Kaieteur News

Govt.signsrentaldealforsecondpowership

The agreement to rent a powership”. of generating capacity to the second powership was The signing of the national grid” the ministry officially signed on agreement took place at while adding that the Wednesday, according to the GPL’s Duke Street office. remaining15megawattswill MinistryofFinance. GPL’s head, Kesh Nandlall be delivered in a second

In a statement the signed the contract with the phase. ministry said, “Senior Managing Director of the U C C H o l d i n g s Minister in the Office of the Americas, UCC Holdings Representative, Mr Neto P r e s i d e n t w i t h Mr AntonioNeto. assured that his company Responsibility for Finance

According to the will be mobilising as soon as and the Public Service, Dr ministry, it will supply an possible to have the second Ashni Singh and Minister additional 75 megawatts of powership deployed to withintheMinistryofPublic power to the national grid Guyana Guyana’s first Works. Mr Deodat Indar and will be “deployed to powership is being rented oversaw the signing of a Guyana in another month”. fromthesamecompanyfora second agreement between “The powership will be period of two years. That the Guyana Power and Light stationed in the Demerara contract was signed between Company (GPL) and UCC River and will in its first the GPL Inc. and UCI, a Holdings for a second phase, deliver 60 megawatts subsidiaryofUCCHoldings,

a company incorporated in the State of Qatar UCC Holdings reportedly has a strategic alliance with Karpowership International, aTurkishcompany

That deal is for some 36 megawatts of power Karpowership arrived in May and was set up at Everton, Berbice, Region Six. For the first vessel, Guyana had to pay a mobilization fee of US$1M to get the ship here and the contract, according to GPL, includes the provision of operation and maintenance services as part of the agreement The utility company had said then, “the contract requires GPLto pay UCI a fee of 6.62 US cents perkWhasamonthlycharter fee for the powership and a monthly operation and maintenance fee of 0.98 US cents per kWh, based on electricitygenerated.”

Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament and Former Minister of Public Works, David Patterson

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday last supply Guyana with power theAlliance For Change and revealed that government fortwoyearsandthecountry weassumeallGuyanesewho had selected the same willhavetosupplythevessel have to pay for the poor company for a second withfuelsoitcandoitsjob. decision making of the powership and noted that Meanwhile,Alliance For PPP… The cost associated some of the contract terms Change (AFC) Member of withthesetworentalsforour are similar to that of the first Parliament and Former country is tremendous ” deal. The second ship will Minister of Public Works, Cumulatively, he noted that David Patterson said that the Guyana will be paying daily decision to rent another rental of the 36 megawatts powership is a waste of power ship, the rental of the taxpayer’smoney first power-ship is being T h e A F C rented at GY$13.5 million parliamentarian noted that per day and the second one “The PPP’s management of would be GY$35.3 million this sector continues to be per day or a total of almost abysmal and of concern to GY$49millionperday

Deal signed for second power ship on Wednesday

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo

Regardless of a referendum, to consent to change oil deal ExxonM

Attorney General and proposing a referendum on itself says in about 10 type of investment that will contract want referendum Minister of Legal Affairs, an agreement they finalised clauses…that it cannot be conducetolargeinvestments now, they and the WPA. Anil Nandlall, SC, has without prior public altered unilaterally It can comingtoyourcountry.” They want to obfuscate the dismissed calls for a consultation or input from only be altered with consent

keyissues,theydon’twantto r

r e n d u m o n t h e thethenopposition. bybothparties,”theminister transparent governance, the talk about delivery of house ExxonMobil 2016 profit According to DPI, the said Acknowledging the government has publicised lots to people, fulfilling their sharing agreement (PSA), legal affairs minister unfavourable terms of the its standard PSA model dream of owning a home, labelling the proposal as describedtheAFC’spushfor

Further, all contracts signed they don’t want to talk about “politically driven” and “a public interference as Nandlall declared that the by the government going lower mortgage rates for wasteoftime.” “ r i d i c u l o u s ” a n d government will honour the forward will be done in people, they don’t want to Hiscommentsdifferfrom hypocritical, arguing that a

talk about assistance in thatofVicePresidentBharrat “they(AFC)hidthiscontract Guyana’s credentials as an established and critically building, like core homes or Jagdeowhohasnotaltogether for nearly two years without h

approvedPSAmodel. youngprofessionalhomes.” ruled out a vote on the telling the people of Guyana d

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall

Meanwhile, Jagdeo last He stressed that the lopsided contract, but instead that they have signed a renegotiation is made week at his weekly news opposition is not speaking insisted that he does not want contract that is perhaps the possible. c

about the expansion of to confuse citizens with such most important document By hono

g

he completely rule out the idea healthcare, the new water anexerciseatthistime ever signed in the history of agreement, Guyana will of having a referendum to 2025 elections. Jagdeo said treatment plants nor the iron A c c o r d i n g t o a Guyana.” solidify itself as a country renegotiate the 2016 oil deal thattheoppositionhasfound removalplantsandanumber Department of Public Moreover, he said that committed to respecting all but he told reporters that he a new cause to speak on and of other achievements of the

Information release, the legal framework of the internationalagreementsand wants the Guyana Elections this is the referendum. “So government but they are Nandlall speaking on his PSA explicitly states that it democratic principles Commission (GECOM) to one of the new causes… the desperatelylooking“tofind weekly programme “Issues cannot be altered without including the rule of law place its focus solely on the people who signed the 2016 (Continued on page 7) in the News,” Minister permission from both AccordingtotheAG,therule Nandlall criticised the parties, rendering any of law is imperative to Alliance For Change (AFC) referendum powerless

and Working People’s r

c “obeying the rule of law is Alliance (WPA) for sentiment. “The contract instrumental in creating the

Citizens invited to make objections or representation

…AS GPL SEEKS 15-YEAR EXTENSION OF LICENCE TO SUPPLY ELECTRICITY TO GUYANA

Guyana’s main electricity provider, the Guyana Power & Light (GPL), is seeking a 15-year extension of its licence to continue supplying electricity for public use and according to a notice, citizens are invited to make objections or representations to this exercise.

In a recent advertisement published in Kaieteur News, it was announced that GPL has submitted an application to the Office of year licence covering various electricitythe Prime Minister, who oversees the related services This included a nonelectricity sector, requesting the licence exclusive licence for electricity generation renewal. “Any person desirous of making (excluding hydropower) and an exclusive representationorobjectionstotheapplication licence for the transmission, distribution, maymakesametotheHon.PrimeMinisterat storage, sale, and purchase of electricity thefollowingaddresswithin30daysfromthe through agreements with independent power date of publication of this notice,” the producers. advertisementstated. The licence also authorised GPL to Objections can be directed to Prime install, maintain, repair, and operate Minister, Brigadier Mark Phillips at Lot 205 necessary equipment, including meters and Colgrain House, Camp Street, Georgetown, electric lines, and allowed exclusive use of withinthestipulated30-dayperiod. GPL’s infrastructure for telecommunications In October 1999, GPL was granted a 25- andotherpurposesforthe25-yearperiod.

KaieteurNews

PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS

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

EDITORIAL

World Diabetes Day

Today is “World Diabetes Day”. World Diabetes

Dayistheprimaryglobalawarenesscampaignof thediabetesworld.

Itwasintroducedin1991bytheInternationalDiabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO)inresponsetothealarmingriseindiabetesaround the world. Each year, millions of people contract diabetes andoverthreemilliondeathsareattributabletothedisease.

According to WHO World Diabetes Day provides an opportunity to raise awareness about diabetes as a critical globalpublichealthissueandemphasisesthecollectiveand individual actions needed to improve the prevention, diagnosisandmanagementofthecondition.

Thisyear’stheme,“BreakingBarriers,BridgingGaps,” according to the WHO underpins our commitment to reducing the risk of diabetes, and ensuring that all people who are diagnosed with diabetes have access to equitable, comprehensive,affordableandqualitytreatmentandcare.

According to the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) it is estimated that 62 million people in the Americas live with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) type2. This numberhastripledintheRegionsince1980anditestimates that it will reach 109 million by 2040, according to the Diabetes Atlas (9th edition). Prevalence has been rising more rapidly in low- and middle-income countries than in high-incomecountries.

Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation. Poorly controlled diabetes increases the chances of these complicationsandprematuremortality.Inaddition,people withdiabetesareathigherriskofpresentingcardiovascular diseases and tuberculosis, especially those with poor glycemic control. Globally, between 2000 and 2016, there was a 5% increase in premature mortality from diabetes. WhilenotappreciatedinGuyana,diabetesisoneofthemost commonchronicdiseasesofchildhoodandislabelledType 1asopposedtoType2.Type1diabetesisanauto-immune disease that cannot be prevented. In a 2022 speech Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony said that diabetes is a major health problem in Guyana since it affects 1 in 10 adults. This number, he admitted then can be higher since many Guyanesedonotundergoregularscreeningfordiabetes.He also said it is one of the leading causes of prematuredeath andillness. Whilediabetesanditscomplicationsarelargely preventable, prevention and management strategies are crucial to reduce morbidity and mortality and improving patientoutcomes. Therefore,earlydetectionisessentialfor managingdiabetes.

Government must be commended for its efforts in combatting this health challenge with the launch of the Lusignan Diabetes Comprehensive Centre. The centre providesaholisticapproachtothecareofdiabeticpatients and stymie the development of irreversible complications. Foot care management, eye care screening, laboratory testing, heart care management, endocrinology, kidney care,radiologyservices,dietaryandmentalcounsellingand physiotherapy and rehabilitated services are all offered, as part of the ministry’s effort to decrease the number of fatalitieslinkedtonon-communicablediseases.Thecentre alsosupportslaboratorytestingforallhealthfacilitiesalong the East Coast corridor So, as we observe another World DiabetesDay,weurgegovernmenttocontinuetodoallinits power to reduce the instances of fatalities caused by this non-communicabledisease.Stringenteffortsshouldalsobe made to prevent and delay diabetes especially among personswithpre-diabetes.

In addition, glucose monitoring should be supported, appropriateeducationandcomprehensivetelehealthshould be encouraged to support diabetes self-management. Healthy lifestyles to decrease diabetic risks should be also promoted. Also, on this day call on citizens to be more responsible and seek to educate themselves and to rigorouslyfollowtheadvicegivenbymedicalpractitioners.

Dangerous Precedent Set by the Minister of Local Government’s Spurious Utterances and Unlawful Interference in the City Council’s Business

DEARSIR, The recent strange statementbytheMinisterof Local Government and Regional Development, Ms. Sonia Parag against the Georgetown City Council’s decision to grant a 25% waiver on interest accrued on the rates of Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) stands as yet another glaring example of thegrowingtensionbetween local governance and the central government in this country (Local gov’t minister slams city over tax

SN/12/11/2024; Minister Parag blasts M&CC for unlawful 25% tax waiver to GT&TGC/12/11/2024).The Minister’s statement is not

bureaucraticoverreach,buta direct, very crude assault on the principles of separation of powers that underpin our fragiledemocracy

At the very core of this matter is the City Council’s

Communication formerly G T & T

company in Guyana, in an effort to ease its financial burden. The waiver was aimed at allowing the company to settle its outstanding taxes, an initiative that was both pragmatic and potentially beneficial to the city’s revenue stream. In fact, the City Council and GT&T have been discussing this m

considerable time Since

2016, under the then administration led by Town Clerk, Royston King, the company raised this matter with the council and intimated its concerns about the valuation of some of its properties,moreparticularly thepropertyat69Brickdam Georgetown. We agreed to h

e necessary valuation and to approach the relevant agencies and Government ministriestopleadtheircase. Thoseattemptsstraddledthe previous and current governmentsandthecurrent Minister should seek advice andcounselbeforegoingoff on such ill-advised frolic. Since that time, there was a commitment,bythecouncil, toallowthecompanytoseek

properties Recently, the

company met with the Mayor, members of the FinanceCommitteeandstaff of the City Treasurer’s Department to find a way forwardandasolutiontothis issue. Section 228 (1) (a), (b), (2) and (3) of the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chap. 28:01, confer authority on the council to review the rating status of such properties, in its rating district, in that context. The company has obtained a revaluation of those properties in question, andthecouncilhasagreedto review,andgrantawaiverof 25% of interest accrued; the company will pay the demand and 75% of all interests accrued on that particularproperty

Also,Imustpointout

(Continuedonpage06)

Ali, Phillips and Jagdeo are

Guyana’s most capable leaders

DEAREDITOR, Undoubtedly, under the steadfast and skillful leadership of President Dr Irfaan Ali, Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips and Vice President Dr Bharat Jagdeo, Guyana has attained the fastest growing economy in just four years with the highest GDP growth rate in the world Indeed, Guyana’s massive oil production which is responsible for mostoftheGDPgrowthrate has transformed the country from South America’s dark horse to the most relevant, influential and high-ranking country in the Western Hemisphereandperhapsthe world.

Since taking office four years ago, our distinguished and most accomplished leadershavebeenconstantly focusing on developing the country, improve the wellbeing of the people and building a modern and dynamic infrastructure like the state-of-the-art health care facilities, first-rated schools, transformative roads, marine and aerial projects They are also planning to build other staggering mega projects such as the $500 million deepseawaterportexpected to complete in late 2025. Designed to accommodate large and extra-large cargo vessels, the deep-water sea port, according to several experts could potentially

playasignificantandcrucial role in managing the threat of flooding, especially on the coastal areas, including the capital city of Georgetown, due largely to theongoingthreatofGlobal warning.

His Excellency Dr Ali has asserted that his administration is also makinghugeinvestmentsin airport infrastructure at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport at Timehri, the country’s premier international aerodrome The airport expansion project represents the c o u n t r y ’s l a rg e s t construction endeavour to datewithaheftypricetagof approximately $1.5 billion andacompletiondateinlate 2025. Once finished, the expanded Cheddi Jagan International Airport will have the capacity to accommodate roughly 4.5 millionpassengersannually, which is a substantial increase from the current capacity of 1 5 million passengers per year This ambitious airport expansion project includes the construction of a new terminal building, an air trafficcontroltower,andthe lengtheningoftherunwayto accommodatelargeaircrafts suchastheBoeing747-400.

President Dr Ali, PM Phillips and VP Dr Jagdeo continue to broaden the country’s horizon with the building of a new four-lane

DemeraraHarbourBridgeat an estimated cost of $150 million This expansion project is not just about forging connections, but also linking the country’s twolargestcitiesanditstwo biggest economic power centers.

Thebridgeisexpectedto play a pivotal role in Guyana’s infrastructure landscapebypavingtheway for increase traffic flow to and from Georgetown The President continues to raise the bar in Guyana with the construction of the LindenLethemRoad,amonumental projectandthefirstofitskind that would link the bustling town of Linden to Lethem, the gateway to Guyana’s Rupununi Savannah The Linden-Lethem highway Roadprojectisnotjustabout connecting two towns deep into the interior, but it is about unlocking a world of economic opportunities that would benefit all Guyanese, regardless of race, ethnicity orpartyaffiliation.

