Kaieteur News

K

AIETEUR NEWS

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

Georgetown Sunday Edition among 9 cities forecast to be - Climate November 07, 2021

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

Price $140

under water by 2030 Central

Online readership yesterday, 80,615

ExxonMobil makes no commitment to full coverage insurance Despite Guyana's rush to approve Yellowtail Project…

Change the contracts now!

US$1.8 trillion Yellowtail Project…

It's cheaper to dump produced water than to re-inject - Exxon tells EPA

Civil society group expresses concerns about absence of key constitutional, statutory bodies ...says legal action will follow if changes are not made

Robbery was planned to get money to buy car - accomplice tells cops Murder of Kingston doctor..

- stolen cellphone found in killer’s backyard - CCTV camera captures victim, suspect buying liquor on Regent St. VP Jagdeo tells the nation that Exxon will now guarantee up to US$2B for any damage 4&7pm on Kaieteur caused from the 4th Project, Yellowtail, nothing for Liza 1, 2 and Payara.@ 11am, Radio 99.1/99.5FM Listen to VP. Jagdeo, Dr. Singh in their own words, the danger they are creating for us and future generations.

VP Jagdeo calmly glosses over not checking or verifying US$9.5B for Liza 1 and 2 Project costs of which Public Servants’ salaries could have been doubled for the next 66 years if we had saved half of that US$9.5B thrown at us. Listen to him yourself while the Opposition is silent.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 07, 2021

First Lady, Ayra Ali, lands GEM’s re-envision cover

L

oyal readers of the renowned GEM will soon have their beloved publication back in their hands (and on their screens) as the magazine prepares to reemerge in the space it had created some 17 years ago. This will be the first publication after an almost four-year hiatus.

Sporting a fresh look, the 78th issue features First Lady, Ayra Ali as the cover story. The article centres around Mrs. Ali’s work, her vision for the young people, and explains how she will serve as a positive influence to mobilise the younger demographic.

When asked about some areas of improvement that can help to increase youth involvement, Mrs. Ali replied: “I believe more emphasis needs to be placed on community development. After the home, it is the community that plays a critical role in socialisation. So youths need to start playing a meaningful role in society, first through their communities which can provide a platform for them to contribute nationally.”

Besides the extensive cover story, the magazine is packed with other exciting features including a fashion spread on veteran designer, Roger Gary’s 2022 Spring/Summer Swimwear Collection; Iwokrama River Lodge and Research Centre; Men’s Grooming Tips; The Victoria Regia Journey and much more.

A digital version of this collector’s edition will be accessible to read for free at GemGuyana.com beginning on Monday, November 8, and the glossy print copy will be available for purchase on the website also.

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 07, 2021

PAGE 03

DESPITE GUYANA’S RUSH TO APPROVE YELLOWTAIL PROJECT…

ExxonMobil makes no commitment to full coverage insurance Even though American oil explorer, ExxonMobil has faced five years of unrelenting criticism for refusing to provide Guyana with full coverage insurance on its Liza Phase One, Liza Phase Two and Payara Projects, the company appears hell-bent on continuing this trend for its fourth development—the $1.8 trillion Yellowtail Project.

Currently, Guyana only has insurance from the subsidiaries of the ExxonMobil, Hess Corporation, and China National Offshore Oil Corporation, or CNOOC Group on the Stabroek Block. Given that these companies hardly have any assets or cash, the insurance coverage in the event of an oil spill would be miniscule, to say the least. As a result of this, local stakeholders have urged the government to not only correct this state of affairs by tying the parent companies to full coverage insurance for the first three sanctioned projects, but they have also demanded better arrangements for Exxon’s Yellowtail Project, which the government is now racing to approve by the end of this year.

In its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on Yellowtail, ExxonMobil categorically stated that the insurance for the project would be provided for in the name of its subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL). The document which was lodged with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says, “Joint insurance coverage is

Map showing the location of the Yellowtail field in proximity to other significant discoveries in the Stabroek Block. obtained in the name of EEPGL and the other Stabroek block coventurers for the appropriate lines of coverage, depending on the project and scope of work.

Specifically, for the Yellowtail Project, the co-venturers have insurance coverage including Third Party Liability and the cost of regaining control of a well.”

Just recently, Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo noted that the government is working on securing as much as US$2B for insurance from ExxonMobil instead of full coverage. He said this move follows criticisms over the last few years, to the effect that the country has no formal guarantee from the parent company that it would cover the shortfall of expenditure for

environmental disasters, which are not handled by its subsidiary. He said it was an “implicit” understanding that this would be done. He is now working to get the parent company to acknowledge this obligation to protect the nation from any and all environmental dangers associated with its operations.

ABOUT YELLOWTAIL

EEPGL, the operator of the Stabroek Block, had explained via the Environmental Impact Assessment for the Yellowtail Project that the costs for development are expected to be above US$9B, since there would be a greater number of development wells and associated drilling costs when compared to its Payara project, which will also cost Guyana $1.8 trillion.

Despite the astronomical costs, Exxon believes that the project should be supported as it would generate benefits for the citizens of Guyana in several ways, which would otherwise not be there in the absence of the project.

According to project documents, Yellowtail will consist of drilling approximately 41 to 67 development wells (including production, water injection, and gas re-injection wells); installation and operation of Subsea, Umbilicals, Risers, and Flowlines equipment; installation and the operation of a Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel in the eastern half of the Stabroek Block; and— ultimately—project decommissioning.

Initial production is expected to begin by the end of 2025–early 2026, with operations continuing for at least 20 years. The project is expected to employ up to 540 persons during development well drilling, approximately 600 persons at the peak of the installation stage, and 100 to 140 persons during production operations.

Failing to audit Exxon’s US$10B spending is ‘dereliction of duty’ – MP Forde …CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo The failure to audit in excess of US$9.5B in spending undertaken for the Liza I and II developments in the Stabroek Block has been described by Opposition Member of Parliament and Shadow Minister for Legal Affairs and Attorney General, Roysdale Forde, as a massive financial failure that reflects a dereliction of duty. Moreover, he is calling for “an independent investigation into this colossal act of incompetence.”

Forde, an attorney at law—who up until recently functioned in the capacity of

acting Opposition Leader—was at the time responding to a Kaieteur News publication on Thursday last which carried the headline ‘Govt.’s failure to meet 2-year audit deadline; Guyana is now forced to pay US9.5 billion for Liza 1 & 2 projects’.

Commenting on this, Forde said that the incumbent People’s Progressive Party C i v i c ( P P P / C ) administration, “opted to let US$9.5 billion or G$1.8 trillion go, than to entrust a high-valued job to ‘not so strong’ local auditors.”

The disclosure of the failure to audit the massive expenditure was had on Monday last, when Opposition Leader, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, briefed members of the media corps on developments in the sector

at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

Dr. Jagdeo had blamed a lack of capacity on the part of the local parties that had applied to undertake the audit and qualified his position by saying, they were found to be not strong enough.

To this end, he suggested that in future, there could perhaps be the formation of a consortium of local parties, working in partnership with some foreign company.

R u b b i s h i n g Vi c e P r e s i d e n t J a g d e o ’s arguments, the Opposition Shadow Minister noted with conviction, “the excuse advanced by Jagdeo for such a massive financial failure, reflects a dereliction of duty by the PPP/C administration which is (now) trying to pass blame on to inadequacy of auditing skills.”

Forde added, “not only is this disclosure pathetic but it shows Jagdeo’s lack of confidence in the skilled persons of this country and the contempt that he and the PPP/C have for Guyanese as a whole.”

As such, he posited, “local auditors must feel like peons (unimportant) knowing what Jagdeo and the installed PPP/C administration think of them.”

According to Forde, “it is stunning to see that it was better for him, who has no auditing skills, to let such a potentially large sum of money be forfeited with the added loss of an opportunity for local auditors to learn on the job.”

The situation, he observed, comes “in a time when the cost-of-living is rising and families are

hurting” and lamented, “it is amazing that the country is willing to accept a reckless decision.”

A decision he said, that would potentially let “G$1.8 trillion go down the drain; with such wanton disregard for the financial needs of the people, this installed government is showing its true colours of having no real interest in working in the best interest of this country.”

As such, he suggested that, “the mistake being reported by Kaieteur News is not in the timeframe for getting the job done but in the failure of the administration to act constructively in this matter.”

The Opposition MP was unwavering in his position that “there was nothing to stop a local audit firm from hiring foreign auditors as part

Shadow Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, APNU+AFC’s Roysdale Forde of their workforce,” and questioned “why does Jagdeo, and the PPP/C, feel that, that was the best approach to use after Guyanese lost G$1.8 trillion?”

According to Forde, the muted voices seem to accept this irresponsible decision by Jagdeo as respectable and commendable and that the Vice President’s actions continues to demonstrate that he and “his cohorts, have no respect for the people of this country and lack the capacity to either guide or manage the Continued on page 53

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Kaieteur News

Racism is demonic, dividers and haters should have no place in this society DEAR EDITOR, Please allow me space in your newspaper to express my honest view, that racism is demonic. Suffice to say, those who practice and/or support it are an integral part of the devil’s machinery. My definition for those involved in this demonic process is simply haters of mankind and enemies of the cross. Just a reminder, the devil serves the major purposes of stealing, killing and destroying.

On Sunday October 31, 2021, I was relaxing in my home, and it was a great blessing when I saw four or five lovely Guyanese women of Indian descent worshiping on television. It was indeed a blessing to me. They were worshiping Almighty God. I immediately asked myself this question, “Who am I or anybody to hate God’s creation?” I cannot resist recalling the act by the late Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham and Cheddi Jagan on May 26, 1966. Both of these gentlemen got up from their respective seats and embraced each other, as the Union Jack was taken down and the flag of Guyana went up. What a glorious moment and what a glorious sight.

Their action was further supplemented by one verse in our national anthem, which made reference to, “ONE PEOPLE, ONE NATION, ONE DESTINY”.

As a youngster at the time, I thought that this was the end of colonisation and the beginning unification. I was deceived. Every Guyanese

has the responsibility to reexamine the definition and responsibility of the nationality we should proudly carry on our forehead, irrespective to whether we reside in or out of Guyana. We should not listen to those who are bent on dividing us, irrespective of who they are, what they claim to be, or what they look like.

Division of a people is not of God, it is demonic. The yoke of racism has taken dramatic toll on this nation. Guyanese destroying each other because of what we look like is destroying ourselves. The authors of racism will pay an expensive and abnormal price. It is difficult to have a conversation at any level in Guyana without the demon of racism lifting its head.

I would like to ask every Guyanese this simple but yet extremely difficult question.

“WHO ARE WE TO HATE WHAT GOD HAS MADE IN HIS OWN LIKENESS AND IMAGE?” A racist is a murderer, a thief, a hater of humanity and a lunatic in the right sense. I was asking this question recently to a small gathering, ‘How can we eliminate this deadly dragon from our midst’. I find the response of a 12-year-old boy (mixed descent) amazing but serious. He looked at me sheepishly, then in a quiet and sad tone he dropped a bomb shell, ‘There is nothing wrong hating wrongdoings, but we should never hate each other’. He then asked me if I agreed with him. I was taken aback by his response and

fumbled for words. He stared at me with an extraordinary intensity and expectation. He became impatient then blew it out: ‘WHY OLDER PEOPLE ARE MAKING IT SO DIFFICULT FOR US, THE YOUNG GUYANESE GENERATION?’ This was a confirmation that the Holy Bible is not a fable, “WHAT IS NOT REVEALED ONTO THE WISE AND PRUDENT SHALL BE REVEALED UNTO BABES AND SUCKLINGS.” Politicians in Guyana are a special and unique breed of creatures. They are experts in playing the race game to fortify themselves. However, in so doing they are actually placing a rope around their own necks. They all will be answerable to the Father in Heaven. Exploiting our Godgiven natural resources to improve the lives of all Guyanese should be the primary objective of all those who have political aspirations. However, this is not the case. I will close at this point by saying to every young Guyanese (Amerindian, Portuguese, Chinese, Indo Guyanese, Afro Guyanese and Mixed Guyanese) to chart a new course, which leads to an appreciation/love and equal opportunities for all and a common sense of belonging and oneness.

Where are we going as a nation? I hope the answer is not to HELL. May God bless, Beautiful Guyana.

Respectfully, Hector Lambert

Be sensible with this overpowering focus on oil, Guyana has other areas for...

From page 5 of trucks toward ports, without forcing them to go through the city, where they would otherwise compete for space alongside cars and people.

Arterial or collector roads would take us toward industrial complexes and toward denser zones.

Local roads take us to places where we reside, consume and enjoy our

prosperity by providing services - which in themselves come with an incalculably vast universe of possibilities (submarine swimming pool tours anyone?)

I imagine that there are many ways to be prosperous.

I can only think of a few things, as I have in this letter.

I do realize though, that we can deepen our economy,

supporting it with industries of information services (software, the web, data science) that enable us to become master strategists or make our sectors legible and targetable by policies, while providing jobs at all levels of abstraction across the processes that create value.

Editor, can you tell that I am failing to keep this short?

Sincerely, Emille Giddings

Sunday November 07, 2021

Dubai was a debacle, shows Guyana needs a National Broadcasting System DEAR EDITOR, I feel compelled to add my comments about Guyana’s presentation celebrating H. E. President Irfaan Ali’s official visit to Expo 2020 in Dubai.

I am among the many in Guyana and across Diaspora who are embarrassed and disappointed in the way Guyana was portrayed to the world. We expected to see a professional, entertaining and informative presentation celebrating the majestic beauty of our country, the culture and customs of its diverse population, and the immense business opportunities awaiting investors.

As a retired communicator, I would like to take the liberty of suggesting how I would have liked to see my beloved country portrayed on the world stage.

The presentation would have begun with a beautiful video portraying Guyana in all her glory, while a voiceover described the country’s location, size and worldfamous pristine rainforests, unique flora and fauna and abundant natural resources, while highlighting its culturally diverse peoples.

The video would have been designed to precede President Ali’s speech allowing him to buttress the themes of diversity and opportunity portrayed in the video.

The President’s remarks could then have been followed by a short cultural presentation celebrating the richness of this country’s Indigenous Peoples, as well as its multicultural and multireligious society. The presentation could have ended with the performers inviting the President onstage to present him with a garland of flowers. This would have given him a moment to thank the Government of Dubai for their generous hospitality and exhort them to journey to Guyana - our El Dorado - to invest in the many business opportunities that beckon.

Such a format would have been an entertaining and logical climax to the presentation.

Instead, we had an inept, unprofessional and technically flawed production resulting in an overall presentation that was largely unfocused, incoherent and serving

little purpose. Whoever was responsible for this debacle should be immediately relieved of their duties.

We cannot afford such incompetence that brings the country into disrepute and causes national embarrassment.

I urge the government to take a firm hold of national communications and information dissemination.

May I suggest the government start by establishing a national broadcasting and communications authority to inform, educate, entertain and communicate with all of its citizens? This will go a long way in fostering a more skilled group of journalists and allow talented young artists to flourish.

It will also allow the government to deliver its own narrative to the WHOLE country, rather than relying on countless fragmented programmes of dubious quality.

Think what this can do to foster national unity!!

Sincerely, Ricardo Smith Former GM Guyana Graphic

Animals suffered terribly from fireworks madness during Diwali...

From page 4 death. Some even died of heart failure due to panic attacks.

Wild animals were not spared of this horrendous ordeal. Birds and bats met a tragic end in their bid to seek shelter from this apocalyptic bombing in the name of celebration.

Humans also had to endure the wrath of these explosions. The elderly, the sick, babies and persons suffering from post-traumatic syndromes suffered while a few had their ‘fun’.

Historically, Diwali is intended to celebrate light over darkness. Many Hindus consider Diwali to be a fresh start, similar to the Lunar New Year in January.

Many people clean, renovate and decorate their homes in anticipation of blessing from the Devine Mother Lakshmi. Diwali is also a time to settle debts and make peace with family, friends and neighbours.

Editor, the laws of Guyana are clear when it comes to the importation, sale, possession and use of pyrotechnics. It is a banned product. Then why are we still seeing the wanton sale, possession and use of

same? Fireworks were being sold in full view of the public and the relevant authorities simply didn’t care.

Editor, there are no known benefits when it comes to the use of fireworks to celebrate.

On the contrary, there are multitudes of disadvantages using them. Let me highlight a few.

Illegal use of fireworks can be dangerous to you and to others and is a public nuisance.

People who use fireworks carelessly, or without knowing what they’re doing, can be killed or maimed.

They can also kill or maim others.

Fireworks can burn down houses, cause fires, frighten children and adults, and terrify pets and wildlife.

Noise from fireworks can cause distress, especially as fireworks can sound like gunfire. The noise can also cause tinnitus and deafness, or aggravate a nervous condition.

People who suffer from asthma can experience discomfort and epileptics can experience seizures following fireworks displays.

Money spent on

purchasing fireworks can be more meaningfully used to purchase a household item, feed homeless or strays, or it can be saved.

Christmas is around the corner, and I can only imagine what awaits us if this asininity goes unchecked. I am hereby making a desperate plea to all right-thinking Guyanese to immediately stop the use of loud explosives as a form of celebration.

Parents do not encourage your children with the use of fireworks.

Religious leaders, use your authority to encourage your followers to be considerate for all during their celebrations.

To the police, I know your hands are filled but I beg you not to turn a blind eye to this scourge.

As a nation we are judged by the way we treat animals, the elderly, the homeless and children.

Let us use the tragedy that occurred on Diwali night to reflect on the true meaning of Diwali.

Yours respectfully, Anurama Ramgobin Exec Member Tails of Hope- Animal Rescue

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Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 07, 2021

Civil society group expresses concerns about absence of key constitutional, statutory bodies ...says legal action will follow if changes are not made Article 13, a local civil society group formed with the intention to achieve the noble goals and aspirations set out in the constitution of Guyana, has expressed deep concern over the failure by the Irfaan Ali administration to constitute a long list of constitutional and statutory bodies as well as offices required for the proper functioning of the country.

In a release to the press, Article 13 noted the negative impact the absence of these constitutional and statutory bodies have on the overall governance of the country.

The group therefore called on the government to address the issue and reconstitute the bodies or face legal action.

“Without assigning a tier of importance to constitutional and statutory

bodies, the failure by President Ali to establish the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) and the Public Procurement C o m m i s s i o n Tr i b u n a l (PPCT), even as his Government expends or announces the expending of billions of dollars of public funds, can no longer be tolerated,” the group said in its statement.

Expounding on its position, the group went on to note that Article 212W of the Guyana Constitution provides for the establishment of a fiveperson PPC with duties as set out in the Procurement Act include "the regulation of the procurement of goods and services ....to promote fairness and transparency in the procurement process".

Representatives of Article 13: Yog Mahadeo and Ramon Gaskin.

To buttress the work of issue a “ farcical and the PPC, Article 13 notes that fictitious 'no objection'" to a the Public Procurement B u i l d - O w n - O p e r a t e Commission Tribunal Act Transfer (BOOT) agreement requires the appointment of a f o r t h e A m a i l a F a l l s three-person Tribunal to hear H y d r o p o w e r P r o j e c t appeals on any decision (AFHP), secretly negotiated m a d e b y t h e P u b l i c by its own Government.

To this end, Article 13 Procurement Commission.

At present, Article 13 is s a i d , “ T h a t t h e A l i seeking confirmation from Administration does not Ms. Gail Teixeira, the know, or pretends not to Minister responsible for know, that the Procurement Governance, on the full list Act permits an objection by of these bodies and offices the Cabinet only if it and the dates on which they determines that a procuring entity has failed to comply expired.

According to the group, with applicable procurement t h e a n n o u n c e m e n t b y procedures is frightening for Attorney General, Anil the country's governance and Nandlall, SC, that the for the public purse, and P r e s i d e n t w o u l d b e poses a real and grave threat addressing the issue of the to the rule of law.”

The organisation constitutional commissions on his return from the Global believes that these glaring Climate Change Conference constitutional and statutory is welcomed but far from breaches indicate a reckless satisfactory.Further, the d i s r e g a r d f o r t h e g r o u p n o t e d t h a t t h e Constitution and the laws of President is conferred with the country which were the duty and responsibility painstakingly put together to for the appointment of the prevent corruption and members of the Commission autocratic actions by the after their nomination by the Government and to promote Public Accounts Committee t r a n s p a r e n c y a n d and approval by two-thirds accountability in matters of public finance. of the National Assembly.

In this regard, Article 13 “[The President] is required to appoint the made it “abundantly clear,” Chairman of the Tribunal in that they hold the President, accordance with the advice h i s G o v e r n m e n t , t h e of the Judicial Service Opposition, the speaker as Commission (JSC), and the w e l l a s t h e N a t i o n a l two members in accordance Assembly responsible for with the advice of the Public the egregious state of affairs, Service Commission. As 15 months into the new Mr. Nandlall has admitted, Administration and the the Government has failed to Eleventh Parliament.

“We hereby put the constitute the Judicial Service Commission while it Government on notice that is a public fact that there is no unless the issue of the Public Public Service Commission Procurement Commission either,” Article 13 continued and the Tribunal is resolved promptly, Article 13 will in the statement.

To add insult to injury, take the necessary action, the group claims that the Ali legal and otherwise, to Administration, in violation restore constitutionality and of the Constitution and the the rule of law,” the group PPC Act, gets its Cabinet to added in its statement.

Sunday November 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 09

It's cheaper to dump produced water US$1.8 trillion Yellowtail Project…

than to re-inject ExxonMobil's subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), has told the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that it intends to dump produced water from the Yellowtail Project into the ocean. It said this is the preferred choice since reinjection is an “economically inferior” option.

EEPGL informed the EPA of this plan of action via its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for its fourth project in the Stabroek Block which comes on stream by 2026. The document notes that produced water is the liquid that comes up a well during the extraction of oil and gas.

It is usually high in salinity.

EEPGL noted that there are two primary options for the disposal of produced water: it can either be treated and discharged overboard or it can be combined with seawater and re-injected into the earth's surface.

The subsidiary was keen to note that “overboard discharge of treated produced water was selected for the Yellowtail Development Project based on a best available technology (BAT) analysis.” It also determined that the potential environmental impacts on water quality from overboard discharge of treated produced water would be negligible.

Furthermore, the oil company said a produced water treatment system for the Yellowtail project will be designed to collect the

done to assess the environmental risks of the produced water's toxicity on marine life before granting approval for the disposal of it into the ocean.

Further research also notes that produced water is regarded as a high-volume ExxonMobil's Guyana President, Alistair Routledge

substance, treat it and then discharge overboard. It said the produced water treatment system will be maintained and operated to maximise oil recovery from the produced water prior to discharge.

EEPGL said produced water that does not meet the overboard discharge specification after treatment will be routed to an appropriate tank in the hull of the Yellowtail's floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) and managed.

Back in 2020, EEPGL's Country Manager, Alistair Routledge, had proffered a similar defence when the company was heavily criticised for refusing to reinject produced water for its US$9B Payara project.

Routledge had posited that the oil giant wants to continue with its mode of operation which is to dump

the produced water since it “is treated and has no effect on the environment.”

Even though Routledge claimed then and continues to maintain the position that there are no effects of treated water being dumped into the ocean, there is no such information supporting this in the EPA's possession. Not a single study was ever commissioned to determine this as well for the Liza Phase One, Two and Payara Projects, all of which will be dumping millions of barrels of water with high salinity into the ocean.

Kaieteur News had noted in previous publications that international best practices dictate that produced water should be re-injected into the earth's surface. Because no two geographic regions are alike, there is a plethora of material that categorically state that studies should be

GPL nah need boys smart grid system seh...

Dem

Irfaan Ali does sit down at State House and keep he virtual press conference. But de Vee Pee did need a live audience so he host he own last week at de Conference Centre.

Some ah dem journalists nah bin please because dem had to tek special hire fuh get deh. And de man talk so long dat some ah dem fall ah sleep. One man even think he went home because when he wake up, he looking fuh he toothbrush.

De Vee Pee tell de media

how de guvament wukkin towards a stable smart grid where fibre gan be in dem electric wires and de GPL can sit in dem control room and know weh gat blackout.

Dem boys wan tell Jagdeo dat he nah gat fuh spend billion ah dollars pon no smart grid system fuh know where gat blackout.

All he gat fuh do is fuh get GPL fuh answer dem phone.

When dem boys gat power outage, dem boys does be ringing and ringing and de phone does tek long

fuh answer. So dem nah need no smart grid system but wan smart telephone system.

And it gan save yuh lots more money dan having to put fibre in de electricity lines.

Nah waste money pon no smart grid system. If GPL do dem wuk, answer dem phone and respond like speedy Gonzalez, yuh nah need expensive smart grid system.

Talk half and tell Jagdeo fuh talk less and fix more.

- Exxon tells EPA toxic waste. It was also noted that the treatment of produced water is very important hence there would be a need for regulatory bodies to ascertain if the appropriate technologies are being utilised in the treatment process and for a further

study to be done to understand the effects of the treated water on the environment. Kaieteur News was also able to confirm that the EPA does not know what technologies are being used

by ExxonMobil in this regard.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Sunday November 07, 2021

BLUNTNESS ON INDECENCY! I

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

SUNDAY We are glad that Guyana's opposition has finally found its voice. Now the opposition is calling for a comprehensive study for the proposed gas-to-shore project.

A real opposition can make its mark by exposing the lies and coverups of the PPP leadership with the Wales Project.

A real opposition will not let-up. A real opposition will keep the pressure on the PPP for its deceptions and corrupt visions. The visions that

really benefit only its leaders and insiders.

TUESDAY Exxon rents another supply boat for its operation (KN October 26). Most people would do the same if they got some idiots for leaders to pay US$55,000 per boat.

