Kaieteur News

AIETEUR NEWSK

toppling Prime Minister rejoice after

…ExxonMobil negotiator tellsBloomberg oflopsided contract

‘I don't feel Guyana’s oil deal’

“Ihaveexaminedmyconscienceaboutitoveraperiodoftime, but I don't feel bad about it…Itwasacompletefitforwhatwe knewandwhatwedidn'tknow,”RodLimbert,geoscientistand formerExplorationManagerforSouthAmericaforExxonMobil

Govt. looking to expand oil and gas operations to Berbice

‘Sit two years in prison’

...magistratetellsmanwhosaid bulletfoundinwife’sjewellery boxwasanhonestmistake

Govt. to spend over $300M to repair 51 schools in Regions 2, 5

At current rate of production oil in Liza 1 & 2 could be drained long before 20-year lifespan

Ring-fencealltheoilprojectssowecangetallourprofitsfromeachone!

Rod Limbert

T&T contractor walks away with over $300M

…despite not completing Conversation Tree Road project

A Trinidadian contractor has walked away with over $300 M in advance payment for the Conversation Tree road project which he never completed, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghilldisclosedlastweek.

Edghill at the time was responding to questions surroundingtheprojectbyAlliance for Change (AFC) Member of Parliament(MP)DavidPatterson.

Patterson had requested informationinrelationtototalsums expendedontheproject,howmuch the Trinidad contractor, Kalco was advanced for the work that was never done. Additionally, the Opposition MP sought answers whether liquidated damages were paid and the method which was used to award the project to local contractor S. Jagmohan

ConstructionandGeneralSupplies Inc.In his response, Edghill revealed that the original contract sumfortheprojectwasawardedto Kalco in September 2022 for $830,293,458. The Minister said that the contractor was then paid $465,223,474 which translates as 56% of the contract sum for advance work Edghill further revealed that no liquidated

damages or other penalties were applied, since the government reached an "amicable settlement" with the contractor The minister claimed too that his ministry took possessionof$153,600,000,worth ofequipmentfromthecompanyto cover the recovery of the outstanding monies owed on the advancepayments.

Further in resp

nse to Patterson, Minister Edghill revealed that a new contract was

ConstructionandGeneralSupplies Inc via sole sourcing to the tune $844,027,988.Commenting on the response, Patterson a former Minister of Public Works concluded that the Government allowed the contractor to walk away with at least $311,623,474.

T

ng the 153,600,000 which Edghill claimed that the Ministry claimed wasrecoveredwhentheyseizedthe contrac

vehicl

nd equipment. Patterson pointed out totheMinisterprovidednoproofof theseizedequipment.

Added to this, Patterson noted there was no evidence that Kalco did any work at all since the contract was given to another

contractor for a contract sum that $13million more than the original contract Kaieteur News had reported that the Guyana Government was forced to end the contract it signed with a Trinidad and Tobago firm for the western section of the Conversation Tree Road project following months of delaysandothersetbacks.

The contract was handed to local contractor, S Jagmohan ConstructionandGeneralSupplies. The Department of Public Information had reported that the Ministry of Public Works reached anamicableagreementwiththeTT firm –Kalco, which would see it

paying for works completed up to thispointandthecompanysettling all outstanding financial matters surrounding the project This includes returning the outstanding balanceforworktobedoneonthe project. The company also stood thecostofotherliabilitiesafterthe project surpassed the contractual time frame and suffered prolonged delays. Back then, Edghill had noted that the action comes as a responsetotheprojectalsocausing significant inconvenience to residents and impeding crucial infrastructural development. “We havealightattheendofthetunnel when it comes to the Conversation

Tree project. I want to officially announce that Kalco has been demobilised from the site. They have settled all of their obligations asitrelatestotheircontractwiththe Government of Guyana,” the minister told the Department of PublicInformation(DPI)duringan inspectionoftheongoingworks. The minister said S. Jagmohan ConstructionandGeneralSupplies had successfully executed the Eastern section of the project, demonstrating reliability and efficiency in their work Emphasising the urgency of expediting the project to alleviate (Continuedonpage 16)

If Petroleum Commission was in place

Guyana could have avoided audit controversies, failed oil block auction - PNC

The political

opposition is adamant that if Guyana had a Petroleum Commission in place the country could have avoided the current controversies regarding ExxonMobil's illegal spending of the country'soilfundsaswellas the recent failed oil block auction.

ElsonLowaneconomist and advisor to the Leader of the Opposition told this publication on Saturday that theyareofthebeliefthatthe government is comfortable currently operating without the commission in place. “The PPP has consistently held the position that it is comfortable governing

without a petroleum commission. We left a bill that could easily have been adapted rather than reviewingitandpresentingit to Parliament they have completely dodged the issue.”

Low lamented that the citizen of this country have had “four years of chaos because the PPP has no interestinprinciplesofgood governance. The result has been a failed oil block auction, audit controversy after audit controversy, no efforttoengagetheoperator to get better for Guyana, environmental risks from potential oil spills and several other problems ” Hence the party remains

firmsinitspositionthatallof these instances could have been totally avoided “if a professional petroleum commissionwasputinplace early in their term. Instead, we have had the disastrous “SeasonofJagdeo.”

During his first press conferenceforthisyearVice President, Bharrat Jagdeo assured that the government will honour its promise to h a v e a P e t r o l e u m Commission when the time isright.

Sucharegulatorybodyis establishedbyagovernment to oversee and manage the exploration, development, andproductionofpetroleum resources within its jurisdiction It ensures compliance with laws and

Economist and advisor on oil and gas to the PNC Elson Low

regulations, manages licences and permits, and often plays a role in promoting sustainable and efficient utilization of

petroleum resources. In responsetoaquestionposed by this publication on when exactly the commission will be put in place, Jagdeo said that “The petroleum commission, we said we are building capacity in the Ministry (of Natural Resources).”

Differentsong

Months later with no apparent action on his promise this publication asked for an update on the progresssofarandtheVPis nowsingingadifferentsong to say that independent oversightofGuyana'soiland gas sector is not really necessary

Speaking at his at his weeklypress-conferencelast Wednesday, Jagdeo said the PPP/C-led administration has done enough already to transparentlymonitortheoil

sector. “There is no magic w i t h a P e t r o l e u m Commission”, Jagdeo told Kaieteur News in response toaquestionposedtohimon when he will put the independentbodyinplace.

“There is no magic, we have given our agencies the tools to manage the sector.” The VPis of the view that a Petroleum Commission might not make any sense because the technical persons that will be nominatedtositonthebody willbepoliticianstoo.

“They would put a VincentAdams,heisagreat technicalmanalthoughheis a politician (just) like how they put their executive member on the PPC (Public Procurement Commission) then say oh it acts independently- It's a sham”, Jagdeoargued.

Man found dead on North Road

The body of a man was found Sunday on North Road Georgetown, police have confirmed.

According to police, the deceased is a male of East Indian descent, estimated to be around 50 years old. Passersby reported seeing the man lying onhisback,dressedinapairof short pants and a red shirt.

Police were notified shortly after the discovery An initial examination revealed no visiblesignsofviolenceonthe body

The deceased was transported to the Memorial Garden Mortuary, where he awaits a pos

mortem examinationandidentification. Investigationsareongoing.

KaieteurNews

PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS

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

EDITORIAL

Don’t drink and drive

Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn declared last week what many citizens knew before that most road accidentsdeathsarecausedbyyoungmaledriverswhovisit barsandotherplacestoindulgeinalcoholconsumption.

He highlighted that between 2021 and 2022 road deaths decreasedtobelow100butlastyear’sstatisticshasnowjumpedto around 179 He noted that this has created a problem where Guyanaisnowinternationallyrankedatnumber63,intermsof roaddeaths Theministerfurtherdisclosedthatin2020,5,699cars were registered, with more already being in operation on the roadways By2023, this number increased, averaging over 15,000 vehicles. The traversing of lorries, minibuses, and pick-ups along the roadways also saw a drastic increase. AccordingtotheHomeAffairsMinister,moreattentionwill be placed on traffic during the weekends, and in the evenings.

Minister Benn then said he plans to consult the Attorney General to increase traffic fines three times more than it is presently, to bring the situation under control “We have to strengthen the amount of sanctions, strengthen the amount of publicawarenesseffort,strengthenthemeetingsandvisitsthatwe maketopeople Strengthenourpublic-privatepartnership,”the ministerstatedataroadsafetyforumlastFriday

It is time for the government to acknowledge that the country’shighwayshavebecomethedeathzonesinGuyanaand everyeffortmustbemadetoreducethesenselesscarnageonthe roadways Thefactthatonlyahandfulofthethousandsofdrunk driversareapprehendedisatestimonytothefailureofthepolice andtheauthorities Peopletendtothinkthatpedestriansand bicyclistsarethemostvulnerabletothedangersoftheroadbut thetruthisdrunkdriversandtheirpassengersaremoreatriskof losingtheirlivesintrafficaccidents

Most drunk drivers are impaired and tend to drive recklesslyTheyarenotafraidofthepolice Thegovernmentand thepolicemusttakedrasticactiontomaketheroadssaferand reducethehighnumberoffatalities,especiallyamongchildren andseniorcitizens.

Notonlymustthepoliceandthegovernmentbeblamedfor the accidents and deaths on the roads, but also drivers, particularly those operating minibuses and passenger cars. Motorcyclists,bicyclists,pedestriansandalcoholmustalsobe blamed Driversmustnotdrinkanddrive;theymustbealertand should be more sensitive to the presence of other road users Theymustexercisecautionatalltimessoastomaketheroads safer Whilesomefeelastricterregimeoflicensingisneeded toreducefatalitiesontheroads,othershavedemandedmore trafficenforcementbythepoliceandmoreseverepenalties fordriverswhoviolatedthetrafficlaws.Theyalsobelieve thatthereshouldbeanapprenticeperiodfornewdriversin orderforthemtogainsufficientexperiencebeforeallowed to drive alone, especially at nights and in rainy conditions. Passingadriver’stestandobtainingalicensearenotenough fordriversormotorcycliststodriveorridebythemselvesas is currently the case. Statistics have shown that most traffic accidentsanddeathsarecausedbydrunkdrivers,speedingand bydriverswhoovertakeothervehiclesinhigh-riskareassuchas intersections, entrances to shopping malls and in areas where therearesoliddoubleyellowlines

Also, some motorcyclists do not wear their helmets and protectiveequipmentproperly Driversandmotorcyclistsmust alwaysassumethatotherdrivershavenotseenthemorthatthey are in their blind spot Unfortunately, some drivers are easily distractedandoftenforgetthatanimalsalsousetheroads They mustbeawarethatanimalsareconsideredkingsintheirown kingdomsandthisappliestotheroadsthattheyuseatwill

It is better to save a life than to take one, therefore it would be wise for drivers to respect the speed limits to ensure that their ability to control their vehicles are not compromised. Drivers should also adjust their driving to adapt to hazardous road conditions such as rains. Motor cycles should avoid the show-off spectacle and be considerateofothers.Safetyrequiresallusersoftheroadsto rememberthefive“Cs”andtoknowwhatdefensivedriving is.

The freedom from chattel slaveryAfrican Guyanese

DEAREDITOR

, The freedom from chattel slavery African Guyanese enjoy today must becherishedanddefendedat all costs This freedom represents a right fought for over centuries by our ancestors.Hadtheygivenup we would have all been livinginbondagetoday That thishard-wonfreedomisnot being allowed to thrive by the Jagdeo/Ali regime must be of concern to all selfrespectingAfricans.

Freedom

s not representtheregimedenying theAfricanman,womanand child the right to economic, political, social and cultural self-determination.Freedom is not boasting that 88 million measly Guyana dollarsweregiventoAfrican

Emancipation even more so w

ched conditionality that the PPP leaders or representatives must attend the events Freedom is not grudgingly giving African Guyanese low costs contracts to clean drains, build small bridges andparadetherecipientslike prizedcattle.

Freedom is not denying IDPADA-G state funding to function in a manner that would empower African Guyanese then creating a rival organization that takes political directives and reduces Africans’ worth to frivolity by solely engaging inmerriment.Freedomisnot denying Critchlow Labour College state subvention in orderthatpoorpeoplewon’t

enjoy today must be cherished

get a second chance for education,employmentorto lift themselves out of p o v e r t y T h e s e contemptuous acts are not accident, but aimed to further the stereotype of the lazy African race, incapable of managing its own affairs, without business acumen, anddeservingtobeled.

Africans must take a stand now Even more so in the oil and gas economy where everything is being skewed to favour of a few and leave the majority out. Africans must stand up, u

and demand what’s rightly ours. We are no less deserving than those who are reaping thehogoftheland.

Notbecauseoilmoneyis flowing must we accept PresidentAliandhiscohorts using state privilege and resourcestodesecrateevents Africans hold sacred. Emancipation is one such. Many still shed tears in reflection of what their ancestors went through.The PPPleadersdon’tgetit.Asa matter of fact, I don’t think theycaretogetit.Apartfrom the African leaders in their midstwhodon’tcare,arethe same people who seek to equate the horrors of chattel slaverytoindentureship,and as Nandlall once flaunted, that they who arrived to Guyana as indentured servantsaretodaykingsand queens. African Guyanese do not share the same experiences and when our space is invaded without

regard to our history or sensibilitiesitirksandhurts.

TheJagdeo/Aliregimeis disrespectful Had any national African leader on the Opposition side, includingnon-African,acted in similar manner to any other ethnic group on their special/sacred occasion it would have been resented and rightfully so. Because this is about respect and when we allow ourselves to be disrespected it does not saymuchaboutus.

