Kaieteur News

Ireland, Norway

Securityguardshoots

Manfounddead incaratBerbice

Biker dies in smash-up

Forde urges immediate changes to oil contract manoveralleged stolenbicycle

studies - audit reveals

Guyanese students face bleak future due to ongoing strike

Exxon falsifies records to claim full costs for and Spain to recognise Palestinian state electricitydemandforcountry

Ring

electricity demand for country GPL says meeting current

By Renay Sambach

Consumers on the

D e m e r a r a - B e r b i c e

Interconnected System (DBIS) can expect relief from frequent blackouts, as Kesh Nandlall, Head of the Executive Management Committee of the Guyana Power & Light (GPL), announced that the company

is currently meeting electricitydemand.

Nandlall made this announcement during his appearance before the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Economic ServicesonWednesday

In his presentation, Nandlall highlighted that from 2019 to 2023, there has been a 24% increase in

demand, compared to a 14 9% increase between 2015and2018.Henotedthat this surge has placed significant pressure on GPL'ssystem.

According to GPL's statistics, DBIS peak demand in 2022 was 153.3 megawatts (MW) and by the end of 2023, it grew to 186 MW This year, the demand is expected to reach 232 MW The gross generation for GPL is projected to increaseatanannualaverage rate of 20% from 2024 to 2028, with DBIS gross generation forecast to grow at an annual average of 21% during the same period, and peakdemandby18%.

Nandlall explained that DBIS' current available

capacity is 209.4 MW This includes contributions from the powership adding 36 MW, the Columbia power plant with 20.8 MW (a full capacity is 28.9 MW), the W a r t s i l a p l a n t commissioned in 2021 adding 46.5 MW, and four Caterpillar sets added in 2 0 2 3 p r o v i d i n g approximately5MW

“In that period of time, w e h a v e i n c r e a s e d generation by 116 MW…” Nandlallsaid.

He also noted that this capacity does not include 12.4 MW (5.5 MW + 6.9 MW) from two engines at Kingstown, Georgetown, which are currently down or 15.2 MW lost from other engines due to maintenance issues.

Nandlall disclosed that as of May 7, 2024, the peak demand was 183.2 MW –which is the highest for the year so far To this end, he noted that GPL requires a spinning reserve of 27.71 MW “This is one and a half times the largest operating setwehave.Currently,thatis

the 18 MW which is one of the engines on the powership,”hesaid.

Nandlall continued, “To meet the current peak demand 183.2 MW plus the 27.71 MW spinning reserve comfortably,weneed210.91 M W w h i c h w e a r e comfortable with at the currenttime.”

Nandlall also outlined GPL'splansfortherestofthe year to maintain and add capacity

“By the end of May, the Columbia plant will commission which will add an additional 8 1 MW available generations, by the end of May also we would have completed one of the units at Kingstown which will add 6.9 MW, this will add up to which 224.4MW available generation,” the GPLexecutivesaid.

He also disclosed that by the end of July another engine will be operational adding5.5MW,bringingthe total availability capacity to 229.9MW

Moreover, Nandlall said, “BytheendofDecember,all maintenance issues should becaughtupwithaswehave to incrementally bring down these sets to maintain them and we should have 245.1 MW.”

R e g a r d i n g t h e powership, Nandlall mentioned a T-Connection from the ship docked in the Berbice River to the 69KV transmission line, which poses some risks of loadshedding. However, he said GPL is working on

minimising these risks through infrastructure improvements and regular maintenance.

“We are going to continue to increase our power generation. Available generation should be 265 MW We are going to add another 30 MW to the grid andweareworkingtosource that at this point,” Nandlall added. To this end, he noted that there should be an excess available capacity of 5.2MW

In closing, Nandlall assured that GPL's plans for the rest of the year are in place to meet the capacity demands of its customers. The Committee was chaired by Opposition Member of P a r l i a m e n t ( M P ) , Shurwayne Holder In attendance were other MP's like Juretha Fernandes, Alistair Charlie, Juan Edghill, Hemraj Rajkumar a n d D i n e s h w a r N Jaiprashad. Also present were Prime Minister Mark Phillips and Head of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA),MahenderSharma.

GPL Executive, Kesh Nandlall

Exxon falsifies records to claim full costs for environmental studies - audit reveals

In a recent audit of the Cost Recovery Statement, it was revealed that ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) included 100 percent of the costs incurred from Environmental Resources Management (ERM), ERM Guyana, and RPS Group for various environmental studies.

including the Canje and Kaieteur blocks. The studies referencedsoughttoexamine the impact of oil and gas operations on fish, bird, and turtle migrations, habitats, and survival, were allegedly necessary for the Payara Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in the StabroekBlock.

also emphasized that these studies were fundamental to the Oil Spill Response Plan (OSRP) for Guyana, which includes a Wildlife Response Planandassuchclaimedthat the costs should be charged entirely to the Stabroek Block.

The audit was undertaken by VHE Consulting and relates to the expenditure incurred between 2018 and 2020. It found that a portion of these costs should have been allocated to nonStab

EMGL, according to the auditors, argued that these studies were integral to the Payara EIA and were required following the issuance of an environmental permitforthePayaraproject.

ions,

According to the report, since made public, EMGL

The Auditors found however, that the studies in question have a broad geographic scope, covering the entire Guyana offshore area, and are part of multiyear programmes and as such, both the Canje and K

benefitted from these services.

Biker dies in smash-up

A25-year-old motorcyclist was killed on Tuesday in an accident along the Liverpool Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six.

Dead is ZameerAlli, a labourer of Letter Kenny Village, Corentyne. His pillion rider identified as SamuelAnderson, 23, of 34 St. Paul Street, Rose Hall Town, Corentyne sustained serious injuries too. His condition, however,isregardedasstable.

Reports are that Alli crashed his Honda XR motorcycle into a hire car, HD 3517 around19:15hrs.

Police said that initial investigations revealed that the car that was travelling west made a right turn north onto the public road whenAllicrashedintoitsfrontside.

According to police,Alli was attempting to overtake the car when it made the right

Neither Alli nor his pillion rider was wearing safety helmets at time of the crash. Though the pillion rider did not sustain severeheadinjuries,Allireportedlydid.

Meanwhile, passersby and eyewitnesses rendered assistance to the injured persons who were rushed to the Port Mourant Public Hospital.Allidiedwhilereceivingtreatment.

A postmortem examination done on Wednesday revealed that Alli died of cerebral shock with haemorrhage and a fracturedcervicalspine.

Meanwhile,Anderson was transferred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where he is being treated for a fractured leg and abrasionstobothofhishands.

The driver of the car is in police custody assistingwithinvestigations.

According to the auditors,allthreeblocksface similar risks to marine life and their habitats, and at the time these studies were conducted, all blocks were involved in active drilling activities. To This end, it indicates that the OSRP needed to address potential oil spills across all blocks, notjustStabroek.Withthisin m

allocation of 75 percent to Stabroek and 12.5 percent each to Canje and Kaieteur, reflecting the benefits each block received and the level of activity expected in the future.

This recommendation, the auditors said, was based on the premise that these studies provided critical data for responding to oil spills in any of the blocks, thereby benefitingall.

According to VHE Consulting, EMGL in disagreeing with the costsharing approach maintained that the studies were initiated solelyfor thePayaraEIAand that Canje and Kaieteur

n development were not relevanttothesestudies.

Further, the auditors documented that EMGL also

requirements for Canje and Kaieteur cannot be predicted atthistime.

Despite the assertions by

environmental studies benefitted all blocks,

development status data crucial for managing risks and responding to oil spills across all EEPGL-operated blocks Consequently, EMGL has since been requested to adjust the Cost Recovery Statement to

distribution of costs among the Stabroek, Canje, and Kaieteurblocks.

KaieteurNews

PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS

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

EDITORIAL

Corruption

Corruption, most would concede, is not a new problematic in our body politic. Some would say that the very act of creating offices and bestowing power on their holders unleashes corruption. The 19th British historian Lord Acton famously observed: All power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In Guyana, however, we appear to have turned the aphorism on its head: Corruption has become power and absolute corruption is absolutepower

Generally,corruptionisregardedasaconsequenceofpolitical andeconomic,socio-ethnic,andevenmoralreasons:politicians needvotes;businessmenneedfavours;officeholdersfavour“their own” and all these are judged to be “bad” reasons for making decisionsthatinvolvethepatrimonyofthestateAfterall,thelatter is supposed to be held in trust for all the citizenry and to be distributedfairlyNowalltheforegoingmightverywellbetrueas farasthegenesisofthephenomenonofcorruptionisconcerned,in our country But as the cancer has metastasised and overtaken almosteveryinstitutioninthecountry–inandoutsidethestate–thequantitativehasalteredthequalitativenatureofthedisease Corruption itself has become the overriding factor that defines boththestatepoliticsandeconomy,andevensocialrelationsinour societyWiththedepartureoftheBritish,especiallyafter1968,we havegraduallybutinexorablycreatedanewformofthestateand politicalsystem–inwhichtheirfoundationsarefirmlybasedon unmitigated,absolutecorruption

Corruptionhasexpropriatedthepoliticalsystem,alteredthe stateapparatustoitself,andpromulgatednew“rulesofthegame” Asaconsequence,politicalauthoritarianismandsocialdemagogy of those in power have become unavoidable products of the pervasivecorruptioninthestatesystem Itisimportanttonotethat itdoesnotmatterwhatthenominalformofthestatemightbe: whatwewillnowhaveisaliberal-corruption,socialist-corruptionor conservative-corruptionstate,etc

In this new world where corruption has become the norm,democracyanditsundergirdingprincipleofthe“rule of law” inevitably become subversive elements which are justasinevitablycounteredbyauthoritarianPresidentalism. The democratic system of checks and balances, legislative andjudicialautonomy,anunfetteredandfreepress,etc.are concrete mechanisms that facilitate an effective struggle againstcorruption.Consequently,theonlypathofsurvival for such corrupt systems (of whatever variety) is to attack andeliminatedemocraticprinciplesfromstateandsocietal processes.

Taketheproblemofbriberyandgraftthatissoprevalent in our country There is a great outcry as to why the constitution, laws and regulations are not applied with the same vigour to all transgressors. The answer is simple: unlessyouhavebeendefinedasanenemyofthoseinpower (or their friends), it means that anyone prosecuted energeticallyhassimplynotgreasedtheappropriatepalms. Theformalruleoflawisaswordtodestroythecriticsanda shieldtoprotectthepowerelite.

However,thereisamoreinsidiousaspecttothewidespread acceptanceofbriberyandgraftbythoseinpower Whenacitizen proffersthebribeandtheofficial(fromthetrafficofficeronthe streetstotheMinisterinhisair-conditionedoffice)acceptsit,they bothfulfiltheirimmediatewants Butmostimportantlyfromthe standpoint of maintaining the corrupt regime in place, the transaction means that the citizen tacitly accepts the status quo. He boasts of having “lines” and the corrupt administration knows that he is less likely to storm the Presidential Compound. Corruption becomes a substitute for violence. Then there is the role of the press The corrupt politicians become incensed when incidents of corruption are chargedtothepoliticalregimebythepress Theywouldratherthat corruption go unreported, or at worse, be blamed on the local lackeys Thetrueextentandnatureofthecorruption–whichisthe entire political system – must be hidden from view This newspaper has felt the brunt of such outrage and has been dubbed“thenewopposition”.Wewillnotbedeterred.The cancerofcorruptionmustbeeradicatedifwearetosurvive.

An appeal for NIS pension increase

DEAREDITOR, AnelderlyNISpensioner approachedme,recently,for anexplanationastowhythe government has not increased NIS pensions above the minimum. The NISpensionercurrentlygets a pension of about $52,000 permonth,thesameamount that he was getting in 2020, the year when the last increase in pension was effected.SinceIwasnotina position to give him a satisfactory answer, I have decided to highlight this matter through this letter, in the hope that it generates immediate action by the concernedMinister(s).

Thetablebelowindicates the yearly increases in NIS Old Age Pensions since 2015.

increasing salaries in 2021, 2022 and 2023, failed to similarly raise the NIS minimum pension for those years,onlydoingsoin2024, when the minimum pension was increased by 23.1% to $43,075. The government’s failure to compensate NIS oldageminimumpensioners for the 3 years, has resulted in an accumulated loss in unadjusted income of $92,496foreachpensioner

The table also reveals that the last increase in NIS old age pensions above the minimum, was in 2019. A 4% increase was granted by the Coalition Government, which was implemented from January 2020. Since then,nofurtherincreasewas given,hencethequerybythe pensioner This has had

reduced standard of living throughnofaultofhis.

Second, as correctly identified by a letter writer (SN, February 6, 2024), a great deal of angst has been created as a result of pensioners who were receiving just above the minimum pension These pensioners are now being forced to accept the new minimumpension,insteadof havingtheirpensionsuitably adjusted to maintain the statusquoante.

It is true that NIS must examinethesustainabilityof anyincrease.Ontheincome side, NIS revenues have suffered because of the failure of successive governments to implement the recommendations of the Actuarial Reports; low

As is evident from the table, the Coalition Government increased the m i n

n (equivalent to 50% of the minimum wage) every year between 2015 and 2020, with the minimum pension increasing from $21,352 in 2015 to $35,000 in 2020. Following their installation in Office, the PPP/C Government, while

several deleterious consequences. Importantly, moneyhasatimevalue,that is,thevalueoftoday’sdollar isnotthesameasthatoffour years ago. The basket of goods bought with $52,000 dollars in 2020 will cost substantially more in 2024. In the absence of savings or other income to supplement his pension, our pensioner would have experienced a

returnsonTreasuryBills(its

investments such as Berbice BridgeandCLICO;andhigh delinquency rates among e

mployed On th

expenditure side, an aging population, resulting in increasedpayoutofbenefits; and rising administration costs, among others, have

damaged the profitability of theScheme.

Noneofthisisthefaultof the pensioners. If NIS is beingpreventedfrompaying increased old age pensions abovetheminimum,thenthe Government must act decisively to remove the impediments and/or provide relief financing. I believe thattheNISisstillamember of the Cooperative Finance Administration (COFA). I believetheCOFAActhasnot been repealed. This Act has provisions for the Government to meet any shortfall, in any financial year, of any of the financial institutions falling under the Act.

