Kaieteur News

Citizens must demand cost recovery statements from Govt. ...as

ExxonMobil recovers US$4B

President of the Transparency Institute Guyana Inc (TIGI), Fredericks Collins is calling on all Guyanesetodemandthecost recovery statements handed over to the Government of Guyana (GoG) from ExxonMobil.

These statements would provide citizens with a vivid picture of what the oil in the StabroekBlockisbeingused to pay for Recent data from the Bank of Guyana (BoG) indicates that during the first half of this year, a whopping US$4 billion was recovered, while Guyana merely received US$658.4M during thesameperiod.Bethatasit may,thecountryisatlossfor what the oil was used to pay for

According to the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) the GoG inked with ExxonMobil and its partners, Hess CorporationandCNOOC,75 percent of the revenue

generatedeachmonthistobe deducted towards the investment made by the companies with the remaining earnings split as profitbetweentheparties.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has been asked on multiple occasions whether thesestatementscanbemade availablehoweverthosecalls havefallenondeafears.

In March this year, Jagdeo said he was not comfortable releasing the statements since he believes Kaieteur News would “nitpick” and “lie about it”. He nevertheless noted that “we are open to exploring it and seeing what more could bedone.”

LaterinAugustwhenthis publication reminded theVP of his commitment to “explore” what could be done about the release of the cost recovery statements, he b e c a m e a n n o y e d

https://wwwkaieteurnewson line com/2023/08/20/vpjagdeo-loses-temper-when-

in first six months of 2023 - TIGI President

questioned-on-exxonmobilsus-multibillion-expenses/

Tothisend,thePresident of the watchdog body condemnedtheattitudeofthe VP, asking why the former President was being allowed toactasthesoleauthorityon such a critical sector According to him, “He can sayanythinghelikesanditis astrangekindofgovernance wehaveinGuyana.Thisisa one man show, and everybodyjustlookingon.”

Collins, a stern advocate for transparency in governance explained that Guyanese deserve to know what their resources are being used to fund and that government must remember that they are merely the managersandnottheowners ofthecountry'swealth.

“It is not just that we deservetoknowwhatouroil isbeingusedtopayforbutit is our resources and it is our business. All a government is,isacaretaker Theyarethe managers of our affairs, the

Constitution says that,” the TIGIPresidenturged.

He added, “The government is not free to reinterpret the Constitution tosuititself.Theonlysecrecy theConstitutionallowsisfor military matters and matters whichareprivatewithregard to a government official's own business but everything else, the government owes it to the citizenry to disclose what is the citizens'

business.”

C o n t r a r i l y, t h e transparency advocate described what has been playing out in Guyana as a “cancerous state of affairs”. Hesaidelectedofficialshave adopted an attitude to convince Guyanese that the informationbelongstothem.

Collinshoweverinsistedthat these officials must not be allowed to “lord over our information” and get away withit.

The President of the TransparencyInstituteadded that while the People's Progressive Party (PPP) committed to greater transparency in the managementoftheoilsector in its 2020 Elections Manifesto,therehasbeenno evidenceofthistodate.

He said, “There is no g r e a t e r transparency between the governmentandExxon,they seemtobeplayingagameof hide and seek with the people...theconstitutionsays

very clearly that all those affairs are the people of Guyana affairs and all the government is doing is managing it for us. There is noreasonwhytheyshouldbe keepingthosethingssecret.”

Collins added, “There is noreasonwhytheyshouldbe keeping those things secret. There could only be one reasonwhyMr Jagdeowants tonotshowus,allisnotwell. Thatcanbetheonlyreason.”

The TIGI President told KaieteurNewsthatwhilethe disregard for the basic tenets of transparency is more blatant today, it is not a new phenomenon,infact,thiswas obtainedbeforethePPPtook office.

As such, he urged, “The government of Guyana and the people of this country mustgetseriousanddemand that the guardians of their property, which is the petroleum resources, treat them with some degree of respect and that's not what is happening.”

Crude from Payara to Commence Loading in November

S&P Global Reports

Guyana's Payara Gold crude, the third grade set to enter production from the vast 6 6-million-acre lucrative Stabroek block, is on course to begin its loading operations in November, as per information obtained by S&P GlobalCommodityInsights.

S&P Global is known for its invaluable role in providing governments, businesses, and individuals with accurate data, expert insights, and cutting-edge technology to facilitate confident decision-making.

As revealed in the programme, S&P stated that two 1-millionbarrel shipments of Payara are scheduled for loading in November This program also outlines seven shipments of Unity Gold crude and five shipments of Lizacrude.

Notably, one of the Payara cargo loadings, scheduled for November10-11,isacollaborative effort among the Stabroek joint venture partners. The second Payara cargo, set for loading on November 20-21, will be handled byExxonMobilGuyana.

Thethreekeypartnersinvolved inthedevelopmentoftheStabroek block are ExxonMobil, Hess, and China's CNOOC. The inclusion of

Payara Gold in the November loading schedule signifies that Guyana's production is either on track or ahead of schedule, contrasting with initial estimates that Payara would come online by theendof2023.

ExxonMobil country manager, Alistair Routledge had previously mentioned in a September 7 interview that the Payara field would commence production by the end of 2023, following the commencement of operations by the Prosperity Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.

WithGuyanaalreadyachieving aproductionrateof400,000barrels per day from two FPSOs, the addition of Payara will elevate output to 600,000 barrels per day, keeping the project well on course to have six production units operational by the close of 2027, accordingtoRoutledge.

Forecasts from S&P Global CommodityInsightsanticipatethat Guyana's production will exceed 400,000 barrels per day by the conclusion of 2023, mainly driven by the initiation of the Payara project. The projection extends to envision production reaching 1.2 millionbarrelsperdaybythelatter partofthe2020s.

Payara is known for being the heaviest of the medium sweet crudes produced in Guyana so far, based on assays available on ExxonMobil'swebsite.Incontrast, Liza, the initial grade emerging from the ExxonMobil-led consortium,isa32APIcrudewith approximately 0.58% sulfur, while UnityGoldisa34.5APIcrudewith 0.41% sulfur, according to a July 2023assay Payara,bycomparison, holds a 28API rating and a 0.58% sulfurcontent.

Interestingly, despite Payara's characterizationasaheaviercrude, initial offers for Payara reportedly carried a premium of 50 cents per barrel over Unity Gold – said S&P Global.Moreover,itwasaddedthat some sources speculate that this premium could reflect the joint

Guyana's third FPSO, Prosperity

venture partners' market-testing approach or perhaps indicate that Payara boasts a superior distillate yieldcomparedtosimilarcrudes.

As of the latest assessments, Unity Gold held a premium of $1.50 per barrel over the Latin Dated Brent strip, while Liza was evaluated at a $1.30 per barrel premium.

Kaieteur News previously reported the arrival of the FPSO vessel, Prosperity, in Guyana.This vessel is expected to generate approximately 220,000 barrels of oil per day during its initial phase and has been designed to store a total of two million barrels of oil.

ExxonMobil Guyana announced the FPSO's arrival in a brief media statement, expressing excitement about its contribution to Guyana's

energy future. The vessel was constructed by Dutch shipbuilder, SBMOffshore.

Presently, two FPSOs are operational in the Stabroek Block, includingtheLizaDestinyandLiza Unity. The Liza Destiny produced its first oil in December 2019, followedbythestartupofLizaTwo inFebruary2022bytheLizaUnity Currently, the production rate stands at over 380,000 barrels per day Exxon anticipates that the addition of the Prosperity vessel will boost daily production to around 600,000 barrels per day by 2024.

"Installation campaigns are ongoing and development drilling isunderwaytosupportProsperity's start-uplaterthisyear.”

,

TIGI President, Frederick Collins

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS

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

EDITORIAL

Oil income and budget

Vice President Jagdeo has to know that his words on mostissueshaveahollowerandhollowerringaboutthem. They ring hollow when he speaks of the governmentbeing ‘cautious’ in using oil revenue to support the national budget. Cautiousnesswithoilmoneyisalwaysagoodstep, butthisfliesinthefaceofwhatthePPPCGovernmentdidin 2022and2023.

In2022,thegovernmentwithdrewUS$607millionfrom the New York based Natural Resources Fund (NRF). In 2023, the PPPC Government gave itself authorization to withdrawmore,asmuchasUS$1billion. Whenquestioned aboutthewithdrawalsanduseofNRFmillions,theMinister with Responsibility for Finance in the Office of the President, Dr Ashni Singh, solemnly spoke of “national development priorities”. This is the government’s broadbrush stroke that smugly dismisses such questions

Notwithstanding the cap that is placed on its head, withdrawalsfromtheNRFsupplementandsupport,aswell as contribute and carry, Guyana’s budget in some manner

By any standards, the hundreds of millions of American dollars (billions in Guyana dollars) taken out of Guyana’s oil income were very close to the time that the NRF came into existence Theywerealsoclearlyontheheavyandaggressive side Thus,forVicePresidentJagdeototakethispositionnow that the government is going to be cautious with the NRF millions is yet another indication of government’s cleverness andtrickinessthatcharacterizealmosteverythingthathastodo withthisoilwealth,andevenmoresowhenmoneyisinvolved. Whywasitnotcautiouswhencautionwasclearlycalledfor, and would have been the better choice for Guyana? The Vice President noted the projected dip in oil earnings, as stated by the Bank of Guyana in its mid-year report. This wasbasedondecliningglobalpricesforoil. Itwasaforecast basedonsoundmarketrealitiesatthetimethatthemid-year report was being compiled. But circumstances have changed,andVicePresidentJagdeowasrightinsayingthat thepriceofthisgloballydemandedcommodityissubjectto considerablemovementinbothdirections.

Currently,oilisoverUS$90abarrel,andthepredictions ofmarketwatchersarethatitisjustamatteroftimebefore the US$100 a barrel barrier is breached. The Wall Street analystsandexpertsarenowbracingfora‘volatilecycle’inoil prices We think that they have that right as the effects of OPEC+steepproductionscutsarebeingfeltmoreandmore Inaddition,investmentinnewoilproductionopportunitieshas slowed Further, the persistent increased in interest rates by theUSFedtofightinflationhasmadethecostofborrowing higher Whentakentogether,thesefactorspointtooilprices increasinginthenearfuture,andbreakingthatmuchwatched US$100abarrelthreshold Higheroilpricesrepresentmixed news for Guyana Higher oil prices mean more will be depositedintheNRFasthiscountry’searningsforroyaltyand profits Itcouldalsomeantoughercost-of-livingconditions, aspricesspiralforeverything. Ifmanagedprudently,higher earningscouldbeastoreoffundsthatinsulatesthiscountry intoughertimes. Ifusedaggressively,ashasbeenthecase before, the NRF monies (with possibly more to come) become an irresistible lure for the PPPC Government, and utilizedfordifferenteconomic(budgetary)activities,under thetentof“nationaldevelopmentpriorities.” AtUS$100a barrelormore,thePPPCGovernmentcouldbeswimmingin NRFdeposits,andtheVicePresidentmostlikelyspeakinga differentlanguagethatdoesnothavetheword‘cautious’in it.

