Guyana Times - Wednesday, April 17, 2024

"We Lift 4" initiative gets $9M in corporate support

Traditional “risk-averse” ways of banking can no longer continue – Pres Ali to local banks

Guyana supports call for 2nd International Decade for People of African Descent Guyana welcomes UNSC’s reaffirmation of importance of respect for States’ sovereignty, territorial integrity

…as Govt continues to work towards advancing lives of Afro-Guyanese

Guyanese urged to pursue investments in eco-resort & casino, regional water project "Litta Reporta" revolutionising litter reporting in Guyana

Emergency power procurement

“We can’t wish for capacity; we have to buy”– Pres Ali responds to naysayers …as Govt confirms power ship to arrive in 15 days

Qabout the “feasibility” of buying emergency power from a ship to alleviate the country’s black out woes, President Dr Irfaan Ali has made it clear that the initiative is not only a feasible plan, but a necessary one.

In an interview on the sidelines of the Local Content Summit 2024, President Ali made it clear that the capacity that the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) needs to meet electricity demands can’t come via a magical wish. Instead, a power purchase agreement would have to be signed.

“You can’t wish that capacity will come and the problem will be solved. We have to buy capacity. The question you should ask, that I will help you to ask, is should we charge the persons who blocked the Amaila Falls? Otherwise, we would not have needed to buy this capacity now. We would have 165 Megawatts available from Amaila Falls to push the power we need now.”

“But lack of foresight, lack of vision, lack of understanding and planning… since then, we knew what the demand would be. That is why we said, we need the Amaila Falls Hydro, 165 Megawatts of green energy powering the future. We didn’t get it.”

President Ali further revealed that the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change’s (APNU/AFC) claims of doing a better job running the power sector is built on a lie, since the coalition relied on the investments that the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government made in electricity generation prior to leaving government in 2015.

“Why did you have power from 2015 to 2020? It is because of the investments we made when we were in government. During that period, the investment was not supported. They did not maintain the investment. They did not add to the investment. As a result, we came back, we inherited what we left. With no new

capacity added. With no new money spent on maintenance.”

“We then had to spend on maintaining, adding capacity, whilst we were faced with that, we had exponential growth. We have to meet the demand. To meet the demand, we have to buy power. Its an emergency now. There are very few companies that can give you this power in 15 days. We’ve been able to get this power in 15 days. I congratulate all those who helped us to get here.”

Further, Ali noted that there is a narrative going around that would seek to blame the government for the power outages. According to President Ali, however, this would not deter his government from pursuing its goals.

“Some people would enjoy us not meeting the demand, because you’d get the free opportunity to go on social media every day. We take ownership. We take ownership of what we inherited and we take ownership of the problem. But guess what? We take the responsibility of finding the solution. And we’re going to find the solution to every challenge,” the Head of State said.

Arrival in 15 days

Meanwhile, Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar, revealed during a panel dis-

cussion at the Local Content Summit that the power ship is scheduled to depart from Cuba on Wednesday, April 17, and arrive within 15 days.

Once operational, this vessel will inject approximately 36 megawatts of electricity into the national grid, offering much-needed relief. It was further explained that the power ship will be integrated into the Demerara Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) for 24 months. Preparatory work is also currently underway by GPL, to ensure the power ship can be connected to the national grid.

“So, the blackout is a temporary thing. It will be fixed. And there is a plan to deal with it, in the immediate term to address the shortage generation capacity, so that we can bridge un-

til the gas to energy comes with the 300 megawatts. It will take it to a total of 500 plus megawatts,” Indar said.

In addition to the power ship, the government has invested in 17 generators and six step-up transformers. The minister said that to date, 15 of these generators have been installed at the Columbia sub-station. These generators are expected to add another 30 megawatts to the grid.

The company that the government will be buying the power from is the Latin American arm of Turkishbased Karpowership –which operates a fleet of ships that generate electricity. The contract is expected to be signed in the coming days and the power installed within the next three weeks. (G3)

The power ship

Views

Women, motherhood, and non-violence

Over a decade ago, on the occasion of “International Day for Women”, which we commemorated in March, President and Representative to the United Nations, Geneva, Association of World Citizens, Rene Wadlow, made a suggestion we believe our conflict-ridden society may benefit from. She suggested a larger role for women as peacemakers, even as they are facing the brunt of inter-personal violence.

Influenced by Eastern thought – encapsulated by the Chinese terms “Yin and Yang”, men and women are thought to have complementary psychological characteristics. “Feminine” characteristics or values include intuitive, nurturing, caring, sensitive, relational traits, while “masculine” characteristics are rational, dominant, assertive, analytical and hierarchical.

While, as individuals, men and women alike can achieve a state of wholeness, of balance between the Yin and Yang, in practice “masculine” refers to men and “feminine” to women. Thus, some feminists identify the male psyche as the prime cause of the subordination of women around the world. Men are seen as having nearly a genetic coding that leads them to “seize” power, to institutionalize that power through patriarchal societal structures, and to buttress the power with masculine values and culture.

One of the best-known symbols of a woman as peacemaker is Lysistrata, immortalised by Aristophanes, who mobilized women on both sides of the Athenian-Spartan War for a sexual strike in order to force men to end hostilities and avert mutual annihilation. Since Lysistrata, women, individually and in groups, have played a critical role in the struggle for justice and peace in all societies. However, when real negotiations begin, women are often relegated to the side-lines.

However, a gender perspective on peace, disarmament, and conflict resolution entails a conscious and open process of examining how women and men participate in, and are affected by, conflict differently. It requires ensuring that the perspectives, experiences, and needs of both women and men are addressed and met in peace-building activities. Today, conflicts reach everywhere. How do these conflicts affect people in the society — women and men, girls and boys, the elderly and the young, the rich and poor, the urban and the rural?

Three elements can be the “gender” contribution to conflict transformation efforts. The first is in the domain of analysis, the contribution of the knowledge of gender relations as indicators of power. Uncovering gender differences in a given society will lead to an understanding of power relations in general in that society, and to the illumination of contradictions and injustices inherent in those relations.

The second contribution is to make us more fully aware of the role of women in specific conflict situations. Women should not only be seen as victims of war: they are often significantly involved in taking initiatives to promote peace. Some writers have stressed that there is an essential link between women, motherhood, and non-violence, arguing that those engaged in mothering work have distinct motives for rejecting war that runs in tandem with their ability to resolve conflicts non-violently.

Others reject this position of a gender bias toward peace, and stress rather that the same continuum of non-violence to violence is found among women as among men. In practice, it is never all women or all men who are involved in peacemaking efforts. Sometimes it is only a few, especially at the start of peace-making efforts. The basic question is how best to use the talents, energies, and networks of both women and men for efforts at conflict resolution.

The third contribution of a gender approach with its emphasis on the social construction of roles is to draw our attention to a detailed analysis of the socialization process in a given society. Transforming gender relations requires an understanding of the socialization process of boys and girls, and of the constraints and motivations that create gender relations. Thus, there is a need to look at patterns of socialization, potential incitements to violence in childhood training patterns, and socially approved ways of dealing with violence. And this would also relate to antiwomen violence.

Child labour – actioning our good intentions

By Helen Drayton

“We can’t do it alone; we’re partnering with other agencies; we have implemented a national steering committee; we’re developing a child registry and a national policy; we’re conducting extensive awareness campaigns and training teams to work with schools and communities.”

“How about partnering with village councils and grassroots organisations?”

Minister Shamfa CudjoeLewis asked, eager to learn more about an integrated programme to reach at-risk children.

Those were snippets from the April 5 Parliamentary Joint Select Committee (JSC) meeting convened to examine the prevalence of child labour, factors perpetuating it, and the efficiency of state mechanisms in mitigating its prevalence. Core to the theme was the well-articulated definition of child labour as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential, and their dignity, which is harmful to their physical and mental development, and is socially and morally dangerous for them.

The topic’s importance made me and others, like the astute columnist Wesley Gibbings, pay attention. I had thought I was the only one observing how a team of good, committed professionals dispelled any notion of the “efficiency of state mech-

anisms” to protect children from dangerous work environments.

In 2019, the Ministry of Labour established a national oversight steering committee, comprising multidisciplinary stakeholders from government ministries, agencies, academia, and civil society. That committee’s fundamental task is to develop a policy and plan of action for preventing and eliminating child labour. The response to Minister Keith Scotland, who asked about the status of the policy, wasn’t encouraging. We heard about “gaps” in the data on child labour, and that the policy “is an ongoing exercise”; that the committee is working on various inputs, such as the “light work list,” on the kind of work children below the minimum working age could do. The steering committee’s five-year insurmountable problem was finding a consultant to perform research, and it had made three attempts.

This is T&T, 62 years after independence, with billions spent on education annually, three universities, and several colleges, and the committee couldn’t find a research consultant. So, they finally turned to the International Labour Organization (ILO) for assistance.

How often have we heard about a child registry? We’re faced with heinous crimes against children and increasing child labour. What is lacking is effective corporate

governance, measurable performance standards, and the will to hold officials accountable if they don’t meet those standards.

Minister Scotland asked for a deadline, and we learned that the draft policy would be completed by the end of this year. Deadline: 2025 — six years after the committee acknowledged the policy’s critical importance.

Minister Shamfa CudjoeLewis stressed the need for a cohesive and proactive approach to addressing the problem of child labour. Commendably, the committee began work in 2018 on public sensitization, and is reaching out to parents and children.

Senator Jearlean John mentioned the slow progress pace, inferring a lack of urgency. In a moment of profound insight, she related her childhood labours in Charlotteville, Tobago, selling fish and vegetables. It was an instructive intervention. The senator aptly demonstrated the dimensions of the challenge: intergenerational culture, poverty, education, the dignity of children and their innocence, and the reasons why they work, leading one to wonder why the law would penalise a poor parent and hungry child earning an honest livelihood — a deeply social issue beyond the normal realm of law. However, one understands the dangers to these children and the need for decisive interventions.

Senator John brought

the value of the enterprise and the struggles for survival to our attention. As recently highlighted in a newspaper article, many children are denied access to education because of their circumstances, such as in gang-controlled, poverty-stricken Sea Lots. Some people think that school dropouts earning food money by offering a windscreen cleaning service are a nuisance. But there’s dignity in their efforts. Why not provide them with a living stipend for auto repair and maintenance training? Compassion, respect, and support for these children with health care, food, and education opportunities are necessary while we address the attendant social problems.

High on the list of factors contributing to an increase in child labour, with its dangers — exploitation, traumatic physical and emotional abuse – is Government inefficiency. The policy on the prevention and elimination of child labour is a crucial instrument for advancing legislation and optimising human and technical infrastructure.

Senator John’s sense of urgency was on point, and Wesley Gibbings’s description of the absence of a policy as official negligence is not unreasonable.

That happens when well-intentioned people have lost the script of creative thinking and leadership. Get the policy done. (T&T Guardian)

An elderly farmer at Yupukari village in the Central Rupununi sub-district of Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) is seen feeding her chickens during a Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) outreach in the area to conduct farm visits, farmers’ registration, and mapping of the farm location (Agriculture in Region 9 photo)

Guyana welcomes UNSC’s reaffirmation of importance of respect for States’ sovereignty, territorial integrity …hopes for continued regional

The Government of Guyana has welcomed the statement issued by the Unted Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Venezuela’s promulgation of ‘The Organic Law for the Defense of Guayana Esequiba’, which purports to incorporate more than twothirds of Guyana’s sovereign territory into Venezuela.

