Kaieteur News

Senior oil company employee accused 15 buildings destroyed in fire at Puruni

ExxonMobil not budging on US$214 million disputed costs

of sexually assaulting 8-year-old girl ...butwantssettlement outsideofarbitration

Exxon open to discussion on terms of oil contract with PNCR ...but says will not renegotiate for better deal

PresidentofExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), Alistair Routledge on Wednesday said the U.S oil giant is open to discussions with the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) on the lopsided oil contract the former APNU/AFC governmentsignedin2016.

Exxon's Country Manager was at the time responding to a question fromKaieteurNewsduringa press conference at its Duke S t r e e t , K i n g s t o n , Georgetown office on the PNCR's recently revealed planstoengagethecompany

ina of top-to-bottomreview thedeal.

TheLeaderofthePNCR, Aubrey Norton at a press conference two weeks ago unveiledtheparty's20-point plan to manage the sector, if successful at the next elections.

Norton announced that the party would engage the companyfor a review of the deal, in a bid to specifically address royalty and ringfencing, among other key provisions. In his response, Routledge said, “Yes, so I saw the announcement, I haven't had the opportunity

to meet with anybody from the PNCR since then. We a l w a y

o m e engagements to look at the agreements to understand t

to understand our operations.” Headdedthatthepartydoes n o t h

a r engagements and insight into the sector; as such, he believesaninterestwouldbe there which is welcomed by theoilcompany

Notbudging

Later in the press conference,hewasaskedby another reporter if the company has changed its

positi on regarding the possibility of engaging the government in renegotiating the royalty percentages To this, Routledgesaid,“Noithasn't changed but I think what's important to say is, cause I have seen comments made about Suriname and everyonewantstosayoursis better than yours, but at the endofthedaythiswasallthe elements that go into an agreement like this- a Production Sharing Agreement.”

He urged that a “step back” should be taken to recognizethattheagreement has been very successful for Guyana in attracting investment into a basin where there were no discoveries In fact, he boasted that it was Exxon thatde-riskedtheareaforoil and gas activities in Suriname.

“It de-risked the Suriname drilling because discoveries had been made in Guyana by the Stabroek Block Co-Venturers and we can always cherry pick if somebody has higher royalty, or lower royalty, pays this tax or that tax but it'saboutthetotalamountof revenue that's generated out of the petroleum agreement that's really important to the country and if you don't attractsufficientinvestment, development won't happen andyouwon'thavethesame scaleofrevenue,”Routledge said.

Given that the basin has now been de-risked, Kaieteur News asked Routledge whether Exxon does not believe Guyana is now entitled to more of the revenuesgeneratedhere.

According to him, the investments in the Stabroek Block were made on the

basis of the agreement and changes to the contract would undermine the p r e m i s e o f t h o s e investments.

Further,henoted,“what it starts to do is to raise questions about well can anybody be certain about investing in the future if those numbers might change,sothestabilityofthe basis for investment is very important not just for ExxonMobil and Hess and CNOOCbutIwouldsayfor anybodywantingtoinvestin the country...if we start to have uncertainty around the basis of the investment, not just the geologic risk, the execution risk then it really seriouslystartstoundermine thatinvestmentbasis.”

Kaieteur News again followed up the response provided, this time asking Routledge to say if the company's investments would be undermined if Guyana asks for at least 5% royalty As such, he said, “Absolutely, any change to the investment basis, given that we have made commitments that will flow 20 to 30 years, undermines thatinvestment.”

Another journalist then pointed out that the 2016 P S A p r o v i d e s f o r renegotiation of the contract terms. He therefore asked Routledge whether he was categorically stating that the companywouldnotagreeto invoke the article for renegotiation.

In response, he stated, “We have no interest to invoke that article. As I say we have made US$55B worth of commitment to the country To go back and to undermine the basis of that basis of that investment would seriously challenge anyfutureinvestments.”

PNCR Leader, Aubrey Norton

PresidentofExxonMobil GuyanaLimited, Alistair Routledge

ExxonMobil not budging on US$214 million disputed costs

Oil giant ExxonMobil while not budging on their position with regards to the US$214M disputed costs wantsthedisputetobesettled outsideofarbitration.

Thiswasdisclosedbythe company'sCountryManager, Alistair Routledge on Wednesday at a press conference at their Duke StreetheadofficeinKingston Georgetown. Routledgewas asked by a reporter, “Could you say if ExxonMobil is proceeding to arbitration

o v e r t h e d i s p u t e d US$214.4M in cost oil from theIHSMarkitaudit?”

Explaining that the company is continuing to work on the audits and there are ongoing discussions between them and the Guyana Revenue Authority to facilitate the exchange of information he said that while they didn't have “any specific news to say, I don't have any intent to call on an arbitration, I don't think that

that's the right way to get to resolution but at the end of the day it's laid out in the petroleum agreement, the mannerinwhichtoapproach this.Ultimatelythenextstep would be to involve an independentexpertandifwe can'tresolvethatwaythereis the provision for arbitration,

World Bank urges LAC countries to leverage economic gains for growth

…publish new report

On Thursday, the World Bankunveileditsnewreport which urges the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region to seize the momentum to accelerate growth. The report titled, “Taxing Wealth for Equity andGrowth”outlinesthatthe LAC region is expected to growby1.9percentthisyear, slightly exceeding previous estimates.In2025,theregion is forecast to grow by 2.6 percent, the lowest rates amongallglobalregions.

The Bank says that the U.S.FederalReserve'srecent decision to lower interest rates coupled with slowing inflation in several LAC countries, is expected to provide some relief to the region, and presents an opportunity to attract muchneededinvestment.

“The region has made strides in managing inflation

and stabilizing its m a c r o e c o n o m i c environment.Thisisacrucial moment to leverage these achievements to attract the investments necessary for sustainable development, foster innovation, build human capital, create more andbetterjobs,andempower theregiontobreakfreefrom this low-growth cycle,” said

but arbitration is generally a last resort and quite expensiveprocess.”

At a recent press conference Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo told the media that the Government ofGuyana(GoG)willnotbe engaging in any settlement with ExxonMobil over the U S $ 2 1 4 m i l l i o n i n questionablecostsflaggedby British auditor, IHS-Markit. Jagdeo was asked by this newspaper whether government has considered settling the dispute with the oil giant given how tedious the process has been and the fact that Guyana will be requiredtocoverthecostsof Exxon'slegaldefence.

To this end, Jagdeo informed that the GoG has been guided by two sets of advisors on the matter that havebothrecommendedthat the US$214M sum be

returned to the cost bank.

This means that the

US$214M will be split as profits, which will allow GuyanatoreceiveUS$107M while Exxon will enjoy the o t h e r U S $ 1 0 7 M

Consequently, Jagdeo asserted, “I don't believe thereisscopeatthisstagefor settlement especially given the magnitude of reduction.” He explained, “Exxon is talking about moving from

US$214M to US$3M and if we settle with that, then it's onlyhalfofthatwegetandso those figures are not palatableatall.”Assuch,the formerHeadofStatednoted, “We may have to go to arbitration.”

Meanwhile, he told reporters that government hasnotdoneanassessmentof what the arbitration process would cost He however pointed out that he believes

thisisthefittestmethod.

“Given all that has happened, I think you need anindependentthirdpartyon this. If you settle on any figure, say US$214M with Exxonpeoplewillsayohyou caved to Exxon, if you settle at US$3M, it is worse so a third party is needed to deal with all of these issues. We shouldnotengage,Ithink,in any negotiations,” the VP said.

Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, World

Bank Vice President

for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Thereporthighlightsthat despite favorable conditions, both public and private investments in LAC remain low With the region facing structural challenges, the Bank warned that without capitalising on current economic momentum, LAC risks remaining stuck in a low-growth cycle It was outlinedthattheregionisnot fully capitalising on nearshoring opportunities, which could boost its economicoutlook.

Foreigndirectinvestment (FDI) levels are below what they were 13 years ago, and new investment projects are favouring other regions, despite competitive wages.

TheBankhighlightedseveral factors, including high capitalcosts,weakeducation systems, underdeveloped infrastructure, and social instability, are diminishing the region's attractiveness as anearshoringdestination.

“Seizing LAC's major windows of opportunity, the green transition and the nearshoring movement, requires structural reforms (Continuedonpage8)

ExxonMobilCountry ManagertoGuyana, Alistair Routledge.

KaieteurNews

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

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS

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

EDITORIAL

Where the money coming from?

The upcoming Global Super League (GSL), set to be hosted in Guyana from November 26 to December 7, is poisedtomakeasignificantimpactontheregion’ssporting landscape.

SpearheadedbyPresidentIrfaanAli,thisgovernmentbackedcricketextravaganzahasbeenpresentedasamajor stepforwardinpositioningGuyanaasakeyplayerinsports tourismacrosstheCaribbean.Butamidstallthebuzzand excitement, there is a glaring issue that has yet to be addressedbythepowersthatbe:transparency Whereisthemoneycomingfrom?

TheGovernmentofGuyana’sroleinfinancingtheGSL raisescriticalquestionsthatarebeingmetwithdeafening silence.PresidentAli’svisionoftransformingGuyanainto asportinghubisambitious,butasthenationwatchesthis grandplanunfolds,itisonlyrighttodemandclarityonthe allocation of funds, especially when taxpayers’money is involved. Accountability must be the cornerstone of any government’s operations, and Guyana’s citizens deserve clear and comprehensive answers The lack of transparency surrounding the government’s heavy investmentincricketisnothingnew

TheGovernmentofGuyanahasalreadyhadsubstantial involvement in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), having hosted the finals for three consecutive years and securingtheeventthrough2025.Whiletheseeventsbring undeniable excitement to the nation and some degree of economic activity, the cost remains an enigma. What exactlyisthepriceofthesegrandioseprojects,andwhois payingforthem?

These questions have lingered, and now, with the announcement of the GSL, they have resurfaced, more pressing than ever Let’s be clear, the people of Guyana have a right to know how their government is spending publicfunds.Transparencyisnotaluxury;itisanecessity in a democratic society And when the government embarksonprojectsliketheGlobalSuperLeague,which will involve a substantial outlay of funds, it is imperative that citizens are given full disclosure on the source of the financing.

Yet,thiscurrentadministrationhasconsistentlyskirted around these critical issues, refusing to provide specifics, instead offering vague reassurances that these initiatives willbolsterGuyana’simageandeconomy Butimageand prestigearenotenough.Thegovernmentcannotcontinue tosidesteptheissueofaccountability,especiallywhenthe scaleofinvestmentincricketisgrowingexponentially With the recent announcement that Guyana has transferred an additional G$62.3 billion from the Natural Resources Fund (NRF) to the Consolidated Fund, the timing raises suspicions that these oil revenues could be financingtheGSL.

This is not a baseless assumption Given the government’strackrecordofusingoilwealthtofundhighprofileprojectswithoutadequatelyexplainingthedetails, itisaquestionthatmustbeanswered.

The government’s withdrawal of US$300 million (G$62.394 billion) from the NRF in October 2024 brings thetotalwithdrawalsfortheyeartoUS$1.150billion.This isastaggeringamountofmoney,andthegovernmenthas yet to fully account for where these funds are being directed.Citizensareonlytoldthatthemoneyisbeingused fornationaldevelopmentpriorities.

Inacountrywithagrowingoilindustryandsignificant revenue from the Natural Resources Fund, it is unacceptable that the government can continue to withdraw such vast sums without offering any real accountabilitytothepublic.Thisisnotsimplyamatterof political manoeuvring; it is about the core principles of governance.Any government has a duty to its citizens to ensure that public funds are managed responsibly and

What the future holds?

DEAREDITOR

Ontheeveoftherecently concluded seventh-ninth session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)asummitofHeads of States and Government washeldinNewYorkatthe United Nations to discuss a 50 plus page draft entitled; ‘Pact for the Future.’ The document was submitted to theGeneralAssemblyunder the head ‘Strengthening of theUnitedNationsSystem.”

Priortothedebate,some delegations claimed the UN secretariat,thedraftersofthe Pact had violated the body’s ‘Adoption Procedures’

negotiationsonthePacttook place while requests for meetingsforanexchangeof views were ignored. A case was made to the effect that there was discomfort with the draft text since it was considered to be ‘raw and non-consensual’ and that effectively, it ‘undermined theintergovernmentalnature of the UN ’ As a consequence, a resolution opposingthePactwasputto thevote.

When the vote was taken,143countriesvotedin favourofthefinaldocument; 15 countries abstained 28 countries did not vote at all while 7 countries voted against. The Bahamas and Haitiwereamongthe28that did not vote on the resolution.

The‘PactfortheFuture’ was eventually adopted by the General Assembly It aims to “upgrade the multilateralsystem”(i.e.the UNsystem)tomakeitmore adapted to “future challenges”(i.e.giveitmore power) with the help of technology and AI systems (whichwillgiveit“foresight

transparently

Furthermore, it’s worth questioning why cricket is receiving such heavy investment from the government when other critical sectors, such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure, continue to facechallenges.

The government’s focus onsportstourismandcricket may be commendable in principle, but without clear j u s t i f i c a t i o n a n d transparency, it raises serious concerns about misplacedpriorities.

