Second powership to be connected for Christmas
...canbejailedforbreachingoillaw-Jagdeo Cost for Monkey Mountain school now $490 million
…asGovt.awards$282Mcontractfordormitory …saysmotionwas‘unconstitutional’
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hugh Todd during his meeting with Venezuelan Ambassador to Guyana Carlos Amador Perez Silva
Guyana, last week,
protested against
V e n e z u e l a ' s completionofabridgebuiltbythat country's armed forces that connects the Venezuelan mainland toAnkoko Island, and specifically to the military base, which is situated on the part of Ankoko IslandthatbelongstoGuyana.
In a press release last Friday, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hugh Todd, during a meeting with Venezuelan Ambassador to Guyana, Carlos Amador Perez Silva reminded the envoy that under the Arbitral Award of October3,1899,andtheBoundary
Agreement of 1905, the international boundary passes through Ankoko Island, dividing the island between Guyana and Venezuela with Guyana's sovereignty extending over the territoryeastoftheboundaryline.
“Venezuela's activities, includingitsmilitaryactivitieseast of the boundary line thus violate Guyana's sovereignty, and internationallawrequiresthatthey be halted and that all personnel, facilities or equipment built or brought there by Venezuela be removed, ” Todd told the
Venezuelanambassador
Minister Todd referred to the provisional measures of the International Court of Justice on December 1, 2023, during which the ICJ delivered the following order: “(1)Unanimously,pending a final decision in the case, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela shallrefrainfromtakinganyaction which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute, whereby the Co-operative Republic of Guyana administers and exercises control over that area; (2) Unanimously, BothPartiesshallrefrainfromany action which might aggravate or extendthe disputebeforetheCourt or make it more difficult to resolve.”
Minister Todd further iterated Guyana's commitment to the Joint DeclarationofArgyleofDecember 14, 2023, during which both countries agreed not to threaten or use force against each other in any circumstances and committed to
coexistence, and the unity of Latin America and the Caribbean AmbassadorPerezSilvaregistered Minister Todd's submission and
positedthatCaracasisinreceiptof Guyana's protest note and an explanation from his Headquarters wouldbeforthcoming.
The Ministry said that during the initial phase of the meeting, Minister Todd began by providing anupdatewithregardstoGuyana's submission of its response on December 9, 2024, to Venezuela's counter-memorial.
The Minister further reiterated Guyana's respect for the rule of international law and reaffirmed Guyana's commitment to the InternationalCourtofJustice(ICJ) process. Additionally, Minister Todd emphasised Guyana's full compliance with the ruling of the casebeforetheInternationalCourt of Justice on the GuyanaVenezuela Border Controversy
The Minister noted Venezuela's submissionofitsrejoiner,whichis dueAugust12,2025.
Ambassador Perez Silva
acknowledged Guyana's submission of its response and notedVenezuela'ssubmissionofits rejoinerisdueonAugust12,2025.
Minister Todd furthe
expressedGuyana'scommitmentto theprinciplesoftheUnitedNations Charter, the rule of international
law, and respect for sovereignty
Ambassador Perez Silva also took the opportunity to thank Guyana foritscommitmenttointernational humanitarianlawandhumanrights lawinitstreatmentofthemigrants fromVenezuela.
HestatedthatCaracasisaware ofthetensofthousandsofmigrants from Venezuela fleeing economic hardship, which he classified as economic migrants, and noted the additional cost to the Government ofGuyana.
MinisterTodd, in his response, alludedtoGuyana'snationalpolicy initiative facilitated through the Inter-Agency Coordinating
Committee on Migrants from Venezuela, which provides humanitarian assistance and social
AmbassadorPerezSilvaexpressed Venezuela's interest in partnering
transnational organised crime, particularly trafficking in persons andhumansmuggling.
In response, Minister Todd statedthatGuyanaiscommittedto
transnational organised criminal networks.
In concluding the meeting, Minister Todd and Ambassador Perez Silva committed to remain engaged.
Se n i o r V i c e
President of
Exxon Mobil Corporation,NeilChapman, recentlytoldshareholdersof the Fortune 500 company that earnings have now quintupledsince2019.
In the same year,
ExxonMobil Guyana
L i m i t e d ( E M G L ) , previously Esso Exploration and Production Guyana
Limited (EEPGL), a subsidiary of Exxon, commenced oil production inGuyana'sStabroekBlock. The Liza project today is celebrated as one of the company's fastest ever to move from discovery to production.
D u r i n g E x x o n ' s Corporate Plan Update and Upstream Spotlight, Chapman pointed out that 70% of all the company's capital expenditure between now and the end of the decade will be in Guyana, Permian and in its LNG business.
He said the average returns on investment of all the capital expenditure in upstream between now and 2030 is over 40%. Further, Chapman informed shareholders, “that 90% of all the spending that we're deploying between now and 2030 will generate a double digitreturnatlessthan$35a barrelifthepriceislessthan $35abarrelforthelifeofthe project. And obviously we know that is not going to happen. But it illustrates the resilience of these investments.”
Although Chapman was not direct in remarks about the contribution of Guyana to the company's growth, he explained, “Between 2019 and 2025, ExxonMobil added 600,000 barrels a day of production and we divested 600,000 barrels a day of production The earnings per barrel of what we added was five times of whatwedivested.”
Since production
activities commenced in 2019, ExxonMobil Guyana has increased the daily rate of production to over 600,000 barrels. To date, Exxonhasobtainedapproval from the Government of Guyanaforsixdevelopment projects in the Stabroek Block – Liza Phase One, Liza Phase Two, Payara, Yellowtail, Uaru and Whiptail The first three projects ar
dy producing oil at a daily estimated rate of 640,000 barrelsperday(bpd).
Yellowtail is expected to come on stream by 2025, followed by Uaru in 2026 and Whiptail in 2027. On December 19, EMGL marked five years of production in Guyana. In a statement,thecompanysaid, “ExxonMobil Guyana's deepwaterdevelopmentsare the most successful in the world.
In five years, the companyhasstartedupthree complex offshore mega-
The Caribbean
C o m m u n i t y (CARICOM) is set to receive a significant development boost with the establishment of the Caribbean Future Skills Fund by the Government of Canada.
Canada's Minister of International Development,
Ahmed Hussen, has announced that Canada will contribute up to CA$3 milliontoestablishthefund.
According to a press release from Global Affairs Canada,thefundaimstohelp build a resilient workforce that can capitalise on technologicalinnovationand contribute to inclusive and sustainableeconomiesinthe Caribbean.
Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, reiterated Canada's dedication to supporting its Caribbean partners in building a resilient and sustainable future for all.
“TheCaribbeanFutureSkills Fund will contribute to economic development
while empowering communities to thrive Together,weareinvestingin a brighter future for generations to come,” he
stressed.
Minister Hussen emphasised that developing technical and vocational skills are essential for young people to become active participantsintheworkforce.
“Throughthisinvestmentwe are helping to create sustainable employment opportunities for them, contributingtotheCaribbean region's economic growth, resilience, and prosperity,” hesaid.
In the initial stages, the Government of Canada will work with Caribbean government leaders, CARICOM institutions, Canadian and Caribbean technical and vocational institutions, and private sector partners to examine feasible options for the fund set-upanddelivery Activities would include support for labour market
assessments and the establishment of pilot programmes. President Dr MohamedIrfaanAlisaidthis initiative will help advance the Region's youth developmentagenda.
“Guyanawelcomesnews of Canada's commitment to establish a fund that will unlocknewopportunitiesfor
projects on schedule and on b u d g e t , w h i l e simultaneously advancing plans for five additional projects by the end of the decade. Production capacity in Guyana is expected to surpass 1.7 million barrels per day, with gross production growing to 1.3 million barrels per day, by 2030.”
While the oil companies have been boasting higher profits and returns to its shareholders, Guyana continues to receive a meagre share of profits due to the lopsided oil contract w i t h E x x o n a n d government'srefusaltoseek arenegotiationofthedeal.
In the meantime, Exxon deducts75%ofGuyana'soil produced each month to recover cost. The remaining 25% is shared equally with Guyana as profits. The country also receives one of the lowest royalty rates knowntothesector,apaltry 2%,whichispaidquarterly.
the cost of the three projects in operation have been paid off. Despite being urged to implement a ring-fencing provision to ensure the country benefits from the current high oil prices, the government is reluctant to applythismechanism.
Faircontract?
Earlierthismonth,itwas reported that President of ExxonMobil Upstream CompanyandVicePresident o f E x x o n M o b i l Corporation, Liam Mallon
sameperiodlastyear It should be noted that 75% of that amount was deducted by the Stabroek Block partners to recover theirinvestments.
youth from the Caribbean and promote inclusive highquality education and training.
This partnership reflects our shared vision for longterm reliable economic growth and success,” the Guyanese leader said. Prime MinistersDickonMitchellof Grenada and Mia Mottley of Barbadosalsowelcomedthe initiative, adding that it will address brain drain and unlock greater opportunities for women and marginalised andat-riskgroups.
Canada has long been committed to supporting technical and vocational education and training in the Caribbean. In February, the country announced a $9.5 million contribution to Guyana's One Guyana Digital Skills Development Programme to train young Guyanese for the digital economy
Withconstantsupportfor the $18.75 million Skills to Access the Green Economy project, Canada has also contributedtothecreationof a skilled workforce for climate-related sectors in Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica and Saint Lucia.(DPI)
A key provision not included in the contract allows Exxon to shorten Guyana's share of profits by investing the earnings to develop projects yet to start up, and even finance the company's exploration activities. To date, Guyana wouldhavebeenreceivinga greater profit share with a ring-fencingprovision,since
g Agreement (PSA) with the companyas“veryfair”.
According to the Government of Guyana's Mid-Year Report, the total earnings from the export of crude oil amounted to US$9.4B in the first six months of 2024, a US$4B increase compared with the
To this end, the report states that US$7.5B in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) outflows was recorded, reflecting cost recoveryfromtheoilandgas sector Inadditiontorevenue deducted for cost, Exxon also received 50% of the profits from the Stabroek Block, in accordance with the 2016 PSA. As such, Exxon and partners bagged at least US$8 5B from Guyana's oil and gas operations in only six months.
Meanwhile, Guyana's Natural Resource Fund (NRF) received a US$1.2B top-upduringthefirsthalfof 2024.
PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.
Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456
Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS
Tel:225-8465,225-8491. Fax:225-8473,226-8210
Guyanese from all walks of life will, on
Wednesday,celebrateChristmas,athomeandin thediaspora.
Christmasisatimeofjoy,peaceandgoodwilltowards all mankind, and to strengthen bonds with loved ones and withincommunities. IntheGuyanesetradition,Christmas isatimetospreadhappinesswithfamilyandfriends,enjoy the festivities, attend parties and partake in some of the finestChristmasdishes.
This Yuletide season should serve as a period of reflectiononourlivesandhowwemustredoubleourefforts inthecomingyeartoliveinpeaceandharmony,andtomake Guyana prosperous. It is a time when Christians come together to sing carols and joyously celebrate the birth of JesusChrist.
This year, Christmas will find some of us feeling on top of the world, happy to be alive, despite the various challenges But it will find many others feelingdown,somethroughfaultsoftheirown,while others are victims of circumstance–joblessness, povertyorillness.
