Kaieteur News

Asgar Ally

Govt. advisor puts oil reserve at 15B barrels

...but VP Jagdeo and Exxon’s

Chairman of Wales Development Authority, AsgarAllyhassaidthatsome 15 billion barrels of oil have already been discovered to date in the Stabroek Block

ThisisdespiteVicePresident (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo and ExxonMobilGuyanaLimited (EMGL) Country Manager,

Alistair Routledge maintainingthatthecountry’s resources have not significantlymovedsincethe last update in 2022 when it wasat11billionbarrels

Ally, a former Finance Minister and former Deputy Governor of the Bank of

d

GuyanaattheJamaicaStock Exchange Conference held back in January During an interview at the conference hemadethedisclosureofan additional4billionbarrelsof oil being discovered. “As of this point in time we don’t knowthefullextentoftheoil deposits but it’s huge and I could explain what that means.It’saboutIwouldsay they have identified at least 15billionbarrelsofoilinthe (Stabroek) Block. So at this point in time, I would say Exxon has identified about 25to35%ofthat,”Allywho isaneconomiststated. Although eight new

Routledge say no significant increase

discoveriesweremadesince Guyana’s last resource update in April 2022, with one of those estimated to hold some 746 million barrels of oil, Exxon and Guyana’s Vice President havestatedthatthecountry’s estimated 11 billion barrels of recoverable resources remain with no significant improvement.

However, Ally is contending that over 4 billion barrels more have been discovered. Added to this, he explained, “If you have the time, I can explain to you what has happened. You see at one stage,Africa

Whiptailpermitmandates

‘DrillBaby,Drill’policy

Guyana does not have a depletion policy in place, with which to guide the rate crude is extracted and produced from the Stabroek Block. In fact, the permits being handed out enshrine maximumproduction.

Thismuch,ismadeclear in the most recently approved Permit issued to the ExxonMobil-led consortium, operating in the Stabroek Block. According to the Permit, the holder m u s t “ e n s u r e t h e development plan, and the levelofproductionproposed thereinisconsistentwiththe maximum efficient rate of production which conforms to sound reservoir engineering principles in accordance with, best international industry standardsandpractice.”

Enshrined in the

Whiptail Permit, the holder is also obligated to ensure the most efficient development, production and beneficial use of the commercial discovery concerned.

This, taking “into account best international industry standards and practices as defined in the Act, and as applicable in relation to production operations,tomeanallthose usesandpracticesthatare,at the time in question, in accordancewiththemostup to date international standards that are generally acceptedin the international oilandgasindustryasbeing state-of-the-art or otherwise appropriatetotheoperations

in question, safe, e c o n o m i c a l , environmentally sound and efficient in developing, producing, processing and

transportingpetroleum.”

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo’s personal position has become the bedrock of what the People’s Progressive Party /Civic’s depletionpolicy–”Drillbaby drill!”

ExxonMobil Guyana Limited(EMGL)lastmonth receivedthegreenlightfrom Government to pursue a sixth oil project in the Stabroek Block, the Whiptaildevelopment.

The $12 7 billion Whiptail development is targetting an estimated resource base of more than 850millionbarrelsofoiland includeupto10drillcenters and 48 production and injection wells.The floating production, storage and offloading(FPSO)vesselfor Whiptail, which will be called Jaguar, is already underconstruction.

ExxonMobil also announced its Final Investment Decision (FID) for the project that is expected to produce approximately 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) by the endof2027.

Liam Mallon, President of ExxonMobil Upstream Company at the time said, “Our sixth multi-billiondollarprojectinGuyanawill bring the country’s production capacity to approximately 1.3 million barrelsperday.”

He noted that the company’s unrivaled success in developing the Guyanaresourceatindustryleading pace, cost and environmental performance i s b u i l t o n c l o s e collaboration with the government of Guyana, as well as its partners,

and Latin America were joined together So West Africa is closer to the South American coast, of which Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname,apartofandthere isunderthatcoastabasinof oil, huge basin of oil ” “Every day we are finding new oil discoveries Nobody knows the full extent (but) everyday they arefindingmore,”headded.

suppliers,andcontractors.

Mallon further pointed out, “We are committed to helping spread the benefits throughout the country by investing in local Guyanese communitiesandprojectsto supportthecountry’sphased a n d s u s t a i n a b l e development.”

Currently,threeFPSOs–theLizaDestiny,LizaUnity and Prosperity – are operating offshore Guyana andareproducingmorethan 640,000 barrels of oil per day Construction is underway on FPSOs for the Yellowtail and Uaru projects, with Yellowtail anticipated to start productionin2025andUaru targetedin2026.

Therearecurrently6,200 Guyanese working in support of Stabroek block operations—which is 70% of the workforce The cumulative spend of ExxonMobilGuyanaandits contractors with Guyanese supplie

e 2015 surpassed $1.5 billion at the endof2023.

Exxon said production from the six Stabroek block developments will generate tens of billions of dollars of revenue and significant economic development for Guyana Since first production in 2019, more than $4.2 billion has been paidintotheGuyanaNatural ResourceFund.

ExxonMobil affiliate, ExxonMobil Guyana Limitedisoperatorwitha45 percent interest in the Stabroek block while Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd holds 30 percent interest, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25% interest.

On Tuesday, Routledge during Exxon’s press conference made a distinction between oil reserves and resources. He explained,“Whenwehavea better ability to understand that through looking at concepts, the number of wells and testing of the reservoirsthenweareableto movetogreatercertaintyand thegreatercertaintywehave is when we sanction a new project as we did with Whiptail. That is when we start to call them reserves. We are now at the point where we can consider that these are going to be developed and produced so itsreservesnotresource.”

To this end, Routledge said that the six sanctioned projects in the Stabroek Block are estimated to hold some4.8billionbarrelsofoil reserves. Describing the process to determine oil reserves as an “ongoing

complex exercise,” the Country Manager pointed out that the company has been providing quarterly updates to the government ontheestimatedrecoverable resources “We provide quarterly updates to the government, that number hasn’t moved hugely in the recent months but it is something that we continue to look at and we update the government,” Routledge said. Hewasthenaskedforan updateonhowthecountry’s resources have grown since the 11 billion barrels estimatein2022.Inresponse to the question, Routledge said, “I think I’ve answered that, it’s the same as what Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has said, the 11 billion hasn’t significantly changed, we continue to updatethegovernment.”

Chairman of Wales Development Authority, Asgar Ally

Kaieteur News

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

Publisher: GLENN LALL-TEL: 624-6456

Editor: NIGELWILLIAMS

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

EDITORIAL

Excuses

No media conferences

WehaveagovernmentinplacesinceAugust2020andit has never held a post-cabinet media briefing. We have ministersholdingveryimportantportfolioswhohavenever facedthepress.

WehaveaPresidentwhoishidingbehindfacebooklive and a Vice President who by his own action has acknowledgedthatwhatheputsoutweeklyisbalderdashso heisashamedtocoveritwiththeofficialstamp-heholdhis pressersatFreedomHouse.

We are highlighting this travesty a few days before the government regales us about its record as a “champion” of media freedom. If Ministers of the PPPC Government do not have the skills to face the press, at least they must have the guts. That is, to face the music and represent their portfolios persuasively, and take whatever comes on the chin. This is how an honest Government operates in a democracyofopennessandaccountability.

ItisappallingthatmembersoftheCabinetfindithelpful to hide behind the protective skirts of the DPI. This makes their faces look tear-stained from fright, and smudged with many suspicions. If there is nothing to conceal, then every Minister has a duty to show that they are the real deal, that they are neither overwhelmed nor lost in the area for which they are responsible. Cabinet Ministers are not water boys andgirls,orhighlypaidshoeshinemenandwomen.

ThemoreministersseekshelterundertheDepartmentof Public Information (DPI) umbrella, the clumsier, more pitiful, and shallower and more anxious they look. Undoubtedly, ministers are only human, and they are comforted by friendly, helpful, softball questions. Their hands are held, and their noses cleaned so that they look good when presented by the DPI to the Guyanese with their half stories, and clever cover stories. What the DPI succeeds in doing is adding farce to spectacle resulting in usualgovernmentcircuses.

When anybody has only the truth of facts and figures to present,andinthemostpowerfulterms,theydonotneedthe DPI barricade. They stand on their own feet like real men and real women, and say to their questioners: go ahead, fire away,weareready

This is what Ministers with a minimum of dignity, of self-respect,ofpridewoulddo,includingtheHon.Minister ofNaturalResources,mostlyano-show,apresenceofscant substance, a shell that is overshadowed by events. Nobody has to serve as a crutch for Ministers, put words in their mouths;orbeafraidthattheywillcrumblewhenconfronted with tough questions. This is how real people and real leaders operate in the real world. There is none of this slinking away like scaredy kittens to the DPI safe harbour Theystandtheirgroundandstandfortruthiftheyhaveit. Whathappenedtothatstandard? Wheredidthosekinds of men and women go? The people need to know, they are owed,andtheydeservetobeservedbythosewhoholdvital portfolios. At times, those interests may call for incredible dedication to duty, or honesty and integrity of a kind never beforeaskedforinGuyana.

TheMinisterswhohandledthemselvesimpeccablywell on both counts should have no fear, know no barriers, to their being able to stand in front of the independent, mainstream media and speak to truth. Truth does not duck anddodgeanddancearoundcleverly Truth needs no escape valve, no exit strategy, no DPI. Truth and fairness and what is right shouts from the rooftops, and neither of those three essentials (truth, fairness,andright)runsawayandhidesunderthebedofthe DPI.

What our Ministers are doing is a disgrace. It makes them look dodgy and tricky Once a Minister is clean and about managing his portfolio in the right way, there is no need for the gimmick of the DPI, the media 'backtrack' of a

The “lean and clean” government of Dr. Cheddi Jagan is a thing of the past

DearEditor, In a letter captioned “Under Jagdeo, corruption, wealth gap, and citizens s t r u g g l e s g r e w exponentially” and dated December 16th 2023, I stated, “We created through propaganda the stalwart image for Jagdeo, who never did much if anything for the PPP nor PYO He was foisted upon us by Janet Jagan who pressured the leadership to bring him in. After he attained power the legacy of Dr Cheddi Jagan was cast aside. It became a party for the enrichment of a few We can recall when Janet was told that she was an ordinary citizen by Jagdeo. Total lack of respect forthewomanwhogavehim thePresidencyonaplatter”. We also know how Cde Navin was marginalized and how Ralph Ramkarran was bypassed and how Irfaan gained the Presidency In the letterIexplainedhowJagdeo took control of the PPP PPP congress took a decision for 20% Civic. However, when Bharrat became President, he increased this to about

60%. Now the Civic was not an organization with values, principles etc. It comprised of individuals brought in at the pleasure of the President. They came in as ministers, parliamentarians etc Eventually many joined the PPP and because they are well known, because they were Ministers etc, the PPP membersvotedthemintothe Central Committee and thus Jagdeo gained control of the CentralCommittee.

Later we were to witness the vulgar manipulation which caused leading stalwarts to be bypassed and for Donald Ramotar, with absolutely no experience in g

President's seat. The general feeling was that the real power was behind the throne. Same as it is today afteranothermanipulation.

