Kaieteur News

-IsraelsaysitwillsendadelegationtoQatarformoretalks withmediatorsafterHamaspresentedanewtruceproposal

audit costs to Guyana

pending legal outcome ...GRA must hold company to same standard as local businesses - Patterson

Garbage picker finds dead baby at Haags

Bosch Dumpsite Man shot in buttocks during armed robbery Cops who mistakenly shot at colleague under close arrest

- Police say dark on its oil reserves

Disrespectful for Exxon and Govt. to keep country in the

ExxonM should return disputed audit costs to Guyana pending legal outcome

...saysGRAmustholdcompanytosamestandardaslocalbusinesses-Patterson

Guyana’s first audit reportflaggedsomeUS$214 millioninquestionablecosts rackedupbytheoperatorof the Stabroek Block, ExxonMobil during the period 1999 to 2017. These disputed costs should be returnedtoGuyana,pending thelegaloutcome,according to former Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson.

H e m a d e t h e s e comments during a virtual Alliance For Change (AFC) press conference on Friday while responding to a question from Kaieteur News.

Patterson was keen to note that the first audit of some US$1.6B, conducted by the British firm, IHS Markit, flagged US$214M in questionable costs and advised that these be removedfromthecostbank. This means that the sum should therefore be split as profits with Guyana In keeping with the provisions

of the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), Guyana receives 50% of all profits which therefore entitles the country to US$107M of the disputed sum.

Pattersonarguedthatthe Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA)shouldensureExxon adheres to the same principles each local company is mandated to complywith.

He reasoned, “If GRA audits a private Guyanese companyandsaystous,that Guyanesecompanythatyou owe them (and) their assessmentisUS$107M,the private Guyanese company has to lodge that money and then have an appeal.Why is itdifferentforExxon?”

TheformerMinistersaid a Guyanese company would be required to lodge at least 75%ofthesumandawaitthe appeal. “Why is it, if GRA has said that they confirmed the audit is correct, why hasn’t Exxon been forced to

follow the laws of Guyana, the Tax Laws of Guyana to deposit this money and then await the outcome of the arbitration or whatever process,”hequestioned.

Meanwhile, on the second audit completed by VHE Consulting, that has not been made public, Patterson said the GRA has

Petroleum Activities Bill when it was tabled in the National Assembly One of his suggestions was for the timeline to audit the oil companies to be the same timelinegiventotheAuditor General to assess the country’s national expenditure.

His proposals were wholly denied and thrown outbythegovernment.

disputed costs. In fact, the contractisdesignedtoallow the company to spend Guyana’soilmoneywhichis laterverifiedbyauditors.

not yet pronounced on whether it has accepted the report findings. Be that as it may he pointed out, “we are now going into the third audit at the moment and thereisnotimelimitforit(to becompleted).”

Patterson reminded that he had submitted a list of proposedamendmentstothe

In the meantime, the former Minister argued, “This government is giving special favours and special consideration and treatment toExxonandtheiraffiliates. It’s abysmal any person that has a problem, and everybody here knows it, GRAiftheyassessyou,you have to put your money up before you can even appeal it,butnotExxon.”

ThePSAandaudits

It must be noted that the 2016 Petroleum Agreement signed by the former government allows ExxonMobil to deduct

Annex ‘C’of the PSAat Section 1.5 (b) outlines the procedures of an audit and rights of the government; it is explained: “ In the event that an audit claim by the Minister is not settled to the Minister’s satisfaction by the Contractor’s reply as provided for above, the Contractor shall be entitled to recover any disputed amounts pending final resolution of the claim…”

The same Section goes on to note that upon resolution of the claim, the Ministershallberepaidwith interest. The contract states: “ any subsequent adjustmentsintheMinister’s shareofProfitOilfollowing resolution of the claim shall berepaidwithinterest,atthe

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GTU seeks court order tocompelGovt. to negotiateretroactive salaryincrease

GTU President, Dr. Mark Lyte

The Guyana Teachers Union(GTU)appliedtothe HighCourtonFridayforan order of mandamus mandating the government to engage in collective bargaining from 2019 to 2023. The GTU is also seeking a disclosure of correspondence with the Ministry of Education as it relates to the Collective Bargainingdiscussions.

In the application, the GTU through Attorney Daren Wade, asked the CourttoorderthattheChief Education Officer (CEO), Saddam Hussain and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Shannielle Hoosein-Outar beheldincontemptofCourt for refusing to discuss Collective Bargaining for

the period 2019-2023 in goodfaith.

In its application the Union submitted to the court that “Mr Sadam Hussain, Chief Education Officer, and Mrs Shannielle Hoosein-Outar, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, under 5.06 of the Civil Procedure Rules, violated the court’s order and acted in bad faith by, refusing to engage in negotiations for theperiodof2019-2023".

The GTU wants the Court to declare that the minutes dated 7th March 2024 for the meeting between the GTU and the EducationMinistry,created a binding agreement, and thattheagreementarising

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ExxonMshouldreturn...

Frompage2

Basedontheagreement,Guyanacanconductanaudit withintwoyearsfromtheendofeachcalendaryear Atthe conclusionoftheprocess,theContractormustbefurnished withthereportanditsfindingswithin60daystoprovidea response.TheresponsefromExxonwilldetailitsobjection or acceptance of the audit claim, along with explanations thereof. The contract also allows the subject Minister to conductfurtherinvestigationswithin60daysofreceiving theContractor’sresponse.

ItmustbenotedthatthePSAmakesitclearatSection 1.5(b)that:“…Ifwithinsixty(60)daysoftheMinister’s furtherinvestigation,thePartiesareunabletoagreetothe dispositionoftheMinister’sauditclaim,theclaimshallbe submittedtothesoleexpertinaccordancewithArticle26 of theAgreement.”Article 26 of the contract sets out the conditionsasitrelatestoarbitration.

With regard to the first audit, the Guyana Revenue Authority had given its approval of the US$214M questionablesumflaggedbytheBritishauditors,however Exxonwasadamantthecostsshouldremain.Government had signaled its intent to settle the dispute via arbitration, however there has been no final announcement in this regard.

Govt. banking on high oil prices to rake in US$9B by 2027-Jagdeo

The Government of Guyana, adamant that it will not engage ExxonMobil for a better deal, and is bankingonhighoilpricestorepaythe operatoroftheStabroekBlockswiftly sothatthecountrycanenjoyagreater shareoftheprofits.

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo duringhisweeklypressconferenceon Thursday explained that by 2027, Guyana is expected to produce 1.2 millionbarrelsofoilperday(bpd).

He however pointed out, “If the priceis$100abarrelyouwillgetmore (than) if its $50, so you can play around with these numbers but where it gets more difficult is when you look at the payback rate on the projects.”

The Vice President went on to remindthat75%ofthemonthlyrevenue is allocated to repaying the company’s investments.Tothisend,hesaid,“itwill takeanumberofyearstopaybackifthe oil price is $50 a barrel. If it goes up to $100 a barrel the pace of repaying is accelerated so it cuts the (timeline). If youhad10yearstorepaythecapitalcost of the project, it comes down to five

yearstotheextentthatyourepayfaster, more revenue becomes available for distributionandsothatisthemodel.”

Jagdeowasatthetimerespondingto aquestionfromthispublicationonwhen thecountrywouldreceiveUS$9billion fromtheoilsector,asrevealedbyhimat his February 29, 2024 press engagement,hostedatFreedomHouse. He said, “We believe that the

revenue will start coming up steeply, so by 2027 or so we anticipateit will be close to about US$9 billion, up fromjustunderUS$2B.”

The chief policy maker for the sectorreasonedthatUS$1.5Bisabout 20%ofthecountry’snationalbudget, which means that revenue from the sectorcanfundthenationalbudgetby thistime.

TheformerPresidentwaskeento note however, that while the oil revenuewouldbeenoughtofundthe Budget, the provisions in the Natural ResourceFund(NRF)Actsafeguards 90% of all revenues received above US$5Bforsavings.

Considering the volatility of oil prices and the global efforts to transition to renewable energy, citizens have been demanding that the government ring-fence the Stabroek Block projects to ensure the country benefitsearlyonfromtheoilbonanza.

A ring-fencing provision would requireeachprojecttopayforitselfand allowthecountrytobenefitfrom50%of all revenue generated, after the investmentcostshavebeenrecovered.

Tel:

Printed

Publisher:

Editor-In-Chief:

EDITORIAL

GovernmentTeachers talks

Thedisbelieversandhardlinersaregoingtohaveafull day The government-teachers talks have fallen apart, and theroadaheadlooksgrim.Sincelittlecanbeagreeduponby GuyaneseinGuyana,theinterventionofoutsidersmaynow becometheonewayout.Foritspart,theGuyana Teachers Union is heading to the court first for any kind of adjudicationthatitcanget.Tospeaktowhatcommonsense dictates, it is a sorry situation. The school system, the communicationsystematthenationallevel,andthesystem that guides labor relations are all under siege, in definite disarray There were those in the ranks of the striking teachers who felt that their lawful action should not have beenstoppedbytheirunion,withouttangiblecommitments fromthegovernmentsideinhand.Therewasnonethen,and the PPPC Government redrew its hard redline in the sand: therewillbenonenow Thebiggestboneofdisagreement involves the years to be considered. The GTU is insistent that talks about pay cover the years 2019-2023. The government, through the Ministry of Education, is just as unmovingwithitspositionthatthetalksaboutmoneystart from2024.Nowitisbacktocourtand,aslooksincreasingly likely,itisbacktothestreet.

Without a doubt, there will be reciprocal accusations of negotiatinginbadfaith,renegingonwhatwasarrivedatbefore, andsomemorepublicoutpouringofallthebitterness(andbad blood) that has accumulated in this country. The governmentteachersimpasseisbutoneexampleoftheroughundercurrents thatroilGuyana It’salonglistofdeterioratingrelationshipsthat spell difficulties for all involved, as well as wider Guyanese society Childrenandtheirparentsarecaughtinthecrossfireof accusationandcounteraccusation Thelocalsystemoflearningis held hostage, with no end in sight, and the strike clock seems poised to restart Also, it must be said that constitutional provisionsrelativetocollectivebargainingagreementshave suffered from repeated breaches, leading to the angry, frustratedstatesthatnowdeepen.

The media releases indicated from the beginning that the court-directed, mediator-influenced, developments never really gotgoing,crawledafewstepsforward,thenretreatedmorethan wasadvanced Parentsandthepublickeptananxiouseyeonthe clock,crossingtheirfingers,andhopingagainsthopethatgood news would emerge from talks that looked tense even from a distance Thehopewasthatthebiggerpicturewouldbelookedat, as such extended to primary and secondary school level examinations hanging in a shaky place Many Guyanese were hopingthatthenowprevailingstandardofheavy-handedandonesideddecision-making(noengagement,noconsultation)would haveseenitslastday

From the very start, we at this paper have come out in completesupportofthestrikingteachers Bindingagreements, asbasedonwhatthelawrequires,mustbehonored Theymust not degenerate into games, or political football made of the livelihoodsofworkers Thereshouldbenobetterexamplethan thegovernmentwhensuchagreementsareupfornegotiation. The government must set the bar, the government must be settingtheprecedentforotherstofollow Negotiationsover wages, salaries, and general working conditions are serious business Negotiations have significant meaning for the nation’scoffers Ontheotherhand,thereismoremeaningfor thepeopleacrossthetablefightingfortheirdue,forfairness In the present circumstances, it is the government and teachers locked in what has every appearance of deteriorating into an unrelentinglife-and-deathstruggle,with not an inch yielded. In the broader context, there is the public service, with its tensofthousandsofstrappedandstrugglingworkers. Like teachers,theyalsoknowwhatitistobedriventotheedges of poverty in a country that is applauded as among the richestintheworld.Themonthlymoneycannotmeetbasic needs.Yet,thereisnodeterminedpushbythegovernmentin leading the way for the minds of all to agree on common causestoliftthiscountry Thereisendlessverbalsparring, constant battling, that drag down. The new governmentteachersstalematespeaksvolumes.

Government needs to appoint more Notaries Public all over Guyana

DEAREDITOR, As a Civil Society advocate, I want to bring to the attention of the Governmenttheissue of the enormous difficulties citizens face in having a document notarized in Guyana We need more Notaries.

A relative appointed me asapower-of-attorneytoget some matters done so I had to get my signature notarised. I am told there is noNotaryPublicinallofthe West Coast of Demerara. I understand it is the same problemofaninadequacyof Notaries in all the regions. I further understand that the Deputy at the Deeds Registry is not really supposed to notarise things for the public, but that she “helpsout”peoplewhogoto the Deeds Registry While

waiting at the Deeds Registry for the Deputy to come in, I asked a lawyer’s clerktherewhereIcangoto get a document notarised. She said it would be hard to find a lawyer to notarise my document as they would be in court and are busy So, it seemsasifapersonwanting to notarise a document will have to go on a merry-goround, wild goose chase to find one of the few Notaries whoisavailable.

Why as a country do we make little, simple things likethesesodifficult?

So, my question is why would our government and relevant Ministry involved in administration of Justice design a system whereby thereisascarcityofnotaries across the country available to notarise citizens’ documents? Does it make

sensethatthereisnoNotary in the whole of the West CoastofDemerara?Andthe same problem in other regions!

The other question is why don’t we change the system and allow Commissioner of Oaths to perform this function, since it is easier to find a Commissioner of Oaths Nevermindthattherearenot enough Commissioner of Oaths either Every NDC should probably have a Commissioner and a Notary to make it easy for the masses Isn’t that what Regionalism is supposed to do?

The Government needs to be sensitive to the hoops peoplehavetogothroughto getdocumentsnotarisedand getattestationofoathsdone.

“Because We Care” we

should change this system rightawaytomakelifeeasy for the populace. Simply appoint more Notaries and/orallowCommissioners of Oaths to certify attestationstoalldocuments. Or merge the functions of notariesandCommissioners and end the two-tiered system for attestations Having a limited number of Notariesappointed,andwho are found mainly in Georgetown, is simply backward. Dog bite the rest of regions? Maybe somebody can explain why oursystemissetuplikethat, and no one has bothered to change it. Does creating a limited pool of notaries benefitthemassesortherich lawyers?

In 2014, President Ramotarhadswornin10

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TVET set to change Guyana’s landscape GECOM must fast-track measures to

DEAREDITOR

,

Itisnotrivialmatterthat the “People’s Progressive Party/CivicGovernment is partnering with key stakeholders to ensure TVETskillsreachouryoung people and general workforce ” This is somethingthatmustbemade much of, and I appeal to the publicto‘latchon,’sincethe commitment from the Government is to facilitate, forfree,“thosewhohavethe technicalaptitude,with the provision of the same level ofcounselandfacilities,that areenjoyedbythoseinclined towards being purely academic.

What we all need to realise is that Technical and Vocational Education Training,orTVET,asweare to say, is trending and with goodreasons.

First, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is crucial for the development of the world’s economy It is especially important for developingcountriessuchas Guyana, so that they can prepare for the skills demanded of the 21st century

Infact,TVEThasgained popularityandisconsidered a driving force for sustainable development, as it focuses on work-based learning and promotes selfemployment, and thus contributes to the development of nations. So vital is TVET that it plays a key role in the United Nations’educationalgoals.

Let me add that one of the key benefits of TVET is its ability to help fill the skills gap in the current job market. As we all know, a skills gap is a mismatch between the skills that employers need and the skills that job seekers have. Thisofcoursecanresultina lack of qualified candidates forcertainjobs,andcanlead to problems for businesses

that are unable to find the talenttheyneedtogrowand thrive.

Right now, the TVET driveison,andaccordingto the Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, “… this commitmentissharedbythe Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI) Technical and Vocational Education T r a i n i n g ( T V E T ) programme, which was conceptualised to develop the local workforce and build human capacity through the enhancement of education to promote sustainable economic diversificationinGuyana.

B e h i n d t h i s governmental push is also Exxon’s President Alistair Routledge, who lauded the TVET programme at the Centre,deemingit“aproject withagreatpurpose.”

He rightly noted that “Thelong-termprojectmust betorevolutioniseeducation and learning in this country; we must ensure that the children who have the aptitudes to be technical are given the same counsel and guidance and facilities at an earlyage.”

Routledgeisakeyfigure with the country’s vision herein, as “… the US$100 million upskilling programme (runs for) a tenyear period of investment madebytheStabroekBlock co-ventures, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited, Hess Guyana Exploration Limited, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited in partnership with the

Ministry of Education, the Council for Technical and Vocational Education Training (C-TVET) and LearnCorpInternational.”

Editor, I am behind this kind of thinking and investment,maybeitistime some technical/practical training be introduced into ourhighschoolprogramme.

I know that in Ontario, Canada students will soon havetotakeatechnologyor trade credit in order to graduate. The plan is that beginning in September 2024, students entering Grade 9 will be required to t a k e a c o u r s e o f “technological education credit”, a move the Doug Ford government says will help guide them toward careers in a skilled workforce.

What I like is the gathering momentum and continuity of our TVET programme. It is now in its secondphase.

It commenced in 2020 between New Amsterdam and Linden Technical Institutes, “ when the learning institutes underwentamajoroverhaul, resultingintheretrofittingof its workshops with modern equipment directly enhancing the learning experience for students in the areas of Electrical InstallationandWelding.”

Indeed,noyoungperson in Guyana can complain of being left out or not having studyopportunities.

Yourstruly,

HBSingh.

prevent from people voting for the dead

DEAREDITOR,

Therehavebeenvarying responsestomyrecentletter whichhighlightedthat;

1. The latest voters list has no less than 126,000 votersmorethanourresident votingpopulation.

2.Of that excess, there are thousands of Guyanese whodiedoverseas.

3.There is currently no mechanism being used to removesuchnamesfromthe voterslist

4. There is prima facie evidence/verification,bythe Immigration Department, that votes were cast for persons who were not in the country, during the 2020 elections.

5. There is need for a mechanism that ensures that such infractions are prevented;and

6. Electronic fingerprint (biometric) identification at the place of poll is a mechanism that can be used to prevent votes from being castforabsentees,including deadpersons.

Theresponses,including those of Bharrat Jagdeo and Clement Rohee contended that:

1 GECOM has measuresinplacetoprevent anyone from voting for someone other than him or herself.

2 GECOM should ensurethatvotesarenotcast inthenameofthedead;and

3 Discussions are ongoing at the level of GECOM on the use of

biometrics These are welcomedresponsescoming from those who previously contended that GECOM has systems in place which address my concerns. These responses represent some admission that my concerns are worthy of attention However, the responses do not represent a commitment toconfronttheissues.

GECOM‘s systems are obviously inadequate, since impersonation has occurred, yet they contend that foolproofsystemsareinplace.

GECOM has pushedback on the implementation ofthebiometricmeasuresby callingforfeasibilitystudies

for universally tested and proven mechanisms and has n o t e n g a g e d t h e commissioners in any discussion beyond the commitment made months ago to conduct feasibility studies.

I am therefore, on the basis of the information provided herein, calling uponGECOMandallofthe concerned agencies to fast track the implementation of measures to ensure the travesty, of the dead being voted for, is stamped out. This should be a precondition for the conduct of anyfutureelection.Ialso

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Government needs to appoint...

Frompage04

Public Notaries and I like whatPresidentRamotarhad said Offering his congratulations, President Ramotar called on them to servethepublic,particularly the poor from rural areas, with “great rectitude.” He implored them to avoid chargingexorbitantfeesand to be more accessible to those who seek to utilise theirservices.“Ifthereisany abuse that can be proven, I will not hesitate to revoke anyofthesethatIhavedone because fundamentally, this is to give service to the people of our country,” the Presidentsaid.

In my web search, I could not find a current list of Notaries anywhere including the AG’s Office website or Supreme Court website.Anold,outdatedlist dated Feb. 2022 from the

Supreme Court website shows 22 Notaries for the whole country There was one in region 2, four in Region6,oneinRegion10, twelveinRegion4,andfour ex-officio Notaries in the DeedsRegistries.Therewas none listed for Regions 1, 3, 7, 8, and 9 Why aren’t Government/state agencies required to update websites for good customer service practices? Who is minding thestore?In2022,19notaries were appointed but mostly Georgetown folks There is no current Notary list published to let the public knowwhoaretheNotaries.

In my state of North Carolina, USA, anyone can become a Notary You simplytakeashortclassata community college, buy the NotaryPublicManual,write asimpleexam,andonceyou have passed, you receive

your instrument of appointmentfromyourlocal County Registrar of Deeds. They also have E-notaries. Being appointed a Notary is notapoliticalfavournorisit a big deal. When I lived in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, the Governmentprovidedapool of typists at the Courthouse who would type and translate simple legal documents for you at no cost!Let’strythatinGuyana sinceweareagovernmentof the working class Poor people go through much agony to get simple legal things done. Some of these legal people are sharks who charge you much. This is a lowhangingfruitproblemto solve, please fix it now Thankyou.

Sincerely,

Dr.JerryJailall CivilSocietyAdvocate

Impact Jagan’s Life had on Me

DEAREDITOR,

The birth and death of Cheddi Jagan coincidentally occurred in the month of March. The print media this year is replete with tributes, remembrances, and comments. This year seems to have exceeded the coverageofpreviousyears.I think the singular item of notethisyearisthereleaseof historian Clem Seecharan’s opus (700 pages +) “Cheddi JaganandtheColdWar.”

Almostallthecontentin the contributions seems to revolve around the ideology of Dr Jagan and how that ideology shaped his life. I never met Dr Jagan, but I would like to relate the impact Jagan’s life had on me personally. I am sure thousands of youths share the same experience. To us, Jagan personified the vision in Wordsworth’s lines:

“Bliss was it in that dawn to bealive,buttobeyoungwas very heaven.” Years later, Walter Rodney must have served the same role to a different generation of youths. These leaders made us feel we had the power to changetheworld.

In that early phase, Jagan had people around him like Ramjohn Holder, Clive Thomas, Lawrence Mann, Colin Moore, to name a few Just to have those kinds of folksgaveusrolemodelsinthe flesh We youngsters idolized themandstrovetobecomelike them I first experienced Dr Jaganonelectiondayin1961 I was a teenager still in high school and not old enough to vote. Dr. Jagan had a victory paradeinwhichhewasheavily garlanded and travelled in an open convertible car. He was coming all the way from BerbicetotheParadeGrounds wherehewouldspeaktothose gathered Hespoke,asalways, passionately In his speech he remarked:“allhistoryhasbeen ahistoryofclassstruggle”As Jagan paused for effect, a blackyouthstandingnextto me immediately jump forward and exclaimed ecstatically, “the first words in the Bible.” My God, I thought,thereismorepoetry here than in my high school classroom. I was on cloud nine. The next day the main newspaper in then British Guiana carried a headline that was chilling to me: “Conquering Hero Returns to City.” As an amateur appreciator of Literature, I thoughtthatheadlinewasthe stuff of poetry It sent goosebumpsdownmyspine.

On becoming Premier, Dr JaganwenttotheUnited States to seek economic development aid. He was a guest on the venerable TV news magazine program “Meet the Press.” As usual the questioners turned the heat on their foreign guest, but in the end Cheddi prevailed with a rhetorical proposition that went something like the following. “If you will not consider my requests for development aid because of the shade of my democracy, then,gentlemen,itisnotmy democracy on trial, but yours ” Not known for

drama, Cheddi’s tone was somewhat melodramatic. It gavemeconvulsionstohear my home-boy talk to the powers that be in that manner

My next epiphany occurred on Independence Night, May 26, 1966. I was an usher at the flag raising ceremony Mr.Burnham and his entourage had arrived at the park and were seated. Thespotlightwasonthemin full blast. Dr Jagan arrived later and immediately there was a noticeable shuffle as all the lights, cameras, and theirhandlerswerehurriedly movedtofocusonDr Jagan, leaving Burnham and his people in almost total darkness. That by itself would not have been surprising if it were temporary, but they stayed focus on Cheddi. I was an adultandspeculatedonwho ofthetwogentlemenwasthe realstaroftheshow

The next day in Parliamentwas a revelation. That session is perhaps the most important ever held in an independent Guyana Everybody who was somebodyhadtobethere.It was an event not to be missed. As leader of the Opposition, Dr Jagan had the right to speak. When his turncame,therewasaneerie silence. The proverbial pin drop could be heard in the dead quiet. I am not quoting him verbatim but from memory and this, in part, is how it went. “Mr Speaker, there is no such thing as a cooperative republic Republicsareeithersocialist or capitalist.Ask any of our advisors.

We all read the same classics ” A mild giggle couldbeheard.Itisthekind of reaction produced by g u i l t , s h a m e a n d embarrassment Every person present knew they were witnessing a highway robbery in broad daylight. Moreso,theyappearedtobe onthesideoftherobber Yet, all the sophistry of the Kabaka could not take the glow from the coolie boy of Port Mourant. By “losing” Cheddihadwon.

Sincerely,

LosAngeles,Calif

Frompage05 callupon Nandalall to come clean in relation to the thousands of verifiable cases of alleged impersonation for which he has the documentationsince August 2022 There is

implied complicity on the part of those who attempt to nullifytheseissues.

Yourstruly

Commissioner

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Jagdeo: A broken record

Every week, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo repeats the same things at his news conference whether he holds it at Freedom House or Office of the President, it is the same boorish diatribe.

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What is unfortunate is that valuable state resources are being wasted on the weekly bile coming from his mouth. Like a broken record, he regurgitates the propaganda that Guyanese have set their faces against. It must be a good thing from the standpoint of any opposition to see the government's top leader bogged down so much that since 2020- he has not said anything new.

We as ordinary citizens however are disgusted.

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Disrespectful for Exxon and Govt. to keep country in the dark on its oil reserves

The Office of the Leader of the Opposition is calling for the release of the updated Stabroek Block reserves, following the announcement of an eight discovery on Friday, since the country received its last resource estimate from ExxonMobil Guyana Limited(EMGL).

