Kaieteur News

...oil-rich Stabroek Block is the prize in Chevron's bid for Hess - Analyst

Hundreds turned away during cash-grant rush at Freedom House

Guyanese

...Govt.sayscitizensweretricked

Exxon robbed Guyana over US$208M in royalty in three years

-ProfessorHunte

44 foreign women rescued at hands of alleged traffickers at Red Dragon club

Excavator operator digs up human remains at New Amsterdam

Chinese company applies to mine stone in

‘Guyanese Critic’ asked to pay $80M for death of crane operator gold-rich

Hundredsturned awayduring cash-grantrush atFreedomHouse

...Govt. says citizens were tricked

Hundreds of Guyanese bravedthemiddaysuntolineupinfrontofFreedomHouse, RobbStreet,Georgetown-the headquarters of the ruling PPP/C in the hopes of receivingcashgrants.Butthis was not to be as the message thatgotthemthereinthefirst placewasahoax.

After much pleading, manyleftsorrowfullyandyet they were others who were convinced that indeed money was being distributed, but to government cronies In a press release, the Department of Public Information (DPI) quoted Public Affairs Minister, Kwame McCoy as saying that government has continuously been working for the betterment of all citizens through legitimate programmes and policies to foster development in the country McCoy said the misinformation was being shared by the opposition and theiroperatives.

The minister stated that the only grant that is being giventocitizensisthroughthe Small Business Grant Programme which is being done by the government to helpsmallbusinessownersto expandtheirservices.“Atthe end of the day, there is no such programme at Freedom House and therefore people don't need to be here to collect any cash.Thegovernmenthasa Small Business Grant Programme where we help peopleinsmallbusinessesin

communities across the country and we have been doing this over the last two years. This is monies from the Sustainable Livelihoods and Entrepreneurial Development- SLED programme,” Minister McCoyasserted.

He explained that the grant is being distributed in a comprehensivemannerbythe government and that it is not politically affiliated. “So, there is no cash being given here at Freedom House There is no grant being given here at Freedom House.Peopleshouldnotbe misguidedandmisinformed about what is happening within the government. We do not share monies here. Government programmes a r e m a n a g e d b y government facilities,” the ministerstressed.

The grant is being distributedtopersonswhoare qualified of having a small business that needs to be expanded and who are not already working within the publicsector Hesaidthatthis isastrategyoftheopposition to spread misinformation about the law-abiding initiatives that the government has since put in place to help citizens all acrossthecountry According to the minister, if the person whostartedtherumourcanbe pointed out then the government will see what courseofactionitcantaketo holdthatpersonresponsible.

Guyanese congregated in front of Freedom House for cash grants

Exxon robbed Guyana over US$208M in royalty in three years - Professor Hunte

Guyana has so far l o s t o v e r US$208M in royalty on the sweet light crude being produced by ExxonMobilintheStabroek Block.

This is according to former Ambassador and Professor, Dr Kenrick Hunte ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), theoperatorof theresourcerich Stabroek Block is mandated to pay the state two percent royalty on "all petroleum produced and sold" in keeping with the parameters of the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA). Royalty is a fixed percentage of the gross value of revenue, paid to governments or the ownersofnaturalresources.

Exxonhoweverhasbeen allegedly paying Guyana royalty from its share of profits,therebysignificantly reducingthestate'searnings.

Dr KenrickHunteinaletter toKaieteurNewsonSunday explained that Guyana was merely receiving 0 5% instead of the contractually agreed 2%. Dr Hunte said that the oil giant has been deducting 75% of the monthly earnings in the StabroekBlocktorecoverits investments, and from the remaining 25% Guyana receives 50%, which is

equivalent to 12.5% of the totalrevenuesearned.Exxon thenhandsGuyanaashareof its earnings, valued at two percent.

The Guyanese scholar explained, "In the circumstances, it is contended that this act by EMGL,whichusesitsprofit share to pay Guyana's royalty, violates the condition of Article 15.6 in

the PSA; it robs Guyana of its correct royalty payment; andthisapproachbyEMGL generates a smaller share of totalsalesforGuyana.”

To this end, Professor HuntearguedthatGuyanais only receiving 0.5% royalty andnotthe2%.

Hewaskeentonotethat while some might think that 1.5 percent of total sales is insignificant, when

managingbillionsofdollars, the shortfall can be costly

Tosupporthisargument,Dr Hunte used the Bank of Guyana's 2022 Annual Report to underscore the revenuelossforthiscountry He explained that the report notes oil exports during the period 2020 to 2022 amounted to

US$13.9B. Immediately, he calculated that1.5 percent of thisvalueisUS$208.7M. In comparing the lost royalty payments to earnings from the other traditional exports, Dr. Hunte determined that Exxon pocketed more money than was generated by the sugar and timber sectors during the same period Please see table attached.

He said, "In contrast, w h e n G u y a n a i s shortchanged by 1.5% in oil sales (US$208.7 million), this loss is greater than the total export earnings from sugar and timber in the amountofUS$137.47M."

The former Ambassador pointed out that this lost revenue and well as the millionsinuncollectedprofit taxes could have made a significant contribution to the teachers, who provide a keycorner-stoneinGuyana's foundation.

Exxon moves to arbitration over Chevron’s takeover of Hess Guyana shares - Analyst

HOUSTON, March 6

(Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corporation on Wednesday said it filed a contract arbitration claim disputing HessCorp'sproposedsaleof its Guyana oil properties, andsuggesteditmaycounter Chevron Corp's pending dealfortheassets.

The arbitration case seeks to preserve Exxon's right to acquire Hess's 30% stake in the giant Stabroek offshore oil block, Senior Vice President Neil Chapman said in a conference on Wednesday Guyana's Stabroek Block, whichisconsiderthelargest oil discovery in decades, is theprizeinChevron'sbidfor Hess. Exxon made clear for thefirsttimeitwouldbidfor theHess'sGuyanaproperties ifChevronproceedswithits proposed $53 billion Hess purchase.

"I don't know if the Chevrontransactionisgoing to proceed or not, that is in their hands," Chapman said ataMorganStanleyeventin NewYork.

"Ifthereisatransaction, we plan to exert our

preemptionrights,"hesaid.

Chevron and Hess have said they believe the rights do not apply as the transaction would involve a merger with the parent company that would keep Hess's Guyana subsidiary intact.

“We remain fully c o m m i t t e d t o t h e transaction, and are confidentinourposition.

We look forward to closingthetransactiononthe terms we've agreed,” Chevron spokesperson Braden Reddall said in a statement.

Chevron'sbidforHessis "an attempt to circumvent" the joint operating agreement that governs the partners' roles in the Stabroek block, Chapman said Exxon's challenge couldprovefruitfulevenifit doesnotendupenlargingthe oil company's holdings, analystshavesaid.

Its arbitration filing "could be a negotiating stance," said Mark Kelly, CEO of financial firm MKP Advisors.

Wednesday's drop in

Hessstock"suggeststhatthe market is somewhat happy" with Exxon's stance it has a right to Hess' stake in Guyana,hesaid.

Hess shares fell 1.6%, Exxon shares were up 1% and Chevron's stock was downafraction,inafternoon trading.

Exxon now holds a 45% stake in the consortium and operatesallofitsproduction.

IfitboughtHess'sshare, it would hold 75% of the block.Acontract arbitration case typically takes six months or more, Chapman

said."Thepreemptionrights aretogiveustheopportunity to look at the value, which wecanthenmatchshouldwe choose to do so," Chapman said.

The company has been negotiating with Chevron andHessoveritsrightoffirst refusal to any sale of Hess's Stabroekstake.

It formally filed for arbitration on Wednesday with the International ChamberofCommerceafter failing to reach agreement, hesaid.

"We, as participant (in

theblock),havetherightsto match a reasonable allocationofthevalueofthe Hess transaction," Chapman said."Disputestakeplaceall the time, and they get resolved.

The only real difference is this is in the public domain."Exxon'sarbitration

filing raises the stakes for Chevronbutalsoaddsanew wrinkletothelargestU.S.oil company's $60 billion proposed purchase of Pioneer Natural Resources. That deal would make Exxon the largest oil producer in the top U.S. oil field.

Table showing the value of the lost royalty payments

Professor and former Ambassador, Dr. Kenrick Hunte

Editor:

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

Jagdeo exposing himself

Guyana’schiefpolicymaker,BharratJagdeonowhasa problem on each occasion that he dares to speak about the nation’soilandgassector Whenheopenshismouthonoil, thereisadwindlinggroupofGuyanesewhobelieveaword thathesays.

Most times that he puts his positionsout in public, Guyanesewithknowledgeandsubstancechallengewhathe says,makehimlooklikealosertryinghishandatdelivering awinnerforExxonMobil.PartoftheproblemforJagdeois that he chooses to stay silent, and the worst suspicions are cemented about his management of the incredibly rich oil sector. He doesn’t speak and share one of his patented and patheticdefensesforExxonMobil,andheisintrouble. He speaks and delivers his usual unconvincing concoctions, and he makes himself into a bigger laughingstock with Guyanese,includinghisownvoters.

TwoGuyaneseofdistinctiontookhimtotaskontheburning andworryingissueofanoilspill Howmuchprotectiondoes Guyanahave,whoisresponsibleforthatprotection,andwhereis theevidenceofsuchcoverage,aparentcompanyguaranteeno less CharteredAccountantandattorney-at-law,ChrisRam,and engineer and former Executive Director of Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency, Dr Vincent Adams, have exposed chief policymaker Jagdeo’s representations on what Guyanahasforprotectionintheeventofanoilspill.Weat this publication assert that Mr Ram and Dr Adams shredded Jagdeo’s oil spill insurance statements and reducedhimtoafigureofblindingweaknesses.

Chartered Accountant Ram examined the financials of ExxonMobilGuyanaLtd(EMGL)andnotedthatthevalueofthe subsidiary’sassetsamountedtoUS$7B,andnottheUS$20Bthat isbeingtoutedbyJagdeo ManyGuyanesehavearrivedattheir ownsharpconclusions,astowhytheirVicePresidentandtheir chief policymaker are engaging in these defensive actions for ExxonMobil But it is only Jagdeo himself, who knows the driving forces behind why he is so much about inflating the company’sassetshereandmakinghimselflookpitifulinso doing.Webelievethatherecognizestheporouscharacterofhis representations of ExxonMobil’s local assets, and his flawed advocaciesonbehalfofthecompany ItiswhyJagdeoragesand lashes out at women reporters, which is part of his strategy to coveruphisfaultyfacts,hisfeeblelinesofargument Jagdeois nowhisownworstenemy,forwheneverhesumsupthecourageto speakaboutprotection(full)forGuyana,heislikeamanwithout hispants,aleaderwithoutmuchsubstance

ThiswaswhattheformerheadoftheEPA,Dr Adams, pointed out about Jagdeo on the same disturbing oil spill protection issue. Simply put, what Jagdeo is selling to Guyanese as protection from ExxonMobil is what has already been paid for by Guyana’s own oil revenues. The billionsinassetsthatthechiefpolicymakerwavesinfrontof Guyanese,likeawinninglotteryticket,arewhatwasbought andpaidforbyGuyanesemoney Itmeans,therefore,that Guyana is paying for its own oil spill protection using its ownfullypaidforassets. InJagdeo’sscenario,Guyanais rescuingitself,whileExxonMobiliswayinthebackground, probablytotallyoutofthepicture.

Meaning, in how it is unfettered and financially uninvolved if an oil spill occurs. This is how Jagdeo entangleshimself,weaveshiswebsforExxonMobil,which comebacktotraphimandchokehim. Itpaystonotethat thechiefpolicymakeroftheGuyanesepeopleisnolonger ashamed today of how ridiculous he makes himself look. He simply does not care how agitated and distorted he becomes when he tries these sleights of hand to insulate ExxonMobilfrombeingfullyboundtoprotectingGuyana. Abigoilspillwehavewarnedofcouldbecometheessence ofanationalcrisis. Jagdeo’sdistortionsarenowplastered across his face, drips from his tone of voice, oozes in his bodylanguage.

Jagdeo has lost credibility There are raging doubts about his commitment to the Guyanese people. This man shouldnotbespearheadingtheoilandgassector Jagdeois badforGuyanese.

Concerns regarding zoning of service vehicles registered in “B”

DEAREDITOR

I am writing to express my concern about the seemingly inconsistent application of zoning regulations for service vehicles registered with “B” plates.

It has come to my attention that while smaller service providers, myself included, are routinely stopped and questioned by the police regarding zoning violations, larger service providers, particularly those

associated with the oil and gas industry, appear to be exempted from such scrutiny

Thisinconsistencyraises concerns about fairness and equal treatment under the law

Itisunclearifthereisan officialexemptiongrantedto larger service providers to havebusesregisteredin“B” and not be zoned with an officialnumberandassigned route, or if their noncompliance with zoning

regulations is simply being overlooked.

I kindly request clarification on this matter Specifically, I would like to know:

· Is there an official exemption granted to specificcategoriesofservice providers regarding zoning regulations?

· If no exemption exists, why are larger service providers not being held accountable for adhering to the same zoning rules as

smallerproviders?

I believe that ensuring consistent and fair enforcement of traffic regulations is crucial for maintainingorderandsafety on our roads. I urge you to investigate this matter and address the apparent disparityintheapplicationof zoningregulations.

Thank you for your time and attention to this importantissue.

Sincerely,

VishaulKissoon

Two Sides of the Same Coin

DEAREDITOR

Over the past few days, two events took place that have once more brought to the fore the issue of race, classandpolitics.

