Kaieteur News

Govt. to invite proposals to market Payara crude after startup

The Government ofGuyana(GoG) plans to invite proposals to market the country's crude oil from its third project, Payara, after it commences production activities.

ThisisaccordingtoVice President Bharrat Jagdeo who during his press conference on Thursday at Freedom House, Robb Street, Georgetown explained that the Ministry ofNaturalResources(MNR) only invited proposals to market the resources produced at Liza One and Liza Two, since those contracts were coming to an endsoon.

Oil production at the Payaraprojectisexpectedto

start up before year end. Government has been tip lipped on when exactly first oil could be expected however, S&P Global, a distinguished consultancy group in a recent report indicated that oil from this project could commence loadingbyNovember2023.

Itsaidthattwo1-millionbarrel shipments of Payara are scheduled for loading in November Notably, one of the Payara cargo loadings, scheduledforNovember1011, is a collaborative effort among the Stabroek joint venturepartners.Thesecond Payaracargo,setforloading on November 20-21, will be handled by ExxonMobil Guyana.

VP Jagdeo said at his

Thursday press conference that he did not want to speculate the startup date of the project, lest delays earn himanegativearticle.

Meanwhile, as it regards the market of the Payara crude oil, he said, “It's the startup, so you may have to (wait)becauseofthestartup, it's not available as yet…the contract will expire shortly, from what I am told, the contract will expire very soon for the existing marketing arrangements, so they probably have to get that and then go out when Payara comes on stream, go out separately for another requestforproposal.”

In April this year, the

Production Storage and

Offloading (FPSO) vessel arrived in Guyana. This is thecountry'sthirdFPSOand largesttodate.

It will produce around 220,000barrelsofoilperday during its initial phase and was constructed to store a totaloftwomillionbarrelsof oil. The vessel was constructed by Dutch ship builder,SBMOffshore.

Presently,twoFPSOsare operational in the Stabroek Block, including the Liza DestinyandLizaUnity The Liza Destiny produced its first oil in December 2019, followed by the startup of Liza Two in February 2022 bytheLizaUnity Currently, the production rate stands at over380,000barrelsperday Exxon anticipates that the

addition of the Prosperity vessel will boost daily production to around 600,000 barrels per day by 2024. The company stated,

“Installation campaigns are ongoing and development drilling is underway to support Prosperity's start-up laterthisyear.”

Govt. to go after assets of convicts acquired during life of crime - AG

A Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara man is currently hospitalised nursing a damaged lung, after his common law wife who was formerly his stepdaughter allegedly stabbed himseveraltimesabouthisbodylatelastweek.

Themanwouldhavesomeyearsagolivedinacommon law relationship with the young lady's mother The now youngadultwasateenthenandtherewerereportsofsexual relationsbetweenthemandatonepoint,theWelfareDepart had to intervene. The man's immediate family members confirmedthatoneofhislungswasdamaged.

Kaieteur News was told that after the passing of her mother and the stress that came with it, the then teen was admitted to the Psychiatric Ward for some time before the thenstepfathergotherout.Afterherrelease,shewenttolive with the man and their relationship changed routes. Accordingtoresidents,theyoungwomanhadalwaysshowed signsofmentalinstabilitysinceherrelease,withoneperson recountinganincidentwhereshewouldhavejumpedintothe Burma Canal in an attempt to take her own life. Publicspirited citizens rushed to rescue her and shortly after she accusedoneofthemoffondlingher Theyoungmandenied theallegationssayinghewasjusttryingtohelp.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall on Monday signaled government will be placing a greater emphasis on civil forfeitureandwillgoaftertheassetsof convictsacquiredfromalifeofcrime.

He was at the time addressing a gatheringattheopeningoftheRegional SecuritySystem(RSS)AssetRecovery Unit (ARU) andAsset RecoveryWork ShopforJudicialOfficers.

The AG said, “If you look at the programme that is before us, you will obviously recognise a deep emphasis on civilforfeitureand on areassuch as crypto currency and those issues now emerginginthefinancialsectoraspart offinancialinvestigation.”

Hewentontosaythatinthepastata supposed philosophical and policy level“therewasn'tmuchfocusoncivil forfeiture- persons charged with criminaloffences,gothroughthecourt

and the focus has always been to convict for the offences charged, and not necessarily pursue available remedies in terms of going after the assets that may have been acquired from proceeds of crime or that particularoffencebeforethecourts.”

Nandlalladmittedthatindeedthere was not much legislative backing and the “Forfeiture Laws” reside in the Customs Act and to some extent the NarcoticsPsychotropicSubstancesAct a 1988 legislation, while the Customs Actisprobablypre-independence.

“We had quite a dated statutory regime for Civil Forfeiture that has since changed, as the Executive DirectoroftheRSSpointedout.

Last August, just a couple of months ago I piloted through the National Assembly a very comprehensive regime of Civil Forfeiture provisions, as part of our

AMLCFTamendmentactof2023.”

The AG thanked the RSSARU for their significant contributions in helping the government to craft the legislation relevant to this regime. Saying that government will now have to orient themselves from a policy perspective and then they will have to undergo training to ensure that they knowhowtoapproachwhathebelieves isafairlynewareaofthelaw

A mutual assessment was recently completed by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force and civil forfeiture wasflaggedforattention.

The AG wasted no time when the opportunity presented itself to host the RegionalSecurity System (RSS)Asset Recovery Unit (ARU) and Asset Recovery Work Shop for Judicial Officers workshop in getting things underwayasgovernmenthopestobuild capacity

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

Man who made stepdaughter his wife on life-support after she stabbed him

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS

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

Israel - a state of war

ThehopeisthatthevolatileseathatisthePalestinearea calmsdownquickly Thepotentialforadescentintoafull conflagrationisever-present,analwaystooshortandswift step that is within reach in the Israeli-Palestinian tragedy Already, Israel’s Prime Minister has sounded the alarm followingtherocketbombardment,lossoflife,destruction, and hostages taken. Benjamin Netanyahu’s alarm is an ominousone:thisisastateofwar

Therewillbeallmannerofinterpretations,connections, andconclusionsinsideofIsrael,giventhesophisticationand broad-based coordination of the surprise attack. There are shadesofthe1973YomKippur(October6)War,andwhat has followed in the Middle East since. Now, in October 2023,withtheworldangryandedgy,givenUkraine,Saudi Arabia’s new realignment and axis of interest, there is the high risk of the Israeli-Hamas (Palestinian) crisis descending into a catastrophe. The memories are too long andbitter,thereciprocalpunishmentsinflictedtoosavaging, and the old codes of masculine virility and historical vengeance too prevalent, ever close to the simmering surface.

Itisacongestedspace,withtoomanyclosedminds. The concern is that this has all the worrying elements of what maynotlimititselftothepresentadversariesnowlockedin remorselessbattle. Inthenarrowrangeofthinking,thedeep reservoirs of lethal prejudices, it is inevitable that the weaponry,themachinery,andthestrategyofHamas,Israel’s invaders and despoilers, are all going to be traced to other placesintheregion. TheswornenemyofIsrael,Iran,could beidentifiedasbeingbehindthisultimateprovocation. Ina relationshipwhereanger,enmity,andanimosityareawelltravelled two-way street, there is danger on a scale beyond theconfinesofcombatantsandthegeographicalarea. The potentialformatterstotakeadeadlyturn,alifeofitsown,is veryimminent,onenottobediscounted.

Tocompoundanalreadycomplexsituation,Iranisnow linked to Russia and Vladimir Putin, who has his own register of enemies, those who thwart his dreams of a resurgentRussia. Matterscouldreallygetoutofhand,with lines drawn and sides taken, and what started out as Palestiniansrightsandsufferingsgettinglostinthefallouts frombiggerevents. Thosewhohavebeenpatientlywaiting, absorbingoneblowandinsultafteranother,maybeitching to unleash pent-up pressures The confluence of developments and circumstances could not have been unhealthier,moreunnerving.

ItsohappensthatGuyanaisnowanoilproducerofnote. WheneverthereisadevelopmentintheMiddleEast,especially inthealwaysroilingIsraeli-Palestinian-Gazasector,theeyesof the world turn to oil, and remain fixed there Tensions mean tighteningsupplies,andalreadytightsuppliescanresultinprices rocketingthroughtheroof Abarrageofthousandsofrockets givesthesparktooilpricesrocketingupwards.Onemention of the word blockade and all bets are off, relative to oil prices, inflation’s deep bites, and economic stresses and dislocations. All things equal, the take into Guyana’s Oil Fundwouldbeontheplusside. Butthereisthespecterof the downside, which is a steep rise in prices for just about everythingthatGuyaneseconsume,orhavesomeurgentuse for in one way or the other The rank and file in Guyana are alreadyforcedtoclawtheirwaybytheirnailstokeepgoing daily There has been a gargantuan struggle with prices, a losingoneforGuyaneseleftoutoftheiroilpatrimony Higher priceswouldsweepordinaryGuyaneseofftheirfeet,andit wouldbeasiftheconflictthatissuretorageandintensifyin theMiddleEastwashappeningrighthere,asifthatwarwas beingwagedrighthere.

TheUnitedStateshasamajorroletoplay,andithastobe one that projects a balanced expression of its power. Caution must be exercised so that overreaction does not become the order of the day The world is now walking a very fine line. Though a world away geographically, the impacteconomicallycouldbethewoesdealtwithhere.

Oil Shares to Guyana and EMGL

DEAREDITOR, According to a Bank of Guyana Report, the share of Total Revenue that Guyana received for profit oil and royalty between January 2020 and June 2023 is US$2.68 billion. And from thisamount,itcanbederived that total Revenue (TR) is US$18.47 billion, the total cost recovery is US$13.85 billion,andtheshareoftotal revenue captured by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) is US$15.79billion(Table1).

Since EMGL’s share of total revenue is US$15.79 billionandthecapitalcostof Liza 1 and 2 is US$9.5 billion, it is therefore very clear that the total capital cost of Liza 1 and 2 have alreadybeenfullyrecouped, leaving a balance US$6.29 billion. With such a large balance(US$6.29billion),it is posited that after subtracting the operating cost (currently unknown) from US$6 29 billion, EMGLwill still have a very healthy positive balance

ThiswillallowEMGL,Hess and CNOOC to go laughing allthewaytothebank;keep their shareholders happy withhighreturns;accelerate oil extraction from new wells, given that no ring fencing exists; and build an exit strategy that by-passes allregulation,soastoensure that only zero dollars in assets are identified at the endoftheproject.

In the meantime, instead of investing in human development projects, poor Guyana will be spending

some of its 14.5 percent (US$267 billion) on the following items: paying auditors’ fees; absurdly paying EMGL taxes to the Guyana Revenue Authority, and issuing fake receipts to EMGL; paying EMGL and Guyana lawyers’ fees for Arbitration sessions outside of Guyana; and hoping that there is no environmental disaster, a liability which Guyana will have to pay without a significant contribution from EMGL. So,isthisafairdeal?Would future generations not ridicule us for being poor managers of our oil resources? Policymakers, please reclaim our patrimony, for no company shouldhaveachokeholdona sovereign nation. Wake-up GuyanabeforetheOilWells intheStabroekrundry!