SinceApril 2022, Exxon hasnotprovidedthecountry with an update on the estimated resources discovered in the prolific Stabroek Block. On Friday, Exxon announced another successful discovery, Bluefin,butwastight-lipped on how this increased the country's total recoverable resources, from its last estimate of 11 billion barrels- some eight discoveriesago.

In a statement yesterday, the Opposition said it supportcallsforthenationto beupdatedontheamountof discovered oil reserves and believes it is disrespectful thatthecountryisbeingkept inthedark.

It said, “Regardless whether it is the company that is keeping the government in the dark or whetheritisthegovernment

keeping the people in the dark, the lack of transparency is totally d i s r e s p e c t f u l a n d unacceptable. The natural resources of Guyana belong to the people of Guyana. In the Preamble of our Constitution, we have declared our commitment "to protect our natural e n v i r o n m e n t a n d endowment." Citizens are impeded in performing this duty if vital information on their oil resources is denied them.”

The political body was keen to point out that under the formerAPartnership for National Unity andAlliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition government in 2017, Guyana was officially acceptedasanimplementing countryundertheExtractive Industry Transparency Initiative(EITI).“Oneofthe cornerstoneprinciplesofthis body speaks to "the importance of transparency by governments and companies in the extractive industries and the need to enhance public financial m a n a g e m e n t a n d accountability " We therefore demand full compliance with our constitution, relevant laws,

-Opposition

and the principles of the EITI We demand full respect of our expectations and rights,” the Opposition noted.

The Oil and Gas Governance Network (OGGN), an overseas based advocacy group for transparency and good governance had accused the government of Guyana of conniving with the oil giant to hide the oil reserves from thecountry OGGNhadalso called for updates to be provided by the company, within a month of new discoveries.

It pointed out that its members are well aware of the fact that calculating reserves is the simplest of tasks, performed soon after the exploratory well(s) is/ aredrilled.

To this end, they concluded that government was conniving with the oil companytohidethenation's oilreserves.

T h e y s a i d , “Notwithstanding being abetted by the Government, Exxon plays the Guyanese people for dummies to

believe that this oil reserve calculationissocomplicated to require years…why, and what kind of Government wouldwanttoconnivewitha foreigncompanytohideour god given wealth and the amount in our bank account?”

ExxonMobilhadsaidthe company is no longer focused on providing updates on the number of barrels added to its resource base, but on monetizing thoseresources.

The chief policy maker forthesector,VicePresident

Bharrat Jagdeo had agreed with the company's position to hide the new discovery figuresfromthepublic.

D u r i n g a p r e s s conference at Office of the President,theVicePresident said the question of Exxon's updateoftheresourcesisnot as serious an issue as it is being made out to be by some industry stakeholders.

H e s a i d E x x o n ' s announcement, or lack thereof, will not change the fact that there is a discovery already there for the benefit forthecountry

“It's just a matter of timingwhenweincreaseour reservesornot…Infact,they (Exxon) have a greater kind of need to do that because globally…theylookatyour reserve and that helps to movestockpricesforExxon butthey'vedecidedthatthey want to focus more on appraisals as to how many barrels are in these discoveries, etc,” said the Vice President. Overall, he said Exxon's move to focus on monetizing the discovered resources is a logicalstep.

Senior Vice President of Exxon Mobil Corporation, Neil Chapman later disclosedduringtheMorgan

Stanley's Energy and Power Conference earlier this month that appraisal works werebeingconductedbythe company to understand the resourcesdiscovered.

Chapmansaid,“Wehave sixdrillingshipsinthebasin in pretty close proximity And these drill ships are doingacombinationofwhat I call exploration drilling, appraisal drilling and developmentdrilling.”

In the realm of oil and gas, companies undertake a process known to the industry as appraisal to help the developer determine whether or not a project is viable.

This process helps to reduce the range of uncertaintyinthevolumesof hydrocarbons in place; define the size and configuration of the reservoirandcollectdatafor the prediction of the performanceofthereservoir during the forecasted productionlife.

Thisthereforemeansthat Exxon has deliberately decided not to update the nationonthetruevalueofits offshore resources and also has the blessings of government to instead rush topumpthecountry'soil.

In the name of development

Concerningtheproposed construction of the hotel on Carifesta Avenue, we must avoid being lured into the trap which Jagdeo has laid for his government’s critics. He is attempting to reframe an argument about the encroachment on a green zone to one that states that there is opposition to investment.

The issue is not about anti-investment sentiments but about protecting green spaces.Butbyattemptingto deflect criticism of the government usurpation of green spaces, Jagdeo is trying to project the criticisms as being antidevelopment.Nothingcould be further from the truth.

Protection of green spaces isn’t solely about halting development; rather, it’s about fostering sustainable and holistic development. Green spaces play a crucial role in enhancing urban resilience, mitigating climate change impacts, promoting biodiversity, and improving the overall quality of life for communities. People must wake up in the morning to the chirping of birds and go to be bed at nights to the sounds of crickets Our people must have places for recreation,sportandleisure.

Preserving green spaces doesn’t hinder development

but rather encourages a balanced approach. Such an approachconsidersthelongterm ecological, social, and economic well-being of society. Therefore, framing the protection of green spaces as anti-development overlooks the integral role these areas play in fostering genuine and sustainable progress.Jagdeohaslaidthe trap and persons are falling for it There has been, for example, the view expressedthathotelsarenot necessarilygoodforGuyana since it reduces our citizens to third-class citizens. It is said that the jobs that hotels offer to locals are usually low-level menial jobs such as waiters, cleaners and cooks This too is a simplistic and narrow view of the benefits of hotels and by extension tourism It mirrors but does not equate towhatBurnhamoncesaid.

Forbes Burnham was onceaskedwhyGuyanawas not encouraging tourism The reasons he gave for not encouraging tourism were fundamentally ideological. He said that at the time tourism was not good for Guyana at that time since it meant the importation of false and wrong values – by that he probably meant western values – and the creation of a nation of waiters.

He went on to state that tourismwouldbeokayafter thecountryhadbuiltitsown economyanditsownmores. This was essentially an ideologicalpositionwhichis fardistinctfromtheposition whichisbeingofferedtoday that the jobs which hotels provide for locals are predominantly of a menial nature The jobs offered withinthehotelsareusually of this nature but this looks rather narrowly at the benefits of tourism as a whole There are wider benefits of tourism such as its contribution to food p r o d u c t i o n , t h e transportation and logistics, to the growth of the construction sector –includingjobsforarchitects, engineers, electricians and managers. It supports small businesses, including craft businesses and provides incentives for the d e v e l o p m e n t o f communities and places of interests since tourists don’t want to be holed up in a hotel This diversity of tourismactivitiesoftenleads to a multiplier effect, where each tourist dollar spent circulates through the community, benefiting various sectors and individuals.

You just need to look at what happens in Guyana when there is a major event

DEM BOYS SEH

Thrill tourism!

InGuyanawewillsoon have a situation where we willhavemorehotelrooms that de population itself. It isaclassiccaseof“buildit andtheywillcome,”except in this scenario, “they” are still debating whether Guyana is a real place or just a fictional setting in a low-budgetspythriller

Yes, it’s true, we’ve b e e n f e v e r i s h l y constructing hotels faster than a toddler can scatter Lego bricks across the living room floor Because clearly, what we lack in actual tourists, we can makeupforinemptyrooms anddustyminibars.It’sthe perfect plan, really—like throwing a party and forgettingtoinviteanyone.

Butfearnotbecauseour great leaders have assured us that this influx of hotels willsolveallourproblems. Who needs functioning infrastructure or a

semblance of public safety when you can have a fivestarhotelwithaviewofthe garbage-strewn streets and theoccasionalcarchase? And let’s not forget the joy of paying exorbitant prices for the privilege of staying in the said hotels. Why,it’spracticallyasteal when you consider the added bonus of risking life and limb every time you step outside to explore the charming chaos of our disordered city You also paying premium prices for an economy ticket. And if you desire to see Kaieteur Falls be prepared to pay another hefty fee. Tourism inGuyanaishigh-priced.

But that is not all! For the adventurous souls among us, there’s always thethrillofusingourroads, whererecklessdrivingisn’t just a hobby it’s practically an Olympic sport. And as for crime,

such as CPL cricket or international motor racing. Not only are the hotels booked fully but also the restaurants and other places do brisk business. Without tourism,thelocalnightclubs and bars and restaurants suffer HowmanyGuyanese can really afford to go to dinner once a week? Or to visit the bars and nightclubs everyweek?

Tourismisamajorglobal industry It constitutes 10% of the global economy We ignore the benefits of tourism to our own detriment. As such we need to dispel this image of tourismasturningournation into waiters, maids and cook, and instead examine the wider effects of tourism onthecountry’seconomy

But in the context of the proposedconstructionofthe

hotelalongCarifestaAvenue we must not lose focus on what is the central issue at stake. It is not about investment but about the appropriation of green spaces. Onawiderscale,it is about the lack of proper urban planning and almost total absence of zoning in our country The city is a messanditisnothealthyfor even tourism considering that urban planning is now haphazard. Businesses are propping up in all of the wards of the city, crowding out housing development and leading to huge increases in real estate values.Thismaybegoodfor the bourgeois class which is buying up the available real estate but it is not good for theyoungmarriedcoupleor thestudentscomingfromthe countryside seeking places

to rent It is good for landlords not for potential tenants. When you add to that the disappearance of green spaces – including spaces which now allow for the creation of boulevards, thenwhatwehaveisatoxic mix. The quality of life of citizens is affected, and unfortunately that is being done in the name of development.

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

well, let’s just say our muggers have a certain entrepreneurial spirit that really adds a dash of excitement to the tourist experience.

So yes, before we embark on this grand tourism drive, perhaps it’s worth considering a few minor details—like fixing the country Call us crazy, but maybe, just maybe, tourists might prefer clean s t r e e t s , s a f e neighborhoods, and reasonably priced accommodations over the thrilloftrucksonourroads and being mugged by the bandits

But hey, who needs common sense when you’ve got a surplus of hotelroomsandadeficitof sanity? Here’s to Guyana: where the only thing more abundant than hotel rooms isirony

TalkHalf!LeffHalf!

New oil reserve, cut the bull and bilge

Timeschangeandpeople change with the times. In Guyana, it is more the norm for people to change the timing of developments to suittheirownobjectives.

“…Guyanawasafrontier basinyearsagoandeveryone

was excited about the discoveries how big the basinmightbeandhowmany reservoirs have we penetrated. “But that focus has shifted to, of that discovered resource, can we monetize it and move it

forward into economic development…”

Guyanese who are so inclined can curtsy to the speaker, ExxonMobil's Guyana Country Head, Mr Alistair Routledge England's Queen Victoria

was Empress of India, Exxon's Country Head qualifies for Emperor of Guyana Look at how Jagdeo and Ali fall over themselves to get out of his way Mr Routledge continued,“butthefocushas shifted to…can we monetize it, and move forward into economicdevelopment…”

I think a translation is needed. This is what Mr Routledge was saying: when Guyana was in its infancy re oil discoveries, there was breakingtodoortolearnhow much oil was found. But now that Guyana can be counted as a seasoned oil power,newsabouthowmuch new oil has been discovered is boring stuff, ho-hum,and humdrum. Guyanese have betterthingstointerestthem, and so does Exxon. The focus is making as much out of the discovered oil (“monetize) as fast as possible. Of course, Routledge would not be Routledge if he didn't throw in “we” and “economic development” into his sales pitch. Guyanese do well to rememberhisbillboards.

I have two questions for this remarkable oil baron from America. It should be noticed that I omitted the 'r' word before baron, which was so popular in 20th centuryAmerica.

Now for the questions:

First,whoisthis“we”thathe slides into the conversation and, second, this “economic development” which he pushes is for whom, besides Exxon's shareholders, workers, and other stakeholders. He may want us to believe that Guyanese have a place in his constructions, but only fools wouldfallforwhatIthinkisa sweetly camouflaged con (“we”).

Indeed, monetizing discoveries is happening at acceleratinglevels.

But where is the real money for Guyanese owners of this wealth plundered undertheauspicesofapiece of paper spawned in trickiness, and now blanketing Guyanese with

darkness?

Please cut this bilge about“we.” Simplyrevealto the Guyanese people what is k n o w n a b o u t n e w discoveries.

Interestingly, Alistair Routledge is now such a proven salesman, one of those old-fashioned Yankee peddlers, that he has Guyana's dearest son, Bharrat Jagdeo, repeating “monetizing” after him like somemechanicalparrot. All Guyana should appreciate whyExxonyankedbackRod Henson and replaced him withthisresourcefulenforcer on horseback answering to the name of Routledge. He has really done a number on poornatives.

However, the man from Exxon was just warming up. “We are talking about developments and can we move the resource we found to date forward, what additional work needs to be done to reduce risks associatedwiththatresource, doweneedtofindmoreina particular area so we have sufficient energy density to make an economic project. So, we are not going to talk about that number going (forward) We are more focusedontheprojects.”

If that sounds like what Columbus and Cortez impressed upon the captive Indians,whilepillagingtheir riches, it is. This is the kind ofpoppycockandgoldilocks tales that GeneralsTerry and one George Armstrong CustersharedwiththeNative Americans, while they laid waste to their land, and savagely wrested their wealth from their control. That aside, when Mr Routledge speaks about “monetizing” and “move the resource” and “additional work” and “reduce risks” he is full of that usual stuff. Exxon is such a sprawling, m u l t i f a c e t e d , a n d sophisticatedoilpowerhouse that it can afford to have all those activities occurring in tandem, and not with one waitingontheother

To put this differently, Mr Routledge is well aware

that monetizing can go forward full blast, while developing, appraising (any additional drilling and modeling), and other aspects of oil operations can occur simultaneously.

Exxon is an old hand in this oil business, so this bull that he dumps on Guyanese abouta“shiftinfocus”isjust that: total bull, with the PPP Government-meaning Jagdeo-going along in total subservience. Perhaps, the good and worldly-wise Mr Routledgecanexplainthisto Guyanese: how was it that once a discovery was announced in the past, the estimateofreservesfollowed in short order What has changed? Whatissodifficult now? Regarding why a leaderlikeJagdeogoesalong with something like should beapparenttomostexpectant citizens.

First, more barrels found means more attention on Exxon.

Second, more attention on Exxon means more pressurebuildingonboththe company and the PPP Government to come clean on the new numbers. Third, new numbers would mean intensified calls (from e v e r y w h e r e ) f o r renegotiation of the roachinfested 2016 Exxon contract. Hence, this is why Alistair Routledge dons his Chevy Chase hat and performshisroutines.

Then, he gets Bharrat JagdeotopretendheisEddie Murphy where new discoveriesareconcerned.

These guys have played so many games and tricks with this oil that Guyanese see through them. Worst still, all those PPP propagandists selling Exxon onlymakesthecompanylose almostallcredibility

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

Garbage picker finds dead baby at Haags Bosch Dumpsite

A garbage picker on Friday found a dead baby while combing through garbage at the Haags Bosch Dumpsite,Eccles,EastBank Demerara(EBD).

The gruesome discovery was made around 13:00hrs.

At first the man thought it was just a doll but as he got closer, he soon realized that itwasthedecomposingbody ofababy Policewerealerted and have since launched an

investigationafterremoving the body The child whose head was crushed, and an arm amputated is suspect maleandonlyafewmonths old Investigators believe thatmachinesworkingatthe dumpsitemighthavecaused theinjuriesbuthowthebaby arrived at the dumpsite remains a mystery Kaieteur news understands that the area where the dead baby was found contained a fresh

pile of garbage that was dumped there by garbage trucks approximately 24 hrs beforethediscovery

M e a n w h i l e , t h e GeorgetownPublicHospital Corporation (GPHC) on Saturday denied any involvementinthedumping of a dead baby at the Haags Bosch Landfill Site located at Eccles, East Bank Demerara(EBD).

Inapressrelease,GPHC

The

said it has noted recent media reports implicating thehospitalinthedisposalof waste,potentiallylinkingthe institution to the regrettable incident involving the decomposed remains of a baby found at the Haags BoschLandfillinEccles.

“Whilethearticledidnot d i r e c t l y a t t r i b u t e

responsibility to GPHC, the implications therein are deeply concerning

Irresponsible reporting of thisnaturenotonlymisleads the public but also tarnishes the reputation of our esteemed institution,” the hospital said.The hospital said it “categorically denies any involvement in the

disposal of human remains inanirresponsiblemanner.”

The main referral hospitalsoughttoassurethe publicthatstringentsystems are in place within its mortuary and sanitation departments to prevent any m i s h a n d l i n g o r inappropriate disposal of humanremains.

Cops who mistakenly shot at colleague under close arrest - Police say

The ranks of the Special Branch of the Guyana PoliceForce(GPF)who mistakenly shot at their colleagues while chasing after the suspects who reportedly murdered a Sheriff Security guard during an armed robbery have been placed on close arrestandtheirweaponsseized.

The victim, Sergeant Ronald Paynewasmistakenlyshotatbyhis

colleagueswhomistookhisvehicle for one used by the suspects in the armedrobbery Police in a press release issued on Saturday said that “The Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR)iscurrentlyinvestigatingan alleged shooting incident at Republic Park, East Bank Demerara, on Monday night (March11)committedonSergeant

20409RonaldPayneofProvidence PoliceStationbyRanksattachedto theSpecialBranch.”

The Special Branch ranks (a Sergeant, a Corporal, a Lance CorporalandtwoConstables)were assisting their colleagues from Regional Division #3 during the investigation of an alleged armed robbery/murder and the vehicle in question was a dark-coloured

Toyota Rumion car that the suspects had used as a getaway vehicle.

“Sergeant Payne was driving home from work in his darkcolouredToyotaRumionataround 22:10 hrs when he was stopped by the ranks, who fired shots into the air and ordered him to stop Sergeant Payne, who was unaware thattherankswereSpecialBranch

operatives, became terrified and drove to the Providence Police Station,”policesaid.

Crime Scene Technicians processed the scene and recovered severalspentshells.

The Police Ballistics Departmentisexaminingtheshells and firearms There were no injuriesorpropertydamageduring theincident.

WEEK-IN-REVIEW

Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram disclosed in his weekly column

SUNDAY published on Saturday by Stabroek News.

Govt. pays hotel over Ram’s assessment of the $75M to house trainee health royaltypaymentscameontheheels workers in Essequibo of a letter and subsequent articles published by Kaieteur News last

The Government of Guyana week Professor and former (GoG) has been renting nine rooms Ambassador, Dr Kenrick Hunte at the cost of $18,500 daily, since had argued that Guyana was only December 2022 to house several receiving 0 5% instead of 2% trainee health workers on the royalty, since ExxonMobil was EssequiboCoast,RegionTwo. paying royalty from its profits

A source, who requested ratherthan“allpetroleumproduced anonymity,toldKaieteurNewsthat and sold” as required by the the cost for each hotel room is StabroekBlockProductionSharing $18,500 daily The nine rooms are Agreement(PSA). reportedly being rented at the

Regional Health Officer (RHO) for Region Two, Dr. Ranjeev Singh

Subsequently, Vice President Jaigobin Hotel at Suddie, BharratJagdeoduringhisThursday Essequibo. press conference clarified that the

It therefore means that the the daily rate the rooms are being country was being paid its full 2% Government through the Ministry rented for, the RHO responded, “I royaltyfromthecontractor of Health is paying $166,500 daily would not be able to confirm the However, Ram in his weekly to the hotel for the use of the nine price…the Ministry of Health is column ‘Every Man, Woman and rooms. Further, government would paying that.” To this end, Mr ChildinGuyanaMustBecomeOilhave expended $4 9million Singh was asked if the contract Minded’ analyzed the revenues monthly for the last 15 months, went to tender, to which he earnedfromthesectorfrom2020to amountingto$74.9millionsofar responded, “I would not be able to 2022 and compared it to the 2% Guyanadidnotreceiveawhopping misrepresentationofreality.”

On Friday, Kaieteur News answerthosequestions.” royalty paid to Guyana during the US$73,789,000 in royalty between The Accountant explained that contacted Regional Health Officer This publication then made sameperiod. 2020and2022. in the absence of the cost of (RHO) for Region Two, Dr contact with Ms. Shabana Shaw, Royaltyisafixedpercentageof VP Jagdeo in clarifying the Petroleum used for fuel or RanjeevSingh,forconfirmationon Officer-in-Charge of Health the gross value of revenue, paid to issue told reporters, “Royalty is transportation in Petroleum the number of trainees staying at Communications, who stated that governments or the owners of calculated on production minus, so Operations, it would be difficult to the hotel, the number of rooms the RHO would be the person to naturalresources. total crude production minus the compute the royalty payable to being rented, the cost and the contactforsuchinformation. According to his calculations, crude used in the operations for Government. period. This publication contacted the the country did not receive the transport and on the FPSOs He was keen to note however,

Initially when asked, Mr. Singh RHO a second time, and informed amountdue. (Floating Production Storage and “What is apparent is that there is explainedthatheisnotinaposition him of what the Communications For instance in 2020, Ram Offloading vessels). In Guyana’s indeed some US$73 8 M of toanswerthequestionsposed. Officerstated. pointed out that the total revenues case, the FPSOs are operated by royalties unaccounted for and one “I won’t be able to at this Mr. Singh responded, “I don’t from the sector amounted to gas, so there is no deduction can speculate whether this is all to moment, I know there is nursing do procurement and I don’t deal US$214,740,000, which means a whatsoever,soroyaltyiscalculated do with the implausible absence of students staying at the hotel withthosethings,soIwouldnotbe royalty of US$4,295,000 should on the basis of total production and the cost of fuel used in production currently…” the RHO said after abletosay.” have been paid to the NRF; instead total sales. There is no deduction or transportation, or in the noting that the programme Up topress time,noofficialhas t h e a c c o u n t r e c e i v e d whatsoever. Every month, they difference in the accounting coordinator was nearby and would confirmed the amount of money US$2,694,000. have to confirm what the average methodology used – accrual in the be able to provide the relevant being spent for the rooms being In 2021, the Chartered price would be, the weighted case of the oil companies and cash information. occupied by the trainee health Accountant said this trend average, and the [government] basisinthecaseoftheNRF.”

Dr Singh then confirmed that professionals and whether the continued While the revenue givesapprovalforthat”. therearetwosetsofstudents,seven rooms were sourced utilising a g e n e r a t e d a m o u n t e d t o Ram said that the explanation MONDAY trainee midwives and 12 nursing tenderedprocess. US$619,565,000, a royalty of by theVice President was woefully assistants,stayingatthehotel. US$10,841,000 was paid to the incorrect, highlighting once again Govt. must urgently engage

When asked if the hotel was US$73.8M in royalty not NRFinsteadofUS$12,391,000. the urgent need for an independent Exxon to get the best deal for being rented since December 2022 paid to Guyana – Ram Similarly for 2022, he Petroleum Commission. In fact, he Guyana – Opposition when the nursing assistant highlighted that Guyana was paid said it was high time for President …says VP Jagdeo can kickstart programme was launched, the The Natural Resource Fund US$32,350,000inroyalty,lessthan IrfaanAli to step in “lest things get discussion with his new PSA RHOsaid,“yes.” (NRF) is missing over US$73 the US$44,584,000 that the Fund worsethantheyare”.

