Kaieteur News by GxMedia

200 Palestinians released

Israeli soldiers, under Gaza truce deal

Theexchangeisthesecondsinceaceasefire betweenHamasandIsraeltookeffectlastSunday.

Oil money not next year -

VP Bharrat Jagdeo

...says Pres. Trump’s ‘drill baby drill’ policy could cause fur ther decline in oil prices

Elderly woman murdered at Belle West , two arrested EPA , other Gov t . agencies meet to address gas

Stray dogs

cylinder related explosions

APNU and AFC say committed to talks towards coalition for 2025 elections

Oil money not guaranteed next year - VP Jagdeo

...says President Tr ump’s ‘dr ill baby dr ill’ policy could cause fur ther decline in oil pr ices

The withdrawal by President of the United States (U.S), Donald Trump from the Paris Agreement and his decision to increase oil production can cause a further decline in oil prices this year, resulting in an uncertainty about the flow of revenue from the sector.

This was recently explained by Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo during his weekly press conference on Thursday when asked about the implications for Guyana, stemming f r o m T r u m p ’ s r e c e n t announcement.

The Paris Agreement is an

national treaty on climate change that aims to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and

C above pre-industrial levels.”

Following his inauguration on J a n u a r y 2 0 , P r e s i d e n t Tr u m p vowed to withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement. The BBC reported that the US will now have to wait a year before it will be officially out of the pact.

At the White House on Monday evening, Trump signed the order to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, including a letter to the Uni

decision.

He also announced a “national energy

environmental regulations.

T r u m p c a l l e d t h e P a r i s agreement a “ripoff” during a speech at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, following his swearing-in.

“We will drill, baby, drill,” he said earlier in his inaugural address.

Expounding on the implications this may have on Guyana, Jagdeo said, “There is a concern that with increased production in the U.S., there could be an oversupply of the market. That would have an impact on the prices. You have to take account of all these variables when you plan future expenditure.”

T h e f o r m e r H e a d - o f - S t a t e further noted that this is particularly i m p o r t a n t s i n c e t h e r e i s n o guarantee that oil money would continue flowing.

He reasoned, “That is why our dear friends from the other side, who are pretending as though oil money would always be there, and that it’s guaranteed; next year, it’s not guaranteed. So, if you start telling people you don’t have to work, you can get free money all

the time, no country in the world does that and so that is why you have to be cautious.”

Additionally, Jagdeo explained that while there is a possibility of oil prices declining, the new policy could also result in an increased demand of the commodity.

“On the other hand, President T r u m p i s e x i t i n g t h e P a r i s Agreement and also stopping the renewable energy projects in the U.S. He said the windmill projects and all of the others,” the VP said.

As such, he said that the equation could balance off. He said that the supply of energy would

projects now scrapped, this would trigger an increase in the demand for fossil fuels.

C o n s e q u e n t l y , t h e C h i e f

Policymaker for the petroleum sector noted that the U.S oil policy is not a concern, but is being monitored by Guyana. This means not only Budgetary policy but every other related mechanism, the VP said.

Oil prices and Guyana

K a i e t e u r N e w s p r e v i o u s l y reported that in 2025, although G

’s

expected to climb, the country will see a decrease in earnings from the sector, as oil price is likely to come down by 10.9%.

This was explained by Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh during the presentation of this year ’s Budget.

He said, “Oil prices contracted by 2.3 percent to average US$80.7 per barrel in 2024, primarily due to s l o w i n g g l o b a l d e m a n d , particularly in China.”

The Minister was keen to note that this trend is expected to continue this year as “crude oil prices are forecasted to decline by a further 10.9 percent to US$71.9 per barrel, with global supply expected to exceed demand.”

This is particularly troubling for Guyana, since policymakers have refused to implement a ringfencing provision, to ensure the country benefits early on from the wealth generated.

A ring-fencing provision would ensure that after the cost of an oil project is paid off, Guyana would r e c e i v e 5 0 % o f t h e p r o f i t s generated by that development, after the operational expense is covered.

In this manner, the country’s take from oil production would

previously explained that Guyana would not be implementing a ring-

country is focused on repaying the investment cost, allowing it to benefit from a “bigger bone” in the future.

He said, “We admitted that we are foregoing revenue now in

income because it’s going into new p r o j e c

e a s e production and so even with the same share of the 50/50 plus the two percent royalty that the future income, because of the bigger scale will be massive in Guyana’s case and we are deliberately foregoing that in this period for that purpose and then trying to grab this bone now could cause you to lose all the bones, the bigger bones too in the future.”

EPA, other Govt. agencies meet to address gas cylinder related explosions

Representatives from the E n v i r o n m e n t a l P r o t e c t i o n A g e n c y (EPA), the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), the Guyana Fire Service, and the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), met on Friday to discuss a coordinated action plan in response to a series of gas cylinder related explosions that have recently claimed lives.

The meeting was held at the E PA b o a r d r o o m i n S o p h i a , Georgetown.

In a release issued on Saturday, the EPA stated that although no i m m e d i a t e r e s o l u t i o n s w e r e reached regarding the explosions, initial steps were taken toward addressing the issue.

“ D i s c u s s i o n s f o c u s e d o n sharing findings and actions taken by the respective Agencies with the aim of identifying key strategic actions and engagement of the various stakeholders,” the EPA’s release said.

The agencies agreed on a series

of first steps to address the crisis.

T h e s e i n c l u d e c o n t i n u i n g inspections and investigations of relevant facilities and components in accordance with each agency’s mandate. Additionally, the agencies will share their respective reports, findings , and recommendations , which will be reviewed to prepare a comprehensive action plan.

This plan will include safety measures for suppliers, vendors, a n d c o n s u m e r s A f o l l o w - u p meeting has been scheduled for

January 28, 2025, to further discuss the progress and develop additional measures.

The meeting follows a public call by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo for a thorough investigation i n t o t h e r e c e n t g a s c y l i n d e r explosions. A t a p r e s s c o

urgency of the situation, stating, “I think this should be a standard thing f o r

regulatory bodies have to look at

this, the GEA and also the EPA should launch an investigation immediately to look into this.”

with some victims pointing fingers at a specific gas company for

The explosion claimed the lives of 55-year-old Basmattie Ganpat and her common-law partner, 58year-old Manu Sukhu. Both victims were admitted to the Georgetown P u

n (GPHC), where Ganpat succumbed to her injuries on January 19, and Sukhu passed away on January 22, 2025.

Post-mortem results confirmed that Ganpat died from infected burns sustained in the explosion. Her funeral took place on Saturday

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur News

Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: DR . GLENN LALL - TEL : 624-6456

Editor-In- Chief: NIGEL WILLIAMS

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

EDITORIAL

Jagdeo and the Wales Gas-to-Energy project

Guyana oil and gas czar, Bharrat Jagdeo, has drawn his line in the sand. Don’t ask any questions on the Wales Gas-to-Energy (GtE) project. He is finished with answering any such questions. This is from Guyana’s 2nd Vice President, a leader who said that Guyana is not North Korea. When a project that costs US$2B is wrapped in secrecy, but promises the world without any credible study to back up those same promises, then what has Guyana deteriorated to, if not North Korea?

National leaders who take their roles seriously do not wall off information from citizens, and send them to dig for need-to-know information from a lender It is Jagdeo who has been selling the pluses of this GtE for years, so he is best positioned to provide information that Guyanese need, while answering their questions frankly and fully He has not done so, and has ducked and drifted when tough questions have been directed at him.

His answers conceal more than they convey, always leave the impression that this is a man hiding something. A project to provide citizens with a steady supply of cheap electricity is something to be proud of, one for which more backup documents would be given, than asked for by the media.

It has been the opposite, in that the more questions asked about the Wales GtE project, the more Jagdeo has spun webs to pull the wool over the eyes of Guyanese. When unanswered questions are raised again, he has brandished the weapons that he always has at the ready They are abuse, viciousness, and nastiness of a kind never seen before in this country It is now beyond doubt that Jagdeo has lost any care about decency, where his own self-respect doesn’t matter to him. Which leader that has a level of trustworthiness in him would withhold feasibility studies information from citizens and then push them to seek the same from the US Export-Import Bank (EXIM), a lender for a segment of the Wales GtE?

If the EXIM bank does not have any such study from Jagdeo, the man piloting this US$2B project, then does he himself have anything to deliver? Is that why he has been forced to play his hide-and-seek games, because he has nothing for the Wales GtE, which leaves him looking more exposed and woeful?

All of his sweet projections about electricity at half the price and reliably supplied, what are those based on, smoke, or some straw that he snatched out of thin air? There is the irony of Jagdeo, the man who is championing the Wales GtE, running away from straightforward questions on the project. The more he runs and tries to camouflage himself, the more the nation sees a leader who is running away from anything that has to do with light, and a sorry man desperately running from his own shadow

A project that has been touted to the sky about how much good it is going to deliver to Guyana, should not be the cause of so many anxieties, or the heavy alarms, that are now part and parcel of Jagdeo’s public defences of it.

He never did provide clear and convincing answers to questions on the Wales GtE. But now he is going to put an end to his charade, by not taking any more questions on the project, which means that he is shutting down the sketchy answers that are his trademark.

It takes a leader with a particular kind of skillfulness and trickiness to go from darkness to deeper darkness. This is what Guyanese get for US$2B: a weekly mouthful of vile abuse, which is soon to be followed by an impenetrable curtain of silence.

This is not a new Jagdeo, but one who is resorting to form. Whenever he is cornered, he finds a hole in which to slink into and lie low until the heat eases up.

We are sorry to inform Vice President and Guyana’s Chief Oil and Gas Minister Jagdeo that the heat is not going to diminish. His own fearful demeanour, his nervous retreat, invites pursuit. He is hiding, he has nothing, he is into his usual costly three-card games with this Wales GtE.

Provide the feasibility report upon which the GTE project was premised

DEAR EDITOR,

The issue of a feasibility study being conducted for the GTE project has been a source of repeated demands b y t h e g o o d p e o p l e o f Guyana and for good reason.

Our country has a long history of mega projects which were supposed to deliver us into an elevated state of existence which have not quite worked out the way we had been told they would. They are also not limited to only one side of the fence, whether it was the Upper M a z a r u n i h y d r o o r t h e Skeldon sugar factory So, we can understand why the country requests feasibility when another big project is promised.

The simple request for

the feasibility on the GTE was met with the response “Ask EXIM Bank” as they had conducted a feasibility study

This was equivalent of the Borrower saying to its shareholders ask the lender w h e t h e r t h e p r o j e c t i s feasible.

This was however done and EXIM told us that no such study was conducted by them. We were then told that it wasn’t a feasibility study it was a Due Diligence study conducted by Sargent and Lundy

S a r g e n t a n d L u n d y (www.sargentlundy.com) in t h e i r o w n w o r d s s e l fdescribe in the following terms “ Since 1891, Sargent and Lundy has been a global

leader in engineering and d e s i g n f o r t h e p o w e r industry.”

Are we being told that E x i m B a n k ( L e n d e r ) retained an Engineering and Design expert to conduct an

i a l feasibility study for GTE?

Due diligence from an e n g i

perspective is a different kettle of fish from a financial feasibility study

The considerations of a l e n d e r

borrower

The Lender wants to make sure they take an asset which is of value to them when you default on the loan.

The obvious question is

what security was offered by Guyana to EXIM Bank for the loan.

Was it a charge on the NRF or over the oil revenues rather than or in conjunction with a charge over the plant and its revenues?

These are issues which a r e c r i t i c a l t o e v e r y Guyanese who is concerned about the real possibility of being saddled with debt and the consequences of default.

Let’s not bury this in political rhetoric but rather provide the feasibility report upon which this project was premised.

Full disclosure will help us all.

Yours Sincerely C.A. Nigel Hughes. Alliance For Change

Trump and Venezuela

DEAR EDITOR,

As he had promised, Donald Trump hit the ground running as soon as he was sworn-in as the 47th President of the USA He signed a recordbreaking forty-two Executive orders of which the ones on deporting illegal immigrants

w o u l d b e o f i n t e r e s t t o Guyanese, whose relatives have been entering the US via the “back-track” for decades and most recently, overstaying their visitor visas He also broadened the definition of “illegals” by announcing the

e n d i n g o f “ b i r t h r i g h t ” citizenship: where any baby

born in the US inherits citizenship regardless of the immigration status of the parents One tactic familiar to Guyanese is pregnant visiting

m o t h e r s d e l i v e r i n g t h e i r

A m e r i c a n ” b a b y t h e n returning home with their children

Raids are already being conducted by ICE to round up illegal immigrants and it was reported that two planeloads of

d e p o r t e e s l a n d e d i n Guatemala. The usually jampacked, Guyanese-dominated Liberty Ave in Richmond Hill,

Queens was deserted as discretion took the place of braggadocio and swagger

Community leaders were

p l e a d i n g w i t h t h e i r constituents not to snitch on illegals as the community

b e c a m e s h r o u d e d w i t h tension VP Jagdeo announced

t h a t G u y a n a w o u l d b e accepting its deportees; unlike M e x i c o , w h i c h r e f u s e d landing permission for a military aircraft, even as it was preparing camps to house

deportees

Meanwhile, Maduro has a n n o u n c e d h e w o u l d b e accepting Venezuela deportees, from their more than 500,000 illegals who crossed the Mexican border into the US

T h i s a n n o u n c e m e n t i s somewhat anomalous since it was assumed Maduro would use his acquiescence as a bargaining chip against Trump removing Chevron’s license, reinstated by B i d e n , t o l i f t a n d s h i p 220,000bpd of Venezuelan crude to the US In the meantime, however, Trump said his administration was looking “very strongly” at the country and would likely stop buying oil from them “It was a great country 20 years ago, and now it’s a mess,” he told reporters in the Oval Office hours after his inauguration “We don’t have to buy their oil We have plenty of oil for ourselves ” During the presidential campaign, Trump had called Maduro a “dictator” and announced he would be facilitating increased drilling fromAmerican reserves. We have to be careful that this is a feint, since Trump’s envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, announced that “Diplomacy is back…Talking is a tactic” and spoke with multiple officials in Venezuela who he would be meeting soon. Back in 2020, Grenell had secretly met with a Maduro representative to try to work out the Venezuelan dictator ’s peaceful exit from power after his 2018 re-election was considered a sham by the US and most Western countries, but no agreement was reached. We have an

identical situation recurring after last July’s election,

Opposition Leader Eduardo

’s “president elect”, but only slapped on some innocuous

Venezuela presents a clear and ever-present danger to our sovereignty, of which we were reminded just before his inauguration on Jan 10th when he announced he was arranging for the election of a Governor over Essequibo, which he had “annexed” last year For good measure, he prodded the US when he l

will pursue regime change in Venezuela through direct military action But they will have to be more creative than reapplying the oil and personal sanctions in conjunction with support for the opposition from the first Trump regime India should be jawboned to block Venezuela’s BRICS

aspirations in exchange for their oil purchases We should strengthen our cooperation w i t h B r a z i l , s i n c e a n y Venezuelan invasion of our Rupununi would have to pass through Brazilian territory During Maduro’s last sabre rattling, Brazil moved troops t o b l o c k t h e m F o r o u r

northern Essequibo jungle terrain, we repeat our proposal that we should establish a military base there from which w e c a n w a g e a n asymmetrical war strategy against invading Venezuelan troops.

Sincerely, Ravi Dev

a t i c , informational, military, and economic – we should work c l o s e

m m o n strategy towards the removal of Maduro with the Trump a

there are a number of highl

l a n t i - M a d u r o appointees such as Secretary of State Mario Rubio. At his confirmation hearing, the l

l a i

“ g o v e r n e d b y a n a r c otrafficking organization that has empowered itself as a nation-state.” He pointed out that Venezuela’s closest ally remains Cuba, America’s oldest Latin American foe and Maduro’s regime also is aligned with China, Russia and Iran, which is building drones in Venezuela.

It is unlikely that the US

Local Content Secretariat

must address concerns of local contractors and promote transparency

DEAR EDITOR,

P l e a s e a l l o w m e t o

express my deep concern and disappointment at the unjust advantage meted out t

Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the oil and gas sector Being a part of the transportation sector myself, I have witnessed firsthand the many disparities that

exist in this line of work. It is

some of whom do not even own a single vehicle, handed

subcontracting to locals who are paid pittances to do the work, and this is just one (1) sub-sector

mandated to investigate and vet companies to ensure that

beneficiaries of contracts, seems to be failing in its

Trinidadians and other nonGuyanese are given most of the contracts, apart from the t

l transportation “local (Continued on page 09)

BLUNTNESS ON INDECENCIES!

In case you haven’t heard, please be informed that as part of our continued effort to channel positive changes in our country, our publisher, Mr. Glenn Lall, has dedicated our Page Seven to be “BLUNT” about on-going indecencies in our land that should matter, not only to us at this publication, but the entire nation.

Sunday January 19, 2025

Exxon believes it owns Guyana!

There was a period in this c

birthright.

Today that has changed

ExxonMobil. The company believes that because it was the first to discover oil and

resources belong to them. Not only should no other c o

grateful for the scraps they are receiving because of its investments.

waking up to the harsh realities and are becoming agitated. Will change come soon? This can only be determined by the masses.

Monday January 20, 2025

T h e b u d g e t a n d m i n i m u m w

private sector

In Dr A

Friday that lasted five hours and five minutes, he spoke of many things, but couldn't find a minute to share a sentence about minimum wage workers in the private sector toiling for $60,147 monthly and dying by inches from that horror

This confirms one of two t h i n g s : t h e P P P / C Government is so deep in bed with the private sector

that it turns a blind eye to the plight of Guyana's minimum w a g e w o r k e r s O r, i t solidifies the belief that the p r i v a t e

government that minimum wage workers are sacrificed to the exploitations of their employers. Either way, this country's minimum wage workers in the private sector are caught in an economic vice that forces them to live by their wits and the seat of their pants.

Wednesday January 22, 2025 T

programme

Minister, Dr Ashni Singh announced that the $100,000 universal healthcare voucher

Man takes refuge in sports bar after initiating fight

A man was forced to take refuge inside a sports bar after he initiated a fight at a Superbet located along the Leonora Public Road, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

Police, in a statement said that ranks were investigating a report of an alleged public fighting, involving Javier Kubair and others which occurred about 20:15hrs on Friday at Jit's Superbet, Leonora Public Road, WCD.

It was disclosed during enquiries that on the aforementioned time and date, Kubair was at the Superbet outlet below the District Bar, which is located on the western side of the Leonora Public Road when an altercation started between him (Kubair) and other customers within the Superbet shop over the purchasing of bets.

“It is alleged that Kubair wanted to purchase bets before other customers who were in front of him and in doing so, he got

into a confrontation with Fazal Jabbar, a 24year-old of Patentia, West Bank Demerara; Donia Alleyne, a 42-year-old businessman of Anna Catherina, WCD, and others,” police said.Kubair reportedly left the Superbet shop and went to his vehicle arming himself with a cutlass Upon return, he proceeded to threaten and attack the customers, who in retaliation armed themselves with rocks and pieces of wood which they threw in Kubair's direction.

Kubair then retreated and sought refuge inside the District Sports Bar Thereafter, the police were summoned.

Ranks attached to the Anti-Crime Patrol responded and Kubair along with several others were contacted and taken to the Leonora Police Station, where their reports and statements were documented. Investigations are ongoing.

will cost an estimated $5 b

t 500,000 individuals.

The programme offers per person basic diagnostic tests at private healthcare facilities. This may sound benevolent on the surface, but the reality is far more sinister

P u b l i c h o s p i t a l s a n d clinics already provide these tests for free.

W h y , t h e n , i s t h

facilities? The answer is clear: this is a calculated move to subsidise some of t h e r a p i d l y e x p a n d i n g private healthcare providers under the pretense of helping the general population. The scheme will channel G$5 billion of taxpayers' money

into private hands—funds that could and should have been used to improve the public healthcare system.

Thursday January 23, 2025

A usurper

What should have been a

stability under the People's P

(PPP/C) is now marred by the overreach of a man who s e e m

r e i n t e n t o n proving his indispensability t h a n r e s p e c t i n g t h

boundaries of his role.

failed two-term president, whose official portfolio now as vice president includes overseeing the environment, f

himself into a one-man band,

national importance.

W h e t h e r i t ' s f o r e i g n policy, economic strategy, or the government's legislative a g e n d a , J a g d e o ' s v o i c e consistently precedes that of President Ali's. His tendency to act as the government's de f a c t o s p o k e s p e r s o n w a s glaringly evident when, he sought to pronounce on calls for a referendum on the oil contract and also recently gave timelines as to when elections could be held.

This brazen pre-emption exposes a deeper crisis of leadership: one in which the p r e s i d e n c y, t h e h i g h e s t office in the land, appears less authoritative than the vice presidency

$296 million contract awarded to construct new Houston Secondary School

20-year-old A

l a b o u r e r w a s sentenced on Friday to t h r e e m o n t h s ' imprisonment, when he appeared at the Suddie Magistrates' Court to a n s w e r t o a s i m p l e larceny charge.

K e v i n O u d i t , a resident of Anna Regina,

E s s e q u i b o C o a s t , Region Two appeared b

Tamieka Clarke, where the charge was read to him. He pleaded guilty to t h e s i m p l e l a r c e n y charge.It is alleged that h e c o m m i t t e d t h e offence on 28-year-old M a h e n d r a L o o k n a u t h called 'Ryan' on January 18, 2025. Following his plea, t h e M a g i s t r a t e sentenced him to three months' imprisonment. L

Jailed: Kevin Oudit

The government through the Ministry of Education is set to spend $296 million to construct a new Houston Secondary School in Region Four

This is according to information provided by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office. The $296,916,480 contract was recently awarded to contractor K&S General Contractors Inc.

Kaieteur News understands that Houston Secondary, which is an old two-storey wooden building, has been in existence for s e v e r a l y e a r s n o w I t c u r r e n t l y accommodates children living on the East Bank of Demerara from communities such as Houston, Agricola and Peters Hall.

Ministry of Education has embarked on an aggressive programme to ensure that the nation's children have access to secondary education. Since taking office in 2020, the Education Ministry has not only been constructing schools, but has also undertaken

the reconstruction and upgrading of school buildings.

This is to ensure students are receiving the same quality education in a more spacious and comfortable environment.

At the ministry's recent end-of-year press conference, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand said that since assuming office government spent approximately $31 billion to either construct, reconstruct, rehabilitate or extend schools across the country

Currently too, a total of 37 secondary school projects have been undertaken in the

completed.

In addition to the new secondary school that is to be constructed at Houston, the

secondary school at Kaneville, and at Prospect on the East Bank of Demerara. W

overcrowding is expected to be a

of the past.

The Houston Secondary School located on the East Bank of Demerara.

A comedy of evasiveness starring Jagdeo

Bh a r r a t J a g d e o , Vice President of Guyana, is a man who revels in the art of evasion. He delivers answers so roundabout they could qualify as scenic tours. At l a s t T h u r s d a y ’ s p r e s s c o

Dennis Chabrol dared to pierce the fog with a direct question: Does the Guyana g o v e r n m e n t h a v e a feasibility study for the Gasto-Energy (GTE) project?

wasn’t a question about the metaphysics of governance or the meaning of life. It was a straightforward yes-or-no question. But, true to form, Jagdeo responded with his

s i g n a t u r e d o d g e : “ I answered that years ago.”

travel? Is this a government project or the unraveling of a time loop where all answers exist in a nebulous past, perpetually out of reach?

Such ambiguity would be laughable if the stakes weren’t so high. The GTE project carries a price tag nearing US$2 billion, a sum that looms over the nation like an unpaid bill. And yet, we are told to accept the absence of clarity because, according to Jagdeo, “the numbers are so phenomenal that… we said we would do

feasibility study.”

