Kaieteur News

K

Ministry cancels Sunday Edition NEWS several retendered projects after media exposures AIETEUR

September 26, 2021

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

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

Price $140

…claims no 'mischief afoot' but mulls scrapping Steel Sheets venture

Online readership yesterday, 75,225

Guyana would be dancing with resource curse devil if it ignores consequences of secrecy in oil sector - Ram After six decades of production, politicians have oil rich Nigeria drowning in US$108B debt

K/News Publisher, Glenn Lall, continues the call for change to the Exxon contract.

- now seeking US$11B more for survival

Knife bandit spits Juveniles recaptured in cop's face, gets minutes after escaping sound thrashing from Sophia Holding Centre

Solar now cheapest source of power in most countries …investments in fossil fuel infrastructure will become stranded assets- UN Secretary General

Secrecy overshadows resurrected Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project ...parties to sign 'confidentiality clause' before accessing info 4&7pm on Kaieteur The foreigners are living like kings with our God-given wealth.@ 11am, Radio 99.1/99.5FM VP Jagdeo using events and issues of the past to distract Guyana from what is happening presently.

Donald Ramotar and Robert Persaud gave away Oil Blocks and Robert is back in control of our resources.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 04

Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL - Tel: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Guyanese - we must have some self-respect left The descendants of slave owners now inflict nuanced forms of slavery and indentureship centuries later on the descendants of Guyanese slaves and indentured servants. It is called not slavery, but modernity, democracy, and prosperity.

We live falsehoods, history. Dominant tribal leaders, the slave sellers of long-ago Africa are alive, they are Guyanese.

They are PPP/C and PNCR leaders, who sellout their brothers and sisters to today’s slave traders. The latter are hailed for their exploits, and in our lack of self-respect, we bow before those using us, cheating us, enslaving us. They tell us that they bring modernity, democracy, and prosperity to replace our incivility, savagery, and chronic irresponsibility. Our greedy slave bargaining leaders sell us to greedier foreigners, for what our ancestors called bit n’ half.

The departed Coalition Government sold us out with a contract, not worth the tears shed, the mountains of spittle and urine heaped on it. They helped the outsiders who came in their airships to suck Guyana’s lifeblood. It was manipulation and division, and exploitation and production of precious natural resources. Is this not Africa all over again?

Something of India, too? Guyanese, this is the fate lived with, from a devastatingly lopsided contract. In its turn, the PPP/C proved itself as good, if not worse, in matching the wastages that doom Guyana, as become more apparent daily. The PPP/C’s leaders cannot bend over far enough and quick enough to get kicked repeatedly by the outsiders and of this they are proud. That is, when they decide to speak, to tell the nation more blatant lies. We say we have self-respect, but with all our education and exposures, we are helpless, and we like it. What our enslaved and indentured forbears did not have, no chance of getting, we have, and have no excuse. Yet we are more passive and limited than they ever could have been.

Ours is self-inflicted, theirs was the weight of circumstances.

The outsiders laugh at us, and the best we can do is fling dirt at each other. Wither self-respect, shame?

When opportunity came to level the playing field in Guyana’s favour, the strongest, loudest, and baddest tribal chief, the Vice President, is a sorry shadow, a pathetic figure joining forces with the slave traders, who rip our lands, rob our peoples, run with our riches. He refuses to move, will not touch, improve, anything that could benefit Guyana. Not even when opportunities were there, as carried repeatedly by this publication. He sells out citizens and supporters, while engineering a presidency and a dirty army to follow his lead.

Thus, we have today’s haughty Guyanese house slaves. The Coalition first, and the PPP/C now, conspired and partnered with today’s external predators who conduct their warfare, not with guns and whisky, but through the legalised warfare of contracts. It is bloodless and clinical in execution. However, it is no different from the forced agreements laid upon the heads of many tribes of Native Americans by the hordes of land hungry predators that invaded the rich plains and prairies of America. Reservations were the collateral damage that sinister final settlement, inflicted on the doomed red race. In Washington State, at Medicine Creek on Christmas Day, millions of acres of rich Native Indian grasslands were taken under trickery and threat of force, and warfare by another form, treaty (agreements cum contracts), compliments of the Great White Father that corralled peoples who freely roamed those lands for thousands of years. It was genocide first, reservations next. At Medicine Creek, the red race got two paltry square miles for almost 4,000 square miles of their sacred spaces. And, lest we forget: $3,250 to move. Is this not history repeated here? Today, oil illiterate Guyanese surrender vast treasures with pen strokes. We rage against each other. Where is our rage when PPP/C and PNCR governments parcel out our patrimony without fair recompense? Where is that when billion-dollar mystery bills are ours? Reports concealed? We rage at the EPA, but not at PPP/C leaders, who ensure its friendliness, cooperation, docility. Civil society is slammed, for benefitting from today’s beads and trinkets: recognition, inclusion, collusion. Africa again. Guyanese: what about some self-respect?

Should anti-vaxxers who catch COVID jump the line for treatment ahead of heart and cancer patients?

Dear Editor, Just after Judge Fidela Corbin-Lincoln whacked the PNC unions for their lawsuit opposing vaccinations, Mr. Lincoln Lewis said, “The G u y a n a Tr a d e s U n i o n Congress (GTUC), the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) and the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), which have a case before the High Court on the Government’s vaccination mandate is not opposed to persons, who are eligible for and desire to take the vaccine, from doing so. Not to be outdone, the GTU said “it wishes to disassociate itself from the recent ‘Priya is a Wild Hog’ jingle which hurls derogatory remarks at the sitting Minister of Education. We are of the view that political figures have taken this to another level.”

The GTU and other PNC unions must be vigilant that anti-nationalist political motivations do not hijack the u n i o n ’s i m p r o v e m e n t

agenda. At a time of grave national emergency, they betrayed their mission and played politics with our national safety and security.

They chose to “stick it to the PPP.” In my view, if the unions were truly for vaccines, they would not have filed frivolous, unwinnable lawsuits similar to what happened during the 5-months of election rigging.

The unions would have been in the forefront encouraging vaccination and hosting vaccination sites, not fuelling protests. They did not really support vaccinations. The unions have wasted the workers’ money on lawsuits, and those who followed them and missed work should ask their unions for reimbursement for loss of pay. Their actions harm the economy and these unions would soon be asking for salary increases and benefits.

But the damage has been done. Now, the United States Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention (CDC) has advised against travel to Guyana, stating that even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants. The CDC placed Guyana on the highest COVID-19 travel health notice level, that is, Level Four. This means the CDC believes that travel to the country should be avoided due to the current surge in COVID-19 infections. It stated, “If you must travel to Guyana, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel.”

And CNN reports that the popular Howard Stern is taking on anti-vaxxers who refuse to get the shot. He seems to be all out of carrots and is wielding sticks as he “cusses” (I am a righteous person and do not endorse that). Speaking on his SiriusXM satellite radio show about the recent deaths of several anti-vaxxer radio hosts, Stern said people who won’t get vaccinated are

“idiots” and called for vaccinations to be mandatory. “When are we gonna stop putting up with the idiots in this country and just say it’s mandatory to get vaccinated? F— ‘em. F— their freedom. I want my freedom to live,” he said. “I want to get out of the house already. I want to go next door and play chess. I want to go take some pictures. This is bull——.”

Stern, who is vaccinated, is also frustrated over COVID patients who chose not to get vaccinated causing hospitals to be overwhelmed.”If you have a heart attack or any kind of problem, you can’t even get into the E.R. (Emergency Room). And I’m really of mind to say, “Look, if you didn’t get vaccinated and you got COVID, you don’t get into a hospital.”For emphasis, he added, “You had the cure and you wouldn’t take it.”

So nation, if someone (Continued on page 6)

Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News

Tenders - too many political hands, too much corruption all around Dear Editor, Several primary points are still unsaid in this retendering fiasco.

They are of skullduggeries that reinforce how this country functions.

In retendering, we have a national crime drama, with the Agriculture Ministry’s attestation of ‘no mischief afoot’ introducing the delicious to the deceits.

Three state entities trip over each other concerning steel sheets. It is really about who should have won (premeditatedly earmarked), but didn’t; who was cheated out of a rightful award; which set of public servants did not do their jobs ethically. Last, it is of why are politicians so intimately involved in such things as tenders. Matters settle here: who is criminally favoured, but is thwarted temporarily; who is the legitimate and deserving winner, but is blocked. The troubled people at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), the Ministry of Agriculture, and its subsidiary, the National Drainage and Irrigation Board (NDIA),all struggle manfully to show clean hands. They fail. The more they try, the more they fail pathetically, making utter fools of themselves; indeed, mischief is afoot. All the while, they lose sight of what their main functions are, what should be the primacy of their objectives: standing for principled process and as groups of honourable public people. There is abject failure on all counts. Instead of laudable result, there is laughable contortion.

At the heart of this issue stands these questions: Why is the NPTAB reduced to a purely clerical role? That is, opening bids and stacking

papers, and what passes for something called an evaluation process (a wormy can, by itself). Why is the Minister’s name mentioned so often, and where does he, a political figure, fit into a tender/procurement process?

For what purpose? Under the auspices of what authority is a fair question. And what is the significance of such a practice now reduced to the customary scurrilous? For sure, the minister must be in the development/feedback loop, but no more. Whatever he or she gets are progress reports, possible problems, actual bottlenecks. When I hear ministers’ names called so frequently, I detect that things are where or how they should not be. There is a standing process.

Now, I call matters as they are: to what standards and practices is the Hon. Minister of Agriculture (or any other minister) complying with, when they are near tenders and retenders? To repeat: my position is that the extent of the minister is limited to possessing awareness of what is in motion inside his portfolio. He is given information, certain specifics. I

would agree to who is procurer, facilitator, and advertiser are areas that should be available to him, and always for informational purposes only. When it goes beyond that, then tender troubles loom, and this farce about repeated retendering takes over.

It is where ethical process stops, and corruptions begin. It means that (1) the public service is compromised; (2) the political reach is too much; and (3) the result is foregone: recipes for corruption.

I go up the ladder. Why is cabinet filter and finaliser and decision-maker on the tender/ procurement process? What happened to all these laws and procedures that are in place to make the tender and procurement exercise independent of, and untainted by, political hands?

This longstanding ‘no objection’

farce involving subject ministers and the Cabinet has been subverted to opportunity and occasion for incredible corruptions. Interventions and managements: Political leadership corruptions and ministerial corruptions, ably aided and abetted by bureaucratic corruptions, as to who should and who should not get awards. From my perspective, Cabinet’s role is setting policy objectives and limits involving, for example, education (a school), money (a billion), location (a Region), and so forth. The who and how of process and procedure go from there, and should not circle back to Cabinet, other than status reports. Why has Cabinet arrogated onto itself and monopolise (through the (Continued on page 6)

PAGE 5

PAGE 6

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 26, 2021

Get the work done Registrar General, stop giving excuses Dear Editor, Under the caption “Frustrated with birth certificate department of GPO” published by Stabroek News on September 22 and the reply published under the caption “Persons with complaints/queries can also reach GRO via social media” published on September 24 in the Guyana Chronicle shows the reactive nature of the Registrar General of the General Register Office (GRO), Mr. Raymon Cummings, instead of being proactive and solution

oriented.

As an imam of MetenMeer-Zorg (East) Masjid, this issue with the GRO is not an isolated case, since scores of pandits and imams can testify to the poor service being offered since February 2021.

If Mr. Cummings wishes to deny this, then he can host a press conference with the media, and send out a general invite for the marriage officers, specifically imams and pandits to attend and question him at that event. I will personally attend and gather many of the persons

affected.

In giving an example, a foreigner wanted to get married and when he applied for the marriage licence, he was asked to provide proof of his legal status in this country. This foreigner by the way is employed as a doctor by the Ministry of Health.

I personally visited Mr. Cummings office on several occasions and have not been able to see him.

He is not a government minister or the president, and if he was, I can only imagine we would have had to wait the

entire term in office for him to get something done. The person holding the position of Registrar General should be neutral and pro-active, issues with birth certificates and marriage certificates are in the thousands, and the only excuse he can rely on surrounds the COVID-19 protocols. Meanwhile, the President and government officials are getting things done on the ground, while he sits in an office giving excuse after excuse on why his work cannot be completed.

The GRO needs a more

motivating and inspiring management style for the future that awaits Guyana.

This type of excuses being put forward is for a bygone era. Imagine the Tourism Ministry trying to promote wedding tourism with such atrocious service.

I personally know many persons, who have not been responded to via the GRO social media and WhatsApp platforms provided. I am penning this letter for all and sundry to know that all is not well at the GRO, and some investigations should be

done on the production and workload of the departments that are placed there in service of all applicants. Stop giving excuses and find solutions that is what you are being paid to do, stop being a white elephant.

Sincerely, Imam Halim Khan

...Tenders - too many political From page 5 crooked bureaucracy) what now amounts to intrusive, collusive, and subversive practices? I go further.

Guyana would be better off being informed, what stands above the NPTAB, as a clean and trusted arbitrator of disputed situations (like this retendering). It is not the rat-infested septic tank that is the Cabinet; or the snakepit of ministers. The whole idea, as I understand matters, was to insulate the tempting procurement process from political people. Cabinet should note; it gets information, it offers advice (a loaded word), and nothing else. Why is this not so with these steel sheets and so many other big-money matters? It should never be about who should get, and who not; no matter how nuanced, how denied. This defeats the whole process, renders everything suspect, everyone derelicts. It seems that the more laws and regulations we have, the more corruptions occur.

I close with two personal beliefs: processes are only as good as the people overseeing. And the people overseeing are only as unsullied as the leaders who put them there. If one link is rotten, one scale out of place, the fish stinks. And let this perpetual confounded nonsense about ‘no objection’ be done with, since it places politicians in the mix, and no matter how nuanced, matters come down to this: who gets the bid, who doesn’t. Improperly maybe, definitely criminally. That I find sharply, thoroughly objectionable.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

...Should anti-vaxxers From page 4 persistently refuses to be vaccinated and contracts the virus, should that person be allowed to jump the line ahead of someone with a heart condition, cancer or similar chronic condition or should the COVID victim wait in the line like everybody else?

What do you say?

Sincerely, Dr. Jerry Jailall

T N U L B . . .

T B N U T L N B T .

U .

L .

L T B . .

N .

U N U T L N B .

U T . .

L N N U T B .

U .

N L U BL BLUNT. B . .

T .

T T N N U .

U L . .

L B .

T B . . . .

N .

T U T N N T U N U L L U B .

L B . . . .

B .

T . .

T .

N N T U N L LU U B .

N L . .

U B T .

L . .

N B T .

U . .

N L T U B .

N L . .

U B T .

L . .

N B T . .

U .

N L T U B .

N L . .

U B .

T L . .

N B T . .

U .

N L T U B .

N L . .

U B T .

L . .

N B .

T .

U .

N L T U B .

N L . .

U B T .

L . .

N B T .

U . .

N L T U B .

N L . .

U B T .

L .

B .

UN .BLUNT. L . .

B T . . .

N T U N L . .

U B T .

L .

B .

UN .BLUNT. L . .

B T . . .

N T U N L . .

U B T .

L . .

N B T .

U . .

N L B T .

U . .

N L T U B .

N L . .

U B T .

L . .

N B T . . .

LU ...BLUN B T . . .

N T U N L U B T .

L . .

N B T .

U . .

N L T .

U B . .

N L T U B .

N L . .

U B T .

L . .

N B T .

U . .

N L T BB T...BLU U N L U B .

L . .

B .

T . .

N N T T L U U N L L U B U T...BLU B L . .

N .

B .

T . .

N T U N N N U L U U B L .

BL TLUNT.. UNT...B BL Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News

The Natural Resources Minister says his Government is committed to net zero emissions by 2050.

But Guyanese already know that commitments by Guyanese Governments mean nothing – simply a pack of politicians making empty promises that they never intend to keep.

Net zero emissions by 2050 is the latest farce. Meanwhile, the oversight EPA is useless, Exxon is flaring, and Guyana's politicians are laughing, while they gamble our wealth away and try to deceive us into believing it is all for our good.

PAGE 07

PAGE 08

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 26, 2021

After six decades of production, politicians have oil rich Nigeria drowning in US$108B debt - now seeking US$11B more for survival

By Kiana Wilburg After more than six decades producing oil, Nigeria, thanks to the decisions of its politicians, is drowning in US$108B of debt.

But in order to survive the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic, Africa's biggest oil producer needs US$11B in fresh loans from financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to purchase basic medical and

food supplies.

Kaieteur News recently reported that some financial institutions are hesitant to provide the African nation of more than 200 million people with more loans due to rampant corruption by politicians. Be that as it may, the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) which is closely following the crisis in Nigeria, opined in one of its analytical pieces that oilrich countries such as Nigeria have clearly found

themselves stuck between the “rock” of economic ruin and the “hot place” of environmental catastrophe.

But NRGI, one of the world's leading non-profit organisations in improving countries' governance over their natural resources, firmly believes that all is not lost for Nigeria. It posits that the future of Nigeria lies in weaning itself off of fossil fuels and preparing its economy for the energy transition that is taking place the world over.

The Institute was keen to note that some countries which are rich in oil are already headed in the wrong direction. In this regard, it noted that politicians in some countries are intent on proving that their country can become a world-class profit making machine, just as international oil companies did in the 20th century. It warned however, such lofty dreams come at a price.

NRGI said, “The difficulty of navigating

Ministry records 5 more COVID-19 deaths of unvaccinated persons Five more unvaccinated persons succumbed on Friday due to COVID19 complications. The deaths were recorded even as the Ministry noted that 129 persons succumbed to the virus in September 2021; all of the patients died while receiving medical care.

The recent deaths include two females ages 70 and 79 years from Region Four, a 68-year-old male from

Region 10, a 77-year-old male from Region Five and a 43-year-old female from Region Three.

Meanwhile, a total of 211 new COVID cases were recorded on Friday from 1,805 tests, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 30,907.

The cases were recorded in Region One which has 16 cases, Region Two 23 cases, Region Three - 43 cases, Region Four - 89 cases, Region Five -

17 cases, Region Six - five cases, Region Seven - four cases, Region Nine - seven cases and Region 10 seven cases.

Additionally, there are 35 patients in the COVID-19 ICU at the Infectious Diseases Hospital; 180 patients in institutional isolation and 3,692 are in home isolation.