On Monday, the UNSC, in its statement, reminded the parties of their obligations to comply with the Order of Provisional Measures issued by the International Court of Justice on December 1, 2023. The Court had unanimously ordered that pending a final decision in the case, Venezuela should refrain from taking any action which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute, whereby Guyana administers and exercises control over that area; and that both parties should refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the Court or make it more difficult to resolve.

Guyana on Tuesday welcomed the reaffirmation by members of the Security

peace and security

Council of the importance of upholding the Court’s order, the principles of respect for each State’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the prohibition of the threat of force, or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state, as enshrined in Article 2 (4) of the United Nations Charter.

In a statement, the Government of Guyana said that it “hopes that the statement by the United Nations Security Council will contribute to the maintenance of regional peace and security and to ensuring that Latin America and the Caribbean remains a zone of peace. Guyana is committed to the peaceful resolution of the controversy with Venezuela in full accordance with international law through the process of the International Court of Justice and expresses its gratitude to the members of the Security Council for their valuable consideration of this issue of great importance for the two countries and the region.”

UNSC meeting

Following a private meet-

ing of the UNSC, of which Guyana is a non-permanent member, which was convened on Tuesday last to discuss Venezuela’s aggressions towards Guyana, members of the Council on Monday urged Venezuela to exercise “maximum restraint”.

In a statement, the UNSC said that members of the Security Council expressed their concern about the possible escalation of tensions between Venezuela and Guyana. They urged the parties to exercise maximum restraint, reminding them of their obligations to comply with the Order of Provisional Measures issued by the International Court of Justice on December 1, 2023.

The Council, the statement said, also underlined the importance of maintaining regional peace and security and ensuring that the Latin American and Caribbean region remain a zone of peace.

In this regard, the Council commended regional efforts, which resulted in the Declaration of Peace and Dialogue of Argyle on December 14, 2023 in which Guyana and Venezuela, in-

ter alia, agreed that any controversy between the two States would be resolved in accordance with international law, including the Geneva Agreement of 1966.

“The members of the Security Council urged the parties to resolve their differences through peaceful means and to uphold their obligations under international law and the United Nations Charter. They also stressed the impor-

tance of regional actors playing a facilitating role in easing the tensions,” the statement read.

The members of the Security Council reaffirmed the importance of upholding the principles of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity and the prohibition to any party, on the threat of force or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of

another State, as enshrined in Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter.

The meeting on Tuesday last was held under agenda item “Threats to international peace and security”. The brief had stated that Venezuela would be expected to participate in the private meeting under rule 37 of the UNSC’s provisional rules of procedure.

PM Phillips' commitment to end/reduce power outages

Dear Editor, Since his appointment as the 9th Executive Prime Minister of Guyana on August 2, 2020, the Honorable Brigadier Mark Phillips was assigned several portfolios by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali. Included in his responsibilities are the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), the Information Sector, the Telecommunications Sector and the Energy Sector in areas such as the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), The Hinterland Electrification Company Inc (HECI) and the Guyana Power and Light (GPL). GPL is a publicly owned utility company which is the official supplier of electricity to the residents of Guyana. Its franchise area covers the entire three counties of Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice. Due to the recent constant power outages in the country, Prime Minister Mark Phillips has made GPL his primary focus. Despite his hectic schedule, especially his weekend outreaches, he promised the people that he will do everything in his power to end or significantly reduce the blackouts that have and continues to disrupt their lives.

The Prime Minister, His Excellency and the Vice President have stated that much of the problems with GPL were inherited from the previous government which they claimed did very little to maintain and upgrade the electric grids to meet the growing demands of the massive development across the country. However, Prime Minister Phillips is adamant that he will leave no stone unturned and that every action will be tak-

en to bring an end to the blackouts. With his extensive military background and training, and as the Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), PM Phillips has a reputation as a problem solver in the army and he has brought those skills to his leadership role in the government. He is action driven and is sincere and genuine.

In tackling the persistent frequent power disruptions in the country, Prime Minister Mark Phillipps reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to transform the nation’s power infrastructure, boost its generation capacity and improve service delivery to the citizens of Guyana. He underscores the fact that extensive work is currently underway on GPL transmission and distribution systems including the installation of additional generators to enhance the power company overall functionality and efficiency and hence the reduction of blackouts.

According to PM Phillips, significant investments both in the short and long term are ongoing as part of the Government’s broader efforts to remedy the situation. This initiative he said is part of a much wider government-funded project aimed at enhancing GPL’s capacity throughout the country. However, he cautioned the citizens to be patient, because it will take time to improve and expand the power grids and install new generators to meet the growing power needs of the country. The energy sector, particularly GPL, the Prime Minister explained, is the lifeblood of the nation’s development. It is the

bedrock upon which the country economic prosperity, social progress, and the wellbeing of the people depend on. Brigadier Phillips acknowledged that without the energy sector, and in this case GPL, there will be no development and no progress will be made and the nation will be doomed. He said that over the past three years, tremendous improvement has

been made by GPL and it is slated to add more megawatts to the electricity grid to stem the black-out woes faced by the nation. PM Phillips stressed that for Guyana to move to the apex of its development, there has to be an energy mix, such as the US$1.9 billion Gas-toEnergy Project to augment the country’s energy reliability, efficiency, sustainability, and over-

Witnesses attending our magistrates' courts

fortable

including appallingly bad

facilities, when magistrates and lawyers roll into Court very much later. In addition to which, the majority of our courts have to be accessed by climbing long flights of stairs with no provision for the elderly.

I, therefore, decided to write the Chairperson of the Judicial Service Commission, Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, respectfully drawing these matters to her attention, providing relevant details and inviting the Commission to urgently review and address the administration of our Magistrates’ Courts in the public

wrote the Chancellor (ag), via email, on 8th March, 2024. Receipt of my letter has not been acknowledged nor, to the best of my knowledge, has it been put before the Commission for discussion.

It is no wonder, therefore, that these conditions are allowed to prevail and further deteriorate.

I was, however, pleased to see that at a recent address to nine (9) new Magistrates whom have been appointed, Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George, reminded them “to embody integrity and strive for competence, efficiency and effectiveness in their roles”.

Yours sincerely, Kit Nascimento

all economic development. The Prime Minister dedication to the citizens of Guyana is limitless and never-ending and “come hell or high water” he is committed to end or significant-

ly reduce the power outages in the country which is an annoyance to the citizens.

Sincerely,

Dr Asquith Rose

File photo: The UNSC

Page Foundation

Box-and-Whisker Plots

A box-and-whisker plot allows you to look at data to tell where most of the numbers lie. Thus, this type of plot shows the medians in the data.

Example:

Your aunt had purchased some Brazil-made shoes from Home and Beyond for you and your 10 cousins for the New Year. You have noticed there are numbers on the soles of the shoes. You have arranged these numbers in order: 22, 24, 28, 32, 34, 36, 36, 38, 38, 39, 40

The lower extreme is the lowest number in your data. The upper extreme is the highest number in your data. The median of all the numbers in the data is the middle number, 36.

The lower quartile is the median of the numbers below the median: 28.

The upper quartile is the median of the numbers above the median: 38.

You have four sections on your line of data: each relates to its quartile mark, and each quartile mark relates to the median. Each quartile contains ¼ of the data.

What is the range of the lowest quartile?

Step 1: Find the lower extreme and the lower quartile: 22 and 28

Step 2: Subtract the lower extreme from the lower quartile: 28 – 22 = 7

Exercises: Solve

1) Draw a box-and-whisker plot for the data set {3, 7, 8, 5, 12, 14, 21, 13, 18}.

2) Draw a box-and-whisker plot for the data set {3, 7, 8, 5, 12, 14, 21, 15, 18, 14}.

Bug On A Leash

Materials:

A piece of string

Stapler

Index card

#64 sized rubber band

2 pencil erasers

Hole puncher

Popsicle stick

Instructions:

Use the hole puncher and make a hole in one end of the popsicle stick.

Put the string through the hole and tie it securely. Use the stapler to attach the string to the popsicle stick to

prevent it from coming off.

Centre the short side of the index card on the popsicle stick. Use three staples to attach the index card to the popsicle stick.

Place a pencil eraser on each end of the popsicle stick.

Stretch the rubber band across the popsicle stick so it is wrapped around each pencil eraser.

Make sure you have a clear area to spin your Bug On A Leash.

Slowly spin your bug on a leash until you hear a buzzing sound. You may need to adjust the speed at which you

are spinning the device to get your Bug On A Leash to start buzzing.

How it works:

The rubber band and index cards vibrate to produce a buzzing sound similar to that made by insect wings.

Make this a science project:

What happens if you use a different sized stick? What happens if you use a larger index card or piece of paper? What happens if you use a longer or shorter piece of string? (sciencefun.org)

BY JAN WAGNER

TRANSLATED BY DAVID KEPLINGER

it appears as a hand-kiss, gentle nudge, spray of memory: remember where you came from, frog. or galloping, as a thundering horde, to tender unto caesar what is caesar’s, until everything flees into the entryways under the cover of newspapers and briefcases: whoever listens at the open window senses that he may be dry, but the weather has long since been inside him. or how the gutters become musical, when laundry lifts off the lines and rivers flow out of their beds, and the secret scent of earth and asphalt unveils itself; when mushrooms, mosses, vineyard snails run rampant; it makes the outlines visible: where rain ends, we begin.

WORD SEARCH

2024 Local Content Summit

Traditional “risk averse” ways of banking can no longer continue – Pres Ali to local banks

…urges banks to facilitate, not hinder, more local investments; expand regional footprints

Guyana’s banking sector needs to be more proactive in seeking out and facilitating investment opportunities locally and abroad to help expand the economy. This sentiment was expressed by President Dr Irfaan Ali during his address to the opening of the Local Content Summit on Tuesday.

Speaking to stakeholders in the public and private sector, President Ali noted that the traditional “risk averse” ways of banking can no longer continue. In fact, he said the local bankers do not engage in banking but rather “traditional approach to money management.”

“There is one element of this equation that I think is not given enough emphasis. And that is the banking sector. How do we get the banking sector to work closer together. To integrate more seamlessly. And to address the issue of scale. I keep mentioning at these seminars that the banking model needs to change.”

“Banks can no longer be a counter that you deposit money and you get some… well you don’t get much interest anyhow. And you get a business model around that. And you’re very risk averse, so you look at the best opportunities for lending. And you lend to that, so your returns are very high. As can be seen in your balance sheets annually. That is not banking,” the President said.

The Head of State added that there needs to be a shift in the mindset of the bankers. He called for bankers to use more analytical tools to identify opportunities and propose same to their clients with a possible 10 per cent or 15 per cent return on investment.

“Banking and finance are an art, an art of utilising the liquidity in the system through structural mechanism to grow wealth and create wealth. And we need to move up the value scale in the banking sector to have more investment type bankers who are on a daily basis analysing the opportunity

in the market,” he said.

“The banks are still working in a very archaic fashion, waiting for someone to bring in a business proposal to get financing and then they look at the least risky opportunity, but that needs to change. The bank has to see itself as a facilitating role in the development and expansion of the economy.”

Further, he said there is scope for a regional expansion. In fact, the President revealed that there is at least one local bank establishing a regional footprint by setting up a branch in a different country. The President also challenged other companies including consultancies, contractors, and distributors to expand across the region too.