Another transformative road project is the Bartica highwaywhichwillconnect the mining town of Bartica to the rest of the country This road project will revolutionize regional transportation, drastically reducetraveltimeandfoster economic activity and trade within the regions. When completed,theBarticaRoad projectisexpectedstimulate massive economic growth,

create thousands of jobs whichwillpositivelyimpact the well-being of countless Guyanesecitizens.

Itisimportanttomention that President Dr Ali’s administration is way ahead of the game with the buildingofanewhospitalin Region Six, which is poised to enhance, modernize and improve healthcare in the regionforitsmorethan110, 000 residents. And in a targeted effort to diversify the agriculture sector and create new economic opportunities, His Excellency, Dr Irfaan Ali with support from PM Phillips and VP Dr Jagdeo, launchedtheSpecialtyCrop Production Project with specific emphasis on high value crops, and a diverse range of fruits and vegetables.Thisprojectwill have the potential to generatesignificantrevenue for farmers and establish Guyana as the food basket for the Caribbean By fostering the production of the high value crops, the project is not only aimed at increasing the country’s agriculture output, but also create a multitude of employment opportunities across the country Many believe that in the next five years, these transformative projects will no doubt elevate Guyana into a developednationstatus.

Sincerely, Dr.AsquithRose

Thank God for Stabroek News and Kaieteur

News who in spite of threats are freeing us from impending bondage

DEAREDITOR,

In any society emerging out of the ravages of

imperial domination, colonial exploitation and polarisation, the Minister, and Ministry responsible forYouth,Sport&Culture

has a powerful and enabling role to play in harmonising a nation to bring light where there

was darkness and understanding to the spell of many myths created over the past several generationsinGuyana

Cash grant will serve as a vital support to citizens

Whenayoungman,Joel Adams, loses his life at the government owned and controlledNationalAquatic Centreandnoonesofarhas offeredanexplanation,why a group of young persons are taken to the swimming pool with inadequate trained personnel to ensure theirsafety

This constitutes as a l a y m a n c r i

negligence, but no one is madeaccountable

W

Ministry sets out to

Football Competition played by a particular group of young men, we are guilty of violating a dream of those men and women, who sought to

colonial society Dr Jagan, Hubert Nataniel C

So, when we have the Director of the Burrowes School of Art being confronted by a person with racially explicit remarks is a serious matter and when as is now evident, this matter is brought to the attention of the highest official in the Ministry of Youth Sport & Culture and the issue is being swept under the carpet, we are violating the intent of our foundingfathersandthose whose struggle against r a c i s m a n d discrimination.

It’s time for the salary of police officers be revised

DEAREDITOR

I know police officers have come under criticism for breaches. However, I would not paint all with the samebrush.Itisnotaneasy life for police officers many ofwhomfacethreatstotheir life and some have died in the performance of their duties.

Ever so often, Police Officers are transferred to other locatio

d sometimes into the interior Under those circumstances, they must support themselves and their homes and this is obviously difficult.Also cost-of-living in the interior is far higher than on the coast. It is time weappreciatethat$100,000 can in no way be adequate compensation. It is time the salary of the police be revised with the lower bracket receiving a far h

allowance given to the policewhohastoworkaway from home and especially thosewhoareliveininterior

substantiallyincreased. When citizens have a

Martyrs, Forbes Burnham

a

be shedding tears for what is taking place in our society today.

Dear Editor, this situation is worsened by a group of businessmen and the nouveau riche who seem to have a disdain for the poor in keeping with the well-oiled propaganda machine

Thank God for the i

and Kaieteur News, who have in spite of threats sought to free us from impending bondage.

HamiltonGreen Elder

DEAREDITOR, I write to express my heartfelt gratitude to the government of Guyana, and specifically to President Honourable Dr Irfaan Ali, for the thoughtful initiative ofprovidinga$100,000cash grant to all adult Guyanese. Thisinitiativeisanexcellent one, especially considering the financial strain many peopleexperienceatthestart of the year The grant will undoubtedly serve as a vital support to numerous households, helping to cushion the challenges of January However, I wish to bringtolightaconcernregarding the distribution of this grant, particularlyforthoseofuswho are currently overseas I am a Guyanese on a six-month trainingprogrammeabroadand willnotbereturningtoGuyana untilearlyApril2025.AsIam

problem,itisthepolicethat they call. I call upon the administration to address this issue so that the police can earn a living wage. The police do not have a union, so someone needs to speak outontheirbehalf.

Sincerely

RajendraBisessar

sure there are many other Guyaneseinsimilarsituations,it islikelythatasignificantnumber of citizens will be unable to collectthegrantinJanuarydueto being outside the country for work, education, or other reasons Inlightofthis,Irespectfully inquire if there will be any provision for those who are unabletocollectthegrantduring the initial distribution period Specifically, will it be possible for individuals to visit a government office or relevant ministry upon their return to Guyana, armed with proper identification,toclaimthegrant? Alternatively, will there be a

phaseddistributionsystemthat allows for those who are abroadtocollectthegrantata laterdate?

I am confident that many Guyanese in similar circumstances would greatly appreciate any consideration the government could give to this issue, as it would ensure that all citizens have equal access to this much-needed support Thank you for your time and attention to this matter, and I look forward to hearing from the relevant authorities on this important issue

Yourssincerely, MichaelHaley

DangerousPrecedentSetbytheMinisterofLocalGovernment’s...

Frompage04 thatthiscompany(andthere are others) has been a good corporatecitizentothecity I recallthat,formanyyears,it paid its taxes in advance of thestipulatedtaxpayperiod, to help the council fulfill its financial and other obligations to its employees and its citizens, in local communities.

However, statements attributedtotheMinister,on this matter, were swift, and dismissive, signaling a concerning trend in the government’s handling of localgovernmentissues.The character, scope and tone of t h o s e s t a t e m e n t s demonstratenotonlythatthe Minister has no knowledge of the history of this matter but also, she has been misinformed,misguided,isa rookie and therefore, cannot appreciatethedecisionofthe council.Itisunfortunatethat the Minister rushed to make spurious statements without knowing all the facts involvedinthismatter

Worse, the Minister seems unbothered and unconcerned about the potential damage of her inaccurate statements to causereputationaldamageto thatcorporation.Ishudderto think - what is happening in local governance (Towns, NDC’S and even village councils) if this is the way,

this particular minister is approachingotheraspectsof herofficialassignments.

This is not the first time that the incumbent regime has attempted to interfere in theCityCouncil’sdecisions.

Citizens would recall that a few months ago, when the council attempted to grant amnesty to defaulting businesses that a certain minister attempted to prevent us from moving forward with that assistance forlocalbusinesses.Itwasa complete violation of our collectiverightandauthority as a municipality This patternofinterference,inthe internal affairs of the council, is becoming increasingly evident and speaks volumes about the wider political intentions behind such dictatorial actionsbyministers.

In any democratic system, the separation of powers is not just a theoretical concept but a crucial practice that ensures nosingleentityorbranchof government holds excessive control over the State apparatus.

Local governments, including the city council, are ELECTED bodies with specific mandates to govern within their jurisdictions

The City Council of Georgetown, like all local authorities,isaccountableto

the people it serves who

s constitutionally empowered tomakedecisionsonmatters that affect the welfare of its

government through its

authority to themselves whichtheydon’thave! F

government to repeatedly attempt to, and, at times, actually intervene in local decision-making is not only

underminestheveryessence of local autonomy It raises questionsabouttheextentto w

government is willing to

independent action by local authorities, especially those that may not align with the broader national political agenda. By attempting to prevent the City Council from offering concession/s to a local company, individual or citizen, the government is effectively eroding the local authority’s capacity to manage its affairs. This is a dangerous pathtotread.

If local governments are unable to make decisions independently then they becomemereappendagesof the central government, devoid of the authority and autonomy necessary to function effectively

Perhaps, this is what the government wants but I promiseitwouldberesisted. This would facilitate domination and control by the government and its agents of every facet of our country Such interference

not only harms the immediate financial interests of local businesses but also weakens the trust betweenelectedofficialsand the people who put them in office.

However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that thegovernment’sactionsare part of a subtle plan to control, undermine, and discredittheCityCouncil.In a democracy, there is room fordisagreementanddebate, b u t t h e c o n s t a n t undermining of the City Council’s autonomy signals a troubling desire by the central government to assert its dominance in every aspectofgovernance.

Perhaps, even more troubling is the apparent contradiction in the government’s stance. While it has consistently been willing to grant major tax breaks and concessions to foreign companies, especially those in the oil and gas sector, when it comes to local businesses, particularlythosethatarenot part of the government’s preferred corporate class, it seems to act with a different setofrules.

Thegovernmentisquick to offer generous tax reliefs

and incentives to multinational corporations.

Yet, it appears very unwilling to extend similar

courtesies to local

businesses, even in situations where such assistance would be in the interest of the city and its residents This dual

environment of inequality, where local businesses are made to struggle while foreigncompaniesaregiven preferential treatment. The City Council’s decision to grantataxwaivertoGT&T–a local company - should be seen as a measure aimed at supportingkeyplayersinthe economy But instead, the government’s reaction suggests a deliberate effort to stifle local business growth, further deepening the divide between foreign andlocaleconomicinterests.

An important question that citizens should ask is: why is the government so determined to prevent the City Council from assisting local businesses? Is this an ideological move designed to keep local governance weak and malleable, or is it simply a calculated effort to embarrassandneutralizethe CityCouncil?

Whatevertheanswer,the reality is that such actions harm the city’s economic prospects and further entrench the central government’s control over mattersthatshouldbeinthe handsoflocalofficials.

The City Council’s decision to waive some of GT&T’s interest charges may not have been without complexities, but it was a decision made with the intention of supporting a local business and generating revenue for the city. Statements by the minister, therefore, sends a chilling message not only to thecitycouncilbutalsotoall local governments: that any attempt to take independent action or support local businesses will be met with public negative statements and resistance from the centralgovernment.

Finally, the Minister stated:“Thisdecisioncomes

at a time when the Council continuously laments its financial woes and requests bailouts from Central Government,…”

As Mayor, I have to say categorically that this council has never asked the incumbentgovernmentfora bailout; we asked that government pay its taxes to thecity

Ifwearebuildingatruly democraticsociety,wemust support and protect the independence of local governancestructures.Local governments must have freedom to make decisions that best serve the interests of their constituents without fear of retribution or interferencefromthecentral government. Utterances by theMinisteronthismatteris a worrying sign of a government more interested in consolidating power than in supporting the autonomy oflocalgovernance. It is a reminder of the needtodefendtheprinciples of democracy and the separation of powers, which ensure that no branch of governmentcandominateor dictatetheactionsofanother The government’s ongoing practice of granting concessions to foreign corporations, while denying local businesses the same level of support, only underscores the growing disparity between the interests of multinational entities and the needs of Guyana’s small and medium-sized enterprises. In this environment, local businesses are left to struggle, while the government continues to bend over backwards for foreigninvestors.

Yourstruly,

AlfredMentore,J.P Mayor of the City of Georgetown

resilience in the road

infrastructure, investing in mitigation as a development climate resilient design opportunity,

New study reveals significant deficiencies in Caribbean infrastructure

drainage systems or coastal infrastructure (adaptation), protectionmeasures. investing in institutions and

A comprehensive study The study: ‘Sustainable Knowledge at CAF, the examined in the report, Access to water across regional cooperation and conducted across fifteen Pathways: Addressing consequences of climate consistent and worrying the region was relatively integration It encourages Caribbean territories by Infrastructure Needs in the change for the region are gaps were discovered. In good However, the Caribbean SIDS make an CAF–DevelopmentBankof Caribbean’, is the first of its “severe.” It compared the energy, there was a high percentage of non-revenue

Latin America and the kind dedicated exclusively impactofnaturaldisasterson reliance on fossil fuels, with water(waterthatislostinthe renewable energy and Caribbean has revealed to the Caribbean, CAF said the Caribbean to the impact only15% coming from process of delivery to resilient infrastructure to significant deficiencies in inapressrelease.Itwasdone on South America and renewable sources. Across households) is 45%. “That is mitigate the impacts of the region’s infrastructure, to help tackle the deficiency CentralAmericabetweenthe the 15 territories, barring huge,” according to Dr

emphasising the need for ofdataontheCaribbean.The period 2010 - 2024. The Trinidad and Tobago and Frisancho, because there is a economic vulnerabilities c l i m a

s i l i e n t findingswillsupportleaders, Caribbean lost 260 times the Suriname, citizens faced highcostassociatedwiththis Recommendations include investments. p

number of people (loss of high energy costs as a result and it speaks to inefficiency leveraging the region’s high W

C a

i b b e a n development partners in lives) during that period, with unreliable service and in the water distribution solar and wind potential to countries disproportionately making decisions about although it experienced frequentinterruptions. systems in the region reduce energy costs and vulnerable to the impacts of climate resilience initiatives, fewer natural disasters. The I n t h e a r e a o f Successful examples from reliance on imports, and climate change, these gaps understanding resource number of people left transportation, the findings the Bahamas and Jamaica in investing in resilient hinder efforts at building scarcity constraints, h o m e l e s s w a s

show the region is facing reducing water losses infrastructure despite higher

s t economic diversification staggering at 471, 407. Total d e t e r i o r a t i n g r o a d demonstrate the potential for initialcosts,asitofferslong-

environmental shocks. The opportunities and unlocking damageintheCaribbeanwas infrastructure, which is significant cost savings and term economic benefits and preliminary findings were critical financing. CAF was also twelve times that of the directly linked to higher improved efficiency CAF is cost savings. Strengthening

or deliberate in extending the comparative regions at USD numbers of road fatalities currently working closely regulatory frameworks and C

b e a n a n d scope of thestudy beyond its 126.5billion.Forarelatively when compared to Latin with the Barbados Water promoting digital literacy Commonwealth Secretariat shareholder countries, small region, it cost USD Americaaswellasincreased Authority on a water are also crucial to ensure officials in London, during a recognising that these issues 17.8 billion to rebuild after congestion. rehabilitation project to efficientservicedeliveryand symposium organised by affect all Caribbean disasters during the same The region’s roads are reduce water loss and the promotion of innovation. CAF, in partnership with the countries. The study focused period, a similar cost to that also deteriorating at an improve delivery to more Thecompletereportwillbe Commonwealth Secretariat o n f i v e a r e a s – o f S o u t h A m e r i c a accelerated pace due to the than80,000citizens. published in the first andtheAntiguaandBarbuda transportation, energy, Restrictive access to impactofclimateshocksand The report has four main quarterof2025. High Commission to the water, sanitation, and financial markets was found insufficient standards. There United Kingdom titled telecommunications. to be a key contributor to the is some good news, as the Accelerating Collective According to the report, infrastructure deficiencies in report found that Barbados, Action in Support of presented by Dr Veronica theCaribbean. Jamaica and Trinidad and Caribbean SIDS. Frisancho, Manager of In some of the categories Tobago are incorporating

Regardlessofareferendum,ExxonM...