Meanwhile, it should be noted that even without knowing how many barrels of oil have been extracted, theaveragecostofabarrelof oil is known. For instance, theTotalCost(TC)incurred isequalto0.75PQ,whereP isthepriceofabarrelofoil, andQisthenumberof

(Continuedonpage06)

PSAprovide for renegotiation: PresidentAli has to comprehend it

DearEditor

There is a clause in the contract that deals with the subject of renegotiation. To paraphrase:itsaysitcanonly be done with the agreement ofbothparties.

How does one party (GoG) secure the agreement of the other (Exxon)? Robin Singh(SN,Oct8th)saysyou must have “bargaining chips” to induce Exxon to agree One lawyer says, “WhywouldExxonagreeto anything, if it has to give up billionsofdollars?”

President Ali has expressed his views twice. First time - You do not renegotiate with an Oil Giant, “that is like renegotiating with a Superpower”; (2) Second time, “You have an existing contract. You think that is howithappens.Thatyoucan just walk in one day and decide I had this contract with you. I am changing it now”.

Wedon’tneedexpertsin thefieldofpsychoanalysisto help us comprehend President Ali’s thinking on this matter The words he spoke were simple enough. You do not renegotiate with

superpowers, same with oil giants.Hissecondstatement invites discussion. You do not wake up one morningand decide “I am [going to] changeitnow”.

Well, of course Mr President,itisnotsomething that pops into your head upon waking up one morning. It is a process. Making of national policy Your Cabinet collectively reaches the conclusion that the contract is lopsided in favour of Exxon - too many billions of dollars will be lost/foregone to Exxon Articulating reasons for renegotiation; not reasons not to renegotiate.

Communicating your government’scasetoExxon. Asking for a face-to-face meeting to discuss the fiscal terms you need to renegotiate.

Prepare the case No other PSAaround the world providesforsuchlowroyalty (2%); such high CR (75%); Absence of Ring Fencing; Zerorateprofits’tax.Prepare to negotiate for better terms oneachitem-termsthatare aligned with other standard PSAs.

What happens if Exxon

balks and scoffs at your govt’s request for talks? Do you have options? The Government of Guyana owns the oil resource - and has all the leverages of a sovereign host country Oil expert Tony Paul once advised: “No permits for new wells or oil fields”.

T h e r e i s n o t h i n g

unreasonable about communicating to Exxon that your government intends to exercise these leverages to obtain reasonable fiscal terms for youroilresource.

Obtaining the other party’s agreement can never be: You ask, the other party says no – and you are done.

T h e l i t e r a t u r e o n negotiationstalksaboutalot of jostling, pushing, and shoving between parties

The conscience of the world (expressedintheWSJ,NYT, B l o o m b e r g , U S Congressmen and even the WH, professor at Columbia University) – all know that ExxonisrippingoffGuyana.

Exxon knows that it pressuredTrotmantosignon the dotted line. Exxon is manifestly manipulating the leadersofbothPNCandPPP

governments Exxon has exploited the weak leaders, weak laws, a raciallydivided state - to obtain that contract. Trotman himself says he had been pressured byExxontosign.

The big mistake of the GoGistolaydownafirmNo Renegotiation policy - and then over the past 3 years employing so-called experts (Randy Persaud, Joel Bhagwandin,BharatJagdeo) to articulate reasons against renegotiation. [Why not a nuanced policy that leaves the door open for renegotiation?].

Alistoffalsereasons: Sanctity of contract. Guyana’s PSA specifically provides for renegotiation withconsentofbothparties. Invoking the Sanctity principleisnonsensical.

Joel Bhagwandin confuses renegotiation with Nationalization - and scares the nation: Guyana would enduplikeVenezuela.

U.S. govt would collude with Exxon to oust the Ali/Jagdeogovt,ifitwereto demand renegotiation. This isablatantfalsehood.

TheU.S.governmenthas (Continuedonpage06)

MOA’s NDIAresponds to Opposition MPMahipaul

- cites squatting, access for major Delays in Pump Station Projects

DEAREDITOR

The Ministry of Agriculture’s National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) wishes to respond to an ill-conceived and uninformed missive in the Kaieteur News titled “Mahipaul calls on NDIA CEO to provide answers –several pump stations’ projects incomplete” dated October8,2023.

Inthatarticle,therewere callsbyOppositionMember of Parliament Ganesh M a h i p a u l f o r t h e managementoftheNDIAto provide answers for the handling of several pump station projects under its portfolio These pump station projects are the construction of a pump station at Charity, Region No.2, the rehabilitation of pump station at Cozier, R e g i o n N o . 2 , t h e construction of a pump station at A-Line, West Demerara, Region No.3, the construction of the pump stationatCanalNo.1Sluice, R e g i o n N o 3 , t h e construction of a pump station at Cottage, West Coast Berbice and constructionofpumpstation toirrigateBlackBushPolder Frontlands.

Notably, these pump stationprojectsaremanaged by experienced consultants that would have previously supervised construction of other successfully completed pump stations. In addition, NDIA project engineers are experienced and seasoned individuals with knowledge of construction of pump stations All the named projects received extensions from the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB)inaccordancewith the Procurement Act

Therefore, there were adequate justifications for the delays. Some of these major delays are now highlightedhereunder

Attheprojectsiteforthe

Charity pump station, Region No.2, there were difficulties with squatters who were in occupation of thesiteandtheNDIAhadto engage the Guyana Police Force(GPF)toremovethose personswithinthewayleave of the pump station. This took several months

However, works are progressing and pumping equipmentareexpectedtobe deliveredshortly

Attheprojectsiteforthe A-Line pump station, West Demerara, Region No.3, the NDIA had to engage shopkeepersandfisherfolks to remove encumbrances such as shops, fishermen’s storage huts and utilities.

Again, there were consultations and even compensation to aid in removal from the project site. This took several monthsbeforerelocation.

At Canal No.1 pump station project site, Region No.3, there were delays in getting approval for the demolition of a community centerbuilding.Thebuilding was within the construction zoneandhousedasub-office for the National Library of Guyana There were engagements to provide for the relocation of the occupants.Thisprocesstook some time and significant delays were experienced by the project. However, the project completion status is far above 25% as is being quoted by Mr Mahipaul.At the moment, foundation piles are being driven with pumping equipment expected to be delivered

APNU Wants Shared Governance and not Inclusivity

DEAREDITOR

shortly

Attheprojectsiteforthe Cottage pump station, Region No.5, due to the erosion of the main access dam, there was an issue of access to the project site.As such, a bridge and access dam had to be constructed. Thisresultedinmajordelays totheproject.

With regard to the construction of drainage pump station to irrigate Black Bush Polder Frontlands, Region No 6, this project was terminated on September 25, 2023 by the NDIA for poor quality and performance of works being executed.This project willsoonberetendered.

G i v e n t h e s e circumstances, Mr Mahipaul could have reached out to the entity for information on the abovementioned projects before going to the newspapers.TheMinistryof Agriculture’s NDIA views Mr Mahipaul’s allegations related to the “haphazard approach to managing substantial taxpayer funds”, “a worrisome level of incompetence in project execution”, “issues of project mismanagement and inefficiencyintheallocation oftaxpayerfunds”aswholly m i s c o n c e i v e d a n d misleadingstatements.Inthe circumstances,theMinistry (Continuedonpage06)

The SN article (of 10/8/23) suggests that Brooklyn, New York is “the epicenter of the Guyana migrant community.” Well, Brooklyn is not the epicenter. Rather, it is Queens, New York, which also has the highest concentration of Guyanese immigrants. Richmond Hill in Queens has been designated “Little Guyana” by New York City Richmond Hill was a center of the struggle for the restoration of democracy in Guyana pre-1992. Both APNU and PPP/C leaders know that the Guyanese Queens diaspora is an importantpoliticalforce.

While APNU leaders mightfeelmorecomfortable whentheyvisittheirpolitical baseinBrooklyn,andPPP/C leadersfeelsimilarlytovisit their base in Queens, they also know that reaching across each community is necessaryfornationbuilding and to broaden their support base The late President Desmond Hoyte visited Richmond Hill and walked down Liberty Avenue, Queens greeting Guyanese. More recently (August 2023), Opposition Leader Mr Aubrey Norton visited Richmond Hill and held a meeting at Starlite Pavilion. When President Dr Irfaan Ali was in New York in September2023toattendthe UN General Assembly, he managed to squeeze into his

tight schedule a meeting in Queens just a few hours before his departure to Guyana.Therepresentatives of Brooklyn requested the President to have similar engagements in Brooklyn, and he promised them accordingly

The Brooklyn segment of diaspora has Minority Leader of the US House of Representatives, Hon Hakeem Jeffries, to whom they could file their complaints and elicit his support.

They also have a powerful New York State legislator, Attorney General Ms. Latitia James, who says that Mr Rickford Burke is her brother from another mother and warns that the outcome for anyone who tries to harm him (Burke) would not be pretty The Queens-based diaspora has no such Congressional representation.

Mr Burke’s“perspective in relation to this country’s party politics fall at the extremist end of the s p e c t r u m a n d a r e counterproductive at a minimum, if not potentially destabilizing.” It is hard to disagreewiththisstatement.

The Burke group’s rallying cry has been racism,

marginalization, electoral reforms, discrimination in contract awards, and lack of inclusivity They are just reflecting the claims made by PNCR activists in Guyana.Ihavewrittenafew evidence–based letters to Hon Hakeem Jeffries warning him of the falsehoodsbeingpedaledby this Brooklyn group in their attempt create social upheavals in Guyana and suggested that they (Mr. Jeffries and other US Congressional Reps) visit Guyana to observe the situation for themselves. I am pleased that the PPP/C government has extended a formalinvitationtothemfor thispurpose.

While there is some suggestion of conflicting position in the outcome of the meeting between President Dr Irfaan Ali and Hon Hakeem Jeffries, the crucial point of note is that for the very first time, Mr JeffriesandtheBlackcaucus gottheothersideofthestory directly from the Guyana HeadofState.

As to inclusivity, the PPP/C government asserts that Guyana has the most inclusive mechanisms in the Caribbean.The

(Continuedonpage16)

Partial solar eclipse Saturday afternoon

DEAREDITOR

, There will be a partial solar eclipse visible over Guyana on Saturday afternoon October 14, from about half past one to about half past four

There will be small differences in event times, depending on where it is viewed The

umbral shadow of the Moon is calculated to begin covering the Sun at 13:28:55 in Georgetown, andat13:32:33inAishalton. Maximum coverage will take place shortly after 3 pm but will range from 55-60% along the Coast to greater than 70% by Aishalton and

further south

Forecast simulations are available on the internet

Do not look directly at the Sun

Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light that is not absorbed by the ozone layer is still harmful to the eyes

OilSharestoGuyanaandEMGL...

Frompage04 barrels of oil.Therefore, the averagecostofabarrelofoil (ACBO) is equal to: ACBO =TC/Q=0.75PQ/Q=0.75P What is offensive about this ACBO is that this average cost function includes the sellingprice(P)ofabarrelof oilinitsstructure. Consequently, this is a

period January 2020 to June 2023isUS$71.58perbarrel (Table 2), with an average high price of $111.36 per barrel (April-June 2022), and an average low price of US$33.75 per barrel (AprilJune 2020).Areview of the data in Table 2 during this period will confirm this outcome.

does not changes daily, because a significant share ofthecostisfixedandunder contract. For example, the cost of the Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) ship, which is the most expensive capital investment in the oil business,doesnotchange,as it is fixed and under a

Mere diminution of the intensity of sunlight by looking through a dark glass that is not certified to exclude this invisible ultraviolet light can fool children with the lack of discomfort

It is always difficult to give instructions for safe observing because some people misread and misinterpret Sightseeing canbedonesafelyanywhere by looking at the image of the Sun projected through a pinhole.

