Kaieteur News

Petroleum Commission could have prevented confusion with audit of -ChrisRam

Exxon's US$1.7 billion expenses

Chartered Accountant

and Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram believes the confusion plaguing the audit of ExxonMobil Guyana Limited's expenses totaling US$1 7B in the StabroekBlock,underscores the need for an independent Petroleum Commission Had such an independent body been in place, Ram shared the view that Guyana would not find itself in a position where staff members at the Ministry of Natural Resources were

engaged in an “unauthorized reduction” of questionable sums from US$214M to US$3M with officials from ExxonGuyana. This discrepancy was brought to light by Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo at a press conference last week. The official had recalled that the US$214M sum was first flagged by British Consultancy Group, IHS Markit after it audited Exxon's expenses from 1999 to 2017 The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA)

which played a peripheral role in the audit process, gave its no-objection to the US$214M when it was first raised, advocating that this matter should be closed Following GRA's noobjection to the US$214M figure, authorities are expected to proceed to finalizingthereport.

Jagdeo had said the ministry did not do this d e s p i t e G R A ' s recommendation. Jagdeo at previous press conferences told the media that the sum

of US$214M was reduced to US$11Mashewasunderthe impression that this reduction was approved by the technical people involved.TheVicePresident later recanted his statement, saying that the US$214M stands.

ageddemocracies.Theyalso argued that the government would implement such a commission “at the appropriatetime”.

Guyana's President

Irfaan Ali, during an exclusive interview on ITV's Good Morning Britain (GMB) on Wednesday, voiced his government's strong stance on ending subsidies to oil companies forexploration.

In a candid conversation with GMB presenters

Richard Madeley and SusannahReid,PresidentAli addressed the pressing issue of climate responsibility in light of Guyana's recent emergence as an oilproducingnation.

During the chat, Reid askedthehead-of-stateabout the responsibility Guyana senses, being an oil producer amidst warnings of climate catastrophe She made reference to Guyana now beinganoilproducingnation after discovering oil in 2015 w i t h p r o d u c t i o n commencingin2019.

T h e p r e s i d e n t emphasized that his a d m i n i s t r a t i o n ' s c o m m i t m e n t t o environmental preservation had always been paramount.

He highlighted Guyana's unique position, boasting a forest the size of England andScotlandcombined,with an astonishingly low deforestationrateof0.036%.

Hesaidtoothattheentire forest stands as a certified carbon reservoir, raising critical questions about the global community's efforts to protect such valuable naturalresources.

In line with the country's newfound status as a petroleum producer, the

president affirmed his administration's support for ending subsidies on exploration and introducing carbon taxes. However, he alsoemphasizedtheneedfor a balanced approach in addressing these complex issues.

President Ali's call for removal of subsidies to oil companies comes on the heels of a recent call by the InternationalMonetaryFund (IMF) to reduce tax breaks and subsidies provided to oil companiesworldwide.

The IMF reported that fossil-fuel subsidies reached an alarming record of US$7 trillion last year, equivalent to 7 1% of global gross domestic product (GDP) These subsidies surpass annual expenditures on education and comprise a significant portion of healthcare budgets, emphasizing the urgency of addressingthisissue.

However, Ali's call for the removal of subsidies to oil companies also comes at a time when Guyana has an existing agreement with ExxonMobil Guyana that grants significant tax exemptions.

Exxon operates the nation's most lucrative oil block, the Stabroek Block, andcontinuestobenefitfrom tax-free earnings due to the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) signed withGuyana.

The 2016 PSA obliges

ExxonMobil's share of Corporation and Income Tax, resulting in the country

forgoing billions of US d o l l a r s a n n u a l l y . F u r t h e r m o r e , t h i s documentation allows the US oil giant to avoid paying taxes on its overseas earningsinitshomecountry

However, President Ali inarecentinterviewwiththe British Broadcasting C o r p o r a t i o n ( B B C ) reiterated that while his administration is aware of the lopsided nature of the deal which benefits the oil companies more, his administration will not seek a renegotiation of the deal due to the “sanctity of contract.”

The Government has faced local pressure to ensure ExxonMobil pays its fair share of taxes. Guyana received a relatively modest US$94.5 million in 2022 as royalty for its Stabroek Block crude oil; it granted ExxonMobil a staggering US$290 million in tax e x e m p t i o n s T h e s e concessions extend to multinational corporations like Hess Corporation and C N O O C , f u r t h e r complicatingthematter

Despite legal challenges from figures like Glenn Lall, publisher of Kaieteur News, who questioned the legality of these tax waivers, High Court Judge Nareshwar Harnanan upheld the government's authority to grant extensive tax exemptions under the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act. This ruling underscored the complexity ofthetaxbreaksissuewithin Guyana'soilindustry

In an invited comment, Ramsharedtheviewthatthe confusion plaguing the process stems from a c o m b i n a t i o n o f unfamiliarity of the audit process and the absence of a Petroleum Commission “The PPP/C has been promising a Petroleum Commission for years now but has done nothing about it. Too often there is an unhealthy relationship between politicians and public officers. When things go wrong, they cover for eachother,”thelawyersaid.

CGX, Govt. agree:

The audit of US$1.7B in Exxon'sexpensesfortheoilrich Stabroek Block has taken more than three years to be completed. IHS was hired back in 2019 by the former David Granger administration to do the exercise The auditor's leaked report states that “the Government of Guyana has reasonable grounds to dispute US$214.4 million plus associated overhead adjustmentsofthecosts…”

Accountant,

The call for a Petroleum Commission was also made by the political opposition, especiallyduringthedebates that were held on the Petroleum Activities Legislation. Members of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) as well as the Alliance For Change (AFC) strongly contended that the industry should be removed from the government's bosom and transferred to the hands of an independent agency Thegovernmenthad rejected this notion. Without providing any examples, the PPP/C has argued that the model being used in Guyana is used by many modern and

Further, the report states that the disputed costs fall into three main categories, the first being “Defined Costs for Removal” which amount to US$34.4 million. The report states that these costs have either been included in error, are not aligned with provisions in the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement,arenotrelatedto petroleum operations, or are considered to fall outside of industrybestpractice.

The next category is “Inadequate Supporting Documentation” which totalsUS$179.8million.The British auditing team said these costs suffer from a transparency issue as the cost basis, nature and justification of these costs couldnotbeestablishedwith thefurnisheddocumentation even after several rounds of

documentation requests from the Audit Team Although these costs may be valid, the auditing team said government has the right to the transparency of how thesecostsrelatetoStabroek PetroleumOperations. The final category pertains to costs for which ministerial approval is required. This is to the tune of US$270,000. The report states that these costs have b e e n i d e n t i f i e d a s predominantly related to research and development and require ministerial approval before they can be consideredcostrecoverable. The Auditors also flagged a total of US$28.8 million which was incurred prior to date of January 10, 2 0 1 5 w h e n H e s s Corporation and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited became partners in the Stabroek block alongside Exxon.

Jealous city constable shoots colleague and her male friend

Police are investigating a report of an alleged shooting incident committed on Jammanie Saul, a 48-year-old female Lance Corporal attached to the City Constabulary, who received one gunshot wound to her left hand, and MiguelWilson,a50-year-oldoverseasbased Guyanese of Section 'C' Enterprise, East Coast Demerara, who received one gunshot wound to his left thigh. The incident occurred at around 19:15hrs Tuesday at the Bourda City Constabulary Outpost and was committed by a 50-year-old City Constable.

Enquiries disclosed that Jammanie Saulandthesuspectareco-workersand were both on duty at the Bourda City Constabulary Outpost. Overseas-based Miguel Wilson visited Jammanie Saul at her workplace, and the two then sat

next to each other, chatting, much to the annoyance of the suspect. The suspect, who was armed with the service weapon- a .38 revolver with six live rounds, reportedly became furious at seeing Jammanie Saul and Miguel Wilson sitting together, leading to him pointing the firearm at both victims and firingthreeshotsatthem.

As a result, both of the victims fell onto the ground, where they received the abovementioned injuries. The suspect fled the scene after committing the act with the service weapon. The victims were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital by publicspirited citizens, where they are presently receiving medical attention. Their condition is listed as stable. CCTV cameras were seen in the area, and investigators will review the footage. Checks were made for the suspect at hisWestRuimveldtaddress,butheisyettobe located.Investigationsareongoing.

Chartered

Chris Ram

Pres. Ali supports removal of subsidies given to oil companies but maintains tax breaks to Exxon

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS

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

Should VP Jagdeo be fired?

On matters of oil in general, and the political managementofthispreciouspatrimonyofthepeople,weat this publication rarely find common ground with the OppositionAPNU(ortheAFC).

On APNU's call for the removal of Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, there is the fullest agreement. Long before thisUS$214millionExxonMobilauditfiasco,wehavebeen callingforthePresidenttofireJagdeooverotherfailuresthat havehurtthiscountry

FocusingontheUS$214millionauditdevelopmentsalone, Jagdeo's public positions do not add up, only thicken the mysteriesanddarknessexistingbefore ItwasJagdeohimself who shared audit finding numbers that went from US$214 milliontoUS$11million,andthentotherockbottomofUS$3 millioninfindings ConsideringthatlastUS$3millionfigure,it wastheequivalentof there being no finding by IHS Markit andtheGuyanaRevenueAuthority(GRA)atall.Also,both the government and the Vice President indicated that missing documentation was provided by ExxonMobil, whicheffectivelyreversedsomeoftheauditfindings.Since the supporting documents were supplied, then that should have been that, once they were accepted, which is what Guyanesewereledtobelieve.Thefactisitdidnotturnoutto beso,withtheusualJagdeosurfacing.

So,therewastheprecipitousdropfromUS$214millionto US$11million,followedbytheshorterfallfromUS$11million toUS$3million,andallaspronounceduponbyJagdeohimself Yet,Guyanesearenowlefttograpplewiththislatebreakingcock andbullstoryofthePPP/CGovernmentapparentlysettlingforafinal auditdifference/finding of US$107 million as acceptable The first question is what happened to the US$11 million and afterwards US$3 million? The second is that since supporting documentary proofs of ExxonMobil's spending relative to the US$1.6 billion precontract costs were submittedbythecompany(andfoundacceptable),thenhow isitthatthereisbafflingnewfinalauditnumberofUS$107 million, as being satisfactory to close out this dirty audit episode? What is the basis of that US$107 million? Was that plucked out of Jagdeo's head? Like almost everything withJagdeo,thisisjustonemoremerrygoround,andhow he backs himself into a corner On the dizzying array of auditnumbers,rangingfromUS$214milliondowntoUS$3 million, then upwards to US$107 million, was he misinformed? Ordidhespeakoutofturn? Orwashetooclose totheprocessbehindthescenes, while pretending in public that both he and the government were keeping a safe distance,sothattheGRAcouldperformitssensitiveduties unfettered,unpressured,anduninterrupted?

Thewaywelookatthisissimple. Ifmissingsupporting paperwork led to the US$214 million audit findings, and it wassuppliedingoodform,thentheappropriateadjustments follow, and the matter is closed at whatever number is finalised Exceptthatthisisnotthecase,withcontroversyand contortions, if not too much political cleverness, dominating the proceedings, and leaving openminded, clearheaded Guyanesewithseriousmisgivings.

Inallthis,theVicePresidenttakesonadullanddisturbing sheen Howmuchcanhebebelieved? Howmuchtrustshould begiventomanagethisoil? Oilstewardshavebeendisgraced forless,soheshouldgohiswayonhisown IfJagdeohadany speck of self-respect left, he should resign Since that is extremely doubtful, he should be fired and put out of his entanglementsandmisery Butthatisnotall,foroutofnowhere, andasiftoputapatchonapatheticstateofaffairswiththisaudit, therewasJagdeocomingupwiththislatesttrickystrokeabout “unauthorized” actions by ministry personnel Obviously, Jagdeohasbeencaughtwithhispantsdown,andlookstopass the blame to others, as is his practice This claim of “unauthorised”actionsonlymakeshimlookfrantic,andnot themantobeinchargeofthisoil. Heshouldbefiredtogive Guyanese a clean shot at managing their oil wealth. A tangledwebhasbeenweavedtodeceive,anditentanglesits maker(s).

When Indians andAfricans demonize each other, poverty flourishes

DEAREDITOR, In an article in the Kaieteur news dated Sept 5 2023 and captioned, “16 protesting sugar workers, four others arrested to be slapped with charges” the following was stated, “The police protected by their shieldsandbatons,wereseen trying to remove the protestors from the road to havetheflowoftrafficreturn to a state of normalcy The move by the police resulted in the protestors retaliating physically Notwithstanding, the road was eventually cleared and 20 persons, including the 16 estate workers, were arrested and are to be charged ”This attitude of the police was seen on other occasions whenit’ssugarworkers.

