K
AIETEUR NEWS
Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly
Teachers beg Govt. to make 7% increase tax free
Saturday Edition November 20, 2021 - Vol. 14 No. 44 Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $80 readership yesterday, 86,321
Exxon begins talks with th …despite Govt. on 4 Field incomplete Development Plan consultations Presidential powers need to be substantially reduced ….since Constitution makes individual a Superman - Ram
The protest continues for change to ExxonMobil’s contract.
Taxi driver drops home COVID-19 booster 'dead' passenger shots to be available p.13
…tells daughter mom is ill
next week- Health Minister
If Minister can prove that Council sold city properties, I will resign immediately- Mayor Exxon's Belated audit Pres. Ali talks US$9.5B up Investment spending… will not relieve with new Swiss
Guyana's Debt - Lincoln Lewis
Ambassador
Suriname just got US$50M environmental bonus in advance on one lil oil block, Trinidad got US$15M signing bonus also in advance on a gas deal from a piece of a gas field. What did our leaders get for us from all our massive wealth? NOTHING!
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Kaieteur News
Saturday November 20, 2021
Saturday November 20, 2021
Kaieteur News
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Belated audit will not relieve Guyana's debt burden
Exxon's US$9.5B spending… “Guyanese must not be fooled by the verbalised comments of President Irfaan Ali and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo that the Government of Guyana will conduct an audit into the last two years of Exxon's spending. Any audit now will not save Guyana the burden we carry for owing US$9.5 billion to this company, when we failed to honour our side of the contractual agreement.” This is the view of General Secretary of the G u y a n a Tr a d e s U n i o n Congress (GTUC), Lincoln Lewis. Lewis in a letter to this newspaper highlighted his broadening concerns pertaining to the failure on the part of the administration to audit the expenses of ExxonMobil for the Liza projects. The Trade Unionist pointed out that Guyana has never owed one company more than it has in its International Reserves at 2020 (US$680 million). However, the audit amount is in excess of even the 2021
National Budget. “Never before has this nation owed one company more than it has in its International Reserves at 2020 (US$680 million), larger than its external (GY$$650 billion) and internal (GY$500 billion) debt ceilings, and bigger than its National Budget. This is the gravity of the situation we must grapple with and hold the government accountable, as was done with the former coalition government (A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change), on these matters,” Lewis urged. This year's National Budget is GY$383.1 billion (US$1.84 billion). According to Lewis, had the Government focused on the oil contracts rather than witch-hunting and “seeking to settle imaginary political scores”, the country could have avoided this travesty. He argued that the arrogance and incompetence of the administration is costing the nation and its people dearly. “Few, if any, Guyanese would not come together to review the contracts. The
Illegal immigrant wanted for money laundering Wanted: Chinedu Emmanuel Aniekwe.
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) yesterday issued a wanted bulletin for 25-year-old Chinedu Emmanuel Aniekwe, in relation to money laundering and operating a pyramid scheme in Guyana. The wanted man last known address is Lot 1 and 2 Sandy Babb Street, Kitty, Georgetown.
It was also stated in the bulletin that he is in Guyana illegally. The GPF is asking anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Chinedu Emmanuel Aniekwe, to contact the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) on 225-3079, 225-3084, or the nearest police station.
noise the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) made when in Opposition about these contracts, and commitment given during the election campaign to review them, are proving to be just huffing and puffing to get into office,” the GTUC General Secretary highlighted. He nonetheless argued that the leaders need to be held accountable, for their refusal to initiate actions to review these contracts, and for the state of our present affairs. “It is because of their recklessness, future generations, many of whom are not yet born, will be saddled with this enormous debt. This US$9.5 billion could be equated to the Government of Guyana knowingly placing the People of Guyana into economic bondage to [a] foreign capital. It is tantamount to a form of economic indenture-ship to honour this financial obligation to Exxon,” Lewis explained. “We could only imagine
- Lincoln Lewis what $US9.5 billion could have done for the development of this country and the working class. It's an imagination that will never be realized,” he added. Referring to the current situation as a “sh%t creek” the leader of the Trade Union Congress said the Government and Opposition Leader must meet with all stakeholders in society, to ensure proper management of the business of the state, consistent with the Constitution of Guyana. 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$960M—US$460 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.
General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), Lincoln Lewis 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 of the US oil major, failing which, the bills would have to be paid, as is. After coming under pressure, Jagdeo announced earlier this week that the audits will be conducted. Previously, he explained that the audits were never completed, as the country did not have strong enough local
content to execute the job. “ We h a v e b e e n v e r y 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,” Jagdeo said.
COVID-19 booster shots to be available from next week
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony announced yesterday that COVID-19 booster shots will be made available from next week. Minister Anthony, who made the announcement during his daily COVID-19 update, said that persons 50 years and over, and those persons with comorbidities (underlying medical conditions) are eligible for the vaccine. He stated that the greenlight was given after finalizing data and recommendations with stringent oversight authorities. According to him, the data shows that six months after persons receive their second dose, the immunity of the vaccine starts to wane. “ We h a v e b e e n contemplating how do we move forward with this, and we have concluded based on data and recommendations from more stringent oversight authorities that a booster shot is necessary,
- Health Minister
because what that data have shown is that after six months after the second dose, if the regime is a twodose regimen, six months after that second dose that the immunity starts to wane and, therefore, if the immunity start to wane the chances are that persons can get infected. There can be breakthrough infections, and that the protection the vaccine will normally offer for persons, preventing them from getting a severe form of the infection that can start to w a n e , ” D r. A n t h o n y explained. So out of an abundance of caution, the Minister announced that from next week his ministry will make booster shots available to persons 50 years and above, and additionally to persons between the ages of 18 to 50 who have underlying conditions. “So 50 years and above
you will be eligible for a booster dose once that six months passed since your second dose of a two-dose regime vaccine. So that's one category of people; so the second category of persons if you are below age 50, but up to 18 and you have some form of comorbidities, then you can get a booster shot,” he added. It should be noted that these eligible persons can either have a shot of the same vaccine they were initially administered or another one. Meanwhile, during the update he provided data on the country's current
COVID-19 vaccination rate. According to the Health Minister, based on age category, persons 60 years and above, 79.3 percent of persons took their first dose and 66.6 percent took their second dose. For the age cohort 40 to 59 years, 77.1 percent of persons took their first dose and 57.6percent took their second dose. While in the 18 to 39 age category 73 percent of persons took their first dose and 44.6 took second dose. Lastly, in the 12 to 17 age group 39.2 of persons took first dose and 27.1 percent took second dose.
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Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL-TEL: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
Fossil fuel waste
M
ore and more, we ask ourselves whether this oil wealth will not be the death of us. Instead of being a lifesaver, this oil and the way it is being managed by all, locals and foreigners, confirm that it is not the lifesaver for Guyana that it should have been, but a death dealer, in ways that now register daily. We point to one of the latest developments, as carried by this paper: “Rush to approve 4th oil project – Yellowtail … Exxon reports says, Toxic waste will increase pressure on limited capacity of local treatment facilities” (KN November 8). They are now in the developing and solidifying stages of those local facilities, and here comes Exxon and others from the expanding oil sector to stretch capacity still more. It seems that the weights of this newly discovered oil keep coming everyday and squeezing the life out of us. Our leaders now make a living, and we believe a killing, going around and trumpeting all the positives surrounding the nation’s oil wealth. Without a doubt, they are positives, and they must not be ignored, or left to gather cobwebs on the rafters. But spoken of from the rafters, so all could hear what is in store for Guyanese. By the same token, it is our position that the many and costly negatives are too often obscured, or left unattended, as if they did not exist, and belong to some other place and its peoples. We hear of riches, but we do not hear of the possible downside correlation to the diminishing catch of our fisherfolk, who are ‘catching hell’ to use their exact words, since they can’t even cover their expenses. Is any leader listening to them? Is there any leader caring about them, and the prospects of them and their families? Exxon’s reports note that it is cheaper to dump produced water overboard, instead of the lesser evil of reinjecting it. The lovely turn of phrase selected by Exxon’s spin-masters in their report was “economically inferior.” Again, who is there around here that cares, in the mad rush to riches for themselves and their own? Today, we learn from Exxon’s own report of the stress that will be placed by toxic waste on our local treatment facilities. The first question is why are we hearing this warning from Exxon? Why is Exxon informing us and not our own people? Why is our own EPA, and our Vice President, not in front of this and putting it in front of us first? We react to this latest instance of the Guyanese public being notified of something like this by outsiders, and inquire why our own elected President and his allpowerful and all-knowing Vice President have been deficient and derelict in their obligations to Guyanese? Why is neither presenting the whole picture of the many known and unknown in our ballooning oil sector businesses, other than the upsides? We are paying Exxon for everything, now we are paying for the company and its corporate companions to dump toxic waste products in our already limited Haags-Bosch facility. This chatter about opening of cells and related timelines only go so far, mean so much. What is noteworthy is that the 6-7 percent toxic waste figure destined for local facilities is a fairly robust number, and has the potential to be understated, in the manner of corporations that tend to minimise the negatives. Thus, it is likely to grow, to be a greater number and, regardless of the percentage, we are talking of toxic waste that is hazardous. This is part of the oil legacy to be left, experienced, and paid for by locals. It will be paid for in different ways. More cells of land and acceptable use means expanded space, especially with expanded production on the cards. There is, however, a greater legacy not spoken of currently. The one from products of the sea, and that from pressured land facilities, both of which could afflict cells in the bodies of Guyanese. We have issues with our own daily/weekly collection and disposal of non-hazardous materials. Finances, equipment, political differences, community alarms. Do we need more? Could we absorb the toxic wastes planned to be dumped on land?
