EPA asks Exxon to conduct EIA for seventh oil project Two nursery schools for WBD to cost $105M withsecondgasproject VPJagdeo:Govt.tomoveahead monetizationstrategy despitenotfinalising
Chinese national wanted for money
$447M Essequibo Deeds Registry building needs $67M more for fence and concrete compound laundering, other serious crimes
million more for fence, concrete compound
With $447 million already spent to construct the fourstoreynewDeedsandCommercial Registries Authority (DCRA)
building at Suddie, Essequibo in RegionTwo,theMinistryofLegal Affairs would be spending an additional $67 million to execute several external works at the sub-
registryoffice.
The new set of projects which wentouttotenderearlierintheyear was awarded this month through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) following the competitive bidding process
Accordingtoinformationprovided on the NPTAB website, the $67,726,995 contract was awarded toJaikamConstruction&Supplies
Inc. Kaieteur News learnt that the $67 million contract entails the
casting of compound and construction of drain, fence, concrete culvert and concrete revetment at the new Essequibo SubRegistry
It was previously reported that inOctober2022,theDCRAsigned the contact with Jaikam Construction to the tune of $447,862,666, for the construction of a new four-storey building next doortotheSupremeCourtbuilding at Suddie. The contract duration (Continuedonpage3)
Vice President BharratJagdeois expected to take the spotlight during the next Sitting of the National Assembly to face questions submitted by Opposition MemberofParliament(MP), DavidPattersononthesafety of the ramped-up production activities in the Stabroek Block by ExxonMobil GuyanaLimited(EMGL).
The company has been granted approval by the government to push oil production beyond the safe operating limits outlined in the Environmental Impact Assessments(EIAs)foreach ofthethreeprojectscurrently producingoil.
InhisquestiontotheVice President, Patterson pointed out the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the safe operating limit at 120,000 barrels per day(bpd)attheLizaDestiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vesseland220,000bpdatthe Liza Unity and Prosperity FPSOs.
He however noted that
Exxon announced that the Liza Destiny was producing 160,000 bpd, Liza Unity, 250,000 bpd and Prosperity 230,000 bpd as of February 2024. He said the company has stated “that production increases never occur without strict reviews, risk assessments, and that all of those are being reviewed by the Government and the EPA”.
Consequently, the MP asked, “Can the Honourable Vice-President provide the National Assembly with copies of documents submitted by ExxonMobil
Frompage2
mentionedatthetimewas12months.
Currently, the DCRA's work is housed at the Supreme CourtBuildinginSuddie.Uponcompletion,thefour-storey building is set to house the operations of the Deeds and Commercial Registries, and living quarters for staff. It was disclosed by the DCRA that the building will be equipped with an elevator, parking facilities and a storage vault for documents.
In January 2021, the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall SC had announced that the Deeds and Commercial Registry in the Region Two would soonhaveitsownbuilding.
The Deeds and Commercial Registry was established to efficientlyandexpeditiouslyadministerthelawsenactedby Parliament affecting land, whether by way of transport, leases,mortgagesoranyotheralienationthereof.Italsodeals with laws relating to trademarks, patents and designs, geographical indications, copyrights, trade unions, companies,partnership,businessnames,powersofattorney, billsofsalecontracts,andotherdeeds.
detailing the technical and environmental assessments undertaken to justify the increased production above the previously approved Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permit limits?”
On the same subject, PattersonhasaskedtheVPto provid
Assembly with copies of the revisedpermitsissuedbythe EPA that approves the increaseddailyproduction.
Patterson in a brief telephoneinterviewwiththis publication on Monday explainedthatSpeakerofthe NationalAssembly,Manzoor Nadir initially did not approve his questions
“saying that the information belongs to Exxon and we cannot be asking any questions of a private company.”
The former Minister of Public Infrastructure said after he insisted on the importance of the matter being addressed publicly, Nadir conceded and
instructed him to direct the questionstoJagdeo.
Inacorrespondenceseen by this newspaper the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs informed Patterson, “Based on research conducted, it was found that questions relating to the Environmental ProtectionAgencyfallunder the purview of His Excellency the President. The Hon. Vice President supports the President in specific areas, including Natural Resources and the Environment.Inviewofthis, the Hon Speaker has directedthatthequestionsbe returned to you for resubmission to the Vice President.”
Patterson's questions have been placed on the Order Paper for August 2, 2024.
PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.
Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456
Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS
Tel:225-8465,225-8491. Fax:225-8473,226-8210
In recent months, hundreds of Guyanese have been infected with the Dengue Fever- some have even lost their lives.
Dengueisaviralinfectionthatistransmittedviathebite ofmosquitoesofthespeciesAedesAegypti,andsometimes also by Aedes Albopictus. It most commonly occurs in tropical and subtropical areas of the world, including the Asia-Pacific, Central American and Caribbean regions. SincethelastmajorregionaloutbreakofDenguefeverinthe Caribbean, the region has experienced two large outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases—Chikungunya in 2014 and Zikain2016.Themeasuresusedforcontrollingthespread of Dengue fever are the same as those used for Zika and Chikungunya as these diseases are also transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. These mosquitoes can survive subfreezing temperatures, which has allowed dengue to spreadtocoolerclimates.Before1970,onlyninecountries had experienced severe dengue epidemics. Today, the diseaseiswidespreadinmorethan100countriesworldwide. About half of the world’s population is at risk for dengue infection, and an estimated 500,000 people with severe dengue fever would require hospitalization each year The mortality rate is about 2 5 percent
A recent report by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) noted that Latin America and the Caribbean has reported 9.3 million cases of dengue so far this year, twice the number of cases reported in all of 2023. However, according to the latest epidemiological update, the fatality rate remains below the regional goal of 0.05%. “While we areseeinganotableincreaseinthenumberofdenguecases in the region this year, it is important to highlight that the proportion of cases that progress to death remains low thanks to countries’ efforts and the support of PAHO,” PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa said. “This situation highlights the importance of sustaining surveillance, strengthening prevention and control measures, and ensuringtimelymedicalcare,”headded.
In 2024 so far, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have reported more than 9,500 cases of severe dengue (0.10%) and just over 4,500 deaths (fatality rate of 0.048%).Comparedtothesameperiodin2023,allcountries recordedincreasesincases.Thiscanbeattributedtoseveral factors,includingterritorialexpansionoftheAedesaegypti mosquito, its main vector, which has expanded its range to areas where it was not present before, potentially due to factors such as El Niño and climate change. In addition, rapid unplanned urban expansion and population growth, combined with poor water and sanitation services, have created favorable conditions for the proliferation of mosquitoes in discarded objects and containers that accumulatewater
Experts have contended that the most effective way to avoid becoming ill from the viruses and to prevent them fromspreadingistocoverallopendrumsandtanks,cleanall gutters to allow the free flow of water, remove stagnant water sources, properly dispose of used vehicle tyres, and emptybottlesandbuckets.Overtheyears,mosquito-borne diseases have threatened the health of the people, tourism, social and economic development of the Caribbean. ItisaglobalhealthproblemandlikeZikaandChikungunya, thereisnospecifictreatmentforthedisease.However,nonspecific treatments include rest; daily intake of plenty of fluids;andtheuseofparacetamoltocontrolfeverandpain but not aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines which could increase the risk of bleeding. With the rainy season still with us, mosquito control and awarenessactivitiesneedtobeintensified.Governmentsin theregion,inparticular,theMinistriesofHealth,areadvised toincreasehealthpromotionmessagestopreventmosquitos biting and breeding sites; intensify vector surveillance and control and disseminate appropriate clinical care and treatmentguidelines.Denguefeverisaninfectiousdisease that can cause life-threatening illness or milder flu-like
DEAREDITOR, Guyanese Americans supporting both major political parties in USA, as expressedatmandirsandon the streets and in conversations, are stunned bytheattempttotakeoutthe former President Donald Trump on Saturday afternoon at a rally in swing state Pennsylvania. It is the talkeverywhere.
The shooting took place inButlerCountywherethere isaHinduAshramvisitedby thiswriterseveralyearsago; Guyanese and other IndoCaribbean and Asian Indian people regularly worship at theAshram.Itisahard-core Republican area, Trump country The rally had a massive crowd. The attack was shocking and IndoCaribbean people from that Commonwealth State are outragedattheviolentattack on the former President Guyanese describe it as despicable, fearing it could lead to reprisals Trump
My
leads in Pennsylvania and most of the battleground states that will determine who wins the Presidency in the November general elections Significant numbers of Guyanese support Trump including in several battleground states l i k e M i c h i g a n , Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida,andWisconsin.
Guyanese Americans of all political persuasions strongly condemn the attempted assassination of Trump.Theyallspeakinone voice that there is no place for violence in politics in America or any country They wish President Trump well and the two surviving victims of the shooting a speedyrecovery They also express sympathy for the family of person who was killed just behind Trump – in a sort of waymayhavesavedthelife of the President and of course his family; the PennsylvaniaGovernorcalls
him a hero They were Trumpites.
In conver
, Guyanese Americans thank
h e assassination of the former President failed World leaders also condemn the attempt on the President’s life.PresidentAlimusthave done same Republican Guyanese,mostlyIndiansof Hin
background, are convinced that the attempt on the former President’s life will help him with sympathy votes in the November elections Trump was leading in the opinion polls t
supporting the Democrats nowfeelTrumpwillwinbya landslide and his popularity (long coattails) will help Republicans on ‘down ballot’towintheSenateand House, Governorships, state legislatures, and other offices in closely contested seats.
Democracy must not be defeated by violence Political disagreements are expected in any democracy They must be resolved with ballots not bullets. Violence is not an option in any situation! The Guyanese Americans and those in Guyana and the other sections of the diaspora are commended to condemn the attempt on the life of the former President and presumptive nominee of the Republican Party that holds its national convention this coming week to officially nominate Trump and his VicePresidentpick.
(Just a side note: The republican and democratic conventions are attended by delegates who were elected in free and fair elections by the members of each party andnothand-pickedasinin the congresses and convention of parties in Guyana).
Yourstruly, Vishnu
Bisram
I have been carrying this theory in my head for some timenow ThewaythisPSA (
g Agreement) works is very similar to the way Retained
corporation – but with two exceptionswhichworktothe disadvantage of Guyana. I shall explain these two exceptionslater F
company owned by 100 shareholders They have designedafancyshirtthatis therageamonghigh-income earners High-end stores couldn’tgetenoughofthem. Thecompanystartsoutwith one factory Initial equity $400,000 plus bank loan of $600,000. At the end of the firstyear,theymadeaprofit
of $300,000 after servicing the bank loan and paying all its operating and fixed expenses.
There was such a huge demand for this shirt. The Managing Board met and decided they will build a second factory They decided they will pay $50,000 as dividends to the shareholders, and plough back $250,000 of their profits into the business to build the second factory This is called Retained Earnings.Inthesecondyear, maybe, they will take another bank loan, in additiontothe$250,000RE. Both factories prove to be very successful. Turned a profit of $500,000 after servicing their loans and paying all fixed and operating expenses in its
illness.Itaffectsinfants,youngchildrenandadults.Therisk forseveredengueincreaseswitheachinfection.Itcannotbe spread directly from person to person, only by mosquito bites.Itssymptomswhicharewiderangingtypicallybegin fourtotendaysafterinfectionbyamosquito.Theyincludea highfever,headache,painbehindtheeyes,lossofappetite, vomitinganddiarrhoea,ametallictasteinthemouth,muscle and joint pains pain particularly affecting the ankles, knees and elbows, minor bleeding from the nose and gums, extreme fatigue and a characteristic skin rash. Medical experts have cautioned that those with a pre-existing noncommunicableorchronicdiseasewouldbeatgreaterriskif they contract dengue. The disease is not usually fatal, however, in some cases, it could lead to death, especially among infants, young children and those with chronic diseases.
secondyearofoperation.
Demand for their namebrand shirts is still strong. They opened a third factory Again, the Board decided to plough back $300,000 to buildathirdfactory And,so thecycleofexpansionofthe business goes on until they reach some optimal level, and they stop building more factories.
Note: The business is expanding rapidly – but it is mostly done on Retained Earnings.
Let’s look at Guyana’s PSA. First well, first oil in 2020 Sold hundreds of thousandsofbarrels.75%of revenues by law is taken off the top to service, say, an initial $5 billion loan. It is calledCostRecovery Itisan incredibly huge block of revenue. And it goes on for thelifeofthecontract–25or more years. This is a very heavy blow for the Host countrytoabsorb.Becauseit leaves very little for profitshare.
25% of revenue goes for profit-sharing – split evenly between oil companies and Guyana. The host country’s share is a mere 12.5/100 barrels.
Demand for crudes is strong Average world market price has moved to a newthreshold–from$55in 2016 to $80 today Exxon, managing partner (Hess and
CNOOC behave like silent partners) builds a new well. Wheredoesthemoneycome fromtobuildasecondwell?
75%CRwillbecomethe mainstay of funding the expansionforfirst,second nthwell.MaybeExxonwill ploughbackasmuchas50% of CR (amounting to $5 billion or more) each year This works exactly like the concept of Retained Earnings in the shirt factory illustration With two exceptions: – (1) It is not called Retained Earnings; (2) Each time CR is ploughedbacktoexpandthe business, it is counted as freshcapitalandisaddedon to the pile of outstanding capitaloutlays(Capex). HugeCRatarateof75% of revenues. But when it is ploughedbacktoexpandthe business, it is technically Retained Earnings. So, why is it counted as fresh capex and added on to the outstandingpileofCapex?
Guyana suffers – is cheated – because it is not a shareholder of the three partneringcompanies,noris it a partner; – and cannot benefitfromthehundredsof billions of dollars profit generated by the expanding business – ramp-up from 460,000 bpd to 1.2 billion bpd. Myargumentisthatthe stockofCapitalOutlays (Continuedonpage06)
Liberal democracy is constitutionality-theruleof law-baseduponasystemof majorityruleagreeduponby substantially all of us and must periodically be reformed to maintain its legitimacy and prevent socio/economic decay The recentelectionsoutcomesin the India, South Africa, France, the UK, etc., have frequently been commented upon in the local media and there have been many
explicit and implicit suggested comparisons with Guyana. What have been largely missing are the contextualisations such
comparisons require Usually, itis as if theresults were not seen as the outcomes of fundamentally different political cultures andsystemsofgovernance.