Now I have no problem withthepoliceactingagainst those who block and burn roads. I definitely do not condone this. However, a double standard is clearly visible. There have been so many protests by others in differentpartsofthecountry whichinvolvedtheblocking and burning of roads. These protestsinvolvedthebeating and robbing of innocent persons.Sometimestheylast for days and the police arrestednoone.Theydidnot move in with protective shields and attack the

protesters. I don’t know if they were afraid in those instances, or it is a question ofkithandkin,aswassaidby Hoyte, but definitely those protestors were left alone to dowhattheywant.

I recall the Henry Brothers protests where the road was blocked for days. The road was burnt, and persons were robbed and beaten. It was not ended by thepolice,butwhenaleader of the PNC went there and askedthemtostop.Thenthe illegalprotestmarchingfrom Golden Grove to Mon Repos. Blocking of the road and burning of the road was the order of the day culminating with the looting ofbusinessesatMon-repos.

I recently spoke to an Afro-Guyanese known for his representation of AfroGuyanese. I asked him why whenever there are protests, no matter what the cause/ reason violence and robbery isdirectedagainstoneracial grouping He told me I should address this to the AfricanLeaders.Apparently, he can represent Blacks if wrongisdonetothem,buthe cannot find it in himself to appeal to his black brothers todesistfromdirectingwhat could only be race hate violenceagainstIndians. Why not be equal opportunity protesters and

beat Guyanese regardless of colour? Whenever there are protests,itisIndianswhoare fearful of going to GT or towards the area of protests, astheyarethetargets.Ihave been asked by a few of my Black friends why Indians hateBlacks?

In conversation with Indian friends, I try to tell them they should not hate Blacks and that the vast majority of Blacks like Indians are innocent lawabiding citizens Many answer that it is after what happened during these protests cause them to hate Blacks. I advise them not to stereotype based on the actions of a few But maybe someone, ACDA or one of the Black Organisations or Lincoln Lewis or David HindsorevenRaviDevetall can explain exactly why during these protests only Indians are beaten and robbed.

TheBlackleadersshould saywhetherwecanconclude they condone this by their silence or give some reason for not condemning nor appealing for this race hate crime to cease. A few in responsepointstowhatthey claim as economic violence against Blacks. Well even if this is so, I don’t see how innocent Indians are to be blamed.Maybesomeonecan

explainthis.

When on social media I speakaboutthisIamtoldby some I am condemning Black people. I am not. I make the point to them that whenever they are protests andIndiansarebeingbeaten and robbed in a particular area and even when there was the Buxton episode in other parts of the country Indians and Blacks were interacting peacefully Buying from each other at themarkets,drinkingatbars together and laughing and gaffing as if nothing is happening.

I am accused by AfroGuyanese for being biased against Blacks when I criticize the PNC. At the same time, I am attacked by Indians for being anti PPP when I criticize the PPP I criticized the PNC and the dictatorship and I was beaten, locked up many times, and tortured. I was Personal Assistant to President Jagdeo but when the corruption became deep rooted,Icriticizeditandwas fired. I was not beaten. I campaignedfortheCoalition but when they started their jiggery pokery about 33 is notmajoritywithsomecock andbullstoryofroundingup halfofaman.Iresignedand campaignedagainstboth

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GWI correctsAdams’spurious claims

DEAREDITOR, The Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) has noted a letter headlined “Horrible water system at the CJIA” published in the September 18, 2023, edition of the KaieteurNews.

In the letter under the name Neil Adams, various claims were made including ‘coloured water’ water flowing through the taps at t h e C h e d d i J a g a n International Airport and that all water supply to the public is untreated and has highironlevels.

These claims from Mr Adamsarenotbasedonfact. Firstly,ontheCJIA,wewish to note that on August 17, 2023, GWI commissioned a new treatment plant at the airport and has been removing the iron from the artesian well water well within the World Health Organisation (WHO) standardforpotablewater

This system was specificallyfortheCJIA.We have been monitoring the performanceofthisplantand the results have been highly

encouraging.Theironlevels have been consistently ranging from 0.02 to 0.05 mg/l, which are well within thestandardoftheWHO.

Our most recent laboratorytestconductedon Friday, September 15, 2023, on samples of water supply at the CJIA’s washroom facilities indicated that the waterqualityisexcellentfor human consumption as it relates to both iron and m i c r o b i o l o g i c a l contaminants.

Mr Adams in his letter alsomadeabroad,sweeping claim that all water supplied by GWI is high in iron content. This claim is far from the truth. Not all our supplies are high in iron content,andwewouldliketo emphasise that in areas wherethisissueexists,GWI is making every effort to fix it. GWI, under the current Government, has made significantstridesinthepast two years to address this problem under the massive Coastal Water Treatment InfrastructureProgramme.

This programme has the

specific objective of increasing the treated water coverage from 52 percent in baseyear2021to90percent by 2025 This will be achieved through the constructionof12largenew water treatment plants, upgradeof12existingplants and the installation of water reticulations systems to transport this vital resource to areas that do not receive treatedwater

These new plants will complement 28 large existing plants throughout thecoastland.

We have already commenced work on seven of the new water treatment plants They are at Onderneeming on the Essequibo Coast; Parika, EastBankEssequibo;Wales andLustenRust,WestBank Demerara; Caledonia on the East Bank; Cummings Lodge in Georgetown and Bachelor’sAdventureonthe EastCoast.

These projects are expected to be completed in the second half of 2024 and will enable the provision of

clean water to thousands of residents.

Also, before the end of thisyear,GWIisexpectedto tender for another five new treatment plants in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five and Six.

In addition, GWI is rolling out an innovative small water treatment plant p r o g r a m m e i n 1 5 communities, the latter of which are expected to be completedin2024.

Work has also begun at theSparendaamWellstation to install an inline filter for the service area of Ogle to Better Hope South of the railway embankment and is scheduledtogoonlineinlate October2023.

We wish to assure Mr Adamsthattheseprojectsare in keeping with GWI’s commitment to provide treatedwaterto90percentof the population by 2025, and the Government of Guyana is investing over $40 billion inthesectorinsupportofthis vision.

Yourssincerely, GuyanaWaterInc.

VPJagdeo only answers what he wants to - safe questions

DEAR

EDITOR

, When former US presidentDonaldTrumplost thelastUSelections,hetried tosubjugatetheUSelections institutions’ decision to remain in power The US Speaker of the House at that time, a staunch supporter of Trump, Republican Senator MitchMcConnellsaidwhile conceding the elections for current President Joe Biden that, he was disappointed that his candidate and party lost the elections, but he cannot allow one man to

bend the laws of the US for hispersonalself-interests,as this would destroy any country

In Guyana before, there was Forbes Burnham, and nowVPBharratJagdeowho is doing just that, involving himself in all and every key decision with Guyana’s wealthandbusinessinterests to the detriment of all poor Guyanese Jagdeo is involved in decisions on mining and timber concessions, disposition of state assets and lands, and

now the oil operations

When in opposition, Jagdeo criticized the oil contract signed byAPNU, and like a greatgeneralmakingabattle cry, said he would renegotiate the oil contract and get better royalty, taxes, and ring-fencing to benefit Guyana. Not only he has failed at this, but is also removingthegoodthingsfor Guyana from the contract signedbyAPNU,likehaving ExxonMobil guarantee full liability for oil spills and flaring regulations

First Lady’s work at the Seawall commendable

DEAREDITOR,

As a Civic Society commentator, it is fair to give credit where credit is due,andoffercritiqueswhen necessary I attended the dedication of the Kingston B a n d s t a n d a r e a development completed by theOfficeoftheFirstLady I considertheprojecttobean enormous success which shouldbereplicatedinother areas in Guyana. Maybe the Office of the First Lady can do a similar project at the Central Corentyne Whim Community Center Ground which has a large playground area in need of development. The No. 63 Beach is also awaiting a similar development for a longtime.

The Office of the First Lady has transformed the Bandstand area with this project.Thearealooksnicer, feelsclean,orderly,andsafer with a Police Outpost there. The Food Court area looks cleanandnice,andthereisa washroom area and

handwashing station. These are important conveniences in a recreational area

Contrast this area with the adjacent seawall area that looks like a ghetto with a hodge podge of stalls that a visitor would want to stay away from. The competent authorityneedstostepinand adopt some of the quality found in the First Lady’s Kingston Bandstand project forthatunregulatedarea.We must not allow a ghetto to developthere.

The Office of the First Lady has demonstrated that once they embark on a project, it will be well accomplished The First Lady is able to secure cooperationfromdonorsand the appropriate government agenciestosecuresuccessful completionofprojects.Iam glad the First Lady is focusing on environmental beautification and a clean environmentmuchneededto improve Guyana’s image and to boost tourism

Guyana is a beautiful

country but a sense of what goodlandscapinglookslike, and a culture of cleanliness aresadlylacking.

Therefore, the “Dem Boys Seh” column should lighten up and offer an apology to the Office of the First Lady for their unwarranted criticisms of theproject.(“DeoldSeawall has gone!, KN, Sep 16, 2023). I usually agree with most of their commentary but their criticism of the project seems nit-picky and what mental health people will call “awfulising.” Dem Boysmadeagoodthinglook likeabadthing.Sure,theold nasty,“kai”lookisgoneand replaced with beautifully designedstructures.Weneed moreofthistomakeGuyana looknice.Continuethegood work First Lady! Maybe issue a report card of costs and private donors for skepticssuchas“DemBoys Seh.” Let’s be proud of the newBandstandarea!

Sincerely,

Dr.JerryJailall

PresidentAli did well to articulate Guyana’s position

DEAREDITOR, I watched with interest a panel discussion hosted by theClintonGlobalInitiative. President, Dr Irfaan Ali must be commended for the manner in which he articulated Guyana’s positiononcarbonremission strategies, while at the same time optimising the country’scarbonresources.

As pointed out by PresidentAli,theissueought not to be one of zero tolerance for petroleum exploration but rather a phased and incremental approach in the direction of renewable forms of energy Guyanahasbeendoingwell

in terms of transitioning to cleaner and greener energy

Our deforestation rates are amongthebestintheworld.

Whatisrequired,asnotedby President Ali is a balanced and holistic approach in

Wheneverquestionedonhis decisions and no-decisions regarding key oil and resources issues, he spins googlies more than Lance Gibbs, Shane Warne, Abdul Qadir, and Muttiah Muralitharan combined, his latest being, instead of having oil monitoring production system and personnel aboard the oil ships, he would use a fiber optic cable which will transmit production data from a satellite way out in outerspace.

Jagdeo response to critical questions has now become: he has dealt with those issues already like contract renegotiations, ring-fencing, full cover insurance, interest rate cap, taxation, auditing Exxon’s expenses, decommissioning funds, and oil blocks relinquishment So he would no longer entertain certainquestionssuchasthe sale of the Marriot Hotel, soon he would no longer entertain questions on the GPC sale, theAT&Tshares, the Skeldon Sugar Factory, theEnmorePackagingPlant, theCJIAexpansion,Harbour Bridgesandsoforth.

The VP’s new response to questions from KN’s reporters is that Glenn Lall wants to form a political party, if so then what? Glenn Lall, like any other Guyanese, has the democratic right to form a politicalparty Anyonewho now criticizes the VP’s handling of the oil sector wants to form political parties as per Jagdeo, meaning probably, Melinda Janki, Janet Bulkan, Tom Zanzillo, OOGN, the IMF, the IDB, CARICOM, the World Bank, and all who raise concerns of the oil sector’s management WheneverGuyanesecallout MPsforincompetence,MPs tellthemtogoformpolitical parties, when people form political parties, the same

MPs complain people are forming political parties, so whatshouldGuyanesedo?

Whyinthiscountry,ifan Indo Guyanese forms a political party, they get blamedfortakingawayPPP votes? Likewise, the same happens to an Afro Guyanese who is not PNC, taking away PNC votes Guyanese have allowed the PPP and PNC to have the patented rights to Indo and Afro votes respectively, that’s why Guyanese and Guyana are where they are and get nowhere, even with allthewealthinthiscountry With Jagdeo in charge, ExxonMobil is forging aheadwithmoreoilprojects, already placing orders and contracts even as project #6 hasnotstartedasyet,maybe the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and more projects are already in the pipeline, literally as Exxon forges ahead with sneering confidence as if they know all the projects will be approved with no resistance from Guyana’s MPsandGuyanese.

The public consultation with ExxonMobil has their spokesperson saying, oil spills can bankrupt oil companies if they have to provide full liability insurance. Yet this is the same ExxonMobil that said, Justice Sandil’s Kissoon ruling did not consider Exxon’sfinancialcapability, why then and there, they were not called out as liars andhypocrites?Withallthis goingon,Guyanesecontinue to complain rather than

protest for betterment, doesn’t Guyanese know by now that no resolution will come out from their complaints about neglect, mismanagement, and incompetence from the current MPs? I hope Guyanese feel good making complaints just to take it off their chests as nothing will not done, so keep on complaining until pigs fly Guyanese will not get anything done by these current MPs since, these MPs were groomed, indoctrinated, and brainwashed in the youth movements of both the PPP andPNCtobenothingmore than “yes” men and women to party leaders, sitting like dead motionless dolls in a toy shop’s display window while representing Guyaneseinparliament.