Evenifitisassumedthat the Act no longer exists, nothing stops the G o v e r n m e n t f r o m transferring the necessary resources to NIS. This is being done, already, in the specificcaseofGUYSUCO, which benefitted from over $50billionintransfersunder the Coalition Government. Theentitycontinuestobethe recipient of billions of dollarsintransfers,annually, under the current Government It was the intent of the Coalition Government to transfer resources from the Natural ResourceFund(NRF)tothe NIS, so that the Scheme can meet its obligations to its contributors,pensioners,and otherbeneficiaries.Itwillbe recalledthattheSchemewas similarlybailedout,in2016, when a deal was signed for the Scheme to recover $5.6 billion it lost in CLICO in 2009.

NISceasestofunctionas an effective social safety valvewhenbeneficiariesare deniedtheirrightfulpension, (Continuedonpage05)

Government must decide to spend quality time in conducting a proper national energy survey so that our requirements are effectively met

DEAREDITOR

, Recently, the nation was briefedonaproposedgas-toenergy project for which to date we have not seen a proper feasibility study

Coupled with this, last December the government purchased a number of portable gensets which thus fardonotseemtohavemade any significant positive impact on our current black outsituation.

Addedtotheaboveisthe acquisitionofthepowership. This too will not solve our powerproblems.Asonewho

was in on the modernisation of our power system many yearsago,Ifeelthatwehave droppedtheballsomewhere. I worked for Demba many years ago. Then we had a River Gauging Dept. under a Mr Nascimento. They installed weather stations on all the major creeks and rivers in this countryandculledinfofrom them quarterly Thus, there

existed info for the development of hydropower stations.Idon’tknowifsuch info can be located locally, but I’m quite sure that the

Canadian company that operated here as well as VoightofGermanywouldbe able to share info with our government if we here are desirousofsuch.

N a t i o n a l p o w e r development has to take place incrementally and not on the piecemeal basis as is seenhere.Wehavetostartby developing 25-year- and 50year-plans and ensuring that every 5 years some significant developments take place. In addition, we must factor in maintenance, since this is crucial for the efficient and economic operationoftheequipment. Theuseofdieselgensets for powering a nation is wasteful since these plant have an average lifespan of 20 years. Steam and gas turbine plant have much longer lifespans, but require greater installation times Ourgovernmentmustdecide to spend quality time in conductingapropernational energy survey so that our requirements are effectively met.

Regards.

CyrilWalker

Ministry of Labour sets record straight Humans are wired to know the difference between wrong and right

DEAREDITOR

The Ministry of Labour finds it necessary to correct and address the inaccurate assertions published by Stabroek News on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, under the headline “Stalemate continues in teachers’ pay talks” by the Guyana Teachers Union President, Dr Mark Lyte. Specifically, the claim that “Well, the Chief Labour Officer came withsomeconsideration,but itwasonlyfairthattheGTU put its position on the table too. So that when we took ourposition.

We were never asked to put our position.We put our position when we thought thetimewasright.”

It is NOT true that the GTUwasneveraskedtoput its position. From the very start of the meeting on Monday, May 13, 2024, the GTU was provided with multiple opportunities to present its terms and conditions for resumption. In fact, the first draft of the terms of resumption was jointly drafted by GTU and the Ministry of Labour Those terms were as follows:

1. There shall be an end of the strike by teachersand full resumption of work by allteacherswithin72hours.

2. There shall be no victimisationbyeitherparty

3. There shall be no break in service and the statusquoanteshallprevail.

4 Following the full resumption of work by all teachers, conciliation will commenceonthetimeframe oftheproposalsubmittedby theGTU.

Notably, the Chief Labour Officer suggested Terms1 (with resumption within 48 hours instead of 72), 2 and 3. The GTU

presented term 4 as presentedabove.

Thereupon, the GTU agreed to present the above terms of resumption to the Ministry of Education (MoE).

The MoE, thereafter, asked for time to consider the said terms, and the parties agreed to reconvene later on the said day (May 13,2024)at3:00pm.

Upon reconvening, the MoE and GTU discussed andagreedonterms2and3 and amended term 1 to 48 hours instead of 72 hours. There was no agreement on term 4 and the MoE

presented three (3) alternative options and an additional term, “The above terms shall be subject to the d e t e r m i n a t i o n o f proceedings before the Court by courts of competentjurisdiction”.

The May 13, 2024, meeting ended with an agreement that the parties would consider various alternatives/optionsforterm 4andtheGTUtoreconsider the new term proposed by theMoE.

It was not until after several hours of discussion on the above term 4, at the meeting on May 14, 2024, that the GTU presented a document dated 13th May 2024, which included severalterms,someofwhich werealreadyagreeduponas outlinedabove.

Fromthefirstdayandat all times, the process allowedforopportunitiesfor both GTU and MoE to presenttheirpositions.

The GTU had several opportunities to present its position or additional terms andconditions.

The timing when the GTU chose to present its document with already

agreed upon terms and new terms was entirely their decision, and not due to a lack of opportunity or invitationtodoso.

Importantly,theposition thattheMinistryputforward to the GTU was that before conciliation could commence, a state of normalcy ought to prevail which is in keeping with their (GTU and MoE) 1990 AvoidanceandSettlementof DisputesAgreement.

The said agreement states that “During the consideration of the matter in dispute under the procedure, there shall be no strike, stoppage of work whether of a partial or general nature, go slow, boycott, picketing, retardation of production or any other interference with theMinistry’soperations,by theUnion,norshalltherebe any lockout or any other formofinterferencewiththe Ministry’soperations,bythe Union,norshalltherebeany lockoutoranyotherformof interferencebytheMinistry Bothpartiesshallendeavour tomaintainastateofnormal IndustrialRelations’.

The Ministry is bewilderedandsaddenedby the assertions of the most seniorGTUofficialwhohas completely deviated from thetruth.

Nevertheless, the Ministry remains willing to offeritsguidancetoboththe GTU and the MoE in arriving at a solution consistent with longstanding industrial relations principlesaswellasthe1990 AvoidanceandSettlementof Disputes Agreement betweentheparties.

Sincerely

NeolaDamon PublicRelationsOfficer MinistryofLabour

DearEditor

Humans are wired to knowwhatisrightandwhat is wrong. Someone told me in conversation recently that the very fact that the PPP have to bribe people to get support is testimony to that reality

Thepersonfurtherstated that the PPP knows that in relation to governance, they havemessedupsomuchthat buying people’s support and votesisanadmissionoftheir corruptrule.

Humansdonotliketobe forced into wrongdoing However, people do things they shouldn’t because of circumstances and convenience.Itdoesn’tmean that the conversation they have with themselves is the same they have with others. During the last Local Government Elections, a woman told me that she identified openly with the PPP, took their money and woretheteeshirt.

She said two things that will stay with me forever The first, is that the PPP asked her to take a picture

whilevotingsothattheycan see she voted for them

Secondly, she explained what caused her to vote againstthem.

Shesaidshehadstillnot gottenoverthenightmareof the most gruesome and horrific murders of two youngboys;theHenryboys. She said the PPP was complicit in those murders because of their deliberate actions to cover up those crimes.

That influenced where she placed her x. Many are taking the little loans and contracts the PPP are offeringwhileadmittingthat the administration is so rotten that it is polluting Guyana and citizens are suffering like they have never before What Guyanesewanttobeassured ofiswhoandwhattheywill be replacing the PPP with and that’s a very good question.Wecannothavean exchange where citizens continue to face the same reality

That is why in two weeks, I will publicly

endorse who I wish to see lead the PNCR, the opposition and who will inevitably become the next president.

Andtrustme,Iknowthe differencebetweenrightand wrong. I will be endorsing with my conscience and not becauseofconvenience.The person that leads Guyana MUST change forever how we treat our citizens; all of ourcitizens.

The PPP will inevitably be out of power in 2025. There are thousands of Indo Guyanese that will not vote for the PPP because of Dharamlall. Women do not look at ethnicity when their women folk are raped and abused and the monster is protectedbythegovernment andpartytheysupport.

Humans are wired to knowthedifferencebetween wrong and right. Lock them alone in the ballot box and they will vote their conscience.

Sincerely

NormanBrowne Social and Political Activist

An appeal for NIS pension...

Frompage4

after many years of contributingtotheScheme.

The great Robert (Bob) Nesta Marley sang, “In the abundanceofwater,thefool isthirsty”.

In the abundance of resources,unheardofinthe

annals of our history, the NIS pensioners above the minimumaremadetosuffer The Government must act now to bring permanent relief to this category of pensioners

Yoursfaithfully, WinstonJordan

Former Minister of Finance

The fire that raged in Sharma Solomon has long been quenched

DEAREDITOR

In an extensive conversation today with Deputy Mayor of Linden, Dominique Blair, I told him in no uncertain terms that neverbeforeinthehistoryof the Mayor and Town Council at Linden that the PPPwas able to dominate it and render the Council a victim to its administrative arm.

What makes matters worse is the fact that Vice P r e s i d e n t J a g d e o handp

cked a former councillor who defected to the PPP and deliberately placed him there as Town Clerk to frustrate Mayor Sharma Solomon, his Deputyandthepoliticalarm ofthatCouncil.

DeputyMayor,Blairisa budding politician who is willing to learn and is enthusiastic to serve his community, country and the PNCR. He is street-smart andalsoabrightyoungman.

He could not offer a plausible answer as to why LindenTownClerk,Lennox Gasper is being allowed to ride roughshod over the Council I therefore ventured to offer him my theory

I told Blair that in that PNCRstronghold,Gasperis wreaking havoc unhindered because there is a fear,

across the entire opposition leadership,ofVPJagdeo.

Jagdeo has made the Guyana Police Force a repressive arm of the PPP regime. He has control over the Guyana Defence Force. He is in bed with powerful criminal elements and mercenariesinGuyana.

We know that the CommissionerofPolicewas handpicked by Jagdeo and will not hesitate to do his bidding.

Hickenwouldarrestand lock up Norton if Jagdeo instructedhimtodoso.

The Leader of the Opposition did not tell this nation the true reason why he would not hold street d e m o n s t r a t i o n s countrywide.

ItoldBlair,Iwouldgive Sharma Solomon a pass because he was at one point the only young leader in Guyana that could have halted the evil works of the dictator Jagdeo and he would have if his party had empoweredhim.

Instead,theleadershipof the PNCR relegated him to the political dustbin of obscurity and killed the fire that could have burned dictatorshiptotheground.

ThefireofSolomonhas longbeendiminished.

The Sheriff had been shot; it is time the Deputy

rises. I would give Norton respectandalotofpointsfor allowing Solomon to becomemayor

I mean that but Solomon’s fire may only be ignited if he is given power at the central level of the party

Blair and I discussed Burke,myselfandBenschop and our history of activism fromhisrecollection.

I told him everything Benschop and Burke have done and continue to do mustbeseenincontext.

They never had political power as leaders in the oppositionorthepositionof Mayor or Regional

Chairman Had they, it would have long been over for Jagdeo in particular I will not speak for myself in thismissive.

What does Deputy Mayor, Dominique Blair intend to do about Town Clerk, Gasper who was placed in that Council by Jagdeo to frustrate him and the Mayor? He has the opportunity to answer the question here or by his immediate action on behalf ofhisCouncil.IsBlairafraid of Jagdeo and the lockups too?Timewilltell.

Sincerely

NormanBrowne

Social and Political Activist

Concerns over President IrfaanAli’s publicity stunts

DEAREDITOR

I write to express my growing concern over President IrfaanAli’s recent penchantforpublicitystunts, which seem to prioritise image over substantive governance.

While visibility and engagement with the public areimportantaspectsofany political leader’s role, there is a fine line between genuine public service and actions that serve more as self-promotion.

Every time this government finds itself in a fix, PresidentAli, goes out, even if it is awkward, he goes out to distract the citizens The common man eatsfromDemico,SunnyN Sweety daily without no fanfare.

HeisthePresidentnota King, so being like the ordinary citizen shouldn’t be anything extra or unusual Presidents across the world do this without creatingabigdeal

Then, there’s the lack of decorum with his unusual dances,inabidto‘steal’the spotlight.

It is only when someone

isperformingbadlythatthey need to do weird things to stayinthepress.

R i g h t n o w, h i s government shamefully has to deal with the Dharamlall fiasco, the prolong teachers

strike, the constant blackouts, high rates of corruption as exposed daily onsocialmedia,PPPalleged rig internal party elections, poor salaries among issues.

All Guyanese see is a leader whocomesouttodance,eat andmerry

Even when he goes out on public outreach, to impose his authority, he sometimes shout on some low-level government workers, to look good. On a seriousnote,isthistheleader Guyanesewant?

President Ali’s frequent photo opportunities and grandiose announcements often lacking in followthrough or tangible outcomes risk undermining public trust in his administration.

The focus on optics over substance can detract from addressing the pressing issues facing our nation, such as economic

development, healthcare, and education reform

Moreover, these stunts can foster a perception of superficiality, where the appearance of action is valued more than the action itself.

It is essential for our leaders to be seen as sincere and dedicated to solving real problems rather than merely projecting an image of competence

Genuine leadership

requ

d work, humility and a commitment tomakingdifficultdecisions that may not always be popular or v

y appealing.

I urge President Ali to refocus his efforts on meaningful policy initiatives and transparent governance The people of Guyana deserve leadership that prioritizes their needs overmediaappearances

Only through earnest andeffectivegovernancecan we hope to build a prosperous and equitable futureforallcitizens.

Sincerely

P.Paul

The imperfect system of justice must be allowed to work

DEAREDITOR

Thepain,frustrationand anger was palpable in the missive by the parents of young Jared Jagnandan, killed two months ago, as they lamented the slothfulness in getting justice for their son. An all toofamiliarstory It brings no comfort to grieving parents and family

members the pace of investigations into matters as they seek answers in trying to understand how their loved ones were taken from them in tragic circumstances.

But the system, imperfect as it might be seen, must be allowed to work Regrettably, there isnootherway

The Jagnandans must keep faith and trust the system, while justice might be delayed, it would not be denied. It cannot.

May the cherished memories of your loved ones comfort all grieving familiesseekingjustice Regards ShamshunMohamed

Motorcyclist killed after hit by speeding lorry Stabroek Market vendors charged with assault, unlawful wounding

A 2 9 - y e a r - o l d motorcyclistdiedonTuesday night after he was struck by a speeding motor lorry at La BonneIntentionPublicRoad, EastCoastDemerara(ECD).

The dead man has been identified as Kareem Josh Jeffrey of Grove Housing

S c h e m e , E a s t B a n k Demerara(EBD).

According to a report issued by police, the accident occurredatabout23:30hrs.

Police said that the accident involved motor lorry with registration number GAG 6017, driven by a 30-year-old of South

Ruimveldt Gardens, Georgetown and motorcycle with registration number CL 3120drivenbyJeffrey Investigations revealed that motor lorry GAG 6017 was proceeding west along the La Bonne Intention Public Road ECD, at an allegedfastrate.

