; becoming young business owners, becoming more independent in various areas help build the economy.

We are thinkers and doers and we take more chances.

“

”

independent in various areas helps build the economy. We are thinkers and doers and we take more chances.”

A major advocate for collaboration among young entrepreneurs, Idal explained that

know they have the capacity to do so,” he added.

Persons who wish to utilise Idal's creative service can contact him on telephone number 592-6424448 or message him via Instagram @idal-artistry.

Some of his outstanding work done over the past few months.

g ts in s... re ture e t In rea C

F

Flea

Kaieteur News

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The

leas are wingless insects, 1.5 to 3.3 millimetres (1/16 to 1/8 inch) long, that are agile, usually dark coloured (for example, the reddishbrown of the cat flea), with a proboscis, or stylet, adapted to feeding by piercing the skin and sucking their host's blood through their epipharynx. Flea legs end in strong claws that are adapted to grasp a host.

Unlike other insects, fleas do not possess compound eyes but instead only have simple eyespots with a single biconvex lens; some species lack eyes a l t o g e t h e r . https://en.wikipedia.org/wik i/Flea - cite_note-2 Their bodies are laterally compressed, permitting easy movement through the hairs or feathers on the host's body.

The flea body is covered with hard plates called sclerites. These sclerites are covered with many hairs and short spines directed backward, which also assist its movements on the host.

The tough body is able to withstand great pressure, likely an adaptation to survive attempts to eliminate them by scratching.

Fleas lay tiny, white, oval

eggs. The larvae are small and pale, have bristles covering their worm-like bodies, lack eyes and have mouth parts adapted to chewing. The larvae feed on organic matter, especially the feces of mature fleas, which contain dried blood.

Adults feed only on fresh blood.

Jumping Their legs are long, the hind pair well adapted for jumping; a flea can jump vertically up to 18 cm (7 in) and horizontally up to 33 cm (13 in), making the flea one of the best jumpers of all known animals (relative to body size), second only to the froghopper.

The flea jump is so rapid and forceful that it exceeds the capabilities of muscle and instead of relying on direct muscle power, fleas store muscle energy in a pad of the elastic protein named resilin before releasing it rapidly (like a human using a bow and arrow).

Immediately before the jump, muscles contract and deform the resilin pad, slowly storing energy, which can then be released extremely rapidly to power leg extension for propulsion.

Sunday May 30, 2021

To prevent premature release of energy or motions of the leg, the flea employs a "catch mechanism." Early in the jump, the tendon of the primary jumping muscle passes slightly behind the coxa-trochanter joint, generating a torque, which holds the joint closed with the leg close to the body.

To trigger jumping, another muscle pulls the tendon forward until it passes the joint axis, generating the opposite torque to extend the leg and power the jump by release of stored energy. The actual take off has been shown by high-speed video to be from the tibiae and tarsi rather than from the trochantera (knees).

Life cycle and development F l e a s a r e holometabolous insects, going through the fourlifecycle stages of egg, larva, pupa and imago (adult). In most species, neither female nor male fleas are fully mature when they first emerge but must feed on blood before they become capable of reproduction. The first blood meal triggers the maturation of the ovaries in

with local environmental factors and climatic conditions. Flea populations consist of roughly 50 percent eggs, 35 percent larvae, 10 percent pupae and 5 percent adults. females and the dissolution of the testicular plug in males and copulation soon follows. Some species breed all year round while others synchronise their activities with their hosts' life cycles or

Direct effects of bites In many species, fleas are principally a nuisance to their hosts, causing an itching sensation, which in

turn causes the host to try to remove the pest by biting, pecking or scratching. Fleas are not simply a source of annoyance, however.

Flea bites cause a slightly raised, swollen, irritating nodule to form on the epidermis at the site of each bite, with a single puncture point at the center, like a mosquito bite.

This can lead to an eczematous itchy skin disease called flea allergy dermatitis, which is common in many host species, including dogs and cats. The bites often appear in clusters (continued on page 49)

Sunday May 30, 2021

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Kaieteur News

10 Proven Health Benefits of Turmeric and Curcumin Turmeric is the spice that gives curry its yellow color.

It has been used in India for thousands of years as a spice and medicinal herb.

Recently, science has started to back up what Indians have known for a long time — it really does contain compounds with medicinal properties.

These compounds are called curcuminoids, the most important of which is curcumin.

Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. It has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant.

However, the curcumin content of turmeric is not that high. It’s around 3%, by weight.

Most of the studies on this herb are using turmeric extracts that contain mostly curcumin itself, with dosages usually exceeding 1 gram per day.

It would be very difficult to reach these levels just using the turmeric spice in your foods.

Therefore, if you want to experience the full effects, you need to take a supplement that contains significant amounts of curcumin.

Unfortunately, curcumin is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream. It helps to consume black pepper with it, which contains piperine, a natural substance that enhances the absorption of curcumin by 2,000%.

The best curcumin supplements contain piperine, substantially increasing their effectiveness.

Curcumin is also fat soluble, so it may be a good idea to take it with a fatty meal.

SUMMARY Turmeric contains curcumin, a substance with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Most studies used turmeric extracts that are standardized to include large amounts of curcumin.

2. Curcumin Is a Natural Anti-Inflammatory Compound Inflammation is incredibly important.

It helps your body fight foreign invaders and also has a role in repairing damage.

Without inflammation, pathogens like bacteria could easily take over your body and kill you.

Although acute, shortterm inflammation is beneficial, it can become a major problem when it becomes chronic and inappropriately attacks your body’s own tissues.

Scientists now believe that chronic, low-level inflammation plays a major role in

almost every chronic, Western disease. This includes heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer’s and various degenerative conditions.

Therefore, anything that can help fight chronic inflammation is of potential importance in preventing and even treating these diseases.

Curcumin is strongly antiinflammatory. In fact, it’s so powerful that it matches the effectiveness of some antiinflammatory drugs, without the side effects.

It blocks NF-kB, a molecule that travels into the nuclei of your cells and turns on genes related to inflammation.

NF-kB is believed to play a major role in many chronic diseases.

Without getting into the details (inflammation is extremely complicated), the key takeaway is that curcumin is a bioactive substance that fights inflammation at the molecular level.

SUMMARY Chronic inflammation contributes to many common Western diseases. Curcumin can suppress many molecules known to play major roles in inflammation.

3. Turmeric Dramatically Increases the Antioxidant Capacity of the Body Oxidative damage is believed to be one of the mechanisms behind aging and many diseases.

It involves free radicals, highly reactive molecules with unpaired electrons.

Free radicals tend to react with important organic substances, such as fatty acids, proteins or DNA. The main reason antioxidants are so beneficial is that they protect your body from free radicals.Curcumin is a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals due to its chemical structure.

In addition, curcumin boosts the activity of your body’s own antioxidant enzymes.In that way, curcumin delivers a one-two punch against free radicals. It blocks them directly, then stimulates your body’s own antioxidant defenses.

SUMMARY Curcumin has powerful antioxidant effects. It neutralizes free radicals on its own but also stimulates your body’s own antioxidant enzymes.

4. Curcumin Boosts Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Linked to Improved Brain Function and a Lower Risk of Brain Diseases Back in the day, it was believed that neurons weren’t able to divide and multiply after early childhood.

However, it’s now known

that this does happen.

Neurons are capable of forming new connections, but in certain areas of the brain they can also multiply and increase in number.

One of the main drivers of this process is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is a type of growth hormone that functions in your brain.

Many common brain disorders have been linked to

involves an inability of your endothelium to regulate blood pressure, blood clotting and various other factors.

Several studies suggest that curcumin leads to improvements in endothelial function. One study found that it’s as effective as exercise while another shows that it works as well as the drug Atorvastatin.

In addition, curcumin reduces inflammation and oxi-

decreased levels of this hormone, including depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

Interestingly, curcumin can increase brain levels of BDNF. By doing this, it may be effective in delaying or even reversing many brain diseases and age-related decreases in brain function.

It may also improve memory and make you smarter, which seems logical given its effects on BDNF levels. However, controlled studies in people are needed to confirm this.

SUMMARY Curcumin boosts levels of the brain hormone BDNF, which increases the growth of new neurons and fights various degenerative processes in your brain.

dation (as discussed above), which play a role in heart disease as well.

One study randomly assigned 121 people, who were undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery, either a placebo or 4 grams of curcumin per day, a few days before and after the surgery.

The curcumin group had a 65% decreased risk of experiencing a heart attack in the hospital.

SUMMARY Curcumin has beneficial effects on several factors known to play a role in heart disease. It improves the function of the endothelium and is a potent anti-inflammatory agent and antioxidant.

6. Turmeric Can Help Prevent (And Perhaps Even Treat) Cancer Cancer is a terrible disease, characterized by uncontrolled cell growth.

There are many different forms of cancer, which still have several things in common. Some of them appear to be affected by curcumin supplements.

Curcumin has been studied as a beneficial herb in cancer treatment and been found to affect cancer growth, development and spread at the molecular level.

Studies have shown that it can contribute to the death of cancerous cells and reduce angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels in tumors) and metastasis (spread of cancer).

Multiple studies indicate that curcumin can reduce the growth of cancerous cells in the laboratory and inhibit the

5. Curcumin Should Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease Heart disease is the number 1 cause of death in the world.

Researchers have studied it for many decades and learned a lot about why it happens.Unsurprisingly, heart disease is incredibly complicated and various things contribute to it.

Curcumin may help reverse many steps in the heart disease process.

Perhaps the main benefit of curcumin when it comes to heart disease is improving the function of the endothelium, which is the lining of your blood vessels.

It’s well known that endothelial dysfunction is a major driver of heart disease and

growth of tumors in test animals.

Whether high-dose curcumin (preferably with an absorption enhancer like piperine) can help treat cancer in humans has yet to be studied properly.

However, there is evidence that it may prevent cancer from occurring in the first place, especially cancers of the digestive system like colorectal cancer.

In a 30-day study in 44 men with lesions in the colon that sometimes turn cancerous, 4 grams of curcumin per day reduced the number of lesions by 40%.

Maybe curcumin will be used along with conventional cancer treatment one day. It’s too early to say for sure, but it looks promising and is being intensively studied.

SUMMARY Curcumin leads to several changes on the molecular level that may help prevent and perhaps even treat cancer.

7. Curcumin May Be Useful in Preventing and Treating Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the world and a leading cause of dementia.Unfortunately, no good treatment is available for Alzheimer’s yet.

Therefore, preventing it from occurring in the first place is of utmost importance.

There may be good news on the horizon because curcumin has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier.

It’s known that inflammation and oxidative damage play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, and curcumin has beneficial effects on both.

In addition, a key feature of Alzheimer’s disease is a buildup of protein tangles called amyloid plaques. Studies show that curcumin can help clear these plaques.

Whether curcumin can really slow down or even reverse the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in people is currently unknown and needs to be studied properly.

SUMMARY Curcumin can cross the blood-brain barrier and has been shown to lead to various improvements in the pathological process of Alzheimer’s disease.

8. Arthritis Patients Respond Very Well to Curcumin Supplements Arthritis is a common problem in Western countries.

There are several different types, most of which involve inflammation in the joints.

Given that curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory compound, it makes sense that it may help with arthritis.

Several studies show this to be true.

In a study in people with rheumatoid arthritis, curcumin was even more effective than an anti-inflammatory drug.

Many other studies have looked at the effects of curcumin on arthritis and noted improvements in various symptoms.

SUMMARY Arthritis is a common disorder characterized by joint inflammation. Many studies show that curcumin can help treat symptoms of arthritis and is in some cases more effective than anti-inflammatory drugs.

9. Studies Show That Curcumin Has Incredible Benefits Against Depression Curcumin has shown some promise in treating depression.

