...ascitizensremaininthe darksinceoiloperationbegan Power
Twomoresoldiers charged,remanded forganjatrafficking Oil companies at risk of losing local content certificates over failure to train, ....pledgestoleverage cultural,economicstrengths
Harris Paints has become thefirstpaintmanufacturerin theEasternCaribbeantohave their products tested and added to the Approved Products List (APL) by the Master Painters Institute (MPI), the company said in a pressrelease.
The recognition proves that the Caribbean manufactured products can surpass or be on par with global competitors and top international brand names.
Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, MPI is an Institute d e d i c a t e d t o t h e establishment of quality standards and quality assurance programmes, training, and publications for the architectural paint and coatings sector in the USA andCanada.
The institute publishes an Approved Products Listing that groups paints in classes based on their performance characteristics relative to their intended usage, as a resource for architects and otherpaintspecifierstoselect onlythebestsuitedpaintsfor theirprojects.
ProductslistedintheAPL have been tested to ensure they meet rigorous performance requirements
Testing is varied for each category,andincludesASTM methods for such as flexibility, gloss, adhesion, accelerated weathering, and several in-house developed tests to ensure the products can perform where they’re used. The MPI performancebased paint and painting specifications and associated Approved Products Listing are used by the US Military; the U.S. General Services Administration(GSA);bythe ArchitectinstituteofAmerica MasterSpec, referenced by approximately half of US architects; by NASA for facilities; by the Canadian Government’s National Master Specification; and thousands of other North American designers, and facilitymanagers.
According to the press release,SeniorVicePresident for Sales and Marketing, Luke Ticknor said that the results validated Harris Paints’ long-standing commitment to provide top quality products that are second to none and pointed out that the products approvedwerenotjustinone product line but were across five different product categories,demonstratingthe
bench strength across the Harris Paints range. “We have done our own thirdparty testing for years, and constantly come out on top, but there are limits to how much of that data we can publish and share, and limits tohowthattestdatahasbeen accepted by the local and international architectural community” stated Ticknor “By having MPI test and approve our products, architects and engineers can now objectively and confidently specify our products for their projects, knowing they will perform
very well or even better than theothersthatareavailablein themarket.”
E
n the ach
vement Tic
or explained, “the certification process is quite costly from our perspective and within a line, products are broadly similarsowetookastrategic approach and focused on key products that are staples for professionals These included the main finishes in ourpremiumUlttimaline,the professional-grade products inourProSpeedCoverrange, concreteanddrywallprimer
Continued on page 16
As more oil projects being approved by the Guyana Government the issue of the interest rates being charged by the operator of the Stabroek Block, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited(EMGL)continueto
concern Guyanese.
However,VicePresidentand chief policymaker of the sector Bharrat Jagdeo has dismissedtheseconcerns.
It must be noted that several countries including neighbouring country, Suriname do not allow oil companiestochargeinterest ratesontheirinvestments.
Previously, VP Jagdeo said Guyana was paying a rate to Exxon as this is a standardpracticeforareturn to be generated on a company’s equity “Regardless of whether you make the financing in the formofaloanorequity,you have to get a rate return. Thereisacostofcapitaland that is how it is,” Jagdeo asserted. Despite multiple attempts by this newspaper to clear the air on this issue however, the government hasrefusedtotellthenation howmuchinterestwasbeing charged on the companies’ investments.
ExxonMobil and its partners, Hess and CNOOC each make annual equity contributions to support the Stabroek Block operations.
Consequently, the companies each receive an interest on the financial investments. This rate of return, though justified by Jagdeo remains a mystery, although this country’s resources are being used to paythosecompanies. Hismostrecentapproach toquestionsonthesematters istotellareporter fromthis publication at his weekly pressconferenceatFreedom House on Robb Street, that the capping of the interest rates is “an old question” he has “dealt with a million times” before. The VP was asked by this publication is “Sir, When do you plan to join the rest of the oil producing world in capping Interest rates charged by the oilcompanies?”
He said, “I am not dealing with that. That was dealt with one million times before That is an old question that has been dealt with a million times ” Despite his claim of dealing with the issue a million times,theinterestrateseems
tobekeptunderlockandkey withstrictsecuritydetailsas thepublicisyettoknowthe financial burden they are saddled with for years to come. ExxonMobilisfreeto recover the interest, expenses and fees incurred onloansforthedevelopment of the resources in the Stabroek Block, without consent from the Minister responsibleforPetroleum. This is outlined in the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) Guyana signed with ExxonMobil and Co-Venturers, Hess and CNOOC. Annex ‘C’of the Agreement, specifically in Section 3.1, which governs costs that can be approved without the Minister’s approval states: “…interest, expenses, related fees incurred on loans raised by the Parties comprising the Contractor for Petroleum Operations and other financingcostsprovidedthat such expenses, fees and costs are consistent with m
pite repeated requests, has been reluctant to disclose the interest rates being charged bythedeveloper JagdeoinOctoberoflast
year during one of his weekly media engagement wasaskedtobringclarityon the issue when he said he was not going to “confirm anything”. Alsointhesame month Exxon’s Country Manager, Alistair Routledge, in response to a question from this publicationsaidthatGuyana is not being charged an in
multibillion-dollar investments in the Stabroek Block. According to him, “ExxonMobil is not charging any interest on what we are recovering like for the Liza projects and the likes, we are not charging financingcoststoGuyanaso one of the things that’s been raised before is Guyana in debt to the Stabroek investorsandit’snottrue.”
Routledge continued, “The country is never in debt; that’s the beauty of a production sharing agreement, it’s the investors (that)takeallthatinvestment risk. We invest the capital and the cost recovery mechanism only pays back thedollarswehaveinvested, (so) there is no financing component.”
In a bid to clarify the
pronouncements made by thePresidentofExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), Kaieteur News askedtheVP to confirm whether the information was factual at his Thursday press conference. In what turned out to be a failed attempt to shed light on this critical aspect of the country’s oil sector, the policymaker madeitclearthathewillnot be confirming this state of affairs.TheVPsaid,“I’mnot confirming anything of that (nature).I’mnotconfirming anything. If he says that and there is an interest rate and there is a charged interest rate in the cost bank then it wouldn’t be allowed. So it’s astraightforwardmatterfor measfarasI’mconcerned.”
Jagdeo has constantly dodgedquestionsrelatingto the interest rates being chargedbytheoilcompany
D u r i n g a p r e s s conferenceinNovemberlast
year hosted by the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, Kaieteur News specifically asked the Minister to confirm the rate of return on Exxon’s multibi
do
ar investments in the Stabroek Block.
The Minister went on to provideanunrelatedanswer, explaining that Guyana was not investing in the oil and gas sector He said, “The government is not directly investing in the oil and gas sector That is the misinformationIbelievethat is being spread and there is this perception among our people, that the government is taking the money and investinginoilandgasbutif I ask you as the media how much money did Guyana investinoilandgasintheoil and gas exploration offshore, we haven’t investedanything.We
Continuedonpage8
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Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456
Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS
Tel:225-8465,225-8491. Fax:225-8473,226-8210
nd
We have a word of advice for Guyana's 2 Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo: please think before speaking. Jagdeo must come to a fuller understanding of what he represents,whathehasarrogatedontohimself,andwhathe delightsinmakingsurethateveryoneknows. Ifthisformer president continues to dismiss helpful hands, then he risks living up to all the negatives that are thought of him by Guyaneseandoutsiders. ItwasJagdeowhohadseizedfor himselftheportfolioofnationalchiefpolicymaker,among otherrichones,whichheholdsontoverytightly Nowitis the same Guyana chief policymaker, who is making a big productionaboutministersmustfacethepublicanddefend theirpolicies.
What policies, and which minister, Mr Jagdeo, when theyarebarelyallowedtospeak,usuallyhavelittletooffer, becausethoseresidewiththechiefnationalpolicymakerfor everything? WhenJagdeomakesthesepronouncementsin public,thefirstreactionisthatheisworkinghardtobethe premiernationaljoker Unfortunately,itisworsethanthat, for when he engages in these hollow, childish public exercises,hemakeshimselfintoarunningnationaljoke.
In the latest creative spin from the mind of the chief policymaker, ministers must be, “out there for the people whoarelisteningtodefendtheirpoliciesandtospeakabout their policies.” Was Jagdeo being facetious, or being the narcissist that he is, he failed to see the contradiction betweenthepromptingsofhiswordsandthestrengthofhis own actions. Since his return to power in 2020, ministers have been reduced to nothing but messenger boys and errand girls.Yet he is pushing them to advocate what they may know nothing about, or about which they seriously disagree. Jagdeohashoggedpolicy,basksinthelimelight, butstillpushesministerstotakeastandontheirpolicies. Is BharratJagdeoachiefpolicymakerorthechiefprevaricator in Guyana? More in keeping with today's realities, is this leader a former president, or is he some cheap circus performer? WetellJagdeowhathispeopleshouldtellhim, butcringefromdoing:heisrunningstale,heregistersasa big empty barrel, everybody sees through him, no matter howmuchnoisehemakes.
Jagdeocannolongerhelphimself,settleforsayinghis pieceandholdingtoasafeline. Hehadtodivedeeperinto thetrapshecontinuallysetsforothersandensnarehimself further: “I assume that we want to be available to everyone and we have nothing to fear about our policies. We believe that if you cannot defend the policies, then you shouldn't be implementing them.” Now he is slick enough in public to make it appear as though he is giving ministers a choice. Therearereportsofministersbeingshouteddownincabinet meetings,eithertomuzzlethemorintroduceeverymanner ofinsecurityinthem. TheygoalongwithJagdeo'spolicies or get out, but he is enough of a hypocrite and slippery worker to say that they have a choice: “shouldn't be implementing them”, if they cannot defend them. Of all people,thechiefpolicymakerhastheaudacitytoassertthat “ we have nothing to fear about our policies….” Isn't this thesameman,theoilczar,thepolicykingpin,whosetongue is tied on most matters that have something to do with the nation's oil wealth? Isn't the now fearless Jagdeo who is stricken by some paralyzing fear the same person who refuses to release billions in oil expenses, who delays and delaysthepublicationofoilauditfindings?
Further, Jagdeo has made it his standing policy to camouflage his fears by lashing out at any Guyanese who criticizeshispolicies. Jagdeoistheonewhotriesfutilelyto hidehisfearsaboutrenegotiationpressuresexploding,sohe hides new oil discovery amounts. Jagdeo is so frightened abouttheholesinhislatestdarkmasterpiece,theWalesGasto-Energy project that he buries pertinent details. He is calling on ministers to do what he shrinks from doing. Jagdeohasnothingaboutboldnessorbrawnabouthim. He isjustablufferandabragger
DearEditor, ThePNCRcondemnsthe actions of the PPP government in using this year's Emancipation Day observance to seek to divide and dishonor the AfroGuyanesecommunityandto undermine its efforts at selfd
m
nation, s
lfexpression, and selforganization The government's intention to sponsor a free event on Emancipation Day on Malteenoes Sports Club groundtoclashandcompete with the traditional ACDA event directly across in the National Park reeks of the PPP's disregard for AfroGuyaneseinthelandoftheir birth.
For the last 31 years, the African Cultural & Development Association (ACDA) has organised the Emancipation Day event. It is now both national in its significance and nationallyrecognisedassuch.
But the event has now become the latest victim of the PPP's obsession to dominate, dictate,and control every space in Guyana.