I MAINTAIN THAT THE $44.4M CONTRACT AWARDED TO THE GDF MUST BE MADE NULL AND VOID Dear Editor, I wish to respond to the article in the Kaieteur News published on November 18, 2021, titled ‘We did not bid for the $44M hospital project – GDF states. This was in response to my letter which indicated that it is unfair competition for the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to participate in public procurement processes. The article stated ‘the Defence Force said that it does not participate in public bidding processes. In fact, the GDF said that it is the President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, who wants the Force to play a role in national development. “President and Commanderin-Chief, Dr. Irfaan Ali, shortly after taking office, articulated his vision for the Guyana Defence Force. As part of that vision, was his desire to see the Force play a greater role in national development”. The article further stated, “It is in this regard, that the Force has partnered with Regional Democratic Councils to execute a number of community projects in several administrative regions…”. I support President Ali’s vision for the Guyana Defence Force to play a greater role in national development. I also support the GDF partnering with the Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) to provide support on development programmes and projects. However, the Guyana Defence Force can only participate in development projects once these conform to the national and international procurement
and financial laws and regulations, and that the means of acquiring funds are transparent and accountable, even if it is implementing the President’s vision. The President’s vision must be rolled out within the perimeters set out by the law. There are two important points to note here; one is that the GDF has highly skilled, well trained and discipline engineers, and members as a whole, who can contribute much to development, and this is a good thing for the country and the organization; however, it is not a construction or private sector agency, it is a military organization and a state agency, therefore it must be treated as such. The second point is the means by which the G$44.4 M was awarded to the GDF. The British High Commission cannot award a G$44.4M contract to the Guyana Defence Force for the construction of hospital, as was done in this case. Therefore, my suggestion is that the High Commission put this project on hold until the proper procurement procedures are complied with. One way of correcting this is for the British High Commission to give the G$44.4 M as a grant to the Ministry of Public Works or the Ministry of Health, and then the GDF engineers could be seconded to either of these ministries in order to execute the construction of the hospital. In this way, the
a c c o u n t a b i l i t y responsibilities for the grant lies with the ministry, which is a more appropriate organization for this transaction and not the GDF. However, even if the project is done through a grant to one of the ministries above, another issue may be, how to justify bypassing the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB)without a competitive bidding/tender process, as stipulated by law which again, raises the question of unfair competition. It is commendable that the United Kingdom Department for International Development is facilitating the Smart Healthcare Facilities in the Caribbean project which has a budget of over $835 million (US$4.175 million) and that Guyana’s health facilities such as the Diamond Diagnostic Hospital, the Leonora Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Mabaruma Regional Hospital and the Paramakatoi Health Centre, will benefit, however, the proper procurement process must be complied with in order to ensure transparency and greater accountability. What I find disappointing, is that the British High Commission did not inform the government that it is not allowed to conduct its business in this manner. Some of my broader concerns are relative to issues around organizational/institutional and societal behaviour. If one should study the issues and
causes of conflicts in Haiti, one of the main problems is due to internal challenges, for e.g. ,former law enforcement and military officers play a significant role, as a part of the illicit power structures. Hence, we should become very concerned when G$44M dollars could be ‘thrown’ at the GDF without possibly proper transparency and accountability measures being adhered to. Just in case some may think that this is about preventing the GDF from growing or expanding their resource-base, I would like to share some of my own experiences on sticking to the rules in the interest of preserving the integrity, and even for the mere survival of an organization, the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc. (GuySuCo). One day,Mr. Errol Hanoman who was the then Chief Executive of GuySuCo, said something to me that was profound, he said that ‘GuySuCo is lucky to have someone with your skill sets at this time because it is not very often someone like you would come to this organization because the Corporation would normally get the best engineers, chemists, agriculturalists, accountants and human resources people but not the best in your field; people with your skills usually go to international organisations’. He was referring to my knowledge and understanding of organizational and societal (Continued on page 6)
Freddie spot on in analyzing PNC politics DEAR EDITOR, Freddie Kissoon is spot on (Nov 18) in his assessment of the PNC leadership. It is a brilliant analysis and conclusion. The party needs a leader not connected with its sordid past (election rigging, racist governance, corruption, and other negatives for which it was accused — real and or perceived). In light of what took place after its defeat of the no-confidence motion and the loss of the March 2, 2020 general elections. It needs a transformational leader now more than ever. Would anyone seeking leadership disassociate from or condemn the negatives of the past and commit to rehabilitating the shattered image of the PNC? Freddie is right that the PNC had two rare opportunities to transform Guyana – December 1964 and May 2015 and it blew both opportunities
– and abused both, establishing a dictatorship in the first and attempted to establish another dictatorship during the second lifetime chance. And both times it was put into office and removed with the support of the US, disappointing Uncle Sam with its behavior. I recall the large reservoir of goodwill towards the coalition thru 2015 and part of 2016 and then it was downhill thereafter as the government went on a suicidal course. Many of those who voted for the coalition in May 2015 were pleading for an early end to its tenure. In my more than forty years of studying comparative politics, I never saw a government lost support so quickly. Like Freddie, I too engaged a few coalition officials and its activists in North America. They were very disappointed with policies espe-
cially to the sugar estates and rice farmers. They stated that the way the coalition was behaving and governing and discrimination against sections of the society, it was not seriously interested in re-election. The AFC activists in New York came to the inescapable conclusion that the only way the coalition would return to power was through rigging and unless the PNC addresses that stigma, it would be nearly impossible for swing voters to trust it again. Nationally, voters have no problem trusting the PPP and other parties with power and respecting the outcome of democratic elections. The PPP made basic mistakes and was removed from office in 2015 and sat in the opposition. Although it could, the PPP did not seek to extend its stay in office after the May 2015 election. Bharrat Jagdeo became
leader and took required measures to transform the party catapulting it into office once again in August 2020. Give jack his jacket, Jagdeo understands the politics better than any of the PNC operatives. He is among the best political strategists. Instead of terminating workers and putting families on the bread basket, he has been doling out social welfare benefits to those affected by Covid-19 and floods and cash grants to pensioners and students and their parents as well as displaced sugar workers. In addition, farmers have been getting subsidies in fertilizers and seedlings. The PNC leaders seem to lack the skills and political brilliance of a Jagdeo. The various candidates for PNC offices are not known and their plans and programs for cross racial support are (Continued on page 6)
Saturday November 20, 2021
Guyana’s colonised problem resides with the choices we make DEAR EDITOR, Christopher Ram draws the wrong conclusion. I make this bold claim based on his recent argument that Guyana finds itself in more of a colonised state under the unwieldy tentacles of the Chinese government. This was reported in the 19 November KN edition. While the basis for his argument certainly lands on proper grounds with legs to stand, given the evidence that we can see around the world, he runs out of steam. As we say in GT, “like he get stitches”. Ram fails to pull together the rip in the fabric. He fails to recognise that we
Guyanese sit back and watch the timber cut, exported, then imported as matchsticks and furniture. He fails to acknowledge that we Guyanese abruptly abandoned our own stores and consciously choose to shop at stores not owned operated and that sell our own produced products. He fails to ask and to probe the government why haven’t we, in fifty years, as an independent nation, sent our scholars to study the necessary technical skills needed to build bridges, to redesign roads, and to hire our own brain thrust for hydro projects. Speaking of scholars, our
son of the soil Walter Rodney wrote an informative text, How Europe Underdeveloped Guyana, which should be required reading for every Guyanese. If Ram posits that Guyana has a Chinese problem, then it seems that he may not have read this text. Editor, even if he has read the text, he fails to recognise that Guyana’s colonised problem resides with the choices we make. The Chinese choices are for their best interest, and we should do the same. Guyana does not have a Chinese problem; Guyana has a Guyanese problem. Sincerely, Les Archer
Greenidge’s fate must function as a lesson for others DEAR EDITOR, I feel for Mr. Carl Greenidge, now that his deliberate humiliation is public. I regret that this Guyanese of talent, skill, experience, and some standing allowed himself to be sucked into the PPP maw, where even the best of possible original intentions today wither in the lengthening creep of Guyana’s tragic sicknesses. I would give Mr. Greenidge high marks for putting country first, even at the risk of his own personal honor, his likely revilement that was sure to come. It is so today. For when one rests with dogs, it is inevitable that fleas attach to his or her body. To make this personal, I recall some people asking me prior to the 2020 elections, if I would serve under the PPP, and my response was that as much I want to be of assistance to this country, which is what I returned for, I would not be caught in the same room with some leaders of this country. In fact, it is only now that I have modified my prior posi-
tion that I would not remain in a place of worship, if they were to be present there, and I happened to be around, such are the depths of my low estimation of them. So, for Mr. Greenidge to sacrifice his long record, the wisdom of his years, and the richness of his gifts on behalf of his country and to overcome his differences makes him a much better man than me in this respect. Still, he had to know that what came down was just a matter of time. I am surprised that he saw it fit to escalate to the people that he did, since in my book, they are the ones responsible for his crude putdowns. The new kind in town and the aging war charger were let loose on him; the former must prove himself, the latter show him how it is done. After all, these people have the upper hand, and they operate by no codes of honor. It is all memory and malice, viciousness and vindictiveness. And that is what Mr. Greenidge gets in spades. Editor, I am not one to gloat
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over the fallen, PPP leaders have enough of that in their spleens for the rest of us. But I will say this: Mr. Greenidge ought to have known better, he wasn’t dealing with a macabre Machiavelli in the wide leadership ranks, but an utter monstrosity. Now, they have him dangling in the wind, with what I would term bureaucratic lynching and, to top it all off, in the company of tormentors, are his own. He is certainly paying a harsh price for wanting to do right by his country, but his love for it and devotion to it are not shared by his new political brethren, whether across the table, or above him in the hierarchy. That, too, should have been within the precincts of his intellect and wisdom. On a larger note, Mr. Greenidge’s fate must function as a lesson for his kind who feel comfortable in their political abode. Their proper place I need neither pinpoint nor elaborate upon, other than that their utility (Continued on page 6)
Govt. must procure approved Pfizer pediatric vaccines for our children DEAR EDITOR, The Minister of Education has stated that there will be vaccines given to children between the 5-11 age range commencing on November 19,2021. I fully endorse the sentiments of the letter writer “mother of a seven year old child” published in yesterday’s Stabroek News newspaper.One remains unclear as to whether the Government of Guyana has procured the specific pediatric Pfizer vaccines which have been shipped across the US. In order to prevent a mistake, Pfizer has prepared the pediatric vaccines in differentsized vials with different coloured orange caps than the adult vaccines. The dose and concentration of the pediatric vaccine is different. Is it as simple as saying that it is one-third of the adult dose and hence we adminis-
ter one-third? In Virginia recently there was a situation where 100 children were given the wrong dose when that very situation transpired. The children were given one third of the adult dose and as such the volume of liquid was so small that it was unlikely that the children received the full dose. https://m.youtube.com/ watch?v=GDmjwayzy7o In order to properly vaccinate our children, it is necessary for the Guyana Government to take steps to procure the properly certified Pfizer pediatric vaccines which are currently being given to the children across the United States. The Minister of Education in her anxiety to have schools reopened cannot sacrifice the safety and well-being of the most precious commodity of our nation, our young children.
Those in authority have the capacity to understand that children between this age range form the most vulnerable group of persons at risk of contracting this virus. Therefore, the only prudent course of action is to secure the certified Pfizer pediatric vaccines since it has been proven that the splitting of the adult doses may lead to a false sense of security when in fact the dose is insufficient to provide that necessary immunity. Parents across this land have made every sacrifice to ensure the safety of their children. It is reckless and callous to attempt to circumvent the proper course of obtaining pediatric doses by utilizing adult vaccines in a reduced dose. This is a recipe for disaster. Yours sincerely, Stephanie Isaacs.