We hope that the less fortunate will get the opportunity to experience the joy of Christmas throughthegenerousactsofkindnessfromthosewho are better off and are conscious of their obligation to theirfellowman
On this festive occasion, all must pray for those who are bedridden in hospitals, the less fortunate, andthosewhohavelostlovedonesduringtheyear
We must also pray for those battling depression and alcohol and substance abuse, and hope that their spiritswillbelifted
It is that time of the year when the poor feel most acutely, the deep distress of not being able to provide for their families as they would like, particularly their children who are too young to even understand the meaning of poverty We should show compassion to them as Jesus Christ did in an earlier time period The nativity scene of Jesus’ birth essentially depicts the poor human conditions in Guyana, where those deserving of help aretheelderly,thehomelessandthesinglemothers
Christmas is also a time for healing and to forget the hurt, animosity, persecution and bitterness, and to renew our love for one another; hold out a hand of friendship to neighbours and friends; to those from whom we have been estranged and have done us wrong
We must recapture the spirit of the message that brought joy to the world over 2000 years ago by the BabeofBethlehem However,thespiritofgivinghas not been made easy for many who wanted to give but are not in a position to do so Needless to say, the true meaning of Christmas continues to elude the downtrodden in Guyana Too often, it is the greedy, not the needy, the rich, and not the poor who enjoy Christmas
We must not forget the tragedies the country has experienced, the goodness and kindness shown to us by others, and be thankful for the peace that surrounded our nation during a testing election periodandsubsequentchangeofadministration
Perhaps the holidays will give the political directorate, but more so the opposition, a chance to reflect on themselves and the importance of inclusiveness of all in society, so that they can make better decisions in the interest of the people, and that 2025 will be a year of healing, atonement, cooperation, and genuine and competent leadership
We must all pledge to work to free Guyana from poverty, crime and chronic unemployment; pray for all its leaders and its resilient, loving and caring people, and hope they live to see many more Christmases
DEAREDITOR, On the V-Democracy IndexGuyanaisclassifiedas an ‘electoral democracy’ verging upon an ‘electoral autocracy’. This is largely because liberal democracy proscribes all processes, political competition, collective bargaining or otherwise, won by undemocratic/illiberal means such as cohesion and variousformsofbriberyand corruption.
It is based upon this general principle that the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) was barred from governmentforalmostthree decadesandcountries,some
Singapore, Venezuela, Russia,etc.,areallclassified below Guyana as ‘electoral autocracies.’
Although somewhat patchily, Guyana has struggled to maintain a tradition of open and transparent collective bargaining negotiations Article 147 (3) of Guyana’s Constitution states that ‘Neither an employer nor a tradeunionshallbedeprived of the right to enter in collective bargaining’ Other associated laws have followed, and governments haveratifiedmostifnotallof the relevant International Labour Organisation conventions.
Yetforovertwodecades, thePPPhasbeenrefusingto have open and transparent collective bargaining with public service workers unions. It has been using all manner of machinations to undermine and destroy them; refusing to administer
thecheckoffsystemthrough which members fees are paid, withdrawing funding for education and other activities,expandingtheuse of contracted, non-union workers, etc.And its annual unilateralpayincreaseshave leftpublicservants,whoare mainly African Guyanese, relativelyimpoverished.
For example, in 2004 whenthepercapitaGDPwas US$860, the average annual salary of a teacher was 3.4 times GDP, namely US$2,924perperson.Today, an average annual teacher’s salary is about US$11,500 andtheGNI(GrossNational Income) in 2023 was about US$33,200,3.4timeswhich is US$112,000! It does not matter how these numbers are spun, teachers are not being comparatively remunerated as well as they
were two decades ago, and this is deliberate. Between 2020 and 2023, central governmentexpenditureasa per cent of GDP declined from 28.4% to 24.6%. But currentexpendituredeclined from21.7%to10.8%.
The wages and salaries of public sector workers declinedfrom6.3%to3.1%. What is most interesting is that expenditure for capital works,whichmainlygoesto Indian Guyanese who overwhelmingly support the PPP,hasgoneintheopposite direction. It was 6.7% in 2020 and 13.4 per cent in 2023! (Guyana: IMF December 2023 Article IV Consultation and Staff Report) I have argued numerous times that the above is because the PPP is seekingtoestablish
(Continuedonpage 16)
,
The passage last
Wednesday of the
Acquisition of Lands for P u b l i c P u r p o s e s (Amendment) Bill has nefariousintent.
Fresh in the minds of Guyanese is the Peoples Progressive Party’s (PPP’s) effortstodispossesssomeof theirnaturalinheritanceand deprive them of wealth. We have seen this systematic deprivationeffortsinseveral areas.
The most recent is land acquisition, setting in place the legal framework to dispossess African Guyanese of theirlands
Some cases that readily come to mind are the Cane View/Mocha
Arcadia, West Bank Demerara incident, in January 2023, where persons were forcibly thrownoffancestrallandsby thestate,onthefalseclaimit wasinthepathofafour-lane road, only to later see these lands transferred into the handsofPPPcohorts.
The PPP has also attempted to dispossess persons of their ancestral lands at Peter’s Hall, West Bank Demerara, on the pretext that the lands are needed because they surround the new DemeraraHarbourBridge.
The activism of the people,throughthecourt, is attempting to right this wrong,andatleastensure if persons must lose their lands, it is not without reasonable value and compensation
Let us not be fooled by the report that the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affair, Anil Nandlall, does not understand the concept of ancestral land
You won’t expect a man at his level to seek to hide behind such a flimsy excuse of not knowing the definition for ancestral lands.
What is he talking about, when the concept of African ancestral land has only been in a historical sense of land ownership, bought and paid for by Africansinpostslavery?
T h e c l a i m t o ancestral land may vary from group to group
But African ancestral land has always been placed in a context of reference to post slavery
acquisition of lands by former slaves who paid their dues by ownership of land
So, whatever this learned man is seeking to do will not be accepted by the heirs of these lands
The passage of the Bill will be used to l e g i t i m i s e P P P intensifying greed and c a m o u f l a g
t aggression and attack on African economic wellbeing and dignity.
A couple years ago I had cause to address the African economic genocide
At that time there were concerns about the PPP’s deliberate disinvestment in bauxite
t h r o u g h l o w e r i n g production, laying off more than 3000 bauxite workers, and breakingup the Bauxite Workers Pension Plan, which was the largest single pool of money owned by a predominantly African working group, which was worth in excess of $2 5 Billion
The disparity in the treatment was made of the predominantly African community in bauxite compared to the sugar industry where a significant number of PPP supporters populate, and which comprises theirmainlabourarm
In the public sector, whereAfricansdominate, the PPP has implemented several measures that affect wages, salaries and
pension to undermine theseworkers
The co
grounded has also been a t a r g e t f o r P P P destruction
The PPP has a track record of sabotaging the group they believe to be their greatest political challenge
Economic targeting has been one of their major means This new Bill should be seen in the context of the PPP continuous attack on the African Gu
economic well-being and dignity
The dissatisfaction among the people, and expressed in various media, must be placed in thiscontext
F o r m a n y h a v e witnessed and have been directly targeted by this regime
Where it is evident the government continues to pay no attention to the pleas of the people and therefore their response of ignoring the people cameasnosurprise
The nature of the PPP regime under Irfaan Ali and Bharrat Jagdeo is of ignoring and trampling onthepeople
This has not changed from the time under Jagdeo as President, and it is easy to figure why thatisso
T h e r e g i m e ’ s a g g r e s s i o n h a s intensified even more with the consolidation of
t h e i r p o w e r i n government and in the presence of a grossly weak and inadequate opposition
The response of the Opposition to the bill came only after pressure fromcivicsociety
And whereas they chose to join the PPP in the National Assembly to be part of a vote they would not have won, given the distribution, it is disappointing that the collective opposition did not see the need to register strongly their non-support through a non-attendance, to galvanize a protest in in front of Parliament and issue a strong statement about the consequence of thisdevelopment
In this joke of a ‘one Guyana,’today we face a circumstance of ‘all pigs being equal but some more than some;’ of failure both on the side of the Government and the political Opposition
The palpable silence of others in society as these continued abuses and deprivations is also noted
The people of Guyana must take note and learn from the struggles of t h o s e o n w h o s e shoulders we stand and recognise that this struggle is one they must take on and not run from We are reminded that power concedes nothing without a struggle
Regards,
LincolnLewis
The path of renewable energy is ours for the taking
DEAREDITOR, Do we not see the increasing strength of the waves, do we not feel the strength of the wind, do we not feel the sun upon our skin and the increasing heat in which we live?These are sources of free energy that cancostallofus$0.00when harvested. Thereisnoneed to risk health and safety for 50% savings or financial gain, which cannot cure the cancersthatweriskbringing upon the land with the pursuit of the proposed Gas toEnergyprojects.
Anyone who cares about the long-term sustainabilityofthehuman race more than short term financial gain would not risk undertaking such e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y hazardous projects that have shown themselves to be detrimental to humanity We must know which lines not to cross and which leaders not to follow
Those who do not care for the future of humanity can no longer be given the authority to make choices for our future The choices made in the past that have released the additional e n e r g y i n t o o u r environment, which has altered the climate within which we exist for the worse, must no longer continue to be that which we choose to do today at tomorrow’s peril We must change course and leverage the energy we have released over the years Let’s harvest it in a way that provides the energy we need without adding to its destructive force Climate change will be mitigated in the process and our needs will be met.
We must call upon our leaders to make the correct choices and focus on harvesting the increasing amounts of energy in the wind and the waves. Our location also easily lends itself to the harvesting of sunlight.Thisisthepaththat our nation should earnestly follow.Apath of renewable energy that preserves our way of life and our climate. A path that provides free energyandthatimprovesthe standard of living of all of ourpeople.
Itistimeforourcitizens to reflect upon the choices beforeusanditistimeforus tochoosewhichpathwewill pursue.Abankwilllendyou fundsifyouhavethemeans to repay it, even when your plannedinvestmentisnotin yourbestinterest.
Those who are short sightedusuallychoosewhat is not best over the long term.
The devastating impact of climate change has unfortunately proven this to betrue.Itisnowlefttousin Guyana to choose to put an end to the self-destructive b
History is filled with examples of those who pursue ill-gotten gain to the detriment of others, only to be destroyed by their own ruthless actions Poetic justice?Ournationhasbeen blessedwiththeopportunity to avoid repeating the mistakesofothers.
The path of renewable and free energy is ours for the taking, and it will allow us to develop and maintain thetropicalparadisethatwe have.Letthisbethepathwe choose.
Bestregards, Mr.JamilChanglee
Works, Juan
contractors that if construction of the new administrative building at
the Cheddi Jagan International Airport does not progress by early 2025, the project will face termination.
During a meeting with the contractors, on Thursday, for a number of projects underway at the airport, the Minister stressedthatadetailedplan must be submitted with timelinesforthecompletion ofeveryaspectofthework.
M i n i s t e r E d g h i l l emphasised that there will
Let’s
be no extension beyond six months “This building must be opened and the airport staff [relocated] by June 30th. We cannot go beyondthat.Ifbytheendof January,earlyFebruary,we review and we see warning signsthatthisisnotgoingto happen,wehavetoremove the contractor and put somebody to get it finished,” he said The project, which is being executed by Avinash Contracting & Scrap Metal Inc, is 40 per cent completed, while the 16month contract duration is nearlyover The Minister stressed that the contractor must double the working hours
andthestaffcomplementto expedite these works, adding that he will not accept an unrealistic work plan.
“Ineedtoseearevised workplanthatallowsforan increase of personnel and designation, who’s looking afterwindows,doors…how many people, how many hours, how much time, I want it right down to the bottom,” the Minister instructed The $890 million administrative building is expected to houseover300airportstaff whencompleted. Amodern commercial centre is also under construction at the airport,designedtofurther
(Continuedonpage09)
,
Foruntoyouisbornthisdayinthecityof DavidaSaviour,whoisChristtheLord.
—Luke2:11
Christmas is the celebration of Christ’s birth. Christ was born in early Spring, but December 25th is when we celebrate His birth.Somecountrieshavetwodaysfortheir Christmas celebration, December 25th and 26th.