Vendors

on

Police said that the driver of the lorry claimed he felt as though the lorry went over something and then saw a motorcycle skidding past his vehicle. He told police he stopped immediately and exited the vehicle and it was then he discovered a body lying on the road with injuries.

“The Ambulance Service was contacted, and upon arrivalatthescene,thedoctor examined and pronounced the motorcyclist dead,” policesaidinastatement.

Jeffrey's body was later taken to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home where it awaits a postmortem examination A breathalyzer test was conducted on the driver of motor lorry GAG 6017 and no trace of alcohol was found.Heremainsincustody Investigations are ongoing.

$20,000

bail for assaulting each other

On Tuesday, two vendors were placed on $20,000 bail each after they were charged with assaulting each other on L o n g d e n S t r e e t , Georgetown.

The two vendors, Susie Rogers and Cheryl Fraser whoreportedlyplytheirtrade onLongdenStreetmadetheir first court appearance before Chief Magistrate (AG) Sherdel Isaacs- Marcus where the charge was read to them.

Three vendors from Stabroek Market, Georgetown, on Wednesday made their first court appearance to answer to separate charges of assault and wounding, allegedly committed oneachother

The defendants appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrates'Courts.

Twenty-year-old Desiree Green, of Pike Street, Sophia, Georgetown, was accused of unlawfully and maliciously damaging a spectacle valued at $68,000, property of 42year-old Onika Halley, of Lot 53 Annandale, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Meanwhile, Halley faced a separate charge for unlawfully assaulting Green while 25-year-old Shawn Montague of 527 Mango Lane, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was charged for unlawfully woundingHalley

Green pleaded guilty with explanation, while Halley and Montaguepleadednotguilty

The charges stemmed from a dispute among the defendants which occurredonMay10,2024whileinthe StabroekMarketarea.Itwasdisclosed that a scuffle ensued between Halley and Green over the spectacles, during which Montague intervened and allegedly inflicted a stab wound to Halley'sneck.

Attorney-at-law Jevon Cox, who represented Halley, told the court that hisclientisnotaflightrisk.Greenand Montague did not have legal representation.

The police prosecutor made no objection to bail being granted to the defendants but requested that they be placedonakeep-the-peacebond.

Acting Chief Magistrate IsaacsMarcus granted bail to the defendants. Montague was placed on $30,000, Green on $20,000 and Halley on $10,000.

The magistrate also cautioned the defendants.

The defendants are scheduled to make their next court appearance on June26,2024.

Rice cultivation to exceed 710,000

tonnes by year-end

ItisallegedthatonMarch 22, 2024 at Longden Street Rogers, a 35-year-old vendor of Timehri North and a motherofsixassaultedFraser to cause her actual bodily harm Rogers pleaded not guiltytothecharge. Fraser was charged with unlawfully assaulting Rogers on the same day and at the same location She also pleadednotguilty

Both vendors were granted $20,000 bail and instructed by Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus to maintain peace until the next hearing scheduled for June 28, 2024, o r f a c e t w o w e e k s imprisonment.

Man robs DDL contractor after seeking job

A Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) contractor was lashed to the face with a gun and robbed of his wallet containing $160,000 and his cellular phone by a man who approached him for job at the company's East Bank Demerara(EBD)locationonWednesday

Police identified the victim as 51-year-old Hayment Hardin of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

According to a police report, Hayment arrived at the DDL's compound and while walking to his worksite, a man walked uptohimandaskedforajob.

Police did not state what Hayment's response was but reported that the man pulled a gun from his pants waist and lashedthecontractortohisface.

The man then grabbed Hayment's cellular phone and walletfromhispocketandranaway Hayment was subsequently taken to the Diamond Hospital where he was treated and sent away An investigationintotheincidentisongoing.

Guyana's rice sector is experiencing a remarkable increase in production with cultivation set to exceed710,000tonnesbyyear-end.

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha made the announcement during a community engagement at Number 10 Village, Region Five, on Tuesday. “We planted 206,000 acres. I am hoping that the second crop of 2024, we can increase that to almost 230,000 acres so that at the end of the year,wecansurpassthefigurethatwas set in this year's budget of 710,000 tonnes,”MinisterMustaphanoted.

Highlighting the sector's growth trajectory, Minister Mustapha explained that just four years ago, yields averaged approximately 4.5 tonnesperhectare.

The country has managed to elevate its yield to 6.5 tonnes per hectare, despite challenges such as

paddy bugs.“We have been increasing production in the traditional area,” Minister Mustapha added, noting substantialprogressoverthepastyears. Just last year, the country produced 653,000 tonnes of rice, and 610,000 tonnesthepreviousyear.Moreover,the minister highlighted a significant increaseinexportfigures,withthefirst quarter of this year surpassing last year'sexportsby33,000tonnes.

In pursuit of enhancing productivity, the government is actively promoting the adoption of high-yield rice varieties, including those sourced from Brazil. Further, innovative initiatives such as biofortified rice, enriched with essential nutrients like zinc, is being undertaken to address public health concerns.

“Persons who suffer from diabetes and heart problems could use that. It is

very nutritious…We should not have a narrow vision where we only look at rice production. Rice is important and weshouldincreasericeproduction,but we have to diversify and go into other areas too that is what we [government] have been doing over the last four years,”theagricultureministersaid.

The government's multifaceted approach to agricultural development has also seen the implementation of initiatives to boost fruit and vegetable production.

Substantial investments were also made in livestock and crop diversificationresultinginRegionOne becoming a hub for spice production and Bonasika Creek undertaking the production of sweet potato, cassava, eddoes, and dasheen crops. These efforts aim to make Guyana a key player in the regional food supply chain.

Residents of Number 10 Village in Region Five

Shawn Montague was charged for unlawful wounding

Forde urges immediate changes to oil contract

Senior Counsel

Roysdale Forde believes that with the numerous concerns uncovered and being raised over 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA)

between ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) and the Government of Guyana, including more recently,thelackofadequate insurance, the oil deals must beimmediatelyrevamped.

Forde S.C., an aspiring leader of the People's National Congress Reform (PNC/R), during an exclusiveinterviewwiththis publication, did not mince words in light of the recent revelations saying, "the PSA, in its current form, is riddledwithissuesthatcould h a v e d e v a s t a t i n g consequences for Guyana." The recent information that has come to light about the insufficient insurance coverage is particularly alarming. It is imperative that we address these flaws head-on."

Forde, elaborating on the inadequacies of the insurance provisions, which he described as grossly insufficient for the scale of ExxonMobil's operations in theStabroekBlocksaid,"the insurance coverage outlined in the agreement does not adequately protect us from the financial fallout of potential environmental disasters.”

He suggested that, “in theeventofasignificantspill oraccident,thefinancialand environmental burden could

fall heavily on the Guyanese people.”

T h e M e m b e r o f Parliament and Shadow Attorney General explained thatatthetimeofthesigning of the Agreement back in 2016, such insurance might have been considered appropriate but with the recent ramping up of production by each of the producing vessels beyond their respective nameplate capacity in the Stabroek Block, the matter of insurance is of greater importance Highlighting the broader implications, F o r d e s t r e s s e d t h e importance of holding multinational corporations to the highest standards of accountability "This isn't just about one agreement; it's about setting a precedent for how we handle our natural resources and engage with foreign investors," he asserted. "We must ensure that our agreements are robust, transparent, and in line with internationalbestpractices."

During the interview, Forde, in reviewing of the PSA's flaws, compared it to similar agreements in other oil-producing nations say "Other countries have s e c u r e d f a r m o r e comprehensive protections. Guyana should demand no less," he argued "Our agreement lacks several key safeguards, which is unacceptable for a nation with such significant natural resources."

TheSeniorCounsel'scall

for a review, he affirmed, is not merely a procedural step but a critical move towards ensuring the nation's longterm stability and prosperity "A review will allow us to scrutinize the PSA thoroughly and make necessary amendments to protect our interests," Forde explained. "This is about ensuring that our natural resources benefit all Guyanese, now and in the future." Forde also touched upon the potential economic implications of the PSA's concerns saying he warned that inadequate insurance and other loopholes could deterfutureinvestments.

"Investors need to see that we are serious about protecting our assets and maintaining high standards. If we don't address these issues, we risk undermining investor confidence," he said.

When asked about the r e s p o n s e f r o m t h e government and other stakeholders, Forde remained optimistic but resolute. "I believe there is a growing recognition of the need to revisit this agreement.

Citizens, civil society groups, environmental advocates, and many in the business community are rallying behind this cause," henoted.

"The government must actswiftlyanddecisively."

Earlier this week, this newspaper reported Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram saying that

Senior Counsel, Roysdale Forde

in the absence of an unlimited parent company guarantee, Guyana is at the mercy of the oil companies, Exxon, Hess and CNOOC, should a major disaster occur. Ram also warned that the insurance company can refuse to compensate the countryforanydamagesasit knowingly allowed the operator to breach safe operatinglimits.

Ram explained, “In petroleum production, there is a safety margin below the rated productive capacity of awell.

Not only is there an increased risk that somethingcangowrong,but that when it does, the insurance companies will refuse to pay because you have breached the safety limit.” Furthermore, Ram cautioned that the oil companies too can refuse to accept responsibility since the Government was not only aware of the breached safe operating limits but

condonedandsupportedit.

During his weekly press conference last Thursday, Vice President and Chief Policymaker for the petroleum sector, Bharrat Jageo was asked about the c a p a c i t y o f t h e Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to review and approve debottlenecking activities by Exxon, to support the ramping up of production The VP explained that it was “safe” astechnicalofficersattached to the regulatory body as well as the Ministry of Natural Resources examine theplansoftheoperator He said that “Last week I dealt with that issue and I said that my briefing is that before they ramped up production beyond rated capacity, that this was cleared with the Ministry

The Ministry assured me their technical officers examined it, I spoke with the EPA, they said they had examined it carefully too so they are aware and it was done with their approval. Both agencies the Ministry ofNaturalResourcesandthe EPA and they believe it was doneandit'ssafe.”

To this end, Ram told Kaieteur News that he does not believe the former President understands the i m p l i c a t i o n s a n d consequences of breaching the safety limit of FPSOs. Ram argued, “already there are many circumstances and eventualities from which the 2016 Agreement exempts the oil companies from

responsibility and liability These include “indirect, punitive or consequential damages, including but not limitedto,productionorloss of profits” Jagdeo's comments are clearly irresponsible, show recklessness rather than b e t t e r

a c t administration and have huge financial implications forthecountry.”

The Attorney-at-Law was pointed out that Guyana already has a number of wells producing crude oil simultaneously, which he described as “more than enough”.

He therefore reasoned, “ if only the President would rein in Jagdeo from his senseless behavior; one oil spill could see the entire Natural Resource Fund exhausted just like that.” Presently,LizaOneandLiza Two are producing about 150,000 bpd and 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) respectively

T h e E I A s e a c h specifically outline 120,000 and 220,000 bpd, as the safe operating limit for Liza One and Two, respectively Similarly, the third oil project- Payara- is also producing approximately 230,000bpdeventhoughthe vessel's nameplate capacity is220,000bpd.

Although all three of the FPSOs are currently producing above the respective design capacity, the Liza Unity is poised for furtheroptimizationworks.

Inspectors of the Guyana National Bureau of Standards

(GNBS) Legal Metrology Department are currently conducting surveillance exercises at shops and markets countrywide

to ensure that measuring instruments used in retail trade wereverified.

So far during the exercises over 160 unapproved and unverified instruments were seized and removed; the majority of which were the blue domestic dial scales, GNBS said in a press release on Wednesday

Commencing in May, impromptusurveillancevisitswere conductedbyInspectorstomarkets

in the city and its environs including those at Stabroek, Bourda, Kitty, Ruimveldt, Plaisance, and Mon Repos Meanwhile, visits to markets and shops in the other regions began in April immediately after the verification (stamping) period. To date, a total of 405 shops and 1230 stalls have been visited countrywide.The GNBS continues to warn vendors and shopkeepers against the widespread use of the Blue Dial scales. These scales are not designed for commercial trade as their internal parts cannot withstand the rigors of frequent use. As a result, these domestic scales easily become inaccurate,

robbing consumers and even users themselves.

Alternatively, the GNBS recommends that vendors and shopkeepersuseverifiedelectronic scales, equal arm (red scales) and platform scales to weigh goods offered for sale To ensure measuringinstrumentsareverified, consumers are urged to check for the GNBS approved seal which should be affixed to the measuring instrument.

For the remainder of the first half of the year, GNBS Inspectors will continue surveillance exercises at shops and markets across the country to remove all unapproved and unverified

Whatever happened to the plan for secondary towns in Guyana?

Waybackinthe 1960s, right throughtothe end of the 1970s, if you wanted cheap pants lengths, theplacetogowasRoseHall Town on the Corentyne

Quite a few Guyanese would, when visiting that town,taketheopportunityto buy a few lengths of suiting since it was always cheaper therethanelsewhere.

It always fascinated me howbargainscouldbehadin some areas when things ought to have been cheaper for the same items to be procuredcheaperelsewhere.

No one, for example, would have expected with most imports coming through the city, that garment materials

would have been so competitive in a small town on the Corentyne. And yet thiswasthecase.

New Amsterdam had

some lumberyards that produced high quality lumberandyetoneexpected that the town of Corriverton would have had this honour since a great deal of the lumbercamefromthatarea.

It just showed in those days that despite the concentrationoftradewithin thecitythatsmalltownsand villages still have their specialniches.Certainareas hadtheirownappeal.

I still recall that market dayatLeonorawastheplace where you could get vegetables at reasonable prices. Over time, many of the towns and villages lost their appeal Village life began to fragment as more and more persons sought refuge in the city in order to pursue opportunities for employmentandeducation.

Today, this deterioration of the villages in Guyana is

striking. There used to be a time when everyone knew everyone else within a village.

Everyone also knew your family tree. Thus, they couldtellyouwhowasyour uncle or your aunt just by learningyourname.

Today, you can walk in and out of a village and hardly be noticed. A great many persons have left for overseas also, and this has contributed in no small measure to the decline of villagelife.

Years ago, during the presidency of Bharrat Jagdeo,therewasmentionof aplantoestablishsecondary towns.

There were great hopes that the underdevelopment of rural Guyana would have been reversed as a consequenceofthisplan.

The plan, however,

DEM BOYS SEH

Thekingsdathaveonnoclothes

Y’allrememberdestory ofdeKingwithdeinvisible clothes.Thissovereignwas a visionary, or so he insisted, who believed his invisible garments spun from the finest threads of denial and woven with the d e f t f i n g e r s o f sycophancy were the envyofallhissubjects.