According to the Guyana Association of Bankers Inc. (GABI) website, there are eleven financial institutions. The list includes Guyanese-owned Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry and its subsidiary Guyana Americas Merchant Bank Inc, Demerara Bank

Limited, Hand In Hand Trust Corporation Inc., New Building Society, Citizens Bank Guyana Inc and the Trust Company Guyana Limited, among others.

“If we are building the capacity of companies here, what is the market we are targeting? Is it only building that capacity and scale and capa-

Rule 37 provides for non-UNSC members to participate in discussions at the Council, at the Council’s invitation, “in the discussion of any question brought before the Security Council when the Security Council considers that the interests of that member are specially affected, or when a member brings a matter to the attention of the Security Council.”

President Dr Irfaan Ali dispatched an April 5 letter to the Council invoking Article 35 (1) of the UN Charter. Further, it was explained that Assistant Secretary General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, Miroslav Jen?a would provide the brief during the meeting. Additionally, it was noted that members of the UNSC are expected to urge Venezuela to follow the Argyle Declaration.

In the letter requesting the meeting, Ali cited the “Organic Law for the Defense

bility for the local market? Or do we now look at this capacity and scale that we are building locally and find regional opportunities, find extra regional opportunities through which we can deploy this capacity and expand the economic and financial opportunity for the local business? And that is where we have to position ourselves,” the President emphasized.

Other banks operating in Guyana include Republic Bank Limited which is also established in other Caricom countries and Ghana, Bank of Baroda, Scotiabank Guyana and the New Hayven Merchant Bank. (G3)

Guyana welcomes UNSC’s reaffirmation...

of Guayana Esequiba”, which Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro signed on April 3. He warned that this action “cements Venezuela’s intent to annex more than two-thirds of Guyana’s sovereign territory and make it part of Venezuela”. Maduro described the law as the implementation of the results of the December 3, 2023 referendum. He added that the law “establishes the creation of state number 24, the state of Guayana Esequiba within the political and territorial organisation of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela”.

The law also reiterated Venezuela’s rejection of the validity of the 1899 Paris Arbitral Award and the ICJ’s jurisdiction on the matter.

According to a brief, in his April 5 letter, Dr Ali said that the law violates the ICJ’s December 1, 2023 provisional measures and expressed concern that given Caracas’ disregard of this or-

der, “Venezuela’s next move would be to implement its plan for the seizure of our sovereign territory”. He added that such an act would be a breach of the fundamental principles of international law enshrined in the UN Charter and would contradict the letter and spirit of the Argyle Declaration.

The letter also rejects recent claims made by Maduro that the US has installed bases of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Essequibo, calling it a “dangerous narrative”.

In a brief statement on social media, Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud had said previously that the planned meeting would “address Maduro’s violation of the rules of international law requiring States to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of other States, as well as the International Court of Justice”.

President Dr Irfaan Ali speaking at the Local Content Summit at Pegasus on Tuesday

Securing… …the leadership

You’d think that, for a party with a 68-year history, the PNC would’ve worked out how to select their leader by now. Even if through “follow the leader”!! Some think their “Founder-Leader” Burnham was always unchallenged for the position, but even he had to manoeuvre and plot to ensure he remained at the top. Folks sometimes forget that the PNC – just like APNU –was a coalition of several parties and politicians whom Burnham brought together with the PPP faction which he’d splintered. Burnham always had to watch out for challenges from those quarters, since those leaders had their own ambitions.

Chief among them was John Carter, head of the League of Coloured People, which carried the political aspirations of the ‘coloured’ stratum, who assumed that it was their birthright – literally because of their ‘white’ blood! – to run Guyana when their forbears decamped.

Burnham, and later Desmond Hoyte, had joined Carter’s law firm on their return from England, and he was one of those who despaired of Burnham “supporting” the East Indian Jagan as leader. How déclassé!! He’d formed the United Democratic Party, which merged with PPP-B in 1958, and he became chairman of the new PNC. But Burnham knew that Carter never saw him as the real deal, since he didn’t have the requisite white blood to rule!!

So, after they got into power by supporting the CIA, Burnham effectively banished Carter in 1966 by making him Ambassador to the US, the UN, and High Commissioner to Canada. He was never to return to Guyana, since Burnham kept rotating him as ambassador!!

Now, Norton had been under fire from Carter’s present-day successor to the LCP mantle – David Granger – and his surrogates like Roysdale Forde. He shoulda learnt from Burnham that he had to defang Granger – and coulda done this by promising him the Ambassadorship to the Court of St James!! Hadn’t he seen Granger practically prostrating himself when he met Queen Elizabeth??

Then there’s the race question in the basically ‘black’ PNC. Now, some people think that means the Indian question, but they’re wrong!! The ‘coloured’ still see themselves as the anointed race to govern Guyana, and must be courted as advised above. On the Indian front, knowing they each wanted to be THE Indian Leader in the PNC, and become the PM, Burnham simply played the Indian leaders – first Latchmansingh and Jainarine Singh – against each other!! Norton should be doing the same with Mahipal and Narine!!

Finally, one of the ways ambitious ‘black’ men make themselves more acceptable to the ‘coloured’ elitewho still call the shots – is to “marry up”. Like Burnham jettisoning his first black wife and then marrying the coloured Viola!!

Norton’s still single, innit??

…Iran

Your Eyewitness has been scratching his head as to why the Iranians practically waved their hands in the air while screaming, “Look!! We’ll be bombing Israel” –even though everyone and their uncle knew they HAD to retaliate for the latter’s violation of international law and bombing their Syrian Embassy. Well, they knew the US had committed to defending Israel, so they were actually giving them a heads up to do so! Now, why would they want to do this?? Well, apart from not wanting the Yanks to retaliate, they also wanted to let them and Israel know that if they REALLY wanted to inflict massive damage to Israel – and even take it out!! - they could do so!!

They didn’t have to start with drones - which they knew would take forever to reach Israel, and therefore give Israel and her allies time to scramble and destroy them. Ditto with follow-up cruise missiles. But even with all the warnings, several ballistic missiles DID get through – but were aimed at harmless spots.

And that’s the message!!

…family rule

It’s more than passing strange that Arab nation Jordan defended Israel, innit?? But then the Hashemite King Abdullah II – like his father, who was installed in 1921 by the Brits – are beholden to them for allowing him to remain ruler!!

Guyana supports call for 2nd International Decade for People of African Descent

…as Govt continues to work towards advancing lives of Afro-Guyanese

GOneidge Walrond, as she addressed delegates at the Opening of the Third Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent in Geneva, Switzerland.

In December 2013, the United Nations (UN) General

Assembly proclaimed 20152024 the International Decade for the People of African Descent, however, there have been general calls for an extension to this period.

According to a statement issued by UN, during celebrations of the International Day for People of African Descent in 2023, human rights experts emphasised that more action is needed to combat racism and other intolerance.

uyana on Tuesday joined human rights experts and issued a call for a second International Decade for People of African Descent starting from 2025.

This position was confirmed by Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister,

Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond along with Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton, Guyana National Reparations Committee Chairman Eric Phillips, and Ethnic Relations Commissioners Deon Dick (Ras Khafra) and Neaz Subhan among Guyana’s representatives at the Third Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent in Geneva, Switzerland

Guyana supports call for 2nd International...

Additionally, they stressed that more than ever, the world urgently needs humanity to unite and collaborate in a spirit of equality and non-discrimination.

Achieving this goal means that inequalities within and among countries will need to be drastically decreased, and the legacies of colonialism, apartheid, enslavement and genocide effectively resolved, they added.

According to the release, an extension will allow for this goal to be achieved along with other objectives including promoting respect, protection and fulfilment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by people of African Descent, and greater knowledge of their diverse heritage, culture and contributions to society.

During her address at the Third Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent in Geneva, Walrond disclosed that Guyana supports the efforts of said human rights

experts and remains committed to ensuring that all Guyanese benefit from the country’s wealth, especially those of African descent.

She posited that the new decade represents a significant global effort towards

achieving racial justice, equality, and empowerment.

“Guyana looks forward to contributing to the efforts toward improving the conditions of people of African descent both by supporting the work of this Forum and by

continuing to craft and implement programmes that will redound to the benefit of Guyanese of African Descent,” Walrond said.

The minister added that, Caribbean Community (Caricom) has been at the forefront of demanding reparations for the descendants of enslaved Africans, a position Guyana remains fully committed to.

She explained that a National Reparations Committee has already been established, within the framework of a 10-point plan agreed by the CARICOM.

“Guyana as a multi-cultural and multiethnic society is mindful and keen to ensure that our population in its entirety enjoys the best quality of life the country can afford. In that regard we are mindful of the mandate of this permanent forum as set forth in the United Nations General Assembly resolution 75/340” Walrond added.

Since assuming office in August 2020, the Guyana

Government has been working to improve the lives of Afro-Guyanese.

In 2023, government launched the Association of People of African Descent (APAD) with the aim of fostering unity among Afro-Guyanese communities, driving positive social change, and empowering all members to actively participate in shaping Guyana’s future.

Further, the association’s mission is to bring together Afro-Guyanese organisations, create a co-operative community, and eventually develop into a full-fledged representative body, which will work alongside the government to achieve its mandate.

Moreover, last year the Guyana Government handed over some $63 million in funds to 35 African cultural groups in Guyana for projects in a wide variety of sectors as well as initiatives that seek to empower women.

Each group got just over $1.8 million.

The groups that received funding had previously submitted proposals for projects in a number of areas, including agriculture and purchasing of agricultural equipment; business; cultural training in drumming, teaching craft, cooking traditional foods and garment construction among others.

Some groups also committed to work in literacy, women’s empowerment and via education in African and Afro-Guyanese history.

The distribution of the grants came on the heels of the Guyana Government halting funding to the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly – Guyana (IDPADA-G), citing the mismanaging of funds.

Instead, the government has decided to distribute the money directly to the African cultural groups in order to achieve the objectives of the decade.

Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Walrond delivering an address at the Third Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent in Geneva, Switzerland

Free tertiary education

“Laidback” culture among UG students must change – President Ali …says

there is value in working and studying

The culture among university-level students to not join the workforce must change, President Dr Irfaan Ali has asserted.

This is especially important as the government moves towards providing free tertiary education by 2025, he added.

The Head of State was at the time speaking during the Local Content Summit which opened on Tuesday at the Pegasus Suites, Georgetown.

“There is a lot of value (to working and studying),” President Ali expressed as he lamented the culture among local students.

“Here in Guyana, we somehow believe it is demeaning (to work and study),” the president pointed out.

“And I want us to change that before we go to free university education…”.

The existing posture, he argued, can create an environment where students become too “laidback”.

“Because in the developed society, you have to earn whilst you’re at university because you have bills to pay. But it’s not only about earning, it’s the experience, it is adding to

your theoretical knowledge…and it builds that experience that is necessary to transition from the world of education into the world of work.”

Moreover, pointing to the labour shortage, he contended that “we don’t see enough of our students in the labour market”, adding that this is detrimental to the rapid rate of development of the local economy.

“For us to grow at the rate we have to grow, we have to deploy every single labour that is available,” the president said.

The government has already announced plans to waiver student loans as it moves towards free education at the University of Guyana by 2025, in a phased manner. This phased approached have started with students who have pre-existing loans.

President Dr Irfaan Ali earlier this year had said that, “we’ve said already we have to move to free university education…it’s going to be an approach that commences the implementation of free education. As you know there are persons who are already on the register, paying loans. So, I think that segment of

the student population will have to be addressed first. And then we phase ourselves in.”