The PNC used to protest against all things, everything, and nothing when in opposition, now since oil started pumping and under Aubrey Norton, they have forgotten how to protest,evenasthestakesare now higher than ever The President continues to give speechessayingGuyanawill become a leader in global issues, yet not even the peopleofHaiti,Afghanistan, or Somalia will listen to a governmentthatisshrouded with selling out, corruption, incompetence, and sexual assault allegations, so what delusions is President Ali under?Guyanacannotmove forward,particularlyforthe

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which countries with high forest cover such as Guyana be adequately compensated for keeping their forests standing.

Yoursfaithfully, HydarAlly

Mr.Jagdeobecomesmoreandmoredisconnectedfromtruth

DEAREDITOR

, Kindly permit me space in your column to address several untruths uttered by Mr Bharrat Jagdeo, on a recent Talk Show, as he continues to attempt to rewritehistory

Editor, it appears Mr Jagdeo’srelationshiptotruth is becoming more and more estranged. He continues to spew untruths about members of the Opposition, including those who served as Ministers in the David Granger-led administration. Not satisfied with what was stated at his Press Conference, held on

Thursday, September 7, 2023, when he belittled personsandreferredtothem as ‘clowns,’he appeared on an exclusive interview with Mr. Mikhail Rodrigues, aka ‘Critics ’ During this interview,whenaskedabout thevisionoftheGovernment with regard to the Marriott Hotel, the Berbice Bridge andtheAmailaFallsProject, his response was “oh, they ( r e f e r r i n g t o t h e APNU+AFC)killedthat,the lies that they told about AmailaFalls.”Hecontinued by stating, “that the cost of electricity will double.” Mr Jagdeo further reiterated that,“atthattimethecostof electricity was 30 cents per kilowatt hour They, the

PPP/C,weregoingtobuyat the cost of 10 cents per kilowatthourandthecostof generation was over 20 cents, so, it would have cut p r i c e s b y h a l f ” Additionally,hestated.“that by 2017, the nation would havehadcheaperpowerand stablepower.”

Editor, Guyanese are fully aware of the complete waste of taxpayers’ dollars on theAmaila Falls Project, which was given to Flip Motilall, who allegedly was totally unqualified and incompetent to handle a project of this magnitude. Mr Jagdeoinhisusualrant, furtherstated,“theCoalition Government did nothing in five years and accused us further of procuring a small generation set from Germany for the Essequibo Coast.” He, however, failed to tell his interviewer the history behind the purchase.

I will do so briefly Prior to thechangeinGovernmentin May 2015, residents on the E s s e q u i b o C o a s t complained bitterly of the constant and frequent blackouts they were experiencing, without any rectification by GPL. The Coalition Government assessed the situation and reports revealed that residents fromAnna Regina to Charity were receiving

lesswattageinelectricity,as compared to the supply in electricityfromSupenaamto Anna Regina. Eventually, a 5.4-megawatt (mw) power plant, pegged at a cost of $1 81 billion, was commissionedinApril2019 for Essequibo. Editor, I can boldlysaythat,todate,allof the generations installed by theCoalitionstillservicethe residents of Essequibo, Canefield and Bartica, withoutanyadversereports.

E d i t o r , i t w a s disingenuous of Mr Jagdeo toproclaimthatnothingwas done for GPL during the Coalition Government. In addition to the well-known fact that blackouts were significantly reduced, I am providinghereunderFACTS on the successes and improvements of the Power Company, under the Coalition Government, without the benefit of oil funds:

1 $800M 3 3MW generation set for Bartica, Reg.7,wascommissionedin December 2019 and still provides uninterrupted service.

2. In March 2019, a 5.5Megawatt (MW) generator was commissioned at the Canefield power station in East Canje, Berbice, which is estimated to have cost US$8.5 million. This is still

providing uninterrupted service.

3 Rebranded the Wartsilla Company with P o w e r P r o d u c e r s Distribution Inc, (PPDI), which was manned and operated by competent and qualifiedGuyanese.

4 The power utility upgradeprogramme.

5 Employed highly qualified and technical personnel as the CEO of GPL,Mr AlbertGordon.

6 Technical and Executive staff were exposed to training to boost competence.

7.There were infrequent blackouts under the CoalitionGovernment.

It is public knowledge that the operations of GPL have retrogressed since the return of the PPP/C in August2020.TheCEO,Mr Bharrat Dindyal, whom the then Board of Directors rejected, under the PPP/C’s previous administration, because of his alleged incompetence, was rehired post August 2, 2020. Once again,citizensarenotgetting valuefortheirmoney

Duringtheinterview,Mr Jagdeo also accused the C o a l i t i o n Govern

mentofprocuring“hundreds andmillions”invehiclesfor Ministers. Guyanese should beremindedthataftertaking office in August 2020 the PPP/C regime, under the Office of the President Expenditure,hadaprovision of G$92,000,000 (G$92M) for the purchase of vehicles. When asked why this was necessary, there was no response.TheCoalitioneven suggested that that sum be used to pay salary increases to public servants and other categories of employees. If the Coalition did in fact spend huge sums on the acquisition of vehicles, why the urgent need to purchase additionalvehicles?

Editor, I will again remind readers of the abysmal performance of the PPP/C during their 23 years in office, 12 of which were led by Guyana’s worst President, Mr Jagdeo. Mr Jagdeo, however, tries to give the nation the impression that governance of Guyana started on May 16, 2015 with the Coalition Government. His continued failure, as defacto President since 2020, is well documented and discussed onallsocialmediaplatforms

athomeandabroad.

Under the tenure of Mr Jagdeo alone, there were a number of flawed projects including: “the Skeldon Sugar Factory Expansion Project (US$200M),Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project (US$15M), the Marriott HotelProject(US$58M),the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF); (US$27M), the EGovernance Fiber Optic Cable, (US$5M), The Specialty Hospital project (US$18M) by Surendra Engineering Company, the Berbice Bridge Project (US$48M), and the Cheddi Jagan International Expansion Project (US$150M).

Jagdeo has no moral authority to discuss the Coalition’s management of the economy which, as we are all aware, was in total shambles when the PPP/C demittedoffice.

Also, it is TIME Guyanese recognized that Mr Bharrat Jagdeo has NO GOOD intentions for GUYANA and its citizens. IT IS TIME FOR a total repudiationofMr Jagdeoby thepeopleofGuyana.

Sincerely,

AnnetteFerguson,MP

VPJagdeoonlyanswerswhathe...

Frompage5 poor, relative to its massive wealth and potential unless the current political system changes.

The only way this can happen is to have independents run in elections who are not underthecontrolofPPPandPNCleadership, this includes Glenn Lall and any Guyanese. Oil price has now gone up to US$ 90/barrel andwillkeepgoingupjustlikefoodpricesin

Guyana, so, will Guyanese turn to independents for political leadership? Or continue complaining on issues affecting them,alltonoavailwiththesecurrentMPs? IfGuyanesedon’twanttochangethecurrent political leadership, they might as well sing “forget my money, just gimme PNC and PPP.”

Sincerely, R.David.

WhenIndiansandAfricansdemonize...

Frompage4 parties and supported LennoxShuman.

Iamanequalopportunity critic. I keep preaching that the vast majority of our people, Indians, Blacks, A m e r i n d i a n s a r e economically marginalized. We need to unite in our economic interests.Aunited working class can hold any government accountable We can close the country down.Wedonothavetouse violence.

I am stating my opinion ofthingsasIseeit.Imaybe wrong with my perception, butIamgoingpublictostart a public discussion on this

issue. I want to remind all that about 30,000 Indians and I went against the PPP andsupportedthecoalition.I was a major writer and the host of most of theAFC TV programmes slamming the PPP

I want to emphasize that Blacks, Indians etc. are not homogenousunits.

They are stratified with varyinginterests.

InAfrica, Blacks exploit Blacks and there is a very high percentage of poverty while some Black leaders squander the wealth In India,while20familiesown mostofthewealth,thereare over 500 million Indians in

poverty and deep-rooted corruption.

Sameinwhitedominated countries.IntheUSA,one% owns and control over 55% of the wealth while the bottom 80 has only about 2%.

We have a bunch of educated and uneducated workers saying this is the besthumankindcanachieve. We have here the poor and marginalized Indians and Blacks pitted against each other, ignoring our common marginalization.

This hate and disunity willkeepusinpoverty

Yourstruly, RajendraBisessar

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Who the hell does something like that in Guyana?

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Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo would have you believe that someone at the Ministry of Natural Resources somehow at some time took it upon himself or herself (it could be plural) to move behind the back of the minister, the GRA, and the entire government apparatus, and dealt with Exxon directly.

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They did not just deal with Exxon, but had the power and authority (or curiously arrogated same to themselves) to strip the IHS/GRA audit issue amount of US$214 million to a measly US$3 million. Who the hell does something like that in Guyana?

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Police,lawyerdifferoverchargesmadeagainst CliffAndersonSportsHallsub-contractor

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Wednesday refuted claims made by the Hughes, Fields and Stoby law firm, in relation to their client, Samantha Singh, who was charged for fraudulent conversion earlier this month.

Singh, a mother of one of Lamaha Street, Queenstown, Georgetown, made her first court appearance last Friday a t t h e G e o r g e t o w n Magistrates' Courts for allegedly converting $4 million entrusted to her to supplytemperedglassforthe Cliff Anderson Sports Hall's rehabilitationproject.

Following Singh's court

appearance,herlawyerNigel Hughes issued a statement. In that statement, the lawyer said his client was arrested at MovieTowne in the presence ofherchild.

According to Hughes, when Singh arrived at the Criminal Investigation D e p a r t m e n t ( C I D ) Headquarters, she was told that if she did not want to be kept in custody for three days, she had to pay the sum of$2M.

“Ms. Singh then retained Hughes Fields and Stoby who immediately reported the criminal conduct of officers of the Guyana Police F o r c e b o t h t o t h e

Commissioner of Police and the Chairman of the Police ComplaintsAuthority.”

The lawyer claimed that the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) received the complaint, recognised it, and then launched an investigation into the actions of the relevant police officers.

However, Hughes contended that charges against his client were only brought after it was reported thatthepolicehadengagedin “criminal conduct” in their attempts to frighten her To this end, he said, “We consider the charges to be malicious and not founded in

Road users to pay for their recklessness - AG

law and will challenge the evidently abusive exercise of power by the Guyana Police Force.”

In response to the lawyer's contention the GPF, inapressrelease,saidthatthe law firm ought to be aware that the constitutional office of the Director of Public P r o s e c u t i o n ( D P P ) determines whether criminal charges should be instituted or not. “It is the DPP that recommended criminal charges against the woman, Samantha Singh Also, contrarytowhatwasstatedin Hughes' letter, the contractor (whom Singh is accused of defrauding) made a report to

the police of fraudulent misappropriation Police investigated the matter, and a filewassubmittedtotheDPP, advising that charges be laid against Ms Singh,” the policesaid.

Accordingtothepolice,it w a s t h e D P P w h o recommended charges be instituted against Singh. The police refuted the lawyer's claimofinsinuation.

On September 16, this publication had reported that SinghappearedbeforeSenior Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrate's Court and pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on April 28, 2023 at

M a n d e l a A v e n u e , Georgetown, she was entrusted with $4M by Eworth C. Sangster of E.C.S Constructions and General Supplies, to purchase and supply tempered glass, when she converted the money to herownuseandbenefit.

The police prosecutor made no objection to bail being granted to Singh but asked that she reports to the CID Headquarters, and that she submits her correct addresstothecourt.

Inhisaddresstothecourt, Hughes said that his client wascontractedbySangsterto supply reinforced glass for the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall rehabilitation project as well as another project located in Leonora, West CoastDemerara(WCD).

Hughesexplainedthathis client had two engagements with Sangster concerning the sourcing of the glass. He stated too that his client outsourced the glass from China.

According to Hughes, his client was later arrested and subsequently placed before the court. He made a bail application for his client that was granted in the sum of $50,000byMagistrateDaly

NAREI unveils mangrove monitoring app

The NationalAgricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and its partner, SERVIRAmazonia, last week unveiled a software programme which will strengthen the country's ability to monitor mangrove forests alongthecoastland.

The application was unveiled at a simple ceremony at NAREI's headquarters at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara. According to NAREI, the geospatial tool can assist the agency and civil society to protect the country's natural coastal barriers using remotesensingtechnology

SERVIR-Amazonia noted on its website that the application provides a platform for automating the analysis of radar and optical imagery going back several years and setting a year-2020 baseline for future analysis. “This service makes mangrove-related landuse change transparent and the resulting analysis publicly available for use by governmentandcivilsociety,”theentitysaid.