It is easy money, and best taken from fools while it can be had.

Given the level of foolishness we see in Guyana, this is likely to go on…

Guyanese should get

ready: Exxons will have more boats to rent since we are paying.

Ketch a paccoo, buss he back….

WEDNESDAY Hess' CEO calls oil agreement with Guyana “superefficient.”

He is absolutely right, since his shareholders will benefit outrageously.

What is “superefficient” for Hess and other oil companies is superbad for Guyana and its peoples.

What promises a quick recovery for Hess and others,

means a long slow death for Guyana.

THURSDAY Carefully examine Exxon before the U.S. Congress.

Even there, its words about climate change misinformation are a study in word games.

CEO Woods spoke of the company being “truthful” and “fact-based” with positions on climate change.

What he left out (pretended not to know) was that it was Exxon's facts and Exxon's truths that feathered

its nests.

In Guyana, PPP leaders it would seem, have joined the Exxon act and are falsifying by stretching truths, using their own 'facts.'

FRIDAY The UN Secretary General calls the climate crisis 'a code red' for humanity.

Senor Guterres says no more diplomatic niceties.

That could be trouble for Guyana, which barges ahead swiftly to produce.

Our leaders are being warned: listen and pay heed.

Don't be on the wrong side of this climate change crisis.

SATURDAY Exxon is dumping sewage overboard (KN Oct 29). With our leaders giving the green light, Exxon could soon be dumping sewage on our heads.

Wa t c h o u t , f e l l o w Guyanese. Don't believe for a moment that our leaders have Guyanese interests at heart.

Fishermen and their families are suffocating while our leaders and their families are prospering.

Sunday November 07, 2021

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Sunday November 07, 2021

Govt. proposes new elections laws with stiffer penalties…

GECOM's CEO, others can get life in prison, fined $10M for fraud Under the proposed amendments for the electoral law, the Chief Election Officer (CEO) at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) can face life imprisonment along with a hefty fine of $10 million for committing fraud.

A draft document of the proposed changes to the Representation of the People Act (RoPA), the main electoral law, was released to the public on Friday for consultation. The document will be reviewed by key stakeholders including the Government, Opposition, civil society groups and members of the public at large within a six-week timeframe for which, they can make objections and give feedback on the new law.

According to the draft, under the amended law not only can the CEO face hefty penalties for fraud, but other top officials within the

elections machinery can face jail time for similar offences.

The draft amendment comes more than one year after the Guyana's Regional and General elections were held. The results of the 2020 polls were protracted for close to six months due to allegations of fraud and miscalculations of the votes.

The country's former CEO, Keith Lowenfield, Deputy CEO, Roxanne Myers and Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, are all before the Court, charged with fraud.

Added to that, they have all been dismissed from GECOM. As such under the new law, the Chief Election Officer is liable of an offence “if he makes false statements, knowingly posts or caused to be posted an electronic copy of a statement of poll that is not a true copy of the certified copy of the statement of poll delivered to him, or that

contains a false statement and would be liable on summary conviction to a fine of $10 million and to imprisonment for life.”

Another responsibility of the CEO is to prepare a final report on the nationwide votes which is to be submitted to the Elections Commission to declare the winner of the elections. If he fails to do this within the established timeframe or if he falsifies any of the data, he can also be jailed for life and fined as much as $10 million.

Other persons involved in the electoral process can face fines as high as $10 million and can equally be jailed for life if they breach any provisions as outlined in the proposed updated RoPA. The amendments to the RoPA recommend life imprisonment for any person who fails to deliver to the CEO a true certified copy of a tabulation form or who delivers a tabulation form

with falsified information.

The amended law stipulates further that “a person who obstructs an assistant agent or an alternate polling agent in the performance of his functions commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years”.

Accordingly, the draft amendment recommends that person who fails to follow the procedure set out in the new law in ascertaining or to ascertain the total votes cast in a district or sub-district for each list of candidates commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $10 million and imprisonment for life.

Additionally, it notes that any person who fails to deliver to the returning officer of district Region Four a true certified copy of

the sub-district tabulation form or who delivers the subdistrict tabulation form with falsified information commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $10 million and imprisonment for life.

“A person who fails to deliver to the Chief Election Officer a true certified copy of a signed sub-district tabulation form as referred to in subsection (11) of the law or who delivers a tabulation form with falsified information commits an

offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $10 million and to imprisonment for life.”

The document also states that the presiding officer who refuses to accept from an elector, for consideration of the elector's identify, a form of identification as authorised under the RoPA, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $5 million and imprisonment for 10 years.The proposed changes to the (Continued on page 54)

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UNICEF donates 100 water tanks to CDC to support emergency response - will be distributed to flood-affected households and support COVID-19 response UNICEF on Friday handed over 100 water tanks, to the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), which will be used to support the CDC's response to emergencies. The tanks, each with a capacity of 450 gallons of water, were procured with support from the United States Government through the US Department of State's Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration (USBPRM). The water tanks

will be distributed to households affected by flooding, as well as support the response to the COVID19 pandemic by ensuring availability of water for infection prevention and control in key areas.

UNICEF Representative, Nicolas Pron and United States Ambassador to Guyana, H.E. Sarah-Ann Lynch handed over the tanks to CDC's Director General, Lieutenant Colonel Kester

Craig at the CDC Headquarters on Friday.

“UNICEF is pleased to deliver these water tanks to the CDC. These will ensure that children and their families affected by flooding have access to water. Clean and safe water is essential for children's health, survival and development,” said Mr. Pron. The UNICEF Representative added that the CDC is a valued partner in UNICEF's emergency Water,

United States Ambassador to Guyana, H.E. Sarah-Ann Lynch, UNICEF Representative, Nicolas Pron and CDC Director General, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig with one of the 100 water tanks handed over to the CDC on Friday, November 5, 2021.

Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programmes in Guyana. He also thanked the US Government for its valuable support and partnership in responding to emergencies and ensuring that no child is left behind.

“The United States Government continues to support the commendable efforts of the Government of Guyana for COVID-19 and other emergency responses.

These water tanks will increase the accessibility and availability of water in the areas where people are in need,” said Ambassador Lynch. The ambassador added that the US government is proud to partner with UNICEF and the CDC to address the

humanitarian needs of Guyanese and migrants.

In welcoming the donation, Lieutenant Colonel Craig said, “The significance of this contribution must not be downplayed, as it will not only ensure adequate and improved water access for the households, but it will greatly improve their standards for sanitation and hygiene, thereby helping to reduce these households' risks to contracting infectious diseases, especially COVID-19 which continues to affect global populations at alarming rates.”

“The CDC commends and must acknowledge UNICEF and the US Government for their roles

and partnership in this initiative, which is most definitely not a mere donation, but a tangible contribution towards our national and international goals for disaster resilience and sustainable development,” he added.

The donation of the water tanks complements emergency support provided

by UNICEF to the Government of Guyana. In July, UNICEF provided over two million water purification tablets to the CDC as part of the flood response and since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF has partnered with national authorities on the response to the crisis.

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Sunday November 07, 2021

Catching Hell: What’s fuelling Guyana’s fishing woes?

Gilbaka caught in Region 2

Artisanal fishing boats from Region 6

By Melina Harris

T

he Guyanese fisheries industry has a relatively brief history of formal regularisation and even within that period, it has been fraught with difficulty as unregulated fishing practices, poor resource management and overfishing remain key drivers in the depletion of fish stocks in Guyana.

Today, factors like the impacts of pollution through human activity and the dumping of toxic chemicals into the oceans by multinational corporations also play a key role in ecosystem destruction.

Ultimately, affecting marine habitats like corals, reefs and micro-organisms like plankton which are necessary to support a variety of marine life, many of which are of commercial and economic significance.

Guyana has over 900 species of fish in its waters and its marine environment lies within the Amazon Orinoco influence zone, an area of immense biological diversity and importance.

There is an abundance of fresh, brackish and saltwater species that are commercially fished which contribute to a vibrant but troubled agriculture sector.

Guyanese are only now starting to get a clearer picture of what lies beneath the surface of the “land of many waters”. A recent marine mapping exercise revealed the abundance of marine species including countless species of dolphins and whales. It also gave an insight into some of the factors affecting commercial

species.

According to Maria Fraser, a Marine Biologist and Research Coordinator at the Guyana Marine Conservation Society (GMCS), fishing gears are playing a significant role in overfishing and the depletion of commercial and non-commercial fish stocks.

During the mapping expedition, Ms. Fraser observed “about six to seven yards of fishing net” which had “a whole lot of fish entangled on it”.

The fisheries sector encompasses a marine, industrial, trawl fisheries fleet, an inland aquaculture subsection and small-scale artisanal fisheries carried out by coastal fishers in small wooden vessels.

But following the historic collapse of the prawn resource (Panaeus ssp) in the 1980s and 1990s, owing to over-exploitation

and general mismanagement of the resource, Guyana was forced to switch gears and move on to other resources in order to sustain marine industrial fisheries.

In 1984, Guyana began trawl fishery for seabob (Xiphopenaeus kroyeri) which grew exponentially in terms of vessels now trawling for seabob, the number of processing plants which shot up to cover demand for processing of the resource and impressive catch numbers were being recorded, having peaked around the year 2000.

Guyana has since become the number one producer and exporter of seabob shrimp (Xiphopenaeus kroyeri) in the world, accounting for a whopping 45 percent share of the global market.

The government continues to try to better regulate this very important sector which significantly

A mixed catch from Region 3

Boats under construction in Region 6 affects the lives of every Guyanese, directly employing some 20,000 workers and indirectly in excess of 30,000 workers

through local supply chains and related industries, like manufacturing, where boat building has been a constant source of employment and income for residents of coastal communities.

But despite the introduction of legislation to d e m a r c a t e f i s h e r ’s commercial zones, to record vessel ownership, fishing operations (prawn, seabob and finfish) and a requirement to land bycatch, fisheries is currently under severe threat of collapse as resource management and sustainable exploitation continue to plague the f i s h e r i e s i n d u s t r y.

Additionally, the rising cost of fuel, especially in relation to neighbouring competitors, is a significant pressure point for the industry.

To t h i s e n d , t h e government, in its attempt to subsidize industrial fisheries, came to an

agreement with the trawling fleet and has allowed the association to procure their own fuel through creative means. According to Reuben Charles, Chairman of the Guyana Association of Tr a w l e r O w n e r s a n d Seafood Processors (GATOSP), “due to the high cost of fuel, the government is permitting the trawling fleet, to acquire their fuel anywhere 12 miles from shore,” but once the fuel comes into territorial waters, it has to be declared to the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), however “there is no duty on the fuel.”

But despite the wellintentioned plan, there are arguments that fuel subsidies in particular, encourage overfishing and contribute to the over-exploitation of the fish resource. Mr. Charles however noted that “in Guyana, it doesn’t lead to overfishing and it’s a means Continued on page 55

Sunday November 07, 2021

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High returns to investors mean high cost to consumers

T

he PPP/C has returned to its own ways.

Unlike the West Indies team which was concerned with legacy at the T20 Cricket World Cup rather than selecting the right team, the PPP/C is concerned with projects which will make money for investors rather than for Guyana.

For reasons Jagdeo knows best, the PPP/C is hell-bent on resurrecting the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project. This controversial project was torpedoed by the combined Opposition in 2013. They did not support the pitch made by the developer who afterwards walked, effectively killing the project.

The PPP/C however believes in resurrecting the dead. It has returned to power and with a renewed determination to prove that it was right all along, and is now prepared to restore this project.

But the mathematics has changed. And with it, there are now more feasible options than this project.

Solar power is now the cheapest form of renewable energy. The International Energy Agency recently produced a report which indicated that solar energy is now the cheapest form of renewable energy. This finding was also echoed in another report published by the International Renewable Energy Agency.

But do not tell this to Jagdeo. He is more interested in moving ahead with the controversial gasto-shore project and the Amalia Falls Hydroelectric Project.

Both of these projects are not likely to provide Guyana’s consumers with a competitive source of

energy. Both are now only likely to deliver power to consumers at best at half of the present price of US$0.30 per kilowatt. But they are both certain to deliver high returns to investors at the cost to the Guyanese consumer.

In fact, in speaking about his pet hydroelectric power project, Jagdeo said that the proposal, which they received is to supply energy at US$0.07 per kilowatt.

When this sold to GPL and GPL has to add its transmission and other costs, the final cost to consumers will be, at best, around US$0.15 per kilowatt, woefully inadequate to make Guyana’s manufacturers competitive but high enough to allow the investors to smile all the way to the bank.

It is the Guyanese consumers who will therefore be subsidising this project.

The gas-to-shore project is expected to, at best, cut energy costs by a mere 50 percent, the same as Amaila Falls. This is not a competitive price for energy.

Some of our local manufacturers, who have exited the GPL grid, are presently generating their own energy, using diesel, at a cost which is just above half of that which GPL charges.

Therefore, a decline in the cost of energy by 50 percent is not as impressive as it sounds.

Amaila Falls is risky and costly. It will only generate about 165 MW and there are serious concerns about the g e n e r a t i n g a n d transmissions costs and the hydrology data. The project will have biodiversity impacts, especially in relation to the access road to the project site.

But Jagdeo is hell-bent on going ahead with the gas-

to-shore project and his pet hydroelectric project. And he is so determined that he appears oblivious to examining other cheaper options.

One such option is solar power the cost of which has been declining. And it is no longer the case that solar energy is not competitive for grid systems.

At present, solar energy can be generated at US$ 0.04 cents per kilowatt or almost half the cost of the project cost of energy from Jagdeo’s hydroelectric and gas-toshore options. And there will be no cost to the government since private investors will absorb all the investment costs.

And you don’t need to build a dam or a 50-mile road to a power plant which increases the cost of transmission. Massive solar farms can be established along the coast closer to the high demand centres.

GuySuCo has extensive lands and canals, which can be used for solar farms and elevated solar farms respectively.

Guyana is rushing headlong into disaster. It is looking towards becoming an exporter of energy, high cost energy. But the result will be two other behemoths to add to the Skeldon Sugar Factory.

The so-called energy corridor, which is being touted between Guyana, Suriname and Brazil is a corridor of uncertainty. Not only will Guyana not be able to generate any substantial energy for exports but the cost of the energy will be prohibitive. Suriname and Brazil will not be interested and Guyana will be left with energy on its hands and with no uses for it. The so-called energy corridor is a pipe

dream.

In the meantime, Guyana has a nightmare on its hands.

The cost of the gas-to-shore project, not unexpectedly is rising. Read between the lines. While Amaila will not require any further government spending, it will end up resulting in high cost energy which will stifle local

competitiveness.

Guyanese have to speak out against these two projects as presently conceived. The decision to move ahead with these major investments cannot be of the government alone, and most certainly cannot involve Jagdeo whose track record leaves much to be desired.

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

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Sunday November 07, 2021

Leaders of smaller islands stand up amid climate destruction and unkept promises

By Sir Ronald Sanders COP26 in Glasgow offered no hope to small island states which continue to face destruction and extinction.

COP26 was always going to be nothing but a theatrical performance, wellchoregraphed by the world’s industrialised nations that want to give the impression that they are actually taking strong and enforceable action to curb Climate Change.

As I write, the formal meeting has not ended. The fanfare is completed, principal actors have made obligatory presentations and left the stage to the

negotiators. But the script is already written. All that was going to be offered has been put on the table and it amounts to more promises without binding and enforceable commitments, and no money that could make a difference.

Representatives of small and developing states attended with little hope and even less expectations. Yet, they were determined to raise their voices again, hoping that, at last, they might be heard. Barbados’ Prime Minister, Mia Mottley was impressive when, at the opening ceremony, she declared that a 2-degree Celsius rise in global

temperature would be a “death sentence” for island and coastal communities.

The President of Palau, Surangel S. Whipps, Jr, was equally strident, saying, “you might as well bomb our islands instead of making us suffer only to witness our slow and fateful demise.”

But, in truth, the leaders of industrialised nations who attended came with their positions already taken. The strategy was clearly to make more promises to ward off criticism, even though previous promises remain unfulfilled. Among the earlier promises were that they would pay a $100 billion annually into a global fund to

help developing countries adapt to climate change and mitigate further rises in temperature.

The other broken pledge was that they would ensure that the global temperatures were kept to 1.5 °Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

The world is on track now for a minimum of 1.9 °Celsius if major polluting countries honour the commitments they have made. At that point, small islands and low-lying coastlands will be in calamitous conditions.

All that the industrialised nations have done is to extend the pledges for meeting commitments to 2050 and 2070, while maintaining or increasing their greenhouse gas emissions in the short to medium term. This means that over the next two decades, small island states and countries with low-lying coastlands will suffer significant erosion and other extreme weather conditions that will hurt their economies, displace people from their habitats and cause civil disruption as employment is reduced and poverty increases.

There were three major commitments arising from the conference.

“The Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use” is not transparent, it has no binding obligations for financing and no enforceable date has been set.

Deforestation is already a global environmental and humanitarian crisis. Action should be taken now, or the absorption rate of CO2 by forests will continue to decrease significantly, thus accelerating the pace of Climate Change.

A pledge to cut methane emissions is also not transparent and not enforceable. In any event, China, India and Russia are major methane emitters and

they have made no commitments, even though methane is the second most abundant greenhouse gas, after carbon dioxide.

On coal production - one of the greatest drivers of greenhouse gas emissions while 40 countries agreed to phase it out, no such commitment was made by the major coal producing countries - China, India, Australia and the US. Given those realties, however much COP26 may be hailed - as were past COP meetings - it delivered little for small island states except an initiative by a few countries, including Australia, India and the UK to help them build climate resilient infrastructure.

Enough details are not yet available to determine the efficacy of this initiative, which has limited participation by rich countries.

The most significant event for small states surrounding COP26 was one which two of them took to establish a Commission of Small Island Developing States on Climate Change and International Law. The two countries, Antigua and Barbuda and Tuvalu have since been joined formally by Palau while other small states are settling internal procedures to join the collective action.

In announcing the establishment of the Commission on the first day of COP26, Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, explained that all efforts to get polluting countries to address the loss and damage that they have inflicted on small states have been ignored. “We are pursuing the matter in the international legal system on the basis that he who damages must provide

Sir Ronald Sanders restitution. In other words, the polluter must pay.”

Director-General of the Commonwealth Foundation and international lawyer, Dr. Anne Gallagher, hailed the commission’s establishment as a “wonderful, welcome and overdue development” since “the existing rules of international law have not been utilised to their full extent to hold countries to account for actions that they know are causing damage and continue to cause damage”.

The first act of the Commission, which is supported by a team of experienced international lawyers, will be “to request advisory opinions from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on the legal responsibility of States for carbon emissions, marine pollution, and rising sea levels”.

Kausea Natano, the Prime Minister of Tuvalu whose island is facing extinction summed up the objective of forming the Commission. He said, “For us, climate justice is a matter of survival. It is time to put words into action, to save small island states, and to save the world from impending disaster.”

There are, of course, skeptics of this bold move by small countries, but the initiating leaders have nothing to lose by standingup for justice for their nations.

The alternative is to sit by while their countries suffer interminable damage and losses to the detriment of their people – and that’s the very least of it.

So, hail the leaders of Antigua and Barbuda, Tuvalu and Palau for their courage, resolve and leadership at a time when all three qualities are needed.

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own) Responses and previous c o m m e n t a r i e s : www.sirronaldsanders.com

Sunday November 07, 2021

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

SUNDAY US$9B YELLOWTAIL PROJECT IS THE BEST ON THE PLANET, HAS “OUTSTANDING ECONOMICS” THAT WORKS IN OUR FAVOUR – HESS Even though the Yellowtail Project, the fourth to be developed in the Stabroek Block is poised to see its costs going beyond US$9B, it is still regarded by Hess Corporation as having “outstanding economics” that will work in the company’s favour.

The American oil producer, which holds a 30 percent stake in the Stabroek Block, made this disclosure during its 2021 third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday last.

Specifically, the company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Greg Hill, disclosed that the final numbers have not been decided for the project, as this would only follow approval by the government. Be that as it may, it has predicted that inflationary pressures on the market will push the cost beyond the preliminary estimate of US$9B. Hill was keen to note however that the “superefficient” provisions of the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) will allow for all expenditure to be recouped.

Hill noted too that the economics of the project work in the company’s favour as it has a breakeven of US$25 to US$32 a barrel. Taking these factors into consideration the COO said, the Yellowtail Project is, “One of the best projects on the planet…”

Chief Executive Officer, John Hess agreed with Hill’s perspective as he said, “This development has simply outstanding financial returns, some of the best in the industry…So, it’s outstanding economics. Yes, the costs are higher, but the resource we’re recovering is much higher, and these are some of the best economics in the industry.”

As regards the production capacity of the project, Hill said it is poised to be at 250,000 barrels of oil per day but noted that it is not unusual to see a 10 to 20 percent increase after the

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relevant data has been gathered.

He said, “I don’t think that’s an unreasonable expectation for future vessels and I think the second point is, remember, these increases in capacity are typically achieved for very low investment. And obviously, with PSA, the rapid cost recovery, these are very profitable things to do.”

The operator of the Stabroek Block has explained via the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that the costs for developing Yellowtail are expected to be higher since there would be a greater number of development wells and associated drilling costs when compared to its Payara project, which will also cost Guyana $1.8 trillion.

Despite the astronomical costs, Exxon believes that the project should be supported as it would generate benefits for the citizens of Guyana in several ways, which would otherwise not be there in the absence of the project.

According to project documents, Yellowtail will consist of drilling approximately 41 to 67 development wells (including production, water injection, and gas re-injection wells); installation and operation of Subsea, Umbilicals, Risers, and Flowlines equipment; installation and the operation of a Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel in the eastern half of the Stabroek Block; and— ultimately—project decommissioning.

Initial production is expected to begin by the end of 2025–early 2026, with operations continuing for at least 20 years.

The project is expected to employ up to 540 persons during development well drilling, approximately 600 persons at the peak of the installation stage, and 100 to 140 persons during production operations.

MONDAY CHINESE FIRMS TENDERINGFORAMAILA FALLS PROJECT WERE BLACKLISTED FOR PROCUREMENT FRAUD The three Chinese-owned companies bidding for the 165 megawatt (MW) Amaila Falls Hydropower Project were once blacklisted by the World Bank over fraudulent procurement practices.

The companies: China Rail-way Group Limited, Sinohydro Corporation Limited and China Gez-houba Group Company along with Brazilian-owned Rialma S.A

(Groupo Rialma) submitted Request For Proposals (RFPs) in early October to the Ministry of Natural Resources at the opening of tenders for the resuscitation of the project which is slated to begin sometime next year.

Checks conducted by this publication found that China Railway which the PPP/C government had intended years ago to develop this project was in 2019 debarred by the World Bank for practices considered fraudulent on a highway project in the country of Georgia.

China Railway was established in 1950 and is a subsidiary of China Railway Engineering Group (CREG).

The company had bid before, years back for this same project but a Norwegian Ethics Council had raised questions about the involvement of the Chinese firm in a significant corruption case.

Another company too which had its own cases of corruption in the past, is that of Sinohydro Corporation.

Kaieteur News found that this company was not only blacklisted by the World Bank but it was also flagged by the African Development Bank.

Sinohydro had engaged in a fraudulent practice by bidding for works contracts in an African Development Bank financed Road Sector Support Project in Uganda.

According to research, in 2013, the company was said to have participated in a tender for works in Uganda.

Investigations carried out by the Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption found Sinohydro misrepresented its prior project experience by using not yet successfully and substantially completed contracts as references.

A family in Uganda had

sued its government and Sinohydro in 2015 for unlawfully crushing its rock into aggregate and using it to construct Karuma hydroelectric power dam without compensation.

As for Geiz-houba Group, which is also bidding for the project, was blacklisted in 2015 by the World Bank for misconduct involving three of the Bank’s financed project in the People’s Republic of China. There, the company was debarred for a period of 18 months. This company is also vying to construct the New Demerara Harbour Bridge.

The Amaila project, which was proposed years ago was stalled in 2013 after the Opposition controlled National Assembly refused to pass key environmental legislation required by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to approve part of the requested financing.

TUESDAY $1.8T YELLOWTAIL PROJECT… GOVT. WORKING TO SECURE ABOUT US$2B FROM EXXON INSTEAD OF FULL COVERAGE INSURANCE – LIZA ONE, TWO AND PAYARA STILL LEFT EXPOSED Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo disclosed to members of the media Monday that efforts are afoot to secure up to US$2B from ExxonMobil to cover any damage that may result from the US$9B Yellowtail Project, the fourth to be developed in the prolific Stabroek Block.

The government’s pursuit of this US$2B commitment comes on the heels of years of criticisms from Kaieteur News and other industry stakeholders regarding the

absence of any formal guarantee from ExxonMobil that it would cover in full, the shortfall of costs associated with an unmitigated spill which are not covered by its subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL).

But with the government only looking to secure a US$2B commitment, it therefore means that the Yellowtail Project will fall into the same bracket of other Exxon-led projects that are without full coverage insurance. These projects are: the Liza Phase One, Liza Phase Two and the Payara Project.

During his press conference, the Vice President specifically said, “As you know we are constantly seeking to improve the permits and …in the one we are looking at in the Yellowtail Project, we are looking for a generic position where the parent company, ExxonMobil, will now guarantee; well we are looking at maybe up to US$2B for any damage caused here… because from the beginning there was no parent guarantee, it was implicit but…that is crucial for us as we move forward.”

The EEPGL, the operator of the Stabroek Block, has explained via the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Yellowtail Project that the costs for developing same are expected to be higher since there would be a greater number of development wells and associated drilling costs when compared to its Payara project, which will also cost Guyana $1.8 trillion.