If only because it is of vital importance to Guyana, hereIwouldliketopaysome attention to the UK with reference to the connection between social well-being
a n d t h e e x i s t i n g constitutional arrangements.
Over time, political institutions/structures can become dysfunctional as in theUKbut,asinthecaseof Guyana, although it might not at first be recognised, they might not have been appropriateinthefirstplace. It has been the position of this column that since independence, Guyana’s political system has been unsuitableand,asintheUK today, has resulted in its underdevelopment.
T h e c o m i n g o f hydrocarbons and much more resources to Guyana
has only made the socio/political situation
worse. For example, given the ethnic political division, the current government has been attempting to purchase thepopulation’srighttoselfgovernment and, just as it is blatantly using public funds
for its own private political/ethnicgains,theuse ofpublicofficesforpersonal enrichment, which the regime has no moral authority to fix, has grown exponentially in a context where the constitutional arrangements cannot fittinglyrespond!
As noted, political dysfunction gradually increased in the UK but, unlike Guyana, it is a dominantethnicsocietywith a relatively strong public opinion that is the major force for holding governmentaccountableina democratic context But o t h e r i m p o r t a n t
socio/political elements have become sufficiently dysfunctional and given rise to the socio/political meltdown that is at present taking place at almost every important level of the society
Wage growth in the UK between2010and2020was thelowestoveranyten-year periodinpeacetimesincethe Napoleonic Warsof1803 to1815. The UK’s annual growth in productivity since 2007 has been 0.4%, its lowest since 1826. GDP per capita has grown by 4.3% over the past 16 years, compared with 46% in the previous 16 years The averageannualrealwagehas fallen about US$14,000 belowwhatitwasbeforethe 2008 financial crisis
Accordingtooneeconomist, the UK is ‘almost certainly the most interregional unequal large high-income country in the world’. In 2019, GDP per capita in London was US$73,000 but onlyUS$38,000inScotland and eastern England. The wealth gap between the southeast and the poorer north is expected to reach US$290,000 per person by 2 0 3 0 (https://www.foreignaffairs.
c o m / u n i t e dkingdom/british-elections).
Where social well-being is concerned, the vaunted NationalHealthServiceisin crisis and hospital performance is arguably the worst in its 76-year history
750,000 more British childrenaresaidtobeliving in poverty than when the Conservatives came to power in 2010, and 4 3 million children are going hungry Manylocalagencies have gone bankrupt and in 2 0 2 3 , t h e B r i t i s h Environment Agency found that the companies managingthenationalwater supplyhadspilledmoreraw, untreated human effluent into the country’s rivers and seas than in any previous yearonrecord!
The Conservative party, which was in government since 2010, placed the blamed for this abysmal condition on Britain’s association with Europe and this led to British exit from the European Union. But even those who supported Brexit have come to realise thatnothingcouldbefurther from the truth. Britain’s recent relative performance in goods exports has grown 1.1% annually; a fifth of the average for members of the Organization for Economic Cooperationand (Continuedonpage06)
International Decade for People of African Descent
A s s e m b l y - G u y a n a (IDPADA-G) stand with sister organization, the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) to demand respect forandprotectionofthe30year-old tradition of ACDA’sAnnual celebration ofEmancipation.
The decision to host a free event across the street f r o m A C D A o n Emancipation Day is a contemptuous and wicked ploy to divide and destroy the African Guyanese community
Thepublicmustbemade aware that the so-called community organization, Association for People of African Descent is neither community-based nor a creation of Guyanese of
AfricanDescent. In a Guyana Times article on April 24, 2024, M i n i s t e r O n e i d g e
Walrondherselfexplained that “In 2023, THE
G O V E R N M E N T
L A U N C H E D T H E
ASSOCIATION OF
PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT (APAD) to foster unity among AfroGuyanese communities, drive positive social change, and empower all members to actively participate in shaping Guyana’sfuture ” APAD is a red herring, arusetomisleadpeopleof African descent and to create division among our people – particularly, it appears, generational division We must ensure that all African Guyanese a
nefarious Pied Piper is s
ead us nowhere but is bent on
destroyingourcommunity andmisleadingouryouth
We call on government to use Guyana’s wealth to empowerAfrican Guyanese youth not simply find every opportunity to entertain them.
As we celebrate the 186th anniversary of Emancipation, Guyana’s wealthcanfundReparations to give youth the resources they need to put their generation soundly on the path to full Emancipation. Government must respect theACDAtraditional event, immediately cancel its APADAugust1st event and use its resourcestosupportgenuine u p l i f t m e n t a n d Emancipation for African Guyanese.
Sincerely
O l i v e C a n n i n g s Sampson
ChiefExecutiveOfficer
IDPADA-G
DEAREDITOR
Twoneonataldeaths(SN July 13) are still too many
The RHO should be concerned about the causes ofthesedeathsandnotabout whether it is two or five.
Further the tellin
opposition (KN July 13) s
d accountability by those responsible.
In this twenty-first century, neonatal deaths shouldbeathingofthepast, have no place in modern Guyana,butifitoccursthen swift investigations and findings should be the outcome. Anything less wouldbeunacceptable.
Over in Trinidad, the case where seven new born babies died in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NCIU) atthePort-of-SpainGeneral
Hospital in April, prompted the authorities there to launch an immediate
h international help, PAHO. The investigation findings h
encies
n the operations of the Hospital. Therearelessonsforustobe
unfortunateoccurrence.
Sincerely ShamshunMohamed
Frompage05 Development Had it preserved its pre-Brexit market share, its exports wouldhavegrownbyUS$64 billion instead of shrinking by US$4 billion between 2019and2022(Ibid).
Not surprisingly then, the ultimate check upon errant governance - public opinionkicked in and at this month’s elections the Conservative partysufferedtheworstdefeat in its 200-year history Of course, the failure was that of the political elite in general, which sought to blame others and did not properly identify and address the structural political problems of the country
In 2022, former British prime minister Gordon Brown’s Commission on the UK’sFutureidentifiedthereal problemasbeinga‘democratic deficit’ ‘At the root of this failure[is]anunreformed,overcentralised way of governing that leaves millions of people complainingtheyareneglected, ignored,andinvisible’;people who, increasingly see themselves ‘treated as second class citizens in their own country’ When important institutional/structural deficiencies are identified, thepointmustbetotryafix them: not as in Guyana to pretend that they do not exist.Itdoesappearthatboth the Conservative and the Labour parties have now
prioritised the connection between economic d e v e l o p m e n t a n d
constitutional arrangements and that fundamental structural governance changesareontheagenda.
These changes include theabolitionoftheHouseof Lords and its replacement with an elected chamber of assembly of regions and nations with powers to protect the constitution, and giving the Supreme Court a role in determining whether thispowerhasbeenengaged. Todealwithever-increasing regional inequalities, substantial decentralisation and reforms to the local fundingsystemtoenablelocal leaders to allocate resources flexibly in line with local priorities are proposed as is giving extra powers and stronger constitutional protection of those powers to Scotland and Wales Civil service reforms are to entrench thepermanenceandimpartiality of the civil service and better definetherelationshipbetween officials and ministers Parliamentandthepublicareto playstrongerrolesinenforcing ethicalstandardsAcitizens’jury that would monitor the enforcement of standards for MPs and government ministersandreporteachyear hasbeensuggested Newrules on party finances, the establishment of an independent Integrity and
Ethics Commission, Information Commissioner’s Officeoverseenbyparliament and parliamentary responsibilityforaministerial code of conduct, etc are also o n t h e c a r d s (https://wwwinstituteforgove rnmentorguk/)
Unfortunately in Guyana, where there is an even deeper structural difficulty that requires all the above mentioned type of constitutional changes and more, constitutional reform is onthetablebutisbeinggivena lukewarm reception by the majorparties Theyareputting the cart before the horse: focusingonwinningelections Regrettably too, the fundamental political differencebetweenGuyanaand the UK is that in the former there is no substantial public opiniontokickinandasweare witnessing, the most likely outcome is that the electoral marginality of any future regime will lead to greater discriminationandinequalities Gordon Brown, defined social media as ‘a shouting matchwithoutanumpire’and today political parties that were once touted as sites that aggregated and integrated the reasoned views of their membersarelargelyplatforms used by party leaders to get themselves elected by fake newsifnecessary
Sincerely Dr.HenryJeffrey
Frompage04 (often called CAPEX) will neverbepaiddown.Aslong asyouareexpanding–more oil wells/oil fields – and adding on fresh capital, it will never be paid down –maybe until all the oil reserves are fully depleted. The concept of forever adding fresh capex to outstanding Capex is called theabsenceofRingFencing.
How does this affect the share of revenues Guyana gets?Astheprofitsgetlarger and larger in both the illustration of the shirt factory and the actual PSA (so-called partnership
between Guyana and Exxon) – only the shareholders can participate intheprofits.Guyanaisnota shareholder Guyana’s profit-share will remain fixed at 12.5 barrels + 2 barrels royalty =14 5 barrels, out of every 100 barrelsproduced.
The Guyanese people havebeentoldthatGuyana’s share of revenues will rise from 14.5/100 to 20/100 to 30/100 to50/100barrels. A high school student will
tell you that as long as you keep adding fresh capex to outstanding capex, Guyana shareofprofitswillnotrise.
Itisbasiccommonsense.
My challenge to Guyana’s Department of Energy (Minister Vickram Bharat is the head of this Dept) is to release to the public a pro-forma amortization schedule showing how the Capex is paid down and how Guyana’s share of barrels will rise year-after-year If the Dept of Energy will not do this, then it is safe to say thataneatfinancialtrickhas beenembeddedintothePSA intendedtocheatGuyanaof its fair share of revenues from the oil extraction business in which Guyana playsoil-countryhost.
P.S. Note: A few days ago, I ran into a top representative of GoG in New York at a social event. Thegentlemansayshewrote andanalyzedcontractsinhis previous job. He said the PSA provides for RingFencing. He pulled out his phoneandcalledanumber–and began a conversation. I
could hear the other person telling him, “No, PSA does not provide for RingFencing,thenewPSAdoes”. I jokingly asked him, “Who is that, Mr Jagdeo”? He said, “That is private”. Later, driving home, my colleague, Charles Sugrim added to the joke, “That mustbetheomnipresentJoel Bhagwandin”.
Bottomlineofmystory here: Guyana is losing billions of dollars on this Stabroek Block PSA because of the absence of Ring-Fencing. If Mr Joel Bhagwandin wants to be helpful, he should publish the pro-forma amortization schedule.
Prof. Kenrick Hunte has reconstructed the numbers (actual data is kept hidden fromthepublicbytheDept. of Energy) and it showed that Guyana’s “take” for the years 2020 – 2023 remain fixed at 14.5 barrels out of every100.Bymyanalysis,it will remain 14.5/100 for maybe a dozen years or more.
Regards
MikePersaud
Vice President has been trying to distract Guyanese with his obsession with Nigel Hughes.
Guyanese are not buying into his tricks.
He is the biggest defender of ExxonMobil yet he is complaining about Hughes conflict of interest. Jagdeo even announced that he will investigate the matter of Hughes's law firm being on a retainer contract with ExxonMobil.
Jagdeo should investigate or cause the police to investigate the allegations raised by Chinese businessman, Su Zhi Rong that he accepts bribes to assist Chinese businessmen to gain lucrative public sector projects. He should also tell the nation who the beneficial owners of the Kaieteur and Canje oil blocks are.
Scrutiny of Hughes might suit Jagdeo's political games, but investigations into Su-gate and those oil blocks will benefit Guyana.
- VP Jagdeo
Vice President (VP)
BharratJagdeohasstatedthat despite not finalising the National Gas Monetization Strategy, the Government of Guyana(GoG)hasembarked on a second gas project to checkforviability.
“We are still working on it,” Jagdeo said at his last pressconferenceafterhewas asked if the government has abandoned the heavily criticised gas strategy, in which US$20,000 was paid toformerTrinidad&Tobago Energy Minister, Kevin Ramnarine to prepare. “But as you have seen, we have movedforwardintheproject that we wanted to check the viabilityfor Wehavemoved forward on that, but the gas strategy is a clear one,” Jagdeoadded.
Back in January, the Government issued Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking private sector pitches for the design, financing, construction, and operation of gas processing
VicePresident(VP), Bharrat Jagdeo
infrastructure In June, PresidentIrfaanAlidisclosed thatUnitedStates-basedfirm Fulcrum LNG proposal was selected.
Jagdeoexplainedthatthe key element of the gas strategy is to figure how to monetise the associated gas outside of the current gas project. “We have moved forward on that element,” Jagdeo stated. Presently, the GoG is pursuing a US$2 billionGas-to-Energy(GTE) projectthatwillbelocatedat Wales,WestBankDemerara.
This is the country's first natural gas project. It entails bringing the gas onshore from the Stabroek Block to feed a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility and generate 300megawattsfromapower plant. ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) is responsibleforbuildinga12inch pipeline that will transport 50 million cubic of gas per day to the Wales locationfromoffshore.
Outside of that, the Vice President said, “…We may haveanother70–80million cubicorsotocomeinonthat pipeline we have to now make a determination how wewouldutilisethat.Itcould be for generating additional power, fertilizer, different things.”
Jagdeo underscored that normally a gas strategy is about determining not just how to monetise the gas but how to use it for national development. He continued, “Butweareworkingonit,it's not an abandoned project.” Moreover, Jagdeo also responded to comments made by leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC)
Nigel Hughes, who stated that using taxpayers' dollars, especially those financed by oil proceeds, without conductingfeasibilitystudies is“reckless”.
Respondingtoaquestion about the Government embarkingonasecondmajor gas project while the US$2 billionGTEprojectisstillto commence and facing setbacks, Hughes articulated hisconcerns,stating,“Inthis country, we have to legislate because we don't seem to follow international norms. Thereisnomajorprojectthat
feasibility study It is absolutely irresponsible and reckless and therefore, first project,secondprojectorany project, you cannot come to the people of Guyana, spend their money without a feasibility project. We will
not have a repeat of that fiasco, that is the Skeleton Factory.”