Money from the Middle-East might be a mirage DEAR EDITOR Expectations of quick and easy money from Middle-East governments and investors have been exaggerated and might be a mere mirage unless Guyana enhances its economic diplomacy and improve its understanding of the Region. Despite the flurry of friendly visits and optimistic reports of governmental engagements, the road to achieving tangible results will be long and hard. Former President David Granger, speaking on Friday during his weekly programme ¯ The Public Interest ¯ recalled that there had been a shift in economic diplomacy fifty-one years ago from the West towards the East, especially the Middle East. Guyana, after becoming a Republic, established diplomatic relations with Egypt as long ago as 1971 and an embassy in Iraq in
1973. Mr. Granger admitted that the quest for wide, international support through the Non-Aligned Movement was, initially, ideological and strategic, as support was sought for Guyana’s territorial controversies. Relations with other states followed but the objective soon became economic and financial.Mr. Granger also explained that the Middle East is a geopolitical region that has been plagued by external intervention, interference and warfare for several decades. The geopolitical situation must be understood if Guyana’s engagements are to be successful. He recalled
that the PPP administration’s Middle-East diplomacy faltered and its relations with Iran faded as a result of ignorance of the international situation at the time. (Continued on page 6 )
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Greenidge’s fate must function... From page 5 is simply a matter of numerical convenience, of public relations mascots, and for political reference and comparison purposes. Beyond that, they matter not; and the quicker that that is gotten into the thick skulls of celebrants, the readier they will be for any disappointing eventuality, or any paler public slights, meaning private reminders, of their places in the rulership firmament. For when a task as nationally significant as the border controversy can count for so little in the eyes of PPP leaders that they can dull and
blunt one of their better weapons, then there is little more to be said of how much this country is being weakened, rendered vulnerable, and betrayed on things less visible, less material. I wish Mr. Greenidge the best going forward. He should not expect much, besides the usual deviousness. If he decides to stay, then he is masterly inhuman. If his mind is made up, and it should be by now, that he must go, then just let it be. He does not need either the embarrassment or the disgrace or the pathetic place in
which he now finds himself. It is clear what I would do, if faced with such circumstances. Then again, I am not Mr. Carl Greenidge, and I would not be found dead in that company. I extend my best to Mr. Greenidge, a man more Guyanese than me. He is truly a man for all seasons, with his name appearing in the ring for PNC leader. I congratulate the PPPC and PNC, this is shared/inclusive governance at its best, definitely the highest level. Sincerely, GHK Lall
Freddie spot on in analyzing... From page 5 not known. Tthere appears to be two slates of candidates seeking control of the executive and at least three seeking the leadership and three for Chairman. In past PNC internal elections for the executive, whoever controls the election
machinery general wins the important posts. Will there be a repeat? Instead of restricting voting to delegates, the PNC and other parties should make the process more democratic and open voting to all its members to participate in the selection of leadership as
is done in the developed countries. Volda Lawrence is popular among PNCites and I won’t be surprised if she wins reelection as Chair. She may not accept the nomination for leadership. Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram
Saturday November 20, 2021
I MAINTAIN THAT THE $44.4M CONTRACT... From page 4 behaviour, change management, leadership, etc. After a year in GuySuCo, I was promoted and the then Human Resources Director said something again, that was profound, he said to me that I was the first person he knew who rewrote their job description. These comments helped me to understand what I brought to the organization and that I was not just an obstructionist. I have worked with three Chief Executives at GuySuCo and one of the roles I played was to insist that they and the management stuck to the rules, despite a difficult reorganization process, political influences, etc.I remember saying the Chief
Executives things such as, ‘even if a Minister, Chairman of the Board of Directors for another agency should ask you do something contrary to the laws, policies, regulations of the company, you don’t have to do it and we [management] will not let you do it because you hold a duty to the organisation as the Chief Executive and Director which a Minister or Chairman of the Board of another agency does not have’. In this instance the Chief-of-Staff holds a duty to the Guyana Defence Force that the President does not have, and therefore he has tohold that line. I am sharing my experience particularly, for public officers. I understand that officers in government
and state agencies may not always have bosses like Errol Hanoman, Paul Bhim, Dr. Harold Davis, or an Earl John, and they can eventually get fired for taking a stand, as I was. The Chief-of-Staff can possibly face consequences for taking a stand on a matter with the President, but if itmeans that the integrity of the Guyana Defence Force, as an organization will be preserved, then so be it. GuySuCo survived, largely because of the principled position the management took, during our tenure. I therefore maintain that the G$44.4M contract awarded to the GDF must be made null and void Yours faithfully, Audreyanna Thomas
Money from the Middle-East... From page 4 The APNU+AFC coalition administration pursued economic opportunities through institutions such as the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (IOC) and the Islamic Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) and an Embassy in Kuwait.
The Former President said that, while it was good to seek to improve relations with Middle-East states, lasting success will come from the efforts of a corps of professional ambassadors and diplomats, a complement of competent bureaucrats and foreign service officers and a functional Foreign Service Institute, not ‘personal sum-
mitry.’ He argued, also, for closer attention to be paid to the Caribbean Community which provides a billion dollar market for Guyana’s agricultural products while the Middle East, 11,000 kilometres away, does not need Guyana’s rice and sugar. Regards People’s National Congress
T N U L B . . . T B N U T L N B T . U . L . L T B . . N . U N U T L N B . U T . . L N N U T B . U . N L U BL BLUNT. B . . T . T T N N U . U L . . L B . T B . . . . N . T U T N N T U N U L L U B . L B . . . . B . T . . T . N N T U N L LU U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . . U . N L T U B . N L . . U B . T L . . N B T . . U . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B . T . U . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . B . UN .BLUNT. L . . B T . . . N T U N L . . U B T . L . B . UN .BLUNT. L . . B T . . . N T U N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L B T . U . . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . . . LU ...BLUN B T . . . N T U N L U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L T . U B . . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L T BB T...BLU U N L U B . L . . B . T . . N N T T L U U N L L U B U T...BLU B L . . N . B . T . . N T U N N N U L U U B L . BL TLUNT.. UNT...B BL Saturday November 20, 2021
Kaieteur News
The Police had an 'Integrity Symposium' recently. They should have one every day.
There should be a mandatory integrity fair for all political leaders, so much in need of it are they.
And that, too, should be daily, so far they have fallen short of integrity and anything related to principles. They are so dishonest, our politicians, that they need to bathe in blue water.
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Saturday November 20, 2021
Kaieteur News
Survey ongoing to Health Ministry records over determine if Guyana 60,000 diabetic cases for 2021 The Ministry of Health (MOH) has recorded over 60,000 diabetic cases for this year. Information emerging from the Ministry indicated that the number of diabetic cases is still constantly increasing. This was disclosed by Microbiologist and Advisor to the Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, on Monday during an interview with Senior Journalist, Denis Chabrol on NewsTalk Radio Guyana 103.1 Mhz FM- Demerara Waves Online News, and the President of the Guyana Diabetic Association (GDA), Ms. Glynis AlonzoBeaton. “Diabetes has been a pandemic for many, many decades. In Guyana itself, approximately 10 percent of the adult population is living with diabetes right now. [So] on that basis even though we may not be able to identify
President of the Guyana Diabetic Association, Ms. Alonzo-Beaton
Microbiologist, and Advisor to the Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy
all of them at the moment, there are approximately 60,000 people that are living with diabetes in Guyana,” Dr. Ramsammy explained. However, during the interview Dr. Ramsammy pointed out that, unlike Guyana, the rest of the world has approximately 11
percent of the adult population living with diabetes. “We also know that in Guyana, Type 1 diabetes which is mainly among the children, there are approximately 170 children living with Type 1 diabetes. And in terms of mortality,
diabetes usually ranks between fourth to sixth, in terms of the leading causes of death, that's direct death. One of the leading comorbidity for COVID-19 deaths has been diabetes, and this is across the world. [So] that is the situation in o u r c o u n t r y, ” D r. Ramsammy stated. He further explained that Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Haiti are ranked among the countries in the region with the highest diabetic cases. Ramsammy asserted that it is a major concern for Guyana. “I suspect that at least 10 percent of the health expenditure of this country would be linked to diabetes,” Ramsammy noted. Furthermore, diabetes often referred to by doctors as diabetes mellitus, (Continued on page 18)
is Filaria-free - Health Minister
The Ministry of Health has started a survey to determine if Guyana is free of the Filaria disease. This was disclosed by the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, during his COVID-19 update on Thursday. However, this survey comes months after Guyana completed its second round of the Mass Drug Administration distribution exercise. Dr. Anthony explained that if intake was optimal, the country stood a chance to finally eliminate the disease from Guyana for good. “Filaria elimination, it's a process, so we were required to do the Mass Drug Administration and we have completed those two cycles in the endemic areas for Filaria. “Having completed that, now to ensure that we don't have Filaria we now have to go back to those communities, take samples of people, and do certain tests to see whether or not the parasites still remain in the population,” he said. Minister Anthony pointed out that a similar survey will occur during next year, and that the data gathered from these surveys will be used by t h e Wo r l d H e a l t h Organisation (WHO) to analyse the status of Filaria in this country. The programme started in Guyana since
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony October 2019. “[So] currently we are engaged in doing those testing. So we have teams going out to the regions where we have done mass drug administration and once that is completed and the results are known, based on those results then the WHO would use it to make a decision on whether or not they can declare us to be Filaria free,” said the minister. Meanwhile, the final distribution exercise in the Mass Drug Administration (MDA) programme for the Filaria pill was in February 2020.
Ranks working in collusion with criminals a challenge
for the Force - Police
O
ne of the challenges that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has faced this year, is that some of its ranks were found to be working in collusion with criminals. This was highlighted by the Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, during his virtual presentation at the recent launch of the force's Christmas anticrime plan. “We have other instances where ranks were found to be in collusion with criminal elements. Only recently we had a prosecutor, a senior o ff i c e r, c h a rg e d f o r trafficking in narcotics”, Blanhum said. Just recently in October, Kaieteur News had reported that a senior cop, Dexter Brown, was remanded for trafficking marijuana and the unlawful possession of ammunition. Deputy Superintendent
Senior Cop, Dexter Brown, who was in October caught with marijuana and illegal ammunition in his possession. of Police, Dexter Brown was yesterday charged with possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking. Brown was arrested by his colleagues after he (Continued on page 9)
Saturday November 20, 2021
Guyana is the fastest growing economy in the world. So says the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union (EU). But despite this fact, the government could only muster a meagre seven percent increase in wages for public servants for this year. The unions representing public servants and teachers are perceived as having an anti-government agenda. In that context, it was always expected that they would have protested whatever the government offered. All of our governments, however, continue to make the same mistake. They insist each year on offering annual increases instead of taking the bold step of establishing a target which they need to approach through incremental annual salary increases. Instead of offering annual percentage increases, the government should commission the Bureau of Statistics to establish what is known as a living wage. The International Labour Organization (ILO) considers a living wage as one that is “sufficient to maintain, in the circumstances of each country, an adequate standard of life.” A living wage is not a gift from government. It is a human right so accorded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That document expressly states that: “Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity”.
