Guyana Times - Monday, April 3, 2023

Guyana received US$377.1M in oil payments for 2023 1st quarter

In the first quarter of 2023, Guyana received in excess of US$300 million in payments for profit oil and royalty, increasing the balance of its Natural Resource Fund (NRF) to well over US$1.4 billion by the end of March 2023.

Based on the gazetted inflows of money for the first quarter, the Natural Resource Fund received US$377.1 million in oil and gas payments. This includes a payment of US$157.6 million made in January for two profit oil lifts that occurred last year from the Liza Unity and Liza Destiny floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels.

Meanwhile, payments dating from last year’s transactions also include a royalty payment of US$57.5 million for the 2022 fourth quarter oil production. Meanwhile, Guyana received payments for two lifts that occurred this year from both FPSOs.

There was a payment of US$82.2 billion for a lift of profit oil that occurred

on January 17, 2023 from the Liza Destiny FPSO. There is also a payment of US$79.6 million for a lift from the Liza Unity that occurred on February 3, 2023. Considering that the NRF had approximately US$1.3 billion at the end of February, this means that the fund now has US$1.4 billion.

Guyana is, in 2023, expected to earn a total of US$1.6 billion in profit oil and royalties combined, buoyed by the startup of ExxonMobil’s third development in the Stabroek block – the Payara development – before the end of the year.

This disclosure was made by Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh during his reading of Budget 2023 in January. According to the Finance Minister, there will be 136 lifts of profit oil from the Stabroek block in 2023. Of those, Guyana will be entitled to 17 lifts of profit oil, the revenue from which will go into the NRF.

“Within this, Government is projected to have 17 lifts of prof -

it oil from the producing FPSOs, earning an estimated (US$1.4 billion) in profit oil and US$225.2 million in royalties in 2023,” the Minister had said.

“As highlighted previously, based on 2022 deposits, an estimated US$1,002.1 million, equivalent to Gy$208.9 billion, can be withdrawn from the NRF and transferred to the Consolidated Fund to support national development priorities this year.”

Guyana, with US oil giant ExxonMobil as the operator, began producing oil on December 20, 2019 in the Stabroek Block. Guyana’s oil revenues are being held in the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) at the New York Federal Reserve Bank, where it is earning interest.

The oil rich Stabroek Block, which is producing the oil, is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres). Exxon, through its local subsidiary Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), is the operator and holds 45 per

cent interest in the block. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd holds 30 per cent interest; and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, holds the remaining 25 per cent interest.

Since last year, Guyana has been recording weekly lifts in the Stabroek block, with oil production now at 340,000 barrels per day from the Liza Destiny and Liza Unity FPSO vessels. With

EEPGL making weekly lifts, Guyana’s crude entitlement of one million barrels occurs monthly from the two FPSOs.

ExxonMobil has said it anticipates at least six projects offshore Guyana will be online by 2027. Production has already started in the second phase, with the Liza Unity FPSO vessel in operation.

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.

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. (G3)

…NRF now has over US$1.4B

The Liza Destiny FPSO, one of the vessels from which funds in the NRF derive

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Monday, Apr 3 – 03:30h –05:00h and Tuesday, Apr 4 – 04:00h – 05:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, Apr 3 – 14:45 –16:15h and Tuesday, Apr 4 – 15:25h – 16:55h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

There will be sunshine during the day. Expect clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to North-Easterly between 3.12 metres and 5.81 metres.

High Tide: 15:23h reaching a maximum height of 2.46 metres.

Low Tide: 08:59h and 21:17h reaching minimum heights of 0.83 metre and 0.72 metre.

Guyana” message stronger, more compelling today – Sir Shridath Ramphal

Distinguished Guyanese diplomat Sir Shridath Ramphal has said that the “One Guyana” message, an initiative led by President Dr Irfaan Ali to push unity among the local population, is stronger and more compelling today than ever in the country’s history.

In a statement on Sunday, Sir Shridath stated that Guyana’s Motto –One People, One Nation, One Destiny – must be the credo of every Guyanese. He posited that every true Guyanese heart should beat in tune with the tenor of the motto.

“The youthful instinct for a ‘One Guiana’, which drove that message 72 years ago, has only grown stronger and more compelling as Guyanese strive today to realise our national motto of ‘Oneness’,” Sir Shridath noted.

He clarified that his missive was not in response to current profanity (an apparent reference to the recent racist remarks made that caused widespread condemnation of a Guyanese politician).

As a matter of fact, the Caribbean and Commonwealth elder statesman was referring to his October 1951 letter to the editor of The Times, which he wrote as a student in London in wake of the Report of the Waddingon Commission.

At the time, Guyana was then known as British Guiana and was a British colony until the country gained independence in May 1966. The Waddingon Commission, a constitutional commission, was set up by the British Government to decide on the constitutional framework as the then Guiana was on its way to independence.

In fact, Sir Shridath had played a crucial role in drafting Guyana’s Independence Constitution of 1966 after the country was freed from colonial rule.

Sir Shridath’s letter to the editor had stated: “Responsible elements in all racial groups in Guianese

society are devoting their energies toward crushing the evil influence of racialism wherever it rears its ugly head; and throughout the country men and women of diverse races are working together in all the fields of social and political activity, sublimating, in the process, conflicting racial loyalties to a comprehensive and overriding loyalty to Guiana. It is only the irresponsible and the political opportunist who attempts to retard and reverse this process and to divide the country into rabid racial camps.”

The 1951 letter went on to say, “As the Commission points out, ‘race is a patent difference and a powerful slogan ready to the hand of unscrupulous men who can use it as a stepping stone to political power’. It is the avowed policy of such agencies to divide; surely it is not the office of the Constitution to assist in their design. To propose a system of communal representation is to grant to the cause of racial separatism the argument of constitutional validity and to concede to such elements of social disorganisation a victory which few Guianese would be prepared to accept as inevitable.”

“To refuse to assist the force of an evil is not necessarily to ignore its potential danger; very often it is the surest method of ensuring its defeat. The Commission has faced the problem with courage and many generations of Guianese may well be grateful for the ‘optimism’ of their decision.”

Sir Shridath “Sonny” Ramphal has served as Secretary General of the Commonwealth (19751990), Foreign Minister and Minister of Justice of Guyana (1972-1975), Attorney General and Minister of State in the Guyana Foreign Ministry (1966-1972), Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, University of Guyana and the University of Warwick (concurrently), and Chairman of the West Indian Commission (19901992). He is a recipient of

the Order of Excellence of Guyana, and the Order of the Caribbean Community of Caricom.

Sunday’s remarks by the renowned Guyanese diplomat on Guyana’s “oneness” comes on the heels of President Ali’s aggressive drive to promote greater inclusion at the legislative, political and social levels under this One Guyana initiative.

Back in February 2023, the Head of State had described One Guyana as a “social contract of inclusion” while addressing religious leaders from North America during a virtual engagement.

Later that month, Ali told the Guyanese Diaspora in The Bahamas that Guyana's development story, which is unfolding globally, is not only predicated on oil and gas but rather, policies and programmes to build a resilient, sustainable and strong country under the umbrella of “One Guyana”.

"And that is what I've been working on; creating this One Guyana in which we build a system that delivers prosperity for every single Guyanese and every single Guyanese family."

Aside from the major transformative projects, the Head of State pointed to the

importance of shaping the right collective mindset.

"And this, for me, is the important project, changing the mindset, changing the way we relate to each other, community by community, household by household. And I assure you I will not rest until this country is unified."

He added that this calls for the involvement and support of every Guyanese.

"It requires every single Guyanese changing from the inside. It requires every Guyanese making a special effort and a special commitment to being part of the positive transformation, to be part of the solution and not part of the problem."

He encouraged persons to join with his Government in building a country and a society that is stronger, more prosperous and one that delivers to the aspirations and ambitions of the people of Guyana.

"I stand committed to this…," the Guyanese leader declared.

The President further reiterated the importance of engagements with the Diaspora, which he said provides an opportunity to connect with those who continue to contribute to the development of Guyana and facilitate the exchange of ideas. (G8)

Sir Shridath Ramphal

“One

Views

Editor: Tusika Martin

News Hotline: 231-8063

Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761

Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707

Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown

Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

New Development Paradigm?

The debate over the Government’s spending in according with their manifesto programme continues unabated, not surprising in view of our new circumstances occasioned by oil revenues. However, we have been particularly disappointed with the Opposition insisting only on the populist clichéd insistence on Governmental transfers. There’s no critique of the macro-economic fundamentals that undergird the budget. Does this mean they agree with those policies? Then maybe they ought to say so. By avoiding comment on the present model, the Opposition unavoidably end up with intractable contradictions – such as cutting taxes while simultaneously increasing spending, without explaining where the funds would come from, or their impact on the economy.

For instance, if they want to be original, they might outline a programme for our development that would be based on some premises of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). MMTers make the claim – following in the footsteps of Abba Lerner –that the Government budget should not be subject to any sort of arbitrary balancing constraint. Instead, Lerner and the MMTers advocate that the Government budget balance should be conceived of strictly from the point of view of real economic variables. Thus, if there is unemployment, the budget should be unbalanced; while, if there is high inflation due to output capacity being outpaced by demand, the budget should be moved closer to balance; or even, in certain cases, into surplus. Lerner referred to this approach as ‘functional finance’.

The reason that both Lerner and the MMTers feel confident in making this case is because they hold that a Government that issues its own currency and allows its exchange rate to float is not subject to any budgetary constraint. It can essentially issue new money – together with Government bonds, if it so wishes – until it begins to see inflation. Inflation, then, is the only real constraint to a Government that issues its own currency and maintains a floating exchange rate.

However, if a developing country tries to spend up to the point of full employment while maintaining a floating exchange rate, it is, as stated above, likely to see devaluation and inflation take place, as the weakened currency chases more and more imported goods that the country’s own domestic industry cannot produce. As incomes rise through Government spending programmes (and potential rises in real wages) people will be more inclined to seek out goods and services that were previously thought of as available only to a small stratum of the population. Devaluation and inflation are then almost inevitable – unless, of course, the oil-generated forex compensates.

What to do? We can actually use Government fiscal policy to guide domestic investment decisions, and ensure that some of the goods and services people desire as their incomes rise are produced at home, rather than abroad. Then we need be less concerned with currency devaluation and inflation, as these goods and services will be denominated in the domestic currency. And we can kill two birds with one stone by also exporting.

Let’s say people are buying more top-end furniture. We have an abundance of high-quality woods in Guyana, but our manufacturing capabilities are substandard. The Government can establish public-private partnerships to fund one or more industrial furniture manufacturing centres to international standards. Kilns, designing and marketing expertise can be shared. Jobs are created, more money is spent domestically, and the export market can be opened up.

This governmental intervention (dirigisme) – like the gas-toshore project - is a workable method of economic governance. It allows markets to continue to function, but, at the same time, channels investments into needed channels quickly and effectively. It does all this without the need for complex bureaucracies; all that are needed are good researchers and planners and a Government (and in Guyana an Opposition) willing to incentivise investment that serves the public purpose. Coupled with the functional finance approach as laid out by the MMTers, the possibilities for fostering growth are endless.

But, in Guyana, the Opposition will only be complaining that entrepreneurs will be making money; not that there will be a virtuous circle created. You can’t make omelettes unless you crack some eggs.

The WPA has lost its way

Dear Editor, During my youthful days in high school, I read Gandhi’s autobiography, “My Experiment with Truth”, a book I bought with the pocket money my late grandfather gave me, and it inspired me to follow closely the life of great leaders.

Thereafter, I would attend all meetings in Albion and nearby villages whenever the later Dr Cheddi Jagan was the featured speaker; and during my last days in high school, I became interested in the work of the late Dr Walter Rodney. The Mirror, Thunder and the Dayclean were part of the mass’s dietary supplements. This trend continued long after I graduated from high school and after the demise of these two great sons of Guyana. But notably today, I have discerned two diametrically opposite trends: While the Party founded by Dr Jagan, the PPP, continued to grow and progress based on Jaganite principles, fighting for freedom and democracy, and producing world class leaders such as Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, Dr Irfaan Ali, and many others, both male and female; the WPA, founded by Dr Rodney, has gradually descended into an abyss of decadence, has strayed away from the Rodneyite fundamentals, and has become a party spewing and fostering racial division and disharmony while cooperating with, and endorsing all the wrongdoings of, the PNC, including the attempted rigging of the 2020 General Elections. This is

against all the founding principles of the WPA and what it had stood for.