We must recognize that the “lean and clean” government of Dr Cheddi Jagan is a thing of the past. We are witnessing the growing impoverishment of our people, the growing corruption, the growing self-

enrichmentofasmallsection of the PPP leadership and their friends, family and donors. Of Course they tell us we doing better than the PNC but is that enough. WE deserve what Guyana's wealthiscapableofgiving.It isnotthereforthefewselect. I will now attempt to explain what happens re Elections at PPP congress. First many of the older members know of the list passing by the leadership Second, the Amerindians are directly influenced by the leadership who to and who not to vote for

Third the PPP leadership wouldplacewhomtheywant in positions where they are exposed to and interact with the Members They are presentedasleaders.

But beyond that let me explain the unprincipled nature of the PPPleadership. At one congress I Rajendra Bisessar brought 36. When a v a c a n c y a r o s e , t h e leadership said they would not proceed to bring in the nextpersononthelistbutuse s o m e g e o g r a p h i c a l consideration Laughable,

they brought in their friend, Mr Ramdas, from the Corentyne. Rohit Persaud from the Corentyne was already a CC member so that destroyed the geographic argument.

The Next Congress has five Candidate members Elected. I was one and Berry Ramsarran another We all know that Berry from Georgetown was one of their favorites. They decided to elect someone from the five. T h e y f o r g o t a b o u t geographic Berry was elected. The next congress saw Lionel Peters, an outstanding organizer but with an independent mind as the only plausible candidate memberthatcouldbeelected so they forgot about candidate member and went back to some obscure questionable geographic consideration. The circus continues. The next election saw Fazel Khan, highly qualifiedpopularinthetrade union movement, an independent mind coming 36. There was a vacancy, but no one was selected to fill.

(Continued on page 6)

PPP has been able to expand its political reach to all corners of the Guyanese society

DearEditor, There are a number of interesting facts regarding our political history, especially since the introduction of mass-based competitive politics during the 1950's. Political power has since alternated between the PPP and the PNC, in the case of the latter through undemocraticmeans.

Prior to 1964, the PPP won three consecutive elections, namely 1953, 1957 and 1961 until it was engineered out of office by way of constitutional engineering in the 1964 elections. For nearly three decades, the PNC rigged its way to power until it was forced to agree on democratic reforms on the

eve of the October 5, 1992 general and regional

elections which was decisivelywonbythePPP/C under the leadership of Dr CheddiJagan.

O n e n o t e - w o r t h y political fact was the multiethnicappealofthePPPever since its formation on January 1950 which was responsible for its massive victoryinthe1953elections, the first that was held under universaladultsuffrage. That appeal has not diminished despite several prior attempts to divide the party along ethnic and ideological lines. In fact the PPP has now evolved as the largest multi-racial party in Guyana, encompassing a much bigger universe of the

protective Government provision.Areal Minister, one who has been true and faithful in his or her duty to Guyanese, wouldrecoilfromanybackdoorarrangementsliketheDPI. In fact, there would be sharp anger at such an arrangement, thestealthycharacterofsuchaconvenience,andabonafide Ministerwouldtellwhoevercameupwithsuchmediatrick totakeitandshoveit.

SincewedonothaveanyMinisterobjectingtothisDPI setup, the door to speculation is flung open as to what they may have done, and which necessitated why they need to hide. Surely, they cannot be this limited that their hands have to be held. Surely, they cannot be this neck deep possibly in the dark and dirty that leaders do not trust them to the full exposure of mainstream media, and its hard questions.

Guyanese electorate as evidencedfromtheresultsof the recent national and local governmentelections.

A second, and perhaps more significant point to note is the ideological consistency of the PPP which has never wavered from its pro-people orientation. This has been, and remained a defining characteristic of the PPPand all PPP/C administrations. It is this people-oriented, propoorapproachtogovernance thatismainlyresponsiblefor the party's longevity and electoralsuccesses.

Thirdly, no other political party in Guyana has done more than the PPP to bring about national reconciliation and a climate of peace and security in the country This is manifested in the fact that the PPP is today the largest political party in the country Unlike the days of the 'communist' hysteria when ideology and race was used against the party by reactionary groups, the PPP/C administration is now generally recognized for its capacity to enhance the quality of life of the Guyanese across the politicalandethnicspectrum ofthecountry

Guyanese are today no longer influenced by the 'politics of race' which seeks to capitalize on 'ethnic insecurity'. The economic andsocialgainsofthePPP/C administration have pushed the race agenda of the political opposition in the backwaters of our extant political dispensation This explainstheinroadsmadeby the PPP/C in what was once p e r c e i v e d a s P N C strongholds in areas such as Georgetown, Linden, New Amsterdamamongothers.

The fact is that the PPP has been able to expand its political reach to all corners of the Guyanese society Unprecedentedgrowthrates, transformational changes and the massive human development agenda of the current administration has engendered a new thinking amongthepopulacewhichis changing the political dynamics away from race and ethnicity to one that is more results-oriented Political parties are evaluated on their ability to deliver on manifesto promises This puts the PPP/C administration ahead ofthecurve.

Sincerely HydarAlly

May they? Yes, but only in a safe way!

DearEditor,

Unsafe work practices have left many without their daily bread. The unlucky ones have left us and those that are fortunate have survived the neglect that places progress over safety Neglected landmarks fall as new ones are erected

Transformation and expansion continues as death on the roads remains the norm. Sectors boom as safeworkingpracticesarean afterthought. A May Day celebration occurs while workersstrike.

Workers' rights and the progress of our unions have been sidelined There is more in the treasury, but less in our pockets. Promises are

broken, while those responsible are applauded and promoted. Is this the transformation and progress that we seek? Is this the shared development for all members of our society that is coming? It is a redefined meaning of universal suffrage that we can do without. The manager and the worker should share in the successes and also share in the challenges and burdens. Favouritism has no place when we all strive together to achieve a better future.Theconscienceofour society has been made dormant in the name of progress.

Let not the building continue upon the blood of our workers.We must see an a d v a n c e m e n t i n environmental, health and safety policies and practices asweseektoprogress.

Companies with poor safety records should not be allowed to continue to bid for contracts without first showing an improvement. This would have helped prevent the ongoing embarrassment of the government and the tender process. The current level of inspectors and inspections t h a t e n s u r e s a f e t y requirements are being followedarefarfromwhatis urgently needed in the mining and construction s e c t o r s Y e t , transformational expansion continuestotakepriorityand workers continue to risk their lives. The lure of a quick dollar has made law and order on the roads elusive. The minibus saga has kept repeating its sad tale. The general attitude towards keeping customers safe while on their way to work has been one of cattle ranchers trying to move as many heads as possible during a chaotic stampede. The enforcers of the laws turn a blind eye to the unnecessary risks being taken.Thirtyextraminutesis all that is needed to keep the pace within the speed limit andtobeontime. Demanding safety for each other from each other will return as a norm when we value each other's lives more than a dollar Enjoying the pace of the day at its norm will give the patience that reduces the noise on the road and the rage that is now prominent. Transformation cannot occur at the expense oftheliving.

Our wealth cannot increase at the expense of our health Our progress cannot continue if the environment is ruined and our workers cannot be safe. Safety comes first, then all elsemayfollow Ofwhatuse isitallifthecostremainstoo high? Of what use is it all if youcannotreturnhomeafter earning a honest living? If a company cannot place the safety of its workers at the forefront of its decision making, then that company cannot be allowed to

he transformation we seek first o c c u r w i t h t h e transformation of our attitudes towards safety Let the transformation we seek first occur with the level of respect we have for our workers.

T h i s i s r e a l transformation This is transformation that can be felt.Whenitoccurs,thenand o n l y t h e n w i l l t h e transformation we see have meaningandbeembracedby all.

No one wants to look upon a new road or a new building and remember that workers died while making this happen. That blood was shed at that intersection That he fell from that floor when they were building. Our society is close knit and we all remember when our people'sbloodwasshed.

Sincerely, Mr. Jamil Changlee

Illegal vendors must be removed expeditiously everywhere they are found, every business should not have to sue

DearEditor,

Finally, vendors doing their illegal vending in front of Demico have been removed Now you can actually see that there is a Demico there. Same for the Muneshwer's building after theysuedandtheJudgeruled in their favour Same for Kirpalani's Now, the Georgetown Hospital has served notice they want the vendors moved Already, Government has served strong messages to the seawallvendors.

Meanwhile, there is a proliferation of vendors in front of our beloved Cuffy Monument. Now I can't see the fella very well. Why has the Council not moved to remove illegal vendors as soon as they start? Who is minding the store? Why wait after many, many years and thosevendorsthinktheyhave acquired prescriptive rights to their spots. They think if Councilmovesthem,thenthe Government has to provide alternatives for them. The same problem at the Berbice Bridge area where shacks have gone up and nobody is stopping it pronto. The Court ruling on the removal of vendorsisaprecedentsimilar to a class action lawsuit. Every individual business does not have to sue. It's now a general ruling for all businesses City Council needs to get to work to bring ordertotheCity

I noticed along the UG Road and Cyril Potter College, there are vendors

along the UG and CPCE fence who need to be removed too. One guy built a huge building across the drainsoworkerscannotclean that drain Their sign advertises delivery services, so essentially this private business is operating on the government reserve with a permanentbuildingalongthe CPCE fence. There is also a food shack at the right entrance to the CPCE that createsaghettolook.TheUG Road takes us into our only University and visitors must not see vendor shacks be spoiling the drive. We cannot allow ghettos to emerge everywhere, now that we want to be the Dubai of Caricom Mindsets must change We must think “modernization” and high standards. I have not seen such unregulated and rampant vending in other Caricom countries.There is a guy hawking two little squares of sponge. How can he make a living off of that. How about the guys selling steering wheel covers and wipers?Giventheshortageof skills in Guyana, maybe the Ministry of Labour needs to do some outreaches and job counselling to recruit small vendors into meaningful,

gainful employment. I am sure the labour market can absorb them into jobs with NIS and pension benefits later, which gives better job security and stable earnings. NGOs can take on such a project.

From the vendors' perspective they are doing an “honest” living which is true, but that does not confer the right to

regulations and acting as bullies setting up shop in fron

businesses, sometimes just by their doors. Sounds like a form of bullyism. I noticed a vendor operating out of a vehicle has set up a copying business encroaching on the walkway in front of the GRA building Council must remove these kinds of encroachments, not wait for others to do the same. We must also continue to remove abandonedvehiclesalongthe roadways. There are several in front of Cummings Lodge school that need to be moved ASAP, and the authorities need to shut down that unsightly scrap metal operation just next to the school. Bring back order to Guyana!

Sincerely,

M. Singh

Govt. to spend $917M to construct four-lane road at Giftland Mall

The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) an agency under the Ministry of Housing and Water is planning to construct a four-lane road in the vicinity of the Giftland

Central Housing and PlanningAuthority (CHPA)

Construction of four lane road at Giftland Mall.

Dax Contracting Services

$1,284,508,208 Japarts Construction Inc.

IvorAllen

KPThomas & Sons Contracting Inc.

S Jagmohan Construction & General Supplies Inc.

$848,690,462

$1,072,722,105

$99,888,488

$1,134,383,460 Engineer’s Estimate

$917,508,795

Ministry of Health Supply and Delivery & Installation of Medical Equipment.

Bidder

Inc.

Mall, Turkeyen. According to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office, it was revealedatarecentopeningoftendersthattheconstructionof

Extension of New Diamond Grove Primary, East Bank Demerara.

Bidder Amount Tendered

Hoosein Logistics & Supplies Inc.