The people of Guyana deservebetter Theydeserve a government that is open andhonestabouthowpublic funds are being spent. The GSL may be a thrilling

capabilities”). A Ten Point ‘Pact on Future Generations included ten (10) Guiding Principles; thirteen (13) Pledges and eight calls for Action by UN member states.

Inmyestimation,thekey paragraphs in the Pact state; ‘Weareatatimeofprofound global transformation. We are confronted by rising catastrophic and existential risks, many caused by the choices we make. Fellow human beings are enduring terrible suffering. If we do not change course, we risk tipping into a future of persistent crisis and breakdown.’

In this regard, the Pact callsfor‘arecommitmentto international cooperation based on respect for international law, without which we can neither manage the risks nor seize the opportunities that we face.Thisisnotanoptionbut anecessity.’

The Pact goes on; ‘Our challenges are deeply interconnected and far exceed the capacity of any single State alone.They can only be addressed collectively, through strong and sustained international cooperation guided by trust andsolidarityforthebenefit of all and harnessing the power of those who can contribute from all sectors andgenerations.’

T h e P a c t i s a n informative but intriguing write up by the UN Secretariat, it raises questionssuchas;howcould a bunch of bureaucrats/ technocrats sit in an office todayandwithpenonpaper, list in great detail what the future holds for future generations and how those generations should threat withfuturechallenges?

prospectforcricketfans,but it cannot come at the expense of accountability If the government is indeed using money from the Natural Resources Fund to bankroll this tournament, theymustcomeforwardand explainwhythisisapriority andwhattangiblebenefitsit will bring to the country in thelongterm.

In recent months, Kaieteur News and other media outlets have consistently highlighted the government’s lack of transparency when it comes to the use of oil revenues. These concerns are not unfounded.

T h e N R F w a s establishedtoensurethatoil wealthisusedtobenefitthe

ThePactissopredictable that it conveys the impression that future generations now know for sure what is in store for them; but as older folks in GuyanawouldsayoftheUN secretariat, “they look like a bunchofSeeFarmen.”And quite correctly so; how can the challenges that will face mankind in future be so predictablyforeseen.

Of importance to Guyana, the Pact calls on nations to; ‘make full use of all the instruments and mechanisms set out in the Charter,intensifyingouruse ofdiplomacy,committingto resolve our disputes peacefully refrainingfromthethreat or use of force, or acts of aggression, respecting each other’s sovereignty and terr

ial integrity, upholding the principles of political independence and self-determination, as well a s s t r e n g t h e n i n g accountability and ending impunity.’

The Pact identifies 56 ‘actions for sustainable development and foreign investment, international peace and security, science, technology and innovation and digital cooperation youthandfuturegenerations transforming global governance’ It was decided ‘To review the overall implementation of the Pact at the beginning of the 83rd session of the GAthrough a meeting of the Heads of StateandGovernment.’

The debate on the Pact was at times robust, and at times passionate. Speaker after speaker addressed issues that were common in almost all interventions; including reform of the UN and the perennial call for an e x p a n s i o n i n t h e

people of Guyana in a sustainable and responsible manner However, the current administration’s handling of these funds has been anything but transparent,andthepublicis right to be concerned about how these vast sums are beingallocated.

The Global Super League may well be a positive development for cricketintheCaribbean,but without transparency, it risks becoming yet another example of government l a r g e s s e w i t h o u t accountability

The government must provide full disclosure on the costs of hosting the tournament, the source of the funds, and the expected

membership of the Security Council; and the nonachievement of the sustainable development goals(SDGs).

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, deemed the Pact as a “once in generation” opportunity to retrofit the multilateral system to meet twenty-firstcentury challenges ” He called on nations to “bring multilateralism back from the brink,” stating, “Our world is heading off the rails” as “resources that could bring opportunities and hope are invested in deathanddestruction”.

President Lula of Brazil pointed out that the SDG’s are likely to be the UN’s biggest failure; stating that “the UN lacks ambition and boldness,theGAhaslostits vitality;”

One speaker described the Security Council as “a Cold War relic;” while the President of East Timor claimed that “developing countriesarevictimsofgreat powerswhopayattentionto theirownself-interests.”

President Ali called on nations to; ‘act together, for the advancement of peace, for the achievement of sustainable development, and the preservation of human dignity, now and for generations to come.” He highlighted that; “Outdated and broken global systems must be fixed. We must reform the international financial architecture and make it more inclusive and conducive to sustainable developmentforall.”

On the question of sustainable development President Ali stressed; “…sustainable development cannot flourish without peaceandsecurity Wemust

(Continuedonpage06)

economicreturns.Onlythen can the people of Guyana judge whether this is a worthwhile investment of their hard-earned money Ultimately, transparency is the bedrock of good governance. It ensures that publicfundsareusedforthe benefitofall,notjustaselect few

The Global Super League may be President Ali’sbrainchild,butitisthe people’s money that will bringittolife

And for that, the governmentowesthenation a full account of how their resources are being spent. Anything less would be a betrayalofthetrustplacedin them by the citizens of Guyana.

‘Building

Our Dream Guyana’National Economic and Social Development Plan, focus on the Knowledge Economy and Service Economy

DEAREDITOR, As I build out the National Economic and Social Development Plan forthe‘BuildingOurDream G u y a n a ’ campaign/movement, this letterwillfocusontwomore key components of our approach to renewing and expanding the middle class and developing a structured ‘Knowledge Economy’ and ‘ServiceEconomy’.

I will also focus briefly

on aspects of our implementation strategy for the national plan and to achieve our goal, to eliminatepovertyinGuyana by 2035. My government will develop a structured Service Economy This will consolidate services under tourism, transportation, i n f o r m a t i o n a n d communication technology, energy, financial, legal, health,environmental, general public services,

etc. We will review emergency services and possibly upgrade the Civil

Defence Commission (CDC) to a ‘National Emergency Management Agency’(NEMA).

This agency will also be

equipped to address emergencies in the oil and gas industry The aim is to

improve efficiency, accountability and reduce inequality Another key component of our National Economic and Social DevelopmentPlanwillbeto develop a highly structured Knowledge Economy The University of Guyana will playasubstantialroleinthe d e v e l o p m e n t a n d sustainability of the Knowledge Economy Capacity and talent will be

drawn from locally, regionally (Caribbean), Guyanese and Caribbean

d i a s p o r a , a n d internationally Academic, professional, and technical talent and expertise, as well as vocational skills will be harnessed.The Government TechnicalInstitutes,Guyana Industrial Training Centre, Carnegie School of Home Economics, and other technicalinstitutions will be integrally linked to realizing the goals and o b j e c t i v e s o f t h e KnowledgeEconomy

Ididnotexpoundonthe ‘Oil and Gas Economy’ because the PNC/R/APNU recently published a 20point plan for oil and gas, and I think that it covers many of the key areas to develop the industry in a sustainableway.Iamalsoof the view that the 20-point planlaysthefoundationfora consensus national oil and gas plan However, the component that ‘Building

Our Dream Guyana’ campaign/movement would add to this 20-point plan is reforms – Administrative, institutional,andlegislative. My government will set out to bring the parliamentary political parties together to develop a ‘Pact for Guyana’ for the oil and gas sector,

similar to Mexico’s ‘Pacto por Mexico’ which focuses onanagreementbetweenthe parliamentary political parties in Mexico to reform the oil and gas sector, including the reform of the state-owned company

Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX). For almost 80 years, there has been a deadlock over Mexico’s energy sector for major reforms in the oil and gas sector, and in December 2012, in a landmark

h

parliamentary political

n agreement.

As a part of our plan to expandthemiddleclassand create one of the best countriesfortheelderlyand youth, my government will expand the scope of the elderly and youth support programmes. We will promote a vibrant civil society. As a part of our implementation plan, we will develop a grant scheme to provide funding to Civil Society Organisations (CSO). Each ministry will integrateagrantprogramme into their annual budget to provide funding to CSO activities, relative to the National Economic and SocialDevelopmentPlan.

The private sector will

also be encouraged to develop grant schemes to support CSOs and youth organisations with community and general development projects, as a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).Thegovernmentwill alsodevelopagrantscheme forreligiousorganisationsto access funding for elderly careandyouthdevelopment in their communities. We will conduct a needs assessmenttodeterminethe needs of our elderly citizens in all ten regions. Facilitieswillbeconstructed and developed to provide services and support the elderly We will ensure that every region has facilities for our elderly, such as homes, night facilities and facilities for daily activities. My government will assist privately-owned elderly homes with rehabilitation, sothattheycanprovideday, night, and other services. Thegovernmentwillpayfor these services for various categories of elderly citizens.These services will alsoincludemedicalcare. Free transportation services will also be provided for our elderly, to transport them to senior facilities for daily activities andmedicalservices.

My government will develop an elderly medical scheme with insurance companies, to provide medical care to elderly persons in the expanded governmentprogramme. We will also develop a food supply programme for elderly citizens, this will ensure that our elderly who need such support are taken care of. As a part of a government funded programme,wewilldevelop anarrangementwiththeICT companies to provide free mobile telephones with monthly credit to elderly citizenswhoareapartofthis programme.Thesewillbe some of the benefits as wedevelopGuyanaintoone of the best places to be an elderlyperson.Thiswillalso increase the customer base by thousands for ICT companies, medical, food supply,elderlycare, transportation, etc , hencecreatingnewbusiness a n d e m p l o y m e n t opportunities.

We will revive and improve professional and independent associations to ensurequalityinproduction and services (For e g , engineers, medical, consumers, etc). We will also revive the youth associations,suchas

the Girl Guides, Scouts, etc. We will even review some form of a Cadet youth p r o g r a m m e M y government will also return to collective bargaining and reviving the trade union movement.Ourgovernment will revamp the sports, arts, andcultureindustry Wewill reduce the cost for rental of the

NationalCulturalCentre and foster a vibrant arts and culture industry Citizens should benefit from a wide range of cultural activities, for e.g., the return of the ‘Link Show’ (The Link Showshouldbeintergenerational), and other shows. Shows should be organized annually, monthly, etc Street and community cultural (Theatre) activities will be fostered. Music, arts, and culture must be a prominent partoftheschoolcurriculum and activities. The sports industry will be reviewed andmodernized. Oneofthemainareasof technical support which my government will require from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is in ‘Business and Human Rights’. We will requesttechnicalsupport fromtheinternational (Continuedonpage06)

Guyana’s oil reserves currently less than 11B barrels - ExxonMobil Guyana President

BY:DAVINABAGOT

Ittookcitizenstwoyears and four months before the government of Guyana (GoG) provided an update on the amount of oil discovered by ExxonMobil intheStabroekBlock.

The announcement that the country’s oil reserves grew by a mere 600 million barrels in August this year, following the last resource update in April 2022 however stirred more questions than it laid concerns to rest The Ministry of Natural Resources in August revealed that the Stabroek Blockreservesgrewfrom11 billionbarrelsto11.6billion barrels,followingeightnew discoveries since the last update.

ExxonMobil has however now come out disputing the figures released by government,

providing its own resource estimate.

The company’s Country Manager,AlistairRoutledge on Wednesday said the Stabroek Block reserves are less than 11 billion barrels. Routledge was at the time responding to a question fromKaieteurNews,during Exxon’s third quarter press briefing at the Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown headquarters.

This newspaper had asked him to share how many of the eight discoveries were appraised for the company to arrive at thenewresourceestimateof 11.6billionbarrels.

To this end, he explained,“Thegovernment released a number of 11.6B oil equivalent barrels, ExxonMobil’s estimate is lowerthanthatnumber...our number remains a little under 11 billion oil

Furthermore, he noted that the company is obligated to makesuchreportstotheUS Securities and Exchange Commission, making the point that Exxon was not keepingthefiguresaway

M e a n w h i l e , i n explaining the variation between Exxon’s figures compared to the reserves announced by government, Routledge noted that the state conducts independent studies, although it is supplied with data by the company

“ T h e y a l s o d o independent studies (and) verifications with other consultants and the work that they do themselves and the GGMC and Ministry of Natural Resources so it’s quite normal to have a slightlydifferentviewofthe number,”hereasoned.

Exxon Guyana’s

PNCR backs suspension of NACouncillor

DEAREDITOR

PNCR supports recent decision by the New Amsterdam Mayor and Town Council to suspend one of its members The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) wishes to correct the recent misinformation circulating concerning thesuspensionofCouncillor Carol Trim-Bagot by the MayorandTownCouncilof NewAmsterdam.

The PNCR notes that certain members of the People’s Progressive Party C i v i c ( P P P C ) a r e inaccurately suggesting that the decision to suspend Councillor Trim-Bagot was a unilateral act taken by His Worship the Mayor of New Amsterdam The PNCR wishes to firmly clarify that this suspension was a collective decision made by theTownCouncilandought not to be attributable to the Mayor

ThePNCRstandsinfull support of the actions taken by the New Amsterdam Town Council. The PNCR finds that the decision was madeinaccordancewiththe council’s bylaws and is intendedto restore order, maintain the integrity of council proceedings, and allow for those elected to serve, to do so with the decorum, grace, dignity, and humility the officerequires.