This is also the basis for defining a living wage – remuneration which is sufficient to offer a decent and dignified existence. While the definition of a living wage is imprecise, international labour standards have sought over time to narrow down the essentials of a living wage, and these can be used to establish a baseline living wage which is then adjusted each year. The ILO for example proposed that the living wage include the cost of basic necessities, the cost of basic housing with amenities including decent housing and water, the cost of transportation, children’s education, health care, child care and with a small margin to cater for unforeseen circumstances. The objective of the government should be to seek to set a deadline by which it hopes to have a convergence between the living wage and the country’s minimum wage. The minimum wage is deemed the minimum needed to ensure a dignified well-being of workers. Once the living wage is set, the government can indicate that within five years, the country’s minimum wage will be at this level, instead of each year having to stretch incredulity by always having to defend the paltry sums it offers to workers. The government is denying that it promised a 50 percent increase for public servants. However, during the election campaign notices with the PPP/C logo on it had been placed along a major road in the city, indicating that public servants would have
been paid 50 percent increase. It is hard to imagine why any malicious grouping would have wanted to put up such notices, in the name of the PPP/C without that party’s consent and why none of the party’s leaders had ever objected to those notices. A promise to pay a 50 percent increase, however, does not amount to paying it at one go. The 50 percent could well have been a target to be realised by 2025. There are still four more years to go. The PPP/C had also promised to raise pensions to $40,000 but this was clearly understood to mean that pensions would reach this level by 2025 and not immediately. The government can immediately offer a 20 percent increase in the hourly public service wage rate without costing the Treasury a cent. At present, the average nonessential public servant works five days a week for a total of 40 hours. If the work week is reduced to four days and to 32 hours, the average hourly wage would have increased by 20 percent without costing a blind cent to the Treasury. But the government is not brave enough and the unions are not daring enough to propose reducing the work week to four days which would give workers more time to do the many personal errands which they usually steal time from work to do. The unions and government will constantly be in a squabble over wages. But other demands need to be placed on the table, including
Dem boys seh ...
After regularisation is rationalisation Wah gan tek place soon in de public service is known as regularisation. De guvament mekkin things more regular. All ah dem people wah doing de same wuk and gat de same qualifications gan wuk fuh almost de same money, no matter way dem wukkin. Dat is wah people call regularisation. But after de regularisation gan come de rationalisation. Dat is another word fuh sending home or transfer. Dat is wah dem boys believe gan happen. De reason why guvament can’t pay no 50 percent increase is because de public service too bloated. It gat gas and de
gas coming from de fact dat too much people employ. Dem gat nuff slackers in de public service. And nuff politician and some ah dem wah call advisors getting pension pun de job – dem getting pension fuh dem political service. De Pee Pee Pee bin accuse de Coala-shun of running a geriatric institution. Dem used to complain how nuff old people deh pun de wuk. Well now de Pee Pee Pee gat dem own old brigade pon de wuk. Some ah dem can hardly walk but we hear de mind alert…when dem can keep dem eyes open. Dem boys wan know how come de HAP-NU+Hay-Eff-See nah
file no question in de National Assembly as yet asking bout de names of all dem wah dem pun de wuk and qualifying for social security. Deh gat some people getting state pension, dem getting NIS pension, old age pension and still dem wan wuk. Ow man! Give dem young people a chance nuh. Dem boys know dat when de rationalisation start all dem wah sitting down in office twiddling dem thumbs gan get send home. But dem boys nah sure bout de members of de geriatric club. Talk half and find out wah is de age of dem wah running fuh leader!
Ranks working in collusion... From page 8 attempted to drive away from a second roadblock at Helena Number Two Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
Prior to this, he had managed to drive away from another roadblock setup by patrol ranks in Region Five. Brown was found in possession of 9.4 kilogrammes of
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Kaieteur News
cannabis and 2 rounds of 9mm ammunition. The senior cop is only one of the few who have found working in collusion with criminal elements this year
shortening the work week, flexible work hours, remote working and maternity leave with pay for both men and women.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Kaieteur News
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Saturday November 20, 2021
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Stabroek News put a jumbie lash pon the AFC and WPA
H
ere is what the Stabroek News (SN) wrote last Saturday about the AFC: “The Alliance for Change must also move to sweep aside its old leadership and find some political coherence and relevance.” Juxtapose this with the AFC dossier which is to be presented to its congress next March for adoption. The document noted on page 14: “The present leadership cannot be replaced now.” Whoever wrote that dossier surely has no connection to the pulse of the nation. The key word in the SN description is “old.” SN certainly cannot be referring to age. No one of the AFC's hierarchy has reached 60 years or is around 58 or 59. SN has to be referring to the old political culture of that hierarchy. I welcome SN's
description of the AFC because my opinion that the AFC is essentially a dead organism is only found in the mainstream media. I further welcome SN's attention to the WPA. The newspaper wrote: “The Working People's Alliance seems stranded in the 1980s in the composition of its leadership.” Again, I am alone in the publication of my opinion that the WPA is a fraud, a very ugly fraud in the political discourse of Guyana. It is really an entity that consists of about three ragged, politically aging and politically unkempt individuals. It is a highly misleading statement to refer to the “leadership of the WPA.” The statement does not reflect reality. The WPA has no leadership. I will return to this topic below but
let's get back to the old pyramid of the AFC. The present crop of leaders lacks even an ounce of credibility. But who are you going to replace them with when there is no structure any longer in the AFC? The present school of new faces in the AFC are creations of that outdated leadership thus when the pyramid tumbles those new faces will wither away. The outdated hierarchy is not going anywhere. The AFC in March 2022 will dissolve its coalition with the PNC. That is explicitly stated in the dossier (please email me at fredkissoon@yahoon.com for a copy). The failed AFC bigwigs will then try the impossible – resurrect the AFC. But here is where the AFC becomes identical in biology to the WPA.
Dominic Gaskin is gone. There will no longer be the presence of Raphael Trotman. Mr. Trotman moves off in March next year after the congress for health and other reasons. David Patterson wanted to leave earlier this year and will do so next year. But if he stays on, the AFC becomes a threeperson show like the WPA – Khemraj Ramjattan, Cathy Hughes and David Patterson. This is what the WPA is – a three-person unit – Tacuma Ogunseye, Desmond Trotman and David Hinds. There used to be a fourth soul in the pot – Tabitha SaraboHalley – but she now has taken on a dual personality. She sits in the House as a PNC parliamentarian but she has formed her own political party. David Hinds is almost out of the WPA, having formed his organisation named Society for African Guyanese Empowerment. It is misleading for the SN to refer to the WPA being stuck in the 1980s. The newspaper is referring to
Clive Thomas and Rupert Roopnaraine. Both men are no longer part of the WPA. The SN failed to Frederick Kissoon grasp the realities in 2 022. When the AFC leaves Guyana. The AFC and the WPA are dead. What you its covenant with the PNC, will find the AFC doing after where will its constituencies March 2022 is what the WPA come from? Certainly not the has been doing for the past Indigenous communities. Certainly not from six years – just sending out Indians. Why are African press statements. Why all the newspapers Guyanese going to gravitate carry these WPA press to the AFC rather than the releases is bewildering. PNC? A part of the SN's quote Surely, there must be some physiological characteristics needs repeating: “find some to an organisation before the political coherence and media accepts what it writes relevance.” How are those in the name of “press two values to be realised? They have to come from real, releases.” For the newspapers to living people. With the kind publish what the WPA calls of leaders the AFC has and “press releases” is to the hate people have for that continue the deception that political party, the best thing the organisation exists. Why for the AFC to do is to buy a n o t c o n f i n e t h e s e spot in Le Repentir. (The views expressed in submissions to the letter pages where they rightfully this article are those of the author and do not belong. A p r e s s r e l e a s e necessarily reflect the organisation is what the AFC opinions of this newspaper.) will become after March
Saturday November 20, 2021
Kaieteur News
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Saturday November 20, 2021
Presidential powers need to be substantially reduced ….since Constitution makes individual a Superman - Ram
W
hile not supporting an outright rewrite of the Constitution of Guyana, Chartered Accountant and Attorney-atLaw, Christopher Ram, does believe there needs to be reforms with a view to putting in place more safeguards and to substantially reduce the powers of the President. According to Ram, Guyana needs “to move away from a system where the President is a superman, which is the same model that [Forbes Burnham] wanted. Ram's assertions were voiced earlier this week when he appeared as a guest on David Hinds' Online Broadcast of Politics 101, and was asked his views on the need for a complete rewrite of the constitution in a fashion that addresses governance, outdated laws, and eliminates any remnants of colonialism. To t h i s e n d , R a m
Head of State, President Irfaan Ali
responded “I do not think we need a complete rewrite of our constitution” and while acknowledging that there are some provisions in place that serve as guardrails, these need to be bolstered. As such, in calling for the reduction in the powers of the person that holds the office of Executive President, Ram recalled that in the constitution, as constructed under Burnham,
“he wanted to, he must pay no taxes, (and) nobody can take him to court and all these things.” Moreover, he observed that, though, as a whole “some of that has been changed” there's “still the fundamental structure of the constitution where the president practically has (all) the power.” He drew reference to the fact that the President is not
only a Member of Parliament, “he is the executive, he is just about everything.” Thus, Ram posits that “we need to reduce substantially the powers of the President.” Government had earlier this year constituted the P a r l i a m e n t a r y Constitutional Reform Committee with Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General, Anil Nandlall as the Chairman. The Committee was mandated to continually review the effectiveness of the working of the Constitution and make periodic reports to the National Assembly, with proposals for reforms as necessary. Among the list of Committee members are Education Minister, Priya Manickchand; Sports Minister, Charles Ramson; Public Service Minister, Sonia Parag; and Member of
Parliament (MP), Sanjeev Datadin.Representing the Opposition on the Committee are MPs Khemraj Ramjattan, R a p h a e l Tr o t m a n a n d Nicolette Henry, along with Amanza Walton-Desir. To assist in its work, the Committee has the power to co-opt experts or enlist the aid of other persons of appropriate expertise, whether or not such experts or other persons are members of the National A s s e m b l y . Both of the major political parties, the governing People's Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) and the A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) have, for years peddled a rhetoric of undertaking constitutional reform, as recorded in the recent and past manifestos of b o t h p a r t i e s . The previous Constitutional Reform Committee was headed by the then AG, Basil
Chartered Accountant and Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram
Williams and consisted of familiar faces – Ramjattan, Trotman, Henry, and then Public Service Minister Rupert Roopnarine, along with the new AG, Minister Manickchand, Health Minister Frank Anthony and MP Adrian Anamayah. However, that Committee boasted a scanty track record, as it met less than seven times in five years, as the records show.
Saturday November 20, 2021
Kaieteur News
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Saturday November 20, 2021
Teachers beg Govt. to make 7% increase tax free I
n light of the spiraling cost of living, teachers in Guyana have made a plea for the seven percent salary increase to be made tax-free. President of the Guyana Teachers Union, Mark Lyte in an interview with Kaieteur News on Friday explained, “This increase will not cushion the costs of transportation, food, electricity, or otherwise. In theory, they (teachers) will not be taking home anything substantial after their taxes are paid to the Government and their PAYE deducted. Given the way our tax system works, half of it will go back to the Government”. In light of this, Lyte said that teachers in Guyana are asking for the increase to be made tax free. In addition to this, the GTU President called for the Government to add $200 million to the amount set aside for frontline workers, so that teachers who have been in the forefront can be compensated. The Union also
wants Government to pay outstanding clothing allowances for 2021 to teachers in December, and resolve the outstanding debunching payment to teachers for December 2021, among other open issues. The GTU also made an appeal for the Ministry of Education to engage the Union in the collective b a rg a i n i n g p r o c e s s t o negotiate salary and nonsalary matters. According to Lyte, “The recently announced salary increase for teachers by Senior Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, is an insult and an attempt to devalue teachers. Teachers did not receive an increase in 2020, and this announcement has essentially awarded teachers 3.5% for 2021. Since COVID-19 came to the shores of Guyana, teachers have found innovative ways to service the nation's children with no support from the government in the areas of gadgets, internet, and electricity”.