From page 3 should not be examined Reality–response to Ram & condemned that very deal, some issue to mobilise separately from the McRae’s Survey,’ Ram said now sitting comfortably in themselvesaround.SoIhear government’s “political that theVice President has no office, embracing that same it’sreferendumnottheywant social contract” with the power to decide whether arrangement and accepting to talk about referendum on citizensofGuyana. Guyanese can have a t

thing…this is the same party For its part, the Alliance referendum. “Let us be clear: teaspoon?” that signed the 2016 ForChange(AFC)saidittoo it is not within any VP’s T h e i s s u e o f a agreement.” The VP made it supports calls for a power to decide whether referendum comes amid the clear that his government referendum on the deal. Guyanese can have a government and opposition willnotbecaughtinthattrap Chairmanoftheparty,David referendum.TheConstitution stubbornly refusing to as “GECOM must focus on Patterson in response to a establishes referendums as a demand changes to the preparing for the 2025 question posed by Kaieteur democratic tool, with such contract to include among elections…They would love News made it clear that the decisions resting with the other things ring-fencing tohaveGECOMorsomeone AFC believes that a National Assembly and the provisions, a higher royalty else particularly GECOM referendum should be held President, not with a party and for the company to pay divert their attention to prior to the 2025 elections. official, however high up taxes. something else. We are not However, Patterson made it While Mr Jagdeo is the Areferendum is a general fallingintothattrapatall.So clear that oil and gas is not General Secretary of the vote by the electorate on a that’stheonlythingthatthey the lone issue that requires a rulingparty,heisnoteventhe single political question that cancomeupwithrightnow.” referendum. First Vice President – that hasbeenreferredtothemfora

On November 5, the He pointed to the need to position belongs to Brigadier direct decision Lall Kaieteur News reported that make amendments to certain Mark Phillips by virtue of his acknowledging that several the Working People’s clauses in the Constitution positionasPrimeMinister” citizenshavebeencallingfor Alliance (WPA) said that it and those proposed A d d i t i o n a l l y , renegotiation said, if supports the call for a amendmentsshouldbeputto businessman, and advocate Guyanese truly want the referendum on the 2016 oil avoteviaareferendum. for a better oil deal, Glenn contract to change, then it contract with ExxonMobil Inadditiontothepolitical Lall also joined calls for the must come from them ahead of the 2025 General parties,severalcommentators referendum. Lall told this “From all of us. It is crystal and Regional Elections. The and ordinary citizens newspaper that the nation clear that none of the WPA said too while it does supported the call for a cannot sit silently and watch country’s three main not oppose such move, “we referendum Chartered ExxonMobil, with the full political parties are going to strongly feel that such a Account and lawyer, support of the government lift a finger to make the referendum must also cover ChristopherRamweighingin and other leaders, haul away changes we so desperately the distribution of the oil on the matter has said that “our oil by the barrel, while need—togiveusourrightful resources to the people and a Jagdeo is looking for excuses handing us our share by the share by the barrel rather form of governance to be to downplay calls for a teaspoon.” He added: “how than by the teaspoon Why adopted as we transition into r e f e r e n d u m o n t h e can we stay quiet, knowing won’ttheyact?YouandIboth a petro state,” Dr David renegotiation of the country’s that the PNC/AFC sold us know the answer to that, and Hinds co-leader of the party oil contract with U S oil outwithsuchalopsideddeal we cannot allow this betrayal said.” The party is of the giant, ExxonMobil In a and still keep on smiling to continue into another view that the issues are recent column published in through it all? How can we election The time has come interrelatedandthereforethe the Stabroek News titled, keep living with our mouths to demand our rightful share government’s contract with ‘ R e n e g o t i a t i o n s , shut, watching the PPP, who by demanding a referendum ExxonMobil and its partners R e f e r e n d u m s , a n d once criticised and onthisoilcontract ”

Eight years later, motion scales still to be delivered – AG Report

The Auditor General (AG) Deodat Sharma in his recently released 2023 Report has flagged the still undelivered motion scales more than eight years since paymentsweremade.

The purchase was made by the then Ministry of Public Infrastructure under the previous government. The AG Report detailed that the ministry had paid a contractor $72.264M tosupplyanddeliverthreemotionscaleswithin ninetydaysofsigningthecontract.Itwasexplainedthatthe supplier received the entire contract sum ($72M) in 2016, contrary to the contractual terms of 50% advance payment withinthirtydaysofsigningthecontractandthebalanceon delivery

Now eight years after the payment, the scales are yet to be delivered, Auditor General stated that according to the ministry“duetodelaysinclearingthescales,theitemswere still at the wharf. Moreover, there were issues with the payment of Value Added Tax to the Guyana Revenue Authority.”

The Report mentioned that the ministry wrote the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation seeking assistance to resolve the issue. “The ministry enquiredfromLaparkanaboutthestatusofthescalesaftera fire destroyed its wharf in January 2022. At the time of reporting in September 2024, the matter is engaging the attentionoftheCourt,”theAGrevealed.

Meanwhile, in bringing the matter to closure, theAudit Office recommended that the Public Works Ministry continuetofollow-upwiththeMinistryofLegalAffairs. On the subject matter, Kaieteur News had reported that the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, had moved to the High Court over the three Mettler Toledo weight-in-motion scales that the former Government, through the then Ministry of Public Infrastructure, had purchased in 2016 but were never delivered.

ItwasreportedthattheAttorneyGeneralsuedformer (Continued on page 9)

Poor Power Planning (PPP)

Planning has long been the PPP/C government’s pride and joy The PPP/C touts it at rallies, in press releases,andonthelipsofits ministers It’s the crown jewel of policy, the steady hand on the wheel, and the hallmarkofafuture-proofed nation.

Butaseriesofeventshas revealed an uncomfortable truth. For all the PPP/C’s posturing and projections, the planning machine has serious kinks in its gears. Themostglaringevidenceof this comes in the form of electricity—specifically, the fact that the country is once again relying on a foreign power ship to fill a critical energygap.

If power were a mere convenience, this predicament might be forgiven But energy, as everyone knows, is the lifeblood of industry, development, and everyday

life. It is the invisible force that keeps factories humming,homeslit,andthe machinery of society in motion.

And yet, here we were earlier this year facing an energy-shortfall-induced blackout streak along the coast.Thespateofblackouts was arrested only by bringing in a stopgap solution in the form of an expensive Turkish power ship.Theironyisasthickas the humid, dark nights of p o w e r o u t a g e s A government, eager to praise itself for “planning prowess,”hasfallenintothe very trap that true planners avoid. It failed to see far enoughahead.

This isn’t the first time thegovernmenthashadtogo out on a limb to avoid an energy crisis. One would expect that after a near miss or several steps would be taken to avoid a

repeat.Lessonsaresupposed to be learned, contingencies put in place. The sight of officialsinnegotiationsover another 75 megawatts of imported electricity would suggest otherwise. It’s not only the capacity that’s lacking here but also the foresight.Onecan’thelpbut wonder if those at the helm areassurprisedastherestof uswhenthesedeficitsarise.

Planning requires both vision and execution. But whenitcomestothepresent government, both seem to have taken a back seat to otherventures,mostnotably the ambitious gas-to-shore project This venture, heralded as the great hope for sustainable energy independence, has consumed money, time and attention And rightly so perhaps! But while energy initiatives are essential for thelong-term,theymustnot come at the expense of

Eight years later, motion scales still...

Frompage8

Minister of Public

Infrastructure, David Patterson, then Permanent Secretary (PS), Balraj

B a l r a m , a n d

Engineer/Manager LawrenceMentis.

The Attorney General also sued Nevpro Realization

Limited, a Jamaican company for breach of contractbyfailingtodeliver thescales.

This publication reported too that on November 1, 2016, the then

Ministry invited suppliers through the National Competitive Bidding and Restricted Tendering method of procurement, to bid for the procurement of 14differentLotsofspecified goods, which included the motionscales.

El Dorado Trading, a local company was listed as the only bidder for the supply and delivery of the scales,andthecompanyhad made a bid of $10,200,000. However, the company was disqualified from the tender

procedure.

Minister Nandlall had further noted in the court document that instead of using the correct method of inviting suppliers to bid for the supply and delivery of the scales, PS Balram entered into a contract with the Jamaican company for the supply and delivery of the said scales, despite the company never being formally invited to bid for the contract in accordance with the provisions of the ProcurementAct.

DEM BOYS SEH

Karaoke Konfusion

Dem boys she, deh got a new talent craze in de land. Everybody and dem cousin tunin’up dem throat to be de next Whitney Houston or Engelbert Humperdinck, or as dem does seh, “de GuyaneseWhitney”or“Engel-badHumpy-ting.”

Awhole karaoke fever tekkin’over de place, like everybody just suddenly discover dat dem coulda been big-time stars – if only de world did recognize dem “hiddentalent.”

Now,someo’deseladiesreallybelieve dem voice sweeter than sugar cake. Dem doesgrabdatmicrophonean’beltouttune like dem in Radio City Music Hall – but when dem voice start rassle up, is like de tune crawlin’ back inside! De way dem doespitchupdenotes,itcouldresurrectde dead–nottomentiongivedelivin’asmall heart attack. Last week, a woman in Kitty sing a song so off-key, a man duck and coverlikehewasdodgingbullets.

Anddemmen!Boy,demdehinaworld allbydemself Gotsomeahdemwhobelieve dem is Luciano Pavarotti reincarnate You

present needs. And what is the present need? Quite simply, enough power to keep the country running. Theadage“abirdinthehand is worth two in the bush” comes to mind, and the government appears to have chasedthetwobirdswithout securingtheoneinitsgrasp.

Moretroublingstillisthe fact that this stopgap electricityisexpensive.This is no negligible factor; the additional 75 MW, secured at a considerable tariff. The GPL will have to distribute thispowerusingitsagedand rickety transmission lines. And while short-term a r r a n g e m e n t s a r e understandable, it’s hard to escape the notion that reliance on high-cost emergency measures points to deeper flaws in the planningprocess.

One cannot help but recall the ill-fated Skeldon Sugar Factory a grand project marred by

mechanical missteps and lackluster output, resulting in more headaches than harvests. The gas-to-shore project looms with a similar grandeur, a promise that demands impeccable planningandexecutionifit’s toavoidthesamefate.There is hope, yes, that it will deliverthebountyofenergy independence But hope alone cannot keep a city alight, nor can it prevent the nation from plunging into future blackouts if the next plan is no more than a patchwork of short-term fixes.

shouldseedem!Shirtbuttondownhalfway, chesthairpuffout,eyebrowsraise,an’face twistuplikedemreadytoknockoutahigh note

Onlyproblemis,whendenotecomeout, itsoundlikeafrogstrugglin’toswimouta bucket But don’t tell dem dat – dem does thinkdecrowdjumpin’up‘causedemvoice movin’ people, when really de crowd just shakin’widlaughter

But all fun aside, dem boys seh dat karaoketurnintodenewpastimeinGuyana Peoplenotgoin’outfuhmoviesorconcerts nomore–everybodygoin’outfuhkaraoke Somedoesgofuhde“talenttest,”tryingto see if dem could mek a cut as de next big superstar Derest,demgoin’justtoseeifdey could survive de serenade widout bustin’a laugh It’slikeafreecomedyshowwherede punchlineisalwaysouttatune

An’lemmetellyuh,karaokeisnojoke–peoplerealserious.Onemanbringheown special mic, say he voice too “powerful” fuhderegularone.Whenhedone,deonly tingpowerfulwasdesilencedatfollow! Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

It’snotjustaquestionof resource allocation or budgetary constraints; it’s about a commitment to an adaptable and resilient energystrategy,onethatsees beyond the political cycle and into the heart of what citizens need Sound planning,asanyengineeror economist will tell you, doesn’t only focus on the horizon. It fortifies what’s closeathand.Itensuresthat the nation can keep moving forward without being tripped by the inevitable unknownsthatlitterthepath ahead So, as the lights flicker on along the coast, poweredbyashipfromhalf a world away, one wonders what lesson the government haslearned.Aretheyalready thinking ahead to the next crisis, or is there an unspoken acceptance that they can always summon another power ship, regardless of the cost of doingso?

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

Things that amuse, alarm also

A different note is being dull the unrelenting and wrapping of the right colour insulted by all those vehicles not know about climate struck today A lighter one, unforgivingglareateenybit. tint? Indeed, I readily parading as though they are change? So, will somebody and bustle. The hunger and which has its serious sides. Iftheskincan’tgetmuch acknowledge that Guyana is hearses going about the do a favour and explain why fireinthebelly Ah,thegood Passing by, looking on, by way of relief, then the a thoroughly corrupt

business that funeral vehicle windows are up at 5 ole days of Manhattan and listening occasionally, there eyes will take whatever they country, which means many parloursdo. in the morning and never Boston and all over the are these situations from couldget. Ontheotherhand, people likely guilty of one At last check, they still goes down, while air world,ifIrecallwell. Where everyday Guyanese life that the mischievous part of me white collar felony or dealt in death, so that makes conditioner are blasting at are the Guyanese workers? have become inseparable ponders a question. Are another, if not dozens of sensefortheblindsandother high levels? Vehicle air They are still in bed, fooling aspects of the domestic theresomanyGuyanesewho them. There are tints for dark screening upholstery conditioners at all hours and themselves that they are norm. Many now take them operate in the open, but are protection and privacy But Darkness (getaway cars) and not boom blasters. It seems South America’s Kuwaitis, for granted. I don’t. For criminals behind those tints? of this, let there be neither death have long been

with armies of hardy there could be so much more How is it that so many find it quibbling nor quarrel: tints brothersundertheskin. And developed a permanent economic migrants to do all thanwhatmeetstheeye. necessarytoseekthelayered couldalsoservethepurposes when official runaway allergy to fresh air, and the the heavy lifting for them. When was the last time protection offered by the of evasion and condoning of corruption is placed on the openair It’snotonlyExxon Oil has taken over local that a vehicle was seen that darkest tints to be found this criminality Now that acting scale, now the first glimmers flaring into the atmosphere heads, introducing a level of was not as black as the deep side of the Atlantic? What CommissionerofPolice,Mr of understanding arrive with uninhibited abandon. complacency that is both inside of Guyana’s jungles? do they all have to hide? Clifton Hicken has put the through the clouds about the Guyanese are busy making recklessanddangerous. Cars, SUVS, small trucks, Who are they hiding from: Leonora sound situation to need, the insistence, that t