Councillors are elected to represent the interests of their constituents, and as such, it is imperative that they conduct their duties professionally, respectfully and collaboratively The constant disrespectful and disruptive behaviour exhibited by Councillor Trim-Bagothashinderedthe council’s ability to function effectively The PNCR sees this suspension as both lawful and necessary to

ensure that the council can focus on the pressing issues facing the township without furtherdisturbances.

The PNCR urges all members of the public and our political counterparts to refrain from spreading misinformation. It is crucial that we support a conducive environment for debate and decision-making within the council, free from personal agendas and unfounded accusations.

The PNCR calls on all fair-minded Guyanese to stand with the New Amsterdam Town Council. Together, we must prioritize the interests of New Amsterdam and work towardscreatinga p r o d u c t i v e a n d h a r m o n i o u s l o c a l governmentsystemnotonly for New Amsterdam but throughoutGuyana.

Regards

People’s National CongressReform

President also stressed the importance of focusing on translating those reserves to development.

“Wecanhaveawishlist of estimated ultimate recoverybutwhat’smaterial to the country is ‘are we moving it into sanctioned projects’withfinance,witha development plan and as we’ve talked about before I think we are around the 5B oil equivalent barrels that we’ve now moved successfully in the six projectsintothatcategory.”

Oilreserves

Since the announcement

‘Building

in August by Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat that Guyana’s oil reserves grew by a meager 600 million barrels government has failedtosayhowitarrivedat thisnewfiguredespitebeing questioned on multiple occasions.

Opposition parties previously shared concerns over the questionable increase in the Stabroek Block reserves, some eight newdiscoverieslater This was particularly so since China National Offshore Oil Corporation

(CNOOC), a shareholder in theStabroekBlock,revealed that one of the eight discoveries- Lancetfishaveraged 100 million tons, translating to an estimated 746millionbarrelsofoil.

It was also later announced by CNOOC that yet another discoveryBluefin- had over 100 million tons of oil and gas. CNOOC has 25% shares in the Stabroek Block; Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd holds 30% interest while ExxonMobil,theoperatorof the Stabroek Block, holds a 45%interest.

OurDreamGuyana’National...

Frompage05 community to integrate wellbeing into our National Economic Development Plan.Theindicatorswewill use to measure growth and development of the country wouldbeGrossDomestic Product (GDP) and Gross National Happiness (GNH).Thewellbeingofthe Guyanese people will be of primary importance to my g o v e r n m e n t O u r government will be driven by respect for humanity, human dignity, human rights, andtheruleoflaw Whatweareproposingis adifferentpathforGuyana’s

economic and social development This framework for the National Economic Development Plancanbeaframeworkfor the10to15yearsnational development plan that Nigel Hughes, leader of the

Frompage04 end and prevent wars. The Security Council must also be reformed to be more representative, responsive anddemocratic.Ifnotitwill lose both its credibility and relevance.”

President Ali is correct. Countries of the Global Southarefedupwithlackof progress on their demands for a greater voice at the international financial institutions, as well as for more generous access to development and climate finance, emergency credit lines,anddebtrelief.

They are convinced that a m e a l y - m o u t h e d compromise that lacks specifics will simply leave themempty-handed

According ‘Emissary’ a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Alliance for Change (AFC) has indicated needs to be developed. I am asking the Guyanese people to ‘Give AudreyannaaChance’tobe the next President of Guyana. ‘Give Audreyanna a Chance’ to work with the Guyanese people to ‘Build Our Dream Guyana’ and achieve One People, One Nation, One Destiny; to providestrongleadership;to work with the Guyanese peopletobuild strong families; to work withtheGuyanesepeopleto buildstrongcommunities;to workwiththeGuyanese people to build strong organisations and institutions;toworkwiththe GuyanesePeopletodevelop strong citizenship; to work withtheGuyanesepeopleto build a strong economy; to work with the Guyanese people to build strong bonds; and to work with Guyanese tobuildastrongGuyana. For the purpose of this campaign/movement; our community, youth, and diaspora groups, will be called ‘Dream Teams ’ I would like to partner and team up with people who still believe in the ideal of ourMotto: One People One Nation OneDestiny ‘Building Our Dream G u y a n a ’ campaign/movementwillbe designating the 1st of January to 31st December 2025 as the ‘Year of the Guyanese People’ The focusforthisyearwillbeon renewing our commitment as a people to working together to achieve our motto: One People One NationOneDestiny

Sincerely, Citizen Audreyanna Thomas

What the future holds...

publication that provides ‘incisive, nuanced analysis on the most pressing international affairs challenges’;

‘The Pact pits wealthy nations that have long been the “makers” of the ‘world order’ against developing andpost-colonialnationsno longer content to be passive “takers.”

Accordingto‘Emissary,’

‘The West prefers a piecemeal approach to global reform and to preserve the prerogatives they enjoy in international institutions, particularly of g l o b a l e c o n o m i c governance.

TheGlobalSouthforits part,wantamoreegalitarian multilateral system that enhancestheirvoice,power, andinterestsandcandeliver on debt relief, development aid, trade opportunities, climate financing, and access to cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence.’

Despite the worldchangingsignificanceofthe historic Summit, reporting on the Pact in Guyana has beennon-existent. There is a lack of information in mainstream mediaaboutthePactandthe Summit. This deficiency gives rise to the question; shouldn’t there be national debates about the Pact? Shouldn’t Guyanese be better informed and asked what they think about the Pact or should it be simply; <Que sera sera, whatever will be will be the future’s notourstosee,queserasera Yoursfaithfully, ClementJ.Rohee

Fire destroys several buildings, vehicles at Puruni Landing

A devastating fire broke out at Puruni Landing in Mazaruni Region Seven on Wednesday, leaving residentsinshock asahotel, several buildings, and numerous vehicles were completelydestroyed.

The inferno reportedly beganattheRedBellyHotel around noon and quickly spread to three nearby structures Eyewitnesses captured the chaos on live video, which circulated widely on social media. In the footage, one witness lamented, “The big fancy hotel, the gas station, and all themthingsgone.”

The cause of the fire

The aftermath of the explosive fire that destroyed sections of the hotel and several vehicles

Senior oil company employee accused of sexually assaulting 8-year-old girl

A32-year-old senior employee attachedtoanoil company here is accused of sexually assaulting an eightyear-old girl between September29andOctober4, 2024.

The 25-year-old mother ofthechildrevealedthatshe sharedarelationshipwiththe suspect; however the relationship came to an end

after she discovered that he allegedly sexually assaulted herdaughter

Duringaninterviewwith this publication, the mother revealed that suspicions arose after noticing the suspect's behaviour around theeight-year-oldchild.

On October 5, 2024 she questioned her daughter, who revealed that the man wassexuallyassaultingher

As such, the mother ventured off to a nearby Police Station, where she reported the matter Following that a forensic interview was conducted withthechild.

On Wednesday, the victimalongwiththemother went to the Child Care Protection Agency (CPA). The matte

investigated.

Nations Inc. joins forces with US company to boost local labour market

Nannounced the creation of Core Nations- a majority owned GuyanesecompanyincollaborationwithUS basedCoreGroupResources(CGR).

construction, maritime and especially with projectsinoil&gas,soit'stherighttimefor us to amplify our efforts and put down roots to support Guyana, its businesses and by extensionitsvibrantcommunities.”

Alongside the hotel, a gas station, restaurant, and shop occupied the yard. In one harrowing clip, a man inside a nearby building was seen desperately trying to escape as flames engulfed the structure.Residentsgathered

remains unclear, but explosionswereheardonthe live video from combustible materials stored at the landing.TheRedBellyHotel servedasagrocerystoreand afueltransshipmentpointfor mining operations

to witness the disaster, with some fleeing due to the intense heat and explosive sounds.

Up to press time there was no official reports of injuries or fatalities. A team fromtheBarticaFireStation has been dispatched to investigate the incident However, official statements regardingthefirehaveyetto bereleased.

This partnership will see graduates of Nationsandothersbeingemployedintheoil and gas, maritime, construction and mining industries, a press release from Nations Inc. said.

“At Nations we are excited to grow the Core Nations team to serve these industries and further develop the Guyanese labour market through training and staff development,”thereleaseadded.

According to the release Core Group Resourcesisaleaderinprovidingpersonnel inheavyindustriesbyidentifying,hiring,and growingtherighttalent.

Core Nations, Inc., the release states is a company established under Guyanese law, fullycompliantwiththeLocalContentActof 2021. “This expansion marks Core Group's second international foray after entering Trinidad and Tobago earlier this year Local operations in Guyana will focus on urgent labour demands as energy projects continue tothriveintheregionandgrowthcontinuesin oilandgasexploration,inadditiontoserving the maritime, construction and mining industries.”

“Opening Core Nations is a significant milestone for us and underscores our dedication to providing high-quality personnel solutions in the Energy industry We're fostering long-term partnerships and look forward to being part of Guyana's growth story for years to come,” said Matt Fuhrman,CEOofCoreGroupResources

“TheCaribbeanmarketplaceisbooming withaneedforpersonnelinindustriessuchas

Core Nations, the release further states will operate as a majority locally owned LocalContentCertifiedentity,whichensures the prioritization of Guyanese nationals and companiestobuildtowardpositiveeconomic impact.

To further prioritise the potential economic impact on local communities and stakeholdersandourcommitmenttoGuyana, Core Nations key Guyanese board members arerespectedlocalleadersLiamO'Toolewith Nations Incorporated and Rene Hamilton withAmGuy NationsIncorporatedhasbeen inbusinessinGuyanaforover28years,isa leader in Education and Training and brings access to technical, skilled, HSE and managerialcandidatesforemploymentinthe varioussectorsservicedbyCoreNations.

Dan O'Connor, Managing Director of CoreGroupInternational,willaddGuyanato the list of operations he manages alongside Core Trinidad & Tobago and Core Group Technical Services, the release noted O'Connorhasmorethan20years'experience in corporate operations management, bringing deep relationships and expertise to CoreGroup'sCaribbeanventures.

Aspartofitsglobalexpansionstrategy, CoreGroupbringsitsproprietaryplacement systems, software and processes to work closely with major E&P companies, independents,servicecontractorsandlocally owned businesses in the region to provide quality personnel in technical and nontechnical, high-demand roles via direct hire, contractandstaffingmodels.

World Bank urges LAC ...

Frompage3

across the board to make the region more productiveandcompetitive.Thiswillrequire generating more fiscal space, improving government efficacy, as well as reducing the taxburdenontheproductivesectors.Thisisa goodtimefortheregiontoreconsiderhowits tax systems can best generate revenue while stimulating growth and advancing equity,” said William Maloney, World Bank Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Moreover, the report also explores how wealth taxes could help the region create fiscal space while promoting growth and reducinginequality LAC'sdebt-to-GDPratio rose to 62.8 percent in 2024, limiting governments' ability to increase public investment.Closingthisgaprequiresreforms inrevenuecollectionandspendingefficiency,

accordingtotheWorldBank. Notably, the Bank outlined that while LAC imposes some of the highest corporate taxratesglobally,itcollectsonly2.7percent of its revenues from wealth taxes, compared tohigherratesinNorthAmericaandEurope. Oneareaofpotentialreformispropertytaxes. Despite real estate holding 80 percent of the region's wealth, only 2 percent of tax revenuescomefrompropertytaxes.

The report recommends modernising propertyvaluationsystemsandimprovingtax collection efforts that could help LAC countries raise significant revenue, potentially contributing up to 3 percent of GDP This,itwasstated,couldempowerlocal governmentsandreducethefiscalburdenon businesses. However, it was highlighted that reforms must be carefully designed to avoid overburdeninglow-incomepropertyowners.

The quandary of the Guyanese electorate

Thediscoveryofoilwas supposed to be Guyana’s golden goose, a promise of prosperity and national upliftment But for the electorate, it has become something else altogether: a trap set between a government that refuses to renegotiate for fairer terms andanOppositionthatoffers little more than a plan as unsureasachild’sfirststeps. It is, as they say, a case of being between a rock and a hard place, with no clear pathtobrighterdays.

The Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) between the government of Guyana and the oil companies is as lopsided as a tilted coconut tree. From the outset, the terms have favored the oil companies, leaving the government little room to demandbetter Butthatisnot the entire story The real leverage lies with the government’s power to approve or deny the Field Development Plans (FDPs) that dictate the pace and scope of oil extraction. Six of these plans have already been approved, and another projectloomsonthehorizon l i k e a n o m i n o u s thundercloud.Eachtime,the government has rubberstamped approval without pushing for better terms or insisting on critical measureslikeringfencing,a provision that would ensure that each project is financially distinct from the others, thereby preventing the blending of profits and losses.

It is a perplexing stance, particularlywhenonerecalls thatthisverygovernment,in its days of opposition, was vociferousinitscriticismof the PSA’s shortcomings

Then, they spoke the language of justice and fairness, of extracting what is rightfully due to the peopleofGuyana.Yet,upon gaining the reins of power, theyseemtohavemisplaced that dictionary, choosing instead a lexicon of dismissiveness and expediency. Ring fencing, once championed as a necessity for protecting the national interest, has now become a ghost in their vocabulary—a concept that oncehauntedtheirspeeches, nowconvenientlyvanished. And yet, one might ask, what of the Opposition? Surely, in a democracy, the checks and balances do not restwithonehandalone.But the Opposition seems to existonadifferentplane,ina world where problems are acknowledged but never quite grappled with. They have proposed a 20-point planfortheoilsector,aplan that,atfirstglance,suggests a willingness to address the flaws of the PSA. But on closer inspection, it speaks only of reviewing the agreement, not of fundamentally changing it.