Instead of using the country's oil blessings to promote the dignity and prosperity of all Guyanese regardless of political affiliation, social status, and race and ethnicity, the PPP
has opted instead to engage in the politics of division, d e p r i v a t i o n , a n d dependency
But the PPPis foolhardy to believe there is political gain in undermining or bypassing genuine AfroGuyanese institutions and formsofself-expression. Itislikewisefoolhardyto believethereispoliticalgain in forcing several AfroGuyanese into acts of servitude and selfhumiliation so that they can receive what is rightfully theirsascitizens.ThePNCR is confident that, as history has shown, the pride and dignity of people will eventuallywinout.
We call on all decentminded Guyanese to continue to condemn and reject these acts by the PPP that destabilise national unity, counteract ethnic harmony and weaken the social contract between citizens and their government.
Asthenextgovernment, we will end these vile practices.It istimeforanewGuyana whereallcitizensandgroups are respected regardless of their race/ethnicity, social standing, and political affiliation.
Regards
People's National CongressReform
DearEditor,
Sir Clive Lloyd was recently conferred with the Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC), the region'shighesthonouratthe 47th regular meeting of the conference of CARICOM Heads of Government in Grenada This is a monumental and historic acknowledgement to be bestowed on a distinguished Guyanesesonofthesoil;but more importantly a global symbol who inspired millionsacrosstheworld.
I had the distinct privilegeandhonourtomeet and work with Sir Clive when he served as the Chairman of the Interim Management Committee when cricket was in turmoil following the undemocratic rule of the previous administrationoftheGCB.I sat as a representative of the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB)then,andparticipated inanumberofmeetingsthat soughttoendtheturmoil.In all of those unforgettable events which sometimes werehighlyandemotionally driven, Sir Clive remained composed, calm and u n s h a k a b l e i n a n environment that included Ministers, PS, senior governmentofficialsandthe then faction of the GCB (Bissoondial Singh, Claude Raphael, Ronald Williams) etc.
word penetrating and comfortingasthoughhewas delivering advice to Joel Garner, Colin Croft or Sir Andy Roberts during a tensely driven match. Such skill,charisma,temperament and charm are unique and it is an embodiment of the strengthandsuccessofwhat Sir Clive Lloyd has achieved His record is unmatchable and remains like the glittering and enduring Kaieteur Falls for the world to embrace and emulate.
I studied Sir Clive at every meeting with undividedattentionandwhat struck me the most was his soft- spoken voice; every
Our country and people should be proud of this significant achievement and as we celebrate in unison, perhaps it is time to once again make the call for the national stadium to be renamedafterhim.SirClive
Another aspect
haspaidhisdues,weathered the storm, delivered when it mattered, fought for the restoration of democracy at the GCB and continue to provide leadership, mentorship and a sense of hopetothosewhohavebeen touched in some way by his talent and his unwavering commitment to bring about transformation, unity and prosperity among our people.Whileourown,Dave Martins continues to question in melody “where are our heroes Caribbean, showthemtome”,SirClive is standing tall like a true hero, patriot and nationalist. Sir Clive Lloyd will forever be etched into the bosom of ourheartsasagentlegiant. Yoursfaithfully, ElroyStephney
engagement was the New York job fair
DearEditor,
“Theeventwasasuccess and is a clear manifestation oftheGoG's(Governmentof Guyana) interest and commitmenttoensuringthat the Diaspora is integrally involved is the development of Guyana and benefitting fromthenation'sprosperity.”
This statement by Hon Michael Brotherson, Guyana's Consul General to New York encapsulated the essence of the objectives of the Job Fair held at LaGuardiaMarriottHotelin Queens, New York on Saturday,July27,2024. The stated objectives of the jointly-sponsored Job Fair (GoG and Private Sector)wereto(i)learnmore aboutthejobopportunitiesin Guyana, (ii) to allow
Guyanese to network with businessleaders;(iii)tooffer Guyanesetheopportunityto learn more about small and medium sized businesses, (iv) to provide information on remigration; and (v) to learn how Guyanese could contribute to the country's rapid development The Guyana Consulate says that 300 Guyanese registered as participants at the Job Fair, while 17 businesses, including Exxon Mobil, wereexhibitors.
In attendance were the Mr.RobertPersaud(Foreign Secretary); Mr. Annand Persaud (Minister in the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development); Hon Sam H i n d s ( G u y a n a ' s A m b a s s a d o r t o
Washington); Dr Peter Ramsaroop (CEO GoInvest); Rosalind Rasul (Head of Diaspora Unit at MinistryofForeignAffairs); Mr Fazal Yussuf (Diaspora andInvestmentOfficeratthe New York Consulate); Mr Shyam Nokta (former Chair oftheLocalConetPaneland currentlyManagingDirector o f E n v i r o n m e n t a l Management Consultants); theHonMichaelBrotherson (Consul General in New York); and his entire consulatestaff. Representing the private sectorwasMr.KomalSingh, chair of the Private Sector Commission. He was there with his family. Mr. Singh said that the private sector was pleased to be a part of this initiative that is the
brainchild of President Dr Irfaan Ali Ms Rasul presented a video that depicted some of Guyana's major infrastructure developmentprojectsforthe benefits of participants. She also discussed duty free concessions for Guyanese re-migrants Dr Peter Ramsaroop had a busy day discussing the investment possibilities and related tax incentives Wood Direct's Managing Director, Mr Rafeek Khan, who also serves as Chair of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), was also busy explaining his company's role in the construction and housingsector Critical labor shortages (Continuedonpage6)
DearEditor,
The sloth of justice in Guyana continuestomanifestitself.Fouryears to get the elections case to this stage is ridiculous, but it still falls short of the time it is taking to have justice being deliveredintheCrum-Ewingcase.
The AG was a fellow student with the deceased and his cry for justice when in opposition has grown silent duringhisfouryearsinoffice.
When will our QC alumni be allowed to rest in peace? It was the event that shifted the hold of power Even the APNU+AFC have not done theirjobproperlyinthismatter
TheMurderSheWroteconcerttook place at the beginning of their term in office, but Justice in the Crum-Ewing casewasneverdelivered.
As for the AFC's Presidential
candidate, he is now erasing all doubts byspeakingupforthoseinvolvedinthe attemptedtheftofthelastelections.
Hisdecisiontoplacetheearningof money before the democratic rights of theGuyanesepeoplemakesitveryclear wherehewouldstandwhenitcomesto Exxonandhislawfirm.Everyonewho watchedwhattookplaceduringthelast elections knows very well what happened.
From the infamous signature to the bed sheet, no one has forgotten how wicked the elections process became.
The Presidential candidate for the governmentisalsoquestionable,buthe has silenced many by spreading the wealthgainedfromoil.
EveniftheCanadianshavedecided toturnablindeyetothe5chargesthat theyconvenientlyignoredanddropped
overthelast4years,theoppositionhas become complicit with their silence.
The party goes on with the Ganja Defence Force and the Soca music playsloudlyatSOCU.
Yet the blood of a fallen alumni from our prestigious Queen's College continuestocryoutforjusticefromthe ground.
The sloth of justice in Guyana has beenenabledbytheill-gottenrichesof foolsandtheattainmentofwealthatthe expenseofall.
Ithasbeenforecastedthat22major storms will take place this year Beryl wasjustthefirst.Partyonandenjoythe bounty if you must. Maybe the bounty that comes with a just existence will eventuallybebegotten.
Sincerely,
Mr JamilChanglee
DearEditor,
I am writing to express deep concern regarding the escalating issues of gun violenceanddrugtrafficking that are severely affecting our nation, Guyana. Given our relatively small population, these problems are disproportionately impacting our communities, destroying homes, instilling fear, and undermining the safety and security of our citizens.Theseproblemsare notonlyaffectingthequality of life but also undermining oursocietalfabric.
The current legal framework appears inadequatewhenitcomesto addressing these severe offenses. Drug trafficking
DearEditor, Adeclarationwasmadeatmidnightthat80percentof thevoteswerecountedandtheincumbentwon51percent, whilethechallengergot44percent.
Onthisbasistheincumbentwasdeclaredthewinner Further,itwasbeingallegedthedatatransmissionsystem wasavictimofcybercrime. Thiswasnotmadeknownat thetimeofthedeclarationofresults,butafter. Soarethe declaredresultstainted?
Callshavebeenmadeforverifiedresultstobemade publiclyavailabletoauthenticatethevictoryclaim. Thishas notbeendoneseveraldayslater Whythereluctanceto produceandstandbywhatwasclaimed?
Thisisreminiscentofanotherelectionswhereclaimsof victorywereloudbutcallstoproducetheSoPsweremet withstonewallandignoredtothisday.Claimingvictory, whichisbeingdisputed,demandsverifiableproof. Tonot dososendsanominousmessage.
Sincerely
Shamshun Mohamed
has become a sore communityissue,asharmful drugsareeasilyaccessiblein many communities, most times the dealers are caught butbecauseoftheloopholes in our laws and sometimes corruptsecurityagents,they are almost immediately released.
It is alarming to observe that these individuals involved in drug and gun crimesareoftengrantedbail, evade significant penalties, or face minimal fines. This leniency stands in stark contrast to the harsh punishments frequently metedoutforlesseroffenses. Thesituationhasreached apointwheretheprevalence of these crimes creates an environment of perpetual insecurity, particularly noticeable around election periods.Theinvolvement of some members of our security forces in these illegal activities further intensify the problem, eroding public trust and exacerbating the overall
sense of lawlessness. Given the scale and severity of thesecrimes,itisimperative that we implement stricter penalties to deter potential offenders and enhance public safety I urge the authorities to consider the implementation of stricter penalties for offenders involved in gun-related crimesanddrugtrafficking.
A more robust legal approach, including increased prison sentences and reduced bail privileges for these serious offenses, is essential to ensure that justiceisservedandtodeter
future crimes. Addressing thisissuewiththeurgencyit demands will not only bring much-needed relief and a sense of security to our citizens but also reinforce the rule of law in our growing oil-rich nation Thank you for giving attention to this critical matter I hope that decisive action will be taken to safeguard our communities and restore public confidence in our justice system.
Sincerely,
H e m r a j Vi s h a u l Kissoon
GAZA,July30(Reuters)
- Israel's military blew up more than 30 water wells in Gaza this month, a municipality official and residents said, adding to the trauma of air strikes that have turned much of the Palestinian enclave into a wasteland ravaged by a humanitariancrisis.
Salama Shurab, head of the water networks at Khan Younismunicipality,saidthe wells were destroyed by Israeli forces between July 18-27 in the southern towns ofRafahandKhanYounis.
The Israeli military did
not respond to the allegations that its soldiers hadtorchedthewells.
Itisnotonlyever-present
danger from Israeli bombardment or ground fighting that makes life a trial for Gaza's Palestinian
civilians. It is also the daily slog to find bare necessities such as water, to drink or cookorwashwith.
Peoplehavedugwellsin bleak areas near the sea where the bombing has pushedthem,orrelyonsalty tap water from Gaza's only aquifer, now c ntaminated
Children walk long distances to line up at makeshift water collection points. Often not strong enough to carry the filled containers, they drag them homeonwoodenboards.
isalsocontaminated.
"Westandinthesun,my eyehurtsbecauseofthesun, because we stand for long (hours) to (secure) water," said Youssef El-Shenawy, a Gazaresident.
“Thisisourstrugglewith non-potable water, and then there is our struggle with drinking water, which we takeanotherqueuefor,that's ifitisavailable."
o withseawaterandsewage.
GazaCityhaslostnearly all its water production capacity, with 88% of its water wells and 100% of its desalinationplantsdamaged ordestroyed,Oxfamsaidina recentreport.
