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Sunday July 18, 2021
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Sunday July 18, 2021
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ExxonMobil eyes US$ billions in Major rift in PNC/R Exec. returns on gas pipeline alone over APNU ‘new parties’ Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL)—ExxonMobil Guyana—in its Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with the Guyana Government is to develop a plan for each oil field it is looking to develop that would include a feasibility study for the use of any associated gas discovered. According to a study undertaken by Energy Narrative and commissioned by the Guyana Government and the Inter-American Development Bank, the o p e r a t o r, E x x o n M o b i l Guyana, stands to earn billions of US dollars with returns as high as 52 percent on the investment. The information is documented in the Energy Narrative Report, which notes that the highest economic return under the proposed 50 million cubic feet of Natural gas per day and in a high oil price scenario, returns could be had to the tune of nearly US$2.8 billion in net present value and a 52 percent economic rate of return. If Natural gas supply were increased to the theoretical 145 million cubic feet per day case, the offshore natural gas pipeline would have an economic net present value of just over US$3 billion and an economic rate of return of 41 percent, according to the study. The report said too, “under the worst case combination of both high project costs and a low oil price outlook, the project is marginally feasible, showing a US$22 million economic gain over 20 years and an economic rate of return of 11 percent—just above the 10 percent hurdle rate. According to the report, the offshore natural gas pipeline's economic feasibility was determined by comparing the economic costs of building and operating the infrastructure to produce, prepare, and transport the Natural gas to shore with the economic benefits that the Natural gas will bring. It noted that the upstream Natural gas production and offshore pipeline's economic costs include the capital cost of the additional equipment required to produce the Natural gas and the capital cost to build the pipeline, the annual cost to produce the Natural gas and operate the pipeline, and any environmental costs associated with the pipeline's operations.
…study projects profits up to 52% of investment from selling gas Feasibility Study for Guyana’s Offshore Natural Gas Pipeline, NGL separation and LPG production plant, and Related Electricity Infrastructure
Draft Final Report
Report to the Government of Guyana and the Inter-American Development Bank
Submitted by Energy Narrative August 22, 2018
The cover page for the Energy Narrative Report submitted to Government and the IDB. According to the report, the offshore pipeline's economic benefits include the avoided costs that would have been incurred if the offshore natural gas pipeline had not been built. It said too that the Natural gas delivered by the offshore pipeline will primarily replace heavy fuel oil (HFO) that is currently being imported for electricity generation. As such, “the economic benefits from building the offshore natural gas pipeline therefore include the avoided cost of importing HFO and the avoided economic cost of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions that would result from burning the HFO for electricity generation.” The report did caution that the analysis does not in clu d e an y eco n o mic benefits from increased job creation both directly from the construction and operation of the project and indirectly from the greater economic activity associated with the pipeline. According to the Report, “while the pipeline will clearly bring some job creation benefits, this value was not quantified for this analysis.” Energy Narrative said, “this economic cost-benefit analysis (CBA) finds that the
offshore natural gas pipeline has an aggregate net present value (NPV) of approximately US$782 million and an economic rate of return of 30 percent under the project's Base Case assumptions…This indicates that the offshore natural gas pipeline is economically viable.” It noted too that a sensitivity analysis was performed to estimate how changes in key variables would impact the offshore natural gas pipeline's economic feasibility. Three independent variables were included in the sensitivity analysis: the volume of Natural gas shipped by the pipeline, the cost to produce the Natural gas and build and operate the pipeline, and the price of HFO that the Natural gas will displace. These variables were selected based on the likelihood that they could change and their potential to have a material impact on the offshore natural gas pipeline's economic feasibility, according to the study. This publication had previously reported that the gas to be transported from the Liza Destiny by way of a gas pipeline after which the gas would be sold to a third party.
A major rift now exists among members of the People's National Congress Reform's (PNCR) Central Executive Committee (CEC) following claims that the p a r t y ' s l e a d e r, D a v i d G r a n g e r, u n i l a t e r a l l y inducted two new parties into A Partnership for National Unity (APNU). This rift came to light after the media recently reported on an unsigned statement by some members of the CEC accusing Granger of turning PNCR into a “one man show”. The statement was reportedly circulated to party members just moments before a virtual observance of APNU's 10th anniversary. It is believed that some of the CEC members decided to make the statement after they saw the new parties' symbols affixed to the programme of the anniversary observance. The two new parties are the Equal Rights and Justice Party (ERJP) led by former Minister, Jaipaul Sharma and the Guyana Nation Builders Movement (GNBM) formed by current Member of Parliament, Tabitha J. Sarabo-Halley. Both Sharma and Sarabo-Halley were members of the Justice for All Party (JFAP) and the Working People's Alliance (WPA), respectively – two parties that pulled out from APNU following disagreements over different issues in the aftermath of the APNU+AFC's loss of the 2020 elections. According to the unsigned statement, PNCR had never agreed to accept the recently formed parties into APNU. The CEC members behind the statement are of the view that they might be shell “parties”. It was stated too that the CEC, in its last meeting, had instructed Granger and PNCR's General Secretary, Amna Ally to put the admission of ERJP and GNBM on hold. The reason for this, the statement revealed was to facilitate a full discussion on the status of the partnership. Despite this decision, the statement claimed that Granger went ahead and publicly advertised that PNCR has accepted the “shell parties” as part of the APNU. This alleged move was labeled as a “one-manshow” in the unsigned statement and its authors detailed that PNCR will not
Volda Lawrence confirms support of anti-Granger release
PNCR Leader, David Granger
Treasurer of CEC, Ronald Bulkan
Elected member of the PNCR's CEC, Aubrey Norton
Elected member of the CEC, Dr. Richard Van-West Charles
Leader of Equal Rights and Justice Party (ERJP), Jaipaul Sharma
Leader of the Guyana Nation Builders Movement (GNBM), Tabitha J. Sarabo-Halley
allow Granger “to get away with it”. Calls were made too for members of the party to decide which side of history they want to be on. “Are we going to be on the side of history and good practice and abide by the constitution of our great party or are we going to accept these breaches of our constitution and unilateral decision making?” was the
question posed in the unsigned statement. Moreover, the authors opined that PNCR knows nothing about these parties. Claims were even made that ERJP and GNBM were never launched nationally and that PNCR is unaware of the benefits they can bring to the table before even considering to accept them into the partnership. Continued on page 17
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Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL - Tel: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
Gas-to-shore - why do leaders ignore even ExxonMobil? Two lead articles in last Wednesday’s edition of this paper confirmed what we have been saying all along, and with increasing intensity. The first one was, “Exxon concedes renewable cheaper, cleaner direction the world is heading” and the second “Systems to realise maximum value in Guyana’s oil sector weak - Int’l body” (KN July 14). Instead of saying, we told you so, we let others do the talking. What they have to say conveys the truths of what we have been insisting now characterise this country’s oil sector. It promises the worst for hoping, dreaming Guyanese. For Exxon to admit that renewable energy sources are better is one huge concession, given what it stands for, what it has resisted, and on what the company’s visions for profitability are based on, and with which it has dragged Guyana’s willing leaders along. But now, with the ferocious winds of change (climate change) blowing, and with a bow to a gathering storm of foreign opposition, belated admission comes. In sum, it is that this gas-to-shore project is not the best option for Guyana, and that such has been shared with the Government of Guyana. The last sentence is worth repeating: Exxon’s Production Manager, Mr. Mike Ryan, shared publicly that the Guyana Government was advised by his company that this almost one billion (US) dollar gas-to-shore project should not be on the front burner, the high priority that it commands currently. And more importantly, IT IS THE GOVERNMENT OF GUYANA THAT IS PUSHING FOR THE GAS-TOSHORE PROJECT, against the advice of its intimate oil partner (Exxon), and against the clear messages from writings on the wall (climate change and renewables). Why is this so? Why is it that this sound advice from experts who are in the know, who have the sharpest oil visions, is ignored and dismissed so recklessly? Why this unseemly leadership rush, this costly, dangerous leadership road travelled so heedlessly? The leaders of the Government of Guyana, there is only one that counts, have decided that it is this gas-to-shore project come hell or the highest floodwater, and it doesn’t matter what anybody says or recommends, be they Exxon, or Kaieteur News locally, or the world at large. What is in it for our leaders that they throw caution to the winds and wise advice behind them to push ahead with this expensive project, of which we know so little about, except that it is secret and riddled with the suspicious and sinister? It has to be something big, and with nearly a billion US dollars involved, there is the promise of one of the biggest oil paydays for corrupt leaders and their corrupt cliques. Why do they still rush forward pell-mell in this headstrong manner when, as our second revealing headline confirmed what we have said time and again? That is, the systems for robust oversight, for modern policies and standards, and for ethical management are far from satisfactory. In fact, that our “systems to realise maximum value” for Guyana with this oil blessing leave so much to be desired. Because the systems are weak, and when systems are weak, they are exploitable by crooked politicians, crooked managers on the ground, and crooked workers. When systems are weak, then anybody that is half-smart, and not even that much, can and will find ways to devastate the rich promise that this oil wealth holds. The outlook is grim, the reality likely to be draining and destructive. Guyana President, Vice President, and Minister of Natural Resources all know that our systems to get the best from our oil are weak, are porous, are antiquated and dilapidated, yet they, with the Vice President far in the forefront, could care less. It is like building the hugest of structures without so much as preparing the foundation, without getting the right expert guidance on how to do so with authoritative blueprints, and without searching for the right people to captain what follows, and be done only one way: the right way. When the Guyana Government pushes ahead unthinkingly and shockingly, against offered advice, then a looming tragedy waits to descend on the heads of all Guyanese citizens.
“Because we care” Govt. must ask for renegotiation of the oil contract so people would not rely on handouts for survival Dear Editor, Nothing is wrong with giving out money to poor people under the banner of “Because We Care (BWC).” And it is simply wrong for that PNC Member of Parliament - a big wig in the Te a c h e r s U n i o n - t o discourage teachers from assisting with the distribution of the money. Criticising the giving out of money to poor people in these hard guava season times would not be smart. I prefer cash transfers to the poor instead of political crooks thieving out the money in various guises. It’s better for cash grants to go to the people than for greedy politicians to carry an Allion in their mouth (as one politician described a Minister doing expensive dental work at the State’s
expense) or a Minister wearing an Allion on his wrist (referring to expensive gifts a Minister appropriated to himself at taxpayers’ expense). The cash grant is somewhat similar to “The Enhanced Child Tax Credit” now being doled out to families in the USA. The government gives US$3,600 (G$756,000) for each child under six or $3,000 (G$630,000) for children ages six to 17. That being said, the Ministry has failed to show how the BWC programme is tied to any educational objective in the National Education Plan. Where is the new educational plan to drive equity, innovation and reform of our education system? Is this not a priority of the Ministry? An
Education Ministry simply should not dole out billions and it’s not tied to some specific pedagogical or curriculum, instructional, assessment or technology objectives and outcomes that make it a specific activity to be done under the banner of the Education Ministry. The failure of successive Governments is they do “bean counting,” advertising the inputs they have made into programmes such as was done for the NGSA. That’s one side of the equation. Smart, professional educators also measure programme impact and outcomes. What measurable educational outcomes or impact was the BWC designed to accomplish? If the goal was simply to give parents an extra small piece because of hard times,
why did we not consider giving out these funds at the same time we were giving out the COVID relief funds, to avoid parallel and multiple processes, and the extra related administrative costs to share out the money? All these multiple interactions with groups of people sacrifice efficiency and are insensitive to the need to reduce group interactions to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. We are “ w o r k i n g h a r d e r, n o t smarter.” Additionally, the virus has revealed the deep digital divide between the urban and rural/interior areas. An urgent educational need is to provide tablets or computers to every student, and provide free or affordable and functional Internet. This was (Continued on page 6)
Sunday July 18, 2021
I applaud Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha Dear Editor, I applaud Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha for his forthright response (Jul 17) to a letter in the press (Jul 16) regarding pump station tendering and awarding of contracts. I thank him for explaining how a contract is awarded. In his letter, Mr Mustapha stated that the NDIA has no role in the tendering process. He said that “NPTAB deals with such matters”. He further stated that the NPTAB, after an independent evaluation, awards a contract to the lowest bidder. And he made reference to the sheet piling contract which is being retendered. Based on the Minister ’s explanation, NPTAB would be in violation of rules for not awarding contract to lowest bidder. The sheet piling contract was awarded to Dax (owned by one Mr F. Mohamed) whose bid was number 7 of 10 bids in terms of lowest pricing. Dax’s bid was near $211 Million, some 39 millions more
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than Roopan Investments whose bid was just over $172 M. Other bids that were less than Dax included Jagmohan, Original Trading, Yunus, Fix It, and M&B. Yet the contract was awarded to Dax in a June 17 memo and cancelled this week. Why? Is it because Dax can no longer fulfill the contract as price of sheet piling has gone up significantly since the original tendering some six months ago? It was tendered last November, canceled and re-tendered earlier this year, now canceled and retendered again. Why? Is it to facilitate a contract obligation? Has Dax violated contractual obligations? Would the mandatory bid security for this project the sum of $4M, be forfeited by the government as required by tendering regulation? Careful attention will be paid to this re-tendering and evaluation of the pump station tenders. Yours truly, Sharmila Ally
Competency, integrity and commitment needed to return Georgetown to Garden City status Dear Editor, As someone who remembers not that very long ago, when Georgetown was celebrated as the ‘Garden City’ and the envy of the Caribbean, when the city’s drains and alleys were routinely cleaned, with the Guyana Fire Service being co-opted by the City Council to regularly power wash the pavements and flush the wide canals, when the roads, streets and avenues were well maintained, the streets and pavements particularly in the commercial areas were kept free of itinerant and stationary vendors allowing persons to walk the streets freely without being harassed, when the parapets were well manicured and the trees along the streets were pruned and trimmed, flowering and providing
shade, when the Le Repentir Cemetery was like a huge park with palms and other trees lining the roadways and beautiful flowers on the parapets, when the various municipal markets were kept clean and safe from petty thieves, and when it was a pleasure to shop in them, I sit and shake my head and wonder how we got into this absolutely disgusting, chaotic and abominable state. Could it just be as a result of sheer incompetence, laziness, inexperience, and a lack of vision? Is it just criminal negligence or is it as a result of intentional sabotage, malevolence and corruption? The drainage system has all but collapsed causing flooding each and every day
that it rains, the roads which are not maintained by central government are all broken up, garbage collection which has been contracted out at an exorbitant cost is becoming sporadic, no longer are the parapets weeded even though the Council has many fancy brush cutters, the markets have become slums, mosquitoes have pervaded the city and with rats taking over the markets feeding off of the mounds of garbage around them, and the Le Repentir Cemetery has apparently become part of the Amazon jungle. A visit to the Stabroek Market area at night is a most confusing, frightening and devastating experience. There is loud obscene music coming from every direction, there are vendors everywhere harassing persons at every
turn, thieves casually relieving individuals of their personal belongings, three card and chic chic board men are leaving many persons with empty pockets through sleight of hand. The question is when and how will this all end? Guyana is being transformed. It is time that the Local Government Commission understands that the present cadre of senior officers of the Council is either most unwilling or completely incapable of saving Georgetown. They have to hire a new breed and batch of persons with the competence, integrity and commitment to making Georgetown earn the accolade of being the Garden City once again. Yours faithfully Modi Sankar
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Mayor Narine seems too preoccupied in verbal battles with central government Dear Editor, It is extraordinary that the Mayor and City Councillors can find money to hire a lawyer to represent the Acting Town Clerk, Ms. Sherry Jerrick, at the Local Government Commission but do not have money to do basic sanitation work in the city, and to pay workers deductions at the National Insurance Scheme and the Guyana Revenue Authority. A few nights ago, the Mayor, Mr. Ubraj Narine, appeared on HGTV Nightly News and represented the position taken by the Council against the Local Government Commission’s request to the Acting Town Clerk, for her to show cause why she should not be disciplined for professional negligence, for not preparing and submitting the Council’s Asset Register. In that newscast, the Mayor said words to the effect that the Commission has no authority to deal with such matters as the Council’s Asset Register. And that it is the Council’s Asset Register and as such the Commission could not blame the Town Clerk for not producing it. However, two things are glaringly wrong with the Mayor’s comments. First, this request for the Council’s Asset Register was made by the Local Government Commission chaired by Mr. Mortimer Mingo, in 2019. At that time, Mrs. Sharon Harry-Munroe was the Acting Town Clerk of the Council. She was unable to produce that document in the requested time. As a result
of that and other alleged shortcomings, that Commission, after having her on a long and embarrassing period of administrative leave, terminated her service. The records of the council will show that the very mayor, Mr. Narine, who is now publicly challenging the Commission, and threatening to go to court, did not say to that Commission, chaired by Mr. Mingo, in 2019, that it had no authority to request the Asset Register. And Mrs. HarryMunroe, was never even asked, about, let alone afforded, legal representation by the Council. Why? Because they wanted her off the job. Not too long after the termination of her service, the council attempted to recruit, through an inadequate and shambolic process, handpicked individuals to fill certain vacancies including, the position of the Town Clerk; they failed. In the instant case, involving Ms. Jerrick, not only is the council attempting to say to the Commission that it does not have the authority but has instructed the Acting Town Clerk to take a lawyer of her choice. They did that at the last Statutory Meeting, held Monday July 12, 2021, without any regards to the cost. It is an unfortunate and unfair action of the council. While citizens have to wade through storm water in certain parts of the city whenever it rains, and contend with garbage almost everywhere, in Georgetown, the mayor found the money to hire a
lawyer to deal with this matter. While roofs on market are like sieves during rains, the only Abattoir in this city is a public health hazard, and the Mayoral Complex is in a state of disrepair, the mayor can proudly hire a lawyer to fight the Commission. It is unbelievable. Worse, in this period of Covid-19, the Council has taken a decision to make hundreds of workers (all women, some single parents) from its Day Care Service, and General Works Department (able-bodied men and women) redundant because it claimed that it can’t find the money to keep them on staff. But, the council can find hundreds of thousands of dollars, to hire a lawyer to represent one officer in what is basically a purely administrative matter. It is disgusting to say the least and scandalous at worse. How is it that the council do not have money to assist staff but have enough to hire lawyers to defend matters that do not add value to the service they are providing to the public (they hired lawyers to get the current city engineer dismissed; they lost the case, they hire lawyers to get handpicked individuals to fill top posts; that matter is before the courts). This document was requested since 2019. Up until now, in 2021, nothing has been sent to the Commission. One must wonder why the fuss and spare no expense attitude by the Mayor to protect a particular officer, while he and a small clique of councillors attempted to have
Good development with roads, bad ones at the sides of them Dear Editor, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, the Guyana Government, and the Minister of Public Works must come in for high praise for the transformational road projects that they are undertaking. The new roadways along the East Bank Demerara, the one from Parika to the planned new Harbour Bridge across the Demerara River that will connect the West Bank to East Bank and the East Coast road that will be connecting with the East Bank are all so necessary. It is visionary leadership. Their vision to build new roads will open up vast areas of the country for housing development away from the main public road and the coast. It will also allow for farming and for other aspects of development. However, there is a serious problem developing
in all of this development, one that has to be addressed now or else it will get further out of hand. A number of unscrupulous individuals have decided to indiscriminately occupy the verges of these new highways creating a nightmare for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. These persons, many of whom own trucks, park them at the sides of the roads blocking entirely the pedestrians and cyclists paths, some even decide to erect tents along with their trucks and vend all day, from fruits to vegetables, whilst others operate as butcheries selling every type of meat even slaughtering chickens right there. Others sell dog food. Not only are they encumbrances and traffic hazards, but they are also very unsightly. Some even set up roadside mechanic shops
with large trucks being repaired right there at the side of the highways. At Providence, there is a nice little tourism hub being developed in the area known as ‘Red Road’ and the East Bank highway with a hotel, casino and movie theatre now being joined by a spanking new mall, gym and supermarket. But alas! There is now a most hideous row of more than 20 shacks that have appeared along the roadway giving the entire area a slum appearance. This is most unfortunate and needs to be corrected immediately not just for aesthetics but for safety of persons visiting the area, particularly at night. We have to decide if we are serious about developing Guyana as a tourism destination. Sincerely, Anu Bihari
others dismissed, including the current City Engineer. One must wonder too the effect this is having on the morale of other officers and workers at the Georgetown City Council. Stunningly, the Mayor of Guyana’s capital appears not to know basic things about how the Georgetown municipality operates. Two examples: The Mayor seems to be unaware that a substantial part of the responsibility of the Town Clerk, who is the Chief Administrator of the Council and secretary to all the committees of the council, is concerned with archives, records and documents. In Chap 28:01, it says that the Clerk “… shall have the charge and custody of, and be responsible for, all charts, deeds, records and other documents belonging to the council which shall be kept as the council may direct.” The question is if it is not the responsibility of the Town Clerk to have an Asset Register for the council, as the mayor is claiming then he must say whose responsibility it is. Who should the Commission look to for such an important document? The Act is very clear. The next example is the
utterances by the mayor about the lack of authority of the Commission to request certain documents. It is true that the Commission does not have authority over elected Councilors; the mayor is a councillor who has been elected chairman of the council. But the Commission, in a real way, has powers over all human resources and related matters. However, according to Act 2013, under functions of the Commission, “Section 13 (I) The Commission shall have power to deal with all matters relating to the regulation and staffing of local government organs including employment and dismissal of staff and with dispute resolution within and between local government organs, and in particular shall - (a) monitor; and review the performance and implementation of policies of all local government organs, including policies of taxation and protection of the environment: (b) monitor, evaluate and make recommendations on policies, procedures and practices of all local government organs in order to promote effective local governance…” Also, under Miscellaneous at “28. The Commission may require a local government organ to
furnish to it at intervals as may be specified and at other times as the Commission may require a detailed report of finances and activities in the form and containing the particulars as the Commission may specify.” And, at “27. It shall be the duty of every local government organ to cooperate with the Commission, its officers and employees in the discharge of their functions and for that purpose, to comply with all requests made or directions given by the Commission or its officers and employees.” In the face of a deteriorating city and poor municipal services, the mayor is constantly involved in public verbal battles with the government, other bodies and even some officers of the council. Councillors seem unable to do anything about all that is happening at City Hall. It is as if the council has gone rogue with no clear sense of direction and purpose. In this 21st century citizens continue not only to be embarrassed with the state of the City, but the public health of their communities is being put at risk by a council that appears leaderless and visionless. Yours truly, Anthony Subner
Farmers invest much in crops, police must support them Dear Editor, I read with deep sadness the killing of Mr. Aubrey Jonas, a farmer, allegedly by his nephew, twenty-sevenyear-old Melroy Moore, both of Leguan. This is really tragic, but it raises another issue that our police force does not take seriously. That is the issue of praedial larceny. This offence raises great passion in farmers. This is
understandable. After all crops take time to grow. In the process farmers invest a lot of time in nursing their crops. It is quite a lot of work and demands care and patience. It is only natural that they become incredibly angry when their crops are stolen. To add to their anger and frustration is the way the police deal with this crime. Often, they ignore the
farmers, giving them little attention or satisfaction. This is a very dangerous and tense situation existing in all the farming communities on our coastal areas. I urge the police to take steps to send a strong message to the larcenists. Otherwise, we can have many more Jonas/ Moore situations. Yours truly, Rafeena Nazim
...“Because we care” Govt. must ask for From page 4 the apt time for the Government to reintroduce the one laptop programme or one tablet per student. That would have been a clear educational objective. The decision to convert the dedicated $4,000 school uniform voucher (which is clearly an educational objective) to a cash grant removes the educational objective inherent in the school uniform programme. It now makes it “mad money” for parents to do miscellaneous spending. So this did not have to necessarily be a Ministry of Education activity. The Department of Public Information reported that the Minister gave an example of how families may need to expend the monies in different
ways to enable the academic advancement of their children. “A mother stood up and said that she is going to buy a black tank with her grant because with a black tank, her children can get water in the house, and they don’t have to come out at nights when they are studying to use water downstairs. They would no longer have to get up early in the morning to fetch water upstairs. So, people use it for different sort of reasons, but it will be to the benefit of the children and to the family,” the Minister posited. This explanation is so hilarious. Should the Minister not worry why in this 21st century, 55 years after Independence, in the richest country in CARICOM, our Government has us getting up
early to go fetch water, while Exxon, Hess and CNOOC are eating our breakfast, lunch, and dinner and laughing all the way to the bank? What is to stop a family with four children from receiving $76,000 to go buy a big screen TV for mommy to watch “The Young and the Restless?” Or for Daddy to buy liquor or dope? Government policies and practices must make sense. I urge the government to move from gimmickry to renegotiating the oil contract so that Guyana gets more money to meet the multitude of needs of our people. That’s an authentic action that would truly show that “we care.” Sincerely, Dr. Jerry Jailall
T N U L B . . . T B N U T L N B T . U . L . L T B . . N . U N U T L N B . U T . . L N N U T B . U . N . L U BL BLUHow Tcan sanctity ofNaTcontract B . . T N . T N U . U L . . L B . T B . . . . N . T play a role in anything thatN U T N T U N U L L U B begins and ends with . L B . . . . B . T . . T . N N T illegality? It was attorney U N L LU U B . N L . . U Chris Ram asking that B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L T billion-dollar question. U B . N L U T.. UNT...B L N B . . U . L T B . N L . Since the contract originated . U B . T L . . N .Billegal, then it’s...B .the U NT LUNTin.foundation L very U L B T . . has no legal . N B . T . U . N L T U B . N standing. And the whole thing L . . U B T . L . . N B T . U . is not only a financial profanity, . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . but also a legal profanity. L . . N B T . U L . . N B T . U . . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . So, when something is L B T.. byUsoNmuch . UN .BLUNsurrounded L . . B T . . . T N L . . U B T . profanity, how can anyone L . . N B T . U . . N L B T . U speak of sanctityU of N contract? . . L T B . N L . . U B T How can any court uphold . L . . N B T . U . . N L B T . on the basis of sanctity of U . . N L T U B . N L . . U B contract,..when the whole T . L N B T . U . . N L T . thing has been nothing U B . . N L T U B . N L . . U B but illegality? T . L . . N B T . U . BBL T...BLUN .BLUNT. T...BLU . . N N T T L U U N L L U B U T...BLU B L . . N . B . T . . N T U N N N U L U U B L . BL TLUNT.. UNT...B BL Sunday July 18, 2021
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Talent Search Finalists to get tips from Grammy Award Winning Guyanese Artiste, Saint Jhn – Minister Guyana’s Talent Search Finalists will be getting tips from Grammy Award-winning Guyanese rapper, producer and songwriter, Saint Jhn, as the talent show winds down tomorrow. This was disclosed by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr. this morning during an interview on HJ 94.1 Boom FM. “I’ve just concluded discussions with Saint Jhn. [He] has agreed to do an interview with all of the finalists. I think that will be a huge boost for them because he’s our own, and he’s internationally recognised – Grammy winner, Billboard awards, and a number of international awards. So, the finalists will be able to have a call with him, meet with him – and he’s got such a profound understanding of talent development. He’s a very sharp individual,”
the Minister said. He noted that the opportunity to benefit from discussions with Saint Jhn is just one of the prizes that the talent finalists will receive. He added that the Ministry’s intention from the beginning of the competition was to not just have one contestant emerge victorious but to motivate all of the finalists to further develop their talent. “They’re all winners, but there’s no one single prize that is larger than the other – they all get the same… The final is tomorrow, and we want everyone to look, share and give those young talented Guyanese a lot of good energy and love. They worked hard,” he noted. Carlos St. John Phillips, known professionally as Saint Jhn (stylized as SAINt JHN), is a Guyanese-American rapper, singer, songwriter,
Guyanese Grammy Award winning rapper, producer and songwriter, Saint JHN and the Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sport, Charles Ramson Jnr. during a recent meeting and record producer. He released his first album under the Saint Jhn moniker, Collection One, in March 2018. He is best known for his single “Roses,” initially re-
leased in 2016. A 2019 remix of “Roses” by Kazakh DJ Imanbek helped the song become a worldwide hit; reaching the top 5 of the US Billboard Hot
100 and topped the charts in Australia, the Netherlands, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Prior, John wrote songs for a number of acts, including Jidenna,
Hoodie Allen, Usher, and Kiesza, among others. Notably, he also copped two awards at the 63rd Annual Grammy. (www.guyanastandard.com)
Sunday July 18, 2021
Teen arrested for possession of firearm
P
olice ranks have ar rested 20-year-old Kylie Small, of 86 Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, for having in his possession an unlicensed firearm. According to reports, police were on patrol in the Stabroek Market area, Water Street, Georgetown, when they saw him acting in a suspicious manner; he was confronted and a search carried out on him. A Glock .40 pistol with serial number 3453901 and five live matching rounds was found in his possession. When questioned if he was a holder of a licence authorising him to carry arms and ammunition, he answered in the negative.
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Kaieteur News
Glock 40mm Pistol with five matching rounds.
He was told of the offence committed, arrested and escorted to Brickdam Police Station’s Criminal Investigation Department, where
the firearm and ammunition were marked and sealed in his presence. Investigations are ongoing.
Dem boys seh...