Each morning, as the King paraded through the bustling markets and crowded squares, his loyal ministers marveled at the emperor’s new clothes “Majesty,”theyproclaimed with great reverence, “your attiretodayistheepitomeof elegance.”TheKingwould beam, blissfully unaware that his wardrobe was, in fact,non-existent.

We gat nuff leaders in dis world like dat King. Some of y’all might even know some of dem. Dese leaders stride through the

corridors of power with an air of impeccable confidence,oblivioustothe glaring flaws that are as visible as the morning sun.

Like the fabled King, dese leviathans are adorned in the invisible garments of infallibility, convinced of their unassailable brilliance.

As Rodney once reminded us about such leaders, their courtiers, much like the King’s ministers, are adept at the artofflattery Theyextolhis every decision, no matter how misguided, as a masterstroke of genius

“Look at our prosperity,” they cry, even as the potholes multiply like rabbits and the power outages stretch longer than a lazy Sunday afternoon.

“Marvel at our unity,” they cheer, while whispers of discontentswirlaround.

Facts bend and reality warps under the sheer weight of the leader’s selfdelusion The economy might be teetering, but the Kings’ invisible cloaks are always in pristine condition. The cries of the impoverished echo through thestreets,buttheyaremere background noise to the symphony of sycophancy playingintheKings’courts.

But, as with all great tales, there comes a reckoning One brave soul—or perhaps a chorus of them—might one day have the courage to point and laugh, to shout that the King is, indeed, parading naked. Until that day, the Kings of dis world will continue to stroll through theirkingdoms,resplendent in their invisible clothes, blissfully unaware of their ownstarknudity Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

appears to have been forgotten no sooner than it was mentioned Despite Guyana being the fastest growing economy in the world, there is an appalling lack of opportunities in almost every village in G u y a n a , t h e r e b y contributing to the further underdevelopment.

The residents of these villages are keen to either sendtheirchildrentothecity oroverseas,ratherthanhave them destined to a life of idleness and poverty within thevillages.

The government’s proposal to establish a number of secondary towns isagoodidea,exceptthatthe administration does not seem to understand what is required to convert the identifiedareasintotowns.

Infrastructure is necessaryifanareaisgoing tobeelevatedtothestatusof a secondary town. But one can have the best infrastructure in an area and yet have a ghost town since there may not be sufficient economicactivity

It is economic activity that will define what constitutes a town and not just the infrastructure. So what is the government doing to generate economic activity and consequently employmentintheareasthat were previously identified forsecondarytownships?

And what will be the comparativeadvantagesthat these areas will have over other towns? What is it, in other words, that will make these secondary towns viable?

These are the questions thatthegovernmentneedsto be addressing rather than simply moving towards building roads, bridges and culverts for these areas that will never qualify for even secondary township status unless there is a rapid increase in economic activity

All of this, of course, revolvesaroundtheneedfor planning, something that should have been a strong pointforthePPP/C.

And among the projects, whichmustbeconsideredas

partofthisplanningprocess, there must be those that generatejobsbyutilisingthe skills, which can be made availablefromtheareas.

Infact,itwouldbemuch better, rather than simply buildinginfrastructure,ifjob creationcouldbeboostedin these areas by the establishment of industrial, c o m m e r c i a l a n d entertainmentzones.

While some areas may be suitable for example, for the establishment of large farmers’markets and export processing zones, others may be suited for industrial development, while other secondary towns can be commercialbusinesscentres andentertainmentzones.

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

H@RD TRUTHS

We, negligent - who seh suh

We, negligent?

“No way, nah!

Somebaady in Guyana gah dah wan wrang.

De biggest maan in Bee Gee seh dat producing ile pass de recommended limit is safe. So, we submit learned judge of Jamaica or America (or wherever) that Exxon could not have done wrong, been negligent.

Not when the boss, the

m

Guyanese nation, himself swore that it is was 'safe'.” He convinced himself about that for whatever reason, and clearly, it would be a travesty of justice to consign this business of negligence to Exxon, or any insurance company

Nothing was held back. Guyana was given all the timeandeveryopportunityto checkrisksandexposuresfor itself but chose to proceed at breakneck speed with production It did not restrain accelerated oil production. Just get the oil out from under the damn ground could be said to have been the mantra of the oil emperor

Howcouldanyofthatbe deemedtobeirresponsibleor recklessonExxon'spart?

It would be trampling uponnaturaljusticetolookat insurance companies to right the egregious wrongs of Guyanese l

N e i t h e r w i l l f u l negligence nor gross nor any of its cousins. Our reports andrecordsareasclearasthe brightest crystal chandelier Limits were identified and shared, risks pointedout, and allinblackandwhite.

c

indifference Clearly, it would be unconscionable for Guyana to dump this selfinflicted monstrosity on Exxon. If we may say so, Guyanese are, at least one is, presumptuous A lesson from life is that the best of those who run the streets together(ifImay-partnersin crime) often 'leggo' one another in times of crisis. It is every man jack (sub a couple of other well-known names)forhimself.

I must thank Chris Ram, at

Chartered Accountant and c o l u m n i s t a n d o n e committed to the roles of researcher and thinker, for I didn't look at this in this way before. Get some sleep, brother

The road is long, and it will get rockier, with thorns and thistles on the sides.

They bristle with venom and prickle with anger Porcupines have nothing on them. If somebody was interfering with my meal ticket,Iwouldtoo.

But back to this matter about oil companies and insurance companies and white-shoe law companies. Anil had better learn to play golf and get himself invited to one of those old money clubs. That'swherejusticeis served.

Visions passed around. Territory carved out. Ways found to compromise national leaders in Third Worldcountries.

The soft-spoken, graybeards know the kind, and how to get to them, so thattheycansayanything,do anything, while being for nothing For their own people.

If any Guyanese thinks that the top insurance companies will payout to Guyana in the event of an oil spill,withoutawar,thenthey shouldsticktothebrownrum and bush rum, that is being doledouttothem.

There is a long trail of warm and cheery support, u n s t i n t e d v i r t u a l endorsements, of what Exxon is doing here. I have the dubious duty of introducing my own

Environmental Protection Agency asBillboardNumber 1. In addition, I am sorry, there is a subject minister who has been G u l l i v e r i a n i n h i s protestations, a sleepwalker inhisvigilance. Stillfurther, there is the Guyanese mandarin of mud, this country's emperor of oil, and there was none more unmoving about what was put before him, none more gung-ho about getting the oil out of the ground. It is all presentonpaper Ashewent, Guyanawent.

As Guyana went, Exxon was only too delighted to lend a cooperative hand. Of course,assensiblecitizensof Guyana know, the roles were reversed, with Exxon calling the shots. But where is that documented? What r e l e v a n c e , w h a t admissibility, does such have inacourtoflaw?

When the local leaders had to be aggressive and conservative at the same time,thelatterwasdismissed outofhand.

In their time, a set of Black Americans posited burn, baby, burn as their guiding star In Guyana, in this time of oil, the gospel was pump, baby, pump. So, whothrewcautiontothefour

Motorcycle bandits rob woman in her yard

Police are hunting four bandits riding two XR motorcycles after they invaded a yard of a Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara, woman and stole her cellular phone. ThevictimGabrielDhanraj,19,recountedthatthemenwere armedwithagun.

winds and left their people exposed? That level of willful indifference to risks, gross mismanagement of responsibilities, and reckless disregard for due care, can never be placed on the head ofExxon.

And, as an extension, on the checkbook of any insurance company Gayana as owner of its oil asset, leaders as the first and chief controllers of the people's wealth, had the primary duty of safeguarding that national trust.

Leaders entrusted with national decision-making power in their hands must be first and strongest in wielding that power wisely They must be the last in line when risk appetite is considered, measured. Oil companies and insurance companies are about their own people National leaders can't be for people other than their own. The oil contractor held the line; Guyana's leaders sold their people and their prospect up the river For those who are unfamiliar with the term, up the river is where those sentenced to life in prison were sent. Safe is sound. Safeissticky Frequently, safe does comebacktohaunt.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the a u t h o r a n d d o n o t necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this newspaper and its affiliates.)

Guyanesestudentsfacebleak futureduetoongoingstrike

Students across Guyana are currently facing a bleak future with the ongoing strike of the teachers. Thetwotermsstudentswouldhave missed due to the previous and ongoing strike by the teachers will infactleaveahugeknowledgegap.

This was highlighted by the First Vice President of the Guyana Teachers' Union (GTU) Mariska Williams on Wednesday at the protest on Brickdam in front of the Ministry of Education. Williams said: “These two terms that we would have missed here, it's going to create a really huge knowledge gap, reason being we just came out of COVID. We spent about two years trying to correct that period for those children who were in that period, and some of those very children are still in the system especially at the primary level, and so while they would have lost two years before we can safely say that they would have lost another year rightnow,becausethesearethetwo mostimportanttermstotakeyouto thenextlevel.”

She added that going over the period and the work would mean that the educators, “we drop again and you would see the Grade Six Assessment dropping further. If you recognised this year in the Grade Six Assessment, you had true and false in the Paper Two which should be application and matching.

So, if right now where we would have already come out from the COVID period and for the first time in history, I can say you have trueandfalseinaPaperTwowhich should be application at Grade Six. What will happen to these said

childrenherewhoarepreparingfor GradeSixnextyear?”

“The knowledge gap is there, it means that teachers will have to work overtime to correct this, we don't have a problem because we havedoneitbefore.Fortheparents, they too will have to play an integral part because it's not only what the teacher does but they would have to step up,” Williams said.

When asked by this publication what is the Union's next move, Williams noted that, “That is a question you have to ask the Chief Labour Officer what next because the government side has remained resoluteandfirminwhattheywant and as such, the Union will also remain resolute and firm in our decision mandated by the membership.”

On Wednesday, during their protest exercise outside of the

Ministry of Education, a teacher in an invited comment said, “at the pace things are going, we will end up with illiterate future generations, because we will not return to the classroom unless a tangible consensus is met.” She explained that the students would have already missed almost an entireyearofschoolandpreviously during the COVID period, there was also missed years. Another teacher stressed that since, “government is refusing to come with a proposal of their own to counteractwhattheunionisputting forward, it is a clear indication that they do not care. “Neither do they haveeducationatthecenteroftheir hearts.

If education was government's main focus, they would have come to a place and negotiated for the betterment of the children,” the teacherssaid.

US lawmakers urge Justice Department to probe climate deception by Big Oil

( R e u t e r s ) - U S lawmakers behind a congressional probe of major oil companies on Wednesday called on the Justice Department to investigate whether the industry deceived the public about fossil fuels' impact on climatechange.

Two Democrats, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Representative Jamie Raskin,outlinedthefindings of a nearly three-year investigation into Big Oil and urged the agency to take action in a letter to U S Attorney General MerrickGarland.

The lawmakers accuse companies Exxon Mobil XOM.N, Chevron CVX.N, BP BP.L and Shell SHEL.L, oil and gas trade group

American Petroleum Institute and business group the U S Chamber of Commerce of working togethertomisleadthepublic by making promises to reduce emissions while also seekingtoprotectoilandgas production.

" T h i s e v i d e n c e , combined with the entities' failure to comply fully with validly issued congressional subpoenas, suggests that further investigation by the executive branch is warranted," the letter said.A Department of Justice spokesperson said the agency had received the

comment on it. Chevron, BP a n d S h e

l d i d n o t immediately respond to requestsforcomment.

An Exxon official pointed to a statement the company gave following a Senate Budget Committee hearingearlierthismonth,in which it said the allegations had already been addressed in congressional hearings and litigation Chamber Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley said the lawmakers were attempting to criminalize a policy dispute. "Their referral insinuates legal violations without identifying a single law that has allegedly been broken," Bradley said in a statement. The American Petroleum Institute called the move a distraction.

“

unfounded political charade to distract from persistent inflation andAmerica's need

U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat of Rhode Island) speaks during a news conference at House Triangle on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 26, 2023.

A teacher holding a placard.

The teachers at the protest site during a discussion with First Vice President of the Guyana Teachers' Union (GTU) Mariska Williams.

A 23-year-old man was remanded to prison on Monday for allegedly robbing the owner of Good Life Supermarket located at 76GrovePublicRoad,EBD.

The accused, Delon George, was charged with Robbery Under Arms committed on Wen Qing Lou on May 7, 2024. Police said George was arrested andchargedonMay17.

On Monday, George of Lot A21 Section B, Diamond Housing Scheme, EBD appeared at the Diamond Magistrates' Court before Magistrate Dylon Bess where the charge was read to him. He was not

Prosecutor objected to bail being granted to George due to the seriousness of the offence and the fact that he waspreviouslychargedwith asimilaroffence. Bail was denied and George is scheduled to return to court on June 28, 2024.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Tuesday issuedawantedbulletinfor Duqwan Norton for rape andassault.

Norton's last known address is listed as Lot 15 D

, Georgetown.

P e r s o n s w i t h informationaboutNorton's whereabouts are being askedtocontactthenearest policestation.

SBM supports Women of Excellence at gala affair

SBM Offshore Guyana yesterday announced the launch of the Woman of Excellence Award, in collaboration with Cerulean IncandTheNicoConsulting Inc, the organizers of the 25 Influential Women Leaders Award(25IWLA).

In a public statement on the initiative, SBM said the prestigious award aims to recognize and celebrate the outstandingachievementsof influential women across various sectors in Guyana annually

TheinauguralWomanof Excellence Award was presented at the 25IWLA ceremony, was held on May 18 at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, where SBM Offshore Guyanawasthekeysponsor The distinguished recipient of this special award for 2024,CamilleCummings,is a veteran educator with over 37 years of experience Cummings, is said to have been a driving force in empowering women in Guyana, particularly in Linden, through her foundation, the Ladies on a MissionGroup.

According to the SBM missive, her foundation has led impactful projects, i n c l u d i n g m o n t h l y breakfasts for senior citizens, support for vulnerable girls, and cancer awarenessinitiatives.

As part of the Woman of Excellence Award, SBM Offshore Guyana has since committed a financial contributionofGY$600,000

The organizers of the 25 Influential Women Leaders Award with SBM Offshore Guyana's representative, Gwenetta Fordyce and the recipient of the Woman of Excellence Award, Camille Cummings.

to the recipient, to be donated to a charity of her choice.

The initiative, the company said, underscores its dedication to supporting the community and furthering the advancement of women in Guyana. In addition to this sum, the company is also providing sponsorship support for the 25IWLAevent.