The word “Christ” comes from the Latin word “Christus” which comes from the Hebrew word “Anointed” or “Messiah”. A fewyearsago,theword“Christmas”became a politically correct word again. Prior there
was the avoidance of the use of the word “Christ” in Christmas. Lately I have been seeing a new trend— to avoid saying “Christmas”, the words “Feliz Navidad” are beingused. ThetruemeaningofChristmasis Christ. Christmas is more than all the festivities.Christwasborninalowlymanger tosavemankindfromtheirsin.
This was the meaning of the first Christmas celebrated by a Heavenly Host. Let’snottakeChristoutofChristmas.“Joyto the world, the Lord has come”. A blessed Christmastoeveryone!
Regards, DanielSingh
The Suddie Public
Hospital in Region Two performed 644 surgeries in 2024, a significant increase when compared to the 502 surgeriesconductedin2023. This information was revealed on Friday last by OmkarPersaud,amemberof the hospital's board of directors, during the graduationceremonyforthe Region's newly trained healthcare professionals The ceremony was held at the Abram Zuil Secondary School. Persaud highlighted that despite many challenges, the hospital remains a pillar of effective and efficient healthcare servicesintheRegion.
As a grade-four facility, theSuddieHospitalistasked with delivering high-quality
care With only one operating room, it has successfully conducted both major and minor surgeries across three main specialties, namely, general surgery, orthopaedics, and gynaecology “During the course of 2024, the total number of surgeries done thus far is 644 of which 48 werepaediatriccases,thisis vast improvement when compared to 2023. During that year, only 502 surgeries were done,” Persaud stated. According to Persaud, the Region will increase its services in the coming year as new machines and equipment are slated to be installed at various health facilities throughout the coast. The additional services will also be complemented
A member of the hospital board, Omkar Persaud
by the new state-of-the-art hospital at Lima, which is expectedtobecompletedby June of 2025 “We do envision in the near future that the Region will be able to introduce new surgical interventions.
Hence, we are anticipating an increase in the number of referrals for surgical interventions like cataract and hip fractures,” Persaud said Suddie hospital is the main health facility in the Region where most advance services are provided.
TheMinistryofHealthis currently working to properly outfit the Oscar Joseph District Hospital at Charity, enabling it to functionaseffectivelyasthe Suddie Public Hospital (DPI)
DearEditor,
I hope that the opportunity will be grasped, that is, “skills training programmes’, as the “Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF), in collaboration with the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), is encouraging individuals in Regions Two, Three,andSixtoregisterfor courses in Heavy Duty
Equipment Operator (HDEO), Motor Vehicle Servicing and Repairs, G e n e r a l B u i l d i n g Construction, and Welding and Fabrication.” I see that the deadline of 15:00 hours onDecember18,2024.
Why am I urging that Guyanese really ‘grasp’this offer? The reasons are quite straightforward; they make for everything that revolves around‘earnability.’ Imean that the “skilled trade sectors”inanycountryturns out high earners in construction, transportation, manufacturing and industrial, natural resources andagriculture.Ispeakwith manyofmyfriendsinNorth America, and on inquiry,
they informed that ‘pure academics’is taking a backseat to the top-paying trades in the areas of truck drivers, plumbers, welders, electricians, Millwrights, bricklayers, sheet metal workers,andcarpenters.
Aswasbroughtoutinthe news, serving as an invitation, “These training initiatives aim to enhance employability among vulnerable groups by providing capacity-building and income-generating opportunities. The courses target a variety of practical skills, tailored to meet the needs of the local workforce.” I did a quick check and found out that in Canada, most qualified and experiencedweldersmakeat least $60,000 per year (Canadian).Thisisabout$5 000-$8 000 above the average salary In the US, manufacturing and construction are facing a hiring crunch for skilled workers such as carpenters, electricians, welders, and plumbers.
I repeat: This “Basic
Needs Trust Fund (BNTF)/Board of Industrial Training (BIT) courses in Heavy Duty Equipment Operator (HDEO), Motor Vehicle Servicing and Repairs, General Building Construction, and Welding and Fabrication” MUST be pounced upon. They are game changers. Already, manyhavecaughton.Infact, as of August this year, the report locally is that “Some 12,472 persons countrywide havebeentrainedindifferent fields sinceAugust 2020, as aresultofdirectinvestments being made by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government.” And going back to 2020, the PPP/C Government has invested some $1.2 billion in various training programmes being run by the said Board of IndustrialTraining(BIT).” I think it’s about time that Guyanese realise that ‘availability of qualified employees’ is almost a realityinthecountry
Sincerely, HargeshB.Singh
Although he was appointed senior Minister within the Office of the P r e s i d e n t w i t h Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh will not be shielded by President Irfaan Ali and will face the full brunt of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Act forbreachingitsprovisions. This was explained by Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday during his weekly press conference at Freedom House, Georgetown. He was at the time responding to concerns raised by Leader of the AllianceForChange(AFC), Nigel Hughes, who reportedly shared the view that Dr Singh could not be penalised under the Act, sinceheisnottheMinisterof
Finance.
According to the legislation, the Minister of Finance can be jailed for failing to publish receipts madetotheNRF Allinflows to the fund must be published in the Official Gazette and be laid in Parliament within three monthsofitsreceipt.
Jagdeo said, “So suddenlyheisworriedabout 'Oh, the Minister of Finance may not go to jail' because Ashni Singh is not the Minister of Finance. He is the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance andthereforethepersonwill notgotojailifthatprovision were to be used because the PresidentistheMinisterand therefore the President has immunity.”
The former President however,pointedoutthatthe December 23, 2020 Gazette has outlined the specific responsibilities assigned to Dr Singh.
He explained, “You will see that Ashni Singh officially was assigned
responsibilities for several things including Budget, p u b l i c f i n a n c i a l management, including government accounting and financialcontrol-allofthese come there. Once they are assignedthentheMinisteris responsible.Iftheirportfolio remains unassigned or
ungazetted then it remains with the President, so these responsi
e assigned to the Minister since23rdDecember,2020.”
As such, Jagdeo maintained that Minister Singh will be penalised undertheAct.
TheNRFActwaspassed in the National Assembly back in December 2021 amid protest action by the Opposition on the government's rush to enact the legislation. Opposition Parliamentarianswereofthe viewthatthethenBillshould havebeensenttotheSpecial Select Committee, given its importance, for greater c o n s u l
n d deliberation to further strengthenitsrequirements.
Notably, the NRF Bill wastabledonDecember16, 2021
December29-withinamere 13days.
K's Trucking & Construction, the company thatpreviouslywonthe$208 million contract to construct the Monkey Mountain SecondarySchoolinRegion Eight,hasbeenawardedtwo additional contracts worth a combined $282 million
Thesenewcontractswillsee the construction of a
students' dormitory, multipurpose hall, and kitchen to support the school'soperations.
According to the National Procurement and Tender Administration
Board (NPTAB), the contracts were awarded on December 12, 2024: Lot 1: construction of students' dormitory,multipurposehall and kitchen – $179,394,560 and Lot 2: construction of students' dormitory, multipurpose hall and kitchen–$102,603,450.
The combined value of the new contracts brings K's Trucking & Construction's total involvement in the Monkey Mountain Secondary School project to $490million.
OnMondayJuly1,2024, MinisterofEducation,Priya Manickchand,turnedthesod
t o c o m m e n c e t h e
construction of the $208,282,809school.
Kaieteur News reported that in June, the NPTAB office awarded the $208
million contract to K's Trucking & Construction
Service following a competitivebiddingprocess.
The Ministry, in a press release, said the project is partofabroadereffortbythe government to expand access to secondary educationacrossthecountry, aligning with its goal to achieve universal secondary educationby2025.
MinisterofEducation, Priya Manickchand
currently ongoing and more teachers were identified to begin training for the secondarylevel.
During the simple sod turning ceremony, Minister Manickchand highlighted the importance of the new school, stating that it will alleviate the burden on
facing logistical challenges due
o the limited availabilityofschoolsinthe Region.
The Minister further noted the holistic approach of the project, mentioning that alongside the school, provisionswillbemadefora teachers' quarters given the remote location of Monkey Mountain.
The Monkey Mountain Secondary School, when completed, is expected to cater to the educational needs of students from the communities of Monkey Mountain, Taruka and Tusseneng The complex will also have a teachers'
dormitoryforthechildrenof TarukaandTusseneng.
Theprojectalsoincludes provisions of facilities such
information technology lab, and a library– ensuring that students have access to modern learning resources.
The Ministry shared that
accommodating an average of 250 secondary-aged students.
The Ministry reported that currently, students from these communities have had
This measure aims to attract and retain qualified educators, thereby ensuring the delivery of quality education to students in the
understandsthatresidentsof
gratitude, anticipation and appreciation for the new school and the relief it will bringtotheirfamilies.
It was reported too that the residents chose to let their current Grade Six children be educated in the community pending the completionoftheschool.
A resident from the community said, “Now that we will have a brand-new s e c o n d a r y s c h o o l constructed right in our village, our children will be abletogeteducatedfromthe nursery level right up to secondary, and I can speak for most parents when I say that we can now die happily seeing the development of ourvillage.”
Georgetown was plunged into shock and terror last week after two heinous incidents laid bare the grim and horrifying reality of the threats stalking our society
These events, occurring just a day apart, were not isolated They were symptomatic of a deeper, m o r e i n s i d i o u s problem the unchecked reignofmaraudinggangsof young men who seem determined to upend every notionofsafetyanddecency inourstreets.
In the first incident, a food vendor and her daughter were allegedly accosted by two young men who, without hesitation, robbed them of their phones andhard-earnedcash.
The confrontation escalated when a security guard intervened, leading to a violent altercation. In a shockingturnofevents,one of the alleged bandits was shot dead. His accomplice, however, managed to flee, abandoning a purported getaway motorcycle after being chased by a Police patrol.
This brazen attack has raisedthespectreoffear
Ifthisincidentrattledthe public, what happened next sent shockwaves across the city The following day, a small business was stormed
by a group of young men who unleashed a level of violence that went beyond themotiveofrobbery
Thewifeofthebusiness owner was attacked along withanotherperson.
The other person/victim reportedly suffered grievous harm,withinjuriessosevere that one of his arms was almosttotallysevered. This horrifying brutality is not just an attack on the victims butisanattackonourwayof life.
These two incidents are notanomalies. Theyarepart of a broader pattern of escalating violence that should make every citizen pause and reflect on the precariousness of our collective safety Gangs of young men, often using motorcycles for swift escapes, have become a scourge, targeting supermarkets, particularly those owned by Chinese nationals, and terrorizing citizens on the streets and at places of business The brazenness of these attacks shows a disturbing lack of fear of law enforcement and a chilling disregard for humanlife.
y the inadequacies of our current crime-fighting mechanisms. WhilethePoliceboastabout their successes in curbing serious crimes, these events paint a starkly different picture.
What good is an occasional arrest or the recovery of stolen property when the cycle of violence continuesunabated?
These incidents reveal the cracks in our security apparatus and the pressing need for more decisive action.
The implications of this rising tide of violence are far-reaching Businesses now face the additional burden of fortifying themselves against these relentlessattacks.
Families live in fear, uncertain whether they will returnhomesafelyattheend o f t h e d a y T h e psychologicaltollonvictims andwitnessesistaxingandis creating a society increasingly gripped by paranoiaandfear
This is not just about crime statistics or isolated events; this is about the erosionofthesocialcontract thatbindsusasacommunity Whencitizensnolongerfeel
Lettherebenoillusions: wearenotsafe. Thesegangs have mastered the art of preying on vulnerability They strike with precision, leaving behind a trail of shattered lives and traumatized communities They operate with a chilling
Frompage06
safe, when every shadow andunfamiliarfacebecomes asourceofsuspicion,weare on the brink of losing the very essence of what makes asocietyfunction. Thetime forcomplacencyhaspassed. The government, law enforcement, and civil society must come together to confront this menace head-on. Enhanced Police patrols, the establishment of neighbourhood watch groups, and swift, visible justice for offenders are just thestartingpoints.
