US$70 billion from Liza 1 against One Communications in New York court for copyright
- company says investigation launched into allegations infringements to FPSO builder - CEO says
Guyana has been a fairytale
Dead:Arvinda Roopram
Guyana has been a fairytale to FPSO builder - CEO says
CEO, SBM Offshore, Oivind Tangen
(Photo: SBM Offshore)
Guyana has been a dream scenario for SBM Offshore, the world’s undisputed leader in floatingproduction,storage and offloading vessels (FPSOs).
This was revealed by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Dutch ship builder, Oivind Tangen in anexclusiveinterviewwith Upstream, an online source for independent news and analysisofthemajoroiland gasprojects.
In an article last week, Upstream reported that the company is reaping the rewards of its forward thinking and outstanding project execution, while its newchiefexecutiveintends to keep the company well aheadofitspeers.
Tangen said, “Guyana so far has just been a fairytale,andithappenedat about the same time as we launched our Fast4Ward programme, and that positioned us well for a series of Petrobras projects aswell.”
Fast4Ward is the ground-breaking design that SBM came up with in 2012 tailored for benign ultra-deepwater settings likeBrazilandGuyana,and which SBM was able to replicate in stunning
f a s h i o n , w i t h a standardisation philosophy
a n d w i t h r e p e a t subcontractorsandvendors, all supported by its two principal customers ExxonMobilinGuyanaand PetrobrasinBrazil.
Next year, there will be 19 active SBM floaters aroundtheworldproducing about 2 million barrels per day of oil of which seven will be Fast4Ward designs. The company has already orderedtheeighthandninth hulls.
Two Fast4Wards are operating for ExxonMobil inGuyanaandtwomoreare
President Irfaan Ali met with His Majesty King Charles III in Scotland last week where the two held discussions concerning Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030Visionamongotherpriorities.
In a release from the Office of the President(OP)onSaturday,itstatedthat in a series of high-level engagements facilitatedbytheKing’sFoundation,the HeadofStatevisitedScotlandwherehe further advanced the country’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 agenda.
The visit comes after the King’s Foundation’s recent engagements in Guyana and President Ali’s recent announcement where he said that the Foundation would support the next phase of the LCDS, with a particular
beingbuilt.
SBMwascontractedby Exxon, the operator of Guyana’s prolific Stabroek Block, to construct five of thesixFPSOssanctionedto date.
The Liza Destiny, Liza Unity and Prosperity FPSOshavebeendelivered andareoperating,whilethe fourth FPSO, One Guyana is scheduled to arrive next year SBM also secured a contract to construct the FPSO for the sixth project, Whiptail. To this end, the JaguarFPSOisexpectedto commence production by theendof2027.
Tangen told Upstream that ExxonMobil continues to set the benchmark, with decisionstoowntheFPSOs in Guyana. The CEO said this provides SBM with significant early cash followed by the revenue f
(O&M) contract.
Exxon has stated that it will have six FPSOs in operation in Guyana by the endof2027.
“We are in a very good dialoguewithExxonandthey knowwhenit’sagoodfitfor SBMandthemselves,where we unlock value together, that’snormallywherewefind the opportunities to move forward together,” Tangen said Last month, Kaieteur News reported that SBM increased earnings for the first-half of 2024, buoyed by strong project performance and continued expansioninGuyana,akey growth market for the company Tangen disclosed, “Our great teams continue to deliver strong performance and we ended the period with a record backlog of US$33.7billion.Asaresult, weareincreasingour
development.
“HisExcellencyheldaprivate,oneon-one meeting with His Majesty King Charles III, where they discussed their shared commitment to climate resilience, sustainable development, agriculture, and community-driven initiatives supporting vulnerable populations,”theOfficeofthePresident reported.
Speaking about that meeting with the King, PresidentAli related that the two spoke at length about their shared viewfortheworldontheimportanceof cutting-edge sustainable development solutions.
“The King has been a long-term supporterofGuyana’sLCDS,whichhe has highlighted as a global example since it was launched in 2009. I am optimisticthatwewillworktogetheras partners in the years ahead, especially
with the new LCDS priorities
development, biodiversity, and water management,”PresidentAlireported.
Reflecting on his visit also, the President mentioned that he believes there is a lot to learn from each other, and that Guyana can be an example for the Commonwealth on our new priorities,justasthecountryhasbeenan exampleonforestsforthepast15years.
According to the OP, the Head of
StatehaddinnerwiththeKingwherehe (President Ali) highlighted Guyana’s and the King’s Foundation’s work across the Commonwealth, including when they will meet next at Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in a few weeks’ time.
During his visit, the President was abletotourfacilitiesthatprovidecritical supporttolocalandvulnerable
Continued on page 10
President IrfaanAli, alongside His Majesty King Charles III in Scotland.
Kaieteur News
Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.
Publisher: DR. GLENN LALL - TEL: 624-6456
Editor-In-Chief: NIGEL WILLIAMS
Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
Jagdeotheballetdancer
OnethingthatcouldbesaidaboutGuyana’schief
policymaker,BharratJagdeo,isthatheisaman who slickly adapts to the demands of new developments. He can be a bellower when grasping at straws to camouflage the weaknesses and the related stressesunderwhichhelabors.
Othertimes,heislikeaballetdancerwhotriestodeliver underthepressureofthemoment,onlytoriphistightsand expose himself. At his best, the vice president glides like someonewhohaspolishedthebottomofhisshoes,thinking thatheperformssmoothly
Whathehasrefusedtoadmitisthatmanytimeshefinds himself on a downward slanting carpet of banana peels, which upends him rather unceremoniously His management of this vital oil and gas sector has left him shopworn,whichshowsintheraggednessofhisresponses, thetightnessaroundhiseyesandmouth. Oftenheislocked inahostilegrimacethatfailstoconcealthepatheticnature ofhisleadership.
Guyana’s offshore oil partner, ExxonMobil, has been uppinganduppingitsdailyproductionratedizzyingly The LizaOneandLizaTwoprojectsarescheduledtorundryin as low as seven years, and not the initial 20-year field life estimated for both. When questioned about this, Jagdeo exhibitedhisfirstdancestep:“doyouthinkthatwhat’sina well is the final figure?” It is now a standard of Guyana’s leading oil authority to answer a question with one of his own. Itishowhegiveshimselfroomtothink,presentshim withtheopportunitytocirclearoundtheissue,andcomeup with an answer that could travel from the strange to the disturbing.
The hole that he digs for himself, that he chooses to pretend doesn’t exist, is what gives away his hand. He knowsthatweknowthatanestimateisjustwhatitsaysthat itis,anestimate,whichmeansthatitissubjecttorevision. Anestimatemaybeclosetotheoriginalnumberannounced, orwithmorespace.
Buttotakethatestimateandmultiplyitandextenditas thechiefpolicymakerdidisstretchingthingspastthelimit. “Webelievethatthelifeoftheseprojectswillbearoundthe originaltimeframe,andsomemayevenextendfurtherout.” As answers go, that latest one from Jagdeo is as slick and hazyashecanconjure.
Considering the current accelerated rate of ExxonMobil’s daily production, and Jagdeo’s pinning his answer(andprojections)rightbacktothe20-yearlifecycle of the fields, if not beyond, the Liza One and Liza Two projects could turn out to house much more oil than originallyestimated. Fiveyearsofproductionatincreasing dailyrateshasledto44%and35%oftheLiza1&2being extracted respectively, but Jagdeo insists that new discoverieswillmaintainthelifeofprojectsto20yearsand, ifthingsworkoutwell,possiblylonger
This indicates that the Liza 1 & 2 potential could be staggeringlymorethanExxonMobilhasinformedGuyana. GivenwhereGuyana’stopoilmanis,thequestioncouldbe raised about how ExxonMobil is carrying out its exploration: by the centimeter or the kilometer? ConsideringJagdeo’sfreshpositionofthe20-yearduration still holding, both Liza One and Liza Two could probably hold twice as much as oil as the 452M and 570M barrels respectivelythatwastheoriginalestimate,bythetimethat this supposed present day exploration by ExxonMobil is completed.
How could a company so expertly informed in oil scienceandoilmathbesofaroff? WhatdoesExxonMobil really know about Liza 1 & 2 estimates, and how much of thathasbeenaccuratelysharedwithGuyana? Wehaveseen the games that ExxonMobil has played with the last eight newdiscoveriesandhowmuchoilhasbeenfound.
Given Jagdeo’s answer about estimates and sticking to the original 20-year lifespan for Liza 1 & 2, Guyanese are now living with more wool over their eyes. The more Jagdeo dances like this, unveils his tricks, the more he showshisweakness,unfitnessfortheoilroleheholds.
Kaieteur
Cost of Living and Crime lead to growing voter apathy
DEAREDITOR
,
The public is fixated on highcostoflivingandcrime with ‘politics’ (voting) far removedfromtheirthought. People are more concerned aboutrisingfoodpricesthan on voting and don’t want to hear about the major political parties Voter apathy (not interested in voting in 2025) is very high and growing, affecting both PPPandPNC(APNU).
Many people said they are disappointed with the three dominant parties and are fed up with voting, saying “they are all the same”.
Disaffected (apathetic) voterssaidtheywouldliketo see entry of new political parties in the fray with the expectationthatwouldmake adifferenceinpeoples’lives.
The ruling PPP leads the opposition in popular supportwiththeelectorateas raciallypolarizedasin2020 withlittlecrossoversupport from one to the other party TheleaderoftheOpposition who is also leader of the People’s National Congress (PNC), Mr Aubrey Norton, isveryunpopularamongthe party’s traditional base and nationally unlike Mr Irfaan Ali who still has strong support within the PPP’s base and enjoys national appeal. Supporters of the PNC have been gravitating towards theAFC led by Mr. Nigel Hughes who has also been attracting cross-over appeal; some PNC supportershavealsocrossed overtothePPP,anactthatis politically and financially rewarding.Theseweresome
trends obtained from engagementsofvotersinlate JulyandAugust.
On polarization, it is found that some Africans havecrossedovertothePPP because of Irfaan Ali’s likability although too early totellwhethertheywillvote for the cup. Hardly any Indians have expressed a preference for the PNC (APNU)althoughsomehave gravitatedtoAFCbecauseof ItsnewleaderNigelHughes. The stigma of fraud in election 2020 has turned off I n d i a n s w i t h t h e disenchanted saying they would rather stay home rather than vote for APNU again; some will vote for a new party Some Africans and Mixed who are disenchanted with PNC leadership are crossing over
to PPP and AFC with some saying they will vote for a newpartyorstayhome.
Voters are not pleased with Aubrey Norton’s leadershipoftheparty Heis facingasimilarpredicament that befell Robert Corbin almost two decades ago when traditional supporters rejected his leadership and went over to theAFC. If an election is called soon, the PNC will find itself repeating the result of the 2006electionwhenmanyof the party’s supporters walked away, rejecting then party leader Robert Corbin as Presidential candidate
The PNC lost several seats putting in its worst performanceinitshistory In 2011, The base returned whenthepartymadeDavid
(Continuedonpage06)
Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox
Those who were kept in bondage
DEAREDITOR
,
In the commentary following the passing of Sridath Ramphal, no one commentedthathehadbeen choseninthe1988“Genesis
o f a N a t i o n ” commemorations to deliver the lecture on the Indian Guyanese experience
Insistingthathewasa“West Indian”, a quarter century later he took excerpts from that speech to make the connection betweenAfrican
slavery and Indian
Indentureship in his memoirs, “Glimpses of a Globallife”.
He emphasized that “the slave was private property and that slavery implied permanence were basic differences–however,much they (slavery and indentureship) tended to be overshadowed by the similarities.(But)Itwasone experience with differing shadesofbrutality,differing methods of coercion, but a common experience of humanbondage.”
It is a point worth rememberingaswecontinue on our fraught journey of nationhood.
In his “Theses on the Philosophy of History”, Walter Benjamin famously remarked, “there is no documentofcivilisationthat is not at the same time a document of barbarism.” A document, he might have added, framed and authorised by the language
of “the law” to mystify its nature. It is for this reason slavery and indentureship –and the subjugation of the Amerindians - can also be seen as Europeans waging “lawfare’againstthepeoples ofGuyana;whichsuggestsa tool for unravelling the lingeringeffects.
“Indentured labour” was but one of various guises under which individuals were conscripted to provide labourinthedevelopmentof the “capitalist” mode of production, which developed as exploited the worlds it had “discovered”and more germanely, conquered-after1492.
TheSpanishmadeaturn fromenslavingAmerindians intheNewWorldtoAfricans viallawsalreadyencodedin their medieval Las Siete Partidas.
Theideologyofracismthat Africans were inalienablylessthanhumanwas invented to justify their claim and African exploitationaschattel.
While it is usual to posit that the development of the exploitation of bodies for their labour occurred in a unilinear teleological fashion from “unfree” to “free labour”, in reality the process was quite discontinuous with frequent regressions.
TheBritishadaptedtheir Statute of Labourers laws to initially introduce indentured workers in the
farms they established in America (Virginia) and Barbados in the early 17th century
The workers were made available by the Enclosure Acts and Game Laws of England etc. which drove them off the “common land”.
These White servants would work in the New World farms for four or five yearsaftertheirpassageshad beenpaidbytheiremployers afterwhichtheywerefreeto cultivatetheplotoflandthey weregivenontheirown.
Butwiththeintroduction ofplantationsinthelate17th century that demanded greater numbers and rigour thanEuropecouldsupply,to cultivate sugar cane and cotton, the British turned to AfricanSlaves.
Theyhadtoinventslave laws in Barbados that used the Spanish racist ideology to also justify the practice. But even before, they had followed up their “ a c c u m u l a t i o n b y dispossession” through developing the modern internationallawthatmoved away from the natural lawbased “jus gentium”, which accepted equal sovereignty for all countries, to a positivistic law that specified a system of differentialsovereignty
The people of the new world were thus dubbed “uncivilised savages” and their land “terra nullius”, or
“nobody’sland”.
In India, which the British East India Company conquered between 1657 and1818,theBritishpassed laws that changed the rules on land taxes, crops that should be cultivated etc. This resulted in millions dying in famine or pushed off the land to become the excess labour that could be exported to other parts of India, such as Assam teaplantations or its global empireasneeded
Under the new racism, Indians were also lower intrinsicallytowhites.
After the abolition of slaveryintheBritishEmpire in 1834, rather than moving to “free labour” as was promised, they introduced unfree Indentured labour by law Slaves were made de facto unfree as laws were passed to discourage them from moving off the plantations - such that land must be purchased in 100acreplots.
Similarly, the contracts of the indentureds were structured to keep them bound to their employer to that if they were not in the fields,theyhadtobeeitherin jailorhospital.
Infractions of their contract were subject to criminal penalties and these were applied liberally. It was lawfare against all locals.
Sincerely,
RaviDev
Hinterland Education
must have a special place on the agenda of indigenous leaders
DEAREDITOR, Hinterland education should have a special place on the agenda of our Indigenousleaders.
Has there been a c
d motion or resolution relevant to hinterland education in any of our nationalforums?
C o m p a r i n g t h e statistics, present and past, hinterland education needs to be studied in all its nuances to arrive at somethingmoretangible.
Not only from the standpoint of books and buildings, notwitstanding theirimport
Yes, how could we improve Hinterland education?
Why don’t hinterland students excel even though we boast of spending millionsonthem?
Amerindian children don’t sociallyadjusteasily
In most instances, afterwritingtheNGSA,they
are forced to attend secondary schools OUTSIDE of their Indigenous communities
Rightaway,evenifwedon’t want to admit it, cultural
differences between childrenaredifferentandour Indigenous children are overwhelmed by dominant
behavioralcultureatschool. The negative cultural patterns take toll on their schoollifethatinmostcases resultinpoorgrades. I challenge any social evaluator; a survey could verify this and the negative choices our childreneventuallyfallprey towhileattendingsecondary schoo
Indigenouscommunities.
Logistics will not a
y community, but at least a school centrally located would allow for attendance f r o m s u r r o u n d i n g communities.
Presently the issue of secondary school students t r a v e l l i n g t o t h e Essequibo Coast to attend schoolisacaseinpoint.
The parents of the community cluster of Capoey, Mainstay, Lima SandsandTapakumaneedto organise themselves to this end A secondary school centrally located for their children to help improve their standing at Exams could be ideal support for these kids who could become an asset to their communities.
Toomanyofourchildren are becoming drop outs, another issue which I will dealwithinanothermissive.
Yoursfaithfully, JosephAtkinson
Society’s Forgotten Children
DEAREDITOR,
In every broken society, there exists a group of children often overlooked, ignored, and left to fend for themselves against an array of challenges These are children working the streets and markets mostly in the day in our society (street connectedchildren).
In addition, there are those children living in extreme poverty, victims of exploitation, children from dysfunctional families, dropped out of schools with little guidance and those who reside in remote areas with limited access to basic services and meaningful
o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r development.
It is from these groups that a “new” group of children emerges – children in conflict with the law
Known as society’s forgotten children, they represent a daunting reality thatcallsforurgentattention andaction.
Inourcommunitiesthese
groups of children and in particular children in conflict with the law face many vulnerabilities and havetoliveinthemarginsof oursociety
Marginalized youth in Guyana face obstacles that extendfarbeyondtheirdaily struggleforsurvival.
Many are driven further into the streets by poverty, family breakdowns, and the lack of support from advocates to help with accessingbasicservices.
Others come into conflict with the law at an earlier age and thrust into a justicesystemthatisnotyet rehabilitative. Once inside, theyfacestigma,inadequate support, and a limited chance of reintegration into society
The societal biases against children in conflict with the law make their marginalization even more profound.
L a b e l l e d a s troublemakers, criminals, or simply “hopeless cases,”
they are often denied the opportunitiesforgrowthand change that should be afforded to every child Their circumstancesarenot a result of inherent failings but rather systemic gaps in communities, social, economic,andlegalsupport structures.
When we fail to advocate for these young people, we perpetuate a cycle of poverty, crime, and social disintegration against these children and youth
ChildLinK and the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) have been working together for almost two decades now with very similar goals and objectives.
T h r o u g h o u r strategic programming we aim to protect children especially those with inadequate parental care, which often results in this group of children experiencing violence, abuse, abandonment, and neglect
Together ChildLinK and several partners have been working on the DRIVE (Diversion Reintegration Interventions Vital for Empowerment –funded by the European Delegation) Project to address the existing gaps in services for children who areatriskorinconflictwith thelaw
Morespecifically,the initiative focuses on diversion, mentorship,
increase parental care and prevention of juvenile delinquency
At ChildLinK, we are dedicatedtoadvocatingfor marginalized children and youth, as this effort lies at the heart of care, protection and juvenile justicereform.
The new Juvenile JusticeAct recognizes that every child, irrespective of their background or past actions, has the right to a fair chance of diversion from a life of crime to a family and community with hopes for a meaningful life where they can make their contributions to society in thefuture.
Isn’t it time to shift our perception of juvenile offenders from being simply criminals to seeing themaschildrenandyoung peopleinneedofguidance, support,andcompassion?
ChildLinkGuyana
Cost of Living and Crime lead...
Frompage04
Granger leader and Presidentialcandidate.
The trends show that incumbent Irfaan Ali will easily win re-election as President with the PPP picking up seats providing the PNC (APNU) goes into the election separated from AFC and with Aubrey Norton as the opposition presidential candidate NortontrailsAliandHughes in favourability rating. Ali has a high positive favourability rating compared with Norton’s negative net ratings. If the opposition is united and if there is another likable
Presidential candidate for the combined opposition, the contest will be very competitive.Aliisapopulist travelingaroundthecountry effectively using state resources to share and build goodwill among the population. He is retaining the bulk of the party’s 2020 support base and gaining new supporters among AfricansandAmerindians.
But many voters who cast ballot in 2020 for both major parties said they will not vote in 2025 expressing disappointment over unmet expectations, high cost of living, crime and other issues.Asignificantnumber
ofvoterssaytheydon’twant either major political party, PPPandAPNU. Theyseekanewpolitical home hoping new parties will be launched before the nextgeneralelections.Many eagerly awaited a decision andannouncementofGlenn Lall and Azrudeen Mohamedtolaunchpolitical parties; both have large following with the latter beingseenasafolklorichero among the lower classes. New parties and a rehabilitatedAFC may well eat into the base of both the PPPandPNC(APNU).
Yourstruly, DrVishnuBisram
BLUNTNESS ON INDECENCIES!
Incaseyouhaven’theard,pleasebeinformedthataspartofourcontinued effort to channel positive changes in our country, our Publisher, Dr Glenn Lall, has dedicated our Page Seven to be “BLUNT” about ongoing indecenciesinourlandthatshouldmatter,notonlytousatthispublication, buttheentirenation.
MONDAY–September16,2024
HEATWAVEAND EXXON’SOPERATIONS
For months we have warnedinthesepagesofthe devastating impact of the unchecked flaring of gas by US oil giant ExxonMobil in theStabroekBlockandhow it has contributed to the climatic problems we are facing at present Both Exxon and the malleable Guyana Government would have us believe that the flaring is minimal and the scrapsbeingofferedasafine to the oil company are enoughtocalmnerves.
Guyana has been experiencing severe heat for a prolonged period. Last
week East Coast Demerara teachers during their branch meeting raised the issue of how learners are struggling inill-equippedclassrooms. And while Guyanese children are suffering the childrenofoilexecutivesare going to private schools wheretheairconditioningis so ‘loud’ the students have been instructed to wear a jackettoschool.
Most Guyanese have agreed that the management of this country’s oil and gas
resources should be the highest priority of any government that claims to act in the national interest. Oil represents the one resource that could, if managed properly, lift our people out of poverty, provide a secure economic future, and finally pull the country from the depths of i t s h i s t o r i c underachievement. But the failingsofGuyana’spolitical elitehavecastalongshadow overthispotentialwindfall. Thecontractsignedwith ExxonMobil—infamous for its pitiful returns to the nation—resemblesmoreofa charitable donation than a sovereign agreement negotiatedintheinterestsof thepeople.Onewouldthink that a government, claiming
to represent the will of the people, would be keen to renegotiate such a sordid deal.
B u t t h e P P P / C administration has not done so. What happened to their promise to secure a better deal for Guyana? Why has there been no move to establish the much-touted Petroleum Commission, an entity that was meant to overseethesector?
WEDNESDAY–September18,2024 TOWHOM SHALLWEGO?
President Irfaan Ali recently declared “We are goingtobreakthebackofthe drugtraffickingnetworks.” He was at the time addressingagatheringmade up mainly of law enforcement officials. His speechalsocamedaysaftera massive cocaine bust at Matthews Ridge, Region
One. Smashing any drug trafficking network requires men and women with clean hands and hearts, which are in short supply in the joint services and almost nonexistent in central government.