The first 18-month Nursing million in royalty payments, shouldhavereceived. “Clearly, he (Jagdeo) does not Vice President, Bharrat Assistant Programme in Region Chartered Accountant and He therefore concluded that know what the government does, if Jagdeo’s challenge for “anyone” to Two was launched on December anything in relation to royalty, or draft a plan for renegotiation of the 22, 2022 with 46 students. The indeed to anything else. It does not ExxonMobil oil contract, using trainees began their training on appear that the VP has ever conditions he has set, shows he has January 2, 2023. Notably, upon bothered to read the 2016 no intention to defend the interests completion of the programme this Agreement, let alone its reference ofGuyanese. year, successful students will be

Attorney-at-Law

and Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram

to the Petroleum Exploration and This is according to the Office employedbytheHealthMinistry ProductionAct and its definition of oftheLeaderoftheOpposition.Ina Itshouldbenotedthatwhilethe petroleum,”theAttorneyreasoned. letter to this newspaper, the Nursing Assistants programme Hesaid,theveryfirstiteminthe Oppositionsaid,“WenotedthatVP started since December 2022, the definition of “petroleum” is Jagdeo issued a challenge to the midwives programme only began described as “any naturally Opposition to draft a renegotiation in January 2024. According to a occurring hydrocarbons, whether plan. This plan, he told reporters at source, who requested anonymity, inagaseousliquidorsolid-state”. his Press Conference, must the same number of rooms have

Tothisend,Ramargued,“Does consider, as he described it, the beenrentedsincethen. the country’s petroleum czar not “constraining factors” of Net Zero

The Nursing Assistant know that billions are charged to andthedeclineinfundingforfossil Programme is slated to conclude in operations annually for supplies to fuelrelatedinvestmentsglobally.” June 2024, while the midwives theoilcompaniesbyatleastoneoil The political group reminded programme is scheduled to be distributor? His answer was not the Vice President that it was the completed between December only completely wrong, but People’s Progressive Party (PPP) 2024andJanuary2025. shockingly misinformed, administrationthatcraftedanew Meanwhile, when asked about m i s l e a d i n g a n d a t o t a l (Continued on page 15)

From page 14 matter proposed by the union that Justice Rishi Persaud had Production Sharing Agreement willbediscussed.” instructed ExxonMobil to lodge a (PSA) only last year that requires US$2 Billion oil spill guarantee. In oilcompaniestopayhigherroyalty, TUESDAY theirApplicationfortheFullBench corporatetaxesandothernewfiscal to hear their case, the citizens terms “which apparently Citizens ask full bench stated, “The learned Judge encountered no difficulties with to hear appeal for proof demonstrated implied bias, or at those same Net Zero and funding of ExxonMobil’s US$2B leastgavetheimpressionofbias,by constraints.” oil spill guarantee himself raising the spurious

To this end, the Opposition question of jurisdiction before it reasoned that if the Vice President

Two citizens, Frderick Collins was raised by either Esso or the genuinely wanted to improve the and Godfrey Whyte have appealed EPA, by inviting them to make Stabroek Block deal, he would the decision of Justice Rishi submissions on jurisdiction, by simply use the terms of the new Persaud, who determined that the taking months to hear and PSA as a foundation of its Court ofAppeal has no jurisdiction determine an application that any renegotiation strategy. More to summon the Environmental competent Judge could have importantly, the Opposition Protection Agency (EPA) to determined upon the papers pointedoutthatwhatJagdeoseesas produce evidence that ExxonMobil without submissions, and by constraining factors are in fact Guyana has lodged the US$2 rendering a decision which lets imperatives or compelling reasons to draft a “sensible” renegotiation and the Education Ministry which billion oil spill guarantee with the Esso off the hook of compliance for government to urgently engage plan for the lopsided Stabroek states the parties agreed that the agencyasorderedbytheCourt. and makes it impossible for the Exxon and its co-venturers, Hess Block oil contract. Kaieteur News salary matters related to multi- Collins and Whyte, through Applicants (and the Guyanese andCNOOCtogetthebestdealfor had asked the Vice President if he year proposal for 2019- 2023 are their Lawyers, Melinda Janki, public whose interests are at stake) Guyana, while not jeopardizing will support Norton’s oil and gas among the issues identified to be Abiola Wong-Inniss and Seenuath to find out whether Esso has theirabilitytoearnaprofit. advisors if they devise a strategy to prioritised during their Jairam S.C filed the appeal on complied with the Stay or whether “If,asprojected,thepushtoNet renegotiate the Stabroek Block discussions February 22, 2024, requesting the Esso is operating illegally and/ or Zero would gradually reduce deal. Jagdeo responded, “Let him Speaking on live stream via the fullbenchoftheCourtofAppealto the learned Judge has thereby demand for oil in the future, then, comewithastrategyandthenIwill Union’s Facebook page on Sunday, hear their case. In the document deprivedhimselfoftheopportunity for us, that should compel the speak about it” while noting that PresidentoftheGTUDr MarkLyte seen by Kaieteur News the citizens to ascertain whether his said Order government to seek a greater share such a strategy would receive his said they are sticking to the pointed out that their application hasbeencompliedwith.” of revenues now for the benefit of supportiftheplanissensible. proposaltohavetheGovernmentof was extremely urgent, given that Theapplicantsalsocontendthat presentandfuturegenerations,”the “If it is a clownish strategy Guyana look at the multi-year the operator of the Stabroek Block, the Judge’s decision was groupunderscored. don’texpectmetosupportit,ifit’s agreement with a view of reaching ExxonMobil Guyana Limited unjustifiable, unreasonable, Consequently, the Opposition sensible and it takes all the anagreementforteacherstobepaid (EMGL) is continuing its erroneous at law, harsh and/or noted, “Let’s therefore call variables into consideration ” increases in accordance with the petroleum operations in Guyana’s oppressive They argued, “The Jagdeo’schallengeforwhatitis:an Jagdeo said The first variable is amounts. ExclusiveEconomicZone,without learned Judge erred at law, was attempttodeflectattentionfromthe that “Net Zero” can be a He said that the GTU was complying with Condition 14 of its plainly wrong and acted without fact that he has no intention to “constraining factor” for the forced to release the minutes of the Permit (for an unlimited parent jurisdiction in varying his Order defendtheinterestsofthepeopleof future of oil and gas. Net zero meeting to expose the inaccuracies company guarantee) as a result of and/or pronouncing thereon to rule Guyana.” refers to the balance between the of the memo released by the the Stay granted by the Judge on that the guarantee was to be lodged According to the political amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) ministry. June8,2023. withtheEPAeventhoughtheOrder group, it has already pledged to that’s produced and the amount “Over the past five weeks, we They argued that the learned does not, ex facie, say it is to be invite the oil companies to the that’s removed from the have been exposed to one lie after Judge has made it impossible for lodged with the EPA and table to discuss getting more atmosphere the other… you know, the union himself or any other person, complianceisamatterfortheCourt revenues for Guyanese from the According to Jagdeo, Net Zero wasreluctanttoreleasetheminutes including the Applicants who are notthepartiestodetermine…” country’s petroleum resources, is a global reality “ Every of the meeting but we had to put it acting in the public’s interest to see The citizens are therefore after it assumes government in country speaks about it, every outtherebecausemanyofmembers whether Esso- now EMGL) has seeking an Order varying or setting 2025 country in the world speaks about were already concluding that that complied with the Condition of the aside the decision of the Judge, It added, “There are several it, Saudi Arabia speaks about it, memo was accurate,” Dr Lyte Stay to lodge the US$2B oil spill made on February 19, 2024 ways to effectively garner greater UAE, Qatar and we in Guyana disclosed. Guarantee. refusing the Application made by income, with ring-fencing being behaveasthoughthatdoesn’texist, He noted that the minutes as Pendingthefinaloutcomeofan the citizens in a Summons filed on just one possibility.” On Sunday, that variable, which is a signed by both parties, has shown appeal to stay the order by High November 1, 2023 for EPA and Kaieteur News reported that VP constraining factor for the future,” how “deep seated this lie is, this is Court Justice, Sandil Kissoon, that Exxon to provide a true copy of the Jagdeo said anyone can submit the Vice President told Kaieteur rulership that lies to succeed…”As ExxonMobil Guyana provides US$2BguaranteeandanOrderthat plans on how the government can News. such, the GTU President called on unlimited liability coverage for oil theApplicationbedealtwithand renegotiate Guyana’s oil contract membersnottobedistracted. spills, Court of Appeal judge, (Continued on page 16) once they stick to the conditions GTU holds firm salary “We cannot allow the false that have been outlined by him. talks must cover 2019-2023 narratives to divide us…We have While responding to a question …produces minutes of askedforthesalarymattersrelating from this newspaper at his weekly meeting to debunk claims by to 2019 -2023, there is nothing press conference on Thursday at Ministry of Education thereintheminutesabout2024.We Freedom House in Georgetown, he never submitted a 2024 proposal; explained,“Theoffertorenegotiate The Guyana Teachers’ Union our submission is for 2019 – 2023 Guyana’s oil contracts is open to (GTU) is holding fast to its and we are holding fast to that.” He anyone who can come up with the proposal that the multi-year noted too: “It is really scandalous plan to do so once they stick to the agreement for teachers’ salaries and borders on our integrity as conditionsset”. mustcovertheyears2019-2023. individuals.”

He went on to list the This is despite a memo which Dr Lyte led a 13-member conditions, “That we don’t lose was released by the Chief delegation to the negotiations with momentum, let me go through it Education Officer (CEO) of the theChiefEducationOfficerandhis again… so no litigation that will Ministry of Education (MOE), team at the Ministry’s boardroom stop the development of future Saddam Hussain following a on Thursday The CEO issued a projects that’s one. Two, that the meeting with the Union and the statement later that night following window that we have through net Ministry on Thursday last stating media reports denying that the zero…be taken into account and that “any multi-year agreement Ministry had agreed to the GTU’s there are a couple of other must start from the year 2024, not proposalfortheperiod2019-2023. conditions.” retroactively.” He said the articles “convey the JagdeoathisFebruary29,2024 As a result, the GTU released a false impression that the press conference, challenged copy of the minutes of the meeting Government of Guyana has agreed Opposition Leader,Aubrey Norton via its Facebook page signed by there shall be a multi-year and his ‘secret’oil and gas advisors both representatives of the Union agreement, 2019-2023. This is a

From page 15 has so far paid $16.5M. The sum were sent to the location to conduct heard on an urgent basis. They are statedintheKNismischievousand investigations. also seeking a declaration that is overstated by about 78%,” the The investigators have since Exxonhasfailedtocomplywiththe HealthMinistrysaid. learnt that the prison escapee was Order and that Justice Persaud was WhencontactedonMondayfor seen in the area and at the Gomes’ “plainly wrong” to decline the contract the government has property Itisbelievedthatheisthe jurisdiction and/ or plainly wrong with the hotel, the RHO stated, killer to refuse to order that the oil “Yournewssourcewillbegettinga Policelearnttoothatthesuspect company/ EPA do produce a copy lawsuit from me very shortly, for wasalsochoppedduringtheordeal. of the said guarantee to the putting me in your newspaper and Meanwhile, crime sleuths Applicants. Fredericks and Collins for putting an exorbitant amount of reported that the victims’ bodies have also asked the Court for “this moneythatwasspent.” bore multiple chop wounds to the Motion be consolidated with that ItshouldbenotedthatonFriday headandotherparts. part of theApplicants Motion filed when contact was first made with on 5th July, 2023 for an order for the RHO for confirmation on the Teachers threaten to variation and discharge of the said number of trainees staying at the return to the streets orderand/orthesaidStay.” hotel, the number of rooms being as salary talks collapse rented, the cost and the period – he Govt. denies paying $75M to confirmed the hotel, that the rooms Teachers are prepared to return hotel but provided no proof are being rented, the number of tobecompletedbetweenDecember son and his mother travelled to to the streets after discussions …No public tender, rooms were rooms beingrented,theperiod,and 2024andJanuary2025. Saxacalli Mission for three days to between the Ministry of Education obtained through quotation the number of students being Moreover, the ministry stated clean up their house and and the Guyana Teachers’ Union housedatthehotel. that there are presently 48 nursing surroundings. (GTU) over salary increases

The Government of Guyana However,Dr Singhoptednotto assistants, 19 post-basic midwifery “According to David’s 6-year- collapsedonTuesday (GOG) through the Ministry of comment on the amount of money and22laboratoryassistantstudents old son, at around 15:00hrs Friday President of GTU, Dr Mark Health (MOH) on Sunday night being paid for the rooms as well as intraininginRegionTwopresently last,thesuspectcametotheirhouse Lyte, told the media on Tuesday issuedastatementdenyingthat$75 whether the hotel was sourced It was noted that among the at Saxacalli and asked for thattheUnionwillbeheadingback million was paid to a hotel to house throughpublictenders. students in the Region Two for the something to eat and directions,” to the High Court in wake of a several trainee health workers on According to the ministry, training programs are also students thepolicestatementsaid. breakdown The GTU and theEssequiboCoast,RegionTwo. quotations were obtained from from Region One. Notably, it was Gomes gave the suspect Education Ministry had agreed to

On Sunday, this publication hotels and facilities in the Region, noted that similar programmes are something to eat and also drank engage in talks towards solving reported that the government has when the need arose for additional beingdoneinallregions. Vodkawithhim. teachers’salary woes following the been renting nine rooms, since housingspace.“TheMOHwasable “Clearly, some of these training The child reportedly said that Courtappointedmediationprocess. December 2022. Kaieteur News to complete satisfactory programs require the MOH and the the suspect spent some time at the The mediation was also geared reportedthatthecostbeingpaidper arrangementswithJaigobinHotel,” local health departments to provide family’s property He told police towards bringing an end to five room daily at the theministrystated. housing for students who come thathelatersawthesuspectarming weeks of protest and industrial

Monday, contact was made from distant places,” the ministry himselfwithacutlassandchopping action led by teachers across the e Health Ministry said. his father about his body His country

Permanent Secretary (PS), The ministry said that it could grandmother, after observing what During an emergency press r Malcolm Watkins, not wait until the construction of was happening, reportedly rushed conference held at the GTU’s nd Officer-in-Charge the training centre and dormitory is tohisfatheraidbutthesuspectalso headquarters on Woolford Avenue, o f H e a l t h completed in 2025 and embarked dealt her several chops about her the GTU President accused the Communications Ms. on renting facilities to body Ministry of Education of reneging Shabana Shaw for accommodate some of the students The boy told police that he was onanearlieragreementthatthetwo evidence of the whorequirehousing. hiding under the bed during the sides would discuss salary amount of money entireordeal. increasesforteachersfortheperiod paid thus far to the WEDNESDAY After killing the mother and 2019-2023 in accordance with the hotel and to clarify son, the suspect attempted to wash multi-yearagreement. the number of rooms Cop shot dead during away the blood but ended up Dr. Lyte told members of the sourced, and the search for prison escapee running away into nearby bushes media that “We are going to take process used to obtain whenheheardaboatapproaching. thismatterbacktotheCourtforthe e rooms initially A police sergeant was on Theboythenreportedlylocated Court to adjudicate on the matter However, up to press time, Tuesday shot dead during a search his father’s cell phone and sent a We are at present, in consultation hotel responsewasforthcoming. at Karrau Village for prison voice note to one of his father’s with our lawyers, and we believe

$18,500

Kaieteur News had reported escapee, Akeem Wong who is friendsaskingforhelp. thatrenegingonthefirstposition

Calculating the that since December 2022 the alleged to have killed a woman and Police were alerted and ranks (Continued on page 60) daily rate for the use of nine rooms Government have been utilising hersonatSaxacallilastweek. meant that it cost $166,500 daily Jaigobin Hotel to house several Dead is Sergeant,AlexVaughn. This figure accumulates to trainee health workers on the Wong escaped from the Mazaruni $4.9million monthly, amounting to Essequibo Coast. The RHO had PrisonbackinFebruarythisyear $74 9 million for the last 15 confirmed that there are two sets of It is unclear who shot the months. students staying at the hotel, seven policeman, although reports

In its response to the article the trainee midwives and 12 nursing suggest he was hit by friendly fire. ministry confirmed that rooms are assistants. In an initial statement, police being rented at Jaigobin Hotel. The first 18-month Nursing detectives were deployed to the However, the ministry stated that it Assistant Programme in Region location to ascertain the is not paying the regular rates for Two was launched on December circumstances/details of the the rooms. The ministry noted too 22, 2022 with 46 students. The shootingdeathofSergeantVaughn. that the trainee students are being trainees began their training on Last week Friday, 49-year-old accommodated at the hotel, “at a January 2, 2023. Notably, upon David Gomes and 75-year-old considerably reduced cost that the completion of the programme this Elizabeth Nellie Gomes of MOHnegotiated.” year, successful students will be D’Urban Street, Wortmanville, Itshouldbenotedthatwhilethe employedbytheHealthMinistry It Georgetownwerebrutallychopped Regional Health Officer (RHO) for should be noted that while the todeath.

Region Two, Dr Ranjeev Singh Nursing Assistants programme Police suspect that the killings told this publication that nine started since December 2022, the took place between 17:00hrs and rooms are being rented – the midwives programme only began 20:00hrs. Ministry’s statement said 11 rooms in January 2024. The Nursing In a press statement, police had arebeingrentedatareducedcost. Assistant Programme is slated to said that so far their investigations “TheMOHhasrented11rooms conclude in June 2024, while the revealed that at around 10:00hrs, at a cost of $1.1M per month and midwives programme is scheduled last Friday Gomes, his 6-year-old

GTU seeks court order to compel Govt. to negotiate...

Frompage3

from the minutes created a legitimateexpectation.

ItalsowantstheCourttodirect the Education Ministry to disclose all correspondences with the Union.

The Union explained that following the Court-ordered mediation process, the Chief Education Officer, who identified himselfastheChiefNegotiatorfor the Education Ministry, agreed on the 7th March that the two sides would discuss salary increases for theperiod2019-2023.

“The reneging of the agreement, to discuss collective bargaining from 2019-2023, is contemptuous.

Therenegingoftheagreement, to discuss collective bargaining from 2019-2023, is in breach of article 147 of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana,”GTUargued.

Theapplicationcomesafterone week of discussions between the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Teachers' Union (GTU) oversalaryincreasescollapsed.

The GTU and Education Ministry had agreed to engage in talks towards solving teachers' salary woes following the Courtappointedmediationprocess.

Themediationwasalsogeared towards bringing an end to five weeks of protest and industrial action led by teachers across the

country

During an emergency press conferenceheldlastTuesdayatthe GTU's headquarters on Woolford Avenue, President of GTU, Dr Mark Lyte, told the media that the Union will be heading back to the High Court in wake of a breakdown.

Dr LyteaccusedtheMinistryof Educationofrenegingonanearlier agreementthatthetwosideswould discuss salary increases for teachers for the period 2019-2023 in accordance with the multi-year agreement.

Dr Lyte told members of the media that “We are going to take thismatterbacktotheCourtforthe Court to adjudicate on the matter

We are at present, in consultation with our lawyers, and we believe that reneging on the first position taken, and the legitimacy of the signedagreementcomingoutofthe first meeting is placing this administration as one that we cannottrust.”

He explained that the negotiations fizzled after the Education Ministry's Permanent Secretary, Shannielle HooseinOutar,showedupatthemeetingto introduce herself as the “chief negotiator” for the Government and making it clear that the Government has no intention to discuss a wage package for the period2019-2023.

Dr Lytenotedthiswasafterthe

ChiefEducationOfficerduringthe first meeting identified himself as the “chief negotiator” for the Education Ministry, and consulted with his superiors before agreeing that the talks on increase salaries wouldbedonebasedonthemultiyearagreement2019-2023.

“We were not even settled when the permanent secretary indicated that the Government willnotnegotiateasagreedonat last Thursday's meeting from 2019-2023 The Union resolutely put forward its position that we are not interested in discussing any multi-year proposal from 2024 and beyond because we havenot submittedsuch,”Dr Lyte hadsaid.

Man shot in buttocks during armed robbery

Aidentified as Denver Rowley was on Friday morningshotinhisbuttocksduringa suspected robbery at Durban Backlands,Georgetown.

Police are yet to release a

statementonthematteranddetailsare sketchy, but Kaieteur News learnt that Rowleywasattackedbyalonegunman whileinhiscar

Hetriedtoescapebydrivingaway but was shot in his buttocks.An alarm was raised and police were called in

alongwithanambulance.

Rowley was taken to the G

Corporation (GPHC) where he received treatment and was later sent away Investigationsareongoing.

Govt. should provide educational incentives for crossover professionals - Patterson

The Government of Guyana should provide educational incentives for persons to transition from one profession to another, Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), David Patterson said Patterson, at the Alliance for Change’s (AFC) press conference on Friday said that this is one avenue to help fight the oil companies mass recruitmentofskilledprofessional workers.

Patterson was asked by a Kaieteur News reporter, “what are some strategies that you think can be put in place to prevent this [oil companies recruiting skilled workers], and is it a concern that if this trend continues, there would not be anyone left to develop the country in the differentsectors?”

In response, the Opposition MP said, “They haven’t increased (salaries) 6 5% would definitely not help them retain all the skilled professionals that they have Theyhavenotprovidedany incentives education wise for people to transition from one profession into the other we call them crossovers professionals YoumayhavestudiedsayTourism andyouwanttogetintotheoiland

gassectorandyouwantacushion. They have done none of that. All theyhavebeendoingispromoting lowendskilledlaborers.”

Patterson added, “This government since they have returned and even during the previous tenure have very scant regard for professional workers I could recall when I was at the

Ministry the salaries for the engineers and those things were abysmal.I hadtogotocabinetto have a special (sitting) to ensure the salaries for engineers was raisedonparwiththeprivatesector so that we could retain them. This government has not done anything to bolster that..they haven’t paid teachers.”

The AFC representative told reporters that the government continues to pump “a vast amount of money into the sugar industry”

“Theygivegreatconcessions intothehotelier theQatarhotel which will end up with low payingjobssointheendandthis iswhatwehavebeensayingthat intheendwewillhaveapaucity of technical staff and they have already shown that they are willingtogoandimportworkers from other countries instead of promotion Guyanese workers,” Pattersonsaid.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition,AubreyNortonfeels that the Government of Guyana (GoG) must offer competitive salaries to Guyanese to avoid losing its skilled labour force to theoilandgassector

Norton made this comment onFridayinresponsetoquestions posed by Kaieteur News on the subject

Norton was keen to note that while he holds the view that professionalshavearighttowork inwhicheverindustrytheyprefer, there are methods that can be implemented to ensure the skilled workers continue to provide

service for the development of their country, rather than advance theprofitsofprivateorganizations.

He explained that a key elementtoensurethepublicsector is adequately managed is continuoustraining “Isaidbefore at press conferences one of the failures of the government is that they are not training enough people to have the technical competence to deal with the oil andgassector,thatGuyanaisnow anoilandgascountry,thereshould havebeenfarmoretrainingsothat youhaveawiderpoolofpersonsto selectfrom.”

Meanwhile, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo during his weekly conferenceonThursday,hostedat the Office of the President, said that both the private sector and state agencies have complained about losing its employees to the rapidlydevelopingsector Jagdeo was responding to a question from this newspaper when he noted that while the private sector has complained about losing its “people at the bottom” such as cleaners to the public sector since they receive better salaries, the government is losing its skilled workers to the petroleumsector

UNsaysacutemalnutritionspreading

fast among children in Gaza

-IsraelsaysitwillsendadelegationtoQatarformoretalks withmediatorsafterHamaspresentedanewtruceproposal

Aljazeera - Displaced Palestinians collect food donated by a charity before aniftarmeal,thebreakingof fast, on the first day of the Muslim holy fasting month ofRamadan,inRafah

Displaced Palestinians collect food donated by a charity before an iftar meal, the breaking of fast, on the first day of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on March 11, 2024 [File: Mohammed Abed/AFP]

ThemainUnitedNations aidagencyoperatinginGaza has said that acute m a l n u t r i t i o n w a s accelerating in the north of the Palestinian enclave as Israel prepared to send a delegation to Qatar for new trucetalksonahostagedeal withHamas.

On Saturday, the UN ReliefandWorksAgencyfor Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said one in three childrenundertheageoftwo in northern Gaza are now acutely malnourished, putting more pressure on Israel over the looming famine.

“Children’s malnutrition is spreading fast and reaching unprecedented levels in Gaza,” UNRWA saidinasocialmediapost.

On Friday, Israel said it would send a delegation to Qatar for more talks with mediators after Hamas presentedanewproposalfor aceasefirewithanexchange

ofhostagesandprisoners.

A source familiar with the talks told the Reuters news agency that the delegationwillbeledbythe head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, David Barnea Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to convene the security cabinet to discuss theproposalbeforethetalks start.

Netanyahu’s office has said the Hamas offer was still based on “unrealistic demands”.

Repeatedeffortsfailedto secureaceasefirebeforethe holy month of Ramadan, which started a week ago, withIsraelsayingitplansto launch a new offensive in RafahinsouthernGaza.

German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, starting a two-

day visit to the region, voiced concerns about an assault on Rafah, where morethanhalfofGaza’s2.3 million residents are sheltering, saying there was a danger it would result “in many terrible civilian casualties”.

On Friday, Netanyahu’s office said he had approved an attack plan on Rafah and that the civilian population

wouldbeevacuated.

It gave no timeframe, and there was no immediate evidence of extra preparationsontheground.

Humanitariancrisis

Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed at least 31,553 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministryinthestrip.

The assault has also

devastated the enclave, forcing nearly all the inhabitants from their homes, leaving much of the territory in rubble and triggering a massive hunger crisis.

“Children’s malnutrition is spreading fast and reaching unprecedented levels in Gaza,” UNRWA said in a social media post. Hospitals in Gaza have reported some children dying of malnutrition and dehydration.

Western countries have calledonIsraeltodomoreto allow in aid, with the UN s a y i n g i t f a c e d

“overwhelming obstacles” including crossing closures, onerous vetting, restrictions on movement and unrest insideGaza.

AfirstdeliveryintoGaza by the World Central Kitchen, pioneering a new searouteviaCyprus,arrived on Friday and was offloaded,thecharitysaid.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said a secondcargooffoodaidwas ready to depart by sea from Cyprus on Saturday, while theUnitedStatesandJordan said they carried out an airdropofhumanitarianaid.

In a CNN interview, Queen Rania of Jordan called the airdrops “literally just drops in the ocean of unmet needs” and accused Israel of “cutting off everythingthatisrequiredto sustain a human life: food, fuel,medicine,water”.

Natasha Wadd le

Withadeep passionforbusinessdevelopment,thestunning NatashaWaddledesirestouseherplatformastheFounder&Lead BusinessDevelopmentConsultantatXpressBusinessSolutionstomakea positiveimpactinthefieldofentrepreneurship.Natasha’sgreatestdesireistomakea positiveimpactineveryroomandlife,shehastheprivilegeofencountering.Shesaid“I considermyselfanabsolutenatureenthusiast.Ibelieveinusingmyownmistakesandlifelessons toinspireothers,showingthatit’sokaytofail.Failureisjustasteppingstonetogrowth:fail, reflect,apply,andtryagain.Yourfailuresareactuallyyourbestteachers.”Natasha’sfavorite quoteisbyAmericanbusinessmagnateandfounderofFordMotorCompanyHenryFord: “Whetheryouthinkyoucan,oryouthinkyoucan’t,youarecorrect”

Ozempic and other semaglutides are creating quite a craze in the weight loss Industry

Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus and a few more weight loss medications are creating quite a stir in the weight loss industry. They arebeingusedbycelebrities and influencers who are sharing their dramatic weight loss stories all over t h e m e d i a T h e s e medications are all brand names that come from the same class of medications called semaglutide which were initially designed as injections for diabetes treatment semaglutides cameoutmorethanadecade ago and while the initial focus was on diabetes treatment, evidence of their significant weight loss impact became very prominent quickly This triggered a shift in focusing them more for weight loss anddrugcompaniesarenow bringing out their own versions which are all derivativesofsemaglutide.

Whatissemaglutide?