The app, which was developed by SERVIR-Amazonia, a joint program of NASA and the United States Agency of International Development (USAID), measurestheheightanddensityofmangrove forests by using NASAsatellites that bounce radarsignalsofftheplanet'ssurface.

NASA's Global Climate Change website noted in a report that when lasers hit mangroves' leaves and branches, the radar signals return to the sending devices backscattered.

“When the radar signals bounce back

more smoothly, it can warn local experts that a section of forest might be sick, or even deforestedentirely,”thereportsaid.

On July 26, the day set aside for International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, Minister of Agriculture, several stakeholders and members of the diplomatic community undertook a mangrove tour along the seawall fromTurkeyentoOgle,ECD.

At the event, which was geared at bringing awareness to the importance of mangroves as a key aspect of the country's eco-system,MinisterofAgriculture,Zulfikar Mustapha,highlighteditsroleasanaturalsea defencebarrier

In July this year, the Government of Guyana and the European Union (EU) inked an agreement which will establish a comprehensive programme to protect and managetheinvaluablemangroveslocally,the DepartmentofPublicInformationreported.

Within the past two years, large swathes of land along the Coastland in RegionsThree and Four were cut down to make way for infrastructural works for the oil and gas industry.Last July, NAREI announced that ExxonMobil's partner Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited was given permission by the government to cut down 240 square meters or 2583 square foot of mangrovesandcordgrassatOgle,ECDtolay afibreopticcable.

NAREIsaiditwasmonitoringtheproject including the replanting of the important speciealongthedisruptedshoreline.

Woman charge for fraud: Samantha Singh

Confusion galore!

If ever there was a time for the President of Guyana to consider the future of his Vice President, within his government, that time is now

Theconundrumthatnow exists over the handling of the audit report of the oil companies’ pre-contract recoverable costs, presents the President with the opportunity to evaluate ministerial responsibility within the Ministry of Natural Resources The ongoing controversy surrounding the audit of recoverable costs incurred by oil companies between 1999 and 2017 has exposed thestateofconfusionwithin the Ministry of Natural Resources. This confusion not only jeopardises the nation’s economic interests butalsoplaysintothehands oftheveryoilcompaniesthe government seeks to regulate. The controversy revolves around the audit of recoverable costs incurred by oil companies operating inGuyanabetween1999and 2017. This audit aims to determine the accuracy of the costs claimed by these companies and the extent to which they are recoverable under the terms of the production sharing agreements (PSAs) – signed first under Janet Jagan and laterundertheAPNU+AFC. The Ministry of Natural Resources, tasked with overseeing Guyana’s burgeoning oil sector, is embroiled in a predicament. On one hand, the Petroleum Division is reported to have reduced the audit’s anomaliesfromastaggering US$214 million to a mere US$3 million. On the other hand, the Ministry is

contended that the Petroleum Division is not authorized to make these reductions This glaring contradiction exemplifies the confusion that plagues the ministry, and raises serious questions about its abilitytoeffectivelymanage Guyana’soilandgassector

One of the contentious issues concerns the role of the Guyana Revenue

Authority (GRA) in c o n d u c t i n g t h e government’s audit. This is an unadulterated conflict of interest, as the GRA cannot be both the auditor and the entity responsible for pronouncing upon the tax liabilities that may arise from the audit. The GRA’s primary mandate is tax administration, and it lacks the necessary independence toserveasthegovernment’s auditorinthiscontext.

The GRA is free to undertake its own audit. But onlyfortaxpurposesandthe findings of that audit in keeping with client confidentiality has to be an internal issue within the tax entity and not shared with thegovernment. TheGRA’s Actexplicitlylimitsitsscope totaxadministrationmatters and does not confer upon it the responsibility to act as the auditor of the government.Assuch,forthe GRAtoarrogatetoitselfthe roleofgovernmentauditoris not consistent with its functions as defined in the Guyana Revenue Authority Act. Over on Brickdam, the confusion within the Ministry of Natural Resourcesdeepenswhenwe consider the role of the Petroleum Division in managing the oil and gas sector on behalf of the

government If the Petroleum Division, which istaskedwithoverseeingthe industry, cannot pronounce on audit anomalies, it begs thequestion:whocan?

An audit is not the final word; its findings must be carefully scrutinized by the government, primarily through its Petroleum Division The subject Minister has to seek advice from technical experts, including those within the Petroleum Division, to determine the nature of any disputes arising from the audit. In this context, the actions of the Petroleum Division should be seen as partoftheregularprocessof evaluating audit reports and making informed decisions basedonexpertadvice.

As such, the Ministry of NaturalResources’assertion that the recent actions of its Petroleum Division are unauthorized is deeply troubling.Itrevealsalackof clarity regarding the division’s role and responsibilities and contributes to the overall confusion surrounding the auditprocess.Suchastateof affairs not only hampers effective governance but also undermines the government’s ability to protect its own interests and thoseofitscitizens.

In light of the current crisisofconfusionwithinthe Ministry of Natural Resources, it is imperative thatdecisiveactionbetaken to address these issues and safeguard the nation’s interests. To this end, the President is duty bound to intervene in order to clarify the distinct roles and responsibilities of the Ministry of Natural

DEM BOYS SEH DBS

Guyana tek fuss!

Guyana is about to assume the polepositionin the world’s oldest profession! Move over, Amsterdam, there’s a new contender in town, and it’s gotblackgold,Texastea,or should I say, “Guyanese Oil.”

As the oil wells in de Stabroek Block keep pumping, it appears we’re also pumping up the volume on the world’s oldest profession, and boy, are we giving it some competition! It’s like our nation has declared, “If you’vegotit,flauntit!”But

let’s be honest, folks, it’s not exactly the Guinness World Record we want to beknownfor

GT is becoming the h o r n e t ’s n e s t o f prostitution. It’s like we’re hosting a never-ending carnival of carnal delights. Deoilisflowing.Decashis rolling.

But hold on, deh gat some serious implications here.

With this flourishing business, we might as well bid adieu to traditional family values. Prostitution is like a giant neon sign saying,“AdulteryWelcome

Resources,theGRA,andthe Petroleum Division in the audit process. This clarity will help eliminate conflicts of interest and ensure that each entity operates within its designated mandate

Given the GRA’s inherent conflict of interest, the President should consider establishing an independent audit body responsible for conducting audits of oil companies’operations. This body should be staffed by experts with no vested interests in the outcome,

ensuring impartiality and credibility

The Petroleum Divisionmustbeempowered with the necessary technical expertise and resources to assess audit reports thoroughly The subject Minister should rely on this expertise when making determinations regarding audit disputes The President needs to take decisive action to define roles, establish an independent audit body and empower the Ministry’s Petroleum Division And whileheisatit,heshouldalso

evaluate the work political leadership within the Ministry

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this n e w s p a p e r a n d i t s affiliates.)

Here!”Andwhilewe’reall forinclusivity,thismightbe takingitabittoofar

Now,youmightwonder whereourdeargovernment is in all of this. Well, it seems they’ve decided to takeanap.

Yes, folks, they are officially “sleeping on the job.”Iftheywereontopof things (pun intended), they’d be shocked by the tender ages of some of our nighttime entrepreneurs It’s like a child’s lemonade stand, but instead of lemonade, it’s, well, you know.!

TalkHalf!LeffHalf!

INCLUSION IN GUYANA, WHO HAS IT RIGHT, WHO IS DECEIVING

So, who is having a memory lapse, who is having a 'senior moment', and who is plain outright fabricating what went on in the meeting between officials of the PPP Government and US Congressman's Hakeem Jeffries'delegation? ThePPP Government side that inclusion never came up in thediscussions.

The Minority Leader in t h e U S H o u s e o f Representatives, Mr Jeffries, said that inclusion was very much part of the exchanges. Look, these are distinguished people on both sides of this

issue about inclusion. It is difficult, therefore, to rush to the conclusion that somebody from either side is deliberately lying about discussions on inclusion. Or that somebody in one of the delegations is stretching the truth, seeking political mileage. To get to the bottom, I pull back the curtains,andpeerbehindit. CongressmanJeffrieshas been hearing it from his constituents, feeling consistent pressure, which prompted him to meet with the PPP Government. There was one issue that just had to be at the top of the agenda.

INCLUSION. This is what his voters have been clamouring for, pressing him about: the severe economic plights and distresses of Guyanese,especiallyAfrican Guyana in this oil rich paradise. Some in his group may have harboured ideas a b o u t o i l a n d g a s opportunities in Guyana, but inclusion and sharing in the economic pie was all that mattered.

To pound home this point, if there was only one itemupfordiscussion,thenit hadtobeinclusion.

Thus, for the Guyana Government to insist that

inclusionwasnotapartofthe proceedings flies in the face of reason, logic, and commonsense. Why else would Congressman Jeffries prioritize meeting with the PPP Government? Surely, it could not have been to find work for available truck drivers in Brooklyn, or nurses who wished to be among those to be imported by the PPP Government? Now, the US Congressman could be suffering from slippage himself, but doubts register For when I contemplate certain behaviours of the PPP Government and its brass, to

deny that inclusion never cameupmakessomesense.

First,Iofferthefollowing examplesinsupport. Claims of serial predations and crimes in Guyana under the PPP Government's hand doesn't agitate it at all, generates dismissive responses Point to corruption and the PPP Government, party, and vocal leadership could care less. They know the people don't care about corruption, no matter the magnitude. It wouldn't topple the PPP Government from power; it is too firmly riveted. From the PPP's perspective, the noises about multibillion dollar corruptions in cash handouts and contracts matter for nought, will diminish. The mindset is why bother, for the PNC cannot do anything about it. Itisanadorablestrategy Regarding contentions about poor governance, as in unclean and unmatched for incompetence, the PPP does not break out into a cold sweat. Leaders and the cabals of insiders are well aware that the group is in the driver's seat, and there is comfort in that old rhyme: 'sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.' This is the reality of Guyana, highlights the limitations of what is h u r l e d a t t h e P P P G o v e r n m e n t a b o u t incompetence and its range offailures. Inotherwords,if that is the best, the PPP will continuewiththerest.

Then, there is the one a b o u t l e a d e r s h i p relationships,accumulations, and crimes. Those are all nonstarters,forlookatwhere things stand today The first defense is where is the evidence; the second is that citizens with a special partisan flair have stuffed theirearswithcement,which has effectively closed their minds.Permanently Toputit differently, to point to leadership vileness and nakedness in the PPP Governmentistheequivalent ofwateronaduck'sback. No traction. No house cleaning. Noalarms.

But the mere mention, one whisper, about inclusion and everyone in the PPP machinery springs to attention. Inclusion, as in lack of it, inspires statistics, comparisons to what the PNC did, reminders about howmanynon-Indianpeople the President hugged, how many pictures are there as proofs, and how many dusky faces there are in the PPP space.

The problem about noninclusion, economic exclusion, social rejection, andracialdamnationisthatit stirs more than local passions, attracts sharp external attention. The more the PPP strives to suppress s u c h n o n - i n c l u s i o n narratives, the louder the volume, the farther the reverberations. This is what drove Congressman Jeffries to take a peek. And this is what the PPP Government's people pretend to forget to remember

The cat is out of the bag, m a n y o f t h e m D i s c r i m i n a t i o n Marginalization. Inequity in distribution. And there is that word that the PPPdreads themost. Itbeginswithan'a' and it once flourished in a place called South Africa. Now the Congressman is booking his ticket to GT. P r e s i d e n t a n d P P P Government has a hard choice: turn their backs on him. Or give him the best spin.

The trouble with that is that there is a whole brigade of people who are going to line up and let the delegation know what their travails and traumas have been, and who is responsible Their experience has been of what ostracizes, pulverizes, demonizes, criminalises. I should know, and I am not Black.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the a u t h o r a n d d o n o t necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this newspaper and its affiliates.)

Labourer remanded over larceny

Twenty-six -yearoldKevinGopaul called 'Bull Cow' wasonMondayremandedto prison by MagistrateFabayo Azore at the Cove and John Magistrate's Court after he answered to the charge of larceny

According to police, the act was committed on Sandra Gopaul, a 42-yearold domestic worker of HaslingtonNewScheme.

Gopaul, who was arrested by the police on Saturday, pleaded not guilty and was remanded to prison untilNovember7,2023.

Speeding motorist has 14 days to pay $2.1M for damages to new roundabout

Motorist, Troy Humphrey, 27, has 14 days to pay $2.1M for repairs to the recently commissioned Eccles/Haags Bosch roundabout he crashed into on September15last.

Failure to pay the sum by the deadline will see him facing legal proceedings to recover the cash, according to a letter written to him by AttorneyGeneral,AnilNandlall.

NandlalltoldHumphreyintheletter thatheisbeingheldaccountableforthe damages because of his reckless, dangerous and negligent driving not only damaged the roundabout but also injuredthreepeople.

The $2.1M sum will go towards emergency repair works which were carried out to fix damage that the cr causedtoawaterfountain and other aesthetics at theroundabout.