Already effective

Meanwhile, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo at one of the weekly press conferences earlier this year had indicated that the promise is already effective.

As he addressed the manifesto promise of ensuring free university education, Jagdeo explained that students who took out loans and are yet to repay such within the timeframe of the Government’s term in office would be given a waiver. Retroactively, they will also benefit from free tertiary education as a result of this.

He further considered, “There are some people who may be paying who may be disadvantaged. But for those who have not paid, [we] have effectively given them the free education, because they’re not going to pay the loans. It has a retroactive application.”

Jagdeo added that this route was taken, calculating that by the latter part of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s first term,

the cash injection into the University could be made, having dealt with people who acquired loans.

In 2016, a forensic audit into the operations of the UG Student Loan Agency had revealed that over a

21-year period, successive PPP/C Governments made available to the agency over $9 billion for loans.

During the period 1994 to May 2015, the Government of Guyana approved $9,489,453,973 through the National Budget or US$45.5 million (using the current rate of exchange of G$210 to US$1), the 77-page audit report, which was made public by the Finance Ministry, stated.

The report stated that during the period April 2011 to December 2014, $1.8 billion was received through a process whereby the Agency’s head was informed by the Budget Department that funds had been approved to be released to the Agency.

President Dr Irfaan Ali

New management team for GuySuCo

…Guatemala, India & Cuba to provide specialists

Anew management team will be appointed to run the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), with the assistance of external partners, coupled with the soon to be made announcement of a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the company.

This was revealed by President Dr Irfaan Ali, during a side interview on Tuesday. It had previously been revealed that current GuySuCo CEO, Sasenarine Singh, would be taking up a new job posting.

When asked for an update on GuySuCo, President Ali said that, “so, we’ve been working aggressively at modernising GuySuCo. And

part of what we’re doing is a new structure. The current CEO will move into a new capacity. And we have a whole team that is coming, with external help. We were talking to Guatemala. We were talking to India. We’re talking to Cuba.”

“We have to address factory. We have to address agriculture. We have to address human resources. We have to address modernisation. We have to address the supply of labour. We’re now in the process of bringing all of this together, because sugar must be made viable. And we’re making the investment to make sugar viable. And it will be viable.”

Asked how soon the pub-

lic can expect to see the new faces, President Ali noted that some have already been privy to those new faces. He further explained that they are working with Cuba and India for them to send their specialists.

“We’re working on the modernisation side, that has already started with technical support from Brazil. So, a lot has already started,” he said, adding that the announcement of a new CEO will be made “very shortly”.

Last year, GUYSUCO accomplished a noteworthy milestone by exceeding its yearly sugar output target of 60,000 tonnes. In the sugar sector, a 28 per cent growth was recorded last

year. This was as a result of GuySuCo having produced 60,204 tonnes in 2023, compared with 47,049 tonnes in 2022.

With the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government having injected over $17 billion into the sugar industry and currently supporting close to 8000 workers, President Ali has for some time made it clear that his Administration will continue to invest in the sector to bring it up to viability.

Between 2016 and 2017, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) regime closed several estates across Guyana – an action

that displaced more than 7000 sugar workers, who were not only without jobs but who had no means to support their families and contribute to their village as well as the national economy.

Meanwhile, since assuming office in August 2020, the PPP/C Government has undertaken a slew of measures to revive the sugar sector and rehired some 2000 of those dismissed workers.

The PPP/C has promised in its manifesto to revive sugar and reopen these estates.

However, after it was found that the assets at Wales Estate were sold out

by the previous regime, the PPP/C Government announced plans to establish a Development Authority, where several major industrial operations would be undertaken. Similarly, the Enmore Sugar Estate is also being transformed into an industrial area.

Meanwhile, the Government’s efforts to reopen the Rose Hall Estate saw a whopping $1.1 billion being expended last year to have the facility up and running. A summary of the major works included both civil and structural interventions – including rehabilitation of the cane gantry, pre-milling, milling, boiler and process house roofing. (G3)

"Litta Reporta" revolutionising litter reporting in Guyana

The WE Movement organisation has embarked on a Litter Reporting project aimed at addressing the pressing issue of garbage pollution at dumpsites across Guyana. At the forefront of this initiative, Maryam Bacchus with her mobile app called "Litta Reporta", a free software tool available for download on both the AppStore and PlayStore. The project is sponsored by the InterAmerican Development Bank (IADB).

The inception of "Litta Reporta" was driven by the urgent need to combat the pervasive problem of littering and inadequate waste management systems that have plagued the country for some years. As concerned citizens and members of the WE Movement organization, we have witnessed firsthand the detrimental effects of illegal dumping in the environment and communities across Guyana, the organization said.

Founder and Software Developer, Bacchus explained that with "Litta Reporta", “We have established a user-friendly platform for individuals from all districts of Guyana to report incidents of illegal dumping in their areas. By crowdsourcing data on garbage pollution, we aim to empower local environmental organizations, government agencies, and other stakeholders to take targeted actions towards resolving these issues."

Through collaboration with various partners, including garbage collection businesses and town councils, an affirmative effort has been made to bridge the communication gap between affected citizens and authorities responsible for waste management.

Meanwhile, through already established methods, success stories revealed that certain areas identified by "Litta Reporta "were not included in the National Cleanup Exercise organised by local government authorities. Bacchus explained that this underscores the importance of leveraging data-driven insights to address gaps in current cleanup initiatives and raise awareness about unrecognized dumping sites. This serves as further evidence of the work that grew out of "Litta Reporta". Regions Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara); Four (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) have been substantial beneficiaries of this initiative.

To join the mission with this innovative app, interested persons, agencies, and NGOs can find the "Litta Reporta" app through the following link: https://dashboard.littareporta.gy. By registering on the backend dashboard, users can also access detailed reports and actively contribute to the collective efforts to combat garbage pollution nationwide.

Providing access to real-time, publicly available data, this hopes to facilitate informed decision-making and sustainable solutions for tackling illegal dumping practices.

Founder/Software Developer Maryam Bacchus at the app launch in January

Ramsammy’s Ruminations

Opposition and surrogates dread Thursdays – they have nightmares

In a blazing headline recently, a local newspaper reported that NBS lost more than $1.6B.

Dr Leslie Ramsammy

The headline portrayed President Irfaan Ali instructing NBS to take certain actions, causing NBS to lose more than $1.6B over the period 2022 to 2023. The headline was completely wrong. The NBS continued to make profit throughout 2022/2023 from increasing mortgage loans to ordinary citizens of Guyana, as the housing boom continues. The President had urged all banks in Guyana to lower the interest rate on mortgages. NBS and other banks responded and took advantage of incentives Government provided to them in order to promote home mortgages. In the case of NBS, the 14,000 Guyanese that had mortgages saved more than $1.6B, but the propaganda paper presented the story as NBS losing money because of President Ali. This kind of fabricated narrative is not harmless, since it could lead to a loss of confidence in the banking industry. The false narrative was debunked during Bharrat Jagdeo’s regular Thursday press conference last week. The job of ensuring the Guyanese people have access to the truth has fallen on the shoulders of BJ, which he expertly does each and every Thursday. For dispelling the falsehoods, correcting the records, getting the narrative right, BJ is deemed a bully by those who seek to spread propaganda. For the likes of propaganda rags such as Kaieteur News, Glen Lall, hate-filled commentators like GHK Lall, and others, BJ must not dispute the false narratives they spread. It is utter nonsense. Fortunately, BJ stands strong and unbending, and his rejection of the propaganda is brutal, each and every week.

Last week, Moses Nagamootoo spoke about the lofty goals of unity in our country. Moses has no ability to learn from the old mantra – you live in glass house, do not throw stones. He bemoaned that when President Ali was sworn-in, he had to leave the PM Residence the next day, and that he had to give up his vehicles. Moses ignored that he and the PNC/APNU/AFC cabals did even worse in 2015.

Former PM Sam Hinds told the story of how he was not allowed to even enter the yard, and had to take a minibus downtown. “I was told to return my vehicle, hand over my office keys and vacate my home in which I lived for more than 18 years almost immediately after David Granger was sworn in as President. I was not given even a single day. I had to give away all my belongings and leave my personal stuff in the office. But I know that the APNU/AFC Ministers of Health in 2020 did not vacate their offices immediately after President Ali was sworn in. I know too that many APNU/AFC ministers in government-owned homes did not immediately vacate those homes. It was several weeks after that some left their homes.”

Moses cannot talk about unity, unless he could admit to his and his colleagues’ wrongdoings, such as literally chasing us out of our homes and offices in 2015, and their shameless effort to thief the 2020 elections. They squatted in office for five months after they lost the 2020 elections. In fact, they squatted in office for 17 months, because elections were due in March 2019.

When we talk about unity, we must show that we are capable of admitting our wrongs.

The Opposition parties in Guyana and their surrogates have nightmares as they wait for Thursdays to come every week. They know that their cesspit of lies and misrepresentations; fake, fabricated, clumsy narratives will be ripped to shreds by the General Secretary of the PPP. Without fail, the Leader of the Opposition’s fake narratives each week are exposed; without fail, the fabricated narratives of one of the newspapers in Guyana that is a cesspool for propaganda is ripped apart, exposed for the world to see. Often, this newspaper’s fake and fabricated narratives are so blatant that the newspaper is forced to hide somewhere in some one of its hidden parts a silly apology for these lies.

Just last Saturday, the newspaper reported that the Government terminated a contract for the Conversation Tree Road Project. It was forced to apologize the very next day, because no termination actually occurred. But the strategy is clear: they publish in blazing headlines a false story, and then -- if absolutely necessary -- publish an apology somewhere hidden in the newspaper to protect themselves from accountability.

Those who have elected themselves as experts, or as spokespersons or representatives of various groups in Guyana, or as the social conscience of the Guyanese people, have nightmares every night as they wait, with tremendous trepidation, for another Thursday to come. Each and every Thursday, except on holidays, thousands of persons across Guyana and in the diaspora, the media in Guyana, around Caricom and in the diaspora, tune in to the BJ Press Conference. BJ has held a press conference every Thursday, other than on holidays and other special occasions, since he assumed office as General Secretary of the PPP in 2016. As a strong, competent and effective GS of the PPP, he ensures that the PPP functions not only as a strong and effective Government, as it was elected by the people to be, but that the party has not lost touch with the people.

One newspaper dedicated a whole page denouncing the Thursday press conferences as a “pappy show”. What the critics of BJ take umbrage at is BJ exposing their propaganda. BJ has never relied on anyone to defend him; he is capable of defending himself against the consistently ferocious attacks he is subjected to. Every Thursday, BJ tears their fabricated narrative to pieces, and the citizens of Guyana get to know the truth. What most irritates the naysayers is that the citizens are not fooled by their constant fabricated nonsense. In ripping apart the propaganda, BJ brings nightmares to his critics.

PME “inconclusive” on cause of death of soldier at Tacama

Days after Corporal Leroy Thom of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) died during training at Tacama in Region Ten, the post-mortem examination ended inconclusively, leaving his family still grappling for answers.

The man’s wife, Caffeya Forde, told Guyana Times that the post-mortem examination was conducted on Monday morning, and pathologist was unable to give the cause of death for her husband.

“They couldn’t say from the post-mortem examination what was the cause of death, so they took some samples and they said they would take them to the lab to see if they would be able to figure out how he died. So, right now, we are waiting to see what the results will be when they are done,” the woman said.