Despite the astronomical costs, Exxon believes that the project should be supported as it would generate benefits for the citizens of Guyana in several ways, which would

otherwise not be there in the absence of the project.

According to project documents, Yellowtail will consist of drilling approximately 41 to 67 development wells (including production, water injection, and gas re-injection wells); installation and operation of Subsea, Umbilicals, Risers, and Flowlines equipment; installation and the operation of a Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel in the eastern half of the Stabroek Block; and— ultimately—project decommissioning.

Initial production is expected to begin by the end of 2025–early 2026, with operations continuing for at least 20 years.

The project is expected to employ up to 540 persons during development well drilling, approximately 600 persons at the peak of the installation stage, and 100 to 140 persons during production operations.

FAILING TO ACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE ISA DEATH SENTENCE FOR ALL - B/DOS PM TELLS WORLD LEADERS …CALLS INACTION IMMORAL, UNJUST THAT IS PAID FOR WITH LIVES AND LIVELIHOODS Barbadian Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, Monday scolded some 130 World Leaders and leaders of other delegations over their collective failure in recent years to address the sore issue of Climate Change its global impact, mitigation and adaptation measures needed.

She was at the time addressing the opening of the World Leaders Summit, at the 26 Conference of Parties (COP 26) currently underway in Glasgow, Scotland, under the auspices of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Delivering blunt remarks to the confab, Prime Minister Mottley, sounded the ‘Code Red’ alarm specifically for G7 and G20 countries, the seven and 20 richest countries on earth.

“Earth to COP,” Mottley dramatised as before cautioning, those who have eyes to see, those who have ears to listen and for those who have a heart to feel, “1.5 (degrees) is what we need to survive, 2 degrees is a death sentence for the people.”For the people of countries like Antigua and Barbuda and Barbados in the Caribbean, in addition to countries like the Samoa in the Pacific, the Maldives, Kenya and Mozambique, among others, “We do not want that (Continued on page 22)

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From page 21 dreaded death sentence and we are here today to say try harder because our people, the climate army, the world, the planet needs our action now, not next year not in the next decade.”

Pandemic Lesson Prime Minister Mottley in her remarks to the largest climate change confab globally, prefaced her arguments by firstly pointing out that the COVID-19 pandemic has “taught us that national solutions to global problems do not work.”

According to Prime Minister Mottley, world leaders have assembled in Glasgow with a global ambition but there remain critical, if not dangerous gaps in place, as it relates to achieving the publicly stated goals by some.

She cited as example, that with regards mitigation climate pledges to steer the world away from a pathway of a 2.7 degree increase in temperature—above preindustrial levels—many of “these commitments made by some, are based on technology yet to be developed and this is at best reckless and at worst dangerous.”

Regarding the promised financing by the developed world to the tune of some US$100B annually for Small Island and Developing States (SIDS)—such as Guyana— Prime Minister Mottley used the occasion to point out that this is short some US$20B, and as it relates to the promised adaption finances, this, she said, remains only at 25 percent of what was promised and not the 50/50 split that was promised or needed, given the warming that is already taking place on this earth Immoral and Unjust In fact, Mottley noted that Climate related finance to frontline SIDS declined by 25

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percent in 2019, and that failure to provide the critical finance sees a measured loss in damaged lives and livelihoods “in our communities.”

This, she said, “is immoral and it is unjust if Glasgow is to deliver on the promise of Paris, it must deliver on these three gaps.”

She queried of World Leaders present, “what excuse should we give for the failure; when will we as world leaders address the pressing issues that are truly causing our people angst and worry, simply put, when will leaders lead.”

Prime Minister Mottley also used the occasion to lament that “regrettably some of the faces needed at Glasgow are not present,” a direct reference to the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping—the world’s leading carbon emitter, responsible for some 27 percent of global emission of greenhouse gases.

Additionally, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, leader of another of the world’s top emitters of carbon, was also absent from the confab.

Both leaders were instead represented by delegations, citing COVID-19 fears for their absence.

Cries of Humanity The Bajan Prime Minister in her appeal to World Leaders also referenced the voices and imagery on display even at the opening ceremony—depicting the atrocities linked to climate change, asking “are we so blinded and hardened that we can no longer appreciate the cries of humanity.”

According to Mottley, at the end of the Glasgow confab there must be consensus on the correct mix of voices, ambition and action, while questioning, “do some leaders believe that they can survive and thrive on

their own, have they not learned from the pandemic.”

She was adamant, “our world stands at a fork in the road, one no less significant than when UN was formed.”

According to Mottley, in 1945 at the time of the formation of the UN, many of the countries in existence today, did not at the time but “we want to exist 100 years from now.”

To this end, she was adamant, “we must act in the interest of all of our people who depend on us, the leaders of today, not 2030 not 2050.”

Minute to Midnight United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who hosted the event, in welcoming the delegates and leaders warned that the world was at a “minute to midnight” on the proverbial doomsday clock.

Cognisant summits alone would not solve the current climate crises, Prime Minister Johnson conceded that two weeks after the summit concludes there would still be smoke stacks belching from hydrocarbon powered plants across the world, in addition to petrol and diesel powered vehicles still congesting the roadways.

To this end, Johnson was adamant that the fight against Climate Change cannot be left to governments alone and pointed to the private sector and the role of international financing institutions and multilateral banks.

He was adamant “we have the technology” to make a difference and that “we can find the finance and we must.”

According to the UK Prime Minister however, the question is a matter of political will and pointed to the fact, “we all talk about what we are going to do in 2050 or 2060.”

As such, he used the opportunity to point out that half of the world’s population is under 30, in contrast to the average age of world leaders present in Glasgow being 60.

To this end, Prime Minister Johnson posits, it is “the children who will judge us, children not yet born and

their children; if we fail they will not forgive us.”

War-Footing He was adamant that the grandiose speeches and “blah, blah, blah” would redound to nothing, if COP26 were not to conclude with concrete measures in place.

Elucidating on the urgency of the situation, the UK Prime Minister noted that a two degrees increase in global temperature, inherently means a loss of food supply to millions, while a three degrees increase would result in an increase in extreme weather conditions such as with the case with droughts and wildfires.

With a four-degree increase in temperature, Prime Minister Johnson impressed that at such a time, “we say good bye to cities.”

He was adamant however, all is lost and noted that despite the failures on commitments made some 11 years ago at Copenhagen and six years ago in Paris, there are still measures that can be put in place.

The UK Prime Minister cited as example the shutting down of hydrocarbon and coal fired plants across the world, in addition to the phasing out of fossil fuel based transportation, as well as for the developed world to make good on its financial commitments saying, “we in the developed world must recognise the need to help everybody else to do it.”

Other speakers at Monday’s opening session of the leadership summit included the Prince of Wales, His Royal Highness, Prince Charles Phillip Arthur George, who in his appeal to the leaders said, “we have to put ourselves on what might be called a war like footing,” in the fight against Climate Change.

Other presenters included UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, famed environmentalist, Sir Richard Attenborough and Italian Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, among others.

Guyana’s President, Dr. Irfaan Ali was scheduled to address the COP 26 Leadership Summit Tuesday.

WEDNESDAY WHILE GIVING OIL COMPANIES IN GUYANA BILLIONS IN TAX WAIVERS …PRES. ALI GOES TO COP26 CALLING ON WORLD LEADERS TO END FOSSIL FUEL SUBSIDIES Pledging to reduce the country’s carbon emissions by 70 percent by 2030, Head of State, President Irfaan Ali, in his address to the United Nations 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) underway in Glasgow, Scotland, has called on the developed world to end subsidies for fossil fuel production.

This, even as Guyana continues to grapple with the repercussions of its Exploration and Production (E&P) activities, primarily through an ExxonMobil-led consortia offshore Guyana, and the consequences of what has been heavily criticized by both government and opposition as being a lopsided contract, with experts pointing to subsidies granted locally, even though indirectly.

These subsidies, some argue, are passed on in aspects of the contract such as: the recovery of exploration costs, the granting of a plethora of tax waivers—often times referred to as foregone revenue— and agreeing to pay the company’s share of any applicable taxes, among other provisions.

CARBON PRICE Despite the situation at home, President Ali, in his address on Tuesday told the more than 130 World Leaders present at the conference that “even though we (Guyana) recently became and oil producer, we support the removal of subsidies from fossil fuel production and advocate a strong global carbon price.” As it relates to the carbon price and the payment for carbon services provided by ‘forest rich’ countries, President Ali called on COP26 to finalize the rules for carbon markets, “so as to properly value tropical

forests and the climate services which they provide.”

To this end, the Guyanese leader in telling World Leaders of his country’s forest size—collectively larger than England and Scotland combined— pointing out that it acts as a carbon sink for some 20 gigatons of carbon annually and as such should be incentivised. Meaning, be paid for its ‘carbon sink’ services provided.

COP 26 is being held under the auspices of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Glasgow, Scotland in the United Kingdom (UK), and according to President Ali, “my country, Guyana is already playing its part in addressing Climate Change and will continue to do so.”

To this end President Ali told COP26, “we will maintain our forests, almost the size of England and Scotland combined, storing 20 giga tons of carbon as a global asset, we will work with local communities in conserving, protecting and sustainably managing our forests, biodiversity and fresh water supply.”

FINALIZE RULES As such, he was adamant, “in recognition of the ecosystem and climate services provided by forests, it is imperative that we finalize the rules for carbon markets and REDD+ (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) so as to properly value tropical forest and the climate services which they provide.”

According to the President, “forests constitute a powerful arsenal in the fight against Climate Change,” and as such, “forest rich countries must be provided with the incentives necessary to keep their forests intact and to reduce deforestation and forest degradation.”

Reminding that deforestation contributes 16 percent of annual global emissions, President Ali told COP 26, Guyana will decouple its “economic (Continued on page 23)

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From page 22 growth and emissions through a progressively cleaner energy mix, with the aim of reducing our carbon emissions by 70 percent by 2030.”

According to the Guyanese leader— addressing the international climate change confab—”we are at a historic moment in our civilization; history must not judge us as having only counted our losses, it must instead herald our efforts to confront one of our planet’s greatest threats; Climate Change.”

President Ali had prefaced his arguments to the World Leaders by warning, “the fate of civilization resides in the decisions we make here in Glasgow.”

This, since “the climate issue and crisis has given us an ultimatum; either we take immediate and drastic action or subject ourselves to an infernal global disaster.”

As such, President Ali used the occasion to caution that “indifference and inaction will be costly; already we are far behind in limiting temperate rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the coming decade therefore must be the decade of decisive action.”

SURVIVAL To this end, President Ali argued that Climate Change “affects us all, rich, poor, developed and developing states but its effects are more severe on the poor and most vulnerable, especially Small Island Developing States (SIDs) and low lying coastal states. For us it is a question of survival.”

According to President Ali, “we can use this summit to change the present trajectory,” but immediate action on a number of fronts, including the setting of “more ambitious goals to reduce emissions and we must honour, to the letter, those ambitions.” He was adamant that, all countries have an obligation to act, stating “but the world’s foremost polluters have a greater duty to institute steeper emissions cut.”

Additionally, President Ali told World Leaders that the pledge of US$100B per annum “made one decade ago to support climate action must be met.” According to President Ali, “dishonored pledges are a recipe for disaster.”

GUYANAWILL PAY FORAMAILATHROUGH POWER PURCHASE DEAL WITH GPL …AS GOVT. APPROACHES CHINESE CONTRACTOR TO BUILD, OWN, OPERATE AND TRANSFER HYDRO PROJECT – JAGDEO The Guyana Government is forging ahead with its plans

to construct a 165 mega watt (MW) Hydro Electric Plant, using the Amaila Falls as its energy source.

It has since retained the controversial Chinese contractor, China Railway First Group (CRFG)—the company that had previously signed a contract to build the said project several years ago and to be paid for by power purchased from the project.

This was confirmed by Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, who on Monday during a press engagement at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), told reporters that a decision had been taken at the last Cabinet meeting, and that government would be approaching the selected contractor to negotiate on the way forward.

The Ministry of Finance, in a subsequent public missive corroborated the Vice President’s assertions saying, that Cabinet had given its ‘No Objection’ to the company, as evaluated by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).

Government had earlier this year advertised, soliciting a private partner to fund and develop the project and according to the notice published at the time there had been two proposals on offer.

Power Purchase Agreement The first option advertised, Build-OwnOperate-Transfer (BOOT) where the developer would operate the project for a 20year period before handing it over to the government, at no cost.

The second option, Design-Build-Finance, where the government would take over the project at the commissioning date and initiate repayment of the financing in accordance with contract terms.

According to Vice President Jagdeo, government has since opted for the proposal identified in the first offer, where the selected contractor would also finance the project.

He was adamant that , in such a situation, government would bear none of the risks financial or otherwise and that the project would be repaid for through the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) that would have to be signed with the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL).

The Vice President told reporters, “…we have a really great bid” and explained that in this iteration of the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project (AFHEP), “we are not going to put any money into the project, we are just buying power.”

The Vice President used

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the occasion to explain that during its initial attempt at constructing AFHEP, the administration had sought to lower the cost of electricity being produced, by buying into equity since debt financing would have been costlier.

According to Jagdeo however, this time around, it is expected that the project would be cheaper as a result of lower interest rates but even ahead of negotiations with the contractor.

As such, he said the administration is looking to generate power at some US$0.07 (cents) per kilo watt hour (KWH).

Most Capable The Ministry of Finance in its missive confirming the Cabinet Decision, on Monday evening said, the ‘no objection’ was granted for the Office of the Prime Minister, to engage China Railway Group Limited to construct AFHEP. This, the ministry said would be pursued based on a BOOT model where the company will supply electricity to the Guyana Power and Light GPL Inc. “at a cost not exceeding US$0.07737 per KWH and where the company will provide the entire equity required by the project and undertake all the risks associated with the project.”

According to the ministry, a total of four companies submitted proposals, and China Railway Group Limited was identified as the most ‘capable partner’ by the Evaluation Committee after a rigorous evaluation process, following which NPTAB submitted the relevant recommendation to Cabinet for ‘no objection.’

It should be noted that checks conducted by this publication found that China Railway was in 2019 debarred by the World Bank for practices considered fraudulent on a highway project in the country of Georgia.

China Railway was established in 1950 and is a subsidiary of China Railway Engineering Group (CREG).

Good Profit Meanwhile, Vice President Jagdeo continues to defend the project. During his press engagement on Monday, told reporters, “we are not going to put any money into the project, we are just buying power and at 7.7 cents” and suggested that this could possibly be lowered “because we are still to do some negotiations.”

He speculated that with GPL purchasing power at that price, “we can still sell power at 15 cents per KWH which we are hoping to do, because

now it’s 30 cents, and still make a good profit for GPL….we are very pleased that the bids came in and we have these offers now and the project is going to move forward.”

Lamenting the outcome of the previous iteration of the project coupled with the likelihood of a reduced construction cost this time around, Vice President Jagdeo reminded that it was the then political opposition that had refused to raise the debt ceiling for guarantees by government.

According to President Jagdeo, Guyana at the time was not incurring a debt but rather would have had to spend about $700M to guarantee payment for the power.

He said, even after killing the project the then political opposition when it took Office in 2015, approached bilateral partner Norway, to conduct additional studies on the project.

The Vice President reported that at the time, the Norwegians had again concluded that the Amaila Falls site was the best suited location to provide base-load power from a renewable source.

Location Justified Arguing against solar as a base-load supply for electricity, Jagdeo again pointed to the lack of sunshine for days at a time and the likelihood the country remaining without power.

He did say however, that the US$80M that Guyana had earned from Norway would be invested in large scale solar farms but that these would not be used as base-load, since AFHEP and the proposed Gas to Energy Project would serve this purpose.

As it relates to the Hydro Project, Jagdeo said the only way to achieve renewable targets “is basically through the construction of the hydro power…the report from Norway said we should retender and I am happy we did.”

Reminding that millions of US dollars had already been expended on the necessary environmental and other studies required ahead of the project, Jagdeo reminded reporters that a US Company, Blackstone, through its subsidiary was ready to proceed with the project before “the opposition machinations” that saw the company withdrawing.

The Ministry of Finance in providing some background into the history of the project noted that the site was first identified in 1976 by the Canadian company “Monenco’ during an extensive survey for hydroelectric power potential in Guyana. It said various studies have since justified and strongly supported the construction of the AFHEP. “Recognising the suitability and attractiveness of the project, the pre-2015 PPP/C (Peoples Progressive Party/Civic) Government had advanced preparation of AFHP (sic) by conducting extensive technical and financial studies of the project, including an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA),” the ministry said.

According to the Finance Ministry, “in its current formulation, it is expected that the project will require no equity contribution from Government, in comparison with the previous project structure which was based on a Government contribution of US$100 million.”

Additionally, “the current structure anticipates a cost of power that will be lower than the initial cost of 11 cents per KWH contemplated by the previous project structure.”

NEW DEMERARA RIVER BRIDGE…CHINESE COMPANYACCUSED OF FRAUD WILL NOW DESIGN, BUILD AND FINANCE PROJECT A Chinese company accused of fraud by the World Bank has secured the contract to build the new

multi-million dollar Demerara River Bridge estimated to cost some US$257M. Confirmation of the contract was released on Monday evening, when by way of a public statement, the Ministry of Finance announced that Cabinet at its last meeting granted noobjection for the Ministry of Public Works (MoPW), to engage China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd. to construct the New Demerara Harbour Bridge (NDHB).

The project will be approached based on a Design-Build-Finance (DBF) model with financial terms and conditions “which would be no less favourable than those submitted in the preferred bidder’s price proposals.”

Investigations by this publication had found that several of the companies that had expressed an interest in constructing the bridge had been involved in illegal practices in the past, including China’s State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd. That company was sued for fraud in the Bahamas.

The company reportedly submitted ‘sham billings’ and diverted monies to other projects and were subsequently disbarred by the World Bank. According to the Ministry of Finance, the proposal by China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd, under the DBF model contemplates a construction cost of US$256.6 million, the lowest amongst all bidders.

It was noted that initially, the Government of Guyana, through the MoPW, prequalified nine firms to submit bids for the construction of a two-lane dual carriageway (4 lanes) hybrid Cable-Stayed center span bridge, with Concrete Box/T Beam Girder approach bridge structure.

It was noted that features to be included on the new bridge would be collision protection, navigation span to accommodate Handymax (Continued on page 24)

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From page 23 vessel Navigation aids, Lighting, signage, and all other ancillary works, access road with a minimum of 50 meters up to abutments and a toll collection buildings and ancillary buildings on the West Bank of the Demerara River (WBD).

According to the Ministry, the pre-qualified firms were invited to submit bids to construct the bridge using a Design Build Finance (DBF) contract and Design Build Finance Operate Maintain (DBFOM) contract.

It was noted that at the prebid meeting, held on June 28, 2021, it was agreed that the closing date for submission of bids would be October 5, 2021.

Subsequently, only five of the pre-qualified bidders submitted bids, of which four obtained the required minimum score for the technical proposal. The Ministry said the Evaluation Committee recommended that the Procuring Entity engage China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd. using the Design-Build-Finance (DBF) model “on financing terms and conditions no less favourable than those proposed by the highest ranked bidder.”

According to the Ministry, NPTAB subsequently submitted the recommendation to Cabinet, and Cabinet granted its ‘no objection’.

The Ministry in its missive argues that the New Demerara River Bridge “comprises a critical component of the Government’s drive to expand and modernize Guyana’s transport infrastructure.”

It aims to replace the aging Demerara Harbour Bridge with a modern four-lane structure that will facilitate greater traffic capacity and dramatically improve commuter convenience.

The new bridge, according to the Ministry, will also “offer easy connectivity to both the existing East Bank Demerara road as well as the new Diamond to Ogle bypass on the eastern side of the River and to the existing West Bank Demerara Road and the new Parika to Schoonord Road on the western side of the River.”

The new bridge, it said, “will also offer critical connectivity to the new Wales Development Authority which will be a major centre of productive activity when it comes on stream.”

THURSDAY GOVT’S. FAILURE TO MEET 2-YEARAUDIT DEADLINE; GUYANA IS NOW FORCED TO PAY US$9.5B FOR LIZA 1&2 PROJECTS Due to the nation’s failure to conduct cost audits within

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the two-year deadline prescribed in the Stabroek Block Agreement, Guyana has no choice but to allow ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), to recover all stated costs for its Liza Phase One and Two Projects. Both initiatives total approximately US$9.5B. During his latest press engagement last week, Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo said the government is disappointed that it has not been able to push through with these critical post-2017 audits.

Expounding further, the Vice President said, “We have been very disappointed that we have not been able to select a group to do the audit of the post-2017 expenditure

by Exxon. The reason is that we didn’t have strong local content. We had two groups, two local groups that came in but they were not strong enough. We want to build the capacity in Guyana to do this audit. We think that our people have enormous skills, forensic skills and auditing capacity.”

The former President added, “…we’re looking to see if we can’t have an arrangement where we have a consortium of our local people to come together to do part of this work while working alongside an international group…”

Dr. Jagdeo said he has since asked the Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat to examine the possibilities of getting together, all of the groups from Guyana which have an expressed interest in working with a foreign company on this front. He said this is the preferred option as the country desperately needs to increase its auditing capacity and competencies.

In addition to being able

to recover the costs for Liza Phase One and Two, Exxon will also be able to recover without any challenges, the US$460M, which the oil company claimed was expended prior to the signing of the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) governing the Stabroek Block. It had said this money was spent on all the exploratory work that was needed for the massive 2015 Liza discovery.

The only costs Guyana stands a chance of auditing and refuting if unreasonable charges are found are those occurring from 2019 onwards.

It therefore means that the PPP/C Administration still has ample opportunity to review costs expended for ExxonMobil’s Payara Development Project in the Stabroek Block. This project is expected to cost US$9B. Given the nation’s capacity deficiencies, international transparency bodies have strongly contended that the two-year deadline the government has accepted, along with the fact that it can only do one audit per year, is not sufficient.

They have stressed that the timeline should be extended.

Specifically making this point is Oxfam America. It has made this perspective known since 2015 alongside the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Oxfam America, a confederation of 20 charitable organisations which seek to fight poor governance of extractive wealth, has said that the expiration periods for audit rights are set out in petroleum contracts and tax laws. It stressed, however, that these deadlines differ from one country to the next.

It noted that in Ghana and Kenya for example, the authorities there retain the right to complete auditing companies within seven

years. In Peru, the time limit for audits is a minimum of four years. Even in the USA, the transparency body highlighted that audits are allowed to be completed within a minimum of three years.

Oxfam warned however that even a three-year deadline is not advisable for developing countries such as Guyana given the limited financial and human resources that are likely to delay the audit process.

Further, the organisation said it is equally important to keep an eye on record-keeping provisions in the petroleum contracts and tax laws.

It said, “Oil companies should be required to keep all their records in-country for easy access by the auditors during the audit period. But once that period expires, it becomes very costly to access records and therefore practically impossible to audit them…”

Oxfam warned that Guyana needs to take the auditing timeline for these costs as a matter of grave concern as it could cost the nation billions more.

FRIDAY JAGDEO’S EXCUSE FOR GOVT.’S FAILURE TO AUDIT US$10B IN EXXON’S EXPENSES “MISLEADING AND UNFORTUNATE” – CHRIS RAM “Misleading and unfortunate” were the words Chartered Accountant and Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram used to describe the excuse recently proffered by Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo for the government’s failure to audit ExxonMobil’s expenses within the two-year deadline prescribed in the lopsided Stabroek Block deal.

Ram recalled that the Vice President during his latest press conference had said the government is disappointed that it has not been able to push through with critical audits, which cover over US$9B in expenditure for the Stabroek Block’s Liza Phase One and Two Projects.

Expounding further, the Vice President said, “We have been very disappointed that we have not been able to select a group to do the audit of the post-2017 expenditure

by Exxon. The reason is that we didn’t have strong local content. We had two groups.

Two local groups that came in but they were not strong enough. We want to build the capacity in Guyana to do this audit. We think that our people have enormous skills, forensic skills and auditing capacity.”

The former President added, “…we’re looking to see if we can’t have an arrangement where we have a consortium of our local people to come together to do part of this work while working alongside an international group…” Upon noting the foregoing, Ram told Kaieteur News during an exclusive interview that it is “both misleading and unfortunate” for Jagdeo to lament the absence of local capacity to audit the costs reported by the oil companies.

Significantly, Ram said the statement is inconsistent with the Government’s own advertisement inviting bids to audit the contract costs. Ram said, “It was directed to ‘internationally recognised accounting and audit firms with extensive experience in … auditing petroleum costs under production sharing contracts and other petroleum agreements and its (sic) fiscal implications.’ Were firms expected to lie about their status and capacity, or was it a condition of the World Bank’s US$20 million for a project which includes the audit?”

Speaking to the history of audits of petroleum costs, the Chartered Account said this goes back to the 1999 Agreement signed by the PPP Government, which imposed a two-year limit on the Minister responsible for petroleum to audit the costs, expenses, accounts and records of the oil companies.

He said that restriction was further entrenched in the 2012 Model Petroleum Agreement published by the Natural Resources Ministry under Robert Persaud during the Donald Ramotar’s presidency. “And of course, Raphael Trotman, Persaud’s successor under the APNU+AFC Government, sleepwalked into signing a

pre-discovery contract for a post-discovery situation.

That no such audit has been done in seventeen years of the PPP and five years of APNU+AFC signaled to the oil companies that they were free to do as they please, in all matters concerning their operations, including Local Content, an absolute requirement of the law,” an impassioned Ram stated.

Now that successive governments have failed to protect the country’s interest, rein in Exxon, and verify the billions of US dollars charged every month against oil revenue, Ram alluded to the absurdity of the Vice President’s excuse to now blame the absence of “strong local content”.