Teachers on the streets back in 2018 protesting for better wages.
He noted too that teachers labored “like slaves” where they were forced to go into communities and distribute worksheets after collecting same. “Our Ministry did not even recognize their heroic efforts for the most part. The present Multi-year
Agreement that remains enforced speaks to teachers receiving eight percent in 2019, which was nontaxable,” Lyte noted. The GTU said that the Senior Minister of Finance should have been ashamed to announce that this increase
will be paid together with salaries in December 2021. “The announced salary increase will further increase every item consumers need to get by December 2021 and beyond. The pittance cannot cushion the inflation taking place in Guyana presently.
Essentially, we will be worse off than when we started. Teachers will be hard press to feed themselves and family this season because of the high cost of living,” the Union reasoned. In addition to this, Lyte (Continued on page 18)
Kaieteur News
Saturday November 20, 2021
PAGE 15
Pres. Ali talks up investment with new Swiss Ambassador
G
uyana's Head of State, President Irfaan Ali, yesterday accepted the Letters of Credence from NonR e s i d e n t A m b a s s a d o r, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Swiss Federal Council to Guyana, Dr. Jürg Sprecher, and in the process alluded to areas of cooperation between the two countries in the areas of trade and investment. According to the President, “…we look forward to collaborating with the Government of Switzerland to explore areas for a more active approach to our bilateral agenda,
especially in the areas of technical cooperation, trade and investment.” He was at the time addressing the simple ceremony that took place at the Office of the President on Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, and said that Guyana notes Switzerland's commitment to reducing poverty, promoting respect for human rights and democracy, and for the conservation of natural resources. According to President Ali, “I wish to assure you of the full support of the Government of Guyana in the discharge of your duties as Non-Resident Ambassador of
If minister can prove that Council sold city properties I will resign Immediately - Mayor City Mayor, Ubraj Narine, during an interview with K a i e t e u r N e w s , acknowledged the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall's statement about the Council that there appears to be “a nefarious scheme,” by “some members to undervalue and rapidly dispose of certain city p r o p e r t i e s . In his statement, the mayor noted that the council has the authority to lease land. However, in the event of sales or disposal of council property, the Minister has to give consent. He further noted that if they are to be disposed, all property may be sold at a current market related price and shall be determined by a majority vote by the council and subject for final approval by the Minister of Local G o v e r n m e n t . This is according to the City Assets Licence, Lease a n d D i s p o s a l P o l i c y. “So if we dispose of council property, the minister has to give consent, the minister will be aware, but if we lease, that falls under the council remit; but if we sell or dispose the minister has to give consent, he will be fully involved in every transaction,” the mayor told K a i e t e u r N e w s . He asserted that he believes that the PPP/C administration wants to dispose of city property like they did before, and then put this council in a fix to state how it disposed of the p r o p e r t y .
City Mayor, Ubraj Narine “If there is any trace that the Minister of Local Government can produce to the public that this city council sell or dispose of properties, not lease, we leased lands, sell or dispose of any land of the city council, I'm ready to tender my resignation immediately” the mayor stressed. The Mayor did, however, admit that the council leased lands, but never sold, he made reference to the Laws of Guyana, Municipal and District Act cap. 28:01 Sections 320, which states that “all undivided lands in every council area, except private lands held in joint ownership or ownership in common, shall be under the control and management of t h e c o u n c i l . ”
the Swiss Federal Council to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. As you embark on this new assignment, I express my best wishes to you for a productive and successful tenure of duty.” The new Non-Resident Ambassador's appointment allows the two countries to strengthen those relations further. Dr. Sprecher in his remarks said, the Swiss government is following the development of Guyana with “great interest” and that he has been charged to further enhance the excellent relations between the (Continued on page 16)
Swiss Ambassador to Guyana/CARICOM Dr. Jürg Sprecher presents his Letters of Credence to Head of State, President Ali.
PAGE 16
FOR RENT
VEHICLES FOR SALE Toyota Premio PAB3048 white, year 2008 registered August 2021. Tel:621-7993.
CAR RENTAL Aidan's Car Rental.Cal:6281183,225-3234.
SERVICES Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040 Business opportunity of a lifetime, earn extra cash, part time/fulltime. Tel:656-2682. House plan drawing & estimates. K.Lakeram Building C o n t r a c t o r. C a l l : 2 1 6 0671,692-8464 or whatsapp 622-0267. Specialized repair/service: A/ C, refrigerator, washing machine,treadmill,stove, deepfryer, pressurepump & backwash,dryer,oven. 6949733. Arbeth Contracting Services. We specialize in landfilling, kerbwall, land clearing ,roads, culverts, bridges,buildingsetc. Call:629-3136.
Office space for rent,air conditioned,water & wifi, East North Cummingsburg $100,000 per month.Tel:2236218,226-5546. 3 bedrooms bottom flat, Located Peter Rose St Queenstown $150,000 per month.Tel:223-6218,2265546. Bond Space,900 sq ft,2 office space,spacious parking Eccles.Tel:223-6218,2265546.
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Domestic Worker to work at Peter's Hall E.B.D,must be from the E.B.D age 25 to 45yrs.Cal:231-0363.
Commercial building ground floor 32x41 ft,Carmichael St $300,000 per month.Tel:2236218,226-5546.
Arbeth Contracting Services. Wanted for bobcat/ skid steer operator. Call:6293136.
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LAND FOR SALE 102 GoodHope Mahaica, 500ftx42ft Roadside. Call: 691-8420.
VACANCY
WANTED LEGAL NOTICE
1Accounts/Inventory Clerk. Must have CXC Maths &English,email:b enjamin_nathalie @yahoo.com.
Younge at the High Court at Georgetown via Zoom Meeting ID: 845 1426 6584 and Password: 786 445. IN DEFAULT of you filing an Acknowledgement of Service/Notice of Intention to Defend, an Answer and/ or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the Divorce. The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the LawCourts [Georgetown, Demerara]. The office is open to the public between 8:00 am and 3:30 pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00 am to 2:30 pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed. Dated the 29th day of October, 2021
Live in shop attendant (female) 18-25 yrs,$25,000 wkly. Call:610-3974.
VACANCY Pump Attendant/Cashier, shifts (6AM-2PM & 2PM10PM).ShellStation ProvidenceE.B.D, email: Shellramsburg@gmail.com. Maintenance workers & labourers to work with P.S.G.C.S. Preferably from E.B.D. Call: 621-6969/6157784. One experience Seamstress to work Mon-Sat and one floor girl.Call:622-4386.
Fully furnished house 3 bedrooms.Price $5,000 USD, Located Atlantic Gaden. Tel:223-6218,226-5546.
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Kaieteur News
Vacancy exists for 1 certified Auto Mechanic with minimum 10 yrs experience. Call:231-8737. One salesman,able bodied porters.Experience in writing bills,stocktaking & cashing. Keyfood Trading,Mc Doom village. Security officers to work in the interior.Applications to innovationsamericamng@gmail.com or hand deliver to Innovations America. Experience canter driver and porters. Driver must have valid lorry licence. Call:6904722. Experienced female kitchen staff,valid food handlers certificate.Call:690-4722. Maid to cook and clean for East Bank.Call: 615-9132.
LEGAL NOTICE 2021-HC-DEM-CIV-FD-1198 IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION PETITION NO.: FD-1198 BETWEEN: -(KELMAN) YU’TSE nee THOMAS Petitioner/ Applicant -and(KELMAN) COLBERT NOEL Respondent TO: COLBERT NOEL KELMAN (Last Known Address) Contential Park, East Bank Demerara, Guyana. TAKE NOTICE that on the 2nd day of September, 2021 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by YU’TSE KELMAN nee THOMAS, the Petitioner in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 20 day of October, 2021 the Petitioner was directed to effect service of her Petition on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News Newspapers, a daily Newspaper printed, published and circulated in and around Guyana and on the Worldwide Web. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with related documents. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Petition, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (Forms are available at the Registry), an Answer and/or Cross Petition in the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 35 (thirty-five) days from the date of the Second and final publication of this Notice. TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for Directions Hearing on Monday the 17% day of January, 2022 at 10:15 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Damone
2021-HC-DEM-CIV-FD1411 IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION PETITION NO.: FD-1411 BETWEEN: -(TAYLOR) MARILYN CLEOPATRA nee EV ANS -and -Petitioner/ Applicant (TAYLOR) GODFREY SHERLOCK Respondent to the Respondent GODFREY SHERLOCK TAYLOR Last Known Address Lot 564 East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana. TAKE NOTICE that on the 21st day of October, 2021 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by MARILYN CLEOPATRA TAYLOR nee EVANS, the Petitioner in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 8 day of November, 2021 the Petitioner was directed to effect service of her Petition on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News Newspapers, a daily Newspaper printed, published and circulated in and around Guyana and on the Worldwide Web. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown,
Pres. Ali talks up investment... From page 15 governments and their citizens.“Indeed, the current global challenges show once again how important cooperation at the international level is. In that sense, I can assure you that Switzerland intends to remain a close and reliable partner of Guyana, both on the level of our bilateral relations as well as in undertakings of multilateral cooperation.” Ambassador Sprecher will also be accredited to CARICOM as the Swiss representative to the Caribbean Community. LEGAL NOTICE Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with related documents. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Petition, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (Forms are available at the Registry), Answer and/or Cross Petition in the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 35 (thirty five) days from the date of the second and final publication of this Notice. TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for Directions Hearing on Wednesday the 26" day of January, 2022 at 9:00 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Sandra Kurtzious in the Directions Hearing Room via Zoom Meeting ID: 648 772 9256 and Password: 5hRiHf at the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown. IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of Service/Notice of Intention to Defend, Answer and/or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the Divorce. The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts [Georgetown, Demerara]. The office is open to the public between 8:00am and 3:30pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed. Dated the 11th day of November, 2021
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ExxonMobil begins talks with th Govt. on 4 Field Development Plan …despite incomplete consultations
E
sso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) is pressing ahead with its fourth planned project in the Stabroek Block and has commenced talks with government regarding the company's Field Development Plan. The company is yet to complete its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and obtain Environmental Authorization for the project. Notwithstanding this, the company met with Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat and a delegation from his ministry on Thursday, for “the first engagement” with EEPGL on the Yellowtail Field Development Plan. According to the m i n i s t r y, d u r i n g t h e interactive session, the EEPGL team responded to queries by the Technical Team from the Petroleum Management Unit of the Ministry of Natural Resources, and provided clarification and updates relating to submissions on t h e Ye l l o w t a i l F i e l d Development Plan. Also participating in this engagement are senior representatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Finance, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA. According to the project summary, submitted to the EPA for environmental authorization, Yellowtail will consist of drilling approximately 41 to 67 development wells (including production, water injection, and gas reinjection 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 stage, with approximately 600 persons at the peak of the installation stage, and 100 to 140 persons during production operations. Additionally, it was noted that 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 EEPGL's Stabroek Block Partner, Hess Corporation as having “outstanding economics” that will work in the company's favour. S p e c i f i c a l l y, t h e company's Chief Operating Officer (COO), Greg Hill, recently 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 r e c o u p e d . 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 that the Yellowtail Project is, “One of the best projects on t h e p l a n e t … ” 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, (Continued on page 18)
EEPGL and Government Officials during the Zoom meeting as part of the first engagement on the Yellowtail.