In 1974, when the WPA was founded, its core principle was racial unity, and its anti-racist rhetoric resonated far and wide, captivating the masses and simultaneously becoming an urgent threat to the PNC. Dr Rodney posed a menacing threat to Burnham, so much so that he had to be eliminated.

The murder of Dr Rodney and who was the architect of his cruel assassination is public knowledge, and the CoI into his death finally put to rest who the perpetrators were. But now the very people are in bed with the same people. In fact, the WPA has sold its soul to the same PNC which committed so many atrocities against the Guyanese people, including them, and continued to do so. Is this justified, when the PNC has not changed a bit?

The WPA has witnessed first-hand the openly corrupt ways of the previous Coalition Government from 2015 to 2020, its rapid descent to being another Burnham-like dictatorship, and its shameless and barefaced attempt to rig the 2020 Elections; yet, instead of condemnation, its Executive members, more so the Elder Tacuma Ogunseye, have sought to fan the flames of racial strife and disharmony, seemingly oblivious of the humongous gains made by the PPP/C Government to create a ONE GUYANA. One look at the socio-economic development taking place across Guyana would

confirm this.

The mantra of the PNC, the AFC and the WPA: of “marginalisation and corruption”, speaks volume of their inability to make any tangible contribution to the development of Guyana.

What is the justification for Ogunseye’s call to arms against supposedly Indo-Guyanese? In his own words, he said, “I will support resistance, be it unarmed or armed, once it is a response by the poor and powerless of any racial group/community against state-sponsored killings and political oppression, irrespective of the government in power.” This statement attests to the fact that Mr Ogunseye has transported himself back in time, to when the PNC was in power. I think his mental state of mind should be called into question. Where are the ‘state-sponsored killings’ and the ‘political oppression’ under the PPP? It would seem that this brother wants to make himself the ‘sacrificial lamb’ to fulfill the devious agenda of the PNC, who want to get into government at all and any cost. He is playing the tune which Mr Aubrey Norton could waltz to.

The WPA should go back in time, when it was mostly Indo-Guyanese who were subjected to state-sponsored killings and political oppression. This was very much predominant in the Burnham era, and continued even when the PPP came into Government. It was the Indians who were targeted for murder, violence, sexual assaults

and rape, and banditry in broad daylight under the guise of “peaceful protests”. I did not hear WPA Executive Mr Ogunseye speak against these atrocities against Indians whenever the PPP is in power. Did he not pontificate that he would support his call for armed or unarmed resistance in response to any racial group being subjected to such treatment? Yet, every time the PNC stage a “peaceful protest”, it is the Indians who are targeted, and Ogunseye and his WPA comrades remained mum.

It is unfortunate that the WPA has journeyed so far as to make itself a mockery of the ideals of Dr Rodney. Instead of condemning the statement by Ogunseye, who invoked members of the armed forces to “turn those guns in the right direction”, the WPA endorsed it. The WPA is now doing the real killing and performing the final rites for Dr Walter Rodney. But these traitors to the cause of Dr Rodney have now brought destruction only to themselves, it is they who are performing their own final rites. The AFC already performed theirs.

Third parties and socalled ‘Third Forces’ such as the UF, the WPA and the AFC have done nothing for the Guyanese people, except forming alliances with the PNC to bring destruction, racial division, and mayhem to this great country.

Yours sincerely,

Haseef Yusuf

The National Literacy Department of the Education Ministry collaborated with the Cyril Potter College of Education to conduct a threeday training workshop for final-year trainee teachers exiting the training institution. In photo, final-year teachers participating in an Early Childhood and Primary programme on literacy methodologies (Education Ministry photos)

Moses Bhagwan is horribly wrong

Dear Editor,

I write with reference to Moses Bhagwan’s “Stop this hypocrisy about charging people for racial incitement”, which appeared in the media on 2/4/2023.

While I hold Mr Bhagwan in high regard, I cannot do the same for his arguments. Those arguments cannot be sustained by any thoughtful consideration in history, contemporary empirics around electoral behaviour, political or sociological theory, or ethics. On the contrary, rather than making a contribution in the right direction, Mr Bhagwan opted to descend into an amalgam of unforgivable distortions. Allow me to develop these points.

Let us first recap the three core arguments of Mr. Bhagwan. They are: (1) that Guyana’s principal problem

is that it is fundamentally divided along the lines; (2) that this supposed divide informs all political attitudes and behaviour; and (3) that the recent record of racial incitement by the WPA and PNC should be tolerated.

This last point is expressed in Mr Bhagwan’s defense of Tacuma Ogunseye’s recent racialised provocations.

Modern epistemology is clear that facts alone cannot refute theory. This is a critical point, because, all too often, people keep insisting on “showing the evidence.” Against this naivety, we should know that only theory can refute theory. Bhagwan’s first argument: that race is the fulcrum of identity in the country, is a theoretical argument. I counter this by positing that Guyana’s historic problem is that the country is divided

between authoritarian social forces (PNC and WPA) on the one hand, versus the democratic thrust (PPP/C) of the country since 1992. Put simply, it is not race that anchors our political divisions. Rather, it is that the PNC, followed by the WPA, are bent on a politics of slow subversion of state institutions, as against the PPP/C’s efforts at building a politics of democratic engagement.

As for electoral behaviour, Mr Bhagwan is shockingly oblivious to the available data, at least since 1997. Note that Janet Jagan won 55.26% of the vote in the December 1997 polls, and despite a sustained campaign by the news media against the PPP/C, the party under Jagdeo received 54.67% against the PNC/ R’s 34.07% in 2006. But

more importantly is that the PPP/C lost the National Assembly in 2011, and was defeated at the polls in 2015, but won fairly in 2020. We have a fluid political situation that can no longer be explained by race. Two things in the 2020 elections are worth specific consideration in the analysis of voting trends. First, the APNUAFC were competitive, and this despite the fact that Afro-Guyanese make up only 29% of the population. Elections’ results are now so close (2011, 2015, and 2020) that, again, race cannot explain things.

The other issue of 2020 gets back to my central argument: namely, that political identity cannot be directly derived from race in its nominal form, and that the PNC/R and the WPA are stuck in an authoritarian

Commentary that Guyana is paying ExxonMobil US$4 billion in interest false, misleading

Dear Editor, Kaieteur News publisher Mr. Glenn Lall made an outrageously false and misleading assertion that Guyana is paying ExxonMobil some US$4 billion in interest annually.

I imagine this would appear in the headline news of his newspaper on April 2nd, 2023.

Please permit me, therefore, to correct this misleading and callous statement by Mr. Lall.

It is public knowledge that the audited financial statements of Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), CNOOC and Hess are publicly available and accessible to all of the media houses.

The consolidated financial statements of EEPGL, CNOOC and Hess for FY 2020 and FY 2021 revealed that the lease and financ -

ing cost in 2020 amounted to US$40 million and US$35 million respectively, thus bringing the cumulative total to US$75 million.

Guyana’s earnings in both profit oil and royalty for those two years amounted to US$609 million. As such, the debt financing cost for these two years represented 12% of Guyana’s share of profit oil and royalties, and 4% of the total comprehensive income cumulatively as of FY 2021.

In FY 2021, the lease interest cost represented 1.21% of the gross revenue (from the sale of crude), and finance cost represented 0.15% of gross revenue.

Accordingly, the esteemed publisher has effectively - whether deliberately, mischievously, misleadingly or by error - overstated the interest expense of ExxonMobil Guyana by more than one

hundred (100) times. The oil companies’ capital structure comprised both debt and equity financing, with a modest level of debt financing. ExxonMobil’s weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is 10.25%. More so, it should be noted that the financing cost is a deductible expense on the profit and loss statement for any type of business operation, hence it is cost recoverable in the oil and gas business. The simple expla-

nation is that it is the cost incurred to raise the capital requirements of the business to fund its operations as well as exploration and development activities.

Editor, in closing, I wish to urge the news entity’s publisher/editor to examine the financial statements of FY 2020 and 2021, to confirm the interest expense and make the necessary correction.

Yours sincerely,

Joel Bhagwandin

mindset.

Still on Bhagwan’s second argument, I follow numerous thinkers who believe that identity is something overdetermined. This means that one’s identity cannot be derived from, or reduced to, a single source, or rest on a fixed central axis. Writers, including Sigmund Freud, Louis Althusser, Stuart Hall, Gayatri Spivak, and Rex Nettleford, among others, have all come to the same conclusion.

Bhagwan’s idea that race is all that anchors political identity is wrong. Rather, it is the fluidity of identity dynamics that has underwritten political developments in Guyana. Mr Bhagwan needs to come up to speed with modern sociological and political theory; but, most importantly, with the structural reconfiguration of race, culture, identity, and the political in Guyana.

This is not the Guyana

of the mid to late 20th century. Younger people have been breaking out of the ‘race’ confinement that Frantz Fanon once labelled as a ‘bastard principle’. Regrettably, it appears that Mr. Bhagwan, like Tacuma Ogunseye, wants to hold on to that same ‘bastard principle’, and to boot, to weaponise it further.

Finally, Mr Bhagwan left here some time ago, and can therefore live comfortably with Ogunseye’s call for racial violence and a race-inspired subversion of the state. In which country in the world is that not a violation etched in criminal incitement?

I invite Moses Bhagwan to spare no effort in withdrawing his inadvertent but still potent support for racial incitement in Guyana. Tentanda Via – the way must be tried.

Sincerely, Dr Randolph

Persaud

Govt looking for ways for ordinary Guyanese to invest in oil & gas sector …business opportunity to be announced soon – President Ali

In the interest of giving ordinary Guyanese even more opportunities to directly benefit from the oil and gas sector, the Government is working on a project that will allow investors, including ordinary Guyanese, to invest and get returns.

President Ali made this announcement during a recent press conference, saying that they will soon announce an investment project in the oil and gas sector, that will bring together investors, including ordinary Guyanese.

“I’m now working on a plan to go much larger and much further than SUVs [vehicles contract], one in which all the private sector, every single cent, we can mobilise as a country to invest in a business opportunity in the oil and gas sector to create an infrastructure that all those investors can invest and one in which ordinary Guyanese will be able to invest, so that they too can be part of the growth

and opportunities. I will launch that very soon,” the President said.

Ali further maintained that the Government’s intent with the oil and gas sector is to ensure that Guyana can reach a point where it can supply all the needs of the oil majors and their sub-contractors.

“We have protection in local content for certain businesses. We have a lot of local persons who have invested in transportation services, who are fully utilised. As a matter of fact, we in the Government had to relook at the fact that we have a lot of delegations that are coming. Foreign delegations. Leaders.”

“And we were placed in an embarrassing situation where we did not get the type of vehicle to rent, because we used to rent vehicles because most of them were occupied in the oil and gas sector. But as I said, we are going to push to ensure that every service we can provide as a people, will be provided.”

It was announced last year that since Government brought the Local Content Secretariat (LCS) into operation in January 2022, preliminary figures show that Guyanese suppliers have earned over GY$129 billion from the oil sector.

According to the Secretariat, as of November it had also is -

sued some 354 Local Content Certificates to Guyanese suppliers of the nation’s oil and gas sector. Director of the Secretariat, Martin Pertab, had said that the unit continues to work alongside and engage with contractors, sub-con -

tractors, licensees and Guyanese suppliers to ensure that the goals of the Local Content Act are met.

Oil companies and their sub-contractors are also more incentivised to utilise vendors who were approved by the Secretariat. When registering with the Secretariat, which is free of cost, suppliers are asked to submit certain crucial documents, depending on the type of proprietorship.

