Guyana Times - Monday, July 31, 2023

$100M X-ray machine commissioned at Diamond Hospital

Guyana, China to expand trade & investment as 2 nations deepen bilateral relations – to establish Economic Cooperation Working

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Group

US-based Guyanese robbed at gunpoint during home invasion – only arrived in Guyana on Thursday

Oil production on Liza Destiny, Unity

See story on page 9

FPSOs could increase to over 400,000 bpd

...Exxon has capacity to increase production in safe, sustainable way – CEO

Teenager drowns during workplace outing at creek

Hope Canal water reservoir project estimated to cost €55M – Govt to source funding

Duo drops bags with 27lbs of ganja after spotting Police

We must have zero tolerance for human trafficking

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– Minister Benn

...calls for more international support, resources to tackle scourge

GCCI, UN ink agreement to advance SDGs, promote strategic partnership

Govt spent $500M since 2020 to support mangrove restoration – Min Mustapha

...says mangroves play vital role in sea defence efforts

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Altercation with off-duty Police Officer at city nightclub leaves Charlestown man injured Improvised weapons, ganja found during NA Prison raid

Improvised weapons, ganja found during NA Prison raid

AJoint Services op -

eration was on Saturday conducted at New Amsterdam Prison during which a quantity of contraband items was unearthed.

The search lasted for about two hours and was done in various sections of the penitentiary.

The items found were

nine cell phones, one GT&T SIM card, a quantity of cigarettes, 11 lighters, one smoking utensil, nine improvised weapons, one pair of scissors, four metal spoons, one bucket of fermented wine, four bottles of processed wine and 282 grams of cannabis.

In May 2022, the

The contraband items found during the raid on Saturday

Guyana Prison Service (GPS) had introduced a “Stop and Search” initiative within the confines of each prison location, in a bid to end the continued flow of contraband being smuggled into the prisons.

Director of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot had warned members of the public who are found colluding

in trafficking contraband into the various prisons countrywide that they will be arrested and placed before the courts.

He reminded that it is an offence under Section 53 (1) of the Prison Act for persons to throw any item over the prison fence, which attracts a fine or a period of imprisonment.

Elliot indicated that the GPS will be erecting signs at strategic points outside of the prisons, warning the public to desist and the consequences attach to such an act.

Furthermore, the Prison Director also men -

tioned that the Prison Administration and the Guyana Police Force (GPF), will be engaging residents living in close proximity to the various prisons of the situation.

Further, he added that a built-up civilian population living in close proximity to the prisons would have contributed to the increased contraband items being smuggled into the prions.

Meanwhile, the latest efforts from members of the public to smuggle contraband into a prison were thwarted by prison officers attached to the New

Amsterdam Prison on May 16 and 17 last.

A bag containing 2275 grams of narcotics and 12 cartons of cigarettes was retrieved and handed over to the Police.

Nevertheless, back in January 2023, Sarafine Pitt of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), a female prison officer, was charged after 604 grams of marijuana was discovered in the guard hut at the New Amsterdam Prison. Bail was granted to her in the sum of $100,000 after she denied the charge.

Duo drops bags with 27lbs of ganja after spotting Police

The Police on Saturday retrieved two bags containing a total of 27lbs of ganja that were dropped by two men at Edinburgh Village, East Bank Berbice, Region Six.

Police stated that a team of ranks were conducting patrol duties when they observed two men carrying two bulky bags on their shoulders.

As such, the ranks called out to the men, who upon seeing the Police dropped the bags and made good their escape in a nearby cane field. The ranks reportedly gave chase, but the men managed to evade them.

The two bags were, however, retrieved and checked during which the cannabis was found. The bags containing the cannabis was taken to the Central Police Station in New Amsterdam, Berbice, where the ganja was weighed and amounted to 27lbs.

The bags with the ganja that were retrieved on Saturday

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, July 31 – 03:00h

– 04:30h and Tuesday, Aug

1 – 05:00h – 06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, July 31 – 15:30h

– 17:00h and Tuesday, Aug

1 – 16:20h – 17:50h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.

WEATHER TODAY

There will be thundery showers and sunshine during the day. Expect clear skies and thundery showers at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East South-Easterly between 2.68 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 15:43h reaching a maximum height of 2.48 metres.

Low Tide: 09:12h and 21:31h reaching minimum heights of 0.6 metre and 0.73 metre.

Guyana, China to expand trade & investment as 2 nations deepen bilateral relations

– to establish Economic Cooperation Working Group

– President Ali meets Chinese Premier

By Jarryl Bryan

Following President Dr Irfaan Ali’s visit to China last week, a joint statement between the two countries confirms that tangible benefits for Guyana are being derived from the trip, including a commitment with China to expand trade and investments and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will give effect to this.

During President Ali’s visit to China, he attended the FISU World University Games in Chengdu and had extensive bilateral discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

President Ali also met with the Premier of China’s State Council, Li Qiang on Sunday. Throughout these discussions, one thing was clear: both countries are committed to deepening their bilateral relations.

Specifically, the two countries reaffirmed their respect for each other’s independence and territorial integrity. Guyana also reaffirmed its support for the one-China principle. When it comes to trade between the two countries, meanwhile, a commitment was made to increase this in concrete ways.

“Both sides welcomed the signing of Memoranda of Understanding on the establishment of an Investment and Economic Cooperation Working Group… both sides recognised the important value of trade and investment in deepening economic ties and committed to creating a favourable business environment to facilitate bilateral trade and investment activities,” the joint statement said.

Further, it was revealed that both countries agreed to explore the possibility of expanding trade in a variety of industries, including agriculture, energy, mining, manufacturing, and services.

In addition, the sides recognised the crucial role of the business community of Guyana and China in driving the economic development of the two countries and as such, encouraged the business communities to take advantage of investment opportunities and forge partnerships.

Trade between Guyana and China has been increasing over the past few years, and at the end of 2022, bilateral trade in goods jumped to US$1.88 billion. In August 2022, China’s status as a valued partner in Guyana’s development was underscored at a China-Guyana Investment Opportunities seminar, where it was revealed that trade between the two countries for the first half of last year totalled US$950 million.

During the seminar, Vice Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of

International Trade (CCPIT),

Zhang Shaogang revealed that of that total figure, Guyana’s exports to China accounted for US$720 million. The US$950 million is in fact a more than 200 per cent increase in trade between the two countries.

Renewable energy

Another area where the two countries are planning to increase their collaboration is renewable energy, with the joint statement indicating that they are committed to expanding cooperation in renewable energy, climate resilience, and adaptation, which includes global advocacy. This is in recognition of the global challenges posed by climate change.

“Both sides also discussed the implementation of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, noting that 2023 represents a milestone for its achievement. Both sides expressed the firm conviction that greater international mobilisation is critical for bridging the economic divide between developed and developing countries, strengthening developing countries’ capacity to respond to shocks.”

When it comes to infrastructure development, they both agreed to expand collaboration and review collaboration in the development of critical infrastructure while leveraging China’s expertise and financial capacity. They also agreed to deepen collab-

oration in the medical field, by exchanging best practices and skills, with President Ali hailing Chinese medical teams for their service to Guyana.

Global stage

At a bilateral level, the two countries agreed to have regular meetings with each other, noting the importance of meeting regularly to boost bilateral cooperation and coordinating on multilateral occasions.

Back in June, Guyana was elected, by an overwhelming majority, to a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council – representing the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC). In the joint statement, President Ali expressed his gratitude for China’s support of Guyana’s election to the UN Security Council.

The Chinese side meanwhile lauded President Ali for the role Guyana has been playing in regional and international affairs, in particular when it comes to food security, regional integration, and China-Community of Latin American and Caribbean (CELAC) relations.

“President Ali shared with the Chinese side his conviction that keen attention needed to be paid by both developed and developing countries in promoting food, climate, and energy security for sustained development. Both sides noted that the global development initiative was one framework that could support the implementation of this objective,” a statement added.

President Ali met with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on Friday

Views

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Commemorations

Tomorrow, August 1st, we commemorate Emancipation Day – as we have done since the occasion was performatively given meaning on August 1, 1838. It was the day on which – after two hundred years of being shipped across the Atlantic and enslaved to work on the cotton, coffee, and sugar plantations of first the Dutch and then the English – African Guyanese were finally free. It is important, therefore, that we appreciate what is meant by “commemoration” in general, and emancipation in particular.

The dictionary informs us that to commemorate is to “call to remembrance”; to mark an event or a person or a group by a ceremony or an observance or a monument of some kind. The most salient feature of commemorations is that they attempt to prod our collective memory in some noteworthy way. A decade ago, the Irish who have had a very conflicted past as we have, decided to examine the commemoration process as they launched a “decade of commemorations”. Their findings may be useful to us.

They stated that “Commemoration marks out the special from the ordinary, or the extraordinary, from the everyday and acts of commemoration, is about retaining in the memory or committing to the memory, events, developments, and people from the past. When we mark anniversaries or other important historical or cultural movements, we assign meaning to an event, occurrence, or lives of individuals or groups that we deem to be important to who we are as a society.”

They announced several “principles for commemoration” which should be viewed in the context of developing an ‘inclusive and accepting society’. They advise that we 1) Start from the historical facts; 2) Recognise the implications and consequences of what happened; 3) Understand that different perceptions and interpretations exist and show how events and activities can deepen understanding of the period.

They suggested, however, that “commemoration can be a mixed bag. On one hand, commemoration can be an enjoyable experience that opens up historical events in a way that makes a personal impact. Commemoration can also promote acknowledgment by pointing to a legacy of the past that still has importance today and can be beneficial to a society, because it has the potential to help develop or renew relationships between opposing groups by working together to bring conflicting views of history together for a shared purpose.

On the other hand, commemoration can also be difficult, divisive, or painful. Many times, commemoration is used to ritualise and harden the boundaries between groups who have been in conflict, which causes further division. Sometimes competing groups try to control the meaning of particular commemorations, and some can feel that the story about certain historical events gets taken over by other groups for their own purposes. Also, commemoration can lead to the forgetting of other dimensions of historical fact that contradict or complicate the agreed story.”

With that advice on commemorations in general, maybe we can apply it to our commemoration of Emancipation in particular. We start with the need for Guyanese to be apprised of the historical facts about Emancipation Day. Do we have a credible accounting of the number of Africans who were shipped into what was then the three colonies of Berbice, Essequibo, and Demerara and enslaved? Do we know the number who died during the Middle Passage across the Atlantic; or the conditions under which they laboured without recompense or the punishment inflicted on them? What is the distinction between earlier forms of slavery and “chattel slavery” that Africans were subjected to? And so on and so forth.

Then there is the recognition of “the implications and consequences of what happened”. The pernicious notion of “race” was invented to justify the enslavement of Africans. For the first time in the history of mankind, it was declared that physical features like skin colour and hair texture determined the intellectual, spiritual, moral, and cultural capabilities of humans.

And lastly, examine how extensively such beliefs may still persist in Guyana and elsewhere. Then we may understand what we are commemorating tomorrow.

Dear Editor, Reference is made to the Oil and Gas Governance Network’s (OGGN) letter dated July 29th, 2023, published in the Kaieteur News and Stabroek News. The letter was a response to concerns this author raised surrounding the organisation’s legitimacy.

Many of the concerns, however, remained unanswered. The only matter the OGGN sought to confirm is that it is a registered organisation, and it has been granted the status of 501 (c) (3) by the IRS. So, on this note, I thank the OGGN Directors for their response.

Notwithstanding, I wish to point out to the general public that the OGGN’s activities remain highly questionable to the point where it appears that the organisation is in violation of the 501 (c) (3) requirements in accordance with the United States tax laws.

To this end, the IRS publication 4220 (Rev.3-2018) Catalogue Number 37053T Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service, prescribed the disclosure requirements for 501 (c) (3) organisations. The disclosure requirements are stated as follows:

“Public Inspection of Exemption Applications and Returns – Section 501 (c) (3) organizations must make their applications (Form 1023 or Form 1023EZ) and the annual returns (Form 990, or Form 990-EZ or Form 990-PF), available to the public for inspection, upon request and without

charge (except for a reasonable charge for copying). Each annual return must be made available for a threeyear period starting with the filing date of the return. For tax years beginning after August 17, 2006, Section 501 (c) (3) organizations that file unrelated business income tax returns (Form 990T) must make them available for public inspection. Organizations should not include private information of donors or other individuals, such as a Social Security number, in any information return.”

Moreover, non-profit organisations in the United States are required to make their financial statements available to the public. Form 990 includes a nonprofit’s figures for revenue, expenses, assets, and liabilities, and all 501(c) (3) nonprofits are required to submit Form 990 to the IRS annually. The form also includes the salaries of the directors, officers, and executives of the corporation.

Further to note, nonprofit organisations such as the OGGN are required to make this information available to the public with the idea being that nonprofits are created to serve the public interest and therefore should remain transparent for accountability purposes.

Interestingly, the OGGN Directors did not disclose the foregoing information other than to state that they are a registered organisation and that they are required to file their tax returns. The fact remains that

the OGGN is obligated to do more than just state but to publicly disclose its tax return filings and its financial statements. I would also like the Guyanese public to have the opportunity to scrutinise the OGGN’s Bylaws which are not public since the OGGN anointed itself as an organisation that represents the Guyanese public’s interest.

As argued in my previous letter to the media, the OGGN has arguably departed from its stated mission. How is it that they are educating the Guyanese? By doing what? By seeking to sabotage and block monies earned from the sale of carbon credit? By seeking to stop the production of oil in Guyana (Melinda Janki et al)? Can the OGGN provide one example of an oil-producing country anywhere in the world, where the Government successfully managed to renegotiate a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) that is less than three years into production versus closer to its expiration or after? Can the OGGN tell the Guyanese people what happened to Venezuela, which is the only country I am aware of that sought to do exactly what the OGGN is advocating for, and wherein Venezuela was ordered to pay the oil companies, namely ExxonMobil, and its co-venture partner US$40 billion for the economic loss. To put this into perspective, Guyana doesn’t have US$40 billion in the bank.