Thom, 30, a member of the 2nd Infantry Battalion and resident of Blueberry Hill in Linden, suddenly collapsed and died on Friday evening while in training at the Colonel John Clarke Military School at Tacama.

News of his demise was relayed to the family at about 23:30h that evening, but family members are contending that they have a lot of questions surrounding Forde’s death.

At the time, he was undergoing training on the Section Commander’s Course.

Following his demise, the GDF had stated that Thom had complained of feeling unwell during a routine training event, and had been taken to

Dead:

the Medical Centre where he was attended to by a registered nurse and medics.

After his condition had deteriorated, a request was

made for a medevac, and a team of medical specialists from the Georgetown Public Hospital was air-dashed to the training school. Upon arrival, the GDF said, all efforts to resuscitate Thom proved futile, and the soldier was consequently pronounced dead.

A Board of Inquiry will be convened to investigate the circumstances surrounding this corporal’s death, the GDF has said.

In a subsequent interview, Forde shared details of her husband's last days and his sudden death. Thom had left home on Monday to attend to his driver’s license and returned on Tuesday morning before heading to work.

He was participating in a section commander course for a promotion. Thom messaged his wife on Friday morning, stating he was returning to Tacama for training. Later that day, a friend informed Forde of Thom's serious condition at Tacama. She claimed she was only officially informed of his situation by the GDF late Friday night.

Thom's colleagues revealed he collapsed while training, complaining of numbness in his foot. Forde, devastated by Thom's sudden death, had emphasized to this publication his vital role in their family and the lack of communication from the GDF about his condition. (G9)

GDF Corporal Leroy Thom

Power generation paramount for expansion of natural resources extraction – Bharrat

The Guyana Government plans, to expand value-added production through the establishment of several manufacturing plants is dependent on strong power generation.

According to Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat, the pertinent facilities including a gold refinery, bottling factory, glass factory and aluminum plant cannot come on stream until Guyana’s electricity issue is resolved and the price for energy decreases.

During a discussion on the Guyana Dialogue programme, Bharrat explained that moving forwards with such plans now will not aid in the modernization of the country and expansion of the non-oil sector as intended.

As a result, the exportation of raw assets such as gold, bauxite and manganese will continue despite interest in moving towards value-added.

“We have companies sitting on $6.5 million ounces of gold, we have another company on $2million ounces of gold, Omai is back doing exploration sitting on over $4million onces of gold. So, our proved resources in the gold sector to date is $15 million ounces of gold which have already been discovered by large-scale companies… the main reason why we have never really ventured into value added which we should is because of power, the cost of power generation and reliability of it,” Minister Bharrat disclosed.

Minister Bharrat explained that when the Wales

Gas to Energy project, which is expected to cut electricity costs by approximately 50 per cent and the Amaila Falls hydropower project come on stream, government will move ahead with its plans to establish the manufacturing plants.

“Take for example the Aluminum plant, it requires a significant amount of power to run an Aluminum plant which we don’t have at the moment but which could be possible later with the development of Gas to energy project, the 165 megawatts from the Amaila Falls hydropower project and additional 35 mega watts from solar as we move forward,” the Minister explained.

Emergency power

In a move to alleviate the current electricity woes across the country, the Guyana Government is moving to purchase power 36 megawatts (MW) of emergency power to add to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc. grid.

This was revealed by Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo during his weekly press briefing last Thursday.

A ministerial group – comprising VP Jagdeo; Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, S.C.; Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, and Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar – was established to look into the current wave of power instability across the country.

One of the floating power vessels that is operated by Turkish-based Karpowership

According to the Vice President, the group is cur-

rently working on a proposal to purchase “emergency power” to supplement GPL’s generating capacity.

The company that the government will be buying the power from is the Latin American arm of Turkishbased Karpowership –which operates a fleet of ships that generate electricity. The contract is expected to be signed in the coming days and the power installed within the next three weeks.

The Vice President added that most of the terms of the contract have already been ironed out. Based on the current arrangement, Karpowership will supply 36 MW of electricity.

According to Jagdeo, the government was considering bringing in a vessel with a larger generating capacity – more than 70 MW – but GPL’s current infrastructure would not have supported such a massive injection of power into the national grid.

When it comes to the cost of this deal, Jagdeo explained that Guyana would

only be paying for the equipment and the operation of the power ship, which amounts to some eight cents per kilowatt/hour (kwh).

“There is a capacity charge and an O&M (Operate and Manage) charge – combined that’s less than 8 cents per kwh but then we supply the fuel… So, they will supply the equipment and operate it and we will supply the fuel,” he noted.

For the past week, Guyana has been enduring a heightened spate of blackouts following what the GPL had described as engine failures at different locations.

With its current challenges, GPL is now generat-

ing some 165 megawatts of power. However, the current peak demand for electricity is at 180 megawatts.

The government has blamed the issues at the state-owned power company on several issues ranging from aged infrastructure and systems to lack of maintenance, to human resource gap, and the growing electricity demand coupled with public destruction of the entity’s transmission utilities.

According to VP Jagdeo, the ministerial team is currently focused on ensuring that GPL’s generating capacity is maximized. This involves bringing into operation, the remaining containerised generator sets.

Back in December, 17 generator sets were purchased to the tune of US$27 million to enhance power generation during the Christmas holiday. Procured from Apan Energy Service, these sets were expected to contribute an additional 28.9 megawatts to the national grid, but there were shipment delays and technical issues in setting them up.

Only nine of these gensets have been installed before this month. Last weekend, another five of the generators were connected on Saturday night while the remaining three sets will be installed by the end of this week. (G1)

Cop to face Judge, jury for murder of Quindon Bacchus

Police Lance Corporal Kristoff De Nobrega, accused of fatally shooting 23-year-old Quindon Bacchus from Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara (ECD), has been ordered to stand trial in the High Court.

De Nobrega, 24, of Canal Dam, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, was committed for trial by Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Vigilance Magistrates’ Court. The charges stem from an incident on June 10, 2022, at Haslington New Scheme, ECD, where De Nobrega allegedly shot Bacchus, leading to his death.

Magistrate Azore found sufficient evidence to warrant a trial in the High Court, scheduling it for the next available session of the Demerara Assizes. De Nobrega will remain in custody pending trial.

Additionally, two other law enforcement officers, Lance Corporal Thurston Simon, 26, of Bareroot, ECD, and Cadet Officer Dameion McClennon, 37, of Patterson, Turkeyen, ECD, face charges of obstructing justice by providing false information during the investigation. Their case is ongoing at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. Bacchus, a father of one, was allegedly shot six times about his body fol-

lowing an encounter with Police ranks. It was reported that on June 10, 2022, ranks were conducting an intelligence-led operation in the Haslington New Scheme, ECD, after receiving some information earlier in the day.

While there, the ranks contacted a 22-year-old construction worker, who provided them with certain information. As a result, the ranks went to Bacchus’s home, where he was seen with a firearm in his possession. He had reportedly intended to sell the gun to Lance Corporal De Nobrega. The plainclothes rank, who was armed, made arrangements to purchase the firearm from Bacchus, who left and returned with the firearm.

In the process of handing over the firearm to the rank, an alarm was raised, resulting in Bacchus running in a southern direction and discharging a round in the rank’s direction. Police Headquarters said that the rank drew his service pistol and returned fire.

Police said Bacchus then ran further south and jumped into a yard, and the rank gave chase. While the rank was near Bacchus, the man allegedly discharged several other rounds towards the rank, and the rank took cover and re-

turned fire, hitting the now deceased man about his body.

Bacchus reportedly fell to the ground, along with the firearm, which was later identified as a .380 pistol with a magazine that still had one round. He was picked up in a conscious state and escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he died while receiving treatment.

Violent protest Days after Bacchus’s death, a violent protest erupted at several ECD villages. The protest led to several vendors at the Mon Repos Market being robbed while their stalls were vandalised and goods looted. Some of the protesters who were armed with cutlasses, knives, iron bars, and other handy weapons, destroyed vendors’ goods, burnt stalls and vehicles, shattered windscreens of vehicles, and even terrorised vendors.

The vendors were compensated by the Government. Threats were also made against President Dr Irfaan Ali’s life which led to the arrest of a 35-year-old man of Golden Grove, ECD, Marvin Richmond, known as “Wakie”, a psychiatric patient.

Following the protest, 16 men were arrested and charged with the offence of riotous behaviour. (G9)

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat

Kristoff De Nobrega who is set to stand trial; Lance Corporal Thurston Simon, and Cadet Officer Dameion McClennon who were charged with obstruction of Justice

Dead: Quindon Bacchus

Guyanese urged to pursue investments in eco-resort & casino, regional water project

The oil and gas sector’s successes have led to many companies from across the region and globally establishing offices in Guyana. However, President Dr Irfaan Ali is also urging local companies to look for ways to expand their current ventures and invest in new projects at home and in the Caribbean. He made this call during his address at the opening of the Local Content Summit at the Pegasus Suites, Corporate Centre on Tuesday. The summit is being hosted under the theme

“Creating Value. Driving Economic Expansion.”

The president said after some research, he found that many countries in the region is looking for investment in the area of water.

“…they're ready to give you, just like you have a power purchase agreement, a water purchase agreement for investment in water. And I said to myself, my God, this scale is a US$30M project, a US$50M project; why can't we get a group of local business personalities to come together in a consortium…

and go after these opportunities?” he questioned alluding to the experience and knowledge of Guyanese garnered from the water treatment facilities set up across the country.

Dr Ali noted that businesses selling water can form partnerships and own 40-50% of similar companies in other countries. This, he said, will add value to local content.

“Speaking about the hundreds of millions of value we're creating is good (in US dollars) but how are we

converting that hundreds of millions of value to billions of dollars in value? How are we doing that? How are we deploying this additional revenue that is coming to greater value?” he emphasised.

Further, the Head of State pointed to opportunities for investment around the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at Timehri. Recalling a conversation with members of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) at the South Dakota Circuit

located a stone’s throw from the airport, Dr. Ali said there is room for the opening of a casino and other eco-tourism activities in that vicinity.

“I see revenue like a casino because when you look around that track, you're one and a half minutes away from the airport. You have a racing track, you have world-class eco-facility, fresh forests, you have creeks, you have white sandImagine an eco-tourism facility one and a half minutes away from the airport

where you can also enjoy racing and drive maybe one or two Formula One carsImmediately, you're talking about a different market,” he told those gathered at the event.

“The opportunities are there…So as we come together today to look at opportunities, let us not limit ourselves to what happens here,” he added.

The president pointed to connections with Brazil and Suriname presents their own prospects for logistics and other investments.

‘‘WE LIFT 4’’ initiative gets $9M in corporate support …250 women-led businesses to be showcased this weekend

As the ‘WE LIFT’ initiative embarks on its 4th year journey, several major corporations including Nation's Incorporated, ExxonMobil, Demerara Bank, ENET, IDB, Banks DIH, and GTT have generously sponsored substantial amounts to sup-

During a ‘WE LIFT 4’ press conference on Tuesday, Co-Founder of Nations Incorporated Pam O’Toole emphasised the importance of such events, set

of customers and it will give their businesses publicity," she stated whilst then adding that the ministry is providing women to exhibit free of charge at a venue.

As she lent her perspective to the grand sponsorship made from her organization, she stated that the

port its upcoming women’s expo 4 this weekend.

to showcase the talents of 250 women entrepreneurs.