Too many Guyanese are buses, are all sporting some the police? The loan shark? sleep, with an able assist there be this proliferation of Somebody just whispered notlethargicaboutgettingup degree of tint. Dark tint. What about once friendlier from Attorney General tintsonvehicles. Ithinkthat that I must not forget carbon and going alone. Almost all Impenetrable tint. Private private lenders? The N a n d l a l l , I w o u l d tints are as good a defence as sink But because this

owned vehicles and public windowsnevercomedown. recommend that he turns his can be excavated relative to country’s leaders have manifesting the passion that ones owned by the State are Nor do the Guyana precious time and attention the right not to incriminate already flushed themselves is part and parcel of the heavy presences in the Police Force seem to be tothetintcondition. Toputit oneself. For the edification downitspipes,doesn’tmean inheritors of a great natural national caravan. Sure, the unduly troubled? Have f l a t l y , i f I w e r e of friend and foe alike, I that regular citizens must resource patrimony The sun is scorching, so there is those rules also been put in commissioner of police (of don’t drive a tinted vehicle play follow the leader expectation is that the that consideration, helps to storage,andalsowithathick anything), I would be (don’tevenownone). There Guyanese are smarter than benefits of ownership will is nothing to hide, which this, and how smart is about come without a finger lifted. f a c i l i t a t e s t w o tobehighlighted. The foreigners flocks and developments. First, I can It is dawn on any Guyanese sit back. With the express any clean, sharp workday of the week, and comfort of a fat and lasting t h o u g h t , w h a t e v e r there they are. The only bankroll to their names, all conscience dictates, before people moving with energy this would be amusing Excellencies Ali, Jagdeo, and determination on the Since that’s still a slippery, Nandlall and others streets are foreigners shifty dream, this is among Second, it gives them and Venezuelans Brazilians thethingsthatarealarming. their people ample Men and women in small (The views expressed in opportunitytotargetme. clusters. I would know that this article are those of the Next, has oil replaced quickness and firmness of a u t h o r a n d d o n o t blood in Guyanese heads? step, that dedicated walking, necessarily reflect the Haven’t they heard about anywhere in the world. It is opinions of this newspaper.) global warming? Do they an immigrant’s one. Hustle

Exxonproduced500millionbarrels ofoilfromStabroekBlock

- Company says

The operator of the of its share. Guyana receives S t a b r o e k B l o c k , a 2% royalty; it allows ExxonMobil Guyana Exxonanditsco-venturersto Limited (EMGL) on recover up to 75% of Wednesday announced that production costs before the it has reached 500 million remaining 25% is shared barrels of oil produced since between Guyana and the starting up production here Stabroek Block partners fiveyearsago. After accounting for the 2%

The Stabroek Block is royalty, cost recovery, and estimated to hold some 11.6 profit sharing, Guyana’s billion barrels of oil total take from the oil equivalent.The U.S oil giant produced is 14.5% of the holds 45% interest in the totalvalueoftheoil. block, while its partners

President Alistair Routledge

The first three projects –Hess Guyana Exploration Liza Phase 1, Liza Phase 2 Ltd. and CNOOC Petroleum and Payara are averaging Guyana Limited hold 30% more than 650,000 barrels of and25%respectively oil per day (bpd) in E x x o n s a i d i n a p r o d

o n T h e commercial discovery in compared to the last three E

statement, “Their (the ExxonMobil-led consortium A

2 0 1 8 T h e projects sanctioned, which DevelopmentPlan(FDP)for Stabroek Block co-ventures) committed to Guyana for the has plans in place to grow Hammerhead-1 well was each target over 200 kbd. t h e H

industry-leading pace of long-term and look forward production capacity to more drilled in a new reservoir, Hammerhead-1 is located development. He said he development enabled this tocontinuedeliveringforthe than 1.3 million bpd by the encountering approximately approximately 13 miles (21 made this decision because production milestone less country ” Notably, the end of 2027, when they 197 feet (60 meters) of high- kilometers) southwest of the theinformationthecompany than five years after Guyana statement outlined that anticipate having all six quality, oil-bearing Liza-1 well and follows presented thus far is became an oil-producing Exxon, Hess and CNOOC projects up and running sandstone reservoir The previous discoveries on the incomplete. nation.” have committed nearly offshore. This will include well was safely drilled to Stabroek Block at Liza, Liza Meanwhile, the EPA has For his part, EMGL’s US$55 billion to develop six the addition of the 13,862 feet (4,225 meters) Deep, Payara, Snoek, advanced its part in relation President Alistair Routledge government-sanctioned Yellowtail, Uaru and depth in 3,773 feet (1,150 Turbot, Ranger, Pacora and to the application that was said, “our unrivaled success projects in the offshore Whiptailprojects. meters) of water The project Longtail. m

in developing Guyana’s oil block.

Moreover, Exxon has will target between 120-180 Notably, while Exxon is

de by EMGL

resources at an industry- Oilwasdiscoveredinthe already made an application thousand barrels per day hoping to get approval for Authorisation for its seventh leading pace, cost and Stabroek Block in 2015. The to the Environmental (kbd). Exxon is aiming to the Hammerhead project by project. environmental performance following year, the previous ProtectionAgency (EPA) for commence production mid-2025, Vice President On November 6, EPA i s b u i l t o n c l o s e Coalition Government E n v i r o n

a l activities by 2029, following (VP)BharratJagdeohassaid published the Terms and collaboration with the signed a Production Sharing Authorisation for a seventh therequisiteapprovals. that he had discontinued an S

Government of Guyana, as Agreement (PSA) with p

The daily production advertisement initiated by

well as our co-venturers, Exxon. That deal waives all Hammerhead. capacity being targeted for the Ministry of Natural Environmental Impact suppliersandcontractors.” taxes and caters for it to be H

Assessment (EIA) for the He added, “we remain paid by the government out announced as Exxon’s ninth

HammerheadDevelopment.

Auditors question ICAG’s motive behind suspension of licence and membership

Auditors George Vaughn of He has also been a long-standing suspending my membership,” he SFAI Guyana - Vaughn Business member of the Guam Board of noted. “So, I would have covered SolutionsandAndreDavisofAMD Accountancy and has been an all the requirements, basically, not Financial Services are questioning ICAG member for over a decade, just to be a member for them, but the motive behind the Institute of though he’s had to take legal action also to have a practice licence,” CharteredAccountantsofGuyana’s tosecurehispracticelicence,which Vaughnadded. (ICAG) decision to suspend their hestillhasnotreceived. For his part, Davis told this licenceandmembership. He explained that he reapplied publicationthat his practicelicence The suspension, recently made for his practice licence two months that he received from the ICAG in public in the newspapers, was ago. “My lawyer would have January 2024 has now been announced in a notice dated submitted the application. They suspended. He explained in his report. However, according to him, November 6, 2024. Vaughn, along never responded to the application, case, he did not have a practice ICAGrequestedthathesubmitshis with Azzar Haniff of Eclisar but lo and behold, Sunday they put licence for auditing and accounting audit files and other documents as Financial and Professional inthepaperthattheysuspendedmy

Auditors George Vaughn of SFAI GuyanaVaughn Business Solutions

evidence, without specifying the Services, both had their ICAG (membership),”theauditoradded. organisation so he had to serve two grounds under which this memberships suspended for 2024, Besides, Vaughn noted that he years under a practising person information was being requested. meaning they can no longer issue holds a practice certificate from the before he could have applied to the Davis pointed out that there are statutory audit opinions under Guyana RevenueAuthority (GRA) ICAGforhislicence. only three conditions for such Section 170 of the Companies Act. which allows him to execute his He said after serving his two ICAG’s first letter to him document release: a court Additionally, the notice stated that work. “So this here, what they are years, he applied to the ICAG for referenced a mutual client, initially subpoena, an ICAG investigation, Davis’s certificate to practice was doing is to tarnish the firm…they his practising licence and it was contracted through Vaughn or an audit/peer review As the s u s p e n d e d p e n d i n g a n never called me, I don’t even know granted six months after he made “Because of the challenge he reasonwasunclear,heobjected. investigation, also restricting his the reason why they suspended my his application. “They wrote me (Vaughn) was having with them Davis suspects that the reason ability to issue statutory audit membership,”Vaughnnoted. just out of the blues, saying that and the licence and them writing behind him and Vaughn’s opinionsundertheAct.

He disclosed that the they suspended my licence…their and stuff like that, trying to block suspension of membership and

During an interview, Vaughn publication by ICAG of his reason was since I became a the activities and the ability to practising licence, respectively, is explainedthathefirstlearnedofhis membershipbeingsuspendedwhen member of the local institute, I did properly ply a trade as an becausetheyhavethecontractwith suspension when he received a heisnotawareofanywrongdoings not renew my foreign licence to accountant…because of that, he the client “We receive other WhatsApp message on Sunday from his end does have a negative practice,”Davisexplained. (Vaughn) approached me,” Davis information that one of the containing the notice that had been effect on his reputation He InhisresponsetoICAG’sletter, said as he explained how he started prominent persons of the institute, publishedinthenewspapers.“They revealed that the ICAG’s decision Davissaidthatheindicatedtothem workingwithVaughn. who’s central to what’s happening never called me to a meeting, never has negatively impacted his that he is still a member of the Davis told this publication that here,hasapproachedtheclient,and brought a charge against me or reputation, especially with Guam Board of Accountancy He he suspects a connection between that client also does accounting anything, but I just saw this.All my overseas clients who have since added that he also disclosed that he him and Vaughn’s suspensions. “It workandprovideotherservicesfor clients are calling concerned what contacted him. “I would have told did not renew his foreign licence seems as though it’s an arbitrary other oil and gas clients or is really going on. I can’t answer them that I would have engaged a because he did not intend to and malicious attack to damage the companies ” Davis further because I don’t know why they lawyer to look into the matter, practice in that jurisdiction. “I image of a certain class or a certain disclosed In addition, Vaughn would suspend my membership,” because I really don’t know what is received membership here groupofaccountants,”henoted. explained that the ICAG was put in headded. the matter What’s the reason for (Guyana), and my intention is to In a correspondence to ICAG, place to police auditors not to Vaughn noted that auditors are them suspending my membership stayinmycountryandpractice,”he Davis said that he disclosed that he restrict entry to the profession. required to renew their ICAG becausetheydidn’tcallme,andI’m added. was appointed the auditor for a “What they are doing is restricting membership and licence annually not privy to the reason for them Moreover, Davis added that client for whom he had published a entryintotheprofession,”hesaid.

Trump, Biden hold talks at White House

WA S H I N G T O N ,

Biden’s Oval Office closely he sticks to his United States (AFP) – US invitation restored a pledges of isolationism, President-elect Donald presidential transition mass deportations and

TrumpthankedPresidentJoe tradition that Trump tore up sweepingtariffs. Biden for pledging a smooth when he lost the 2020 Trump named Space X, transfer of power as the election,refusingtositdown Tesla and X boss Musk, and victorious Republican made withBidenorevenattendthe b u s i n e s s m a n Vi v e k a historic return visit to the inauguration Then- Ramaswamy, to lead a WhiteHouseonWednesday presidentBarackObamahad “DepartmentofGovernment

“Politics is tough, and in welcomed Trump to the Efficiency (‘DOGE’)” — a many cases it’s not a very White House when the tongue-in-cheekreferenceto nice world. It is a nice world tycoon won the 2016 an internet meme and todayandIappreciateitvery election. But by the time cryptocurrency much,” Trump said after the Trump took his last Marine Trumpismovingquickly two men shook hands in the

One flight from the White to fill out his administration, OvalOffice. House lawn on January 20, picking a host of ultraTrump,78,addedthatthe 2021, he had also been loyalists. Trump nominated transition would be “smooth repudiated by many in his Fox News host and army as you can get ” Biden forward to having a smooth question.AheadoftheWhite something else,’” he said, own party for having stoked veteran Pete Hegseth as his greeted Trump in front of a transition ” “We’ll do House visit, Trump drawingsomelaughter theassaultontheCapitol. incoming defense secretary roaring fire, offering him everything we can to make addressed Republicans from Trump’s party looks set That period of disgrace An outspoken opponent of congratulations and saying: sure you’re accommodated, theHouseofRepresentatives to take both chambers of soon evaporated, however, so-called“woke”ideologyin “Welcome back.” The 81- (have) what you need,” he at a Washington hotel near Congressandconsolidatehis as Republicans returned to the armed forces, Hegseth year-old Biden invited his toldTrump. the Capitol, which a mob of extraordinary comeback. He Trump’s side, recognizing has little experience similar sworn rival to the White Their talks after the his supporters stormed in was accompanied at the his unique electoral power at to managing the mammoth House—despitethefactthat public handshake may have 2021 to try to reverse his meetingwithRepublicansby the head of his right-wing US military budget and Trump,whorefusedtoadmit been a bitter pill to swallow electionloss. the world’s richest man Elon movement. bureaucracy his 2020 election loss, never for Biden, who branded An ebullient Trump Musk, whom he named on Trump enters his second Trump named South afforded Biden the same Trumpathreattodemocracy suggested that he could even Tuesday as head of a new term with a near total grip on Dakota Governor Kristi courtesy Biden was expected to push be open to a third term in group aimed at slashing his party and the Democrats Noem an ally who Biden, who dropped out during the meeting for office which would government spending in disarray He has spent the famously wrote about of the election in July but Trump to continue US violate the US constitution. Trump has launched a flurry weeksincetheelectionathis shooting her dog because it saw his successor Kamala support for Ukraine’s fight “IsuspectIwon’tberunning of nominations as he moves Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida didnotrespondtotraining— Harris lose to Trump last against Russia, which the again unless you say, ‘He’s swiftly to name his assembling his top team, as as head of the Department of week, said he was “looking Republican has called into good, we got to figure administration. theworldwatchestoseehow HomelandSecurity.

US President Joe Biden (right) hosted President-elect Donald Trump at the White House. Photo: Reuters

Andre Davis of AMD Financial Services

President Ali during an early Tuesday morning meeting issued stern warnings to contractors and engineers. (Guyana Chronicle)

…says Govt. trying to save face from corrupt award of contracts, poor performance

Opposition mocks Pres. Ali’s public shaming of ministers, engineers

The two main opposition responsibility for these massive parties- People’s National failures in the management of Congress Reform (PNCR) and the public funds. To fix such failures, a Alliance For Change (AFC) on clean and competent government Wednesday poured cold water on would have spent time to review President Irfaan Ali’s public system capacities, resources shaming of his ministers as well as availability, its policies and engineers and contractors for poor approaches, legislation and performance and oversight of institutions, the performance of publicinfrastructuralprojects.