In a controlled trial, 60 people with depression were randomized into three groups.

One group took Prozac, another group one gram of curcumin and the third group both Prozac and curcumin.

After 6 weeks, curcumin had led to improvements that were similar to Prozac. The group that took both Prozac and curcumin fared best.

According to this small study, curcumin is as effective as an antidepressant.

Depression is also linked to reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and a shrinking hippocampus, a brain area with a role in learning and memory.

Curcumin boosts BDNF levels, potentially reversing some of these changes.

There is also some evidence that curcumin can boost the brain neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine.

SUMMARY A study in 60 people with depression showed that curcumin was as effective as Prozac in alleviating symptoms of the condition.

10. Curcumin May Help Delay Aging and Fight AgeRelated Chronic Diseases If curcumin can really help prevent heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s, it would have obvious benefits for longevity.

For this reason, curcumin has become very popular as an anti-aging supplement .

But given that oxidation and inflammation are believed to play a role in aging, curcumin may have effects that go way beyond just preventing disease.

SUMMARY Due to its many positive health effects, such as the potential to prevent heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer, curcumin may aid longevity.

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FRIENDS IS THE BETTER SHOW - ALYSSA RAY It’s safe to say I found my lobster in Friends. The beloved sitcom, which aired on NBC between 1994 and 2004, was a cultural phenomenon.

Case in point: Over 52 million viewers tuned in for its final episode. Why? Because Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer felt like our actual, well, friends.

For 10 years, the cast and crew built a world where BFFs could fall in love, a waitress could afford a fabulous twobedroom apartment and a nobody from Queens could achieve his Soap star dream.

Not only was the tone optimistic and inspirational, but the story about 20- and 30somethings trying to find themselves was wildly relatable. Yes, anything was possible on Friends, but the characters had to work for it.

Rachel Green (Aniston) wasn’t just handed her dream job in fashion. The runaway bride first learned how to stand on her two feet by working in a café. Over time, Rachel landed jobs more centered around her interests and eventually found herself being offered a killer position in Paris.Now let’s take a moment to talk about Ross (Schwimmer). Although Ross prided himself on his intellect and pragmatism, the proud paleontologist was actually a romantic at heart. And, like many of us in our young adult years, Ross jumped from relationship to relationship.

(Though, I’ve yet to find myself divorced three times.)

Still, Ross’ unwavering dedication to find his lobster made us root for him when he professed his love to Rachel in the final episode.

And, no offense to How I Met Your Mother, but they totally copied this will-theyor-won’t-they formula when it came to Robin (Cobie Smulders) and Ted (Josh

Radnor). Furthermore, unlike Ted, Ross’ whole identity wasn’t wrapped up on whether he was in a relationship. He was a proud father, academic and more.

As for Chandler (Perry), he routinely offered up a sarcastic comment, but, in actuality, he was just hopeless, and awkward, and desperate

but he was, in reality, a pretty problematic character.

The best part about Friends is that was an ensemble show where each character played an important part to the overall story. We mean, there’s a reason why people around the world identify as “a Monica,” “a Phoebe,” etc.

And, after 100 billion

If you want to talk about the perfect sitcom (Frasier) or even a better TV rom-com series, Friends isn’t in the conversation. Rather, it’s HIMYM that kept me most engaged in trying to decipher who Ted Mosby was eventually going to fall for. The comfort of knowing that he did end up with someone was the guid-

for love like the rest of us. So, we felt fulfilled when he found his other half in best friend Monica (Cox). Oftentimes, HIMYM couple Lily (Alyson Hannigan) and Marshall (Jason Segel) are compared to Friends’ Monica and Chandler, and we don’t feel that’s an accurate analogy. Specifically, Lily and Marshall met and fell in love in college. So, later in life, they found themselves struggling in their relationship before committing to forever.

Chandler and Monica on the other hand, they were best friends turned lovers turned soulmates. They truly knew each other before getting married, and really meant it when they said for better or worse.Then there was Joey (LeBlanc) and Phoebe (Kudrow), who brought much of the light and humor to the series. HIMYM tried to offer up something similar with Barney (Neil Patrick Harris),

streams across platforms, it’s abundantly clear that people have resonated with the stories on Friends. So, how could any other show compare?

by Taboola How I Met Your Mother Is the Better Show Samantha Bergeson OK, don’t freak out, folks, but I’m going to just say it: How I Met Your Mother is a superior show to Friends.

Granted, HIMYM probably wouldn’t exist without Friends’ fame but dear God can we stop pretending Friends was the gold standard of TV? The highly-anticipated Friends reunion only further proved that the series’ magic wasn’t in its writing, love triangles or head-scratching plot points: It was simply due to the natural chemistry and offscreen friendship of its core cast. Does that make a show? No, no it doesn’t.

ing beacon throughout the series.

Unlike Friends’ Ross who had a slew of ex-wives and a decades-long crush on his childhood sweetheart, Ted was just like the rest of us: Out in the wild, looking for someone to connect and hopefully grow old with.

Ted had a certain desperation that was more endearing

Is Friends Better Than How I Met Your Mother? Let’s Debate Friends vs. How I Met Your Mother: Which is the superior show?

On Thursday, May 27, HBO Max released the highly-anticipated Friends reunion, which made us all nostalgic for the many sitcoms of the ’90s and ’00s.

While Friends wasn’t the only show to dominate the era, airing alongside Frasier, Will & Grace and Seinfeld, it’s certainly had a lasting legacy. Of course, with all the excitement surrounding the reunion, we found ourselves thinking about the sitcom’s successor.

No, not Joey. Sorry.

We’re, of course, talking about How I Met Your Mother.

Over a year after the beloved NBC series went off the air, CBS debuted a new sitcom that featured a different ensemble cast bopping around New York City in their twenties creating many quotable moments Many were quick to dub the show the “new Friends,” as the parallels between the two were undeniable. However, did HIMYM eventually surpass Friends in storytelling and character de-

velopment?

While devoted Friends fans would argue that the David Crane and Marta Kauffman-created series gave HIMYM the formula to be successful, HIMYM fans would counter that the Carter Bays and Craig Thomas-created series’ unique storytelling style actually made it a hit.

So, we here at E! News felt it was only right that we add our two cents into the mix and share two very different stances on the Friends vs.

How I Met Your Mother debate.

than Ross’ annoyingly neurotic nature; the character of Ted felt like a natural evolution of the lonely and sometimes cringey man-child that you were most likely to encounter in the early 2000s.

HIMYM also had the excitement of not knowing what to expect.

While others may nostalgically idolize watching Ross and Rachel get together, break up and ultimately find their way back to one another, the clues of whose yellow umbrella Ted kept seeing and where he might have brushed past his anonymous soulmate added a mystery element to what could have been a mindless sitcom.A revolving door of crushes and lovers for Ted gave the series a fresh twist almost every episode and felt more realistic than a very insular group of Friends. Come on, we know they’d be cliquey in real life.

Speaking of friend groups, it was the supporting characters of HIMYM that also bolstered the series with an array of uniquely realistic situations. Lily and Marshall challenged viewers to witness the honest ins and outs of a married couple’s love life, struggle to conceive and Lily later trying to find herself— and her purpose—outside of the role of wife and mother.

Did we get to see that level of

depth on Friends? Not a chance.

by Taboola

Robin was a career-focused, cigar-smoking broadcast reporter that dated Ted on and off before marrying bachelor party boy Barney.

While Ted and Robin’s “Ross and Rachel” parallel was forced, Robin’s personal struggles made her far more intriguing than Rachel. Her destructive relationship with Barney and realization that she can’t have children (spoiler, she’s not the future biological mother of Ted’s two kids), made Robin the most heartbreaking aspect of the series. While Ted eventually weds a near-widowed Tracy (Cristin Milioti) in a divisive series finale, it seems clear Robin is not Ted’s grand soulmate—but she just might have been the love of his life.

There is also a reason why HIMYM can be rebooted starring the lovable Hilary Duff. Friends never will be— or should be. HIMYM is the relatable story of a person living in the big city, looking for love in seemingly all the wrong places and eventually telling their children how they met their spouse. It’s beautiful, it’s simple and it’s universal. And that’s why HIMYM is truly the more legend-wait for it-dary show once and for all.

Eristoff Vodka is easily one of the world’s most premium vodka’s Eristoff Vodka (air-wristoff) originated from Georgia and was first created for Prince Eristavi of Duchy of Racha in 1806.

Made from 100% grain spirit, Eristoff vodka is triple distilled and then charcoal filtered, a technique first established in 18th century Russia.

The Eristoff logo of a wolf howling at a crescent moon represents the Persian name for Georgia, Gorjestan, meaning “land of the wolf”. Today, Georgia is still home to the grey wolf, which for hundreds of years has been a part of Georgian culture and folklore.

The original Georgian version of the Russian name Eristoff or Eristov was Eristavi (-). The title means ‘head of the nation’ but translates more accurately as ‘head of a military force’. By the 19th century, five noble families each representing a different part of Georgia were using the name Eristhavi. Prince Ivane Eristoff who first created Eristoff vodka in 1806 was from the northwest province of Racha.

A landmark in the history of the Eristoff family and Eristoff vodka came in the late 19th century when Ivane’s

great grandson, Prince Alexander Constantine Eristoff moved from Georgia to Saint Petersburg. Prince Alexander went on to enjoy a distinguished military career eventually reaching the rank of Colonel in the Imperial Guard. Cataloged as one of the best vodkas manufactured by the traditional method of Tsar Nicolas, the oldest vodka produced in the world and in Russia, the production company resists its product being mass-marketed, making it a difficult product. acquisition.

After the Soviet takeover the Eristovs were forced to leave Georgia, as they were likely to be sent to Siberia.

One Eristavi from America serves as the new Jersey state treasurer.

The Eristoff flagship (unflavored) vodka has performed well in recent spirit ratings competitions. The Beverage Testing Institute, for example, gave Eristoff scores of 90-94 in the years between 2011 and 2014. As of September 2014, Proof66 listed Eristoff among its Top 20 vodkas.

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False pretense, fraudulent conversion and falsification of accounts matters The Court Journal

By Renay Sambach

F

raud is the wrongful or c r i m i n a l deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.

Fraud-related matters are serious offences and carry jail time.

In this article, I will highlight some common fraud charges, penalties and some related court matters.

According to the Criminal Law Offence Act, there are multiple types of fraud charges that indicate the depth of the offence. Those offences are false pretense, fraudulent conversion and falsification of accounts.

FALSE PRETENSE False pretense is one of the most prevalent fraud offences. The law outlines, “Everyone who, by any false pretense, obtains from any other person any chattel, money, or valuable security, with intent to defraud, shall be guilty of a misdemeanour and liable to imprisonment for three years: provided that if, on the trial of any person indicted for that misdemeanour, it is proved that he obtained the property in question in any manner amounting in law to larceny, he shall not by reason thereof be entitled to be acquitted of the misdemeanour, and no one tried for the misdemeanour shall be liable to be afterward prosecuted for larceny upon the same facts.”

One recent reported matter of someone who was charged for obtaining money under false pretense is that of former policeman, Paul Watson, of Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo.

He, according to reports, obtained $420,000 under the pretense that he was in a position to obtain a firearm licence for an individual.

According to a police r e p o r t , Wa t s o n w a s previously charged for a matter of similar nature.

Moreover, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has since appealed to persons who may have been defrauded by Wa t s o n u n d e r s i m i l a r circumstances to report the matter to the nearest police station.

Another matter is that of the Greenwich Park, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) pharmacist who was charged during September 2016, for obtaining money by false pretense.