Semaglutidebelongstoa class of medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1 RAs. It mimics the GLP-1 hormone,releasedinthegut in response to eating. One role of GLP-1 is to prompt the body to produce more insulin,whichreducesblood sugar levels. But GLP-1 in higher amounts also interactswiththepartsofthe brain that suppress your

appetite and signal you to feel full When used in conjunction with diet and exercise, it can cause significant weight loss — andareducedriskofcancer, diabetesandheartdisease— in people who are obese or overweight.

Semaglutide injectionsforweightloss

Currently,semaglutideis only approved for weight loss under the brand name Wegovy Thetypicaldosefor weight loss is 2 4 milligrams, administered in the form of an injection under the skin every week. However, the demand for semaglutides has been flooding the market and healthcare providers have b e e n p r e s c r i b i n g semaglutides approved for diabetes management, (Ozempic, Rybelsus etc) for weightloss.Thishascaused ashortageforthepeoplewho rely on this medication for theirdiabetesmanagement. Howgoodissemaglutide forweightloss?

There have been several anti-obesitymedicationsthat help suppress appetite and achieve weight loss But semaglutide performs on a new level.An early study of 2,000obeseadultscompared people using semaglutide plus a diet and exercise program with people who made the same lifestyle c h a n g e s w i t h o u t semaglutide.

After 68 weeks, half of the participants using

semaglutidelost15%oftheir body weight, and nearly a third lost 20%. Participants who incorporated only lifestyle changes lost about 2.4% of their weight. Since then,additionalstudieshave shown similar results. But they’ve also revealed that participants tend to regain the weight lost when they stoptakingsemaglutide. Whatarethesideeffects ofsemaglutideinjections?

The side effects of semaglutide are typically mild especially when c o m p a r e d t o t h e complications associated withoverweightandobesity

P e o p l e t a k i n g semaglutide for weight loss mayexperience:

*Dizziness

*Fatigue

*Gastrointestinal issues, s u c h a s d i a r r h e a , constipationandgassiness

*Headache

*Stomach issues, including nausea, vomiting, painorbloating

Gastrointestinal issues are the most common complaintamongpeoplejust starting semaglutide But you may be able to reduce thesideeffectsbybeginning on a lower dose and then slowly increasing the amount you take. However, there are reports of persons with sudden onset death while on a semaglutide medication While these cases are not the norm, they havebeenoccuringandmore data is needed before

Ozempic and other semaglutides are creating quite a craze in the weight loss Industry

conclusionscanbedrawn. Whoshouldandshould nottakesemaglutide forweightloss?

The FDA recommends Wegovy for weight loss if you meet one of the following criteria: Have a bodymassindex(BMI)of27 kg/m2orgreaterandatleast one weight-related condition,suchashighblood pressure, Type 2 diabetes or

high cholesterol. It can also beusedifyouhaveaBMIof 30kg/m2orgreater

Avoidsemaglutideifyou have:

*History of medullary thyroidcancer

*History of gallbladder disease

*Historyofpancreatitis

*Multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN2)

If you’re considering semaglutide for weight loss, your first step should be consultingyourdoctor They know your personal and family medical history and can guide you in the best treatmentforyourcondition. Semaglutide is very expensive and it is not risk free;yourdoctorwillhaveto determineifit’srightforyou dependingonyourhealth.

Scotiabank hosts development workshops for women and girls

To m a r k t h e Scotiabankrepresentatives.

o c c a s i o n o f Finance Manager,

International Scotiabank Guyana Shellon Women’s Day on March 8 Garner indicated “Women l a s t , S c o t i a b a n k may feel less confident in collaborated with the their financial knowledge Guyana Girl Guides and decision-making As Association (GGGA), to such, by providing financial h o s t d e v e l o p m e n t planning education and workshops for 70 girls and resources at an early age, we youngwomen are hoping to provide these

According to a press young women and girls with release issued on behalf of asolidstarttotheirfutures.”

Scotiabank, the workshops Country Manager, provided opportunities for ScotiabankGuyana,Nafeeza the participants to realise Gaffoor - commented on the theirfullpotential. Bank’s support of women

The participants, ages 16 beyond March 8. “We are –25fromanumberofunder- committed year-round to resourced regions, are being supporting women For equipped with the skills e x a m p l e , t h e needed to support their S c o t i a b a n k / G G G A transition from high school programme is helping young to tertiary education and to women and girls to improve theworldofwork. their education and

The workshops aim to employment prospects and provide financial planning e n h a n c e t h e i r l i f e education and support to the opportunitiesovertime,”she girls and young women, said. helping to empower them to Find out more about our prioritize and positively commitment to supporting shift their financial well- the success of women on our being w e b s i t e :

The financial planning https://gy scotiabank com/i workshops are facilitated by wd.html”

Phoenix: The village with no residents

Accordingtoresidentsof nearby Kingelley, there is Over the stomach always a rank of the Guyana churning, Abary Bridge, a Police Force present to keep few miles away from the an eye on the place, since Weldaad Police Station, during the last general headed east out of the busy elections; there were city life, past the green cattle concernsofthreatsofarson. pastures and lush rice fields, Since it was a week day sits a village which has no and the morning hours, it residents. was very quiet as most

This rural space called people from the surrounding Phoenix, West Coast areas were either at work or Berbice, is said to be owned at school. A walk through of by just one person, Justice t h e v i l l a g e p r o v e d Retired Claudette Singh, but interesting. There were near it has no permanent rows of towering coconut residents. trees and you could hear the

In Guyana’s colonial era, chirping of birds. There was most of the area including the occasional goat and cow surrounding villages like skittering across the public Kingelley and Litchfield roadtryingtoavoidbeinghit West Coast Berbice were all bytraversingvehicles. part of an estate which Eventhoughmuchhasn’t originally produced cotton changed, this publication butasslaverywasabolished, wanted to have a walk down civilizationcreptin. memory lane on what the

Most of these villages placewaslike100yearsago. were developed for housing The village was formerly a and in a few cases cash crop plantation and around the farms and cattle rearing. A year 1818 it was owned by lot changed for them but oneAlexanderTulloh. apparently not much for Some research revealed Phoenix The Waterfalls thatatthetime,heownedthe visited the little village on plantation there was 194 Tuesday morning. At first enslaved people, according glance, it appeared that there to the records of the Center wasnothingelsebutcoconut for the Study of the Legacies trees and overgrown ofBritishSlavery vegetation. A shy resident of the

Sections of the village.

Uponcloserinspectionat nearby village informed this the eastern end of the village magazine that the area is She added that you could grandparentstoldherthatthe established. country air Head on up to wasahouseandwhatlooked normally a quiet place. “We walk through the village of area was once a cotton The next time you want Berbice and have a look at like a caretakers quarters don’t get robberies and them Phoenix anytime and not be plantation before the togetoutofthebusycitylife Phoenix. See you next week some distance away things so. Everybody does troubledsincenooneresides coconut estate was and enjoy some fresh folks!!!

Inquiries revealed that the live like a family Nobody therebuttheonlyissueisthat owner would visit on some doesn’t live over there after the six o’clock hour the Saturdays and there is (Phoenix) but ah police does placegetsreallydarkduetoa someone who looks after the always be guarding since lack of adequate lighting. place during the week, they had the whole problem Whileshecouldn’tcomment cleaning and allowing fresh elections time couple years much on the history of the airin. back.” place she did say her

Country Profile

GREECE

Gwas annexed by Rome in the second century BC, becoming an integral part of the Roman Empire and its continuation, the Byzantine Empire, which was predominately Greekincultureandlanguage.The Greek Orthodox Church, which emerged in the first century AD, helped shape modern Greek identity and transmitted Greek traditions to the wider Orthodox world.After the Fourth Crusade in 1204, Latin possessions were temporarily established in parts of the Greek peninsula, but most of the area fell under Ottoman rule in reece, officially the Hellenic themid-15thcentury Republic, is a country in History

Mycenaeans gradually absorbed the levels of prosperity that resulted in an

Southeast Europe. Located on The Apidima Cave in Mani, in Minoans, but collapsed violently around unprecedented cultural boom, that of the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, southern Greece, has been suggested to 1200 BC, along with other civilizations, classical Greece, expressed in Greece shares land borders with Albania containtheoldestremainsofanatomically during the regional event known as the architecture,drama,science,mathematics to the northwest, North Macedonia and modernhumansoutsideofAfrica,datedto Late Bronze Age collapse. Though the and philosophy In 508 BC, Cleisthenes Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the 210,000yearsago.However,thishasbeen unearthed Linear B texts are too instituted the world’s first democratic east. contested, with other authors suggesting fragmentary for the reconstruction of the systemofgovernmentinAthens.

TheAegean Sea lies to the east of the the remains represent archaic humans.All political landscape and can’t support the By 500 BC, the Persian Empire mainland, the Ionian Sea to the west, and three stages of the Stone Age existence of a larger state, controlled the Greek city states in Asia the Sea of Crete and the Mediterranean (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, emporary Hittite and M i n o r a n d Sea to the south. Greece has the longest Neolithic) are represented Egyptian records suggest Macedonia.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ coastline on the Mediterranean Basin, inGreece,forexamplein the presence of a single Greece - cite_note-35 Attempts by some featuring thousands of islands The the Franchthi Cave state under a “Great of the Greek city-states of Asia Minor to country comprises nine traditional Neolithic settlements

King” based in overthrow Persian rule failed, and Persia geographic regions, and has a population inGreece,datingfrom mainlandGreece. invaded the states of mainland Greece in of nearly 10.4 million. Athens is the the 7th millennium

The collapse of 492BC,butwasforcedtowithdrawaftera nation’s capital and largest city, followed BC, are the oldest in

t h e M y c e n e a n defeat at the Battle of Marathon in 490 byThessalonikiandPatras. Europe by several civilizationusheredin BC.

Greece is considered the cradle of centuries, as Greece

a period known as the In response, the Greek city-states Western civilization, being the birthplace lies on the route via Greek DarkAges, from formed the Hellenic League in 481 BC, of democracy, Western philosophy, which farming spread which written records led by Sparta, which was the first Western literature, historiography, from the Near East to are absent. The end of the historicallyrecordedunionofGreekstates political science, major scientific and Europe.

D a r k A g e s i s since the mythical union of the Trojan mathematical principles, theatre, and the Greece is home to the traditionally dated to War A second invasion by the Persians Olympic Games. From the eighth century f i r s t a d v a n c e d 776BC,theyearofthe followedin480BC. BC, the Greeks were organised into civilizations in Europe and is considered first Olympic Games. The Iliad and the Following decisive Greek victories in various independent city-states known as the birthplace of Western civilisation, Odyssey, the foundational texts of 480 and 479 BC at Salamis, Plataea, and poleis (singular polis) that spanned the beginning with the Cycladic civilization Western literature, are believed to have Mycale, the Persians were forced to MediterraneanandBlackseas.PhilipIIof ontheislandsoftheAegeanSeaataround beencomposedbyHomerinthe7thor8th withdrawforasecondtime,markingtheir Macedon united most of present-day 3200BC,theMinoancivilizationinCrete centuries BC. With the end of the Dark eventual withdrawal from all of their Greece in the fourth century BC, with his (2700–1500BC),andthentheMycenaean Ages, there emerged various kingdoms Europeanterritories. son Alexander the Great rapidly civilization on the mainland (1600–1100 andcity-statesacrosstheGreekpeninsula, Led by Athens and Sparta, the Greek conquering much of the known ancient BC) These civilizations possessed which spread to the shores of the Black victoriesintheGreco-PersianWarsare world from the eastern Mediterranean to writing, the Minoans using an Sea, Southern Italy (the sonorthwestern India The subsequent undeciphered script known as Linear A, called “Magna Graecia”) and HellenisticperiodsawtheheightofGreek and the Mycenaeans writing the earliest Asia Minor These states and culture and influence in antiquity. Greece attested form of Greek in Linear B. The their colonies reached great

Continued on page 33

GREECE

From page 29 considered a pivotal moment in world history, as the 50 years of peacethatfollowedareknownas the Golden Age of Athens, the seminal period of ancient Greek development that laid many of the foundations of Western civilization.

Geography

Located in Southern and Southeast Europe, Greece consists of a mountainous, peninsular mainland jutting out intotheseaatthesouthernendof the Balkans, ending at the Peloponnese peninsula (separated from the mainland by the canal of the Isthmus of Corinth) and strategically located at the crossroads of throughthecentralPeloponnese, consists of 120 articles, provides beginning in Mycenaean Greece an ideal of beauty that strongly Europe,Asia, andAfrica. Due to crosses the islands of Kythera for a separation of powers into andcontinuingmostnotablyinto i n f l u e n c e d W e s t e r n its highly indented coastline and and Antikythera and finds its executive, legislative, and Classical Greece, through the art.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki numerous islands, Greece has way into southwestern Aegean, judicial branches, and grants influence of the Roman Empire /Greece-cite_note-381 the 11th longest coastline in the in the island of Crete where it extensive specific guarantees and its Greek Eastern Visual arts world with 13,676 km (8,498 eventuallyends. (further reinforced in 2001) of continuation,theEasternRoman ArtisticproductioninGreece mi); its land boundary is 1,160 TheislandsoftheAegeanare civil liberties and social rights. orByzantineEmpire. began in the prehistoric prekm (721 mi). The country lies peaks of underwater mountains Women’s suffrage was Other cultures and nations, Greek Cycladic and the Minoan approximately between latitudes that once constituted an guaranteed with an amendment such as the Latin and Frankish civilizations,bothofwhichwere 34° and 42° N, and longitudes extension of the mainland tothe1952Constitution. states, the Ottoman Empire, the influenced by local traditions 19° and 30° E, with the extreme Pindus is characterised by its The nominal head of state is Venetian Republic, the Genoese andtheartofancientEgypt. pointsbeing: high,steeppeaks,oftendissected the President of the Republic, Republic,andtheBritishEmpire There were several

·North:Ormeniovillage by numerous canyons and a who is elected by the Parliament have also left their influence on interconnected traditions of

·South:Gavdosisland variety of other karstic for a five-year term. According modern Greek culture, although paintinginancientGreece. E a s t : S t r o n g y l i landscapes. to the Constitution, executive historians credit the Greek War Due to their technical (Kastelorizo,Megisti)island The spectacular Vikos power is exercised by the of Independence with differences, they underwent

·West:Othonoiisland Gorge, part of the Vikos-Aoos President and the Government. revitalising Greece and giving somewhat differentiated

Eighty percent of Greece National Park in the Pindus However, the Constitutional birth to a single, cohesive entity developments. Not all painting consists of mountains or hills, range, is listed by the Guinness amendmentof1986curtailedthe ofitsmulti-facetedculture. techniques are equally well making the country one of the book of World Records as the President’s duties and powers to In ancient times, Greece was representedinthearchaeological most mountainous in Europe. deepest gorge in the world. a significant extent, rendering thebirthplaceofWesternculture. record. Mount Olympus, the mythical Another notable formation are the position largely ceremonial; Modern democracies owe a debt The most respected form of abode of the Greek Gods, the Meteora rock pillars, atop most political power is thus to Greek beliefs in government art, according to authors like culminates at Mytikas peak which have been built medieval vested in the Prime Minister, by the people, trial by jury, and Pliny or Pausanias, were 2,918 metres (9,573 ft), the GreekOrthodoxmonasteries. Greece’sheadofgovernment. equalityunderthelaw individual, mobile paintings on highest in the country Western Politics The position is filled by the The ancient Greeks wooden boards, technically Greece contains a number of Greece is a unitary current leader of the political pioneered in many fields that described as panel paintings. lakes and wetlands and is parliamentary republic The party that can obtain a vote of rely on systematic thought, Also, the tradition of wall dominated by the Pindus current Constitution was drawn confidence by the Parliament. including logic, biology, painting in Greece goes back at mountain range. The Pindus, a up and adopted by the Fifth The president of the republic geometry, government, least to the Minoan and continuationoftheDinaricAlps, Revisionary Parliament of the formally appoints the prime geography, medicine, history, Mycenaean Bronze Age, with reaches a maximum elevation of Hellenes and entered into force minister and, on their philosophy, physics, and the lavish fresco decoration of 2,637 m (8,652 ft) at Mt in 1975 after the fall of the recommendation, appoints and mathematics. They introduced sites like Knossos, Tiryns and Smolikas (the second-highest in military junta of 1967–1974. It dismisses the other members of such important literary forms as Mycenae. Much of the figural or Greece)andhistoricallyhasbeen has been revised four times theCabinet. epic and lyrical poetry, history, architecturalsculptureofancient a significant barrier to east–west since: in 1986, 2001, 2008 and Culture tragedy, comedy and drama. In Greece was painted colourfully travel. 2019.

The culture of Greece has their pursuit of order and This aspect of Greek stonework

The Pindus range continues The Constitution, which evolvedoverthousandsofyears, proportion, the Greeks created isdescribedaspolychrome.

Traditional Greek cuisine.

Sonia Noel hosts Inspire You for Women's History Month

The Sonia Noel Foundation is gung-ho about this year's iteration of Inspire You, in commemorationofWomen'sHistoryMonth, just on the heels of International Women's day,onMarch8th.

Andinkeepingwiththetheme,thisyear of 'Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress', thepaneldiscussionchockedfullofdynamic speakersandmotivationaltrailblazers.

Oneoftheunderpinnings,thisyear,isthe promotion of inclusivity, 'Inspire Inclusion', and the Foundation has definitely made this tenetitsoverarchingmandate.

Inspire You started the celebration in FloridaattheWomencelebratingWomenTea Party and Soaring to Greater Heights events featuring Lina Ramsey, Laverne Cuzco and Sonia Noel. On the 17th of March at Tower Suites,MainStreet,Georgetown,Guyana,an international forum of game changers, featuring onsite and online speakers will be hosted.

Guyaneseclothingdesigner,SoniaNoel, is exuberant about the impressive panel she hascuratedforthiseventandisdeterminedto setthebarhighaswellasimpactparticipants with transformative nuggets of mindsetadjusting and psyche-shifting inspiration to elevateandedify,notonlywomenbutallwho tunein.

Thepanelisbeingmoderatedbyregional creative strategist and fashion impresario, RichardYoung,whoisfamedforhisincisive gift of gab, skilled at provoking insightful discourse and interactive dialogue. Indeed, Dr Sonia Noel brings her wealth of multidisciplinary entrepreneurshipdesigner, philanthropist, motivational speaker,andauthor-tobearonthefootprint

ofthismotivationalsymposiumhighlighting theJohnMaxwellmethodology Allspeakers areJohnMaxwellalumni.

Otherspeakersincludeacrosssectionof extraordinaryinfluencerswhoareallmaking amarkindevelopinghumancapitalthrough holistic and empowering precepts of sustainable development directives serving toenhanceourcollectivelifechance.

With a diverse background, in Columbia and USA, steeped in initiatives geared to enable others to live their best lives, comes SaraNunez,CEOofDreamtoSucceed,with her prowess in project management and organisational transformation Across the globe,intheMaldives,AleefHussain,Senior

Director, Talent and Culture at Lux Resorts andHotel,bringshiswell-honedexpertiseof human resource strategy and quality customerexperiencetomagnifythenarrative ofthe2024editionof'InspireYou'.

InGuyana,alongsideNoelareotherJohn Maxwell Leadership Certified Trainers resident in Guyana - Charissa Rampersud, Nebiola Gittens and Rawle Dundass Charissa Rampersaud is passionate about leadership that propels others to maximise theirpotentialandworkeficientlyinteams. She brings her enthusiasm to embolden the 'InspireYou'engagement.

Nebiola Gittens is an ardent peopleperson consistently desirous of upgrading

people skills, by mentoring and inspiring others through personal and professional development so that they can ef iciently and ef ectively foster interactivity and group behaviour

RawleDundassholdsthehonourofbeing the first Guyanese to become a certified member of John Maxwell International Team.Heisanavidleadershiptrainerwitha wide spectrum of professional portfolios under his belt, including hospitality, communicationandsales,tonameafew He certainly will fortify the output at this year's 'Inspire You'. Dr Safeeya Mohammed is no strangertotheInspireYouplatform.

Sheisverykeenonreturningtoshareher manifold experiences garnered through her involvement in global empowerment initiatives.Anawardedmedicaldoctoranda dynamic multimedia host, she heads her company, in Trinidad, leading with a purposeful, versatile and strategic drive that transformslivesassheimparts.

Rounding up the panel is a strategist par excellence, from the United States, Tricia Andreassen, who is a leading inspirational business branding, dream builder coach speaker, and author whose wide-reaching scopebolstershercompetencytohelpothers maximise the gifts they have within themselves by finding their voice and discoveringtheirpurpose.

'Inspire You' certainly is going to be a catalyst for transforming how individuals viewthemselvesandeachotherandserveto create enabling space, corral purpose intervention and commit us to better living perquisites. The public can also register to viewthiseventonzoom.

Entertainment

One of Carlvin Burnett’s latest songs “Guide

MyWay”isquiteaddictive.Afterlisteningto the lyrics, combined with the reggae style rhythmandhismelodiousvoice,Iwashookedandcould notstopmyselffromrepeatedlysingingoutloudly,apart ofthechorus,“Fatherguidemywayyyy,protectmefrom my enamiess (enemies), show me things that I cannot see”-andIamnottheonlyoneaddictedtothesong.

Whilegatheringmythoughtsforanewspaperarticle, it kept on replaying in my mind and so this week I must sharethestorybehindCarlvinBurnett’s‘GuideMyWay” becauseitstrending.

“Guide My Way” is produced by Joey2koolProduction and is a story of a “small” country boyfromBerbice,whoisbeingguidedbytheFather

Speakingwith TheWaterfalls intherecentinterview, Burnettsaidthatthesongspeaksabouthisownlifestory

“ItspeaksaboutwhatIhavebeenthrough,theissuesI havefacedandhowIactuallygotoutofit”the2024Soca KingtoldKaieteurNews.

Burnettdidn’tsharethedetailsofwhathewasableto overcomeinhislifebuthedidsaythathismusicaljourney hasbeena“rollercoasterride”.

“Itwasrollercoasterrideactuallynothinggreatisever thatsmoothsoformeitwasarollercoaster”,theBerbice singingsensationsaid.

Whilearollercoasterridemightscaresome,Burnettis enjoying the thrill and taking advantage of it because according to him, he is “a small country boy living in Guyana and working really hard to make the dream a reality”.

Music and singing is a family tradition for Carlvin Burnett.Hegrewupinahouseofsingersandbecameone himself but in the early days of his career, he only showcased his talent in church where he also played the drums.

Burnett said too that he was a laid back person that didn’tpushmuch,butthatwouldallchangewhenafellow Berbician like himself, Celeste David won a national singingcompetitioninthecountry

Burnett said she inspired and motivated him to take thestepinmusicthatwouldchangehislifeforever

“IsaidtomyselfifshecandothatIcandothattoo,”he said.

TheverynextsingingcompetitionBurnettsignedup. Hemadeittothefinalsandalthoughhegotsecondplace, the competition served as a launching pad for his music andledtohimbecomingahouseholdnameinGuyanaand theCaribbean.

He then linked up with the Heatwave Band, a group that Burnett praised for making him the performer he is today

Burnettaddedthatheisgratefulthathewasalsoable to collaborate and being around other local artistes like Nikita, Diana Chapman, Mark Batson and Jackie Jaxx, whohelpedeachotherexcelintheirrespectivecareers.

AsBurnettthecountryboycontinuestoseekguidance fromthe“Father”.Hehassethimselfagoalforthenext fiveyears.

“Infiveyearsorless,myselfandmyteam,wanttobe the touring group from Guyana” Burnett said before adding “If you look anywhere else, Jamaica get Dexta daps or Bennie Man, or Valiant, and the US (United States)getBeyonce,BarbadosgotRihanna,whoGuyana got?WecarlvinBurnett,WegotJoey2koolProduction,we gotMarkBatson,wegotDianaChapman,wegetNikita”.

Atpresent,Burnettisworkingonmoreaddictivehits, an afro beat song called Coolio. He is also collaborating Ckushtoproduceareggae-popsongcalledSurvivor Burnett is also working on another collaboration whichhepromiseswillblowminds.

“Iamnotgoingtoletthecatoutofthebagofwhothat person is that I am collaborating with but trust me when youseeit,itisgoingtoblowyourmind”,Burnettsaid.

Follow link to listen Carlvin Burnett’s “Guide My way”,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2I3STnHLEY

Carlvin Burnett’s

‘Guide My Way’ is all about a country boy led by the Father

Entertainment

Carol Productions present Latin Night at Outside Bar

cocktails, BBQ delights, wings, chicken tenders, Tacos andNachosataffordableprices.

So if you are a fan of Latin dances, such Salsa and Bachata,thengrabfriendsandheaddowntoOutsideBar thisandeveryMonday

TMasharama & Splashamani organizers planning bigger events for 2025

he entertainment industry

witnessed a seismic shift when Marvelous Entertainment & Hits and Jams Entertainment teamed up to host Splashamani on February 22 and Masharama on February 24. The events both recorded a massive success, which saw exceptional performances by both local and regionalacts,andcapturedthousands in attendance in the National Stadium.

The fun started with a Soca concert, Jouvert and fete dubbed “Splashamani” the night before uyana’s 54th Republic Day Holiday ThisSocaextravaganzasaw the biggest names in Soca - Yung Bredda, Olatunji, Problem Child, W Lyrical, Calvin Burnette, imeka Marshall, Diana Chapman andOmaiahHallsharingonestage.

The Splashamani stage came alivewithenergeticperformancesto thebiggestsocahitsanddancesfrom members that were pulled from the audience in the National Stadium.

The event’s success was evident in the overwhelming turnout and the enthusiasticresponsefromattendees, pavingawayforittobeastapleinthe Mashramanicelebrations.

Following Mashramani celebrations, patrons headed back to the National Stadium for a night of Dancehall, which featured a diverse lineup of performers that offered somethingforeveryone.