Man remanded to prison, Kevin Gopaul

According to the letter, the works

i n c l u d e d “ mobilization and demobilisation; demolition of damaged sections and removal of debris from the sit replacementofstonepavers, repairs to the fountain rails inclusive of tiling; supply and installation of stone tiles to fountain exterior and mosaic tiles to fountain interior; draining of fountain, degreasing of fountain; cleaning of fountain of oil and other contaminants; replacement of jet, pump repairs and electrical works; replacement of fountain light; replacement of filter materials due to contamination; the supplyofdistilledwatertofillfountain,

Man charged for fraud and sentenced two years imprisonment

Fake car dealer jailed for two years

Twenty-one-year-old

Jarrel Barker of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo was on Monday sentenced to two years imprisonment for falsely promising to sell anothermanamotorcar Barker made his third court appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court before Magistrate Rhondell Weever He was sentenced to two years imprisonment after he scammed Shahim Baksh of $600,000 by offering to sell himacar

On Barker's first court appearance, he pleaded guilty and when questioned in court, he responded by saying, 'I was gonna return themoneytoday;Ihavetogo to the bank and I have to makesomecalls.”

Barker was ordered by Magistrate Weever to repay Baksh, however after m a k i n g t w o c o u r t appearances, he did not

fulfill the magistrate's order.

Assuch,hewassentencedto serve two years behind bars fortheoffence.

It is alleged that on August 13, 2023, Baksh saw an advertisement on the 'What's For Sale Guyana' Facebook page and he made contact with Barker The following day, the two men met and Baksh handed over $600,000 to the man at the Muneshwers Wharf. Barker then told him that he was goingtocollectthecar

However, he reportedly

entered the wharf's compound and escaped throughanothergate.

Baksh again contacted Barker in the 'What's For Sale Guyana' group using a fictitious account and the t w o m e n m a d e a n arrangement to meet. The police were contacted and Barker admitted to the offenceinthepresenceofthe lawmen.

Repairs being conducted to the damaged fountain at the roundabout.

Reports are that

n September15,Humphrey,anemployee of the University of Guyana (UG) library, lost control of his car, slammed into the roundabout and severely injured his two passengers, Phillip Jeffery, a 23-year-old security guard of Queenstown, Georgetown, and Fulisa Burnette, 19, of Norton Street, also in thecity

Openandsealedbottlesofalcoholic

beverageswereobservedatthescenein and out of the vehicle Humphrey was driving. Investigations into the matter continue.

Meanwhile, the AG addressed the issue of damages to public property by road users. “As part of a myriad of measures to address the wanton recklessness and negligence by road users and the resultant carnage, and destructionofpublicproperty,theState, including public corporations and statutory authorities will aggressively seek to recover compensation for damagesanddestructiondonetopublic property,”hesaid.

Punt Trench residents want speed bumps to avoid “racing” on new road

Residents of Albouystown, Georgetown are calling for speed bumps to be placed along the newly constructed Independence Boulevardpopularlyknownas“Punt Trench dam” to avoid motorists usingitasaracetrack.

The $1.4B road was recently openedfortraffic.

Residents welcomed the new road but are now afraid of the danger

it poses to pedestrians especially children who relax and play along the promenadeduringtheevenings.

According to them, since the openingoftheroad,motorcyclistsand even car drivers are using it to race each other, during the afternoons and sometime at nights. “Many instances since this road was constructed, persons would narrowly escape being hitbyspeedingvehicles”,oneresident

explained.The resident added that the racers are even destroying the rails that guard the promenade by crashing into them while trying to perform stunts from popular racing movies such as the “The Fast and the Furious”. “Asataxpayer,Iamasking the authorities to install speed bumps along both sides of the roadway to curb this nonsense before it becomes uncontrollable”,saidtheresident.

A section of the rail that was recently destroyed by a racer

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall Attorney General,

“We'll spare no effort to

defend ourselves”

In the face of recent threats by Venezuela, President Irfaan Ali told the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday Guyanawillsparenoeffortin defendingitssovereigntyand territorialintegrity

Venezuelan on Tuesday mounted a protest against Guyana's recently concluded oil blocks auction In a statement by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the administration said, “The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela strongly rejects the illegal bidding round for oil blocks currently being c a r r i e d o u t b y t h e G o v e r n m e n t o f t h e Cooperative Republic of Guyana since it intends to have maritime areas pending delimitation between both countries.” It further noted that the Government of Guyana does not have sovereign rights over these maritime areas and consequently any action within their limits is a violationofinternationallaw, aslongastheyarenotcarried out through an agreement with Venezuela. The missive added, “The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reiterates that any illicit and arbitrary concession that Guyana grants, has granted orintendstograntintheareas in question is unacceptable and violates its sovereign rights, and warns that these actions do not generate any type of rights for third parties toparticipateinthisprocess.”

President Ali however in a statement said that his administration is entitled to

...Pres. Ali tells UN in face of Venezuela's threats

p u r s u e e c o n o m i c development within the nation's maritime borders.

The President said, “The Government of Guyana reserves the right to pursue economic development activities in any portion of its sovereign or any appurtenant maritime territories Any unilateral attempt by Venezuela to restrict the exercise by Guyana of its sovereignty and sovereign rights will be wholly in consistent with the Geneva Agreement and the rule of internationallaw.”

Addressing the issue at theUNGeneralAssemblyon Wednesday President Ali told leaders that when he addressed the Organization of American States (OAS) lastFriday,herecalledtothat hemispheric body how Guyana was excluded from theOASfor25yearsfromits birth as a nation, on account of a spurious territorial claim to two-thirds of “our homeland,byVenezuela.But justice prevailed, and Guyana was ultimately admitted.”

It is sad however; he said that fifty-seven years after Guyana's Independence, we r e m a i n t h r e a t e n e d “Venezuela's efforts to undermine our freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity are today before the International Court of Justice,asdecidedbytheUN Secretary General under the Geneva Agreement of 1966. The ICJ's jurisdiction in the matter has been twice affirmedbytheCourt.Weare confident that Guyana's

sovereignty and territorial integrity will also be affirmed when the Court issuesitsfinaljudgment,”the Guyanese leader told the assembly

“I regret to inform you that Venezuela's threats continue Just last night, Guyana received a very threatening message from Venezuela. It came in the form of a Communiqué attacking Guyana for putting certain oil blocks in our sovereign waters up for bid.

Guyana considers this a threat to regional and international peace and security, as well as to Guyana's investment partners,” President Ali told theUNGA.

“We demand that Venezuela honours its obligation under the Charter to pursue only peaceful meanstosettleanydisputesit may have with Guyana, including adjudication before the International Court of Justice. Allowing the Court to decide would

ensure a resolution that is peaceful, equitable and in a c c o r d a n c e w i t h international law Guyana will spare no effort in defendingitssovereigntyand territorialintegrity.”

Guyana and Venezuela are currently before the InternationalCourtofJustice (ICJ) to address the latter's spurious claims over the former's sovereign territory Such aspersions were raised by Venezuela after an ExxonMobil-led consortium marked its first discovery in the Stabroek Block, following which it blazed a trail of over 33 significant discoveries. The exploration success has not only catapulted Guyana to international stardom in the oil and gas arena but was responsible for generating significant interest in the country's first oil blocks auction that featured 11 shallow water blocks and threedeepwaterconcessions.

Vice President, Bharrat J a g d e o a n d c h i e f

policymaker for Guyana's oil sector said last week that eight of the 14 blocks receivedbidsfromsixgroups

o f c o m p a n i e s T h e companies that submitted bids include: Total Energies EP Guyana B V, Qatar

Energy International E&P LLC, & Petronas E&P Overseas Ventures SDN BHD (Malaysia); Delcorp Inc – Guyana,Watad Energy, Arabian Drillers (Saudia Arabia); Exxon Mobil Guyana Limited, HESS New Ventures Exploration Limited, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited; L i b e r t y P e t r o l e u m Corporation (USA) and , Cybele Energy Limited (Ghana); Sispro Inc (Guyana); and lastly

International Group Investment Inc. (Guyana), in joint venture with Montego Energy SA(London).

The Vice President did not state which companies made bids for certain blocks. Be that as it may, the official said, “We are very pleased with the offers that we had from the bid round (which closed September 12, 2023).

The blocks that we did not receive bids for are D3, S1, S2, S6, S9, and S11. So that meanssomeoftheblocksare very competitive. A number of people are questioning whetherthiswasasuccessful bid round or not but we are pleased with how the round hasgone.”

Hesaidthegovernmentis satisfied with the outcome, especially since the auction w a s h e l d a f t e r t h e modernization of the

Housing ministry launches core home support programme, real-time update app

Aspartofacrucialstrideto i n c r e a s e e f f i c i e n c y, accessibility, and transparency for core home applicants, a first-of-its-kind Core Home S u p p o r t a n d H o m e Improvement Subsidy mobile application was launched for applicantsonWednesday

The comprehensive mobile app will provide beneficiaries with real-time updates relating to the process and progress of houses and subsidy materials while monitoring their documents, application statuses,andpayments.

The app is made possible through an institutional strengthening component of

the US$28 million Adequate H o u s i n g a n d U r b a n Accessibility Programme (AHUAP), with financing from the Inter-American DevelopmentBank(IDB).

During the launch ceremony at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), Liliendaal, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal underlined that the ministry will continue to implementsimilarinitiativesto bring tremendous relief to the applicants for various purposes.

“There is a process of course that the applicants had togothrough.Thisprocesscan

be time-consuming and frustrating for persons who are waiting. The nature of this programme is targeting the vulnerable community The app that we are launching will make that process easier and faster…I am quite excited to see how it will help us to achieve our targets,” Minister Croalnoted.

Meanwhile, Minister withintheMinistryofHousing and Water, Susan Rodrigues shared similar sentiments, noting that while the app will improve transparency and accountability, it is another strongmovebythe (Continued on page 16)

legislative and regulatory framework. The chief policy makerforGuyana'soilsector waspleasedwiththefactthat authoritieskeptitspromiseto not conclude the bid round without new model P r o d u c t i o n S h a r i n g Agreements (PSAs) in place to govern deepwater and shallow water blocks. He alsolaudedthepassageofthe PetroleumActivitiesLaw Ali also expressed appreciation to “every member of the international community that has continued to support Guyana's efforts to preserve its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

He said as Guyana takes its place next January as a member of the Security Council, those principles of international law and justice, so prominent in the Charter oftheUnitedNationsshallbe its guide. “And so, I express heartfelt gratitude for the overwhelming support of Member States to our candidature to the United Nations Security Council for the2024-2025term.Iwishto assure the entire UN membership that Guyana is committed to working with fellow Council members and the wider UN membership to fulfill the mandate of the S e c u r i t y C o u n c i l ” Reflecting on the state of growing insecurity in the world, President Ali reiterated the calls made by CARICOM for the early and urgent reform of the United Nations Security Council to make it more effective and inclusive.

President Dr. Irfaan Ali addressing the United Nations General Assembly

One of the applicants being assisted with the mobile application

Manickchand concerned about learning loss

...as hundreds of teachers stay away from school in protest for better pay

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand has expressed concern over

reports that hundreds of teachers have been absent fromschoolsinRegionSixas

part of protest action calling foranincreaseinsalaries.

K a i e t e u r N e w s

understands that the protest started on the Corentyne, Region Six and has moved to

schools on the East Bank of Demerara(EBD).

Last week, close to 80

percent of teachers on the Corentyne did not attend classes and 40 percent of them along the EBD stayed away from school due to the sickout.Theprotestispartof planned activities to get the government to start negotiations for the proposed multi-year agreement. The proposaladdresses13critical areas, including issues related to salaries, gratuity, duty-free concession, hinterland benefits and grants.

Minister Manickchand toldreportersonMondaythat the Education Ministry became aware of the issue and is urging teachers not to withhold their services. The minister expressed concern over the impact that absentee teacherscanhaveonchildren who have already suffered learning loss during the COVID-19pandemic.

“So, we are just coming outofaCOVIDperiodwhere weareseeingveryforcefully, theeffectsofchildrenstaying home and being without instruction Anyone, who asks children to go without education is someone without a conscience There are very many different ways to resolve issues, and I am hoping that the various bodies and individuals will address their mindstothoseconsequences. Anytimeachildgoeswithout teaching, I am concerned,” Manickchandsaid.

The Minister noted that she is aware of some of the demands of the Guyana Teacher's Union (GTU) but she said that her Ministry has been working to address the concernsofteachers.

“We have a very good relationship with the Union contrarytowhatsomepeople maythink.Wecontinueatthe Ministry of Education to speak to GTU very regularly andcordially Wehave,I

(Continued on page 16)

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand

Guyana gets drones from FAO to enhance precision farming in rice production

Under the China

South-South

Cooperation Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is supporting the Guyana Rice Development Board's efforts to advance technology in the riceindustry

The project commenced with the handing over of five drones and related software and accessories to the GRDB along with two weeks of training on the use of the new equipment.Inapressrelease, theFAOsaiditisaninitiative in response to recovery from theimpactsofCOVID-19for countries of the Community

of Latin American and CaribbeanStates(CELAC).