So we ask like many other Guyanese Mr. President: with what? with whom,? from where? with what prowess and trust will you find men and women to bringdownthedrugnetwork which your party and government might have helpedbuild?
FRIDAY–September20,2024
THEAPNU+AFC GOVTALSO DROPPEDTHEBALL
It is baffling that the APNU+AFC Coalition Government did dig deep enough to investigate the giveaway of the Kaieteur
and Canje oil blocks by the PPP/C Government Like the PPPC Government, the Coalition also had its own priorities, which pushed the interests of Guyanese somewhere down the line, where honest and serious things did not enjoy much premium.
In a country learning aboutoil,slowlygrowingin understanding of the gifts that it has been given, differentgovernmentsfailed Guyanese.
They have either withheld the full truth from citizens or shaved the truths that were placed before the public. When truth is the scarcest of commodities, thencorruptionbecomesthe government of the day To that point, no one in any government, PPPC or APNU+AFC Coalition, couldgiveastraightandfull account of what were the driving forces behind the sale of the Kaieteur and Canjeoilblocks.
An absurd mischaracterization
The notion that the construction of the gas-toshorepipelineconstitutesan encumbranceontheNatural Resources Fund (NRF) or a form of borrowing against future revenues is, at best, erroneous. To equate the legitimate costs associated with a nationally strategic infrastructureproject—costs
clearly stipulated as recoverable under the Production Sharing Agreement(PSA)—withthe reckless gambling of future
r e s o u r c e s i s a misunderstanding.
Let’s dissect this distortion in the spirit of clarity, for the truth rarely needsthearmorofrhetorical deflection. First, let us untangle the basic principle of borrowing against future earnings,aconceptasoldas commerceitself.
Whenanindividualtakes aloan—whetherforahouse, a car, or any other investment the lending
institution demands evidence of the borrower’s capacity to repay This capacity is derived from future earnings, plain and simple. Such arrangements form the backbone of modern financial systems. They allow for growth, ownership, and economic development. It is not the borrowing itself that poses risk, but rather the borrower’sfailuretomanage their debt within their means.
No one calls this an encumbrance on future salaries, nor does anyone confuse this with pledging futuresalariesascollateralin a manner that limits the individual’s future financial options.
This basic economic
principle applies not just to individuals but to nationstates Governments frequently take loans or advance capital on projects based on the projection of futurerevenues,andtheydo sobecausetheseprojectsare expected to yield dividends that far exceed the initial cost When managed properly, such investments fuel economic growth, enhance public welfare, and improve a nation’s standing in global trade. This is not some radical theory—it is howroadsarebuiltandhow hospitalsarefunded.
The contention that the gas-to-shore pipeline encumbers the Natural ResourcesFund,isgrounded in an misunderstanding of themechanismsatplay.
The NRF exists as a financial reservoir, accruing funds from royalties and profit-sharing derived from Guyana’soilwealth.Itis,in essence, a safeguard against future volatility in oil revenues, an insurance policy for the country’s fiscal health. It is also a sourceforfutureinvestment by the government, investments which has to be approved by the National Assembly
There is a distinct legal and operational separation between this Fund and the cost recoverable provisions of the PSA.The PSAmakes it abundantly clear that developmentcosts—suchas thoseincurredforthegas-toshore project are to be recovered by the contractor from the proceeds of oil production.
Critics of the project would have you believe that every dollar spent on this infrastructure somehow
drags down the future earningsoftheNRF,asifthe cost is siphoned directly fromtheFund’scoffers.This is simply not the case. The monies in the NRF are untouched by the project’s development costs. In fact, nothingenterstheNRFuntil after the cost recovery mechanismsofthePSAhave played out Only after contractors have been reimbursed for approved expenditures do royalties and profits flow into the NRF
Itisessentialtonotethat thePSA,inblackandwhite, includes provisions for recoverable costs associated with development plans outside the production area. This includes third-party infrastructure and onshore processingfacilities,suchas the gas-to-shore pipeline
The relevant section of the agreement explicitly states: “All costs incurred by the Contractor [oil companies] outside of the Production Area which are associated with an approved Development Plan for an exportgasproject,including costs associated with thirdparty infrastructure or construction of onshore processingfacilitiesshallbe considered as Recoverable ContractCosts.”
This isn’t murky
legalese It’s clear, unambiguouslanguage.
The cost of the pipeline falls squarely within the purview of recoverable expenses and is a legitimate useofoilrevenuesunderthe PSA.
But what of the suggestion that such costs amount to borrowing from the Fund, or worse, borrowing against future
DEM BOYS SEH
Wake up early!
Dem boys seh early bird does catch de worm, but in Guyana, it look like we still waitingfuhdewormtowakeup.
Whenyuhwakeupearly,yuhgetahead start.Yuhbeatdetraffic.Yuhmissdenoise. Deworldstillquiet,likeitain’trealizeit’s supposed to start spinning yet. Dem who sleep late miss out. All dem opportunities gonebeforedemeyeevenopen.
Dem boys seh waking up early does giveyuhadifferentkindaenergy Islikede sun charge yuh battery De breeze cool, de birdssinging,anddemindfresh.Butsome peoplelikedemphone—alwaysonsnooze mode. Dem get up late, and then complain de whole day too short. Yuh know why? Becauseyuhspendhalfdedaydreaming. Butearlyrisersknowbetter Demdone knowdatyuhgetmoredoneindefirsttwo hoursofmorningthanyuhdoesallday Yuh
revenues from the Fund? Again, this is an absurd mischaracterization The NRFisnotbeingpledgedas collateral for any loan. It remains entirely separate fromthePSA’scostrecovery mechanisms This is no different from any other capital-intensive project in theenergysector
Governments and contractors make initial investments, knowing full well that these expenditures willberecoupedfromfuture profits.
Thisisstandardpractice, not some arcane financial alchemy. To assert that this equatestoborrowingagainst theNRFislikeclaimingthat when you take out a m o r t g a g e , y o u ’ v e encumbered your future salary in perpetuity Such
logic betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of how financial planning, and indeed nation-building, works. In this context, the idea that the pipeline “encumbers” the Natural Resources Fund or constitutes borrowing againstfuturerevenuesfrom the Fund is, in my humble estimation,erroneous
There may be legitimate grounds to oppose the gasto-shore project, including concernsoveritspotentially prohibitive costs, especially giventhecontroversyovera feasibility study specific to theproject.
Critics also question whether the project will indeed deliver the promised reduction in energy costs, andthereareconcernssafety and environmental risks
associated with relying on a non-renewable energy source. However, the claim that this project constitutes an encumbrance on the Natural Resources Fund (NRF) lacks merit, as the PSA’s cost recovery mechanism ensures that such costs are addressed withoutdirectlytappinginto or pledging future revenues fromtheNRF
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
mind clear Yuh thoughts sharp. Dem who wake up at 10, de mind still blurry Dem walkingaroundlikezombies.
Dem boys seh de best deals get sign before lunch. De biggest decisions get made when de sun just come up. And de peoplewhoownbigcompaniesandmaking big money? Dem already up before de rooster even start making noise. De ones who sleep in late? Dem still working fuh demwhowakeupearly
ButhereinGuyana,plentypeoplethink morningstartat9.Bydetimedemreachto work, de man who wake up early already getdecontract.Yuhlate.Yuhmissout.
Sowakeupearly,bai.Orstaysleeping and let somebody else catch yuh worm. Demboysseh,itain’ttoohard.Justsetyuh alarm—justdon’tsetitfuh10o’clock! Talkhalf.Leffhalf
H@RD TRUTHS
VP Jagdeo and Liza 1 and 2 Production life
OneofthereasonsIhold Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo in special regard is thathecanbedependedonto pull a cat out of an anaconda's mouth without sweating. Mygambleisthat no one would ask me to explain what I mean by 'special regard' since that could bring the former head of state down low and leave me looking like a hostile
citizen Exxon, the American oil super cobra, is pumping and pumping this country's oil daily at breakneck speeds from the Liza 1 and Liza 2 oilfields and the biggest man around Guyana'soilisathiscalming best, as he reassures concernedcitizens. Thereis nothingtobeanxiousabout, as Exxon is exploring and drilling and finding new oil. Alliswellattheoilwells(no punintended)becausethe7year calculation for the two projects to be drained is out and 20 years is back in the reckoning. Learning has comethehardwayformein thiscountry,andnevermore thanwhenpoliticiansarethe ones sharing information What has not been curious hasbeenborderlinedubious, and what is not either has proven to be outright horrendous. Ifitisnotwhat looksoutfortheirinterests,it
iswhatprotectstheirfriends and collaborators In Jagdeo's case, topping the list of the latter isAmerica's oilsuperbossExxon,andnot Guyanese.
So,Exxonisdrillingand finding more oil. What could be better news for Guyanese? Thanks, Dr Jagdeo, for breaking the radio silence on that one, clearing the air But did he, really? Exxon is barreling ahead with ramped up round-the-clock production, the Liza 1 and 2 levels are dropping, and Guyana's oil doctor says, 'don't worry, longlifestillguaranteed.' In Exxon, Guyana has more than a good neighbor (a la State Farm [just don't think protective insurance this time]).
Guyanahasapartnerthat is as good a finder of oil as there is, if not the best, with the company drilling down to new pools of the prospering black stuff. Did Exxon really tell this to the Guyana Government, which meansBharratJagdeo,ordid hejustsnatchthatoneoutof thinairtorefilltheLiza1and 2 reservoirs? From Dr Jagdeo's history one never knows. Often when he makes a huge production of knowing,heknowsnothing, notaspitofinformation. On
the other hand, there are times when he does know, thankstoExxon'ssharingof its oil intelligence on developments in the Stabroek Block, but for reasons known only to himself, his preference is to withhold the details from information starved Guyanese.
If there are Guyanese who still take the honorable Bharrat Jagdeo seriously, theyareontheirown. Please don't look at me for comfort or company To take him literally is to risk making a donkeyofoneself.
Take him figuratively, and the wisdom of a fool is fully owned. Me, I am not riding that alligator, too much exposure, just too muchtrouble.
There is Exxon racing away like an Indianapolis 500 champion, and Guyanesechuggingalongto keep up any way they can, only for Jagdeo to dredge this fancy stuff from his can of scorpions On each occasion that Guyanese allowthemselvestobelured into Jagdeo's verbal parlors, they get stung. If it is not Bharrat the bee, it is Jagdeo the wily oil dragon. If Dr Jay is to be believed, as fast as Exxon fetch away the oil from Liza 1 ad 2, the faster
Exxonfindingoilandfulling back the Liza 1 and 2 oil tanks. For this one, I ask to beallowedtheindulgenceof dabblinginalittleGuyanese English: is how much ile Exaaanfineoutdeh? Exxon is like the gift that never stopsgiving,ifIweretofall forthatone.
The question for Guyanese is this: who is it that they have around their oil wealth, spearheading its promise? A magician or a sorcerer? Oranevaderanda masterdisguiser?
Every Guyanese should love the news that Exxon is findingmoreoilorisalmost guaranteed to do so (per Jagdeo), in the Liza 1 and 2 neighborhoods, but tell the people something nah, banna.
Iamtryingtocutthrough Jagdeo's jugular squeezing information jungle relative to more oil to be harvested fromLiza1and2. Whoand where is the Guyana man or woman that doesn't like that sweet sound? I don't think that there are any But passing from hand to hand this 20-year lifespan that is now very much on and stomping on the 7-year outlook that was being bandiedabout,pushesinthis direction. Accepting what Dr Bjustsaidabouthowthe
Liza 1 and 2 lakes could still last 20 years inspires this conclusion: Liza 1 and 2 arebiggeroilwhoppersthan when they were originally announced The daily production rate is in the redline zone, but 20 years (maybemore)isstillasgood as gold According to Jagdeo, Liza 1 and 2 are not duefortheslow,oldpeople, lane. Both are on steroids, based on Exxon's drilling and discovery hustles. I
leav ethispartinggift with fellow citizens: this oil isamiracle,andBigBopper Bharrat Jagdeo is a miracle worker
(Theviewsexpressedin this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the o p i n i o n s o f t h i s newspaper.)
Mahaicony man dies after falling off roof
A 28-year-old man of Airy Hall, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD) died onFridayafterhefellfroma roofhewasworkingon.
The man's death comes just eight days after his first childwasborn.
The man, identified as Jermaine Hercules, reportedly fell off a roof he wasworkingonataricemill located in Cane Grove, Mahaica,ECD.
K a i e t e u r N e w s understands that Hercules was repairing holes on the roofwhenheslippedandfell.
Hercules reportedly workedonroofsbefore.
It is unclear whether the young man was wearing protectivegearatthetimeof the incident. Meanwhile, as
news spread of the incident relatives and friends of the young man took to social media to offer their sympathy Hercules was described as a hardworking, quiet and humble person who always woreasmile.
Pres.AlitalksupLCDSwit...
Frompage3
populations across Scotland. This included programs for unemployed youth, students, andindividualsfacinghealth challenges. Through this meeting, the President was able to focus on areas of education, innovation, and sustainability, and reflecting Guyana's commitment to an inclusive and low-carbon future The Office of the Presidenthighlightedthatthe President toured STEM
Workshops, Regenerative Agriculture Centre, Housing Initiatives, Green Space UrbanPlanning,andTextiles Workshops.
It was further related by the OP that the, “His engagements in Scotland reflect Guyana's broader Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030, which prioritizes sustainable g r o w t h a n d g r e e n development in partnership withglobalallies.”
Guyanahasbeenafairytale...
Frompage3
Directional EBITDA [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization] guidance to around US$1.3 billion from aroundUS$1.2billion…” He added, “With our uniquevalueproposition,we expect to see more awards basedonthe“sale&operate” model like FPSO Jaguar, withanacceleratedcashflow profile versus the historical “lease&operate”model.” Forthefirst-halfof2024, SBM Offshore reported Directional revenue of US$1 8 billion, a 23% increase compared to the sameperiodin2023.
T h e c o m p a n y ' s Directional net profit for the period also saw substantial growth, rising to US$128 million up from US$36 million in the year-ago period.
Jermaine Hercules
Guyana poised to receive less than
US$9B of US$70B from Liza 1 and Liza 2
...Glenn Lall says haemorrhaging of Guyana’s wealth must end
Overtheestimated 20-year project life of the Liza One and Liza Two projects, approximately US$70B in revenue is expected to be generated, however, the sovereign owner of the resources will only benefit fromlessthanUS$9B.
The two projects, which are currently in operation, have a combined reserve of about one billion barrels of oil.Atanaverageoilpriceof US$70 per barrel, the Liza Field is poised to generate aboutUS$70B.
The operator of the S t a b r o e k B l o c k , ExxonMobil Guyana Limited has however indicated that production costs about US$40 per barrel, meaning US$40B over the life of the projects will go towards production. Thisleaves$30B.
AnotherUS$9Bthenhas toberemovedforthecostof the two projects, which include expenses for the FloatingProduction,Storage
and Offloading vessels (FPSOs) and other supporting infrastructure to produce the resources. This leaves US$21B which is furtherreducedbyUS$1.6B for pre-contract exploration a n d U S $ 3 8 B t o decommissiontheprojects. Thisleavesthebalanceat US$15.6B to be shared betweenExxonandGuyana. Consequently, Guyana is slated to receive US$7.8B and Exxon US$7.8B. The country is also expected to collect2%royalty;takingits earnings to approximately US$9 4B should other expensesnotbeconsidered. It should be noted that 40% of the reserves have already been depleted at the projects, well ahead of the 20-year lifespan outlined in respective project documents.
AccordingtotheBankof Guyana (BoG), the country gained US$3.8B in profits and about US$500M in royalties as at June, 2024 from two projects, since startup.
Meanwhile, Publisher of Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall in an invited comment said the simple calculation demonstrates that without a renegotiation of the 2016 Production Sh
Agreement (PSA) Guyana will continue to receive “donations” from Exxon in exchange for its massive
offshore.
Turning his attention to the US$9B the country is likely to receive from the twoprojectsoutofUS$70B, Lallquestionedwhetherthis was a fair 50/50 deal. The businessmanpointedoutthat this lopsided arrangement will continue for the other four projects that have been sanctioned by the government.
To date, Exxon has received regulatory approvalsforsixdeepwater developments A seventh application is currently pending.
To this end, Lall said,
“Are you really going to sit backquietlyandwatchyour future, your children’s future, and the fate of generations to come, be shattered like this? The devastation this oil deal will bringtoourcountryisn’tjust about unfair profits, it’s about the long-term destruction and misery Guyanawillbeleftwith.”
ThenewspaperPublisher argued that the oil deal will not only cripple Guyana but chain the country to foreign banks, begging for loans to keepitsheadabovewater
According to him, “This is a ticking time bomb people. If we don’t demand renegotiation now, we’re locking ourselves into a future, where Guyana’s wealth is siphoned off, leavingnothingbutdebtand poverty to 99% of Guyanese.”
He reasoned, “Is that what we want for our children and generations to come? Look what the foreigners with corrupt
Publisherof KaieteurNews, GlennLall
leaders did to Africa and Asia, most of them trying to get out today, while our leaders taking us there. It’s pasttimeforaction,wecan’t afford to sit silently anymore.”
Guyana’s oil deal with Exxonhasbeencriticizedby politicians but while the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government committed to renegotiation/ b e t t e r c o n t r a c t administration, the political party has now made it clear that the terms of the arrangement will remain in place This has been communicatedonnumerous
occasionsbyVicePresident, Bharrat Jagdeo who is responsibleformanagingthe petroleumsector
That contract not only ties Guyana to a measly 2% royalty, but allows Exxon to take 75% of revenues generated each month to cover costs. The remaining 25% is then shared with Guyanaasprofits.
In the absence of a ringfencing provision, the company shortens the country’s share of profits eachmonth-sincethecostof the three projects in operation have already been repaid.
Sheriff Construction Inc. lone firm to bid for Kamarang Hospital project
Guyanese construction firm, Sheriff Construction Inc. was the lonebiddertosubmititsfinancial and technical proposal for the construction of the Kamarang HospitalinRegionSeven.
This is according to information released by the NationalProcurementandTender Administration Board (NPTAB) officerecentlyonitswebsite.
The government of Guyana through the Ministry of Health issued a tender seeking bids to “designandbuild”thehospital. In its tender document, the ministry stated that the Guyana Government has received financing from the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) towards the cost of the ‘Health Care Network Strengthening in Guyana’, and intends to apply part of the proceedstowardstheproject.
Kaieteur News understands that the Kamarang Hospital is expected to provide services of a levelfourhospital.
The hospital project which forms part of the government’s vision of providing a world-class healthcareto the citizensis set to offer services such as X—rays, CTscans,testing,andultrasound amongothers.
ItwasreportedthattheUS$97 millionIDBloanGuyanasecured in 2022 will be used to improve the health of the Guyanese population through increased access, quality, and efficiency of health services by improving health outcomes associated with low and high complexity procedures.
This will be done by expanding the capacity of strategic hospitals, by extending coverage of diagnostic, medical consultation, and patient management services, inclusive of the country’s hinterlands, through digital health; and by increasing the efficiency of the public health system, by strengthening key logistic, management, and support processesandinputs.
Theprojectisalsoexpectedto targetinfrastructureimprovement and expansion in seven priority hospitals, namely the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital (NARH)andtheLindenHospital Complex (LHC), as well as four District Hospitals located in the hinterland (Moruca, Kamarang, Kato,andLethem).
Additionally, tenders have alreadybeenissuedforthedesign andbuildoftheMoruca,Katoand LethemHospitalprojects.
by Destiny’ Threaded Treasures
The Surinamese group after they arrived in Guyana and received a warm welcome from the team at NCN
Young entrepreneur and owner of 'Threaded Treasures by Destiny', Destiny Wade.
TheSherman’sFox Squirrel is a native squirrel that can be found in north Florida and South Georgia regions A particularly larger species of squirrel, theycanweightbetweenone andthreepounds.
Like other fox squirrels, they can exhibit a lot of variation in their fur color, rangingfromnearlyblackto silver and with a tan underside. Here in Florida,
TheSherman’sFoxSquirrel
Sherman’s fox squirrel is consideredtobeaspeciesof special concern because they’velostsomuchoftheir habitat due to habitat loss anddegradation. The defining feature of this squirrel is that its head is colored black, with the nose and ears being white Although there can be variations –from all black to black and silver – most species w i l l e x h i b i t t h e
aforementionedcoloration.
You can most often find Sherman’s Fox Squirrels in areas that h
and sandhill habitats
Their diet consists of fruit, nuts and seeds, with pine seeds being one of theirfavorites
The squirrel is named after H B Sherman, an esteemed ecologist who studied small mammals H e m a d
y
study of native Florida
s originally an instructor in New York, but then he came down to Gainesville in Florida in the 1920s to be a professor at the University of Florida in the biology department, and he taught here from 1925to1955
Since Sherman’s time, muchofthesquirrel’shabitat
hasbeenlosttodevelopment anddeforestation
Because of this, the squirrels are protected throughout Florida with law prohibiting the hunting and capturing of thesecreatures
Following Hurricane Michael, the landscape at Three Rivers State
many trees throughout the park
T
forests have been made s
sparse
The worry following the storm was that the fox squirrel, who nests in the trees, would be a
Guyana’s hope of benefitting from a greater share of profits from the oil and gas sector has been further delayed as
ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) has added
another US$19B in development costs for the countrytorepay
This was revealed by Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday, during his weekly press conference at Freedom House, Robb Street,Georgetown.
The Chief Policymaker forthepetroleumsectortold reportersthatpresentlysome US$7Bisinthecostbankto be repaid by Guyana. While those costs are likely to be recouped by the Stabroek Blockpartnersbytheendof this year, the country will still continue to receive a meagershareoftherevenues generated in the Stabroek Block Jagdeo explained, “Seven odd billion (USdollars) remains in the cost bankatthistime.SoIsaidto them (the technical staff), what about the approved projects, because only some elements of the cost of the approved projects would have been in the cost bank already Swhatifyouwereto include the full cost or the estimated cost of all the approved projects How much more would you have to add to the cost bank and they gave me a figure of aboutUS$19Btobeadded.”
The Vice President said the additional US$19B relates to costs associated with Yellowtail, Uaru and Whiptail- Exxon’s fourth, fifth and sixth projects, respectively Additionally, he noted that a “small balance” is also remaining on the Gas-to-Energy project.
While the combined US$26B will compensate the Stabroek Block partners for the investments made to date, the government of Guyana has been approving moreprojectswhichnotonly inflates the cost bank but delays the country from receivingmoreprofits.