Palestinians were alreadyfacingaseverewater
crisisaswellasshortagesof food, fuel and medicine before the destruction of the wells, which has deepened the anguish brought on by theGazawar,nowinitstenth month.All Gazans can do is
A 23-year-old man from One Mile Extension, Wismar, Linden, who was in the company of two others, was arrested on Mondayaftertryingtoescapepolicenearthe WismarBridgeinLinden.
Policesaidthatatabout01:00htwopolice officers on mobile patrol near the Wismar BridgeinLindenobservedthreeunidentified males riding two unmarked XR motorcycles towardsthewestonWismarBridgefromthe east.
The patrol ranks brought the police vehicle to a halt in an attempt to stop the motorists, but on seeing the police, the two motorcyclessuddenlystopped.Thethreemen jumped off the motorcycles and, in the process, threw two large, bulky plastic bags overthebridgeandintotheriver
Despite the men's efforts to flee, the officers managed to capture one of the suspects,lateridentifiedasKeronLayne.
Thepoliceswiftlyretrievedthetwobulky plasticbagsfromtheriver.Uponexamination inthepresenceofLayne,thebagswerefound to contain a quantity of leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis. The 25.2 kilograms (55 556lbs) of narcotic was weighed in Layne's presence and subsequentlyconfiscatedbypolice. Layne was arrested and taken to the WismarPoliceStation.
wait in long lines to collect water since U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators have failed to secure a ceasefire from Israel and its arch-foe Hamas. Not only is there a shortageofwater,muchofit
ThewarstartedonOct.7 whenHamas,thePalestinian militant group ruling Gaza, killed1,200peopleinIsrael, according to Israeli tallies, andtookanother250orsoto holdashostagesinGaza,one of the most crowded places on earth.Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 39,000 people and bombed much of Gaza, where functioning hospitals arescarce,intorubble,Gaza
healthauthoritiessay FayezAbuTohobserved fellow Gazans standing in line in the heat eager to get their hands on water Like many Palestinians he wonders why Israel strikes targets that pose no threat to itsmilitary
“Whoever has a bit of a sense of humanity has to lookatthesepeople,carefor them and try to (impose) a ceasefire and end this war. We are fed up; we are all deadandtired.
Thepeoplehavenothing left,"hesaid.
“Doesthiswellaffectthe strength of the (Israeli) Defense Force? This is a
Palestinian people to further worsen the situation, and to pressure these people that havenoone,butGod."
Frompage4 in the housing, construction, transport, oil, and other sectorswouldhindertherate o f t h e c o u n t r y ' s development. The GoG has therefore embarked upon an aggressive campaign to recruit and train particularly skilled and semi-skilled labor Pending a revision of the country's immigration lawtoaccommodatemigrant labor within the economy, the GoG has accelerated the skillstrainingprograms(BIT and TVET) to expand local capacity. The private sector also conducts skills training programs but quantitative data on scope and level are notavailable.
For the period (20202025)over11,000Guyanese weretrainedbytheBoardof Industrial Training (BIT) in variousskillsandsemi-skills areas and an estimated 80% of them are gainfully
employed At the TVET (Technical and Vocational Education Training) another 18,000 Guyanese have been trained during the same periodandanestimated75% ofthem(BITandTVET)are in gainful employment. But this level of training would onlycoverasmallpartofthe laborshortage. Some businesses have already imported skilled labor, while others might soonmoveinthatdirectionif the labor could not be sourced in Guyana. For e x a m p l e , G A I C O
Construction and General Services, Inc says that they are thinking of sourcing migrant labor to fill 139 existingvacanciesinvarious categories within their establishment While the GoG has not yet revised the country'simmigrationlawto accommodate migrant labor within the economy, the
country's rapid economic development, including technological changes, has caused them (GoG) to accelerate their skills training programs to expand l o c a l c a p a c i t y Notwithstanding, a recent study suggests that Guyana may need to import about 89,000 workers by 2030 to fill existing vacancies in various sectors. By 2028 ExxonMobilwouldneedan additional5,000workers. It is too early to say how manyofthe300registrantsat theNewYorkJobFairwould follow through with their interest (whether via jobs, investment, etc) in contributing to Guyana's development. The Job Far also helped to update G u y a n e s e w i t h developmentstakingplacein Guyana.
Sincerely
Dr TaraSingh
Abusers are likely to pay their victims’ rentshouldtheFamilyViolenceBill2024be passed in the National Assembly The proposed legislation allows the court to, amongotherthings;imposeaTenancyOrder instructing an abuser (respondent) to contributetothepaymentofthevictim’srent.
The proposed Bill benefitted from widespread consultations, Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr VindhyaPersaudsaidnotingthattheaimisto provide more protection for victims through thelaw
TheproposedFamilyViolenceBillseeks to replace the Domestic Violence Act. AccordingtotheFamilyViolenceBill2024, “Thecourtwhenmakingaprotectionorderor aninterimprotectionordermayalsomakea tenancyorderoraninterimtenancyorder,as thecasemaybe,vestinginthepersonnamed in the order, the tenancy of any dwellinghousewhich,atthetimeofthemakingofthe order.”
Furthermore, the Bill states, “Notwithstanding subsection (1), the court may order that the respondent contribute to
thepaymentofrent,suchamountasthecourt thinkfits.”
Nevertheless, the proposed Family Violence Bill 2024 also highlights police duties and powers The Bill states, “Whenever a police officer intervenes in a case of family violence the police officer shall as soon as possible take all reasonable measures within his or her power to prevent the victim of family violence from being abusedagain…”
TheBillnotesthat,“InGuyana,therehas beenconsiderabletraininggiventothepolice inthisareaanditishopedthattheresponseof lawenforcementischanging.”Theproposed law will allow police to arrest anyone who hasharmedafamilymemberoncethepolice have reasonable grounds to believe that seriousviolencehasbeencommitted.
Importantly,itisexpectedthatthepolice willensurethatawrittenreportistakenfrom thevictim.
TheBillsays,“Wheresuchareportisnot given, eyewitnesses accounts can be taken veryearlyintheprocessandthevictimcanbe takentothehospitalandamedicalobtained.
Photographs of injuries would be a crucial part of the investigation process to support thesenewprovisions.”
Allthesemethodsarealreadyavailablein thelawenforcementprocess.
To this end, the Family Violence Bill 2024 seeks make significant practical and philosophical changes in respect to domestic violence regulations while also seeking to expand protection to more categoriesofpersons.
Additionally, the Bill intends to simplify and clarify the powe court’spowertograntinterim and final protection orders. The Billwasconceivedaftertheconductof several studies and research, two of which weredrivenbytheSpotlightinitiative,which is aimed at eradicating violence against womenandgirls.
Further, the proposed legislation is expected to reshape the legal landscape relative to protections afforded to family memberswhoarevictimsofabuse.
A family member is described in the proposed legislation as a spouse or former spouse, cohabitant or former cohabitant, a
relative or former relative, a child who regularly resides or has previously resided withtherespondent;apersonwithwhomthe respondent has or had a visiting or intimate relationship, whether or not it is sexual in nature; a person who sharesorhassharedthesame household or residence; a person over whom the respondent has or had guardianship or care giving responsibilities; a person who is or was considered a relative in accordance with any t r a d i t i o n o r contemporary social practice;oranyotherperson om the respondent reasonablyregardsasbeinglikea familymember
Meanwhile, the proposed legislation defines family violence as behaviour by a person towards a family member of that person which is: physically or sexually abusive, emotionally or psychologically abusive; emotionally abusive; threatening; coercive; controlling or dominating and causes that family member to fear for his or her safety or wellbeing; or behaviour by a personthatcausesachildofthefamilytobe exposedtotheaforementionedbehaviour
Frompage3 haven’tinvestedanything,notadollarinthe exploration, the upstream activities offshore Guyana.”
Meanwhile, several international organisations, such as the International MonetaryFund(IMF),havewarnedGuyana about the abuse that can take place when companiesareallowedtorecover100percent oftheinterestonitsinvestments.
Infact,theIMFcautionedinindependent reports that Guyana should, as a protective measure, should cap the interest that is allowed for recovery In a 2018 report, the IMF said “the treatment of interest expensesintheStabroekBlockPSAisvery
generous, constituting an important sourceofpossiblerevenueleakage.”
In fact, the IMF said it examined several scenarioswhichillustratedhow“excessiveor abusive” oil companies can be in the use of loanstofundoilprojects.
TheIMFsaiditexaminedthreescenarios, one of which looked at 75 percent to 100 percentofthedevelopmentcostsfortheLiza One and Liza Two Projects in the Stabroek Block being funded by loans with a repayment period over 10 years with a 10 percentinterestrate.
TheIMFsaidtherevenuelosscouldbeas high as US$2.6B. Such a practice, the organization said can have a “detrimental impact”ongovernmentrevenue.
In the early 1990s, the People's Progressive Party (PPP), then in opposition, was vocal about Guyana's staggering per capita debt, one of the highest in the world at the time. They
criticized the thengovernment for making Guyana one of the most highly indebted countries in the world per capita and for having an unsustainable scheduleddebtservicing.
At the time the external debtwasamereUS$2.1bbut given the country's small population this translated to oneofthehighestpercapita debt burdens in the world at the time. Scheduled debt servicing also exceeded 100%ofrevenues.
The PPPC highlighted this burden as a major campaign issue in the 1992 elections, which they subsequently won. Today, however, the situation has taken a paradoxical turn. Whilethepercapitadebthas risen to levels even higher than in 1992, the current PPP/Civic (PPPC) government appears less concerned, choosing instead tofocusonfavorablemetrics such as debt servicing and the debt to GDP ratio. This shift in rhetoric and metrics is risky, particularly given the volatile nature of the global oil market, upon which Guyana's economic futureheavilydepends.
The crux of the current administration's argument lies in the favorable debt servicinganditsrisingGDP
With oil revenues contributing significantly to the national economy, the country has seen a surge in GDP, which has helped manage debt servicing more
comfortably However, this approach overlooks the fundamentalissue:thesheer amount of debt per capita that every Guyanese citizen is burdened with. As the country's debt continues to rise, so does the individual share of that debt, which could spell disaster if the global economic conditions changeunfavorably.
One of the most significant risks facing Guyana's economy is the potential for a sudden and severedropinoilprices.The history of oil-dependent economies is replete with cautionary tales. Venezuela, onceawealthynationdueto its vast oil reserves, experienced an economic implosion when oil prices plummeted. The reliance on oil revenues, coupled with high levels of debt, led to a catastrophic economic collapse that plunged the countryintoaseverecrisis.
Guyana, now an emergingoilproducer,faces a similar risk. If oil prices were to fall to levels below US$20 per barrel, the country'seconomicsituation couldbecomedire.
This is why Jagdeo's current emphasis on debt service-to-revenueanddebtto-GDP ratios and G can create a false sense of security Whilethesemetrics are important, they do not paint a full picture of economic health. High GDP growth can be misleading if it is heavily reliant on a single, volatile industry In Guyana's case, the oil sector'scontributiontoGDP is significant, but so too is the risk that comes with it. Should oil prices collapse, the revenue streams that
currently seem robust could dry up, making debt servicing increasingly difficult and putting the countryatriskofdefault.
Given these risks, the PPPC government needs to
contractingnew debt.While borrowing to invest in
beneficial, it must be done withaclearunderstandingof
economicrisks.
The current favorable debt servicing ratios are contingentonsustainedhigh oil prices. However, history hasshownthatoilpricesare subject to significant fluctuations due to a variety
geopolitical tensions, changes in global demand, and advancements in
technologies.