Knack-off gat to be in writing! Dem boys read about somebody at O Pee who get overpay $3.9M and how de money plus de taxes wah de person pay nah get recover as yet. Dem boys read how it seh how when de Hap-New come in power, dem send de person off pon leave and when de person kantract done, de person bin still receiving money even though de person nah deh pon de wuk So wat deh fuh recover? De person nah gat to pay back nuttin’ as far as dem
boys concern. If me and you gat wan kantract and you nah write me and tell me how yuh nah renewing me kantract, it means de kantract get renew. So what money de person gat fuh repay? Nah blame de person because somebody nah do de paper wuk fuh stap de payments. Nuff people does have dem kantract renew after de expiry date of de last kantract. But dah nah mean dem muss nat get pay. Dem had a diplomat wah bin supposed to resign when de government change. But
he hold he hand and nah submit no resignation. And by the time dem decide fuh write he, fuh tell he how he services no longer require, he sue dem and win millions. Is a strange world we live in! Like de case of de man who get ketch pon de wuk. De boss walk in and ketch he kissing he secretary. De boss shout at he, “Is this what I pay you for?” De employee reply: “No, sir, this I do free of charge.” Talk half and no stooping nor padooping pon de wuk!
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Sunday July 18, 2021
Kaieteur News
Shore Base employees fired after complaining Several persons who were employed at the Guyana Shore Base Incorporation (GYSBI) were on Friday fired after complaints were made and an article was published by Kaieteur News. The persons stated a number of them received a letter of termination without any explanation and that they are being victimised. Kaieteur News published an article on Friday, which stated that local employees attached to GYSBI complained about being paid less than expatriates (expats) for doing the same job within the company. Yesterday morning some of the persons provided this
publication with their letter of termination, which was distributed to several persons but was under one person’s name only.No explanation was given in the letter as to why the persons are being fired and they stated that when they sought such from the Human Resources Manager of the company, he told them that everything is in the letter. A number of local workers from the company visited Kaieteur News on Wednesday and voiced several issues that they are being faced within the company. The workers claimed that during conversations with some of the expats, they were made to understand that they are be-
ing paid less than the expats who are working in the same field as they are and stated that this act is “very unfair” and that as local employees, they are being taken advantage of by the company. Some of the workers presented their payslips to this publication and it showed that the senior workers are being paid $210,000 net with the gross being $230,000, the workers claimed that “we are seeing nothing close to what the foreigners are seeing and it’s very unfair to us.” A general labourer who has been employed at the company for over five months said that he is yet to receive his increase in pay-
Guyana Shore Base Incorporation (GYSBI).
ment after his three-month probation, which was up over a month ago. He further stated that he is currently being paid $150,000 gross and $118,000 net and that his transportation fee alone amounts to $80,000 per
month, leaving him with only $38,000 to manage his family and also to pay rent. “No overtime, one standard payment for 12 hours and we work every day including holidays,” one of the workers stated. Additionally, the workers stated that when they attempted to address these issues with the HR of the company, the responses received were not favourable. Guyana Shore Base Inc. provides specialised shore base management and integrated logis-
tics services for operators in Guyana’s Petroleum Industry. GYSBI has become known as a leader in supporting offshore oil and gas operations and related services for Guyana’s developing Petroleum Industry. The GYSBI’s website discloses that there are over 350 employees and that it maintains an average of 95% local workforce. Several attempts were made by this publication to contact the company and verify the workers’ complaints but all calls went unanswered.
Armed bandits rob business owner A businesswoman was robbed on Friday night after armed bandits stormed her grocery. According to a police report, a 57-year-old businesswoman of Rockstone Junction, Region Ten, was at her place of sale located at the Rockstone/Mabura Access Road. The woman was in the company of her grandson, when three suspects rode up to her shop with two Honda XR motorcycles, which were void of any number plates, at 22:00hrs. One of the suspects, who was dressed in a grey hoodie, was known to the victim. The suspect supposedly went up to her and purchased one pack of cigarettes, two waters and a tin of Canada Dry. He then went to his two accomplices who were dressed in the dark hoodies and dark colour jerseys with their faces exposed. They then rolled a joint and began smoking. The victim then went into her room where she would normally sleep and saw the suspects ride off, heading in the direction of Mabura. About 20 minutes later, the area became quiet, but was in an uproar soon, after her dogs began to bark continuously in the back yard. Seen that the back yard is surrounded by thick vegetation, the victim’s grandson armed himself with a cutlass and ventured outside into the dark. As he was making checks, he was accosted by one of the suspects whom he knows from Kuru Kuru. Said suspect then reportedly choked him and pointed a handgun to his head.
The two other suspects, whose faces were now tied with black jerseys, came out of their hiding spots within the thick vegetation. One of the suspects was armed with a handgun as well as his accomplice, who had a longer handgun in his possession. The suspects then took him to the shop and told him not to make any noise. They then barged in and confronted the owner whom they told to lie down and she complied. They then began to take off the woman’s gold chain, valued $150,000, her gold ring valued $60,000 and six gold studs valued $30,000. The suspects then went to the shop counter where the shop owner keeps her money bowl. One Samsung Note 5 cellular phone, valued $90,000, one BLU Smart phone value $22,000, one Logic Smart phone valued $26,000 cash, one Ique phone valued $6,000, one BLU cellular phone valued $20,000, along with three $500 GTT phone cards were also present on the counter. The suspects grabbed the articles and ran out of the building, escaping through the rear of the shop into the dark. The victim raised an alarm and alerted a car driver who made efforts to apprehend the men but same proved futile since they rode away with their motorcycles further in the trail. Ranks from Mabura Police Outpost were summoned and they are currently out in the district making checks for the suspects. Statements were taken and investigations are continuing.
Sunday July 18, 2021
Kaieteur News
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Sunday July 18, 2021
Kaieteur News
Guyana deemed vital for future of Caribbean - Says CBD President; Senior Associate at geopolitics Center for Strategic and International Studies P
resident of the Car ibbean Develop ment Bank (CDB), Dr. Hyginus ‘Gene’ Leon, in an recent interview with the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN) noted that, with revenues from its booming oil and gas sector and its projected longterm growth trajectory, Guyana is expected to play a lead role in the Caribbean region’s development in the coming years and that all eyes are on Guyana for cooperation and assistance in taking the Caribbean region forward. The CBD President noted, “Guyana at this stage—at what I would describe as the cusp of a very significant shift in its growth trajectory long term—is also, by extension, at the cusp of being able to marshal the effort to help the Region in terms of going forward, and the CDB is equally at the same point where it would like to bring that to-
gether and coordinate that very focus of development…I think that Guyana becomes a natural ally and partner, both in that sense in terms of its own development and pushing regional development and cooperation to different heights.” In 2020, Guyana was the only borrowing member of the Bank and within the Caribbean to record economic growth, at a whopping 26 percent, solely due to the startup of oil production. The position of the CBD President as it relates to Guyana’s importance to the Caribbean seemed to hardly be an isolated one. According to a recent article by Senior Associate at CSIS, Scott B Macdonald, the southern Caribbean is undergoing changes, pushed along by the discovery of significant commercial offshore oil finds in the Guiana Shield, the impact of the Covid-19 pan-
demic on regional economies, and a slide into a new Cold War-like situation between the U.S. and China. The article further contends that the petro state of Guyana is central to this development as a lynchpin for the Southern Caribbean’s geopolitics. First and foremost is the discovery of oil offshore Guyana. It is estimated that Guyana’s oil output could reach 1.2 million bpd by 2030, which would make it a rival to Venezuela, where production has radically declined. That could generate billions of dollars in revenues, catapulting what many had regarded as an economic backwater into petro-state status and those changes would bring greater political and economic weight in Caribbean affairs. Guyana’s nascent transformation from one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere into a heavyweight energy pro-
ducer has brought the world knocking on the country’s door. The U.S. has been active in providing support to Guyana, but the country has also gained greater attention from European and Asian countries, including China and India. President Nicolás Maduro has revived the long harboured claims of roughly two-thirds of the Englishspeaking country. Venezuela’s bellicosity derives from two things. The Maduro regime needs something to unify the country. During his time in office, the country has suffered from hyper-inflation, a multi-year
massive contraction of the economy, scarcity of basic staples, and a breakdown in law and order, which has led to over 5 million refugees fleeing what once was the wealthiest country in Latin America. Renewing old claims on Guyana seeks to stir up nationalist passions and take some of the heat off the corrupt regime. Placing pressure on Guyana also allows Maduro an opportunity to strike back in some way against the US, which he regards as the bane of his regime. This has also been a factor in bringing in other external actors into the Carib-
bean; Venezuela’s growing ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran, another erstwhile US rival, has heightened tensions as the Middle Eastern country earlier sent tankers filled with gasoline and in June sent a shipment of seven highspeed missile boats to its Latin American ally. In June 2021, Guyana was the host for Operation Tradewinds, a multinational military exercise, involving military forces from the U.S., the Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, France, Jamaica, the Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom which served to send a signal to Venezuela’s Maduro regime that Guyana has friends, who will show up if the larger country threatens to act on its border claim. Since the early 2000s, China has emerged as a major economic force in the region, including being a major backer of the Maduro regime. This has resulted in a slide into a Cold War-like jousting between the US and China over influence in the Caribbean. China is also a key (Continued on page 14)
Sunday July 18, 2021
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Kaieteur News
BLUNTNESS ON INDECENCY! In case you haven’t heard, please be informed that as part of our continued effort to channel positive changes in our country, our publisher, Mr. Glenn Lall, has dedicated our Page Seven to be “BLUNT” about on-going indecency in our land that should matter, not only to us at this publication, but the entire nation. SUNDAY In his inaugural address, President Ali promised all Guyanese, to be a good listener, even to the smallest citizen. We are helping President Ali, by making it easier for him to live up to that promise, as it relates to our oil wealth. On a daily basis, we have been carrying pictures of the ordinary Guyanese carrying placards calling for the PPP government led by President Ali to renegotiate this disastrous and hope-destroying oil contract. Guyanese from all walks of life have put their faces and dreams on those simple placards calling for renegotiation of the contract. Where are you now, President Ali? Guyana calls on you, cries out to you, be there for us. Where are you now? And what are you going to do about that sick contract? MONDAY Look at our backward and foolish political leaders. The opposition filed a noconfidence motion in Parliament against two government ministers. Now the government turns around and threatens to file a no-confidence motion against the Opposition Leader. Guyana, isn’t this shameful? Exxon is ripping us off, and the PPP and APNU+AFC Coalition are busy ripping each other’s throats out. Are these guys for real? Surely, they can’t be this irresponsible and shameless?
TUESDAY While we are hopeful that President, Irfaan Ali, has Guyana’s best interests at heart, there are occasions that his utterances are worrisome. The latest was when he publicly praised the “valuable” and “respectful” relationship of the United States for Guyana. But he has got to be the Guyanese man from Mars to take a position like that save for elections help. If it is that the US was really such a “valuable” relationship, then it would have jumped right in and pressed Exxon: don’t treat Guyana this way. It is embarrassing to the American ideal of fair play. Don’t be this greedy, as it makes all Americans look like ripoff artists, and gives business a bad name. But the US is not doing so. If the US was truly “respectful” of our oil dreams and aspirations, then it would work behind the scenes to get Exxon to make some concessions. But it has not. We hope that President Ali is not next going to say the same of Exxon: that it is a “valuable” and “respectful” relationship. WEDNESDAY It is said discretion is the better part of valour, which is what vendors around ‘Big’ Market are learning the hard way. Should they dare to speak out, or even signal victims that they are about to be robbed, they will pay the price in pain and fear. In fact, one
PM contradicts man’s claim of being assaulted On Thursday, at approximately 05:30hours, ranks observed a man lying on the southern side of the Haslington Public Road, East Coast Demerara with injuries to his head. The man stated whilst he was still alive that he was lashed to the head by someone, however, after he succumbed to his injuries, the post-mortem gave the cause of his death as injuries due to motor vehicular accidents. The now deceased is identified as Amrow Liverpool, 48, of Haslington, East Coast Demerara. Kaieteur News understands that an anonymous call was made to the Cove and John Police Station and the caller related that there was a man lying on the parapet of the Haslington Public Road.
Upon arrival, the ranks observed the man lying with injuries to his head, crying for pains, the man alleged that the injuries were as a result of a “lash”, which he was dealt with by someone. Mr. Liverpool was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he was seen and admitted but later succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment. A post-mortem examination was held on Thursday, by government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh in the presence of a relative of the deceased and the police. Dr. Singh gave the cause of the death of Mr. Amrow Liverpool as multiple injuries due to a motor vehicular accident. His body was handed over to his family for funeral arrangements.
vendor who was so bold was slapped by a vengeful bandit for speaking out. As a result, market vendors who see and know, stay silent. We would like to see how silent the Guyana Police Force public relations pros remain on this matter and what spin they will put on what happens at will and daily at ‘Big’ Market square. People are endangered and action is needed now. DO NOT SPIN THIS GPF! Guyanese need to be protected! This lawlessness is unbearable! THURSDAY In Tuesday’s KN, Chris Ram said, “PPP/C must decide if it will stand with the country or oil companies.” As
wise as Mr. Ram is, we are ahead of him on this one. PPP leaders have already decided. They are with the oil companies. Country? What is that and who cares about those living in Guyana? Certainly, is it not the PPP whose record confirms how the party and its leaders in government have tied bundle with the oil companies? Unless a miracle happens, Guyanese will be left to suck salt on this oil. FRIDAY Guyana’s senior finance man, Dr. Ashni Singh, shared that his “government will ensure diverse, resilient economy” to the visiting CDB (Caribbean Development Bank) people. He can mislead
them, but Dr. Singh cannot mislead us. The question is: for whom? Certainly, he is not talking of the hungry poor people of Guyana? Or the many Guyanese youth without a job? He definitely has in mind the private sector bigshots, who line up to collect their rich piece of the action. And the foreign predators who flock to Guyana, now that they smell oil, all the way at wherever they are. A diverse resilient economy it will be for them. But for bottom of the barrel Guyanese, it will be more frustrating waiting and hoping, and more of the same old disappointment. SATURDAY
What is happening in this country, where nobody wants to answer any honest inquiry? When the news is sweet and positive, everybody knocking other people standing in their way, so that they can get to promote themselves. When the news is rough and negative, they tumble people out of the way in their rush to the door, to avoid providing any answers, staking any position. Things are so strange, that even the Guyana Police Force now marches to this drumbeat. Are we, thee Guyanese people, ever going to be treated like sensible people, given our due?
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Sunday July 18, 2021
Kaieteur News
Ministers Mustapha and Nandlall meeting with farmers yesterday.
West Bank Berbice lands to be divided and zoned to avoid age old cattle/rice conflict Cattle, rice and cash crop farmers yesterday met with Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, and Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, to arrive at a solution that will ultimately put to rest the age old dispute between them. Farmers from two groups, Shieldstown and Rampoor, West Bank Berbice, gathered at the MMA Boardroom. Based on what was discussed, Minister Mustapha disclosed that the lands at Shieldstown and Rampoor will be divided and zoned to prevent the continuation of the cattle/rice dispute; this he said was agreed upon by the farmers who met with them on Saturday. “I have instructed the Manager of MMA to conduct a survey so we can start the division of the land and structural work can commence,” Minister Mustapha said. Minister Mustapha further divulged that it was agreed upon “to work together and push to resolve matter.” One group of farmers has formed into a co-op and the cattle farmers will be doing so as well. He added that he is hopeful that the matter can be resolved within the next two months.
According to the AG, “we went to court after the government changed because the previous government wanted to allocate the land to other persons though these cattle farmers were in occupation of this land for decades. We went to court and that prevented the allocation of the land to third parties. Now that we are back in government we have promised to bring both sides together and try to work out a solution.” He added that they had tried for a number of years to arrive at a compromise and to bring to an end the controversy but “I failed.” Minister Nandlall stated that once there is an understanding, the land will be divided “in an acceptable way” based on what was agreed upon by the farmers. “We will regularise the occupation by the issuance of licence or some form of lease until we can have more lands for them,” the AG said. Over 100 farmers will stand to benefit once the matter can be resolved. Meanwhile, Minister Mustapha revealed that an investor will soon be establishing a pasteurisation plant in the MMA as agriculture moves to widen its horizons.
Guyana deemed vital... From page 12 support (within limits) for Cuba, another country the US has issues. The US was slow in recognising the economic and strategic challenge of China and the potential for a “pivot to China” by Caribbean governments’ need for finance to develop critical infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, airports and harbours. In Guyana, China has emerged as an important source of financing and constructing of infrastructure, including the Arthur Chung Convention Centre and an expansion project at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. The article continues by saying that though the world is going green, it will still need oil and natural gas for some time to come. Such like-
lihood makes Guyana one of the most important players to regional development and foreign markets. It concludes that Guyana is a key pivot: it shares borders with Venezuela; is seeking to upgrade economic relations with its neighbour Suriname, which has large oil reserves; can be part of an effort along with other Caribbean oil and natural gas producers Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname to drive a regional energy security agenda; and has the ear of the US and China (despite their rivalry in the region). This imposes a responsibility on Guyana to maintain its own political stability, make wise choices in its friends and allies and to emerge as a more influential actor in regional affairs.
Sunday July 18, 2021
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Datadin responds to Myers libel suit, refutes claim of defamation Attorney-at-law, Sanjeev Datadin, intends to defend himself against the defamation claims filed by Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Roxanne Myers. Last month, Myers, initiated legal proceeding against Datadin, an attorney and People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament (MP) and online media entity, News Room, claiming in excess of $150M in damages for libel. According to court documents drafted by her lawyer, Nigel Hughes, and seen by this newspaper, the DCEO is suing for statements made by Datadin in a news interview done on March 6, 2020 and published by News Room. According to Myers claim, Datadin used words to the effect that, “the Deputy CEO has been saying that no one is allowed to serve any orders” and the “DCEO is still refusing to let anyone into the
building and specifically refusing to allow the marshals in to serve” which was meant to convey that she in effect acted illegally and corruptly in the performance of her duties and barred court marshals from serving legal documents of operatives of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). In a written defense filed this week, Datadin said that he either accepts or denies the statements contained in the matter filed by Myers. He contends inter alia that the document served on him is statute-barred in accordance to Section Nine of the Limitation Act. According to the document seen by this newspaper, Datadin intends to raise at the trial the fact that Myers appointment to the post DCEO was adversely referenced and found to be borne out of questionable information and circumstances by the Ethnic
Relations Commission (ERC). Among other things, Datadin intends to rely on the fact that Myers’ appointment was made by a Chairman who was illegally appointed. Further in the document, the lawyer admits that he said the words “the Deputy CEO is saying no one is allowed to serve the orders …and the Deputy CEO is still refusing to allow the marshal in to serve.” He nonetheless contends that those words are in no way defamatory or should be implied as libelous. In the context of the 2020 Regional and General elections, Datadin noted his statements can be considered as fair comment and justifiably so, given the existing situation at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) command centre at Ashmin’s Building. In her initial claim, the DCEO contended that
Datadin and News Room published her official designation as one who acted illegally, corruptly, ultra vires in her capacity as Deputy Chief Elections Officer as it pertains to the March 2, 2020 elections. Based on the published assertions of the lawyer, Myers said too that it is safe to say that Datadin as well as News Room intended to convey to the public that she was acting above the law, having “arrogated or attempting to arrogate herself jurisdiction or influence the outcome of the Region Four elections result and control or otherwise direct Marshals of the Supreme Court of Guyana.” In addition, the document noted that the willful malice
of this allegation is to be found in the failure of the defendants (Datadin, News Room) to contact the claimant (Myers) and give her an opportunity to exonerate herself. Specifically, it noted that News Room never put the allegation to her or invited her to counter the utterances of the attorney, who now sits as a MP for the ruling PPP/C party. Further, Myers contends that given Datadin’s lack of experience of the processes and procedures of the Guyana Elections Commission in the conduct of the Regional and General Elections, “it was reckless for the defendants to publish those
Attorney-at-law, Sanjeev Datadin slanderous statements in the context of such advertised ignorance.” Additionally, the DCEO noted that the gravity of the allegations made by the defendants constitutes an intention to not allow her the opportunity to defend herself or “at the very minimum educate Datadin on the role, if any, that she played on the day, which he made the slanderous/defamatory statements.”
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Sunday July 18, 2021
Kaieteur News
Sizeable amounts of marijuana seed found at the location.
Some of the marijuana plants found at the location.
Police destroy marijuana farm in Berbice, armed men escape Police ranks conducted a drug eradication exercise at Cow Savannah, Canje River on Friday, finding over 20,000 marijuana plants ranging from about four to eight inches in height and sizeable amounts
of dry cannabis and seeds. On arrival at the location, the policemen were greeted by two gun-toting males who ran into some bushes. As police gave chase, the men fired shots and the police returned
fire. No one was hurt, and the suspects managed to escape. Returning to the area, the police discovered a marijuana field measuring about 3 and 1/2 acres. Two camps were also
seen on the said field which containing two live 12-gauge cartridges, one Stihl chainsaw, one Stihl weeding machine, one Evinrude out-
board engine, and one water pump were also found during the search. The marijuana plants were unearthed, and dry cannabis,
and seeds were all destroyed while the other items were taken to the Central Police Station, New Amsterdam, where they were lodged.
Sunday July 18, 2021
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Kaieteur News
Non-delivery of G$19M CCTV cameras purchased from US Company remains recurring issue for PAC
S
ince 2017, a story about the non-deliv ery of G$19.108Mvalued Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) cameras purchased by the Government of Guyana from a US company, which later filed for bankruptcy, has been documented by the press. To date, the issue remains a perennial topic before the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The issue was first highlighted in the Auditor General’s 2016 Report and later at a PAC meeting in 2017. There, it was noted that in 2015, the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) administration had deemed the acquisition of the cameras an emergency and used an advance from the Contingency Fund to make the purchase for the CCTVs for the National Intelligence Centre, but the items were never delivered since the company, Moonblink Communications, was declared bankrupt the very next year. According to a number of news articles, the issue of the non-delivery of the CCTV cameras was featured at PAC meetings and the Auditor General’s report annually for five consecutive years since it was first reported in 2017, but no solutions were met with by the committee to resolve the issue.
Permanent Secretary of Office of the President, Abena Moore.
Chair of the PAC, Jermaine Figueira.
The most recent mulling of the PAC on the issue occurred last Wednesday when Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Presidency, which has since been renamed Office of the President, Abena Moore, faced questions over the 2015 purchase and non-delivery. She told the PAC that she had previously sought advice from the Attorney General’s (AG) Chambers, which was headed by former Attorney General, Basil Williams, about the contract. Moore had revealed at a previous PAC meeting in 2017 that her investigations found that the company had declared bankruptcy in 2016. Court records traced by Kaieteur News to the New Jersey Court for Bankruptcy in the United States pointed to the company officially filing for bankruptcy in March
2018. Additionally, during the meeting, Moore had revealed that the principals were listed as Shaun Birkett and Sean Nolan as the supplier of the CCTV system, Moonblink Communications Inc. which is based in California, USA. However, checks made by this newspaper, revealed that a LinkedIn profile for Birkett in which he is listed as the Accounts Manager of the Wireless company up until 2016, the same year company filed for bankruptcy and the other principal Sean Nolan is profiled in LinkedIn where he is listed as the Accounts Executive of Moonblink Communications from 2006-2016. The profiles of the two men at no time stated that they were the principals of the wireless hardware company. Further online searches for the company uncovered a
LinkedIn profile on the company which revealed that the company was founded by a professional computer hacker, Kevin Sitzes, and his business partner, Daniel Redmond, no mention was made of Birkett and Nolan being listed as principals. While the Government of Guyana may be left with no other choice but to write off the sum spent to purchase the cameras, questions still surrounds the manner in which the company, Moonblink Communications, was selected to supply the items and why the item was listed for emergency procurement in the first place. Last Wednesday, when the issue was once again thrust into the media spotlight after it was brought up at the bipartisan PAC meeting chaired by APNU+AFC Member of Parliament (MP)
and chair of the PAC, Jermaine Figueira, the recommendations made the Auditor General, Deodat Sharma, in his 2019 report were once again regurgitated. The Auditor General had urged the Head of the Budget Agency (the Permanent Secretary) to follow up with the Attorney General’s office on the matter and to ensure that an update on the five-year matter was submitted. The 2019 report outlined, “These very CCTV cameras, which were purchased in December 2015 with monies taken from the Contingency Fund for an ‘emergency,’ were subject to questions in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament back in 2017.” The report further pointed out that there are strict rules governing the Contingency Fund.
The Auditor General’s Report found too that in 2015 the Government made withdrawals that totalled over $900 million from the Fund. Besides the money for the CCTV cameras, monies were also used for expenses related to the Army, the D’Urban Park Project, and the infamous Sussex Street bond. According to that AG report, Section 220 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana states, “Parliament may make provision for the establishment of a Contingencies Fund and for authorising the Minister responsible for finance to make advances from that Fund if he is satisfied that there is an urgent need for expenditure for which no other provision exists.” The report goes on to quote, Section 220 (2), “Where any advance is made from the Contingencies Fund, a supplementary estimate shall, as soon as practicable, be laid before the National Assembly by the Prime Minister or any other Minister designated by the President for the purpose of authorising the replacement of the amount so advanced.” At last Wednesday’s meeting; Ms. Moore was advised by the committee to seek the advice of the AG on the matter again, on whether the government should take steps to write off the money as a loss.
MAJOR RIFT IN PNC/R EXEC. OVER APNU ‘NEW PARTIES’ write on behalf of the entire showed a membership of 36 and others is clear and explicit that despite it being ruled that whom declined to comment
From page 3 Forty-eight hours later, five members of the PNCR’s CEC signed a letter that was sent to editors of the various media houses; in the letter, they disassociated themselves from the views of their colleagues who made the unsigned statement. Those members are, Jennifer Ferreira-Dougal, Shurwayne Holder, Ganesh Mahipaul, Ernest Elliott and Annette Ferguson. A section of the letter read, “PNCR disassociates itself from the ‘Statement.’ We wish to point out that the CEC did not authorise, and does not endorse the public disclosure of discussion of internal Party matters under current consideration by the Central Executive Committee”. The five referred to their colleagues as a minority group of cowards who are not brave enough to affix their names to the statement. “We denounce, most emphatically, the personal attacks against our constitutionally-elected party Leader, Mr. David Granger, by a minority of persons who did not have the courage to affix their names to the ‘Statement’ but who claimed, cowardly, to
CEC”, they stated in the letter.The five also argued that the decision to accept the two parties into APNU was made by the APNU Executive Council (AEC), the Partnership’s highest decision-making body. They posited too that the decision was made in “a properly constituted meeting held on Thursday, June 10, 2021.” Kaieteur News made contact yesterday with the Chair of the PNC/R, Volda Lawrence with regard to her view on the two letters. The former Minister of Health and second-incharge of the Party, referred this newspaper to the letter published in Stabroek News and stated that what was reported is accurate and she stands by that. The SN report had carried the full unsigned letter and stated that the paper had confirmed its accuracy with two members of the CEC although it had not named them. Speaking with this publication yesterday, Amna Ally, PNCR’s General Secretary, said that the second letter signed by the five does not represent the views of all CEC members – information provided by the Party yesterday
active members. Ally said that while she does not know how many members and who are behind the unsigned statement, she pointed out that there are other members who support and endorse the signed letter. One such member is Ronald Bulkan. In an invited comment on the issue he said, “It is groundless for anyone to accuse Mr. Granger of being a ‘one-man show’.” Bulkan continued, “The admission of the new parties into APNU was properly done in accordance with APNU’s procedures.” When asked if a majority of the CEC members had granted Granger permission to accept the new parties, Bulkan responded, “The decision was one of APNU’s Executive Council (AEC).” This newspaper further asked Bulkan if the PNC’s CEC has any role to play in the decision-making of the AEC or if it is protocol for PNCR’s representative on the Council to receive permission from CEC before making certain decisions. His final response was “the letter to the media authored by Jenny Ferreira
and there is no need for me to add anything.” Other senior members of the PNCR’s CEC have disagreed with Bulkan’s views and have informed Kaieteur News that they do not approve of the letter signed by their colleagues. Dr. Richard Van-West Charles, after stating that he does not support the letter, explained that members on the AEC represent the various parties of the partnership. Van-West Charles continued, that before casting any votes, it is only right for those representatives to consult with their respective parties first. He added that CEC which is the highest decisionmaking body within the PNCR after congress had held a meeting about the inclusion of the new parties in APNU. It was decided, Van WestCharles continued, to put the decision-making on hold. He recalled too that, the Chairman of the Committee meeting, Lawrence, had asked for persons to raise their hands if they had any objection. “No one had raised their hands,” Van-West Charles told Kaieteur News. He went on to point out
the decision-making be put on hold, Granger still went ahead and accepted the two new parties. The senior CEC member also highlighted that when APNU was being formed, former PNCR leader, Robert Corbin had made it clear that he was instructed by the CEC to make the decisions. Another member of CEC who does not endorse the second letter is Aubrey Norton. He said his colleagues who signed the letter are not even elected members of the CEC but Regional Representatives. Norton was correct about that with the exception of Annette Ferguson who is an elected member and ViceChair of the Party. He did not comment any further but in relation to the acceptance of the new , he said that CEC had made a decision on the matter and he will address it at the level of the committee. Both VanWest Charles and Norton, as well as Lawrence, are expected to contest Granger’s leadership position at the party’s Congress, which is expected to be held later this year. Kaieteur News contacted other CEC members, five of
while others claimed to have not seen the signed letter. The remaining members did not answer their phones. In the past month alone, the CEC has seen three significant resignations, all citing that the direction of the party’s present leadership is ill-suited. Thandi McAllister, an attorney-at-law and Legal Counsel at the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), had left in June. In a press release, McAllister was quoted as saying that she decided to resign after a very careful and agonising consideration and concluding that the present direction of PNCR’s leadership is ill-suited to the fulfillment of the aspirations of young people in Guyana. Brian Smith, a former member of the party who served for some 15 years chose to not to renew his membership in June as well. He had criticised the party’s leadership of backward thinking and said that he is not prepared to be burdened by older fights. Another who had resigned for similar reasons too was businessman, Shawn Hopkinson.