Meanwhile, a breakdown of the services

Guyanese provide to oil companies includes rental of office space and accommodation, equipment rental (crane and other heavy-duty machinery), surveying, pipe welding, blasting and coating – onshore, construction work for buildings – onshore, structural fabrication, waste management (hazardous & non-hazardous), storage services, janitorial and cleaning services.

Other services include catering, food supply, administrative support and facilities management services, immigration support services, work permits, lay-down yard facilities, customs brokerage services, export packaging/ crating, preservation and inspection, pest control/exterminator services, cargo management/monitoring, ship and rig chandlery, and environmental services and studies.

They also provide transportation of trucking ventilation (private, commercial and industrial), industrial cleaning security services, ICT network installation. There are also a number of support services, such as manpower and crewing, dredging, local insurance, legal and medical services, aviation engineering and machining, and local marketing and advertising services. (G3)

President Dr Irfaan Ali

Mahaicony man slapped with DUI charge

was arrested after being stopped by Police.

According to Police reports, Grant was found to have a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of 53 per cent during both the first and second readings of the breathalyser test. Police said this is significantly higher than the legal limit.

Grant, who resides at Strath Campbell in Mahaicony, ECD, was charged and appeared at the Mahaica Magistrate’s Court on Friday.

The court appearance follows the stricter enforcement of drunk driving laws in Guyana, as authorities aim to reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents on the country's roads.

incidents, were charged.

Anandjeet Pokhan, a 25-year-old resident of Hope West Enmore, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was stopped by Police along the Success Railway Embankment, ECD, after his vehicle was observed swerving on the road.

Police said that upon administering a breathalyser test, an officer of the Guyana Police Force found Pokhan’s blood alcohol content (BAC) to be 71% during the first reading, and 69% during the second reading.

Pied Pipers… …of Guyana

A42-year-old man has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol in Helena #1, Mahaica, on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD).

Charged is Donovan Grant.

Reports are that the incident took place on Wednesday evening and Grant

Police have said that driving under the influence of alcohol is a serious offence that puts not only the driver, but also other road users, at risk. As such, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) had made it clear that anyone caught driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Only a few days ago two men who were allegedly caught driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol, in separate

Pokhan was subsequently charged and processed to attend the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court on April 5. In a separate incident, Dave Narinedai, a 38-year-old resident of Annandale Railway Embankment, ECD, was also charged with DUI after he was stopped by Police on the La Bonne Intention Railway Embankment, ECD, for driving erratically.

Narinedai’s BAC, Police said, was found to be 98 per cent during both the first and second readings. He too was charged and processed to attend the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court on April 5. (G9)

Being still firmly caught in the miasma of British colonialism, we all know the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, don’t we?? The fella with the bright clothing who suddenly appears in the latter town that was plagued by rats? He tells the good citizens he could get rid of their pestilential plague – for a fee, of course. He duly plays his pipe and leads all the rats out of the town – never to be seen again. But…as happens when folks think they’re “smart flies”, the burghers balk at payment. Whereupon the Pied Piper starts playing his pipe and all the children of the town – 130 of them – follow his out of town, also never to be seen again!!

Well, the “Pied Piper” has since become a trope for charismatic people who’d promise you everything you ever wanted – and then some. But, in the end, you end up like the aforementioned “smart flies” – at the end of the cow’s nether region, enmeshed in cow-sh*t, from which you can’t extricate yourself!! And in Guyana we’ve had more than our fair share of Pied Pipers, haven’t we?? One of the biggest was, of course, Forbes Burnham - who’s been in the news recently.

Burnham was a Pied Piper par excellence – with the gift of the gab that could charm a caiman. Which creature, not so incidentally, he chose for his coat of arms!! Yeah… the same creature that recently bit off that young man’s arm!! He’d gone up to London and polished his pipes with a Churchillian drawl, and returned with bright clothingimmaculate to a tee! In Guyana, the folks were clamouring for someone to get rid of the British, whose rule had been pestilential. Seemed, however, that different folks responded to different pipes, and he became one of a number of Pied Pipers.

In this tale, it was the folks in the country who followed the Pied Pipers, and not the rats!!And it was the rats who promised to pay Burnham if he led his followers down the garden path!! And did he ever!! Given his thirty pieces of silver by the Brits, he promised those who followed his tune the moon and stars. They would just throw back, since he would “feed, house and clothe” them!! He then nationalised and controlled 80% of the economy, and put it in the hands of his followers. Those who followed other Pied Pipers would be given “condign” treatment – which could range from social to physical death!!

Unfortunately – but predictably – it all fell apart!! The people became hungry, homeless and naked! But remarkably, they still followed his music, that remained in their heads even after he croaked!!

Even to now insist he’s “father of the nation”!!

…at street corners

It’d be funny, if it weren’t so pitiful. Here we have a bunch of geriatric Pied Pipers playing pipes that were made to play tunes from the seventies – and have gotten into all sorts of problems. Seems they forget that, as time marches on, the tune that captures the inner Geist of the people also changes. So, these out-of-tune, wannabe ratcatchers turned up at various villages in our fair land to lure the residents into following them on some Quixotic – but dangerous – path. They wanna overthrow the Government – whom they insist are the new rats!!

Good for the folks that very few showed up, so they’ve been unaffected from the fallout of the geriatric folly. Actions have consequences; and in this case, while your Eyewitness hopes the consequences won’t be too dire, he’s sure they’ll be uncomfortable. The geriatrics are now in serious reverse gear, and insisting that they were just indulging in “street corner” gyaafs. You know when bullshit flows fast and furious!!

Hope that sh*t sticks!!

…on development

While the new struggle for global hegemony seems to be playing out between the US and China, actually, it’ll eventually pan out to be multipolar – after the two wear each other out on the ropes!!

Charged: Donovan Grant

Influx of visitors

Govt eyeing 2000 additional hotel rooms by 2025

In keeping with Guyana’s push to increase the number of hotel rooms that can accommodate visitors to the country, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has been intent on creating an enabling environment for new hotels. It is an initiative the Government expects will add 2000 hotel rooms over the next two years.

This is according to Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, who recently said that major hotel brands such as the Marriott and Best Western are on track to finish building their 150 and 101-room hotels, respectively.

“We have been proactively preparing for this influx of visitors and as we move around Guyana, you will notice a lot of construction activities, some of which is associated with the hospitality sector.”

“Two major hotels under the Marriott and the Best Western brands are reportedly on track for completion by the end of 2024. By the end of 2025, we would have added up

to 2000 quality rooms to rooms stock,” Walrond further said.

This comes even as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently screened and exempted developers constructing a seven-story hotel on Sheriff Street, from submitting an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), based on its assessment that the project will not significantly affect the environment.

The family-owned Gonsalves hotel, which the

developers say will be completed by the end of April, will feature 40 rooms.

According to the project summary, construction on the hotel started in 2021 and an estimated capital investment of $300 million was required for the project.

Meanwhile, other brand-name hotels are springing up all over Guyana, with the sod turned last year for the AC Marriott hotel in Ogle and the Sheraton Hotel in Providence that will together add over 300 rooms to Guyana’s hospitality industry.

In June of 2022, the Marriott International, in collaboration with H-Towers Incorporated and other international partners, signed an agreement that will bring the Sheraton Hotels & Resorts brand to Georgetown, Guyana, by 2025.

The agreement is between Marriott, H-Towers (a Guyanese-owned company), and its US-based partners, The Triwest Financial Group Inc and Black Pearl Holding Co. The project is expect-

ed to include a 200-room Sheraton Hotel and 224 residences, marking the brand´s debut in the market.

The project includes a residential component, and 224 residences will be housed in the second tower, connecting with the hotel via a sky bridge. Construction for the two towers is slated to begin at the end of the year.

Then there is the AC Marriott Hotel, which will be situated on 2.61 acres of land 2.5km south of the Atlantic Ocean and 0.5km east of the Eugene F Correia Airport. The project is being developed by Trinuyana Investments.

Trinuyana plans extensive landscaping and other infrastructural developments in the project. The project summary further states that the hotel will be five storeys tall, with 150 rooms. Retail stores are among the hotel’s planned features, as well as a courtyard. There will also be paved parking lots with 114 parking spaces, drive aisles and site roads.

It has already been said that over the next few

years, Guyana will see the construction of at least eight hotels. Last year, the sod was turned for a US$15 million boutique hotel under the Aiden brand to be constructed in the heart of Georgetown. The hotel, which would feature 101 “smart rooms”, is being constructed as part of the Best Western Hotel and Resorts franchise.

Globally recognised hotel brands like the Hyatt, Hilton, and Radisson Hotels have also expressed an interest in investing in Guyana. In 2020, the Government of Guyana,

through the Tourism and Commerce Ministry and the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with investors for a US$90 million Hilton Hotel to be constructed at McDoom, Greater Georgetown.

Given Guyana’s growing demand for accommodation for visitors, the Government of Guyana, through its GO-Invest office, had launched an Expression of Interest (EoI) in 2021 for hotel developers. (G3)

…new 7-floor hotel to be completed this month

Schematic of the new Gonsalves hotel

Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond

| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Stop disrespecting Police officers –Benn issues strong warning to public

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has been calling for more respect from the public towards its officers in the execution of their duties.

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn made the plea while addressing the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana National Road Safety Council at the Police Officers’ Training Centre on Friday.

In his remarks, Benn emphasised that to reduce road accidents and meet this target of preventing them by 50 per cent by 2030, citizens must stop assaulting traffic officers who are carrying out their work. He stressed that the quality of policing would not improve if there is no cooperation and respect from the public.

“…policing will not improve if we don’t have the

cooperation and the respect from the public…we have to be stronger. We have to support each other more and develop synergies across the agencies, report more, react faster, and be more assertive,” the Home Affairs Minister said.

The Home Affairs Minister highlighted the issue of Police officers being physically attacked by citizens, who were accused of breaking the law. In recent times, videos have surfaced online, showing Police officers being assaulted while carrying out their duties.

He stressed that this behaviour must stop, and that repeat offenders must face the brunt of their actions and be immediately dealt with. Benn also pointed out that some adults do not want to follow the law. He urged citizens to be mindful of their

behaviour and to respect the law so that the country can become a safer place.

The Home Affairs Minister further stressed the need for the Police to put in place body cameras during engagements with persons to capture evidence at crime scenes as part of a wider plan to increase the Police Force's professionalism. The use of cameras is among several measures the GPF has adopted to capture evidence at crime scenes.

“We have to put in place the body cameras for when we have the engagements with those persons. We have to deal with the repeat offenders who should not be permitted to drive if they lose points or if they indeed repeat offenders,” Benn said as he urged passengers to speak out when minibus drivers are speeding or play-

ing loud music. He said that even when other passengers might side with the drivers, citizens must be assertive and exit minibuses that are not compliant.

The Guyana Police Force and the Guyana National Road Safety Council said they will continue their interactive discussions focused on advancing road safety ef-

forts in the country. Benn hopes that through sensitisation campaigns, the public will be better informed about road laws and regulations, and will work with the Police to make the roads safer for all.

This plea from the Minister came on the heels of several persons being charged with assaulting Police officers on the roadways.

A minibus driver, Okemi Harry, who was caught on camera in November 2022 attacking and assaulting a traffic officer was jailed for 14 months and fined $80,000.

Harry, who was slapped with 13 charges last year, appeared before Magistrate Rushelle Liverpool in February of this year. He was found guilty of charges including using indecent language, failure to carry a conductor, and resisting a peace officer. However, he had four charges dismissed.

Harry pleaded not guilty to charges of careless driving, failure to comply with

a Police officer, and failure to wear a seatbelt, and the matter was adjourned to April 14, 2023, for report.

In addition, Samuel Paraj, a 27-year-old unemployed male resident of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was charged for assaulting a member of the Guyana Police Force (GPF). He was jailed for nine months.

In another case, a 28-year-old tailor of Best Road, West Bank Demerara, pleaded guilty to three charges stemming from his assault of a Policeman, which was captured on video in December 2022.