Ali unleashed an early morning bottlenecks, and the role and extent tirade against several of his of corruption. But the corrupt PPP ministers, including the respected isnosuchgovernment.” Dr Ashni Singh, Priya

The PNCR said the PPP is in a Manickchand and Pentecostal state of panic as the inflated Pastor, Bishop Juan Edghill as well contracts awarded to its friends, asanumberofStatecontractorsand families and favourites fail to meet engineersowingtothedelaysinthe deadlinesandqualitystandardsand completion of several contracts to satisfy the Guyanese people. amounting to several billions of “Contractors who have performed not politically “Reject and if not dollars. The rebuke of the officials poorly over the years continue to possible, document all acts which was livestreamed, creating a get contracts. Persons with no you regard as either illegal or spectacle of what many referred to experience in construction of large unethical It is documentation as micromanagement by the infrastructure continue to win which will ultimately protect and President. Several others felt that contractawardsthroughthecorrupt save you. Integrity goes beyond the meeting should have been held NPTAB The monitoring and what is required in the law and behind closed doors and does little evaluation system has become includes professional judgment in to solve the inherent weaknesses politicized and dysfunctional. This procedural values of fairness, groundedinthepublicprocurement growing wastage of financial honesty and accountability in system and also nepotism in the resources through negligence, government institutions such as, awardingofcontracts. incompetence, and corruption is fairness in handling a public tender

Leader of the AFC,

of the

Seizing the opportunity to one of the main symptoms of the or accuracy in framing public criticise the government, the AFC Natural Resource Curse. The more information. The AFC encourages said it is well established that the oil revenues the government all public servants to be fearless in National Procurement and Tender spends, the greater will be this executing their functions. Your Administration Board (NPTAB) curse.” Guyana, where billions are and Planning Authority (CHPA) loyalty is to the Country not the along with the pool of evaluators The PNCR said President Ali expended for procurement, most and as revealed in the infamous unethical and or illegal requests of are under immense criticism for must shift his focus from finger- notably in construction projects. 5:30ammeeting,thisprojectisalso the politicians,” the statement recommendations to procuring pointing and blame-throwing to And it is clear that a small morethanfourmonthsdelayed.” concluded. entities, of contract awards to confronting the real source of the percentage of the chosen elite “It is no secret that Tepui’s Great concern questionab

contractors problem. “The true source of this bene

t from government principal, Mikhail Rodrigues For its part, the PNCR said it is According to the AFC, the team of crisis lies within the government procurement - the lion share is known as Guyanese Critics is with great concern and alarm that evaluators have been blamed itself particularly with its concentrated and allocated to the closely affiliated with the Vice Guyanese watched the livepublicly for using arbitrary corrupt practices and with the few while the masses are given the President. Some evaluators have streamed meeting between evaluation criteria in the ministers who have consistently crumbs in manual labour contracts. refused to sign off on contract President Ali with government determination of contract awards failed to perform and deliver on Are all groups benefiting equally awards and some have resigned ministers, permanent secretaries, and in some instances, the lowest their mandates Normally, one fromGuyana’soilrevenues?” when such questionable and engineers, contractors, and evaluated bidders are not even would issue a call for them to be According to the AFC, controversial contract awards consultants The President recommendedforcontractawards. fired and replaced. But with this Government procurement which is recommendations are made to summoned the officials, the PNCR “The President in his infamous PPPregime,shouldthatoccur,they also referred to as public procuringentities.” said to vent his frustration over the 5:30am,meeting[Tuesday]sought would only be replaced with procurement or public tendering is The Alliance For Change said large number of incomplete and to assign blame to the permanent political cronies just as useless and the procurement of goods and too that it has observed that public stalled projects across the secretaries, engineers and crooked. Let us remind Guyanese services on behalf of a public servants have been thrown in the government ministries. “Guyanese contractorsforincompleteprojects. that close to $G700B was allocated authority, such as a government deep end and publicly shamed and were able to witness the President The hypocrisy is perverse, ironic for capital works in 2024. We call agency “Research has shown that blamed for breaches in the and the PPP government in their and mind blowing as it is the on the President to submit for in countries with high levels of procurement system while NPTAB true colours: incompetent, government’s institutional system public scrutiny a written report on corruption (Guyana CPI score is sits on the sidelines “In this disorganised and disordered, and whichfacilitatedtheawardofthese the status of all large government 40) less money is spent on welfare context, the AFC would like to arrogantly disrespectful The contracts that the President so projects. Where is the value for such as health and education but encouragepublicservantsthattheir public saw firsthand the level of laments are incomplete; and now money of all this allocation? What massive investments are made on responsiveness to the government chaos that has become endemic blames public servants rather than arethecheckstopreventanend-of- infrastructurespendingwhichoffer of the day has limits. The principle w i t h i n t h e e n t i r e P P P hissubjectministers.” yearrushtodisbursetheentire2024 a greater potential for bribery and of constrained partisanship places administration. The entire public

TheAFC questioned whether it budgeted sums? Where are the minimise the risk of subsequent limitation on responsiveness procurement system is in a is a misguided attempt to save his reforms to the public procurement auditing.”TheAFCsaiditisnowan Public servants are career planning and execution crisis government face from allegations system? President Ali must fully established norm that public bureaucrats and are expected to Hundreds of billions of dollars of of corruption through the national account to the nation.” “Alas, we procurement contract awards are serve alternate governments with the people’s money are at stake,” procurementsystem,nowthat2025 harbour no hope that anything will failing to start at stipulated time, equalloyaltyandresponsivenessas thePNCRsaid. electionslooms? change, knowing how the PPP sub-standard or incomplete work - ‘apolitical.’ An obvious slant of According to the party, instead

“A perusal of contract awards operates. The entire livestreamed along with those contracts which partisanshiptoonegovernmentcan of seeking to analyse the root recommended by NPTAB meetingservedmerelyasapolitical have been recalled by the Ministry undermine confidence to serve a causes of the problem and demonstrates an inequitable ploy and scapegoating tactic. The of Public Works. One of the most subsequent government. TheAFC proposing solutions, President Ali distribution of same in an already country deserves better The infamous contract awards to Tepui reminds that if there is a crisis of chose to launch a disgraceful fractured society - unequal income country deserves leadership that is Group Inc for the construction of obligation between the conflicting barrage of insults, put-downs, and gap, marginalised businesses respectful, accountable, effective the Belle Vue pump station failed demands of ministers and their threats on the public servants, who (perceived as non-supporters of the and puts people first and at the most of the evaluation criteria and higherloyaltytoparliamentandthe are least to be blamed for the current administration) and limited centreofdevelopment.Thetimefor hasfailedtheprojecttimelineswith public interest, the latter is above government’s outright inability to practice of procuring goods and endless failures, diversionary the mobilisation fund of $160.8M. theinterestofthegovernmentofthe plan and manage. “His juvenile services in rural communities,” the politics, and massive financial “This has even engaged the day “ behaviour was misdirected and AFC said, adding; “these practices lossesisover ThePPPcontinuesto attention of the Auditor General. The AFC said it supports the only served to undermine the are fostering the inequality of fail badly At the next election, Yet, Tepui Group Inc has been principle of integrity in public morale of our dedicated opportunities for the population in Guyanese must put them out of awarded another multi-million office which obligates public professionals. PresidentAli and his constructionandservicesinoilrich theirmisery contract from the Central Housing servants to act professionally and government must take full

Leader

PNCR, Aubrey Norton

Nigel Hughes

Man remanded for chopping 74-year-old wife

A 60-year-old taxi driver was remanded to prison on Wednesday after he was charged with attempted murder of his 74-year-old common-lawwife.

Keith Williams is accused of unlawfully and maliciously wounding Deanna Bourne with intent to murder her, on November 10, 2024, at their residence located at Lot 142 El Dorado Avenue, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

Wi

Magistrate Faith McGusty at theGeorgetownMagistrates’ Court, where the charge was read to him. He was not requiredtoenteraplea.

Remanded:

Keith Williams

According to police statements, Williams and Bourne have been in a common-law relationship for 42 years and have lived together in the same home. On the day of the incident, Bourne was at home when Williams returned and was initially refused entry into the home by Bourne. After critical condition. One of her s o m e t i m e , t h e i r injuries on her face has left granddaughter opened the her unable to speak. The door for him and Williams policealsocameandarrested proceeded to Bourne’s Williams. bedroom,wherehewokeher D u r i n g p o l i c e up and an argument ensued interviews, Williams betweenthem. admitted to wounding

Following the argument, Bourne while under caution. Williams left the room, Hewaslaterchargedwiththe retrieved a cutlass from his presentoffence. motor vehicle, and returned During the court to the bedroom, where he p r o c e e d i n g s , a chopped Bourne, inflicting representative for Bourne multiple injuries to her body informedthecourtthatsheis andface.Aftertheassault,he currently hospitalized and attempted to flee but was unable to eat. In his defence, apprehended by bystanders Williams claimed he had while still holding the consumed marijuana prior to weapon.Emergencyservices the incident, stating, “I was were called, and Bourne was smokingmolly.”

t r a n s p o r t e d t o t h e As such, Williams has Georgetown Public Hospital been remanded and is Corporation (GPHC), where scheduled to return to court she underwent emergency on December 18, 2024, for surgery and remains in furtherproceedings.

Rosignol Secondary celebrates first batch of 6th form students

Rosignol Secondary Diploma in Natural Science. introduced the CAPE region. School celebrated the During brief remarks at the programme at Rosignol During her previous graduation of its first cohort graduation ceremony, Chief Secondary School in 2022. tenure back in 2013, of sixth form students who Education Officer, Mr Establishing the CAPE Minister of Education, Hon completed the Caribbean Saddam Hussein stated that programme in Region Five Priya Manickchand had Advance P

ficiency Rosignol Secondary is the underscores the ministry’s designated Rosignol Examin

on (CAPE) newest, gazetted sixth form commitment to expanding Secondary an A-List school. programme on November school in the country He access to quality education A sum of $45M was then 11th. said the school holds the across all regions This allocated to upgrade the

Fiveofthesixpioneering same status as Guyana’s initiative aims to ensure that school’s infrastructure, graduates attained an National Schools, thus every child can achieve their bringing the facility to the Associate of Science degree granting Region Five academic potential within standard required for an Ain Natural Science. They are s t u d e n t s t h e s a m e their own communities, List school.The government Arianne Mangal, Sophia opportunity to pursue the eliminating the barriers that continues to invest in the Persaud, Drashenie Bharat, CXC/CAPE programme in prev

ously required nation’schildrenbybuilding Jeneen Harris and Romina theirregion. ambitious students to seek a robust, inclusive and Jankinauth Additionally, Minister of Education, a d v a n c e d l e a r n

n g accessible education sector Donociah Peters earned a Priya Manickchand first opportunities outside their (DPI)

- says no access permitted through forest to mining or forestry lands

Tconcern about the number of requestsithasbeenreceiving for access through its forest tootherareas.

In a public advisory, the centre said several North Rupununi Communities have also complained about this situation “These Furthermore, the Centre IwokramaAct. environmental balance and requests are against the has warned that it has a zero T h e I w

k r a m a economic use can be background that the Forest tolerance for these illegal International Centre (IIC) mutually reinforcing. The has been faced with illegal activities as they are was established in 1996 IIC collaborates with the mining since the COVID-19 disruptive and threaten the under a joint mandate from Government of Guyana, the Pandemic and the Centre is integrity of the forest and its the Government of Guyana Commonwealth and other challenged with these illegal coveted international and the Commonwealth international partners and incursions Iwokrama has certification “Any Secretariat to manage the donors to develop new also noted that some of these unauthorised persons found Iwokrama forest, a unique approaches and forest requestshavebeendisguised in the Iwokrama Forest will reserve of 371,000 hectares management models to as“research”proposalsfrom be prosecuted to the fullest of rainforest “in a manner enable countries with the same individuals,” the extent of the law including that will lead to lasting rainforests to market their advisorystated. but not limited to the ecological, economic and ecosystem services whilst T h e C e n t r e ’ s provisions of the Iwokrama social benefits to the people carefully managing their Management Team and Act,”theadvisorynoted. of Guyana and to the world r e s o u r c e s t h r o u g h Board have reminded The Centre thanked the ingeneral”. innovative and creative persons that there will be no NRDDB- its community The Centre, guided by an conservationpractices. access permitted through the p a r t n e r s a n d o t h e r international Board of In more recent years, the Iwokrama Forest to any stakeholders for their Trustees,isuniqueproviding Centre has received support mining or forestry lands and support in this matter. The a dedicated well managed from corporate partners such that no mining is allowed in Centre said too that it is and researched forest as ExxonMobil (Guyana) the Iwokrama Reserve. especially grateful to the environment. The forest is Limited who has funded the “Logging, hunting and Ministry of Natural zoned into a Sustainable development of its Science fishing are all prohibited in Resources and their UtilizationArea(SUA)anda Programme and continues to the Iwokrama Forest unless agencies, and the Guyana WildernessPreserve(WP)in p r

permission is granted by Police Force for their whichtotesttheconceptofa c

he Iwokrama’s management,” ongoingsupportinenforcing truly sustainable forest implementation of this theadvisorysated. the provisions of the where conservation, Programme.

Rosignol Secondary School graduates

Iwokrama Forest View from Turtle Mountain Summit

Govt. in push to reduce road deaths

- Min. Benn urges behavioural change, greater awareness

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, during the National Road Safety event

Michelle Baptiste, researcher for Ministry of Home Affairs speaking during the National Road Safety event

Government is aiming at countries about 3 percent of reducing road fatalities to theirannualGDP just 53 deaths per year by Meanwhile, Michelle 2030, Home Affairs Baptiste, a researcher Minister, Robeson Benn has attached to the Ministry of said. Home Affairs said, road

He was speaking during safety is not such about the launch of National Road statistics but it is about lives, Safety Month on Monday in families and communities. Region Three, under the The researcher explained theme ‘Do the Right Thing.’ that between 2014 to Minister Benn stressed that November 2, 2024 there achieving this target will have been a total of 1,212 require substantial effort and fatal accidents, resulting in collaboration. the loss of 1,370 lives. A

“We should only see 53 notable trend observed deaths per year on the during this period is the roads by 2030. We have six significant disparity in the years more to get to that number of fatalities between number, there is a lot of males and females. Males work ahead to achieve this, accounted for 83 percent of we cannot do this alone…it the total lives lost, relies on a change in representing 1,035 of the culture, change in 1,370 fatalities, while behaviour, greater levels of females made up 17 percent, awareness amongst the with234liveslost.Thisdata, population,”hestated. she said underscores a

While road fatalities continued pattern of higher remained below 100 in 2021 mortality rates among males and 2022, 2023 saw a sharp inroadaccidents,atrendthat increase, with 178 lives lost. has remained consistent Minister Benn attributed throughouttheyear many of these fatalities to “These are not just factors such as speeding, numbers, each represent a distracted driving, driving person who was loved, under the influence, and valued and each loss motorcycle users riding resonates throughout withouthelmets. families and communities

He also outlined the across the country as we government’s commitment review these alarming tointensifyingeffortstocurb statistics, we must ask these numbers, adding to the ourselves a critical question existing measures in place. how can we work together to P r o v i d i n g a g l o b a l stop to these strategic trend, perspective, Earl Lambert we can do so by examining from the National Road the patterns, the causes and Safety Council highlighted the lives impacted to better that road traffic accidents understand the necessary claim approximately 1 19 step forward,” Baptiste million lives annually stated. worldwide. He noted that Shefurtherstatedthatthe road traffic injuries are one most alarming age category oftheleadingcausesofdeath in terms of fatalities on the for young people aged 5 to roads is 25 to 42 years old, 34. Furthermore, Lambert which accounts for the pointedouttheeconomictoll highestnumberofdeaths. ofroadaccidents,whichcost (Continued on page 16)

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ENTERTAINMENT

Poverty rate in region down

…but income inequality remains high - new ECLAC report

Despite this progress, 172 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean still do not have enough income to meet their basic needs and 66 million of them cannot buy a basic food basket, according to the report Social Panorama of Latin America and the Caribbean 2024: The challenges of non-contributory social protection in advancing towards inclusive social development.