Reviewing, in the parlance of politics, is often just a softer word for treading water moving without truly progressing. And so, the people find themselves stuck with a government unwilling to demand more from the oil companies and an Opposition that offers littlemorethanplatitudes.

For the Guyanese electorate, the reality is bitter They face a government that, despite its power, refuses to use its leverage, and an Opposition t h a t , d e s p i t e i t s responsibility, refuses to

thinkboldly Thisisthekind ofpoliticsthatleavespeople stranded.Theylosewiththe government, and they lose with the Opposition. It is a predicament that one would scarcely wish upon a neighboringnation,letalone one’sown.

There is a sadness that comes with realising that neitherofthemajorpolitical playersistrulycommittedto safeguarding the nation’s interests. For a country on the cusp of a transformative oil boom, the stakes could not be higher The promises madeduringcampaigns,the grand visions of a prosperous and equitable future they now ring hollow Onecannothelpbut marvelattheironyofitall.A government that once decried the lack of ring fencing now dismisses it on the basis of protecting the sanctityofcontracts,apitiful excuseifevertherewasone. The Opposition, which might have seized the opportunity to propose a bold reimagining of the PSA, offers instead a lukewarm review It is more than likely that the governmentwillapprovethe seventh Field Development Planwithoutpushingforany meaningful changes while the people are left wonderingwhathappenedto thedreamsofabetterfuture.

The greatest tragedy in this tale is not merely the failure of one party or the inadequacyofanother—itis the erosion of faith in the veryideathatpoliticscanbe atoolforbetterment.Itisthe realization that the electorate’s interests can so easily be sidelined by those they entrusted with power

The people of Guyana

DEM BOYS SEH

Dem boys seh is like we big ones always dreaming big but forgetting de lil things,likeahmanwhobuyabigfancycar but he ain’t got no garage to park it in. De govament seh dem bringing a new cricket tournament.Yeah,demsehitgonbebig.

But dem forget one lil problem—wheredevistorsdemgonstay?

We barely got hotel rooms fuh de tourists we already got, and now dem expect a wholeheapahcricketfansfromoverseas?

Dembetterplanfuhdemfanstosleepatde airportorketchhammockbydeseawall. Butheardesweetpartnow

Dem big brains decide to start de tournament right when a big international leaguehappening.Youeverseesuchthing?

Dem seh dem gon get TV rights, but dem boys seh all dem gon get is TV static. Everybody gon be watching de other

deserve leaders who will fightfortheirfairshare,who will see the resources beneaththeseanotasaquick windfall but as a lifeline for future generations They deserve more than empty wordsandlacklusterplans.

Butfornow,theyremain caught between two forces thatseemtopullindifferent directions but ultimately lead to the same place: a status quo that benefits the oil companies far more than the nation. They lose with

the government, whose inactionisaspuzzlingasitis predictable. And they lose with the Opposition, whose detachment from the reality of the people’s needs makes them just as culpable. It is a hard place to be, no doubt. Butintheend,theweightof it all falls squarely on the shoulders of the ordinary people, who are left wondering when if ever—they will see a day when their leaders put their interestsfirst.

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

cricket league, de one with real stars and realfans.Weownmightjustgetalilclipon some late-night program when everybody donesleeping.

Andtalkin’boutdeteams,demsehfour teamssignupsofar Four!Man,datsound morelikeavillagelimethanatournament. Islikewhenyouplanabigpartyandonly yourcousinanddeneighborshowup.But dem boys seh is not how many teams, is how many fans dem could attract. Well, good luck with dat one, because nobody liningupfuhticketsyet.

Yousee,demwantpeoplefuhfullupde stadium,butdemboyssehdemgonhaveto give out free doubles and roti if dem want people to come out. Dem better hope we ain’t just turn up fuh de snacks and leave beforedefirstballbowl.

Talkhalf.Leffhalfa

H@RD TRUTHS

Census numbers: publish please

All three major parties are driving their stake in the groundfromtoday Theyare going to win the elections comingupin2025.

Looks like it is going to be that kind of election season- a torrid one. More considerate in the first quarter, since the fourth quarterisnowsounbearably heated. The key resides in thenumbers,whichiswhere things have gotten a shade backedup. Thecensus,what ishappeningthere? Ifitwas favorable to we-know-who, a gag order couldn't keep silent. Whythenistherethis question about the census two years later? What does thissayaboutthebigpeople being so torn about the census results say that they sit on them, as if their life hingedondoingso.

Political life, to make things clear, which in Guyana is dearer than

r e g u l a r l i f e

Uncharacteristic is what I say with this delay If, however,thereisthattelling reason for foot-dragging by the political wise guys with allattheirfingertips,thenthe wholestoryislessamystery and more about the pragmatism of basic commonsense. Thereisthesense inthis corner of the ring that the demographics are closer between the major ethnicities In a word, migration is a big contributor,thebiggest. Ina string of words, the narrowing of the population composition between Guyanese of Indian Descent and Guyanese of African Descent(thehopeisthatthat has been hit plum on the h e a d ) b e c a u s e o f uninterrupted migration by the thousands for years

Focusing on the good ole

USAalone,andareasonably sizabledentinoneparticular ethnicity is believed to have occurred when this is added up. NoGuyaneseisheading in the direction of Caracas, buttheoppositestillhappens towards Toronto and Paramaribo, and other parts. From an empirical perspective, almost all the ethnicities try their hand for greener pastures there may beelsewhere.

Asgoodasthingsareand considering who are the kingsofthelocalcastle,itis amatterofongoingdomestic conversation that the people of the political party in power are the ones in the front ranks of the exodus to external shores. Though there may be some risk of underestimation, things are ruff and tuff for those traditionallyalignedwiththe now opposition, but their presence in the dark tide of

emigration ranks lesser on allscales. Thesmartmoney (meaning here) says that inroadsofanotinsignificant nature have been made into the ruling party's percentage of supporters. The take in thisneighborhoodisthatthis explains the ongoing resistancetoremovetheveil and let the census numbers shinethrough.

What mischief could be afoot through withholding them? What value gained, other than spur the competition to greater conviction that there are intentions to lay the groundwork for new electoral experimentation and adventurism Illadvised, it may be squeezed in, given the air of rawness that already graces next year's much-anticipated and much-watchedproceedings.

Note has been made of the two opposition parties stoutly asserting their confidence to get across the finishlineaheadofthepack and, rather staggeringly, on their own. What do they knowthatnobodyelsedoes? The old US was hung-up on inclusivity equity in distribution, and clean governance. The people running the show today haven't done too well on all three counts More caustically, they have done rather poorly A point of consideration around here is how much is the United States exercised about corruption in Guyana Corruption is so bad that

e v e n t h e grandmothers of t h e m o r e r o l l i c k i n g participants in that n a t i o n a l s p o r t [corruption] would be forced to admit sheepishly that their own have helped themselves. Corruption at high levels, with a meager fewuntainted,andacrossthe 83,000squaretablelandwith more financial criminals than wedding house and supermarket ones, is where bothknowinglocalsandallseeingforeignersareparked. Buying stuff (procurement). Selling arrangements (self for a price, services with ribbons). Barterdeals(quid pro quo) Seed money (incentives). Vulturecapital (political rewards) All thosearehighfliers,quitethe publicsecretinGuyana. The old America was vocal, the newAmericaseemstoprefer nottobesolocal. Whenthe not-so-new chief official residentfromDCisseenand heard,aWhatsAppwouldbe hospitably received Nobaadysayindiddlysquat. In addition to census numbers tightening, and corruption as the other Achilles heel in what is a four-legged upright walking beast, loss of respect is another, with disappearance of trust bringing up the rear According to the expert prognosticators, Guyana is delicately perched, and any little disruption in the atmosphere could be impactful This is not

conducive to the type of tranquil climate that one domestic big dawg favors. From a pure numerical perspective, ballot box realitieswentfromrazorthin torazorgrass. Anyoneinthe vicinity gets slashed. Franchisees have already been conditioned about bloated lists and bad behaviors during the last boutoffisticuffsin2020.

F o r e w a r n e d i s forearmed. Hewhofallsfor thesametricksasecondtime deservestobeintherunnersupenclosure. Silverdoesn't mean, argh, spit. With the latest census believed to be where it is, and all the other factors (internal and external), is the ground set for a joint handshake come 2025? Pick any month but be assured of this one thing. Five more years of demagoguery, waiting for a handout, being kicked around, and treated any old howdonotinspireassucha democratic proposition any longer Nor an acceptable environmental and social condition going forward (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the o p i n i o n s o f t h i s newspaper.)

BLUNT BLUNT

Money like sand

Leader of the Alliance For Change, like Former Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds continues to mislead this nation regarding the proceeds we receive from our oil resources.

At a recent meeting in Linden, Hughes told residents that Guyana has money like sand from the oil resources. It was the same note Hinds struck when he said Guyanese should rejoice over the paltry sums they have received because if we get more we would not be able to spend it.

The PNCR almost every week says the same thing and as for the government, they have embraced ExxonMobil and that lopsided deal so tight it is difficult to tell which side they are on.

Maybe it is worth reminding Hughes, Norton and Jagdeo that for 2023, the Government of Guyana (GoG) had to pay the combined sum of $306 billion in income taxes for ExxonMobil Guyana Limited and its Stabroek Block partners, Hess and CNOOC according to the companies' audited financial statements, while for the same period Guyana earned $336 billion from its oil.

And if that were not enough Guyana should have received US$10B from the production of oil in the Liza One and Liza Two fields to date. However, due to the government's failure to manage the sector prudently in the best interest of Guyanese the country gained a meagre US$4.4B since the startup of production activities in the Stabroek Block.

So much for money like sand!

Lindeners wary over growing number of gr

Venezuelans in community

Leaders and residents of Linden have sounded the alarm over the growing number ofVenezuelans who have taken up residency in theminingtown,sayingthat the migrants putting a strain on their already scarce resourcesandhaveurgedthe governmenttointervene.

Some 600 Venezuelans have already been living in thetownshipandonTuesday Foreign Affairs Minister, HughToddvisitedtheareato engage with the migrants, but he ignored the local leaders.

“It is disappointing that duringMinister'sHughTodd visit to Linden he chose to meet only with members of his party and Venezuelan migrants, without engaging withlocalelectedofficialsor community leaders, who raised this matter as an urgent issue, since last December,” Mayor of Linden, Sharma Solomon said.

Hesaidthatthetownship hasbeenonthefrontlinesof addressing the concerns surrounding the migrant situation, “and the voices of our residents who have legitimate questions and concerns have been overlooked by the Ministry for too long.” Solomon said last December, during several public forums the People of Linden have warned government of this uncheckedissueinourtown.

“This notwithstanding, governments migration unit which was established to monitor this matter, but according to the minister of HomeAffairs,asofJanuary, Linden did not have Venezuelan migrants. While we welcome any effort to support and assist those in need, it is crucial that all parties, including the Ministry, take into account the local context and the challenges our town faces.

Thelackofengagementwith local officials and residents

further alienates the very peoplewhoselivesarebeing directly impacted by these decisions.”

Solomonsaid:“Wehope that,theministry'sresponse, byhavingtheministercome himself,isnotjustashowto appease the international community, while reducing the legitimate concerns of Guyanese The way government chooses to handle this issue, will say how much confidence the community should have in any information being released,”Solomonsaid.

“As mayor, I call upon Minister Todd to take immediate steps to open dialogue with our community and ensure that all perspectives are heard, and not just those that align with a political agenda. Our priority remains the safety, well-being, and cohesion of our community, and we expect the same from national leadership,” his

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd engaging with Venezuelan migrants in Linden on Tuesday

statementconcluded.

For his part, Member of Parliament, Jerma

FigueirasaidthatTodd'svisit to Linden to address the Venezuelan migrant crisis was deeply concerning, as it failed to involve local l

a d e r s

mpr

r

sive and bipartisanapproachthatisan i m p e r a t i v e w h e n addressing such sensitive matters. “This lack of engagement is not only disrespectful but raises d

ubts ab

he seriousness the minister attaches to the fulsomeness

of this crucial issue,” Figueirasaid. He noted that a more m

n d responsible approach, one that involves local leaders andstakeholders,isnotonly necessary, but paramount, for the development of a comprehensive plan that addresses the humanitarian issues at hand and the attendant impacts and implications for the municipality and its local servicesarchitecture.“Iurge the minister to engage more collaborativelytoensurethat the migrants and local concerns are adequately and amicably addressed,” he said.

Fire destroys home of Line Path vendor home

58-year-old vendor is at his wits end after his Line Path, Corentyne, Berbice home was destroyed by fire Mondayafternoon.

