Kaieteur News

Reservoir data allow shipbuilder to increase production capacity in Guyana - SBM CEO

ØivindTangen,theChief Storage, and Offloading Executive Officer (CEO) of units (FPSOs) for higher oil Dutch-shipbuilder SBM productionrates. Offshore has disclosed that SBM Offshore, operates reservoir data on Guyana’s t h r e e F P S O s f o r Stabroek Block which is ExxonMobil in Guyana with operated by ExxonMobil two more to come (One Guyana Limited (EMGL) is Guyana and Jaguar). The what enables optimisation of LizaDestiny,LizaUnity,and the Floating Production, Prosperity FPSOs are

currently producing a production levels on these combined 650,000 barrels of assets through a process oilperday(bpd). called debottlenecking. This

The Liza 1 project, process involves identifying utilising the Liza Destiny areas and equipment on the vessel,wasinitiallydesigned vessels and making changes for production of 120,000

Øivind Tangen, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SBM Offshore

barrels per day (bpd), later production. optimised and is currently Tangen said, “When you producing 157,000 bpd. The design an offshore asset, Liza Unity FPSO, which there’s a lot of theoretical started in February 2022 assumptions and sort of with a capacity of 220,000 conservative assumptions bpd, was also optimised. into the design, so you’re Recently, Exxon disclosed certain that you can cater for that this vessel is producing whatever the reservoir 252,000 bpd but disclosed increase in its production. production capacity is delivers ” He added that that there are plans to hit a The vessel reached 100,000 252,000bpd. once real-time reservoir data dailyoutputof270,000bpd. bpd in November, then During an interview with becomes available, it creates

The Prosperity vessel, exceeded180,000bpdbythe OilNow,Tangenspokeabout an opportunity to fine-tune which began production in end of December This how SBM works closely thevessel,movingaway November 2023, had a quick vessel’s current authorized with Exxon to ramp up (Continued on page 10)

PNCR calls for strict timelines for completion, ...says auditors must ensure costs are reasonable, report must clearly highlight disputed sums publication of Exxon’s 3rd audit

The People’s National awarded by the National Financial; and Vitality conference on Tuesday, the Congress Reform (PNCR) Procurement and Tender A c c o u n t i n g

’s

Opposition spokesman on Oil and Gas, Elson Low during Tuesday’s press conference

has called for a more Administration Board Consultancy Inc is tasked spokesman, Elson Low thorough third audit of (NPTAB) to the local with reviewing expenses provided a number of ExxonMobil’s expenses, consortium VHE Consulting incurred by ExxonMobil recommendations relating to completionandreleaseofthe that if the government wants noting that the “failures” in on October 10 VHE between 2020 and 2023.The the audit He said at audit. to show that it is serious the second audit should not Consultingwhichisalocally local consortium had also minimum, “There should be The party is of the view about its sacred duty to be repeated in the execution registered partnership won the contract for the clear concise summary, that ExxonMobil, the safeguard the nation’s ofthethird. between Ramdihal and secondaudit. which Guyanese can read operator of the Stabroek resources, it will follow The third audit was Hay

25 unclaimed bodies at GPHC mortuary

The Georgetown Public Hospital GPHC, in accordance with our protocol, Corporation (GPHC) said there GPHC will proceedwith the final disposition are currently 25 unclaimed bodies of these bodies if they remain unclaimed

at its mortuary and has issued a withinthenext14days. call for relatives of the deceased to make Familymembersorotherindividualswho urgentcontact. mayhaveaconnectiontoanyofthedeceased

“These bodies have remained unclaimed areurgedtocomeforwardpromptly despite our efforts to locate the next of kin,” For inquiries or to claim a body, please the hospital said in a release. According to contacttheGPHCMortuaryat225-3359.

and understand Critical Block must be held to high th

issueslikewhetherinterestis standards when it comes to recommendations, even if being charged and the total provision of information and that means re-engaging the amount in the dispute must responses to the auditors’ auditors to expand or adjust be comprehensively questions. the terms of reference for the addressed.” Meanwhile, with regard audit.

In addition, he said that to the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) “We want to stress that costs in dispute should be project, the PNCR believes billions of US are at stake clearly outlined in the report thatcostsrelatedtothenatural andGuyanesecannothopeto in a manner that allows for g a s p i p e l i n e b e i n g benefit fully from the oil swift action in the event constructedbyExxonmustbe industry without a robust arbitration is necessary addressed separately and audit culture. Tragically, the Moreover, he noted, “The robustly “We remind the PPP has thus far been far scope of the audit must not Guyanese that the cost of the wedded to a totally neglectthereasonablenessof pipeline tripled in a short unpatriotic attitude We cost Rather than merely periodoftime Thischangein remind them that these identifying whether they are thecostoftheprojectmustbe resources are not their eligible to be recovered.” accounted for transparently,” personal resources to fritter Additionally, Low pointed Lowreasoned away as they please, but out that there should be a The party spokesman on belong to all Guyanese,” defined timeline for the oil and gas was keen to note Lowsaid.

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

Half a billion

Halfabillionbarrelsofoilpumpedisalandmarkforany newoilproducingcountry ExxonMobilissettoreachthat markbyyearend,shouldeverythingholdsteady Thisisthe sweetnessthatAmericanoilmenharvestfromGuyana’srich StabroekBlockoilfieldswithinafewshortyears.

This is the bitterness with which more and more resentful Guyanese live, develop sharper animosities against. When they look at their own circumstances and compare where they are to what ExxonMobil is reaping, theirangerintensifies.

The APNU+AFC Coalition government all but gave away Guyana’s oil patrimony There is that odious 2016 ProductionSharingAgreementthattheCoalitionsignedthat enslaves and economically deprives Guyanese for decades tocome. Senioroilexecutivescanboastabouthigherand higherdailyproductionlevels,andnowthisanticipatedhalf a billion barrels of total production by December 31st. Given the rich contract terms that ExxonMobil enjoys, it makes sense for it to stretch the safety envelope and pump moreoildaily Oil prices are at high enough levels to galvanize profitmaking,andthereisdemandtoabsorbtheoilthatthe company brings up. The CEO of ExxonMobil, Darren Woods, can brag to the world about his company’s worldclassportfolioanditsrecordprofits. Hehasbeenthoughtful enough to say a few words about the significance of Guyana’sStabroekBlockandhowmuchithascontributed toExxonMobil’sbottomline. Thisispartofthestreamof plusesfortheAmericanoilgiant,andGuyanahasmuchto dowiththose. Then,therearethenegatives,whicheventhe Government of Guyana that has a duty to represent all citizensspeaksparinglyabout. Butthenonlywhenpressed againstitswill.

While ExxonMobil is proud to broadcast this bright vision of half a billion barrels to be produced within the remainingnineweeksofthisyear,thereistheother,darker side of that coin. Half a billion barrels of oil against their name,andclosetohalfoftheGuyanesepopulationisleftto dealwiththenegativesthathavebeentheirlot.

The first is a pot of food that is less than half full, and whichisallthattheycanmanagemostdays. Thesecondis thatoftheirfamiliesstaringatplatesoffoodthataredownto the last morsels, while gnawing hunger is still their companion,whathauntstheirexistence. Inacountrythatis on pace to produce a half billion barrels of oil soon, this is where Guyanese are, if they are among the lucky ones. Hunger haunts them, while being reminded through fresh statisticsthattheyareamongtherichestpeopleintheworld. Weatthispublicationbelievethatthereissomethingabout that(beingtherichest)thatmusttauntGuyanese.

ThePPPCGovernmentknewallalongthatcitizenswere fightingalosingbattlewithcost-of-living,butitstillwasso miserly with oil money that it punished them. Despite promisingto‘reviewandrenegotiate’the2016ExxonMobil oilcontract,governmentleadershavesincewalkedbackon that commitment, with no indication or intention of ever budging. Thepricetobepaidistoohigh:thereisthespecter of the possible loss of power For the same reason, the Opposition that dug this hole for Guyanese is similarly cagey when the issue of renegotiation of the oil contract is brought up. Guyanese politicians feel good about themselves to talk about the future. What they plan to do. How much money is expected to flow from the oil.Today, hundredsofthousandsofGuyanesedreadthinkingofwhere theirnextmealisgoingtocomefrom,howtheyaregoingto cope. Rather belatedly, the PPPC Government now rushes forwardwithacashhandoutofa$100,000forallGuyanese over18. Thisiswhatbeingtheownersofbillionsofbarrels ofoildeliverstoGuyanese.Itisthepuzzleofhalfabillion barrelsofoiltobepumpedbyyearend,whileGuyaneselive inpain.ThisisGuyanesereality Theentirecohortofcurrent politicians should be kicked out. Guyanese could have a chanceofdoingbetter,breathingeasier

Glen Lall’s attack on my sister was uncalled for

DEAR

EDITOR

,

I have observed an unsettling undercurrent in the political discourse in Guyana, which, though it encompasses partisan politics, extends more broadly to socio-political conversations about organizing for causes I intendtoaddressthisissueat a macro level in the future. However,Ifeelcompelledto startatthepersonallevel,as we often learn to love individually before we can lovecollectively In a recent radio broadcast, Glen Lall responded to an editorial by AbenaRockcliffe(mysister) titled “Guyana Loses in the Short, Medium, and Long Term if ExxonMobil Walks O v e r F o r c e d Renegotiation.” In his response, he cast several distasteful insults, with the mostpainfulbeinghisclaim that he “taught her to think critically.” I can assure you that Abena’s capacity for critical and independent thinking was cultivated by our parents, siblings, teachers,andcolleagues,not by Lall. Other remarks he made were equally painful, leavingfriendstoaskwhyhe would publicly demean her in this way Yet, I find them tooviletorecounthere.

I do recognise Lall’s advocacyforExxonMobilto return to the negotiation table as commendable. Any

reasonable person can see that Guyana signed an unfavourable deal However,mostGuyanesedo not share Lall’s privilege of substantial wealth or access to vast resources for analyzing the intricacies of the deal and weighing the risks of renegotiation Neither do they share my sister’sprivilegeofmakinga living through research and informed commentary, her editorial was presented as a

constructive discussion. It wasawellratiocinatedpiece incontrasttoLall’sattack. Is Abena right? Is Mr Norton, or Vice President Jagdeo, or Lall? None of us can be entirely certain. This situation demands nuanced perspectives from accountants, lawyers, social scientists, journalists, and, importantly, the Guyanese public. Many people work longhoursandrelyonthese insights to form opinions. With that in mind, I might laterdiscussmethodological questions on the data that reportedly shows “94% of respondents favour renegotiation,” including questions about sample validity, response framing, andriskconsiderationsinter alia.

Lall ignorantly and arrogantly displayed the privilegethatistheluxuryof awealthyman.Hedisplayed

h i s i n a b i l i t y o r unwillingness to grapple withnuance,andhisdisdain for free-thinking people. He was cruel and insensitive towards her without regard for her humanity or the fact thatsheissomeone’s–wife, daughter, sister and most importantlymother

Would he appreciate those words being spoken abouthiswifeordaughter?I hope he never experiences that. As Abena’s brother it was painful He hurled unstudied and untruthful epithetsandinnuendos.And in response to what? A personal attack on his character? An attack on his family?No.Ajournalistwho dared to provide a perspective to the Guyanese people that he disagrees with.

There are other political actors in Guyana who like Lall are providing yeoman service but are engaging in similar types of despicable namecallingandlabelingof people with whom they disagree. However, I will approach them with my critique of in private before confronting them in the public space. My piety, and gratitude for their intellectual example, sacrifice and commitment demands that I do so However, piety is not an uncritical deference to the positions of the elders or exemplars. It is a grateful

acknowledgement of their tremendous sacrifice and s t e w a r d s h i p A responsibility to converse with them in private before taking my critique public; and if they are still grand exemplars, they would appreciate thoughtful, measured, honest and respectful disagreements withtheirpositions.

While my sister may not beasquicktoforgiveLallas I am, I believe an apology and retraction would be a good start A more meaningful contribution fromLallwouldbeastudied rebuttal to the points she raisedinherpiece.Couldhe highlightwhereheranalysis falters and illuminate the Guyanese people? Such an approach could advance the dialogue in the public interest. Lastly, here’s a questionforallofus:iffaced with the option to continue under this admittedly bad deal or to press for renegotiation knowing that there a real risk of ExxonMobil leaving—what wouldGuyanesechoose?

Humbly Brother Ato KenyaRockcliffe GlennLall’sresponse: Without calling names, I standmygroundwithwhatI have said on my radio programme Your sister wrote her opinion about the oil deal and I shared my opinionofwhatwassaidand whosaidit.

Diaspora Gears for Diwali 2024 in NY

DEAREDITOR,

The large New York based Guyanese Hindu communityisgearingupfor the Diwali festival that will be celebrated this Thursday andFridayevening.Itbegins onWednesday evening with Chota Diwali – the night before the major lighting ceremonies Diwali is celebrated on the darkest moon and that day is a national holiday in several countries. Because the dark moon that fall on two days, Diwali is celebrated both

Thursday and Friday evening.Theofficialholiday inNewYorkisFridaywhile mostHinduswillobservethe festival on Thursday which calendar describes as the darkestdayofthemonth.

Thousands of Guyanese and other Indo-Caribbean people patronized stores on Liberty Avenue in Little Guyana and Little Trinidad

to shop for Diwali related items. People came from as far away as Washington, Virginia,Boston,andthetristate metro area to shop for items for the festival. Many willdolastminuteshopping onWednesdayandThursday for goods, ornaments, and pooja items required to welcome Mother Lakshmi, theGoddessofLight,intheir homes.

On Liberty Avenue, storesarewelldecoratedand stocked with Diwali related paraphernalia Teeming crowds jammed sides of the street.

On the sidewalks, vendorspeddledallkindsof Diwali paraphernalia –Lakshmi Murthis, deyas, agarbati and other incense, ghee, samagri, wick, coconut oil, atar, and other pujarelateditems.Theyalso acquired vegetables and fruits, flour, sugar, dal and

other grains, alou, onion, katahar, garlic and other food items Orders were placedforroti.Someplaced orders for varied curries, bara, phulourie, kachories, samosas, and other pakoras. Patrons also shopped for gifts. Bhajans blared from stores. Even Korean and Chinese and Punjabi stores entertained the shoppers with Maha Lakshmi related bhajans.