The Chartered Accountant stressed that the matter of conducting these crucial audits is not an academic, theoretical issue.

He described it as a most serious one that deals with real money. On this note he said, “Just think what even 10% of US$1 billion can do.

Why would any Government be so casual with billions of dollars when from day one, those same oil companies have refused to explain the US$92 million discrepancy between the pre-contract costs as at December 31, 2015 and their own audited financial statements?”

Instead of blaming the accounting firms, the Chartered Accountant said the criticisms should be admitted by both the PPP/C and the APNU+AFC governments, which have failed consistently to have audits of the costs reported and claimed by the oil companies.

As a result of Guyana’s failure to audit the Liza Phase One and Two Projects which now total approximately US$9.3B, as well as an estimated US$900M in precontract costs up to 2016, ExxonMobil and its partners get to recover those sums in full.

JAGDEO SIGNALS LIKELYINCREASE IN COST OF US$900M GASTO-SHORE PROJECT – SAYS IT’S A BAD TIME TO BID FOR ANYTHING BUT WE HAVE TO PROCEED Touting the natural gas to be had from the Stabroek Block’s Liza I and II oilfield developments as transitional fuel towards the ultimate goal of 100 percent renewables, Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo this past week signaled a likely increase in the cost of project already pegged at some US$900M. (Continued on page 25)

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From page 24 Dr. Jagdeo gave the assertions during a press engagement on Monday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), where he told reporters that despite prevailing global circumstances, government cannot hold back development and, as such, is forging ahead with the project despite likely increases in cost.

According to the Vice President, when factoring in prevailing global conditions, the prices for key commodities needed for the project have increased. He specifically pointed to the fact that the price of steel, for example, has been escalating on the world market.

Conceding, “…it’s a bad time to bid anything,” Dr Jagdeo was adamant however, “we can’t slow down the development” and that “we have to proceed,” with the Gas to Shore initiative.

He used the occasion to seek to assure that all expenditure for the project will have to go through a bidding process and, as such, would be transparent.

According to Vice President Jagdeo, the Guyana Government has since also made that clear to Exxon, and that it intends to be involved in selecting contractors for the project.

He was at the time defending Guyana’s exploration of its oil and gas resources, in addition to the pursuit of a Natural Gas Power Plant, instead of pursuing a grid that is fully powered by renewables, such as solar, wind or hydro.

Defending the Government’s position, Vice President Jagdeo said the world has come to realize that the growth in demand for electricity far outstrips the growth in supply of renewable energy generation capacity and, accordingly, natural gas can serve as a transitional fuel.

In fact, the Vice President said Guyana supports a global carbon price, saying “if you have a strong carbon price, then it gives a greater incentive to the faster introduction for renewable energy.”

Arguing in defense of the gas project and the production of oil from Guyana, Vice President Jagdeo pointed out that, in the near future, there would still need to be a significant amount of infrastructure put in place and cited as one example charging stations that would be required for electric cars.

Adamant that you can’t just stop importing combustion engine vehicles

that use fossil fuels, such as gas and diesel, Jagdeo argued, “…you have to put in infrastructure; instead of gas stations you would need charging points across the country.”

According to Vice President Jagdeo, Guyana cannot align or set its targets with those of the developed world since as a country, “we have to transition.”

He told those present at the ACCC that, currently, 95 percent of Guyana’s electricity demand is being met through Heavy Fuel and Diesel and, therefore, natural gas should be seen as an option towards decarbonising the planet, however transitionally.

Pointing to the continued demand for oil and gas globally in the coming decades, Vice President Jagdeo was adamant, it is unfair for Guyana to park its oil sector, while over the next 30 years the world will still be producing 100 million barrels per day.

In recent months, there has been increasing criticism and calls for justification with regards the US$900M price tag which Jagdeo is now signaling could likely increase.

Former Minister with responsibility for the project for some time under the former Coalition Government, David Patterson, has publicly questioned the current administration’s price tag for the project repeatedly saying it was ‘money for the boys.’

Only recently, Patterson in a public posting said, “my records indicate that in 2017, Exxon proposed to construct a pipeline for between US$400M – US$500M inclusive of onshore processing and an LPG (Liquefied petroleum gas) plant.”

He charged that “without any explanation, justification, or further studies, the cost for the exact same project by the exact same company has risen to US$900M.” Patterson at the time had expressed alarm that the project is already suffering from massive cost overruns, even before a single piece of work or study has been completed for same.

International Energy Analyst and Co-Director of Americas Market Intelligence (AMI), Arthur Deakin, had also posited that the massive gap in costs under the two administrations is already a cause for concern, while adding that there needs to be consensus on such a crucial matter before any work commences.

Echoing similar sentiments was an independent United States

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think-tank, the Centre for Public Integrity (CPI).

In the cases the global watchdog—CPI—examined, it found that cost overruns on natural gas projects “are the norm rather than the exception, often by 45 percent or more.”

In one of its analytical papers on this subject, CPI noted that initial estimates of capital costs for large petroleum projects are almost never correct. It said this has happened in Australia, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea, and Angola.

Taking the cases it examined into account, the American think-tank urged countries, particularly new producers like Guyana to be wary of the costs for such projects, as the evidence shows they are often times inflated.

In Guyana, the Government says that the planned gas-to-energy project is expected to cost US$900M. But there is no guarantee that this would be the final cost. The requisite geophysical and economic studies are still being done for the project. Be that as it may, Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, previously gave assurances that the project costs would not exceed US$1B. FRIEND ON THE RUN FOR DOCTOR’S MURDER …CAR FOUND, SUSPECT’S FAMILY MISSING On the run for the brutal murder of Dr. Colin Roach, whose battered remains were found at his office on Tuesday Night, are his friend and an accomplice.

Kaieteur News had reported on Thursday that investigators were looking for two men, who were seen leaving his office during the time, which they suspect he was murdered.

Thursday, this newspaper was reliably informed that one of those individuals, the prime

suspect, was identified as a close friend of the slain doctor, who frequented his office. It is believed that he and an accomplice had entered the victim’s premises and had beaten him to death.

Roach’s suspected killers had reportedly then driven off with his SUV and carried away his cellphones. Detectives have since located the missing SUV abandoned on the Schoonard Road, West Bank Demerara, with its licence plate removed.

The detectives later turned up at the prime suspect’s home and found only his car. He along with his family were missing. Based on information received, it is alleged that the doctor’s friend had reportedly fled the area along with his entire household. Detectives have since impounded the car, which they found at his home.

Meanwhile, Roach’s employees are still in custody and assisting detectives in their investigations. It was one of them, who had discovered his body around 22:20hrs on Tuesday.

Roach’s remains were reportedly found lying face up in a pool of blood in his office located on the second floor of a three-floor building on Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown. His face was reportedly bashed in beyond recognition, and there were blood splatters all over the walls. A COVID-19 vaccine card was also found lying on top of his body.

One of the doctor’s employees told the cops that Roach operated a clinic in his office from 07:00 to 15:00hrs.

After ending his shift that afternoon, the employee giving the statement said he retired to the living quarters on the top floor of the building, while his colleague went out.

Around 20:00hrs, he noticed a man exiting Roach’s office, but he re-entered seven minutes later.

The next sound he

reportedly heard was that of the doctor’s SUV driving off from in front of the building.

The employee claimed that he peeped out and saw the vehicle heading north, and also noticed that the lights in his boss’ office were still on.

The employee said that he subsequently called Roach’s cell phone to notify him that he had left the lights on, but it rang out.

He then called his colleague who had left, and informed him that he was using their office keys to enter the office and turn of the lights.

When he got there, however, he found his boss’ battered body lying in the examination area of his office.

SATURDAY MURDER OF KINGSTON DOCTOR… TWO SUSPECTS CAPTURED, CONFESS TO GRUESOME CRIME – FRIEND ADMITS LASHING HIM TO HEAD IN SELF DEFENSE – ACCOMPLICE SAYS IT WAS A PLANNED ROBBERY The two suspects, who were captured Friday for the brutal murder of Dr. Colin Roach at his Kingston office on Tuesday night, have confessed to the gruesome crime.

Confirming this development with Kaieteur News was Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum.

One of the suspects is a close friend of the slain doctor who was identified by police as 25-year-old Hilton Oliver Junior Franklin.

Sources detailed that Franklin told investigators that he had lashed Roach to his head with a metal object in self-defense.

However, his accomplice, identified as 18-year-old Lenrick Mosai Byass, said that he did not see when Roach was bludgeoned to death but confessed that they

had gone to the doctor ’s office to rob him that evening.

Franklin was the first to be nabbed by cops Friday during the early morning hours while Byass was apprehended later at a call centre where he works.

According to police, Franklin was their prime suspect and they had caught him at Corentyne, Berbice attempting to flee the country into neighbouring Suriname via the back track route.

Sources had said that mere hours after the cops had taken him into custody he decided to tell them his version of what happened.

He claimed that he had visited Roach’s office in his car that evening and had met Byass there. They then started drinking Guinness together and during the session Roach got drunk and made advances towards him.

Franklin alleged that the doctor pushed him down on a cot in the examination room and he fell. The suspect continued his claims that he retaliated by lashing the doctor twice to his head with a metal object that was close by.

He further alleged that after realizing that Roach was dead, he, Byass and one of Roach’s employees, removed evidence from the scene to avoid being pinned to the crime.

Byass however, told police a slightly different story. He said that Franklin had devised a plan with him to rob Roach but something went horribly wrong that evening.

According to him, he was not around when Roach was killed and he does not recall being helped by the doctor’s employee to clean up the scene before their escaped.

Byass added too that he is not acquainted with the slain doctor but has been friends with Franklin for three years. They had worked together at the same call centre where he (Byass) is (Continued on page 26)

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From page 25 still employed.

The accomplice said that Franklin had told him that he frequents Roach’s office and had observed the man has large amounts of cash.

Following their discussion, they orchestrated a plan to rob him and decided to execute their plan on Tuesday.

Byass said that Franklin had picked him up from his home that afternoon in his black Fielder Wagon. They drove to a location in Water Street, Georgetown where

Kaieteur News

they parked and secured the car before heading to the doctor’s office in a taxi.

Roach greeted them at the entrance and then they left together in his SUV to purchase alcoholic drinks at a location on Regent Street.

They began imbibing on their way back to the office where they continued the drinking session for a while.

Byass continued that sometime later, Roach gave him some cash and sent him to purchase Guinness with the money at a nearby shop.

When he returned from

the errand and re-entered the office he saw that Roach was dead and lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

He said he asked his friend what happened and Franklin told him a “story”.

It was at this point, recounted Byass, that they both removed two gold rings from the dead man’s fingers and US$600. They divided the items equally among themselves and then began the process of ensuring that no trace of evidence was left behind. Franklin, he said unplugged a DVR and a

nearby camera and they sanitized the area and had even packed up the glasses and empty bottles that they used during the drinking session. The suspects then picked up the unplugged DVR and camera along with the doctor’s two cell phones, some expensive liqueur, the packed up glasses and bottles and the murder weapon before exiting the building.

They loaded the items into Roach’s SUV and drove back to Water Street where Franklin’s car was parked.

Sunday November 07, 2021

There, Franklin secured the liquor in his fielder wagon before re-entering the SUV and continuing their journey to West Bank Demerara Along the way, said Byass, they discarded the murder weapon, the camera, DVR and the bottles and glasses. They had even got rid of the stolen cellphones.

Byass told detectives that when they crossed the Demerara Harbour Bridge, he exited the vehicle and went home while Franklin sped off in the opposite direction. The following day (Wednesday)

he changed his part of the stolen US currency into GYD. Kaieteur News was reliably informed late last night that cops had found a total of $42,000 in Byass’ possession. It was related too, that when they arrested Franklin, the prime suspect, the doctor’s stolen rings were found concealed in his crotch. Additionally, US$200 was also in his possession.

He has since denied that it was a planned robbery.

The investigation into this gruesome murder continues.

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 07, 2021

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THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Ravi Dev may think this is a joke. It is not. It is my life You do not grow up rough in south Georgetown and end up being a thin-skinned person.

Sometimes, I hesitate in composing things about myself then I would fly into a rage and write them because if I don't publish them, who is going to record them for me. I have to do it and I don't care who says I am writing about myself. It is my life.

After reading Ravi Dev on the recent death of Hindi screen actor, Dilip Kumar, I decided to compose this column. Here are three things about me I feel must be published. First, I do not sue people for libel even though I feel as a person operating in the public realm, I have been libeled more than any public figure in the history of this country. Just go back the past 30 years in all the newspaper and read the scandalous things printed about me.

Secondly, I laugh when other people publicly scream-out they have been threatened. From my days as a critic of the PPP government to exposing the Buxton conspiracy to criticising the APNU+AFC regime to condemning the March 2020 election rigging, I got many threats of physical harm. That is over a long period. I never ran to the media about it.

We come to the third

aspect of my life, which involves the caption of this column.

I consider Ravi Dev a first class intellectual but also a man with a rational way of thinking. I was disappointed as to how he described my activism during the era of different PPP governments.

I got insults in the newspapers and in television commentaries, which used the description of self-hater or anti-Indian personality.

Two persons surprised me when they embraced that portrait. One was Ravi, the other was Dr. Baytoram Ramharack.

Dr. Ramharack made an analysis as to why I didn't like Indian people.

He explained that I missed being part of certain cultural circumstances in my life that would have caused me to better appreciate Indian people and Indian culture.

The viewpoint from these two highly educated social scientists with sound analytical minds was amazingly ironic.

The fact is I grew up in deeper Hindu culture than both gentlemen.

Ravi and Baytoram are now going to laugh out loudly and accuse me of deception in what I am about to layout.

Do you know that I have seen every movie with

Rajesh Khanna that came to Guyana? I doubt both Ravi and Baytoram have seen as many Indian films as I have.

My mother had a Hindu altar in our house that she prayed to every morning. My father played tassa drums at Hindu weddings.

I lived for years in an ashram on Craig Street, Campbellville because it was a guaranteed route to daily meals that I could not get in Wortmanville. There were two of us the resident Swami was fond of and we learnt a lot about Hindu culture from him.

Every week we accompanied the Swami to the different religious services that he was asked to perform by Hindu families.

The other gentleman was an African Guyanese named Ronald Gordon. Ronald currently lives at 593 C Field, Sophia.

His cell phone number is 633-2982. He nearly became the first African Hindu pandit in this county.

I never went to high school but got my GCE education from evening class at Guyana Oriental College owned by a fine human from India – Shruti Kant. The student population was 99 percent Indian. When I went to UG, I hung out with both African and Indian students. I would go to Gandhi Youth

Organization with my friend, Soloman, who is the brotherin-law of insurance magnate, Bish Panday. We sang chowtal every year when Phagwah came around.

When my daughter was growing up, she attended, though not consistently, the Vedic Temple in Prashad Nagar.

Although I knew former assassinated Agriculture Minister, Sash Sawh from my student days in Canada, I got to know him better from the Vedic Temple.

I could not have given my

daughter any other name than a Hindu one because if I had Frederick Kissoon not done so, my mother's soul would have haunted a me. Her Hindu name is n Kavita. ti-White. I am against people My wife and I studied in who are racist in any form Canada, my daughter in the whatsoever. I am against UK. All three of us have an dictatorial rule whichever appreciation for the music ethnic group is in charge. and culture of different This was and is my life. It cultures. will always be like this.

All three of us are deeply (The views expressed in multi-racial people. All three this article are those of the of us have African, Indian a u t h o r a n d d o n o t and White friends. I am not necessarily reflect the anti-Indian, anti-African nor opinions of this newspaper.)

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Sunday November 07, 2021

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The Delta wave is slowly coming down; what's next?

By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt Medical Center

T

he cases from the delta wave in Guyana are slowly coming down from its peak now and it's only a matter of time before the number of deaths follow suit.

We should be able to see limited numbers of infections and deaths as this month comes to an end. So, what does this mean?

Is the pandemic finally over? Or is there another twist in the story? None of us know for sure but I think that this virus still has a few tricks up its sleeve and we should not let our guards down.

Trend of this virus so far Since the pandemic started, this virus has been mutating to forms that are

more dangerous about once every six months.

The infections and deaths follow in waves according to how the new variant behaves and travels.

By now, this virus should be weakening and not forming newer, and deadlier variants.

A naturally occurring virus does not get stronger and deadlier for such long periods.

There is currently the delta plus variant which is a variant under investigation.

Some experts are theorising that it may be behind the rise in cases in the UK and may be 10 percent more infectious than the original delta variant. However, that needs to be confirmed with good data before we can say that this variant will cause a new wave of infections and deaths.

It may weaken out like the mu variant did. If this occurs, then we may see this virus starting to behave like the flu virus with seasonal but less deadly infections.

Can vaccines clear the last hurdle?

The current vaccines available for use cannot eradicate this virus or cause herd immunity.

Their main goal is to prevent severity of the disease and minimise deaths.

There are sufficient breakthrough infections in the vaccinated population to rule out the “herd immunity” theory that we were hoping for when the vaccines came out.

For now, the current vaccines are doing an excellent job at weakening the effects of the virus until science can possibly come up with a game changing

vaccine that helps us to kill the virus or fully prevent its spread.

Can the Merck or Pfizer Pill be our saviour?

Merck and Pfizer recently announced that their pills Paxlovid (made by Pfizer) and Lavgevrio (made

by Merck) help decrease deaths in the high risk COVID-19 patients between 50-89 percent once used EARLY. More data is needed before we can read too much into these new pills but I can tell you that we already have a cheap and very safe wonder pill which has shown in many parts to reduce deaths by

similar numbers.

It's called Ivermectin, and myself and many others have been using it with great success EARLY in the disease.

There has been a shame campaign on this drug ever since data started to come out on its effectiveness.

Now, there are two newer, more expensive drugs coming out that cause similar effects when used early and they are being promoted rigorously before full data can be released about them.

As we wait to see if the worse is behind us with this pandemic, we should not let our guards down. Stay safe

and ride the wave till it's gone and hopefully, we find safe lands.

Kaieteur News

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Sunday November 07, 2021

>>> ENCOURAGING EVENTS, DISTURBING DEVELOPMENTS <<<

Vice President and possible US$2B payment, acting Chancellor on the attack, and curfew farce now official I must hand it to the Vice President: he is a real smooth operator; at least, he thinks so. Guyanese have been clamouring for oil insurance in the event of a spill, full insurance coverage, and nothing else. Now up comes the VP with his latest oilslicked rabbit.

He is working for US$2 billion in lieu of full insurance coverage. What a character!

I can hear the drumbeat in the press, and all over the

campaign trail about that US$2 billion. But I am disturbed and warn my fellow Guyanese, gullible ones usually taken in by the Vice President’s cards up his sleeve.

On the face of it, US$2 billion instead of full insurance coverage sounds like a lot of money, and a great work of partnering with Exxon. It is not! The Vice President gets to emphasise to Guyanese how

hard he worked, how much he got, and that it is much better than the PNC did. I have some trouble digesting such sweetness from the Vice President, and for the simple reason that most things from his fevered mind, and which have his fingerprints, have openings for a heap of trouble for Guyana.

The first thing that comes to mind is how Exxon is going to fork over those

funds. Wherever it goes, it looks like a rich, juicy piece of collateral/asset that could be used (and will be) for any kind of political leadership pipe dream, which means borrow ings .

S econd, because I hold Exxon’s leaders and Guyana Government leaders in the lowest esteem, I can visualise that Exxon and the Vice President make a big splash with handing over that US$2 billion to Guyana,

while the company already has figured out a way to bill this country for it.

For emphasis: B I L L G U YA N A FOR THE US$2 BILLION PAID IN PLACE OF FULL I N S U R A N C E COVERAGE. Exxon has a guarantee that whatever billions in bills it dumps on Guyana will be approved by the PPP Government, and I am convinced that Exxon will conceal that US$2 billion most cleverly. At the rate of a couple hundred million American dollars a year, the whole sum would be recovered in about a decade.

In other words, we are paying for that US$2 billion, and still without insurance coverage.

I always tell my fellow citizens: if there is interest in getting to the bottom of the sleights of hand of political leaders, start thinking like a thief, a serial crook. For those are whom we have had here before, and have today.

Having been around Wall Street sharks and sleazebags for decades, some of the best/worst in the world, I can recognise scamps and vagabonds in the local governance machinery when I see them. Amateurs, they are.

Curiously, the encouragement came from the acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, who came out swinging against critics.

She stands on good grounds: many cases, very few judges. It is said that the best defense is a strong offense, and that was what the acting chancellor dished out. She let one counsel have it where it is sure to burn - in the

By GHK Lall pocketbook. Counsels must stop taking on more than they can handle, and have clients running around, and the courts subject to their ongoing manoeuvres to buy time.

In the instances of Messrs. Maurice Arjoon and Kent Vincent, both of whom I know well, a litany of injustices has been part of their ordeals. Enough with these endless delays. Get it over with, let justice prevail.

Finally, relative to the courts, I am pleased that Justice Dawn GregoryBarnes, also someone I know, recused herself.

This is a small society, where everybody knows everyone else and, sometimes, not for the best of reasons, with overtures made; or the likelihood of suspicious relationships and related activity deepening.

More judges and magistrates, as the occasions suit, should follow her example, and step aside.

Last, I am glad that the Government made the curfew farce official with the latest reduction in nighttime hours. Its grasping private sector constituency just received another payback.

Meanwhile, poor, observant citizens face the music and dangers.

Remember: get vaccinated.

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

Sunday November 07, 2021

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Lessons from a Lashpreneur!!!

It’s time to start jingling those bells; the holiday season is officially upon us!

By Latoya Zephyr Hey lash babes, as you all know, December and leading up to the holidays is the craziest and busiest season for us, with millions of parties to attend along with the family gatherings. But you’ve never seen crazy like the Lift and Lashes studio in the lead up to Christmas and New Year’s Eve. We have already started taking bookings for the season so if you’re looking for some holiday lashes it’s time to act fast. We do have available bookings open so make sure you call or message us on 592 670-8031 or contact us on Instagram to secure your spot so you won’t miss out. Don’t despair if the time you’re looking for isn’t available, as we’ll always do our best to get wait list clients in as soon as possible.

The available appointments during the season tend to book out super quickly so don’t hesitate to snap up those appointments—it will definitely be worth it!

Good luck for December to all our lovely clients. We can’t wait to see you and hear your holiday stories!

Sunday November 07, 2021

Enetworks Team to host live chat on ICC Men’s World T20 today Super 12 action in the ICC Men’s World T20 has begun in the United Arab Emirates, with the Kieron Pollard-led West Indies looking for a historic third title.

Be sure to join the News

Room Sport team live on E1 and News Room FB page on West Indies match days, the semi-finals and final.

Shows will be at 09:00h (for games starting at 10:00h) and 09:30h (for games starting

at 06:00h).

The World Cup schedule is available here: https:// www.espncricinfo.com/ series/icc-men-s-t20-worldcup-2021-22-1267897/matchschedule-fixtures.

Sunday November 07, 2021

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Sunday November 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

28 Surprising Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar Apple cider vinegar is a kitchen staple that has several impressive health benefits.

It also has a ton of different beauty, household, and cooking uses. These include cleaning, washing hair, preserving food, and improving skin function.

You can also use apple cider vinegar in all sorts of recipes, including salad dressings, soups, sauces, hot drinks, and more.

Here are 28 ways to use apple cider vinegar.

1. To lower blood sugar Apple cider vinegar is claimed to help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels.

Some studies have shown that consuming vinegar after a high carb meal can improve insulin sensitivity by as much as 34% and reduce blood sugar levels significantly.

However, if you’re taking medication to treat diabetes, you should check with a healthcare professional before taking apple cider vinegar.

2. To help you feel full Apple cider vinegar is sometimes recommended as a weight loss aid.

This is because it may help you feel full.

Some short-term studies have shown that consuming apple cider vinegar may help you eat fewer calories, lose weight, and reduce belly fat, if that’s your goal.

However, its long-term effects on weight loss are unknown and likely to be small unless a person also makes other dietary and lifestyle changes (2Trusted Source).

3. To preserve food Just like other types of vinegar, apple cider vinegar is an effective preservative. In fact, people have used vinegar as a pickling agent to preserve foods for thousands of years.

It works by making the food more acidic, which deactivates its enzymes and kills any bacteria that may cause spoilage.

You can find many recipes online for how to preserve or pickle food using apple cider vinegar.

4. As a deodorizer Apple cider vinegar is known to have antibacterial properties.

Because of this, it’s often claimed that apple cider vinegar can eliminate bad smells.

There isn’t any research to back up these claims, but you can try it out by mixing 1 part apple cider vinegar with 1 part water to make a deodorizing spray.

This makes a natural alternative to odor neutralizers.

You can also mix the apple cider

vinegar with water and Epsom salts to make a foot soak, like this one.

This may help get rid of unwanted foot odor by killing off odor-causing bacteria.

5. To make a salad vinaigrette One easy way to use apple cider vinegar is to make a simple salad dressing, like this one.

Homemade salad dressings can be much less processed than storebought ones, and they’re often tastier, too.

6. To make an all-purpose cleaner Apple cider vinegar is often a popular choice for a natural alternative to commercial cleaning agents. This is because of its antibacterial properties.

Mix 1 cup of water with half a cup of apple cider vinegar, and you’ll have a natural all-purpose cleaner.

However, it’s worth noting that although vinegars, including apple cider vinegar, can kill some bacteria, they aren’t as effective at killing harmful bacteria as commercial cleaning agents.

7. To soothe a sore throat Gargling with apple cider vinegar is a popular home remedy for sore throats.

It’s anecdotally thought that its antibacterial properties could help kill off the bacteria that could be causing the sore throat. However, there is no evidence to support its use in this way.

If you try this at home, make sure you mix the vinegar with water before gargling.

