Kaieteur News

Better Hope woman survives gas bottle explosion, sustains minor burns

$410M Pirara Bridge now completed

President IrfaanAli

o n F r i d a y disclosed that more than 42 bridges along theLindentoLethemstretch that were being constructed are now fully completed, withthefinalbridgeatPirara inRegionNine.

The President provided

the update during a sodturning ceremony at Kato Village, Region Eight. He said that the Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Nine, Karl Singh informedhimofthebridge’s completion.

“We have just awarded the contract to do the road

connecting Region Eight to Region Nine, so you have a smoother, more efficient connection.Andthroughthat road, you’ll be connected to the new Linden/Lethem highway that we are building, (connected through) the more than 42 bridges that are completed and Karl (REO of Region Nine)toldmetodaythegood

newsthatthePiraraBridgeis nowalsocompletedsothatis an important added investment,” the Head of Statesaid.

Kaieteur News had r e p o r t e d t h a t t h e construction of the Pirara Bridge was a project undertaken by the Ministry of Public Works It forms part of the 45 bridges that

were either constructed or rehabilitated between the Lethem and Linden corridor

The project was divided into two sections, with 32 bridges being built between Lethem and Kurupukari and another 13 being built betweenLindenandMabura Road.

It was reported that the

upgraded to international standards and form part of thegovernment’sstrategyto

connectivity

ThePirarabridgeproject was executed by Vals Construction to the tune of $410.2million.

The Pirara Bridge in September while works were ongoing to complete the structure. (Ministry of Public Works)

ExxonMobil looking for vessels to support its Stabroek Block operations

ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) is seeking to pre-qualify companies that can provide critical vessels for its operations in theStabroekBlock.

On November 25, 2024, the company issued a Request for Information (RFI) to identify potential providers for Platform SupportVessels(PSVs),Fast SupportVessels(FSVs),and tugs.

The vessels are needed for short-term charters ranging from seven to 90 days to assist in offshore activities in Guyana. Interested companies are required to submit their responses by January 10, 2025.

Thespecificationsforthe vessels are quite specific. PSVs must feature Dynamic Positioning 2 (DP2), have cargo support capabilities, includingliquidmudanddry

bulk capacity, and other necessary equipment. FSVs

must also have DP2 capability and be equipped with rescue boats for personnelandcargotransfer

Thetugsmusthaveabollard pull capacity between 80120 tons and be capable of safe tanker offloading with the use of shark jaws

Providers are also expected to have a local operational base and provide 24-hour serviceavailability

AkeyaspectoftheRFIis ExxonMobil’s commitment to local content, in line with Guyana’s Local ContentAct of2021.

The company is requesting a strategy from suppliers on how they will engageanddevelopthelocal workforce and support local businesses. ExxonMobil is working closely with the Centre for Local Business Development (CLBD) to

maximize opportunities for Guyanesecompanies.

ExxonMobil is the operatoroftheblockholding 45% interest, and Hess Guyana and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, holding 30% and 25% interestrespectively

Recently it was announced that the partners have hit 500 million barrels ofoilproducedfromthefirst threeprojects–LizaPhase1, Liza Phase 2 and Payaraa

han 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) in production. The ExxonMobil-led consortium has plans in place to grow production capacity to more than 1.3 million bpd by the end of 2027, when they anticipate having all six projects up and running offshore. This will include the addition of the Yellowtail, Uaru and Whiptailprojects.

US EXIM Bank yet to approve loan request for Gas-to-Energy Project -DavidPatterson

ChairmanoftheAlliance for Change David Patterson on Friday disclosed that the US EXIM Bank is yet to approve Guyana’s loan request to fund the Wales Gas-to-Energyproject.

Patterson’sclaimfollows Thursday’s announcement by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo that the loan was approved Jagdeo told reporters that the loan was approved and was with the U.S. Congress for a 30-day period commencing November21,2024.

“For a few weeks now, we had this information, but w e w a n t e d t h e announcementtocomefrom EXIMBank,butsinceithas now been forthcoming, let me say to you that the loan has been approved,” Jagdeo told reporters at his weekly pressconference.

The Vice President also toldreportersthatthoughthe government of Guyana appliedforaUS$660Mloan

tofundtheproject,itwillnot receivetheentireamount.

“No,theamountwillnot be $660 million, it will be lessthanthat,anditwillonly cover the exports out of the United States of America. So, it would be upwards of $500 million, upwards of 500million.”

However, on Friday, Pattersontoldreportersathis party’s weekly press conferencethatheforwarded the Vice President’s statement to officials at the US EXIM Bank whom the AFC has been in touch with for about a year He described the response receivedas“interesting.”

Reading from an email Pattersonsaid,“Noapproval wasgivenbytheEXIMBank at their last meeting in November Thenextmeeting dateoftheUSEXIMBankis January 9, 2025, and they

have, if it comes up for discussion,Imean,andif,in capitallettersonly,thencana final decision be made. If, again,in capitalletters,such a decision is made, it is then sent to Congress for approval.”

Further, the AFC executivesaid,“Ithinkthe… the sub-committee on international trade and finance, they go on to say that, however, Congress is now in what is termed their ‘lameduck’session,whichis the period between the transitionofadministrations. When Congress is fully functional, the new Congress, the new subcommittee Congress, is normally tied up in matters required by the new administration, and it is not anticipated that this matter canreachdiscussionor (Continued on page 9)

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EDITORIAL

The milking cow

A milking cow gives and gives, until it is drained of anymore giving. The milk flows abundantly, with an incredible degree of consistency, a reward that can be depended upon, thrills the milker of that special cow To make matters even more mouthwatering, the milk is rich, thickandcreamy,anditcostslittletosqueezethelastdrop outofthatreadilyavailable,passiveandever-willingcow Guyana’s Stabroek Block can be compared to such a milkingcow,onethathasgrowntoquitesacredproportions. It has been so for America’s ExxonMobil, with a steady, rushingtideofrichpickings.

Truly, ExxonMobil rolls in that tide of milk from this country’s Stabroek Block, which William Shakespeare describedsoeloquentlyinActIV,SceneIIIofJuliusCaesar overfourhundredyearsago:“thereisatideintheaffairsof men, which when taken at the flood leads on to fortune.” Truly also, ExxonMobil has every opportunity to milk Guyana, then milk it some more, under the umbrella of expenses and cost recovery As a mechanism that does a wonderfuljob,costrecoveryforAmerica’sExxonMobilis like a British Rolls-Royce. The sound of the company’s cashregisterhasthatloud,rich,sweetsoundtoit. Itisajoy to the ear of the company’s executives, their world filled with the many joys of cost recovery Even Shakespeare couldbesaidtohaveunderstatedthefortuneofExxonMobil from Guyana, with cost recover featuring brilliantly The numbers, the dollars, are like a tsunami that overwhelms everything and everyone in its irresistible path. With a provisionthatallows75percentcostrecoveryonprojects, plus the extra incentive of no ringfencing of projects in operation, there is every motivation to milk and milk the cost recovery cow for all that it can give, every dollar that canbedrainedoutofit.

In 2020, ExxonMobil’s cost recovery bill was relatively low,themerematterofUS$633Monly Itwastheopening punch,asortoftestingtheresistancelevel,settingupGuyana for heavy blows From that small 2020 beginning, the cost recoverybillfromExxonMobilsoaredin2021toUS$19B,or two times as much recovered in 2020 It is nimble cost recovery arithmetic, a deep gouge out of Guyana’s already slim takings from what is a partnership deal that engages in thisfarcethatitisahalfandhalfsharingarrangement

When a suffocating 75 percent of oil revenues is gone from the top for cost recovery before it could settle, then, what is left for a 50:50 profit sharing amounts to a richly entertaining joke for the company, and a joke that is embarrassinglyflatforthiscountry ExxonMobil,neveran entitytomissamomenttowaveitsmagicwand,didjustthat with its cost recovery haul in 2022, which outdid the 200 percentincreaseof2021over2020. In2022,ExxonMobil’s accountingscientiststoyedaroundwithwhatcostrecovery number to experiment with next to dump on Guyana, and finalizeditatUS$7.4B. Inayear-over-year(2022over2021) comparison, the percentage increase then stood at 289 percent,almostthreetimesmorethan2021’slevel. Guyanese arefamiliarwithanoldsaying:ketchapackoobusshebak. OrinmoreconventionalEnglish,nevergiveasuckeraneven break. A cost recovery provision of 75% facilitates such exploitation. TheAPNU+AFCCoalitioncreatedthiscrime, andthesucceedingPPPCGovernmenthasaidedandabetted in extending that crime disguised as a contract It is what givesExxonMobilthegreenlighttoraceaheadatincreasing costrecoveryspeeds

In2023,ExxonMobildecidedthatsomediscretionwould prove that it is not insatiably greedy at Guyana’s expense

CostrecoverystillwentuptoUS$83B,butonayear-to-year basis,from2023to2022,theincreasewasonly122percent

Inthespanoffouryears,thecompanyhasrecoveredcloseto US$26B from a total investment of US$55B on six oil projects From500millionbarrelsofoilproduced,Guyana’s sharetotaledUS$54B ExxonMobilmilksthecostrecovery cow;Guyanaisgivensomegrassasitsrewardforproducing allthatmilk

Competition is a defining element of democracy

DEAREDITOR, There is chatter amongst Republicanintellectualsthat ‘a realignment of the political landscape has occurredinAmerica.’

This viewpoint is obviouslypremisedmoreon domesticratherthanexternal considerations. What may have influenced Republican thinkers to arrive at their conclusion was the demographic shifts that occurred in the so-called battle-ground states in America where Latino, Arab, white working class and male African American voters bolted from the Democratic to the Republicancamp.

Ofgreatsignificancetoo, was the huge chunk of the Guyanese and West Indian diaspora who somersaulted from Harris to Trump. With the influx of thousands of Latinosandothers,thethreat of being replaced or displaced at their place of work,ordeportationdawned on many bringing with it a frightening reality The Latinos and others who, in the past, had embraced the D e m o c r a t i c P a r t y ideologically, rather than rejecting Trump because of hishostilemessagestowards them, surprisingly threw their lot behind him hoping thathewouldhaveachange of heart and not move to deport them. According to the November 24,2024 edition of the New York Times; ‘In the US, in total, there are about 13 million who have legal permanent residency Andtherewerean estimated 11 3 million undocumented people in 2022, the latest figure available.’ Those were the numbersTrumptargeted.

In the Republican strategists’ view, one of the fundamental underpinnings of their ‘realignment’ claim wasthattheparty’scoalition ofsocialandpoliticalforces at the leadership and grassroots levels had dramatically changed In effect, unity and struggle of opposites was the force responsible for the realignment of the political landscapeinAmerica.

We are further told that for any fundamental ‘realignment’of a country’s political landscape to take place, certain conditions are necessary, two of them being; the opposition camp mustbeindisarrayandlarge segments of the populace

mustnotwanttolivetheold way Thisiscertainlytrueas faras‘disarray’inGuyana’s opposition camp is concerned and where ‘large segments’ of the Guyanese electorate are drifting away fromtheoppositioncamp.