Guyana’s GDP as of the end

of 2022 stood at US$14 billion. Hence, the sum that Venezuela was ordered to compensate the oil companies is almost three times the size of the Guyanese economy. Do they want to bankrupt Guyana and push its people into poverty as in the case of Venezuela?

It is perplexingly worrying when the OGGN claims that it represents the Guyanese interests and that its mission is to obtain a greater benefit for the Guyanese people. Yet, when one examines their work, the ramifications of their lobbying position would actually be far more harmful and, I dare say, detrimental to the country and its people. It is for this precise reason that I have taken it upon myself to challenge the OGGN and expose their hidden modus operandi.

And lastly, what’s even worse and perhaps laughable, is that the OGGN invited the Guyanese public to peruse its work on its website. The OGGN, if it was true to its mission, ought to have been producing technical articles and scholarly work. The reality is such that OGGN’s work is the absolute inverse of this concept. The Directors produce largely biased opinionated pieces, and none of them whatsoever are supported with any iota of scientific and/or empirical evidence.

I end by asking, what is the hidden agenda of the OGGN?

Yours respectfully, Joel Bhagwandin

As the sun sets, a British Airways plane gets into position to take off from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri. This Mike Gonsalves photo was taken from the drag strip at the South Dakota Circuit

OGGN Part 2: Is the OGGN adhering to the provisions of 501(c) (3)?

Dear Editor, Mental health is getting deserved attention in Guyana and I know this is taking a lot of effort from the Ministry of Health. In fact, a mere cursory reading will show that there are greatest challenges in dealing with mental health issues, namely, associated stigma, access to resources, lack of knowledge, inertia, unhelpful coping mechanisms, stereotyping, and even lack of empathy. The bottom line for me, and I guess the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government is that mental illnesses and patients must be handled with dignity.

Editor, I note that the

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, echoed that which is very vital, stating that “Our job is not to keep people institutionalised” He detailed that “… patients should not be institutionalised for a long period of time, but rather, be treated and discharged.” And why not?

In this day, it is well established that with early and consistent treatment, people with serious mental illnesses can manage their conditions, overcome challenges, and lead meaningful, productive lives. Mental illnesses are disorders that affect a person's thinking, mood, and/ or behaviour, and they can range from mild to severe.

This clearly shows that those, or most, with mental issues, can still live, and should be allowed a place of normalcy in society, whether at work, school, or home.

For those of us following this particular stance from the Ministry of Health, we know that the Minister of Health, on the occasion of a Guyana Police Force symposium, was speaking on mental health as a public safety issue, held under the theme, “Improving Police Performance Through Stakeholder’s Approach.” He reminded the audience that mental health legislation has been upgraded to adopt modern mental health practices.

According to him, “How we practice psychiatry now is much different from the way we did years ago. Today, our job is not to keep people institutionalised; the idea is to treat and return patients to their homes.” The reason, as I mentioned before is that “…modern psychology sees acute episodes in patients, which when treated, caused stabilisation, resulting in a timely return of patients to their families (and places of study and work).

Readers, I do appreciate that our leaders are ‘keeping up’ with best practices in this key area of medicare. The trend now in Guyana is that “We are

no longer keeping patients for an extensive time in our institution. The practice of psychiatry is changing, and these are the international norms we are embracing and adopting in Guyana.”

For those who may be sceptics, the reality is that it is quite possible to recover from mental health problems, and many people do after accessing support. For sure, symptoms may return from time to time, but when discovered, there are techniques and treatments fully tested and available.

Let me join Minister Anthony in imploring the public that training programmes are available

through the World Health Organisation (WHO) to better improve mental health practices. And where the Ministry of Health is concerned, there are some 16 psychiatrists, and a post-graduate programme, providing training to psychiatrists as they respond to the needs of patients.

Of course, the whole thing is an ever-progressing outlook, and I am very optimistic that panic, stereotyping, and stigmatising mental health issues, and those affected by them will recede in the near future.

Yours truly, HB Singh

Mental health negatives being countered by Government Emancipation Day – a hallmark for liberation of human soul

Dear Editor, Emancipation Day, as it has been celebrated and observed in our country over the many decades, has always been one of calm and deep reflection.

A period of mature festivities and enjoyment, it is a period and time that I believe all Guyanese need to respect, applaud and appreciate; for without our African ancestors’ battle through unimaginable pains and torture in these lands, their struggle and quest to regain their honour would not have eventually led to freedom.

We, the newcomers, would never have been able to adjust and adapt for their sacrifices. They suffered such cruelties at the hands of man for the cause of greed by the Romans, Arabs and Europeans; unheard of in history, where tens of millions of the best and strongest, the wisest, among them kings and

princes, were brought into what was called by the Europeans the New World (the Caribbean and West Indies). Stolen and claimed in the names of the kings and queens of Europe, although the lands were already inhabited.

In what was the Middle Passage, the hazardous, inhuman voyage in ships laden with living human flesh made stink, the Africans were subjected to the slave trade to enrich Europe and its colonists in the so-called New World.

The African soul was penetrated by the preaching against the creed and religions of the ancestors of Africa. While the Bible was shared, they stole arid and valuable lands, in the process building castles with European styles, and created European lifestyles, stealing their diamond and gold - even their animals ravaged for export into their zoos and shops,

and body parts to enrich the Commerce of Europe.

This is the reality of history, regardless of how they distort it; for, as we know, the writing of history is in the hands of the victors, who can whitewash facts easily. But closer to home, why this respect for the African ancestors, why this love and appreciation for People of African descent?

They taught us so much!

Our African ancestors

taught us after emancipation English Language. They assisted in teaching us reality and how to fight for our rights. They took care of us in medicine, and at times even protected us from the onslaught of brutalities brought on by the colonial masters.

To quote Mr. Norman Whittaker, “I encourage you to once more get involved and participate in the various activities across our dear Land of

Guyana. These would undoubtedly include cultural programmes aimed at informing the Guyanese people about slavery; African drumming, dancing, masquerade bands, and traditional calypso, learning of the history of various villages across Guyana, display of African attire, African dishes; metem-gee, foo-foo, drinks like mauby, crafts and artwork”.

We of the RK’s Guyana Security Services and

Business Enterprise wish to applaud and celebrate the sacrifices and the battles of the African ancestors, who laid their bones on these shores so that future generations and those who come after may live in a land of tranquility, peace, and non-enslavement of people.

HAPPY EMANCIPATION 2023!

Sincerely, Dr Roshan Khan

Page Foundation

Solving equations by multiplication and division cont’d

In this fun and easy force and motion science experiment, we’re going to balance a model house on the tip of our finger.

Materials:

Stiff cardstock paper or cardboard

Scissors

Pencil

Coloured pencils, crayons, or markers for decorating your house

Two clothespins

Instructions:

Draw an outline of a house on

Exercises: Solve

your cardstock or cardboard. Be sure not to make your house no bigger than about four inches on any side.

Cut your house out.

Now colour it for fun.

Next, clip a clothespin on each bottom corner of your house.

Perch the house on your finger and observe how easily it balances.

How it works:

When you clip a clothespin to each corner of the house, you move the house’s centre of mass to the bottom at the point where the house ba-

lances on your finger. This allows the house to easily balance on your fingertip.

Make this a science project:

Try cutting out different sized and shaped items. Try using a pipe cleaner to wrap around items and attach a clothespin to each side. Try heavier items. (sciencefun.org)

BY WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS

Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand; Surely the Second Coming is at hand. The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out

When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert

A shape with lion body and the head of a man, A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun, Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds. The darkness drops again; but now I know That twenty centuries of stony sleep Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle, And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

WORD SEARCH

We must have zero tolerance for human trafficking – Min Benn ...calls for more international support, resources to tackle scourge

Minister noted that as the world observes this occasion, the Government of Guyana and its citizens reaffirm their unwavering commitment to this fight and their continued efforts to dismantle networks and prosecute perpetrators who commit this heinous act and bring justice to perpetrators.

able, including migrants and Indigenous groups.”

“Each one of us has a role to play – so I urge you all to let us make every day a day against Trafficking in Persons or human trafficking. Let us all take a stand against exploitation and its elimination and stand in solidarity with our survivors.”

the Ministerial Taskforce on TIP, Daniel Griffith, that the Home Affairs Ministry will soon be undertaking the construction of a processing facility to house TIP victims and conduct interviews.

As Guyana joins the rest of the world in observing “World Day Against Trafficking in Persons”, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn has sounded calls for zero-tolerance against human trafficking as well as for more international support and resources to be injected into fighting this scourge.

The United Nations World Day Against Trafficking in Persons was observed on Sunday under the theme: “Reach Every Victim of Trafficking, Leave no One Behind.”

In his message on this occasion, Minister Benn, who co-chairs the country’s Ministerial Taskforce on Trafficking in Persons, pointed out that Guyana, like other nations regionally and internationally, is not spared by those who deny humans their fundamental rights for the sake of profits and other exploitative gains.

“These nefarious individuals force, coerce, deceive, defraud, bribe, and

blackmail others into exploitative and dangerous situations, where in many instances, freedom is restricted. That is not freedom. It is modern-day slavery. This is Trafficking in Persons or Human Trafficking, and we must have zero tolerance for such a clandestine act.

Human Trafficking is a horrific crime and attacks our rights, freedoms, safety and dignity, which can affect anyone,” the Home Affairs Minister stated in a release to the press on Sunday.

According to Benn, human trafficking knows no boundaries as it thrives in the shadows, preying on the vulnerable and marginalised. From women and young girls forced into the sex trade to men coerced into labour exploitation, he noted that its impact is far-reaching and devastating, affecting the lives of many and leaving emotional and, in some cases, physical scars that may never heal.

To this end, the

“We will continue to offer our support to victims and survivors through various support systems and stakeholders. As this year’s theme focuses on “reaching every victim, leave no one behind”, it is imperative that we offer them solace and support and help these persons rebuild their lives with compassion and empathy,” he noted.

Consequently, Benn assured that his Ministry, the Human Services and Social Security Ministry, the Guyana Police Force, and other members of the Ministerial Taskforce on Trafficking in Persons will remain vigilant of the evolving patterns of traffickers. This includes the use of online platforms to recruit persons, and its links to money laundering and drug trafficking.

In the same vein, however, he underscored the need to holistically address the root causes of Trafficking in Persons, migrant smuggling, vulnerability, and inequality at the regional and international levels.

“Today, let us all be the voices for the voiceless, advocates for change and more international support and resources, and the protectors of the most vulner -

According to Minister Benn, the Guyana Government will continue to strengthen its educational campaigns, enforcement, and monitoring efforts, and implement policies that protect human rights. He also urged the general populace to report any suspicious activities in their communities to the 24hr hotline (623-5030 - English) or (624-0079Spanish) or the nearest Police station.

Only last week, the Guyana Police Force hosted its 2023 Symposium during which there was a panel discussion on issues relating to Trafficking in Persons.

It was revealed by the Ministry’s Coordinator for

“The Ministry of Home Affairs is taking steps to establish a processing facility and a transitional facility… Budgetary allocations have already [been made] and we will commence the construction of this facility soon to be utilised by Guyana Police Force’s Trafficking in Persons Unit and the Ministry of Home Affairs,” Griffith stated during the session.

Back in June, the US Department of State released its 2023 TIP report, which recognised that the Government continues to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts to combat this crime. Consequently, Guyana maintained its Tier 1 status for the seventh consecutive year.

Among its efforts to maintain its ranking, according to the State

Department, included convicting three traffickers; identifying more victims and referring them to services; consistently implementing a 10-day reflection period, including shelter for victims; raising awareness in Indigenous languages; expanding the inclusivity of the Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons (the Task Force); and initiating a programme to screen children in situations of homelessness.

For the first half of 2023, it was reported that the Guyana Police Force’s TIP Unit investigated 21 reported Trafficking in Persons cases, of which, 244 alleged victims were interviewed and screened with 23 of them being under 18 years of age.

Five persons were officially charged and placed before the court between January to May this year for offences ranging from Trafficking in Persons, assault, forgery of currency notes and the operation of a brothel. (G-8)

Home Affairs Minister and Co-Chair of the Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons, Robeson Benn

Inmate accused of setting Police lock-ups on fire remanded

An East La Penitence, Georgetown vendor currently on remand for attempted robbery was also arraigned last week for setting fire to the Brickdam Police Station lock-ups.

When he appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, 23-year-old Stephon Howard was further remanded to prison.

Particulars of the charge to which the defendant pleaded not guilty, stated that on July 16 at the Brickdam Police Station, he unlawfully and maliciously set fire to two mattresses.

The Police in a report had stated that Howard was questioned in relation to the fire during which he told ranks that

Stephon Howard

upon entering the lock-ups, he discovered a lighter and a piece of toilet paper inside of the cell, and due to mosquitoes biting him, he lit the piece of toilet paper around 06:40h and placed same on the cell door.

He added that about 10

minutes later, he realised that the toilet paper had fallen on the mattress on the floor of the cell, and the mattress ignited into flames, which he successfully extinguished by throwing water from a plastic bottle he had.

In 2021, the Brickdam Police Station was burnt to the ground after a “frustrated” prisoner allegedly set fire to the decades-old structure. The alleged arsonist, Clarence Greene, was charged and placed before the court. That matter is still ongoing. On July 18, Howard appeared in court on an attempted robbery charge.

It is alleged that on June 29 at Norton Street, Georgetown, Howard, while armed with a gun and a knife, attempted to rob Jermaine Simon. The ac-

cused has denied this charge.