This is because apple cider vinegar is very acidic and has been known to cause throat burns when consumed undiluted.

8. As a facial toner Anecdotally, apple cider vinegar is claimed to help remedy skin conditions and provide graceful aging support.

As such, many people like to use apple cider vinegar to make a skin tonic. The general recipe is 1 part apple cider vinegar to 2 parts water.

You can then apply this to your skin using a cotton pad. However, if you have sensitive skin, you may want to make a more diluted solution by adding more water.

There’s an insufficient amount of research supporting the safety of using apple cider vinegar for this purpose.

9. To trap fruit flies Fruit flies can be pests, and it’s really easy to use apple cider vinegar to make a cheap fruit fly trap.

Simply pour some apple cider vinegar into a cup, add a few drops of dish soap (so that any trapped flies sink), and you’re good to go.

10. To boil better eggs Adding vinegar to the water you use to boil or poach eggs can help you produce consistently good eggs. This is because the protein in egg whites firms up more quickly when exposed to a more acidic liquid.

When you’re poaching eggs, you want the egg whites to firm up as quickly as possible so the eggs keep their shape.

Using vinegar when boiling eggs can also speed up the coagulation, or clotting, of the egg whites. This can be useful if the shell cracks while the egg is being boiled.

11. As a marinade Another way to use apple cider vinegar when cooking is to make a marinade. In fact, apple cider vinegar is a popular ingredient in many steak marinades. This is because it gives meat a nice sweet-and-sour flavor.

Combine it with wine, garlic, soy sauce, onion, and cayenne pepper to give your steak a delicious flavor.

12. To wash fruits and vegetables Pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables can be a concern for many people.

That’s why some people like to wash their fruits and vegetables in apple cider vinegar. The hope is that it’ll remove more of the chemical residues than water alone.

Although it’s not entirely clear whether it will remove more pesticides than simply washing with water, it may help kill any dangerous bacteria on food.

For example, washing foods in vinegar has been shown to remove dangerous bacteria like E.

coli and Salmonella.

13. To clean dentures You can also use apple cider vinegar to clean dentures.

Although there’s no consensus on the best method to clean them, it’s thought that the residues left by apple cider vinegar could be less harmful to the skin in your mouth than other cleaning agents.

Your Greatist growth starts here Whether you’ve got wellness goals in mind or want to just have some fun, we’ve got classes for you.

Find a course that fits on Greatist.com.

LEARN MORE 14. In the bath For the same reasons people like using apple cider vinegar as a homemade facial toner, they also like using it in the bath.

If you want to try it, add 1–2 cups of apple cider vinegar to your bath water and enjoy a soak in your tub.

Be sure to dilute the vinegar adequately. A larger proportion of vinegar might irritate your skin.

15. As a hair rinse An apple cider vinegar hair rinse is said to remove product buildup, detangle, and add shine to your hair.

Try mixing 1 part apple cider vinegar with 1 part water and pour the mixture over your hair. Leave it in for a few minutes before washing it out.

If you have sensitive skin, try doing this with a weaker dilution first, since the vinegar is quite acidic.

16. As a dandruff treatment Massaging diluted apple cider vinegar into your scalp may help get rid of dandruff.

It’s unclear how effective this is, but the theory is that the acid in the vinegar could help stop the growth of the fungus Malassezia, which may contribute to dandruff.

17. In a sauce Apple cider vinegar can be a great ingredient for a tangy sauce for your food. Try adding it to tomato-based sauces to give them a fuller flavor.

18. In soup Adding vinegar to soup can help bring its flavors to life.

If your favorite homemade soup tastes a little bland, try adding a little vinegar to it at the end. Add it gradually and taste as you go until you reach a flavor your enjoy.

19. As a weed killer Another great use for apple cider vinegar is as a homemade weed killer.

Spray undiluted vinegar on unwanted weeds in your garden to get rid of them. You can also try mixing it with soap and lemon juice to see if that makes it more effective.

20. In homemade cakes and candies Apple cider vinegar is a popular flavor and texture enhancer in baking, especially when making vegan treats that can’t include eggs.

It can also add extra flavor to homemade candy and caramels, like in this recipe.

21. In a hot drink For an alternative to hot chocolate or warm tea, mix 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon honey and 2

tablespoons lemon juice into 12 oz (355 ml) hot water.

22. As a mouthwash Apple cider vinegar is often said to be a useful alternative to commercial mouthwashes. Its antibacterial properties may help with bad breath, although there aren’t any studies examining how effective it is.

If you try apple cider vinegar as a mouthwash, make sure you dilute it well with water (the usual amount is 1 tablespoon for every cup, or 240 ml, of water), since the acidity of the vinegar could damage your teeth.

23. To clean your tooth brush To have really clean teeth, it’s worth considering how clean your toothbrush is.

Given that apple cider vinegar has antibacterial properties, you can use it as a homemade cleaner for your toothbrush.

To make your own toothbrush cleaner, combine half a cup (120 ml) water with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) apple cider vinegar and 2 teaspoons baking soda. Mix well, then leave the head of your toothbrush in the mixture for 30 minutes.

Make sure you rinse your brush well with water before you use it.

Otherwise, the acidity of undiluted vinegar could damage your teeth.

24. To treat acne Dabbing small amounts of diluted apple cider vinegar onto pimples is anecdotally claimed to be a good way to get rid of them.

However, undiluted apple cider vinegar is strongly acidic and putting it directly onto your skin can cause burns.

25. To get rid of warts As with acne, apple cider vinegar is claimed to be a natural agent for getting rid of warts. It’s likely effective for removing warts from skin, due to its acidic nature.

However, be aware that this method is very painful, and some people who’ve tried it have required a local anesthetic.

26. As a natural deodorant Wiping your underarms with diluted apple cider vinegar is said to be a homemade alternative to commercially produced deodorants.

That said, although it’s popular in some circles, it’s not clear how effective this is.

27. As a dish detergent Rinsing your dishes in apple cider vinegar could help kill off any unwanted bacteria and keep them clean.

Some people add it to their dishwater, while others put it in their dishwasher.

28. To get rid of fleas Apple cider vinegar may help prevent your pet from getting fleas.

It’s thought that spraying a mixture of 1 part water and 1 part apple cider vinegar onto your pet will create an environment that fleas won’t want to hang around in.

Takeaway Apple cider vinegar is an extremely versatile household item that has a ton of different uses. It can be a cheap and easy way to tackle many problems around your home. (https://www.healthline.com/ nutrition/apple-cider-vinegar-uses)

Sunday November 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 39

CARPHA implements whole genome sequencing for Member States to identify COVID-19 variants

W

hole genome sequencing ( W G S ) testing to detect COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) variants will be underway at the CARPHA Medical Microbiology Laboratory (CMML) from Monday, November 15, 2021.

This is according to a CARPHA release which noted that the process will allow CMML to monitor COVID-19 and track specific mutations of COVID-19 that have been circulating in CARPHA Member States.

This new service will provide a turnaround time of 14 days after receipt of samples by CMML from Member States. Each virus has its own genomic sequence, characterised by a unique “fingerprint”. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is the most comprehensive method for genetic disease testing and can detect nearly all types of disease-causing genetic variants.

“The whole genome sequencing process will allow the CMML to detect changes that may occur in the COVID-19 virus fingerprint over time and accelerate the delivery of results to Member States.

joint project to determine the different lineages of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that circulate in the Caribbean.

“UWI will continue testing samples, and further communication with our Member States will determine how many samples they can

A better understanding of the virus' genetic makeup could save lives by informing public health and clinical management, as well as support the development of medicines and vaccines to combat the virus,” stated Dr. Lisa Indar, Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control at CARPHA. As a virus evolves, random changes or mutations occur.

These changes can lead to the emergence of a new virus lineage, which is quite common.

The genomic sequences of these new lineages will differ and are referred to as variations. Although many variants have little effect on the virus' ability to propagate or cause disease, some changes can increase transmissibility, or allow the

virus to evade natural or vaccine-induced immunity.

As the regional reference laboratory, the CMML continues to conduct tests for suspected COVID-19 cases and provide timely reporting of laboratory results to its Member States. The CMML boasts a turnaround time of 48 hours for PCR test results for Member States.

D r. S t . J o h n , t h e Executive Director, stated that “CARPHA is pleased and very grateful that our I n t e r n a t i o n a l Development Partner the World Bank supported the expansion of the suite of services that we can offer our Member States in b o l s t e r i n g t h e i r f i ght against COVID-19.”

From December 2020 until present, CARPHA and the University of the West Indies (UWI) embarked on a

accommodate,” the release added.

The CMML has plans to expand the scope of its gene sequencing services to include laboratory surveillance of other types of viruses and diseases of public health concern.

CARPHA also announced its

new service during the virtual 35 t h Caribbean Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) Managers' Meeting which took place from November 3 – 5, 2021.

The meeting was hosted by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

Sunday November 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 40

The Horn of Plenty

By Ovid (Adapted) Aeneus, King of Aetolia, had a daughter whose name was Deianira. So beautiful was the maiden that her fame spread throughout the world, and many princes came to woo her. Among these were two strangers, who drove all the other suitors from the hall of King Aeneus.

One was Hercules, huge of limb and broad of shoulder. He was clad in the skins of beasts, and carried in his hand a knotted club. His tangled hair hung down upon his brawny neck, and his fierce eyes gleamed from behind his shaggy brows.

The other stranger was Achelous, god of the Calydonian River. Slender and graceful was he, and clad in flowing green raiment. In his hand he carried a staff of plaited reeds, and on his head was a crown of water-lilies.

His voice was soft and caressing, like the gentle murmur of summer brooks.

"O King Aeneus," said Achelous, standing before the throne, "behold I am the King of Waters. If thou wilt receive me as thy son-in-law I will make the beautiful Deianira queen of my river kingdom."

"King Aeneus," said the mighty Hercules, stepping forward, "Deianira is mine, and I will not yield her to this river-god."

"Impertinent stranger!" cried Achelous, turning toward the hero, while his voice rose till it sounded like the thunder of distant cataracts, and his green garment changed to the

blackness of night,-"impertinent stranger! how darest thou claim this maiden, thou who hast mortal blood in thy veins! Behold me, the god Achelous, the powerful King of the Waters! I wind with majesty through the rich lands of my wide realms. I make all fields through which I flow beautiful with grass and flowers. By my right divine I claim this maiden."

But with scowling eye and rising wrath Hercules made answer. "Thou wouldst fight with words, like a woman, while I would win by my strength! My right hand is better than my tongue. If thou wouldst have the maiden, then must thou first overcome me in combat."

Thereupon Achelous threw off his raiment and began to prepare himself for the struggle. Hercules took off his garment of beasts' skins, and cast aside his club.

The two then anointed their bodies with oil, and threw yellow sand upon themselves.

They took their places, they attacked, they retired, they rushed again to the conflict. They stood firm, and they yielded not. Long they bravely wrestled and fought; till at length Hercules by his might overcame Achelous and bore him to the ground. He pressed him down, and, while the fallen river-god lay panting for breath, the hero seized him by the neck.

Then did Achelous have recourse to his magic arts.

Transforming himself into a serpent he escaped from the hero. He twisted his body into winding folds, and darted out his forked tongue with frightful hissings.

But Hercules laughed mockingly, and cried out:

FUN WITH POETRY

Wake up early and be happy

by Uncle Roy Sometimes I feel like sleeping late, And get up after everyone, But when I do rise and come outside, My eyes burn from the bright sun.

At other times when I get up early, The sun is now peeping out, I find the air so nice and cool, It feels so good to move about.

That is why I now try every night, To sleep so as to rise early; Then I can greet the sun coming up, Which makes my whole day so happy.

"Ah, Achelous! While yet in my cradle I strangled two serpents! And what art thou compared to the Hydra whose hundred heads I cut off? Every time I cut of I one head two others grew in its place. Yet did I conquer that horror, in spite of its branching serpents that darted from every wound!

Thinkest thou, then, that I fear thee, thou mimic snake?" And even as he spake he gripped, as with a pair of pincers, the back of the rivergod's head.

And Achelous struggled in vain to escape. Then, again having recourse to his magic, he became a raging bull, and renewed the fight. But Hercules, that mighty hero, threw his huge arms over the brawny neck of the bull, and dragged him about. Then seizing hold of his horns, he bent his head to one side, and bearing down fastened them into the ground. And that was not enough, but with relentless hand he broke one of the horns, and tore it from Achelous's forehead.

The river-god returned to his own shape. He roared aloud with rage and pain, and hiding his mutilated head in his mantle, rushed from the hall and plunged into the swirling waters of his stream.

Then the goddess of Plenty, and all the WoodNymphs and Water-Nymphs came forward to greet the conqueror with song and dance. They took the huge horn of Achelous and heaped it high with the rich and glowing fruits and flowers of autumn. They wreathed it with vines and with clustering grapes, and bearing it aloft presented it to Hercules and his beautiful bride Deianira.

And ever since that day has the Horn of Plenty gladdened men's hearts at Harvest-Time.

Junior page

Fall Garland Fall Garland Supplies – ·orange paper* ·green paper ·pen ·scissors ·hole punch ·brass fasteners (brads) ·glue ·ribbon ·stapler *I printed all the names of our family members on the orange paper so I could cut them in long strips.

One page would have everyone's names Pumpkin Garland Directions – 1. Give everyone an orange piece of paper and a pen.

Have each person write one reason why they love each family member. Once everyone is done, you can have each person read their papers out loud or keep it anonymous. (I prefer to have them read. It makes a fun, loving family night!)

2. Cut out the strips of paper and put the strips into piles- 1 pile for all of the reasons people love dad, 1 pile for all the strips of

reasons people love mom etc.

3. Hole punch the top and bottom of each pile of strips.

4. Put a brad in both of the holes, securing each pile.

5. Fan the strips outward so they form a sphere-like shape.

6. Cut and fold a green strip of paper to make a stem.

7. Place some glue on the green paper, then secure it to the top of your pumpkin and let it dry.

8. Once dry you can staple each pumpkin stem onto a ribbon.

9. Hang your ribbon, and you're done!

Slitherlink

In a Slitherlink Puzzle, you connect horizontally or vertically adjacent dots to form a meandering path that forms a single loop, without crossing itself, or

branching. The numbers indicate how many lines surround each cell. Empty cells may be surrounded by any number of lines (from 0 to 3).

Sunday November 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

TEEN TIME

Develop a Sense of Personal Competence

D

uring the past few months we dealt with four of the five essential elements that are needed to build and maintain your self-esteem, i.e. Senses of Security, Belonging, Identity, and Unique Purpose.

Each of these elements or senses serves to enrich life, help to maintain a balanced personality, and equip people with the means to deal effectively with the ups and downs with which they are faced as they go about their lives.

We will now deal with the last of these elements, which is a Sense of Personal Competence.

When you devote all your energy towards achieving the goals which you have set for yourself, then you will find that you will naturally develop that feeling that you can achieve. It also

involves the effort you make towards helping others to achieve their goals.

Competence requires both the skills to work at

happens that every little success gives one encouragement to continue and to attempt to do bigger things. This means that you

whatever special you need to achieve those goals, and the belief that you can use them effectively.

As they say, practice makes perfect, and anyone who desires success in what he sets out to do must take the time and trouble to keep improving those skills. It also

need to persist at whatever you are doing, take the problems which are bound to come up in your stride, and success will come eventually.

Many ambitious people sometimes look at the tasks which they need to complete towards something they have to achieve, and are

discouraged because they seem too large and formidable for them.

They feel that they would never be able to surmount the various problems which they imagine will face them as they go along.

What they need to do is to make a small start at whatever little they are sure that they can do.

Having completed this small step, they then tackle the next.

In this way they will be breaking up the large job into manageable ones, until the whole is accomplished.

The articles in the next weeks will expand on the means of developing this important aspect of your personality.

Keep on following these and working as we suggest, and you will be richly rewarded with continued development of yourself.

Killer Sudoku

Killer Sudoku (also called Sum Sudoku) are a kind of hybrid puzzle that combine the best features of Sudoku and Kakuro (cross-sum) puzzles. Like a regular Sudoku, the rows, columns and 3x3 blocks contain the

digits 1 thru 9. In addition, the dotted lines indicate areas, called cages, which also contain a set of nonrepeating digits. If you add up the digits in a cage, you get the sum shown in its clue.

PAGE 41

You Have what it Takes You have what it takes to succeed, You have within you everything you need to become anything you want to be, and the zeal to approach your tasks enthusiastically.

You have power within you to apply yourself energetically; You have wisdom within you to wisely take the necessary steps to your good; You have all within you to answer the call to be whatever you want to be; You have imagination within you to see in your mind what you want manifested; You have love within you to be loving in all your methods and ways; You have life within you to pursue the happiness that is your birthright; You have strength within you to hold and pursue true ideas; You have intelligence within you to renounce every bad thought and action; You have faith within you to fulfil your destiny and make the most of yourself.

Your knowledge of your abilities and talents will surely lead you to be able to use them to achieve your goals.

TELL IT TO UNCLE ROY I am again appealing to all youths who have some personal problem to contact me so that we can work on a solution. Please know that I am an experienced e d u c a t o r, a q u a l i f i e d

counsellor, and a person whose main purpose in life is to ensure that others live their lives safely and effectively. Please get in touch through my email – uncleroy1992@yahoo.com

Solutions to last week’s Bridges

PAGE 42

HOW TO TREAT SUNBURN Your skin can burn if it gets too much sun without proper protection from sunscreen and clothes. To help heal and soothe stinging skin, it is important to begin treating sunburn as soon as you notice it. Follow these dermatologists' tips to help relieve the discomfort.

Your skin can burn if it gets too much sun without proper protection from sunscreen and clothes. To help heal and soothe stinging skin, it is important to begin treating sunburn as soon as you notice it. The first thing you should do is get out of the sun—and preferably indoors.

Once indoors, these dermatologists' tips can help relieve the discomfort: 1. Take frequent cool baths or showers to help relieve the pain. As soon as you get out of the bathtub or shower, gently pat yourself dry, but leave a little water on your skin. Then, apply a moisturizer to help trap the water in your skin. This can help ease the dryness.

2. Use a moisturizer that contains aloe vera or soy to help soothe sunburned skin. If a particular area feels especially uncomfortable, you may want to apply a hydrocortisone cream that you can buy without a prescription. Do not treat sunburn with “-caine” products (such as benzocaine), as these may irritate the skin or cause an allergic reaction.

3. Consider taking aspirin or ibuprofen to help reduce any swelling, redness and discomfort.

4. Drink extra water. A sunburn draws fluid to the skin's surface and away from the rest of the body. Drinking extra water when you are sunburned helps prevent dehydration.

5. If your skin blisters, allow the blisters to heal. Blistering skin means you have a second-degree sunburn. You should not pop the blisters, as blisters form to help your skin heal and protect you from infection.

6. Take extra care to protect sunburned skin while it heals.

Wear clothing that covers your skin when outdoors. Tightlywoven fabrics work best. When you hold the fabric up to a bright light, you shouldn't see any light coming through. https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/injuredskin/burns/treat-sunburn

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 07, 2021

True Love

Sunday November 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 43

The Guyana Cancer …a haven for support Foundation and care of cancer patients

By Rehanna Ramsay The Guyana Cancer Foundation (GCF) continues to make strides in the advocacy and support for the treatment of cancer patients locally.

In its 16th year of existence, the GCF not only continues to host successful breast cancer awareness activities but the organisation is now poised to make significant strides towards improving the overall care and treatment of cancer patients here.

On the heels of a successful awareness month of activities, Founder of the GCF, Bibi Saeedah Aktar Hassan told Kaieteur News that the GCF has been focused on lobbying various Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and even the government to implement better facilities to assist those affected by the disease.

In this regard, Hassan said that as Head of the organisation, she has been advocating for “the Government or possibly some other agency to open a radiation centre to treat cancer patients in Guyana.”

She explained, “Radiation treatment in Guyana is very expensive; a couple of sessions of the treatment can cost from GYD$600,000 to up to GYD$1million.

Hassan works closely

with several cancer patients and many of them, she said, cannot afford that treatment.

“The Government currently subsidises radiation treatment for cancer patients through the Guyana Cancer Institute but even with the subsidy it's still quite expensive,” she added.

In this regard, Hassan is hoping that in the New Year, the government and relative stakeholders will pay closer attention and take heed to the cries of cancer patients.

“Some person who can afford usually travel overseas to access the radiation treatment but that is not a viable option for many persons, that is why I have been advocating for this…” she added.

In the meantime, Hassan says that the GCF has lots to be thankful for. She noted that in spite of the restrictions occasioned by the COVID19 pandemic, the foundation has been able to reach its awareness and advocacy goals.

“We have lots to celebrate this year. Our Breast Cancer Aw a r e n e s s M o n t h o f activities which concluded on the 31 s t of October garnered much support and was quite successful. We have some persons and agencies that we never had before, come on board. We are very grateful to them,” she said.

In addition to GCF's

GCF Founder: Bibi Saeedah Akhtar Hassan.

candlelight vigil for persons who lost their battle to cancer which was held on October 15, the awareness activities 2021 included a talk session which was opened to special invitees and staff at Muneshwer's Travel Service, a High Tea and Fashion event hosted by the Pegasus Hotel, a National No Bra Day event held on October 13, and a National Mammography Day/Wear It Pink Friday, on October 20 and October 22 respectively. The activities also included the regular cancer awareness tree wrapping exercise and a month-long free screening and checkup activity offered through the Dr. Balwant Singh Hospital, a medical outreach programme which was hosted in Region 10 as well as a Sip Chat and Paint event which concluded the

events, last Sunday.

Hassan explained that all events were aimed towards promoting awareness and increasing the support for cancer patients and survivors.

“The events were all successful; the High Tea and Fashion show at the Pegasus was a particular highlight of our activities. We had Guyanese designer Karen Hughes Braithwaite put out her designs, which were modelled by some of our survivors under the theme 'Kosmic Vibes',” she said.

To this end, Hassan expressed gratitude to all the sponsors of the events which i n c l u d e d Tw i n s Manufacturing Chemists, the Pegasus Hotel, Beharry Restaurant Holdings Inc., GBTI Bank, Demerara Bank Limited, King's Jewellery

Models of the High Tea and Fashion event are joined by designer Karen Hughes-Braithwaite (fifth from right) at the fashion event.

World, Bistro Cafe & Bar, Deluxe Trading, Dyna's E m b r o i d e r y, J a c o b s Jewellery and Pawn Shop, Outdoor Store and Pet Shop, Babe Cave Guyana, New Vision Labs Inc, NeuroSpine Services Inc., ENETWORKS Inc., Bernie's Pharmacy Grace Kennedy Remittance Services Inc, Cake Royal, and De Sinco Limited, Oasis Cafe and recreation party services.

Outside of the awareness activities, Hassan told Kaieteur News that the future of GCF's efforts has just become better.

“We have just some good news in terms of work,” she said adding that “The Guyana Cancer Foundation has been selected from among other local entities to be a partner with the American Cancer Society; a well-known NGO in the US for engagements to develop and deliver a better quality of cancer care here in Guyana.”

The GCF founder expressed excitement over the prospects of such a partnership. “This is actually an answer to my prayers, I am really excited and optimistic about this new venture because while we have been doing our best as a local NGO, organisations like the American Cancer Society that has been involved in this A model at the High Tea and Fashion event held by the GCF and the Pegasus Hotel.

kind of work for many, many years can really add another level of care to what is currently being offered here.

Their work is so advanced and so I believe that they can improve the level of service that is being offered here as well,” she disclosed.

According to Hassan, the GCF has already held its first meeting with the Region's strategic partner for the American Cancer Society.

The strategic partner, she explained, has been working with various Caribbean territories such as Jamaica, Belize, and St. Lucia to deliver high-quality cancer care and treatment services in those places.

Meanwhile, as it relates to her current goal for the organisation, Hassan says that the GFC is continuing the push locally to eradicate breast and cervical cancer in Guyana by 2025.

Though an ambitious feat, Hassan is optimistic that with adequate support it can be accomplished. She has said, “We can make a difference in saving lives, and while our goal may seem (Continued on page 44)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 44

Sunday November 07, 2021

The Guyana Cancer...

Ms. Hassan was joined by a team of healthcare workers for medical outreach in Linden.

The GCF founder is joined by British High Commissioner, Jane Miller (at left) and other partners during the annual tree wrapping cancer awareness exercise.

From page 43 enormous, we want to eradicate breast and cervical cancer in Guyana by 2025, if not the whole or even a half of the country, at least in one community or area, where we can say women are free from cancer.”

Hassan emphasised nevertheless, that the success of this task depends on partnership with the government, international funding institutions, nongovernmental organisations, the private sector and all of society.

Hassan has been with the GCF since 2005 when a small group of Avon parttime representatives was selected by the CEO of Beauty and Home Innovations (BHI) Guyana, Ms. Ann Singh, who also helped to set up the Avon Community Help Fund to start breast cancer awareness in Guyana.

Hassan was selected by the committee to be the treasurer of the fund.

From there on her journey started with the fund to create awareness and education.

The Avon Community Help Fund and its representatives started to raise funds through the

A section of the attendees at the GCF High Tea and Fashion event hosted at the Pegasus Hotel, last month.

business community and with the help of their close friends, they started their education and awareness programme.

Over the years, the fund conducted Breast Cancer Awareness activities through a number of initiatives, particularly sessions on how to do breast self-examination at home.

Given their awareness and advocacy programmes, five years after its inception, they came up with the initiative to provide access to screening services including mammograms and sonograms for high-risk women, including the medically underserved and underinsured women.

This intervention would

motivate more women to take action to fight this disease and create opportunities for them to seek early medical care.

On January 29, 2015, Avon was dissolved in the Caribbean and the Fund couldn't use the name “Avon Community Help Fund” anymore.