"This initiative is opened for all persons to come and purchase from local business women, it will grant women the opportunity for a lot

Together, they have contributed some $9 million towards the initiative, which is being facilitated through the Human Services and Social Security Ministry with an aim to provide women in business with training and opportunities.

initiative shares the same vision that organization had last year. “The sponsorship this year is another $5 million, same as last year and this allows women entrepreneurs, perhaps the first

chance that they've ever had to exhibit their products to a wider audience. And I understand the returns are very, very good for these women,” she stated. It was also highlighted that with the 250 business that are set to be revealed, 250 booths will be given to business women aiding them to place their goods and products on which was also provided by the ministry.

Meanwhile, Human Services Minister Vindhya Persaud unveiled that the initiative this year will bring a new goal for the women who are involved. She expressed that the goal of this year’s We Lift initiative is to inspire women not to limit themselves. Also, in keeping with the program’s vision, Persaud expressed that they are not solely aiding women to create businesses but to also aid them to properly package their businesses in the right way which is appealing to not only a local audience but an international audience as well.

“Part of the goal is for women to come together in this unified way, creating a movement of women entrepreneurs and telling them not to limit themselves. We don’t want women to just make a business but we

want them to properly package and market their business in a way which is appealing to not only Guyana but the world at large,” she stated.

Further, she also revealed that the ‘WE LIFT’ program has been implemented in Region Two

20 and 21 at the National Aquatic Centre from 14:00h to 20:00h on both days. The event will feature 250 businesses owned by women and it promises to be the ultimate destination for women-owned businesses and supporters of women’s economic empowerment. ‘WE

(Pomeroon-Supenaam) and Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice), marking a significant milestone for the ministry. The ‘WE LIFT 4’ event is set to take place on April

LIFT 4’ showcases the resilience, creativity, and innovation of female entrepreneurs, providing them with a platform to showcase their products and services to a wider audience. (G2)

Demerara Bank and GTT reps hand over the monetary support to Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud and the Ministry's Permanent Secretary, Prema Roopnarine

Nations Inc co-founder Pam O’Toole presenting the cheque to Minister Persaud

A representative of ExxonMobil handing over a cheque to the Minister

Regional Venezuela arrests activist for alleged links to Maduro assassination attempt

Arenowned Venezuelan activist was arrested for his alleged involvement in a reported assassination attempt against President Nicolás Maduro last month, the country’s Attorney General Tarek Saab said late on Monday.

Carlos Julio Rojas, a Journalist, was arrested on Monday night in central Caracas “for being linked and directly identified as an instigator and logistical operator in the assassination attempt” against Maduro on March 25, the prosecutor said in a post on X.

In a state television broadcast later on Tuesday, Saab said Rojas would be charged with association, terrorism, conspiracy, instigation to commit a crime and attempted assassination.

Honduras recalls top diplomat in Ecuador over Mexico Embassy raid

Honduras is recalling its senior diplomat in Ecuador, the Central American country’s Foreign Minister announced on Tuesday, in the latest action taken in response to Ecuador’s shocking raid this month on the Mexican embassy in Quito.

Foreign Minister Enrique Reina said the Honduran business manager, Clarivel Vallecillo, who has been stationed at the Embassy, will return to Tegucigalpa for consultations, stressing that Honduras backs Mexico’s recently-filed case against Ecuador in the United Nations’ International Court of Justice.

refuge in the Embassy since late last year.

Rojas’ arrest is the most recent in a string of detentions of activists and Opposition politicians accused by authorities of being linked to conspiracies against Maduro’s Government.

On March 25, authorities reported the arrest of two men near to where Maduro gave a speech after registering as a candidate for this year’s presidential election.

Rojas is known for campaigning against the Government and for organising peaceful demonstrations in capital Caracas to protest the lack of functioning utilities or to demand better pensions, among others. (Reuters)

The April 5 raid on the Mexican Embassy to arrest former Ecuadorean Vice President Jorge Glas triggered an abrupt break in relations between Mexico City and Quito, as well as wave of condemnation for the decision by Ecuador’s Government to force its way into the facility.

Glas, twice convicted of corruption and now facing fresh charges, had sought

Opposition renews call for Health Minister’s resignation, after PoS babies’ deaths

Another call for the Minister of Health’s resignation—this time in the Upper House.

It came during the Urgent Questions portion of Tuesday morning’s sitting of the Senate.

Opposition Senator Wade Mark asked Minister Terrence Deyalsingh when the nation could expect his resignation, following the deaths of seven babies at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Port of Spain General Hospital.

The Senate President did not allow that question.

However, what was al-

lowed was the substantive question which asked whether an independent body will be investigating the tragic incident. The Health Minister reiterated that the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) is on the case. He also noted that PAHO still required some information before appointing personnel to probe the matter.

“What PAHO has requested is the information that we have, Based on the information that we have, then they would determine the composition of the

team to look into the specific areas of concern,” the Minister told the Senate.

“So, we don’t have the composition as yet. It depends on the information to be sent to them and then they will determine what areas of specialty or concern, and appoint the appropriate persons,” he explained.

The Health Minister also was asked if the parents of the seven babies have been provided with the medical notes and records which they had requested from the Port of Spain General Hospital.

Guardian Media under-

stands that as of Monday, the documents were not yet received by their Attorney.

However, Minister Deyalsingh confirmed Tuesday that the documents will be sent soon.

“Yes, to Senator Lutchmedial and the wider public—I am advised by the officials of the NorthWest RHA that those files, as we speak, are currently being copied, and hopefully the parents will have their copy by the end of the day, or by tomorrow for the latest,” the Minister assured.

Opposition Senator Jayanti Lutchmedial also asked if the Health Ministry has taken any action to preserve the integrity of the documents, but the Senate President disallowed that question.

The Attorneys of the parents taking legal action against the State also have requested records dating back to January 2024 in relations to deaths at the NICU at the Port of Spain General Hospital.

The Health Minister also responded to questions on this issue.

“Whatever information needs to be disclosed on the advice of the Attorneys, will be disclosed,” Minister Deyalsingh stated.

(Trinidad Guardian)

The Government of Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa has argued that Mexican officials had illegally granted Glas protection at their embassy.

Late last week, a court in Ecuador ruled that the dramatic arrest of Glas was illegal, but added he must remain in jail due to his previous convictions. Glas’ lawyer pledged to appeal the ruling. (Reuters)

T&T food, printing, textile companies seek business opportunities in The

Bahamas

Some 15 Trinidad and Tobago manufacturers from the food and beverage, printing and packaging, and textiles sectors currently are on a trade mission in The Bahamas, exploring business opportunities there.

The trade mission, which runs from April15-19, 2024, also is seeking to build upon existing trading relationships and establish new strategic business and logistical contacts with potential suppliers of raw materials and finished products.

It is organised by the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA) and supported by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), exporTT, and the EximBank of Trinidad and Tobago.

According to a statement from the Ministry, this Trade Mission is important to Government’s mandate of creating internationally competitive firms in the non-energy manufacturing sector and diversifying trade in accordance with the country’s development strategy, Vision 2030.

The Trade Mission comprises a Doing Business Seminar, Business to Business (B2B) meetings, as well as a tour of retail trade activities. The Doing Business Seminar will provide an overview of doing business in The Bahamas, while the B2B sessions will allow the T&T Private Sector to engage in discussions with companies in The Bahamas and provide op-

portunities for the initiation and continuation of trading relations.

At the Doing Business in Bahamas Seminar on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, MTI’s Assistant Director of Trade Promotion and Development, Neville Alexander, highlighted the long-standing trading relationship between both countries, as well as the historical, cultural and socio-economic ties they share.

“We believe that there is an opportunity for both countries to trade more in the light manufacturing, food and beverage and agriculture sectors,” Alexander said.

Companies participating in The Bahamas Trade Mission are: Langston Roach Industries; BriCha Limited; Kaleidoscope Paints Limited; ASA Enterprises (Oh Snacks); Media InSite; Pepe’s Marketing; CGA Limited; Electrical Industries Group; National Canners; RHS Marketing (Karibbean Flavours); Mecalfab Ltd; DSB Marketing; and Caribbean Airlines.

The Ministry notes that The Bahamas is T&T’s eighth largest export market and its 12th largest source of imports in Caricom. Between 2019 and 2022, T&T maintained a favourable trade balance with The Bahamas, averaging TT$ 156.4 million in exports and just over TT$ 360,000 in imports, annually. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro leads the celebration of the 22nd anniversary of late President Hugo Chávez’s return to power after a failed coup attempt in 2002, in Caracas, Venezuela, April 13, 2024 (Reuters/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria photo)

Honduras Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina makes a joint statement with his Chinese counterpart (not pictured) following a ceremony establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, March 26, 2023 (Greg Baker/Pool via Reuters file photo)

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, as he reported on the investigation into the recent deaths of seven babies at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Port of Spain General Hospital, during the Urgent Questions segment of the Senate sitting on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 [Image courtesy ParlView Channel on YouTube]

Around the World OIL NEWS

Oil prices flat as economic headwinds counter Mideast supply fears

Oil prices settled marginally lower on Tuesday after economic headwinds pressured investor sentiment, curbing gains from geopolitical tensions with eyes on Israel and its pending response to Iran's attack on Israeli territory over the weekend.

Brent crude futures for June delivery settled 8 cents lower, or 0.1 per cent at US$90.02 a barrel. US crude for May delivery fell 5 cents lower, or 0.1 per cent, to end at US$85.36.

The run of disappointing data showing stronger-thanexpected inflation means the Federal Reserve will likely need more time than previously thought to be confident that inflation is on the path to two per cent, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said.

"The recent data have clearly not given us greater confidence, and instead indicate that it's likely to take longer than expected to achieve that confidence," Powell said during an event held at The Wilson Center in Washington.

"Rising interest rates are killing markets, as it appears the Fed is stuck in the mud, while the economy continues to inflate," said Tim Snyder, economist at Matador Economics.

On the supply side, Brent reached US$92.18 on Friday, its highest level since October on concerns that Iran would respond to Israel's April 1 strike on its Embassy compound in Damascus. But prices retreated on Monday after the Iranian counter-attack on Israel over the weekend proved less damaging than anticipated.

"So far, markets appear rather sanguine to the rising tensions, and cautiously optimistic that Israel’s response will be restrained, and that an all-out war will be sidestepped," said Matthew Ryan, head of market strategy at global financial services firm Ebury.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the US intended to hit Iran with new sanctions in coming days owing to its unprecedented attack on Israel, and that these actions could seek to reduce Iran's capacity to export oil.

Israel's war cabinet was set to meet for the third time in three days on Tuesday, an official said, to decide on a response to Iran's attack, amid international pressure to avoid further escalating the conflict in the Middle East.

This third meeting, however, has now been postponed until today, as Western allies eyed swift new sanctions against Tehran to help dissuade Israel from a major escalation.

"Any further developments regarding retaliation could raise the risk premium on oil, particularly given Iran’s position as OPEC’s [Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries’] third-largest producer," said Fiona Cincotta, senior financial market analyst at City Index.

Iran produces more than three million barrels of crude oil per day as a major producer within the OPEC.

Iran will respond to any action against its interests, President Ebrahim Raisi was reported as saying by the Iranian Student News Agency a day after Israel warned it would respond to Tehran's drone and missile attack.