Hopetown, West Coast Berbice,isavillageofpride. My grandfather, John Thompson, was born and grew there. I recall fond memories andAfrican pride coursing through my veins, visitingHopetownasachild, listening to the stories of struggles and triumphs of a proud people. That pride remains.

During Emancipation many generations converge toreflect,rekindleandenjoy African culture. Some make special trips from abroad to bepresentatthistime.Thisis asacredtimeforthevillagers whose freed ancestors bought this plantation shortly after slavery and converted it to a village. Theywereamongthefirstto start the system of internal government The Village Movement led to local, national and regional governments.

Africans today have one day in a calendar year to identifyandbeproudoftheir struggles for freedom. This charade by the regime of

using state bands and employees to traverse the villages, giving the impression they care about Africans historical struggles and ongoing quest for betterment is nothing less thantomfooleryandwindow dressing. Their day-to-day managementofthestatesays they do not care about the Africanwell-being.

T h e r e g i m e i s misinterpreting and abusing the nurtured value of Africans to be civil and welcoming to those who come into their space. Ours is a culture where we will giveourbedtostrangersthat visit and lie on the floor These are virtues not weaknessesandwemustnot allow anyone to think otherwise or take advantage ofus.

Letmebeamongthefirst to admit that sometimes we do this to our detriment. Because what this regime wanteditgot,thatis,another photo opportunity. The regime will tell the world that all is well between and among ethnic groups, and it is not true it is engaging in ethnic triumphalism, exclusion, and economic genocide in the African community

We must take a stand against the new form of trickerythatisattemptingto paradeAfricanstothepublic ascontentintheirsufferings and willing to accept less when as a people they are entitledtosignificantlymore asoutlinedandenshrinedin (Continuedonpage16)

Moreprotectionneededforonlineshoppers

DEAREDITOR

,

I wish to highlight an onlineshoppingexperienceI had with a company called Websourse Guyana Inc. I have a mailbox with this company I purchased a few items from Amazon.com on the 13th June, 2024 According to my tracking records, the package was delivered to my mailbox addressofwhichWebsourse is the receiving agent on my behalf The tracking informationshowedthiswas done on the 24th June 2024 at 9:30am. After a while, I expected my package to arriveinGuyana.

This wasn’t so I enquired from Websourse staff and shared all the r e l e v a n t t r a c k i n g information.Allinformation pointed fingers to my package handed over to an

agent at the Miami facility forfinaldeliverytome.

Thecompanydeniedthat theyreceivedmypackage.

Editor, my expectation was that when you take out anonlineshoppingmailbox, the custodian of that mail box will represent any relating issue that may arise inrelationtoit.Thiswasnot so in my case with Websourse.Ispentovertwo weeks querying the whereabouts of my package from over 10 Amazon c u s t o m e r c a r e representatives.

They all responded that this package was delivered to the intended address which is Websourse Miami FL. I made a final enquiry from United States Postal Service (USPS) and they finally responded saying, “According to our tracking

records, your package was delivered as addressed to a third-party reshipper at the destination address of this package.

Therefore, the tracking number associated with it is not eligible for further enquiry

For further assistance with this package, please contact third-party reshipper”. There was no issue with my mailing address as this was accuratelystated.

Icontactedandsharedall myqueriedinformationwith the manager of Websourse GuyanaInc.Thisiswhatshe had to say, “We are very sorry that this has happened but we are hopeful that just as you believe the shipping companies in America, you believe us when we say we did not receive your package. We will keep you posted if the package shows upatanytime,butuntilthen thisisoutofourcontrol”. I easily ended up empty handed for no fault of mine. This situation highlights a big risk you take when you shoponline.

Be It Websourse or any other online shipping company,noshoppershould lose his or her money or purchases as mentioned above. There needs to be accountability and here is where the relevant government agencies must addressthiskindofsituation urgently.Athorough review of online shopping and shippingregulationsmustbe had to provide greater protection to consumers and onlineshoppers.

Yourssincerely CollinWoolford

DEAREDITOR

What emancipation means to us? Response to the MoE’s comment on “No Fault Divorce”

DEAREDITOR

, The Minister of

Education was kind enough to respond on Facebook to CRG’s recent letter on “No Fault Divorce”. In her response she stated that propertywasalwaysdivided equally regardless of who misbehaved during the marriage.

The question I posed to her was why didn’t her administration focus on correcting that unjust process. I am still awaiting herresponse.

Instead of using the opportunityin Parliamentto

ensure that there was increased accountability in our Guyanese households, the current administration has decided to reduce the c l a r i t y a r o u n d accountability. No wonder there is increasing corruption and lack of transparency in the country under their watch.

We must hold ourselves and others accountable for any wrongdoing.

Thecurrentauditprocess isunnecessarilysluggishand backdated All of the ministriesshouldundergoan annualfinancialauditbefore

being allowed to request an increase in their budget. We must as a country avoid hiding what is wrong if we wish to have sustainable economic prosperity and progress.

The current choice to further hide what is wrong, reduce accountabilityand to continue to allow an unfair nofaultprocessisindicative of what is wrong under the current administration Hopefully,thePresidentwill eventually make the correct choice.

Withconcern, Mr JamilChanglee

GOAL-the great equaliser

DEAREDITOR,

I am quite pleased that GOAL, the Guyana Online Academy of Learning, is very much trending in Guyana. I read that it is preparing to launch its next round of scholarship applications and I really hopethatthepublicwilltake time to “ follow the guidelinesoncompilingand saving key documents necessaryfortheapplication process….” In this age of technology, there is no excuseto‘missout.’Infact, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has gone overboard in fostering education in the country Just internalize this: “The 2024 Budget confirms its focus on education. (As) In 2024, the Guyana Government allocated approximately $100.5 billion to the education sector. This includes $4.1 billion for the University of Guyana and $4 billion for the Guyana Online Academy of Learning

(GOAL) programme

Additionally, $4.9 billion is dedicated to the schoolfeeding programme, benefitting about 126,000 children nationwide The “Because We Care” student grant was increased to $40,000 per child and a $5,000 uniform voucher, amountingto$9.2billionfor thesetransfers.”

On the larger scale, this issituatingGuyanainagood global position. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), all nations are obligated to provide “ free primary and secondary schooling for all boys and girls by 2030, the aim is to provide equal access to affordable vocational training, eliminate gender and wealth disparities, and achieve universal access to quality higher education.”

This is tied to the fact that “Education is the key that will allow many other Sustainable Development

Goals (SDGs) to be achieved. When people are abletogetqualityeducation they can break from the cycle of poverty.” After all, “Education helps to reduce inequalities and to reach gender equality It also e m p o w e r s p e o p l e everywhere to live more healthy and sustainable lives Education is also crucialtofosteringtolerance between people and contributestomorepeaceful societies.”

Editor, the evidence is abundant In Guyana, “GOAL has significantly transformed the learning landscape offering anyoneeagertofurthertheir studies the chance to do so fromthecomfortoftheir

(Continuedonpage06)

August marks the month of celebrations of Emancipation and a time whenwehighlighttheendof 400yearsoftheenslavement ofTheAfricanPeoples.

It also marks a month wherewehighlightthegreat achievements of the Freed Men and Women of The AfricanRace,theycreateda formidable path of progress forustotravel,thatroadwas paved with hard work, determination and frugal management of their resources.

Our ancestors did not fight for freedom for themselves alone, they fought for the freedom of future generations, The freed men formed the Village Movement owning villages with the little earnings they had, and workingthemwiththeirbare hands; institutions such as “Box hand” and other cooperative financing systemswereestablished.

T h e r e w a s n o assistance given to them by the colonials, these were the beginnings of organized development of The African Race here in Guyana

We s a l u t e t h e

achievements of our ancestors, the indomitable

spirit of our ancestors who wove a tapestry of progress and development in every area of their existence

Today, we stand on the shoulders of our forefathers who showed us the way; therefore,itisindicativethat we build on the firm foundationsetbythem.

Now, we come to the part of history that many in The Afro-Centric

Circles do not want the rest of us to know, that is, soon after there was an “Urban movement” ofThe BlackRace

The Afro-Centric

Peoples slowly moved into the urban centres to maketheirhome

It is interesting to know, that urban living has its associated ills, which the race found very expensiveanddemanding

Tocompensateforthat crazy move of theirs, Afro-Guyanese then began to manufacture a multitude of excuses, such as, my fore parents have not left us anything to subsiston

This was a blatant lie, because the rich legacy left the race was willingly abandoned for the glit and glamour of an urban lifestyle, as they conveniently forgot where

they’vecomefrom

Around this same period of our history, saw the institutionoftheracecardor the blame the other race for theirmisfortune.

The Indian who was now emerging from indentureship long after t h e i r e r s t w h i l e counterparts, became the targetofBlackRage

I am talking about The Indianwhowasnowonthe scene with the pittance earned from work on the plantation, who began purchasing the land left by theirBlackneighbours.

The Indian, who used the very same frugal methods started by the Afro-Centric Peoples before, became the object ofridicule;somethingused for political convenience to thisday

Thisisthetreasurechest The Opposition has kept alive through the years Nevertheless, their hollow outcry of racism cannot erase two fundamental facts of history, that is, the work donebyourBlackAncestors which stands as a beacon, and a lasting reminder for future generations and the sad misfortune of how a peoplelosttheirway.

RespectfullySubmitted

NeilAdams

Support for Justice Gino Persaud’s Decision to Recognise and Enforce theArbitralAward

DEAREDITOR

, I would like to support Justice Gino Persaud’s decision on enforcing the arbitral award from the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Award

2019. The case is

ConocoPhillipsGulfofParia

B.V v. Corporacion de VenezolanadePetroleo,S.A, Petroleos deVenezuela S.A.

Justice Persaud in his decision indicated that ‘The notionssubmittedbytheAG in writing at paragraphs 69 and 71 of his submissions thatifIweretorecognisethe Award it would be wholly offensive and expose the

Court in the minds of the Guyanese people to allegations of unpatriotic and anti-nationalist conduct isanoffensivesubmissionif not a veiled threat to the independence o

he judiciary designed to intimidatetheCourt’.

Further, Justice Persaud indicatedthat‘TheAGisnot the legal guardian of the minds of the Guyanese people.Itisanopportunistic political argument perhaps bestsuitedtothehustingsof anelectionscampaignthana sound legal argument suitable for Court’. In my view,thejudge’sdecisionon the

enforcement of the Award wascorrectinlaw

However, a question to be asked is whether the AG has blurred the lines in his submission,betweenhisrole as theAttorney General, the chieflegalofficerandthatof MinisterofLegalAffairs,the

governmentonlegalpolicy? Another important point for

resolution, arbitral awards and their enforcement and execution. The Judge found

successfully registered and enforced the award in the

The LabourAct is in need of an update

DEAREDITOR

Therecentissuesraisedoverthefailureof privatesectorcompaniestopayNISfortheir employees prompted CRG to review the currentLabourActofGuyana.TheMinistry ofLabourshouldalsoreviewandupdatethe Labour Act. There is no provision in the current act that makes the necessary requirements to protect workers’ retirement byensuringpensionbenefits.

The increasing expansion of the private sector should be met with increased

cooperation in the joint development of the necessaryprovisions.Itisgreattoseethatthe President has taken interest in the current problem, but we must also ensure the necessarylawsarereinforced.

UpdatingtheLaborActtoclosethegaps in worker protections and to reflect the changes in the economy is a good step forward towards beneficial progress for workerrights.

Bestregards, JamilChanglee

United Kingdom, United States, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and other countries.

The International Centre forSettlementofInvestment

(ICSID), Regulations and R

6

Enforcement of the Award, indicatesunderArticle54(1) ‘Each Contracting State shall recognize an award rendered pursuant to this Convention as binding and enforcethe pecuniary obligations imposed by that award within its territories as if it were a final judgment of a

court in that State A Contracting State with a federal constitution may enforce such an award in or throughitsfederalcourtsand mayprovidethatsuchcourts shall treat the award as if it wereafinaljudgmentofthe courts of a constituent state.’ Article 54 (3) indicates ‘Execution of the award shall be governed by the laws concerning the execution of judgments in force in the State in whose territories such execution is sought’.Article55‘Nothing in Article 54 shall be construed as derogating from the law in force in any Contracting State relating to

immunity of that State or of any foreign State from execution’.

T h e N e w Yo r k Convention–Conventionon the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign ArbitralAwards governs the registrationandenforcement of so-called “foreign” a

Convention notes that ‘Contracting States must g

arbitration awards rendered in other Contracting States a

n accordance with their rules of procedure.’ The grounds foranationalcourtrefusing

(Continuedonpage17)

GOAL-thegreatequaliser...

Frompage05 homes. Since its inception, more than 20,000 scholarships have been awarded, surpassing the initialtarget.”

As we recall, many tried discrediting GOAL when it was being touted, but the PPP/C did not waver and launched it in 2021, as “… aninitiativeoftheGuyanese government, aimed at p r o v i d i n g 2 0 , 0 0 0

scholarships to Guyanese citizens (thus) enabling them to pursue online, tertiary-level courses through partnerships with reputable international universities.”

For pure joy at GOAL’s success, I love revisiting how in May this year, there was a second GOAL graduation ceremony, at which over 1600 persons graduatedinuniversitylevel

courses-bachelor degree, post graduate diplomas, and master’sdegrees.Ijusthope that we will continue to capitalize on what is ongoingeducationally

To enjoy free tuition from GOAL is not a trivial matter In highly developed nations,manycannotpursue higher learning and why? It isjust‘fartoocostly.’

Yourstruly, HBSingh

BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT

HowfreeisGuyana?