To date, 26,246 people have recovered from the virus.

transition is hardly exclusive to Nigeria... From Mexico to Mongolia, from Ghana to Guyana, governments must address the unknown future of energy markets. As the world recovers from the pandemic and continues to transition toward renewable energy, city skies may remain relatively clear. But how resource-producing countries manage the decline in fossil fuels is critical, especially after the shock of the economic and health crisis.”

2021 GOVERNANCE INDEX In its 2021 Resource Governance Index Report, NRGI was keen to note that Nigeria's governance of its critical oil and gas sector has

been concerning, with cases of corruption, fiscal mismanagement, and environmental degradation all reported in the six decades since production began.

Even prior to the Coronavirus pandemic and the 2020 oil price shock, the sector was stuck in a cycle of high uncertainty, boom-andbust spending and diminishing returns, the transparency body stated.

It concluded, “Production has mostly stagnated, foreign direct investment has declined, and oil revenues have come up short of what has been budgeted. Overall, Nigeria's oil and gas governance is weak and falling short in key measures of transparency

Juveniles recaptured minutes after escaping from Sophia Holding Centre Four juveniles yesterday made a daring escape from the Sophia Juvenile Holding Centre through a wooden ceiling. However, they were recaptured minutes later by police ranks.

According to a report from the Guyana Police Force, the youngsters who were housed in cells three and four at the facility decided to make good their escape around 02:45hrs yesterday. Police revealed that the boys broke the padlocks that were used to secure the cell doors and removed some wooden lattice from the ceiling.

Ranks, who were on duty at the facility, reported that they heard a loud noise and upon making checks, noticed

the four juvenile offenders were missing. They informed the other ranks of what had happened and one of them soon after noticed the four escapees on Dennis Street, Sophia running in a westerly direction. One of the ranks chased after the offenders but they were able to make their way to Pike Street, Campbellville, Georgetown.

A police patrol was informed and the four offenders were recaptured on Delhi Street, Prashad Nagar, also in the capital city and taken to the Brickdam Police S t a t i o n . Tw o b r o k e n padlocks and four pieces of steel rods, which are suspected to be used in the breakage, were found at the scene and lodged.

The padlocks that the juveniles broke in their escape bid.

Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 09

Shuman petitions Clerk for Budgetary allowances for opposition MPs …calls lack of funding a betrayal of the spirit of the Constitution Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and current holder of the lone joinder seat in the National Assembly, Lenox Shuman—leader of the Liberty and Justice Party—has written to the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, requesting that budgetary funds be made available for each member of the political opposition, in order for them to be able to effectively execute their mandate as elected representatives.

Shuman in a letter to the Clerk, on Friday last, iterated that the lack of budgetary allocation to each parliamentarian to equally represent their constituents “can be viewed as a betrayal and possibly a violation of the spirit of the Constitution.”

As such, Shuman requested that, “provisions are made in Budget 2022 for

Dem

boys seh...

Bad man does know which limb fuh jump pun.

Dem does attack de weak because dem is cowards and does tek advantage pun people.

Dem don't want attack people hand-to-hand. Dem does wan come with jukka, knife and gun because dem can tek advantage. Or dem does attack in herds.

But sometimes dem does meet dem match and is den yuh does know who is brave and who is coward.

De other day wan ah dem bad man see wan old man pun de road with he laptop.

Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs

each parliamentarian to be given resources, to permit them the rental of office space and the hiring of at least one assistant to address their constituent's needs.”

Qualifying his arguments made to the Clerk, the LJP Leader observed that, “democracies thrive based on the ability of their elected officials to represent their constituents.”

Such representation, he said, “is driven by resources

and capacity of which one drives the other. It therefore stands to reason that where a representative is resource poor, the capacity to represent the peoples' interest now becomes poor and thus weakens a democracy. The converse is also generally true.”

To this end, he argues, governments are only as good as their opposition and as such “one can comfortably suggest that by

Bad man does eventually meet dem match He decide fuh mek he move.

But when he get close he realise de man gat on he karate suit.

He decide den and dere dat he nah tekking chance.

He back down, tell de man howdee and guh lang he way.

If he did only know dat dis man gat more belt and dans dan de bad man gat buckta.

De man is de top karate expert. De bad man lucky he ain't mek he move.

But sometimes dem bad man does pick pun de wrong man. And dem does get a

good cut tail.

One time a huge chap pick pun a small chap.

He hit de small chap in he back and den tun round and tell he, “dat was a karate chop from China.”

Two days later he hit de small chap again and say, “dat was a karate chop from Korea.”

De next day de small chap went up to de big chap and put one lash in he back. De big chap get floored and when he look up, de small chap say, “dat was a crowbar from Gafoors.”

Talk half and nah tek advantage pun people!

such virtue, a weak opposition makes for a weak government and government institutions.”

According to Shuman, “while a government can enjoy un-tethered access to the public's purse, the opposition members are left to languish even though they are equally elected to represent the people, as dictated by Article 9 and further supported by Article 13 of the Constitution of Guyana.”

He recalled, in his

missive to the Clerk, “…we fought for the respect of democracy in 2020 and would view this as strengthening and supporting democracy in Guyana. Were it to not be addressed, the perception would be that the government's intent is not to strengthen our democracy, but instead to entrench hegemony.”

Cognisant of the preparation time for budget submissions ahead of Budget 2022 and that

Deputy Speaker and LJP Leader, Lenox Shuman

agencies are actively engaged in preparation of same, “your consideration on this important democratic matter is most appreciated.”

Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

City Hall makeover to commence with $780M construction contract A

contract for the Georgetown City Hall restoration project totalling $780M has been signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Prema Roopnarine, and the contractors of Fides Guyana Inc. The signing of the contract took place at City Hall on Friday in the presence of Senior Minister

of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, Minister within the Local G o v e r n m e n t M i n i s t r y, Anand Persaud, Mayor of Georgetown, Pandit Ubraj Narine, and other officials.

Kaieteur News understands that the project is expected to start by the end of September after the relocation of City Hall staffers. The restoration of the deteriorating City Hall

building has been more than five years in the making.

On the assumption of office in 2018, Mayor Narine made the restoration of City Hall a top priority and lobbied relentlessly for this project to become a reality.

Mayor Narine ensured that the Council agreed to the establishment of a committee with the Private Sector Commission, the National Trust of Guyana, NICIL, and other

The signing of the contract took place at City Hall on Friday in the presence of Senior Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, Minister within the Local Government Ministry, Anand Persaud, Mayor of Georgetown, Pandit Ubraj Narine, and other officials. stakeholders. An account was also launched with the signatories being the Mayor and City Council, The National Trust, and the Private Sector Commission that will require all three signatures when completing transactions. “ Speaking at the signing ceremony on Friday, Narine declared, “Today, we witness this historical moment for the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown and Guyana at Large. Even though the pandemic slowed down the process, we are

thankfully witnessing a breakthrough as the Central Government became a part of this project.”

He noted that the combined efforts of the Central and Local Government, the European Union Delegation and Fides Guyana Inc. will facilitate the City Hall Restoration project.Mayor Narine complimented Central Government for its efforts to collaborate on this project and noted that this can inspire a continuous relationship to execute other

projects such as completing the administration building, among others.

Mayor Narine also hopes that the City Hall building upon completion can be used as a tourist site and a Library for all to explore its history.

According to the Mayor, the new City Hall building will be constructed using local materials and local labour which in turn will create many job opportunities, allowing local businesses to profit, and overall help to boost the economy.

Pensioner crushed to death by truck at Eccles A 77-year-old woman was crushed to death by a truck as she was crossing the public road at Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD) yesterday.

Dead is Jasodra Samwaru of Grove Squatting Area, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

According to a police report, the accident occurred at around 10:00hrs. The report indicated that the truck, which was headed south along the public road, had stopped in traffic at the Eccles stoplight when it signalled red.

When the light turned green, the truck drove off and collided with the pensioner who was crossing the road from east to west.

According to reports, Samwaru fell onto the roadway and was crushed by the truck.

The woman was later pronounced dead when paramedics from the Emergency Medical Service Unit arrived at the scene. Her body was taken to Carmen Funeral Home where a post-mortem examination is expected to take place.

Meanwhile, according to police, a breathalyser test was conducted on the driver of the truck and no trace of alcohol was found in his system.

The driver remains in custody and a notice of intended prosecution was served on him as investigation continues.

Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

PAGE 12

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 26, 2021

CSEC, CAPE and NGSA results slated for Oct. 14 and 15 The Caribbean Examination Council (CXC')s has chosen Guyana as the host country to 'release' this year's Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) results on October 14, 2021. These results will be available to candidates on the CXC's online portal from October 15, 2021. This is according to a release from the Ministry of Education (MOE).

According to the release, the Council's representatives and MoE officials will preside over this ceremony during which Guyana's Minster of Education, Ms. Priya Manickchand, is

scheduled to deliver the feature address.

The CAPE and CSEC examinations were written during the period of June July of this year due to the effects, consequences, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Caribbean and the world.

The National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) was also affected by the pandemic and was written on August 4 - 5 of this year.

The Ministry reminded that since 2016, CXC was contracted by the Government of Guyana to develop, administer, and m a r k t h i s examination/assessment annually.

This year however, the Ministry said to further

advance the transparency and integrity of the examination/assessment, CXC's responsibilities were extended and increased to include verification of raw scores as well as the conduct and management of all reviews or appeals after the results are published and further to present the data and analysis of each year's assessment.

As such, the Ministry of Education has been informed by CXC that the raw scores will be ready and sent from Barbados to G u y a n a b y T u e s d a y, September 28, 2021, after which the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) will standardise the scores and offer (Continued on page 62)

Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 13

Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Ministry cancels several retendered projects after media exposures …claims no 'mischief afoot' but mulls scrapping Steel Sheets venture The Ministry of Agriculture, one day after confirming it was mulling scrapping the controversial National Drainage and Irrigation's (NDIA) stock piling of in excess of 300 steel piling sheets, announced that it has cancelled four other projects th at it h ad als o b een retendering.

The decision comes amidst a flurry of media exposure by local, independent media houses and was first reported by this publication.

The Ministry in a public notice yesterday said it had cancelled the projects related to the construction of a pump station to irrigate the Black Bush front lands in East Berbice, a pump station at Cottage, Mahaicony, a Farm to Market Road in Mahaicony and the construction of drainage infrastructure in Georgetown.

As it relates to the controversial steel piling sheets venture, the Ministry in a public missive a day earlier, noted that it is in fact considering scrapping the project altogether, while insisting that there is no mischief afoot with regards the project.

Justifying its position, it noted that the increase in the global prices surpassed its budgeted amount. “There is and was no mischief afoot, efforts were made in this case repeatedly through open tender, however all failed so far,” the Ministry said.

This is despite the fact that the specific grade of steel being requested is being supplied by one company globally which has submitted a quote consistent with some of the bids received through at least three rounds of bidding earlier this month, August and July.

According to the Ministry, as a result the continued high prices and shipping costs for steel, the NDIA at this stage will have to consider a solution whether to proceed or to withdraw the project and wait for 2022 to see if the global shipping costs and the cost of steel will come down.”

The Ministry used the occasion to reiterate, “This issue was one of the exorbitantly high process for these imported material at the

required specifications and i n s u ff i c i e n t b u d g e t a r y allocations.”

According to the Ministry's missive, it is awaiting the advice of the NDIA, “if it has an alternative solution to propose for its consideration under these circumstances.”

This publication had initially reported that the repeated retendering for several projects by the Ministry was not only unethical but tantamount to corruption and should be considered illegal.

It was explained that each time the Ministry puts out a tender for a contract—many of which runs into the hundreds of millions or billions—it would cost every person or company submitting a bid, hundreds of thousands of dollars for each bid submitted.

When the contract is opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) and retendered, at least one contractor who spoke to this publication on the condition of anonymity explained that it is tantamount to the State agencies providing insider information to their preferred bidders.

This obtains since after repeated retendering, the preferred bidders would be able to know the rates being charged by competitors and eventually be allowed to outbid the others.

It was noted too that when complaints are lodged requesting the rationale behind the refusal of a bid, these are oftentimes brushed aside or met with vague answers.

Additionally, Kaieteur News had reported that government had also been retendering for a project that can be sole sourced since the specifications being demanded by NDIA can only be supplied by a single company.

The Steel Sheet Piles, namely 327 pieces are specified at the requirement AZ 13-700 (D) ASTM A690 Steel Sheet Piles.

Kaieteur News has since been reliably informed by an i n s i d e r, w i t h i n t i m a t e knowledge of the supply chain and process for the identified materials, that there is only one company

Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha

that provides Steel Sheet Pilings at that specification.

The identified quality specification for the sheet piles to be provided, according to a quote seen by this publication from the sole supplier globally, Arcelor Mittal Projects, is listed as A S T M A 6 9 0 .

Arcelor Mittal is headquartered in Luxembourg, with the sales representative for Latin America, which encompasses Guyana sales, being Julian Guitierrez who works out of Torres Global Bank.

The quote provided by the company for the 10-metre long lengths of steel sheets, was provided at €751,285 or $184.7M, minus c o m m i s s i o n .

That quote was sourced by a 'bidder' participating in one such round in bidding that were had in August last, for the supply of the materials.

T h e M i n i s t r y subsequently responded to say it was not at fault since the retendering was a decision taken by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB). The Ministry had, however, withdrawn that statement by the next day.

But NPTAB was swift to deny the position asserted by the Ministry stating that any retendering is had at the behest of the procuring entity.

It was explained to this publication that government could sole source the material for as little as US$1M when the related ancillary charges a r e a d d e d o n .

Instead, the option to repeatedly retender for a specific type of material that

can only be sourced from one supplier is raising eyebrows among some in the industry.

One such insider, speaking to this publication on the condition of anonymity, said it must be publicly questioned why it is that the Engineer preparing the project documents for NDIA insists on that specification for the steel sheet pilings since there are several other grades of similar steel sheet pilings that can be used for the same purposes indicated by the NDIA.

This coupled with the repeated retendering, according to the insider, “has to be questioned publicly since it can only point to the government setting the stage to have some favoured contractor to get the contract—a contractor that would eventually have to purchase the steel from the same company.”

The bidder cited as example, “if government was looking to purchase a Tesla vehicle, why would it go out to public tender when there is only one company in the world that makes Tesla vehicles.”

The August 10 round of bid openings, for which the international company supplied a quote at $184.7M, saw bids coming in from Platinum at $463.9M, Roopan Ramotar at $544.5M, STP Investments at $632M while Samaroo Investments' bid came in at $654.7M. Additionally, H. Nauth and Sons had submitted a bid for the supply of the steel sheet pilings at $465.3M while Aria Civil Works bid was $464.6M. A previous round of bidding in July saw bids from

Yunas Civil Building and Construction Services, which submitted a proposal at $183.7M, while Dax Contracting Services' bid w a s $ 2 8 0 . 3 M .

Samaroo Investments bid, which was in that earlier round of bidding, had also submitted a bid for $281.2M, while Fix It Depot submitted an offer of $277.5M, S. Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc. at that time proposed supplying the materials for $254.1M, while Colin Talbot Contracting proposed an offer of $253.5M. At the time, David Persaud Investments had proposed supplying the Steel Sheets to NDIA at a cost of $27.9M, some $253M less than the highest offer at the time. As it relates to the September round of bids submitted, Toolsie Persaud Limited provided a proposal for $294.6M, General Marine Company's bid was $306.2M, Gafsons Industry Limited submitted a bid for $292.8M while Dax Contracting Services gave a proposal to supply the steel sheets for some $259.3M. (Continued on page 62)

A quote provided by the sole supplier of the specified grade of steel, issued for the August round of bidding

Sunday September 26, 2021

==CONSUMER CONCERNS==

By Pat Dial Some of our members have long been suggesting that this column address the issue of race and racism in Guyana since it appears to be one of the most topical subjects of discourse. We had resisted this since the Guyana Consumers Association (GCA), by its Constitution, never is involved in politics or takes political sides.

Indeed, practising politicians cannot hold office in the Association, though they could be members.

Many of our members however, point out that race is a sociological concept and not a political one despite the attempts of politicians to coopt it into their armory.

Guyana in the 19 t h century had become very multiracial, and despite the currency of racial namecalling and racial jokes, the various racial groups respected each other and desired to live in harmony and by the beginning of the 20th century, the country had evolved into a plural society.

In the Christmas Season which began in November, for example, the population became submerged into a joyousness and feeling of unity where everyone became simply a Christmas celebrant.

By the end of the 1940's Guyana had developed a sense of nationality and was moving towards racial unity.

In the 1950's, the scenario took a disturbing change to most people: the colonial power, Britain,

Kaieteur News

IS GUYANA RACIST?

decided to withdraw from its West Indian colonies and grant them Independence and in this process, they nurtured politicians and political parties to whom they could hand over power on their departure.

The concomitant of this process was the grant of progressive Constitutions with Parliaments.

The new political parties then began to compete with each other for office and the easiest way for them to mobilise support was by racial appeals and this was the beginning of racial consciousness of an adversarial kind.

In the 1950's the Cold War had begun raging and Guyana was sucked into it because the Cold Warriors, led by the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), perceived Dr. C. B. Jagan and his PPP party as Communist and being able to unite Africans and Indians forming a national unity and at the imminent grant of Independence by the British, would be taking the independent Guyana into the Soviet Bloc similar to Cuba.

The Cold Warriors led by the CIA became frantic and tried every method to stimulate and exacerbate hatred and animosity between Indians and Africans and they were eminently successful resulting in widespread communal violence where scores of persons were murdered and much property destroyed in the 1960's.

This was a scenario, which had never before

Girl, 12, hospitalised after being drugged by relative A 12-year-old girl was on Friday admitted to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) after reportedly consuming a large amount of illegal drugs and alcohol.

According to a police report, the child was given the illegal substance by a male relative, who has since gone into hiding.

The incident, police revealed, occurred around 21:00hrs on Friday at Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

The girl was rushed to the WDRH after she was found in a drunken state. She was examined by a doctor who admitted her to the Emergency Ward after a breathalyser test was

PAGE 15

conducted on her to ascertain the amount of alcohol in her system.

The test determined that the 12 year-old had 60 percent of Breath Alcohol Concentration (BAC) in her system. As such, she was admitted for observation.

According to the report made to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station by the victim's aunt, a male relative had given the child the drugs and alcohol.

Police said that checks were made in the Pouderoyen area for the alleged suspect but he was not found.

An investigation is ongoing.

occurred in Guyanese History and was beyond the imagination. One of the aims of the strategy of the CIA was to delay Independence indefinitely but they succeeded in delaying it for two years only for the British were determined to withdraw.