Z&H Investment Inc

4S Security & Building Enterprise

Kaiveri Procurement Logistics Investment Inc

M&D Investments

VG Group Guyana Inc

Kawall Ramdeen General Construction Office Furnishing

Gryphon Engineering Inc

Centaur Investments Inc

Cimcon

$11,009,243

Ministry of Education Extension of Diamond Primary School.

Bidder Amount Tendered

Tony's Construction

Vishal's Contracting Company

$49,848,235

$49,878,500

4S Security & Building Enterprise $53,704,330

Memorex Enterprise

Gryphon Engineering Inc

MK Haniff Construction Services

$59,906,955

$63,760,150

$87,733,200

Noel Joe's Construction Services $47,386,790

LS Contracting Services

Hoosein Logistics & Supplies Inc.

GD's Construction & Supplies

RS Builders Inc

Ayani Hattan Construction Co.

Rishma & Sisters Enterprise

Simcon Engineering Inc.

Contaur Investment Inc.

FS Construction

Extreme Gen Construction & Supplies

Superior Supplies & General Construction

R Kissoon Contracting Service

$50,257,200

$51,850,000

$50,384,160

$55,889,300

$47,616,390

$53,938,862

$49,155,020

$55,859,065

$51,887,070

$51,057,400

$52,291,000

$70,922,120

MAli Contracting & Engineering Services $53,687,920

Eron Lall Civil Engineering

Kaiveri Pro Logistics & Investment Inc.

$55,807,030

$54,604,020 Engineer’s Estimate $56,250,000

Frompage4

Naubat Persaud, their close friendwas37.Whenthenext vacancy occured they decided to move along the list and brought in Fazel, at 36 and Naubat at 37.If this does not tell a story then whatdoes?

That is not all The counting of the votes and d e c l a r a t i o n i s n o t transparent.They could very wellplacetheballotsinfront of the returning officer and call out the votes while two recording officers on both sides would record. Others could observe by standing behind and looking at the counting. In the end we would have four tally sheets. Butno.

The returning officer would take the ballots and dividethemamonganumber of counters. The returning Officer would be selected by the leadership and would usually be a long standing PPPite These individuals would count and prepare their tally sheets. One can understand under this modus it would be difficult to

$55,800,000

$52,031,960

$54,203,130

$57,601,320

$42,215,260

$68,749,650

$54,580,180

$63,391,842

$59,149,060

is estimated to cost $917,508,795.Atotal of five contractorshavebidforthecontract. Belowarethecompaniesandtheirbids:

observe the counting of votes. The number of tally sheets are then handed to the returning officer who enters them into the computer and then he produces one tally sheet of his making. No one canverifyhissheet.

At the congress in Tain, the returning officer was announcing the results from the one spread sheet I noticed when he reached my name he hesitated and looked back then repeated my name and announced how many votes I received. Of course I did not have enough.

I approached him after and asked him to show me the tally sheet, but he refused.Hegotabigjobafter and this was the usual practice with returning officers.

WE, in the PPP although there is a lot of grumbling and dissatisfaction usually do not challenge in the interest of party unity I would like to advise that the PPP lost power in 2015 because of deep rooted corruption. I criticized it and

I was terminated. I am not lying when I state that presidential Candidate in the 2011 elections stated that the corruption was deep rooted andhewouldrootitout.This was a headline in the News

Paper

The major problem we have is that the leadership of the parties are in the l e a d e r s h i p

governments, so the party is instrumental in putting them there but incapable of holding them accountable. The habit PPP delegates have is first to tick off the leadersandtheministersand then think of whom to vote for next So, they are responsible for the perpetuation of the state of affairs where the Party has no control. In fact the leader uses the list system where he choses who are to be MPs and who are to be Ministers etc to ensure he controls people. If they are critical thennomeat.

Congress is the only opportunity you have to control your government So, delegatesare advised not

to elect those powerful figures in the government but to ensure the CC has s e a s o n e d m e m b e r s especially those who have maintainedtheLegacyofDr Jagan and who as a result are ideologically oriented in favour of the working people.Weknowwhoarethe corruptandpowerdrunk.Do not cast your votes for them. Put into place a CC that would hold the government accountable and one which calls upon Cheddi Jagan not in name only but one which would bring back his legacy of pro-working class and leanandclean.

The future of this country lies in your hands. The selling out of Guyana's patrimony must cease. The corruption and selfaggrandizement of a few top leaders and cronies must be broughttoahalt.

Long live Cde, Cheddi and Janet, Long live the workingpeople.

Sincerely, RajendraBisessar

BSc Sociology,

Law

ExxoneyesGYSBI,otherprivatespacestodumpwaste

The Guyana Shorebase Inc (GYSBI), is being looked at as an alternativesiteforthedumpingofits waste as it ramps up production in theStabroekBlock

This comes at a time when the Haags Bosch Landfill is quickly runningoutofspacetostorerefuse In the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the sixth oil project it was noted that at present the GYSBI site has already been identifiedasanemergencydumpsite should there be any problems affectingtheoperationsatHBL Environmental and Technical Solutions (ETS) and Sustainable Environmental Solutions Guyana, Inc (SES), located at the GYSBI facility, are currently the primary providers of hazardous and nonhazardous waste treatment services inGuyana

Bothfacilitiesemployavariety of waste treatment technologies (sorting/segregation of recyclables, physical/chemical/ thermal treatment of hazardous and nonhazardouswastes),dischargetreated fluids as permitted to the Demerara River, and send treated nonhazardous solid waste as well as other wastes received (including

...Exxon’s 6th oil project study reveals

generalwaste,paper/cardboard,and scrapwood)totheHBL

AccordingtotheCompany,The GYSBIAnnexPlot4siteislocated ontheeastsideofEastBankPublic Road, approximately one km southeast of the GYSBI entrance and encompasses an area of approximately40,000squaremeters and“thisareacouldbeusedforthe emergency storage of up to 1,000 tonnes (at a minimum) of treated nonhazardous waste pending the resumption of routine HBL operations”

AccordingtotheEIA,atpresent all non-hazardous wastes managed atETSandSESarecurrentlystored at the respective facilities pending offsite transfer to the HBLfor final disposal

Wasteiscurrentlytransportedto theHBLonceacompletetruckload ofwastehasaccumulated However, both these facilities have very limited space available for nonhazardous waste storage “Therefore, any unplanned shutdown or operational challenges

at the HBL could disrupt operations”

To this end, EMGL has developed a contingency option that identifies an additional location (GYSBI Annex Plot 4) that can be used for emergency storage of solid (no-free liquid) treated nonhazardous waste in the event of an unplanned shutdown or operational challengesattheHBL meaningthe landfillcannotacceptwastesbecause of weather or other operational challenges GYSBI currently operates a steel pipe warehouse, storage,andhandlingoperationatits Annex location that involves the washingofvirginsteelpipepriorto transfer to the wharf and loading ontothevesselsforoffshoretransit

Itwasacknowledgedinthatthe viabilityofitsoperationsdependson sufficient waste management infrastructure and as such in recognition of the potential future capacityconstraintsandimpactson non-Project users of this infrastructure, the Project has initiated a number of mitigation measures:

To this end it was noted thatas warranted, based on anticipated future Exxon Mobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) hazardous waste generationtrendsandtrendsinnonEMGLhazardouswastegeneration, continue supporting the expansion ofexistinglocalwastemanagement capacity for hazardous wastes, and explore use of new local hazardous wastetreatmentfacilities,oridentify suitablealternativesolutions

The company said too itwould also continue monitoring of plans for further expansion of the HBL and/or (if approved by the EPA) construction of additional landfill sites in other locations (as decided by the government) or identify suitable alternative (interim) local solutions for non-hazardous waste management”

Additionally, the EIAconcedes that for those wastes transported onshore,therearealimitednumber of facilities for the treatment of hazardous and industrial waste in Guyana, although the construction and proposal of additional such facilitiesaregrowingcommensurate

with the planned expansion of oil andgasactivities

TheHBListheonlyengineered sanitary landfill in Guyana and startedoperationsinearly2011and is the current destination for most municipal and commercial solid non-hazardous waste generated from the greater Georgetown area, includingwastesgeneratedfromthe 25-plusNeighbourhoodDemocratic Councils between Mahaica, the Seawall,Timehri,andParika

All non-hazardous solidwastes generated to date from EMGL’s projectshavebeendisposedofatthe HBL The original disposal cell (Cell1)isclosed,andCell2started operations in late March 2021 The remainingestimatedlifespanofCell 2 depends on how much the waste volumes received at the landfill increase with the expanded economic development expected in theGeorgetownareaoverthenext5 years

Withthisinmind,EMGLnoted thatplannedProjectactivitiescould impact waste management infrastructure capacity for current users of Georgetown-based waste treatment facilities since “EMGL andotheroilandgas

Continuedonpage18

32moreLaingAve.households receivehousingvouchers

In a move to assist homeowners in upgrading theirlivingstandard,some32 more households in Laing Avenue, Georgetown, received vouchers valued $250,000 each Monday afternoon

Each recipient also receivedanextra$100,000to cover labour expenses The vouchers were distributed by Minister of Housing and Water,CollinCroal,duringa simple handing-over ceremony at St Pius Primary School, Cemetery Road, Georgetown

Brimmingwithhappiness was beneficiary Andrew Christian,whowelcomedthe voucherandstatedthatmuchneeded repairs will be undertaken on his house. “I feel fantastic. I have been waiting on this project for quite some time…I will be doing the roof, bedroom walls, and the window frames If possible, I will do some painting,” Christian told the Department of PublicInformation(DPI).

Sharing similar sentiments was beneficiary RonJohnson,whosehouseis indireneedofrepairs,saidhe can now purchase the necessary building materials Johnson emphasised, “I am thankfulforthelittlehelpthat thegovernmentisgivingus” Beneficiary Ann Braithwaite will be using her grant to execute repairs on the

washroom, the door, and other necessary works. With this support, 72-year-old Brenda Hopkinson expressed that she is now able to fix her door and zinc sheets, as her house is in a deplorablecondition.

“When rain falls, the wholeplacedoesfloodout I am glad that my place is gettingthishelpwhichwillgo a long way I am grateful for that since I am an elderly person,”sheadded

Meanwhile, Minister Croal highlighted that this programmehasseenanoverall investment of over $31.5 millioninvoucherstodate As such,122vouchershavebeen distributed to the residents since the programme commenced A total of 211

households are eligible to benefit from the initiative whentheverificationprocess is completed. In January, the first batch of vouchers, valued at $250,000 each, were distributed to 60 residents from Laing Avenue.

Some 30 more residents received their vouchers in February InJuly2023,VicePresident, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo announced the $50 million house improvement programme for residents of Laing Avenue and Yarrow Dam Minister Croal reiterated that government’s housingprogrammecatersto ensure persons from all sections of society have access to affordable housing solutions (DPI)

72-year-old Brenda Hopkinson receives her voucher

The President and his statistics

President Irfaan Ali has developed a penchant for heavily daubing his presentations–addressesand

Sugar ( tonnes)

impact of his message. It is far more effective to be concise and forceful in delivering key points rather

shows

utput in

production in the main sectors; namely sugar, bauxite,riceandforestry:

Bauxite (tonnes) 1,563,563 1,919,747 Rice (tonnes) 635,238 682,081 Gold (oz)

( total logs: cu mt)

discourses – with statistics. He does this with such proclivity that he often ignores the utility of the use ofstatisticsinpresentations.