GwenettaFordyce,SBM

Sustainability and Social

Development Officer, used the occasion to highlight the company's unwavering commitment to empowering women “SBM Offshore Guyanacontinuestosupport womeninvariousfieldswho are passionate, driven, and focused.Thesewomenareat

the forefront of Guyana's leadershipintheirrespective fields and have epitomized t h e d i v e r s i t y a n d advancement across various industries,”Fordycestated.

The launch, according to SBM, marks the beginning of a three-year collaboration w i t h t h e 2 5 I W L A organizing body CofoundersMichelleNicholas (Continued on page 16)

'Wildlife and People in the Rupununi' book launched on International Day for Biological Diversity

In celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity, the much-anticipated book, Wildlife and People in the Rupununi – A ComprehensiveAssessment based on Science and Local Knowledge, has been officially published online.

The book is a collection of engaging articles on the technical and scientific work completed by the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme in southwest Guyana's Region 9 between 2018 and 2023, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations said in a press release. Given the importance of wildlife for the Rupununi region, Guyana, and the world, and the risks of habitat and wildlife degradationthatcouldoccurdueto recent large-scale development, community leaders – in close coordination with governmental institutionsandlocalNGOs–have taken the lead in piloting wildlife management and conservation activitiesacrosstheRupununi.

The book, Wildlife and People in the Rupununi, has been funded by the European Union and presents the results of work led by community members, with support from local civil society organizations (such as Visit Rupununi, Caiman House, South Rupununi District Council, Rupununi Livestock Producers Association, North Rupununi District Development Board and the South Rupununi Conservation Society), and with active support

from the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission (GWCMC) and the NationalFisheriesDepartment.

The book contains 15 chapters grouped into four broad areas, namely: the status of wildlife populations, local uses of wildlife, co-existence between humans and wildlife, and wildlife management and conservation initiatives in the Rupununi This comprehensive document will serve as a reference for wildlife populatio

assessments, understanding ways in which people and wildlife can co-exist, and as an overview of

A first copy of the book was presented to Mark Phillips, Prime Minister of Guyana, by René van Nes, Guyana's EU ambassador, during the celebration of Europe Day in Georgetown on 9 May

initiatives led by communities in collaboration with the government toensurewildlifeconservationand sustainableuse.

One of the book's central messages is the importance of empowering communities that rely on wildlife for their livelihoods to become stewards in the conservation, management, andsustainableuseofthatwildlife. An exemplary case study, which thebookcoversisthemanagement of river turtles in the Yupukari community, which is an o u t s t a n d i n g m o d e l f o r community-led management initiatives and is aimed at preserving the species whilst allowing for sustainable use to continue.

The chapter on the assessment of conflict between people,

livestock,andcarnivoresalsoadds greatlytoabodyofinformationon human-wildlife co-existence in Guyana and aims to support GWCMC's work in mitigating conflict. A first copy of the book was presented to Mark Phillips, Prime Minister of Guyana, by René van Nes, Guyana's EU ambassador,duringthecelebration of Europe Day in Georgetown on 9th May “We have extended this programme because it is very successful," said Van Nes while presenting the book. "It's one of my favourites. I'm pleased to present one of the very first copies of this beautiful book to the Prime Minister.” A total of 100 books havebeenprintedandarecurrently being distributed to key stakeholdersinvolvedintheSWM

(Continued on page 17)

Regional ferry system to operate out of Parika

...processing facility for Bonasika to boost ginger production - Pres. Ali

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Tuesday announced that the [proposed regional ferry service will operate out of Parika, East Bank Demerara and that a processing facility will be built at Bonasika Creek to support farmers to enhance their production of gingerandothervegetables.

The announcement comes on the heels of a high volume of ginger production in the community and the challenge of finding markets, the Office of the President reported. President Ali said the community, which has a c c e l e r a t e d g i n g e r production in recent years, has been able to produce 240,000 tonnes of ginger annually “We are going to buildinthisareaaprocessing facility so we can take the fresh ginger, dry it and crush it. It will extend the storage

time from weeks to months and access higher value markets,”PresidentAlisaid.

He also told residents of Lower and Upper Bonasika Creek and neighbouring villages, during an outreach

to the Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) community, that the intention is to create a production system that integrates all communities in the area in the formation of a “processinghub”.

He stressed that these measures would enable persons to go beyond the traditional methods of farmingandfoodproduction, therebybuildingandcreating wealth. “The conversation is changing now It is no longer aboutonlyproducingfood.It is how we now translate production into storage, add transportation to it, create

President Irfaan Ali on his arrival at Bonasika on Tuesday

highervalueandaccessmore markets.”

The President said the integration of communities in food production is integral for “large-scale production”. The construction of the facility, he noted, will support the Government's

vision for beyond 2025 and the future economic growth ofthecommunity

The Head of State disclosed that he was particularly pleased with the manner in which the community has been using investments in agriculture to

“I know you have produced about 50 tonnes of bananas, morethan200,000poundsof pumpkin and in cassava and other kinds of provision, you haveproducedmorethan120 tonnes…We want to be able to move to large-scale production here,” the Presidentasserted.

R e g i o n a l F e r r y Operation

Meanwhile, the Head of State said this increase in production will give the community the opportunity totapintotheCaribbeanfood market and support the Caribbean Community's (CARICOM) objective of reducing25percentoffood

their advantage. “You are makinguseoftheinvestment we're making and we are proud of this. But we have to triplethisproduction,andwe are going to support you in tripling this production,” he said to a loud applause from r e s i d e n t s T h r o u g h agricultural support, which includes drainage and irrigation, the small riverain community has been able to produce a high volume of fruits, cash crops and tubers. Over the last few years, close to $1bn has been spent on drainage and irrigation projects in the community in support of over 300 farmers.

(Continued on page 16)

A resident of Rupununi holds up a copy of the book

30% rise in syphilis in the Americas -

New syphilis cases among adults aged 15-49 years increased by 30% between 2020 and 2022 in the Americas,accordingtoanew World Health Organization (WHO)report,implementing the global health sector strategies on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections, 2022–2030.

Syphilis, a bacterial, sexually transmitted infection, is a preventable andcurabledisease,butcases have escalated globally by over 1 million in 2022, reaching a total of 8 million.

The Americas currently face the highest incidence worldwide, with 3.37 million cases (or 6.5 cases per 1000 people), accounting for 42% ofallnewcases.

The rise in syphilis infectionscanbeattributedto several factors, including insufficient awareness about the disease, disparities in access to healthcare services and in diagnostics and treatment, and the persistent

stigma around sexually transmitted diseases, which may deter individuals from seekingmedicalassistance.

“Eliminating syphilis and congenital syphilis is achievable, but it demands a comprehensive approach that addresses the high prevalenceofsyphilisamong the general population, protecting everyone,” PAHO Director, Dr Jarbas Barbosa, said “Countries must reaffirm their political commitment and accelerate e ff o r t s t o e n d t h i s preventable and curable disease,”headded. If left untreated, syphilis can cause serious health issues, including brain and cardiovascular diseases

Manypeoplewithsyphilisdo not have symptoms or do not notice them. Rapid screening tests enable prompt

treatment Correct and consistent use of condoms during sex can prevent syphilis. Syphilis can also be t r a n s m i t t e d d u r i n g pregnancy, leading to severe complications such as

New WHO report

miscarriage, fetal death, premature delivery, low birth w e i g h t , c o n g e n i t a l anomalies, lesions in organs such as the liver, spleen and b o n e s , a s w e l l a s neurologicaldamage.

The report released this week by WHO also highlights a rise in cases among pregnant women. In the region, the percentage of pregnant women with syphilis increased by 28% in thepasttwoyears. Thistrend has translated into an increase in congenital

syphilis, reaching an estimated 4 98 cases per 1,000 live births in 2022, significantly surpassing the WHO target of 0.5 cases per 1000 live births.That year an estimated 68,000 babies werebornwithsyphilisinthe region.

"Wemustbolsterprenatal care services to ensure universal syphilis testing for every pregnant woman and

BP pauses gas-field talks with Venezuela as license expires

HOUSTON, May 22 (Reuters) -Oil major BP BP.L has paused discussions with Venezuela on the development of a gas project on the maritime border with Trinidad and Tobago following the expiration of a U.S. license to Venezuela inApril, a company spokesperson said on Wednesday BP this year conducted negotiations with Venezuela and Trinidad to develop the 1 trillion cubic feet (tcf) ManakinCocuina field that is shared by both countries.

The British energy company plans to resume talks with Venezuela once it "can legally do so," the spokesperson said. "With the expiration of OFAC's general license #44 in April 2024, BP has paused all discussions on the Manakin-Cocuina development,"thecompanysaid. BP wants to increase its natural gas

production inTrinidad, where output has fallen 45% in the last five years, to 1.2 billion cubic feetperday(bcf/d)from2.2bcf/d.

It owns a 45% stake in the Atlantic LNG gas-processing plant which has a capacity to produce 15 million metric tons per annum (MTPA)ofthesuperchilledgas.Butthefacility hasbeenforcedtomothballoneofitstrainsand reduce output due to lower natural gas production.

Trinidad Energy Minister Stuart Young did not immediately comment on the decision.The Manakin-Cocuina fields were unitized in 2015 but talks on their development were stalled upon imposition of U.S. sanctions in 2019 againstVenezuela.

In March, Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA(PDVSA.UL) said on social media it was considering issuing a license for exploring and developing non-associated gas onitssideofthesharedfield.

prompt adequate treatment forthosetestingpositive,and their sexual partners to achieve the elimination of congenitalsyphilisby2030," Dr Sylvain Aldighieri,

Director of PAHO's

Department for the Prevention, Control and E l i m i n a t i o n o f Communicable Diseases, said.

PAHO recommends that countries continue to raise public awareness of syphilis,

including its transmission routes and preventive measures.

This entails offering rapidtestsforearlydiagnosis and ensuring timely and appropriate treatment with penicillin to effectively cure the infection, thus averting disease transmission and potentialcomplications.

PAHO works with countries in the Americas to strengthen surveillance and build capacity among health care workers in the areas of prenatal care services for syphilis and congenital

syphilis. The Organization a l s o e n g a g e s w i t h communities and civil society to raise awareness and advocacy for the elimination of these conditions. Both syphilis and congenital syphilis are included in PAHO's Elimination Initiative, targeting the elimination of 30diseasesandconditionsby 2030.

Regionally, WHO has certified 11 countries and territories for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and/or syphilis since 2015.

WANTED VACANCY

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.

One male driver to do personal and business chores, Ages 25-50 years residing on W.C.D or W.B.D Call:624-0239

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

One female able-bodied Staff. Call: 225-2313, 658-8559.

One female cleaner half day 3 times per week for washing and cleaning. Contact : 641-3826.

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.

Vehicle for sale 1-Modlem Truck $2.5 Million Contact: 650-0402 / 652-0251

Place to rent at Vreed-enhoop junction for Lessons, Church, Office,Storage Bond, other.. Call: 603-6400

4 bedroom, fully furnished apartment at 21 Seafort street, Campbellville. For more information call: 621-5140.

Living and Business Quarter for rent at James and Hunter Street. Visit Location for more information Call: 674 0614.

One,two & three bedroom furnish apartment at Providence and Diamond, Unfurnished two bedroom at New Road Vreen-en-hoop. Call: 604-6664 or 216-2299

One & 2 bedroom apartments to rent in Turkeyen Area. Contact : 684-4178.

Live-in housekeeper needed to cook, clean and do laundry in Virginia, USA. Free room & boarding offered. Call: 845-325-8241.

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

Male cleaner for Eccles call:615-9132 or 645-8443

Auto electrician and Mechanics needed send your CV To: omaransarimi@ gmail.com contact :618-7066

Vacancy at P.S.G.C.S for Cleaner, Mason, Carpenter, Fabricator/ Welder, Security, Labourers & Maintenance Workers. Call: 621-6969/ 6157784.

Vacancies for cooks, Salesgirls, Cashiers & porter boys. Contact GK Variety store, Robb & King street, 653-0475.

Vacancies Exist for SECURITY GUARD and CARPENTERCall or WhatsApp: Saoud Osman –643-9861 / 611-6151 Location: Happy Acres, ECD

FOR SALE

German shepherd mix with Husky available. Call : 6480111.

SERVICES

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.

We repair & install fridge, freezer, washer & dryer, AC units, stove, etc. Whatsapp/ Call Omar: 6838734/ 654-9711.

For low cost repairs for AC units, refrigerators, freezers, gas stoves, washing machine, dryers, etc. Call: 6294946, 225-4822.

GPS receives $8M speedboat to enhance operationsa

The Guyana Prison Service (GPS), on Wednesday, received a speedboat and an engine, valued at approximately $8 million, to bolster its transportation capabilities and reinforce security in riverine areas, particularly along the Mazaruni River in Region Seven.

These contributions are part of the Support for the Criminal Justice System (SCJS) program, funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), aimed at addressing prison overcrowding.

During the handover ceremony at the Parika Police Station, Adele Clarke, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Legal Affairs, highlighted the ministry’s support to various agencies, including the GPS, to enhance the justice system. Clarke expressed

delight in partnering with the Prison Service to improve conditions for both prisoners and prison officers, enabling the agency to better meet inmate needs and expand transportation provisions.

“This will help particularly in the Mazaruni area because there, the form of transportation has to do with traveling on the waterways. The donation of this speedboat will definitely enhance our response capability at the Mazaruni Prison,” the director stressed.

The speedboat would enhance response capabilities at the Mazaruni Prison, reducing travel time, improving punctuality for court appearances, facilitating prisoners’ access to medical care outside the facility, and supporting regular patrols conducted by prison officers. The in-

creased

The $8M speedboat procured for the Guyana Prison Service

arrange-

would ensure the safe

$30M estimated to supervise construction of Black Bush Polder pump station

Having retendered to construct the Black Bush Polder pump station in Region Six, the Ministry of Agriculture is now seeking a consultant to supervise the construction works, for an estimated cost of $30,582,600.

This is according to an invitation for bids issued by the ministry which stated that the project is being executed through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA).

In the same tender, the ministry is also seeking consultancy services for the design review and supervision

services for the construction of pump station at Chesney, Corentyne, Berbice. This is estimated to cost $25,275,000.

Kaieteur News reported previously that after the contract for the pump station to irrigate the Black Bush Polder Front Lands was terminated last year, the government went out to tender for another

contractor to build the facility for an estimated cost of $799,729,350.

Bids relating to that tender opened back in March and a total of 15 contractors applied for the contract. In that list of contractors was the construction firm, Yunas Civil and Building Construction, which had its contract terminated for the failure to complete the pump station project.