Jagdeo’s desk. The rest of us, however, are left scratching our heads. What numbers? Who generated them? Are they backed by evidence, or were they scribbled on a napkin during a late-night cake shop discussion? Jagdeo w

quick to pivot earlier to the EXIM Bank, which, he claimed, has already done the due diligence. But the EXIM

their money back, courtesy of Guyana’s taxpayers. With a sovereign guarantee of repayment, they can approve financing the project with their eyes closed.

B u t w h a t a b o u t t h e people of Guyana? What guarantees do they have? The absence of a publicly a

l i t y study—specific to the GTE project—leaves citizens in the dark about the project’s true financial viability This isn’t a small-scale venture w

optimistic projections will s

stumbling into an economic quagmire. A feasibility study i s n ’ t a b u r e a u c r a t i c formality It’s a critical tool that provides insight into technical, economic, and e n v i r o n m e n t a l considerations. Without it, how can policymakers make informed decisions? How can citizens trust that this isn’t another white elephant project like the Skeldon Sugar Factory?

less is a disservice to the people who will bear the c o s t s f

otherwise.

T h e E X I M B a

s endorsement might satisfy some, but it doesn’t absolve the government of its duty to Guyanese citizens. The bank

Years ago? Were we d i s c u s s i n g g

m e

Let that sink in: the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) government didn’t even need a feasibility study Why? Because the “numbers” spoke to them. These numbers, it seems,

focuses on the security of their investment, bolstered by a sovereign guarantee. For the bank, this is a no-risk affair Whether the GTE project is successful or fails spectacul

Local Content Secretariat must address...

F r o m p a g e 0 6

c o n t r a c t o r s ” , i s a c l e a r indication of this failure. This goes against the very purpose of the Local Content S e c r e t a r i a t , w h i c h i s t o promote the participation of Guyanese businesses and individuals in the oil and gas sector

I am calling on the Local

C o n t e n t S e c r e t a r i a t t o publish a breakdown of the much-touted earnings from the oil and gas sector that w o u l d ’ v e g o n e t o contractors deemed to be G u y a n e s e f o r p u b l i c scrutiny, if the law permits. This will not only show t r a n s p a r e n c y b u t a l s o

r e a s s u r e t h e p u b l i c t h a t indeed, Guyanese and not

foreigners or the politically aligned are the beneficiaries of the hefty sums.

The average man on the streets knows who are front men and women for foreign companies so it won’t take a H o l m e s i n v e s t i g a t i o n t o ascertain this. It is clear that more needs to be done to e n s u r e t h a t G u y a n e s e businesses and individuals are given a fair chance to participate in the oil and gas sector There must be a more p r o a c t i v e a p p r o a c h t o promoting local content and ensuring that the benefits of the oil and gas sector are s h a r e d e q u i t a b l y a m o n g Guyanese citizens.

In conclusion, I urge the Local Content Secretariat to

take immediate action to address the concerns of local contractors and to promote t r a n s p a r e n c y a n d accountability in the oil and gas sector The first step of which should be for the publication of a full list of beneficiaries as per earnings annually I would also like to make a call for additional policies to be in place to restrict foreign ownership of local assets land, property etc, which in itself will create d i r e c t b e n e f i t s t o e v e r y Guyanese as rental from locals will be mandatory Looking forward to discuss this in future publications

Sincerely

H e m r a j V i s h a u l Kissoon

DEM BOYS SEH

Leak like a sieve!

Dem boys know pipe does get leak. You might wake up and find a swimming pool in yuh kitchen. Sink does leak too, and next thing yuh footing full of water Water bottle does leak, especially de cheap ones that does wet up yuh handbag. Roof does get leak when rain fall heavy, and umbrella does get hole just when yuh need it most.

But de leak dat have everybody ducking and hiding is when tax records does get leak. One minute yuh living quiet, de next thing everybody know how much money pass through yuh account.

Dem boys seh it got people who does quake when dem hear de word “audit.” All of a sudden, dem “investments” start lookin’ like a cover-up. Yuh hear talk how some man build mansion pon lil clerk salary Dem ain’t tek no loan; dem tek we for fool!

But hear de joke: some big ones don’t pay tax at all! Dem don’t got to worry about

no tax leak because dem ain’t got no tax to leak. Dem boys seh dem big ones like Houdini — dey mek tax disappear And if Revenue Authority man even think to check, he might find heself transferred faster than de speed of light. Meanwhile, lil man paying tax steady, and if he even miss a lil bit, dem knocking at he door Dem big ones, though, does call “tax exemption.” And what dem exempting from? Everything!

Dem boys she, de real leak is not yuh roof or yuh pipe; de real leak is de system. It got big hole where de big ones does sneak out, while de small man squeezing to mek ends meet.

So next time yuh hear about a leak, check if it is yuh umbrella or yuh neighbour ’s mansion budget. One thing sure — some people ain’t wetting, because dey always dry and scot-free! Talk half. Leff half.

f f i c e I t ’s a m a s s i v e infrastructure project, and any misstep could burden the nation with debt for decades.

Governments have an obligation to conduct their o w n f

s i b i l i t y s t u d i e s , particularly when national r e s o u r c e s a r e a t s t a k e Relying on external entities with their own agendas is not j u s t i r r e s p o n s i b l e i t ’ s downright dangerous.

L e t ’ s a s s u m e , f o r a rg u m e n t ’s s a k e , t h a t a feasibility study does exist. Why hasn’t it been made public? Surely, transparency would enhance confidence in the project. If the numbers are as “phenomenal” as J a g d e o c l a i m s , w o u l d n ’t publishing the study silence critics and skeptics? The reluctance to do so raises serious questions about what the study might reveal—or if it even exists at all.

T h e p e o p l e d o h a v e reason to be concerned about the possibility of Guyana

What’s most galling is the cavalier attitude with w h i c h J a g d e o d i s m i s s e s concerns His refusal to answer a direct question with a direct answer only fuels suspicion. If the government has truly done its homework, why not show their work?

The Gas-to-Energy project is b e i n g t o u t e d a s a transformative initiative, yet it’s being sold with less t r a n s p a r e n c y t h a n a secondhand car

Jagdeo’s confidence in the “phenomenal” numbers is almost comical. It’s as if he expects the public to take his word as gospel, despite his track record of sidestepping s c r u t i n y P h e n o m e n a l numbers are meaningless w i t h o u t c o n t e x t , m e t h o d o l o g y , o r verification.

This isn’t just a critique of Jagdeo’s handling of the GTE project; it’s a broader indictment of a governance style that prioritizes bravado over substance. Decisions of t h i s m a g n i t u d e r e q u i r e m e

Guyana’s economic wellb

interests,

behind the bank’s analysis while refusing to provide its own. Until Jagdeo and the government provide clear answers, this project will r e

o u d e d i n suspicion. Guyanese citizens have every right to demand

d transparency, and to demand accountability After all, it’s t h e i

h e

r future—that’s on the line.

In the meantime, Jagdeo might consider that famous quote, “If you’re going to make a joke, at least let

t h e punchline.”

(The views expressed in this article are those of the a u t h o r a n d d o n o t n e c e s s a r i l y r e f l e c t t h e opinions of this newspaper.)

H@RD TRUTHS

Wales – a heart-to -heart with Bharrat Jagdeo

And now for something totally different. Though Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, a brother and leader that keeps falling, h a s m a d e o i l a n d g a s management into a national circus, I shall stick to the serious. He has signaled not one more question on the

Wa l e s g a s - t o - e l e c t r i c i t y (GTE). I shall ignore that

J a g d e o r e d l i g h t , d r i v e straight through it. For I

h a v e m y o w n s e t o f questions for Vice President Jagdeo.

Answering could only help him, let Guyanese see what he is all about with US$2 billion of their money, what will be part of their future obligations. Refusing to answer will confirm that he has fallen so far that nothing and no one can salvage him. The questions now follow

First question, sir Was sending Guyanese to the US EXIM bank for documents related to the Wales project intended to be a distraction or a deception laced through with much deviousness? For my part, I could manage with red herrings (distractions).

B u t w i l d g o o s e c h a s e s (deceptions) are dead ends which no leader should go

d o w n , o r d i s p a t c h a n y

c i t i z e n , n o m a t t e r h o w troublesome he or she is, to

travel in futile exercises. I have no use for such a leader, don't do well with such misleaders.

Second question, Mr Jagdeo. Why the trembling, why the truculence of an e n r a g e d t u r k e y, w i t h a project that so held out as embodying so much that is bright? If the project is that good, it will sell itself.

There is nothing to be enraged about, and nothing to secret away like some squirrel. Standup, step up, share out.

Question number three, Master Jagdeo. Media ads

s e e k i n g e x p r e s s i o n s o f interest, naming the bidders a n d w i n n e r s o f v a r i o u s components of the Wales project, and the rest do not

r e p r e s e n t t r a n s p a r e n c y They are part of official routines. Why, therefore, the f e a r i n v o l v i n g r e a l transparency (not the makeb e l i e v e k i n d ) w i t h t h e feasibility studies-technical, financial, and other(s)-that provide credible evidence that the project is viable? The follow-up question that has weight is whether any kind of feasibility study was done, or did brother Jagdeo pull some scrawny rabbit out of his closet of hats?

T h e q u e s t i o n s k e e p rolling out, and I am now at

the fourth (or fifth) one, Lord Jagdeo. Incidentally, I am a firm believer that a soft word, or a quiet manner, turns away wrath.

I have tried it with raging bulls and pit-bulls. It works. There was pride in Bharrat

Jagdeo, I detected some

s e n s e o f a c h i e v e

, almost personal, as if that EXIM due diligence report, all 197 pages of it, was his handiwork.

EXIM owns that due diligence report, so where is G u y a n a ' s o w n f e a s i b i l i t y study for the two billion in Yankee dollars for the Wales project? A project that went from a Jagdeo symphony to a sacred hymn (or bajan), so extraordinary it is? What was submitted by Guyana to get EXIM moving? Brother

know and see.

Now the questions come in a flurry What reason could there be that makes such a disclosure, a bone of c o n t e n t i o u s n e s s ? W h y would an honest revelation on the Wales GTCE prompt s u c h g r e a t l e a d e r s h i p trepidations?

I couldn't help that, Dr Jagdeo: where there were five questions in a rushing tide, instead of one by one in a gradual trickle. Hence, I

am now at question eight, so please don't get bent out of shape just yet.

T h i s b u s i n e s s a b o u t EXIM lending Guyana over US$500 million for a part of the Wales project says much about its foundation and its potential, from where was that excavated?

Was that bit of selfc o n g r a t u l a t i o n a n d s e l fpromotion not misplaced? I say this because a leader of Dr Jagdeo's stature, a man with his insights, should k n o w t h a t t h e U S $ 5 2 7 million EXIM loan is more a b o u t m i n i m i z i n g t h e Chinese economic footprint in Guyana, and maximizing the American one in its place. It helps that Guyana has 11 billion sacks of oil underneath the riverbed.

For whether oil hovers around US$80 a barrel or swoons to US$18 a head

(God forbid), EXIM and the other lenders near and far will be paid.

T h e G u

collater

s there, y more of it will have to be sold at depressed prices to fulfill s u d d e n l y p u n

they are due.

that secrecy is a shining

Before I get to the final

M a s t e r Jagdeo, there is a little recital to place in the public space. I want cheap electricity, and there is a wish for cheap, reliable electricity for my fellow Guyanese. I believe that Jagdeo-

wants the same. Where we start to differ and depart is why does he find it so inspiring, so c

secrecy? How can any leader claiming declaring himself to be trustworthy and credible, come to believe

When chronic secrecy is part of the Wales skullduggeries (US$2 billion of them), Mr Vice President, how is that not a snake disguised as the s a v i o r o f t h e G u y a n e s e people?

Last, I say this again: I could be lock, stock, and barrel for this US$2 billion Wales project. But only wh

s presented, and it has much to recommend it.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the

opinions of this newspaper.)

The marijuana and cocaine that were found in the freezer.

Businessman nabbed with

weed and cocaine at Mabura Police Outpost

A 48-year-old businessman was arrested on Thursday after he was nabbed with 1,988.85 grams of marijuana and 82 grams of suspected cocaine, while being searched at the Mabura Police Outpost, Region Ten.

The businessman has been identified as Paul Battersfield, a resident of Mocha Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD). Police reported that at about 21:30h Battersfield was a passenger in a blue Totoya Hilux extra-cab pick-up bearing Registration #GZZ 9658 and driven by Ashman Scott called 'Scotty'.

Upon arrival at the Mabura Police Outpost check-point, there was one other person in the vehicle, Dexter Atkinson, a 39year-old gold miner/carpenter of Kuru Kuru, Soesdyke-Linden Highway

While the driver reportedly went into the Mabura Police Outpost to be checked in, one of the ranks observed Battersfield acting suspiciously As such, the rank told the driver that he would like to search the vehicle, passengers and their belongings.

During the search, police inquired about a freezer that was within the pick-up, to which Battersfield, who was acting suspicious

indicated that it belonged to him. The rank then asked him, what was in the freezer, to w h i c h h e

belongings.

“The rank told him to take out his belongings and in doing so, Battersfield handed a bulky plastic bag to the rank which, when opened, contained five parcels of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis sativa,” police reported.

Thereafter, ranks discovered another parcel containing a quantity of a whitish powdery substance suspected to be cocaine.

ownership.

He was arrested and taken into the Mabura Police Outpost along with the narcotics. The suspect was subsequently transported to the Mackenzie Police Station

weighed in his presence.

The narcotics were sealed, marked and lodged.

Battersfield remains in custody pending charges. Investigations are ongoing.

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT

...BLUNT...BLUNT

BLUNT...BLUNT ...BLUNT...BLUNT

...BLUNT...BLUNT BLUNT...BLUNT ...BLUNT...BLUNT

Connect with nature & family at 'The Oasis'

Chinese Embassy hosts reception to mark celebrations

“Every Sunset is uniquely beautiful and so are Guyanese women” — Unknown. Introducing the newly crowned, Miss Guyana Caribbean Carnival Queen, Brianca Lester. Miss Lester will be representing Guyana at the Miss Caribbean Carnival Queen Pageant in St. Marteen on the 27th April, 2025. This week’s beauty has started her preparations for the competition, and plans to give it her all. She is draped in a gown designed by Guyanese designer, Jason Shurland.

Brianca Lester

President Trump’s Executive Orders and the Caribbean

BY SIR RONALD SANDERS

Wi t h i n h o u r s o f h i s

s e c o n d i n a u g u r a t i o n a s

P r e s i d e n t o f t h e U n i t e d

States on January 20, Donald Trump issued a sweeping series of Executive Orders (EOs). Several of them will affect the Caribbean, but two are of immediate interest to people of the Caribbean. They will be discussed here.

But, first, it is important to understand that, while the sheer number and timing of

t h e s e o r d e r s m a y s e e m unprecedented, issuing EOs is well within the President’s constitutional authority

During his campaign, President Trump made no secret of his intentions to

p u r s u e t h e o b j e c t i v e s outlined in these orders

T h e r e f o r e , f o r a n y o n e

c l o s e l y f o l l o w i n g U S

p o l i t i c a l d e v e l o p m e n t sdiplomats especially - these actions should not have

c o m e a s a s u r p r i s e

N e v e r t h e l e s s , t h e i r implications, particularly for Caribbean nationals, merit careful consideration.

What Is an Executive Order?

An Executive Order is

n o t a l a w n o r a r e t h e

p r o c l a m a t i o n s a n d

m e m o r a n d a t h a t o f t e n accompany them.

These directives outline how the President expects U.S. government officials to

i m p l e m e n t p o l i c i e s a n d

a d m i n i s t e r f e d e r a l operations.

Importantly, EOs can be challenged in court if they are deemed unconstitutional or in conflict with existing laws.

One of them has already been challenged in the courts by Attorneys General of 22

states and the American Civil Liberties Union.

This is the EO titled “Protecting the Meaning and V a l u e o f A m e r i c a n Citizenship.”

It seeks to end “birthright

c i t i z e n s h i p ” f o r c h i l d r e n born in the U.S. to parents who are neither citizens nor lawful permanent residents.

This directly challenges

t h e l o n g - s t a n d i n g interpretation of the 14th

For many years, this a m e n d m e n t t o t h e Constitution has encouraged some expectant mothers to travel to the U.S. to give birth, ensuring their children g a i n U S c i t i z e n s h i p automatically What Does This Mean for Caribbean Nationals?

T h i s E O c a n n o t

r e t r o a c t i v e l y s t r i p

c i t i z e n s h i p f r o m t h o s e already born in the U.S., even if their parents were undocumented at the time.

H o w e v e r, i f t h e c o u r t s

u p h o l d t h e E O , f u t u r e

c h i l d r e n b o r n t o n o nimmigrant visa holderssuch as visitors overstaying their permitted time - will not qualify for U.S. citizenship. Until a court decision is made, Caribbean nationals, p a r t i c u l a r l y p r e g n a n t

w o m e n , s h o u l d e x p e c t

s t r i c t e r s c r u t i n y w h e n

e n t e r i n g t h e U S

Immigration officials are

l i k e l y t o e x a m i n e t h e

p u r p o s e o f t r a v e l m o r e closely, and denial of entry may occur if they suspect an intention to give birth in the country

Broader Implications

It is widely known that some nationals from Latin America, the Caribbean, and other regions choose to have their children born in the U.S., hoping this will enable them, as parents, to apply successfully for permanent residency or citizenship.

H o w e v e r , t h i s expectation has no basis in law While the child born in t h e U S i s e n t i t l e d t o citizenship under the present arrangements, its parents, who are in the U.S. i l l e g a l l y , h a v e n o attendant rights. Just after his election in November 2024, Trump made it clear that he “has no wish to break up families.” Therefore, unless provision is made for the children’s protection, they would have to leave with their parents.

Deportation of All Illegal Migrants

Amendment to the U S Constitution, which affirms: “ A l l p e r s o n s b o r n o r naturalized in the United States, and subject to the j u r i s d i c t i o n t h e r e o f , a r e citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”

troubled.

Security Task Forces, which, u

n o

E O , “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” have been ordered to find and deport all inadmissible and removable aliens.

What Can Be Done?

There is not much that the governments of Latin American and Carib

countries can do about the deportation of their nationals who are in the U.S. illegally It is the sovereign right of the U.S., and every other nation, to craft and implement their

American and Caribbean countries also have policies of deporting illegal migrants, except when, in accordance w i t h i n t e r n a t i o n a l humanitarian laws, refugee status is granted in special circumstances.

T h e g o v e r n m e n t s o f some countries, such as Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Honduras, have declared that t h e y w i l l n o t a c c e p t deportees.

But that position is most unlikely to be adopted by the majority of the Englishs p e a k i n g n

( C A R I C O M ) , w h o s e s o c i e t a l c h a r a c t e r a n d principles would not permit them to turn their backs on their own.

To b e s u r e , w i t h t h e e x c e p t i o n o f H a i t i , t h e n u m b e r s o f i l l

C A R

t r i e s a

n o t a s l a r g e a s t h o s e f r o m o ther regions. Nonetheless, absorbing large numbers of deportees suddenly can have a disrupting effect on the s o c i a l s e r v i c e s o f

C A R I C O M g o v e r n m e n t s , particularly in relation to healthcare and education

The additional strain could e

and, potentially, contribute to a rise in crime rates. T

t h e U S g o v e r n m e n t i f t h e p r o b l e m s b e c o m e unmanageable.

U.S. Benefits from CARICOM

The relationship between the United States and the Caribbean remains crucial. The U.S. enjoys a significant balance of trade surplus with C A R I C O M c o u n t r i e s , amounting to $7.45 billion in 2023, while its aid to the region constitutes less than 0.1 percent of its total aid budget.

Notably, 90 percent of this assistance is directed to H a i t i , d r i v e n b y U S c o n c e r n s o v e r r e f u g e e s , organized crime, and gangs.

With the exception of Haiti, CARICOM c o u n

financial burden on the United States. Instead, they have proven to be

offering a favorable environment for U.S.

repatriation of profits, and serving as a cherished

ly rooted, mutually beneficial ties highlight the importance of continued cooperation, meaningful dialogue, and strengthened understanding

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS. The views expressed are entirely his

and p

interests, including on the movement of migrants and its consequences.

w.sirronaldsanders.com)

SIR RONALD SANDERS

WEEK-IN-REVIEW

Sunday

Exxon, partners walked away with US$15.4B of US$18B revenue generated in 2024 …while Guyana received US$2.6B

The Stabroek Block in 2024 generated a whopping US$18B in revenue, a 55.4% increase compared with the total export earnings of the s e c t o r i n 2 0 2 3 , s o m e US$11.6B.

E x x o n M o b i l G u y a n a

L i m i t e d ( E M G L ) , t h e operator of the resource-rich acreage grabbed US$15.4B of the 2024 revenue from oil, w h i l e G u y a n a ’s N a t u r a l

R e s o u r c e F u n d ( N R F ) received a meager US$2.6B during the period.

T h i s i n f o r m a t i o n i s contained in Budget 2025, which was presented to the

N a t i o n a l A s s e m b l y o n Friday afternoon by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh.

In his presentation to the House, Dr Singh reported, “Crude oil exports, which contributed US$18 billion to

overall export earnings in

2 0 2 4 , i n c r e a s e d b y 5 5 . 4

percent, driven largely by higher volumes.”

In the meantime, he also provided an overview of the country’s earnings from the sector He said, “Deposits into the NRF for the year 2024 amounted to US$2.6 billion.

T h e F u n d r e c e i v e d

US$2.2 billion in profit oil, US$557.5 million from Liza Destiny, US$869 2 million

f r o m L i z a U n i t y a n d

U S $ 7 9 6 3 m i l l i o n f r o m Prosperity With respect to royalty payments, US$348 million was received from t h e S t a b r o e k B l o c k operator.”

W i t h G u y a n a o n l y receiving US$2 6B of the

r e v e n u e g e n e r a t e d i n t h e Stabroek Block in 2024, it

t h e r e f o r e m e a n s t h a t

E x x o n M o b i l b a g g e d

U S $ 1 5 4 B o f t h e t o t a l income.

F u r t h e r m o r e , u s i n g f i g u r e s f r o m t h i s y e a r ’s Budget, it could be deduced that ExxonMobil recovered US$13.2B in cost, while it earned US$2.2B in profit. In keeping with the terms o f t h e 2 0 1 6 P e t r o l e u m Agreement, the Contractor can deduct up to 75% of the oil produced each month to recover cost. The remaining

25 percent is then shared

e q u a l l y b e t w e e n t h e

g o v e r n m e n t a n d t h e o i l

company This means that 12.5 percent of the revenue goes to Guyana, while the second 12.5 percent profit is shared with the company Exxon is then required to pay the country two percent from its share towards royalty

According to this year ’s Budget, 225 million barrels of oil was produced from t h e t h r e e F l o a t i n g

P r o d u c t i o n S t o r a g e a n d Offloading vessels (FPSOs)

c u r r e n t l y i n o p e r a t i o n Notably, Guyana received

2 8 m i l l i o n b a r r e l s o f t h e total oil produced

Dr Singh said, “With an e s t i m a t e d p r o d u c t i o n o f

2 2 5 4 m i l l i o n b a r r e l s o f crude oil in 2024, the oil and gas sector expanded by 57.7 percent in 2024.”

I n t h e m e a n t i m e , t h e petroleum sector is expected to see further growth in 2025, w i t h 9 . 5 % e x p a n s i o n estimated.

Oil prices expected to plummet by 10.9% this year …Guyana projects less revenue from sector although another FPSO to come online

While Guyana waits for t h e “ b i g g e r b o n e ” i n t h e future, or a larger share of profits from the oil produced in the Stabroek Block by ExxonMobil, the impending transition to cleaner energy

s o u r c e s a n d c o n s e q u e n t o v e r s u p p l y o f t h e c o m m o d i t y h a s b e g u n hitting at its price.

I n 2 0 2 5 , a l t h o u g h Guyana’s daily production

i s e x p e c t e d t o c l i m b , t h e country will see a decrease in earnings from the sector, as oil price is likely to come down by 10.9%.