What is clear behind the smokescreen of Jagdeo is that the government is already conditioning Guyanese to lower their expectations of any generosity for them from future budgets, as oil prices couldbeheadedinadownwardtrend We fully agree that when such is the situation, then the government has to be restrained in its spending When the outlook is in the opposite direction, however, then it is reasonable to expect that government and leaders would loosen the purse strings and help Guyanese, who need as muchassistanceastheycanget.

Lutchman COI recommendations must be implemented for a better Public Service

DEAREDITOR,

M a n y o f t h e recommendations of the Lutchman Commission of Inquiry(COI)intothePublic Service of Guyana, 11 May 2016,supportthecreationof aProfessionalandPolitically Neutral Public Service to provide for efficient and effective service to the national community The COI strongly supports the enactment of a Public Service Law for the Public Serviceasisthecaseinother Commonwealth countries (Recommendation#1).

T h e o t h e r

R e c o m m e n d a t i o n s contained in the COI, include:

The Public Service Commission (PSC) to discharge faithfully its c o n s t i t u t i o n a l responsibilities The COI affirms that the intended independent Constitutional status should be preserved and protected as in other Commonwealth countries

T h e C o m m i s s i o n emphasized that it is important for the appointment in the Public Servicepositionstobebased onmeritandshouldbemade by a Commission that is credible and adequately qualified. The COI in its #6 Recommendation, states:

“The Public Service Commission should always be constituted with suitably qualified and competent persons of unquestioned integritywhowouldstriveto be fair and impartial in the execution of their duty in consonance with the

Constitutional prescription that they exercise independent judgement and notbeinfluencedbypolitical and other external or extraneous considerations.”

The Authorities should not appointMembersofthePSC who have any conflict of interest This was disregarded with respect to somemembersofthePSCin the past, and this should be corrected in all future appointments to the PSC by the Government and the National Assembly in the faithful discharge of their constitutional duties in the publicinterest.

Recruitment and Selection in the Public Service Recommendation # 9 calls for the Constitution and other Laws to be appropriately amended to empower the Public Service Commission to appoint Permanent Secretaries and Regional Executive Officers to remove direct political appointments to Public Servicepositions.

Recommendation #10 calls for all appointments to Public Service positions by open internal and external completions to obtain the best from the labour market. Recommendation #11 advocated that all appointments by the PSC to bebasedonmeritandbefree frompoliticalinfluencesand meet the essential qualifications and requirements of the jobs to beperformed.

O n C o n t r a c t Employment, the COI noted that contract employment in

the Public Service is done outsidethejurisdictionofthe Public Service Commission. Contractemploymentoflow level and general staff in the public service should end.

However, contract employment in the Public Service should be restricted to high level, professional, scarce skills not available in the Public Service, and for p r o j e c t w o r k

(Recommendations #13 &#14)

On the retirement of PublicServantsatage55,the COIrecommendedthatthere shouldbeahigherretirement at65yearsorearlyapproved retirement at 60 years for Public Servants with corresponding higher public service pensions and NIS pensions. No public servant who retires from the public service before attaining 65 yearsshouldbeemployedon contract(Recommendation# 15)

O n S a l a r y a n d Remuneration for high level public positions, the COI recommended,asinthecase with Trinidad and Tobago, a Salary and Remuneration Commission be established by law to make periodic recommendations to the National Assembly on remuneration for high level political and public service offices including the President, Vice-Presidents, Prime Minister, Ministers, Leader of the Opposition, Members of the National Assembly, Permanent Secretaries, Regional Executive Officers, and RegionalChairpersons.This

Salary and Remuneration Commission should also recommend to the National Assembly the appropriate remuneration for judges of theHighCourtandtheCourt o f A p p e a l , a n d Constitutional Offices (Recommendation # 57) These recommendations speak to removal conflict of interest at professional and political levels, setting the procedure for finality of public negotiations, and having the National Assembly setting the remuneration of those in the Governing Authorities and the remuneration in the Judicial system and other ConstitutionalOffices.

On the Public Service Ministry, the COI recommendedthatthePublic Service Ministry and the Public Service Commission should be constituted with professional personnel with highintegritytorebuildtrust andconfidenceinthePublic Service. (Recommendation #73).

The acceptance and implementation of the recommendationsoftheCOI are essential for good governance, transparency, public accountability, and management of the Public Service. The Public Service Ministry and the Public Service Commission are charged to ensure fair employment practices and developing a professional Public Service to serve the national community fairly andimpartially

Theadoptionand (Continuedonpage06)

GuyanaPeaceCouncilcondemnsVenezuela

DEAREDITOR

The Guyana Peace Council(GPC)condemnsin the strongest terms the bellicose decision by the Venezuelan government to hold a national referendum to whip up what appears to be waining internal support for the Maduro regime’s domestic policies but which at the same time, is clearly aimed at fomenting tension between our two countries and disturbing the peaceful s o c i o - e c o n o m i c developmentofGuyana.

Furthermore, the resolution adopted by the National Assembly of Venezuela is nothing but anotherattempttodisturbthe tranquility of the Caribbean regionasazoneofpeace

The Maduro regime’s

referendum to beef up its spurious claim to the soc a l l e d ‘ Z o n a d e Reclamacion’ is another clear departure from the ‘Chavista’ philosophy in favour human development, againstwarandinsupportof the brotherhood of nations undertheBolivarianbanner

The call for a national referendum is also a clear indication that the Maduro regime has mistakenly returnedtoinstrumentsused inthepastbytheVenezuelan oligarchy to whip up jingoism with a view to creating a state of internal anxiety amongst the Venezuelanelectorateaspart of Maduro’s campaign for elections due to be held in thatcountryin2024.

The GPC fully supports the declaration by President

Aliinhisaddresstothe78th SessionoftheUNGAwhere he demanded that; “Venezuela honours its obligations under the Charter to pursue only peaceful means to settle any disputes it may have with Guyana, including adjudication before the International Court of Justice.”

Further, the GPC unequivocally supports the position adopted by the Ali administration in restating its position that ‘it will not re-enter bilateral talks with Venezuela on the border controversy but will rely on theWorldCourtasthevenue for resolution as decided on under the 1966 Geneva Agreement.’

The GPC welcomes the support received from the

Office of the Leader of the Opposition, CARICOM, the Commonwealth Ministerial Monitoring Group on the Guyana/Venezuela Border Controversy, the OAS and the international community in general rejecting Venezuela’s referendum plan and support for the protection of Guyana’s national sovereignty and territorialintegrity

The GPC calls for the mobilization of the popular masses and the holding of regional solidarity activities throughout Guyana to support government’s irrevocably stand in defence of Guyana’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity

Regards ClementJ.Rohee forGPC

Aubrey Norton underplayed his hand with IrfaanAli on the Venezuela issue

DEAREDITOR

The rejection of the GovernmentofVenezuelato the recent sale of oil blocks by the Government of Guyana, coupled with the response by the Guyana Opposition are major issues of concern. Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton’ssupportinresponse toPresidentAli’srequestfor same though magnanimous, leavesmuchtobedesiredas it suggests the Leader of the Opposition seems not to know, understand or be able to use the power his office rightfully wields to effectively present himself as a major force to be reckonedwith,notjustatool for People’s Progressive Party (PPP) convenience when it comes to defence of Guyana’sborder Shame! how convenient the Jagdeo/Ali regime can be, after ignoring the constitutionalmandateofthe leader of the Opposition on matters of governance Shame! how they have treated the African community and other citizens who express alternativeviewsandpursue their right to freedom of association The major Opposition, which the Jagdeo/Ali regime never treated as worthy of participating in the m a n a g e m e n t a n d distribution of the resources ofthestateisnowadesirable entity to help repel Venezuelanaggression.

Ali, Bharrat Jagdeo, Norton and citizens of this nation must be reminded,

This stink and dutty culture, in the name of entertainment, needs to be stopped

government and Opposition are not elected to only engage on issues they consider to be external threats but to protect and advance the constitutional and other rights of each citizen in an inclusionary, participatory democracy where each citizen, each group, can develop to their fullest potential, enjoy equitable distribution of the nation’swealth,whilstliving in peace and harmony with eachother

Norton’s response sought only to dutifully convey to Ali that the Oppositioncanbereliedon. By being so simplistic Norton not only missed a valuable opportunity to showsomemettle,hedidnot play well, the political ball thrown to him out of necessity by the PPP He missed an opportunity to demandameetingtodiscuss Opposition support and pertinentissuesinrelationto such. How did Norton, a political scientist, and long standing leader of the People’s National Congress (PNC), missed such an important opportunity is a matter that will be pondered on for a long time. It’s disappointing, at the very leastandbringsintoquestion whetherheisconsultingand the quality of advice, if any, heisreceiving.

The caliber of his leadership becomes questionable to effectively deal with the vicious Ali/Jagdeo regime Ali neededareminderaboutthe importance of the people to

shareandparticipateequally intheeconomicgainsofthis country and not just as border defenders. Our men and women in uniform are workers, the majority are African Guyanese who Ali andJagdeo,bytheiractions, do not consider important enoughtoshareequitablyin thewealthofthisnationand treatedequallywithrespect.

The daily well-being of all the people within the borders, the safety of our neglected, marginalised, demoralised people, to be placed in a state of defense readiness are matters of import for government and opposition discussion

Under the PNC Forbes Burnham administration, there was an effort to make every citizen a defender ThePPPhasnotanddoesnot havethecapabilityforthisas they have sought to create divisions rather than unity andnationalpride.

Manyaretodayunhappy, cannot afford a daily proper meal, pay their rent or mortgage on the pittance they earn. Our military is under equipped and underfunded. These are all issues pertinent to border defence and should not be treated lightly At the very least they should be discussed even as support is given.

One would not expect Norton to refuse support because Guyana belongs to all of us, and the security of our borders are the responsibility of every citizen,regardlessofwhich

(Continuedonpage06)

DEAREDITOR, Editor, kindly permit me to publicly express congratulations to the G u y a n a A m a z o n Warriors,for winning the 2023CPLChampionship.

I must admit that true leadershipby CaptainImran Thair was demonstrated and one felt the energy, vibes of TEAM effort and unity amongsttheteam.Itwasthe coming together of different persons, with different identities and multiple cultures. But through it all, collectively, their eyes were on the prize of breaking the trend of being “runner up” andtheydidittogether, For this cricket season, Guyana, whether by the Government or Private Individuals, several activities were hosted, culminating with this newfound concept, ‘Cricket Carnival,’ on Monday, September25,2023.

Editor imagine this activity was hosted in the heartofthecityonaworking andschoolday

The work of renowned Philosophers, Plato and Aristotle suggest to us that they both adopted a philosophical and abstract approach to defining human behaviorandthestructureof themind.

Iwasforcedtoponderon their writings during the last few days. How insensitive and selfish can mankind be one to another? However, I amremindedinthebookof1 Corinthians 15 verses 22-26 of the quote, “every man to hisownorder.”

Editor, from the glimpse of images of this “cricket carnival” seen on various postsonsocialmedia,Ihave come to the realization that our societal values are rapidlydeteriorating. This stink and dutty culture, in the name of entertainment, needs to be stopped.

The ‘mindset’ of our people needs to be changed. We are not setting a good example for the younger generation.Theonusisonus to inculcate and bequeath to the next generation what is rightfromwrong.