It was reported that the Agriculture Ministry back in October 2021 had inked a $978.7 million contract with Yunaz Civil and Building Construction to build a pump sta-

tion at the Black Bush Polder Front Lands which was expected to be completed early 2023.

However, the project had passed its deadline and the slothfulness of the works was raised by Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Ganesh Mahipaul in October 2023. Following the concerns raised by the Opposition MP, the Ministry of Agriculture in a letter addressing the issue had announced that the project was terminated by NDIA in September 2023, for poor quality and performance of works being executed.

SBM supports Women of Excellence at gala affair...

From page 13 and Lyndell Danzie-Black used the occasion to commended SBM Offshore Guyana for its continued commitment to women’s development and praised the company’s initiative in establishing the Woman of Excellence Award.

“We are grateful to SBM Offshore for buying into our vision for the development and empowerment of women. This opportunity to partner with SBM Offshore in our 5th

year is timely.

We are constantly improving and creating value for the Awardees, and the partnership with SBM Offshore will create avenues for our awardees to continue amplifying their voices and their work. We are optimistic for future growth of the 25IWLA in this regard,” said DanzieBlack.

“Saturday evening, we celebrated more than just a partnership; we celebrated a shared vision of empowering

women leaders who shape Guyana and our world.

SBM Offshore Guyana’s three-year partnership with us honors the incredible achievements of our awardees and fuels their future endeavors.

This partnership will resonate far beyond the gala, echoing the voices of influential women and magnifying their impact in ways we have only dreamed of.

Together, we are not just recognizing leaders; we are inspiring generations,”

Nicholas shared. Beyond the new award, SBM Offshore Guyana reminded that it remains a staunch supporter of initiatives aimed at empowering and uplifting women recalling that in 2023, the company launched the Women in Football Development Programme and a Scholarship for Indigenous Women to pursue tertiary education in STEM fields at the University of Guyana.

Regional ferry system to operate out of Parika...

From page 14 imports by 2025. President Ali, while addressing residents of the agricultural base community, said the Government is working steadfastly and diligently to have a regional ferry service, which is a tripartite agreement between Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and

Barbados, to operate out of Parika.

“...The good thing about here is that we could export directly to CARICOM from here, you don’t need to transport to Georgetown and all these places. That is why we are pushing so hard to get the regional ferry because the re-

gional ferry will operate out of Parika so that we can have all of the production from these islands integrated into the regional market.”

Viable Food Production

Moreover, he called on young people and women to get involved in agriculture and said that the Government

is going to work with them through special programmes.

“We know that agriculture and food production are going to be viable, profitable and competitive, and we are investing in infrastructure to give you the best possible life in agriculture and food production.”

security

ments

movement of inmates to different locations. (DPI)

Labourer remanded for allegedly shooting soldier during home invasion

A31-year-old labourer who was charged withtheattemptedmurderof a 22-year-old Guyana Defence Force (GDF) rank was remanded to prison on Wednesday

The accused, Dexter McDonaldcalled‘Labba’of Lot 73 Middle Walk, Buxton, ECD made his second court appearance at the Vigilance Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Fabayo Azore, where the attempted murder charge wasreadtohim.

Hepleadednotguilty McDonald, while being inthecompanyofanotheris accused of shooting Azim Khan multiple times about his body on May 6, 2024 at Lot534Block8MonRepos ECD, during a home invasion.

According to Khan’s relative, the incident occurred between 12:30hrs and 13:45hrs During an interview with Kaieteur News, the relative alleged thatthebanditsstoleKhan’s phone, a gold chain, and $90,000cash.

Therelativesaidtoothat on the day in question, the victim was at his aunt’s home where there was a familygathering.

The relative related that when Khan and others entered the kitchen of the house, they saw two unknown males, one of whomwaswearingahoodie.

therelativesaidthesuspects whipped out a firearm and shotKhanafterrealisingthat he was not going to stop fighting.

The bandits eventually madegoodtheirescape.

Thesoldierwasrushedto the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he was placed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and is currently being treated for his injuries andhisconditionislistedas critical.

McDonald is scheduled toreturntocourtonJune20, 2024.

Meanwhile, McDonald whowasarrestedonMay17, 2024 was also charged with RobberyUnderArms(RUA) committed on Sharon Sarjoo,dischargingaloaded firearm with intent, committedonCollinRodney and two counts of Burglary committed on Junior and RoxanneBlair

Ateenager was injured in an accident in Albouystown on Tuesday afterthemotorcyclehewas ridingcrashedintothefront passenger door of a motorcarattheintersection o f I n d e p e n d e n c e Boulevard and Hill Street, Albouystown.

The injured man has been identified as 19-yearold Nicholie De Souza, a mechanic of Lot 27 D’Urban Street, Lodge, Georgetown.Themotorcar

Frompage14 Programme, including authors and local partners. Spanning almost 300 pages and featuring over 100 professional photographs, thepublicationisabeautiful testament to the amazing

efforts of the SWM Programme’s local partners, and would not be possible without EU support and funding. The Rupununi region, often

Khanputupafight. “Whentheycomedown, they end up go inside the kitchenandtheysawthetwo personsinthehouse,assoon as my cousin (Khan) see, he attacked them, and he start defending himself,” the relativetoldKaieteurNews.

On Tuesday, McDonald made his first court appearance at the Vigilance Magistrates’ Court, before Magistrate Fabayo Azore, where the two counts of burglary charge and dischargingaloadedfirearm with intent charge was read tohim.

Following the scuffle,

SpeedingmotorcyclistinjuredinAlbouystownaccident

was driven by 28-year-old RudyVan-Der-Meer D e S o u z a w a s reportedly riding the motorcycle at a fast pace when the accident occurred.

Police in a statement said that the accident occurredat20:15h.

Investigations revealed that the driver of motorcar #PAE3982wasproceeding west along the southern drivelaneofIndependence Boulevard, Albouystown, whilstthemotorcyclistwas

proceeding east along the northern drive lane of Independence Boulevard, Albouystown.

Police said that as both vehicles approached the i

r s e c t i o n a t Independence Boulevard andHillStreet,thedriverof the car made a right turn north onto Hill Street and ended up in the path of the motorcyclist resulting in a collision when the front centre of the motorcycle collidedwiththefront(left side)passengerdoor

and People in

referred to as the ‘Land of Giants’ because of its healthypopulationsoflargebodied neotropical species (such as the jaguar, giant anteater, giant armadillo, giant otter, and giant river turtle, among others), consists mostly of large tractsofprimaryforestandis likely the most biodiverse regionofthecountry. The SWM Programme is a major international

initiative that aims to improve the conservation and sustainable use of wildlifeinforest,savannah and wetland ecosystems Projects are being piloted a n d t e s t e d w i t h g o v e r n m e n t s

participatingcountries.

ThisinitiativeinGuyana is totally funded by the

coordinated by a dynamic

The motorcyclist was flung into the air before landingontheroad.

He was picked up in a

Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he was seenbyadoctorandtreated for abrasions to the forehead and a broken left leg.

The driver of the car is currently in custody, a

investigation.

consortium of four partners, namely the Center for International Forestry

R

d Wo

d Agroforestry (CIFORICRAF), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the French Agricultural R

International Development (CIRAD) and the Wildlife C

(WCS).

The charge stated that McDonaldwhileatVictoria, East Side Line, ECD, stole oneHPlaptopcomputerand two Samsung cell phones valued$201,000fromJunior Blair

He also stole two Samsung cell phones, cash and other items totaling $278,000, property of RoxanneBlair

Further, McDonald is also accused of stealing one 9mm Taurus Pistol value $215,000and12liverounds

He pleaded not guilty to the two counts of burglary charge.

of 9mm ammunition, property of the Guyana Police Force (GPF). Police said that the stolen gun and ammunition were in Junior Blair’spossessionatthetime oftherobbery

Bail was denied and McDonald was remanded. He is scheduled to return to court on June 18, 2024 for thesecharges. Meanwhile, McDonald was not required to plea to the discharging of a loaded firearm charge He is expectedtoreturntocourton June19,2024.

Man found dead in car at Berbice

Police have confirmed that the murdered body of a 24-year-old man was found onWednesdaymorningina vehicle in the vicinity of Letter Kenny backlands, Corentyne,Berbice.

The dead man has been identified as Joshua Hardatt alsocalled‘Money’.

The investigations are ongoing.

Dead: Joshua Hardatt

Azim Khan at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)

Ireland,NorwayandSpaintorecognisePalestinianstate

(BBC NEWS) - Ireland, Norway, and Spain have announced they will formally recognise a Palestinian state from 28 May Spain and Ireland said the decision was not against Israel nor in favour of Hamas,butratherinsupport of peace Israel reacted angrily, warning the move wouldmeanmoreinstability intheregionandrecallingits ambassadors to all three countries. Both Hamas and its rival, the Palestinian Authority, have welcomed the recognition. Norway was first to make its announcement Wednesday in a move co-ordinatedwith theothertwocountries.

Prime Minister Jonas GahrStøresaidinanaddress that the move was “in support of moderate forces that are on a retreating front in a protracted and cruel conflict” “This is an investment in the only solution that can bring lasting peace in the Middle East,” he added, referring to the so-called two-state solutionwhichwouldseean IsraeliandaPalestinianstate existing peacefully next to eachother

Ireland and Spain followedsuitsoonafter “Today, we state clearly our unambiguous support fortheequalrighttosecurity, dignity, and selfdetermination for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples,” Irish Foreign

Minister Micheál Martin said. The country’s Prime Minister Simon Harris later stressed that “Hamas is not the Palestinian people”

“Today’s decision to recognise Palestine is taken to help create a peaceful future,”he said. Mr Harris’s comments were echoed by Spanish Prime Minister PedroSanchez,whosaidthe move was “not against Israel, is not against the Jews”.

“It is not in favour of Hamas which is something that has been said. This recognition is not against anyone, it is in favour of peace and coexistence ” Israel reacted to the announcements with fury ForeignMinisterIsraelKatz said he was ordering the immediate return of the Israeli ambassadors to all three countries for “consultations”. “Israel will

not go over this in silencethere will be other serious consequences,” he said. Mr Katz also said that the three countries’ ambassadors in Israel will be summoned for “reprimand talks”, during which they will be shown a video of the abduction of female Israeli soldiers on 7 October

Hamas, which controls Gaza and is currently at war w i t h I s r a e l , s a i d

W e d n e s d a y ’ s announcements would be a “turning point in the international position on the Palestinian issue”. In a statement to AFP, Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas figure, said the “brave resistance”ofthePalestinian peoplewasbehindthemove.

Hamas’s rival, the PalestinianAuthority (PA)which controls parts of the Israeli-occupiedWestBanksaid Norway, Spain and

Biden cancels $7.7bn more in student debt for 160,000 borrowers

(ALJAZEERA)United

States President Joe Biden

has announced his administration is cancelling a total of $7.7bn in student debt for another 160,000 borrowers.

The latest action on Wednesday brings the total number of people to benefit from the president’s debt relief push to 4.75 million, according to the US DepartmentofEducation.

Biden, keen to shore up waning support among young people ahead of the November presidential election, had pledged last year to find other avenues for tackling debt relief after the Supreme Court in June blocked his broader plan to cancel $430bn in student loandebt. The president said beneficiaries of the newest measures include people in three categories who meet certainmilestonesthatmake them eligible for cancellation, including 54,000 borrowers enrolled in Biden’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) repayment plan, 39,000 enrolled in earlier income-

driven plans and about 67,000 people who are eligible through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness programme.

“Today’s announcement comes on top of the significant progress we’ve made for students and borrowers over the past threeyears,”Bidensaidina statement.“Iwillneverstop working to cancel student debt – no matter how many times Republican elected officials try to stop us.”The statementaddedthateachof the borrowers had an average of $35,000 of debt written off Wednesday’s announcement brings total debt relief approved by the Biden administration to $167bn.

down on his opposition to such a plan, saying the creationofaPalestinianstate would compromise Israel’s security

Mr Netanyahu added on Wednesday that the creation of a Palestinian state would lead to repeat attempts of 7 October and denounced the movebyNorway,Spainand Ireland as a “prize for terrorism”.

About1,200peoplewere killed in the unprecedented attacks on 7 October, when Hamas gunmen burst into Israel.They took 252 others back to Gaza as hostages.

Ireland had demonstrated their “unwavering commitment” to “delivering the long overdue justice to thePalestinianpeople”.Also on Wednesday, the Israeli military approved the return ofIsraelicitizenstothesites of three settlements in the occupied West Bank, which they had been banned from enteringsince2005.

Israel’s parliament had voted to allow its citizens to returninMarchlastyear,but military permission was needed for the bill to be enforced Most of the international community considers the settlements illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.TheissueofPalestinian statehood has vexed the international community for decades Since the 7 October attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has doubled

Sincethen,morethan35,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel’s Gazaoffensive,accordingto the Hamas-run health ministry

Most of the world already recognises the state of Palestine Earlier this month, 143 of the 193 members of the United Nations General Assembly voted in favour of it joining the UN, something only statescando.

Before Wednesday’s announcements, only nine European countries supported Palestinian statehood and most of those took the decision in 1988 when they were part of the Sovietbloc.

Most other European countries, and the US, still believe recognition should come only as part of a longtermtwo-statesolutiontothe conflict A White House

spokesperson said US President Joe Biden was a “strong supporter” of the two-state solution, and believed “a Palestinian state should be realised through direct negotiations, not through unilateral recognition”. Slovenia and Maltahavealsosaidrecently that they were considering a formal recognition Norway’s prime minister alsosaidonWednesdaythat he hoped the recognition of Palestinian statehood by the three countries would bring renewed momentum to the peace talks. Long-running negotiations in Cairo aimed at securing a truce and further hostage releases are currentlystalled.

M e a n w h i l e , t h e humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate Earlier this week, the UN said food distribution in the southern GazacityofRafahhadbeen suspended due to a lack of suppliesandinsecurity

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court(ICC)recentlyapplied for arrest warrants for Mr Netanyahu and Hamas’s leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar,forwarcrimes.Both Israel and Hamas have condemnedthemove.

Israel says an offensive in Rafah is needed to eliminate Hamas but the internationalcommunityhas warned against it, saying it will greatly exacerbate the humanitariancrisisinGaza.

Security guard shoots man over alleged stolen bicycle

Policeareinvestigatinga shooting incident that occurred on Tuesday, at Carmichael Street, Georgetown,involvinga42year-oldmananda28-yearoldsecurityguard.

The incident occurred at around14:50hrs.