Itisoftenarguedthatthe root of these violent crimes liesinpoverty,alackofjobs oropportunities.
But this claim does not hold water in today’s Guyana. The reality is that there are more opportunities now for young people than ever before. There is no shortage of jobs and no
absence of vocational trainingprogrammes. What truly drives these heinous acts is not desperation but a brazen belief among perpetrators that they can evade capture and punishment. It is this sense of impunity, fuelled by gaps in enforcement and a weak justice system, that emboldenstheseyoungmen to terrorize communities withoutfearofconsequence.
Make no mistake: the situation is dire The incidents in South Georgetown are a wake-up callforeverycitizen.
The question is not whetheryouwillbeaffected bythiswaveofviolencebut when. Today it is a food vendorandasmallbusiness; tomorrow, it could be your neighbour, your friend, or evenyou.
We must face this threat
with the urgency and seriousness it demands. The time for half-measures and empty promises is over It is only through bold, coordinated action that we can hope to dismantle these gangs and restore a sense of safety and normalcy to our society We cannot allow fear and lawlessness to dictate how we live. The fightforasafer,moresecure futurebeginsnow
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionofthisnewspaper.)
It will also include business, VIP, and executive lounges, as well asapresidentialsuiteanda state-of-the-art conference room. During his visit, the
enhance the travel experienceofpassengers. The facility will house 15 concessions including currency exchange facilities, a restaurant and bar,foodconcessions,dutyfree shops, kids’ play area, andATMs.
Minister also inspected ongoing works on the inline baggage handling system, and the renovation o f t h e a i r p o r t ’ s international apron with rigidpavement,whichis38 percentcompleted.(DPI)
Demboyssehdehhadabigcompetition toseewhocouldreduceunderagecrimede most. Decompetitorswasasocialworker, a police officer, and one politician. Who win,youask?Well,lehmetellyuhhowde storyguh.
First, de social worker step up wid she results. She seh, “We drop underage crime by 20%. We put in some counselling programmes, offer assistance to families, andgivedemyouthsalilhope.” Demboys seh people clap fuh she, but not too hard. 20%nice,butitnahsoundlikeshewin.
Then,depoliceofficerjumpin.Hepuff hechestbigbigandseh,“Weslashcrimeby 30%!Wecarryoutsomehardenforcement, lock up some bad boys, and mek people fraidtostepouttaline.” Demboysclapa
lil harder After all, 30% sound like progress.Butdepolitician,hejustsitdown quiet, grinning like he done win de thing. When it come he turn, he seh, “Underage crime?Oh,thatdroptozero.”
Everybody jaw drop. Zero? Dem boys seh de social worker and de police officer lookpanicked. Howdismanpulloffzero inoneyear?
De social worker seh, “How yuh managethat?That’sincredible!”
Depoliceofficer,lookingsceptical,ask, “Zero?Fuhreal?”
Depoliticianleanbackandseh,“Yeah, man. It was simple. We change de law Now, yuh is an adult from de time yuh born.” Talkhalf.Leffhalf
SN's Saturday editorial, “Fear of retribution” (December 21, 2024) was comprehensive and revealing. It touched so m u c h o f m y o w n experiences;Ilikeit.
For the edification of Guyanese,fromtheeditorial page of SN to the pages of life - I personalize it. The scurrilous nature of the PPP Government, its top people, itsdirtypeople,areallplaced in the safekeeping of Guyanesehands.
The objective is not to instil fear, but demonstrate how to stand up to powerful politicalbullies,shamethem totheirfaces,andwhendone decide whether to defecate or urinate on them. The politicalbulliesandcowards in the PPP Government misuse taxpayers' dollars and human resources to suppress those they declare to be enemies, insurgents to be dealt with, destroyed, if possible.
Don't be afraid of them. Standuptothem,starethem down, shut them up. I have doneallthree.
The editorial nailed the
dread. Fear of retribution (job, business, contract, relationships, and so on, damaged) ripples across all Guyanese.
It is sweeping, but the ground calls for it, so the broom must fit. Guyanese don't speak because they fear Guyanese are paralyzed by anxieties of consequences should they blow a whistle, speak out of turn,standagainstthetideof corruption and leadership sleaze.
Terrence Campbell blew adogwhistleandhumansin the PPP Government heard it,rushhim. Asketchofthe environment under a government given to the unscrupulous and the malicious. Nowletmeshare (again) my experiences of retribution with this government.
The government's leadership and its agents don't take kindly to what I write, hated me for it. My crime is speaking against official corruption, taking aim at leadership subterfuges and cover-ups, makingGuyanesethink.
The latter includes their own people who are disgustedwithgovernment's hypocrisy and deceptions that fly in the face of promised transparency and accountability
Moneyisone,oilmoney and management another Retribution came sharply, quickly,andcontinually
First, people closely aligned with the brighter lights in the PPP Government and the party apparatusfiredoffwithwhat they thought would silence once and for all. Predator Forgetaboutlow
Think lice, as in louse. Retribution's first broadside didn't work. Second, the same PPP Government associated group said I bought into a share of a mediaoutfitfor$35million. The idea was to infer dark money, some lucrative involvement in corruption, or unexplained wealth Becauseitisme,allthree. Never owned any piece of any business in this country for a dollar, or a million. Enuff said. It was the second retribution.
Third, as writings intensified, the Hon Vice Presidenthimselfdecidedto dive into the sewer with his own slander To justify his nasty handiwork, he smoothedhispath:'hesaidI amcorrupt.'
That is, me about he. Bluntlyandunsparingly,Dr Jagdeo is a manipulator or fabricator, at best; at worse, he impaled himself on the jagged shoals of falsehood. Then, he went for what he believed was the jugular: 'I hear rumours that he is a predator.' He hung himself with that distortion, that defamation. Before that, it wasmytimeinAmerica,my church life here, my presencehere.
I hang all of that around his neck and that of His Excellency Ali, especially given that the perps are part ofthePPPExecutive,andthe PPPGovernment'scabinet.
Ibelievethattheyknow, becausetheyareclosetothe intellectualauthorsanddirty tricks agents in the fold. Retribution number three, and from no less a national stalwart as Dr. Bharrat
Jagdeo, Guyana's chiefpolicymaker
It is the kind of malicious and venomous policy that he proudly makes. I am still writing, still speaking, still taking the same positionsthatIalwayshave. When government or opposition do right by the Guyanese people, I commend When the opposite happens, they are condemnedandscorned.
anyobjector,inthiscountry Theyknowwhattheyhaveto fear So, they try to drive fear into the weak and vulnerable. Most succumb, a few have a finger to give them.
The last retribution from the PPP Government was hilarious, which I wished were on the money From the PPP Government's retribution centre came the desperate and selfridiculing.
It was of men dropping off bags of money to me. I invite them to come again, with a bigger bag, and more than two, since it is Christmastime.
Thinking of all these politically engineered retributive efforts, it is obvious that the PPP Government and its twisted leadership are incapable of tolerating any independent,
These are the stark circumstances of PPP Government retributions for utilizing freedom of speech, sharing in public discourse. Yet President Ali still mumblesabouttransparency andaccountability Attorney General Nandlall makes a cartoon character of himself bypontificatingaboutruleof law And Vice President Jagdeo oozes with malevolence and retribution against those who denude him of his pretences. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionofthisnewspaper.)
The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) is working feverishly to connect the second power ship to the national grid, which Prime Minister, Mark Phillip, said would improve electricity generation, and which should be up and running beforeChristmas.
Guyanese have been suffering daily blackouts, forcing government to rent two power ships to boost electricity supply The second ship is anchored at
the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) terminalatRuimveldt.
Phillips, on Sunday, conducted a site visit at the new Georgetown substation and the newly arrived powership docked in the D e m e r a r a R i v e r
Accompanied by Mr Kesh Nandlall, GPL's CEO (ag); Mr Antonio Neto, UCC Americas Director, and technical teams from GPL and Kalpataru Projects International Limited
(KPIL), the Prime Minister inspected ongoing works to connectthepowershiptothe nationalgrid.
The powership is
connected to the grid via a 3.9-kilometre double-circuit line Supported by approximately22structures, it will initially supply 60 megawatts of electricity to the national grid, with an additional 15 megawatts to follow in its second phase. This infrastructure enables electricity injection at the
Businessman Claude Stuart is seeking justice after a cutlass gang, on Thursday, chopped his wife and a customer during an invasion of a Superbet outlet at Castello HousingScheme,Georgetown.
The invasion was captured on security cameras mounted on nearby buildings
Following a slow response by Police, the businessman decided to upload some of the footage on a Facebook page demanding justice.
The gang of cutlass-wielding men brutally attacked one of Stuart's customers, chopping the person multiple times to the back. Outnumbered, the customer sought refugeinthebusinessplace,buthisattackers forced their way in and continued to chop him. During the brutal attack, they also
The second powership is expected to add initially 60 megawatts of electricity to the national grid.
newGeorgetownsubstation, with additional distribution to the Sophia substation.
DuringSunday'svisit,Prime Minister Phillips expressed confidence in the project's progress,referringtoitas"a commendableeffort".
"Based on the briefing I received this morning; we are on target. Soon we'll be connecting the ship, and the
power will be available as planned for Christmas,"
Philipsisquotedassayingin a press release issued by his office. The Prime Minister also acknowledged the challenges posed by controlled power outages, butassuredfinalconnections and preliminary checks, including engine start-ups and testing, are set to be
completed before the holidays, ensuring readiness foroperation.
"We want to ask the people, especially those suffering from power outages as a result of this project,tobearwithus.This is a controlled power outage toensurethatweconnectand test, so everyone will have
(Continuedonpage16)
assaulted Stuart's wife, who was behind the counteratthetime. Reportsarethattheybeat thewomanwithwhatlookedlikeashotgun. The businessman claimed that she was also choppedandtheassailantseventhreatenedto killher
However, one of the attackers was reportedlyinjuredduringthechoppingspree. His accomplices helped him out of the building, while the woman reportedly managed to escape by running through the front door It also allowed the customer enough time to hide and secured himself inside the building from the gang. The attackers returned, but after they could not find him they left. A few minutes later the customeremergedfromtheshopwithabadly disfiguredarm.
The government's latest efforts to foster selfdevelopment in citizens and empower local communities have resulted in some 108 small contractors from Region Five being awarded over $1.5 billion in road contracts.
This initiative will empower local contractors, accelerate development, enable widespread road construction and upgrades, and provide over 600 job opportunitiestoconstruction workers in the Region Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, oversawthecontractsigning duringavisittoRegionFive on Saturday He urged contractors to view the opportunity not as a quick way to earn money, but as a chance at self-enhancement and contribution to regional development.
Highlighting the number
of jobs these contracts will provide, the Minister said, “when you look at the multiplied effects of initiativeslikethisandhowit gets down to the ordinary man in the street, it is something that is very important.”
He further implored contractors to execute their duties diligently so as to leave a long-lasting positive i m p a c t o n t h e i r communities “ putting yourbestfootforward[and]
understanding that 30 years f r o m n o w y o u r grandchildren will be walking on that same road andsomebodywillbeableto say that [you] did that,” Minister Edghill told contractors.
To assist contractors in getting started, several measureswereimplemented to ensure efficiency and quality Contractors will receive a 10% mobilisation advance without requiring a bond, while those with a
bond will qualify for a 30% mobilisation advance Payments
se reque
ng the 10% mobilisationadvancewillbe expedited as early as next Tuesday
The Minister also stressed the importance of using tested concrete to ensure durability and encouraged teamwork
Local contractor signing contract
among contractors to completetheworksswiftly
AstheMinisterdelivered his remarks, the audience of local contractors expressed their gratitude for what they described as an opportunity ofalifetime.