In the context of America’s body politic, the conditionsfortheremovalof one government for another by peaceful or electoral means had emerged. The results shown that people had no interest to continue living the Democrats’ way foranotherfouryears.

Industrial actions by workingpeoplewithstrikes, protests and demonstrations were elevated to political action; that, coupled with protests against Israel’s war on Gaza; showed the peoples’readinesstovotefor change.

In a Guyanese context, Indications over the past years, and as recent as the last local government electionssuggest,thatthe PPP/C ‘s working-class support can no longer be described as exclusively Indo-Guyanese AfricanGuyanese and Amerindian peoplebeguntomigrateina measured way long before the election of the PPP/C to office in 1992. That process intensified during the 19992011 period and onwards. It is an electoral phenomenon that is generally referred to asthe‘cross-overvote.’

ThePPP/Cimplemented policies that ushered in greater benefits to, and held together a more diverse constituency across ethnic and class lines including workers,farmers,fisherfolk, indigenous peoples, the middlestrataandbusinesses people, thus enabling, as an incumbent, to gain a tremendous advantage notwithstanding a ‘ParlGov FT research’ disclosure showing that; ‘Every governing party facing an election in a developed country this year, lost vote share, the first time this has everhappened.’

Guyana is not a developed country but the application of the research findings to our conditions ought not to be neither overestimated nor underestimated.

The realignment of Guyana’spoliticallandscape wasconsummatedfollowing the split in the PPPin 1955, afterwhichthePPPemerged asadominantpoliticalforce

in Guyana’s politics (19571964) and as an enduring

92 following its return to government that ‘We don’t want to dominate but we d o n ’t w a n t t o b e dominated , ’ the PPP continued to maintain its statusasthemajoritypartyin the country with only one interruption between 20152020.

Eversincethebold-faced attemptatelectionsthievery, the joint politicalopposition hasbeentryinghardasbornagain democrats to shield themselves from the winds ofchangeblowingacrossthe country They loudly proclaim that they favour a ‘clean, verifiable and flawlesslist’andanelectoral process that most Guyanese would agree with, save and except the query why did they not put that in place when they had the time between 215-2020 to do so, butneverdid.

The shoddy attempt by the joint opposition to burnish their reputation and to don lily white garb feigningcommitmenttofree andfairelectionswillfoolno one including the international community After detaching themselves partially, and then wholly from the daily suffering of theirownsupportersthrough uncaring and insensitive policies While in government, they opted for personal self- interest and self-aggrandizement.

Scoresofmembersofthe APNU+AFCwhowitnessed their party’s efforts to steal theelectionresultsstruggled tomakesenseofthehostility todemocracyperpetuatedby their party’s failure to listen appreciatively and with humility, especially those voicesthatwerevocalwhile their party was in the opposition and during the 2015electioncampaign.

The elitist cabal in the coalition, feigned empathy with their grass roots and diehard supporters to whom they addressed in a condescending tone, and adopted an arrogant and paternalistic attitude towards them. In contrast, the leadership of the PPP/C displayed humility and respect for the supporters of the APNU+AFC who had been marginalised by a b u r e a u c r a t i c a n d technocraticcabal.Theapex

t h e c

administ

on was characterized by scholarly arrogance, authoritarian vanityandapenchanttohide corrupt dealings away from publicscrutiny

TheAPNU+AFC turned itsbackonitssupportersand thepublicatlargeafterbeing elected;theysoughttofreeze out those who had voted for themonlytorewardacoterie of hangers on, shysters and hustlers sufficient enough fortheirsupporterstoraisea ton of questions about their party’s commitment to improving their livelihood andmeritocracy

The belief that Amsterdam’s Burke’s, Benchop’s, Browne’s, Hinds,’ Jeffery’s and Norton’s hate-laced propaganda will shoo African-Guyanese into voting for the ‘Joint Opposition’mayprovetobe wishful thinking They ignore what is self-evident; many of their own supporters recognize the progress the country has madeandcontinuestomake and how in different ways, theyarederivingbenefiting.

The joint opposition has leanedtoofarintothebelief that African-Guyanese are unable to think for themselves and to spot the thief in their midst. And when the misguided beliefs oftheirleadersdon’tpanout, theresponseistoblametheir supporters for not knowing what’sbestforthemwhenin fact it is they who should engage in a self-critical and an honest reckoning to establish why their message didnotwork.

Inthecircumstances,the PPP/C should advance a more targeted and pugnaciouseconomicvision that appeals to the better educated young men and women who could be influenced by messages similar to that of Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, USA and Jeremy Corbyn, the British politician and Member of Parliament for Islington North in Greater London. Marginal as their messages might have been, there exists a social stratum of the Guyanese electorate who are similarly ideologicallyinclined.Their contribution to an electoral groundswellinfavourofthe PPP/C should not be underestimated;afterall,ina situationwherethereisa

(Continuedonpage16)

The Modi Visit and Irfaan, Guyanese Reception

DEAREDITOR

,

PrimeMinisterNarendra Modi said it is an unforgettable experience, returning to his native India with fond memories of the warmth welcome he received in Guyana at multiple locations; Guyanese that this writer conversed with feel the same!

Modi ji left with i m m e n s e j o y a n d satisfaction, and President Aliwouldhavefeltthesame. It was an overwhelming experience on both sides. A special relationship was developed between the two leaders. The common touch between leaders of the two countries and personal familyfriendlyengagements made the visit special and one that is memorable and that will endure for a lifetime.

TheTVandsocialmedia coverage, pix of the various site visits on social media and the newspapers, the hugs, and the formal ceremonies, addresses to CARICOM, parliament and the Indian diaspora, the toasts, the consumption of seven curries in a leaf, playingjaalinchowtaaland biraha singing, interacting with locals, posing for photos, among other experiences would remain etchedinmemoryforalong time.Infact,itbroughtback memories among many (from older generations) of the visits of members of the royal families of UK to Guyana in 1966, and later

dates.Asmanynotedtothis writer,Modi’svisitoutshone those of the royal families.

The Modi’s visit, itself, was like royalty He was a rock star as he was everywhere including in India. He is a charming, charismatic leader, and a brilliant orator when speaking in Hindi or Gujrati Everywhere he went, crowds gathered to catch a glimpse of him amidst heavy security He was cheered by ordinary people of all nationalities (ethnicities), as well as by Indian nationals residing in Guyana.Theywavedathim and he in return. School childrenlinedupandwaved flags Lamposts had alternatingflagsofIndiaand GuyanaandModipostersat several locations. The visit broughtbackfondmemories of Princess Margaret’s decadesagowhenthepublic lined the road to welcome her But he received greater adulation and affection in beingoneofourownandthe way he has treated Guyanese.

Modi himself must have beensurprisedatthelevelof admiration and accolades showered on him by Guyanese, including politicians from both sides, and that was demonstrated t o w a r d s b o t h a t governmental level and among the public. He was enthusiastically welcomed. And the chemistry between the leaders of the two countries was great and came across as natural as thoughtheywerebrothersor

father and son. No leader ever received the kind of grand welcome and honor like that accorded to Modi. PresidentAli went all out to provide a grand welcome to the Indian PM who himself graciously welcomed Irfaan in India in a state visit in January 2023 that resulted from intense lobbying of IndoGuyaneseactivists.

After elected as President in Suriname and Guyana, Ravi Dev and I, using very close Hindu contacts in India and America, lobbied the Indian government to honor Chandrikapersaud Santokhi and Irfaan Ali as Chief Guests at the PBD that comes with the coveted Samman Award. Ravi and I wereinvitedduringthe2017 edition of the PBD in Bangalore as special guests ofthegovernment.Santokhi wasindeedselectedasChief Guest in 2021 but could not attend in person because of Covid The Indian governmentchoseIrfaanAli as the Chief Guest in 2023 and invited both Chan Santokhi and Irfaan as co-

Chief Guests. Both received the prestigious Samman Award, the highest honor given to someone from the Indian diaspora for a c h i e v e m e n t s , o r distinguishedservice,andor promotingIndiaabroad.

Irfaan and Modi met multiple times – the first at PBD in Gujarat in 2015 when President Ramotar was Chief Guest and Irfaan was Housing Minister; it was Ravi and I who lobbied Foreign Minister Sushma SwarajtochooseRamotaras Chief Guest. We have had a long association with Sushma ji in USA and in India engaging her at Hindu conferences. Ali and Modi metagaininJanuary2018in Delhi at a summit for PIO MPs. Modi and Irfaan also met at the sidelines of the UN and at several summits oftheCommonwealthandat the Climate Summit in Scotland. They must have had fond memories of each other and reminisced when they met in Guyana. As an aside, Modi made a private visit to Guyana in August 2000whenhewashostedby

R a v i D e v, S w a m i Aksharananda, among others,andtheymetagainat SVN on the West Coast. Irfaan was not in the picture at the time, only becoming publicin2006.

Having been honored in 2023byModiwhohasbeen very generous towards Guyana in doling out developmental aid, the Guyanese President must have wanted to return the honor IrfaanandModihave had a good stronger relationship and bonding since then Modi shook hands with others but embraced Irfaan, an act also reserved for Ravi Dev and Swami ji with whom there has beenalongassociation,

longbeforeIrfaan. But with Irfaan, there appeared a tremendous, father-son type relationship although Modi called Irfaan my special friend and brother Irfaan being a member of the Indian diaspora and a product at an Indianuniversityisproudof his ancestry and association withModi.Hewasnevershy of praising M

s leadership and kindness and did so a

al engagements. Irfaan is very fond of India; he did his Masters degree in Delhi. He declined scholarships to study elsewhere. He once told people that he was sad whenhewasleavingIndia

(Continuedonpage17)

Banks ill-equipped to handle distribution of 300,000 cash grant cheques before year-end

The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) on Friday raised concerns about the government’s plan to distribute 300,000 cash grant cheques through the banking system before the end of the year, arguing that Guyana’s banks are illequippedtohandlethesurge inactivity

On Thursday, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo announced that not every citizen will receive the $100,000 cash-grant before Christmas,statingthatothers might have to wait until the 2025budgetispassed.

Jagdeoexplainedthatthe $30 5 billion that was recently approved by the Committee of Supply caters

for the first phase of the distributionofthecashgrant to citizens 18 years and above The amount is expected to cover at least 300,000 persons including public servants and pensioners.

However,theOpposition contends that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration has failed to adequately pl

distribution process, leaving many citizens facing

d extendedwaitingtimes.

In a statement issued following their press conference on Friday, the PNCR stated that the government’s promise of swiftdistributionofthecash

grant for public servants has beenmarredbyinefficiency TheOppositioncriticizedthe administration for what it described as a “mad scramble” to implement the initiative, alleging a lack of structureandpreparation.