Multi-colored lights lit up Liberty Avenue and homes and businesses in Little Guyana/Trinidad Stores’ Sweet smelling incensewaftsintheair

Diwali is rapidly becoming a mainstream celebration in parts of New York, New Jersey, Florida, Boston, and in areas where large numbers of Guyanese, Trini, and other Hindus are settled Politicians attach special importance to the

Diwali festival to win over votes of the five million strong Hindu community Businesses and Politicians hosted Diwali celebrations in their offices. Politicians sent out Diwali greetings. Businesses issued Hindu calendarsfor2025.Concerts were held all over the city Mandirs also held cultural v a r i e t y c o n c e r t s MainstreamAmericanstores are also offering Diwali related items and several cardstoressellDiwalicards, includingfromtheHallmark company Families will host eachotherforDiwalidinners thatwillbeextendedintothe weekend.

Diwali is very important for Hindus in the USA and beyond They eagerly anticipate the festival which is tied to peace. Many Hinduswillusetheoccasion togivethanksandprayfor (Continiedonpage22)

In 2020 there were many ballots cast for persons who did not present themselves

DEAREDITOR

, I write to expose

CommissionerRohee‘slack of knowledge and/or understanding, as evident in hisrecentletterinthemedia, in relation to the concerns that I have consistently raisedabouttheVoter‘sList and the application of biometrics (digital fingerprint identification at theplaceofpoll)asameans of mitigating, if not altogether preventing, impersonation (the casting of votes for persons who themselvesdidnotturnupto vote),aswasproventohave happened during the 2020 general and regional elections.

Rohee‘s first contention wasthatitis“disingenuous” tocomparethefiguresofthe 2012 census: 750,000 and the 728,556 (Sic) of the currentvoter‘slistsince“the Guyanese population must have grown over the years considering the influx of Guyanese re-migrants as well as their children by descent”.

Rohee seems to be referencingthefiguresofthe 2022census,whichhavenot been released to the public. If not, he is being rather speculative.

The numbers provided byhimshowsthatthevoting population (Guyanese aged 18plus)of2024exceedsthe voting population of 2012 (475,000) by 253,556 Presuming, the percentage rate of growth of the

population from 2012 to present has remained static that puts the current population at 1,156,438, an overall population increase of406,438orapproximately 54%. This figure does not caterforthedeceased.

Insider, Jagdeo, has estimated the current p o p u l a t i o n t o b e approximately 900,000 Rohee should check in with Jagdeo before questioning thewisdomofmyuseofthe last census‘ figures (750,000) as a base year, since an understanding of the population‘s growth lendstoanunderstandingof thegrowthoftheelectorate, a sub-grouping of the population.

Inhissecondcontention:

“all finger prints are used in the crossing-match exercise”Roheeexposeshis lack of knowledge, or information,aboutthecrossmatchingexercise.

While,itistruethatallof the fingerprints are used in cross-matching, it has been determined that the quality of the manually captured prints does not provide for all of them to be effectively crossed-matched.

This was determined by GECOM and the CrossMatchingProvider,afterthe aborted house-to-house registration in 2019 identified a number of duplicates which had not been captured in the crossing-matching exercise. This was attributed to the

qualityofsomeoftheprints, all of which were manually captured.

Rohee‘s subsequent contention that the manual prints can be digitised misses the point. Indeed, theycanbedigitisedbutthe faulty ones will remain faulty and of little or no use

for effective crossmatching. In an electronic system, we all know it is ‘garbage in’, ‘garbage out’. Rohee‘s contention is equally garbage in, garbage out.

Of necessity, I repeat here that in 2020 there were manyballotscastforpersons who did not present themselves.

GECOM refused to review the conduct of the elections in order to determine the effectiveness ofitssystemsandfallsback onthePPP/Cmantrathat‘all mechanisms are in place to prevent impersonation’, yet the evidence proves otherwise.

A corollary to this concernisthatGECOMhas nomechanismtoremovethe overseas dead from the list and in that regard the claim of a ‘bloated’ list is grounded. It is those same names of overseas persons which were verified as

having been used for voter impersonation.

Digital fingerprint identificationat the place of poll provides a universally accepted and used mechanism that would p r e v e n t v o t e r impersonation. Fingerprints arenotforgeable.

Digitally captured prints will not be sub-quality as mayoccurintheinstanceof some manually captured prints.

Faulty fingerprints are rejected by the software when the prints are being captureddigitally,hencethe rationale for, and benefit of, capturing fingerprints digitally, in the registration process. Only perfect prints will be registered on the system.

Hence, subsequent cross-matching will crossmatch all of the prints thus detecting all of the duplicates.

R o h e e ‘ s o t h e r contentions are fallacious, but more importantly not germanetotheissueathand: a voter‘s list that cannot facilitatevotesbeingcastfor dead or alive absentee voters.

Yourstruly,

VincentAlexander GECOMCommissioner

Lawlessnessontheroads

DEAREDITOR

I am encouraged to read your Kaieteur News article, on Tuesday the 10th September on page thirteen stating “Five hundred drivers caught speeding among other things within the last week, including twenty-six charged with DUI.

I wrote some time ago suggesting that the Traffic Chief should resign in shame over the lawlessness on the roadstoday FifteenyearsagoI visited India, and the traffic was an organised chaos meanwhileinGuyanathereis organised lawlessness with sometrafficpolicehelping

Isaidintheletter,IthinkI can do a better job than the Traffic Chief; maybe he read my article and instructed the police to act against the lawless drivers I will repeat “there is nothing like causing death by dangerous driving” thefactthatanyeighteen-yearold person can take a two-

thousand-poundmetalvehicle and cause it to ram into a human being, the chances of that individual dying is 7/10, soinmyopinionifyouspeed on the roadways, it is not an accidentitisyourintention WhatIwilldoMr Editor is, I’ll try to look at the cases between Liliendaal and Agricola Iwillfollowupand report the findings There are many times when people are charged, taken to court and there is no police witness to testify forcing the magistrate todismissthecaseforthereis noprosecution Ifwewereto calculate the cost of policing charging someone, for that persontogotocourt,theclerk ofthecourtandthemagistrate still have to be paid, it is a waste of taxpayers’money I can talk because I am a taxpayer, you can ask the Guyana Revenue Authority about Frank DeAbreu and histaxationrecords. Yourstruly, FrankDeAbreu

Valid identification and the post office nearest to you to uplift one hundred thousand dollars

DEAREDITOR VP,

Bharrat

Jagdeo thinksheisclever.Heknows thePPPisatriskoflosingthe 2025nationalelections.

He has no interest in a new voters list and biometrics for next year’s elections.

Hehatchedaplantofind outhowbadthePPPelection prospect will be He promised every Guyanese age 18 and over, 100.000 Guyanadollars.

Guyanese got excited.

The Vice President went further than that, he subsequently said that overseasbasedGuyaneseare eligiblefortheplannedcash handouts but they have to cometoGuyana. Here is where Jagdeo thinks the opposition and people of Guyana are donkeys.

Hehasnotdecidedwhen the monies will be given to citizensbecausethePPPhas to put a robust system in placeinorderthattherewill

be no underhand business withthehandouts.

ThePPPisintheprocess ofbuildinganapp;alocator app that will gather data on citizens such as where they live,wheretheywork,which party they support and whethertheyhaveacriminal record,etc.

It sounds to me as if the PPP is the new GECOM without opposition commissioners.

LetmebeseriouswhenI say that no government

should offer citizens grants at the expense of the invasion of their privacy. Jagdeo and Ali think the Guyanesepeoplearehungry bellies living on a PPP plantation.

CitizensofGuyanamust be allowed to go to the post officeintheirareawithvalid identification and uplift the free taxpayers money they deserve.

One hundred thousand Guyana dollars cannot be considered as life changing foranyone.

DEAREDITOR

The Second Vice-

The PPPwants access to information that only GECOM should have and that must not be allowed to happen.

Finally, the rich PPP supportersintheUS,UKand Canada will get their flight moneybacktogohomeand votePPP

That’swhatthehundred thousand will be to them.

The majority of Guyanese are educated, decent and religious people that have pride and dignity and the PPP must know that it is

laughable and downright hypocrisyforJagdeoandAli to say anything about guarding against corruption. Can you imagine promising someone that you will definitely give them something but you don’t know when you plan on givingittothem?

The corrupt should not tell me they are guarding against corruption because ‘ I gon believe Issa sk@&t yuhmekkinme.’

Sincerely

NormanBrowne

Noise nuisance from Rum shop in Mon Repos OverseasGuyaneserisk,PPPreward

DEARE

DITOR

, Recently I saw in one of the daily newspaper the commissioner of police visitingLeonoratodealwith a case of excessive noise nuisance.

EventhoughIappreciate his intervention, is it really necessary for such a high ranking official to deal with thematter?Arethepoliceat Leonora incompetent or powerless? Or have they beencompromised?

I am writing this letter past 9 pm on a Monday I resideatMonRepos.Nearby there is the Naz and Safraz

Rum shop/Car Wash blasting music (?) at ear shatteringdecibels.Thishas beengoingonforalongtime now This particular Salvo has been going on for the entireweekendandnowinto Monday More often than not, the songs being played h a v e t h e m o s t expletive/vulgar lyrics. Do

theyhavechildren,mothers, sisters,wives?

Can we make Guyana into a modern, developed country with such lawlessness taking place everywhere? What are the morals and values being instilledinourpeople?

My child has a class test tomorrow and just cannot concentrate on revising his work.T hegovernmentistalking about how it is placing so much resources into education but with such nonsense/lewdness going on, how effective will their efforts be? No wonder Guyana’s children are performing so poorly in school.Andthisrumshopis justafewmetersawayfrom the new nursery school the government recently built. Canyouimaginethat? NouseputtingontheTV to look at the news or anything else you just

cannot hear Carrying on a conversation is out of the question.Soistalkingonthe phone.

From talking to fellow villagers, they all, without exception, expressed their disgust and anger at the torture they have to endure from this establishment.All are being affected, whether babies, school children, working adults, the sick or elderly Allbecauseofafew unruly,inconsiderate,selfish individuals.

I am appealing to the relevant authorities, on behalfoftheresidentsinthis areaofMonRepos,toplease do something about this undesirable, unbearable situation.

This letter is a first course of action. If there is no abatement of the situation, then other lawful meanswillbetaken.

Sincerely.

FedupGuyanese.

President of Guyana, Mr. Bharat Jagdeo, stated that Guyaneselivingabroadwere eligible to receive the G$100K one-off cash grant the government has decided togiveindividualGuyanese.

It is not clear if he was speaking about Guyanese living overseas temporarily or all Guyanese, including those who have chosen to live permanently abroad

Speaking on behalf of the government,Mr Jagdeosaid t h a t t h e i n t e n d e d beneficiaries would have to supply their personal information through some app that was being created f o r t h i s p u r p o s e Presumably, the decision to seekthemoneyremainswith the overseas Guyanese WhilethePPPwouldbenefit from a database of possible voters, it raises questions about the gains for the overseasGuyanese.

Before proceeding to interrogatethatquestion,itis appropriate to explore the value of the initiative proposed by the PPP to the country

It would be reasonable forpersonslivinginGuyana toaskifitwasproperforthe

government to give tax free moneytopersonswhodonot pay taxes in Guyana. It is alsoreasonabletorecallthat this cash grant was birthed out of citizens’demands for measurestomitigatethehigh cost of living in Guyana.

Consequently, the governmentneedstoexplain to Guyanese the benefit that the country will derive from carrying through with its scheme.

At the same time, the Guyanese abroad must ask themselves if their unintended exposure to the tax authorities in the USA and elsewhere is worth US$400.

The government has madeapublicannouncement about the eligibility of overseas Guyanese to receive the money All US citizens and permanent residents are required to disclose their worldwide incomewhenpreparingtheir incometax.

That would include money received from the Government of Guyana Since the US and others are aware that there would be a centralrepositoryofthedata, it can easily obtain the information of all US personswhogotthemoney

Guyanese living abroad might have succeeded in keeping their income in Guyana separate from their foreignearnedincome. That might no longer be possible ifacceptingUS$400isworth thetrouble.

The clear beneficiary will be the PPP who could easily, and would gleefully, use the data to rig the upcomingelections.

The attention of the US, for example, is already on Guyana for drug trafficking. Attention is already on Guyana for gold smuggling. Attention is already on Guyana for money laundering and terrorist financing.

It is hard to believe that theUSwillnotpayattention to tax evasion. It already does so with the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and the Foreign Bank and Financial Report Consequently, overseas Guyanese could end up paying higher taxes andthebillforthePPPtorig an election, the results of whichtheywouldnothaveto livewithonadailybasis.

Sincerely,

MervynWilliams, Former Member of Parliament

Environmental risks were assessed for Exxon to increase production - EPA

The Environmental i t s r e g u l a t o r y stringent environmental

Nevertheless, the EPA went limit,”theAgencysaid. 249,000 bpd, within the ProtectionAgency (EPA) on responsibilities. regulatory framework and on to assure that the three Meanwhile, with regard 264,000 bpd for which Tuesday said environmental Kaieteur News included has ensured that all permits projects in operation are to the EIAs for the Liza Two environmental impacts were impacts were assessed prior in its article a comment from issued for the FPSOs are producing oil within the and Payara projects, the assessed. to ExxonMobil increasing the former Head of the EPA, based on comprehensive limitsapproved. regulator noted that it “The EPA, Ministry of production on the three Dr VincentAdamswhosaid, Environmental and Social The regulator explained assessed the potential Natural Resources, and the Floating Production Storage “Exxon has clearly ImpactAssessments(ESIA). that the EIA for Liza One Guyana Geology and Mines and Offloading vessels invalidated the EIA because Further, the Agency (Destiny FPSO) considered

(FPSOs). the purpose of the EIA is to pointed out that “any the environmental impacts concurrently reviewing the In response to an article set the safety production modification and request for for a production rate results of all the production published on October 29, limit and now that limit has changes are assessed and 144,000 bpd Exxo optimization test reports 2024 under the headline been exceeded or violated supported by technical

“Guyana in the Dark on without a proper review studies and risk assessments requested approval to

increased environmental process the maximum asdoneinthiscase. optimize production conjunction with risks posed by Operations… limit for the Liza Destiny HAZOP (Hazard and at the Liza Destiny

of”.

t i t EPA noted that it

It should be noted that requested and EMGL

As Exxon ramps up was 120,000 barrels per day Operability) studies were FPSO to 168,000 experts,” the body production” the agency said They are now at over requested and reviewed and bpd. said. itwasparticularlyconcerned 150,000barrels,a25percent environmental impacts were As such, EPA Additionally, the about the persistent and increase and that is unheard assessed.” n

discredit the Agency and To this end, the regulator these studies were not made provided updated air egulatory partners to mislead the public regarding noted that it operates under a available to the public quality and water quality ntinually monitor assessments an uction activities and complete HAZOP duct comprehensive

“These were the basis for reviews to confirm that all EPAtoapprovetheOperator, safety and environmental environmental impacts at ExxonMobil Guyana standards are upheld 300,000 bpd and 264,000 Limited (EMGL) to test Further, “Adjustments in bpdrespectively production optimization up production are strictly To this end it explained to 168,000 bpd. EMGL is regulated and are based on thatLizaTwoisproducingat currently producing at an t h

l 251,000 bpd, which is below average of 161,000bpd, evaluations to ensure the the 300,000 bpd where the based on official production protection of both the environmental impacts were figures, which is well within environment and public assessed while the Payara the 168,000 bpd stipulated health,”EPApointedout. FPSO is operating at

Why throwing money won’t fix our problems

Yo u k n o w , sometimes I wonder if the government’s economic strategywasdreamedupina boutoffever

The strategy goes something like this: when a problem pops up, toss a pile ofcashatitandhopeitgoes away.Ifthatfails,tossmore. When the nation’s pulse races with outrage, they think maybe a little sedative made of pure currency will soothe us all. And yet, here we are, surrounded by money, but as a society, we’re not even remotely closetosolvingourwoes.