While this calls for a personal decision to reset one’s mind, I believe families and National Leadershavearesponsibility toinfluence the way persons conductthemselvespublicly, Additionally, Editor, Guyana, is experiencing an exponential rise in ‘cost of living’,yet,theGovernment sees the need to give its ‘no objection,’totheseactivities

which do not in any way benefit the poor Instead, a fewpersonsarecontinuously enriching themselves at the expense of the vulnerable. Any funding from the national coffers could have been better utilized to address the high cost of living faced by the average Guyanese, addressing the wages and salaries increase for Teachers, Nurses, Public Servants and other categories of Government employees.

Also, funding to assist NGOs, CBOs and FBOs in addressing social issues would have had greater impact.

Editor, I conclude by reiterating the call, for a resetting of the mind, and it begins with us, as “individuals.”

May God continue to blessourpeopleandnation.

Yourssincerely,

AnnetteFerguson,MP HR Specialist/ Social Worker

Racial Unity

DEAREDITOR

Racial unity does not mean that we have to give up our own culture. Some feel threatened to unify because they are afraid they could lose their racial and cultural indentity This is called ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism is to see the world primarily through one’s culture and to think that one’s cultureismoresuperiorthantheothers.The opposite of ethnocentrism is cultural relativity This is to seek to understand a differentculturefromtheperspectiveofthat cultureratherthantojudgethatculturebased onone’sownpersonalviewsshapedbytheir ownculture.

In Guyana it seemed like the dominant work force in the government sectors

AubreyNortonunderplayed...

representedwhateverpartywasruling.When NelsonMandelabecamePresident,hedidnot exact revenge on the Whites. Rather, he preached tolerance, racial reconciliation and forgiveness.Heshowednobitterness.

He worked and cooperated with the Whites.Heputasidepastresentmentsforthe goodoftheNation.NelsonMandelaelecteda non-racial government when he became President. Our leaders need to renounce racism and seek to unify Guyana through exemplary efforts of working together One hastoleadbyexample.

It is important that the leadership reflect the people they are governing A multiculturalleadershipfosterspersonal

(Continuedonpage18)

Frompage05 governmentisinpower Ali can rest assured even the marginalised, Africans and others who are neglected by his government will defend it. These very same people Ali and the devious Jagdeo will place on the border to risk and give their precious lives for this country and a g o v e r n m e n t t h a t demonstratesbypoliciesand programmes they care nothingaboutthemandtheir families.

I remind Ali and Norton of an incident in 1971 when Forbes Burnham wanted to change the constitution to effect the nationalisation of bauxite, he needed Cheddi Jagan’s support. This saw Burnham delivering to Cheddie, among other

things,therecognitionofthe Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) in the sugar industry

It was a period when there were engagements betweenthegovernmentand Opposition.

In this instance, there is nonemakingitbetteryetfor Nortontodemandameeting to address matters of good governance as a necessary requirement for border defence at all times regardless of government in power

TheOppositionLeaderis entitled to be briefed on all mattersofimporttonational security, especially as it relates to the safety of our people and soldiers from external threats. Further,

Norton should not take the PPP, particularly the Jagdeo/Ali regime for grantedashistoryhasproven they have little care and consideration for some and no good intention to the majorityofthosewhowillbe our defenders, who historically built and defendedthiscountry.

Another insult that arose fromNorton’sunconditional supportisthatAlithankedall t h e r e g i o n a l a n d internationalinstitutionsand countries but failed to acknowledge the support of the other half of society, via theLeaderoftheOpposition. This nation needs no further evidence of what the PPP meansby‘OneGuyana.’ Regards

LincolnLewis

LutchmanCOIrecommendations...

Frompage4 Implementation of these and other recommendations will rebuild confidence and trust in our country for the good of all. TheNationalAssembly,theGovernmentand the Public Service Ministry and the Guyana Public Service Union should carefully consider these and other related COI recommendations or declare otherwise;

letting the public know why there is no interest in creating and developing a Professional and Politically Neutral Public Service by a Public Service Law for the national good as called for in the CommissionofInquiryinthePublicService 2016.

Yourssincerely, Joshua

Singh

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Guyanese are being sold a pig in a bag, with the announcement that what unfolded at the Natural Resources Ministry to reduce Exxon's inflated expenses from US$214M to US$3M was “unauthorized.”

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This certainly stretches intelligence and credulity past the breaking point.

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Somebody at this porous and errant ministry has to be particularly bold, extraordinarily clever. While the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) was working diligently on one track with this audit to come to a satisfactory place, there were others at the ministry who had their own twisted ideas, possibly their own undocumented orders, with a different endpoint in mind.

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Exxon sold portions of Stabroek Block twice to Shell but no money recorded in books

Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram has accused ExxonMobil of engaging in “dodgy accounting” practices after learning that the company sold rights for the Stabroek Block twice but never accountedforitonce.

In a letter published in the Stabroek News, Ram highlightedhowExxon,with the complicity of the PPP/C Administration, was able to set the stage for its financial outmaneuvering of Guyaneseregulators.

Ramexplainedthatafew months after being awarded thepetroleumlicenceforthe Stabroek Block in 1999, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited, formerly known as

Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), claimed “force majeure” of the entire contract area spanning 26,808 sq km Force Majeureisalegalclausethat excuses a party from performing their contractual obligations due to circumstances beyond their control.

Exxon's reason for invoking this provision was due to a border issue involving Suriname and Guyana at the time. Ram stressed however that the issue, one that was subsequently settled, was at one extreme end of Exxon's contract area. Be that as it may, he noted that Exxon

Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram

still claimed that it was prevented from carrying out its contractual obligations, presumably within any part ofthecontractarea.“Whata brazen lie. Yet, the PPP/C Government meekly acquiesced,”hesaid.

Afterforcemajeurewas lifted in 2008, Ram said Exxon and the PPP/C administration entered into an Addendum to the 1999 Agreement This he said allowed for the modified description of the contract

-ChrisRam

area, the relinquishment obligations, and the initial period of the exploration programme. These changes he noted paved the way for Exxon to move ahead in 2009 and sell 25 percent of theblocktoShell,anotheroil major

T h e C h a r t e r e d

Accountant said the undisclosed sums received from Shell never showed up in Exxon's local books “Thatwasdodgyaccounting atbest,”saidRam. Havinggottenawaywith that act, Ram said the company did it again, this time in 2011, after Shell forked out more money to double its participating interest. “Those moneys never found their way into the books of Esso,” Ram said. “Shell later withdrew and in 2014, Esso sold participating interests to Hess (30%) and CNOOC

(25%) in the Block

Effectively, Exxon sold the same rights twice, but never accountingforitonce.”

Ram further noted that those revenues should have been accounted for as credits, thus reducing the amount of pre-contract cost recoverable by Exxon, totallingUS$460M.

As a result of this anomaly, Ram said it is anyone'sguessifExxonmay have recovered as much from Shell, Hess and CNOOC as they themselves mayhaveinvested.Ramsaid the situation is as such that Exxon has made profits without even having to investtheirownmoney.

He surmised that this is just a clear example of the companyshowingthenation its true colours to the nation duringthefirstdecadeofthis century, yet authorities refusetoacceptit.

health and prevent suicide

Health authorities at the 60thDirectingCouncilofthe Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) this week approved a new regional strategy aimed at improving mental health and suicide prevention in the Americas and mobilizing resources to respond to the demandforcare.

The new strategy respondstotheimpactofthe COVID-19 pandemic on the increased prevalence of mental health problems and related disruptions in essential services, PAHO said in a press release. The Strategy for Improving Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in the Region of the Americas aims to guide PAHO Member States in their efforts through an equity- and rights-based approach to mental health care, taking into account the national context, needs, and priorities.

“Even before the pandemic, we were already facingasignificantburdenof mental illnesses with inadequate care for those affected, which was further exacerbated by COVID-19 pandemic.

This strategy aims to supportcountriestoprioritize mental health by integrating it into all policies,” Dr Anselm Hennis, Director of the Department of Non-

communicable Diseases and MentalHealthatPAHO,said.

According to the document, the pandemic has worsened pre-existing mental health conditions, suchasmajordepressiveand anxiety disorders, which increased by 35% and 32% respectively during 2020 in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The most recent data show that each year almost 100,000peoplediebysuicide intheAmericas,makingitthe only World Health Organization (WHO) region where the suicide rate is on therise.

Women, young people, indigenous populations, Afro-descendants, and members of other ethnic groups, as well as people living in poverty and those with preexisting mental health disorders, are among the most severely affected. Despite the high costs associatedwithmentalhealth issues and suicides in the region, care is not always prioritized, and the funding for addressing mental health is insufficient, with only a small fraction of national health budgets (around 3%) allocatedtothisarea.

The regional strategy establishessixlinesofaction toaddressthisissue:

1. Buildmentalhealth

(Continuedonpage9)

PAHO approves new regional strategy to improve mental

Owners of Kaieteur Block looking for new operators as Exxon walks away to accelerate works in Stabroek Block

ByKianaWilburg

ExxonMobil Guyana

Limited and Hess Corporation have walked away from the Kaieteur Block to focus on accelerating exploration and production operations in the Stabroek Block where over 33 significant discoveries havebeenmade.

M a k i n g t h i s development known to the market was Ratio PetroleumEnergyLimited which holds a 25 percent working interest in the Kaieteur Block The

Guyana Government would have to give its approval for Exxon and Hess’ application to withdraw Hess currently holds a 20 percent working interest in the block while Exxon has 35 percent Another company in the block, Cataleya Energy Limited, also holds a 20 percent interest in the block. Once the Guyana Government approves the application for Hess and Exxon to withdraw, Ratio and Cataleya will each hold50percent

This newspaper understands that Ratio would also become the operatoroftheblockbutit is already in talks with other major oil companies totakeoverthatposition.

Westmount Energy

Limited, a UK based firm which holds shares in Cataleya and Ratio, said it has taken note of the development along with the factthatExxonwouldnotbe drilling a second well in the Kaieteurconcession.

In a subsequent statement, Exxon not only confirmed that it is leaving the block but noted that its withdrawal has no impact on its commitment to seeking further exploration and d e v e l o p m e n t opportunities and to generating additional value for the government andpeopleofGuyana

“This includes our accelerated development and production in the Stabroek block, where we are targeting six FPSOs (floating, production, storage and offloading vessels) by the end of 2027, bringing Guyana’s production capacity to more than one million barrels per day,” Exxon said The first well in the KaieteurBlockwasdrilledin 2020 by Exxon Dubbed Tanager-1, the well evaluatedanumberofplays, encountering 16 metres of net oil pay in high-quality sandstone reservoirs of Maastrichtianage.

Thewellwasreportedas an oil discovery which is

currently considered to be noncommercial as a standalonedevelopment.

Guyana is currently considered the world’s f a s t e s t g r o w i n g economy on a per capita b a s i s d u e t o t h e accelerated oil and gas a c t i v i t i e s i n t h e Stabroek Block located 120 miles away from the country’scoastline.

The concession is operated by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited in partnership with Hess Corporation and CNOOC

Petroleum Guyana Limited Thus far, the Exxon-led consortium have five sanctioned projects, two of which are already producing about 400,000 barrels of oil per day Before the end of the year, Guyana is expected to see another oil project brought o n l i n e , t h e r e b y increasing the daily output to over 600,000 barrels of oil per day

Over 11 billion barrels have been unlocked in the StabroekBlock

Exxon and partners have been granted permission by the country’s environmental regulator to drill 35 wells in hopes of finding more multi-billion barrel discoveries

PAHO approves new regional strategy...