(Notlookingthroughthe pinholeattheSun.

You would not believe h o w m a n y p e o p l e m i s i n t e r p r e t t h i s instruction ) Get a long cardboard box, the longer it

Frompage05 of Agriculture’s NDIA wishes to categorically debunk these baseless allegations.

As explained before, because of each of the difficulties encountered as outlined above, extensions were sought and granted by the National Procurement and Tender Administration

Board (NPTAB) in accordancewiththelaw.

Significantly, works a r e c u r r e n t l y progressing on each of these projects with the exception of the Black Bush Polder project

is, the bigger the image. Removeaportionofthebox not in line with the length so that the inside of the box opposite the Sun can beseen

Borespacedholeswith apinandsmallnailsinthe side of the box that will face the Sun With back to the Sun, aim the box at the Sun by looking to see when the shadow of the boxisaminimum

(Not by aiming the box to the Sun like a gun barrel!) If correctly done images of the Sun will appear inside the box on the opposite side, and the progress of the partial eclipse can be safely monitored

Science students who

m a k e c a r e f u l

sketches/photos of such images and their times at their locations can be credited with the ORR component of science

SBAs

Those who have not fixed small holes in their roof or western wall can look at the projected image

Sunlight passing momentarily on to the groundbetweentheleaves of trees will look different

Backing the Sun and curling fingers to let a small amount of sunlight through to a screen can be aquickalternative

Regards

AlfredBhulai

serious violation of any cost function, for genuine cost functions would only include the unit cost of the various inputs used, the unit costoflabor,andthenumber of barrels of extracted oil. Therefore, this distortion of including the price of a barrel of oil in the cost function is a flashing-red signal, indicating that the objectiveisnottomaximize profit,buttomaximizecost. In other words, profit derived under this cost recovery methodology is a misleading measure that deflates and under-reports thecorrectprofitlevelforthe entirelifeoftheproject.

In particular, the cost r e c o v e r y m e t h o d automatically increases (decreases) the cost of a barrel of oil whenever the price of a barrel of oil increases (decreases). For example, the average price of a barrel of oil during the

Using the cost recovery formulawithanaveragecost per barrel of 0.75 P, the averagecostofabarrelofoil during the period is US$53.69 with a high of US$83.52 per barrel and a low of US$25 31 Not surprisingly, the highest average price (US$111.36) iscorrelatedwiththehighest average cost (US$83 52), andthehighestprofitmargin ($27 84) per barrel

Consequently, Guyana is therefore a high-cost operation that is more expensive than Brazil and the UK, where the cost per barrel ranges between US$27.62toUS$44.33.And in some other countries, the cost per barrel is less than US$10.00perbarrel.

It should also be noted thatsincethepriceofabarrel oilcanchangeeveryday(oil prices are volatile), the averagecostofabarrelofoil

contract. Similarly, wages paid to workers do not change on a daily basis, and this will most likely be the outcome of other inputs and equipment used in the business.

However, this restriction on cost do not hold because ofthepriceofabarrelofoil is imbedded in the Guyana costfunction.

Finally, how did EMGL arrive at the name Whiptail for one of their projects? In Guyaneseculture,thatname spells bad outcomes for anyonewhofailstocarryout a set of conditional instructions. Similartowhat the slave masters weaved, theEMGLisinourbackyard with a proverbial whiptail. Figure out the rest Guyana, for it’s more than oil in a barrel.

Sincerely,

Dr.C.KenrickHunte Professor and Former Ambassador

which will soon be retendered I t i s h i g h l y

regrettable that Mr

Mahipaul was silent when under the previous administration, “fire pumps” were procured as drainage pumps and to date are still inoperable causing the treasury hundreds of millionsofdollars.

This administration is still grappling with this disaster which it has inherited from the coalitiongovernment While the Ministry of Agriculture and the NDIA continues to welcome objective scrutiny and

constructivecriticismsofits work and operations, it will reject baseless and inaccuratecriticisms. Wewillcontinuetowork with all stakeholders in the discharge of our mandate and we will continue to strive to do so in a transparent, accountable, efficient and competent manner.

We hope that the press will afford our response the same or equal prominence that M r M a h i p a u l ’ s offensive allegations enjoyed Regards MinistryofAgriculture

PSAprovideforrenegotiation...

Frompage04 not worked like that sincetheColdWarended.

Equating a 30-year Oil Contract with a contract to purchaseahouse,acar,food crops.

Huge Exxon investment ($30 billion?). Guyana must show gratitude and sacrifice the need for a Fair Value contract. False concept –onlyExplorationcostisRisk money

Guyana did not invest “one fat dollar”; therefore, gratefully accept what you are offered. (In all PSAs, hostcountriesdidnotputup anyCAPEX.ThatistheBM, BusinessModel.

Employing folks like Jagdeo,Bhagwandin,Randy Persaud and a dozen anonymousbloggerstopush anti-renegotiation propagandaisreallyablatant attempt to self-delude the government itself as well as the Guyanese people. These

folks convey the impression they work for Exxon. They are plainly arguing the case forthis“shittiest”contractto remainthelawofthelandfor thenext30-years.Thesemen should be fired. They are preparing the nation - à la JimJonescult-toswallowa dose of poison.You become self-delusional, you fall under the spell of oil giant Exxon,thenyouswallowthe kool-aid.My simple Math: Guyana loses $37 billion on royalty alone (compared to Suriname’sroyaltyrate).[11 billion barrels times 4.25% times Average price $80 a barrel=$37billion].

The OGGN group has always insisted Guyana is losing $100 billion on 11 billionbarrelsofcrude.Find moredetailedinformationat Oggn.org.

The OGGN group has always insisted Guyana’s share of revenues will not rise above the current

14.5/100barrels-becauseof thelackofRingFencing.

I would urge President

Ali to abandon his government’s firm NO RENEGOTIATION policy R e p l a c e i t w i t h Renegotiation Now Hire qualified aides to articulate reasons for Renegotiation, not against renegotiation The stuff Joel Bhagwandin, Randy Persaud and several anonymous SN bloggers write indicates they are working in the best interests of Exxon, not the State of Guyana.

This nation must not sit back - and cooperate with Exxon-tocheatthenationof Fair Value for our oil resource. President Ali has urgentworktodo–overhaul govt policy on Exxon President Ali must take charge at some point. That timeisnow

Sincerely

MikePersaud

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

Ali learning from Jagdeo

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

The disgraceful 'cuss down' of former President Donald Ramotar by President Irfaan Ali should be a wake-up call to all those who have been on the sidelines cheering him on. What he has done to others, he will do to you.

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We have seen this behaviour before. He only recently manhandled one of his security details; often displays short-temperedness and generally walks around with this air of arrogance that even the road contractors are scared of him.

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Last week, President Ramotar like so many other Guyanese came out and said that it is better to fight to renegotiate the Exxon contract rather than not fight at all.

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Ramotar has not been the first and will not be the last to call for renegotiation. The person who signed the contract on behalf of the APNU+AFC has himself said that he is willing to help renegotiate the contract. But what was surprising was the retort from President Ali.

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He need not have said anything. Out of respect to his former President and mentor, he should have avoided criticizing Ramotar in the manner that he did. But then again, his buddy friend Jagdeo had also treated former President Janet Jagan the same way - calling her a private citizen when she criticised his decision back then to withdraw state advertising from Stabroek News

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Opposition calls for probe into award of contracts for four pump stations

…claims companies failed to meet criteria

Op p o s i t i o n M e m b e r o f Parliament, Ganesh Mahipaul has asked the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) to conductaninvestigationinto theawardofcontractsforthe construction of four pump stations, contending that the companies have failed to meetthespecifiedcriteria.

In his letter to the PPC, dated October 9, 2023, Mahipaulhighlightedthatthe perceived lack of experience onthepartofthecontractors to carry out the work has resulted in these projects beingsignificantlydelayed.

Two of the contracts, for the construction of pump stations at Cottage on the West Coast of Berbice –Region 5 and Black Bush Polder – Region 6 were awarded by the National Procurement and Tender

Administration Board (NPTAB)in2021.

The other two, for Charity, A-Line and Canal

Number One were made in 2022.In his request for the investigation to be conducted, the Opposition MP said, “the standard evaluation criteria required that bidders demonstrate specific construction experience by providing copies of contracts with previous clients that showed thebidderhadcompletedtwo (2) contracts of similar nature,sizeandcomplexities of a minimum value of 50% of the Bid price within the pastfiveyears.”

He believes the contractors did not meet this requirement Additionally, Mahipaul informed the PPC that the projects' completion dates are expired with the works not even 30% completed.

As such, he reasoned, “My contention is that the awardees did not satisfy the standard evaluation criteria should not have been awarded the contracts in the firstplace.”

Mahipaul noted that an investigation should also be conducted into the contracts awarded for the construction of Pump Stations at Pouderoyen – Region 3 and Jimbo/Grove – East Bank Demerara.

He explained that while NPTAB in a press release sought to rationalize the contractawardsrelatedtothe construction of these Pump Stations, it only managed to sow further doubts and perplexities.

The MP referenced a sectionoftheNPTABrelease which stated: “Specifically, with regards to the constructionoftheBelleVue Pump Station project, twenty-six (26) companies tendered for that project Thirteen (13) bids were deemed non-responsive and were therefore not consideredforaward.

Of the thirteen (13) substantially responsive and compliant bids, the lowest priced responsive bid was

awarded the Meten-Meer ZorgPumpStation,whilethe secondlowestresponsivebid w a s a w a r d e d t h e Jimbo/Grove Pump Station. Tepui was the third lowest pricedresponsivebidderand was awarded the Belle Vue PumpStation."

Mahipaularguedthatthis paragraph muddles the truth and lacks precision He pointed out that Kaieteur News inaJuly5,2023article reported that the Belle Vue Pump Station project indeed attracted26bidders.

HesaidNPTABhowever omitted to mention that the Meten-Meer-Zorg Pump Stationsawaparticipationof 27 bidders, while the Jimbo/Grove Pump Station garnered interest from 30 bidders Furthermore, the Pouderoyen Pump Station enticed 23 bidders into the fray As such, he contended that there were four distinct Pump Station projects advertised, each soliciting bidsindependently

The total number of bids received for these locations were 26, 27, 30, and 23, respectively, the MPpointed out.

Secondly, he reasoned, “NPTAB's assertion that 13 bids were deemed nonresponsive pertains, I presume, specifically to the Meten-Meer-Zorg Pump Station.

However, concerning the Jimbo/Grove Pump Station and the Belle Vue Pump Station, NPTAB contends that the second lowest responsive bid and the third lowest priced responsive biddersecuredthecontracts.

Thistacitlyconcedesthat thelowestresponsivebidders for the Jimbo/Grove and Belle Vue Pump Stations were overlooked, and it is incumbent upon the PPC to investigate the rationale behind this deviation from thenorm.”

Mahipaul was keen to

Opposition MP, Ganesh Mahipaul

note that it is imperative for information to be provided for clarification on the number of responsive bids and whether the award was indeed granted to the lowest responsive bidder, as he reiterated his call for an investigation to maintain t r a n s p a r e n c y a n d accountability.

Thief breaks neck breaking into home

A man only identified as 'Raymond', suspected to be thatofaburglarisnowdeadafterhewasfoundmotionless with a broken neck on the premises of a Vreed-en-Hoop, WestCoastDemerarabusinessman.