Nicholas Balkishun had appeared at the Wales Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Faith Mc Gusty, and had pleaded guilty to disorderly behaviour, assaulting a peace officer, and driving under the influence (DUI). He was fined a total of $27,500 –$10,000 for the disorderly behaviour charge, $10,000 for assaulting the Police officer, and $7500 on the DUI charge. (G9)

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn

Corentyne schools receive broiler chicks from Agri Ministry

Students attending two Corentyne schools, who are preparing to sit the Agricultural Science Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination in 2024, are now in a better position to have their School-Based Assessment (SBA) completed.

This follows the donation of baby broiler chicks by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Saturday to Winifred Gaskin Secondary and Manchester Secondary School, in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Each school received 100

Welder on death bed makes vigilante justice allegation against cops

…dies 6 weeks after accident at East La Penitence Police Station

In a stunning turn of events, the Guyana Police Force has found itself at the centre of a brewing scandal following allegations of vigilante justice made by a dying man against several of its ranks.

of the road when he collided head-on with a car in oncoming traffic.

broiler chicks and feed to assist with the SBAs for students preparing to write CSEC examinations.

It is intended to give the students a hands-on experience in the rearing of poultry.

Mustapha said it is important to promote agriculture in schools and that the Ministry will work to develop the schools’ agriculture departments.

He said with Guyana leading the charge in the Region in terms of agricul-

tural development, it was critical for more young people to get involved in agriculture, noting that President Dr Irfaan Ali’s Agriculture and Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme (AIEP) was developed to attract young people and caters for the cultivation of high-value crops such as broccoli, cauliflower and carrots.

Head Teacher of Manchester Secondary, Sean Letch said the donation is highly appreciated.

“The young people that

are writing CSEC, they are going to benefit tremendously because as a project to fulfil their CXC requirements, they have to do a project with chickens.”

Students of Grade 10 will take on the project. The school is hoping to build capacity and be able to sustain itself. According to the Head Teacher, there are plans to expand its agriculture programmes to include Grades 7-11. He said the skills students will acquire can help them to earn in the future.

In showing his appreciation, Imran Ali of Winifred Gaskin Secondary said it will strengthen the curriculum for learners.

He said the project will help the school to advance one of the Education Ministry’s target areas, which is the Secondary School Enhancement Programme. This programme targets students between Grades 7 and 11 and exposes them to five areas which include technical and vocational education and training (TVET), home economics and agricultural science. (G4)

Collin Murphy, also known as “Day Day”, a 22-year-old welder of Haslington New Scheme on the East Coast Demerara (ECD), and who was employed at Guyana Shore Base Inc (GYSBI), died at the Georgetown Public Hospital on Friday last after being hospitalised for six weeks following an accident outside the East La Penitence Police Station, Georgetown, on February 13, 2023.

Throughout his hospital stay, Murphy and his family had repeatedly claimed that he was immediately accosted and beaten by two Police officers following the accident, an allegation that the Guyana Police Force has vehemently denied.

However, in a video seen by Guyana Times , Murphy can be heard describing the alleged beating to his relatives from his hospital bed,

saying, “I sure they lash me up in meh head with a gun because if you watch me skin you will see it ain’t get nuff whitey like when you ride and you fall off yah bike. Is all them gun butt that they lash me up in me neck back mussy trouble me spine.”

The incident allegedly occurred as Murphy was attempting to evade a party of Policemen, who were conducting a roadblock outside the East La Penitence Police Station. He was allegedly riding an unmarked motorcycle without a helmet on the wrong side

Despite the Guyana Police Force’s report that Murphy’s injuries were severe, the man’s family is claiming that the injuries sustained from the accident were minor and not life-threatening enough to cause his death.

In an interview with Guyana Times , a relative revealed that Murphy was expecting a baby with his girlfriend. The family is now left to mourn his untimely death and has been deprived of the opportunity of him meeting his unborn child.

Meanwhile, the Police had said that ranks have cooperated with the family in all ways reasonable, and an active investigation is ongoing with a file soon to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.

Despite the Police Force refuting the claims by the dead man’s family, Murphy’s family is insisting on seeing the full video footage beyond the collision for their own closure. (G9)

Dead: Collin Murphy, also known as “Day Day”

Manchester Secondary Head Teacher Sean Letch and Imran Ali of Winifred Gaskin Secondary receiving the feed and chicks from Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha. Also in photo is Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha gives broiler chicks and feed to Winifred Gaskin Secondary and Manchester Secondary

Palm Sunday procession

Christians in Guyana have joined the rest of the world in observing Holy Week, the most sacred week in the liturgical year. Holy Week begun on Sunday – which is known as Palm Sunday in observance of Christ’s entry into Jerusalem – and includes Holy Wednesday (betrayal of Jesus); Maundy Thursday (also known as Holy Thursday), which celebrates Jesus’s Last Supper with His 12 disciples; Good Friday (Passion of Jesus is observed). The week ends with Easter Vigil on Saturday in preparation for Resurrection Sunday (Easter Sunday). In photos are Palm Sunday Procession of Witness by St Sidwell’s Anglican Church; Cathedral of Immaculate Conception (Brickdam Cathedral) and St George’s Cathedral (Photo compliments of DPI and Tariq Clarke for St Sidwell’s Anglican Church)

OSH Month 2023

Labour Ministry to focus on sectors with high death tolls

OSH Month 2023.

With April being designated as Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) month, the Ministry of Labour will be focusing on the sectors that have a record of a high death toll

among workers.

This is according to Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton, on Sunday following the Occupational Safety and Health Walk hosted to kick-off a series of activities planned for

Hamilton explained that these initiatives are “…to highlight importantly, issues in mining, construction and we want to pay some attention to agriculture – and among all

the other [sectors]. But we’re focusing on where most of the deaths have happened.”

The Labour Minister, nevertheless, stated that his Ministry will continue to educate employees and employers about safe workplace practices to reduce the number of workplace incidents and fatalities.

This year’s OSH Month is being observed under the theme, “A Safe and Healthy Working Environment is a Fundamental Principal and Right at Work.”

Sunday’s walk was aimed at highlighting the importance of OSH practices in the workplace. The Labour Minister pointed out that all workplaces, including office spaces, must be health and safety conscious, and should do everything possible to protect workers to ensure that they do not face injury or death on the job.

“All we are attempting to do is ensure that when someone leaves to go to work, they return to their families the way they left and that is what this is all about,” he stated.

Minister Hamilton went on to note that there are several other activities slated for this month including more walks in other regions across Guyana, radio interviews, and engagements with employees and employers in the mining, agriculture, and other sectors.

To this end, he urged persons to come out and participate in those events. Nevertheless, the Minister was pleased with the turnout at Sunday’s walk.

“I’m delighted at the massive turnout this morning – the amount of companies, Government agencies and people who came out to give us the necessary sup-

port. We look forward to the support right through the month from persons in the regions where we would be doing this walk and we’d be doing other activities.”

“As I’ve said continually, there isn’t a request that I’ve ever made to any company or anyone regarding supporting anything that got to do with OSH and they didn’t deliver. And so, I want to urge people to continue to give

were at the fore of the walk.

Other participants included representatives from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport; Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA); Guyana Power and Light (GPL); Exxon Mobil Guyana; National Insurance Scheme (NIS); University of Guyana; New GPC Inc; Centre for Local Business Development (CLBD); Professional

us that support,” Hamilton implored.

Over eight hundred participants took to the streets of Georgetown on Sunday to support the activity that seeks to raise awareness among workers and employees in implementing safety at workplaces.

In addition to senior officials from the Labour Ministry, led by Minister Hamilton, representatives from several public and private companies as well as British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Caroline Miller, and National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) Chairman, Earl Morris,

Guard Services (PGS); Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI); Farfan & Mendes; Eureka Medical Service; Pritipaul Singh Investment Inc; Expro; Bureau of Statistics; SBM Offshore; Pacific Leopard International Trading Inc; SEACOR Marine; International SOS-Guyana Inc; Banks DIH; Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC); Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI); TechnipFMC; Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC); Massy Distribution Guyana Inc, and Guyana National Shipping Corporation (GNSC). (G8)

Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton, British High Commissioner Jane Miller, and other officials at the front of Sunday’s OSH Walk in Georgetown

Participants at Sunday’s OSH Walk

GTA licenses more tourism accommodations, tour guides; operators trained

spection activities in Regions

Three, Four, and 10 on 35 tourism establishments including interior lodges and resorts. Once these businesses have passed the inspection process, they will be one step closer to becoming officially licenced with the GTA.

Throughout the month of March, the GTA said it also conducted a series of training including First Aid and CPR training, Health, Safety, Security & Environment (HSSE) training, mixology training, and more, training over 87 persons.

The Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), with support from the GTA and representatives from the consulting firm Target Euro, also launched the Discover Essequibo Circuit Development Project with stakeholders from the Essequibo Coast and Bartica areas.

will include follow-up field assessments, developing new products and training sessions, and enhancing the governance structure to lead the functioning of the tourism cluster.

In addition to that, as part of the Tourism and Hospitality Training initiative by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs’ Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme, 62 Community Service Officers (CSOs) from regions all across Guyana attended a one-week Introduction to Tourism training.

The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has licensed nine tourism accommodation establishments, 16 tour operators, and five tour guides. The nine tourism accommodation establishments are Cara Lodge Hotel; Rock View Lodge;

Baganara Island Resort; Rewa Eco Lodge; Pegasus Hotel Guyana; Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel; Atta Lodge; Iwokrama River Lodge and Grand Coastal Inn.

Meanwhile, tour operators include Evergreen Adventures Inc, The Wild

Tales, Epic Tours, Exciting Tours Through the Guianas, Blackwater Adventures, Wanderlust Adventures, Wilderness Explorers, Old Fort Tours, Touring Guyana, Ride Along GY, Singing Chef Adventures, Leon Moore Nature Experience, Toma1 Guyana, Trail Masters

Adventure Tours, Adventure Guianas, and Elite Kayaking & Nature Tours.

Additionally, tour guides Shebana Daniels, Carlton Peters, Delon Williams, Tichie Roberts, and John Elliot also received their licences.

The GTA also executed in-

The first phase of this project focused extensively on product development, which sought to assess the region's current product and service offerings while exploring opportunities for new products and visitor flows.

As the project continues, the next steps for the team

During the training, they were introduced to key areas of tourism development, including the importance of customer service, understanding visitor needs and expectations as well as developing tourism experiences. The first group was guided through a field visit to Surama Eco Lodge, while the second group visited Rewa Eco Lodge. Being able to experience the lodges and their surroundings, interact with the staff as well as learn more about their community-based Tourism development model was well received by all.

UG to host 2nd Diaspora Conference in May

and the Future: Youth, Technology and Virtuality among others.

The conference is also expected to attract University of Guyana alums, numbering over 50,000 and spread worldwide.

The opening ceremony for the conference is scheduled for Monday, May 8, 2023, at 09:30h.

Persons attending the Diaspora Conference can access discounted airline tickets offered by Caribbean Airlines at a discount of 10%.

The University of Guyana (UG), which is now in its 60th year, is set to host its second Diaspora Conference at the Turkeyen Campus, Greater Georgetown, during the period May 8-10, 2023.

The event will be held under the theme “Calling 592: Honouring, Researching, Reigniting Diaspora.”

The Diaspora Conference is one of several signature events being hosted by the university this year to celebrate the institution’s 60th anniversary. It will provide a platform for academics and professionals, particularly those from the major capitals

around the world with a large Guyanese Diaspora presence, to engage in high-level discussions on the conference’s subthemes related to Diaspora research and studies.

Participants of the conference are expected to benefit from innovative keynote, panel presentations and discussions on various sub-themes such as; Repositioning the Diaspora: Working across Spaces and Places; Reconceptualising the Diaspora: A Paradigm Shift; Diaspora and Intersections: Race, Class, Gender, Youth and Vulnerable Communities; Diaspora as Changemakers in their Community; Diaspora

Details on this offer and how you may be able to access same are available at the Diaspora Conference website https://ugdiasporaconference2023.com/ along with recommendations on hotels and group tours to some of Guyana’s top tourist destinations.