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Sunday July 18, 2021
Kaieteur News
Guyana’s leadership on honesty tests Dear Editor, Guyana has been blessed with special leaders in its Golden Age of Oil. The people see gold, but taste the gristle of the gutter. They sicken. Our oil discoveries have unleashed many emotions, positions, and conclusions, as such relate to the roleprincipled or dishonourable of leaders managing this treasure. Where do they stand, what can they expect, if anything? I cut through the controversial and incendiary, and table these million-dollar inquiries: are Guyana’s leaders on the up and up with oil? Have they done, will they
do, justice by hopeful citizens? Or have they been of countless injustices with this oil, and more promised? I present where I stand. Any trust relative to oil leadership is gone. When oil justice should have prevailed, a profusion of injustices has been wreaked on Guyanese. But I could be wrong, which would be highly unacceptable to me. Somebody correct me, please. What have their countenances conveyed, if not shiftiness? Their body odours too? It is said that fear has a peculiar, indefinable smell. I detect the strongest scent from these men.
This is Guyana! Dear Editor, In reference to Mr. Freddie Kissoon’s article on July 16, 2021, I had a similar experience to Mr. Sheikh Deen’s where he finds it almost impossible to get a replacement ID card. I am an overseas based Guyanese and I came to Guyana in November 2020. A few days after landing I went to the local GECOM office and told them that I needed an ID card. After checking, the clerk told me that I was not in the system and to call Georgetown. I called GECOM in Georgetown and told them that I wanted an ID card. The lady I spoke to told me that they were not issuing ID cards presently but “very soon” they will. I am still in Guyana today, July 16, 2021, and since November of last year I have called GECOM about five to six times and, magically, the answer is always the samethey are not giving out ID cards now but they will very soon. Two days ago was my last call and I got the same answer.
I then told the lady that this is the same answer I’ve been getting since last year. She appeared taken aback because there was a few seconds of silence. I told her that in other countries one could go and apply at any time of year for an ID card. What is going on here, I said? She then told me, “Well you know, this is Guyana.” And Editor, truer words were never spoken. For the past 27 years I have visited Guyana for about seven times. A week here, two weeks there. I felt rejuvenated when I left. But now that I have spent about eight months here I can attest that if a person does not have fortitude Guyana can suck the life out of you and leave you mentally unstable and physically broken. I feel drained. Everywhere is a bottleneck and issues are passed back to you unresolved with euphemisms of “That’s the way it is, take it or leave it.” Yours Sincerely, Brian Samaroo
It is strongest when all of them run for cover are uncharacteristically tonguetied, and the best they come up with are short, stiff-armed answers intended to be defensive, but registering as deceptive. Rather mysteriously, when they make themselves scarce, or turn sideways, sinister silhouettes expands. I search for clarity and integrity without any premediated inclinations for or against these chiefs in our political divide. And I always arrive at the same places: they are withholding. These men are protecting. Examples - the oil commander is not his usual swaggering, blustering confident self. The president is MIA. The opposition is artfully dodging. On the testing surfaces of Guyana’s oil, the track record is of
bluffing. Stalling and dissembling, too. Regarding honesty tests, the marks are shocking. They fail. Honesty fuels integrity, which translates to responsibility, facilitates accountability, and delivers transparency on oil, and all else. When has it been so, now or before? Either with government or opposition? They fail and fall apart. I desire to give these oil spearheads accolades. But for what and on what basis? They have not instilled confidence, don’t inspire trust, now in the scarcest of supply; they fail even at fooling themselves, when they stand before the mirror. If they have any of the sense that I associate with them, they cannot like what reflections shout back to them. Liar! Dodger! Trickster!
They dim and disheveled; unconvincing and menacing, too. Truth be told, what this country’s oil prophets have installed, one especially, is a growing sense of dread and doom. That this oil wealth will be parceled out and squandered to engorge the few aligned Guyanese in a corrupt, criminal cabal, while Americans and Europeans benefit gorgeously. That the local-coloured people will remain poor and dumber than they have been pre-oil. I can say ‘dumb’ because I believe that it is what fits Guyana seamlessly. Part is self-inflicted, part due to the plumbing of their minds, compliments of their savvy leaders. As one example, it is noteworthy that fawning media worshipers of the local god praised and hailed for
everything; declare themselves dumb and dead on his oil ethics. Regarding this Guyanese divine, I am an atheist; his gospel lacks truths. I assert that Guyana’s oil czar has not handled this oil cleanly. He has two leading men, one now re-imported and re-positioned, to be the front men in the oil banditry long initiated in secrecy. Why secrecy? Why this mockery of elements that could have configured all of them with leadership morality and leadership integrity? Only they can answer, and they haven’t. Greed and money condemn them. If only they were 10 percent in a positive direction, how much different would this land have been. Sincerely, GHK Lall
Any Govt. has the responsibility to protect the legitimate interests of its citizens Dear Editor, “America is, in effect, saying through its resident representatives that it cannot get involved in what is held out as the private business relationship between Guyana and Exxon. That is, it doesn’t operate this way, and business is not conducted this way, since that would be a palpable violation of the norms of standing business practices. To that, we will be blunt, even if we have to be offensively so: that is bull. And the Americans know so more than we do.” The above quote is taken from your editorial in Friday’s edition of your publication headlined ”Americans are playing A Double Game.” I am ineluctably constrained to respond bluntly, if even offensively so, by saying
your editorial is bull. And you should know that. Exxon and Guyana have entered into agreements signed by successive Guyana governments. The US government had no part in the negotiations leading up to these agreements. Like every government should do, the US government would have helped to ensure that the investment by a big US company would be secure against certain political action, especially given Guyana’s history of nationalisation of foreign entities. It would also have discussed with the Guyanese authorities the issue of the baseless Venezuela claim and its implications for the investment. Obviously there are elements of the agreement(s) between Exxon and the Guyana government with which sections of the population do not agree, on the grounds that Guyana is not getting a fair deal. And that may be so. But that is a matter to be resolved between the Guyana government and Exxon. Why and how must the US government get involved in addressing issues which are seemingly not of any
grave concern to successive Guyana governments, except for when one no longer forms the government, it finds it politically convenient to fault the one that is the government? Every government has the responsibility to protect the legitimate interests of its private sector and its citizens generally. It is the Government of Guyana that must ensure the country gets a fair deal. It is the government that must ensure that foreign investors treat their workers fairly. It is the government that must ensure that foreign investors respect and operate in keeping with the law. That is not the responsibility of the U S government or any government from which a private sector investment hails. Surely, the US government will get involved if there is a complaint that the Guyana government is treating Exxon or any other US company in a way anathema to the letter and spirit of agreements entered into by the government and the investor. Unfortunately, the
Guyana government does not have the capacity, understandably so, to get involved in helping to protect the investment of Guyanese in the US, in the same way that the US does for its investors in Guyana. It is for this reason that organisations such as the Guyanese American Chamber of Commerce (GACC) was launched and government needs to lend its support to the work of legitimate Guyanese and Caribbean organisations in the US, especially those whose activities include promoting legitimate Guyanese development interests back home. In this connection, I must thank the current Guyana government for its recent participation in US/ Caribbean Legislative Week meetings through several representatives including Education Minister, Priya Manikchand, National Security Advisor, Capt. Gerry Gouveia, and Ambassador, George Talbot, who was the featured speaker on behalf of Foreign Minister, Hugh Todd, at the formal opening. Regards, Wesley Kirton
Sunday July 18, 2021
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
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Sunday July 18, 2021
Manganese workers will be in danger of serious neurological illnesses M – company's EIA Report
anganese — it is one of the world's most crucial elements, particularly in the manufacturing industry. It is used in making batteries, alloys, pigments, fertilizer, bricks, glass, and even textiles. But when it comes to making steel, manganese is an irreplaceable building block hence it is vital to the world's leading producers of steels, namely in the USA and China. But what is hardly given the same attention or regard are the detrimental effects the extraction and production of this resource can have on the health of workers. At least, this much was highlighted in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Guyana Manganese Incorporated (GMI), a company that was created in 2016 as a subsidiary of the Bosai Minerals Group of the People's Republic of China. GMI recently submitted an EIA to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for permission to invest in the resuscitation of manganese
mining and processing in Matthew's Ridge following which it will export its production from Port Kaituma to Trinidad and Tobago. The EIA, which is 734 pages, notes that the investment will focus on the historic, previously mined sites located in Matthew's Ridge. Wi t h r e s p e c t t o t h e effects on health, GMI acknowledged that workers would be exposed to high concentrations of manganese. It noted however that if this occurs over a “prolonged period”, workers would be “at risk of serious neurological illnesses.” While it did not expound on the illnesses, Kaieteur News via independent research found that inhaled manganese is often transported directly to the brain before it is metabolized by the liver. The symptoms of manganese toxicity may appear slowly over months and years. Furthermore, manganese toxicity can result in a permanent neurological disorder known as manganism with symptoms
Guyana Manganese Incorporated (GMI) office and base operations.
that include tremors, difficulty walking, and facial muscle spasms. These symptoms are often preceded by other lesser symptoms, including
irritability, aggressiveness, and hallucinations. Some studies suggest that manganese inhalation can also result in adverse cognitive effects, including
A map of GMI's projects in the area.
difficulty with concentration and memory problems. This news agency also found that acute or intermediate exposure to excess manganese also affects the respiratory system. In fact, inhalation exposure to high concentrations of manganese dusts (specifically manganese dioxide [MnO2] and manganese tetroxide [Mn3O4]) can cause an inflammatory response in the lung, which, over time, can result in impaired lung function. (See link for more d e t a i l s : https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/t oxprofiles/tp151-c2.pdf) As a measure of mitigation, GIM in its report noted that, “occupational exposure to inhaled manganese dust or particles can be managed if appropriate Personal Protective equipment (PPEs) is used by vulnerable workers.” If appropriate PPE is utilised, GMI said, “this potential impact will be of moderate significance and likely to occur during the project lifetime. As a result, occupational exposure to manganese dust is Medium Risks of the project.” ROLE OF MANGANESE MINING According to GMI's report, manganese mining has historically played a crucial role in the development of Guyana's
North West District in Region One. In fact, manganese occurrences were first observed in Matthew's Ridge, Arakaka and Pipiani in 1937 and by 1957, Manganese Mines Management Limited commenced establishing the facilities and infrastructure required to mine and export manganese ore. Mines facilities included mine buildings, processing plant at Matthew's Ridge and some relics of which remain standing at present. GMI noted that the company also transformed public transportation infrastructure by construction of a 48kilometre (30-mile) railway with adjacent roadway for the transport of ore from Matthew's Ridge to Port Kaituma; built a Bailey bridge over the Barima River at Eclipse Falls and dredged the Kaituma Canal, the Mora Passage and sections of the Barima River. Ancillary shipping infrastructure was also established at Port Kaituma. Kaieteur News understands from the report that mining commenced in 1961, however, by 1968, a precipitous fall in the price of manganese caused operations to cease. Over the eight-year operational period, a total of 1.7 million tonnes of manganese ore was exported. Operations never resumed although multiple attempts were made by Continued on page 62
Kaieteur News
Felicia Ally
Sunday July 18, 2021
This week's beauty is Miss Supranational - Guyana 2021, Felicia Ally. This gorgeous belle is a part-time beauty queen and a full-time manager. She is also a model and actress who has worked with many organisations in the world of media, fashion and public figures. Kaieteur News wishes her all the best in her future endeavours.
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Saved by adoptive parents after Hemophilia mistaken Kaieteur News
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Sunday July 18, 2021
Looknauth Mohamed
for 'Ole Higue' torment
W
h e n Looknauth Mohamed was a child his mother observed what she described as black and blue marks on his skin. Fearing that her son was being tormented by the Guyanese folklore creature known as the 'Ole Higue,' she 'gave away' her only son to her neighbour at the time. What Mohamed's mother did not know then was that the black and blue marks were actually hematomas -bruising that occurs when an injury causes blood to collect and pool under the skin. She also did not know that her
being hospitalised for extended periods, but he has also had many near-death experiences and at one time was even referred to as a 'miracle patient' because of how close he came to death then. Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder in which the blood does not clot properly. This causes spontaneous bleeding, and/or prolonged bleeding after an injury or surgery. People with Hemophilia have low levels of specific clotting factors, which are proteins in the blood that help it to clot. Persons with
in Guyana. OLD HIGUE Mohamed, who also now walks with a limp as a result of the condition, recalled that as a child he was always in a lot of pain and had black and blue marks on his skin. “She hand me over to the people them opposite, because she didn't know what been happening and she say like is old higue,” he said about his mother. It was the neighbour who took him to a doctor where he was diagnosed with the condition. But he described his childhood days as “hell
His mother is now dead and Mohamed said he does not hate her for giving him away as not only was she unable to properly assist him but his adopted parents gave him a new lease on life. He said he is well known at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) because of the countless times he has been hospitalised. As an adult, Mohamed said, he worked for many different companies including a pharmacy and as a salesman for Bakewell but because of his condition which saw him being away
Looknauth Mohamed and some members of the Guyana Hemophilia Society.
from work for extended periods, it was difficult holding down a permanent job. He also got married but because he was hospitalised for long periods his marriage did not last. He recalled that after one hospitalisation he returned home to find that the lock on the gate had been changed and all he received was his clothes. He lost everything but is still grateful for life. Today he does not work but receives support from his adopted siblings who live overseas; their parents have since passed away. He hopes to be granted a piece of land, for which he has applied, so that he would be able to own his own home. CARRIER Mohamed believes he got the condition from his mother; he has three sisters,
on is provided by the He pointed out that the medicati FH) through the GHS (W ilia ph mo He of ion rat de Fe d Worl Government has played and he lamented the fact that the those living with Hemophilia. no role in reducing the plight of son had a condition, Hemophilia that would result in him living a very difficult life. Mohamed credits his adopted parents for doing all they could to assist him but they could not have shielded him from the pain he endured as a child, and which continued into adulthood, coupled with other unfortunate events as a direct result of that condition. Forty-two-year-old Mohamed said not only has his wife left him because of the condition that saw him missing work for days and
low levels of Factor V111 (Factor 8) have Hemophilia A, and those with low levels of Factor 1X have Hemophilia B. Hemophilia is quite rare; about one in 10,000 people are born with it. The WFH's Annual Global Survey surmised that with Guyana's population of approximately 755,000 persons, an average of 52 persons could be living with and suffering from Hemophilia. The Guyana Hemophilia Society (GHS) is extremely concerned that to date there are only 15 confirmed cases
because as a child you don't know how to take care of yourself properly and you would jump and so and it was pain.” Were it not for his neighbours, who eventually adopted him and gave him their name, Mohamed said, he would have been “six feet under.” He said his adopted parents spent a lot of money on him in an attempt to alleviate his suffering. He lived opposite his mother's residence until he was about 16 years old before moving to Georgetown with his adopted parents.
none of whom had any symptoms of the condition. Today, however, he has a nephew who suffers from the condition so badly that he uses a wheelchair to move around as he cannot walk. According to Mohamed, his sister did not know how to take care of her son, who was not diagnosed as a child, and he therefore sustained many injuries and eventually lost his mobility. Mohamed is grateful for the GHS through which he receives the Factor V111 (eight) injection that allows him now to lead a relatively normal life. Prior to accessing the injection, if he got so much as a cut when shaving it meant that he had to be hospitalised. Before he started taking the injection, Mohamed said, there were many instances Continued on page 57
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 18, 2021
PAGE 23
BRING IT ON! On the face of it, the noconfidence motions tabled by the Opposition would appear to be meaningless and counterproductive. Even if the motions are allowed, they will have no effect; and it is hard to understand how the Opposition stands to benefit from these motions. But there is a subscript which may not have been considered, even by the authors of these motions. The debate on the motions can be very instrumental in determining the outcome of the elections at the forthcoming Congress of the People's National Congress Reform and of the Alliance For Change. The no-confidence motions were tabled against the Minister of Health and the Minister of Home Affairs. When these motions come up for debate, the PPP/C is likely going to use them to score maximum political points against the records of the former Ministers of Public Health and Ministers of Public Security. The PPP/C is likely to convert the no-confidence debates into an indictment of the management of the health and public security sectors under the APNU+AFC. Instead of the PPP/C one-year rule being
under the microscope, it will be the APNU+AFC's management of the health and public security sector, which will be under the spotlight. Some of the criticisms have already been made during the Budget debates. But it is likely to be intensified if there is the debate of the no-confidence motions. The APNU likes to remind Guyanese that when it left office, there were only 20 coronavirus-related deaths and a mere 474 cases. Since then the numbers of deaths have increased to more than 500 and the infections have surpassed 21,000. But the APNU+AFC's low coronavirus death rate and infection rate cannot s t a n d s c r u t i n y. T h e pandemic was in its early stages; the country was at a virtual standstill because of the elections crisis and the closure of non-essential businesses and the testing rate was abysmally low – fewer than 70 tests were being done per day. Just before the APNU+AFC demitted office, the infection rate and the death rate had begun to increase. The graphs of total cases and deaths were virtually flat-lined up to the
end of June but from July began to rise. The increases in cases and deaths did not begin with the PPP/C regime but rather with the APNU+AFC and its six-phase reopening plan, which was announced on 17th June, 2020. Between June and July, the total number of deaths increased by 66.7 percent and the number of cases, in an environment of low testing, by 68 percent. The PPP/C has essentially gone along with the six- phase reopening plan. As such, the argument can be made compellingly that if the APNU had stuck to its original plan and had increased testing, the results would not have been much different than what obtains today. But the PPP/C also has ammunition which will stagger the APNU+AFC. It can point to it inheriting a non-operable and illequipped National Infectious Hospital; the lines to supply the hospital with oxygen were not installed despite the grand reopening of the institution before the APNU+AFC demitted office. The PPP/C will malign the APNU+AFC for its low levels of testing. And it will have a chance to produce the evidence to back up its previous accusations of
underreporting of deaths. If defending the management of the pandemic is going to prove embarrassing to the APNU+AFC, imagine how more daunting will be the task of defending its record in the public security sector. The APNU+AFC government has a far from impressive record when it comes to public security. Seventeen prisoners died and the Georgetown Prisons was burnt to the ground under the APNU+AFC; and the problems at Lusignan did not start under the PPP/C The APNU+AFC says that drug trafficking and piracy were down when it was in office. But it was
under the Coalition that the most horrific piracy event took place, resulting in the government having to declare a National Day of Mourning. The no-confidence motions tabled by the APNU+AFC are therefore likely to raise a hornet's nest. The motions will backfire against the Coalition. But when it comes to the internal politics of both the PNC/R and the AFC, there is some political capital to be gained. The no confidence debates will virtually bring to an end the prospects of one particular candidate challenging for the leadership of the PNC/R. So negative will be the
fallout from the debate and so strident will be the criticisms of that candidate that the person will have to abandon any prospects of running for the leadership of the PNC/R. And the same will happen within the AFC. As strange as it may sound, the victims of the noconfidence motions will NOT be of the PPP/C. Those likely to lose support will likely be persons within the PNC/R and the AFC. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Kaieteur News
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Sunday July 18, 2021
Cuba could help US normalise relations By Sir Ronald Sanders
A
ll may not be lost in the efforts to i m p r o v e relations between the Government of Cuba and the Biden Administration in the US, despite the rhetoric – most of it emanating from the Cuban Government in
the wake of protests by thousands across the island. The protests were occasioned by grievances over high prices, food shortages and power outages – due in part to the US trade embargo whose impact has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic that crippled Cuba's tourism
industry, its biggest foreign exchange earner. Unlike the former Trump administration, President Biden has not taken a hard line on Cuba. If anything, his administration has been seeking ways to revitalise the eased relationship that the Barack Obama administration promoted in
2015 and 2016. Finding those ways has not been easy due to internal politics in the US and to insufficient movement by the Cuban government to manage dissent peacefully, rather than clamp down on it by military force. The Cuban government's harsh response to protestors on 11 and 12 July, fed the desire by influential members from both parties in the US Congress to continue Donald Trump's tough measures against Cuba, including its designation as a sponsor of terrorism that triggered additional financial and other sanctions. T h e B i d e n administration has been navigating a thin line between wanting to improve relations with Cuba and not dismissing political and human rights concerns. The most notable advocate of maintaining the Trump Administration's hardline policy on Cuba is the Republican Senator from Florida, Marco Rubio, who wrote to Biden on July 12, saying: “The current protests in Cuba are not just about current economic shortages. They are about the longstanding and deliberate actions taken by the dictatorship to stymy the economic prosperity and political freedom of the Cuban people.” T h e B i d e n administration could be better helped by the Cuban government to resist Rubio and others and to return to the easing of strained relations between the US and Cuba of which he was a part as Vice President in the Obama administration. It has always been wellknown, including by the Cubans, that Biden is deeply committed to political and human rights, including the right to protest and dissent. Had the Cuban government responded in a spirit of tolerance and willingness to listen to the protesting voices of 11 and 12 July, it would have aided Biden in being stronger in his efforts to combat hardliners such as Rubio. The US government regards freedom of expression of artists and
freedom of speech by media to be fundamental rights everywhere, including in Cuba. US support for these freedoms are not efforts to subvert Cuba. Most Caribbean governments also uphold these rights in their own countries. In the almost 60 years of experience of the 13 English-Speaking Caribbean countries as sovereign states, governments have learned to manage dissent and protests and to encourage media freedom as part of their democracies. Had they not done so, the economic progress of these countries, with considerable foreign investment, would not have been accomplished. The experience in Cuba has been different. Over the last 61 years, trapped by a trade embargo, which causes economic hardship and deprivation, and threatened by repeated attempts to overthrow the government, the Cuban authorities have employed harsh measures to stop dissent and protests. They have not had the room to nurture a culture of tolerance and persuasion. Ending the trade embargo against Cuba has always been the right thing to do. As Barack Obama famously said in December 2014, “an outdated approach has failed for over 50 years to advance our interests”. In a n n o u n c i n g e ff o r t s t o normalise the relations between the two countries, he stated, “Today, America chooses to cut loose the shackles of the past so as to reach for a better future –- for the Cuban people, for the American people, for our entire hemisphere, and for the world”. Those shackles were quickly fastened again by Trump. Yet, a Cuba that is released from the chains of the trade embargo and the threats to its security could quickly become an economic powerhouse, attracting foreign investment, and unleashing the creativity and entrepreneurship of its people that comes from greater freedoms.