Last week Guyana celebrated Emancipation. It is still timely to question the extent of its freedom—especially considering the economic stranglehold foreign companies have on its economy.

In Guyana's case, the overwhelming influence of foreign multinationals has led to significant economic and political ramifications, raising concerns about the true extent of the country's freedom.

Guyana is experiencing a modern form of recolonization through foreign capital, with multinational corporations exerting significant control over its vital industries, including oil, gold, bauxite, and timber. This new wave of economic dominance is facilitated by the government's consent - a modern day 'slave catcher'.

At current rate of production oil in Liza 1 & 2 could be drained long before 20-year lifespan

Source: Liza One FDP

Source: Liza Two FDP

The Liza One and Liza Two projectsin theStabroek Block are both currently operating above the design rate outlined in the Field Development Plans (FDPs), sparking concerns about the early depletion of resources fromthedevelopments.

Each project has a 20year lifespan, but with American oil giant, ExxonMobil pushing the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vesselsabovethedesignrate, the oil in each field could be depleted long ahead of its time.

Kaieteur News was able to secure copies of the FDPs for the Liza One and Liza Twoprojects,whichrevealed alarming details about the developments. The FDP is a technical document that p r o v i d e s d e t a i l e d information on the project, including the design details, equipment and chemicals to beusedduringtheoperations and production profiles to guide the extraction of resources.

According to the Liza One FDP, the project's total reserves for developed resource are forecast to be 452 million barrels of oil (MBO) for a 20-year productionperiod.

The project, which commenced production in 2019, should have been producing 98 thousand barrels per day (kbpd) in 2024(seetableattached)but Exxon has pushed productiontoasmuchas160 kbpd, according to information on the Ministry of Natural Resources website.

Similarly, the Liza Two project which commenced oil production in February 2022 was expected to be producing at 211 kbpd this year but over 250 kbpd is being pumped daily by the American oil super major The Liza Two field, according to the FDP has an

expected production volume of 570 MBO. So far, it is unclearhowmuchoilintotal hasbeenproducedateachof theprojectssincestartup.

It is however clear that with Liza One producing a whopping 60,000 barrels above the design rate and Liza Two pumping 40,000 barrels extra daily, the lifespan of the two projects couldbedepletedwellahead ofthe20-yearlifespan.

The higher daily production has not only sparked safety and environmental concerns as the country remains without anunlimitedparentcompany guarantee to clean up and compensateafteranoilspill, but has raised questions regarding the country's ability to benefit from a greater portion of its oil wealth.

Based on the 2016 oil contract Guyana signed with ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC, 75% of the monthlyrevenueisdeducted by the companies to repay investments.

The remaining 25% is shared with Guyana as profits The country also receives an additional 2% as royaltyeveryquarter.

The country's Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, whomanagestheoilandgas sector at a previous press conference, told reporters that in another few years, after Guyana repays Exxon and partners for the investments,thecountrywill enjoymoreprofits.

But with more oil being produced daily to help cover those expenses, it is unclear how the country would benefit more when the resources are likely to be depleted before the 20-year period. This is particularly alarming since the government is continuously approvingmoreprojectsthat oftencarryahigherpricetag compared to previously approveddevelopments.

Burying the sordid past of electoral rigging

In Guyana, the specter of electoral rigging looms large. It casts a long and ominous casting a shadow over the nation’s democratic aspirations. The stain of manipulated elections tarnishes Guyana’s image and leads to all kinds of problemsforthenation.

If Guyana is to consolidatedemocraticrule, it has to stop this habit of constantly fiddling with elections rules. No amount of changes to laws or elections rules will resolve the root problem - the presence within elections of parties that perpetuate or benefit from rigging elections. The best way to safeguard our democracy is not to further reform the electoral system but to decisively exclude those whoseektosubvertit.

Electoral rigging is an anachronism.Itisarelicofa bygoneerathathasnoplace in modern politics. In a world increasingly defined by democracy and respect for the rule of law, the very notion of manipulating the democratic process is antitheticaltothevaluesofa civilizedsociety

Yet,somelocalpolitical parties–theculpritsarewell known – persist in clinging to these outdated practices, attemptingtodistortthewill of the people for their gain. Such actions are not only morally reprehensible but also fundamentally undermine the integrity of thedemocraticprocess.

Those who continue to advocatefororparticipatein

electoral rigging are living under a shell They are disconnected from the n o r m s o f m o d e r n democracies In modern democracies, the power of the ballot box is sacrosanct. It is the ultimate expression ofthepeople’swill.

Any attempt to underminethisprincipleisa direct assault on the foundations of democracy In Guyana, the time has come to categorically reject the presence of such elementswithinourpolitical system. Their irrelevance to contemporary democratic ideals is evident Their continued participation in electionswillonlydelaythe nation’sprogress.

Equally dangerous are those who peddle false narratives of rigged elections without any substantive evidence. While vigilance against electoral malpractice is necessary, unfounded allegations serve onlytoinflametensions. In ademocracy,thecurrencyof politicaldiscourseshouldbe truthandintegrity,notdeceit and manipulation Those who irresponsibly spread falsehoods about electoral outcomes should also be held accountable, as their actions can be as damaging astheriggingitself.

Toprotectthesanctityof our elections, it is crucial to implement stringent measures to prevent those who have been involved in electoral rigging from participating in future elections. This includes not only those who directly engage in such acts but also

those who aid, abet, or condonethem.Ademocratic society must be vigilant in ensuring that its political processes are free from the taint of manipulation. By debarring such individuals and parties, we can create a political environment where the focus is on fair competition and genuine representation of the people’swill.

Some argue that the solution to Guyana’s electoral woes lies in systemic reforms While improvementscanalwaysbe made,thefundamentalissue lies not in the system itself butintheactorswhoseekto exploit it An electoral system, no matter how robust,cannotwithstandthe onslaught of unscrupulous individuals determined to undermineit.

Therefore, the focus shouldbeonexcludingthese badactorsfromtheelectoral process altogether By removingthechiefsourceof t h e p r o b l e m t h e cheats—we can ensure the integrity of our elections without the need for drastic systemicchanges.

It is high time that Guyanaburiesitssordidpast of electoral rigging and moves forward towards a future where only those committed to fair and transparent elections are allowed to participate. This is not just a matter of legal reform but a moral issue. The people of Guyana deserve leaders who respect their right to choose, who understand that true power lies in the consent of the

DEM BOYS SEH

De art of mooching

Yuh know dem boys does always seh, “Everydaybucketahguhwellbutoneday de bottom guh drop out.” Well, dem boys gotaspecialbreedahpeoplewhodoestek dis seh’n to a whole new level. Dem is de FreeLoaderCrew,deoneswhodoesshow upfuheverylimeandneva,notonce,buya roundahdrinksorevenalilcutters.

Destoryguhlikedis:Youandyuhcrew pullupatdeusualspot,readyfuhanicelil time. Everybody tekkin turns buyin’ a round—good vibes all around. But den, there’s Mr Cheap Skate, or as dem boys like fuh call he, Mr Full Belly NoWallet. Dismandoesarriveearly,readyfuhdefun. He deh deh, grinnin’ from ear to ear, shoutin’ “Cheers!” louder dan anybody else. But when de time come fuh reach in hepocket,hedoesbehaveasifhewasnot there..

Dismangotskills,man.Hedoesdodge debilllikeapro.Islikehewalletalwayson vacation, sippin’a coconut water in some

governed, not in the manipulationoftheprocess.

To achieve this, Guyana mustensurethatthosewitha history of undermining the democratic process are barred from participation in elections.Thepublic should also be encouraged to avoid from supporting those who have previously engaged in rigging.

The journey towards a fully functional democracy is ongoing. While Guyana

far-offparadise.Andwhendebillcome,he suddenlyrememberhegotaurgentcallto mek, or worse yet, he does got de perfect timingfuhabathroombreak.Bydetimehe come back, de bill done pay and he all smile,seh’n,“Oh,y’alltoogoodtome!”

De funniest ting is, even though everybody know he tricks, dem boys still inviteheeverytime.Maybeit’sbecausehe gotjokes,ormaybedemjustenjoydeshow hedoesputon,dodgin’andduckin’likehe inaactionmovie.But,man,demboysseh itbest:“Everyfreeloadergotheday.”One dayMr FullBellyNoWalletguhgetketch, anddenheguhseehowdebottomdropout debucket.

So,nexttimeyuhseeMr CheapSkate at de bar, remember what dem boys seh. Jus’sit back, enjoy de entertainment, and mek sure yuh wallet safe, because yuh know he ain’t gon put he hand in he own pocket! Talkhalf.Leffhalf

has made significant strides rejecting those who have no intention of contesting elections fairly, is the main meanstoensurethatthetrue willofthepeopleprevails. It is a necessary step towards building a future where elections are a genuine reflection of the people’s choice, free from the distortions and manipulation.Onlythencan wetrulysaythatwehaveleft the past behind and embracedafutureworthyof theidealsofdemocracy

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

H@RD TRUTHS

PNC,AFCprovingJagdeoright

PPP General Secretary and strongman Bharrat Jagdeo is on record saying

very boastfully and boisterously that the 'PPP is the only multiethnic party in Guyana.' Score one for G u y a n a ' s b i g g e s t grandstander and fake politicalgrandmaster Igive jack his jacket, and though Jagdeo has done everything in his power to be hauled away in a straitjacket, the jacket that is due to him

(multiethnic) must be given to him, as a matter of principle. It is what is right, what speaks for itself, when compared to his fine fellows in the opposition PNC and AFCcamps.

The PNC has its slate of leaders. Frankly, it is that same colour, has the same brittletextureofthetableton whichweusedtowrite. The surging, floating, parading AFC came out with its own board of men with luminous

gleams, and it is the same damnthingalloveragain. A board of leaders to stand for governing multiethnic Guyana. It is my anguished dutytorecommendanurgent visit to the optometrist, and w

ophthalmologistandcataract specialist could all be of immense benefit. He who hathearsmusthear Hewho doesnothaveeyeshadbetter takeupanotherprofessionin

Guyana. The shortsighted and color challenged had better leave the politics to me. Takeupyogadancingor bird watching are my recommendations. Yes, I hear that there is strident opposition to tokenism and o t h e r f o r m s o f Machiavellianism, and those do have much going for them. But the Cooperative RepublicofGuyanaisnotthe United Kingdom. In fact, there is nothing that can be said to be cooperative about it. Check with a watching and absorbing and concluding electorate. Who arethesepeople? Howcome thereisnoonethatlookslike me? There is politics, then there is realpolitik Tokenismitmaybe,andeven inthePPP Buttokenismhas a special fragrance about it that is more seductive than L'orealandLancômeputina glass bottle together Glass bottletodistinguishfromthe miracle of a plastic bottle, andjustsothatallcouldbeon thesamepage.

Jagdeo showed that he haswhatittakestorisetothe challenge and master the dark arts of tokenism. Are Aubrey Norton and C A Nigel Hughes conceding in the public arena that Jagdeo has gotten the better of them on this one? Are both Mr Hughes and Mr Norton silently thundering by their unwillingness, their tone deafness, that they are lesser men, leaders of a lower cast, thanJagdeois?

Thoughthattakessome doing, obviously they have handedthathighergroundto him with their slates and boards of pilots and princes to clear the way in the looming elections thickets ahead. Now for a dose of

bitter reality that is Guyana's public racial medicine There is tokenism, then there are optics. Seeing is believing. Believing is choosing Choosing gives a chance at winning. Something just don'taskmewhatyet.

Guyana's three political musketeers know what makes the local electorate tick. Tokenism feeds into keeping up appearances Nobodyisfooled,butalland sundry pretend to be recipients of some unknown strain of genius. I will stick totheli'lcommonsensethatI have. Jagdeo might be the biggest hypocrite in Guyana in this business about multiethnic, but in politics such an attribute is priceless foritsattractiveness. Onthe opposition side, this simple questionisdaredtobeasked, now that I have crossed the colorline:aretherethesefew women in political Guyana?

Women of pedigree and prowess. Women of grand visionsandofordinaryhopes anddreams. Ikeeptryingto insert this little needle into the consciousness of Jagdeo, Norton, and Hughes: for all thy knowing, get some knowing.

Somebody must make sacrifices that matter to the voting public. To the PPP: make the sacrifice of being less corrupt, so that the peoplecanhaveaglimpseof whatiscleangovernance.

TothePNC:ceasebeing souniformforthatisthebest proof of what is genuine internal spiritual reform Andifthatisnotunderstood, then try this uppercut to the hardskull:maketherequired sacrificeforthegreatergood: stop being so black, for a chance to stack up a little.

With the dismayed and undecided people who sit on fencesandthink. Withthose who have had it up to their eyeballs with the PPP crocodiles and their feasting attherichtableofthepeople, who are left hungry and wanting To the AFC: appreciate that impatience and arrogance do not substitutewellforignorance. Make the sacrifice of a few stepping down, biding their turn, so that the group is not made to suffer due to selfishness.

Some parts of this are whatkilledthePNCandAFC in their 2015-2020 governance interval. Selfhelp took precedence over self-sacrifice. Apayraisein theearlydayssetthestagefor what was to follow One wise party man had said that properly compensated MPs would resist the tentacles of corruption. Some wise fella he turned out to be Everybody wants everything for themselves now My advicemaynotbeexemplary of sagacity, but it has its merits.

Astute politicians give thepeoplewhattheywant,so that they can get what they want later If those are the leadership slates of the PNC and AFC, then they just partitioned Guyana and the minds of Guyanese. Good luck! Goodhunting!

(Theviewsexpressedin this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the o p i n i o n s o f t h i s newspaper.)