Frompage8 leadership, governance, and multi-sectoral partnerships, and integrate mental health in allpolicies.

2 Improve the availability, accessibility, and quality of community-based services for mental health conditions,andsupporttheadvance ofdeinstitutionalization.

3 Advance mental health promotion and prevention strategies and activities throughout the life course

4. Reinforce the integration of mental

health and psychosocial support in emergencycontexts.

5 Strengthen data, evidence, and research.

6. Make suicide prevention a national whole-of-government priority and build multi-sectoral capacity to respond to peopleaffectedbysuicidalbehaviors.

In June 2023, the PAHO High-Level Commission on Mental Health and COVID-19 published its final report on how to move forward on mental health in the region, whose recommendations underpinthisstrategy

Map showing the location of the Kaieteur Block

GHK LALL

Repsol: why talks about renewal?

It was good to hear from Vice President Jagdeo that ifthelicenseoftheKanuku Block is renewed, Repsol would not be able to recover the US$500 millionpre-contractcosts. Inother words, with a new license (if extended), the clock starts fresh, withnobaggagefromtheprevious years. It certainly sounds good on the face of it, and should stand in normalcircumstances.

As the Vice President should know, the oil business is not spearheaded by choirboys pretendingatbeingmen. Themen running oil companies in the High Command, or those selected as country heads, are a breed apart. Call them what pleases: oil outlaws, machinelike men, or oilfield generals, they are all those and more They are neither saintsnor holy men. They are men ofbloodandgutsandiron.

ThepointIdrivetowardisthat, shouldtheKanukuBlocklicensebe renewed and there is a pool of production to work with, then the Spanish oil conquistadores at Repsol would find some way to recover that US$500 million incurred under the previous contract Using Vice President Jagdeo's language, it is a 'no

brainer.' For recovering its half billion American Repsol will, if it finds oil in commercial quantities. See what I mean about not being choirboys or holy men. Oil is a snake-eat-baby business, and the sooner that the glistening Vice President stop pretending that he doesn'tknowthis,thebetterhewill doforGuyana.

I contend, therefore, that renewal of the Kanuku block license isn't beneficial to Guyana.

The sticking point is that US$500 million pre-contract costs: somehow, Repsol is going to get it from Guyana once oil is found. Know this about giant foreign oil companies: they are pretty swift in taking advantage of the territory Repsol certainly showed it is no amateur with that US$500 million pre-contractcostthatnowdangles.

In his favor, Vice President Jagdeo made all the right sounds overthisrenewal. Theserenewals are 'not automatic'; it was the first clear,definitiveefforthehasgiven on anything involving oil. The tantalizing question is whether Dr Jagdeowouldhavefoundhisvoice to speak so authoritatively to Exxon. Butspeakhedidrelativeto Repsol's application, and the Kanuku block renewal: “Should a

policy decision be made that we will consider favourably their application for a new prospecting licence in that area, they would have to now comply with the new PSA, which is, one, the size of the block has to be reduced. Two, there would have to be a signing bonus. Three, all of the other conditions, including enhanced royalty, the new fiscal conditions, and every other condition of the new PSA would apply ”I amintrigued

Where did this Jagdeo come from, sincetheonethatallGuyanaknows is timid, hesitant, frightened nervous around oil companies? Or isthissomesubstitutepumpedwith vitamins, minerals, tonics, and the rightstuff?

Attaboy Brother Barry! How I wish that he would speak in this same straight, unambiguous mannerwhenExxonisinvolved.

After absorbing all that the VP said on the Kanuku block renewal and the pending Repsol license, Irecommend that the discussion over this renewal be tight, limited. Especially when there is that US$500millionhovering. Firstof all,thathalfbillionAmericandollar is near to half of Guyana's total oil income for a whole year, using recent deposits into the Natural

Resources Fund. Given this country's needs, and its paltry take from the Exxon partnership, it would be financially imprudent to renew thelicenseandabsorb(byhook or crook) that unforgotten expense. For absorb, this country will; Repsol will see to that somehow

Then,after10yearsofmapping and exploring and studying in the Kanuku block, the probability of striking oil seems rather remote at thisstage.

Now, the Vice President must be lauded for his position that the new Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) would apply in anyrenewal.

Thissoundsgood,butwiththis manoneneverknows. Thereality, however,isthatRepsolwouldhave to make a world-classdiscovery to make this possibly economically feasible for Guyana.World-class meanssomethingakintothosethat the ExxonMobil consortium have beenmakingintheStabroekblock. Further, I insert “possibly economically feasible” because thereisstillunfamiliaritywithhow thisSpanishdoesitsoilbillings. If i t i s a n y t h i n g t h a t resemblesExxonMobil's billing of

expensestoGuyana,thenthisisnot worththeconversation. LetRepsol go home, and Guyana retain the blocks with a fresh set of oil companies, but without that US$500millioninthepicture.

ThisaloneisenoughforDr.Bto gleamwithoilwisdom:justlookat thehard,heavynumbers.

Newpeoplewouldhavetodeal withthenewPSA,justthesameas Repsol, so that evens out. The difference and showstopper is the US$500millionpre-contractcosts: Guyana does not have to deal with that dead dog. If this sounds callous, all Guyanese should rememberthatoilisnotabusiness for saints; and secondly, look at how ExxonMobil, Guyana's best friend of all time, shoved a stick intouswiththathorrible,one-sided 2016contract.

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

Venezuelan girl identifies vehicle used during rape ordeal

Th e p r e g n a n t

Venezuelan woman raped on Sunday during a job interview, has reportedly identified the vehicle used to transport her to and from thesuspect'shouse.

It was initially reported by Kaieteur News that the vehicle used was a white Toyota Hilux withblackstripesbutaccordingto security footage seen, it was a WhiteFordpick-uptruck.

Kaieteur News understands that the suspect has been searching for the victim to settle the matter but could not find her He has reportedly been alleging that he is innocent of the allegations and wants her to withdraw the police report made against him because it could damage his reputation He reportedly alleged too that after pickingherupfromthehotel,she asked him to take him to a locationtobuyfoodandaftershe stepped out the car, he never saw heragain.However,footageseen by this media house has proved otherwise.

Meanwhile, the victim continues to live in fear She had alleged that after raping her, the suspect threatened that if she should tell anyone about what happened to her, he will find her She claimed that the suspect said

that he is a very important and wellconnectedmaninthecountry withsecurityguardswatchinghis back.

According to reports, the pregnantVenezuelanwomanwas raped on Sunday night during a jobinterviewatEccles,EastBank Demerara (EBD). The alleged rape took place around 19:00hrs at the suspect's home after he tricked her into believing that he isabusinessmanseekingpainters andcleaners.

Speaking with Kaieteur News, the young lady said that shewasrecentlykickedoutbyher Guyanese boyfriend after he refused to accept the pregnancy Shealsolostherjobasawaitress atabarafterherfemalebosssaid that she cannot have a pregnant womanworkingforher

As a result of her challenges, shewaslefthomelessandjobless. Subsequently, she managed to book a room at Sunflower Hotel and it was there while scrolling through a facebook group called 'Venezuelans in Guyana' that she saw an advertisement posted by the suspect looking for live-in cleaners and painters.Desperate for a job she immediately made contact with the suspect via a whatsapp number he had posted in the advertisement. Kaieteur News was shown screenshots of

theexchangebetweenthetwo.He asked,“Okyouworktopaintroad already?” and she responded ” Yes I need a job urgently and somewheretosleep.”

Thesuspectagreedandopted topickherupfromherhotelforan interview at a location in Eccles, EastBankDemerara(EBD).

She recalled that he was a short light-skinned man dressed in black that picked her up in the white pick-up. The Venezuelan woman said they talked about workallthewaytoayellowtwostorey house with a small white carintheyard.

Accordingtothevictimatone point she became suspicious but brushed her fears aside and enteredthehouse.“Heofferedme something to drink and I did not accept it,” she said in tears while explaining that the man then suddenly became aggressive demanding that she take off her clothes. The woman said that he then grabbed her, held her down, andthrewawhitesubstanceinher mouth before stripping off her clothes.”Hethenrapedme,”The pregnant woman said while relating that he also sodomized her brutally leaving her bleeding andinpain.

“Itwashorrible,”sheadded.

Sheallegedtoothathewanted tokeepheragainstherwillbutshe

managed to convince him to take her to a location to buy food because she was hungry He compliedandwhenshegotthere, sheexitedthecarandranwiththe

Zeeburgresidentssaybusinessmanleftdebris ontheroadway,causingfloodinginthearea

The residents of Old Road, Zeeburg,West Coast Demerara are seeking a businessman and his family who are constructing a

buildingintheirarea.

Thispublicationwastold thatconstructionworkonthe building has been ongoing for the past month, during

which time the owner has neglected to address the issue of debris being left on the road. This debris has obstructed the street's

drainagesystem,resultingin flooding of the surrounding yards. Oneresidentsaidheonly knows the businessman as 'Khan'.

He said he attempted on numerous occasions to establish contact with the businessownerbuthasbeen unsuccessful in his efforts. Additionally, when he attempted to engage the contractor on the matter, he was met with verbal abuse andhostility

money he gave her to buy food and left her purse behind. The matter was reported to the police who have commenced their investigations.

One of the yards that was flooded

The debris on the road

Thief leaves shirt, handkerchief behind following St

Cuthbert's break-in

Following another break and enter incident this week, residents of St Cuthbert's Mission off the LindenSoesdyke Highway are worried that the perpetrators have managed to elude the police after the intruders brokeintomultipleproperties withinthepastyear

The most recent break-in at the popular community occurred between Monday night and Tuesday morning. ReportsarethatonTuesdaya resident discovered that someone entered her singleflat home and stole her solar batteries.

The thief left his clothes in the woman's house, and according to a relative, the perpetrator entered the woman's home through her bathroomwindow

Thevictimsuspectedthat the thief was trying to enter herhomethroughasidedoor since there is evidence that the perpetrator tried to break thelockwithasharpobject.

Yesterday, the woman returned home and found the solar batteries in her verandah missing and a resident noted that persons withinthecommunitymaybe f a m i l i a r w i t h t h e perpetrator/s since a Facebookpostontheincident was posted on Wednesday and the missing items were returnedsoonafter.

Theincidentwasreported to the police outpost at the

village.

Another resident who operates a pharmacy at the village related that last year, thieves broke into his business and stole over $500,000 in cash and goods.

Themansaidnoonefromthe village came forward to say anythingregardingthebreakin although he suspects that villagers knew who the thievesare.

Ashopkeeperalsorelated that thieves entered her shop andstoleaquantityofgoods. She said she made multiple inquiries around the community but no one

3 dead, 9 injured in Reg. 7 as tree topples on camp during squall

Three women died on

Thursdayafternoonafter atreefellonacampata farmattheUpperMazarunivillage ofJawalladuringasquall.

DeadareCelesteAlbert,whois said to be in her late 20s, Selina Hope 54, and Godfrina Fredericks whoissaidtobeinher20s.Another woman, Romona Benjie, was critically injured while her child is among nine others who were injuredfollowingtheincident.

According to a village councilor, the deceased were amongalargegroupofpeoplewho ventured into a farm on a self-help exercise yesterday morning Around 14:30 hrs, violent winds accompanied by rains passed through the village and uprooted severaltreesinitswake.