It was reported that Arnold Gajraj of Lot 7 Greenwich Park, East Bank Essequibo, obtained

$750,000 from Hemchand John by pretending that he was in a position to have John’s relatives, Hempersaud John and Chitra John, released from police custody in the United States.

The relatives were reportedly caught with a stolen computer and other items.

The arrangement was for John to pay Gajraj some $1.5 million to have his relatives released from custody. As such, John had handed over $750,000 to Gajraj but later realised that he had been tricked.

FRAUDULENT CONVERSION Fraudulent Conversion is the action of taking into possession another man’s money or property and converting or using it fraudulently for one’s own use and benefit.

For the past several months, 24-year-old Micah Sonaram, of Lot 2273 Flying Fish Street, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, appeared in court on multiple occasions before different Magistrates after he was charged with F R A U D U L E N T CONVERSION. According to reports, Sonaram is facing multiple charges that are similar in nature. He reportedly defrauded several persons using his social media business page, Parts Zone Gy, which advertises that he ships parts and machinery.

His most recent charge alleges that on November 4, 2020, at North Road, Georgetown, while being solely entrusted with $7 million by Steve De Costa to purchase and deliver one excavator, he fraudulently converted the money to his own use and benefit.

Prior to that, he was slapped with two fraud charges, which alleges that he defrauded persons of over $11 million. Additionally, during December 2020, he was charged for defrauding a businessman of $4.5 million and in 2017, he was charged for defrauding another man of over $5.8 million.

However, Sonaram was never convicted on any of his previous charges.

FALSIFICATION OF ACCOUNTS “Everyone who, being an officer, clerk or servant or being employed for the purpose or in the capacity of an officer, clerk or servant, willfully and with intent to defraud— (a) destroys, alters, mutilates, or falsifies any book, paper, writing,

Arnold Gajraj valuable security, document, or account belonging to or in the possession of his employer, or received by him for or on behalf of his employer; or (b) makes, or concurs in making, any false entry in, or omits or alters, or concurs in omitting or altering, any material particular from or in, any b o o k , p a p e r, w r i t i n g , valuable security, document, or account aforesaid, shall be guilty of a misdemeanour and liable to imprisonment for seven years,” this is according to the Criminal Law Offences Act. One of the most popular stories of falsification of accounts is that of Peter R a m c h a r r a n o f Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara, a former Accountant of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB). During February 2020, Ramcharran was found guilty of the offence and he was convicted for omitting $145M from the GRDB ledger.

Ramcharran was sentenced to three years imprisonment for one of the five falsifications of account charges.

His sentence was handed down by Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan. In handing down her ruling, the Magistrate underscored that she is of the view that Ramcharran intended to willfully deprive the entity of the monies with his unlawful action.

Ramcharran’s three-year conviction was one of the first major convictions for the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), an arm of the Guyana Police Force.

However, weeks after he was sentenced, his lawyer filed an appeal against the conviction and Ramcharran was released on $2M High Court bail.

Micah Sonaram According to reports, he was slapped with 39 fraudrelated charges. The charges that were levelled against him alleged that he fraudulently converted and misappropriated funds.

The offences, according to SOCU, took place between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2015, at the GRDB’s Lot 16-17 Cowan Street, Kingston, Georgetown headquarters.

Paul Watson.

Peter Ramcharran

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The Institute of Internal Auditors -Global - Its development and accomplishments

By John Seeram As is customarily each year, the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) – Global has set the month of May as International Internal Audit Awareness Month. Also, this year – 2021, the IIA is observing and celebrating its 80th year in existence.

The growth, accomplishments and history provide a unique backdrop for this thriving profession, which is now more requested, more valued and more recognised than ever. This is a wonderful opportunity to now proudly look back on the evolution of the IIA and internal auditing. It is time to also remember the aspirations of those pioneering founders who so steadfastly guided this profession throughout its infancy.

It was in September 1941 when two dozen internal audit thought leaders met at the Williams Club in New York City to begin with what would become the IIA. It should be mentioned that in 1941, many countries were engulfed in war in Europe and in the Asia Pacific region. It was virtually impossible that the men who had formed the Institute then could imagine their brainchild and the profession it serves would change in the ensuing eight decades.

The development of this profession required permanent Headquarters, and within a year – 1942 its Headquarters were acquired at 120 Liberty Street, New York, and this was a major achievement then.

Internal auditing was not really a profession unto itself at that time, it was in most cases an offshoot or subdivision of an organisation’s accounting department. Internal Auditors spent more of their time ensuring compliance with accounting and operational procedures and verifying the accuracy of departmental calculations of transactions rather than looking at potential risk factors, as an example.

In the 1970s, internal auditing was still a document – heavy endeavour. Auditors then did their work using physical paper spreadsheets.

Working papers would often be at least a foot thick if the audit was big enough. Drafts were still being written up in longhand and then forwarded to a Secretary for typing.

However, the technology that powers the profession was changing in the 70s but had not yet led to the paperless offices, common in internal audit departments today. Indeed, it would be another 10 years or so before the Institute would refer to

‘the era of electronic data processing.’

Notable accomplishments in the 1970s worthy of mention for the IIA are: the Headquarters had relocated from New York to Orlando, Florida in 1972, and a new building was acquired in 2001 in Altamonte Springs, Florida.

In 1974, the first Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) Exam was held at 41 locations and taken by 654 candidates.

Also in that year, the first IIA International Conference was held outside North America – in London, United Kingdom.

In 1976, the IIA Research Foundation was established and became very vibrant and active.

In 1978, the IIA issued its First Set of Standards for The Professional Practice of Internal Auditing.

In 1979, National Institute Status was approved for the United Kingdom, France, Israel and Italy.

Hence, these specific events and accomplishments set the tone for the IIA attaining global status.

Outside of the 1979s and worthy of mention are: in 1944, the IIA had published its first issue of the Internal Auditor Journal. Today this Bimonthly Journal contains high quality articles, which are properly researched and reference is made to best

practice of internal auditing globally, as they occur.

In 1968, the Code of Ethics was approved as a Standard for every member of the IIA. This Code of Ethics is to promote an ethical culture in the global profession of internal auditing. It describes the minimum requirements for conduct, and behavioural expectations rather than specific activities.

In 1999, the IIA released a New Definition of Internal Auditing, which states its fundamental purpose, nature and scope of internal auditors.

In 2000, New IIA Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing were revised and approved. They are principle focused, and provide a framework for performing and promoting internal auditing.

A major hallmark of the accomplishment of The IIA was in year 2009 when it published its International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF). This Framework contains: Mandatory Guidance, Definition of Internal Auditing, Code of Ethics, International Standards, Strongly Recommended Guidance, Position Papers, Practice Advisories and Practice Guides.

The IPPF is intended to

assist practitioners and stakeholders globally in being responsive to the expanding market for high quality internal auditing.

It strengthens the position of the IIA as a standard-setting body for this profession globally.

That being said, the major change in the internal audit profession from its inception in 1941 has been the role internal auditors are playing today in their organisations.

In essence, it is now a managerial approach. It is not about just checking internal controls. There is a new mindset of what the internal auditor’s function is, and what he or she can best contribute to their organisations.

The Institute must be credited with providing ethical leadership in turning internal auditing into a real profession. To the auditors, be a player and do it well. Do not just be ‘best’ or

‘excellent,’ be ‘outstanding.’

Be recognised by your management and peers, as leading in the development of professional internal audit services. There is that word again: ‘professional’ – a word that did not always apply to internal auditing.

The IIA in year 2021 after eight decades is to be seen by its members as operating as one global organisation, including not only the global IIA, but also all Chapters and Institute all over the world.

One major challenge in the coming years is to make sure that internal auditing is valued globally, and is recognised as a profession worldwide. It is an organisation focused on progress, yes, but specifically on ‘Progress through Sharing’ – sharing with others your knowledge, best practices, and passion for the internal audit profession.

In closing, after 80 years of existence, the IIA has

Mr. John Seeram accomplished its recognition as the global voice and advocate of this profession.

As for the Guyana Chapter, it has been/is benefitting immensely from the guidance of the IIA. Let’s all be proud of the remarkable progress made over its 80 years of existence in the development and practice of this profession, and to successfully continue along this treaded path in the forthcoming years.

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>>>GNBS IN FOCUS<<< The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) through its Legal Metrology Department has recently launched its verification of breathalysers service. As the institution responsible for measurements in Guyana, the GNBS has long been sought after by stakeholders to build capacity to provide this crucial service.

As a result, the Bureau recently procured a Breathalyser Test Bench, which is capable of verifying a wide range of breathalysers.

Additionally, Inspectors were trained by the supplier of the equipment and by the Measurement Institute of Argentina (INTI) to provide the verification service.

Like other measuring devices in use, breathalysers would require regular verification to ensure accuracy is maintained. On average, the verification process will take about two hours and a verification certificate would be provided to stakeholders for

each instrument verified which includes, the details relating to the verification of the breathalyser. A verification sticker also affixed to the instrument by the GNBS. Stakeholders desiring this service include, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) for law enforcement, since alcohol use is known to cause many road accidents in Guyana and numerous other countries. In addition, some companies and business organisations monitor employees’ alcohol level as an important safety measure to decrease the risk of accidents and other incidence in the workplace.

With the introduction of this new service by the GNBS, the Guyana Police Force would be one of the key beneficiaries. Once a verified instrument is correctly used by the GPF in its enforcement processes, the credibility of the test results would be established. These results will now be able to withstand scrutiny in a court of law during

Get illegal migrants vaccinated.

From page 20 information should be used only for the purpose of issuing a vaccination certificate and providing a date on which a second dose of the vaccine would occur.

Fourth, recognising that many, if not all, of the illegal migrants would have no official identity cards, a requirement could be that they provide two passport photographs, one of which could be attached to their certificate and the other kept in the records of health authorities to verify identities at the time

The Flea From page 34 or lines of two bites, and can remain itchy and inflamed for up to several weeks afterwards. Fleas can lead to secondary hair loss as a result of frequent scratching and biting by the animal. They can also cause anemia in extreme cases.

As a vector Fleas are vectors for viral, bacterial and rickettsial diseases of humans and other animals, as well as of protozoan and helminth parasites.

Bacterial diseases carried by fleas include murine or endemic typhus and bubonic plague. Fleas can transmit Rickettsia typhi, Rickettsia felis, Bartonella henselae, and the myxomatosis virus. They can carry Hymenolepiasis tapeworms and Trypanosome protozoans. The chigoe flea or jigger (Tunga penetrans) causes the disease tungiasis, a major public health problem around the world. Fleas that specialise as parasites on specific mammals may use other mammals as hosts; thus, cat and dog fleas may bite humans.

(Source: Wikipedia)

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of the second vaccine.

Munya Radzi, the head of Regularise, a UK based campaign to obtain rights for undocumented migrants, points out: “In my experience people do want to get the vaccine, people do want to be part of the solution to control the spread of the virus but it's the fear of what happens to me if I go to get this vaccine.” He adds: “Unless they get a strong assurance that their data won't be shared, they will not go.”

The adverse consequences of not vaccinating illegal migrants are great, both for curbing the spread of infections and for delaying the ability of countries to open their economies and get recovery going. Already, the UN says that “the decline in GDP and the expected increase in unemployment rates will raise the number of people living in poverty and extreme poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean by 45 and 28.5 million, respectively.”

Not vaccinating illegals as part of the population is not an option in these circumstances.

Every country in the world will have to face the problem, however reluctantly.

The Caribbean could lead the way globally.

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda's Ambassador to the United States and the Organisation of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own.)

Responses and previous c o m m e n t a r i e s : www.sirronaldsanders.com

GNBS launches new verification of breathalysers service the prosecution of offenders.

Additionally, drivers will be better assured that breathalyser tests administered to them satisfy the requisite requirements.