Thefirstofthesewasthe outburst of Mr Hamilton Green at a conference commemorating the 101st birth anniversary of Forbes Burnham At that event Mr Green,inpraisingBurnham’s performance urged his gathering to do as Burnham did and rig elections to get power As he put it that is to put Afro-Guyanese pon top Greenevenspokeofhisown role in the violence of 1962 which,accordingtohim,was inspired by Burnham He recalled that before the riots of 1962 Burnham spoke to a young man (presumably Green) and asked, “Why is the city so quiet” Mayhem broke out after, according to Green Mr Nigel Hughes, whospokeafterMr Greenin wrapping up the session was justasbadasMr Green The othereventwasareviewofa bookbyanIndian-Nationalist Clem Seecharran It was reviewed by another nationalist Baytoram Ramharack. This book is aboutCheddiJagan,another of our politicians who, like Burnham, played a central role in the politics of our country

This group (IndianNationalist) has a lot in common with the AfroNationalist group They want to put Indian pon top These twogroupsareactuallyonthe twosidesofthesamecoin

The major difference is theirattitudestoCheddiJagan and Forbes Burnham As I noted above the AfroNationalist idolize Burnham They sing his praises loudly, even when many of the measures he took pauperized ourcountryandmadeitoneof the poorest countries in the

WesternHemisphere. Itdoes not matter to them that he worked with the colonialists against the national movement that was fighting forindependence.Itdoesnot matter that he used his influence to work with the CIA and fomented racial riots. The legacy of which still affects us. For them he puttheBlackMan“pontop”.

On the other hand, the Indian-Nationalists hate Cheddi Jagan. They cannot ever forgive him for not pursuing a racist political line They despise his working class and patriotic stance. In fact, these same Indian-Nationalists shower praises on Burnham for working against our country andsidingwithcolonialand imperial forces so that he would be made the Prime Minister Their admiration for treachery and calling it ‘cleverness’ is really astonishing. The IndianNationalist hatred for Jagan can also be seen by how muchtheyadmireandlavish praises on Indian leaders of that period who were rejected by the people and who collaborated with the imperialist power and with Burnham One case that comes to mind is Dr BalwantSingh.

Immediately after the Wismar disaster in May of 1964 when thousands of Indianswereevacuatedfrom the mining town to Georgetown at Ruimveldt Industrial site, Dr Singh went to try to instigate the victimstoadoptRacismand to condemn Dr Jagan and the PPP (It was the same Balwant Singh who disappeared the bullet that killed Inspector McLood during the postmortem. He was at the service of the British). The people chased him away, they supported Dr Jagan call for racial and

working-classunity Forthat, the Indian-Nationalists have a disdain for Indo-Guyanese workingpeoplebecauseoftheir unstinting support for Jagan. They fabricate all kinds of hairyfairytheories.

For instance, they say that Indians should not have supported Dr Jagan’s politics because Indians are natural businesspeople.Thatissheer junk. The vast majority of Indian Guyanese, I dare say more than 90% are workers and farmers. Indeed, they worked and still work in some of the most difficult jobsinthiscountry

Itisnotsurprisingthatthey grasped the message of Dr Jagan and supported and continue to support his brand of politics. The few Indian businesspeople who supportedDr Jagancouldbe described the way Cheddi described them as patriotic capitalists These were people that opposed foreign intervention.Whatthosetwo groups are trying to do is to obscure the class issue in politics by covering it with theracialblanket.

ThePNCleadership,and those Afro-nationalists outside the PNC, are really capitalistbynature.Inallthe years, they have been in power, they used the state apparatus to enrich themselves. It is for that reason Dr Jagan had categorized them as a Bureaucratic Capitalist Elite.They formed alliances withsome of therichIndian businesses and even foreign businesses (Note the Exxon Deal) to further their own enrichment.

Intheprocess,theyhave pauperized all the working people of our country, including the AfroGuyanesemasses.

Therefore, their racial appeal is designed to hide their real intention which is

to enrich themselves and theircohortsinthelocaland foreign private sector while holding on to support from the Afro-working people This is the main purpose of theirracism.

The Indian-Nationalist areworkinghardtopushthe PPPonthesamepath.Some of them have great wealth andwouldliketoseethePPP transformedideologicallyas a party similar to the PNC. They, like their counterparts in the Afro-Guyanese community,havenocarefor the working class, including the Indian working class, whom they despise because oftheirloyaltytoDr Jagan’s working-classideology

The maneuvering of these two groups proves the point that the PPP has been the only force that consistently fought for National and Working-class unity The real Afro and Indopatriotscanbefoundin thePPP/Civic.

At a public meeting on June 17th, 1964, during the height of racially instigated violence Cheddi Jagan said that many people (Indian) approached him and were advocatingthatthePPPtake the same stance as the PNC. Hesaid“…Icanunderstand theirfears(Indians)andtheir feelings,butIhavehadtotell them that the PPP was not interested in putting Indians on top but to see justice for all!” He went on to say that “ the solution to the problemsofthiscountrylies in the unity of the working class …” He died with that conviction! We must reject thepoliticsofthesetworace centeredgroups.

Guyanese have a bright future if we succeed in uniting all our people as Cheddi Jagan worked for throughouthislife.

DonaldRamotar FormerPresident

US views of Cheddi Jagan Are We Men or Mice?

DEAREDITOR,

With Dr Cheddi Jagan’s deathanniversarythreedays away, we excerpt views on him from US Diplomatic personnel who had been posted in Guyana. These were summarized by their State Department to familiarise new personnel postedtoGuyana.

ALLEN C HANSEN (1957-1959) Branch Public Affairs Officer, USIS (Interviewed1988)

At the time of my assignment to Georgetown, President Kennedy was in theWhiteHouse.

Therewasgreatconcern that British Guiana, which would soon get its independence,wouldvery possibly become a second Cuba inasmuch as the prime minister at the time was Cheddi Jagan Jagan,usuallydescribedasa Marxist, was very friendly with the Cubans and the Soviets. His leanings were certainly in the Communist direction. So, the feeling in Washington was that it was time to have a USIS office there.

Theodore J. C. Heavner

1969-1971 Deputy Chief of Mission,(Interviewed1997)

In 1968, just a year before I got there. Burnham wasstillfreshinthejoband Jaganwasstillwaitinginthe wings expecting to be elected at the next election and not unreasonably so since he was the undoubted leader of the Indian population in that country...He was a very

charismatic figure in the Indian community Burnham, however, in powerwasrepeatedlyableto arrange that the elections didn’t come out that way They were rigged and we knew they were rigged and that was fine with us. In those days, we thought we could not risk having a second communist country inourownhemisphere. We were concerned about Jagan essentially taking over by violence. He had been trained and was patronized by the Soviets. He went regularly to Moscow where he was lionized. He was clearly at all times following the Soviet line on all questions of any international importance.Heseemedtobe almostarubberstampforthe Soviets His wife was probably the more astute politicianthere,JanetJagan, who was an American and lost her citizenship as a result of being a Guyana cabinetofficerandthenwas subsequentlygivenitback.

David C McGaffey

1986-1990 Chargé d’Affaires, (Interviewed 1995)

Cheddi was personally, very personable. He was polite, courteous, an interesting conversationalist but his mentality seemed to befrozeninatimewarp.He wouldjustnotacknowledge any of the changes in the world that had taken place, not acknowledge what was happening in the Soviet Union, not acknowledge

what was happening to socialismworldwide.

Hewaswaitingtorestore things to the way they had been when he was young. His wife Janet seemed to be in my judgment his intellectual superior She also in her ordinary comments reminded me of listening to radical SDS students in my youth. The two of them had been politically prominent and yet out of politics for 28 years and they were in a holdingpatterns.

Dennis Hays 1988-1992 Deputy Chief of Mission, (Interviewed2001)

Cheddi’s fault was that he was a Marxist without a sharp edge. If he had been a Castro, a Rawlings (Ghana) oranyoftheseguyshenever wouldhavelostpowerinthe first place. He had it, but he let it go. So he was still out there A quick story on Cheddi which is indicative of how things worked. He used to go to these communist party gatherings thattheywouldhave,andhe wouldsitkindofintheback because he wasn’t a head of state at this point (in 1968.) He was eight or nine rows back in the audience. This was the time of the Czechoslovakianinvasion.

Apparently, a couple of speakershadgottenupfrom the communist party from Australia and they had criticized the Soviet Union for its actions. So when Cheddigetsupandlaunches intothisattackonthemthat

(Continuedonpage06)

DEAREDITOR

Thesearewordscomingfromthemouth ofthesocalledelderinhisrecentcolumnin KaieteurNews.HemadereferencetoGhana where the Army and Police seize power on Feb 24th. 1966 whilst Kwame Nkrumah the thenleaderwasinNorthKorea.

Icanrememberduringmyschooldayson March 6th. 1957 there was a massive crowd

ofAfricanGuyaneseattiredinAfricanoutfits taken over the Bourda Green which was an open field. They were celebrating Ghana’s Independence.Iamsuretheelderwasinthe crowd.IguessheisnomoreafanofKwame Nkrumah and could be suggesting the same happeninGuyana.Keepaneyeonhim.

Regards

KennethSingh

Is Ron Sanders for real?

DEAREDITOR,

It is quite amazing how Ron Sanders, in his KN opinion piece recently, praised PM Gonsalves (St. Vincent), a smiling prop for Madura and clearly beholden to the Venezuelan dictator Now, Sanders talks about free and fair elections while conveniently covering over his (and his father-in-law) Sridath Ramphal’s

endorsementofrigginginGuyana’selections from 1968 to 1985- as a matter of fact Ramphal and Sanders worked hard to promote themselves at the expense of the Guyanese people, while ignoring the urgent need for free and fair elections in their countryofbirth.IsRonSandersforreal?

Yourssincerely,

Cheddi(Joey)Jagan(Jr.)

Herstelling residents need help

DEAREDITOR

I trust this email finds youwell.

I am writing to bring to your attention an ongoing concern in the Herstelling Public Road area that requires immediate media a t t e n t i o n

On February 19, 2024, we submitted a letter to the Office of the President and four other relevant offices, expressing the concerns of the residents in Herstelling. Unfortunately, to date, we have not received any response or assistance regardingtheissuesraisedin

the letter Recently, there was a distressing incident involving a large hauler blockingourdriveway

This incident resulted in aconfrontation.

Despite reporting the incident to the Providence PoliceStation,noactionhas beentaken.

This incident highlights

the urgent need for intervention in our community

The residents of Herstelling find themselves inavulnerablesituationand itisdishearteningthatjustice seems to be elusive unless

themediaisinvolved.

We humbly request your assistance in bringing attentiontothesematters,as we believe that media coveragemaybethecatalyst foraresolution.

We kindly ask for your support in addressing these issues and helping to bring aboutpositivechangeinour community

Thankyouforyourtime and consideration. We look forward to your prompt attentiontothismatter

Wa r m r e g a r d s ,

Residents of Herstelling PublicRd.

OP:ED

By Mario Lubetkin, FAO Assistant DirectorGeneral and FAO Regional Representative for Latin AmericaandtheCaribbean.

T h e r e g i o n a l commitmentto fight hunger and malnutrition in Latin America and the Caribbean has made significant progressthankstotheupdate of the Food Security, Nutrition and Hunger Eradication Plan of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) for the period2024-2030,knownas the CELAC FNS Plan. This update was approved and ratified during the VIII Summit of Heads of State andGovernmentofCELAC, held on March 1 in Saint VincentandtheGrenadines.

This commitment evidence LatinAmerica and the Caribbean’s significant contribution to accelerating the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals, aimed at achieving societies free of hunger,

poverty,andinequalityinthe region. Our latest estimates show that, in 2022, 6 5 percent of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean suffered from hunger; this represented 2.4 millionfewerpeoplethanin 2021 But the situation remains critical; hunger continues to affect 43 2 millionpeopleintheregion.

Likewise, limited access to resources and services, poverty,theaftermathofthe pandemic, and conflicts as well as climate-related disasters, among other factors, are affecting the ecosystems on which food production and the livelihoods of farming communities depend and threaten efforts to ensure food security, nutrition and thesustainabilityofagrifood systems.

In this scenario, the CELAC FNS Plan 20242030isaconcreteinitiative, reflected in a unanimous response from more than thirty countries, which, at a

ministerial level, agreed to update this document to address the challenge of hunger and food insecurity intheregion.

The new plandeveloped in coordination with the Pro-Tempore Presidency, currently led by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the thirtythree CELAC countries, includedbroadparticipation and analysis with technical assistance from FAO, ECLAC,IICA,andALADIhasbecomeabenchmarkfor other regions of the world.

Its implementation represents a milestone example of the consensus andpoliticalcommitmentof Latin America and the Caribbean.

Thisplan,structuredinto four pillars, includes a conceptualbasistoguidethe countries concerning legal frameworks, sustainable production, access to healthy diets, and agrifood systems resilient to climate change.

Georgetown,Guyana,where we will facilitate exchanges and discussions that will be essential to guide FAO’s technical cooperation in the design and implementation ofplansandprojectstailored totheneedsofthecountries, andinlinewiththepriorities defined by governments at thehighestpoliticallevel.

In this regard, the reflections and resolutions arising from the updating and subsequent approval of the new CELAC FNS Plan also represent a significant contribution to the FAO RegionalConference.

Aregional commitment is underway for food security and a sustainable future US views of Cheddi...

Frompage05

how dare they question the judgment, the commitment, the dedication of our fraternal brothers in the Soviet Union who protect us? He went on and on and on. So he gave this little speech and they broke for lunch and when they came back he was sitting next to Brezhnev From that point

onhewasalwaysafrontrow guy for the next twenty years.Hemovedup.Healso got a Dacha on the Black Sea.

(Jagan returned to Guyanaandtransformedthe PPP the following year, 1969, into an official “MarxistLeninistparty.)

Sincerely,

RaviDev

2024 could represent a decisive year for Latin America and the Caribbean to make progress in combating hunger and malnutrition and achieving more resilient and sustainable production systems.

During 2023, we have consolidated a deep process of alliances, consensus, and dialogue that will soon be part of the FAO Regional Conference.

We are in the final stretchofpreparationforour Regional Conference to be h e l d i n M a r c h i n

The preparation of the Regional Conference includes an extensive consultation process involving different stakeholders, such as the private sector, academia, civil society, and parliamentarygroups;andof course, the participation of government officials from the thirty-three FAO Member Countries; as well as the presence of Heads of State and Ministers of Agriculture and other sectors committed to the search for more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems. We hope that the results of the Conference, translated into FAO’s m a n d a t e , w i l l b e consolidated as a tangible response.