TheJamaicanDancehallartistesBrysco, Rajah Wild, Kraff, Nigey Boy and Dovey Magnum left a lasting impression on the Guyanese crowd,withtheirperformances.

Surprise artiste and producerRvssian, lighted up the stage as he sang his most popular hits and even closedtheshowwithamedleyofthe “DuttyMoneyRiddim”-whichmany have described as the perfect way to endtheshow

The event’s organizers recognizing the importance of supporting the growth of our local Dancehall music industry gave Alabama,FameA,MatticQueen,Lil

Million, BNick, Original Lyrics and Shatta Youth the opportunity to let theirtalentsshineonthemainstage.

Chief Executive Officer of Marvelous Entertainment said “This isthebiggestMasharamatodateand we are already planning on having a bigger event next year It was an amazingexperiencehasallofthebig namesinDancehallononestageand toseethereactionofthecrowdtothe surprise artiste-Rvssian, who has never been to Guyana before, was simply amazing. We can’t wait to improve and make next year’s Masharama one that you don’t want tomiss.”

Reflecting on the success, Director of Hits and Jams- Kerwin Bollerssaidbotheventsdeliveredan unforgettable experience that resonatedwithaudiencesofallages.

Bollers said “It was a great weekend of activities that patrons enjoyed. What’s most important to us,wasthatbotheventswereincident free.”Hethankedthepublicfortheir unwaveringsupport.

Entertainment

Thereturnofoneofthe

most anticipated and popular football tournaments in Guyana disappoint on Friday evening at theNationalParkTarmac.

Fans turned up in their numbers and the vibe was electricasthetournament’stwotimedefendingchampion,‘Gold is Money, North East La Penitence and Laing Avenue advancedtothegroupstage.

Gold is Money labored to a 2-1 penalty shoot-out victory over newcomer Renegade AllStars, after regulation and extra timeended0-0.

Meanwhile, Laing Avenue BallersbestedFestivalCity2-0.

Ontheotherhand,NorthEastLa PenitenceovercameBallers2-1. In other results, Rising Stars squeakedpastAlexanderVillage 3-2. In the final encounter both teams, Sophia and Bent Street Young Gunners were expelled from the competition following an altercation between their players.

Theactioncontinuestonight attheNationalPark.

Guinness“Greatnessofthe Street”continuestonight

Action from Friday night’s league of the competition

Vybz Kartel Not “The Least Bit” Worried About A Retrial, But Urges Court Of Appeal To Do The “Right Thing”

(Dancehallmag.com)

and Andre ‘Mad Suss’ St.

Dancehall star Vybz John in finding that Juror X, Kartel has openly declared who was accused of his readiness for a potential attempted bribery, should retrial but is calling on have been removed from the Jamaica’sCourtofAppealto trial. The Council’s decision act justly in determining stated that the original trial whetherthereshouldbeone. judge erred when he let the

ThiscomesaftertheUK- accused juror participate in based Privy Council the final verdict, which overturned his murder compromised the safety of conviction on Thursday and the convictions and violated ordered that the case be sent the appellants’right to a fair back to the island’s Court of trial. Appeal, a move that Kartel

Bert Samuels, an viewsasasignificantvictory attorney for Shawn Storm, not just for himself but for hassaidthatthefourmencan justice. now request bail pending the fairness, and justice and free the production of a letter

In a statement to Court of Appeal’s decision us Some people have dated 13 November 2013 FOX5NY journalist Lisa wisdom, understood the Buchanan, John Clarke, onapossibleretrial. expressed their concern to purportedly written by him Evers on Thursday evening, assignmentandremediedthe David Hislop, Hugh In his statement, Kartel me that a retrial may be tothePublicDefender Inthe Kartelsharedhisthoughtson situation by quashing my Southey, Julian Malins, and expressed confidence that ordered but to them, I say letter, Mr Chow stated that the recent developments and conviction!” he began the Allesandra Labeach pleaded the Court of Appeal, which (albeit with my limited he had in fact seen the his outlook on the future statement. my cause and my cries were previously upheld his knowledge of the law) ‘what deceased alive after 16 legal proceedings Evers “I am now back to being heard in the land’s highest conviction, would now do istheretoretry?’”hesaid. August 2011, and that he, conducted Kartel’s last an innocent man in the eyes court.” the“rightthing.” Kartel highlighted what Mr Chow, had been broadcastinterviewin2021. of the law A grave injustice On Thursday morning, “Iamalsoveryconfident he deemed to be flaws in his pressured by the police to “I feel victorious in this was done to me and my co- the Privy Council sided with that the court of appeal in conviction, including the give the statement which he very moment as the Privy accused in the original trial Kartel and his co-accused Jamaica will do the right C o u r t o f A p p e a l ’s gaveon24August2011.” Council in their infinite and subsequently Isat Shawn Storm, Kahira Jones, thing in the name of equity, acknowledgment of the Kartel’s statement defense’s efforts to continued: “And unsafe by undermine the creditability analysis from forensics of Lamar ‘Wee’ Chow, the experts hired by my team p r o s e c u t i o n ’s s o l e from the United Kingdom! eyewitness.

Not only that, police officers

However, the Court Of in the original trial also Appeal did not issue an admitted that they tampered opinion on Chow’s with text messages using the testimony The court merely Cellebrite machine and even stated the facts of the trial admitted that they used the regardingChow. cellphones which were in

They wrote: “As might evidencetomakephonecalls have been expected, Mr. and send text messages to Chow’s credibility was various numbers including severely impugned at the my then lawyer, my baby’s trial. Among the matters mother, and to my music relied on for this purpose publisher.”

were: (i) the alleged internal He added, “With that inconsistencies and being said, the most discrepancies in his importantpointtomeisthatI evidence; (ii) the technical am an innocent man. So in evidence, which we will reality,I’mnotintheleastbit mention below, relating to worried as I know I will be thetimingandplaceoforigin acquittedandgohometomy of telephone calls to and familywhomIhavenotbeen from his cellular telephone together with for over 10 on 16 August 2011; and (iii) years.”

Celine Dion Shares Heartfelt Message on Stiff Person Syndrome Awareness Day: ‘We Can Do It!’

Grammy-winning singer, Celine Dion 55, took to social media on Friday (March15)tosharewordsof encouragement and show herappreciationtofansafter being diagnosed with the rareneurologicaldisorderin recent years The iconic singer was diagnosed with the rare neurological disorderinDecember2022.

“Today the world recognizesInternationalSPS

AwarenessDay,”Dionwrote on Instagram alongside a photoofhersmilingwithher threesons.“Asmanyofyou know, in the fall of 2022, I was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) Trying to overcome this autoimmune disorder has been one of the hardest experiences of my life, but I remain determined to one day get back onto the stage andtoliveasnormalofalife

Kelly Clarkson Launches New Lawsuit In Legal War With Ex-Husband Brandon Blackstock

K

ongoinglegalbattlewithexh u s b a n d B r a n d o n Blackstock is expanding with a new lawsuit aimed at potentially going much further than the $2.6 million ruling she won against him lastfall.

With Blackstock currently appealing that November decision, Clarkson filed a new case Monday in Los Angeles court,seekingarulingthathe andhisfather’smanagement firmhadbeenviolatingstate labor rules all the way back to the very start of their relationship.

Clarkson’snewlawsuitis seeking an order that would requirethereturnof“anyand all commissions, fees, profits, advances, producing fees or other monies” she paidtoBlackstock’s father’s company, Starstruck Entertainment, dating back to 2007 – much further back than the earlier judgment, which only reached back to 2017.

Thenewcaseisthelatest

as possible. I am deeply grateful for the love and support from my kids, family,teamandallofyou!” Shecontinued,“Iwantto sendmyencouragementand support to all those around the world that have been affected by SPS. I want you to know you can do it! We can do it!” Since December 2022,the“MyHeartWillGo On” singer has remained largely out of the public eye

due to her diagnosis with stiffpersonsyndrome,arare neurologicaldisorderknown for causing uncontrolled muscle spasms that make it hard to move. Dion was forced to postpone all of her 2023 tour dates, before ultimately canceling the rest of her tour entirely Last December, her sister Claudette revealed that Celine had “no control” of hermuscles.

development in a sprawling legal battle between the two ex-spouses, who split in 2020 after seven years of marriage.

The divorce itself was finalized in 2022, but that personal settlement didn’t resolve tricky business entanglements with Blackstock’s father’s firm, which managed her for years. Shortly after Clarkson filed for divorce, Starstruck sued her for millions in allegedly unpaid fees, claiming it had “invested a great deal of time, money, energy, and dedication” into her and had “developed Clarkson into a mega superstar.”

Clarkson responded by filing a complaint with California’s Labor Commissioner, arguing that Blackstock and Starstruck had violated California’s Talent Agencies Act (TAA) by serving not just as her personal managers, but as unlicensedtalentagentswho bookedbusinessdeals.

Glass Skin: The Korean beauty trend is all about hydration

Move along slugging, skin flooding, and cloud skin. If your pursuit for the most hydrated, luminous skin of your life has led you to the world of Korean beauty trends; it wouldn’t take long before you’ve come across the phrase “glassskin.”

“Glassskinisatrendthat describes your skin looking so clear, dewy, and smooth thatitcanlookreflectiveand translucent like glass,” says CharlotteCho.

Though the term started to gain popularity on social media around 2017, “glass skin has long been a beauty ideal in Korea for many years,”addsY ClaireChang, M.D. “Koreans have always focused on multi-step skincare that layers hydrating products to create thatdewy,youthfullook.”

To be clear, glass skin isn’t about achieving a flawless or pore-less complexion (which would beunrealistic)—butgetting your skin to its healthiest stateyet.

Though it might seem skin this smooth and radiant feels out-of-reach, our experts remind us that glass skinispossibleforanyoneas long as you take a holistic approach: “In addition to consistent skincare practices, achieving glass skin means you need to balance it with a proper amount of sleep, plenty of water, exercise, and eating right,”saysCho.

Step1:Double-Cleanse Skin

If you’re not already familiar with this two-step method of cleansing, it involves using an oil-based face wash like Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm to lift dirt and grime away from the skin, then using a gentle, water-based cleanser like Good Light Cosmic Dew Water Cleanser for an evendeeperclean.“Lookfor low-pH cleansers for your water-based cleanser, which won’t irritate or strip your skinbarrier,”saysCho.

Step2:Exfoliate DeadSkin

Sloughing off that top layerofdeadskinisessential to evening out your texture. “To achieve glass skin without the help of makeup, it really comes down to exfoliating off the dead skin that contributes to a dull complexion,” says Cho. For super-sensitive skin, you could also try a chemical exfoliator that doesn’t

involve manual scrubbing. Bonus: Exfoliating also helps the rest of your productspenetrateyourskin better, allowing them to workmoreeffectively

Can You Get the “No Makeup” Look Through SkincareAlone?

Step3:Refresh

SkinwithToner

If you’re already cringing, rest assured that face toners these days aren’t the same formulas that used to strip, sting, and dry out yourskin.

Instead, the new class of toners maintains your skin’s pH balance while sweeping away excess oil and skin pollution. “Today’s toners are hydrating not astringent!” says Cho Simply soak a cotton pad with toner and gently sweep itacrossyourface.

Step4:Usea SheetMask

If you’re tight on time, sheetmaskscanbeoptional. But if your skin needs the extra TLC and you’re ready for some pampering, grab a sheet mask. “Sheet masks can be used twice or three times weekly to help boost hydration, especially when your skin is dry,” says Dr Chang FaceTory Dream

Garden Elderflower Sheet Masks contain a triple hyaluronic acid complex to plump skin and kickstart your glow Then, when it’s time to peel it off, pat the excessproductintoyourskin andneckinsteadofwipingit away

Step5:AddanEssence

Get the moisture party started with the help of essences.Nottobeconfused with toners, which have a similar slippery texture, “essences are lightweight, water-based products with active ingredients that focus on brightening, hydrating, and nourishing the skin but are less concentrated than serums and ampoules,” says Dr Chang. Essences are often considered the heart of a typical Korean skincare routine — they make your skin feel renewed. “Korean essences work to optimize your skin’s natural cell turnover rate. Think: skin regeneration,” says Cho Insteadofswipingitonyour face with a cotton pad like a toner, essences are typically patted into your skin using yourhands.

Step6:Treat WithSerum

Though it may not be necessary to use a serum in

addition to an essence, if yourgoalishydration,you’ll benefit from both. “Serums d e l i v e r a h i g h e r concentration of active ingredients [than essences] to target specific concerns, like dull complexion, dehydration,andfinelines.

Theyareformulatedwith various active ingredients, including hyaluronic acid, glycerin, antioxidants, brightening ingredients, botanical extracts, and antiagingingredients,” saysDr Chang.Howyouuseserums can also be a little different than essences: “Serums are usually thicker in consistency compared to essences and are often used like a spot treatment to treat specific skin conditions,” addsCho.

Step7:Slather onMoisturizer

If we had to choose the most crucial step of your glass skin routine (aside from exfoliation, of course), it would be applying your moisturizer

“Moisturizing is essentialtolockintheactive ingredients and hydration applied in previous steps,” saysDr Chang.“Ingredients like ceramides, panthenol, andcentellaasiaticaaregreat for hydrating, calming, and repairingtheskin.”Dr Jart+ Ceramidin Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream boasts five ceramides and panthenoltostrengthenyour skinbarrierwhilepreventing waterloss.

Ultimately,“thebestway to moisturize the skin depends on your skin type and individual needs,” says Dr.Chang.Forinstance,she says, those with dry skin year-round may want a thicker, cream-based moisturizer Otherswithoily skincangoforalightweight, gel-basedmoisturizer

Step8:ApplyEyeCream

The skin around the eyelidsisextremelydelicate andthin,soitcanbethefirst area of your face to show dehydration and signs of aging. “Korean consumers believe in taking additional stepsintheirskincareroutine to treat various skin conditions,suchasfinelines and dark circles,” says Cho. “Fine lines are more visible when the skin lacks moisture, so most eye creams are formulated with humectants and nourishing vitamins ” For example, Sulwhasoo Timetreasure Invigorating Eye Cream is packed with antioxidants and ginseng to improve

hydration and plumpness, specificallyfortheeyearea.

Toapplythese,“useyour pinkie finger to gently tap your eye cream underneath your eyes and around the entire orbital bone,” says Cho. “Don’t get too close to the waterlines of your eyes, oryoucanirritatethem.”

Step9:TopIt withFaceOil

Since face oils aren’t humectants but rather emollientsandocclusives— meaning they reinforce and

protect your skin barrier — applying them at the end of your routine is important to seal in all that moisture into your skin. “I recommend face oils that are noncomedogenic and contain ingredients that hydrate and nourish the skin, such as jojoba oil, argan oil, or rosehipoil,”saysDr Chang.

Step10:ProtectwithSPF

If you apply your glass skin regimen at night, your routine can end with face oils.Butifyou’reusingyour

products during the day, sunscreen will be your final step. “Sunscreen is the most important part of the skincareregimen,especially inK-beauty,topreventsigns of aging and sun damage,” saysDr Chang.

“Prevention is key to maintaining healthy, glowing skin.” Consider it yourwayofensuringallyour efforts to achieve glass skin aren’t in vain — and enjoy the dewy, glowing skin you’veworkedsohardfor

...premiere creates major buzz in Jamaica

EMPOWERING CONSUMERS – GNBS LOOKS TO ADVOCATE FOR RESPONSIBLE AI USE

As the world observed World C o n s u m e r Rights Day 2024 under the theme “ ” F a i r a n d r es p o n s ib le A I f o r consumers” on March 15, theGuyanaNationalBureau of Standards (GNBS) reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding consumer interests and promoting ethical practices in the digitalage.

Thethemecameatatime w h e n t h e w o r l d ’s technological landscape is rapidly evolving. Artificial intelligence (AI) plays an increasingly significant role in shaping consumer experiences With advancements that lead to p e r s o n a l i z e d recommendations in automated decision-making processes, AI has the potential to enhance efficiency and convenience for consumers However, alongside these benefits come challenges related to fairness, accountability, and transparency Recognizing the importance of addressing these challenges, and taking into consideration that this technologyisrelativelynew to Guyana, the GNBS is lookingtoactivelyengagein initiatives aimed at promoting fair and responsibleAIpractices,and is opened to developing and adopting specific standards forAI.

Additionally, through its regulatory frameworks, advocacy efforts, and consumer education programmes, the GNBS endeavourstoensurethatAI technologies serve consumers in a manner that is ethical, transparent, and equitable.

While the GNBS may not have specific standards for AI, it encourages b u s i n e s s e s a n d organizations to adhere to

principles of fairness, nondiscrimination, and user privacy in their AI systems. By promoting transparency about how AI systems operateandthedatatheyuse, the GNBS joins with other likeminded and consumer protection organisations to empower consumers to make informed decisions about AI-driven products andservices.

Since its establishment, the GNBS has been at the forefront of consumer protection through facilitating the development of and access to standards, and through its various core services which ensure consumers know about the accuracy,consistency,purity and quality of goods and services.

The Bureau protects consumers through the verificationofweighingand measuring instruments used in trade, the inspection and monitoring of products offeredforsale,thedelivery of training and technical assistancetoindividualsand organisation aiming to provide quality goods and services. In addition, the Bureaucertifieslaboratories and tests products consumers use for conformancetostandards.

Furthermore, the GNBS places a strong emphasis on consumer education and awareness-raising initiatives.

Over the years, the GNBS has continually reached out to consumers through outreach visits, schoollecturesandmeetings across the country, through radio and television programmes and other initiatives to educate consumers.

These awareness opportunities have also helped to garner consumer feedbacktobettermeettheir needs By empowering consumers with knowledge

about AI technologies, their rights and responsibilities, and potential risks of using substandard products and services, the GNBS aims to foster informed decisionmaking and promote digital literacy

Through workshops, school lectures and informational campaigns, the GNBS will continue to educate consumers across Guyana.

Finally, on the occasion of World Consumer Rights Day, 2024, the GNBS reaffirms its commitment to maintaining its support to

other consumer protection bodies-theCompetitionand C o n s u m e r A ff a i r s Commission (CCAC) and the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA).

To celebrate World Consumer Rights this year, GNBS, CCAC and DCA participated in the World Consumer Rights Pop Up Expo on March 15 on Main StreetAvenue,Georgetown.

For further information on this subject, contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0065 or 2190064 or visit its website: www.gnbsgy.org

NEED FOR GREATER AWARENESS OF THE IMPACT OF THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN SERVICES AND SOCIAL SECURITY

Though the role

and activities of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security have such far reachingandsalutaryeffects on individual citizens and Society as a whole, there is very little direct coverage giventoitinthemedia.

It is treated somewhat like the sun whose beneficentraysarenecessary for human survival but whom Institutions and societyrarelyrememberand takeforgranted.

T h e h e l p a n d interventionofthisMinistryMHSSS- are invoked in all kinds of human situations and the officers of the Ministry quietly lend their help.

This is not surprising since the leader of that Ministry; Dr Vindhya Persaud’s personality seemed to have suffused the activitiesoftheMHSSS. Dr Persaud comes from a background of selfless service. Her father was the late Pandit Repudaman Persaud, a man of great courage who stood up a g a i n s t S t a t e authoritarianismatgreatrisk tohislifeandlimbandwho, over the years when the country was enveloped in want and hardship and Guyanese people were fleeingthecountry,hewould trytohelppeople’sneedsby gatheringwhatever could be hadfromfriendsandchelas.

The MHSSS recently evinced an example of that spirit:

A prominent member of Societyquietlyinformedthe Ministry that he knew of a retired Permanent Secretary who lived alone, was in his nineties and barely mobile and whose pensions were comparatively very small. For example, though he had contributed at the highest level for his National Insurance, his NIS pension was at the lowest level because actual contributions basedonthe“low”salariesat thetimedidnotwarranthim having more than the lowest pension.

(At the time the former PS was in service, the Guyana currency was a heavyoneandforexample,a new,notsecondhand,motor car could be purchased for fourtofivethousandGuyana dollars).

TheMHSSSgotintouch bytelephonewiththeretiree andofferedhelphemayhave required. Theretireecoming from that culture where one triedtolivewithinhismeans and never felt that one’s problems should be projected to anyone else, even the State, thanked MHSSS and assured them that he was managing and did not require any assistanceatthemoment.

The Ministry, from its experience and sensitivity, presented the retiree with a hamper of foodstuffs when delivering his Old Age pension book as a shut-in. The retiree welcomed the unexpected and useful gift andwasverygrateful.

The Ministry’s work and involvement are in such a r e a s a s d i g i t a l transformation, Old Age Pensions, gender-based violence,personslivingwith disabilities, trafficking in persons, shelter for the homeless, supplying meals for pavement dwellers and those who could not or wouldnotbeaccommodated in shelters, helping in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer and distributinggrantsfromtime to time to certain vulnerable categories of persons. In other words, the mandate of theMinistryistoprotectand help the most vulnerable groups of the Guyanese population.

Each area of the Ministry’s work entails a plethora of activities and to detail these would require muchspaceandtime.

Foreign agencies often seemtobemorecognizantof the social and humanitarian work of the MHSSS than many of our local institutions.

TheCentralGovernment h o w e v e r a l w a y s complimented the work of the MHSSS as for example when Dr Ashni Singh was recently signing the Can$120.million sovereign loantofurtherboostsupport for vulnerable groups: “We have retained” said Dr Singh,“atthehighestlevelof our priorities, the objective of ensuring the most vulnerable in our Society experience the physical and tangible benefits, including and in particular in relation to the delivery of social services”.

ThoughtheroleandactivitiesoftheMinistryofHumanServicesandSocialSecurityhavesuchfarreaching andsalutaryeffectsonindividualcitizensandSocietyasawhole,thereisverylittledirectcoveragegiventoit

Astoryofapoorbrother who is rewarded by a generousmill.

Once upon a time, long, long ago, there were two brothers,theonerichandthe otherpoor WhenChristmas Eve came, the poor one had notabiteinthehouse,either ofmeatorbread;sohewent to his brother, and begged him, in God's name, to give him something for ChristmasDay Itwasbyno means the first time that the brother had been forced to give something to him, and he was not better pleased at being asked now than he generallywas.

“IfyouwilldowhatIask you,youshallhaveawhole ham,”saidhe.Thepoorone immediately thanked him, andpromisedthis.

“Well, here is the ham, and now you must go straight to Dead Man's Hall,” said the rich brother, throwingthehamtohim.

“Well, I will do what I have promised,” said the other, and he took the ham and set off. He went on and on for the livelong day, and at nightfall he came to a place where there was a brightlight.“Ihavenodoubt thisistheplace,”thoughtthe manwiththeham.

An old man with a long whitebeardwasstandingin theouthouse,choppingYule logs.

“Good-evening,” said the man with the ham “Good-evening to you Where are you going at this late hour?” said the man. “I am going to Dead Man's Hall,ifonlyIamontheright track,” answered the poor man.“Oh!yes,youareright enough, for it is here,” said theoldman.“Whenyouget inside they will all want to buyyourham,fortheydon't get much meat to eat there; but you must not sell it unless you can get the hand-mill

FUN WITH POETRY

which stands behind the door for it.When you come out again I will teach you how to stop the hand-mill, which is useful for almost everything.”

Sothemanwiththeham thanked the other for his good advice, and rapped at thedoor

When he got in, everything happened just as the old man had said it would: all the people, great and small, came round him like ants on an ant-hill, and eachtriedtooutbidtheother fortheham.

“By rights my old womanandIoughttohaveit for our Christmas dinner, but,sinceyouhavesetyour hearts upon it, I must just give it up to you,” said the man. “But, if I sell it, I will have the hand-mill which is standing there behind the door.” At first they would nothearofthis,andhaggled andbargainedwiththeman, but he stuck to what he had said, and the people were forcedtogivehimthehandmill. When the man came out again into the yard, he asked the old wood-cutter howhewastostopthehandmill, and when he had learnedthat,hethankedhim andsetoffhomewithallthe speed he could, but did not getthereuntilaftertheclock had struck twelve on ChristmasEve.

“Where in the world haveyoubeen?”saidtheold woman. “Here I have sat waiting hour after hour, and have not even two sticks to lay across each other under the Christmas porridgepot.”“Oh!Icouldnotcome before; I had something of importancetoseeabout,and a long way to go, too; but nowyoushalljustsee!”said theman,andthenhesetthe hand-mill on the table, and badeitfirstgrindlight,then a table-cloth, and then meat, and beer, and

Wake up early & keep healthy

everything else that was good for a Christmas Eve's supper; and the mill ground all that he ordered. “Bless me!” said the old woman as one thing after another appeared;andshewantedto know where her husband hadgotthemillfrom,buthe wouldnottellherthat.

“NevermindwhereIgot it; you can see that it is a goodone,andthewaterthat turns it will never freeze,” said the man. So he ground meatanddrink,andallkinds of good things, to last all Christmas-tide, and on the third day he invited all his friendstocometoafeast.

Now when the rich brother saw all that there wasatthebanquetandinthe house, he was both vexed and angry, for he grudged everything his brother had.

“On Christmas Eve he was so poor that he came to me and begged for a trifle, for God's sake, and now he gives a feast as if he were both a count and a king!”

thought he “But, for heaven'ssake,tellmewhere you got your riches from,” saidhetohisbrother.“From behind the door,” said he who owned the mill, for he did not choose to satisfy his brother on that point; but laterintheevening,whenhe had taken a drop too much, he could not refrain from telling how he had come by the hand-mill. “There you see what has brought me all my wealth!” said he, and brought out the mill, and madeitgrindfirstonething

ThatiswhyInowtryeverynight, Tosleepsoastoriseearly; ThenIcangreetthesuncomingup, Whichmakesmywholedaysohappy

and then another When the brothersawthat,heinsisted onhavingthemill,andafter a great deal of persuasion got it; but he had to give three hundred dollars for it, and the poor brother was to keep it till the haymaking wasover,forhethought:“If Ikeepitaslongasthat,Ican makeitgrindmeatanddrink that will last many a long year.” During that time you may imagine that the mill didnotgrowrusty,andwhen hay-harvest came the rich brother got it, but the other had taken good care not to teach him how to stop it. It was evening when the rich mangotthemillhome,and

(Continued on next week Sunday edition)

Sequin Eggs

Add sparkle to your Easter baskets!