This was explained by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni

S i n g h d u r i n g t h e presentation of this year ’s Budget at the Arthur Chung C o n f e r e n c e C e n t r e , L i l i e n d a a l , E a s

because of the bigger scale will be massive in Guyana’s case and we are deliberately foregoing that in this period for that purpose and then trying to grab this bone now could cause you to lose all the bones, the bigger bones too in the future.”

G o v e r n m e n t b e l i e v e s t h a t r i n g - f e n c i

resources discovered in the Stabroek Block.

D e m e r a r a o n F r i d a y afternoon.

H e s a i d , “ O i l p r i c e s contracted by 2.3 percent to average US$80.7 per barrel

particularly in China.”

The Minister was keen to n o t e t h a t t h i

year as “crude oil prices are forecasted to decline by a f u r t h e r 1 0 9 p e r c e n t

exceed demand.”

T h i s i s p a r t i c u l a r l y troubling for Guyana, since policymakers have refused to implement a ring-fencing p r o v i s i o n , t o e n s u r e t h e c o u n t r y b e n e f i t s e a r l y o n from the wealth generated. Not only has Guyana been u r g e d m u l t i p l e t i m e s b y v a r i o u s i n t e r n a t i o n a l financial institutions to do so, but it is also not forbidden b y t h e 2 0 1 6 P r o d u c t i o n Sharing Agreement (PSA) to implement this mechanism.

A ring-fencing provision would ensure that after the cost of an oil project is paid off, Guyana would receive 50% of the profits generated by that development, after the operational expense is covered.

I n t h i s m a n n e r , t h e

c o u n t r y ’s t a k e f r o m o i l production would increase significantly Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo previously

e x p l a i n e d t h a t G u y a n a would not be implementing a ring-fencing provision, since the country is focused on r e p a y i n g t h e i n v e s t m e n t cost, allowing it to benefit from a “bigger bone” in the future.

He said, “We admitted t h a t w e a r e f o r e g o i n g revenue now in exchange for m a s s i v e f u t u r e i n c o m e because its going into new projects that will increase production and so even with the same share of the 50/50 plus the two percent royalty

t h a t t h e f u t u r e i n c o m e ,

T h e c o u n t r y , w h i c h s t a r t e d o i l p r o d u c t i o n i n 2019, and is eager to develop its resources, must however b e m i n d f u l o f t h e g l o b a l trends that can impact the nation. In fact, a World Bank R e p o r t r e l e a s e d l a s t y e a r warned that an oil glut may lead to a substantial drop in global prices.

“Next year, the global oil supply is expected to exceed demand by an average of 1.2 million barrels per day,” the World Bank stated.

It was noted that the scale of this oversupply is difficult to overstate; these numbers h a v e o n l y b e e n e x c e e d e d twice in history, in 1998 and 2020. As a result, a barrel of o i l c o u l d c o s t l e s s t h a n US$60 within the next six years.

T h i s t h e r e f o r e r a i s e d d o u b t s a b o u t J a g d e o ’ s p r o j e c t i o n s o f s u b s t a n t i a l future revenue.

Projections for oil sector in 2025

According to the Finance Minister, it is anticipated that there will be 246 lifts of profit oil from the Stabroek Block in 2025. Within this, Government is projected to have 31 lifts of profit oil

f r o m t h e t h r e e F l o a t i n g

P r o d u c t i o n S t o r a g e a n d Offloading vessels (FPSOs) producing currently, along with the One Guyana FPSO w h i c h i s e x p e c t e d t o b e commissioned in the second half of the year

Be that as it may, Dr Singh pointed out, “With the average price of Brent crude

expected to decline to an

a v e r a g e o f U S $ 7 1 9 p e r

b a r r e l , G o v e r n m e n t ’ s petroleum revenue deposits

a r e p r o j e c t e d t o b e 2 6 percent lower than in 2024. Government is projected to earn an estimated US$2 2 b i l l i o n i n p r o f i t o i l a n d U S $ 3 4 0 6 m i l l i o n i n royalties.”

I n 2 0 2 4 , a n a v e r a g e 2 2 5 4 m i l l i o n b a r r e l s o f crude oil was produced, with the sector recording 57.7% growth that year With the p r i c e o f o i l a v e r a g i n g ,

President, EMGL, Alistair Routledge

US$80.7 per barrel in 2024, G u y a n a e a r n e d U S $ 2 6 B from oil production.

Monday

Govt. added US$4.2B debt to Guyana since 2019 …as debt grows from US$1.8B in 2019 to US$6B in 2024

Despite commencing oil p r o d u c t i o n i n 2 0 2 0 , t h e G o v e r n m e n t o f G u y a n a ( G o G ) h a s g r o w n t h e c o u n t r y ’ s d e b t b y a significant US$4.2B as at the end of December 2024.

In 2019, the country’s d e b t w a s U S $ 1 8 B ; according to Annual Reports from the Bank of Guyana ( B o G ) , t h e n a t i o n ’s d e b t grew by 46.7% in 2020 to US$2.6B.

In 2021, the debt surged to US$3.1B, and in 2022 this trend continued with the total stock of debt climbing to US$3.7B.

In 2023, debt increased further by 23.4% to US$4.5B while this grew to a massive US$6B at the end of 2024, as

i n d i c a t e d b y F i n a n c e

Minister, Dr Ashni Singh last week.

T h e I r f a a n A l i - l e d a d m i n i s t r a t i o n h a s o f t e n touted the low GDP to debt service ratio, meaning that t h e c o u n t r y ’ s G r o s s Domestic Product (GDP) far o u t w e i g h s t h e c o u n t r y ’s annual payment repayment on loans.

For instance, Dr Singh p o i n t e d o u t t h e c o u n t r y ’s progress over the past four years in this regard. He said, “Importantly, over the last 4 years, the ratio of total PPG ( P u b l i c a n d P u b l i c l y

Guaranteed Debt) debt-to-

Guyana as having the second

Hemisphere in 2024.”

It should be noted that the

P, while largely reflective of exports from the petroleum sector, is not the real value

from the sector

In fact, only on Sunday Kaieteur News reported that exports from the oil and gas

B while Guyana only received U

(NRF). P

Economics, Elson Low said the nation may be slipping into a debt trap that could see the country failing to meet its loan obligations should oil prices collapse. L

d a t Goldman Sachs and Co. He also has a certificate in antimoney laundering and antic o r r u p t i o n f r o m t h e International Law Institute and was an investigator and policy researcher at the State A s s e t s R e c o v e r y A g e n c y (SARA).

H e r e m i n d e d t h a t D r Ashni Singh informed the I n t e r n a t i o n a l E n e r g y Conference in 2023 that with t h e t r i p l i n g o f G u y a n a ’s economy, the country is now in a better position to take more loans.

Low said, “This implies that the reason we are able to take on more debt is because of the oil sector As a result, our ability to repay these debts is dependent on the oil sector.”

Be that as it may, Vice P r e s i d e n t B h a r r a t J a g d e o argued otherwise. Debt-to-GDP smokescreen

The Opposition contends

f t h e administration’s borrowing trend.

GDP plummeted by more than 20 percentage points, from 47.4 percent at the end of 2020 to 24.3 percent at the end of 2024. This provides clear indication of a marked improvement in Guyana’s capacity to maintain public debt into the future, without t h e n e e d f o r f i s c a l a d j u s t m e n t s , a n d p l a c e s Guyana in the position of having one of the lowest d e b t - t o - G D P r a t i o s worldwide. Indeed, the latest

significantly increased, the Continued on page 17

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh

From page 16 ratio reflects a reduced debt. This however does not mean that the country’s total stock

o f d e b t h a s d e c l i n e d ; contrarily, Guyana’s public debt has grown substantially

T h e O p p o s i t i o n

E c o n o m i s t e x p l a i n e d , “Because the country has grown so quickly, the debt to G D P n u m b e r h a s f a l l e n sharply so even if you take on a huge amount of debt you would still have a low debt to G D P r a t i o T h i s i s misleading however because we must bear in mind that a growth in Guyana’s GDP is not the same as growth in government revenue.”

Chinese gold company declared 144,593 ounces in 2024 ...gold sector is expected to grow by 17.2% this year—finance minister

Zijin Mining Group Co.

Ltd, a Chinese state-owned

mining giant operating in

G u y a n a t h r o u g h i t s

s u b s i d i a r y A u r o r a G o l d

M i n e ( A G M ) , r e p o r t e d a

3 2 3 % i n c r e a s e i n

d e c l a r a t i o n s , r e a c h i n g

1 4 4 , 5 9 3 o u n c e s o f g o l d produced in 2024. This was

d i s c l o s e d b y M i n i s t e r o f

Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, d u r i n g h i s B u d g e t 2 0 2 5 presentation in the National Assembly on Friday

In 2023, Zijin recorded higher declarations by 7.8%

to 109,358 4 troy ounces

T h e c o m p a n y h a d m a d e some US$185 million from its operations in Guyana that y e a r Wi t h i n t h e f i r s t s i x

m o n t h s o f 2 0 2 4 , A G M

produced 1,949 kilograms ( o v e r 6 8 , 0 0 0 o u n c e s ) o f gold. This information was revealed in Zijin’s interim half-year report on its global operations.

T h e B a n k o f G u y a n a 2024 Half-Year report had s t a t e d t h a t A G M ’s g o l d declaration within the first 6 m o n t h s o f t h e y e a r h a d increased due to continued favourable performance in t h e i r u n d e rg r o u n d m i n i n g operations.

Minister Singh said, “At the large-scale end of the i n d u s t r y, t h e s o l e c u r r e n t operator at Aurora continues t o m e e t a n d e x c e e d p r o j e c t i o n s , e m p l o y i n g directly and indirectly over 1,500 Guyanese nationals, compared to 862 in 2020. Work is also ongoing on the f u r t h e r b u i l d o u

s a l r e a d y commenced.” Overall Guyana’s 2024

g o l d p r o d u c t i o n s a w a m o d e s t i n c r e a s e o f 1 , 9 5 4 o u n c e s i n 2 0 2 4 , f r o m

432,113 ounces in 2023 to 434,067 ounces in 2024.

M i n i s t e r S i n g h s a i d ,

“Despite facing tremendous challenges in the first half of 2 0 2 4 , t h e g o l d m i n i n g industry turned around to record growth of 0.5% last

y e a r , w i t h t o t a l g o l d declarations amounting to

434,067 ounces in 2024.”

H e d i s c l o s e d t h a t t h e

G u y a n a G o l d B o a r d ’ s purchases grew by 53.7% to 134,213 ounces, offsetting the decline in declarations from licensed dealerships by 3 4 % t o 1 5 5 , 2 6 1 o u n c e s Notably, despite the small rise in production, the total

g o l d r e v e n u e f o r 2 0 2 4

r e a c h e d a n i m p r e s s i v e US$989.9 million, marking a US$180 million increase over the previous year This can be attributed to high gold prices that were recorded last year

“The average price of gold also increased, growing

b y 2 2 9 p e r c e n t t o US$2,387.7 per troy ounce,

s u p p o r t e d b y g e o p o l i t i c a l

u n c e r t a i n t y, ” t h e m i n i s t e r said. Non-oil export earnings

g r e w b y 1 6 p e r c e n t t o US$1.8 billion, with notable increases in gold, rice and b a u x i t e e x p o r t s T h e s e increased by 22.4%, 20.4%

a n d 1 9 2 % , r e s p e c t i v e l y, t o g e t h e r c o n t r i b u t i n g

US$1.3 billion to total nonoil earnings. Importantly, the growth in non-oil earnings w a s s u p p o r t e d b y b o t h i n c r e a s e d v o l u m e s a n d favourable prices. Currently, AGM boasts a recovery rate as high as 95%, while small and mediumscale miners’ recovery rates

a r e b e l o w 5 0 % T h e government has stated that it i s a c t i v e l y w o r k i n g w i t h smaller miners to bridge the gap and improve efficiency

D r S i n g h s a i d , “ T h e small and medium scale gold mining subsector has been s h o w i n g s t r o n g s i g n s o f recovery, although problems p e r s i s t . T h e s e i n c l u d e i n c i d e n t s o f u n d e rdeclaration and smuggling. Heightened surveillance and intelligence-based policing h a v e m a d e s i g n i f i c a n t inroads into arresting these problems, and the sector is showing some improvement as a result.”

A d d i t i o n a l e f f o r t s t o r e g u l a t e t h e s e c t o r a n d ensure these problems are

contained include, mobile p u r c h a s i n

d enforcement activities and g r e a t e r u s e o f I C T a p p l i c a t i o n s t o m o n i t o r

mines operations, Dr Singh explained. He also outlined m e a s u r e s t o i n c e n t i v i z e compliance and declarations t o t h e G o l d B o a r d w h i l e

e n d o r s i n g a d v a n c e d

c h e m i c a l l e a c h i n g

t e c h n o l o g i e s t o e n a b l e small-scale miners to extract g o l d m o r e e c o n o m i c a l l y from low-grade deposits.

Looking ahead, the gold mining sector is projected to experience a 17.2% growth this year

M i n i s t e r h i g h l i g h t e d

t h e s e p r o j e c t i o n s , s a y i n g , “The gold mining subsector i s e x p e c t e d t o e x p a n d further, to grow this year by 17.2 percent. Regarding gold m i n i n g , t h i s s t r o n g e r position is expected to be driven by higher projected declarations from the Aurora gold mine and the small and m e d i u m - s c a l e m i n e r s ,

a l o n g s i d e a n i n c r e a s e i n

G o l d B o a r d p u r c h a s e s ,

aggregating to a target of a p p r o x i m a t e l y 5 0 1 , 0 0 0 ounces.”

The Central Bank had said in its report that small and medium scale miners’ declarations declined within the first half of 2024 as a result of dry weather and in o t h e r i n s t a n c e s h e a v y rainfall.

Tuesday

‘Govt doesn’t need independent advice to renegotiate ExxonM contract’ - ‘We know what we are doing,’ Jagdeo says

V i c e P r e s i d e n t ( V P ) Bharrat Jagdeo has said that h i s G o v e r n m e n t d o e s n o t need an independent expert’s a d v i c e t o f i n d o u t i f renegotiation of the Stabroek

B l o c k c o n t r a c t w i t h

E x x o n M o b i l i s p o s s i b l e , insisting that “we know what we are doing.”

The People’s Progressive P a r t y / C i v i c ( P P P / C ) l e d administration has criticised the oil deal as a bad one, but has repeatedly said no to

r e n e g o t i a t i n g i t . W h e n pressed for answers on its stance to live with a deal that f a v o u r s t h e A m e r i c a n o i l

g i a n t r a t h e r t h a n t h e

G u y a n e s e p e o p l e , J a g d e o has made multiple excuses

such as, contract sanctity, stability clauses and the most recent one being, “ExxonM has publicly said it will not agree to renegotiation.”

H o w e v e r , t h e d e b a t e continues in the press among p o l i t i c a l c o m m e n t a t o r s ,

l a w y e r s , a c c o u n t a n t s a n d professionals in the oil and gas sector that there might be

l o o p h o l e s t h a t t h e

G o v e r n m e n t c a n u s e t o

renegotiate the deal. At his party’s press-conference last week, Jagdeo had his say on t h e d e b a t e c a l l i n g t h e arguments, flawed, recycled and “hallow”. He criticised t h o s e c a l l i n g f o r a renegotiation of making it an election issue for their own political agenda.

H e t h e n p r a i s e d individuals associated with his Government, such as Kit Nacimiento and others, for taking a stance against the c a l l f o r r e n e g o t i a t i o n , arguing that that their points of view were not on behalf of the Government.

Kaieteur News pointed out at the press-conference, h o w e v e r , t h a t t h e f a c t remains that the arguments for and against a contract r e n e g o t i a t i o n a r e b y individuals associated with both sides of the political divide. The Kaieteur News reporter there asked, “Has t h e g o v e r n m

advice from any independent expert outside of the political arena here to see if there m i

decided to say that Exxon is not renegotiating, contract sanctity and that’s it?”

In response, the VP said that seeking an independent expert’s advice is an “APNU ( C o a l i t i

n O p p o s i t

n ) ” thing before giving a lengthy explanation as to why his Government does not need a n i n d e p e n d e n t c o n t r a c t review “We don’t need to pay a consultant to tell us about the provisions that the PNC signed,” Jagdeo said, before adding, “which says one thing, that you have to have the consent of the other party to renegotiate.” Citing

Continued on page 18

Aurora mining operation in Guyana (Source: Zijin)

From page 17 that Exxon has already said publicly and privately that it will not renegotiate, Jagdeo opined that it will only lead to a dispute between Guyana

a n d t h e A m e r i c a n o i l

c o m p a n y “ W h i c h l a w y e r will tell you what will come out of a dispute resolution mechanism if you have to go to that?” Jagdeo questioned, even as he recycled the same arguments his Government has repeatedly made for not

r e n e g o t i a t i n g t h e E x x o n

C o n t r a c t “ A n d t h e n

b e c a u s e o f t h e s t a b i l i t y clause that they have in the same contract, assuming that we prevail, then we have to compensate large sums of

m o n e y ” H e c o n t i n u e d , “Why do you need someone to tell you something that is patently obvious? It is only

w h e n y o u w a n t t o h i d e behind a review or you don’t know what the hell you are d o i n g , ” J a g d e o f u r t h e r stated, while making it clear “that is something we are not

i n t o i n t h e P P P , a n d

s o m e t i m e s t h e s e l fassertiveness comes over as arrogance but is because we know what we are doing.”

‘Chokehold of oil on Guyana’s economy spells trouble for country’s climbing debt’- Former Finance Minister

W h i l e G u y a n a ’s d e b t

c o n t i n u e s t o r i s e , t h e country’s heavy reliance on

the resources from oil to service its loan obligations is a cause for major concerns, Former Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, has said. He made the comments when he appeared as a guest

o n t h e P e o p l e ’s N a t i o n a l

C o n g r e s s R e f o r m programme, “Nation Watch”

o n S u n d a y U s i n g d a t a

c o m p r i s e d i n t h i s y e a r ’s

N a t i o n a l B u d g e t , J o r d a n pointed out that the oil and gas sector contributes to an

o v e r w h e l m i n g p o r t i o n o f export earnings- well over 50%.

C o m p a r i n g t h i s t o Guyana’s debt which now stands around US$6B, the former Finance Minister said

t h e r e i s n o p r u d e n t

m a n a g e m e n t o f t h e economy “It can never (be prudent) and don’t matter w h a t t h e y s a y a b o u t

e c o n o m y i s e x p a n d i n g , a l l o w i n g r o o m f o r borrowing and so on, listen,

h e r e i s a f a c t - o i l i s

d o m i n a t i n g G u y a n a ’ s economy In fact, in 2019 our m e r c h a n d i s e e x p o r t w a s

US$1,567million of which oil (was) zero because oil had not yet come in,” Jordan said.

Guyana commenced oil p r o d u c t i o n i n D e c e m b e r 2019 with the start-up of the L i z a D e s t i n y F l o a t i n g

P r o d u c t i o n S t o r a g e a n d

Offloading (FPSO) vessel

The former minister went on to point out, “In 2024, our m e r c h a n d i s e e x p o r t s w a s US$19,792 million of which oil was US$17,993 million, r e p r e s e n t i n g 9 1 % o f o u r merchandise exports. That is how oil has a chokehold on the economy- 91% in 2024!”

Jordan argued that while there is chatter about the growth in the non-oil sector

a n d e x p e n d i t u r e o n agriculture and production

o u t p u t f r o m b a u x i t e , t h i s

y e a r ’ s B u d g e t p r o j e c t s

e x p o r t s a t U S $ 1 9 , 7 8 2 m i l l i o n o f w h i c h o i l i s U S $ 1 7 , 6 0 9 m i l l i o n o r a massive 89%. To this end, he maintained, “The chokehold

i s t h e r e ” T h e c o u n t r y ’s

G r o s s D o m e s t i c P r o d u c t ( G D P ) r e c o r d e d 4 3 6 %

growth in 2024, with the

n o n - o i l e c o n o m y a l s o recording growth of 13.1%.

M e a n w h i l e , G D P i s projected to grow by 10.6% this year, with growth in the non-oil sector projected at 13.8% for 2025.

T h e f o r m e r F i n a n c e

Minister pointed out that the O p p o s i t i o n p r e v i o u s l y warned against a drop in oil prices, but this was disputed by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo at a press conference. He however, noted that in t h i s y e a r ’ s B u d g e t , t h e Finance Minister, Dr Ashni S i n g h , h a s r e v e a l e d t h a t price for the commodity is expected to come down.

In his presentation, Dr Singh said, “Crude oil prices are forecasted to decline by a f u r t h e r 1 0 9 p e r c e n t t o

U S $ 7 1 9 p e r b a r r e l , w i t h global supply expected to exceed demand ” J

dan believes that this predicted decrease in the price of oil c o u l d b e g r e a t e r t h a n

anticipated, should tensions calm in Gaza and the U.S admin

h Russia.

“Without these events, they have budgeted for a less price

herefo

s a m o u n t g o

i n t o t h e Natural Resource Fund,” he stated. To this end, Jordan predicted that there will be “rainy days” ahead which

c o u l d l a s t a p r o l o n g e d period.

Consequently, the former minister reasoned, “So if you now are spending out the m o n e y o n d u b i o u s infrastructure – because that is what you are doing – you have put no infrastructure in place using this money, that adds value to anything that you are doing since 2020. You don’t have no valueadded in sugar, you don’t h a v e n o v a l u e - a d d e d i n bauxite, you don’t have no refinery refining gold, you got one in Suriname I believe but you have none here. You have no canning factory and you selling people dust in the dessert…”

O n M o n d a y , t h i s newspaper reported that the GoG has grown the country’s d e b t b y a s i g n i f i c a n t US$4.2B between the period 2020 and 2024. In 2019, the c

U S $ 1 8 B ; a c c o r d i n g t o

A n n u a l R e p o r t s f r o m t h e Bank of Guyana (BoG), the nation’s debt grew by 46.7% in 2020 to US$2.6B. In 2021, the debt surged to US$3.1B, a n d i n 2 0 2 2 , t h i

US$3.7B.

In 2023, debt increased further by 23.4% to US$4.5B while this grew to a massive US$6B at the end of 2024, as indicated by Dr Ashni Singh last week. The Irfaan Ali-led a d m i n i s t r a t i o n h a s o f t e n touted the low GDP to debt service ratio, meaning that t h e c o u n t r y ’ s G r o s s Domestic Product (GDP) far o u t w e i g h s t h e c o u n t r y ’s annual payment repayment

on loans.

It should be noted that the country’s growth GDP, while largely reflective of exports from the petroleum sector, is not the real value that the country received from the s e c t o r F o r i n s t a n c e , Kaieteur News reported that exports from the oil and gas s e c t o r t o t a l l e d U S $ 1 8 B , while Guyana only received U S $ 2 6 B i n 2 0 2 4 i n t h e N a t u r a l R e s o u r c e F u n d (NRF).

Wednesday

‘It is an insult to send Guyanese to US EXIM Bank to request studies on GTE’ - AFC …as concerns grow over climbing cost of project

Leader of the Alliance

For Change (AFC), Nigel

H u g h e s b e l i e v e s i t i s a n insult to Guyanese for Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo to direct them to the United

States Export Import (US

E X I M ) B a n k t o r e q u e s t studies on the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project.

D u r i n g a r e c e n t p r e s s conference, Hughes said, “It is completely unacceptable f o r t h e Vi c e P r e s i d e n t t o suggest that we must go to EXIM to get the feasibility study The government of the d a y , i r r e s p e c t i v e o f whichever government it is, m u s t s h a r e w i t h t h e p o p u l a t i o n a n y f e a s i b i l i t y

s t u d y , e c o n o m i c o r otherwise, for most projects

but particularly for largescale projects so we repeat o u r d e m a n d f o r t h e production of the feasibility study and we think it is an i n s u l t t o t h e p e o p l e o f Guyana to invite them to ask EXIM.”