The success of these efforts will depend on the collaboration of all to make the hope of a world without hungerareality

Quiko Village undertakes large-scale cash crop cultivation

Quiko, a small Amerindian village situated in the South Central Rupununi,RegionNine,has recently made significant strides towards achieving food security and financial stability by embarking on large-scale cash crop cultivation. The four-acre savannah farm was commissioned by the Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai on Mondayduringhervisittothe community

Crops such as sweet peppers,Bora,eschalot,and watermelon among others

varieties are being cultivated on the savannah farm Quiko’s Senior Councillor, Ronald Ignatius during a short interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) highlightedthatthehotmeal programmes for school children will be supported bythisproject.

“Our main crop is cash cropsasyoucanlookaround We have eschalot those crops that are cash crops to supply hot meals, private entitiesthatdocateringandso (on),” he further expounded Whileincomegenerationisan important factor, creating employment opportunities for residents is another crucial elementoftheproject.

“(We are) creating job opportunities (by) having this large farm. We decided to employ persons in the community that have children attending secondary schools in order tohaveanincomeattheend oftheday(and)otheryoung peopletohaveaknowledge o f t h i s f a r m i n g (techniques),” the senior

councillor said Ignatius notedthatthisinitiativewas conceived holistically by thecommunity,recognising the importance of food safety and while they faced some challenges in its development, they were abletopersevere.

Meanwhile, Minister Sukhai commended the leadership for the initiative and congratulated the village on their achievement This achievement was made possiblethroughtheprovision of$9millioninfundingmade available through the sale of Guyana’scarboncreditunder t h e L o w C a r b o n Development Strategy (LCDS2030)

Revenuesearnedfromthe saleofcarboncreditsbecame possibleafterthegovernment in 2023 signed a multi-year, SUs$750 million agreement with global energy giant –Hess Corporation – that will see25millionincreditsbeing soldtothecompanyannually ThefirstpaymentofUS$150 millionwasreceivedin2023 And, aligned with the commitmentcontainedinthe LCDS2030,US$225million (GY47B) was disbursed to over 200 Amerindian, hinterland, rural and riverine communities/villages. This has allowed villages such as Quiko, to chart their own development and prosperity as well as achieve selfsufficiency by investing in priority areas such as agriculture,tourism,women andyouthandotherincomegenerating initiatives Quikoservesasanexcellent example of how targeted investmentsinremoteareas can have a positive and sustainableimpact.(DPI)

Summoned to court, but the magistrate and lawyers not ready

DEAREDITOR, I was summoned as a witnesstoappearinCourtat the Election Fraud Case today (6th March), to be present at the Court at 8:30 a.m.On arrivalIwas shown toaschoolbenchdownstairs by a Police Sergeant (described as a waiting

room)whoinformedmethat theCourtwasnotyetopen.

I noted, as I sat there in increasing discomfort, that thevariouslawyersinvolved beganrollinginaround9:30 a.m to 10:00 a.m, including theleaddefencelawyer,Mr NigelHughes.

There is a long flight of

two(2)setsofstairstogetto the Court Hardlysuitablefor anelderlyperson Havingheard nothingfurther,atabout10:00 amImadetheeffort,climbed the stairs and entered the courtroom,whichisatleastairconditioned and has chairs, to discover that arguments were still proceeding, leading to the eventual postponement by the Magistrate to the 2ndApril, 2024

While in the Court my name was called, and I remarked that I was present in the Court and fed-up for havingbeenmadetowaitin thisfashionatmyage.

Iwritethislettertopoint out that it is utterly disgraceful for the Court to summon anyone, never mind anyoneatmyage,tobepresent

at 8:30 a m when the Magistrate and the lawyers involved presume to attend Court much later than the time the witnesses are summoned and, worse, that absolutely no provision is made for elderly persons attendingtheCourt.

I was made to suffer a similar indignity when attending a traffic court case, since last year February, which wasnotmyfaultsincetwo(2)cars ranintothebackofmycarand which, to date, is yet to be settled Itiscertainlytimethat theChancelloroftheJudiciary revisit, in my view, the administrationofourCourtsin what is supposed to be a civilizedcountry

Yourssincerely, KitNascimento

Fury after ExxonMobil chief says public to blame for climate failures

...Darren Woods tells Fortune consumers not willing to pay for clean-energy transition, prompting backlash from climate experts

(THE GUARDIAN)

Theworldisofftracktomeet its climate goals and the public is to blame, Darren Woods,chiefexecutiveofoil giant ExxonMobil, has claimed – prompting a backlash from climate experts.

As the world's largest investor-owned oil company, Exxon is among thetopcontributorstoglobal planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions. But in an interview, published on Tuesday, Woods argued that big oil is not primarily responsible for the climate crisis.

The real issue, Woods said,isthattheclean-energy

transition may prove too expensive for consumers' liking “The dirty secret nobody talks about is how muchallthisisgoingtocost and who's willing to pay for it,” he told Fortune last week. “The people who are generating those emissions need to be aware of and pay thepriceforgeneratingthose emissions.Thatisultimately howyousolvetheproblem.”

Woods said the world was “not on the path” to cut its planet-heating emissions to net zero by 2050, which scientistssayisimperativeto avoid catastrophic impacts ofglobalheating.“Whenare people going to willing to pay for carbon reduction?”

said Woods, who has been Exxon's chief executive since 2017 “We have opportunities to make fuels with lower carbon in it, but people aren't willing to spendthemoneytodothat.”

ExpertssayWoods'srhetoric is part of a larger attempt to skirt climate accountability No new major oil and gas infrastructure can be built if the world is to avoid b r e a c h i n g a g r e e d temperature limits but Exxon, along with other major oil companies currently basking in record profits, is pushing ahead with aggressive fossil-fuel expansionplans.

“It's like a drug lord

GTUC joins court fight against Govt’s move to cut teachers’ salaries

The Guyana Trades UnionCongress(GTUC)has been granted permission to join the High Court case of the Guyana Teachers' Union ( G T U ) v e r s u s t h e GovernmentofGuyana.

The application was granted by Justice Sandil KissoonintheHighCourton Wednesday The GTU has challenged Government's decision to deduct pay from the salaries of striking teachers and also blocking the administration from moving ahead with a decision to discontinue the deduction of union dues from the salaries of teachers onbehalfoftheUnion.

The GTUC said in a statementonMonday,thatas thefederatedbody,underthe rules, it is the duty of the GTUC to represent its affiliates on matters of national importance. The GTUC says it is the largest u m b r e l l a L a b o u r Organisation with 14 trade unions that represent teachers, and other workers at universities, and in clerical,technicalandskilled tradepositionsinavarietyof areas including mining, education, transport, maritime and local government, electricity,

bargainingisprotectedinthe International Labour Convention,theConstitution andLawsofGuyana.

blaming everyone but himself for drug problems,” said Gernot Wagner, a climate economist at Columbia business school. “Ihatetotellyou,butyou're the chief executive of the largest publicly traded oil company, you have influence, you make decisionsthatmatter.Exxon are at the mercy of markets but they are also shaping them, they are shaping policy So no, you can't blame the public for the failure to fix climate change.”

Troves of internal documents and analyses have over the past decade establishedthatExxonknew of the dangers of global heating as far back as the 1970s, but forcefully and successfully worked to sow doubt about the climate crisis and stymie action to clamp down on fossil fuel usage. The revelations have inspired litigation against ExxonacrosstheUS.

manufacturing, public service, works and sea defence and inibus m

transportation across Guyana.“The GTUC wants this nation….to understand that we all stand with our teachers, from nursery throughout our education pursuits. Today the nation's public-schoolteachers,from nursery to secondary are demonstrating for better conditions of work. We all havetherightandtheGTUC as the federated body for teachers stands proud with every single teacher in the struggle.” Further, the GTUC underscored that the teachers' right to collective

General Secretary of the GTUC, Lincoln Lewis said that he has been advised by Attorney-at-Law Roysdale Forde that while the GTU's case is about matters related to the teaching profession, the action raises significant and important legal matters which go to the core of industrial relations and its practice and workers' rights. Further, Forde advised Lewis that the legal issues involve the examination of thenatureofandextentofthe Constitutional fundamental rights of association and assembly, property and the Constitutional rights of Trade Unions to enter into Collective Agreements and their workers to strike. “The determination of the aforesaid significant and importantlegalissueswould impacttheoperationsofeach of the constituent members of the GuyanaTrades Union Congress and the rights of the approximately 27,000 employeeswhoaremembers ofthemembersUnionsofthe Guyana Trades Union Congress,”theGTUCleader said.

“What they're really trying to do is to whitewash their own history, to make it invisible,” said Robert Brulle, an environment policy expert at Brown University who has researched climate disinformationspreadbythe fossil-fuel industry A 2021 analysis also demonstrated that Exxon had downplayed its own role in the climate crisis for decades in publicfacing messaging “The playbook is this: sell consumers a product that you know is dangerous, while publicly denying or downplaying those dangers. Then, when the dangers are no longer deniable, deny responsibilityand blamethe consumer,” said Naomi Oreskes,aHarvardhistorian of science and co-author of the2021paper

Last year, another study co-authored by Oreskes found that Exxon's own scientists “correctly and skillfully” predicted the trajectory of global warming,thenspentdecades sowing doubt about climate scienceandpoliciesinorder toprotectitsbusinessmodel.

IntheTuesdayinterview, however, Woods says the world “waited too long” to develop carbon-free

technologies.HesaidExxon “recognized the need to decarbonize” and that a carbon tax would help achieve this, while also defending the oil giant's comparatively meager investment in renewable energy, pointing to focus upon more nascent technologies,suchascarbon capture and hydrogen fuels. Exxon does not “see the ability to generate aboveaverage returns for investors” from established cleanenergygenerationsuch as wind and solar, Woods said.“We recognize a need forthat.Wejustdon'tseethat as an appropriate use of ExxonMobil's capabilities,” he added. Woods does not mention that his company lobbied to fend off provisions in an earlier versionofthelegislationthat would have levied heavy taxes on polluting companiestopayforclimate efforts, or that a top Exxon lobbyist was filmed saying that the firm's support for a carbon tax was a public relations strategy meant to stall more serious climate policies.“For decades, they told us that the science was too uncertain to justify action,thatitwaspremature toact,andthatwecouldand should wait and see how things developed,” said Oreskes. “Now the CEO says: oh dear, we've waited too long If this isn't gaslighting, I don't know what is.” Wagner said that Exxon was touting its ambition to slash the emissions of its own operationswhilealsobetting that the rest of the world won'tdothesame,inorderto continuesellingoil.

“He can't have it both ways in saying 'we are an energy company' but then basically ignoring the

cheapestsourceofelectricity in history as something Exxon should be investing in,” he said The video interviewcomesasExxonis pursuing a lawsuit against activistshareholderswhoare aimingtopushExxontotake up stricter environmental s t a n d a r d s T h o s e shareholders, Woods said, were trying to stop Exxon's central business model of selling oil and gas, which it won'taccedeto.“Wewantto catertotheshareholderswho are real investors, who have an interest in seeing this company succeed in generating return on their investments,” he said. “We don't feel a responsibility to activists that hijack that process and frankly, abuse it to advance an ideology ”Exxon has received subsidies to build outitscleanenergybusiness from the 2022 Inflation ReductionAct,Fortunechief executive Alan Murray pointed out in the interview But Woods argued that

“building a business on government subsidy is not a long-term sustainable strategy”.“The way that the government is incentivized and trying to catalyze investments in this space is through subsidies,” he said. “Driving significant investments at a scale that even gets close to moving the needle is going to cost a lot of money.” But the vast majority of Exxon's own investments are still being put toward fossil fuel expansion,saidBrulle.“This iswhattheydo:they'regoing to basically blame the victim, the American public,” he said “They spend on fossil fuels and they spend billions trying to influencepublicopinion,but we're supposed to foot the billforthedamage.”

General Secretary of the GTUC, Lincoln Lewis

ExxonMobil Chairman and CEO, Darren Woods

“Leh she talk wuh make she get duh lash,” man accused of unlawful wounding tells court

“Leh she talk wuh make she get duh lash,” a 24-year-old man told a city court on Wednesday after he was charged with unlawful wounding, threatening and abusive language.

TheprosecutorrelatedintheGeorgetown Magistrates' Court that the accusedAnthony Bartholomew on Monday at about 17:05hrs, visited the virtual complainant's home, located at House Street, Charlestown. Upon his arrival, he was reportedly stopped from enteringthehomebytheentranceofthegate. Followingthat,anargumentensuedbetween them,whichresultedinBartholomewpicking up a beer bottle that was on the ground and dealt the woman a lash to the region of her head. Subsequently, the virtual complainant went to the Ruimveldt Police Station where shefiledareportonwhattranspiredandthen soughtmedicalattention.

In court, it was heard that the woman received stitches to where she was dealt the lash.OnWednesday,Bartholomewmadehis first court appearance before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman, where three charges were read to him. The accused was charged for unlawful wounding; threatening language, and abusive language, causing a breachofthepeace.

Thefatherofonepleadednotguiltytoall ofthecharges.Duringthecourtproceedings,

theprosecutionobjectedtobailbasedonthe nature and gravity of the offences. The prosecution also highlighted that the penalty for the charge of unlawful wounding is 18 monthsimprisonment.Bailwasalsoobjected under the circumstance that Bartholomew doesnothaveafixedplaceofabode.

Upon hearing the prosecutor's fact, Bartholomewwasquicktosay:“Lehshetalk wuhmakeshegetthelash.”Themanalleged inthecourtroomthatthevirtualcomplainant knocked him first and he retaliated. “When shedonelashmidownwithapieceahwood, thenIregisterwithduhbottle,”themansaid. Nevertheless, Magistrate Latchman placed him on $10,000 bail for the charge, threatening language and $10,000 bail for abusivelanguage,whilstbailwasrefusedon theunlawfulwoundingcharge.Bartholomew wasremandedtoprison.Hisnextcourtdateis setforApril10,2024.

64 organisations participated in Labour Ministry's labour laws seminar

The Ministry of Labour hosted another seminar focusing primarily on the conditions of workers and occupational safety and health (OSH) requirements, with the participation of 64 organisations covering 10,500employees.