Supplies:

*Foameggs

*Sequinpins/sequins

Instructions:

Usesequinpinsto stickeachsequinontoa foamegg.Usegluefor sequinswithoutpins.

Repeatuntilyouhave

coveredtheentireegg. Sticktoonesolidcolour orexperimentwith patterns!

Thisglitzycraftis beginnerfriendly.Just keepinminditcantake timetoapplyeach individualsequin.

Make the Most of Yourself by Using your Time Wisely

Each of us human beings has been endowed with resources which are available to us to use in the propermannersoastomake thebestofourselves. These include our personal qualities, which include our senses and other properties ofourbodies,thethingsthat we own which we use to carry on our lives, such as ourmaterialpossessions,our financial assets with which we provide what we need to keep living, the natural resources, such as water, energysourcesandfreshair, as well as the natural things aroundus.

We always need to rememberthatitisnecessary for us to ensure that we use theseresponsiblyanddonot waste them as we go about ourdailyactivities. Itissad to see people abusing the freedom they have to utilise the things at their disposal, which is making a negative

impact on the world's resources. This may not seem crucial to them from the small amount that they expend, but little by little theseareaddingup,withthe possibility in the long term that we may come to the point when some vital resource is no longer availabletous.

Anotherofthesevaluable resources we all have been grantedisthetimewehaveat our disposal. You will do well to make sure that you usethisirreplaceableassetto

dothingsthatworktogetthe bestbenefitoutofit. Oneof the ways in which you can ensure this is to plan your future activities, both on the short term on a daily basis, and long term, as weekly, monthlyandevenforlonger periods. For students, this will involve getting rid of distractions, like watching television while doing your

work,playinggamesonthe computer or your cellphone, and spending someofyouravailabletime to really get connected to yourfamilyandfriends,and do the things necessary to make you successful in workingtowardsyourgoals.

Onewaypeopleusetheir time beneficially is to read something worthwhile daily – poetry, a good book, passages from the scripture of your religion. Some people develop a wonderful practice of writing down their thoughts about what is happening to them every day, and this can be good reading in the future, and help you to see things more clearly, and make more fruitfulplans.

Just as we are freely bestowed with the time to enrich our life, we have an obligation to ensure that we use it as efficiently as we can.

Waste not the Precious Hours

Waste not the Precious Hours

Iamrich,Ihavetwenty-fourhourstospend, likegoldencoinstheyshineforme; Letmenotwastethem, neitherletmespendtheminhecticactivity Letmespendagoodportionformydailywork andsomeformofcreativeactivity; Letmesavesomeforhelpfulnesstoothers; Letmespendoneinlookingupforguidance, withmomentsforenjoymentoftheworlds ofnature,books,artandmusic; AlittleImustensureIsaveforfun, andthenanumberofthemforawell-earnedrest; If,atday'sclose,Ifindthatsomehavebeenspent otherthanthewayIhadplanned, Letmenotdespair,forwhenIwakeuptomorrow, mypursewillhavetwenty-fourmorecoins, Allshiningandnewformetouse!

AndIshallbetwenty-fourhoursricher, andolderandwiserthanIwastoday

Solutions to last week’s

Futoshiki

Tips for improving your emotional intelligence

(ContinuedonlastSundayedition)

#17)Maintainaschedule(andsticktoit!)

Ensuringthatyoucreateascheduleandsticktoitis extremelyimportantifyouwanttocompletetaskseffectively

#18)Eatwell

Thissoundslikeaneasyonebutregulatingwhatyoueatand drinkcanhaveamassiveeffectonyouremotionalstate,sotry yourbesttomaintainabalanceddiet.

#19)Don'tgetmad

Funnelyouremotionalenergyintosomethingproductive.It's okaytokeepoverwhelmingemotionsinside,especiallyifit'snot anappropriatetimetoletthemout.However,whenyoudo, ratherthanventitonsomethingfutile,turnitintomotivation instead.Don'tgetmad,getbetter

#20)Beinterested

Akeyfactorinmanagingyourselfandyouremotionsis consciouslytakenthetimetobeinterestedinthesubjectmatter, whetheritbebusinessorpersonal.

#21)Don'texpectpeopletotrustyou(ifyoucan'ttrust them)

Establishingtrustwithapersoncanbedifficult,andonceit's lostit'sveryhardtoregain.Trytobemindfulthatpeopleareonly humanandwillmakemistakes.Byofferingyourtrust,youare invitingpeopletooffertheirtrustinreturn.

#22)It'syourchoice

Youhavetheabilitytochoosehowyoureacttoasituation–youcaneitheroverreactorremaincalm.Butit'syourchoice.

Motivation

Apersonalskillsaspectofemotionalintelligence,selfmotivationreferstoourinnerdrivetoachieveandimproveour commitmenttoourgoals,ourreadinesstoactonopportunities andouroveralloptimism.

#23)Personalgoals

Personalgoalscanprovidelong-termdirectionandshort-term motivation.Sograbapenandpaperandhaveathinkabout whereyouwanttobeandsetsometargetsforyourself.Base themonyourstrengthsandmakethemrelevanttoyouand ultimately,makethemexcitingandachievable.Thistaskaloneis enoughtogetyouinstantlymotivated!

#24)Berealistic

Whenyou'vesetanewgoal,besuretogiveyourselfrealistic andclearaimstoachievingthatgoalandunderstandthatchange isaninevitablepartoflife.Achievementboostsconfidenceand asself-confidencerisessodoestheabilitytoachievemore,see howitworks?

#25)Positivethinking

Tokeepmotivatedit'simportanttomaintainapositiveand optimisticmindset.Seeproblemsandsetbacksaslearning opportunitiesinsteadoffailingsandtrytoavoidnegativepeople andopttosurroundyourselfwithpositive,well-motivatedpeople –they'llhaveagreateffectonyou.

#26)Lifelonglearning

Bothknowledgeandinformationarekeyforfeedingyour mindandkeepingyoucuriousandmotivated.Andwith informationsoeasilyaccessible,youhavetheopportunitytofuel yourvaluesandpassionsattheclickofabutton!

#27)Bepreparedtoleaveyourcomfortzone

Thebiggestbarriertoachievingyourfullpotentialisnot challengingyourselffrequentlyenough.Greatthingscanhappen toyouifyou'rewillingtoleaveyourcomfortzone,sodosoas oftenasyoucan.

#28)Help

Don'tbeafraidtoaskforhelpwhenyouneedit,andvice versa.Ifothersneedhelp,don'tholdbackingivingittothem. Seeingotherpeoplesucceedwillonlyhelptomotivateyourself.

#29)Standandstretch

Foraninstantshorttermboosttoyourmotivation,takea standandstretchoutasfarasyoucanfor10seconds.Whenyou returntoyourdesk,you'llbeinthecorrectframeofmindand readytowork.

#30)Listen

Beforeyou'reabletoempathisewithsomeoneyoufirstneed tounderstandwhatitisthey'resaying,whichmeanslisteningis attheveryepicentreofempathy.Itinvolveslettingthemtalk withoutinterruption,preconceptions,scepticismandputtingyour ownissuesonpausetoallowyourselftoabsorbtheirsituation andconsiderhowtheyarefeelingbeforeyoureact.

#31)Trytobeapproachable

Whetheryou'retheleaderofateamorworkingonaproject withothers,trytoremainaccessibleandapproachable. https://www.rochemartin.com/blog/50-tips-improving-emotional-intelligence

Crafting Culinary Delights

tepintoMaliyah’sKitchen,whereeverydishtellsastory ofpassion,dedication,andthevibrantflavorsofGuyana. InanexclusiveinterviewwithAlyssaSingh,theownerof Maliyah’s Kitchen,she sharedtheoriginsof thisculinaryventure andthedrivingforcebehinditssuccess.

Established in June 2020, Maliyah’s Kitchen was born out of Singh’s passion for cooking and her desire to fill a gap in the marketplace.

“I love being in the kitchen and trying new things,” Singh explains.“Isawtheneedforsuchproductsinthemarketplaceand decidedtoturnmypassionintoabusiness.”

Since its inception, Maliyah’s Kitchen has taught Singh the importanceofpersistenceandfocus.“Tobepersistentinwhatever goalyousetouttoachieve,keeplookingstraightaheadanddon’t losefocus,”sheadvises.

Asamotherofthree,thebusinesswomanfacedthechallengeof balancingentrepreneurshipwithfamilyresponsibilities.

“Being a mother of three, it was difficult to go out and seek employment,” she shares. “Hence, it encouraged me to try to do somethingathomeandstillfindtimeformykids.”TheCOVID-19 pandemic provided the opportunity to focus on building the businesswhilespendingtimewithfamily

Lookingahead,hervisionforMaliyah’sKitchenistoexpand. “And increase production to have the products in all 10 of the administrative regions, and also to export to fellow Caricom countries,”shereveals.

Maliyah’s Kitchen delights customers with a diverse menu featuring Tasty Mithai, Sal Sev (Chicken Foot), Milk Powder Fudge,DeliciousBlackCake,andCrossBuns.Whilethelattertwo areseasonal,customerscanplaceordersforfulfillment.

TheSalSev(ChickenFoot)andMilkPowderFudgestandout as the most popular items on Maliyah’s Kitchen menu, drawing patronsbackformorewiththeirdelectableflavors.

Maliyah’s Kitchen actively participates in events such as the Agri Investment Forum, both locally and regionally, and hosts sampling sessions at various locations including Massy’s, DSL, andmarketsdays.

Conveniently located on Pike Street Kitty, Maliyah’s Kitchen operates from Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm, providing customerswithfreshlypreparedculinarydelights.

OriginallyfromWestCoastBerbice,theentrepreneurmovedto Georgetown with her husband, Mark Singh, whom she co-owns Maliyah’sKitchenwith.

The duo have been married for 19 years and shared that the name“Maliyah”isablendoftheirdaughters’names,Marlisaand Aaliyah. The couple’s dedication to building the business stems fromherdesiretocreatealegacyforherchildren.

Maliyah’s Kitchen isn’t just about food; it’s about family, community, and the pursuit of culinary excellence.As the Singhs continue to expand their reach and offerings, they remain committed to providing customers with the highest quality productsandservice,ensuringthatthelegacyofMaliyah’sKitchen livesonforgenerationstocome.

ForthoseeagertoexperiencetheculinarydelightsofMaliyah’s Kitchen, you can reach out via phone at 667-5621 / 657-1414, or through their social media platforms on Facebook (maliyahskitchenGY), Instagram (@maliyahskitchen), and their website(www.maliyahskitchengy.com).

Maliyah’s Kitchen products can be found in various supermarketsandstoresacrossGuyana,includingBounty’s,DSL, Massy’s,GuyanaShopandmore.

InterestingCreatures...

Digital technology key to Guyana’s wildlife conservation strategy

Gu y a n a i s r i c h i n

b i o d i v e r s i t y , especially with an abundance of a wide variety of wildlife species and to preserve this status digital technology is playing a key and critical role

Recent wildfires across the country have been threatening the existence of wildlife in some parts but thanks to camera traps and other digital data collecting methods used by a number of nonprofit organizations, the country has been able to keep track of their movements and even discover new species, especially in the Rupununi Savannahs.

On March 4th last, Guyana joined the rest of the world in celebrating, World Wildlife Day under the theme, “Connecting people and the planet: exploring digital innovation in Wildlife Conservation”.

One of the non-profit wild-live c o n s e r v a t i o n s i n G u y a n a , “ S u s t a i n a b l e W i l d l i f e M a n a g e m e n t ( S W M ) P r o g r a m m e ” , u s e d t h e opportunity to show how it has been using technology to collect data on the wildlife species found in the Rupununi, Region Nine district.

T he Sustainable Wildlif e Management (SWM) Programme is a major international initiative that aims to improve wildlife conservation and food security

T h e S W N - G u ya n a o n i t s Facebook page said, “The SWM P r o g r a m m e h a s g a t h e re d extensive camera trapping data and has been using Kobocollect for data collection for many years”.

“Soon we will be entering into some new technological fields such as eDNA, soundscapes and testing a nano laboratory for m e t a g e n o m i c s t o a c c e s s prevalence of zoonotic diseases in wild meat!”, the organisation stated.

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e S W N , Rupununi Savannah is teeming with wildlife, including a large variety of bird species while fish and wildlife remain integral part of the indigenous culture and diet.

Below is a spread by the camera-trapping photos shared by the SWN of some of the wildlife species that call the Rupununi Savannah their home All photos were credited to Marlondag.

Thereisasayingthatsays ‘A little encouragement goes a long way’. And this is certainly happening for 33year-old Nekeshia Phillips, who back in 2023 was encouraged by herfamilytotakeherculinaryskills tothenextlevel.

Phillips who hails from Plaisance, East Coast Demerara (ECD) is the proud owner of a cateringandbakingbusinesscalled ‘HeavenlyCrumbsCakesNTreats’ whichwasbirthedinApril2023.

In a recent exclusive interview

oung Entrepreneur

“The roles young entrepreneurs play in society would [help] eliminate poverty in local areas by creating jobs for people to improve their financial situation.”

with The Waterfalls, Phillips said what inspired her to launch this business venture was her deep passion and love for culinary arts and cake decorating. These skills, she further perfected after completing all her short courses in 2023 at the Carnegie School of HomeEconomics.

“After completing Carnegie I was encouraged by many But mainly my husband to start doing what I love and that is how my business journey began,” she recalled.

Her business, she said is about creating cakes and delicious gourmet pastries. According to Phillips, when she initially started, she began making homemade cupcakes, cinnamon rolls and pastries,thenintroducedcakeartto hermenu.

Still building and developing on her services, the young woman shared that being in the realm of business within one year; the support has been growing steadily with the encouraging feedback fromhercustomers.

She went on to thoughthereisgreat werealsochallenges

For her, the faced as a small mostly had to do with the unavailabilityofaffordablequality packages and supplies in Guyana. She managed to get past this by saying,“IwouldsourcetheitemsI needandhavethemshippedin.”

Also, she said she wants to further gain more knowledge on different cuisinestoexpandhermenu.

Accepting that she would sometimesfacechallengeswithher business, Phillips said she would not let it discourage her from

Meanwhile, Phillips believes thatyoungentrepreneursopennew opportunities for others in society She told this magazine “The roles youngentrepreneursplayinsociety would be eliminating poverty in local areas by creating jobs for people to improve their financial situation.”

She expressed a l s o t h a t t h e government can play a significant role in enabling young entrepreneurship by providing funding, resources and regular support to new businesses Also, they can offer tax incentives or other benefits that can b o o s t entrepreneurship in G u y a n a , s h e suggested.

I f y o u a r e i n t e r e s t e d i n reaching Phillips business you can contact them via F a c e b o o k a t Heavenly Crumbs

Cakes N Treats or by telephone number (592)693-3211.

India to hold seven-phase general election from April 19, results on June 4

PrimeMinisterNarendra Modi is seeking a third straightterminthemarathon six-week vote – the world's largestdemocraticexercise.

Aljazeera - India will hold a seven-phase general electionstartingonApril19, with the results to be declaredonJune4.

T h e E l e c t i o n Commission of India announced the schedule of the six-week marathon vote during a news conference in NewDelhionSaturday.

Nearly 970 million voters–morethantheentire population of the United States, the European Union and Russia combined – are eligible to cast their ballot, according to the poll panel's data,makingtheelectionthe largest democratic exercise intheworld.

“Wewilltakedemocracy to every corner of the

country,” Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said as he announced the voting dates “It is our promisetodeliveranational election in a manner that we remain a beacon for democracy around the world.”

PrimeMinisterNarendra Modi,seekingathirdstraight term in the vote, has set a target of 370 seats for his BharatiyaJanataParty(BJP) and400-plusfortheNational DemocraticAlliance (NDA) the BJP heads in the 543member lower house of parliament.

In2019,theBJPwon303 seats – the most ever for the Hindu nationalist party that wasformedin1980.

Modi will be challenged by an alliance of two dozen opposition parties, called INDIAortheIndianNational Developmental Inclusive

Alliance, led by the Indian NationalCongress.

The alliance formed last year has, however, been struggling to stay united and share seats amicably to be able to put up a one-to-one fightagainsttheBJP

A victory would make Modi, 73, only the second prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru, India's independence hero and its firstprimeminister,towina thirdstraightterm.

Modi and his BJP have been in campaign mode for months before the dates for thevotewereannounced.

The prime minister has been flying around the country almost every day, inaugurating new projects, making announcements, taking part in religious eventsandaddressingpublic andprivatemeetings.The

(Continuedonpage56)

India to hold seven-phase general election from

Frompage55

firstphaseoftheparliamentaryelectionwill beheldonApril19,secondonApril26,third on May 7, the fourth phase on May 13, the fifthonMay20,thesixthonMay25andthe seventhphaseonJune1.

In four states – Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim – the parliamentary and legislative assembly

elections will be held simultaneously, with theirresultstobealsodeclaredonJune4. Bypolls for 26 assembly constituencies acrossthecountrywillbealsobeheldduring thesix-weekvote.

Therewillbemorethanamillionpolling stations in operation staffed by 15 million poll workers, according to the election commission.

Nadine Sutherland Turns 56

Callheroneofthefewestchild stars to be relevant over 40 years after rising to prominence as the winner of the Tastee Talent competition, beating deejay Yellowman. Call her the soughtafter female vocalist of the 90s for collaborations, or as producers described, “Jamaica's Whitney Houston.” Call her a multifaceted woman whose evolution has seen her maneuver hats like songwriter, mediaprofessional,traineddancer, academic,andlecturer

Andcallherbirthdayqueen,the one and only Nadine Sutherland, whowillhopefullyblessthe'Gram with bomb photos styled by Neko

'Bootleg Rocstar' Kelly, because she is, indeed, the ultimate star at 56.

DancehallMag gave an Earthstrong toast to the singer through some of her most iconic songs.

Queen: Her first executiveproduced record, Queen was writtenwithsingerMarciaGriffiths as an intended collab which didn't actualise due to the latter's busy schedule.Asdestinywouldhaveit, thetrack'sempoweringmessageto women “who have gone through the wringer to be successful, who have been hit down and rise back up”neededtobeheard.

Action: She want a lova man!

The messaging of Action came as sexually-liberated artists like Patra andLadySawbloomedintheearly 90s The record is part of Sutherland's Mad House catalogue and concretizes who she represented in the culture at the time.Producershadrecognisedthe trend of singers and rappers collaborating to much success in the States, and sought to integrate theformulalocally

PleaseMe:Interestingly,Please MeisanothertrackthatSutherland felt uneasy about because of its sexualnature,whichtookheroutof her comfort zone. Recorded with

deejay Spragga Benz for Mad House Productions, the single was another instance of Jamaican producers mixing the “more gritty

with my sweet” – as Sutherland puts it – which showcased her versatility while exposing her to differentmarkets.

$34M estimated to complete installation of A/C at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall

Sixcontractorshave submitted bids to install the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems at the Cliff AndersonSportsHall.

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport project is estimatedtocost$34million tocomplete.

The Cliff Anderson

Sports Hall is currently beingrehabilitated.

As previously reported, the ministry commenced a rehabilitationprojectin2022 to have the sporting facility enhancedandmodernised.

During a visit to the Sports Hall back in November2022,Ministerof Youth, Sport and Culture Charles Ramson told this

Belowarethecompaniesandtheirbids:

GuyanaNationalBureauofStandards Procurementofofficeequipment.

MinistryofCultureYouth&Sport RehabilitationoftheCliffAnderson SportsHall–Completion ofHVACinstallation.

DemeraraHarbourBrideCorporation

Supplyanddeliveryofone semi-truckwith40ftsidelifertrailer.

publication that a contract worth $97M, which was a w a r d e d t o E C S Construction & General Supplies, covers only the first phase of the rehabilitationproject.

That phase he noted entails the redesign of the front section of the building which would be reconstructed

The minister explained atthetimethattheworksat the Sports Hall will be doneinphasesthatwillrun concurrently

This publication had reported that in December

2022, the National

Procurement and Tender Administration Board had awarded an initial contract for the installation of the

GuyanaEnergyAgency

Design,supply,installationandcommissioning ofSolarPhotovoltaicsystemsanddistribution networksforHinterlandCommunitiesinGuyana.

MinistryofEducation

Designandsupervisionservice-Construction ofinter-connecteddrainagenetworkand controldischargemechanismatCPCE.

MinistryofAgriculture Procurementofvesseltrackingdevices.

ExpansionofSSASFishHatchery,MonRepos.

HVAC systems at the facility.

Thatprojectwasgivento ECS Construction & General Supplies to the sum of$89,840,020.

Aside from the $97 millioncontract,andthe$89 million contract for the HVAC,theNPTABhadalso awarded a contract in December 2022 for

electricalinstallation.

That project was awarded to A. Ogransein & Sons to the tune of $31,409,000.

Following that, NPTAB awarded a $60,324,675 c o n t r a c t t o S & K

Construction Consultancy Service & General Supply for the completion of the northernfaceofbuilding.

Supply,deliveryandinstallationofcomputer serverwithsoftwareandaccessoriesfortheGSA.

Supply,deliveryandinstallationoftruck scaleforMMA/ADASeedProcessingPlant.

GeorgetownPublicHospitalCorporation

SupplyanddeliveryofUrologysupplies.

MinistryofPublicWorks

ProvisionofInsuranceServicesLots1-3.

From page 16 Officer, who was then the chief taken, and the legitimacy of the negotiator, went to his principals signedagreementcomingoutofthe two hours and five minutes to General Secretary of the Ministry for continued discussion. Exxon Mobil Corporation last first meeting is placing this consult and came back with a Teachers’ Union, Coretta The Union objected to this request Wednesday said it filed a contract administration as one that we position, as documented in the McDonald said the Union will andstatedthattheyareunwillingto arbitration claim disputing Hess cannottrust.” minutes that they are prepared to press on with its representation of discuss any other item on the Corp’s proposed sale of its Guyana He explained that the have talks 2019-2023 proposal.” its members. “I want to say to our agenda unless the ministry oilproperties,andsuggesteditmay negotiations fizzled after the GTU President said too that it was teachers, thank you for being this addresses the prior year increases. counter Chevron Corp’s pending Education Ministry’s Permanent disrespectful for the Permanent resilient, and that we will continue “They subsequently left the deal for the assets. The arbitration Secretary, Shannielle Hoosein- Secretary to suggest that the Union to have this fight because we are in meeting without setting a date for case seeks to preserve Exxon’s Outar, showed up at the meeting to should return to its members to a struggle for survival. And I just thenextmeeting. righttoacquireHess’s30%stakein introduce herself as the “chief discuss a new proposal that spans want to quote from MayaAngelou, The Ministry of Education the giant Stabroek offshore oil negotiator”fortheGovernmentand 2024 and beyond, since there is no who said, ‘you will face many reiterates its commitment to block, Senior Vice President Neil making it clear that the fiscal space to accommodate the defeats in life but never allow continuing dialogue with the Chapman said in a conference on Government has no intention to proposedincreasesfor2019-2023. yourself to be defeated.’ So, as a GuyanaTeachers’Unionwhichhas Wednesday Guyana’s Stabroek discuss a wage package for the As such, he said that the GTU teaching fraternity that’s what we produced several noteworthy Block, which is considered the period 2019-2023. Lyte noted this after consultations with its will go forward with,” McDonald results to the benefit of teachers, largest oil discovery in decades, is was after the Chief Education attorneys on the legal actions to be said. children, and the system as a the prize in Chevron’s bid for Hess. Officer during the first meeting taken,itwillconsiderotheractions, Meanwhile, in a statement, the whole,” the Education Ministry Exxon made it clear for the first identified himself as the “chief including the resumption of the Ministry of Education said that the saidinitsrelease. time it would bid for the Hess’s negotiator” for the Education strike. “We are making it clear that Permanent Secretary of the Guyana properties if Chevron Ministry, and consulted with his the Union will not be bullied by the MinistryofEducationinformedthe THURSDAY proceeds with its proposed US$53 superiors before agreeing that the Government, it would appear that representatives that fiscal billion Hess purchase. “I don’t talks on increase salaries would be the Government is divided on the provisions for prior year increases U.S. oil giants fight know if the Chevron transaction is done based on the multi-year issue…For obvious reasons, all the were not provided for in the 2024 over Stabroek Block going to proceed or not, that is in agreement 2019-2023. “We were options are before us, strike being budget. She reiterated that teachers underscores its strategic their hands,” Chapman said at a not even settled when the the one that we would have called wouldhavebenefittedfromacross- importance – Int’lAnalyst MorganStanleyeventinNewYork. permanent secretary indicated that off, and strike being a possible the-board salary increases given in “If there is a transaction, we plan to the Government will not negotiate action that could resume. In fact, previous years and asked the The dispute by US oil majors, exert our preemption rights,” he as agreed on at last Thursday’s calling off of the strike was representativestodiscussthesalary ExxonMobil and Chevron said. meeting from 2019-2023 The temporary to have these proposals commencing from 2024. underscores the strategic Chevron and Hess have said Union resolutely put forward its discussions take place. So, this The Ministry indicated however, importance of the Stabroek block they believe the rights do not apply positionthatwearenotinterestedin nation can be plunged again into a that President of the Guyana andthelengthstowhichcompanies as the transaction would involve a discussing any multi-year proposal nationwide strike action because Teachers’Union, Dr Lyte, said that will go to secure a stake in high- merger with the parent company from 2024 and beyond because we the thousands of teachers across the Union did not prepare a potential oil assets, Dr David that would keep Hess’s Guyana have not submitted such,” Dr Lyte this country are disappointed in the proposal for 2024 onwards. As a Lewis Vice President of subsidiary intact. “We remain fully

of this administration and result, the Permanent Secretary Manchester Trade and co-chair of committed to the transaction, and Dr Lyte explained further that they will be held accountable for asked that the Union prepare this the Caribbean Policy Consortium areconfidentinourposition.We at the time, “The Chief Education this,”theGTUPresidentsaid. proposal and submit same to the hassaid.