It would be recalled that VP Jagdeo when asked by t h i s n e w s p a p e r a b o u t t h e release of the studies said, “Ask Exim Bank for it…”

Jagdeo had previously

i n d i c a t e d t h a t t h e B a n k conducted its own feasibility

and environmental studies before arriving at its decision to provide financing for the project. The US EXIM Bank, on December 26, announced t h a t i t h a s f i n a l i z e d a

U S $ 5 2 7 M l o a n a i d t h e

c o n s t r u c t i o n o f t w o g a s plants at Wales, West Bank Demerara.

Meanwhile, Chairman of t h e P a r t y a n d f o r m e r M i n i s t e r o f P u b l i c I n f r a s t r u c t u r e , D a v i d P a t t e r s o n , p o i n t e d t o t h e climbing cost of the project.

H e s a i d i t w a s v e r y u n l i k e l y t h a t t h e government’s commitment t o r e d u c e t h e c o s t o f electricity by 50% would be realized, taking the price tag o f t h e p r o j e c t i n t o consideration.

According to him, this may only be likely if “Jagdeo them dig another hole to fill this hole” meaning that the

G u y a n a P o w e r a n d L i g h t (GPL) would be subsidized by government to meet the targets.

Patterson pointed to the ongoing dispute between the G o v e r n m e n t o f G u y a n a ( G o G ) a n d t h e G T E contractor that was hired to construct the Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility and t h e 3 0 0 - m e g a w a t t p o w e r plant.

He said, “There are two c l a i m s w h i c h i s U S $ 1 0 0 m i l l i o n s o o b v i o u s l y, i n theory, I do anticipate and I have said it before, that when y o u h a v e c l a i m s i n a construction project at the beginning, experience has said that nine times out of 10, those claims are successful.”

T h e f o r m e r M i n i s t e r

r e a s o n e d t h a t t h i s w a s expected since the contractor was required to do additional work to get the site ready for the project activities.

A c c o r d i n g t o h i m , “ I anticipate that both claims will be successful, in the

most part, so you have to tack t h a t o n t o t h e U S $ 8 7 1 million we will be paying b a c k ( t o t h e U S E X I M Bank), added to the US$1B we will be paying back to Exxon, added to the sum that we are paying to the Indian firm for the construction of t h e t r a n s m i s s i o n a n d distribution lines, added to that we have to add on the rental of the powership and these things like that; and then when you put down everything into the basket, then is when you will know e x a c t l y h o w m u c h t h i s project has cost and the way it’s going the price tag may well pass US$3B.”

APNU, AFC ink MoU to discuss possibility of coalition ahead of 2025 elections …agreement on life support, fate of partnership to be determined by March 31 - Nigel Hughes

T h e A P a r t n e r s h i p f o r National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC) o n T u e s d a y i n k e d a M e m o r a n d u m o

y o f coalescing ahead of the 2025 Elections.

T h i s w a s r e v e a l e d b y Leader of the AFC, Nigel Hughes, last evening, during a hurriedly conducted virtual press conference.

In his opening remarks, H u g h e s , t h e p r o m i n e n t attorney-at-law, stated, “The AFC remains committed to contesting these elections on its own if necessary That is the position of the party. We have been authorized by our

t i v e

r i n t o discussion with other parties. We believe that with some parties, it is better to have documented the parameters of our engagement just so that we are all on the same page. However, there is no change in our commitment to enter into these elections on our own if necessary and any par

which will engage with us in the interest of the country.”

While just hours old, the lawyer said the agreement with the APNU was on life support.

According to him “trust and confidentiality” are key principles sacred to the AFC. H

developments which caused us to pause. Now anything Continued on page 36

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

Former Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan

Where Is Guyana’s Oil Money Going?

Welcome back to Talking Dollars & Making Sense. Today, we’re diving into the pressing question: Where is Guyana’s oil money going? Over the past five years, Guyana has earned US$6.5 billion from oil revenues, but

t h e c o u n t r y c o u l d h a v e received US$13 billion if the 2016 Petroleum Agreement had been more balanced.

L e t ’s u n p a c k w h e r e t h e money has gone, how it’s been managed, and whether it’s being used effectively for national development.

How Much Money Are We Talking About?

F r o m 2 0 2 0 t o 2 0 2 4 , Guyana’s total capital into the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) were approximately US$6 5 billion, including U S $ 2 4 6 m i l l i o n f r o m investment income. Over the last three years, about 50% of these funds—or US$3.2 billion—has been spent by the government. However,

d e s p i t e t h i s s i g n i f i c a n t expenditure, it’s challenging to identify a single major n a t i o n a l d e v e l o p m e n t project directly funded by these resources. So, where has all that money gone?

The Gas to Energy Project: A Case Study

One potential use of the NRF funds could have been the Gas to Energy project, a transformative initiative that could reduce electricity costs and boost industrial activity

The US$527 million loan provided by Exim Bank is funding part of this project; however, there’s no explicit allocation from the NRF to cover the rest of the project. This raises serious questions about how the NRF is being utilized.

Funding Other National Projects Looking at other s i g n i f i c a n t d e v e l o p m e n t projects, it becomes evident that loans, rather than NRF funds, are financing them.

Here are some examples:

· New Demerara Bridge: US$260 million loan from China.

L i n d e n - S o e s d y k e Highway: US$200 million

l o a n f r o m t h e I s l a m i c Development Bank.

W i s m a r - M a c k e n z i e Bridge: US$50 million from t h e S a u d i F u n d f o r Development (SFD).

·Housing Sector Project: US$100 million loan from SFD.

·Phase 2 of East Coast R o a d P r o j e c t : U S $ 1 9 2 million loan from China.

·East Bank-East Coast

Demerara Road Linkage: US$50 million loan from India.

L i n d e n - M a b u r a R o a d

P r o j e c t : U S $ 11 2 m i l l i o n loan from the Caribbean Development Bank.

P a e d i a t r i c a n d Maternity Hospital: US$165 million loan from UK Export Finance

Strengthen Healthcare

Network: US$97 million loan from Inter-American

Development Bank (IDB)

To g e t h e r, t h e s e l o a n s amount to about US$1.8 billion. If loans are funding these vital projects, what exactly is the NRF money being used for?

What Does the NRF Act 2021 Say?

T h e N R F A c t 2 0 2 1 , specifically Section 16(2), mandates that withdrawals from the fund must be for n a t i o n a l d e v e l o p m e n t priorities identified in the annual budget and approved by Parliament.

This provision ensures that spending aligns with s t r a t e g i c g o a l s a n d i s transparent. However, the lack of clarity about how US$3 2 bil

depends on clear, tangible outcomes that align with the law’s intent. Another issue

r a n s p a r e n c y i s t h e commingling of NRF funds with other inflows, such as tax revenue, into the nation’s c

n d T h i s practice makes it virtually i m p o s s i b l e t

d e t e r m i n e what the NRF funds are specifically funding, which directly violates Section 9(f) of the NRF Act 2021.

The Act emphasizes the n e e d f o r c l e a r a n d identifiable use of these funds to ensure they are used

f o r t h e b e n e f i t o f a l l

G u y a n e s e Wi t h o u t t h i s clarity, the purpose of the

NRF is undermined, raising serious concerns about fiscal accountability.

Investment Returns: Falling Short Let’s also look at the NRF’s investment returns. Section 9(f) of the NRF Act requires a real investment return in US dollars of 3% annually Yet, over the past five years, the fund’s average

nominal return was 2.3%. After accounting for U.S. i n f l a t i o n 3 6 % a s measured by the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index—the real return was -1.3%. Falling 4.3% short of the required rate indicates poor financial m

u l d erode the fund’s value over time.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, S e c t i o n 23(2) of the Act limits the NRF’s investment options to bank deposits if the fund’s balance is less than three

US$500 million, its size

withdrawals restricts it to low-yield bank deposits. At t

unlikely to diversify into h

compounding the issue of

accountability, and strategic investments are essential to ensure these funds benefit all Guyanese. Adhering to the N

inclusive, long-term

Feel free to share your

suggestions by reaching out totalkingdollarsgy@gmail.c om.

together. Until next time, let’s keep Talking Dollars & Making Sense.

UNDERSTANDING THE BENEFITS OF GNBS CERTIFICATION PROGRAMMES

Ce r t i f i c a t i o n

p r o v i d e s a s s u r a n c e , credibility, and consistency in meeting guidelines and

s p e c i f i c a t i o n s a i m e d a t consumer satisfaction. It builds credibility and trust, provides a competitive

a d v a n t a g e f o r c e r t i f i e d

p r o d u c t s o r b u s i n e s s e s , provides quality assurance,

o p e n s a c c e s s t o m o r e

m a r k e t s , a n d h e l p s t o mitigate risks by requiring organisations to follow best practices.

I n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h

N a t i o n a l S t a n d a r d s , t h e

Guyana National Bureau of

S t a n d a r d s ( G N B S ) o ff e r s certification to products and

b u s i n e s s e s u n d e r i t s

c e r t i f i c a t i o n p r o g r a m m e s

These programmes are the:

M a d e i n G u y a n a

C e r t i f i c a t i o n , P r o d u c t

C e r t i f i c a t i o n , G Y S 9 0 1

C e r t i f i c a t i o n , L a b o r a t o r y

Certification and the Bed & B r e a k f a s t C e r t i f i c a t i o n programmes.

T h e M a d e i n G u y a n a

C e r t i f i c a t i o n M a r k programme is available to all local manufacturers who are looking to differentiate their p r o d u c t s b a s e d o n k e y q u a l i t y a n d o t h e r requirements.

S o f a r , o v e r f i f t y

companies including agro-

processors as well as large

manufacturers are certified

under this programme

Certified products bear

the GNBS approved Made

in Guyana Standards Mark, showing that they comply

with the set criteria of the

programme

These criteria cover the q u a n t i t y o f l o c a l r a w m a t e r i a l s u s e d i n t h e i r

production, the number of

G u y a n e s e s t a ff e m p l o y e d b y e s t a b l i s h m e n t s ,

production records and the applicable test certificates for products

Meanwhile, the GNBS

P r o d u c t C e r t i f i c a t i o n

Hollow Blocks, and fibre-

glass Bathtub and shower u n i t s a c c

utlines t h e r e q u i s i t e t e s t i n g parameters to ensure product consistency and quality

T h e G N B S 9 0 1

C e r t i f i c a t i o n p r o g r a

S m a l l a n d M e d i u m - S i z e d

E n t e r p r i s e s d e s i r o u s o f e s t a b l i s h i n g a s i m p l i f i e d b u t e f f e c t i v e M a n a g e m e n t S y s t e m t a i l o r e d s p e c i f i c a l l y f o r t h e m

I t a l s o p r o v i d e s a

s t e p p i n g s t o n e t o b u s i n e s s e s w h o w o u l d

l i k e t o l a t e r p u r s u e I S O 9 0 0 1 C e r t i f i c a t i o n .

Scheme aims to implement a n d m o n i t o r c e r t i f i c a t i o n s y s t e m s i n i n d u s t r i e s t o p r o v i d e a s s u r a n c e t h a t l o c a l l y m a n u f a c t u r e d p r o d u c t s c o n f o r m t o r e q u

T h e G Y S 9 0 1

c e r t i f i c a t i o n p r o v i d e s l o c a l s m a l l b u s i n e s s e s

w i t h a f r a m e w o r k f o r

i m p l e m e n t i n g b e s t

p r a c t i c e s , e n s u r i n g

c o n s i s t e n c y, r e l i a b i l i t y,

a n d c o m p l i a n c e w i t h i n d u s t r y s t a n d a r d s

B u s i n e s s e s a r e r e q u i r e d t o m e e t c r i t e r i a o u t l i n e d

i n t h e N a t i o n a l S t a n d a r d

G Y S 9 0 1 : 2 0 2 4 -

R e q u i r e m e n t s f o r

M a n a g e m e n t s y s t e m f o r

m i c r o , s m a l l a n d

m e d i u m - s i z e d

e n t e r p r i s e s

F o r L a b o r a t o r y

C e r t i f i c a t i o n , t h i s programme is premised on the National Standard GYS

1 7 0 : 2 0 2 1 - G e n e r a l

r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r t h e

operation of a laboratory

T h i s s t a n d a r d a l l o w s

l a b o r a t o r i e s t o d e v e l o p a

c o m p r e h e n s i v e l a b o r a t o r y management system, which

facilitates the delivery of

a c c u r a t e a n d r e l i a b l e t e s t results.

As such, the certification

programme provides formal recognition that a laboratory

h a s i m p l e m e n t e d a

management system, thus

providing a ready means for customers to identify and

s e l e c t r e l i a b l e t e s t i n g services to meet their needs.

To maintain this recognition, laboratories are re-evaluated periodically by the GNBS to e n s u r e c o n f o r m a n c e t o requirements and to verify

t h a t t h e i r s t a n d a r d o f o p e r a t i o n i s b e i n g maintained.

F i n a l l y, t h e B e d a n d

B r e a k f a s t o r B n B

C e r t i f i c a t i o n p r o g r a m m e i s i m p l e m e n t e d i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e

N a t i o n a l S t a n d a r d G Y S

5 1 4 : 2 0 1 6 - R e q u i r e m e n t s f o r b e d a n d b r e a k f a s t f a c i l i t i e s B u s i n e s s e s c e r t i f i e d u n d e r t h i s p r o g r a m m e a r e r e q u i r e d t o a d h e r e t o t h i s s t a n d a r d w h i c h i n c o r p o r a t e s i n f o r m a t i o n f r o m v a r i o u s s t a k e h o l d e r s i n c l u d i n g t h e G u y a n a T o u r i s m

for these programmes along with other information on the programme can be found on the GNBS website https: https://gnbsgy.org/certificati

website: www.gnbsgy.org

Panda ant

Th o u g h t h e s e b l a c k - a n d - w h i t e insects are part of a group called velvet ants, these “pandas” are actually Chilean wasps.

With a fuzzy black-andwhite body, white head, and black-ringed eyes, the panda

ant’s resemblance to the i c o n i c C h i n e s e b

s uncanny It’s mainly the females that look ant-like, says Denis J. Brothers of the U n i v e r s i t y o f K w a - Z u l u Natal in South Africa, by e m a

warning to predators—their stings pack a punch. The males, which have wings, look much more like we expect wasps to, and they don’t have stingers.

That’s because females’

d ovipositors, or egg-laying

organs, which males don’t have, says Justin Schmidt,

University of Arizona and

author of Sting of the Wild. (National Geographic)

A female Panda Ant found in a garden in Santiago, Chile. Photograph by Christian Lukhaup.

Founder of Camille's Academy conferred with Honorary

Doctorate award at World School Summit in Malaysia

- School receives global award f or dedication to holistic education

Education and resilience go hand in hand, as both are

e s s e n t i a l t o o v e r c o m i n g

challenges and achieving

s u c c e s s R e s i l i e n c e i n education is not just about

b o u n c i n g b a c k f r o m

s e t b a c k s ; i t ’ s a b o u t developing the ability to adapt, learn from failures, and keep moving forward with determination.

F o r C a m i l l e D e o k i e , F o u n d e r o f C a m i l l e ’ s Academy, the journey in education has always been a b o u t m o r e t h a n j u s t academic achievement. It’s about creating opportunities, n u r t u r i n g t h e w h o l e individual, and shaping the future of students across the globe.

R e c e n t l y, h e r t i r e l e s s dedication to this mission was recognized at the World School Summit in Malaysia, where she was awarded an h o n o r a r y d o c t o r a t e f r o m Maryland State University

It’s a moment she describes

a s s u r r e a l , y e t d e e p l y emotional.

“Attending the World School Summit in Malaysia

w a s n o t h i n g s h o r t o f extraordinary Being in a space with educators and leaders who share the same pas s ion for trans forming education was inspiring,” Deokie shared. “Receiving the honorary doctorate from Maryland State University felt surreal—it was a deeply

e m o t i o n a l m o m e n t t h a t reminded me of the countless

h o u r s , s a c r i f i c e s , a n d unwavering commitment to my vision for education.”

This honorary doctorate i s n o t j u s t a p e r s o n a l achievement for Deokie; it is a reflection of her dedication and the values instilled in her by her family, mentors, and l i f

t h e v a l u e s instilled in me by my family, m e n t o r s , a n d l i f e experiences. It represents the resilience and determination that have guided me,” she explained “Professionally, it’s an affirmation of the w o r k w e ’ r e d o i n g a t Camille’s Academy and a call to action to continue raising the bar for education, not just locally but globally.”

Her vision for education is one that has been shaped by many factors, particularly the support she’s received from those closest to her “My family has always been my backbone, encouraging m e t o d r e a m b i g a n d p e r s e v e r e t h r o u g h c h a l l e n g e s , ” D e o k i e reflected.

The team at Camille’s Academy has been equally instrumental, embodying the values of excellence and inclusivity “The team at C a m i l l e ’ s A c a d e m y i s n o t h i n g s h o r t o f exceptional—they embody the vision of excellence and inclusivity that we strive for every day.”

One of the key moments

that shaped her approach to education came when she w

pivotal moment was seeing a struggling student achieve remarkable success through sheer determination and the right support. It reinforced

education.” This experience,

n g o i n g commitment to innovation,

Camille’s Academy remains a place where every student can thrive.

Her efforts have not gone

l y,

Camille’s Academy recently received a global award at the World School Summit for its dedication to holistic e

nurtures students not only

“It’s an indescribable honour to receive this prestigious recognition at the World School Summit. This award represents a culmination of

hard work, and vision of

students and their families,” Deokie said proudly

recognition is not just

success but of the holistic approach to education that C

e m y champions “Education is not just about academics but about nurturing the whole individual—mind, body, and spirit. Our goal has always been to create a space where

develop critical life skills, emotional intelligence, and a strong moral foundation.”

Looking ahead, Deokie

Continued on page 33

Founder of Camille’s Academy, Camille Deokie after receiving her honorary award from Maryland State University

Ms. Camille Deokie founder of Camille’s Academy receives award for global award on behalf of her school for their dedication to holistic education.

“Fairre of t he Ag es’’ 2025 SET FOR JULY

On O c t o b e r 1 4 t h , 2 0 2 3 ,

Seishonen Guyana launched ‘’Fairre of the Ages’’ at the Guyana Marriott Hotel during their second edition of FumaCon - Guyana’s leading anime and comic convention. Since 2022, Seishonen Guyana has hosted a variety of events centred around curating positive, fresh experiences.

In March 2024, Fairre of the Ages - a Renaissance festival was launched at the Promenade Gardens with hundreds of a

enthusiasm through their costumes for this type of event’s first launch in Guyana.

A Renaissance fair is an outdoor

historical period - the Renaissance Era. This fair or festival is known in the We s t e r n w o r l d f o r i t

s t u m e d attendees, theatre plays, arts and crafts booths as well as festival foods.

This year ’s rendition of Fairre of the Ages will include a number of activities you can witness and take part in on the day of the event. Some of the activities include Archery, Axe Throwing, Arm W r e s t l i n g C o m p e t i t i o n s , S w o r d Fighting, Fairy Circle Dances, Beer Drinking Competitions, Opera, Belly Dancing and Theater

The next edition of Fairre of the Ages will be hosted on the 19th of July 2025 at the Promenade Gardens. With this event,

we are looking to attract Guyanese, the diaspora, and foreigners to explore Guyana’s unique cultural identity

Presently, there is a demand for new, unique events and Fairre of the Ages is the perfect opportunity to showcase Guyanese creativity Globally, this event concept is celebrated for its nostalgic elements of fantasy and enjoyment.

As an untapped event concept, Fairre of the Ages is one of the few events that has a huge potential to bring foreigners into the country as Renaissance Fairs have a genuine following. Niched events like this enable people across a spectrum of differences to come together, unified by a common goal of having fun and making positive memories.

Presently, we are providing early bird invitations priced at $3,500 GYD at the Sach Store located at 251 South Road ( b e t w e e n O r o n o q u e S t & S h i v Chanderpaul drive) on the ground floor with a pink door at its entrance. This invitation price will close on Saturday, March 29th, 2025. After this date, general invitations will be priced at $4,500 GYD.

If you’d like to serve as a vendor or sponsor for this event, you can contact o u r t e a m seishonenguyana@gmail.com. Follow us on social media for more event u p d a t e s @ s e i s h o n e n g u y a n a @fairreoftheages.

Symptoms, Causes, and Tr ea tment UTIs in Men:

Your urinary tract

i n c l u d e s t h e

p a r t s o f y o u r body that make urine and carry it out of your body

For men, those assigned male at birth, and anyone

w i t h a p e n i s , t h e s e p a r t s i n c l u d e y o u r k i d n e y s , bladder, ureters, and urethra. Ureters are the twin tubes that carry urine from your

k i d n e y s t o y o u r b l a d d e r Your urethra is the single tube that carries urine from y o u r b l a d d e r p a s t y o u r prostate and to the tip of your penis.

Your risk of urinary tract infection goes up as you age.

Among men younger than 5 0 , s e x u a l l y t r a n s m i t t e d

d i s e a s e s a r e t h e m o s t common cause of UTIs.

I f u n h e a l t h y b a c t e r i a build up anywhere in your urinary tract, this can cause an infection.

Although urinary tract infections (UTIs) are much m o r e co mmo n in w o men and those assigned female at birth, men also can get them.

Yo u n g e r m e n r a r e l y g e t UTIs.

They mostly affect men older than 50. About 12% of men will get a UTI at some point.

A lower tract infection is

o n e t h a t h a p p e n s i n t h e bladder, prostate, or urethra. The most common type of UTI is an infection of the bladder

That condition is also called cystitis. Another type of lower tract infection is urethritis inflammation of the urethra.

An upper tract infection happens in the ureters or

R e c e n t p r o c e d u r e s . I f you’ve had surgery recently on your urinary tract, that increases the risk of a UTI.

An exam of your urinary s y s t e m

risk.

D e h y d r a t i o n I f y o u r body isn’t getting enough fluids, your pee becomes more concentrated and you m i g h t g o l e s s f r e q u e n t l y T h a t c a n c r e a t e t h e conditions for a UTI.

P r e v i o u s U T I s S o m e research indicates that when y o u h a v e a U T I , y o u r immune system’s response to the infection may cause long-lasting inflammation, which increases the odds of another UTI in the future.

Diagnosing UTI in Men

kidneys. One specific type is called pyelonephritis.

That’s an infection of your kidneys, usually one t h a t h a s s p r e a d u p y o u r urinary tract. Depending on the location of your UTI, you may have one or more of these symptoms:

S e x u a l l y t r a n s m i t t e d disease s (STDs).Chlamydia and gonorrhea are two STDs that can cause UTIs. STDs are also the most common cause of UTIs in younger men.

P r o s t a t e p r o b l e m s A n enlarged prostate (BPH) is common in older men and can block the flow of urine. This can increase the odds that bacteria will build up and cause a UTI.

P r o s t a t i t i s T h i s i n f e c t i o n o f t h e p r o s t a t e shares many of the same symptoms as UTIs.

Diabetes This condition and other medical issues that affect your immune system c a n a l s o m a k e y o u m o r e likely to get a UTI.

K i d n e y s t o n e s W h e n you have kidney stones, the blockage can cause urine to build up in your bladder That increases the chance of a UTI.

Catheter use. Catheters, which are thin tubes inserted

i n t o t h e b l a d d e r , a l l o w people who can’t urinate on t h e i r o w n t o e m p t y t h e i r bladders.

You might have one in the hospital because you’re paralyzed, or because you h a v e a n e u r o l o g i c a l condition that affects your a b i l i t y t o u r i n a t e T h e s e tubes also raise your risk of a UTI.

Yo u r d o c t o r w i l l a s k about your symptoms. They will also ask about your sexual history because sex can raise your risk for a UTI.