“The PPP’s lack of planning will almost certainlymeanseveralhours of waiting time in lines for each and every recipient. If the government intends to leverage the banking system to deliver cash grants by checksitneedstoarrangefor overtime hours and c

g employees accordingly,” the PNCR said. The Opposition party is contending that the local banking system is not

designed to process such a high volume of transactions within a short period, especially during the busy holiday season. The party called for alternative methods to streamline the process,includingadditional registration points and multiple options for grant collectionandencashment.

“It is clear that the governmentneedstoexplore a wider range of options for persons (i) to register, (ii) collecttheirchecks,and(iii) tocashtheirchecks.ThePPP clearlydidnotplanthisgrant in advance as appropriate distribution systems should have been already established,”thepartysaid.

ThePNCRalsourgedthe

government to prioritize lower-income regions and vulnerablepopulationsinthe distribution process. They warned that delays in providing relief to these groups could exacerbate existinghardships.

“If desperately poor families are kept waiting untilthemiddleofnextyear it will cause needless

suffering,”thePNCRnoted. Looking ahead, the PNCR promised that if elected, it would adopt a more structured approach to cash transfers, including i

management system to facilitatesmootherandmore equitable distribution of financialassistance.

CARICOM commends Barbados’ leadership on the global stage

As Barbados celebrates the country’s 58thAnniversary of Independence today, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General, Dr Carla Barnett has commended the country’s leadership on the global stage, whichshesaidcontinuestoredefinethepossibilitiesofwhat smallnation-statescanachieve.

In a congratulatory message to the Prime Minister of Barbados, Hon. Mia Mottley, Dr Barnett said the country’s active participation and leadership in international discussions, particularly through the visionary Bridgetown Initiative,highlighttheimportanceofcollaborativeeffortsin tackling the developmental obstacles faced by the Community

The Secretary-General also highlighted the country’s steadfast advocacy for regional integration and the CaribbeanSingleMarketandEconomy(CSME).Barbados’ resilience and progress in its socioeconomic development alsoreceivedspecialrecognition.

In her message, Dr Barnett said that “Barbados has consistently demonstrated remarkable resilience and progress, achieving significant strides in its socioeconomic development. The nation’s commitment to innovation, education,andhealthcarehaselevatedthelivesofitspeople andservesasaninspirationtotheRegion,particularlyinthe navigation of the complexities of the current global landscape.”

The Secretary-General noted that CARICOM lauds Barbados’leadershipontheglobalstage,whichcontinuesto redefine the possibilities of what small nation-states can achieve.

“Your country’s active participation and leadership in internationaldiscussions,particularlythroughthevisionary Bridgetown Initiative, highlight the importance of collaborativeeffortsintacklingthedevelopmentalobstacles facedbytheCommunity,”shesaid.

Further, Dr Barnett said that Barbados, as a Founding MemberoftheCaribbeanCommunity,hasbeenasteadfast advocateforRegionalIntegrationandtheCaribbeanSingle Market and Economy (CSME) which Prime Minister Mottley,leadintheCARICOMQuasi-Cabinet.

“TheCommunitylooksforwardtoyourcontinuedactive engagement and support, as we strive to build a stronger, moreprosperousRegion. PrimeMinister,asyoumarkthis momentous occasion under the theme, “Stronger Together with Peace, Love and Unity”, we celebrate with you, and extend best wishes for the continued advancement, peace, unity and well-being of Barbados and its People,” said Dr Barnett.

Leader of the PNCR, Aubrey Norton

The Windfall Tax paradox

It is a curious feature of the modern age that the more complexouragreements,the more we reduce them to simplifications when they suit a purpose. Nowhere is this clearer than in the arguments surrounding Guyana’s Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with ExxonMobil and its partners.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeohastakentoinvoking the stability clause of the PSA to dismiss calls for a windfall tax. His reasoning? Suchataxwouldviolatethe

terms of the agreement, presumably because they would disrupt the oil companies’ economic benefits.

Jagdeo’s position, however, rests on an interpretationsonarrowand so skewed that one suspects it might serve better as an anecdote than as a basis for public policy For while he clings to the letter of the stability clause, he appears blind to the broader principles that underpin it and the reality of market economics that shape its outcomes.

Astabilisation clause, as AnthonyPaul—anauthority on oil and gas—has astutely explained, is not a blanket guarantee of immunity for oilcompaniesfromallforms of fiscal policy Rather, it is an agreement based on an economic model, one that projects a reasonable rate of return for the contractor

conditions This model contemplates oil prices within a predictable range,

fluctuations It does not, however, account for the extraordinary windfalls

US EXIM Bank yet to approve loan...

Frompage3

approvalbeforeMarch2024,asI’vealways said.”

Pattersonremindedthathissourcesaidif the US Congress does give its approval, the matter will to return to the Board of the EXIM Bank for further vetting by the legal andprocurementdepartments.

“It normally takes six to nine months before any [approval is given] once everythinghasbeenvettedandapprovedby both of these departments. Before any disbursementcanbemadeonthequestionof retroactive finances, the statement goes, we areinformed,”Pattersonsaid.

He stressed that the VP’s statements appeared strange as this is not the normal practice of the US EXIM Bank. Patterson saidthatfinancingisbasedontheirlawsand havetocomplywithspecificregulations.

“Since they [the bank] played no part in the procurement process, retroactive finances would be unlikely. In fact, they cannot recall if the EXIM Bank ever

approvedretroactivefinancingforaprocess in which they did not play a part in the procurementprocess,”hesaid.

TheAFCChairmantoldreportersthatthe only part of the Vice President’s statement that appears to be factual is that sections of the loan application are ineligible “because of procurement challenges of no information”.

He said the AFC has received no information on what the final sum on the reviewis.“Wehave41daysuntilthenextUS EXIMBankmeeting,sothenationwillsoon learn more and soon learn the truth,” Pattersonnoted.

Meanwhile,Pattersonwhowasaformer Minister of Public Infrastructure under the APNU+AFCCoalitiongovernmentsaidthat the gas-to-energy project is limping along despite the amount of money already spent by the government. He said he recently visited the location for the project and noticed that the foundation for the plants is yettobecompleted.

DEM BOYS SEH

Smarter de government, wiser de population

Guyanese people different,bai!Demsmarter than any system you could invent. If NASA ever lose demspaceship,demshould cometoGuyanafuhadvice. We got people here who could sneak in and out of Fort Knox and tek de gold, and de guards wouldn’t even know somebody pass through.

De government believe it smart with this $100,000 cash grant business. Dem snappingphoto,tekkingID cards and passports, and evenaskingfuhbloodtype, next of kin, and DNA sample.

But dem forget this a Guyanese they dealing with. We got people who got one name on dem birth certificate, another pun dem ID card, and a third pun dem passport. Is like

three people living in one body Andwhowillprevent some of dese people from registering two times? One woman boasting how she gan register under her maiden name, her married name and even she false name.

Dem pension people did feel dem mek a foolproof system too. Dem seh you gotta live in Guyana two years straight fuh get old-age pension. But dem forget Guyanese like Houdini. Dem does come back from America and Canada,tekoutaGuyanese passport, and leave pun dem foreign passport same time. De passport office record showing dem still here because the Guyanese passport nah use. But ask de neighbor if dem see AuntieGloriaanddemseh,

generate

y market anomalies price surges that far exceed the projections upon which the agreementwasfounded.

When oil prices soar beyond those projections, theadditionalrevenueisnot the result of the contractor’s ingenuityorrisk-taking.Itis the result of the commodity itself property of the state becoming more valuable on the global market.

The contractor benefits from higher revenues without lifting a finger, whiletheresourceowner,in thiscase,Guyana,isleftwith its fixed share of a vastly inflated pie.Jagdeo needs to

e imposition of a windfall tax is not an act of economic vandalism.

It is a recognition of justiceandequityinresource ownership Around the world countries have imposed windfall taxes to ensure that when their natural resources deliver exceptional profits, their citizens see a fair share of thosegains.

Such taxes do not undermine stabilisation clauses; they reinforce the principle upon which those c l a u s e s a r e based predictability and fairness Contractors are guaranteedareasonablerate of return, but not an unlimitedone.

Whentheoilpricesoars, theirrevenuesincrease,even after accounting for a windfall tax. The idea that such a tax would adversely affect their economic benefits is a misreading of both economic models and practicaloutcomes.

can still apply under internationalinvestmentlaw and fiscal sovereignty. Governments have the sovereign right to impose such taxes to manage resources and benefit citizens, particularly during unexpected price surges International practices and arbitration precedents often support governments’ right toimposetaxesinthepublic interest, provided they do not undermine legitimate investorexpectations.

If companies maintain strong profits, as Exxon is presently doing, tribunals may favour the State, aligning with principles of equityandfairness.

International customary practices support the imposition of windfall taxes on resource industries These taxes aim to allow resource owners (the state and its people) to share in extraordinary profits generated by their natural assets under volatile market conditions, regardless of specificPSAterms.

Nor can be argued that the imposition of a windfall

A

international tribunal had ruledin2012thatEcuador’s imposition of such a tax did notamounttoexpropriation.

VicePresidentJagdeo,in his haste to declare the impossibility of a windfall tax,betrayshisunfamiliarity with the intricacies of oil governance.

His assertions suggest a lack of understanding of the stabilisation clause’s intent. This does not inspire confidenceinaleadertasked with managing the nation’s most transformative resource.

maintaining the status quo. The expertise of individuals like Anthony Paul who understands not just the mechanics of oil contracts but also the broader principles of justice and equity in resource governance should be soughtandheeded.

The stability clause, as written, does not prohibit a windfall tax It merely ensures that the contractor’s economic benefits are not adversely affected by changes in fiscal policy A carefully designed windfall taxcanachievethisbalance, ensuring con

actors maintaintheirprojectedrate of return while allowing the statetocaptureafairershare ofunexpectedgains.

The windfall tax is a necessity Without such a tax, the oil companies will continue to reap outsized rewardsattheexpenseofthe nation’sfuture.

The time has come for Guyana to assert its sovereignty -its right to institute its own fiscal policies - and demand its due. The PSA is not a shackle; it is a tool, one that must be wielded wisely to serve the interests of the nation Vice President Jagdeo must abandon his defeatist rhetoric and embrace the responsibility of leadership To do otherwise is to consign Guyana to a fate of squanderedpotential.

“Auntie Gloria? She gone since Mashramani!” And demstillcollectingpension like if dem resident hay! And de government still in dedark!

Dem boys seh if Guyanese had inmates in Alcatraz, it woulda close long before it did We beating every system, no matter how tight you try to mek it. You could chip us, barcode us, or put retina scanners Guyanese gon findaway Isaskillweborn with. Dem boys seh, one day,deGuinnessBookgon addanewrecordfuh“most systems beat by a single nation.” And Guyana gon windateveryyear Moral of de story?You can mek it fool-proof, but Guyanese always one step ahead. Talkhalf.Leffhalf

Even if a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) does not include oil price projections, the principles for imposing windfall taxes

It would serve the Vice President well to consult experts in the field rather than rely on his instincts or the counsel of those with

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

H@RD TRUTHS

What sense third parties, then

By this hour next year, Guyana should be abuzz with the presence of several

new political parties contesting in the national elections. Enthusiastic they would all be about their chancesofelectoralsuccess.