Police sources confirming with Kaieteur News yesterdaysaidthattheincidentoccurredonSaturday Kaieteur News wasinformedthatitisallegedtheman at the time was trying to break into the Vreed-en-Hoop premises by climbing through the roof. It is unclear what happened after, but the man was found motionless at the buildingwithabrokenneck.

Police were summoned to the scene and ranks took Raymond to the West Demerara Hospital where he was pronounced dead officially Apost mortem is expected to beconductedsoon.Thepolicearecurrentlyinvestigating thematter

EU suspends Palestinian development aid

(BBC NEWS) The European Commission has announced that it’s suspending all its longerterm development funding to the Palestinian territories.

The EU is the largest donor to the Palestinians, spending about €691m (£600m;$728m)inaid.

Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi said all payments a r e i m m e d i a t e l y suspended, all projects put under review, and all new budget proposals postponed. “The scale of terror and brutality against Israel and its people is a turning point,” Varhelyi said.“Incitementtohatred, violence and glorification of terrorhavepoisoned the minds of too many We need action and we need it now.”These are quite strong words from the

EuropeanCommission–an institutionthatusuallyopts for more diplomatic language and prefers to leave tough political statements to individual member states. The speed of such a move is also significant: decisions like this normally take longer for the EU institutions, as they represent 27 different countries with a wide varietyofpoliticalviewson the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Later on Monday Janez Lenarèiè, European Commissioner responsible foremergencyaid,clarified the EU would continue emergency humanitarian aid to the Palestinians ‘as longasneeded’inresponse totheconflictandsaid‘itis imperative to protect civilians and respect international humanitarian law’.

Palestinians walk among the rubble of a building destroyed in Israeli strikes, in the southern Gaza Strip October 9, 2023. - Reuters pic

Businessbythebookandbusinessbythehook

Ihave studied business,andfeltthat I knew something aboutit,enoughtoappreciate the reality of how it works. Nothing could be farther from the experiences encountered. I lived with business at its highest level anywhere in the world, and that was for 20 years, so the thinkingwasthattherewasa pool of knowledge gained about what business is all about. Fromtheinsandouts, from the accumulations and absorptionsfromahandfulof clean and a galaxy of crooked, practitioners of commerce, there came insights about real business inaction,whichwereallfiled away

Then, I came back to Guyana, and there came the realization that I knew too little about the kind of business being practised here. Here, everything is upside down, the reverse of all that learning in the classroom, and from the school of hard knocks, the toughest and most challengingenvironmentthat

canbeimagined. So, here I am in PPP Guyana, really Bharrat Jagdeo Guyana: the roof caved in, the walls came tumbling down, and the floors ceased to exist, all at once. My good brother (a thoroughly cleansed and righteouslyperfumedman,if there ever was one), Dr Jagdeohashisownconcepts about how business must work Jagdeo's business ideals are not in any textbooks,andiftheydid,the Harvard Business School would have objected Contrastingly, there is confidence that the folks at PatriceLumumbaUniversity would be glowing with joy, rapturousinapplause.Forthe record, Patrice Lumumba Universityisadesecrationof anoblepatriot'smemory,and not what an institution of learning should be. That is, unlessitisforadifferentkind of business and economics. As examples, I offer the business of propaganda, destabilization, population suppression,mediacoercion, and state terrorism. But I

digress.

In Jagdeo's world of business,demandandsupply areturnedontheirhead. He demands and there is a regiment of suppliers, in the form of fawners, obsequious droolers, and those the Athenianscalledsycophants, which is now a label that speaks about, and points to, all that is topsy-turvy in this realm. Allthatasupplierhas to commit to doing is to rub Jagdeo's head, and surrender to the Vice President's demands Most of his demands are unique, almost all dark, and they take on an elasticitythatstretchesallthe way to the National Procurement and Tender

Administration Board (NPTAB). Thereiselasticity of thinking about tenders practised at that heart stopping institution of business bidding, filtering, andawardingoffavoursthat indicatesthatitismoreabout politicalreturnsthannational ortaxpayers'returns.

When Guyanese thought they were getting check and balance,theygotagutcheck,

and then were thrown a six for a nine, due to the unbalanced state in which business is practised and procured in Guyana. The longer citizens commit to rubbing Dr Jagdeo's glistening tome, and sate his demands, the more the supplyofconsandsleightsof hand are guaranteed to happen.

In a small nutshell, there are no concerns about currency stoppages, nor is there any interest in division of labour calling for specializedtalentsandskills. Intheeconomicstexts(some on paper, some electronic), this is business Bharrat Jagdeostyle.

Just get the business done Jagdeo's business priority is not about citizen satisfaction, but what drives political CEO(s), and satisfies their hungers for richer and richer returns. NPTAB has studied the terrain, its safest role, and figuredoutthatbestpractices terminate at going along to get along. It has been given the costume in different

places and different times, of having the best peopleforthejob,whojust happen to be the cleverest, and the cutest For confirmation, I invite my fellow citizens to review the reviewers,andseewhatthey get. Everythingpointsinone direction, and all minds focused: name the winning bidder and the deed is done. ItistheeasiestjobinGuyana: supply what is in demand, and there is consumer (leadership)happiness.

Guyanese in places of special importance know how government business reallyworkshere,knowwhat isdemandedofthem.

They must pass their hand over Jagdeo's head, smooth his agitated spirits, tell him what he craves to hear, listen to any emptiness that comes out of him, and ask him syrupy questions what he had cunningly arrangedbefore. Whatcould be simpler than that, especiallywhenthereisapot o' gold waiting from NPTAB? Regarding the Public Procurement

Commission, there are no pushbacks,giventhatitskey operating principle distils to this: what Bharrat Jagdeo wants (demands) Bharrat Jagdeo must get (the fullest supply). Allanalysesflatten tothisrathercurvaceousline; aregularbeautyitis. Thisis what the PPC's mission statement amounts to, the sumofitsvalues.

So, where does this government business culture leave rank outsiders like me, who will not play along for pay?

Well, Dr Jagdeo can demand, Jagdeo can denounce, but I will be damnedifthereisanysupply to Jagdeo of the fawning from this little corner over here.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the authoranddonotnecessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this newspaper and itsaffiliates.)

Trade union calls for public inquiry into oil contracts signed with ExxonMobil ...demands release of all information on Gas-to-Energy project

Amid growing calls for a renegotiation of the lopsided oil contract signed between the Government of Guyana and ExxonMobil, the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC)isnowcallingfora public inquiry into all agreements signed with the US company by both the Janet Jagan and David Grangeradministrations.

This, the union said is to determine the differences so t h a t actioncouldbetaken.Italso calledfortheallminingand oilagreementsconcludedby the Ramotar Government mustalsobeexamined.

These and other proposals were made when

GTUC, led by its General Secretary, Lincoln Lewis metwithgovernmentleaders last week during the budget consultations exercise

Lewis told the gathering inclusive of Prime Minister, Mark Phillips and Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh that the GTUC and its

affiliates are pleased to submittheirproposal,noting that a budget deals with the financial planning for the year based on

Government's policies and programmes within the parametersofthelaws.

Lewis reminded the government that the e n g a g e m e n t is not superficial but meaningful, consistent with Article 13 and 149C of the Constitution of Guyana, both of which speak to “inclusion” of groups and individuals in the m a n a g e m e n t a n d decision-making processes of the State on matters that affectthem.

Only last week this newspaper reported Former President, Donald Ramotar stating that he would have renegotiated the lopsided deal Guyana signed onto with U S oil major ExxonMobil - underscoring that “it's better to fight than nottofightatall.”Sincethe 2016 Production Sharing Agreement(PSA)wasmade public,therehavebeencalls by locals as well as industry expertsforGuyana'sleaders to bring Exxon back to the table and carve out a deal that would share equal benefits from the lucrative Stabroek Block While PresidentIrfaanAliandVice President Bharrat Jagdeo have taken a firm stance against renegotiating the contract, Ramotar revealed his disagreement during a discussionmoderatedbyDr Asquith Rose Ramotar described the current contract as detrimental, depriving Guyana of vital resources,andexpressedhis willingness to renegotiate forthecountry'sbenefit.

Theformerhead-of-state said,“Iamoneofthepersons who believes that the contract is a very bad contract…thatdeprivesusof alotofresources.”

Assuch,hecontinuedby

stating that he would have been in agreement to renegotiate the deal to seek more benefits for the country To this end, Ramotar acknowledged the current administration's reluctance to change the existing deal while noting that they have explored alternative avenues to maximise benefits for the nation.

ExxonMobil is the operator of the lucrative Stabroek Block, with its partners, Hess Corporation and CNOOC. Exxon and its co-ventures made its first discovery in the block back in 2015 and by December 2019movedintoproduction phase. The oil companies already sanctioned five USmulti-billion projects in the Stabroek Block with an investment of over US$50 billionthattheywillrecover fromGuyana'soilresources. They are currently pumping about400,000barrelsoilper day with hopes to reach one million bpd by 2029. Exxon is preparing to sanction its sixth oil project in the StabroekBlock.

Former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, who served under the APNU + AFC Coalition government between 2015 and 2020, was the one who signedthedealin2016with Exxon. The deal Trotman signedwaivesalltaxesfrom the oil companies, gives Guyana a 2% royalty on its richresources,andagreesto theoilcompaniesrecovering 75% of investments before theremaining25%isshared, with Guyana receiving 12.5%.

The arrangement, with thelackofring-fencing,sees Guyana paying for projects thatareyettocommence

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Guyana trade union leaders met with government officials last week on the national budget

Suspected Chinese hackers infiltrate Govt. systems ...PM confirms probe underway

The Government of Guyana h a s l a u n c h e d a n investigation into an infiltration of its network systembyhackerssuspected to be Chinese, Kaieteur

NewslearntonMonday

Confirming the probe, Prime Minister Brigadier Retired Mark Phillips said, “We have a report, we are investigating that report rightnowtoseeexactlywhat really(isgoingon”Headded thatsincetheinvestigationis not yet completed, his government cannot at this time, “go to the public and say” that Chinese hackers are the ones involved Phillips promised that a press statement on the findings from the investigation will be releasedlatertoday

network, the hackers sent emails with reference to the country's public affairs activities. The subject lines onthefraudulentemailssent were, “President Mohamed Irfaan Ali's Official Visit to Nassau, The Bahamas and Guyanese fugitive in Vietnam”.

Once these emails were opened, the hackers found their way into the government's network system. “While we haven't been able to link the campaign, which we named Operation Jacana, to any specific APT (advanced persistent threat) group, we believe with medium confidence that a Chinaaligned threat group is behind this incident”, ESET researcherssaid.

(government computer systems) with DinodasRAT, the operators proceeded to move laterally-trying differentmethodstoexplore the network infiltrated to find more vulnerabilities to escalate access privileges andreachtheultimatetarget - and breach the government's internal network.

To breach the internal networkthehackersnotonly used DinodasRat but also additional malicious softwaresuchasavariantof

Korplug also known as PlugX. The use of the Korplug variant is what led ESET to believe that the hackers could be Chinese.

Korplug variants are malwares that are quite common to China-aligned groups. Some examples of KorplugvariantsbyChinese hackers include, 'Mustang Pandas Hodur, Old tricks andnewKorplugvariant.