Urine tests can confirm whether you have a UTI. If y o u r d o c t o r t h i n k s t h e problem might be related to your prostate, you may get a prostate exam.

R a r e l y, y o u m a y a l s o

n e e d t o g e t a n X - r a y o r ultrasound so your doctor can get a better look at your urinary tract.

Tr e a t m e n t f o r U T I i n M e n D

l i k e l y s o u r c e ( s u c h a s y o u r b l a d d e r ) a n d t h e

b a c t e r i a t h a t m o s t commonly cause your UTI. You’ll probably start taking those antibiotics before you get the results of your urine test.

( Y o u r d o c t o r m a y change the prescription if the test shows that the bacteria c a u s i n g y o u r U T I a r e n ’t t a r g e t e d b y y o u r f i r s t antibiotic.)

I f y o

In rare and severe cases, y o u m a y n e e d t o t a k e a n t i b i o t i c s b y I V i n a hospital. If you have a UTI, there are steps you can take at home that might ease your symptoms: Hydrate. Getting plenty o f f l u i d s c a n h e l p f l u s h bacteria from your system. Focus on drinking water, not t

t o t a

caffeine.

can also help flush out your system. Go to the bathroom whenever you feel the urge. Don’t hold your urine.

Vitamin C makes your u

supplement or load up on foods rich in vitamin C. Watch your diet. Spicy f

irritate your bladder Avoid them.

Use heat. A heating pad or warm bath may ease the p a i n i n y o u r b a c k o r stomach.

T r y b a k i n g s o d a Drinking a glass of water with a teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in it can make your pee more acidic.

Lucifer’ is not allowed as a baby name, couple

finds after tr ying to register son with authorities

Newborn baby. JGI/GETTY

Lucifer is not a suitable name for a child, according to a court in Germany

T h e d e c i s i o n w a s reportedly made by a court in Rostock, northern Germany after the parents of a boy tried to register the name with the local authorities, reported U K newspaper, The Times

High Court stated that “the parents’ right to choose a first name is limited where its exercise threatens to i m p a i r t h e c h i l d ’s w e l lbeing.”

T h i s h a s l e d t o t h e

banning of names including J u d a s , S a t a n , L e n i n , McDonald, Bierstübl (which translates as pub), Gucci, Pain, Vaginia and Whiskey

M e a n w h i l e , A d o l f while not a popular name in G e r m a n y i s s t i l l permitted, unless the parents

are known as neo-Nazis, according to the outlet.

A n o t h e r c o u p l e w e r e also denied naming their child Lucifer in 2017. They ended up taking the case to court and compromised on naming their son Lucian instead, per the American Name Society

T h e I n s t r u c t i o n s f o r

Registrars in Germany states that a first name for a child “may not be chosen that are o f f e n s i v e ” o r a r e n ’ t c o n s i d e r e d f i r s t n a m e s

Names are also distributed a c c o r d i n g t o t h e l i s t e d gender of the child. According to the German P e r s o n a l S t a t u s A c t , how ever, regis trars mus t register the name and the gender of the child in the birth register, the Library of Congress Blogs reported. If the registry office refuses to name the child the parents can file a suit in civil court requesting their name c h o i c e b e a c c e p t e d , according to the outlet.

According to the German F e d e r a l C o n s t i t u t i o n a l Court, the state has a right not to accept a name chosen by parents if it is deemed irresponsible.

I n a c o n s t i t u t i o n a l complaint filed by another German couple who was denied the right to name their child Kiran in 2006, the Munich Higher Regional

Founder of Camille's Academy conf er red...

From page 25 is eager to build on the momentum of this global recognition. “This recognition has fuelled my ambition to scale new heights,” she said, highlighting plans to transform Camille’s Academy into a smart school

l e v e r a g i n g a d v a n c e d t e c h n o l o g y a n d personalized learning. Additionally, she’s exploring programmes focused on global leadership, STEM innovation, and cultural exchange. “We’re currently working on transforming Camille’s Academy into a smart school, leveraging technology to enhance the learning experience,” she shared. “We’re also exploring ways to introduce programmes that f o c u s o n g l o b a l l e a d e r s h i p , S T E M innovation, and cultural exchange.”

For Deokie, this recognition is just the beginning The honorary doctorate and global award have only strengthened her

r e s o l v e t o c o n t i n u e a d v o c a t i n g f o r transformative education. “It serves as a powerful reminder of why I began this

journey—to create opportunities and inspire others to achieve their fullest potential,” she explained. Her advice to others hoping to make a

education, is simple but powerful: “Believe in your vision, even when others don’t.

opportunities, fostering confidence, and inspiring change. Be ready to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, and never underestimate the power of a strong, supportive team.” As she continues to push for innovation and excellence in education, Camille Deokie is proving that holistic education is not just a lofty idea—it’s a powerful reality that transforms lives and empowers futures. With a vision focused on making a global impact, Deokie’s journey is far from over, and the world will surely be watching as she continues to lead the way in educational reform.

UG L ecturer P ublishes Path-breaking Book on Community Radio in South Asia

Le c t u r e r a t t h e

U n i v e r s i t y o f

Guyana’s Centre for Communication Studies

( C C S ) , D r T a i j r a n i

R a m p e r s a u d - S k o r k a , o n

We d n e s d a y, J a n u a r y 2 2 , 2025 launched her pathbreaking book: Community

R a d i o i n S o u t h A s i a :

Mapping the Alternative Mediascape in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. The soft launch was held a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Guyana’s Education Lecture

Theatre in the presence of the V i c e - C h a n c

P r o f

Paloma Mohamed Martin; Lecturer and Media Expert, D r. S

Management Team; other s t a

author ’s family and friends also attended the event. The publication is an expan

doctoral thesis and offers a comprehensive exploration

of community radio as a medium for grassroots social change in three South Asian countries—Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.

“This scholarly work has a l r e a d y g a r n e r e d international acclaim for its u n i q u e c o n t r i b u t i o n s t o community media studies and its insightful analysis of the alternative mediascape,” the University of Guyana (UG) said in a statement on Friday Dr Rampersaud-Skorka

shared her inspiration for t h e p r o

launch.

“

d w i t h s o m a n y stakeholders, I did not want my work to disappear after being awarded the doctoral degree. I wanted to be part of the amazing social change process that I was privileged enough to document. This book is a testament to the resilience a n d i n n o

who, through community radio, are shaping their o w n d e v e l o p m e

a l narratives,” she explained.

The book’s genesis lies i n D r R a m p e r s a u dSkorka’s years of research, which involved creating the South Asia Community Media Database Version 1, a

journalism, and South A

envisions her framework serving as a foundation for future research and her work showcasing the p

social change.

Mohamed Martin, in her remarks at the launch, said: “The launch of this book is

testament to the enduring relevance of

g r o u n d b r e a k i n g r e s o u r c e t h a t m a p s 5 1 9 a c t i v e community radio stations across Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.

“ N a v i g a t i n g multicultural societies is not easy However, the support of my academic mentors, t r a n s l a t o r s , a n d k e y o r g a n i s a t i o n s l i k e t h e

U N E S C O C h a i r o n

C o m m u n i t y M e d i a , AMARC Asia-Pacific, and Bangladesh NGOs Network f o r R a d i o a n d Communication (BNNRC) made it possible,” the author said.

D r R a m p e r s a u dSkorka’s research involved e x t e n s i v e f i e l d w o r k ,

interviews with over 50

c o m m u n i t y r a d i o

p r a c t i t i o n e r s , a n d t h e development of a mapping methodology that has set a new benchmark in the study of alternative media. Despite challenges, including the

Paloma Dr. Taijrani Rampersaud-Skorka, a University of Guyana alumna and current lecturer at the Centre for Communication Studies (CCS), addresses attendees during the launch of her book.

isolation of studying abroad and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, D r R a m p e r s a u d - S k o r k a persevered, drawing on the support of her academic community and personal determination. “Writing is not an easy process.

There were moments I thought about giving up. But I’m here today, and it feels incredible to see my work in print and know it can make an impact,” she said proudly

“I hope this book is part of the process of giving a voice to the voiceless, of c o m m u n i c a t i n g t h a t s o c i e t i e s n e e d n o t b e technologically advanced to be considered developed, a n d t h a t g r a s s r o o t s k n o w l e d g e i s j u s t a s i m p o r t a n t a s a c a d e m i c knowledge,” she added.

Dr Rampersaud-Skorka hopes her book will inspire r e a d e r s ,

University of Guyana instils in its alumni.

learning under

tree at UG, to contributing significantly

challenging times, reflects the transformative impact of education and service. This

achieve—lifting others with

have.”

D r R a m

dSkorka’s book is sadi to be a significant addition to the growing body of literature on community media and social change. Her previous work includes co-editing six

(Continued on page 45)

The cover of Dr. Taijrani Rampersaud-Skorka’s book

University of Guyana ViceChancellor, Professor Paloma Mohamed Martin, congratulates Dr Taijrani Rampersaud-Skorka during the launch of her book.

Vision boards are practical tools to achieving your dreams

By Christal Yong

In the beginning of year, there is much t a l k a b o u t g o a l setting and resolutions, but what good is a goal without practical steps to achieving them.

This is where the concept of creating a vision board comes in. A vision board is a collection of images and words that represent your goals and dreams. This tool can help you stay motivated and focused on what you want to achieve.

Guyanese designer and businesswoman, Sonia Noel,

h a s b e e n h o s

n g t h e transformative vision board event to offer her clients an a v e n u e t o c o l l e c t i v e l y d e v e l o p r o a d m

personal growth, fulfillment, and purpose.

The designer told The Waterfalls that without it,

approach to vision boards is rooted in the belief that vision is not just a mental

n e blueprint for the life a person is meant to live.

D r a w i n g i n s p i r a t i o n from the Bible, she often references Habakkuk 2:2: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.” “One of the greatest gifts given to us is vision, and there are many people who can see but have no vision,” she said adding that’s where vision boards come in to help persons map out where they a r e g o i n g , m a k i n g t h e j o u r n e y c l e a r e r , m o r e f o c u s e d , a n d u l t i m a t e l y, more meaningful. Much like planning a trip, the act of creating a v i s i o n b o a r d i s a b o u t charting a course toward y

Abigail Brower, achieving a car that she had placed on her vision board

UG Lecturer Publishes...

From page 34

Photographers. However, this book represents her first solo authorship in academic publishing.

Dr Seeta Shah Roath also delivered a presentation at the book launch.

She contextualised radio and community media by highl

ng commun

cation, education, and collaboration within communities. She traced the history of community radio efforts in Guyana, particularly her involvement in establishing a radio studio at the University of Guyana, initially intended as a community broadcasting station.

Despite challenges, she contributed to the eventual establishment of UG Radio. Dr Roath underscored the distinctiveness of community radio, explaining that it is “owned by the community, the content is designed [and] produced by the community,” in contrast to commercial radio, which is driven by advertisements and private ownership agendas. She also discussed her proposal for an educational community radio station linked to the Guyana Learning Channel and her advocacy for integrating terrestrial and satellite communication to bridge educational gaps across regions.

The book will be available soon at the University of Guyana’s Library and for sale at the university’s campus store.

e chosen, each word written is a landmark that represents

health. Once the map is laid out, the journey to making those dreams a reality begins with focused intention and consistent action.

For Abigail Brower, a client of Noel’s, the vision board process was a turning point that brought clarity to h e r p e r s o n a l a n d professional goals. She said, “Creating my

reminder of my goals. It helped me prioritize what truly matters and align my decisions with my vision. Since then, I’ve made more confident progress and taken m e a n i n g f u l s t e p s t o w a rd achieving my goals The

vision board continues to inspire and motivate me, making my dreams feel more achievable every day.”

T h e m a g i c o f v i s i o n boards lies in a person ability to give more than just a destination but provide the c

necessary steps toward their dreams.

B y v i s u a l i z i n g g o a l s daily, a person can keep them front and center, like a compass that always points a person in the right direction.

“Two specific goals from my vision board were to improve my spiritual growth and own my vehicle and I

spiritual life is aligned with God’s will, everything else in your life tends to fall into place more effortlessly As a result, my prayer life has become more intentional, and I’m beginning to witness the true manifestation of God’s work in my life, ” Brower continued.

vision board is only part of the equation.

I t ’ s n o t j u s t a b o u t dreaming; it’s about taking

N o e l e m p h a s i z e s , a

Continued on page 42

Marcia Trotz, along with her vision board

From page 18 that is on life support, the fact that it is on life support I think holds out that there is always hope and promise that we will move from that

p o s i t i o n t o o n e t h a t i s positive but of course, there is an equal possibility of a m o v e m e n t i n a l e s s t h a n favourable direction.”

Hughes was reluctant to

s a y w h a t c o n d i t i o n s a r e likely to be met to revive the agreement from its current state and towards a coalition for the 2025 Elections, citing a confidentiality clause in the agreement.

K a i e t e u r N e w s u n d e r s t a n d s t h a t a n o t h e r section of the media reported on the contents of the MoU, which may not have been accurate.

Hughes said the press conference was to “clarify

matters that had surfaced d u r i n g t h e c o u r s e o f t h e afternoon in relation to this agreement”, adding that the terms of the would be made public “in due course.”

I n t h e m e a n t i m e , t h e l a w y e r n o t e d t h a t t h e

agreement is structured in two phases. “The first phase will be an exploratory phase where we examine whether or not it is possible for us to collaborate in the national interest and present a joint team or a single team to contest the next elections,” he said.

H u g h e s s a i d t h a t t h e second phase is dependent on whether the two sides s u c c e s s f u l l y c o n c l u d e t h e first phase. The AFC Leader made it

c l e a r t h a t L e a d e r o f t h e Opposition, Aubrey Norton has not been decided on as l e a d e r o f a n y p o s s i b l e coalition.

A c c o r d i n g t o h i m , “ T h e r e h a s t o b e a mechanism for identifying, assuming that it gets out of life support and gets back on i t s f e e t , t h e r e h a s t o b e mechanisms and a process f o r i d e n t i f y i n g t h e l e a d e r s h i p . F o r u s , t h a t process has to be driven by scientific means. Polls and other criteria.”

I n t h e m e a n t i m e , t h e lawyer noted that the two

sides have both appointed respective negotiators. Due to the confidentiality clause in the agreement, he would o n l y s t a t e t h

representing the AFC.

Hughes said that the AFC w

others. He was reluctant to share further details to avoid prejudicing the discussions. I n k e e p i n

agreement signed, the two

fate of a coalition ahead of this year ’s election.

T h e A F C , u

Leader Khemraj Ramjattan, had decided not to renew the Cummingsburg Accord- the binding agreement with the A P N U - i n 2 0 2 3 u p o n i t s expiration.

At that time, Ramjattan e x p l a i n e d , “ W e h a d a partnership agreement that i n d i c a t e d t e r m s o f

w i t h d r a w a l w i t h i n t h r e e years to five years, and we have so withdrawn on the third year It is not a split. We will still remain cordial and c o u r t e o u s a n d h a v e

e n g a g e m e n t s b e c a u s e w e know that, indeed, that is n e c e s s a r y f o r a u n i t e d opposition against this very corrupt PPP government.”

H e s a i d i t w a s o n December 28, 2022, that he met with Norton to relay the party’s decision to withdraw from the APNU.

On February 14, 2015, t h e A F C s i g n e d t h e Cummingsburg Accord with the APNU, binding the two p o l i t i c a l p a r t i e s a s a

C o a l i t i o n T h e y l a t e r defeated the PPP at the 2015 elections held in May that y e a r S i n c e t h e n , t h e Coalition has stood together but not without its internal hiccups.

Though most of these are kept quiet by the members, Ramjattan hinted before that t h e t w o s i d e s h a d a misunderstanding over the Region Four Vice Chairman p o s i t i o n t h a t l e d t o i t s decision to leave the APNU.

It must be noted too that t h e t e n s i o n b e t w e e n t h e

A P N U a n d A F C s p a r k e d w h e n a m e m b e r o f t h e

A l l i a n c e F o r C h a n g e , Charrandass Persaud, turned a g a i n s t t h e C o a l i t i o n a n d voted in favour of a ‘No Confidence’ Motion that was f i l e d a g a i n s t t h e t h e n

g o v e r n m e n t i n D e c e m b e r 2018. This led to the historic over turn of the Coalition government.

Thursday

‘United front needed to fight for better oil deal’ …WPA says all parties, organisations must come together on issue

Guyana’s oil reserves

w h i c h h a v e g r o w n significantly since first oil should be used as leverage when negotiating with oil

want to ‘holler at Exxon’, “we have reserves that we should use as leverage… that we have built up… one we (the WPA) are saying that we have much more oil reserves than the oil companies are t e l l i n g

n g u s WPA has said that we feel that we have up to 30 billion b a r r e l s o f o i l T h e government has put it less than that…” Hinds highligh

major ExxonMobil to get more for the citizens, col e a d e r o f t h e W o r k i n g

People’s Alliance (WPA) Dr David Hinds has said.

A t t h e p a r t y ’s w e e k l y p r e s s c o n f e r e n c e o n

Monday, he was asked to s t a t e h i s v i e w s o n t h e government allowing the oil

c o m p a n i e s t o w a l k a w a y without paying US million yearly in taxes, which can be used to alleviate poverty here

and pay off the country’s

rapidly growing debt Dr Hinds said the party believes t h a t c i t i z e n s s h o u l d b e getting more from the oil wealth. “The WPA, like all political parties and patriotic organisations in the country, w o u l d l i k e t o s e e m o r e revenues coming to us from E x x o n M o b i l a n d t h e o i l companies. We are clearly n o t s a t i s f i e d t h a t w e a r e getting enough from these oil

c o m p a n i e s , a n d w e a r e

t o t a l l y i n f a v o u r o f

c o n t i n u i n g t o r a i s e t h e s e issues, and to press these issues in the public domain, and that our government, this g o v e r n m e n t , f u t u r e government, find ways and means of amicably sitting down with Exxon and the o t h e r c o m p a n i e s a n d working out a better deal for o u r c o u n t r y. We d o n o t favour a confrontation with Exxon,” Dr Hinds said. He said while the party d o e s n o t f a v o u r c o n f r o n t a t i o n s w i t h investors coming into the country, they are holding to the view that every contract is eligible to be renegotiated, and therefore when it comes to the 2016 oil deal, it is always a part of their agenda and should also be a part of the national agenda to have a r e n e g o t i a t i o n o f t h i s c o n t r a c t “ T h e r e f o r e , t h e WPA will continue to press, and support all struggles in the direction of renegotiation to get more from Exxon,” Hinds said.

Dr Hinds told reporters that while the WPA does not

at there has been a back and forth recently as to exactly how much oil reserves the S t

point is that we should use the oil resource that we have as leverage, as leverage to

he believes a united front on the matter would be more

o t speak on these matters as

individual organisations, we

approach to this question of getting more from the oil companies.” He deemed the government’s approach to sit at the table with the oil giant as “really nonsensical… the government should include

individuals to sit in there. Exxon is going to behave differently, if when it looks

r o s s t h e t a b l e , i t s e e s r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s f r o m t h e major political parties, minor p o l i t i c a l p a r t i e s

societies, it sees a National Front ” Hence, Hinds said the WPA is ready and willing to throw its weight and that of its supporters behind any venture that will see citizens

m Guyana’s oil wealth.

Canadian gold company expected to produce 353,000 ounces of gold annually

Ashni Singh said that the O

untapped mineral resources. The Oko West Project is c

n “advanced-stage exploration p

initial capital investment of US$936 million The Oko West project is expected to produce 353,000 ounces of g

open pit and underground Continued on page 37

Leader of the AFC, Nigel Hughes

From page 36 mining. The project, owned

b y C a n a d i a n c o m p a n y G Mining Ventures (GMIN), is

p r o j e c t e d t o r e c o v e r 4 5 million ounces of gold over 12.7 years, according to its

P r e l i m i n a r y E c o n o m i c Assessment (PEA) released in September 2024.

Dr Singh noted that this

l a r g e - s c a l e d e v e l o p m e n t r e f l e c t s t h e i n c r e a s i n g interest in and potential of

G u y a n a ’s m i n e r a l s e c t o r “This pro

ct undersco

es t h e v a s t p o t e n t i a l o f Guyana’s untapped mineral wealth,” he stated.

The minister added that

e x p l o r a t i o n e f f o r t s a n d advancements in other areas with large-scale potential are a l s o u n d e r w a y , f u r t h e r r e i n f o r c i n g G u y a n a ’ s p o s i t i o n a s a n e m e r g i n g leader in natural resource development.

G M i n i n g Ve n t u r e s

r e c e n t l y a n n o u n c e d i t s progress on the project, with e a r l y c o n s t r u c t i o n w o r k scheduled to begin this year.

G u y a n a ’s E n v i r o n m e n t a l

P r o t e c t i o n A g e n c y ( E PA ) g r a n t e d a n I n t e r i m Environmental Permit (IEP)

p a v i n g t h e w a y f o r e a r l y

c o n s t r u c t i o n E P A ’ s approval follows GMIN’s

s u b m i s s i o n s o f t h e

E n v i r o n m e n t a l I m p a c t

A s s e s s m e n t ( E I A ) a n d

E n v i r o n m e n t a l I m p a c t Statement (EIS) for the Oko West Gold Project.

According to GMIN the IEP, which is valid for one year, along with the “No Objection” letter from the

G u y a n a F o r e s t r y Commission, allows them to initiate early construction a c t i v i t i e s s o o n e r t h a n expected in Q1 of 2025.

The company noted that these activities include the c o n s t r u c t i o n o f a b a r g e landing facility, main access and internal roads, airstrip,

p e r m a n e n t c a m p f a c i l i t y, water and sewage treatment plants and power generation and communication tower

T h i s p u b l i c a t i o n h a d reported that the company plans to establish a new port of entry wharf and staging

a r e a n e a r I t a b a l i o n t h e

C u y u n i R i v e r t o s u p p o r t operations for its Oko West G o l d P r o j e c t l o c a t e d i n

R e g i o n S e v e n ( C u y u n iMazaruni).

The facility will include a wharf, laydown area, and

a c c o m m o d a t i o n s f o r workers, with a 40-bed camp

p l a n n e d f o r t h e s i t e Materials and fuel required

f o r t h e p r e - o p e r a t i o n a n d

o p e r a t i o n p h a s e s w i l l b e delivered to this landing.

Notably, pre-production

a c t i v i t i e s , i n c l u d i n g t h e

development of the wharf and terminal, are slated to begin in September 2025 and c o n c l u d e b y D e c e m b e r 2026.

It was also reported that the company stated that an airstrip will be constructed in t h e p r o j e c t a r e a I t w a s e x p l a i n e d t h a t w h i l e a n u m b e r o f a l t e r n a t i v e locations were considered, in the end it was decided that the airstrip will be located to t h e s o u t h o f t h e m i n e infrastructure and close to the pit/processing plant.

“ T h e a i r s t r i p w i l l b e

designed to accommodate airplanes up to the size of a Twin-Otter or Caravan and will be approximately 850 meters long. The airstrip will be used for the export of

g o l d , p e r s o n n e l t r a n s p o r t , a n d h e a l t h a n d s a f e t y

e m e r g e n c i e s d u r i n g a l l phases of the Project,” it was stated. When operational, it was stated that the flights will occur during daylight hours, as the airstrip will not be lit.

“The airstrip will be unpaved a n d c o n s t r u c t e d f r o m laterite. The airstrip will be o r i e n t e d n o r t h e a s tsouthwest, as required by p r e v a i l i n g w i n d s , ” t h e document states. M o r e o v e r , G M I N i s a i m i n g t o p r o d u c e a p p r o x i m a t e l y 5 m i l l i o n ounces of gold over 14 to 16 years. In July 2024, GMIN b o u g

Resource Estimation (MRE) dated 26th February, 2024 is 4.27 million ounces of gold in indicated resources and 1.60 million ounces of gold i n i n f e r r e d

c e s A c c o r d i n g t o t h e E I A , “ p l a n n e d p r

f approximately five millio n ounces of gold over 14 to 16 years from the processing of an estimated 65 to 70 million tons of ore, creating 280 to 350 million tons of waste rock and 65 to 70 million tons of tailings.”