How many, if any, would have made any showing of

themselves when the numbers are counted Hopefully, there is only one official count this time coming. Notwithstanding their vociferous energy, oaths to country and people, what are their odds of newcomers making a mark, any kind? For emphasis: whatchancenewparties?

Asfleshedoutelsewhere recently, the chances of electoral success for new political pups are slim to marginal to almost nonexistent Electoral success, what is that onelegged beast? Only a madcap political operator would enter the local electoral jungle with bright expectations No issues there for me, except that there are a few large holes hovering, ever ready to

remind arriviste aspirants of theirfolly Thatis,thinkbig, and truly believe that they could do well in any Guyanesenationalelections. Better be ready for a long, hard fall Striking the ground is where the trouble, the abrupt reminders are encountered. Where are the votes (when $200,000 is in hand)? Where is the broad interest? Where is the movement? For clean governance, genuine oil management, banishment of cult leadership and the bandwagon of vagabonds that plunder Guyana’s riches? Try these reality checks,first. Call them whatever pleases, diehards, fundamentalists, tribalists, fanatics, and here is the first truth: dem ain goin no way but weh deh always been. The cup or the palm tree. Pardon for succumbing to the wiles of mischief by summoning scripture: the cup of these faithful overflows under their fig tree. It may be a distorted message, but it is real, isn’t it? That is, mainly Indians

for the Indian party (PPP), the same with African Guyanese for African party (PNC). The elections just endedthereandthen,andthe observers could pack their bags, and book their return tickets for 2030. That is, unless they choose to stay here, and wait for a stake in theresourcebonanzaopento all. And with the right recognition from the right people in the ruling seat, of course.

To be clear, I am not asserting that every Guyanese of Indian or African descent [trusting that I have that right]) will vote with the back of their heads What is being insisted is that the old political loyalties, regular political culture, standard political-racial-electoral voting patterns would seize the upcoming contest by the scruff of the neck and shake most of the promise of difference out of it Whatever is left is not just outofbreathandspirit. Itis out of reach for new parties. Therealistinmedeliversthis word: foregone The

optimisthangsontoanother: whence cometh the spoiler, three-seat kingmaker? The analyst(thereisadirtyword) digs this up: what about a differencemaker Last,the pessimist broadcasts the outlier: how to detect the stealth/shadow parties that turned out to be PPP plants, thanks to bhai Bharat-ji? Taken individually or compounded, next year (yeah, Trump’s shadow haunts), all electoral roads and results in Guyana leads to this terminal: shut up, select a box, sit down, and takeasnooze. Hereisahard numberonthelocalelectoral GPS and odometer: 15,000 or20,000atastretch. Thisis all that the clamoring crowd of educated, thinking, principled, concerned, angry, disillusioned, and damn-it-this will-not-betaken-one-second more in Guyana can muster, represent, project, when all the hollering is done. Yeah, butwhoistheretograballof theminoneshot,alongwith anystrayvotes?

At the extreme, 20,000 crossover or swing votes means nothing but three seats. Oncetheold,familiar commitmentshold,andthey will, razor thin becomes razor wire. Somebody is goingtogetslashed,anditis

not I. A call must be made. It hinges on two wordsstartingwithcapitalc and o. Corruption and oil. Corruption has savaged the spirits of those who care about such, ahm, ideals Corruption has besmirched theconsciencesofthosewho held onto theirs. Oil is less focused on than those who teef in their last reincarnation, and more on those who teef yesterday, willteefmoretoday,andwill be hijacking and bust the bank post-2025. Reality: corruptionandoil,andallin caps have PPP written all over them. Time will tell how much Guyanese truly care, if they care anything aboutthesetwoplanks.

With the indigenous and Ve n

abeyance in my own ballot box, the PPP should be the biggest loser in any election byanynormalconsideration. Corruption and oil are contributors.

Butitwillnot. Onething is certain, other than for some stragglers, the PNC will not benefit from the PPP’s affordable losses

Some new man of the moment could. But where are the rest of the votes, where is the spoiler, difference maker,

troublemaker,interferer,and even kingmaker role all rolled into one. This will come to light, depending on theincentivesofferedbythe standing local political mastermind and moneyman, Jagdeo. Dishoutsomecash, and swooning could follow Two hundred grand is a smart start. Guyanese need something more to grasp at in this their Golden Age of Oil. When a leader leads from the front, multitudes follow Who knocks? Where’sthecash?

Those 15,000 or 20,000 votes waiting to parachute into a new and trusted camp could be entangled by indecision, the richness of toomuchchoice. Noise,too. The new political groups could collide with one another, cripple the prospects of each other There is only one winner then: the PPP Whether the imagined swing voting bloc stays home or steps out is where2025stands. Me,too.

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

Murder suspect tells police ‘Kanaima’ killed wife

A53-year-old man, who is in custody for allegedly beating his wife to death on Thursday at Yakarinta Village, North Rupununi, RegionNine,toldpolicethat hedidnotkillher

The man claims that his wife was murdered by a ‘Kanaima’-ashapeshifterin Amerindian Folklore that killsviasorcery.

However, an eyewitness reportedly saw the man beating the woman prior to herdeath.

The victim, 72-year-old AngelinaMora,ofYakarinta Village, reportedly died sometime between 15:00h and22:00hrs.

The woman’s niece, Almalita Marshall, who lives close by to Mora’s home told police that at around15:00hrsshesawthe man beating her aunt underneath a cashew tree in

theiryard.

“Almalitawentontosay that the commotion lasted for about two to three minutesduringwhichperiod shesawthevictimfalltothe ground,”policesaid.

Marshall claimed too that the suspect continued beatthewomanasshelayon theground. Laterthatday,a 24-year-old Community Health Worker, Nekita Benjamin,wasinformedthat Morahaddiedatherhome.

B e n j a m i n w a s questionedbypoliceandshe toldtheinvestigatorsthatan

informedherofthewoman’s deatharound22:00hrs.

When Benjamin arrived at the couple’s home, the suspect claimed that Mora went straight to bed after drinking somewhere in the

breathing.

Benjamin reportedly checkedforsignsoflifeand when she found none, she proceeded to examine the woman’sbody

She saw marks of violence on Mora’s face, breasts and chest. Benjamin

then questioned the suspect about the marks and he allegedly responded, “Yes, wedrinkandhadalilfight.”

A f t e r d o i n g investigations, police arrestedtheman,whoistheir primesuspect.

When interrogated, the suspect denied inflicting the injuriesseenonthewoman’s body, claiming that a ‘Kanaima’hadkilledher Mora’s body is at the Lethem Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination, while the suspectremainsincustody

Better Hope woman survives gas bottle explosion, sustains minor burns

Amotherandherthreeyoungchildrenwereleftinastate ofshockafteragasbottleexplodedwhileshewascookingat their Better Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home, on Thursdayevening.

The explosion occurred around 18:30 hrs at their Lot 4 NoraDam,BetterHoperesidence.

Despite the terrifying incident, Necolece Alexander, the motherofthree,actedquicklyandmanagedtoextinguishthe firebeforeitcouldhavespreadfurther

Alexander, speaking with Kaieteur News on Friday, recalledthemomentofpanicandfear

SheexplainedthatonThursdayeveningsheboughtagas bottle that is owned by the Massy Gas Company After purchasingtheitem,shesawnodifferencetothegasbottleand proceededtoattachittoherstove.

“I lit the stove so the range at the top was on and then I turnedontheovenbecauseIhadunfinishedfood.Iproceeded to cook, and that’s when it all happened. It exploded behind me. I thoughtthe fire was allover me. My first thoughtwas, ‘Ohmygosh,thegasbottleexploded,’”sherecounted.

Alexander suffered minor burns to a thigh and leg and noticed that some items stored in a nearby cabinet were also damagedbytheblast.

CCTVfootageoftheincident,sharedwithKaieteurNews, shows the moment the explosion took place. In the video, Alexanderisseencookingwithherchildrennearby Suddenly, the gas bottle exploded, sending a huge fireball into the air behind her Reacting quickly, Alexander rushed out of the kitchen,grabbedafireextinguisher,andsuccessfullyputsout theflames.Herchildrencanbeseenvisiblyfrightened,hiding inacornerawayfromthefire.

After the explosion, Alexander said she immediately contacted Massy Gas, the company that supplied the gas bottle. According to her, representatives from the company visitedherhome.

“SoMassywashere(yesterday)andtheydeterminedthat the fault is the regulator which they call it the Chinese regulatorandtheysaythat’sthefault,that’snottheregulator thattheyrecommendedforusagewiththeirtanks…Theyare notacceptinganyfaults,”Alexandersaid.

Despite this, Alexander noted that Massy Gas representatives did help her by replacing the hose, regulator, andclamps,thoughshehadtopayforthereplacements.“They wentaboveandbeyondtomakesureIwascomfortable.They replaced the hose, regulator, and clamps, at my expense, of course.Itrustthattheirfindingsoftheinappropriateregulator [which] caused the issue are accurate. They stated they’ve seenquiteabitofthesecases,”shesaid.

Meanwhile,Alexander, now recovering from the ordeal, took the opportunity to warn others about the importance of beingpreparedforemergencies.“WhatIwanttomakeaware ofisthatpeopleneedtohavefireextinguishersintheirhomes. Itmadeallthedifference,”sheemphasized.

The explosion follows a similar incident in August this year,whenabusinesswomanfromNewScheme,Herstelling, East Bank Demerara (EBD) sustained severe injuries after a gas bottle from Massy Gas exploded in her shop. Reports indicated that when she attempted to light her stove, the gas bottleexplodedwithsuchforcethatitsentthewomanflying acrosstheroom.

Items destroyed during the gas bottle explosion

The mountains of the North Rupununi (Yakarinta Tourist Guide)

Sod turned for $5.4B state-of-the-art Kato hospital

President Irfaan Ali on Friday announced that no longerwillresidentsofKato VillageinRegionEighthave to travel long distances to Georgetown to access dialysis, CT scans, and surgeries among other medical services, as a brand new$5.4billionstate-of-the-

e community

The Head-of-State made the announcement during a sodturningceremonyforthe brand-new hospital which will be constructed by PCISinopharmintl Consortium

out of China (China Sinopharm International Corp, Sinohydro Bureau 10 Company Ltd, Powerchina InternationalGroupLtd).

The contractor was among three bidders that submitted bids to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) in August fortheproject.

President Ali said the hospital symbolizes progress, equality and hope, noting that people in the hinterland regions are entitled to the same services offeredonthecoast.

“Health care is not a privilege;itisafundamental right.ThepeopleofKatoand i t s n e i g h b o u r i n g communities deserve nothing less than the best, and there are many on the Oppositionbencheswhowill question investments like

this. They ask us, why are you spending so much moneyonaninvestmentlike this when the population is sosmall.Wesaytothemthat forus,regardlessofthesize, the people who live there or thelocation,theyareentitled to the same quality of investmentanddevelopment likeanyoneelseonthecoast or anywhere else,” the Presidentsaid.