Independence came in 1966 and racial relations, and

especially between Indians and Africans were in ruins.

The Cold War was won by the West in the 1980's and this, together with the great societal changes which had occurred in the half-acentury from 1950 led to the dismantling of the machinery which had been used in the electoral sphere and by the Cold Warriors to

exacerbate feelings of hatred and animosity between Indians and Africans.

By the turn of the 20th century to the beginning of the 21st century, Guyanese society had recovered. All Guyanese attend the same schools, go to the same hospitals, work in the same work places, fraternise in the same social spaces and

affiliate with their multiracial relatives. And every day, thousands of kindnesses are proffered to each other.

The only persons who speak of race as an issue are politicians or persons who are aligned, in one way or another, with politics and this fact could be ascertained (Continued on page 62)

Sunday September 26, 2021

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

SUNDAY PRESIDENT IRFAAN ALI’S TRANSPARENCY DEFICIT IN OIL SECTOR WIDENS – EXXON’S PRODUCTION, LOCAL CONTENTANDAUDIT REPORTS REMAIN HIDDEN FROM PUBLIC SCRUTINY After one year in office, the Irfaan Ali administration has still done little to set itself apart from its predecessor on the disclosure of information, all the while maintaining a tight political grip on the sector. Despite his claim that his government has been transparent, a deficit still persists and widens.

Just recently, ExxonMobil disclosed that it has submitted its local content report for the first half of 2021 to the Ministry of Natural Resources. Why hasn’t this report been released so that the public can conduct its own verification process and hold the oil giant to account?

Also hidden from public scrutiny are ExxonMobil’s production reports in the Stabroek Block, the results of the audit for the US$460M Exxon said was spent pre-2015 in search of oil as well as the US$1B in expenses that was spent to develop the Liza Phase One operations. The report that was done on the Payara Field Development plan by controversial Canadian politician, Alison Redford, also remains hidden from the public eye. Below are other key tasks in the oil sector which auger well for transparency but have not been completed by the Ali administration.

1) Complete the Local Content Policy.

2) Putting in place appropriate and independent technology offshore to monitor the measurement of oil remotely.

3) Outline benchmarks for Corporate Social Responsibility.

4) Establish a Depletion Policy in consultation with the citizenry.

5) Establish a Decommissioning Policy.

6) Outline a structure for what is to be expected in Field Development Plans.

7) Strengthen key auditing agencies, specifically the Office of the Auditor General.

8) Strengthen institutions that will be responsible for the

expenditure of the oil moneyincluding the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and the Ministry of Health.

9) Improve Guyana’s capacity to monitor and record emissions offshore, particularly in the case of the Environmental Protection Agency.

10) Provide resources to the EPA so that it can make unannounced visits to the FPSOs while following safety standards.

11) Hire technical experts needed within the Ministries of Natural Resources, EPA, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), etc.

12) Review massive tax concessions/tax holidays.

Example: provisions in oil contracts that allow tax exemptions on capital gains tax, personal income tax and withholding tax.

13) Update policies/laws/ regulations regarding direct and indirect transfers of interests in offshore blocks.

14) Establish a Petroleum Commission.

15) Implement software solutions for compliance monitoring and for operating requisite controls for expenditure of oil money.

16) Update laws and regulations to address issues of ring fencing, transfer pricing (and other financial loopholes/issues), health and safety of workers, monitoring of the environment (regarding issues such as flaring and stiffer penalties for such infractions), pre-qualification criteria for oil blocks, etc.

17) Strengthen and increase systems for reporting on decisions in the oil and gas industry.

18) Oil Sale Agreements.

SELLING NATURAL GAS REQUIRES FURTHER TECHNICAL STUDIES EXXON CONFIDENTIAL REPORT …PREMATURE SUPPLY ESTIMATES CAN LEAD TO INEFFICIENT INVESTMENT PLANNING The Guyana Government has conceded that it is not fully aware of the specific amounts of associated Natural Gas, or its make-up, to be had from the Liza I Oil Field in the Stabroek Block being produced by the Liza Destiny Floating Production and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.

The administration is however pushing ahead with the gas-to-shore project as a transitional energy source but according to the Stabroek Block Operator, “Identification of excess Associated Gas volumes for utilisation/commercialisation

PAGE 25

Kaieteur News

requires substantial technical due diligence.”

The warning was given to the administration by the ExxonMobil Guyana in a confidential 2018 document in which the company outlined that Associated Gas is a critical component of oil field management to ensure efficient oil recovery (gas injection) and to fuel the FPSO; understanding oil production requirements is the priority.

To this end, the oil major cautioned that Gas supply estimates could prove highly misleading if provided prematurely and lead to inefficient investment planning.

According to the company, the FPSO alone will require 0.1 trillion cubic feet of gas at an amount of 20 million cubic feet per day.

Additionally, maintaining adequate pressure in the gas reservoir in the Liza I oilfield would require some 0.5 trillion cubic feet of Natural Gas to be re-injected.

The company cautioned in its confidential report that gas cycles in and out of reservoir over time will significantly decrease as a result of gas being exported to shore.

As such, the company determined based on the available data at the time that, 0.2 trillion cubic feet would be left available for sales at 30 million cubic feet per day.

ExxonMobil did note in its confidential report that as it relates to the available gas for sales, “Reservoir and facilities modelling for evaluation of feasibility for up to 50 Mcf/D export on-going.”

The administration in it’s a briefing earlier this year had intimated that while ExxonMobil had been willing to supply some 35 million cubic feet of gas per day, it had managed to secure a commitment for the supply of 50 million cubic feet of gas daily.

ExxonMobil in its confidential document did seek to point out that it will conduct feasibility studies to assess the commercialisation potential for additional excess Associated Gas, if any.

The information comes to light as the public debate over the proposed gas-to-shore energy project intensifies with more questions now than answers.

This publication on Thursday reported that while Government is actively pursuing private investors for joint participation in gas related projects to accompany a Natural Gas fired power plant to primarily power an industrial park at the Wales Development Zone (WDZ), the related gas

ventures such as the production of urea/fertiliser and other associate products are expected to be financially challenging.

As such, their viability will be dependent on significant incentives on the part of the government such as tax breaks and waivers in order for any such venture to be deemed feasible.

This much was disclosed to the administration following a site assessment that was conducted by Stabroek Block Operator, ExxonMobil Guyana.

In a summary of the findings that were presented to Cabinet in 2018, it was documented that ExxonMobil had progressed feasibility studies for the potential commercialisation of gas volumes in the event future discoveries identify suitable gas supplies above gas-topower requirements.

It was found that “analysis has highlighted that while economics are challenged, requiring incentives, methanol and urea (fertiliser) producing largescale industrial facilities appear to be the more likely viable foundation industries for investors.”

As it relates to Methanol, ExxonMobil had recommended that export vessels would require deepwater draft and as such, pursuit of such a venture sees an export pipeline connected to offshore loading buoy in deeper water appearing to provide a viable Guyana coastline export solution.

As it relates to Urea, it

was noted that granular product with viable roadbased sales domestically and potentially to immediate neighbouring countries is likely viable but screening assessment revealed the need for the construction of extended jetty and loading berths for direct regional exports via 5000 DWT vessels requiring 3-6M water depth.

The Ministry of Natural Resources had earlier this year invited private investors to provide an Expression of Interest (EoI) to partake in Joint participation in the proposed gas-to-shore project with the government and Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL)—ExxonMobil Guyana.

According to the advertised EoI, the government and EEPGL are looking for partners “in designing or utilising the outputs from an NGL (Natural Gas Liquids)/LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas) facility and related facilities.”

This includes, according to the Ministry, design, construction, and financing of a power plant fuelled by Natural Gas, where the power will be delivered into the Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL) distribution grid.

This is in addition to industries that can utilise Natural Gas for, “Natural Gas driven developments and growth.”

The WDZ encompasses over 14,000 plus acres of land of which approximately 1,300 acres will be set aside for

heavy Industry/gas-related investments.

MONDAY REFUSAL TO REMOVE UNFAIR TERMS IN OIL DEALS COULD BE DESTABILISING TO COUNTRIES – CHATHAM HOUSE According to UK based transparency watchdog, Chatham House, it is quite reasonable and even considered normal practice in the petroleum industry, for countries to engage oil companies in the review and removal of terms contained in deals, which may leave the country in a disadvantageous position. In fact, the not-forprofit organisation said the refusal to do so could have a destabilising effect on countries.

Chatham House is a nongovernmental organisation whose mission is to analyse and promote the understanding of major international issues and current affairs.

The organisation, which has worked with local authorities on oil related matters since 2015, said that new data about a country’s reserves might prompt its government to seek to revise the terms of investment to its advantage. This is quite normal it said.

Similarly, Chatham House said that companies sometimes approach governments to ask for a revision of terms to reduce the (Continued on page 26)

PAGE 26

From page 25 taxation or operational obligations they face during periods of economic difficulty.

Chatham House said, too, that over the course of 25–30 years, circumstances may change beyond the scope of pre-existing contracts and broader legislation, and governments may want to amend the investment terms, just as companies do.

It said, “Against this backdrop…, our group debated the legitimacy of renegotiating an existing agreement. A near consensus emerged that renegotiation of terms was sometimes necessary in order to maintain a long-term partnership between oil companies and governments because the refusal to review terms could be destabilising and unfair to some countries.”

Chatham House continued, “It is also in the long-term interest of companies engaged in the country to ensure that the deal is viable. Discussions focused on one avenue for renegotiation, which is to include periodic review, renegotiation, economic balancing and adaptation clauses in contracts from the outset, allowing renegotiation when specific triggers are activated. Such clauses can add significantly to perception of investment risk for companies and require careful design.”

The transparency institute added, “But they have proven to be more efficient and fair mechanisms in comparison with classic freezing or stabilisation clauses. In case an oil company has not met its obligations under the applicable deal (or the laws/ regulations) then the country may be within its rights to terminate the contract.”

Going forward, Chatham Hose recommended that governments should design progressive fiscal terms at the outset, in order to capture maximum windfalls as the geological and price contexts evolve. It said too that governments should request external support where necessary to achieve this effectively.

Further to this, Chatham House advised that governments should seek to design contracts with a renegotiation or periodic review clause – which would allow renegotiation when specific triggers are activated.

In this regard, the UK Body said, “Governments should ensure that the clause is phrased in very clear language; that it specifies which terms are subject to

Kaieteur News

renegotiation (local content, fiscal, environmental, financial terms); that it specifies what triggers would lead to renegotiation (political, cost, commodity price, and legal or tax changes); that it specifies clearly what is the baseline of the renegotiation/rebalance ex ante; and that it specifies the process of the renegotiation/rebalance ex ante.”

Chatham House also noted that there are several groups, which can support governments in contract renegotiations. It said that these include the World Bank; the African Development Bank’s African Legal Support Facility; the International Senior Lawyers Project; and the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Ocean Governance and Natural Resources Management Section.

L O P S I D E D PROVISIONS Kaieteur News would have exposed via an extensive study published in 2019 that Guyana’s PSA for the Stabroek Block has some of the world’s worst provisions when compared to 130 other deals.

For example, the PSA says sees the government paying the contractor’s income tax out of the country’s share of the profits.

However, none of the 130 PSAs examined shows this arrangement.

Further, Guyana’s PSA is the only one out of 130, which has very moderate work obligations for contractors who are vested with offshore licenses.

Additionally, the GuyanaExxonMobil PSA is the only one out of 130 contracts, which has no ring-fencing provisions to prevent costs of unsuccessful wells being carried over to that of successful wells.

There is also no sliding scale for royalty to increase as production improves.

And that is not all.

Guyana’s PSA is the only one out of 130 that allows insurance premiums to be fully recovered as well as interest on loans and financing costs that are incurred by the contractors.

The 130 PSAs examined are part of a register on www.resourcecontracts.org. ( h t t p s : / / resourcecontracts.org/ search?q=Producti on+Sharing+Agreement+) That website offers over 620 PSAs from around the world for perusal.

The Stabroek Block PSA was signed on June 27, 2016 with ExxonMobil and its partners, Hess Corporation and CNOOC/NEXEN.

TUESDAY AS ECONOMIC PAINS OF COVID-19 INCREASE… NIGERIA NOW BEGGING OIL COMPANIES TO CUT EXPENSES TO MEET CITIZENS’ NEEDS Nigeria, the largest oil producer in Africa, is now at the feet of oil companies begging for their mercy. It is appealing for the companies’ cooperation in scaling back operational costs. This the government believes would be helpful in increasing its share of the profits which would be used to purchase crucial medical and food supplies for its 200 million citizens who are crumbling under the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Exposing the extent of the economic despair that has gripped Nigeria is the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI).

Founded in 2013, NRGI has been recognised by industry experts as one of the leading independent nonprofit organisations, which has been dedicated to improving countries’ governance over their natural resources. Headquartered in New York, it has also been at the forefront of promoting sustainable and inclusive development in countries such as Nigeria.

In its latest assessment of the state of affairs in the oilproducing State, NRGI found that like other nations, Nigeria was, and still is not prepared to deal with the economic effects of the pandemic.

Though it was expected that given its enviable reserve of natural resources, it would have been in a much better position than most; corruption, chronic

mismanagement, and poorly administered deals have played major roles in leaving it in a most disadvantageous position today said NRGI. The Institute was keen to note in particular, that the pandemic has exposed just how vulnerable the oilproducing State is. As a result of tough lockdown requirements that took effect last year, and some of which still remain in some corners of the world, there has been a significant decline in oil demand.

At a central bank meeting in March, Nigerian authorities noted that low prices followed from the declining demand and this led to the country being left with 50 cargoes of oil and 12 of liquefied natural gas that could not find buyers. Since this incident, which resulted in a significant revenue shortfall, Nigeria has been pushing to curtail costs and production as much as possible hence, it approached upstream partners this year to reduce their costs, said NRGI. A presentation on this matter had shown that at an oil price of US$50 per barrel, US$22 would go towards operational expenses and US$12 for capital expenditure.

This leaves only US$16 as profit to be split; hence, the government sees this area as a matter of priority and vowed to bring operational costs to US$10 per barrel by the end of this year. After producing oil for more than five decades, the authorities have finally said the costs have been too high for too long. (See links: h t t p s : / / w w w. e n e rg y v o i c e . c o m / oilandgas/africa/ep-africa/ 298246/nigeria-cut-opexupstream/ and https:// w w w. e n e rg y v o i c e . c o m / oilandgas/africa/245102/

Sunday September 26, 2021

nigeria-talks-tough-onproduction-costs/) The transparency body also said that the government is aggressively rolling back operations at its underperforming refineries as well as examining ways and means of lowering its import bill.

As it looks to cut corners, Nigeria has already approached several financial institutions for urgent help.

NRGI noted that the government is seeking US$11 billion in fresh loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), domestic banks, the World Bank and others. If successful, these would grow the debt stock by close to another 50 percent, though some lenders have delayed signing, saying they need to see more reforms on transparency and accountability so that they can be guaranteed the money would not fall victim to corruption.

NRGI also noted that Nigeria is in such a state of desperation that in August 2020, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)–the oil corporation through which the federal government of Nigeria regulates and participates in the country’s petroleum industry–had signed a $US1.5 billion oil-backed loan with trading giant Vitol and other lenders. It was considered a troubling development, as Nigeria had until then avoided the risky, opaque world of taking loans from traders and backing same with their oil reserves.

2021 GOVERNANCE INDEX In its 2021 Resource Governance Index Report, NRGI was keen to note that Nigeria’s governance of its

critical oil and gas sector has been concerning, with cases of corruption, fiscal mismanagement, and environmental degradation all reported in the six decades since production began.

Even prior to the coronavirus pandemic and the 2020 oil price shock, the sector was stuck in a cycle of high uncertainty, boom-andbust spending and diminishing returns, the transparency body stated.

It concluded, “Production has mostly stagnated, foreign direct investment has declined, and oil revenues have come up short of what has been budgeted. Overall, Nigeria’s oil and gas governance is weak and falling short in key measures of transparency and accountability.”

EXXON TO RELOCATE SUPPLIES FROM T&T TO GUYANA BY NEXT YEAR…STARTS NEW EXPLORATION DRILLING IN STABROEK BLOCK US Oil major ExxonMobil—the Operator of the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana under the auspices of Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL)—has announced the commencement of another exploration well at the Cataback-1 site—even as the company has committed to relocating its supplies base from neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) to Guyana by next year.

The announcement with regards to the spudding of the latest well by ExxonMobil Guyana/EEPGL as part of its five-year, 25-well campaign in (Continued on page 27)

From page 26 the Stabroek Block, was announced by the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD).

MARAD, in its announcement cautioning mariners to stay clear of the company’s drilling and support vessels, indicated that the Well site is located some 104.8 nautical miles or 194.2 kilometres from the Guyana coast and covers an area of 0.29 square miles or one square kilometre.

The well is being drilled using the Noble Tom Madden and will be supported by 24 of the supply vessels currently in ExxonMobil’s fleet.

Meanwhile, as it relates to the relocation of its supply chain base to Guyana, ExxonMobil Country President, Alistair Routledge, gave the commitment over the weekend when it was announced that the oil major had highly technical fabrication work for the oil and gas industry undertaken for the first time in the country.

To this end, Routeledge remarked, “Now that we have that line of sight to more development, we can continue this investment journey and move more and more of that work, the facilities, the capabilities, to Guyana. Sometime in 2022, virtually all of that supply chain, all of that work, will have been moved to Guyana from Trinidad, and that’ll be a major milestone for Guyana, for local content, for the people of Guyana.”

This publication reported over the weekend that Guyana Oil and Gas Support Services Inc – a joint venture between the Guyanese company, National Hardware and the Trinidadian company, Concepts and Services – in a Facebook release announced that two fabricated subsea jumpers were lifted onto a support vessel, the Bourbon Sapphire, which will transport them to the Liza field development offshore.

The company revealed that, “Once offshore, they will be laid on the seabed as vital components of the subsea network.” The subsea jumpers are used as connectors to transport production fluid between subsea components in oil and gas production systems.

ExxonMobil in response said, the fact that the fabrication of these jumpers was done in Guyana is a huge milestone for the country, and an indication of the growth of capacity that Guyanese will continue to experience with the growth of the oil and gas industry. The three-year-old joint venture is the first start-

PAGE 27

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 26, 2021

up in Guyana to have American Welding Society (AWS) certified welders.