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Ahilia & Bish Panday Foundation Awards three scholarships for UG’s Tain & Turkeyen Campuses
Another 3 unvaccinated persons died of COVID-19
(Left to Right) - Mr. Bish Panday, Felicia Monderson, Adrian & Trishana Roopan, Mrs. Ahilia Panday The Directors of the Ahilia & Bish Panday Foundation which was recently established by P&P Insurance Brokers with the aim of giving back, have agreed to sponsor three students to pursue their studies at the University of Guyana. One scholarship recipient, Ms. Trishana Roopan, is enrolled at the University of Guyana (UG) Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) Degree Programme at the Turkeyen Campus. Trishana attended Berbice High School, where she obtained passes in 11 CSEC subjects, after which she went on to the Associate of Science Biology (AAS)
Programme, which she completed earlier this year and passed with a distinction. Meanwhile, her brother Adrian Roopan attended the Berbice High and J.C. Chandisingh Secondary schools and also did well, passing 9 subjects at CSEC. Adrian will now be pursuing the Associate of Science Biology (AAS) Programme at UG’s Tain, Berbice Campus. Ms. Felicia Monderson attended The Bishops High School and graduated this year with good grades in 13 subjects at CSEC and 5 subjects at CAPE. Additionally, she will be furthering her studies in Biology at UG and hopes to become a veterinar-
ian. During brief remarks at a gathering event to meet and congratulate the students, Mr. Bish Panday told them that his company places a lot of emphasis on qualified staffing, and he knows the importance of a good education. He acknowledged that the three successful students have demonstrated the capacity for hard work and excellence, and he has no doubt that they will carry the same mindset through University. Mrs. Panday also congratulated the students and wished them all success. The students expressed their thanks and promised always to do their best.
ExxonMobil begins talks with Govt... From page 11 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 per-
cent increase after the relevant data has been gathered. The operator of the Stabroek Block 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.
Teachers beg Govt. to make 7%... From page 13 explained that it is the Union's position that the Government can do better to improve the lives of educators, by ensuring that they are adequately compensated. He said that teachers in Region Two had indicated their unwillingness to accept any increase less than 15 percent for the year. Given that the figure is way below double digits, the GTU President said that members are urging the Union to “take action”. When asked what type of
action the Union is prepared to take at this time, Lyte explained that the discussion has to first be held with its membership. On Thursday, Dr. Singh was “pleased to announce” a seven percent, across-the-board salary increase for public servants, retroactive to January 2021. “I am pleased to announce now that your Government will be paying an across-the-board increase of seven percent to public servants, teachers, members of the disciplined services, constitutional office holders, as
well as government pensioners. This increase will be granted retroactively to 1 January 2021, and work will start immediately to ensure that it is processed and paid to eligible employees together with their December salary and in time for the festive Christmas season,” the Minister explained.When analysed against the rising cost of living, which Ali acknowledged last week, many public servants saw the announcement as a slap in the face and many took to social media on Thursday to vent their displeasure.
The Ministry of Health reported yesterday that three more unvaccinated persons,who contracted the novel Coronavirus disease, have died. As a result of this, Guyana’s COVID-19 death toll has moved to 971. According to the Ministry, the latest fatalities are that of two women, a 53-year-old from Region Three (Essequibo Is-
lands-West Demerara), and a 66-year-old from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), and a 27-year-old man from Region Four. All three persons reportedly died yesterday while receiving treatment at a medical facility. Meanwhile, in its latest COVID-19 dashboard the Health Ministry recorded 94 new infections, bringing the
total number of confirmed cases to 37,184. The dashboard also shows that there are 13 patients admitted into the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 60 persons in institutional isolation, 1,818 in home isolation, and 4 in institutional quarantine. To date, a total of 34,322 persons have recovered from the virus.
Health Ministry records over 60,000... From page 8 describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose [blood sugar], either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body's cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both. As part of the MOH efforts to combat this dreadful disease, Ms. Beaton explained that the Association
is currently working towards bringing into being an initiative to educate people. She also highlighted that the GDA is supported by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the Ministry of Public Health's Chronic Diseases Unit. “I think COVID-19 did a blessing because we are now meeting almost every week. Patients coming to us and from the patients visiting us
more often, we are able to carry on education of them. But remember we are central, we are in Georgetown. [So] it's mostly Georgetown you get out of the other Regions; like twice per month they will come to my professional office, and visit us,” she said. Meanwhile, Ms. Beaton stated that moves are focused on helping diabetics to control their [food] portions.
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Foreign Pilots who landed here illegally fined $11 million, to face jail time The twin-engine Piper Seneca plane the pilots used to land at an airstrip in Mahdia.
T
he two foreign pilots that allegedly landed in Guyana illegally were yesterday slapped with four additional charges and they were fined a total of $11 million each and will also face jail time. The men, David Caicedo Villa, 32, of Villavicencio, Colombia, and Gustavo Adolfo Riascos Gomez, 48, of Tachira San Cristobal, Venezuela, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. The men pleaded guilty to the following charges: interference with an aircraft, operating an aircraft in a negligent manner, operating an aircraft without insurance, and operating a civil
aircraft without an airworthiness certificate. They were fined: $3M or two years imprisonment, $3M or two years imprisonment, $5M or three years imprisonment and also sentenced to two years, respectively. Earlier this month, when the duo made their first court appearance, they were slapped with two charges: unauthorized entry and illegal possession of two grams of cannabis. Kaieteur News reported on November 6, that investigators explained that when they received reports of the airstrip landing incident, a party of policemen was dispatched to the area. The plane was found in front of
the Trans Guyana's hanger, and the men were standing at the head of the aircraft talking to the security guard and ramp attendant. When confronted by the police, one of the men, speaking in English reportedly said: “We are lost, we cam e f r o m Ve n e z u e l a a n d g o i n g t o l o o k f o r gold”. It was reported that the aircraft contained three 15-gallon drums – two of which contained fuel suspecte d t o b e s m u g g l e d – o n e h a m m o c k w i t h n etting, one bag containing clothing, and personal effects. Also found was a black bag with identification cards documents, one Garmin GPS, one Iridium Phone, one Icom radio set,
The defendants on their first court appearance. one spot trace device, one ear piece, one lighter, one torchlight, one Motorola phone, one Samsung phone, one wallet, one knife, two wrist watches, two phone chargers,
two grams of suspected cannabis, and some bamboo wrap. The items have been lodged with the police, and the aircraft is currently under guard.
Illegal open burning Taxi driver drops home of garbage can lead 'dead' passenger to jail time, fines- GFS …tell daughter mom is ill The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) stated that it received several reports of garbage and grass fires in various parts of the country, and it is urging citizens to desist from openly burning heaps of garbage or grass. If these fires do occur, they should never be left unattended as they pose the potential to spread and become major fire emergencies. Persons desirous of using fire as a method of land clearing, or for any other purpose, must obtain permission from the GFS before proceeding further. Meanwhile, the GFS explained that controlling and preventing grass fires should follow, as stated below: – Do not throw cigarette or cigar butts on the ground or out of a vehicle. Dispose of them properly and make sure they are completely extinguished. – Be mindful of parking cars, trucks or recreational vehicles on dry grass or shrubs. Exhaust systems on
Scene of the aftermath
vehicles can reach a temperature of more than 1000 degrees; it only takes about 500 degrees to start a fire during the dry season. – Parents should emphasize to their children the dangers of playing with fire, as some grass fires are started by children, who have no idea how quickly flames can grow and spread. – Keep a shovel, bucket of water, fire extinguisher, or
other fire suppression tools on hand. The GFS further explained that the burning of waste can result in the release of highly toxic pollutants into your home and environment. Finally, persons should also note that the illegal open burning of garbage attracts a fine of $80,000 to $300,000 and perpetrators can face up to three months imprisonment.
Es s equibo P olice are currently investigating a case where a taxi driver on Monday last allegedly dropped home a 'dead passenger'. The dead passenger is 52-year-old Indira Lall of Affiance, Essequibo Coast, Region Two. Investigators are treating her death as murder after an autopsy conducted on her remains showed that she died as a result of strangulation. According to reports reaching Kaieteur News at this time, it is believed that the 52year-old security guard was dead when a taxi dropped her home on Monday afternoon. Her daughter, Reshma Lall, said that when the taxi arrived at the family's home, the driver called out for them. “I was home, and I heard the taxi man blowing in front my house, when I gone out he said 'yuh mother ain't feel good, she want go to the hospital.” Reshma continued that when she looked into the car, she noticed that her mother was in the front passenger side, sitting motionless. “When I open the car door, she was lifeless, when I watch there was froth coming out from her mouth and nose, when I asked him what happened to her, he said that she said she isn't feeling well, and she wants to go to the hospital… eventually my husband used his car, because the taxi driver said that his lights not working.” she told Kaieteur News. When they arrived at the hospital, doctors
The passenger that was dropped home 'dead' by taxi, Indira Lall
there officially pronounced her mom dead. Police have since taken the taxi driver into custody, as part of its investigations into Lall's death. The family related that their only plea at this time is for justice to prevail. “What really happened we don't know, because the postmortem is showing that she was strangled, she worked as a security guard for 10 years and she has a clean record, she wasn't even suffering with any sickness… all we want at this time is for justice to take its course”, Reshma said.