A Stabroek News editorial of August 19, 2003 had called attention to this tendency of the President. It noted, “… the President is a numbers man. Give him a statistic and he will tweak it for political ends. He can't help himself. The least the press can do is question where these statistics and all others come from and their accuracy…”

That editorial questioned some of the President's numbers on mortality rates in Guyana, accusing him of usingpartialdatafor2023for comparative purposes with other years. But that may have been an error on someoneelse'spart.

However, when such errors repeat themselves it becomes a cause for concern. And this brings us to the recent marathon statement issued by the President –lasting some 24 minutes –and addressed to the workers ofGuyana.

As an aside, the President must exercise better control over the length of his presentations Prolonged speeches risk alienating his audience.

By persisting with lengthy presentations, he runs the risk of losing their attention and diluting the

than inundating listeners with long-winded discourse filled with unnecessary fluff andjumbledphrases.Brevity will ensure that his message remains engaging and impactful, maintaining the audience's interest and maximizingtheeffectiveness ofhiscommunication.

I n h i s e x t e n d e d statement, the President said,

“In2020,whenthePPPCivic government assumed office, we inherited a broken economy where all the major sectors reported significant declineinoutput.”

He then went to point out financial losses in the sugar, forestryandbauxitesector

But financial losses are far different from saying that 'all' of the major sectors reported a significant decline in output. In fact, there was never a year between 2015 and 2020, under the

APNU+AFC where the economydidnotgrow

The PPPC in 2014 left an economy that was tottering.

GrowthofGDPin2014wasa mere 1.7% and declined to o 7% in 2015 when the APNU+AFC ousted the PPPCfromoffice.

Growth in 2016 was 3.8%;in2017itwas3.7%;in 2018 it was 4.4% and in 2019, the last full year of the APNU+AFC government, growth was 5 4% These numbers do not suggest a 'broken'economy

The following table

Output: Guyana's economy: 2014 vs 2019

As is evident, the only two main economic sectors which declined in output were sugar and forestry All the other major economic sectors (bauxite, rice, and gold) registered superior o u t p u t u n d e r t h e

APNU+AFC government Irfaan Ali therefore does not have a strong empirical basis to argue that the PPPC inherited an economy in 2020withdecliningoutputin allmajorsectors.

The APNU+AFC put the PPPC government to shame in terms of output in gold, and rice and to some extent bauxite. But by the time the APNU+AFC assumed office in 2o15, sugar was on its deathbed, due in no small measure to the drain on the industry's cash flow because of the costs of the new SkeldonSugarFactory

The forestry sector declined on account of the fallout between the APNU+AFC and a major Chinese forestry firm Observers believed had that company still been operating in Guyana, Guyana's forests would have been under greaterthreat.

I t i s t h e r e f o r e disingenuousforIrfaanAlito suggest that the PPPC inherited an economy in decline The Irfaan Ali government inherited an economy in which oil

DEM BOYS SEH

Guyana gat nuff con-tractor

Lang ago, we used to have 'contractors'and'con-tractors'.Defussset used to build things. De second set does fool you into believing dem know to build.

With a regular contractor, yuh stand a chanceofgettingyuhjobcomplete,never mind it over budget and late. But with a contractor, de wuk does finish even before it start. One day a carpenter was nailing a fence. He went to one of dem con-tractors and says, "Boss, I have a problem.Ijustopenedthispacketofnails andalltheheadsareonthewrongend." "Idiot!" yells the con-tractor "Those nails are for the other side of the fence!" But Guyanese con-tractors are de best.

One time a company advertises for tenders fuh buildabridge.Itreceivedthreebids,onefroma Chinese contractor, de next from an America contractor, and de third from a Guyanese contractor DeChinesecontractoraskfuh$10Mto build de bridge. De American contractor ask fuh $20M. De lowest bid was from de Guyanesecon-tractor Hewanted$30M De company manager called in de Guyanese and asked him why his bid was so high at $30M De Guyanese contractor replied,”$10M for me, $10M for you and we gan hire the Chinese contractor to do de wuk.” He got the job. But de odder two bidders sent a protesttodePPC.Demhopingtogetananswer bydeturnofdecentury Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

production had just commenced; and it must therefore not blame the APNU+AFC for failing to payworkersbetter.

Inasubsequentcolumn,I willexposetheflawsinsome oftheotherstatisticalmetrics used by Ali in his address to workers.

This will reveal much of the hollowness of his arguments.

Ali should be reminded that while statistics can be a powerful tool for bolstering

arguments, his approach seems more focused on quantityoverquality. By indiscriminately throwing numbers into the fray, Ali undermines the credibility of his arguments and risks misleading his audience.

Rather than using statistics as a crutch, he should employ them judiciously, ensuring that they are relevant, accurate, and properly contextualized.

T

enhance the persuasiveness ofhisarguments.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Customs declaration on steroids: Statia’s back ripe for the sack

IamgladthatthereisaRamps LogisticsandanExxoninGuyana. Thoughitispainful,theirpresence helps to breakup the routine drudgeriesofthePPPGovernment, the rants of its two headmen aka headhunters, and the delirious ecstasiesofthesurroundingcastof thousands. Iamstilltodecidethat if Guyana was a true oil story captured in motion picture form, whetheritwouldbeahorrorthriller oraGothictragedy

Get a load of this fellow Guyanese. An audit of Exxon’s expenses went from US$214M to US$3M,justlikethat,andnothing happens. Onepoorfellowwhowas a willing lamb that went without a bleat to his unjust desserts. The comedy about his punishment was thatitwasnopunishmentatall,and arunningjokefortheperpatwhose doorstep the US$107M giveaway was placed, as well as all those in

thevicinityofthecharade.

We have become a land of actors, with one academy awardwinningperformanceafteranother Justice is served. It was the first full length screenplay of the still developing Guyana’s oil novel. It promisestobeanencyclopediaand athrillerofaread.

The latest chapter is this one ensnaring Ramps Logistics, Inc., a CARICOM business brother, and Exxon, Guyana’s American partner If I had my choice of partner, I would settle for Sammy “the Bull” Gravano, or John Gotti. In this still unfinished chapter involving a pumped up, blown up, soupedup,andrevvedup,customs declaration, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) looks like the hero.

But, given that this is Guyana, thedarlingGRAcouldstillbemade into the overwrought villain. I

GTU President questions Govt. swiftness to respond to sugar workers one-day strike action

Teachers from across the country participated in the annual LabourDaymarchonWednesday, advocating for fairness and better treatmentfromtheGovernmentof Guyana(GoG).

Mark Lyte, President of the Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU), in his address during the postmarch programme at the unions’

wonder where this features in the policyman’smakeup. Inowcutto the gunfight, something that the man from the Alamo, Marshall AlistairRoutledge,shouldidentify withwell.

Onthedarksideintheblackhat stands Ramp Logistics. On the other end of the sunbaked, dusty street,therewaitsariled-up,Exxon pretending to have on a white hat (painted over) Don’t look at Exxon. Don’t dare to try to stick thisUS$12.1BtoExxon. Thereis therealbadguyoverthere,Ramps Logistics. Man,thesearethedays when I long for the warren that is Wall Street in downtown Manhattan.

like waves, in Stabroek News and Kaieteur News, those who didn’t dowellhavetodie.

They don’t hang people anymore, those who get caught with standard practices that mushroom into handwringing blunderswhentheywendtheirway intothepublicdomain. Buttheydo die a quick, bloodless corporate death. Kaput! Off with their heads,thefoolishfour-flushersand dice players, who committed the cardinal sin of doing what gets the company’snameplasteredallover thepaper WallStreetfirmswould take the hard multimillion dollar hit, swallow their financial pain. Butjustkeepthingscontained. By God!Justdon’tletanywhisper,not ahint,getintothenews.

It is no big deal for something likethistohappen,sincethese,ah, slips happened all the time. Stuff happens, and that is why there are fans that have to spring in extra duty and clear the stain and stench away Thereminders,themantras, thecommandments,nomatterhow differently they are framed and expounded, all come back to the same place: don’t let any such escapades (no matter how they are partoftheingrainedroutines)ever get into the Wall Street Journal or theNewYorkTimes. Keepthedamneddirtylaundry inthehouseandamongfamilyand friends. That’swhatfriendsarefor, just such contingencies when they get out of the bag. It is do or die. With this fiasco now making the rounds, and generating tsunami-

If this was Wall Street, a specialty-charteredplanewouldbe sentheretoairlifttheExxonpeople near this paper perversity submitted to the GRA back to Spring,Texas, and then from there tomaketheirwayintothebadlands of America’s still Wild West. I shouldn’t have to say it, but there would be a stopover in Port-ofSpain to dump off the Ramps Logistics worthies whose fingers twitched,oreyesightwastoogood fortheirowngood.

the errant live happily ever after, and even get to laff in the face of Guyanese in their distress. This placeisthejokeofthecentury:the ThreeStooges,BudandLou,Eddie MurphyandRichiePryor,allrolled intoonebigshow Hearmeouton this one: nothing is going to come outofthis. Notonedamn,blasted, bloodything. ButthereissomethingthatIam concernedabout:thestayingpower oftheGRAmanincharge:Godfrey Statia. This guy is a problem. A thorn that is causing too many troubles. An officer of the State who doesn’t know that there are times to look the other way Look at all the ministers in the PPP Government. Itiswhytheyarestill where they are. Look away, learn somemore,livetolastanotherday

People would have been fired unceremoniously, including any commanding managing director, since the embarrassment occurred under his watch. To be clear: GuyanaisnotWallStreet,forhere

One customs declaration for fingers-full of millions miraculously mutating into the magnificence of US$12.1B. It is my belief that Mr Statia is seeing too much, pushing too hard. Like that other genuine Guyanese Dr VincentAdams,hehadbetterpack his bags: his back is right for the sack. He is a block to Texas-style business. This is why I love Guyana; why I love the PPP and Exxonmore.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

The GTU President said, “I’m wondering whether the striking GUYSUCO workers from the Canje, Rose Hall Estate if their matterwassettled,Isawthemfora fewhoursandIhaven’tseenthem again.Howmanydaysdidyousee us for These guys came out and say we not working and they nah goingbackthere,andthat’sthelast bitofwordweheardfromthem,I believeifthematterwasunsettled they would have been outside again…”

Mark Lyte, President of the Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU)

headquarter in Georgetown, emphasised the importance of treating educators with respect. Lyte highlighted the injustice teachers faced for participating in the29-daysstrikeaction,anddrew comparison to the treatment teachers received, versus a recent strike action, by Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) workers.

On February 5, teachers from across the country took to the streets to protest for better wages and salaries. This action went on foralmostamonthandresultedin a court battle between the Union and the government. In response to the GTU’s industrial action government had announced that teachers who participate in the strike action – salaries will be deducted However, GTU challenged the government’s decision in court and onApril 19, 2024, High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon ruled in favour of the teachers, affirming the legality of the strike and prohibiting the government from implementing salarydeductions.

On the other hand, the GTU President highlighted that on Monday sugar workers from the Rose Hall Estate downed their tools and picked up placards to protestaftertheyweredeniedpaid leave.KaieteurNewshadreported thatthesugarworkerscontended Continued on page 18

Seven firms have expressed interest supplying a barge to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc. to transport and store heavy fuel oil (HFO) from Kingston / Vreed-en-Hoop to Everton, Berbice.