(Continued on page 61)

From page 60

(Exxon) go to arbitration and delay US$53 billion competition refusal right, but such rights do not Responsibility (OPR) and look forward to closing the thedeal,”hesaid. between ExxonMobil and Chevron expire and are embedded in the supervised by the Chairman of the transaction on the terms we’ve Meanwhile, noting that for the purchase of the Hess Corp. original contract. “The potential Police Complaints Authority On agreed,” Chevron spokesperson Chevron has hinted previously that share in the Stabroek Block in derailment of Chevron’s ambitious Wednesday morning, Deputy Braden Reddall said in a statement. withouttheGuyanaassets,itwould Guyana, the world’s new major oil acquisition underscores the Commissioner ‘Administration’ Chevron’s bid for Hess is “an notbeinterestedinHess,Dr Lewis and gas “hot spot.” Exxon Mobil intricate dynamics of global oil Mr Calvin Brutus, Commander attempt to circumvent” the joint said not since the 1996 “cola wars” operates the Stabroek Block and exploration agreements and the Regional Police Division #3 and operating agreement that governs when Coca-Cola secretly holds 45 percent interest. Hess competitive tensions among the other high ranking officials of the the partners’ roles in the Stabroek purchased Pepsi’s operations in holds 30 percent interest, and world’soilgiants.Theresolutionof Guyana Police Force along with block, Chapman said Exxon’s Venezuela from the Cisneros CNOOC from China holds the thisdisputewillnotonlydetermine junior ranks, visited the mourning challenge could prove fruitful even Group have we had U.S. global remaining 25 percent interest the fate of the Hess acquisition but relatives of the late Sergeant if it does not end up enlarging the corporate majors competing head Production capacity at the field is also set a precedent for how rights Vaughn, at Tuschen, East Bank oil company’s holdings, analysts to head in any market in the expected to reach more than 1.2 of first refusal are interpreted and Essequibo, to offer words of havesaid. Americas. He said that deal of millionbarrelsperdaybytheendof enforced. Ultimately, the Chevron condolences and encouragement Lewis in a column which US$500 million in 1996 (US$983 2027, according to Exxon’s 2023 deal may still happen. But no duringthisdifficulttime. appeared on Troy Media said the million in 2023 dollars) is a end-of-year report. Lewis said by companywouldletsuchaprizeslip ReputedwifeofVaughn,Jonnel outcome of this dispute could have standard on B-school case studies industry standards, the away without at least having a Singh told this newspaper that, “he significant implications for the of M&A business. “Today, it is development of this project has closer look Now, with was very dedicated to his work. He global oil industry, particularly in greatly overshadowed by the been remarkably efficient with the ExxonMobil’s filing for arbitration put his work before anything.” She the emerging basin of Guyana, current consortium in place – at the International Chamber of said now that he is gone she has to which is considered vital to the making new discoveries and Commerce in Paris, the matter will figure out the way forward and crude markets. Other analysts have developing new projects at headtothecourts.” what’shernextmove.TheKaieteur said thatthe dispute could go either astonishingrates. News previously reported that, way “It is still very possible” that

In October last year Chevron Cop accidentally Vaughn was on Tuesday shot dead ExxonseestheneedtobidforHess first announced it was acquiring shot dead by colleague during a search at Karrau Village beforeaChevron-Hessshareholder Hess, including its share in the for prison escapee, Akeem Wong vote, which could happen in the Stabroek, for US$53 billion. Lewis A Police Constable is now who is alleged to have killed a next couple of months, said Mark said it is fundamentally good under close arrest assisting with womanandhersonatSaxacallilast Kelly, CEO of financial advisory business practice for any investigations, after he allegedly week. firm MKP Advisors. “Exxon has management team to assess their accidentally shot his colleague, Wong escaped from the seeminglyimplieditreallywantsto availableoptions–especiallywhen during the man hunt for prison Mazaruni Prison back in February own Hess’ stake in Guyana, so it thiskindofmoneyisontheline.“It escapeeAkeemWong. this year Last week Friday, 49potentially needs to put something is simple fiduciary duty to According to the police this year-old David Gomes and 75competing on the table prior to a shareholders Much of Hess’s action was taken “based on year-oldElizabethNellieGomesof Chevron-Hess vote,” he said. Paul financialvalueisattributabletojust preliminary information, that he D’Urban Street, Wortmanville, Sankey, an analyst with Sankey how well this project has allegedly and, unintentionally Georgetownwerebrutallychopped Research, said the other possibility performed As the anchor fatally wounded Sergeant Alex to death. Police suspect that the is that Chevron is forced to pay incumbent, ExxonMobil is right to Vaughn on Tuesday March 12th, killings took place between Exxon to allow the deal to proceed. consider its options before 2024.” 17:00hrsand20:00hrs.

“There’s the possibility that changing that balance ” Lewis Commissioner of Police, In a press statement, police had (Chevron) cuts them a check and however pointed out that it is CliftonHicken,hasorderedaprobe said that so far their investigations justsays,“canyougoawayplease? curiousthatExxonMobilhastaken which is being conducted by the revealedthatataround10:00hrs, Andthere’sthepossibilitythatthey several months to exercise its first O ff i c e o f P

From page 61 people in these areas,” the VP last Friday Gomes, his 6-year-old added. son and his mother travelled to

He therefore reasoned, “You’re Saxacalli Mission for three days to gonnalosepeoplebutthey’regoing clean up their house and for betterment and you can’t stop surroundings “According to that.Why would you stop someone David’s 6-year-old son, at around leaving his job because he has a 15:00hrs Friday last, the suspect better job offer and people when cametotheirhouseatSaxacalliand they are training, that’s what we asked for something to eat and expect that’s why we are funding directions,” the police statement thescholarships(so)thatthey(can) said Gomes gave the suspect improve themselves and if the state something to eat and also drank sectorcan’tyieldyouthesalarythat Vodkawithhim. youwantandyougetanofferinthe

Suspects nabbed by police

The child reportedly said that privatesectorthat’sfine.Wearenot the suspect spent some time at the parting on bad terms; we are family’s property He told police fulfilling our responsibilities to our thathelatersawthesuspectarming people, the citizens of the country himselfwithacutlassandchopping by equipping them to get better his father about his body His jobs.” grandmother, after observing what was happening, reportedly rushed

Bandits slaughter to his father’s aid and the suspect Chinese shop owner at also dealt her several chops about

Eteringbang, wife injured her body The boy told police that employees to the rapidly themselves and the lives of their out that the Chinese company he was hiding under the bed during developingsector families so if someone has a better constructing the new Demerara A three-man gang on Thursday the entire ordeal. After killing the Jagdeo was responding to a job offer, we’re not North Korea to River Crossing was permitted to slaughtered a Chinese man, Yang mother and son, the suspect questionfromthisnewspaperwhen sayyouhavetostayhere,”hesaid. import their workers since this Lisong, 40, and seriously injured attempted to wash away the blood he noted that while the private Jagdeo continued, “They get a could have affected the timely his wife, Wen Shuping, after but ended up running away into sector has complained about losing better offer, they make their own delivery of the project, therefore invading their supermarket at nearbybusheswhenheheardaboat its “people at the bottom” such as decisions,theymove.Inasmuchas drivingupcost. Eteringbang,CuyuniRiver,Region approaching. cleaners to the public sector since we are unhappy about it because He was told that Guyanese Seven.

Theboythenreportedlylocated they receive better salaries, the that person, a Guyanese person is couldnotaffordtopayconstruction

All three of them have been his father’s cell phone and sent a government is losing its skilled improving his or her own life and workerstobuildtheirhomes,asthe arrested; one, a Guyanese; the voice note to one of his father’s workerstothepetroleumsector that should be the objective of the oilandgassectorwasofferingrates other, a Venezuelan national and friendsaskingforhelp.Policewere ItmustbenotedthattheGuyana individual and the government estimatedat$15,000perday the other’s identity is still alerted and ranks were sent to the Revenue Authority (GRA) for too.”

To this end, he explained that unknown.Accordingtoreports,the location to conduct investigations. example, the body tasked with To address the skills shortage t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n h a s killing took place around 14:00hrs The investigators have since learnt conducting audits of the petroleum on the local labour market, the implemented various initiatives hours While police say three that the prison escapee was seen in companies, had complained that former President pointed out that aimed at cushioning the expensive suspects were involved, Kaieteur theareaandattheGomes’property the trained auditors were leaving to government is now removing or unaffordable cost of labour News understands from residents It is believed that he is the killer join the oil and gas sector The contractual obligations for Jagdeo listed for example, the on the ground that it might have Police learnt too that the suspect CommissionerGeneralhadpointed Guyanese who benefitted from government’s construction of core been five. Residents claimed that wasalsochoppedduringtheordeal. out that while 65 persons were scholarships, explaining, “that homes and young professional three of the men acted as lookouts Meanwhile, crime sleuths reported required for the job, only 31 means they don’t have to work for homes that can be purchased at while two went into the that the victims’ bodies bore persons were on roll in August government, they can work affordableprices.“Wethensaidwe supermarket to commit the heinous multiple chop wounds to the head 2023. Government has however anywhere, they don’t have to repay arepreparedtobuildforyou,ifyou crime. They said too that the andotherparts. made it clear that it does not have if they decide to move.” In fact, he have a plot of land, there’s a Chinese man’s wife’s life might yolks on its people and will not explained that government is programmenowwelaunchedinthe have been saved by an alert

FRIDAY prevent them from taking better accelerating training opportunities Ministry, we are prepared to build customer They claimed that the paying jobs “We don’t have to up-skill more Guyanese through for you and then we take you to the customer went to the supermarket VPJagdeo defends serfdom in this country We share variousgovernmentprogrammes. bank so if you have a plot of land to make a purchase and saw that it skilled Guyanese being snapped the philosophy that you can’t bind Additionally, he told reporters anywhere in the country, the third was locked It was reportedly up by oil companies people to a job because you want that government is also granting facility is where we build the core against the norm for the …says Guyana is a free country, cheap labour We have to equip as work permits to allow “big homes then young professional supermarket to be closed that early citizens can seize opportunities many of our people to get better companies” to import the labour homes so we’ve entered the so the customer reportedly asked paying jobs so they can improve required. For instance, he pointed building programme to assist somemenshesawoutside‘whythe

A country’s human resource is Chineselock-up’. Whiletheywere often touted as its most valuable responding, she reportedly heard resource. With the discovery of oil “strange sounds” coming from and gas, and subsequent inside and she realized that commencement of production something was amiss. Kaieteur activitiesintheStabroekBlock,the News was told that the customer skilledlabourforcehasbeendrawn left but immediately alerted the away by more attractive salaries, owner of the building that the leaving a serious dent in the local Chinese Nationals were renting for labourmarket. their supermarket, that something

This has shifted the country’s wasgoingon. growth prospective in light of the Hethenalertedpoliceandranks numerousvacanciesinanumberof were immediately sent to the key areas However, the location. Kaieteur News was told governmentsaiditdoesnotbelieve that when the men in front saw Guyanese should be prevented police approaching, they fled, from seizing opportunities for their while alerting the two inside the personal development Vice building Ranks entered and President, Bharrat Jagdeo during caught the suspects inside and his weekly conference on found the Chinese man murdered Thursday, hosted at the Office of and his wife injured. Kaieteur the President said that both the News understands that they had private sector and state agencies tiedupthecoupleandslittheman’s have complained about losing its (Continued on page 63)

From page 62 related to tax years 2007 and throatandhadstartedcutting 2009,Australiarelatedtotax his wife’s face. Police in a years 2013 to 2016, Guyana press statement confirmed related to tax years 2018 to thatwhenranksarrived,they 2021,SaudiArabiarelatedto found the supermarket tax years 2015 to 2019, entrance locked “Upon Nigeria related to tax years venturing to the back, the 2010 to 2019, Ghana related ranks found one Pharrell to tax years 2011 to 2017, Adelph, a 19-year-old, and Egypt related to tax attempting to exit the years2012to2016. building. He was arrested”. This publication had Ranks further checked the previously reported that building and in one of the Exxon is utilising six drill rooms, they found the ships for its Stabroek Block Chinese man lying against a project – four vessels from wall,cladinagreyjerseyand Noble Corporation and two a pair of dark-grey trousers. fromStenaDrilling. “A wound about 13cm in In response to the length was observed to his mounting challenges, Noble neck”, police said before in a resolute stance, asserted adding his wife was found in its unwavering commitment another room, alive, with to defending its reported two small lacerations to her positions against the audit r i g h t j a w a r e a claims “We intend to Investigationsareongoing. vigorously defend our reported positions and SATURDAY currently believe the heightened scrutiny deployed for activities shouldcorrectallmisleading profits.”

ultimate resolution of the surrounding ExxonMobil across multiple blocks. The billboards it has erected Jagdeo continued: “But Drilling company used audit claims will not have a G u y a n a L i m i t e d ’ s report’s findings have across Guyana that suggest what is not conveyed is that by Exxon will fight to material adverse effect on expenditurepractices. triggered calls for enhanced Guyana is getting 52% of its 75% of the revenue goes to defend disputed costs in our consolidated financial Arecent audit report, yet t r a n s p a r e n c y a n d oil profit since they are now repay the cost of their Guyana, other countries statements,” the company to be made public, has cast a accountability in the misleading, Vice President investment. So it’s accurate said. spotlight on the oil giant’s managementofoilrevenues, Bharrat Jagdeo said on the PSAsays 52% or 50% of Noble, an American The company remains cost allocation practices, with stakeholders urging Thursday the profits but it conveys a drilling company with a steadfast in its belief that the particularly concerning the Exxon to address the “I do believe that they misleading impression and global footprint has found ultimate resolution of these utilizationofprofitsfromthe discrepancies identified in should correct that it’s not just that one bill itself entangled in a web of disputes will not yield a StabroekBlocktocoverdrill theaudit. misleading impression,” board. It’s several… that legal disputes over audit material adverse effect on its ship expenses related to Notably, the audit report Jagdeosaid. almostlikethey’refinancing claims amounting to consolidated financial other blocks, namely focusedonexpensestotaling At a press conference everything in this country approximately US$172 1 statements. KaieteurandCanje. a staggering US$7.3 billion held at the Office of the Oil and gas revenue now if million as of December 31, H o w e v e r, N o b l e The auditors, comprising incurred by Exxon between President, theVice President we spend all that we 2023 These claims, acknowledges the fluidity of alocalconsortiumsupported 2018 and 2020 for flagship was asked by Kaieteur News collected in 2023 will primarily relating to income the situation and the by reputable international projects such as the Liza whether he had “ordered the finance less than 30% of our and other business taxes are imperative need for firms, have raised serious Phase One and Liza Phase billboards removed” since budget.” acrossmultiplejurisdictions, continuous monitoring and concerns over Exxon’s Two he noted their inaccuracies a Last week, the Vice including Guyana, Mexico, evaluation as audits and allocation practices. They weekprior President admitted that, Australia, Saudi Arabia, potential litigation have highlighted instances ExxonMobil should “I don’t agree with those “Exxon’s billboards are Nigeria,Ghana,andEgypt. proceedingsprogress. where standby costs for drill correct misleading billboards they create the misleading. ” While

Notably, it was stated The disclosure of ships were charged against billboards – Jagdeo impression that they are addressing matters related that such audit claims are Noble’s audit claims comes the Stabroek Block account, financing everything in our to the oil and gas sector, he attributable to Mexico against the backdrop of despite the ships being ExxonMobil Guyana country when they are not. said, “One thing I can agree So it conveys the impression with Vincent Adams on, is that they take care of that these billboards that everything, schools and Exxon (is) putting up all hospitals everything that around the place, is t h e y a r e f i n a n c i n g misleading in many ways everything That is the Exxon’s billboards are m i s l e a d i n g misleading So they said (thing)…so…what they said Guyana receives 52% of all is not inaccurate but it profits from Stabroek creates a misleading Block, 50% profit share impression. I conveyed that plus 2%, they don’t speak already but we can’t (order about the 75% here going to removal) if people pay for costrecovery ” their billboard space,” The VP said that this Jagdeo said noting that the ‘touting’by the oil company billboards should be makes, “people think it’s corrected. now”. “In the future we will

The Vice President get a significant amount explained that the billboards (The billboard also states) suggest that “we are getting more than $280B for 52% of all the profits now, Guyana since 2019 So andthat’snotso.” these billboards can be

“In fact it will always be misleading, ” he said morethan52%oftheprofits. adding, “You believe they It will be more than 52% run the country when you because, if you get 50% of look at these billboards theprofitsandthen2%ofthe V e r y m i s l e a d i n g gross in royalty then it will sometimes, so I can agree be more than 52% of the withthat ”

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AM/PM W/Union CSR'S, Cashier, Shelf restockers, Porter, Packers and bond Clerk. Call:609-2995, Email: survivalhumanresources2 @gmail.com

Male & female needed to work in the Interior, ages 18 years and older. Call: 6998486.

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Vacancy for Carpenter & Masons, $7,000 - $8,000 per day. Call: 650-1394.

Experienced Lorry Driver, must have a valid lorry licence. WhatsApp application: 609-2220, 725-4360, Email: dlebusiness4solutions @gmail.com

Labourer & Janitorial Staff, must have good attitude and reference. WhatsApp application: 609-2220, 725-4360, Email: dlebusiness4solutions @gmail.com

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Experienced Hair Colorist, Receptionist/ Massuese, Nail Techs, Barber and Domestic needed. Call/ WhatsApp: 649-5005/ 226-6705.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

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Russia

accuses Kyiv of election sabotage, Medvedev warns ‘traitors’

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A resident casts her vote in Avdiivka, Donetsk Region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, March 16, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko agency quoted a local election official as reporting no damage nor injuries when the explosive device landed five or six metres (yards) from a building housing a polling station before it had opened in a village about 20 km (12 miles) east of the city of Enerhodar.

MOSCOW, March 16 (Reuters) - Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of using “terrorist activities” to try to disrupt its presidential election and former President Dmitry Medvedev descried as “traitors” the scattered protesters who have tried to set fire to voting booths and pour dye into ballot boxes.

The Ukraine war has cast a shadow over voting in the election, which is all but certain to hand President Vladimir Putin six more years in the Kremlin but has been marked by sporadic acts of protest.

On the second of three days of voting, the Russian foreign ministry said Kyiv had “intensified its terrorist activities” in connection with the election “to demonstrate its activity to its Western handlers and to beg for even more financial assistance and lethal weapons”.

It said that in one such incident, a Ukrainian drone had dropped a shell on a voting station in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region.

The state-run TASS news

20

622-7446 /416-9513-995.

Reuters could not independently verify the incident.

There was no immediate comment from officials in Ukraine, which regards the election taking place in parts of its territory controlled by Russia as illegal and void.

Meanwhile the head of the electoral commission, Ella Pamfilova, said that in the first two days of voting there had been 20 incidents of people trying to destroy voting sheets by pouring various liquids into ballot boxes, as well as eight cases of attempted arson and a smoke bomb.

Commenting on the incidents, Medvedev said those responsible could face treason sentences of 20 years.

“This is direct assistance to those degenerates who are shelling our cities today,” he posted on social media, referring to Ukrainian attacks.

On Sunday’s final day of voting, supporters of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny have called on people to turn out en masse at noon in a rolling protest against Putin in each of the country’s 11 time zones.

UKRAINIAN ATTACKS

Russian media quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying Putin had been receiving military reports in recent days of attempted attacks by saboteurs in the border regions of Belgorod and Kursk, including several incursion attempts overnight, all of which he was quoted as saying were thwarted.

A senior Ukrainian intelligence official said on Thursday that armed groups he described as Russians opposed to the Kremlin had turned the regions into “active combat

zones”.

On Saturday, Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate, said the groups, the Freedom of Russia Legion, the Siberian Battalion and the Russian Volunteer Corps, were “becoming a force” with unified principles.

The groups were fighting “quite well” and were not going to stop any time soon, he said in a Ukrainian television interview, adding, “We will try to help them to the best of our ability.”

In the Belgorod region where cross-border attacks from Ukraine have become part of daily life, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported the deaths of a man and a woman in a missile attack, and later in the day, one injury, after he said Russian defences shot down 15 rockets approaching the regional capital.

Video obtained by Reuters showed fires ablaze and air raid sirens sounding on the empty streets of Belgorod city.

Dmitry Azarov, governor of the Samara region 850 km (530 miles) southeast of Moscow, said the Syzran refinery was on fire following a drone attack but an attack on a second refinery had been thwarted.

The fire was later brought under control, officials said, but the incidents highlighted Ukraine’s ability to strike hundreds of miles (km) inside Russia to target its energy industry. Two other big refineries were set on fire this week.

In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said it had become clear in recent weeks that Ukraine could use its weapons to exploit what he called vulnerabilities in the “Russian war machine.”

Russia mounted its deadliest attack in weeks on Friday when its missiles hit a residential area in Ukraine’s Black Sea port city of Odesa, (Continued on page 65)

PANCAP to meet with AIDS Programme Managers, key partners in Trinidad

ThePanCaribbean

Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) will be hosting its Eight meeting of National AIDS Programme (NAP) Managers and key partners from March 19 to 20, 2024 in the Republic of TrinidadandTobago.

According to PANCAP, the meeting will update programme managers and partners on regional commitments, of 95-95-95 progress,globalstrategiesto achievetheendofAIDSand identify innovative ways to address gaps and strengthen theregionalHIVresponse.

Director of PANCAP Coordinating Unit, Dr Wendy Telgt Emanuelson reportedly said, “As we continue to provide support to our regional partners and stakeholdersinaccelerating HIV prevention to end the

AIDSepidemicandprepare for future pandemics in the region, this forum is timely and relevant for our NAP managers and key partners to discuss best practices on how to achieve the

UNAIDS 2030 HIV prevention targets with greaterefficiency”. She added that,

Russia accuses Kyiv...

Frompage64 killingatleast21peopleand woundingmorethan70.

P U T I N ’ S DOMINANCE

Putin’s hold on power is not under threat in the election. Aged 71 and in office as president or prime ministersincethelastdayof 1999,hedominatesRussia’s politicallandscape.

None of the other three candidates on the ballot paper - veteran Communist Nikolai Kharitonov, nationalistLeonidSlutskyor VladislavDavankov,deputy chairmanofthelowerhouse of parliament - has mounted anycrediblechallenge.

Overall turnout - an importantindicatorforPutin

as he attempts to demonstrate the whole country is behind him - rose above 58% on the second dayofvoting.

The rate in Belgorod region was over 76% Turnout was also high in Russian-controlled regions ofUkraine.

Russia’s governing party, United Russia, said it was facing a widespread denial of service attack - a formofcyberattackaimedat paralysing web traffic - and hadsuspendednon-essential servicestorepelit.

State news agency RIA quoted a senior telecoms official as blaming the cyberattacksonUkraineand Westerncountries.

“countries can also share critical successes, gaps, and priorities to advance the achievement of the UNAIDS prevention targets and discuss the need for greater urgency in identifying high-level solutions for overcoming slow progress within the region.”

M e a n w h i l e , PANCAP’s Coordinating U n i t , K n o w l e d g e Management Coordinator, Dr Shanti Singh-Anthony, emphasised that education on HIV prevention is pivotal to the successful implementation and scaleu p o f c o m b i n e d prevention programmes at

the national and regional levels. “This meeting of NAP managers and key partners will facilitate the exchange of progressive knowledge in the fields of diagnosis, treatment, and preventionofHIVinfection.

It will also foster the b u i l d i n g a n d strengthening of a community of regional practitioners and other key stakeholders, by discussing the best s t r a t e g i e s f o r implementing effective local solutions for the management of patients living with HIV and for the prevention of HIV infection andtransmission,”Shesaid.

PANCAP said regional technical partners will also share their areas of support, aligned to the Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework

2019-2025 and the global HIVtargets.

The meeting will also b e a t t e n d e d b y policymakers, programme m a n a g e r s a n d representatives of civil society organisations, the community of people living with HIV and those athighestriskforHIV.

“A share fair and capacitybuildingforumwill also be held on Thursday, March 21, 2024, on designing multi-disease strategic plans for an integrated approach with enhanced coordination, and greater efficiency in addressing HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and viral hepatitis”, PANCAP stated. The Pan American Health Organisation is providing technical support to this event.

Venezuela’s Maduro announces candidacy for July re-election

CARACAS, March 16

(Reuters) - Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro will run for a second reelection to secure another six-year term in voting planned for July 28, the rulingSocialistpartysaidon Saturday

Maduro, a 61-year-old former union leader, was proclaimed as the Socialist party’s candidate by Vice PresidentDiosdadoCabello, and took the stage at a large sports arena to address supporters.

“There’s just one outcome, the people’s victoryonJuly28,”Maduro said, wearing a bright red zippered jacket “They haven’tbeenabletostopus, norwilltheybeableto.”

Recentpollsshow13.9% of Venezuelans plan to vote for Maduro, far behind Opposition candidate Maria CorinaMachado’s54.5%.

But though Machado won an Opposition primary in October, it was unclear whether she will appear on the ballot after the country’s top court upheld a ban barring her from holding publicoffice.