Sir Ronald Sanders There is clearly a need for the US and Cuban administrations to return to the sensible negotiations about their future that started under the Obama-Biden administration. The Cuban government can help that process by changing from a culture of repression to one of tolerance and constructive management of dissent. Such a change would help empower Biden to continue what he helped to start with Obama. Eyes are already on the US midterm Senate elections to be held in November 2022. Marco Rubio won his Senate seat in 2016 by less than 10 percent of the vote. He relies heavily on the Cuban-exile vote to return to the Senate. Both he and the Republican Party will be heightening the anti-Cuba rhetoric to maintain that seat in a Senate now equally divided between the Republicans and Democrats. Cuba should be mindful of that reality and ease up on the rhetoric that blames America for all Cuban discontent. The Cuban President Miguel DíazCanel, may have started that process. On July 14 in a televised address, he offered some self-criticism, for the first time, by saying that the government's shortcomings in handling shortages and other problems played a role in the recent protests. That's an important step. It should be followed by a more open dialogue with those who have ideas about how the country should be governed. Thus, Biden would be emboldened to normalise relations, including ending the repressive trade embargo. (The writer is Antigua and Barbuda's Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own.) Responses and previous c o m m e n t a r i e s : www.sirronaldsanders.com
Sunday July 18, 2021
Dear Reader, in light of the economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, our publisher, with you in mind, has taken the decision to extend our weekly review of some of our major stories in their entirety. SUNDAY EXXON NOW TELLS GUYANA ITWILLSELL NATURAL GAS LIQUIDS TO THIRD PARTIES; DRY GAS TO BE SOLD HERE – GOVT. DID NOT DISCLOSE THIS KEY DETAILAT GAS PROJECT PRESENTATION About four months ago, Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, held a press conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre where he spoke to the reasoning behind government’s pursuit of the US$900M gas-to-energy project. The local oil boss articulated to the media, in the presence of his technical team, that the project, which involves connecting an offshore pipeline from the Stabroek Block to an onshore pipeline on the West Bank Demerara, would result in electricity costs being slashed by a minimum of 50 percent. He also noted that since it is cleaner than heavy fuel oil, Guyana’s carbon footprint would be reduced.The Vice President was also clear when he said that the government is in negotiations with ExxonMobil regarding the price to transport the gas from the Stabroek Block onshore. However, what the Vice President did not say was how ExxonMobil stands to benefit tremendously from this project. This crucial detail only came to the fore during a scoping meeting that was held by ExxonMobil Guyana on Friday last in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The meeting is one of several being held to hear the recommendations from citizens on what should be the parameters of the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). An EIA is a process that involves evaluating the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development, while taking into account inter-related socio-economic, cultural and human-health impacts, which are beneficial and adverse. During the meeting, it was revealed that the true purpose of the project is to bring the gas-to-shore, following which, ExxonMobil would be selling the Natural gas liquids
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to third parties and the portion that remains, being dry gas, would be sold to Guyana for its electricity needs. Confirming this at the Umana Yana was ExxonMobil Guyana’s Production Manager, Mike Ryan. During an engagement with citizens and members of the media on the project, Ryan was asked to say if Natural gas liquids would be sold to Guyana. He did not give a direct answer but confirmed that the gas would be sold to third parties while adding that ExxonMobil would not know the final destination of the gas after that. It was on June 27, 2021 that this newspaper published an article on the devastating effects this project could have on Guyana’s marine life. This was confirmed following a perusal of the project summary that was submitted to the EPA. The first 19 pages of the 27-page document speaks glowingly about the construction, commissioning and operational aspects of the project while noting that it will create employment and lead to cheaper electricity rates for years to come. But what is buried at the bottom of the summary speaks volumes about the potential this project holds to have a devastating impact on the environment. ExxonMobil in the document noted that the project could impact Guyana’s marine geology and sediments. It said this could occur through the installation of offshore and non-routine or unplanned events, which was not explained. Regarding the possible effects on human life and the environment where this is concerned, ExxonMobil said it could result in the “Disturbance of the seabed during offshore pipeline installation activities, has the potential to affect benthic habitat and cause death/ injury of benthic fauna.” In short, any marine life that is near or close to the seafloor where this project is being done is at risk of being killed or injured. The oil giant goes onto state that the project has the potential to affect some marine fish in the project area by way of activities such as underwater sound generated by marine component operations and activities, ship strikes, lighting on offshore pipeline installation vessels, wastewater discharges, offshore pipeline construction, hydro testing discharges, vessel movements, operational effluent discharges, and nonroutine or unplanned events
which again was not explained. Exxon noted that the foregoing ecological impacts could potentially have ramifications for commercial and/or subsistence fisheries. It should be noted that ExxonMobil in collaboration with the government, is moving ahead with this project at a time when the world is moving away from fossil fuel based projects. In May for example, this newspaper had reported on the United Nations’ (UN) call for a shift in the policy of countries worldwide, to move away from supporting fossil fuel projects through financing such as subsidies, towards renewable energy and the promotion of the transfer of technology to developing countries. CONSULTATIONS FOR PROPOSED GAS PROJECT… GUYANESE ENVIRONMENTALIST ASKS EXXON OFFICIAL TO JUSTIFY NEED FOR LOCAL GAS-TO-SHORE PROJECT, BUT GETS NO RESPONSE A Guyanese environmentalist participating in the ongoing virtual consultation led by Exxon Mobil subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEGPL), on the proposed onshore gasto-energy project, has asked the oil operators to justify a need for the gas project locally but got no response. Environmental professional, Simone Mangal, is among those who questioned the feasibility of the project in the face of efforts from the Government of Guyana to invest in a pipeline, which will bring gasto-shore for local and commercial use. The concerns are being raised even as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered consultations for Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) into the proposed onshore gas project, which has faced heavy criticisms over how the project will be of use to the people of Guyana. The concerns also follow a report on a similar project in Ghana’s energy sector, which left the African country struggling to be financially sustainable, mainly due to a gas project which was meant to lower the cost electricity and off more reliable sources of energy, but left the country trapped in a deal which requires it to pay for a lot of gas that it has no use for. During the virtual discussion on Thursday, Mangal expressed concerns about the local demand for such a project and the effects it will have on Guyana’s future generations. She pointed to a need for clarity on the specifics on how the project will benefit and impact the citizenry. The environmentalist noted that the ambiguity, which surrounds the project, makes it difficult for her to adequately understand the real aims and objectives of the exercise. “I am struggling to meet the objectives of this consultation exercise because the scope of this project is not clear. You would appreciate as a professional, that unless the scope is clear then you cannot begin to imagine what areas of impact has to be examined. I must be able to constructively contribute to the terms of reference process that you have outlined….,” she said stressing on need for clarity on whether there is demand for the gas locally. “What is the purpose of transporting the gas to the shores of Guyana through a pipeline? Is it to monetise the gas? Is it because Guyana requires an energy demand that is going to be met by this gas?” queried Mangal. “I would like to understand who owns the gas. Who is selling the propane, methane and
pentane? Is it a joint venture? And the second thing is, what is the demand that the Government of Guyana or the people of Guyana has to justify a pipeline coming to shore, because if we have an X amount of demand based on business usual but we have excess amount coming its effectively [an issue] which means if we are not using it all up or we are intending to put in an industrial footprint to use it up. We need to know where the gas is going in order to fully understand what the commutative or real impact… according to the parameters that you have outlined, which are environmental as well as socio-economic,” outlined the environmentalist. She submitted that the matters needed to be clarified sooner than later so that consultative process gives the realistic and adequate feedback for the project to move forward. However, EEGPL’s representative on the panel, Erik DeMicco, provided no response to the concerns raised. Instead, he suggested that the questions are best suited for another forum that it was outside of the ambit of the project’s scope. He noted that: “As part of the process of the EIA it’s very clear that we need to stay within the constraints of what the project specifically ties to, which is the initiating location of pipeline, at the FPSOs to the natural gas.” “That goes into some of the commercial aspect of the project,” added DeMicco. “And we are really looking at the environmental, biological, physical receptors and socio-economic,” he continued, adding, “I am sure you will then say how can we look at the socio-economic, if we are not sure of how the other aspects tie in to this project. We may need to follow-up with that… but I think that’s where the notes will be taken for the comments and concerns to ensure that the EIA captures all the
information as it goes through the process.” He suggested further, that there will be other opportunities where such concerns will be addressed. “And this, this is the first opportunity to hear more about the project, it’s very early in the stages, we will have stakeholder engagements later in the cycle to capture more information on the operations, and hopefully provide you with some more of those details that you are requesting. Your comments have been captured and the information will be provided at a later time, but as it relates to the commercial aspects, I don’t have that within my information at this time,” he said. MONDAY GUYANA’S LAWS DO NOT PERMIT COUNTRY PAYING TAXES FOR OIL COMPANIES – CHRIS RAM -HOW CAN SANCTITY OF CONTRACT PLAYA ROLE INANYTHING THAT IS RIDDLED WITH ILLEGALITY? In the petroleum industry, there are several fiscal measures used by governments to attract investors to explore for oil in their backyard. But in selecting the most suitable measure, countries ought to take into account, the local factors and conditions subject to one overriding condition: they can only be granted if permitted by the tax and other laws of the country. It is on this premise that Chartered Accountant and Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram articulated in his most recent writings that Guyana made a colossal blunder when it included in the Stabroek Block Petroleum Agreement, a measure called the Pay On Behalf (POB) system. According to Ram, under (Continued ona page 26)
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From page 25 such a system, the government pays the Income Taxes of ExxonMobil and its partners, Hess Corporation and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana. The government he explained opted to pay these taxes out of its take of the oil revenues received on an annual basis. In his perusal of the oil companies’ 2020 financial statements, Ram found that the Government has to find some $5.391 billion to pay the tax liability of the two partners CNOOC and Hess alone for 2020. Both entities he noted were able to walk away as a result with a pre-tax profit totalling $16.175 billion. Ram said the huge problem, which he has with this arrangement is that it is conflict with two of the nation’s laws, specifically the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act Cap. 65:04 (PEPA) and the Financial Administration and Audit Act (FAA). The Chartered Accountant was keen to note that Section 51 of the PEPA provides for the modification of four Acts in respect of licensees under a production sharing agreement. The Acts are the Income Tax Act, the Income Tax (In Aid of Industry) Act, the Corporation Tax Act and the Property Tax Act, which extends to the Capital Gains Tax Act as well. These modifications say nothing about these companies being exempted from these taxes or the burden of paying such taxes being transferred to the people of Guyana. He further noted that Section 10 of the PEPA says agreements must be in accordance with the Act. In other words, Guyana’s Production Sharing Agreements should not and cannot lawfully include any provision regarding the POB formula since it would violate the FAA. In a telephone interview last evening, Ram noted that while the primary Agreement signed by former Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman contained the underlying illegality including an extension of the benefits to persons not entitled thereto, the Order made by former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan to legitimise the POB by way of an Order in Parliament, did not cure, but rather compounded the illegality. The Chartered Accountant said, “The Granger Administration which signed the 2016 Agreement, and the PPP/C Administrations before and after it, will have an enormous task of justifying whether and
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how a modification or inapplicability of a tax law can amount to a reversal of a statutory obligation whereby a tax liability payable to the State ends up with the Government paying that tax.” The lawyer further noted that the FAA in particular appears to raise an insurmountable hurdle. In this regard, he articulated that it requires any remission, concession or waiver to be expressly provided for in a tax Act or subsidiary legislation. Since the POB is not part of the formula, Ram categorically stated that its use in the Stabroek and similar agreements are also illegal. In conclusion, the Chartered Accountant said it seems clear that the Stabroek Block Agreement contains several provisions on taxation, which are not consistent with the nation’s laws. And in such circumstances, he said it begs the following question— How can sanctity of contract play a role in anything that begins and ends with illegality? EPA LAUNCHES $936M PROJECT TO MITIGATE DESTRUCTIVE EFFECTS OF GOLD MINING On July 1, a project titled “Strengthening the enabling framework for biodiversity mainstreaming and mercury reduction in small-scale gold mining operations” was launched at the Boardroom of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The US$4,500,000 (GYD 936,000,000) project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) will be implemented over the course of seven years across two mining districts within Guyana, specifically in the communities of Mahdia/ Konawaruk area, Region Eight and Puruni, Region Seven. The objective of the project is to strengthen the regulatory framework and institutional capacity for the management of small-scale gold mining and to promote greater adoption of environmentally responsible mining techniques in Guyana in order to protect globally significant biodiversity, reduce mercury contamination, enhance local livelihoods and human health. The project also seeks to improve the environmental management of small-scale gold mining in Guyana, which is the largest driver of deforestation and degradation in the country and contributes to biodiversity loss, land degradation and
contamination. During his opening remarks, UNDP-Guyana Resident Representative, Jairo Valvedre Bermudez noted that, “the project supports the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and related instruments, those being the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Minamata Convention, and takes cognizance of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy.” He also noted that the mining sector has been of great concern due to the use of mercury and its impacts on the environment, emphasizing the project’s importance to sustainable livelihoods and human health. Also delivering remarks, was Ms. Sharifah Razack, Deputy Executive Director of the EPA, who noted that despite major contributions to the economy, gold mining has been identified as a major driver of deforestation, forest degradation, and associated biodiversity loss. Four outcomes are intended to be derived from the project: Policy and regulatory framework strengthened and supported for oversight of the environmental impacts of the small-scale gold mining sector; Increased institutional capacity and interinstitutional coordination to mitigate and manage the impacts of small-scale gold mining; Adoption of more environmentally responsible gold mining practices increased; and Knowledge management, monitoring and evaluation implemented to support learning and upscaling. From the implementation of the project objectives, the expected global impacts that
expected going to be achieved include: a) 6,500,000 hectares of forests of the greenstone belt in six mining districts of Guyana under improved management to protect globally significant biodiversity through support to the implementation of the National Mineral Sector Policy Framework and Actions which seek to balance mineral development with other priorities such as biodiversity conservation, protection of watersheds and freshwater, preservation of carbon stocks and socioeconomic development; b) Phase-out of 10.2 metric tonnes of mercury in project intervention areas; c) 1,235 miners (10% are women) implementing environmentally responsible mining practices reducing mercury use, deforestation and safety and occupational threats, and increasing gold recovery and incomes; d) 1,209 hectares of high conservation value forests conserved in project intervention areas through improved prospecting; e) 445 hectares of forests and forest land restored in areas degraded by mining in demonstration project sites; f) 8,032 persons benefitted through awareness raising, training and reduced exposure to mercury: 1,499 miners (10% women), 2,178 Mahdia residents (42% women); 4,355 indigenous peoples (50% women). These benefits, Kaieteur News understands, will translate into direct benefits for various species, many of which are globally significant, including endemic and endangered species as well as species of economic importance to local
communities and Indigenous peoples. TUESDAY IT IS UNPATRIOTIC FOR GUYANATO BE ILLEGALLYPAYING STABROEK BLOCK PARTNERS’ INCOME TAXES – PPP/C MUST DECIDE IF IT WILL STAND WITH THE COUNTRY OR OIL COMPANIES – RAM Even though there are countries around the world which take on the burden of paying the income taxes of oil companies, it only occurs because the nation’s laws allow for it. However, this is not the case in Guyana. According to the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) governing the Stabroek Block, Guyana has agreed to pay the income taxes for ExxonMobil, Hess Corporation and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana even though the nation’s laws do not allow for this to occur. Upon highlighting this major illegality in his recent writings, Chartered Accountant and attorney-atlaw, Christopher Ram, categorically stated, that the PPP/C government must decide if it will stand on the side of the country or the oil companies. He stressed that it is unpatriotic for the country to be paying the taxes of these oil companies when the law makes no provision for this to occur. Ram said that the choice for the government on this matter should be an easy one while adding, “We should not allow ourselves to be colonised all over again.” Expounding further, Ram was keen to point out that the
current arrangement of paying the income taxes for the oil companies is called the “Pay on Behalf” (POB) system. He said it is in conflict with two of the nation’s laws, specifically the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act Cap. 65:04 (PEPA), and the Financial Administration and Audit Act (FAA). The Chartered Accountant noted that Section 51 of the PEPA provides for the modification of four Acts in respect of licencees under a production sharing agreement. The Acts are the Income Tax Act, the Income Tax (In Aid of Industry) Act, the Corporation Tax Act and the Property Tax Act, which extends to the Capital Gains Tax Act as well. These modifications say nothing about these companies being exempted from these taxes, and the burden of paying same being transferred to the people of Guyana. He further noted that Section 10 of the PEPA says, agreements must be in accordance with the Act. In other words, Guyana’s Production Sharing Agreements should not include any provision regarding the POB formula since the law does not permit same. Ram therefore concluded that former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, went beyond his powers to extend concessions to persons who do not hold licences or agreements that are in agreement with the law of the land. The Chartered Accountant said, “The Granger Administration, which signed the 2016 Agreement, and the PPP/C (Continued on page 27)
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From page 26 Administration before and after it, will have an enormous task of justifying whether and how a modification or inapplicability of a tax law can amount to a reversal of a statutory obligation, whereby, a tax liability payable to the State ends up with the Government paying that tax.” The lawyer further noted that the FAA in particular appears to raise an insurmountable hurdle. In this regard, he articulated that it requires any remission, concession or waiver to be expressly provided for in a tax Act or subsidiary legislation. Since the POB is not part of the formula, Ram categorically stated that its use in other agreements is illegal. With this in mind, Ram said, “it seems that the oil companies might have thought that the vaguely worded Order No. 10 of 2016 (that was passed by the Granger Government in Parliament) to give effect to the Petroleum Agreement, would allow the pay-onbehalf-of trick. But the FAA deals with that as well. It provides that no Order (or other subsidiary legislation) will be valid unless the Act under which the subsidiary legislation is made expressly permits the remission, concession or waiver.” Ram added, “The Order is made under the PEPA which does not, even by implication, let alone expressly, permit the POB formula.” In conclusion, the Chartered Accountant said it is clear that the Stabroek Block Agreement contains several provisions that are not in keeping with the nation’s laws. PRIVATE INVESTORS/ CONSORTIUM FOR GASTO-SHORE PROJECT …TO ASSIST IN DESIGNING, FINANCING POWER PLANT, ETC. Despite no detailed financial or other studies being completed, the Government of Guyana says it has finalised the Wales Development Zone (WDZ) as the termination point for the pipeline from the Liza Area in the Stabroek Block, offshore Guyana and as such is seeking private investors or a consortium to be part of the project. This is according to an Expression of Interest (EOI) advertised by the Ministry of Natural Resources, which said in the invitation that it is calling for Joint participation in the proposed gas-to-shore project with the government and Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited
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(EEPGL)—ExxonMobil Guyana. According to the advertised EOI, the government and EEPGL are looking for partners “in designing or utilising the outputs from an NGL (Natural Gas Liquids) / LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas) facility and related facilities.” This includes, according to the Ministry, design, construction, and financing of a power plant fuelled by Natural gas, where the power will be delivered into the Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL) distribution grid. This is in addition to industries that can utilise Natural gas for, “Natural gas driven developments and growth.” According to the invitation, interested parties can bid to take part in any of the elements individually or collectively. It was noted however, any submission for the first and third aspects of the project, namely design and utilisation of gas or the industrial park, “must demonstrate the nexus between the projects as detailed.” Responses to the EOI, the Ministry said, should contain adequate information including the capabilities (technical and financial), track-record, profile and relevant information on the applicant or consortium. This, in addition to, evidence of financial resources available for the proposed project and should include a business plan. That plan, the Ministry said, must include a description of the proposed project, details on land required and related infrastructure, required quantities of gas and electricity (capacity [MWhr] and energy [kWhr]), with information on expected pricing, volumes, and ability to manage potential variable gas flows. The Ministry in its invitation noted too, that the decision on Wales was taken after extensive evaluation of multiple sites with ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EEPGL). The Wales Development Zone (WDZ), it said, has been identified as the termination point for the pipeline from the Liza Area in the Stabroek Block, offshore Guyana. The WDZ encompasses over 14,000+ acres of land of which approximately 1,300 acres will be set aside for heavy Industry/gas-related investments. The project, according to stakeholders, is expected to see some 27 kilometres of pipeline being buried from the Crane, West Coast Demerara (WCD) location to Wales, in addition
to some 200 plus kilometres of pipeline from the Stabroek Block where the Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading Vessel is located. According to the administration, WDZ will be the location for the termination of the gaspipeline measuring over 225 km from the Liza Area. Additionally, it will involve the establishment of a gas-processing plant (GPP) and a Natural gas liquids facility (NGL) capable of producing at least 4,000 bbl./ day, including the fractionation of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The private partners will also be expected to take part in the operations of the establishment of a power plant to generate 150 MW, with an additional 150 MW as a second phase in addition to the establishment of an industrial park comprising industries that can utilise gas, steam and/or electricity. Interested parties have been given up to August 29 to submit proposals. Additionally, “proposals will be especially welcome for small scale ammonia/urea, protein synthesis, cement, glass manufacture, ceramics, and other industries that rely on gas, steam, or electricity,” the Ministry stated. It noted too, that responses dealing with power generation should detail comparable projects completed, recommended technology, type and capacity of equipment specification related to the gas needed, back-up fuel optionality in the event of interruptions of Natural gas flow, capability to use rich gas as fuel to account for NGL plant downtime, required gas per MW installed, generation costs, ability to build in a modular fashion, environmental and emissions impacts, and timelines/key milestones. With regards to the use of additional gases, the
invitation detailed that responses dealing with NGLs should provide details of expectations on markets (local and regional), expected input prices, expected sale prices, level of investment on required infrastructure, proposed changes to the current configuration of the existing market, and ability to work with local partners and Government. WEDNESDAY EXXON CONCEDES RENEWABLE CHEAPER, CLEANER, DIRECTION THE WORLD IS HEADING …SAYS IT’S YOUR GOVT. THAT’S PUSHING GASTO-ENERGY PROJECT Mike Ryan, Production Manager for ExxonMobil Guyana, has conceded that renewable energy which involves the use of solar, wind and hydro is not only cheaper and cleaner for the environment but is also the direction in which the world is heading. Ryan gave this position during a scoping exercise held with the public on Friday last at the Umana Yana as part of the public consultations for the US$900M gas-to-energy project. Those meetings are being held in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in order to prepare guidelines for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) needed for the permit. The ExxonMobil Executive was asked directly why his company was pushing for the realisation of the project in light of the movement globally to renewables. He subsequently disclosed that it was the Guyana Government, which was pushing for the project. He was keen to note that Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) is only assisting the Guyana Government with the project.
According to Ryan, while the world is trying to lower emissions, “the Government of Guyana wants to proceed with this project, we want to partner and participate with them to help deliver on what they are trying to do, and we are happy to participate.” Pressed on the idea of renewable energy such as wind and solar and its impact on the reduction of emissions, Ryan told participants, “I agree that any reduction in emission is where we are trying to go and other alternative energy I think we should pursue them and I appreciate the efforts that Guyana is doing there.” He was at the time making reference to projects proposed and in operation in Guyana that include solar farms and hydro power plants. According to Ryan, with regards the pursuit of renewable energy, he posited, “I would believe that the government is looking at a long term plan on renewables.” He suggested however that the pursuit of renewables “is a great question to have a talk with Government on how to continue to reduce emissions.” Further conceding to the benefits of renewable energy, Ryan told stakeholders “globally, everybody wants to improve greenhouse gas emissions…we fully support that, I fully support that.” The Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) is currently pursuing a number of renewable energy initiatives including a proposed 0.60MW Solar PV site at Leguan. The agency is also advertising for investors to submit their bids for the design, supply, installation and commissioning of an 88.6 kWp Off-Grid Solar Photovoltaic Mini-Grid System in Sebai, 150 kWp Off-Grid Solar Photovoltaic Micro-Grid System and Electrical Distribution
Network in Paruima. GEA Head, Dr. Mahender Sharma, had recently reaffirmed in a public discussion on renewable energy that the agency is working towards a domestic energy mix to be developed over the next five years of some 400 mega watts (MW) of installed generation capacity in the country. According to Dr. Sharma, in the coming three years alone, some 39MW would be added to the grid using solar farms and other smaller such systems in the next three years. Speaking to hydropower initiatives by the agency, Dr. Sharma pointed to one completed in Region One at Hosororo and the construction of another 150kw plant at Kato in Region Eight. Additionally, he outlined that the GEA will soon be going out to tender for the construction of hydropower plants in Region Nine at Moco Moco at 0.7MW and in Kumu, a 1.5MW facility. According to Dr. Sharma, government is currently awaiting finalisation of financing for the projects from the Islamic Development Bank, while another private developer is looking to construct a 2.2MW hydropower plant at Tumatumari. This, he said, is in addition to the GEA currently conducting countrywide studies and surveys in relation to the country’s hydropower potential. Additionally, the GEA noted that there have been some progress made on the development of wind technology for the generation of electricity and pointed to an example of a wind powered lighting system – the 1823 Monument at the Georgetown Seawall. SYSTEMS TO REALIZE MAXIMUM VALUE IN GUYANA’S OIL SECTOR WEAK – INT’L BODY – SAYS COUNTRY SECURED WEAK SCORE ON PERFORMANCE INDEX The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) disclosed this week that Guyana’s oil and gas sector has placed in the “weak” performance band of its 2021 Resource Governance Index (RGI), with a score of 55 out of 100 points. Kaieteur News had previously reported that the 2021 RGI assesses how 18 resource-rich countries govern their oil, gas and mineral wealth. The index score is made up of three (Continued on page 28)
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From page 27 components. Two measure key characteristics of the extractives sector – value realisation and revenue management – and the third captures the broader context of governance — the enabling environment. These three overarching dimensions of governance consist of 14 subcomponents, which comprise 51 indicators, which are calculated by aggregating 136 questions. Independent researchers, overseen by NRGI, in each of the 18 countries completed a questionnaire to gather primary data on value realisation and revenue management. For the third component, the RGI draws on external data from over 20 international organisations. Its assessment of Guyana covers the period 2019-2020. Following this exercise, NRGI said in its report that as a new producer, Guyana is yet to develop the institutional framework to successfully govern its oil and gas sector. In fact, NRGI said it was able to find evidence of weakness in the areas of value realisation, revenue management and the overall enabling environment. Considering this, NRGI stressed that the government should prioritise the development of a robust resource governance framework, considering that production started in 2019 and is well underway. Expounding further, NRGI said the legal framework governing Guyana’s licensing process for oil licences is cause for concern. It was keen to note however that the local authorities have taken considerable time to disclose contracts, with negotiations and renegotiations taking place behind closed doors. It said too that the absence of fiscal rules governing public spending merit attention. NRGI therefore noted that Guyana’s Government should establish such rules as soon as possible. Further to this, the Institute articulated that Guyana’s enabling environment is also weak. It said that government effectiveness and regulatory quality are problematic, but commitment to open data standards is the most concerning indicator, with a “failing” score of just 12 points. “The governance of the sector, both in terms of successful policymaking and public accountability, would benefit from an adherence to open data principles,” NRGI stated. On the positive side, NRGI said government
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manages local impacts of the sector in line with best practices while adding that environmental and social impact assessments are publicly available. THURSDAY IMF ENCOURAGED GUYANATO ILLEGALLY PAY EXXON, PARTNERS’ INCOME TAXES Chartered Accountant and Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram, recently highlighted that Guyana’s leaders made a colossal blunder in 2016 when they allowed the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) to carry a provision, which sees the State paying the income taxes for ExxonMobil, Hess Corporation and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana. But what he finds more preposterous and mindboggling, is the fact that the International Monetary Fund (IMF), one of the nation’s development partners on the sector, encouraged Guyana to continue with the provision in spite of the fact that it is not consistent with any of its laws. Ram had previously noted that the provision that sees Guyana paying the income taxes of the oil companies out of its share of the profit oil is called the” Pay on Behalf (POB)” formula. The Chartered Accountant was keen to note, that Guyana’s use of the POB is not catered for in two of the nation’s laws, specifically the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act Cap. 65:04 (PEPA), and the Financial Administration and Audit Act (FAA). In spite of this, Ram noted in his recent writings that the IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department in a 2018 Technical Assistance Report, encouraged the use of the provision and “in a peculiarly didactic style, both asks and answers the questions on whether post-tax sharing is unique to Guyana, and whether it has advantages.” In answering the question, the IMF report says: “No, this system is used in many producing countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, Azerbaijan and Qatar, just to name a few. Some advantages of the pay-onbehalf-of system are that it provides more certainty on the expected government revenue from oil projects and mitigates tax planning, while offering physical stability for both the government and contractor against changes in corporate tax rates.” Upon noting this, Ram said, “This must rank as nonsensical a proposition as any that the IMF has published in its name
for decades. How one might ask, does this giveaway bring certainty to Government revenue, or prevent tax planning, when the whole idea of pay-onbehalf-of (POB) is all about tax planning – to allow oil companies to receive a certificate issued by the tax authorities of a tax ostensibly, but not actually paid by them, so that they can claim a tax credit in their home country?” He added, “…From all appearances, Budget 2021 does not acknowledge any awareness of this liability by the Government, or make any provision for its payment. For the Government to meet this obligation to the oil companies outside of an Appropriation Act, would be unlawful and may explain the silence of the authorities on this matter.” Expounding further, the lawyer said the practical examples given by the IMF are only marginally more sustainable than their conceptual logic. He said the authors of the report write about Trinidad and Tobago utilising the POB formula, but stressed that they failed to acknowledge that this is a decades-old legacy, which is no longer widely practiced, and has never applied in a postdiscovery agreement. With respect to Azerbaijan, Ram said the assertion is effectively disputed by one of that country’s academics and by Deloitte, a reputable accounting firm. In an article in the July 2015 edition of Journal of World Energy Law and Business, Ram quoted Nurlan Mustafayev as stating that “Contractors and subcontractors are subject to taxes under the country’s Production Sharing Agreements. There is no precontract cost, capital expenditure is limited to 50 percent of gross production and the cost recovery base and taxes are ring-fenced.” He said too, that Deloitte goes further and gives a range of tax rates of 20 percent to 32
percent, which petroleum operations must pay. Ram said they both note that each agreement is the subject of a separate Act of Parliament and neither mentions the Government of that country settling the oil companies’ tax obligations. As for Qatar, Ram cited another analytical piece, this time by PricewaterhouseCoopers, another accounting giant. PWC in summing up Qatar’s tax regimes in respect of petroleum operations said: “Generally, corporate income tax rate at a minimum of 35 percent is applicable to companies carrying out petroleum operations…” Further to this, Ram noted that Qatar has moved away from Exploration and Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) to Development and Fiscal Agreements (DFAs). While comparisons can be useful benchmarks, Ram said it is clear when one contemplates the foregoing that they ignore the overall package and relevant local laws at their peril. In the case of Guyana, Ram said the former regime therefore erred when it used the POB formula since it violates the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act Cap. 65:04 (PEPA) and the Financial Administration and Audit Act (FAA). Ram also expressed dismay during a telephone interview with Kaieteur News that the IMF, which was supposed to be protecting Guyana’s interests, encouraged such an illegality. ABSENCE OF RULES TO MONITOR SPENDING OF OIL MONEY BY POLITICIANS A MAJOR RED FLAG – NRGI The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), one of the world’s leading
non-profit organisations dedicated to helping countries properly manage their oil and gas wealth, recently conducted an assessment on Guyana and found that its systems for revenue management are weak. This assessment, which covers the 2019 to 2020 period, was done for NRGI’s 2021 Resource Governance Index (RGI) on which Guyana secured a score of 55 out of 100 points. Kaieteur News had previously reported that the 2021 RGI assesses how 18 resource-rich countries govern their oil, gas and mineral wealth. The index score is made up of three components. Two measure key characteristics of the extractives sector – value realisation and revenue management – and the third captures the broader context of governance — the enabling environment. As regards revenue management, NRGI, which is headquartered in New York, said Guyana was deemed to be weak in this component due to a poor national budgeting assessment. In that subcomponent, Guyana has scored 40 out of 100 points. Expounding further, NRGI which was founded in 2013 noted that the country’s fiscal regime was designed in the 1980s and does not reflect recent economic changes in Guyana. But what is more troubling to the Institute is the absence of a fiscal rule to ensure that the spending of the oil money is not a victim of politicisation. Given the prospects of high revenue in the coming years, NRGI said this is clearly a major red flag. NRGI in its report said, “It is crucial that Guyana has a decentralised mechanism to decide fiscal expenditures and shield them
from politicised decisionmaking.” On a positive note, NRGI noted that Guyana obtained “good” scores regarding the government’s disclosure of the national budget and national debt. It further noted that the former government’s decision to create the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) in 2019, with clear withdrawal rules that control the amount that is transferred to the national budget, constitutes a step toward sound economic policy for the sector. The Institute was keen to note that since the NRF legislation has not been activated and no withdrawal has taken place since production started in December 2019, international organisations and civil society are now asking the government for the early operationalisation of the fund. The Institute further highlighted that the institutional set-up of the NRF shows that Guyana’s government intends to address volatility in commodity prices and save for the future. It stressed nonetheless that the passage of the NRF Bill was not smooth due to the NoConfidence vote against the former government. NRGI acknowledged that the Bill was approved and voted on in absence of the opposition party, now in power, while adding that there is uncertainty regarding its use. On this premise, the international organisation articulated, “If the Guyanese government decides to amend or repeal the NRF law, it is crucial this process is transparent and inclusive so citizens can trust any new institutional framework.” FRIDAY GUYANATO FOOT US$1.3M DAILY TO RENT SUPPLY BOATS FOR EXXONMOBIL Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL)—ExxonMobil Guyana—is currently utilising 24 supply vessels to support its drilling operations at the Urau-1 well in the Stabroek Block at a cost of some US$1.3M daily. This, according to a notice published by the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) in a notice to mariners published in Thursday’s dailies. According to the notice, ExxonMobil from Monday last continues with its drilling operations in the Stabroek Block, this time using the (Continued on page 29)
Sunday July 18, 2021
From page 28 MODU Stena Carron to spud its Urau-1 well some 101 miles offshore Guyana. The drilling area, in the MARAD warning encompasses an area of 0.29 and mariners are being warned to stay clear of the vessels and navigate with extreme caution when in the vicinity. The supply vessels being employed to support the drilling activity include Gary Rook, Russell Bouziga, Robert Adams, Seacor Nile, Sanibel Island, Jack Edwards, Holiday, C-Installer, Kirk Chouest, Roger White, Charlie Commeaux and the Ted Smith. Others being employed are Paradise Island, Seacor Demerara, Clarence Triche, Seacor Congo, Horn Island, Russell Adams, Seacor Murray, Seacor Amazon, Seacor Mixteca, Emily Day McCall, Michael Crombie and Guyana Hero. This publication understands that each vessel is being rented at approximately US$55,000, which would mean ExxonMobil pays some US$1.3M in rent for each of the supply vessels being used. Kaieteur News has since been reliably informed that according to the company’s contracts, they are to be paid whether the vessel is used in a day or not. WORLD BANK’S GUYANAOILOUTLOOK INCONSISTENT WITH SUPPORTING CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION – UK NGO According to a July 14 article by Bretton Woods, the World Bank’s first Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) for Guyana, has been met with doubt by various proponents of the Guyana civil society. The document posits that despite the urgent need to transition to a low-carbon global economy, the country will experience a substantial windfall from its new offshore oil development. According to the document, the development could see Guyana’s per capita GDP rise to $16,900 by 2030, more than 2.5 times its current size. According to the article, this comes on the heel of research published in September 2020 which showed that the World Bank and IMF have routinely over-estimated future revenues from new oil and gas discoveries over the past two decades, resulting in a ‘presource curse’ in many countries characterised by a severe mismatch between policies and actual revenues. Despite the Bank ostensibly supporting all countries to achieve global climate goals,
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through its newly released Climate Change Action Plan for 2021-25, the Bank’s projection – which is purported to frame engagement with Guyana over the next five years – flies in the face of positive action for climate change. The Bank previously backed Guyana’s offshore oil development through a combination of development policy and technical assistance. This was met with widespread criticism from both national and international civil society as they effectively served to ignore increased calls to abandon new oil and gas extraction projects. Bretton Woods noted that in the World Bank’s Net Zero Report released in May, even the historically conservative International Energy Agency noted that limiting average global temperature increase to 1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial period would necessitate “no new oil and gas being approved for development.” The Bank’s projection is also at odds with analysis of Guyana’s oil prospects produced by the US-based Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) published in October 2020. In contrast to the Bank, IEEFA found, “that oil revenues won’t cover Guyana’s annual budget deficit over the next three years and meet its pledge to build a Sovereign Wealth Fund. This will lead to a shortfall of $482 million in the first three years.” Even with a predicted improvement in the following two years, IEEFA notes, “the aggregate five-year annual cash deficit still is likely to be $160 million,” with the following period looking highly uncertain: “the outlook for the oil and gas industry is largely negative. New, long-term global market and political forces have created a permanent oversupply of oil and gas, low prices and new
competitors that will keep markets unstable.” The article further highlights that the World Bank’s strong support for oil-based growth in Guyana is also counterproductive in light of the country’s severe vulnerability to the physical risks posed by climate change, even as the development pathway it endorses means these impacts will be more severe. Ironically, the SCD fully acknowledges these risks, noting, “fiscal risks emanating from climate and natural disasters could derail…growth and development efforts; necessitating targeted public investment to build resilience. Coastal flooding is an especially serious risk, as much of Guyana’s population and economic activity—especially agriculture—is concentrated in low-lying areas along the Atlantic coast.” Melinda Janki, a Guyanese International lawyer, has been quoted by the article as saying “Joseph Stiglitz and Lord Stern, two former World Bank economists, say renewable energy offers better economic returns. The International Energy Agency says no new fossil fuel projects. Yet country director, Tahseen Sayed, and the World Bank team are pushing Guyana to transition to oil and to go from a carbon sink to a 3.87-gigaton carbon bomb disaster. The Executive Directors must stop this lunacy before the country team destroys Guyana and the entire planet.” SATURDAY GUYANAALONE STANDS FINANCIAL RISKS IN US$900M GAS-TO-ENERGY PROJECT - RAM The Guyana Government is pushing ahead with a gasto-energy initiative for which, according to Chartered
Accountant, Christopher Ram, the country will be left to face all expenses, while any spending by the operator will be recovered from cost oil/ gas. This was noted by Ram in his most recent public writings, even as scoping meetings are ongoing for the project by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) subsequent to an application by Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL)—ExxonMobil Guyana—for environmental authorisation to go ahead with the project. Ram in making his position public, pointed out that under the provisions of the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), the Operator is required to include in the development plan of each oil field a plan for the utilisation of the Associated Gas. According to Ram, the Article goes on to provide that where there is any excess Associated Gas, the Contractor is required to carry out a feasibility study regarding the utilisation of such excess gas, and to include it in the development plan for the oil field. He has since noted that a representative of the Ministry of Natural Resources confirmed that there is not one but several such development plans. “That would suggest that Esso has conducted a feasibility study and must have satisfied itself of its economic benefits of development of the gas resources.” To this end, he noted that as a measure of the lack of any ring fencing of costs, the Article provides that all costs and expenses incurred by the oil companies in the production and/or disposal of the
Associated Gas of an oil field, and the costs incurred in the feasibility of the utilisation of the excess Associated Gas, is recoverable contract costs.” On the other hand however, “all costs incurred by the Government for the infrastructure and handling of excess Associated Gas not included in an approved Development Plan, is at the sole risk and expense of the Government and will not affect the amount of the Cost Oil and Profit Oil due to the Contractor.” The juxtaposition was given since, according to Ram, ExxonMobil Guyana, indicates in its Project Summary, the construction and operation of a pipeline from the Liza Phase 1 and Liza Phase 2 Floating, Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) vessels to an onshore Natural gas liquids (NGL) and Natural gas processing plant (NGL Plant). At the same time however, the Ministry of Natural Resources is advertising for expressions of interest for what it describes as Gas Related Investments which include the development of a Natural Gas Liquids Processing facility. As such Ram posits, a reasonable reading of the two initiatives is that “these are distinct and separate but yet interdependent projects with separate ownership, financing and operations, with their own economic, environmental and financial considerations.” EPA FLIP-FLOPS ON IMPORTANCE OF UPDATED EIA GUIDELINES Since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) got rid of its updated 2020 guidelines for environmental impact assessments (EIA), the agency has changed its tune on their importance. It is now claiming that shelving the guidelines will not affect the quality of the EIAs at all. The EPAsaid this in a media release on Thursday, following articles by Kaieteur News. This newspaper pointed out that the removal of the guidelines was done just six days before the agency announced a requirement for ExxonMobil to conduct an EIA for the US$900M gas-to-energy project. This is an indisputable fact. Furthermore, the agency had said that it withdrew the guidelines to conduct consultations with stakeholders. They are called Revised Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Guidelines (2020) for Mining, Forestry, Hydropower, Thermal Power, Electricity Transmission and Offshore Petroleum Exploration and Production. In the meantime, the regulator believes it wise to use guidelines from 21 years ago,
called EIA Guidelines (2000) Volumes 1-5 (Generic; Forestry; Mining; and Electricity Generation). Concerned Guyanese, Simone Mangal, had raised the matter during a virtual public scoping for the gas-to-shore project last week. This raised questions about whether the retraction was done to expedite ExxonMobil’s project. The EPA on Thursday claimed that the decision is not related to any project seeking environmental authorisation. It said, “The retracted guidelines were not restricted to oil and gas, but rather were a suite of guidelines relevant to a number of sectors, including mining, forestry, hydropower, thermal power and electricity transmission.” “Guidelines are not mandatory for the conduct of EIAs. The EPA therefore reiterates that the retraction of the 2020 guidelines will in no way affect the quality of the EIA. The EPA is working assiduously to have additional consultations on these guidelines before they are finalised.” This response however, conflicts with statements made by the EPA several months ago when it announced the updated guidelines, captured in the Kaieteur News article – Outdated EPA regulations gets updated (April 11, 2021). The EPA had said the new guidelines address seven sectors specifically, and address climate vulnerability, international treaties, opportunities for renewable energy and the emerging petroleum sector. It had said back then, “With these gaps being filled, the EPA should now be able to assess more accurately new and complex projects and monitor and mitigate their social and environmental impacts.” It had also said the updated guidelines will now be able to meet international best practices for EIA conduct, preparation and review. With the foregoing in mind, stakeholders ask, How could the EPA now claim that the removal of guidelines, which filled major gaps in oil sector regulation, would make no difference to the quality of the EIA? This comes at a time when Guyanese across the country are concerned about the potential environmental impacts of the gas-to-energy project. While serious questions are being raised during scoping meetings, the EPA would not answer them, making the excuse that they are not within scope. The EPA has not said when it will reinstitute the new guidelines, which have disappeared from its website. It only reiterated that they have to face wider public participation through inputs from diverse stakeholders.