The percentage of the Latin American population living in poverty in 2023 was 27.3%, marking a decline of 1.5 percentage points compared with the year before, and of more than 5 percentage points vis-à-vis the figure in 2020, the most critical year of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is also the lowest figure registered since comparable records have been in place. Meanwhile, the extreme poverty rate covered 10.6% of the region’s population, a figure 0.5 percentage points below that of 2022 but above 2014 levels. In total, 172 million people were living in poverty in 2023, of whom 66 million were living in extreme poverty, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) reported today.

The report Social Panorama of Latin America and the Caribbean 2024: The challenges of non-contributory social protection in advancing towards inclusive social development – presented by ECLAC’s Executive Secretary, José Manuel SalazarXirinachs – indicates that poverty continues to affect working-age women more than men and that the percentage of children and adolescents in situations of poverty is considerably higher than that of other age groups. Poverty is also greater in rural areas (39.1%) than in urban areas (24.6%).

More than 80% of the decline in regional poverty in 2023 can be attributed to what occurred in Brazil, a country home to one-third of Latin America and the Caribbean’s population and where noncontributory transfers were

decisive. If the population living in poverty in Brazil had not fallen, the regional average in 2023 would have been 28.4%, just 0.4 percentage points lower than the year before, and the incidence of extreme poverty would have remained unchanged, at 11.1%, the report says.

ECLAC also indicates that between 2022 and 2023, there were no significant changes to income inequality levels in the region, which remained stubbornly high. Between 2014 and 2023, the Gini index experienced a slight reduction of 4%, dipping from 0.471 to 0.452. Wealth distribution is significantly more unequal than income distribution, according to estimates included in the report that integrate various sources of information (financial and non-financial assets) on Latin America’s population. Around 2021, 10% of the highest-income people accounted for 66% of total wealth, and the wealthiest 1% accounted for 33%.

The Social Panorama of Latin America and the Caribbean 2024 also warns that the lack of social protection remains high in the region. In 2022, 1 out of every 4 households (23.5%) lacked access to social protection, either contributory or non-contributory, in 14 Latin American countries. This proportion rose to 1 in 3 households (36.5%) in the lowest-income quintile and in rural areas (29%).

Non-contributory social protection, ECLAC argues, is vital in the households of the first, lowest-income quintile, since 1 out of every 2 of those households accesses social protection via that channel. This means that policies for cash transfers or in-kind transfers (such as school meals) as well as labor inclusion programs are key for linking people with social services and making headway on eradicating poverty and reducing inequality.

In 2022, 27.1% of people in Latin America were living in households that benefited

from conditional transfer programs. Despite their positive effects, in the 14 countries studied, the amounts involved did not cover the deficit in the households’ per capita income enough to enable reaching the poverty line.

The report verifies that non-contributory pension systems (NCPS) play a central role in poverty reduction in old age. In the last 20 years, the coverage of NCPS among people aged 65 and over increased by more than 27 percentage points, and during that period poverty in this same population fell by 14.3 percentage points.

“The strengthening of social protection systems in Latin America and the Caribbean, in particular non-contributory social protection, is a strategic space for adopting an integrated approach that can have significant impact on poverty reduction, the diverse causes of inequality, and the low levels of social cohesion in Latin America and the Caribbean and, therefore, on the attainment of inclusive social development,” ECLAC’s Executive Secretary, José Manuel SalazarXirinachs, emphasized.

“Tackling the development crisis in the region necessitates moving towards universal, comprehensive, sustainable and resilient social protection systems. To that end, we must urgently reinforce the social institutional framework with technical, operational, political and prospective (TOPP) capabilities,” ECLAC’s leading authority stated, highlighting the opportunity that the Second World Summit for Social Development in 2025 poses for addressing these challenges.

According to the report, in 2023, social spending amounted to 11.5% of GDP in Latin America – very similar to the 11.4% of GDP seen in 2022.

In Latin America, social public spending continues to be the main component of total public spending (53.3% on average in 2023). In the Car-

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ibbean, social spending as a share of total spending fell to 41.3% in 2023, which further widened the gap with Latin American countries.

According to ECLAC, to make progress on eradicating poverty, it is necessary to establish an investment standard for non-contributory social protection of between 1.5% and 2.5% of GDP, or between 5% and 10% of total public spending. On average, the Social Development Ministries of 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries spent 0.8% of GDP and 3% of total public spending on noncontributory social protection in 2022. Finally, the 2024 edition of the Social Panorama of Latin America and the Caribbean includes a chapter on social protection in light of the care crisis and population ageing, a scenario that demands policies with a gender, intersectional and rightsbased approach. In the next 25 years, the population aged 65 and over will double (from 9.9% to 18.9% of the total population), numbering 138 million people by 2050.

“The sexual division of labor and the current social organization of care create gender gaps that manifest themselves throughout the life cycle and in the obstacles that women face to labor inclusion and social protection,” ECLAC says. Thus, in 2022, only just over half of the women in Latin America and the Caribbean had links to the labor market (53.5%) and, among the women outside the workforce in the region, 56.3% said they were exclusively dedicated to domestic and unpaid care work (in comparison with 7.3% of men). Women aged 65 and over have higher levels of poverty than men despite receiving pensions (both contributory and non-contributory), and 70.3% of the women who do not receive any kind of pension have income of their own that is below the poverty line. This same phenomenon occurs with 42.6% of the women who do receive a noncontributory pension.

Govt. in push to reduce road deaths...

From page 15

This age group remains the most vulnerable, underscoring the need for targeted road safety initiatives aimed at reducing accidents among this demographic, Baptiste said. Additionally, pedestrians, followed by motorcyclists, are

the primary road users killed in fatal accidents.

The statistics further reveals that private cars are involved in 35 percent of fatal accidents, while motorcycles account for 32 percent.

The researcher added, “Strikingly for each year over

the period, speeding is identified as the leading cause of fatal accidents, accounting for 70 percent of life lost.”

It was noted that 67 percent of accidents occurred during the extended weekends, spanning from Friday to Monday. Baptiste said, “we have observed that persons are more relax engaging the consumption of alcohol and various types of drugs to unwind after work and enjoy the weekend which, lead drivers and motorcyclist to operate careless on the roads.”

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Govt. sets aside $199M to build fire station at Onderneeming

Ensuring timely and effective responses to fire on the Essequibo Coast, R e g i o n Tw o , t h e

government has set aside $199 million more to construct a new fire station at the Onderneeming community.

Below are the companies and their bids:

NationalParksCommission

ImprovementofKaieteurNationalParkRangerQuarters.

MinistryofEducation

RehabilitationofElectricalInfrastructure-NorthWestPIC.

MinistryofHomeAffairs

ConstructionofOnderneemingFireStation,RegionTwo.

The Ministry of Home Affairs project, which was opened recently at the National Procurement

a n d T e n d e r Administration Board (NPTAB) offi

has attracted33contractorswho areinterestedinundertaking theworks.

When completed, the O

Station will be the third of its kind located on the EssequiboCoast

Currently, the Anna Regina Fire Station is the sole fire station on the E

weight of the region’s emergencyresponseneeds. P

completed

It was reported by the ministry recently that when the Charity Fire Station is completed, it w

provide crucial support, significantly i

onse times and enhancing the firefighting capabilities

of the Guyana Fire Service

S i m i l a r l y, t h e

Onderneeming station will play a key role in response to emergencies acrosstheregion

Ambulance patients killed in Haiti attack, charity says

Police officers at a checkpoint outside Port-au-Prince’s airport this week during ongoing armed clashes in the city

(BBC NEWS) Doctors’ charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says at leasttwoofitspatientshave been killed in Haiti after police and vigilantes attacked their ambulance in thecapitalPort-au-Prince.

building another fire station at Charity for $144

million which

This publication recently reported that the ministry tendered for the construction of a fire station at Mahaicony in Region Five which is estimated to cost $185 million, and another project to rebuild the Campbellville station for $189million

Thecharitysaiditscrews had been transporting three patients with gunshot woundstoaMSFhospitalon Monday when they were stopped by authorities and forced to go instead to a public hospital. When they arrived, officers and “members of a self-defence group” attacked the vehicle, slashingitstyresandforcing occupants out through teargas.The wounded patients were then taken away from the hospital grounds where “at least two of them were executed”, the charity said. It is unclear from MSF’s statement the condition of thethirdpatient.

But the group said its ambulance staff were also assaulted in the incident by “law enforcement officers and members of a selfdefencegroup”.

MSF said staff were “violentlyattacked,insulted, tear-gassed, threatened with death” and held hostage for more than four hours before beingreleased.

The motive behind the attackisunclear

“The act is a shocking display of violence and it seriously calls into question MSF’s ability to continue delivering essential care to the Haitian people,” said

Christophe Garnier, the group’s head of mission in thecountry MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, is one of the last humanitarian n o n - g o v e r n m e n t organisations (NGOs) still operating in Haiti, where violentchaoshasgrippedthe capital Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, armed gangs have seized power in many areas, leading to a spike in street violence in the poorest countryintheAmericas.

A UN Security Council briefing last month heard that criminal gangs had gainedcontrolof85%ofthe capital. More than 3,600 people have been killed in HaitisinceJanuaryandmore than 500,000 have had to leavetheirhomes,according totheUN.

The UN has sent an international policing operation to Haiti, largely made up of Kenyan police. The mission is said to have securedsomekeysitesinthe capital including the national hospital, seaport and airport However, several US airlines suspended flights to the countrythisweekafterthree planes were hit by gunfire approachingordepartingthe airportthisweek.

A new prime minister was sworn into office in Haiti earlier this week.Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said his priority was “restoring security”inthecountry

Deadly Israeli strike shatters sense of ‘safety’ in remote north Lebanon

( A L J A Z E E R A ) –

Shredded clothing, dusty broken table legs, torn copiesoftheQuran,ared“I love you” teddy bear and a bookonAristotleamidpiles of socks – these, among manyotherthings,liestrewn amid the rubble in the northernLebanesevillageof Ain Yaaqoub in Akkar followingadeadlyIsraeliair raid.

Beneath all this, at least one body remains trapped undertherubbleofwhatwas a two-storey apartment building,RedCrossrescuers say Metres away, charred, unrecognisable body parts littertheground.

Monday night’s Israeli air strike onAinYaaqoub in this remote, far northern corner of Lebanon, killed at least 14 people, says Walid Semaan, head of the Lebanese Red Cross’ northern branch. This was the second Israeli attack on A k k a r, L e b a n o n ’s northernmost governorate, since Israel ramped up its deadly bombardment of Lebanon in late September. The previous hit, a week before, destroyed a bridge linking two remote villages in the mountainous region. Nobodywaskilledthattime around.

The attack on Monday, however, was even further north and was nothing less than a “massacre” ,

according to people in Ain Yaaqoub,takingoutnotonly the apartment building but many more homes around it as well. “There were so manywomenandchildren,” says Feryal Harb, whose deceased brother owned the buildingthatwasstruck.She weeps as she sits on a concrete block next to the wreckage while neighbours unearthfamilyphotoalbums andQurans,handingthemto her in succession. “We have so many memories here,” shesays. A little way up the hill from the blast site, Red Cross volunteers shout that they have found more body parts Another relative, HassanSahmarouni,sayshe

believes the building had been housing about 26 people. But rescuers could not determine which of the dead they unearthed were women, men or children; their bodies were charred and crushed beyond recognition.

At a nearby government hospital are 14 wounded, expectedtosurvive.Another hospital received a burned torso late on Monday night; administrators say they cannot yet determine its identity.

The concrete building housedaSyrianwomanand her four daughters who had moved in several years ago. One floor above them was a Lebanese family who had

Sisters charged with assaulting teenagers

Two sisters appeared before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday,facingseparate charges of assault and unlawful wounding committed against two teenagers.

Charged were 31-yearoldTamaraCharlesand29year-oldYolitCharles.

The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred on August 31, 2024, at Lot 910 Rosemary

L a n e , S o u t h

C u m m i n g s b u r g , Georgetown, where they allegedlyassaulted14-yearoldJamacyFavoriteandher cousin,14-year-oldDestiny Favorite.

They both appeared before Principal Magistrate FaithMcGustywhoreadthe separate charge to them. Tamara is accused of

assaulting Jamacy, while Yolit faces charges of unlawful wounding against Destiny Both sisters pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

According to police statements, Tamara and Jamacy are cousins who resideatthesameaddressas the two sisters. On the day of the incident, around 16:30hrs, an argument ensued between them, leading Tamara to cuff Jamacymultipletimes.The incidentwasreportedtothe Water Street Police Outpost, resulting in Tamara’s arrest. She was subsequently released on cash bail and charged with assault.

I n a s e p a r a t e confrontation, Yolit and Destiny also had a verbal exchangethatescalatedinto

physical violence Yolit allegedlypickedupathreefoot-longpieceofwoodand struckDestinyseveraltimes on her head and body, causing injuries to her left ear

This incident was also reported to the police, leadingtoYolit’sarrest.She was released on cash bail and charged with unlawful wounding.

During the court p r o c e e d i n g s , t h e prosecutiondidnotobjectto bail; however, both sisters were placed on a bond to keepthepeace.Tamarawas granted bail in the sum $10,000 for her assault charge,whileYolitreceived a $30,000 bail for unlawful wounding. The sisters are scheduled to return to court on November 20, 2024, for furtherproceedings.

arrivedinrecentweeksfrom southern Lebanon’s Nabatieh district, fleeing Israeli bombs, neighbours told Al Jazeera. It was not clear to them why this building in a tiny mountain village, surrounded by olive groves and little else, was struck “They kept to themselves, we never got to know them,” says Amina Radwan, a mother of four, whose next-door home is now mangled and blanketed in shards of window glass. She and her children had been out of the house shoppingforgrocerieswhen thebombhit.“Ifwegotback home five minutes earlier, Godknowswhatwouldhave happened.”

Afalsesenseofsecurity?

With so many dead and multiple surrounding homes ripped apart, residents here now fear they are no longer isolatedfromawarthathas, untilnow,sparedthem.

Since October last year, Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed about 3,300 people,themajorityofthem since Israel’s onslaught escalated in September Morethan1.2millionpeople have fled their homes in these two months. Tens of thousandshavetakenrefuge in schools converted into shelters. Others, however, have moved into vacant apartments in quieter areas ofthecountryawayfromthe frontlines,includingherein mountainousAkkar

Some170km(105miles) from Lebanon’s embattled southernborderandathreehour drive from the capital, Beirut, Akkar’s remoteness has long meant government neglect With few job opportunities, many residentsworkinagriculture orjointhearmy–lendingthe governorate its nickname,

“storehouse of the army”. which triggereda near-daily exchange of fire with Hezbollah across the border inLebanonmorethanayear ago, that distance gave Akkar a sense of relative safety “We didn’t think this could happen here,” says Ahmed Rakhieh, who lives right next to the bomb site.