Just recently, the GNBS conducted training on the use of breathalysers and speed guns for a large number of Traffic Ranks across the country. During these sessions, ranks pointed to the need to have these devices verified.

Though affordable, for an introductory period of three months, the cost of verification is reduced by 25 percent.

Stakeholders are encouraged to take advantage of this offer.

Apart from the

breathalyser test bench, the GNBS has already procured the necessary equipment to conduct the verification of speed guns. The verification of speed guns will be rolled out early in the second half of this year.

The GNBS will continue

to widen its scope of current services, and introduce new services in crucial areas to ensure stakeholders’ satisfaction and national development.

For further information on this subject, contact the GNBS on telephone numbers:

219-0064 or 219-0065 or WhatsApp us on 692-4627.

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The Guyana Foundation...

Mrs. Supriya Singh-Bodden (8th from right), flanked by employees of the recently opened Sunrise Bakery.

From page 22 said TGF symbolically adopts villages for community development project. In the past, TGF has worked with Pigeon Island (squatting area) to bring potable water to the people there.

The Foundation has also worked with Breezy Point on the East Coast of Demerara to install solar light kits at every home to bring light to a community with no electricity and Moruca in Region One to provide toilet facilities for 500 children as well as clean drinking water, dormitory and other supplies.

Back in 2016, the Foundation conducted one of its first village renewal projects at Hague Back, on the West Coast of Demerara.

Some of the work included donating sports equipment for the youth in

the village, install solar streetlights on the public access road to the community, upgrade some of the access roads to farms in the area, install signage at some of the key points in the village, and teach women to make table linen for resale locally and internationally.

Additionally, TGF has concentrated its efforts to help Indigenous communities, particularly the Wai-Wai tribe in the South Rupununi, whose craft items were purchased through the Foundation for sale to Cruise line passengers in the Grand Cayman Islands.

Most recently with the unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic, TGF has reached out to provide support to the people of Santa Rosa in Region One. The villagers were given food supplies and hand-sewn masks

compliments of the Guyana Foundation.

Earlier this month, TGF commissioned its first bakery at the Capoey Lake in the Pomeroon/Supenaam Region of the Essequibo.

The opening ceremony of the Capoey Sunrise Bakery, which was held at Capoey village, saw in attendance First Lady, Arya Ali, and Prime Minister, Brigadier Mark Phillips, members of the Regional Administration, members of t h e To s h a o C o u n c i l , C a n a d i a n H i g h C o m m i s s i o n e r, M a r k Berman, and other invited guests from around Guyana.

The project, which will assist several villagers, mostly women, is said to have cost approximately $15 million and was done in collaboration with the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives.

The Guyana Foundation facilitates several skills training sessions for community/ economic empowerment

In addition, to those funds, TGF received from the Estate of Mr. Glynn Ludlow Hunte, a Guyanese who resided in the United Kingdom, significant support to make the project possible.

Kaieteur News understands that 18 persons – 17 female and one male – attended a skills training course to become bakers at the foundation's Sunrise Centre at Zorg-en-Vlygt on the Essequibo Coast.

Commenting on the prospects of the bakery, Singh-Bodden said that the project fits into the type of work the Foundation has been doing over the years to try to renew villages around Guyana, empowering women; empowering people in general by offering them skills to uplift themselves.

As the bakery becomes more established, it is hoped that they will be able to supply surrounding villages as well as the entire

Essequibo coastland.

It is hoped too, that this bakery will also be able to supply the daily need to provide nutritious meals for the schoolchildren in the village.

In this regard, SinghBodden said that the Foundation looks forward to partnering with more agencies and individuals around the world to assist them in their mission to uplift the people of Guyana who are its only real asset.

PAGE 54

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 30, 2021

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 30, 2021

Reinstatement of 40 percent tariff on soaps...

From page 17 release explained that Guyana is one of Dominica's main export markets for soaps, accounting for approximately 42 percent of Dominica's exports while Dominica sources 75 percent of its total rice imports and 32 percent of its total imports of sugar from Guyana.

As such, the Ministry

said that Guyana's failure to respect COTED's 2018 ruling on this matter exposed the country to legal action by Dominica and other regional producers of soap through the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and could result in very substantial damages being awarded against Guyana which would in turn result in a significant cost to the

public treasury.

The Ministry emphasised therefore, that the action taken is consistent with the current Government's respect for the rule of law, the CET being a legally binding regional obligation.

“This action is also consistent with Guyana's solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Dominica for whom soap manufacturing is

a major industry, a major employer and a major source of foreign exchange.

In exactly the same manner, Guyana would not wish for any other CARICOM Member State to violate the CET as it relates to any of the goods we produce and can export to the region,” the statement added.

PAGE 55

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Kaieteur News

Sunday May 30, 2021

Sunday May 30, 2021

Kaieteur News

Canada mourns as remains of 215 children found...

From page 8 undocumented deaths,” Ms Casimir said. “Some were as young as three years old.”

“We sought out a way to confirm that knowing out of deepest respect and love for those lost children and their families, understanding that Tk’emlups te Secwepemc is the final resting place of these children.”

The tribe said it had reached out to the home communities whose children attended the school. They ex-

pected to have preliminary findings by mid-June.

British Columbia’s chief coroner Lisa Lapointe told Canadian broadcaster CBC “we are early in the process of gathering information”.

What reaction has there been?

The reaction has been one of shock, grief and contrition.

“The news that remains were found at the former Kamloops residential school breaks my heart,” Mr Trudeau

wrote in a tweet.

Canada’s minister of indigenous relations, Carolyn Bennett, said residential schools were part of a “shameful” colonial policy.

The government was committed to “memorialising those lost innocent souls”, she said.

Terry Teegee, the regional chief of British Columbia’s Assembly of First Nations, called finding such grave sites “urgent work” that “refreshes the grief and loss” of communities in the region.

PAGE 57

Kaieteur News

PAGE 58

When Adversity Knocks

Sunday May 30, 2021

Junior page

What you need: printable template, printer, green paper or white paper (and coloring pencils) – 2 sheets for 1 crocodile, glue, scissors, white paper and red paper (optional, to make your crocodile craft even sassier)

T

The Moral We can choose how to respond in difficult situations. sha was getting frustrated and tired of life, so she asked her father what to do. Her father told her to bring an egg, two tea leaves, and a potato.

He then brought out three vessels, filled them with

A

water, and placed them on the stove.

Once the water was boiling, he told Asha to place the items into each pot and keep an eye on them. After 10 minutes, he asked Asha to peel the egg, peel the potato, and strain the leaves. Asha was left confused.

Her father explained, “Each item was placed into the same circumstance,

boiling water. See how each responded differently?”

He continued, “The egg was soft, but is now hard.

The potato was hard, but is now soft. And the tea leaves, they changed the water itself.”

The father then asked, “When adversity calls, we respond in the same manner as they have. Now, are you an egg, a potato, or tea leaves?”

Sudoku

ake the shape that has the dashed lines indicating the strips. Cut along the dashed lines. Cut, cut, cut!

Fold all the strips of paper as shown on the image bellow. Unfold.

All the strips also have a non-dashed line at their ends. Fold those too.

We finished with this part. Now take the head part and glue it on the body part (the one with legs), making the jaws.

You can decorate the yaws by adding some sharp teeth and a long tongue.

Your crocodile paper craft will certainly up it’s

coolness factor with this simple touch.

Apply a good amount of glue on the body part (the part with the legs), withing the large square. Take the crocodile back and tail (the looped part) and press it onto the body, nicely gluing it together. Allow the glue to set.

It is time to use the glue!

Apply glue, either on the small part you previously folded or on the base. Glue the strips on the base making loops. Important: start at the “tail” (smaller strips) as the other way around is way harder to work on.

Work your way through all the strips. When you have glued the last strip, apply a bit of glue in the small square that you see on the base. Press the last loop down (in the middle) to glue the middle to the base – you will get two smaller loops – these will make nice arches above the crocodile eyes.

FUN WITH POETRY

My country

by Uncle Roy Guyana is such a beautiful place, With so many things to see, I cannot wait until I’m older, And can travel around the country.

I want to see the many people Who live in country and town, On the coastland and in the interior, In estates and villages that abound.

Then there are the beautiful birds, And animals large and small, Dense forests and wide savannahs, High mountains and waterfalls.

It makes me so proud and happy To know my country is so rich Of so many things beautiful and great, To see it all is my greatest wish.

by Uncle Roy

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 30, 2021

Make a determined effort to make these principles an integral part of your personality TEEN TIME

Today we deal with the other principles which are important to our living a balanced and moral life, as well as being able to act in the right manner in all the situations we encounter along life’s journey:Growth – the process of progressive development in all aspects of one’s life. It involves making a continuous and persistent effort at self-improvement, as well as cooperation with others in the progress in one’s family, community, nation, and the world.

Tolerance – sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one’s own, as long as these are seen as not leading to something evil or backward. It also enables one to have the capacity to endure or

become less responsive to an insult or other expression different from one’s own.

This is the quality by which we eradicate all prejudices, including racism, class superiority, and other beliefs that separate human beings.

Peacefulness – the state of being devoid of violence or force; calmness or state of being untroubled when confronted by conflict, agitation or commotion.

Basically, it involves the willingness to live with

others peacefully, and contribute to a society that remains free from strife and inequality.

Loyalty quality of being unswerving in allegiance; faithfulness to a person, cause, ideal, custom, product or institution to which fidelity is due. It encourages us to strive to be united with others in our quest at all levels for what is needed for living together, and involves devotion to our national aspirations.

I hope that everyone will be unwavering in your efforts to study and make these principles the foundation of your future, and be assured that the rewards for this will be success in your own life as well as in that of those to whom you will be a sterling example.

PAGE 59

POETS’ CORNER

If

by Rudyard Kipling If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too: If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or being hated don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise; If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim, If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same:.

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build them up with worn-out tools; If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings, And never breathe a word about your loss: If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you, Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much: If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And - which is more - you’ll be a Man, my son!

The time and effort spent in identifying and living by right principles will be rewarded a hundredfold.

Bridges Connect these islands with bridges until each island can be reached from any other island, and each island has as many outgoing bridges as its number. You may only connect islands vertically or horizontally and bridges may not cross.

There may be one or two bridges connecting pairs of islands, but no more than two. Each puzzle has a unique solution that can be found without making guesses.

TELL IT TO UNCLE ROY Uncle Roy is again appealing to our readers to make a contribution to this column by either giving a feedback on what is published, asking for some help with some personal problem, offering some advice to fellow teenagers, or sharing the news of what is happening in his/her community.

Please send your contribution toroypaul2002@yahoo.com

Solutions to last week’s

Inkies

PAGE 60

DERMATOLOGISTS' TIPS FOR HEALING DRY, CHAPPED LIPS While it may seem that dry, cracked lips are something you must live with until spring comes, you can have soft, supple lips year-round. Here’s what dermatologists recommend.

Use non-irritating lip balm, lipstick, and other products that you apply to your lips. Many people mistake discomfort, such as burning, stinging, or tingling, as a sign that the active ingredients in a product are working. That’s not what’s happening. You’re actually irritating your lips, so you want to stop using any product that irritates your lips.

Ingredients that can help heal chapped lips: While some ingredients can irritate dry, cracked lips, others can help them heal. When looking for products to use on your chapped lips, dermatologists recommend ones that contain one or more of the following: Castor seed oil, Ceramides, Dimethicone, Hemp seed oil Mineral oil, Petrolatum ,Shea butter Sun-protective ingredients, such as titanium oxide or zinc oxide, White petroleum jelly It also helps to use products that are fragrance free and hypoallergenic.

If your lips burn, sting, or feel uncomfortable when you apply a product to your lips, it means you’re irritating your lips, so you want to stop using that product.