Now, don’t get me wrong.Ilovedemocracy I’d soonervotethanwillinglysit through an afternoon tea with my in-laws. But if I’m honest, I think we went into democracy the way a firsttimebungee-jumpergoesoff thebridge:thrilled,terrified, and completely unprepared. Wegraspedattheglamourof democracy, but the fundamental values that make it work human rights, free expression, an independent press those arestillforeignconcepts.It’s asifwewerehandedashiny sports car with no idea how to drive, and now we’re wondering why we keep crashing into the same problemsagainandagain.

Take, for instance, the recent suggestion that we

tackle corruption by prohibiting public servants from receiving gifts. Gifts, mindyou,arenotjustalittle bouquet for the holidays; we’re talking about everything from gold bands totripstoGodknowswhere. Icanseewhytheythinkthis might work: in a movie, maybe. But if there’s one

thing our society loves, it’s theideaofalittlesomething extraasarewardforservices rendered.Thisisnowpartof ourbureaucraticculture,and noamountoflawscanundo that. Expecting a simple policy to curb this is like expecting an umbrella to stop a flood. The flood of “favors for favors” has becomeanunstoppabletide, and it’s high time we accept that our real issue isn’t legislation—it’svalues.

To understand the scope of the problem, picture this: the entire structure of our governmentbureaucracyhas becomeadelicateecosystem of transactions. It’s a world where everything has a price, from expediting a permit to getting a desk repaired The unofficial currency of goodwill is an unspoken rule—without it, the machinery grinds to a halt. And let’s face it, in a culture where gifts have becomethenorm,“nogifts” policies are going to look as inviting as salad at a steakhouse.

And this, my friends, is where our fledgling democracy stumbles The allureofdemocracyisn’tjust the ability to vote every few years; it’s about a set of ideals. It’s about freedom of speech,theimportanceofan i9ndependent press, and valuing human rights as if theywerethecornerstoneof society, not a seasonal accessory But these things are harder to achieve than theyseem.Weweresobusy chasing after the image of democracy we forgot to nurture the values that sustainit.

Takefreeexpression,for example.Wesaywewantit, but then we punish those

who use it. Reporters here work in a climate where simply asking questions can feel like an act of treason. Criticism is met not with thoughtfulresponsebutwith icy silence or, worse, intimidation. And as for the press, its freedom is like a bird that can only fly when it’stoldwhereandwhenit’s allowed to We’ve engineered a society where the very tenets that should h o l d u p democracy freedom, transparency, integrity—are viewed as threats, not essentials. Which brings us back to public servants and thisideaofgifts.Asitstands, there’s an entire culture of gift-givin

giftreceiving that’s about as embedded in the system as coffeebreaksandmemos.To suggest we can stamp out corruption with a law is to ignore the fact that we’ve trained people to expect a certain “reward” for doing theirjobs.It’sasystembuilt on favors and owed favors, and it works because, deep down, it mirrors what we value.

Honesty? Sure, it’s great in theory, but if we’re being honest(nopunintended),we admire the cleverness of maneuvering the system more than we respect integrity

You see, the issue isn’t money It’s the fact that we’ve let our values slide into the background, assuming that democracy is all we need to function as a goodsociety Andnowwe’re d r o w n i n g i n t h e consequences. We think we can slap a new law on corruption, but as long as people see personal gain as paramount, those laws are

DEM BOYS SEH

Excusedon’twin

Dem boys seh de Opposition always need one big excuse after election time. Is like clockwork—soonasdemlose,istalk‘bout who rig and who didn’t count right. Now dem hollerin’for biometrics fuh election, likeisfingerprintdoeswinvote.

Dem boys seh it’s demographics that win elections, not no scanner and no fingerprint. Is how many people turn out, whovoteforwho,andwhofedup.Butde Oppositionseemtothinkdepeopleisjust fingerprints waiting to be scanned Imagine dem want de whole a Guyana linedup,fingerpressedandscannedlikeif weliningupfuhpassword.

Yuhknowdefunnypart?Devotegon’ count just de same, fingerprint or no fingerprint. All yuh really need is polling agent in every polling station, and dem

meaningless Laws can punish,buttheycan’tchange what people value And people, unfortunately, value whattheycanget.

Until we reach a point where integrity isn’t seen as the punch-line to a joke, thesepoliciesaredoomedto fail. We can build more schools, pass new policies, and paint every wall with reminders to be honest, but as long as our values are a secondary concern, we’re just moving the money

elections

boys watching each other like hawk. But nah, de Opposition need dey lil’ excuse.

Demsayifitain’tfingerprint,itain’tfair.

Demboyssehwhenitcometoelection, de Opposition does always holler ‘bout “who watching who,” but yet dem don’t wantadmitit’sdepeoplewhodon’twatch dem. Dem losing ground, and every time dem lose, dem just blame de system.

Imagine if dem spend half de time connectingtopeopleinsteadofprintingde people handprint, dem might stand a chance.

So,denexttimedeOppositionstartcry fuhbiometrics,rememberisnotfingerprint gon save dem. Is hard work, talking to de people,andbuildingbacktrust.Butnah,is always easier fuh dem to holler ‘bout riggingandbiometrics. Talkhalf!Leffhalf!

around.It’slikeredecorating a house that’s crumbling fromthefoundationup. All the policies in the worldwon’tgetusanywhere unlessthepeopleusingthem are committed to honesty. Andyoucan’tpassalawfor that. You can’t legislate human decency, no matter how many committees you form or how many memos you send. So let’s keep the money and start spending a little more on what really matters: rebuilding the integrity we seem to have left somewhere in our rush towarddevelopment.

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

H@RD TRUTHS

Democracy - who would crave leading it

“The very workings of a affords close quarter genuine democracy at work think. What passes through policed properly and democratic system sees to it operationsanddamage.Less f u n c t i o n s a s t h a t withtheproperrobustnessto fearlessly The that the job has very little authoritative and frightening constraining hand All- the next level, what is judiciary, regardless of power.” The identity of that than a sledgehammer to be powerful leaders are rejected, with the sanitation whether its decisions speaker may surprise. He sure;butwithjustasmuchof subdued to lesser strengths. scrutiny and value of are agreed with or not, society Well, fellow was onto something, though, the same blood-sapping Reckless governments are daylight p

shed into is afforded its space, its Guyanese,whatsayestthou? considering that “job” of finality In fact, the stiletto is held to account. Those who oblivion The office of inviolable operational base.

Taken all the above into which he spoke, which is more versatile due to its resist answering must accounting knows how to It may be only one or two consideration,thisishowthe anothersurprise. subtlety, delivers more provide answers, like it or tailoritsscope,wheretolook decisionscondemned. blabber about transparency Guyanesehavespokento lasting results. In Guyanese not. and from which smoking But were those decisions and accountability becomes

y and what the lingo, the small axe brings By my thinking and guns to keep a safe distance. about stealing a phone or an obscenity When the

ay about down the big tree. In the r e c k o n i n g , b y m y

Commissions, be they of endangering the future, bulwarks, when the checks democracy and autocracy context of Guyana’s so- conclusions, the democracy p e r m a n e n c y o r t h e possibly bankrupting the and balances, when the men Those have their merits, but called democracy, the claimed to be in operation at unavoidable inconvenience destiny of the Guyanese and women in sensitive there is nothing more governmentalandleadership highgearinGuyanaisnotso of temporary inquiry, know people When the institutions deliver as they meritorious than reality stilettoisbusyatwork.Inthe much of the sledgehammer their lines and follow the mandatorypartnershipofthe should, then the Guyana Grimandgrittyreality Some right hands, with capable variety Thewhitepeopleare line Most of the hand- FourthEstateishackedaway Government, Guyana’s leaders are at home working minds, so much is achieved watching, so that wouldn’t picked sturdy sons and at piece by piece, then for leaders, do not have with a sledgehammer The without much sweat do. The Guyana democracy daughters of Guyana’s soil what purpose is the only anywhereneartheslypower, collision of sledgehammer springing. And, best of all, so-called and so-so represent and project what questionleft? Themediahas the naked and raw power, andnoncompliantcitizenhas nobody knows what went on possessesallthecomponents leaders expect of them.Then its mission, and it is not to thattheyhavearrogatedunto only one party getting up untilmuchlater,oftennever of the stiletto in operation, in they outdo themselves parrot perversities, but what themselves. Presidents are from the canvas.After much Like that quote at the one place after another, with When these are functioning, approaches professionalism subject to democracy’s use, the sledgehammer is all beginning said so truly, so one production process there is more than a sense of that is pleasing, what discipline. So too, are that leaders now come to wisely, when the organs and crowding on the heels of the comfort, there is that proof presentsthepublicwithwhat governments Guyanese appreciate for the final institutions and systems of other in what is an assembly that cannot be bettered, sometimes hurts, but always must have the honesty to be solutionsthatitoffers. Then, democracy are fulfilling lineculture. cannotbechallenged. helps.

, there are those leaders who their roles, then the power of T h e o f f i c e o f

For starters, leaders are Unlike the other national

avoid with foxlike cunning presidents and political prosecutions has earned a limited. They can say and do places and spaces specified, conclude. Thus, democracy thestraightforward,openair, princes are harnessed, dubious distinction. The much, but not much more; the work of law enforcement is further balanced, brought b r u t a l i t y o f t h e brought in line. Whether arbiter of the people is especially those practices andthemediaareintheglare to book, accountable to the sledgehammer. p r i m e m i n i s t e r s o r mostly seen as a partner in that wander into murky ofblindingspotlights. When people, through the

The preference of those plenipotentiaries, private what is in line with the realms, scurrilous and putrid government and leaders are constitutional roadblocks in leaders is for the stiletto. A enterprise principals or expectations of those with places. emboldened to ditch the place, and operating at stiletto can be concealed. It peasants of no standing, the power So, I see, so I

Second, leaders do not stiletto (well-used in the impeccable standards. The exhibit the unbridled other places) and come ownerofthewordsquotedin arrogancethathasbecomeso heavily armed with the the opening paragraph was commonplace. Because they sledgehammer to demolish an American. A one-time are genuinely working and the media and devastate the commander-in-chief, before delivering systems of checks Guyana Police Force, there that a Supreme Commander and balances that are so vital is the proof The H e w a s D w i g h t D for a democracy to be government is in the face of Eisenhower stampedcredible,performas the independent media at (The views expressed in they should and deliver as every opportunity It loses this article are those of the theymust. face when newer and more a u t h o r a n d d o n o t

Because the auditors obscene developments necessarily reflect the themselves are audited by emerge from the national opinions and beliefs of this sacred, the force of invisible organization that stands n e w s p a p e r a n d i t s but very audible public between clean governance affiliates.) judgment. The police is and a corrupt and chaotic

Reservoir data allow shipbuilder to...

From page 2

He stressed that the optimisation of the from the initial conservative assumptions to FPSOsstaywithintheasset’soriginaldesign “anoptimisedoperatingphilosophy.” and safety parameters. Notably, the CEO

SBM’s CEO simply noted that the outlined that adjusting production of debottlenecking approach involves offshore assets based on real data is a integrating real data into the FPSO design standardpractice.“Notjustfordebottleneck, concept, allowing production rates to but in general terms, you always make a increase. ”You can make, with very minor designfromveryfewdatapoints,soitcaters modifications to the asset, or non- for a whole lot of variations of those and modifications at all, have a higher onceyougetintorealoperation,youhavethe throughput, and that’s what we’ve been able realdataonwhichyoucanalwaysoptimise,” to do,” he shared Moreover, Tangen he shared. In Guyana’s case, he said that highlighted that the company, “Look at it these adjustments have led to “increasing holistically and say, what are the production production throughput perfectly within the rates that we can achieve on any given asset operatingenvelopeoftheoriginaldesignand without bringing it outside of its design and the safety barriers that we have in place in operatingenvelope.” thatdesign,ofcourse.”

BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT

PNCR control-frence

ThePNCRoftenhostswhatweatKaieteur News believe to be a control-frence which prevents the media from asking questions theywishnottotake.

The PNCR press conference invites questions from the media relating to its press statements, most times leaving limited time for the more crucial issues the party wishes not to address. In other instances, the party makes it clear that matters off the press statementswouldbeaddressedatalaterdate.

This control freakism must not be allowed to take place in a modern society The FREE PRESSshouldnotbemonitoredorinstructed what it should question at any given time. Both the PPP and AFC have recognised this andallowthemediatoaskanyquestionatany time during their press conferences. The PNCR must therefore recognise that there is no place for its attitude in today’s environment.