In objecting to bail for the accused, the Police prosecutor cited the serious nature and prevalence of the offence. The court was told that the attempted robbery on Simon was captured on Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) and that there are also eyewitnesses. After considering the prosecution’s objections, the presiding Magistrate remanded Howard to prison.

Meanwhile, this is not Howard’s first run-in with the law. He was previously charged with armed robbery. In 2021, Howard and another man, Sean Dos Santos, were acquitted of the murder of Abdool Fazal Saheed after a jury returned unanimous not-guilty verdicts. Saheed was shot dead during a robbery in 2017.

What is… …real emancipation?

Your Eyewitness is getting some dissonant vibes about what “Emancipation” means to some people. Now the word itself means “to free” or “to liberate”…and we all know Africans were enslaved for hundreds of years by Europeans to labour on plantations and finally, they were “freed” on August 1, 1838 – in the British Empire. Slavery continued elsewhere – like in the US where they had to fight a Civil War in 1863 for slaves to be freed by 1865. In Brazil –where over 40 per cent of the slaves brought into the New World ended up – slavery persisted till 1888!!

In these latter countries – where slaves were a minority –Emancipation might’ve given the ex-slaves formal freedom – but in numerous ways, there were so many restraints on their rights as citizens, one would be hard-pressed to call them “free”!! Imagine it wasn’t till the 1960s that in the US South, Afro-Americans could even ENTER some restaurants!! Dr Cheddi Jagan, who studied there between 1938 and 1943, observed these restrictions firsthand and was permanently scarred by the experience.

But the slave experience went far beyond the physical constraints on the slaves – there were the more insidious and damaging mental aspects – that Bob Marley was to call “mental slavery”. This still permeates the minds of most of humanity – 180 years after “Emancipation”. “Mental slavery” began with the insistence by Europeans that Africans - at the very best – weren’t equal to them in their mental and cultural facilities – and at worst – weren’t even quite “human”!! The rest of “coloured” humanity was then placed on a scale where the upper end was European and the lower end, African. And that’s something still deeply embedded in so many aspects of Western Education –which remains our standard.

However, we can rail all we want about what goes on in the US or Britain…but what about right here in our neck of the woods? Back when Walter Rodney was around, he shook up our just-independent British territories by showing that most of the leaders who’d inherited the “British mantle” took the description VERY literally. In Jamaica where he was teaching by 1968, he showed how PM Shearer was actually “anti-African” in his orientation – by suppressing the efforts of the Rastafarian Community to create a lifestyle more consonant with their African Heritage. Same for Burnham here!!

While Dr Jagan was steadfast in his opposition to antiAfrican racism, sadly the logic of demarcation mobilisation –and the cynicism of Burnham – ensured that for the longest while we remained divided along racial lines. Thankfully, however, the youthful President Ali has announced a “One Guyana” policy that promises equity for all – especially African Guyanese.

This will be real emancipation!!

…FDI??

Your Eyewitness is wondering about whatever happened to Winston Jordan. After the elections the man was like the Scarlet Pimpernel – here, there, and EVERYWHERE!! He was supposed to be the PNC’s economic wizard – another Lord Keynes!! Your Eyewitness remembers him bigging up the opening of the Massy Mega Store as “a massive infusion of Foreign Domestic Investment (FDI) into the Guyanese economy”!!!

Did he really think that opening bigger stores to sell imported consumer merchandise to Guyanese is really “developing” Guyana?? Who’d have bought those consumer goods when his government had actually reduced the cash circulating in the economy by tossing thousands into the streets and increasing taxes on the remaining working stiffs to suck $90 billion out of their pockets?? Does he realise that all those Chinese supermarkets – now found in every nook and cranny in our dear Mudland – are now SUCKING out money and remitting it to China??

Anyhow, who’s the new PNC economic maven?? Can he run a cake shop??

…with the AFC leader??

With Ramjattan having suppressed his rural roots, he mightn’t appreciate the folk wisdom that “chickens will come back to roost”. But as a fella whose favourite expression is “haul yuh ass!”, surely, he understands that things can “come back and bite you in the ass”!!

Oil production on Liza Destiny, Unity FPSOs could increase to over 400,000 bpd

...Exxon has capacity to increase production in safe, sustainable way – CEO

bly 10 FPSOs operational by 2030. The third project – the Payara development –will target an estimated resource base of about 600 million oil-equivalent barrels and was at one point considered to be the largest single planned investment in the history of Guyana.

Oil production on just the first two floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels, could reach as much as 400,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd), according to oil giant ExxonMobil following the release of its second-quarter earnings.

The two FPSOs have reached 400,000 bpd before, such as when it reached this benchmark in February 2023. However, permission had to be sought from regulators for this and this level of production was not maintained on a sustained basis afterwards.

According to the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman, Darren Woods, in a recent second-quarter earnings call, they were able to achieve a record gross production of 380,000 bpd from the Stabroek Block. He added, however, that there is scope for production from the Liza Destiny and Unity FPSOs to exceed 400,000.

“In Guyana, we achieved a record quarterly gross production rate of 380,000 barrels per day. Our team in Guyana continues to deliver excellent operating, environmental, and safety results while optimising and growing production.”

“In fact, we see the potential to increase the combined gross capacity of these two FPSOs to above 400 Kbd with further debottlenecking, which is nearly a 20% increase above the investment basis and a testament to the ingenuity of our people,” he said on the call, adding that when the Payara FPSO comes online it will further increase their capacity.

During the question-and-answer segment of the call, Woods was meanwhile asked about the company’s expectations of increasing its production on the two FPSOs. According to him, were this to happen it would be done in a safe and sustainable way without compromising the vessels’ designs.

“My expectation is, as I mentioned in my prepared remarks, (is) that we’re going to see the first two FPSOs get above 400,000 barrels of oil per day. Having a project organisation with the capability that we’ve built and strengthened here over the last several years, we end up with facilities that have the right design and are built the right way.”

“So that we’ve got a really good platform to optimise and find opportunities to maximise production, without compromising any of the design specifications and staying well within operating envelopes. We’ve done that over the years at a lot of our facilities,” the CEO said.

Exxon, through its local subsidiary Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), is the operator of and holds 45 per cent interest in the Stabroek Block. Exxon’s remaining co-venture partners in the Stabroek Block are CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chinese company CNOOC Limited that holds a 25 per cent interest in the Exxon-administered Stabroek Block, and Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd, which holds 30 per cent interest.

It was only in April 2023 that the Prosperity FPSO, constructed by SBM Offshore, arrived in Guyana to join the other FPSOsLiza Destiny and Liza Unity, which are currently producing more than 380,000 barrels per day.

Prosperity will develop the Payara field in the offshore Stabroek Block. It has an initial production capacity of around 220,000 barrels of oil per day and an overall storage volume of two million barrels.

Production from the Prosperity vessel is expected to push daily production to some 600,000 barrels a day in 2024. ExxonMobil had said at the time that installation campaigns were ongoing and development drilling is underway to support

Prosperity’s start-up later this year. ExxonMobil has said it

anticipates at least six projects offshore Guyana will be online by 2027, with possi-

Meanwhile, the Yellowtail development, which will be oil giant ExxonMobil’s fourth development in Guyana’s waters, will turn out to be the single largest development so far in terms of barrels per day of oil, with a mammoth 250,000 bpd targeted. (G-3)

The Liza Unity, one of the two FPSOs producing oil in Guyana

Exxon CEO Darren Woods

Govt spent $500M since 2020 to support mangrove restoration – Min Mustapha

...says mangroves play vital role in sea defence efforts

As part of this year’s activities to observe International Day for the Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystems, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) in collaboration with the Environmental Management Consultants (EMC) Foundation, hosted a mangrove odyssey to bring awareness of the importance of the plants.

The event took place along the seawall from Turkeyen to Ogle on Sunday and saw participation from several Government officials and members of the diplomatic community.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha while of-

fering remarks said mangroves play an important role in preserving Guyana’s local ecosystem while acting as a natural sea defence.

“We are living in a region that is very vulnerable, the second most vulnerable

in the world and we must be prepared. I’ve been having regular discussions with the EMC and I can assure you that there will be more activities like this to highlight the critical role mangroves play in preserving our eco-sys-

tem as well as developing our natural sea defences,” he noted.

Mustapha also said that the Government has, over the last three years, expended hundreds of millions of dollars as part of Guyana’s efforts to regenerate mangroves along Guyana’s coast.

“Since I became Agriculture Minister, the Government has expended in excess of $500 million to support our mangrove restoration efforts. This shows the Government’s commitment to ensuring these systems are preserved. Although these efforts have a positive impact, we cannot do it

alone. We need support from other organisations. I am pleased to see so many organisations onboard. I want to encourage others to come onboard so that we can have more activities like this and make a greater impact,” he added.

The day’s activities also included bird watching, games, and exhibitions aimed at highlighting the importance of mangroves.

British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller who was part of the event posted “I joined a beautiful World Mangrove

Day walk. Mangroves are great for protecting our environment and also attract birds and other wildlife, so make super tourism products! Well done to the Ministry of Agriculture, NAREI, EMC Foundation and so many others who got up early this morning to celebrate Guyana’s important mangroves.”

Also in attendance were the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Guyana, Yeşim Oruç, EMC’s Managing Director, Shyam Nokta, and other staff of the Agriculture Ministry.

A section of those who participated in the activity on Sunday

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, British High Commissioner Jane Miller, and EMC Managing Director Shyam Nokta during the walk

GCCI, UN ink agreement to advance SDGs, promote strategic partnership

this agreement on promoting the Sustainable Development Goals through strategic partnership between the GCCI and the UN with a view to promoting even more partnerships…,” Oruç said.

The SDGs are a series of goals within a comprehensive agenda that some 193 countries, including Guyana, have committed to achieving by 2030 to ensure peace and prosperity. The private sector plays a pivotal role in attaining this UN-led vision.

Aiming to promote the private sector as a key stakeholder in advancing the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the UN on Saturday signed an agreement to reinforce their partnership.

This signing coincided with one of the GCCI’s final events within their second National Small Business Week – the conclusive seminar that engaged key business leaders on the importance of digital marketing,

strategic collaboration, business regulation, and maintaining compliance, among other topics.

The GCCI-UN agreement seeks to serve as a way to ensure capacity-building support is provided in advancing economic diversification, enhancing employability, and most notably, enabling SDG alignment.

UN Resident Coordinator in Guyana, Ye?im Oruç noted the UN’s eagerness to collaborate with the GCCI as Guyana continues to exhibit immense potential and rising development. “It is my absolute privilege to be signing

With small and medium-scale enterprises comprising up to 70 per cent of Guyana’s private sector, Oruç acknowledged the unique stresses their owners face in trying to maintain, sustain and grow their businesses in light of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

She further urged the need to build inclusive and resilient work environments as this agreement ensues.

Meanwhile, GCCI President Kester Hutson noted that a prominent obstacle facing the private sector also includes the scarcity of semiskilled and skilled labour, resulting in a considerable deficit across multiple sectors.

“To address this pressing issue, a strong public-private partnership is essential to devise streamline processes and expedite necessary procedures while embracing modern technology. This approach can prove instrumental in alleviating the burden on businesses seeking skilled expatriate labour,” Hutson said.

He added that businesses and the nation at large will then be able to create a thriving environment that enhances workforce diversity and expertise, leading to greater competitiveness, productivity, and economic de-

velopment.

“The signed [agreement] with the UN plays a vital role in facilitating collaboration and streamlining the entry process for these skilled workers, thereby encouraging the seamless integration of ex-pat talents to further drive progress and growth,” Hutson said.

This agreement between the UN and GCCI is only the beginning of a series of collaborations between the international organisation and Guyana this year. “Later this year in September, [President Dr Irfaan Ali] will be going to the UN

General Assembly where he will be participating in the Sustainable Development Goals Summit,” Oruç said. “I trust that he will be telegraphing some of these really amazing developments out of Guyana and encouraging more and more young people and women to come into Guyana’s economic development and prosperity prospects,” she said.

Meanwhile, in October, Oruç added, the UN and other key partners present at the GCCI seminar are also intending to host a Sustainable Development Partnership forum with the private sector.

GCCI President Kester Hutson and UN Resident Coordinator in Guyana, Yeşim Oruç following the signing of the agreement

British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller; GCCI President Kester Hutson, UN Resident Coordinator in Guyana, Ye?im Oruç and officials of GTT at the event

$100M X-ray machine commissioned at Diamond Hospital –

similar machines to be installed at 10 hospitals by year-end

would help us to do, apart from taking the images of the patients, one of our big challenges was how we store the X-rays after we would have taken them. With the analogue form of X-rays, we had to create huge rooms to keep these X-rays. But now, all of this can be stored on a hard drive, and we can retrieve them when it’s necessary,” he explained.

He also posited that the electronic format of the X-ray images taken by the machine allows the files to be easily shareable with radiologists at the GPHC, so that where necessary, they can be viewed, and diagnoses made.

Mahaicony, Fort Wellington, Port Kaituma, and Lethem have been earmarked to receive digital X-ray machines.

Awhopping new 100 million digital X-ray machine was on Saturday commissioned at the Diamond Regional Hospital by Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony.

The Minister, at a simple ceremonial ribbon-cutting exercise, stated that the new X-ray machine will complement the two machines that have already been purchased and placed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) in Georgetown.

“What these machines

A viewing station was also established in the hospital’s accident and emergency room.

“Of course, these images can move around quite easily. They are quite por-

“This (Siemens) is one of the best X-ray systems, and… it is helping to improve healthcare, so that is why we are making these investments,” the Minister added.