Under the 2016 Petroleum Agreement, the Stabroek Block partners can deduct up to 75% of the monthly production to recover the investments
Vice President,
made. This condition will continuetoapplyuntiltheoil companies’ costs have been fully compensated. In the meantime, Guyana will continue to receive 12.5% profit and a meager 2% royalty
During the first half of this year alone, Exxon and partnerstookUS$8.5Bfrom the Stabroek Block A whopping US$7.5B alone was deducted for cost recovery while the partners gained approximately US$1B in profits. Meanwhile, Guyana receivedUS$1.2Bduringthe same period, according to the government’s Mid-Year Report. Approval of more projects
It should be noted that whileUS$19Bisexpectedto coverthecostoftherecently approved projects, governmentislikelytoissue its approval for the seventh development, Hammerhead, soon. ExxonMobil Guyana filed an application seeking government’s approval in June this year Once the company receives the green light, those expenses will be added to the cost bank, further delaying Guyana’s probability of receiving more profits through the PSA. This is particularly so asthegovernmentrefusesto implement a ring-fencing provision. This condition, if applied to new projects, would require Exxon to use the revenue from a specific development to cover those expenses. When the costs have been recovered, Guyana would then receive 50% of all the revenue generatedatthatproject. To date, the country could have been receiving 50%oftherevenuesfromthe three projects currently producing oil, Liza One, Liza Two and Payara since the costs recovered amount to more than the combined price of the three developments.
Oppositionconcerned
The main political opposition, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), recently voiced its c o n c e r n o v e r t h e government’s rush to approve more oil projects, further delayed Guyana’s chance to acquire a greater shareofrevenues.
Atanewsconferencelast week, the PNCR recalled that both Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and President of Exxon Guyana Alistair Routledge had indicated earlier this year that Guyana’s share of revenueswillincreaseinthe very near future as the company recovers more and moreofitsinvestment.
“Accordingly, in our March press conference, we had called on the government to release the company’s combined cash flowstatementofitsfirstfive developments (from Liza to Uaru). We had cautioned then that “The PPP government,initsremaining time in office during this tenure, must ensure this projectionmaterializestothe fullest extent possible… It must therefore not rush to approve new oil projects in the Stabroek Block, which would drive up cost-oil and thereby deny Guyana the chance to acquire a greater share of revenues,” the PNCRsaid.
The party noted that the government must explain how the Guyanese people willobtainmoreoilrevenues in the next few years from a reduction in the company’s cost of oil even as the company spends more on additional exploration, appraisalanddevelopment.
The management of a nation’s petroleum industry should not be entrusted to a Minister,theformerHeadof Maintenance and Reliability at British Petroleum (BP) Trinidad and Tobago, Kuarlal Rampersad has warnedGuyana.
In an interview with Kaieteur News, Rampersad who worked just over three decades for BP weighed in on the critical need for the oil and gas sector to be managed by experts, rather than what he described as “politicalappointees”.
He said, “I don’t know why these ministers want to be the God-father of
everything, make the decision for everything and at the end of the day, if you look what’s happening world-wide, all these ministers corrupt They jailing them and there’s no bigsecretaboutitsoweneed to get a group of experts to manage the sector and appoint a head so even if elections come and go that person will remain there as theheadandcontinue.”
Rampersadwasadamant that no politician should be making any decision regarding Exxon and how the resources are allocated. In fact, the expert suggested that the nation’s prosperity with its oil resource is d
Commission.
He cautioned, “It’s very, verydangerousandIcansay that loud and clear. It’s very dangeroustoputthosethings in the hands of a minister because let’s say, he is there for five years, he will try to beascorruptaspossibleand whenheleavesandgo,that’s it. Nobody can hold him accountable but with a permanent head of the commission,thatpersonwill seek to have continuous development of the business.”
The T&T specialist was keentonotethattheDirector oftheCommissionmustbea publicservanttostandguard of the nation’s resources rather than a political appointee, such as a Minister
G u y a n a i s n o w approaching its fifth anniversary since the commencement of oil production offshore in the StabroekBlock.
The nation has however failed to establish a competent Petroleum Commission for the prudent
Former Head of Maintenance and Reliability at BP Trinidad and Tobago, Kuarlal Rampersad
management of the sector
This Commission would comprise experts such as trained negotiators, engineers and other key specialists to ensure prudent governanceofthenascentoil andgassector
Ministerempowered
In August 2023, the National Assembly approved the Petroleum
Activities Act which repealed the outdated 1986 legislation. Notably the new law arms the Minister of Natural Resources with sweeping powers over the hydrocarbonindustry.
According to the legislation, the minister is empoweredtoadministerthe licensing of petroleum exploration, production, and storage and transportation operations; cooperate with the relevant government
agencies regarding environmental and safety aspects of petroleum operations; and oversee the conduct of petroleum
operations to ensure compliance with the new law, and the terms of the respective licences and petroleumagreements.
Theministeralsohasthe power to inspect petroleum operations, seek corrective actionandimposessanctions
fornon-compliance;develop terms of reference and qualification criteria for the grant of exploration and production rights, and grant geological storage licences fornaturalgasandlong-term storageofcarbondioxide. Furthermore, a company orlicenseeneedsthewritten approval of the minister, to directly or indirectly assign any of the rights under a licence or petroleum agreement,whetherinwhole or in part, to a third party or an affiliate. These are just a fewofthepowersgrantedto the Minister under the legislation.
For his part, Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat explained that the establishment of a PetroleumCommissionnow will slow down the progress and development of Guyana’soilandgassector.
“A commission like that mightbeslowerindecisionm a k i n g t h a n t h e poli
decisionwithregardstohow we advance this sector taking into consideration that we have a limited timeframe and a closing windowsowehavetolookat
everything,”henoted.
Bharrat also pointed out that the Commission would carryouttheexactfunctions being conducted by the Ministry’sPetroleumUnit.
d on September8,2024underthe headline‘Govt.secretly
(Continuedonpage17)
Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo
Frompage16 insertsprovisioninLiza1,2 andPayaraPermitstoshield ExxonMobil from all oil spill costs’reported that this has removed the legal requirementforanunlimited parent company guarantee, holding the oil companies liableforallcostsassociated withsuchadisaster
K a i e t e u r N e w s understands that a provision wasinitiallyinsertedintothe Yellowtail Permit for the f o u r t h d e e p w a t e r development, dated March 2022. That Permit outlined new conditions with regard to oil spill protection for the country
While Condition 14 of thePermitrequiresExxonto p r o v i d e a P a r e n t Company/Affiliate (of Operator and Co- Venturers (CoVs))guarantee,itisclear thatthecoverageforoilspill protection is not unlimited. In fact, citizens who suffer ongoing loss from such an event will have to take Exxon to Court for compensation.
Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeohasdefendedamove by the government to secretly modify the Liza One, Liza Two, and Payara Permits to force citizens to fight for oil spill compensationinCourt.
Condition 14.3 of the Yellowtail Permit states, “Theaboveindividuallyora combinationshallatleastbe guidedbyanestimateofthe sum of the reasonably crediblecosts,expenses,and liabilities that may arise from any breaches of this permit.
Liabilitiesareconsidered to include costs associated with responding to an incident, clean-up, remediationandmonitoring. The estimation is not expected to address unidentifiableorinestimable
costs which may be a s s o c i a t e d w i t h compensation for loss and ongoing damage to other parties, and which can be pursued through civil action.”
This means that citizens who suffer losses as a result of a spill will have to challengeExxonisCourtfor compensation.
Notably,thegovernment movedtosecretlymodifyall of the previously issued Permits granted to Exxon, protecting the multinational corporationfromalloilspill costs.
ThefirsttwoPermitsfor the Liza One and Liza Two oil projects were approved by the previous Coalition
government while the third project, Payara was approved by the PPP government. These Permits did not previously feature thisprovision.
During his Thursday press engagement, Jagdeo told reporters that this decision was a “positive”. He explained, “Somehow there was a feeling that the guarantee covered all the costandwhatwehavemade clear here in this provision thatitexcludes,thattheyare stillliablefor,butitexcludes cost associated with compensation That the guaranteescoveronlycleanup cost Now this is a positive. They made it look likeit’sanegative.”
Jagdeo argued that though the provision was i n c l u d e d i n t h e
Environmental Permits whicharepublicdocuments, Kaieteur News reported that the provision was secretly inserted Additionally, he noted that the government intendstosoonpassoilspill legislation in the upcoming Parliamenttoholdalloiland gas companies to account. He said this would ensure even transporters are liable for all costs associated with any spill, including cost for compensation to those who suffer loss of economic activities.
Legal strength of
ExxonMobil
While the government defends modifying the Permits, leaving citizens at the mercy of Exxon, it should be noted that Exxon has on multiple occasions refused to pay up costs orderedbytheCourt.
On March 24, 1989, an oil tanker owned by ExxonMobil Corporation and dubbed the “Exxon Valdez” ran aground in a body of water in the Gulf of Alaska. It was heading to LongBeach,Californiawith over50millionbarrelsofoil but had hit a well-known navigation hazard in Alaska’swaters.
The impact of the collisiontoreopentheship’s hull, causing some 11 million gallons of crude oil to spill into the ecologically sensitivelocation.
At the time, it was the largestsingleoilspillinU.S. waters.
Initial attempts to contain the oil failed, and in themonthsthatfollowed,the oil slick spread, eventually blackening about 1,300 miles of Alaska’s coastline. It was, and still is, regarded as one of the largest environmental disasters in
U.S.history
It was reported that a lawsuit was filed against ExxonMobil on behalf of morethan32,000fishermen, native Alaskans and landowners, resulting in an award of US$5 billion in punitivedamages.
Exxon’s full strength in thecourtswasdemonstrated here.In2008,itappealedthe case and got the judgment reduced to $507.5 million. (See link for article r e f e r e n c e d : https://wwwwashingtonpos t com/lifestyle/magazine/th e-exxon-valdez-oilspill/2017/03/14/d131b630f 8 7 6 - 1 1 e 6 - 9 8 4 5576c69081518_story.html).
Importantly, the case woulddragoutfor26years, showing just how tedious a n d e x p e n s i v e environmental litigation is. In fact, the case came to a close in October 2015 in a federal district court in downtown Anchorage, Alaska.
A c c o r d i n g t o international media reports, the state and federal governments decided not to pursue a final US$100million from ExxonMobil over its 1989 oil spill in PrinceWilliamSound,asthe process was simply too expensive.
The Valdez spill had immenseimpactsonfishand wildlifeandtheirhabitats,as well as for local industries andcommunities.
The oil killed an estimated 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, as many as 22 killer whales, and billions of salmon and herringeggs.
Ahead of the inaugural International Business Conference, which will be held in October, President Irfaan Ali has laid out his administration’s vision for the manufacturing sector, u r g i n g l o c a l a n d internationalstakeholders to seize the opportunity to invest in the nation’s boomingindustries.
According to a press statement by ActionInvest, during an exclusive interview, the head-of-state underscored the critical role the IBC 2024 will play in fostering strategic partnerships to drive growth and development in the
manufacturing sector “We
ing, ” said
President Ali “But now, with the impending reductionofenergycostsby halfandtheimprovementof energy reliability through newpowerplants,Guyanais poised to become one of the most competitive locations for investment in manufacturing.”
The President also h i g h l i g h t e d t h e government’s focus on addressing long-standing challenges,particularlyhigh energy costs, which have historically hindered manufacturing growth. He pointed to the second power plantasagame-changerthat wouldensureaffordableand reliable energy for manufacturingbusinesses.
P r e s i d e n t A l i underscored that Guyana’s geographic positioning and e x p a n d i n g t r a d e relationships are key factors driving the country’s growingappealtoinvestors.
“Ourgeographicpositioning also offers us easy access to Brazil,andrightnowweare investingininfrastructureto integrate northern Brazil withallofGuyana,”hesaid.
The President also highlighted the importance ofbilateraltradeagreements within the wider region, adding that “the ease and access to markets is becomingmuchsimpler,less bureaucratic.” A significant partofthePresident’svision involves partnerships between local and international businesses, through partnerships that combine local knowledge with foreign technology and capital.
“The IBC provides the perfect platform for these partnerships to flourish,” President Ali explained “Thisconferencegiveslocal companies the opportunity to collaborate with international businesses that
bringadvancedtechnologies and resources. Together, we can build stronger, more competitive companies that will drive Guyana’s
m
President Ali also spoke about the growth of Guyana’s agro-processing industry and outlined significant private investments already flowing into sectors such as dairy, poultry, and aquaculture
These investments, along withthegovernment’sfocus on value-added production, positionGuyanatobecomea major exporter of processed foodproducts.
“The entire policy framework is designed to support agro-processing and manufacturing at every level,” President Ali added.
“We are expanding cultivation, incorporating advanced technologies, and focusing on value addition, notjustrawproduction.”
Notably, to attract even more investment, President Ali said the government is offering a competitive incentive regime, including special investment zones in Regions 9, 10, and 6. These zones will feature tax benefits and infrastructure support to further stimulate manufacturinggrowth.With the International Business Conferencejustweeksaway, PresidentAliurgedlocaland foreign businesses to act quickly, warning that investment opportunities may become less affordable inthenearfuture.
“This conference is key because it brings that local firepower and matches it with the international firepower and gives us an opportunity to build partnerships because that is what we want—partnership and creating that network.”
TheIBC2024isexpectedto be a defining moment, bringing together local and foreign investors to tap into the country’s vast potential and drive its transformation into a leader in the global manufacturing and agroprocessingsectors.
“There is no better place for investment than Guyana at the moment, and more importantly, if you don’t do itnow,Itellpeopleintwoto three years it will be too expensive for you to do.We are building a diversified e c o n o m y , a n d manufacturing and agroprocessingareattheheartof that vision.” He added, “As webuildoutthiseconomy,I am very pleased that we are focusing on manufacturing
andagro-processingbecause the diversification that we areseekingtoachieveplaces thesetwosectorshighupon theagenda.”TheIBCwillbe held at the Guyana Marriott Hotel from October 15th to 17th, 2024, at the Guyana Marriott Hotel in Georgetown, under the theme: “Guyana: The GatewaytoOpportunities.
ExxonMobilmustnotbe allowed to hand Guyana limited protection to cover costs associated with an oil spill The multinational corporation, presently earning billions of USdollars from Guyana’s resources, must instead be held liable for any and all costs related to such a disaster
This was stressed by a Trinidad and Tobago oil expert, Kuarlal Rampersad in a recent interview with this publication. Rampersad whospentover30yearsina senior management position at British Petroleum (BP) Trinidad and Tobago, pointedtotheimportanceof the company taking full responsibilityforanoilspill which can occur, citing Guyana’s massive daily offshore production now nearingonemillionbarrels. Presently, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), the operator of the prolific StabroekBlockisproducing about 645,000 barrels per dayatthreeprojects,theLiza One,LizaTwoandPayara. To this end, Rampersad said, “ExxonMobil is s u p p o s e d t o t a k e responsibility for all costs associated with an oil spill…Exxon cannot give a certain amount of money to the Guyanese government and say listen in the case of an oil spill do not hold us liable,youhavetoindemnify us.”
Guyana has accepted a US$2B oil spill guarantee from ExxonMobil and its two Co-Venturers, Hess GuyanaExplorationLimited and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, as the case for full liability protection continues in the Court of Appeal. In addition to the limited guarantee, Exxon hasalsoprovidedaUS$600 (Continuedonpage18)
President Dr. IrfaanAli
Frompage17 million insurance policy per oilspillevent.Citizens however argue that it is thestatethatwillbemadeto cover any destruction above thatsum.Notably,Guyana’s Caribbean neighbours are not covered under that oil spillprovision.
The Trinidadian therefore urged Guyana to ensure it is not left on the hook to clean up after the company Rampersad said, “It cannot be ExxonMobil saying I gonna give the Guyanese government, let’s say US$20M and put it into an account so just in case of an oil spill, you’re going to indemnify us. They mad or what? You cannot do that! Look at the production rate in Guyana now Guyana’s production rate is close to one million barrels per day and if that happened to be spill you know what would happen and who is going to beresponsible?”
Considering the fact that Guyana’s oil operations could potentially impact a dozenCaribbeannations,he urged that a proactive approach to such a situation was not only necessary, but urgentlyrequired.
“BecauseifExxonMobil come and say listen, this thing happened, and we going to sell out the assets, let’s say to Shell, what’s going to happen? They cannot sell that; you have to tie them into this, ” Rampersadsaid.
Three teenagers are in custody in relation to the murderof24-year-oldHarry Browne called “Shaggy”, which occurred at an event hosted as part of the monthlong Amerindian Heritage Celebrations.
In a statement on Monday, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said the fatal incident occurred around
01:30 hours on Sunday, September 15 at Kairuni Village, located on the Soesdyke/LindenHighway A 23-year-old female of Kairuni village told the police that she and the Browneworkedtogetherand stayedinthesameresidence.
She said that on Saturday night around 19:00 hours, she and Browne left home together and went to the HeritageMontheventhosted at the ball field in Kairuni Village. The woman said theywereimbibingalcohol.
Whileattheevent,afight ensued and Browne intervened and attempted to separate the per
fighting. However, a 15year-old in the company of othersattackedBrownewith aknife,woundinghimtohis abdomenandrighthand.
The police reported that two other persons were stabbedduringthefight.The suspectsthenfledthescene.
Both persons received stabwoundstotheabdomen and were admitted to the GeorgetownPublicHospital fortreatment.
Moreover, around 21:00 hours on Sunday, acting on information, police patrol visited a home in Moblissa Village and arrested the 15year-old suspect, along with twootherteenagersages17, and 19. The three teenagers areincustody,assistingwith theinvestigations
Former Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan is ofthefirmviewthatafiasco, 10 times grander than the US$200M Skeldon project, isplayingoutbeforetheeyes of Guyanese with the Gasto-Energy (GTE) initiative, which carries a price tag of aboutUS$2B.
In a recent public broadcast, the former minister and Member of Parliament(MP)pointedout thatthecostoftheprojectis constantly ballooning even as a single agreement pertaining to the project is stilltobelaidintheNational Assembly
Thegovernmentsaidthat thepipelinewasexpectedto cost Guyana an estimated
US$1B, but the project developer, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) never announced a Final Investment Decision (FID) casting further doubt on the priceoftheinfrastructure.
As documents for the project remain sealed to the bosom of the Irfaan Ali-led administration, Jordan argued, “There is no agreement that has been put in Parliament about the laying of this pipeline much less the whole project.” In addition to the 12-inch diameter pipeline being laid by ExxonMobil to transport gas from the Liza Fields in the Stabroek Block to the Wales Development Zone, West Bank Demerara, the government of Guyana is undertakinga300megawatt power plant and a Natural GasLiquids(NGL)facility
The former minister in raising concerns over the project said last week the Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo during a press conference informed the nationthatExxonwouldnot have advanced the money for the project if the company did not believe it wasprofitable.
To this end, Jordan explained, “So Exxon has advanced us the money which is a loan. If this is a loan, why doesn’t it appear in the debt profile of the country?”
Headded,“Howmuchis the loan? Do we know how much is the loan? We don’t know Whatarethetermsof thisloan,wedon’tknow We have not seen an agreement for this loan. Who owns the pipeline?”
Jordan also pointed out that there is also a cost attached to maintaining the pipeline which the nation is stillunawareof.
The former minister was keentonotethattheExternal Loans Act requires the government to table all loan agreements that have been concluded as soon as
possible thereafter He however argued that the agreement with Exxon is so long overdue to the extent that the company is now preparing to complete the project and pump nitrogen intothestructuretopreserve it until it is operational. Moreover, he noted that arrangements have been made to repay the company forthepipeline.
Exxon previously said it expects the pipeline to be completed by the end of 2024.While another section of the media reported that President of Exxon Guyana, Alistair Routledge said that repayment will commence only after the project starts up, auditors who examined the company’s 2018-2020 expenditure observed that costs for the pipeline were addedtothecostbank.
As details on the financing arrangements of the project remain unclear, Jordan has called for the agreementswithExxontobe madepublic.
“Why isn’t this debt in ourdebtprofile,whereisthe agreement? Why hasn’t this been carried to the Parliament? Have they started back repayment, where is the repayment coming from,” Jordan questioned.
Hecontinued,“Howcan webepayingbackwhenwe haven’tseenanyagreement, howcanyoupaybackwhen this debt doesn’t appear in ourprofileandhowcanyou be paying back from our future share (of revenue) when the Natural Resource Fund Act forbids this and what is going to be the accountingarrangements?”
(CEO)ofAmericanoffshore drilling company Noble Corporation, Robert Eifler hassaidthatthedayratefora drill rig could climb to US$600,000 in the coming years,asdemandincreases. He made the comments during an interview with Bloomberg last Friday. Eiflersaidthatheisplanning for relatively flat demand growth industry-wide for floating drilling rigs next year followed by expansion starting in 2026 that could add about 10 rigs to the roughly150workingaround theworld.Ifithappens,from that point forward, “it’s possible” rates could climb to US$600,000 a day, he said.
“We think day rates will trend upwards,” Eifler said. “We’resigningone-tothreeyear contracts right now at around US$500,000 a day.” Global deepwater spending by oil producers is forecast to grow to an average of US$79 billion in 2026 and 2027, according to Noble, citing research from Rystad. That would be a 20% hike from the average annual amount between 2023 and 2025. “It would be another fewyearsandacontinuously improving market that would actually drive true supply scarcity in our business,” Eifler said. “I don’t think we’re on the brinkofthatrightnow.”
R e c e n t l y , t h i s publication reported that ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) extended its contract with Noble Corporation for four of its drill ships to work in the Stabroek Block The contract EMGL has with Nobleisbasedonthemarket price. Noble had explained that market-based day rates are reset twice per year (March 1, and September 1) to the projected market rate atthattime.
Assuch,ifthedayrateto
rentonedrillrigincreasesto US$600,000, Guyana will have to pay US$2.4 million daily for Noble’s four drill rigsworkingforExxon.
Thecompanyannounced that ExxonMobil has awarded 4.8 additional rig years of backlog under the Commercial Enabling Agreement(CEA)whichhas been assigned evenly across the four drillships: Noble Tom Madden, Noble Sam Croft,NobleDonTaylorand Noble Bob Douglas, extendingeachrig’scontract duration from June 2027 to August2028.
In May 2023, Noble announcedthatExxonMobil Guyana had extended their contract for the rental of the four ultra-deep-water drill ships to work in Guyana until the second quarter of 2027.