Prosecution’s lapse forces Magistrate to grant bail to men found with drugs and plane that illegally landed in Guyana

A l a p s e b y t h e and Phoenix) were granted landing of an aircraft in landing rather than an Guyana who is willing to act thelawyeremphasised,“The prosecution on Tuesday has $200,000 bail each (for the Guyana.The three men were intentional act of illegal asaguarantor charges are baseless and allowed a lawyer to secure Drug charge) with reporting initially remanded after entry. “On the day in Theattorneysaidtoothat unsupported and there is no bailforhisclientsaccusedof conditions once a month (on being charged on October question, the plane suffered Hamle

D

S

lva was risk of flight.” However, the beingfoundwithdrugsanda thelastFriday)attheLethem 16. Attorney DaSilva has damage,” the lawyer told the contacted for mechanical prosecution objected to bail plane that illegally landed in PoliceStation”. been requesting bail for his court. He empahsised that assistance with the aircraft and the court had agreed. GuyanaonOctober6,2024. Meanwhile,theBrazilian clientssincethen. no narcotics were found on and was unjustly suspected H

s National was released on a The attorney argued at his client or in the aircraft. by police. He noted that Prosecution returned on

total of $ 400,000 bail- that time the plane his client DaSilva added that Saraiva Phoenix was also asked to Tuesday,theywerenotready prosecution failed to make $200,000 for the allegedly – the Brazilian national – had no passport because he help with the plane’s repairs. to present their full evidence full disclosure of the trafficking narcotics and flew developed mechanical “never intended to land DaSilva also told the court against the men and bail was e

e $200,000 for the illegal issues which lead to a crash- anywhere,” and insisted that that“theplanewastopickup granted The matter was defendants. The defendants

Saraiva posed no flight risk mercury inVenezuela for the adjourneduntilNovember7, are Brazilian National 48- since he has a friend in purpose of mining.”As such 2024. year-old Robintaine Peixoto

Saraiva,aBraziliannational, 53-year-old Hamlet DaSilva of Achiwib Village, Region Nine and Brazil, and 27year-old Evander Phoenix, a miner also from Achiwib Village.

The trio made their second court appearance at theGeorgetownMagistrates’ Courts before Acting Chief Magistrate,FaithMcGusty Their Lawyer, Bernard DaSilva told Kaieteur News that, “The locals (DaSilva

40 floats for tonight’s Diwali motorcade

This evening the night sky will be Motorcade which is unifying and brings illuminated by the lights of the majestic thousands of people of all walks of life Diwali Motorcade as it leaves the Shri togetherinaspiritofjoyandfraternity Krishna Mandir, Campbellville at 6:30PM Headliningtheculturalprogrammeatthe for the LBI Community Center Ground for a LBI ground out of India is Nachiket Lele of fabulousculturalprogramme. Indian Idol Fame, Ben Parag and Vishale

On the occasion of the Guyana Hindu Samlall along with Bunty Singh, Suraj Dharmic Sabha’s 50th Anniversary, the Singh, Rekha Ranglall, Sookrane Boodhoo, motorcade will feature over 40 floats from Elizabeth Wong of Guyana and Kaitlin across Guyana with hundreds of youth Sultan of Trinidad and Tobago, with dances depictingthevariousmanifestationsof God, by Dharmic Nritya Sangh and Berbice a release from the Sabha said. These Delights. They will be backed by music by exquisite creations will warm the hearts of the Shakti Strings Band. Admission is free, the thousands who throng the roads to view no alcohol is allowed. Persons attending can thebeautifulandiconicmotorcade. also enjoy lots to eat and drink and Diwali Guyana is the proud home of the Diwali shopping.

The crashed airplane

CXC to launch AI-powered literacy and numeracy system

…as part of digital transformation

CXC Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Wayne Wesley

T h e C a r i b b e a n “We can talk aboutAI all Council as we know it. We methods. “Skipping the AI Examinations Council we want, but if students are are using our expertise with revolution is not an option. (CXC) is leveraging not literate and numerate, A I t o d r i v e t h e The most important step artificial intelligence (AI) to they will not harness the transformation that is right now is to provide enhance its educational power of AI. We’ve paid required.” Other speakers at hands-on training for services, particularly in particular attention to these the Regional Symposium teachers and leaders to literacyandnumeracyaspart areas and will soon unveil and Policy Dialogue on reduce fears that AI will accessible to all, piloting marginalised groups and of a broader digital our AI-powered literacy and Transforming Education replace them,” Dr South EdTech tools for students w

transformation of the numeracy system to discussed how AI could noted. He further advocated and teachers, and building inequalities. regional entity, according to complement the education reshape education by f o r p u b l i c - p r i v a

e capacity to integrateAI tools Held in early October, CXC Registrar and Chief system and ensure students addressing learning gaps, partnerships to develop an intoeducation. the three-day Regional Executive Officer, Dr have the foundational skills while also emphasising the AI-savvy workforce, “These tools need to be Symposium and Policy WayneWesley needed to succeed,” he importance of equitable national AI literacy bought, implemented, and Dialogue on Transforming Speaking during the explained according to a access They called for programmes, and culturally delivered. We all have much Education, organised by the keynote session AI in pressreleasefromCXC. urgent investment in reliable responsive AI models that to learn about usingAI,” Mr Caribbean Development Education: Navigating T h e C a r i b b e a n internet, affordable devices, reflect local knowledge and Blom stated. Despite the Bank in collaboration with between the Promises and experienced declining and teacher training to diversity enthusiasm for AI’s the CARICOM Secretariat, Potential Pitfalls at the numeracy rates, with only ensure AI is integrated Mr Andreas Blom, potential, experts cautioned OECS Commission, The Regional Symposium and 36% of candidates achieving without exacerbating World Bank Education against the risks, including University of the West Policy Dialogue on a passing grade in existinginequalities.

Manager for Latin America data privacy and security Indies, and the Ministry of Transforming Education in Mathematics in the 2024 Dr Joseph South, Chief and the Caribbean, concerns, as student Education in the Cayman the Cayman Islands, Dr CXC exams. Describing this Innovation Officer at the underscored the need for a information could be Islands, marked a significant Wesley outlined CXC’s digital overhaul as a pivotal International Society for comprehensive policy vulnerabletobreaches. step toward achieving strategic repositioning change for CXC, Dr Wesley Technology in Education, agenda focused on learning. There is also the risk that Sustainable Development aimed at giving Caribbean added, “This marks the stressed that AI should He highlighted the AI algorithms could Goal 4, which aims to students a competitive beginning of the end of the complement, not replace, importance of making perpetuate biases, leading to provide inclusive, equitable, advantage. Caribbean Examinations traditional educational connectivity and devices unfair outcomes for andqualityeducationforall.

Baby, mom burnt after man throws hot oil on brother during argument

A 30-year-old man is

their home located in the

While entering his accused of throwing hot oil same yard when he heard his brother’s home, the family on his 26-year-old brother brother saying, “I gon take was reportedly greeted with during a heated argument at off the back light pon yuh d e g r a d i n g s l a n g s Lot 1845 Tuschen, New house.” Khan reported that Notwithstanding, they were

Scheme, East Bank the lights were turned off but determined to get the lights Essequibo (EBE). The powerreturnedshortlyafter. on.Khan’sbrotherthenwent incident also resulted in

Further, the complainant to the kitchen and grabbed a injuries to the brother’s 30- wasobservedurinatinginthe pot of hot oil and hurled it at year-old wife and their five- alleybetweenthetwohouses him. The hot oil also caught month-oldbaby. and Ramjeet confronted him Ramjeetandtheirchild

The injured persons have saying, “how yuh guh pee T

been identified as Sareef hay, suh we does gah walk, summoned and the victims Khan, his wife Yoneika wegetababyandwehaveto andsuspectweretakentothe Ramjeet, and their five- liveclean.” TuschenPoliceOutpostafter month-olddaughter

The complainant then whichtheinjuredweretaken

The 30-year-old suspect returnedtoKhan’sbrotherto to the Leonora Cottage was arrested by police on lodge another complaint Hospital Khan sustained Monday which resulted in the lights injuries to his chest, his wife

During an interview with being disconnected at their suffered burns to her face Kaieteur News,Khanrelated homeasecondtime. and chest, and the fivethat the incident occurred

“Someandmahwifeand month-old baby has burns between 17:30h and 17:45h mah baby, we can’t deh in aboutherbody his wife and daughter at a according to Khan, he would that how I not suppose to tell onOctober23,2024. dark so we say we gon go A formal report was shop nearby their home. As joke with the person from he (the complainant) Khan said that he and his in front now, me gon go with made at the Leonora Police such, he stopped and went timetotime. nothing.” family live in the compound aforceandputonthelights,” Station Police are homewiththem.

However, on the day in Thereafter, Khan and his with his 30-year-old brother Khanrecalled. investigatingthematter However,uponarrivalhe question, the person felt family proceeded to walk to resides (suspect). Khan and said there was a gathering in offended by Khan’s his family live in the back the front house at the utterances and told Khan’s house while his brother lives verandah.Whileenteringthe brother that he was being infront. yard, Khan reportedly joked “troubled”.

The man said that on with an attendee at his Khan said, “Me buddy Wednesdaylast,whileonhis brother’s home. The person (his brother) now start curse way homefrom work he saw was no stranger to Khan and me and start talk up and say

The baby wrapped in burn dressing

The Burn marks the five-month-old received

Bartica teen missing for 7 days

Missing: Madeeha Ishak

Seven days after a take the classes in the dining the opportunity to venture 17-year-old girl area of a restaurant she off. “I guess its frustration

went missing her manages. because we didn’t really had distraught father is hoping “Shecameacrossduring any problem at home,” he for her safe return, following the day and she brought her said assuming the reason for her disappearance on computer,”thefathersaid. h i s d a u g h t e r ’ s October 22, 2024 at Lot 60 He continued, “In the disappearance. First Avenue, Bartica, evening time, when to sign TheseniorIshaksaiditis RegionSeven. into class she came to the notthefirsttimehisdaughter

Themissinggirlhasbeen computer and went across has gone missing but said it identifiedasMadeehaIshak. into the restaurant…where is the longest time she has

The teen’s father, 44- she does her studies and her stayedawayfromhome. year-old Mohamed Ishak mom was over there (with A report has since been told this publication that his her).” filed at the Bartica Police daughter went missing The father, who owns a Station. between 17:30 and 17:45h meat center, said that the The family is urging lastTuesday girl’s mother ventured off to persons with information

During an interview with that location to get abouttheteen’swhereabouts Kaieteur News, the father of somethingtodrink. to call them on telephone four stated that Madeeha The distraught man told numbers 698-9889, 602 would attend online classes Kaieteur News that he 1918 or contact the nearest in the evenings. She would believes his daughter took policestation.

Crane residents still concerned about

health risks

due to seepage in homes

...EPA says no evidence of petroleum - based hydrocarbons

Residents of Crane, West Coast Demerara (WCD) are still concerned about their health in the face of information emanating from t h e E n v i r o n m e n t a l Protection Agency (EPA) that no petroleum-based hydrocarbons were found in samples taken from the seepageintheirhomes.

OnMonday,theEPAsaid it believes the substance found in the flooring of the Crane residents is a form of hydroxide.

Added to this, in an interview with the Stabroek News that was published on October 29, 2024, Executive Director of the EPA, Kemraj Parsram claimed that while initial tests from the seepage found sulfur dioxide, a harmful substance (SO2), which according to the American LungAssociation, is a gaseous air pollutant composed of sulfur and oxygen; the initial tests were i n a c c u r a t e d u e malfunctioningequipment.

According to the American LungAssociation, “SO2 forms when sulfurcontaining fuel such as coal, petroleum oil, or diesel is burned.”

The Association said inhaling this gas can be extremely dangerous to human health causing wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness and other problems. Longterm exposure at high levels increases respiratory symptoms and reduces the ability of the lungs to function.”

ParsramsaidthattheEPA w i l l c o n t i n u e i t s investigationsandinformthe residents and public as more monitoring and she was as a result of chemical information becomes advised to keep the affected reaction secondary to an available However, area of their home ventilated unknownchemical. residents have expressed as the investigations “We still getting this like skepticism at the initial continue. burning sensation when we findingsoftheEPA. Ms. Singh nevertheless near but we have the place

Basmatie Singh, one of stressed concerns for her more open out now so to the affected residents, said health given there is no keep it from happening…If she and her son are still proper explanation given for this place lock up this thing experiencing irritation to the reaction that she and her does smell strong, strong…it their skin and eyes whenever son have been having as a burns your eyes and skin so they are near the living room resultoftheseepage. me want to know what really in the lower flat of their The woman revealed a goingon…”Singhsaid. house. doctor’s report from her visit To this end, the woman

“We don’t know what to to the emergency room said that while the EPA and believebecausefirsttheysay pointed out that she other agencies will continue is sulfur dioxide. Now they presented with Upper with their investigations, she change them mouth and say respiratory irritation, harsh willbeseekinga2ndopinion is not that because the sounds, shortness of breath, fromindependentsources. m a c h i n e n o t b e e n drymouth,burningsensation Nandanie Singh whose working…”thewomansaid. in her face with numbness, home also was subject to the

Singh said the agency s t o m a c h a c h e s a n d mysterious seepage said that visited her home on Monday weakness. “the team from EPA who t o d o f o l l o w - u p The hospital report noted visitedustoldustokeep

Basmatie Singh points to seepage on the tiles at her Nouvelle Flanders/ Crane, WCD home.