‘I don't feel bad about Guyana’s oil deal’

Former Exploration ManagerforSouth

America for

E x x o n M o b i l a n d geoscientist, Rod Limbert was quoted in a recent Bloombergarticlestatingthat hedoesnotfeelbadaboutthe oil deal Guyana signed onto with the United States oil giant.

U S based media company, Bloomberg in a recent report, “The untold story of how Exxon scored a US$1trillionoilbonanzathat 30rivalspassedup”byKevin Crowley, highlighted the story of the Stabroek Block whichisnowproducingover 600,000barrelsofoilperday fromjustthreeprojects(Liza Phase 1, Liza Phase 2 and Payara).

Exxon controls the block thatholds11billionbarrelsof recoverable oil, worth nearly US$1 trillion at current prices.

Limbert was part of Exxon's team that negotiated the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) for the Stabroek Block which was later signed in 2016 by the previous APNU+AFC administration after oil was discovered offshore Guyana in2015.

The PSA for the prolific Stabroek Block has been at the center of contentious debates with experts as well ascitizenscitingthatGuyana signed onto a deal that benefits the oil companies morethanthecountry While Guyanese leaders have long accepted the lopsided nature ofthedeal,itremainsinplace as, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) and its partners Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) Petroleum Guyana Limited continuetobenefitfromit.

Former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, who served under the APNU + AFC Coalition government between 2015 and 2020, was the one who signed the heavily criticized lopsided PSA with Exxon. The 2016 deal gives Guyana an industry-low 2% royalty Presently, Guyana shares revenue with ExxonMobil afterthecompanydeducts75 percent towards the costs incurred to develop the

resources in the Stabroek Block. This arrangement, withthelackofring-fencing, sees Guyana paying for projects that are yet to begin production activities. Each month bills from future producing developments are added to the list of expenses to be cost recovered by Exxon.Afterthe75percentis deducted to pay back the oil company, Guyana then shares50/50ofthe25percent remaining with Exxon as profits.Thisamountsto12.5 percent of profits from the operations.

Bloomberg reported that Guyana has become the bedrock of Exxon's postCovidcorporaterevival.The Texas oil giant has a 45% shareofafieldthatcostsless than US$35 a barrel to produce,makingitoneofthe most profitable outside of

Countries (OPEC) With crude currently trading at US$85 a barrel, the oil field would make money even if the transition from fossil fuels caused demand to collapse and prices dropped byhalf.

The report states that Exxon'srivalsnodoubthave aching regret Almost 30 other companies, including ChevronCorp.,passedupthe chance to buy into the Guyanadiscovery ShellPlc, previously a 50% partner, walked away Chevron is now paying US$53 billion for Hess Corp., which has a 30% stake in the project.

Exxon this year filed an arbitrationcaseagainstHess, claimingithasarightoffirst refusal over the stake. (Hess says that right doesn't apply inamerger.)

It was reported that like many geoscientists, Limbert knewthatthesourcerockfor Venezuela'soil—theLaLuna formation—extended under the Atlantic into maritime territory held by Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. The straight-talking

Australian became fascinated with an onshore discoveryinSurinameinthe 1960s, when villagers accidentally found what became a billion-barrel oil field while drilling for water inaschoolyard. Limbert thought the s

hoolyard's oil had originated off Guyana's continental shelf and migrated more than 100 miles onshore over millions of years. He took the idea to the Exxon team responsible for entering new basins in mid-1997 “They had a picture of a downwardpointing thumb at the end of their presentation,” Limbert says. He contacted Guyana's government about acquiring drillingrightsanyway “Ijust didn'ttellanyone,”hesays.

In1997,Guyanawasone of the poorest countries in

SouthAmerica,stillsuffering from the socialist and isolationist policies of strongman Forbes Burnham, whorosetopowersoonafter independencefromtheUKin 1966. Limbert and two colleagues flew from Houston to Georgetown to acquire old well logs and discuss the potential for drilling rights with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission(GGMC).

“The ground floor was literally the ground floor,” Limbert says. “By that I mean the desks and chairs

wereonthedirt.”TheExxon teamalsometSamuelHinds, Guyana's president at the timewhotalkedmostlyabout cricket, Guyana's national pastime. “I wasn't in any particular hurry to talk about business, because I had no authority to do anything,” Limbertsays.Onreturningto Texas and armed with fresh data, Limbert won permission to begin contract negotiations for exploration rights.

Citing the legions of failed wells, Limbert pushed forandwonah ighly favourable deal

The Stabroek block offered to Exxon was more than 1,000 times bigger than the average oil block in the Gulf of Mexico. It required no upfront payment, and if Exxon struck oil, the companywouldkeep50%of the profit after deducting costs.

The Bloomberg report states that Guyana later received heavy criticism for

Former Exploration Manager for South America for ExxonMobil, Rod Limbert

the contract “I have examined my conscience aboutitoveraperiodoftime, butIdon'tfeelbadaboutit,” Limbert says “It was a complete fit for what we knew and what we didn't know.” It was stated too that the deal helped the government in another way Guyana faced serious border disputes both with Suriname to the east and Venezuela to thewest.

Aligning with Exxon would mean anyone picking a fight with Guyana would also be picking a fight with theworld'smostpowerfuloil company

Guyana hits 668k barrels of oil in June

ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), the operator of Guyana's Stabroek Block recorded its highest production in June this year, after pushing the three Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels to produce a combined 668,000 barrels of oil.

Data on the Ministry of Natural Resources website also shows that Guyana's secondoilproject,LizaTwo, recorded its highest daily production in June, reaching 260,000 barrels, well above thesafetylimitoftheFPSO.

TheLizaUnityFPSOwas designedtosafelyproduceat 220,000barrelsperday(bpd) but reached a new record of 260,000 barrels on June 4, 2024.

This milestone marks the highest production on record to date for a single project thoughthecompanydidtryto repeat this accomplishment. Datashowsthatthecompany recorded 258,000 and 257,000barrelsonJune8and June 12 respectively at the LizaTwoproject.

According to the data, on

June 30, the company reportedadailyproductionof 668,000 barrels- the highest on record since the country commenced production activitiesin2019.

Previously, the highest daily production was recorded on March 22, when the company pushed production to a whopping 651,000barrels.

In June the company broke its record with productionreachingahighof 660,000barrelsofoil.

Presently,allthreeFPSOs are producing above the initial design capacity Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo said at a press conference in May that the ramping up of oil production beyond the safe operating limits is being done safely The process according to him was analyzed by the technical s t a f f o f b o t h t h e Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Experts previously warnedhoweverthattherisk of an oil spill significantly increaseswiththeaccelerated

productionactivities.

It was reported that the US$2B oil spill guarantee provided by the Stabroek Block Co-Venturers does not cover the ramping up of oil production.

The affiliate company guarantee, seen by this newspaper, makes it explicit “…the Operator is permitted to carry out the activities a u t h o r i z e d b y t h e Environmental Permits in accordance with their respective terms and conditions.”

The Environmental

Permits granted by the EPA wereapprovedbasedonEIAs conducted by Exxon. These documents outline the company's plans to produce oil at a specific capacity and assess the damage of an oil spillaccordingly

The FPSOs were also designedtoproducecrudeoil in accordance with the EIAs. VP Jagdeo when asked if government considered this in granting the company's approval to breach the safety limitssaidhehasrequesteda full report from the technical staffinthisregard.

FPSO Location Contours Distance to Shore Yellowtail Project Development Area

Liza Phase 2 Project Development Area

Liza Phase 1 Project Development Area Payara Project Development Area

New heads of PUC, PSAT sworn in

...President Ali stresses need for transparency, efficiency

Chairpersons of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and Public ServiceAppellate Tribunal (PSAT)weresworninbyPresident Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, at his Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetownoffice,onMonday Dr Nanda Gopaul was sworn inasPUC'schairmanwhileJustice Beasraj Singh Roy is the new chairmanofPSAT Othermembers of PSAT who took the oath to office include Hydar Ally and AbiolaWong-Inniss.

The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is a corporate body established by the Public Utilities Commission Act No. 26 of1990.Thisactwasamendedon more than one occasion, and the commission currently operates under Act 16 of 2010 The commission in addition to its power to initiate and conduct investigations into the operations and standards of service of all p u b l i c u t i l i t i e s a n d telecommunications undertakings (service providers) under its purview, has regulatory, advisory, and enforcement functions under the law.At present, the regulated service providers are Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL), GuyanaWaterInc(GWI),Guyana Telephone and Telegraph

New Chairpersons of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Dr. Nanda Gopaul

Company Limited (GTT), UMobile (Cellular) Inc (Digicel), andE-NetworksInc.Inhisaddress to the newly appointed officers, President Ali emphasised the crucial role of the constitutional body,statingthatthePUCassumes its role during a significant period oflocaltransformativechange.

“Thework of publicutilitiesis of paramount importance to both c o n s u m e r s a n d businesses…Electricity, water, andtelecommunicationsformthe backbone of daily life and economic activity. The duty of the

PUC is to ensure that these services are reliable, affordable, and of the highest quality,” he said Within this context, the president outlined his vision for Guyana to be a top provider of theseessentialservices,especially duringtheriseoftheglobalcostof living. “At this point in our historical transformation, we are looking to bring treated water by the end of 2025 to more than 85 per cent of the population, we are looking to reduce the cost of electricity and to make the supply of electricity more efficient,

Members of the Public Service Appellate Tribunal (PSAT) took the oath of office on Monday

reliable,andstable. We are doing this at a time when across the globe, many countries are faced with difficulties in providing such services due to inflation but with sound economic planning, good governance, and strong policy formation. Here in Guyana, we are able to set these targets that are unimaginable in the world we livein,”heemphasised. Furthermore, the Public ServiceAppellateTribunal(PSAT) isempoweredtohearappealsfrom any decisionof thePublicService

Commission in respect of appointment by promotion of any person to a public office. It will also exercise disciplinary control overanypersonholding,oracting inanypublicoffice.Inthisregard, President Ali noted that the tribunal serves as a guardian of fairnessanddueprocess. “Public officeslooktowardsthetribunal for the insurance and provision of a fair and balanced review of contested decisions and the commission must continue to work in fulfilling this mandate,' hesaid.(DPI)

Map showing the three projects already producing oil in the Stabroek Block and the fourth planned development,Yellowtail

Mangetssixmonthsfor stealingroadprojectwires

A 45-year-old resident of 'B' Field in Sophia, Georgetown, was sentenced to six months in prison on Monday for stealing wires intended for use on the Conversation Tree road project.

RudolphNurse,afatherof three, appeared before Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore at Georgetown Magistrates' Court to face a charge of simple larceny The incident reportedly occurred on August2,2024,atPikeStreet inCampellville,Georgetown. Workers from S. Jagmohan Construction and Generator Security Service had left the wires in place at the worksite whentheyfinishedtheirshift.

The following day, a patrol team from the company observed Nurse at the worksite carrying a salt bag. Upon searching the bag, the missing wires were found. Nurse was apprehended and taken to the Prashad Nagar PoliceOutpost,wherehewas informed of the allegations but chose to remain silent. Subsequently,hewasarrested and admitted during a video interrogationthatheintended to sell the wires after picking them up from the site. The man pleaded guilty with an explanation He told the magistrate that because of a recent surgery he did he is now unemployed Nurse received a six-month prison sentencefortheoffense.

Car cleaner remanded to prison over gun, ammo possession

A 68-year-old man residingonWilliamStreetin Kitty, Georgetown, was remanded to prison on Mondayafterhewascharged with possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

The defendant, Dwayne Griffith appeared before Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates'Courtwherethe charge was read to him. It is alleged that on Saturday, August 3, 2024, a police mobilepatrolrespondedtoan assault report at the Red Dragon Bar on Robb Street, Bourda.

‘Sit

two years in prison’

...magistratetellsmanwhosaidbulletfoundin wife'sjewelleryboxwasanhonestmistake

A 36-year-old man of Sophia Georgetown was on Monday sentenced to two years in prison after telling magistrate thatammunition foundinhiswife'sjewellery boxwasan'honestmistake'. He was charged with illegal possession of ammunition. The accused CharlesStobywhoworksas acookbydayandasecurity guardbynighttosupporthis family, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court before Senior

Magistrate Fabayo Azore who read the charge to him. ThechargereadthatonJuly 31, 2024 at the accused residence, he had in his possession four 9mm live ammunition without being theownerofalicence.Stoby pleaded guilty with explanation He said, “I accept my crime the

rounds were an honest mistake, two jobs I do to makeendsmeet…they[my family] are depending on me”

Stoby was also charged with the offence of threatening behaviour committed on his associate Clythe Singh, who reported the matter to the Prashad NagarPoliceOutpostwhich led the police to Stoby's residence where they found theammunition.

According to police reports, at around 11:45 hrs Singh and Stoby had a misunderstanding over a broken sink plug Stoby became annoyed and pulled out a gun from his pocket andpointedittowardsSingh and used threatening language.

Rankswentto165North Sophia and arrested Stoby

and placed him in custody

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was informed of the matter and ranks from that unit took Stoby back to his residence andconductedasearchinhis presence and that of his common-law-wife Ranks

searched the wife's' jewelleryboxandfoundfour live 9mm ammunition. His wife said that she had no knowledge of the said items while Stoby admitted to the allegationsaying,“Officeris me own, I recently get it to sell as a hustle”.As a result he was sent back to the policeoutpostwherehewas charged with the present offence.

D

unrepresentedStobybegged the court to be lenient with him because he is the sole

breadwinner of his family and had not committed any

acknowledged Stoby's guilty plea and lack of previous offences, stating,

“Considering it is your first offence and you made a guiltypleaanddidnotwaste the court's time, the least I cangiveyouis24months.”