The President further shared that the transition from a modest Cottage HospitalinKatotoaplanned state-of-the-art medical facility represents a seismic shift in the way health care will be delivered in this region.

He disclosed that for decades, the Kato Cottage Hospital provided basic medical services that would have undoubtedly saved lives, but was limited in scopeandcapacity

“Withtheconstructionof this modern hospital here in Kato, those days of limitations will be over,” he toldresidents.

Detailing some of the features of the new hospital, the President said the Kato Hospital will provide some 57,000 square feet of hospitalspaceandwillbe57 times larger than the current hospitalinKato.

The hospital which will provide24-hourhighquality serviceandcaretothepeople inRegionEight,willhave75 beds, 45 of which will be

Ali, Minister of Health

of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai among other officials

the turning the sod ceremony for the new Kato Hospital.

inpatient beds (with each wardhavingfivebeds).

The President revealed that each ward will have its own washroom, its own shower and its own support system.

“It will have a fully functional operating theatre equipped to do, you know, Frank (Minister of Health) justtoldyouthatwewilltake the people out who need cataract surgery, and we’ll have to take you to Port Mourant. Well, I have news foryou,inthishospital,they will be able to do cataract surgery right here in this hospital,righthereinRegion eight,”hedisclosed.

This publication

understandsthatthehospital will include an operating theatre catering for

Caesarean section (Csection) cases, an Emergency Room (ER) departmentwithaprocedure room for minor surgeries, diagnostic imaging services, amodernpharmacy,adigital health control room, pediatric services, NICU, ICU, an HDU and a modern maternityunit.

TheHead-of-Stateadded that the duration of the project is expected to be 24 months.

Meanwhile, Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony noted the importance of the new modern hospital stating

American lawyers ineligible to practice law in Guyana -Bar Association

Th e B a r Association of G u y a n a o n Thursday unanimously resolved that the attorneys from the United States of America are ‘legally ineligible’for admission to practice in Guyana pursuanttoSection4ofthe Legal Practitioners Act Cap 4:01.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Bar Association said that it held a Special Meeting pursuant to Rule 6(4) of its Rules, to consult on a request made to the AttorneyGeneral,byandon behalf of Attorneys-at-Law who have been trained, certifiedandarenationalsof the United States of America, not falling within Section 4(1)(a) of the Legal Practitioner’s Act, Cap 4:01, for admission to practice here under Section

4BofthesaidAct. TheAssociationsaidthat themeetingstemmedfroma consultation with the Bar Council by the Attorney General on November 8, 2024 At the meeting, the AttorneyGeneralbroughtto the attention of the Bar Council, a request of him to grant an Order under the aforesaidSection4Bforthe admissiontopracticeinand beforetheCourtsinGuyana bytwo(2)Attorneys-at-Law from the United States of America who do not fall within,andthereforeoutside of, the requirements for admission pursuant to aforementioned Section 4(1)(a).

Section 4(1)(a) requires thatinordertobeeligiblefor admission to practice law here, the person must be a “national”, defined within thetermsoftheestablishing

Agreement That is, belonging to one of the signatory member states

f America is not such a memberstate.

TheAssociationsaidthat Special Meeting saw the largest attendance in the history of the Guyana Bar “Members put forward strong, unified views,” the statementsaid.

Following the robust discussions, it was “the unanimous view of the Guyana Bar expressed at a Special Meeting held by The Bar Association of Guyana on 28 November 2024 that no change be made to the law or order made or granted for the admission to practice of any person or categories of persons other than those already eligible for admission to practice in Guyana now in accordance

with Section 4(1) of the Legal Practitioners Act, Cap.4:01.”

Further, it was resolved that, “it is also the unanimous view of the GuyanaBarexpressedatthe aforementioned meeting that the persons in respect of whom consultations were sought by the Honourable Attorney General for admission to practice pursuant to Order made in exercise of Section 4B of the Legal Practitioners Act, Cap 4:01 appear to be legally ineligible for admission to the Guyana Bar.”

TheBarCouncilthanked theAttorneyGeneralforthe opportunity to be heard on the matter “and should it become necessary, will take all steps to ensure that the aforesaid resolutions are effected”.

that it will help to improve healthcare services in the region.

Noting the remarkable servicesthatthehospitalwill bring, the health minister encouraged the young people from Kato and neighbouring communities to take advantage of the opportunities and apply for the various healthcare programmes that are availablebygovernment.

Henotedthatthecurrent Kato Cottage Hospital has a telemedicine system that is underutilized while noting thateffortsarebeingmadeto train persons from the community to utilize the system.

“We want you to come and join our registered nursing programme. Why is that important? When this hospital is completed, we’ll have jobs for many persons and we don’t want to import thosepersonsandbringthem in here.What we want to do is utilize persons who are living here and in the surrounding areas,” Dr

Anthonysaid.

Meanwhile, Minister of AmerindianAffairs, Pauline Sukhai shared that the investments the government is making in health, education,andinfrastructure is part of its commitment to close the gap that exists between the hinterland and thecoast.

Kaieteur News had reported that Kato and several hospital projects are being funded through a loan from the Inter-American DevelopmentBank(IDB). This publication had reported that the US$97 millionIDBloansecuredby the Guyana Government in December 2022, forms part of a broader effort to strengthen the nation’s healthcarenetworkunderthe Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects ( C C L I P ) . T h e comprehensive programme aims to bolster the capacity of seven hospitals across various regions, including key hinterland areas and urbancenters.

President Irfaan

Dr. Frank Anthony and Minister

at

(Photo courtesy, DPI)

AfreximbanksignsUS$100MfinanceagreementwithBritish tradingfirmtosupportitscontracttomarketGuyana'soil

On November 5, 2024 the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) signed an agreement for a US$100million Revolving Trade FinanceFacilityinfavourof British oil trader JE Energy Limited to support its contract to market Guyana's share of crude from the StabroekBlockoperations.

Last month, this publicationhadreportedthat the two United Kingdom (UK) companies that were previously contracted to market Guyana's share of crude from the Stabroek Block operations –won new contracts with the

Government of Guyana (GoG).

J E E n e r g y w a s contractedasthemarketerof oil coming from the Liza-1 platformwhichusestheLiza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO), while BB Energy was contracted as the marketer for oil from the Liza-2andPayaraplatforms whichusetheLizaUnityand Liza Prosperity FPSOs, respectively

According to the Afreximbank, under the terms of the agreement signedonthesidelinesofthe African Energy Week, JE

Energy Limited, which has been awarded contracts to liftandmarketcrudeoilfrom Guyana, shall utilize the two-year facility to finance the purchase and sale of crude oil from Guyana's Mi

Resourcesforonwardsaleto reputable international offtakers.

“Issued in the context of Afreximbank'sdrivetogrow business opportunities in its member countries in the CARICOM region, the facility is expected to help ensurethatGuyanaisableto trade internationally and to benefit from its natural

Mrs. Helen Brume, Director, Project & Asset Finance (right) and Mr. Joseph Ilebode, Group Managing Director, JE Energy Limited (left), signing the agreement, witnessed by colleagues from both institutions.

Mrs. Helen Brume, Director & Global Head of Project & Asset Based Finance, while Mr Joseph Ilebode, Group Managing Director, JE Energy Limited, signed for hiscompany

resources while earning much needed foreign currency,”thebanksaid.

Signingtheagreementon behalf of Afreximbank was

Ms Gwen Mwaba –Managing Director, Trade Finance & Correspondent Banking at Afreximbank commented: “Afreximbank is thrilled to support JE energy in their recent contractwiththeRepublicof Guyana to facilitate the exportofthecountry'scrude oil. This partnership not only highlights our commitment to fostering sustainable energy solutions

inAfricaandbeyondbutalso strengthens regional trade ties We believe that supporting innovative companies like JE Energy is crucial for unlocking economic potential and drivinggrowthintheenergy sector Together we can contribute to a prosperous future for Guyana and the widerregion.”

Mr Joseph Ilebode, GroupManagingDirectorat JE Energy commented: “We are very grateful to Afreximbank for the facility granted to JE Energy Ltd. It is a clear demonstration of Afreximbank'swillingness (Continued on page 16)

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Reputable transportation service is seeking experienced Chauffeur with mini bus and hire car license. Call: 645-0025 / 707-9428.

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Experienced bus driver for Region #3, Must have a valid bus license. Contact : 60079618/ 703-7133 or email : e.e.transportgy@gmail.com

One single reliable live-in Domestic, for the East Bank Area, must be 46 years and above. Contact: 662-2018

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One able-bodied porter & One handyman, apply at Keyfood trading Mcdoom next to the post office.

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Vacancy exist for one sale representative, customer friendly team played Georgetown based toy store. Tele: 658-4874.

Two Electrician- Must have previous experienced in electrical installations & repairs. Call: 644-9084/664-9635. (Domestic & industrial wiring)

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2024-HC-DEM-CIV-FD1226 IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE

FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION

PETITION NO. FD-1226 BETWEEN:(SAMUELS)MERLE ANDREA nee STEPHEN

Petitioner/Applicant

-v-(SAMUELS) WILLIAM ALEXANDER ANDREW

Respondent To: WILLIAM ALEXANDER ANDREW SAMUELS

Formerly of Lot 437 ‘A’ Field Sophia, Georgetown, Guyana.

proceed in your absent and may make any order it consider appropriate, including granting the divorce. The registry of the family division of the High court is located at the Law Court (Georgetown, Demerara). The office is open to the public between 8:00 am and 3:30 pm Mondays- Thursday s and 8:00 am -2:30 pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the registry is closed. Dated the 29th day of October, 2024.

Afreximbank signs US$100M finance agreement with British...

From page 14 to support capable partners in driving energy solutions and unlocking the potential in the sector. We strongly believe this will go a long way to support JE Energy's plan not only in Guyana but across the African continent.”

Guyana's Ministry of Natural Resources had disclosed that BB Energy Trading Limited was awarded the contract to market crude from the Liza Unity and Prosperity FPSOs, while JE Energy was awarded the contract to market crude from the Liza Destiny FPSO.

The ministry disclosed too that the combined premium per barrel to be received by the GoG from these two companies for the crudes from these three FPSOs amounts to US$1.85, reflecting a substantial 93% increase compared to the US$0.96 premium secured in the previous period (2023- 2024).

Competition is a defining...