One of the houses affected by the seepage

AFCcelebrates19-yearanniversary

The Alliance for of our people. “In recent C h a n g e o n years under the current PPP T u e s d a y Government, we have

celebrated its vehemently spoken out 19th anniversary with their againstthehighcostofliving traditional flag raising facing Guyanese, the out of ceremony held at the party’s control massive levels of K i t t y, G e o r g e t o w n corruption in the award of headquarters. contracts and the subjective In a press release the andunequalallocationofthe AFC said leaders, members nation’s bountiful resources and supporters reflected on to the PPP’s community of the early days when the friends, family and Party’s three founding favourites.” members - Sheila Holder, The Alliance For Khemraj Ramjattan and Change said it continues to Raphael Trotman took the believe “that our diverse bold step to form the citizenry’s economic, movement and challenge social, and political Guyana’s long established development must be based two party political on the principle of social structure “Today the AFC justice, that the racial once again demonstrated politics of the past must be that it is here to stay eradicated, and a new set of recognising the strides political principles based on made and re-committing to the maintenance of the rule its founding principle of the of law, electoral and transformation of Guyana constitutional reform, must for the benefit of all her be promoted to lighten our building of our internal citizensandtheendtoracial path to prosperity which is political structures as politics,”thereleasestated challenged today despite prepare for the 2025 Since its formation on our bountiful resources elections and the next October 29, 2005 the especiallyoilandgas ” exciting phase in our Alliance For Change said it The AFC said it will politicalhistory “Today,we has consistently promoted continue with its “listening can declare with confidence that Guyana’s advancement and grounding” visits to all that we are here to stay! is intertwined with its ability tenregionsinGuyanaandto Better Must Come,” the to unleash the true potential the diaspora and the releaseadded

Alliance For Change Leader, Nigel Hughes and other executives during the flag-raising ceremony

AFC leaders during the flag-raising ceremony

Contractor remanded for failing to complete homes after collecting millions

Thirty-one-year-old arrest and the subsequent MichaelShaneSukhu,aself- charges. proclaimed contractor, was In separate case, Kistoo remanded to prison on paid Sukhu a total of Tuesday after appearing at $5,643,000 as a down theGeorgetownMagistrates’ paymentforahouseatLot83 Court to face two counts of F y r i s h , B u s h D a m , fraud. Corentyne, Berbice. Sukhu Sukhu, who resides at p r o m i s e d t o b e g i n Lot 81 Courbane Park, construction in April 2022 Annandale, East Coast but failed to do so. Kistoo Demerara (ECD), is accused later requested a refund and, of fraudulently converting between August 24, 2022, fundsentrustedtohimforthe and February 1, 2023, constructionoftwohouses. received$3,215,000back. He allegedly collected However, Sukhu refused $2,428,000 from Jasodra to pay the remaining balance Kistoo between January 18, of $2,428,000. The matter 2022, and April 26, 2022, was reported and he Sukhu and $4,100,000 fromAbdool wascharged. Safeek between October 1, During the court session, 2021,andMay23,2022. Attorney George Thomas Sukhu allegedly used who represented Sukhu two false businesses under applied for bail, stating that t h e n a m e s S h a n e ’s his client was willing to Engineering Enterprise and provide any required Atlantic Housing Constructs documentation. toconcustomers. However, Prosecutor During the court Williams strongly opposed proceedings, Principal bail on several grounds. He Magistrate Faith McGusty noted that Sukhu had read the charges of previously been charged in fraudulent conversion to 2022 but failed to appear in Sukhu, who pleaded not court. The prosecutor also guilty explained that Sukhu had

According to the provided a fraudulent prosecution’s case, Safeek address to the police and that claimed that he paid Sukhu a an arrest warrant had been total of $6,000,000 to issued when he could not be construct a house at Lot 9 located at that address. The First Street, West Meter- matter was subsequently put meer-Zorg, West Bank onholdinMay2024. Demerara(WBD).However, After considering both Sukhu only completed the sides, the court remanded foundation and allegedly Sukhu to prison He is converted the remaining scheduled to return for funds for his personal use. further proceedings on Safeeksaidthatheattempted November20,2024. to contact Sukhu multiple Media reports indicate times to either complete the that in October 2022, Sukhu construction or refund his swindled unsuspecting money individuals out of hundreds In response, Sukhu of thousands of dollars by reportedly issued a falsely claiming he had promissory note to repay access to a quarry and could S a f e e k t h e s u m o f deliver stone. Additionally, $4,100,000 but failed to in 2023, a construction honour this commitment c o m p a n y p a i d h i m Following these events, $1,209,000 for 29.5 cubic Safeek filed a report with the yards of ready-mix concrete police, which led to Sukhu’s thathedidnotdeliver

Michael Shane Sukhu remanded to prison for fraud

2 cops to face criminal charges for robbery, abduction of man at Giftland car park

Two policemen will face criminal charges for their alleged involvement in robbingandabductingaman from the Giftland car park, Liliendaal Georgetown, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) saidonTuesday

The police car used by bandits when they returned for more money

Screengrab from footage of Kevin Fiedtkou being abducted on October 10 (Source: News Source)

The GPF in response to a request for an update on the abduction case stated, “The DPP (Director of Public Prosecution, Shalimar Ali Hack SC.) has advised Fiedtkou, a 31-year-old Fiedtkou and he disclosed had on a suit and the other Three men, one of them Fiedtkou said two of criminal charges against two Operations Supervisor that the alleged imposters two had on normal clothes”. heavilybuilt,cameoutofthe themhadgunsandidentified servingmembersoftheGPF attached to Aurora Gold returnedthefollowingdayin A surveillance footage later car and walked up to themselves as police “ Mining Inc. On Thursday apolicecardemandingmore uploaded on the internet by Fiedtkou’s pickup, parked in officers They reportedly

Investigators told this October 10, three gunmen cash. He reportedly gave another media outlet showed the compound. The three took him to his home at newspaper that the posing as police ranks them$40,000,allhehadleft, the men arriving at the mall persons had a conversation Providence, East Bank policemen in question reportedly took $9.5 million forthemtoleave. in what appeared to be a with the victim before Demerara, where they allegedly conspired to in cash from Fiedtkou

Recounting the events heavily-tinted silver-grey placinghiminhandcuffsand demandedthathegivethem abduct and rob Kevin Kaieteur News hadcontacted Fiedtkou said, “One of them ToyotaPremio. forcinghimintotheircar (Continued on page 22)

Wanted Okeemo Arak Brummell

Hotel collapses in Argentina kills one, say reports

(BBC NEWS) One person is reportedly dead and a number of others believed trapped in debris after a hotel collapsed in Argentina.

T h e 1 0 - s t o r e y Dubrovnik hotel, in the coastal city of Villa Gesell, collapsed early on Tuesday, said Reuters news agency,

quoting the local municipality Up to 15 people are believed to have been inside the hotel, which had recently been undergoingrenovation.

Rescue teams are working at the scene attempting to free those thoughttobetrapped.Local mediareportthatamaninhis 80s died as a result of the incidentandonewomanhas so far been rescued. Local authorities said building work at the hotel had been halted in August on the orders of the municipality, because the renovations

were being carried out withouttheproperpermits.

However, neighbours told journalists that work on the building had been continuingindefianceofthe suspension order Argentina’snationalsecurity minister, Patricia Bullrich, posted on X that two specialised teams had been senttothescene,whichisin BuenosAiresprovince.

She said that structural engineers, rescue specialists and a dog team trained in collapsed buildings were attending, as well as personnel equipped with specialist machinery and resources to help the rescue effort.

The province’s own security minister, Javier Alonso, told local radio that four bricklayers working on the site had escaped the collapse and had been detained by police. Alonso added that neighbours told

him that repairs might have been taking place in the hotel’sbasementandthatthe building then collapsed on

Unpaid care work prevents 708 million women from participating in the labour market

GENEVA (ILO News)

-An estimated 708 million women worldwide are outside the labour force because of unpaid care responsibilities, according to new ILO global estimates, released on Tuesday,ontheoccasionof the International Day of CareandSupport.

In 2023, 748 million people (aged 15 or older) werenotparticipatinginthe globallabourforcebecause of care responsibilities, accountingforathirdofall working-age persons outside of the labour force. Of these, 708 million were womenand40millionwere men.

The new estimates, presented in the ILO Statistical brief The impact of care responsibilities on women’s labour force participation, are derived from data from 125 countries.

They indicate that care responsibilities present the main barrier to women entering and staying in the labourforce,whilemenare more likely to cite other personal reasons for being outside the labour force, such as education and

healthissues.

This stark gender discrepancy highlights the disproportionate role that women take on in childrearing, care, and support forpersonswithdisabilities and those in need of longterm care, housekeeping, a n d o t h e r c a r e responsibilities.

Globally, around 1 6 billion women and 800 million men are outside the labour force, with 45 per cent of these women and5percentofthesemen citing care responsibilities as the reason for their nonparticipation.

Among women aged 25 to 54, the proportion citing care as the reason for being outside the workforce rises to twothirds (379 million women).

Women with lower education and those in rural areas also face higher barr

s to workforce participation d u e t o c a r e responsibilities

“Women shoulder a disproportionate share of care responsibilities, p r e v e n t i n g t h e i r participation in the labour

force due to factors such as low education levels, limited job opportunities, poor infrastructure, rural residence, and inadequate care and support systems. Additionally, societal expectations and norms around caregiving further restrict women’s labour market inclusion, and d

i Dasgupta, Director of the Conditions of Work and EqualityDepartment.

Regionally, the highest percentage of women outside the labour force citing care responsibilities asthereasonisinNorthern Africa (63 per cent of women outside the labour force), followed by the ArabStates(59percent).

InAsia and the Pacific, thefigureis52percentwith little variation in the subregions.

In the Americas, the variation is stark, with 47 per cent citing care as the main reason for being outside the labour force in Latin America and the Caribbean, compared to just 19 per cent in NorthernAmerica.

itself. Photographs from the scene show widespread damage to surrounding buildingsfromfallendebris.

‘Dawg

walk from the seafront.

Wind’ remanded for murdering Victoria Man

SherwynEliascommonlyknownas ‘Dawg Wind’ was on Tuesday remandedtoprisonforthestabbing deathof47-year-oldAndre‘Putchie’Wilson.

The incident occurred during a ‘namecalling’ altercation on October 28, 2024, in Victoria, East Coast Demerara (ECD) WilsonsuccumbedtohisinjuriesonSunday evening.

Elias, a farmer residing at Lot 373 VictoriaVillage,appearedbeforeMagistrate Orinthia Schmidt at the Cove and John Magistrates’ Court, where he was read the indictablechargeofmurder

He was not required to enter a plea and was subsequently remanded to prison. Elias is scheduled to return to court on November 3,2024,forreport.

It was reported by Kaieteur News on MondaythatWilsondiedonSundayevening aftersustainingastabwoundtotheabdomen. This publication understands that on the day of the incident, Wilson was with a group of

menwhenEliasdrovebyinhisvehicle.One ofthemencalledouttoEliasusinghisalias, ‘DawgWind,’whichprovokedanargument.

Information reaching this publication suggests that Wilson intervened as the peacemaker and attempted to mediate, explainingtoEliasthatthenameheobjected towasonehehadbeencalledforyearsbythe villagers.

However, the confrontation escalated, and Elias turned his anger towards Wilson, stabbinghimintheabdomen.

An injured Wilson sought refuge by jumping into a nearby trench. A video circulating on social media shows villagers assistinghimoutofthetrenchandwrapping his wound with a torn t-shirts before transporting him to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he underwentemergencysurgery

Wilson’s brother informed Kaieteur News that the stab wound affected both his lungs and liver Unfortunately, due to the severity of his injuries, Wilson died on Sundaynight.

Villa Gesell is a popular coastal destination with a numberofhotels,resortsand beaches. The Dubrovnik is

located next to other hotels inAvenue1andisaboutfive minutes’

Rescue workers among the debris at the Dubrovnik hotel

Dead: Andrea Wilson

Remanded: Sherwyn Elias

WANTED VACANCY

Drivers to drive Canter, and Porters to work in warehouse. Call: 673-7373. Experience is an asset.

Wanted: Experienced Puri Maker, Counter Person, Cleaner & Labourer. Apply @ Shanta's, 225 Camp and New Market Sts. 654-1361.

Domestic (Live in option available), female cook and male & female workers for the interior :660-9093 / 674-9999 / 680-7803.

COINS Wanted, I buy coins best prices paid. Tele : 6430902 / 653-4287.

Canter Driver age 30 year or older, Must have at least 5 years experience. Call: 6130855 between 9:00 am - 4:30 pm.

Land dredge workers wanted. Call : 688-3844.

Experienced cooks wanted for mining operation. Call : 688-6575.

Experienced operators (ADT , Bulldozer , Excavator) wanted for mining operation. Call : 688-6575.

Wanted! Workers for packaging pasta and chowmein. $4100-$4900 per day. Workers paid weekly. Call: 6117839 (GTT)/ 637-0983 (digi).

One nursery school teacher for three year old, 3 days per week from 10 am -12 noon. Call : 629-5439.

One driver residing on West bank /West coast demerara,must be licensed for Car,van & truck. Call : 6238414.

One handyman to clean yard once a week. Call : 623-8414.

One handyman / Porter residing on West bank /West coast demerara,must know to read & write.Call : 623-8414.

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Starting soon at St. John Association. Call: 225-9082.

Chinese supermarket robbery suspect remanded

One of the suspects wanted for the armed robbery of a Chinese Supermarket at Westminster, West Bank Demerara (WBD) has been captured and was remanded to prison on Monday.

until his next court date on December 9, 2024.

Easton is accused of robbing the Supermarket of $600’000 in cash and its owner, Zhou Jiabin of two cellphones.

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Live- In housekeeper needed to cook, clean and do laundry in Virgina, U.S.A, free room & Boarding offered. Call : 845-325-8241

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

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

One Welder / fabricator. Tele : 623-2728.

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

One maid/ cook (Must know to cook Indian dishes) Contact : 680-4718.

Mason, Labourer & Carpenter wanted to work in Linden. Contact : 602-9469 , 6157526,660-6385 , 625-7642.

Maintence worker, Cleaner / handywoman , welder / Fabricator , Carpenter / Masonary , Labourers. Call : 621-6969/615-7784.

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Police identified him as 43year-old Fitzroy Easton of Lot 755 “D” Field, Sophia, Georgetown. Easton was nabbed one week after police released screengrabs of two suspects caught on camera robbing the Panda Supermarket on September 26 last.

According to police, Easton was arrested on October 25 by a rank attached to the Stabroek Outpost.

Three days later (October 28) he appeared at the Wales Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Rhondel Weever to face a robbery under arms charge.

Easton pleaded not guilty and was remanded to prison

Kaieteur News reported on October 19 that at around 20:12hrs, the owner of the Supermarket, was at the cash register in the lower flat of the building when he noticed two men walking in. The victim then claimed that one of the suspects jumped over the counter and pointed a firearm at him while removing the money from the cash register.

The Chinese businessman was also beaten with the firearm while relieved of the two phones from his pants pocket. The suspects then made their escape on a red and black electric scooter.

One of the suspects remains at large.

Crane residents still concerned about health risks...

From page 16 away from the area as much as possible and they will keep checking because they have not closed their investigation as yet.”

Attempts made by Kaieteur news to reach the EPA’s Executive Director on Tuesday for further clarity on the situation proved unsuccessful.

However, in an invited comment, former Head of the EPA, Dr. Vincent Adams said that he has noted the EPA’s investigations included an

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analysis from Chemist and Senior Lecturer of the University of Guyana (UG) Patrick Etwaru.