The seminar was hosted at the Regency Suites Hotel, H a d f i e l d S t r e e t , Georgetown, on Wednesday and specifically targeted the private sector organisations in the oil and gas industry Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton highlighted the significance of these seminars, ensuring that employers and employees can understand matters

relatedtolabourregulations.

Hestatedthatscrutinybythe ministry's officers is executed equally across the spectrum to ensure that all workersaretreatedfairlyand protected.

“We expect that every employee must honour their obligations to their employees And also, employees must honour their obligations to their employers. Because many times, the focus is on the employer and what they arenotdoing,”hestressed.

Addressing the issue of training and development, Minister Hamilton underscored that workers should ensure that their

employers are paying attention to their upward mobility Similarly,hestated that employers also need to ensure that their staff members are not only qualifiedbutalsofullyaware of the company's processes. The minister also encouraged workers to always ask their employers for a copy of their signed contracts. This, he said, will provide them with information about their responsibilities, salary, and vacation leave, among other concerns.

Speaking directly to the oil and gas companies, he emphasised,“Weknowthat

(Continuedonpage16)

Father of two in court for allegedly stealing $120K iPhone, cash

Afatheroftwowasremandedtoprisonon Wednesday when he appeared at the GeorgetownMagistrates'Courtonachargeof robbery

Twenty-three-year-old Roberto Lewis also called 'Sap' appeared before Principal Magistrate,JudyLatchmanwherethecharge was read to him. The charge alleged that on February 21, 2024 at Water Street, Stabroek Georgetown, while being in the company of

another,Lewisrobbedthevirtualcomplainant of one iPhone 12 valued $120,000, and $20,000cash.Theaccusedpleadednotguilty tothecharge.

The prosecution objected to bail base, stating that Lewis was identified by the victim.MagistrateLatchmanrefusedbailand Lewis was remanded to prison He is scheduled to return to court onApril 3, 2024 forstatements.

44 female foreign nationals rescued from alleged traffickers at Red Dragon

As many as 44 female foreign nationals, who were allegedly trafficked, exploited and abused were rescued by policeonMondayattheRedDragonNight Club.

According to a report issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, on Monday around 02:30hrs, officers of the Guyana PoliceForce(GPF),CriminalInvestigation Department(CID),Counter-Traffickingin Persons(C-TIP)unit,TraffickinginPerson Unit,incollaborationwiththeMinistryof Human Services and Ministry of Home Affairs,weredispatchedtotheRedDragon Night Club, located on Robb Street, Georgetown, where they conducted a cordonandsearchoperation.

The report related that during the operation, 44femaleforeignnationalswerediscoveredand taken into protective care. The victims are currentlybeingofferedvariouscareservicesby the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security NotablytheGPFhasthenlaunchedan investigation into alleged acts of trafficking in persons, other forms of exploitation and abuse. Thereporthighlightedalsothatranksdiscovered a 32 Taurus pistol and eight rounds of ammunitiononthesaidpremises.

Furthermore, it was stated that the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, the GPF, and other antitraffickinginpersons'stakeholder,willcontinue to engage the public and monitor such establishments.

Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton addressing the gathering

TSmaller is better!

he public sector

c a n l e a r n valuable lessons from the success of the private sector in leveraging technology But more importantly, it can adapt the 80/20 principle to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness within the publicsector

Over the past few decades, we’ve witnessed a remarkable transformation in the local workforce. We have seen the adoption of technology leading to increased output, efficiency andproductivity.Traditional sectors such as banking, insurance, and retail have significantly reduced their workforce while achieving greatersuccess.

Forty years ago, insurancecompanies,banks, andmajordepartmentstores employed thousands of workers to manage their operations. Infact,onceyou hadpasseswithgoodgrades in five subjects at the GCE O’ Level examinations you couldliterallywalkintoany

of these sectors and obtain employment.

Not anymore With a d v a n c e m e n t s i n technology, these industries havebeenabletostreamline processes, automate tasks, and optimize resource allocation, resulting in a significantreductionintheir workforce Despite this downsizing, these businesses are now more successful than ever before, thanks to their ability to do morewithless.

Despitetherebeingmore banks and just as many insurance companies and much more shopping malls, technology has displaced thousands of potential workers.Yougotopayyour insurance premium or make a bank deposit and all the informationconcerningyour account is now on a computer in front of the teller, rather than he or she having to go and rummage through cards in some backroomtofindacardwith the details of your account. The computerization makes

the tellers’ work easier and savesyoutime.

However, the public sector has been slower to adapt to these changes. It is now more bloated than ever and still predominantly utilizingoutdatedprocesses. By embracing technology and implementing the 80/20 principle, the public sector can achieve substantial improvements in output and efficiency, similar or even superior to that seen in the privatesector

The key driver behind the success of private enterprise has been the strategic integration of technology into their operations. Tasks that once r e q u i r e d m a n u a l intervention can now be c o m p l e t e d , u s i n g technology, in a fraction of thetime.

There is no reason why the public sector cannot leverage technology to streamlineitsoperationsand improve service delivery Under Bharrat Jagdeo there was a lot of talk about e-

Excavatoroperatordigsuphuman remainsatNewAmsterdam

An excavator operator on Wednesday in Berbice was clearing some lands in the vicinity of the Guyana Revenue Authority, NewAmsterdamBerbice,whenhestumbled upontheskeletalremainsofahumanbeing.

Abagcontainingclothingwasalsofound near the remains. After the discovery, the

police were contacted.According to police, theyareunabletodetermineatthistimeifthe remains are male or female but the skull found is suspected to be of human origin. They said that a salt bag was found tied up nexttotheremainsanduponchecking,itwas discovered that there were several pieces of clothinginside. Investigationsareongoing.

DEM BOYS SEH

Public servants are still de best!

We gat some good public servants Dem does wuk hard, do dem wuk and get de job done.Butwegatmanywho could mek God cry.One time, a policeman, a firefighter, and a public servant meet up and dem start to debate about which oneofdemcandodemjob defastest.

The policeman brags, “I’m de fastest one out of thethree.Icanrespondtoa crime report in one minute.”

The firefighter says, “That’s nothing, I can run intoaburningbuildingand rescue someone in 30 seconds ” The public servantsbegantolaugh.He

responds, “I can work de daytime8:00amto4:30pm shift and be home by 2:00 pm.” Butinallfairness,we gat some public servants who does gat to endure all kinds of abuse. Tek fuh example dis doctor wah used to work in a public hospital.

Onedayaladycometo hisclinicandsays,“Doctor, I’ve not been feeling well lately.” The doctor did sometestsandlatertoldthe women, “Well, I’ve looked at your lab reports and I’m afraid I have some bad news ” The lady said, “Don’t give me this lab nonsense, you bureaucratic paper pusher! I don’t believe in scientific medicine anyway! I’ve

governance. But it started and ended at that: talk. It is only now that we are seeing some progress, slothful as it i s , i n p r o v i d i n g improvements in services providedbythegovernment, usingtechnology

There is no reason why passportapplicantsmustline up to submit their applications The country should have long moved to the point of submitting online applications Better arrangementscouldbemade for the payment of pensions and public assistance. By now all hardware stores, petrol stations and supermarkets should have been required by law to acceptelectronicpayments.

The United Kingdom government launched the Government Digital Service (GDS) to lead the digital transformation of public services This transition resulted in significant cost savings and improved citizensatisfaction.

Similarly, Estonia pioneered the concept of egovernment, leveraging technology to deliver seamless and efficient services to its citizens. By implementingdigitalIDs,evoting systems, and online tax filing platforms, Estonia has reduced bureaucracy, minimized corruption, and fosteredeconomicgrowth.

Buttechnologyisnotthe

only answer The public sector can benefit from adoptingthe80/20principle, also known as the Pareto Principle This principle suggests that 80% of results come from 20% of effort or causes. By identifying and focusingonthemostcritical tasks, processes, and initiatives, government agencies can achieve significant improvements in outputandefficiency

For example, instead of spreading resources thinly across all functions, agencies can prioritize initiatives that have the greatest impact on citizens’ lives. By reallocating resources to these highimpact areas, governments can deliver better outcomes withfewerresources.

But the 80/20 principle can also be applied to the size of the government’s workforce The crucial aspectofapplyingthe80/20 principle lies in recognizing the vital 20% of employees who contribute significantly toworkplaceachievements.

There exists a notable discrepancy in output and e ff i c i e n c y a m o n g government employees, with a small subset, approximately 20%, responsibleforabout80%of the output. By identifying this core employees within each Ministry, government agency, or corporation, can

lead to effectively streamlining of operations, reducing bureaucratic inefficiencies and decreasing the bloated central government workforce.

By pinpointing these critical individuals within any government ministry or agency, targeted reductions can be implemented, resulting in substantial cost savings amounting to billions of dollars annually. This savings can then be directed to facilitating highersalaries.

But that is easier said thandone.Whoiswillingto bell the cat: getting rid of persons over the age of 65, removing the sinecure appointees including those who are being employed simply because of past political service or their friendshipwithgovernment, and removing the square pegswhoareexpectedtofill the round holes in public administration?

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this n e w s p a p e r a n d i t s affiliates.)

b e e n f o l l o w i n g homeopathic medicine, faith-based approaches, and healing crystals all my life, and they never let me down. Now, will you do thingsmyway,ordoIneed to talk to the hospital management?”

The doctor took a deep breathandsaid,“Sure,sure, lady. We’ll do things your way. Does an astrologybased approach work for you?” The lady answered, “That’sbetter!Ofcourse,it would!”

The doctor asked, “What’syourbirthsign?”

The lady said, “Cancer.”

The doctor replied, “Wellwhatacoincidence!”

TalkHalf!LeffHalf!

Govt. and Opposition should present oil plans simultaneously

Thereisanunderstanding of protecting trade secrets, keeping valuable proprietary information under lock and key The names of key

people who contribute to a blueprint of potentially g r o u n d b r e a k i n g developments being held undertightwrapisalsogiven

a nod of approval. Having said all this, I still think that Leader of the Opposition, Mr Aubrey Norton, is too tight, and could do better

This is even within the narrow confines with which heisforcedtooperate.

Forstarters,nopolitician, noperson,withhisheadstill on,wouldwanttodeliveron a platter what gives the competition an edge I wouldn't The PPP is competition, a bitter and formidable competitive presence, an often criminal one. Hence, there is the continuing need for maintainingguard. ThePPP isalsothegovernmentofthe day,soitshouldbetakingthe lead in sharing with the Guyanese electorate, the entire citizenry for that matter, the nature and extent ofitsoilandgasplans.

Where are those, may I ask, other than the esteemed and omniscient Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, holdingcourtinhisdurbaron Thursdays with his tidbits, and most of which time is spent hurling curses at perceivedenemies,including Mr Norton?

The PPP Government is leading the oil and gas charge,isinfullchargeofit, sotheprimeresponsibilityto discloseitsplanslandsthere. Again,wherearethoseplans isthequestionasked.

This, however, does not letOppositionLeaderNorton off the hook. In my humble consideration, he still has a dutytosharewiththisnation someofwhatheandhisteam of experts and advisers finalized as their vision for this most prized of national sectors.

It should be noted that I limited myself to 'some' of what he has in hand. The broad outlines that do not reveal too much detail, that donotgiveawayanything. I think that that would be helpful,foritgivesaglimpse intowhattheoppositionhas, confirms that it has done someheavystudiesandhard work.

Thatwhatishasprovides, foodforthought. Thiscould

go a far way in persuading Guyanesethattheopposition and its leader (and team) are allworthlisteningto,andnot blowing smoke. Sharing some of what the opposition has its merits. It could even putthePPPGovernmentand BharratJagdeo(heisthePPP Government) on the back foot.

Tosaythisdifferently,we have something and there is willingness to share some of it, so what does the PPP Governmenthave? Idohave a qualifier, though, that I think should be part of the tactics of any opposition in the public disclosure of any oilandgasplans.

The government has to go first, take the first step, make the first delivery If thatsoundsone-sided,itisn't. Because this fella Jagdeo is suchaseasonedandcunning operator,Iwouldnotadvance anythingtohim.

W h a t I w o u l d recommend to the Opposition Leader is that he challenges Jagdeo to bring his oil and gas plans. After all,visionandstrategyarein hishands,andheshouldhave bothdocumented(notjustin his jammed head) and put themonthetable.

The opposition would simultaneously do the exact same thing. In this way, the two groups both get to have the fullest view of what the other has, through a side-byside review and comparison. In cordial circumstances, therecouldbeanexchangeof constructive commentaries frombothsides.

Such action by both the government and the opposition would prove that each side has something that measures up as reasonable and competent oil and gas plans.

Instead of hollering at one another, trying to outmachooneanother,andbring downoneanother,Iurgethat there be thinking of what putting heads together could

mean,whereitcouldlead.

Longandloudhavebeen the laments about lack of capacity in many sectors, especiallythefledglingfossil fuels sector It would represent a signal to the Guyanese people that, thoughcapacityisatthestate that it is, there is still doing our best (putting heads together) to get the best (possibly reengineered visions, and refined plans) out of what we have. When thePPPGovernmentandthe Opposition (whatever its composition) look at their plans in a matrix situation, much learning and growing could be possible. I will be the first to admit that I am speaking about what my fellows may dismiss as a differentworld. Iinsistthatit is not a perfect one, but one that is, at least more mature, more discerning of the great gift and the great responsibilities that reside in the hands of the leaders of thisnation.

The Vice President has proven his glaring limitations, has nothing to show on oil, beside rantings. It is why he always try to wiggle,worm,andweaselhis wayoutoftightcorners,and hard questions with jargon and hogwash that is conspicuous in its paltriness forGuyanese.

Finally, I am flexible on namingtheeightmembersof the opposition's oil and gas team.

I would hold back a few names,theonesthatareaces. Insteadofthiscat-and-mouse game, both the PPP Government (Jagdeo), and theoppositionshouldpresent their plans for this sector Together Simultaneously

(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 opinions and beliefs of this newspaperanditsaffiliates.)