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==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==
The role Sanjeev Datadin’s father played in shaping my life On the morning of Saturday July 10, I drove into the National Park with my dog. As I pulled up alongside an SUV, this gentleman came out the car with a toddler that I assumed was his grandchild. I instantly recognised him. The former, CEO of Lands and Survey (LaS), A. K. Datadin, father of the famous attorney, Sanjeev Datadin. I came out of my car and watched Mr. Datadin as he walked away, killing instantly, the instant temptation I had of approaching him to remind him what he did for me and what he did not succeed in doing for me that impacted on my life. I know how I feel when I am with my dog in the park, listening to Johnny Mathis. I don’t want to be bothered with talking to people. So I figured Mr. Datadin would have just wanted to be with his grandchild. I wanted to thank him for a superlative effort he made on my behalf as CEO of LaS. The year was 1994. I had had enough of UG. I had enough of being a columnist with the Catholic Standard and the Stabroek News. I had enough of being in the limelight. A majority of people in this world will not understand that after a long period of having publicity in your life, you want to turn your back on it.
It can wear you down with enormous psychological burden. UG was not what it was when I started to teach there in 1986. This was not the great UG I knew as a student in the seventies. I felt truly disgusted with the so-called academics there that were more regimented than public servants. These people were an ugly embarrassment to the great world of academia that the world cannot do without because academia plays a priceless role in the preservation of freedoms and rights. I felt it was time to leave the media after Miles Fitzpatrick, co-founder of the Stabroek News insisted to David DeCaires that I be dropped as a columnist. Ms. Joycelyn Dow complained to Fitzpatrick, her personal friend, about an article I wrote about her unpublicised connection with the PNC. The arrogant, elitist leadership of Fitzpatrick and DeCaires was on full display. I worked freely for that newspaper since 1988, and DeCaires didn’t have the decency to have a chat with me but dispatched a short letter. I wasn’t middle class enough and light-complexioned enough for the cofounders. I once wrote that if I ever publish my memoir, I would get a
thousand libel writs. I wanted a change from UG and the media. So I went to A. K. Datadin. I never saw him before. He greeted me warmly. We chatted about my writings. I told him I knew President Cheddi Jagan was granting leased land and that I wanted to go into farming. Mr. Datadin assured me he would do his best. A month after he told me he located a few acres in Mahaica and the papers would be ready in a month’s time. I went back after a month and heard the disappointing news. Mr. Datadin said that the Minister of Agriculture, Reepu Daman Persaud, had rejected my allocation. That had to be a mistake since I told Mr. Datadin I knew “Reep” very well from the anti-dictatorship era. I went to see “Reep.” Something was not right. The Minister was livid. He said Datadin should not have done the allocation and he should fire him. I got up from my seat, apologised for any mistake Mr. Datadin did, told the minister I was no longer interested and walked out. I have not seen Mr. Datadin since that day until Saturday July 10. I know his son, Sanjeev, well but I never told Sanjeev
this story. Whenever I see Sanjeev, I would just ask, “how is the old man?” I looked at Mr. Datadin holding his grandchild’s hand with his Panama hat covering his face and as he faded from my view, the compelling thought could not have been resisted. If I had secured the land, what would have been my life today? The way I felt in 1994 when I spoke to Mr. Datadin was the exact way I
felt in 2015. I wanted to fade from the limelight. The PPP had won in 1992 and I wanted to go in another direction. The AFC had won in 2015 and that same dream was calling me. It was time to leave the limelight. More on that when I describe the tempestuous confrontation Vice President, Khemraj Ramjattan, and I had over that same dream. Some
Frederick Kissoon dreams are like roses – fated to die. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
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Coronavirus: These choices should ensure that you to survive COVID-19 By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt Medical Center It will soon be two years since this pandemic started in China. Unfortunately, “bureaucracy” and social media has left the world split on what is the right way to manage COVID-19. In the world of medicine, we always say “when in doubt, return to the patient— the answer is often there.” COVID-19 is teaching us this lesson all over again. I have had my fair share of treating COVID-19 patients and like many other colleagues worldwide, the evidence of what works is becoming clearer to us as each day passes. While I would have discussed these options in different articles before, today, I wish to simplify what these obvious choices should be for everyone if they wish to survive COVID-19. A prepared immune system It is known for years that someone with a strong immune system, will fight off an infection better than a person with a weaker immune system. This fact is remains true with COVID-19. The ones that are dying are those that have weakened immune system. Our immune system is our first and main defense against infections. Patients with prepared (strong) immune systems are faring well when infected with COVID-19. The following factors cause weakened immune sys-
tems and should be avoided: · Lack of sleep · Low Vitamin D levels in the body · Medications that weaken our immune system · Limited fruit and vegetable intake · Too little time outdoors · Smoking · Grief/too much stress · Lack of exercise Get Vaccinated It has been more than six months since vaccination against COVID-19 began across the world. Since then, the death rates have shifted downwards while the virus has shifted its focus on the unvaccinated. It is slowly becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated as the devastation from COVID-19 is occurring in those that are not vaccinated. Persons that are fully vaccinated are faring well and the evidence is showing that those that are vaccinated are: · Less likely to pass on the infection to others · Less likely to be infected and have symptoms · Less likely to be hospitalised · Far less likely to die if they are infected Avoiding the 4D’s The evidence is clear that this virus is airborne and is easily transmitted in certain environments more than others. Data has shown that if you avoid the following 4D’s you are likely to avoid COVID-19: · Draft · Density · Duration · Dimension In closed spaces, one’s
risk of acquiring COVID-19 increases with the time (duration) they spend in the space, the smaller the space (dimension), the more populated the space is (density) and, the lack of airflow and fresh air (draft) in the said space. Initiating EARLY treatment With COVID-19, every hour is vital especially in the first 72 hours of the illness. What you do during this time can determine if you survive or die from this disease. During this period, the virus is trying to enter your body as much as possible. The higher the viral load in your body, the likelier the chance of you having a severe form of the infection and getting a poor outcome. Once your immune system is prepared, you will be able to mount an early response and decrease the amount of virus entering your body. You should therefore ensure you use your vitamins and antioxidants all the time and especially, if you become infected. There hasn’t been any proper study that debunks the effectiveness of Ivermectin when used EARLY to treat COVID-19. I have had my fair share of treating patients and they have all done exceptionally well when they used Ivermectin within 72 hours of becoming ill with COVID-19. This drug seems to work well in decreasing the amount of virus that enters our body and is most effective when given in the first 72 hours of the illness. While we wait on proper data to surface, I can-
not ignore the fact that more than 70 of my patients have done well with COVID-19 when they used this drug early. There are many other doctors worldwide that are testifying to the effectiveness of Ivermectin and it is time that we stop ignoring the “real doctors.” I say “real doctors” because there are many that debunk facts when they have never seen a patient or risked their life to treat a patient with COVID-19 but yet they discredit the effectiveness of
treatments used by “real doctors” because of what they read. What they do not realise, is that by sharing their public, non-clinical thoughts, they may be influencing others to ignore treatment options and may be contributing to lives lost. The real science lies in spending time with patients and observing their progress with treatment. No book, article or social media post will be able to substitute or be superior to the clinical experience of “real
Dr. Zulfikar Bux doctors.” I therefore encourage you to practice these measures and you should be on your way to becoming a COVID-19 success instead of a failure.
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>>> ENCOURAGING EVENTS, DISTURBING DEVELOPMENTS <<<
Indian oil price, oil consortium, cash rollout for children and vaccines
By GHK Lall
I
struggled hard to f i n d s o m e encouraging situations from last week, and found several. Though skepticisms continue, I shelve those temporarily, and hope for the best. It was encouraging to learn from Minister Vickram Bharrat that “Guyana to receive current world market price for oil sold to India – Minister” (KN July 13). What took so long, Minister? What was so hard about this? Surely, this price agreed upon, had to be known from the time the cock crowed before daybreak? Instead of laying into Minister Bharrat (what good is that, since his government continues merrily along?) for untimely and inexplicable delaying of this welcoming news, I simply say: thanks for the information. It would be immensely more encouraging to read of this kind of frank sharing from the beginning, and not when citizens (like me) have to raise a ruckus about secrecy and seemingly scampish leadership behaviours. Facts pertaining to this precious oil wealth must not come out under duress, and repeated pulling of teeth. It touches everyone with bad breaths, and brings much cringing. Keep it up, sir. And encourage the big boss man to do right by Guyanese with this oil. Leadership conduct along those lines would encourage. I stay with Natural Resources Minister Bharrat and congratulate him on announcing more of the encouraging, though this one could have poisoned fangs. Let this be said: I feel for the minister, for he has been given a basket by a basket case to do work that a basket can't hold. That is, be the
good soldier, and grin and bear, while the big guys carry on with their lying, concealing, cheating ways. There are some jobs that are not worth all the money or glory in the world. But Minister Bharrat stepped up again with his latest billboard: “Private investors/consortium for gas-to-shore project” (KN July 13). That is encouraging on the face of it and all because Minster Bharrat was upfront with that disclosure. Again, I tip my hat to the Honourable Minister. I would be extremely angry if these words come back to haunt me. Because, on almost every occasion that “private investors/consortium” has surfaced here and engaged in the business of this society, it has been detrimental for us. Who got shafted and is paying the price for that bridge, while private investors collect the hog? Guyanese. Who holds the dirty end of the stick and is carrying the load with that hotel, while shady private investors reap the rewards? Guyanese again. Let me be clear: the Canje and Kaieteur Blocks secretly given away were to such so-called private investors, and look at how much skullduggery went on with the still mysterious giveaways of those two rich blocks. Minister Bharrat can be given a clean bill of health, since he was not around then, and his fingerprints and voiceprints cannot be found. But on this problematic (and already suspiciously handled) gas-to-shore project finalised for Wales, this disclosure about “ p r i v a t e investors/consortium” should such be crooked and disastrous for Guyana will fall on his head. The other fellas (the big ones) will leave him holding the bag, and then people like me will have to come down on him like a ton of bricks.
My advice to the minister is: careful. Watch with eagle eye how things shape up, and which comrades sidling up for piece of the private investor action. More encouraging action, it was, this time from the Education Minister with “Roll-out of $3.2B cash grant initiative for school
children” (KN July 13). Very good and encouraging, minister; timely and helpful, too. Now encourage Guyana some more, by ensuring that the money gets into the hands where they rightly belong. I don't mean 'teefin' comrades and cronies. And Health Minster Anthony also
had his own roll-out, this time with newly arrived Sputnik vaccines. I know some waiting for this now present second dose. Thanks for the disclosure of some children hospitalised from the virus. Good going, Mr. Minister. (The views expressed in
this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
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Six interesting facts about Dewar’s Scotch Whisky
Whether you’re an avid Scotch drinker or a dedicated television watcher, you’ve probably heard of Dewar’s. The Perth, Scotland-based whisky brand has been around since 1846 and has since become a staple on bar carts around the globe. The beloved Scotch may be a worldwide household name, but there’s always more to learn. Read on for 10 facts that every whisky lover should know about Dewar’s. THE STORY STARTS WITH FAMILY. The brand was founded in 1846 by John Dewar, alongside his sons John Alexander and Tommy. In the 1880s, John officially passed the family business along to John Alexander and Tommy, who marketed Dewar’s across the world and built the brand’s Aberfeldy distillery in 1898. While the brand is no longer run by the Dewar family, it is proudly headed by master blender Stephanie MacLeod, who has been with
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Kaieteur News
Dewar’s for almost 25 years. FOR DEWAR’S, AGE IS MORE THAN JUSTA NUMBER. The brand ages its Scotch twice — once before blending, and once after. Dewar’s claims that this double-aging process allows for a more balanced whisky. IT CLAIMS TO HAVE PIONEERED ONE OF AMERICA’S FAVORITE LIBATIONS. Legend has it that Tommy Dewar loved traveling almost as much as he loved whisky. The brand’s co-founder even wrote a book about his “Ramble Round the Globe,” in which he claims to have invented the original Highball — made with whisky, soda, and ice — while visiting New York. DEWAR’S GOES FOR THE GOLD. Dewar’s proclaims itself the world’s most awarded blended Scotch whisky — gaining thousands of awards to date and medaling three
times in the 2019 International Whisky Competition. DEWAR’S FOUND ITS WAY INTO THE WHITE HOUSE. Tommy Dewar loved his family’s Scotch so much that he decided then-U.S. president Benjamin Harrison would, too. In 1891, Dewar reportedly sent an 18gallon cask of Dewar’s as a gift to the White House at the request of Scottish-American industrialist Andrew Carnegie. This action sparkled anger in American whiskey brands, which supposedly resented the president’s decision to consume “foreign whisky.” IT HAS THE QUEEN’S STAMP OF APPROVAL. On yet another one of his adventures, Tommy stopped in the U.K. in 1893 and was able to convince Queen Victoria to grant a royal warrant to Dewar ’s. The brand was the first blended Scotch to receive such an endorsement.
Lessons from a Lashpreneur!!!
Pros and cons of silk, synthetic and mink lashes By Latoya Zephyr Hey lash babes, this week we will be looking at the different between silk, synthetic and mink lashes. One of the questions that is asked about extensions is the difference between them. We’re familiar with the difference, pros and cons of different kinds and why you might choose one over the other. Here’s a little insight to help you make the best choice. Synthetic eyelash extensions: These are made from a polished, acrylic material and are the firmest/sturdiest of all. In appearance, they are a little shinier or glossier than the mink or synthetic, and when applied quite thickly, more dramatic. While they come in a wide variety of thicknesses and curls, and can be applied to look very natural, these are most popular with ladies wanting a more dramatic and made-up look. They hold their curl extremely well due to their firmness. Some people don’t find them as ‘soft’ or ‘natural’ looking than silk or mink eyelash extensions, and while they last a long time, the thickest type don’t have quite as good staying power as the silk and the mink. They are most suitable for those with healthy, dense lashes of their own, and are generally favoured by younger clients. However because they are heavier in weight than silk or mink eyelash extensions And on some, with very thick natural lashes, it can look simply fantastic. Silk eyelash extensions: These are the mid-weight type of lash extensions, and are finer and more flexible than the synthetic type. Because they are softer and more porous, they tend to hold on slightly longer than the synthetic ones. They can be made to look very natural or very glamorous, but sometimes
quite as dense/thick as the synthetic lashes. Because they are lighter weight, they are often a much better option for your lashes if your own ones are weak or fine. They sometimes last longer than synthetic lashes too. Like synthetic lashes, silk come in a variety of curls and lengths, though are a better option for a more natural look, as the curl is not generally as uniform as synthetic lashes. Mink lashes: At Lift and lashes, we’re agains t a n i m a l c r u e l t y, which is why we do not and never will use real mink fur for lash extensions (we explained why in an earlier article ).Faux-mink lashes, which are man-made fibres, is designed to imitate real mink fur. They are very fine, soft and silky, just like real fur. However, they have been improved, in that if you wet them, they won’t lose their curl. When wet, real mink fur lashes become straight and wispy and you often need to use a curler to curl them back up.
Faux-mink lashes are becoming very popular because they are so light and fine, they feel exactly like your own lashes. They are also shinier in texture than the silk lashes, giving the lashes a glossy look. They are (with proper care!) very long lasting, and are great if your own lashes are fine and weak. Because they are so light, they don’t tend to drop or twist, even after many weeks of wear. Because they are so fine, the surface-area-ratio between your own lash and the extension is much closer to 1:1 (with synthetic it can be 1:2 or even higher) so they last longer. It takes a longer time (around 1.5-2 hours) to apply a set of faux mink lashes because of how fine it is.One downside is that even with a lot of volume, they are still beautifully natural and fluffy looking, so those that want a really glamorous “Kardashian” look are better off going for synthetic lashes which give even more volume.
Guyana Talent Search shows tonight on E1 Tonight at 7PM, the Enetworks team will be airing another episode of the Guyana Talent Search Programme which is proudly sponsored and produced by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. Be sure to tune in and witness the nation’s singing, dancing and poetic talents in all their splendor.
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Which is worse for your health - Sugar or Carbs? There is one question that puzzles us as much as the ‘which came first – the egg or the hen’ question. This one is linked to health. You guessed right! If you are conscious about your health, we bet you may have googled this question as well. Let us put this musing to rest, once and for all and get to the bottom of the conundrum. The origin of the debate Ever since the pandemic struck and we have been trapped in our homes, we have been bombarded with social media posts and discussions on the need to be mindful of our health. Now more than ever, with a virus running rampant, we have to scrutinize our dietary and lifestyle choices. The COVID infection has the potential to take a nasty turn if we are already saddled with comorbidities such as obesity. For the first time, the whole nation began to scrutinize health and how it can be improved through a strict diet. And at the forefront of the list of foods that we decided to be wary about were – sugar and carbohydrates. But what if there was more to the story than what you already know? Which is more dangerous of the two and are the carbohydrate and sugar side effects as they are made out to be? Let us take a look. Here’s what you should know about sugars What are sugars? Simply put, sugars are the simplest form of carbohydrates. Monosaccharides and Disaccharides are the two categories of sugars. · Monosaccharides – glucose, galactose and fructose. · Disaccharides – sucrose, maltose, lactose and trehalose. Monosaccharides and Disaccharides can be found in nature (in fruits and vegetables). They are produced during photosynthesis. Sugars can also be extracted from the said natural products and used as an additive. That is why sugars can also be categorized into: · Natural sugars · Added/processed sugars The composition of both is exactly the same. When you eat plant products, you are consuming sugar, the same sugar that you add to desserts, the ones that are present in candies, ice-creams and fruit juices. Your body is blind to the source of the sugars. When monosaccharides and disaccharides enter the body, they are broken down into the
simplest form of sugarglucose. This glucose is used by your body as energy to carry out all its functions. So why is sugar bad? Technically, sugar isn’t harmful in fact, it is essential. It is our obsession with added sugars and the processed sugar side effects that pose a serious risk to your health. Added sugar is sugar that you do not need because this is excess sugar. The added sugar side effects will do the following: · Increases the risk of the development of belly (visceral) fat that is linked to heart diseases. · Increases the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and impotence. · May speed up the process of ageing. · Can lead to weight gain and risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The optimum amount of daily sugar consumption should not be more than: · 25 grams for women · 36 grams for men This target can easily be met by fruits and vegetables (and yes, no need to forego mangoes, ripe papayas or bananas to curb your sugar intake, these are very beneficial fruits). Just say no to processed sugar. Here’s what you should know about carbohydrates Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients (along with fats and proteins). Sugars are a type of carbohydrate. Fibres and starches (called polysaccharides) are also carbs. All carbohydrates are broken down by your body into glucose which in turn acts as fuel to power all your activities. So why is a carbs diet considered harmful? Not all carbohydrates are bad. There are two types of carbs: · Simple carbs – These have a simple chemical structure and your body can rapidly break them down. This triggers a rapid spike in blood sugar levels soon after a meal. But the level drops quickly afterwards. This also translates to a quick depletion of energy and fast digestion. This in turn also makes you feel hungry in a very short time and eager to eat more. · Complex carbs – These have a more complex structure and the body takes much longer to break them into glucose. That means there will not be a rapid rise and crash in blood sugar levels. The complex carbs will provide you with a steady supply of energy and keep you feeling full for long. So, you see, a simple carbs diet can be dangerous.