“I have read about Mr. Etwaru’s findings and he would have given his professional opinion.

I can’t say that I have any reason to doubt him… I have said that it is almost impossible for this leaking to be connected to the offshore activities,” Dr. Adams said.

The former EPA head, who has called for an independent investigation to be launched into the seepage at Crane, said that he could only hope that adequate analysis is done on the soil from nearby the affected homes.

Dr. Adams also expressed concerns about the management of the agency and their handling of the investigation.

“How can the EPA send its staff to take samples with equipment that is out of calibration, it speaks to the incompetent and mismanagement of the agency…. This is serious you can’t be playing with people’s lives like that,” he said.

Given the concerns of the

residents, Dr. Adams agreed that there is no harm in getting a second professional opinion.

“A 2nd opinion is never a bad idea; I’m all for ensuring the safety of the residents. They have to be satisfied that their lives are not in jeopardy,” Dr. Adams.

The EPA said in a statement on Monday that the agency in collaboration with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), and the Ministry of Health (MOH) continued its investigation at Crane with follow-up air quality testing and collection of available samples of substances present at both locations on Monday, October 21, 2024.

According to the EPA, the analysis of the samples by Forensic Laboratory and the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB) confirmed that no petroleum-based hydrocarbons were found in the samples.

“Physical observations and expert analysis also indi-

cated that the substance found on the tiles was not petroleum-based,” the statement said.

Additionally, the agency noted that the air quality results indicated that the overall air quality is good and is within World Health Organization (WHO) standards for the locations assessed.

The EPA said that it has therefore advised affected residents to continue keeping the area ventilated to allow for proper air circulation.

The EPA noted too that it is committed to transparency and will provide updates as new information becomes available.

“We urge the community to remain vigilant and report any unusual occurrences to the Agency. Contact the EPA on telephone numbers 592-2255467-68, 592-225-6044, 592225-6048, 592-225-0506, 592-225-5471, and 592-2255472, or via email at epa@epaguyana.org.

The public will be notified once a conclusive determination can be made,” the release said.

Diaspora Gears for Diwali 2024 in NY...

From page 04 peace and prosperity in the world.

The festival was celebrated with gusto last Saturday evening on Liberty Ave. Several temples held cultural variety concerts over the weekend.

President Biden wished the community Diwali greetings; several Hindus work for the Administration. The President will host celebrations at the White House. There is an intense campaign for President. Election is November 5. Polls indicate a dead heat between Democrat

Vice President Kamala Devi Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump. Both are friends of the Hindu community. Both hosted Diwali at their official residences.

Several cities recognize Diwali as a holiday with schools closed. There is also the suspensizn of parking rules that is accorded to the festival. The mainstream media is also promoting the festival. Many of the ethnic radio and television programs aired Diwali songs last weekend and all this week. Guyanese

and other Indo Caribbeans patronized the Times Square celebration held over the last couple weekends. There were also celebrations at the pier in downtown Manhattan that was also patronised by non-Hindus. There were Ram Leela skit, dances, speeches, and more. Spiritual activities are planned for this Thursday and or Friday evening at Mandirs after celebration at home. Some politicians have scheduled celebrations after November 5.

Yours sincerely, Vishnu Bisram

Remanded, Fitzroy Easton

Govt. to spend $63M more to build shed at newly commissioned $346M school

During the recent opening of bids at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) Office, it was revealed that the government has set aside approximately$63milliontoconstructarecreationalshedat thenewlycommissioned$346millionNorthwestSecondary School.

TheprojectwhichisbeingundertakenbytheMinistryof Education has attracted bids from eight contractors whose bidsareallbelowtheengineer’s$63million.

Aspreviouslyreported,theNorthwestSecondarySchool inRegionOnewasrecentlycommissionedafteritwasrebuilt following a fire that destroyed the school back in September 2021. It was reported that the two-storey state-of-the-art facility can accommodate 575 students and includes 23 classrooms, three science laboratories, a technical drawing room, four canteens, eight washroom facilities, and two modified elevators. Notably, at the opening bids were also read for the construction of the May 26 Nursery School, a projectestimatedtocost$60million.

Belowarethecompaniesandtheirbids:

Ministry of Education

Construction of Recreational Shed-Northwest Secondary School.

Construction of Students' Dormitory Multi-Purpose Hall & Kitchen at Monkey Mountain Region#8 Lots 1-2.

Rehabilitation of Electrical Infrastructure - Hopetown PIC.

Rehabilitation of Electrical Infrastructure - Beterverwagting PIC.

Rehabilitation of Electrical Infrastructure - Fellowship PIC.

Rehabilitation of Electrical Infrastructure - St. Ignatius Primary PIC.

Renovation & Extension to Student's Residence at Three Miles Secondary School Bartica Region#7.

Govt. to host job fair in Suriname on Saturday

Af t e r t h e diaspora can take up gaps as quickly as they are Guyanese diaspora, aims to s u c c e s s f u l opportunities in the public being created. That is why harness the skills and

hosting of the sector created as a result of the government is keen on expertise of Guyana’s inaugural job fair in New theseprojects. encouraging our Guyanese diasporacommunity York in July this year, the The construction of 6 diaspora to understand the Attendees can anticipate Government of Guyana is new hospitals, for example, development taking place, direct engagement with currently finalising plans to will require various skills to theopportunitiescreatedasa representatives from leading host its second diaspora job fill numerous jobs to be result and return to grasp companies, government fairinSuriname. createdasaresult. tho

agencies, and non-profit

This event is slated for As a result of requests W h e t h e r t h e y a r e organizations, all offering a Saturday November 2nd in emanating from the considering returning to diverserangeofemployment Nickerie, where the vast diaspora, supporting Guyana or seeking to make opportunities and valuable majority of the diaspora has agencies such as the Central a meaningful impact from insights into the remigration settled over the decades, the Immigration and Passport abroad, the Diaspora Job process. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Office, General Registrar Fair promises to be an The event will include saidinastatement. Office, the Board of invaluable networking and informative sessions on

The second job fair will Industrial Training and the career advancement investment opportunities, once again see the National Insurance Scheme, opportunity.” housing options, and collaboration between the are among agencies who According to the educational resources Government of Guyana and will be offering their ministry as was the case in available to returning the Private Sector to host services and provide the inaugural job fair, this citizens. several companies in informationattheevent event, marks a crucial Representatives of over Nickerie interested in Foreign Secretary of the in itiativ e aimed at 20 companies from several tapping into the diaspora to Ministry of Foreign Affairs s h o w c a s i n g c a r e e r sectors, 7 ministries and fill critical labour gaps in a n d I n t e r n a t i o n a l opportunities across various agencies and 4 chambers of Guyana. Cooperation, Mr Robert industries. c o m m e r c e w i l l b e

Most notably, businesses Persaud reiterated, “This It underscores its participating. in the Berbice region will be second job fair represents a importance as a pivotal For more information involvedintheevent. pivotal moment for our platform for connecting about the Diaspora Job Fair, Supplementing the job nation as we seek to harness returning Guyanese with Guyanese in Suriname are f a i r w i l l b e m a j o r theskillsandexpertiseofour prospectiveemployers. asked to contact the Guyana government ministries who diaspora community It is T

, a Embassy in Paramaribo and wi

y His the Guyana Consulate in transformative projects Guyana’s unprecedented Excellency President Dr Nickerie. The event is open u n d

k e n b y t h e growth is posing a massive Mohamed Ali following his to the public from 12pm to Government and how the challenge to fill the labour recent meeting with the 4pm.

Construction of May 26 Nursery School.

At least 93 killed and missing in Israeli strike on Gaza, health ministry says

(BBC NEWS) At least 93 people are dead or missing after an Israeli air strike on the town of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry says.

Rescuers said a fivestorey residential building washit,andvideosonsocial media showed bodies covered in blankets on the floor

There has been no immediate comment on the strike from Israel’s military, whichbegananewoffensive intheareaearlierthismonth after saying Hamas was regroupingthere.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been operating in northern Gaza during the past two weeks, particularly in the areas of Jabalia, Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun.

The director of the nearby Kamal Adwan hospital in Jabalia, Hussam Abu Safia, told the AFP news agency that children were being treated at the hospital,whichisstruggling totreatpatientsduetoalack ofstaffandmedicines.

“There is nothing left in the Kamal Adwan Hospital except first aid materials after the army arrested our medical team and workers,” Abu Safia said. The IDF raidedthehospitallastweek, saying it was being used by Hamas fighters. Israel says its operations in northern Gazaaredesignedtoprevent Hamasfromregroupingand accuses them of embedding among the civilian population, which Hamas denies.

In a statement on Tuesday, it said it killed 40 “terrorists”inJabalia,andin central Gaza it said it “eliminatedmanyterrorists” over the past 24 hours including some w

explosives near the troops”.

The northern Gaza Strip faces a d

ing humanitarian crisis, with hundreds of thousands of people living in desperate conditions.

UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Friday that “the Israeli military is subjecting an entire population to bombing,

Israel bombardment of Gaza has continued

siegeandriskofstarvation”.

Palestinian armed groups were reportedly operating among civilians, including inside shelters for the displaced, and putting them inharm’sway

On Monday, Israel’s

parliament voted through legislation to ban the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency, Unrwa, from operating in the country, sparking warningsthedeliveryofaid to Gaza could be severely impacted..

Israel launched a campaigntodestroyHamas

in response to the group’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. More than 42,924 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the health ministry, which

doesnotdistinguishbetween civilians and fighters in its figures.

Israel is not allowing international journalists from media organisations, including the BBC, independentaccesstoGaza, making it hard to verify factsontheground

CNN Polls: Harris and Trump locked in close races in Arizona and Nevada as pool of persuadable voters shrinks

CNN — In the critical Southwest battlegrounds of Arizona and Nevada, Vice PresidentKamalaHarrisand former President Donald Trump run near even in the race for the White House, accordingtonewCNNpolls conductedbySSRS.

The findings come as large numbers of voters report having already cast ballotsandthepoolofthose open to changing their mind shrinks.

Harris holds 48% support among likely voters inArizona, according to the poll, to 47% for Trump. In Nevada,48%oflikelyvoters support Trump and 47% backHarris.

Those 1-point margins fall within each poll’s margin of sampling error, finding no clear leader in eitherstate.

The surveys find voters’ views largely set on who would better handle top issues, while on a range of key attributes, neither candidate has convinced a critical mass of voters that

they’re the better choice. Voters in both states have at best a narrow preference for which candidate cares more about people like them, shares their vision of the country or would put the country’s interests above theirownself-interest.

The Nevada poll suggests little change in the

People vote at a polling location in Las Vegas on October 21, 2024. Ethan Miller/Getty Images

state of the race there since late August, but in Arizona, the new results point to a shiftinHarris’favor

ThenewpollfindsHarris improving there with core Democratic constituencies such as women, Latino votersandyoungervoters. The shift is notably concentratedamongwomen,

whonowbreakforHarrisby 16 points, while men continuetofavorTrumpbya 14-pointmargin.

Harris’edgewithwomen is a bit tighter in Nevada (51% support her, 46% Trump).

That closer margin is largelydrivenbytherelative lack of a gender gap among

White likely voters in the state: Trump has a 15-point lead over Harris among White men (56% to 41%) and a 12-point lead among Whitewomen(54%to42%).

Hispanic likely voters in Nevada split about evenly between Harris and Trump (48% support Harris, 47% Trump).

Harris does hold a wide lead there among voters younger than 35, though: 53%supportherversus39% forTrump.

Independent voters in both states split roughly evenly between Harris and Trump.

InArizona, 45% support Trump to 43% for Harris, a 6-point improvement in supportforthevicepresident sinceAugust.

InNevada,independent likely voters divide 46% Harris to 43% Trump, about the same as in August

The Democratic nominees for US Senate in each state appear to have theupperhand InArizona,

Democratic Rep Ruben Gallego bests Republican Kari Lake 51% to 43% among likely voters in the race to succeed retiring independentSen Kyrsten Sinema, and in Nevada, Democratic Sen Jacky Rosen leads in her reelection bid against Republican challenger Sam Brown 50% to 41% amonglikelyvoters

Further down the ballot, a vote inArizona to establish a fundamental right to an abortion in the state’s constitution has broad support: 60% of likely voters say they would vote in favor of it, andjust39%wouldoppose it

Both states have robust early and mail-in ballot voting, and according to the poll, 55% of likely voters in Arizona and 42% in Nevada say they have already voted In both states, more registered Republicans have cast ballots so far than registeredDemocrats

Justice Chantal Ononaiwu, Judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice

Jamaican law expert appointed new judge at CCJ

Chantal Ononaiwu was onTuesday sworn in as a Judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), becoming the second JamaicannationaltojointheBenchoftheregionalCourt. The swearing-in ceremony was conducted by the Governor General of Jamaica, His Excellency the Most Honourable Sir Patrick Allen, at King’s House, Kingston, Jamaica.

In his remarks during the ceremony, the Justice Adrian Saunders, CCJ President, noted that “Article IV(1) of the Agreement Establishing the Court requires that when the Court… at least three [judges] must possess expertise in internationallawincludinginternationaltradelaw

Justice Ononaiwu is not merely an expert in international law, she is more specifically an expert in international trade lawandanactivepractitionerinthefield.Shehasappearedas counsel before the CCJ in many of the Court’s seminal cases dealing with the CSME. She has experience in adjudicating WTOinternationaltradedisputes.Thejobshepreviouslyheld involvednegotiatinginternationaltradeissuesonbehalfofthe Caribbean Community Indeed, she led the coordination of CARICOM’s external trade policy Caricom’s undoubted massivelossistheCCJ’sgain,butIventuretosuggestthatthe regionwouldbenefitevenmoregreatlyfromhertenureonthe Court.”

JusticeOnonaiwuwaschosenfromapoolof12applicants by the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission (RJLSC), an independent body of 11 individuals responsible for appointing the Judges and staff of the Court. Applicants musthaveeitherservedasajudgeforatleastfiveyearsorhave a minimum of 15 years of experience in the practice or teaching of law Additionally, candidates are evaluated on criteria including high moral character, intellectual and analytical abilities, sound judgment, integrity, and an understandingofpeopleandsociety

With over 20 years of legal experience, Justice Ononaiwu brings specialist expertise in Caribbean Community (CARICOM) law and international law, including international trade law Her varied legal background includes roles as an adjudicator, litigator, legal advisor, and university lecturer Justice Ononaiwu also has significant expertise in commercial law, having worked in the international business and financial services sector as the Director of Value Proposition Development at Invest Barbados. Additionally, she served as Vice-Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce Digital Standards Initiative Legal Reform Advisory Board. She has also lectured on international trade andinvestmentlaw,publicinternationallaw,andcriminallaw atThe University of theWest Indies. Prior to her appointment to the CCJ, she served as Director of External Trade at the CARICOM Secretariat and previously as a Trade Policy and LegalSpecialist.