However, Regional

Meanwhile, immediately after the commissioning of the machine, 44-yearold Kerry Sauers was the first patient to benefit. He stated that he had injured himself when a roof caved in and fell onto his back.

“Two days now, I’m troubling with a pain… The ceiling for the house fall down and catch me and pin me, and that’s what

table, and you can send them on your phone so that people can have access to them quite easily. So, I think it’s a good step for this hospital, and we are moving in the right direction,” Dr Anthony expressed.

Further, he stated that by the end of the year, the Ministry of Health is looking to have 10 similar X-ray machines installed across Guyana.

Thus far, New Amsterdam, Mibicuri, Port Mourant, Suddie, Linden, West Demerara,

Health Officer (RHO) for Region Four, Dr Gavinash Persaud said sufficient work was put into getting the X-ray facilities aptly modified.

“The process to get here has been a long one, and finally we are here. This is part of the expansion in which we are digitalising our records. So, the X-ray is completely functional. It required a lot of infrastructural development… to get it here, and the last thing we did was fine-tune it, so that we receive support from Georgetown Hospital.”

made me really come…I couldn’t walk good. Only this morning I end up being able to walk, and I come. When I go in there, the doctor told me it’s better I do an X-ray,” he explained.

He described the process as an easy one.

“It will help, because… more people will get to be X-rayed. When you come, you will not have to wait, because… many people have things and they don’t know it’s what, so it’s a very good thing for the hospital, too,” he shared.

Components of the $100M X-ray machine at Diamond Hospital

A technician displays the image taken from the new machine

Minister Anthony and other officials cut the ceremonial ribbon

60 businesses benefit from networking opportunities during GCCI’s Small Business Expo

By Pooja RamBaRan

As the curtains

came down on the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (GCCI) National Small Business Week on Saturday, the final event – a Small Business Expo – saw some 60 businesses being given the opportunity to market and sell their products to a wider customer base.

Under the theme, “Strategic Collaboration for Success,” GCCI’s second annual Small Business Week aimed to elevate micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) within the organisation’s membership, with an overall call for increased inter-business collaboration.

Done in partnership with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) and the Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Ministry, the week of activities included a number of networking events and seminars to boost partnership opportunities and knowledge exchange.

However, the expo, a culmination of the week’s events, displayed a range of services, from food and beverages to jewellery and skincare. Guyana Times visited the expo, and spoke with several young, thriving exhibitors who were eager to showcase their product.

Ojay Skin

Born during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ojay Skin provides handmade soaps, body butters and body scrubs that aid in solving common skincare issues such as acne, uneven skin tone, hyperpigmentation and stretch marks.

Having battled with her own skincare issues, Ojay Skin founder Odela Joseph took several online classes and slowly perfected the craft of creating these handmade products to better serve Guyanese with similar struggles.

Now, as a first-time

GCCI business expo participant, she noted her intention to use the opportunity to network and find stakeholders to work with to upgrade her business model.

student, I still have a business and I feel like my business empowers me. I also encourage a lot of other people, not just teenagers and young adults [but] even older folks

ing her uncle, the founder of GT Wines, for several years before she decided to take the leap and create her own local wine business, Propa Local Wines, in 2023.

“Many people in the diaspora long for fruits that they don't get. And we are happy to announce that we have this here in a bottle of wine. We are preserving the Guyanese heritage in a bottle of wine,” John said.

John noted that she saw the GCCI expo as an opportunity to market her product, with an eventual goal of having Propa Local Wines serving as the premier wine choice at all local events that the Government and non-governmental organisa-

tions (NGOs) host.

The Crafty Berbicians

Originating from Idaho, United States (US), Stephanie Ross and her husband moved to Guyana some ten years ago, finding a home in Berbice.

During Saturday’s expo, Ross displayed their handmade gold-filled and sterling silver jewellery, featuring local seeds created within their jewellery store, The Crafty Berbicians.

“I wanted to bring back something to my family outside [of the country] that was something specifically from Guyana. I had already brought them pepper sauce,

achar and everything else,” Ross said.

“When I saw these seeds, I thought they were so beautiful and I wanted to make jewellery out of them. So, it just started as gifts for friends and family and then blossomed into a business,” she explained.

Ross’s seed jewellery makes use of canna lily seeds, Job's tears seeds, tamarind seeds and circassian seeds.

“It's nice to get to see other small businesses. Even from a customer standpoint, I like to shop, I like to support local so it's a nice opportunity for that as well,” Ross said of her experience at the expo.

“I'm here more to network than to sell. I want to get in touch with other people that can basically help me grow my business – accounting firms that cater to small businesses to do our accounting so that it takes something off my hand; local suppliers of raw materials that I can use rather than importing materials because it's a big cost to import them,” Joseph said.

Teen Hustle

Recognised for being the most outstanding student in Science for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) last year, 18-year-old Sheridan Dyal created a jewellery store, Teen Hustle, a way to maintain financial independence.

“Although I am a science

to always have a side hustle,” Dyal said.

Having only created her business in December, the Queen’s College student found the experience at the expo and other GCCI events rewarding.

[At Saturday’s seminar], I gained a lot of incentives, for example, concessions and so forth with Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and National Insurance Scheme (NIS),” Dyal said.

“I also feel that the expo has given me a lot of exposure to a lot of business people who are just like me and I feel as though I'm being mentored by them,” she added.

Propa Local Wines

Buxton-based Abigale John had been understudy-

Sheridan Dyal of Teen Hustle

Abigale John of Propa Local Wines

US-based Guyanese robbed at gunpoint during home invasion

– only arrived in Guyana on Thursday

Fifty-eight-year-old Paulette Holder, an overseas-based Guyanese nurse was on Friday evening robbed at gunpoint by two armed men who invaded her Edinburgh, East Bank Berbice property. The nurse only arrived back home from the United States on Thursday.

Police stated that the robbery took place at about 21:00h on the day in question by two men who were dressed in dark-coloured clothing – one of them was wearing a face mask and was armed with a handgun. The other was brandishing a knife.

Holder was reportedly in her bedroom when she was confronted by the masked man, who pointed the handgun at her head and demanded that she hand over the cash. Fearful for her life, she handed over a purse containing about G$275,000.

After committing the act, the two men escaped on foot. Holder is originally from Berbice and now resides in New Jersey, USA.

The seemingly traumatised nurse told Guyana Times that she would come home annually to keep a

thanksgiving service. The service was scheduled for Sunday.

She explained that on Friday evening, she was preparing to go out with two of her old friends while her two nieces were in another bedroom packing goodies into bags for the Thanksgiving service when she was confronted by one of the bandits.

‘I couldn’t recognise him because he had a ski mask, he had a gun in his hand and immediately he took it and put it right my forehead and pushed me right back into the room and said give me all the f***ing money that you

come with.”

Holder said she had $275,000 in her room at the time which was mostly to purchase groceries and other stuff in preparation for Sunday.

“I was going out and did not put on my earring as yet, he grabbed the earing but after he get the cash, he continued to push me with the gun and ask if that’s all and where is the US currency but at that time in the room, I had no US currency in that room,” she explained.

Holder further related that the intruders also relieved her of a gold chain.

She stated that as the

bandit was leaving her room, he came into contact with her two nieces who came out of the room after she shouted “uninvited visitor” in a loud tone.

“I said, ‘Oh my God, I am going to give you all of the money’, because I just wanted to alert them that somebody was in the room with me. That is when they came out of the room. I did not know that there was a second person in the house, he was right in front of the middle room and that time they came face to face with him.”

She said her nieces said the man they confronted was unarmed. “But this

one was persistent because he wanted the US currency from me.”

However, the masked bandit and one of Holder’s nieces were engaged in a scuffle. “My niece, she recognised him immediately even though he had on the ski mask. She called his name, ‘Simon’. Three times she called his name. She knew him because he always passes and he would say, ‘Hi Aunty Sharron’.”

She related that the men escaped with in excess of $400,000 in cash and jewellery. The men reportedly gained entry to the house through the back door which was open at the

time.

The woman further stated that during the robbery, one of her friends with whom she was going out was outside of the house waiting on her.

Meanwhile, the Police were summoned to the scene and immediately launched an investigation. Based on the information provided to the Police, the ranks went to a house in the village and subsequently returned with a ski mask that was worn by one of the bandits.

The Police are yet to make an arrest as investigations continue. (Andrew Carmichael)

15 Theatre Arts teachers complete drama workshop

As part of the Education Ministry’s efforts to improve education delivery across the country, 15 teachers from Regions One, Four, Five, Six, Nine and Georgetown completed the drama workshop.

The annual programme was held in collaboration with the National School of Theatre Arts and Drama (NSTAD).

Over the past two weeks, Theatre Arts teachers were exposed to storytelling, costume and designing, playmaking, Pedagogy of Drama and School-Based Assessment

research and critic.

Drama Specialist at the Ministry’s Unit of Allied Arts, Lavonne George stated the aim of the programme is to equip Theatre Arts Teachers with the necessary skills to enhance their delivery of les-

sons in the subject area to their students.

Director of the National School of Theatre Arts and Drama, Al Creighon said participating teachers will gain credits towards the Creative Arts Institute's Diploma in

Theatre Arts.

On Friday, the curtains came down on the programme. The closing included performances by the teachers in Storytelling, Stick Fighting, Wake and Kumina cultural forms.

The Theatre Arts Teachers who participated in the programme are Eion Adams, Christine Alphonso, Mariela Bennett, Indra Chacon, Lakeitha Ferguson, Okel Fordyce, Fellica Gladstone, Jude Holder, Tianna

Liverpool, Frederick Minty, Tristana Roberts, Christine Singh, Elroy Thomas, Ariana Warde and Danielle Williams. Following their performances, three teachers received prizes for their storytelling.

Coming in at third place was Mareila Bennett with her piece “Look Session Here” while Jude Holder copped the second prize with his “Midnight Jumbie” story and in first place was Eion Adams who told the audience about “De Sunday Night Tek Ups” in his piece.

US-based Guyanese Paulette Holder

The scene of the robbery

Teenager drowns during workplace outing at creek

Seventeen-yearold Myles David Munroe lost his life by drowning during an outing at a creek with his colleagues from Qualfon, Providence, East Bank of Demerara (EBD) location.

The incident reportedly took place on Saturday at a popular creek along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.

Guyana Times understands that Munroe, of Herstelling, EBD, was initially not part of the planned outing but later expressed his desire to go on the trip.

One of his colleagues related that upon reaching the creek, Munroe chose not to enter the water and instead spent time with his colleagues on land. Later in the day, at

about 16:30h, two workers gathered by the edge of the creek to chat, including Munroe.

They, however, returned to their benab, leaving Munroe and their belongings by the water. Shortly after, an alarm

Security officer dies after falling off e-bike

was raised that Munroe had gone into the water and did not resurface.

His colleagues panicked but frantically started to search for the teenager. The Police were alerted. After hours of search, Munroe's motionless body was located and brought to shore.

Despite efforts to resuscitate him, he remained motionless. He was rushed to the Diamond Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

“We didn’t even know that he couldn’t swim. This thing happened so fast that we were all left in shock. We were searching for a while and some people come later and helped us search for him,” his friend related.

Asecurity guard and a well-known tailor from Perseverance on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), died moments after falling off the e-bike he was riding on Saturday.

The dead man has been identified as Lochan Sookdeo. He was reportedly on his way to work at Jagmohan's wharf in Vilvoorden, Essequibo when he met his demise.

According to family members, Lochan left home around 16:00h in good spirits but shortly after, they received the news that he had fallen off his e-bike.

As relatives arrived at the scene, they found the man lying motionlessly with blood oozing from his nostril. He was picked up and taken to the Suddie Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The circumstances surrounding his death are still unknown but Guyana Times understands that the man suffered from hypertension.

A post-mortem will determine the cause of death.

Only recently, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) announced that owners of electric bikes must register their cycles to comply with the recent amendments to the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act. These amendments subject electric bikes to the same regulations as motorcycles, aiming to address the rising number of road fatalities and

incidents involving e-bikes. Authorities have also expressed concerns about the misuse of e-bikes, with children and individuals unaware of traffic laws often using them on roadways. Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn emphasised the need for updated laws to address the use of e-bikes, given their increasing availability and affordability.

Startling statistics reveal that 11 people lost their lives and 14 others were injured while using e-bikes from 2021 to the present. Last year alone, seven electric bike-related road fatalities were recorded in Guyana, with a few more already occurring in 2023.

In response to the situation, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has been proactive in educating road users about the recent amendments to the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act, specifically regarding the regulation of e-bikes.

administrator to prepare Guyana’s 5th EITI report being sought – portion

US$20M World Bank financing to be used

An independent administrator is being sought by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government, that will be in charge of preparing what will be Guyana’s fifth Extractive Industries Transparency Index (EITI) report for the 2021 fiscal year.

The Government recently released a Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) for this project, which will have a duration of six months and will commence in September. Consultants were given the green light to form joint ventures to apply and it was explained by the REOI that the funding will be sourced from the US$20 million in financing the World Bank has provided for the Guyana Petroleum Resources Governance and Management Project.

Among the functions the consultant is expected to fulfil towards preparing the report, are systematically recording blind spots in governance, collaborating with external stakeholders, outlining Guyana’s renewable energy sector including considering how to classify carbon trading transactions and ensure more extensive disclosure of licensing and environmental data.

“This objective is critical, as increased demands are mounting to amplify the transparency of data about critical and unsustainable mining concepts. This objective commits to the disclosure of the whole text of any contract, license, concession, production-sharing agreement, or other agreement granted by, or entered into by, the GoG.”

“Clearly, there is an increasing desire to make certain that raw materials are

extracted sustainably and without negative effects, especially where there is a great economic dependence on raw material extraction and export,” the REOI states.