Thevictimswereshelteringata camp when a tree fell on the structure,crushingtheminthe (Continuedonpage18)

provided any information whichsheplannedtorelateto thepolice.

In another incident, thieves struck at the facility which houses the tower of Atlantic Wireless Network andstoletwobatteriesaswell as a solar panel. No one was held in connection with that incident.

Another resident stated thatsomeonestoleapumpkin fromheryard.

“Whatreallygoingonin our village?” the woman questionedasotherscalledon the police to apprehend the perpetrators.

Inlightofthebreak-ins,a community policing group was recently formed at the popular village and residents expressed hope that the situation will improve soon and for the better.

The handkerchief and shirt which the thief left behind.

ExxonMobil continues hunt for oil at Bluefin prospect

ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), the operator of the Stabroek Block is presently conducting exploration drilling activitiesattheBluefin_1WellSite in the Stabroek Block, offshore Guyana.

According to a recent Public Notice, issued by the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), the MODU Stena DrillMax will be engaged in the drilling activities which are expected to conclude on October 31, 2023. It added that 24 other vessels will also be used as part of theexplorationworks.

The well site is situated approximately117.1nauticalmiles or216.9kilometersofftheCoastof Guyanaandcoversanareaof0.29 square nautical miles (1 square kilometer). Mariners have been advised to stay clear of the vessels and navigate with extreme caution when in the vicinity Since 2015, ExxonMobil has made 36 discoveriesintheprolificStabroek Block- its most recent, the Lancetfish-1, announced in April this year The company's first discovery for 2023, the Fangtooth SE-1 well was announced in January Thetwodiscoveriesaddto the11billionbarrelsofoilalready foundintheresource-richStabroek Block.

The Stabroek Block is a massive 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometers). ExxonMobil holds 45% interest, while Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds

Map of the Stabroek Block showing the first 15 discoveries made offshore

30% interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25%interest.

It is the largest oil block in the country and some argue, even the World. The unusual size of the Blockishowevernomoreunusual

than the agreement which governs the acreage But even with Guyanese protesting against the deal, the oil giant remains focused on extracting the resources discovered offshore with the blessingsofthePPPgovernment.

In fact, ExxonMobil has been recognised for its unmatched pace of development taking place in Guyana. In May 2023, Kaieteur News reported that the American oil giant received an award for the rapidspeeditsaffiliateEMGLwas

abletodeveloptheLizaPhaseOne in the country's Stabroek Block. The company received the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC)DistinguishedAchievement Award2023forcompanies, (Continuedonpage18)

Prosecution closes case in shooting, robbery of Surbryanville businesswoman

The prosecution last week closed its case in the shooting androbberyofaSurbryanville, Georgetown businesswoman that took place on February 6, 2021.

The businesswoman Celina Edwards, was shot twice to her leg during the robbery Police had arrested four suspects, Orvin Grant, a taxi driver of lot 3 Melanie, Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara (ECD), Jermaine Hassan, 35, of 207, Da Silva Street, Newtown Kitty,RussellBowman,38,of 8th Street Cummings Lodge andRonleeRampersaud,31,a watchman of 124 Sideline Dam,LaPenitence.Theywere all remanded to prison on February14,2021.

They subsequently were released on bail during the ongoing trial but Rampersaud the alleged shooter was rearrested and remanded again afterheskippedbail.Thecourt

Ronlee Rampersaud

has also recently issued an arrest warrant for another suspect,OrvinGrant,whohas beenfailingtoshowincourt.

Nevertheless, the trial continuedandtheprosecutorsastateprosecutorandaprivate prosecutor-closedtheircase

(Continued on page 16)

Jermaine Hassan

Orvin Grant

Russell Bowman

Jobs in renewable energy

Wo r l d w i d e employment in renewable energy reached 13.7 million in 2022, an increase of one million since 2021 and up fromatotalof7.3millionin 2012, according to a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The tenth edition of Renewable Energy and Jobs: Annual Review 2023, istheproductofacontinuing collaboration between the twoagencies.

The report found that renewable energy is attracting increasing investment, leading to job creation in a growing number of countries

However, as in previous years, most of the jobs are concentrated in a few states, notably China, which accounts for 41 per cent of the global total Brazil, European Union (EU) countries, India and the United States of America (USA) were among the others Together they represent the majority of global capacity installations and play key roles in the m a n u f a c t u r i n g o f equipment, engineering and associatedservices.

Solarphotovoltaics(PV) was once again the largest employer in 2022, the Annual Review found, creating 4.9 million jobs, morethanathirdofthetotal workforce in the renewable energy sector Hydropower and biofuels had similar numbers of jobs as in 2021, around 2 5 million each, followed by wind power with1.4millionjobs.

Francesco La Camera, IRENA Director-General, observed that “2022 was another outstanding year for renewableenergyjobs,amid multiplying challenges Creating many more millionsofjobswillrequirea much faster pace of investments in energy transition technologies

Earlier this month, the G20 leaders agreed to accelerate efforts to triple global renewablescapacityby2030 a l i g n e d w i t h o u r recommendations ahead of COP28. I call on all policy makers to use this m o m e n t u m a s a n opportunity to adopt ambitiouspoliciesthatdrive the needed systemic change.”

ILO Director-General, Gilbert F. Houngbo, said, “To seize the significant opportunities to attain full, productiveandfreelychosen

employment, social inclusion and decent work for all during these complex transitions,thereisaneedto

develop and implement specific policies for inclusive macroeconomic growth, sustainable

enterprises, skills development, other active labour market interventions, social protection,

occupational safety and health and other rights at work,andfindnewsolutions throughsocialdialogue.”

The quality of jobs matters as much as their quantity, the study notes. To (Continuedonpage16)

nearly doubled in past decade ...soared to 13.7 million in 2022 - ILO

WANTED VACANCY

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

Mechanic, Welder & Tm

Driver for Interior location, canter Driver & Porter for Georgetown. Contact: 2235273-4/ 621-5907.

Able-bodied Male or Handy boy needed. Call: 661-1000. One male and female ablebodied Staff needed to work in a store. Call: 225-2313, 2261497, 658-8559.

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

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

Diesel Mechanic wanted. Call: 688-0417/ 223-5273/74. Cook needed to work at Xenon Hotel, Charity. Contact: 687-5814, 688-0417, 2235273/74.

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

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

One Hauler Driver needed, starting salary $12K. Call: 611-7088 for more info.

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

Small family/ couple to live and work on farm at Long Creek, Linden. Call: 231-4831.

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

Region Nine to be key player in grain production, distribution for local, Caricom supply chain - President Ali

Region Nine has the potential to become a pivotal hub in the production and distribution of grains for Guyana, as well as the entire Caricom region, and the government is making the necessary resources available to accomplish the mission.

East Bank Electrical is now hiring Electrical Engineer, Outside Sales Staff & Counter Sales Staff. Call: 604-6394, sales@eastbankelectrical.com

Cleaner, Farm Workers, Excavator & Bobcat Operators, Welder and fabricator required. Call: 621-6969, 6157784/ 716-8509.

Mechanic for diesel & gasoline engines, Labourers and Maintenance Workers required. Call: 621-6969, 6157784, 716-8509.

1 Housekeeper, 2 Cooks and 1 Admin Clerk needed. Call: 223-0771.

Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles, ages 23-50, Car/ Van licence. Call: 615-9132 or 645-8443.

One male Cleaner needed to work in Eccles. Call: 615-9132.

Maid needed to cook and clean at East Bank area. Call: 615-9132.

Sales & Delivery Clerks, Warehouse Manager & Forklift Operator needed. Apply@ Lens 136 Sheriff Street. Call: 227-2486/ 2271511, Email: lensgy @outlook.com

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

Vacancy for 2 experienced Hairdresser needed in Grove, EBD. Call: 652-5800.

Male and female Factory Worker and Office Clerk needed. For more information Call: 226-2621.

Excavator, Crane & Loader Operator, Dump Truck Driver, road-roller Driver and Welder required. Call: 675-1127/ 600-4073.

Vacancy Exist For two Experienced Dispatcher At Confidential Cabs. Call: 2315784, 231-4001, 231-4000.

President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali Wednesday stressed that his government’s primary objective is to establish a robust food infrastructure within the region % one that will strengthen its economic foundations.

The head of state underscored that the vision for Region Nine is more than just a comprehensive modernisation agenda, but a move that protects, as well as leverages the rich cultural heritage of the region, developing a robust eco-tourism product. He was at the time addressing a large gathering during the opening of the region’s Amerindian Heritage Month celebrations at the St Ignatius Village Benab, Region Nine. “Region Nine will be that tremendous production base. This will create jobs with transport and logistics. We want to build a food infrastructure here in this region. We have investors looking at

value-added on raw sugar produced in Brazil to see how it can be converted into refined sugar and liquid sugar that can access the Caricom market,” President Ali stated. The process will add substantial value to the products, enhancing their competitiveness in existing markets, the president asserted. “We’re going to build the infrastructure. We’re going to do the training. We’re going to invest in our human capacity to bill our eco-tourism in this region, not only strong but competitive because we have

a product in this region that is second to none,” the head of state noted.

“This is a government that cares about equity. This is a government that holds your concerns, that holds your aspirations, and a government that is committed to the upliftment of all of you, all villages in Guyana, all indigenous people,” the president added.

The region’s unique cultural assets are seen as a cornerstone in creating a strong eco-tourism product that can stand its ground in the global

marketplace.

Already, the administration has injected almost $500 billion into different villages there to enhance livelihood and food security. Accordingly, substantial investments have been made in housing and water projects, reflecting a comprehensive strategy to enhance living conditions in the region. President Ali said his administration has accomplished 99 per cent of the commitment made in every village in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo district. (DPI)

Jobs in renewable energy nearly doubled...

Fully furnished 2 bedrooms apartment in Albert Street, Alberttown. Preferably students, no smoking and no pets allowed. Call 231-5695/ 611-9134.

From page 15 advance social justice, the transition to a cleaner energy future needs to be just and inclusive for all; workers, enterprises and communities. Hence, coherent and integrated frameworks are indispensable, with a focus on wages, occupational safety and health and rights at work, and based on effective social dialogue. The ILO’s Guidelines for a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all provide a central reference for policy making and actions to support a just transition that governments and other stakeholders can

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draw upon.

A just and inclusive energy transition must also pursue workforce development and diversity. The report highlights the need to expand education and training and increase career opportunities for youth, minorities and marginalised groups. Greater gender equity is also essential. At the moment, jobs in renewables remain unequally distributed between men and women. Currently, solar technology has the best gender balance compared to other sectors, with 40 per cent of jobs held by women.

Many countries are showing increased interest in

localising supply chains and creating jobs domestically, with support from appropriate industrial policies.

This goes hand-in-hand with a growing desire to lessen energy supply insecurities. China has successfully pursued a broad array of these industrial policies for some years. More recently, the EU, India, Japan, South Africa and the USA have announced initiatives to stimulate domestic manufacturing. However, countries will need to find ways to combine localisation efforts with continued global cooperation in pursuit of an ambitious energy transition.

Prosecution closes case in shooting...

From page 4 after producing the evidence in the matter to the court.