This publication had previously reported that Exxon is utilising six drillships for its Stabroek Block project – four vessels fromANoble and two from Stena Drilling. Earlier this year, Liam Mallon, ExxonMobil Upstream President disclosed that EMGL is operating six drill rigs in the Stabroek Block daily costing an average of US$420,000 (GYD$84 million) to US$500,000 (GYD$100M) per day for each ship, based on current market-rate. It was during hisaddressattheopeningof the 2024 Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo when Mallon made the disclosure “Meanwhile,wetalkedalot about the source of the revenue,sixdrillingrigsand theircrewsareatworkevery single day 24/7 throughout the block, drilling and exploring, preparing yellowtail and Uaru for startup tirelessly developing the existing resource base andseekingtofindevennew
(Continuedonpage36)
Dead: Harry Browne
Former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan
One of the Noble Drill Ships working for Exxon offshore Guyana
CountryProfile: Barbados
Barbados,islandcountry
in the southeastern Caribbean Sea, situated about 100 miles (160 km) eastofSaintVincentandthe Grenadines Roughly triangular in shape, the island measures some 20 miles (32 km) from northwest to southeast and about15miles(25km)from east to west at its widest point.Thecapitalandlargest town is Bridgetown, which isalsothemainseaport. The geographic position of Barbados has profoundly influenced the island’s history and culture and aspects of its economic life. Barbados is not part of the nearby archipelago of the LesserAntilles,althoughitis usuallygroupedwithit.The island is of different geologicformation;itisless mountainous and has less variety in plant and animal life. As the first Caribbean landfall from Europe and Africa, Barbados has functioned since the late 17th century as a major link between western Europe (mainly Great Britain),
eastern Caribbean territories, and parts of the South American mainland. The island was a British possession without interruption from the 17th century to 1966, when it attained independence Because of its long association with Britain, the culture of Barbados is probably more British than is that of any other Caribbean island, though elements of the African culture of the majority population have been p r o m i n e n t S i n c e independence, cultural nationalism has been fostered as part of the processofnation-building.
History
Little of the island’s prehistory is known, but archaeological investigation indicates that it may have beensettledasearlyas1600 BCE by people from northernSouthAmericawho later disappeared from the archaeologicalrecord.From about 500 to 1500 CE, Arawak and Carib people probablylivedontheisland,
which they called
Ichirouganaim The first contactwithEuropeansmay have occurred in the early 16th c
ntury, when Spaniards visited Barbados. Portuguese explorers also touchedontheisland,which they named Barbados (“BeardedOnes”),eitherfor bearded fig trees or bearded menontheisland.Theisland was depopulated because of repeated slave raids by the Spanish in the 16th century; it is believed that those Indigenous people who avo
migratedtoelsewhereinthe region By the mid-16th century—largely because of the island’s small size,
d depopulation European explorers had practically abandonedtheirclaimstoit, and Barbados remained effectively without a population.
Culturallife
Most cultural facilities are located in Bridgetown. The Barbados Museum was established in 1933 and offers permanent and
temporary exhibits covering the natural history and cultureoftheisland.Nearby is the BarbadosArt Gallery, which houses the national collection The National Library Service, which comprises a main library in Bridgetown and several branches, has its origins in theearly19thcentury There are a number of special libraries at educational institutions, government ministries, and other facilities The Barbados Department of Archives holds primary historical documentation from public and private sources. The country has dramatic groups, schools of dancing, and art exhibitions Barbadian writers of international reputation include George Lamming and Kamau Brathwaite. Music is a popular pastime in Barbados. The country hosts a popular annual jazz festival(January).
One of the country’s cultural traditions is Crop Over,anannualmulti-week (Continuedonpage32)
The Barbados Flag.
Chamberlain Bridge in Bridgetown.
Barbados Coat ofArms.
Hunte’s
Palm trees by the seaside.
Bajan cuisine.
Talking Dollars & Making Sense Talking Dollars & Making Sense
By Rennie P
The Importance of a Cash Flow Statement for Entrepreneurs
Welcome back to Talking Dollars & MakingSense.Today,we’re going to focus on one of the most important, yet often misunderstood, financial tools in business—the cash flow statement. If you’re an entrepreneur, understanding your cash flow is crucial to keepingyourbusinessafloat and planning for future growth.
Whether you’re running a small startup or a growing enterprise, knowing how money flows in and out of your business is key And don’t worry—I’ll explain it in simple, practical terms usingBanksDIHLimitedas a real-world example to makethingsclearer WhatisaCashFlow Statement?
Acash flow statement is like a health check for your business’sfinances.Ittracks allthecashthatcomesinand goes out over a specific period, usually monthly, quarterly,orannually
While an income statement tells you about profits and losses, and a balance sheet shows your assets and liabilities, the cash flow statement is the onlyonethatshowswhether your business actually has cashonhand.
The cash flow statement is essential for several reasons:
It Shows Liquidity: Liquidity is your business’s ability to meet short-term obligations paying rent, employees, or suppliers
Even if your business is profitable on paper, you mightrunintotroubleifyou don’t have enough cash to meettheseobligations.
It Helps with Financial
Planning: Entrepreneurs use cash flow statements to predict when they’ll need more cash or when they mighthavesurplusfundsfor investment. It also helps identifyperiodsofhighcash demand, allowing you to planaccordingly
It Attracts Investors:
I n v e s t o r s a r e particularly interested in a company’s cash flow because it shows whether the business is generating enough cash to fund its operations and growth.Positivecashflowis a good sign of financial health.
N o w t h a t w e understand why cash flow is essential, let’s break down the three main components of a cashflowstatement.
The Three Sections of a Cash Flow Statement
A c a s h f l o w statement has three key sections:
OperatingActivities
InvestingActivities
FinancingActivities
Let’s look at each section in detail and use Banks DIH Limited’s 2023 Annual Report to illustratethesepoints.
1. Cash Flow from Operating Activities
This section tracks the cash generated or used by your business’s
core operations It answers the question: “Is my business generating enoughcashfromitsnormal operations to cover expenses?”
For Banks DIH, their c a s h f l o w f r o m operating activities for the year 2023 was $20 5 billion
This number represents all the cash that flowed in from selling their products like beverages, food, and services and subtractsoperatingexpenses like wages, inventory costs,
andtaxes.
Operating cash flow is often considered the most critical part of the cash flow statement because it shows whether the company can sustainitselfwithitsday-todaybusiness.
For entrepreneurs, keepinganeyeonthisfigure is key If you’re regularly spending more than you’re earning from operations, you’llneedtoeithercutcosts or find new ways to boost sales.
If your operating cash flow is negative for an extended period, it could mean you’re overspending on day-to-day expenses, or sales aren’t covering costs. Thisshouldtriggerareview of your pricing, cost structure, or even customer collection policies (how quicklyyou’regettingpaid).
2.CashFlowfrom InvestingActivities
This section shows the cashusedforinvestmentsin thebusiness.
This could be buying new equipment, upgrading facilities, or making other long-term investments It also includes any cash inflowsfromsellingassets.
For Banks DIH, their cash outflow from investing activities in 2023 was $9 billion.
This large outflow is mostlyduetothecompany’s capitalexpenditures,suchas purchasing new brewing equipment,trucks,andplant upgrades to support future growth.
Investing activitiesare usually negative because companies are investing in theirfuture.
H o w e v e r , f o r entrepreneurs,it’simportant tomonitortheseinvestments
and ensure they are generating value. If you’re spending too much on investmentswithoutseeinga return,youmayrunintocash shortagesdowntheroad.
If you’re planning to
invest heavily—like buying
business—make sure you haveenoughcashflowfrom operationsorfinancing(like loans) to support these
drainingyourcashreserves.
3. Cash Flow from FinancingActivities
This section covers the cash that comes in or goes out due to financing activities.Thiscouldbecash raised from loans, raising capital from investors, or payments made to repay loans and pay dividends to investors.
In 2023, Banks DIH’s cash flow from financing activitiesshowedanoutflow of $20 1 billion, which primarily included dividend payments to shareholders andloanrepayments.
For entrepreneurs, financing activities are a critical part of managing cash flow, especially in the early stages of a business
Whether you’re
borrowing money or raising equity, this section shows how you’re funding thebusiness.
If cash from operations and investing activities isn’t enough, you’ll need to look to financing to make up the difference.
If you’re relying heavily on financing to fund your business, be mindful of your debt levels.
While borrowing can help you grow, taking on too much debt without generating enough operating cash flow can strain your business
Keep an eye on your loan repayment and interestrates
How Entrepreneurs
Use the Cash Flow Statement
N o w t h a t y o u
u n d e r s t a n d t h e
components of a cash flow statement, let’s t a l k a b o u t h o w entrepreneurs can use it in day-to-day decisionmaking:
Tracking Cash Gaps:
If you know a big expense or investment is coming up, use your cash flow statement to ensure you have enough funds If not, you may need to delay the investment, cut costs, or seekfinancing
Managing Working Capital: The cash flow statement helps you see h o w w e l l y o u ’ r e managing working capital your receivables (money owed to you), inventory, and payables (money you owe)
Improving collection times from customers, for example, can boost your operatingcashflow
Forecasting Future Needs:Byexaminingtrends in your cash flow, you can predictfuturecashneeds. If you notice cash from operations is consistently low, you might want to rethink your business strategy whether it’s cutting costs, increasing sales, or securing new financing.
Av o i d i n g C a s h
Shortages: One of the
most common reasons businesses fail is not having enough cash on hand.
Regularly reviewing your cash flow statement helps you avoid surprises. It ensures you have enough liquiditytocovershort-term expenses and make smart financialdecisions.
The Bottom Line T h e c a s h f l o w statement is a powerful t o o l f o r e v e r y e n t r e p r e n e u r B y understandinghowmoney moves in and out of your business, you can plan better, make smarter decisions,andavoidthecash flow crunch that can sink evenprofitablebusinesses.
Take a page from Banks DIH Limited’s playbook Their strong operating cash flow of $20 5 billion in 2023 ensured they could invest in growthandpaydividendsto shareholders, all while maintaining financial stability
As an entrepreneur, the more you understand your cash flow, the better equipped you’ll be to steer your business toward success.
Until next time, keep an eye on your cash flow, and remember: in business,cashisking
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
( John Hopkins
Medicine) Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a longlasting (chronic) disease of the central nervous system. It is thought to be an autoimmune disorder, a condition in which the body attacksitselfbymistake.MS is an unpredictable disease
that affects people differently. Some people withMSmayhaveonlymild symptoms. Others may lose their ability to see clearly, write, speak, or walk when communicationbetweenthe brain and other parts of the bodybecomesdisrupted.
Myelin is a protein and fatty substance that surroundsandprotectsnerve fibers. In MS, the immune system attacks the myelin, whichbecomesdestroyedin many areas. This loss of myelin forms scar tissue called sclerosis.Theseareas are also called plaques or lesions.Whenthenervesare damaged in this way, they can’t conduct electrical impulses normally to and fromthebrain.
When MS causes repeated attacks, it’s called relapsing remitting MS
When the symptoms progress over time without clear attacks, it’s called primaryprogressiveMS.
What causes multiple sclerosis?
Therearemanypossible causesofMS,suchas:
Autoimmunedisorders
Infectious agents, such asviruses
Environmentalfactors
Geneticfactors
What are the symptoms ofmultiplesclerosis?
ThesymptomsofMSare often unpredictable. They maybemildorsevere,shortterm or long-lasting. They may appear in different combinations,dependingon the area of the nervous system affected The following are the most common symptoms of MS. But each person may have differentsymptoms.
FirstsymptomsofMS
Blurredordoublevision
Red-green color distortion
Pain and loss of vision because of swelling of the opticnerve(opticneuritis)
Trouble walking and difficultywithbalance
An abnormal feeling, suchasnumbness,prickling, or pins and needles (paresthesia)
Other symptoms of multiplesclerosis
Muscle weakness in the armsandlegs
T
r o u b l e w i t h coordination.You may have problems walking or
standing. You may also be partly or completely paralyzed.
Spasticity This is the involuntary increased tone of muscles leading to stiffnessandspasms. Fatigue. This may be brought on by physical activity Butitmayeasewith rest.You may have constant tiredness that doesn’t go away
Lossoffeeling
Speechproblems
Tremor
Dizziness
Hearingloss
Bowel and bladder problems
Depression
Changes in sexual function
About half of all people with MS have thinking (cognitive) problems linked tothedisease.
The effects of these problemsmaybemild.Your healthcare provider may only find them after much testing. The problems may bewith:
Focusing(concentration)
Attention
Memory
Poorjudgment
Symptoms of MS are grouped as primary, secondary, or tertiary as describedbelow:
Primary symptoms; these symptoms are a direct result of the destruction of myelin:
Weakness
Numbness
Shaking(tremors)
Lossofvision
Pain
Paralysis
Lossofbalance
Bladder and bowel
problems
Secondary symptoms; these are complications that may occur as a result of the primary symptoms, for example:
Paralysis can lead to bedsores.
Bladder problems may cause repeated urinary tract infections Inactivity can result in weakness, poor posture,muscleimbalances, decreased bone density, and breathingproblems.
Becoming less mobile because of weakness and trouble swallowing can lead to a greater risk of pneumonia.
Tertiary symptoms; these are social, job-related, and psychological problems:
A person who becomes unabletowalkordrivemay losetheirlivelihood.
Strain of dealing with a chronic illness may disrupt personalrelationships.
Depression is often seen amongpeoplewithMS.
The symptoms of MS may look like other health problems. Always talk with your healthcare provider for adiagnosis.
Howismultiplesclerosis diagnosed?Notonespecific test is used to diagnose MS. Diagnosis is based on symptoms and signs, imaging tests, and lab tests. A healthcare provider can make a diagnosis by following a careful process to rule out other causes and diseases.Twothingsmustbe true to make a diagnosis of relapsingremittingMS:
You must have had 2 attacks at least 1 month apart.Anattackiswhenany
MS symptoms show up suddenly or when any MS symptoms get worse for at least24hours.
Youmusthavemorethan 1 area of damage to the central nervous system myelin.
Myelinisthesheaththat surroundsandprotectsnerve fibers. This damage must haveoccurredatmorethan1 point in time and not have
MRI.Thisdiagnostictest uses a combination of large magnets and a computer to make detailed pictures of organsandstructureswithin the body without the use of X-rays.Itcanfindplaquesor scarring caused by MS. Generally, a single attack along with certain patterns of changes in brain tissue seen on an MRI scan of the braindonewithcontrastcan meanthatyouhaveMS.
Evoked potential: these tests record the brain’s electricalresponsetovisual, auditory, and sensory stimuli. These tests show if you have a slowing of messages in the different partsofthebrain.
Cerebrospinal fluid analysis:thisisalsocalleda spinal tap or lumbar puncture.Itlooksatthefluid taken from the spinal column to make an evaluationordiagnosis. This test checks for cellular and chemical abnormalitiesseenwithMS. Bloodtests:thesearedoneto rule out other causes for various neurological symptoms.
Eye exam and visual fields measurements: treatment will depend on your symptoms, age, and generalhealth.Itwillalso (Continuedonpage34)
West Dem student captures crown at Miss Guyana teen scholar pageant
Exuding intelligence, grace and beauty, Ciara Dowden a 16-year-old
student of West Demerara Secondary on Saturday last was crowned queen at the 2024 Miss Guyana Teen Scholar’sPageant.
The National Cultural Centre was filled with vibrantcolorsandmelodious music,asDowdendisplayed her talent and shed light on her platform which was to raise awareness about the dangers of human trafficking.
Dowden told The Waterfalls that she used a power point presentation to bringaboutsocialawareness totheissueandshedlighton how the public can assist persons affected by human trafficking. She shared too that the pageant yielded manypersonalbenefits.
The young lady further expressed, “I came into the pageant mainly because I wantedselfgrowthandtobe more rounded as an individual.”
She added, “I gained moreselfconfidence,alotof friendships,Imetinfluential persons, I started to see myself in a different light, I didn’t think that I would have won the crown honestly.”
She explained that it has expanded not just her communication skills, but she learnt the importance of teamworkandleadership.
Theteensaidtoothather journey to the crown would not have been successful without support Dowden received support from variouspersons.
As such, Dowden expressed her appreciation to her mother Carlita Williams, her teacher, Miss Caldeira, West Dem Secondary Head Master (HM), Harinarine, and her dancepartnerHoseRoberts, amongothers
The HM congratulated the young lady on the school’s behalf In his remarks Mr Harinarine he said, “West Dem has been performing well in both academic and extra curriculumactivities,itismy hope that Ciara will study and pass her CXC (Caribbean Examinations Council) exams as other students would have done andIhopethatthestudentsat West Demerara be inspired byher.”
Ciara Dowden at the 2024 Miss Guyana Teen Scholar’s Pageant
Diddy Is ‘Strong, Healthy & Focused’ Amid
‘Procedural’ Suicide Watch, Rep Says
Themusicmogulis currently facing up to life in prison.
Billboard Sean “Diddy”Combsisnotinany danger of self-harm despite being placed on suicide watch as he awaits trial, his representatives tell Billboard.
“Mr Combs is strong, healthy and focused on his defense,”aspokespersonfor the music mogul explains. “Heiscommittedtofighting this case and has full confidence in both his legal teamandthetruth.
The decision to put Diddy on suicide watch is “procedural with highprofile clients,” the insider told NBC News. Sources also told People that the move was a preventative measure.
Diddy was arrested Monday (Sept. 16) in New York City, and Manhattan federal prosecutors have sinceunveiledthesubstance of their case against Combs —accusinghimofoperating a criminal enterprise centered on his “pervasive pattern of abuse toward women.”
Hewasdeniedbailathis Sept. 17 arraignment, and is currently facing up to life in prison for three felony charges.
ThenextstepforCombs will be an initial pretrial conferencenextweekbefore JudgeAndrew L. Carter, Jr., thefederaldistrictjudgewho willoverseehistrial.
In a video obtained by CNN earlier this year and datedMarch5,2016,Combs appears to shove his longtime former partner, Cassie Ventura, to the ground near an elevator bank, kick her several times
while she lies on the ground anddragherdownahallway
The contents of the video mirror an assault allegation Ventura made in a nowsettled lawsuit she filed againstDiddyinNovember Ventura was the first to accuse Diddy of sexual assault, filing a lawsuit in November in which attorneysforCassieclaimed she “endured over a decade of his violent behavior and disturbed demands, ” including repeated physical attacks and forcing her to “engage in sex acts with male sex workers” while he masturbated. According to t
Linkin Park Owns 50% Of An Entire
Billboard Chart This Week
Variety - Linkin Park is back on more than a dozen chartsintheU.S. this week The band returned earlier this month with “The Emptiness Machine,” their first completely new single in sevenyears. That cut, and the group’s return, has excited their fan base, which responded by snapping up much more thanthelatestrelease
Many of the songs that made Linkin Park superstars have returned to a number of Billboard talliesthisweek
The band’s fans didn’t just focus their buying on
“The Emptiness Machine,” as several other older tracks from the Grammy winners manage a comeback—even givingtheoutfitcontrolover 50% of one tally in particular
On this week’s Hard Rock Digital Song Sales ch
Park is in charge
They sit at No 1, but they also manage to lay claim to half of the spaces on Billboard’s list of the bestselling hard rock cuts in the nation
Four of their timetested smashes mount comebacks on the list, helping them dominate
like few acts ever have “The Emptiness Machine” debuted on the Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart last week
T h e t u n e w a s released with a few hours left in o
interest in the single was so high that it sold enough copies to start in the runner-up rung on the ranking a few days
dropped
Now, with its first seven-day tracking frame finished, Linkin Park’s new tune rises to No 1 Luminate
reports that in its first proper week,
7,800 copies in the U S T h a t ’ s e a s i l y enough to make the single the band’s tenth No 1 on the Hard Rock
Digital Song Sales chart, as well as their twenty-fifth top 10 smash The band fills three more spaces between No. 5 andNo.10,whichisthelast spotontheshortlist.
“Numb,” “Crawling,” and “What I’ve Done” blast back onto the Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart at Nos 6, 9, and 10, respectively
attempted to separate from him in 2018 after an onand-off public relationship for 11 years, Combs allegedly “forced her into her home and raped her while she repeatedly said ‘no’ and tried to push him away.”
Billboard Michael Jackson’s estate has filed legal action against a man who it claims has threatenedtoresurfaceugly abuse allegations ahead of the upcoming release of a biopic about the King of Pop, according to multiple mediareports.
As detailed by both the Washington Informer and the Financial Times on Friday, Jackson’s estate
has filed a private arbitrationcaseagainstthe unnamed accuser, claiming his alleged threats violate an earlier, never-before-reported settlement over the abuse accusations
In the arbitration case, the estate reportedly alleges that the earlier settlement struck in 2020 saw the accuser paid $3 3 million in return for signing a nondisclosure agreement But the estate reportedly c l a i m s h e ’s n o w threatening to breach the agreement if he’s not paid another$213million
Inaninterviewwiththe Informer, estate executor John Branca reportedly said: “The associate’s lawyer even said to us, ‘If you don’t meet our demands, we’re going to have to share these allegations with a wider group of people.’ It was a shakedown Enough is enough.”
The name of Jackson’s accuser and the details of his supposed allegations werenotdisclosedinmedia reports.
It’s unclear when the arbitrationcasewasfiled,or whatexactlyitalleges.
The Jackson estate would not confirm the
The case was soon settled, but Combs was thensuedbymultipleother women who claimed they were sexually abused by thehip-hopmogul
accuracy of the reports and declinedtocommentonthe matter.
The article from the Financial Times reported that the Jackson estate had also referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles A spokesman for that office declined to comment when asked whether it had received such a report or h a d o p e n e d a n investigation.
Thethreatstogopublic come as the Jackson estate preparesforthepremiereof Michael, a movie about the singer’s life starring his nephew Jaafar Jackson in thetitularrole.
The biopic, directed by Antoine Fuqua, is set for releaseinApril2025.
Jackson, who died suddenly in 2009, was never convicted or held legally liable on any accusation of child molestation, but is still doggedbysuchallegations. Two men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, continue to claim Jackson sexually abused them as children, spending the last decade pursuing civil lawsuits.
And their allegations were amplified in 2019 by HBO docuseries Leaving Neverland, which laid out their claims in disturbing detail.
The Jackson estate has always vehemently denied allsuchclaims,pointingout that the singer was acquittedina2005criminal trial and arguing that his accusersaresimplyseeking monetary gain from an artist who cannot defend himselfbecausedefamation lawdoesnotextendtodead individuals.
Embattled music mogul Sean ‘PDiddy’Combs
Barbados
Frompage19 summer festival that has its historical origins in sugarcane harvest celebrations. The harvest celebrations died out in the mid20th century, but Crop Over was reborn in the 1970s as a festival of musical (notably calypso), culinary,andotherarts.CropOver culminates in the Grand Kadooment, a carnival parade that features elaborately costumed bands.Cricketisthenationalsport, and Barbados contributes many players to the West Indies team,
which is known throughout the world. International Test matches are often played at Bridgetown’s Kensington Oval (the country hosted the International Cricket Council World Cup final in 2007).