Apply a non-irritating lip balm (or lip moisturizer) several times a day and before bed. If your lips are very dry and cracked, try a thick ointment, such as white petroleum jelly. Ointment seals in water longer than waxes or oils.

Slather on a non-irritating lip balm with SPF 30 or higher before going outdoors. Even in the winter, it’s important to protect your lips from the sun. The sun can burn dry, chapped lips more easily, which could trigger cold sores.

To protect dry, chapped lips from the sun, use lip balm that contains offers SPF 30 or higher and one (or both) of these sunprotective ingredients: Titanium oxide, Zinc oxide While outdoors, apply the lip balm every 2 hours.

Drink plenty of water. Chapped lips are dry lips, so you want to stay hydrated.

Stop licking, biting, and picking at your lips. When lips feel dry, it may feel natural to wet them by licking them, but this can worsen the problem. As saliva evaporates, your lips become drier.

Picking or biting your lips also irritates them, which can prevent healing.

Lip licking can be a hard habit to break. When you catch yourself licking your lips, try applying a non-irritating lip balm instead.

Avoid holding items made of metal with your lips.

Paperclips, jewelry, and other everyday products made of metal can irritate your already sensitive lips.

Plug in a humidifier at home. A humidifier in your bedroom can be especially helpful, especially if you breathe through your mouth at night. https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-careb a s i c s / d r y / h e a l - d r y - c h a p p e d lips#:~:text=Apply%20a%20non%2Dirritating%20lip,or%20h igher%20before%20going%20outdoors.

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 30, 2021

Sunday May 30, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 61

Revisiting the march of the COVID-19 pandemic From page 15 Dr. Anthony’s Covid Unit has been able to secure Astra Zeneca produced in India, Sputnik V from Russia and Sinopharm from China.

These may total 200,000 approximately.

About 70,000 persons have so far been innoculated and the Government expects to purchase other consignments with the aim of innoculating the entire population before year-end.

Before we end this offering, it is apposite that we reiterate the basic safety measures which citizens must take to protect

themselves: Masks must cover nostrils; mouth and chin and must be worn everywhere; hands must be frequently washed and sterilised with alcohol or an alcohol based steriliser; social distancing of at least 6 feet between persons; greetings done by touching elbows and never hand shaking; avoidance of places where there may be large congregations of people such as bars, funerals and political party gatherings.

If persons strictly conform to the safety prescriptions and seek immediate medical help if affected by any of the sus-

pected symptoms of Covid-19, they would be able to protect their health and lives and the country would emerge from the Pandemic and embark upon the social and economic development, which the new oil revenues offer.

Guyana is one of the few countries in the world that would be quickly recovering economic wellbeing largely owing to the flow of oil revenues.

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

PAGE 62

FOR SALE Sea view four bedroom three toilet home for sale 613-7964/ 675-1510

SERVICES Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040 Drawing of Building or house plan (Architectual) and also Estimate Call 2160671, 692-8464, whatsapp 622-0267 Repairs and servicing, refridgerator, treadmill, washing machine, stove, pressure pump, filtration system dryer, deepfryer etc 694-9733 BUILDING CONTRACTOR HOUSE PLANS ESTIMATE BUILDERS CONSTRUCTION CALL 649-7114 guybuildersco@outlook.com Installation, Repairs and parts for AC,Fridge, Washing machine, Stove etc.Call Nick#630-1600.

Visa Forms Preparer. Tel#6267040, Publish your Death Annoucements & In Memoriams online. Email: dthmemo@gmail.com, Rent Wedding Arch For prompt reliable servicing repair of domestic industrial sewing machines. Call: 223-9106 or 619-3988.

EDUCATION

Den Amistel W.C.D and Palace Deleon, Cross Street Werk-En-Rust.Contact- 6677659.

WANTED Wanted one experienced Gold Smith, Jacobs Jewellery and Pawn shop 16 Pike street Kitty Tel#622-4970 One experienced babysitter for Monday's to Friday's from 8am. Must be between 25-40 years. Call 231-8737.

Live- in domestic must know to cook and live in waitress salary start at $20,000 - 25,000 weekly Tel#610-3974 Experienced cashier apply @ Shanta's Puri Shop, 225 Camp & New Market Street.

One male and female able bodied clerks. Tel# 225-2313 & 226-1497.

Route 42 Minibus Driver. Tel# 649-7371 (1 ) male to cut & pluck chicken on meat saw, salary $20,000 per week. Tel#675- 0587/ 219-2192 INDIAN WOMAN NEEDS A FEMALE TO LIVE IN TO DO HOUSEWORK. CALL: 6646975.

VACANCY

VACANCY

TO LET

Security officers male and female 18 years and above.

Contact 223-4172,632-0101 or 632-0909.

Maid to cook and clean. Call: 615-9132.

Cleaner and kitchen help from Monday- friday 7am-2:30pm 6617-639 Good Pay.

Rooms in Albertown. Tel# 225-3234 & 628-1183

Junior Accounts Clerk, Marketing Clerk. Contact via e m a i l : (chungsvacancy@gmail.com).

Tel# 640-4522,624-3048.

Project Clerk, Junior Engineer. Contact via email: (chungsvacancy@gmail.com).

Tel #640-4522,624-3048.

Hauler/Trailer Driver,Truck Driver, Building Foreman.

Contact via email: (adowridge.chungs@gmail.com).

Tel# 624-3048.

We l d e r / F a b r i c a t i n g .

Labourers, Road Foreman, Sand Truck Driver. Contact via email: (adowridge.chungs@gmail.com).

Tel# 624-3048.

Fronted Loader Operator, Excavator Operator. Contact via email (adowridge.chungs@gmail.com).

Tel#624-3048.

Vacancy exists for POULTRY/LIESTOCK FARMERS. Canal No.2 West Bank Demerara. Contact: 6214992,609-2995 or 227-5289.

Vacancy exists for PM Shift Cashiers. Survival Supermarket Complex. Tel: 2275286,609-2995, email survival.humanresources@gmail.com.

Vacancy exists for Drivers with Motor Lorry license. 173 Sheriff Street. Tel:2275286,621-4992,609-2995.

Diswasher apply to Shanta’s.225 Camp & New Market street.

DRESSMAKING Classes in designing/sewing. As a career/hobby canadian trained tutor.Contact Sharmie 6574578.

First Aid/CPR/AED and Home Nursing Courses at St.John Association. Tel# 225-9082, Whatsapp# 6823077 VACANCY

FOR RENT Bond Space/ Business spot 25x36 ftl add 12x11ft, enclosed, Sandy Babb St Kitty 653-2774 1-2 bedroom fully furnished apartment- 237 Gorden St.Kitty, $190,000 monthly.

Water included. Contact 696-7163.

Two Apartment for rent, 1 bedroom $30,000, 2 bedroom $45,000. Contact number: 696-1680 in Herstelling.

Business: South Road, Saffon, Hadfield, Wellington, North Rd, Residene: Meadow Bank, North Ruimveldt Ray's Re FOR SALE Affordable scania & Daf trucks Contact 649-8888

Sunday May 30, 2021

Kaieteur News

Workers for P.S.G.C.S cleaner, labourers and maintenance workers Contact 621-6969/ 615-7784 serious inquiries only

LAND FOR SALE

One bond clerk requirement 3 CXC subjects Apply at Lens Tel#227-2486

Land for sale at 102 Good Hope mahaica 500ft x 42ft at the Roadside 691-8420

Filter/ Machinist, Welder fabricator, Mechanic & Male cleaner. Apply in person at: Technical Services 18-23 Industrial Site, Eccles.

Carmichael St, Mc Doom, LaPenitence, Qeenstown, Beterverwagting, Canal No.1, Soesdyke Highway, East Coast Contact Ray's Realty 627-9685

Taxi Driver to work and keep car. Tel# 225-3234 & 628-1183 Clerical assistants live-in accommodation available for out of town applicants covid vaccinated persons only.2237500.

Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles, age 2545, Car/Van licence. Call 6429823.

One clerk for Eccles office English & Mathematics, Grade 1 or 2. Email application to techserigy@yahoo.com.

PROPERTY FOR SALE Lot 2461 Tuchen Housing scheme 3 bedroom house for sale Tel#682-1069 Developer in US selling custom built vacation homes in Berbice $25million CBG properties Tel# 001-346-818-0822 Sheriff, Norton, Charlotte St, South Ruimveldt, L.B.I, Enterprise, Melanie, Diamond, Zeelugt & Uitvlugt, Contact Ray's Realty 627-9685

Dishwasher“Apply at Shanta’s, 225 camp and new market streets

Newly constructed 2 bedrooms apt in a safe and healthy environment. Call# 698-6496 & 622-6512

Sunday May 30, 2021

PAGE 63

Kaieteur News

Guyana records two additional COVID-19 deaths The Ministry of Health (MoH), in its Covid-19 update for today, reported that two additional persons have died from the disease, taking the total number of deaths recorded for the month of May to 83. May has been the deadliest month of the pandemic so far since Guyana recorded its first Covid-19 case in March 2020, surpassing the previous record of 66 set last month. This takes the total number of deaths from the pandemic to 382.

The latest victims died whilst receiving care at medical facilities in their respective Regions on May 28. They are a 73-year-old male from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and 67year-old woman from Region Three (East Berbice-Corentyne).

In addition to the deaths, there are 98 new infected COVID-19 cases recorded during the past 24-hour period. The new cases recorded are from Regions One and Seven with three

cases each, Region Three recording 16 cases, Region Four with the highest total of 40 cases, Region Five having seven cases, Region Six with 20 cases, Region Eight recording one case, Region Nine with two cases and Region Ten having 6 cases. The new infections were taken from 1,218 tests. To date, 16,822 people have been infected with the disease since March last year.

Notably, there are 22 persons in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), in institutional isolation are 109 people, two in institutional quarantine and 1,841 are in home isolation.

The Ministry is asking if any citizen is in need of any assistance or additional information, kindly make contact with the COVID-19 Hotline on telephone numbers 231-1166, 2267480 or 624-6674 or visit the Ministry’s website at www.health.gov.gy.

PAGE 64

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 30, 2021

Sunday May 30, 2021

...‘We inherited very little for sports from the From page 70 and Trinidad and this will see more facilities being built or upgraded.

This will facilitate a stronger Coaching system where foreign Coaches can come in and not only Coach Athletes but Coach the Coaches,” continued Reds, who served as the President of the Guyana Basketball Association from 1969-1975 and attended three Central American Championships.

The versatile Reds, who was Sports Advisor to former Minister of Sport, Shirley Field-Ridley and served as Chairman of the National Sports Council (NSC) in the 1970s, stressed the importance of Clubs as opposed to teams and emphasized that

PAGE 65

Kaieteur News

strong clubs make strong Associations, they have a mandate to fulfil. The Minister can’t do with work for the associations they have to it for themselves with his help.

“I want to wish the new National Sports Commission (NSC) well.

This Minster seems to have a special interest in the development of Sports and with more funds available now and the good work of Minister Ramson meeting with the various Associations and trying to provide what they need, the horizon looks bright for Guyana in sports,” Stated Reds, the fifth of nine children.

Weightlifter Martin Dias, Footballer Nigel Codrington, Squash Player Nicolette

Gwendolyn O’Neil 1st female World Boxing Champion

Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis 1st World Boxing Champion

Fernandes, Athletes James Wren Gilkes, Aliann Pompey, Marcia June Griffith, Table Tennis player George Braithwaite, Basketballer Mike Brusche, Cyclist Nevil Hunte, Boxers Mike Parris,

Gwendolyn O’Neil and Andrew ‘six head’ Lewis and Cricketers Clive Lloyd and Shiv Chanderpaul are among those sportsmen who helped put Guyana on map during the past 55 years.