The Department of Public Information (DPI) caughtupwithsomeofthem to document their thoughts duringthiskeyeventintheir careers CEO of NR enterprise Neesa Sooknanan told DPI that this opportunity has enabled her
to fulfil her childhood dreams despite setbacks in completing her secondary education. “Growing up I always dreamed of b e c o m i n g a businesswoman…and as a woman I love to show that we can do anything…and that being a contractor is [not] only for males,” she said.
Other contractors like AmernauthKiritpalalsosaw hisdreamsbeingrealised.“It is indeed a great venture for (Continuedonpage16)
On December 19, 2024, we marked five years of oil production and, by now, Guyana should have been debt-free. Every household should have been collecting a handsome sum of money monthly from our oil wealth—without having to renegotiate the contract.
Instead, Guyana is still borrowing money to run the country, while ExxonMobil is walking away with billions of US dollars annually, and half the population is scrambling for a $100,000 cash grant (roughly US$500).
This isn't just about the lopsided contract—it's about the complicity of our leaders in betraying their people.
President of the Guyana Teachers' Union (GTU) Dr MarkLytehasdescribedthe motionmovedandapproved bytheGeneralCouncilofthe GTUtosuspendhimandhis nd2 Vice President (VP) Julian Cambridge, as unconstitutional.
Dr Lyte and Cambridge were suspended, last Tuesday evening, following a meeting with members of theUnion'sGeneralCouncil.
This newspaper was informed of the suspension hours after the motion was moved and approved. The decision to suspend the two GTU executives was purportedly due to them acceptingthe10percentpay increase offered by the Government to teachers backinAugust.
Inaninvitedcommentto Kaieteur News on Sunday, Dr Lytesaidthatthelegality ofthemotionhassincecome intoquestion. Heexplained: “There are a number breaches to the constitution of the Guyana Teachers' Union'srules. Forexample, ithasbeensixdayssincethe motion has been moved and notanofficialstatementwas given to us detailing the reason for the suspension or howlongthesuspensionwill
last…” Hesaidthisisthenormal procedure followed by the Ministry of Education when a teacher is alleged to have committed a misdeed or misdemeanour “It is imperative for them to provide in writing, the reason for the suspension and the duration,” the GTU Presidentadded. Assuch,he said, the decision is challengeable and steps will betakentodosoinacourtof lawinduecourse.
“All of my actions leading up to the signing of the agreement with the Ministry of Education for salary increases for teachers were done in keeping with the constitution and the decision of the General Council of the Union. So if thissuspensionhasanything todowiththesigningofthat agreement it will be wholly misconceived,”Dr Lytetold KaieteurNews
Dr Lyte told this publicationthathehassince reached out to the Union asking that they “spell out,” details of his suspension in writing, but they have yet to respond. “I've been waiting patiently on their response. It has been six days and counting and no word,” the
…says motion passed by General Council ‘unconstitutional’
Suspended: GTU
2nd Vice President, Julian Cambridge
GTUPresidentsaid.
In addition to Dr Lyte, a sourceclosetotheissuetold Kaieteur News that the motion was ill-conceived, vexatious and lacked any legal basis. “In my view, it was the worst mistake… It lacked the legal basis and constitutionally On that dreadful day when they decidedtomovethemotion, it is evident that the persons responsible for it had not thought it through. I t was not a proper motion in my opinion,”thesourcesaid.
According to the source, for this reason, the motion can be challenged and overturned. “For instance, the Union is yet to make an official statement as to the r e a s o n ( s ) f o r t h e
The management of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL)companywillbeheld accountable if the country's power supply system is not improved significantly by 2025, President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has declared.
President Ali addressed the critical issue during the second episode of 'In the Seat'.The country's power supply reliability has been
causing widespread frustration among citizens and adversely affecting the business community Addressing the issue on Saturday evening, President Ali pointed out that heavy investmentshavebeenmade to improve the transmission anddistributionnetworkand visible improvements are expected in GPL's service delivery Failure to do so will be met with dire consequences,hewarned.
“I have made it very clear to the management of GPL that heads will roll there too. If we do not see marked improvement at the end of January… then heads will roll,” thePresidentsaid. Further, President Ali noted that the government is currently exploring the need for technical expertise to ensure the power supply system is effectively managed.
“We are examining that right now, because I will tell you…we are investing to make it better and we will hold accountable the persons who ought to ensure the system works and works better,” he said. When the PPP/C Administration took office in 2020, there was little to no investments in improving the transmission and distribution lines. This neglectresultedinthesystem being incapable of meeting
suspension…. And let's just say that it is for the reason suspected, which is the signingoftheagreementfor thepayincreaseforteachers, theneverymemberthatsatat thenegotiatingtablewiththe Ministry of Education should be suspended since the agreement was based on the vote by the General Counciloftheunion.Inthat way,itcreatesanatmosphere for unbiased investigation into the issue to take place. By pinpointing these men who were the signatories on the documents, the Union has already assumed a position of guilt for these men,”thesourceexplained. Further, the source said thatsincethefirstdecisionto signtheagreementforsalary increases for teachers was sanctioned by the GTU's General Council, another
meeting by the General Council cannot rectify the situation “The General Council cannot undo a decision of the General Council. It takes a special congress to do that…. It makes the whole decision seemspoliticalinnature.”
Suspended: Dr. Mark Lyte. Lyte.
demands President Ali affirmed that significant work is ongoing to modernise the transmission anddistributionnetwork. Moreover, additional powerhasbeenprocuredvia a second powership, and workistakingplacetocreate a heavy-duty transmission linethatwillbeconnectedto a centralised control centre. These are just part of solutions to provide relief to the populace in the shortterm. A multi-billion-dollar gas-to-energy power plant is being constructed in Wales, Region Three, which is expected to come onstream in 2025 This major undertaking is expected to provide consumers with reliable and cheaper power andslashelectricitycostsby 50 per cent, allowing consumers to save significantly in the coming years.(DPI)
Additionally, the source noted that there are a few members within the GTU executive that will benefit from the suspension. “We all know who is behind the motion and they are ones who stand to benefit if Mr Lyte does not return to the position,” the source revealed.
Last August, to the displeasure of many teachers, Dr Lyte signed a multi-year agreement with the government accepting the ten per cent pay hike for teachers and a slew of other benefits Among other things, the agreement stipulates that teachers will receive a salary increase of 10% for 2024, 8% for 2025 and 9% for 2026. These are the same increases that the Union had previously rejected.
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From page 11 more electricity available.” He further commended the efforts of GPL and its contractor KPIL, emphasising the swift execution of the project within the six-week timeframe. The project is in its final stages, with only the connection, testing, and power distribution phases to be completed.
Addressing the power company’s readiness to manage this new power source, the Prime Minister expressed complete confidence in GPL’s capabilities. He highlighted that senior GPL personnel have been overseeing the project from its inception and will continue to manage the power distribution process. Drawing on their successful experience with the 36-megawatt setup in Berbice, the Prime Minister conveyed his full assurance in the team’s ability to effectively manage and distribute the additional power to Guyanese consumers. The powership is a cru-
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cial part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to enhance the reliability of electricity nationwide, paving the way for more stable energy for all Guyanese.
The agreement to rent a second powership was officially signed on November 13, 2024. GPL’s head, Nandlall, signed the contract with the Managing Director
of the Americas, UCC Holdings, Mr. Neto. This second powership is being rented from the same company that leased the first one for a period of two years. That contract was signed between the GPL Inc. and UCI, a subsidiary of UCC Holdings, a company incorporated in the State of Qatar. UCC Holdings reportedly has a strategic alli-
ance with Karpowership International, a Turkish company. That deal is for some 36 megawatts of power. Karpowership arrived in May and was set up at Everton, Berbice, Region Six. For the first vessel, Guyana had to pay a mobilization fee of US$1M to get the ship here and the contract, according to GPL, includes the provision
of operation and maintenance services as part of the agreement. The utility company had said then, “the contract requires GPL to pay UCI a fee of 6.62 US cents per kWh as a monthly charter fee for the powership and a monthly operation and maintenance fee of 0.98 US cents per kWh, based on electricity generated.”
‘Collective Bargaining: towards a dictatorship’...
From page 04 ethnic/political dominance in Guyana and my contention can easily be scientifically defeated by the PPP government financing an independent ‘ethnic disparity analysis’ over its period in government.
Earlier this year, the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) took industrial action after refusing the usual government-imposed increases in renumeration.
It requested open and transparent collective bargaining, which the government refused.
The union resorted to the court who seized the issue and determined that collective bargaining was the legal pathway and organised a conciliation process that broke down.
But without returning to the court to explain this and request a way forward, which appeared the next logical step, out of the blue the union leadership accepted a government offer that was not fundamentally different from the one that led to the strike.
And now two of the GTU main officials/negotiators have been pilloried and suspended by the union for dereliction of duty!
The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has also usually rejected the government’s annual unilateral wages imposition and unsuccessfully requested normal open and transparent collective bargaining.
It has also had to face the brunt of the PPP’s government attack upon the unions.
This is understandable for the union is strategically placed, mainly supported by African Guyanese, and historically the regime has falsely
partly blamed the union and not the PPP’s communist intent and meanderings for its being kept out of office during the period of the global containment of communism.
Given this quarrelsome history, it was somewhat surprising to hear that, after what Stabroek News described as ‘secret negotiations’, a collective bargaining agreement was recently concluded with the government.
What is also somewhat baffling is that usually in Guyana when union leaders complete a collective bargaining agreement, as with elected officials everywhere, self-interest makes them loud in praise of themselves.
But since the completion of the present ’secret’ agreement, the leaders of the GPSU has been largely silent and it is the government that has been using the media to praise itself!
Employers should not be allowed to unilaterally set unionized workers’ salaries and transparent collective bargaining should also help to counter the possibility of unions becoming company unions controlled by the employers.
In his ‘West on Trial’, Cheddi Jagan told a related story. “In 1945, I became the treasurer of a working-class organisation, the Man-Power Citizens Association (MPCA).
Unfortunately, this did not continue for long.
The union machinery was against me, and I was removed from office at the end of one year.
Pressure was brought to bear upon me because I objected firstly, to high expense allowances from the fund of a poor union and secondly, to the tendency of the union leaders to collaborate with the
sugar planters.
Actually, the union had been already set on its course of becoming company dominated.”
Like most autocratic regimes, the PPP usually seeks to hoodwink the population with form not content, but properly conducted collective bargaining is a series of negotiations in which trade union leaders must continuously consult with their members and negotiating teams, even as they negotiate with the employers.
Thus, union leaders are required to meet with the members and seek a clear understanding of the changes which they require in their contracts.
Such meetings may demonstrate differences among the members on serious issues such as pay rates, working hours, safety, etc.
Importantly, the negotiators are expected to always keep their principals informed and seek their support in reaching acceptable settlements.
At the end of the process, they should hold a general meeting to get workers to vote for the settlement they propose. If this process of accountability is non-existent or inadequate, as apparently happened in the case of the GTU, the negotiators and the employer can pay the price.
Staying with the important difference between form and content, there is a point of view that since the USA is a democracy and has ‘secret bargaining’, Guyana could also have it! Context is important: America is a democracy and Guyana is an autocracy that flourishes on
secrecy.
And it is the unions that are more in favour of ‘secret’ negotiations because the lack of transparency in negotiations leads to the ‘routine awarding of inflated compensation and benefits packages that far exceed typical private-sector employment terms.’
Furthermore, what Guyana is now adopting as good the USA is rejecting as bad and undemocratic. While only about half of US states at present have some form of transparency rules and open collective bargaining, this has increased from about 15% in 2012.