Garfield Sobers and FrankWorrell are two of Barbados’s cricketing legends.Thefirstcricketteamwas formed in 1877 for white players only, but teams of all races soon sprang up Other popular recreations are sailing, surfing, snorkeling, and swimming. Road tennis, originally played on littletraveled streets with a wooden paddleandade-fuzzedtennisball,
is believed to have been invented on the island. Barbados first sent athletes to the Olympics in 1952 and first participated as an independentcountryin1968.
Daily and weekly newspapers and a number of tourism-related periodicals are published. A wide range of newspapers and magazines from other Caribbean countries, the United States, Canada,Britain,andEuropecanbe boughtorconsultedinlibraries.
Relief,drainage,andsoils
Mount Hillaby, the highest point in Barbados, rises to 1,102 feet (336 metres) in the north-
central part of the island. To the westthelanddropsdowntothesea in a series of terraces. East from Mount Hillaby, the land declines sharplytotheruggeduplandofthe Scotland District. Southward, the highlands descend steeply to the broad St. GeorgesValley; between thevalleyandtheseathelandrises to 400 feet (120 metres) to form Christ Church Ridge. Coral reefs surround most of the island Seweragesystemswereinstalledin thelate20thcenturytoaddressthe threat to the reefs from runoff of fertilizersanduntreatedwaste.
There are no significant rivers
or lakes and only a few streams, springs, and ponds Rainwater percolates quickly through the underlyingcorallinelimestonecap, drainingintoundergroundstreams, which are the main source of the domestic water supply A desalination plant provides additional fresh waterBarbados hasmainlyresidualsoils.Theyare clayey and rich in lime and phosphates. Soil type varies with elevation;thinblacksoilsoccuron the coastal plains, and more-fertile yellow-brown or red soils are usuallyfoundinthehighestpartsof thecorallimestone.
CONSUMERCONCERNS
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION EXTENDS ACTIVITIES TO OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY
PAT DIAL
Consumers have often been alarmed by persons in the media predicting disasters which will befall Guyana and Guyanese peopleifthereisanOilSpill and by the claim that no Environmental Regulations are being imposed on the Industryresultingindamage
being done to the Environment These
‘defenders of the Environment’claim that the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) is merely engagedinroutinework.
The Environment consistsoftheAir,Landand WaterofthePlanet. Inmore detailed terms this will be the Atmosphere which envelopes the Planet and which consists of layers of various life-sustaining gases such as hydrogen, oxygen and most importantly, the Ozone Layer which absorbs the Sun’s Ultraviolet Rays which would be fatal to all
human and animal life if exposedtoit. Next,thereis theHydrospherewhichisthe total water on the Planet which consists of the Oceans, polar ice caps, rivers, lakes, ground water andclouds.
TheOceansform97%of the Planet’s water with only 3% fresh water with 1% pollutedleavingonly2%for human and animal use and this fact underscores the importance of using fresh watereconomically Then there is the Lithosphere which consists of earth such as mountains and plains and the minerals withintheearth.
On the earth is the Biosphere which consists of alllivingthingssuchasplant and animal and human life including other things like corals.AllLifeusesallthree spheres.
These spheres interact with each other and human and other life interacts with
them Environmental Studies and Ecology try to regulatehumanactivityfrom harmingthesesphereswhich could result in permanent harm affecting future generations.
Thus, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has had to regulate the construction of main roads, the Berbice and DemeraraRiverBridgesand the construction of sizable buildings like various international hotels. In rare cases the EPA may have to balance the requirements of Development with those of Ecology One of the main activities of the EPA is the struggle against Climate ChangewheretheEPAhasto limit or eliminate the effusion of Carbon Dioxide intotheAtmosphere.
This activity is multidimensional and involves protectionoftheForests,the elimination of the use of fossil fuels and the
exploration of the
production and use of clean fuelssuchashydropower It is therefore quite clear that the EPA’s work in the nonOilsectorissubstantial.
The EPA’s work in the Oil Sector is far less known butitisimportant.
We first mention the Oil Cats which could seal wells intheeventofaspill. Most producers rent such equipmentwhenitisneeded; Guyanahasdecidedtoinvest severalmillionUSdollarsin acquiringCatstoensurethat in the event of an Oil Spill, immediate action could be taken.
TheEPA,inlicensingthe producer, necessitates the presenceofaCappingStack -asubseamechanicalbarrier designed to effectively shut in and redirect uncontrolled flow. Further, for the Stabroek Block operator ExxonMobilanditspartners have made a $2 billion oil spillguarantee.
Oil leaks could be detected by the use of independent satellite monitoring which would immediately detect any sheen in the ocean. On the Flo
Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels, discharges w h i c h m a y b e o f environmental concern are m o n i t o r e d b y t h e
Monitoring, Recording, and Ve
m (MRVS). This System has the added spinoff of monitoring the quantum of Oil being extracted by ExxonMobil.
Flaring is one of the environmental hazards of Oil production. Flaring is the controlled burning of natural gas which prevents buildups that could lead to explosions. Flaring is a safetymeasurebutitisnotan i
producers are permitted an amount of flaring which is considered environmentally
acceptable but beyond this they have to pay a fine of US$50 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent for flaringontheirFPSO’s.
Although the existing systems effectively monitor off-shore activities, e.g. on theFPSO’s,thereisroomfor strengthening capabilities Vice President and General SecretaryofthePPPBharrat Jagdeo who is the country’s front man in relating to the Oil Industry, recently remarked “We need to continuebuildingcapacityat the EPAand in Government itself, independent capacity, and with government itself todogreatermonitoring”. Accordingly, there is at present fairly adequate environmental protection vis-a-vistheOilIndustrybut the EPAis working towards perfection.
T h e c o n s u m e r community and the general public,therefore,neednotbe alarmed.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Frompage23
depend on how bad the condition is How is multiple sclerosis treated?Currently, treatments are divided into: Disease-modifying treatments
These directly target inflammation inthecentralnervoussystem.They h e l p s l o w i t s deterioration.Treatment of acute relapses; the use of steroids and plasma exchange (PLEX) can speed up your recovery when you have an MS attack.There is no knowncureforMS.Butyoucando
thingstohelpchangethecourseof thedisease,treatflare-ups,manage symptoms, and improve your function and mobility.Treatments for the conditions seen with MS mayinclude:
Medicines (talk with your providertoseewhatmedicinesmay be an option for you)Equipment, suchascanes,braces,orwalkers
Rehabilitationactivities
Rehab varies depending on your symptoms and how bad they are.MSrehabmayhelpyouto:
Get back functions that are important for daily livingBe as independentasyoucan
Involveyourfamily
Make the right decisions relatingtoyourcare
.Mr India anaGuy
Learn about equipment like canes, braces, or walkers that can makeiseasiertomovearound
Speak more easily if you have weaknessoralackofcoordination offaceandtonguemuscles
Manage bowel or bladder incontinence
Relearnthinkingskills
Change the way your home is
set up to keep you safe but allow you to move about as easily as possible What are possible complications of multiple sclerosis?ThecomplicationsofMS rangefrommildtosevere.Theycan rangefromfatiguetotheinabilityto walk.Otherproblemsincludelossof vision, balance, and bowel or bladder control Depression can result from the difficulty of living with a chronic condition Living withmultiplesclerosisIt'simportant to take your medicines as directed Youmaygethelpbytakingpartina clinical trial. Using equipment like canes or walkers can help you get
around as walking becomes harder todo.Rehabactivitiescanalsohelp you keep or get back functioning. Changingthewayyourhomeisset upcanhelpyoustayindependent. Keypointsabout multiplesclerosis MS is unpredictable Some peoplemaybeonlymildlyaffected. Others may lose the ability to see clearly,write,speak,orwalk. Early symptoms can include vision problems, trouble walking, and tingling feelings.MS affects people differently.Medicines and rehabilitation can help to keep or restorefunctioning.
ENHANCING THE FLAVOURS AND QUALITY – GNBS REVISES CURRY POWDER STANDARD
Curry powder holds a special p l a c e i n
Guyanese cuisine, being an essential ingredient in many traditional dishes To enhance the flavour, safety and quality of this beloved spice blend, the Guyana
National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has recently revised the GYS
29:2024 Standard
–‘Specification for Curry Powder’ . The update ensures the standard’s applicabilitytomodernfood
safety and quality expectations.
Thisstandardsetsoutthe requirements for curry powderusedasaflavoringin food preparation, ensuring
that the product is both safe andofhighquality
It details the quality of ingredients permitted, microbiological limits, packaging, labelling, and hygiene requirements, all of which guarantee a safe and wholesome product. Curry powder manufacturers must ensuretheirproductcontains no artificial colorants, no morethan5%salt,andmeets stringent microbiological limits to protect against contamination. With its blend of spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, and ginger, curry powder is used to enhance the flavors of many local dishes. This revision offers c
manufacturers desirous of maintainingtheauthenticity, quality, and safety of the belovedspiceblend.
Thestandardensuresthat thecurrypowderisfreefrom harmful substances such as lead and cadmium, while setting limits on moisture content, ash, and volatile oils, all of which play a role intheproduct’sshelflifeand flavorretention.
The revision highlights the impo
nce of safeguarding food quality in Guyana as it brings the standard in line with current globalpractices.
The GNBS, which has adopted and developed over 600 standards, continuously
works to ensure that industries across various sectors, including the food industry, have access to relevant, modern standards that meet international benchmarks.
By implementing standardslikeGYS29:2024, businesses are better equipp
mpete globally, protect consumers, and maintain consistent qualityinproduction.
The standard’s revision also includes updated
requirements for proper packagingandlabelling.
The labels must clearly statetheproductname,trade nameorbrand,netmass,list of ingredients in descending o r d e r o f m a s s , manufacturer’s details, and “best before” dates. This t
consumersareinformedand protected.
The Bureau plays a crucialroleinenhancingthe quality of products and servicesacrossGuyana.
The development and implementationofstandards ensures that traditional products like curry powder remain consistent in quality and safe for both local consumption and export markets.
For further details on how to access this and other standards, contact the GNBS at (592) 2190064-66 or via WhatsApp at 692-4627. You can also visit our website:
www.gnbsgy.org
Frompage18 discoveries,”Mallontoldthe conference.
Moreover, a 2023 report by Wood Mackenzie, a global research and consultancy group, had shown that rig utilisation returned to pre-COVID levels, driving rates up Wood Mackenzie had reported that by the end of 2023 rates were expected to be at US$500,000/day or above for highly-prized, advantagedultra-deep-water rigs. EMGL is producing a daily average of 645,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) andhasplanstohitatargetof 1.2 million bdp by 2027. Since2015thecompanyhas made over 30 discoveries fromitsdrillingcampaignin the Stabroek Block which is estimatedtohold11.6billion barrelsofrecoverableoil.
Itshouldbenotedthatfor everydaythatthedrillships work, Guyana will have to foot the bill. Owing to the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), Guyana signed with Exxon – all of thecompany’sexpenseswill be recovered Under the deal, Exxon receives profits after75percentiswithdrawn to cover operational expenses.
Wi t h o p t i m i s e d productionatthecurrentrate oil is being pumped at Liza One and Two, the projects areestimatedtobedrainedof oil within the next seven years which is less than the 20yearlifespanstatedinthe projectdocuments.
However,VicePresident BharratJagdeotoldreporters at his last press conference that the lifespan of the projects will be around the original 20 years outlined in t h e d o c u m e n t s a s ExxonMobil continues to find more oil in areas it is currentlyworking.
Asked directly: “At the current rate of production, looking at Exxon’s optimization Liza 1 & 2 could possibly be drained within the next seven years which would shorten the previously given 20-year lifespan of the project outlines in the documents, where does that leave Guyana?”
He said that from the information relayed to him, “As they (Exxon) drill they learnmoreastheyextractthe resources. Do you think that
the estimate of what’s in a wellisthefinalfigure?They keepdrillingtheyarefinding more in these areas so we believe that the life of these projects will be around the originaltimeframeandsome may even be extended further out That’s our position as of today and definitely they don’t believe that it’s going to be drained insevenyears.”
On September 8th the Kaieteur News reported that basedoninformationshared with the publication by the Ministry of Natural Resources the 20-year project life of the Liza One and Liza Two projects had been significantly reduced with almost half of the reservesatthefieldsalready depleted This newspaper had requested data on the amount of oil produced to date from the projects currently in operation Commencing production in Decemberof2019LizaOne has already produced close to 200 million barrels of oil (MBO). The project’s Field Development Plan indicated thatthereisareserveof452 MBO What has already been extracted represents 44% of the project’s reserves.
Going over to Liza Two the ministry reported that almost 200 MBO would have been produced by ExxonMobil since the project commenced production in February of 2022.Thatfield,accordingto the FDP holds about 570 MBO.Consequently,35%of the reserves have already been produced by the company It could also be deduced that about 40% of thecollectivereservesatthe two projects have been depleted.
Meanwhile, at the current rate of production, ExxonMobil could drain the remaining resources in just over seven years. Liza One, according to the Ministry of NaturalResourceswebsiteis producing about 150,000 barrels per day while the LizaTwoprojectisoperating at a daily rate of approximately 250,000 barrelsperday
It should be noted that Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat previously admitted that oil from the three projects currently in operation could bedepletedaheadofthe20year lifespan due to the optimization of production. The minister during a news conference assured that the ramped-up oil production is being done safely by the
operator of the Stabroek Block He was however asked by this newspaper to explainhowtheoptimisation works could affect the 20year estimated project life f o r e a c h o f t h e developments. To this he said,“Yesitcanfinishbefore the20yearsoritcanevengo beyond because as a reservoir matures, you can getmoreoutofitandthenas we have more discoveries, wecanaddthosewellstothe existingdevelopmenttoo.”
Creating new PSA and notfixingExxon’slopsided contract, takes Guyana nowhere –GlennLall
KaieteurNewsPublisher andbusinessman,GlennLall said that the government creating a new Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with better provisions withoutaddressingtheflaws in the existing 2026 Exxon PSAstillleavesGuyanawith theshortendofthestick. Lall’s comment follows reports that while Guyana earned $336 billion from oil sales last year, it had to pay around $306 billion in taxes on behalf of Exxon and its partners,HessandCNOOC, due to the terms of the deal signedwiththeU.S.oilgiant
by the David Granger-led CoalitionGovernment.
During his radio programme on Monday night, Lall said, “You find words to describe that insanity because I can’t Let’spauseonthatasecond, collect $336 billion and almost all of that had to pay the taxes for Exxon and partners, what are we runninghereman.”
At his last press conference, Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo, the country’s chief oil and gas policymaker,wasaskedifhe could change anything in Exxon’s PSA without affecting the investment climate or contract sanctity,
would impose taxes on Exxonanditspartners,Hess and CNOOC. In response, Jagdeo acknowledged that while in opposition, the People’s Progressive
Party/Civic (PPP/C) identified several flaws in the deal. He explained that the 2016 agreement waives all taxes for the oil companies, requiring the government to pay Exxon and its partners’ taxes from Guyana’sshareofoilprofits. He also highlighted that the deal grants Guyana only a 2% royalty on its resources andallowsthecompaniesto recover 75% of their investments before splitting the remaining 25%, with Guyana receiving just 12.5%.
Furthermore, the contract also lacks a ringfencing provision This means Guyana is covering the costs of projects that have not yet started production Each month, future development expenses are added to Exxon’s cost-recovery list. Thisdealhasfacedcriticism b o t h l o c a l l y a n d internationally
Further, the Vice Presidentwentontodiscuss the fiscal terms in the new P S A , b o a s t i n g o f
improvementssuchasa10% royalty, a 10% tax, and a 65% cost recovery limit. However, Lall criticised Jagdeo’s response, noting that instead of directly answering the question about if he would charge taxes to Exxon and its partners, Jagdeo deflected by highlighting the flaws in the original contract a tactic Lall described as his usual strategy “That’s a simple question, that only requiredayesorano…” Lall highlighted that the IrfaanAli-ledadministration created a new PSA indeed withbetterprovisionsbutthe new PSA does not apply to the Stabroek Block which is
operated by Exxon. In fact, he said the government has left the Exxon contract untouched “He changed course there, —telling the reporteraboutthenewPSA, meaningthenewcontractfor the small oil blocks… He made sure to tell us, how he fixedalltheclausesforthose oilblocks,butwhenitcomes totheStabroekBlock,which holds almost 90% of all the oil—the one to make us all rich—he isn’t touching that upside-down deal,” the businessmanstated.
Itwasreportedthatwhile inopposition,thePPP/Chad pledgedtorenegotiatetheoil deal. However, the party since assuming office in August 2020, consistently denied ever making such a promise regarding the renegotiation of the Exxon contract.“No,he(Jagdeo)is not touching or changing anything in that huge Stabroek Block to upset Exxon,thishasbeenhistrick from day one, since he took controloftheoilsector,”Lall argued.
Lall continued, “every time he opens his mouth to talk about oil, he boasts about his 10% royalty, 10% tax, 65% cost recovery and full compensation from an oilspill–butallofthatonly applytothenewoilblocks… He addressed all the wrongs in the PNC contract with Exxon, for the new oil contracthecameupwithfor thenewoilblocks,andmade itclearheisnottouchingthe Stabroek Block agreement withExxon.”
Moreover, Lall stressed thatGuyanaissittingonone oftherichestoilfieldsinthe world, yet instead of receiving“afairpieceofthe pie”, most of its people are struggling to make ends meet.Henotedthatsinceoil production began five years ago,fromDecember2019to the present, the country has been collecting only a small amountoftheearningsfrom its resources – as a result of the2016oildeal–andfrom that the country has to pay taxes on behalf of the oil companies. What is even moretroubling,accordingto Lall,isthattheauthoritiesin charge continue to approve more oil projects without making any changes to addressthis“taxsickness.”
Former Minister of Finance,WinstonJordanhas raised questions regarding
the legality of using oil money to fund the pipeline being constructed by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited(EMGL).
The pipeline is a component of the highly toutedGas-to-Energy(GTE) project, intended to reduce the cost of electricity by some 50% according to government.Duringarecent interview on Nation Watch streamed by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR),theformerMember of Parliament (MP) said the pipeline could not be financed by future oil revenues He explained, “…(in) the 2021 (Natural ResourceFund)Act,thereis a Clause there that says the resource in the Natural Resource Fund could not be encumbered and you could not borrow against future earnings.”
NRFActstatesatSection 25 (1-3), “The financial assets of the Fund shall not be encumbered by any person or entity The future petroleumrevenuesshallnot be encumbered by any person or entity The Government shall not- (a) borrow or lend money from theFund…”
Jordan however noted that in the absence of the agreement between the Government of Guyana (GoG) and Exxon, information related by politicians indicate that the pipeline will be funded through oil revenue “It seems implicitly that the government has agreed with Exxon that they can take as part repayment from our share, our future share, monies,torepayfortheloan that they gave to the pipeline,” the former MP stated.
He explained that since Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo revealed that Exxon wouldnothaveadvancedthe moneyfortheprojecthadthe company not seen it as a profitable venture, it could only be deduced that the pipeline is being funded through a loan. As such, Jordanarguedthatbylaw,no borrowingshouldtakeplace against revenues to be earned.
He said he was in discussion with a few Attorneys on the matter since information has not been forthcoming from the government on the matter “I’m asking some legal people because I know they are going to be difficult to give me an answer because wehavenotseenthe (Continuedonpage37)
Kaieteur News Publisher and businessman, Glenn Lall
Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo
Frompage36 agreement in relation the pipeline–tothefinancingof thepipeline. We have not seen that agreement and I don’t know if our MPs, when they go back, if they can make one more attempt to be asking and to imply whatever legal arrangements we have in place to get that agreement because to me, something is amiss,”Jordanrelated.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday blamed the management of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) as well as the old transmission lines for the daily blackouts citizens are currentlyfacing.
He was at the time speakingathisweeklypress conference at Freedom House. “So, they are telling me that when they move some of these lines, it is causing instability in the system or they have to take offthepowertomoveabitof the line. So, some of that is happening, some of it is the old system and frankly
speaking, we are not happy with the management too, look at what’s going on. So, it’s a combination of factors and it bothers me a lot personallytooandweareon i t e v e r y d a y a s policymakers,”Jagdeosaid.
TheVPexplained the he reached out to the management of GPL on Wednesday and they said that, “oh the system tripped in Berbice. Then they said somepilingworkhascaused the blackout. So I am as concerned as any citizens because we are trying to get more power into the system butthereisalotofupgradeto the transmission and
distribution system we have.”
Jagdeolamentedthatthe currentstateofthegridisnot stable and the more power that is put into the system it willcausefurtherinstability, hence the reason the government has gone out to tender to have upgrades done.
“ We h a v e j u s t prequalifiedIthinkabout20 companiestodoasignificant upgrade before the Gas to Energy project comes on stream That means redundancy,circuits…ifyou haveasinglelineanditgoes off, everyone down the line gets affected. If you have redundancy in circuits then you can continue to supply people. The demand now had skyrocketed with the hotels we have nine hotels being built already some coming on stream,” Jagdeo said.
Noting that a regular hotel may use about two megawattsofpower,looking at “all the new housing schemes and houses being built, air conditioning and massive investments right across Guyana, the demand hasskyrocketedandevenfor people who have higher income now, many of them are putting in AC’s etc. in their homes, so we are in a mad rush to keep pace until that big project comes on streamnextyearthatwillput 300 megawatts into the system.”
Furthermore, Jagdeo said government is focused on “a modernisation programme that’s taking place but we are limping along because we keep putting more power into the systemanditgetsusedupall the time and we are running the same power on the old t r a n s m i s s i o n a n d distribution system. So you have more transformers goingoutetc,”headded. Chief Executive Officer of GPL Kesh Nandlall told this publication on Wednesday that while there are constant efforts to stabilise the grid, “It is a moving target, we have maintenance work to do so we are preparing ourselves forallofthat.Wearemaking preparations to be as stable aswecan.”
He explained that the additional 60 MW of power thegovernmentisseekingis to “prepare us from now to the new Gas to Energy availability and we have certain engines that are under overhaul and they are coming up live as we move along,andtheyaregonnabe
addedtothesystem. (The engines) are under maintenance right now but wewanttoprepareourselves from now to then which includes the Christmas holiday and every other thing.”
On September 4th 2024 the GPL published an advertisement on its Facebook page inviting qualified bidders to submit proposalsforthe“Supplyof 6 0 M W N e t P o w e r Generation Baseload
Capacity to the DBIS through Power Purchase Agreement” On Tuesday the bids were opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration
Board (NPTAB) and Karpowership who already hasanongoingcontractwith Guyana submitted their bid along with four other bidders.