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GTT launches $30 million Christmas campaign
Telecommunications giant, Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) yesterday launched its annual Christmas Campaign, where its customers during this holiday season will have the chance to win up to $30 million in cash and prizes. GTT’s Christmas promotions, which kick started yesterday, will run up to January 8, 2022. It was launched at the Pegasus Hotel under the theme “Together we celebrate”.Delivering remarks at the event was the Chief Operating Officer of Business Solutions, Orson Ferguson, who expressed the importance of its $30 million campaign during the holiday season. “Christmas is a special time of year, and with GTT this
is no exception. In fact, despite 2021 having been one of the most challenging years in recent memory, Christmas gives us reason for celebration, and reason to hope for a brighter tomorrow, together. That being said, it is our tradition to show our appreciation for our fellowman, including all of you here, and especially our valued customers, by coming together to share gifts of our own. This year, GTT will share a package of very tangible gifts of millions of dollars in cash and prizes with our valued customers; current and future, giving us all, together, the opportunity to celebrate,” he explained. Ferguson further emphasized the importance of their service and what it means to
Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Business Solutions, Orson Ferguson and COO for Home and Fixed Unit, Eshwar Thakurdin at the launch yesterday. their customers. “Our customers are central to our philosophy of service, and so we continue to
be laser-focused on meeting and surpassing their expectations of reliable connectivity. In this regard, we have mobi-
lized our senior management team to reach out to customers across all regions, to hear and address their concerns. Going forward into the New Year 2022, customers can certainly look forward to GTT fulfilling more on its promises to reliably connect customers, strengthen our community and innovate for all of Guyana,” the COO highlighted. Giving a detailed insight into what GTT’s $30 million Christmas campaign is all about was the COO for the Home and Fixed Unit, Eshwar Thakurdin. According to Mr. Thakurdin, customers will receive free accessories with their purchase of selected phones along with free gigabytes of data, one-month free fibre and free installation
Youths perpetrating majority of crimes By Shervin Belgrave The Guyana Police (GPF) has noted that youths have been perpetrating the majority of the serious crimes for this year. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum, during his presentation at last Monday’s virtual launch of the GPFs Christmas posture (anticrime plans) stated that to date, a total of 68 persons below the age of 25 have been charged for committing serious crimes. Kaieteur News in seeking some greater clarity asked him yesterday if it might be a fact that youths have been perpetrating most of the crimes in 2021. Blanhum’s response was “Indeed, a vast majority of the perpetrators are young persons within the above age range”. According to the Crime
Chief, he is concerned about this especially when youths ages 17, 18, and 19 are being charged. In his presentation he said, “This [is] something we need to address urgently, we cannot continue to lockup persons and hope that this is going to solve the crime problem”. Blanhum stated that he believes that the youths are being influenced by social media and hardened criminals to choose a life of crime. In order to stop this trend, the Crime Chief suggested that it would be helpful for households to improve their family life so as to positively influence youths in the home. Recently Kaieteur News had reported extensively on the brutal murder of a prominent doctor, Colin Roach, by two teenage boys. It was a crime that gained nationwide attention. But
Teenagers, Oliver Junior Franklin and Lenrick Mosai Byass, who confessed to murdering prominent Guyanese doctor, Colin Roach. what was more heartrending to Guyanese was that two teens, 18-year-old Lenrick Mosai Byass and 19 year-old-
Oliver Junior Franklin, confessed to killing the doctor. Franklin said that he had murdered Roach in self-de-
fence, while Byass pointed out that it was a planned robbery that had gone totally wrong. It was revealed, too, that one of the motives behind the robbery that ended in murder was to raise funds, so that Franklin could buy himself a car. However, they were caught and if they are found guilty, there is a possibility that they might spend the rest of their years behind bars. They are not the only ones who might face this grim fate. On Friday, November 5, a 16-year old juvenile and an 18year-old man, Navindra Sugrim, were remanded for playing a role in the murder of Trevor Alleyne on October 31. Alleyne was reportedly beaten, stabbed, and chopped to death by four men close to 21:00hrs on that date.
on new signups and more during various radio programs. “Eligibility applies to all of our customers paying a bill in full and on time in stores and by the MMG and MyGTT apps; customers topping up their mobiles with $1000 or more; customers signing up for GTT fibre, or purchasing reduced handsets and SIM from GTT,” he related. The company also highlighted that this year, it will introduce a new element to share its Christmas cheer with customers in Regions Three, Four, Six and Ten, through an exciting caravan in the streets. Customers are encouraged to look out for the GTT caravan to win prizes from November 20- December 22.
- Crime Chief GPF
Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum One of the suspects ended his own life, while the rest were apprehended. These are just four youths, who have been charged for a serious offence in 2021.
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Hetmyers, KSM Investments, Bakewell... From page 27 contribution to the club which would almost cover the cost of the food hampers project, while KSM Inc and Bakewell contributed a combined five hundred thousand dollars which was used to purchase toys from China Trading. Bakewell also contributed one hundred thousand dollars worth of inflatable characters towards the Christmas Village. Navin and Sons also contributed financially towards the toys drive. Overseas based Raj Bharrat of the Florida Guyana Hope NGO also contributed financially along with overseas based medical doctors Puran Singh and Tulsi Dyal Singh.
Foster expressed thanks to Shimron Hetmyer for his contribution and hailed him for his support of charity causes and also to the development of cricket in the Ancient County. Thanks were also extended to Mahadeo Panchu of KSM Inc, Rajin Ganga of Bakewell and Navin Deokissoon of Navin and Sons. The long serving Secretary/CEO also disclosed that the club has been able to clinch a sponsorship deal to assist hundreds of less fortunate students with educational materials, while several others would receive bicycles. The club would assist several Non Government Organisations with food ham-
pers and toys in an effort to reach across the county. Donations would also be made to the St Mary Anglican Church and St Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church along with several orphanages. The club would also be sponsoring a Christmas Concert and a feeding programme at St Francis, which played a major part in its formation in 1990. The twelve teams of the RHTYSC are Poonai Under 12 and 13, Farfan and Mendes under 15, Bakewell Under 17 and second division, Pepsi under 19 and intermediate, Metro females, Vitality under 23 along with Namilco Thunder Flour under 21 and first division.
Saturday November 20, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Issues of love and romance may be climactic now. You may be in a relationship phase approaching a major turn in the road. Perhaps there's a sudden breakdown in communication. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You may be drawn to someone because of the things you share in common. You both appreciate art, music, and romantic dinners, but this person may not be a good permanent mate for you. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Love and romance are in your favor even though roadblocks may keep you from taking full advantage of the situation. You're being much too picky about the type of person you seek. CANCER(June21–July22) If things begin to stir, change, or fluctuate in love and romance, your first impulse is to overreact. This is probably the opposite of what you should do. Instead of quickly jumping to conclusions, you should sit back and let things slowly unfold. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) When it comes to topics of love and romance, your feelings continue to be intercepted by words and opinions from others. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Certain areas of your life are expanding rapidly, causing you to lose touch with the more romantic aspects. The more you reach out in one d i r e c t i o n , t h e m o r e d eprived you feel in the opposite direction.
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LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) The time has come for you to take charge in matters of love and romance. This isn't often the case for you who normally like to let others take the lead in this department. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You may be taking a back-seat approach when it comes to love and romance. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, this kind of attitude works to your advantage. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Love may become more sensual. You should consider new ways in which to pamper your special someone. There may be gossip associated with your relationship that turns you off at first, but don't let that get in the way. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Your mind may be in an expansive mode now. Many things should be working for you. Your flexibility and ability to juggle many things at once should make tasks that require these talents a breeze. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Don't give up on finding the romantic partner of your dreams, because now is your chance. . Don't be surprised if a bit of friction keeps you from jumping into the situation with both feet. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Be careful about declaring your love for someone when you haven't spent enough time with him or her to make that call. You may base this impulse on superficial encounters and brief conversations.
Dottin scores 101 as West Indies Women...
Uprising Entertainment Tapeball set for tomorrow
From page 24 West Indies vs Sri Lanka, Old Hararians November 29 – West Indies vs Netherlands, Sunrise Cricket Club ICC WOMEN’S CRICKET WORLD CUP QUALIFIER 2021 – SUPER6 FIXTURES December 1: Super 6 Match 21 - Old Hararians Super 6 Match 22 - Harare Sports Club Super 6 Match 23 - Sunrise Cricket Club December 3: Super 6 Match 24 - Old Hararians Super 6 Match 25 -Harare Sports Club Super 6 Match 26 - Sunrise Cricket Club December 5: Super 6 Match 27 - Old Hararians Super 6 Match 28 - Harare Sports Club Super 6 Match 29 - Sunrise Cricket Club All matches start at 9:30am local time, 3:30am Eastern Caribbean time, 2:30am Jamaica time.
Uprising Entertainment will be hosting a Tapeball competition tomorrow at the National Cultural Centre and Durban Park tarmac. At stake are trophies and cash prizes. Among the teams set to battle are Pritipaul Establishment, V Net, Specialist, Craig, Eccles, Corruption, Texila University,
GWI, Bank of Guyana, Supreme Brawlers, LBI, Short Boss, Guyana Beverage, Sterling Products and National Milling Company. Teams can contact James ‘Uprising’ Lewis on 625-9007 for registration. The competition is being sponsored by Trophy Stall and Star Party Rentals.
AP Invitational set for June 18... From page 25 Invitational saw 11 athletes, all from overseas, qualifying for the Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil. Pompey, who is now the head coach at St John’s University, noted the event’s cancellation would’ve not only affected local athletes with Olympic aspirations, but also those from the Americas and the Caribbean, since many would have had the AP Invitational on their calendar as a qualifying event for Tokyo. In February of 2020, AP Invitational was announced
by World Athletics as part of its structured World Athletics Continental Tour. World Athletics had stated that the impetus for creating the Continental Tour was to provide more competition and earning opportunities for more athletes. At the 2018 AP Invitational, Kirani James, the 2012 Olympic Champion, 2016 Olympic silver medallist and 2020 Bronze medallist, clocked 44.99 seconds to not only win the ‘AP’ Invitational 400 metres, but also set the NTFC track record.
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Saturday November 20, 2021
Dottin scores 101 as West Indies Women crush Thailand by 151 runs in final warm-up match HARARE, ZimbabweWest Indies Women head into the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier on a winning note after defeating Thailand women by 151 runs in their warm-up match at the Sunrisers Sports Club ground in Harare. West Indies Women posted 230-6 from their 50 overs, with Thailand Women replying with 79 all out in 36.3 overs. The West Indies Women owed their score to Deandra Dottin, who scored 101 and Hayley Matthews, who contributed with 57.