Interestingly, 2018 a Washington Policy Centre brief argues that Washington state has one of the strongest laws to promote open government and accountability, but government employee contracts that involve billions of dollars are usually negotiated in secret.
‘The public should be allowed to follow the process and hold government officials accountable for the spending decisions they make on taxpayers’ behalf.
Similarly, union members would benefit from knowing exactly what proposals their union representatives are requesting and what proposals they are rejecting.
In addition, open negotiations would help the public determine who is acting in good or bad faith.’
It does appear that contrary to PPP propagandists, Guyana is maintaining its trajectory towards dictatorship!
Sincerely, Dr. Henry Jeffrey
108 small contractors empowered through $1.5 billion in road...
From page 12
small contractors to have an opportunity to get into the business. With my company, I have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time now. Today…it will all come to reality,” he said.
For many contractors, this marks the first time they have being granted the platform to showcase their skills and make a substantial contribution to their community.
Several recipients also commended the government for this intervention, noting that it will provide jobs opportunities to scores of households and youth, further develop the Region and accelerate national progress. Initiatives like these demonstrate the government’s commitment to inclusive development and its determination to empower the nation at its grassroot levels. (DPI)
Despite pouring billions into the Guyana Sugar Corporation with little results since it returned to government - the PPP/C Administration is now warning of management shake-up if the underperforming state entity does notmeetitstarget.
The bearer of the news was President Irfaan Ali, during an interview with reporters over the weekend.
Noting that he is aware of the challenges facing the corporation, PresidentAlisaidthemanagement is also aware of their underperformance. However, he said,failuretomeetspecifictargets will result in decisive managerial actions.
“Wesatdownwiththem[and] they brought together an investment plan that is needed to keepthefactoryefficient.
We have supported that investmentplan[and]Ihavemade it very clear that if the target for 2025 (first and second crop target) is not met, then heads will roll,” President Ali was quoted in a Department of Public Information
(DPI) press release. The ailing sugar corporation has, over the years seen continuous decline in performance in terms of production,buthasseenbillionsof dollars from the nation’s coffers being plugged annually into the industry
Inthemid-yearreport,Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh said the industry is estimated to have contracted by 60.4 per cent in the first half of this year, with productionof6,739tonnesofsugar reported by the Guyana Sugar Corporation(GuySuCo).
This performance was attributed to the carried over impacts of drier-than-usual weather conditions last year into thesecondquarterofthisyear
As a result of the performance in the first half of the year, the growth projection for the sector is now 16.3 per cent for 2024, with a revisedprojectionof70,000tonnes ofsugartobeproducedthisyear.
Additionally the Government saiditsinterventionsintheindustry are aimed at diversifying and modernising the sugar industry, while reducing the cost of
production. Thesamereportstated that some 2,734 hectares of land were converted to support mechanised cultivation and harvestingofsugarcaneattheRose Hall, Albion, Blairmont, and Uitvlugt estates, bringing the total landconvertedto8,400hectares.
Moreover, six additional cane harvesters were expected to be operational by the end of 2024, increasingthefleettoten.
Further, the rehabilitation of heavyandlightdutyrevetmentsto strengthen the drainage system across the industry is on track for completion.
Anadditionalsugardryeratthe Blairmont Estate, budgeted at $60 million, is expected to be installed bytheendoftheyear
This dryer will enhance the quality of the sugar for packaging. Further, the two additional lines at the packaging plant at Blairmont andconstructionofthebuildingfor thepackagingplantatAlbionareon tracktobecompletedbytheendof theyear.
Theindustrycurrentlyemploys 8,179 persons and it is anticipated that employment will expand to
over 8,300 in the remainder of the year Back in 2017, the Coalition Government had unveiled what it termeda‘StatePaperontheFuture of the Sugar Industry’, which it then said would focus on the poorly-performingestatesandhave them shift from sugar to diversification.
The plan was to amalgamate Wales Estate with Uitvlugt Estate andreassignitscanetotheUitvlugt factory The coalition also sought to divest itself of the Skeldon Estate. The estates of Albion and RoseHallweretobeamalgamated andthefactoryatRoseHallwasto beclosed.
The Coalition had said that the industrywouldthenconsistofthree estates and three sugar factories. TheestateswouldbeBlairmonton the West Bank Berbice, AlbionRose Hall in East Berbice and the Uitvlugt-Wales estate in West Demerara.
The PPP/C had criticised the move and made a central theme of its 2020 elections campaign to reopenalloftheshutteredestates.
As part of its efforts to modernise the sugar industry, the
PPP Government has injected billions to mechanise certain aspects of production and improve facilities to increase production output. At present, packaging plants are being constructed in Albion and Blairmont to improve value-addedproducts.
President Ali had said previously that efforts to revitalise the industry comes at a high cost and cannot be considered solely a financial product, but as an economicsolutionforfamilies.
Eight companies submitted bids to carry out rehabilitative works to the internal roads and drains at the Guyana Power and Light’scompoundatGarden
of Eden, East Bank Demerara, the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) announced on Tuesday The tender board disclosed that of the eight companies, five submitted bids that were above the engineer’s estimates to executetheworks.
DateofTenderOpening:December17,2024
FileNumber:GuyanaPower&LightInc (393/2024/02)-EngineeringProcurementand ConstructionandFinancingServicesfor InfrastructureDevelopmentProjectsPhase2Lots1-3
The engineer’s estimate is$91,851,540.
M&B Construction submitted the highest bid with$141,913,640whileS Manaram Enterprise’s bid stood at $99, 534,380, making it the lowest of the five. The other companies
thatbidabovetheengineer’s estimate are PP Building
S
K InternationalInc. Bids were also opened for the supply and delivery of safety footwear for GPL, the supply & delivery of
DateofTenderOpening:December17,2024
FileNumber:GuyanaEnergyAgency(264/2024/01) -Supply&DeliveryofElectricalItems
DateofTenderOpening:December17,2024
FileNumber:GuyanaLandsand SurveysCommission(274/2024/01) -SupplyofLightDetectionand Randging(LIDAR)SurveyforRegion1
DateofTenderOpening:December17,2024
FileNumber:GuyanaPower& LightInc(393/2024/02)-Engineering ProcurementandConstruction andFinancingServicesforInfrastructure DevelopmentProjectsPhase2Lots1-3
electrical items for the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), and the servicing of vehicles for the Guyana National Bureau of Standards(GNBS). Meanwhile, NPTAB receivednobidsfortwoGPL projectsrelatedtothesupply, i n s t a l l a t i o n a n d commissioning of 15 KV ClassMetalCladSwitchgear Lot 1-4 and engineering p
a n d construction and financing services for infrastructure development projects phase 2.
FileNumber:GuyanaPower&LightInc(413/2024/02) -RehabilitationofWorkstoInternalRoads&Drains atGPLCompoundGardenofEdenEBD
FileNumber:GuyanaPower&LightInc(411/2024/02) -SupplyandDeliveryofSafetyFootwear
( A L J A Z E E R A ) -
Turkey’s foreign minister has met with the head of Syria’s new administration, promising help with the political transition and rebuilding the war-torn country after the fall of the Basharal-Assadregime.
In their meeting in Damascus on Sunday, Turkey’s Hakan Fidan and Syria’sdefactorulerAhmed al-Sharaa stressed the need for unity and stability in Syria, as they called for the lifting of all international sanctions against the warr a v a g e d c o u n t r y Photographs and footage shared by the Turkish ministry showed Fidan and al-Sharaa hug and shake hands,theirmeetingcoming two days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdogansaidFidanwouldbe going to Damascus to discuss the new structure in Syria.
Addressing the news conference with al-Sharaa, Fidan said Turkey “will continue to stand by your side Hopefully the darkest days of Syria are behind [and] better days await us ” Fidan said sanctionsonDamascusmust be lifted “as soon as possible” and the international community “needs to mobilise to help Syriagetbackonitsfeetand for the displaced people to return”.
Al-Sharaa, who was holdinghisfirstpublicnews conferencesinceleadingthe operation to topple al-Assad and assume power two weeksago,alsocalledonthe international community to lift all sanctions against Syria.
“All the economic sanctionsmustbelifted,now the predator has gone and onlythevictimsremain.
The factors of injustice and oppression have gone. Now the time is opportune for these sanctions to be lifted,” said the head of the HayatTahriral-Sham(HTS) group “This regime has beenrulingformorethan50 years, and some of these sanctionswerehandeddown inthe1970s.That’swhythe action must be swift, these sanctions must be lifted quicklyinorderforustotake ourcountryforward.”
The two officials discussed the necessity of drafting a new Syrian constitutionthatprotectsthe country’sminorities.
The issue of Syrian refugees, Israel’s “violations” of Syrian sovereignty,andtheKurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG)issuewerealsoonthe agenda.
The opposition’s taking overofpowerinSyriacame after 13 years of brutal war, which started as a largely unarmeduprisingagainstalAssadin2011buteventually
turned into an all-out war that dragged in foreign powers, killed hundreds of thousands of people, and turned millions into refugees.
Fidan’s visit to
Damascus came amid fighting in northeast Syria between Turkey -backed Syrian fighters and the Kurdish YPG group, which Ankararegardsasaterrorist organisation.
Turkey had for years backed rebels seeking to removeal-Assad,whilealso hosting millions of Syrian refugees it hopes will start returninghome.
Al Jazeera’s Resul Sardar, reporting from Damascus,saidTurkeyhas offered help to the new Syrian administration, “ e m p h a s i z i n g t h e importance of keeping the state institutions up and running”
“Turkey has been one of the main backers of the Syrianoppositionsincethe uprisingstartedin2011 So now Fidan was in Damascus, and he simply emphasizedtheimportance of preserving the state apparatuses,”hesaid
Lebanese Druze leader alsovisits
Al-Sharaa on Sunday also hosted Lebanese Druze leader Walid
governments and Syrians alike express concerns
[Turkish Foreign Ministry/Handout via Reuters]
over the protection of minorities under the new Syrian government, including the Kurds, Christians, Alawites, and the Druze who are anArab minority practising an offshootofIslam
“We take pride in our culture, our religion and ourIslam Being part of the Islamic environment does not mean the exclusion of other sects On the contrary, it is our duty to protect them,” al-Sharaa said during his meeting with Jumblatt, in comments broadcast by Lebanese broadcaster Al Jadeed
Jumblatt is the first Lebanese figure to visit Syria and meet the leaders ofitsnewgovernment
Jumblatt, a veteran
politician and prominent Druze leader, said alAssad’s removal should be the beginning of a new era of relations between LebanonandSyria Alongtime critic of Syria’s involvement in Lebanon, he blamed al-Assad’s father, former President Hafez al-Assad, for the assassination of his father decadesago
“We salute the Syrian people for their great victoriesandwesaluteyou for your battle that you waged to get rid of oppression and tyranny that lasted more than 50 years,” Jumblatt told alSharaa
Al-Sharaa, until recently known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, said h e w o u l d s e n d a government delegation to
the southwestern Druze city of Sweida in Syria, pledging to provide services to its community in order to honour the country’s“richdiversityof sects”
“Syriawillnolongerbe a case of negative interference in Lebanon,” he said Al Jazeera correspondent Sardar said al-Sharaa has given his assurances that all religious and ethnic minorities will be “fairly represented” in Syria “Whether the new administration is going to be tolerant enough against the minorities, whether the minorities are going to be represented fairly in a new Syria or not – that question is being repeatedly asked to Ahmad al-Sharaa,” he said.
(BBC News) An American fighter jet has been shot down over the Red Sea in an apparent “friendly fire” incident, the US military has said. Both crew from the US Navy F/A-18 Hornet ejected safely, with one suffering minorinjuries,accordingto CentralCommand.