The main aim is to support rural livelihoods and food systems so that smallholder farmers in rural communities can increase their competitiveness Introducing drones and a geographic information system (GIS) mapping in Guyana will allow rice farmers to comprehensively monitor their production plots during the various growth phases in a timely manner and provide data for key decisions needed to improve and advance rice production,theFAOsaid.

“We have completed two

weeks of training to fly the drones, this will help me and my colleagues with data collection and monitoring of ricefieldssothatwecangive farmers real-time advice to make good decisions as it relates to their crops,” Quacy Wilson, Extension Officer of RegionFiverelated.

G R D B E x t e n s i o n officers fromRegions2,3,4, 5,and6attendedthetraining. In the first week, virtual training was done to cover the theory of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) hardware, applications, maintenance, and preflight planning. The second week entailed in-person training

PAHO convenes ministers of health of theAmericas to discuss health priorities for the Region

Ministers of Health and other high-level authorities from the countries and territories of the Americas will meet from September 25-29 inWashington D.C, to participate in the 60th Directing Council of the Pan A m e r i c a n H e a l t h Organization(PAHO).

The opening ceremony will take place on Monday, September 25 at 9:00 am, with the participation of the Minister of Health and Welfare of Jamaica and outgoing President of the Directing Council, Dr Christopher Tufton, and PAHO Director, Dr Jarbas Barbosa.

The Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, and Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), T e d r o s A d h a n o m Ghebreyesus, among others, willalsospeakviavideo.Dr Barbosa, who took office in February of this year, will present the Director's annual report on Monday, which

a n a l y z e s P A H O ' s performance between July 2022 and June 2023. The report focuses on health systems recovery postCOVID-19,aswellasonthe progress, achievements and c h a l l e n g e s o f t h e Organization's technical cooperation.

Discussions will focus on a variety of strategies, resolutions and policies aimed at strengthening the region's health workforce; preventing and controlling non-communicable diseases in children, adolescents, and youth,andimprovingmental h e a l t h a n d s u i c i d e prevention in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, amongothertopics.

A series of briefing sessions will also be conducted during the week.

OnMonday25,from12:30–2pm (EDT), PAHO experts will brief the Directing Council on applying lessons on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

On Tuesday, at the same time,PAHOwillrelaunchits

Elimination Initiative to reinforce the political commitment of countries in the Region to end more than 30 communicable diseases and other health conditions by2030.

On Wednesday and Thursday at noon, two briefingsessionswillbeheld on the need to accelerate action against noncommunicable diseases through primary health care, and on the importance of advancing the health equity agenda. During the meeting, delegates will also receive final reports on topics such as the elimination of neglected infectious diseases, tobacco control, chronic kidney disease in agricultural communities in Central America, and vital statistics, among others. The PAHO Award for Health Services Management and Leadership2023willalsobe presented during the week.

The closing of the 60th Directing Council is set to take place on the morning of Friday,September29.

whichcoveredareasofsafety guidelines, maintenance, mission planning and execution, best practices for UAS operation, practical flight training, and handling emergencies and data

management.

The training was facilitated by OIKO- a consultancy firm out of Spain,thathaspartneredwith two consulting firms. The first is Open Plan, an

international consultancy specializing in geospatial analysis planning policy development, and capacity building in the public sector ThesecondisGISCAD,a (Continued on page 16)

The FAO hand over five drones and related software and accessories to the GRDB

Agriculture Ministry officials of

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Manickchand concerned about learning loss...

From page 14 think, a good relationship with them professionally. We have met with the Union and continue to meet with the Union to have some of these matters,” she said adding that Ministry has been putting in the effort to help make the work of teachers much easier.

teaching and learning further. We have given textbooks to all of our primary and secondary school children or are in the process of giving those textbooks, that make a teacher’s life much, much easier,” Manickchand said.

VACANCY

Cashier, supermarket Helper needed. Apply in person with written application at Nirva Superstore Sheriff & Craig Street. Call: 227-5771.

Experienced Housekeeper/ Babysitter needed. Ages 2545 years. Must be great with kids and can cook. Call: 6183892.

One Maid needed to work 4 days weekly. Call: 624-8591.

Start a career in the hotel industry! One General Worker needed at Guesthouse in Land Of Canan. Call: 6680306.

Vacancy One Experienced Salesgirl to work in boutique in Georgetown. Call: 6987252

“We are around giving out, right now, grants to schools, so that teachers have autonomy in their classrooms, and teachers get to independently supply to those classrooms, whatever they say and need, to take

She said the issue of salary increase remains paramount on the list. She noted however, that that matter is being handled by President Irfaan Ali.

“President has made it clear that his office will deal with salaries and that kind of benefit,” Manickchand said.

In a recent meeting with the press, President Ali announced that when he returns to Guyana from the United Nations General Assembly, he would be consulting teachers about salaries and other benefits. “There will be the adjustment for teachers,” he said, and he promised that government would address whatever issues the educators raise. Asked whether the GTU would be involved in those talks, the President said “every Guyanese who wants to be involved; my consultations are very open.”

Housing ministry launches core home support... ciaries,”

From page 13 government towards e-governance.

“Transferring towards the digitisation and ensuring that we use every technology available to us, to deliver efficient service to the people of our country…So, you have full access to your information because everything has been uploaded to a system that you can check and verify, which is fully transparent and accountable to all the benefi-

Minister Rodrigues emphasised.

Meanwhile, Resident Representative of IDB, Lorena Solaranzo-Salazar said the app speaks to the transformative growth of Guyana.

Solaranzo-Salazar noted that the app is an opensource technical solution which aims to accelerate and streamline the beneficiaries’ identification, and selection, and supports the supervision process and

progress of the houses. Initially, the app has already benefitted over 100 households with 198 applications to date.

The event was also attended by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Bishram Kuppen, CHPA’s Chief Executive Officer, Sherwyn Greaves, V75 Company’s Dir ector and Development Officer, Asa Bouret, and other officials and staff of the ministry. (DPI)

Guyana gets drones from FAO to enhance...

VEHICLES FOR SALE

One CRV Honda, $3.3M negotiable and 1 Toyota Allion, $3.350 M, fully loaded immaculate condition, low mileage . Contact: 649-0956.

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From page 15 leading provider of GIS-related services in the Caribbean. It has been supporting institutional capacity building in the region to enable ministry officials to understand and operate high-technology geospatial analysis software and UAS, as well as participatory GIS mapping. The knowledge and skills necessary to operate UAS safely will help to monitor rice cultivation to collect detailed information on crop establishment, plant health, crop type, and crop growth stages.

It will also help with land, water, and fertilizer usage and further help to assess impact in the event of a disaster. The data gathered from drone monitoring will help to enhance production practices, aid in the efficient use of resources, and overall, support management decisions to improve yields and livelihoods.

At the end of the training, participants will fly the drones and map between 200 to 500 acres in their respective regions. The data collected through this assignment will be used as raw data in the next

stage of this project which focuses on data analysis and participatory GIS. This training will commence on September 25, 2023, and will include an additional 12 officers from the GRDB Extension and Research departments. In the final phase of this project, GRDB through its Farmers Field School (FFS) Programme, will train farmers on the integration of this technology into their farming practices. Farmers will be able to see how data is captured by drones and can be used to improve crop management.

LAND FOR SALE

Land for sale at Back Lot Mc' Doom. Call: 675-7052.

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Essequibo fisherman wants compensation from ExxonMobil for decline in fish catch

An Essequibo fisherman o n W e d n e s d a y demanded that US oil giant ExxonMobil write him a cheque “for couple billion dollars” so that he could take care of his family

He made the demand since he believes that the company's operation offshore Guyana is the main reason why the fish stock has beenonthedecline.

The fisherman was at the time addressing the gathering in attendance at a public consultation held by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast, Region Two, to discuss the possible environmental impacts that the six oil project, WhiptailcanhaveonGuyana.

C o n s u l t a n c y f i r m Environmental Resource Management (ERM), was hired to conduct the environmental study, and EMGL is now travelling around the country to gain the citizensinputonthefindingssothat it can get approval from the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to move ahead with the project.

During Wednesday's meeting, the fisherman raised concerns that ExxonMobil's operation might be the cause for a decline of fish stock inGuyana'swaters.

ExxonMobil'sProjectManager, Anthony Jackson did not deny that hiscompany'soperationcouldhave potential impacts on fish but chose to say that it can only cause a variation in the stock and not a decline.

According to Jackson, he chose to say “variation” because “he is sensitivetosayingdecline.”

The worried fisherman on the

other hand was very passionate abouthisconcernsandgotangry

In a cell phone-recorded video seen by this media house, the fisherman accused the hosts of the meeting of “fooling” those in attendancewithpromises.

“ExxonMobil come and give y'all couple billion, me na know howmuchbillionthemgiveayofuh come sit down and talk to we”, the mansaid.

The fisherman then demanded hiscompensation,“MyquestionisI needmoney

Ineedayofuhwriteonecheque fuh couple billion fuh me suh I could mine ma chirren them and stop work a sea because out deh na gatnothing.”

He added- “Watch the seabed withtheoilwhenyuhpulltheseine, youahseeoilponyuhhand.”

On Tuesday, Kaieteur News reported that ExxonMobil's environmental consultant, ERM said, “fish eggs could be lost daily duringoilproduction.”

FishermeninGuyanahavebeen complaining repeatedly about the low catch being experienced, a situation which government has blamed on factors such as climate changeandseasonalvariations.

Though it may be a tough pill for some to swallow, Exxon has confirmed that its operations are likely to affect fish and the livelihoods of fishermen, as studies conductedbyERMhaveconcluded that the marine species could effectively turn broth during productionactivities.

ERM's Senior Project Manager and Technical Support, Jason Willey recently explained that during production activities offshore, the Floating Production

Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels require sea water to be used as a cooling substance. He also pointed out that the sea water is requiredona“continuousbasis”for thispurpose.

More importantly, Willey, a biologist within the ERM team, explained that thousands, if not millionsoffisheggscouldbelostin the process, should this activity occur during spawning or reproductiveseason.

“If the intake occurs at a time when like a spawning event happens,let'ssaylikewhenthefish are reproducing, and a lot of eggs and a lot of larvae are in the water, there can be thousands lost, potentially many more than that,” hesaid.

Over 800 companies enlisted on Local Content Register - half year report

As of June 2023, the local content register has enlisted 876 companies. This is reflected in the Mid Year Report released by the Ministry of Finance earlier this month.

The report noted that Local Content Secretariat is aiming to exceed the issuance of 1,000 certificatesbytheendoftheyear

Moreover,thereportoutlinedin the first half of the year, that the Government of Guyana reviewed and approved annual plans of approximately 43 subcontractors a n d c o n t r a c t o r s , w h i c h systematically outline the companies' utilization of Guyanese goodsandservices.

These annual plans are a subset of the 5-year local content master plans approved in the first half of

theyear

The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Natural Resources, operationalised, its Local Content Registry as stipulatedbytheLocalContentAct lastyear

The Act, which was made into law in December 2021, mandates the Local Content Secretariat to develop and maintain Local Content Registers of Guyanese nationals for employment; and Guyanese nationals and companies fromwhichgoodsandservicesmay beprocured.

In keeping with this, two registration options are available, namely, supplier registration and employmentregistration.Usingthe Supplier Registration Portal, a Guyanese national or Guyanese

company can apply for and be issued with a Certificate of Registration from the Secretariat for the supply of goods and or the provision of services for petroleum operationsinGuyana.

The Local Content Bill lays out 40differentservicesthatoilandgas companiesandtheirsubcontractors must procure from Guyanese

companiesbytheendof2022.

For instance, these companies must procure from Guyanese companies, 90% of office space rental and accommodation services; 90% janitorial services, laundry and catering services; 95% pest control services; 100% local insurance services; 75% local supply of food; and 90% local accountingservices.

These are just a few of the services highlighted in the first schedule in the Local Content Act. TheLocalContentActpenaltiesfor oil and gas companies and their sub-contractorswhofailtomeetthe minimum targets of the legislation, aswellasthosewhoareinbreachof the Act. These fines range from as low as $5 million to as high as $50 million.

Essequibo fishermen preparing for a fishing trip at the Charity wharf.

The Essequibo fisherman who demanded compensation at Wednesday's meeting.

Local oil and gas workers

Opposition Leader calls for the removal of 7% online shopping tax

( T R I N I D A D GUARDIAN)-Opposition

Leader is calling on the government to remove the seven percent online purchase tax as a tangible measure to ease the onerous costoflivingandassistsmall and medium- sized businesses in the procurement of essential

suppliesfortheiroperations.