Thisisaccordingtoinformation revealed during the opening of tenders onTuesday at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office. The seven bidders are FCD Maritime Management Inc.; Horizon Maritime Consultancy & Investment Inc; Atlas Caribbean Inc; Posterity Investments; Apan Energy Services Inc; ETSTrading & Shipping in joint venture with Blue Horizon Nautical Brokerage, Offshore Solutions Trinidad, JEL Business Solutions Trinidad; and Trader Tanker SA (based in Panama)

The power company last week advertisedfortherentalofabarge in preparation for the power ship which arrived in the country on Wednesday GPL in its advertisement had mentioned that itisintheprocessofexpandingits

generating capacity and the need has arisen for a barge with the capacity to transfer and store between 8,000 and 35,000 barrels of HFO to be transported from KingstontoEverton.

The company noted that the bargewillbeprimarilystationedat Everton. The requirements for the barge include capability of transporting and storing heavy fuel, oil (HFO) in a safe manner. The barge must have among other things, capacity to store between 8,000 to 35,000 barrels of heavy fueloil.

The barge must also have the capability of mooring and transitingbetweenGPL’sKingston and Vreed-en-Hoop ports. The barge must be self-propelled. It must hold the capability of performing ship-to-ship transfer /loading of heavy fuel oil. The barge must be available to be leased on a continuous basis for a minimum period of one year to a maximum period of two years. It must have a valid barge registration/licence and be double hulled,GPLstated.

With regard to the power ship, Kaieteur News had reported that GPL signed a contract with U r b a c o n C o n c e s s i o n s Investments,W.L.L(UCI)onApril 13tocharterthevesselwithatotal installedcapacityof36Megawatts (MWs) for a period of two years. The contract inked with UCI, a subsidiary of UCC Holdings, a companyincorporatedintheState of Qatar. UCC Holdings has a strategic alliance with Karpowership International, a Turkishcompany

This publication reported also thattheutilitycompanyinapublic missive stated, “the contract requires GPL to pay UCI a fee of 6.62 US cents per kWh as a monthly charter fee for the powership and a monthly operation and maintenance fee of 0.98 US cents per kWh, based on electricity generated.” According toGPL,thepowershipisexpected to operate at 96 percent availability It will be located at Everton, Berbice and will be interconnectedwithGPL’sGridat 69kV

The Turkish Powership contracted by the government to supply Guyana with some 36 megawatts of electricity for two years,arrivedonWednesday

The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) posted the news about the vessel’s arrival on its Facebook pagewithoutanyadditionaldetails. Karpowership will be station at Everton, Berbice, Region Six and will be interconnected with GPL’s Grid at 69 kV and is expected to start delivering electricity to the countrybyMay8,2024.

A contract for the ship was signed between the GPL Inc. and UCI, a subsidiary of UCC Holdings, a company incorporated intheStateofQatar.UCCHoldings has a strategic alliance with Karpowership International, a Turkish company. President Mohamed Irfaan Ali had told reportersthatcontractingshipfora two year is feasible to end Guyana’s blackout crisis for now untiltheUS$2billionandcounting Gas-to-Energy project comes on streambuttodateGuyanaremains in the dark over the true cost for electricityfromthevessel.

Guyana had to pay a mobilization fee of US$1M to get the ship here and the contract,

PowershipsailsintoGuyana

- as GPL still fixing site, finalizing rental of barge

according to GPL, includes the provision of operation and maintenanceservicesaspartofthe agreement.Accordingtotheutility company in a public missive yesterday, “the contract requires GPL to pay UCI a fee of 6.62 US centsperkWhasamonthlycharter fee for the powership and a monthly operation and maintenance fee of 0.98 US cents per kWh, based on electricity generated.”

A 36MW capacity plant is expected to generate some 315,360,000-kilowatt hours per year,whichwouldmeananannual bill $2,087,683,200 This in addition to the 0.98 US cents maintenance fee, will add an additional US$309,052,800, or cumulativelyUS$2,396,736,000.

This price however excludes fuel because based on the agreement signed Guyana will havetosupplythattoo. Memberof Parliament David Patterson had claimed that based on his calculations it will end up costing Guyana someUS$0.30 cents per KilowattHour

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo in response has accused Patterson of misleading the nation on the cost that will be accrued for the

rental of the Turkish power ship

Notwithstanding Patterson’s calculations, Jagdeo did not provideadetailedaccountofwhat thecountryisreallypayingforthe service, leaving Guyanese in the darkoverthetruecost Jagdeowas at the time addressing reporters at his weekly press conference on Thursday “Ijustsaidthatthefuel is US13 to US14 Cents per kilowatt hour (to supply the fuel) ifyouaddtothatthe7 6centsper kilowatt hour, you are coming around to 21 or 22 cents per kilowatt hour which it costs to generate elsewhere too not 55 cents per kilowatt hour,” Jagdeo said. At a previous pressconference Jagdeo was pressed to provide the amount of money Guyana will be paying for the electricity from Karpowership International. Instead of giving a definitive answer, he said that it will cost the country nearly US$0 30centsperKilowattHour

SITEPREPARATION

Meanwhile, the Department of Public Information (DPI) reported that significant site preparation work is currently underway in Everton, East Bank Berbice, RegionSixfortheoperationsofthe ship. Zone Manager of the GPL

GPL workers at the Everton, East Bank Berbice site

Berbice location, Ravindra Jagnandan, visited the site on Tuesday to oversee ongoing preparatory works. In a recent televised interview, Jagnandan explained that major land clearing and installation of utility poles are in progress. “Firstly, what we are doing now to accommodate the ship, is land-clearing and vegetation management. We also havetobuildanetworktoconnect

the power barge to our network at GPL.

“The ship will be dispatching 69,000kilovoltsandsowehaveto construct a new transmission line for us to connect and dispatch power from the ship to our grid,” he elaborated Currently, the GPL Berbiceteamispreparingtosetup the transmission lines at Everton Jagnandan further explained that to access electricity from the power ship to the DemeraraBerbice Interconnected System (DBIS), they will tap into GPL’s existing L21 transmission line. “Having the electricity at that voltage level (69,000 kilovolts), then we will be able to access powerfromtheshipatourvarious load centres across Berbice and Demerara,”themanagernoted Heemphasisedthattheteamis workingdiligentlytocompletethe preparations and conclude the network construction

maintenance on the lines as early as possible before the ship’s arrival Jagnandan highlighted that the country is currently experiencing frequent power outages due to a deficit between GPL’sgeneratingcapacityandthe country’s growing electrical demand Therefore, the arrival of this ship will form the basis of a proactive approach by the government to help minimize currentdisruptions

LabourDayScenes

Members of the Guyana Teachers Union

Clerical and Commercial Workers’Union marching in the streets of Georgetown

Members of the General Workers’ Union exhibiting their union’s sign

Starting point of the Labour Day march

General Workers’Unions marching and singing

Guyana Postal and Telecommunications Workers’ Union during the Labour Day celebrations

Union ofAgricultural andAllied Workers on Wednesday during the march holding up their union’s sign

Members of the Guyana Public Service Union in the parade

Guyana Bauxite and General Workers’Union marching on Labour Day

Workers attached to the Guyana Local Government Officers’Union were represented

Members of the General Workers’Union declared: “In unity there is strength.”

Members of the Guyana Trades Union Congress display their placards during the march

President of the Guyana Teachers’Union (GTU) Dr. Mark Lyte during the Labour Day celebrations

Workersdemandfairshareofthe“oilwealth”

– GTU President says oil belongs to all Guyanese

With oil production ramping up offshore Guyana, President of the GuyanaTeachers’Union (GTU), Mark Lyte has made a call for workers to “get a fair share” from the country’sburgeoningoilindustry

TheworkersonWednesdaycalledattentiontotheirplight withlowwagesandpoorworkingconditions.Theyalsoused theLabourDaymarchandrallytourgebettermanagementof thecountry’soilresources,withcallsbyunionleadersforfull protectionfromanoilspillandotherconcerns.

In Guyana, Labour Day celebrations began during the 1930sundertheleadershipofHubertNathanielCritchlowand his British Guiana Labour Union (BGLU). Notably, Labour DaywasannouncedanationalholidayonMay1,1958bythen MinisterofLabourJanetJangan.Assuch,workersinGuyana have celebrated the holiday by marching in the streets throughout the districts, along with rallies addressed mainly by union leaders and others. On Wednesday workers braved thescorchingsuntoparticipateintheirannualmarch.

Theprocessionkickedoffat ParadeGround,Middleand Carmichael Street, around 8:30hrs, with workers marching under the theme: “Galvanizing and mobilizing for workers empowermentandequalshareofoilwealth.”

Some11unionsparticipatedintheLabourDaycelebrations Thesewere: Guyana Teachers’Union (GTU); Guyana Trades Union Congress(GTUC); Guyana Local Government Officers Union (GLGOU); Guyana Post and Telecommunication Workers Union (GPTWU); General Workers Union( GWU); Union of Agricultural and Allied Workers (UAAW); Guyana MarketVendorsUnion(GMVU);GuyanaBauxiteandGeneral Workers Union (GBGWU); Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU); Clerical and Commercial Workers’ Union (CCWU) andGuyanaLabourUnion(GLU)

During the parade and march this publication observed severalparticipantsholdingupplacardsbringingattentionto several issues affecting this country Among the placards were: “We demand full liability coverage from the ExxonMobilincaseofanoilspill.”Anotheronestated,“Oil

Continued on page 18

Guyaneserallyagainst slaughterofPalestiansbyIsrael

Guyanese on Wednesday gathered at the Square of the RevolutionforaLabourDayRally calling for an end to the killing of thousands of innocent Palestinian workersbyIsraeliforces.

The rally featured speakers suchasformerPresidentofGuyana Donald Ramotar, Columnist Freddie Kissoon and Haji Dr Roshan Khan. They spoke of the atrocities and genocide occurring inPalestine,especiallyinGazaand calledforittoend.

The rally was themed ‘Stop Targeting Gaza’s Essential Workers’inlightofthesignificance ofLabourDayinGuyana.

However,oneofthestoriesthat gripped the hearts of those who attended the rally was that of a seven-year-old boy, Daniyal Dmitriyev who wants to fly jets into the war zone to rescue Palestinian children and their parentsfromtheIsraelikillers.His mothersaidthatshewouldtellhim it’s dangerous and cannot be done so easily She would jokingly ask him what he would do if Israeli forcesstoppedhim.“Hewouldtell methathewouldfightthemoff”.

Driven by his passion and concern for the Palestinians being killed daily he shared a poem with the audience. He said, “I am sorry

Gaza, I am sorry Palestine, I am sorrythatwecannotstopthefalling missiles.Iamsorrythatwecannot save your children, I wish that we can make them un-see their horrors, I am sorry that we cannot betherewithyoutohelphealyour wounds and keep them warm. BelievewhenIsay,wewouldifwe could and I am sorry that it took Genocidefortheworldtowakefor themasses[sufferinginPalestine].

In a statement, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said around 10,300 workers had entered Israel before Oct. 7, 2023. “Some 3,200 workers were released by Israel at the Kerem Shalom crossing in

November, while 6,441 others had left for the West Bank,” the statement read. “Around 1,000 workersremainmissing,”theNGO said, adding that Israel refuses to disclose any information about the fateofthesemissingworkers.