In her remarks, Justice Ononaiwu stated: “I am honoured toserveasaJudgeoftheregion’shighestcourt.OurCaribbean Court of Justice plays a pivotal role in advancing the rule of law in CARICOM and building Caribbean jurisprudence. I will work assiduously with my colleagues in service of the Court’smissiontoprovideaccessible,fairandefficientjustice for the people and States of the Community Justice Ononaiwu’s appointment fills the vacancy left by Mr. Justice Jacob Wit, one of the first judges appointed to the Court, who retired in December 2023 and passed away in January 2024. The RJLSC will, in due course, announce the appointment of another Judge and the Court’s fourth President, who will succeedMr.JusticeAndrewBurgessandMr.JusticeSaunders, respectively,upontheirretirementsin2025.

Special Memorial Race by Flying Stars Cycling

Club tomorrow in Amelia’s Ward, Linden

Following their staging of their

Flying Stars Cycling Club’s Memorial event in G e o

n

a s t Saturday, the action will be in Linden which is being staged to honour a number of individuals

w

promotion of cycling in the mining town over the

F

cyclist and race official Victor Rutherford, who is based in the United States remarked that with assistance from Apostle Nigel Eliakim, the activity will held in memory of the late John ‘Chex Doc’Anderson, W Haslyn Parris, George ‘Speedy’ Binning and

Massay

The route for this race, which stars at 1:00pm, will be from

Avenue, Church Lane and back to the Police outpost

The organizers are

Under 50, Over 50, BMX and ladies

This race in Linden has been supported by Sarah Parris, Lorraine Massay, Monty Jones, N I C I L , M

e Lewis, Shaquel Agard, Royston Vogelson and PhilipTrotz

Slingerz, Nand Persaud Racing Stables take top...

Frompage33 taking home $600,000 and atrophy

To p G u n w i t h

Wednesday October 30, 2024

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

Difficult predicaments could arise today if you try to exert your will over others without having the most honorable intentions, Aries. It could be that you're using someone else's fear of you to control himorher

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

The fire within you is raging today,Taurus,andyoushould becarefulhowyouwieldthis power Be proud and triumphant. Walk with your shouldersbackandheadhigh. Freedomisimportant.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

There may be a great deal of fuss over something that seems quite insignificant to you, Gemini. Try to see the beauty and importance of everythingaroundyou.

CANCER(June21–July22)

Thingsarecomingtoacritical point for you today, Cancer, and you may find that other people openly object to your actions. It's OK to be a bit selfish if the situation is appropriate.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Feelfreetospeakmoreloudly today, Leo. You'll find that things fall into place more easily if you speak your thoughts outwardly and directly in the presence of others. Bring your internal powerunderyourcontrol.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

Youshouldbaskinaglorious splendortoday,Virgo.There's a great deal of power at your disposal.You'll find your ego ishealthy,charged,andready forthebattlefield.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Add more sunshine to your day, Libra. It may be time to stir up your inner passion and let it speak with greater confidencethanyouhavebeen lately Make sure you heal yourself by letting the people aroundyouhearyourtruth.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)

You'llfindthatyoursparkcan easily turn potential energy into kinetic energy, Scorpio. Don'tunderestimatethepower of your words. Realize the profound impact they have on othersandtakeresponsibility

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

Don't dwell on your fluctuating moods today, Sagittarius. Look at the larger trends and how positive elements are coming together inyourfavor

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Thisisyourdaytoshineinall your glory, Capricorn. There's noneedtoholdanythingback. You'll find that you have a great deal of love to share. Your heart is likely to go to extremes today in order to proveitslove.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)Trynottolosesightofyour own projects or desires, Aquarius. There's a great deal of power and manipulative energy in the air today that could throw you off course if youaren'tcareful.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

Recharge today by getting outside and stretching your arms to the sky, Pisces. Be proud and courageous. You have the power to turn an unhealthy situation into a positiveone,

United States-based Flying Stars Cycling Club’s race organizer Victor Rutherford at left receives a donation for their Linden Memorial Race set for tomorrow Thursday in

Kissonchandwontheevent for three-year-old Guyana Bred animals that was also openedtoJ-Classhorses.

Ittookthe$500,000and a trophy ahead of Black TimeandMoneyTime.

The event for H and lowerhorsessawRedRuby with Nicholas Patrick winning the $400,000 and trophy over ahead of Forza Baby

The winner of the twoyear-old maiden event was Irish Eyes ahead of Miss Simron, Citation and Sangani Return as it took home $350,000 and a trophy

Angry Bird was the winneroftheraceforI-andloweranimalsthatwasalso opened to H3 non-earners in their last two starts and H-ClasshorsesfromZelda.

The event for J and K maiden animals that was open to L class and twoyear-old Guyana-bred horseswaswonbyPrincess ShashafromEnemyMaker, KissandStrikingDistance.

The final event for L Class horses saw GT Boss, winningwithPerfectStorm and Phoenix rounding out themoney

Linden, from Phillip DaSilva.

Guyana’s athletic participation in the 2024 InterGuianaGamesdemonstrated outstanding efforts in

sportsmanship and teamwork.

Seven sports disciplines from Guyana participated in the event against Suriname

and French Guiana The Junior National Chess team stoodoutwiththeirskilland strategy to secure Silver in secondplaceinthethree-day

tournament held in French GuianafromOctober24thto October 26th, 2024 with Alexander Zhang playing unbeateninthefourrounds.

Guyana was represented by CM Sachin Pitamber, AlexanderZhang,andOmar Shariff for the male team, whileWCMAditiJoshi,Ciel Clement, Italy Ton-Chung and Kaija Clement made up the female team. The male teamenteredthecompetition with one member short due to Kyle Couchman’s absence.

Day one of the tournament started with threeofthesixroundsofthe Double Round Robin format, with 30 minutes per player plus 30 seconds incrementaftereachmove.

The Guyana male team played against Suriname in round one but lost the round with 1.5 points against the Surinametotalof2.5.Aftera roundtwobye,theGuyanese team faced a setback in round three against French Guiana,wheretheonlypoint wassecuredbyZhang.

The boys held their own in round 4, with even scores against Suriname, thanks to wins from Zhang and Pitamber Afterasecondbye in round 5, Guyana won round 6 against French Guiana scoring 2.5 to 1.5 pointswithwinsfromZhang and Pitamber and a draw fromShariff.

Zhangemergedasthetop scorer with 4 out of 4 points forGuyana.

TheGuyanafemaleteam was overwhelmed by Suriname in rounds one and

four

However,inroundthree, thegirlsralliedtosecurethe roundagainstFrenchGuiana 3:1withvictoriesfromJoshi and the Clement siblings.

The female team also demolished the French Guiana team in round six with4:0points.

Both male and female teams finished second, receiving the silver trophies, and each player was awarded a silver medal

The team received extensive coaching and support from coach and supervisor Roberto Nero, who ensured the team did their best to meet the challenges cast by their opponentsineachround

The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) is extremely proud of all the playerswhoparticipatedin

the tournament

The GCF would like to thank the team officials Mrs. ClementandMrs.Joshifor supporting the team members during the eight days of tournament and travel and coach Roberto Neto whose support was invaluabletotheteam.

The federation is grateful to the Honorable Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Mr Charles Ramson, and the Director of Sports, Mr Steve Ninvalle, and his team for organizing and providing a safe and successful trip for theathletes

The GCF has reviewed its selection and code of conduct policy by way of a special board meeting and will be instituting a menu of measures to not have teams adversely affected in future tournaments.

Guyana Chess Team secures Silver at Inter-Guiana Games Games - Alexander Zhang plays unbeaten GOAPC Inter-Ministries Domino

Competition billed for Friday

The Georgetown Office Assistant

P r o m o t i o n Committee (GOAPC) is gearinguptohostitsannual Inter-Ministries and Government Agencies Domino Competition on Friday, November 1 The event will take place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs a n d I n t e r n a t i o n a l Cooperation’sparkingloton Charlotte Street in Georgetown.

Participants will compete for three cash prizes awarded to the winner,runner-up,andthirdplace teams, along with trophiesandmedals.Thelast

competitionsawtheGuyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) team crownedchampions. Teams confirmed for this year’s event include: Guyana Water Inc. (GWI), Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), NationalLibrary,PostOffice, Bureau of Statistics, Parliament, Demerara Harbour Bridge, Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Education(MoE),Ministryof Labour (MOL), Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC),LandsandSurveys, National Drainage and Irrigation Authority ( N D I A ) , F o r e s t r y Commission, Guyoil, and t h e M a r i t i m e Administration. Teams interested in joining must register by today, Wednesday, October 30 For further details, contact James “Uprising” Lewis at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation’s Protocol and Consular Affairs Department, or call 628-1656or688-0073. T h e p r e v i o u s l y scheduledtournamenthadto be postponed due to conflicts with the CPL Championship.Actionstarts at4:30p

Alexander Zhang

Js Supermarket/Kabisa One-Day Horse Race Meet

Slingerz, Nand Persaud Racing Stables take top honours Racing

was the race for horses classifiedCorFandopento E that did not finish 1st or 2ndinitslasttwostartsandE classnon-earnersfor2024.

Turfites were in for a treatasBeckhamJameswith Jockey Zubair Mahsood in the stirrups putting in a tremendousgallopdownthe

homestretchtosqueezepast Spankhurst with Jessica Pride running in third. The 1200Meventsawthewinner (Continuedonpage31)

BYSAMUELWHYTE

TheKabisaStakesHorse race meet was successfully held on Sunday at the Bush Lot United Turf Club, Sea View Park, West Coast Berbice.

The event which was

organized by the Js SupermarketandKabisasaw the Slingerz Racing Stables

takingthefeatureevent.

ItwastimeforJohnBull with jockey Blake in the stirrupstoshineasitbullied

its opponents into submission with a gate-topolevictory

The animal looked in good form as it raced out of the gate and continued to distance itself from the rest

ofthefield.

For the win, the animal raced away with the Kabisa Stakes of $1M and a trophy over 6 furlongs. Novo Sol and Stormy Entry picked up theothertwoplacings.

Itwasalsoagooddayfor the Nand Persaud Racing Stable as Beckham James took theCo-featureevent.It

Everest Masters whip North Soesdyke

Masters to finish top of the table after final league match of the BMC O50s Tournament

SponsoredbyPermaulTrading&Distributionand PeterLewisConstruction&Asphaltservices.

BIG MAN CRICKET

O50s tournament continued last weekend with a solitary fixture in Demerara at the Enmoreground.Inwhatwas expected to be a keenly contested match ended up being more of a one-sided affair with Everest Masters putting on a clinical display against the previous table toppers, North Soesdyke North Soesdyke Masters

took first strike and managedamediocre139for 9 off their full quota of 30 overs. The leading scorers wereopenerD.Persaud-27,

S. Persaud 24 and skipper Ronald Jaisingh 26*. Basil Persaud and Anil Beharry took2wicketsapieceforthe EverestMasters.

Basil Persaud and Sahadeo Hardaiow then providedasolidplatformfor the Everest Masters response putting on an openingpartnershipof85in 11 overs before they lost Basil for a well-played 30. Thereaftertherewasaslight wobble in the middle order when they lost Hiralall, Yadram and Lall in quick succession to be 109 for 4

after 15 overs. Hardaiow continuedwithhisblistering innings of 81 before he fell when his team just required

contained10boundariesand 3maximums.

Fixtures for the semis willbereleasedveryshortly

coming up against Jai Hind JaguarsandNorthSoesdyke Masters taking on East CoastAashDécor

The points standingat the end of the final round is asfollows:

Mohin Persaud, second left, owner and trainer of the Nand Persaud Stable and Beckham James pose with Other Connections after the animal won the C class event.

East Bank Football Association launches

U-14 Boys League to nurture young talent

Teams assembled at the opening of the League.

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has officially launched the East Bank FootballAssociation’s Under-14 Boys League, which kicked off yesterday, October 27, 2024 at the Herstelling Raiders Football Club ground, East Bank Demerara.

This league marks an importantstepindeveloping young talent in Guyana— providing an avenue for

o showcase their skills, gain match experience, and potentially join the national t

am Th

tournament features five

, Diamond United, Swan FC, Soesdyke Falcons, and Timehri United. Each team willfaceofftwiceinaroundrobin format, with games scheduled to take place every Sunday until the tournament concludes. This

structure ensures ample playtime and experience, fostering growth and allowing players to build on their skills in a supportive, y e t c h a l l e n g i n g environment.

Players participating in theleaguewillbenefitfroma unique opportunity to

compete at a higher level, interactingwithplayersfrom diff

n

clubs and backgrounds. Additionally, the tournament will serve as a scouting platform, with standout players being identifiedforfurthertraining and development as part of preparations for Guyana’s

nationalUnder-15teamnext year This initiative, which is the first of its kind for the East Bank Football Association, underscores its commitment to nurturing young athletes and strengthening youth football acrossthecountry

Persaud, Bacchus victorious at Ansa Motors Golf Tournament

The Lusignan Golf Club welcomed

golfers from across Guyana on Sunday for the Ansa Motors Golf Tournament, showcasing remarkabletalentandstrong participation from club members and visitors Sponsored by Ansa Motors Guyana Inc , this event underscored the company’s commitment to supporting local sports and community engagement.

SudeshMahase,General Manager of Ansa Motors, expressed appreciation for the enthusiastic turnout and praised the tournament’s seamless organization

“Ansa Motors Guyana Inc. was pleased with the participation level and execution.

OurdisplayoftheProton X90 received significant attention from members and

visitors, and we are committedtocontinuingour supportforeventslikethisat theLusignanGolfClub.

Wethankallparticipants andcongratulatethewinners

for their impressive performances,” Mahase

stated. To further enhance its sponsorship, Ansa Motors Guyana announced an exclusive offer for all participants in the tournament: a discount of GYD$100,000 on the purchase of a Proton X90. This limited-time offer will be available until the end of 2024 or until stock lasts, highlighting Ansa Motors’ dedication to rewarding local golfers and supporting thegolfingcommunity

Additional accolades were awarded to Avinash Persaud,whopostedtheBest Gross score of 72, and to Naro Ganpat, who claimed theLongestDrive.