‘Guyanese Critic’ asked to pay $80M for death of crane operator

Alawyer'sletterhasbeen sent to Tepui Group Inc, a company which is owned Mikhail 'Critic' Rodrigues seeking $80 million in compensation for the death of crane operator Shon AnthonyJoseph.

LastOctober,Joseph,34, ofLot76Village,Corentyne, Berbice was killed after a crane toppled at a wharf under construction Lot 49 Parker Street, Providence, EastBankDemerara(EBD). Attorney- at-law, Roysdale Forde acting on behalf of Kimmervie Shemesha Isa Pellew, the wife of the deceased crane operator, wrote to the Director of Tepui Group Inc, Mr Winston Martindale informing him of their intention to pursue legal recourse if the settlement is not reached He noted however, Pellew was advised to settle the matter amicably

“…Iaminstructedbymy client that she is prepared to accept compensation in the sum of $80 million… In the circumstances, we expect a response to this letter by the th15 day of March 2024, failing which legal proceedings will be instituted against your company,” Forde noted in theletter

According to the letter

datedMarch5,2024,Joseph diedatProvidenceEastBank Demerara during his course of employment at the company's worksite Following the death of the crane operator last October, police issued a statement noting that Joseph was contractedtobuildawharfat thelocationandwhilehewas performing his duties, the crane toppled. Police said Joseph jumped from the falling crane to save his life but ended up getting pinned afterthemachinefellonhim.

Rodrigues later visited the work site and identified himself, as the Public Relationsconsultantwiththe company He told reporters that the workplace accident took place while the crane operator was driving a pile. “…he was driving a pile, somemovementhappenedat thefootingofthepileandthe cranetilted”,Rodriguessaid. He called the incident unfortunate and added that his company is working alongwiththefamily

Thepopularsocialmedia commentator was later accused of collecting $5 million dollars from prominent businessman Nazar Mohamed to 'settle' withthefamilybutneverdid. In a statement on its Facebook Page, Team Mohamed said, “During the

encounter with the family, Mr NazarMohamedlearned that all Critic did for the family was to extend his sympathy,gavethemamere $460,000 and attended the funeral.”

Te a m M o h a m e d continued, “Mr Nazar Mohamed was shocked whenheheardthisnewsand felt compelled to intervene” beforeadding“Itisworthyto notethatonOctober7,2023, 'Critic' visited his office at Lombard Street and collected $5 million under thepretextof“settling”with the family of Mr Joseph but thisneverhappened.”

The senior Mohamed reportedly said, “This is unbelievable, I cannot understand that human beings could be so cruel, lookatthisfamily,theirmain breadwinnerisgone,lookat these children, who will nurture and take care of them,myGod”.

The Critic has however denied claims that he collected $5M from Team Mohamed to settle with the family of the dead crane operator but only gave them $460,000. In response to Te a m M o h a m e d ' s allegations, 'Critic' said, “Mohamed can't give me money fuh me contract fuh settle anything with anybody”.

Charges against ex-cop withdrawn by DPP in “Saga” killing case

The charges against former policeman,DerwinEastmanwere withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Senior Counsel ShalimarAli-Hacksixyearsafterhewasfirst charged and remanded to prison for the murderofGodfreyScipiocalled'Saga'. This publication understands that Eastman was released from prison on Mondayfollowingthedecision.

EastmanwaschargedinDecember2017, for the October 2017 killing alongside another policeman Jameson Williams. The matter was being heard in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Senior Magistrate,FabayoAzore.OnNovember27, 2020, Magistrate Azore had stated that sufficientevidencewaspresentedtothecourt fortheduotobeimplicatedinthemurder–a prima facie case was made out against EastmanandWilliams.

As a result of the ruling, Eastman and Williamsoptedtoleadtheirdefence.In2022 both men commenced calling witnesses to leadtheirdefence.

Followingthisprocess,MagistrateAzore committed Eastman to stand trial at the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Assizes,

Released, Derwin Eastman

before a judge and jury, and the matter was dischargedagainstWilliams.

According to reports, Scipio of Lot 'ZZ' 22 D'Urban Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown,hadbeensellingattheBerbice

(Continuedonpage15)

The toppled crane at the scene

Mikhail Rodrigues known as the ‘Guyanese Critic’

Chinese company eyes stone mining in gold-rich Mazaruni District

HMS Mining Inc., a Chinese company headed by Tangzhou Liuhassubmittedanapplicationto the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for permission to conduct stone mining in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni Mining District inRegionSeven.

The Mazaruni district, nestled in Guyana's Essequibo Region, boastsabundantmineralresources, particularly gold, with several foreignminingoperationsslatedto commence production by 2027, including the gold project of Canadian mining company Omai. Currently, Aurora Gold Mines (AGM), led by Chinese firm Zijin Mining Inc., stands as the largest goldoperationinGuyana.

HMS proposed Wineperu Quarry, is situated in Mazaruni Mining District No. 3, and covers anareaof743acres.Itisprojected to yield an estimated 6.1 million tonsofaggregates.

Thequarry'sstrategiclocation, coupled with its abundant resources, presents promising potential for operations–it was statedintheprojectsummary.The project entails a startup capital of US$3.46 million and a total investment of US$17.7 million, withanannualproductiontargetof

$4.3B

1,200,000 tons of stone and a 10yearminelifeexpectancy

The quarry's mineral reserves, predominantly Gabbro and Granodiorite, are well-suited for construction and sea defense purposes.“IthasbothGabbroand Granodiorite.

The Gabbro is suited for construction, whereas; the Granodiorite is suited for sea defense. They have been found in substantialquantityandnumerous outcrops The Gabbro has an estimated reserve of 6.9 million tons of aggregates,” the document states. Notably, HMS aims to supply various fractions of boulders, gabions, and crushed aggregates to meet market demands.

The company noted in the document submitted to Guyana's environmental body that the project's environmental assessment and management plan prioritize adherence to regulatory standards, aiming to mitigate potential impacts on wildlife, vegetation,andwaterquality.

Located approximately 28 km south of Bartica, the project area encompasses communities like Rockstone, Wineperu, and Sherima Crossing. HMS stated that while no significant

archaeological sites have been identified within the concession area, any discoveries during the project's lifespan will be duly reported to relevant authorities.

The proposed project underscores the quarrying industry's pivotal role in providing essential construction materials while highlighting sustainable practices to balance environmental,

economic, and social considerations.

Following an environmental screening process, the EPA has determinedthattheprojectwillnot significantly impact the environment and thus is exempt from the requirement for an EnvironmentalImpactAssessment (EIA). Factors considered include the project's location amidst

similarlanduseactivities,minimal impact on nearby communities, andmeasurestomitigatenoise,air quality, biodiversity loss, and waterqualityconcerns.

While the EPA's decision marksapivotalstepintheapproval process, affected parties retain the right to lodge an appeal within thirty days of the notice's publication.

in contracts awarded for EBD road project

The Schoonord to Crane road in Region Three which is being undertaken by the Housing Ministry.

The wideni

of the

d

between Massy Road, Windsor Estate and Greenfield Road on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) would cost government a total of $4.305 billion to execute.

Accordingtoinformation gleaned from the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board's website on February 21, 2024, it awarded a total of seven contracts in relation to the road project. The Road Widening and Enhancement Worksbetweenthatstretchof road is a project being undertaken by the Central Housing and Planning Authority(CHPA)anagency under the Ministry of Housing and Water The project is divided into seven lots The NPTAB on its website revealed that undertakingtheworksatLot 1 is contractor Aronco Services Inc. to the tune of

$899,491,514; Lot 2 was awarded to S Jagmohan Construction and General S u p p l i e s I n c f o r $956,839,800; Lot 3 was awarded to AJM Enterprise for $987,330,750; Lot 4 was awarded to Japarts Construction Inc for $980,789,996; Lot 5 was awardedtoValsConstruction to the tune of $723,800,333; Lot 6 was awarded to GuyAmerica Construction Inc. for $866,892,075; wand Lot 7 was awarded to Gaico Construction and General Services Inc., to the tune of $857,674,545.

As reported, the Housing Ministryhasbeenrollingout a number of roads projects over the years to improve communities' connectivity Also the building and enhancingofroadwaysforms partoftheministry'shousing agenda where it has been improving and opening new and existing housing areas acrossthecountry

It was also reported that to support the ministry's overall agenda this year, the National Assembly had approved a budget of $100.5 billion for advancing of the ministry's projects and

programmes. Part of that allocation, a sum of $76.517 billion was specifically earmarked for housing development, with $69.317 billion allocated for highways, including projects

such as Eccles to Diamond, Great Diamond, Meer –Zorgen to Schoonord, Schoonord to Crane, and Great Diamond to Craig just tonameafew

The allocation also

covers infrastructural works, such as the construction of roads, bridges, water distribution, electrical networks, and land preparation in both new and existinghousingareas.

Led by Red Thread Women, protestors in front of the President's Office on Wednesday during their continueddemandforanunlimited parent company guarantee from ExxonMobilsaidthattheAmerican oilgiantanditspartnersarecashing in from Guyana's resources while “poorpeople”herearesuffering.

Red Thread Women lead a protest on the first Wednesday of every month in front of the President Office demanding full protectionforGuyanainthecaseof anoilspill.

The recent oil spill in Tobago has motivated them to intensify protest actions During Wednesday's protest under cloudy skies and passing showers, protestors did not hold back on making it known that Guyana is being shortchanged from its own oil resources by ExxonMobil and itspartners.

One woman held a placard which reads: “Exxon and the big ones cashing in Poor people

suffering!” Another woman standing beside her said with her placard,“Exxoneyespasswe”.

A short distance away pacing back and forth, another protestor held a placard that stated, “We are the owners of these resources, not beggars”.

Meanwhile, others continued calls for a signed parent company guarantee from ExxonMobil to help Guyana foot the bill if an oil spill should occur The women have been relentless in their calls and have been protesting for this cause since last year but the government has failed to listen to their demands. Nevertheless, they are not backing down because according to Red Thread the Tobago oil spill is a warning of what can happen in Guyana if the sameoccurshere.

“The oil spill in Tobago which has now reached the Dutch Caribbean and the ongoing avoidanceanddenialandcover-up (instead of cleanup) which stretches to Guyana, should be a

‘Exxon and the big ones cashing in while poor people suffering’

warning” RedThreadWomen said onitsFacebookPagebeforeadding “ Yuh really believe Exxon cares? Especially with the government prepared to go to court to bat for them, against its own citizens who itclaimstorepresent?”

Citizens had reportedly taken ExxonMobil to court to provide Guyana with a signed unlimited parentcompanyGuarantee.

OnMay3,2023,JusticeSandil Kissoon ruled in favour of the applicants, ordering Exxon to provide the unlimited parent guarantee within 30 days. Failure by the company to comply would have resulted in the suspension of theLizaOnePermit.

Instead of standing with the citizens,thegovernmentofGuyana teamed-up with the American oil company to appeal the ruling, arguing that it would suffer grave losses if the company's Permit is suspended.

Thegovernmenthasreportedly acceptedaUS$2Bparentcompany in addition to a US$600M insurance from ExxonMobil. It claims that the US$2B has already been lodged but has failed to provideevidenceofitsexistence.

While the government is satisfied with US$2B, oil and gas experts and the Former head of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),Dr VincentAdamshassaid that the sum is significantly inadequatetocovercostsforanoil spill.

Aware that this is true, the governmentnowhasitseyesseton the assets of the foreign oil companies with high stakes in the lucrative Stabroek block to potentiallybeleveragedinGuyana inresponsetoanoilspill.

On Wednesday, Kaieteur News reported that although the deal for Chevron to acquire Hess Corporation is yet to be finalised, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has

alreadysethiseyesontheassetsof Chevrontopotentiallybeleveraged in Guyana for other purposes, includingrespondingtoanoilspill.

Thesubjectofthecompany'sassets was raised following concerns of stakeholders that Guyana would havetofootthecostofaspill,since theoperatoroftheStabroekBlock, ExxonMobilGuyanaLimiteddoes not have assets in the country to handleaspill.

It must be noted too that oil companiesoperatinginGuyanaare only subsidiaries and a vast majorityoftheassetsinthecountry have already been paid for by Guyana or are currently being financed by this country, through costrecovery

In fact, the former Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Vincent Adams in

responsetotheVP'scommentssaid that the politician wants to sell Guyana's assets to cover the costs ofaspill.

On the other hand, Jagdeo had alsoacknowledgedthatsomeofthe assets were being leased by the company, after this was raised by Kaieteur News “Exactly”, Jagdeo said while adding, “And I pointed this out about the leasing if they leaseassets,itwon'tbeavailableto ussoyouhavetodiscountforallof those”.

Nevertheless, Jagdeo is still positivethatevenifGuyanacannot get all of the foreign company's assets, a substantial amount will still remain for Guyana in addition totheUS$2BExxonMobiloilspill guaranteethatGuyanaisstilltosee evidence of, and a US$600M insurance.

Govt. to pay road contractor $176M

...as appeal court upholds arbitration award

The Guyana Court of Appeal has upheld the appeal by Azad MirzaofFalconTransportationand Construction Services against the AttorneyGeneralofGuyana.

The Court of Appeal set aside the judgment of Justice Navindra Singh and ordered that the rd Arbitration Award made on the 3 February, 2017 to Azad Mirza of $179,946,850 be enforced. The appealaroseoutofadisputebythe Ministry of Agriculture and Azad Mirza in respect to the Canals Polder Control Structures and AccessRoads.Thisisaccordingto a press release from attorney for MirzaSeniorCounselK.A.JumanYassin. The lawyer explained that before the arbitration was completed, one of the three members of the tribunal resigned, which saw the other two members proceeding with the process and awarding Mirza more than $176,000,000.

According to the release, an applicationwassubsequentlymade totheHighCourtforthearbitration award to be enforced but Justice Franklyn Holder had ruled at the time that the arbitration tribunal was not properly constituted Justice Holder had held that after the resignation of one of the arbitrators, the tribunal was

“wrong” to have proceeded with onlytheremainingtwomembers.