In their closing arguments, the prosecution contended that enough evidence was presented to the court to prove that the defendants are guilty of the crime they are charged for.

edly witnessed the robbery told police that he heard Edwards shouting “which bag, which bag” followed by two loud explosions suspected to be gunshots.

nab four suspects they believed shot her with the getaway car.

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Notably, the defence earlier this week submitted its response to the prosecutors’ case and the matter was adjourned until October 16, 2023. According to reports, the defendants pulled up in front of Edward’s home in a black wagon motorcar at around 16:20hrs on February 6, 2021 and proceeded to rob her in her yard. One neighbour who had report-

The neighbour continued that he peeped over and saw one of the suspects running from Edwards’ vehicle which was parked on the parapet in front of her house. The bandits then entered the backseat of the waiting wagon which sped off.

Kaieteur News later learnt that the bandit had shot Edwards twice to her left leg. She had to be rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation for immediate medical attention.

Police later managed to

Since their arrests, many had reached out to Kaieteur News calling them a gang that has been a menace to residents in the kitty area. At least two of the suspects are no stranger to the law. Rampersaud had been previously convicted of conspiring with another to commit armed robbery and had been cleared of that charge in 2015. The other suspect Bowman a taxi driver had been busted in 2019 with an illegal firearm and driving a car with a fake licence plate. Police were able to apprehend him then after they noticed him trailing another car.

President Irfaan Ali at the opening of Region Nine Amerindian Heritage Month celebrations at the St Ignatius Village Benab.

Guyana’s services sector sees sustained growth as a result of oil and gas impact – BoG report

Guyana services sector continues to experience sustained growth as a result ofactivitiesfromtheoiland gasindustry

According to the half yearreportreleasedbyBank of Guyana (BoG), major growth was recorded in the subsectors of professional, scientific & technical services, administrative & s u p p o r t s e r v i c e s , i n f o r m a t i o n & communication, wholesale, retail trade repairs, accommodation, food services,aswellastransport andstorage.Accordingtothe bank, the report noted that Guyana’sadministrativeand support services subsector expandedby16.1percentas

the petroleum sector continues its expansive growth. In the information and communication subsector, growth was recordedat19.8percent.

With expansion as a result of both public and private investments into infrastructure within the sector, the accommodation and food services industry experiencedanexpansionof 10.0percent.

The sector has been positively influenced by increased occupancy rates acrosshotelsandtheopening of new hotels, and dining establishments The construction sector experienced the most sustainedandrobustgrowth, increasingby44.1percentat

end-June 2023 “This outturn reflects a continued increase in government infrastructureprojects,along

with rapid private sector developmentinitiatives,”the reportsaid.

transport and storage industry grew by 6 7 percent This outturn reflected the continued

growth of the oil and gas sector which demanded more of these services

Overall, the services s e c t o r a c t i v i t i e s increased by 9 1 percent reflecting growth within all the subsectors of services. This growth is linked to encouraging investments within the sector. Meanwhile,thehalf year report pointed to the wholesale and retail trade as well as the repairs sector which recorded growth of 1 4 2 p e r c e n t a s infrastructuraldevelopments continuesrapidly

The BoG accredited this growthtoconsumersasthey continuetospendmore,asa sign of confidence in the economy

Roy’s Quality Spices gets approval to use ‘Made in Guyana’ Standard

The Guyana National

Bureau of Standards (GNBS)onMondaygranted approval for Roy’s Quality Spices of Adventure, Essequibo Coast to use the “Made in Guyana” Standards Mark on its more than 30 different spices and seasonings.

This Made in Guyana Certificationisthe34thdone by the GNBS and coincided

with the official opening of the company’s new manufacturing facility Products which will now carry the Standards Mark include:Roy’sExtraQuality Jerk Seasoning Mix, Ginger Powder, Ground Roasted Geera, Cinnamon Powder, Ground Black Pepper, Chowmein Seasoning Mix, Fried Rice Seasoning Mix and Roy’s Curry Powder,

RacialUnity...

Frompage06

r e l a t i o n s h i p s a n d connections while building trust. We need to have a national culture that promotes inclusion on every level. I call on our leaders, whether in the political, religious or work force arena, to adopt this mindset ofinclusion.

The foods we enjoy represent the cultural

heritages in Guyana. These foods provide nourishment to us and promote Guyana’s legacy Let’s not share only our foods, but our hearts. Whetheryoulikedalandroti orcook-upriceorpepperpot orfriedriceorgarlicporkor fried bora, let’s appreciate the value each culture equallybringstothetable.

Sincerely,

DanielSingh

GNBSsaidinapressrelease.

Speaking at the Certification ceremony, Region Chairperson of Region 2, Ms Vilma DaSilva applauded the Owners of Roy’s Quality Products, Mr and Mrs LakirajSinghforworkingto have their products Made in Guyana Certified. The RDC Chair and proprietor of a Made in Guyana Certified Coconut water company, reminded attendees of the ceremony that the private sectoristheengineofgrowth and she advocated that with quality, the country can move forward. “Guyana on the whole, when we look around, we produce lots of quality products, but we muststepupandconformto regulations to meet international standards”, Mrs.DaSilvastated.

Meanwhile, in his remarks Executive Director

Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), Mr Nizam Hassan, stated that it is always a proud moment for the GMSA to celebrate the achievements of its members. He advised that the Certification Mark that Roy’s will receive is a testament to the company’s commitmenttostandardsset b y t h e G N B S f o r manufacturing “Roy’s Quality products have demonstrated their commitment to sustainable production, employment creation and economic growth” the GMSAdirector stated.

H e a d o f G N B S Corporate Communications Department (CCD), Mr LloydDavid,speakingatthe event, was delighted that Roy’s Quality Products is among many businesses on the Essequibo Coast that have sought after and received the Made in

Guyana Certification. The Head, CCD acknowledged that GNBS has done considerableworktopromote thecertificationandishappy that more and more businesses, including those on the Essequibo Coast, are coming onboard As he congratulated the company for its achievement, he remindedthoseinattendance that acquiring the Made in Guyana Standards Mark not only benefits businesses but consumers who today desire qualityproducts.

Alsopresentattheevent was NAMILCO’s Quality Assurance Manager, Ms Taijawattie Williams who stated that her company is a satisfied customer of Roy’s Quality Products who has been supplying raw materials to her company since2020.

Finally, Marketing and SalesManagerofRoy’s,Mr Govinda Singh provided an

extensive overview of the familybusiness,sharingonthe successes and challenges endured by the business from itsinitiationin1994topresent He expressed gratitude to the GNBS,theGMSAandstaffof the business for their contributions towards its s u c c e s s a n d t h e accomplishment of becoming MadeinGuyanacertified Businesses considering applying for the Made in GuyanaStandardsMarkcan contact the Certification Services Department of the GNBS, which stands ready to offer the requisite guidance. The application formalongwiththedetailed requirements of the programme and the process of acquiring the Made in Guyana Standard Mark can be found on the GNBS w e b s i t e h t t p s :

Bank of Guyana

Some of the products on display

Arepresentative from Roy’s Quality Spices receiving the certification for use of the Made in Guyana Standards Mark

Frompage13 process According to a villager, one of the women died on the spot while two others died minutes after there being attended to by a doctor at the community Reportsarethatthevillagers left their homes early on Thursday to visit the farm which a primary school teacher recently started clearingofthickvegetation.

Chaoticscenesensuedat Jawallaasvillagersrushedto assistthevictimsatthefarm which is located some 20 minutes walking distance from the center of the community

Theinjuredweretakento the Jawalla Health Center while arrangements were beingmadetotransportthem to the Kamarang District Hospital late yesterday afternoon.

Frompage14 organizations, and institutionsonApril30.

Accordingtoastatement from OTC, ExxonMobil received the award for their innovative work that has resulted in Liza Phase 1 being one of the fastest projects of its type in the industry, cycling from discovery to production in less than five years, compared to the historical 10-yeartimelineforprojects ofthismagnitude.

It was added that Liza Phase 2 then came online about two years after Liza Phase 1 and within eight years of discovery, total production from the Liza fieldisapproaching400,000 barrelsperday—helpingto responsiblymeettheworld’s energy needs at a critical time.

“Prior to the Liza Development, Guyana had no active offshore oil industry, and little was known about its metocean and seabed conditions

ExxonMobil Guyana applied technology and novel execution approaches to discover, define and rapidly develop the Liza fieldinafrontieroilandgas location, turning it into one of the most successful deepwater developments in the world,” OTC said in the statement.

Notably, Exxon’s performance is in line with Guyana’ Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo request for

When contacted last evening, an official at the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) reported that the agency is aware of the incident.

The agency is compiling itsreportsontheissue.

Over the years, Jawalla andothervillageswithinthe Cuyuni/Mazaruni region have felt the brunt of heavy winds during stormy weather

In August 2017, a woman died after a house collapsed on her and her children during violent windsatJawalla.

The woman, Marsha Jordan, sought shelter with herchildrenunderthehouse when it collapsed. Jordan pushed her children from under the house in a desperate attempt to save them.

theoilandgascompaniesto accelerateexploration.

Back in February, President of ExxonMobil’s Upstream Company, Liam Mallon had boasted about the breakneck speed with which ExxonMobil Guyana was able to cut the time in half to move from exploration to production in adeepwaterproject.

Mallon was at the time speaking at the second International Energy Conference and Expo 2023 being held at the Guyana MarriottHotel.

He underscored that since the first discovery in 2015, the estimate of Guyana’s resource has grown to nearly 11 billion barrels, which makes it the largestinindustryinthepast decade.

“In total we’ve made more than 30 discoveries, and we’re still exploring Guyana’s vast potential,” Mallon added Mallon continued, “And really critically, we moved from the very first Liza 1 exploration well to first production nearly three yearsagoinunderfiveyears. That is roughly half the industry average time for a typical deep water development.”

Notably, Mallon stated toothatintotal,theoilmajor anticipates having six projects online with a capacity of more than 1.2 million barrels per day by endof2027.

20 persons living with disabilities graduate from training course

Determined to make valuable contributions to the workforce and not allow their conditions to limit theirpotential,some20youngsters have graduated from the Ministry of Health's National Vocational Training Centre for persons with disabilitiesalsoknownastheOpen DoorsCentre.

The graduates completed the two-year training in courses includingbeautycare,garmentand craft, carpentry, and information technology(IT).

The centre which focuses on providingtrainingopportunitiesfor young adults ages 16-45 held its eleventh graduation ceremony at the Ministry of Health, Brickdam,

Georgetown on Wednesday Best graduating participant, Gabriel

Gilkes reminisced on his life story before he registered at the centre, notingthatthejourneyhasallowed himtoachievehisfullestpotential.

“Three,fouryearsago,Iwouldnot have attempted a lot of those soft skills that I have gotten and have gained from what the institution would have instilled in me… I thankGodforusingthisinstitution to help me fulfill my potential,”

Gilkes expressed profoundly Permanent Secretary of the Health Ministry, Malcolm Watkins who represented Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony expressed satisfaction with the milestone achievedbythegraduates.Healso

applauded the support system that wasprovidedtothetraineesduring theirstintattheinstitution.

He noted that the government acknowledges that persons living withdisabilitiesaregivenequitable and fair treatment and support systems to help them achieve their goals.