In 1985-86, oil prices collapsed from around $30 per barrel to below $10 per barrel. The global financial crisis of 2008-2009, led to a sharp decline in oil prices, which fell from a peak of about$147perbarrelinJuly 2008 to around $32 per barrel by December 2008. Oilpricesdroppedfromover $100 per barrel in mid-2014 to below $30 per barrel in early 2016 During the pandemic prices plunged fromround$60perbarrelin early 2020 to as low as $20 perbarrelinApril2020.
By now Jagdeo ought to know that lowering per capitadebtisimportanteven in the context of rising GDP and lower debt service paymentsbecauseitdirectly impactsthefinancialburden on individual citizens and
We can't afford a slice of mango or a piece of chicken
Dem boys seh Guyana big on agriculture,pushingfruitsandveggiesall over de Caribbean like we some kinda agricultural giant. But at home, people strugglingtofindaripemangoinmango season,muchlesswhentheseasondone. De fruits and veggies prices climbing higher than de coconut tree, and a good mango now worth its weight in gold. It easiertogetajobasalabourerthanfinda cheapmango.
Demboyssehdesituationgetsobad, even de chicken fraid to come home. De cost of chicken so high, parents driving past dem fast-food places before de childrencould askfuhfriedchickenand chips, and dem parents gotta explain de
the country's long-term economicstability Highper capita debt can limit the government's fiscal flexibility, making it challenging to respond to economic downturns or unforeseencrises.
While a growing GDP andmanageabledebtservice payments may suggest economichealth,theydonot account for the potential volatilityofrevenuesources, such as oil Should a downturn occur, the higher the debt burden per citizen, the more severe the consequences, including possible austerity measures, reducedpublicservices,and increased taxes. Therefore,
reducing per capita debt helps ensure that economic growth benefits are more equitably distributed and sustainable, providing a more robust buffer against futureeconomicshocks.
The government must, therefore, be circumspect about the levels of debt it is willing to take on. It is crucial to maintain a manageable debt-to-GDP ratio, not just based on current revenues but also considering potential downturnsintheoilmarket.
The Venezuelan experience demonstrates how quickly a country can move from apparent prosperity to economic despair when
over-reliance on a single commodity, combined with highlevelsofdebt,leadstoa financialcrisis.
The PPPC government, while enjoying the benefits of a growing economy drivenbyoilrevenues,must notlosesightofthepotential dangers of rising per capita debt. Highlevelsofdebtcan becomeasignificantburden, particularly if the country's mainrevenuesourcefalters.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the a u t h o r a n d d o n o t necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
cost of living like if it a maths lesson. One familysehdemhadtotakeoutasmallloanjust to buy a bucket of fried chicken. And de childrenstillwantmorechips!
Dem boys seh de politicians talking bout GuyanafeedingdeCaribbean,buthowwegon feed others when we can't even afford to feed weself?.
Dem boys seh is time we start looking out fuhweownbellybeforewestartfeedingothers. Else we gon end up with all dem fruits and veggiesondeCaribbeanshelves,andwehome here in Guyana, only smelling de mangoes we can'taffordtobuy
Evensomeofdemfuneralparloursblaming decostoflivingondepriceofcoffin! Talkhalf.Leffhalf
Give something to get something When all the textbooks are written, lectures and dissertations delivered, this is what an investment is all about Of course,ithasmuchmoretoits DNA, but at a fundamental level, an investment is gambling to get a handsome return Biggerisbetter Ilook at this today in the field of politics
What is a political contribution,partydonation, campaign funding, if not an investment in hope of sweet returns? The only objective of these writings is to make my brethren (sisters are certainly included) think. I couldhavemadeastatement that, at the crux of it, would
stand unchallenged, when theclamoringwasover A question was chosen
RelativetoGuyana’spolitics, Iexpounduponnolawabout campaign financing, or that EUreportinthedyingdaysof the stormy 2020 elections I h i g h l i g h t r e a l i t y Expectations Resulting government actions And now the consequential at a nationallevel
A dollar is given, and a dime is anticipated from a winner A dozen dimes are even better, grabbed with bothhands Andwhenthose arenotforthcoming,theywill beseized Ofcourse,thereis regard for the law But by whom, if not dumb suckers
People like me, and a cohort
of little Guyanese The law has its application Translation:peoplewhohave been vaccinated It works Butonlyforatime Thearcof history is long, but it always bends towards justice Apologies for that rushing spirit taking over momentarily
What about when it is a milliondollarsdonated,nota dollar? Or, a hundred (or two,three,evenfourorfive) million contributed to the war chest of a political party? Fellow citizensGuyanese and Americandonations, contributions, and financing of that magnitude speak their own language at very high volume. Amountslikethose are not songs, they are symphon
he recipienthadbestnotforget. In practical terms, a hundred million or four, buy opendoors,abarrageoffallen regulations,acadreofleaders andministersandinstitutions and institutional heads to marchtothatmusic. Issome Guyanese reading this thinking of carnival and
bacchanal? It is what it was until the dreadful Americans came with their OFAC horrors The music stops then, and everybody is wringing their hands, weeping tears of remorse I see a school of crocodiles; therearethosekindsoftears
Whenregulationsaretorn down, institutions are made funof,andleaderspretendto be truer than me to this country (a difficult undertaking), then Guyanese learn a different language That of OFAC That of ExcellencyTheriot Andthat oftheruleoflaw Laughteris a good tonic Somebody thinksandtakesGuyanesefor donkeys crossed with mules, with the spawn being crosseyedlunatics Isnotreality? It is what will make a comeback, when the kettle stopswhistling
Noweverybodyisanantimoneylaunderer;everyoneis about what is right and justice, but they forgot something. When yuh tek peeple monee, den deh gah dah ting call payback. And when the cash is a full container truck, the payback must be bigger Budgetary considerations Remember infrastructure and capital expenditures? Somebody mustbuildthose
Then the juiciest part of
the curry and cookup: contracts awarded This is how the budget money, oil money,andloanmoneyare redistributed in reverse fashion The poor man gets his $25 grand, while the real people have a grand time Billions Billions for anything that pleases them There is always a leader or a minister (or PS) running forward, and lining up: Reportingforduty,sir Ready,able(andwilling) sir! Whatever is required, whateverittakes. NowIcall that servanthood, and I am envious. I must join that extraordinary investment club. My fellow Guyanese, thisishowinvestmentworks in government circles. I don’t care if it is PPP GovernmentorPNC. Alittle aside: during my public service tenure I ensured that one thing was repeated: anybodywhohadaproblem with me, must feel free to escalate all the way to the headofstate. Iknowwhere the door is, and nobody has to whisper to me, push me
Inotherwords,thereisonly one sentence of two words: thefirstbeginswithan‘f’
For sure, investment of capital (campaign money) talks But I have my own languagewithitsownspeech
patterns and strengths
WhetherPPPdiehardorPNC fanatic,thisiswhatIwasand am, and which I have tirelesslyworkedtointroduce to President Ali and Vice President Jagdeo and Opposition Leader Norton Slanderandspitebecamemy rewards Iperseverebecause thatisowedtomybrothers
Last, the Americans spoke of a network, not of lone rangers and mavericks Take it from this humble source: the Guyana network is sprawling It is not three Countto300,andthereisstill somecountinglefttodo The focushasbeenonamanand hisson
There are their political sponsors, their governmental fathers. Investments snare the fickle and the fraudulent. So,theymustpay(back). So, theAmericanshavetheirsay. This is my investment to Guyana, whatever the malevolenceandinsolenceof sources,rewards
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
An artist’s impression of the Gas-to-Energy project.
Thegovernmentthrough the Office of the Prime Minister on Tuesday signed the US$8.6 million contract with Power China InternationalGroupLimited out of Beijing, allowing for the construction of the Guyana National Control Centre(GNCC).
K a i e t e u r N e w s understands that the constructionoftheGNCCis a project being executed by the Office of the Prime Minister, and is aimed at managing the affairs of the gas-firedpowerplant.
The award of contract was made public by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) which revealed on its website that the $1,827,929,605 (US$8 6M) contract was awardedonJune21,2024.
The duration of the project is set for 13 months and the building will be c o n s t r u c t e d a t Beterverwagting,EastCoast ofDemerara(ECD).
It was reported that the OfficeofthePrimeMinister last year issued a tender seeking bids for the ‘Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) S e r v i c e s f o r t h e Construction of a Building for the Guyana National Control Centre’ and Power China International Group Limited was among several firms that bid for the contract.
Thetenderdocumenthad statedthatthecontrolcentre will support the integration and dispatch of the new 300 MW combined cycle gas turbine(CCGT)PowerPlant andallowtheGuyanaPower
and Light (GPL) to supervise, manage and control the new and upgradedpowersystem.
The Office of the Prime Minister explained that the scope of works includes all EPC activities necessary to complete the building and install all systems as specified in the employer requirements.This includes, but is not limited to, the contractor’s overall responsibility for designing, procuring, constructing, commissioning, defects notifications period, and maintaining the building to meet the specified performance and functional standards.
The RFP also explained that,“Thescopeofworkalso includes the supply and installation of a complete diesel-fire generator set, with duty to operate continuously The capacity of the generator set shall be ISO rated at 125% of the design load capacity of the G N C C B u i l d i n g Additionally, the scope of w o r k i n c l u d e s a n appropriately dimensioned building to house the generator unit and ISO fuel tankcapacitytoallowforan autonomyof24hours.”
The EPC contractor will be required to complete all civil works relative to the installation of the transformers, as directed by GPL.
Quoted in a Department of Public Information (DPI) article,PrimeMinisterMark Phillips at the contract signingceremonysaid“This is important for the whole
distribution of the power thatwillbeevacuatedfrom theGas-to-Energyproject. So, the people of Guyana, come 2025 will benefit fromadequateelectricity.”
NEWPOWERPLANT
Kaieteur News had reported that the 300megawatt (MW) CCGT power plant is a component of the highly touted Wales Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project.Itincludesa12-inch pipeline, being funded by ExxonMobil, to transport natural gas from the Liza One and Liza Two fields in the Stabroek Block, to the WalesDevelopmentSite.
There, the gas will be processed by a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility whichwillseparateandtreat its components to supply other products for resale, such as cooking gas A portionofthetreatedgaswill be utilized to generate some 300 MW of electricity to supplypowertothenational grid.
The NGL facility and power plant are expected to be financed through a loan from the United States (US) Export Import (EXIM) Bank. Government has said the application is still pendingapproval.
Notably, the pipeline component is expected to cost US$1 billion, while the contract for construction of the gas plants were awarded to CH4-Lindsayca, to the tuneofUS$759M.
GAS-TO-ENERGY AGREEMENTS
Meanwhile, with the construction of the National ControlCentresaidtobethe last phase of the Gas-toEnergy project, the Guyana
Permanent Secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister, Alfred King signing the US$8.6M contract with Chief Representative of Power China International Group Limited, Dan Shen on Tuesday
government has not yet
agreements inked with ExxonMobil or the other contractors involved in the project Pegged at US$2B,
the GTE project is not supported by a feasibility studyanditremainsthesingle largest financial project ever pursuedbyGuyana Itwasreportedthatsince
2022,thegovernmentsigned a Heads of Agreement (HOA) with the Stabroek Co-ventures, ExxonMobil, HessandCNOOC,that
Continuedonpage15
The Government of Guyana joins the United States of America (USA), Peru,Chileandotherregional leaders in calling for a transparent verification of Venezuela’s 2024 elections results
TheGuyanaGovernment statedthatelectionsareabout people exercising their constitutional right to elect a governmentoftheirchoicein a free, fair and transparent process while adding, “It behooves all to ensure the integrity of that process throughthehigheststandards
of accountability, transparency, and strict adherencetotheruleoflaw, including the rules governing elections, to guaranteerespectforthewill ofthepeople.”