ExxonMobil said that it and its prime contractor, Saipem, have been working to support the development of capabilities in-country.

It said it is making significant investment in facilities and infrastructure, and on-the-job training in safety and upskilling for Guyanese in several fields, including welding.

Meanwhile, as it relates to the new well—Cataback-1— this is included in the ambitious 52-well drilling campaign over the course of five years scheduled by the oil major.

According to the schedule of exploration activities for the company for the Stabroek Block, the company is currently engaged in an aggressive 25well exploration campaign that started back in June of this year.

That drilling campaign is expected to last until the end of 2025.

This is in addition to a separate 12-well campaign that had started back in December 2020 in the Stabroek Block and ended earlier this year.

Furthermore, the company is currently engaged in a three-well campaign in the Canje Block that is expected to conclude this month.

Additionally, EEPGL is currently awaiting permission for another 12 well campaign in the Canje Block.

That five-year campaign is also expected to be concluded in February 2025.

It would mean that between December 2020 and December 2025, the company would have spud or plans to spud some 52 wells.

This is in addition to the drilling of the development wells in the Liza I & II fields.

EEPGL currently has six drill ships operating offshore the Stena Carron, the Stena DrillMAX, the Noble Bob Douglas, the Noble Tom Madden, the Noble Don Taylor and the Noble Sam Croft.

The cost for and oversight of the exploration wells by oil companies have been a bone of public contention for years given the fact, that the expenditure is recovered from cost oil in any of the producing fields in the contract area.

WEDNESDAY UN SECRETARYGENERAL TELLS WORLD LEADERS: TAX EXXON, AND OTHER POLLUTERS, NOT THE PEOPLE Governments across the world must summon the full

force of their fiscal policymaking powers, to make the shift to green economies, end the practice of subsidizing fossil fuels, and for the developed world to make good on its promise to provide the developing world with much needed mitigation and adaption, climate change financial support.

This, in addition to taxing carbon and pollution emitters, such as ExxonMobil and other fossil fuel producers, instead of people’s income, to more easily make the switch to sustainable green jobs, else the lofty targets that are set out in the Paris Accord, “will go up in smoke.”

This clarion call was made

by United Nations (UN) Secretary General (SG), Antonio Guterres, Tuesday, during his address to the 76th Session of the UN’s General Assembly confab, currently being held at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA. Guyana’s Head of State, President Irfaan Ali, was among the delegates at the General Assembly, when Guterres cautioned World Leaders, “the climate alarm bells are also ringing at fever pitch,” and reminded that, “the recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was a code red for humanity.”

According to Guterres, “we see the warning signs in every continent and region; scorching temperatures, shocking biodiversity loss, polluted air, water and natural spaces, and climate-related disasters at every turn.”

He used the occasion to reference the recent flooding in New York, where the UN is headquartered, to point out, “as we saw recently, not even this city — the financial capital of the world — is immune.” Expressing some level of optimism, however, the UN SG reminded World Leaders “climate scientists tell us it is not too late to keep alive the 1.5 degree goal of the Paris Climate Agreement…But the window is rapidly closing.”

He reminded them that “we need a 45 percent cut in emissions by 2030”, but pointed out, “a recent UN report made clear that with present national climate commitments, emissions will (instead) go up by 16 percent by 2030.

According to Guterres, “that would condemn us to a hellscape of temperature rises, of at least 2.7 degrees above pre-industrial levels – a catastrophe.”

Contrasting the emissions reality and its effects, Guterres reported that the OECD (Organisation for Economic

Cooperation and Development) just reported a gap of at least US$20 billion in essential and promised climate finance to developing countries.

Reminding the World Leaders present that “we are weeks away from the UN Climate Conference in Glasgow,” he suggested, the world is still “seemingly light years away from reaching our targets.”

As such, he was unwavering in his demand, “we must get serious, and we must act fast.” According to Guterres, “we must bridge the climate divide” and that this “requires bridging trust between North and South.”

To this end, he said it starts by doing “all we can now to create the conditions for success in Glasgow” when world leaders will meet again for the 26th UN’s Council of Parties (COP) Climate Change confab.

As such, the UN Secretary General said “we need more ambition from all countries in three key areas — mitigation, finance and adaptation.”

He qualified his position by elucidating, “…more ambition on mitigation — means countries committing to carbon neutrality by mid-century — and to concrete 2030 emissions reductions targets that will get us there, backed up with credible actions now.”

According to Guterres, “more ambition on finance — means developing nations finally seeing the promised US$100 billion dollars a year for climate action, fully mobilizing the resources of both international

financial institutions and the private sector, too.”

More ambition on adaptation, he said, “means developed countries living up to their promise of credible support to developing countries to build resilience to save lives and livelihoods. This means 50 percent of all climate finance provided by developed countries and multilateral development banks should be dedicated to adaptation.” In delivering his remarks, the UN Secretary General lauded the African Development Bank, which he said, “set the bar in 2019 by allocating half of its climate finance to adaptation.”

Some donor countries, according to Guterres “have followed their lead” but “all must do so, don’t wait for others to make the first move, do your part.”

According to UN’s Secretary General, the climate change phenomenon and its demands, “is a planetary emergency” and reiterated an end to subsidies for the fossil fuels industry, freeing up resources to invest back into healthcare, education, renewable energy, sustainable food systems, and social protections for their people.

THURSDAY GUYANAALREADY GRIPPED BY OIL CURSE JAGDEO, ALI WANT OIL RESOURCE EXPLOITED NO MATTER THE CONSEQUENCES- JANKI Following the release of two damning reports this

year—by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA)—which call for no new fossil fuel projects in the interest of steering clear of increasing global temperature, many industry stakeholders have been watching Guyana closely to see its next move.

Much to the disappointment of several reputable industry experts and analysts, President Irfaan Ali and his Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, have categorically stated that there is no stopping the oil exploration and production offshore Guyana, particularly in the ExxonMobil operated Stabroek Block.

In fact, both high ranking officials have proffered that Guyana has more than played its fair share over the years in being a net carbon sink, and now that it has discovered enviable amounts of oil and gas, it will be produced and sold with the revenue acquired, used to fuel immediate health, education and infrastructural needs.

Just last month, President Ali made it clear that Guyana should not be made to stymie its development in the interest of a climate catastrophe it has not caused while citing the fact that the big economies responsible for the global phenomenon have yet to provide the funding promised to help nations in the Caribbean mitigate the effects of climate (Continued on page 28)

PAGE 28

From page 27 change. While the foregoing justification for pumping more oil has placated the concerns of some stakeholders, it has only fuelled the worry of others such as International Lawyer and Author of Guyana’s Environmental Laws, Ms. Melinda Janki.

During a recent appearance on Kaieteur Radio’s Programme, Governance, Corruption and Justice, Janki expressed that the position of the President and Vice President, the leading voices on Guyana’s oil, “is extremely irresponsible, dangerous and of course foolish.”

Janki said, “…Perhaps they are looking at the short term oil revenue to come but it is still utterly self defeating for Guyana. The Vice President has said that climate change is an existential threat. Therefore, why would they do anything to make that phenomenon worse? Greenhouse gases (GHGs) definitely make the situation worse and this is supported by the IPCC report.” Janki was keen to point out that Guyana’s development of its nine billion barrels of oil equivalent resources in the Stabroek Block is equivalent to detonating a carbon bomb, as it would release over four billion tones of GHGs and other toxic chemicals. Janki stressed as well that the environmental effects of developing this resource will be detrimental to not only Guyana but its Caribbean counterparts too.

She said Ali and Jagdeo have been elected to protect the nation and are acutely aware of the dangers of climate change. She said it is therefore clear that Guyana is gripped by the oil curse as the government wants to do oil no matter the consequences to the country.

With reference to Ali’s point that Guyana and other nations are yet to see the promised climate funding from the perpetrators of the climate change phenomenon,

Kaieteur News

Janki said she agrees that they have to play their role in providing the requisite solutions. She stressed however that this does not mean Guyana has free reign or the right to walk the same pathway.

She further noted, “It really is embarrassing for Guyana to be cap in hand talking about it needs money or support because the truth of the matter is that Guyana is a rich country and it has had money but that has been squandered over the years on white elephant projects. How much has been spent on the Amaila Falls Project in the beginning and on the Skeldon Sugar Factory?”

The lawyer continues, “We have had 50 years of economic mismanagement and 25 to 30 years of giving cheap deals in exchange for our resources to foreigners such as Omai Gold Mines, BaiShanLin, Barama and the list is endless. And then there is the utterly atrocious Stabroek Block deal.”

Janki further noted that when in opposition, the PPP/ C was keen on noting that it would do right by the people with oil and gas.

Based on her observations, this has turned out to be far from reality. Janki said the nation saw that the government rushed through for example, the approval for ExxonMobil’s Field Development Plan for the Payara field in the Stabroek Block. Janki reminded that the approval process was rushed without the concerns of Guyanese on key environmental matters being addressed. She recalled too, the outrage that followed with the government rushing the approval process in a matter of weeks with the assistance of Canada. Taking these and other key issues into consideration, Janki is of the firm conviction that the oil curse has gripped Guyana.

Sunday September 26, 2021

FRIDAY EXXONMOBIL HEAD SAYS LOCAL CONTENT DRIVE “MAKES GOOD BUSINESS SENSE” - BUT DETAILS ON SPENDING $$$ STILL SHROUDED IN SECRECY Even as it continues to hide from public scrutiny, evidence of the billions of dollars it claims to have expended in the last five years on Guyanese hires and support services, the President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, continues to sell the message that the American oil giant and its prime contractors have been making “significant efforts” to bolster local content.

In fact, Routledge said these efforts at local content occur since it “just makes good business sense” to do so. He reminded via a missive from ExxonMobil Guyana Thursday that this particular comment was made during his recent visit to the Offshore Construction Facility of its Italian contractor, Saipem, where the first subsea jumpers were fabricated in-country by a majority Guyanese workforce.

The work was subcontracted to the Guyanese joint venture, Guyana Oil & Gas Support Services Incorporated (GOGSSI).

He further noted that all of the major international companies contracted by ExxonMobil Guyana have a presence in-country, and have been steadily moving activities from Trinidad and Tobago, and other locations around the globe to Guyana.

Routledge noted, for example, that ExxonMobil’s three prime drilling service companies— Schlumberger, Halliburton, Baker Hughes— have all built major support facilities in Guyana.

“In the early days, when

we started exploration, there was no infrastructure, no expertise, no history to leverage so we had to utilise the existing capability, the existing facilities in Trinidad…I’m really excited to say that by sometime in 2022, virtually all of that supply chain, all of that work will have been moved to Guyana from Trinidad. That will be a major milestone for Guyana, for local content, for the people of Guyana.”

It is crucial to note, however, that for almost six years, ExxonMobil has ignored calls to provide a disaggregation of the money it claims was spent on an annual basis for training Guyanese, procuring goods and services here, and ensuring technology transfer occurs.

In fact, ExxonMobil has not provided for independent verification, the names of the Guyanese businesses it has used from 2015 to now.

Further, it has never produced a breakdown of salaries paid to Guyanese by ExxonMobil Guyana and its joint venture partners.

The only time ExxonMobil has ever released the list of companies it claimed to have used for its local content efforts was back in June 2018.

The company had claimed that it did use over 300 Guyanese registered companies to supply services.

In response to calls for evidence of same, a list was provided. Upon examination, however, it was found that ExxonMobil padded its list with the names of places like Bourda Market, Haags Bosch Dumpsite, Royal Castle,

Bounty Supermarket, Metro Office and Computer Supplies, Star Party Rentals, and Shanta’s Roti Shop. It listed one utility company, the Guyana Power and Light, and a State agency, Guyana Revenue Authority, as part of its local content efforts, too.

Persons were also listed as registered companies, including Sonia Noel, Chontelle Sewett, Andron Alphonso and Mokesh Daby.

As part of one of its statements last year, ExxonMobil had claimed that the Centre for Local Business Development, which is located on South Road, has remained supportive of local businesses with a transition to virtual courses.

However, no evidence or report of any kind was provided to confirm this.

Additionally, ExxonMobil had said that the centre continued mentorship of 10 Guyanese companies in the process to be compliant in the ISO 9001 quality management system.

Those names were never released.

SATURDAY LOCAL CONTENT REMAINS A TOP PRIORITY FOR GOVT. -STRUCTURED POLICY TO ENSURE GUYANESE REAPTHE GREATEST BENEFITS–ACTING PRESIDENT Acting President, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, on Thursday said that Guyana must leverage its growth in the oil and gas sector in a manner that is beneficial to its people.

On this note, he

underscored the importance of a good Local Content Policy and a strong Natural Resources Act. “We recognise the need for legislation, through a Natural Resources Act that will ensure the accountable and transparent management of our oil and gas revenues.

Additionally, a solid Local Content Policy will further ensure that our citizens and local businesses are front of the line in reaping the greatest benefits.”

The Acting Head of State made these remarks, as the chief guest at the launching of ChampionX Guyana Incorporated, an oil and gas associate company.

He added that the Government is working assiduously to ensure that Guyana does not repeat the mistakes of other oilproducing nations and fall victim to the Dutch disease.

The Senior Government Official also said that the administration has already created a local content panel, aimed at engaging with stakeholders to develop a proper policy and that the presence of ChampionX in Guyana, will see Guyanese benefitting from advanced skills training in a highdemand industry.

“Guyana is on the brink of transformative development and it will take every effort and all of our resources to effectively manage this development so that the country can thrive for generations to come.”

CEO of ChampionX, S i v a s a n k a r a n S o m a s u n d a r a m , acknowledged Guyana’s economy as one of the fastest growing around the world and said that the company is committed to the long-term development of the country in a safe and sustainable way.

He said that ChampionX has already begun to partner with the University of Guyana to develop human capacity and that the company is committed to respecting all the laws of the country.

“We are committed to stimulating Guyana’s industrial, human and technological development… to that effect; we are already working with the University of Guyana in exploring various possibilities to increase science and engineering talents, [and] upgrade lab facilities, etcetera.”

ChampionX is headquartered in Texas, USA. The company has over 6,000 employees and specialises in chemical technologies, artificial lift technologies, drilling technologies, automation, (Continued on page 29)

Sunday September 26, 2021

From page 28 and optimisation. Also present at the launching in McDoom, East Bank Demerara, was Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, the Honourable Dr. Ashni Singh.

MINISTER BHARRAT SAYS GOVT. COMMITTED TO NET ZERO EMISSIONS BY 2050 -BUT RACINGAHEAD WITH EXXONMOBIL’S “CARBON BOMB” PROJECTS In his address to the United Nations General Assembly, Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, reiterated the government’s commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050.

This ambitious but necessary goal was pledged by world leaders, including Guyana, as part of the 2015 Paris Agreement.

“We meet at a critical time

when the need to ensure access to affordable and clean energy for all cannot be understated.

The transition to clean energy is a critical component to ensure the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and reducing global emissions, which are required under the Paris Agreement on climate change… We are also fully supporting the commitment of net zero emissions by 2050,” Bharrat explained in his address to the Un i t e d Nations.

But even as the Natural Resources Minister, and by extension the Government, touts their fidelity to net zero emissions, the administration continues to give its blessings to ExxonMobil and its consortium of oil companies to steam ahead with “carbon bomb” projects.

In the offshore

PAGE 29

Kaieteur News

concession that keeps on giving - the Stabroek Block Exxon has been flaring gas above pilot levels onboard the Liza Destiny operations for some 20 months. In this period and according to figures supplied by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it is estimated that Exxon has already flared some 14 billion standard cubic feet of Natural Gas. In simpler terms, the amount of gas flared by Exxon is equivalent to the removal of over 1.6 million acres of forest, identical to the size of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and a small fraction of Region Three (Essequibo Island-West Demerara).

Liza Two and Payara Exxon’s second and third development projects that are already in the pipeline - will also be carbon bombs in Guyana.

Importantly, President of the Centre for International Environmental Law (CIEL),

Carroll Muffett, had highlighted that more than 90 million tonnes of greenhouse gases will be emitted directly from those three projects alone.

To put this into perspective Muffett had said, it is tantamount to burning more than 260,000 hectares of Guyana’s forests or practically removing close to 80% of Iwokrama, which comprises 371,000 hectares of forest.

Muffett had stated, “In the Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) Guyana submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Government of Guyana estimated that Guyana’s forests store up to 350 tonnes of carbon per hectare.

Assuming the government’s estimate is accurate, then, the direct emissions from the operation of those three wells alone would be equivalent to burning 260,000 hectares of

Guyana’s forests.”

He had added, that it is important to recognise that the direct emissions from operating the wells will be dwarfed by the carbon dioxide emitted when the oil and gas they produce is burned.

Muffett was keen to point out that those emissions will affect Guyana, its people, and the planet.

The CIEL President said too, that one ought to bear in mind as well, that the case filed by the two Guyanese has not taken into consideration, the emissions released from flaring due to the Liza Destiny’s gas compressor being plagued by faults.

Thus far, ExxonMobil has flared more than 14 billion cubic feet of gas since starting operations at the Liza Destiny vessel in 2019.

Furthermore, Muffett said the constitutional case which was filed by Quadad de Freitas, a 21-year old Indigenous tourist guide from

the Rupununi Region, and Dr. Troy Thomas, a university lecturer and former president of the anti-corruption organisation - Transparency Institute Guyana, is critical as it is supported by a strong constitutional provision, which vests an explicit responsibility in the State to ensure current and future generations can enjoy a healthy environment.

Also striking about the case, the CIEL President articulated, is the fact that it contains exhibits in the form of government documents, and quotes from officials such as Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, which all acknowledge the clear and present danger that is climate change.

Ultimately, the case, which is the first of its kind in the Caribbean, finds itself as part of a rising tide of action by citizens who are going to courts to accelerate action in response to the climate crisis, Muffett had stated.

PAGE 30

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 26, 2021

scores

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 26, 2021

PAGE 31

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

The Henry cousins and Orin Boston: Demonic politics The shooting to death of Afro-Americans have gone on before half the population of this country was born.

Within recent times its graphic nature has given birth to a hugely influential body named Black Lives Matter.

Reaction from the wanton killing of Afro-Americans has come from some of the biggest names in sports and the entertainment business in the US. Some fiery Black activists in the US have unleashed unmitigated fury on the police.

To date, no one in support of Black Lives Matter has ever even remotely hinted that a state governor or the president had direct responsibility or had a political agenda in the police murders of Black people.