...Chelsea beat Man City Sunday May 30, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Your energy might turn toward beautifying your home. Perhaps you've decided to repaint or go in a completely new direction in your decorating taste.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You're naturally a kind, compassionate person. Today your feelings are likely to be focused not only on those close to you but also on all the world's population.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) A number of loving communications may come your way from people who live in distant states or exotic lands. You're feeling especially affectionate now, Taurus, particularly regarding those closest to you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) With today's planetary aspects, Scorpio, you're likely to feel a rush of love. This includes love for family, friends, partner, and all life forms. The reality of spiritual advancement through love is all around you.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) A small amount of money might come your way today, Gemini. It could be a gift, dividend, or bonus. You may want to squander it on gifts for yourself.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You're feeling especially loving and passionate, and likely to want to pursue a romantic encounter with the special person in your life.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) You should feel and look great today. Your charm and social skills are at a high level, and your joviality and gift for conversation should make you a welcome guest at any social event.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Today is a great time to form or strengthen romantic relationships. If you aren't involved, chances are you will meet someone. If you are, expect your relationship to develop a new spiritual bond.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Your psychic abilities and imagination are operating at a very high level, Leo. You face other people with a profound, spiritual love. They will return it!

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) This is an ideal day to begin a creative venture. You've had many ideas and creative urges. Today it's time to choose one and take the first step to making your vision a reality.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Some friends associated with a group you admire might take you to some kind of rally. This could be a lot of fun for you. You could make some new friends.

You're naturally inclined toward humanitarian concern.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your naturally loving nature gets a boost today, Pisces.

You could look especially attractive, so don't be surprised if you draw admiring looks from strangers. Romantic novels and movies could seem appealing now,

From page 71 struck and substitute Christian Pulisic squandering another in the second half.

City, who lost Kevin De Bruyne to injury midway through the second half, threw on Sergio Aguero for his final appearance but there was no fairytale ending for the club’s greatest goalscorer as Chelsea closed out the win.

And for Tuchel it was elation after the disappointment of losing last year’s final as manager of Paris St-Germain.

Three sprint medals for Guyana at S.A. C/Ships Team Guyana copped a silver and two bronze medals on day one of the 2021 South American Senior Athletics Championships that is currently being contested in Guayaquil, Ecuador this weekend.

Emanuel Archibald, Guyana’s men’s long jump record holder, who finished a disappointing 7th in his pet event earlier in the day (7.75m in the long jump), finished second in his first 100m and followed it up with an impressive 10.23 seconds run that was good enough for the silver medal in the final behind Brazil’s Felipe Bardi (10.10s).

Jasmine Abrams sprinted to a bronze medal in the women’s 100m final clocking 11.50s, trailing Brazil’s Cristina Silva (11.31s) and Ecuador’s home star Marizol Landazuri (11.39s).

Jenea McCammon also copped bronze in the 100m hurdles in 13.63s lagging behind winner Ketiley Batista

Jasmine Abrams (12.96s) of Brazil and Diana Bazalar (13.47s) of Peru.

Micaiah Washington in his first appearance at the South American Championships finished ninth (7.34m) in the men’s long jump that had a total of 13 competitors.

Akeem Stewart, Arinze Chance, Devaun Barrington and Andrea Foster will get their chance to compete today in the 200m, 400m and 800m races respectively.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 66

Sunday May 30, 2021

Suspended IPL moved to UAE as India seeks more time for World Cup decision AFP - The Indian Premier League, suspended as a new coronavirus wave hit India, will be finished in the United Arab Emirates in September and October, India’s national cricket board said yesterday.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India also said it will ask the global governing body for more time to make a decision on whether the Twenty20 World Cup should be held in India in October and November.

The IPL, the world’s richest cricket tournament, was half finished when it was halted on May 4 after a number of players and team officials caught coronavirus despite being in bio-secure bubbles.

The board has since been in tough negotiations with other countries and the International Cricket Council on when to squeeze

the remaining matches into the crowded international calendar.

About 160,000 people have died in India since April 1 in a devastating wave that has seen hospitals overwhelmed. There are fears that the country could be hit by another surge later this year.

The BCCI said it was moving the remaining matches to the UAE — which staged all of last year’s IPL — because of the monsoon season and did not mention the pandemic.

The board said a special general meeting had “unanimously agreed” for the remaining matches to be held in the UAE “considering the monsoon season in India in the months of September-October this year.”

The monsoon season is generally considered to run

from June to midSeptember.

The World Cup is due to be held in India from October but it is also at risk from the pandemic threat.

The BCCI said the general meeting authorised its leaders “to seek an extension of time from the ICC to take an appropriate call on the hosting of ICC T20 World Cup 2021.”

The tournament is due to be discussed by the ICC next Tuesday, though no decision is expected to be taken.

No deadline to announce whether the tournament will be moved has been publicly set, but cricket officials say a decision will have to be taken in “weeks”.

- Back to the bio-bubble The ICC has meanwhile given details of the pandemic precautions that players will take before going to the World Test

The Indian Premier League, the world’s richest cricket tournament, was half finished when it was halted on May 4 because of coronavirus.

Championship final against New Zealand starting on June 18 in Southampton, England.

The British government has given a special exemption from its coronavirus rules so that the inaugural championship can be held.

The Indian team will be in their own bio-bubble for

14 days before arriving in England on June 3.

Every player must provide a negative Covid-19 certificate.

They will be taken to a hotel that is part of Hampshire’s Rose Bowl complex, where they will be tested again before beginning a new “managed isolation” with more tests,

the ICC said in a statement.

With each round of tests, players will go from “exercise in isolation to small group and then larger squad activity, whilst always remaining within the biosecure venue.”

New Zealand are already in England preparing for a Test series against the host nation.

‘Let your bat do the talking’ NBA roundup: Jayson Tatum - WI legend Lloyd encourages Hetmyer to answer doubters with lots of runs Shimron Hetmyer

S

portsMax Legendary West Indies captain, Clive Lloyd, has called on embattled batsman Shimron Hetmyer to answer doubters by scoring a lot of runs whenever he gets the opportunity.

The 24-year-old has been in the spotlight in recent weeks after losing his international retainer contract with Cricket West Indies.

The young batsman has long been considered to be one of the region’s premier talents but has struggled to hit top gear in recent seasons.

In Test cricket, where he has not played for the team since 2019, he averages 27.93 having played 16 matches.

In One Day International cricket, where he last played in January of last year, he averages 36.66.

In T20 international cricket, he averages 18.95 with a strike rate of 116.97.

In addition, the player has struggled with fitness issues, twice failing a fitness test during the period, ahead of a subsequent tour of Sri Lanka last year and a visit of the same team earlier this year.

“The guy has got ability, we know that all he has to do is produce the runs and there should be no problem,” Lloyd told the Mason and Guest radio programme.

“We all know Pooran, Hetmyer these are very talented guys, but that talent must come out with runs.

For a bowler it’s wickets,” he added.

“I would like to say to all the young people, Mr. Hetmyer and the rest of the gentlemen. They are asking you to be fit, they want you to produce the goods. If you do well, we would have a world-beating team.”

nets 50 in Celtics’ victory

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euters - Jayson Tatum scored a playoff careerhigh 50 points to lead the Boston Celtics to a 125-119 victory over the visiting Brooklyn Nets in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series on Friday night.

The Nets lead the series 2-1 and Game 4 is tonight, when a full-capacity crowd will be allowed in Boston.

Ta t u m p r o d u c e d Boston’s sixth 50-point postseason game and first since Isaiah Thomas totaled 53 in Game 2 of the 2017 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Washington Wizards.

James Harden led Brooklyn with 41 points as he shot 11 of 18 and hit seven 3-pointers, tying the franchise postseason record for 3s.

Durant added 39 but Kyrie Irving struggled in his first appearance in front of Boston fans since leaving the Celtics in 2019. Irving heard boos all night and profane chants at times while being held to 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting.

Hawks 105, Knicks 94 Trae Young collected 21 points and 14 assists to lift host Atlanta to a win over New York in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference firstround series.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) shoots the ball over Brooklyn Nets forward Bruce Brown (1) during the second half during game three in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden.

(Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports) Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 15 points and John Collins added 14 for the Hawks, who benefited from a late 22-5 surge to end the second quarter to seize a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 4 is this afternoon in Atlanta.

Clint Capela recorded 13 points and 12 rebounds and former Knick Danilo Gallinari sank all four of his 3-point attempts to finish with 12 points for the Hawks.

Atlanta sank 16 of 27 shots from 3-point range for a blistering 59.3 percent.

Clippers 118, Mavericks 108 Kawhi Leonard scored 36 points and visiting Los Angeles rallied from a big early deficit to defeat Dallas

in Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series. The Mavericks lead the best-ofseven series 2-1 heading into Game 4 today in Dallas.

Paul George scored 29 points, Reggie Jackson finished with 16 points and Marcus Morris Sr. made three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and scored 15 for the Clippers, who trailed by 19 points in the first quarter.

Leonard shot 13 of 17 from the floor and added eight rebounds.

Luka Doncic scored 44 points to lead Dallas, but missed six of 13 free throws, and Jalen Brunson and Maxi Kleber scored 14 each for the Mavericks.

(Field Level Media)

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 30, 2021

Kendall’s Unions Sports Club celebrates Guyana’s 55th by helping 55 senior citizens

Many persons turned out for the Kendall’s Union Independence event in which hampers were distributed to seniors.

On the 26th May, 2021 the Kendall’s Union Sports Club of #19Village, Corentyne, Berbice celebrated Guyana’s 55th Independence by giving 55 senior citizens within their community food hampers.

The event was sponsored by the club’s official sponsor, Mr Shudeo Bachan & family. The 55 senior citizens received a food hamper and a meal. During the programme brief remarks were made by the chairman of the NDC, Mr. Hitnarine.

The president of the club, Mr Albert Budhoo explained that it was an honour to celebrate Guyana’s 55th Independence with

these persons who in their younger days would have sacrificed and contributed to the development of Guyana. He said the club continues to support residents in any way they can and are hoping to make this an annual event. He encouraged all residents, especially the youths to join the sports club which offers recreation and opportunities for persons in the field of sports. The club will soon be launching their women’s arm with the objective of providing classes to educate and empower young girls and women within the community. Courses offered will include music, cosmetology and cooking.

Priyanna Ramdhani & Akili Haynes to attend Pan Am Junior Games Cali 2021

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ocal Badminton star Priyanna Ramdhani and Akili Haynes are to attend the Pan Am Junior Games in Cali, Colombia 2021. Guyana qualified for the (First) Pan American Junior Games CALI 2021 which will be held in Colombia in November.

The qualification came as result of Narayan Ramdhani & Priyanna Ramdhani’s ranking in the World Rankings.

However, as Narayan will be over the required Under-23 age limit, Guyana’s second top male player Akili Haynes will take the Male Spot. Akili is an upcoming National player who was a bronze medalist at the Carebaco Juniors in 2018 and also attended the World Juniors in Canada 2018.

Priyanna Ramdhani, who is attending Olds College in Canada on a Badminton Scholarship, played at the Pan American Individual Championships in Guatemala early in May 2021 to help secure the spots.

West Indies back to full training; Simmons pleased with build-up to face Proteas

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R O S I S L E T, Saint Lucia – The West Indies Men’s squad has returned to full training in two groups at their preparation camp in St. Lucia after all members of the squad returned negative PCR tests, following the latest round of testing that was conducted on Thursday.

They had team sessions on Friday as well as yesterday morning and afternoon and Head Coach, Phil Simmons is happy to be able to now fine tune his squad’s preparation in the build-up to the two-match Test Series against South Africa.