The fire, of unknown origin, reportedly broke out around 15:00hrs The property was owned by Navindra Ramnarine. In an interview with Kaieteur News, he shared that he learned of the fire while sleepingathismother'shome, when a neighbour came to informhimthathishousewas ablaze Upon hearing the news, Ramnarine rushed home, only to find that the upper flat of his home had been largely destroyed. “The houseiscompletelydamaged; it was well furnished,” he related Firefighters were promptlycalledtothesceneto combat the flames and were able to minimise further

d disappointment, alleging, “When the fire service reach

theyhadlilbitwater.”

The 58-year-old man suspectsthatthefiremayhave been deliberately set, as he hadnoelectricityinthehouse. He said, “Somebody set the fire, because there is nobody there,exceptmewhenisnight whenIgohome,minahcook. That is my feeling because there is no electricity there is no cooking so where the fire comefrom?”

The aftermath of the fire

Navindra Ramnarine

2 Annual Regional Investments and Capital Markets Conference

T r a n s p a r e n c y , accountability and investor education, key to driving healthy capital markets—

JSEManagingDirector

T r a n s p a r e n c y , accountability and investor education are among the keystodrivingavibrantand healthy capital investment market.

Managing Director of Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE), Dr Marlene Street Forrestmadethispointwhile deliveringherremarksatthe nd opening of 2 Annual Regional Investments and Capital Markets Conference being hosted at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, G e o r g e t o w n T h e conference commenced on Tuesdayevening.

Theeventistheresultof collaboration between the JSE and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), and is being held under the theme

'Financing For Success: Where Passion, Prosperity andPeopleAlign.'

The two-day event is an important forum for discussing the direction of capitalmarketsintheregion.

With keen focus on expanding access to equity capital and creating an environment where more people can participate in financial markets, the conferenceisgearedtowards highlighting the importance of access to capital for business sustainability, and is underpinned by the view that strong, inclusive capital market will provide the answers for many problems that Small and Mediumsized Enterprises (SMEs) and other companies experience.

During her address, Dr Street Forrest told the gathering of local and regional stock exchange experts that the Capital

Markets conference is a suitable catalyst for laying the ground work by which both Guyana and Jamaica can collaborate and evolve.

“I'm pleased to report that ourcollaborationhaslaidthe ground work for exciting new developments Together, we are working to ensure that there is a stock exchange that not only connects local businesses to RegionalandGlobalCapital but also guarantees agility and sustainability in the rapidly evolving market,” shesaid.

According to the JSE expert,inorderforanystock exchange to yield the benefits of success, the frame work must be backed by international best practices.

Dr Street Forrest explained that “In Jamaica, for example, we have seen tremendous impact of the stock exchange By

focusing on issues such as transparency, accountability and investor education, the JSE has been ranked one of the top performing in the world. This success is no accident; it is as a result of deliberate policies and a commitment for fostering passion prosperity and people.”

ShenotedthatGuyanais no different; it has potential that can lead to vibrant and healthyCapitalMarket.

“ T h e r e a r e unprecedentedopportunities for emerging markets that could attract international investment. This means our businesses must be to compete on the global scale with strong regulatory framework such as transparency and adherence to international best practices.”

In addition, Dr Street Forrest, remarks were delivered by Chairman of

Managing Director of JSE, Dr. Marlene Street Forrest while delivering her remarksat the opening nd of 2 Annual Regional Investments and Capital

levy

Executive Officer of NCB Capital Markets Limited, Mr. Angus Young, and Managing Director of Jefferies Private Wealth Management, Mr Gregory Fisher

Inhisaddress,Chairman of the JSE, Steven Whittingham urged Guyana to wary of economic traps. He pointed to time while Guyana is in its season of economic growth; it should be cautious least of how the is wealth is managed. The Chairman noted that “successful economies are not built solely on natural resources. They are built by successful companies and successful companies need capital Guyana is at a crossroads. It's a land of opportunity, but you must treadcarefully.”

W h i t t i n g h a m highlighted Jamaica's

He noted that the Jamaican government, back in the 1970s, had introduced a capital development fund thatwassupposedtoactasa safety net for the economy “Theplan?...Wastosavethe proceeds from bauxite to supportsocialenterpriseand bolster the country's reserves, instead, the fund was mismanaged, and eventually the capital vanished,” the Chairman said. Mr Whittingham also tookthetimetohighlightthe success of Jamaica's Stock Exchange,whichnowboasts over 100 listed companies and a market capitalisation of$11billion.“We'vebuilta platform for wealth generation and capital raisingthatisinternationally recognised. But it wasn't alwaysthisway,”hestated. Meanwhileinhisspeech, (Continuedonpage16)

$51M spent to refurbish science lab, staff room at St. Stanislaus College

President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali emphasised the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in advancing Guyana's economic and industrialgrowth.

PresidentAlispokeatthe launch and dedication ceremonyfortherefurbished Physics and Chemistry laboratories and staff room of the St Stanislaus College onTuesdayevening. Heunderscoredtheneed for a new generation of graduateswhoareproficient inSTEMeducationandwho willbeabletorespondtothe coming challenges and opportunities of Guyana's evolving economy An alumnus of St Stanislaus

College, President Ali said the institution is an ideal place for students to begin mastering their STEMfocusedskills.

“This endeavour is more than just bricks and mortar, more than just burners and lab equipment. It represents a commitment to the idea that education, especially in the fields of Science, Technology, E n g i n e e r i n g a n d Mathematics, is needed to boost our economy that is now on a transformative path of development,” the presidentsaid. The head of state challenged the school's administration and teachers to ensure the institution remains relevant to national

innovation, preparing students for a future aligned with Guyana's economic trajectory He emphasised the government's goal of aligning their curriculum withthecountry'sobjectives – climate security, AI integration, and renewable energy President Ali also floated the idea of an innovation fund to ignite creativity and critical thinking, vital skills when it comes to making a valuable contribute to economic growth.

“I would like to support an innovation fund for St Stanislaus College, and for us to create a new fund wh

age innovation, and have the

children of this institution coming up with innovative i d e a s I d e a s o f entrepreneurship, product development, developing new scientific models through research and development,”hesaid.

The new laboratories, whichwerenamedinhonour of the late Father Herbert Feenie SJ, a former Physics and Chemistry Master, are equipped with the necessary facilities to stimulate the minds of the over 560 students attending the school. The staff room was named after former alumni, Richard Harford. The two projectswerecompletedata combined investment of approximately $51 million, funded in part by the government, and through donations from alumni and (Continuedonpage16)

bauxite

as cautionary tale for Guyana.

President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Tuesday commissioned the Father Herbert Feenie labs and Richard Hartford staff room

...Pres. Ali says STEM education critical to boosting Guyana's economy

Markets Conference hosted at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown Guyana

A section of the attendees at of 2 Annual Regional Investments and Capital Markets Conference in hosted at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown

‘$28M contract to Region 8 engineer R was never blocked’

...Works

were completed, inspected in September by ministers - Mahipaul

As the controversy surrounding a government engineering bidding and winning a contract in his homedistrictofRegionEight

Kaieteur News has been reporting that Regional Engineer for Region Eight, Latchman Singh through his c

Kaieteur News on Wednesday that the facts paintadifferentpicture.“The contractwasawardedinMay, and by September, the work

Ministers Edghill, Pauline and Parag walking the Princeville Road in Region 8 where the $28M contract was awarded to the company owned by the Regional Engineer Latchman Singh. (Picture taken September 11, 2024)

continues to grow, Member of Parliament, Ganesh MahipaulonWednesdaysaid that contrary Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo the $28M contract was never blocked. He said that the project was completed and government ministers actually visited to checkoffontheworks.

US$1.2M

Contracting Enterprise had won the contract to execute

e Princeville Road, Region Eight, but Jagdeo said when government found out about the issue the contract was blocked.

Mahipaul however told

had been fully completed. This directly contradicts Jagdeo'sclaim.Ifthecontract had truly been blocked, how theprojectwascompletedon time?” Mahipaul queried Additionally, Mahipaul said Ministers Juan Edghill, Pauline Sukhai and Sonia Parag inspected the project

during their Ministerial Outreach in Region 8 on September 11, 2024. “This raises a critical question: if the project had been blocked as Jagdeo claimed, why did these ministers take time to inspect a project that was supposedlyhalted?”

Moreover,Mahipaulsaid

key questions need to be answered by Ministers Edghill and Deodat Indar: Was the contractor paid?; how much was he paid and whenwasthepaymentmade.

Furthermore, the MP asked which engineer measured the work to determine how much was to be paid and whether it was Latchman Singh himself Mahipaulalsowantstoknow whichengineersignedoffon the work as satisfactorily completedandwhetheritwas Latchman Singh himself “To settle this matter, the publicdeservesthetruth.We need to see the signed documents that show which engineer authorised the

payment and certified the work as complete. If it was Latchman Singh, as suspected, then Jagdeo's claim of blocking the contract is not just misleading, it is entirely false We call on the Government to provide the proofanddisclosethesigned documents that reveal the truthaboutwhosignedoffon thisproject.

Distraction Meanwhile, Mahipaul has insisted that Jagdeo's declaration that the contract was blocked owing to conflict of interest was actuallycalculatedtodistract attention away from the (Continuedonpage16)

Fellowship Practical Instruction Centre commissioned

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand and her team on Wednesday commissioned the newlyrehabilitatedUS$1.2million Fellowship Practical Instruction CentrewhichislocatedontheWest CoastofDemerara(WCD).

Accordingtoareleasefromthe Education Ministry, the US$1,214,907.42Centre,aproject funded by the Caribbean DevelopmentBank(CDB)issetto benefit 400 students and is poised to significantly enhance technical and vocational training in the region. The commissioning of the

centre also forms part of the ministry's ongoing efforts to provide students with practical skillsalignedwiththedemandsofa modern job market, the ministry stated.

It was detailed by the ministry that the US$1.2 million cost includes expenses for infrastructure development, tools and equipment, as well as ICT equipment and furnishing of the Centre. Minister Manickchand in her remarks at the event yesterday said that “This centre plays a crucial role in the Government of

Guyana's vision to create educational opportunities that allow every child to have a bright future in the new Guyana we are buildingout.”

To this end, the minister

encouragedthestudentstotakefull advantageofthecentre'sresources andurgedthemtopursuetheskills andtrainingofferedtoensuretheir successintheevolvingjobmarket.

“The Fellowship Practical InstructionCentreisoneofseveral facilitiesbeingupgradedunderthe Guyana Skills Development and Employability Project (GSDEP), funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) Through this project, Practical Instruction Centres (PICs) in Regions Three, Four, and Five, as well as Practical Instruction Departments (PIDs) in hinterland secondary schools, are being refurbished and expanded to support technical vocational education and training (TVET) across the country,” the ministry disclosedinitsrelease.

Delivering brief remarks yesterday,DeputyChiefEducation Officer-Technical, Dr. Ritesh Tularam, emphasized the Ministry's commitment to strengthening TVET throughout

the country, noting that the Government continues to foster partnerships with key funding agencies, such as the CDB, to ensure access to quality TVET for allcitizens.

It was shared by the ministry that through his office, the centre was equipped with 20 helmets, 20 safetyvests,20pairsofgloves,and 20 pairs of goggles to the Fellowship Practical Instruction Centre.

This publication understands thatthePracticalInstructionCentre offers training in various fields, including electrical work, woodworking, and food and nutrition, and it aims to provide students with the competencies needed to earn Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) certifications.

Additionally,thesetrainingwill enable students to enter the job market confidently, establish their own economic enterprises, or pursue further post-secondary and tertiaryeducation.

The completed works on the Princeville Road, Region Eight

MODEC sponsors Guyana's 2024 National Robotics Team

On Friday, October 4th, 2024, representatives from MODECGuyanaInc.visited theSTEMGuyanaClubhouse to meet with Guyana's National Robotics Team, a group of fifteen talented youths aged 14 to 18, 6 of whom recently represented Guyana at the First Global Challenge, an international robotics competition held in Athens,Greece.

MODEC's representatives engaged the robotics team in discussions about their training, preparation, and p

competition, STEMGuyana said in a press release. The students explained how they worked closely with their

e members, analysing each other's robots to divide tasks based on their strengths. For instance, they shared that their robot excelled in carrying and offloading tasks, so they focused on perfecting that function Theyalsodescribedhowthey

MODEC, a global leader in floating production solutions such as FPSOs (FloatingProductionStorage and Offloading units) and TLPs (Tension Leg Platforms)fortheoffshoreoil and gas industry, sponsored STEMGuyana's National Robotics Team in their participationatthe2024First Global Challenge The MODEC team, led by Country Manager Rafael Fumis,includedLiviaAlves, Training Coordinator; Onicka Jones, Stakeholder, Socio-Economic & Local Content Manager; and K i p e n i e J o r d a n , CommunicationsAnalyst.

made real-time adjustments to their robot throughout the competition to stay competitive.

Mr Rafael Fumis,

MODEC'sCountryManager, spokewiththeteamanddrew parallels between the robotics work and the tasks performed in the offshore oil and gas industry "The work you're doing here is very similar to what we do in our operations,"hesaid."Onour offshore platforms, we control thousands of valves throughCPUsliketheonein your robot. We analyze data from various sensors, and thosevalvesreacttomaintain the process table. The skills you are learning here are directly applicable to the workwedo.Additionally,we use robots and drones for inspections and 3D modeling, so what you're

learning will undoubtedly make a difference in your futurecareers.Welldone!"