Later in April 2015,

Hassan received a call from M s . S i n g h o f Av o n Community Help Fund, who was and still is the CEO of Beauty and Home Innovations Guyana, asking her to t a k e o v e r t h e Av o n Community Help Fund because she had a vision for it.

As a result, the GCF was

f o r m e d . To d a y, t h e foundation also provides counselling to patients and their families and guides them to treatment options and facilities.

Outreach with screening and support services were done in areas such as Georgetown, Berbice River, Charity, Bartica, Mahaicony, Moraikoba, and Linden.

Sunday November 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 45

The Court The Cybercrime Journal Act and offences

By Renay Sambach

Cybercrime is the use of a computer to carry out illegal acts. Cybercrimes are usually done with the use of the internet and the different instruments that it has available, and most people are not aware of this Act and the penalties that are attached to offences that fall under this Act. Guyana's Cybercrime Bill 2016 was presented by the then Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams. It was published on August 4, 2016.

After the Bill was presented to the National Assembly, the proposed Section 18, 'Sedition,' had caused a public outcry.

However, on July 20, 2018, the Coalition Government used its majority to pass the Cybercrime Bill with an amendment expunging the controversial sedition clause.

Since the passage of the Bill, numerous persons were charged, put before the court and even convicted.

CYBERCRIME OFFENCES Cybercrime offences are: illegal access to a computer system, illegal interception, illegal data interference, illegal acquisition of data, illegal system interference, illegal devices, unauthorised granting of access to or giving of electronic data, computer-related forgery, computer-related fraud, offences affecting critical infrastructure, identityrelated offences, child pornography, child luring, publication or transmission of image of private area of a person, multiple electronic mail messages and fraudulent website, offences against the State, using a computer system to coerce, harass, intimidate, humiliate, etc., a person, infringement of copyright, patents and designs and trademarks, corporate liability, attempt, aiding or abetting, use of computer system to commit offence under any other law, offences prejudicing investigation.

CHILD PORNOGRAPHY According to Section 2:14, “A person commits an o ff e n c e i f t h e p e r s o n intentionally produces child pornography for the purpose of its distribution through a computer system; offers or makes available, distributes or transmits child pornography through a computer system; procures or

obtains child pornography through a computer system for himself or another person; or possesses child pornography in a computer system or on a computer data storage medium.”

According to the law, anyone who is found guilty of child pornography at the Magistrate's Court level, where the matter is tried summarily, will be liable to a fine of $10M and five years' imprisonment.

If the matter is tried indictably and the person is found guilty of child pornography in the High Court, he/she will be liable to a fine of $15M and 10 years imprisonment.

PUBLISHING EXPLICIT PHOTOS/VIDEOS OR REMARKS Another law under the Cybercrime Act is, “Using a computer to publish or transmit computer data that is obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious or indecent with intent to humiliate, harass or cause substantial emotional distress to another person.”

Anyone who is found guilty of 'using a computer system to coerce, harass, intimidate, humiliate, etc., a person,' at the Magistrate's Court level, will be liable to a fine of $5M and three years' imprisonment. If the matter is tried indictably and the person is found guilty of child pornography in the High Court, he/she will be liable to a fine of $10M and five years' imprisonment.

Illegal access to a computer system, illegal interception, illegal data interference, illegal acquisition of data, illegal system interference, and illegal devices, are all offences under the Cybercrime Act. They are also other offences that fall under the Cybercrime Act, which carries from months to years of imprisonment and hefty fines.

Another charge under the Cybercrime Act is the publication or transmission of image of the private area of a person. The law states that a person commits an offence if the person intentionally captures, stores in, publishes or transmits through a computer system, the image of the private area (naked genitals, buttocks or female breasts) of another person without that other person's consent.

It also outlines that a person who commits an offence is liable, on summary

conviction to a fine of $3M and to imprisonment for three years; and on conviction or indictment to a fine of $8 million and to imprisonment for five years.

PERSONS CHARGED UNDER THE ACT On July 16, 2021, A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Member of Parliament, Annette Ferguson, was placed on selfbail when she appeared before a City Magistrate to answer to a cybercrime charge.

The Opposition MP appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Senior Magistrate, Leron Daly. Ferguson denied the charge, which alleges that on June 15, 2021, she used a computer system to transmit data with intent to cause substantial emotional distress to a senior officer of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Colonel Omar Khan.

According to reports, the Opposition MP is charged for falsely alleging in a Facebook post that Khan will be in charge of a 'killing squad.' It was reported that Ferguson's post, which refers to the “setting up of Death Squad and Black Clothes groups,” stemmed from discussions had during the considerations of Financial Paper 2/2021 during a parliamentary session on June 14, 2021.

Also, earlier this year, a Kitty man was charged for allegedly sharing nude photographs of a 16-year-old girl, who refused to have a relationship with him. The defendant, Ryan Seecharran, 33, made his first appearance in the Georgetown Magistrates' Court before Principal Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus. He pleaded not guilty to the charge, which stated that on January 1 0 , 2 0 2 1 , a t K i t t y, Georgetown, he used a computer system to publish obscene/explicit photographs of the 16-yearold girl via WhatsApp status

to humiliate her, causing her substantial emotional distress.

According to reports, Seecharran and the teen are known to each other.

It is alleged that on the day in question, Seecharran asked the teen to be in a relationship with her and she turned down his request. This reportedly made him angry and he posted the

photographs of her on his WhatsApp status.

The girl had reportedly sent the photographs to one of her female friends, who then shared the photographs with Seecharran. His matter is presently ongoing, but he was released on $300,000 bail.

Not forgetting, during March 2020, 21-year-old, Melissa Ann Pestano and Janelle Williams, 23, were sentenced to three years imprisonment and fined $5M each for sharing a sex tape of their friend on social media.

Pestano, Williams and the victim were friends and they were reportedly very close.

Based on reports, Pestano found out that the victim was having an affair with her boyfriend.

After finding out about the affair, Pestano and Williams confronted the

victim and later planned to get back at her. It was reported that the women arranged for Pestano's boyfriend and the victim to book a room at the K&VC International Hotel at South Road, Georgetown.

Ten minutes after the two checked into the room, Pestano arrived and was given information about which room they were in.

Pestano then entered the room and videoed the sex act.

Pestano had sent a copy of the video to Williams, who then shared the video with several persons.

Thereafter, the video was widely circulated on social media. The matter was reported and the women were later arrested and subsequently charged for the offence. They are currently behind bars for sharing the sex tape on social media.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 46

Sunday November 07, 2021

==GNBS IN FOCUS== Using Standards to advance the Tourism Sector For just over two years, the Tourism sector globally suffered the hardest hit from the COVID-19 pandemic even as measures are being implemented to stop the rapid spread of the disease.

Steps are gradually being taken to reverse the halt in air transport to some

destinations, cruises, and other tourist activities. Prior to this, destinations were closed to visitors along with many entertainment f a c i l i t i e s . H o w e v e r, widespread vaccination and relaxed measures have contributed to the resumption of international

travel and organised tours.

This year's Tourism Awareness Month is being observed under the theme “Preparing for a new frontier – Stimulating innovation within the tourism sector.” The theme speaks to advancing the sector with new strategies

and approaches, and one of the best ways for businesses to effectively advance is with the implementation of Standards.

The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has several National and Regional standards, which when

implemented are designed to enhance the experience of visitors to our eco-lodges and other tourist attractions.

Some of the tourism-related standards include the Codes o f P r a c t i c e f o r To u r Operators and tour guides, Quality Management in the Restaurant Services, and Assessment, Licensing, Registration, Classification, and Grading of the Accommodation Sector.

In addition, there is a National Standard for Bed and Breakfast facilities which was formulated to improve the quality of services offered by local providers of bed and breakfast facilities. Local bed and breakfast providers and potential investors in this category of accommodation can utilise this Code of Practice which provides minimum requirements for A, B and C categories of facilities.

The available standards are all voluntary, but stakeholders, including hoteliers and restaurateurs, can be assured that once implemented, standards will help to not only lift the quality of services offered but increase customers' satisfaction which would then increase the number of visitors to conforming facilities. The documents can be purchased from the GNBS, and if necessary, guidance will also be offered to facilitate implementation.

The GNBS also have international standards from the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO),

which are very relevant to the sector. These include the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System standard, which focuses on customer satisfaction and continuous improvement.

This standard can also be applied to improve services to enhance tourists' experience.

Additionally, there is the ISO 22000 which helps to address the food safety aspects of the sector.

This international standard provides guidance for the implementation of a Food Safety Management System extending “from the farm to the fork”. This ensures hotels and restaurants are provided with quality produce which are safe and wholesome for tourists and local diners.

The implementation of National and International Standards can help local tourism related businesses to thrive in spite of the challenges posed by the pandemic. Tour operators, hoteliers and owners of other properties designed for accommodating local and overseas guests are encouraged to contact the GNBS to secure copies of standards relevant to their businesses. As the National Standards Body, we can help you to improve your services to advance the prosperity of the tourism sector through quality tourism products.

F o r f u r t h e r information, contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0065 or 2190064 or WhatsApp 692GNBS (4627).

Sunday November 07, 2021

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

Renee Chester

Sunday November 07, 2021

This week's beauty is the absolutely gorgeous Renee Chester. She is one of Guyana's most gifted and experienced Makeup Artists. This cocoa-toned Guyanese belle enjoys listening to music, doing research particularly for her line of work, and photography. One of her favourite quotes says: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”- Margaret Mead

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Sunday November 07, 2021

GEORGETOWN AMONG 9 CITIES FORECAST TO BE UNDER WATER BY 2030 - Climate Central Worrying details from a Climate Central map illustrates that Georgetown, Guyana, and eight other cities worldwide are forecast to be under water by 2030, due to the rising sea level stemming from climate change.

It was reported that the area that is projected to be under water by 2030 is where 90 percent of Guyana's population resides. It was also stated that for centuries Guyana's capital, Georgetown, has relied on s e a w a l l s - o r, m o r e accurately, one gigantic, 280mile long sea wall, for protection.

The sea walls is Georgetown's main defence because most of the coastline is between 0.5 and one metre below high tide. With more than half of the country's population in danger, it was stated that the country will need to bolster its sea wall substantially if Georgetown's

Climate Central map illustrating land projected to be below tideline by 2030.

central areas are to avoid massive damage.

Other cities on the list of being submerged by 2030 are: Amsterdam, Netherlands; Basra, Iraq; New Orleans, USA; Venice, Italy; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Kolkata, India;

Bangkok, Thailand and Savannah, USA. The Climate Central map was created based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2021 report. Climate Central is an independent group of s c i e n t i s t s a n d

communicators who research and report the facts about climate change and how it affects people's lives and the IPCC is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.

While the map shows future sea levels, it does not illustrate what could happen during flooding or other extreme weather events.

Recently, this publication reported that Guyana is particularly vulnerable to

rising sea level as a result of climate change, plus regional shifts in the height of the sea.

This was highlighted in the 2 0 2 0 Wo r l d H e a l t h Organization (WHO) report on climate change.

According to the report, Guyana's initial national communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) states that the sea level, along the Atlantic Coast, is projected to rise by about 40cm by the end

of the twenty first century.

This means the sea is rising at a rate of two - four millimetres each year, counting the entire century.

The report explained that “From 1951 to 1979, sea level off Guyana's coast rose at a rate of some five times the global average (0.4 inch, or 10.2 millimetres per year)— and around six times the twentieth century average or three times the 1993 to 2009 annual average.”

Additionally, this is not the first time that Guyana's vulnerability to sea level rise has been documented.

Last year, a minidocumentary on the natural phenomenon of erosion and climate change produced by REEL Guyana and its founder, Alex Arjoon, spoke to the vulnerability of Guyana's low-lying coastal region.

Not forgetting that severe flooding earlier this year had led to many sectors in Guyana being affected along with the livelihood of citizens. In June 2021, President Ali had declared the flooding situation in the country a National Disaster.

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Our Frontline Worker of this Week is…

CONSULTANT RADIOLOGIST,

Tania Aguilera Garcia Dr. Garcia has no doubt that the world is faced with one of the deadliest pandemics of all time and indeed there is ample evidence to support this theory. To date, COVID-19 has impacted the lives of millions across the globe. Here in Guyana, more than 35,000 individuals have been infected and of these, just over 930 have died to date.

residence in our dear land. Making the lifechanging move with Dr. Garcia was her loving family, which includes her husband, Alberto Perez Hechavarria, a businessman, and her two daughters, Tatyane Perez Aguilera, the older, who has chosen the field of medicine like her mother, and Thalia Perez Aguilera, who currently attends the School of the Nations.

“Take the vaccine because that is the only way to avoid the worst form of the illness.”

While our featured frontline worker has thus far been able to ward off being Donning facemasks to help ward off infection infected, she revealed that there have been persons close to her who have not been so lucky. “I have a good friend, his father had COVID-19 and died. I had

By Sharmain Grainger many patients and friends too with COVIDnstead of simply waiting for a cure or 19,” she said.

To safeguard herself amid the raging the annihilation of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, people pandemic, she said, “I wear my face mask, should be aiming, as far as possible, to help wash my hands frequently and keep social prevent its continued spread. At least this is distancing.” She is also fully vaccinated with the conviction of Consultant Radiologist at the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation daily encourages others to follow suit.

To those who are reluctant she urges, (GPHC), Dr. Tania Aguilera Garcia, who “Take the vaccine because that is the only noted during a recent interview that since the onset of the pandemic, she has come to way to avoid the worst form of the illness.” realise that, more than ever, “prevention is Instead of being deterred by the dreaded disease, Dr. Garcia said that “it has caused me better than cure.” to be more dedicated to my patients.”

But despite the many lives lost to the ADOPTED HOME pandemic and the many more who have Dr. Garcia, who hails from Cuba, has battled to survive after being infected, it remains mindboggling to many health been a Consultant Radiologist for the past 17 professionals, including Dr. Garcia, that there years and for the latter three, she has been are many among us who still believe that serving in the capacity of Head of the Medical Imaging Department at the GPHC. COVID-19 is a myth.

She revealed that her role there, in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, is to provide the x-ray Dr. Garcia in report for infected patients and ensure that ultrasounds are done work mode. when the need arises.

Offering a sneak peek into her past, Dr. Garcia, who was ushered into the world on February 20, 1971, said that she is the youngest of six children born to her parents (now deceased) – Erlinda Garcia (mother) and Eugenio Aguilera (father) – in Cuba.

She revealed that although she was long a lover of music, “I decided to study medicine because I like to help people to recover to good health.” Her field of choice was Radiology, which she pursued at the School of the Medicine of Santiago de Cuba (Saturnino Lora Hospital).

A radiologist, she eagerly explained, is a doctor with complete academic training that allows him/her to make a diagnosis, establish differential diagnoses, evaluate the extent of diseases, and provide the treating physician with guidelines for the best treatment.

It was in the year 2011 that Dr. Garcia decided to take up

RADIOLOGY WEEK In addition to providing her usual services to the GPHC, Dr. Garcia, along with her colleagues in radiology, will this week be aiming to raise awareness about their field of work in observance of Radiology Week. The

Dr. Tania Aguilera Garcia

week’s observance is one that aims to celebrate the important role medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals play in patient care and health care safety.

To recognise the hard-working members of the GPHC’s radiology team, Dr. Garcia said that plans have been made to honour them in a small but significant way throughout this week even as efforts are made simultaneously to sustain the valiant fight against COVID-19.

I

With her loving family

A photo opportunity with some of her colleagues.

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Sunday November 07, 2021

>>>Young Entrepreneur on the Move<<<

For that customized look, choose

By Allyiah Allicock

F

been coming from people who really have an because I needed physical practice but because it was undiscovered talent,” she appreciation for customized, personal items.

She shared with pride that her brand “has related.

Interestingly enough, the ongoing gained an incredible amount of traction and the support has been unceasing.” When asked pandemic, she said, had a positive impact on what sets her business apart from others that her business. Though it was a challenge for are similar, Soodoo made it clear that she is many entrepreneurs, Soodoo said that the not limited to one particular item. In fact, she support her business has gotten has far mentioned that she has the ability to exceeded her expectations.

Our featured entrepreneur believes that customize anything a customer desires and not just sneakers and t-shirts. Recently, she young people in business are important to added to her portfolio crocs and sweaters as today’s society to fill the gap of services that was lacking in the past. customizable products.

“Being a part of the community of young Moving forward and taking her business to greater heights, she hopes to one day open entre a physical establishment entrepreneurs really and eventually have “Being a part of the community of young multiple locations that only to the areas that we’re not , are we l vita how me d we sho persons can visit to see iness in. what ‘The Custom ely, but to the areas that we conduct bus tiv pec res m fro Factory’ is all about. t in fact make a lot of For this young Since a lot of us now run businesses tha w o m a n , -day activities more convenient.”

or as long as she can remember, Anika Soodoo always had an interest in art. Her way of expressing or showcasing her artistic skills was through the clothes she wore. At first, it was a hobby; drawing and painting were things she enjoyed doing in her spare time.

But who knew that making a decision to expand on her skills would have gotten her where she is today? At the age of 20, she is now the owner and founder of ‘The Cztm Fctxry’ (pronounced The Custom Factory), a customizing business that is fast gaining popularity.

In a recent interview with Kaieteur News, Soodoo shared that the inspiration behind this business venture came from “within”. “I was always a very creative person for as long as I could remember. I had begun dying and hand painting tshirts back in 2017 our day-to during the summer of that year. It was a hobby and a pretty good past time,” she added.

She recalled that during that time, she had a mild obsession with sneakers and even had h e r o w n collection.

S h e mentioned that she a l w a y s wanted her sneakers to match the clothing she chose b to wear. However, she noted, eing able to reach the targeted the specific brand of footwear, which she market or level of recognition was owned did not always give her the match she never a difficulty for her. “As I preneurs really showed me how was looking for. Soodoo said at that moment fulfilled orders and kept coming into contact vital we are, not only to the areas she knew it was a good opportunity to utilise with such diverse orders to create, I got that we’re from respectively, but her artistic skills and ideas. better and better at it. Not to the areas that we conduct business in.

It was then she Some t-shirts and sneakers that Since a lot of us started to customize were customized by Anika Soodoo. her sneakers, and with her love for painting, she decided to “integrate it all and make it a hirable service so that others can also have the opportunity to bring their own ideas to life or even complete an outfit that needed matching sneakers.”

The young entrepreneur in November 2019 officially launched her legitimate business venture. According to Soodoo, since then, n she has gotten o immense support. w Orders, she said, have

Young entrepreneur and owner of ‘The Cztm Fctxry’, Anika Soodoo.

r u n businesses that in fact make a lot of our day-today activities m o r e convenient,” she expressed.

S o o d o o ’s advice to young entrepreneurs like herself is to utilise the resources they have, that is, the social media platforms, which c a n reach people in different parts of the country.

According to her too, there are a lot of amazing talent and ideas in young people but the problem is finding ways to help them unleash what lies within.

The relevant authorities, she believes, can play a crucial role in helping young people recognize and unleash their talents.

Anyone wishing to u t i l i s e S o o d o o ’s customizing service can place their order at The.Cztm.Fctxry either on Facebook or Instagram.

Sunday November 07, 2021

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Pres. Ali demands transparency on US$100 billion climate aid …accuses donor countries of 'questionable accounting'

P

resident Irfaan Ali is calling on the developed world to treat with more transparency and accountability the annual pledges of some US$100B to assist countries most vulnerable to the immediate impacts of Climate Change.

He was at the time addressing the “We Mean Business” Pavilion at the Scottish Events Campus (SEC) alongside US billionaire, Marc Benioff, after endorsing the DhakaGlasgow Declaration on Forests and Land Use as part of the Climate Vulnerable Fund (CVF).”

Addressing the gathering in Scotland, United Kingdom (UK), the Guyanese leader told those in attendance, “I have heard various figures in relation to the $100 Billion pledge and how much has actually been met, but in my own assessment what we are seeing is a lot of reorganisation of existing finances, not new finances.

Existing loans that were aimed at helping developing countries are now converted as being part of the $100 billion pledge.”

He explained that if this reorganisation is done, a school for example, that might have a small solar panel to provide light for a classroom could be classified as part of the pledge.

As such, President Ali contends, “we have to guard against such accounting, and we have to commit to a transparent process when we talk about the financing.

This is important.”

According to President Ali, “what is also important for us, developing countries and vulnerable countries, is to understand that climate change is not an isolated problem.”

Climate change, he said, is linked to issues of food security, “It is linked to issues of livelihood options and vulnerability from atrisk communities. So, our climate plan must lead to a prosperity agenda that is broad in nature that addresses fundamental needs of all the people of the developing world whether it is for health, education, food security or other services.”

The Head of State told the forum that while the Dhaka-Glasgow Declaration

calls for many things, one of its pillars is a call for the world to work together with knowledge and input from the private sector.

“And yes, the private sector is a partner in this to support the development and implementation of Climate Prosperity Plans to realise a collective economic opportunity for countries and businesses,” he added.

The President said too that the declaration also calls for a 2020-2024 Climate Finance Delivery Plan, totalling US$100B annually, in support of climate action by developing countries with a 50-50 split of funds between adaptation and mitigation.

“The UK Presidency of the COP26 can, and should, ensure that this Delivery Plan is independent—and that monitoring efforts incorporated are done by expertise in the developing countries and not just donors.

This is an important point – the monitoring and the transparency process must involve expertise from developing countries. We are already seeing double accounting in how we are

accounting for the US$100B.” President Ali used the occasion to remind that the Declaration also supports a major reduction in the share of climate finance provided as loans.

To this end, he suggests, “these simply worsen debt burdens and lead to a perverse outcome and consequently they prevent investment in greater climate action.”

Addressing the CVF, President Ali was adamant the Fund would not only be beneficial to vulnerable countries but will also create investment opportunities for climate-prosperous economies around the world.

He used the occasion to emphasise too that there are tens of millions of people who are being unfairly hurt by climate change they did not cause, and stressed, “this is undoubtedly tragic and should not be the case.

“These people should instead be looking towards a future of resilience and climate prosperity.”

The President said that he hopes the world will recognise that achieving the vision of a CVF will not only

President Irfaan Ali addressing the 'We Mean Business' forum in Glasgow, Scotland benefit the vulnerable countries but “will also create trillions of dollars in investment opportunities for businesses, who wish to invest in the building blocks of the new climateprosperous economies”.

He proffered, these investments can be done in areas such as renewable energy, digital infrastructure, sustainable agriculture and an array of other low-carbon industrial and employment opportunities that fall in line

with a far-reaching and comprehensive vision.

“The CVF is doing more than just calling for this ambition to be achieved; its members are setting out practical steps to get to a future, not defined by climate vulnerability, but as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina and current chair of the CVF puts it— a future of climate resilience followed by climate prosperity.”

Failing to audit Exxon's US$10B spending is...

From page 3 affairs in the best interest of the people.”

As such, Forde used the occasion to “call for an independent investigation into this colossal act of incompetence.”

In addition to Vice President Jagdeo confirming that there were no audits undertaken for the US$9.5B projects, it was also disclosed t h a t s o m e US$460M—US$960 of which represent pre-contract costs—were also not audited, meaning that the total amount of money expended by Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) amounts to some US$10.4B. EEPGL—ExxonMobil Guyana—is the 45 percent operator of the Stabroek Block and the billings represents spending for

exploration and development costs to be recovered through production from the Liza I and II developments.

Under the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) i n k e d w i t h EEPGL—ExxonMobil—an d their partners, the Guyana Government has up to two years to audit and query the spending had by the US oil major, failing which, the bills would have to be paid, as is.

Dr. Jagdeo told reporters on Monday that he was disappointed that the administration has not been able to push through with the critical post-2017 audits.

According to the Vice President, “we have been very disappointed that we have not been able to select a group to do the audit of the post-2017 expenditure by Exxon. The reason is that we

didn't have strong local content.

We had two groups, two local groups that came in but they were not strong enough.

We want to build the capacity in Guyana to do this audit.

We think that our people have enormous skills, forensic skills and auditing capacity.”

The former President added, “…we're looking to see if we can't have an arrangement where we have a consortium of our local people to come together to do part of this work while working alongside an international group…”

Dr. Jagdeo said he has since asked the Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat, to examine the possibilities of getting together, all of the groups from Guyana which have an

expressed interest in working with a foreign company on this front.

He said this is the preferred option as the country desperately needs to increase its auditing capacity and competencies.

Eminent Chartered Accountant, attorney at law and civil rights activist, Christopher Ram, had also lamented the position elucidated by Dr. Jagdeo telling this publication government has repeatedly failed over the years to build capacity locally by undertaking audits for expenditure dating as far back as 1999.

The Chartered Accountant said the state of affairs goes back to the 1999 Agreement signed by the PPP Government, which imposed

a two-year limit on the Minister responsible for petroleum to audit the costs, expenses, accounts and records of the oil companies.

That restriction, he said, was further entrenched in the 2012 Model Petroleum Agreement published by the Natural Resources Ministry under Robert Persaud during the Donald Ramotar presidency.

“And of course, Raphael Trotman, Persaud's suc cessor under the APNU+AFC Government, sleepwalked into signing a pre-discovery contract for a post-discovery situation.

That no such audit has been done in 17 years of the PPP and five years of APNU+AFC signalled to the oil companies that they were free to do as they please, in all matters concerning their

operations,” Ram suggests.

“Just think what even 10 percen t of US$1 billion can do.

Why would any Government be so casual with billions of dollars when from day one, those same oil companies have refused to explain the US$92 million discrepancy between the pre-contract costs as at December 31, 2015 and their own audited financial statements?”