In Guyana, sociological murders and police killings since the failure of election rigging are being given a political twist that is diabolical and sickening. If not confronted we will end up at the precipice. It is a long way to fall. When the two Henry cousins were found murdered in Cotton Tree, the election madness was still in the air. Without a shred of proof, politicians from the PNC went up to the Region Five village and incited villagers to commit violent attacks on East Indians.

In philosophy something may be wrong yet logical. It is called context.

In the context of opposition politics, Joseph Harmon and David Granger (please note, I don't believe Burnham had racist instincts, I believe Granger has) found it tactical to accuse the PPP of being behind the killings.

It was for us in society to condemn that theory. But many of the civil society groups in this country – Guyana Human Rights Association, Transparency Institute, the women groups, etc. – refused to reject the rumour and linkage of a political crime. A linkage that

made absolutely no sense.

In a column in that period (September 2020) of Sunday September 13, 2020, captioned, “Claudette Singh: The 2020 election and the Region 5 mayhem,” I wrote these words: “Why would Indian people kill two youths as an act of race hate knowing that their party won the election and their party is ruling and that such brutality will bring vendetta upon the PPP?” We come now to the fatal police gunning down of Orin Boston of Dartmouth in Region Two. There was a recent letter published in the mainstream media by the Working People's Alliance.

I stress again that in philosophy something may be wrong yet logical. It was logical for the WPA to have written that letter. It wants political mileage for its African dominated agenda.

But it is for us in society to condemn its evil contents and its publication.I quote from this poisonous weed that if not extirpated by society, Guyana's children will fall apart and the future recedes.

“The intellectual authors of Boston's execution had no interest in any law-related issue but a political interest in demonstrating to Africans that the PPP/C will seek to snuff out any potential spirit

of resistance from our communities. Politically, Dartmouth is synonymous with Buxton, Linden and Georgetown in the African masses' consciousness… there will be no paper trail as evidence to indict the killers and their intellectual authors in the Boston execution. The evidence is political.”

Surely, the press has a moral obligation to society.

The police killed a citizen in Dartmouth. Violence should be a last resort by the police.

When the police use excessive violence, a dead life cannot be brought back.

Mr. Boston's family has to be given justice if he was wrongfully shot.

But what his death has to do with politics?

Government ministers went to Dartmouth to console Mr. Boston's family. The family has not cited political factors. Mr. Boston had no political background.

Dartmouth is a peaceful village that is not known by a majority of people in many of the Regions because it is a quiet place that makes no noise.

How can one make that dangerous and fantastic leap and link Dartmouth to Buxton and incriminate the leadership of the PPP? I have offered just a sample of the nasty incitement in that letter.

Let me say with pellucid

force, if Kaieteur News had published that letter, I would have told its editorial management of my angry disappointment.

I have no say whatsoever in how Kaieteur News functions but if it had published that evil letter, I would have strongly expressed my feelings. No one has the right to shout fire

in a crowded cinema. Humans have rights but those rights do not Frederick Kissoon exist in an absolute v mode.

The press has a right to oice when it suits them.

(The views expressed in publish but it has societal responsibilities. Of course, this article are those of the some sections of civil society a u t h o r a n d d o n o t will remain silent. They will necessarily reflect the find their nasty, opportunistic opinions of this newspaper.)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 32

Sunday September 26, 2021

Coronavirus: These factors are now confirmed to increase

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

T

he COVID-19 pandemic has now been around long enough and actual data on its target population is becoming much clearer than the initial stages.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has released data from a year of analysing hospitalised patients and have identified the persons who are at higher risk of dying from COVID-19. Data from a total of 540,667 US patients hospitalised with COVID-19 from March

2020 to March 2021 were analysed and the factors mentioned today, were associated with higher death rates from the disease.

O b e s i t y One is considered obese if they are above 20 percent of their ideal weight for their height.

This amounts to a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above. The data released by the CDC showed that obese patients hospitalised with COVID-19 had a more than 30-fold higher risk of dying from COVID-19. This meant that a higher proportion of obese persons were dying from COVID-19 than any other population of patients.

Anxiety and fear-related disorders This came as a surprise to many since anxiety and fearrelated disorders were not initially thought to increase one's risk of dying from COVID-19. The data showed that patients hospitalised with COVID-19 had a 28-fold increase in risk of dying from the disease.

A subset of the study population had developed anxiety during COVID-19 and researchers are theorising that anxiety may be one of the resulting sequalae of COVID-19 itself.

More study is needed on

this category to determine if patients with pre-existing anxiety and fear related disorders, are more prone to developing COVID-19 anxiety and therefore having an increased risk of dying from the disease.

Diabetes with complications

It was previously thought that being diabetic increased one's risk of dying from COVID-19. The data from CDC debunked this theory as diabetics without complications did not have an increased risk of dying from COVID-19.

However, diabetics with complications from diabetes (kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, skin conditions, etc.) had a 26fold increased risk of dying from COVID-19.

Chronic Kidney disease Patients that have chronic kidney disease are those whose kidneys are irreversibly failing and they cannot filter waste from

blood as they usually do.

Patients with chronic kidney disease had a 21-fold increase risk of dying from COVID-19.

Coronary atherosclerosis and other heart disease Coronary atherosclerosis accounts for a few conditions which includes high blood p r e s s u r e , hypercholesterolemia, coronary artery disease, etc.

Patients with these and other heart conditions had a 14fold increase risk of dying from COVID-19.

Older age and males The data also revealed that one's risk of dying from COVID-19 doubles with every five-year (4.82 years) increase in age.

It also revealed that a higher proportion of males (59 percent) died from the disease than females (41 percent).

Researchers are now looking into data to see how persons with higher proportion of male hormones are dying from

COVID-19.

While we were aware of some of these risk factors, others are surprising and I thought it was worth sharing with you so that you can be more vigilant with those around you that may have these underlying conditions.

The data on COVID-19 is getting clearer as time progresses.

Let's use this to our advantage and base our choices from credible information from credible sources; social media is often not the best option.

(First published on August 1, 2021)

Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 41

PAGE 42

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 26, 2021

Lessons from a Lashpreneur!!!

Cavicchioli Lambrusco : Fun and bubbly with a slight effervescence EVERYTHING YOU NEED Made from one hundred percent (100%) Lambrusco grapes from the region of Italy, is the Cavicchioli Lambrusco—a mellow, lightbodied wine with a slight effervescence that is easy to drink. This exquisite wine is

not excessively tannic, dry, or acidic.

The froth is ephemeral, with a violet hue and a constant perlage. It has a bright ruby red color, a fruity fragrance with floral undertones, and a sweet and harmonious taste. With balsamic, aromatic herb, and graphite nuances, this well-balanced red boast exquisite layers of luscious ripe black cherry and black currant fruit. Finish has a

slight smokiness to it.

It has an alcohol content of 7.5% and can be consumed with salads, cream-based pastas and with lighter cuisine, particularly grilled or cured meats, that calls for a similarly light-hearted wine.

Lambrusco, a lightly effervescent and is best served chilled. It is distributed by ANSA McAL Trading Limited and available in leading supermarkets countrywide.

TO KNOW ABOUT LASH EXTENSION ALLERGIES

By Latoya Zephyr It’s unfortunate, but they happen — even to the clients you’ve been servicing for years. As a lash techs , it is crucial to arm ourselves with the proper knowledge and procedures to enact in the event of an allergic reaction after an eyelash extension service. So, let’s talk about lash extension allergies, how they develop, and how best to take care of our clients.

What does an allergic reaction look like?

Clients who develop an allergic reaction to their eyelash extension adhesives will typically experience swelling and itching of the eyelids.

These usually show up within the first 3 days (72 hours) of completion of a lash service.

What triggers lash adhesive allergies?

Reactions to lash extensions are rarely reactions to the lashes themselves. Rather, reactions occur when the adhesive is uncured (not dry), developing in response to either the carbon black used to pigment the adhesive or, more commonly, the cyanoacrylate base used in nearly every lash glue on the market. (Cyanoacrylates are a group of fast-drying, powerful chemical adhesives.Just like with any other food or material, a person can develop an allergy at any point in their life — even if they’ve never been allergic before.

What doesn’t trigger lash adhesive allergies?

Formaldehyde is not the cause of lash adhesive allergies. This is a myth ! As eyelash extension adhesives degrade over time, formaldehydedoes form as a byproduct — but the amount is so trace that the glue is considered formaldehydefree.

Similarly, allergic reactions are not the result of the vapors, fumes, or byproducts produced by the adhesive (regardless of how annoying or funky it can be!), though they can irritate the eyes if lids are not properly shut. Reactions develop when the glue touches the skin; the more contact is made and the longer a client’s skin is exposed to the adhesive, the higher the likelihood of an allergic reaction popping up down the line.

Lash extensions themselves do not cause allergic reactions, but attaching them too close to the lid — thereby

bringing adhesive too close to the skin and eyeball — can.

What can you do to prevent an allergic reaction from developing?

It’s simple but bears repeating:less is always more.Here’s a few things you can do to stay as safe as possible while applying lash extensions.

Start out using minimal adhesive during the extension application process. You can always add more if necessary. Make sure that with each lash, you’re not getting too close to the lash line; staying at least 1 mm away is a good rule of thumb.

Controlling for these two errors will significantly reduce the risk of your clients developing a reaction. Similarly, as a lash stylist, make sure to remove adhesive immediately when it touches your skin! It will make you less susceptible to allergies yourself.

Use a nanomister. The tiny hydrogen droplets will immediately harden the adhesive, reducing vapors and fumes that can cause irritation as the adhesive cures.

Thoroughly review correct aftercare procedures with your client, including using the right lash shampoo with the right brushes, and proper brushing techniques to keep extensions detangled and fluffy! Cleansing lashes will not only help minimize the chances of developing an allergic reaction, but will also help maintain healthy eyes and lashes long-term.

What should you do if a client develops a reaction?

The best practice is to simply remove the lashes as soon as the client is able to come back in. Allergy reactions ofanysort are uncomfortable, and you want to take extra precautions with the eyes — the last thing you want is to face legal action because you didn’t act fast enough to take care of a client with an allergy. A few clients may want to martyr their way through their lovely, long lashes or even try to get them redone a few weeks or months later. Remind them that if they develop a reaction once, they likely always will.

What shouldn’t you do if a client develops a reaction?

Apply lashes again! Even if they really want them, it will not be worth it.

Additionally, do not offer any medical advice or prescribe any medications to your client, no matter how minor the reaction. Don’t even give them medical advice preventatively! Always suggest that they visit their doctor as soon as you remove the offending lashes. The very last thing you want is to give advice that worsens the issue.

We’re all humans. Even the best lash technicians will, over the years, encounter clients who develop a reaction.

Just as with any other emergency, it’s best practice to stay informed and know what steps to take when it does happen!

Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 43

Anamyah Memorial Hospital Laboratory certified - urges others to get onboard

I

f you are paying for laboratory services, you want to be assured that the results are accurate and are coming from a certified institution; this is crucially important when it comes to accessing quality healthcare.

For years, residents of the East Berbice-Corentyne Region travelled to Georgetown to access quality medical tests from a laboratory certified by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS). This was so until the Anamyah Memorial Hospital made a bold step to get its laboratory certified to the National Standard GYS 170:2009 “General requirements for the operations of a laboratory.”

The Anamyah Memorial Hospital Laboratory first approached the GNBS in 2014, indicating an interest in pursuing certification. After formulating their manuals required by the GYS 170 and implementing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), certification was first granted to the laboratory in 2019. “The whole gist of having an institution is to ensure not only [that] you provide a service but to ensure that you provide a standard of care,” Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital, Ian Anamyah said.

He added, “People coming to the institution would want to know if what they paying for has any standard, if it has any caliber; is it doing the right tests; and are the tests accurate?

[But] now having certification puts patients' minds at ease.”

The GNBS Laboratory Certification is offered for a period of two years after which, if the laboratory continues to uphold the requirements of the standard, it is recertified. In fact, the Anamyah Memorial Hospital Laboratory was recertified in August 2021.

The CEO is encouraging more laboratories in Region Six to pursue certification.

He pointed out that the facility encountered some

difficulties in its bid for recertification since there were no certified medical laboratory in the Region to do collate (inter-comparison) testing or double check its results for accuracy.

“As it is now, we had to send samples to Georgetown because there is no one in Berbice that could've done that,” he said.

Therefore, “we would encourage anybody to get certified because there are labs that are somewhat established but need to embark on that path to get certified and maintain a standard,” he added.

Dr. Ryan Anamyah who is the Medical Director at the hospital noted that having good practices in place alone cannot guarantee consistent accuracy and quality results.

“Having the GYS 170 standards in place would have given us an opportunity to actually have our lab consistently reproducing results on a day to day basis.

(L-R) Medical Director at the Anamyah Memorial Hospital, Dr. Ryan Anamyah; Quality Manager, Ms. Raywattie Hoosain; and others pose with the plaque received from the GNBS .

A staff at the Anamyah Memorial Hospital in the laboratory

Prior to 2014, there were no checks and balances employed,” he said, lauding the GNBS Certification Programme.

The Medical Director noted that with the help of the Bureau, the facility is able to access proficiency testing of its laboratory equipment,

which is recommended in the national standard.

From 2019 to date, the hospital has also seen a noteworthy increase in clients with more companies recommending the hospital to perform medical tests for their staff.

“It has improved our

work load tremendously but in a good way,” Dr. Anamyah noted.

Finally, Dr. Anamyah revealed that his hospital is looking to pursue accreditation to the ISO 15189 Standard to gain international recognition.

Citizens are encouraged

GNBS' Technical Officer, Mr. Latchman Mootoosammi, hands over a certificate from the GNBS to CEO of the Hospital, Mr. Ian Anamyah to use certified laboratories to conduct tests as an independent body –GNBS— monitors them; and therefore, they provide accurate and reliable results.

Other benefits of using the services of a certified laboratory include value for money, the experience of a

clear and transparent process; reduce risk of retesting or retaking of samples, and the assurance that employees are trained and competent to conduct tests.

There are 20 of the certified laboratories countrywide.

(A GNBS feature)

PAGE 44

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 26, 2021

Are You Doing Enough To Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer’s is a disorder that has been identified as the leading cause of dementia. It is a progressive degenerative brain disease. That means it starts off slowly but progresses rapidly. Brain cells start dying and this leads to declining cognitive abilities and loss of memory and bodily functions.

Forgetfulness, difficulty in completing and focusing on otherwise easy tasks, confusion, inability to make decisions, a decline in problem-solving skills, problem with languag e , social withdrawal and behavioural changes are some of the early signs of A l z h e i m e r ’s disease.

People often ignore these early signs considering them a normal part of ageing.

Despite extensive research, the exact cause of Alzheimer’s is unknown.

However, genetics, old age and certain lifestyle disorders are considered to be risk factors for dementia. While genetics and ageing are beyond your control, there are a few things that you can do that can help with Alzheimer’s disease prevention.

Lifestyle problems that could make you susceptible to Alzheimer’s Our lifestyle today is fraught with both psychological and physical problems that can open the doors to more serious

illnesses. Even the air we breathe in is responsible for a number of illnesses.

Here are a few ways you could be increasing the chances of the onset of Alzheimer’s: 1. Cardiovascular issues Studies have found that cardiovascular disorders and factors leading to heart diseases such as high cholesterol levels or hardened arteries or hypertension are closely linked to Alzheimer’s.

Since cardiovascular diseases can become lifethreatening, by managing/ preventing such diseases, you can not only guarantee better heart health but also reduce the risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

2. Diabetes

Just like heart disorders, elevated blood sugar levels have also been found to be a risk factor for Alzheimer’s. Diabetes causes changes in the brain’s chemistry that can slowly trigger dementia. Diabetes is also associated with Mild Cognitive Impairment or MCI which is characterized by problems of memory, speech and other cognitive issues.

MCI can aggravate and progress to dementia if diabetes is not managed effectively.

3. Anxiety and depression Arguably, the most common mental state for most h u m a n s today, anxiety, stress and de pression. Some studies have found a connection between anxiety/depression and dementia. There is a lot of

research that needs to be done but most doctors believe that clinical anxiety and depression can lead to many other psychological complications.

A Harvard University survey found that the onset of depression in one’s middle increases dementia risk by 80% and the development of depression later in life raises the risk by 70%.

In this context, it is important to state that midlife or late-life loneliness, feelings of rejection and hopelessness can also be linked to dementia because these feelings trigger depression and anxiety.

4. Drinking too much alcohol Drinking in excess (2 or more alcoholic drinks a day) can lead to brain damage, which may, in turn, trigger the onset of cognitive problems and Alzheimer’s.

However, moderate drinking is not linked to Alzheimer’s. Neither does it offer any protection against dementia.

5. Sedentary lifestyle A lifestyle devoid of physical activities makes the onset of Alzheimer’s more likely. Obesity increases the chances of vascular dementia (dementia caused by interrupted blood flow to the brain). Exercise helps to lose weight and it also keeps other risk factors such as stress, hypertension and blood

sugar levels in balance.

According to some studies, regular exercise can lower Alzheimer’s risk by as much as 30%.

6. Pollution Rising levels of air pollution can cause brain atrophy that may eventually lead to Alzheimer’s.

How to prevent Alzheimer’s disease?

Try the following activities that can help with Alzheimer’s prevention: · If you have been diagnosed with heart disorders, hypertension, high LDL levels or diabetes, manage the health conditions scrupulously. Take your medicines on time and follow the diet recommended by your doctor. Monitor the disorder at regular intervals with medical devices or diagnostic tests. · Eat healthily. Focus on whole grains, fruits, fresh vegetables, lentils, beans, soya and dairy products, eggs and fish. Avoid red meat, refined flour, deep-fried foods and desserts. · Exercise at least 5 times a week. Jogging, brisk walking, jumping rope, squats, lunges are good for your overall health and can keep obesity, heart disorders and diabetes at bay. · Practise meditation, yoga, take walk in nature, spend time with your loved ones and indulge in your favourite activities to deal

with stress and anxiety. Meditation has also been shown to improve memory and reduce cognitive decline, when practised together by the patient and the caregivers, it can act as a de-stressor for both. · Wear a mask to minimize the volume of pollutants that enter your respiratory system. · If you are going to smoke or drink, do it in moderation · Take a good quality sleep of at least 7-8 hours.

Sleeping and rising up at the same time every day is beneficial for your health.

Alzheimer’s is a very real threat. It impacts the quality of life, confidence and overall health of the patient and is also stressful to handle for the family members. Every one of us should be aware of the dangers that this disorder poses to ourselves and our loved ones.