Friday

VP Jagdeo exposed on Gas-to-Energy project …US EXIM Bank says no feasibility study done …Jagdeo now says bank did due diligence study …bars media from asking further questions on project

In a bid to brush off the

his response to the citizens’ s a i d , “ We c o n d u c t e d a comprehensive search of the files within the Office of

Board Authorized Finance, E n g i n e e r i n g a n d

Environment Division for

r e c o r d s t h a t w o u l d b e responsive to your request. This is the component within EXIM in which responsive records could reasonably be expected to be found. Please be advised we were unable to l o c a t e o r i d e n t i f y a n y responsive records, as EXIM did not conduct a feasibility study.”

Meanwhile, Jagdeo at his weekly press conference on Thursday said he observed the response from the Bank was shared on social media. He went on to explain that w h e n h e s p o k e o f t h e feasibility study previously, he was referring to the due diligence report, conducted b y a C o n s u l t a n t g r o u p , Sargent and Lundy on behalf of the EXIM Bank.

Jagdeo said, “Now I have here a due diligence report E X I M B a n k d i d , w h i c h looks at technical feasibility and financial feasibility and it was done by a company called Sargent and Lundy for EXIM Bank itself.”

citizens to ask the financial institution for copies of these documents.

I n a n o f f

correspondence to a group of citizens who su

ntly filed a request, the US EXIM Bank explained on January 2 2 , 2 0 2 5 t h a t i t n e v e r conducted a feasibility study for the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project.

Deputy Chief Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Officer, Lance Matthews, in

The VP argued that the Opposition parties believe that the Bank would operate the way in which they did, while in office, and grant a l o a n f o r o v e r U S $ 5 0 0 million without conducting due diligence. To this end, he clarified, “…and it’s the due diligence I was talking a b o u t s u r r o u n d i n g t h e feasibility.”

According to Jagdeo, the Consultant did a 197-page due diligence report that is in

g o v e r n m e n t o f G u y a n a submitted any documents for the feasibility of the GTE, a n d w h e t h e r o r n o t a f e a s i b i l i t y s t u d y w a s c o n d u c t e d

c c o r d a n c e w

h S e c t i o n 1 2 o f t h e Petroleum Agreement with ExxonMobil – the contractor of the pipeline to transport gas to the plants. She said the i n f o r m a t i o n h a s b e e n requested and has received a n u m b e r f o r p r o c e s s i n g within the system.

In the meantime, DeaneHughes said this situation taught citizens to follow the a d v i c e g i v e

the hands of government, but this remains the property of the US EXIM Bank since the i n s t i t u t i o n f i n a n c e d t h e study

No more questions!

During the question-andanswer segment, Kaieteur News attempted to question the VP on the GTE project when the former President became annoyed and said, “I d o n ’t r e m e m b e r a n y t h i n g about the Gas-to-Energy and Kaieteur News.”

T h i s n e w s p a p e r e v e n volunteered to refresh his memory but he said, “Please d o n ’ t I f i t ’s o n G a s - t oEnergy, I’ve dealt enough with that. It’s done. I’m not going anymore into this big charade. You write what you have to write. The stupidness that Kaieteur News writes and we (are) working on completing the project for the people of this country.”

A s s u c h , h e u r g e d t h e reporter, “Move on to the next question! No Gas-toE n e r g y a n y m o r e ” H e e x p l a i n e d t h a t a n o t h e r reporter “tested his patience” so “no more on that, move on!”

Government exposed Meanwhile, one of the citizens who had written to the Bank, Elizabeth DeaneH u g h e s , i n a n i n v i t e d c o m m e n t t o l d t h i s newspaper that the recent r e v e l a t i o n p o i n t s t o t h e importance of following the advice of politicians. DeaneH u g h e s , w h o h a s b e e n a s t r o n g a d v o c a t e f o r transparency in this project,

a l s o e x p l a i n e d t h a t t h e citizens are awaiting another response under the Freedom o f I n f o r m a t i o n A c t f o r w h e t h e r o r n o t t h e

h e government “We will see where this all leads us to at the end, but right now, we k n o w t h a t i t ’ s a terminological inexactitude of what was claimed- that EXIM Bank had done their own feasibility studies,” she said. The advocate added that it would be interesting to u n d e r s t a n d w h a t t h e V P meant that citizens should ask EXIM for the studies since they conducted their o w n f e a s i b i l i t y o f t h e project. Feasibility study and Jagdeo The Vice President had previously argued that the B a n k c o n d u c t e d i t s o w n f e a s i b i l i t y a n d e n v

before arriving at its decision to provide financing for the Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) f a c i l i t y a n d t h e 3 0 0m e g a w a t t ( M W ) p o w e r p l a n t , c u r r e n t l y b e i n g constructed at Wales, West Bank Demerara. He said, “So suddenly, t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s o f A m

i c a , t h e U S E X I M Bank did its own feasibility s t u d y , i t d i d a n environmental study and it m a d e t h e l o a n t o t h e government of Guyana so t

counts…for years we took

environmental impact study and three, the loan will not

proven wrong.” W h

d subsequently on January 9,

studies public, he directed

M Bank. The VP argued, “All

complained about that, we put that online now, you want the environmental and feasibility studies from Continued on page 38

The Oko West Mine

From page 37 EXIM Bank. Ask Exim Bank for it…” To this end, a group of citizens in a statement, dated January 10, 2025 said they requested Bank to share

documents relating to the GTE project it has provided a US$527M loan to support.

Hiding documents

S i n c e 2 0 2 2 , t h e government signed a Heads

o f A g r e e m e n t w i t h ExxonMobil for the project however, the administration has been reluctant to release

t h a t s t u d y N a t u r a l

R e s o u r c e s M i n i s t e r , Vi c k r a m B h a r r a t t o l d t h e

N a t i o n a l A s s e m b l y t h a t ,

“There are other agreements

o n s u p p l y , b u y e r ’ s a g r e e m e n t , f i e l d

d e v e l o p m e n t , l i c e n s i n g conditions, onshore works, and land matters that are currently being drafted. The

respective agreements and

policy documents will be presented to this Honourable House when they have been agreed upon and executed.

A l l a g r e e m e n t s a r e b e i n g done in a timely manner to meet the Final Investment

Decision which will allow f o r t h e p r o j e c t t o b e completed by our committed d e a d l i n e o f D e c e m b e r 2024.”

A l t h o u g h t h e p i p e l i n e h a s b e e n c o m p l e t e d b y ExxonMobil, the agreement is yet to be laid in Parliament. Similarly, no study has been released to date confirming the financial feasibility of the G T E p r o j e c t , t h e s i n g l e largest financial venture ever pursued in the history of Guyana.

$350B in loans to fund 2025 budget - Jagdeo

The $1.382 trillion 2025 N a t i o n a l B u d g e t w i l l b e funded by over $350 billion i n l o a n s , Vi c e P r e s i d e n t B h a r r a t J a g d e o s a i d o n Thursday

He made the comments d u r i n g h i s w e e k l y p r e s s c o n f e r e n c e a t F r e e d o m House.

Asked what percentage of the budget that will be funded by loans, the Vice President said that if one takes a look at the oil and

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

non-oil revenue there is a table in the estimates under the heading ‘Public Sector Financial Operations’ which will give a breakdown of h o w t h e f u n d s a r e accumulated.

The VP said, “basically, if non-oil revenue is about 500 billion, billion dollars, and non-oil revenue if you include inflows from GRIF a n d t h e L C D s , w o u l d b e another 500 million. So that means about three, 300 odd b i l l i o n w o u l d b e f u n d e d through loans. So just read,

Guaranteed Debt) debt-toGDP plummeted by more than 20 percentage points, from 47.4 per cent at the end of 2020 to 24.3 per cent at the end of 2024. This provides clear indication of a marked improvement in Guyana’s capacity to maintain public debt into the future, without t h e n e e d f o r

Guyana in the position of h

read it there.”

“You would see it here, p u b l i c s e c t o r f i n a n c i a l operations, and you can see how much of the revenue, or the exact figures would be $454B, in revenue, plus $16 billion of GRIF in flows, a b o u t $ 4 1 b i l l i o n f r o m carbon credit inflows, which will give about $511B and then $512B is from NRF

w i t h d r a w a l . S o , t h a t i s a trillion dollars…” Looking at the estimates it shows that $ 3 4 9 9 8 B w i l l b e accumulated from financing

w h i c h r e p r e s e n t s r o u g h l y

2 5 2 5 % o f t h e b u d g e t Giving a breakdown of the financing external financing

represents $322 44b while

$ 2 7 5 B w i l l b e d o m e s t i c financing.

Despite commencing oil

p r o d u c t i o n i n 2 0 2 0 , t h e

G o v e r n m e n t o f G u y a n a

( G o G ) h a s g r o w n t h e

c o u n t r y ’ s d e b t b y a significant US$4.2B as at the end of December 2024. In 2019, the country’s debt was U S $ 1 8 B A c c o r d i n g t o

A n n u a l R e p o r t s f r o m t h e Bank of Guyana (BoG), the nation’s debt grew by 46.7% in 2020 to US$2.6B.

In 2021, the debt surged to US$3.1B, and in 2022 this trend continued with the total stock of debt climbing to

U S $ 3 7 B I n 2 0 2 3 , d e b t increased further by 23.4% to US$4.5B while this grew to a massive US$6B at the end of 2024, as indicated by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh last week. The Irfaan Ali-led administration has often touted the low GDP to debt service ratio, meaning t h a t t h e c o u n t r y ’s G r o s s Domestic Product (GDP) far o u t w e i g h s t h e c o u n t r y ’s annual payment repayment on loans.

For instance, Dr Singh p o i n t e d o u t t h e c o u n t r y ’s progress over the past four years in this regard. He said, “Importantly, over the last four years, the ratio of total PPG (Public and Publicly

office, between the period 2015 to 2020.

Focusing heavily on the government’s debt policy, t h e O p p o s i t i o n Parliamentarian argued that the increasing debt is being used to further enrich the wealthy while, leaving the poor to help pay the bill.

She said, “Over this term o f g o v e r n m e n t m i s m a n a g e m e n t , t h e P P P h a s i n c r e a s

rank Guyana as having the second lowest debt-to-GDP r

e r n Hemisphere in 2024.”

It should be noted that the country’s growth, its GDP, while largely reflective of exports from the petroleum sector, is not the real value t h

d from the sector. In fact, only on Sunday Kaieteur News reported that exports from the oil and gas sector totalled US$18B while Guyana only received US$2.6B in 2024 in the Natural Resource Fund (NRF).

Saturday

Gov’t to add $5.9M in debt to every household by the end of 2025Shadow Finance Minister …highlights 36% growth in non-oil economy between 2020 and 2024 while debt grew by 253%

By: Davina Bagot

US$1.698 billion in 2019 to U S $ 7 6 3 7 b i l l i o

Budget, each household will have a debt of $5.9M over their heads, incurred by the government over a five-year period.

This was pointed out by Sh

r, Juretha Fernandes on Friday, during her contribution to this year ’s Budget Debate in the National Assembly T a s k e d w

i v e - d a y debate in Parliament, being c o n v e n e d a t t h e A r t h u r Chung Conference Centre, L i l i e n d a a l , E a s t C o a s t Demerara, the Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of P a r l i a m e n t ( M P ) s h a r e d c o m p r e h e n s i v e v i e w s o n government policies and the performance of the economy between 2020 and 2024. She compared the PPP’s tenure to the Coalition’s five years in

’s public debt from US$1.698 billion in 2019 to US$7.637 billion projected for 2025, an increase of US$5.939 billion or GYD$1.24 trillion.”

F o r g r e a

Finance Minister reasoned, “From 2020 to 2025 the PPP a

GYD$5.9 million to every household in Guyana- $5.9 million is no small amount to the struggling families who

paycheck to paycheck; $5.9

below the poverty line and providing them with a decent s

B u t instead, the increasing debt

leaving the poor to help pay the bill.”

She told the House that w

anything beyond the most

poverty, with $5 9 million d

newspaper, that she used the

recent census, completed in 2012, which states 210,000 households were recorded. GDP and Debt

Turning her attention to t h

P ) and its climbing debt, the MP noted that Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh presented a comparison of debt-to-GDP, using non-oil GDP during

compared it to oil included G

administration. Referring to

House for indulgence

Speaker, examining non-oil GDP is crucial for prudent

because it provides a more accurate picture of a Continued on page 39

From page 37

c o u n t r y ’ s e c o n o m i c

d i v e r s i f i c a t i o n a n d l o n g -

t e r m s u s t a i n a b i l i t y , e s p e c i a l l y f o r o i l - r i c h nations like Guyana, as it

e x c l u d e s t h e v o l a t i l e

f l u c t u a t i o n s i n o i l p r i c e s which can significantly skew overall GDP figures, giving a

f a l s e i m p r e s s i o n o f

e c o n o m i c h e a l t h w h e n heavily relying on oil related activities.”

According to Fernandes,

u s i n g t h e n o n - o i l G D P indicates the strength of the

e c o n o m y b e y o n d t h e

p e t r o l e u m s e c t o r a n d highlights the development

o f o t h e r i n d u s t r i e s , signifying a more resilient economic base.

To this end, she pointed out, “From 2020 to 2024 the non-oil economy of Guyana grew 36% in total. In that s a m e p e r i o d t h e s t o c k o f p u b l i c d e b t g r e w b y a staggering 253%.”

T h e S h a d o w F i n a n c e

Minister said this relates to a 7% growth in debt for every 1% growth in the economy

F e r n a n d e s c o n t i n u e d , “To put this into context, in

t h e p e r i o d 2 0 1 5 t o 2 0 1 9

G u y a n a ’s G D P g r e w b y

19% In that same period total public debt grew by a

t i n y 1 4 % F o r e v e r y 1 % growth in GDP the coalition increased debt by just 0.7%. Not even a full percent.”

T h e O p p o s i t i o n M P explained that government has increased the national debt by a massive 18 times as

m u c h a s t h e c o a l i t i o n

g o v e r n m e n t ; s p e n t $ 2 1

t r i l l i o n m o r e t h a n t h e

c o a l i t i o n d i d b u t o n l y delivered 17% more growth than the coalition did. She concluded that when the PPP is audited on their management of debt to GDP, i t i s c l e a r t h a t i t h a s drastically increased the debt

b u r d e n w h i l e f a i l i n g t o a c h i e v e e c o n o m i c g r o w t h above the coalition non-oil tenure.

To this end, Fernandes told the National Assembly, “We are living in a country w i t h a b u d g e t o f $ 1 3 8 2 trillion in 2025, this country

i s n o t v o i d o f f i n a n c i a l resources this country is void

o f c o m p e t e n t l e a d e r s h i p This country is void of a government that prioritises its people over its private business ventures We are living in a country in which

t h e g o v e r n m e n t o p e r a t e s against its own people, as Economic Gangsters.”

This year, government has indicated that $350B in

loans will be used to finance the $1.382 trillion Budget.

Speaker blocks Opposition Chief Whip from highlighting allegations of corruption by VP Jagdeo, Ministers, Police Force - Cites Standing Orders preventing repetition

By Davina Bagot

A 2 0 - m i n u t e presentation by Opposition

C h i e f W h i p , C h r i s t o p h e r

J o n e s , f a c e d f r e q u e n t interruptions by Speaker of t h e N a t i o n a l A s s e m b l y, M a n z o o r N a d i r , w h o

i n t e r j e c t e d t o i n f o r m t h e

Member of Parliament (MP) that he could not use words such as “loot, dealings and corruption” in the House.

Jones was at the time making his contribution on D a y O n e o f t h i s y e a r ’s

B u d g e t D e b a t e w h e n h e ventured to highlight acts of c o r r u p t i o n b y p u b l i c officers.

He said, “Today there are allegations, and I cannot use the word corruption, so I will replace it with ‘dishonest dealings ” To this end, he w a s i n t e r r u p t e d b y t h e Speaker who informed him that he was forbidden from using those words as well.

I n s t e a d , J o n e s s a i d , “ To d a y c o m r a d e S p e a k e r, there are allegations of ‘loot’ in almost every government ministry and agency What is w o r s e c o m r a d e S p e a k e r, these allegations of loot have been levelled against…”

B e f o r e t h e O p p o s i t i o n Chief Whip could finish his s t a t e m e n t , h e w a s a g a i n intercepted by Nadir who told him that ‘loot’ was not allowed in the House.

A n o t h e r O p p o s i t i o n P

i n g t h e

“runnings, ” as such Jones continued, “What is worse

Ministers of the government. Allegations of their spouses, c

companies that are awarded contracts.”

Still not pleased with the line of commentary from the Opposition Chief Whip, the Speaker said, “You are now i

members.”

J o n e s , h o w e v e

allegations of ‘runnings’ in t

most senior level, which is affecting the morale of the entire force.

He went on to point out t h a t i n 2 0 2 1 , Vi c e N e w s released a documentary with a l l e g a t i o n s o f ‘ r u n n i n g s ’ (corruption) involving Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo.

N a d i r q u i c k l y m u t e d Jones to inform him of yet another infraction. This time, the Speaker said, “There are Standing Orders with respect t o i m p u t i n g a n d a l s o referencing, and I would not allow it…. There is also a Standing Order with respect to repetition and we have h e a r d t h a t o v e r a n d o v e r again.”

Seemingly determined to m a k e h i s p o i n t , t h e

O p p o s i t i o n M P t o l d t h e

N a t i o n a l A s s e m b

a t during Guyana’s appearance before the United Nations Human Rights Commission, U N H u m a n R i g h t s C o m m i t t e e M e m b e r , Laurence Helfer, pointed to the allegations of corruption by the VP

corruption by Vice President

m m i t t

t e s allegations of corruption in the Guyana Police Force and the Judiciary”.

Jones pointed out that in

Governance, Gail Teixeira, s t a t e d t h a t “ A l

g a t i o n s against the Vice President

w e r e n e v e r i n v e s t i g a t e d because no police report was ever filed against him in the matter by anyone.”

To this end, Jones argued that Guyanese citizens are

e x p e c t e d t

p o r t a l l e g a t i o n s o f c o r r u p t i o n i n v o l v i n g m i n i s t e r s a n d senior government officials to the same Guyana Police

F o r c e t h a t i t s e l f f a c e s allegations of corruption at

the highest levels.

Undemocratic Parliament

In an invited comment, the Opposition Chief Whip told Kaieteur News that what is happening in Guyana’s Parliament flies in the face of P a r l i a m e n t a r y d e m o c r a c y.

He explained, “When you s p e a k w i t h o t h e r jurisdictions and ask them, w e c a n ’ t f i n d a n o t h e r jurisdiction that restricts you f r o m u s i n g t h e w o r d ‘corruption’.

H e e x p l a i n e d t h a t t h e words and phrases restricted are prohibited from being u s e d o n a n o t h e r M P F o r instance, he said, “I can’t say that Minister X, or Minister Y is corrupt because that is r e f e r r i n g t o a n individual but when you are referring to corruption, y o u a r e t a l k i n g a b o u t corruption in public office.”

Jones pointed out that he is not allowed to reference an anti-corruption forum hosted by government last year nor can MPs quote or read an

article that contains the word ‘corruption’.

Additionally, the Chief Whip flagged that he was prevented from using words in the House which are not listed as ‘Unparliamentary’

To this end, he concluded, “so it literally is on the spur, depending on what mind the Speaker is in, he determines a f t e r c o n s u l t i n g w i t h himself that this word or t h a t w o r d i s ‘ u n p a r l i a m e n t a r y ’ o r wouldn’t be allowed ” (See below for terms considered unparliamentary )

Moreover, he noted that t h i s a c t m o s t l y a f f e c t s members of the Opposition.

Dead committees

M e a n w h i l e , t h e O p p o s i t i o n C h i e f W h i p utilized the last five minutes of his time highlighting the crucial role of Parliamentary committees in a functioning democratic system.

H e e x p l a i n e d , “ T h e y

e n h a n c e e f f i c i e n c y , a c c o u n t a b i l i t y , a n d

transparency by facilitating

parliamentary sessions due to time constraints.”

To this end, he flagged the dwindling meetings of t h e P u b l i c A c c o u n t s Committee (PAC) under this a d m i n i s t r a t i o n J o n e s pointed out that in 2021, the PAC met 25 times; in 2022, it met 21 times; in 2023, only 11 times; and by 2024, only nine meetings were held.

He was keen to note that t

majority S

contended, “Nothing better

Parliament.”

Committee chaired by the

Nandlall S.C., never held a single meeting in 2023 and met once in 2024.

On the other hand, the Opposition MP highlighted that the Foreign Relations C

amidst the present danger to the country’s sovereignty M

committee on the security s

Minister Mark Phillips has not held a single meeting since 2021.

Opposition Chief Whip, Christopher Jones

Shadow Finance Minister, Juretha Fernandes

Nian,

the Horrible Monster

C h i n e s e N e w Ye a r s t a r t e d m a n y thousands of years ago. It is still celebrated today It is a time for enjoying family and friends, for remem

f "

d envelopes" of lucky money There are many ancient customs and stories that surround C h i n e s e N e w Ye a r T h i s i s o n e o f o u r favourites:

Once upon a time ....

A long time ago, there was a monster named Nian. Nian loved to visit a little v i l l a g e i n C h i n a e a c h y e a r a n d s c a r e everybody he saw He thought that was great fun. He liked to do this just as the new year began, to remind people that Nian was still around Each year, after scaring all the people, could hardly wait for the new year to roll around, so that he could scare them again.

T h i s p r o b a b l y w o u l d h a v e g o n e o n forever But one day, just by luck, one of the villagers was wearing a red tunic. When Nian jumped out to scare him, Nian took one look at the red tunic and ran away He startled t h e v i l l a g e r s o m u c h t h a t t h e v i l l a g

dropped the heavy metal bucket he had been carrying. The bucket bounced down the hill behind Nian, hitting every rock in its path. It made a horrible noise. Nian looked fearfully over his shoulder and began running even faster T h e v i l l a g e r t o l

s fabulous luck. His red tunic had scared Nian. And the noise of the bucket had sent him running away This was good news. All year long, the villagers prepared. When Nian appeared the following year, everyone in the village ran for the red banners and the loud rattles they had made. They shook their rattles and waved their banners. And Nian ran away The villagers never saw him again. That's why people in China believe the colour red signifies luck, and why all the children and many adults shake rattles and light firecrackers and make all kinds of noise on Chinese New Year's Eve. It's to scare away evil spirits, and even Nian, just in case he's still hanging around.

Paper Lantern Chinese New Year

What you'll need

· A4 Tracing Paper

· Gold & Silver

A4 Metallic Card

· Scissors

· Glue

· Markers, Pens

How to Make

3 - Cut a sheet of tracing paper in half stick a gold strip of card at the top and bottom to stabilise it. Next, stick it into a cylinder shape, then create gold circle for the bottom and stick it on.

Step 5 - Add a handle out of red and gold card.

Step 4 - Stick the red circle tubes onto the outside all the way around (this can be done before the previous step if you prefer).

Step 6 - Decorate with sequins.

Never give up

by Uncle Roy

I used to think some work was too hard, And so did not even try; This is because I had tried before, And gave up when I could not get by.

But then I looked around my class, And saw others doing swell, When I thought I was brighter than them, And felt I could do just as well.

So I decided to never give up, And to always feel I could do better; I put my whole mind to my work, And soon everything got so much easier

Step 1- Draw circles onto red card and cut them out.

Step 2 - Wrap the circles sticking them together to make paper tubes.