Hughes reiterated the AFC'soppositionstatingthat the party will oppose any project without a feasibility s t u d y l o c a l l y a n d internationallybecauseitisa reckless use of taxpayers' d
Notably, the agreements for the first projectareyettobelaidinthe National Assembly despite repeated commitments by government. For his part, Jagdeo said, “So we don't know whether we have a project as yet.” The Vice President reminded of his previous statement when he clarified that despite the government vigorously pursuing the monetisation of the country's untapped gas resources through a second major gas project, they currently have no plan to
providefinancialbackingfor theinitiative.
“The Government of Guyanahasmadeitclearthat wearenotputtinganymoney into this project but we have to explore whether we can developaviableprojectnow, so that means a feasibility studieseverythingelsetosee if we can monetise the gas that we have, the associated gas outside of the gas that is coming to the power plant,” Jagdeosaid.
He said Fulcrum LNG was hired to look at all streams of benefits from possibly LNG exports or for industrial development. “All of that will have to be exploredbeforeyoumoveto say we have a project, it's viablebeforeyoumovetoget it financed but it's not financed from the Government of Guyana…” headded.
‘Keep focus on integrity’
A m i d s w i r l i n g allegations of corruption in the Guyana Police Force, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn on Sunday admonished ranks to keep their focus on integrity and the improvement of themselves and their colleagues.
He was at the time addressing those gathered at the annual Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Police Officers' Mess Compound, Eve Leary, Georgetown. He said that, “To reduce the issuesofcrimeandviolence, is what we expect of you.
A n d w e w a n t t h e investments that we are making,innewbuildings,in infrastructure, in equipment and other assets, that those have to commensurate with the progress that we are making and so, I want to entreatyoualltodaytokeep focus on integrity, to keep focus on the questions of improvement, both on the personal level, and at the level between yourself and squaddies, and under your command and also for yourself. This is what we need now, more than ever, morethanever.”
Benn then called on the leadership of the force to continue coaching and commanding respect He advised that they too must lead with integrity and take care of their junior ranks, looking after their welfare.
“Theeffortofpolicingwhile it is collective in nature of course giving the fact that it is a disciplined service requires significant leadership and continuous leadership interventions,” theministeradded.
Looking at the names of the 'Fallen Heroes' Minister
Benn said: “I keep remindingmyselfbylooking at the names that were indeed mentioned that we seeourselvesinthesenames. Someofthesenamesareour ownnames;thesenamesare names of all those who here represent in our country Every religion, every race, everyethnicityanditspeaks to us particularly why the hopeforourcountryandthe hopethatthosepersonswho have sacrificed themselves here that we memorialize. Thatitissoimportanttonot make their sacrifices be in vain and to make sure that the challenges and difficulties we have had in building up ourselves as a nation and as a Guyanese people.”
TheGuyanaPoliceForce (GPF) is currently engaged in a month-long series of events to commemorate its 185th anniversary On Sunday, officers and other dignitaries gathered at 'Fallen But Not Forgotten Heroes Monument' to honour those officers who died in the line of duty Among the dignitaries were
Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn
Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn; Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Home Affairs, Andre Ally; Guyana Defence Force, Chief Brigadier,OmarKhan;Head of Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit, James Singh; Fire Chief, Gregory Wickham; National Security Advisor, Gerald Gouveia; Chairman of GPF's Fallen Heroes Foundation Inc , Bishop Raphael Massiah; Deputy C
' (ag) Ravindradat Budhram; Deputy Commissioner 'Operations' (ag) Errol Watts; other senior and junior officers and head of departments began with the listing of the ranks, their name, the year of their passing and the manner of theirdeath,thenthelayingof wreaths.”
In his speech, the Top Copsaidthat,“Today,aswe gatherwithsolemnheartsto (Continuednpage16)
Guyananeedsleadership - solid, forceful and visible leadership - from its elected President President Ali mustrisetotheoccasionand not allow the impression to take further root that he is playing second fiddle to his appointed Second Vice President.
In politics, it is said that perception is reality The President must by now be aware of the perception, prevalent and pervasive in thepublicdomain,thatheis being overshadowed by his SecondVicePresident.
The time is now for President IrfaanAli to more fully assert his authority unequivocally by sidelining the excessive influence of the Second Vice President. President Ali has to seize control of his Presidency otherwise he may end up unexpectedly and find himself losing the next elections.
D e s p i t e h i s commendable efforts and vision, President Ali finds his leadership being overshadowed by his Second Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo. This overshadowingisnotonlya matter of internal dynamics butasignificantconcernfor thegovernanceandpolitical climateofGuyana.
Since he commenced hosting his weekly press conferences, Vice President Jagdeo has assumed an increasingly prominent role in the announcement of government policies and decisions This trend is troubling for several reasons.Firstly,itcreatesan
impression that Dr Jagdeo, rather than President Ali, is the primary architect of governmentaldirection. This misperception is detrimental to the authority and stature of the President. It wrongly fosters an image ofaleaderwhoisnotfullyin c o m m a n d o f h i s administration.Intheeyesof the public and the international community, such an image can undermineconfidenceinthe government.
The weekly PPP’s press conference has become p l a t f o r m s w h e r e government matters are pronounceduponratherthan purely political issues. This blurring of lines between party and government is not only confusing but also inappropriate.
The penchant of Jagdeo to speak definitively on issuesthatshouldrightlyfall within the purview of respective subject Ministers exacerbates this problem. It is essential for a functional democracy that Ministers, who are appointed to oversee specific sectors, are a l l o w e d g r e a t e r o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o communicate their policies directly to the public and to define and defend their portfolios
The Vice President’s frequent and aggressive tirades against the Opposition and its leaders further complicate matters. His open hostility towards them contributes to a toxic politicalenvironment.
This threatens to undermine President Ali’s
One Guyana agenda. The President’s vision for a unitedandcohesivenationis being undermined by the divisive rhetoric of his Second Vice President. A leadershipthatindulgesinor tolerates constant confrontation with the oppositionnotonlyalienates a significant portion of the electorate but also hinders theunitywhichthePresident seeks.
For the One Guyana initiativetotrulytakeroot,it is necessary that the tone from the top reflects inclusivity, respect, and a willingness to engage in meaningful discourse with all political factions
Jagdeo’s approach, characterized by relentless confrontation with the Opposition,isantitheticalto thisgoal.
President Ali must take decisive steps to ensure that thegovernanceofGuyanais reflective of his vision and policies First, Ministers should be asked to host monthly press conferences to discuss the work of their ministries. This approach not only reinforces their authority but also ensures that information is disseminated by those directly responsible for specificareas.
Second,theSecondVice President should be reassigned to a specific ministerial portfolio Constitutionally, he is a Minister and should be assigned a specific portfolio ratherthanbeingresponsible for overseeing finance, environment and the oil and
gassector Anassignmentof a specific portfolio will prevent the overreach that currentlyexists.
By holding Ministerial responsibility for an assigned area, Jagdeo’s influence can be more appropriately tamed and monitored.
Jagdeo’s importance to the government must not be over-exaggerated.
Ali, during his short tenure, has proven that he is a much more hands-on personsandago-getterthan hisVicePresidentcouldever be.Hehasbettersocialskills anddoesnotcomeacrossas
someonewhoisantagonistic tohispoliticalrivals.
There will come a time when President Ali, if he hasn’t already, will recognize that Jagdeo has outlasted his political usefulness. The continued presenceofJagdeo,withhis dominating influence and confrontational approach, maynolongeralignwiththe visionofthePresident.
A s t h e c o u n t r y progresses and new challenges arise, the necessity for fresh perspectives becomes more apparent, Ali should be the
freshness But to be impactful,hefirsthastotake fuller control of his government,beginningwith reducingtheinfluenceofhis appointedVicePresident.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.) Siren and flashing lights!
Demboyssehde flashing lights and blaring sirens tekkin over de road. Plentypersonswaanbebig shots, even if dem car can barely mek it out de driveway
Dem boys see some vehicleswiddemlightsand sirens,anddemknowisnot ambulance or police or fire engine. Isplainolecar But dem owners tink dem got royal blood. So dem flick on de lights and everybody mus get out de way Dem boyssehdatisdenewstyle: Flashy lights for fancy people.
De traffic police seh demgoncrackdownondis madness.Demsehdemgon
tek action. But dem boys remember dis is Guyana. Dem boys seh dem remembernuffpromises. So dem boys wonder if dis time gon be different. Dem seh dem hope de police serious. But dem boys also know some rich businessmengotdemlights and sirens too. Dem rich folks tink dem is above de law Demsehdepolicedoes turn a blind eye when dem bigshotspass. One time dem boys see a fancy car wid all dem flashing lights. De driver look like he jus come from degym,flexinghemuscles andhonkinglikeheownde road. Dem boys laugh and seh, “Look, a superhero in
heownmind!”
But dis ain’t no joke. Dis is dangerous Dem flashing lights and sirens mek people panic. Dem boys seh dis can cause accident.
Demboyssehdepolice got a real test here. If dem serious, dem gon clamp down on everybody Not just de small man. De rich mantoo.Butdemboysseh, demgonwaitandsee.Dem gonbelieveitwhendemsee it. Tillthen,demboysseh, everybodybetterwatchout. De flashing lights brigade still running wild. And de restofwe?Wejustryingto surviveonderoad. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.
BharratJagdeocravedfor power Well,hegotit. Irfaan Ali fell head over heels for thepresidency He,too,ison ahighhorse. DoIfeelsorry for the two of them, or do I? Thetwobiggesttrashtalkers in Guyana cannot even breathe,muchlessblink,now that the Americans took a long, hard look at them. Be careful what is wished for, because when they come true,itisn'tasitwasmadeout tobe.
Some Americans did a studythattook30months(it was longer) and they next wentbeforeamic. Inasplit second, both Excellency Ali and His Esteemed Majesty Jagdeo were off on a motorbike. Long before the first paragraph could be finished, both human political powerplants in Guyanawereatfullattention and stiffly saluting: we will g e t t h e j o b d o n e Housecleaning is already underway Heads will roll. Regswillbetightened. Now here I was thinking that Guyanaisasovereignnation. Is there such a creature as
partial sovereignty? Will somebody help a dumb country boy, please? But there it was, with the Yanks tellingDr AliandDr Jagdeo thatthisisthelaw(Guyana's) and this is the set of citizens (Guyana's) and this is what has been broken (Guyana's). So, get going and do somethingaboutit. Thatsoundstomelikea gildedcage:allthatglitterbut insidethereisstillthereality oftwopowerfulnationalmen trapped in a jail of their own making. Lionsareknownas thekingofthejungle,which has considerable merits Now look at what these two localkingsdidtothemselves intheirlustforpower. They went and ate out of the hand of the Americans and ended up in a locked cage. Justlikelionswhogot careless. Now they have each other for company and recollections of where they went wrong to emphasize their misery Whether a golden cage or one made fromice-cream,ajailisstilla jail.
I went out of my way to
tell them, exhort them, even beg these two wayward and rowdy brothers of mine: be carefulwiththewhitepeople. If the promise is made to walk on the straight and narrow path then, by God, just do it. When the gospel preachedwasaboutthrowing the book and kitchen sink against money laundering, the PPP had a good, long laugh “Politics is nah chuch! Now, who is laffing?” Now who are the ones making the biggest noise in Guyana about anti money laundering?
PresidentAliistheluckyone. Hehasimmunity Heshould still remember Chile's Pinochet. As for the other luminary, this gift is given freely:don'tcrossthepathof certain people. Think of a black cat. Cursed are those whoheapcalumnyaboutthe chosen. That'saspecialcage IbuiltformybrotherBharrat. My intelligence is that when the Americans spoke of a “network” in Guyana and “government officials”, they were looking upstairs. No! not to heaven, but to the
hellhole that holding high officeinGuyanahasbecome. WhenBharratJagdeoslinked around from one hole to another to bury State secrets (and Guyanese who dared to talk about them and called him out), theAmericans had theirradarshumminglikethe GPL.
UnliketheGPL,America doesn'tgetblackouts. Notin DC, not at Langley, not at Quantico. “They gat yuh profilebhaiBharrat,andthey don't like what they see.” Theyalsogothisnumberand the connections have been made. Somecorrectionisin order: after all the muscle flexing, what Jagdeo now findshimselfinismorethan a gilded cage. He is in solitary confinement. For the edification of my fellow Guyanese, the Americans have a Guantanamo all over the place, what they call 'undisclosed overseas locations'. “Deh comin fuh he.” Anditisnotfortalks. It
is called locating the sourceoftheconcern. I really do regret where these two very smart Guyanese find themselves. I warned them, butneitherofthetwoofthem weredoinganylistening. They were too busy spitting on and cussing out people they decided were obstacles to the sweet life.
To be clear, I read that President Ali studied somewhere, and Dr Jagdeo got his PhD from some dark hole in St Petersburg Therefore, they should be savvy citizens and sensible leaders. It baffles me about what was it that they didn't understand about: i) deal straight;ii)dealwithstraight people; and iii) deal in a straight line, straight cards, and straight talk with the Yanks Translation: be bright, walk in the light, and everything will be alright. I know that that will not win any Pulitzer Prizes, but it is
the best I can give currently
ButJagdeobeingJagdeo,and handcuffing poor Ali by his side,hemadethembothgoa differentway Ofcourse,itis thewrongway.
Now look at what is raining down on their heads. They are running around making speeches, trying to drum up business, like jailhouse lawyers. Here is my final piece of advice: the Americans are watching They can recognize a fake headshake from far away The gilded cage gets narrower,cramped. Sodoes thenoose.
(Theviewsexpressedin this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the o p i n i o n s o f t h i s newspaper.)
TheBankofGuyana(BoG)hasreported thatthecountry'sgolddeclarationdecreased withinthefirstthreemonthsof2024.
According to the Central Bank, the declarationfellto89,845.8troyounces,when comparedtothesameperiodlastyear Itwas statedthatthedipinthegolddeclarationwas mainlyduetolowerdeclarationsfromsmallandmedium-scaleminersby24.2%. Itwas explained that the lower declaration is as a resultofprolongeddryweatherwhichmade accesstowaterlimitedinmanyminingareas.