Do not ignore the early signs as early diagnosis and management can be very helpful in s l o w i n g t h e progression of this disease.

Some studies show the positive impact of diet and lifestyle changes that can go a long way in Alzheimer ’s prevention and you can start implementing them today! (https://pharmeasy.in/blog/ are-you-doing-enough-toprevent-alzheimers-disease/)

How Vitamin Deficiency Can Affect COVID-19 Severity?

The second wave of COVID-19 is almost over even though some states of India are witnessing sudden spikes of COVID cases. The second wave devastated the country and affected everyone in some way or the other, either financially or emotionally or both.

But now we have almost finally reached a stage when cases are low. But this does not mean that we are safe yet.

The battle is not over yet.

The MHA and many scientists have warned that the third wave of COVID is likely to arrive sometime in October. There is no clear idea of what this wave will be like, whether it will be even more dangerous than the second wave and how

long it will last.

It is not yet the time to discard caution and live life the way we used to before COVID-19 struck. In fact, this is the time to prepare ourselves and do everything we can to stop the third wave.

Is the third wave inevitable?

There is a very distinct possibility that the third surge of COVID cases will arrive.

The nature of pandemics is that new waves arrive as new variants of the virus come into existence and also because of human carelessness. There are periods of low rates followed by a rapid surge. This holds true for COVID-19 as well.

Will the third wave be more dangerous?

The level of threat the third wave poses is yet unknown. Usually, a virus is the most dangerous when it first emerges because the human body does not have the right antibodies to deal with it.

As it mutates, it can either become more notorious or

less powerful and also human beings are assumed to become more resistant through herd immunity.

Another factor that will influence how dangerous the third wave will be is our actions. From the learnings of previous waves, it has been established that keeping ourselves healthy and safe can prevent us from getting severe symptoms due to COVID. The link between COVID-19 and vitamin deficiency With the progress of the pandemic, a lot of new things are coming to light. It has been found that there is a direct link between COVID-19 severity and Vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D is usually not available in foods and the chief source of this Vitamin is sunlight.

But unfortunately, the pandemic forced us to stay indoors. People could only leave the house to purchase necessities and not always during the day.

That means most of us barely got any exposure to

sunlight. This resulted in a rapid dwindling of Vitamin D levels in many people.

It was also discovered that people who are deficient in Vitamin D also develop more severe symptoms of COVID. One reason for this could be the fact that Vitamin D is crucial to your immunity and in the absence of sufficient Vitamin D, the body cannot mount a strong immune response against the coronavirus.

Similarly, a shortage of Vitamin B12 was also found to be linked to more serious COVID-19 infections.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause anaemia, weakness and nerve-related issues.

Some researchers also suggest that vitamin B12 can bind with viral proteins to slow down the replication of the virus.

Thus, if there isn’t enough of this Vitamin in your system, you may be likely to

fall severely ill. People taking medicines for some seizures, diabetes or heartburn tend to have low levels of Vitamin B12.

The paucity of both Vitamin D and B12 are particularly responsible for increased respiratory distress among COVID-19 patients. (https://pharmeasy.in/ blog/how-vitamindeficiency-can-affect-covid19-severity/)

Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 45

Govt. inks MOU with Midas BPO to re-establish Call Centre - 250 jobs likely for Lindeners by June 2022

A

s t h e Government continues its efforts to ensure that employment is increased throughout the country, Senior Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni K. Singh, yesterday participated in a ceremony in Linden, Region 10, which saw a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) being signed between the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) and Midas Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Inc. for the expansion of BPO to the Mining Town.

With the expansion of the business to that Region, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Midas, Malcolm Sobers, explained that 50 to 75 persons would be recruited by October 1 while by year-end that number would increase to 150, then further moved to 250 by June 2022.

He noted that the company would commence the recruitment process for employees from within the town immediately after the signing ceremony.

In fact, it was observed that a large number of young persons had already gathered outside the building, each enthusiastically waiting with application in hand.

The Guyanese businessman said he was also ecstatic that he was able to expand to Linden to assist in creating jobs and expressed his intention to have his business expand to other Regions.

He further expressed his appreciation especially to the Senior Finance Minister and GO-Invest's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Peter Ramsaroop, as he explained that the officials were quick to respond to his business-expansion need and showed serious commitment to the BPO industry.

Sobers recalled that 17 years ago he attempted to commence his own operation in Guyana but was unsuccessful while four years ago, when he made another attempt, no one responded to his expressed interest. He concluded that it was a dream realised for him to see his business grow in the manner it has.

During his remarks prior to the signing, Minister Singh said that Sobers' success story is one which

could be emulated by each person who works at Midas.

He emphasised that Sobers' journey as a young Call Centre agent who moved up to higher positions in the BPO industry within 20 years, to now being a proprietor, is a success story for many young persons who maybe considering the industry as a serious one for career-advancement.

Dr. Singh then alluded to the People's Progressive Party/Civic's (PPP/C) commitment to Information Communications Technology (ICT) and recalled that the focus on this started since under former President Bharrat Jagdeo's tenure.

“I had the privilege of being associated with the early efforts to bring the sector to Guyana. In those days the President of Guyana was President Jagdeo who saw the remarkable potential of technology-based industries to transform the economic landscape of Guyana and who saw the remarkable potential of technology-based solutions to creating jobs in Guyana, and President Jagdeo at the time very enthusiastically and aggressively promoted I n f o r m a t i o n Communications Technology,” the Minister reminded.

“Today the fruits of those efforts are now being harvested under President Irfaan Ali's tenure,” he added.

Quoting from the PPP/C's 2020 manifesto, Minister Singh said the event symbolised Government's promise to Guyanese of using “ICT as an enabler for jobs-creation” and he repeated the portion of the manifesto to attendees which states, “The ICT sector, if properly incentivised, can generate thousands of new jobs through co-investment, providing infrastructure support, state-sponsored training, and employment opportunities for the disabled.”

Minister Singh then highlighted the several other steps being taken by the PPP/C Government to promote the development of the ICT sector in Guyana, including the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector and investment in ICT education.

Also speaking at the event was PPP/C's representative for Region 10, Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, who said that government is serious about its commitment to the Region and will continue to prove this through its efforts to catapult development in not

only ICT and job-creation, but also in infrastructure, housing and social services, as he alluded to the works currently being done on the Linden-Mabura Road and housing for young professionals.

“This is not a stand-alone activity that we are celebrating. This is part of a suite of measures that are being made to bring real development to Linden and Region 10,” Minister Edghill reiterated.

It was only last month that the Senior Finance Minister visited Midas' Headquarters located in New Market Street, Georgetown, where he lauded the efforts of Sobers in pursuing his vision, which had materialised into the successful BPO facility that

Senior Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh

not only commenced operations in August 2020 but has since allowed for the employment of 330 Guyanese.

The businessman had

noted then that his business was heading towards expansion in Guyana.

The event was proof that he meant business.

(Ministry of Finance)

Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 46

Unicorn Wings Spider web craft Junior page

By Aaminah Zeenah Once upon a time in a forest far, far away there lived a snow-white unicorn among the other creatures in the forest. She was happy and content with her beautiful life, but the one thing she wished for, more than anything else, was to have a pair of elegant wings.

She often looked at the birds and butterflies, soaring high in the sky, so one day she set out to find a creature who could give her their wings.

First, she met a bluebird. “Oh, bluebird,” she said, “can you give me your wings?”

“I'm sorry,” said the bluebird, “but my wings are the wrong colour for you.”

Next, the unicorn met a butterfly. “Oh, butterfly,” she sighed, “can you give me your wings?”

“I'm sorry,” said the butterfly, “but my wings are the wrong size for you.”

By now it was nighttime, and the miserable unicorn sat down by the pond.

Suddenly, she heard someone cry out for help.

Turning around, she saw a winged unicorn stuck in a thorny gorse bush. She hurried to free the unicorn with her horn.

“Thank you for saving me,” said the other unicorn. “Here is the reward for your

kind heart.”Then there was a bright silver flash, and the unicorn, looking at her reflection in the pond, saw that she too had wings!So she flew up into the sky to be happy forever.

4.5 inch Wood Craft Sticks ·Silver Paint and Paintbrush 'Aleenes Craft Glue ·White Yarn ·Plastic Spiders Paint the sticks silver or you can leave them plain.

You can utilize coloured craft sticks. Once they're dry, glue three together in the center to make the spiderweb form Once that dries, cut a few 6-8 foot lengths of yarn. Start by tying one end around the center of the form, and wrap in each direction so that it looks even.Next, wrap the yarn around each spoke of the web form. You'll get a better effect if you wrap over the top of each stick r a t h e r t h a n underneath.Keep working your way around, making sure to space the yarn slightly apart – like a real spiderweb. When you fill

Slitherlink Puzzle In a Slitherlink Puzzle, you connect horizontally or vertically adjacent dots to form a meandering path that forms a single loop, without crossing itself, or branching. T he numbers indicate how many lines surround each cell. Empty cells may be surrounded by any

number of lines (from 0 to 3).

There is one unique solution, and you should be able to find it without guessing. You may find it helpful to make small x's between dots that cannot be connected.Need some solving help?

Visit krazydad.com/slitherlink the form out to the ends of your sticks, tie a knot. You can cut off any excess. The number of times you go around the form (and ultimately, the amount of yarn you use) will depend on your spacing.Tie long strings on the ends to hang them, or trim the ends off to tuck them into corners!Finally attach your spiders and hang your new creation.

I want to be good I think it is only right That I must always try to be good, To say and do the correct thing, And behave as well as I could.

I will always try to be honest, In whatever I have to do, Not to take what belongs to others, And always speak what is true.

I will try to be always fair, Whenever I work or play, Always make sure I do not cheat, And do what is right in every way.

Above all, I will not be selfish, Especially with those who have less them me; This will make me feel so good, As they say thanks to me.

by Uncle Roy

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 26, 2021

PAGE 47

TEEN TIME

Keep on in the effort to develop your Sense of Identity by building a conscious Value System We expect that you were able to follow our request last week to determine the values that you would like to experience as a part of your identity, and written these down so that you can refer them as you go through life. Expressing this in a simple manner, values are what we believe in, the things which we stand for and against, the things that give meaning or direction to our life.

They are the qualities that we have made a positive and conscious attempt to choose and maintain as those that will control our lives.

A value system is based on: [a] knowing the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, honest and dishonest, fair and unfair;

[b] choosing to always do what you believe to be right, good, honest and fair; [c] showing respect for other people's right to privacy, to forming and expressing their own opinion, to enjoying their own personal property, to their right to privacy, to living their lives as they feel is right, and to peaceful coexistence with others, at the same time ensuring these rights for yourself.

As a guide, here are some values which you might consider when you make your list, emphasising those you feel you need to work on in your own personality:Courtesy, Reliability, Loyalty, Desire to Succeed, Enthusiasm,

Foresight, Friendliness, Honesty, Cleanliness, Punctuality, Self-Control, Spirituality, Neatness and Order, Openmindedness, Fair-play, Respect for Truth.

Compare these with your own ideas, and keep this list in a place where you can refer to it during your normal day.

Resolve in your mind to constantly work on your own personality to adopt those qualities, and make it a habit to display them in your speech, thoughts and actions.

You can be assured that those around you see the manner in which you are developing your own values through your behaviour, your attitude and your choices, and will either respect you or disrespect you from this.

We make our own world

by Carmen Mashier We make our own world, whoever we are, Our happiness is of our own making; We make our own world, wherever we are, Our happiness is there for the taking.

Our world goes with us as we walk and talk each day, Our world can be a heaven or hell, our attitude will say, We make our own world, whatever we are, Let's make our own world, wherever we are.

Keep thinking happy, and we'll make a new world, Happiness in a choice that we can at any time make; When we feel grateful for all we have and can do, Then we will be always be happy, whether asleep or awake.

A life lived with true values has infinitely more chance of being successful than one without any conscious determination of these.

TELL IT TO UNCLE ROY I am once more appealing to all youths who have some personal problem to contact me so that we can work on a solution. Please know that I am an experienced educator, a qualified counsellor, and a person whose main purpose

in life is to ensure that others live their lives safely and effectively. Please get in touch through my email – uncleroy1992@yahoo.com.

You can be assured that your concern will be dealt with promptly and confidentially.

Solutions to last week’s Bridges

Binox A

cross-figure (also variously called cross number puzzle or figure logic) is a puzzle similar to a crossword in structure, but

with entries that consist of numbers rather than words, with individual digits being entered in the blank cells.

PAGE 48

Is Turmeric Good for Your Skin?

Turmeric for skin lightening A triple shot of espresso can work wonders on your brain, but not so much for under-eye shadows. After your next all-nighter, try turmeric!

A recent study found that turmeric essential oil in a lotion formulation can brighten skin within three weeks with results that last just as long.

These glowing benefits are likely the result of powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds working together to heal and bring out the natural health of skin.

DIY Turmeric Lotion Add a few drops of turmeric essential oil to a cream or oilbased moisturizer (such as argan oil) and use it as you would your regular moisturizer.

Turmeric to slow hair growth The same study found that turmeric may help slow unwanted hair growth.

Curcuma oil, from the same family as turmeric, was applied on the underarm of 60 women for 10 weeks. The study found that the oil reduced or slowed hair growth on the tested area.

The time it takes likely depends on the texture of your hair, as thinner hair will react more quickly than coarse hair. Expect turmeric oil to work less dramatically than waxing or shaving.

Turmeric facial hair remover from Urban Gyal Combine ½ cup cold milk, ½ cup flour, 2 tablespoons turmeric powder, and 1 tablespoon sea salt (leave out if you have eczema or are prone to dry skin), mixing until it forms a sticky paste.

Apply the paste to the area where you'd like to stop hair growth.

Let it dry for ten to fifteen minutes. The mask will start to crumble off as it dries.

Rinse with warm water and pat dry with a washcloth.

Pro tip: if the turmeric stains your skin yellow, use witch hazel or apple cider vinegar to remove it!

Turmeric to soothe psoriasis Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease in which inflammation causes skin cells to build upon each other, creating scaly patches that are prone to cracking and bleeding.

Turmeric tea Add 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric to 4 cups of water and bring to a boil.

Simmer for 10 minutes and serve (add honey and/or lemon to taste).

Be sure to consult your doctor before trying any at-home psoriasis remedies, turmeric-related or otherwise!

Turmeric to fade acne scarring Turmeric can help fade the acne scars of your hormonal youth. The jury's still out on its ability to erase the emotional pain!

Turmeric face mask for clearer skin Mix 1 tablespoon raw honey with 1 teaspoon turmeric powder.

Add a few drops of lemon juice if desired.

Mix into a thick paste and apply to skin.

Rinse with warm water after 10 to 15 minutes.

Turmeric to combat sun damage and signs of aging UV rays are your skin's worst enemy — they cause sunburns, skin cancer, fine lines, hyperpigmentation, and wrinkles. But turmeric may help you turn back the clock, in a manner of speaking.

Turmeric night serum by Soulflower Mix 4 tablespoons aloe vera gel with 10 drops turmeric essential oil and 1 teaspoon argan oil.

Apply to face before bed time.

Wash in the morning.

Be sure to do an allergy patch test before you leave turmeric essential oil on your skin overnight.

Turmeric to heal wounds When you get injured, your body's natural response is to send white blood cells and healing enzymes to the wound to stave off infection — this is what causes inflammation.

While that sounds like a good thing, it also causes the not-sobeneficial effects of heat, redness, and pain.

Turmeric counteracts this response, fighting inflammation and oxidation to calm the swelling and make those wounds a little less angry Healing turmeric paste by One Green Planet Combine 2 teaspoons turmeric powder with water or coconut oil until it becomes a thick paste.Apply to cleansed wound and cover with a bandage for up to 24 hours. https://greatist.com/health/turmeric-for-skin

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 26, 2021

Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 57

The Court A look at matters in which persons were charged with property fraud Journal

By Renay Sambach Many people have lost their land through fraud.

This has prompted the government to arrest property fraud by working to strengthen laws and related agencies.

Today I share with you some court cases in which persons were charged in relation to property fraud.

In most cases, when property fraud is committed, it is done by forging a Power of Attorney. A Power of Attorney is a written authorisation to represent or act on another's behalf. The holder of a Power of Attorney is given the broad legal or limited authority to make decisions about the p r i n c i p a l ' s p r o p e r t y, finances, or medical care.

COURT MATTERS This past week, a pensioner was placed before the court for fraud in which she allegedly attempted to sell a piece of land that is not hers.

Sixty-six-year-old Loren Graham was released on bail when she appeared before a City Magistrate.

Graham appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Senior Magistrate, Leron Daly. She denied the charge which alleges that between September 1, 2021 and September 17, 2021, at Georgetown, she conspired with others and falsely told Leon Joseph, a real estate agent, that she was in a position to sell a parcel of land at Lot 924 Eccles, East Bank Demerara, while knowing same to be false.

The court heard that the pensioner allegedly gave a statement admitting to the crime.

She was then placed on $300,000 bail and the matter was adjourned to October 18, 2021.

In April 2021, Coretta Baird of Lot 1749 Façade, Parika, East Bank Essequibo, appeared before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts for fraud related charges.

The first charge alleges that on September 22, 2020 at the Guyana Revenue Authority, Camp Road, Georgetown, with intent to defraud, she uttered to Marlon Baburam, one Limited Power of Attorney (#1128/2019) to be used as genuine, knowing same to be forged.

The second charge stated that between August 1, 2020 and September 22, 2020, at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, she forged a Limited Power of Attorney dated February 5, 2020, purporting to show that it was issued by Cledwin Barnwell, knowing same to be forged.It is alleged that Baird forged the Power of Attorney in order to commit property fraud.

She was released on $60,000 bail pending the outcome of the case.

On the same day, Baird appeared in court, Rajpaul Basdeo also appeared before the Chief Magistrate where he was charged with forging a document and was granted $60,000 bail too.

Basdeo of Section B, Non Pariel, East Coast Demerara, pleaded not guilty to one count of forgery. He denied the charge which stated that on March 27, 2019, at Charlotte Street, Georgetown, with intent to defraud, he forged a Power of Attorney document, purporting to show that it was signed by Dhanmati Ramjass, knowing the same to be forged.

The court heard that Ramjass and Basdeo are known to each other. During the year 2018, Ramjass travelled to Canada to have an operation done on her eyes.

The operation was unsuccessful and resulted in her losing her sight. Given her situation, she started using her thumb print instead of a signature to conduct her business.