Examples of foods you need to be cautious about are: 1. Cookies 2. Baked products 3. Fruit juices 4. White bread 5. Table sugar (both brown and white) 6. Ketchup Complex carbohydrates are good for you. Examples of good carbohydrates are: · Whole grains · Fruits · Vegetables · Beans · Nuts · Oats · Cereals It is recommended that 45% – 55% of calories of our calorie intake should come from carbohydrates. So, you cannot do away with a carbs diet or you would not be able to function. Choose your carbs wisely. What happens if you consume too many simple carbs? Uncontrolled simple carb consumption can trigger: · Obesity · Cardiovascular diseases What should you do to stay healthy? Now you know that you cannot eliminate carbohydrates and sugars
from your diet. So here are a few suggestions for you: · Avoid added sugars and simple carbohydrates as much as possible. · Make sure that you do some exercise regularly so that even if you have consumed simple carbs and processed sugar, you can burn up the excess. · Eat fresh fruits (such as apples, pears, bananas, papayas, vegetables), whole grains, dairy products and nuts (such as almonds or peanuts) regularly. · Learn to deal with stress to avoid stress-eating. · Improve your quality of sleep. · Steer clear of junk foods, excess alcohol and smoking. Don’t let diet fads call the shots. Your needs are unique to your body, sex, age and geographic location. Be wise and mindful of your diet and lifestyle choices and your health will naturally improve itself. Key Takeaways · Both sugars and carbohydrates are essential to the functioning of the body because they provide us with energy. · Natural sugars
found in fruits and vegetables are beneficial and can meet the daily required sugar intake. · Table sugar or processed sugar is additional sugar consumption and can trigger serious health issues such as obesity or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. · C o m p l e x carbohydrates such as whole grains and fruits are good for health. · S i m p l e carbohydrates found in desserts and junk food
increase the risk of obesity and diabetes. · Brown sugar may be slightly healthier than regular sugar but the healthy serving of brown sugar is just one teaspoon. More than that may be harmful to you. · Consumption of sugary foods can impact brain chemistry to make you crave more sweets and desserts. (https:// pharmeasy.in/blog/which-isworse-for-your-health-sugaror-carbs/)
How To Cope With Job Stress And Maintain A Healthy Work-Life Balance? Our work takes up a significant part of our lives. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered the introduction of work-from-home office setups, which have sent the work-life balance to a toss for a large number of people. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Stress (NIOSH), has defined job stress as ‘the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources or needs of the worker’. It is natural for the stress of your job to be overwhelming and it can affect your lifestyle and health too. You can learn more about coping with job stress to understand it better and deal with it in a better manner too. How can you manage job stress in your office? Managing stress is not a very easy task however you can help yourself if you try and follow these tips: · Write down the factors which stress you If you are feeling burned out in your office environment, try writing
down the causes of your stress. Writing down your stressors can help you let things out and clear your mind. Writing down the events which affect you can help you gauge them better in your mind. · Manage your time effectively Effective time management can help you manage difficult responsibilities at work and keep in tune with your work schedule. If you manage your time well by creating a routine, then you can save time at work and get done with work faster. Try keeping a list of important work to get done first and keep multiple things off your plate. · Practice relaxation of your mind When you are feeling very stressed at work and feeling intense pressure, take your mind off the work. Take a deep breath and reassure yourself that your work is not the most important part of your life. If you are feeling anxious try meditating for even 5 minutes, in your office to get your mind rebalanced. · Get in touch with your Human Resources representative If external factors like
harassment or bullying are causing stress to you in your office, you can always go and get in touch with your Human Resource representatives. HR representatives are present to help you tackle such situations in the workplace. Managing work stress at home Work stress at home is equally challenging as work stress at the office. You can try and follow these tips to help yourself manage the stress in a healthy way: · Maintain a dedicated space for work A separate space for work at your home is a great way to get your work done faster. Instead of sitting on your bed or moving around frequently, associate space with your work. This habit also aligns your mind to get into work mode whenever you sit at the workspace in your house. · Follow a routine for work Working from home can lead to an imbalance in your routine. Try maintaining a schedule for work, so that you manage your time well and can get done with your work faster. · Take breaks in between when you feel overworked Take small breaks in
between your work and even incorporate small stretching exercises to rejuvenate your mind. Overworking yourself, even in your house, is not a healthy habit. Keep hydrating and move away from your workspace for a short while when you are feeling too stressed. · Get proper sleep Try getting adequate hours of sleep and try not to extend your work to longer hours due to poor time management. Work-life balance is something that every adult struggles with in this fastpaced lifestyle. Job stress is a major cause of physical illness and also mental illness. Work-from-home office setups might seem comfortable but it carries with it a huge stress burden. Remember that your health is a more important factor in your life than the work that you do. Try not to let your environment affect you. Regular meditation and yoga can greatly help in stress management. (https:// pharmeasy.in/blog/how-tocope-with-job-stress-andmaintain-a-healthy-worklife-balance/)
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UN Secretary General amplifies need for investments in food systems - as millions more face hunger across the globe “Investing in changes in our food systems will support the transformation of our world. It is one of the smartest – and most necessary investments we can make.” This recommendation was made by United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, ahead of this year’s UN Food Systems Summit which is intended to raise global awareness and land global commitments and actions that transform food systems to resolve not only hunger, but to reduce dietrelated disease and heal the planet. Noting that “we are reminded that we are tremendously off track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by
2030,” Guterres noted that new, tragic data “informs us that between 720 and 811 million people in the world faced hunger in 2020 – as many as 161 million more than in 2019.” According to the UN Secretary General too, high costs, coupled with persistently high levels of poverty and income inequality, continue to keep healthy diets out of reach for around three billion people, in every Region of the world. As a result, hunger has been on the rise for several years and, now, in 2021, “we are failing to provide what is a fundamental right for people around the world,” he added. In fact, he underscored that COVID-19 has made things worse, and made clear
the linkage between inequality, poverty, food and disease. Despite a 300 percent increase in global food production since the mid-1960s, Guterres noted that malnutrition is a leading factor contributing to reduced life expectancy. Climate change, therefore, is both a driver and a consequence of hunger, he added. “Our war with nature includes a food system that generates one third of all greenhouse gas emissions. The same food system is also responsible for up to 80 percent of biodiversity loss,” Guterres noted even as he stressed, “hunger drives conflict.” In short, he continued, addressing hunger and
malnutrition cannot be done in isolation of other global challenges. “As we recognised through the 2030 Agenda, they are interconnected. It is time to keep our promise. In a world of plenty, we have no excuse for billions of people to lack access to a healthy diet. This is unacceptable,” said Guterres. Concerned that “we are running out of time to make the urgent shifts we need to limit global temperature rise, Guterres said, “This is why I’m convening a global Food Systems Summit this September. We must come together to urgently make a change. The upcoming PreSummit in Rome at the end of this month will help us define the scope of our ambition and work out how we must address hunger, the c l i m a t e e m e r g e n c y, incredible inequality and conflict, by transforming our food systems.” Through the process of this “People’s Summit,” he noted, “we have heard thousands of voices around the world and ideas of
António Guterres
women, indigenous peoples and the young people that are the future of our food systems.” A s a “ S o l u t i o n ’s Summit,” he said that all are contributing ideas to support the green transitions needed to promote decent work, improve access to technology and reset our relationship with our planet. According to Guterres, “Our relationship with food is a fundamental part of all aspects of life on earth. The social, environment
and economic dimensions of our food systems are profound. Wherever we are, food brings us together as families and communities while supporting billions of jobs.” As he reiterated that “changes in our food systems must happen...they will limit the impacts of a pandemic and initiate a shift to a safer, fairer, more sustainable world,” he noted that “our blueprint to recover from this pandemic is the 2030 Agenda.”
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V75 Inc. and its non-profit NEXUS …on a mission to create opportunities for local tech professionals By Rehanna Ramsay
The team and supporters of V75 Inc., the local firm which provides opportunities for tech professionals.
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n today’s world, almost every sector is being transformed by technology-driven devices and like the rest of the planet, Guyana has been embracing the use of technology to enhance its overall growth and development. But the nation has been slow in creating intentional employment opportunities for persons who work in I n f o r m a t i o n Communications Technology (ICT) and provide digital services. This week, Kaieteur News features a company and non-profit whose startup goal is all about giving tech-driven Guyanese, the opportunities they need to thrive in their respective digital fields. V75 Inc. and its nonprofit NEXUS Hub Inc. is the brainchild of local tech entrepreneur, Eldon Marks. The company which started out in 2014 has developed into a leading provider for digital and software solutions. In fact, Marks said that V75 is the only local company that specialises in cnversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) software. “ We a r e t h e o n l y conversational AI company in Guyana and arguably in the entire region,” Marks said as he reflected on how the company has developed from strength to strength. The tech entrepreneur explained that V75 Inc. and its affiliate non-profit really came about because he was able to discover himself, professionally, a realisation which was made possible through a mentor who saw his potential while he was still a student at the University of Guyana (UG). “While I was finishing up my Degree in Computer Science at UG, project
s u p e r v i s o r, M a l c o l m Wi l l i a m s , r e c o g n i s e d potential in me that I never knew existed and encouraged me to apply as an Assistant Lecturer to teach in the Department of Computer Science. Being part of this environment helped me to discover the talent that he saw,” Marks said. He noted that there are not a lot of deliberate environments to help young
questions about work and we had discussions…I felt the need to pay it forward; to help them as I was helped. This inspired me to create a tech community for knowledge transfer which was registered under the trading name Version 75 Solutions. The NEXUS Hub Inc. Founder noted that ever since, he has been on a mission to “create more deliberate environments for
their own companies which are still operating today, namely, Housty Designs, UV3 Media, and MicroTech Vision,” Marks added. When the initial beneficiaries branched off on their own, Marks was able to build a core team under Version 75 Solutions and continued operations. “Our first office was in the back of my house, and then we moved to a cramped
but growing V75 Inc. community in Guyana and heard their concept for the non-profit and offered his support.“We pitched the idea to him and he decided to give us a shot. He offered to train two persons from our staff by having them travel to the USA at no cost to us.
take on bigger names like Barclay’s (a financial company in the US) as well as the US-based Ford Motor Company. In fact, he noted, “we are Clinc’s only outside affiliate partner that specialises in building conversational AI technology.” Marks said too Founder of V75 Inc. and NEXUS, Eldon Marks.
“We have actually had at least 25 persons trained in conversational AI. So, we train them through our non-profit and employ them through our non-profit, all with the support from CLINC in Michigan.” professionals realise what they are truly capable of. Marks said that he tutored and did freelance web solutions and consultancy work here and there before it dawned on him that there were many students who were capable of more than they realised and there are not enough job opportunities available for people with similar skill sets. He revealed too, “my students who were aware that I was freelancing often came to me and asked
The Company started out in a small conference room.
other tech professionals to find themselves, the way that I did.” According to Marks, Version 75 Solutions, which later became incorporated as V75 Inc., was also treated as a training ground for persons operating under its umbrella. “So the group of students I took under my wing learned as they worked. One of our first major jobs as a community was working for an insurance company in Canada. Some of the students even started
conference room with just about six of us,” Marks said. As V75 Inc. began to expand, Marks and his team pursued social impact-led activities. He felt the need to explore and empower the local tech ecosystem and ventured in activities that would give him that insight. In 2017, the tech entrepreneur led the nation’s first Digital Exhibition (DEVX) 2K17 where he engaged local tech builders, professionals, innovators and entrepreneurs at various levels.Marks said that the small but meaningful exhibition allowed him to collect the data he needed to embark on his next venture, the non-profit, which he called NEXUS Hub Inc. However, the tech entrepreneur explained that at the time the company was in no financial position to start the non-profit. He said that their fortune turned after an encounter with the founder of an AI company “Clinc” in Michigan USA, Dr. Jason Mars. Mars visited the small
The company sponsored their training and their initial assignment was to build software for Ford Motor Company in the USA, they did an exceptional job and he demanded that I send more of my people. We collaborated on more projects and that created a revenue boost for us. Some of the funds were directed to train people and start the non-profit,” Marks added.Through the venture, Marks noted that his company and non-profit continues to benefit significantly. “We have actually had at least 25 persons trained in conversational AI. So, we train them through our nonprofit and employ them through our for-profit, all with the support from Clinc in Michigan,” he said. According to Marks, when the company initially started to attract clients overseas, they did work supplying logistics software for a company in Florida but today, the company is able to
that the company which once employed six persons today has a staff complement of at least 30 persons which includes consultants. On the other hand, the non-profit which was started in 2019 has provided training opportunities for over 150 students. “We have made a lot of strides. We are executing our second IDB Lab grant which is focused on developing Guyana’s ICT sector...,” Marks said. He said that the current grant seeks to connect foreign industry opportunities with local ICT firms while providing industrial training for talented youth in tech. According to the founder, the grant project is positioning to introduce Video Game development this as a new area of specialisation which will open locals to the possibility of providing their skills to the overseas gaming software market which accounts for more than US$66B in the United States.
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==CONSUMER CONCERNS==
The local content policy for the supply of goods and services to the oil and gas industry offer lucrative opportunities By Pat Dial The discovery of oil deposits in any country for the first time always comes with an unexpected suddenness and the subsequent development of an Oil Industry comes with similar speed. All Third World countries, which discover oil reserves, are inevitably caught in a syndrome of unpreparedness and Guyana was no different. Many countries continue to remain in a state of dazed unpreparedness for decades during which time foreign companies providing goods and services ancillary to the Oil Industry set themselves up reaping a bonanza which the entrepreneurs of the host country could have shared if they understood more clearly what was happening and were given a bit more time for preparation to enter the market. The reason why the Oil Industries and the ancillary companies which serve them have the mobility of being able to set themselves so quickly in any part of the world is simply that oil prospecting companies and their ancillary companies are comparatively few in number and are already operative in some other part of the world. Local or smaller businesses could never have this advantage.In the first few years after the discovery of oil, Guyana was indeed in a state of dazed unpreparedness and Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, summed up the situation in his remark that under the previous government foreign companies were able to take over almost every sector. Fortunately, for Guyana, there are two or three persons in Government who are able, experienced and knowledgeable and have a fairly deep insight into the workings of the international Oil Industry. It was therefore no surprise when Vice President Jagdeo declared on behalf of his government that they were formulating a Local Content Policy, which would soon be manifested in Legislation. In September last year, as soon as the new government acceded to office an Advisory Panel consisting of Dr. Shyam Nokta, Carl Greenidge, Anthony Paul, Kevin Ramnarine, Carville Duncan and Floyd Haynes was appointed tasked with review-
ing existing initiatives and policies pertaining to Local Content in the petroleum sector and provide guidance for the development of Guyana’s Local Content policy and legislation. The work of the Advisory Panel would be supplemented with broad based consultation with all relevant stakeholders and segments of civil society. The Ministry cautiously summed up the process declaring, “Having realistic and pragmatic targets in place is crucial before any action is placed towards Guyana’s legislative framework. Essentially, these targets will serve as a schedule of Local Content legislation.” Vice President Jagdeo was more detailed. He pointed out that the Policy and the legislation, which enshrines it, provide more opportunities for the growth and development of local companies. “There are some sectors which we are
putting into the Law that could only have Guyanese businesses competing against each other . . . areas such as landscaping, logistics, transportation, food supplies, cleaning services and rentals will be reserved for Guyanese investors and players. . . Guyanese businesses will also benefit from a guaranteed percentage of operation in all other sectors.” In addition to generating greater wealth and employment, the Local Content Policy will help to further Guyana’s economic transformation and stimulate partnerships between local and international companies, which will encourage major investments and facilitate knowledge transfer. Guyana remains ahead of several other oil and gas producing countries in its serious development of a Local Content Policy. Several of them have no such policy as
yet and it took decades for others to establish a well-balanced regime of such policies. Trinidad and Tobago, for example, took nearly a century to create the comprehensive plan they have and Suriname, though they have had an oil and gas industry for several
decades, are only now beginning to craft a policy. Guyana cannot indulge in self-congratulation but must keep fully focused on effectuating the Policy. The Guyanese entrepreneurial community needs to be more proactive in seeking
out and taking advantage of the many lucratively advantageous openings as the oil industry develops. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
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Sunday July 18, 2021
Contraband unearthed during routine search at NA Prison
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search was conducted at the New Amsterdam Prison on Friday morning by ranks of the Guyana Police Force, Prison, and the Guyana Defence Force. Several contrabands were unearthed during the search: eight cellular phones, one solar charger, 12 lighters, five metal spoons, one nail clipper, 14 improvised weapons, several wires, several broken mirrors, several razor blades, and a quantity of Ziploc bags.
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g ts in s... re ure e t t In rea C
T H E
Booby
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booby is a seabird in the genus Sula, part of the family Sulidae. Boobies are closely related to the gannets (Morus), which were formerly included in Sula. Systematics and evolution The genus Sula was introduced by the French zoologist, Mathurin Jacques Brisson, in 1760. The type species is the brown booby. The name is derived from súla, the Old Norse and Icelandic word for the other member of the family Sulidae, the gannet. The English name "booby" was possibly based on the Spanish slang term bobo, meaning "stupid," as these tame birds had a habit of landing on board sailing ships, where they were easily captured and eaten. Owing to this, boobies are often mentioned as having been caught and eaten by shipwrecked sailors, notably William
Bligh of the Bounty and his adherents during their famous voyage after being set adrift by Fletcher Christian and his followers. Six of the 10 extant Sulidae species called boobies are in the genus Sula, while the three gannet species are usually placed in the genus Morus. Abbott's booby was formerly included in Sula but is now placed in a monotypic genus Papasula, which represents an ancient lineage perhaps closer to Morus. Some authorities consider that all 10 species should be considered congeneric in Sula. However, they are readily distinguished by means of osteology. The distinct lineages of gannets and boobies are known to have existed in such form, since at least the Middle Miocene, c.15 mya. The fossil records of boobies are not as well documented as those of the gannets; possibly because
the species of boobies were less numerous in the late Miocene to Pliocene, when gannets had their highest diversity or because of the more tropical distribution of boobies, many fossil species have simply not been found yet, as most localities are in continental North America or Europe. Behaviour Boobies hunt fish by diving from a height into the sea and pursuing their prey underwater. Facial air sacs under their skin cushion the impact with the water. Boobies are colonial breeders on islands and coasts. They normally lay one or more chalky-blue eggs on the ground or sometimes in a tree nest. Selective pressures, likely through competition for resource, have shaped the ecomorphology and foraging behaviours of the six species of boobies in the Pacific. (Source: Wikipedia)
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Our Frontline Worker of this Week is… COVID-19 ICU Nurse,
Ronke Griffith By Vanessa Braithwaite
A nurse dedicated to the COVID-19 fight.
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n 2008, Linden nurse, Ronke Griffith, joined the nursing profession when she enrolled in the Registered Nursing Programme at the Charles Rosa School of Nursing. It was the start of an adventurous exploration of the anatomy of the human body for Griffith and this drove her to pursue specialisation courses which would position her to serve in an area that allowed for adrenalin rush and critical thinking. In 2011 Griffith was posted to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) theatre where she worked directly with surgeons as they conducted surgeries. This was an experience of a lifetime, according to Griffith. “It was different, it exposes you more to understanding the anatomy and how illnesses actually affect you….you even got to do your own little experiment with sutures, learning the instruments, how to use it currently and which the surgeon should have for what
purpose and the surgeon would teach you,” she said. Griffith said that being posted to the theatre was more of a fulfilling task than a challenging one. “Bedside nursing was never my thing,
because I always liked critical thinking, so it was either theater, emergency or the ICU, to get that adrenalin rush,” she shared. SCRUBBING In 2012, she started
scrubbing (working along surgeons) and this inspired her to pursue a course in anesthesiology at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). That course lasted two and a half years. Upon her successful completion, Griffith was posted back to the LHC's theatre, where she practiced the newly learnt skills to the best of her ability. What brings her most satisfaction, Griffith said, is seeing patients being relieved of pain and discomfort. “When you can actually make a patient comfortable and relieve some amount of pain from them, for example the CS (Caesarean Section) patients that would be in active labour and that would be feeling a lot of pain, when they come there and you apply spinal anesthesia, the pain is eliminated right there for surgery, so for me, it is alleviating pain for patients,” she related. Reminiscing on one of her most memorable and impacting surgical experiences, Griffith said that it was when a 15-yearold student who was stabbed in her back by her classmate in 2019, was able to survive an eight-hour emergency
Nurse Ronke Griffith These last couple of weeks, Griffith said, really defined her nursing potential and her love for saving people. It has been a tumultuous journey and one that is testing her mental health. She said despite this, she turns up for each shift with a positive outlook that the job must go on. She was also not fearful of being at higher risk of contracting the virus. “As long as you are living, you can contract the virus but how you protect yourself, is what is important. There is no guessing there. You know for sure that these patients are positive so it is easier to protect yourself. You are out here and you don't know who is positive and who is negative, but we still take chances but there you know
too attached to patients because this resulted in her crying when someone died. But divorcing one's self from the emotions is indeed a difficult task since, according to Griffith, “you have to care for the same patients.” She continued, “working with a patient for 12 hours and then coming again and working for another 12 hours caring for a patient, you would get attached to them and then to hear they died or see them die in front of you, it is really heart wrenching.” Another emotional ordeal she has experienced is when doctors call relatives of patients to tell them to speak to their relative for the last time. Hearing the relatives cry over the phone and say their last words is something very difficult and
“Working with a patient for 12 hours and then coming again and working for another 12 hours caring for a patient, you would get attached to them and then to hear they died or see them die in front of you, it is really heart wrenching.” surgery, after multiple organ damage and severe blood loss. “I worked double with that patient and it was a battle to remove the knife because you couldn't just pull, she had multiple organ damage, but after hours and hours, the surgery was successful and I was happy to be there to play a role in her survival, because the worst thing for me would be to lose a patient on the surgery table,” she said. COVID-19 ICU In May, Griffith said a request was made by her Chief Nurse, to serve at the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Liliendaal, because there was a demand f o r n u r s e s . Wi t h o u t hesitation, Griffith said she signed up for duty and it has been close to two months she has been on duty at the ICU.
for sure it's positive patients you're dealing with and you must protect yourself,” said the fully vaccinated Griffith. On her third day, it really hit her of how serious COVID is and how quickly it takes lives. “My third day there, we had five deaths on that day. I have never seen so many deaths in one day since I have joined nursing. As these patients die, I kept feeling disassociated, hurt inside and it was like while you are running from one resuscitation, another patient was crashing over there so you have to split and before you know it, somebody else dies…now it is telling on me mentally. All I'm dreaming about is COVID and ICU,” Griffith said of her mental and emotional struggle as a COVID-19 nurse. She had to learn to not get
emotional to experience, Griffith noted. Despite these challenges, she is urging nurses to take up the mantle and volunteer their service to the institution since it is badly needed. She also debunked rumours that patients are treated badly in the ICU and stressed that the highest level of care is given to patients and they are fed well, but according to their condition. Since taking her place at the COVID-19 Hospital, Griffith said she has never seen a fully vaccinated person being admitted, much less die. For this reason, she is encouraging all citizens who are not yet vaccinated and have only taken the first dose, to get fully vaccinated, since “COVID-19 is real and is taking multiple lives daily.”
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 18, 2021
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Retired Justice B. S. Roy to head long overdue Law Reform Commission When the PPP/C took office in August 2020, it pledged to expediently establish the Commission
The new Chairman of the Law Reform Commission, Ret’d Justice B. S. Roy According to a press release from the Department of Public Information dated July 17, President, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, has approved the appointment of the Chairman and Members of the Law Reform Commission as pursuant to the Law Reform Commission (Amendment) Act No. 2 of 2021. The Law Reform Commission is an advisory body to the State and can recommend to the Government of Guyana amendments to existing laws, new legislation, and the repeal of existing legislation. The establishment of a Law Reform Commission is part of a fundamental component of the US$8 million dollar InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) funded Support for the Justice System Programme. The IDB shall fund the functioning of this Commission for a specified period and the Government of Guyana is expected to take over funding thereafter. Law reform ensures that the country's laws are updated at periodic intervals and captures the aspirations, exigencies, social maladies and vicissitudes of the society as it evolves. A Law Reform Commission in Guyana is long overdue and e x i s t s i n m o s t Commonwealth countries. The Law Reform Commission Act piloted by the APNU+AFC Coalition in 2016 vested in the President the power to appoint the entire Commission, consulting only with the Minister, and only legally-trained persons were allowed to form part of the Commission. Despite passing the Act however, the APNU+AFC Coalition, failed to appoint the Commission.
after it assessed and reviewed the current state of the Act. This process culminated with the Law
Reform Commission (Amendment) Act No. 2 of 2021 which was assented to by the President on February
16. Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, had previously stated the
[amendment] Bill will enable broader based representation of important Continued on page 57
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Kaieteur News Technicians installing the fiber cable.
Sunday July 18, 2021
E-Networks expands fiber cable internet service to Essequibo Guyana's only locally owned and operated telecommunications provider - E-Networks yesterday announced that, through a $1.2B investment, it has landed the first-ever submarine fiber optic cable to the Essequibo Islands and Essequibo Coast. According to the company in making the announcement, “this massive network investment introduces substantially more reliable and faster internet services to the Cinderella County, which has suffered from limited and subpar connectivity for decades.” The company said in a public missive, “with this cable, E-Networks can now offer Essequibians the same services at the same prices as those available in Georgetown, with up to gigabit (1,000 Mbps) internet speeds on its business fiber and up to 75 Mbps on its 4G/5G fixed wireless service. It was noted that ENetworks has already started testing the services in several areas along the
coast, with on-going expansions to most areas between Aurora and Charity along the Essequibo Coast. E-Networks said too, it will also be opening a
branch office in Anna Regina in early August to serve the residents of the Essequibo Coast and that customers can also immediately sign-up for services using the company's website and social media channels. According to the company, “ENetworks attribute its motivation to swiftly conclude this investment as a direct response to Continued on page 57
Technicians testing the newly installed Essequibo network.
Sunday July 18, 2021
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Kaieteur News
“Bad Boy” guns down “Bamzey” over ganja leaves -“Fronto Man” injured in Essequibo shooting An ex-convict, “Bamzey” was last evening shot and killed allegedly by another man “Bad Boy” over an old “ganja leaves” grievance. The shooting incident occurred sometime around 20:00hrs at a bus shed in Queenstown Village, Essequibo Coast and has also left a bystander known as “Fronto Man” injured. According to residents, a group of men was at a popular bus shed, in the Village, “smoking ganja” when an argument ensued. They explained that this led to the ex-con Shemroy Hackett, called “Bad Boy” whipping out a handgun and shooting 22-year-old Keon McLennon called “Bamzey” twice. A resident said, “Bamzey and Bad Boy had vibes over ganja so when Bamzey put he self in the middle of Fronto Man and Bad Boy who was going and fight...Bad Boy re-
The suspected killer, Shemroy Hackett called “Bad Boy” lease two shot in he [McLennon] and one in Fronto Man. He[Hackett] was about to shoot more but he gun click.” Villagers told this publication that the deceased and his
killer had an old grievance over ganja but they still continued to smoke with each other at the bus shed, which was described as a usual spot for marijuana smokers. A woman stated, “A setta
Retired Justice B. S. Roy to head long... From page 53 stakeholders in society on the Law Reform Commission. This translates to a wider range of persons being eligible for consideration to serve on the board. This includes persons who possess a legal background as well as those who have at least 10 years of experience in the areas of banking, industry, economics or commerce, social or natural sciences or law enforcement, as well as a representative from the National
Toshaos Council (NTC). According to the release, the nominees have been chosen after consideration of recommendations received from the various stakeholder organisations, consulted pursuant to the provisions of the Law Reform Commission (Amendment) Act No. 2 of 2021, and in accordance with the said Act. The approved names are as follows: Retired Justice of Appeal B. S. Roy (Chairman) Mr. Teni Housty
Ms. Clarissa Riehl Mr. Brian O’ Toole Ms. Emily Dodson Mr. Roopnarine Satram Ms. Deenawatie Panday The Commission will be operating out of a Government of Guyana building located at Lot 91 Middle Street, Georgetown. A Secretariat for the Commission has already been established and staffed and members of the Commission are expected to be sworn in shortly.
Saved by adoptive parents after Hemophilia ... From page 22 when he needed blood and there were times when the blood bank did not have his blood type and he just remained in the hospital bleeding out. It was during one of his hospitalisations that the doctors found that nothing was stopping his bleeding. Contact was made with the GHS which was looking for people for trials with the injection. It was administered and the bleeding stopped. He pointed out that the medication is provided by the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) through the GHS and he lamented the fact
that the Government has played no role in reducing the plight of those living with Hemophilia. He hopes that his story and those of others will engineer change at the level of the government so as to ensure that every Guyanese living with Hemophilia will not only have access to the needed injection but that people would be sensitised about the condition and come forward to be diagnosed if the need arises. He is fearful that one day the WFH will be unable to donate the injection and he would be back to square one and so he appealed to the
government to assist people living with Hemophilia. The injection is required twice a week. He receives it through the GPH, stores it in his refrigerator and goes to a Health Centre to have it administered. Mohamed was high in praise for the doctors who have treated him over the years at GPHC and also for the support he has received from members of the GHS. (This is the second in a series of four articles produced by the Guyana Hemophilia Society (GHS) to bring awareness of the existence of the condition in Guyana.)
E-Networks expands fiber cable internet service... From page 54 HE President, Irfaan Ali’s challenge to the sector earlier this year to improve connectivity to Essequibo. As the only Guyanese telecoms provider, the company is immensely proud to have answered that call and expand its services to Essequibo.” It was noted too that with the new services, E-Networks
looks forward to connecting more persons to the transformational power of the Internet, which has been highlighted during COVID-19 as the crucial link to education, work, and keeping informed. “E-Networks’ faster and more reliable connectivity will enable Essequibo residents to access more online options for socioeconomic development, remote learning, enter-
tainment, e-commerce, collaboration, and connecting with family and friends.” As it relates to the business community, E-Networks said it also looks forward to supporting the region’s financial, insurance, and entrepreneurial industries by providing access to advanced services to the cloud and other platforms to enhance productivity and efficiency.
Shot dead, 22-year-old Keon McLennon called “Bamzey”. them went at bus shed and then I heard some loud explosions and screaming.” The woman added that when she turned around, they noticed the suspect running away with a gun in his hand and McLennon lying in a pool of blood.
Kaieteur News understands that McLennon‘s body was left in the bus shed until 21:20hrs where he was under police guard as villagers gathered at the crime scene. Up to press time, there was no police release on the
shooting incident. According to reports, the suspect, is a known character and was jailed for discharging a loaded firearm at two police officers in 2016. Hackett was also jailed for a series of armed robberies and ganja possession.