Notably, it was stated that the sole largescale operator, Aurora Gold Mine Inc. (AGM),ZijinMining's,recordedanincrease indeclarationsby5.2%,whichresultedfrom continued favourable performance in their undergroundminingoperations.
InGuyana'sgoldindustry,therehasbeen a noticeable decline in declarations over the
past several years. Kaieteur News had reported that from 2019 to 2023, gold declarations dropped by approximately 209,000 troy ounces, according to the BOG annual reports With Guyana's gold declarations dropping by approximately 209,000troyouncesoverthepastfiveyears, VicePresidentBharratJagdeoexpressedthe Government of Guyana's concern about this trend. He had warned that strict penalties would be imposed on those found guilty of under-reporting gold declarations to evade taxesandroyalties.Jagdeosaidatoneofhis previouspressconferences,“Wearestillvery concerned about what is happening in the market,” adding, “We believe that there are peoplethatarenotsellingtotheGoldBoard toavoidtaxesandwebelieveatthattimethat it was organised and that it was having an impact.”
Guyana Police Force ranks and maritime officials from Division #7 continued their search on Monday for the two men who went missingafteraboataccident in the Mazaruni River on Friday,July5,accordingtoa Guyana Police Force press release.
Theaccidentclaimedthe life of 29-year-old Oswald HudsonJr.,whomanagedto save two minors before he drowned, while six injured victims were rushed to the
Bartica Hospital for evaluationandtreatment.He wentunderthesurfaceofthe watershortlyafterhisheroic effortandwasnotseenagain untilasearchpartyfoundhis bodyfloatingat17:30hrsthe nextday Theonlyvictimsof the tragedy who are still unaccounted for are Cranston Davidson, 43, and Troy Joseph, 35. The pair went to collect their wages from their place of employment, EKAA HRIM
c e s Management Quarry on Batavia Island and was returninghome,accordingto a relative, when tragedy struck.
Mondaymarked10days since the men had been missing and search efforts from relatives, as well as
policeandmaritimeofficials have been to no avail at this point. In an interview with this publication on Monday, Commander of Regional Police Division #7, Senior SuperintendentDionMoore, informed that no bodies had been found, but that information was received
that could possibly help the search along. “We received some information that someonesawsomething.We areactinguponit,ifitproves that it's a body, then we will retrieve the body; but every bitofinformationwereceive or every indication, we will act upon it to ensure that these men are found and the proper action is going to be taken,”Mooresaid.
In a statement posted on Facebook last Tuesday, Vivian Licorish, the foster fatherofCranstonDavidson andthefather-in-lawofTroy Joseph, said the relatives of the missing men had been conducting a search party for them every day and night.Healsoexpressedthat theynotonlywereunableto findtheirrelatives,theyalso did not receive any assistancefromthepoliceor maritime officials “This incident happened about 10:30, 11 o' clock Friday night, today is the fourth
day [We were] in the river looking Saturday, Saturday night,Sunday,Sundaynight, Monday,Mondaynight,and thismorning,theygoneback looking again, with no help fromanypoliceorwhoever, n o o ff i c i a l , n o n e whatsoever,” Licorish explained. “Up to now, no sign[oflife],noanything,no officialsain'tcomingandask or giving no help or whatever,nobody!”hesaid.
The relative of the victims continued, “The policeandthemaritimehave todotheirwork,theyhaveto dowhattheysupposedtodo because we need justice.”
When asked about this, CommanderMooresaidthat he was not aware of the video,butwaspositivethata police-led search party met therelativesofDavidsonand Joseph while they were conductingtheirownsearch. Moore said, “I'm not quite sure what you're referring to but I do know that the afternoon of last Wednesday, police met them—they had about three or four teams who were searchingandthepolicemet withthemintheriverwhilst they were searching and the police were searching along
(Continuedonpage16)
A 22-year-old East Ruimveldt man, who is a suspectinamurdercase,was granted bail in the sum of $250,000 for a robbery under arms charge after he appeared in court on Monday
The defendant appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court 8 & 9 before Magistrate Marisa Mitterholzertoanswertothe charge of robbery under arms.According to the facts presented, on March 25, 2024, at Lot 25 Block 'M'
L a m a h a S p r i n g s , Georgetown, Mohammed armed with a handgun, robbed the complainant, Alison Suelock, of $400 USD ($8,000 Guyana currency) and one shoulder bag valued at $10,000, totaling$90,000.
The man pleaded not guilty to the robbery under arms charge. According to information disclosed in court, the accused was initially arrested for murder and later, the police, acting on information received, charged him for robbery under arms. The defendant was represented by Attorneys-at-Law, Jermaine Jarvis and Kaisha Williams. Mr Jarvis made an application for bail to be granted, stating that his client was arrested on Thursday and kept beyond the72-hourmark,withoutan orderissuedforhimtobein c u s t o d y l o n g e r Furthermore, the method of the defendant's arrest was broughtup.
Thedefendant, Shaggy Mohammed
According to the counsel, the man was arrested by a police officer whowasinavehiclewithout a siren or lights to indicate that it was a police vehicle. Detective Corporal Eastman,thepolicemanthat made the arrest, then allegedly shot at the man's vehicle several times. The prosecutor objected to bail due to the serious nature of the offence and its prevalence, as well as the fact that the man was also arrested in relation to a murder, which made him a flightrisk.
However, bail was granted by Magistrate Mitterholzer, due to the investigations still being incomplete and the fact that he was arrested for murder but was brought before the court for robbery under arms.Hewasgrantedbailin the sum of $250,000, and is scheduled to appear in court againonAugust14,2024for report.
The Environmental
ProtectionAgency (EPA) on Monday disclosed that ExxonMobil GuyanaLimited(EMGL),the operator of the Stabroek Block will be required to conduct an Environmental ImpactAssessment (EIA) for its seventh deepwater project in the Stabroek Block, Hammerhead.
Theagencyexplainedthat the proposed project will be implemented in multiple stages which will include activities such as well drillings and completions, mobilization and installation
of subsea equipment, umbilicals, risers and flowlines (SURF), installation of a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) facility, production operations, and decommissioning.
Theproposedprojectwill be undertaken largely in the marine offshore environment andwouldrequireland-based activities for support activities at marine shorebases.
Asaresultoftheintended developmental activities, possible effects to the environment may include impacts on marine water quality, air quality, marine fauna, socio-economic resourcesandothers.
Consequently, the EPA has determined in keeping with the Environmental Protection Act, Cap. 20:05, t h a t t h e p r o p o s e d
d e v e l o p m e n t m a y significantly affect the environment and will require an EIA before any decision canbemadeastoitsapproval orrejection.
Theagencynotedthatthe Hammerhead development may pose physical, b i o l o g i c a l , a n d socioeconomicimpactstothe environment which may be significant and long-term, given the type, scale and duration of the proposed activity
Additionally, the EPA highlighted that the proposed development is in relatively close proximity to other development projects, which increases the potential for cumulative impacts of the projects.
In further explaining the needfortheEIA,theAgency said, “The associated risks attached to unplanned events of petroleum production activitiesmaybesignificant.”
Citizens are encouraged to make written submissions to the Agency, setting out those questions and matters which they require to be answeredorconsideredinthe EIA within 28 days of the Notice.
The Hammerhead development project will develop the Hammerhead field, and potentially additional resources, if determinedtobefeasibleand economicallyviable.
In the Project Summary submitted by Exxon to the EPA, the company explained thattheprojectisexpectedto add 120,000 to 180,000 barrels of oil per day productioncapacity
The Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO)vesselwillbecapable of storing approximately 1.4 to 2 million barrels of oil. Third-partyoiltankerswillbe scheduled to offload the oil from the FPSO, making the oil available for export to the internationalmarket.
Hammerheadislocatedin the south-central portion of the Stabroek Block, approximately 160 km from Georgetown.
Current plans include drilling via drill ships to p r o d u c e o i l u s i n g approximately 14 to 30 production and injection wells.Productionisexpected tobeginin2029subjecttothe necessary regulatory approvals and operate for at least 20 years. To date, Exxon has obtained approval from the Government of Guyana for six development projects in the Stabroek Block–LizaPhaseOne,Liza Phase Two, P
Whiptail The first three projects are already producing oil at a daily estimated rate of 640,000 barrelsperday(bpd).
Yellowtail is expected to come on stream by 2025, followedbyUaruin2026and Whiptailin2027.
According to the Project Summary, the potential for cumulative impacts exists where impacts from Hammerhead overlap with those of other Stabroek Projects (or other existing or planned future activities) in spaceortime.
As such, a robust cumulative impact assessmentwillbeperformed as part of the Hammerhead assessmentofimpacts.
Georgetown
The Special Organised
Crime Unit (SOCU) through the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Monday issued a wanted bulletin for a 45-year-old Chinese national who is wanted for questioning in relation to money laundering and other serious related offencesinGuyana.
The wanted man has been identified as Zhenjian Fang The wanted bulletin stated that his last known address was at Lot 47 New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara (WCD). The police are urgingthepublicifseenoranyonehas information on the whereabouts of Fang to contact SOCU on 225-3079,
225-3084,orthenearestpolicestation. Meanwhile,thebulletincomesone week after police said that it had dismantled a transnational criminal group operating in Guyana after busting three Chinese nationals with millions of dollars in cash and an illegal gun. The trio (two men and a woman) was arrested around 12:40h on Tuesday July 9 at a city hotel followinganinter-agencyintelligence operation. The suspects are allegedly involved in gold smuggling and other illegalactivities.Duringtheoperation, police were able to confiscate GY$39M in cash and one unlicensed 9MM pistol loaded with 15 matching rounds.
A Palestinian woman reacts after Israel's military bombed the UN-run Abu Oreiban school-turned-shelter, July 14 [Eyad Baba/AFP] school-turned-shelter
(ALJAZEERA) Israeli forces have attacked five separate schools in Gaza in just eight days, killing dozens of people sheltering in them, according to Palestinian officials, medics andrescuers.
The latest attack on Sunday struck the United Nations-run Abu Oreiban school in the Nuseirat refugeecamp,killingatleast 17peopleandinjuringabout 80.Mostofthevictimswere women and children, said Palestinian Civil Defence. AlJazeera'sHaniMahmoud, reporting from Deir elBalah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where some of those injured were brought, saidheencounteredseverely burned women and children
“crying out in pain and agony”onthefloor “Thisis the result of incinerating bombs,”hesaid. Theassault came after a deadlier strike hittentsneartheentranceto Khan Younis's al-Awda school on July 9, killing at least29people.
Two days before that, anotherstrikeonthechurchrun Holy Family school in GazaCitykilledfourpeople.
The bloodshed in Gaza's schools-turned-shelters, which Israel accuses Hamas of fortifying, has been a recurring scene throughout thewar.
Israel has repeatedly attacked civilian buildings after accusing Palestinian fighters of using them for military purposes but it has
provided no proof for its claims. Campaigners have
An injured Palestinian girl stands among debris in a damaged UN school following an Israeli air attack in the Nuseirat refugee camp, July 14 [Mohammed Saber/EPA] Saber/EP Palestinian
I
us
rael of disproportionateuseofforce against civilians in Gaza. More than 38,600 people, most of them women and children,havebeenkilledin nine months of relentless bombardment.
On Saturday, Israel struck al-Mawasi area, designated as a safe zone, killingatleast90peopleand injuring 300 others “Massacres every day everywhere in Gaza,” said Palestinian Ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot after the latest school attack “This is the result of Israel's impunity and international inaction.”
Since launching the war on October 7, Israel has hammered more than 400 schools in Gaza, which are
among the few places displaced Palestinians can turntoforshelter,destroying 88percentofalleducational facilities. With the enclave's educationsystemdecimated, there is little hope of enrollmentforsome620,000 school-age Palestinians who areoutofschool.
AJune report by the UN Human Rights Council (OHCHR)foundthatIsrael's repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure, including schools, appear to be violations of international law.“Civilian lives and infrastructure are protected under international humanitarian law,” said OCHCR chief Volker Turk.
“This law lays out the very clearobligationsofpartiesto armed conflicts that make
protection of civilians a priority.”
“Israel's choices of methods and means of conducting hostilities in Gaza since October 7, including through the extensive use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in densely populated areas, have failed to ensure that they effectively distinguish bet
civilians and fighters.” In January, the International Court of Justice said Israeli attacks in Gaza plausibly amounted to genocide. On top of wrecking most of Gaza's schools, Israeli attacks have destroyed 60 percent of the enclave's homes, 80 percent of its commercial shops and 60 percentofitsroads.
President Dr Mohamed Ali has announced the allocation of almost $1.5 billiontorehabilitateseveral community roads in Rechtdoor-Zee, Westminster, and Onderneeming in Region Three.
The head of state spoke ofthedevelopmentswhenhe spearheaded a walkabout
exercise in several communities in the Essequibo Islands-West DemeraradistrictonSunday
morning “[Its] an investment of over a billion dollars in those three areas alone…Closeto$1.5billion. So, that is to tell you the amount of resources that have to be spent to do these roads,”thepresidentstated. Approximately 25 roads will be rehabilitated. The
workswillbeexecutedusing asphaltic concrete by contractors within the same areas for expeditious completion. The president disclosed that this week the designfortheentirenetwork will be finalised, along with surveystodeterminepriority areas based on occupancy rates In addressing the concerns of drainage and irrigation, the government has mobilised four excavatorsinSchoonord,La Parfaite Harmonie, and Lust-en-Rust, after several blockages in distribution lineswereidentified. Residents were also assured of receiving firstlevel treated water by December, as construction of the new water treatment plant at Lust-en-Rust is 65
percent complete The project includes the running of transmission lines and drainage of two wells at Westminster and L'Oratiore tosupplytheplant. The transmission lines are 95 percent complete. When completed, the interconnection works and network upgrades will follow Meanwhile, PresidentAli said steps will be taken to involve housing authorities and local government to enforce surcharges on individuals who have abandoned or neglected to clean their lands.Heacknowledgedthat land repossession is a complex issue, with some cases tied up in court for years.However,despitethis, efforts are being made to
President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali listens to concerns raised by residents during a walkabout exercise in Region Three on Sunday morning.
addresstheproblem.