A l i s h a K o u l e n , Operations Manager at STEMGuyana, took the opportunity to brief the MODECteamonthevarious programs offered by

STEMGuyana, including STEMClubs,LearningPods, National Competitions, the STEMGuyana Innovation Expo, the Robin the Robot TV Program, the Parent Academy, the Virtual Academy, and the Summer

Camps. Elsie Harry, Board Member and Fundraising C o o r d i n a t o r f o r

STEMGuyana, highlighted therelevanceofthestudents' STEM education to the growing demands of the oil and gas sector She recalled that several STEMGuyana alumnihadbeenrecruitedby companies within the industry She also suggested that, when MODEC's FPSO unit arrives in Guyana, it would be an exciting opportunity for the robotics students to visit and witness

itsoperationsfirsthand. Mr Fumis welcomed the idea,asdidthestudents,who were eager for the potential learningexperience.Lakesha McArthur,whoservedasthe robot driver during the First Global Challenge, expressed her heartfelt thanks to MODEC Guyana Inc. for their generous sponsorship and presented the MODEC team with STEMGuyana memorabilia as a token of a p p r e c i a t i o n Team Guyana Robotics (Continuedonpage16)

The MODEC team (From left) Kipenie Jordan, Communications Analyst, Onicka Jones, Stakeholder, Socio-Economic & Local Content Manager, Country Manager Rafael Fumis, and Livia Alves, Training Coordinator

STEMGuyana Board Member & Fundraising Coordinator Elsie Harry receives sponsorship contribution from MODEC Country Manager Rafael Fumis

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‘$28M contract to Region 8 engineer was never blocked’...

From page 14 bigger picture. According to Mahipaul, Singh is no stranger to the Ministry of Public Works and Amerindian Affairs. “Our intelligence is clear: whenever PPP/C ministers grace Region 8, they are wined and dined at Lene’s Restaurant and Bar, owned by the same individual behind Lene’s Contracting Enterprise,” Mahipaul said. He explained that there was an instance where Singh stood before the Public Accounts Committee and accused a Regional Executive Officer (REO) of directing him to undertake illegal activities under the APNU/AFC administration. “But one must ask,

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who directed him to open a contracting company and who is instructing him to do wrong things now? Could it be a PPP/C Minister pulling the strings behind the scenes?” he questioned.

He advised that the citizens must not be deceived by surface level optics and the government wants them to believe that they are addressing the issues, however “this is just a calculated distraction.” Mahipaul is of the opinion that the government “knows full well who this engineer is, and they continue to enable his actions in Region 8. Now, with elections on the horizon, they are attempting to sell us on a false narrative of reform.”

Furthermore, Mahipaul disclosed that there is a PPP/ C Regional Councillor in Region 8, reportedly very close to Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai. Mahipaul said the said contractor receives a lot of contracts in Region One. “The time will come when their names, faces, and company

will be exposed. But make no mistake—this is the most corrupt government Guyana has ever seen and we cannot allow ourselves to be blindsided by their games,” he said.

On Monday, this publication reported that Singh was told to decide whether he wants to be an employee of the State or work as a private contractor after he had won the $28M contract through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).

While responding to a Stabroek News editorial last week at his newspaper, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo exposed the issue. He said there are complaints that persons may be influenced or they may be violating procurement laws because of instructions they receive or they may even lack awareness of the law and what it has provisions in place for. However, he said the current administration has embarked on a campaign to fix all of this and they have made it clear that

non-adherence to the law will not be tolerated at a political level. “So people know now that they are responsible for compliance with the procurement laws and that they will bear the consequences should we find breach. We have already seen that from the time we spoke on one visit to Region Eight last week, we got a number of things,” he said.

Giving an example of one such situation where the laws were breached, he told reporters of the case with Singh.

“One engineer there in the region…so he is based in Mahdia and then put in a bid through the public process, an open bidding process but through NPTAB and got a contract for $28M because they just looked at whoever had the best bid, but this guy is also the regional engineer.”

The engineer however did not submit his bid through the regional system, instead he submitted via an open public tender, and received the bid to do work in Mahdia. “Now if you’re an engineer and

you’re based in Mahdia working for the RDC and you’re the contractor for a project in Mahdia, people wouldn’t care if it’s NPTAB that gave that and you participated in an open bid, this is the kind of conflict I spoke of,” Jagdeo stressed.

The VP is of the opinion that as an employee of the government, you cannot also be a contractor for government project as well, hence the engineer will have to make a choice which path to follow as he cannot assume both roles. Additionally, a number of other issues were exposed to the officials during the outreach and the government is working to address them, Jagdeo said.

“People are now bringing this to our attention, we didn’t know the NPTAB didn’t know I asked them, they said we don’t know this guy is the regional engineer, he bid through an open process. They did not know. Once this comes to our attention, people have to make a determination,” the VP said.

MODEC sponsors Guyana’s 2024 National...

From page 14 Member and Fundraising Coordinator for STEMGuyana, highlighted the relevance of the students’ STEM education to the growing demands of the oil and gas sector. She recalled that several STEMGuyana alumni had been recruited by companies within the industry. She also suggested that, when MODEC’s FPSO unit arrives in Guyana, it would be an ex-

citing opportunity for the robotics students to visit and witness its operations firsthand.

Mr. Fumis welcomed the idea, as did the students, who were eager for the potential learning experience. Lakesha McArthur, who served as the robot driver during the First Global Challenge, expressed her heartfelt thanks to MODEC Guyana Inc. for their generous sponsorship and

presented the MODEC team with STEMGuyana memorabilia as a token of appreciation.

Team Guyana Robotics 2024’s participation in the Athens Challenge was made possible through the generous support and sponsorship of several key contributors.

Special thanks to Minister Frank Anthony, Ms. Malvie Talbot from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry

of Education, the First Global Organization, MODEC, and the parents of our team members. We also extend our gratitude to local restaurants— Starbucks, Big Kahuna, and Saboor—for providing snacks for the team. Finally, we deeply appreciate the dedication of our mentors, who invested countless hours guiding the team through the process of building their robot.

2nd Annual Regional Investments...

From page 13

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NCB Capital Markets limited, Angus Young underscored the pivotal role of broker dealers in facilitating the growth and expansion of businesses.

“The broker dealer will also bring fresh capital from

From page 13 the families of the late Father Feenie and Richard Harford.

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“When I think back to my days as a student, I remember a time when the world was brimming with possibilities, when every classroom felt like a window into the unknown, Science was not just a subject to be studied. The refurbished labs you appoint today promise to re-

the region into Guyana as investors seek to participate in the fastest growing economy in the world,” Young said. He continued: “Guyana is at the defining moment in its history, driven by the growth of its energy sector and the subsequent opportunities it has unlocked.

kindle that spirit in our current students.

They will offer this space for exploration, trial and error and for discovery, and environmental curiosity to flourish,” the head of state declared.

The government has been prioritising STEM education by investing in curriculum development, partnering with interna-

The rapid developments we are witnessing is unprecedented.

The NCB’s CEO added that to truly unlock the benefits of the development, there must be collaboration in all levels to develop a capital market structure that democratises wealth for every

tional organisations, and upgrading educational facilities. The recent opening of the New St George’s School of Sciences exemplifies this commitment to empowering students to pursue their scientific interests.

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, announced plans for further upgrades to the school. They include renovations to

MODEC sponsors Guyana’s...

Special thanks to Minister Frank Anthony, Ms. Malvie Talbot from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the First Global Organization, MODEC, and

the parents of our team members. We also extend our gratitude to local restaurants— Starbucks, Big Kahuna, and Saboor—for providing snacks for the team. Finally,

Guyanese citizen.

“On one hand, with this progress comes the need for capital, patient capital that would nurture emerging industries, support infrastructure and ultimately fuel the growth of businesses on all levels,” he said.

the existing auditorium, additional classrooms, dining areas and amenities. The ceremony was attended by Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar; British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller; members of the diplomatic corps; private sector representatives, St Stanislaus alumni and current students. (DPI)

we deeply appreciate the dedication of our mentors, who invested countless hours guiding the team through the process of building their robot.

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GWI to relocate network mains & water intake structure at Mackenzie/Wismar bridge

The Guyana Water Inc (GWI) is gearing up to spend approximately $297 million to relocate network mains and raw water intake s t r u c t u r e s a t t h e Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge, Region10. As reported previously

the government through the Ministry of Public Works is undertakingtheconstruction ofanewMackenzie/Wismar Bridge and due to this, several facilities, utilities and structures are expected toberelocatedsincethenew bridge will be built at the same location. Responding

Belowarethecompaniesandtheirbids:

GuyanaPowerandLight(GPL)

Todevelopandexecutetrainingprogram forWomeninSolarRenewableEnergy

GuyanaWaterInc.

RelocationofNetworkMains&RawWater IntakeStructureatMackenzie/WismarBridge.

totheGWItender,atotalof 23 contractors have submitted bids to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board(NPTAB)onTuesday It was reported that in Januarythegovernmentand C h i n a R a i l w a y Construction Corporation

Limited inked a US$35M c o n t r a c t f o r t h e construction of the new f o u r - l a n e Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge in the Upper DemeraraBerbiceregion. The four-lane bridge is expectedtobecompletedin two years It will be pre-

GuyanaSugarCorporationInc. Supply&DeliveryofFuel Lot1-Gasoline&Lot2-Diesoline.

Supply&DeliveryofTwoNew1200KW GeneratorSet&ControlPanels.

ProcurementofAll-TerrainVehicles (ATV’s)CommunityPolicingGroup.

cast and will measure 220 meters Itwillcarryallroad safety signs, lighting and have a 32-meter horizontal clearage and 11 5 meters verticalclearage It will be constructed in the vicinity of West Watooka, Wismar Notably, attheopeningoftendersthe

Guyana Power Inc. (GPL) received one bid for its contractwhich is to develop a

programforWomeninSolar RenewableEnergy

G

International SKN Inc. was the lone bidder and bid US$243,960.

ProcurementofK-9Dogs.

MinistryofHomeAffairs

ProcurementofDryer&Washer-Extractors

WASHINGTON,Oct9

(Reuters) - Vice President Kamala Harris’presidential campaign and related politi

have raised $1 billion since she became the Democratic candidate in July,asourcebriefedonthe mattertoldReuters.

Since Harris replaced PresidentJoeBidenonJuly

21,dollarshaveflowedinto her campaign coffers and affiliated political action c o m m i t t e e s a n d Democratic Party at an unprecedentedpace. Harris raised $25 million on the day she was named the candidate, and had amassed $500 million

month

Donald Trump and the Republican Party raised $130 million in August, leaving $295 million cash on hand at the end of that month,vs Harris and Democrats’ $404million.

Harris’ race against Trump remains close, with h

Reuters/Ipsos polling shows,andtheraceatossup inmanybattlegroundstates. T

enthusiasm going into the Nov 5 election, the source said, and will be used on advertising, operations in battleground statesandstaff.

Pres. Biden and Netanyahu speak as Israel mulls Iran response

(BBC NEWS) - US PresidentJoeBidenhasheld amuch-anticipatedcallwith Israel’s prime ministerbelieved to be their first dialogueinweeks.

Benjamin Netanyahu and President Biden are thought to have discussed Israel’s response to Iran’s missileattacklastweekamid escalating tensions in the MiddleEast.

The White House said US Vice-President Kamala Harrisalsojoinedthecallon Wednesday,althoughdetails of what was discussed are yet to be released. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said Israel’s retaliatory attack against Iran will be “deadly, precise and above allsurprising”.

“ T h e y w i l l n o t understand what happened and how it happened, they willseetheresults,”Gallant said Elsewhere in the MiddleEastregion,fighting has continued between

Hezbollah and Israel, with four people killed in an Israeli air strike on a Lebanese village near the southerncityofSidon.

In the small Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, a couple out walking their dog were killed by Hezbollah rockets firedfromLebanon. TheyarethefirstIsraeli

civilians to die since the c

dramatically escalated 12 days ago. Rockets have also strucktheIsraeliportcityof Haifa, injuring at least five people. Israel said it has carried out more than 1,100 air strikes since its ground invasion began in southern Lebanonon30September

In an update shared on Wednesday evening, the Israeli Air Force said it had used fighter jets, helicopters and remotely manned aircrafttoattackHezbollah’s sites - and has also attacked 300targetsinnorthernGaza as part of the fighting in Jabalia Previously, Netanyahu has vowed Iran

will “pay the price” for the Iranian barrage - which Tehran said was in response to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon and high-profile assassinations of Hezbollah leaders, including the late HassanNasrallah.

The US has defended Israel’srighttoretaliate,but has also appeared to be tryingtolimititsresponseto Iran.

Lebanon’s government says as many as 1.2 million peoplehavefledtheirhomes over the past year Almost 180,000 people are in approved centres for the displaced.

In addition, more than 400,000 people have fled into war-torn Syria, includingmorethan200,000 Syrian refugees - a situation that the head of the UN’s refugee agency described as one of “tragic absurdity”. Hezbollah - a Shia Islamist political, military and social organisation that wields

considerable power in Lebanon - has remained defiant despite suffering a series of devastating blows in recent weeks, including the killing of its leader and most of its top military commanders.