The incident came after theUScarriedoutaseriesof air strikes against a missile storage site and command facilities in the Yemeni capital Sanaa operated by Iran-backed Houthi militants. US Central Command
added it also hit multiple Houthi drones and an antiship cruise missile over the RedSea.Inastatement,US Central Command confirmed a “friendly fire” incident over the Red Sea.
“The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is part of the USS Harry S Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18, which was flying off the USS Harry S Truman,” the statementsaid.
It is not clear whether the downed aircraft had beeninvolvedintheYemen operation. Earlier Central
Command said the strikes against targets in Sanaa aimed to “disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against US Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab alMandeb,andGulfofAden”. The US military also said it struck “multiple Houthi one-way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles, or drones, and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea” using“USAirForceandUS Navyassets,includingF/A18s”.
The Houthis, an Iranbacked rebel group that
controls north-western Yemen, began attacking Israeli and international shipping shortly after the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians Since November 2023, Houthi missile attacks have sunk two vessels in the Red Sea and damaged others. They have claimed, often falsely, that they are targeting ships onlylinkedtoIsrael,theUS ortheUK.
Last December, the US, UK and 12 other nations launched Operation Prosperity Guardian to
protect Red Sea shipping lanesagainsttheattacks.On Saturday, Israel’s military said its attempts to shoot down a projectile launched from Yemen were unsuccessfulandthemissile struck a park in Tel Aviv Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency medical service, said it treated 16 people who were “mildly injured” by glass shards from shattered windows in nearby buildings. Another 14 people suffered minor injuries on their way to protected areas were also treated, it said. A Houthi spokesman said the group
hit a military target using a hypersonicballisticmissile.
Earlier this week, Israel conductedaseriesofstrikes against what it said were Houthi military targets, hitting ports as well as energy infrastructure in the Yemeni capital Sanaa Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported that nine people were killed in the port of Salif and the Ras Issa oil terminal. The Houthis have vowed to continue their attacksuntilthewarinGaza ends. The US says its latest strike is part of a commitmenttoprotectitself anditsallies.
(BBCSport)-Liverpool went four points clear at the topofthePremierLeagueas they handed out a merciless thrashing to Tottenham Hotspurinfrontoftheirown fans.
Arne Slot’s pacesetters were simply irresistible as every frailty in an injury-hit Spurs team was ruthlessly exposed.
Liverpool had already had several opportunities before Luis Diaz headed in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s perfect cross after 23 minutes,AlexisMacAllister doubling their lead with another header 13 minutes later
James Maddison gave Spurs hope of an unlikely comebackwhenhecurledin hiseighthgoaloftheseason four minutes before halftimebutthatwassnuffedout in first-half stoppage time whenMohamedSalahsetup Dominik Szoboszlai for a simplefinish.
Spurs,withalengthylist of absentees and fielding an unchanged team having played a Carabao Cup
quarter-final against Manchester United on Thursday,lookedleg-weary, leaving them wide open to furtherpunishmentfromthis smoothLiverpoolmachine.
Salah drew level with
BillyLiddell’srecordof228 Liverpool goals when he extended Liverpool’s advantage from close range after 54 minutes, then went intofourthplaceintheclub’s all-timelistofscorersonhis ownwhenSzoboszlairepaid the first-half compliment to play the Egyptian in for his second.
DejanKulusevskiscored forthefifthsuccessivegame with 18 minutes left, while another from Dominic Solanke threatened to give the scoreline an unrealistic appearance until Diaz swooped for his second and Liverpool’ssixth.
ManUtdlose3-0athome toBournemouthyetagain Manchester United were booed off as they suffered a three-goal home defeat by high-flying Bournemouth for the second year in a row asRubenAmorim’smenlost for the third time in four PremierLeaguegames. United will celebrate Christmas in 13th position after another below-par displaythatleavesthemwith just seven points from Amorim’s six games in charge.
I n c o n t r a s t , Bournemouth are fifth, which could be enough to qualify for a place in next season’sChampionsLeague
given the results of English clubs in European competition so far this season.
United never recovered from Dean Huijsen’s 29thm i n u t e h e a d e r a s Bournemouth exploited the home side’s defensive weaknessesatset-pieces.
Justin Kliuvert sent AndreOnanathewrongway from the spot after the forwardhadbeentrippedby NoussairMazroaui.
And two minutes later Antoine Semenyo was unmarkedasheswepthome DangoOuattara’scrossafter Kobbie Mainoo had given away possession inside his ownhalf.
It was another sobering afternoon for United and Amorim, who for the third time omitted Marcus Rashfordfromhismatchday squad.
Rashford was at Old Trafford to watch events unfold. On this evidence, United need Rashford back ontopform-andalotmore elsebesides.
Chelseaheldto frustratinggoallessdraw atEverton
Chelsea boss Enzo Marescapointedtoalackof “clinical” finishing from his title-challenging side after they were held to a
frustrating goalless draw at Everton, handing a major boost to Premier League leadersLiverpool.
Arne Slot’s side face Tottenham later on Sunday (kick-off 16:30 GMT) but are guaranteed top spot at Christmas no matter the result after Maresca’s men failed to break down an obdurateEvertonbackline.
The weather was often dreadful with swirling wind and rain, but it was the visitors who carved out the better chances with Jordan Pickford denying Nicolas Jackson following a sweepingteammoveandthe Senegal international
heading against the post fromcloserange.
At the other end, Orel Mangala’s low strike from outside the area was pushed away by Robert Sanchez at full stretch in Everton’s best openingofthefirsthalf.
“Defensively they are top-theyareoneofthefivebest teams in Europe in terms of clean sheets so you struggle to create chances againstthem,”saidMaresca.
“Allinallinthesekindof games,knowingyouarenot going to create many chances, you have to be clinical.
“If you are able to be clinical then and score, the
game can be completely different but until that momentyouwillstruggle.” Jack Harrison, who is withoutagoalorassistinthe league this season, should have put the hosts ahead at the start of the second half when he found space in the box, but Sanchez spread himself to keep out a tame effort.
Sean Dyche’s side battled hard and could have wonitwhentheballdropped nicely for Iliman Ndiaye six yardsout,butdefenderTosin
Chelseatookadisappointing pointbackhometoLondon.
(BBC Sport) - Dubai has been chosen as a neutral venue for India to play their matches at next year’sChampionsTrophy, thePakistanCricketBoard hasannounced.Theeightteam tournament in February and March is being held in Pakistan, whosaidearlierthismonth that India had told the International Cricket Council the team would nottraveltothecountryto playintheevent.Aspartof the same agreement, Pakistan will play at a neutralvenueinanyevent hostedbyIndiauntil2027.
“Pakistan has chosen Dubaiastheneutralvenue fortheChampionsTrophy and it has been conveyed to the ICC officially, meaningIndiawillplayits matchesthere,”aPakistan Cricket Board spokesman
said Political tensions mean the two countries have not faced each other outside of men’s major tournaments since 2013, while India have not played in Pakistan since 2008 The 50-over ChampionsTrophywillbe the first time Pakistan has hostedaglobaleventsince 1996. Pakistan will also host the women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, when n e u t r a l v e n u e arrangements will also apply
The countries taking part in the Champions Trophyinadditiontohosts Pakistan are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New ZealandandSouthAfrica.
The ICC is likely to announce a final tournament schedule later nextweek.
(SportsMax) - Recent comments by former ICC Chairman Greg Barclay suggesting the West Indies should disband were both
co n tr o v er s ial an d disrespectful.However,they
t o u c h e d o n a n uncomfortable truth. Over the last 15 months, several
p r o m i n e n t voices including Cricket West Indies (CWI) CEO Chris Dehring, former Trinidad and Tobago CWI Director Baldath Mahabir, andmyselfasaformerCWI
C o m m u n i c a t i o n s Officer have publicly discussedthefragilestateof WestIndiescricket.
The broken global cricket economy poses a severethreattotheRegion’s survival.
Beyond Barclay’s remarks, two quiet yet significant challenges jeopardize West Indies cricket: the Barbados CricketAssociation’s(BCA) resistance to the Wehby Governance Reform Report and the ongoing exodus of Barbados-born or heritage
players to the England cricketsystem.
Governancereform stalemate
At a recent CWI press conference, President Dr Kishore Shallow addressed the opposition from the BCA, clarifying that this resistance does not reflect Barbados as a whole. Dr Shallow told Barbados
media representative
AndrewMason:
“What I try to do, Andrew, and I advise you to do the same—say Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) andnotBarbados.
“The Honourable Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, has openly supported governance reform. In fact, she has said we should adopt the Wehby Reportwholesale.
“So, it is not a representation of Barbados; it’s the BCA and those individuals.”
Dr Shallow’s point is well-supported. During her 2023 Frank Worrell Memorial Lecture, Prime M i n i s t e r M o t t l e y
emphaticallystated:
“You cannot have the benefitofallofthesereports from different parts of society and the region, and then ignore them. The first issue we need to get right is governance. The longer we take to do it, the worse the resultswillbe.”
Prime Minister Mottley echoed this sentiment at the
BySamuelWhyte
Withjustafewdaystogo,allsystemsare in place for the much anticipated Kennard MemorialTurfClub(KMTC)annualBoxing Dayhorseracemeet.
An action-packed day of racing is anticipatedastheprestigiouseventhastaken on massive proportions. The seven-race eventisturningouttobethesignaturehorse racemeetoftheyearandthego-toactivityfor the Festive Season. So far over 55 horses have been entered for the December 26th event, which is billed for the Club’s track at BushLotFarm,CorentyneBerbice.Thereis a whopping $7M at stake which includes cash, trophies and other incentives. So far most of the country’s top trotters have taken entryandanexcitingandscintillatingdayof racingisanticipated.Thousandsareexpected tothrongtothevenueforthemeet.
ThefeatureC1andlowereventhasseen most of the top horses in that category registered to compete. The line-up has sent tongues wagging and fans are saying that it couldverywellbetheraceoftheyear.
The stakes are high with the runners competing for the Sunny Kharag Memorial StakesandTrophy Thewinnerwillgallopoff with a sumptuous $1.2M and trophy over 7 furlongs. The likes of Soca Harmony, Beckham James, Stolen Money, Qurbann’s Kingdom, Phil in Echo, Game Changer,
FrontlineWarriorandStormyVictorywillall belookingtostormtothefront.Withsucha line-up,anintensebattleisinthemaking.
There is also an impressive lineup entered forthethree-year-oldopenGuyanaBredevent
Thetop prizeis $500,000 and atrophy over 7 furlongs TheH1andlowerraceisexpectedto beanothercrowdpleaserwiththetopanimalsin that category set to match strides for the $500,000topmoneyandtrophy
AfullgateisexpectedintheJandlowerrace over6furlongsforawinningtakeof300,00and a trophy The other races all have impressive line-ups ThosearetheLclassopen,theKclass non-winnersandLopenandtheoneforGuyana Bredtwoyearsoldmaidenhorses Thewinners willrideawaywith$250,000andatrophyeach
The sponsors include P and P Insurance Brokers, Trophy Stall, Kharag Family of USA, Patsan Trading Establishment, Colin Elcock Delmur Company Limited, Metro Company Limited. N and S Mattai and Company, Khanai’s Guyana Electrical Agency among others. The Top jockeys, stable and trainer will be rewarded with accolades compliments of Ramesh Sunich’s TrophyStall.Theeventwillbestagedunder the aegis of the KMTC. Interested persons can contact Isaac Dalloo at 689-0629, Fazal Habibulla at 657-7010, T Jagdeo at 6187278orRopnauthSewsankarat678-6722for furtherdetails.Bugletimeis12:30hrs.
SkerritandDr.Shallowover the past six years. TransparencyfromtheBCA isoverdue.