These matches will be played at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground for the Sir Vivian Richards Trophy on June 10-14 and June 18-22 and are the final matches in the current cycle of the ICC World Test Championship.

The Proteas are due to arrive on the island on Tuesday, June 1.

The West Indies players will be involved in a “Best v Best” four-day match, at the same venue beginning tomorrow, May 31, and the Head Coach sees this as a great opportunity for all involved.

“I am happy that we are

back to full training. We are happy with the preparations up to this point and everyone is fully aware of what is required,” Simmons said.

“Yes, we had four good Test matches (vs Bangladesh and Sri Lanka), but at the same time, people need to know that their position is not guaranteed unless they continue play well. Guys who are out, need to show that they want to get back in by doing well in these games. So, it is a benefit to every one of us.”

Simmons also praised the facilities provided in St. Lucia throughout the camp at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, which is overseen

by CWI Head Groundsman, Kent Crafton. The West Indies Men are gearing up to begin a busy summer schedule, which includes visits from South Africa, Australia and Pakistan before the Caribbean Premier League begins in late August.

The players and staff were previously forced to train in small groups, as a result of the positive COVID-19 and isolation of fast bowler Marquino Mindley on Friday, May 22.

Mindley, who has already returned one negative PCR

test on Thursday, remains asymptomatic and in isolation at the team hotel.

The CWI medical team continues to monitor his progress, as he requires one more negative PCR test before being allowed to rejoin the squad.

FULL CAMP TRAINING SQUAD Jermaine Blackwood Nkrumah Bonner Darren Bravo Shamarh Brooks John Campbell Roston Chase Rahkeem Cornwall Keron Cottoy Joshua Da Silva Shannon Gabriel Keon Harding Jahmar Hamilton Kavem Hodge Chemar Holder Shai Hope Kyle Mayers Obed McCoy Preston McSween Marquino Mindley Shayne Moseley Paul Palmer Jr. Veerasammy Permaul Anderson Phillip Kieran Powell Raymon Reifer Jayden Seales Nial Smith Oshane Thomas Hayden Walsh Jr. Jomel Warrican

PAGE 67

Novak Djokovic enjoyed success at his own tennis centre.

BELGRADE (Reuters) Novak Djokovic enjoyed success at his own tennis centre when he won the Belgrade Open with a 6-4 6-3 win over Slovakian Alex Molcan in yesterday’s final but his performance left a lot to be desired ahead of the French Open.

Wo r l d n u m b e r o n e Djokovic received a standing ovation from the home crowd by the Danube river in the Serbian capital after an erratic display against world number 255 Molcan, who battled through from the

Priyanna Ramdhani and Akili Haynes are to attend the Pan Am Junior Games Cali 2021.

The GBA is pleased with the outcome of the qualification results once again and will be meeting

with the GOA and Minister of Sports to finalize funding for their training leading up to the games.

Djokovic wins on home soil ahead of French Open qualifying rounds.

It was Djokovic’s first triumph since he clinched his 18th major at the Australian Open in February.

Since then, he has endured patchy claycourt season, including a last 16 exit at the Monte Carlo Masters.

Djokovic also lost to Russian Aslan Karatsev in the Serbia Open semi-finals before being defeated by Rafael Nadal in the Rome Masters final and his display against Molcan was at times unconvincing.

But Djokovic struck a happy figure as he lifted the trophy.

“I want to thank everyone who turned up and made this a memorable day, I have to admit that part of my mind is already in Paris,” Djokovic said in a courtside interview.

“It was an easy decision to enter this tournament, I never had any seconds thoughts and I am delighted that we came through so magnificently with this event.

“I am aiming for the title at Roland Garros.”

Kaieteur News

PAGE 68

Sunday May 30, 2021

GOA plugs US$12,000 in Edghill’s Olympic training plan

Chelsea Edghill’s mother Deidre Baynes-Edghill; GTTA President Godfrey Munroe; GOA President K.A. Juman-Yassin; Chelsea Edghill; and Coach Idi Lewis. (NEWSROOM Photo) The Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) yesterday during a press conference at their Headquarters in Lilliendaal, announced that they will be funding former Caribbean under-21 women’s champion Chelsea Edghill with almost $2.5 million so she will have the opportunity to go into high level training a h e a d o f h e r To k y o Olympics appearance this July-August.

During the media brief,

GOA head K.A. Juman Yassin, who made the announcement, also noted that, “The Guyana Olympic Association is very happy to be able to do a bit more for Chelsea. We were able to support the table tennis team in their quest to qualify in Argentina and now we are happy to be able to support Chelsea so that she could have as much training as possible, so that when she competes, she would be at a higher level.”

For the next two months, Edghill, who is set to depart Guyana shortly, will be at the High-Performance Training Centre of Table Tennis (CAR) and Sport Clube de Mirandela, in Portugal, undergoing intense sessions in the build-up to the quadrennial showpiece.

Head of the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), Godfrey Munroe, speaking to the media yesterday morning, highlighted that his

association is looking to give Edghill the best preparation possible, in a safe environment.

He further revealed that, “In this regard, the Committee decided along with the President that we would support Chelsea payment for the training at the high yield centers. We paid for physiotherapy and recovery sessions, the highperformance training, her physical training, her therapy and recovery, which

Chelsea Edghill in action.

would include aqua, gymnastic, postural gymnastic, nutritional supplements, the airfare from Guyana to Portugal and then back to Tokyo and concluding back to Portugal or Guyana.”

Edghill, who became the first athlete to be sponsored by the Guyana Lottery Company, expressed her gratitude to those involved,

History made at Malteenoes Sports Club

the 23-year-old highlighted that it is a relief, not having to worry about the finances.

“Thank you to everyone at the GOA, the GTTA, Idi (Lewis, who is her coach) and all those who have been supporting throughout the years. Moving forward, I think it’s great the GOA has my back 100% in preparing for the games,” Edghill shared.

- Mc Nichol is first Female President of Cricket Club

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fter 119 years in existence, history was created on Friday evening at the Malteenoes Sports Elections when Deborah Mc Nichol was elected unopposed as the first ever President of the Thomas Lands Club which was founded in 1902 by Barbadian Tailor Ferdinand Archer.

Mc Nichol, who was an Executive member of the Club for eight years and member for 18 years, is also the only Woman at the helm of any Cricket Club in the Guyana.

Mc Nichol, who served as First Vice-President in the past Executive, has as her first Vice President Shawn Holder with the second Vice President being Steven Jacobs.

The other executive members are: Adrian Smith (Secretary), Denzel Alleyne ( Tr e a s u r e r ) , S h a q u i l l e M o s l e y ( A s s t Secretary/Treasurer), Sean Devers (Public Relations Officer), while former President Winton Semple and former National Youth pacer and Coach Quason Nedd are the Committee Members.

Mc Nichol, who has worked as a Public Servant for 43 years, said she is

Deborah Mc Nichol is the first female President of a local cricket Club. honoured to be elected as the first Female Cricket Club President and emphasised that only with hard work and Unity could success be achieved at Malteenoes.

“Our biggest challenge to bringing back MSC to its best days is funding and a decreased membership, but I am confident that this executive, elected in the middle of the pandemic, will work to promote the club as somewhere people would want to join and spend their afternoons once this Covid goes away,” she the mother of three.

Mc Nichol said her brothers played Football and Cricket, while two of her sisters played Hockey while the other one was into Boxing and Cricket.

In 1987, Colwin Cort, Barrington Browne, Glen Robinson, Nigel Greaves, Shawn Holder, Sean Devers

Mc Nichol (seated centre) is flanked by her VPs, while the rest of the executives stand behind just after the Elections.

and the late Neezam Hafiz, dubbed the ‘Magnificent seven’ were a part of the National U-19 to tour Jamaica for the Regional youth series which is still the record for the most players selected from one club on any National Cricket team.

In July/August 1993, under the presidency of GCB’s Executive Claude Raphael, MSC held the first National Cricket Academy for youths from all three of the Counties in Guyana with the ‘out of Town’ players

being provided live-in accommodation at the club.

The club has produced 2 7 N a t i o n a l u n d e r- 1 9 players between 1975 and 2013 and 32 who played for MSC that played for the National senior team between 1909 and 2009.

The Thomas Road entity has produced eight West Indies International players between 1930 and 2003, including West Indies Women’s player Indomattie Goordial who was the last Malteenoes player to make

her Test debut.

Cuthbert Monchoir, the Manager of 1986 MSC U-19 team which won every National youth tournament that year, became the first Malteenoes Member to do Radio Commentary in a First-Class Match and write on Cricket for the newspapers in the 1980s.

Devers followed in his footsteps becoming a Journalist and Radio Cricket Commentator and did the first of his 13 Test Matches at Bourda for CMC

in 2001.

However, Malteenoes which held a scaled down Academy in 2018 has not produced a National Youth player since 2013 when Legspinner Steven Sankar represented Guyana, while Shemroy Barrington was the last MSC player to play First-Class cricket in 2009.

Under this executive, MSC will be looking to fix this problem by sending scouts to schools, when they eventually re-open, to get youngsters to join the club.

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 30, 2021

PAGE 69

GKC creates History again! Another three Seventh Degree Black Belts for Guyana!

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istory was created again when the Guyana Karate College (GKC) produced Three New Seventh Degree Black Belts, bring the total to four.

John Fernandes, Aubrey Bettencourt and Tejram Harichand were all p r o mo ted to th e I K D distinguished International Karate Rank, making them, according to protocol, accountable to the International Karate Daigaku (IKD) led by Shuseki Shihan Frank Woon-A-Tai, M.S., 9th Dan. The Five-Part Final Examination and Result Announcement took place on a unique moment in History: the combined dan ranks – 3 x 7th dan = 21 dan total, took place on the 21sthour, of the 21stday, of the 21st year, of the 21st Century, at the Transport Sports Club GKC dojo, T h o m a s L a n d s , Georgetown.

The grading panel consisted of Shuseki Shihan

in person and by Zoom: IKD Deputy Chief Master Maureen Woon-A-Tai, 8th Dan, Keith DaCosta, 8th Dan, Charles Woon-A-Tai, 8th Dan, and GKC First Deputy, Josef Woon-A-Tai, 8th Dan, who are all Guyanese and Members of the distinguished IKD Senate, the second-highest authority of the IKD. Since his arrival in Guyana more than two months ago, Shuseki Shihan (World Chief Master) Frank Woon-A-Tai has been training and preparing the Seventh Dan Candidates for the historic day. The trio has also earned the International title of Shihan (Master).

The karate masters began training with Sensei Frank Wo o n - A - Ta i a t t h e Archbishop of the West Indies lawn during the early 1970s. John Fernandes, CEO of Astro Arts, earned his first dan black belt from Master Teruyuki Okazaki, 10th Dan, June 18, 1975. Hotel Owner and CEO Aubrey Bettencourt earned his July

2 6 , 1 9 7 5 , a n d Psychotherapist, Tejram Harrichand, earned his March 20, 1976.

They now join the master’s Rank of Seventh Dan with Dr. Guy Low, Medical Doctor and Assistant Professor at the University of Guyana.

Doctor Low earned his First Dan on November 11, 1974.

These four masters are all senior to any other current IKD Seventh Dan master in Guyana except for Master Amir Khouri, Seventh Dan of the YMCA dojo.

There is a five-step process to achieve Kodansha (High Dan Rank) level: 1. T h e C a n d i d a t e must be recommended by a member of the IKD Shihankai (Master’s Committee).

2. T h e C a n d i d a t e must be invited to the Rank

by Shuseki Shihan.