In a statement, the government said, “Guyana therefore,supportsthecallfor a transparent process of verification of the will of the Venezuelan people as exercised on July 28, 2024
The people of Venezuela deservenothingless
The neighbouring country held its presidential electionsontheSunday,July 28 According to partial results announced by the VenezuelaNationalElectoral Council (CNE), Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro Moros was re-elected for a thirdconsecutiveterm
The head of CNE, Elvis Amoroso, reportedly a close allyofMaduro,saidthatwith 80% of ballots counted, PresidentMadurohad51%of thevote,comparedto44%for his main rival, Edmundo Gonzalez
The Venezuelan opposition reportedly dismissed the CNE’s announcement as fraudulent and promised to challenge the result. It claimed that Edmundo González, had won with 70% of the votes and insisted he was the rightful president-elect. Exit polls had also shown that Gonzalezwasintheleadand left many Venezuela voters believing that the election wasrigged
Thissparkedmassiveand bloodyprotestsinpartsofthe Capital City Caracas and other areas of the country StatuesofformerVenezuelan President,HugoChavezwere torndowninretaliationtothe results
Armed gangs supporting the opposition have also threatened war against those who support the Maduro Regime while protestors continue their clash with Venezuelan police and other law-enforcement agencies that are trying to restore peace Someprotestorsfrom Petare Caracas are even planningtoprotestinfrontof thepresidentialpalace,Mira Flores.
Thousands continue to gatherattheCNE’sofficein Caracas clamoring for the electoral body to release the correctelectionresults Meanwhile, the US government has been on the forefront calling for transparencyinthereleaseof theVenezuelanelectiondata
CNNreportedthattheUS on Monday joined Venezuelan civil society groupsandtheoppositionby calling on Venezuela’s g o v e r n m e n t t o “immediately” release specific data on the presidential election, citing concernsaboutthecredibility ofMaduro’svictory Brazil, an important regionalplayer,wassofterin tone but said it was awaiting “the publication by the NationalElectoralCouncilof data broken down by polling station, an essential step for the transparency, credibility, andlegitimacyoftheelection results,” according to a statement by the foreign ministry
Venezuela’s government, in turn, said it was expelling diplomaticstafffrom
Continuedonpage15
CARICOM SecretariatCuraçaoisnowthesixthAssociate Member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) The country’s Prime Minister said it brings a unique blend of cultural traditions,economicstrengths,and social perspectives that will hopefully strengthen the Community
On Sunday, 28 July 2024, CARICOM Chairman, the Hon. Dickon Mitchell of Grenada, and Prime Minister of Curaçao, His Excellency Gilmar Simon Pisas signed the Agreement accepting Curaçao as an Associate Member of CARICOM during the Opening Ceremony of the 47th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in St George’sGrenada.
In his inaugural remarks following the signing of the AgreementacceptingCuraçaointo CARICOM, Prime Minister Pisas stated:
“We also bring the experience, resources, and the vast international network of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which we can leverage in optimizingourcollectivestrengths and economic connections, and to navigategeo-politicalcomplexities tobenefitallCARICOMMembers
Describing the occasion as anotherhistoriceventinCuraçao’s history, the Prime Minister said joining CARICOM is a testament to its “shared vision of a united, prosperous,andresilientCaribbean Community.”
Articulating the potential for participating in Regional Economic Integration, he said the country’sstrategiclocation,natural ports,andwell-developedphysical
HE Gilbert Pisas, Prime Minister of Curacao at the Opening Ceremony of the 47th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), hosted in Grenada, 28-30 July, 2024.
telecommunications, human capital development, climate resilience, and sustainable development. He noted that the country intends to participate activelyinFunctionalCooperation through CARICOM’s robust network of support across the Region.
While acknowledging its commitments within the family of theKingdomoftheNetherlands,he said Curaçao is committed to pursuing Regional Integration, as an integral part of the Caribbean family whose cultural identity is linkedtotherichhistoricalheritage oftheCaribbeanregion.
His Excellency Gilmar Pisas was warmly welcomed by the Chairman of CARICOM and the CARICOMSecretary-General,Dr CarlaBarnett.
and professional services infrastructure, can serve as a hub forregionaltrade.
The Prime Minister said that through investments in connectivityandlogistics,Curaçao can help streamline the movement of goods and services across the Caribbean, which can redound to greater economic activity and job creation.
“By working together, we can create a more competitive and
resilientregionaleconomy,”Prime MinisterPisasstated.Headdedthat Curaçao has begun negotiations with Trinidad and Tobago, the Dominican Republic, and imminently with Suriname, demonstrating a firm commitment toregionaltrade.
The Prime Minister also articulated Curaçao’s willingness to support renewable energy, new forms of agriculture, digital t e c h n o l o g y a n d
Inherremarks,Dr.Barnettsaid she looks forward to Curaçao’s active engagement as the newest member of the CARICOM family. She added that the Community’s growing impact and stature have led to an increasing number of expressions of interest from countries in the hemisphere to participate more fully in CARICOM.
CARICOMhasfifteenMember StatesandsixAssociateMembers.
The Ministry of Natural Resource in a statement on Tuesday issued a warning to companies operating within the oil and gas sector that failure to train and hire Guyanese can result in the revocation of their local contentcertificates
In the statement, the Ministry disclosed that in accordance with the Local
Content Act No 18 of 2021 (‘Act’) and in keeping with the approved Local Content
Master Plans and Local Content Annual Plans, the LocalContentSecretariatthis week, wrote to contractors,
licencees,remindingoftheir obligation to prioritise Guyanese nationals having the relevant qualification and expe
ce for employment.
In the missive, the Ministry said that the parties were reminded that when a Guyanese national has the relevant qualification, but l
experience, that Guyanese shall benefit from necessary training
The Ministry noted therefore that contractors, s
licensees are required to ensure that Guyanese nationals employed to support their operations continuously benefit from training and capacity development
“The Secretariat wrote, too,thatitwillbeconducting audits to ensure compliance with the foregoing and other requirements stated in the Act,”thereleasestated
AccordingtotheMinistry as part of those audits, contractors, sub-contractors, andlicenceeswillberequired to submit evidence of, inter alia, providing Guyanese nationals the opportunity to apply for new and vacant positions, ensuring a level playing of benefits between GuyanesenationalsandnonGuyanese applicants, and c o n
a t i o n
o r overcomingexperiencegaps for Guyanese national applicants through training andmentorship.
TheMinistrywarnedthat a failure to comply with this andotherrequirementsofthe Act would render the contractor, sub-contractor, or licensee non-compliant and thereforehinderthereceiptof theLocalContentCertificate of Compliance and other relatedapprovals
Two more soldiers of theGuyanaDefenceForce (GDF) were on Tuesday remanded to prison for possessionofnarcoticsfor the purpose of trafficking when they appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Corporal Edward McClamont and Lance Corporal John Johnson appeared before Chief MagistrateJudyLatchman toanswerthecharge.They pleadednotguilty.
ItisallegedthatonJuly 27,2024,authoritiesacting on received intelligence during an operation near Space Gym on Mandela Avenue, intercepted a white mini-bus registered as BTT 27, driven by McClamont.
A s e a r c h w a s conducted and a quantity of cannabis leaves, seeds, and stems were found at the rearofthevehicle.
Upon being informed of the allegations and cautioned, both individuals chose to remain silent
Subsequently, they were taken into custody after the suspected cannabis, weighing 316 pounds, was examined at the East La PatiencePoliceStation. Policesaidthatvideoand audio interviews were
conductedwithbothsoldiers who reportedly confessed to theoffence.Theconfessions weretakenasevidence.
Johnson, who is a 34year-oldresidentofTimerhi, East Bank Demerara (EBD) was represented by attorney
James Bond The man’s attorneyarguedthatJohnson was merely a passenger in thevehicleandnotincontrol of the drugs found within. Bond told the court that his clientisnotaflightriskand hadnopriorcriminalrecord related to such offenses and requestedbailforhisclient.
Meanwhile, the second defendant, 40-year-old Edward McClamont, a resident of Kaneville, who was unrepresented told the Magistrate that he had no priormattersatthecourt.
Prosecutor Lacon objected to bail being grantedtotheduocitingthe seriousness of the offense, the quantity of the narcotics found, and the admission to thecrimebybothdefendants during the investigative process.
The Chief Magistrate denied bail due to the seriousness of the offense andtherecordedconfessions madebybothdefendants.
JohnsonandMcClamont are scheduled to return to courtonAugust19,2024.
Frompage12
Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay, calling them “right-wing Washington-subordinategovernments” who were committed to “the most sordidfascistideologicalpositions.”
Only a very limited number of election observers were allowed to monitor the vote. These included The Carter Center and the United Nations, which also called on the country’s election commission (CNE) to publish pollingstation-levelresults.
“The Carter Center has a big responsibility on their shoulders,” Laura Cristina Dib, the Venezuela
Program director at the Washington OfficeonLatinAmerica(WOLA),told CNN, explaining that it is the only international technical observation missionthatcanissueapublicreporton theresults.
A preliminary report from the Carter Center was scheduled to be released on Tuesday morning, however the organization canceled its publication and is pulling all its staff fromthecountry,accordingtoaperson with knowledge of the center’s plans It is unclear when the report will be issued
Venezuela under Maduro’s reign has seen over 7 8 million people have
fleeing the country because of the economic and political crisis there ThousandshavefledtoGuyanaaswell and on Sunday afternoon they gathered in front of the Venezuelan embassy hoping for a change of government but ended the night disappointed
WhileMadurocontinuouslyblames the US sanction for the Venezuela’s economiccrisis,Venezuelansclaimthat hisregimeiscorruptandismainreason whymanyfledtheirhome.
ThemigrantsinGuyanaareeagerto return home and rebuild their country butsaidtheywillonlydosoifthereisa changeofgovernment.
Frompage11 outlines the principles and conditions for the commercial and technical arrangementsofthedeal.
Thispublicationreportedthat,three months ago, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo during his weekly press conference was asked by this newspaperwhentheagreementswould be made public when he said “maybe soon”.
In fact, the Chief Policymaker for the oil and gas sector noted that the details of the agreement are already publicknowledge.
Accordingtohim,“Everythingthat you see in the agreement you know…we told you the price- US$750 million; we told you the timeline for implementation; you know how many turbines and what’s the size of the turbines you know what the liquidatingdamagesare.”
Jagdeo therefore said, “Maybe
soon,Idon’tknow Idon’tknow That’s for Gail Teixeira and the others” when asked when the agreements would be laidinParliament.
During a July 8th Sitting of the NationalAssemblyattheArthurChung Conference Centre, Kaieteur News contacted Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira whoexplained,“Iamnotawarethatthe documentsareready.”
The Minister pointed out that there are“differentchannels”throughwhich documents must pass before she presents them to the House, insisting “theyhaveatimethattheygobeforethe House, it doesn’t happen automatically.”
Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat during that same Sitting was also approached to provide a comment on the release of the agreements and said he was busy and wouldtakethequestionlater Afterthis
newspaper insisted that he provided a comment, the Minister then requested that the question be sent to him at the time.
Several attempts made by the OppositionintheNationalAssemblyto access the agreements and key documents relative to the country’s single largest infrastructure project havebeenunsuccessful.
It was previously reported that during this year’s Consideration of Estimates for Budget 2024, the Prime Minister again committed to lay over agreements for the project to the NationalAssembly
He explained that the construction phases of the projects are insured and related documents can be provided to the House. He was responding to MP Patterson on whether insurance is in place for the current works to support the gas plants and whether the governmentcanlaythoseinParliament.