Meanwhile, US crude oil inventories rose by 4.1 million barrels last week while gasoline and distillates stockpiles fell by 2.5 million and 427,000 barrels respectively, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute (API) figures. This compared with expectations that US crude inventories rose about 1.4 million barrels, an extended Reuters poll showed. (Reuters)

UN committee unable to agree on Palestinian bid for full membership

A

United Nations Security Council committee considering an application by the Palestinian Authority to become a full UN member "was unable to make a unanimous recommendation" on whether it met the criteria, according to the committee report seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

The Palestinian Authority is still expected to push the 15-member Security Council to vote – as early as this week – on a draft resolution recommending it become a full member of the world body, diplomats said.

Such membership would effectively recognise a Palestinian State. The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state, a de-facto recognition of statehood that was granted by the 193-member UN General Assembly in 2012.

But an application to become a full UN member needs to be approved by the Security Council, where Israel ally the

United States can block it, and then at least two-thirds of the General Assembly. The United States said earlier this month that establishing an independent Palestinian state should happen through direct negotiations between the parties and not at the United Nations.

The UN Security Council has long endorsed a vision of two States living side by side within secure and recognized

borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in 1967.

Little progress has been made on achieving Palestinian statehood since the signing of the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the early 1990s.

The incident was part of a rampage by Israeli settlers that, according to local officials, killed four Palestinians over four days.

The violence was triggered by the disappearance of 14-year-old Binyamin Ahimeir, who went missing on Friday after leaving his settler outpost to herd sheep near the Palestinian village of Mughayir, in the Ramallah area.

His body was found a day later, and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said he had been killed in a "terrorist attack".

Amid the search for the boy, dozens of settlers, some of them armed, raided Mughayir. They burned homes and cars, and killed a 25-year-old man named Jihad Abu Alia with a shot in the chest, according to Palestinian officials.

(Excerpts from Reuters and BBC News)

Meanwhile, the BBC reported that in the Israelioccupied West Bank, a group of Israeli settlers storm a Palestinian village.

Supreme Court hears Jan 6 case that may hit Trump trial

The US Supreme Court has begun hearing a case that could undo charges for those who stormed the Capitol in 2021.

It focuses on whether a 2002 federal law created to prevent corporate misconduct could apply to individuals involved in the January 6 riots.

More than 350 persons have been charged in the

incident under that law, which carries a 20-year prison penalty.

Donald Trump faces the same charge in the pending federal case accusing him of election interference.

The law makes it a crime to "corruptly" obstruct or impede an official proceeding.

On Tuesday, Supreme Court Justices heard two hours of arguments over

the law's interpretation. However, it remained unclear how they would rule.

A lawyer for a man who stormed the Capitol and was prosecuted under the law argued before the Justices that "a host of felony and misdemeanour" crimes already exist to prosecute his client's actions.

The 2002 law passed in the wake of the Enron accounting scandal, Jeffrey

Green said, was not one of them.

US Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar counterargued that rioters deliberately attempted "to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the election", therefore obstructing an official proceeding.

Both fielded sceptical questions from the Justices.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Ukraine's Zelenskiy signs new army draft law to reinforce exhausted troops

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has signed into law a bill overhauling army mobilisation rules, according to the parliamentary website, as Ukraine seeks to address acute troop shortages in its fight against Russia.

More than two years into the war, Ukraine is on the back foot and its top military commander on the eastern frontline has said Russian forces outnumbered its own by up to 10 times. Kyiv needs fresh troops to strengthen its positions and rotate its exhausted military.

The law will come into force a month after it is officially published. It obliges men to update their draft data with the authorities, boosts payments to those who volunteer, and adds new punishment for draft dodging.

It remains unclear how many troops could be mobilised under the new provisions, although some serving military personnel and analysts have expressed concern that the law would not be effective enough in addressing the shortages.

The bill signed into law on Tuesday also lacks the much tougher sanctions for draft evasion that were contained in the initial version. The draft sparked public outcry, and there were more

than 4000 amendments before the final reading in parliament.

Zelenskiy recently signed a separate law cutting the draft age to 25 from 27 to secure more fighting power.

Ukraine began mobilisation immediately after Russia's invasion in February 2022. The country initially saw a significant influx of volunteer fighters, but numbers later plunged, with thousands of cases of draft evasion reported since. Kyiv troops are facing a shortage of ammunition supplies, with vital funding from the US blocked by Republicans in Congress for months and the European Union failing to deliver munitions on time, while Russian forces are inching forward.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Members of the United Nations Security Council attend a meeting on the situation in the Middle East at UN headquarters in New York City, New York, US, April 14, 2024 (Reuters/Eduardo Munoz photo)

Volunteers who aspire to join the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces listen to an instructor during basic training, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at an undisclosed location in the Kyiv region, Ukraine, January 9, 2024 (Reuters/ Viacheslav Ratynskyi photo)

(March 21-April 19)

(April 20-May 20)

(May 21-June 20)

(June 21-July 22)

(July 23-Aug. 22)

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

Set your sights on something you like and be relentless in making it yours. Your enthusiasm will be infectious, making it easy to convince others to take on your responsibilities.

Direct your energy wisely. Refuse to overreact. Keep your thoughts and feelings to yourself until you have had time to process them. Control and patience are your best options.

Put more time and effort into personal gain. Engaging in educational pursuits and updating your look will boost confidence and push you in the right direction. Cut your losses if needed.

Don’t quit prematurely. Look at all your options and figure out the best way to get what you want. Use persuasive tactics and incentives, and you’ll be surprised who stands by your side.

Preparation is everything. Don’t expect things to come to you; prepare to fight for what you want. If you want it, go after it with a vengeance. Strength, courage and looking the part will separate you from the competition.

Follow through, embrace change and create opportunities that offer you a new lease on life. Attending an event that provides connections and options will help you form your plans.

Think before you act. Don’t apply pressure to an explosive situation. Look for calmer alternatives using common sense and understanding to ensure your success. Personal gains are apparent.

A change in your routine will be uplifting. Activities that challenge and excite you will spark your interest in something you hadn’t thought of doing before. An awakening will change your perspective.

Refuse to let outside influences confuse you. Rely on your intelligence and ability to figure out the best path forward. It’s your life; choose your terms and build your future.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Step out of the line of fire. Refuse to let someone bait you into an argument. Initiate positive domestic changes that will encourage the lifestyle you want. Don’t give up; get moving.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Remain focused and ready for action. Fine-tune your thoughts and plans, and be prepared to counter anything that gets in your way. Address your relationships and consider who is really on your team.

Keep your emotions to yourself. Don’t mix business with pleasure or leave yourself open to criticism or accusations. Stick to your plan and focus on getting ahead financially.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Rajasthan Royals ace record chase against Kolkatha Knight Riders

– with Buttler's 107* topping Narine's 109

Jos Buttler started slightly slowly; as Rajasthan Royals (RR) aimed to travel at more than 11 an over, he made only 25 off his first 18 balls. He was at the crease during what seemed like a debilitating mid-innings slowdown, in which Royals scored only 30 from six overs, and lost three wickets in that time.

But although clearly still struggling with the injury that kept him out of the

last RR game, and although rapidly running out of batting partners, he stayed the course.

He was there turning down singles in the 18th over, after Rovman Powell got out following a decent cameo. He was there to clobber two sixes and a four off the penultimate over, to get the equation down to nine off the final six balls. And despite Varun Chakravarthy hav-

ing bowled three dots in that final over, Buttler was there to heroically hit the winning run off the final ball of the match.

Off the first ball of that over, he had also bashed down the ground a six that made RR the clear favourites to get over the line, and in the course of that event, completed his second century this IPL, to follow the 100 not out he had struck against Royal Challengers

Bengaluru only ten days ago.

Buttler's feat meant that Sunil Narine's century, a staggering accomplishment in itself, was overshadowed, as were his figures of 2 for 30 off four overs.

The 17th over of the chase

last over, before swivel-pulling him around the corner for four later in the over. Starc did not help himself either, in bowling five wides soon after.

take the lead early on, before blooming in the middle overs against the spinners. He smacked R Ashwin for two sixes, and Yuzvendra Chahal for three, as both

those bowlers conceded in excess of 12 an over. It was Narine's fours, though, that truly powered his innings. He hit 13 of them, all but four on the off side.

Narine had been impressive through the middle overs, but accelerated towards the death, hitting 35 runs off the last 14 balls he faced. Most impressively, he motored from 79 to KKR's third IPL hundred in the space of one Chahal over, in which he crashed two sixes and two fours.

Rinku Singh provided some closing fireworks to the KKR innings, but Narine's best stand had been the 85-run second-wicket partnership with Raghuvanshi, who made only 30 of those runs. Such was Narine's early dominance. (ESPNCricinfo)

Extras (lb 1, nb 1,

After 16 overs of Royals' innings, they needed 62 runs off 24 balls, six of which were to be bowled by Narine, who had not conceded a boundary up till then. Rovman Powell then walloped two sixes and a four off the first three balls of the 17th over, which Narine bowled, and suddenly Royals' challenge didn't seem so sharp. Narine, however, nailed Powell lbw with the fifth ball of that over.

The last three overs

With Powell gone, and no batter he could trust to hand the strike over to, Buttler really shone. He smashed a six down the ground first ball of Starc's

Then, with 28 required off 12, Buttler clobbered three sixes and a four off the next seven balls, all the while never losing strike. With the requirement down to three off five, he bided his time, collected two off the penultimate ball, then pierced a packed infield with a leg-side clip last ball to see RR to their sixth win this season, and arguably their hardest-earned one.

The Narine Show

As good as Buttler was, though, Narine was the game's MVP - he just had less support from his teammates. Though known as a powerplay aggressor, Narine let Phil Salt and Angkrish Raghuvanshi

And that's how Jos Buttler celebrated his match-winning century

Sunil Narine has raised his first T20 hundred

Rovman Powell's cameo gave RR hope

Rajasthan Royals celebrating a wicket

Joshi takes the lead in 2024 Women's Chess Championship

Thirteen-year-old Aditi

Joshi holds the lead in the 2024 Women's Chess Championships Qualifying Tournament after the first four rounds have been completed last weekend. The remaining three rounds would be played on April 20th and 21st at the National Racquet Centre on Woolford Avenue in Georgetown.

This qualifying tournament has attracted 20 players, each contending for one of the top nine spots in the Women’s Chess Championships set for later this month.

Joshi, the reigning national under-14 champion, has secured wins in all four rounds against some of the most accomplished opponents.

When she met former women’s champion Sasha Shariff in a round-three encounter, that game ended in 21 moves. A sudden Queen, Rook and pawn attack from Joshi ensnared Shariff’s King with a looming checkmate. Unable to overcome the threats, Shariff conceded the game soon after.

When she faced Rahim in round four, Joshi overwhelmed her veteran opponent by winning a piece and later executing a devastating x-ray manoeuvre to capture Rahim’s prized Queen. Valiantly fighting in a grave-

ly weakened position with an exposed King, Rahim succumbed to checkmate after 44 moves.

The standings in this tournament are as follows: Shazeeda Rahim is in second place with 3 points. Young Ciel Clement and Nellisha Johnson are in third and fourth places respectively, but also have three points. Holding strong with 2.5 points each are Sasha Shariff

in fifth position, Treskole Archibald in sixth, and Angelina Yhap in seventh. Sharif and Archibald drew a game in round 4, thus splitting the point in half.

Juniors Priya Doodnauth, Saura Ruplall, Chelsea Harrison, Parnita Kishun and Kaija Clement are each on 2 points. However, due to the tie-break system, Doodnauth reserves the eighth place, while Ruplall

Spankhurst leads earnings from horse races in Guyana

The Jumbo Jet-owned champion horse

Spankhurst is leading the earnings for the 2024 horse racing season, and will be eyeing more dominance on Sunday, April 28, at the Jumbo Jet Race of Champions meet at Rising Sun Turf Club.