Additionally, early bird registration fees are accessible until (April 7th 2023).

For more information, interested persons can visit the official UG Diaspora Conference 2023 website.

A full list of events the university will be hosting in celebration of its 60th anniversary and to participate, can be accessed here: https:// celebrateug60.com/

A group of CSOs during their visit to Surama Eco Lodge

Victory Valley Youths benefit from Empowerment Workshop

here perpetually or forever, I use to be a kid just like you, listening to people like myself, now I’m here doing the same thing, so there’s continuity in how we grow and develop as a nation and we have to invest in you, we have to, it’s important for us to invest in your education, invest in your healthcare and invest in community development.

“We want to be continuous, we want to be friends, we want to be partners, we want to be here with you, to listen to you and to watch you grow and develop,” the minister said.

The Annual Easter Basketball tournament was also held on Sunday and Todd said the decision was made to include an empowerment workshop this year, to the benefit of the youths.

Youths of Victory Valley, Linden, Region Ten (Upper Demerara -Berbice) were on Sunday part of a youth Empowerment workshop, conducted by the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry in collaboration with the Human

Services and Social Security Ministry and other partners.

The initiative is part of the government’s efforts to improve the livelihood of residents especially the youths.

Foreign Affairs Minister

Hugh Todd reiterated the

government’s commitment to fostering development.

“We want to make sure that we are not here just to talk but to interact and to work with you here in the community,” the minister is quoted by DPI as saying.

He noted that last year following the resurfacing of

New York plans for Trump surrender with barricades, courtroom closings

New York City police have thrown up metal barriers around Trump Tower and blocked roads near Manhattan Criminal Courthouse as they brace for potential protests ahead of Donald Trump's expected surrender to prosecutors on Tuesday.

The former president is due to be arraigned at the courthouse Tuesday afternoon, after his indictment in a grand jury probe over hush money paid to a porn star. He is the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges.

Trump describes the probe as a political witch hunt, and top supporters, including Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene, say they will go to New York on Tuesday to protest. The downtown courthouse, home to criminal and supreme courts, will shut down some courtrooms ahead of Trump's expected appearance, a court official said. The New York Police Department (NYPD) said there were no credible threats to the city. Some social media users have called for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the jury that indicted Trump to be executed, according to Site Intelligence Group,

which monitors online extremism.

After Trump falsely claimed he won the last election, his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, sparking a deadly riot.

However, many Trump supporters online have expressed wariness about public demonstrations, even after Trump called for them, concerned they could be arrested.

"(The) department remains ready to respond as needed and will ensure everyone is able to peacefully exercise their rights," the NYPD said in a statement.

Trump is expected to fly to New York on Monday from Florida and spend the night at Trump Tower, before arriving early Tuesday morning at the courthouse, a Trump adviser said.

While the spectacle of the former president facing criminal charges was certain to draw massive media attention, it is not yet clear if his appearance would draw a large number of protesters. While Trump is a native New Yorker, he didn't get many votes in his hometown - 23% of the city voted for him in 2020 and 18% in 2016.

The New York Young

Republican Club says it is planning a protest at a park across the street from the courthouse, a demonstration that Greene, one of Trump's staunchest supporters in Congress, says she will attend.

"Protesting is a constitutional right," Greene said on Twitter, adding that she would "protest this unprecedented abuse of our justice system and election interference." She said she rejects anyone who incites or commits violence.Before voting to indict Trump, the grand jury heard evidence about a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the waning days of the 2016 presidential campaign.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has said she was paid to keep silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump in 2006. Trump denies the sexual encounter.

A court official told Reuters that courtrooms on higher floors of the courthouse will be closed at 1 p.m., shortly before Trump's expected 2:15 p.m. (1815 GMT) arraignment.

The official also said many court cases will be adjourned at a building across the street from the courthouse. (Reuters)

the hard court, “We made a promise at that time, once completed we are not going to just move away, we are going to keep coming and we are going to keep engaging with the residents and the youths in the community because we want to have a long-lasting partnership.”

Minister Todd also spoke of the President’s One Guyana initiative which aims to foster unity and inclusivity, where every citizen will be given equal opportunities

and benefit from the country’s advancement.

“You here in Victory Valley, you are part of the One Guyana initiative because it covers the length and breadth of this country,” he reiterated.

The minister noted that emphasis is also being placed on the youths because they will be the future leaders.

“Because you have to be able to provide continuity for us, we would not be

“You can be anything you want to be once you work hard and you’re disciplined and you put your mind to it, you can do it, it doesn’t matter where you are coming from, it doesn’t matter your circumstances at this time, you can make it. We’ve all had our trials, we’ve all had our challenges and if we can make it, you can make it,”

Minister Todd encouraged.

Chief Investment Officer of Guyana Invest, Dr Peter Ramsaroop, and several others also made presentations at the workshop.

74-year-old among 23 persons arrested in Berbice drug bust

Police ranks in Regional Division Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) have arrested 23 persons, including a 74-year-old, following the discovery of a number of narcotics along with other items.

These discoveries were made on Sunday as the ranks conducted an intelligence-led operation within the Whim Police Station District, Berbice.

Based on information re-

ceived, some 23 adults between the ages of 21 and 74 years were arrested. This was after the officers found 54 ecstasy pills, 1110 grams of Cannabis sativa and a large quantity of local and foreign currency.

The Region Six Police Division said that the ranks went to Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, where they searched a two-storey house and unearthed the narcotics along with the cash in one of

the bedrooms.

The discovery was made in the presence of a 29-yeartold male tattoo artist and a 24-year-old house wife.

Additionally, during the search exercise, another female was also arrested after claiming that the house belonged to her. Police say the 50-year-old woman had entered the building and behaved in a disorderly manner. Nevertheless, investigations are continuing. (G8)

The items found during Sunday’s operation in Rose Hall Town, Berbice

Some of the youths at the Empowerment Workshop in Victory Valley, Region 10

Minister Hugh Todd engaging youths of Victory Valley, Region 10

NGSA Science Questions NGSA S. Studies Questions

Ecuador's Lasso authorises civilian use of guns, citing insecurity

Ecuador has authorised the carrying and use of guns by civilians, President Guillermo Lasso said in a televised broadcast, citing rising crime and insecurity in the Andean country.

Lasso, a conservative former banker, has been fighting to tackle rising crime and violence in the streets and in prisons - where hundreds of inmates have been killed - which the Government blames on drug trafficking gangs.

The beleaguered President also faces an impeachment process over allegations of embezzlement - accusations he has denied - after Ecuador's top court gave the green light for hearings to go ahead.

"We have a common enemy: petty crime, drug trafficking, and organized crime," Lasso said late on Saturday in a message also posted on Twitter.

To fight rising insecurity, the Government will allow civilians to carry and use guns, he added.

"We've modified the decree that allows the possession and carrying of guns. In other words, in general terms ... the possession and carrying of guns for civilian use in personal defence is authorised, in accordance with the requirements of law and regulations," he said.

Civilians will also be allowed to carry and use cans of pepper spray, Lasso said.

The President also declared a state of emergen-

Mexico sees growth of up to 3% this year, eyes nearshoring boost

The Mexican economy could grow up to 3.0% both this year and next, boosted by increased manufacturing investment and cooling inflation, according to a copy of the Government's latest budget forecasts seen by Reuters on Friday.

The Ministry estimates Latin America's second-biggest economy will expand between 2.2% and 3.0% this year, and between 1.6% and 3.0% in 2024, the document showed, as the country continues to claw back pandemic-led losses.

Mexico's inflation rate by the end of this year is seen slowing to 5.0%, and then to 4.0% by the end of 2024.

As inflation climbed worldwide, central banks rushed to hike interest rates and slow the trend. Mexico's central bank raised rates 25 basis points to 11.25% Thursday, but hinted the hiking cycle could be nearing its end.

The international rate increases have not compromised Mexico's public finances, the Ministry said.

The Ministry forecast Mexico's crude oil export mix to average US$66.60 per barrel this year, then slip to US$56.30 next year, in estimates that are key to public finances since exports from state oil company Pemex represent a major source of tax revenue for the Government.

The Ministry saw total crude output at 1.877 million barrels per day (bpd) this year, mostly coming from Pemex operations, then ticking up to 1.914 million bpd in 2024.

cy in the Pacific port city of Guayaquil and the neighboring towns of Duran and Samborondon, as well as the provinces of Santa Elena and Los Rios.

The state of emergency, which began on Sunday, will include a curfew in the affected regions from 1 am until 5 in the morning.

Lasso did not say how long the state of emergency would last. (Reuters)

Venezuela arrests 9 CVG officials over corruption probe

Venezuelan authorities have taken nine officials from stateowned metals conglomerate Corporacion Venezolana de Guayana (CVG) - including from steel-maker subsidiary Sidor - into custody during corruption investigations, Attorney General Tarek Saab said on Sunday.

Prosecutors began investigating irregularities at CVG and Sidor on Friday, adding to investigations into alleged corruption at state oil company PDVSA and a government agen-

cy overseeing cryptocurrency transactions, both led by Tareck El Aissami who subsequently resigned as Oil Minister.

Nestor Astudillo and Pedro Maldonado, the presidents of Sidor and CVG respectively, are under arrest, as well as four company vice presidents and three managers, Saab said on Twitter.

The Government of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro on March 31 appointed an oversight board in CVG, according to the country's official gazette,

which was read on state television.

Some 42 people have been arrested as part of investigations into corruption, Saab tweeted on Saturday night, without giving more details.

Last week 21 people - including officials, businessmen and a member of the National Assembly - were charged relating to losses incurred by PDVSA when tankers left the country with cargoes that had not been paid in full, the authorities said. (Reuters)

Plunging coca prices create

emergency’ in Colombia

Farmers in parts of Colombia say sales of coca, the raw ingredient used to make cocaine, have collapsed after a recent surge in production of the illicit drug.

“We’ve seen a complete collapse of buyers,” said Andres Rojas, a coca farmer in the Catatumbo region who advocates for sustainable farming practices among growers. “Entire crops are going unsold, and families are going hungry.”

Representatives from farming associations in Catatumbo, Nariño, Cauca and Putumayo, the biggest coca-producing regions in the country, have called the economic fallout of the collapse a “humanitarian

emergency”.

Rojas explained that, in recent years, many farmers in Catatumbo abandoned food crops in favour of growing coca,?in part because transporting harvests from remote regions to sell in urban centres is cost prohibitive and difficult, given the lack of rural infrastructure.

As a result, many communities are now dependent on the illicit coca economy.

“The absence of coca paste buyers is leading to hunger in coca-growing territories,” President Gustavo Petro acknowledged in a Twitter post on March 22.

He called for the reinstatement of Governmentled coca-substitution pro-

For 2023, the "lower end of the range was adjusted upwards due to the good performance of the domestic economy," said the document containing preliminary forecasts for next year.

Debt when President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's term concludes next year should be "moderate and diversified," the Ministry said, with around 80.6% denominated in Mexican pesos.

Mexico is also primed to benefit from private investment fuelled by "nearshoring," the trend of moving production to North America and away from Asia, the Ministry said.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

T&T: Mix-up in serving documents in Naipaul-Coolman case

Amix-up in serving documents. This is the explanation given by the Office of the Attorney General for the outcome of a TT$20 million malicious prosecution lawsuit brought by nine men formerly accused of the kidnapping and murder of businesswoman Vindra NaipaulCoolman.

The suggestion that the court filings in the case were served on the wrong department of the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs was made by the Legal Director of the Attorney General’s Secretariat, Tenille Ramkissoon in a recent application filed to set aside the default judgment that

was obtained by the men and the corresponding TT$20 million compensation for them that was assessed by High Court Master Martha Alexander on January 30.

In the court filings obtained by Guardian Media, Ramkissoon claimed that after the case was filed by the group’s legal team led by Senior Counsel Anand Ramlogan, of Freedom Law Chambers, on May 29, 2020, it was served on State Counsel 111 Natoya Moore, of the Office of the Solicitor General, almost a month later.