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The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance (MPAG) on Monday launched an International Human Rights Law Certificate Course, at the Savannah Suites, Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, Georgetown.
The Certificate Course aims to equip public and private sector workers as well as civil society members with an understanding of Guyana's human rights architecture in the context of international human rights.
Speaking at the launch of the programme, Senior Research Officer of MPAG, Anil Persaud explained that 195 persons were selected from over 1002 applications to participate in the 10-week course.
“We actually were not expecting the overwhelming response from the publication. Within days, such a short space of time after announcing the programme was opened; we had like three hundred applications.”
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira told the gathering that the course delivery will commence featuring virtual and in-person interactive sessions with leading international, regional and local experts in various components of human rights law.
She said the course will cover ten weeks of detailed training sessions, facilitated by several high-level officials well versed in the law and human rights matters, including Chief Justice Roxanne
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Describing the programme as “homegrown”, Teixeira said that the course was birthed out of what was seen as a dire need for a heightened sense of human rights knowledge.
“We assumed that people knew about basic things like human rights, and as we went on our sojourn…we discovered that people thought they had [a knowledge of human rights] but didn't have…so we started playing with the idea of doing an In-
$500M
ternational Human Rights Law Certificate programme,” she posited.
To this end, the Minister explained that more awareness can be raised in Guyana when it comes to human rights through this educational programme.
“This programme is exciting and an interesting one for us and we hope that it will create a greater awareness in the society of human rights and how they operate, both locally in Guyana… and what are the mechanisms for re-
dress at an international level,” Minister Teixeira explained.
The course will focus on several pivotal areas, including Guyana's human rights framework, the International Bill of Rights, key legislation that protects human rights in Guyana, and contemporary issues in human rights law.
At the conclusion, participants will be holders of Certificates in International Human Rights Law from the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance.
$500 million will be invested to construct 80 more core homes and two multipurpose recreational facilities along the East Bank corridor.
This was according to Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal during the handing over of five core homes on the East Bank, on Thursday last. These undertakings form a part of the Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme (AHUAP), funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). He stated that the 80 homes are currently at the procurement stage.
“Here, on the East Bank, we have about another 80 that have been identified. We have already completed the initial part of the procurement process for the contractor to build the houses. So, the evaluation is complete and
this is in conjunction with the Inter-American Development Bank. So, it has to go to the IDB for their No Objection. And very shortly, awards will be made for the various contractors and we will build those houses,” the minister further expounded.
So far, 18 houses have been handed over to vulnerable families on the East Bank corridor, ensuring access to comfortable living environments. Each home costs about $5 million, with beneficiaries only required to contribute $100,000 towards construction. Minister Croal reiterated that all the beneficiaries have already been selected for the programme and applications are closed. “ I want to ask for patience for those who have been informed and identified. We [will] ensure that we fulfill this
project to completion,” Minister Croal emphasised.
The minister highlighted, “When we take into consideration the additional work to be done for the houses and the recreational facilities, one can expect to spend, here, at least another half of a billion dollars to complete this.” Meanwhile, the two recreational facilities are currently in the tendering stage. They would be constructed at Herstelling Plot C and Covent Garden, ensuring residents can partake in leisure activities. The facilities would have play areas, washrooms, pavilions, basketball courts, open auditoriums, footpaths, perimeter fences, and LED floodlights. Some $1.125 billion is being invested in the East Bank corridor to execute numerous activities through the AHUAP. (DPI)
From page 2 and our environmentallyfriendly zero VOC Ulttima Pure products which is important for projects with sustainable building goals – and we will add more in future”
As the leading independent resource for the paint and coatings sector in the USA and Canada, the MPI also provides training and certification programs for members of the industry. Beyond product certification, Harris Paints enrolled over 15 key sales and staff across the region, who have now passed the robust training program and have been awarded an Architectural Coatings Technologist designation by the MPI.
Simon Cabral, Senior
Manager for High Performance Coatings and Trade at Harris Paints, commented:
“We have always had a good reputation in terms of providing strong technical support to customers and having very well-trained staff with lots of experience. Now having passed the intense and technical MPI programme, our staff are even more equipped to service their customers and help them achieve the best results possible on their projects. We are proud to have the largest team of independently trained and certified staff in the Region.”
According to the release, Harris Paints also holds ISO 9001 2015 certification which guides its quality management. ISO is a globally rec-
ognized standard for quality management headquartered in Geneva Switzerland. Harris Paints continues to maintain this certification through the successful implementation of high-quality standards.
In May 2024 it also received an outstanding result for its ISO quality management audit, in maintaining the highest quality management standards across the region, for the 3rd consecutive year during the 30 plus years of a member of ISO.
Although Harris Paints is well known for decorative finishes, the company provides many specialty solutions including high performance architectural finishes; seamless resin and cementitious floor coatings; anti- corrosion protective products; fireproofing paints and more.
Across this broad range of product offering, Harris Paints strives to be the number one coatings resource for architects, hotels, developers and other property owners in the region.
Former Election
Observer, Rosalinda Rasul, on Tuesday took the stand at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court as the second witness in the 2020 Election Fraud case.
Rasultoldthecourtofthe dispute between party officials and representatives of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) about the tabulation and announcement of the Region Fourresults.
The trial for the electoral fraud case involves nine defendantsthatarefacing19 conspiracy charges The defendants; former GECOM ChiefElectionOfficer,Keith
Lowenfield; former Returning Officer (RO) for District Four Clairmont Mingo;formerDeputyChief Election Officer Roxanne Myers; Former Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence; APNU+AFC's Chief Scrutineer Carol Smith Joseph; and former GECOM employees Sheffern February, Enrique Liven, Michelle Miller and Denise Babb-Cummings.
Ondaytwoofthetrial,all defendants were present in court except Michelle Miller who appeared virtually for specialreasons.
The charge is that Lowenfield, Mingo and Myers between the March 2 and August 2, 2020 in Ashmins' building, Georgetown, conspired with each other and together with Lawrence, Joseph, February, Livan, Cummings, Miller and others to defraud the electors of Guyana by presenting false votes cast at
Duobustedwith gun,ammo. duringstop andsearch exercise
the March 2, 2020 General andRegionalElections.
The trial was called at 9:30hrs before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly. Leading Tuesday's trail was Prosecutor Latchmie Rahamat.Rasul,whowasthe former credited observer of Amcham Guyana, told the court that on March 2, 2020 she was assigned to several polling stations to observe the casting of votes in DistrictsThreeandFour
She testified that around 22:35hrs she proceeded to theAshmins building briefly to observe the tabulation process into Region Four Rasul further stated that around 01:35hrs on March 2 she heard RO Mingo announce that the tabulation process would be halted and resumeat02:00hrs.
“He said that there was oneSOP(StatementofPolls) that was tabulated when he haltedtheprocesstostatethat the parties will be given an opportunity to put their recipes in order and resume the tabulation process at 2 am,”Rasulsaid.
She said that, while present at the building, she n o t i c e d l o c a l a n d international observers, as well as agents from all the respective political parties, including A Partnership for NationalUnity+theAlliance for Change (APNU+AFC) and the People's Progressive PartyCivic(PPP/C).
The election observer claimed that the tabulation process was halted at 04:15 hrs.andresumedat9:30hon March3,thoughshewasnot present at the Ashmins
buildingthatday
On March 4, Rasul recalled that while she was waitingintheregionaloffice room, she saw Deputy Chief Election Officer Roxanne Myers enter the room announcing that Mingo was unwell and had to be taken awaybyanambulance.
Myers subsequently returned to the room and according to Rasul announced that she (Myers) will resume the tabulation process of the East Bank Demerara District Rasul said she observed that three persons from the PPP/C objectedtoMyers'statement. Those persons were Sonia Parag, Kwame McCoy, and SasenarineSingh.
She told the court, “Political parties started to speak very loudly against that decision stated that they had not yet completed the tabulation process for Georgetown.”
There was a back and forthbetweenthePPP/Cand Myers in relation to how many SOPs were tabulated forGeorgetown.
Rasul continued, “The PPP/Cweresaying100SOPs are still to be tabulated and Myershadsaidthree.Myself andpartneroptedtopresenta listtoMyersfromourlaptop as to how many SOPs were remaining.”Shesaidthatthe outstanding tabulation contained59SOPs.
Around 14:00 hrs. it was announcedthatthetabulation will resume with the East Bank Demerara District and two GECOM staff, Alexandra Bowen and Michelle Miller would
A taxi driver from Leeds Village, Corentyne, Berbice and a farmer from NurneyVillage, Corentyne, Berbice were on Tuesday arrested after the police found a firearmandammunitioninthecartheywere travellingin.
continue the tabulation process.
Rasul observed that Bowen and Miller were calling the number of votes fromadocumentthatwasnot the SOP At that point, defence attorney Darren Wade objected to Rasul's statement questioning whether she knew what an SOPlookedlike.
As a result, Rasul rephrased and said that the documentlookedlikealegal sized paper She told the courtthatwhenMillerstarted calling numbers there were noises coming from the PPP/C party saying that the figures were “inaccurate” andthattheywereshowinga deviationfromwhattheyhad ontheirSOPs.
Rasul said that the objecting PPP/C members asked the Miller to stop calling the numbers and get GECOM Chief Elections Officer Lowenfield into the room to clear the matter However, Miller continued callingthenumbers.
Miller subsequently paused the counting when a member from PPP/C group exited the room to summon Lowenfield.
“There was lot of arguments from various
persons from the room with Miller regarding the numbers,” Rasul recalled noting that Lowenfield entered the room and party agentsexplainedtohimwhat was happening and their disagreement with the procedure since it deviated fromthenorm.
Thewitnesstoldthecourt that the PPP/C members statedthatthenumbersbeing called by Miller were not reflected on their SOPs and that they wanted the procedure to return to normalcy
“Lowenfieldatthatpoint hadsomethingstosayandhe referredtothedocumentasa broadsheetandhesaidthatit was an administrative tool [and]thathehadnoproblem with the figures used in the tabulation process,” Rasul toldthecourt.
She recalled that those present in the room objected to the process and Lowenfield in response said if there were issues with the broad sheet and their SOPs then he would provide GECOM's SOPs to clarify thequeries.
firearm and ammunition
According to a statement by the Guyana Police Force (GPF), at about 6:28h on Tuesday, officers conducted an intelligence led-operation on the Albion public road in frontoftheAlbionPoliceStation. During the operation, the police stopped and searched aToyota Premio motor vehicle bearing registration number HD 2128 and found a black plastic bag on the right side of thedriver’sdoorcontaininga.38revolverand sevenlivebullets. Selwyne Gray, a taxi driver, was driving thecar,andthelonepassengerinthevehicle wasidentifiedasOtisVictor,afarmer. Both Gray and Victor were arrested and takentotheAlbionPoliceStation,wherethe gun,bullets,andthecarweresecured. Investigationsareongoing.
Meanwhile, during Tuesday's testimony by Rasul, lawyers representing the defence Eusi Anderson and Ronald Daniels, frequently interjected by notingthattheobserverdrew her own conclusions based on what she observed and thatoughttobeinadmissible.
Magistrate Daly acknowledged and made it clear that Rasul's personal opinions would be struck from the record. The matter was adjourned to 09:30h todaywhenRasulwillreturn to the witness box to resume hertestimony Parag, who is currently Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, continued her testimony on Tuesday is expected to be cross examinedsoon.
Additionally, the Prosecution led by attorney Darshan Ramdhani, KC is expected to call Rawl Nedd and Edgar Thomas to the witnessstandthisweek.