Israeli human rights group (HaMoked) said on Wednesday that some 9,088 Palestinian detainees are held in Israeli jails. Israel has waged an unrelenting offensiveontheGazaStripsincea cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7, which killed some 1,200 people.

More than 34,500 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly

women and children, and thousands injured amid mass destructionandsevereshortagesof necessities More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine,accordingtotheUN. Israelisaccusedofgenocideat the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January orderedTelAviv to stop genocidal actsandtakemeasurestoguarantee that humanitarian assistance is providedtociviliansinGaza.

Seven-year-old, Daniyal Dmitriyev sharing his Poem at the Labour Day Rally on Wednesday

NYC police arrest 300 as university Gaza protests rage on

( A L J A Z E E R A )

DemonstrationsagainstIsrael'swar on Gaza have continued to rage at universities across the United States, in a night capped by mass arrests in New York and an attack bycounter-protestersinCalifornia.

In New York, the NYPD said it had arrested 282 people at Columbia University and the City College of New York into Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. That came as police cleared students who had occupied Columbia University Hamilton HallsinceApril30.

The building had been dubbed building “Mandela Hall” when students took similar action in support of SouthAfrican liberation in 1985 This time around, protesters named the building “Hind'sHall”inhonourofsix-yearold Hind Rajab, who was killed alongside her family by Israeli forces in Gaza Columbia University student journalist Meghnad Bose told Al Jazeera he was inside the university gates when he witnessed the police

“arresting pro-Palestinian protesterswhohadlinedupright[in front of] the gates to prevent the NYPD from coming in”. “I saw firsthand how the police dispersed those protests, arrested them and sometimes got pretty aggressive in making sure the protesters went away,” he said. In a post on X, Kaz

D a u g h t r y , t h e d e p u t y commissioner of operations at the New York Police Department

(NYPD), said that Columbia Universityhadrequestedthepolice to help “take back. He said the police were “dispersing the unlawful encampment and persons barricaded inside of university buildingsandrestoringorder”.

Meanwhile,attheUniversityof California Los Angeles (UCLA), pro-Israel counter-protesters sought to tear down a pro-Palestine encampment, with witnesses saying the assailants threw objects at those taking part in the demonstration. Sergio Olmos, an investigative journalist reporting from the UCLA campus, told Al Jazeera that he witnessed several hundred counterprotesters as they tried to tear down walls set up by thepro-Palestineencampment.

He described counter protesters trying to hit the pro-Palestine protesters with sticks and in some cases throwing glass bottles Witnessessaidtheincidentwenton for about two hours. In a post on X, theLosAngelesPoliceDepartment said it had responded to the scene “at the request of UCLA, due to multiple acts of violence within the large encampment on their campus” Reporting from Los Angeles, Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds said despite the violence “the encampment is still there, and the student protesters, despite this attack, have stood their ground. They haven't fled” “This has happened before, although on a smallerscale;forexample,overthe weekend, particularly on Sunday

night, the camp was attacked in a similarfashion,”hesaid.

Ongoingprotests

Protests have been common across US campuses since the October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel, and throughout the nearly eight-month Israeli war in Gaza, which has killed 34,568 Palestinians and left the enclave on thebrinkoffamine.

However, the latest surge in demonstrations began nearly two weeks ago amid outrage over Columbia University President Minouche Shafik's testimony to a US congressional committee, in whichcriticsallegedshekowtowed to lawmakers while sidelining students at the university Among anarrayofdemands,severalprotest movements have called for their schools to divest from Israel or weapons manufacturers related to the war They have accused administratorsacrossthecountryof weaponising public safety and disingenuous claims of “antisemitism” to crack down on protests. The most recent bout of arrests also included at 14 protesters at Tulane University in New Orleans, as well as arrests at the University of South Florida and UniversityofWisconsin,Madison.

The protests have resonated far beyondUSborders.

On Wednesday, Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, said she was “horrified by the violent actions of

Govt. invests $22.8M in water distribution network at Potarinau

Potarinau Village in South Rupununi, Region Nine, continues to benefit from government interventions aimed at improving access to potable water for hundreds of residents During a recent two-day outreach to the region over the weekend, Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues handed over a $22.8 million contract to the Village Council to execute works on the water distribution network and elevated storage to achieve 100 percentcoverage.

Speaking at an engagement at the village benab, Minister Rodrigues assured that efforts will continue to ensure all communities are reached by 2025, prioritising equitable access to basic services like water, especially in hinterland regions.Initially,only60percentof the Potarinau Village had access to potablewaterthroughadrilledwell andPV(Photovoltaic)system.

However, increased water levels prompted the drilling of a new $12 million well, undertaken by R. Kissoon Construction, to serve an additional cluster of 30 households. According to Minister Rodrigues, these interventions also aim to mitigate the challenges

police at US universities smashing protests against an ongoing genocide perpetrated by a foreign country”. In a post on X, she said: “such a dystopian reality. May students and faculty members be safe. May the genocide end. May justice and reason prevail.” But the White House appeared to back the crackdown on the protesters on Wednesday, linking the demonstrationstoanti-Semitism.

“They should not be able to disturb or disrupt the academic experience that students have,” WhiteHousespokeswomanKarine Jean-Pierre told reporters. “It is important that students and communities feel safe here. And at the same time, we are going to be really forceful here and continue to underscore how anti-Semitism is hateful speech.” Asked about proIsrael protesters' attack on the student encampment at UCLA, Jean-Pierre declined to comment on the specifics. She said theWhite House rejects all forms of violence

Minister within the Ministry of Housing, Susan Rodrigues capturing water for an existing water system in Potarinau

posedbyprolongeddryperiodsand have shown significant progress.

She highlighted the identification of an additional cluster in the village, assuring that the area will be addressed promptly to provide water access to its residents Minister Rodrigues reminded the residents that when the government tookofficein2020,only46percent of villages had access to potable water However, with ambitious targets set by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Guyana aims to achieve the United Nation's (UN's) Sustainable Development Goal Six – access to water and sanitation for all by 2030, with significant progress already made toreachitby2025.

Over the past three years, some $3.5billionhasbeeninvestedinthe hinterland water programme,

resulting in the drilling of 75 new wells. This year, an additional 1.5 billion will fund the drilling of 40 more wells Additionally, the minister disclosed that “The government of Guyana is committed to investing in Climate Resilient Infrastructure andothermeasurestocounterthe impactsofclimatechange.”

She also commissioned expanded water systems that will benefit approximately 2,000 households in Karaudarnau, Awarewaunau,andRupunau,while a $23.8M contract was handed over to theAishaltonVillageCouncil for a water distribution system Minister Rodrigues was joined by Director of Hinterland Services at Guyana Water Inc , Ramchand Jailal, as well as other technical officers.(DPI)

“broadly”.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass called the UCLA violence “absolutely abhorrent and inexcusable”. For his part, New York City Mayor Eric Adams defended the police crackdown, claiming the protest at Columbia was “led by individuals who were notaffiliatedwiththeuniversity”,a claim the police have yet to back up. “There is a movement to radicalise young people. And I'm not going to wait until it is done to acknowledge the existence of it,” Adams said Meanwhile, the JewishVoiceforPeace(JVP)group condemned both the NYPD and Columbia University's actions Stefanie Fox, the group's executive director said, the school was on the wrong side of history once again as it was “in its oppression of the student anti-war movement of 1968, and wrong again in its oppression of the student movement against South African apartheidin1985”.

Body washed up at Hope Beach identified as missing elderly man

The body which washed up on Hope Beach on Sunday was identified on Tuesday as that of a Michael Bacchus, 74 of Houston, EastBankDemerara.

According to police reports the elderly man was missing since th April16 2024.

Policesaid,onTuesday,amale, went to Cove and John Police Station, claiming that his father-inlaw Michael Bacchus had gone missing since April 16, 2024.''

There were missing person reports filed at Brickdam and Albertown PoliceStations,respectively,bythe relatives.

Asaresultofthesethemanwas

accompanied by ranks of the Force totheMemorialGardensMortuary, where he identified the body to be that of his father in law by his denturesandclothing.

The man claimed that the deceased was a patient of the GeorgetownPublicHospitalandhe suffered from dementia. A postmortem examination is scheduled for May 03, 2024. This publication previously reported that the decomposingbodyofamanwason Sunday found by a Mangrove Ranger at Hope Beach, East Coast Demerara. Police said that the discovery was made around 11:30 hrs.

Pro-Israel counter-protesters try to remove barricades at a pro-Palestinian encampment on the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). [David Swanson/Reuters]

Hope Beach, East Coast Demerara.

WANTED

Porter needed for truck. For more information Call: 6611000.

One male able- bodied Staff. Call: 231-2029, 616-5954.

Wanted: Skilled Masons, Carpenters and Labourers to work in Linden. Call: 6029469, 660-6385 or 625-7642.

Caricom Insurance is now hiring Sales Agents/Representatives. Attractive Commission and Training provided. Call (592) 610-6650.

Wanted! Workers for packaging pasta and chowmein. $4100-$5000 per day. Workers paid weekly. Call: 6117839.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

1 Honda CRV, includes TV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, sproiler, crashbar, low mileage PTT Series (first owner). Contact: 649-0956.

1 Toyota Allion, Pioneer DVD, CD & USB deck, reverse camera, alarm, low milage. Call: 649-0956.

One BMW for sale, mileage 082443. Call: 655-7405/ 6947817.

at Soesdyke. Call: 700-0797.

EDUCATION

First AID/CPR/AED & home nursing courses Available at St. John Headquarters. For more information Call: 2259082.

Workers demand fair share of the “oil wealth”

VACANCY

Primary level Teachers needed. Submit applications to smartmindseducation @gmail.com

Vacancy Exist For two Experienced Dispatcher At Confidential Cabs. Call: 231-5784, 231-4001, 231-4000.

One Clerk for TSI Eccles office. English & Mathematics, grade 2. Email application: techserigy@yahoo.com or Call: 615-9132.

Maid to cook & clean for East Bank area. Call: 615-9132.

Experienced Salesperson, knowledge in writing bills, stocktaking, cashing & 1 General Domestic. Apply at Keyfood Mc. Doom Village next to the Post Office.

Hiring spray Painter, Joiner & Carpenters, experience would be an asset, Interested persons can Call: 667-0859.

Vacancy for Receptionist and Hotel Attendant at Hick's Ville Hotel. Call: 2277714/ 223-3448. Email: info@vegeworld.net

Vacancy exist for two nannies. Must be 40 Years or older. Call: 654-1535. Masons, carpenters, & skilled men labourers wages $8,000-$10,000 per day & Labourer 5-7K per day. Call: 650-1394, 692-7110.

1 Office Assistant, must have atleast maths and english. Ages 20-35 years. Email CV: rbinvestmentinc@gmail.com, Call: 613-0855.

Canter Driver needed. Ages 30 years & older. Must have atleast 5 experience. Email CV: rbinvestmentinc@gmail.com, Call: 613-0855.

Skilled Labourers needed for road construction. Ages 20 years & older. Email CV: rbinvestmentinc@gmail.com, Call: 613-0855.

Male Engineer & Project Supervisor at road and building construction. Must have atleast 5 years experience. Email CV: rbinvestmentinc@gmail.com, Call: 613-0855.

Vacancies Exist for Carpenter, Mason, Labourer, and Security Guard at Happy Acres, ECD. Call or WhatsApp Saoud Osman: 643-9861 / 6116151.