The woman later learnt that Basdeo made a claim that she had signed a Power of Attorney document giving him control of her two properties.

The matter was reported to the police and following an investigation, Basdeo was charged.

In June 2018, a 22-yearold real estate agent had appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts for the second time, where he was charged with three counts of fraud.

Basdeo Persaud of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD), denied the charges that were read to him by Magistrate, Fabayo Azore.

It is alleged that he fraudulently obtained a total of $320,000 from Rohini Persaud between January 6 and January 19, 2018, pretending that he was in a position to obtain for her a

plot of land.It was also alleged that he obtained $140,000 from Mohani Ramdeen for the same purpose between February 27 and February 28, 2018.

The women reported the matter to the police after they saw a news report in which he was described as an alleged fraudster.

Persaud was first charged for committing the same offence on April 10, 2018 against Anarada Persaud, from whom he reportedly obtained $450,000, allegedly for the same purpose. The woman reported to police that she paid $450,000 to Persaud in two payments. She also reported that when she had started construction, she found out that the land was not up for sale.

On June 11, 2018, the defendant was slapped with a fraud charge after he allegedly took $100,000 from Anarada Persaud by falsely pretending that he was in a position to obtain a plot of land.

According to reports, in May 2009, 51-year-old John Heywood of East Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown, was placed on $75,000 bail by then Acting Chief Magistrate, Melissa Robertson, at the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts when he appeared to answer a forgery charge.

It was alleged that the accused between May 3, 2005 and June 6, 2005 conspired with person or persons unknown to forge one Power of Attorney and Affidavit of Owner purporting to show that it was signed by Walter Stewart.

The court heard that the virtual complainant is the defendant's father.

SOLUTION E a r l i e r t h i s y e a r, Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C., had announced several plans to strengthen the laws and systems to combat property fraud.

During a live broadcast of the programme, Government in Action, the AG stressed on the importance of safeguarding citizens from property fraud.

He noted that there are dozens of instances in which Guyanese lost their properties by way of fraud because of a lack of understanding of the laws and systems that govern the sale and transfer of

properties.“We have had a problem in Guyana whereby dozens of persons have lost properties through no fault of theirs, but simply by persons committing dishonest acts, as well as an institutional failure on the part of the agencies, whose responsibility it is to protect their own process and by extension the propriety interests of Guyanese,” he had stated.

The AG had noted too that while there may be

loopholes in the law and systems that allow for the unlawful activities, the lack of adequate due diligence by citizens and their attorneys also plays a role.

It was further said that the Official Gazette, for instance, is essential to the sale and transfer of properties. “All laws and important notices are required to be published in the Official Gazette,” the AG said.Under his previous tenure as AG, Nandlall had

taken steps to have the Official Gazette published online. In addition, published copies of the Official Gazette can be purchased but only at the Office of the President.

The AG said that one of the main reasons that fraud is happening is due to the inaccessibility of the Official Gazette.

As such, he said that steps would be taken to make it more accessible to the public.

PAGE 58

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 26, 2021

Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 61

Guyana would be dancing with resource curse devil if it ignores...

From page 2 and the 2016 Petroleum Agreement require the timely submission of a plethora of reports by the oil companies to the Minister.

Arguably, some of these like the value of production and pricing statements of Crude Oil and Natural Gas can be considered of a confidential nature and protected by law.” Be that as it may, the lawyer categorically stated that others can actually benefit from public sharing, such as the monthly and quarterly production statements and quarterly cost recovery statements.

It was only last week Sunday that Kaieteur News highlighted the extent of the Irfaan Ali administration's transparency deficit in the oil sector.

It was noted for example that a few weeks ago,

ExxonMobil disclosed that it submitted its local content report for the first half of 2021 to the Ministry of Natural Resources.

This very report is yet to be released for public perusal.

Also hidden from public scrutiny are the results of the audit for the US$460M Exxon said was spent pre2015 in search of oil as well as the US$1B in expenses racked up on the development of the Liza Phase One operations. The report that was done on the Payara Field Development plan by controversial Canadian politician, Alison Redford, also remains hidden from the public eye.

Below is a list of other key tasks in the oil sector which auger well for transparency but have not been completed by the Ali

administration.

1) Completion of a Local Content Policy.

2) Putting in place appropriate and independent technology offshore to monitor the measurement of oil remotely.

3) Outlining of benchmarks for Corporate Social Responsibility.

4) Establishing a Depletion Policy in consultation with the citizenry.

5) Establishing a Decommissioning Policy.

6) Outlining a structure for what is to be expected in Field Development Plans.

7) Strengthening key auditing agencies, specifically the Office of the Auditor General.

8) Strengthening institutions that will be responsible for the expenditure of the oil

money-including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and the Ministry of Health.

9) Improving Guyana's capacity to monitor and record emissions offshore, particularly in the case of the Environmental Protection Agency.

10) Providing resources to the EPA so that it can make unannounced visits to the FPSOs while following safety standards.

11) Hiring technical experts needed within the Ministries of Natural Resources, EPA, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), etc.

12) Reviewing massive tax concessions/tax holidays. Example: provisions in oil contracts

that allow tax exemptions on capital gains tax, personal income tax and withholding tax.

1 3 ) U p d a t i n g policies/laws/regulations regarding direct and indirect transfers of interests in offshore blocks.

14) Establishing a Petroleum Commission.

15) Implementing software solutions for compliance monitoring and for operating requisite controls for expenditure of oil money.

16) Updating laws and

regulations to address issues of ring fencing, transfer pricing (and other financial loopholes/issues), health and safety of workers, monitoring of the environment (regarding issues such as flaring and stiffer penalties for such infractions), prequalification criteria for oil blocks, etc.

17) Strengthening and increase systems for reporting on decisions in the oil and gas industry.

18) Publishing of Oil Sale Agreements.

PAGE 62

Kaieteur News WANTED

VACANCY

TRUCK DRIVERS TO WORK WITHIN THE INTERIOR. MUST KNOW TO OPERATE BEDFORD TM TRUCKS. CONTACT 2235273,223-5274.

One clerk for Eccles office , grade 1 or 2 in Maths & English knowledge of Quickbooks. Call: 642-9823 oremail:techserigy @yahoo.com.

Security officers Male & Female 18+ Lamaha St,between Waterloo & Parade. Call:2234172.

Versailles 61x123=7503sq ft, 18m not negotiable.No agents please. Tel: 600 6617.

Poultry/Livestock Farmers.Live in accommodations (single person). Canal No.1 West Bank Demerara.

Call:609-2995.

Carmichael st, Queenstown, La Penitence, Kuru Kuru Soesdyke. Contact: Ray's Realty 627-9685.

Drivers license(with Motor Lorry).Tel:227-5286-9,6214992.email:survival. humanresources@gmail.com.

LAND FOR SALE SERVICES Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040 Goodluck Electrical/Solar: Residential and commercial wiring,generator installation,AC installing etc.Tel:660-5796/673-8606.

Appliance repairs/service for Refrigerator,Washing Machine, Stove, Treadmill, Dryer, Pressure pump, Oven, Deep Fryer.Call:694-9733.

Appliance/equipment repairs and service to Bakery, Restaurant,Hospital equipment, Remote gate, Backwash & filtration system. Call:6949733.

House plan drawing and estimate. Call K.Lakeram, Building Contractor 2160671,692-8464/Whatsapp 622-0267.

Sawman,Pitman,Jetman,Cooks to work in the interior.Contact :223-5273/223-5274

FOR RENT One secured two bedroom apartment in B.Field Sophia.

Contact Maureen 650-8827 & Colin 621-5781.

Business: Wellington St, South Road Georgetown, Paradise East Coast. Contact Ray's Realty 627-9685.

FOR SALE

Seamstres,Tailor wanted.

Tell:691-1918 whatsapp.

Foreign use outboard Motors Yamaha 40HP, 50HP, 25HP,200HP.Selling cheap, 668-2541.

2 truck drivers to work in interior,must have knowledge about Foden trucks. $200,000 montly. Call:6422359.

Inboard Fishing for sale (Complete in good working condition. Contact:615-3237/ 227-0399.

Wanted land to buy in Parfaite Harmonie or anywhere on the West Coast.

Tel:673-7087.

TO LET Eccles furnished studio apartment (single),3rd floor, safe & breezy wifi optional.

Call:233-3974,600-3070.

One bedroom apartment with bath & living room.

Cummings Lodge E.C.D. Call:222-0401 or 673-2467 whatsapp 516-805-2048.

PROPERTY FOR SALE Robb,Charlotte,Norton Street,Kitty, Sheriff,Ogle, Betterhope,Enterprise & Diamond.Contact: Ray's Realty 627-9685.

Diesel Mechanic to work in the interior. Call:223-5273/ 223-5274.

Excavator operators to work in the interior. Contact:2235273/223-5274.

1 cook to work in interior.

Puppyslow Landen Mazaroni. Tel:662-7718/6770869.

One experienced counter clerk between ages 30-40 at Sheriff St location.Call:6234242 or 666-3146.

One night watchman Lilliendal area from 5PM5AM between 30-60 age.

Call:623-4242 or 666-3146.

WANTED

One female accounts clerk,knowledge in POS system would be an asset.For more info.Contact:227-3580.

NB:Proof of vaccination card or a negative PCR test will be required before entering premises.

Truck Drivers,tutor for 10 yrs old.Contact:223-5273/74.

Fitter/Machinist,Welder Fabricator, Mechanic, Apprentice. Apply in person at: Technical Services, Industrial Site Eccles.

Cook to work in interior.

Call:698-4064.

Sunday September 26, 2021

Labourers to work on cash crop farm,Salary $4,500$6000 per day. Tel:695-6139/ 638-7420.

Vacancy for: 1.Skilled Mason 2.Skilled Carpenter. Contact:602-9467,657-5800,6662857.

Vacancy exist for maintenance workers and labourers.

Contact:621-6969/ 615-7784.

Farm workers in Timehri E.B.D,living accommodation provided.Tel:661-1585/6172032.

Counter staff, Cashiers, Kitchen Assistants. Tel:6799449.

Persons to assemble bicycle.

Apply at Alabama Trading,65 Robb St Bourda.

Trained grade 1 & 2 teachers needed. Payment will commence with experience and will be in 6 digit, 623-1615.

Carpenters & Painters.Apply at Alabama Trading,65 Robb St Bourda.

Sales girls to work at Dian's Deli food outlet.Call:6217862.

per subject will be rounded up to the nearest whole number and the total score will be given as a decimal number thereby offering candidates more fairness.

Further, the MoE urges all of this year's NGSA, CSEC and CAPE candidates to return all textbooks and resource materials to their respective schools. Failure to do so may result in them not being able to access their results.

Knife bandit spits in cop's face...

From page 13 cops managed to overpower him and take him to the Stabroek Market police outpost.

According to a police report, the arresting ranks had found him in possession of the same haversack he had robbed their colleague of earlier that day.

The robbery was caught on CCTV cameras. Armed with a huge knife, the bandit was seen running behind a man, who was later identified as a 38-year-old policeman, along Water Street in the vicinity of Muneshwar's Limited.

As he got closer, he

grabbed the cop's haversack, pushed him towards one of the stalls located in front of the store, but was met with resistance from the lawman.

The bandit began assaulting the cop and dealt him several blows to his face with the knife as he kept pulling the haversack.

The brief scuffle continued until the bandit wrestled the cop to the ground. He then used the knife to cut the straps of the haversack and pulled it off from his victim before making good his escape.

Based on the footage, two security guards had witnessed the brazen robbery.

Ministry cancels several retendered projects after....

From page 14 Other bidders in that round of the tender opening, saw proposals from Brinco Shipping and Trading Company

Limited for $245.3M, David Persaud Investments Limited for $210.8M, Silica Sand Post Wanted Painters. Call:623- Inc. at $272.3M, Fix It

Depot's $275.3M, GSK Excavation Service Inc. came in at

8300.

CSEC, CAPE and NGSA results ...

From page 12 placements according to the scores and print results' slips.

The Ministry in collaboration with CXC will then announce and release the results by October 15, 2021. In addition, from this year, the Ministry noted, NGSA candidates will not be penalised because of their raw scores as they were older than 12 years, 6 months at the end of March of the year the examination was written.

The standardised scores

$208M, Samaroo Investments' bid was $251.6M, S. Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc.'s bid was $219.6M and Yunas Civil Building and Construction Services' was $259.3M. It was also explained that each time the Ministry puts out a tender for a contract— many of which runs into the hundreds of millions or bil-

lions—it would cost every person or company submitting a bid, hundreds of thousands of dollars for each bid submitted.

Additionally, another of the projects under the auspices of the Ministry that has been the subject of retenders is for the rehabilitation of 18 kilometres of road at Ituni/ Tacama.

IS GUYANA RACIST?

VACANCY Cook/Baker,Pitmen & Welder/ Serviceman for interior location.Applicants must be experienced. Call: 231-2250.

Merchandiser, F a c t o r y Worker,Porters.Call:2277714/640-0673 or email info@vgiworld.com.

Hotel Attendant & Receptionist. Call:231-0951/6400673oremail: info@ vgiworld .com.

Driver & Porter to travel in and out of the interior. Applicants must be experienced. Call:231-2250.

Cook to work at Palm Spring Hotel,Bartica.Call:455-2111/ 611-6306.

Vacancy for 1 professional and experience hairdresser located on East Bank Demerara Grove Market Street.Call:652-5800.

Experienced Canter Driver/ Expeditor $25,000 weekly.

Call:675-0587/223-1229.

Maid to cook and clean for East Bank.Call:615-9132.

Female counter clerk, Secondary education. Call:2260772.

Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles, age 25-45, Car/ Van licence. Call 642-9823.

From page 15 race are a dwindling breed. if one researches into the print and electronic (The views expressed in this article are media over the last 20 years.Is Guyana racist? those of the author and do not necessarily The answer is 'No.' The politicians who talk of reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 63

==GNBS IN FOCUS==

Guiding the production of quality Indigenous furniture with standard As we continue to observe Amerindian Heritage Month September 2021, under the theme: “Maintaining our traditional integrity, celebrating our cultural identity,” the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) continue to promote the standards which can have a lasting impact on the quality of products made by those in o u r I n d i g e n o u s communities.

For many of these communities, furniture making is one of the common activities, which helps to sustain the livelihood of many Amerindians. These products, crafted from bamboo, rattan, wicker and nibbi plant materials, are often in demand locally and internationally due to their uniqueness and ties to n a t u r e . To g u i d e t h e production of quality Indigenous furniture, a national standard is available.

The National Standard Specification for Indigenous furniture (bamboo, rattan, wicker and nibbi) (GYS 509: 2013) was adopted by the

GNBS in 2013 from the Caricom Regional Organisation for Standard and Quality (CROSQ). The standard addresses many aspects of Indigenous furniture production, including those related to materials, construction and finishing.

Materials listed in the standard are either flexible for weaving and binding, or sturdy for the ends of various pieces of furniture. The document requires that materials selected for furniture making be characterised by lightness, flexibility, durability and smoothness. The standard also specifies that the materials must have no loose hair-like strands.

For example, Rattan poles, which are defined as a long, tough and slender stem from the genera Calamus and Daemonoropus of the family of Palmae, must be of good grade, mature, clean, scraped and thoroughly seasoned. In addition, the standard specifies that they shall be treated against fungi and insect infestations, and be free from mineral and fungal blemishes, scars, bruises and

especially pinholes.

Importantly, no nails or metals should be used in the crafting of the furniture.

Instead, it is stated that main parts and stress joints shall be secured by binding, wrapping or applying wooden or bamboo bolts and screws. Regarding construction, the GYS 509: 2013 specifies that all furniture complying with this standard shall be of good workmanship while all completed pieces must be of uniform quality, clean and free from any defects that may affect its appearance or use.

Meanwhile, for finishing, the standard requires that all surfaces be sanded smooth and all exposed edges and corners eased to avoid injuries during use. Furniture shall be covered with materials such as lacquer, wax, oil and polyester. This significantly enhances the appearance of the various pieces.

Sampling, performance tests, labelling and inspection are other aspects addressed in the standard.

Prominent labels shall be securely affixed to the

furniture and shall include information such as common name or types of furniture, manufacturer code or mark, country of origin and types of materials used in the manufacture.It is anticipated that this standard will benefit manufacturers by the harmonisation of requirements for the

manufacture of various types of furniture, suitable for both domestic and commercial use. Further, given that it was adopted from CARICOM, conformance to the requirements will definitely assist persons who are looking to export their products to other Caribbean countries. To purchase a

copy of this or any other standard, persons can call 219-0064/65/66 and request it from the Standardisation Department. A visit to the GNBS' website will also grant access to our Standards Portal where you can read the scope of available standards and determine which best suits your needs.

Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 64

Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 65

PAGE 66

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 26, 2021

Mabaruma Secondary School destroyed by fire

The Mabaruma Secondary School engulfed in flames.

Investigations are currently ongoing to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed the Mabaruma Secondary School on Friday.

The Mabaruma Secondary School, a two-storey wooden and concrete building, which measures approximately 150ft. by 200ft., is located in Mabaruma, North West District, Region One. According to the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the fire which destroyed the building began sometime after 22:00hrs. on Friday.

Police ranks who responded did their best to extinguish the blaze but due to the lack of a fire truck in the area, they were unable to save the school.

In fact, residents told Kaieteur News that there was not much that could have been done other than “just stand and watch the flames consume the secondary school.”

They related that the blaze lasted for hours and was finally extinguished around 02:00hrs. yesterday.

The now destroyed school facilitated over 600 students and had consisted of six classrooms, a Science Lab, an office and a Home Economics Department, along with computers, stationeries and lab equipment.

Based on the investigations so far, police have learnt that the school's security guard, identified

as Mark Knights, was on duty when the fire erupted.

He told investigators that while in his guard hut he recalled hearing loud explosions coming from a room on the second floor located at the eastern side of the building.

He reportedly left his hut to investigate the explosion and saw the room engulfed in flames.

Asked if the explosions could have been that of gas bottles, the acting Headmistress told Kaieteur News that it is highly unlikely because the Home Economics Department is located in a separate building from the one destroyed and the Science Lab, which was located on the ground floor, was inactive.

Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 67

BLUNTNESS ON INDECENCY! I

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

SUNDAY When will this nation have a government that is prepared to truly serve the people?

When will citizens of this nation really be able to take elected leaders at their word?

Are our leaders really about the business of developing this nation or developing themselves, families and cronies?