The administrator will also be expected to make recommendations, such as consolidating the systemic disclosure of information in a way that will enhance accessibility and reliability. A part of the consultant’s work will also include reviewing existing legislation to identify gaps, as well as preparing a gap analysis report for EITI in Guyana, considering anti-corruption activities and gender issues. The Government also assured that EITI requirements and deliverables not covered in the fourth GYEITI report will be covered in this one.

“Any EITI Requirements and Deliverables not covered in the 4th GYEITI Report for Fiscal year 2020 or any recommendations concluded in the 4th EITI Report, shall be addressed in the 5th IA GYEITI Report for Fiscal year 2021, and the following provided.”

“(a). A matrix outlining

each deliverable, the corresponding phase or phases, the support needed, the responsible party, the responsible staff, and the respective deadlines should be provided for FY 2021 Report. (b). A similar matrix should be provided for the previous report and include a status update on whether the Deliverable was provided in part or entirety while outlining reasons for failure,” the REOI added.

The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Board temporarily suspended Guyana on February 1, 2023, for failing to publish its fourth report for the 2020 fiscal year on transparency and accountability in the local extractive industry by the December 31, 2022 deadline.

At the time of the suspension, it was noted that in accordance with the EITI Standard, it was agreed that the suspension would be lifted if the EITI Board is satisfied that the outstanding report was published within six months of the deadline. Earlier this month, however, the Board lifted Guyana’s

suspension from the organisation.

The Secretariat confirmed that Guyana published its 2020 EITI Report on June 30, 2023. As such, the condition for lifting the suspension was met. In a statement following the development, President Dr Irfaan Ali had said the Government remains confident that all systems will remain in place to ensure that Guyana is not placed in a similar position in the future.

The EITI is an international body that requires implementing countries to publish comprehensive reports

which include the full disclosure of Government revenues from the extractive sector, as well as the disclosure of all material payments made to the Government by companies operating in the oil, gas, and mining sectors.

Guyana’s first report was submitted to the International Secretariat on April 25, 2019. Membership in the EITI means that Guyana will have to adhere to the 12 principles of the EITI standards voluntarily.

These 12 principles include encouraging corporate social responsibility, sharing

of information, revealing beneficial ownership, and promoting revenue transparency. Failure to do so could be met by suspension from the EITI. Guyana’s next validation commences on April 1, 2024.

The EITI had previously allocated Guyana a score of 52 for implementing the 2019 standard, commending Guyana for the strides taken to make information available and consult with stakeholders, while also providing recommendations to further strengthen the system.

Independent

of

Dead: Myles Munroe

The Stabroek Block, where oil is being produced by ExxonMobil

Dead: Lochan Sookdeo

Hope Canal water reservoir project estimated to cost €55M

Govt to source funding

upon completing will serve 27,000 households along ECD

The Government of Guyana, in its efforts to improve water access for citizens across the country, is working assiduously to establish the Hope Canal as a water reservoir for the East Coast of Demerara (ECD).

This was revealed by Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal, who provided an update on the project during a telephone interview with Guyana Times on Sunday.

According to Croal, the feasibility study for the Hope Canal has already been completed and the next step is to source funding for the project, which is estimated to cost some €55 million.

“The proposed budget we're looking at is €55 million. So, we've done some initial studies and we have presented that proposal for funding.”

The Minister noted that "We have done the feasibility study to explore there [the Hope Canal] as a source [of water]. We're looking to utilise there to service a population of about 27,000 persons that lies between De Hoop and Haslington which will include Cane View, and we're trying to design and supply 24,000 cubic metres a day, long-term within the next...15 years.”

Studies for the Hope Canal began in 2022 to determine whether the water captured at the Hope Canal facility can be treated to be used as a sustainable source to serve the ECD corridor. It was noted that this initiative to reuse the Hope Canal water is necessary, as Guyana confronts climate change as well as responds to the growing demands for more service connections.

In fact, President Dr Irfaan Ali during his feature address at an event last March noted that, “We dump tens of thousands of gallons of water from the Hope Canal into the Atlantic. So, one of the projects that we’re currently doing is examining the feasibility of converting that water and treating that water so that it can meet the demand on the East Coast.

This project is also part

of the Government’s plans to provide 100 per cent access to treated water on the coast by 2025.

Five and Seven Miles

The Guyana Water Inc (GWI), which falls under the purview of the Housing and Water Ministry is moving to establish a new water source to serve residents of the Five Miles Housing Scheme and the new housing development at Seven Miles, Bartica, Region Seven.

According to Minister Croal, the Ministry has already identified springs as their sources of water and the next step is to design the treatment facility and seek funding to complete the project.

"How it is right now, we have a source at Bartica but we have a housing scheme that goes all the way to Five Miles, and then now where we're going to build houses, etc that's more by Seven Miles. Within Five Miles, it has about 500 house lots there. We have found two new water sources...one in Five Miles and the other in Seven Miles. We've done some visits and we're currently mapping out the area,” Croal told Guyana Times

He unveiled they are hoping to tap into the Seven Miles water source as soon as November 2023, in hopes of having it completed by June 2024.

“We're looking to tap into

the Seven Mile water source by November...to have it completed by June of next year. We have determined the water source; we are designing the treatment facility for that and then we'll have to move to secure funding.”

Bartica, the gateway to the interior, is a bustling town with a growing population. Cognisant of these developments, GWI is making every effort to provide improved services to residents of the township.

West Watooka

Meanwhile, plans for the West Watooka water treatment plant have currently been stalled as the Ministry explores other sources of water for this project. Croal told Guyana Times that studies have revealed that the Demerara River water is very acidic and as such would not serve as a good source of water for consumption.

"We tap into the Demerara River source, we found that it is very acidic so we're looking at alternative sources that we can utilise...the Demerara River is [also] extremely turbulent in terms of the colour.

We're looking to tap into a source of fresh water to supply the West Watooka water treatment plant,” Croal said.

In 2021, Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) executed several major upgrades and maintenance works to the five water treatment plants in Linden. It was highlighted that the treatment plants at Amelia’s Ward, West Watooka, Mackenzie, and Wisroc are functioning at a capacity reduction.

In the 2023 national budget, a sum of $13 billion was allocated for the construction and rehabilitation of several water treatment plants to improve the water sup-

ply for over 250,000 residents in several areas across the country. These areas include Onderneeming, Parika, Wales, La Parfaite Harmonie, Caledonia, Cummings Lodge, and Bachelor’s Adventure.

Further, 12 existing water treatment plants located at Vergenoegen, Fellowship, Pouderoyen, Eccles, Covent Garden, Grove, Better Hope, Mon Repos, Friendship, Cotton Tree, New Amsterdam, and Port Mourant will be rehabilitated. Water treatment plants will also be constructed at Charity to Walton Hall, Leguan, Wakenaam, Bush Lot, and Tain to No 50 Village. (Tassia Dickenson)

Altercation with off-duty Police Officer at city nightclub leaves Charlestown man injured

An incident unfolded at a city nightclub on Saturday evening leaving Quincy McDonald of Charlestown with a head injury after allegedly being struck by an off-duty Police rank with a firearm.

According to reports, the altercation allegedly arose due to the romantic involvement of the victim’s friend with the off-duty Police officer’s child’s mother.

Guyana Times understands that McDonald and the Police rank had engaged in heated verbal exchanges on previous occasions.

However, on the night in question, McDonald found himself at a nightclub at Hogg Street, Georgetown, in the company of his friend, the Police rank's child mother, and a few others.

It was reported that while engaged in conversation with another individual, McDonald was unexpectedly pushed by the officer, thus leading to a verbal confrontation be -

tween the two. Bystanders intervened and managed to separate them.

The situation took a turn when the Police whipped out his service weapon and attacked McDonald. The Charlestown man sustained a laceration to his head and was taken to the hospital where he was treated and sent away.

The matter was reported to the Police and an investigation into the incident is underway.

Only two weeks ago, a Police officer was caught on camera assaulting a

detainee at the Enmore Police Station, located on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD).

It was reported that the cop lost his cool after the detainee allegedly provoked him by attempting to video his face with a mobile phone. The cop grabbed the phone and was involved in a brief scuffle with the individual.

The detainee was heard accusing the cop of choking a woman during the arrest. It is still unclear if the officer was arrested or charged for the assault.

The victim’s head after the assault

An Aerial view of the Hope Canal

Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal

Govt supports transparency, accountability in Judiciary – AG Nandlall –

criteria of meritocracy, performance

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister

Anil Nandlall, SC, has stated that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has always encouraged transparency, accountability and fairness in every area hence when it comes to the recruitment of personnel within the Judiciary, this must be done based on certain established criteria.

He made this remark in response to a letter written by Attorney-at-law, Arud Gossai, and economist, Ramon Gaskin, calling on the newly constituted Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to advertise vacancies for Judges in Guyana and across the Caribbean, and then publish potential candidates so that they can be vetted by the legal fraternity before any appointments are made.

“While the JSC is an independent constitutional body, it is enjoined like every other constitutional organ to act transparently, to act fairly, to act reasonably in its decision-making process and if it is going to recruit then it must do so on certain established criteria including of course meritocracy and performance.”

“The Government would always encourage transparency and accountability and fairness in every aspect of national life… I have no doubt that the Judiciary can’t object to it performing its functions in a transparent and accountable manner within the given parameters of how a Judiciary should conduct it-

self,” Minister Nandlall said during the recent edition of his weekly programme –Issues In The News.

The new JSC was appointed by President Dr Irfaan Ali on July 14. The Commission members are Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards; Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George; Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC), Manniram Prashad; Retired Justice Carl Singh and Retired Justice Beasraj Singh (BS) Roy.

The JSC is a constitutional body responsible for handling matters related to the appointment, discipline, removal, and promotion of judicial officers including Judges and Magistrates.

Days after the reconstitution of the JSC, the letter was sent to the five members of the Commission and AG Nandlall by law firm, Satram and Satram, on behalf of Gossai and Gaskin.

The correspondence calls upon the JSC to adopt certain methodologies in the recruitment of new personnel for the magistracy, High Court and Appeal Court.

Gossai and Gaskin are suggesting that advertisements be published in Guyana, the Caribbean, and wider Commonwealth, inviting suitably qualified applicants for these posts as opposed to the practice of merely inviting suitably qualified to apply for the position – something which is not consistent with Article 129 of the Guyana Constitution.

“Particularly Article 129

of the Constitution…stipulates that all persons qualified for admission as attorneys-at-law in Guyana are eligible to be appointed as a Judge. For this reason, we urge the Commission to advertise, within Guyana and in the wider Caribbean, all vacancies for the position of Judge… Article 129 (1) (a) of the Constitution provides for the possibility of persons who are or were Judges within the Commonwealth to be appointed as Judges. As such, the Commission should advertise the vacancies within the Commonwealth. Every person who meets the requirements specified in Article 129 of the Constitution and Section 5 of the High Court Act enjoys a right to apply for and be considered for appointment. The Commission has no power to curtail this right,” the letter detailed.

According to a document from the law firm, any refusal to advertise the vacancies would amount to a gross violation of the Constitution by the JSC.

Moreover, the letter also calls on the Commission to publish the names of potential candidates so that they can be vetted by the public which will foster greater transparency in the process.

On the issue of promotion within the Judiciary, Gossai and Gaskin called on the Commission to ensure that in their evaluation methods, they take into account the conduct and performance of persons who are being considered.

“The Commission has to be therefore satisfied that the persons they intend to appoint or recommend for appointment are capable of giving written decisions within

the time-limits stipulated by Parliament… It would be a violation of the Constitution for the Commission to appoint or promote sitting Magistrates and Judges who have a history of not delivering timely judgements. In the circumstances, the Commission has a constitutional duty to request and consider, from potential applicants and other sources, evidence of their compliance or ability to comply with the Time Limits for Judicial Decisions Act,” the correspondence stated.

The letter went further to note that if these cannons of transparency, accountability and fairness in the recruitment and promotion of judicial personnel are not adopted by the JSC, then legal proceedings may be instituted to review appointments made.

“Our clients have an in-

terest in ensuring that there is compliance with the Constitution in the appointment of Judges. The Commission may be aware that its decisions are subject to Judicial Review.

This means that in the exercise of any discretion, the Commission must act reasonably, rationally and fairly… We expect to hear from the Commission on the modalities it will apply with respect to advertisement, the objective criteria to be applied, and the other steps it will take to assure transparency prior to making any appointments,” the law firm related on behalf of Gossai and Gaskin.

Stakeholders in the local legal fraternity including Chancellor of the Judiciary and head of the Guyana Bar Association have long been lamenting the shortages of Judges and calling for more appointments to be made.

At last month’s appointment, President Ali pointed out that the newly-appointed JSC will be instrumental in addressing deficiencies in the Judiciary such as personnel shortages.

“Our judicial system is not without its challenges. We are woefully short of our full complement of Judges and Magistrates. This naturally has placed greater burdens on our existing pool of judicial officers. Now that the JSC is in place, it is anticipated that some of those burdens will be lifted, thereby allowing for smooth turning of the wheels of justice,” the Head of State said.

Convicted child rapist alleges unfair trial …says trial Judge admitted “hearsay evidence”

Arguing among other things that High Court Judge Simone Morris-Ramlall admitted prejudicial evidence during his trial for the rape of an underage girl, Michael Abrams, aged in his 60s, is appealing both his convictions and two life sentences.

The first count of rape, for which Abrams was found guilty, occurred at some time between January 1 and 18, 2016, and the second incident was committed on January 19, 2016. The jury’s verdicts on both charges were unanimous. He was sentenced to life in prison on both counts.

The prejudicial evidence has to do with the prosecution introducing evidence during the trial concerning a sexual offence Abrams allegedly committed on the victim’s mother, his Attorneyat-Law Glen Hanoman submitted to the Court of Appeal last Thursday, the

first day of arguments.