Step

Make a determined effort to achieve Physical Fitness

A s a p e r s o n w i t h ambition and the desire to make the best of yourself, you must realise that you need to continuously make t h e e ff o r t a t i m p r o v i n g y o u r s e l f i n t h e v a r i o u s aspects of your life. In this week's article, we deal with one of the most important factors by which we can keep on this path of selfi m p r o v e m e n t – P h y s i c a l fitness. Make it a habit to exercise daily – Take some time every day to do some physical exercises, such as stretching, walking, running and lifting weights, even if this is minimal. Here are some benefits of regular exercise that you will do well to keep in mind to encourage y o u t o k e e p a t t h i s practice:Exercise not only makes you physically fitter, but it also improves your

m e n

general sense of well-being.

energy levels, so that you will do better in all other activities.Exercise improves muscle strength, which you need to make you able to b e t t

work. Exercise can help you to maintain a healthy weight, a necessity in being at your b

which is so necessary at this stage of your life.Exercise is

good for your heart, the organ of which the health is so vital to our living.

Exercise enhances your immune system, making you

reduces the likelihood of

degenerative bone diseases. Exercise may help to

reduce the risk of certain cancers, a disease which we c

a c t a t a n y age.Exercise improves your mood and gives you an improved sense of wellbeing, the value of which c a n n o t b e overstated.Exercise can help prevent and treat mental

which can help us in time of loss of the things and people we cherish Active people tend to sleep better, which keeps them more able to function when awake and active.

Please look forward to t

improvement in the weeks ahead.

Circle one of each digit 1–9, such that each row, column, 3×3 block, and the set of 9 center squares contains a single circled number.

Of Whatever You Are

by Douglas Malloch

If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill, Be a scrub in the valley — but be The best little scrub by the side of the rill; Be a bush if you can't be a tree.

If you can't be a bush be a bit of the grass, And some highway happier make; If you can't be a muskie then just be a bass —

But the liveliest bass in the lake!

We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew, There's something for all of us here, There's big work to do, and there's lesser to do, And the task you must do is the near

If you can't be a highway then just be a trail, If you can't be the sun be a star; It isn't by size that you win or you fail — Be the best of whatever you are!

As a human being, we must appreciate that one of your most important duties is to seek ways by which we continuously improve ourselves.

Solutions to last week’s

Vision boards are practical tools to achieving your...

From page 35 action. “People often face several challenges if they don’t have a vision for their l i v e s , b e c a u s e v i s i o n p r o v i d e s d i r e c t i o n , motivation, and purpose. It fuels our passion and drives us to overcome obstacles,” she related.

That’s where the vision

b o a r d e v e n t s m a k e a profound impact. They are not just about creating a visual representation of your goals, they are about creating a community of like-minded individuals who share their wins, struggles, and progress along the way. The shared support and accountability help keep the momentum

g o i n g , e n s u r i n g t h a t participants stay on track as they take one intentional step after another toward their dreams.

“ T h e p r o c e s s e s o f creating my vision board create my mindset and goals really help me to focus and g i v e m e a n e w m i n d s e t because of this program. I

understand how to visualize my life by creating this vision

b o a rd I i m a g i n e m y s e l f living in the moment while creating this vision board I visualize myself while posing these images like if it’s real,” M a r c i a T

participant said. The designer explained

Other persons designing their vision boards

vision boards also have the p o w e r t o u n l o c k n e w possibilities.

Once there is clarity for one’s vision, and action is being done, persons will begin to notice opportunities that may have previously been out of reach.

As participants continue

to reflect on and revise their vision boards, they often e x p e r i e n c e l i f e c h a n g i n g transformations manifesting

growth.

The designer said one of her favourite success stories

comes from a client who included law school as a goal on her vision board. By the end of the year, she had completed her first semester, a proof that when a person’s vision is clear, the p a t h

achievable.

evidence of progress and fuel further motivation. We were all born with greatness and a purpose to fulfill. My clients rate me very highly as a Confidence Coach, and I am here to assist you in living a p u r p o s e

positively impacting others.”

At its core, a vision board is a powerful tool that keeps

individual is setting new intentions at the start of the year or recalibrating midyear, the vision board serves as a visual anchor, a daily reminder of their destination, purpose, and potential.

For Noel, it is a journey she’s deeply committed to helping others navigate. If

joining such courses, contact can be made to the designer on 592-684-8129.

Noel explained, “Taking the first step, no matter how small, creates momentum.

As we continue to share with our readers, the beautiful journey of many emerging small businesses across the country, today we s h e d l i g h t o n y e t a n o t h e r outstanding business venture, the Confection.Queensgy

Choose Confection.Queensgy for delightful desserts and treats

This small business which was first introduced in the country in April 2021, is delightfully owned by 30-year-old Saskia Tull, an individual who is a lover of reading, writing, listening to music and baking.

Currently employed within the public sector, Tull in an exclusive interview with The Waterfalls revealed that the i n s p i

from a deep-seated passion of hers to provide unique and d e l i g h t f u l d e s s e r t s a n d treats.

“I have always had a passion for baking and a l o v e f o r c r e a t i v i t y Combining these two has a l l o w e d m e t o c r a f t delicious confectioneries that not only bring a smile to my customers’ faces but also warmth to their hearts. Every treat I create is a labour of love, aimed at spreading happiness and commemorating moments in people’s lives,” she explained.

By Allyiah Allicock

She added that having that love for baking, it is incredibly fulfilling to see the happiness and satisfaction her confections bring, and that is what drives her every day to keep baking.

If you are not yet familiar with the b u s i n e s s , T u l l r e l a t e d t h a t Confection.Queensgy is all about crafting unique and delicious desserts that bring immense joy and happiness to its customers.

“Our mission is that every sweet treat tells a story and our goal is to create confections that not only taste amazing but also capture the sweet moments in life regardless of the occasion and we strive to m a k e e v e r y b i t e , e v e r y d e s s e r t , a n unforgettable experience. We believe in the power of delicious treats,” she disclosed.

Recollecting on how it all started when she initially launched, the young woman shared that at first, she began baking c h e e s e c a k e s , b r o w n i e s , c o o k i e s a n d cupcakes. “I absolutely love cheesecakes; they are so versatile and the flavours are endless. I can recall trying so many brownie recipes until I found my niche and got the

She shared that, “Initially, my family and friends have been my biggest cheerleaders along the way with either tasting treats and providing honest feedback to help, tweaking recipes and just overall support with spreading the word about my business, sharing on their social medias and so many referrals.”

“I am truly grateful for my v i l l a g e W h i l e t h e i r encouragement has boosted my confidence and now, I have a large customer base which return r e g u

feedback,” she said.

Grateful for support and love f o r h e r t r e a t s , t h e y o u n g entrepreneur disclosed that her

“The

role

that

young entrepreneurs play in society is that they bring such new, inviting and invigorating perspectives and ideas that push the boundaries that stimulate change that generates a conversation leading to improvement and positive changes in society.”

perfect fudgy, crinkle top brownie. I was so excited and couldn’t wait to sell to my customers,” she recalled.

After spending endless hours perfecting her craft, Tull expressed that it has been such a rewarding and humbling experience that she now gets to share her passion with others.

A s k e d w h e t h e r t h e r e h a v e b e e n challenges during this journey, the baking enthusiast confirmed that indeed there were. She elaborated that initially she faced challenges on how to go about marketing her products to attract customers, as well as how does she stand out in this field with the other small businesses.

Revealing how she overcame this, Tull said, “To visually stand out, I focused on creating a strong brand identity by attending pop up shops, market days to really push and put my business name out there, creating unique and visually appealing desserts and treats; for example, my Peach Cinnamon Oatmeal cheesecake bars or for short Peach Bars.”

Additionally, she noted she actively sought feedback and being responsive to customers’ needs which she stated are critical and continuous improvement based on their preferences to ensure satisfaction.

Learning from the experiences, Tull

heartwarming.

r it to become a beloved and trusted brand known for its unique and exceptional desserts.

Her aim is to increase her b

nline which ensures that its delightful desserts reach a much wider audience. Continued on page 50

Some of cakes and sweet treats you can place orders for.

Founder and owner of Confection.Queensgy, Saskia Tull

Beautifully baked brownies done by the talented Saskia Tull.

nature and family at ‘The Oasis’

BY: DAVINA BAGOT

The perfect place to

connect with nature and f a m i l y - f r i e n d s a n d

associates- is the newly opened resort on the Linden Highway ‘The Oasis’.

Just 15 minutes away from the Soesdyke Junction, this paradise awaits, eager to offer its serene atmosphere

f o r c r e a t i n g l a s t i n g memories.

The Oasis resort was launched by a determined

y o u n g m a n , J o s h u a C u m m i n g s w i t h s u p p o r t from shareholders, Floor It

G u y a n a a n d S e r e n i t y Estates, in December 2024.

In an interview with The Waterfalls, Cummings, the

C h i e f E x e c u t i v e O ff i c e r (CEO) said he always loved

n a t u r e a n d t h e i d e a o f adventure.

While the young man never had plans of opening a resort, he said the family decided to open the facility to the public, realizing the need for safe spaces for f a m i l i e s o r g r o u p s t o connect.

H e e x p l a i n e d , “ T h e facility has been in existence

since 2020 but just for personal use by our family We recently decided to open it publicly because we want to create a safe space where entire families or groups can come out and have fun,

connect with each other and connect with nature. This is much needed in the world today.”

The Oasis is located in Y a r r o w k a b r a o n t h e Soesdyke, Linden Highway

A map at the bottom of the resort’s website, along with a detailed video, can guide nature lovers to this haven.

Activities offered by The Oasis

In addition to offering its serene venue to families for bonding, The Oasis also offers corporate packages for team building exercises.

Beyond the relaxation of a creek, the resort features a kitchen, benab and tents with mattresses for campers. It should be noted that if persons prefer not to cook or walk with meals, The Oasis can source food from nearby vendors.

The more adventurous persons can look forward to the thrills of an ATV ride, laser tag match and other fun activities.

As mentioned earlier, T h e O a s i s i s k e e n o n fostering team work among colleagues in the working e n v i r o n m e n t a s w e l l

Specially crafted activities

f o r c o r p o r a t e b o o k i n g s i n c l u d e a r a f t - b

members are expected to collaborate, problem-solve

and paddle their way to success after building a raft to sail across the natural pool and a scavenger hunt in which small groups will w

s , uncover hidden clues, and explore the beauty of the eco-facility Other corporate events catered for include a survival cooking challenge, mindfulness walk and ATV challenge.

Already, Cummings said the feedback from the public has been amazing. The resort is looking to boost its services through luxury ‘glamping’ tents, expected soon.

To make reservations, persons can reach out to the resort on contact number 592-600-5322 or visit the website Oasisyk.com and follow theTikTok account

t h e o a s i s g y f o r m o r e information.

T h e O a s i s i s o n l y available on reservation and do not accept walk-ins

This gentleman had his eye fixed on the target during laser tag

This group enjoyed forest laser tag at The Oasis

A glimpse of the relaxing natural pool at the resort

Chinese Embassy hosts reception to mark Lunar New Year celebrations

According to Chinese

l u n i s o l a r c a l e n d a r t h e

C h i n e s e N e w Ye a r, a l s o known as the Spring Festival, is a festival that marks the beginning of a new year It’s a time to celebrate the end of winter and the start of spring.

To m a r k t h e a u s p i c i o u s

o c c a s i o n , t h e C h i n e s e Embassy in Georgetown held

its 2025 Spring Festival reception at its Georgetown Headquarters on Friday The reception was full of joy and harmony The guests

e n j o y e d w o n d e r f u l

p e r f o r m a n c e s , d e l i c i o u s traditional Chinese snacks

a n d c h a r m i n g C h i n e s e traditional culture activities.

Chargé d’Affaires Huang Rui delivered remarks while President of Guyana Irfaan Ali, Prime Minister Brigadier ( R e t ’ d ) M a r k A n t h o n y Phillips made congratulatory

v i d e o a d d r e s s e s Representatives of Chinese

Chargé d’Affaires Huang Rui

c o m m

, organizations in Guyana and friends from all sectors of Guyana attended the event.

Chargé d’Affaires Huang Rui extended Chinese New Year greetings to all and pointed out that, under the s t r o n g l e a d e r s h i p o f t h e Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party

with Comrade Xi Jinping at i t

modernization and MajorCountry Diplomacy with C

achievements in 2024.

Speaking to the guests, Mr Huang Rui noted in 2024, the bilateral ties between China and Guyana were even c

fruitful.

“We supported each other

closely economically, and

cooperation and promoted d e v e l o p m e n t C h i n a a n d Guyana have become good friends trusted and relied on each other Today we invited

(Continued on page 51)

Scenes from the cultural presentation to mark the Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration at the Chinese Embassy in Georgetown

$520M food safet y lab commissioned at LBI

Some of the equipment in the newly commissioned Guyana Food Safety Authority’s Laboratory

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha at the commissioning ceremony

Development Bank (IDB) commissioned the Guyana F

Office at the Ministry’s La B o n n e I n t e n

i o n ( L B I ) complex, located at East Coast Demerara (ECD).

A press statement from the ministry said that through funding from the IDB, over $520 million was expended to outfit the laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment capable of testing a wide range of commodities to ensure they are safe for

c o n s u m p t i o n T h e equipment can also be used t o c o n d u c t s o p h i s t i c a t e d t r a c e a b i l i t y s t u d i e s a n d analyses and stay ahead in the rapidly evolving global food safety landscape.

“The commissioning of t h i s n e w o f f i c e a n d laboratory is a pivotal step in t h e g o v e r n m e n t ’ s commitment to safeguarding public health and promoting food safety nationwide,” the ministry said.

D u r i n g t h e e v e n t , M i n i s t e r o f A g r i c u l t u r e Zulfikar Mustapha said that a s a g r i - f o o d p r o d u c t i o n increases, citizens must be c o n f i d e n t t h a t t h e

Vreed-en-HoopShore Base Inc. commissioned

V r e e d - e n - H o o p Shorebase Inc. (VEHSI) on S a t u r d a y c o m m i s s i o n e d

Phase 1 of the Port of Vreeden-Hoop, a state-of-the-art

s h o r e b a s e f a c i l i t y a t Plantation Best, West Bank Demerara.

“This milestone marks the completion of the first phase of this transformative p r o j e c t t h a t w i l l revolutionize Guyana’s oil and gas sector and provide critical infrastructure for the c o u n t r y ’ s e x p a n d i n g offshore energy industry,” a statement from the entity said.

T h e f a c i l i t y w a s commissioned by President Irfaan Ali at a ceremony held on site.

This is the first shore base of its kind in Region Three and the precursor to what is expected to become the larger Port of Vreed en Hoop vision that seeks to improve Guyana’s long term maritime offerings.

T h e p r o j e c t w a s developed by VEHSI, a joint v e n t u r e b e t w e e n N R G

H o l d i n g s I n c , a 1 0 0 %

commodities produced are safe for human consumption.

H e s a i d t h a t , “ t h e g o v e r n m e n t r e m a i n s committed to ensuring that food is safe and has been working with the relevant agencies and partners to strengthen the capability of the Guyana Food Safety Authority.”

M e a n w h i l e , I D B ’ s

Country Representative in Guyana, Lorena SolorzanoSalazar said that the facility was a shared vision between the Government and IDB to ensure food safety and public h e a l t h a s i n t e r n a t i o n a l markets are also requiring traceability and quality

Stray dogs captured by Police after killing sheep

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Friday captured four stray dogs that reportedly killed five sheep in Leguan, Region Three.

According to a statement from the police, Sharron Stephens of Enterprise, Leguan Island made police reports on Thursday and Friday that a pack of stray dogs had attacked and killed five of her sheep.

Officers from the Parika Police Station visited the community on January 24, at 10:30h.

“Freshly dug earth was seen in an area identified to be the burial area of the slain sheep. Further investigations revealed that

several of the dogs were seen at the Chinese Restaurant,” police said.

Further, the Police Force said, the police team visited the restaurant and, on arrival, a total of twelve (12) dogs were seen in the yard of the restaurant.

“When the operators of the restaurant were questioned, they claimed not to be the owners of the dogs and insisted that they were ‘strays’.

Police said that in an effort to bring relief to the victim, the team tried and were able to catch four of the dogs with the use of ropes. The dogs were then taken to the police boat and transported safely to Parika.

G u y a n e

n e d consortium, and Jan De Nul, a g l o b a l l y r e n o w n e d m a r i t

company, and is one of the l

’s history, with an estimated cost of over US$260 million so far The opening of the shore base is expected to bring significant economic a n d e m p l o y m e n t opportunities to Region 3 a n d a l r e a d y d u r i n g i t s c o n s t r u c t i o n p h a s e , t h e project has created hundreds of jobs. It is now expected to g e n e r a t e m a s s i v e e m p l o y m e n

l continue to grow as it keeps expanding. In addition, local b u s i n e s s e s a n d t h e immediate community have already seen the tangible benefits.

According to the press s t a t e m e n t , d u r

invested in the deepening of the Demerara River channel;

approximately 50 meters to

100 meters; it has also been extended from 18KM to over 28KM in length from the mouth of the river to provide access to larger vessels with d

Best has seen the addition of new roads and bridges as well as the improvement of existing infrastructure, in the process, raising the profile of

increasing property values.

Flowlines, and Riser (SURF) shore base for ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL). It w i

services related to the oil and gas sub-sea infrastructure such as equipment storage, i

fabrication,” the statement added.

V E H S I a c k n o w l e d g e d the “steadfast support of the G o v e r n m e n t o f G u y a n a , particularly President Ali, for his rapid response and unwavering commitment to the project’s development.”

Elderly woman murdered at Belle West , two arrested

An elderly woman

was murdered at her Belle West, W e s t B a n k D e m e r a r a ( W B D ) h o m e b e t w e e n Friday and Saturday, and two persons have since been arrested.

D e a d i s 6 4 - y e a r - o l d h o u s e w i f e , P a r b h u d a i Boodhram called ‘Renie’.

“Enquiries disclosed that the victim resided with her husband, Anthony Alphonso Budhram, called Tony, a 63y e a r - o l d Ta i l o r a t t h e mentioned address in Belle West. The woman would visit her husband daily at his Ta i l o r S h o p l o c a t e d i n Georgetown, to assist him with work and on completion s h e w o u l d r e t u r n h o m e leaving him at the shop where, from time to time, he w o u l d s t a y ( o v e r n i g h t ) depending on the volume of

work,” police said.

On Friday, at around

1 0 : 0 0 h r s B o o d h r a m l e f t home and proceeded to her husband’s tailor shop, where she assisted him for the day b e f o r e l e a v i n g f o r h e r residence in Belle West. She made a stop at a shop in the area where she bought a number of grocery items and was subsequently escorted home by the shop owner who was also a friend.

On her arrival home, the shop owner waited until she entered her yard and then he drove off. Police believes that the perpetrator (s) were h i d i n g i n t h e y a r d a n d t h e r e f o r e m a n a g e d t o apprehend the woman as she was about to enter her home since there was no sign of forced entry

Whilst in the home, the perpetrator (s) restrained her

with the use of ‘plastic cable zip ties’ and dealt the woman several blows to her face and about her body “ T h e s u s p e c t ( s ) t h e n r a n s a c k e d t h e d w e l l i n g house as her purse was found to be missing along with her j e w e l l e r y a n d U S $ 4 , 0 0 0 f r o m a c l o s e t , ( s a m e suspected to be stolen). The suspect(s) then made good their escape in an unknown direction,” the police said. Boodhram’s body was later examined by ranks of the Guyana Police Force and t h e n t a k e n t o t h e We s t Demerara Regional Hospital where she was pronounced dead. Her body is at the Ezekiel Mortuary awaiting a Post-Mortem Examination.

Detectives visited the scene at around 10:30 hrs on Saturday and several persons were questioned in the area.

APNU, AFC says committed to talks towards Coalition for 2025 elections

h e M e m o r a n d u m o f

Understanding (MoU) between the A Partnership for National Unity ( A P N U ) a n d t h e A l l i a n c e F o r Change (AFC), that is currently on ‘life support’, could still bloom into a Coalition between the two sides ahead of this year ’s Elections.

commitment to a partnership in s

Friday

U w a s signed on Thursday, paving the way f

Coalition, Leader of the AFC, Nigel Hughes hosted a late-night press

agreement was on life support. At the time, Hughes would only say that “trust and confidentiality” are key principles, sacred to the AFC.

Kaieteur News understands that

MoU, which may not have been accurate.

With the talks seemingly on

rocky ground, Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton told the media, “I believe that we have the ability to engage and resolve whatever issues emerge.”

Meanwhile, with regards to the

remaining open to not leading any future Coalition.

He explained, “I have long said that the PNC Congress said that I will be the presidential candidate and if there is going to be any other

as it relates to the PNC, I will be the person to determine I wouldn’t venture to speaking past that.”

political parties take positions, as a “mature politician” he is tasked with analyzing the situation to work towards a Coalition to achieve the objective of overturning a “corrupt, i

mismanaging the resources of the country

forward.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the A

statement explained that the party is willing to engage and take the talks

outlined a series of conditions that must be met in this regard by both sides.

importance of complete respect for

concerned.

stressed that all party and personal preconditions must be put aside in the interest of what is good for the nation rather than party or personal gains.

Additionally, he noted, “That a

Platform alternative to the current status quo be (must be) developed and presented jointly to the nation for consideration,” while the March 31, 2025, deadline must be strictly adhered to, with the understanding that “nothing is agreed until all is agreed.”

Khemraj Ramjattan, had decided not to renew the Cummingsburg A

with the APNU- in 2023 upon its expiration.

On February 14, 2015, the AFC signed the binding agreement and went on to defeat the PPP at the 2015 elections held in May that year Since then, the Coalition has stood together but not without its internal hiccups.

Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton

AFC Chairman, David Patterson

Four Israeli soldiers, 200 Palestinians released under Gaza truce deal

The exchange is the second since a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took effect

last Sunday Aljazeera - Hamas has released four female Israeli soldiers held in Gaza and

200 Palestinian prisoners have been released from Israeli jails as part of the c e a s e f i r e a g

A freed Palestinian prisoner is greeted after being released from an Israeli jail as part of a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank [Yosri al-Jamal/Reuters]

halted more than 15 months of war. The International Committee of the Red Cross ( I C R C ) c o n f i r m e d o n

S a t u r d a y t h a t i t h a d transferred 128 Palestinian detainees to Gaza and the We s t B a n k w h i l e l o c a l a u t h o r i t i e s h a n d l e d t h e release and transfer of the remainder, completing the second exchange under the deal that took effect last Sunday

Before the release of the Israeli captives in Gaza

C i t y ’s P a l e s t i n e S q u a r e , dozens of masked Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters gathered at the scene where a large crowd of P a l e s t i n i a n s a l s o

c o n g r e g a t e d T h e f o u r

w o m e n – K a r i n a A r i e v, D a n i e l l a G i l b o a , N a a m a Levy and Liri Albag – were marched onto a podium w h e r e t h e y w a v e d a n d smiled – likely under duress. They were then led into I C R C v e h i c l e s , w h i c h transported them to Israeli forces. Representatives of the ICRC and a Hamas fighter were seen signing d o c u m e n t s b e f o r e t h e release. Later on Saturday, b u s e s c a r r y i n g r e l e a s e d Palestinian prisoners were seen departing from the Israeli Ofer military prison in the occupied West Bank. Israel’s Prison Service said a l l 2 0 0 p r i s o n e r s w e r e released in line with the list published by Hamas.

The releases on either

side were welcomed by

c h e e r i n g c r o w d s o f Palestinians in the city of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, and by Israelis in Tel Aviv The Israeli captives were among more than 200 soldiers and civilians seized during the Hamas-led attack o n s o u t h e r n I s r a e l o n

October 7, 2023, which killed at least 1,139 people, according to an Al Jazeera t a l l y b a s e d o n I s r a e l i statistics.