She claimed that after no appearance or defence was entered by the State, the group’s legal team applied for the default judgment be-

fore Justice Joan Charles on August 5, 2020.

The application was served on acting Court Clerk 1 Sarah Chinwasa at the Chief State Solicitor’s Department on November 12, 2020.

On the same date, the Court Office issued a notice of hearing to the Solicitor General. However, the notice was served on acting Court Clerk 1 Shanice Parris at the Chief State Solicitor’s Department almost a week later.

The AG’s Office was not represented at the hearing before Justice Charles, who granted the default judgment to the group on January 8, 2021. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

PM Browne calls for closer collaboration between Govt and Chamber of Commerce

grammes, which would pay farmers coca-growing regions to cultivate alternative crops.

Those programmes were an integral part of Colombia’s 2016 peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the country’s largest rebel group at the time.

But when President Ivan Duque came to power in 2018, the government shifted to more aggressive “war on drugs” tactics, rather than pursuing social solutions to coca production.

The coca-substitution programmes were largely stonewalled and even dismantled. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Prime Minister Gaston Browne has called for closer relations between his Government and the Antigua and Barbuda Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the country’s leading Private Sector organisation.

In an address to a luncheon held on Thursday at the Sandals Grand Resort, where he was invited to speak to the members on the national economy, PM Browne extended a hand to the Chamber for there to be a joint public-private partnership to move the country forward.

“I want to use this opportunity to recommit my Administration to working closely with the Chamber and certainly all business people in this country. We just got a new mandate, and

we recognise that we have to bring all in society together. So, notwithstanding our political persuasions, we all have a contribution to make to national development,” he stated.

He noted that the Government had established what he termed ‘a lofty vision’ to transform the country’s economy to a viable entity, making Antigua and Barbuda an economic powerhouse in the Eastern Caribbean.

Turning to the economic performance over the last two to three years, the Prime Minister said there are positive signs to indicate that the country ‘is well on the way.’ However, he noted that while the Government could take some credit for the economic performance, the growth would not have

been realised without the contributions of the Private Sector. (Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso speaking during a news conference with Costa Rica's President Rodrigo Chaves (not pictured) at the Rafael Angel Calderon Guardia Museum in San Jose, Costa Rica, March 1, 2023

‘humanitarian

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne

OPEC+ announces surprise oil output cuts

Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ oil producers on Sunday announced further oil output cuts of around 1.16 million barrels per day, in a surprise move that analysts said would cause an immediate rise in prices and the United States called inadvisable.

The pledges bring the total volume of cuts by OPEC+, which groups the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries with Russia and other allies, to 3.66 million bpd according to Reuters calculations, equal to 3.7% of global demand.

Sunday's development comes a day before a virtual meeting of an OPEC+ ministerial panel, which includes Saudi Arabia and Russia, and which had been expected to stick to 2 million bpd of cuts already in place until the end of 2023.

Oil prices last month fell towards US$70 a barrel, the lowest in 15 months, on concern that a global banking crisis would hit demand. Still, further action by OPEC+ to support the market was not expected after sources downplayed this prospect and crude recovered towards US$80.

The latest reductions could lift oil prices by US$10 per barrel, the head of investment firm Pickering Energy Partners said on Sunday, while oil broker PVM said it expected an immediate jump once trading starts after the weekend.

Top OPEC producer Saudi Arabia said it would cut output by 500,000 bpd. The Saudi Energy Ministry said the kingdom's voluntary reduction was a precautionary measure aimed at supporting the stability of the oil market.

"OPEC is taking pre-emptive steps in case of any possible demand reduction," Amrita Sen, founder and director of Energy Aspects, said.

Last October, OPEC+ had agreed to an output cut of 2 million bpd from November until the end of the year, a move that angered Washington as tighter supply boosts oil prices.

The US has argued that the world needs lower prices to support economic growth and prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from earning more revenue to fund the Ukraine war.

The Biden administration said it sees the move announced by the producers on Sunday as unwise.

"We don't think cuts are advisable at this moment given market uncertainty - and we've made that clear," a spokesperson for the National Security Council said.

The voluntary cuts start from May and last until the end of the year. Iraq will reduce its production by 211,000 bpd, according to an official statement.

The UAE said it would cut production by 144,000 bpd, Kuwait announced a cut of 128,000 bpd while Oman announced a cut of 40,000 bpd and Algeria said it would cut its output by 48,000 bpd. Kazakhstan will also cut output by 78,000 bpd.

Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak also said on Sunday that Moscow would extend a voluntary cut of 500,000 bpd until the end of 2023. Moscow announced those cuts unilaterally in February following the introduction of Western price caps.

An OPEC+ source said Gabon would make a voluntary cut of 8000 bpd and not all OPEC+ members were joining the move as some are already pumping well below agreed levels due to a lack of production capacity.

After Russia's unilateral reductions, US officials said its alliance with other OPEC members was weakening, but Sunday's move shows the cooperation is still strong. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Around the World

Ukraine's Zelenskiy: Situation in Bakhmut 'especially hot'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr

Zelenskiy said on Sunday that the military situation around the city of Bakhmut, besieged by Russian forces for months, was "especially hot".

"Thank you to our soldiers who are fighting in Avdiivka, Maryinka, and Bakhmut. Especially Bakhmut," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. "It is especially hot there."

Russian forces have for months been trying to encircle and capture Bakhmut, a town of 70,000 before the Russian invasion launched over a year ago.

Prominent Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said fighting had engulfed the city centre. Ukrainian forces had re-

pelled 25 enemy attacks, but Russian forces had captured the AZOM metal plant, which Ukrainian troops had defended for days.

Finnish conservative Orpo claims win against Sanna Marin in tight race

Finnish conservative leader Petteri Orpo has claimed victory over Prime Minister Sanna Marin's centre left after a nail-biting election race.

"We got the biggest mandate," said the leader of the National Coalition Party, after a dramatic night in which the lead gradually swung away from Marin's Social Democrats.

Orpo was heading for 20.7% of the vote, ahead of the right-wing populist Finns Party and the centre left.

It is a bitter defeat for Marin.

For weeks the election had been seen as a three-way race, but as results came in, it became too close to call, until a projection from public broadcaster YLE gave Petteri Orpo's National Coalition victory with the biggest number of seats in Parliament.

Finns Party leader Riikka Purra congratulated her rival and was overjoyed to have secured the best result in her party's history.

She was heading for 20.1% of the vote, while Marin's Social Democrats were on course for 19.9%, with 97% of the results counted.

Sanna Marin became the world's youngest leader when she burst on to the political scene in 2019. She headed a coalition of five parties, all led by women.

Now 37, she has steered Finland to within days of NATO membership, having won plaudits for her country's response to neighbouring Russia's full-scale invasion.

Her poll ratings are still high, but the election was largely fought on Finland's public debt as all the mainstream parties backed NATO membership.

The conservatives will have the first opportunity in forming a Government.

Finland's system of proportional representation requires a coalition to muster more than 100 seats in the 200-seat Parliament to run the country. (Excerpt from BBC News)

US tornadoes: Biden releases federal funds to Arkansas

Federal aid has been made available to people in the tornado-ravaged state of Arkansas, the White House has said.

The state was one of several across the United States' South and Midwest which suffered the effects of a violent storm system over the weekend.

At least 29 people have died in total - of which five were in Arkansas.

One woman in the badly hit town of Wynne said her family "prayed and said

goodbye to each other" as a tornado hit, "because we thought we were dead".

Ashley Macmillan said she, her husband and their children huddled with their dogs in the bathroom. A falling tree seriously damaged their home, but they were unhurt.

Four people died in their small community, located some 100 miles (170km) east of the Arkansas state capital, Little Rock.

"We could feel the house shaking, we could hear loud noises, dishes rat-

tling. And then it just got calm," Macmillan told AP news agency.

Wynne High School was badly damaged, with some buildings torn to pieces. One of its teachers, Lisa Worden, said a decision to send pupils home early was critical.

"We got out at 1:30, which was such a God blessing from our superintendent, because otherwise kids would have been on buses and teachers would have still been here. And so that would have been even

"The enemy is attacking the city centre from the north, the east and the south and is trying to take the city under its full con-

trol," Zhdanov, who has close ties to the Ukrainian military, said in a video shown on YouTube.

"In some places, we have been successful and, in some places, we have even staged counter-attacks. But the enemy on occasion registers some success in view of the number of its forces and the number of its daily attacks."

In his video address, Zelenskiy also said that two people had died in a Russian mortar attack near the town of Konotop in the northern region of Sumy.

He noted earlier reports that Russian shelling had killed six people in the city of Kostyantynivka in Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. Eleven people were injured. (Reuters)

Japan’s Foreign Minister urges China to release jailed national

more devastating," she told Reuters news agency.

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders spoke to President Biden about the devastation in parts of the state on Friday.

The destruction reached several states, with fatalities reported in Alabama, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Tennessee has had highest number of deaths, with twelve reported.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa

Hayashi has met his Chinese counterpart in Beijing and urged the Government there to promptly release a jailed Japanese national.

Hayashi’s meeting on Sunday with Qin Gang was the first visit to Beijing for a Japanese Foreign Minister in more than three years as the two rival Asian powers seek common ground at a time of rising regional tensions.

An employee of Astellas Pharma was detained in China for unknown reasons, a spokesperson for the drugs maker said a week ago.

Five Japanese nationals are currently detained in China, two of whom have already been tried and found guilty, according to Japan’s Foreign Ministry.

“I made a protest against the recent detention of a Japanese person in Beijing and made a strong point of our position on the matter, including the early release of this national,” Hayashi

told reporters.

Qin responded that China “will handle [the case] according to the law”, said a readout of the meeting from the Chinese foreign ministry.

Hayashi said Japan is seeking transparency over the legal process regarding detentions and has asked China to secure a fair and safe business environment. He did not elaborate on China’s reaction.

“This happened when the Chinese Government is trying to promote Japanese investment to China, and we see a discrepancy there,” Yukiko Okano, Deputy Press Secretary of Japan’s Foreign Ministry, told reporters on Sunday, saying this point was raised by Hayashi during his meetings in Beijing.

The Minister also conveyed Tokyo’s grave concerns over an increase in China’s military activity, including its collaboration with Russia and its maritime presence in the East China Sea, he said. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visits a site of residential buildings recently damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine March 27, 2023

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, left, meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing [Kyodo/via Reuters]

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Finish what you start. Take the initiative; you'll feel refreshed and ready to conquer the world. Revamp how you handle your cash or search for a position that's a better fit.

(March 21-April 19)

PICKLES

(April 20-May 20)

PEANUTS

(May 21-June 20)

Eliminate what isn't working for you. Embrace change, new beginnings and what matters most to you. Discipline and hard work will prove you have more admirers than you realize.

Work alone, tidy up loose ends and create opportunities. If you let your emotions take the reins, you'll give your secrets away, and others will have a chance to gain control.

Channel your energy into something concrete. You can accomplish more if you refuse to let others interfere with your decisions. Be creative and use your imagination.

(June 21-July 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(July 23-Aug. 22)

Review investments. Whether you focus on learning something new or getting others to see things your way, the difference you make will establish your position. Don't labor over what you cannot change.

Speak up, follow through with your plans and learn as you go. A change will spark your imagination and help you find the best way to reach your destination. Romance will brighten your day.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Don't lose sight of your goal. Pour your heart and soul into whatever brings the highest reward. Discipline and hard work will draw attention and the help you need to finish what you start.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Hold on to your beliefs and help people in need. A steady pace and sense of compassion will pay off and change how others perceive you. Follow your heart and start a movement.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Downtime will rejuvenate you and offer insight into how you can improve your life. A hobby or group you join will give you hope and provide an opportunity to make a difference.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Battling with a friend, colleague or relative will leave you feeling empty. Find a solution that offers incentives for everyone involved. Choose peace over friction and you'll get better results.