“We are going to get housing [ministry] to come in with local government [ministry]toseehowwecan surchargethepeopleandget them to pay In many cases, we [government] invest our ownresourcesthatshouldgo
toroadsandinfrastructureto cleantheland,”thepresident explained During the walkabout, community grounds in Cornelia Ida and La Parfaite Harmony were also iden
ified for rehabilitation and President Ali pledged immediate
intervention He was accompanied by Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill and Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Sonia Parag, along with several technical officers (DPI)
“It is with profound sadness that we mournthepassingofSirNevilleV Nicholls, former President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). Sir Neville was not only a visionary leader within our Bank but also a formidable force in shaping economicdevelopmentacrosstheCaribbean region,'CDBsaidinapressrelease.
Sir Neville served as third President of CDB with unparalleled dedication and foresight from 1988 to 2001. A Barbadian national, Attorney-at-Law with a degree in Economics,hejoinedCDBonMarch1,1971. He progressed through the department to GeneralCounsel,andtoVicePresidentofthe Bank in October 1975. In May 1988, he was electedPresident,thefirstofthreetermsuntil hisretirementin2001.
Under his stewardship, the Bank made significant strides in addressing critical development challenges, forging partnershipsandprogrammesthathavelefta lastingimpactonourcommunity'seconomic landscapes.His adept leadership was marked by a keen understanding of the intricate balance required to drive sustainable growth while addressing social imperatives. Sir Nevillewasdeeplycommittedtothemission ofreducingpovertyandenhancinglivesinthe Caribbean through proactive and innovative financialsolutions.
Beyond his professional achievements, SirNevillewasapersonofgreatintegrityand compassion. His genuine concern for people was evident in both his policymaking and dailyinteractions.Heinspiredmanywithhis
Sir Neville V. Nicholls, former President of the Caribbean Development Bank
unwavering optimism and relentless pursuit ofexcellence.
As we reflect on his remarkable legacy, we extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and all who were fortunate enough to know him Sir Neville's contributions to the Caribbean Development Bank and the region will be remembered for generationstocome.
“In honour of Sir Neville Nicholls, we pledge to continue fostering the ideals he championed so fervently His spirit will forever be a beacon guiding our endeavours towards a brighter, more resilient Caribbean,” said CDB's Acting President, IsaacSolomon.
TheRegionalDemocraticCouncil(RDC) of RegionThree has set aside approximately $105 million to construct two new nursery schoolbuildingsatLaParfaiteHarmonieand Canal No.1 located on the West Bank of Demerara(WBD).
Thisisaccordingtoinformationprovided inatenderpublishedbytheRDCinthedaily newspapers. The document stated that the nurseryschoolfortheCanalNo.1community is estimated to cost $50 million, while $55 millionisestimatedfortheschoolinParfaite Harmonie,agrowinghousingscheme.
Bidsfortheprojectarescheduledtoopen onJuly30,2024attheNationalProcurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office located in the compound of the Ministry of Finance Kaieteur News understands that the RDC was allocated
approximately $11.3 billion from this year's budget to execute its education, health, agriculture and public works programmes amongothers.
It is this money that will be used to fund thetwoprojects.
At a recent press conference at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD), Minister of EducationPriyaManickchandhadlistedover 30 nursery schools that are currently being built or would be built this year, and these schoolswouldbeinalltheRegionsexceptfor RegionTwo.
Duringthatpressconference,theminister said that having achieved universal primary education in the country, the intention is to achieve universal nursery and secondary education.
Caricom Insurance is now hiring Sales Agents/Representatives. Attractive Commission and Training provided. Call: (592) 610-6650.
Two canter Driver, Must have a valid driver's license and at least 2 years experience. Call: 644-7088 / 6247248.
Housekeeper in Georgetown area for cleaning, cooking laundry & supervising 10 year old. Call/ WhatsApp: 643-4203.
Diesel Mechanic to work in the Interior, interested persons can contact: 701-4000 between 8 am-4pm.
Wanted! Workers for packaging pasta and chowmein. $4100-$4900 per day. Workers paid weekly. Call: 6117839.
Cook, Kitchen Assistant and male Helper needed. Call: 603-1278/ 665-5074.
Live in Nanny wanted overseas, ages 18-45 years. Must have a valid visa & travel documents. WhatsApp: +1682-209-9561.
One general domestic to work 2 days per week in Campbellville. Telephone: 624-7436.
VEHICLES FOR SALE
1 Honda CRV, includes TV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, sproiler, crashbar, low mileage PTT Series (first owner). Contact: 649-0956.
Canter truck, great for mobile vending, 2019 December, RHD with 54,500 KM. Arrived in Guyana December 2023. Contact: 676-5051.
1 Toyota Allion, Pioneer DVD, CD & USB deck, reverse camera, alarm, low milage. Call: 649-0956.
FIRST AID/CPR/AED as well as home nursing courses at St. John Association starting shortly . Call 225-9082.
Auto Electrician and Mechanics needed. Send your CV To: omaransarimi@gmail.com or Call: 618-7066.
Lathe Operator, Welder & Handyman needed at Good Hope, ECD. Call: 645-9333/ 220-6078.
One Pedicurists for home service in East Bank area. Call: 615-9132.
Live-in Housekeeper needed to cook, clean and do laundry in Virgina, USA. Free room and boarding offered. Call: 845-325-8241.
Experienced Journalists needed at BVI News agency. Email: adsvino@gmail.com or WhatsApp: 1-284-4428000.
Supermarket Packers, porters and Bond clerk AM & PM needed @ Survival Shopping Complex, Sheriff St. Call: 6092995,survivalhumanresources2 @gmail.com
Experienced Accounts Clerk with Quickbooks knowledge apply @ Survival Shopping Complex, Sheriff St. Call: 6092995,survivalhumanresources2 @gmail.com
Supermarket PM Cashiers required @ Survival Shopping Complex, 173 Sheriff ST. Tel: 609-2995, Email: survivalhumanresources2@ gmail.com
Vacancy for Receptionist and Hotel Attendant at Hick's Ville Hotel. Email: info @vegeworld.net or Call: 2310951/ 231-0952.
Sand truck Driver needed, Sand pit to Eccles. $5,000 per trip. Call: 621-5282.
Lorry /Canter Driver in G/ Town or East Bank. Must have lorry license, $135,000 monthly. Call/ WhatsApp: 609-2220.
Live-out Nanny/ housekeeper, $27,000 per week Mon-Sat at Providence. Call/ WhatsApp: 609-2220.
Now hiring: Executive Secretary, Project Engineer & Accounts Clerk, To apply send application via Whatsapp: 638-5303/ 638-1111.
Aracari Hotel WBD (VreenEn-Hoop) A/C rooms from $75 usd/$40 usd day rate WIFI, secure parking & poolside. Contact: 264-29469 / www.aracariresort.com
4 bedrooms house at Lamaha Gardens, $2,800 USD. All amenities provided along with parking, long term only! Call: 679-2966.
Car for rent. For more information Call: 671-7931 / 6216613.
Double lot at 344 A&B Middle Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown. Call: 927-6035603/ 592-693-9494.
Hotel
(Vreen-
crystal clear swimming pool. Adult/children sections. Music & food. Contact:264-2946-9
Elevate your brand with our professional Graphic design services. Call: 619-0007, 6295526.
Visa Application and consultation, advertisements publishing, graphics design, local & USA passport & i130 application forms. Call: 6267040.
Zee Nail care at Lot G Bent Street is offering pedicure $6000 & manicure $2000. Book appointments now!. Call: 698-9132.
2 Howo cement mixer truck for sale, $20 M for both. Call: 652-0251/650-0402/2604018.
Over
80 persons from Victoria, other areas benefit from eye-testing, spectacles vouchers
More than 80 per sons from Victoria, Nootenzuil, Foulis and surrounding communities on the East Coast of Demerara benefitted from the government’s eye-testing and spectacles vouchers programme, on Saturday.
Individuals under 18 years old, and those over 65, will receive a $2,000 voucher for an eye test. If they require a spectacle, they will receive a $15,000 voucher. The exercise was held at Victoria Health Centre, East Coast Demerara. Several beneficiaries welcomed the programme which provided the money needed to conduct their eye examinations.
Beneficiary, Lloyd Fraser from Victoria, had the opportunity to test his eyes for the first time at the outreach. “I am very thankful because I have to put $10,000 more into this money for my glasses because my eyes are very bad,” Fraser expressed. Beneficiary, 9-year-old Aseanna Lawrence from Victoria will now be able to see better with her spectacles to do her school work, thanks to this initiative.
“I am happy because my eyes have been hurting a lot. Most of the time when I am in school, my eyes hurt… I couldn’t see what I was doing. I would have to erase my work and do it all over again,” Lawrence explained. She hap-
Distribution of eye-screening and spectacle vouchers at Victoria Health Centre pily added, “I feel very happy that I have my chance to get a pair of glasses so I could see.” Veronica Joseph from Foulis said that her daughter now has the opportunity to get new glasses because of this programme. “It’s a good thing because my daughter needs glasses and this $15,000 voucher is very helpful for all the school children and my daughter,” Joseph emphasised.
Meanwhile, Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony underlined that the government is continuously investing in the health sector to improve access to quality healthcare services for every person. So far, the government has distributed more than 50,000 vouchers in different regions. The government, he emphasised, will continue to bring direct healthcare services to the
populace, regardless of geographic location. “We recognised that in some communities that it might be more difficult for people to take the voucher and travel to Georgetown to get the eye test. We have started a programme in collaboration with the people doing the testing, the private sector, where we are now coming out into the communities. We are distributing the vouchers to persons 18 years and under or 65 years and older,” Dr. Anthony explained.
Last week, the pilot programme started in Cane Grove which saw more than 120 persons benefitting. Similar outreaches will be held throughout the country. The eye-testing and spectacles programme was officially launched in June. It will see thousands of vulnerable individuals benefitting. (DPI)
From page 8 honour the memory of our fallen heroes — those brave men and women of the Guyana Police Force who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation.” Hicken continued. “This courage was evident in those who proudly wore the badge of the Guyana Police Force, standing as the guardians of
our community against chaos. They showed unwavering dedication, demonstrating courage beyond measure and making the ultimate sacrifice to protect our lives. In addition to honouring our local heroes, I would like to extend sincere appreciation to law enforcement officers across the globe.” Furthermore, he
stated that the brave men and women fearlessly defended their communities and upheld the principles of justice and order, often at significant personal risk and sacrifice. “Their commitment and courage serve as an inspiration to us all, transcending borders and uniting us in gratitude for their selfless service,” the Top Cop said.
From page 12 with the River Navigation Officer, Mr. Melville.”
Deighton Melville, Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) River Navigation Officer expressed that a mechanical issue with the boat meant that the officials were unable to participate in the search for some time. “We were present with the police there, but the engine foot that we had was down. We had to wait, fix it, and then we come
but other than that, all the time, we’re in and out,” he said. He continued, “The police in the river steady, and sometimes, I be with them. Sometimes, we go all that side, we go down the river by Karrau, we go Cow Island, come up back. Where the thing happened is… Itaballi side by John Island, this side we deh, right now we’re drifting in the river, we still looking.”
It is important to note that the police and maritime officials did recover the body of Hudson Jr. the day after the incident. “We are doing everything we can to ensure that we retrieve the bodies once they are afloat, and we are in contact with the other entities to see what support we can get as well. However, we can only find them if they’re up on the surface. We will not give up until we find the bodies,” said Commander Moore.
Global childhood immunization coverage stalled in 2023, leaving 2.7 million additional children un- and under-vaccinated compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to data published on Monday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.
The latest WHO and UNICEF estimates of national immunization coverage (WUENIC) –which provide the world’s l a r g e s t a n d m o s t comprehensive dataset on immunization trends for vaccinations against 14 diseases – underscore the need for ongoing catch-up, recovery and systemstrengthening efforts. “The latest trends demonstrate that many countries continue to miss far too many children,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Closing the immunization gap requires a global effort, with governments, partners, and local leaders investing in primary healthcare and community workers to ensure every child gets vaccinated, and that overall healthcareisstrengthened.”
According to the findings, the number of children who received three doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) in 2023 - a key marker for global immunization coveragestalledat84%(108million). However, the number of childrenwhodidnotreceive
a single dose of the vaccine increased from 13.9 million in 2022 to 14.5 million in 2023.
More than half of unvaccinated children live in the 31 countries with fragile,conflict-affectedand vulnerable settings, where children are especially vulnerable to preventable diseases because of disruptions and lack of access to security, nutrition, a
s Additionally, 6 5 million children did not complete their third dose of the DTP vaccine, which is necessary toachievediseaseprotection in infancy and early childhood These trends, which show that global immunization coverage has remainedlargelyunchanged since 2022 and – more alarmingly - has still not returned to 2019 levels, reflect ongoing challenges wit
, logistical challenges, vaccine hesitancy and inequities in access to services.
The data further show that vaccination rates against the deadly measles disease stalled, leaving nearly 35 million children with no or only partial protection. In 2023, only 83% of children worldwide received their first dose of themeaslesvaccinethrough routine health services, whilethenumberofchildren receiving their second dose modestlyincreasedfromthe previousyear,reaching74%
of children. These figures fall short of the 95% coverage needed to prevent o u t b r e a k s , a v e r t unnecessary disease and deaths,andachievemeasles eliminationgoals.
Over the last five years, measles outbreaks hit 103 countries–hometoroughly three-quartersoftheworld’s infants. Low vaccine coverage(80%orless)wasa major factor In contrast, 91 countries with strong measles vaccine coverage d
e outbreaks “M
sles outbreaks are the canary in the coalmine, exposing and exploiting gaps in immunization and hitting the most vulnerable first,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This is a solvable problem. Measles vaccine is cheap and can be delivered even in the most difficult places. WHO is committed to working with all our partners to support countriestoclosethesegaps and protect the most at-risk children as quickly as possible.”The report shows that in 2023, the Americas region continued efforts to halt the ongoing decline in vaccinationcoverage,which started in 2010 and was exacerbatedbytheCOVID19 pandemic. Dr Jarbas Barbosa,DirectorofthePan
A m e r i c a n H e a l t h Organization (PAHO), the regional office of WHO for theAmericas,welcomedthe region’s progress: “The Americas region shows
p o s i t i v e r e s u l t s , undoubtedly due to the e ff o r t s o f h e a l t h professionalsincountries,to the investments made, to political commitment, and to the responsible population that recognizes the importance of vaccination.”