>>>GNBS IN FOCUS<<<
Motorcyclists, how protective are your safety helmets? Accidents on our roadways continue to be a daily occurrence, affecting victims, their families and other caregivers. A major cause of death, injury or disability among users of motorised two-wheel vehicles is injuries to the head, which can only be prevented with the correct selection and use of safety helmets. Labelling requirements, which are outlined in the National Standard, provides guidance for the selection of quality helmets. The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has facilitated the development of the National Standard Specification for labelling of commodities – Part 17: Labelling of protective helmets for road users. The standard can assist motorcyclists in differentiating between helmets, which meet specific standards for protection on impact and the ability to remain secured on the wearer’s head, and those that do not. These helmets are also monitored by the GNBS under its Product Compliance programme. The standard provides manufacturers, retailers and sellers with the necessary information to complete their obligation to describe the commodity in a truthful, informative and non-descriptive manner so as not to create deception. According to the scope, the standard specifies re-
quirements for the information to be provided on labels of protective helmets for road users, offered for sale in Guyana. The requirements apply to protective helmets for use by pedal cyclists and motorcyclists. Notably, however, the requirements do not apply to protective helmets for use in open motorised vehicles (boat, All Terrain Vehicles (ATV), non-motorised sports, automotive racing, karting, competitive skiing and equestrian activities.) The standard firstly provides a list of general requirements for labels affixed to or marked on a helmet or its external package. These requirements include that the label shall give a description of the helmet and shall provide adequate information to a potential purchaser, enabling him or her to select one that is best suited for his or her needs. The information shall include the mass, volume, measurement or size, as applicable, and shall give an accurate description of the components of the helmet as is necessary. The label or marking on the helmets must be permanently and legibly marked in such a manner that the marking can be easily read without removal of the padding or other permanent parts of the helmet. The information should include the name and address of the manufacturer, country of origin, model designation, size, certification
mark and instruction to users. Meanwhile, where an outer package is supplied, the standard specifies that the package shall also be clearly and legibly marked with the manufacturer’s brand name, model designation, size, the nominal mass in grams of the helmet and the activity/activities for which the helmet is designed. Importantly, the standard requires that helmets for road users be accompanied by a brochure or swing-tag, which shall include information regarding the correct fit of the helmet, cleaning methods, and the manufacturer’s advice on the extent of protection. The standard assigns the responsibility for labelling to the manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler or retailer of helmets in the course of trade or business. This is to ensure that helmets are labeled under the requirements of this standard. Manufacturers and distributors of helmets for road use are encouraged to acquire a copy of the standard to ensure those offered for sale meet the labelling specification, which guides users. Motorcyclists also need to ensure that helmets are designed to meet their individual needs for protection. For further information, contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-006466. Please visit our website: www.gnbsgy.org and like our Facebook page: gnbsgy
Kaieteur News
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THE ATROCIOUS FAIRYTALE
by Daniel Errico I must warn you… this book is ATROCIOUS! The cover has mud all over it, and one of the pages has sprung a leak.Even some of the order are in the wrong words.It is the worst of the worst, so don’t say I didn’t warn you… Our story begins with an atrocious King, None of his laws ever made any sense. “Tuesday?” he laughed, “There is no such day, and I’ll hear no more of it as long as I am king.” From that day on in the kingdom, Monday was followed by second Monday or first Wednesday. His daughter was an atrocious Princess.She was not fancy and polite like most princesses, despite the princess lessons she took each day. She never brushed her hair. She smelled of month- old bananas, and she was very devious.She even set traps t h r o u g h o u t t h i s s t o r y. [Illustrations throughout the story will indicate the Princess’ traps] One day the Princess went missing. In her place there was a note that read: “I’ve taken the Princess. You me catch never will.” After reading the note twice to understand it, the King commanded the greatest hero in the land to find his daughter. The greatest hero in the land happened to be an atrocious hero.He was often too frightened to leave his home, and he was also scared by butterflies.However, he had once defeated two caterpillars and a moth in a single battle, and this made him the greatest of all the heroes in the land. The hero rode to the castle of the meanest villain in the kingdom, but the villain, too
was atrocious. He brought flowers to old ladies whenever he could. And out of the kindness of his heart, he once built a house for someone who needed it. [The hero] The hero stormed the gate and charged into the dungeon of the villain’s castle.“Surrender the Princess!” he yelled while shaking in his armor. “I don’t have a Princess,” said the villain, “I use this dungeon to bake cookies, but watch your step because there’s a leak down here.” [An example of a Princess trap with words floating in water.] The hero was more confused than usual.“If you didn’t take the Princess, then who did?” asked the hero. “We should go ask the dragon what he thinks.”Mind you, this was an atrocious dragon. He was known for being tidy and wise, not fierce and ferocious like dragons are supposed to be. He brushed his teeth every night, and when he breathed, there was no fire, just minty freshness.The dragon was very upset when they found him. “Someone’s stolen my gold, and they left this note in its place!” he cried. It read:“Your gold is with the Princess! Mine now is it!” “This is odd,” said the hero.“Very odd,” said the villain.“Frmph,” said the dragon who always flossed his teeth when he was upset. “Perhaps the Queen knows something.”The Queen was running around the castle when they arrived. She, actually, was not so atrocious (for it was she who hired the royal scribe who wrote this very book). “My treasures are missing” she cried. “My books and
Sudoku
jewels, and my fine silk.” “Someone has taken them and left this atrocious note.” It read:“Your treasure is mine!Do not trying to bother find it.”“Whoever has stolen your treasure has the Princess,” said the hero. “Here are some flowers,” said the villain.“Look!” said the dragon, “there are footprints of dirt on the floor.” They followed the footprints all the way up to the tallest tower in the tallest part of the castle. When they looked inside they found all the gold, books, jewels, and silk, covered in dirt.And sitting on a throne on top of the pile, was the Princess.“Why did you steal these things and make us look for you?” asked the Queen. “I didn’t want to go to my writing lessons!” said the Princess, “Who needs writing?” “You do,” said the Queen. The villain, knight, and dragon all nodded in agreement. The Queen made the Princess return what she had stolen and apologize.
From that day on, the King made the Princess go to her lessons six days a week.She was an atrocious student when they began, but she got better each day.It took the dragon hours to brush all the dirt off his coins.The villain developed a taste for soggy cookies, and he baked them all the time.The hero decided it was finally time to battle a butterfly… and he lost.As for the Queen, she insisted that the entire atrocious tale be written inside of one of her muddy books.I warned you this book was atrocious, and now it is over! Perhaps, one day you could write a better one…
Sunday July 18, 2021
Junior page ANT CRAFT
MATERIALS NEEDED FOR YOUR ANT CRAFT · 4cm polystyrene balls, · 5cm polystyrene eggs, · coloured craft sand, · 30cm pipe cleaners, · PVA glue, · craft match sticks, · scissors, · googly eyes, · crescent moon confetti, · paintbrushes, ·sharp pointed object (cocktail stick, sharpened pencil, nail, large needle etc) HOW TO MAKE YOUR ANT CRAFT BODY To start your Ant Craft you will need two polystyrene
separately. I start with the abdomen (egg shape), the the head and finally the thorax.So, starting with the abdomen, use a paintbrush to cover the polystyrene evenly in glue. Sand isn’t very forgiving and will show lumps and bumps plus if there is too much glue
have dried (radiators are great for this) before sanding the middle.Make a hole in the middle side of the thorax area and place either a crafts stick or cocktail stick in there to act as a handle to hold the ant so you can paint glue onto the last area. This hole will house one of
balls and one egg for each ant. Make a small hole in each of them using your sharp object.
you will find you get run marks when it dries. Take care not to get the glue on end of the other segments. You
the pipe cleaner legs when it’s dry. Holding the stick paint the glue carefully on and cover in sand. Now leave
Cut some of the craft match sticks in half or thirds.Dip one end of a stick in glue and push it into the hole in the poly egg. If the stick gets
can use a damp cloth to wipe away any spillage. Pour the sand over the glued area. I put the sand in a pot and have a clean sheet of paper
it to dry. Cut your 30cm pipe cleaners into three equal lengths (10cm) until you have six legs. Using your sharp tool make three
pushe d in too far take it out and cut a larger length stick. Dip the protruding stick into the glue (I pour my glue into a bowl) and slot it on to it one of the holes in a poly’ ball. Leave for a few minutes for the glue to go tacky. Make another hole in the polystyrene ball at an angle of around 45 degrees as if you were looking at it face on (see photo below). This is where the head will be glued on to. Add glue to another stick and push this into the other ploy’ ball that hasn’t been used. Then dip the protruding end in glue and insert into the hole you have just made for the head. Leave to dry (this is important as when you cover the poly’ shape in glue the connections will break if the glue has not set. You could use a glue gun but make sure it is low heat and that you don’t get any over spill of glue showing. I prefer to use PVA white glue as it’s easier for children to wipe away any spills and splurges. When dry it’s time to cover in sand. You want to do each segment of the body
underneath to catch it on. Carefully repeat the above steps for the head. If you get any whit showing through wait until it has dried before carefully touching up to fill the gaps or you will end up dislodging even more sand! The glue and sand is quite fragile and easily marked so watch out for nails. Younger kids may want to wait until the two end
holes along each side of the thorax area. Push your pipe cleaners in and bend them into shape. Make two more holes in the top of the head where you want your antenae. Cut 5cm lengths of pipe cleaner for short antenna and 10 cm lengths for large ones … push them into the holes. Finally add your googy eyes and a smiley face.
ITH
TRY E O P
W FUN
Say Thanks by Uncle Roy Above all the things I need to do, To repay for all the things they give, It is to always express my thanks To all those who help me to live. First I must thank the good Lord above, Who has created me on this earth, Who keeps me safe and healthy, And has provided for me since my birth. Then I must be grateful to my family, My parents who love and care for me, My brothers and sisters always at my side To help me to be good and happy. I must not forget my kind teachers, And neighbours who teach me to do right, I must thank them all every day, And pray for them every night.
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 18, 2021
TEEN TIME Enhance your Self-esteem
by developing a Sense of Security From your experiences you must have recognised that security makes you feel safe about what is going on around you. This recognition is a basic need of all human beings, and in fact of all living things. Every individual needs to be confident that the environment in which he lives is safe from danger, and that he should feel free to do his part to ensure this. If you look around at the way things work in the broader society, you find that there is a special arm of the government which is responsible for our security as citizens of the country. To make sure that they will be able to fulfil this responsibility, this arm, which is chiefly the police force, has to ensure that we are guided by rules. These rules, or laws, have been designed by our representatives for everyone’s protection, and we all have the obligation to follow them so as to make
the whole society safe for all citizens. The more we do so, the more we develop the confidence that others will follow suit, and our whole environment will become safe. In the same way, we find that in all other areas of our lives, at home, at school, in workplaces, on the road, and in every occupation, we have to abide by certain rules or laws. When we follow the rules, we feel safe. When we do not, we know that we cannot in conscience expect others to do so, and we feel threatened, and lose this sense of security that is so vital to our development. This sense of security also helps us to be more respectful of ourselves, and we know that when we fulfil our person a l res
ponsibilities, then we know that others will respect us for it. It helps us to trust those under whose charge we find ourselves, as parents, teachers and others in authority. It gives us the feeling that we are worthy persons, as we appreciate our own potential to fulfil these responsibilities. This feeling of security can be increased in a special way. When those within a society get the opportunity to have a say in the way the laws are formed, then they are more willing to follow them. This is the way a democratic system works,
POETS’ CORNER
It’s okay, my friend by Bibi Fazeela Khan Life is a test, it’s not easy at all, Sometimes we slip, and sometimes we fall; But it is okay, my friend, to err is naturally human, So look to the future, and do the best you can. Sometimes we see the need to reach out a helping hand, Sometimes we want to, but we just can’t; When “Sorry” isn’t quite enough to say, Then it’s okay to just get on your knees and pray. He knows us by our number and name, He knows we’re imperfect, and that’s no shame; He judges the sincerity of our prayers, Grants us our needs, and removes our cares. It matters not what THEY say, Many times they just want to ruin your day; Gossip and slander is their only way, But what goes around comes around always. So, it’s okay, my friend, don’t be afraid to try, The goals you seek will be attained by and by; The falls you suffer should be taken with a smile, They only make it sweeter as you run the last mile.
Make a special effort to help in formulating the rules at the various places where you have to function, as this would make you develop your feeling of security.
Binox
The finished puzzle should be filled with Xs and Os. Horizontally and vertically, there should never be a continuous run of the same symbol longer than 2.
and is the reason why citizens are asked periodically to vote for those who will represent them in making the laws. In the same way, you have to follow the rules at home, and, if and when you get the chance to help to formulate them, then you will in the same way be more willing to follow them. You will also feel safer because you know the rules and the reason why they are made. We will discuss more about this sense next week, so that you continue to develop it to improve yourself.
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There are an equal number of Xs and Os in each row and column. All rows are unique. All columns are unique, too.
TELL IT TO UNCLE ROY Uncle Roy is once again appealing to all teens to write to him about any problem you may be facing for which you need a solution. He would also like you to contribute to this Page by submitting other material that he can include here. These include: 1. A poem, short story or bit of advice that you have written and would like to share with your fellow teens. 2. Any significant event that has happened, or any interesting item about what is going on around you. 3. A commentary about where you live to acquaint others about it. As mentioned before, you can email me at: uncleroy1992@yahoo.com
Solutions to last week’s
Kakuro
Bridges
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How to Even Your Skin Tone in 4 Easy Steps First things first: what is an uneven skin tone? Before we get down and dirty, let’s first explain what uneven skin tone truly is. Uneven skin tone can appear in many ways, but ultimately it refers to when the skin has some type of hyperpigmentation that appears as blotchiness, spots or uneven texture. Meaning rather than one universal, even tone across your face, there may be some brown spots or redness popping up here and there (think age spots, blemishes, or sun spots). What causes uneven skin tone, and how can you prevent it? While we’d like to point the finger at just one bad guy, there are actually many culprits that cause uneven skin tone. One big factor is acne and acne scarring, says Gohara. Both can create discoloration in skin that can have a lasting effect. If you have acne, don’t wait to treat it after the fact when scars have formed. Choose products that treat and prevent acne including cleansers and spot treatments. Another big one is sun damage. As you’ve probably heard time and time again, sun damage exacerbates skin aging at a rapid rate. 90 percent of the signs of aging come from unprotected UV exposure, Gohara shared. Uneven skin tone is one effect of sun damage: others include fine lines, wrinkles and sagging. The good news: you can prevent this! Don’t leave the house without wearing sunscreen, even on a seemingly cloudy day. Gohara suggests using an antioxidant serum and broad spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen in the morning to protect against pollutants and light sources such as UV, lightbulbs, and blue light (from your phone and computer). Of course, aging itself (not from the sun, just natural aging) also impacts uneven skin tone. And while you can’t prevent your skin from aging, you can use the proper products to help with the process. A good eye cream and moisturizer are essential. How to even your skin tone, step-by-step An image of SKIN&CO ROMA Truffle Therapy Face Gommage. Step 1. Exfoliate It is super important to exfoliate your skin, as it helps liberate dead skin cells, revealing a fresh new layer of radiant skin, says Gohara. That sloughing process helps to even out skin tone and even in some cases fade fine lines. Just be careful not to over exfoliate, she adds, as that can lead to more uneven skin tone, which is what we are trying to prevent. Step 2. Use a brightening serum (preferably with vit C) Now that you’ve gotten rid of the top layer of dead skin cells, your treatment products can penetrate skin even better. Apply an antioxidant serum to brighten both your complexion as a whole and any specific dark spots. Vitamin C is the gold standard when it comes to brightening—it is a powerful antioxidant that also protects skin from free radical damage. Win, win! SKIN Vitamin C Brightening Booster is a great option. It’s lightweight but concentrated and is good on all skin types and tones. You can apply a few drops of this solo or add to your moisturizer and pat onto skin. Check out our guide to the best brightening serums for even more glowy picks. Step 3. Try a glycolic peel If a peel instantly brings you back to that “Sex & The City” episode of Samantha’s unforgettable experience, you can breathe a sigh of relief. We’re not talking about that intense of a peel. If you are new to the peel game, DERMA E Deluxe Overnight Peel is a great one to try. It’s safe for sensitive skin, as it contains a low amount (5 percent) of glycolic acid, allowing your skin to adjust to it. Plus it works while you sleep, so you wake up glowing. Step 4. Use a moisturizer with SPF And the grand finale: moisturizer and sunscreen. Both of these are extremely important steps in your skincare routine. Keeping skin hydrated keeps it plump and healthy, meaning a strong skin barrier and less fine lines, wrinkles and dullness. And sunscreen should be a no-brainer at this point, since it’s a top contributor to aging. Both are essential to evening out your skin tone.
https://www.ipsy.com/blog/how-to-even-skin-tone
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 18, 2021
History
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 18, 2021
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The Court A look at rape and Journal sexual offence matters By Renay Sambach
R
ape and sexual offence are serious matters. Rape is when a person p e n e t r a t e s s o m e o n e ’s vagina, anus or mouth with a penis, without their consent, while sexual assault is when someone penetrates the vagina, anus or mouth, with any part of the body other than the penis, without the person’s consent. Other forms of sexual assault are, someone touching another person in a sexual way without their consent; causing someone to touch the perpetrator in a sexual way; causing someone to touch someone else in a sexual way, all without the person’s consent. This week I will share with you some matters in which persons were charged with either rape or sexual offence. RAPE CASES Making headlines earlier this year was 37-year-old Thurston Semple, a taxidriver who was accused of raping and battering a Venezuelan woman. Semple of Lot 5A Tucville Terrace, Georgetown, is not a firsttime offender. According to reports, when he appeared in court for raping the Venezuelan woman it was his fourth rape charge. The alleged serial rapist is accused of raping four sex workers during the period 2017 to 2021. In his most recent case, Semple picked up the woman and agreed to pay her to have sex with him. However, while at Semple’s home, the woman reportedly told Semple she only had one more condom and if he did not ejaculate, she would leave. The woman’s caution reportedly caused Semple to become annoyed. He then reportedly armed himself with a knife, proceeded to orally and vaginally rape the woman. He also sodomised her. In April 2021, Semple was committed to stand trial in the High Court for allegedly raping a sex worker. In that matter he was granted $250,000 High Court bail. However, due to him being on remand for other rape matters he remains in the custody of the Guyana Prison Service (GPS).
Charged multiple times for rape, Thurston Semple.
Thurston was committed to stand trial in the High Court at the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Assizes. On July 9, 2021, police officer, Michael Kendall, was also committed to stand trial in the High Court for rape of a minor. Kendall was committed to the High Court using the paper committal process. He was sent to the High Court by Principal Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus, in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. The police constable was jointly charged with one Eon Franklin in March 2021 for the alleged rape of a minor. On their first court appearance they were not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleges that on December 3, 2020, at Georgetown, they raped a child under the age of 16. Both men were placed on $300,000 bail each on their first court hearing. While Franklin’s matter is still ongoing, Kendall remains out on bail as he awaits the commencement of his trial at the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Assizes. In August 2018, a New Amsterdam man was found guilty of raping a physically challenged girl. The man, Wazir Ali of Bermine Housing Scheme, New Amsterdam, Berbice, was convicted of raping the 17-year-old in 2015. According to the facts of that case, Ali, who was tasked with transporting church members, including the teen whom he raped after dropping off all the members.
In another case, a police officer was placed on $150,000 bail for allegedly raping his 13-year-old cousin. It is alleged that during the month of December 2019, in Georgetown, he raped a child under the age of 16 while knowing, or could reasonably have been expected to know, that she is his cousin. According to reports, the child told investigators that during December 2019, after she exited the shower and was heading to the bedroom, the defendant entered the bedroom a few moments later and raped her. The defendant had made another attempt to sexually assault the child, but she was able to record a short video of him trying to pull off her pants. The matter was reported, the defendant was arrested and subsequently charged for the offence.
Charged for sexually assaulting a minor, former PPP/C MP, Alister Charlie.
saw the man’s erect penis, which he instructed her to hold before later pushing it into her vagina. Afterwards, the victim reported that she saw whitish substance on his
Charged for sexual assault, TBS Director, James Bovell. During March 2021, Ivor Laud, was found guilty of raping a 10-year-old girl. It was reported that Laud and the victim are known to each other and lived in the same neighbourhood. According to reports, on the first occasion that the incident occurred, the accused called the child over to his house and told her that he had something for her, so she followed him into his house. At the time, the accused only had one bedroom. They went into the bedroom and there the accused lifted her up and put her to lie on the bed. He then removed her pants and underwear. The victim reportedly
penis and then he told her to go home and wash up, so she did. This continued from 2015 to 2017, where the accused would put his penis into her vagina and he would suck her vagina sometimes. The last time was in August 2017, where the accused sucked the complainant’s vagina at his house in his bedroom. He would have called her over and she went. When these incidents would happen, no one would be at his home. At the time, he had a wife and children. The matter later came to light and the accused was arrested and charged with rape. RAPE PENALTY
Rape is an indictable matter and when the matter is brought before the court, the alleged perpetrator is not required to plead (guilty or not guilty) to the crime. The matter would first go to the Magistrate’s Court for a preliminary inquiry (PI). A PI is done by the Magistrate. The prosecution would produce the evidence to the court and at the end, the Magistrate can either commit the alleged perpetrator to stand trial for rape in the High Court or dismiss the case because of insufficient evidence or other reasons. Someone who is found guilty of rape is liable on conviction to serve life imprisonment. SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES The trial into the alleged sexual assault of a former Accountant of The Business School (TBS) by the entity’s Director commenced in March 2021 in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. During 2020, James Bovell, the Director, was c h a rg e d f o r a l l e g e d l y sexually assaulting the employee who has since parted ways with the company. The woman was reportedly sexually assaulted sometime after she had asked Bovell to borrow money to pay her rent. However, the matter had not made its way into the media until March this year. Bovell had denied the charge, which alleged that during February 2020, at TBS, located at Lot 43 Brickdam, Georgetown, he sexually assaulted one of his employees. According to the facts of the charge, on the first occasion Bovell reportedly grabbed and kissed the woman on her cheeks and on the second and last occasion he grabbed her buttocks. After that incident the woman cleared out her desk and reported the matter to the police. Bovell was later arrested, subsequently charged and placed before the court. In another matter of sexual assault, former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Member of Parliament (MP) Alister Charlie, was hauled before a City Magistrate in January 2020, after he was charged
Committed for rape of a minor, police constable, Michael Kendall.
for allegedly being involved in sexual misconduct with an underage child. Charlie had denied the charges which stated that between August 1, 2019 and August 31, 2019, he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old boy. According to reports, he w a s a l s o c h a rg e d f o r allegedly trying to bribe the teen’s grandmother with $500,000. According to reports, Charlie met the teenager at a birthday party that was held for one of the MP’s young relatives. It was alleged that the MP first made advances towards the teen at the party and later accompanied the teen to a nearby bar where they were imbibing. It was during this time that he allegedly made a second proposal to the teen. Charlie and the teen were reportedly videoed with their pants and underwear down, and Charlie allegedly touching the teen’s genitals. SEXUAL ASSAULT PENALTY Sexual assault matters are done summarily. This simply means that when the matter is brought before the court, the Magistrate will conduct a trial and the alleged perpetrator can plead either guilty or not guilty to the charge after it is read to them. A person is liable, upon summary conviction, to five years imprisonment. However, sexual assault can also be laid indictably and upon indictment conviction, a person is liable to face 10 years imprisonment.
PAGE 62 WANTED
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FOR RENT
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House for rent 15 Victoria Road Sparendaam (ECD) 4 bedrooms fully air conditioned, Contact 220-7598 or 681-1565 Furnish apartment,Mocha HousingScheme E.B.D.Contact:661-7681.
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A general domestic worker to work at Peter's Hall area EBD (25 to 45 years old) and one handy man. Call 2310363 Wanted puri roti cook apply @ Shanta's 225 Camp & New Market st We l d e r s , S e c u r i t y, S a n d T r u c k D r i v e r s & Handyman.Contact 2235273/223-5274. One security guard aged 3055years old.Apply:Manager Herdmauston Lodge Peter Rose Anira Sts. Experienced utility operators needed for mining operation.Must have valid driver licence.Call:697-2533. 1Live in Nanny.Attractive salary.Call:637-4605. 1 hauler driver for private truck at wharf.Call:611-7088.
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WANTED FOR SALE
Sunday July 18, 2021
Kaieteur News
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Manganese workers will be in danger ... From page 20 several different investors in the 1980s as well as in 2008 and 2011. GMI is hoping to resuscitate the operations and begin shipment to Trinidad and Tobago as soon as possible. It is already in the construction phase of its plans. GMI’S HISTORY Kaieteur News understands that GMI was registered in Guyana on November 17, 2016. Chongqing BMG of Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China, is the controlling shareholder. Starting from small industrial minerals undertakings in Nanchuan, China, BMG was established in July 2003, and has grown into a large-scale manufacturing enterprise with total assets worth over US$1.58 billion and annual sales of up to US$3.16 billion. BMG has over 7,000 employees of which over 1,200
are non-Chinese. BMG has more than ten manufacturing enterprises in China located mainly in Sichuan and Chongqing. Internationally, it owns the Ghana Bauxite Company, and Bosai Europe GMBH manufacturing in Germany. In Guyana, it owns Bosai Minerals Group (Guyana) Inc. and GMI. BMG anticipates that with its Guyana manganese acquisition, it will be able to pro-
duce 500,000 tonnes of additional concentrates annually. GMI has said that it plans to invest US$75 million into the project to restart manganese mining in Guyana after an absence of 50 years.
It said mining will resume after rehabilitation with the aim of producing
termediate shipment to Brighton Port, Trinidad. In order to realise this project, the company said some 400 workers will be required over a one year construction period. Project operation is intended to employ over 400
workers, of which 340 (85%) would be Guyanese
with the others being technical trainers and process specialists from China. At the Port Kaituma wharf facility, some 200 workers
will be required over a 7month construction period while project operation is intended to employ some 30 workers, of which 27 (90%) would be Guyanese with the others being administrators and specialist technicians from China. GMI was keen to note that the extraction rat es
2.0 million tonnes annually of manganese ore for pro- planned when related to curcessing to turn out 500,000 rent reserves yield a mine and tonnes of concentrates for in-
project life of 13 years.
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 18, 2021
PAGE 63
>>>Young Entrepreneur on the Move<<<
‘Krave Catering Services’ Proud owner of 'Krave Catering Services', Kevon Dwayne David By Allyiah Allicock
A
lot has changed since the c o u n t r y recorded its first case of the COVID-19 disease back in March last year. Due to the global pandemic, many of our local businesses and establishments, including restaurant and catering services, were forced to close their doors for months. One such business which had its fair share of struggles because of the global crisis is 'Krave Catering Services', a local food fast and catering business. But before we get into how the pandemic had affected this business, let's introduce the folks responsible for its establishment. Krave was first started in 2017 by a dynamic duo – 28year-old Kevon Dwayne David and 23-year-old Athaliah Lambert. However, it was registered officially in September of last year. The home-based
FOR SCRUMPTIOUS MEALS AT YOUR CONVENIENCE
business which provides a number of scrumptious meals such as pasta, mac and cheese with wings, sirloin steak, deep fried prawns, sautéed prawns, burgers just to name a few, has already been taking the local cuisine industry by storm. In an exclusive interview with this publication, David revealed that the need for creativity, as well as to bring something different when it comes to food and catering
Some of the dishes prepared and served by Kevon and Athaliah.
be budget based, it must also
Proud co-owner of “Krave Catering Services,” Athaliah Lambert
provide quality services to customers. While noting that the support towards their business has been “immense” thus far, the young man lamented that their ultimate goal is for their brand to be a household name so that when one thinks about food or catering, their first thought should be “Krave”. But despite the forthcoming support, David noted that the business has endured some challenges. One such hurdle was the strain of finances, which caused lapses. But he interestingly admitted, “this was a good thing because it exposed a few weaknesses our brand had that we had
overlooked.” Another obstacle was the global pandemic. He said that the business became slow first when the pandemic started since most of their clientele were students of the University of Guyana. Looking at alternative ways to overcome that, they were able to transition to the daily lunches which now provides for a wider market. Since then, David added that business has been “nothing but better.” The young man who expressed that young people are crucial to society, believes that “young entrepreneurs are the future of business, they provide role models for other young
“I believe that young entrepreneurs are the future of business, they provide role models for other young people as well as a signal to the older folks that we are beacons.”
services were factors that had inspired them to start their business. “We saw that people always wanted food that was different. Also, we realised that a lot of persons wanted the fancy restaurant experience but lacked the funds, so we thought we would step in and offer that experience,” he shared. Their intentions too when they started was to provide an experience that suits the customer's budget. According to David, although they decided that the services offered should
people as well as a signal to the older folks that we are beacons.” He thinks more can be done locally for young people that can take them to greater heights. As such, he explained that training seminars, buddy systems/mentorship programmes, financial literacy conferences can be hosted so as to boost young entrepreneurs in the making. For anyone who would like to satisfy their “Krave”, orders can be placed on Facebook and Instagram @krave_experience or call or message on the following WhatsApp numbers (592) 648-1197, 682-1378 or 6579621.
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Kaieteur News
Government considers extending its education cash grant initiative to private school students
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand during a speech at the CV Nunes Primary School during the distribution of the “Because We Care” cash grant The Government is considering the extension of its ‘Because We Care’ Education Cash Grant initiative to private school students. This revelation was made by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo. The Vice President stated, “some parents have been making a solid case that they struggle at home to send their kids to private schools, it’s not as though they’re rich and in a way those kids who go to private schools, take some pressure off of the public schools.” He further added that the Government will take into consideration all the facts and will come to a decision very soon. The Government of
Guyana through the Ministry of Education commenced with the “Because We Care” cash grant and the school uniform and supplies grant to children in the public school system last Wednesday. The ‘Because We Care’ grant is valued at $15,000 per child this year and the School Uniform and Supplies Grant valued at $4,000, giving a total of $19,000 for each child in the public education system. Approximately 172,000 students will benefit from this programme giving a total of $3.2B going towards children and families across Guyana. Unlike last year, the school uniform and supplies grant will not be given in the form of a voucher but rather as cash.
MoH registers two additional deaths and 120 new cases The Ministry of Health (MoH) in its daily COVID Report on Saturday informed that another youth has unfortunately passed away along with a female; this takes the total number of persons to have died from the dreaded virus to 509 for the period March 2020 to date. The female who passed away is 74 years of age and hails from Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice), while the 16-year-old young man is from Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo). The newly infected persons are from: Regions One
and Seven (2 cases each), Region Two (3 cases), Region Three (5 cases), Region Four (34 cases), Regions Five and Ten (7 cases each), Region Six (6 cases) and Region Nine with (54 cases). There were no new cases in Region 8. These cases (120 in total) have increased the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 21,471 cases. A total of 19,805 persons have recovered so far from the virus. There are 12 patients in the ICU, 5 persons in institutional quarantine, 95 persons in institutional isolation and 1,050 are in home isolation.
Sunday July 18, 2021
Sunday July 18, 2021
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Kaieteur News
Jamaica, Costa Rica rally to win Group C games in Gold Cup
Jamaica’s players celebrate after scoring against Guadeloupe.