Room Attendant, Receptionist, Deskstaff, Supervisor needed at 233, South Road Lacytown. Call: 225-0198.

Cook and Male & female needed to work in the Interior, ages 18 years and older. Call: 699-8486 / 674-9999

Male & female needed to work in the Interior, ages 18 years and older. Call: 6609093

FOR RENT

1 fully furnished Luxurious, 4 bedroom apartment, Hot and Cold water, remote gate etc in Campbellville. G/ town. Price US$2000. Call: 621-5140.

FOR SALE

Two SUV Lexus for sale @ 8.9 mil each. For more information Call: 650-0402/ 652-0251.

One income generating property. Land size 37'x 345' at Middle road, Pouderoyen. For more information Call: 655-7405/ 694-7817.

One, three bedroom selfcontained house for sale in Republic Gardens, gated community. Call: 655-7405/ 694-7817.

Visa Application and consultation, advertisements publishing, graphics design, local & USA passport application forms & i130 application. Call: 626-7040.

Elevate your brand with our professional Graphic design services. For more information Call: 619-0007, 629-5526.

For Land Clearance (Grubbing), Sand fill, Housing Plan and Estimates. Call K. Lakeram Building Contractor 692-8464 or whatsapp 622-0267.

From page 13 spill does kill.” Additionally one of the placards questioned, “Who will pay the cleanup cost in case of disaster? Guyanese tax payers??”Moving forward, in relation to better wages for public servants, some of the placards highlighted: “Teachers are our children’s educator/ caregiver, invest is caring.” Another highlighted, “Domestic workers, say ‘NO’ to discrimination, ‘YES’ to decent work and decent pay.” “End exploitation against domestic workers now,” and “Domestic workers are real workers.”

Addressing workers at a rally held at the GTU Ground, Lyte underscored that the country’s wealth does not belong to only a select group. “The wealth of this country belongs to every Guyanese. Why treat us as third and second class

citizens…we deserve a just piece of the pie, we must remind ourselves of our immense contribution,” he added.Lyte outlined the vital role public servants play empowering the economy. “In spite of our dedication and hard work there are glaring inequalities that persist, this is unacceptable. Every worker, every employee of the state deserves dignity, safety and a fair share of the wealth…” Lyte said. Moreover, he emphasised that Guyanese must raise awareness among themselves and fight against social injustices. He remarked that the Unions have seen it fit to rally for more for workers, particularly from monies earned for the oil resources.

“Our country is well positioned with adequate available resources to offer workers more than any other time in our history to offer workers a better package…yet we

are told by the government that there is no space in the budget to pay us a livable wage,” Lyte stated.

The GTU President asserted that the presence of the workers at yesterday’s rally is an indication that they intend to move forward, not only on Labour Day, but whenever there is social injustice. “We have to take a stand,” he noted.

This statement prompted applause from workers present who were in agreement. Lyte called on workers to stand together and work towards the vision of an equitable and impartial society, in which Guyanese can all benefit. He concluded that in order for public servants to take a step forward, “we must engage in dialogue, advocacy, and collective bargaining to bring about meaningful change…”

(See more photos on page 12)

Exxon eyes GYSBI, other private spaces to...

From page 8 operators are the primary users of hazardous waste management facilities. Since 2019, there has been a substantial expansion of third-party commercial hazardous waste handling, storage, and treatment facilities in Georgetown.”

The general Georgetown community inclusive of all residential and non-residential users is the primary user for non-hazardous waste landfills. According to EMGL, in addition to ETS and SES, several other private waste management facilities have come online or are expected to come online in the near-term for hazardous and non-hazardous waste treatment.

These include the following Eternity Investment Inc.,

(EII)—a scrap metal consolidation and exporting facility that also accepts and manages lead acid batteries and electronic waste. The main scrap yard for the facility is located in a sparsely developed area of Madewini near the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

The company receives non-ferrous (including lead acid batteries), ferrous, and electronic waste scrap, and then sorts and consolidates these materials.

EII receives scrap metal from throughout Guyana.Additionally, the EIA noted that Avinash Contracting & Scrap Metal is a scrap metal consolidation and exporting facility and is authorized by the EPA to manage scrap metal.

This in addition to Oilfield Waste Management Services (OWMS) submitted a permit application to the EPA in 2020 for the construction of a 5,000 square meters drilling waste processing plant in the Little Diamond East Bank Demerara area located approximately 5 kilometers south of GYSBI. OWMS will, EMGL said will employ thermal desorption separator technology to treat drilling muds. Oil and water recovered from the process are proposed to be recycled in the formulation of new drilling muds, and the solids are proposed to be used in the bitumen manufacturing process or sent to the HBL.

GTU President questions...

From page 10 that GUYSUCO had agreed to provide paid leave after two weeks once the crop finished. However, after four weeks, workers had not received their entitlements, prompting the strike. While the protest occurred on Monday, there have been no further reports of its continuation.

In response to the one-day strike action, Lyte said also, “…So I can infer without the requisite evidence that something went on behind the scenes.” He continued, “It looks very suspicious.” Moreover, Lyte expressed concern that despite the court ruling, no progress has been made in addressing teachers’ concerns. He reiterated the GTU’s dedication to fighting for better working conditions for educators and improved wages and salaries.

LAND FOR SALE

LFS

VACANCY

President Ali leads call of Regional Leader for renegotiation of CPL contract

CARICOM leaders and cricket stakeholders are a d v o c a t i n g f o r t h e renegotiation of contractual arrangements between Cricket West Indies (CWI) and organizers of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

These calls arose during therecentCARICOMcricket Symposium held in Trinidad and Tobago, attended by PresidentIrfaanAli,Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Junior, and officials from the Guyana CricketBoard(GCB).

The current CPL contract spans 50 years, with the tournament set to embark on its 12th edition this summer, leaving 38 years remaining

ontheagreement. Discussions during the Symposium hinted at the potential for increased financial benefits once the current contract undergoes revisionandrenegotiation. According to CPL boss Pete Russell, who is also a m

CPL Management team, while the tournament has disbursed over US$27.7 million to its players over an 11-year period, it has amassed

million.

He further stated that CWI has received roughly close to US$17 million in sanction fees over the same 12-year span, positioning

CPL as CWI's largest

partner

Russell emphasized that the 5-week-long tournament incurs an annual cost of US$25 million to operate, with CWI bearing no risks or costs as the Franchises cover allexpenses.

He highlighted that this arrangement places no financialstrainorburdenson theterritorialboardsorCWI.

However, West Indies legendSirCliveLloydraised questions at the Symposium regarding the necessity of signing a 50-year contract. He expressed bewilderment about what a board would negotiate for such a prolongeddeal.

Wednesday May 02, 2024

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19

You might have questions about the satisfaction you feel about your personal life, Aries. It's possible you have more demands than ever Things seem so urgent to you now

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20)

Today is excellent for just letting your intuition guide you,Taurus.Ifyouhavetime, you might want to let your mind go and follow the train of thought wherever it takes you.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

Todayisthekindofdaywhen all you want to do is think about a vacation You're usually such a responsible, conscientious worker that you can afford to escape for justafewminutes.

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

You are an excellent friend, and you take pride in helping the people around you. Have you ever thought about getting involved in a humanitariancause.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Your natural compassion may have led you to choose a profession in which healing or helping other people is yourprimaryduty

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22)

Youhavearatherstrangeday in front of you, Virgo. The celestialatmospherecouldbe playing tricks on you. You might get aggravated for no reasonatall

Sir Lloyd suggested that renegotiating the contract couldprovidetheWestIndies with more leverage, particularly regarding player compensation, potentially attracting more Windies players to participate in the tournament.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley demanded to see the actual contract, arguing that it is "Unequally yoked" and should not be bindingfor50years.

President Ali highlighted the need to reassess the state ofWestIndiescricket,noting its decline compared to its illustriouspast.

He commended the CPL for its contribution to the development of West Indies

cricket and its players, stressing the importance of leveraging and expanding upon this opportunity to propel West Indies cricket into its finest era of franchise cricket.

In outlining his strategies fortheongoingadvancement of West Indies cricket during the Symposium, President A l i p r o p o s e d t h e establishment of a Regional T20 tournament, akin to the now-defunct Champions LeagueT20Tournament.

He believes such an initiative could address not only the challenges faced by the CPLbut also other issues plaguin

landscape.

President Ali disclosed

underway regarding a potential new regional T20 tournament involving CWI and CPL. He sees this as an opportunity to bolster and redefine the game's image andofferings.

“In Guyana, we are workingwiththeWestIndies Cricket Board, CPL, and the ICC to launch a new product for the region that will position the region in the global market: The World Premier League. We are hoping that it will replace what used to be the Champions League,” the Presidentsaid.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

You might be upset by certain financial matters today, Libra Either you realize just how much you've been spending lately or you see that things will be tight in themonthsahead.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

Just for today, Scorpio, ignore your habit of always trying to find an explanation for everything. Something is changing inside you and in the way you react to situations.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

The planets want to make a dealwithyoutoday,Sagittarius. Eitheryoustayinbedfantasizing aboutlifeasaCEOorrockstar oryougetup,getdressed,anddo what you have to do to make yourdreamscometrue

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

It's possible you could meet someone today who will act as a kind of Pygmalion for you You need to be surrounded and encouraged bypeoplewhobelieveinyou.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)

You are particularly inspired by and sensitive to crisis situations.Whatthatmeansis that you can't stand to see otherpeoplesuffer

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

Days like today push you to act in the areas of your life whereyoumayhavehesitated before Does your love life needabreathoffreshair?

M e a n w h i l e , C W I Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe expressed his belief that the CPL may not be the most effective avenue for nurturing grassroots cricket.

Instead, he suggested the possibility of a RegionalT20 tournament exclusively for West Indies players, slated for2025.

Wayne's hat-trick sees Speightland into 'One Guyana' Beach Football final

- Young Gunners to tackle Hi Flyer for Men's title

The stage is ablaze for the highly anticipated 'One Guyana' Beach Football Championship final, following a riveting display of talent during the semifinals on Tuesday at the PPP-C Office compound in Linden. Speightland and Hururu Women's teams triumphed in the Queen's Segment, while Young Gunners and Hi Flyer Men's Football teams secured victories to advance to the King's finals.

In the opening showdown, Hururu seized an early 1-0 advantage within the first five minutes, courtesy of a spectacular strike from Jasmin Williams, leaving Aroaima ladies trailing. Despite Aroaima's relentless efforts, they failed to mount a comeback, resulting in a 1-0 conclusion.

Subsequently after that, Speightland's Nikitta Wayne and Shenessa Cornelius unleashed a relentless assault on Rockstone

Women's team. Wayne found the net three times in the 8th, 12th, and 29th minutes, while Cornelius addedabracewithgoalsinthe30th and37thminutes.AlliyahVenture's strikeinthe23rdminutecompleted the resounding 6-0 victory to meet withHururuinthefinal.