The release said that as result, Mirza then proceeded to have another arbitration tribunal appointedbuthiseffortstohavethe Ministry ofAgriculture appoint its arbitrator was unsuccessful. The release detailed that as a result of this, Mirza made an application to the High Court in 2016 for the appointment of an arbitration tribunal. AzadMirzainformedthe Court that his appointee to the arbitration panel was Edward Gonsalves who had served on the firstarbitrationtribunal.

According to the release, the Attorney General was represented by Counsel and there was no objection to the appointment of EdwardGonsalvesasamemberof thearbitrationtribunal.

ItexplainedthattheMinistryof Agriculture subsequently selected George Howard as their representative on the panel Howeverashorttimeafter,George Howard declined the appointment as he indicated that there may be a conflict of interest as he was to be employedbytheGovernment.The Ministry of Agriculture was given time to appoint another person but failed to do so. As a consequence Justice Persaud appointed Leon

Rutherford and both Edward Gonsalves and Leon Rutherford appointed Maurice Veecock to be the third arbitrator The new arbitration panel met and after several meetings but without any input from the Ministry of Agriculture, despite several requests being made for their attendance and defense, an award in the sum of $179,946,850 was rd made on the 3 February, 2017 in favorofAzadMirza.

No payment was made by the Ministry of Agriculture which resulted in an application to the HighCourtbeingfiledforanorder that the award made be enforced. The matter came up before then JusticeRishiPersaudbutbeforehe could conclude it, he was elevated totheCourtofAppeal.

The matter was then heard by Justice Navindra Singh who dismissed the application on the following grounds – that the application was illogical and illadvised,therewasnoapplicationto the Court for the appointment of a newarbitrationpanel. Singhnoted that there was no evidence on the record that the parties had consentedinanymannerorformto designate the Court to be the Appointing Authority and that the Ministry of Agriculture nor the

Attorney General had participated intheprocessintheappointmentof the new tribunal and there was no Order of Court specifically appointingEdwardGonsalves.

Juman-Yassin S C in his presentationtotheCourtofAppeal which was constituted by Justice Cummings-Edwards – Chancellor (ag), Madam Justice of Appeal

Dawn Gregory and Justice Sandra Kurtzioussubmittedthat–interalia the appointment of theArbitration Tribunal by the then Justice Rishi Persaud was proper and was done

withtheknowledgeoftheMinistry ofAgriculture as they participated andhadselectedGeorgeHowardas theirchoiceofarbitrator, therewas noobjectiontotheappointmentby theCourtofEdwardGonsalvesand therewasinfactanOrderofCourt with respect to the appointment of Edward Gonsalves that the M i n i s t r y o f Agriculture/Respondent was stoppedfrompleadingthatEdward Gonsalveswasbiasbecausehehad been a member of the first arbitration.

Charges against ex-cop withdrawn by...

Frompage11

ocar park for several years, and wasknownforwearinglotsofgold jewellery Accordingtothepolice, he was shot in the chest as he was leavingacityhotelonOctober27, 2017.Ex-con,AubreyBobb,27,of Kitty,Georgetown,wasthefirstto be committed to stand trial in the High Court for the murder of the businessman. After Bobb was arrested for the murder, he implicated Eastman and Williams in the crime.Bobb alleged that Eastman was the mastermindbehindSaga'smurder, since he allegedly provided the weapon. Police had stated that Bobb was nabbed at his William Street, Kitty, Georgetown home,

which is located a few buildings from where the killing occurred. Kaieteur News had reported that CCTV footage of the attack had helped investigators to identify and track him down Bobb allegedly told detectives that he was in the area and saw Scipio, who was wearing a gold chain, enteringthehotel.

At the time, Bobb claimed he was armed with an icepick, but later decided that a gun would be more effective. It was also reported that whenScipioexitedthehotel,Bobb relievedthebusinessmanofagold chain and shot him. Bobb on Monday pleaded guilty to the crime and was sentenced to life in prison.

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Haiti gang boss tells absent prime minister to quit or face civil war

(THE GUARDIAN) The crime lord behind a six-day gang mutiny against Haiti’s prime minister, Ariel Henry, has claimed the Caribbean country could be plunged into civil war unless its temporarily exiled leader steps down. Wearing an olive green tactical vest and flanked by armed foot soldiers in balaclavas, the gang boss Jimmy Chérizier told reporters his country was staring into the abyss. “Either Haiti becomes a paradise or a hell for all of us,” declared Chérizier, a police officer turned gang leader whose nom de guerre is Barbecue.

“If Ariel Henry doesn’t resign, if the international community continues to support him, we’ll be heading straight for a civil war that will lead to genocide,” added

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Chérizier. Over the last six days gang fighters have released thousands of inmates from prisons stormed and laid siege to strategic locations in the capital, Port-au-Prince, including two airports, police stations and a port. Nearly all flights in and out of the country’s main international airport have been cancelled, with gangs launching a renewed assault on the compound on Tuesday.

“Who is in control? I think nobody is in control,” said Jean-Marc Biquet, the head of the Médecins Sans Frontières mission in Haiti. “And my personal fear is that the policemen are going to [give up fighting and say]: ‘It’s a lost battle.’ “Then what can happen? Well I guess, total chaos.”

US officials say there would no pressure on Henry to leave, but Washington is asking him to quickly come up with some form of plan for transition to a democratic government, adding to pressure coming from the Caribbean regional organisation, Caricom. Chérizier’s courting of the cameras stands in stark contrast to the almost total silence from Henry and members of his debilitated administration. “It is horrifying. It is heartbreaking what is going on. And what is worse is that you don’t hear a word

from the government,” said Monique Clesca, a Port-auPrince-based writer and political activist, blaming the unrest on the inaction and incompetence of Henry’s administration.

Haiti’s prime minister, a septuagenarian neurosurgeon who became acting president after the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, has hardly been seen since the gang rebellion began while he was in Kenya attempting to speed up the deployment of a multinational security force. US officials say that Henry’s visit helped resolve the constitutional issues that were blocking the Kenyan deployment, and that the police officers were on standby to fly in at short notice. It is unclear whether they would be flown to Haiti by US military transport, and also far from clear when the airport would be declare sufficiently secure for them to land.

On Tuesday, after days of speculation about his whereabouts, Henry reportedly attempted to return to Haiti, flying from the United States to the international airport in Port-au-Prince. However, according to a report in Puerto Rico’s largest newspaper, El Nuevo Día, Henry’s private jet was not given clearance to land. The plane was also prevented from landing in

neighbouring Dominican Republic, which shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Instead, Henry was forced to retreat to Puerto Rico’s capital, San Juan. It is unclear what he plans to do next. “We will let the Prime Minister speak to his travel plans,” a US state department spokesperson told El Nuevo Día when asked about Henry’s intentions. “The United States is not providing military assistance to help the Prime Minister return to Haiti,” they added.

On Wednesday, the UN security council will hold a private emergency meeting about Haiti’s intensifying security crisis which is aggravating an already dire humanitarian emergency that has exposed almost half of its 11.7 million citizens to acute hunger, according to the World Food Programme. Asked about Chérizier’s call for Henry to step down, the state department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, told reporters: “[We] urge all actors to put the people of Haiti first, stop the violence – that would of course include these gangs that are responsible for the recent violence – and make the necessary concessions to allow for inclusive governance, free and fair elections, and the restoration of democracy.”

Alberto Otárola: Peru PM resigns after recording with woman leaked

(BBC News) Peru’s Prime Minister Alberto Otárola has resigned over allegations he attempted to use his influence to help a woman gain lucrative government contracts.

The scandal escalated last week when a Peruvian TV broadcaster aired audio clips of what it said were conversations between the two. Mr Otárola, 57, has denied any wrongdoing.

A formal investigation has been launched into the allegations.

According to the Panorama programme, which first aired the clips over the weekend, the woman Mr Otárola

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can be heard speaking to is Yaziré Pinedo, 25.Ms Pinedo was reportedly awarded two contracts for work in the defence ministry in 2023 that earned her a total of 53,000 sol ($14,000; £11,000).

Mr Otárola was Peru’s defence minister until the end of 2022, when President Dina Boluarte took office and he was promoted.

In the audio clips, Mr Otárola can be heard declaring his love for the woman and asking her to send him her CV.

The remarks appear to contradict a statement he made prior to their release, that he had only met Ms Pinedo

once at a meeting.

She told Peruvian broadcaster Canal N on Tuesday that she had previously had a brief relationship with him. Both have said the audio recordings were from conversations in 2021 - before Mr Otárola became a cabinet minister.

Nevertheless, President Boluarte demanded he return early from an official visit to Canada, and his resignation followed.

“Those who have always wanted me out of the government... have not even hesitated to edit an audio with the veiled purpose of tarnishing my image.

64 organisations participated in Labour Ministry’s... vironments. Minister Hamilton also reaffirmed that health and safety are national issues and should be prioritised not only at worksites but also in persons’ homes and other public places.

From page 8 you expect to make money on your investments. But what we will not allow is for any employer to take advantage of Guyanese people. We will not allow any employer to create new conditions.”

The labour ministry has plans to roll out a public relations and communication programme extending health and safety beyond work en-

Meanwhile, Chief Labour Officer Dhaneshwar Deonarine highlighted that the first seminar, which was hosted last month, saw the

participation of 252 participants, while 171 establishments registered for the conference. The ministry remains optimistic that organisations will comply with labour laws and OSH requirements. “We intend that once we share information, we share the practices on industrial relations and also to clarify any questions that you may have,” Deonarine said. (DPI)

Govt. to spend $149M on new Soesdyke fire station

The government through the

MinistryofHome Affairs has set aside approximately $149 million to construct a new fire

station at Soesdyke, Region Four Attherecentreadingof bids at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office, it was

Belowarethecompaniesandtheirbids:

NaturalAgriculturalResearchExtension Institute(NAREI)Constructionofaheavy-duty brideattheDemonstrationFarminMonRepos.

disclosedthat63contractors havesubmittedbidstobuild thefirestation.

The Soesdyke Fire Station is one of four new firestationsthegovernment

intends to construct this year The other stations are slatedforCharityinRegion Two, Parika in Region Three, and Wisburg in RegionTen.

MinistryofHomeAffairs

ConstructionofSoesdykeFireStation,RegionFour

In addition to the aforementioned new fire stations, construction of the Diamond Fire Station will be completed while the Linden, Rose Hall and

Timehri fire stations will be rehabilitatedandextended.

The projects will form part the $44.8 billion that was approved for the ministrythisyear

MinistryofFinance

Rewiringoftheministry’sheadoffice.

Hunger death toll rises as famine looms

(ALJAZEERA)Callsto allow more aid into the Gaza Strip grow louder as health officials report 20 people in total have died from malnutrition and dehydration.

People in Gaza are waiting for the outcome of ceasefire talks amid continued Israeli attacks, ourcorrespondentreports.

The World Food Programme says an aid convoy was denied entry to northern Gaza by Israel’s military The UN agency says“toavertfamine”,there must be road access to Gaza’s north. Hamas says ceasefire negotiations are ongoing but “the ball is in the Israeli court” while the USsaysobstaclestoatruce are“notinsurmountable”.

At least 30,717 Palestinians have been killed and 72,156 wounded in Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas attacks standsat1,139.

Houthi missile attack forces crew to abandon ship in Gulf of Aden

(ALJAZEERA) The Greek-owned cargo ship True Confidence has been hit by a missile about 50 nautical miles (93km) southwestoftheYemeniport ofAdeninanattackclaimed byHouthiforces.

The bulk carrier was drifting with a fire continuing onboard after it was attacked on Wednesday, a statement by the ship’s owner and operatorsaid,addingthatno information was available onthestatusoftheship’s20 crew members and three armedguards.

But a shipping source told the Reuters news agency that three sailors were missing from the Barbados-flagged bulk carrier and four were badlyburned.

Two United States officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told TheAssociated Press that the attack had caused fatalities

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said the

vessel was no longer under the command of the crew and they had abandoned it.

Yemen’s Houthis said on Wednesday they had targeted the cargo ship with missiles, causing a fire to breakoutonboard.

“The targeting operation came after the ship’s crew rejected warning messages from

theYemeni naval forces,” the militia’s military spokesman Yahya Sarea saidinatelevisedspeech

T h e r e w a s n o immediate claim of responsibility although it typically takes Houthi forces several hours to acknowledge their assaults Houthi fighters in

Yemen have repeatedly launched drones and m i s s i l e s a g a i n s t international commercial shipping since midNovember, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians and in opposition to Israel’s war onGaza

TheHouthiattackshave disrupted global shipping,

forcing firms to reroute to longer and more expensive journeys around Southern Africa.

The True Confidence is owned by the Liberianregistered company True Confidence Shipping and operated by the Greecebased Third January Maritime, both firms said in theirjointstatement.

Theysaidtheshiphadno linktotheUS.

However, it had previously been owned by O a k t r e e C a p i t a l Management, a Los Angeles-based fund that finances vessels on instalments.

Despite more than a month and a half of US-led airstrikesontheHouthis,the group has remained capable of launching significant attacks.

They include the attack last month on a cargo ship carrying fertiliser, the Rubymar, which sank on Saturday after drifting for several days, and the downing of an American drone worth

tens of millions of dollars

A Houthi assault on Tuesday apparently targeted the USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that has been involved in the US campaign against the rebels

The attack on the Carney involved bombcarrying drones and one antitank ballistic missile, the US military’s Central Commandsaid

The US later launched an air strike destroying three antiship missiles and three bomb-carrying drone boats, Central Commandsaid

Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesperson, acknowledged the attack but said its forces t a r g e t e d t w o U S warships, without

elaborating

The Houthis “will not stop until the aggression is stopped and the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted”,Sareesaid

Aview shows Barbados-flagged bulk carrier vessel

True Confidence, in Ravenna, Italy March 10, 2022

Guyana Tourism Authority joins Region Three Easter Programme

The Guyana Tourism Authority will join with the Klein/ Pouderoyen NDC in Region Three to celebrate Easter Activities from March 30 to April 1, at another Westside Golf Course in Vreed-en-hoop.