TheEnglishtalentdrain
The second issue—the migration of Barbados-born t a l e n t t o England underscores systemic failures within the B a r b a d o s c r i c k e t framework. Players such as Jacob Bethell, Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan, and Phil Salt highlight a troubling trend.
NootherRegionintheWest Indies cricket ecosystem is losingplayerstotheiroldest cricketingrivalatthisscale.
2024 CARICOM Cricket Symposium inTrinidad.Yet theBCAremainssteadfastin its opposition Is this resistance rooted in genuine concerns, or is it a continuation of their antagonistic stance against CWI leadership? Notably, the BCAunder Conde Riley has consistently opposed CWI presidents Ricky
BCB
While the England and Wales Cricket Board’s ( E C B ) a r c h a i c regulations—which classify playersas“overseas”ifthey r e p r es en t a n o th er country—play a role, the BCA must address its inabilitytoretaintalent.
The English Football Association, under FIFA law,doesnotimposesimilar restrictions.
For instance, Jamaica’s national football team recruits England-based
playersofJamaicandescent, such as Michail Antonio, Bobby Reid, and Ethan P i n n o c k , w i t h o u t jeopardizing their domestic careers Cricket should followsuit.
CWI must demand accountabilityfromtheBCA regarding their efforts to curb this talent drain. Are theytakingproactivestepsto retain players, or are they passively enabling England topoachtalent?
Withoutintervention,the next Caribbean player to debutforEnglandislikelyto be another Bajan a damning indictment of Barbadoscricket.
Acalltoaction
TheBCA’soppositionto governance reform and its inabilitytoaddressthetalent exodus pose twin threats to WestIndiescricket. These issues demand urgentattention. If left unresolved, Barbadosrisksbecomingthe single most significant internal obstacle to theWest Indies cricket system’s stabilityandgrowth.
(Cricinfo) - The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)hasintroducednational contracts for an additional 30 female cricketers who are either uncapped or haven’t played for Bangladesh for sometime Thisisinaddition to the 18 centrally-contracted women, and the newlycontracted players will get a monthlysalarytillJune2025 Thecontractsystemissimilar to the men’s first-class contractsinBangladeshandis aimedatincreasingthepoolof playersacrossthecountry
The existing centrallycontracted players were also given a raise in the BCB meeting on Saturday “The women’s national contract is similar to the first-class players’ contract for male cricketers,”theBCBstatedina release “The board has decidedtointroducethisinan effort to provide financial stability to a larger pool of women cricketers Thirty cricketers,whoarenotapartof thecentralcontract,havebeen placedinthewomen’snational contract for the November 1, 2024toJune30,2025period”
The BCB has raised the salaryinallfourgradesoftheir
women’s central contracts for theOctober2024toJune2025 period GradesAandBwillnow get BDT 120,000 (US$ 1,000 approx) and BDT 100,000 ($850 approx) per month respectively-upbyBDT20,000 each from 2023-24 - while Grades C and D will get BDT 70,000($600approx)andBDT 60,000($500approx)permonth respectively - an increase of BDT10,000each
Amongthe18contracted cricketers, Sharmin Akhter, Murshida Khatun and MarufaAkterwerepromoted fromgradeCtoB.TheBCB hasalsointroducedmatch-and series-winning bonus for the women They will receive BDT 100,000 ($850 approx) and BDT 50,000 ($420 approx) in ODIs and T20Is respectivelyforbeatingatopthreesideintheICCrankings Thebonusamountsforbeating teams ranked from fourth to sixth are BDT 75,000 ($630 approx) and BDT 35,000 ($300approx)andforbeating thoserankedseventhtoninth are BDT 50,000 ($420 approx.) and BDT 30,000 ($250 approx.). Bangladesh women’s central contracts for October 2024 to June
(
DT 120,000): Nigar Sultana Joty, Fargana Haque, Ritu Moni,NahidaAkter GradeB(BDT100,000): Fahima Khatun, Shamima Sultana, Sharmin Akhter, Murshida Khatun, Marufa Akter,RabeyaKhan Grade C (BDT 70,000): Sobhana Mostary, Lata Mondal, Jahanara Alam, Shorna Akter Grade D (BDT 60,000): Disha Biswas, Sultana Khatun, DilaraAkter, Shathi Rani Bangladesh women with national contracts: Salma Khatun, Rumana Ahmed, Ishma Tanjim, Fariha Trisna, Sumaiya Akter, Sharmin Sultana, Rubya Haider, FarzanaAkter,SurayaAzmim, Puja Chakroborty, Nishita Akter Nishi, Shampa Biswas, Jannatul Ferdus Sumona, Sabikun Nahar Jesmin, SanjidaAkterMeghla,Fatema Jahara, Reya Akter Shika, MistyShaha,JannatulFerdous Tithi, Ayesha Akter (Jr), Fuara Begum, Mosammat Eva, Sumaiya Akter Shuborna, Jannatul Maoua, Dipa Khatun, Afia Ashima Era,UnnotiAkter,TajNehar, ShorifaKhatun
(Cricinfo) -After a T20I series that went to the decider, the first of three ODIs between India and West Indies was a thoroughly one-sided fare. The hosts dominated from start to finish despite not batting to full potential, while still scoring an imposing314for9,andthen hardly flexed their bowling muscle to run past a West Indies line-up that folded likeninepins.
Thearchitectsofthewin wereSmritiMandhana,who top scored with 91, and Renuka Singh, who had an unchanged opening spell of 8-1-19-4 en route a maiden ODI five-for Two of those strikes happened to be of Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin inside the first five overs of the chase. The game was decided right there.
India will look back at their batting performance withmixedemotionsdespite the massive victory margin. For the first half of their innings, they appeared to be
stuck in second gear, with that safety-first approach that has troubled them in ODIs lately yet again taking precedence despite
Mandhana looking in sparkling form, like she has in the format all through the year
The caution at the start was largely down to a nervous debutant - Pratika Rawal - auditioning to be Mandhana’s batting partner atthetopoftheorderaftera number of experiments earlier in the month in Australia - most notably Richa Ghosh opening - fell flat.
Rawalmade40ina110run opening stand but was aidedbyplentyofluckalong the way On 1, she gloved a tickle to the wicketkeeper, but West Indies didn’t review. On 3, Afy Fletcher droppedasitteratmid-offas she attempted her first aggressive shot. In between the two, she survived a tight run-out opportunity To Rawal’s credit, she overcame all of these to
slowly build her innings, before falling to an unreal return catch to Mathews, as shethrewherselffull-stretch to pluck a one-handed stunner
Mandhana brought up
The annual yearend 8-A-Side
invita
football tournament promotedbyCandyBossin collaboration with the
B e r b i c e F o o t b a l l Association is set to kick off this Thursday night, 26th December, at the All SaintsPresbyterianground, Q u e e n s t o w n N e w Amsterdam.
This tournament will see sixteen clubs from
Regional Member Associations including the clubs from the Berbice Football Association as theybattleforover$1M in cashandprizes.
Local businesses within the township along with the Government of Guyana, Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sport, N a t i o n a l S p o r t s Commission,andMinistry ofTourism are on board to see a great finals come January4,2025
Zaida James finished with 5 for 45 in eight overs (BCCI)
herhalf-centuryoff62balls, her28thinODIs,andshifted gears to sweep and drive imperiously, but Harleen Deol’s struggles forced her into attempting cheeky strokes,oneofwhichhadher
lbw Harleen’s cautious approach at No. 3 despite a solidstartmadeyouwonder ifIndiamiscalculatedbynot promoting Jemimah Rodrigues or Harmanpreet Kaur
This became evident almost immediately when Harmanpreet changed the tempo of the innings upon arrival, dashing to 32 off 20 through her trademark sweeps and ferocious lofted hits, before a mix-up with Richa Ghosh, while attempting a run to short third,cutshortherinnings.
Ghosh and Rodrigues played fine cameos that helped provide India the finishing kick, while also allowing them to paper over the muddle in the middle overs, with the last 20 overs bringing160.Ghoshshowed off her full range of power, timing and fineness - all in one, as she made a 13-ball 26, while Rodrigues, now seen as a finisher, made 31 off19.
India could’ve scored a lotmoreifnotforaseriesof
rash shots towards the end that brought Zaida James, theyoungleft-armspinner,a maiden five-for ODIs. That, asitturnedoutwasoneofthe fewpositivesforWestIndies onaforgettablenightasthey had no answers to Renuka’s deviousin-duckersthatkept missing.
The effect of Renuka’s spell has a mesmeric effect on the others too Titas Sadhu picked up her first ODI wicket and young legspinner Priya Mishra delivered4.2craftyoversfor two wickets. All told, the look of horror on Shemaine Campbelle’s face when she nailedaloftedhitonlyforan acrobatic Harmanpreet to intercept the ball at mid-on by leaping high and pulling off a one-handed grab summed up the evening for theWestIndies.
It was no less than a horror show with the bat, which they’d hope to improve on as they build towards a 50-over World Cup on these very shores in 10months.
He noted that this tournament in New A m s t e r d a m i s a tournament that is eyed by all clubs since the format is simple and exciting All systems are in place and patrons can expect an exciting eight (8) nights of great football at the venue
There will be a well-
beverage bar and several promotional giveaways during the festive season
On the opening night, 26th December, Boxing night Paradise
Invaders comes up again
Orealla FC w h i l e M a h a i c a
Determinators will do
battle with Black Sharks and the feature game of the evening will see Cougars meet
Speaking with the promoter, Mr Tito Sancho, who highlighted that the tournamentisinits6thyear and has brought several developing factors to the township in that of an annual football event, sports tourism and entertainment.
United.
F r i d a y 2 7 t h
December Ann’s Grove will come up against Monedderlust FC while the feature game will see new Amsterdam Un
Generation
S a t u r d a y 2 8 t h December Malanie will come up against the Guyana Police Force FC while Ithica FC will battle with Trafalgar Titans and the feature game of the evening will see Eagles FC
coming up against Mahaicony.
The tournament will continue with the winners oftheslatedfixturemeeting at the quarterfinals stage wherefourmatcheswillbe played.
The semi-finals are set forJanuary1st,2025.
The tournament is managed Media592 who will be providing all the updatesforthetournament.
The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) has confirmed two of its four slated bouts for the impending Elton Dharry-promoted ProAm Fight Card, which is slated for December 28thattheNationalGymnasiumonMandela Avenue.
World-rated local heavyweight star AbiolaJackmanisslatedtoface-offagainsta Barbadian opponent Kemara Stuart while youth welterweight sensation Shaquan James is slated to match skills with Darnell SinasweeofTrinidadandTobago.
The remaining two bouts will be confirmedshortly
GBA President Steve Ninvalle said, “Thereisanoticeablesenseofexcitementas theyearcomestoaconclusionregardingthe upcomingProAmcard.
These gatherings give up-and-coming talentsastage.
Manyamateurpugilistsviewthesefights as the result of months or even years of dedicationandhardwork.”
He added that, “Fighters represent the values of sportsmanship, tenacity, and the unwavering quest for progress as they enter thering.
These competitions provide fans with a rare opportunity to see quality international amateurboxinginaction.”
According to the GBA boss, the year comestoamemorableclosewithhigh-stakes fights, exciting matchups, and the celebration of personal bests, giving both
fighters and fans enduring memories and newfoundoptimismforthefuture.
Meanwhile, in the professional realm, Dharryisscheduledtomatchskillsagainst undefeated Colombian Randy Ramirez in the feature contest while Keevin Allicock isslatedtoopposeDexterWrayinhissecond outingatthislevelinamainsupportingrole.
The other professional encounters that have been confirmed will witness Keevin Isaacs exchanging blows with Julian Clarke and Anson Green engaging Dillon Charles
…governance reforms and talent retention under scrutiny