On Monday, the group insisteditwas“confident in the ability of our resistance to oppose the Israeli aggression” Israel’s governmentw h i c h d e s i g n a t e s Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation - has pledged to make it safe for tens of thousands of displaced residents to return to their homes near the Lebanese borderafterayearofcrossborder fighting sparked by thewarinGaza Hostilities have escalated steadily since Hezbollah began firingrocketsintonorthern Israel on 8 October 2023the day after its ally Hamas’s deadly attack on southernIsrael

Language, lack of money and fear are matters of life and death with Milton approaching Florida

MIAMI (AP)

Hurricane Milton is expected to unleash its greatestforceoverhundreds of thousands of immigrants who don’t speak English, most of them Latin Americans harvesting oranges and tomatoes in the fields along Florida’s I-4 corridor, washing dishes in restaurants, cleaning hotel rooms and working construction.

FortheSpanishspeakers and a smaller number of African refugees , new lives in the U.S. were already a dailystrugglebecauseofthe language barrier and lack of resources.Miltonhasturned thoseobstaclesintoamatter oflifeanddeath.

Migrantsintheeyeofthe storm Florida is home to at least4.8millionimmigrants, according to the Pew Research Center Orlando and Tampa are the metropolitan areas with the highest number of immigrants after Miami, the majority from Latin American countries such as MexicoandVenezuela.

In Central Florida, most

migrantsworkinhospitality, construction and picking strawberries, berries, tomatoesandoranges.Many new arrivals don’t have access to TV, computers or internet access and do not know where to find information about Milton, a powerful storm that pushed state and local authorities to orderevacuationintheareas where most of these immigrants live Around 250,000Mexicansliveinthe areawhereHurricaneMilton wouldhithardandmanyfear leavingtheirtrailerhomesor facing deportation. “There

is resistance to going to a shelter,” Juan Sabines Guerrero,ConsulGeneralof México in Orlando. “There is no time to think about it,” he urged compatriots in Florida. “They have to do it.” Sabines said that local authorities have assured consularofficials“thatthey will not ask about immigrationstatus ” Fighting fear about deportationtosavelives Guerrero and his staff

have done several interviews with Spanishlanguage radio stations in the area and shared an

interactive map about sheltersintheareaonsocial mediaplatforms.

They also have WhatsApp channels and an emergency hotline wherepeoplecancall Immigration advocates and consulate officials have been reaching out in Tampa, Orlando and central Florida towns to helpwithevacuationplans andotherwiseprepare

They are sharing information in Spanish, French and African languages and making calls, sending text messages and

Florida is preparing for what is expected to be a devastating storm. The storm will make landfall in western Florida, near Tampa, and pass over the central part of the state, including Orlando [Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters]

sharing social media posts with information about shelters, evacuations and places to pick up sandbags, food, water, shelters and gasoline. “In situations like a hurricane that are emergencies, it is not easy to find information in Spanish,” said Jessica R a m i r e z , g e n e r a l coordinator at the Farmworker Association, which serves more than 1

organizations such as the FarmworkerAssociationof F

Immigrant Coalition and Hope CommUnity Center have been translating information from state and local authorities and sharing it in Spanish through WhatsApp groups, Facebook, and social-media channels Like other organizationsthatservelowincome Latino families in the area, they have received hundreds of calls from S p a

s h s p e a k i n g immigrants who cannot find

understand English, asking fordetailsaboutthestorm.

US President Joe Biden met with Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on 18 October 2023 - just days after Hamas killed some 1,200 Israelis

A tornado hurled debris in Fort Myers on Wednesday

ERC says probing racist abuse of Ivor Thom

The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) is currently investigating the incident where renowned Guyanese sculptor and Administrator at the E.R. BurrowesSchoolofArt,Mr Ian Ivor Thom was racially abused by a member of the public.

“Yesitiscurrentlyunder investigation and that is as muchaswecansaybecause it is under investigation,”

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the ERC, Gomin Camacho confirmed with this publication on Tuesday onthesidelinesofanevent.

establishedbyArticle212of the Constitution of the Guyana which promotes harmony and good relations amongallpeoplesofGuyana andoneofitsfunctionsisto promote the elimination of all forms of discrimination onthebasisofethnicity

Kaieteur News had reported that Mr Thom had tendered his resignation from the school earlier last monthfollowinganincident at the school's parking lot where a member of the public used racial slurs towards him. Mr Thom's resignation from the school was highlighted in a letter addressedtothispublication

by students who expressed deep concern about the unfortunate incident that led to his departure. Mr. Thom told Kaieteur News that on thedayinquestion,hewasin the parking lot near his car whenheobservedaredSUV reversing in a parking space next to where he was that was reserved for staff and studentsoftheArtSchool.

Regional food festival

hailed a success

– Ministry of Tourism

The third Regional Food Festivalhasbeenlaudedasa success by the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, vendors, entertainers and other participants The event which was hosted from October 2 – 6, 2024 at the Main Street Avenue, Georgetown forms part of President Irfaan Ali's vision to provide exposure and grow small businesses, the ministry said in a press release. During a closing meeting with participants of the event on Tuesday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Minister ofTourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond noted that initiative aimed to expose small businesses to the thousands of visitors in Guyana for the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) CricketCarnival.

“This is one of the visions for the small businesses to benefit from our tourism product which we are working to diversify with sporting events and otheractivities,”theminister noted. With a promise of a bigger and better event in 2025 when the CPL final returns to Guyana, Minister Walrond encouraged the vendors and entertainers to worktowardsimprovingand increasing their products based on trends. She added that similar events in other Caribbean countries are also onthehorizon.

“You are a part of this product,thistourismproduct that we want to build and expand...every year it has changed in terms of the services we offer for

example, cocktails this year is a big thing and that has expanded. It is for you and for us to respond to the customers' needs and trends,”theMinistertoldthe food vendors. A total of thirty-six vendors participated in this year's Regional Food Festival Permanent Secretary Mrs. Sharon RoopchandEdwards indicated that the number of visitors to the booth has continually increased over the years and this year also included several influencers The vendors and entertainers have all expressed gratitude to the Government of Guyana for hosting the initiative One business owner said participating in the festival since 2022 has led to him expanding his brand.“MyTeamandIhave been at the Regional Food Festival since 2022 and then we realised that our product is not only loved backhomeinLethembutall across Guyana and internationally from the exposure we got from the Food Festival. From that we were able to be inspired to acquire a location in Georgetown and expand to the other branches that we currently have,” said Shammah Noel, Owner of APizzaLL. Owner of Dixie Punch De Crème, Dixie Jordan commented; “for the pastthreeyearstheeventhas been amazing. I have never been to one of the Food Festivals and have a complaint.Thestaffhasbeen amazing.”Representative of Docs Catering, Omid Ali said;“withinafewhours,our

Upon seeing this, Mr Thomsaidhesignalledtothe driver to get his attention. The driver came out of the vehicletospeakwithhim.

“Thepersoncameoutof the vehicle and asked what the matter is. I said, that is a no parking, you can't park there.Itisapassagewayand apart from that, this area is reserved for the Burrowes School of Art students and staff.

He(driver)saidbutthere is no school. I said but you are also blocking the passageway and even if it's notschool,onlyourstudents park there,” Mr Thom explained He related that afterinformingthedriverhe couldnotparkthere,theman insisted that he could park there “He continued

insisting that he can park there.ItoldhimifIcometo your place of work or place of residence, and I park where I am not supposed to park would you be abusive the way you are trying to abuse me. He (driver) said, “oh it's stupid **[word withheld] people like you makethiscountrywhereitis and that is why all kind of foreigners gotta come in becauseofstupidpeoplelike you,”Mr Thomrecalled.

S

incident, he was asked to reach with Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, CharlesRamsonathisoffice concerning what happened. ThereMr Thomsaidhetold the minister what transpired indetailandevencommitted to getting the names and

numbers of the witnesses. However, the minister did not seem inclined to investigate.

It was after the entire ordeal Mr Thom sent in his resignation. After the news of his resignation circulated on social media, Mr Thom was contacted by Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo who asked him to withdraw his resignation and return to work. At a previous press conference,theVPdisclosed that after learning what transpired he spoke with MinisterRamsonexpressing disappointmentwithhowhe handledthematterinvolving Thom This publication learnt that Mr Thom resumed his duties as AdministratoronSeptember 23.

MinisterofTourism, IndustryandCommerce, Oneidge Walrond

products were sold out. The Food Festival is a great product ” A lemonade business,TwistedLemoncoowner noted that the event “has brought so much exposure for us. We were very grateful for this exposure, and we are extremely grateful. You will definitely be seeing us next year.”One other proprietor, Quincy Benjamin also lauded the media support which allowed the participants to market their products via local television stations. Oneoftheexciting attractions at the event was a raffle On Thursday, the Ministryawardedthewinners whichincludedJoanneJacobs who won a trip for two to Kaieteur Falls, Lesta Harry whowonaKayaktourfortwo in Linden, Michael Lall who wonapaidtriponEssequibo River tour and two persons won free dinners sponsored by Sweet Elegance Restaurant & Bar Others walked away with hampers and other gifts from Massy Guyana Inc., Ansa McAL and Sunshine Snacks. In addition to the donors, sincere gratitude is extended to the main sponsors of the event; Hess Corporation, ZiJin AGM Inc., and One Communication.

CAC Body Building & Fitness C/ ships...

Defending Mr. Physique champ beaming with confidence

DCaribbean (CAC) Body

Campbell, who captured the title in Aruba last year, is

beaming with confidence ahead of this year’s event slatedtobestagedrighthere inGuyana.

Speaking recently about his p

,

reigning champion said his traininghasbeengoingwell andheisreadyandconfident

todefendhistitleandwinthe ProCard.

“My supplementation, cardio, lifting weights has gonewell,everythingisasit should be, not much I can complain about at my end, I’m ready and confident to claim gold once again,”

Campbellsaid. According to Campbell, whodisplayedhisrippedand well-defined body, this year will be his seventh at CAC and to win the Pro Card in front of my family, friends andtheGuyanesepublicwill be an outstanding achievement and an elated oneforhim.

Thursday October 10, 2024

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

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

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

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

GEMINI(May21–June20)

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

CANCER(June21–July22)

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

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

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

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

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

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

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

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)

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

Everyone knows that you find newideasplentiful.

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

It'sgoingtobealittledifficult t

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

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Haveyoubeenreviewingyour

y

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

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

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

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

“TobehonestlastyearI thought I won the Overall and Pro Card and when I heard the name of the eventual winner, I was a bit shocked, but I said you know what I am going to improve all aspects of my physique, size, symmetry, c o n d i t i o n i n g a n d everything so that I cannot be denied this year,” Campbellreflected Returning home, Campbell said he made the

Strong teams announced ahead...

Frompage27

Ramsammy,SeonGlasgow, Nigel Deodat, Veerasammy Permaul (Captain), Nial Smith, Clinton Pestano and SylusTyndall. Standbys- Jonathan

Rampersaud, Shamal Angel, Demetri Cameron, Kwesi Mickle, Gaurav Ramesh, Jamal LaFleur, Javed Karim, Rampersaud Ramnauth and Adrian Sukwah

D

Chanderpaul, Shamar

Ye

w

d, Aksh

Persaud, Raymon Perez, Ronaldo Alimohamed, Richie Looknauth, Steven Sankar,ChrisHarry,Qumar Torrington,AshmeadNedd, Sachin Singh, Chetram Balgobin,DevonLord Standbys - Nehemiah Hohenkirk, Riyad Latiff, Neeran Bani, Chanderpaul Ramraj

GCB Select XIRivaldo Phillips, Navindra Persaud, Carlos Larose, Bernard Bailey, Jeremiah Scott, Brandon Jaikaran, FloyJoseph,JohnathanVan

Lange, Ushardeva Balgobin, Aryan Persaud, Johnathan Rampersaud (Captain), Shamar Angel, Golcharran Chulai Gaurav Ramesh, Kwesi Mickle, Javed Karim, Rajendra Ramballi Krsna Singh, RonaldoJeffery

decision to put my head down and train his body to not only improve one part, but every aspect of his physique and according to him he has achieved that goal,especiallyhisback.

“I cannot wait to get on stage and showcase my hard work and I want to encourage everyone to come out and support the event and the Guyanese athletes and make it a memorableoccasion.”

The c/ships will be staged on October 19-20 at the National Cultural Centre and over 250 athletes from 20 countries including Guyana are scheduledtoparticipate

Among the sponsors on board are Fitness Express, Twins Manufacturing, the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sport, the National SportsCommissionandthe G u y a n a O l y m p i c Association

GBA remembers late TD Terrence...

significantly, a coach. His contributions to boxing will continue to

future generations here and beyond.Terrence Poole was born on January 16, 1964, andpassedawayonOctober 2,2024.Mayhissoul,restin peace.

‘One Guyana’ 3-Stage Road Race set for thrilling weekend -Race designed to foster ‘unity through sports’

Th e G u y a n a

C y c l i n g Federation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Youth, andSports,isonestepcloser tohostingtheinauguralOne Guyana 3-Stage Cycling Race. This national cycling event, which reflects the “One Guyana” initiative of unity and sportsmanship, willunfoldfromOctober1213, drawing top cyclists fromacrossthenation.