Sunday July 18, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Be tactful when speaking today. With this day's energy, it's important that you take the time to think about how your words affect the person you're talking to. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Today, Taurus, don't be too surprised if you have difficulty getting into a work frame of mind. It's likely that you'd rather daydream than be in the real world. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You may find today that people are really attracted to you as a friend. This is because you're usually a good listener. You're open to other people's ideas and thoughts and can care easily. CANCER (June 21–July 22) It's good to dream, especially on days like today, Cancer. Expanding your mind and thinking of possibilities are positive ways to increase your knowledge. Give yourself time to think. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) With today's energy, you might want to let your imagination run free for a while. This can add a real boost, as it will connect you with your inner self. Let your imagination be your ticket to your creative and artistic abilities. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) People tend to feel comfortable around you even if they're different than you are. That's because you usually accept the fact that everyone is different and that's OK.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You have an incredible imagination, Libra. Today is a great day to put it to use. Take time to engage in creative activities and try meditation, story planning, role playing, or visualization. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Chances are good that you will feel strong and confident today, Scorpio. It's a good time to try something you've never done before. You might be the right person to get things started. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) The energy of the day should have you feeling pretty good. Your spirits should be high, and laughing may well be a good part of your day. When you laugh, it gets other people going. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Expect a boost in popularity today. One way to put this to good use is to bring about change. Perhaps you and your co-workers feel that the workplace needs a new program, such as benefits. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Today's energy may highlight your popularity. The transits boost your enthusiasm and energy for doing things. People will feel drawn to you. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Today should present a very positive influence for you, Pisces. The energy at play will allow for such things as making excellent decisions. Things will go more quickly than usual.
AFP - Junior Flemmings notched the winning goal as Jamaica came from behind to beat Guadeloupe 2-1 on Friday in Group C of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Guadeloupe took the lead after just four minutes at the Exploria Stadium in Orlando, when Dimitri Ramothe’s blast deflected off Jamaica defender Amari’i Bell and snuck past goalkeeper Andre Blake at the near post for an own goal. The Reggae Boyz would find their leveller within 10 minutes, however, when Philadelphia Union striker Cory Burke hit a perfectly placed shot from the top of the area that handcuffed Guadeloupe goalkeeper Yohann Thuram-Ulien. Flemmings snapped the deadlock in the 87th minute, making a brilliant individual effort by outsmarting several defenders and firing a shot through Thuram-Ulien’s legs. The group’s other game also ended in a comeback 2-1 win, in this case for Costa Rica over Suriname. Gleofilo Vlijter opened the scoring in the 52nd minute with Suriname’s first ever Gold Cup goal. But Costa Rica stormed back, scoring two goals in two minutes to take the lead. In the 58th minute, Joel Campbell equalized with a powerful header and, just a minute later, captain Celso Borges netted after Suriname goalkeeper Warner Hahn lost control of the ball.
...Pogacar set to win back-to-back From page 69 delivered, even though he benefited from his main rival’s failure with Roglic pulling out ahead of the eighth stage following a crash earlier in the race. Crashes also effectively ruled 2018 champion Geraint Thomas out along with his Ineos Grenadiers team mate Tao Geoghegan Hart, the 2020 Giro d’Italia winner. Just like last year, Pogacar is set to win the white jersey for the best Under-25 rider and also the polka-dot jersey for the mountains classification. Pogacar will become the youngest double winner of the race. STUNNING RIDE Following the Slovenian’s stunning ride to Le Grand Bornand during stage eight, his challengers were left racing for second place. That day, he went solo in the rain in the Col de Romme, the penultimate climb of the day, to pull away from all of his rivals in a long-range move reminiscent of racing in the 1980s to take the yellow jersey. Vingegaard said: “I
waited for Primoz (Roglic) when he crashed (in stage three) but I only lost one minute 20, and I would still have been second. “Pogacar was so strong we couldn’t do anything. He won the Tour in the rain stages. I would have been one minute closer but it would not have made a difference.” Pogacar then increased his advantage steadily and was in trouble only once on the slopes of an overheated Mont Ventoux when he was briefly distanced by Vingegaard. Riding with the composure of a veteran, Pogacar lost no time that day and he beat Vingegaard and Carapaz in the two summit finishes in the Pyrenees. Briton Mark Cavendish, who equalled Eddy Merckx’s all-time record of 34 stage wins, is set to wrap up the green jersey for the points classification for the second time in his career after 2011. Fellow sprint specialist Andre Greipel said before the stage that he would retire at the end of the year, the German having won 11 stages on the Tour between 2011 and 2016.
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Sunday July 18, 2021
Windies Women’s team skipper Australia to monitor Aaron Finch’s knee injury ahead of ODI series Taylor could retire soon
S
portsMax - West Indies Women’s team captain Stafanie Taylor is already considering a future beyond cricket and has hinted she could be tempted to put up her bat sooner rather than later. The 30-year-old Taylor has been the most dominant force in West Indies cricket for over a decade. In a 13year career, the player has racked up some impressive stats. She is third overall on the all-time One Day International runs scoring list with 4908, behind Charlotte Edwards (5992) and Mithali Raj (7304). In terms of ODI wickets taken, she ranks 9th, the second West Indian in a top 10 that also includes teammate Anisa Mohammed. In terms of T20 runs scored, Taylor has 3121 a figure that is surpassed by only New
West Indies Women’s team captain Stafanie Taylor
Zealand’s Suzie Bates. The West Indian is, however, younger than those ahead of her, in the case of Edwards, by 11 years and the case of Raj by 8. It’s not even a stretch to imagine the player eventually topping both lists. She, however, may simply not play that long. “The youngsters are good to watch. I’m currently here watching them in a series against Pakistan A and
they are very vibrant, they seem to really enjoy what they are doing,” Taylor told S p o r t s M a x . t v ’s InCaseYouMissedIT when quizzed about the future of West Indies cricket. “It’s important for us too because when I look at myself, I’ll probably retire soon, and you want to know that you are leaving West Indies cricket in good hands. These girls are the future.”
Australia will hope Aaron Finch is available for the start of the ODIs. (AFP)
ESPNcricinfo - Australia will monitor the fitness of captain Aaron Finch ahead of the ODI series against West Indies after he picked up a knee injury during the final T20I in St Lucia. Finch twisted his knee in the field and was significantly hampered during the Australian chase, especially when running between the wickets. His innings of 34 was ended by a spectacular catch at long-on by Fabian Allen as Australia fell 16 short to concede the series 4-1. A Cricket Australia spokesperson said Finch had a mild knee complaint earlier in the tour, which he had fully recovered from. The squad travels to Barbados on Saturday ahead of the three-match ODI series, which begins on Tuesday. They are already without the majority of the players who would make up their usual ODI top order so they will want Finch to be available. Matthew Wade could potentially lead Australia if Finch were to be absent, having stood in for him during the T20I series against India last year, although there isn’t a permanent vice-captain on the tour. Ben McDermott (quad) and Ashton Agar (hamstring) missed the latter part of the T20I series with minor injuries. Given the nature of touring during the pandemic, Australia have a larger squad
although the two travelling reserve players - Nathan Ellis and Tanveer Sangha are bowlers, so they can’t provide any cover to the batting department. Although the major focus of this tour was the T20I series - five more matches will follow in Bangladesh if the biosecure plans are approved - the ODIs carry World Cup Super League points. Both Australia (third) and West Indies (eighth) have so far only played six matches in the league. Australia rung the changes for the final T20I, giving Mitchell Swepson and Andrew Tye their first outings of the tour - for Tye it was his first game since early February in the BBL - which meant 17 of the 18 players in the main squad had game time during the five matches, with only the uncapped Wes Agar not used. Having hauled West Indies back well from a very strong position after Evin Lewis made 79 - conceding just 30 runs from the last five overs - the batting fell away again from a promising position of 95 for 2 in the tenth over. “Thought the way we defended in the back ten overs in this game, we were staring down the barrel of 220-230, was impressive and our powerplay bowling has been pretty good in the other games,” Finch said at the post-match presentation. “We just haven’t backed it up with the bat. There’s some guys there
with not a huge amount of international experience. When you are trying to stamp your authority on a game, it can be tough at times so not too critical of them. “There’s a bit more experience at the top and we probably didn’t give them the best platform. Winning would have been nice but feel as though we have some more information and plenty of stuff to think about.” Only Mitchell Marsh really enhanced his reputation during the series as he finished with 219 runs batting at No. 3 - the most on either side - along with eight wickets, although his success at the top of the order may only add to the logjam for those roles. “He’s growing into his new role at No. 3 and flourished,” Tye, his Perth Scorchers team-mate, said. “I’ve never seen him execute so well with the ball. He’s put in a lot of hard work behind the scenes with his bowling and trying to become that proper allrounder. It’s the best form I’ve ever seen him with the bat. It’s everything we’ve known he’s been able to do for years and we hope he can continue.” The bowling had moments when it stood up well; Josh Hazlewood’s performance in the opening match, Mitchell Starc’s final over to earn victory in the fourth, and Adam Zampa’s resilience under attack from West Indies’ big hitters were the highlights.
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 18, 2021
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Germany’s Olympic football team walks No flag, no anthem, but Russia off the pitch over ‘racial abuse’ from Olympic chief still wants Tokyo golds Moscow, Russia (AFP) Honduras player in — The head of Russia’s Stanislav Pozdnyakov Olympic Committee, an warm-up tie organisation weighed
The Honduran federation said the ‘situation occurred due to a misunderstanding on the field of play.’ (Pictured, Jordan Torunarigha) (AP)
D
aily Mail – Germany’s O l y m p i c football team walked off the field in protest during a preparation match for the Tokyo Games on Saturday in response to alleged racist abuse from an opposing Honduras player. The players left the field together with five minutes remaining in the game after German defender Jordan Torunarigha was ‘racially insulted,’ the German soccer federation said on Twitter. ‘If one of our players is racially abused, it’s not an option for us to keep playing,’ Germany coach Stefan Kuntz said. ‘It was hard to get him in, he was terribly upset because he said he was repeatedly racially abused,’ Kuntz continued. ‘For us it’s clear, this violates our values, we cannot tolerate it. We’ll take our player completely under
our protection.’ Torunarigha’s club, Hertha Berlin, responded by saying ‘ that’s the only correct decision! ‘ The score was 1-1 when the German players walked off. ‘After the situation calmed down a bit, the whole Honduras team came over to us on the bench and apologized,’ Kuntz said. ‘That was the end of the matter for us.’ The Honduran soccer federation said on Twitter that the game was abandoned in the 87th minute ‘due to the fact that a German player alleged a supposed racist insult on the part of a Honduran national team player.’ The Honduran federation said the ‘situation occurred due to a misunderstanding on the field of play.’ Germany captain Maximilian Arnold said the
team discussed taking the matter further but decided against it. ‘We made a correct statement, we made the right decisions and acted correctly. It was also Jordan’s wish. He said that we should leave it at that,’ Arnold said. The friendly game in Wakayama, Japan was Germany’s last preparation match before it plays Brazil in Yokohama on Thursday. Kuntz’ team also plays Saudi Arabia on July 25 and Ivory Coast on July 28 in Group D. The 23-year-old Torunarigha, who is the son of former player Ojokojo Torunarigha of Nigeria, has faced racist abuse before. He was targeted with monkey chants by some Schalke fans in a German Cup game on February 4, 2020. Schalke was fined 50,000 euros ($54,600) for its supporters’ abuse.
Torunarigha’s club, Hertha Berlin, responded by saying ‘ that’s the only correct decision!’ (Getty Images)
down by a protracted doping scandal, believes his athletes are headed to the Tokyo Games with an unfair disadvantage. Still, Stanislav Pozdnyakov wants his Olympians to haul home dozens of medals. “The national flag and the national anthem are additional motivating factors...for any athlete,” he told AFP in an interview in Moscow ahead of the Games. “Of course, we’ll have to perform without these missing elements. But the team is ready to compete for places on the podium. We’re anticipating to win 40 to 50 medals.” Pozdnyakov’s goal about shoulders up to the 56 podium spots Russian athletes won in Brazil five years ago, but pales in comparison to the London Games when they returned with 82. That’s because 2012 was a different era of Russian sports, before the country was embroiled in a doping scandal whose embarrassing fallout years later means there will be no Russian logo or anthem in Japan. These penalties ultimately stem from a report published in 2015 by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which said Russia had instituted a far-reaching system of cheating with tacit approval from the highest levels of government. Then in 2016, Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of Moscow’s antidoping laboratory, blew the whistle over State-backed doping at the 2014 Winter Olympics hosted in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.
The revelations would see Russia banned from major sporting events for four years and its athletes stripped of medals — the impressive medal count from London reduced to 67 over the doping claims. The sanctions were reduced at the end of 2020 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), a decision that infuriated some observers but was hailed as victory in Russia. Protect future generations So even though Russia’s anthem, flag and even its name are banned from major competitions until December 2022, its clean athletes are allowed to compete. Pozdnyakov still says the fact they are barred from wearing their national colours is “unfair”, especially for a new generation of young athletes. “They have nothing to do with the allegations from 2015,” he said. It is a position oft repeated by Russian officials — that a younger cohort of athletes is paying the price for mistakes made by their elders, and that the country has now cleaned up its act. Senior figures, as high up as President Vladimir Putin, have long suggested the doping scandal is a Western plot to undermine a global sporting powerhouse, but Pozdnyakov said it was time to turn the page.
Striking a conciliatory tone, he praised “collaborative work” carried out by his organisation and the International Olympic Committee — efforts he said “make our athletes happy” by allowing them to compete. He said the sanctions were “excessive”, but added: “Life is always based on a kind of compromise and the search for consensus.” In Tokyo, compromise means Russian athletes will compete under the name of the Russian Olympic Committee, whose symbol comprises a flame adjoined by stripes of red and blue — like the national flag. The Russian anthem is replaced with music by national icon, composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky, and the official tracksuit will be d e c o r a t e d i n R u s s i a ’s colours. Pozdnyakov’s appointment itself in May 2018 was part of an effort by authorities to restore his organisation’s credibility. Unlike his predecessor who was a lawmaker and businessman, Pozdnyakov — a 47-year-old four-time Olympic gold medallist in fencing — is not directly connected to politics. “My main mission is to protect future generations of Russian Olympic athletes from the problems we face today.”
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Sunday July 18, 2021
GCF selects 22 players for Junior Chess World Cup
T
he World Chess Federation (FIDE) has invited players from Guyana to compete in the FIDE Cadet & Youth Online Rapid World Cup tournament which will take place from the 1st to 31st of August, 2021. This World Cup tournament is an official FIDE competition and will attract the best players under the age of eighteen from all affiliate nations around the world. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, events like this were held in person at venues around the world, requiring teams to incur the cost of travel and accommodation for the duration of the tournament, which resulted in small contingents from federations like ours. However, this online event now offers the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) a unique opportunity for its young players to participate with their peers from other countries at a fraction of the cost. This year, the Federation has selected a team of 22 players to prepare for this World Cup event. The youth players who qualified to play in this tournament are up against the best in the world and will gain valuable experience from this competition. The GCF has been able to field a larger team this year, expanding from 14 players last year to 22 this year. But will still miss the contributions of
some strong players as a result of the irregular examination schedules for National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), CSEC and CAPE. The GCF’s ‘Chess in Schools’ programme is now seeing some of its efforts bear fruit with a wider base of competitors from which to select its best players. The implementation of ongoing training and investment in our very young brings two eight-year-olds from the School of Nations in Julian Mohabir and Aquilani Swaminadha, along with nine-year-old Nicholas Zhang from Mae’s School playing in the under-10 category. The players have been under the guidance of a trained world-class chess coach and set the stage for a great future. The NGSA examination schedule has had a major impact on the under-12 division, with many of the players preparing for this important exam. This open category still carries a formidable team with Omar Sharif from Mae’s School who has demonstrated remarkable prowess for the last year and easily deserved to be the number one contender to represent his country at this event. Joining him in the under 12 open will be his schoolmates Alexander Zhang and Mahir Rajkumar along with Micaiah Enoe from Marian Academy. In the girl’s section,
hearing impaired chess player Anaya Lall will be playing in the female under12 after playing in the under10 last year. Despite her challenges, she is a dedicated player and has shown determination. In the under-14 division, Guyana will be represented by School of Nations’ student Emmanuel Primus, a consistent and dedicated competitor. For the girls’ section of the under-14, Queen’s College student Maliha Rajkumar, who played in this category last year will use this experience to improve her prowess and chess acumen along with newcomers to the team, Saint Stanislaus College’s Italy Ton-Chung, Queen’s College’s Nailia Rahaman and Pooja Lam from the Saraswati Vidya Niketan (SVN) School. The under-16 open event will see a seasoned Queen’s College trio lead by Kishan Puran, the tournament champion of the qualifying tournament, who has shown remarkable progress over the past year. He is joined by fellow schoolmates Raveon Adonis and Mathew Singh. The girl’s under 16 event will feature Queen’s College’s Aniyah Couchman and Marian Academy’s Adia Alphonso who have both been in constant training but will face quality players in that highly competitive category. In the under-18 open, Marian Academy’s Upper
A large 22 player contingent will represent Guyana at the Junior Chess World Cup, featuring some of the players pictured. Six student, Oluwadare Oyeyipo, Saint Stanislaus College’s senior, Keron Sandiford, and Akili Theophil from the University of Guyana, will take to the board to prove that they are the best juniors in the country. They will be playing at the highest level, for which they have been preparing over the last
eighteen months. They have all been competing against the best senior players in Guyana and will have to apply themselves well to advance in this category. The GCF have extended their thanks to the School of Nations, Saint Stanislaus Alumni Association, the Queens College Old Students Association and
Marian Academy for their sponsorship of their respective students in this World Cup event. The Federation noted that they are grateful for the interest and support from these organisations and for their acknowledgement of the importance of chess in the development of the minds of Guyana’s youth.
Winning the series is a wonderful achievement - Pooran
Fabian Allen (centre) celebrates his astonishing catch along with teammates including Hayden Walsh (right) © AFP
Stand in Captain Nicholas Pooran said winning the series is a wonderful achievement not only for himself but for the team. Speaking after the fifth and final T20I on Friday night, Pooran stated that the players worked really hard from the last series and they wanted to play proper cricket. Hayden Walsh Jr picked up the player of the series award and Pooran lauded the leg spinner for his efforts. “Spin is very important
in T20 cricket, with a leg spinner in your team you are always asking for wickets, to restrict any team you need to get wickets and we are very happy for Hayden. He has work really hard on his bowling and we are very happy he gets some reward and he is winning games for us,” he added. Pooran said they wanted to win the series 5-0 but they are happy with a 4-1 victory which has done a lot for the team. He said that leadership is tough
especially when there is a lot of information to gather. “You are not sure which is the correct advice, it’s a learning experience for me and I am very thankful. A lot of information was shared and I learned a lot,” he noted. “When you look at our team there are so many leaders so many T20 greats everyone has something positive to say.” Pooran made 31 off 18 balls as the West Indies made 199-8 while Australia responded with 183-9.
Kaieteur News
Sunday July 18, 2021
Verstappen wins historic sprint race to stretch title lead Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands leaves his car after finishing first in the Sprint Qualifying of the British Formula One Grand Prix, at the Silverstone circuit, in Silverstone, England. (Lars Baron/Pool via AP)
S I LV E R S T O N E , England (AP) — Max Verstappen out-dragged Lewis Hamilton at the start of Formula One’s experimental first sprint qualifying race to take the pole for the British Grand Prix and spoil the homecoming of the seventime champion. Hamilton initially seemed fine with the defeat and showed enthusiasm for the format and the fan energy at packed Silverstone. “I don’t know how it looks to watch from the fans,” Hamilton said from aboard an open-air trolley used for the “podium” drivers as they were taken for a lap past the grandstands. For him, Hamilton said in the trolley the inaugural sprint race format was “way more enjoyable. We should do more like that, or a version of it in the future.” He’d changed his tune by the post-race news conference, and Hamilton sullenly accepted that he’d lost again to Verstappen and Red Bull. Hamilton said there he didn’t like the format — which, also, cost him another point in the standings. The Dutchman stretched his lead over Hamilton by winning the sprint and takes a 33-point advantage over the beloved local driver in Sunday’s grand prix. “In my opinion there needs to be a Saturday and Sunday weekend,” Hamilton said. Verstappen and thirdplace Valtteri Bottas said
they preferred the the traditional three-round qualifying, noting they’d rather have used the track time for practice. The leaders of F1 have recognized the series needs a freshening as its audience starts reaching key younger demographics and so this weekend they tried something new. One practice session was cut and transitioned instead Friday to the preferred knockout qualifying, which was won by Hamilton. But that only set the starting grid for Saturday’s sprint race — dicey because there’s always the chance the drivers don’t push hard out of fear of damaging their cars a day early when points aren’t on the line. That wasn’t a problem because it was racy right from Verstappen’s jump on Hamilton as flames shot from Verstappen’s heated left front tire. Fernando Alonso jumped from 11th to fifth in the opening lap before finishing seventh, and Sergio Perez Jr. crashed. Any chance at Hamilton finally bettering the championship leader was lost when Verstappen simply drove away from Hamilton at the start. “They’ve done a really great job with their engine, their starts are really great this year,” Hamilton said. “ We ’ v e l o s t a b i t o f performance on our starts, so we’ve got to work a bit harder to improve that.” Verstappen earned three points for the win, as well as
the pole for Sunday’s full Grand Prix. It put Verstappen in position for a fourth consecutive win, all from pole. Red Bull has won five straight, which includes a Perez victory. He was the biggest casualty of the experimental qualifying when Perez crashed on the fifth lap and finished last. The hard racing was celebrated after the finish as Verstappen, Hamilton and Bottas instead of going to a podium, climbed aboard the trolley. Verstappen was presented with an old-school winner’s wreath around his neck and all three drivers waved to fans as they passed. For the fans, Hamilton was jovial yet apologetic for the defeat. “I’ve got to give a lot of love to all these fans, I can’t tell you the energy that I’m getting from them is awesome,” Hamilton said. “I am sorry I was not able to get the win; tomorrow we fight again.” Verstappen was content with the win. “Happy to have pushed for those three points,” he said. “A good fight with Lewis on the first lap,” Hamilton received two points for finishing second. Bottas earned the final point awarded Saturday. Hamilton has not won a race since May 9 at the Spanish GP but Silverstone has long been a Mercedes stronghold and the team has won seven of the past eight British GP. Hamilton has won six of those.
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Pogacar set to win back-to-back Tour de France titles
SAINT EMILION, France - Tadej Pogacar was poised to win a second consecutive Tour de France title as the Slovenian retained his overall lead following the final time trial, a 30.8-km solo effort from Libourne yesterday. The 22-year-old UAE Emirates rider finished eighth in the 20th stage won by Belgian Wout van Aert ( J u m b o - Vi s m a ) , w h o clocked a best time of 35 minutes 53 seconds. Danes Kasper Asgreen and Jonas Vingegaard were second and third respectively in the 20th stage, 21 and 32 seconds off the pace. Overall, Pogacar leads
UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia wearing the yellow jersey in action during stage 20. (REUTERS/Stephane Mahe)
Vingegaard by five minutes 20 seconds and Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz by 7:03 ahead of today’s final stage, a largely processional ride from Chatou to the Champs Elysees in Paris. “I’m really happy that it’s over. It’s been a really heavy, demanding three weeks. We rode hard from morning to night, every day. Yesterday (Friday) I wasn’t very motivated, you end up losing motivation after three weeks,” Pogacar, who took no risks through the Bordeaux vineyards during the time trial, told reporters. “I said to myself today (Saturday): “Come on, let’s go for it! But well, it wasn’t
my fastest day on a bike and then the strongest rider won. I am still very happy with my result and the way my day went.” The UAE Emirates rider bettered his rivals in the opening time trial and in the mountain stages, claiming a total of three stage wins in a dominant performance. It came in sharp contrast with last year, when Pogacar snatched the overall lead in the final time trial only as his fellow Slovenian Primoz Roglic cracked in the uphill drag to La Planche des Belles Filles. This time, Pogacar was the favourite and he duly (Continued on page 65)
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AAU Junior Olympic Games
Sadloo Family of Queens NY donate USD$800 to Alpha ‘Flash’ Harrison
Sunday July 18, 2021
Allicock is physically & spiritually strong ahead of Tokyo Olympics ‘Most definitely satisfied with his improvement’ says Coach Blake
Allicock (right) goes to the body of his 52kg opponent from Botswana during a training session in Russia.
The Sadloo brothers of Queens New York handing over the sponsorship to Alpha Harrison in the presence of their father, Rampaul (left). Just a few days ago Kaieteur Sport carried an article where 10 year-old Alpha ‘Flash’ Harrison has qualified for the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympic Games scheduled to take place in Houston Texas from July 28 - August 7, 2021. Harrison’s dad, Lindon had reached out to this newspaper indicating that they have a budget of USD$2500 to cover in order o make his participation a reality. Like we {Kaieteur Sport} have done so many times before, we reached out to our readership with a view of seeking assistance to make this youngsters dream reality of doing Guyana and himself proud. Well, we are happy to let you know that the Sadloo family of Queens New York,
reached out to lend their support. The Senior Harrison, reported to Kaieteur Sport that Harold and Ronald Sadloo travelled to Brooklyn after reading the story to assist. The brothers presented a cheque valued USD$800 to young Alpha Harrison himself in the presence of their Father, Mr. Rampaul Sadloo at the Restoration Temple Church, Church Avenue, Brooklyn New York, yesterday afternoon. The Sadloo’s indicated profound pleasure in being able to support the dream of a fellow young Guyanese who has a bright future in the sport. Lindon Harriosn expressed gratitude to the Sadloo family for their support whilst promising that Alpha would be doing
his best to represent Guyana with pride at the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympic Games. Apart from the Sadloo’s, Pastor Rush of Brooklyn New York has contributed USD$250 towards the H a r r i s o n ’s b u d g e t o f USD$2500 which will include airfare and accommodation in Texas. Persons wishing to contribute to Alpha Harrison can contact Lindon Harrison on telephone numbers 347790-3744 or 347-816-5047. For persons in Guyana wishing to assist, you can do so via Western Union or MoneyGram to Lindon Harrison and for persons living in the USA, you can use the Cash App $lindon69 or S69lindon to make donations. (Franklin Wilson)
Correction
K
aieteur Sport inadvertently stated in a story carried in the Saturday edition stating that the person in the captioned photo of a story headlined, ‘De Sinco Limited under their Degree brand of products lifts with Carlos
Peterson-Griffith’. We named the person presenting the cheque to Petterson-Griffith as Sunesh Maikoo – Sales Director, when in fact it was Ackem Smith. We do apologise for the mixup.
By Sean Devers Of the seven Guyanese at the Tokyo Olympics, which runs from July 23 to August 8, Bantamweight Boxer Keevin Allicock has the best chance of giving Guyana only is second ever medal and first in 41 years in its seventeenth appearance at the Olympics. The 22-year-old Allicock, who suffered the loss of his Dad, last October, is in Russia for a two-week Camp ahead of the Olympics. Allicock is no stranger to Russia since in September 2019 Allicock visited there f o r Wo r l d B o x i n g Championships which was the first time a Guyanese pugilist had qualified for this event since Denis Thomas and Imran Khan did so in 2013. The Caribbean Bantamweight Boxing Champion, Allicock, will be aiming to follow Guyanese pugilist Mike Parris, who won Bronze in the 1980 Games in Moscow. Guyana is being represented in Boxing for the first time since John Douglas lost in the first round in the 1996 Olympics 25 years ago. The lightning fast and highly talented youth from Albouystown, is carrying the hopes and expectations of his fellow Guyanese across the 83,000 square miles and the millions in the diaspora on his shoulders. Allicock will also want to better his controversial d e f e a t s a t t h e Commonwealth Games in Australia and the World Boxing Championships. However, his Forgotten
Youth Foundation (FYF) Coach Sebert Blake, speaking to Kaiteur Sports from Russia, said his Boxer is physically and spiritually strong to bear the hopes and dreams of his Countrymen. “All is well with Keevin and I. Our training is going excellent…I am most defiantly satisfied with his improvement,” informed Blake as he provided an update on Allicock, a 2017 Yo u t h C o m m o n w e a l t h Games silver medallist. “Presently we are working on improving his tactical and technical ability and this has been basically for the different styles of sparring that we have had so far. He has been working on tactics to counteract those different styles of fighters that we could encounter,” continued the experienced Blake. Blake disclosed that he and Allicock are scheduled to leave for Tokyo on Tuesday July 20 at 1 pm and should arrive in Japan three hours later. “It should not be a long flight…two stops and into Tokyo.” “Keevin’s confidence is high of doing well in this tournament, he is very spiritual in his beliefs and I also believe. We are riding on that. We are taking all the science that we have gotten here and will utilise it to the best of our interest and the best interest of Guyana. S o y es h e i s v er y confident and motivated and physically intact based on our tests that we do on a daily basis and he is highly pumped spiritually,” stated Blake. “I ask Guyanese at home
and abroad to keep praying for us and give us 110 percent support,” concluded the 47year-old Blake, who was Shondell Alfred’s Coach when she knocked out Corrine Van Ryck DeGroot in 2010 to win the WIBA title to become the second World C h a m p i o n f r o m Albouystown after Andrew ‘Six head’, Lewis won Guyana’s first World title in 2001. Team Guyana for the Tokyo Olympics is; Chelsea Edghill (Table Tennis), Aleka Persaud and Andrew Fowler (swimming), Emanuel Archibald, sisters Jasmine and Aliyah Abrams (Track and Field} and Keevin Allicock (Boxing).
Keevin Allicock is doing well in training camp in Russia.
Sunday July 18, 2021
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