According to Ram, instead of blaming the accounting firms, criticisms should be admitted by both the P P P / C a n d t h e A P N U + A F C governments, which have failed consistently to have audits of the costs reported and claimed by the oil companies.

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Sunday November 07, 2021

==CONSUMER CONCERNS== Welcome renaissance in

growth of closer and warmer relations with Barbados

By Pat Dial Over the last year, Guyana has conducted a successful Foreign Policy with the relations with other countries focused on economic or socio-economic goals except in the case of Venezuela where it was territorial. Our most recent Foreign Policy activity is centred on strengthening relations with our CARICOM fellow member, Barbados.

In early October the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) held its meeting in Barbados and President Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister, Mia Mottley accompanied with their advisors met on the side lines

and arrived at a number of constructive and far-reaching agreements. The quality and number of agreements at which they arrived in so short a time are a tribute to the outstanding capabilities of both leaders.

The first agreement we will mention is their strong commitment to collaborating in the development of the Tourism Industry in both countries. Barbados is a sunand-sand destination while Guyana's strength and commitment is to ecotourism and both types of tourism complement each other. They agreed to many initiatives that will result in greater profitability for this symbiotic relationship: Both countries will do joint

marketing and will promote Guyana and Barbados as a common destination. They will exchange 45 minutes of airtime in their respective countries promoting their tourism product. Guyana's tourism is expected to grow exponentially with the joint promotion but more so with the number of brand name hotels currently being constructed and those in the pipeline and this will require thousands of workers.

Barbados which has a world class hospitality training programme has undertaken to train 6,000 Guyanese workers per year through distance learning as well as exchange programmes to be able to man the new developments. President Ali

summed up the impact of the Barbados training: "We have a lot of investment that is coming in the hospitality sector and we need to have the technical capacity and human resources to manage and to work in those hotels…So the need for training is immediate".

Another area of even greater importance than Tourism is Agriculture and this will encompass increased production of food; removal of barriers to trade and the possibility of a Guyana/Barbados Food terminal; transport logistics and efficiency; agro processing facilities; a joint Food Sustainability Plan; and exchange of technicians between the Ministries of Agriculture to facilitate smooth and efficient transaction flow. A Bajan would be stationed in the Guyana Ministry of Agriculture and a Guyanese in the Barbados Ministry so that they could deal directly with their counterparts, thus removing bureaucratic bottlenecks.

Further, the opportunities in quarrying, feedstock, livestock and limestone were explored.

Specific port spaces in Guyana and Barbados will be identified to

reduce costs of transportation, improve efficiency, enhance trade and deliver goods at cheaper costs to the consumer.

Another novel and important area of cooperation identified was the establishment of a gold market hub in Barbados so as to add value to Guyana's gold by tapping into the tourist population. President Ali who was among the first to espouse this idea succinctly described it: "Some cruise liners go specifically to some islands because of their gold market hub. So that is what we are trying to create.

Barbados is a major cruise destination and we are working on the possibility of adding value to Guyana's gold and creating a gold market hub in Barbados".

President Ali and Prime Minister Mottley committed themselves to a timeframe so that the fruits of the partnership could be enjoyed by the populations of both countries in the foreseeable future. The timeframes are achievable since groundwork had already begun by the high-level Barbadian delegation which recently visited and engaged in technical work on the programmes agreed on by the

two leaders. The delegation looked at infrastructure projects and housing sites and met several Ministers and Government officials.

Despite the infamous "Guyana bench" which existed at the Grantley Adams Airport during the 1970's and 80's and which Guyanese and Bajans would like to forget, relations between Guyana and Barbados had always been close and familial.

Thousands of Bajans came to work in the sugar industry after Emancipation and after 1900 many qualified and able Bajans served in the Public Service and in the teaching profession. Many prominent Guyanese families have Barbadian roots and during the 1970's and 80's when Guyana was in an economic depression hundreds of Guyanese found employment in the island.

Guyanese also remember with gratitude the help Barbados rendered during the political crises of the last few years and welcome the growth of closer economic and social relations.

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

GECOM's CEO, others can...

From page 12 law also provide for charges to be laid against a person who allows an applicant to vote who is not eligible to vote.

Additionally, a person who removes a Statement of Poll posted outside the polling place commits an offence and can face jail time and be fined.

A person who denies a duly appointed candidate or a counting agent the opportunity to make objections, or obstructs the

candidate in the process of making his/her objections, can also be jailed for 10 years.

The proposed law adds “Any person who contravenes any provision of this Act for which a penalty is not provided is liable on summary conviction to a fine of ten million dollars and to imprisonment for life.”

Meanwhile, in a statement to the media, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance,

Gail Teixeira, explained that the objective of the amendments is to examine the process from registration to the declaration of the results, “so that every stage of the process is unambiguous and transparent.”

“This significant step in the electoral reform process is necessary to ensure Local Government and General and Regional elections are conducted in a free, fair and t r a n s p a r e n t m a n n e r, ” Teixeira posited.

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Catching Hell: What’s fuelling Guyana’s...

From page 18 of dealing with the competition,” stating further that “we are in a market where the cost of production would have been greater without that aide” and that “we are in competition with Suriname where their fuel is substantially cheaper.”

In more recent years, there have been positive developments through numerous ongoing efforts to regularise industrial trawl fisheries; for example, GATOSP was granted the Marine Stewardship Certification from the Marine Stewardship Council in 2019, an international Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that champions sustainable fisheries. Mr. Charles was able to add that through that certification process, the association had to implement a number of measures. These include the introduction of the Harvest Control rule in 2014 and with this in place, seabob vessels are restricted to 225 days at sea.

In 2015, a vessel monitoring system was implemented and by catch reduction devices were made mandatory on all seabob vessels and prawn vessels which were also equipped with closed-circuit television (CCTV). Mr. Charles further went on to note that turtle monitoring devices were also introduced, along with more data collection on species caught in nets, bycatch landed, released and so on.

Seabob and prawn fishery are the only commercial species which are restricted by official zoning rules and in 2019, a second stock assessment of the seabob resource was conducted. The seabob management plan was introduced with the aim to ensure that the seabob was better managed, and through a number of government initiatives in collaboration with NGOs like the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the fisheries department of the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) has sought to issue guidance aimed at sustainably managing commercial fish stocks.

The Fisheries Management Plan 20152020 was constructed in partnership with the WWF and the fisheries department and there is now another partnership between the two entities to produce the current fisheries management plan as the previous expired in 2020.

Unfortunately, these plans have not affected the

reality of a rapidly declining sector.

Over the course of the last five years, there have been significant reduction in catches, reported by fisher folks from both the artisanal and industrial fishing sections; this is also supported by data tracking the decline in tonnes of fish landed per year, but also in size and weight of species.

For instance, the National Budget 2020 noted that in 2019, 20,442 metric tonnes of seafood products were exported from Guyana, a decline from 24,131 metric tonnes in 2018 and 26,377 metric tonnes in 2017.

Reports from fishermen across all coastal regions are clear, they are experiencing their worst years in fisheries history. The 2020 and 2021 seasons have been the worst, according to several fishermen. Latchman Latchman, a fisherman from Region Two, PomeroonSupenaam, which is a major tributary of the Essequibo River, said that “I feel last year and this year are worse than all other years, we aren’t catching anything to clear our expenses.”

The PomeroonSupenaam Region is well known for its abundance of fresh, brackish and saltwater species with commercial varieties like gilbaka, trout and snapper ordinarily in

can just do as they feel like.”

But with such intense efforts on the resource, overfishing is bound to happen but for these fishing communities, there is no other way to survive and to sustain their livelihoods.

GATOSP too has also noted their concerns publicly about the prolonged period of reduction in catches. Mr. Charles stated that “seabob has been declining” and despite natural fluctuations “what makes this one serious is that it seems to be prolonged, maybe 18 months or more we’ve had this kind of reduction.”

However, according to the 2021 Mid-Year Report presented by Dr. Ashni Singh, Senior Minister within the Office of the P r e s i d e n t w i t h Responsibility for Finance, there has been growth recorded in the production of seabob shrimp, a surprising and direct contrast to what Mr. Charles has espoused.

No reasons for the reported growth in seabob production was proffered in the report.

The report also noted that over the review period, the production of white-belly shrimp fell dramatically by 75.5 percent and finfish by 26.3 percent. The cause for the contractions were noted as lower catch rates for finfish and lower white-

the fisheries community that no money has been spent to their benefit. Mr. Latchman noted that the fisheries department has “made a lot of promises” but fisher folks continue “to carry the biggest losses.”

The coastal communities that rely on fisheries as a means to support their families, lives and livelihoods, are under threat.

The majority of Guyana’s population lives along the urban coastline and fish is the number one source of protein in Guyana.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation ( U N FA O ) , G u y a n e s e consume approximately 29.5kg of fish per capita on an annual basis as of 2013, a figure which is almost twice the global average.

But the differences between and within the coastal communities are pronounced, not only because of geographical realities but also through socio-cultural expressions of identity and differing ways of life. Nonetheless, there is a heavy reliance on the fisheries sector to feed Guyanese families.

From individuals in traditional Amerindian communities in the Upper North West District in Regions One and Two, Barima-Waini to Pomeroon-

“I feel last year and this year are worse than all other years, we aren’t catching anything to clear our expenses.”

abundance.

Vice Chairman of the Guyana National Fisherfolk Organisation (GNFO), Deonarine Singh, a resident of Region Two who comes from generations of fishermen, has been very vocal about the changes in fish stock and the overall reduction in fish catches. He stated that, “as it is right now, we are seeing a decrease in everything,” especially “since last year August when ExxonMobil started dumping toxic water [into the ocean].”

Mr. Singh admits that because there are no proper regulations (which are being enforced) for the number of vessels allowed to fish in any one area at a time, “everyone

belly shrimp stock, which, according to the report, is attributed to a change in the salinity of coastal waters.

Furthermore, in the first half of the year, the fisheries industry contracted by an estimated 6.6 percent when compared with the same period in 2020 and the overall conclusion for the sector stated that fish and shrimp production fell by 22.1 percent and 8 percent respectively.

And in the way of government spending within the sector, during the first half of 2021, some GYD$10.7 billion was spent, nearly one half of the budgeted GYD$22.6 billion allocated to the sector, but there are cries from within

Supenaam, who depend on the river, not only as a source of transportation but also as one of sustenance and whose cultural way of life is heavily dependent on these riverine ecosystems, to the more urbanised communities in Regions Three and Four, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara and DemeraraMahaica, the latter of which depend on landing sites throughout the coasts. The main industrial ports in the capital city of Georgetown depend on the fisheries sector too to access fresh fish for their families and to sustain cottage businesses ranging from street food vendors to “fish shops”. The fisheries sector is of critical importance to the coastal

tyne Coop

Upper Coren

communities’ way of life in Guyana.

Then there are the international exporters and seafood processors who employ thousands of workers and service international markets, overall contributing to an export sector worth on average per year, approximately US$100 million.

D r. A s h n i S i n g h confirmed in Guyana’s National Budget 2021 that indeed “the fishing sector is projected to have contracted by 17.1 percent in 2020.” He went on to state that the “decline was largely as a result of fewer vessels going out to fish due to lower domestic and external demand stemming from the pandemic.”

The GNFO Chairman, Pamashwar Jainarine, a resident of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), has stated that in relation to the reduction in catches that “we attribute it to more and more boats being put out with no quota or limit on the amount of boats,” concluding that the sector urgently “needs regulation.”

Artisanal fisher folks receive duty free and value added tax (VAT) discounts on specific fishing gears, equipment and outboard engines, however the improper use of the equipment or the use of improper equipment could result in the depletion of fish stocks.

Poor fishing practices like the entangling, cutting and dumping of fishing nets have huge potential consequences for fish stocks. It causes a number of interrelated issues to occur when nets become entangled, meaning that they have to be cut loose, which

results in losses and contribute to more waste reaching into the ocean, damaging ecosystems, entangling protected species like marine turtles and other non-directed commercial species, and overall contributing to the depletion of stocks in other ways like interfering with spawning areas and nurseries.

Ms. Fraser was also able to describe how these microplastic eventually make their way into the food chain and how they contribute to “fish kill” in most circumstances.

Then there are the changes which are yet to be assessed and were largely brought on by the new oil and gas sector which is currently reported to be responsible for Guyana’s growing GDP. ExxonMobil, head of the Hess Corporation and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) consortium, has been dumping produced water from its operations into the Atlantic Ocean. Produced water is a brackish/saline type of liquid that comes up with the oil and natural gas which is being extracted from miles beneath Guyana’s seabed and, according to the permit issued to the consortium by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the produced water is supposed to be treated before being dumped overboard but with reports from several stakeholders and the government on changes to the salinity of Guyana’s waters, it may be safe to assume that the treatment of the produced water is not happening as it should.

It remains to be seen Continued on page 56

PAGE 56

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 07, 2021

Catching Hell: what’s fuelling Guyana’s fishing...

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conducted in September 2021 by the GMCS, noted the significance of ecosystems of Region One as “biodiversity hotspots where over half a dozen IUCN Red listed animal species live” and that they are “important nursery areas for fish, crabs, shrimp and other aquatic species, which local coastal communities depend upon for generating income and subsistence survival for their families.”

The survey assessed the current state of fisheries, which included a number of species and their community composition, commercial importance and conservation status.

It found a total of 329 fish from 32 species representing 10 families and noted that at least one commercial species, Megalops atlanticus (the giant Cuffum) was classified as vulnerable, indicating that the species is near threatened.

The study further noted that “the salinity was extremely low” in the river and “a few sites closer to the Atlantic Ocean were characterized by higher electrical conductivity indicating more saline conditions.”

Fisher folks reported, “greater effort is expended to capture some species, especially the moracut.”

The study concluded that, “greater fishing efforts indicate that shifting habitats due to increased anthropogenic activities in the river and in the open sea” and while the “gear types and techniques are sustainable, the local market demand for the moracut threatens the sustainability of this species.”

There are calls from organisations like GATOSP, GMSC and the GNFO for further studies and assessments to be conducted in order to ascertain what the prolonged and alarming reduction in catches must be attributed to.

The GNFO has also been lobbying the government to include them in their consultations surrounding the management of waste disposal from oil and gas and for inclusion in discussions surrounding Guyana’s Oil Spill Management Plan. They have had little success.

In the way of monitoring and enforcement as a means

to ensure that regulations are being followed, the fisheries department in 2019 procured a coast guard vessel at the cost of GYD$99 million, which at the time drew heavy criticism owing to the cost of the vessel, its tiny size and intended use.

It was commissioned as an observation, monitoring, control and surveillance vessel to ensure fishing boats are working within regulations and utilising their gears in the correct manner. The vessel was also earmarked for research purposes.

The intention behind its purchase was that through collaboration with the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), the Coast Guard, GEA and the Marine police, aerial reconnaissance operations would be conducted multiple times per year.

However, when contacted, a confidential source at MARAD could not confirm that any surveillance activities were being carried out by anyone at the agency.

The GDF Coast Guard, despite countless telephone calls and a number of emails, could not be reached for an official comment, however Sergeant McDonald from the Marine Police was only able to confirm that the Marine Police would be providing a security detail on any monitoring exercises.

He, however, could not confirm if any had been carried out so far.

And despite weeks of countless calls, messages and emails, no one from the MOA responded to any questions stemming from the contents of this report.

Guyana’s fishers are catching hell and despite lobbying the government for studies to be conducted, financial assistance to be rendered and better monitoring of the sector and its resources, nothing is being done as the nation watches a beloved sector and source of income for thousands of Guyanese families gradually disappear before their very eyes.

(This story was reported with support from the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Internews Earth Journalism Network.)

Sunday November 07, 2021

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Sunday November 07, 2021

Trent University welcomes first cohort of students to new sustainable Guyana prog.

- Five Guyanese students will complete graduate studies with goal of contributing to sustainability in Guyana The Sustainable Guyana Programme, a unique strategic partnership aimed at training Guyana's future leaders in sustainable development, is welcoming its first cohort of students to C a n a d a a n d t o Tr e n t University. This is according to a press release disseminated by the university.“The Sustainable Guyana Programme builds on Trent's longstanding relationship with the Guyanese nation and we are delighted to welcome the first five graduate students to Canada and Trent's Symons Campus in Peterborough,” said Dr. Cathy Bruce, acting vice president, Research and Innovation at Trent University. “With Trent's leadership in the natural sciences, environmental studies, biomaterials and sustainability and our worldclass facilities and faculty, our commitment is to help

prepare these students with the knowledge and skills needed to play a key role in enhancing Guyana's environmental, economic, social and cultural sustainability.”

The Sustainable Guyana Programme was launched in 2019 as a groundbreaking partnership between Trent University, the University of Guyana, CGX Energy Inc. (CGX), and Frontera Energy Corporation (FEC). Through the programme, a total of 12 current lecturers at the University of Guyana will enter graduate programmes at Trent focusing on areas key to sustainable development.

These qualified leaders will in turn train a cohort of students at the University of Guyana in sustainable development. This initiative comes at a key juncture as Guyana embarks on a developmental trajectory as an oil-producing nation.

CGX, Guyana's pioneering Indigenous oil and gas exploration company, and FEC invested $5 million in the programme to enhance and increase the educational, research and innovation talent at the University of Guyana and ultimately contribute to the country's growth and transformation. The programme is designed to advance local knowledge, skills in research and sustainable development. All research conducted within the programme will address the achievement of one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as they apply to Guyana.The inaugural group is excited to commence with their work at Trent University after the COVID19 pandemic delayed their arrival in Canada by nearly six months. All five students were awarded full

The five Guyanese students who will complete graduate studies at Trent University with the goal of contributing to sustainability in Guyana. scholarships to pursue their graduate degrees at Trent.

Following completion of their research, the students will return to Guyana with new skills to contribute to future initiatives supporting sustainable economic growth in the country.

“I believe there are many natural resources in Guyana with untapped potential,” said Malaika Persaud, one of the students in the programme who is pursuing a Masters in Sustainability

Studies at Trent. “These resources are valuable, environmentally friendly with long-term benefits, but would be lost without planned interventions for exploration, conservation and sustainability.”

Ms. Persaud is joined by Stacy James in Trent's Sustainability Studies programme, with Chetwynd Osborne, Hamant France, and Ewart Smith enrolled in Trent's Environmental and Life Sciences graduate programme.

More about the students: · Chetwynd Osborne, Environmental & Life Sciences: Chetwynd will be focusing on the impact of gold mining on water quality of riverine systems across watersheds of South-Central Guyana. ·Ewart Smith, Environmental & Life Sciences: Ewart's research focuses on non-traditional timber products and sustainable forestry, with an emphasis on understanding the structure and biochemical function of beneficial components within certain species found in the Guyana rainforest. · Hamant France, Environmental & Life Sciences: Hamant will be working on the use of tropical hardwoods found in the Guyana rainforest as precursors in the production of activated carbons with aquatic environmental remediation as a goal. · Malaika Persaud, Sustainability Studies: Malaika will be working on developing a natural product from a botanical used traditionally in Guyana that can serve as a valuable resource with medicinal properties. · Stacy James, Sustainability Studies: Stacy will focus her research on the functional

applications of sustainable natural products based on the Crabwood in Guyana's rainforests.

About Trent University One of Canada's top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that's personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognised nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, cocurricular and communitybased activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent's unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds lifelong passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent's students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent's Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown To r o n t o , w h i l e Tr e n t University Durham Greater Toronto Area, delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 07, 2021

PAGE 59

Robbery was planned to get money to buy car - accomplice tells cops Murder of Kingston doctor..

- stolen cellphone found in killer’s backyard

- CCTV camera captures victim, suspect buying liquor on Regent St.

By Shervin Belgrave The desire to purchase his own car might have been what drove Dr. Colin Roach's 'friend' to rob and kill him in his Duke Street Kingston, G e o rg e t o w n o ff i c e o n Tuesday night.

Reliable sources told Kaieteur News that although the prime suspect, identified as Hilton Oliver Junior Franklin, has insisted that robbing the doctor was never his plan and that he had only killed him in self defence, his accomplice, Lenrick Mosai Byass, has said that this is not the case.

Kaieteur News reported on Saturday that Byass related to investigators that the visit to Roach's office that evening was a planned robbery.

He said that he was not present when the doctor was killed but that he and Franklin had taken off two gold rings from the dead man's fingers and stole US$600 in cash.

They reportedly divided the stolen items equally.

Detectives found the

stolen rings concealed in Franklin's crotch during his arrest at Corentyne, Berbice on Friday. Additionally, US$200 was found in his possession. Byass said that he had changed his cut of the US currency into Guyana dollars. When he was arrested police found $42,000 in cash in his possession.

Detectives were also able to corroborate part of the accomplice's story and it has led them to believe that he might be telling the truth -that it was indeed a planned robbery.

Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum said that his detectives were able to obtain CCTV footage of the slain doctor and the prime suspect buying liquor at a location on Regent Street, a few hours before the doctor's body was found.

Sources told this newspaper that Byass had confessed to detectives that when they arrived at Roach's office on Tuesday, he greeted them at the entrance and they

The stolen gold rings that were found in Franklin's crotch during his arrest.

The stolen iPhone that was found in the killer's backyard.

Franklin's accomplice, Lenrick Mosai Byass

left together in his SUV to purchase alcoholic beverages at a location on Regent Street.

Detectives reportedly continued to grill him and he revealed more details about the plan to rob the doctor.

Byass told cops that one of the reasons behind robbing Roach was to 'raise' money for Franklin to buy a car.

Franklin, he said, had intended to raise the cash by devising a plan to rob Roach.

A black fielder wagon that Franklin had used to pick-up Byass on Tuesday to carry out the robbery was rented.

Police had reportedly found the rented car at Franklin's home when they had gone there to look for him. That car was impounded by police.

Meanwhile, as the investigation into Roach's murder continues, police have reportedly gotten an extension to keep his two employees in custody for a little while longer. The two employees reside in the upper flat of the three-storey building where Roach's office is located. They were detained on the night his remains were found lying in a pool of blood.

One of them told detectives that he had found his boss' body after entering his office to turn off the lights. He said that he had seen someone leaving and reentering the building earlier that evening. Sometime around 22:18hrs, the doctor's SUV drove off but he noticed that the light was left on.

The employee reportedly called Roach on his cellphone to notify him of the lights but he did not answer.

He then informed the other employee who was reportedly out at the time that he was going to use their keys to enter and turn off the lights but when he got there, he found Roach's lifeless body.

Franklin, the prime suspect, while admitting that he indeed killed Roach, also

Hilton Oliver Junior Franklin, the doctor's 'friend' who admitted to killing him.

implicated that employee in the crime. He said that the employee had assisted him and Byass in cleaning up the crime scene in order to remove all the evidence.

However, in Byass' confession, he said that the employee was not there and it was only he and Franklin who had sanitised the area.

Franklin, he said, had unplugged a DVR and a nearby camera, which they took with them, along with the murder weapon (a metal object) and other items of evidential value during their escape. They reportedly discarded the items during

their journey in the doctor's vehicle to the West Bank of Demerara (WBD).

Tw o o f R o a c h ' s cellphones, which they had stolen, were reportedly discarded as well. But police have since managed to discover one of the cellphones, a gold iPhone X Max, in Franklin's backyard.

Kaieteur News learnt that detectives had gotten him to admit that he was the one that had picked up the doctor's cellphones.

He said that he had thrown the phones in his backyard. Ranks conducted a search and found one of the

Murdered: Dr. Colin Roach cellphones and a red case.

Franklin had also directed police to where he and Byass had discarded the murder weapon along with the DVR, camera and the other items of evidential value they had removed from the office.

Ranks followed the directions he gave but did not find anything.

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Kaieteur News

Grenada, Saint Lucia among winners of CMU20Q Day 1 Dominican Republic – The 2022 Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championship Qualifiers kicked off on Friday in the Dominican Republic with action in both Group A and Group B. Grenada and Curacao currently lead the way in Group A after posting wins at the Estadio Panamericano in San Cristobal.

Grenada enjoyed a complete performance in a 70 victory over Sint Maarten.

Deanroy Phillip notched a hat trick (41’, 45+3’, 90+3’), while Aquil Lawlite (13’), Benjamin Ettienne (44’), Shermine Williams (61’) and Simeon Mitchell (73’) all chipped in with goals.

Play in the match between Saint Lucia and Saint Martin.

Curacao were just as impressive in their opening

match, a 7-0 triumph against British Virgin Islands. Gio-

Sunday November 07, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Romance isn't going perfectly for you. Things may be a bit unclear in this realm.

Events may crop up today that will make it hard for you to ignore the issue any longer.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Love and romance are most certainly in the cards today.

Play the hand you're dealt and you should come away from the table victorious.

There's some transformation that may take place regarding issues of the heart.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Issues regarding love and romance are in your favor.

There's a strong force spurring you to take action.

Heed this helpful energy.

Feel free to display yourself openly in the social arena.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Matters of the heart are in your favor. You should prepare for a day full of social activities and good conversation. Your creative spirit may also be heightened.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You might focus on romance today, but it's possible that you're having problems figuring out a way to express your feelings.

There's power influencing the scene, and certainly no shortage of passion.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) When it comes to issues regarding romance, don't hold back today. Things are working in your favor. You shouldn't hesitate to act forcefully and confidently.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) The center of your power might find it difficult to commit to anything today. Issues regarding love and romance could arise, and you may feel the need to start something moving in this department.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) In matters involving love and romance, things might get a little sticky today. You might want to charge ahead with a plan, while a close partner wants to sit, discuss, and work things out.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Love will probably be on your mind most of today, so give your heart your full attention. You're having trouble communicating with a loved one now, so try to be patient.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Issues regarding love and romance are in your favor.

There's a strong force spurring you to take action. Heed this helpful energy.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Tension in the romance department may arise for you.