In a media release, Persad-Bissessar said, “The implementation of this tax has furthered the financial pressures on emerging entrepreneurs, existing SME’s and enterprising citizens while also being a contraryapproachtodealing with the foreign exchange

crisis ” She said the

Finance Minister’s statement that there has been “an explosion in online shopping over the last several years” s u g g e s t s t h a t t h e governmentisconsidering increasing the online tax as a high-handed and punitivemeasure

“ T h i s w o u l d negatively impact the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME) sector, fledgling entrepreneurs and sole business operators who conduct many of their purchases online for speed, savings, flexibilityandefficiency.”

The Opposition Leader said furthermore, local shippingcompaniesareon record in the local media as saying that there is no “explosion” of online shopping

“This government should look at other sources of increasing income, such as acting upon the many failed promises they have made over the years about diversifying the economy

T h e y s h o u l d a l s o aggressively institute measures to boost the declining energy sector and

to return the Point Lisas IndustrialEstatetoitsfullest potential,”shesaid.

Persad-Bissessar said the United National Congress has a policy o f e n c o u r a g i n g entrepreneurship and is strongly against any tax that punishes ambition and the growth of free enterprises, which by extension creates jobs and addstotheoveralleconomy “Government must increase foreign exchange earnings –not punish creative and ambitiouscitizens,”shesaid.

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar

2023 CG United Super50 Cup to bowl off October 17 with new eight-team league format

SportsMax - Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced the match schedule and venues for the CG United Super50 Cup 2023. The region’s premier List A 50-over tournament will bowl off on Tuesday, 17 October and conclude on Saturday, 11 November in Trinidad with a new eightteam league format followed by semi-finals and finals to determine the champions.

The tournament will feature 31 matches to be played at three venues - the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA), the Queen’s Park Oval (QPO) and the Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Grounds of

the University of the West Indies Sport and Physical Education Centre (UWI SPEC) at the St. Augustine Camus.

All 13 matches at the Brian Lara Academy, including the semi-finals and final, will be televised live on ESPN Caribbean, with 12 of those matches being day/night games.

This year’s CG United Super50 Cup will feature a new eight-team league with each of the teams facing each other once. The top four in the league will qualify for the “final four”. First place will play fourth place, with second

place playing third place in the two semi-finals which are slated for BLCA on Wednesday, 8 November and Thursday, 9 November.

The final will be at the same venue on Saturday, 11 November, where the winners will be become CG United Super50 Cup Champions and lift the Sir Clive Lloyd Trophy.

The West Indies Academy and Combined Campuses & Colleges (CCC) will again join the traditional six franchises – defending champions Jamaica Scorpions, Barbados Pride, Guyana Harpy Eagles, Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Trinidad & Tobago

Thursday September 21, 2023

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19)

In order to reach your destination, you may have to take an unusual route today, Aries. Zigzag your way to the finish line. Don't automatically assume that this is a bad thing.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Get out of the doldrums and enjoy life, Taurus. The situation is such that if you remain stagnant for a little while, you will soon sink into a spiral of depression and downward thinking.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

This morning is your time to shine, Gemini. You should be in a good mood, with a positive outlook that helps you attack the day's tasks with vitality. Elements of the unexpected.

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

You may get a bit frustrated in the morning because of a lack of commitment on the part of others, Cancer. You may find it hard to pin down an answer when everything seems to be up in the air.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22)

The energy you put out today will most definitely fuel the fire, Leo, so make sure you have an extinguisher within reach.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22)

You may feel indecisive today, Virgo, especially in the morning. Other people's actions may confuse you. Don't worry. Concentrate on your projects and goals.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

Emotionally, you should be feeling quite good today, Libra. This is important since you may get thrown off balance by a strange, unexpected force. The more stable you are on the inside,

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

Free your mind and consider alternative options, Scorpio. This is a time to throw away the old to make room for the new. There's a distinct advance in original and forward thinking today.

SAGIT (Nov.22–Dec.21)

You might find your energy comes in strong, erratic bursts today, Sagittarius. Don't be surprised if you're high as a kite one moment and down in the dumps the next. Even if you're driving everyone.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) The

You may feel a tendency to do things the same old way today simply because it's what feels most comfortable, Capricorn. Even though the familiar route may be tempting now,

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

An extra log has been thrown on your fire today, Aquarius, so don't be surprised if you burn especially hot.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

Don't feel like you have to rationalize everything, Pisces. Accept the fact that there are some things in life that occur without a specific logical explanation. More than likely these are the most interesting

Red Force and Windward Islands Volcanoes.

Home side Trinidad & Tobago Red Force open this year’s tournament when they take on the CCC at the Queen’s Park Oval on 17 October at 9am. Later on that day the Guyana Harpy Eagles face Windward Islands Volcanoes at BLCA at 1pm in the first televised contest.

“This is a crucial stage in our planning as we look to build towards the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027. We see the upcoming CG United Super50 Cup as the perfect platform to establish and incentivize a West Indies brand of play in the 50-over format, and for the emergence of new talent,” said Miles Bascombe, CWI’s Director of Cricket. “The introduction of the round-robin format will provide players with more ‘playing time’ in the middle as well as a balanced way of gauging individual and team performances. We are pleased to again have CCC and the West Indies Academy participating at the senior level as they join the other six franchise teams as we look to widen the pool of players.”

Dominic Warne, CWI’s Commercial Director said believes the league format will provide fans with greater entertainment.

“The move to an eightteam league in the CG United Super50 Cup provides fans with an exciting tournament schedule with 31 matches scheduled in 26 days. Every game will be available from first ball to last either live on ESPN Caribbean or streamed live on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel,” he said. “The new windiescricket.com Live Match Centre will also give fans full match analysis plus live ball-by-ball scoring and commentary for all 31 matches giving the widest access and coverage to the CG United Super50 Cup than ever before. We again welcome and thank our title sponsor and CWI Official insurance partners CG United for their fifth consecutive year of support which provides significant investment in cricket throughout the West Indies.”

FULLMATCH SCHEDULE

Venues: Queen’s Park Oval (QPO); Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA); UWI SPEC

All other matches streamed live on the Windiescricket YouTube channel. 17 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs CCC at QPO – 9am

17 October: Guyana Harpy Eagles vs Windward Islands

Volcanoes at BLCA – 1pm

18 October: Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Jamaica

Scorpions at BLCA – 1pm

19 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Windward Islands Volcanoes at QPO – 9am 19 October: CCC vs West Indies Academy at BLCA – 1pm 20 October: Barbados Pride vs Jamaica Scorpions at UWI SPEC – 9am

21 October: Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs West Indies Academy at QPO – 9am

21 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Guyana

Harpy Eagles at BLCA – 1pm

22 October: Windward Islands Volcanoes vs CCC at UWI SPEC – 9am

23 October: Guyana Harpy

Eagles vs Leeward Islands

Hurricanes at QPO – 9am

23 October: Barbados

Pride vs West Indies Academy at UWI SPEC – 9am 25

October: Windward Islands

Volcanoes vs Barbados Pride at BLCA - 9am 25 October: West Indies Academy vs Jamaica Scorpions at QPO – 9am

25 October: Guyana Harpy

Eagles vs CCC at UWI SPEC – 9am 26 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at BLCA – 1pm 27 October: Jamaica Scorpions vs CCC at UWI SPEC – 9am 28 October:

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs West Indies Academy at QPO – 9am

29 October: Barbados

Pride vs Guyana Harpy Eagles at UWI SPEC – 9am

29 October: Jamaica Scorpions vs Windward Islands

Volcanoes at BLCA – 1pm

31 October: Windward Islands Volcanoes vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at QPO –9am

31 October: CCC vs Barbados Pride at UWI SPEC –9am 1 November: West Indies Academy vs Guyana Harpy Eagles at UWI SPEC – 9am

2 November: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Jamaica Scorpions at QPO – 9am

2 November: Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Barbados Pride at BLCA – 1pm

3 November: West Indies Academy vs Windward Islands Volcanoes at UWI SPEC – 9am 4 November: CCC vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at QPO – 9am 4 November: Jamaica Scorpions vs Guyana Harpy Eagles at BLCA – 1pm

5 November: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Barbados Pride at BLCA – 1pm

8 November: Semi-Final 1 at BLCA – 1pm 9 November: Semi-Final 2 at BLCA – 1pm

11 November: Final at BLCA – 1pm

Benna Girls edge Lady Jags 2-1

…GuyanatoplayDominicainBarbadosonSunday

ByRawleToney

Coach Omar Khan’s debutonthesidelinesforthe Lady Jags didn’t unfold as planned,asGuyanasuffered a 1-2 defeat againstAntigua and Barbuda in the opening match of their Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup qualifiers.

PlayedattheAntiguaand

(ABFA) Technical Centre in Piggots, Saint George, Guyana’s senior women’s national footballteam,theLadyJags, had hoped to secure three pointsintheiropeningmatch ofLeagueB,GroupA.

However, the Benna Girls’GabrielleDeSuzahad

different intentions The skilful 16-year-old De Suza exploitedalapseintheLady Jags’defenceandcapitalised with a goal in the 13th minute.

Despite an earlier attemptthwartedbytheLady Jags’ defenders, De Suza foundherselfwithspacejust outside the ‘18’ and wasted

no time showcasing her accuracy,leavinggoalkeeper Chante Sandiford with little chance.

Guyana regrouped, controlled possession, and dictatedthegame’stempoin thefirsthalfbutstruggledto breach Antigua and Barbuda’s goalkeeper, Akin Jarvis.

The first half concluded with a 0-1 advantage for the homeside.

Inthesecondhalf,Jalade Trim,whohadmadeseveral attempts on goal in the first half, continued to apply pressure alongside Otesha Charles.

However,DeSuzaadded another goal in the 51st minute following a defensive mix-up among twoGuyaneseplayers.

Employing a Ronaldolike stepover, De Suza createdenoughspacewithin the penalty area to clinically slothome,extendingthelead

to 0-2 The Lady Jags responded in the 62nd minuteafterTrimwasfouled inthepenaltyarea. Brianne Desa, a midfielder from Simcoe County Rovers FC, confidently stepped up and converted the penalty to narrowthedeficit.

Desa’s goal shifted the momentum of the game as Guyana elevated their play, forcing Antigua into a defensivestance.

Charles, a prominent member of the Lady Jags programme, had her header that found the net disallowed, intensifying the game.

Guyana made valiant efforts to score and salvage atleastapoint,buttheBenna Girls held on to secure three crucialpoints.

In other results from GroupA,Surinamedefeated Dominica 4-0, putting them in a strong position to advancesinceonlythegroup

winnerswillprogress. Next, the Lady Jags will travel to Barbados, where they will play their home game against Dominica at 4:00pmonSunday

Leader Ian John confident of another successful Prime Minister’s Softball Cup

GSCL

President of the GeorgetownSoftballCricket League(GSCL)IanJohnhas expressed confidence of another successful Prime Minister’s 3-day Softball Cup which is set to commence Friday, September29.

J o h n m a d e t h i s disclosureonTuesdayinthe capital city of Georgetown. According to him, he is excited as well, noting that allfourcategoriesshouldbe thrillingfromballone.

There will be the Legends (Over-50), Masters (Over-40), All-Stars (Open) andLadies(Open).Themen will be playing 20-overs, whilethegirlsare15-overs.

The action will continue Saturday, September 30 and all finals to be played the following day at the Demerara Cricket Club (Georgetown)frommorning tounderlights.

“I[am]veryconfidentof another good and successful tournament from next Friday, we have overseas teams and with a bunch of localteamsparticipatingthat should make things very exciting,”Johnrelated.

OverGuy$3Mwillbeup for grabs John informed,

Ian John

with the over-50 winner taking home Guy$1M while the Masters and Open victorious teams pocketing Guy$600,000each.

The victor for the ladies is set to collect Guy$300, 000. There are a lot more prizes for teams and outstanding, individual performances.

“We have some good prizes and that is why it is going to be exciting; we are anticipating competitive cricket as well in each category,”Johnmentioned.

Again the tournament will be played in collaborationwiththeOffice ofthePrimeMinisterandthe Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. This will be the seventh edition and John enthusiastically stated that theGSCLislookingtokeep

the history of softball repeating.

“The Prime Minister’s Cup is here to stay, we are very thankful to the Honourable Prime Minister ofGuyanaMarkPhillipsfor hiscommitmentandsupport and he will be there to bowl off the tournament and also tosharehisviewsattheposttournament award and presentation ceremony,” Johncommented.

Meanwhile,12teamsare set to compete in the Legends, while Masters have 8 and 6 for the Open. EightLadiesteamswillbein action. Teams for Legends and Masters are coming from New York Softball Cricket League and Canada tomatchtheirskillswiththe localsides.

Regal Legends and Regal Masters teams are the defending champions with Ariel took possession of the trophy last year in the Open Category 4R Lioness emerged champion for the girls in 2022.

John also took the opportunity to thank all the sponsors for coming on board for the softball extravaganza.

16-year-old Gabrielle De Suza netted a double to lead Antigua and Barbuda against the Lady Jags.