“Region Three is now one of the fastest growing economic regions (second largest population in Guyana) and as a result, we feel that promotion of Tourism related activities are necessary for both the residents and tourists,” said GTA Director Kamrul Baksh.

“We want people to experience all of what Guyana (and each region) has to offer so

these three days will help us to showcase some of the Culture, activities, food and music available just outside of Georgetown. “

The packed three day event will feature a Car & Bike Show with music fest on Saturday; Family Fun Day with Duck Curry and King of the Grill Barbecue competition on Sunday; and Family Picnic/ Easter Egg Hunt/Kite Flying competition on Easter Monday.

The Klein/Pouderoyen NDC is collaborating with Nexgen Global Marketing Promotions to ensure that the events are successful and there will be hundreds of

The

prizes available to be won over the massive weekend.

Chairman of the NDC, Umesh Balram, said, “We are proud that Westside now has a golf course and a location that residents and visitors can use for sports and other recreational activities without

CWI CG United Women’s Super50 Cup Round 2… Gajnabi half-century, bowlers guide

Guyana to 45-run win over Windwards

Thursday March 07, 2024

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19)

Are you an artist, writer, or musician, Aries? If so, your work may take on a more symbolic or impressionistic tone. Today you're probably more interested in conveying feelings and impressions than details.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Innovative art forms might seem especially appealing today, Taurus. Stay out of gallery shops unless you're prepared to take home a carload of merchandise.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

Do you believe in ghosts?

Some strange phone calls, emails, or other communications may come your way today, Gemini. One may come from someone who thinks you're someone else.

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

An unexpected sum of money could come your way today, Cancer. It probably won't be large, but it will be welcome nonetheless.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22)

Have you been exercising too rigorously lately, Leo? If so, you might feel some little aches and pains. Stay off your feet for most of the day.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22)

You may feel indecisive today, Virgo, especially in the morning. Other people's actions may confuse you. Don't worry. Concentrate on your projects and goals.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

Are all of your friends into astrology, divine science, or spiritual matters, Libra? It might seem like most of them are today, anyway. You may have many new friends in those fields.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

A love partner may host a social event or meeting of some kind, Scorpio. It might be interesting to get acquainted with friends of your mate you haven't yet met.

SAGIT (Nov.22–Dec.21)

Are you contemplating a trip, Sagittarius, perhaps to a place you've always dreamed of visiting? If you're in doubt as to whether or not you can do it.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) The Material values may pale beside spiritual ones today, Capricorn. You might consider giving up the rat race and retreating to the wilderness.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

A current or potential romantic partner might seem like the most perfect, wonderful person in the world to you, Aquarius. Your romantic nature could get the better of you today.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

You might not be able to concentrate on your work today, Pisces. Your head may be in the clouds and your eye for detail could fail you somewhat.

having to leave Region Three. This is only the first of many activities that we plan to host at the Westside Golf Course in 2024.”

Vice Chairman of Region Three Omesh Stayanand also weighed in on the great importance of having a golf course on the West Coast and emphasized on the amount of Tourism revenues golf brings to an area, “With our climate and the growing investments by the government and private sector in Region Three, golf is poised to become a main attraction for us and we expect much more development of hotels and other courses to fulfill the need.”

Persons wishing to participate in the Easter activities or become a vendor should visit the Klein/Pouderoyen NDC office or call 645 0944.

2023 National sports awards...

From page 25 running alongside Malachi Austin, Narissa McPherson and Javon Roberts.

Additionally, Guyana’s 4x400m Mixed Relay recorded an impressive time of 3:22.07, securing the second-fastest time globally in the U20 category for 2023, trailing only behind the USA’s remarkable 3:18.07, as confirmed by World Athletics.

Archibald made history by clinching Guyana’s firstever 100m gold medal at the CAC Games, securing the nation’s only medal at the event.

Alongside fellow Olympian Jasmine Abrams, Archibald also claimed bronze in the 100m at the Pan Am Games, where the pair became the first track and field athletes since Marian Burnett and Aliann Pompey’s 2003 performance to medal at the Pan Am Games.

With track and field emerging as a standout performer for Guyana on the regional and international stage in 2023, it is poised to dominate the awards ceremony, claiming a lion’s share of the accolades up for grabs at the National Sports Awards.

Guyana surged to their second successive win of the CG United Super50 Cup, this time handing Windward Islands a hefty 56-run defeat thanks to some classy batting from half-centurion Shabika Gajnabi with help from the bowlers. Guyana applied the pressure early on after batting first and posting what would turn out to be a match-winning 208-8. West Indies batsman, Gajnabi stroked a handful of fours as she led the batting with a classy 62.

Captain Shamaine Campbell hit 42 before some timely knocks from West Indies Under-19 captain, Ashmini Munisar (29*), Sheneta Grimmond (21), Realeanna Grimmond (19) and Cyanna Retimiah (13*), led Guyana’s batting as a unit. Carena Noel was the most successful bowler for Windwards with 3-47 with four of her teammates grabbing a wicket each in support.

Chasing a 200-plus score had always been a tough challenge versus Guyana’s star lot of bowlers, who for the second straight game showed up to restrict Windwards to 163 all out in 42 overs. Spinner Plaffiana Millington contin-

- Millington (2-23), Munisar (2-31), Latchman (2-38) ued her exceptional form, following up her 4 wickets in the first game with 2-23. Her partners in crime Niya Latchman (2-38) and Munisar (2-31), helped spin webs around the opposition. Narissa Crafton tried to keep Windwards afloat with her top knock of 47 (7x4), along with Zaida James (21), Captain Afy Fletcher (16), Namiah Marcellin (16), Jannelia Glasgow (15) and Noel (18), who aided in the cause but fell short to classy bowling from Guyana. With their next opponents the defending champions Barbados, Guyana will look to make it three wins from three rounds, should they upset the champs come Friday when Round 3 bowls off. In other games, Jamaica secured a commanding 9 wicket win over Leeward Islands, after bowling out the latter for 98. Jamaica would then romp to 99-1, sealing an emphatic win. Barbados held off the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force Divas by 5 runs in their encounter. The champs were bowled out for 185 but defended their runs as they kept the Twin Island Republic team to 180-8 at the end of 50 overs.

The Port Mourant

Turf Club will come alive on Sunday March 31 when the Easter Cup horserace meet takescentrestage.

More than 10 million dollars in cash and prizes will be up for grabs, and according to the provisional programme, eight races are on the cards The feature event is the Easter Cup which will be opened to all horses and the distance will be1700meters,alongwitha t o p c a s h p r i z e o f

G$1,500,000 Additional racesincludethethree-yearoldGuyanaandWestIndian bred, H3 & Lower nonwinnerinGuyanafiveyears andover,theEClass,LClass &J3maiden.

TheG&Lowerandfirst timeWestIndiesstarters,J&

Eight races are on the cards for Easter Sunday at Port Mourant.

Lower four years and above and the four-year-old West Indies and Guyana bred raceswillcompletetheday’s event. All races are run under the guidance of the Guyana

Horse Racing Authority rules.

Races are subjected to change. Only Jockeys with less than five (5) wins for year2023willbeallowedto ride in the L Class and J3

DemeraraCricketBoard/GFSCAInter Associationunder19championship

Rohan Auto Spares/Anand Persaud/Raj and Terry Mathura make contributions

maidenevents.

All non-Guyana jockeys will not be allowed to compete.

Entries for the Easter Sunday race will close on March25,2024.

Persons to contact for entriesareDennis640-6396, Fazal 611-1141, Buju-6587637, Shazeena/ Rose/ Vanessa 322-0789 and Ginjo- 618-7278. Any info or queries, horse owners are

Members of the Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA) have once again thrown their support to the DCB for its Inter Association Under19 Cricket Tournament which commenced last weekend. GFSCA is known for pioneeringsoftballcricketin Guyanaandoverseas.

Thetournamentinvolves the five associations, Upper Demerara, East Bank, East Coast, West Demerara and Georgetownandplayedona round robin format with the teamwiththehighestpoints to be declared winner.

Thereafter, the wining Association will take on a “Best of the rest” team selected from the four other Associations in a specially arranged game to be live streamed across the globe. This tournament is the main

yardstick used by the selection panel to select the DemerarateamfortheGCB Inter County Under19 Tournament.

The tournament will be b r a n d e d T r o p h y

Stall/Ramchand’s Auto

Spares/Ariel Enterprise/Rohan

Auto Spares/Steve’s

J e w e l r y / P e t a m a

E n t e r p r i s e / M o t o r

Trend/Cricket Equipment

G u y a n a / G e n e r a l

Marines/Terry Mathura, Raj Mathura and Pandit Anand Persaud

Rohan Auto Sales located at 843 Good Hope Mahaica,EastCoast,Anand Persaud and Raj Mathura of the USAand Terry Mathura of Canada fulfilled their promisesrecently

Theyarehappytobepartof this tournament and will continue to support the

development of young people especially, through cricket They have all expressed confidence in the workoftheDCB.

The DCB takes this opportunity to thank Rohan Auto Spares, Anand Persaud, Raj and Terry Mathura and others for comingonboard.

Guyana is set to host the KFC F i t n e s s Challenge on March 10 at the National Park, attractingathletesfromThe Bahamas, Czech Republic, andSuriname.

The event, organized by the Guyana Fitness Games, anticipates the participation of 30 elite athletes from around the world

Inthepreviousedition, Guyanese athletes Omisi Williams and Semonica Duke emerged victorious in the Elite Men and Women categories after facing a series of challengingevents

Noshavayah King, an industry veteran with over 15 years of experience, leads the coordination of the event, assuring that the 2024 edition will be “bigger and better” than everbefore.

Establishedin2015,the Fitness Challenge has become a staple in the fitness community, offeringcategoriesforElite RX, Masters, and Teens.

WithfiveeventsforRXand fourorfiveforMasters,the challengeaimstoprovidea platform for athletes to showcase and push their fitnessboundaries.

King emphasized that the events not only inspire athletes but also serve as a beacon of hope for spectators, encouraging a focus on health and fitness forafulfillinglife.

This year, increased financial benefits are offered across all categories to further motivateathletes.

Cash prizes range from G$200,000 to G$100,000 for the top three Elite podium finishers and G$150,000toG$80,000for Masters.

asked to contact Ginjo on telephone618-7278.

The Easter Sunday horserace is sponsored by KP Jagdeo General Contractors, Jumbo Jet and OldBroomLongue.

Eight races carded for Easter Sunday horserace meet at Port Mourant KFC Fitness Challenge 2024 to see participation from Bahamas, Czech Republic and Suriname

Additional cash incentives are available for winning specific events on theday

K F C G u y a n a , represented by Sadia Strand, has elevated its support to become the title sponsor, recognizing the success and achievements of King and her team over theyears.

The action-packed day begins at 06:00h with a one-mile run followed by eightroundsofwork.

The second stage of theeventkicksoffatnoon, and while admission is free for the morning session, patrons will be required to pay $2,000 to enterthetarmacfromnoon onwards.

Several sponsors have joined forces to support the event, including GuyanaBeveragesInc (Oasis Water brand), Mohamed’s Enterprise, MVP Sports, Lucozade, Star Rentals, Trophy Stall, Forrester’s Lumber and Building Complex, Genesis Fitness Gym, and TechProGuyana.

Rohan of Rohan Auto Spares

Anand Persaud

Raj Mathura

Terry Mathura

Slingerz FC dump Fruta Conquerors 4 – 1 to stay undefeated

-

Den Amstel needle Santos for first win

BYRAWLETONEY

Slingerz FC asserted their dominance with a resounding4–1victoryover Fruta Conquerors, m a i n t a i n i n g t h e i r unblemished record in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF)EliteLeague.

Meanwhile, Den Amstel celebrated their hard-fought 1 – 0 win against Santos in Tuesday night’s double header at the Federation’s National Training Centre (NTC)inProvidence.

For Slingerz FC, it marked their second consecutive win in the Elite League, following their emphatic 7 – 0 rout of Monedderlustintheopening fixture. DenAmstel, on the other hand, bounced back from a disappointing 3 – 0 defeat to the Guyana Police Force in their season-debut match Fruta Conquerors, eager to redeem themselves

after a 3-0 setback against Ann’s Grove, faced a formidable challenge from Coach Alex Thomas’ SlingerzFC.

Simeon Moore, facing his former club, launched a relentless assault on the Fruta Conquerors’ goal, rattlingthepostandcrossbar multiple times Former Fruta Conquerors players

Jeremy Garett and Jerome Harrigan showcased their prowess for Slingerz FC,

dominating the flanks and constantly threatening the opposition.

The deadlock was broken just before halftime, as Leo Lovell unleashed a sublime volley reminiscent ofCristianoRonaldo,giving SlingerzFCacruciallead.

DarronNilesdoubledthe advantage with a clinical finishjustbeforethebreakto give Slingerz FC a 2 – 0 advantage heading into the secondstanza.

Despite a spirited comeback effort from Fruta Conquerors, highlighted by Dwayne Jones’ goal in the 62nd minute, Slingerz FC remainedundeterred.

Jeremy Garett extended their lead with a perfectly timed free-kick in the 80th minute, which pushed the ‘West Side’ team to a 3 – 1 cushion.

Substitutions injected freshenergyforSlingerzFC,

asThomas swapped Marcus Tudor for Jamal Perriera, while Sheldon Holder took over from Moore on the field. Curtez Kellman was replaced by national U20 player Bryan Wharton, and Lovell made room for RicardoHalley

Beforebeingsubstituted, Niles sealed his brace with an exquisite link-up with Holder, elegantly finishing hisdoubleforthenight.

Coach Thomas reflected on the win, acknowledging roomforimprovementinthe team’sperformance.

Despite the victory, he described the team’s display as average, falling short of expectations. However, he

commended their resilience inclinchingthewin.

In contrast, Coach Gilbert expressed satisfaction with his team’s e x e c u t i o n , n o t i n g improvement from their previous Elite League encounter

Looking ahead, Slingerz FCgearsuptofaceSantoson Saturday, setting the stage for Niles to face his former club. Santos, eager for redemptionaftertheirdefeat to Den Amstel, will be determined to secure their firstpointsintheleague.