Endorsed by President Dr Irfaan Ali as part of his

broader vision of fostering nationalunitythroughsport, theracewillseecompetitors tackle three challenging stages designed to test their endurance, speed, and strategy Riders from elite andjuniorcategorieswillvie forcashprizes,withtheelite category offering a grand prize of $500,000 and the juniors competing for $250,000.

The action begins on Saturday, October 12; with Stage 1 covering a grueling 140km.Cyclistswillstartat

the New Amsterdam State House in Region 6 (East Berbice-Corentyne), racing toNo.63Villageandbackto thestartingpoint.

The race is set to commenceat9:00a.m.

Stage 2 follows on Sundaymorning,coveringa shorter80kmdistance.This stage begins at 7:30 a.m. in Region 3 (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), starting at the Schoonord to Crane highway roundabout, heading to the Parika Market,andloopingbackto

the roundabout for two circuits along the Vreed-enHoop/SchoonordHighway

The competition reaches its climax later on Sunday withthethirdandfinalstage inGeorgetown.

Thefast-pacedCriterium racestartsat3:30p.m.along Main Street. Cyclists will loopa60kmcircuit,starting at Middle Street, rounding

Lt Col Mark Sinclair of the GCF discussing plans for this weekend’s race at a previous meeting with H.E. Honourable Dr.

theCenotaph,headingnorth on Main Street toward Lamaha Street, and then backontoMainStreet.

Thisfinalstagepromises anintensebattleastheriders push for the title of One GuyanaCycleChampion.

Eachstageoftheracehas beencraftedtoshowcasethe scenic beauty of Guyana’s landscape while providing a

rigorous challenge for the participants. Spectators can expect a thrilling display of skill and stamina as the nation’stopcyclistscompete fortheOneGuyanatitle.

TheOneGuyana3-Stage Cycling Race is supported by the Government of Guyana, Star Party Rental, E N e t , a n d V N e t Communications.

Ifraan Ali.

Strong teams announced ahead of 2024 GCB Senior Men’s Super50 Inter-county tournament

Ahead of the 2024 Guyana Cricket Board

(GCB) Senior Men’s

Super50 Inter-county tournament, county’s on Tuesday announced their star-studded teams with Round 1 bowling off on October13.

With the CWI Regional Super50 Men’s tournament just around the corner, GuyanalikeotherCaribbean teams will be getting their players prepped for their pursuit of a title which has eludedthemformorethana decade.

Stars, both upcoming and established the likes of Kevin Sinclair, Johnathan Foo, Golcharran Chulai, Veerasammy Permaul, Anthony Adams, Kemol Savory, Tevin Imlach,

TagenarineChanderpauland others will be looking to get themselvesinshapewiththe ulterior goal being a championship win for the country

A number of young playerswillalsobeonshow over the next few days as a strong Under-19 presence will be maintained among counties; as the next generation of Harpy Eagles continue their initiation to theseniorlevels.

The tournament focuses on three exciting rounds being played between Berbice, Demerara, Essequibo and the GCB SelectXI.

Each round will serve as a double-header with two gamesbeingplayedperday, across venues like Bourda

andLusignantonameafew; with the fourth and final roundbeingreservedforthe finalmatch.

Essequibo - Anthony Adams (Captain), Kemol Savory (VC), Keanu Harry, Ronsford Beaton, Quinton Sampson, Ricardo Peters, Ricardo Adams, Kevon Boodie, Kanhaiya Ramkarran,RonaldoRenee,

Joshua Jones, Neiland Cadogan, Garfield Phillips, Thaddeus Lovell, Malcolm Hubbard

Standbys - Dexter

George, Jadon Campbell, Kevon Stephens Shahid Viera

Berbice-JuniorSinclair, Rampertab Ramnauth,

Tomani Caesar (WK), Kevlon Anderson, Kevin Sinclair (vc), Jonathon Foo, RajivIvan,Zainul (Continuedonpage25)

Kevin Sinclair

Tevin Imlach

Kemol Savory

Veerasammy Permaul

Elton Dharry now ranked Number 4 by the WBA, moves closer to title shot

Although possessing several amateur boxers of international ranking and repute, Guyana’s lone world-ranked professional pugilist, Elton‘CoolieBully’Dharry,movedonestep closer to acquiring a world title fight as he was ranked #4 in the super-flyweight divisionbyrenownedsanctioningentity,the WorldBoxingAssociation(WBA).

Dharry,38,sportsarecordof28wins[15 knockouts],sixlosses,andoneno-contest.

In his most recent encounter, Dharry defeated local prize-fighter Dexter Marques on local soil via technical knockout in the third round. Dharry is undefeated in his last fourbouts.

The Enterprise on the East Coast of Demerara native fought for the WBASuper Flyweight title in 2019 but suffered a

controversialninth-roundstoppagedefeatto Australian Andrew Maloney in Melbourne. Given his recent elevation, Dharry is expectedtochallengeonceagainforaworld title.

Ifaworldtitlefightandeventualvictory are realised, the extraordinary feat will solidify his status in the annals of time and placehimamongstreveredcompanysuchas the late Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis, Wayne ‘Big Truck’ Brathwaite, Vivian Harris, Gwendolyn ‘Stealth Bomber’ O’Neil, and GarySt.Clair

Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle said, “This is a significant development for Elton Dharryandthenationasawhole.Webelieve thatDharry,whoisastudentofthegame,is now worthy for another Crack at a world title.”

Jade’s Wok,

Pinnacle Business Services Inc.

supports Women in Chess -BestBeginnerTrophyalsoupforGrabs

The Guyana Women in Chess Community (GWICC) under the umbrella of the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) has organised the inaugural Queenside Rapid Tournament The event will take place on Saturday, October12

This event, reserved for women and girls, will encourage beginners and unrated female players to competeinhopesofexpanding the pool of women and girls playingcompetitivechess

There will be nine rounds ofgameswithdurationsof15 minutes and 5 seconds incrementsperround Pinnacle Business Services Inc and Jade’s Wok are the event’s sponsors The venue for the Queenside Rapid Tournament willbetheDavidRoseSpecial School, with the first round

kickingoffat9am Thetopfive female participants with the most points will receive trophies, and the top three playerswillwinprizestotaling $50,000 The GCF is also looking out for the best talent to emerge among the beginners, with a special trophyforthewinnerofthat category Prizesforthebest girl, best woman and youngest player will also be awarded. The Women in Chess Community has been eagerly anticipating this tournament. Over the past two years, the GWICC has hosted its annual Queenside Chess Camp, a programme designed to inspire more girlsandwomentoembrace the game of chess and strengthen their community These camps attract women andgirlsofallagesandskill levels, fostering friendships and camaraderie among participants. Thanks to the G W I C C , f e m a l e participation in chess has surged,with25%ofnational competitorsnowbeinggirls. This heartening trend challenges the traditionally male-dominated sport in Guyana TheGCFhasstrong female representation on its Nationalteams,andtheyhave represented Guyana both regionally and internationally withexceptionalresults

The Federation wishes to thanktheadministratorsofthe DavidRoseSpecialSchoolfor graciouslyprovidingthevenue for the tournament The GCF andtheGWICCaregratefulto theirgeneroussponsorsJade’s Wok and Pinnacle Business ServiceswhohavebeenlongtimesponsorsoftheGCF

BahadurdominatesGMMAKA’s2nd AnnualEpicClashMartialArtsC/ship

TheGuyanaMixMartial Arts Karate Association (GMMAKA) recently concluded its 2nd Annual Epic Clash Martial Arts Championship at the New Diamond Grove Primary School.

The event saw Aryan Bahadur of the Iron Fist Martial Arts Academy delivering a dominant performance across several divisions, ultimately claimingtheprestigiousfirst place in the Grand Kata division for the second consecutiveyear

The Championship, which featured 13 competitors in the Kata discipline, saw Bahadur cementing his top position with a series of standout performances.

In addition to his Grand Katawin,hetookhomefirst place titles in several categories, including Traditional Kata, Flag Sparring, and Point Sparring. His only secondplace finish came in the Shambardivision.

Expressing gratitude after his impressive

showing, Bahadur stated, “I would like to thank my Instructor, Master Lloyd Ramnarine, for working with me to be at the stage I amtoday.”

T h e G M M A K A continuestocreateplatforms for local martial artists to showcasetheirtalentathigh

intensity competition; the GMMAKA is elated to culminate another successful Epic Clash Championship. A

solidifiedhisplaceasoneof the rising stars in Guyana’s martialartsscene.

Root becomes England’s top test scorer, pummels Pakistan with ton

MULTAN, Pakistan, (Reuters) - Joe Root scored a majestic unbeaten century aftersurpassingAlastairCookasEngland’s toprun-scorerintestcricketandguidedthe teamto492-3atstumpsonthethirddayof the opening match against Pakistan yesterday

Root began the day on 32 not out, needingafurther39runstoeclipseCook’s tally of 12,472, and the former captain easedtohistargetwithanon-driveforfour off Aamer Jamal before soaking up loud applausefromthetravellingEnglishfans.

Hethenfoughtoffcrampsafterlunchto bring up his 35th century with a reversesweep and looked poised to plunder more runsaftercruisingto176notoutattheclose withEnglandtrailingby64runs.

FellowYorkshiremanHarryBrookwas batting on 141, a fine knock that followed BenDuckett’squick-fire84earlier Pakistan’s bowlers were unable to extract any help from the flat pitch at the MultanCricketStadiumandwerewrestled intosubmissionbyEngland,whohadtoiled onthefirsttwodaysofthematch.

Root got to his fifty earlier with an inside edge and the 33-year-old survived a loud lbw appeal to go past Cook’s record and into the top-five in the all-time list behindRahulDravid,JacquesKallis,Ricky PontingandSachinTendulkar

Resuming on 96-1 after Pakistan amassed556intheirfirstinnings,England

GBA remembers late TD Terrence Poole MS

The Guyana Boxing Association(GBA)hosteda nightofreflectiontohonour the life and legacy of their late Technical Director, Terrence Anthony Poole, M.S. on Tuesday evening, October 8, at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue, where friends, family, and colleagues gathered and paid their respects.

Poole passed away last We d n e s d a y a f t e r experiencing breathing difficulties. He was taken to a medical facility, but despite efforts, he passed at theageof60.

For over four decades,

Poolewasapivotalfigurein the boxing community His commitmenttothesportwas unparalleled, as he played various roles, including coach, competition coordinator, mentor, and Technical Director of the GBA.

He also served as NationalCoachandcoachat the Guyana Defence Force Boxing Gym. His efforts wereinstrumentalinshaping the careers of many young boxers and advancing the sport both in Guyana and acrosstheCaribbean.

Many boxers and fans and persons associated with the sport trekked to the

Gymnasium and was a part oftheactivitythere. Aminiboxingexhibition saw Head of the GBA and current Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle and Olympian Keevin Allicock took to the ring as they performed in a sparring sessioninmemoryofoneof Guyana’s leading boxing trainers, Terrence Poole. It was a somber but fun e v e n i n g a s m a n y r e m e m b e r e d t

interactionwithPoole. He is mourned by his wife, seven children, and numerous friends, along withthemanyliveshe (Continuedonpage25)

lostZakCrawleyfor78insidethefirsthour ofthedaywhentheopenerflickedonefrom Shaheen Afridi to Aamer Jamal at midwicket.

That abruptly ended the 109-run stand for the second wicket but England were in nomoodtoslowdown.

Duckett, who dislocated his left thumb whiletakingacatchandwasunabletoopen onTuesday,showednosignsoftheissueas he took to the crease and smashed spinner AbrarAhmedoutoftheattacktemporarily withthreeboundariesinthe30thover

Theleft-handerneededonly45ballsto bringuphishalf-centurybutAamertrapped himlbwintheafternoonsessiontosnaphis 136-runstandwithRootandleaveEngland on249-3.

There would be no respite for Pakistan as Brook ensured the run rate did not drop below five an over at tea, with his breezy effort helping England post their third consecutivecenturystandoftheinnings.

To add to the hosts’ misery, Brook bizarrely survived a scare in the evening session when the ball hit the stumps after bouncing off his helmet grill and the bails didnotfalloff.

Hequicklyshruggedoffthatincidentto complete his sixth ton before swelling his unbrokenstandwithRootto243.

Stumps England 492 for 3 (Root 176*, Brook141*,Duckett84,Crawley78,Jamal 1-78)trailPakistan556by64runs.

GBA President Steve Ninvalle (left) during the exhibition with Olympian Keevin Allicock at the National Gymnasium Tuesday.

Aryan Bahadur (right) receiving his first place trophy.

Elton ‘Coolie Bully’Dharry (centre) is flanked by Minister Charles Ramson Jnr. (left) and Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle.

Elton Dharry now ranked Number 4 by the WBA, moves closer to title shot Root becomes England’s top test scorer, pummels Pakistan with ton

GWICC receives backing from Jade’s Wok and Pinnacle Business Service Inc. to host Queenside Rapid.

- Best Beginner Trophy also up for Grabs

England’s Ben Duckett and Joe Root in action as they run between the wickets. (REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro)

Emmerson Campbell showcasing his ripped physique ahead of the 2024 CAC C/ships.