Reflecting on the day’s success, Mahase added, “This event exemplified the strength and enthusiasm of the golfing community in Guyana

We look forward to further collaborations with the Lusignan Golf

C

enriching events to the community

s tournament, Ansa Motors reaffirms its dedication to fostering local

Guyana Harpy Eagles vs. Windward Islands Volcanoes

-Imlach,

Paul fifties in vain

Douglas 90, Descarte 60 set up dramatic 1-wicket win over Harpy Eagles

Half-centuries from Guyana Harpy Eagles captain Tevin Imlach and Vice-captain Keemo Paul failedtogettheirteamtheW, as they fell victim to some daring batting courtesy of the Windward Islands Volcanoes batsmen who helped script a daring 1wicketwin.

In a match which went downtothefinaloveratthe BrianLaraCricketAcademy Ground, Imlach stroked 65 off 67 with five fours and solitary maximum, while Paulpummeledthebowling

atthebackendwitha29-ball unbeaten54,decoratedwith sixsixesandafour Opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul (49) missed out on a half-century while Kevlon Anderson (42) and MatthewNandu(34)helped add to the Eagles daunting 274-5 after 50 overs, with Shadrack Descarte (2-53) the only Windward bowler toescapepunishment.

Fifties from Descarte whoreturnedtoscoreavital 60 (7x4 1x6) and top-scorer wicket-keeper Dillon Douglas who led with 90

(8x42x6),pushedVolcanoes homeastheyendedon277-9 withthreeballsleft.

Later innings knocks from Daryl Cyrus (29) and an unbroken lower-order partnership between Kenneth Dember (20*) and Gilson Tyson (17*) saw the gametotheend.

Returning pacer Nial Smith(3-46),KevinSinclair (2-66) led the Eagles bowling. Guyana will play their next match against Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) on October 31.

Th e G u y a n a

B e v e r a g e

Incorporated (GBI), through its Busta brand,hasjoinedforceswith the Petra Organisation to hostthe5thAnnualRepublic Bank Schools Under-18 Football League This partnership, announced

yesterday at a cosponsorship presentation held at GBI’s Diamond facility, promises to elevate school football and further youthengagementinsports.

The league, which kicked off last weekend at the Ministry of Education ground,bringstogethereight topschoolteamsfromacross Guyana, competing fiercely over the next four weeks.

Thestakesarehigh,withthe winner earning a chance to represent Guyana in Petra’s upcoming Schools International Series set for

December. Additionally, cash prizes of $300,000, $150,000, $75,000, and $50,000 await the teams placing first through fourth, respectively, with winnings earmarked for school-based projects.

Prominent attendees at the event included Petra Directors Marlan Cole and Troy Mendonca, GBI General Manager Samuel Arjoon, and Andre Noel, Group Customer GM for S.M. Jaleel and Company, amongothers.

Petra Co-Director Troy Mendonca, expressing his enthusiasm for the partnership, stated, “This collaboration not only strengthens the organising team but also brings tremendous value to the players ” Mendonca highlighted the league’s unique format, which

Motie moves to second on ICC T20I Bowling List

Despite losing both the T20I and One Day International Series on their recent tour of Sri Lanka, a few West Indians managed to gain some ground on the International Cricket Council (ICC) Player Rankinglists.

West Indies conceded the ODI series, 2 – 1, to the host nation and in the process secured their first ODI winof2024,following 11attempts.

However, credible individual performances continued to pour in from a familiarbunch.

Gudakesh Motie, who recently moved to third in the ICC T20I bowling rankingbeforetheTour,was magnificent in the 50-over seriesaswell.Motiejumped 13 places to 38th on the Ranking with a Rating of 512, the highest of any currentWestIndianplayer

The only other West Indian in the Top 100, Alzarri Joseph, moved up five places to 40th with a Ratingof510.Inthebatting department, West Indies’ Top ODI run-getter, Shai Hope, dropped two places from11thto13thandlost11 points on the Rating list. He currently boasts a Rating of 665. Brandon King is the onlyotherWestIndianinthe Top 100 Batters and sits solitarily in 86th. However, followingtheODIseries,he

...OtherWest Indians make minor gains

Gudakesh Motie (Getty Images)

lostfourpointsontheRating listandnowhas440.

Meanwhile, on the ICC ODI Team Ranking list, the Boys in Maroon are in 10th position.

T20ISeries

Motie continues to impress around the world in T20Isandhasnowimproved his Ranking from third to second following the series, whichtheyalsolost,2–1.

The left-arm spinner sports a Rating of 704, secondonlytoAfghanistan’s Adil Rashid, who sits atop with721.

The other Top 100 West Indianbowlersthattookpart in the series were Joseph, who occupies 23rd with a Rating of 583 and Roston Chase–33rd(556).

Akeal Hosein, who was

not a part of the series, has dropped from second to fourthwithaRatingof674. I n t h e b a t t i n g department, no one made a gain or recorded a loss in Rating and Ranking, with Brandon King being the highest-rated West Indian batsman at 9th with a rating of656.

On the ICC T20I Team Rankings, West Indies are currently in fourth place behind India, Australia and England,respectively Meanwhile, West Indies will play host to England from Thursday, October 31, when they oppose them in the first match of the CG United ODI series. They thensettheirsightsonthe3match T20I series, which bowlsoffNovember9.

GBIonboardwithPetraOrg.forRepublicBankU18School’sLeague

Petra’s Co Director, Troy Mendonca (second from left) receiving sponsorship contributions from GBI General Manager Samuel Arjoon yesterday in the presence of Andre Noel of S.M Jaleel and Company (left) and Troy Peters.

guaranteeseachteamatleast sevengames.“Theleagueis designed to offer players more game time, essential for development, especially

as teams prepare to face regional champions in Petra’s year-end Caribbean series.”GBI’s GM Samuel Arjoon called on corporate

Guyanatosupportinitiatives like this, praising Petra’s commitment to structured governance and youth development “Our

partnership with Petra symbolizes our investment in both football and young people Petra has shown unwavering dedication to upliftinggrassrootsfootball, and we’re thrilled to be part ofit,”Arjoonremarked. Andre Noel of S M Jaleelechoedthissentiment, commending Petra for its consistent efforts to nurture youthfootballinGuyana.He expressed high hopes for a successful tournament, anticipating “an outstanding U18Footballshowcase.” Already, the tournament saw defending champions Chase’s Academic Foundation, along with Bartica Secondary and Waramuri Secondary racking up wins on the opening day The action resumes this weekend, with excitement building for the December1finale.

Harpy Eagles Captain Tevin Imlach celebrates as opposition skipper Sunil Ambris is dismissed.

GFF launches Concacaf C Licensing Programme, vital for Elite League Clubs’ Regional/In’tl competition eligibility

This afternoon, the Guyana Football Federation(GFF) launched the CONCACAF CLicensingCoachTraining programme at the National Training Centre (NTC) in Providence.

This training marks a significant step for coaches across Guyana, as the C Licence has become especially essential for Elite League clubs aiming to participate in regional competitions such as the CaribbeanShield Thetraining is expected to enhance coachingstandardswithinthe leagueandensurecompliance w i t h C O N C A C A F requirements for club licensing

Withrepresentationfroma broad range of clubs and a commitmentfromeachcoach, GFF President Wayne Forde commended the participating coaches for investing their time and resources in this critical programme “I’m happy to see such a broad representationofcoacheshere today,” said Forde “This commitment speaks to the dedicationeachofyoubrings to your roles, driven by your passion for developing players, both junior and

senior” The CONCACAF C

License provides an internationally recognized standard,equippingcoaches with the skills necessary to conduct practical training sessions for diverse player

h development through the

Officials and participants at the launch of the programme.

GFF’s Academy Training Centres (ATC) network

Thisprogrammarksthefirst time the GFF has required a registrationfee,whichForde noted as a positive show of commitment from the participating coaches. “The financial contribution each of you made is something I amextremelypleasedabout;

it’s an encouraging sign of the value you place on the education provided,” he stated. The need for a C License has become pressing,withCONCACAF emphasizing strict adherence to club licensing standards for regional and international eligibility. Forde outlined that Elite

Thetrainingwillcontinue overthenextfewdays,ledby experienced CONCACAF and GFF trainers, with practical and classroombased sessions to ensure coaches meet the highest standards Forde encouraged thecoachestomaximizetheir learning and engage fully throughout the programme, emphasizing the value of expertise shared “This programme provides new ways of coaching, and we expect coaches to bring this education to their clubs and communities,”heconcluded

The GFF has prioritized raisingthelevelofcoaching across Guyana since 2015, includingtheintroductionof D Licences, with over 120 coachesnowcertified.

As the federation moves towardsfullimplementation of the C Licence, today’s launch signifies both a professional milestone for local coaches and an essentialcompliancestepfor the GFF’s Elite League clubs.

Leagueclubsmustnowmeet all licensing criteria to compete beyond national borders “This license is necessary for clubs that aspiretocompeteregionally Should a club win the league, they must comply with CONCACAF’s criteria to represent Guyana in events like the Caribbean Shield,”hesaid.“Iftheyfall short,theysimplywillnotbe eligible,whichwouldnotbe in the best interest of the GFF, the clubs, or the players.”

Squad announced for the West Indies CG United ODI Series against England

ST JOHN’S, AntiguaCricket West Indies (CWI) announced their 15-man squadselectedforthehighly anticipated West Indies Men’s CG United One Day International (ODI) home seriesagainstEngland.Fans are gearing up for what promises to be an electric series, featuring both established stars and exciting new talent ready to takethefield.

The three-match ODI seriesbeginswithtwoODIs at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium (SVRS) inAntigua on October 31 and November 2, aligning with Antigua’s Independence weekend celebrations, beforethefinalshowdownat Kensington Oval (KO) in BarbadosonNovember6.

Commenting on the upcomingencounter,freshly

back in the Caribbean after an ODI tour of Sri Lanka, West Indies Men’s Head

Coach Daren Sammy expressed his excitement about returning to action againstEngland.

“Playing against England always provides a new challenge and reignites arivalrythattheplayersand the people of the Caribbean are eager for Somehow, we West Indies always find a way to raise our game when we face England.” Sammy continued, “This rivalry goes back for decades, and afterdefeatingthemlastyear athomeforthefirsttimeina long time in an ODI series, we’re ready to face the challenge of a strong England squad again. It’s always special to play at home, where the local support brings energy and

passiontoeverymatch.With our sights set on qualifying for the ICC Men’s World Cupin2027,we’veselected abalancedsquadthatwillno doubt push and compete withoneofthebestteamsin theworld.”

ShimronHetmyermakesa return to the ODI squad, having last played in December 2023 against England, replacing Alick Athanaze as the only change fromthesquadthattouredSri Lankaearlierthismonth.

This exciting CG United ODIseriessetsthestagefora highly anticipated five-match T20International(T20I)series between West Indies and England, scheduled from November9toNovember17, 2024 TheT20squadwillbe announced shortly, promising fans even more thrilling cricket action to

come West Indies CG UnitedODISquad:

1.ShaiHope(Captain)

2.JewelAndrew

3.KeacyCarty

4.RostonChase

5.MatthewForde

6.ShimronHetmyer

7.AlzarriJoseph

8.ShamarJoseph

9.BrandonKing

10.EvinLewis

11.GudakeshMotie

12.SherfaneRutherford

13.JaydenSeales

14.RomarioShepherd

15.HaydenWalshJr

TeamManagement: Head Coach: Daren Sammy Team Manager: Rawl Lewis

Assistant Coach (Bowling):JamesFranklin

Assistant Coach (Fielding):RayonGriffith

(Batting):FloydReifer

Physiotherapist: Denis B y a m S t r e n g t h &

ConditioningCoach:Ronald

Rogers Team Masseuse: DaneCurrency

Team Analyst: Avenesh Seetaram

Evin Lewis and Shai Hope (Captain)

(CWI)

GCB BetCAGESports National T20 League Round 2 at Lusignan…

Pitbulls mangle Anacondas by 25 runs after all-round team performance

Both teams congratulated each other yesterday after a competitive T20 game.

De m e r a r a

Pitbulls made easyworkofthe Essequibo Anacondas who suffered a 25-run loss yesterdaywhenactioninthe National T20 Cricket

League tournament continued.

Former Guyana T20 player Jonathan Foo’s experience led Demerara batting first to 124-8; with an exciting 23-ball 40

featuring3foursand3sixes. Openers Joshua Persaud (22) and Raymond Perez (17) gave Demerara a solid startbutaftertheirremovals, alongwiththatofFoo;only Beaton(12*)gotintodouble digits.

The Anacondas had a clinical bowling outing led by their captain in left-arm spinner Anthony Adams, who picked up 3-18. Offspinner Sagar Hetheramani

(2-16) and medium-pacer Quentin Sampson (2-25) lentsupporttotheirskipper Pitbulls then completed a tremendous game thanks to national U19 left-arm spinner Chulai, who bundled the Anacondas including a few fellow Essequibianswithfiguresof 3-14.

Only opener Kevon Boodielookeddangerousas he smashed five sixes and a four in his top-score of 42 with Adams (15) the next bestscorerastheAnacondas were bowled out for 99 in the18thover Pacers Clinton Pestano (2-24),DwayneDick(2-20) and left-arm spinner Daniel Mootoo (1-31) grabbed key wickets to further buff Demerara’sstatement.

Playing with a good crowd present didn’t help thePitbullswhostruggledto their team 50 in the 10th overafteramixedstart.

They eventually motored to 100 after 16 overs thanks to Foo’s impetus but after his departure, Adams and company continued to create inroads as they kept thescorebelowpar;picking up key wickets at a consistentpace.

Berbice Piranhas and Demerara Hawks will do battle today at Lusignan when action continues from 14:00h.

Jonathan Foo led with the bat yesterday for Demerara Pitbulls.

Squad announced for the West Indies

ODI Series against England

Guyana Chess Team secures Silver at Inter-Guiana Games

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Motiemoves tosecondonICC T20IBowlingList

...Other West Indians make minor gains

Guyana Harpy Eagles vs. Windward Islands Volcanoes Douglas90,Descarte60 setupdramatic1-wicket winoverHarpyEagles

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The Guyanese Chess Team that participated in the 2024 IGG.