The PAHO Director highlighted that, today, the Americas is the only WHO Region to exceed the prepandemicvaccinationlevels from 2019, “indicating a considerable acceleration in recovery.” But he warned that some countries still lag behind. Continuous efforts are needed to “once again achieve the vaccination coverage that historically putusatthetopoftheglobal ranking ” The Americas managed to reduce the number of children younger than 1 year who never receivedadoseofvaccineto 1.1 million. Compared to 2022, first-dose coverage for DTP-containing vaccines rose from 90% to 91% in 2023, while thirddose coverage increased from83%to86%.Although encouraging, these results still leave 1 in 10 children younger than 1 year in the Americas without protection.The first dose of measles-containing vaccine achieved a coverage rate of 85%, compared to 83% in 2022, and the risk of outbreaks for vaccinepreventable diseases in many communities remains high.
PA H O r e m a i n s
committed to strengthening National Immunization Programs,Dr.Barbosasaid, reminding Member States that investment in immunization saves lives and is a win for society, “with savings in health c o s t s , i m p r o v e d productivity, education, tourism,andotherindicators of development.” The new data also highlight some b r i g h t e r s p o t s i n immunization coverage Theshareofadolescentgirls globally who received at least 1 dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which provides protection against cervical cancer, increased from 20% in2022to27%in2023.This waslargelydrivenbystrong introductions in Gavisupportedcountries,suchas Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Nigeria. The use of the single-dose HPV vaccine schedule also helped boost vaccinecoverage.
“TheHPVvaccineisone of the most impactful vaccinesinGavi’sportfolio, and it is incredibly heartening that it is now reaching more girls than ever before,” said Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance “With vaccines now available to over50%ofeligiblegirlsin African countries, we have much work to be done, but today we can see we have a clearpathwaytoeliminating thisterribledisease.”
However, HPV vaccine coverage is well below the 90% target to eliminate
cervical cancer as a public health problem, reaching only56%ofadolescentgirls in high-income countries and23%inlow-andmiddleincome countries. A recent pollofover400,000usersof UNICEF’s digital platform foryoungpeople,U-Report, revealed that over 75% are unaware or unsure of what HPV is, underscoring the need for better vaccine accessibility and public awareness. When informed about the virus, its link to cancers,andtheexistenceof a vaccine, 52% of respondents indicated they want to receive the HPV vaccine but are hindered by financial constraints (41%) and lack of availability (34%). While there’s been modest progress in some regions, including the African region and lowincome countries, the latest estimateshighlightthe need to accelerate efforts to meet the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) targets of 90%coverage,andnomore than 6.5 million ‘zero-dose’ children globally by 2030. The IA2030 Partnership Council calls for increased investment in innovation and ongoing collaboration. T h e c o u n c i l a l s o recommends partners step up their support for country leadership to improve routineimmunizationaspart of their integrated primary health care programmes, backed by robust political support, community leadership, and sustainable funding.
Commissioner, TTPS say ‘all police stations on high alert’ after 15 weekend murders
( T R I N I D A D GUARDIAN) - The country’s senior police
o f f i c e r s , l e d b y CommissionerofPoliceErla Harewood-Christopher, have assured that all police officers,inallpolicestations acrossthecountrywillbeon highalertfollowingaviolent and bloody weekend which resulted in 15 people being killed.
But less than two hours after police addressed the surgeinmurders,whichsaw seven occurring in Port-ofpain, a man was gunned down on Charlotte Street. The man who was not identified up to late yesterday evening, was found dead after passersby heardgunshots.
Atamediaconferenceat
the Police Administration
B u i l d i n g , D e p u t y Commissioner of Police in charge of operations, Junior Benjamin said all police stationsareonhighalertand theywillberampinguptheir patrols. “As DCP in charge of operations, I want to say now that all the stations are on high alert. I want to also state that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, we continue the fight. This is something that has been doneforthelasttwotothree weeks,wehaveensuredthat we have more and more patrols outside there and I want to assure that at this time we have ensured that there continues to be a constant presence of the police,” he said. Benjamin said the murders were cause
for urgent action by the policeandwithinthecoming days, there will be a high policepresence.
“I want to assure the public at this time that we havethetaskforces,wehave the Inter-Agency Task Force, and Guard and Emergency Branch and all
the other officers on the ground to ensure that safety andsecurityofthecitizensis a priority,” he added. Police Commissioner HarewoodChristopher said of the 14 murders (at the time of the news conference), seven were gang-related, three were drug-related, three
were the result of robberies, and the motive for one remainsunknown.
H a r e w o o d -
Christopher said the police have noticed the trend of multiple homicides and officers are doing what needs to be done to win the battle against it Asked if the police lost their handle on crime, HarewoodChristophersaidno.
She said the police have the resources needed and will be increasing its manpower
“I want to think we have adequate resources, and we are working on increasing them We have increased our use of technology, however, even with the use of technology
we still need the assistance of the public, we still need the human intelligence that iswhywecontinuetoaskthe communities to partner with us,”shesaid.
Asked what other resources are needed, the Head of the Homicide Division Snr Supt Sean Dhipaul said there are other armsofthenationalsecurity that complement the police and greater assistance from themwillhelp.
He said one such departmentwastheForensic Science Centre, where more help is needed as it pertains toballistictesting. With officers reassigned to Tobago last week, Harewood-Christopher said thatwillnotimpedethework doneinTrinidad.
‘I
(BBC NEWS) Former USPresidentDonaldTrump hassaidheis“supposedtobe dead” after Saturday night’s assassination attempt at a rallyinPennsylvania.
In one of his first interviews since the incident, Mr Trump told conservative US media he felt that he had been saved “byluckorbyGod”.
“The most incredible thingwasthatIhappenedto not only turn [my head] but toturnattheexactrighttime andinjusttherightamount,” hesaid,addingthatthebullet that grazed his ear could have easily killed him. “I’m supposedtobedead,I’mnot supposed to be here,” he said.
Aspectatorwaskilledin the attack, while two other people were seriously injured. The gunman, who alsodied,hasbeennamedas Thomas Matthew Crooks.
Mr Trump described the moment he looked up at the crowd after realising he had been shot “The energy coming from the people there in that moment, they just stood there. It’s hard to describe what that felt like, but I knew the world was looking.“Iknewthathistory
wouldjudgethis,andIknew Ihadtoletthemknowweare OK,”hetoldtheWashington Examiner
Speaking as he prepared to board a flight to the upcoming Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he is expected to be
confirmed as the party’s candidate for president, Mr Trump said he now had a “chancetobringthecountry together”.
Hesaidhisspeechwould now be completely different instead of the “humdinger” aimed mostly at current President Joe Biden’s
policies he had previously planned. “Had [Saturday’s attack] not happened, this would’ve been one of the most incredible speeches “Honestly, it’s going to be a whole different speech now It is a chance to bring the countrytogether.”
Earlier, MrTrump wrote onhissocialmediaplatform Truth Social that he had intended to delay his trip to Wisconsin by two days. But headdedthathewassticking tohisoriginalscheduleas:“I cannot allow a ‘shooter,’ or potential assassin, to force changetoscheduling”.
Mr Trump said that the assassination attempt “has hadanimpact”onhim.Little is known about the motivation of Crooks, the 20-year-old would-be assassin who was shot dead by the Secret Service at the scene.
The FBI has said that
while its investigation suggestsCrooksactedalone, it would continue to look into whether the kitchen worker had received help.
Thespectatorwhowaskilled inSaturday’sattackhasbeen n a m e d a s C o r e y Comperatore, a 50-year-old volunteerfirechiefwhodied trying to protect his family. In a televised address following the attack, President Biden called for the“temperatureofpolitics” to be lowered. “We cannot, must not, go down this road again.
We’vetravelleditbefore in our history,” said Mr Biden, listing off a growing number of violent political acts that had taken place in the US in recent years. “In America we resolve our differences at the ballot box,”headded. “At the ballot box. Not withbullets.”
(BBC NEWS) David Lammy has called for an immediateceasefireinGaza duringhisfirstvisittoIsrael and the Palestinian Territories as foreign secretary
“I’m here to push for a ceasefire,”hesaid.“Theloss of life over the last few months... is horrendous. It hastostop.”MrLammyalso urged the release of all hostagesheldinGazaandan increaseintheflowofaidto the territory. The newly appointedministerheldtalks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority PM Mohammad Mustafa on Sunday
He also met family members of hostages still heldinGazawhohavelinks totheUK.Afterthemeeting Sharon Sharabi, whose two brothers Eli and Yossi were taken hostage on 7 October, said: “Mr Lammy promised todoeverythingtobringthe hostages home The UK government has committed to be involved in a process withalltherelevantsides.”
In February the Israeli military said that Yossi Sharabiwaskilledandthatit waslikelyaresultofanIDF air strike. It is thought his bodyremainsinGaza.Inhis meeting with Mr Mustafa, Mr Lammy said the UK
would push for peace and stability, a statement posted on X by the British ConsulateinJerusalemsaid. Theydiscussedtheroleofan effective Palestinian Authorityinachievingpeace and Mr Lammy reaffirmed support for Mr Mustafa’s government and its programme of reform, the statementadded.
OnMondaymorning,Mr LammymetIsraeliPresident IsaacHerzog.“It’simportant that, whilst we are in a war, that war is conducted according to international humanitarian law,” Mr Lammy said ahead of the meeting.“OfcourseIwillbe pressing Israeli leaders on thatsubjectoverthecoming days.”Theforeign secretary also expressed frustration over a lack of British aid trucks entering Gaza “after months and months of asking”, echoing longrunningcomplaintsfromaid agencies about deliveries beingblockedordelayedby complex inspections imposed by the Israeli military
Hesaidthehumanitarian situation in Gaza was “appalling” and that the UK would be providing an additional £5.5m to medical charity UK-Med to fund its work in the territory After themeeting,MrHerzogsaid
theydiscussed“thesupreme mission of returning the hostages home to their families” “The foreign secretarymadeclearthathis country will continue to work and demand for the release of all the hostages,” he said. Mr Herzog said he introducedMrLammytothe family of Tamir Adar, who was killed on 7 October and whose body was taken into G a z a , a n d w h o s e grandmother Yaffa was taken hostage and released aspartofthepreviousdeals. He added: “The bonds between the British and
Israeli peoples are as strong and robust as they are historic and impactfulespeciallynow,infacingthe challengesaheadofus.”The Labour Party has recently faced a backlash from some Muslim voters over its response to the conflict, which many consider insufficiently critical of Israel. The new government now faces decisions on severalkeyissues,including whether to limit or stop weapons sales to Israel over thelossofcivilianlife.
Asked about the sales, Mr Lammy said he would
“look at the assessment and the legal considerations”
“Thatprocesshasbegunand IhopetoreporttoParliament assoonasIpossiblycan,”he added.Healsosaidhewould make a statement about the future of UK funding to the UNRWA - the UN’s main agency providing aid in Gaza-inthecomingdays.
The UK was among more than a dozen countries that suspended funding to the agency in January over allegations that several staff members were involved in the 7 October attack, and is oneofonlyafewthatareyet
torestoreit.Labourhasalso pledged to recognise the Palestinianstate,thoughhas not yet said when it will do so Israel launched its operation in Gaza following lastOctober’sHamasattack, which saw around 1,200 people killed and 251 taken hostage. Mr Netanyahu has said Israel will continue its war until all the hostages have been released and Hamashasbeendestroyed.
At least 38,584 people have been killed in Gaza during Israel’s offensive, according to the Hamasrun health ministry AUNbacked assessment last month found there was a “highrisk”offamineinthe territory,withalmosthalfa million people facing “catastrophic levels” of hunger
The ministry also said at least 141 people had been killed in Israeli strikes since Saturday. Israel said one of those strikes, which hit a humanitarian zone, was targeting senior Hamas leader Mohammed Deif He is the head of Hamas’s military wing the alQassam Brigades and is oneofIsrael’smostwanted men It is thought he was one of the masterminds behind the 7 October attacks.
As the debate continues over the time outlined in the Environmental Permits for the deployment of the cappingstack-theequipment that is used to plug oil leaks, but Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has made it clear that a well blow out offshore Guyana can now be capped sooner with the equipment nowin-country
TheVPwasaskedbythis publication at his weekly press conference last Thursday at Freedom House tocommentonalettercarried by this publication from Dr Vincent Adams, the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) questioningthegovernment's tripling of the required capping stack deployment time to cap a well blowout from 3 to 9 days, thus allowingapotentialextrasix days of oil gushing into the sea.
Adams during an Alliance For Change (AFC) press conference last week told the media that while Jagdeo claims to have tightened environmental provisions in the Permits granted to the oil company, its position on the Capping Stack arrival to a blown-out well proves different. “The Vice President keeps going around saying that they tightened the environmental regulations that capping stack was created by Dr BynoeundertheDepartment of Energy and we supported him. We demanded that that cappingstackhastogettothe site within three days- that's what's in the Payara. Do you know what they did? They took that out of the Payara and put nine days into Yellowtail which is the Permit that they wrote,” he argued.
It must be noted that the while there is likely to be extreme damage from such aneventoffshore,thereisstill no evidence of full liability coverage from the parent company This means Guyanacanbelefttofootthe costs of cleanup, repairs and compensation if these costs arenotcoveredbythelimited US$600 million insurance. Besides the insurance, EEPGL has about US$9 billioninassetswhichtheVP says could be seized to pay for the damages. Dr Adams also believes that this is merely a band-aid to the wound as these assets are paid for through cost recoverybyGuyana.
Jagdeo said he doubted thatAdams'claimisaccurate.
“It was only the last permit thatwe…notthelastone,the one before that that we issued a requirement to have acappingstackinthecountry and one is here now… it cameintothecountrysothat you can deploy it immediately.”