“Asweexpandoursupport,we intendtocommitcloselywithother stakeholders and continue to improveourcollaborationswiththe other stakeholders nationally and individually, to find ways to provide more support as we move

forward in the coming years,” he assured.

Headded,“Icantellyou,being here, working with the leadership here and with the guidance of the government, we truly believe this mottoandwedoeverything,every day to make decisions that are important to persons living with disabilities.” Meanwhile, Director of Rehab Services, Dr Ariana Mangar charged the graduates to continuetomaketheirfamiliesand theinstitutionproudastheyventure intotheworldofwork.

The Open Doors Centre was

established in 2001, under the genesis of a project instituted and funded by Associazione Italiana AmicideRaoulFalleau(AIFO),an Italian non-governmental organisation.

The centre also assists the trainees in finding jobs or furthering their studies through enrolment in other institutions like the Carnegie School of Home Economics, and Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC) For further information, feel free to contact the Centre on 219-2737 or 219-2753.(DPI)

Guyana officially launched 15 new tourism experiences on the observance of World Tourism Day 2023 last Wednesday afternoon at BooklandGardens.

Minister of Tourism Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond commended the work of the Guyana Tourism Authority in helping tour operators refine their productsforvisitors.

She told the gathering of tour operators that now is the time to invest in Tourism, noting that tourism will be the pillar of Guyana's economy even after the natural resources have been exploited.

“Let us all indeed as the private sector, really begin to treat seriously with our tourism product.

Let us take the risk. Now is the time, the investments are beingmade,itisbeingopenedup, incentives and packages are beingoffered,taketherisk,come together as a group consortium and make the investment, especially in our eco-tourism product,” Minister Walrond stated. Minister Walrond believes that Guyana's tourism product is unparalleled but is yet to be uncovered.

She is urging the private sector to use opportunities like theWorld

Travel Market to showcase what Guyanahastooffer Shenotedthat the government is making the necessary investments in infrastructure like Airports, roads and bridges that will aid the industry

“Tourism is a priority sector for government and you see that in the tangible investment that wearemakingintermsofmoney

in the tourism sector and it should not be taken for granted, as we can see, how many families,15 new experiences, therearenumerous,hundredsof people that are going to be employed, communities impacteddirectlybytourismand visitor'sdollars,”shenoted.

Minister Walrond said the launching of new products aligns

with Guyana's unwavering commitmenttosustainabletourism development and promotion. “We are diversifying our tourism productbecausewewanttomake sure that Guyana, every single month of the year, have recordbreakingnumbersandarrival.

Becauseultimatelyitbenefits all of us and it benefits the economyandwearebeginningto

see the tremendous trickle-down benefitsofthat,”sheadded.

The event saw several operatorslikeTouringGuyana,Eco Destination Tours, Bimichi Ecio lodge, Savannah Tours, Mahaica River Tours, Paurima, Iwokrama, Rupununi Adventures, and Nappi Village,introducingnewtoursthat are suited to the different interests oftourists.(DPI)

A section of the graduates who are qualified and ready for the workforce

Best Graduating Trainee, Gabriel Gilkes

Minister of Tourism Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond with Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, Kamrul Baksh, Head of the Product Development, Candace Phillips and the Tourism Development team.

Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis National Novice C/ship commences today

of electrifying pugilistic action.

Trophy Stall batting with Prime Minister’s Softball Cup

Trophy Stall of Canada has once again committed to the Prime Minister’s Softball Cup by donating the winners’ trophies.

(Open) twenty/twenty.

The stage is set for the 2023 Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis National Novice Boxing Championship as the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) conducted the official weigh-

in process yesterday at the National Gymnasium. The event is slated to commence today at the aforementioned venue. The tournament will run

from September 29th to October 3rd, with the action kicking off daily at 18:30 hours.

The GBA extends a warm invitation to all boxing enthusiasts to witness three nights

Friday September 15, 2023

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19)

Don't try to fit into a mold you simply don't belong in, Aries. You may have gone through a major transformation lately in which you went from being a square peg to a round peg.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

There may be subtle messages in people's words today that you need to attend to, Taurus. Other people could be trying to send you hints in order to push your buttons.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

Don't keep playing along with the games if you no longer want to repeat the same drama, Gemini. By placing yourself in a victim role, you're opening yourself up to manipulation and control by others.

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

Today is excellent for you, Cancer. You should be encouraged to take action in any artistic realm. Cook a scrumptious dinner and share it with a loved one.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22)

Go weed the garden, Leo. If you don't have a garden, start one. It's important for you to get into the Earth today, so roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22)

There's great opportunity for romance today, Virgo. Love the people you're with, but don't smother them. The more you loosen your grip on a situation, the more you will gain control of it.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

The active and receptive natures of your being are coming together, Libra. There's a balance between these two aspects. You're able to attract the prosperity and love.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

Today is a fantastic day for you. Your sensual, caring nature will be appreciated, Scorpio. Whether you actively pursue it or sit back and relax, you will receive the love and good fortune you desire.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

Being married to someone for many years takes work, Sagittarius. No one said it was going to be easy. Hollywood promotes a fantasyland that can make your life look drab and boring by comparison.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) = It

Today is a great day to make your big move, Capricorn. If there's something in the love and romance department that you feel you need to act on, this is the day to do it. It's now or never.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

Take your focus off you and concentrate on someone else for a day, Aquarius. This doesn't mean focusing so the person will stop and pay attention to you.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

It might take an extra few minutes to get out of bed today, Pisces, but it will be worth it when you do. You will find that the more honest you've been with people, the more payoffs.

Over 50 pugilists hailing from top-performing boxing gyms are primed and ready to contend for championship honours. Notable gyms such as the Police Boxing Gym, Republican Boxing Gym, Forgotten Youth Foundation, and the Guyana Defence Force Boxing Gym, among others, will engage in a fierce battle for supremacy at this year’s championship.

Will the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) manage to retain the coveted title of the best gym, or will the pugilists from Republican Boxing Gym endeavor to prove their mettle against the law enforcement team? In their bid to defend their championship, the GDF has registered an impressive contingent of over 21 boxers, making it the largest representation in this year’s event.

The Novice competition serves as a platform for identifying promising new talents with the potential to elevate the sport of boxing locally. It also provides young prospects with an opportunity to hone their skills in a discipline that holds vast potential to become one of the premier sports and tourism attractions in the country.

Meanwhile, in a prior interview, Terrence Poole, the Technical Director of the GBA, emphasized the significance of this tournament for the sport’s growth, stating, “This tournament marks the initial phase where we assess the talents and capabilities of our fighters and their potential to advance in the sport. It’s where we identify future prospects. We anticipate a substantial turnout from various gyms, as everyone is determined to win. Expect a highly competitive event.”

On Wednesday at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground in Queenstown, Georgetown, Managing Director of the Markham Location in Ontario, Roger Sunich handed over the trophies to president of the Georgetown Softball Cricket League (GSCL) Inc Ian John.

The 7th annual softball extravaganza got cracking yesterday with the Women’s 15-overs knockout competition. Eight teams participated. The semis were slated for later yesterday with the championship game billed for Sunday morning at the DCC venue as well. The Men’s various categories will bowl off today, Friday, and finish on Sunday too. There will be Legends (Over-50), Masters (Over-40) and All-Stars

Meanwhile, John was thankful to Sunich for the donation of the trophies and positive that this year’s edition would be fulfilling and exciting as teams from USA, Canada and Guyana taking part.

Sunich, the brother of popular businessman Ramesh Sunich of Bourda Market in Georgetown, Guyana, was delighted to be onboard. He mentioned he will continue his commitment to softball cricket and was very appreciative to the GSCL Inc for giving him the opportunity to putting up the top silverware prizes.

The GSCL Inc is hosting the tournament in collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister and Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.

Over $3M are up for grabs with mammoth cash prizes for the victorious teams in each category.

Members of the Republican Boxing Gym pose for photo-op.

AAG Senior Championship starts today …T&Tathletestocompete

The Athletics Association of Guyana(AAG)is set to commence its highly anticipated National Senior Championships today at the recently refurbished National Track and Field Centre in Edinburgh, West Demerara.

Sheryl Hermonstine, President of the AAG, has

revealed that the three-day championshipwillshowcase some of the nation’s exceptional athletes, alongside participants from TrinidadandTobago.

The action is scheduled tokickoffat5:00pmtoday, w i t h p r o c e e d i n g s commencingat10:00amon bothSaturdayandSunday

Hermonstine expressed

the AAG’s elation at finally beingabletohosttheirlongdelayed championship, extending gratitude to the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport, as well as the NationalSportsCommission (NSC)fortheirsupport.

While the primary focus of the event is on senior athletes,competitorsbornin 2007 are eligible to

participate today in events such as the men’s 10,000m, women’s5000m,highjump, men’sshotput,andwomen’s 100m.

“We anticipate three thrillingdaysofcompetitive events, and I have full confidence that the athletes and coaches are prepared to deliver, ” remarked Hermonstine.

Hermonstine said fans will not see Emanuel Archibald, National Champion in the long jump, 100m and 200m in action, since he’s in preparation mode for next month’s Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile.

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Running Brave track club, the Police Progressive Youth Club, Hopetown Flames, and athletes from Linden are expectedtoparticipate.

Mark Scott serves as the competition’s Technical Delegate, while Kenisha

Headly will oversee the sports as the Competition Secretary H e r m o n s t i n e emphasised the pivotal role played by the technical committee, led by Orin Thomas and his team, in o r g a n i s i n g t h e championship.

The AAG president also acknowledged the valuable support of sponsors for the Association’s premier event in2023,includingtheKMPA Foundation, Banks DIH, Courts Guyana, GT&T, Guyana Beverage Inc., and WoodpeckerProducts.

Republican Boxing...

Frompage25

Police Force, Forgotten Youth Foundation, Pace and Power, Rose Hall, and Vergenoegen, will commenceonadailybasisat 18:00hrs.

Themedicalassessmentand weight-in was held yesterday at the National

Gymnasium. The championship, whichisstagedinhonourof the former world champion, who unfortunately died on May4th,2015,inavehicular accident,birthedthejourney of numerous of the nation’s leading premier amateur pugilists.

AAG President Sheryl Amanda Hermonstine

Cricket West Indies clarifies bidding process for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024

ST JOHN’S, Antigua –Cricket West Indies (CWI) issuedastatementyesterday to provide clarity on the ongoing process of venue selection for the ICC Men’s T20WorldCupscheduledto take place in the Caribbean andUSAinJune2024.

CWI acknowledges the enthusiasm and interest expressed by various governments, cricket boards, and stakeholders in hosting the highly anticipatedtournament.

Johnny Grave, Chief Executive Officer stated: “Following a robust selection process of our seven host venues, CWIappointed Venues Selection

Committee, chaired by President Dr Kishore

Shallow, has made recommendationstotheICC onallocationsofmatchesfor ICC Men’s T20 World Cup scheduledtotakeplaceinthe Caribbean and USAin June 2024.”

He also acknowledged the commendable efforts made by nations within the

region; however, he emphasized that final decisions have yet to be

r e a c h e d “ T h e s e

recommendations are subjecttovenuesconfirming commitment to all required

obligations and ICC approval. We are delighted by the enthusiasm and

interest expressed by our host governments and

cricket Boards and appreciatethehardworkand commitment shown as we look to deliver a spectacular

Men’s T20 World Cup next year Wewillnowworkwith the ICC, our hosts and ICC Members to finalise the match schedule in the comingweeks.”