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TAKE NOTICE that on Tuesday the 9th day of September, 2024 a petition for divorce was filed against you by MERLE ANDREA SAMUELS nee STEPHENS , the petitioner in the family division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an order made on the 22nd day of October, 2024 the petitioner was directed to effect service of his petition on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News, printed, published and circulated in and around Guyana and on the worldwide web (Online). AND FUTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of the family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara. Where you will be issued with a certified copy of the petition together with related documents.AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to defend this divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the petition, you must file an acknowledgement of service, Notice of intention of defend (forms are available at the registry), an answer and/or Cross petition in the registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 35(thirty-five) days from the date of the final publication of this notice.TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for directions hearing on Thursday the 9th day of January, 2025 at at 10:00 am before the honorable Madam Justice Deborah Kumar –Chetty via Zoom meeting ID : 703 085 9517 and passcode : DKCfamct1.IN DEFAULT of you filing an acknowledgement of service /Notice of intention to defend , an answer and/or Cross petition the court may

LEGAL NOTICE

2024-HC-DEM-CIV-FD-49 IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION PETITION NO. FD-49

BETWEEN:- GANGA PERSAUD RAMNAUTH Petitioner/Applicant -vDHANWANTI NALANI RAMNAUTH nee RAMDHAR Respondent To: DHANWANTI NALANI RAMNAUTH nee RAMDHAR (Address unknown) TAKE NOTICE that on the 25th day of October, 2024 a petition for divorce was filed against you by GANGA PERSAUD RAMNAUTH, the petitioner in the family division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an order made on the 25th day of October, 2024 the petitioner was directed to effect service of his petition on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News, a newspaper printed, published and circulated in and around Guyana.AND FUTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of the family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara. Where you will be issued with a certified copy of the petition together with related documents.

AND FURTHER TAKE NO TICE that if you desire to defend this divorce, then upon receipt of the certified

Notably, the duration of this contract will be for 12 months commencing in 2024. From page 16 difference in just over 16,000 votes, every vote counts. Democracy is a system in which parties lose or win elections. And competition is a defining element of democracy. Even in a country where elections are free and fair, the same party sometimes wins for decades, making perpetual losers out of its rivals. In some countries, singleparty dominance endure longer than others, Guyana is a case in point.

copy of the petition, you must file an acknowl edgement of service, Notice of intention of defend (forms are available at the registry), an answer and/or Cross petition in the registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 35(thirtyfive) days from the date of the Second and final publication of this notice.TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for directions hearing on Tuesday the 14th day of January ,2025 at 10:00 am before the honorable Madam Justice Deborah Kumar –Chetty at the High Court at Georgetown via Zoom ID:703 085 9517 and passcode : DKCfamct1. IN DEFAULT of you filing an acknowledgement of service /Notice of intention to defend , an answer and/or Cross petition the court may proceed in your absent and may make any order it consider appropriate, including granting the divorce.The registry of the family division of the High court is located at the Law Court (Georgetown, Demerara). The office is open to the public between 8:00 am and 3:30 pm Mondays- Thursday s and 8:00 am -2:30 pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the registry is closed. Dated the 30th day of October, 2024.

For some reason, Guyanese seem to enjoy themselves and accept as a given when political parties, engage in lampooning and mocking each other either through cartoons invectives, scorn and ridicule. Ukrainian born Russian novelist Gogol wrote in 1830; ‘Between the appearance and the reality, between the intention and the result, between words and deeds there will always be a gap. And as long as that gap is there, political comedy will never die.’ There will always be differences how political parties view each other and as a consequence, each will have their fair share of mockery and ridicule with much more to come as election season draws near.

Clement J. Rohee Former General Secretary, PPP

At least 27 dead in Nigerian boat accident

LAGOS,Nigeria(AFP)

– A Nigerian river ferry capsized Friday killing at least 27 people and leaving many missing, officials told AFPofthelatestinaseriesof mass drownings on the country’sbusywaterways.

Thedisasterhappenedon the Niger, near Dambo in Kogi state, at a point where WestAfrica’smightiestriver canbemorethan600metres (yards)across.

“It’s unclear how many people were on board, people don’t usually keep a record of passengers,” said Sandra Musa, of the state emergency management agency “Search and rescue isstillongoingforsurvivors andpossiblebodies.”

Musa said 27 bodies had been recovered Kogi

S t a t e R e d C r o s s

spokesman Abubakar Abullahi said the boat reportedly had more than 50peopleonboard

V i l l a g e r s a n d volunteers downstream of the accident have been urged to be on the lookout forbodies.

“It’s not clear what causedtheaccident,”Musa

Boating accident on the Niger River. [FILE] Photo from The Sun, Nigeria

said “It could be from turbulenceorfromtheboat hittingasnag Boat operators don’t usuallyhavelifejackets,so none of the bodies recovered had life jackets on.

“The age of the boat might have played a role Usually, the lifespan of

boatisbetweenfiveandten years, but you see boats aged 20 years We will have a better idea of the situation tomorrow ” Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s office issued a statement lamenting the casualties and urgingprivateboatoperators and local authorities to

Man arrested for breaking into ENet

Police have arrested a man for allegedly breaking to ENet at Suddie, Essequibo Coast, Region Two and stealing three phones on

Thursday

The suspect was arrested after investigators found the stolen phones in hishome.

The Modi Visit and Irfaan, Guyanese...

Frompage05

after his study Irfaan has had a liking for India,hisancestralhomeland,anddeveloped alikingforModisince2015whentheyfirst met.

WhentheymetinGuyana,thechemistry was there as exemplified by the warmth embrace, a gesture reserved for Irfaan and towering leaders like Trump, Biden, Putin, among others. Modi was wholeheartedly welcomenotonlyatstatehousebutbytheAli family He meshed closely with the family Modi held the hand of Irfaan’s son and walked him down like a grandfather Modi and the Irfaan family ‘sanay’ food, eating directlywithfingersratherthanwithcutlery in purine leaves. The common touch and personal things made further engagements anddiscussionsthatfollowedmeaningful. Theduoalsometwithfamouscricketers – They joked a lot. It was mentioned that famous cricketers came from Port Mourant. Reference was made about the match between India and West Indies atAlbion. It waspointedthatAlbionandPortMourantare Indian territory that historically supported India and Pakistan against other teams. The crowd cheered India rather than the domestic’s side. West Indies was jeered. India beat West Indies badly Alvin Kalicharran cracked jokes about the defeat.

Clive Lloyd said West Indies would never playIndiaagainatAlbion.

Itwasahistoricvisit,onlythesecondby an Indian PM, with the last being Indira Gandhi in 1968. It may have been the first timeavisitingheadofgovernmentofalarge nation addressed the national Parliament where he praised Guyana’s democratic credentials.

Many things happened with agreements signed.Onbehalfofthenation,PresidentAli bestowed Prime Minister Modi with the highest honor of Guyana The Order of Excellence. Modi thanked the Government andthepeopleofGuyanaforthishonourand dedicated it to Indo Guyanese people who haveplayedakeyroleoverthelast186years inthespecialandenduringbondbetweenthe twocountries.

Guyanese were and are very impressed withModi’shumilityandarepraiseworthyof the several visits to Indian diaspora communitiesandsites.ThePMalsometwith AfroandotherGuyanesewhowavedathim atseveralvisits,andherespondedinkind.

TheModivisitwillbelongremembered how PresidentAli and Guyanese treated the visiting PM and his magnificent experience whichhedescribedinglowingterms.

Yourssincerely, VishnuBisram

ensuresafetyimprovements. Ododo, it said, “was particularly concerned that most of the victims were women, petty traders and

artisans who are involved in legitimatebusinessactivities to earn a living and contribute to the economy of the state ”

Friday’s tragedy was the latest in a series of boat disastersonthisstretchofthe Niger flowing from the northeastern border towards central Nigeria and the Gulf ofGuinea.

Last month, around a 100 people were feared dead after a boat carrying 300 passengers, many of them women and children, to a Muslim festival in NigerStateflippedoverin theriver

In September, an overloaded boat sank while carrying more than 50 farmers across the Gummi River in Zamfara state More than 40 are believedtohavedied

In June 2023, more than100peoplediedwhen a river boat carrying around 250 passengers capsized in the northcentralstateofKwara,one of the country’s deadliest waterway accidents in years.

At least 42 Palestinians killed as Israel ramps up bombing in central Gaza

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says conditions for reaching a ceasefire in Gaza have improved.

Aljazeera - At least 42 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip, medical sources told Al Jazeera Arabic, as Israeli forces stepped up their bombardment of central areas and tanks pushed deeper into the enclave’snorthandsouth.

Sixpeoplewerekilledin twoairstrikesonahouseand nearKamalAdwanHospital in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip while fourotherswerekilledwhen an Israeli strike hit a motorcycle in Khan Younis in the south, the Reuters news agency reported on Thursday,quotingmedics.

Later,anIsraeliairstrike near a tent camp housing displacedfamiliesineastern Khan Younis killed at least five people and wounded others.

In Nuseirat refugee camp, Israeli warplanes carried out several air attacks, destroying a multistorey building and

hitting roads outside mosques. At least 11 people were killed in the strikes, according to health officials at al-Awda Hospital in the camp.

They said in a statement that dozens of families were

trapped in their homes after tanks advanced from the northern area of the camp andambulanceswereunable to reach them because of continuedtankfire.

As Israel escalated its bombardment of the besieged territory, the

United Nations warned that more than two million people were trapped in the Gaza Strip with little access tofoodandnoaccesstosafe drinkingwater “Food is scarce, and famineisimminent.Mostof Gaza’s water supply is

unsafe to drink With nowhere to go, families are living in abandoned homes or out in the open,” the UN said.

Reporting from central Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum said families have gone days living off just drinking water and dates.

“Also, civilians have been reporting on their family members being buried under the debris of their houses after being targeted by Israeli artillery and fighter jets without beingabletoberescued,”he said.

Israel’s war on Gaza continuedtorageadayafter Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah began a ceasefire, halting more than a year of fighting and raising hopes among many Palestinians in Gaza for a similar deal between Israel and Hamas, which governstheenclave.

Months of efforts to

negotiate a ceasefire have yieldedscantprogress.

Announcing the LebanonaccordonTuesday, USPresidentJoeBidensaid he would now renew his push for a ceasefire in Gaza asheurgedIsraelandHamas toseizethemoment.

LateonThursday,Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said conditions forreachingadealtosecure thereleaseofIsraelicaptives in the Gaza Strip have considerablyimproved.

Asked about a possible deal in an interview with localChannel14,Netanyahu said: “I think the conditions haveverymuchchangedfor thebetter.”

Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed at least 44,330 Palestinians and wounded 104,933sinceOctober2023. Israellaunchedthewarafter at least 1,139 people were killed in Hamas-led attacks onIsraelonOctober7,2023, and about 250 others were takencaptive.

Rowley accepts $87,000 pay hike ...says higher

TrinidadExpress-DESPITE criticisms, the Keith Rowley Governmenthasdecidedtoaccept proposed salary increases recommended by the Salaries Review Commission (SRC) in its 120Report.

Making the announcement at yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conferenceatWhitehallinPortof Spain, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowleysaiditwas13yearssince the senior office-holders falling underthepurviewoftheSRChad receivedsalaryincreases.

He said he was accepting the responsibility— “and maybe the wrath”—of those who gave him the responsibility of Prime Minister “Ibearthatcrosswithout fearofretribution,”hesaid.

When implemented, the PM’s salarywillbe$87,847permonth.