Griffith was approached by the police and subsequently a search was conducted, during which a black SCCY 9mm firearm marked with #525358 and a magazine and eleven 9mm rounds, were found on his person. When questioned about possessing a firearm license, Griffith responded, “no”.Followinghisarrest,he was taken to the Alberttown Police Station for further processing. During a video and audio interrogation, Griffith confessed to having the firearm and ammunition forself-defensepurposes.He wasremandedtoprisonuntil onAugust26,2024.

Theremandedman, Dwayne Griffith

Charles Stoby sentenced to two years for illegal possession of ammunition.

Thedefendant, Rudolph Nurse

Govt. gazettes order to increase excise tax on vehicles for re-migrants

The Government has published in the Official Gazette an order that outlines the increase in excise tax for re-migrants.

The order outlining the amended excise tax regulationswaspublishedin thegazetteonJuly30,2024, lessthan48hoursafterChief Justice, Roxane GeorgeWiltshire handed down a ruling declaring the 30 percent imposition in excise tax for re-migrants was illegal.

The order signed by

SeniorMinisterintheoffice of the President with the Responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh outlines the Excise Tax (Amendment) Regulations 2024 shall be deemed to come into operation on September 1, 2023.

Under the amended regulation re-migrants, settlers, and returning students are required to pay five percent excise tax on vehicles which has a Cubic Capacity (cc) of less than

1500cc, vehicles those with between 1500cc-1800cc are also required to pay five percenttax,thosewith18012000cc are required to pay 10 percent tax, those with vehicles that have 20013000 cc are required to pay 20 percent and those with above 3000 cc are now requiredtopay30percenton taxes.

Last Monday, Chief Justice (Ag) Roxane George-Wiltshiregrantedan order declaring that the Guyana Revenue Authority

(GRA)'s imposition of excisetaxattherateof30% wasillegal.SinceJuly2023, the GRA raised the taxes payablebyre-migrantsfrom 10%to30%onvehicleswith engines larger than 3,000cc. On 8th April, 2024, the Commissioner General of the GRA, Godfrey Statia, wroteAdityaBasdeothathe was given duty free concessions as a re-migrant. However, Mr Statia required that Basdeo pay 30% excise tax on his new generation 2023 Toyota Landcruiservehicle.

Mr Basdeo took issue with this and caused his attorneytowritetheGRAon 15th April 2024 explaining that there was a problem because the correct and proper excise tax rate was 10%. In Basdeo's case, the 10% was equivalent to over $1,500,000buttheGRAwas insisting that he pays nearly $4,600,000–adifferenceof $3,100,000intaxes.

Whenthemattercameup for hearing before Chief Justice George Wiltshire, counsel for the GRA, Ms. Nicklin Belgrave, reported thattheGRAmadeamistake becausetheyrealisedthatthe Minister of Finance had merely signed the regulations of July 2023 but theregulationswerenotduly brought into force by being published in the Official Gazetteorbeingtabledinthe NationalAssembly In other words, the GRA had been wrongfully and illegally charging 30% taxes to remigrants and collecting those taxes without any authority. TheChiefJustice grantedalloftheorderspaid for by Mr. Basdeo through his attorney, Mr. Siand Dhurjon. She declared that the GRA's policy of requiring 30% excise taxes was unlawful and she grantedanorderofcertiorari quashing Mr Statia's assessment of 30% excise taxes.

The Judge also granted an order of mandamus to compeltheGRAtoapplythe correct excise tax of 10%.

The Judge granted an order that Basdeo's 2023 Landcruiser must be released to him forthwith upon payment of the correct excisetaxes.

Basdeo's Landcruiser came into Guyana on 28th June 2024 and has been on thewharfrackingupstorage costs ever since. The Chief JusticeorderedthattheGRA was to pay the storage costs as well as the costs of the lawsuitinaspecifiedsumto Mr Basdeo.Whenpresented

with evidence that the GRA was charging some people 10% and others 30% during the same period, the GRA claimed that those paying 10% had applied for their exemption 'before the regulationwaspassed'.

The Chief Justice remarked to the agreement ofbothcounselthattheGRA shouldreachouttoeveryone who overpaid excise taxes and explain that the GRA madeanerrorandrefundthe wrongfullycollectedmonies tothetaxpayers.

In an invited comment Mr Dhurjon stated that “the Excise Act and its regulationsdonotpermitthe GRAto charge beyond 10% in excise taxes. For the last year, the GRA has been overcharging re-migrant taxpayersillegalexcisetaxes to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars cumulative

unfortunate that in oil-

en wrongfullysubjectedtothis. But this verdict opens the doorforallre-migrantswho paid above 10% in [within that period] excise taxes to seekarefund.”

Underthere-migranttax scheme, Guyanese who lived abroad for 5 years can be giv

ty-free concessions allowing them to import their personal effects and their vehicles by only paying the applicable excisetaxes.

When a re-migrant imports a vehicle and they are given the concession by theGRA,theydonothaveto pay customs duties and value-added taxes on the vehicle being imported Thisremovesmanymillions of dollars from the purchase of the vehicle. If the full taxes – all of the customs, VAT,andexcisetaxes–were paid on a Landcruiser like the one concerned in the proceedings, a normal taxpayer would have to pay around $90,000,000 in total taxesdependingonthevalue ofthevehicle.

FinanceMinister, Dr Ashni Singh

Primeministersayshinterland regiontogetinternetbyyearend

In its effort to bridge the digital divide between the coast and Hinterland regions, Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret'd), Mark Phillips said on Sunday that the Government is working

to provide internet

connectivity to all Hinterland areas by year end.

The Prime Minister mentionedthisduringavisit to Upper Mazaruni, Region Seven. In a press statement

issued by the Prime Minister,heunderscoredthe Government's dedication to c o m p r e h e n s i v e development in Guyana's Hinterland regions. Phillips emphasised the significant i n v e s t m e n t s a n d i n f r a s t r u c t u r a l improvements being made by the government in the area.

The Prime Minister spoke on the expansion of the ground- breaking Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) devices initiative to Region Seven and the entire Hinterland, highlighting the on-going rollout of highspeed internet services acrossGuyana.

The release stated, “Phase One successfully connected Regions one and two, while Phase Two is set to commence in August, beginning with Region Seven and progressively extending throughout the Hinterland ” “We are bringing development to all your communities Every

community in the Upper Mazaruniwillbedeveloped, notonlyinsport,butinevery o t h e r a s p e c t o f development,” Phillips said, while assuring the residents of Upper Mazaruni of continued developments acrossallsectors.

Meanwhile, the press release further added that over the past four years, the Government has invested in hinterland communities by boosting indigenous leadershipwiththeNational Toshaos Council Secretariat and expanding land rights through a broader titling programme.

Additionally, job creation has also been enhancedwiththereinstated Community Service Officers (CSO) programme and Presidential Grants “Youth development receivesover$1bnannually, including $100m for the higher education of 800 hinterland students, while cultural preservations are beingsupportedwith$147m in 2024 to maintain Amerindian traditions and heritage, ” the press statementhighlighted.

Furthermore Prime Minister Phillips stated, “From2020tonow,wehave spent over $70bn on hinterland development in allaspects.Wehavemoreto spend from 2024 and 2025 five years of development that will encompass all of Guyana, both the coastline and the

hinterland.” On the issue of sports, Phillips who travelledtotheregionforthe 25th Annual Upper MazaruniDistrictGames,at the Tunnel Tigers Sports g r o u n d , Kamarang/Warawatta Village, Region Seven h i g h l i g h t e d t h e government's commitment to sport development and to theUpperMazaruniDistrict Games.

As such, the Prime Minister emphasized the Government's dedication to improving the sport facility inthearea.

The Prime Minister in thepressreleasehighlighted thattheGovernmentthusfar has spent a significant amount of money on the development of the Kamarang ground (Tunnel Tigers Sports ground), with the installation of lights featuring underground wiring, the construction of n e w s t a n d s , a n d rehabilitation works on the ground.

“We have spent some $21minbringingtheground tothisstandardtohostthese games.

That is how serious we are about sport in Guyana,” hestated.

Additionally, the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs donated $1.5m for the overall support of the games, and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport contributed $1 7m in trophiesandothersupport.

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Now hiring: Executive Secretary, Project Engineer & Accounts Clerk, To apply send application via Whatsapp: 638-5303/ 638-1111.

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One Clerk for TSI Eccles office. English & Mathematics, grade 2. Email application: techserigy@yahoo.com or Call: 615-9132.

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

Male Cleaner for Eccles. Call: 615-9132 or 645-8443.

Female Cleaner for office in Eccles. For more information Call: 645-8443

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Govt. to spend over $300M to repair 51 schools in Regions 2,

Having been allo cated approxi mately $74.4 billion from this year’s budget the Ministry of Education is gearing up to spend approximately $303,510,507 to rehabilitate a total of 51 schools located in Regions Two and Five.

This is according to the award of contracts which have been published by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office. According to the information provided the contracts are for nursery, primary and secondary schools in the two regions.

For the nursery schools scheduled for repairs in Region Two, the contracts are as follow: rehabilitation of Mabel Sandy and Somerset & Berks Nursery Schools, this was awarded to P. Persaud Investment for $10,655,300; rehabilitation of Zorg, Affiance and Abram Zuil Nursery Schools, awarded to A&N Innovation and Construction Services for $12,158,850; rehabilitation of Ulele, Kabakaburi and Jacklow Nursery Schools, awarded to B.S Narine & Sons for $14,114,400; rehabilitation of Onderneeming, Lima Sands and Cotton Field Nursery Schools, awarded to S Singh Contracting Service for $10,574,100; rehabilitation of Reliance Nursery School and Reliance Nursery Annex, awarded to SAAM General Contracting for $14,608,070;

and the rehabilitation of Fisher and Maria’s Lodge Nursery Schools will be done by A&N Innovation and Construction Services to the tune of $6,341,500.

The list of primary school that will be repaired are as follow: rehabilitation of Ulele Primary School was, awarded to Safraz Ally Construction for $11,341,260; rehabilitation of St Monica, Siriki and Abram’s Creek Primary Schools, awarded to M.N Contracting and General Supplies for $12,135,128; rehabilitation of Tapakuma, Queenstown and Capoey, Primary Schools, awarded to Daywane’s Mechanic Shop for $12,326,365, rehabilitation of Fisher and Mashabo Primary Schools, awarded to Vin’s Construction & Supplies for $10,927,050; and the rehabilitation of Aurora Primary School, was awarded to SAAM General Contracting for $7,573,500.

Further, the various schools that will be repaired in Region Five are as follow: rehabilitation of Groden, Trafalgar and Litchfield Nursery Schools, the contract was given to Associate Investments for $11,398,900; rehabilitation of Hopetown and Bush Lot Nursery Schools, awarded to HD Investment for $11,883,925; rehabilitation of Liberty Hall, Cotton Tree and Zee Zight Nursery Schools, awarded to James Nicholson Construction Services for

$10,906,930; rehabilitation of Ithaca, Blairmont and Shieldstown Nursery Schools, awarded to T&A Construction Services & Supply for $8,513,000; and rehabilitation of Cottage, Carlton Hall and De Hoop Nursery Schools, the contract was awarded to Latchman Construction & Landscaping for $13,553,050.

As for the several primary schools in that region, the projects entail the rehabilitation of St.Francis, Moraikobai Primary School which was given to Charlie’s Construction Services for $12,362,750; rehabilitation of Karamat Primary School, awarded to James Nicholson Construction Services for $9,342,949; rehabilitation of Latchmansingh Primary School, awarded to RHR Enterprise for $8,999,900; rehabilitation of Cotton Tree Primary School, awarded to Quality Home Construction for $13,182,700; rehabilitation of Rosignol Primary School, also awarded to RHR Enterprise for $9,006,380; rehabilitation of Mahaicony Primary School, awarded to RHR Enterprise for $10,937,820; and rehabilitation of No. 8 Primary School Region, awarded to RA & D Construction Firm for $6,464,200.

Additionally, the rehabilitation of Belladrum Secondary School will be undertaken by Charlie’s Construction Services for $11,864,100; re-

habilitation of Novar Secondary School, was awarded to RHR Enterprise for $10,009,450; rehabilitation of Mahaicony Secondary School will be executed by Charlie’s Construction Services for $12,280,600; rehabilitation of No.8 Secondary School will be carried out by RHR Enterprise for $7,822,950; and the rehabilitation of Woodley Park Secondary School will also be executed by Charlie’s Construction Services for $12,225,400.

At a press conference in May, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand mentioned that the government would be repairing and upgrading all schools across the country to ensure children are learning in a safe and comfortable environment.

“In addition to building new schools what we are doing currently is repairing schools.

The President has made it clear that he does not want any school to be without functioning washrooms and plumbing, electricity, a good roof where there is no leaking and [repairing] the dilapidated looking buildings. So across the country right now, the Ministry of Education is attempting to go out and receive bids for the repairs of all schools, nursery, primary and secondary,” the Minister had told reporters.

T&T contractor walks away with over $300M...

From page 2 the inconvenience faced by citizens, Minister Edghill assured that efforts are underway to swiftly execute the remaining works well before Christmas. “We want this to be able to be done quickly. It is going to finish long before Christmas in case you’re thinking if this is going over to next year, not at all. I will hope that we are able to

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get this done by the end of August.

We are pushing, the contractor knows that he has to work day and night and we are getting that done,” the minister asserted.