Overspending or trying to do too much will make you fall behind. Remember what's important to you, and refuse to let anyone come between you and your dream. Rise above anger and frustration.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Take nothing and no one for granted. Be willing to go the distance to please yourself and others. Changing how you earn your living or handle cash will ease stress.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

Royals beat SRH in Match 4 of TATA IPL 2023

Rajasthan Royals have beaten Sunrisers Hyderabad by 72 runs in Match 4 of the TATA IPL 2023 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

Fifties from Jos Buttler (54 off 22), Yashasvi Jaiswal (54 off 37), and Sanju Samson (55 off 32) powered RR to 203/5. Hetmyer added an unbeaten 22 to finish the innings for RR. The RR bowlers, led by Trent Boult (2/21) and Yuzvendra Chahal (4/17), then mixed skill with accuracy and discipline to maintain a stranglehold over SRH throughout the innings, and restrict them to 131/8, helping RR to win the match by 72 runs.

Defending 203, Trent Boult got RR off to a perfect start. He cleaned up Abhishek Sharma with a brilliant yorker off the third ball, and, a ball later, had Rahul Tripathi caught at slip, where Jason Holder pulled off a stunning reflex catch. The first over was a wicket maiden. RR bowled with discipline, and

Chahal cleaned up Harry Brook (13) via a skidder in his first over, to reduce the home side to 34/3.

RR continued to maintain the stranglehold, and the pressure got to SRH, as Washington Sundar miscued one to extra cover off Holder, and then Glenn Phillips hit one straight to extra cover off R Ashwin, as the home side huffed and puffed to 48/5 at the halfway mark.

SRH introduced Abdul Samad

Markande as substitutes.

gave away just 30 runs from the first six overs, with Boult bowling a brilliant first spell of 3-1-8-2. Things went from bad to worse for SRH, as Yuzvendra

as their Impact Player, replacing Fazal Farooqi. With the required run rate continuously rising, Mayank Agarwal (27 off 23), who held fort at one end, perished in

trying to accelerate, as he holed out to long off off Chahal.

RR introduced Navdeep Saini as their Impact Player in place of Yashasvi Jaiswal in the 12th over. Adil Rashid and Abdul Samad tried to put on some sort of fight and stem the rut with a 29-run stand off 20 balls, but Chahal came back to have Rashid (18 off 13) stumped, and then picked up his fourth wicket in his last over as he cleaned up Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

SRH never got going at any time through the innings, and by the time Abdul Samad (32 off 32) and Umran Malik (19 off 8) hit some lusty blows, the result was a forgone conclusion, as RR cruised to a 72-run win. Chahal was the star of the show in the bowling department for RR, as he finished with fantastic figures of 4/17.

Earlier, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, captaining the Sunrisers Hyderabad side in absence of regular captain Aiden Markram, who was away on national duty, won the toss and elected to bowl. Mayank Agarwal, Harry Brook, Adil Rashid and Glenn Phillips were handed their SRH caps. They named Abdul Samad, Vivrant Sharma, Mayank Dagar, Upendra Yadav and Mayank

RR, on the other hand, handed debuts to KM Asif and Jason Holder. They named Sandeep Sharma, Dhruv Jhurel, Murugan Ashwin, Navdeep Saini and Donovan Ferreira as substitutes. Yashasvi Jaiswal got RR off to a brisk start. The RR opener got off the mark in style with a four in the first over, as he drove one wide of mid-off and beat the fielder. He then hit a couple of fours off a flick and loft off Fazal Farooqi as he, along with Jos Buttler, accumulated 14 runs off the second over. Buttler opened the maximum account as he flicked one effortlessly over deep mid-wicket off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Jaiswal hit two more fours in the over to make it a 17-run over.

The duo then took the attack to Washington Sundar, as Buttler cracked consecutive sixes and Jaiswal hammered a four to take 19 runs off the over and bring up RR's 50 in just the fourth over. The carnage continued as Buttler pierced the off-side field with four fours off T Natarajan. He brought up his fifty off 20 balls with two more fours, and he then hit another one in the over. However, the Afghan pacer bounced back hard and cleaned up Buttler (54 from 22) off the next ball with a superb inswinger, to provide some relief to SRH.

It was a cracking Powerplay for RR, as they scored 85/1 in the first six overs.

Jaiswal and captain Sanju Samson continued the momentum with three more fours, as RR brought up their 100 in the 8th over. The duo took an aggressive approach against Umran Malik, and hit him for 24 from 2 overs as RR reached 121 at the halfway mark.

Jaiswal then brought up his fifty off 34 balls, and the 50-run stand as well from 36 balls. With the partnership swelling, Bhuvneshwar brought back Farooqi, and he provided the breakthrough to send back Jaiswal (54 from 37), caught at deep square leg off a short ball. RR lost one more wicket two overs later as Umran Malik came back to clean up Devdutt Padikkal. Amid

all the carnage, Adil Rashid bowled a good spell of 4-0-33-0. Samson then brought up his fifty off 28 balls.

SRH finished well, as Natarajan bowled two very good overs and gave away just 10 runs, picking up the wickets of Riyan Parag and Sanju Samson (55 from 32). The home side conceded 33 runs from the last four overs as RR posted 203/5 from the 20 overs. (IPL)

SCOREBOARD

Rajasthan Royals (20 ovs maximum)

Yashasvi Jaiswal c Agarwal

b Fazalhaq Farooqi 54

Jos Buttler b Fazalhaq

Farooqi 54

Sanju Samson (c)†c Abhishek

Sharma b Natarajan 55

Devdutt Padikkal

b Umran Malik 2

Riyan Parag c Fazalhaq Farooqi b Natarajan 7

Shimron Hetmyer not out 22

Ravichandran Ashwin not out 1

Extras (b 5, lb 1, w 2) 8

TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 10.15) 203/5

Fall of wickets: 1-85 (Jos Buttler, 5.5 ov), 2-139 (Yashasvi Jaiswal, 12.3 ov), 3-151 (Devdutt Padikkal, 14.1 ov), 4-170 (Riyan Parag, 16.1 ov), 5-187 (Sanju Samson, 18.3 ov)

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-0-36-0

Fazalhaq Farooqi 4-0-41-2

Washington Sundar 3-0-32-0

T Natarajan 3-0-23-2

Adil Rashid 4-0-33-0

Umran Malik 3-0-32-1

RCB make flying start in TATA IPL 2023

dominate Mumbai Indians

SCOREBOARD

Mumbai Indians (20 ovs maximum)

Rohit Sharma (c) c †Karthik

b Akash Deep 1

Ishan Kishan † c Patel

b Mohammed Siraj 10

Cameron Green b Topley 5

Suryakumar Yadav c Shahbaz

Ahmed b Bracewell 15

Tilak Varma not out 84

Nehal Wadhera c Kohli

b Sharma 21

Tim David b Sharma 4

Hrithik Shokeen c

du Plessis b Patel 5

Arshad Khan not out 15

Extras (nb 1, w 10) 11

TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 8.55) 171/7

Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Ishan

Kishan, 2.3 ov), 2-16 (Cameron

Green, 3.3 ov), 3-20 (Rohit

Sharma, 5.2 ov), 4-48 (Suryakumar Yadav, 8.5 ov), 5-98 (Nehal Wadhera, 13.5 ov), 6-105 (Tim David, 15.3 ov),

7-123 (Hrithik Shokeen, 17.1 ov)

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Mohammed Siraj 4-0-21-1

Reece Topley 2-0-14-1

Akash Deep 3-0-29-1

Harshal Patel 4-0-43-1

Karn Sharma 4-0-32-2

Michael Bracewell 2-0-16-1

Glenn Maxwell 1-0-16-0

Royal Challengers Bangalore (T: 172 runs from 20 ovs)

Virat Kohli not out 82

Faf du Plessis (c) c David

b Arshad Khan 73

Dinesh Karthik † c Tilak

Varma b Green 0

Glenn Maxwell not out 12

Extras (lb 1, w 4) 5

TOTAL 16.2 Ov (RR: 10.53) 172/2

Fall of wickets: 1-148 (Faf du Plessis, 14.5 ov), 2-149 (Dinesh Karthik, 15.3 ov)

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Jason Behrendorff 3-0-37-0

Arshad Khan 2.2-0-28-1

Jofra Archer 4-0-33-0

Piyush Chawla 4-0-26-0

Cameron Green 2-0-30-1

Hrithik Shokeen 1-0-17-0

Asuperb opening stand from Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis ensured Royal Challengers Bangalore cruise to an eight-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in their Indian Premier League opener.

Having fallen just short of the IPL final last year, RCB got their 2023 campaign off to a terrific start, dominating their opponents on both sides of the ball at The Mangalam Chinnaswamy Stadium.

RCB made a fast start with the ball, with Harshal Patel being well placed to claim an outside edge from Ishan Kishan (10), before Reece Topley bowled Cameron Green (5), although a bizarre collision between Dinesh Karthik and Mohammed Siraj saw the latter inexplicably drop Rohit Sharma.

Rohit was less fortunate when he handed Karthik a catch for just one run three

balls later, although his exit allowed Tilak Varma to step up with a quickfire 84 off 46 balls, which carried Mumbai to 171-7. That outstanding effort proved to be in vain, however, with Du Plessis (73) and Kohli (82 not out) putting on a strong opening stand of 148, both bringing up half-centuries by the end of the 12th over. While skipper Du Plessis walked with five overs remaining, lofting through to Tim David for a simple catch, Mumbai never looked likely to break the momentum of RCB, who recorded a statement win.

Varma wastes no time

In dragging Mumbai to a respectable tally with his knock of 84, Varma averaged a boundary every 3.5 deliveries. Only Jos Buttler –who struck a boundary every 2.2 balls in the Rajasthan Royals’ win over Sunrisers Hyderabad – has posted

Sunrisers Hyderabad (T: 204 runs from 20 ovs) Abhishek Sharma b Boult 0 Mayank Agarwal c Buttler b Chahal 27 Rahul Tripathi c Holder b Boult 0 Harry Brook b Chahal 13 Washington Sundar c Hetmyer b Holder 1 Glenn Phillips †c Asif b Ashwin 8 Abdul Samad not out 32

Adil Rashid st †Samson b Chahal 18 Bhuvneshwar

a better rate in the early stages of the IPL this season, with Varma hitting nine fours and four sixes from the 46 balls he faced.

Unfortunately for the 20-year-old, RCB’s top-order batsmen were in similar form, as Mumbai failed to build any momentum with the ball.

Fifty up for Kohli RCB never looked likely to fall short in their chase of 172, with Kohli taking centrestage to bring up a personal IPL landmark. With his knock of 82 runs from 49 balls, Kohli recorded his 50th score of 50 runs or more in the IPL. Only David Warner (60) has more halfcenturies in the competition’s history. (Sportsmax)

Faf and Virat dominated the match

Hetmyer and Holder are playing for RR

Jockeys excited as PMTC’s Easter Cup race meet looms

Special prizes for young jockeys

Top race horses, including Guyana Cup winner Alado, Lookin to Heaven, and Wild Texas Tom, will be battling for supremacy on Sunday, April 9, when the Port Mourant Turf Club (PMTC) hosts the Easter Cup race meet.

Eight exciting races are on the cards, and close to Gy$10 million dollars will be up for grabs on the day. New horses have been imported to ignite the proceedings at

the PMTC.

Noted jockeys Nicholas Patrick and Michael Semple are all excited and happy to see horse racing return in its full glory. Special monetary prizes will be awarded to young jockeys with the most win, with Francis Chichester and Kamal making these donations.

The feature event, the Easter Cup, is open to all horses, and will be run over one mile for a winner’s purse of Gy$2 million, while the

horse placing second would earn Gy$1 million.

The big entries for the Easter Cup include Alado, Lookin to Heaven, Arianna’s Vision, Our Stuie, Wild Texas Tom, and newlyimported horses Ice Kreem Sundae, Soca Symphony and Bossalina.

The E-class horses are Early Bird, Ever Resting, Converter, newly-imported "U Can’t Handle This", Game Changer, Nice Company, and Creemore.