TurningtotheKing'ssideofthe competition, Young Gunners outplayed Platinum Ballers with a commanding4-1triumph.Devonte Tappin opened the scoring for Young Gunners in the 2nd minute, followedbyOmarionRamsammy's goal eight minutes later, extending the lead to 2-0. Rodensio Tudor sealed the deal with a brace in the 21st and 26th minutes, securing a formidable 4-0 advantage Platinum'sTyreseLewismanageda consolationgoalinthe30thminute, concludingthematchat4-1.Young Gunners will now square off against Hi Flyers for a shot at the $1,000,000 cash prize and championshiptrophy

Johnson Charles’

unbeaten ton powers

WindiesAto 76-run victory over Nepal

SportsMax - In a dazzling display of power hitting, Johnson

Charles led the charge for West Indies A with a spectacular unbeaten 119 from just 61 balls, guiding his team to a commanding 76-run victory over Nepal and takinga2-1leadintheT20seriesin Kirtipur

Charles's explosive innings included 13 fours and seven sixes as he anchored the West Indies A innings, propelling them to a formidable total of 227-3 against the hosts. His half-century came in a blistering 24 balls, setting the stage for a dominant performance. Charles formed a crucial secondwicketpartnershipof145runswith Andre Fletcher (53), after Alick Athanazewasrunoutfor17.

Fletcher's innings featured four fours and three sixes before he departed in the 16th over

Contributions from Fabian Allen (19 from nine balls) and Keemo Paul (13 from seven) further bolstered the West Indies A total, which marked the highest score by thetouristsintheseriessofar

Later the evening, Hi Flyers edged past MS Ballers 4-2, with Keon Sears netting two brilliant goals in the 8th and 10th minutes. Emmanuel Atkins (20') and Anthony Mc Calmon (31') contributed with goals for Hi Flyers. MS Ballers found the net through Shawn Arthur and Demol

Warner. The tournament, meticulously organised by Kashif and Shanghai Organization under the One Guyana Brand, promises an electrifying grand finale on Sunday, May 5th, at the same venue. Male teams will battle for a share of the prize money, with first

placereceiving$1,000,000,second place $500,000, third place $200,000, and fourth place $100,000. Meanwhile, the female teams will compete for top honors, with first place earning $400,000, second place $200,000, third place $100,000, and fourth place $50,000.

Former Guyana youth player Hemnarine

Chattergoon

Cambridge Jaguars are ready to go at this year's Canadian Premier Softball Cricket League (CPSCL) T20 tournament on Sunday, May 5th.

They will open their campaign against Berbice Vipers at Grenoble Public School ground in Brampton, Ontario.

confident of success

Hemnarine Chattergoon

In response, Nepal faced an uphill battle chasing more than 11 runs per over for victory and struggled under scoreboard pressure, losing wickets at regular intervals. Opener Lokesh Bam and Karanbothmanaged28runs,while Kushal Malla contributed 20 However, Nepal ultimately collapsed to 151 all out in 19.2 overs.

Hayden Walsh Jr led the bowling attack for West Indies A with impressive figures of 3-28, while Gudakesh Motie provided valuable support with 2-28. Fabian Allen, Matthew Forde, and Obed McCoy also chipped in with a wicket each as the West Indies comfortably secured a pivotal serieslead.

JohnsonCharles'heroicinnings and the collective effort from the West Indies A bowlers have

, aiming to clinch the series victoryagainstNepal.

In 2023, Cambridge Jaguars roared to the championship in this version whiletheyalsotookpossession of the T10 and 15-over trophies.

According to Captain Hemnarine Chattergoon, the side is anxious to participate in thevarioustournamentsagain.

Having reflected on what would have transpired last year, Chattergoon, is more confident that the guys can dominateproceedings.

He outlined that Jaguars played competitive cricket fromthecommencementtothe conclusionandwouldprioritizethe samelevelofcommitment.

“Thebunchofguyswouldwant to start off on a winning note from Sunday; I know you can't underestimate any team because there are some strong teams out there, so we just have to play competitive cricket,” the righthanded Chattergoon who has become a versatile all-rounder playerduetohisbowling,stated.

Like 2023, four trophies are up for grasp including the Rapid-ball 100 Cambridge Jaguars were beaten in the final for that trophy whichwasretainedbyVPBoys.

“I [am] very confident that we can win the tournaments for the second year because we have a balanced team and everyone did play hard and disciplined cricket last year, and we want to lift these trophies again,” Chattergoon, who represented Canada at the highest

level,related.

This will be Jaguars third year in succession featuring at the CPSCL annualshowpiece.

The team has been in existence for the past two decades.

They participated in the

Association as well and reached the championship encounter against longstanding and successful teamSunshine. V

Shelindra Singh echoed similar sentiments of Chattergoon, the former Guyana ad West Indies youthplayer Singh disclosed that the team has intensified their preparations and that would certainly boost their confidencetremendously He is also optimistic thatJaguarscanemergewinnersby thecompletionofthe2024edition. Some senior and reputable softball players are in Jaguars lineup are: the hard-hitting Riaz Kadir, Rajkumar Budhram, Garvin Prashad and Teddy Nankisore amongothers.

Notably, the team is owned by popular Canada-based Guyanese businessman Satishwar Persaud, a RealtorofAdanaHomes.

Hi Flyers to come up against Young Gunners for the One Guyana Kings of the Sand Beach Football title.

Archery Guyana Launches Caribbean Development League for Aspiring Archers

ArcheryGuyanaisproud to announce the commencement of the Caribbean Development Archery League (CDAL), aimed at providing a platform for budding archers in the region to compete remotely and hone their skills.

Endorsed by World Archery Americas, this initiative was the

brainchild of the Archery Association of St Vincent and the Grenadines' President and World Archery Americas Ethics Committee Member, Sanjay Jiandani, and is being run off in several Caribbean countries, which marksasignificantstepforwardfor the development of archery in the Caribbean.

The CDAL invites aspiring archers from affiliated clubs across the region to participate in this i

Wi

h no restrictions on the number of

Competitors check their target during the event.

entrants, over 30 young archers from various parts of Guyana have already signed up for the 'Extraordinary Beginner' Category. This category, designed for archers with three months or less of experience, will see participants shooting from a distance of 15 meterswithbarebowequipment.

The competition will consist of multiple rounds, with league play concluding on June 24th, 2024. Following the league stage, the top four archers in each category will advancetotheeliminationfinalson July 14th, 2024. The winners will be awarded medals at the CDC eventinJamaica.

On Sunday, April 28th, 2024, simultaneous shooting sessions were held at Essequibo's Motorcross Mainstay facility and the National Gymnasium, with the

GCB T10 Blast tournament…

participation of Archery Guyana's National Coaches Ryan McKinnon and Saeed Karim in Essequibo and U

Georgetown.

The opening remarks were deliveredbyMrs.VidushiPersaudMcKinnon, President of Archery G

Gymnasium, where she extended her best wishes to all participants and expressed gratitude to the coaches, Board of Directors, sponsors, Guyana Beverages inc., media, Director of Sport Mr. Steve Ninvalle and the National Sports Commissionfortheirsupport.

Archery Guyana is committed tofosteringthegrowthofarcheryin the region and looks forward to a successful and competitive CDAL season.

Perez, Persaud hit

half-centuries as Anacondas/Hawks record victories

Half-centuries from Raymond Perez and Akshaya Persaud gave their team's respective wins when yesterday's double-header round of the GCB T10 Blast continued at MalteenoesGround.

Essequibo Anacondas beat EssequiboJaguarsby8wickets

Jaguars were bowled out for 122-4 led by knocks from Chandrapaul Hemraj (34), Shemroy Barrington (28), Dwayne Dick(23)andCarlosLarose(19).

Anaconda's left-arm spinner Anthony Adams grabbed 3-23, with Abdul Ramsammy claiming 2-15astheleadingwicket-takers.

Guyana Harpy Eagles and Anacondas opener Perez then took his team home with a blitz, clobbering 7 sixes and a trifecta of fours in his Man-of-the-match knockof66notoutoff23balls.

The Anaconda's platform was earlier laid by openers Kevon Boodie (23) and Ushadeva Balgobin (18) who along with Pereztooktheirfranchiseto123-2.

LaRose (1-21) and Dimitri Cameron (1-8) were the lone wicket-takersfortheJaguars.

Demerara Hawks defeat DemeraraPitbullsby4-runs

In a boundary-filled knock, Captain and Man-of-the-match

Persaud stroked 74 off 30 with six fours an 7 sixes, while Neiland Cadogan (15) and Shaq Williams

(10) helped take the Hawks to 1127. A two-man show from spinner Keon Sinclair (3-31), Leon Swamy (2-18) and in-form seamer Chris Barnwell (1-25) kept things in

check. Pitbulls then tried to hunt their total down with Damian Vantull hitting 50 off 23 (2x4 6x6) and Barnwell 37 but fell short with wickets in the tank, ending on 108-

Looknauth was the pick of the lot with (2-25) with slight help from Windies U19 fast-bowler Isai Thorne(1-21).

Captain Akshaya Persaud's fiery half-century took his team over the ropes.

Raymond Perez smacked 66 to help see his team home.

President of Archery Guyana Ms. Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon, National Coach Mr. Jeewanram Persaud and Judge Candidate Mr. Umasankar Madray at the National Gymnasium.

Brar and Chahar go into CSK's den and spin them out

ESPNcricinfo - Chennai SuperKings wereleftreeling at the Chepauk Stadium as Punjab Kings made it backto-back wins with a comfortable seven-wicket victory to retain a slim, outside chance at making the playoffs They have also become the second team to beat CSK five times in a row, an honour they now share withMumbaiIndians.

It was a far cry from the six-fest of this IPLseason, or indeed PBKS' jaw-dropping success against Kolkata Knight Riders that lifted them out of a three-game

losingslump.

This time, it was the PBKS spinners that stole the limelight as they restricted CSK to 162 for 7. Rahul Chahar and Harpreet Brar choked the life out of the batting, taking two wickets apiece and both going boundaryless for their respectivefourovers.

Ruturaj Gaikwad's 62 held together a patchy 20 overs, which bagged him the OrangeCap.Butheprobably would have swapped either the half-century or the cap, perhaps even both, for winningthetoss.SamCurran was always going to bowl first when the coin fell his

Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sam Curran tussled in the powerplay. (BCCI)

way given how dew would impact the second innings on a sweltering evening in Chennai While that did come to pass, the game was set on its destination early in thechase.

CSK were hampered early in their defence when Deepak Charar limped off after bowling the first two deliveries of the innings, leaving them a bowler short. Though Richard Gleeson marked his IPL debut with the dismissal of Prabhsimran Singh, 64 off 37 deliveries between Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Roussouw put them aheadoftherate.

Both could and perhaps should have seen their side home. Bairstow fell trying to ramp over MS Dhoni, giving Shivam Dube his first IPL wicket since 2020 with just his second delivery of 2024, while Rossouw was bowled by a low full toss from Shardul Thakur that should have gone the distance. But their blitzes, both as a partnership and when Rossouw keptgoing untilthe end of the 12th over, had the askdowntoamanageable50 from58.

With 37 needed off 37, a brace of Curran boundaries againstThakur-thefirstoffa

no-ball, and another from the subsequentfreehit-removed what jeopardy was left.After successfully reviewing an lbw decision that would have handed Gleeson a second wicket, Curran was able to finishunbeatenon26,calling for the extra run from a misfield that took Shashank Singh to 25 not out and finished this match with 13 deliveriestospare.

Scores: Punjab Kings 163 for 3 (Bairstow 46, Rossouw 43) beat Chennai Super Kings 162 for 7 (Gaikwad 62, Rahane 29, Chahar 2-16, Brar 2-17) by seven wickets.

Harpreet Brar bowled a spell of 4-0-17-2. (BCCI)

Speightland goal scorers Shenessa Cornelius, Alliyah Venture and Nikitta Wayne. V