S u b s e q u e n t l y , Lowenfield reportedly used the SOPs to continue counting the votes. Rasul said that Parag called her numbers from the SOPs in her possession while Lowenfield called his. The observer concluded that the numbers presented by both Lowenfield and Parag correlated.
A31-year-oldmanofBuxton,EastCoast Demerara(ECD)diedTuesdaymorningafter his car crashed into a parked log loader at Montrose.
Dead is Akeem Lewis, the driver of a ToyotaFielder,PAF9125.
Amini-bus driven by a Mahaicony ECD residentwasalsoinvolved.
Police alleged that Lewis' car was speedingwestalongthenortherndrivinglane of the southern carriage way along the ECD publicroadatMontrose.Hethenswervedto
switch lanes and collided with a minibus travellingin front of him in the process.The car further collided with the southern footpath before toppling several times and crashingintotheheavy-dutymachine. Lewis was pulled from the car in an unconscious state and rushed in an ambulance to the Georgetown Public HospitalCorporationwherehesuccumbedto his injuries around 15:05 hrs on Tuesday afternoon.Thebusdriverwasarrestedandis assistingwiththenecessaryinvestigations.
Rio de Janeiro, 30 July 2024 (PAHO) – Addressing inequality and ensuring equitable access to health werekeyissuesraisedbyPanAmerican Health Organization Director (PAHO), Dr JarbasBarbosa,duringahigh-level event at the Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit 2024, in Rio de JaneiroBrazil.
“We all know that poverty and diseaseisaviciouscyclethatwehaveto break,” Dr Barbosa said during the event — The state of global pandemic preparedness and response but “whenthehealthsectorworksproperly, itcancontributetoimprovinglivesand reducinginequality.”
During the event, which included theparticipationofJoyPhumaphi,CoChair of the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, Dr Barbosa also reinforced the importance of ensuring
that equity remains front and center of discussions around the new pandemic agreement.“The main basis of global diseasesurveillanceistrust,”thePAHO Director said. “When a country shares information,data,samples,theyexpect toreceivesupport,”includingaccessto diagnostics, protective equipment, medicines, and vaccines. “If we do not meet these expectations, countries will thinktwice”aboutsharing.
“Equity is extremely important,” Phumaphi added “Equity in consultation,inresponsibility,inaccess and in outcomes.” When it comes to ensuringbetterpandemicpreparedness and response, the PAHO Director and GlobalPreparednessMonitoringBoard Co-Chairagreedthatwhiletheworldis betterpreparedthanbeforetheCOVID19pandemicin2019,muchremainsto bedone.
“You can't talk about prevention, preparednessandresponseinonesingle silo,”Phumaphisaid.
“Everything is interrelated.” “We are not here today but we are getting there,”sheadded.
While there have been some positive developments in terms of improved genomic surveillance, the recentamendmentstotheInternational Health Regulations (IHR) and the creation of the Pandemic Fund, in the Americas “we are still far from where we need to be to be better prepared for thenextpandemic,”Dr Barbosasaid.
“In most countries, One Health is stillaconceptthatneedstobetranslated intoconcreteactions,”headded.
“This is the only way we have to provideearlydetectionandtoimprove response.”OrganisedbytheMinistryof Health of Brazil, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), the Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit 2024, whichtakesRiodeJaneiro,Brazilfrom 29-30 July 2024, convenes high-level officials from governments and global healthfromallovertheworld.
TheSummitwillfocusonavariety of issues key to ensuring pandemic preparedness, including equitable accesstovaccines,medicinesandother health technologies, and enhancing disease surveillance, among other issues.
25-year-old, Roy
Schuman
RoySchuman,a35-yearold labourer from St Cuthbert’s Mission has been reported missing after disappearing from his worksiteatChineseLanding inRegionOne. According to his mother, Adlene Schuman, he left his home in St Cuthbert’s Mission to travel to Chinese Landing to work as a chainsaw operator last th Thursday, July 25 She says he would have arrived at Chinese Landing on Saturday around 20:00 hrs, and that his employer informed her that he went to purchase some alcohol after
settinguphishammock. Schuman’s mother says that she was told this is the last time he was seen According to her, his employersaidthatapossible explanation is that, after purchasing and drinking his alcohol, he became intoxicated and fell into the river Reports have been swirling that a body was found at Chinese Landing, butthesereportshavenotyet been confirmed by Adlene Schumanorherfamilyatthis time.Areporthasbeenmade by Schuman’s family to the police at St Cuthbert’s Mission.
Aleka Persaud delivered a subparperformance yesterday in Paris, finishing fourth in Heat One of the Women's 100m freestyle eventatthe33rdOlympiad.
Persaudenteredthepool in France with a personal best and national record in the women's 100m freestyle of 1:00.67, set at last year's World Championships in Fukuoka,Japan.
However, the two-time Olympian swam 1:01.29 on Tuesday, finishing fourth behind Zimbabwe's Paige van der Westhuizen (59.19s), 16-year-old Tilly Collymore of Grenada (58 84s), and Botswana's
MaxineEgner(58.98s).
Rana Saadeldin from Sudan (1:04 72) finished behindPersaud.
“It was good. It wasn't the time I wanted, but I enjoyed the race and that's what it's about,” Persaud told Regional broadcaster, Sportsmax following the race.
Persaud pointed out a senseofnervousness,stating “my heart was beating fast. It's definitely different from Tokyo, my first Olympics.
This is a different atmosphere. The crowd is involvedineachrace.”
Persaud thanked her parents,variouscoachesand everyonethatsupported
herOlympicjourney
Of the five Guyanese athletes present at the Paris Olympics, Persaud, fellow swimmer Raekwon Noel, and table tennis player Chelsea Edghill have so far endedtheirparticipation.
Meanwhile, up next, Emanuel Archibald and Aliyah Abrams will be in actionattheStadedeFrance when track and field events beginovertheweekend.
OnAugust 3,Archibald, the country's leading sprinter, will compete in the men's 100m preliminary round, while Abrams will compete in the women's 400monAugust5.
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19
Have no fear today, Aries. You have the power and mental capacity to cut through just about anything. Don't let fear or regret hold youback.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
Don't worry about not being on the right path, Taurus, becauseyouare.Youseemto alwaysbeintherightplaceat therighttime.
GEMINI(May21–June20)
warcouldbebrewinginyour world today, Gemini
Emotionally charged arguments shoot back and forthwithconviction.Trynot togetdiscouraged.
CANCER(June21–July22)
An inner voice is warning you to slow down, Cancer It'sprobablybestifyoutakea break and let someone else takethelead.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
Today is a fantastic day to take action, Leo Your eagerness to strike out for new territory is heightened by a drive to experience the unknown.
VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)
Think before you act today, Virgo.Rashmovesarelikely to get you into trouble. An annoying interruption in your dailyroutinecouldthrowyouoff guard.Sitdownandthinkabout the situation before you act too hastilyBumpsintheroadareoften messagesfromtheuniverse.
SportsMax-Fastbowler Kemar Roach represents the most experienced figure in a West Indies Championship XI squad that includes a number of young prospects settoengageSouthAfricain a warm-up match from July 31toAugust3.
Roach, 36, who missed the just-concluded threematch Test series against Englandduetoakneeinjury, now has the opportunity to prove his fitness to possibly break back into the Kraigg Brathwaite-led team for the upcoming two-match Test series against the Proteas
scheduledtobeginonAugust 7.
The same is true for the others, namely Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Justin Greaves, who fell out of favourforTestteamselection following sub-par performances in Australia earlierthisyear,asthewarmupmatchwillbetheirshotat redemption.
FollowingtheTestseries, WestIndiesandSouthAfrica will cross swords in a threematch T20 series starting on August23.
Cricket West Indies (CWI), in making the
announcement, said the warm-up match is a crucial opportunity to also engage several talented players that have either demonstrated consistentperformancesover multiple seasons or have shown impressive emerging talent.
The selection of these players also forms part of CWI's strategy to evaluate the readiness of potential squad members for the upcoming West Indies home Test Series against South Africa.
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
Todayisagreatdaytoacton things that have been brewing in your brain for quite some time, Libra Perhaps you've been feeling unsureofyourself.
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)
Be a bit more sensitive with your words today, Scorpio. Yourmindisapttobeespecially active and even a bit restless Thisismorethanlikelyasignal togetmoreofyouropinionsout intotheworld
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)
Your mind is clear and your sensitivity focused, Sagittarius. Now is a good time to make a move. Don't letinsecurityorfearkeepyou frompursuingyourdreams.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Coolyourjetstoday,Capricorn Thisisagoodtimetostopand focusonyou Makesuretogive yourbodytherespectitdeserves
Your brain and warrior instinctsagreetoday,Aquarius Teamupwithotherswhoshare similar thoughts and desires Conversationscanbeextremely rewarding.
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
Somethingorsomeonecould confront you today, Pisces. Try not to assume things aboutthesituationbeforeyou know all the facts. If a piece of the puzzle is still in question, face the issue right away
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)
According to CWI's Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, the focus is on assessing their battle readiness and potential contributions to the men's Testteam.
“We are excited to see these players in action against a formidable South Africanside.Thisfixtureisa valuable opportunity to assess their readiness and gauge their potential for the upcoming Test series. Each player selected has shown significant promise, and we are eager to see how they perform on this stage,” Bascombesaid.
He added that this match willserveasasignificanttest fortheseplayers,providinga platform to showcase their skills and further their case for inclusion in the senior team.
W e s t I n d i e s Championship XI: Justin Greaves (Captain), Keacy Carty (Vice Captain), Jediah Blades, Joshua Bishop, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, BryanCharles,AmirJangoo, Anderson Phillip, Nial Smith, Jeremy Solozano, Shamar Springer, Isai Thorne, Kevin Wickham, KemarRoach
Management: Floyd Reifer(Headcoach),Ramesh Subasinge(Assistantcoach),
(Physiotherapist), Shayne
PARIS, (Reuters) - American CocoGauff'shopesofsinglesgold at the Olympics evaporated in the third round as she argued with officialsandslumpedtoa7-6(7)62 defeat by Croatia's Donna Vekic in furnace-like conditions at RolandGarrosonTuesday
The 20-year-old second seed marched into a 5-2 lead in the opening set but Vekic responded withsomesublimeclaycourttennis toturnthematchonitshead.
Vekic saved two set points in a crucial opening set tiebreak and wasthebetterplayerasshebecame the first Croatian to reach the Olympic women's singles quarterfinalssinceIvaMajoliin1996.
U.S.OpenchampionGauffwas left angry and in tears as an overruledlinecallsawherslip4-2down
in the second set, the American being overheard saying "I'm being cheated."
Her long protestations with the umpire and supervisor came to nothingthough.
The sun-baked Philippe Chatrier crowd got behind Gauff afterthatbutice-coolVekic,seeded 13th, sealed the win as the American's game disintegrated.
Olympic debutant Gauff will now focus on mixed doubles and women'sdoubles.
Gauff refused to blame the dispute for her loss but insisted, with some justification, that the point should have been replayed because the line judge's initial shoutof"out"impededherstroke.
"I felt that he called it before I hit and I don't think the referee
disagreed but he just thought it didn't affect my swing which I felt likeitdid,"shetoldreporters.
"I mean, there's been multiple timesthisyearwherethathappened to me, where I feel like I always have to be an advocate for myself onthecourt.
"I feel like in tennis we should have a VR (video review) because these points are big deals. Afterwards they apologise, but sorry doesn't help you once the matchisover
"But I'm not going to sit here andsayonepointeffectedtheresult today, I was already on the losing sideofthings."
The28-year-oldVekicsuffered a heart-breaking loss to Jasmine Paolini in the Wimbledon semifinals but has bounced back
impressivelyinParis.