Acknowledging the patience and understanding of residents impacted by the delays, Minister Edghill extended heartfelt gratitude to the community for their co-

operation. Additionally, while the local contractor is tasked with completing the project, the ministry has engaged nine small contractors to rehabilitate the boulevard along Conversation Tree.

Works include the construction of a walkway, installation of lighting, and landscaping to improve safety, accessibility, and aesthetics along the thoroughfare.

This will foster a conducive environment for residents and commuters. Minister Edghill outlined plans to extend the road network, linking Conversation Tree Road to Dennis Street and eventually to Vlissengen Road. This strategic expansion aims to enhance connectivity, alleviate traffic congestion, and facilitate easier navigation.

The freedom from chattel slavery African...

From page 04 universal declarations, the Constitution and Laws of Guyana.

While I accept that Africans are not monolithic in interests, we must accept that if we do not, or enough of us do not stand in unison for what is universally acceptable, there will be further erosion of freedoms and rights

so many have given their lives for that unfortunately today many take for granted. Make no mistake, whilst complacency is seeping in on the part of some, others are moving in haste to erode hard fought gains, parade some as undeserving and ill equip, as they shamelessly plunder the nation’s resources and trample on structures de-

signed to ensure equal and equitable participation and respect for our fellowman. The Jagdeo/Ali regime does not hold these values in esteem and we must therefore fight to protect them for the good of all, for when one is affected all are affected.

Sincerely Lincoln Lewis

Govt. looking to expand oil and gas operations to Berbice - Jagdeo

TheGovernmentofGuyanaislookingto extend its oil and gas operations to Berbice, VicePresidentBharratJagdeohassaid.

Speakingduringhisnewsconferencelast week,Jagdeotoldthemediathatgovernment islookingtomigratemoreoftheoilandgas industrytotheBerbiceRegion.“Webelieve that there will be more migration of the oil andgasindustrytothatregion.Maybeifthe large gas…second monetization of gas project comes onshore it will come onshore inBerbice,becausethatistheideallocation giventhatmoreofourgasfindshavebeenin theHaimaraareaandPluma.”

Jagdeo went on to explain that, “wherever we put the deep water harbour nowbecausetherearesomeissuesnowwith the mouth of the river too much sedimentation. So we are looking now at a cause way proposal which will build out to theAtlantictothedeepsothatwedon’thave tohavedredgingcosts.Sothatfourlaneroad would be good to move goods and services alongthatcorridor.”

At a previous press conference Jagdeo

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

Head of State President Irfaan Ali

had stated that despite not finalising the National Gas Monetization Strategy, the GovernmentofGuyana(GoG)hasembarked onasecondgasprojecttocheckforviability “Wearestillworkingonit.Butasyouhave seen, we have moved forward in the project thatwewantedtochecktheviabilityfor We have moved forward on that, but the gas strategyisaclearone,”hesaid.

Jagdeo explained then that the key element of the gas strategy is to figure out howtomonetisetheassociatedgasoutsideof the current gas project. “We have moved forwardonthatelement,”Jagdeostated.

Presently, government is pursuing a US$2 billion Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project that will be located at Wales, West Bank Demerara.This is the country’s first natural gas project. It entails bringing the gas onshore from the Stabroek Block to feed a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility and generate300megawattsfromapowerplant. ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) is responsible for building a 12-inch pipeline thatwilltransport50millioncubicofgasper daytotheWaleslocationfromoffshore.

Five held in gun, ammo bust at BV

Adriver and four other occupants wereintercepted

e

Beterverwagting Police Station on Saturday last where a search was conducted, uncovering an unlicensed firearm and two liveroundsofammunition.

Inapressreleasepolice said that at about 23:50h, thepatrolrankswereinthe vicinity of Success Railway Embankment heading west when they observed a goldcoloured Toyota motor car bearing registration #PRR9318, which was seen about 30feetahead,alsoproceeding west The car was stopped and the driver, Quacy Simon, a 30-year-old from Buxton was identified along with four other occupantsinthevehicle The four other occupants were Joshua Bevney, known as

The firearm and ammunition found

Aaron, a 21-year-old from Friendship, ECD; Alex Jordan, a 32-year-old from Vigilance North, ECD; DanielRodrigues,a29-yearold from Friendship, ECD; and Bariek Williams, a 21year-old from Friendship, ECD. They were all asked to exit the vehicle for a search to be conducted on their person and the car, to whichtheycomplied. While the search was being conducted, Alex Jordan and Joshua Bevney were reportedly seen acting suspiciously A search was immediately conducted on Joshua Bevney, where a live round ofammunitionandanempty suspected 22 magazine were found in his left front pocket. He was asked if he was the holder of a firearm

license to carry the ammunition, and he replied

thathewasnot. Hewastoldoftheoffence committed and cautioned, to which he replied, “Is me friendgiveittomefuhkeep” He was then questioned if he was in possession of a firearm, and he indicated that it was behind the car seat Joshua then pointed out the area in the vehicle where helefta.22firearm.

The police ranks conducted a further search of the vehicle and found a suspected live 22 round of ammunition The driver and the occupants were all escorted to the BV Police station, where they were placedintocustody

The suspected firearm and ammunition were photographed, packed, sealed, and lodged in their presence The motor car w a s a l s o l o d g e d Investigationsareongoing.

Support for Justice Gino Persaud’s Decision to Recognise...

Frompage06 enforcement are limited based on one of the six reasons: public policy; lack of a valid arbitration agreement; violation of due process; excess of the arbitral tribunal’s authority;

irregularity in the composition of the arbitral

tribunal or arbitral procedure; or where the award has not yet become binding,hasbeensetasideor suspended.

TheAttorney General in thiscaseusedthegroundsof public policy to request that Guyana Court refuse to enforce the award. While one can understand the grounds used by the AG based on public policy, the question is, was the substantive argument sufficient to convince the nationalcourtthattheaward shouldnotbeenforcedbased

on a point of law While the public policy argument focused on the ‘essential security interest’of Guyana, itwasverybroad.

For the AG to indicate that if the court were to recognisetheAwarditwould be offensive and expose the Courttoallegationsofbeing unpatriotic and antinationalist, was highly inappropriate.

The jurisprudence and practice on Investor-State DisputeSettlement(ISDS)is still evolving. As such, on the procedural side, perhaps the AG in his capacity of Minister of Legal Affairs, can explore State immunity, specifically, for the recognition, enforcement, and execution of arbitral awards by Guyana in relation to Venezuela, based on the border controversy However, this may have to

beanadditionalprocedure,if found to have merit and put into effect, would be applicable in future cases.

T h e c o m p a n y

ConocoPhillips has already brought the case before the national courts and a decision was made to recognize and enforce the award based on current establishedprocedures.

It may be an important pointfortheAGtonotethat in some cases, State immunity has been used to barmeasuresofexecutionof Investor-State Dispute Settlementawards.

In the case of AIG v Kazakhstan, an English court registered an ICSID award as an English judgment, however, the Court rejected execution on the ground that the assets in question benefitted from absolute immunity because

theywere“property”of the Kazakhstan central bank and because they were sovereign rather than commercialassets.

Another landmark judgmentinacasebeforethe Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal held that absolute state immunity applies in HongKongChina.

Under the absolute theory, immunity applies to all foreign State assets whether they are used for sovereign or purely commercialtransactions.

Therefore, investors cannot execute awards against foreign States in Hong Kong China in the absence of a waiver of immunity Cansomelimited immunity be considered for Guyana, in the case of Guyana and Venezuela based on a substantive argument of public policy

from the essential security interestperspective?

If Guyana should in the future effect a procedure for using State immunity, specifically for recognition, enforcement, and execution of arbitral awards in relation to Venezuela because of the border controversy, then judges in future cases would havethisestablishednational procedure for consideration However, until the national Courts have some additional procedural positions for consideration, foreign investors are entitled to be accorded the general standards on fair and equitable treatment in enforcement of arbitral awards Therefore, Justice Persaud’s decision to recognize and enforce the arbitral Award was appropriate based on the jurisprudenceandpracticein

International Investment Law, Investment Treaty Law, Administrative Law, International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes Convention (ICSID)andtheConvention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (The New YorkConvention).

Finally, while this case has presented a challenge in the Guyana context, it has presentedanopportunityfor Guyana, more specifically fortheAG,tobecreativeand innovative and perhaps expand the jurisprudence andpracticeofISDS,instead of the AG focusing on his feeling and threatening to takethejudgetothe J u d i c i a l S e r v i c e Commission(JSC).

Kindregards, Citizen Audreyanna Thoma

Bangladeshis rejoice after toppling Prime Minister

(BBC) Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned after weeks of deadly antigovernmentprotests,putting an end to more than two decades at the top of the country’spolitics.

Ms. Hasina, 76, fled the country, reportedly landing inIndiaonMonday Jubilant crowdstooktothestreetsto celebrate the news, with some storming the prime ministerial palace, reportedly looting and vandalising parts of her formerresidence.

Army chief Waker-UzZaman said the military would begin talks on forming an interim government. Hours after Ms Hasina’s resignation, President Mohammed Shahabuddin ordered the release of jailed former prime minister and opposition leader Khaleda Zia.Inatelevisedaddresson Monday afternoon, Wakeruz-Zaman said an interim government would be formed. He added that he would meet President Mohammed Shahabuddin and was hoping that a “solution” would be found bytheendoftheday

The army chief said he had already spoken to the country’s opposition political parties, but did not make clear who would head thenewgovernment.

He urged Bangladeshis totrustthearmy,addingthat “all killings, all injustice” would be “examined”

from the prime minister’s residence. In Dhaka, police and other government buildings were attacked and set on fire Protesters attempted to tear down a statue of independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Ms Hasina’s father Armyandpoliceunits were deployed across the city Mobile phone service was reportedly cut off for several hours before being restored. At least 66 people were reported killed on Monday by the AFP news agency Ms Hasina’s departureleavesavacuumin Bangladeshi politics, which has long been characterised by a rivalry between her Awami League and the

Bangladesh Nationalist party The country has experiencedseveralmilitary coups, most recently in 2 0 0 7 D e b a p r i y a Bhattacharya, a senior economist with the Centre for Policy Dialogue in Dhaka, told the BBC that while the resignation had beenmetwith“euphoria”in the streets, attacks on the Hin

n immediate challenge to the newauthorities.

“There is a feeling that India completely backed S h e i k h H a s i n a ’ s government Protesters makenodistinctionbetween India and Hindu citizens of Bangladesh, which has already led to attacks on temples and people. “Now

there is a power vacuum, there is nobody to implement law and order The new government will need to protect religious minorities.” Ms. Hasina’s allies said she would not return to the country’s politics.

The former prime minister has spent a total of 20 years in office, first coming to power in 1996. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, told the BBC’s News hour programme: “She’s in her late 70s She is so disappointed that after all herhardwork,foraminority toriseupagainsther,Ithink she’sdone.“MyfamilyandI aredone.”

Critics say Ms. Hasina’s rule was characterised by forced disappearances,

extra-judicial killings and the crushing of opposition figures and government critics.

ButMr Wazed,whoalso served as an adviser to the prime minister on technology, defended his mother’s record. “She has turnedBangladesharoundin thelast15years. “Whenshe took over power, it was considered a failing state. It wasapoorcountry

“Until today, it was considered one of the rising tigersofAsia.”

About 300 people have been killed since protests brokeoutamonthagoovera q u o t a s y s t e m f o r government jobs The demonstrations, met with harsh repression by government fo

developed into a broader anti-governmentmovement.

Dr Chietigj Bajpaee, a seniorresearchfellowatthe Chatham House think tank, said the country’s high unemployment rates had made the quotas, which reserve a third of civil servicejobs for descendants of veterans of the country’s 1971independencewarwith Pakistan, a particularly salient political issue “Public sector job quotas –with400,000newgraduates competing for 3,000 civil service jobs – became a lightning rod for antigovernment unrest,” Dr Bajpaeesaid.

He added that the speed

Bangladeshi youth over the country’s “one-party rule” over the last 15 years. “In a country with such a vibrant civil society, efforts to curb political freedoms and free speechwereboundtotrigger ablowback.”

Most of the quota was scaled back by the government following a Supreme Court ruling last month, but

s continued to protest, demanding justice for those killed and injured, and Ms. Hasina’s resignation Mr Bhattacharyasaidprotesters now expected the new government to go through

reforms, better jobs and

educationsystem.

US stocks tumble on fears over slower growth

(BBC)USstockmarkets tumbled on Monday following falls in Europe and Asia as fears rose that the American economy is headingforaslowdown.

The technology-heavy Nasdaq index opened 6.3% lowerafterasharpdeclineat the end of last week, but pared its loses somewhat duringtheday

Chipmaker Intel announced major layoffs last week as well as disappointing financialresults,andthereis speculation that its rival Nvidia, which makes AI chips, will delay its latest productlaunch.

On the markets a short whileago:

· The Dow Jones index, whichfeaturesAmerica’s30 biggest listed companies,

The other main US indexes also dropped sharply before recovering, while stock markets in Europe and Asia plunged with Japan’s Nikkei 225 down by some 12.4%. It comes after weak jobs data intheUSonFridaysparked concerns about the world’s largest economy At the same time, the US Federal Reserve held off cutting interest rates last weeksomething that typically boostsgrowth-incontrastto other central banks such as theBankofEngland. And there has been concern that shares in big technology companies, particularly those investing inartificialintelligence(AI), have been overvalued and are now facing a correction.

was down 2 2% having pared its losses, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq was 2.8%lowerandtheS&P500 wasdown2.4%.

· Shares in big-hitting tech stocks had recovered a bit but remained in the red, with Nvidia down 5.4%, Amazon 3.8% lower and Appledown4.5%.