The security guard has been identified as Hamilton Clarke. Clarke, of Lot 47 Walcott Street, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara (WBD), is an employee of Sheriff Security Service Theothervictim,CarlCato, isfromVryheid’sLust,East CoastDemerara(ECD).

Catoinformedthepolice inspectorwhoarrivedonthe scene at 15:00h that he was headinghomeonhisbicycle on Carmichael Street when

Clarke approached him and accused him of stealing the bicycle he was riding

Shortly after accusing the victim, Clarke shot him in his left foot just below the knee.

Clarketoldtheinspector that on May 14, 2024, his colleague (Harry) lost his bicycleatAssuriaInsurance Company on Carmichael Street.WhileClarkewason duty that day, he observed Cato riding Harry’s bicycle. He approached Cato and informed him that the bicycle he was riding belongedtohiscolleague.

At that moment, Clarke wasarmedwitha.32Taurus pistol (serial number ACA 442867) and had 10 live matchingroundsinhisright

hand. As he attempted to take the bicycle away from Cato, a scuffle ensued During the scuffle, Cato attempted to disarm Clarke, resulting in a shot being firedandCatobeinginjured. Cato was taken to the GPHC,whereheispresently receiving medical attention. His 1condition is listed as stable. Meanwhile, police said the inspector found one spent.32shellatthesceneof the incident. The area is currently being canvassed forCCTVcameras. Hamilton was arrested, a n d t h e f i r e a r m , ammunition,spentshell,and bicycle were seized and lodged. Investigations are ongoing.

US President Joe Biden

The three European countries will formally enact recognition on May 28 despite Israel’s warnings of the consequences.

$362.4M Mahdia solar farm expected to commission within two months

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), Dr Mahender Sharma on Wednesday said that the $362.4 millionsolarfarmthatisbeingbuilt in Mahdia, Region Eight is expected to be commissioned withintwomonths.

The CEO provided the status update during his appearance at the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Economic Services While speaking about solar farm projects in his brief presentation, Dr Sharmasaid:“Aswespeak,a0.65megawatt solar farm is in its final stages of construction and testing. They've already started inserting some energy into the Mahdia Grid and we are hoping to commission thiswithintwomonths.”

It was reported in October 2022, that the Government of Guyana had signed an agreement with a private local firm to supply 686-kilowatt peak (kWp) electricity equivalent to 0 686 Megawatt (MW) of solar power to benefittheresidentsofMahdia.

This newspaper reported that the contract was awarded to Standby Power Engineering Company(SPECOM)tothetuneof $362,411,200. The new 686kWp farmwasreportedtobeconstructed on 1.7 acres of land and once

completed, will benefit over 2,884 residents.Notably,thesolarproject is being funded by the InterAmerican Development Bank through the Energy Matrix Diversification and Strengthening of the Department of Energy (EMISDE)program.

When the agreement was signed, Prime Minister, Mark Phillips in a statement explained that this venture also aligns “with

capacity coming on stream.”

The solar farm in Mahdia being constructed back in November 2023.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), Dr. Mahendra Sharma

the LCDS 2030 agenda, which saw the installation of solar farms at Lethem and Bartica, 28 solar minigrids, and 29 off-grid locations totalling 3.415MW of installed

AccordingtothePrime Minister, “This is an important project for us because we talk about bridging the digital divide. As a government, we are committedtoalsobridging the energy divide. We are committed to bringing development to the HinterlandofGuyana.”

Inthestatementalso,it was noted that the project was expected to be completed by the end of 2023. Dr Sharma in his presentation also stated that a one

(1)-megawatt solar farm that was commissioned on August 5, 2022 (represented as the first mega-scale solar farm installed in the country), has since seen the Lethem Power Company been able to displace 3428 drums of diesel by capturing thesun'senergyandinsertingitinto the company's grid. “You have avoided the use of 3428 drums of diesel and that is equivalent to about 1677 tons of carbon dioxide avoided from that singular installation over that time period,” heexplained.

The CEO further stated that on March 31, 2024, they had commissioned what is now the

largestsolarfarminstallationinthe country, and that is in Bartica. This 1.5-megawatt solar farm with 2.5kilometer transmission line, he mentioned has since displaced 2254 drums of diesel, and that equates to about 1100 tons of carbon dioxide emissions avoided as a result of that installation alone. In addition, Dr Sharma related that thereareafewothersthatareunder construction, 0.75-megawatt farm at Wakenaam that is being led by the Guyana Power and Light and the GEA is implementing 0.60 megawatts at Leguan, both of whichareexpectedtobecompleted bytheendofthisyear.”

Thirteen attend GFF first all-female referee workshop

Th e G u y a n a

F o o t b a l l Federation(GFF) held its first all-female referee workshop from May 17to19whichwasattended by thirteen enthusiastic participants from across Guyana.

The three-day groundbreaking seminar, led by

Diane Ferreira-James,

Federation’s National

C

e in Providence, East Bank Demerara Referees, comprising both officials with some experience and several

L

nden, Bartica and Berbice, were inattendance

The workshop included both theoretical and practical sessions, covering

refereeing laws, game management, challenges, nutrition, and match preparation, along with fitnessandtechnicaldrills

Head facilitator Diane Ferreira-James created an inclusive environment where participants felt at ease sharing their concerns and offering suggestions Drills were also designed to cater to both experienced referees and newcomers “It’s new to them, ”

F e r r e i r a - J a m e s explained

“At first we had a little difficulty with them adapting and understanding therequirements.

For example, as an assistantrefereeitisrequired thatyoudolateralmovement and turn into your jogging and staying alignedwith the secondlastopponent.”

Thursday May 23, 2024

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

Overall,theforecastfortoday is fairly good. The aspects seemtofavorfiguringoutthe meaning of all that's transpired over the past several weeks It's an opportunity for you to take a leisurely

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Have you felt somewhat lost forthepastfewdays?Thefog maylifttodayandenableyou to situate yourself at last. You'reprobablyeagertosettle a question that has nagged at you and interfered with your judgment.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

You may have been feeling somewhat disillusioned. Perhapsyoulostsightofyour goals or misplaced your faith in yourself. You'll feel some reliefbeginningtoday

CANCER(June21–July22)

Youmightbetemptedtosettle certain matters by radical means. The visionary part of you means you're painfully aware of the world's wrongs. You see no reason not to take actiontocorrectthem.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Today will be fairly calm in terms of outside events, but yourinnerworldislikelytobe in a rush of activity Today you wish you could find the solutiontoyourheartachesas well as your career predicaments.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

You have a lot of thinking to do about your professional goals, Virgo. You'll go over the elements to see if there isn't some way to approach thingsdifferently

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Youjustcan'tdoeverythingat once, Libra. How do you expect to reduce your stress and recuperate while at the same time continue to be a superstar performer in every areaofyourlife.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)

Thisisagoodmomenttoadapt your logic and reason to reality, Scorpio. If you don't, you're going to run into some

Everyone knows that you find newideasplentiful.

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

It'sgoingtobealittledifficult ta

ou today, Sagittarius. You, who can be easily influenced by others, will be listening to and criticizing everything that peoplesay

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Haveyoubeenreviewingyour family history lately, Capricorn? Of special interest is your cultural background. What educational, social, and religious environment were you born into? What are its values?Intheend.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) It's time to elevate your senseofself,Aquarius.You're justasgoodasanyoneelse,so why don't you believe it? The problem is that you're very sensitiveabouthavinganego. Even though you know everyonedoes.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

Today your intellectual and expressive abilities should receive a boost from the planets.It'sanexcellenttimeto organize your thoughts about presentingaproject.

vigilant in ensuring that the right conditions are in place so that girls and women can continue to play, enjoy and learn about our beautiful game i n a w h

m e environment ”

However, she added that after the “second drill they started to adopt and that is important, ” emphasising that “going forward, continuity is very important so we need to ensure that the instructors continue teaching them about the basics. It’s all about the basics.”

New referee Ackema Thomas from Linden said the seminar was “very informative

I’ve learnt to stretch (in) ways I didn’t know I could have stretched And it shows me that I need to domore ”

GFF Head of Referees Department Lenval Peart described the programme as “ground-breaking,” noting that there has been a significant increase in women joining the profession over the last fewmonths

He highlighted that the Concacaf training was a follow-up to the Referee Introductory Course, sharing that participants d i s p l a y e d s t r o n g camaraderieandaptitudefor understanding and respectingthegame.

“We have great potential here It tells us that there is growth, there is room for international growth and there’s room for improvement and we will continue to do that through the GFF Referees Department.”

GFF President Wayne Forde stressed that the Federation continues to invest “heavily in the development of match o f f i c i a l s , w i t h a particular focus on i n c r e a s i n g t h e participation of female referees ”

“The GFF has come a far way and today the nationalfootballspaceisa much safer place for females when compared with what obtained in the past However, while this is worthy of celebration, we must remain ever

Thefootballofficialalso revealed that the Referees Department’s recruitment efforts will soon shift to secondary schools as part of the FIFA Football for Schools Programme (F4S).

Instructor/Assessor Natasha Lewis contributed to the classroom sessions, while FIFA Fitness Instructor Kelesha Antoine oversaw thefitnesscomponentofthe workshop. Additionally, FIFA Assistant Referee Mijensa Wrench from Suriname shared her insights and experiences from the 2022 Under-20 Women’s World Cup.

First Lady lights up Hope Children’s Home as ICC T20 World Cup Trophy Tour continues

First Lady of

Guyana Arya Ali

spent some quality time with the kids from

H

C

’s

f Guyana’s leg of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup TrophyTour

Yesterday’s event featured a number of youngsters as well as L o c a l t o u r n a m e n t ambassadors including Ramnaresh Sarwan, Guyana Harpy Eagles

Captain Tevin Imlach among other players; yesterdayatStateHouse.

The First Lady spent time with the children,

who were shown a wonderful day as they got the opportunity to interact with the players while seeing the trophy up close.

First Lady Arya Ali and World Cup T20 Ambassador Ramnaresh Sarwan with the Trophy

Tatum, Brown key Celtics’ OT win in Eastern Conference finals opener

SportsMax - Jayson Tatum scored 10 of his 36 points in overtime and the Boston Celtics capitalised on some sloppy play by the IndianaPacersfora133-128 victory in Game 1 of the EasternConferencefinalson Tuesdaynight.

Jrue Holiday had 28 points and Jaylen Brown added 26, none bigger than his tying 3-pointer with 6.1 secondsleftinregulation.

TheCelticsfinishedwith 11 steals - three each by Brown, Tatum and Holiday They became the first team in NBA playoff history to havethreeplayersrecord25 points and three steals in a game. Game 2 is Thursday nightinBoston.

Tyrese Haliburton had 25 points and 10 assists for the Pacers, who scored 56 points in the paint against a Celtics team missing injured 7-footer KristapsPorziòìis

The children were all smiles as they were treated to a grand time while being encouraged with words from the First Lady Meanwhile, the trophy tour continues today Thursdaywiththevisittothe St. George’s Cathedral from

13:00h followed by a ride alongtheKingstonSeawalls from17:00h.

The Pacers, though, committed21turnovers.

Indiana twice turned the ball over with a threepoint lead in the final 30 secondsofregulation.

Brown’s 3 from the cornerwithPascalSiakam inhisfacetieditat117

Tyrese Haliburton sank three free throws after he was fouled with 1:46 to go in overtime to put the Pacers ahead 123121, but Tatum completed a three-point play 34 seconds later to give Bostontheleadforgood. Tatum’s 3 following another Indiana turnover with 43 seconds left extended the lead, and he hit two free throws with ninesecondslefttosealthe win

Nadal ready for emotional French Open farewell

AFP - Rafael Nadal will bringdownthecurtainonhis 19-year French Open career withthelikelihoodofadding to his 14 titles greatly diminished before he leaves behind a record and reputation unlikely ever to bematched.

ThegreatSpaniard,a22time Grand Slam champion, won his first title at Roland Garrosasateenagerin2005. Aweek on Monday, he will celebratehis38thbirthday.

A former world number one,whoisnowat276inthe world,Nadalhasonlyplayed 15 matches since January last year as a hip injury and then a muscle tear were addedtoadepressinghistory of physical ailments which have forced him to miss 12 Grand Slam tournaments in hiscareer

Whether or not the 2024 French Open becomes number13willsoonbecome apparent as the draw for the event takes place on Thursdayafternoon.

“I’m going to play the tournament thinking that I can give my all, 100 per cent,” explained Nadal after asecondroundexitinRome lastweek.

“And if 100 per cent is not enough to win a match,

I’ll accept that. But I don’t want to step onto court knowing that I have no chance. If there’s a 0.01% chance,Iwanttoexplorethat andgiveitago.”

As well as 14 titles in Paris, Nadal can boast a record of 112 wins and just three losses, two of which came against career-long rivalNovakDjokovic.

He is also held in remarkablyhighesteem.

At his first training session on Court Philippe ChatrieratRolandGarroson Monday an estimated 6,000 people turned up to watch, manychantinghisname.

“We have to enjoy the time he has left on court, evaluateit,andbeawarethat it’s very unlikely that

something like that will happen again,” said coach Carlos Moya during the recentMadridOpen.

“Personally, I’m never on court when he enters or leaves, but I am this year becauseIlikeseeingthelove hegetsfromthepeoplewhen hestepsoncourt.

“He’s one of the great starsofthissport,he’sabout

to retire, and it’s really amazingtoseethat.”

-DjokovicundercloudNadal isn’t the only AlisttalentunderaPariscloud aheadofthetournamentstart onSunday

Defending champion and record 24-time Grand Slam title winner Djokovic, whosethreetitlesinParisput him alongside Gustavo Kuerten,MatsWilanderand IvanLendl,isenduringatitle dryspellunseensince2018.

Back then, he also reached May without a trophy before crashing to a shock last-16 defeat at the French Open to unheralded MarcoCecchinatoofItaly

This season, Djokovic has lost hisAustralian Open title and has yet to make a finalontour

Adding injury to insult, he was hit on the head by a fallingwaterbottleinRome, a freak accident which he claimed caused nausea and dizziness.

In an attempt to gather a degree of clay-court confidence ahead of the FrenchOpen,Djokovic,who turns 37 on Wednesday, grabbed a late wild card in the ongoing Geneva tournament. Between them, Nadal and Djokovic have

carved up the last eight French Open titles while 2009wasthelasttimeafinal at Roland Garros did not featureatleastoneofthem.

World number two Jannik Sinner, the man who succeeded Djokovic as Australian Open champion, has been laid low by a hip injury which caused him to skiptheRomeOpen.