ESETsaidthatwhileitis not 100 percent sure of the hacker (S) identity, recent d e v e l o p m e n t s i n

Guyana/China diplomatic relations is also pointing them in the direction that theyareChinese.

“In February 2023, the same month that Operation Jacanaoccurred,theSpecial Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) of Guyana arrested three people in a money laundering investigation involving Chinese companies, an act disputed by the local Chinese embassy”, ESET stated while adding “Additionally, as part of the Belt and Road

On Thursday last, an ESET (Essential Security against Evolving Threats) research article penned by Fernando Tavella revealed that its researchers have discovered a Cyberepionage attack against a government entity in Guyana by hackers thatcouldbeChinese.ESET is a Slovak software company that specialises in cybersecurity

Cyberspionage or cyber spying is a type of cyberattack where a hacker (s) attempts to access sensitive and classified data for economic gain, competitive advantage or political reasons and according to ESET, the attack on the Guyanese government was discovered in February this yearandhasbeendetectedto be a spearphishing campaign.

A spearphishing campaign basically means that the hackers infiltrated the government's network systems by sending fraudulent emails to the targetedentity,inducingitto reveal personal information.

In the cyber-attack against Guyana, the hackers used an undocumented C++ backdoor- a code used to covertly bypass normal authentication or encryption in a computer-that can “exfiltrate files, manipulate Windows registry keys, execute CMD commands, and more. This means that the hacker can transfer, extract or remove key data from the government's network.

ESET researchers have chosen to name the C++ b a c k d o o r u s e d , DinodasRAT “We named the backdoor DinodasRAT based on the victim's (Guyanese Government) identifieritsendstoitsC&C (Command and Controltypeofattackthatallowsthe hackertocommunicatewith and control its victim's network).: the string always begins with Din, which reminded us of the hobbit DinodasfromtheLordofthe Rings”,ESETsaid.

ESETaddedthatafterthe hackers successfully compromised “the first couple of machines”

Guyana”.

Prime Minister, (Brigadier Retired) Mark Phillips.

President Mohamed Irfaan Ali shaking hands with Xi Jinping

Health Ministry hands over $118M in vehicles

to Regs. 1,7,8,9 &10

The Ministry of Health on Monday at its Brickdam headquarters, handed over 17 new vehicles worth some $118 million to health officials of Regions One, Seven,Eight,NineandTen.

Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony handed over the keys for seven all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), two minibus ambulances, three land cruiser ambulances, and five ATV ambulances that were purchased under the Regional HealthServices(RHS)Programme to support the transportation needs oftheHinterlandRegions.

According to the ministry, the ATVs cost approximately $21 million, while the minibus ambulances are valued at $22.5 million, and the land cruiser ambulances cost an estimated $44.9 million. The ATV ambulances cost approximately $30.2million.

From the fleet of vehicles, Region One received two land cruiser ambulances, which will be allocated to the Pakera District Hospital and Baramita Health Centre; three ATVs which will be

distributed to the Yarikita Health Post,KwebannaHealthCentre,and Arakaka Health Centre; meanwhile, one ATV ambulance which will be placed at the ManawarineHealthPost.

Mahdia District Hospital, located in Region Eight, will receive a land cruiser ambulance, while the Bamboo Creek Health Post and Kamana Health Post will receive one ATV The Kopinang HealthPostissettobenefitfroman ATV ambulance.In Region Nine, Lethem Regional Hospital, will receive a minibus ambulance, while Surama and Aranapauta Health Posts will benefit from an ATV. Massara and Katoonarib Health Posts will benefit from an ATV ambulance, the ministry reported.TheKaikanHealthCentre in Region Seven will benefit from anATVambulance,andtheLinden Hospital Complex will benefit from a minibus ambulance Making brief remarks, Minister Anthony stated that patient care will be boosted with the added mode of transportation within the variousregions.

$33M Buxton Post Office commissioned

Aspanking new

$33millionpost

office was commissioned at Buxton along the East Coast Demerara by Prime Minister, Brigadier Retired MarkPhillipsonMondayin observance of World Post Day2023.

GAWU signs new pact for increased benefits for National Parks Commission workers

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the National Parks Commission (NPC) on October 05, 2023,signedanagreementpavingthewayfor increased benefits and improved conditions for workers within the Union's bargaining unit.

Inapressrelease,GAWUsaidtheparties began discussions earlier this year, and both sides were able to articulate their positions and counter-positions Through those exchanges, both the GAWU and the NPC appreciated each other views and facilitated theagreementwhichwassigned.

According to GAWU, its recently concluded agreement has brought about positive changes for the workers in the GAWU's bargaining unit. “They can now enjoy increased rates of meal and bicycle allowances. Furthermore, the parties have come to an understanding to enhance incentivesforspecificcategoriesofworkers, which will provide them with added motivation. The new agreement has also

addressedtherequirementsforuniformsand personal protective equipment (PPE) in a positivemanner,ensuringthatworkers'safety isgiventoppriority,”thereleasestated. President of GAWU, Seepaul Narine speakingatthesimplesigningactivitysaidhe was happy that the parties reached an agreementbilaterally Hesharedthatthiswas a positive indication of the relationship between the Union and the Commission. NPC'sCommissioner,JasonFraserwhoalso spoke echoed similar views. He highlighted that the Commission has recognised the effortsofitsworkforceanditseeks,withinits means, to reciprocate through improved benefits and conditions The GAWU presently represents workers of the Commission who are stationed at the National Park, the Zoological Park, and the Botanical Gardens Over the years, discussions between the Union and the Commission have yielded several advancementsandtheGAWUanticipatesthe positiverelationsbeingsustained.

The new structure replacestheoldbuildingthat was demolished on March 21, 2022. The significant development forms part of the Guyana Post Office Corporation's (GPOC) r e m o d e l i n g a n d transformationefforts.

Senior citizens and persons living with disabilitiesarecateredforat the new facility since these groups of persons depend heavily on postal services.

During his remarks, Prime Minister Phillips expressed that the accomplishment is timely for the people of Buxton and surrounding c o m m u n i t i e s

“Thisisalivingmonument and testimony to the Guyana Post Office C o r p o r a t i o n ' s commitment to serve all Guyanese in their communities.

It is also a testimony to government'scommitment to modernise the facilities andservicesofferedbythe GPOC to the people of Guyana, ” the Prime Minister stated. He noted that as the government works towards bridging the digital divide in remote communities, the postal sectorwillnotbeleftbehind.

Meanwhile, the GPOC has reaffirmed its commitment to continue to transform its services offered to citizens including international clients.

“We believe that in this day and age, the post office must also be willing to take calculated risks when looking for partners and business endeavours and modernising to address the underlyingeconomicsofthe network.

The post office also has the duty to lay the groundwork necessary to attract new clients and win back clients who have wandered away,” GPOC's Postmaster General, Karen Brown stated. World Post Day 2023 is themed

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Officials of GAWU and the National Parks Commission at the signing ceremony

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony on Monday handing over the vehicles to the various Regional Health Officers (RHOs)

The spanking new $33 million post office at Buxton

GNBS Certifies QualiTEST Medical Laboratory

Th e G u y a n a National Bureau of Standards

(GNBS)onMondaycertified

QualiTEST Medical Laboratory to the National Standard GYS 170:2021 –“General Requirements for the Operation of a Laboratory”.

This new certification brings the total number of clinical and testing laboratories on the Bureau's Laboratory Certification Programme to 31, GNBS saidinapressrelease.

Scientific Laboratory Director of QualiTEST, Ms. Yvette Irving during the simple handing over ceremony at the facility's 57 DennisStreet,Campbelville, Georgetown location said “our work at QualiTEST Medical Laboratory plays a crucialroleinensuringgood health and wellbeing for all. Our laboratory, like any other laboratory supplies healthcare professionals with the objective data necessary to provide highquality, safe, effective, and appropriate care for disease

prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management. Our role is crucial, and our quality management system is important to ensure data generatedisreliable.”

The Laboratory Director thanked the GNBS' Technical Officers for their assistance in helping the employees of the facility implement an effective Laboratory Management System (LMS) that meets qualityrequirements.

TheQualiTESTMedical Laboratory received its certification for testing in Haematology,Biochemistry, UrologyandSerology

The certificate was handedovertoMs.Irvingby GNBSTechnicalOfficerMr Orlando Sturge who congratulated the staff for their achievement

“Becoming GYS 170 2021

certified is a great accomplishment It will assurecustomersthatthetest results they are getting is accurate and reliable,” he told the staff of the laboratory A plaque was also handed over by GNBS

$196M to repair five school dorms

The Ministry of Education is prepared to spend approximately $196,559,460 to have five schooldormitorieswhichare locatedinRegionsOne,Five andNineberehabilitated.

This is according to information provided on the National Procurement and TenderAdministrationBoard (NPTAB) website which revealed that following the national bidding process, they have awarded contracts for rehabilitation to be done at the Santa Rosa Boys School dormitory (Region One), the Aishalton Secondary School male and female dormitories (Region Nine) and the Mahaicony Secondary School male and female dormitories (Region Five).

TheNPTABrevealedthat fortheMahaiconySecondary maledorms,thecontractwas given to contractor GuyBiz Establishment to the tune of $22,015,000; for the Mahaicony female dorms it was awarded to Wazim & Sons Infrastructure for the sum of $25,004,000; for the SantaRosaboysdorm,itwas Diversity Investment Inc. who was contracted for the job for $43,484,460; for the male dorms at Aishalton Secondary, the work was

Technical Officer, Ms Rosmarie Liliah to the Medical Director of the Laboratory, Dr Harsha Mohan.

Through its Laboratory Certification Programme, the GNBS ensures the operations of certified Medical and Testing Laboratories conform to the requirements of the ational standard.

Surveillance audits are conducted during the certificationperiodtoensure continuedcompliance.

Certification can also serve as a stepping-stone towards international accreditation while it also improves operational

efficiency,boostscustomers' confidenceandattractsmore clients The Bureau encourages all uncertified

laboratories to pursue certification under its Laboratory Certification Programme Application

sticker

forms can be accessed at https://gnbsgy.org/certificati on/made-in-guyanacertification/

given to A. Nazier & Son

Contracting & General Supplies for $76,286,000, while the female dorm contract was awarded to PMW Construction & General Services to the tune of$29,770,000.

Itwasreportedthatatthe Committee of Supply during th thesittingofthe67 National Assembly back in August, Minister of Education Priya Manickchandhadmentioned that plans were in train rehabilitate schools and dormitories not only to enhance their physical structures but to ensure too that fire prevention mechanisms are in place. This was following a devastating fire back in May whichclaimedthelivesof20 children of the Mahdia Secondary School female dormitory

“Weareworkingwiththe Guyana Fire Service (GFS). They are assessing schools andthensayingtous'Thisis what you need', and that is howwearegoingtoattendto those schools for fires,” the ministerhadhighlighted.

Already, the GFS has assessed all school dormitories with the intention of making the requisite improvements, she hadnoted.

L-R) QualiTEST Medical Director Dr. Harsha Mohan, Scientific Laboratory Director Ms. Yvette Irving, GNBS Technical Officers Mr. Orlando Sturge and Rosmarie Liliah photographed after affixing the Certification

WANTED VACANCY

Wanted: Experienced Puri Maker and Counter Person. Apply @ Shanta's, 225 Camp and New Market Sts. Call: 654-1361.

Pump Attendant needed to work at Charity (night). Contact: 687-5814, 688-0417, 2235273/74.