·InEurope,theCAC-40 in Paris trimmed earlier losses but was still trading 1 4% lower while Frankfurt’s DAX and the UK’s FTSE 100 were down byabout2%.

Doubts about US economy

The market rout began onFridayafterweaker-thanexpected jobs data from the US fuelled speculation that itseconomyisslowing.

In July, US employers added 114,000 roles, far fewer than expected while the unemployment rate ticked up from 4.1% to 4.3%.

The figures raised concernsthatalong-running jobs boom in the US might be coming to an end. It also stoked speculation about when - and by how muchthe Federal Reserve will cut interestrates.SimonFrench, chiefeconomistandheadof research at Panmure Liberum, said it was not yet clearifthejobsfigureswere an aberration because of HurricaneBeryl,aCategory 5 storm that hit parts of the Gulf Coast of the United States in July, or because it was a first sign that companies were hiring

fewerworkers.

The most recent data showed that the US economy grew at an annual rate of 2.8% in the three months to the end of June, much stronger than most developedcountries.

Shanti Kelemen, chief investment officer at M&G Wealth, told the BBC’s Today programme it was hard to say whether the US would tip into recession or not.

“You can pick out evidencetocreateapositive story, you can also pick out the evidence to create a negativestory,”shesaid.

“I don’t think it universally points to one directionyet.”

The rout in US markets has spread globally amid

fears of contagion. As the Nikkei plunged in Japan, stock markets in Taiwan, South Korea, India, Australia, Hong Kong and Shanghai all tumbled by between 1.4% and 8% on Monday Japan’sproblemsstemin part from its currency, the yen, which has been strengtheningagainsttheUS dollar since the Bank of Japan raised interest rates lastweek.

It has made stocks in Tokyo-andJapanesegoods in general - more expensive for foreign investors and buyers. At the same time inflation in Japan rose by more than expected in June whiletheeconomyshrankin the first three months of the year

Protesters were seen carrying out furniture

Protesters stormed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s palace after she fled the country

GFF Unveils New Kits For KFC Elite League Teams Abrams

Th e G u y a n a F o o t b a l l Federation(GFF) proudly handed over new club kits to the teams competing in the KFC Elite League.

TheEliteLeaguecurrently features ten (10) competitive teams: the Guyana Defence ForceFC,SlingerzFC,Guyana Police Force FC, Santos FC, WesternTigersFC,DenAmstel FC, Fruta Conquerors FC, Ann’s Grove United FC,

MonedderlustFC,andBuxton UnitedFC Eachteameagerly received their new kits, symbolizing their readiness to vieforthechampionship.

GFF President Wayne Forde, who presented the kitsattheevent,highlighted the significant role of the federation’s Members

(M

FAP

n making this possible. “The M-FAP program has allowed the GFF to provide tailored

supporttoourmembers These kitsarepartoftheEliteLeague Clubs M-FAPentitlement inlinewiththeregulations,”he said. He further added, “We look forward to seeing the brands of our loyal and generous sponsors being proudlydisplayedtothefans athomeandtothethousands whoareviewingtheLeague via the FIFA+ platform weekly” The new kits signify the league’s growing prestige andthecommitmentoftheGFF

toelevatingfootballinGuyana

The KFC Elite League comprises GFF clubs that play at the highest level of football in the country, ensuring that fans witness the best in local football talentandcompetition.

As the teams champion ahead in their football endeavours,thenewkitswill enhance the teams’ professionalappearanceand confidence.TheGFFthanks our generous sponsors and look forward to their continuedsupport.

Cricket West Indies to Appeal Court...

Tuesday August 06, 2024

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

Some unexpected but very welcomevisitorscouldarrive today, Aries They might bring some people you don't knowbutshouldconnectwith rightaway Expectinteresting n e w s , f a s c i n a t i n g information,.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Taurus, who's that intriguing new person in your neighborhood? What is it about this new neighbor that makesitimpossibleforyouto stop wondering about them? Quitobsessing.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

An unexpected letter could arrive today, Gemini, with a check enclosed, perhaps a gift, bonus, or offer to make more money.This might be a welcomebreak.

CANCER(June21–July22)

If you're in the arts or sciences, Cancer, sudden inspirationcouldcauseyouto startorcontinueaprojectthat meansalottoyou.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Meditation, dreams, or visions could bring amazing insights your way, Leo. You mightfindthemtoobizarreto believe, at least at first, but follow-up research could reveal that what you've come upwithisquitecredible.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

You're an adventurous soul, Virgo.Areyouthinkingabout a little mischief today? Are yougoingtoproposethatyou and a friend or perhaps your partner skip town for a day andforgetaboutwork,

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

A n u n e x p e c t e

communication may come

connected with your career, Libra.Thisisgoodnews,butit maybesooffthewallthatyou couldwalkaroundinadazefor awhiletryingtomakesenseof itall.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)

Anunexpectedchancetoflyto a faraway place, perhaps at someoneelse'sexpense,could cometoyoutoday,Scorpio.A group might be involved, perhaps one connected with education.

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

Some bizarre and rather silly dreams might come to you tonight,Sagittarius.Theymay bethesortthatissocrazythat youactuallywakeuplaughing. Don't dismiss them. Silly or not,thesedreamsaretryingto tellyousomething.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Ifyou'resingle,youcouldfeel a very powerful attraction to someone unusual and perhaps alittlewacky Ifyou'realready inarelationship.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)Have you been looking for anewjob,Aquarius?Ifso,you might hear of an opportunity from an unexpected source, perhapsatasocialgathering,if possible.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

If you're single, Pisces, love may come to you completely out of the blue today The person could be standing behind you in line at the store or sitting nearby you in the park.

gets 400m lifeline in ‘repechage round’

uyana’s Aliyah Abrams will have another opportunity to

After finishing fifth in herheat,shewillcompetein the ‘repechage round’ today

Thisformatchangewas approved by the World Athletics Council ahead of the 2024 track and field competition at the Paris Olympics.

Olympic track and field athletes who do not automaticallyqualifyinthe first round of events in the

1,500m,

Frompage24 file an appeal and will await the decision of theappellateCourt.

The election of Mr Bassarath as CWI Vice President was held at the 24th Annual General Meeting in Antigua on March 25, 2023 Mr Bassarath was unopposed, and gained six votes with two voting against, whilefourabstained.

Spain and USA on course...

Frompage23 footballforthefirsttimebut theirWorldCuptriumphlast year showed they are currently the most accomplished side in the internationalgame.

However, they were moments away from being eliminated in the quarterfinals by Colombia, as they trailed 2-0 before fighting back to equalise through IreneParedesdeepininjury time. They then won on penalties, with Barcelona’s Bonmati converting the decisive spot-kick “We don’twanttoleavehere.We want to keep our Olympic dream alive. This team has no limits,” declared young attacking star Salma Paralluelo to FIFA com ahead of facing Brazil. The Brazilians have twice won Olympicsilver,in2004and 2008,butwerenotexpected to get this far at the Paris Games.

They scraped through their group as a best thirdplaced side despite a 2-0 defeat by Spain in a game marked by the sending-off oflegendarycaptainMarta.

A

automatically qualify for

continue their medal quest with a potential three rounds of competition Those who do not qualify initiallywillhaveuptofour rounds.

Each athlete in these eventsisguaranteedatleast tworoundsofcompetition.

cs President Seb Coe stated thatthisformatchangewill givemoreexposuretotrack and field during the peak Olympicperiodandwillbe carefully scheduled to ensure every event on the Olympicprogramretainsits shareofthespotlight.

110mH, and 400mH will have an additional round to secure their spots in the semifinals.

Minister Charles Ramson Jr. and Director of Sports Steve Ninvalle attends Commonwealth

T h e 1 1 t h

Commonwealth Sports Ministers Meeting (CSMM), organized by the Commonwealth Secretariat, took place in Paris, France, from July 24-25, 2024, and was hosted by the GovernmentofCanada.

The meeting brought together sports ministers, senior officials, and key stakeholders in sport for developmentfromacrossthe Commonwealth.

ThethemeoftheCSMM this year was ‘Building Inclusive and Resilient Societies through Sport ’ Theprimaryobjectivewasto galvanize Commonwealth consensus and cooperation on key sport policy issues and address how this can be achieved through a more unitedCommonwealth.

Thisyearmarksthe75th anniversary of the Commonwealth The Commonwealth’s 56

member states explored policy options for ‘One ResilientCommonFuture’at the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting(CHOGM)inApia, Samoa, in October 2024. Sport ministers contributed to this wider policy agendasetting process through discussionsattheCSMM.

Sport is a catalyst for social change and can provide opportunities for member states to adopt policies that help build inclusive and resilient societies in pursuit of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 as defined by the UnitedNations.

Thepolicyframeworkof the meeting provided a comprehensive approach to implementing Sustainable Development Programme (SDP) initiatives at the country level, focusing on goodgovernanceandhuman

Sports Ministers Meeting in Paris

approaches, and ensuring evidence-based impact as a foundation for enterprise d

investment.

The Commonwealth Games are a symbol of the values, principles, and potential of the modern Commonwealth. They are the most widely recognized

and accessible product for most of the 2 5 billion Commonwealth citizens The future of the Commonwealth Games and the continued relevance of the Commonwealth institution itself are closely connected.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) President, Chris Jenkins OBE, and CEO, Katie Sadleir, contributed to the CSMM, with Sadleir presenting the CGF’s tenyear strategic plan entitled “Commonwealth United” and Jenkins presenting the modelforfutureGames.

Reports were delivered ontherecentsuccessesofthe B i r m i n g h a m 2 0 2 2 Commonwealth Games and the Trinbago 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games.Discussionsfocused ontherenewedvisionforthe Commonweal

Additionally, the President provided an overview of the incredible work undertaken over the lastsevenyearstodeliverthe GAPS programme to athletes across the Commonwealth. GAPS is Commonwealth Sport’s Para-sport, development, and inclusion pathway programme that provides Para-athletes and coaches with access to skills, knowledge, and resources that aid their personal developmentandtrainingas t h e y p r e p a r e f o r competition.

The programme also supportsthedevelopmentof inclusive sport pathways that promote positive social change in sport and communities throughout the Commonwealth.

h Sport Movement, considering opportunities to explore and maximize the impacts and benefits of sport across the Commonwealth.

Election of Cricket West Indies Vice-President Azim Bassarath, declared unlawful by the High Court

On 5th August, 2024, High Court Judge of the Supreme Court of Guyana, the Honourable Mr Justice Navindra Singh ordered and declared the election of Azim Bassarath as Vice President of Cricket West Indies Inc. (CWI) at the electionheldon25thMarch, 2023wasnull,voidandofno legaleffectbeingcontraryto theArticlesofAssociationof Cricket West Indies and the laws and rules governing elections.

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) in January, 2023 nominated Azim Bassarathforthepositionof Vice President of CWI in accordancewiththeArticles ofAssociationofCWIInc. GCB later withdrew the said nomination prior to the election The said withdrawal was done in writingandwaspremisedon certain reports/information received by the GCB in relation to Mr Bassarath conduct as President of the Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board.

The Returning Officer for the CWI elections, Mr Gregory Nicholls, an Attorney–at–Lawfromthe Island of Barbados, proceeded to hold the election for Vice President,

with Mr Bassarath as the candidate, despite the written and oral vociferous objectionbyGCB.

Atthesaidelection,after theobjectionsweremadeby GCB, the Returning Officer and a selected few immediate past Directors of CWImetsecretlyinahuddle and decided to proceed with the election of Mr Bassarath.

T h e s e l e c t f e w immediate past Directors of CWI and Mr. Nicholls refused to extend the common courtesy of affording GCB an audience and an opportunity to be heardinthat“huddle”.

Immediately after the election,GCBwroteseveral letters to CWI to correct the glaring and blatant wrongdoing at the election butCWI,despitebeinggiven more than a year to correct thewrong,refusedtodoso.

On several occasions CWI boasted to GCB that it was relying on the legal opinions of several leading regional legal scholars whichallegedlysuggestthat theelectionofMr Bassarath waslawfulandproper

Despite many requests and the fact that GCB is a Full Member shareholder of CWI,theseallegedopinions

werenevergiventoGCB.

GCB came to the reasonable conclusion that CWI never had any such opinions.WithCWIrefusing to correct the unmistakable unlawful election of Mr Bassarath, GCB was left with no alternative but to approachtheHighCourtfor redress.

TheGCBthereafterfiled HighCourtActionNo.2024HC-DEM-CIV-FDA-566.

Messrs. Bassarath and Nichols and CWI were namedasRespondentsinthe High Court Action and notwithstanding that they were served with the proceedings in May, 2024 andJune,2024,theydidnot file any Defenses or applicationspriortothefirst Court hearing on 5th July, 2024.TheHighCourt,onan oralapplicationmadebyMr Sanjeev Datadin, Counsel for CWI, Bassarath and Nicholls, granted further time to file any applications which they may wish to do butagaintheyfailedtodoso within the timeline fixed by theCourt.

Thehearingofthematter wasadjournedto5thAugust, 2024. On 2ndAugust, 2024, a mere two (2) days before the second hearing, CWI filed an application seeking

to challenge the jurisdiction of the High Court on the ground that the matter should be referred to arbitration.

The application was opposedbyMr Arudranauth Gossai, Counsel for GCB.

The Honourable Mr Justice

Singh held that the application to challenge jurisdictionwasmadeoutof time and that there was no application for an extension of time to file that application (to challenge jurisdiction)andneitherwas thereanapplicationforrelief from sanctions for failing to file the application within thetimeline.