Linden Technical Institute, who last F r i d a y d o w n e d Kwakwani to win GroupAandadvanceto the three team finals, will collide with Group B ’s b e s t t e a m Mackenzie High in the playoffs final which starts this afternoon at 3.00pm at the Retrieve HardCourt.

This tournament is o r g a n i z e d t o acknowledge Education Month in Region 10 by theBruschesBasketball Foundation and Kings Basketball Club in collaboration with the D e p a r t m e n t o f Education in Linden and the Linden Mayor andTownCouncil.

IntheirfinalgroupA game last Friday, the Linden Technical Institute got past Kwakwani Secondary 50-36 following a half timeleadof28-15.

TosecuretheLinden Technical Institute’s victory Neil Marks (Jr) scored 15 points as S Georgegot12andCollin Phillips10.Kwakwani’s leading scorers were Cordel Hoyte 13 points and Aaron Logan with 13 Today’sfirstgamein the playoffs will see Mackenzie High and Linden Technical Institute going at each other as the other team whichisinthistriangular final,GroupC’swinners, Christianburg Wismar Secondary, will be in action next Wednesday when they meet MackenzieHighSchool also at the Retrieve HardCourt.

And next Friday the final game in these playoffs final brings together Christianburg Wismar Secondary and Linden Technical Institute at the same venuefrom3.00pm.

Linden Mayor’s Cup U-21 Schools Basketball final...

Mackenzie High and Linden Technical Institute battle for honours as finals begin today at Retrieve Hard Court

CWI Chief Executive Officer Johnny Grave

BCB Launches Jagdeo Construction Lower Corentyne Second Division Tournament

Atotalofeighteen second division teams from the Lower Corentyne area wouldshortlybeinvolvedin a Knockout second division cricket tournament which was officially launched on Monday last Popular Berbice Contractor, Kris Jagdeo, of Jagdeo

Construction Inc. has joined hands with the Berbice Cricket Board to sponsor a 20/20crickettournamentfor teamsbetweenNo.1Roadto No.43Village.

BCB President Hilbert Foster hailed the support of the company and urged the eighteen teams to get themselves in order for the startofthetournamentonthe 15th of October The teams taking part are Kennard Memorial, Ramnarine Memorial,Kildonan,Whim, Tain Block 4, Port Mourant, RHT Bakewell, Rose Hall Tigers, UG Elites, Guns and Cannon, Tamarind Roots, Belvedere United, Albion, Jai Hinds, Chesney, Kilcoy, FyrishandCourtland.

The first round of the

tournament would involve thefollowingmatches:

1. Fyrish vs Whim @ Fyrish

2. Kilcoy vs. Tamarind Roots@Kilcoy

3.JaiHindsvs.Kildonan @JaiHinds

4.Chesneyvs.Albion@ Chesney

5. Ramnarine Memorial vs.TainBlock4@Liverpool

6 UG Elites vs Courtland@PortMourant–10am

7. Port Mourant vs. Belevdere@PortMourant–1:30pm

8.RHTYSCvs.Kennard Memorial @ Area ‘H’ – 10 am

9. RHT Tigers vs. Gun and Cannon @ Area ‘H’ –

1pm

BCB President Hilbert Foster and Chairman of the Competition Committee

Leslie Solomon met representatives of the clubs onWednesdayandinformed them that the tournament is thefirstofthreetobeplayed in the Lower Corentyne Area.

Onlyplayerslivinginthe

sub areas would be allowed toparticipate. Theothertwo L o w e r C o r e n t y n e tournaments would be another20/20anda40overs roundrobin.

Foster expressed thanks to Kris Jagdeo for his continuedsupportandhailed the $300,000 sponsorship as another red letter day in the continued development of Berbice Cricket. Jagdeo statedthathewaspleasedto be associated with Berbice Cricket as he was impressed with the developments taking place in the county. Thewinningteam,runnerup andManoftheFinalswould receive monetary awards alongwithtrophies.

Meanwhile, the Berbice CricketBoardisontheverge of joining hands with the University of Guyana to open the historic Berbice Cricket Wall of Fame at the BerbiceCampus.

A total of twenty nine Berbice players who played for the West Indies at the tests, ODI and 20/20 levels would be inducted in the Wall of Fame, which would

be situated in the Berbice Campus.

The list of players are John Trim, Rohan Kanhai, Ivan Madray, Joe Solomon, Basil Butcher, Roy

F r e d e r i c k s , A l v i n Kallicharran, Leonard Baichan, Sew Shivnarine, ClaytonLambert,Mahendra Nagamootoo, Narsingh Deonarine, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Deverdra

Bishoo, Assad Fudadin, B r a n d o n B e s s , Veersasammy Permaul, Shimron Hetmyer, Gudakesh Motie, Candancy A k t i n s , S h e m a i n e

Campbelle, Erva Giddings, Shakabi Gajnabi, Sheneeta Grimmond, Tremayne

Smartt, Ashmini Munisar, Royston Crandon, Romario Shepherd and Milton Pydana.Aplaquealongwith

their cricket information would be unveiled for each playerattheUniversity

TheBCBbillboardwith the county’s twenty test players would also be upgraded.

Thebillboardwasplaced up in 2012 in front of the historic Port Mourant Cricket Ground which has produced seven of the players.

WestIndiesWomenopentourto Australiawithpracticematchwin

SYDNEY, Australia-

TheWestIndiesWomengot theirtourofAustraliaoffto a winning start with a 4wicket victory over a New South Wales (NSW) Women’s team at Wilson Park.

Batting first, Karishma Ramharack had the NSW ladies spun tightly in her off-spin web along with skipper Hayley Matthews. NSWWomen posted 105/9 fromtheir20overs,skipper Sammy-Jo Johnson was their top-scorer with 28 followed by Hannah

Darlington with 24 Ramharack finished with figures of 3-0-12-3 and Matthews2-0-7-2.

Shemaine Campbelle

led the West Indies Women’s run-chase with the bat, as she posted 33 from 34 deliveries which included five boundaries. SkipperMatthewswasnext bestwith24off27.Aaliyah Alleyne 19 not out and ZaidaJames15notouttook

thevisitorshometovictory in17.5overs.

Head Coach Shane Deitz was pleased with the team’s first outing since arriving in Australia four daysago.

Hesaid“It’sgoodtoget thefirstwinontour.Ithink we’ve got a lot of areas we need to improve on especially getting used to batting on these wickets with some extra pace and bounce.

Overall, I think we played generally good allround and it’s going to put usinagoodpositiontoplay onSunday

The ODI series against Australia is West Indies’ fourth fixture in the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-2025 after playing New Zealand, England and Ireland Each match provides West Indies with opportunitytowinvaluable points to climb the Championship table where they currently lie 9th out of

ten teams. Following the Australia Series, West Indies Women will have four further three-match ODI series to play over the nexttwoyears.Attheendof thecycle,thetopfiveteams in the ICC Women’s Championship and will book a berth for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cupin2025aswellashosts India.The remaining teams will have to go through the ICC Women’s Cricket WorldCupQualifier

MatchSchedule

1 October: 1st T20I at NorthSydneyOval,Sydney

2 October: 2nd T20I at NorthSydneyOval,Sydney ( n i g h t )

5October:3rdT20IatAllan Border Field, Brisbane (night)

8 October: 1st ODI at Allan Border Field, B r i s b a n e

12 October: 2nd ODI at Junction Oval, Melbourne

14 October: 3rd ODI at JunctionOval,Melbourne

Hilbert Foster along with the Director of the Tain Campus Dr. Gomathirnayagam Subramarian meet to discuss the Wall of Fame.

Guyanese Golfers head to Suriname

Guyana will once again send a large contingent of golfers to Suriname to challenge for the title in the DSB Invitational Stableford Golf Championship scheduledforOctober6-7as 90 players from several countries will play in the Men’s Championship 0-13, First Flight 14-24 and Second Flight 25-30 along with Female categories Championship 0-22 and 2336.

The Stableford points system, which is the format of Suriname Invitational, is differentfromthemedalplay format that is played in Guyana, Trinidad and Barbados but allows for fasterplayandawardsprizes for Best Gross, Nearest to Pin and Longest Drive, categories that Guyana has been able to capitalize on severaltimes.

The annual tournament has seen strong competition between the two countries andGuyanahasbeenableto take the top honours in the Female category several

times over the past few years.Lastyear,intheMen’s Championship category, Guyana Golf Association President Aleem Hussain took third place after a

countback and hopes to improvethisyear

With the growth of golf becoming more visible in Guyana over the past few years through the efforts of

Republican Boxing Gym resuscitated

The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) has officially confirmed the revival of the Republican Gym, which will make its competitive re-emergence following a five-year hiatus at the 2023 edition of the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis N a t i o n a l N o v i c e s Championships from this evening to Sunday, October 1st, at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue.

The popular fighting stable,willfeature10boxers in the tournament, who will be under the tutelage of national coach Lennox Daniels, who, under the auspices of the National Sports Commission, has been working assiduously with the group at the Lusignan Prison Facility, EastCoastDemerara.

GBA President Steve Ninvalle said, “Like the proverbialphoenixfromthe ashes, the Republican Gym has re-emerged, and their reappearance, which is very significant given their historic contributions to the

discipline and the overall fraternity,hasbeenaproject thatwasdirectlyundertaken andassistedbytheGBAand the National Sports Commission.”

He further said, “We c o m p r e h e n d t h e significance of providing opportunitiesandaplatform for individuals to display their aptitudes, and these occasions and chances should be available and afforded to all and sundry The GBAanticipates, much to the benefit of the tournament, that their reemergence will serve as a catalyst for the gym’s continuedvibrancy Assuch,

the gym was provided a quality coaching apparatus administered by national coach Lennox Daniels for their utilization so that their returnwillbeasmemorable as it’s competitive ” Ninvalle reminded that coached then by Wincell Thomas, the Republican Gymhadturnedthetableon the highly favoured GDF gym at the 2014 National Intermediate.

This year’s National Novice which will feature participation from notable gyms such as defending champion the Guyana DefenceForce,theGuyana

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the GGA and Nexgen Golf Academyinassociationwith

the Ministry of Education Unit of Allied Arts and the

Guyana Tourism Authority, it is expected that the numbers of junior players participatingininternational tournamentswillincrease.

According to Vice PresidentoftheGGADallas Thomas, “In 2022/2023, over 400 students opted to take golf as a PE elective at the CSEC examinations and that number is expected to increasein2024.

With the addition of the Westside Golf Course, the innovative golf facility that allowsbeginnerstoplaygolf without high membership fees or investment in equipment,itisexpectedthat the level of play from new players will rapidly improve.”

Severalnewgolfcourses areplannedforthecountryin thecomingyearstomeetthe rising demand from both local and expat golfers and the Ministry of Tourism is advocatingsportstourismas afocalgrowtharea.

Some of the golfers headed to Suriname.

Lennox Daniels

Wincell Thomas

Trophy Stallbatting with Prime Minister’s Softball Cup

Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis National Novice

West Indies women celebrate during the match. (CWI Media)

BCB President Hilbert Foster Launches Kris Jagdeo Construction Inc. tournament with representatives of the company

Ian John, left, receives one of the trophies from Roger Sunich.