While alluding to the Sexual Offences Act which he said allows for the introduction of evidence concerning previous convictions, he said the evidence advanced by the prosecution was a mere allegation, and as such, amounts to hearsay evidence which is not permitted under the Act.

He argued that the prosecution “tried so hard” to introduce this evidence to prejudice the jury, resulting in a “real injustice” to

his client. Another ground of appeal put forward by Abrams’s lawyer is in relation to a “highly improper” question the trial Judge had asked a defence witness.

As the witness testified under oath, Hanoman said she was asked by Justice Morris-Ramlall, “Were you there when the sexual offences were committed?”

This question, the defence counsel pointed out, was framed as though it was a given fact that the sexual offences were indeed committed by his client.

The lawyer added, “It was clear that the Judge was telling the jury that these things took place and that the witness could not be present when the sexual offences took place. A question like this coming from the trial Judge, he argued, was “highly improper”.

After perusing the record of appeal, Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag)

Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards, however, indicated that she is of the view that the trial Judge asked that question to clarify from the witness, whether she was present when the crimes happened.

Further arguments in this appeal will continue on August 15 when Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Natasha Backer is expected to respond to the convict’s arguments. Dawn GregoryBarnes and Rishi Persaud are the other Judges hearing this matter.

Abrams, who had previously described himself as a “devoted Catholic”, is contending that the verdicts are unreasonable and the prison terms are manifestly excessive.

He argues, inter alia, that the trial Judge failed to adequately put his defence to the jury, and this has amounted to a grave miscar-

riage of justice. In the circumstances, he is asking the Court of Appeal to set aside both his sentences and convictions.

During trial proceedings, which were held in-camera, the court had heard the testimony of Abrams inserting his finger into the sixyear-old girl’s vagina, and also sodomising her. High Court Judge Simone MorrisRamlall had admonished Abrams for his wrongdoings, telling him, “You say you are a devoted Catholic, I hope you pray to God and ask forgiveness.”

Following the guilty verdicts, Abrams had said that even though the jury “in their wisdom” had found him guilty, he is maintaining his innocence.

“This situation makes me feel sad. I felt like the accused [Abrams] would try to hurt me,” the rape survivor had expressed in a victim impact statement.

For her part, the State Prosecutor had urged the court to impose the maximum sentence on Abrams, and, in so doing, had pointed out that the rape convict had abused his position of trust, and had violated the child in the worst possible way, shattering her innocence.

From the evidence, Justice Morris-Ramlall had said, it was evident that the young girl had loved Abrams. The Judge had said that Abrams “pretended” to love her, and treated her “like a beast.”

In sentencing the child rapist, the Judge took into consideration the aggravating and mitigating factors, as well as the circumstances surrounding the case. In the end, she sentenced him to serve life imprisonment on each of the two counts. The sentences will run concurrently, and he becomes eligible for parole after severing 35 years.

Convicted child rapist: Michael Abrams

says recruitments must be based on established

President Dr Irfaan Ali and AG & Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC, along with other officials with the five members of the newly-constituted Judicial Service Commission

Haiti: US nurse and child kidnapped, says charity

An American nurse and her child have been kidnapped in Haiti, according to a Christian aid charity she worked for.

Alix Dorsainvil was working in a Community Ministry near Port-au-Prince when she was taken, El Roi Haiti said in a statement.

The US State Department is aware of reports and is in "regular contact" with Haitian authorities.

Officials in Haiti have appealed to the international community to help break the grip of armed gangs on the country.

Dorsainvil is understood to be the wife of El Roi Haiti's director and founder, Sandro Dorsainvil.

The age and gender of the child is not known.

"Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family," the statement from El Roi Haiti added.

The charity also said it was working to secure the pair's safe return.

The incident comes days

after the US issued a level-four "do not travel" advisory because of kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and 'poor health care infrastructure' on the island.

The US State Department ordered all non-emergency Government personnel and their family members to leave Haiti.

The poorest country in the Americas has been in political crisis since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.

Gangs control around 80 per cent of the capital, and vi-

NiQuan struggling with US$250M debt

NiQuan Energy is facing a cash crunch challenge.

As it stands, the company has more than US$250 million (TT$1.7 billion) in debt and it is struggling to meet payments to the tune of millions owed to contractors, including Junior Sammy and Massy Energy Engineered Solutions Limited (MEES).

the accident at its plant on June 15, which led to the death of 35-year-old pipe fitter Allanlane Ramkissoon, set it back.

net investors, as it was able to do before after the April 2021 accident.

olent crimes such as kidnappings and armed robbery are common.

Earlier this month, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, called for the creation of a multinational force for Haiti.

Kenya has offered to take the lead, by offering 1000 Police Officers to help train local law enforcement.

Any mission will be subject to a mandate from the UN Security Council, and formal authorisation from the Kenyan authorities. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Jamaica: Adam Stewart says final farewell to departed wife

Jill Stewart, stubbornly refusing to leave her husband, Adam — the son of a beloved national icon — and their three young children, fought gallantly to her last breath to stave off cancer, publicly sharing her journey in the hope of bringing solace to others.

On Saturday, hundreds filled Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Cathedral in Montego Bay, St James, to pay last respects to the woman who her husband pledged to "spend the rest of my days

looking for you in every sunset, through every seagull and rainbow after each storm".

Battling through the

tears, Stewart vowed, "For the rest of my life, I will never stop praying that I find you again… where we will continue our love story… side by side."

In death, Jill united Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Opposition Leader Mark Golding and their wives, who headed the mourners attending from near and far. Officiating clergy included Archbishop of Kingston Kenneth Richards, Bishop of Montego Bay Burchell McPherson, homilist Deacon Baldwin Powell, and Deacon Ronald Thwaites, among others.

Family members, longtime friends, and her personal butler painted a common picture of Jill Stewart, a Bahamian who fell in love with Jamaica, as one who had the gift of connecting people, a teacher in every sense of the word and, above all, someone who knew how to love.

"It is one of life's mysteries that Jill found space in her heart to love her friends as much as she loved Adam and her children," said sisterin-law Jaime Stewart.

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

While in some instances it has been able to work out payment plans, like with T&T Upstream Downstream Energy Operations Company Limited (TTUDEOCL), a special purpose company in the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries set up to negotiate its gas agreement, other contractors told the Sunday Guardian they are still awaiting payments.

NiQuan was set to refinance its bonds to the tune of US$300 million (TT$2 billion) by July 31 (today), but

The company’s founder and chief visionary officer Ainsley Gill has been holding talks with financiers and updating investors in an effort to raise sums, even short-term from high worth investors, as it was able to do before after the April 2021 accident.

Gill, a former US-based lobbyist in Washington DC under the Manning Administration, bought and invested in the abandoned plant with the goal to turn it into the Western Hemisphere’s first gas-toliquids plant.

The company has been holding talks with financiers and updating investors in an effort to raise sums, even short-term, from high

A report done by regional rating agency, CariCRIS in March noted that at December 2022, NiQuan’s total debt stood at US$218.7 million, a 416.6 per cent increase from 2018 and is projected to further increase to US$312 million as at December 2023.

“In our view, this has reduced the Company’s financial flexibility and this, alongside delayed payments to TTUDEOCL, has resulted in our lowering of the cash flow adequacy and financial flexibility rating parameter of NiQuan Energy,” CariCRIS said.

To fund its operations, NiQuan raised money on the international bond market, loans and sums from local investors. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Alexander: PEP never “begged” to be part of UNC alliance

The political leader of the Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP), Phillip Edward Alexander strongly denies a July 10 report, published in the Newsday, that he “begged” to be a part of a United National Congress (UNC)-led alliance.

The PEP is contesting the Local Government Elections on August 14.

In a legal letter, Alexander’s lawyers said statements in the article were untrue and that they gave the impression that he was untrustworthy and dishonest with the public and his followers, and unfit to hold public office.

He maintains that neither he, nor the Party, is interested at this time in any partnership with the UNC, a position he has stated pub-

licly in the past. He said he has publicly stated that he rejected such an offer.

Newsday in response apologised to Alexander for the statements which it retracts, having found that they were untrue and er-

roneous. Newsday regrets any inconvenience, hurt and embarrassment caused to Alexander, and did not mean to disparage his character or that of the Party.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

PM unveils plan to develop Barbuda into luxury island

Antigua and Barbuda

Prime Minister Gaston Browne has announced his Government’s intention to make the island of Barbuda a “Jumby Bay on steroids”.

Jumby Bay is a 300acre private, luxury island two miles off the coast of Antigua. It has suites, villas and private residences, owned and leased by the very wealthy. In stark contrast, Barbuda has remained relatively untouched for nearly three centuries, with its residents practising communal land ownership.

Prime Minister Browne stated his intention to transform the sister island during the debate on Friday

to amend the Registered Land Act. Browne emphasised his vision for transforming Barbuda into a high-end luxury destination that would rival the exclusivity and allure of Jumby Bay.

The proposed plan aims to attract affluent travellers and investors to the island, thereby driving economic growth and creating employment opportunities for the local population.

“The earnings for those hotels that we’ll be attracting will be significantly greater than all the other hotels in Antigua and perhaps only second to Jumby Bay,” he said.

But unlike other development models, he said

his government will reject the model of all-inclusive hotels and instead develop the sister island into a high-end community.

“What we’ve decided is that Barbuda should be positioned as a low density, green and organic island,” he explained.

Browne anticipates that the Peace Love and Happiness (PLH) project which has already attracted US$2 billion in investment, for example, will contribute significantly more in taxes than Jumby Bay.

The Prime Minister insisted that the changes are meant to empower Barbudans with land ownership. (Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

The US Government has ordered all non-emergency staff to leave the island

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness (left) gives comforting words to Adam Stewart as his wife Juliet Holness shares the moment

Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP) political leader Philip Alexander addresses supporters on July 12

Around The World OIL NEWS

Zelensky after Moscow drone attack: War coming back to Russia

The uncertain future of the OPEC+ alliance

For OPEC, it is the best of times and the worst of times –depending on which member you ask. Despite a massive oil price windfall brought on by Russia’s war in Ukraine last year, the OPEC members are reaping massively unequal revenues from a shrinking basket. In fact, the alliance is under extreme stress due to waning oil demand and a lack of coordination among the members, and some experts believe that OPEC+ is in danger of breaking up in the near term.

By some metrics, 2022 was a banner year for OPEC+. Nominal revenues were at their highest mark since 2013, coming in at US$888 billion for 2022 according to figures from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), a whopping 54% from 2021 levels and just slightly higher than 2014’s total, after which oil prices began their long decline. However, the real figures are not as rosy. Once inflation is accounted for, prices are actually down nearly a fifth compared to 2014. The rise from last year, however, is still considerable at 43%.

While OPEC’s revenues seem to be on a significant upward trend post-pandemic thanks to high oil prices, the actual number of barrels being sold is still worryingly low. “While the amount increased last year, it remained below pre-pandemic levels and among the lowest of any year so far this century,” Bloomberg reported earlier this month. “Indeed, taking all factors into account, 2022’s real per capita export revenue is less than in 2009, when global GDP shrank and nominal oil prices were almost 40% lower.”

OPEC is understandably nervous. On the heels of last year’s wartime windfall, Saudi Arabia – the cartel’s de facto leader –has pushed for steep production cuts in order to keep oil prices high. But a further decline in the quantity of barrels produced and sold has backfired for the Saudi Government. Just this week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) downgraded Saudi Arabia’s growth projection from 3.2 percent to just 1.9 percent, pointing to “production cuts announced in April and June in line with an agreement through OPEC+” as a driving factor for the revised outlook. The decrease is a complete U-turn for Saudi Arabia, which was the fastest-growing economy in the G20 in 2022.

But the burden of production cuts – and the resulting economic hit – is not being borne equally by OPEC+ members.

“Russia has been pretty much cheating and free-riding off of Saudi Arabia’s cuts,” Greg Priddy, a consultant at Spout Run Advisory and senior fellow at the Center for the National Interest in Washington, DC, told the Middle East Eye earlier this month. In fact, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has reported that Saudi Arabia is on track to lose its spot as the largest oil producer in OPEC+, as the nation is due to be overtaken by Russia.

But the unfortunate truth is that OPEC needs Russia in order to maintain its ability to control oil prices. “An increasing number of OPEC members are well past their prime in terms of productive capacity anyway, hobbled variously by war, sanctions and mismanagement,” Bloomberg reports. But the shift of power away from Saudi Arabia and toward Russia spells major trouble for the group’s cohesion, and potentially its longevity.

Earlier this week, Clean Energy Transition portfolio manager Per Lekander told CNBC that he is “very sure” the OPEC+ alliance is going to break. “The more negative growth [there] is, and the less cooperation you have,” he said. If OPEC+, which currently controls about 40% of the world’s crude oil, were to break up, oil prices could nosedive to as low as US$35 per barrel. (Oilprice. com)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned war is coming back to Russia after a drone attack on the capital Moscow.

Zelensky said attacks on Russian territory were an "inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process" of the war between the two countries.

Russia's Defence Ministry said three Ukrainian drones were downed on Sunday, with two crashing into offices.

Vnukovo Airport, southwest of the city centre, was also briefly shut.

The drone attack in the early hours of Sunday is the latest that Moscow has blamed on Kyiv.

And in a video address on Sunday from the western Ukrainian city of Ivano-

Frankivsk, Zelensky said that Ukraine was getting stronger. "Today is the 522nd day of the so-called 'Special Military Operation', which the Russian leadership thought would last a couple of weeks," he said.

"Gradually, the war is returning to the territory of Russia - to its symbolic centres and military bases, and

Suicide bomb at political rally in Pakistan kills more than 40

At least 42 people were killed and over 130 injured when a suicide bomber set off explosives at a political rally in Pakistan's north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, Police and rescue officials said.