She said the atmosphere on the court was one of the best she had playedin.
"Itwasvery,verytough.When we practised this morning the roof wasclosedsoittookmeacoupleof games to adjust (to the
The ballwasflyingalittlebit,"shesaid.
"The support has been unbelievableandI'mhavingagreat time in the village so hopefully I can win one or two matches more. Thenwecantalkaboutmedals."
N o r m a n M a d h o o continued his outstanding run at the Championship Darts LatinAmerica and Caribbean (CDLC)TourinMontegoBay,
Jamaica Representing Foreign Link Darts Club, players Christopher Lochan, Shaundel Hyles, and Norman Madhoo won the Mixed Triples event. Additionally, MelissaSmarttpartneredwith Madhoo to secure the Mixed Doubles victory on Saturday attherecentlyconcluded2024
Caribbean Darts Cup Weekend #1 at Montego Bay ConferenceCentre.
In the Carib-sponsored event, Team Florida emerged victorious overall with a total of 100 points.Team Bahamas securedtherunner-upposition with 94 points, followed by Trinidad and Tobago in third place with 74 points, while Guyana settled for fourth placewith67points.
Guyanese duo Norman Madhoo and Melissa Smartt clinched the Mixed Doubles title against Bahamians Rashad Sweeting and Elvise
Kemp. Madhoo then teamed up with Christopher Lochan and Shaundel Hyles to claim
t h e M i x e d Tr i p l e s championship, capping off a successfulopeningweekend.
Meanwhile, Rashad
Sweeting also helped Team Bahamas to secure the 2024 Teams event championship, with Florida finishing as runners-up.TheMen'sSingles event was won by Florida's Kristopher Abat, while the Men's Doubles event went to Robin Albury and Shane Sawyer of the Bahamas Trinidad and Tobago's Karen Scott and Kimberli Rivas emerged as the Women's Doubleschampions. The tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards went to CDLC #1 Radesh Sweeting of the BahamasintheMalecategory and Paula Murphy of Florida, who also won the Women's Singles event, in the Female category
The Tour continues from October 4-6 in Santiago, Chile.
As the countdown to the
secondKaresOneGuyana T10 Tapeball Blast nears an end, DigitalTechnology has gotten onboard as a key partner in enhancing thequalityofthe2024tournament.
Digital Technology is a professional Technology engineering and consulting services firm with a specialization in Technology, Cloud Computing, Software Development, ProjectManagement,andManagedIT Services.
At their Diamond Public Road, East Bank Demerara, location, Public Relations Consultant Jenifer Persaud underscored that the partnership is about bringing awareness of the company's service using the most evolving Tapeball tournament in the region.
The second installment of the pulsating tournament bowls off on August 3 at the Police Sports Club, Lusignan Community Centre Ground, and Queen's College Ground, where the best 32 Tapeball teams in Guyana willbeonshowinastraightknock-out contest.
OthermatchdayswillbetheRound of 16 onAugust 4 at the Police Sports Club and Lusignan, while the quarterfinalsreturntotheEnmoreCommunity
CentreGroundonAugust11.
The competition promises to be fierce, and a larger prize pool will enticethe32participatingteams.
Matches onAugust 3: MS-13AllStarsvTeamCorruption–QCPitch1 at 09:30h; Upsetters v GPL Inc – QC Pitchthreeat09:30h;MontraJaguarsv Falcons XI – PSC at 09:30h; Street Ballerz v Village Rams – Lusignan at 09:30h; EC Express v Mahdia –Lusignan at 11:30h; Soesdyke XI v Airport XI – QC pitch one at 11:30h; Renegades Cricket Club v Tarmac Titans – PSC at 11:30h; Eccles AllStars v Eastsyde – QC pitch three at 11:30h; Titans All-Stars v Stripling Warriors – PSC at 13:30h; PREMIER Insurance v Min Housing – QC pitch one at 13:30h; Moruca Super Giants v Lil Rams –QC pitch three at 13:30h; The Guards v Mahaica Super Strikers –13:30h at Lusignan; Green Scorpions v Avinash All-Stars –QC pitch one at 15:30h; Brooklyn YouthStrikersvCottonTreeDieHard – PSC at 15:30h; Diamond Gunners v TG Titans – Lusignan at 15:30h; The United Crew v Bartica Bulls – QC pitchthreeat15:30h.
The competition promises to be fierce, and a larger prize pool will
entice the 32 participating teams. The championswillreceiveG$1.5million, while the runners-up will receive G$500,000.
The losing semi-finalists each get G$250,000.
Players will vie for the titles of Most Runs, Most Wickets, and Player oftheFinal.Eachwinnerwillreceivea SmartTVanda$75,000cashprize,all complimentsofRegalStationery.
Assuria Insurance is not holding back either, offering a motorbike and $85,000totheMostValuablePlayer.
The Kares One Guyana T10 Blast enjoys the support of Kares Engineering, Banks DIH Limited, Star Rentals, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Montra Restaurant and Lounge, SuperBet, Demerara Mutual, ETS, Metro Office and Computer Supplies, Jacobs' Jewellery, First Change Builders Inc, KFC Guyana, Building Expo 2024, Giftland OfficeMax, Sankar's Auto Works, ENet, Avinash Contracting and Scrap Metal Inc., Trophy Stall, ANSA McAL Distribution, Camille's Academy, MinistryofHumanServicesandSocial Security, RS53RestoBarandLounge, General Marine, Samaroo Investments,andCoel'sBoutique.
Shemar Britton
The Uitvlugt
C o m m u n i t y
Development
Group (UCDG), in collaboration with Carlton "Corn Man" Stephenson, is excited to bring back their
tomorrow(Thursday)aftera six-year hiatus due to the COVID-19pandemic.
Carlton Stephenson, popularly known as Corn Man, will be featured in the Emancipation Marathon Foot Race from Red Road, Turkeyen/Sophia to Estate
Road, Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara.
The last edition of this celebratedracetookplacein 2018, attracting numerous prominent figures and significant public interest. This year's race promises to be no different. The UCDG
is asking participants to assembleatthestartingpoint by 2:45 am for a 3:00 am start.
The marathon will begin atthepopularBreadShopon Red Road in Sophia Runners will proceed westwardonDennisStreetto Sheriff Street, make a left turn at Sheriff Street, and continue south towards Mandela Avenue From there, participants will turn left at the DSL junction and head to the Demerara Harbour Bridge for the crossing. The race will then turnrighttowardstheVreeden-Hoop junction, heading westwardandculminatingat the Estate Road (four corners)inUitvlugt.
Come out and be part of this thrilling spectacle, as some of the country's top athletes usher in the 2024
Carlton 'Corn Man' Stephenson will be looking to take on the youngsters at this year's race.
First place trophy that will be awarded to the winner of the Marathon.
Frompage27
the USA and Trinidad, and we are set to participate in another tournament in Suriname in the coming days These achievements highlight the dedication and talent of our martial artists, who continue to elevate Guyana's reputation on the global stage.However, financial constraints have severelylimitedourabilitytosupportallour talented students. Many promising athletes areunabletoparticipateinthesetournaments due to a lack of funds, which not only
hampers their personal growth but also diminishes Guyana's presence in the international martial arts community, the associationlamented. They are urgently calling upon the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports to acknowledge their plight and provide the necessary financial support.Your assistance willmakeasignificantdifferenceinthelives of our young karate ambassadors and the future of martial arts in Guyana, the release pointedout.
Another ton (110*) for Keyon Sinclair in Canada as Pegasus beat 11-Man Army in ORSCA tourney
KeyonSinclaircontinued hissensationalruninCanada after smacking an unbeaten 110 for Pegasus last Sunday against 11-ManArmy in one of the many matches in this year's Ontario Round-Arm Softball Cricket Association (ORSCA) Regular Season T20competition.
The right-handed Sinclair, registered a century earlier in the campaign, and againlookedinsublimeform, havingslammed16sixesand 1fourduringhisentertaining 40-ball exhibition in Brampton. Pegasus quickly reached166-1with56ballsto spareafter11-ManArmyhad onlygatheredupadecent163 alloutinexactly20-overs.
Sinclair, the Berbician, and former Guyana youth playerRicardoPeters,hadset thechasewithanelectrifying, 30-run opening stand. Peters hit 5 sixes to accumulate all 30 runs Sinclair and Kandasammy Surujnarine finished off things in style withSurujnarinecontributing 19notout.11-ManArmywon thetossandoptedtotakefirst knockbeforeproceedingsgot going Opener Rabindra
Persaud once again demonstratedhisconsistency with a boundary-studded 74 whichincludedninesixesand two fours His innings spanned 74 balls while
Raymond Tiwari and Navin Latchman also made an impression with the bat by scoring 40 and 33 respectively Notably, 11Man Army was coasting nice
53-4
d potentiallycould have gotten a more respectable total, but theylost7wicketsforamere 10 runs.Surujnarine grabbed 3-39fromhismaximumfour overs to be the most outstanding bowler for Pegasus, while Adrian Sukhwa supported him by accounting for two victims.The competition will resume August 11th with anotherseriesofmatches. Meanwhile, more details from other fixtures in a subsequentedition.
The Guyana Mixed Martial Arts Karate A s s o c i a t i o n (G.M.M.A.K.A) has turned in an outstanding performance at a recent tournamentheldinTrinidad onJuly27thand28th,2024. A dedicated team of 11 students participated, demonstrating exceptional sportsmanshipandskill.
T h e G M M A K A expressed pleasure in reporting that our athletes achieved remarkable
2024CWIMen'sRisingStarsU1950-OverChampionship…Guyanavs.WindwardIslands VanLangefifty,bowlersinspire5-wicket winforGuyana -Barbados win title
An unbeaten half-century from Jonathan Van Lange coupled with some potent bowling helped Guyana storm to a 5-wicket win over Windwards during yesterday's round played at the Park Hill PlayingField.
Opener Rampertab Ramnauth (21), Romeo Deonarain (23) and Mavendra Dindyal (22) had good starts before they weredismissed,butlaidtheplatformfora successfulGuyanachase.
But it was Van Lange who muscled a pairofsixesandfourfoursonhiswayto50 notoutoff62ballswhichtookGuyanato 152-5 inside 40 overs Guyana kept Windwards to 148 all out in 40.2 overs afteracollectivebowlingeffortfromparttime in-form spinner Mavendra Dindyal (3-15) with support from Riyad Latiff (217)andseamerThaddeusLovell(2-24).
Left-arm spinner Golcharran Chulai (1-13), along with Myheim Khan (1-29) playing his first game for IsaiThorne and KrsnaSingh(1-23)lentadditionalsupport. Only Captain and opener Stephan
success across various events,securingatotalof49 medals: 23 first-place, 12 second-place, and 14 thirdplace finishes This impressive accomplishment is a testament to their hard work and dedication, the association noted in a release.
“Weextendourheartfelt gratitude to all our parents, whose unwavering support and efforts made it possible forourstudentstoattendand excel in this competition.
Your contributions have been invaluable in fostering the growth and success of our young athletes,” the releasenoted.
Despite these successes, the GMMAKA has been tirelessly advocating for financial support from the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports to enable our young karate ambassadors to represent Guyana in various international tournaments.Unfortunately, despitenumerouslettersand
attempts to secure appointments, our pleas have gone unanswered, leaving our athletes without thenecessaryaid.
Our association has a p r o u d h i s t o r y o f participation in both local and international karate tournaments, consistently bringing home medals and honours for Guyana. This year alone, our members have competed in prestigious tournaments in (Continuedonpage26)
Roach included in Windies Championships XI squad to face South Africa in warm-up match