Rowley said one of the first things his Government did on assumingofficein2015wastopay public servants a 15% increase in

salary and a backpay of $6.5 billion at a time when terms and conditions of top office-holders werefrozen.

Included in these top office-holders are the President, Prime Minister, ministers, Opposition Leader, parliamentarians, members of the Judiciary, senior public servants such as heads of the protective services, permanent secretaries, members of the THA and members of commissions, amongothers.

The Prime Minister said he expected the Opposition Leader to seek to extract as much political juice as possibleoutofthesituation

He said following the acceptance of the SRC report, what is left to be done is for the Minister of Finance to issue the appropriate circular to Government ministries and departments to implement the

salaries long overdue

increases.

“To come to the point of whether or not the Government willacceptthefindingsoftheSRC and be damned, I want to say...If there are those who feel that the country’sleadershipisofnovalue, produces no value, and should be ashamed to a

a Commission whose jobs it is to have done the work and to make recommenda

s to the Cabinet...I take full responsibility for advising the Cabinet that after 13yearsofwork,thatthemembers of the Government who run this country a $60 billion enterprise—thattheacceptanceof the SRC Report is the matter for the Cabinet....Our acceptance (of the SRC Report) is a political issue; always has and always will be. And that is why today, for telling the country that we will accept the recommendation, I am prepared to deal with it as a

political issue, because it is a politicalissue.

And that is why I am not surprised that the Opposition Leader is out of the blocks trying to get a leg up in this political issue,”Rowleysaid.

HesaidthecurrentOpposition Leader,havingpreviouslyheldthe position of prime minister, was already taken care of under the Prime Ministers’ Pension Act which guarantees her a prime ministerial pension equivalent to the salary of a prime minister

Asked whether he believed a salaryof$87,000wasafairsalary for a prime minister, Rowley said whether it was fair or not was not the point, since those (the SRC) who had been given the assignmenttodoit,haddoneit.

Nothingtofear

Asked how he could justify this increase after telling the population in April to hold on while the Government waits on

increased gas production, the PrimeMinistersaidhewasmerely discussing the revenue situation goingforwardasacountry,notthe SRCreport.

The Prime Minister said he never spoke about “belttightening”.

“Iwasdiscussingthecountry’s overall revenue situation going forward. I took the opportunity to alert the country—all of us, high earners, low earners—that we are in a period where we are not as flush with revenues as we should be.Butifyou(media)saythatasa result of that, the SRC Report cannot...be entertained, I would saythatisastretch.

Becausewhatyouaresayingis that an assignment that goes back for a 13-year exercise has now ended unfortunately on the verge of an election...and therefore, you (the PM) should be more concerned about the election than theprocess.

Palestinians wait to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip [File: Hatem Khaled/Reuters]

Aliann Pompey, Brendan Williams, and Hazel-Ann Regis to

SportsM

- The Caribbean Association of N

l Olympic Committees (CANOC) has announcedasignificantstep forward in athlete advocacy with the establishment of a dedicatedCANOCAthletes’ Commission. Leading this

athletes: Guyana’s Aliann

Brendan Williams, and Grenada’sHazel-AnnRegis. The trio, each an accomplished advocate and leaderintheirownright,will spearhead the commission’s development, as announced by CANOC President Keith Joseph.

This announcement follows a busy period for CANOC, including the successful XIII Annual

CANOC Workshop, XXII Annual General Assembly, and the inaugural CANOC Caribbean Awards Gala Recognizingthecriticalrole ofathletesintheCaribbean’s sporting achievements, Joseph emphasized the importance of creating a platform for athletes to actively contribute to

“We

consistently claim that we are about our athletes,” Josephsaid.

“Our Caribbean athletes have been delivering outstanding performances on our region’s behalf at all

enhancement of our status among nations involved in

Movement.”

The CANOC Athletes’ Commissionaimstoserveas

Saturday November 30, 2024

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

You'll find that things are slipping nicely into place for you today, Aries Your persuasivemannerandgentle nudges are just enough to get peoplewhereyouwantthem.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

When faced with ten entrees onthemenu,itmightbehard for you to choose just one. Feelfreetoordertwoormore, Ta u r u s D o n ' t l e t indecisiveness slow you down.Atthesametime.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Your dreams won't come true unless you believe in and act onthem,Gemini.Nooneelse is going to do it for you. Unless you have a fairy godmother, you need to take mattersintoyourownhands.

CANCER(June21–July22)

If people hassle you or give you a hard time about your appearance today, pay them nomind,Cancer Youhavethe righttoliveyourlifeanyway youwantto.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Reachforthepotofgoldatthe end of the rainbow, Leo. It's closerthanyouthink.Indeed, your dreams are completely within your reach, and there are huge forces at work helping you achieve your goals.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

Today is your day to dream and dream big, Virgo. Think aboutwhatitisthatyouwant most out of life. Aim your arrow to the stars and pull back your bow as far as possible. There's no limit to howfaryoucango.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Expand your mind to its furthest reaches today, Libra.

e opportunity opening up for you in which you can make great strides in a creative realm.Followthemusic.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)

Your mind may seem rather cloudy today, Scorpio, but don't let this hinder you. In fact, you'll find that you can use this feeling of fantasy to your advantage. Try to bring moremagicintoyourlife.

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

Today is an excellent day for you,oneinwhichyou'llfinda great deal of strength in your emotions, Sagittarius Trust that your instincts are serving youwell.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Things might get a bit confusing for you today, Capricorn. Don't feel like you needtomakesenseofitall.In fact, this task may be impossible. Just be yourself. Let your creative nature shine through.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)Mixyourrealitywithabit of fantasy today, Aquarius. Allowyourfeettocomeoffthe ground for a little while. Give yourselfarest.Takesometime to meditate and clear your mindofyourdailyworries.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

Let yourself go into high creative mode and drift into a whole other world, Pisces. Escape your present reality and explore your fantasies through any sort of artistic endeavor Dreamasbigasyour mindallows.

a forum where athletes can openly discuss their unique challenges and aspirations, making m

l contributions to the region’s sporting growth. The commission also seeks to empower athletes with a voice at the administrative level of CANOC, ensuring they play a vital role in shaping the future of Caribbeansport.

The leadership team is well-equipped for the task.

Frompage27

Queen’s Park Dominic Young stole the show with an incredible six-goal haul, netting four in a 10-minute blitz. Despite a late rally fromHikerswithgoalsinthe 22nd and 23rd minutes by Devin Munroe and France, Young’s sixth goal and a final strike by Shawn Lee Quay sealed Queen’s Park’s commandingvictory

In the Over-45 division, GCC Vintage proved too strong for Carib, securing a 4-2 triumph. Early goals by Patrick Edghill and Philip Fernandes in the 5th and 11thminutesgaveGCCa20 lead. Samuel Carty pulled one back for Carib in the 13thminute,butEdghilland Fernandes struck again in the 17th and 24th minutes, respectively, ensuring victoryforGCCVintage.

Meanwhile in a recap of Day One, on Wednesday

with several exciting matches.

The highlights include GCC The Sequel defeating Hikers 6-1, GBTI GCC bestingYMCAOldFort3-1, Hikers Old Boys edging GCCVintage2-1,andSaints outplaying Bounty GCC 31.

Aliann Pompey, a former 400m specialist and fourtime Olympian, previously served as President of the Panam Sports Athletes’ Commission,bringingyears of experience in athlete representation.

Brendan Williams, a former Commonwealth Games high jumper from Dominica, currently chairs the Commonwealth Games Association Athletes’ Commission.

by

McAl, ExxonMobil, Republic Bank, Bounty Supermarkets, Sterling Products Ltd., the Ministry of Youth, Sport & Culture, and the National Sports Commission,continueswith more action-packed games overtheweekend.

Frompage29 (Small Sponsor), MVP Sports (Medium Sponsor) andENet(LargeSponsor).

In the media category, Jemima Holmes of the GuyanaTimeswasawarded Print Journalist of the Year, whileAvenash Ramzan and Akeem Greene, both of NewsRoom,tookhomethe awards for Broadcast and Non-Print Journalism, respectively

The night also paid tribute to veteran sports journalists Claude David (Kaieteur News), Donald Duff (former Stabroek News Sports Editor), and Leon Horatio (Guyana Chronicle), each honored for over 25 years of service insportsjournalism.

sponsored

Demerara Distillers Limited, Ansa

Battle for Glory:

Petra-MVP Sports Girls U11 Football Championship reaches thrilling Semi-Final Stage

The road to the 2024 MVP Sports-Petra OrganisationGirlsUnder-11 Football Championship title narrows today as the

tournament moves into its highlyanticipatedsemi-final stage Four top-ranked teams, brimming with talent anddetermination,aresetto

clash at the Ministry of Education (MoE) ground in what promises to be a thrilling showcase of Girl’s football.

Defending champions MarianAcademy, led by the electrifying Chrissyanne Persaud, will face a stern challenge from Potaro Primary,anequallyunbeaten powerhouse Marian Academy has been the team to beat this season, with Persaud’shat-trickintheir50 demolition of Smith Memorial Primary in the quarterfinals serving as a statement of intent. Yet, Potaro’s Reniese Joseph has matched that brilliance, guidingherteamtovictories against formidable opponents, including One MileandNorthGeorgetown Primary With both teams boasting unbeaten records and potent attacking threats,

Primary touted as favourites in today semifinal’s

this matchup promises to be an explosive contest for a covetedspotinthefinal.

On the other side of the draw, Waramuri Top Primary locks horns with St John the Baptist Primary in a clash steepedinintrigue Waramuri, who triumphed 1-0 over St John’sinanearlierencounter, willrelyonthesharpfinishing of Keshanna Thomas to maintain their unbeaten streak. St John’s, after a rocky start that included a goalless draw and an early defeat, has shown resilience to reach this stage. Their determination will be tested as they aim to avenge their previous loss and earn their placeinthefinal.

As the semi-finals get

Marian Academy (in blue & white) eager to secure semi-final ticket day against Potaro Primary.

y today, the atmosphereattheMoEground isexpectedtobeelectric Fans areinvitedtowitnessthefuture stars of girls’ football showcase their skills, teamwork, and unyielding passionforthesport

This tournament is more than a competition; it’s a celebration of grassroots football and youth development. Thanks to the dedication of Title sponsor MVP Sports, as well as entities like Guyana Beverage Inc , V&V Distributors Addition support from the Ministries ofCulture,YouthandSports, and Ministry of Education continues to inspire the next generationoffootballers.

Linden vs. Georgetown rivalray...

Frompage28 leadership, combined with the scoring abilities of Vincente and Huntley, makesthemathreatonboth ends of the court. And with Corlette locking down the paint, they’ll look to stifle the Royals’ high-octane offence.

Butthisisn’tjustabouta trophy and the $300,000 prize for the winner This is a b o u t L i n d e n v s Georgetown a rivalry steeped in history, passion, andpride.

Will Harold Adams and the Royals continue their scoring spree and bring the titlebacktoLinden?Orwill Nikkoloi Smith and the Ravens ground the highflying Royals and claim victoryforGeorgetown? Before the grand finale tips off, the Kwakwani UntouchablesandtheEagles will face off in the thirdplacematchupat7:30PM.