Further, that neither Mr Bassarath nor Mr Nicolls filed any defence or applications of their own.

The Learned Judge also noted that neither CWI, nor Mr Bassarath nor Mr Nicholls were present at the hearingon5thAugust,2024 despite the fact that they could have joined the hearingvirtually

The Learned Judge did however consider the issue of the arbitration raised by CWI and found that CWI never offered any different interpretation to theArticles of Association, relevant to the election, to the

interpretation advanced by GCB and therefore it could not be said that a dispute aroseastotheinterpretation oftheArticlesofAssociation and therefore the arbitration clausedidnotapply

The GCB is quite happy about the decision and feels that it would pave the way for the lawful conduct of future elections and also provide guidance in the electionprocess.

GCB was forced to file the instant action to ensure goodgovernanceattheCWI level and to safeguard the integrity of the election process.

The Learned Judge then proceeded to make the followingorders:

(i) That the nomination of Azim Bassarath, for the office of Vice-President of Cricket West Indies Inc., at the Cricket West Indies Inc.’s elections held on 25th March, 2023, was null, void and of no legal effect and contrary to the Articles of Association of Cricket West Indies Inc.; (ii) That GCB’s withdrawalofitsnomination of Azim Bassarath for the office of Vice-President, prior to the elections of CricketWestIndiesInc.held on 25th March, 2023, was valid, lawful and in

compliancewiththeArticles of Association of Cricket West Indies Inc., and the laws, rules and procedures governingelections;

(iii) That the decision made by Gregory Nicholls that Azim Bassarath was duly and validly nominated despite the withdrawal of GCB’s nomination, was unlawful being contrary to theArticlesofAssociationof CricketWestIndiesInc.and the laws, rules and procedures governing elections; (iv) That the election of Azim Bassarath as Vice-President of Cricket West Indies at the elections held on 25th March, 2023, wasnullvoidandofnolegal effect and contrary to the Articles of Association of CricketWestIndiesInc.and the laws rules and procedures governing elections;

(v) That the office of Vice-President of Cricket West Indies Inc., is hereby declaredvacant;

(vi) That a new election be held by Cricket West Indies Inc. to fill the vacant positionofVice-Presidentof CricketWestIndiesInc.;

(vii)CoststoGCBinthe sum of $100,000.00 to be paid on or before 26th August,2024.

Minister Charles Ramson Jr (right) sharing a light moment with President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Chris Jenkins.

VMFA Trinidad trip hailed a massive success - Says Coach

Ateam of spirited y o u n g footballers from the Vurlon Mills Football

A c a d e m y ( V M FA ) competed in Trinidad’s Invitational Summer Cup overtheweekend.

Under the leadership of coach and founder Vurlon Mills, the 16-member U12 boys’ team represented the academy well at the event organised by the Athletic International Academy (AIA)ofTrinidad.

This historic occasion

marked the first time any local club or football organisation has provided a U12teamtheopportunityto p a r t i c i p a t e i n a n internationalevent.

The VMFA boys began theircampaignlastFridayat the Eddie Hart Stadium

Although the final results didn’t fully capture their success, the team played six games over the two-day tournament, securing two wins and four draws, and scoring a total of six goals. Fabio Kowlessar and

Midfielder, Fabio Kowlessar accounted for two goals in the tournament.

RaheemGillstoodoutastop performers,eachnettingtwo goals, while Godfrey Greaves and Simeon Devonish accounted for one goaleach.

In an interview with coach Mills, he expressed great satisfaction with the trip’ssuccess.

“Thiscompetitionwasa huge success for the Vurlon Mills Football Academy I

Vurlon Mills

Vurlon Mills Football Academy U12 team share photo-op in Trinidad and Tobago.

am extremely proud of the boys’achievements.

They performed well, and we met all our objectivesthereof

Averaging six goals in six games is definitely a plusasweprepareformore tournaments in the future,” Millsexplained Mills also emphasized that the tournament was more about achieving

objectives, rather than just the results; it was about giving these boys experienceandexposureto differentculturesandafeel for being part of a professional or national setup

“I believe we have achievedthat,”headded. The academy extended warm thanks to the parents and the staff at VMFA for

their hard work and dedication in making their first international trip a success.

Special thanks were given to sponsors such as KFC Guyana, The Siskin Group, ExxonMobil

Guyana, Ministry of Education, MVP Sports, ENet, SBM Offshore, SQ Apparels,andtheFirstLady ofGuyana,AryaAli.

Spain and USA on course for Olympic women’s football final showdown

AFP-WorldCupholders

Spain and four-time gold medallists the United States

are on course for a showdown in the Olympic women’s football final with the two heavyweights favourites to win today, Tuesday

Led by reigning Ballon d’OrAitana Bonmati, Spain face surprise semi-finalists Brazil in Marseille while a rejuvenatedUSAundernew coach Emma Hayes meet GermanyinLyon.

The Americans are the traditional powerhouse of women’s international football and their

performances at the Olympics suggest they are back as a force after a disappointing World Cup lastyear

Hayes only took over in May and is still getting to know her team but the USA

toppedtheirgroupwiththree wins from three and edged an impressive Japan after extra time in the quarterfinals, with Trinity Rodman scoringthecrucialgoal.

They have already beaten Germany in the tournament, and that 4-1 thumpinginMarseilleinthe group stage suggests they shouldfancytheirchancesof winning through to the gold medal match in Paris on Saturday “We are so confident going into games.

ThatcomesfromEmma.She believesinussomuch,”said the forward Sophia Smith whenaskedabouttheimpact ofthenewcoach.

Hayes, 47, arrived after over a decade of success at Chelseaandishopingtolead the USA to a recordextending fifth gold since women’s football was introduced at the Olympics

Spain were given a major scare before winning their quarter-final against Colombia on penalties. (Arnaud FINISTRE)

in 1996. They last won the titlein2012.

“I coached Chelsea for 12years.Iamnotgoingtobe disappointedatanythingthis

team does because I respect football at the top level, and for us to arrive tactically at theplacewehavesoquickly is real credit to the players,”

the coach said of her new charges. Germany were gold medallists in 2016, the one Olympics in which the USA

did not win any medal in women’sfootball.

Under Horst Hrubesch, theyfinishedsecondintheir group behind the USA and then edged out reigning OlympicchampionsCanada on penalties in the quarterfinals.

Goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who played under Hayes at Chelsea, was the star against Canada as she saved two penalties in the shoot-out before converting thewinningkickherself.

“It was a very tough game,butwhenitwenttothe shootout, I knew we had a great goalkeeper It gave us confidence, and she got us the victory,” defender Kathrin Hendrich told FIFA.com.

-MartabanforBrazilSpain are appearing in theOlympicwomen’s

(Continuedonpage21)

Jamual John takes Ricks & Sari Memorial Road Race title

Jamual John clinched firstplaceinthe20thEdition of the Ricks and Sari Memorial Cycle Road Race onSunday Jamual,whohas had a longstanding rivalry withBritonJohn,crossedthe finishlineinanimpressive1 hour, 40 minutes, and 26 seconds(1:40:26).

The 46-mile race, which took riders from Schoonord

to Ruby on the East Bank Essequibo and back, was marked by a fierce battle between the two Johns Throughouttherace,Jamual and Briton engaged in, an intense back-and-forth, providingspectatorswithan exhilarating show of endurance and skill. In the end, it was Jamual who emerged victorious, leaving

Briton to settle for second place. Cortis Dey of KFC Evolution rounded out the top three In the Junior category, Alex Newton dominated the competition, securingthefirst-placespot. Alexander Leung followed in second, with Jaime Kennedy completing the podium in third The Veterans/Masters Category

saw Alex Mendes take first place, with Paul Choo-weenam and Segun Hubbard finishinginsecondandthird places,respectively Abigail Jeffrey of the Kaieteur Attack Racing Cycle Club (KARCC) claimed victory in the Female category race, demonstrating remarkable prowessanddetermination.

Mike Parris set for August 11

Sixty-six-year-old Michael Anthony Parris is the only Boxer from the English-speaking Caribbean to win an Olympic Medal andisstilltheonlyGuyanese todoso.

Overfourdecadesagoin the cold conditions of the former Soviet Union, a proud Parris stood on the Medal Podium and heard Guyana’s National Anthem beingplayed.

Sill, a very active Parris will join what is anticipated tobealargecontingentona fitness walk from the Bank of Guyana to the Seawall BandstandnextSunday Today, Tuesday will be

The Over 50 Masters race featured a competitive field, with Mark Spencer taking home the first-place position Ian Jackson finished in second place, while Talim Shaw secured third. The Ricks and Sari MemorialCycleRoadRace, hosted by Ricks and Sari Agro Industries Limited in collaborationwiththeFlying

A

, commemorated the 20th anniversaryofthepassingof R

, affectionately known as the “GentleGiant.”

The event not only honoured Rodrigues’ memory but also showcased the vibrant and competitive spirit of the local cycling community

Cricket West Indies to Appeal Court Ruling on Election

of Vice President Azim Bassarath

ST JOHN’S,

Action Through

Boxer Mike Parris is the only Olympic Medalist from Guyana.

the 44th anniversary of Parris winning the Bronze Medal which he did on August6,1980,inMoscow. Thewalkisscheduledto commenceat7:30AMandis

being held to honour the A

t tremendous achievement in the1980Olympics.

The organisers, mainly the Parris family, disclosed

the preparations for the fitness walk are going smoothly with a week away fromthebigday

“We have contacted sponsors who have committed to providing water and energy drinks while I have spoken to the Director of Sports and President of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) SteveNinvallewhohasalso promised assistance from NSC,” informed Parris’ daughter

She also disclosed that a ‘good friend’ of the Parris hasvolunteeredtohelpwith themarketingandpromotion fortheEvent. (SeanDevers)

ANTIGUA - In a case filed by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) in the High Court of Guyanachallengingthe election of Mr Azim Bassarath as Vice PresidentoftheCricket West Indies, the Court ruled yesterday morning in favour of theGCB.

Thecasewasbrought against Cricket West Indies Inc , Mr Bassarath, and Mr Gregory Nicholls, the Returning Officer, all of whom were named as Respondents in the

C o u n s e l , t h e Respondents contended that the Court was without jurisdiction to hearthematterand that disputes of this nature should be resolved through arbitration. On the contrary, the Court decided it had jurisdiction and granted the orders sought by the GCB.

The respondents respectfully differ with the Court’s ruling Consequently,CWIhas instructeditslegalteam to immediately (Continuedonpage21)

Winners across all events pose with spoils at the conclusion of the 2024 Ricks and Sari Memorial Road Race.

GBA brings Badminton to the University of Guyana Universit

Th e G u y a n a

B a d m i n t o n

Association

(GBA) continued its ongoing programme as the sport made its way onto the groundsoftheUniversityof Guyana.

TheGBAspikedofftheir Shuttle project more than a year ago, with the sport being introduced across various learning institutions inGuyana.

M o s t r e c e n t l y, collaboration between the GBA and the Guyana

Olympic Association (GOA), saw even newer heightsbeingreached.

Students and teachers of the Mon Repos Primary Schoolincollaborationwith the National Sports

Commission (NSC), a l o n g s i d e t h e

a f o r e m e n t i o n e d associations, made a huge

stepastheycontinuetobuild on Guyana’s rich legacy of badminton.

Among the items presented, Rackets and Shuttles were donated to furtherencouragestudentsto engage in physical exercise and develop their athletic skills.

Meanwhile, national female champion and internationally decorated badminton star, Priyanna Ramdhani along with other national players, maintain their presence throughout these sessions, constantly imparting knowledge of the sporttothestudents.

Students also learn first hand, the fundamentals of badminton from Guyana’s premier athletes and coaches, who continue to push the sport to the top, while opening the door for futurebadmintonstars.

GBA members and GOA executives including Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon recently made a presentation of Badminton gear to the University of

Bahamas’ McCoy, Dom Rep’s Ogando through to semis of men’s 200m

the

two Caribbean

SportsMax - Wanya McCoy of the Bahamas and Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic were the only two Caribbean athletes to secure automatic

qualification to the semifinals of the men’s 200m at the Paris Olympics at the Stade de France on Monday McCoy, running out of lane nine, produced an excellent last 50m to finish second in heat two in 20.35 behind Uganda’s Tarsis Orogot who won in a comfortable20.32.

Germany’s Joshua Hartmann took the third automatic spot in that race with20.30.

Jamaica’s Bryan Levell andBahamianIanKerrwill both have to come back to tomorrow’s repechage round if they are to make it to the semifinals after fourth and fifth place finishes in their respective heats. Levell ran 20 47 to

Brazil’s Renan Correa ran 20.41 to secure the third automatic spot relegating Jamaica’s Andrew Hudson, who ran 20.53 for fourth, to Tuesday’srepechageround. Ogando was the third fastest qualifier to the semis after running 20.04 to finish second in heat four behind American Kenny Bednarek who’swinningtimeof19.96 was the fastest in the heats.

finish fourth in heat six behind 100m champion

championAndre De Grasse (20 30) and Japan’s Towa Uzawa(20 33)

Kerr ran 20 53 for fifth in heat five won by

19 99

Zimbabwe’s Tapiwanashe Makarawu ran 20 07 for secondwhileSouthAfrica’s Shaun Maswanganyi ran 20 20forthird

Letsile Tebogo of Botswana (20 10) and Joseph Fahnbulleh of Liberia (20.20) both advanced as heatwinners.

Guyana.

Wanya McCoy (left) and Alexander Ogando (right) were

only

men to achieve automatic qualification to the semifinals of the 200m in Paris.

GFF Unveils New Kits For KFC Elite League Teams