The blast took place at a gathering of the conservative Jamiat Ulema IslamFazl (JUI-F) party, known for its links to hardline political Islam, in the former tribal area of Bajaur, which borders Afghanistan.

An emergency has been declared in the hospitals of Bajaur and adjoining areas where most of the injured were taken, said district Police officer Nazir Khan. The critically injured were transported from Bajaur to hospitals in the provincial capital Peshawar by military helicopters.

A statement from Rescue 1122, a first-responder service, put the death toll at 42.

Khan said the explosion, at a JUI-F workers convention in Khar town of Bajaur,

Evacuation order issued for western Canadian town as wildfire crosses over from US

An evacuation order for the Canadian town of Osoyoos and its surrounding district in the province of British Columbia had been issued late Saturday night due to an out-of-control wildfire that has crossed the border from the US state of Washington.

The wildfire, called Eagle Bluff, is approximately 4 kilometres (2.49 miles) from Osoyoos and is currently es-

timated to be 885 hectares (2200 acres) in size on the Canadian side of the border, according to the British Columbia Wildfire Service.

It was estimated to be around 2000 hectares in size on the US side by the BC Wildfire Service.

Osoyoos has an area population of about 6700, according to an Osoyoos economic development website.

"There are Initial Attack

crew personnel, several single resources, two helicopters, structure protection personnel and heavy equipment responding to the incident," BC Wildfire Service said on Sunday.

The evacuation order covers the area north of the Canada-United States border to the intersection of Highway 97 and Highway 3, as well as west and north along Highway 3. (Reuters)

had left more than 130 injured, many seriously.

The provincial police chief Akhtar Hayat told Reuters the explosion was caused by a suicide bomb.

Pakistan has seen a resurgence of attacks by Islamist militants since last year when a ceasefire between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Islamabad broke down. A mosque bombing in Peshawar killed over 100 people earlier this year.

While the TTP and its associated groups have been behind a majority of attacks in Pakistan in recent months, the group distanced itself from Sunday's attack, which its spokesman condemned.

The targeted party, the JUI-F, is a major ally of the coalition Government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which is preparing for national elections to be held by November. (Excerpt from Reuters)

this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process."

This characterisation is certainly a level up from Kyiv's normal approach of not admitting responsibility for attacks inside Russia.

It may be far from a confession, but President Zelensky clearly feels confident enough to pile on the pressure, and not just on the Kremlin.

Drone attacks like these are also an opportunity for him to address the Russian population, the majority of whom appear to believe Moscow's invasion is just and righteous.

If they connect explosions close to home with what's going on in Ukraine, as per Zelensky's suggestion, it makes it that bit harder for Vladimir Putin to justify his invasion, which he is only looking to expand. (Excerpt from BBC News)

West African Govts give Niger coup leaders a week to cede power

West African countries have imposed sanctions on Niger’s new military leaders, threatening to use force if they fail to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum within a week, after the latest coup in the Sahel region raised alarm on the continent.

In the third coup in as many years to topple a leader in the Sahel, Niger’s elected President and Western ally, Bazoum, has been held by the military since Wednesday.

General Abdourahmane

Tiani, the head of the powerful presidential guard, has declared himself leader.

Bazoum is one of a dwindling group of elected Presidents and pro-Western leaders in the Sahel, where since 2020 an armed uprising has triggered coups in Mali and Burkina Faso.

Former colonial ruler France and the European Union have suspended security cooperation and financial aid to Niger following the coup, while the United States warned that its aid could also be at stake.

At an emergency sum-

mit in Nigeria, the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regional bloc demanded on Sunday that Bazoum be reinstated within a week.

Otherwise, the bloc said it would take “all measures” to restore constitutional order.

“Such measures may include the use of force for this effect,” it said in a statement, adding that ECOWAS defence chiefs were to meet later on Sunday.

It was not immediately clear how ECOWAS could use force. Last year, the bloc agreed to create a regional security force to intervene against armed group members and prevent military coups, but details on the force and its funding were still unclear.

The bloc also slapped financial sanctions on the coup leaders and the country, freezing “all commercial and financial transactions” between member states and Niger, one of the world’s poorest nations, often ranking last on the United Nations’ Human Development Index. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Italy Minister: Joining China's Belt and Road was 'atrocious' decision

Italy made an "improvised and atrocious" decision when it joined China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) four years ago as it did little to boost exports, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said in an interview published on Sunday.

Italy signed up to the BRI under a previous Government, becoming the only major Western country to have taken such a step. Crosetto is part of an Administration that is considering how to break free of the agreement.

The BRI scheme envisions rebuilding the old Silk Road to connect China

with Asia, Europe and beyond with large infrastructure spending. Critics see it as a tool for China to spread its geopolitical and economic influence.

"The decision to join the (new) Silk Road was an improvised and atrocious act" that multiplied China's exports to Italy but did not have the same effect on Italian exports to China, Crosetto told the Corriere della Sera newspaper.

"The issue today is: how to walk back (from the BRI) without damaging relations (with Beijing). Because it is true that China is a competitor, but it is also a partner," the defence minister

added.

After a White House meeting with US President Joe Biden on Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said her Government was still deliberating on the BRI and announced a trip to Beijing in the near future.

"We'll take a decision before December," Meloni told US broadcaster Fox News in an interview aired on Sunday, adding that the issue required discussions with the Chinese Government and within the Italian Parliament.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Two drones crashed into Moscow offices

(March 21-April 19)

Refuse to let a situation that can influence your status or position turn into an emotional frenzy. Use your skills and attributes to build solid connections with innovative collaborators.

Build momentum, and don't stop until you are satisfied with the results. Turn any negative encounter into a positive experience. You'll impress someone who can help you progress.

(April 20-May 20)

Don't rely on someone who exaggerates or tells you something to benefit themselves. Equip yourself to use your skills and knowledge to outperform anyone who tries to interfere.

(May 21-June 20)

Reliable connections will motivate you to improve your lifestyle. A serious discussion will turn something you have to offer into a commercial endeavor. Don't sit still; take advantage.

(June 21-July 22)

Taking the most suitable route will put you in an advantageous position. Pay attention to detail, and channel your energy toward your target. Personal growth will pay high dividends.

(July 23-Aug. 22)

Set a course that encourages making positive change, gaining information, and a mixture of old and new that complements who you are and what you want to achieve. Step into the spotlight.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Adjust your living arrangements. Use your charm and intelligence to create new opportunities that offer the freedom to do as you please. Protect against health or financial risks.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Contributions will encourage you to expand your awareness and plans regarding the balance between home and work. Finding the sweet spot that taps into your mindset will lead to happiness.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Do your due diligence before you agree to something. Look inward, consider your needs and make improvements that boost your confidence and bank account. Avoid situations that can lead to insult.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

You can do anything you put your mind to and persuade others to follow suit. Your magnetism will carry you to the finish line, where you can enjoy the rewards of doing the right thing.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Taking on too much or overreacting to what's happening will leave you vulnerable. Change what's necessary, regardless of what others do or say. Pay more attention to how you look and feel.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

A minimalist approach to life, relationships and how you proceed will decide the results. If you market your skills using innovative ideas, you'll receive favorable input.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

Khawaja, Warner lay base for seriessealing chase with unbeaten century stand

Aday which started with Stuart Broad receiving a guard of honour from the Australians following his retirement announcement the previous night, ended with David Warner and Usman Khawaja having given them a terrific base from where an unlikely target of 384 appeared achievable at The Oval.

In all, only 40 overs were possible on the fourth day before rain closed in, but they went almost entirely Australia's way. When the rain arrived, at drinks in the afternoon session, they needed a further 249 runs to take the series 3-1 and weather permitting will have 98 overs on the final day.

After walking through the line-up of Australian players, Broad faced the first over of the day from Mitchell Starc and somewhat comically farmed the strike for five balls before launching the last six of his Test career over deep midwicket. James Anderson, too, declined a single when he re-

verse-swept Todd Murphy and was then lbw missing another three balls later. And so, the final innings of this enthralling series began with Australia needing what would be their second-highest successful chase in history to secure a first series win in England since 2001. It felt a long way off when Warner and Khawaja first walked to the crease, but significantly closer when they headed off for the fi-

nal time in the day. They compiled Australia's first century opening stand in England since Warner and Chris Rogers added 110 at The Oval in 2015. Khawaja, meanwhile, crossed 5000 Test runs and is all-but assured of finishing the series as the leading run-scorer. His average as an opener stood at 62.10 and as of the close of play, that was the highest for an opener with a minimum of 20 innings.

Broad, with the crowd in full voice behind him, took the first over of the innings from the Pavilion End but except for one thick edge by Warner, which fell short of Ben Duckett at third slip, there were precious few uneasy moments in an underwhelming three-over burst. In fact, the whole bowling effort from England soon felt oddly flat.

Anderson helped build a little pressure as three consecutive maidens were sent down, but a drive from Warner and two boundaries in a row by Khawaja punctured that. Moeen Ali, defying his groin injury, was introduced for the 10th over and though there was some assistance from the pitch he served up enough loose deliveries to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Broad returned to no avail, but the seamers were able to keep a lid on the scoring. Joe Root bowled ahead of Moeen either side of lunch and did a serviceable job until his ninth over cost 13, including a slog-sweep from an increasingly assured

Warner.

A few overs earlier, Warner had dismissively launched Anderson over mid-off and then managed to guide an accidental beamer down to third as he ended flat on his back in the crease.

The pitch appeared to lose most of its life from the earlier days and many of England's tactics resembled those seen on slower subcontinental surfaces with a ring of catchers in front of the batter and the quicks using cutters to try and make the ball move.

There were questions raised about the delayed entry into the attack of Mark Wood who was not used until the 33rd over with Australia 99 without loss. His introduction brought a roar almost as big as that to greet Broad earlier and his pace,

even though not at the levels of Headingley or Old Trafford, made Warner and Khawaja hop around more than had previously been the case.

Two thick edges from Khawaja ran through the cordon down to deep third, between which he was struck on the back of the helmet as he ducked a short ball. A new helmet was needed (so new that the manufacturer's label had to be removed) and the end of a lively over saw a leading edge pop safely into the off side. There was only time for one more over before the rain closed in from the west. Play was abandoned shortly before 5pm leaving an enticing scenario for the final day of a series that has rarely been anything less than gripping. (ESPNcricinfo)

Belgian Grand Prix: Max Verstappen toys with rivals as 3rd world title looms large

Max Verstappen is toying with Formula 1 at the moment.

The Dutchman won the Belgian Grand Prix for Red Bull at a canter from sixth on the grid while barely appearing to extend himself.

When he wanted to overtake Sergio Perez for the lead, he lapped two seconds faster than his Red Bull team-mate at will. Once out front, to take it easier

on his final set of tyres, due to Red Bull's concerns about their durability, his response was to suggest he push even harder, extend an even bigger gap and take another set to give the team some pit stop practice.

Not that they need it, given Red Bull consistently have the fastest pit stops.

"He has all reason to be a bit cheeky," said Toto Wolff, boss of the Mercedes team that two years ago were going toe-to-toe with Verstappen for the title, but now aplost derwhy Bull's advantage is so

"[He's] just driving around. On merit. Nothing else to say. As much as it's annoying."

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton had another way of putting it. "He is having a smoke and a pancake," Hamilton said, referencing the old Austin Powers quote about Dutch people and

Though Verstappen's searing pace may have given the impression that he ignored Lambiase's demands to back off, especially once he crossed the line

22.3 seconds ahead of the only man in the same car, that was not the reality.

Verstappen, Lambiase said after the race, "did listen". It just did not look like it, so great was his superiority.

Verstappen took a dominant pole position won by more than 0.8 seconds, but was demoted five places by a grid penalty for using too many gearbox parts.

It took him just over 16 of the 44 laps to reach the front of the field. "I'm surprised it took him so long," Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said.

Horner quickly qualified that he was joking, but you know what they say about many a true word. His remark actually reflected the belief throughout the F1 paddock – before the Grand Prix started many were debating how many laps it would take Verstappen to get into the lead.

Most people's answers were in single figures – some of them very small ones.

The reason it took as long as it did was that for a few laps he became stuck in a 'DRS train' behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Hamilton's Mercedes.

Hamilton was within range of Leclerc and could use his DRS overtaking aid for a straight-line speed boost. And

this meant that even though Verstappen was close enough to use his, the advantage was neutralised, partly because Hamilton's car was running trimmed out and was the fastest on the main straight in Belgium.

"Once Charles broke Lewis's DRS, I could pass and then get Lewis," Verstappen said, "but I hurt my tyres too much. Once I got the new mediums on I could do my pace."

“A once-in-a-generation talent”

Verstappen and his teammate, Perez joined forces to claim Red Bull's 27th one-two finish - and fifth of the season.

Perez has been on a long run of shaky races, but before qualifying on Friday Horner gave him a warning – another example of jokes and truth.

"I told him that I wasn't going to talk to him if he wasn't in the top five," Horner said. "And I'd squeeze part of his anatomy [too]. It seemed to do the job."

Perez did indeed finally produce the sort of performance Red Bull expect of him every weekend. But that did not make it any less of a dispiriting weekend for the Mexican.

Perez qualified 0.877 seconds behind Verstappen on Friday for the Grand Prix, was 0.905secs off the pace in the sprint shootout on

Saturday, and Verstappen's superiority in the Grand Prix was awe-inspiring.

Perez pitted first, as was his right as the leader. Verstappen came in a lap lat er, emerging two seconds behind.

Taking it easy on his tyres so as not to overheat them, Verstappen was 1.1secs behind after his out lap. That became 0.3secs as they crossed the line next time around. Drafting Perez through Eau Rouge, he was through into the lead long before the end of the Kemmel straight, and pulled out 1.6secs in the remaining twothirds of the lap.