Onnicha Kamchomphu took 2-26, while Suleeporn Laomi returned figures of 237. Thailand were never in the hunt, despite Chanida Sutthiruang’s 37. Sornnarin Tippoch was the next best scorer with nine as Shakera Selman took 2-1 and Aaliyah Alleyne 2-9 proved too much for the opposing batters. Naturally, Head Coach Courtney Walsh was pleased with the outcome ahead of the first match on November 23 against Ireland. “It was good to get in a
practice match in Zimbabwe to get accustomed to the conditions. The ladies went out and did what was required,” he said. “Deandra and Hayley had good knocks, so it’s good to see the runs continuing from over from Pakistan. We gave all the bowlers a chance to get a feel of the pitch here in Zimbabwe. It was important to get match practice as Papua New Guinea pulled out so we are short one game.” Walsh believes winning the series against Pakistan 3-
0 and overwhelming Thailand will boost the confidence of his players. “Once you keep winning you’re going to keep having confidence. We left Pakistan pretty confidently and it’s important to keep that momentum and not taking anything for granted,” he said. “Obviously, this was just a practice game but the win is important for team morale and then we have a few days before we start the competition, so it’s good to get that win under our belts.” The West Indies Women
will continue their training schedule for the next three days before they bow into World Cup qualifying action. Scores: West Indies Women 230/6 (50 overs) Deandra Dottin 101 Onnicha Kamchomphu 6-026-2 Hayley Matthews 57 Suleeporn Laomi 8-0-37-2 Thailand Women - 79 all out (36.3 overs) Chanida Sutthiruang 37 - Shakera Selman 2-1-1-2 Sornnarin Tippoch 9 Aaliyah Alleyne 5-2-9-2
ICC WOMEN’S CRICKET WORLD CUP QUALIFER 2021 GROUPS Group A: West Indies, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands Group B: Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Zimbabwe, USA ICC WOMEN’S CRICKET WORLD CUP QUALIFER 2021 – WEST INDIES WOMEN GROUP A FIXTURES. November 23 – West Indies vs Ireland, Old Hararians November 27 – (Continued on page 23)
Saturday November 20, 2021
AP Invitational set for June 18 Yesterday, Guyanese Olympian and organiser of the Aliann Pompey Invitational (API), Aliann Pompey, announced that the fifth edition of the International Track and Field event will now be held on June 18, 2022, at the National Track and Field Centre (NTFC), Leonora. This comes after the event that was set to be hosted on June 19 this year, had to be cancelled, citing the effects of the global crisis caused by the coronavirus, and the nonapproval from Guyana’s COVID-19 Task Force. “All of our previous sponsors have already committed to the event,” Pompey said in an invited comment, while adding, “...we’re looking forward to
welcoming the fans and the international, as well as local athletes, to the Leonora Stadium, on June 18th, 2022.” The four-time Olympian a n d G u y a n a ’ s Commonwealth Games 400m gold and silver medallist, saw the event, which started in 2016, like most sport events in 2020, postponed because of COVID-19. This year ’s AP Invitational was seen as the ‘gateway to Tokyo’, since it was scheduled to be the last resort for local, regional and international athletes who were seeking qualification to the July 23-August 3 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. The inaugural AP (Continued on page 23)
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
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Saturday November 20, 2021
Australia cricket captain resigns after “sexting” scandal
A
P - Tim Paine took over the Australian test cricket team captaincy following one of the country’s biggest and most embarrassing international scandals. He’s lost it following a more personal indiscretion. Paine quit as test captain yesterday after being investigated by Cricket Australia for sending explicit text messages to a female co-worker four years ago. Veteran wicketkeeper Paine was named in a News Corp. report as being at the center of the sexting scandal. The 36-year-old Paine
appeared before media yesterday in Adelaide to announce he was resigning the captaincy but wanted to remain a member of the test squad. The announcement comes less than three weeks before the Dec. 8 start in Brisbane of the five-test Ashes series against England. Paine, who underwent surgery in September to repair a pinched nerve in his neck and isn’t a certainty to be a starter in the Ashes series, became test captain in March 2018 after Steve Smith lost the role following the sandpaper balltampering scandal in South
Africa. “ I t ’s a n i n c r e d i b l y difficult decision, but the right one for me, my family, and cricket,” Paine said. “As a background on my decision, nearly four years ago, I was involved in a text exchange with a thencolleague. “At the time, the exchange was the subject of a thorough CA integrity unit investigation, throughout which I fully participated in and openly participated in. Although exonerated, I deeply regretted this incident at the time, and still do today.” The messages date to 2017, months before Paine
was recalled to the test team after a seven-year absence. C r i c k e t A u s t r a l i a ’s statement said its board had accepted Paine’s resignation and will look to appoint a new test captain. “Tim felt it was in the best interests of his family and Australian cricket to take this decision to step down as captain,” CA board chairman Richard Freudenstein said. “While the board acknowledges an investigation cleared Tim of any breach of the code of conduct regarding this matter some years ago, we respect his decision. “CA does not condone this type of language or b e h a v i o r. D e s p i t e t h e mistake he made, Tim has
been an exceptional leader since his appointment and the board thanks him for his distinguished service.” Cricket Australia said Paine “will continue to be available for selection in the test team through the Ashes summer.” He was among the 15 players named earlier this week for the Ashes. Paine said at the media conference that he thought the matter had been dealt with several years ago. “I spoke to my wife and family at the time and am enormously grateful for their forgiveness and support,” Paine said. “We thought this incident was behind us and that I could focus entirely on the team, as I have done for the last three or four years.
“However, I recently became aware that this private text exchange was going to become public.” Paine said he didn’t want the scandal to become “an unwelcome disruption to the team ahead of what is a huge Ashes series.” Paine has played 35 tests for Australia, taking 150 catches behind the stumps. He has scored 1,534 runs at an average of 32.63 with a high score of 92 and nine half-centuries. Pat Cummins is now favored to become the first fast bowler to assume the full-time captaincy of the test team, although once sandpaper-tainted Steve Smith’s name has also been mentioned.
Guyanese Boxers can win medals if they perform to their best Blake says Jackman don’t have females to test her locally By Sean Devers Youth boxers Travis Inverary, Patrick Harvey and Alesha Jackman have gained spots at the Junior Pan Am Games scheduled for November 25 to December 5 in Cali, Colombia and are scheduled to depart these shores on November 23. Inverary and Jackman, rated as the best female Junior Boxer in the Caribbean, will compete in the 69kg class, while Harvey will do battle in the 63kg class. The trio are a part of Guyana’s contingent at the Games, which caters for U23 athletes in the Americas and were engaged in a threeweek Camp held at the
Andrew ‘six head’ Lewis Gym in Albouystown and the Guyana Defence Force Boxing Gym at C a m p Ayanganna. Each of young Boxers received a $100,000 stipend from the GOA to spend during their training in Guyana or when they get to Colombia. The camp was also attended by T&T’s pugilist Juan Rodriguez and his Coach, Kirt Sinnette and Coaches Sebert Blake, Sinnette and former Guyana Boxer Joseph Murray were the trainers. Coach Blake, the Coach of Olympian Keevin Allicock, provided his views on the Camp as it winds down to its conclusion. “I am satisfied with the work they put in and with the preparation and I am hopeful that they can be successful. I expect them to go out there and give their best performance and if perform at their best I expect them to bring back a few medals for Guyana from the games,” Blake said. Blake is also Jackman’s coach and he assessed her chances in Colombia. “She is very young and always leaning…this is a
Sebert Blake shows off his Coaching Certificate.
learning process for her. I hope she goes out there and do her best and if she can do that she should do well. Every day she shows improvement from day one. Her biggest challenge is that she doesn’t have females to compete with locally but then again we have to go out there and see what she can do in this competition. This is a higher level of competition than she is accustomed to so I hope she can continue being as successful as she has been in previous tournaments,” says Blake. The Guyana Boxing A s s o c i a t i o n ’s ( G B A ) Technical Director and National Boxing Coach Te r r e n c e P o o l e w i l l accompany the trio to the high altitude South American Nation.
Kaieteur News
Saturday November 20, 2021
Hetmyers, KSM Investments, Bakewell on board with RHTYSC, KSM Inc representative MS Christmas Seukumar Panchu hands over the cheque to Hilbert Foster. Programme
The victorious All Season Racing Service accept their prizes from Barbara Marshall (L).
All Season Racing Service are Barbara Marshall dominoes champs All Season Racing Service were crowned champions of the Barbara Marshall birth anniversary dominoes competition which concluded on Monday night last at Dynasty. All Season Racing Service made 86 games to win the final ahead of C 6 with 76 and Executive with 67. Ronald Naidoo marked 17 games, while Amanda
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Singh and Narine Singh scored 15 each, Sultan Rooplall 14, Ron Callender 13 games and Raymond Alli 12 games for the winners. C6 Domino were led by Claire Benjamin and Sheron Jerome with 16 games each, while Ann Thompson scored 14 games and Alverene Jaundoo 12 games. Selwyn Prescott scored 16, Kabie Ali 12 and Colin
McEwan 12 games apiece for Executive. The MVP from All S e a s o n D o m i n o Te a m Ronald Naidoo, MVP from C6 Sheron Jerome and MVP from Executive Selwyn Prescott all received prizes. The winning team took home a trophy and $200,000, runner up a trophy and $100,000 and third place a trophy and $70,000.
Runner UP C6 dominoes team.
Legends MVP Yusuf pleased with performance
Natasha Bhikhari hands over a financial donation to Hilbert Foster.
T
he plans of the twelve cricket teams of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club to make a positive difference in the lives of the less fortunate during the upcoming Christmas season, this week received a major boost as several donors and sponsors came on board. The teams would be hosting twelve different activities during the 1st to 24th of December including the distribution of one thousand food hampers, seven thousand toys, one thousand Christmas breakfasts, educational materials, cycles and special
festive season packages to single parent households. The club would also be hosting the seventh edition of its popular Christmas Village under very strict covid 19 guidelines. During the last week, the club received financial assistance from major donors -West Indies player Shimron Hetmyer and his wife Nirvani, Bakewell, KSM Inc and Navin and Sons Construction. Additionally, the teams have also received assistance from several overseas friends as it set up preparation for the festive season. Club Secretary/CEO
Hilbert Foster stated that preparation for the 32nd edition of the charity programme has been very difficult as the cost of grocery and toys have sky rocketed over the last few months due to the world wide shipping problem. He noted for example that a toy car which cost four hundred dollars in 2020 is now priced at fifteen hundred, while a bottle of oil which was $340 is now $560. He however committed the club and its teams to assisting as much as possible. The Hetmyers handed over a very significant (Continued on page 19)
DVA Senior tourney on tomorrow at Sports Hall
Unnis Yusuf accepts his MVP prize from Telesha Ousman Yamin. Regal Legend’s allrounder Unnis Yusuf said he is happy with his performance in recently concluded Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc Prime Minister’s T20 Cup. Yusuf copped the MVP award in the over-50 division after scoring 181 runs with a highest score of 96 and picked up six wickets as Regal Legends defeated
Wellman by 92 runs to retain their title. Yusuf also won the MVP in the New York over -50 league in July last, he is the only player to achieve the feat so far in this category. Speaking with Kaieteur Sport Yusuf said it’s all about experience and application. “I must thank God and I am happy to help my team retain the title,” he added.
Yusuf said he puts the team first and it’s just a matter of just self confidence. “The players supported each other and gel well, it’s important to be comfortable within the team and have a positive mind set. I just go out there and try to give it my best shot,” he said. Yusuf thanked his family and team mates and for the support.
Play between PMTC (right) and Eagles in the final of the North Nation Inc Championship last month. (C. Chapman) Volleyball continues to be one of the more active sports locally of recent and players will not be short of action this weekend when the Demerara Volleyball Association (DVA) hosts their Senior Tournament at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) on Homestretch Avenue tomorrow from 09:00hrs. The one-day tournament will feature four teams namely, Eagles Volleyball Club, Young Achievers Volleyball Club,
Castrol Strikers and Bartica Warriors Volleyball Club and the tournament is being played under the theme, “Taking Volleyball to Higher Heights in Demerara.” This event follows closely on the heels of the inaugural Power Zone championship organised by North Nation Inc. in late October where Port Mourant Training Center of Berbice walked about with a total of $150,000 in cash prizes.