3. T r a i n i n g a n d guidance begin for the new Seventh or Eighth Dan Candidate.

4. Presentation of Dissertation.

5. F i n a l P h y s i c a l

This Historical Photograph show 24-year-old Frank Woon-A-Tai, second dan, posing with Masters: Teruyuki Okazaki, Masatoshi Nakayama, and Yukichi Tabata at Legionnaires Hall, Georgetown. 1974.

Exam (may be in three parts) and Dissertation Defence.

The new Certified Karate “Master” is now subject to the International Rules and Regulations regarding the Code of Conduct for Shihan(s). After three warnings, failure to comply with these rules may subject one to be stripped of Rank and dishonourably discharged. This is like a

doctor losing their License to practice medicine, Disbarment of a Lawyer, or stripped of Rank in the disciplined forces.

The Guyana Karate College is exceptionally proud that its masters and all students have direct lineage to the Founder of Karate, Master Gichin Funakoshi, and the Founder of World Traditional Karate, Master

Masatoshi Nakayama, 10th Dan, who visited Guyana in 1974 and again in 1979.

Shuseki Shihan Frank Woon-A-Tai studied karate for 40 years under Master Teruyuki Okazaki and other Japanese Masters. His teachers also included legends - Masatoshi Nakayama, Hidetaka Nishiyama and Yutaka Yaguchi.

FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Qatar 2022

‘Golden Jaguars’ arrive in Antigua for brief camp ahead of St. Kitts clash on the 4th

By Franklin Wilson in Antigua with the compliments of the GFF and Industrial Safety Supplies The local and overseas based ‘Golden Jaguars’ along with Technical and Management staff touched d o w n in A n tig u a an d Barbuda yesterday on a chartered flight ahead of a crucial pair of matches (last round one matches) in their quest to make it to the next round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, Concacaf zone.

Most of the overseas players were already on the island while the final two were expected last night. The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) in a press release stated that they were making plans to be encamped in St. Kitts days ahead of their clash with the home team but at the last moment, on the advice of that nation’s Covid-19 Task Force they were told that the team would not be permitted to be there until June 2 for the June 4 clash. St’ Kitts and Nevis

The local based Golden Jaguars, Technical and Management team before leaving Guyana yesterday. (Franklin Wilson photo) are leading the group F challenge for the lone qualifying spot in the next round with 6 points from their two matches with Trinidad and Tobago next on 4 and Guyana with 3.

Head Coach of the GFF’s Senior Men’s National Team, Maricio Maximo has made six (6) changes to his team for these two allimportant matches as he seeks to boost the nation’s

chances of taking three points and hoping for the top two leaders to falter in their final two games.

With training set to kick off this evening here in Antigua & Barbuda, GFF President Wayne Forde commented on the current situation. “We are extremely grateful to the authorities and our football colleagues in Antigua and Barbuda for facilitating this

encampment, so that the Golden Jaguars can prepare properly as a unit before these vital fixtures.”

We wish the players and staff all the best in training over the coming days, and for the challenge that lies ahead. These two matches – and results elsewhere – will decide our FIFA World Cup fate. We are still in the running, and we know that the support of the nation will

make a huge difference for the players. Let’s roar with the Jags in June,” Forde concluded.

With the majority of players very young as Maximo also looks to the future as he sets a solid platform for the Guyana programme, both local and overseas based on the GFFs vision for the game, players will get down to the task of getting into the game frame

for this evening’s training session with the hope of making the starting XI for the St. Kitts game on June 4.

The Head Coach has already made it very clear that no player is guaranteed a permanent spot in the team, rather, each player has to constantly challenge for a position which is healthy for the team and the development of Guyana’s programme.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 70

Sunday May 30, 2021

‘We inherited very little for sports from the British’- Reds - Distractions affecting modern-day Sportspersons

By Sean Devers Speaking on last Wednesday’s Sean Devers Sports Watch on Kaieteur Radio, Veteran Sportscaster Guyanese Reds Perreira, a walking encyclopaedia of Sports history, provided his views on Sports in Guyana over the last 55 years and give a brief synopsis on what transpired just prior the Guyana becoming a sovereign Nation.

The 82-year-old, who resides in St. Lucia, said Guyana inherited very little from the British in terms of sports facilities when this Country gained Independence on May 26, 1966.

Reds explained that the Dutch and French were very different to the British when it came to developing sports in their colonies.

In 1960 he went to Suriname to spend six months with National Basketball and Football Coaches.

“When I got to Suriname they already had a National Stadium with a 400 Meters track, a 500 meters banking, about 12 Basketball Courts, an Indoor Centre, a National State of the art Swimming pool where the public paid 25 Dutch cents to go in, a very modern pool. They had a major pool, a smaller pool and a pool for beginners.

The Dutch and the French… I have been to Martinique and Guadalupe…they have poured money into those Countries in terms of infrastructure. You had the

Nicolette Fernandes Squash

Reds Perriera

see the facilities for Football and Basketball in Martinique,” informed Reds.

The British didn’t leave us with a great deal. We only had the Portuguese club with is now the Racket Centre which was the main Tennis Centre. GCC had Courts too, the South Dakota race track, the National Park was a private exclusive Golf Course, the GFC was for Football and Hockey.

The British were more interested in building roads to the ports to get their raw materials out they were not interest in social programmes.

There wasn’t a great deal of stuff that the Government of the day inherited. Later the National Sports Hall was built. And much later we see now Providence, the Clive Lloyd Cricket

Athletics track and field Center at Leonora and the Aquatic centre at Lilliendaal.

These were a few things we have managed to archive since Independence. One of the problems that all Governments face is that they never have enough money to all the things they would like to do.

Sugar was the King but the price went down and while we had gold and diamonds and Rice if we had the kind of money in the past we could have worked to build the institutions and facilities to creating the Coaching level much higher,” continued Reds who commentated on Boxing, Football, Hockey, Table Tennis, Basketball, Netball and Motor Racing.

When questioned that with more facilities and scholarships for Athletes than in the 1960s, 70s and even 80’s, the standard of most sports now have not improved as was expected.

Guyana 641-5 against Barbados when Fredericks, Butcher and Kanhai scored centuries in the first match after Independence still

Nigel-Codrington Football

June Griffith Athletics

remains Guyana’s highest First-Class total in 55 years, Mike Parris’ Bronze Medal in 1980 in the Moscow is Guyana’s only Olympic Medal in 41 years, Guyana’s best year in Football was back in 2006 when they won 11 consecutive matches, Aliann Pompey and Marian Burnett winning Medals at the Pan Am Games in 2010 was the last time Guyana Medalled at a prestige Event.

Red said that improved facilities and Scholarships programmes, which is still far behind places like T r i n i d a d & To b a g o , Barbados, Jamaica and the USA Virgin Islands, are all well and good but if you don’t have proper programming you are not going to get out of those facilities what you need get.

“In the Colonial times Guyana was rated with Jamaica and Trinidad and was far ahead of Barbados… the Cycling and Track and Field events we had at GCC was far ahead of anything in the Caribbean.

The late Barry Massey brought top Venezuelan, Trinidadian and Colombian Cyclists and our Cyclists held their own. Track & Field was of a very high standard.

But these facilities you are talking about have recently come and maybe you expect too much in a short period of time. I am not trying to be defence

L a w y e r, ” a d d e d t h e experienced Broadcaster.

According to Reds there are more distractions today than in the ‘old’ days.

“There are a lot of distractions now and young people have a lot more things they can do now.

Associations have to fight very hard to keep the young players in the sport, be it cricket, cycling, football, Basketball.

There were no TV, Internet, there was one Radio station… ZFY, no mobile phones, Facebook, whatsapp and so on. So the young people played sports for the love of it.

I played a bit cricket at the St Mary’s school, but is cricket played in primary schools now?” asked Reds, who made his Test debut as a commentator in 1971 when India toured the West Indies.

Reds said that once the Covid-19 is out of the way and the Carifta Games are held in Guyana next year then Guyana can attract scouts who would come to look for talent to take on scholarships to the high schools and Colleges.

“We do not have the amount of Guyanese on Athletic scholarships like most of the other Caribbean Countries.

We only had…I think …two Guyanese who played in the NBA…. one is Collison, the son of sprinter Shivnarine Chanderpaul scored the most runs by a Guyanese Cricket

George Braithwaite Table Tennis

Mike Parris won Guyana’s only Olympic Medal

June Griffith, but that’s as far as the NBA goes,” said Reds, who has done 145 Test matches between 1971 and 2005.

Red said that players like Sir Garfield Sobers, Rohan Kanhai and Lance Gibbs never made money from Cricket. That improved a bit when Clive Lloyd led West Indies in Kerry Parker series, adding, leagues like the CPL is putting millions of US dollars into the pockets of West Indians including Guyanese.

“In the past when we heard of a Minister of Sports in the Guyana Government it was a department of sports with that Minister being responsible for Education along with Culture, Youth and Sport, but now that has changed under Minister Charles Ramson who has his own Ministry and could focus more on one area.

When the next budget comes out I think sports will be allocated more money, especially with the Oil, than most of the Caribbean Islands including Jamaica (Continued on page 65)

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 30, 2021

PAGE 71

GCB U-19 Franchise 50-over cricket

Rain result in abandonment of 1st match Despite torrential which left several areas in Guyana under water yesterday, the Providence again showed why it is rated as the fastest drying surface in the Region when it hosted the first match in the GCB 50-over U-19 Franchise between Tropical Mist Falcons and General Marines Eagles.

Overnight and morning rain delayed the start by 35 minutes and caused a reduction of the seven over per side.

Falcons asked Eagles to bat in overcast conditions but after 6.3 overs with the score on 12 without loss with Jadon Campbell, who pulled pacer Jason Holder for four, on seven and Ricardo Ramdial on one, rain stopped play.

After a delay of two

hours and eight minutes, play restarted and overs were further reduced to 31 overs.

But a harder shower at 13:25hrs again forced the players off at 25 without loss in the 15th over with Campbell on 14 and Ramdial on five. The game was eventually called off at 15:00 hrs. The Tournament is proposed to be an annual event and will be conducted after the annual Inter-County Under-19 Tournaments. The Franchise Tournament will present a selected pool of talented players involved in a number of competitive trial matches.

The purpose of the Tournament, indicated that due to the fact that CWI was unable to host the Regional Under-19 Tournaments in 2020 and 2021, the

Chelsea beat Man City to win Champions League for the second time

Kai Havertz’s goal was his first in the Champions League. (Getty Images) BBC Sport - Chelsea won the Champions League for the second time with a fully deserved victory over Manchester City in the allPremier League confrontation in Porto.

Thomas Tuchel got the better of his Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola for the third time since succeeding sacked Frank Lampard in January to bring European club football’s biggest prize back to Stamford Bridge for the first time since 2012.

Kai Havertz, blossoming after a slow start to his Chelsea career, scored the winner three minutes before half-time when he collected a defence-splitting pass from Mason Mount to round City

goalkeeper Ederson and score.

It leaves City still searching for the Champions League, the trophy that has always eluded them, and Guardiola cannot escape scrutiny for his part in this defeat after taking a tactical gamble which backfired.

Guardiola surprisingly decided against utilising either Rodri or Fernandinho as a defensive midfielder, leaving City with a muddled game plan that reduced their effectiveness and rarely presented Chelsea with any problems.

Chelsea had the better opportunities throughout, Timo Werner wasting two good chances before Havertz (Continued on page 65)

Chelsea celebrate their Champions League triumph with trophy. (Getty Images)

executives of the GCB are of the view that such an Under19 Tournament (which is being live-streamed with commentary) will provide valuable feedback to the CWI selectors and relevant coaching staff on players’ ability and current form.

The second match in the three team tournament is scheduled from 10:00 hrs today at the same venue.

(Sean Devers)

The ground staff had a hectic day yesterday at Providence.