On the lap he overtook Perez, Verstappen was two seconds faster than his teammate. A couple of laps later, he was 1.5secs faster. He backed off, to the extent of now only pulling out over 0.5secs a lap.

When, a few laps later, Lambiase warned him he was risking taking too much out of his tyres, he responded by setting the fastest lap – 2.3secs faster than Perez on the same tour.

Even a heart-in-mouth moment when he almost lost the car at 180mph through Eau Rouge during light midrace rain could not stop him.

"It is not the best place to go sideways," Verstappen

said, "but luckily nothing happened."

generation.

"Like all the great drivers, he has that extra capacity. And what we're seeing is his ability to read a tyre, read a race, extract absolutely everything out of it. It's great to see. He is just at the top of his form."

The superlatives are in danger of running out. This was Verstappen's 10th win in 12 races this year and his eighth in a row. If he wins his home Grand Prix at Zandvoort after the summer break on August 27, he will equal Sebastian Vettel's alltime record of nine consecutive Grand Prix victories.

When the main point of interest in a Grand Prix is a debate between the winner and his race engineer about how fast he should or should not be going, you know that the opposition are in trouble.

(BBC Sport)

Digicel Schools’ Football Championships… Lopsided affairs as Round of 32 kicks off

There were goals galore to be witnessed on Saturday at the Ministry of Education (MoE) and National Insurance Scheme (NIS) Grounds as the Digicel Schools’ Football Tournament National Round of 32 stage got off to an entertaining start.

Georgetown champions Dolphin Secondary started proceedings on an exciting note with a dominating victory over Brickdam Secondary.

the cherry on top in the 84th minute for the 16-1 victory.

Jovaun Thom netted Brickdam’s consolation goal in the 87th minute.

Over at the MoE Ground, Tucville Secondary eased past Belladrum Secondary 4-0.

Williams lifted Waramuri to a 5-0 victory over Vryman’s Erven Secondary.

Later, it was back to the lopsided wins as Region Nine champions St Ignatius Secondary whipped President’s College 11-0.

Romel Ernest was the marksman to watch for St Ignatius, netting six goals

Taruma (33rd) and Rayes Williams (59th) netted one apiece to add to St Ignatius’ tally.

The final game of the day was a fitting close to the exciting football action, as Kato Secondary and Carmel Secondary took the game down to sudden-death kicks.

Damion Eduan stunned

ute, fireworks flew as both sides scored, Kenroy Moses for Kato and Marcus Lane for Carmel, to bring the score to 2-2.

The score remained locked until it came down to penalty kicks where Carmel Secondary prevailed.

36th, 60th, 63rd) and Jamal Williams (51st, 25th, 81st, 89th) led the charge with four goals apiece. Caldwell Peters added to the tally with a treble in the 40th, 44th and 78th minutes. Jequan Cole (31st, 58th); Jude Charles (35th, 68th) registered doubles while Daniel Denheart added

A hat-trick from Dwayne Kellman in the 18th, 33rd and 58th minutes and a single strike from Neil Evans in the 11th accounted for Tucville’s tally.

Back at the NIS Ground, Friendship Secondary were receiving a drubbing at the hands of West Ruimveldt

Secondary. Both Ozim Lewis (6th, 11th, 25th) and Donovan Welcome (8th, 44th, 45th) found the back of the net thrice. Registering doubles were Elijah Marcus (30th, 61st) and Malachi Wray (45th, 66th), while Trevor Bent (5th), Wayne Solomon (55th), Nicholas James (67th) and Matthew Calvan (82nd) netted one goal each to bring West Ruimveldt’s tally up to 14.

Braces from Zundel Abrams (1st, 22nd) and Denzell Abrams (13th, 67th) accompanied by a shot on target off the boots of Danesh

in the 5th, 35th, 40th, 46th, 73rd and 79th minutes. Akon Albert was equally as impressive with a treble in the 40th, 53rd and 69th. Morgan

his opponents with an early goal for Kato in the fourth minute. Carmel’s reply came in the 20th, off the boots of Ian Daniels. In the 37th min-

The Digicel tournament continued yesterday at various venues and the Round of 32 is expected to conclude today with action in Berbice and the West Coast of Demerara. At the Scotts Ground, Berbice, Tutorial Academy will take on Mahaicony Technical at 14:00h, while Berbice Educational Institute battle Queen’s College from 16:00h at the same venue.

In Region Three, Charlestown Secondary go head-to-head with Leonora Secondary from 16:00h and Westminster Secondary battle North Ruimveldt Multilateral from 18:00h, both at Leonora.

The Round of 16 is set to be played on Wednesday, August 2 and Thursday, August 3 at the MoE Ground, Georgetown.

“Dover is quite capable”— Shabazz

…as Assistant Coach readies to lead Golden Jaguars once again

As Guyana’s senior men’s national football team, the Golden Jaguars, head to the United States of America for their friendly match against Ethiopia, the squad will be in a familiar position leadership-wise, with the absence of Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz.

This Wednesday, August

While it is a difficult position for the national team, and Shabazz himself to be in, the Head Coach highlighted that he was accepting of the US Embassy’s process.

“That being said, we’re still dealing with the Embassy and trying to get everything rectified. Of course, decisions I made in my life, 33

Technical Advisory Board of the FIFA IFA B Board also says something. So, I do not see myself in any way as being a threat to the US or their national security, but I respect the fact that they have their rules and I continue to wait on the administrative review that they continue to do at this moment.”

Turning his attention to the Golden Jaguars who will be led by Assistant Coach Wayne Dover, once again; Shabazz reiterated his confidence in Dover’s ability to lead the national team.

me, I want to be an asset, but I have the utmost respect for Coach Dover and the rest of the staff,” the Golden Jaguars

Head Coach further stated. Shabazz has selected an 18-member team for the friendly. The team have al-

ready touched down in the United States. Kick-off time against Ethiopia is 19:00h on Wednesday.

Guyana Under-13 team off to T&T for Goodwill Bilateral Series

–to face T&T counterparts in 4-match series

2, the Golden Jaguars will do battle with Ethiopia, at the Segra Field, Leesburg, Virginia, in what is being hailed as a historic friendly, where the local team will be opposing an African nation for the first time.

Quizzed about whether the situation will be the same as the recently-concluded CONCACAF Gold Cup, considering his US Visa woes, Head Coach Shabazz responded to the Guyana Times Sport’ inquiries in the affirmative.

“Actually, as it stands now, I’m not sure still, because my passport is still with the US Embassy undergoing administrative review, but the way we prepare the team, Coach Dover is the one working with the first XI and I’m working with the second team in the training and he’s quite capable of taking it forward there,” Shabazz noted.

years ago in 1990 in Trinidad and Tobago, is the real issue at hand,” the Coach said.

He divulged, “I think Coach Dover is quite capable, we’ve worked over the years. There’ll be one or two things that he and I would do differently from each other, because we are different people and we always don’t agree on everything. You know, he’s his own man and when you’re in charge, you have the veto power to make the final decision.

The Guyana Under-13 team left Sunday morning for Trinidad and Tobago for the second annual Goodwill Bilateral Series between Guyana and T&T scheduled for July 30 to August 9, 2023.

The Goodwill Bilateral Series is an arrangement that began last year between Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) President Bissoondyal Singh and Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board President Azim Bassarath, under which the two countries will engage in an annual series. T&T visited Guyana in December.

The introduction of Under-13 age group cricket is part of the GCB’s five-year strategic plan set in 2021 by the present administration in which some of the objectives include exposing young cricketers to playing against other countries, playing in different countries where conditions can pose a different challenge, which, of course, serves to develop players’ skills at the grassroots level.

Guyana U-13 Team: Justin Dowlin; Bhomeish Lall; Richard Ramdeholl (Vice Captain); Khush Seegobin; Lomar Seecharran; Tameshwar Deonandan; Nathaniel Ramsammy; Reyaz Latif; Joshua Bollers; Brandon Henry (Captain);

Ethan Silas; Makai Dowlin; Raffel McKenzie; Thierry Davis and Makayah Holmes. Ameer Rahaman will serve as the Head Coach with Kumar Bishundial his assistant while Rayon Da Costa will carry out managerial duties.

Shabazz went on to add, “The fact that I’ve coached four national teams in the region, I’ve dedicated myself to developing football in Trinidad, in Guyana, in St Lucia, I’ve done work in Montserrat in men’s and women’s football, I think the fact that I’m also on the

“But during the Gold Cup period, we were in constant contact because of modern technology. I was actually watching the game and able to talk to him at half time and tell him what I saw. So, it’s also a step up for him and getting these opportunities to take charge of the team. For

The team left Guyana at 05:00h on Sunday, July 30 and will play the first of the four-match series on August 2 with the second, third and fourth match on August 4, 6 and 8 respectively. All matches will be played at the National Cricket Centre and will be live streamed.

A look at the action on the opening day of the Digicel National Round of 32 (Jemima Holmes photo)

Golden Jaguars Coaches Jamaal Shabazz and Wayne Dover in conversation during the team’s preparations for the Ethiopia friendly

A look at the Golden Jaguars’ training ahead of this week’s historic friendly

Alado remains unbeaten with thrilling win at Port Mourant

Guyana champion horse Alado reigned supreme in the Port Mourant Turf Club PreEmancipation Shivtahal feature race.

It was the first time that Alado of the Master Z Racing Stables was in action at this venue, and champion jockey Colin Ross settled all arguments and reminded all that Alado is the best of the best.

Trained by Nasrudeen Mohamed Jr, Alado

claimed the two-million-dollar prize and remained unbeaten in Guyana.

However, this was the most challenging race for Alado, running in unfamiliar territory and being the target of the field. Bossalina was impressive to claim a close second spot while Queen Domina came in third.

Wild Texas Tom finished fourth in the eight-furlong feature race.

The day started with the L Class race which saw Princess Sasha claiming

a win. Perfect Dream was second while Trump came in third and Rock Page Harbour fourth.

Race two was the two-

loted American Traveller to a crushing win against some big names. Coup D Etat came in second while

The Banks Derby saw Jagdeo Racing Stables dominating. Red Ruby won from gate to pole, displaying lightning speed. Dilon Khellawan displayed class and comfort at his home track. GT Boss came in second while Renaissance

and El Dorado Queen in that order.

On August 13, Rising Sun Turf Club will come alive when the Guyana Cup runs off.

This race was sponsored by KP Jagdeo General Contractors, Archway

year-old Guyana bred race.

It was She’s a Monica who won in convincing fashion. Super Quick came in second while Creator and Choclateboy rounded out the top four finishers.

Guyana champion jockey Ross set the pace early in the G Class race, and fittingly he was the winner of race three. Ross pi-

Princess Steffani and Sexy Eyes were the other finishers in the top four.

Meanwhile, in a field of 12 three-year-old horses, Royal Flight edged to a thrilling win. Secret Jet took the second spot by the smallest of margins while Princess Anesha came in third and Rags to Riches fourth.

Man was third, followed by Rachel.

The seventh and final race of the day was the J Class event. Republican of the Elcock racing stables won followed by Plus Return, Amazing Grace,

Snackette, Shivtahal Family of USA, Sunil Poultry Farm, Old Broom Lounge, T&R Construction, Kares Engineering, Sandeep Ramdass Satesh Bar, Jumbo Jet, Banks DIH, and AJM.

Briton John, Alex Leung dominate Rajkumar Churaman memorial cycling

By Brandon Corlette

in BerBiCe

Team We Stand United duo Briton John and Alexander Leung were kings of the Corentyne roadway in the 50-mile

Rajkumar Churaman memorial cycling race.

The race started at Corriverton, pedalled towards Rose Hall Town and returned to the point of origin for the grand finish under blazing sunshine. Leung and John, who came together, stopped the clock at two hours 36 minutes and five seconds.

Leung was, however, adjudged the winner, while John accepted second.

Curtis Dey came in third solo while veteran Robin Persaud claimed fourth, pipping Romello Crawford (fifth) in a sprint home.

Christopher Griffith came in sixth . Persaud was the top veteran while Paul Cho Wee Nam came in second place. Alex Mendes

came in third in the veteran category. Leung had five sprint prizes while John had four.

Clevicia Spencer was the top female while Tandy Noel and Abigail Jeffrey rounded out the top three podium spots. The females started at Rose Hall Town and finished in Skeldon. Spencer clocked one hour 56 minutes.

Alex Newton was the top juvenile and Sidwell Sandy came in second. According

to the organisers, this race will be an annual event. The race was organised by the Flying Ace Cycling Club.

John will be representing Guyana in Scotland from August 5 in the UCI Elite World Championship.

Clevicia Spencer dominated the female category and gave the juvenile boys a run

Cyclists battled for 50 miles in steaming conditions

(Brandon Corlette photos)

Jockey Colin Ross won with American Traveller in the G Class

The three-year-old maiden Guyana bred event had 12 horses and it was a close finish won by Royal Flight

Red Ruby won the Banks Derby from gate to pole. Here is a presentation photo at the end of the race

Nasrudeen Mohamed Jr and his son with Alado after the victory

The happy Alado family (Brandon Corlette photos)

Berbician Romello Crawford was pipped by Robin Persaud

Drag Wars 2…

Team Mohamed’s Pro-Mod Mustang has maintained its record-breaking 6.403 pass that it set on Saturday during the qualifying round at the South Dakota Circuit. The previous record of 7.036s was again broken by Team Mohamed’s, only this time the car was driven by Victor Flores, also known as “Floor It”. Also on Sunday, the Trinidad rail car driven by the skilled Sheldon Bissessar in a blistering 6.670s defeated Team Daby’s Toyota Pro-Mod in the six-second class.