Guyanese, the answers a re s i m p l e . . . J u s t p a y attention to the actions of our leaders!

TUESDAY It remains mind-boggling to us at this newspaper that the Police Force, based on its stats, insists that there has been a reduction in crime. If the Force remains resolute in pushing its 'facts,' then our conclusion is simple – many of the crimes executed on a daily basis are not reported to the Force.

Is it that the people do not trust those within the Force?

We at this publication believe that the Force should waste no time in getting to the bottom of this situation, after all, without the people, crime fighting will most likely become a tall, if not impossible, task.

WEDNESDAY Even Guyanese who pay no attention to the EPA

recognise that the agency has been made into a running joke, because of political interference.

The EPA stands as a wretched organisation, a national humiliation, with its actions dictated by powerful politicians in government.

Its decisions are influenced by political meddlers, who use the entity for Exxon's interests to the detriment of Guyana.

When Exxon prospers, Guyanese are impoverished.

Guyanese: why are these leaders supported? Why are they believed? Why are they not sent packing?

THURSDAY Nigeria is now begging oil companies to cut expenses.

Guyana, on the other hand, is joyfully approving bills in the billions for expenses, much of which could be fabrications.

If we continue like this, Guyana will become Nigeria.

What the PPP, and the big shot VP, refuse to do today (check those bills), will return to haunt.

Guyana, too, will be forced to beg oil companies to cut expenses.

Although we should be in the driver's seat with oil, right now we are kissing the feet of Exxon and others. We are saying, with warm smiles:

bring the billion-dollar bills, we will pay.

FRIDAY Exxon is putting more and more in Guyana's rich oil basket. It is moving supplies from T&T to Guyana to advance its exploration.

Guyanese, meanwhile, have basket cases for leaders in the recent Coalition and this current PPP/C Governments.

The mentality of corrupt (compromised) Guyanese leaders is: come here and be sure to flourish.

We guarantee it.

They give profitability guarantees to Exxon and the rest, but tell Guyanese citizens: don't expect much anytime soon.

Who are these uncaring leaders? Guyanese: how can these leaders be tolerated?

They are selling out the patrimony of this nation. It would seem that they can't bow low enough to show Exxon how happy they are to hand over our wealth while leaving Guyana in billions of American dollars in debt.

SATURDAY There are many issues in society that compete for the attention of a government.

However, what must be foremost in the mind of any solid government, are its sources of revenue and its

debt level.

These are important since, much like a business, they help to guide the decisions that are made in

order to ensure that the nation thrives.

With the colossal debt being racked up through oil production, it is high time

that the leaders of this nation pay close attention to their financial decisions so that Guyana is not left in an eternal debt trap.

PAGE 68

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 26, 2021

PAGE 69

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 26, 2021

...Sponsors/Everest CC holds home coming Event for From page 71 House in Parliament Mansoor Nadir, organised a Gala home coming Event at the Camp Road Club on Thursday evening.

The Hosting Committee comprised Rampersaud 2021, Jeawan Persaud, Damo Dat, Bobby Mohamed, Sunil Maharaj, Sunil Bacchus, Jack Bharat, Navin Ramphal and Jack Rasbeharry.

“Since my fight got postponed my sponsor made it a home coming celebration for the last fight and all the fights and titles I won over the years,” said Dharry, whose Professional record read: 32 fights, 25 wins, 6 losses and a draw.

“It was a private event only by invite, everyone had to be vaccinated to attend,” continued Dharry who made his Pro debut December 26, 2014 at the

Sunday September 26, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You may feel the urge to get up and go today, but at the same time you may feel like you aren't prepared. Perhaps you don't feel you're on solid enough ground to take the next step.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Tension is building today that may wreak havoc with your harmonious nature.

The key for you now is to see the opportunity instead of conflict in each situation.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You may feel extra passionate today, Gemini, so don't be surprised if you take things to extremes even more than usual.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You're the sensitive one in a sea of anger today, Libra, so keep your guard up. Don't be tempted or seduced by any rage around you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You should mesh quite well with the prevailing energy today. There's a powerful, transformative force helping to give greater strength to your ego and vitality.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Things may be happening too fast around you today, Sagittarius, but that doesn't mean you necessarily have to join the frenzied pace.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Find your strength from within, Cancer. . Let your passion drive your engine today and you'll be amazed at the incredible places you can go.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Make sure you aren't projecting a picture of yourself that doesn't represent the real you. It's important that you remain true to your soul or you'll end up in situations that make you uncomfortable and frustrated.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Your strong yet steady pace may get a lift today, Leo. It might seem like there's a fire under your feet, and you probably need to keep moving in order to keep yourself from getting burned.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Remind yourself of all the positive things you have going on in your life now, .

It's possible that you'll be met with tension and challenges today that are threatening your sense of self.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) There's excitement today that indicates that things are happening, things are changing. Stay alert and in tune with what's going on around you, Virgo.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) The fire within you is burning extra hot, so make the most of this incredible internal furnace. Treat yourself to some new attire and proudly show it off tonight.

Cliff Anderson Sports Hall when he beat Mark Fernandes and in his last fight on July 17, 2021 he knocked out Starlin Reyes Sierra.

The Event commenced at 5PM and concluded just after 9PM and was Sponsored by AmeriGroup Properities Inc, NYSC, 212Devices, King Leo Productions, Sanjay Jewellery, Shareef Medical Centre, SA Seafoods & Fresh Harvest, AGT Energy Group Inc, WR Plumbing Inc, Safewatch Inc and Kaieteur Lefferts Empire Land Service Corp.

“Jack Bharat and my sponsorship team will also try to set up my next fight in Guyana if everything goes as planned and we get

the approval from the Minister of Health and the Covid Task Force,” informed Dharry, who won the World Boxing Council FECARBOX Super Flyweight Title.

Dharry has held the WBC Caribbean Bantamweight Championship, Guyana National Bantamweight Championship, IBF Intercontinental and WBU Americas Bantamweight Championship, and World Boxing Council FECARBOX Super Flyweight championship.

In 2013, his win against Rudolph Hedge of Jamaica for the World Boxing Union (WBU) bantamweight title made him the first Guyanese to win a world title on home soil.

The next year Gwendolyn O’Neil became the first Guyanese Woman to win a world title by beating American Katy Rivers to win the WIBA Light Heavyweight belt.

He has fought in NY, Washington DC, Vegas, LA, Boston and NC, while internationally he has fought in Guyana, Mexico, St. Maarten, Panama and Australia.

Dharry is scheduled to depart Guyana September 29 for Brooklyn New York where he resides. (Sean Devers)

PAGE 70

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 26, 2021

GVF u-23 vs. National select series

National men force game 5

National men’s Quacy Matheson sends a hard spike past a two-man wall from the under-23’s during the series levelling game.

Game four of the Guyana Volleyball Federation’s (GVF) organised five game series between the National Select men and the National Under-23 men served off on Friday evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) at 19:30hrs and when the final whistle blew, the National men had forced a game five following a gritty five-set win over the new generation.

Prior to the match, the under-23 side held a 2-1 advantage and were determined to finish off the series but the senior men had other plans and leveled it 2-2.

In Friday’s match, the u-23 team won the first set 24-23 before the second and third sets

were claimed by the seniors 25-22 and 25-19 respectively. The u-23 team came back bouncing in the fourth set to win it 25-19 and the seniors then went on to close out the game and claim game five 17-15.

The top scorers from the Senior National team were Vance Harding with 19 points, Quacy Matheson with 16 points and Trevon McRae with 12 points.

The standout performers for the losers were Tyrone Farley with 16 points, Kristoff Shepperd with 14 points and Ronaldo Bobb with 12 points.

Game 5 of the series will be played on the 15th of October 2022.

Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 71

GCB Stops Play - Guided by instructions Supports Minister Frank from COVID-19 Task Force Anthony’s Vaccination Drive

D

ue to the epidemiological situation in Guyana, the C o v i d - 1 9 Ta s k F o r c e Secretariat, on 21st S e p t e m b e r, 2 0 2 1 , h a s instructed the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) to suspend all cricket activities until further notice.

In consequence, the GCB by way of this press release wishes to inform all affiliated cricket Boards, associations, clubs and other

related organisations to immediately comply with the instruction given.

This important development will of course cause the planned cricket tournaments, coaching, training, seminars, school cricket including ‘under 13’, youth cricket, club cricket, inter association, inter county, women’s cricket, competitions and in general the cricket developmental plans of the GCB to be pushed back indefinitely. As

...Anthony Joshua loses world From page 69 crowd, Joshua found his range with a slick one-two towards the end of the fourth but Usyk would again find his target with body shots in the fifth, outboxing the champion and taking a commanding lead on the score cards.

Joshua responded with power shots at the end of the fifth and began to utilise his huge reach advantage in the sixth, finding his jab to start keeping the challenger at distance.

A stinging right bloodied the nose of Usyk b u t t h e c h a l l e n g e r ’s response was typically polished, with a thunderous right sent Joshua

backpaddling in the seventh, catching him with a looping left that knocked him off balance.

Usyk’s intensity and speed showed no signs of slowing as they reached the eighth round.

The busier and more accurate work came from the Ukranian in the 11th with the sense that Joshua needed a huge finish to keep the titles in the UK. But the explosive finish came from the challenger, who brutalised the soon-tobe dethroned champion with a flurry of heavy shots in the closing minute.

Joshua stood his ground to hear the final bell, but left the ring without his titles.

a result, the planned extended period of preparation will be curtailed.

The GCB is formally committed to act responsibly in this pandemic crisis and to be fully compliant with official instruction.

Once cricket activities resume (post ‘Covid 19’), the short, medium and long term plans would be reassessed in order to establish how best they can be effectively implemented.

President of the GCB, Mr Bissoondyal Singh, has expressed his personal concerns with the adverse

effects this deadly pandemic is having on players, officials and indeed the public at large. The President and the Executive Committee of the GCB therefore fully support the call of the Minister of Health, the Honourable Dr. FrankAnthony in his call for all eligible Guyanese to be fully vaccinated and to observe the ‘Covid 19’ guidelines since this will reduce positive cases of ‘Covid 19’ and subsequent deaths. The GCB urges all Guyanese to be vaccinated and to stay safe.

Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony, GCB’s President Bissoondyal Singh

PAGE 72

Kaieteur News

Sunday September 26, 2021

Concacaf ban Inter Moengo Tapoe and CD Olimpia along with Brunswijk

In this photo obtained from Dagblad Suriname (DBS) Brunswijk could be seen handing out money to the opposition players.

CONCACAF – “The Concacaf Disciplinary Committee has fully investigated the circumstances surrounding the integrity concerns raised by a video which circulated on social media following the Inter Moengo Tapoe vs CD Olimpia Concacaf League match,” a statement from the regional football governing body informed.

“Having assessed the actions evidenced in the video and considered written statements provided by both clubs, the Committee has determined that serious breaches of integrity rules occurred after the match.

As a consequence of these rule breaches, both clubs have been disqualified and removed from this year’s Concacaf League with immediate effect. Additionally, the Committee has ruled that Mr Ronnie

Ronnie Brunswijk (Photo: Louis Alfaise / AFP via Getty Images) Brunswijk is banned for three years from participating in any capacity in Concacaf competitions,” the statement continued.

It concluded by informing that, “Concacaf is continuing to investigate this matter, and other individuals involved, and reserves the right to refer any further evidence to its Disciplinary Committee.”

Sunday September 26, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 73

Anthony Joshua loses world heavyweight titles after boxing masterclass from Oleksandr Usyk Metro UK - Oleksandr Usyk is the new heavyweight world champion after securing victory over Anthony Joshua in London.

Having conquered the cruiserweight division, the undefeated Ukrainian has now taken Joshua’s IBF, W B O a n d W B A heavyweight titles after a sublime performance at the To t t e n h a m H o t s p u r Stadium.

Usyk earned the win after shutting out the Briton with a tactical masterclass,

demonstrating why he is regarded as one of the bestpound-for-pound fighters in boxing.

The win came via a clean sweep of the judges’ scorecards, 117-112, 116112, 115-113 in the favour of the new champion.

It is the second defeat of Joshua’s professional career after his shock loss to Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019.

A rematch clause will give him the chance to reclaim the world titles – but his defeat will further delay hopes of a unification

showdown between Joshua and WBC champion Tyson Fury.

It had been hoped the allBritish clash could take place next year after talks spectacularly collapsed this summer.

Usyk’s victory however rocks the heavyweight division and will surely shelve those plans for the foreseeable future.

Usyk started the contest superbly, working intelligent angles to catch Joshua upstairs and to the body as the champion struggled to

deal with his opponent’s speed.

In the third, a thunderous left from the Ukrainian hurt Joshua and while he

responded with a shot of his own, he walked back to his corner looking shaken.

Manoeuvring around the Briton with wonderful

footwork, Usyk looked at home and in control, making Joshua miss as he controlled the distance. Roared on the (Continued on page 71)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 74

Sunday September 26, 2021 Part of the Ashmin’s Resort where the proposed 18-hole golf course will be constructed.

Ashmin’s Resort signs major Golf Course deal

Okenoko Pascall won the boys’ under-20 Shot Put with a distance of 13.51m.

Athletics Guyana’s (AG) National Youth & Junior Championship ran off yesterday at the National Track & Field Center (NTFC), Leonora, with most preliminary races and field events.

Okenoko Pascall won the boys’ under-20 Shot Put with a distance of 13.51m which was some mark off his season’s personal best of 15.06m. Cromwell Williams of Hopetown Flames was second with 10.31m while Shawn Daniels of Super Upcoming Runners was third with 7.94m.

National Youth & Junior A C/Ships concludes today

Cadassie Fraser of Hopetown Flames won the boys’ under-20 Triple Jump with a distance of 14.77m, while Stefan Roach that won at the South American under23 trials was second with a distance of 12.49m.

Carifta Gold Medalist Anisha Gibbons didn’t disappoint and her girls’ under-18 winning Javelin Throw of 41.23m was almost double the distance of second placed Prince Cato who registered 24.13m while Shirley Davis was third with 12.96m.

Running Brave Athletics

Club sprinted away with the under-20 boys 4x100 relay ahead of Bladen Hall Multilateral Secondary School and Hopetown Flames ‘A’ that finished third.

Osrick Pellew won the under-20 boys 100m dash in a time of 10.99s with Trevon Hoppie second in 11.69s and Kurt Rudder third in 11.85s.

Aaliyah Headley won the girls u-20 3000m more than a minute ahead of her competitors.

The action continues this morning from 09:00hrs sharp.

s h m i n ’s F u n Park and Resorts has inked a major deal with Nexgen Golf Academy that will see an 18hole championship Golf course being built on the sprawling resort property, just minutes from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

This is in response to the demand for golf that has been generated by the many expats and re-migrants coming to Guyana, (golf has gained prominence as their preferred sport because it is fully covid-19 compliant) and the developers are confident that this will add to the country’s desired sports tourism agenda.

The developers indicated that they have been in discussion with a number of top golf course designers, investment groups and hotel partners and intend to finalize an agreement for construction to begin shortly.

Earlier this year, the Wo r l d A m a t e u r G o l f Championship (WAGC) engaged with Nexgen Golf to host the world’s largest amateur golf championship in Guyana as early as 2023, wherein teams of players from over 40 countries would compete, but a requirement was a minimum of three 18-hole golf courses and sufficient hotel rooms for the several thousand players and spectators.

Popularly known as S p l a s h m i n ’s R e s o r t , brainchild of successful entrepreneur and

businessman Lennox John, the development is capitalising on its prime location to realize its potential as a major investment opportunity in the country since it is ideally located close to the main airport in the area that Guyana’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali has been promoting as a new capital to be known as ‘Silica City’ with major roads to the existing city and neighboring Brazil in the process of being built.

Mr. John said, “It has been a life-long dream to complete this project in a manner that sets a standard in the country, something that will make us the most desired place to live. The development of a worldclass golf course enhances the other amenities such as hotels, restaurants, shopping, schools, medical facilities etc. that will be built in the community.”

Spanning almost 800 acres, the project is set to be home to many luxurious homes, villas and condos that will sit elevated above the golf course, lakes and natural reserves to ensure that each has a magnificent unimpeded view of nature’s beauty. John explained that Madweni Villas, the first phase in development had been completed and demand for the new areas were at an all time high but that everything would be built to the same exacting standards set forth over the past 10

years.

Nexgen Golf’s Aleem Hussain said he was honored and excited by the opportunity to have such a wonderful location to develop an incredibly unique and picturesque course, with pure white sands and lots of lakes, trees and varying elevation. “Most people are amazed when they visit this area, thinking that Guyana is mostly flatlands, cane and rice fields. This topography will change their perspective and make them never want to leave.” The planned course will be a full 7,300 yard 18hole with a grand clubhouse to accommodate the members and residents activities that will include tennis, swimming, horse riding and nature trails. Use of the natural landscape, massive lakes and waterfalls will enhance the beauty of the course.

This is the second major Golf course being developed in the country (Nexgen Golf has a series of modified small footprint courses underway) and with the tremendous growth plans around the country, Hussain said he expected that more developers will follow in the footsteps of Ashmin’s Resort and include golf courses in their planning.

For information on development, timelines and course layout, call 645-0944 or visit the property on the main road just minutes from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

Sunday September 26, 2021

Trophy Stall supports AAG championships

Aubrey Hutson collects the donation from Trophy Stall Proprietor Ramesh Sunich.

The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) is hosting the National Youth and Junior Championships over this weekend (Saturday and Sunday) at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora with CARIFTA Games calibre athletes set to compete.

With the intense competition anticipated the Trophy Stall made a timely contribution to the two-day event in the form of trophies.

AAG boss, Aubrey Hutson thanked Proprietor Ramesh Sunich and the Trophy Stall for their

donation just ahead of the championships Friday, sharing that the entity has always been a supporter of Track and Field.

Sunich noted that it is his love for sport that continues to drive his desire to make donations to all organizations that manage sport in Guyana.

In addition, Sunich also congratulated the AAG for keeping the athletes encouraged and active amid the pandemic and revealed that he must get behind athletics that continues to show improvements each year.

Sponsors/Everest CC holds home coming Event for Dharry

Sponsor Jack Bharat, Manzoor Nadir and Elton Dharry at the event.

The 35-year-old USA based Boxer Elton Dharry is on short visit to his homeland and his USA Sponsors in

collaboration with the Everest Cricket Club, whose President is Speaker of the (Continued on page 65)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 75