VASEnergysubmitteda bid to supply a total of 66MW of power for USD $61500 000, Andalusian EnergyLLCsubmittedabid to supply 60MW of power for USD $47, 650 000, JP Energy Solutions submitted theirbidtosupply60MWof powerforUSD$37740480, Machinery Corporation of Guyana (MACORP) submittedtheirbidtosupply power at $0.0645 USD per kilowatt hour and Karpower
DMCC Urbacon Trading
g Inc submittedtheirbidtosupply 60MW of power for USD $ 116388864.
Back in May 10th, 2024 thispublicationhadreported Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo saying that the Government of Guyana (GoG) was still looking for an additional 30 MW of power to add to the grid. He made the disclosure that the government is still actively seeking additional power, similar to the arrangement that was signed with the Turkish company for two years, until the Wales West Bank Demerara Gas-toEnergy(GTE)projectcomes onstream.
New GPC Inc, which was purchased from the Government of Guyana (GoG)bylocalbusinessman Dr Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop’s Queens Atlantic Investment Inc (QAII), was last month awarded 40
contracts totaling over $7 billion for the supply and deliveryofpharmaceuticals.
The procuring entity is the Ministry of Health (MOH), and the contracts were awarded by the National Procurement and Tendering Administration Board(NPTAB)Office.
A c c o r d i n g t o information from NPTAB’s website the total for the 40 contracts is $7,018,528,39. The highest bid was a substantial $657,842,387, while the lowest bid recordedaround$2million.
New GPC won the contracts to supply the ministry with drugs like bupivacaine and lidocaine foranaesthesia,paracetamol andibuprofenforpainrelief, andallopurinolforgout.
The list also includes medicati
ns such as a m o x i c i l l i n a n d ciprofloxacinfor infections,metforminfor diabetes management, and a t o r v a s t a t i n f o r cardiovascular health. GPC also has to supply muscle r e l a x a n t s l i k e anticonvulsants and carbamazepine; and various
allergy medications like diphenhydramine and hydrocortisone.
Specifically,atotalof22 bids exceeded $100 million. The bids included amounts such as $416,811,546, $ 2
,
Heallegedtheawardsto the new GPC are deeply rooted in corruption at NPTAB.
Mahipauladded,“Thisis o r g a n i z e d c r i m e m a s q u e r a d i n g a s governance. The rot runs deep, with members of the evaluation committee and NPTAB allegedly getting their cut… This scandal is just a glimpse into the vast webofcorruptionstrangling development in Guyana and involving the NPTAB and RegionalBoards.”
To this end, Mahipaul called for an immediate forensic investigation into thedealingsofNPTAB.
$351,868,980.
T h e G u y a n a Pharmaceutical Corporation (GPC)wasprivatizedbythe Government in 1999 and renamedNewGPC.
On Friday, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)calledforaforensic audit of NPTAB in light of the contracts being awarded tothenewGPC.
“This is a brazen act of favoritism and corruption. The PNCR/APNU has verified that New GPC Inc. was not the lowest, most responsive bidder in all 40 lots,”OppositionMemberof Parliament (MP) Ganesh Mahipaul said at the party’s pressconference.
O p p o s i t i o n M P Mahipaul proposed a series of measures to combat corruption, including the establishment of an independent international investigative commission to conduct a forensic audit of NPTAB and related entities, free from government influence He called for oversight from international anti-corruptionagencieslike Transparency International andtheUnitedNations(UN) to ensure the investigation’s integrity
Additionally, Mahipaul advocated for immediate reformstoprocurementlaws to enhance transparency in the bidding process, require publicdisclosureofcontract awards, and mandate audits for significant public tenders.
Healsostressedtheneed forarobustlegalframework to protect whistleblowers from retaliation and insisted that the results of any investigation be made public, with individuals found guilty of corrupt practices prosecuted to the fullestextentofthelaw,
(Continuedonpage38)
Kesh Nandlall Chief Executive Officer GPL.
Owner of new GPC, local businessman Dr Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’Ramroop
Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Ganesh Mahipaul
Limited (EMGL) is searching for Guyanese contractors to provide
Residen
al Fac
y ManagementServices.
The operator of the StabroekBlockinaRequest For Information (RFI)
published on Thursday explained that the company r e q u
y management services for its leased residential portfolio of approximately 180 units comprising apartments, townhouses and houses, within 13 locations across Georgetown, lower East Coast Demerara and East B
Additionally,thecompanyis
contractors to provide
services for an onshore location which houses the Fiber Optic Cable and A
According to scope of work, local contractors will be tasked with providing a 24 hour on-call emergency response system for the provision of corrective
services. The list of duties also includes Air Condition (AC) maintenance; testing and servicing of standby
protection equipment such asfirealarmsystems,smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors and any related systems identified;landscapingofall exterior and cleaning and
landscaped exterior areas
such as patios/courtyards and parking lots. Service includes gardening, cutting grass,fertilizing,cuttingand trimmingoftreesandplants, power washing, cleaning and general maintenance of outdoor a
s The contractor will also be expected to carry out basic pest control work for periodic fumigation against mosquitoes, cockroaches, ants, rodents, flea, ticks and others,Exxonsaid.
Additionally, Exxon noted, “EMGL may require Contractortopayutilitiesfor residential units Such services include, but are not necessarily limited to: electricity, water, cable TV, internet, replacement of LPG gas cylinders for
cooking and refueling of generators.Utilitypayments willbeonpreapprovedbasis andwillbereimbursed.”
During the bid process, all prospective EMGL contractors are required to demonstrate awareness of theLocalContentAct(2021) and its potential application to their work under the scope.
The Local Content Law was introduced to allow Guyanese to participate in the oil and gas sector and benefit from employment opportunities created to supportthethrivingindustry
Under the Act, 40 categories of work are ring-
participation via the supply ofgoodsandtheprovisionof
serviceswhichinclude:food supply,rentalofofficespace, accommodation, insurance, accounting and legal services.
Shenseea Earns First Silver Certification in the UK For ‘Shenyeng Anthem’
Dancehall MagDancehallstarShenseeahas received her first Silver certification in the United Kingdom for her 2018 hit single,ShenyengAnthem.
On Friday, September 20,theBritishPhonographic Industry (BPI) awarded the Brit Certified Silver Award after the song surpassed 200,000unitssoldintheUK, according to The Official ChartsCompany
Produced by Chimney Records on the Rice Grain riddim, ShenyengAnthem celebrates confidence, boldness, and a carefree
a t t i t u d e w h i l e emphasizing Shenseea’s stance against disrespect anddrama
The riddim also featured tracks like Alkaline’s Pick Unuh Side, Jahmiel’s Level Up, Teejay’s Home, Govana’s HotTopic, and Ding Dong
and Konshens’ Dream Weekend
In a 2021 interview
with Taste Radio, Shenseea reflected on her
c o n f i d e n c e w h i l e recordingthetrack
“I love producing music, I won’t put it out if I’m not comfortable with it, but most of my hits, I
see them coming. ShenYengAnthem,Iknew that was gonna hit,” she said “It’s a good amount of them that I just said yo, this song is gonna hit, Good Comfort, Trending Gyal ”
The song has since become a defining track
f o r S h e n s e e a , r e p r e s e n t i n g h e r ‘Shenyeng’identity Her stablemate, Ding Dong, is credited with coining the phrase, which is also used to describe
herfanbase
“When I just came out and I went with Shenseea, he just came out with Yeng Yeng, the dance with the bikes So, he was like ‘ShenYeng’ and I
said, ‘Why are you merging my name with your song?’… He was like,‘Youshouldawentwith the name ShenYeng, you talking bout Shenseea Shenseeaain’tit,youneedto go with ShenYeng’. I said that, you know, it is a pretty cool name,” she previously explained.
In 2020, Shenseea embraced the identity further, declaring May 20 as ‘Shenyeng Day’ to celebrate the song’s release and her loyal fanbaseannually
The name has also evolved into an alter ego, with Shenseea explaining to KISS Fresh: “When
Chronixx Earns First Gold Certification in the US for ‘Eternal Light’ With Free Nationals
DancehallMag—-ReggaestarChronixx has achieved a significant career milestone asEternalLight,hiscollaborationwithR&B bandFreeNationals,hasbeencertifiedGold intheUnitedStatesnearlyfiveyearsafterits release.
ThismarkstheJamaicansinger’sfirst Gold certification in the American market The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
awarded the certification on Wednesday, September 18, after the song reached the equivalent of 500,000 units sold in the US through a combinationofsalesandstreaming. Free Nationals, known for their work as Anderson Paak’s backing band, consists of José Ríos (lead guitar), Ron “T.Nava” Avant (keyboards, lead vocals), Kelsey Gonzalez (bass guitar), and Callum Connor(drums).
When the song was first released in October 2019, Connor had praised Chronixx’scontribution
“It was a pleasure to work with Chronixxon‘EternalLight’,”hesaid “Themelodyideashecomesupwith areunlikeanyoneelse
They are totally different from the usualR&Bpopwritersweworkwith ” In Eternal Light, Chronixx delivers soulful vocals that perfectly complement the Free Nationals’ instrumentation
His lyrics speak of positivity, love, and good vibrations, with lines like “No bad vibes can’t stop this good vibration, yeah / That’s the positive vibes we keep creating,yeah.”
you see me deejaying and rapping, doing my f r e e s t y l e s , t h a t ’s ShenYeng to me When you hear Good Comfort, that’sShenseea.
W h e n y o u h e a r ShenYeng Anthem, that’s ShenYeng.
When you hear Love I GotForYou,Shenseea.”
Shenyeng Anthem has amassed over 60 million playsonSpotify
D e s p i t e i t s commercial success, the song was not without controversy
The music video, which currently has 13 m i l l i o n v i e w s o n Y o u T u b e , d r e w accusations of cultural appropriation upon its release
As reported by the Star in 2018, “Despite being of Korean descent, viewers pointed out that Shenseea was in no position to represent Asian people as she does not identify with that culture ”
Co-written by Chronixx and Avant, Eternal Light was the fourth single from the band’s self-titled debut album It joins two other Gold-certified singles from the same project: Time (featuring Mac Miller and Kali Uchis) and Beauty and Essex (featuring Daniel Caesar and Unknown Mortal Orchestra).
The album was nominated for Best Progressive R&BAlbum in 2021 Chronixx’s other popular songs include Who Knows with Protoje, which is certified Silver in the UK, Here Comes Trouble, Skankin Sweet, Likes, andThey Don’t Know.
The report further elaborated on the criticism: “Some viewers said that everything from the accent, to the style of dress, to make-up used in thevideowasadisrespect to the Asian culture Others suggested that Shenseea needs to be educated a little bit more on the different Asian societies because she dressed like a Chinese but
spoke Japanese in the video’sintro.”
In addition to her UK Silver certification, Shenseea also has a Gold certification (500,000 units) in the US for Pure Souls, a collaboration with rapper Kanye West, and a Gold certification in Canada for Blessed (40,000 units), her collaboration with rapper Tyga
Dancehall star Shenseea
Chapter Nine: Bar-Bar Wrenches
For a ROB, searching throughthemindofahuman whoisuntrainedintheartof memory evasion is like lookingforalargebookina small library Most human memories are not protected by firewalls, secret compartments, or clever diversions. It's more like the memories are labeled with bright neon titles and shake with anticipation at being read.Inotherwords,theyare lookingtobefound.Eventhe most embarrassing memories are jumping off the shelf, hoping to get attentionandcauseshame.
A Byzong rebel, however, who has been trained by The Pocket Watches to disguise their memories, training for moments just such as this, has the ability to direct a ROB to memories of their choosing.Thisiswhy,when Dusty and Plod entered the mind of Tarza on orders to find a memory of her discussing the defense plans of Earth, they instead saw Tarza at the age of twentythree,eightyearsearlierthan the day Jackson met her, talking to freshly built, rudimentary versions of themselves.
Her ears were not fully grown, and barely reached above the top of her head. She wore standard issue workers overalls that were covered in dark grease, which, thanks to the ship's previous flavorologist, tastedlikejuniperberries.
“This should fix it,” said YoungTarzatoDusty
SheusedashinyBar-Bar Wrench to finish screwing the disco ball antenna onto the top of Dusty's head. She patted him with a smile, probably due to the knowledge that a screw secured with a Bar-Bar Wrench is guaranteed to last at least two eons before needingre-fastened.
“Go ahead. Try it out.” Plod blinked as she watched Dustyspinaroundtwicewith glee.
“Look at that!” Tarza said.“You'llbeturningheads alloverthegalaxy!”
Dusty let out a delighted beep and wheeled around Plod happily, his ball still spinning.
A slightly older Tarza was working under a large machine,insidethehangarof aByzongWarship,withPlod and Dusty by her side. Her overalls were even dirtier thanbefore.
“Hand me the musher, please,”sheaskedPlod.
“We're almost done here,” she said as Plod dropped it into her hand
“Prettysoonwe'llbebackon Earth and you'll be sipping on oil while we lay on a beach!”
Dusty and Plod began to beep happily, until the loud approaching footsteps of a Byzong Captain and his underlingsstoppedeveryone inthetracks.
“Exquisite mushing,” said the Captain sternly “Nowhowmuchlongeruntil the hydroxy chamber is functioning?”
Tarza dusted off her overalls and stood at attention.
“ I m p r e s s i v e l y intimidating voice,” complimented Tarza “The chamberwillbereadyinjust two days ” “Not good enough,” said the Captain. His underlings looked at each other and nodded in agreement “Oh no, not nearly good enough,” said one.
“Tsk, that will not do at all,”saidanother Tarza rubbed her arm shyly
“Well,IsupposeifIwork throughthenightthen…”
“See that you do!” said the Captain, stomping away loudly, followed by his less loudunderlings.
He paused at the door “And by the way, we'll need you to stay on for another t h r e e m o n t h s f o r maintenance,ofcourse.”
“ O h y e s , v e r y necessary, ” said an underling.
“At least three months. Atleast!”saidanother Tarza slumped her shoulders, disheartened.Dustywheeled over to her, holding out a dark drink with fog swirling overthetop.
She took it and gave a weak but truesmile.“Thank youDusty Idon'tknowwhat I'd do without you two I promise, we'll get to Earth againsomedaysoon.”
She sipped the drink and lookedoutintotheopenbay of the hangar, then back at the chamber she was building.
“Ijustwishthey'dtellme whatthisthingwasfor…”
The scene turned white again and a new memory formed.
Tarzastoodatthefootof the Captain's desk, his underlingsoneitherside.
“Youwantedtobeonour most advanced project. This wasit,”hereplied.
“Veryadvancedindeed,” saidanunderling.
“But,Ididn'tknowitwas going to steal their water!” shepleaded.“Ifitmakesyou feelanybetter,nobodyknew
Each part of the MacroElectro-Bionic-HydroxyGravitational Tube Ray was keptsecretfromtheothers.”
“Of course that doesn't make me feel better! It makes me feel tricked!” she replied.
“Yes, yes, very much tricked, ” agreed an underling.
The Captain shot them a glareandtheyquieteddown.
Tarza leaned onto the desk with both hands. “We hadnoright!Norightatallto steal Forgalia's water!” The Captanraisedaneyebrow
“Areyousuggestingthat Byzongs do not deserve to have salt water? You know weneeditfor—“
“That's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying that we shouldn't go around stealingit,”shestated.
“Well you should have thought of that before you helped us build a Third Generation Macro-ElectroB i o n i c - H y d r o x yGravitational Tube Ray,” he repliedwithasmile.
“Thirdgeneration?What happened to the first two?” sheasked.
HadtheCaptainbeenina talkative mood, he might haveexplainedtoherthatthe First Generation MacroElectro-Bionic-HydroxyGravitational Tube Ray was only successful in retrieving the salt from the oceans of a rival planet While frustrating, this did prove lucrative for the Byzongs whentheysoldthesaltonthe Dark Matter Market for a profit, helping to fund the construction of the Second Generation Macro-ElectroB i o n i c - H y d r o x yGravitational Tube Ray. However those funds dried up when the previous flavorologist, feeling slighted for not being asked to pick the flavor of the salt, decidedtosecretlymakethe remaining ten galactic tons of it the flavor of sea slug slime.
Sales dwindled to almost-but-not-completely zero (the Larslurpians still have an affinity for the taste of sea slug slime flavored salt) and the production of the Second Generation Macro-Electro-BionicHydroxy-GravitationalTube Raysufferedforit. On its first and only test, it did not remove the salt water from a planet, but ratherchangedthemolecular structureofallmatteronthe planet, making it entirely made of water But that is a story for another time. All youneedtoknowfornowis that after the first successful use of the Third Generation Macro-Electro-BionicHydroxy-GravitationalTube (Continuedonpage42)
HowtoMakea TableFootballGame
Jen Harper
Youwillneed:
*Wooden sticks/rods (packof12)
*GreenFoamsheet
*Whitechalkpen
*Paint(White,red,blue)
*Airdryingclay
*Acardboard/shoebox
*10woodenpegs
*Acraftknife
*Aruler
*Paintbrushes
Step 1 Using a craft knife, remove the top of the box and cut equal-sized rectangular goals into each end.
your box. Using a ruler and chalkpen,drawthemarkings you would find on a football pitch.
Step 3 Use paints to transform your pegs into players! Paint five red and theotherfiveblue.
Step 4 Evenly mark six holes along each side of the box.The dowels and clothes peg players will go through theseholessomakesurethey are level and at the right height. Use a craft knife to poke through these holes and insertyourdowels. The dowels should be
Ask an adult to do this stepforyou!Ifneeded,paint your box white inside and out.
Step2Cutthefoamsheet to the size of the inside of
able to slide freely without resistance.
Tip: Ensureyourclothes peg players can kick about
freely without touching the bottomofthebox,butnotso high up that they're floating abovetheball!
Step 5 Peg the players onto the dowels in your chosen formation and get readytokickoff!
Step6Whynotaddsome nets to your goals using packaging from oranges? Roll a ball using superlight clayandyou'rereadytoplay!
Make every new day an opportunity to improve yourself further
Beagreatteammate
Whether you are interacting with others at home, at school or at a workplace, you should always see that it is important for you to realise and act as part of a team. Make sure you do your part of the work at home, which includes keeping the place clean and in good order, along with all the other things that are needed. In your class, you should cooperatewithyourteacher and classmates so that everyone gets the most out of the time spent there. If youareworking,itwouldbe much appreciated by your employer as well as your
fellowemployeesifyoucan see yourself as part of the wholegroup,andworkwith all others to get the goods and services you deal with deliveredefficiently Dotherightthinganddo notletothersstrayyoufrom yourlong-termgoals.
Once you have identified what you want from your life on the long term, do not let others dissuade you from the path that would lead you to achievingthis. Itisgranted thatyouwillhavetodevote some of your time to entertainment and other socialising with friends, but you will need to make sure that these do not hamper
As a citizen of our beloved country, each of us should try to improve ourselves so as to be able to make the greatest contribution to its progress.
your progress in the really seriousthingsthatyouneed to move towards a fruitful life later.Identify the things you are good at and plan yourlifearoundthese.
Each of us has our specialqualitiesandtalents, andwewillgetthemostout ofourlivesifweemphasise and develop these, so that they will work to achieve ourgoals. Infact,onceyou haveidentifiedthesetalents, youshouldtrytoframeyour goalstomakethebestuseof them. Thiswouldgivethem the best chance of success, and you will feel more fulfilled in making full use ofgiftswithwhichyouhave beenendowed. Speak less and listen more.
Peoplehaveanatural habit of wanting others to listen to and accept their own views, and so they listen less to what others have to say In fact, many
PLANTS I SPY
times people are so anxious to get their own perspective across to others that they hardly ever listen. This of courselessenstheirchances of learning from others, which can serve to keep t h e m f r o m m u c h information and opinion that would have enriched their own fund of knowledge.
When you form a habit of really listening to others,youwillbesurprised at how much you can learn, by which you can help yourself as well as see the opportunity to help others. In this effort, it is true that there are times when you can help people with some problemsimplybylistening to them. This happens because people can find their own solutions just becausetheyknowthatthey have someone who is willing to listen to and understandthem.
Livetogetherinloveandharmony, Sothatwewillhaveapeacefulsociety; ThinkaboutwhatGodwantsyoutodo, Respectyourcountryanditspeople,too to
Uncle Roy is again appealing to our readers to make a contributiontothiscolumnbyeithergivingafeedback on what is published, asking for some help with some personal problem, offering some advice to fellow teenagers, or sharing the news of what is happening in his/her community Please send your contribution to roypaul2002@yahoo.com
Solutions to last week’s
Set your lipstick with powder through a tissue
Tired of your
lipstick smearing, smudging, or fading throughout the day? Setitwithtranslucentpowder — but don't put it directly on yourlips.
Instead, blot through a tissuesojusttherightamount ofpowderaccessesyourpout. Andfollowtherestofthis easy lipstick how-to so your color will stay gorgeous as longaspossible.
Chapter Nine: Bar-Bar Wrenches
Frompage40 Ray,theCaptainoftheByzong warship was in no mood to arguewithTarza.
“You should be thanking me. You will probably get a commendation for your work onit,”hesaid.“Becauseofyou we will finally be able to go after our larger target After some more tweaking and tests of course.”“No!” she shouted. “No?” he said, genuinely surprised “No?” questioned theunderlingsinunison.
“You're stealing planets' waterandIwon'tbeapartofit anymore,” she said, stomping her foot. The sound resonated throughout the room, but not enough to make the Captain wince.“Byzong's need it more. We deserve it more And to suggestotherwiseisthetalkof a traitor,” said the Captain cooly “But if you must leave, so be it.”Tarza stood back up and adjusted herself.
“However, seeing as how you wish to go, your ROBs will of c o u r s e h a v e t o b e decommissioned Such a shame. You seemed to really have a bond with them,” said the Captain “Dusty? Plod? But…whatdotheyhavetodo withthis?”shecried.
“Theyareprivytosensitive information And seeing as howyouwillnolongerbeapart of our crew, they are not to be trusted.Whoknowswhatkinds of treasonous data they have stored ”He turned to the underling with the tallest ears.
“Go and tell the ship's smith that we will have some metal
“Whatif…whatifIstayed on? Will you spare them if I keepworking?”sheasked.
The Captain thought for a moment. “Well… they'll have to be removed from your care.
Seeing as how you're now on Quadruple Probation for almost abandoning ship. But I supposedifyouweretoresume your duties, and maintain our ray for us, then we could find another use for them. But one slipup…”
“Understood,” said Tarza, withherheaddown.
“Good. Now show her out beforetherestofmyeveningis spoiled.The underling with the tall ears proceeded to escort Tarza out the door of the Captain'squarters.
She could barely believe what had just happened. She washurtandconfused.
But before the door shut behind her, the underling reached out and placed somethingintoherhand.