Walton unbeaten half-century pilots TKR to CPL finals

-WarriorsfaceTallawahsFriday withlastspotinfinalsupforgrabs

Man-of-the-match ChadwickWaltoncrackedan unbeaten 80 as Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) continued their dominance over the Guyana Amazon Warriors, surging to the finals compliments of a 7 wicketwinunderlightsatthe GuyanaNationalStadium.

TKR gunned down their chase of 166 to end up nicely on 167-3 in 20 overs, led by the 38 yearold Walton who played a crucial hand, setting the tone with a 57-ball 80, featuring4sixesand6fours.

Massive efforts came fromNicholasPooranwho spanked 33 off 24 with a pair of sixes and fours to his credit and captain Kieron Pollard 23 off 15 (2x4 1x6), sped up the chase asTKR eased into the finals.

entire game, starting slow

Guyanese Race Walking Legend, William France, Passes Away at 66

Retired Guyanese Race Walker, William France passed away on Tuesday at his long-time friend, Oddet Hendricks residence in Sophia France, who valiantlybattledParkinson’s disease and various other healthcomplications,diedat theageof66.

France, fondly known as the ‘William the Conqueror’ the one-legged Race Walk champion, carved a lasting legacythroughhisimpressive participationinnumerousrace walkingeventsbothinGuyana and across the globe Among hismostnotableachievements washisentryintothehallowed pagesoftheGuinnessBookof Records Additionally, he proudly received the prestigious Medal of Service and the esteemed Walter Rodney Award. During his formative years, France left hismarkoniconicmarathon eventssuchastheNewYork Marathon, Boston Marathon, and London

Marathon Notably, he played a pivotal role in organizing the Terry Fox Run-1 in Guyana and TrinidadandTobago.

Kaieteur News had the opportunity to speak with

Leslie Black, a former athlete and a close friend of William France, who shared heartfelt sentiments about the loss of his dear friend.

Blackreminiscedabouttheir shared experiences, saying,

“I was instrumental in managing him during his first marathon in the United

States and several other events.Hewaslikeabrotherto me Wemayhaveencountered ourfairshareofchallenges,but we always overcame them, never letting our differences affect our brotherly bond He was a true warrior, leaving behind a legacy that demonstrates that physically challenged individuals can achievegreatness.”

Black expressed his gratitude to all those who supported France on his journey to success, with special recognition given to the late Presidents, Mr and Mrs Jagan,formerDirectorof Sports Neil Kumar, VicePresidentBharratJagdeo,and countless others who contributed to France’s achievements

The passing of William France leaves a void in the world of race walking and serves as a reminder of the indomitable spirit of individuals who defy physical challenges to excel intheirchosenendeavors.

but ensuring his halfcentury was not in vain as he shared a number of partnerships, including 2nd wicket 51 stand with Pooran and 3rd wicket 66 withPollard.

The opener’s fifty required 40 deliveries but by then the former 4 times had already been close to the finish line, eventually strolling to victory in 18 1 overs South African pacer Dwaine Pretorius (2-36) and skipper Imran

Tahir (1-30) led a uncharacteristically off bowling attack which leakedalmost20extras.

Guyana Amazon Warriors were indebted to the Pakistani duo of Saim Ayub (49) who missed a half-century but hit four fours and a maximum and Azam Khanwhoblasted36 off27(3x41x6).

Spinners Waqar

Salamkheil (2-28) and

Akeal Hosein (1-28) pulled things back for their team while seamers Ali Khan (1-38) and Terrance Hinds (2-32), provided the breakthroughs fromTKR.

Romario Shepherd (16),Odean Smith (15), Dwaine Pretorius (15) and Gudakesh Motie (19*) played crucial knocks for the Warriors after the departureofAyub.

Khan did well to muscle a few deliveries which gave the Amazon W a r r i o r s s o m e confidence, after the top order helped them to a half-century by the end of thepower-play Warriorsbroughtuptheir 100 in the 15th over and thanks to the numerous contributions from the middlecoretheywereableto crossthe150-runmark.

Spain players end boycott after seven-hour showdown talks with Football Federation

Independent - Spain players have ended their boycott of the women’s national team after showdown talks with the S p a n i s h F o o t b a l l Federation (Rfef) which lasted more than seven hours.

Thesquadwasnamedat the start of the week with several World Cup winners included, despite the fact they had publicly stated their intention to not represent the national team following the sexism row which erupted following Luis Rubiales kissing Jenni Hermosoafterthefinal.

That fallout of that m o m e n t , w h i c h outrageously overshadowed Spain triumphing on the biggest stage of all, included the team’s head coachJorgeVildalosinghis job and Rubiales being suspended from his duties by Fifa, though he refused to resign his post initially before succumbing to pressureandexiting.

But the issues within Spanish football have not

stopped there, with players called up for action after sayingtheywouldnotmake themselves availablethough it now appears they have reached an agreement with their FA. “The players haveexpressedtheirconcern about the need for profound changesintheRfef(Spanish Football Federation), which has committed to making thesechangesimmediately,” saidSpain’sNationalSports Council (CSD) president, Victor Francos “It is the beginning of a long road ahead of us,” Futpro - the players’ union - president Amanda Gutierrez said “Once again, they [the players] have shown themselves to be coherent, and the vast majority have decided to stay for the sake of this agreement” A joint commissionistobesetupto oversee changes and “follow up on agreements” fromthemeeting,thoughit was not confirmed what thoseagreementswere.The now-former Rfef president continued to insist his kiss with Hermoso, one of the

team’s forwards, was consensual - but Hermoso rejected that notion and filed a complaint against Rubiales with the state prosecutor, with an investigation for sexual assault now underway He has also been handed a restraining order, preventing him from being in close proximity to the WorldCupwinner Hermosowasnotcalled uptothelatestSpainsquad, with new head coach Montse Tome saying the national team wanted to “protect” the 33-year-old Hermoso responded with a questionof“fromwhat?”to that claim, saying that the national team call-ups for players who had made themselves unavailable only proved that “nothing had changed” despite Rubiales’forcedexit. Spain face Sweden and Switzerland in the Nations League across the next week or so, with the competitionalsoservingthe purposeofqualifiersforthe ParisOlympicsnextyear

William France, Guyana’s Race Walk Legend

Kieron Pollard and Chadwick Walton saw TKR home to a comfortable victory. (CPL via Getty Images)

Well known sports personality and advocate Inspector Lyndon Wilson retires from GPF after almost 37 years

BySamuelWhyte

AfterservingtheGuyana Police Force (GPF) for almost 37 years, Police Inspector and sports personality Lyndon Ronald Wilson has gone into retirement.

One would wonder what he was best known for as a policeman, it was for his involvementinsportsforhis every present in almost all thingssports.

WilsonservedtheGPFin many capacities. He was specialized in sports and youth development and served distinctively as a sports personality and advocate. He was a well know athlete, coach and starter. He also represented and coached in cricket and many other indoor and outdoor games. He was a well known cricket scorer andoneofthetopscorersin Guyana. Wilson began his sojourn in the GPF in 1987. His entry to the GPF was

incidental. He noted that he had followed his cousin to take the test when he was confronted by a Police officer who convinced him

tosittheexamination.

After being enrolled his intention was to remain for two years and use the Force as a stepping stone and gain

upward trajectory in various sporting disciplines But faith would have it that he remained and have no regrets.

He also stated that, during his tenure in the GPF he gain a tremendous amountofknowledgeanda lot of opportunity to travel, forwhichheisgratefulfor Being a well-rounded andknownsportpersonality, Wilsonspent25yearsatthe PoliceSportsSecretariatand at the time of his retirement hewastheSecondincharge.

He also had a rounded personalityduringhistenure in the GPF After leaving

training school, he was posted to the Tactical Services Unit He also

served in Traffic and Brickdam Police Station, Impact Base. He also spent 14 years in the Police Association.

In recognition for his sterlingservicetheGPFheld a farewell service in honour of Wilson at the Police SportsClubGround.During the ceremony, Wilson received tokens of appreciationandwellwishes from friends, family members, and colleagues in theGPF

Those in attendance thanked Wilson for his long anddedicatedserviceandhis sterling contributions to the GPF. Wilson would like to encourage young minds to join the GPF since many opportunitiesawaitthem.

He used the opportunity toencouragethosestillinthe force to focus on continuity and encouraged ranks to keep doing their best and make the Force proud of them.

He also reminded that nothing is attained by sudden flight but through hardworkanddedication.

The sports advocate thanked all present for their show of appreciation and support. He expressed his willingness to assist in any waypossible.

Wilson, during his years of service to the force, has left an indelible markonthesportingarenain theGPFandGuyanaatlarge.

GCB saddened at the passing of former national cricketer

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) is saddened at the passing of former Berbice andnationalcricketer(JuniorandSenior)Fazil ‘Terminator’Sattaur Sattaur,whowasbornin Albion, Corentyne, died on Monday, September18inCanada

Theformeraggressiveopeningbatsmen got the name ‘Terminator’ because of his fearless style of batting He also played firstdivision cricket for Albion Cricket Club and

EverestCricketClubandforBerbiceatboththe juniorandseniorlevels The‘Terminator’fell justshortofafirst-classcentury,scoring94in the1989JonesCupmatchbetweenBerbiceand Demerara,whichwasatthetimerecognizedas First-ClassCricket.

Sattaur later migrated to Canada where he played three One-Day Internationals for Canada during the ICC World Cup in 2003 whichwasplayedinSouthAfrica.

Over 55s Invitational Football Festival set for Saturday

A grand four team MastersFootballFestivalis planned for this Saturday 23rdSeptemberattheGFC ground.

The one day event is organised by the Guyana Football Association of Masters (GUYFAM) and the teams invited for the 6match tournament are: Pele, Club 45, Linden and

RastafarEye Patriarchs

The 40-minute per match forover55ballerswillalso include 4 players per team betweentheagesoffiftyand fifty-four, but only two will be allowed on the pitch during a game The opening game set for 09:30 hrs will feature Club 45 and RastafarEye Patriarchs, whileLindenclashwithPele

at 10:00 hrs The rest of the scheduled: 13:00 hrs Linden vsClub45,14:00hrs Pelevs RastafarEye Patriarchs, 15:30 hrs Club45vsPeleand16:30 hrs Linden vs RastafarEye Patriarchs

AnumberofTrophiesto be named after past outstanding National players will be up for Grabs.

Retiring Police Inspector and well known Sports personality Lyndon Wilson at his retirement ceremony

Retiring Police Inspector and rounded sports personality Lyndon Wilson in his office before his retirement.

GBA honours its Youth Caribbean champions

I n a b r i e f b u t heartwarming presentation ceremony held yesterday at the Mirage Banquet Hall located at the corners of Third and Albert Street, Alberttown, the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) came together to honour the incredibleachievementsand contribution of the outstanding boxers and

coaches who led Guyana to retaining its fifth consecutive Caribbean Juniorboxingchampionship title.

The event marked a simple celebration of the dedication, hard work, and achievements of our local heroes.Amongtheawardees were Tiquan Sampson, Shacquan James, Akeela

Vancooten, and Coaches

Gregory Kirk, Sebert Blake, Lennox Daniels and Terrence Poole, as well as AMBC champion medalist

Keevin Allicock and DesmondAmsterdam.

GBA President, Steve Ninvalle, opened the ceremony with a passionate speech highlighting the significance of the event.

Saying, “I am extremely happy with what we have eluded at the level of schoolboys/girls Youth and Juniors Caribbean championship. For a matter offact,ithasbeenamatterof onlytwoweeksafter,thatwe concluded the Caribbean Juniorchanpionship,thatwe had another successful local Under-16 tournament. So I amheartenedwithwhatIam seeing, and hearten to know that, we have a special crop

ofyoungboxers.”Duringthe ceremony, the GBA Head presented a series of monetary gifts to its boxing champions across various c a t e g o r i e s , a s a n appreciation of their efforts andcontributiontothesport.

The event featured emotional and inspiring stories of struggle, sacrifice, andsuccess,highlightingthe resilience that is at the heart ofeverychampion.

In a surprise gesture, the

GBA announced an investment plan to further develop the sport in the nation Ninvalle stated, “We believeinthepotentialofour boxers,andwearecommitted to providing them with the resources and support they need to excel on the internationalstage.”Notably, Guyana has selected a fivemember to participate at the upcoming PanAm Games which is billed for midOctoberinChile.

GBAPresident, Steve Ninvalle presented Technical Director, Terrence Poole with cheque at Wednesday’s presentation ceremony.

Female Best Boxer, Akeela Vancooten (right) receives a cheque of appreciation from GBAPresident, Steve Ninvalle.

GBA Head, Steve Ninvalle (seated second from right) shares brief moment with coaches and awardees at Mirage Banquet Hall.

Lady Jags defender, Rylee Traicoff, holding off the Benna Girls’Kevoncia James during their W Gold Cup qualifier

The GuyanaAmazon Warriors celebrate a TKR wicket in the home side’s loss in the qualifier. (CPLvia Getty Images)