He stressed that it is the i m m e d i a c y o f t h e deployment, if necessary, that is important and in the pastExxonjusthadtokeepa subscription abroad. “Now we have one in the country Heisignoringallofthat.We have a capping stack in the country The last time I told you that I had report that it arrived in the country ahead of time and that was a requirement of one of the environmental permits that wegave.”
Furthermore, now that the capping stack is already here, the VP is saying that therewillbenowaittimefor it to be imported then deployed. “He (Adams) is squibbling about nine days, three days, two days. You have it now to deploy immediately rather than waitingforittobeimported.”
ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) last week commissioned the country's firstcappingstack,oneof13 availablegloballyandoneof onlytwoinLatinAmerica.A capping stack is a heavy pieceofmetalequipmentthat is placed over a blown out well.Itactsasaplug,thereby preventing further flow of hydrocarbons.
Country Manager, Alistair Routledge during a simple ceremony hosted at the Guyana Shore Base Inc. (GYSBI), Houston, East Bank Demerara noted that the arrival of the equipment underscores the scale of Guyana'sblossomingoiland gas sector Guyana began producing oil in December 2019attheLizaOneProject. The Liza Two development later came on stream in February 2022, followed by the Payara project in November2023.Thecountry is now producing over 640,000barrelsofoilperday (bopd)atthreeprojectsinthe StabroekBlock.
The cost of the capping stack was not revealed, despite questions being posed to EMGL's President. He explained, “I don't have thatnumberathandbutit'sa subscription service so what happens is (Oil Spill Response Limited) ORSL operates this, they maintain it, they keep it ready for deploymentandthenwepay
a subscription fee, based on thewellswearedrilling.”
The capping stack was designed and built by Trendsetter Engineering- a company that has been involved in the design and development of most of the cappingstacksavailable.Itis ownedbyOilSpillResponse Limited (OSRL), an industry-funded, not-forprofit cooperative that respondstooilspills.Aspart of its subscription service with OSRL, EMGL will be able to access the capping
Representatives from ExxonMobil, EPA and GYSBI with the capping stack
stackinrecordtimefromthe GYSBI location The company will also have access to OSRL's fleet of capping stacks across the globe. The capping stack, now in country, measures 22 feet,threeinches(height)and weighs 93,000 pounds (42 metric tonnes) The Air Freightable Capping Stack (AFCS)hasapressurerating of 15,000 pounds per square inch; a flow rate of zero to 330,000barrelsofoilperday (bopd) and depth rating of 12,500feet(3,800meters).
Day two’s action ended inadrawasbothGuyanaand Windward Islands will take muchfromthematchasthey prepare for the future assignments.
Guyanawerebowledout for 142 in the first innings before keeping Windwards to 172 all out in their first innings.
Spinner Golcharran Chulai was the pick of the crew for Guyana, returning 4-54withsupportfromfastbowlerIsaiThorne(3-24).
Batting a second time with a slender lead, Guyana finished on 111 all out with top-scorer for both innings Thaddeus Lovell leading with36,afterhitting34prior.
ShahidViera(16),Riyad Latiff (11), Thorne (13) and Rampertab Ramnauth (10) were the other scorers for Guyana.
The duo of Lee John (330) and Kirsten Murray (316)werethemainstrikersfor the Windwards, who were 25-3 when play stopped yesterday.
Opener Theo Edward (12)wastheWindwards2nd inningstop-scorerasThorne (2-10) and Chulai (1-12) looked to cause immediate trouble.
For their efforts with the ball in both innings, Thorne finished with overall figures of 5-34 while Chulai ended withamatchhaulof5-66.
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
Overall,theforecastfortoday is fairly good. The aspects seemtofavorfiguringoutthe meaning of all that's transpired over the past several weeks It's an opportunity for you to take a leisurely
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
Have you felt somewhat lost forthepastfewdays?Thefog maylifttodayandenableyou to situate yourself at last. You'reprobablyeagertosettle a question that has nagged at you and interfered with your judgment.
GEMINI(May21–June20)
You may have been feeling somewhat disillusioned. Perhapsyoulostsightofyour goals or misplaced your faith in yourself. You'll feel some reliefbeginningtoday
CANCER(June21–July22)
Youmightbetemptedtosettle certain matters by radical means. The visionary part of you means you're painfully aware of the world's wrongs. You see no reason not to take actiontocorrectthem.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
Today will be fairly calm in terms of outside events, but yourinnerworldislikelytobe in a rush of activity Today you wish you could find the solutiontoyourheartachesas well as your career predicaments.
VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)
You have a lot of thinking to do about your professional goals, Virgo. You'll go over the elements to see if there isn't some way to approach thingsdifferently
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
Youjustcan'tdoeverythingat once, Libra. How do you expect to reduce your stress and recuperate while at the same time continue to be a superstar performer in every areaofyourlife.
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)
Thisisagoodmomenttoadapt your logic and reason to reality, Scorpio. If you don't, you're going to run into some
Everyone knows that you find newideasplentiful.
SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)
It'sgoingtobealittledifficult t
u t
y, Sagittarius. You, who can be easily influenced by others, will be listening to and criticizing everything that peoplesay
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Haveyoubeenreviewingyour family history lately, Capricorn? Of special interest is your cultural background. What educational, social, and religious environment were you born into? What are its values?Intheend.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) It's time to elevate your senseofself,Aquarius.You're justasgoodasanyoneelse,so why don't you believe it? The problem is that you're very sensitiveabouthavinganego. Even though you know everyonedoes.
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
Today your intellectual and expressive abilities should receive a boost from the planets.It'sanexcellenttimeto organize your thoughts about presentingaproject.
Frompage23 contestedbytenofGuyana’s premier clubs: defending championsGuyanaDefence Force FC, Slingerz FC, Guyana Police Force FC, Western Tigers FC, Santos FC, Den Amstel FC, Fruta Conquerors FC, Ann’s Grove United FC, Monedderlust FCand BuxtonUnitedFC.
FIFA Referee Shavin Greene shared that the session “was great for me. Weloveworkingtogetheras a team. We did situations where it was match-related situations where we think we need improvement for these games… because the teamsnowareplayinggreat football, it’s only right that the referees step their game upandbeabletomatchwhat the league is offering right now we’re enjoying the session.” Over the next six weeks, matches are expectedtointensify,with the top three clubsGuyana Defence Force FC, Slingerz FC, and Guyana Police Force FCaiming to maintain their positions for a chance at the title Meanwhile, the bottom two teams, Monedderlust FC and Buxton United FC, are striving to climb the table and avoid relegation Clubs are competing for t o p p r i z e s o f G $ 2 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 , G$1,200,000, G$800,000 a n d G $ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 , respectively
The GFF Referees Department is dedicated to ensuringthatmatchesinthe league are officiated to the highest international standardswithcredibility.
The next refresher sessionisscheduledforJuly 28.
TheRepublicBank
C a r i b b e a n Premier League (CPL) squads for the 2024 season have been confirmed following the completion of theplayerdraft.
Kyle Mayers was the firstpickofthedraft,joining theStKitts&NevisPatriots. He will be joined at the Patriots by Mikyle Louis, Ryan John andVeerasammy
P e r m a u l
The Saint Lucia Kings welcome USA international AaronJoneswhoqualifiesto play at the CPL as a local player as he has a Barbados passport. The Kings have also selected Khari Campbell,JohannJeremiah, Mikkel Govia and Akeem
A u g u s t e The Barbados Royals have picked Kadeem Alle
yne,IsaiThorneandNathan Sealy to complete their squad while the Guyana Amazon Warriors have
selected all
RaymonReiferandRonaldo Alimohamed Matthew Nandu also rejoins the Warriors having been selectedinthedraft. The Antigua & Barbuda Falc onspickedfiveplayers
at the draft with Roshon Primus, Justin Greaves, Jahmar Hamilton, Teddy Bishop and Kofi James joining the newest CPL team. The Trinbago Knight
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) extendscondolencestothefamilyofformer Golden Jaguars player Carlyle Hunte, who tragically passed away in a car accident on July 12 along with his grandson Malique Roberts.
Hunte began his football journey in his hometownofLinden,whereheemergedasa promising talent He later captained MilerockFootballClubduringtheirnational dominanceinthe1990s.
Hunte was called up to the Guyana SeniorMen’sNationalTeamin1995,where heplayedapivotalroleasacentrebackuntil
1996.
Following his playing career, he successfully transitioned into coaching and servedasheadcoachforbothMilerockand WinnersConnectionFootballClubs.
Additionally, he continued to play with the Linden Masters over-50 team, contributing his experience and passion to thelocalfootballcommunity
Huntewillberememberedasatowering figureintheLindenfootballcommunity
Our thoughts and prayers are with his familyduringthistimeofgrieving,theGFF releasestated.
Hockey Club cart off with a lion’s...
Frompage25 2-0 victory over GCC Outlaws. The first period ended 0-0 despite several attempts from both sides. Chad DeAbreu from GCC Outlaws broke the deadlock with a well-executed penalty, but the Legends soon equalized with a thunderous penalty shot The match ended 1-1, leading to a penalty shootout The Legends emergedvictorious,winning 2-0 in the sudden death shootout.
Over in the U21 Girls’ final, GCC Spartans and Saints U21 Ladies battle it out for the top spot. Both teams played impressively, with the first period ending in a stalemate Despite multiple penalty attempts, neither team could score, as the match ended in a nil-all
draw The Saints eventually won 2-0 in the penalty shootout after some poor shooting by GCC, securing t h e U 2 1 G i r l s ’ championship. Theall-SaintsU21Boys’ finalwasahigh-octaneclash between SHC S’Team and SHC Clovelly S’Team had reached the final with a commanding 4-2 victory over GCC Pitbulls, while Clovelly had secured their spot with a 2-1 win against YMCA OFHC Top Form. However, in the final, SHC S’Team edged out SHC Clovelly 1-0, thanks to a stellar goal-keeping performance by Darius Alleyne,whowasnamedthe Most Valuable Player (MVP)andBestGoalkeeper of the Boys’ U21 championship. Lizzo Bobb of YMCA
Old Fort received the MVP award in the Girls’ U16 championship Mackala Poole of SHC Sensations won the MVP award in the Girls’ U21 championship, while Grant Fernandes of GCC was named the Boys’ U16tournamentMVP
Meanwhile, in thirdplace playoff matches, SHC Sigmas defeated YMCA OFHC Stunners 1-0 in the Boys’U16category
GCC Her-ricanes triumphed over VHC Sticklers 2-0 in the Girls’ U16 category In the U21 division,YMCAOFHCTop Form dominated GCC Pitbullswitha7-0victory
Thetournament,proudly sponsored by Value4U Incorporation, showcased the incredible talent and passion among young hockeyplayers.
Riders selected Nathan EdwardandShaquereParris in their emerging player
s p o t s
The 2024 season gets underway on the 29 August withtheAntigua&Barbuda Falcons taking on the St Kitts&NevisPatriotsatthe Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium The tournament will also visit St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Barbados, Trinidad & TobagoandGuyana.
The full squads are as follows:
Barbados Royals: Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, David Miller, Quinton De Kock, Maheesh Theekshana, Alick Athanaze, Naveen-ul-Haq, Obed McCoy, Kevin Wickham, Keshav Maharaj, Kadeem Alleyne, Rahkeem Cornwall, Isai Thorne, Nathan Sealy, Nyeem Young, Rivaldo Clarke, RamonSimmonds
Guyana Amazon Warriors: Imran Tahir,
Shimron Hetmyer, Saim Ayub, Shai Hope, Romario Shepherd, Azam Khan, G u d a k e s h M o t i e , Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Keemo Paul, Dwaine Pretorius, Kevin Sinclair, Raymon Reifer, Ronaldo
Alimohamed, Shamar Joseph, Kevlon Anderson, Matthew Nandu, Junior SinclairAntigua&Barbuda Falcons: Imad Wasim, Brandon King, Fabian
Allen, Azmatullah
Omarzai, Mohammad Amir, Chris Green, Fakhar Zaman, Roshon Primus, Justin Greaves, Hayden Walsh, Jahmar Hamilton, Teddy Bishop, Kofi James, Shamar Springer, Kelvin Pitman, Jewel Andrew, JoshuaJames St Kitts & Nevis Patriots: Kyle Mayers, Wanindu Hasaranga, Rilee
Rossouw, Sherfane Rutherford, Evin Lewis, Sikandar Raza, Nuwan Thushara, Andre Fletcher, Tristan Stubbs, Dominic
Drakes, Odean Smith, Mikyle Louis, Joshua Da Silva, Veerasammy Permaul, Ryan John, Ashmead Nedd, Johann Layne Saint Lucia Kings: Heinrich Klaasen, Faf Du Plessis, Alzarri Joseph, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Noor Ahmad, David Wiese, Bhanuka Rajap
, A
, M
Descarte, Mikkel Govia, McKenny Clarke, Akeem Auguste
Riders: Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran, Tim David, Akeal Hosein, Jason Roy, Dwayne Bravo, Jo
Salamkheil,JaydenSeales, Ali Khan, Mark Deyal, Keacy Carty, Terrence Hinds, Nathan Edward, ShaquereParris
Xavio Alexander and Mishka Beharry are competing in the PANAM J u n i o r B a d m i n t o n Championships 2024 which i s b e i n g h e l d i n Aguascalientes, Mexico from yesterday 15th to 19th July, 2024 They are accompaniedbytheircoach, NkosiBeaton. They were also selected toparticipateinthePANAM Junior Training Camp also beingheldinAguascalientes, Mexico from the 19th-25th July,2024.
The Kares One Guyana TapeballBlastissettoignite the cricketing world with a knockout-style tournament, as organisers unveiled the highly anticipated fixtures onSaturdaylast.
Withastraightknockout format, teams will have no margin for error, as it’s “do or die from ball one,” according to the tournament organisers.
The action kicks off on August 3rd with the intense round-of-32matches,spread acrosstheDemeraraCricket Club (DCC), Police Sports Club (PSC), and Queen’s College.
Matches are scheduled for 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:00PM,and3:00PM.
Thesurvivingteamswill clash in the round-of-16 on August 4, also at DCC and PSC.
Thefinaleightteamswill then battle it out at the Enmore Community Centre onAugust 11 to secure their spots in the semi-finals and the grand finale, which will
be held onAugust 25 at the NationalStadium. Tournament organiser John Ramsingh expressed his anticipation for the tournament,highlightingthe fierce competition expected fromtheparticipatingteams.