In response to the attack Israel launched a ferocious war on Gaza which has killed at least 47,283 people,

Gaza return delay Despite t h e c o

l e t i o n o f t h e exchange on Saturday, both Israel and Hamas accused the other side of breaking the terms of the truce deal. Israel said that under the terms of the agreement, a female civilian captive, 29-year-old Arbel Yehud, should have been released before the soldiers. A Hamas official told Al Jazeera that Yehuda is alive and will be released next Saturday

Yo s s i M e k e l b e r g , a n a n a l y s t o f U K - b a s e d Chatham House, has told Al Jazeera that disagreements over which prisoners to release and the modalities of their exchange have shown the precariousness of the current Gaza ceasefire deal.

“It’s a volatile and fragile situation but the mediators a r e c a r e f u l t h a t e v e r y incident is not blown out of p r o p o r t i o n , ” M e k e l b e r g said, adding that for the deal to be successful, “it will need the international community c o n s t a n t l y e n g a g e d t o g u a r a n t e e t h a t i t m o v e s forward day by day.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Palestinians in Gaza will not be allowed to cross back to the northern part of the territory until the issue is r e s o l v e d T h o u s a n d s o f

P a l e s t i n i a n s h a v e b e e n

d i s p l a c e d f r o m n o r t h e r n Gaza during the war and many were expecting to return from Sunday, under the truce agreement.

Israel said it would not be

l e a v i n g t h e N e t z a r i m

C o r r i d o r , w h i c h r u n s through central Gaza, and thus Palestinians would not yet be able to return to the n o r t h “ W e h o l d t h e

o c c u p a t i o n [ I s r a e l ]

r e s p o n s i b l e f o r a n y disruption in implementing t h e a g r e e m e n t a n d i t s repercussions on the rest of the stations,” the group said.

A l J a z e e r a ’ s H i n d Khoudary, reporting from Gaza’s Bureij refugee camp, s a i d m a n y P a l e s t i n i a n s c o n s i d e r S a t u r d a y ’ s exchange of captives and prisoners as very important as they believed it would pave the way for their return to northern Gaza.

K h o u d a r y q u o t e d sources as saying that many displaced Palestinians were already massing near the Wadi Gaza area, hoping to be able to cross to the north from Sunday Israel is also expected to o p e n t h e R a f a h b o r d e r crossing in the south for more humanitarian aid and other commercial supplies to enter Saturday’s exchange was the second since a ceasefire began on January 19, when Hamas handed over three Israeli female civilians in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners.

Palestinians held in Israeli j a i l s A m o n g t h e 2 0 0 Palestinians released from Israeli jails on Saturday, 121 were serving life sentences, while 79 were serving long sentences

The oldest prisoner is 69 years old while the youngest is 15 Seventy Palestinians are due to be deported, with Egypt expected to host them for 48 hours

They will consequently be sent to Tunisia, Algeria and Turkiye, which all agreed to

Studies, told Al Jazeera that the release of Palestinian prisoners is a “huge relief” for families, although it is h

p e n i n g u n

r t h e “horrible realities of [the Israeli] occupation”.

“These prisoners should have been released through a bigger deal that ends the conflict, that brings peace

through ending occupation,

Qarmout told Al Jazeera.

WANTED VACANCY

Kitchen Assistant needed Tel: 676-5534 / 709-8131 Famous Flavour Restaurant.

Sailor, Grade operators, Jet man. Contact : 223-5273 / 668-9880.

WANTED 1 female companion relationship /possible marriage. Spending money $200,000 monthly. WhatsApp picture/info to 736-3293

Wanted! Workers for packaging pasta and chowmein.

$4,600 per day: $5,400 per night. Workers paid weekly. Call: 611-7839 (GTT)/ 6370983 (digi).

Wanted- Fish processor in Ruimveldt Georgetown. Call : 682-5002.

Cash crop labourer $7,000 per day. Call : 679-7552.

Wanted waitress to work in a bar & Live-in, must have an I.D and be 18 years or older. Call / Whatsapp- 6591930

1-diesel mechanic for heavy duty machines. Contact #652-0251/650-0402.

Male to work and live on a farm with small family. Experience rearing chicken is an asset. $160,000 monthly. Contact : 627-9945 / 7084394.

Handyman needed $6,000 per day to work at meat centre & Labourer needed $110,000 monthly.Contact : 627-9945 / 7084394.

Salespersons. Must be ablebodied, educated, speak clearly and of pleasant personality. Call: 227-8529

ACCOMMODATIONS

Aracari Hotel renovated rooms ,A/C, TV, Restaurant, bar, pool, gym Stay 7 nights, 1 Free! Call: 264-2946.

ENTERTAINMENT

FOR RENT

Two & Three bedroom Luxury apartments $2500 USD long term rental, Campbellville Georgetown. 682-2585/ 712-8641.

ChooseConfectionQueensgyfordelightful...

From page 43

“I envision opening my own bakery and cafe and showcasing our exceptional desserts,” the young woman revealed.

General Domestic , cook , iron, clean house ECT. Apply Keyfood Mc Doom village next to the post office $6000 daily, 3day work

Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles, age 23-50, Car/ Van licence Call 615-9132 or 645-8443.

Male cleaner for Eccles Call 615-9132 or 645-8443

Vacancy for carpenter & masons $8,000 - $12,000 per day & Labourer $5,000$8,000 per day. Call 650-1394 / 692-7110.

Desk staff, Handyman/ Licensed driver,Receptionist, Supervisor , Room attendant. 233 South Road Lacytown. 225-0198.

Vacancy at Dyna's Embroidery & Screenprints: We are hring Sales Representatives. Tel# 226-2621.

Vacancy at Dyna's Embroidery & Screenprints: We are hring Factory Workers. Tel# 226-2621.

One Security officer. Tele : 623-2728 / 619-0898.

Skilled/ Semi- skilled mechanic $6,000 - $10,000 per day depending on skills. Contact : 671-8122 / 6551807.

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

Female cleaner for Eccles office. Call : 615-9132 / 6458443.

One clerk for TSI Eccles office English 1, Maths 2. Call : 615-9132 or email application to techserigy@yahoo.com

Vacancy at Dyna's Embroidery & Screenprints: We are a hiring Driver. Tel# 2262621.

SERVICES

Elevate your brand with our professional Graphic design services. Call: 619-0007, 629-5526.

Need a grocery shopper, ship chandler or visa application preparer: USA, Canada, UK ETA? 626-7040.

Electrical Items Repairs. Whatsapp : 659-5664.

Apartment to rent situated in Republic park area. Hot & cold water, air condition & Parking available. Tele : 7244668.

Spacious downstairs apartment in Mon Repos E.C.D, With bedroom, living & Kitchen, single person 30 years old. Call : 728-4053/ 234-0965.

90' x 90' open land for rent with 90' x 10' driveway to St at Lying & Princess street. Charlestown Georgetown. Call / Whatsapp : 627-3650.

30,000 square root land (riverside land friendship) & spot on water street for rent.Contact : 627-9945 / 7084394.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

1 Honda CRV, includes TV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, spoiler, crash, low mileage PTT Series (first owner). Call: 649-0956.

One Unregistered Nissan XTrail 2016 model, Mode Premiere. Call : 649-0956.

LAND FOR SALE

East La-penitence front road Just of Mandela Ave, Soesdyke public road, Long creek Soesdyke. Contact : Ray's Realty 627-9685.

PROPERTY FOR SALE

La-Penitence public road, Queenstown, Better hope, East Coast. Contact : Ray's Realty 627-9685.

FOR SALE

Kenworth Hauler Truck. Contact : 223-5273 / 6689880.

65-210 DAF Box Truck.Contact : 223-5273 / 668-9880.

DAF 6x6 with Dump.Contact : 223-5273 / 668-9880.

Toyota Mark 2.Contact : 223-5273 / 668-9880.

For Sale 6 used American made Dental chairs excellent condition contact Mr Vino on 661-3030 or 626-8918

One Nissan Double cab pickup, fully off road setup ; -5 Million Negotiable. Call: 626-8919 / 661-3030.

Printing equipment & (Xerox) Photocopier. Contact : 233-2725 / 233-2439.

Already making a positive impact in our society through her business, our featured entrepreneur is of the view that young entrepreneurs can be positive role models for persons who want to pursue their dreams and goals.

She mentioned that through their stories, their willpower to overcome challenges and persevere “isn’t just awe inspiring but has the power to make

a difference.”

“The role that young entrepreneurs play in society is that they bring such new, inviting and invigorating perspectives and ideas that push the boundaries that stimulates change, that generates a conversation leading to improvement and positive changes in society,” she expressed.

With numerous small businesses located throughout the length of Guyana, Tull highlighted that to help these businesses grow and develop locally, is for there to be more training and mentorship for business

owners along the lines of marketing, financial management and always customer service.

“More networking events where small business owners can connect, offer their experiences and explore collaboration opportunities with other local businesses,” she said can be of great boost to small businesses. For persons desirous of tasting these delicious treats from Confection. Queensgy, the number to contact is (592) 617-9181 and also its social media handle at Confection.Queensgy on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

Family fun Aracari Resort! crystal clear pool, safe kids & adult sections, music & food. W.B.D. Call

2642946-9

Bids opened for new water wells in Region One

water sector this year, the Guyana

Water Inc., an agency under the Ministry of Housing and Water, is preparing to drill several potable water wells across Region One.

Below are the companies and their bids: Guyana Water Inc.

Drilling of Potable Water Wells in Barasina, Canal Bank & Five Star Cluster, Region 1.

Drilling of Potable Water Wells in Kumaka, Santa Rosa, Region 1.

Drilling of Potable Water Wells in Manawari, Moruca, Region 1.

Drilling of Potable Water Wells in Mabaruma, Region 1: Lot 1-Three Brothers, Morawannah, Black Water Savannah & Hobo Hill.

communities in Region One such as Barasina, Canal Bank, Five Star

Installation of Water Supply System in Achawib, Region 9.

Manawari, Black Water

Waicarabi Aruka just to name

Installation of Water Supply System in Aranaputa, Region 9.

Extension of Water Supply System in Curicock, Wichabai, Toka, Chrikidnau & Parikaruau, Region 9.

Drilling of Potable Water Wells in Haimaracabra, Moruca, Region 1.

Drilling of Potable Water Wells in Mabaruma, Region 1: Lot 2-Aruka Mouth, Unity Square, Waicarabi Aruka.

Chinese Embassy hosts reception...

From page 46 many Guyanese friends who have studied or been trained

i n C h i n a , ” t h e C h a r g é d’Affaires said.

H e a d d e d , “ Yo u a r e

b e n e f i c i a r i e s o f r a p i d

d e v e l o p m e n t o f C h i n aGuyana relations.

I am fully confident

p r o d u c t i o n a n d

i n f r a s t r u c t u r e u p g r a d e

D o c t o r s o f t h e C h i n e s e medical brigade spared no

e f f o r t s t o s a f e g u a r d Guyanese people’s health and wellbeing.

Teachers and volunteers of the Confucius Institute

d e d i c a t e d s e l f l e s s l y t o

a d v a n c i n g c u l t u r a l exchanges. The Chinese

c o m m u n i t i e s d e v o t e d

tirelessly to Chinese citizens a n d p r o m o t i n g C h i n aGuyana serving friendship.

Y o u a r e w i t n e s s e s , p a r t i c i p a t o r s a n d contributors”

According to Mr Huang Rui, for China and Guyana, 2 0 2 5 i s a y e a r f u l l o f opportunities, development and hope.

China will work closely with Guyana to implement t h e i m p o r t a n t c o n s e n s u s reached by the two heads of s t a t e a n d p r o m o t e cooperation in every field to bear more fruits.

H e e x p l a i n e d t h e significance and symbolism of the occasion. According to the Chargé d’Affaires 2025 represents the year of the

snake which is symbolic for smoothness, strength and vitality

“The year of the dragon is slipping away, and the year o f t h e s n a k e i s q u i e t l y approaching.

The lunar New Year or Spring Festival has not only been the Chinese traditional holiday but also became an international one.

Inspired by the Global C i v i l i z a t i o n I n i t i a t i v e introduced by President Xi Jinping, Spring Festival has been officially listed as a U n i t e d N a t i o n s f l o a t i n g holiday in its calendar of conferences and meetings as from 2024.”

“Also in 2024, Spring Festival and social practices

of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional New Year was inscribed on the Representative List of t h e I n t a n g i b l e C u l t u r a l Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.”

“ I t i s c o n d u c i v e e x c h a n g e s o f d i f f e r e n t cultures and civilizations. For China and Guyana, the biggest and fastest-growing d e v e l o p i n g n a t i o n respectively, 2025 is a year f u l l o f o p p o r t u n i t i e s , d e v e l o p m e n t a n d h o p e China will deepen reform and expand opening-up with g r e a t e r c o u r a g e a n d resolution to inject fresh i m p e t u s t o h i g h q u a l i t y development and wrap up

five-year plan.”

Guyana in must-win Clash against Grenada to keep Nations Cup hopes alive

B y R a w l e To n e y i n Suriname

(Compliments: National Sports Commission)

After a tough 86-54 loss to host nation Suriname on Friday evening at the Ismay Van Wilgen Sports Hall, Guyana’s basketball team finds itself in a do-or-die s

prepare to face Grenada at 10:00 a.m. in the second match of the Nations Cup basketball tournament.

tournament hopes alive, with

bounce back after Friday’s disappointing finish.

opened their campaign on Friday with high energy and solid play on both ends of the floor

Travis Belgrave, who scored

, Guyana held a 17-12 lead at the end of the first quarter Their defense was sharp,

r o f f e n s i v e execution allowed them to stay ahead of the home team, much to the delight of their traveling supporters.

H o w e v e r , S u r i n a m e responded with relentless p a c e a n d p r e c i s i o n , outscoring Guyana 16-8 in the second quarter to snatch a narrow 28-25 lead at halftime.

Sunday January 26, 2025

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19)

S o m e t h i n g i s c u r r e n t l y compelling you to be more of a world citizen than usual, Aries. You may find this somewhat disturbing You feel as though the roots of your identity

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20)

Yo u r s u r r o u n d i n g s a r e currently changing, Taurus. Perhaps your circle of friends

h a s a l r e a d y u n d e rg o n e a major change. The fact is that you no longer have so many prejudices about the people you meet.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

Gemini, you're demystifying the concept of talent. You used to look enviously at other people and think, "I wish I had a natural ability like that."

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

Are you thinking of going into business for yourself, Cancer? Being self-employed doesn't automatically mean you will h a v e m o r e f r e e d o m O f course, you will be your own boss.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22)

Within the next few days, you're likely to gain access to dimensions of perception you never suspected, Leo. Perhaps you will become aware of certain energy phenomena, peak experiences.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22)

Often fiery temperaments like yours are drawn to fight for great causes despite the b e t t e r j u d g m e n t o f m o r e down-to-Earth people. As a r e s u l t , y o u h a v e g r e a t leadership potential that may emerge today

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

Your optimism is likely to receive a little boost today, Libra. A memorable emotional encounter may be the source of some extra zeal. Or you may derive great satisfaction from being part of a group.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov 21)

Perhaps you should suspend your inhibitions for the day, Scorpio, and let your dreams guide you. For instance, you might imagine that the need to m a k e a n y c h o i c e s h a s vanished.

SAGIT (Nov 22–Dec. 21)

This is the type of day you enjoy The climate is positive, and the energy is flowing. It's as though you have a magic wand. You give it a wave andpresto - the day's tasks and chores are done! By this evening.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19)

If the world collapsed today, you wouldn't bat an eyelash. Yo

sailing along on cloud nine! The source of your bliss could be that new person in your life.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) You may have had some

lately, but today will restore your faith in love. All you need to do is act. Your amazing lucidity and realism keep you f

h e impossible.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

Put on your traveling shoes, Pisces. Fear of the unknown may have prompted you to postpone certain trips. You claimed you were too busy, but no one really believed this.

The home crowd, large and enthusiastic, roared their team on as they began to take c o n t r o l o f t h e g a m e , l e v e r a g i n g t h e i r q u i c k transition game and superior ball movement to unsettle Guyana.

B e l g r a v e ’s f i r s t - h a l f contributions were key to k e e p i n g G u y a n a w i t h i n s t r i k i n g d i s t a n c e , w h i l e N i k k o l o i S m i t h ( s e v e n

p o i n t s ) a n d D o m a i r

G l a d s t o n e ( f i v e p o i n t s ) p r o v i d e d a d d i t i o n a l offensive support.

Unfortunately, the team could not maintain their m o m e n t u m a s S u r i n a m e ramped up their intensity after the break.

Suriname’s unmatched pace and aggressive play w i d e n e d t h e g a p significantly in the third quarter

Guyana trailed by 18 points (57-39) heading into the final period, as turnovers and missed opportunities a l l o w e d S u r i n a m e t o capitalize on the fast break.

D e s p i t e B e l g r a v e ’ s continued efforts, finishing with a team-high 16 points, a n d S m i t h ’ s 1 0 - p o i n t

c o n t r i b u t i o n , t h e t e a m struggled to find consistent scoring and defensive stops.

By the final buzzer, the scoreboard read 86-54 in favor of Suriname, handing Guyana a humbling defeat in the opening game of the tournament.

With their backs against the wall, Guyana must now r e g r o u p q u i c k l y t o f a c e

Grenada in a high-stakes matchup. The Grenadians played

tonight.

At the time of this report, t h a t g a

progress.

Hooper will likely look to Belgrave to continue his allaround impact on both ends of the floor, but the team will

winning effort.

Harold Adams and Orlan Glasgow will also be called on to step up.

A win against Grenada

tournament.

However, another

unfulfilled.

JuniorLadyJagsarrivesafelyaheadofCONCACAFU-17...

From page 58 Guyanese around the world proud.”

T h e J u n i o r L a d y J a g s will open their campaign on

January 27 against Cuba, followed by matches against Panama on January 29 and the Turks and Caicos Islands o

Dominican Republic.

Representing Guyana on the

Junior Lady Jags arrive safely ahead of CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Qualifiers

Footba

l Federation announced that the Junior Lady Jags have

Dominican Republic and are ready to compete in the

team is set to face Cuba,

Panama, and the Turks and C

promises to be a thrilling and competitive group stage.

determine their participation

Women’s World Cup, set to

November

n ’s Programmes, Paul Beresford has expressed confidence in the team’s preparation and determination. He shared, “We are looking forward to p

upcoming U-17 Qualifiers.

We are in a very strong group with the likes of Cuba, Panama, and the Turks and Caicos. However, we believe we have put one of our best U-17 teams together and are going to give everything to represent Guyana and make (Continued on page 57)

Spin runs riot again as Noman, Warrican lead the way on 20-wicket opening day

(Cricinfo) - Head coach

Aaqib Javed promised that Pakistan could prepare a s p i n - f r i e n d l y w i c k e t anywhere in the country, and the first day of the second Test against West Indies in Multan demonstrated he had kept his promise. Spin ran riot once more, as 20 wickets fell and both sides wrapped up within nine runs of each

o t h e r A h a t - t r i c k f r o m Noman Ali, the first by a Pakistani spinner in Tests, saw Pakistan tear through the visitors in the morning session.

W e s t I n d i e s w e r e reduced to 54 for 8 at one stage, before a remarkable recovery from the last three batters dragged them to the relative safety of 163. It became clear that two of them could play the spin game when West Indies got the ball in hand. Kemar

R o a c h r i p p e d t h r o u g h Pakistan’s top order, while

J o m e l W a r r i c a n a n d Gudakesh Motie split seven wickets between them. Only

M o h a m m a d R i z w a n a n d

S a u d S h a k e e l o f f e r e d resistance as Pakistan folded for 154.

West Indies got their wish in the morning when they won the toss, allowing them to bat first. But they took little time running into trouble when Mikyle Louis poked behind to Rizwan, and got Pakistan up and running in the second over Debutant Amir Jangoo was struck plumb in front by Sajid Khan five balls later, and Pakistan were on their way

Kraigg Brathwaite and Kavem Hodge put together a brief partnership that saw off fast bowler Kashif Ali, and i n i t i a l l y h e l d o f f t h e spinners. But once that stand was punctured, bloodletting followed. West Indies lost five wickets in the next 13 balls that reduced them from 32 for 2 to 38 for 7.

Three balls at the start of the 12th over from Noman got him his hat-trick with a mixture of deliveries. Justin Greaves’ edge came as a result of a touch of extra bounce, while Tevin Imlach missed a sweep to a straight o n e W i t h j u s t a b o u t everyone crowding around the bat for the hat-trick ball, Noman pushed it in at pace and found a bit of turn off the pitch. It was much too good

for Kevin Sinclair ’s tentative prod, and Noman had his hat-trick.

H o w e v e r , w h a t transpired in the final hour before lunch showed that while the wicket was highly conducive to spin, it wasn’t necessarily unplayable. West Indies’ bottom three had made history last Test when t h e y b e c a m e t h e t h r e e highest scorers in an innings for the first time ever, and they repeated the feat in this game. Motie, Roach and Warrican produced a canny mix of resolute temperament and entertaining flair to somewhat steer West Indies out of troubled waters. Roach and Motie put on 41 for the ninth wicket before a missed sweep from the former gave Noman his fifth wicket. But Motie and Wa r r i c a n

contribution. It was a mix of good-cop, bad-cop as Motie shut the spinners out while Warrican gave them whacks from the other end.

Lunch was extended as the final stand went on, and against all odds, went past 137 to get West Indies to their highest score of the series.

A w h a c k d o w n t h e g r o u n d f r o m Wa r r i c a n b r o u g

t u p t h e 5

nership b

Motie brought up his own halfcentury It was only at the stroke of lunch that Motie missed a slog sweep off Noman that rattled his off stump, and a session that began with total Pakistan dominance ended on a rather more neutral tenor

We s t I n d i e s h a d , i n Roach, a fast bowler they trusted even on this surface, and in the first hour, he showed why Getting the new ball to nip both ways in the air and off the seam, he drew Mohammad Hurraira forward before rapping him on the front pad with one that seamed in, to draw first blood. It was the first of three wickets inside 14 balls.

Babar Azam was beaten by the lack of bounce from Motie as he tried to slice off the back foot and missed a cut that saw the ball crash into off stump. The stumps were disturbed once more when Shan Masood played all around another Roach delivery that came back into h i m , a n d 1 6 3 s u

seemed a long way off. S

g survival cricket in a passage of play that spelled danger for Pakistan. They drew the sting out of the game over the next half an hour, halting West Indies’ momentum and

h e partnership inched up and got Pakistan to 50.

After Ghulam’s forward defensive shot to Motie hit him high on the bat and Alick Athanaze took a sharp catch, Shakeel and Rizwan took

over They looked more assured than any batter from either side all day: Shakeel

a b s o r b e d p r e s s u r e w h i l e Rizwan transferred it back

o n t o t h e o p p o s i t i o n

P r o v i d i n g t

s t template of how to bat in t

y i n g c i r c

a n c e s , Rizwan’s use of the feet, manipulation of the fields, and the sweep shot got the runs ticking along, bearing down on West Indies’ firstinnings score.

But a bit of brilliance in the field, and then with the ball, saw West Indies wrest control back. When Shakeel

l o o k e d t o j a b Wa r r i c a n t h r o u g h

forward at full extension to take a catch that injured him in the process. The wind in his sails, Warrican removed Rizwan soon after with a

halfway down the crease,

Kemar Roach removed both the openers (PCB)

giving Imlach all the time in the world to whip the bails off.

West Indies had none of Pakistan’s problems when it came to running through the lower order. Pakistan went on to lose their last six wickets for 35 runs, the 20th of the day coming courtesy of a mix-up between Sajid and Kashif that resulted in a run-out. It was a gift to the bowlers on a day they had no need for

, Warrican 36*, Noman 6-41) lead Pakistan 154 (Rizwan 49, Warrican 4-43, Motie 349) by nine runs

Sports Spin runs riot again as Noman, Warrican lead the way on 20wicket opening day

Clash against Grenada to keep Nations Cup hopes alive

Captain Stanton Rose Jr tries to break a full-court press from Suriname.