You want to get things started in a relationship that's important to you, yet something always seems to stand in the way of the plan.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You may feel the urge to put your loved one on a pedestal today. You want to see him or her as the perfect mate for you. You're willing to go to great lengths to bring this person pleasure.

Renys Felicia (4’, 29’) and Naygiro Sambo (18’, 49’) each had braces, while Juruel Bernadina (25’), Shudelmar Dorand (90’) and Akram Potmis (90+3’) found the back of the net.

In Group B, Saint Lucia collected the first three points by virtue of their 5-2 win over Saint Martin at the Estadio Olimpico Felix Sanchez in Santo Domingo. Goals from Wendy Isidor (8’) and Enzo Fremondiere (40’) had Saint Martin on level terms 2-2 shortly before halftime, but Saint Lucia got a top performance from Caull Keegan (4’, 43’, 89’), who had a hat trick, and was helped by scores from Dahmanii Bertheir (10’) and Daneo Caroo (87’).

In the other match in Group B, host nation Dominican Republic got six goals from five different players, plus an own goal, in a 6-0 win against Anguilla.

Jason Joseph (2’), Kefler Martes (10’), Diefri Sandy (33’), Adonis Vargas (50’) and Edison Azcona (74’) scored for the Dominican Republic, on top of a Caleb Bryan own goal (72’).

Play in Group C and Group D will begin on Saturday, with Puerto Rico squaring off with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Bermuda meeting Barbados in Group C. Meanwhile, in Group D, Guyana will face Cayman Islands and Nicaragua will clash with US Virgin Islands.

Overseas based Guyanese...

From page 63 promised to continue to put his best foot forward and not to disappoint. He is also the Vice Captain of the FACC. Coach Roberts was also high in praise for the donors and Washington and called on others to come forward and assist the club and other youths in an effort to keep them meaningfully occupied and away from illicit activities.

Novak Djokovic seals record year-end No 1 spot after reaching Paris Masters final SkySports - Novak Djokovic sealed the yearend No 1 spot for a record seventh year after reaching the Paris Masters final with a fine comeback win over Hubert Hurkacz. The world No 1, who won three out of the four Grand Slams in 2021, was made to work hard against Poland’s Hurkacz to win 3-6 6-0 7-6 (7-5) yesterday.

It means Djokovic will play in the final of a Masters 1000 for the 54th time where he is chasing a recordbreaking 37th title. He has also surpassed Pete Sampras in becoming the first man ever to end a year as the world No 1 seven times.

“Just proud and extremely happy. Obviously that was one of the biggest goals and it’s always one of the biggest goals, to try to be No 1 and end the season as No 1,” Djokovic said. “To do it for the record seventh time and surpass my childhood idol and role model, Pete, is incredible.

Very grateful, very blessed to be in this position.”

Djokovic, who needs to win the Paris final to avoid failing to claim a Masters title

in a season for the first time since 2017, dropped serve in the eighth game and Hurkacz followed up on serve to seal the opening set.

That spurred Djokovic into action and the top seed allowed his opponent only 11 points for a bagel second set.

Hurkacz regained his composure in the decider, but Djokovic broke for 3-1 with a forehand winner at the end of a long rally.

He followed with a service game to love but Hurkacz fought back to break back for 3-4 as he hammered a forehand winner down the line.

Djokovic wasted a match point at 5-4 and the clash went into a deciding set tiebreaker, which Hurkacz dominated until he buried a routine forehand into the net to put Djokovic 6-5 up with another match point.

The Pole sliced a backhand wide, allowing Djokovic to move within one victory of a record 37th Masters title.

Djokovic will face Daniil Medvedev in the final after the second seed demolished Alexander Zverev 6-2 6-2.

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Sunday November 07, 2021

Australia stake claim on semis as West Indies bid farewell to an era

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CC - Half-centuries for David Warner and Mitchell Marsh, and four wickets for Josh Hazlewood made it four wins in five matches for Australia in Group 1. The win took them to second in the group, equal on points with England.

Warner made 89* off 54 while Marsh supported him with 53 off 32 as they chased down the target of 158 with eight wickets and 22 balls to spare. For West Indies, it was an emotional end to their title defence.

The two-time champions showed glimpses of their era-defining T20 batting as they bid farewell to Dwayne Bravo and potentially Chris Gayle. However, they finished their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 campaign with only one win in the Super 12 stage.

Wa r n e r l e a d s t h e charge - With 157/7 on the board after they were asked to bat first, West Indies would have been cautiously optimistic. After a guard of honour for Bravo, they handed the new ball to Akeal Hosein and gave him closein fielders right under the eyeline of the batters. The plan worked, with Aaron Finch chopping on when the left-hand spinner came back

for his second over.

However, they had little else to celebrate. Warner was in fine touch. Having got going with a four off an errant Roston Chase, he used the extra bounce from Jason Holder to reel off two fours and a six. He welcomed Dwayne Bravo with a lofted drive and slog-swept Hosein over the ropes.

His third six, this time over midwicket, got him close to his fifty, before a scampered two brought up the landmark in just 29 balls.

Marsh into the attack The duo of Marsh and Warner did not slow down after the fielding restrictions were eased either. The asking rate was well in control at the drinks break, with 60 needed off 60 balls.

Marsh offered good support to Warner, striking a couple of blows that sailed over the ropes. A couple of fours off Holder got Marsh close to his half-century, which came in 28 balls.

A final bow - Bravo’s final over in international cricket was smashed for 17 runs, including a big six over square leg for Warner. Chris Gayle took the ball with eight needed, and offered some late entertainment. He nearly had a stumping and had Marsh caught at mid-off

with his last ball.

It was left to Warner to finish the game with a four off his pads.

A Gayle farewell? Earlier, a familiar name at the top of the order was responsible for West Indies’ strong start after they were asked to bat. Unlike Bravo, who had clarified that this match would serve as his last outing in maroon, Gayle had not made clear his plans for international retirement.

Yet, when the West Indies legend walked off the field after a short but entertaining innings, raising his bat to the crowd, congratulated by his colleagues and soaking in the well-earned admiration, it suggested this was his farewell match too.

His 15 off nine balls had plenty of the typical Gayle flourish.

The two-time T20 World Cup champion, batting in shades under his helmet, saw out Mitchell Starc in the first over, before striking two sixes.

He pulled Hazlewood and then, two balls later, smashed a back-of-a-length delivery from Pat Cummins down the ground off the back foot. The entertainment was short-lived, though. The very next ball, he chopped

Josh Hazlewood picked up four wickets ICC via Getty

onto his stumps.

Strong Powerplay for West Indies - West Indies, whose attacking batting approach has not always worked in this tournament, especially when asked to bat first, came out swinging.

Evin Lewis took Hazlewood for two back-to-back legside fours before lofting him down the ground for a third.

Gayle then added to the bowler’s pain, as the second over went for 20 runs.

Hazlewood came back strongly: Bowling good length, he had Nicholas Pooran caught before Roston Chase was done in by slight movement that knocked his

off stump. But with the inform Shimron Hetmyer and Lewis in the middle, the men in maroon comfortably posted 50 in the Powerplay.

Pollard at the finish The West Indies enjoyed a couple of handy partnerships in the middle overs, even as Australia kept chipping away.

Bravo and Kieron Pollard set themselves up to launch at the death. The duo added 35 in 28 balls, with the skipper leading the scoring.

Bravo saw out Starc yorkers to drive him over extra cover for a six, but was caught in the deep going for another big shot off

Hazlewood. His last innings for West Indies was worth 10 runs, and he walked off to applause from the audience, hugs from his team-mates and respect from the opposition.

Pollard fell short of his half-century, but his 44 off 31 balls and two sixes in the final over by Andre Russell pushed West Indies past 150.

But against a marauding Warner, it wasn’t enough for a win.

Australia 161 for 2 (Warner 89*, Marsh 53, Gayle 1-7) beat West Indies 157 for 7 (Pollard 44, Lewis 29, Hazlewood 4-39) by eight wickets.

South Africa win, but Australia and England go through

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CC - A Kagiso Rabada hattrick and Rassie van der Dussen’s unbeaten 94 were enough to beat England by ten runs in the final Group 1 game of the tournament. But it wasn’t enough to save South Africa or knock out England.

The Group 1 permutations meant Eoin Morgan’s side started their reply knowing that they needed to pass 87 to guarantee qualification to the semi-finals, and they sealed that spot inside 11 overs of the chase.

Soon after they had done enough to ensure Australia were the second team through in the group as well. But England side suffered a huge setback when opening batter Roy pulled up with what appeared to be a serious calf injury in the fifth over, putting his participation in the remainder of the tournament in doubt.

Australia’s win over West Indies earlier in the day meant South Africa knew they needed a win, and a big one, to finish in the top two. And the 189-run total, inspired by Van der Dussen and Aiden Markram’s rapid 52 off 25, meant the Proteas had to restrict

England to less than 131 in the second innings.

But, although South Africa did deny England the win thanks to a terrific spell from Tabraiz Shamsi and a final-over hat-trick from Rabada, they were unable to win by enough to seal the second spot in the group, as England finished on 179/8.

Match-up heavy Powerplay Earlier, South Africa’s top order had put England to the sword with a stunning batting display to post 189/2. England’s Moeen Ali has a terrific career record against South African dangerman Quinton de Kock, so it was little surprise to see the all-rounder take the new ball.

But what was slightly more surprising was Ali bowling out his full four overs straight out of the gate. It is only the second time in T20 cricket that Ali has done so, the first being against West Indies earlier in this tournament.

The spinner finished with tidy figures of 1/27 as his steady tournament with the ball continued.

And it was opener Reeza Hendricks who was the wicket to fall, with the flight luring him into a big sweep shot that failed to

connect, the ball cleaning up middle stump.

De Kock and van der Dussen rallied for South Africa, building an impressive base for the team to launch off, with the pair still out in the middle after 10 overs.

The Van der Dussen show The 32-year-old van der Dussen took over after de Kock was caught

by Jason Roy off Adil Rashid for 34 from 27 in the 12th over. He was joined in the middle by Markram, who scored at a strike rate of over 200 in his outstanding half-century – the second fastest of the tournament after KL Rahul.

The pair went particularly hard after England’s seamers in the middle overs, targeting the returning Mark Wood, who was featuring in the tournament for the first time after replacing the injured Tymal Mills.

Wood finished with figures of 0/47 off his four overs, with Chris Woakes faring little better with 0/43, as England’s seamers struggled in Sharjah.

England’s reply - The in-form England openers got off to a flier in their chase, racing to 37 without loss after four overs, with Roy and

Jos Buttler looking in fine form.

But Roy pulled up as he attempted a single off the first ball of the fifth over, collapsing to the turf and being forced to leave the field.

England’s attempts at going for the win suffered a blow when Jos Buttler was dismissed for only the second time in the tournament, caught by Bavuma off Anrich Nortje for 26 off 15. And Jonny Bairstow spell at the crease came to a swift end when he was trapped infront by Tabraiz Shamsi off his third delivery faced.

Middle-order rebuild England had reshuffled the batting line-up in response to Roy’s injury, with Ali coming in at No.3 in place of Dawid Malan. But Malan was soon out in the middle alongside Moeen, and the left-handed pair built the recovery after the quick wickets of Buttler and Bairstow.

Ali unleashed against the spinners, hitting Shamsi out of the stadium with one monster maximum to take him to 37 off 26 balls. But Shamsi had his revenge off the next delivery as Ali miscued another attempted six to David Miller in the deep.

Thrilling finish - Liam

Livingstone’s hat-trick of sixes off Kagiso Rabada knocked South Africa out of the tournament and gave England great impetuous in their chase of 190. Another attempted maximum did for Livingstone just as he looked to be helping England to the win, with Miller taking a catch on the boundary to send the big-hitting Englishman back to the hutch for 28 off 17.

And England’s attempt to go for the win faltered late on as three catches in the deep in succession gave Rabada a hat-trick in the final over as South Africa defended 14 off the last six balls to end their tournament on a high.

England finish top of Group 1 with Australia in second, with Pakistan and the second qualifier from Group 2 awaiting the pair in the semi-finals next week. South Africa’s win means that three teams finished level on eight points in Group 1 with four wins from five, with the Proteas the unfortunate outfit to miss out on NRR. South Africa 189 for 2 (van der Dussen 94*, Markram 52*) beat England 179 for 8 (Moeen 37, Malan 33, Rabada 3-48) by 10 runs.

Sunday November 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Allegations of misappropriation still unsolved by successive GASA executives

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resident of the Guyana Amateur S w i m m i n g Association (GASA) Dwayne Scott took office last year during the height of covid-19 pandemic. Scott, who took over from Brian Goodridge, when questioned on an ongoing investigation on a l l e g a t i o n s o f misappropriation of funds by senior GASA officials in 2018, said those issues happened before he was elected as GASA President.

T h e a l l e g e d misappropriation of funds by a national Coach and the then President, Ivan Persaud have not been investigated let alone solved after four years and two successive Administrations.

Scott admitted that he is aware of the allegations and once the evidence is provided he is willing to go to Police. Scott claimed that Persaud resigned and Goodridge assumed the leadership of GASA. Scott added that until the evidence is produced he has no comment to make on the matter and reiterated his desire to take it to the Police.

On 10th September, 2019 GASA sent a letter informing FINA that GASA’s Executive had been changed. The letter added that the changes were brought about via an Extraordinary General

Meeting, which was called by the Council to address financial irregularities and the direction in which the Association was heading.

Then, Goodridge as President, Elke Rodrigues – Vi c e P r e s i d e n t (Administration), Shefetah Tzedeq – Vice President (Technical), Yelema Phillips – Honorary Secretary, Valmikki Singh – Honorary Treasurer and Rene Charles – A s s i s t a n t Secretary/Treasurer promised to launch an investigation and depending on the outcome, the guilty ones would’ve been dealt with accordingly.

This never happened and Scott suggested that Goodridge be asked about the issue. However, when contacted, Goodridge did not respond to the questions put to him. A source who attended the 2018 meeting, claimed Coach Sean Baksh admitted to forging signatures on receipts to cover up funds from FINA and that he ‘kicked out’ and did not resign. When asked if there was evidence of this and why none of the two GASA Administrations after 2019, are pushing the issue, another senior official in swimming, speaking under the condition of anonymity, informed that there is evidence. But it seems they all have secrets for one another. Those receipts were

passed around during a special meeting and was handed over to the treasurer.... that was the last we saw or heard of it.

Dwayne Scott has now been sucked into their tangled web. I guess he loves the position he now has, and is afraid of being voted out, so he is playing politicor polytricks.

He is a member of the same club as most of the other exec members,” Continued the source.

When asked what was the likely outcome and what needs to happen moving forward, the source responded, “Well, it seems the only thing left is legal action...which we did not want, because that may cause the association to be sanctioned by FINA which was sent a report with halftruths and lies.”

President of the Dorado Speed Swim Club (DSSC) and qualified Coach, Nicolas Fraser feels this is much bigger than just the number of clubs who want an investigation. “This is an issue of what is the right thing to do. After the findings were brought to light by the past president there was a General Meeting of the fraternity. This General Meeting is the highest decision-making body of the fraternity. And that body decided that an investigation was warranted

and that a disciplinary committee must be put in place to investigate,” added Fraser.

“The previous president fought to get this situation sorted out but was outnumbered by the persons involved. This is probably why he does not want to have anything to do with GASA anymore. So with the current presidency, Dwayne seems to think that he can leave it be and probably the next president will deal with it.

But for now, we are only hearing talk of a disciplinary committee and a code of conduct. But nothing has been formed and nothing has been voted upon at the Council level regarding these things. And absolutely no action whatsoever,” continued Fraser, who noted that the solution is to do the right thing. “There is no way that doing the moral and legal thing will hurt the image of GASA. In fact, if GASA’s executive orders a full investigation into the matter and let the chips fall where they may, then GASA would have scored some really high points in the public’s opinion.

But they have decided that they will hide and sweep everything under the rug hoping that everyone forgets about it. That is what is damaging the image of GASA. They know what they must do to improve the

Overseas based Guyanese rewards promising - achieves 10 top Junior cyclist Mario Washington subjects at CSEC

By Samuel Whyte Top National Junior Cyclist Mario Washington of Corriverton, Corentyne Berbice has been outstanding both on his cycle and in the classroom and for his exploits, he was recently rewarded.

Rewarding the youngsters was overseas based Businessman and former National cyclist, Franco Crawford, owner of Crawford Trucking Service.

Washington, a member of the Flying Ace Cycling Club (FACC) of Berbice has been in excellent form during the past year on his bike and is touted as the junior to beat at the moment.

Apart from his exploits on his bike, the 17 year-old Washington copped 10

subjects at the recent CSEC examinations; two grade ones, three grade twos and five grade threes; enforcing the notion that education and sports can go hand in hand.

Washington has been one of the outstanding cyclists at the last the National School Cycling Championships. He was looking forward to continue his domination but this was not possible as the activity was called off due to the covid-19 pandemic.

Crawford has been showing his benevolence in tangible ways to his colleagues and others at home. Speaking at the simple ceremony which was held at Crawford business entity, Tucber Park, New Amsterdam, Berbice, he stated that he is impressed

Overseas based businessman Franco Crawford rewards Mario Washington as Coach Randolph Roberts savours the moment. with the attitude and traits of Washington and after seeing him ride again recently, he decided to do something for the young athlete.

Also pitching in a reward was Cyril Hunte, brother of former national champion rider Neville Hunte and

member of the Core Team, USA. Washington was full of praise for the donors as he thanked God, his parents his Coach, Randolph Roberts, Crawford, Hunte and all who have invested in him so far.

The teenager has (Continued on page 59)

Dwayne Scott - GASA President

Nichols Fraser - DSSC President

image of GASA but they are too committed to and comfortable with this modus operandi that they do not know how to be fair and transparent anymore.

It appears that GASA is unable to investigate itself. It that is the case, then FINA should get involved. The sanctioning of Guyana would be temporary until a full investigation is done and corrective measures are put in place to ensure this doesn’t happen again. So sanctioning will be temporary to ensure that we have all of our attention placed on fixing the situation. FINA and the IOC have systems in place to ensure that swimmers are

able to compete despite their country being sanctioned.

You will remember this last Olympics that swimmers from Russia were able to compete although their country was sanctioned.

They competed under the banner ROC (Russian Olympic Committee).

I believe that FINA would probably put an Interim Management Committee to run the affairs of GASA until the investigation is completed and that body will continue to ensure that swimmers are transparently selected for international meets and that the swimmers are able to competed” Fraser concluded.

Automatic Super 12 qualifiers for T20 World Cup 2022 confirmed

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CC - The automatic qualifiers for the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 have been confirmed, following West Indies’ loss to Australia in their final match of this year’s edition.

From the 12 automatic qualifiers for next year’s tournament – the 12 teams that made the Super 12 this year – eight will go straight through to the Super 12.

Those eight teams are hosts Australia, England, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

The automatic qualifiers for the Super 12 stage were determined to be the winner and runner-up of the current T20 World Cup, alongside the next six highest ranking teams on the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I rankings at the cut-off date of 15 November.

Yesterday, the teams that filled those spots were

confirmed courtesy of West Indies’ loss to Australia, which means they will sit 10th by the cut-off date, with Bangladesh climbing to eighth.

Going into yesterday’s action, the current top six teams in the rankings England, Pakistan, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia – had already done enough to ensure they would not slide out of those positions this tournament.

Afghanistan, the team sitting seventh, cannot drop below 8th spot irrespective of future results in this tournament following West Indies’ loss to Australia.

That loss has seen West Indies drop to 10th on the rankings, just behind Sri Lanka, with Bangladesh rising to eighth.

Alongside West Indies, 2021 Super 12 teams Sri Lanka, Namibia, and Scotland will also start next year’s tournament in the First Round.

Kaieteur News

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Sunday November 07, 2021

Chaves siblings, Persaud most outstanding at ISKF-Guyana 2021 National Kata Tourney

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ne week ago, under strict c o v i d - 1 9 protocols the 2021 ISKF-Guyana National Kata tournament was declared open the organisation’s Secretary Marlon George at their HQ Dojo, National Park, Thomas Lands.

In his remarks, character development was germane to the message conveyed. It underscored the premise of Shotokan karate and highlighted that tournaments is one of the vehicles that is instrumental in a karateka’s development. Given that, regardless of outcome, all are winners by mere participation.

“Kata” a Japanese word meaning “form” or routine.

It is a detailed choreographed arrangement of martial arts defensive and offensive movements to be memorized through practice in order to perfect it.

This, with its accompanying elements, form, speed, interpretation and continuity, deportment to name a few, formed the basis for how competitors were judged. This year, more than 40 ISKF Guyana karatekas were competing for top honors in both the individual and team Kata contest at various age and rank divisions.

As the tournament progressed, the event flow was efficient. Competitor’s performed at a high standard at the junior and senior levels, exhibiting strong

Outstanding winners from left, Kristian Chaves, Aiden Persaud, Kristalia Chaves.

spirit, deportment, speed, power, form and camaraderie.

Medals were awarded at the end of each division so as to maintain adherence to covid-19 protocols and to allow for a smooth flow of the tournament.

Outstanding participant trophies were awarded to Kristian Chaves, Kristalia

Chaves and Aiden Persaud for winning 1st place in both I n d i v i d u a l a n d Te a m contests.

The closing remarks were delivered by Sensei Christopher Chaves who thanked Mr. and Mrs. Andron Alphonso for sponsoring the medals. He also thanked the parents, supporters, judges,

volunteers and competitors for making the tournament a huge success.

Sensei Chaves informed that December 5th will be the Kumite (Sparring) tournament which students are continuing to prepare for noting that the separated format of these tournaments are to ensure covid-19 adherence.

2021 CMU20

Guyana and Permaul is Guyana’s rep. at Columbia’s Archery Cayman battle to World Ranking & World Games Qualifier events bruising stalemate

Archery Guyana has informed that Devin Permaul is the lone Guyanese Archer in Medellin, Columbia, flying the Golden Arrowhead where the Americas’ last

world ranking event of the season, which also serves as the continent’s last qualifier for the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, USA, is taking place. The tournament

Seeraj Bhimsain Birth anniversary softball re-scheduled for LBI The Seeraj Bhimsain T20 Birth anniversary softball competition which was set for LBI ground will now be played at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara today. The competition will be played in the over-50 category and action gets underway at 09:30hrs.

Rcokaway will take on Wellman and Park Rangers will play Floodlights in the opening fixtures before the top two teams clash in the final. Players are asked to note that all covid-19 guidelines will be followed and are required to produce their vaccination cards prior to the start to play.

commenced on November 2nd and will end today at the Sports Complex Andres Escobar where more than 70 archers from 13 nations are competing; there are three quota places in the compound Men’s and Women’s events for Birmingham available.

In a release from Archery Guyana, Permaul notes, “International tournaments have been a struggle for me.

The scores in local tournaments aren’t being reflected at this level of play.

I have headed to the World Games Qualifier in Colombia to gain more international experience and raise my confidence in

shooting. There seems to be more familiarity now as there are faces I recognise and has kept me relaxed off the field. Team Ecuador especially has been kind to me. Outside of archery it seems learning Spanish seems advantageous and that is another endeavor I hold.

Practice was okay, it was the first time I didn’t feel nervous but there have been changes in my form that I am not fully confident in yet.

This does feel like it’s getting easier. They also put up a flag for Guyana at this tournament it was the first tournament I had seen this and thought it was cool.”

Guyana and the Cayman Islands battled to a 0-0 stalemate in their opening fixture of the CMU20 Qualifiers, Group D in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, yesterday afternoon. The game saw end to end action as both teams went after each other in search of what turned out to be an elusive goal at the Estadio Panamericano Stadium. The other nations in Guyana’s group, Nicaragua and U.S. Vi r g i n I s l a n d s w e r e scheduled to face off last evening at the same venue.

Guyana will now turn their attention to tomorrow’s

match-up against the US Virgin Islands from 16:00hrs at the same venue followed by Nicaragua and the Cayman Islands from 19:00hrs.

The winner of each group will advance directly to the Round of 16 of the 2022 CMU20, scheduled to be played next summer.

Guyana’s starting X1: 1. Ronaldo Blair (GK), 2.

Sealon Sue, 3. Brandon Solomon, 4. Devon Padmore, 5. Kehance Scott, 6. Kyon Alphonso, 7.

Nathaniel Pydana, 9. Darron Niles, 10. Omari Glasgow (Captain), 14. Perry Gaul, 19. Ofancy Winter.

Sunday November 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Swimmers arrived in Peru on Wednesday evening

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op national junior Swimmers Olympian Aleka Persaud and the talented Leon Seaton Jr., head a list of nine swimmers selected for the Junior South American Championships from November 8-14 in Peru. According to Chaperone of the team, Loren Mahaica the Guyana team arrived in Peru on Wednesday evening and was booked at the Qorianka Hotel. “We had our first

The Guyanese swimmers following their Saturday morning training session.

interactive training session with coaches and swimmers on November 4, at 10am and had our first Pool training session at 5pm. Training continued yesterday at 6am and then at 5pm and same will continue until Sunday November.” Scott informed.

“So far, the swimmers are all in good health, conducting themselves well, eating their meals provided, training and hydrating as necessary. Also, for those having to attend class

sessions are managing well.”

The GASA thanked the Government of Guyana and the Guyana Olympic

Association (GOA) for making the trip possible.

Team Guyana: Aleka Persaud, Leon Seaton Jr.,

Elliot Gonsalves, Patrice Mahaica, Daniel Claxton, Ariel Rodrigues, Amber Degoeas, Shareffah Lewis

and Nathan Jackson.

Coaches: Sean Baksh and Shyka Gonsalves, Chaperone: Loren Mahaica.