Diesel Mechanic wanted. Call: 688-0417/ 223-5273/74.

Cook needed to work at Xenon Hotel, Charity. Contact: 687-5814, 688-0417, 2235273/74.

Supervisor needed to work at Gaulin Supermarket, Charity. Call: 687-5814, 688-0417, 223-5273/74.

Handyman, Manager, Waitress, Bartenders and Cleaner to work at Sport bar. Call: 223-5273/74, 667-1056.

Wanted: Skilled Masons, Carpenters $10,000 per day and Labourers $6,000 per day. Call: 602-9469, 660-6385 or 625-7642.

Secretary/ Office Assistant for Engineering Construction Company. Must have secretarial & accounting experience, Salary negotiable. Call: 632-1982/ 673-4122.

Transportation service is seeking experienced Chauffeur with mini bus, hire car licence. Call: 645-0025.

1 Male to work & live on a poultry farm with a small family. Call: 708-4374/ 227-5222.

Handyman/ Labourer to work at Lower EBD, $100,000 per month & male to pluck chicken in Georgetown. Call: 708-4374/ 227-5222.

Maid needed, ages 35-45 years. Preferably from East Coast or Georgetown. Call: 653-0311 between 9am-4pm. Manager for security company. Must be able to work shifts and have a Driver's license. Contact: 603-5140.

Domestic needed, must know to cook. 10am-6pm, $30,000 weekly. Call: 6103974, 646-7142.

Wanted! Male & Female workers for packaging pasta and chowmein on the Back Road (Mandela Ave). Call: 611-7839.

Vacancy exist for 1 Salesgirl to work in an electronic store. Call: 673-1182/ 650-6779.

Looking for a reliable live-in aide for an elderly woman. Call: 686-8051.

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Trade union calls for public inquiry into oil contracts...

From page 12 production activities. Each month, bills from future producing developments are added to the list of expenses to be cost-recovered by Exxon.

A few months ago, Trotman in his book titled, 'From Destiny to Prosperity' offered support to the government to renegotiate the lopsided Stabroek Block deal the country has with an ExxonMobil-led consortium. Trotman's offer was refused by Vice President Jagdeo, and the calls by citizens for the deal to be renegotiated have fallen on deaf ears as President Ali and VP Jagdeo are adamant that they will not renegotiate the deal because of 'sanctity of contract'.

Wales gas project

Meanwhile, the GTUC is also demanding that information for the Wales gas-toshore must be made public and hearings conducted before spending on them. The proposed gas-to-energy project which will use natural gas from the ExxonMobil-operated Stabroek Block to supply 300MW of power to the na-

tion via the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) grid systems will not only increase the country's debt but lead to an oversupply of power.

This critical perspective was outlined in a damning 33pages report published by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) last week.

While the IEEFA report offers troubling insights on the dangers that lie with the gas-to-energy project, its authors have been keen to note that their analysis has been limited by the lack of public information and transparency, both on GPL's electrical system and on the financing arrangements in place for the project. For citizens who are interested in demanding greater clarity from the Guyana Government on this project, they have offered a list of questions that could help increase transparency and accountability for the project. Those questions are

as follow:

1. What are the terms of the pipeline agreement between ExxonMobil and the government of Guyana?

2. What is the estimated capital cost of the project?

3. Are the annual payments from the government of Guyana subject to adjustment for inflation or other factors?

4. Which party bears the risk of delays or cost overruns in construction?

5. Is there a transparent accounting for ExxonMobil's profits as a builder of the pipeline and lender to Guyana for the money to build it?

6. How is Guyana's decision to build the Gas-to-Energy plant related to ExxonMobil's attempts to solve its flaring problem?

7. Is there an agreement between ExxonMobil and the government of Guyana that all of the natural gas supplied for this project will be free?

8. If not, what is the basis for the government's asser-

tion that it will be able to obtain 50 million cubic feet of free natural gas per day for the duration of the project?

9. What are the financial consequences, if any, to the government of Guyana if not all 50 MMcf/d of natural gas is used?

10.What are the anticipated terms of the US Ex-Im bank deal?

11. What alternative financing is the government of Guyana considering if the U.S. Ex-Im loan is not approved?

12. Has GPL quantified the level of investment needed to reduce losses to less than 10%?

13. How much will the government of Guyana have to spend to reduce rates by half?

In addition to the foregoing, IEEFA believes citizens should demand that all contracts related to the gas-toenergy project should be made public

$33M Buxton Post Office commissioned...

From page 14

‘Together for trust: Collaborating for a safe and connected future’, which urges governments and their postal services to support the development of a digital single postal territory that complements the extensive physical network developed over centuries.

Several outstanding staff of the GPOC, as well as the top performing Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) student of the St Rose’s High School, were honoured. First, second, and third winners of the Universal Postal Union’s international letter writing competition were also presented with rewards at the event. (DPI)

APNU Wants Shared Governance...

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From page 05

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Parliamentary Select Committees, for example, have enormous powers, and the Chair is rotated between the two Parliamentary political parties. There are 5 constitutional rights commissions established in 2001 in which the Opposition has a say. Parliament is managed by a joint Parliamentary Committee comprising an equal number of members from both parties. Parliamentary debates offer another avenue for inclusivity. It would be helpful however if proponents of inclusivity could identify other areas on inclusivity. (There is no evidence to support racism, marginalization, and discrimination).

What the Opposition wants is to have a say in the day-to-day operations of the country.

There was no further call for shared governance. For many people, they feel that shared governance should become part of constitutional reform. However, the Attorney General reported that the response to constitutional reform has been sluggish, even though that was the leading campaign promise of the APNU+AFC in 2015.

The PPP/C in the past decades spanning 1960 to 1980 invited the PNC to set up a coalition arrangement but they backed out.

There had been conflicts over the allocation of ministries, the underlying cause being mistrust.

Here are the roots of mistrust.

years for a Chief Justice. This model allows for gridlock.

It is these types of experience that do not help in the development of trust which is foundational for shared governance.

My view is that what the Opposition wants is not greater inclusivity but rather shared governance.

They want executive power sharing.

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In other words, they want power sharing. When they held state power (2015-2020), President Jimmy Carter initiated a call to both the Opposition Leader Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo and President David Granger urging them to work towards shared governance (or power sharing). In response, Mr. Granger named Mr. Moses Nagamootoo to lead the talks.

Mr. Granger knew Mr. Nagamootoo would not be acceptable to the PPP/C. He deliberately made that choice to kill the Carter initiative.

The PNC embraced the United Force party (UF) in 1964 to form a coalition government and after consolidating its state power, threw the UF to the curb in 1968. More recently (20152020), the PNCR marginalized the AFC party which lost its direction and identity.

There is an element of shared governance by which the President and the Leader of the Opposition must jointly agree to the appointment of the Chief Justice and the Chancellor of the Judiciary. But this system of shared governance has not worked for 17 years in respect of the substantive appointment of a Chancellor and 21

They could achieve this through the electoral system, which has become highly competitive with no ethnic group having a majority in the population since 1990. Each political party must be challenged to make their case to the people.

However, I am not discounting dialogues between the two main political parties, but the terms and conditions must be stated clearly.

The President has always said that he would consult with the opposition in accordance with his constitutional obligation. Broader consultation would depend on the willingness of both parties to engage constructively.

Who would activate this broader process? One must never forget that President Dr. Irfaan Ali carries government to the people and consults directly with them daily.

Sincerely

Dr. Tara Singh

Govt. still to gazette applications for new oil blocks, despite legal requirement

The People's Progressive Party

Civic (PPP/C) administration yet to gazette the details of applications for new oil blocks, a requirement under the recently enacted PetroleumActivitiesAct.

Notably, this law was established by the very government now found to be breaching it. This scenario has persisted overthreeweekspastthebidsubmission deadline for Guyana's inaugural offshore licensinground-September12,2023.

The disclosure of oil block licence applications is mandated by law, to upholdtransparencyintheoilsector,and is particularly necessary, given the rapid growthandvalueofthesector

During a press conference led by Guyana's Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo after the bid submission deadline elapsed,theVPhadpresentedadocument claiming to fulfill the government's disclosureobligations.

However, journalists quickly pointed out that the document he presented was publishedsince2022,andhadnothingto do with the new legal requirement in the PetroleumActivitiesAct2023.

The issue lingered unresolved as the pressconferenceended.

While the government has disclosed the companies which submitted bids, the number of bids tendered, and the blocks which received interest, there was no disclosureoftheblocktowhicheachbid went,northenatureofthebids.

Weeks have since elapsed with no publication in the Official Gazette concerning the elusive details of the oil blocks applications, despite the law's clearmandate.

This lapse is a disconcerting precedent of legal non-compliance exhibitedbythePPP/Cgovernmentatthe very first opportunity it had, to be transparentaboutthesubjectathand.

Theevaluationperiodforthebids,as stated by government's schedule, was September 12 to October 6, with negotiations earmarked to commence on October10,lastinguntilOctober27.The contracts are poised for awarding on November1.

Amidst this timeline, the delay in publication of details of the oil blocks

applications, obscures critical information from the public eye until post-evaluation.

Section Nine of the Petroleum ActivitiesAct,abrainchildofDr Jagdeo's government, unambiguously mandates the publication of application details for petroleum-relatedlicencesintheOfficial Gazette. Dr Jagdeo, however, intends to deferthepublicationofthesedetailsuntil theevaluationandbiddecisionprocesses havebeenconcluded.

Thispostponementisinstarkconflict withthelaw,giventhatthereisalreadya separate requirement for the government togazettepost-awardinformation.

This delay undermines the government's commitment to transparencyand keeps the populace in the dark regarding who is vying for control over their nation's prized assets

There is no way, at this time, for the public to scrutinise whether the awards announced, at the end of this process,werefair

As of today, October 10 the government's inaction continues to echo throughthecorridorsofpublicdiscourse. The firms bidding for oil blocks in the offshore licensing round include global players like ExxonMobil, Total Energies EP Guyana B.V, and Qatar Energy International E&P LLC, among others. Thebidsencompasseightblocks,withthe other six offered blocks expected to remainunlicensed.

Security guard on causing death charge

A30-year-oldsecurityguardof96 JamesStreet,Albouystown, Georgetown,wasonMondayremanded toprisonwhenheappearedincourtona causingdeathbydangerousdriving charge.

ShawnJulianTapingsappearedatthe Georgetown Magistrates' Courts, before Magistrate Rondell Weever, where the charge was read to him. He was not required to plea to the charge. The prosecutor objected to bail due, noting that one of the victims of the accident is still inacriticalconditionandhasnotyet regained consciousness at the Guyana Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Thecourtrefusedbailandthematterhas been adjourned to November 13, 2023, fordisclosureofstatementsandexhibits.

This publication understands that on September25,atIndependenceBoulevard, Albouystown, Georgetown, 27-year-old

Blocks in red received 14 bids from six groups of companies

Neville Fletcher aka 'Akeem / Gummy', was riding a motorcycle along with a person, when hereportedlycollidedwithamotorcar,resulting inhisdeathandaseverelyinjuredman(identity unknown).

Remanded: Shawn Julian Tapings

New Zealand claims another emphatic Cricket World Cup win after beating Netherlands by 99 runs

HYDERABAD, India (AP)

Mitchell Santner became the first New Zealand spinner to grab a five-wicket haul at a Cricket World Cup as the Black Caps thumped the Netherlands by 99 runs yesterday to claim their second successive victory in the tournament.