“Now, khalas [enough]! Nowhere is safe.” Moments later,thesoundofanunseen Israeli fighter jet reverberates.

‘Iamsleepingamongthe ashes’

Stepsfromthedestroyed building, 45-year-old Ammar Khodr’s groundfloorkitchenhasbeenblown out,leavingjustamishmash of roof tiles and splintered cabinets “I can’t fix anything,” he says, dazed. Instead, he is simply “sleepingamongtheashes”, while his five children are nowstayingwithrelatives.

Next door, at Amina Radwan’s house, her children’s beds are covered inbrokenglass.Shesaysshe is worried that there may have been Hezbollah members among the displaced who took up residencenextdoor,andthis may have prompted Israel’s Monday night bombing “[Hezbollah supporters] shouldn’t come and live among us here, around children and innocent people.”

R u m o u r s w e r e circulating on Tuesday that the target of the previous night’s strike was a family member of Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem But a family friend of one of the injured, also from Nabatieh, tells Al Jazeera from the Akkar hospital that the building residents were “innocent” and did not belong to

Hezbollah.

About 10,500 displaced peoplefromLebanon’ssouth andtheBekaaValley–areas under heavy Israeli bombardment – have taken refuge in this part of Akkar, according to a local official who requested anonymity Some 120 of them are in alAyoun, the next village over from Ain Yaaqoub, Asaad Ibrahim,amunicipalcouncil member, says, sitting in his garden on Tuesday afternoon,lessthan24hours after the deadly Israeli attack, with his family members.

At first, in September, when Israeli strikes forced hundredsofthousandstoflee, therewasasenseofsolidarity in Akkar, says Ibrahim Residents were proud to provide housing for their countrymen, displaced from the front line – no formal rentalcontractsrequired

“But people are scared now,” he says. The mosque next to his home sounds out the noontime call to prayer September’s solidarity is fading. Is Akkar still far removed from the war, after Monday night? “There’s no suchthingas‘far’.”Ibrahim andotherstoldAlJazeeraon TuesdaytheyfeartheIsraeli bombing,andthedeathsand damage it caused, could ignite social tensions towards the displaced Lebanese,mostofwhomare ShiaMuslimsnowlivingina majoritySunniandChristian part of northern Lebanon which has no traditional supportbaseforHezbollah.

One block away from Ibrahim’s house, on their balcony overlooking a quiet alleyway,twowomenfroma displaced south Lebanon family declined to be interviewed,sayingtheyfear socialrepercussions.

Amina Khodr, who lives next door to the destroyed building and whose face was cut by broken glass in the Israeli bombing on Monday night

A red ‘I love you’teddy bear lies in the ruins of a two-storey apartment block in Ain Yaaqoub, Akkar, Lebanon, in the aftermath of an Israeli air raid on Monday night [Raghed Waked/Al Jazeera]

President Ali misled regarding delayed projects under Local Government Ministry – Mahipaul

Opposition Member of Parag claimed that only one project

projects aimed at upgrading Mahipaul pointed that during Parliament (MP) Ganesh Mahipaul under the Local Government existing disposal landfill sites were the meeting, President Ali asserted is calling out government officials Ministry was delayed by four includedinthe2022budget. that he would take firm action f o r t h e i r p u r p o r t e d months or more, the claim is not

To date, he noted many of these should it be confirmed that more misrepresentation of the facts as it “only inaccurate but misleading.” projects remain unfinished, than one project was delayed by relates to the completion of To support his allegation, the

four months or longer “Now, with infrastructure projects under the Parliamentarian pointed to a construction of critical landfill gas clear evidence of multiple delayed Ministry of Local Government and number of projects that have been

projects,thenationiswaitingtosee Regional Development during the underconstructionforyears. stormwater ponds at Haags Bosch whether the President will follow nowviral5:30ammeetingbetween In this regard, he pointed to the Sanitary Landfill. “The continued through on his promise to hold his President Irfaan Ali, Ministers, Mon Repos and Skeldon Markets. delay of these projects is ministers accountable, or if this is Ministryofficialsandcontractors. According to Mahipaul, these concerning, especially given their just another case of political In a missive calling out projects have been budgeted for environmentalimportance.” bluffing…The people of Guyana officials,Mahipaulclaimedthatnot since 2020, but neither has been

Opposition MP Ganesh Mahipaul

“The Port Mourant Secondary deserve better than this They only are several critical projects completed to date. “Despite funds School project, which falls under deserve a government that delivers under the Ministry of Local being allocated and plans the ministry’s remit, is another on its promises and holds its Government and Regional announced, they remain allocations were made for the example of a critical initiative that ministers accountable for their Development delayed for months, unfinished, with no clear construction of these markets. Yet, has been delayed for years. The failures…” he said adding that butsomeevenstretchintoyears. explanation for the prolonged three years later, they still sit residentsandstudentsinthisregion President Ali must take immediate The People’s National delays,” he said. Further, he noted incomplete—reflecting further on are being directly impacted by action to ensure that these projects Congress Reform (PNCR)MP and thattheParikaandCharityMarkets the inefficiency and a lack of these delays. These are just a few are completed on time and that Shadow Minister of Local havesufferedsimilardelays. accountability,” Mahipaul said examples of the many delayed those responsible for the delays are GovernmentnotedthatwhileSonia “In the 2021 Budget, According to the MP, several projectsacrossthecountry.” heldtoaccount.

Equatorial Guinea reach Afcon 2025 after Togo lose To

BBC Sport - Equatorial Guinea have qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations without kicking a ball after Togo were beaten intheirpenultimateGroupE qualifieronWednesday

The Sparrowhawks needed to take all three points from their trip to already-eliminated Liberia to keep alive their hopes of

reaching the finals in Morocco.

However,theLoneStars triumphed 1-0 in Monrovia as Mohammed Sangare netted the winner from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute.

Togowillbeabsentfrom a fourth successive Nations Cup,havinglastappearedat the 2017 tournament in

Gabon.

Equatorial Guinea are assuredofatop-twofinishin Group E regardless of the outcome of their final two matches, at home against already-qualified Algeria, today, Thursday (13:00 GMT) and away in Togo on Sunday

The National Thunder reached the last 16 at the 2023 Nations Cup in Ivory Coastearlierthisyear

Thursday November 14, 2024

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

If you've been working toward manifesting extra moneyinyourlife,Aries,you will probably see it happen today Copious physical and emotional energy gives your inner power of mind over matteraspecialimpetus.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Obstacles that you encountered in attaining your cherished goals could suddenly seem to melt away, clearingthewaytomakeyour dreamscometrue.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Alotofactivitycouldoccurat hometoday,Gemini.Perhaps you will have visitors or do someworkonthehouse.Your intuitionisparticularlystrong rightnow,andyoucouldpick up too much of the thoughts andfeelingsofothers.

CANCER(June21–July22)

Whatever goals you've been trying to reach may finally becomerealitytoday,Cancer Finalizing everything could involve a lot of running aroundinthecarandmeeting withotherpeople.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Events over which you seem tohavenocontrolseemtobe coming together to make things happen for you, Leo. You might find this a bit frightening,butdon'tletitget toyou.Gowiththeflow

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

Your energy is probably high today, almost to the point where you feel you might be able to run a marathon! Seriously, Virgo, you're probably thinking in terms of getting out of town for a while.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Your inner power is probably atanall-timehigh,Libra. You should be feeling especially confident. You're likely to have a stronger influenceonothersthanusual. You could exercise the power ofmindovermatter

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov.

21)Some fascinating conversations with friends, relatives, and others close to you could take place today, bringing new ideas your way, Scorpio. You have both the physical energy and the inner power to makethingshappen.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

Yourcareerandfinancialgoals should be within your grasp, Sagittarius.Bothyourphysical energy and inner power are operatingattheirpeak,making thisanidealdaytomakeclear plans.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Todayyou'relikelytofeellike the powerful creature you are, Capricorn Your physical energy is high, and you look andfeelgreat.Yourintellectis sharp,soifyouindulgeinany kindoflearningprocess.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20–Feb 18)Your intuition should be veryhighrightnow,Aquarius, as is your power of manifestation. Today you need to try to curb your thoughts and only think beautifulthings.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar 20)

Your immediate goals and wishes might suddenly appear to come together today, seeminglyoftheirownaccord. This might be strange, Pisces, andperhapsabitfrightening,

The Central Africans become the ninth team to booktheirplaceinMorocco after Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, DR Congo, Egypt and Senegal all secured their spots in the fourth round of qualifying.

Guyana Beverage Inc. on board with Petra...

Frompage29 KoolKidz brand for joining the fray as a partner in this year’s tournament. “These young girls are eager to showcasetheirskills,andit’s withsupportlikethisthatwe cancontinueprovidingthese valuable opportunities,” Mendoncastated.

The tournament, which officially begins on November16attheMinistry of Education ground, is sponsored by MVP Sports, withadditionalsupportfrom the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture, Youth,andSports.

Pablo Ganet helped Equatorial Guinea reach the last 16 of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. (Getty Images)

2024 GCB BetCAGESports National T20 League Semi-finals… Semi’s bowls off tomorrow with double-header at Providence - Third place playoffs, finals set for Saturday

Final four teams will head into battle bowling off this Friday at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

Th e G C B

betCAGESports

T20 Cricket League will bring down curtains on its first edition, starting tomorrow, Friday with a double-header semifinals hosted at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

The top team after the preliminary rounds is the Essequibo Jaguars with 8 points followed by the Demerara Pitbulls, Essequibo Anacondas and finally Berbice Piranhas; whosealoffthetopfourwith 6pointsapiece.

Accordingtothefixtures for the final phase of competition,thenumberone team will play the fourth placeteaminthefirstsemi’s bowlingofffrom14:00h.

Semi-final 2 is expected to get underway from 19:00h,withthesecondseed team battling the third seed team, all on Friday November15atProvidence.

SaturdayNovember16’s fixturesbeginwithaFemale exhibition match starting from 10:00h, followed by the 3rd place playoff from 14:00h; followed by the finals which is set to commencefrom19:00h.

Berbice Piranhas batsman Adrian Sukwah leads the run-getters with 180runsforthenumberone spot, trailed by Zeynul Ramsammywith162runs.

Spotsthree,fourandfive sit trickily with Essequibo Jaguars veteran all-rounder RajivIvan(3rd)andnational youth player Demerara Hawks Shamar Yearwood (4th) both tied on 148 runs apiece.

Essequibo Anaconda’s opener Kevon Boodie rounds off the top five with 147 runs and could easily shoothiswayuptheranksby theendofthetournament.

For the bowlers, Essequibo Jaguars allrounderRicardoAdamssits on 13 scalps, followed by hisCinderellaCountymate,

Anaconda’s skipper Anthony Adams who trails closely with 12 victims, leaving the tussle for the numberonespot,inaclassy

contestbetweenthetwo.

Another Anaconda player, all-rounder Quentin Sampson, occupies 3rd place with 8 wickets, while Ivan intensifies his credentials as a utility player by positioning himself in 4th place with 8 wickets.

ReturningpacerClinton Pestano could easily rocket past his four position holders, as his 7 wickets in the 5th spot will worry the otherleadingoperators

Leading run-scorer to date, Adrian Sukwah copped the MVP a few rounds ago for his dazzling 97.

More support for Project “Cricket Gear for young and promising cricketers in Guyana”

Canadian based

Terry Mathura of TDMJ Inc, a friend of this project, has once again donated cricket gear to this joint initiative between Anil Beharry of Guyana and Kishan Das of theUSA.

He presented junior cricket gear in the form of two pairs of batting pads, two pairs of batting gloves and one pair of thigh pad. Additionally, he presented one pair of cricket shoes. This project is thankful for Mathura’scontinuedsupport as we aim to keep as many youngpeopleaspossibleoff the streets and get them actively involved in sports, cricketinparticular

Total cricket related items received/purchased so far: $460,000 in cash, thirteen colored cricket uniforms,onesetofstumps, two trophies, thirty pairs of cricket shoes, thirty five pairs of batting pads, thirty five cricket bats, thirty six pairs of batting gloves,

twenty six thigh pads, three pairsofwicketkeepingpads, six arm guards, two chest pads, two boxes, twelve cricketbags,sixbatrubbers, six helmets, one fiber glass bat, one pair of floppy hat, thirteen boxes of white cricket balls, nine boxes of red cricket balls and twenty eightfootballs.Inadditionto theabove,gearwithvalueof over $600,000wasdonated by Sheik Mohamed, former N a t i o n a l w i c k e t keeper/batsman. All cash collected is being used to purchase cricket gear requested and not available at the time.

To date, eighty six young players, male and female, from all three counties of Guyana have benefiteddirectlyfromcash, seven gear bags, two trophies, four arm guards, thirtythreebats,threeboxes, six helmets, thirty one pairs ofcricketshoes,twentypairs of batting pads, twenty four thigh pads, one bat grip,

thirty four pairs of batting g

oves, one pa

of wicketkeeping pads and threepairsofwicketkeeping gloves.

M a n y o t

s benefited indirectly In addition, two clubs in the Pomeroon area benefited fromtwousedbats.

Pomeroon, Leguan and Wa k e n a m C r i c k e t Committees and Cotton Tree D

lso received one box of red cricket balls each, Cold F

C

C

u

thirteen color uniforms whileRHCCCCreceivedsix boxes of balls, fifteen white cricket shirts, one pair of junior batting pads, one pair of wicket keeping gloves, twosetsofstumpsandbails. Other beneficiaries are The Essequibo Cricket Board, the Town of Lethem, youth coach Travis Persaud (one box of red cricket balls), male and female teams playing the traditional hardball and softball in the Upper Corentyne area,

No.65YoungTitans with 30 T-Shirts, youths of Just Try Cricket Club, Wakenaam Cricket Academy (one box of white balls), Shamar Joseph, Nehemiah Hohenkirk, Shamar Apple, Leguan Cricket Committee, Tucber Park Cricket Club,Malteenoes Sports Club (nine cricket balls each), Kendall’s Union CricketClubwithtwoboxes of red balls, Lower Corentyne, Corentyne Comprehensive and JC Chandisingh Secondary Schools with twelve red ballseach.

Cricket related items, usedornew,aredistributed free of cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana Skills, discipline and education are importantcharacteristicsof therecipients.

Talent spotting is being done across the country and club leaders also assist to identify same. Progressive and well managed cricket clubs with a youth

programmewillalsobenefit. Anyone interested to contribute can contact Anil

Jamaica Olympic Association endorses Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track series debut in Kingston

SportsMax - The

J a m a i c a O l y m p i c Association (JOA) has thrown its full support behindthehighlyanticipated Grand Slam Track series, a pioneering track and field competition created by American Olympic icon

M i c h a e l J o h n s o n

Kingston’s National Stadium will host the inaugural event from April 4-6,2025,markingahistoric occasion as Jamaica kicks off a global series that merges elite competition with cultural celebration in selectcitiesworldwide.