Candidates have until March 25 to register and it remained unclear whether the opposition will name a replacement for Machado, who is under increasing pressuretopickasubstitute.

The U.S. partially rolled back sanctions on Venezuela’s government in late 2023 because of an

elections deal with the opposition, but the nascent rapprochement came to an end with arrests of opposition figures and the court decision about Machado.

The U.S. has pledged a reinstatement of oil sanctionsfrommid-April.

Ruling party sources have told Reuters the reversalinpolicybyMaduro may be due to waning popularitywithhisbase.

Ve n e z u e l a h a s suffered hyperinflation and an unprecedented economic collapse since Madurotookpowerin2013, afterthedeathofhismentor, PresidentHugoChavez.

The country has seen intermittent waves of

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro waves to supporters after he accepted candidacy of Venezuela’s ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV) for running for another term in July 28 election 2024, at the Poliedro de Caracas, Venezuela, in this photo released on March 16, 2024, and distributedby Miraflores Palace/Handout via REUTERS

protest against the ruling party and Maduro, particularly between 2014 and2017,resultingindozens ofarrestsandkillings.

The main opposition

Tensions rise in Haiti as leadership remains in balance

PORT-AU-PRINCE,

March 15 (Reuters)Residentsbracedforanother tense night in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince on Friday, as attacks continued across parts of the city in the aftermath of the resignation ofPrimeMinisterHenryand intheabsenceofaclearplan toreplacehim.

“Ariel Henry resigned but we are still in political distress,” said resident Claude Atilus. “We must takeourdestinyintoourown hands. I want the political playerstorisetothetaskand commit themselves to organizingthecountry.”

A man walked through the city’s Champ de Mars square carrying a white coffin over his head, while further out in the city’s sprawling Delmas neighborhood, flaming tires and roadblocks lined the streets. “The situation is not good for us,” said vendor Jean-Phillipe Jean-Louis,addinghewas exhausted, prices were exorbitant and working on thestreetswasdangerous

“When we merchants go out into the streets looking for money to feed our children and wives, wefindnothing,”hesaid

The United Nations’ children’s fund has warned of record hunger

and life-threatening malnutrition concentrated in the capital’s poorest, most dangerous and busiest neighborhoods, with one in four children nationwide suffering chronic malnutrition, or stunting. Satellite images on T h u r s d a y s h o w e d shipping containers blocking access to heavy cranes at the country’s main cargo port, which shut operations after a break-in, and set up around the country’s National Palace, the site ofheavyshootinglastweek.

Local media reported policewerefacingofflateon Friday with gangs in the Delmas area, traditionally a strongholdoftheG9alliance led by Jimmy “Barbeque” Cherizier

Henry, the country’s unelected prime minister, said he would step down on Monday as he faced international pressure while stranded in Puerto Rico, as an escalation of fighting in the capital prevented him from returninghome.

His resignation is pending the appointment of an interim replacement

chosen by a transition council, but the members of the council have yet to be decided and some political groups tapped for representation have rejected the plan, proposed by regional leaders, or been unabletounitetheirfactions.

Cherizier this week threatenedpoliticianswho take part in the council a n d s a i d H e n r y ’s resignation marked just “a first step in the battle” for theCaribbeannation

Local outlet Gazette

Haiti reported that meetings onacompromiseweresetto takeplaceonSaturday

parties boycotted the 2018 presidential election and refused, along with the U.S. and others, to recognize Maduro’svictory

Maduro squeaked to a 1 5% victory in 2013 elections, which the t h e n - o p p o s i t i o n candidate also declared fraudulent.

Iceland evacuations as volcano spews lava again

BBC - A state of emergency has been declaredinsouthernIceland becauseofanothervolcanic eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula - the fourth since December

Among those being asked to leave the area are residents of the small town of Grindavik, which has been badly affected by the ongoingflare-ups.

The nearby Blue Lagoon, one of Iceland’s most popular tourist attractions, has also been evacuated.

Iceland’s airspace remains open. A giant lava spillisbillowingsmoke.

According to the country’s civil defence service, the eruption began after 20:00 local time (20:00 GMT) on Saturday between Hagafell and Stora-Scogfell - north of Grindavik.

Thisisasimilarlocation totheeruptionthatbeganon 8December Footage of the explosionshowedcloudsof smokeandglowingmagma oozing and bubbling from ventsintheearth.

T h e I c e l a n d i c Meteorological Agency said the lead-up to the eruption was short and an initial assessment indicated thesameamountofmagma was emerging as in December

It added that bad

weather expected to set in was likely to affect its abilitytomonitorwhatwas happeningtosomeextent.

Keflavik International Airport and other regional airports have not been affected by the explosion, but the Blue Lagoon is closeduntilfurthernoticeas aprecaution.

The roughly 4,000 residentsofGrindavikwere only allowed to return to their homes about a month ago after an eruption in January saw magmaspread into the town, destroying threehomes.

The AFP news agency reported that only around 100hadchosentogoback.

In February, another eruptioninthearealedtoa key water pipe burstingdisruptingservicestomany people.

Iceland has 33 active volcano systems and sits over what is known as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the boundary between two of thelargesttectonicplateson theplanet.

The last time the Reykjanes Peninsula had a period of volcanic activity was800yearsago-andthe eruptions went on for decades.

This is now the seventh eruption since 2021, and scientistsbelievetheareais enteringanewvolcanicera that could last for decades orevencenturies.

BLUNTNESS ON INDECENCY!

Woodpecker National Junior Squash C/ships… Verwey outlasts Alphonso in 5-game thriller

The penultimate day of the Woodpecker National Junior Squash Championship was a wild ride on Friday evening at the Georgetown Club located on Camp Street.

Nicholas Verwey, the Caribbean Champion, lit up the court with a thrilling win over the Under-19 male sensation Michael Alphonso Jr. in the Boys’ U-19 showdown. It was a nail-biter, going the full distance with Verwey clinching it 3-2. The first game set the tone, with Verwey narrowly taking it 12-10.

Alphonso fought back, claiming the next two games 2-11 and 8-11, but Verwey rallied in the fourth game, winning convincingly 11-5. The final game was heart-stop-

Caribbean champion Nicholas Verwey (right) skillfully returns a lofted ball from Michael Alphonso ping, ending 15-13 in Verwey’s favour.

All roads lead to the KMTC... condition and an exciting day of racing is anticipated.

From page 72 events are for classified L class open horses and the final event for L non-winners. Both have a top prize of $200,000 and a trophy.

Other horses set to compete include Black Time, Trump, Money Time, Top Ranking, Tiz Way, Run Happy and Little Africa.

The track is in excellent

The top individual performers, including top jockey, top trainer and top stable will be presented with their silverware compliments of Mr. Ramesh Sunich of the Trophy Stall Bourda Market.

The event will be conducted under the aegis of the KMTC. (Samuel Whyte)a

Sunday March 17, 2024

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19)

Today your brain is supercharged, Aries. If you've been thinking about doing some writing or have put off analyzing a particularly tricky problem, this would be the perfect day to get started.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

With today's planetary energy, you'll find yourself a little more extraverted than usual, Taurus. You'll finally be able to say what you really think about things.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

Today you're unstoppable! You're a very hard worker by nature, and with the current planetary alignment you'll be able to accomplish even more than usual.

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

Discard those items from the past for which you really no longer have use. As much as you like to surround yourself with objects of sentimental value.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22)

Intimacy will be in the air over the next few days. Loved ones suddenly want to spend more time with you, and you'll want to invite friends over every night! By all means, do.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22)

Feeling unusually adventurous, Virgo? You're often motivated by your idealistic expectations, and the planetary configurations today .

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

The celestial energy signals a pleasant change for you today, Libra. Finally, the overpowering emotions that have been surging from your relationships will subside. You are now beginning a more contemplative phase.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

This is a good day to devote time and thought to spiritual pursuits, Scorpio. Do something inspirational that instills a sense of wonder deep in your soul.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

A new phase in your life is beginning, Sagittarius. The previous phase could be interpreted as having taught you to be serious and devoted to professional responsibilities.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19)

Today's aspects might clear up some rather sketchy ideas about your professional future, Capricorn. If you long for a change, such as daring to undertake a more artistic pursuit.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

You have acquired some sound confidence in yourself, Aquarius. Now it is time for you to show everyone else by actually putting it to use in your life.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

Today's planetary energy should compel you to commit certain acts of self-affirmation that are needed to define your territory and protect your rights.

Louis DaSilva also put on a show in another U-19 matchup, coming from behind to defeat Mohryan Baksh after trailing 9-11, 6-11. DaSilva turned the tables, winning 118, 11-1, 11-5.

The night saw more standout performances with Safirah Sumner beating Georgiana Fernandes in the Girls U-19 battle and Ethan Bulkan taking down Zion Hickerson in the Boy’s U-11 category.

Shiloh Asregado, seeded at #2, edged out Joshua Verwey 3-2, while Matthew Daby and Kaylee Lowe secured victories in their respective divisions, with Daby notching wins in the Boy’s U15 and U-13 matches against Nijad Bacchus, and Lowe defeating Emily Fung-a-Fat twice in the Girl’s U-19 and U-17 matches.

The excitement wrapped up on Saturday at the same venue, with details of those matches set to be revealed in Monday’s edition.

The tournament is proudly sponsored by Woodpecker Products and supported by E-Net.

2024 CWI Regional 4-Day Championships Round 4 Day 4… Smith, Permaul, Motie bowl Harpy Eagles to thriller over Barbados

Fast-bowlerNialSmith’s late 4-wicket burst, coupled with 6 wickets between

spinners Gudakesh Motie and Veerasammy Permaul, was enough to help the

Harpy Eagles soar past a spirited Barbados Pride by 33-runs after a nail-biting

finaldayatCoolidge.

The foundation was laid when Guyana posted a whopping436alloutintheir 1st innings before declaring for 136-8 batting a second time The Bajans barely managed 230 in their initial pursuit, thanks to a maiden hundred from Johnathan Drakes.

However,Barbadosthen fellshortagainofthetarget, finishingon309allout.The Eagles produced some collective, clinical bowling ledbySmithwhorompedto 4-87 and won the game for his team; finishing with 7 wicketsinthegame.

Harpy Eagles left-arm spin twins were brilliant again, with Permaul (3-66) andMotie(3-71),whoended with 5 victims overall; sharing6wickets

Former West Indies Test captain Jason Holder, completed a brilliant allround game, as he almost guidedhisteamtovictorylate onday4,withasolid76(7x4 3x6) Overnight batsman Zachary McCaskie gave his teamtheidealplatformforthe chase,scoringa103-ball87at thetopoftheorder

Spinner Jomel Warrican remained unbeaten after scoringagutsy40,asheand Holder almost took Barbados home before Smith blew away his remaining partners. What seemed like an uphill chase wasmoreofarealitythanks to some prideful batting fromtheBajans. Resuming on31-0,Captainandopener

Gudakesh Motie finished the match with a total of 5 wickets after bagging 3 to help guyana win in the second innings.

Kraigg Brathwaite (23) was the first to go when his stumps were uprooted by Permaul, as the Eagles commenced the morning session. McCaskie carried his bat throughout the morningsessionandintothe afternoon,asanumberofhis teammatesfellaroundhimin pursuitofthetotaloradraw

Middle-order batsman

Shian Brathwaite (4), Drakes (0) and Raymon Reifer (13), fell in a short spacethankstothemagicof the Guyanese left-arm spin duo. The afternoon session andtheteam’shopeshungin the balance of Holder and Shane Dowrich (26), who sought to hold the fort after the untimely demise of McCaskie. After itching close to what seemed like a century, Smith got the big breakthrough with some help from Kemol Savory, who completed an excellent catchtosendtheopenerback tothePavillion.

Barbados with 5 down,

crossedthe180-runmarkas the deficit seemingly being reducedwitheverover

However, Motie struck twice, first removing the former West Indies wicketkeeper, who hit one into the waiting hands of Permaul beforeknockingoverKemar Roach(8),topitchBarbados intofurtherdisarray

The final session then took an aggressive turn thanks to Holder and Warrican,whoshared84for the 7th wicket while taking their team’s total to almost 300 runs. Just when it seemedBarbadoscouldpull offadramaticwin,Guyana’s racetobreakthepartnership heightened with the final 15 overs ineffect.

A returning Smith justifiedhisrecall,usingthe new ball to remove the danger-man Holder, while puttingthefinishingtouches on the emphatic win by bagging the final wickets of Chamar Holder (1) and Jair Mccallister(4).

Guyana men depart for the Indoor Pan American Cup in Calgary

The Guyana national men’shockeyteamdeparted early Saturday morning for Calgary,Canada,wherethey will compete in the Indoor Pan American Cup, scheduledforMarch19-22.

The GoldenArrows will open play on the March 19 a g a i n s t r e g i o n a l powerhouses Argentina at 1:15pm (Guyana time), before going up against the USA at 6:15pm. They then face Canada on March 20, before concluding round robin play against Trinidad &TobagoonMarch21,with the semi-finals and finals scheduledforMarch22.The top two finishers from the

tournament will qualify for the2025IndoorWorldCup.

Asked about his expectations of the team, Head Coach Shane Samuels said “I expect nothing less thanqualification.Wehavea good mix of youth and experience,andthelasttime we had this sort of mix we did well, but fell short in gamesweshould’vewon.”

“As coach my task is to keep everyone focused on themaingoalandsecurethe wins we should Having some of overseas based players with recent experience in cold conditions is a big plus for the team since the majority

of the locally based players have little no experience competing in a cold climate.”

The team will have two practice sessions and friendly match against Canada, in an effort to acclimatisetotheconditions in the two days prior to the startofthecompetition.

Team: Robert France (C),MedroyScotland(GK), Paul D’Andrade (GK), Jarbari Lovell, Kareem McKenzie, Meshach Sargeant,ShakeemFausette, Shaquon Favorite, Tahrea Garnett, Aroydy Branford, JamarjAssanahandAndrew Stewart.

GCFcontinueswithinitiativeforSpecialEducationNeedsSchools

Participants of the workshop engaged in friendly matches

The Guyana Chess Federation Special Needs Committee in collaboration with the Ministry of Education hosted the first teacher’strainingsessionfor 2024 at the David Rose Special School on Friday, March15.

The initiative was spearheaded by Ms. Sabine McIntosh, who heads the SpecialNeedsCommitteeof the GCF The training workshop included teachers from multiple special needs schools, such as St Barnabas Special School, Linden School for Special Children, New Amsterdam Special Needs School, David Rose Special School, Special Needs School, East

Bank Demerara, and Ptolemy Reid Complex in Georgetown.

The GCF recognizes the importanceofincludingand equippingeducatorswiththe skillsnecessarytomatchthe various learning levels of young learners with disabilities. The workshop, which aims to increase knowledgeandawarenessof chess for children with special needs, will see the game being added as part of regular class activity Chess helps to develop creativity and problem-solving skills, strategy, and discipline. It teaches children and adults to focus and serves as a social and recreational activity while creating

friendly competition. These are real-life skills students canlearnandapplyinorout ofschool.

The educators in attendance, some of whom have been part of previous workshops took advantage of the refresher course on training methods for studentswhorequireamore hands-on approach. Open discussions among teachers were held on the challenges and progress of chess in the classroomfortheschoolsfor specialneedsstudents.

The objective was to introduce chess in more schools as an effective form of support education for studentswithdisabilities,on the spectrum, or who have

NSC advises Sports Associations to submit Financial Statements

The National Sports Commission(NSC)urgesall national federations and associations to submit and publish their respective annual financial statements in a prompt and transparent manner.

This is with the singular purpose of laying the groundwork for the establishment of an ideal s p o r t s c u l t u r e o f governance.

Thiscall,whichisnotan actofcompulsion,wasmade by Director of Sports, Steve N i n v a l l e T h e corresponding associations and federations should see this course of action, in Ninvalle’sestimation,asthe startoftheadoptionphaseof a new culture independent from coercion, force, or compulsion.

He stated, “The creation of a model sports culture is what drives the mandate of the NSC a philosophy, though infant in its establishment,thatspeaksto accountability and

of Sports,

transparency not only at the administrative and governmental levels but, more importantly, in the public strata and court. This isnotadecreebutsimplyan actofgoodfaithaswestrive to create the humble but important tenets of culture that is required for the evolution of our sporting landscape.” Ninvalle added, “Weacknowledgethatsome associations might be experiencing challenges organising financial statements and other supporting documentation. And to make sure that this occurs, we’re prepared to collaboratewiththem.Inthe

difficulty learning the traditionalway

The GCF would like to thank the David Rose SpecialSchoolforproviding the venue and the Beacon

medium to long term, associations are advised to takethiscourseofaction.”

The timely submission of audited financial reports, inNinvalle’sestimation,isa h a l l m a r k o f g o o d governance. The National Sports Commission, and consequentially, the Ministry of Culture, Youth, andSport,willsubsequently incorporate this data to construct appropriate guidelines and procedures for the incorporation of this culture into sport associations. “Associations are required to submit their financial statements annually; some have, but some have not. Despite our requests and the National Sports Commission Act’s mandate, we still find that some associations are negligent.

Nevertheless,wewantto embrace them (those who have not) and help them integrate into this burgeoning culture”, he explained.

Foundation, who provided meals for the participants andstaff. Specialthanksgo out to the GCF team of volunteers, who provided invaluable assistance during

the workshop. The GCF is especially grateful to Ms. Sabine McIntosh, who works tirelessly to promote chess within the special needsschoolsinGuyana.

All roads lead to the KMTC today for Phagwah Horse Race Meet -NandPersaudRacingStableseekingmajorwins

The place to be today is the K e n n a r d

Memorial Turf Club (KMTC), Bush Lot Farm Corentyn

Thousands are expected to throng to the venue as that entitystagesitsgrandannual

One-Day Phagwah horseracemeet.

Withsixracesonthecard andawhopping$5Mincash, trophiesandotherincentives upforthetakingagrandday of racing is anticipated Over 65 of the country’s top horses have entered to be a partoftheaction.

Several companies have rolledinwithsponsorshipto make the meet a memorable one With the Metro Company,DelmurCompany Limited, Torginol Paint and the Kennard Family among thesponsors.

Thefeatureshowdownis for animals classified C and lower over one mile and a ding down battle is anticipatedforthehefty$1M winner’s money and trophy compliments of Metro Stationery and Office supplies.

The Nand Persaud Racing Stable is looking to come big as it throws two recently imported champion horsesintothefeatureevent. The horses are Beckham James out of Florida and ChestnutisPhilinEchofrom Canada These animals imported in December have

Looking Chiseled and Ready forAction was flown in from Canada by owner and trainer Mohin Persaud of the Nand Persaud Racing stable

come with good reputations and are ready to stake their claim among the best in Guyana. They will however have to contend with a starstudded lineup that includes Stolen Money, Creemore, Early Bird, Wild Texas Tom andAmericanTraveler HorsesrunningintheH1 andlowereventwillaimfor thetopprizeof$500,000and a trophy also over six furlongs with the likes of ThenintheHclassthereare

Amicable Kate, Emotional Damage, Supremacy, Rachael,AmazingGrace.

Another top-class lineup has been assembled for the event for three-year-old Guyana-bred horses, which has a winning pocket of $400,000 and a trophy over seven furlongs. The J and K class matchup over six furlongs will see the winner runningawaywith$300,000 andatrophy Theother

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GHB/Kelloggs Boy’s and Girl’s U-14 Indoor Hockey Dev. League...

Carpio’s 4-goal haul leads Gladiators to victory

The Kellogg’s Under-14 Boys’ and Girls’ Indoor Developmental Hockey Leagueskickedoffwithfour exciting matches on Friday at Queen’s College. SHC Sensations, OFHC Divas, OFHC Gladiators,andGCC Pitbulls emerged victorious inthelatestfixtures.

In the Girls’ division, hostQueen’sCollegefaceda thrilling 3-0 defeat against SHC Sensations, who dominatedthefirsthalfwith three early goals. Kalyra Scott and Hadassa Fraser netted goals in the 1st and 3rd minutes, respectively, while Carenza Copeland sealedthewinwithapenalty goal in the 5th minute. In anothermatch,OFHCDivas secured a commanding 2-0 win over HHC Juniors Jets, with Tinasha Henry (3') and Keitanna Percival (9')

Jimmy Carpio makes way through Queen’s College defense during Friday’s clash

findingthebackofthenet. Moving into the Boys’ division, OFHC Gladiators cruised to a resounding 6-0 victory against Queen’s CollegeBoysintheGroup-B fixtures. Jimmy Carpio was the standout performer, scoringfourgoalsinthe2nd, 9th, 12th, and 14th minutes, supported by Kai Simons who added two goals in the 8thand17thminutes.

In Group-Aaction, GCC Pitbulls maintained a clean sheetagainstMultiRockets, securing a convincing 5-0 win. Kristian Viapree’s hattrick played a crucial role in the Pitbulls’ victory, with goalsinthe3rd,4th,and18th minutes, while Luke Scott (10') and Egan Bulkan (17') completed the scoring onslaught against the Rockets.

GuinnessGreatestoftheStreets–Georgetown…

North East, Gold is Money among opening night winners

Two-time defending champion Gold is Money, NorthEastLaPenitence,and Laing Avenue advanced to the group stage when the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’Georgetown edition commenced at the National ParkTarmac.

GoldisMoneylaboredto a 2-1 penalty shoot-out victory over newcomer Renegade All-Stars, after regulation and extra time ended0-0.

Meanwhile, Laing Avenue Ballers bested

Festival City 2-0. Bevney Marksrecordeda‘Guinness Goal’ [a goal scored in the finalthreeminutesofnormal time and the final two minutesofextratime,counts astwo]inthe37thminute.

Ontheotherhand,North EastLaPenitenceovercame Ballers 2-1. Kelvin Moore andAkil Plass scored in the sixth and 22nd minute respectively For the loser, Sam Barnes scored in the 26thminute.

In other results, Rising Stars squeaked past Alexander Village 3-2

DanielRossrecordeda(GG) in the 28th of normal time, whileJamalWilliamsscored in the seventh minute. For the loser, Kenroy Dominick nettedtwiceinthefourthand ninthminutes.

Meanwhile, the Sophia and Bent Street Young Gunners encounter was deemed a no-contest by the officials, following a brief altercation between the players, which resulted in both teams being expelled fromthecompetition.

The tournament continues today at the same venuewithanotherroundof matches.

CompleteResults

GuinnessGoal-(GG)-2

Game-1

Alexander Village-2 vs RisingStars-3

RisingStarsscorer

DanielRoss-(GG)-28th

JamalWilliams-7th

AlexanderVillagescorer

Kenroy Dominick-4th and9th

Game-2

Sophia vs Bent Street

YoungGunners

NoContestduetoscuffle

Game-3

Festival City-0 vs Laing AvenueBallers-2

Bevney Marks-(GG)37th Game-4

NorthEastLaPenitence2vsBallersFC-1

Colours renews partnership with Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Championship

Colours Boutique continued its n i n e - y e a r affiliationwiththeGuinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Championship by donating the team uniforms for the entiretyofthe2024season.

This simple but significant presentation occurredattheentity’sRobb Streetlocation.

The company will outfit everycompetingteaminthe respectivezones.

They are Georgetown, Berbice, East Coast Demerara, Bartica, Linden, Essequibo, and West Demerara.Over 130 teams, equating to more than 800 players will receive complete uniforms They willalsoserveastheofficial supplier of match balls for theevent.

Representative Rodwell Greaves made the presentationonbehalfofthe establishment Greaves stated that the company is

c o m m i t t e d t o t h e development of the community, which is one of theprimaryobjectivesofthe competition.

Meanwhile, Guinness Brand Executive Lee Baptiste stated that Colours Boutiqueisavitalcoginthe staging of the tournament and that without their c o n t r i b u t i o n t h e

overwhelming success of the event would not be possible.

Baptiste further stated that Colours Boutique’s involvement is a genuine attempt and effort to foster social relations between the respective teams and communities by adding a professional and disciplined outlooktotheparticipants.

NorthEastscorers

KelvinMoore-6th

AkilPlass-22nd Ballersscorer

SamBarnes-26th Game-5

Gold is Money-0 vs RenegadeAll-Stars-0

Gold is Money won 2-1 onpenaltykicks

Sunday’s (March 17th)

fixtures

19:00hrs: Up Top Boss vsLodgeAll-Stars

19:45hrs: Tiger Bay vs MiddleRoadBallers

Henry XI, Chulai XI

Gladewin Henry XI and Golcharran Chulai XI registeredvictorieswhenthe Wakenaam Cricket Committee/ Khan’s Enterprise U19 40-over tournament continued recently at the Wakenaam Community Center ground in Good Success.

In the second game of the fivematch tournament, Tomesh Persaud XItookfirststrikeandwerebowledout for63in16overs.AaravSukhrammade 24 as Ramesh Ramnarine claimed 3-1, while there were two each for Dennis Crossman, Trivel Evans and Jemol Whyte. Henry XI responded with 64 withoutlossinsevenovers.

Justin Dowlin made 22 and Ramesh Ramnarine 20

In the third fixture, Golcharran Chulai XI managed 168-5 from 30 overs

Chulai made 38, Bomesh Lall 29, Vinesh Ramnarine 16 and Tomesh Persaud11

Shahid Mohamed, 11 year-old leg spinner Feyad Baksh, Ramesh Ramnarine and Gladewin Henry had onewicketeach

Henry XI were bowled out for 94 in 21oversinreply Henrymade33,Aarav Sukram 29 and Ramnarine 18. Chulai had 3-19, while Vinesh Ramnarine and AnilConyershadtwoeach.

20:30hrs: Bent Street vs TucvilleRangers

21:15hrs: Stabroek BallersvsBadaYard

22:00hrs:LeopoldStreet vsUnstoppable

22:45hrs:SpartaBossvs BackRoadBallers

bowl Harpy Eagles to thriller over Barbados