New Zealand didn’t feel the absence of captain Kane Williamson for the second game in a row as it powered to 322-7 on a slow, dry wicket, with top-order batters Will Young (70), stand-in skipper Tom Latham (53) and Rachin Ravindra (51) all shining.

Santner, who also made a quickfire unbeaten 36 off 17

balls, then took 5-59 with his left-arm spin as the Netherlands was bowled out for 223 in 46.3 overs.

It was the Netherlands’ second consecutive defeat after losing its opening game against Pakistan by 81 runs.

“I think we did a great job with the bat, built partnerships and put up a great score,” Latham said. “Any time in the middle is valuable, partnership after partnership allowed us to put good runs on the board. The spinners were outstanding and the big boys did a great job up front and squeezed them.”

New Zealand had already avenged its narrow defeat in

the 2019 World Cup final after beating England by nine wickets in Ahmedabad last week.

One of the heroes of that win, Devon Conway, and opening partner Young provided a solid stand of 67, but not before the Netherlands had bowled three successive maidens up front.

Conway, who struck an unbeaten 152 against England, holed out at long-on after scoring 32 but Ravindra carried on where he left off in his magnificent unbeaten century against the defending champion.

Tuesday October 10, 2023

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19)

Share your skills today, Aries. You will find that as you engage in the role of teacher, you learn more than if you just hold onto your knowledge without sharing it.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Don't underestimate the power of other people today, Taurus. They may seem flighty and scatterbrained on the outside, but underneath you will find that they have a great deal of wisdom to share.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

Remember that there's a benevolent force out there that loves you, Gemini. No matter what, there's always a shoulder to cry on, even if it isn't a tangible one. Even in your darkest moments.

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

Don't hesitate to say the obvious today, Cancer, even if it sounds corny. Many times people hesitate to say what they really feel because they think it's obvious to everyone.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22)

Look to older figures for advice today, Leo. Seek counsel with a parent or grandparent on issues you feel strongly about. Relationships with older people are likely to go especially well.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22)

Consider composing a bit of poetry today, Virgo. Use this as an exercise to condense your ocean of emotions into a very few words.

Ravindra and Young complied a 77-run stand before New Zealand tried to switch gears in the latter half of the innings. Young was caught at mid-on after hitting seven fours and two sixes in his 80ball knock and Ravindra edged left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe down the leg side soon after completing his half century.

return catch to Santner after scoring 30. “You are not going to chase down 320 with 40s and 50s ... we needed bigger partnerships.”

will have a week’s break before taking on South Africa in Dharamshala on Oct. 17.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

Just because your emotions are reserved or somber today doesn't mean you shouldn't share them with others, Libra. Work through difficulties.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

You may need to jump to many different people and situations today, Scorpio, yet something is holding you back. Listen to this inner voice that's asking you to be conservative at this time.

SAGIT (Nov.22–Dec.21)

ou feel like you have a stone strapped to your back, Sagittarius. The farther you walk with this load, the slower you go, and the more hunched over you will be by the time you reach your destination.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) = It

Feel free to break ties with certain people now, Capricorn. You may be overextending your emotional bank account by investing too much of yourself in others' lives.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

Less is more should be your motto for today, Aquarius. The more you cut back in certain areas of your life, the more room you open up to bring in new and exciting things.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

You may be asked to slow down today, Pisces. Whether this comes in the form of a speeding ticket or a scrape on the knee when you trip.

Daryl Mitchell, who was dropped on 22, and Latham then put on 53 before the Netherlands hit back in the last powerplay with three quick wickets for 16 runs.

Mitchell was bowled by fast bowler Paul van Meekeren (2-59) as he deceived the batter with an offcutter. Spinner Aryan Dutt ended with 2-62 after having Latham stumped and Mark Chapman (4) caught at point.

But Santner provided the Black Caps with a perfect finish by slamming Bas de Leede (1-64) for two consecutive sixes in the last over, which went for 23.

New Zealand then dropped a couple of catches and Santner missed out with two of three run-out chances. The Netherlands, though, never looked threatening in its run-chase.

Vikramjit Singh and Max O’Dowd were tied down by disciplined lengths from Trent Boult and Matt Henry (3-40) in the powerplay.

Colin Ackermann (69) made a fighting half century, but the fall of De Leede in the 17th over to a superb juggling catch by Boult on the edge of the boundary at long off took the game further away from the Netherlands.

Santner baffled the Netherlands with his variations of pace and, after having O’Dowd trapped leg before wicket in his first spell, he returned to grab four more wickets.

“New Zealand have got a quality bowling attack,” said the Netherlands captain Scott Edwards, who skied a

New Zealand leads the table on four points and next plays Bangladesh in Chennai on Friday. The Netherlands

Scores: New Zealand 322 for 7 (Young 70, Latham 53, van der Merwe 2-56) beat Netherlands 223 (Ackermann 69, Santner 5-59, Henry 3-40) by 99 runs.

New Zealand’s Mitch Santner, second right without cap, celebrates the wicket of Netherlands’ Roelof Van Der Merwe during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup match between New Zealand and Netherlands in Hyderabad, India, Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Guyana’s ‘Green Machine’ commence training ahead of Grenada’s Sevens C/ship

Th e G u y a n a National rugby t e a m , affectionately known as the ‘Green Machine,’ has kickstarted its rigorous training sessions in preparation for the highly anticipated Grenada International Sevens Rugby tournament set to take place in late November

Under the guidance of the newly appointed coach, Claudius Butts, the team is shaping up for a remarkable competition.

On Saturday, the rugby

fraternity witnessed an exciting event as the Green Machine commenced their training for the upcoming tournament.

CoachClaudiusButts,a seasoned figure in rugby world, took charge of the team’s preparations, bringing with him a wealth ofexperienceandexpertise.

The opening day of the training camp saw an impressive turnout of nearly thirty enthusiastic rugby players,alleagertorepresent their nation on the international stage The

Rugby Field in the National Park served as the backdrop for the team’s training, providing a fitting venue for thesquad’sendeavors.

The Green Machine wasted no time in getting down to business. Coach Buttsputtheplayersthrough a series of drills and fitness routines aimed at improving their skills, strength, and endurance.

Thefocuswasonhoning the team’s physical and tactical prowess, ensuring theyareinpeakconditionfor the demanding sevens

Coach Butts marshalling his troops during session exercise.

format.

However, to foster camaraderie and teamwork, the players engaged in several “scrubby” games amongthemselves.

These games offered an opportunityfortheplayersto test their newly acquired skills and tactics in a competitive yet friendly environment.

Te a m w o r k a n d communication were emphasized, with players rotating between teams to foster versatility and adaptability

AccordingtoButts,“The team is about 75% ready at this moment we currently workingonthetechnicalpart

of the sevens game also the transition in attacking and defendingpatterns.”

When quizzed about the overall fitness of the team, Coach Butts replied, “We held a Bleep test last Monday to see the level of fitness of the players that were selected from the sevens league the average fitnessofthose players from that test 8.1 to 12.2.

We would like to get up the level of 13 5 to 14 the fitness programme was developed with an Aerobic and Anaerobic power this fitness programmewillhelpus to get to that required level

offitness13 5-14 ” Guyana will come up against teams such as Apache 7s (UK), Atlantis (USA), France (UK), Barbados 7s, Moroon (USA), Rugby Quebec (Canada), Samurai (UK), Trinidad Northers 7s and Tropics7s(UK).

With Coach Butts at the helm and a dedicated group of players, the ‘Green Machine’ is poised to make a significant impact onthetournament.

According to him, the squad is determined to represent Guyana with pride and make a strong impression on the internationalrugbystage

Formerfootballersandclubcoachessuccessfully...

Frompage20 have weekly grassroots activities being organised within ourATC programme, by our regional football associations and by our football clubs. If we able to getcompletebuy-in,wewill rapidly multiply the number of young boys and girls involvementinfootball.

The ACCESS grassroots initiativeisanadditionaltier of the grassroots ecosystem we are building in order to widenthecatchmentareafor youngchildrenwhobecause of various challenges, may notbepartoftheestablished footballstructure.”

The coaching workshop was held by GFF Technical Director Bryan Joseph, Coach Education Officer Lyndon France and Coach Mentor Linsworth Gilbert.

Various aspects of coaching were covered, including child safeguarding, grassroots structure, technical development, the grassroots player and coach and the importance of fostering a positive and inclusiveenvironment.

Technical Director Joseph added that the federation will roll out the initiative as a pilot programmeandwillemploy acomprehensivemonitoring andevaluationcomponentto guide the national rollout in thecomingmonths.

“Theprogrammeisoffto a great start. We’ve had a theoreticalsessionwherewe havegonethroughwiththese stalwarts what are the expectations of the programme, what we expect from them and the overall

objectives of what we’re trying to achieve. We’ve beenabletospendsometime d i s c u s s i n g c h i l d safeguarding, the structure and also ways how they can connect with individual communities.”

A notable aspect of the Access Grassroots Programme is that coaches will be mobile, travelling fromonevenuetoanother,in order to train young individuals in the fundamental skills of the sport.

The GFF will furnish each coach with adequate supply of grassroots equipment to be able to execute the program wherevertheychoseto.

“The whole programme isgoingtobebasedonthese coaches being mobile, not

being at one particular ground but moving from venue to venue to conduct sessions,”Josephsaid.

C o a c h G o r d o n Braithwaitesaidheis happy to“beapartofthisandIhope

Part of the session as young players observe attentively

by the next six months we can hope to see a great improvement in football at thislevel.”

TheGFFiscommittedto empowering aspiring young footballers through its

grassroots initiatives by providing them with access toknowledgeablecoaches,a safe learning environment and adequate football resources so that they can excelinthesport.

Green Machine during Saturday’s training session at National Park.

Farfan & Mendes/Woodpecker Products

First Division Hockey Leagues underway

In a grand and m o m e n t o u s ceremony, the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB)joinedforceswiththe Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports (MCYS) and the NationalSportsCommission (NSC) to officially kick off the 2023 Men and Women

1st Division Hockey Leagues on Sunday at the National Stadium in

Providence.

This spectacular event marksthecommencementof the prestigious tournament, generously sponsored by F a r f a n a n d

Mendes/Woodpecker Products, and promises six weeks of intense

competition as eight formidableteamsvieforthe covetedtitles.

Notably, this year’s

tournament will witness a groundbreaking moment as it becomes the first-ever 1st D i v i s i o n H o c k e y competition in Guyana to be played under the gleaming floodlights.

Farfan and Mendes have a long-standing history of supporting the Men’s league, dating back to the 1980s, while the Women’s league is

proudly sponsored by Woodpecker Products

The event drew a diverse and influential crowd, including children, veterans, and fervent sportsenthusiasts

Amongthedistinguished attendees were Charles Ramson Jr , the Minister o f M C Y S ; S t e v e Ninvalle, Director of S p o r t s ; C h e t e r a m R a m d i a l , N S C Commissioner; and Phillip Fernandes, President of the GHB, amongothers

Ramson for granting permission to host the Men and Women’s League at the Providence facility He also extended hissincere appreciation to the unwavering sponsors, Farfan and Mendes, and Woodpecker Products, for their consistent support of this vital stage ofthesport

theirtalents

Fernandes further e m p h a s i z e d t h e developmental prospects of the sport, stating, “The ball is in our court, and we have w i t n e s s e d t h e overwhelming support tonight ”

Minister Ramson bullies of the Farfan and Mendes-Woodpeckers Products 1st Division Leagues as GHB head Phillip Fernandes shares the moment.