“With so many established community teams involved, we’re expecting some explosive cricket, ”
Ramsingh said. “The fans areinforatreat.”
R a m s i n g h a l s o acknowledgedtheimpactof the weather on preparations but expressed satisfaction with the teams’ continued training and the ongoing support from corporate Guyana. The winner of the tournament will take home G$1 5 million, with the
Argentina’s Lionel Messi holds up the trophy while celebrating with teammates after defeating Colombia in the Copa América final soccer match In Miami Gardens, Fla. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press)
BBC Sport - Argentina beat Colombia to win a record 16th Copa America butthegamewasmarredby the kick-off being delayed by 80 minutes because of troubleoutsidethegroundin Miami.
Lautaro Martinez struck in the second half of extra timefromGiovaniloCelso’s through ball to secure the win.
runner-up securing
G$500,000 and the losing semifinalists each receiving G$250,000.
Matches on August 3: MS-13 All-Stars v Team Corruption – QC Pitch 1 at 09:00h;UpsettersvGPLInc – QC Pitch 2 at 09:00h; MontraJaguarsvFalconsXI – PSC at 09:00h; Street Ballerz v Village Rams –
KFC
Guyana Football Federation (GFF) referees officiating in the KFC Elite League Season Six completed the first of two July refresher training sessions on Sunday, as the nation’s premier male tournament enters its final sixweeksofcompetition.
A total of fourteen (14) match officials, including FIFA Referee Shavin Greene, and FIFA Assistant Referees Kleon Lindey and Denisha Isaacs, trained in challengingconditionsatthe GFF National Training Centre in Providence, East BankDemeraraonJuly14.
severalarrestsmade.
Several supporters needed treatment from paramedics.
Organisers said ticketless fans tried to get into the ground, leaving some fans waiting for hours in the Miami heat for the gatestoopen.
Fans and police officers and security clashed with
Captain Lionel Messi wasleftintearswhenhehad to be replaced midway throughthesecondhalfafter injuring himself while chasingfortheball–butwas celebrating his country’s third successive major tournament at the final whistle. Kick-off was delayed because of chaos outside the Hard Rock Stadium.
On top of that the halftime break lasted for 25 minutesbecauseofaconcert by Colombian popstar Shakiraonthepitch,amove that was criticised by Colombia boss Nestor Lorenzobeforehand.
It was a game of few clear chances in hot, humid conditions,withColombia’s Jhon Cordoba hitting the woodworkinthefirsthalf.
They participated in a fitness training session, onfield drills, and simulated game scenarios, with a particular emphasis on situations in and around the penaltyarea.
Additionally, the group engaged in classroom discussions aimed at improvingcallaccuracy
The refresher session was facilitated by retired FIFA Referee, Sherwin
Johnson and Referee Instructor/Assessor Abdulla Hamid.
LenvalPeart,Headofthe
GunnersvTGTitans–DCC at 15:00h;The United Crew vBarticaBulls–QCpitch2 at15:00h.
Kares Engineering, Banks DIH, Star Rentals, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Montra Restaurant and Longue, Ministry of Housing and Water, Premier Insurance, Regal Stationary & Computer Centre, ENet, Avinash Contracting and Scrap Metal Inc., Demerara Mutual Insurance, Massy Distribution,RS53Restobar &Lounge,JacobsJewellery & Pawn Shop, and First ChangeBuildersInc.arethe othersponsorsonboardthus far.
DCCat09:00h;ECExpress v Mahdia – DCC at 11:00h; Soesdyke XI vAirport XI –QC pitch 1 at 11:00h; Renegades Cricket Club v Tarmac Titans – PSC at 11:00h; Eccles All-Stars v Eastsyde – QC pitch 2 at 11:00h; Titans All-Stars v Stripling Warriors – PSC at 13:00h; PREMIER Insurance v Min. Housing –QC pitch 1 at 13:00h; Moruca Super Giants v Lil Rams – QC pitch 2 at 13:00h; The Guards v Mahaica Super Strikers –13:00h at DCC; Green Scorpions v Avinash AllStars–QCpitch1at15:00h; Brooklyn Youth Strikers v CottonTreeDieHard–PSC at 15:00h; Diamond
The referees take part in the refresher programme for the Elite League.
Referees Department, also attended the session with some encouraging words to the referees Referee Instructor/Assessor Hamid explained that Sunday’s sessionprimarilyfocusedon incidents in and around the penalty area due to teams “playing a lot of balls in the killing zone, which is in the shooting zone. So we need therefereetobeapartofthat, knowing how to get in and how to get out and at the same time monitoring the activity in and around the penalty area.” Hamid noted
thattherefereesandassistant referees showed high levels of focus, describing their performance as “above par, about eighty-five to eightysevenpercent.”
He added that another sessionisscheduledforlater this month to further enhance their skills and readiness for the last weeks oftheEliteLeague.
Round Two of the KFC Elite League Season Six kicked off on May 25 and will conclude lateAugust. It featuresatotalof45matches (Continuedonpage21)
Arguably the longest existing cricket camp in Guyana, the Malteenoes SportsClub’s(MSC)Annual Cricket Camp bowled off yesterday, Monday July 15 with a massive turnout on openingday
Among the esteemed panel, Minister of Culture Youth and Sports Charles Ramson Jr, former club president and long-serving member Edward Richmond, ex-Guyana player turned administrator and executive Mr. Neil Barry, Malteenoes Head Coach Quasen Nedd former Guyana all-rounder andsecondvicepresidentof MalteenoesStevenJacobs.
Fresh off their historic U19Women’sRegionalT20 Blaze title win, head coach CliveGrimmond,alongwith c h a m p s T i l l e y a Madramootoo and Naomi Barkoye were also in attendance.
West Indies and IPL, CPL Physiotherapist Neil Barry Jr, a lifelong member of Malteenoes and a regular at the annual camp, also madetimetobeapartofthe
encampment. Jacobs gave the youngsters some history of Malteenoes, adding that he was happy to see such a goodturnout.
Hegaveinsightastohow former Guyana and West
Narsingh Deonarine and others sat in the very seats occupied by the current group of potential players, further adding to the rich history of the Malteenoes CricketAcademy.
The former Guyana skipper pointed out that under the stewardship of Richmond, the Academy bredastrongmentorshipand good academic programs, with Barry Snr being his mentor during his days as a youngster Richmond lauded current Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) CEO Mr Claude Raphael who he wasinchargeofMalteenoes withbackinthe80’s. Hesaidafterbowlingoff the camp in July of 93, it somehow kick-started a nationaleffort,beingthefirst academyinthishemisphere,
including the USA, Central andSouthAmerica.
West Indies legends like Sir Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge, the late Clyde Butts, Roger Harper and others were involved in the Malteenoes Academy over the years, according to Richmond who welcomed the kids to their first day as cricketers.
Nedd lauded Minister Ramson for his dedication towards developing sports, whilerecognizingtheefforts of Madramootoo, Barkoye andCoachGrimmond.
He urged the young men and women to enjoy every moment of the academy, help each other to reach the highestlevel,network,make life friends and most importantly, make themselves future stars in or aroundtheworldofcricket.
Mr Barry gave some advice to the kids while reminding them of the importanceinbeingapartof such a historic cricket learning program, with a number of career and life opportunities waiting to be
takenadvantageof. Minister Ramson then gave a detailed recollection of his time spent as a youngster playing cricket and his ups, downs and eventual success once he decided to remain disciplined, dedicated and
- Minister Ramson, former players engage with potential cricketers/attendees
Minister Ramson presents Mr Neil Barry Snr with a small token of appreciation on behalf of the Malteenoes Sports Club and cricket academy KFC Elite League
committedtohiscraft.
The Minister spoke on thehistoryofsomeofcurrent sponsors who have been a part of the camp’s development over the years, actually coming from the club He hailed their contributions to sport,
adding that it was important to elevate oneself both on andoffthefield,somethinga few of the sponsors have managed to do, thus putting theminapositionwhichthey can now give back to the sport; that has provided so richlyforthem.
dominates Ann’s Grove - Guyana Defence Force resumes season with tribute to goalkeeper Enoch Carmichael
Western Tigers Football Club clinched a narrow 3-2 victoryoverSantosFootball Club, while Monedderlust Football Club asserted
dominance with a commanding4-1winagainst Ann’s Grove United Football Club in Saturday’s KFC Elite League Season Sixfixtures.
In the first June 13 match, Monedderlust FC opened the scoring with a spectaculargoalfromRayon Rose in the 23rd minute, followed swiftly by goals fromLomarReedinthe27th minute and Terique Benn in the30thminute,givingthem a commanding lead at halftime.
However, Ann’s Grove United FC managed to breach the Berbice side’s defence with a 52nd-minute goal from Travis Williams. Yet, Atlyn Brown added a n o t h e r g o a l f o r Monedderlust FC, sealing
the match with a final score of 4-1. The evening’s final match featured a fiercely contestedbattlebetweentwo Georgetown rivals, Western TigersFCandSantosFC. RondelPetersofWestern Tigers FC struck first in the 14thminute,butSantosFC’s Bevney McGarrell quickly respondedwithagoalinthe 15th minute Just before halftime, Michael Oie
scored for Santos, giving thema2-1lead.
In the second half, Western Tigers FC regained momentum with Randolph Wagnerfindingthenetinthe 68th minute. Despite this, SantosFCcontinuedtopress forward, with Ryan Dowding narrowing the gap with a goal in the 83rd minute.However,SantosFC couldnotbreachtheirrivals’
defence again before the finalwhistle,resultingina32victoryforWesternTigers.
The season resumed on July 11 following the tragic passing of Guyana Defence
Force Football Club
g o a l k e e p e r E n o c h Carmichael, who collapsed during a practice session on July3.TheGuyanaDefence Force team paid tribute to their teammate by wearing
T-shirts with the slogan “ForeverWithUsEnoch.”
T h e a r m y s i d e
maintained their unbeaten record with a commanding 7-0 win against Buxton UnitedFC.KelsieBenjamin led the scoring with three goals in the 28th, 35th, and 45th minutes, supported by Obuchi Benjamin’s strike in the 30th minute, giving the defending champions a
substantialleadathalftime.
In the second half, LennoxYoung scored in the 76th minute, followed by goalsfromDelroyFraserten minutes later and Shemar Scott in the 87th minute, securing another emphatic victoryfortheteam.
In the opening match, Den Amstel FC secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Fruta Conqueror FC with a late goal from Andrew Hectorinthe58thminute.
All four matches took placeattheGuyanaFootball Federation (GFF) National Training Centre in Providence, East Bank Demerara.
Thetopthreeteamsinthe league standings remain unchanged:GuyanaDefence Force, Slingerz FC, and GuyanaPoliceForceFC. Meanwhile, Buxton Unitedremainsrootedatthe bottomofthetablewithonly onedrawtotheirname.
Inahistoricmoment for the Lusignan Golf Club, Anasha Ally was elected as the club’s first female president during the Annual
G e n e r a l Meeting held onSunday Ally, along with a newly elected committee, has set forth an ambitious agenda to revitalize and enhancetheclub’sofferings.
Deo, Public Relations Officer: Brian Hackett and Ground Superintendent: DinoBissesar Inherinauguraladdress, LGC President, Ally,
restoring respect
within the club. She highlighted keyprioritiessuch
sponsorships, and
The newly elected committee members includes; Vice President: Troy Cadogan, Secretary: Chet Bowling, Treasurer: Sandy Ramsundar, Club Captain: Ayube Subhan, A s s i s t a n t Treasurer/Secretary: Arnold
tournaments One of her maingoalsfortheupcoming year is to expand the course by adding three more holes, thus transforming it into a 12-holegolfcourse.
“Thenewcommitteehas a clear mandate to ensure thatouraccountsareingood standing and that our course is maintained in top condition,” Ally stated. She
subcommittees focused on fundraising, clubhouse maintenance, disciplinary actions,andpreparationsfor the Guyana Open, and encouraged members to actively participate in these
The local hockey community came alive over the weekend as the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) concluded its Juniors Summer Break Hockey championships.
Saints Hockey Club (SHC)dominatedtheevents, claiming championship titles in both the Under-21 and Under-16 categories for BoysandGirlsintheIndoor segmentonSunday
The three-day event was nested at the National Gymnasium captivated the near-capacity crowd with
exhilarating U16 and U21 matchups.The finals were a perfect culmination of riveting Junior Hockey tournament.
The SHC Sensations reached the Girls’U16 final after a 2-0 win against Trinidad’s VHC Sticklers. Their opponents, YMCA OFHC Stars, advanced with a win against HHC Junior JetsandadrawagainstGCC Her-ricanes.
Thefinalstartedwiththe Her-ricanes gaining early momentum, taking a 1-0 lead. The Sensations soon
equalized, making it 1-1. The turning point came when the Sensations were awarded a penalty stroke, whichtheyconvertedtotake a 2-1 lead. The Sensations thendominated,scoringfour more goals in quick succession to secure a decisive 6-1 victory and clinch the U16 Girls’ championship The SHC Legends secured the Boys’ U16championshiptitlewith (Continuedonpage22)
initiatives.
During the meeting, t h e n e w G
Manager, Ariel Cappell, and Assistant/Bar Man, Ajay Ramsaroop, were introducedtothemembers Ms Ally took the opportunity to thank the
Patanjalie Persaud, and his
dedication and efforts over
challenges they faced and theprogresstheymade. With a new leadership
team and a clear vision for t h e f u
Lusignan Golf Club is poised for a year of g
en by a collective effort from its members and new committee
- Minister Ramson, former players engage with potential cricketers/attendees
Minister of CultureYouth and Sports Charles Ramson Jr. surrounded by Malteenoes Sports Club executives including Neil Barry Snr, Steven Jacobs, Coach Quasen Nedd and the attendees duringYesterday’s opening of theAnnual CricketAcademy Camp.
Saints Hockey Club cart off with a lion’s share at the recently Summer Break Indoor C/ship
Girl’s U16 champions SHC Sensations share photo-op at the conclusion of the 2024 Summer Break Juniors Indoor Hockey tournament.