Spankhurst has recorded two wins and one third from three starts, earning G$4.5M for its efforts.

Stolen Money, the big grey horse, is the second-highest earner, having recorded one win, two second places and a fourth place from four starts, for which it has earned G$3.25M for its efforts.

Crowd favourite Bossalina, who is set to return to action on April 28 at the Rising Sun Turf Club, is the third-highest earner, with one win and one third from two starts, for which it has earned G$2.5M.

Four-year-old Firecracker has earned G$1.5M for its efforts in recording two wins from two starts. It is the fourth-highest earner. Three-year-old Country Rock is the fifth-highest earner, with two wins and one second place earning it G$1.3M. Easy Time, which placed second in its only start for 2024, has earned G$1M, and is the sixth-highest earner. Money Time, Jessica Pride, She WBO Time and Creemore are the other horses that round

out the top 10 earners for 2024.

Eight high-quality races are on the provisional programme of the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee’s Race of Champions meet, set for April 28 at the Rising Sun Turf Club. More than G$10M will be up for grabs, and the feature race, which will be open to all imported and locally-bred horses, will be contested over 1,600 metres for a winner’s purse of G$2M.

Spankhurst, Bossalina, Easy Time, Jessica’s Pride and Stolen Money are among the top horses that would be contesting that race. A total sum of G$3.75M would be expended as prize money in this

event, the entry fee for which is G$232,500.

Races are subject to being changed, and entries for the April 28 Race of Champions meet will be closed on April 22. Horses must be properly entered in order to participate in any race. Horse owners who want to have their animals participate in this meet are invited to contact Fazal Habibula on telephone 611-1141, Buju on 658-7037, Shazenna/Rose on 322-0789, Glen on 1 (868) 368-5192 or Ginjo on 618-7278. The meet would commence at 12:00h, and admission is G$2,000.

This Race of Champions meet is sponsored by Jumbo Jet, AJM Enterprise, Sinotruck, and XCMG.

holds ninth.

The last round, which ends on Sunday, would determine the top nine contenders to challenge current women’s chess champion Jessica

Callender for the 2024 national Women’s Chess Championship title.

The 2024 Women's Qualifiers and the Women’s Championships tourna-

ments are generously sponsored by the Diamond Fire and General Insurance Inc. These tournaments are part of the qualifying process for the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary in September this year. Top performers would gain Grand Prix points from these tournaments and the 2024 Grand Prix tourneys, which would then be tallied and calculated to see who would make the top five for the Guyana female team.

The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) has also revealed that classes are offered to school students every Saturday from 10h to 12h at School of the Nations. Persons desiring additional information are invited to contact the GCF on Facebook or WhatsApp number 7074529.

Champions crowned after inaugural Reunion Gold Golf Tournament

The greens of the Lusignan Golf Club were hosts to exhilarating swings and fierce competition as the inaugural Reunion Gold Golf Tournament unfolded on April 13th, 2024 with 19 skilled players vying for victory and displaying remarkable talent and sportsmanship.

In the 0-14 handicap category, Jaipaul Suknanan emerged champion, clinching the top spot with a Gross score of 82 and a Net score of 72. Mohanlall Dinanauth secured the second position with a Gross score of 78 and a Net score of 72, while Patrick Prashad claimed the third spot with a Gross score of 84 and a Net score of 73.

In the 15-28 handicap category, Chet Bowling displayed exceptional prowess to capture the first position with a Gross score of 90 and an impressive Net score of 66.

Carlos Adams and Hilbert Shields showcased their skills to secure second and third positions with respective notable performances.

Mohanlall Dinanauth's powerful drive earned him the title of Longest Drive, showcasing his remark-

able strength on the course. Meanwhile, the title of Nearest to Pin remains to be decided, adding to the anticipation for future tournaments.

The overall Best Team title was claimed by Jaipaul Suknanan and Hilbert Shields, exhibiting exceptional teamwork and strategy with a remarkable Net score of 143.

The tournament witnessed a historic moment with Eureka Giddings achieving a Hole in One in a feat celebrated by all present.

Mohanlall Dinanauth's outstanding performance earned him the title of Best Gross with a score of 78, while Chet Bowling showcased his mastery with the Best Net score of 66, further highlighting the calibre of talent on display.

The Reunion Gold Golf Tournament proved to be a thrilling event, showcasing the passion and skill of all participants. As the golfing community eagerly awaits the next chapter, the spirit of competition and camaraderie continues to thrive on the greens.

The winners’ row

Spankhurst is the leading earner in Guyana’s 2024 horse-racing season Aditi Joshi Shazeeda Rahim

Anybody’s game!

Points table reveals tight race for WI Champs' title

…Final round bowls off today

The title race is on and very alive, as the 2024 West Indies Championships heads into its 7th and final round today, at venues across the Caribbean. According to the current points table, several teams can likely grab the title in this week’s last gasp, inclusive of defending champions and local franchise, the Guyana Harpy Eagles (GHE).

After six rounds of grueling competition, the Harpy Eagles have moved up one spot (As compared to their 4th place standing after round five) to third place on the points table with 87.2 points; a mere .4 points ahead is second place holder Barbados Pride. The Harpy Eagles jump came compliments of a massive 212- run win on Saturday last against the Jamaican Scorpions.

Barbados Pride also made a massive jump in the

sixth round, compliments a 9- wicket trashing of previous table toppers Leeward Islands Hurricanes.

Currently holding the top spot is the Windwards Islands Volcanoes with an even 90 points, having defeated the West Indies Academy by 158 runs in Round 6. The Leeward Islands Hurricanes are not too far behind the top three with 84.6 points, while Trinidad and Tobago Red Force complete the top 5 with 72.8 points.

Jamaica Scorpions and West Indies Academy sit 6th and 7th respectively, while the Combined Campuses and Colleges are languishing at the bottom of the table.

The Harpy Eagles have a sure chance at retaining their Regional 4- Day title, as they come up against the Combined Campuses and Colleges in the final round, beginning at 10:00hrs to-

day at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground, St. Augustine Trinidad.

Interestingly, the Hurricanes and Volcanoes will face off in the final round, while Barbados Pride battles the West Indies Academy; giving any of those teams a chance to challenge for the title.

The Hurricanes and Volcanoes will battle at the Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad, while Pride takes on the Academy at Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua. The remaining game will take place at Sabina Park, Jamaica, where the home team Scorpions, locks horns with the T&T Red Force.

As such, this year’s West Indies Championships is set for a nail-biting conclusion this Saturday, April 20, with ‘bonus points’ expected to play a pivotal role in deciding this year’s champions.

Focus key to Slingerz success thus far

The front- runners in this year’s KFC Elite League have distanced themselves and amongst the pack are defending champions Guyana Defence Force (GDF) FC and inaugural champions Slingerz FC.

Earlier this year and under different stewardship, Slingerz looked only a shadow of the powerhouse club they were a few years ago, missing out on winning the Elite league Promotional playoffs.

Now, the West Demerara Football Association (WDFA) outfit just registered a 6-0

trashing of Buxton United to maintain a perfect run after six games thus far in the league.

As such, Head Coach Alex Thomas has credited his team’s success to consistency.

Thomas shared with media operatives following his team’s last game, “Yeah, and that is the main thing [doing well], that is football. You can have games, some good, some bad, but the greatest thing, we’re getting the three points,

The Slingerz FC outfit at the end of the day we’re getting the results. Main thing is consistency and that is what the team is focused on, keeping everybody happy.”

GCB U19 Male Super50… Demerara continues unbeaten run, Essequibo secures first win

The Demerara Under 19s, with their determination to succeed, managed to stay unbeaten as; Essequibo secured the first win on Day Three of the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) male Under-19 Super50 tournament on Tuesday.

At the Lusignan Ground, Essequibo managed to bag their first victory as they conquered the Select XI by 146 runs, correcting their previous errors.

Essequibo won the toss and sent the Select XI into the field, as the Essqequibo Outfit took full advantage of the opportunity and managed to score 250 runs within the allotted 50 overs.

Shahid Vieira led the batting attack as he managed to top score with 80 runs accompanied by Thaddeus Lovel again contributing with the bat scoring 51 runs, Ranaldo Jeffery(28) and Myhiem Khan(25).

Avishkar Beharry performed excessively with

the ball in their hand as he managed to wickets with Nityanand Matura, Deonarine Dindyal, and Natron Gill taking one wicket apiece respectively Shiloh Adams came out

and performed excessively for Select XI as he led the batting attack scoring a fabulous 32 runs but was not enough to guide his team despite Jerimah Hohenkirk contributing 31 runs.

Golcharran Chulai with a phenomenal 5 wicket haul proved to be beneficial as hed the Essequibo Bowling attack as he was accompanied by Mahem Khan taking two wickets with Darwin Joseph and Bruce Vincent taking one wicket.

Meanwhile, Demerara’s class secured a 7-wicket victory against the Berbcians at the Malteenoos Sports Ground to establish themselves as the only unbeaten team in the tournament.

The Demeara Outfit won the toss and elected to the field as Berbice took full advantage of their opportunity, hitting 223 runs within 50 overs with Salim Khan top scoring with 47 runs along with Afraz Budhoo with 45 runs.

Anthon Lim and Mavindra Dindiyal with their length and length consistency proved to be pivotal in Demerara’s Bowling attack as he managed to disturb his opponent's stumps on three occasions followed

by Krsna Singh and Neeran Bani taking two wickets each respectively along with Jonathan Van Lange and Romeo Deonarine contributing with one wicket a piece.

A man-of-the-match performance from Mavindra Dindiyal with a magnificent unbeaten century proved to be enough to guide his team to victory as he was accompanied at the crease by Alvin Mohabir scoring a classy 53 runs along with Sachin Balgobin's scoring 30 runs.

Afraz Budhoo and Kumar Deopersaud continue to be consistent with the ball in hand as he managed to disturb Demerara on one occasion.

The Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) male Under-19 Super50 tournament will conlude at the Malteenos Sports Ground with the Champions being decided between Unbeaten Demerara and Berbice on Thursday, starting at 09:30hrs.

Quizzed about coming up against the bigger teams in the tournament like defending champions GDF, Thomas says his team is taking it ‘one game at a time’.

“That is always our objective, to go to the end to take the title. Nevertheless, we take it one game at a time, one step at a time. Whenever we fac our next opponent, we plan for the next game,” the Jamaican Coach related.

Whether it is their prolific strikers in Marcus Tudor and Darron Niles or the remainder of the team, Thomas has identified maintaining focus as another key to their success.

“Staying focus. Staying focus has a price, every body here is a happy family. It’s a happy bunch,” Thomas shared, responding to inquiries on what is key to his team’s continued success.

Turning his attention to maintaining his strikers’ momentum, the Head Coach said, “The main thing is to keep them focused, keep them level- headed, keep them grounded. Don’t let them get ahead of themselves and to do the simple things on match day and also in the training sessions.”

While the League continues on Thursday, April 18 with a solitary clash between Santos and Monedderlust FC from 19:00hrs; Slingerz will be back in action on Saturday, April 20 in a clash with Den Amstel FC from 18:30hrs.

The West Indies Championships points table after 6 rounds

(L-R) Alvin Mohabir and Mavindra Dindyal

Slingerz FC Head Coach Alex Thomas