In his opening address, GHB President Fernandes expressed heartfelt gratitude to Minister

F e r n a n d e s u n d e r l i n e d t h e significance of grass hockey in the region’s hockey development, highlighting the National Stadium’s exceptional grass turf, which offers a t h l e t e s a n i d e a l platform to showcase

He revealed promising discussions with Minister Ramson,whoassuredhimof forthcomingdevelopments in hockey and other core sports

The tournament’s exciting action will unfold every Sunday at the Guyana National Stadium from October 8th to November 5th.

Permaul named GHE Super50 team captain

Veteran left-arm s p i n n e r Veerasammy

Permaul has been name captainoftheGuyanaHarpy Eagles team for this year’s CG Insurance Regional Sup

r50 Tournament scheduled to commence on October 17 in Trinidad and Tobago.

Wicketkeeper batsman

Tevin Imlach will serve as Permaul’s deputy The squad includes West Indies players Tagenarine

Chanderpaul, Romario Shepherd, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford and KevinSinclair

The 14-man squad will play two (2) practice matches against a ‘Rest Team’ on Tuesday, October

10 at GCC and Thursday, October 12 at Guyana National Stadium, after which the reserves players willbeselected.

All players are asked to be at GCC for 07:30 hours today,Tuesday,October,10. Matchesstartat09:00hours.

TheGHEsquadreads:

1 T a g e n a r i n e Chanderpaul

(2)KemolSavory

(3) Tevin Imlach (viceCaptain) (4) Veerasammy Permaul(Captain)

(5)KelvonAnderson

(6)ShimronHetmyer

(7)SherfaneRutherford

(8)KevinSinclair

(9)GudakeshMotie

(10)RonsfordBeaton

(11)NialSmith

(12)QuentinSamson

(13) Chandrapaul

Hemraj

(14)RomarioShepherd

GCB‘RestTeam’

1.JuniorSinclair

2.AnthonyAdams

3.ShamarJoseph

4.RaymondPerez

5.MavendaDindyal

6.MalcomHubbard

7.NeilandCadogan

8.RichieLooknauth

9.NeilandCadogan

10.StevenSankar

11 R

Mohamed

12.CarlosLaRose

13.NigelDeodat

1 4

Ramnauth

15.JoshuaPersaud

16.AkshayaPersaud

17.ChrisBarnwell

18.IsiahThorne

Head Panel-(L-R) GHB President Phillip Fernandes, DOS Steve Ninvalle, Minister of MCYS Charles Ramson and NSC Commissioner Cheteram Ramdial.

Veerasammy Permaul

Tevin Imlach

Sherfane Rutherford Romario Shepherd Shimron Hetmyer

Tagenarine Chanderpaul

LGC President Patanjilee Persaud takes the crown in B Class …Persaud,London,Dhori,Giddingsexcellaswell

The action on the final day of the Suriname Open didnotdisappoint.

The Guyanese team brought their ‘A’ game and posed a formidable challenge to the Surinamese team.IntheenditwasLGC President PatanjileePersaud whostoodout,afterclaiming first place in Flight B Avinash Persaud and Shanella London bagged secondoverallbestgrossfor maleandfemale.

While Sabi Dhori took secondplaceinherflightand

Eureka Giddings taking the longestdrive.

T h e G u y a n e s e contingentplayedwithgreat fervorandpersistenceasthe tournament reached its final stages. Speaking at the end of the tournament was LGC

President Patanjilee Persaud, who said, “You know, I would say golf has becomesocompetitive.

AsformyperformanceI thought it was excellent. I putalotintoit.

ButIfeelIreallyfeelthat the challenge of the greens wasmuchmore.

I’m sorry we didn’t retain the championship trophy for Flights A and C. However, I am still grateful that we were able to claim second place for those categories ” Persaud also mentioned that it was sad to seetheladiesnotexcellingto the point of catching the number one trophy However, he noted that it wasstillagreattournament for both the men and the ladies “The tournament was lots of fun and we saw a lot of Guyanese coming out and we just want to thank the Surinamese for being so hospitable,” Persaud shared The two days of action were n o t h i n g s h o r t o f miraculous, as the Guyana contingent put their heart and soul into every stroke onthecourse.

As expected, golfers from all over, including Suriname, will participate in the GTT Guyana Open tournamentattheLusignan GolfClub(LGC)attheend ofOctober

They will be competing against the local side, who willalsobevyingforglory

The results of the tournamentareasfollows:

Flight A - Mike Mangal 4th, Avinash Persaud 5th, 11th Vishal Dhani, 20th Rakesh Harry, 22nd Miguel

Yunes, 23rd Andre

Cummings Flight B - 1st

PatanjileePersaud,4thPope Emanuel London, 5th Brian

Hackett, 6th Rohan Albert, 9th Lakeram Ramsundar, 10thRoyDhori

Flight C - 3rd Carlos

Adams

Flight D - 3rd Shanella

London,

Flight E - 2nd Sabi

Dhori,3rdEurekaGiddings

Senior Category - 5th

MorrisDeo

Best Overall Gross 2nd (Men)-AvinashPersaud

Best Overall Gross 2nd (Ladies)-ShanellaLondon

Otherawards: Eureka GiddingsLongestDriveLadies

Shanella LondonNearesttoPinLadies

Former footballers and club coaches successfully complete Coaching Workshop for new grassroots programme

A group of former players with experience in c l u b c o a c h i n g i n Georgetownhastransitioned into the role of grassroots coaches after completing an intensive workshop organised by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) fortherolloutofACCESS,a new national grassroots initiative.

T h e C o a c h i n g Department conducted the two-day comprehensive theoretical and practical training programme on October 3 at the GFF Headquarters Boardroom, andonOctober6ontheNIS Ground, both located in Georgetown.

The football stalwarts Gordon Braithwaite, Dennis Hunte, Vibert Butts, Colin Tasher, Lloyd Smith and TroyWright were immersed in the federation’s national youth coaching philosophy and provided with thorough instruction and guidance on the necessary skills and

knowledge to become effective coaches and mentors for the GFFAccess GrassrootsProgramme.

President Wayne Forde explained that the Access Grassroots Programme is an additional component integrated into the existing youth development initiatives to foster greater footballparticipationofboys andgirlsbetweentheagesof five and twelve with particularfocusoninnercity communities.

The GFF’s current grassroots initiatives is fundedthroughtheMembers Financial Assistance Programme (M-FAP) and encompass a range of programmes, including the nine (9) regional Academy Training Centre (ATC), Regional Associations year r o u n d G r a s s r o o t Programmes and football clubs, who are now being trained and resourced to integrate grassroots activities into their youth

The coaches involved in the just concluded programme.

developmentprogrammes.

“Grassroots football is where the dream begins for every child. The first time they experience the game of

football, the quality of that experience usually influenceswhethertheywill remainasalifelongplayeror fan. Grassroots is where we

usually identify talent in its earliestform,butthisismore than talent identification, this is really about growing participation by granting

children more access to football.” President Forde shared.

“Ourlongtermgoalisto

LGC President Patanjilee Persaud claimed first place in the B Flight.

The Guyanese team pose with their prizes.

Kares Fitness gym launches October’s Crossfit Caribbean Championship

The organisers of theKaresCrossfit

O c t o b e r Showdown has officially launched its strongmen and women competition last Saturday with a simple ceremonyheldattheentity’s building located at Irving and Anira Streets, Queenstown. The event is scheduled for October 15 at both the National Aquatic

Centre and the National Park.

The competition stands as a testament to the power o f d e t e r m i n a t i o n , teamwork, and unwavering dedication.As we celebrate not just a competition but the spirit of resilience that definesourathletes

The event is aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle and encouraging

sportsmanship at every level

Present at the launching were Chairman of the N a t i o n a l S p o r t s Commission (NSC), Kashif Muhammad, as well as sponsor representatives such as Gabriella Chapman - Digicel Guyana, Kwesi Richmond, Krissoff Stoll –A n s a M c a l , D a l e Vansluytman - Farm

Supply, Avenash SalimBuilders Lumber Yard, Shameer Ali-Mix 90.1 FM, JoshDeAgrella-HeadJudge / Organiser, Lee Fung-AFatHeadJudge Competition Organiser, Josh DeAgrella in his featured address give a brief overview as to what fans can expect on Sunday, Stating, “The October Showdown is more than just a contest, it is a platform that showcases the immense talent, discipline, and passion of

ourathletes.

O u r v e r y o w n

Crossfit sensation and

reigning male RX

c h a m p i o n , D i l l o n Mahadeo will be on the ground, as a Kares C r o s s f i t A t h l e t e Ambassador sharing his knowledgeandbepartofthe organisingcommittee.”

De Agrella also expressed appreciation to its sponsors, the athletes, judges for making this initiative a resoundingsuccess

Gold for Amazon Warriors...

The competition is sponsored by Assuria Insurance, Dicigel Guyana, Farm Supply, AnsaMcal with their brands, Icool water, Lucozade, Grace Mighty Malt, Bumblebee Tuna, Garden Foods and Gillette, Mix 90 1 FM, Builders Lumber Yard, Yellow Mines Hydrolics, G u y T r a c , L o t u s Hardware, Fitness Express, Babe Cave and Ministry of Culture Youth a n d S p o r t , a n d InternationalSOS

The New Doctor’s Clinic mints tokens for the champions

“I am very impressed with the gutsy approach taken by the young playersinsupportofthecaptainand team so I am giving a token of my appreciation,”Satyendra Khemraj told some members of the victorious Guyana Amazon Warriors after the completion of this year’s Republic Bank CaribbeanPremierLeague(CPL).

Khemraj, Managing Director ofTheNewDoctor’sClinic,gifted sterling silver pendants to overseas-based players Saim Ayub, Azam Khan and Captain Imran Tahir while Junior Sinclair, Matthew Nandu and Gudakesh Motie received theirs made from preciousGuyanesegold.

It was the first time that the Guyana Amazon Warriors won the prestigious title but they have won the heart of Khemraj even before the final leg of the tournament

“When I was following the tournament, I saw the passion in you guys that made me believe the Warriorswilldowellthisyear Your futureisbright

We would continue to support in any which way we can,” Khemraj stated

One of the two emerging players in the squad, Matthew Nandu told the donor that they were surprised at the kind gesture and that they will wear the pendants withpride.

Nandu noted that it is very pleasing to be appreciated in such a way

“You didn’t have to do this but we thank you for the wonderful gifts

It means a lot to all of us,” the ‘baby’ of the team said at the simple presentation at the team’s hotelinGeorgetown

The New Doctor’s Clinic located on Queen Street Kitty specializes in the supply of medical equipment across Guyana and Khemraj is often referred to as ‘Santa Claus’ because of his random acts of benevolence

The GuyanaAmazon Warriors liftedtheirmaidenCPLtitleinthe eleventh edition of the tournament in front of their home crowd at Providence on September 24 in a one-sided championship match against arch rivals and former champs

Athletes strike a pose at the launching of the Kares Crossfit October Caribbean Showdown at Kares Fitness Gym.

Managing Director of The New Doctor’s Clinic, Satyendra Khemraj (third from right) along with (from left to right) Junior Sinclair, Azam Khan, Gudakesh Motie, Matthew Nandu and Saim Ayub with the pendants.

Officials and athletes during the launch of the Kares Crossfit October Caribbean Showdown.