The 22-year-old Italian reachedthequarter-finalsof the French Open on his debutin2020wherehewas defeated by Nadal in straightsets.

Sinner has an extra incentive to progress deep in Paris as he could depose Djokovic as world number one.

Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning Wimbledon champion, also skipped Rome to nurse an arm injury

The world number three took the first set off Djokovicintheirsemi-final last year before body cramps saw his slip to defeat.

The Spanish crowdpleaser admitted that his sudden and dramatic diminished physical state was caused by the fear of facingDjokovic.

Jayson Tatum scored 10 of his 36 points in overtime and Jrue Holiday had 28 points and Jaylen Brown added 26 as the Boston Celtics beat the Indiana Pacers for a 133-128 on Tuesday night.

Rafael Nadal waves to spectators as he leaves the court after taking part in a practice session at the French Open. (Dimitar DILKOFF)

Commander Ramana continues to support ‘grass root’ initiatives in

Police Division 4B

- Donates first place trophy for Independence football tourney in Mocha-Arcadia

Re g i o n a l

D i v i s i o n a l Commander # 4B, Superintendent Krishna Ramana, continues to fulfill the Guyana Police Force mandatetoforgecommunity partnership.

OnTuesday,atDiamond Headquarters, he donated the winning trophy for the upcoming Independence Football Tournament to be

heldinMocha-Arcadia,East Bank Demerara from today, Thursday, May 23 to 26, 2024 A

y, Deputy Superintendent Wayne DeHearte donated the Most Valuable Player trophy.Also present at the handover ceremony was Chief Inspector Mark Lyte The Independence tournamentaimstorestore

community togetherness, minimize young, gifted athletes’ idleness, and build pa

nerships between the Police and youths of all communities through sports to foster a safer and more secure Guyana. The three-day event, which will utilize a direct elimination format, will feature 24 teams f

communities and regions

$400,000inprizes

The event is also sponsored by;Alberttown Police Station, Big Smith News Watch, Reliable Graphics Design, Ballers Ent, Panther Security, Secure Innovations and C o n c e p t , M a n t r a Restaurant and Bar, and MochaArcadiaNDC.

WIvsSA:Chancefordiscardsandout-of-formerstomakestatements

ESPNcricinfo -Atrio of T20Is the week before a T20 World Cup seems like a good idea except, perhaps, if half your squad is unavailable.

That’sthesituationfacingboth WestIndiesandSouthAfrica,who arewithoutmanyplayersfromtheir tournamentsquads,includingtheir captains.

Rovman Powell and Aiden Markram are both at the IPL, as well as Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran, Sherfane Rutherford, Jason Holder, Andre RussellandAlzarriJosephforWest Indies, and Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, MarcoJansen,KeshavMaharajand Kagiso Rabada for South Africa. WhiletheyarenotallstillattheIPL some, like Pooran and Hope, are being rested and others, like Rabada, are recovering from illness.

That makes this series an exercise that’s part warm-up, part experimentation as the T20 World Cup co-hosts face off against perennial major tournament hopefuls in the first of three engagements they will have in the next three months. South Africa will return to the Caribbean in AugusttoplaytwoTestsandthree more T20Is, which will have far less riding on them than these matches, where there are

statements to be made. Especially bythefollowing: Openersneedtofindsomeform

Johnson Charles has reestablishedhimselfasafirst-choice opener alongside Brandon King (cue the monarch jokes) since making a comeback to the West IndiesT20IsideinSouthAfricalast year,wherehescoreda46-ball118 toannouncehisreturn.Thetrouble isthathehasn’tdonemuchsince.In eight T20I innings after that, Charles has been dismissed in single figures four times and gone past 30 only once. There are signs

that could change, though. He was West IndiesA’s leading run-scorer on a recent tour of Nepal, and will wanttobuildonthatformaheadof theT20WorldCup.

In the opposition camp, South Africa have concerns around Quinton de Kock, who has had three poor T20 league campaigns on the trot since retiring from ODI cricket last November. He was particularlyoutofsortsattheBBL, where he scored 104 runs in six innings,andthenmade213runsin 12inningsattheSA20and250runs in11inningsattheIPL,thoughthat

didincludethreefifties.Atleasthis numbershaveimprovedslightlyat each tournament. De Kock was selectedintheWorldCupsquadon reputation,notform,attheexpense of at least two other candidatesMatthew Breetzke and Rassie van der Dussen - and in what could be hislastinternationalassignment,he willwanttocomegood.

Discards with a license to dream

The ICC only expects confirmed squads on May 25, so there’s a tiny bit of time (and perhaps one game) left for those looking to force their way into the finalsquadsor,ifthatisn’tpossible, just make a point about what their teamsmightbemissing.

Kyle Mayers has to be one of them. He scored no T20I fifties in 11 innings since touring South Africa in 2023 and was dropped thereafter,butmade243runsinsix inningsattheBPLandboastsaT20 strike rate above 150 this year and above 143 from 40 matches last year

With power-hitting among the mosttalked-aboutattributesoftoporder batters, this is his chance to showhestillhasit.

Thesamewillbeinthebackof Rassie van der Dussen’s mind. Despite being the second-highest run-scorer inT20 cricket this year, behind Babar Azam, van der

DussencouldnotfindaT20World CupplaceaheadofdeKock,Reeza HendricksandRyanRickelton,but accepted the role of stand-in captainforthisseries,andwillwant toleadfromthefrontinallaspects ofhisgame.

There are also some bowlers who might feel aggrieved at their omission. Such as Obed McCoy, who is one of the highest wickettakers inT20Is this year but found nospaceinasquadthathasAlzarri and Shamarh Joseph, Russell, HolderandShepherd.

He has an opportunity to show whathecandoinhomeconditions. And Lungi Ngidi, who recovered from a lower back injury which kepthimoutoftheIPLandmadea decentcomebackattheCSAT20s, willalsowanttoprovetheworthof his variations in the Caribbean. Ngidi took eight wickets in eight matchesinSouthAfrica’sdomestic competitionbutAnrichNortje,who conceded at more than 13 runs an overintheIPL,waspreferredover himforpace.

Newkidsontheblock SeamerMatthewFordefaceda baptism by fire when he made his T20I debut in December against England, finishing with figures of nonefor54inthreeovers.

But he has shown that he has what it takes to be international quality

Chief Inspector Mark Lyte (right) endorsed the positive gesture.

Deputy Superintendent Wayne DeHearte (right) donated the Most Valuable Player trophy.

Regional Divisional Commander # 4B, Superintendent Krishna Ramana (right) donated the winning Trophy to the organizer Troy Van Rossum.

Quinton de Kock hasn’t had a great time of it at T20 leagues of late. (BCCI)

Elaine Thompson-Herah set for explosive season debut against Sha’ Carri Richardson at Prefontaine Classic

SportsMax - Five-time Olympic gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah, the fastest woman alive, is poised to make her highly anticipated season debut in the 100m at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon, on May 25 This event promises to be a thrilling spectacle as ThompsonHerah faces off against reigning world champion ShaCarriRichardson.

Thompson-Herah’s return to the Prefontaine

Elaine Thompson-Herah set for explosive season debut against Sha’Carri Richardson at Prefontaine Classic.

Classic holds special significance In August 2021, at this very meet, she clocked a blistering 10.54 seconds in the 100m, a performance that solidified her status as the fastest womanalive.OnlyFlorence Griffith-Joyner’s legendary world record of 10 49 seconds stands ahead of her ontheall-timelist. The Prefontaine Classic will see Thompson-Herah and Richardson, two of the mostelectrifyingsprintersin the world, go head-to-head.

Richardson,whohasalready competedintwo200mraces this season, will be running her first 100m of the year Thisclashiseagerlyawaited by athletics fans worldwide, as it brings together the fierce competition and star power of two dominant figures in women’s sprinting.

Thompson-Herah’s season opener at the Prefontaine Classic is just the beginning of what promises to be an exciting year

Kishan and Sons softball cricket, dominoes set for Sunday in Wakenaam

KishanandSonssoftball cricket and dominoes competitionswillbeheldon Sunday at the Wakenaam Community Center ground, GoodSuccess.

Both softball and Dominoescompetitionswill

commence at 10:00hrs with trophiesatstake.

Teams from Leguan, Essequibo Coast, East Bank Essequibo, Bartica, Troolie Island,CariaCariaandHogg Island are expected to rub shoulders with their

Wakenaamcounterparts.

Organiser Kishan Ramrattansaidheislooking forward to keenly contested and successful competitions and added that the event is vital for the development of sportsinthearea.

Royals eliminate RCB to set up knockout against SRH

SportsMax - Rajasthan Royals opener Yashasvi

Jaiswal set the tone before Rovman Powell and ShimronHetmyerchippedin and sent Royal Challengers Bengaluru crashing out of the Indian Premier League playoffsyesterday The Royals will face Sunrisers Hyderabad in the second qualifier tomorrow, Friday, to challengeforaplaceinthe

final against Kolkata Knight Riders, after their four-wicket victory in Ahmedabad.

Virat Kohli made 33 to gowithRajatPatidar’s34, and a 17-ball 32 from Mahipal Lomror as RCB’s batters failed to capitalise on their strong starts, finishingon172-8

Avesh Khan led the impressive Royals bowling line-upwith3-44,aswellas an economical 2-19 from Ravichandran Ashwin, teeinguparoutinechasefor theRoyals,whogotto174-6 withanovertospare.

Jaiswal crafted a fine 30-ball 45 – including eight boundaries – to ease any nerves, while middleorder hitters Riyan Parag and impact sub Shimron Hetmyer chipped in with 36 and 26 respectively Hetmyer’s 26 came off 14 balls and included three fours and a six, while Parag struck two fours and two sixesinhis26-ballknock.

Mohammed Siraj dismissed both Parag and Hetmyer for his 2-33, but

Rajasthan were already in full control, even after slipping to 160-6 with two oversremaining.

That platform allowed Powell, who earlier took six catches in the field, to come in and blast 16 off just eight balls, slamming Lockie Ferguson (1-37) for two fours and a maximum, which ended in-form RCB’s playoff hopes at the first postseasonhurdle.

TheRoyalshadlostfour

found a new way to congratulate R Ashwin, who returned a match-winning 2 for 19. (BCCI)

matches consecutively before this meeting against RCB, who had won six straight, but now only Pat Cummins’Sunrisersstandin thewayofRajasthanandthe IPLfinal.

Data Debrief: Chahal makesRRhistory Yuzvendra Chahal bowled an expensive four overs, conceding 43 runs in the first innings, though it was his one wicket of Kohli that will livelonginthememory

The Royals legspinner moved onto 66 IPL dismissals with the wicket of the Indian great, the most in Rajasthan history after surpassing Siddha

Yuzvendra Chahal

Tahirah McPherson (2nd from left) and members of the organising committee display the trophies.

Horsemenanticipatesmoothtransitionwithintroductionoflegislation

Horseracing in G u y a n a i s expectedtohave legislation before the Guyana Cup which is expected to run off on August11atRisingSun.

T h e i m p e n d i n g legislationaimstoestablisha recognized Guyana Horse Racing Authority, tasked with regulating major stables, officials, jockeys, andhandlers.

Horsemen across Guyana have welcomed this initiative to have legislation whichwillbeabigboostfor thesportofkings.

YounghorseownerZahir Khan expressed positive sentiments, noting that it would attract more foreign horsestoraceinGuyanaand returnabroad.

“I think that is where we must go That is the direction It will also encourage horses to come intoGuyana,raceandreturn.

Wecannothavethesebig races,payingalotofmoney and a person would bring a horse into the country and know they cannot take it back,”Khansaid.

Meanwhile, Trinidadian horse owner Densil Raghoo lauded the vision of the young horse promoters in Guyana. “I have seen that thegovernmentisdoingtheir

Veterantrainerandhorse owner, Fazal Habibulla is also urging promoters to educatewithhorsemenfrom now He believes this will allow a smooth transition when legislation acts “I know for sure the government of Guyana is playingtheirpart.Weneedto start sensitizing horse ownersfromnow.”

The horse racing legislation is expected to act from the upcoming Guyana Cup.

part in the regulation of races.

They are different things that can be done to get expensesfromtheowners.It

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup trophy lands at majestic Kaieteur Falls

Kaieteur Falls, the longest

single-drop waterfall in the world, was the backdrop for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 WorldCuptrophyyesterday afternoon.

After leaving State House,wheretheFirstLady hosted the Hope Children’s Home, the trophy traveled to one of the most iconic spotsonearth.

Chaperoned by ICC Head of Public Relations

and Communications Damon Leon and West Indies players Kevin

Sinclair and Mandy Mangru, the dimming sunset and the falls in the background produced arguably one of the most memorable shots of the festivetourthusfar Assistant Director of Sport Franklin Wilson was alsopresent.

Thetrophytourbeganin March in the United States of America and has visited Argentina, Brazil, and fellow host nations in the Caribbean.

The tour will conclude today, Thursday (May 24)

w i t h t w o p u b l i c engagements - at St George’s Cathedral from 13:00h and the Kingston Seawall Esplanade from

Indies players

17:00h. The first aims to engage schoolchildren, while the second is a miniconcert, and fans can also wintickets.

Guyana is preparing to ‘knock it out of this world’ by showcasing its unique culture and warmly welcome the world when group matches are hosted from June2-8,followedbysemifinaltwoonJune27. Guyana will host the

second match in the tournament, but first for the West Indies, on June 2 The Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, co-hosted by the United States of America and the West Indies, will run from June 1 to 29 Physical ticket sales are ongoing at the Guyana Cricket Board office on Regent Street or o n l i n e a t wwwticketst20worldcupc om

isalsogoodtoknowthatthe Honorable President (Dr IrfaanAli)isaloverforhorse racing.” Raghoo is calling for more horse racing favorites as the sport continues its growth. The legislative initiative comes

after previous attempts in 2014, and key elements includeprovisionstoaddress violations, expand the Authority’s membership, introduce term limits, and implement licensing for owners, jockeys, and trainers.Thisdevelopmentis expected to bring clarity, structure, and oversight to the horse racing industry in

Guyana, marking a significant step toward its formal recognition and regulation.

West

Kevin Sinclair (left) and Mandy Mangru with the trophy at Kaieteur Falls.

First Lady lights up Hope Children’s Home as ICC T20 World Cup Trophy Tour

Thirteen attend GFF first

referee workshop

First LadyAryaAli surrounded by Guyana Harpy Eagles Captain Tevin Imlach and a few teammates and World Cup T20Ambassador Ramnaresh Sarwan alongside the children during yesterday’s meet and greet.

The participants and officials take a photo as the GFF held its first all-female referees workshop.