Another exciting race on the cards for Easter Cup is the Three-year-old Open Guyana & West Indian-bred contest over 6.75 furlongs for a top prize of Gy$1 million.

Then there are: the H& Lower; the J & Lower maiden; the J Open; the Three-year-old Guyana-bred maiden; the L Open; E Class and North American firsttime starters.

Speaking at a promotional

activity for the Easter Cup, Jockey Patrick, fresh off four wins at the Kennard's Memorial Turf Club, has said he would be aiming to extend his winning form.

"I am feeling good! I have been working hard every day, getting off my bed at 4:20h every morning and heading to work. Truly, I am excited! We have been waiting for races so long, and we got a race last week, and now

GCB/GOG/MCYS UNDER-19 BOYS INTER-CLUB SUPER-50 TOURNAMENT…

Wins for Albion, Bath Sports Club, Pomeroon, East Bank Essequibo and Rose Hall Canje

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Government of Guyana (GOG) Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS), Under-19 Boys InterClub Super-50 Tournament 2023, continued today with Albion, Bath Sports Club, Pomeroon and East Bank Essequibo all registering victories.

Pomeroon and East Bank Essequibo will now contest the final for Essequibo zone on Sunday, April 2, 2023, at Imam Bacchus ground from 09:30 hours.

Summary scores:

Albion beat Kendall's Union by 7 wickets

In a game reduced to 30 overs per-side, Kendall's Union after winning the toss and electing to bat first, were skittled out for 73 in 20.4 overs.

Young slow bowler, Kumar Deoprashad spun his way to 6-18 from 4 overs, leaving Kemraj Parmanand was the lone significant scorer with 16.

Albion then surge to 75-3 on the backs of Afrizol Wadar (29) and Afraz Budhoo (*22) who did most of the heavy lifting.

Bath Sports Club beat Achievers on fastbowling points after match tie

Bath Sports Club scored 104 all out in 223 overs batting first, with contributions from opener Muneshwar Gobin (22) while Vishal Changanal (15) and Chris Baldeo (15) supported their teammate.

Bowling for Achievers was spearheaded by Odel Miller

who returned brilliant figures of 5-7 with ideal support from Ayinde Rogers (3-21).

Miller then returned at the top of the order to smack 31 which took his team to 104, tying the game which resulted in Bath winning due to fastbowling points. Pacers Aslim Abraham (4-32), Baldeo (237) and Vishal Chandan (3-20) rattled the opposition to give their team enough points for the win.

Pomeroon beat South Essequibo by 1 run Pomeroon raced to 92-5 in 15.5 overs in their game reduced to 20 overs per side. J. Rodrigues (29 not out) ran out of partners after R. Sampson (3-15) and R. Dyal (2-11) led the bowling for South Essequibo. South Essequibo then fumbled the chase as they folded for 91 in 41.1 overs. Sampson (15) D. Dyal (15) were the primary

run-scorers. Pomeroon had a decent bowling outing which aided in their win, thanks mainly to a 4-wicket haul from J. Rodrigues.

East Bank Essequibo defeat Wakenaam by 177 runs

A brutal 100 off 53 balls from Thaddeus Lovell piloted East Bank Essequibo to 313 all out when their over expired. Joash Charles (70) and an even 50 from Ronaldo Seouten, capped off a top-class batting exhibition. Wakenaam bowlers apart from Mohandas Surijupaul 4-54 toiled while their batsmen stumbled during the chase, being kept to 136 all out.

A lower-order assault from Devendra Hansraj, who hit 6 sixes in his blitz innings of 53 off 16, was the highlight for Wakenaam. East Bank Essequibo spinners Myhiem Khan (3-20) and Aryan Persaud (3-4), then did well to contain the opposition.

Rose Hall Canje Cricket Club trounce East Bank Blazers by 154 runs

Sanjay Algoo (31), Avishkar Beharry (33), Enrique Mickle (31) were rampant during their batting for RHCCC, taking them to 216 all out in 18.3 overs, following a reduction to 20 overs per side.

Odwin Court bagged 5-53 during a good bowling spell, but East Bank Blazers were kept to a low score of 62 all out in 12.1 overs. Lambert Vankenie (25) and Shumar Semple (19), were the main top-scorers.

The match between firstround winners Bush Lot United and Bath Sports Club was scheduled as drawn in the fixtures for Sunday, April 2, 2023, and is postponed pending the determination of a Protest by Cotton Tree Die Hard Cricket Club against the Bush Lot team. Bush Lot beat Cotton Tree Die Hard Cricket Club in their first-round match. Responses from the Bush Lot

team and the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) on the protest are required to be submitted to the GCB by 10:00 hours on Sunday, April 2, 2023. In the event that a hearing is required, a virtual hearing will be held from14:00 hours on Sunday, April 2, 2023.

The round one encounter between Tucber Park Cricket Club and Guymine was rain out will be replayed on Monday, April 3, 2023, at Rose Hall Canje ground while Skeldon Estate will play No. 69 Vikings at Skeldon ground on Sunday, April 2. Albion face Port Mourant at Jai Hind ground on Sunday April 3 in their secondround encounter.

On Sunday, April 2, 2023, Pomeroon and East Bank Essequibo will meet in the Essequibo County stage will meet at the Imam Bacchus ground to decide on the Essequibo County Champions for the GCB/GOG/MCYS

Under-19 Boys Inter-Club Tournament, 2023.

more races coming up. I am excited to do the best that I can. A lot of new horses, young horses, they will have plenty of fun.

With hard work and dedication to my job, each jockey is good, but I have to go out there and do the best that I can," Patrick told Guyana Times Sport.

Jockey Semple is happy to see races return to Port Mourant this Easter. He will be riding Miss Republic 2 and Republican in the J Class non-winner and J Class Open respectively.

"The horses are comfortable working out. Everybody will be going out to win; we do not boast. Hopefully, it is a clean day, and it will be a good race day," Semple said.

Sponsors of this event are Banks DIH, KP Jagdeo General Contractors, AJM, Jumbo Jet Auto Sales, Old Broom Lounge, Anil Sawh, Kascon Engineering, Delmur Company Limited, Sandeep and Sons Contracting.

B y B randon C orlette

Nicholas Hall

Albion defeated Kendall's Union

Jockey Semple preparing to work at the PMTC (Brandon Corlette photos)

KP Jagdeo's foreign jockey going through his paces at practice on Sunday morning

India to play T20Is and ODIs in Guyana in July

B y B randon C orlette

India will tour the West Indies from July 2023, to play two Test matches, three One Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals.

According to Guyana Cricket Board President and a director at Cricket West Indies, Bissoondyal Singh, the amount of matches to be played in Guyana during that India tour is unconfirmed, but he is certain of matches being played at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

Developments in local horse racing…

T&T top horses now have Guyanese owners

Soca Symphony, a full sister to 2022

Trinidad and Tobago

2,000-metre Derby winner Soca Harmony, arrived in Guyana last Wednesday with stablemate Game Changer.

This chestnut mare was bought out of champion trainer John O’Brien’s barn by her new owner Javed Ali.

She is the first foal of the prolific Jamaica-bred mare Soca Rhapsody, who competed at the highest level and won the Oaksthe premier event for threeyear-old fillies.

She will be racing in the Easter Cup Meet at the Port Mourant Turf Club on Sunday, in the six-furlong conditional handicap race for E Class & North American-bred first-

time starters.

Two other T&T-bred runners are expected to arrive in the country very shortly. They are Davina, a four-year-old filly, and

Lady Hamilton, a sevenyear-old mare who is a full sister to the very speedy Khaleesi. These two horses will join owner/trainer Fazal Habibulla’s Stable.

Exxon Mobil/New Entertainment U-18 school football launched

"The Government of Guyana has bid for India. And so we are going to have India coming to Guyana, certainly T20 and 50-overs. The amount we…is not confirmed as yet, and the date; but I can give my mouth some liberty that we are going to have India tour in Guyana," Singh said.

According to a report written a week ago, it has been learned that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has agreed to make changes to the schedule by increasing the number of

T20Is.

According to Cricbuzz, India will be playing a total of 10 games, with 2 more T20Is getting added to the schedule which initially had 8 matches. The additional games were finalised on the sidelines of the recently-held ICC meetings in Dubai. However, none of the boards has given official confirmation.

India’s tour of the West Indies is likely to commence in the second week of July, while the fixture is expected to be finalised in the coming days. After the conclusion of

this 10-match tour, the team will travel to Ireland to play three T20Is in the third week of August, as announced by Cricket Ireland.

India toured the West Indies and the United States of America in 2022, during the July period, and played three One Day Internationals and five T20 Internationals. India won the ODI series 3-0 and won the T20I series 4-1. These matches were played in Trinidad and Tobago, St Kitts and Nevis, and in Florida. (Input from News.18 and Cricbuzz)

Guyana team off to Antigua for Regional Under-15 tournament – first

match bowls off on April 4

Oil giant ExxonMobil, in collaboration with New Era Entertainment, has launched an Under-18 Secondary Schools’ Linden Championship football tournament at the Watooka Guest House.

This tournament will run for five (5) days and will be held at the Wisburg Secondary School Ground. The tournament will take a round-robin format, and will see the participating schools divided into two groups. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place winners would receive $400,000, $200,000, $100,000 and $50,000 respectively.

The participating schools are Wismar Christianburg

Secondary School, Harmony Secondary School, New Silver City secondary School, Linden Foundation Secondary School, Linden Technical Institute, Wisburg Secondary School, Mackenzie High School and Kwakwani Secondary School.

The eight participating schools are mandated to submit four (4) proposals each comprising the needs of their school before the tournament commences. Each proposal has to be equivalent to the cash prizes. Upon the completion of the tournament, the cash prizes will assist the winning schools with their needs. No school will receive cash in hand.

The tournament is

supported by the Guyana Football Federation, The Upper Demerara Football Association and the Department of Education of Reg #10.

Present at the launching were Deputy Mayor and President of the UDFA, Wainewright Bethune; Bryan Joseph, Technical Director of GFF; Ryan Hoppie, Community Relations Advisor of ExxonMobil; Dawn Mc Cammon-Barker, Education Officer of Reg #10; and the Directors of New Era Entertainment, Aubrey Major Jr, Kenrick Noel and Shareef Major Playing dates set for the tournament are April 14, 15, 16, 22 and 29.

The Guyana National Under-15 team, led by Dave Mohabir, departed Guyana from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport at Timehri on Sunday, April 2, 2023. The team will participate in the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Rising Stars Regional Under-15 Super-50 Championship, which is scheduled to be conducted from Sunday, April 2, 2023 to Thursday, April 13, 2023 in Antigua and Barbuda.

Prior to departure, the team had gone through preparation activities that followed the GCB Under-15 Inter-County Tournament 2023. The preparation exercises included two practice matches, which were played

on Sunday March 26, 2023 and Tuesday March 28, 2023. These preparation exercises undertaken by the players of the Guyana Under-15 team are expected to ensure the physical, technical and mental readiness of the players to conquer the various challenges that are anticipated to present during this Regional Tournament.

The Guyana Under-15 team will play their firstround match against Trinidad and Tobago at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on Tuesday April 4, 2023, and their second match against Jamaica at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Thursday April 6, 2023.

The Guyana Under-15 team will return to the Coolidge

Cricket Ground on Saturday April 8, 2023 to compete against the Windward Islands Under-15 Team. On Monday April 10, 2023, Guyana will oppose the Leeward Islands at the Liberta Sports Club.

Guyana will play their fifthround match against Barbados, at the Liberta Sports Club.

The 14-man team is as follows: Dave Mohabir (Captain), Romario Ramdeholl (Vice Captain), Razam Koobir, Arun Gainda, Navin Boodwah, Shane Prince, Trilok Nanan, Emmanuel Lewis, Jonathan Mentore, Arif Khan, Sohil Mohamed, Adrian Hetmyer, Zandon Rose and Dhanesh Persaud. The Manager is Elroy Stephney, and the Coach Latchman Yadram.

Guyana team before departing for Antigua

GCB President, Bissoondyal Singh

The Guyana National Stadium is expected to host India this July