Waramuri

matchup.

Diamond Mineral Water Indoor Hockey Tournament heats up ahead of Sunday’s Finale

The 19th edition of the Diamond Mineral Water Indoor Hockey Tournament continuestothrillfansatthe National Gymnasium as the competition builds toward

its Sunday climax Thursday’s matches showcased dominant performancesbyYMCAOld Fort, GBTI GCC, Queen’s Park,andGCCVintage.

In a high-stakes Men’s Group A clash, YMCA Old Fort overcame Pepsi Hikers withanemphatic5-2victory Thematchbeganonaneven

Dominic Young of QPCC over-35s about to unleash one of his match-leading six goals against the Hickers.

note, with the teams locked at 2-2 by the end of the first quarter However, Old Fort captain Warren Williams took charge, delivering a stellarhat-trickwithgoalsin the 5th, 11th, and 37th minutes Additional contributions came from Omar Hopkinson, who convertedapenaltycornerin the 7th minute, andYannick Norton, who netted a 19thminute field goal to secure thewin.

The Women’s division saw a dramatic battle

between GBTI GCC and Saints. Following a goalless first quarter, GCC’s Princessa Wilkie broke the deadlock with a precise strike in the 13th minute. Saintsrespondedinthethird quarter with an equalizer from Clayza Bobb. GCC regainedtheleadinthefinal quarter through Wilkie, but Makaylah Poole quickly leveled the score again for Saints With the match hanginginthebalance,GCC captain Gabriella Xavier delivered a brilliant 39th-

minute strike to clinch a 3-2 victory Queen’s Park CC dominated Hikers in the

Over-35 division, claiming anexhilarating8-5win.The match began with Hikers’ Robert France opening the

scoring, but Darren Cowie’s equalizer in the 7th minute ignitedascoringspreefor (Continuedonpage25)

(GHB photo)

Part of the action on Wednesday between Saints and Bounty GCC. (GHB Photo)

Linden vs. Georgetown rivalray takes Georgetown centre stage at GBF Elite 16 Finals

ByRawleToney

Basketballfans,thewait is over! The Guyana Basketball Federation ( G B F ) E l i t e 1 6 Championship Final is finally here, and it’s set to reignite one of the most storiedrivalriesinGuyanese basketball: Linden vs Georgetown.

Tonight, at the National Gymnasium, Linden’s Victory Valley Royals and Georgetown’s Ravens will battle for more than just a trophy they’ll fight for pride, legacy, and city supremacyinwhatpromises tobeanepicshowdown.

Thisisn’tjustanygame. It’s a clash of offensive firepower vs. defensive grit, a collision of styles and strategies,andashowcaseof some of the best basketball talentGuyanahastooffer

The Victory Valley Royals stormed into the finals with a commanding 102-90 victory over the Kwakwani Untouchables in thesemi-finals.

Leading the charge was the unstoppable Harold Adams, who had a jawdropping 48 points in a performancethatleftfansin awe.

Whether he was slicing through defenders in the paint or draining shots from beyond the arc, Adams put onascoringclinic.

H i s s u p p o r t i n g cast—Orlan Glasgow (22 points) and Yonnick Tappin (17 points) ensured the Royals maintained their offensive onslaught throughoutthegame.

But it wasn’t smooth sailing. Kwakwani, led by Damir Gladstone’s impressive 33-point effort, mounted a fierce comeback

Harold Adams

inthethirdquarter,tyingthe gameat68.

However, the Royals’ offensive firepower proved too much in the fourth quarter, as they pulled away with a 34-point blitz to securetheirspotinthefinals. Ravens, on the other hand, earned their finals berth with an 84-81 nailbiteragainsttheEagles.

The Eagles soared early, building a 21-10 lead in the first quarter and holding a 36-26advantageathalftime. But the Ravens were just gettingstarted.

Led by national point guard Nikkoloi Smith, who poured in 21 points, the Ravens launched a furious third-quarter comeback, outscoring the Eagles by 19 points.

Dominic Vincente (19 points) and Shemar Huntley (16 points) delivered key buckets,whileJudeCorlette anchored the defence, holdingtheEaglestojust13 pointsinthatpivotalquarter

Despite a valiant fourthquarter rally by the Eagles, ledbyZianGray(22points) and Michael Turner (20 points), the Ravens held on to punch their ticket to the finalshowdown.

With both teams riding high on momentum, the finals are shaping up to be a basketballpurist’sdream.

Royals boast an explosive offense that can light up the scoreboard at will. Harold Adams is the heartoftheirattack,butwith Glasgow and Tappin ready to step up, Royals have plenty of firepower to keep Ravensontheirtoes.

Ravens counter with a balanced attack and defensiveintensity Smith’s (Continuedonpage26)

Dinar Trading and Forrester’s Concrete solidify support

As momentum continues to gather ahead of next week’s kick-off of the historic One Guyana N

Championship organaised by the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation (K&S) and poweredbytheGovernment of Guyana, corporate support continues to gather momentumalso.

Onboardinasolidway are Dinar Trading and Forrester’sConcrete

Both entities have expressed their pleasure in partnering with the K&S Organisation for this huge 64-Team championship which has attracted teams fromacrossGuyana

In presenting their sponsorship, Ms Akiesha Forrester, Creative

Director of Forrester’s Concrete, in the presence ofMs AltheaAlli,General Secretary and Co-Director of the K&S Organisation, Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major, Ms Forrester posited that they had no hesitation in support,onceapproached She said that the entity whichhasbranchesspread

opportunities for players to showcase their talent and vie for the prizes on offer

”Wewouldliketowish all the teams the best and we are looking forward to

tournament ”

Similarly, CEO of

Iqubal Hussein said that his company was very excited to be back in partnership with the K&S O

championship that will be onetoberemembered

H

handing over the cheque brought back memories of old whenever it came to the year end football put on by Kashif & Shangahi, noting that everyone looked forward to the end ofyearspectacle

”We at Dinar Trading are more that happy to see the return of you guys and even though it’s a new formatyou’llbedoing,we have no doubt that it would be quality as usual and that the players and fans would be equally satisfied

Competitionissettokick off on Tuesday next,

December 3 at the National Gymnasiumwiththeofficial marchpastofthecontesting teams and the first set of matches, after the opening ceremony

Top athletes and officials recognized at 2023

National Sports Awards

BYRAWLETONEYJR

On a dazzling Thursday evening under the stars on the lawns of Castellani House, the 2023 National SportsAwardscelebratedthe crème de la crème of Guyanese sports, and if one thingwasclear,it’sthat2023 belongedtotrackandfield.

It was a night of gold, grit, and glory, where track and field emerged as the undisputed champion of champions, reaffirming its status as the jewel in Guyana’ssportingcrown.

As the nation’s best gathered to honour their achievements, the message wasclear:2023wasn’tjusta good year for athletics—it waslegendary First up, taking the crown as Senior Sportsman of the Year, was none other than sprint sensation EmanuelArchibald.

Archibald’s 2023 season wasnothingshortofhistoric. He left spectators breathless at the CentralAmerican and Caribbean (CAC) Games in San Salvador, where he blitzedhiswaytogoldinthe 100m, becoming the first Guyanesetoachievethisfeat since1926.

But he didn’t stop there. AtthePanAmericanGames,

Archibald snagged a bronze medal in the 100m yet another “first” for Guyana’s athletics. His performances have etched his name into the annals of Guyanese sports history and inspired a newgenerationofsprinters.

On the women’s side,

Jasmine Abrams was c r o w n e d S e n i o r Sportswoman of the Year

Knownforherelectricstarts and laser-sharp focus, Abrams blazed through the competition at the Pan Am Games, clinching silver in the women’s 100m the firsttimeaGuyanesewoman hasdonesosincetheGames beganin1951.

Chess champion Jessica Callender, known for her strategic brilliance, was the runner-up in this category, showcasing the growing diversity in Guyana’s sportingexcellence.

If you thought 2023 belonged to the seniors, thinkagain.TiannaSpringer, a 16-year-old track prodigy, took home the Junior Sportswoman of the Year awardafteraseasonthatleft us all asking, “Is there anythingshecan’tdo?” Springer dominated the South American U20 Championships, breaking

Kaieteur News Sports Editor, Claude David, honoured for his 25+ years of service in the sports media.

records and taking gold in the 400m. She then stormed through the CARIFTA Games,capturinggoldinthe GirlsU17400m.

But the pièce de résistance? Her gold-medalwinning performance at the Youth Commonwealth Games, where she also anchoredthe4x400mmixed

relay team to a recordbreakingvictory Withatime of 3:22.07, Springer and her squadshatteredtheprevious Games record set by Australia in 2017. Speaking ofthatrelayteam,let’sgivea round of applause to the Youth Commonwealth 4x400m Mixed Relay Team comprised of

Malachi Austin, Javon

R o b e r t s , N a r i s s a McPherson, and Tianna

Springer who were rightfullynamedTeamofthe Year

Their performance in Trinidad and Tobago was nothing short of mythical, and their gold-medal finish wasn’t just a win—it was a statement, as they shattered the2017Gamesrecordtime of 3:25.08 set by Australia, to replace it with a time of 3:22.07. Guyana isn’t just c o m p e t i n g ; w e ’ r e dominating.

Behind every great athlete is an even greater coach, and this year’s Male Coach of the Year, Mark Scott, has proven just that. His work with Tianna Springer and the national athletics team has been pivotal in Guyana’s resurgence on the internationalstage.

On the cricket front, Tremayne Smartt was named Female Coach of the Year, recognizing her dedication to developing youngtalentinasportwhere Guyanahaslongexcelled. While athletics stole the show, swimming made sure to leave its mark. Raekwon Noel took home the Junior

SportsmanoftheYearaward afterastellarperformanceat the CARIFTA Aquatics Championship, where he won five gold medals and brokefournationalrecords.

Noel’s dominance in the pool is a testament to Guyana’s growing strength in aquatic sports, and he’s quickly becoming a householdname.

Meanwhile, the night also honoured those who have contributed off the field: Reon King and Kenisha Headley were named Male and Female Sports Officials of the Year for their outstanding contributions to cricket and athletics,respectively

T h e A t h l e t i c s Association of Guyana took home the award for Association of the Year, a testamentto theirleadership in guiding the country’s top athletestosuccess.

The late Terence Poole, M.S., was honoured with a posthumous award for his service to boxing and the development of sport in Guyana.

Recognizing the importance of corporate support, awards were presentedto:TrophyStall

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Top athletes and officials recognized at 2023 National Sports Awards

- KN Sports Editor among honourees for service to sports

Awardees and officials from the Ministry of Sport and National Sports Commission (NSC) following the conclusion of the 2023 National SportsAwards.

Ms.Akiesha Forrester, Creative Director of Forrester’s Concrete hands over the cheque to Kashif Muhammad.At left is Ms.AltheaAlli, and right,Aubrey ‘Shanghai’Major