“You seem upset Tarza,” shewhisperedwithaconfident tonethatTarzahadnotnoticed in her voice before. “Perhaps it's time for a change ” The underlingslippedbackintothe Captain'squartersandthedoor shut behind her.Tarza opened herhandtofindabrasspocket watch Suddenly, Tarza was backintheWarship,facingthe crazedsmileofInquisitorSlah.
“Well?! What did you find?”sheaskedtheROBs.
Thefinishedpuzzlewillcontaina loop made of horizontal/vertical line segments that connects all the white andblackcircles.Thelinegoingthru a white circle must be straight.
However, there must be at least one corner made on the dot immediate precedingorimmediately following the white circle (or on bothdots).Thelinegoingthruablack
circle must turn acorner on the black circle. Both of the lines emanating from this corner need to go straight through the next dot before making anymoreturns.
READY FOR OCTOBER 4 Guyana Fashion Showcase
IncelebrationoftheCPLCricketCarnival 2024,theGuyanaFashionShowcase(GFS)is set to dazzle with a vibrant display of local fashion talent on October 4, 2024. The Guyana Fashion Showcase promises to be a spectacularevent,combininglocaltalentwith internationalflairinacelebrationofstyleand culture.
The event will take place at the National Gallery of Art, Castellani House in Georgetown.
The theme for this year’s showcase, “StylewithBeautyintheRainforest,”reflects Guyana’s lush and colorful natural beauty The official announcement of the event was madeatapressconferenceheldonAugust2, 2024, at Colabs Guyana Inc.The conference was hosted by Philbert Giddings, CEO and Founder of GFS; Michelle Cole Wagner, international designer and head of COLEFACTS; and Sharminah Leah, internationalactressandmodel.
Speaking with Kaieteur News about the upcomingevent,Giddingssharedhisjourney in the fashion world. Giddings, who has a background in construction and promotion, hasbeenactiveintheindustryfordecadesand hasbuiltrelationshipswithtopdesignerssuch asFrancisHenry
He explained: “I came back to Guyana from New York in 2017 after seeing the carnival and the potential for fashion here. I decidedtoinvestinrebuildingandpromoting fashioninGuyana.”
Designer, Michelle Cole Wagner shared that the selection of the models have been
finalised. She explained that at the first model casting for the showcase, held on August2,sawover50localparticipants,and the final selection process concluding on September 7. Out of this group, 38 local models were chosen, alongside additional international models Cole Wagner emphasized the diversity in this year’s selection, stating, “We aim to present real models of various sizes, moving beyond the traditionalsize2.Thisyear,weareincluding modelsuptosize16toreflectabroaderrange ofbeauty.”
ColeWagneremphasizedthesignificance of this year’s event, saying, “With this being thefinalyearforCPLcricket,it’stheperfect moment to showcase Guyanese fashion. I hope this event will garner support from the localcommunity.Wehavepreparedaspecial stageforyouall.”
Giddings concluded with high expectations for the event, stating, “We are looking forward to a night filled with total ambienceandcouturefashion.”
SharminahLeah,whojoinedtheteamfor this event, expressed her excitement about participating.
Sheasserted“MydadisGuyanese,soI’ve always wanted to visit. This show is a wonderful opportunity for me to come to Guyana for the first time.” Leah, who has modeledforrenownedbrandslikeChaneland L’Oréal, is eager to contribute to the showcase.MissGuyanaCultureQueen2024, ShequanaHolder,isalsosettobeaprominent faceattheGFS.
Guyana Fashion Showcase top models, Sharminah Leah and Miss Guyana Culture Queen 2024, Shequana Holder
Unique Arts Entertainment is preserving cultural consciousness in the Caribbean and beyond
UniqueArtsEntertainment(UAE) a Guyanese cultural group that encompasses the different types ofartforms,withpredominanceintheartof dancethathasbeentravellingthroughoutthe Regionandinternationallywiththeintention of reviving and preserving cultural experienceswherevertheygo.
This week, the Director of UAE, Kelton Jennings told The Waterfalls the group’s mostrecentactivitywastohostadelegation of cultural performers from Suriname who are here in Guyana to take part in a cultural exchangeprogrammeduringtheAmerindian Hertiagemonth.
“Wehave55personsfromSurinamewho are in Guyana to share our experiences and for us to learn from them as well. The delegation consists of persons from the indigenous, Japanese and India, The Surinamese Participants are from groups SchoolVoorJongTalentSuriname,Satrangi, Sekarin Renonce, Paremuru and Uma Dron.,”Jenningrevealed.
The Director noted that the Suriname delegation of dancers and drummers led by
Members of UniqueArts Entertainment recently delivered an exhilarating cultural performance at the St Rose’s High School under the umbrella Kaya — which means home inAfrica
HetoldthispublicationthatUniqueArts Entertainment was launched under the Caribbean Cultural Exchange (CCE) which providesopportunitiesforentertainersacross the Caribbean to showcase their ability throughtheperformingarts.
Jennings explained” From 2022 to 2024successfully,wetookfiftypersonsfrom Guyana to Suriname conducting workshops and showcasing our African culture on Emancipation Day in Suriname, twentysevenperformersfromGuyanatoJamaicato workandearnthroughtheCaribbeanSingle MarketandEconomy[CSME]onatwo-year programme. The hope is to create a cultural awakening, consciousness and mutual appreciation among our people who are still clearingawaythedebrisofourhistory,”
According to Jennings, the group has more than 13 years of experience in producing cultural showpieces and dance productions.
He explained that in July-August 2019, UAE was invited by the Ambassador for
SurinametoGuyana,Mr EbuJones,andthe Director of Culture Suriname, Ms. Elvira Sandi, for a cultural exchange, where 30 performers came to Suriname for Emancipation Day and a delegation of 80+ Surinamese performers came to Guyana for EmancipationDay
“The shows and workshops were held at differentvenuesandwereverywellreceived. The group was established in 2007 and officiallyregisteredin2009.WearePurpose of the visit this organization believes that a cultural sharing through collaboration can enhance the quality and variety of cultural expression by continuous exposure to new perspectivesandexperiences.”
“In doing so, UAE is hoping to develop an international collaboration with other CARICOM countries to showcase our homogeneity as well as our rich diversity, continuingtoembarkontheculturaljourney through the Caribbean Single Market and Economyprogramme,”hesaid
Hesaid“WehavetravelledtoSuriname, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad, and just recentlytheUSAaspartofquesttopreserve
culturalexperiences.Wehaveacomplement of 100 performers which includes dancers, poets, singers, and actors… All of the productions are being done under the name Kaya—whichmeanshomeinAfrica”
“Weareoneofthefewculturalcompanies that has a full roster of satisfied clientele includingNationalCommunicationsNetwork (NCN), International Organization for Migration (IOM), African Culture and DevelopmentAssociation(ACDA),Republic Bank Guyana, CARICOM, University of Guyana(UG),MarriottHotelandtheMinistry of Social Protection – Trafficking-in-Persons unit(TIPUnit),justtonameafew” Additionally, the group recently collaborated with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and completed a movietitled“PaintingthePicture”.
Thismoviecapturesandhighlightsthree social problems, namely - Mental Health, Gender Based Violence and Trafficking-inPersons.Thisisoneofthefirstmoviesofits kind to be produced not only in Guyana but aroundtheCaribbean.
The Surinamese group after they arrived in Guyana and received a warm welcome from the team at NCN
The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) during its press conference on Friday claimed that the planned toll-free crossing at the Berbice River Bridge, andtheWismarBridgeisnot genuinely aimed at alleviating financial burdens on the public but rather serves the interests of the
People’s Progressive Party/Civic(PPP/C)allies.
Last month, President Irfaan Ali announced free crossing from next year for the new Demerara River Bridge, the current Berbice RiverBridgeandtheWismar River Bridge, when it is completed.
At the PNCR’s press conference, the party’s leader Aubrey Norton said, “The PPP has two aims to achieve by suggesting toll free crossing. First, it is an attempt to create the conditions to pay its friends and favourites large sums of money for their investment in the Berbice River Bridge. Second,itisanattempttobe vindictiveagainsttheMayor andTownCouncilofLinden. It is well known that the Wismar to Mckenzie Bridge in Linden earns the council the most revenue The government is seeking to ensure the council is starved ofresources…”
Asitrelatestothecurrent Berbice River Bridge, that bridge was constructed between 2006 and 2008 at a cost of $8 billion, and received financial backing through loans and equity contributions from various entities, including the staterun National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and private investors.
It must be noted that the bulkofthemoneyinvestedin the Berbice Bridge came from NIS Sharing ownershippercentagesinthe Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI): National Industrial and Commercial Investments Ltd (NICIL) holds 10 percent, NIS owns 20 2 percent, and other stakeholders include Handin-Hand Fire Insurance (10
revenues, contributing as m u c h a s G $ 7 0 M annually…ThePPPhasbeen deafeningly silent on this implication...,”Nortonsaid.
The PNCR promised that, if elected as the next government, they would reduce travel costs and ensure that the Linden municipality is fully compensated for any lost revenue due to toll reductions.
percent), New GPC (20 percent), Queens Atlantic InvestmentInc.(20percent), and Secure International Finance Co Limited (20 percent).
It should be noted that it was disclosed that the Government of Guyana (GoG) is in discussion with the Berbice Bridge Company, for the possible acquisitionofthebridge.
President Ali had stated that if the acquisition is not finalizedbythetimethenew Demerara River Bridge is operational – the Berbice River Bridge crossing will alsobecometoll-free.
Last month also, the g
prequalified for the design, build and finance of the new Berbice River Bridge. This structure is expected to mirror the US$260 million newDemeraraRiverBridge.
This announcement by thegovernmenthasreceived
criticisms from the opposition’s camp. In fact, the Alliance For Change (AFC) had called for a justification of the project and for information on accepts such as a feasibility study Anothermainconcern by the AFC’s is the current Berbice Bridge, which o p e r a t e s u n d e r a concessional agreement that extendsuntil2027.Theparty questioned whether the government plans to prematurely terminate this agreement and, if so, what compensation would be provided to the Berbice BridgeCompany
Moreover, Norton said thatremovingthefeetocross the Wismar-McKenzie Bridgewithoutlookingatthe implications is a vindictive movetowardstheMayorand TownCouncilofLinden.
“With specific reference to the Wismar-Mackenzie Bridge, reducing the toll or makingittoll-free,however, carries significant financial implications for the Linden municipality as tolls are one of its main sources of
The Berbice River Bridge
ByAllyiahAllicock
Threaded Treasures ’
by Destiny’
T“Young entrepreneurs play a significant role in society, they contribute to job creations which help to reduce unemployment in the country and stimulate economic growth. They also serve as role models for their peers and younger generations, demonstrating that success is achievable through creativity, hard work, and resilience ”
hey say age is just a number and it does not define the things we are capable of or the things we can accomplish. One can achieve anything at any ageandthisinthecaseofDestinyWadewhoat just15-years-oldistheproudfounderandowner ofacrochetbusinesscalled‘ThreadedTreasures byDestiny’.
Hailing from the county of Berbice, Wade officially launched her business on December 21st, 2023. Not
only is she a young entrepreneur but Wade is currently a student at President’sCollege.
When questioned what sparked her interest to launch this venture, the teen said back in 2020,aftercompletingherNGSAexamination, she was inspired by a YouTuber who had recentlystartedherowncrochetbusiness.“I’ve always had a passion for arts and crafts, so crochetnaturallysparkedmyinterest.Initially,I used mask straps and knotted them together to make yarn, because nowhere in Berbice sold yarn and my mother borrowed a crochet hook fromafriend,andthat’swhenItrulybeganmy crochetjourneyat11yearsold,”sherecalled.
In an exclusive interview with The Waterfalls,theteen revealed that from a young a ge,she has always had a deep passion for arts and crafts, with crochet being a p a r t i c u l a r favouriteofhers.
“I grew up as a DIY enthusiast, always seeking creative outlets. My entrepreneurial spirit was evident earlyon;inGrade3,I began making rubber band bracelets and selling them to my classmates.At just
The young woman stated that initially, she wasapprehensiveaboutlaunchingherbusiness noting that fear held her back from taking that crucialstep.“However,nowthatIhavestarted,I canconfidentlysaythereisn’taboneinmethat regrets it—in fact, I wish I had launched it earlier,”sheexpressed.
For those who have not heard of ‘Threaded Treasures by Destiny’, it is a small business whichoffershandmadecrochetitems,including bags,hatsformaleandfemale,bathsuits,skirts, dresses, key chains, scrunchies, baby outfits, purses,socksandmuchmore.
She explained that since she launched, one ofthemajorchallengeshehadtodealwithhas been balancing her business with her personal and academic life. “Time management was crucial, as I had to ensure my studies weren’t compromised while growing my business. Another challenge was sourcing high-quality materials,astheyaren’talwaysreadilyavailable locally,”shementioned.
She added that in overcoming these challenges she set a structured schedule that allowedhertodedicatetimetobothstudiesand Continued on page 50
Young entrepreneur and owner of 'Threaded Treasures by Destiny', Destiny Wade
Somecreativepieces DestinyWadehasworkedon.
Guyanese musicians Jackie Jaxx, D'Ivan file
US$1.6M
lawsuit
against One Communications in New York court for copyright infringements
- company says investigation launched into allegations
Guyanese musicians
Jackie'JackieJaxx'Hanover and Ivan D'Ivan Harry have filedaUS$1.6Mlawsuitina US District Court in the EasternDistrictofNewYork against recently rebranded OneCommunicationsforthe unauthorized use of their musical compositions "Guyana"and"OhGuyana".
Accordingtoastatement releasedtothemediabytheir lawyer, “Jackie Hanover, popularly known as Jackie Jaxx, and Ivan Harry who performs as D'Ivan, have f i l e d a c o p y r i g h t infringement lawsuit in the United States, against One Communications (Guyana) Inc.andTenniciaDeFreitas, known by her stage name NEKEITA, for the unauthorized use of their
musical compositions "Guyana" and "Oh Guyana" during a rebranding event
h o s t e d b y O n e Communications.” Itisallegedinthelawsuit that One Communications a n d N E K E I TA b y performing, broadcasting andcommerciallyexploiting the songs without obtaining the permission needed infringedonthecopyrightof theplaintiffsmusic.
Harry and Hanover are c
n
n particular has gained significant benefits when it infringed on their copyright protection.
The lawsuit was reportedly filed after efforts made to have the dispute
Two men stabbed to death during brawl outside Leonora nightclub
Two men who resided at Stewartville, West Coast Demerara(WCD)wereearly Saturdaymorningstabbedto deathduringabrawloutside of a popular night club at Leonora,WCD.
Dead are 30-year-old Kalameeden Nasir, who residedatLot1Stewartville, WCD and 25-year-old Arvinda Roopram of Lot 52 Stewartville,WCD.
Police identified the two s u s p e c t s a s A l e x Amsterdam,called'Mario',a 28-year-old Security Guard, andTerry(onlynamegiven).
Thestabbingoccurredat 02:50h after a heated argument between the victims and the suspects whichresultedinascuffle.
During the scuffle, Roopram received several stab wounds to his body while Nasir was stabbed onceinhisupperabdomen.
Amsterdamreceivedone stab wound in his upper abdomen, while the second suspect made good his escape from the scene in an unknown direction It is unclearifheisinjured.
NasirandRoopramwere taken to the Lenora Cottage Hospital by ranks of the
resolved with One Communicationsfailed.
“My hope is that this lawsuit will force corporate entities to show respect for song writers and content creators by implementing proper copyright clearance policiesforallworksusedat their events”, Jackie Jaxx said.
Hanover is also contendingthatthecompany would have interfered with business relations as well as opportunities she has with oneofitsrivalcompanies.
In the letters sent to One Communications before legal action was taken HanoverandHarry,saidthey warnedthattheunauthorized use of their copyright protectedworksgivesriseto claims in Guyana and the
UnitedStates,andtheyhave intention to seek relief in bothjurisdictions.
Anti-Crime Patrol, where they were examined by a doctorandpronounceddead onarrival.
Amsterdam was also takentotheLeonoraCottage Hospital, where he was examined by a doctor and later transferred to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where he is a patientunderpoliceguard. His condition is listed as critical.
Policesaidthatthescene was processed and a blackhandle 'Rambo' knife was recovered.
“Several persons were questioned and useful information received as investigations continue,” policestated.
D'Ivanisadualcitizenof the US and Guyana while Hanover is a citizen of Guyana. One Communications (Guyana) Inc. is a leading
(NEKEITA),isasingerwho performed at the rebranding event.'
company in Guyana, and Tenn
The artistes are requesting the following (Continuedonpage50)
Dead:Arvinda Roopram
Guyanese musicians Jackie 'Jackie Jaxx' Hanover and Ivan D'Ivan Harry
Israeli attack on Gaza school sheltering displaced Palestinians kills 22
Aljazeera - At least 22
Palestinianshavebeenkilled in an Israeli attack that hit a school sheltering displaced people in Gaza City, according to Gaza’s MinistryofHealth.
The Palestinian Civil Defence agency in Gaza confirmed that Israel targeted the Zeitoun School in the eastern part of Gaza CityonSaturday.
Those killed include 13 children, six women, and a three-month-old baby, the Government Media Office said in a statement, adding that Israel had committed a “horrificmassacre”.
At least 30 people were wounded, the ministry said, including several who suffered severe burns. Two peopleremainmissing.
Civildefencespokesman Mahmud Bassal noted that thousands of displaced people had sought shelter at theschool.
Israel’smilitarysaidina statement the air force had “conducted a precise strike on terrorists who were operating inside a Hamas commandandcontrolcentre inGazaCity”.
It said the target was “embedded inside” the alFalah School, which is adjacent to the Zeitoun
Schoolbuildings.
Israeli forces frequently accuse the group of using civilianfacilitiesformilitary purposes.
Hamasdeniesthis.
This is the latest in a series of Israeli raids on school buildings housing displaced people in Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinians driven from their homes by Israeli offensives and evacuation ordershavebeensheltering.
A strike on the United Nations-runal-JawniSchool in
internationaloutcryafterthe UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said six of its staffers were among the18reporteddeaths.
According to the media office, Israel has bombed 181 displacement and sheltercentrestodate.
William Deere, director of UNRWA’s Washington Office, told Al Jazeera earlierthismonththatIsraeli forces have targeted a total of 190 UN-run facilities in thecourseofthewar,“many of them more than once”.
That’s despite the agency
sharing their GPS coordinates with the Israeli military
OnAugust 1, at least 15
The dead from the strike on Zeitoun School in Gaza City include 13 children and six women.
people were killed in an IsraeliattackontheDalalalMughrabi school in Gaza City, while on August 3, another16werekilledinthe bombing of the Hamama school,alsoinGazaCity
OnAugust4,atleast30 people were killed in Israeli air raids on the Nassr and Hassan Salama
Palestinians inspect a school, which was sheltering displaced people, after it was hit by an Israeli strike, in Gaza City, on September 21 [DawoudAbuAlkas/Reuters
schools,westofGazaCity, while onAugust 8, at least 17werekilledinattackson Abdul Fattah Hamouda and az-Zahra schools, which are also located in GazaCity
And on August 10, more than 100 people were killed and 150 others wounded after Israeli
forces bombed al-Tabin school,eastofGazaCity
At least 41,391 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza
r, accor
g to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, including 119 deaths in the past72hours.
Families of jailed Tunisians to urge ICC to probe migrant abuse: Report
ItsaidonSaturdaythat 95,760 people have been wounded in the Gaza Strip since the war began following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October7lastyear
Votes being counted in Sri Lanka’s first election since protests ousted president
BBC-Pollshaveclosed in Sri Lanka’s election, wherevotersarechoosinga new president for the first time since mass protests unseated the country’s leaderin2022.
Saturday’s vote is widely regarded as a referendum on economic reforms meant to put the country on the road to recoveryafteritsworstever financialcrisis.
But many people are stillstrugglingtomakeends meet because of tax hikes, and cuts to subsidies and welfare.
Multiple analysts predict that economic concerns will be front of mind for voters in what is shaping up to be a close
race.
Counting began with postal votes at 17:00 local time (11:30 GMT), but results are not expected to become clear until Sunday morning.
“The country’s soaring inflation, skyrocketing cost-of-living and poverty have left the electorate desperate for solutions to stabilisepricesandimprove livelihoods,” Soumya Bhowmick, an associate fellow at India-based think tanktheObserverResearch Foundation,toldtheBBC.
“With the country seeking to emerge from its economic collapse, this election serves as a crucial moment for shaping Sri Lanka’srecoverytrajectory
andrestoringbothdomestic
governance.”
P
Wickremesinghe, who was ch
monumentaltaskofleading Sri Lanka out of its economic collapse, is seekinganotherterm.
The 75-year-old was appointed by parliament a weekafterformerpresident Gotabaya Rajapaksa was chasedoutofpower
Shortly after taking office, Wickremesinghe crushedwhatwasleftofthe protest movement. He has also been accused of shielding the Rajapaksa family from prosecution and allowing them to
regroup-allegationshehas denied.
Another s
ng contend
leftist politician Anura Kumara Dissanayake, whose anticorruption platform has seen him draw increasing publicsupport.
More candidates are running in Saturday’s election than any other in SriLanka’shistory Butof more than three dozen, four are dominating the limelight.
O t h e r t h a n
Wickremesinghe and Dissanayake, there is also
the leader of the
opposition, Sajith Premadasa, and the 38year-old nephew of the ousted president, Namal
Rajapaksa.
Aneconomyincrisis T
A
agala
(struggle) uprising that deposed former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa was sparked by an economic meltdown
Yearsofunder-taxation, weak exports and major policy errors, combined with the Covid-19 pandemic dried up the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
Public debt reached more than $83 billion and inflationsoaredto70%.
While the country’s social and political elite were largely insulated against the fallout, basics like food, cooking gas and medicinebecamescarcefor
ordinary people, fuelling resentmentandunrest.
T
government were blamed for the crisis, leading to months-long protests callingforhisresignation.
On 13 July 2022, in dramatic scenes that were broadcastaroundtheworld, c
, jumpingintotheswimming pool and ransacking the house.
I
Rajapaksa’s flight from the country-anexilethatlasted 50 days - the interim government of President Wickremesinghe imposed strict austerity measures to salvagetheeconomy
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Woman pretends to be customer, distracts shop owner and steals groceries
A woman was caught on Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage on Friday pretending to be a customer interested in purchasing kerosene from a grocery shop, distracting the shop’s owner or attendant and stealing groceries from the shop.
It is unclear where in Guyana the incident occurred. However, it occurred at 12:41h according to the time stamp on the footage.
The woman was heard on the footage saying, “Good day, yuh get kero? …Whatever yuh get (kerosene).”
Following her request for the kerosene, the shop owner, who was behind the grilled section of the shop got up and started to look for the requested kerosene.