The match between Santos and Den Amstel remained deadlocked until the 68th minute, when

The excitement of the GFF/KFC Elite League continues tonight, with Monedderlust FC poised to clashwiththeGuyanaPolice Force FC at the GFF National Training Centre, Providence,at7:00pm.

Asthecompetitionheats up, all ten clubs in the Elite League vie for supremacy, eyeing the coveted firstplace cash prize of G$2,000,000, along with lucrativerewardsforsecond, third, and fourth positions, amounting to G$1,200,000, G$800,000,andG$500,000, respectively

Batters dominate over the weekend in EBDCA 2nd Division

40-Over Cricket competition

Uprising Sports Club, Herstelling-A, Peters Hall, and Sandpipers Cricket Club secured victories in the latest fixtures of the ongoing East Bank of Demerara Cricket Association (EBDCA) 2nd Division 40-Over Cricket Competition The weekend’s matcheswitnessedexceptional performances, including a splendid century by Nolan HodgefromUprisingSC,who elegantly scored 104 runs (11x4;6x6)leadinghisteamto a16-runtriumphagainstLaluni ontheirhometurf.

Uprising Sports Club displayed a commendable effort to reach a total of 21410 Laluni, tasked with chasing a target of 215 runs, fell short by 16 runs, concluding their innings at 199-10 In the pursuit, Laurel Parkscontributedaresilient66 runs(5x4;2x6)beforerunning outofpartnersontheopposite end Meanwhile,atCanal#2 ground, Herstelling secured a victory by 7 wickets against Diamond. Diamond batted first and posted 17610 in the first innings, with

Bryan Fraser scoring 46 and TreatonLiverpoolcontributing 30 runs Rickey Sergeant’s bowling performance of 4-16 played a crucial role in restrictingDiamondtoasmall total In response, Herstelling swiftly reached 177-3, with Sergeantnarrowlymissingout on a century, scoring an impressive98runstoguidehis teamtovictory

On Sunday, Sandpipers facedEcclesatFarmground inanevenlypoisedencounter Sandpipers, batting first, saw half-centuries from

- Hodge strikes brilliant 104: Deonarine, Parks, Persaud and Sergeant register half centuries

- Hodge strikes brilliant 104: Deonarine, Parks, Persaud and Sergeant register half centuries

Christopher Deonarine (77) and Keshan Persaud (72), propelling them to a total of 244-8intheirallotted40overs Deonarine’s innings included 7 fours and 2 sixes, while Persaud struck 9 fours and 2 sixes In reply, Vishash Rampersaud’s 3-21 and Persaud’s2-17ledthebowling charge as Eccles stumbled to 142-10, resulting in an impressive 103-run victory forSandpipers.

Thecompetitionissetto continue this weekend with morethrillingmatches.

Anthony Benn broke the silence by converting from thepenaltyspot.

Nolan Hodge struck a brilliant 104 at Laluni ground.

Dancehall star, Jahshii (second from right), joins Slingerz FC goal scorers (L-R) Leo Lovell, Darron Niles and Jeremy Garrett after their 4-1 win over Santos FC.

Action between Santos FC and Dem Amstel in the GFF/KFC Elite League.

Anthony Benn

Guyana Chess team in 2nd place after four rounds with 3 match points -Trinidad

The intense competition of the CARICOM Classic Chess Team tournament has resulted in Trinidad and Tobago in the lead with 4 match points, while Guyana Team 1 is in second place with3matchpoints.

After two days and four rounds of grueling competition,membersofthe Guyana Team 1, CM Taffin Khan, are on 4 points, FM Anthony Drayton and Shazeeda Rahim are 3 5 points,andJessicaCallender ison1point.GuyanaTeam2 members Keron Sandiford andKyleCouchmanareone 1pointeach,AditiJoshiison .5 points, and Sasha Shariff isyettocomeoffthemark.

In round three, Guyana Team1facedoffagainstthe St. Lucian team. CM Taffin

Khan (2000) defeatedArvin Nicholas(1745)ofSt.Lucia, firstlybytrappingoneofhis knights, while placing his opponentinabind.

Khan proceeded to capture more material, and the St. Lucianresigned after a weaker position. Anthony Drayton and Shazeeda Rahim,bothdefeatedfellow St.Lucians,JustinJamesand

ChelseaWahid,respectively Jessica Callender (1585) went down to St. Lucian Tris-Ann Richards (1693) followingafewinaccuracies that resulted in a losing position. Guyana Team 1 won the round against St. Lucia.

Guyana Team 2 played againstJamaica,resultingin a loss for Guyana. Keron Sandiford and young Aditi Joshi both drew with their opponentsNathanHindsand Krishna Gray, respectively, while fourteen-year-old Kyle Couchman and Sasha Shariff both lost to Jhustice McDonald and Adani Clarke.

Shariffresignedfromher opponent WCM Adani Clarke (1905), when their match was at the endgame stage. The female Jamaican playersecuredextramaterial and a passed pawn, which eventually would have been promotedforawin.

Inround4,GuyanaTeam 1playedagainstneighboring Suriname, while Guyana Team 2 played against St. Lucia.FMAnthonyDrayton (1936)defeatedJasonYeung (1978) of Suriname, in their

Round4clash.

Drayton overwhelmed his opponent by winning material, but he finally clinched victory with a runaway outside passed pawn,whichtheSurinamese was helpless to stop A brilliantdisplaybyGuyana’s Shazeeda Rahim (1559) sealed the fate of her opponent, Maylee Tjong TjinJoe(1611)ofSuriname.

The two female players with a passed pawn each successfully promoted them to formidable Queens, but Rahim gained the upper hand with a pawn thrust by attackingthemonarchofthe S u r i n a m e s e Wi t h checkmate looming, Rahim’s opponent resigned. CM Taffin Khan defeated Surinamese Shaief Chashawa (1786) with extra pawns, creating a decisive advantagefrompromotion.

Sasha Shariff (1567) finally went down to St. L u c i a n T r i s - a n n Richards(1693) in the endgame with pawns and Kings remaining on the board Shariff’s shattered pawn structure contributed to her loss, and Richards’

andTobagoleadswith4

extra pawn and her aggressive King in the fray prevented a winning responsefromShariff.

Although in a promising endgame position, National Junior Champion Keron Sandiford (1741) blundered his game and resigned to St. Lucian Arvin Nicholas (1745).

Round4resultedinawin

for Guyana against Suriname 3-1, but a loss for Guyana Team 2 against St. Lucia.

Games continues today (March 7th), with rounds 5 and6,andonFriday,March 8th,withrounds7and8.The finalroundwillbeplayedon Saturday,March9th.

The Guyana Chess Federation wishes to thank

all its sponsors for their generous support towards the CARICOM Classic Chess Tournament, especially FIDE, CCA, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Enet, and Exxon Mobil.Sincerethankstothe CARICOM Secretariat for their support and collaboration in making the tournamentareality

GFSCA DCB U19 Inter-Association Super50 Tournament… UDCA sneak past East

Coast

by

1

wicket as action continues

UpperDemeraraCricket Association (UDCA) pulled off a daring win by one wicket as they got past the East Coast Cricket Association (ECCA) during yesterday’s round of the ongoing GFSCA/DCB U19 Inter-Association Super50 Tournament. In a lowscoring encounter, Upper D emer ar a C r ick et Association pulled off a 1-

wicket win over home team East Coast during their bout atLusignanGround.

East Coast were bowled outforjust66in30.4overs, with Nicholas Shiopersaud thelonetop-scorerwith17.

Bowling-wise, it was a two-manshowforUDCAas Renaldo Grenville (4-11) and Stephon Sankar (3-6), did the majority of the damage. In reply, UDCA

Neeran Bani

hadahorribletimechasinga low-score, eventually stumbling to 67-9 as they barelygothomewithShiloh Adams (16) their lead batsman.

Neeran Bani continued his form for East Coast, grabbing 4-26 with support fromAlexDatterdeen(3-16) andSasenarineHarricharran (2-14), bowling their hearts outinalosingeffort.

Henry XI overcome Chulai XI as WCC/Khan’s Enterprise U19 40-over tourney commences

Gladewin Henry Jr XI defeated Golcharran Chulai XI by 97 runs when then Wakenaam Cricket Committee/Khan’s Enterprise U19 40-over tournament commenced recently at the Wakenaam Community Centre ground inGoodSuccess.

Batting first, Henry XI posted 164-8 off their reduced quota of 25 overs Henry stuck seven fours and fives sixes in a top score of 90, while Trivel Evansmade24andDennis Crossman 11 Chulai had 2-7, Shahid Mohamed took 2-22, while there was one each for Tomesh Persaud and Varun Pooran

Chulai XI were bowled out for 67 in 17 4 overs in reply Bomesh Lall made 18 and Jeremiah Melville

16 Ramesh Ramnarine picked up 4-8, while Jonathan Barry and Henry hadtwoeach

The competition, which is being played over five matches, continues on Saturday

Team 1 (Guyana) against Suriname during 4th round.

Nicholas Shiopersaud

Gladewin Henry Jr (left) and Ramesh Ramnarine.

Digicel and GBTI power up Regatta 2024

Under the theme,

‘IsWeOwn’,the 2024 edition of the Bartica Easter Regatta t h e b i g g e s t a l lencompassing event in the sport and entertainment history of Bartica is shaping up to be amongst the best hosted.

Regional Chairman,

KennethWilliams, who also chairs the Bartica Regatta Committee, has disclosed thattheyhavegottenofftoa frenetic pace for this year’s event concerning corporate support for the almost month-long activities which commenced on March 3rd and will conclude on April 1st. On board in a huge way

are Digicel and the Guyana BankforTradeandIndustry, GBTI. Digicel’s Chief Commercial Officer, Ms. Simone Pierre handed the company’s sponsorship to Regatta Committee Treasurer, Ms Natalie TilburyBobb,recently Ms Pierre in brief remarks underscored Digicel’s commitment to supportingtheeventwhichis notonlyahouseholdnamein Guyana but forms a part of the sporting calendar of the nation.

”This event is one that personslocallyandoverseas look forward to each year, they plan and budget for it, thosecomingfromoverseas, so you can understand the value and importance it carries.

We have been throwing inoursupportovertheyears andwillcontinuetodosoas it helps to empower the community in a major and holisticway.”

Ms Tilbury Bobb expressed delight on behalf of the Regatta Committee and its Chairman, Mr Williams, and the people of the community on the continued partnership between the two entities noting that this year promisestobehuge.

Likewise, GBTI’s Marketing Manager, Pernell Cummings handed over the Bank’s contribution to

Committee Chairman, Kenneth Williams, who lauded them for keeping up the Regatta tradition which bringstogetherthousandsof persons in sports and other activities that support community development andempowerment.

”We here at GBTI commend you and your committee for keeping this richtraditiongoing. Youcandependonusfor continuedsupport,thisisjust oneofthewayswegiveback to the community for its supportofus.

We look forward to seeing successful activities beingheldandyourmarquee event, the powerboat racing

onEasterSunday.”

In response, Williams commended GBTI for backing the event, which he noted will not disappoint ”Regatta as you would know,Mr Cummingsisnot only limited to Barticians but we welcome persons from all across Guyana to our beautiful community and to indulge in the best we have to offer, be it sports activities and the many other events So, I’d like to assure you and the Management of GBTI that your support is vital to the overall success of the activities.” Followingisthe calendar of events for the

EasterRegatta: March16 M i s s

BarticaRegattaSashing

March22 Regatta in KingstonJamaicaParty March23 Regatta

Jump Start March 24

Regatta Beach Lime / Regatta Got Talent March 27 Karaoke Finals / Football Semi-Finals March 28 G o s p e l Extravaganza – Made to Conquer March 30 Regatta Football Finals / Street Jam-All Black Regatta On Land Tours –Resort Hopping March 31

PowerboatRaceDay/River Swim / Road Race April

1Grass Track Racing / Miss RegattaPageant

National sports awards on the horizon

…review of awards criteria on the way

ByRawleToney

The National Sports Commission, under the guidance of Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle, is gearinguptohostthehighly anticipated 2023 National SportsAwards,aneventthat celebrates the outstanding achievementsofthenation’s athletesandofficials.

Ninvalle revealed to Kaieteur News yesterday that meticulous preparations are underway, including a thorough review of the selection criteria for the NationalSportsAwards.

Last year marked the return of the awards after a two-yearhiatus,recognizing exceptional performances from2021and2022.

The panel tasked with scrutinizing the criteria

comprises top-tier professionals, including media experts and sports aficionados. Their objective is to conduct a comprehensive analysis and propose recommendations for potentialamendmentsifany deficienciesareidentified.

Ninvalle emphasised the importance of transparency andintegrityintheselection process, ensuring that it withstands scrutiny both locally and internationally, “The integrity of the criteria must be unquestionable, leavingnoroomfordoubt.”

Reflecting on last year’s

Director of Sport

event,Ninvallereiteratedthe need for continuous improvement, stating, “This assessment process aims to enhance and refine the selection rules where necessary The panel has already identified key areas foranalysis,anddiscussions will ensue to determine the

way forward ” The upcoming 2023 Sports Awards promises fierce competition, with standout athleteslikeTiannaSpringer and Emanuel Archibald emergingastopcontenders.

Springer’s remarkable achievements include gold medals in the 400m at

prestigious events such as the Carifta Games, South AmericanYouthGames,and the Commonwealth Youth Games.

Additionally, she led GuyanatogoldintheMixed 4x400m relay at the CommonwealthGames, (Continuedonpage

GBTI’s Marketing Manager, Pernell Cummings (right) hands over cheque to Regatta Committee, Chairman, Kenneth Williams.

Digicel’s Chief Commercial Officer, Ms. Simone Pierre (left) and Regatta Committee Treasurer, Ms. Natalie Tilbury Bobb, displays the cheque

Emanuel Archibald is the first Guyanese to win the 100m at the CAC Games.

Guyana’s historic 4x400m mixed relay team at the Commonwealth Youth Games –Tianna Springer, Narissa McPherson, Malachi Austin and Javon Roberts.

Steve Ninvalle

Shamaine Campbell

Shabika Gajnabi

Ashmini Munisar