In endorsing the Grand Slam Track initiative, JOA President Christopher Samuda highlighted the series’ alignment with the evolving nature of sports as bothabusinessandacultural experience. “The economy of sport is continually diversifying its product offerings,” Samuda said “This move merits support, for yesterday’s novelty in sport is becoming today’s normofbusinessinnovation in a global enterprise where

changing the game has become a pre-requisite of staying in the game and winningthegrandslam.”

The Grand Slam Track series promises substantial financial rewards for competitors, a prospect that appeals to both athletes and sports financiers JOA Secretary General/CEO Ryan Foster outlined the benefits, emphasizing that Grand Slam Track supports

the JOA’s vision for sustainable athletic growth.

“The grand slam track will not only pay dividends for aspirations invested initially insweatequityandmaturing in bonus payments,” Foster said, “which is a qualitative strategy of the JOA, but, more importantly, the meets will provide self-actualising opportunities for athletes and value for money for fans.”

Beyondtheprizemoney, the JOA sees Grand Slam Track as a platform for continuous, high-level competition, helping athletes prepare for the Olympics by fostering ongoing development through regular, intense matchups.“Ontheotherside of the minted coin of sport, top-ranking athletes will be able to constantly measure performance against

character as they compete continually against each other,” Foster explained, adding that it is “in conditioning themselves for the premier event, the Olympic Games,” that athletes will truly benefit fromtheseries.

Drawing inspiration from other global sports formats like tennis and Formula One, Grand Slam Track aims to create an experience that celebrates the culture of each host city

This aspect particularly resonates with the JOA’s vision of sports as a cultural and economic driver “The concept is allied to the advocacy of the JOA,” Samuda noted, “as we treat sporting events as experiences in physical culture, fan engagement, c u i s i n e , m u s i c , entertainment, and tourism—all of which are drivers in creating a viable sportsindustry.”

The JOA’s backing of Grand Slam Track aligns with its commitment to sports innovation, a mission

that led the association to launch the “Olympic Destiny”seriesin2021.

This JOAinitiative was designed to prepare Jamaican athletes for the Tokyo Olympics amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Olympic Destiny series offered incentives for athletesandfosteredhistoric performances, including Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s national record-setting 10.63s sprint in the 100m. That experience, Samuda pointed out, was “a first in the history of the sport,” underscoring the JOA’s commitment to driving progress and championing localtalentonaglobalstage. With the JOA’s endorsement, Michael Johnson’sGrandSlamTrack is poised to deliver a unique blend of high-stakes competition and cultural celebration, solidifying Jamaica’s position as a host for world-class athletic events and creating a new chapter in track and field’s evolution.

Beharry on 623 6875 or Kishan Das on

Canadian based Terry Mathura of TDMJ Inc.

JOA President Christopher Samuda (r) with Jamaican SportsMinister

Olivia Grange and GST founder Michael Johnson at the launch of the Jamaican leg of the series at the Jamaica Pegasus in Kingston on Monday. (Marlon Reid)

NO SURPRISE!!

Shamar Joseph (Gallo Images/ Getty Images)

ByColinE.H.Croft

You should have noticed that CWI and theirselectors-HeadCoachDarrenSammy and Captains Rovman Powell (T-20-Is) and Shai Hope (ODIs) - have dropped Guyana andWIsupposedfastbowlerShamarJoseph,

fromtheirgeneralsquadforthelastthreeT20-Is v England to be played in SLU on Thursday 14, Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 November2024.

No-one anywhere should have been surprisedatthisdevelopment.

As I mentioned in my last dispatch, Shamar Joseph has been bowling seriously badly,sinceJune2024,inalmostalloutings inallformatsofcricket.

NOTE: If you recall, it was the same CoachSammywhoveryloudlysuggested,in June 2024, just before ICC WT20 2024 started,that:“WestIndiesneedsrawpaceon our home pitches. Shamar Joseph will providethatneededextrapace.”

Shamar Joseph barely played any part at allinICCWT202024andhasbeenseriously poorasafastbowlersincethen.

Youshouldhavealsonoted,despitemuch noise and many promises by both Coach Sammy and Captain Powell, that West Indies, with supposedly all of its present cricketingsuperstars,didnotevengettothe “FINALFOUR”-semi-finals-ofICCWT20 2024.

No-oneintheCaribbeanevenmentioned

Curry steals show on Thompson’s return to Warriors

BBCSport-StephCurry

registered 37 points as the Golden State Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks 120117intheNBACuponKlay Thompson’s return to the ChaseCenter

The 36-year-old scored theWarriors’final12points - including a superb threepointer to make it 118-114ashecontinuedhisfinestart totheseason.

Thompson, 34, scored 22pointsashemadehisfirst return to the BayArea after endinghis13-yearstintwith the Warriors to join the Maverickslastsummer

Curry, who won four

NBA Championships alongsideThompson,saysit was strange to come up against his former teammate.

“We went over our pregame scout and the matchups,”saidCurry

“It was almost surreal saying, ‘Steph, you got Klay.’”

Thompson, a five-time NBA all-star, was all too aware of Curry’s gamewinningability

“It hurts to be on the other side of one of his flurries. Steph got hot at the end,”saidThompson.

Elsewhere, Portland Trail Blazers beat Minnesota Timberwolves

122-108 while the Milwaukee Bucks saw off theTorontoRaptors99-85.

TheNBACupstartswith a split group stage, which is followed by singleelimination knockout rounds.

that absolute failure, as our representatives justsailedonmerrilytoanotherfailureinthe UK.

InEnglandforthethreeTestseriesinJuly 2024, Shamar Joseph had continuing fitness andcrampingproblems.

As the Lord Kitchener said back in June 1950, with reference to WI first Test win in England, with reference to uber spinners SonnyRamadinandAlfredValentine,andas IdidforWItouroftheUKinJuly2024:“It wasatLord’sthatIsawit!!”

Yes.IwastheretooatLord’sinJuly2024 fortheTestmatch.

Anyway,so,now,aftereverythinginthe last five or six months, Shamar Joseph, whose cricketing future had been lauded by all, including me, late in 2023 and in early 2024, has now, already, been dropped and almostnearlyfullyrelegated.

Whatiswrongwiththispicture??

This facade does not look good for the youngman.

Shamar Joseph needs severe cricketing helprightnow Rightnow!!

Colin Croft

He might even need some psychological profiling and “clearing out processes” now too.

Colin Croft, experienced and fully qualified as a Coach, is always available, if “thepowers-that-be”areseriousandhonest.

Tel: +1 (347) 885 4411, E-mail: c.e.h.croft@gmail.com

Everyone knows how and where to find meif/whentheyneedtodoso.

So,Iamnotthatsurprised,butIamvery seriously disappointed, at the precipitous downward slide of a fast bowling cricketer withsomuchnaturaltalent.

Shamar Joseph’s future in cricket could alreadybeatthecrossroads!

Tyson health ‘just fine’ but precautions in place

BBCSport-MikeTyson says he is “just fine” and downplayed his health concerns but was taking extra precautions, asking those around him to wear face masks, before Friday’s controversial bout with Jake Paul.

The 58-year-old former heavyweightworldchampion has not competed in a professional bout since 2005, while YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul,27,haswon10ofhis11 profights

The contest at Dallas’ AT&TStadium-whichwillbe shownliveonstreaminggiant Netflix - has drawn criticism from the boxing community because of the age gap between the pair and after it was rescheduled when Tyson hadastomachulcerinJuly.

SpeakingtoBBCSportat Tuesday’s media workouts, Tyson said he had been put through his paces during trainingcampwhichwas“not funbutit’sworthit” Headded: “No one is taking it easy on me TheywanttoseeifIquitor not and I’m still here All the trainingisovernow Thefight is the party, the training is preparation,butthefightisthe party ” The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which has sanctioned it as a pro bout, told BBC Sport it “takes seriously the health and safety of all competitors”

and all fighters on the card will be medically assessed on Thursday Most Valuable Promotions’ Nakisa Bidarian saidthisisstandardforboxing events in the region and the fightwill“100%”takeplace However,itwillbesubject to certain conditions - the contest will be eight, twominuteroundsand14ozrather than 10oz gloves must be worn,lesseningtheimpactof the punches Face masks, distancing and heavy breathingMomentsbeforethe interviewattheToyotaMusic Factory in Irving, Texas, members of Tyson’s team politely requested the BBC Sport filming crew keep their distance from the two-time world champion and handed

outfacemasks.

Tyson is concerned about pickingupanyillnessesduring fightweek,theysaid

There have been question marksonthelegitimacyofthis fightandwhetherTyson-who is reported to be earning as much as $20m for participating-willtreatitasa serious bout, despite it counting to his professional record. Once known as the ‘baddestmanontheplanet’, Tyson is perhaps the most controversial figure in boxing history. He is a former undisputed champion,butin1992Tyson was convicted of rape, serving three years of a sixyearprisonsentence.

Tyson won 50 of his 56

contests before retiring in 2005 Hebecametheyoungest heavyweight boxing championinhistoryattheage of 20 and was the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA,WBCandIBFtitlesin 1987. He was noticeably breathing heavily throughouttheinterviewand gave typically short, answers.“Ithinkhe’sagreat personbutasafighterIthink he’s inferior,” were his thoughtsonPaul.

But after the interview, Tyson conducted his open workout in front of fans without issue, moving and punchingwithease

Askedwhathethoughtof Paul comparing himself to legend Muhammad Ali or saying he could beat Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, comments which have irked boxing traditionalist, Tyson replied:

“Everyoneisentitledtotheir opinion ” Tyson was engaging when questioned abouthisownpreparations.

“I’m in there with young guys, 25 and 28 years old, heavyweights They are not kindtome,mytrainersarenot kindtome,”hesaid

“Theyletmeknow,‘you reallywanttodothis?’.They put me to the test and I believe I passed the test because I did my last day of sparring and training, so I believeIpassedthetest.”

Mike Tyson conducted an open workout on Tuesday in front of fans. (Getty Images)

Steph Curry top scored for the Golden State Warriors. (Getty Images)

GFF launches NAMILCO/Maid Marian Wheat Up Women’s Cup

In a landmark

initiative to promote women’s football in Guyana, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), in collaboration with longtimepartnerNAMILCO through its Maid MarianWheat Up brand to host the first-ever Wheat Up Women’sFootballCup. This tournament, set to run from November 30 to January 4, promises to deliver five weeks of thrilling competition as ten femaleteamsbattleitoutfor the championship title and a grandprizeof$500,000.

NAMILCO,well-known for its commitment to social andcorporateresponsibility, is once again supporting the GFF to spotlight women’s sports The Wheat Up Women’s Football Cup will feature a high-energy 7-aside format, with each game lasting60minutes,designed tocaptivatebothplayersand spectators alike. Among the ten teams will be Guyana Defence Force Football team, Guyana Police Force Football team, Potaro

- Grassroots Football returns to the iconic Parade ground

GFF launches Maid Marian Wheat Up Women’s Football Cup yesterday Head panel includes (L-R) NAMILCO Finance Control Manager Fitzroy McLeod, Managing Director Bert Sukhai, GFF Head, Wayne Forde and Andrea Johnson, President of the Women’s Football Association.

Strikers, Bartica Football team, Fruta Conquerors Football teams have already

, w

th additional clubs expressing interest, as the tournament prepares to showcase the athleticism and potential of Guyana’s female football talents. The 7-a-side structure is expected to intensify the pace of play, making the matches dynamic and e

B

e tournament will provide a

platform for young female athletes to gain invaluable life skills. Football, GFF President Wayne Forde noted, offers lessons in teamwork, resilience, trust, and discipline qualities that empower both men and women to face life’s challenges with confidence anddetermination.

“Football teaches the value of working towards shared goals, building trust

emphasised “It fosters

GuyanaBeverageInc.onboardwithPetrato host8thAnnualGirlsU11FootballTournament

As excitement builds for Saturday’s kickoff, Guyana Beverage Inc. through its Koolkidz brand has joined the roster of sponsorssupportingthePetraOrganisation’s MVP Sports Girls Under-11 Football Championship.

The announcement was made yesterday during Petra’s customary team briefing and ball distribution event, held at the National LibraryConferenceRoom.

Coaches and teachers from participating schoolsattendedtheevent,gearingupforthe tournament’s start this Saturday at the MinistryofEducationground.Sixteenteams aresettolaunchtheircampaignsinwhatwill marktheeighthannualeditionoftheUnder11GirlsChampionship.

The Petra Organisation, a wellestablished advocate for grassroots football, has spent over a decade promoting the sport at the youth level Known for their commitmenttobothboys’andgirls’football, Petra has focused on providing structured competitions that foster young talent, encourage girls’ participation, and open pathwaystohigherlevelsofplay.

So far, One Mile Primary, St John the Baptist Primary, Batavia Primary, Potaro Primary, Friendship Primary, Genesis Primary, Waramuri Top Primary, School of theNations,SmithMemorialPrimary,Stella Maris Primary, Tucville Primary, West Ruimve

dt Primary, G

Petra’s Co-Director, Troy Mendonca speaking during yesterday’s ball distribution and team briefing exercise.

leadership, self-confidence, communication, and respect forothers.

These skills not only contribute to success on the field but also shape strong individuals off the field.”

Forde expressed his gratitude to NAMILCO’s leadership during his opening remarks, noting theirimpactfulinvestmentin

youthsports.“Iwouldliketo express our heartfelt appreciation to the management of NAMILCO fortheirunwaveringsupport of football over the years,” Forde said. “The Thunder Bolt Flour Power U17 Boys League, funded by NAMILCO, has been transformational, with all current Golden Jaguars

players having benefited fromthisinitiative.”

Recognizing the importance of developing

the women’s game, NAMILCO has extended its support to include women’s football, further solidifying their dedication to growing the sport in Guyana. Forde concluded with optimism, stating, “We are thrilled to open this new chapter together,aimingtomakethis an annual event that will continuetogrowandinclude even more teams in the future.”

With anticipation building for the inaugural WheatUpWomen’sFootball Cup, this event stands as a promising opportunity to propel female football forward in Guyana, uniting c o m m u n i t i e s a n d empowering young women through the universal languageofsport.

Joel Gonsalves, an Education Officer with the Ministry of Education’s Music/Allied Arts Unit, and Earl Higgins, competition coordinator for Guyana Beverage Inc., both commended Petra for their dedication to grassroots football, expressing confidence in the tournament’s success.

Troy Mendonca, Co-Director of Petra, highlighted the importance of community supportandextendedhisgratitudetoGBI’s (Continuedonpage25)

n International Academy (GIA), North Georgetown Primary, F.E Pollard Primary and defending champions MarianAcademy have been shortlisted for this year’s tournament.

Guyana Beverage Inc. on board with Petra to host

Petra executives Troy Mendonca (seated center) and Troy Peters (extreme right) as well as key stakeholders share photo-op with representatives of participating teams during yesterday’s briefing.