The woman then looked to make sure the shop owner or attendant was distracted
A screenshot from the CCTV footage showing the woman taking an item off of the shop’s shelf, which she then
then hurriedly went into the shop and removed items from the shelves and placed them in her bag.
Shortly after, the shop owner returned and the
‘Threaded
From page 46 her crochet work. “Prioritizing tasks and setting realistic goals each week helped me stay on track. For sourcing materials, I would research reputable online retailers that specialize in yarn and crochet materials.
Websites like Etsy, Amazon, or dedicated craft stores often have a wide selection,” she elaborated.
Accepting and learning from the obstacles along this journey, Wade said on the brighter side of things the support towards her and the business has been nothing less than incredible. She stated that her family, especially her mother and aunts, have played a significant role in encouraging and helping her grow her business. She noted too that the encouragement she received from my teachers has also been invaluable. According to her, recently she had the opportunity to showcase her work at her first exhibition – Curl Fete 2024, which she described, was an exciting milestone in her entrepreneurial journey.
Remembering the earlier stage of her business, she said that her first customers came from dorm mates, “and I have been pleasantly surprised to connect with customers from places in Guyana I never expected, such as Kwakwani, Linden, and New
Amsterdam.”
woman maintained her act as a customer.
She asked the shop owner, “Yuh get? (The kerosene she pretended to want)”
The woman was seen
wearing a white blouse with flowers, along with a long red skirt (with designs). She wore glasses and had two big bags in her hands, which she placed the stolen items in.
Treasures by Destiny’...
Noting that this is remarkable experience, Wade revealed, “As l’ve embarked on this entrepreneurial journey, I have observed significant personal growth. This experience has not only matured me mentally but has also shaped my personality in meaningful ways.” With this being said, she mentioned that to anyone out there who is considering starting a business but feels scared, her advice to them is to pray about it. “Remember, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ Do not pay attention to the negative comments or energy you may encounter from others. You have the potential to succeed!” she expressed.
Looking forward to the tremendous opportunities that lie ahead for her business, the young entrepreneur told this magazine that the long-term goal for her business is to expand and offer international shipping, particularly to other Caribbean countries.
Additionally, she said, she is looking to develop a stronger online brand through a website and social media platforms to reach a wider audience and showcase creative work.
As this small business owner continues to unleash what life has in store for her business, she is of the belief
that young entrepreneurs have a play an important role in our country as they help create job opportunities for others. “Young entrepreneurs play a significant role in society, they contribute job creations which help to reduce unemployment in the country and stimulate economic growth. They also serve as role models for their peers and younger generations, demonstrating that success is achievable through creativity, hard work, and resilience,” Wade pointed out.
She noted however, that to see small businesses progress and grow in our society there are a few things that can be put in place for that happen. According to her, the hosting of more exhibi-
Guyanese musicians Jackie Jaxx, D’Ivan file
From page 47 relief in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York: Requested Relief, “ 1. Actual Damages: to be determined at trial but no less than least US$300,000 for the unauthorized use of the musical compositions. 2. Injunctive Relief: To prevent further unauthorized use of the plaintiffs’ works. 3. Disgorgement
of Economic Gains: Recovery of profits earned, and the value of economic advantage gained by One Communications unauthorized use of the works in its rebranding campaign. 4. Punitive Damages: At least US$1,000,000 to penalize the defendants for their willful and malicious conduct. 5. Attorney’s Fees: Compensation for legal expenses in-
curred.”
Meanwhile, the company on Saturday said that an investigation has been launched into the allegations.
In a short statement to this publication they said that, “One Communications acknowledges the copyright infringement claim recently filed by Guyanese musicians, Jackie “Jackie Jaxx” Hanover
tions, especially in areas like Berbice, would provide much-needed exposure for young entrepreneurs. Additionally, establishing local grant programs, mini loans, or partnerships with banks to provide financial support can help small businesses start and grow.
She suggested too that utilizing local media to highlight small businesses and their stories can increase visibility and community engagement. Interested persons who wish to connect with this young entrepreneur can contact her via mobile number (592) 608 -0094 or on Instagram @threadedtreasuresbydestiny or TikTok @threaded_treasuresbydes.
US$1.6M...
and Ivan “D’Ivan” Harry. We are currently conducting a thorough investigation. While we cannot comment on ongoing potential legal matters, we want to emphasise our commitment to supporting Guyanese artists and the creative industry. We are dedicated to resolving this situation transparently and responsibly.”
placed in her bag.
Issano Village to get $63M nursery school
TVotes being counted in Sri Lanka’s first election since protests ousted president
hegovernmentof Guyana through the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development will beconstructinga$63million nursery school at Issano Village located in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni area, RegionSeven. The project was opened at the recent reading of bids at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board(NPTAB)andthereit was revealed that 20 contractors have applied for the contract and bid below the engineer’s $63,437,193 figure.
BBC-Pollshaveclosed in Sri Lanka’s election, where voters are choosing anewpresidentforthefirst time since mass protests unseated the country’s leaderin2022.
Saturday’s vote is widely regarded as a referendum on economic reforms meant to put the country on the road to recovery after its worst everfinancialcrisis.
But many people are still struggling to make ends meet because of tax hikes,andcutstosubsidies andwelfare.
Multiple analysts predict that economic concerns will be front of mind for voters in what is shaping up to be a close race.
Counting began with postal votes at 17:00 local time (11:30 GMT), but results are not expected to become clear until Sunday morning.
“The country’s soaring inflation, skyrocketing cost-of-living and poverty have left the electorate desperate for solutions to stabilise prices and improve livelihoods,”
Soumya Bhowmick, an associate fellow at Indiabased think tank the Observer Research Foundation,toldtheBBC.
“With the country seeking to emerge from its economic collapse, this election serves as a crucial moment for shaping Sri Lanka’s recovery trajectory and restoring both domestic and internationalconfidencein itsgovernance.”
President Ranil Wickremesinghe,whowas charged with the monumental task of leadingSriLankaoutofits economic collapse, is seekinganotherterm.
The 75-year-old was appointed by parliament a
ya Rajapaksa was chased out ofpower
Shortly after taking office, Wickremesinghe crushed what was left of the protest movement. He has also been accused of shielding the Rajapaksa family from prosecution and allowing them to regroup-allegationshehas denied.
Another strong
contende
ftist politician Anura Kumara Dissanayake, whose anticorruption platform has seen him draw increasing
publicsupport. More candidates are running in Saturday’s election than any other in Sri Lanka’s history But of morethanthreedozen,four are dominating the limelight.
O t h e r t h a n Wickremesinghe and Dissanayake, there is also the leader of the opposi
th Premadasa, and the 38year-old nephew of the ousted president, Namal Rajapaksa.
Aneconomyincrisis The “Aragalaya” (struggle) uprising that deposed former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa was sparked by an economic meltdown.
Years of undertaxation,weakexportsand major policy errors, combined with the Covid19 pandemic dried up the country’sforeignexchange reserves Public debt reached more than $83 billionandinflationsoared to70%.
While the country’s social and political elite were largely insulated against the fallout, basics like food, cooking gas and medicine became scarce for ordinary people, fuelling resentment and unrest.
Then-president Raj
and his government were blamed for the crisis, leading to months-long protests callingforhisresignation.
On 13 July 2022, in dramatic scenes that were broadcast around the world, crowds overran the p
ransackingthehouse.
In the wake of Rajapaksa’s flight from the country - an exile that lasted50days-theinterim government of President Wickremesinghe imposed strictausteritymeasuresto salvagetheeconomy.
A l t h o u g h t h e economic reforms have successfully brought down inflation and strengthened the Sri Lankan rupee, everyday Sri Lankans continue to feelthepinch
“Jobs are the hardest thing to find,” says 32year-old Yeshan Jayalath “Even with an accounting degree, I can’t find a permanent job ” Instead, he has been doing temporary or part-time jobs.
Teacher’sLivingQuarteratWayalayeng.
GUYANA’S POLITICIANS EITHER IN DEEP SLEEP OR DEEP SH*T!
ExxonMobil is on a mission to drain Guyana’s oil faster than a speeding bullet.
Our politicians clap as the multinational corporation smiles all the way to the bank.
Guyanese are meanwhile left to ponder where their next meal will come from, and how a disaster would be taken care of after this crop of politicians pass on.
It is clear as day, these leaders are either in deep sleep or deep sh*t!
BLUNT
BLUNT
Archery: Team Guyana arrives for 6th Caribbean Development Championships
A
a announced that Team Guyana safely arrived to participate in the 6th Caribbean Development Championships, which will be held in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, from July 10th to July14th,2024.
This prestigious event,
Caribbean, will also see
participation from national federations across the A
auspices of World Archery Americas. Representing Guyana at this international event are archers from various affiliate members of the National Federation in Guyana, showcasingtheirskillsinboth the recurve (R) and barebow (BB) categories across
different age groups and experiencelevels.Theathletes representing Guyana include: Senior Women (Barebow –Beginner) - Juanita Persaud, MelesaRamnaraine&Naudia Maraj,SeniorMen(Barebow – Beginner) - Mehandra Chatargum & Gregory
Team Guyana took a photo op in Jamaica ahead of the Championships.
Sunday September 22, 2024
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
Overall,theforecastfortoday is fairly good. The aspects seemtofavorfiguringoutthe meaning of all that's transpired over the past several weeks It's an opportunity for you to take a leisurely
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
Have you felt somewhat lost forthepastfewdays?Thefog maylifttodayandenableyou to situate yourself at last. You'reprobablyeagertosettle a question that has nagged at you and interfered with your judgment.
GEMINI(May21–June20)
You may have been feeling somewhat disillusioned. Perhapsyoulostsightofyour goals or misplaced your faith in yourself. You'll feel some reliefbeginningtoday
CANCER(June21–July22)
Youmightbetemptedtosettle certain matters by radical means. The visionary part of you means you're painfully aware of the world's wrongs. You see no reason not to take actiontocorrectthem.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
Today will be fairly calm in terms of outside events, but yourinnerworldislikelytobe in a rush of activity Today you wish you could find the solutiontoyourheartachesas well as your career predicaments.
VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)
You have a lot of thinking to do about your professional goals, Virgo. You'll go over the elements to see if there isn't some way to approach thingsdifferently
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
Youjustcan'tdoeverythingat once, Libra. How do you expect to reduce your stress and recuperate while at the same time continue to be a superstar performer in every areaofyourlife.
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)
Thisisagoodmomenttoadapt your logic and reason to reality, Scorpio. If you don't, you're going to run into some
Everyone knows that you find newideasplentiful.
SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)
It'sgoingtobealittledifficult t
u to
y, Sagittarius. You, who can be easily influenced by others, will be listening to and criticizing everything that peoplesay
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Haveyoubeenreviewingyour
tely, Capricorn? Of special interest is your cultural background. What educational, social, and religious environment were you born into? What are its values?Intheend.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) It's time to elevate your senseofself,Aquarius.You're justasgoodasanyoneelse,so why don't you believe it? The problem is that you're very sensitiveabouthavinganego. Even though you know everyonedoes.
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
Today your intellectual and expressive abilities should receive a boost from the planets.It'sanexcellenttimeto organize your thoughts about presentingaproject.
Lall & Richard Dookie, Senior Women (Recurve –Development) - Roshini B
Williams & Karin Toppin, Senior Men (Recurve –Development)Jeewanram Persaud & Saeed Karim.These archers, representing a blend of experienced and up-andc
demonstrated their dedication and commitment through r
Their participation signifies Guyana’scontinuedgrowthin the sport of archery, and the federation is confident that they will perform admirably ontheinternationalstage. Accompanying the Team are the following officials: Nicholas Hing – Chef-deMission & Coach, Saeed Karim – Team Logistics Coordinator & Athlete, Roshini Boodhoo – Team
Manager & Athlete, JeewanramPersaud–Coach &Athlete,JulianaRickhee–Team Support Coordinator and Shrikanta Deoroop –TeamPhotographer Archery Guyana remains committed to fostering the developmentofitsathletesand raisingtheprofileofthesport b o t h l o c a l l y a n d internationally The federation is grateful for the support of its affiliates, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, the National Sports Commission, the G u y a n a O l y m p i c Association, Guyana Beverages Inc., World of Flowers and the Guyanese public as Team Guyana arrivesinJamaica.
South American Men’s Classic Powerlifting Championships…
Singh breaks 83kg Masters 4 Deadlift Record
Naranjan Singh, a 79year-old powerlifter
representing Guyana, continues to make his mark on the international stage, securing the country’s only gold medal at the ongoing South American Women’s
and Men’s Classic P o w e r l i f t i n g Championships in Buenos Aires,Argentina.
Competing in the Masters 4 division, the USA-based Singh not only captured gold but also shattered the South American Masters 4 deadlift record with a lift of 120 5kg, surpassing the previous record of 120 0kg, which had stood since2017.
Minister Ramson extends congratulations
Singh, who turns 80 on October 20th, had already impressed with a best squat of 87 5kg and a bench press of 77 5kg, culminating in a total of 285 5kg
In the Open division, Kheon Evans also represented Guyana in the 83kg category Unfortunately, Evans was unable to continue in the competition after failing to register any successful bench press attempt at 1 4 0 k g H e f a c e d difficulties in the squat as well, completing his first attempt at 235 0kg but missed the following two at 242.5kg.
D e s p i t e t h e s e
challenges, Guyana will c
y with a total of five m e d a
h Sanmoogan secured four
Wednesday across all three lifts and the total in the Female Junior 69kg category
Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sport, Charles S Ramson MP, extended his congratulations to Singh on behalf of the peopleandGovernmentof Guyana Minister Ramson expressed pride in Singh’s a c h i e v e m e n t s , emphasising that sports in Guyana is on the rise, and r e a f f i r m i n g t h e
nationwide.
Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) President, Franklin Wilson, also lauded Singh’s recordbreaking performance, thanking him for his longstanding contributions to the sport Wilson highlighted that Singh continues to serve as an inspiration to younger lifters through his unwavering dedication, passionanddiscipline
The GAPLF expressed its appreciation to the Ministry of Culture, Youth,
and Sport, the National Sports Commission, and the G u y a n a O l y m p i c Association for their
continued support, which has allowed Guyana to maintain its strong presence attheSouthAmericanlevel.
More than 56 horses set to battle at President’s Cup...
Frompage56 horseracing. Otherraceson the provisional programme include the three-year-old Guyana and West Indianbred, Sprint ‘E’ Class for horses three years old and over, two-year-old maiden, H1And Lower Open to ‘G’ Class Non-Earners on GuyanaCup. Also open to ‘G’class Non winnersinGuyana,‘J’Class Open to H3 Non earner in last two starts, K Class/J3 Non-Earner Last Start and the L Class/J Class and K Class and Non-Earner Last Start.
The sponsors for this year’s President’s Cup are Jumbo Jet Events, Js Supermarket, XCMG, SinoTruk and Banks DIH. Race time is 12:00h local time at Rising Sun Turf Club, West Coast Berbice.
Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League 2024… Kings book a place in Playoffs
(CPL) - Top of the table Barbados Royals played a match to forget in Providence as they scored 96/9 in a match that saw them well beaten by 7 wickets St Lucia Kings putting in a swaggering displaytosecureaspotinthe
2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL)playoffs.
The Royals elected to bat first upon winning the toss but Alzarri Joseph soon had them rueing that decision as he sent Quinton de Kock’s bails flying skywards with a delicious in-ducker that started the struggles from which the Royals never recovered Wickets fell steadily
as Joseph and Roston Chase impressed with the ball in hand for the Kings, taking seven wickets between them as the Royals only just managed to bat out their overslargely thanks to some lower order resistance from Keshav Maharaj and MaheeshTheekshana Johnson Charles was caught and bowled by Jason Holder as the Kings set about hauling in the totalandsecurethewinthat wouldseethembookaplace in the latter stages of the tournament.
Faf du Plessis looked goodforhis26off19balls before attempting to open the shoulders to Maharaj and being stumped by de
Kock,butintruth,theKings neverlookedinanytrouble.
Roston Chase and Tim Seifert made 39 and 21 respectively to knock off the runs with 37 balls remaining Alzarri Joseph was duly awarded the Player of the Match award for laying the groundwork with his four wickets earlier inthepiece.
It was an off day for the Royals who have looked imperious for most of the tournament so far
They’ll have to dust themselves down with the 2024 competition heading towards the final stages and a handful of teams seemingly hitting peak formatjusttherighttime.
More than 56 horses set to battle at President’s Cup
Guyana Cup
winner Olympic Kremlin, Easy Time,defendingPresident’s Cup champion John Bull, newcomersMapaDoBrasil, Stat, Nova Sol and Stolen Money are among the top horses confirmed for the 2024 President’s Cup horse racing which is set for SundaySeptember22.
The Rising Sun Turf Club on the West Coast of Berbice,isexpectedtocome aliveasmorethan56horses were confirmed for the excitingevent.
MorethanG$15million will be up for grabs and it will be a revenge plot for mostofthehorseswhowere crushed by Slingerz Racing Stables’OlympicKremlinat the Guyana Cup. Sunday’s
All eyes will be on the Guyana Cup winner Olympic Kremlin at the President’s Cup
featurewillbeopentothreeyear-old and older horses with a total purse of G%,812,500 being divided amongthetopfinishers. Additionally, the feature race will have Stat at gate number one, while Nova Sol, John Bull, Easy Time, Mapa Do Brasil, Stolen Money, and Oympic Kremlin will follow gate positionsinthatorder Mapa Do Brasil, the hottest newcomer from Js Racing Stables have history with the Guyana Cup winner, Olympic Kremlin That will be a thrillingmatch-upbutfans will not write off the experienced Easy Time, who has built a winning reputationinGuyana’s (Continuedonpage55)
Faf Du Plessis (R) of Saint Lucia Kings is stumped by Quinton de Kock (L) of Barbados Royals (Getty Images)
Courts Optical Pee Wee U11 Schools Football Tournament…
Marian Academy, St Pius, Den Amstel among winners on opening day
Defending champions
St. Pius Primary made a spectacularentranceintothe 11th edition of the PetraCourts Optical Pee Wee Under-11 Schools Football Tournamentyesterdayatthe Ministry of Education ground. They dominated St. Mary’s Primary with a resounding 12-1 victory in their opening match yesterday
The Pee Wee U11 FootballTournament,hailed as a key event on the school sports calendar, kicked off withthrillingaction.Among the early winners were Potaro Primary, Marian
Academy, Rosignol Primary, John the Baptiste Primary, Winfer Garden Primary,EnterprisePrimary, andDenAmstelPrimary
Kendrick La Rose made tournament history by scoringthefirstgoalagainst Redeemer Primary, converting a lofted cross to give Potaro an early lead in the opening match. Colton Telemaque later extended theadvantagewithapenalty, securing a 2-0 victory for Potarobytheendofthefirst half. Despite some strong play from Redeemer, Potaro’s defense held firm,
closingoutthegamewithout conceding.
The clash between Marian Academy and Georgetown International Academy (GIA) was one of the day’s most exciting matchups GIA’s captain scored a brilliant goal, putting his team ahead 1-0 with an athletic strike
H o w e v e r, M a r i a n Academy’s Christian La Rose and Alexander Vasconcellos turned the game around with one goal each, clinching a 2-1 comebackwin.
RosignolPrimaryandSt. John the Baptiste Primary also impressed on the first day St. John the Baptiste dominated Genesis with a crushing 10-0 victory, powered by hat-tricks from Kriston Chandler and Kareme Welcome, along with two goals from Marcellus Evlis, and one apiece from Joel DeAndre and Samany Harrison. Rosignol Primary was equally commanding, defeating Smith Memorial 7-0 thanks to goals from Jaime Bourne (2), Adul Kadir (2), and Jeremiah McDonald(3).
Defending champions
St Pius Primary and Enterprise Primary racked up a combined total of 22 goalsontheopeningday St. Pius cruised past St. Mary’s Primary 12-1, with goals from Jovanie Wright (4), Akeel Young (1), Roy Cassau (2), Emanuel Forte (2),Akeem Quintin (1), and Leon Crawford (2)
Meanwhile, Enterprise secured a 10-0 win, led by
Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League…
Ali’s all-round show, Pretorius propel Warriors into Playoffs
All-rounder Mooen Ali had an exceptional night with both bat and ball as he starred in the latest lowscoring win by 27 runs, as the Guyana Amazon Warriors kept their win streakatProvidencealive.
Chasing a moderate 136 for victory, the Falcons could only reach 108 being steamrolledinthe19thover, despite top-scorer Kofi Jamesplayingwellforhis27 (3x4 1x6), ex-Warriors skipper Chris Green (17) andJoshuaJames15.
Bowling for the champs revolved mostly around theirspinnersinAliwhohad afantasticspell,returning3-
9whosharedsimilarfigures withpacerDwainePretorius (3-9) while Imran Tahir (240)andGudakeshMotie(124) kept the pressure mounting. Earlier, the Warriors struggled against the quality bowling of the Falcons led by the Pakistani pair of left-arm pacerMohammadAmir(215) and left-arm spinner Imad Wasim (2-39), posting just 135-7 after 20 overs.
England all-rounder Ali hit his stride late, ending on 42 off 33 (3x4 3x6) while struggling opener Azam Khan (29)
hadhisbestgametodate Middle-order batsman Shai Hope (10) who continues to find scoring fluently difficult, along with the Guyanese pair of ShimronHetmyer(13)and Romario Shepherd (10), were the only other double-figure scorers for theWarriors.
Falcons commenced their chase reasonably, taking the score to 50-3 by thehalfwaymark,butafter the Warriors bowlers got their rhythm, the champs made light work of the opposition as they defended another belowparscoreathome.
Part of the action between Pataro Primary and Redeemer Primary In the 2024 Courts Optical Pee Wee Football tournament
Shine Arthur (4), Dontay Kowlessar (4), and Dazell Fernandes(2).
In another dominant display,DenAmstelPrimary
overwhelmed West Ruimveldt5-0,courtesyofa brace from Kester Jacobs, and additional goals by Andrew Robin, Trevon Lewis, and Jamil Henry Winf
o celebrateda2-0victoryover TucvillePrimary
The tournament is proudlysponsoredbyCourts Optical, with support from MVPSports,StenaDrilling, and Sterling Products Limited. It is sanctioned by the Ministry of Education and endorsed by the Ministry of Culture, Youth, andSports.
Kings book a place in Playoffs
Alzarri Joseph (R) and Mikkel Govia (2R) of Saint Lucia Kings celebrate the dismissal of Rahkeem Cornwall (L) of Barbados Royals (Getty Images)
MoeenAli of the of GuyanaAmazaon Warriors top scored for his side against theAntigua and Barbuda Falcons. (Getty Images)
GuyanaAmazon Warriors captain, Imran Tahir, celebrates his 100th CPLwicket during their match with theAntigua and Barbuda Falcons. (Getty Images)
