Kaieteur News

Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago to launch ferry service soon

Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados will soon launch a ferry service aimed at improving intraregional transportation, President Irfaan Ali announced on Sunday while delivering his address at the openingceremonyofthe46th RegularMeetingoftheHeads of Governments of

CARICOM held at the National Cultural Center in Georgetown

“WiththehelpofTrinidad and Tobago we have advanced work on the implementation of a regional ferry service, tremendous progress would’ve already beenachieved,”hesaid.

The President continued, “We are now working on the commonality of systems (like)customs sothatitwill be seamless We will have a single window operating in all the countries, we have started with Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago as the tests, and only announcing that we are already getting tremendous private sector interested to takeitintothewiderregion”

President Ali, who is the current Chair of CARICOM, spoke of how investments in transportation could be lucrative,andunderscoredthe roles transportation and logistics play in regional integration and in achieving the goals of food security under the 25 by 2025 Initiative

The improvement of transportationandlogisticsin the Region to facilitate efficient trade in agri-food productsisoneofthepriority actions of the 25 by 2025 Initiative The Initiative aims to reduce the Region’s food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025

As the Head of G o v e r n m e n t w i t h responsibility for agriculture, agricultural production and food security in the

CARICOM Quasi Cabinet, the President will lead discussionsontheinitiativeat the 46th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM w h i c h o p e n e d i n Georgetown, Guyana on Sunday

Preceding the Guyana

Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo and the Heads of Government Meeting, high-level representativesfromGuyana, Trinidad and Tobago, BarbadosandtheCARICOM Secretariat met in Trinidad andTobagoonFebruary15to advance discussions on the proposalfortheferryservice

A press release from the MinistryofPublicWorkssaid the officials met at President Ali’srequest Ministerwithin theMinistryofPublicWorks Minister,DeodatIndarledthe delegation from Guyana whichcomprisedofMr.Brian Sears, Chief Plant Protection Officer, Ministry of Agriculture; Mr. Stephen Telford,HeadofImmigration and Mr Rohan Beekhoo, Comptroller Customs Excise and Trade, Guyana Revenue Authority(GRA)

Minister Deodat chaired the meeting that included Senator the Hon Rohan Sinanan Minister of Works andTransportofTrinidadand Tobago; the Hon GP Ian Gooding-Edghill,Ministerof Tourism and International Transport of Barbados; Dr Pauline Yearwood, Deputy Programme Manager, Transportation in the Directorate of Economic Integration, Innovation and Development at the CARICOM Secretariat, and otherseniorregionalofficials in the areas of Immigration, Customs, Plant Quarantine, PortHealth,andAgriculture.

The meeting highlighted each country’s position and perspective, and Ministers took the opportunity to emphasise their commitment to the process of i m p l e m e n t i n g t h e transportation system and to resolutely promote regional food security without compromising public health, security,andsafety

In Port-of -Spain, ministers and technical officers conducted an inspection of the Galleon’s Passage,thevesselidentified for the ferry service They held discussions on other areas of importance to the proposal for the common transportationsystemsuchas plantquarantine,including Continuedonpage6

The 'R' word, something is frightening about it

Thereissomethingaboutthewordthatissofrightening thatevenweatthispublicationaretemptedtotiptoearound it. Webeginbysayingthatitisthe'r'word,whichisacode that does not fool any Guyanese. Leading Guyanese political figures fool themselves into believing that by not saying renegotiation (the 'r' word) that they are doing themselvesafavour

They believe that by avoiding specific mentioning of renegotiation of the ExxonMobil-Guyana oil contract of 2016 that they remain in the good favor of the American crude oil superpower In the minds of most Guyanese politiciansthereisamorbidfearthatsayingrenegotiationof themonstrousExxonMobiloilcontractistheequivalentofa politicalkissofdeath.

In other words, in the visions and ambitions of many Guyanese politicians, especially the bigger ones, the moment they call for, or insist on, renegotiation, their politicalfortunesaredashed,andthatoftheirgroupasgood asover

Thisissickening,andwhathasstruckpoliticiansdumb inthegoverningPPPCandtheOppositionPNCR,withthe AFCbeinganotableexception. Taketheinitiative,andbe boldenough,tocallforrenegotiationofthehorrorofanoil contractunderwhichGuyaneselive,andpoliticiansrunfor cover OppositionLeader,AubreyNorton,isthestrangest leader regarding this issue of paramount importance. He uses every means at his disposal to evade use of the word renegotiation,asthoughitissomefatalcontagiousdisease. The irony is that in his struggles to escape confronting reality, and dealing firmly and sensibly with what is incorporatedinthewordrenegotiation,Mr Nortonendsup inalmostthesameplace.

Themorethathetriestoputasmuchdistancebetween himself (and his party) and renegotiation, the closer he drawstoit. Intruth,theOppositionLeaderonlysucceedsin makinghimselflookweakandlackinginconfidence,where renegotiation of the contract is concerned. His strength fails, his credibility takes a hard hit, and more and more Guyaneselookathimanddon'tlikewhattheysee.

Itisthesamemysterysicknessthatpervadestheranksof thePPPCGovernmentleadership.

TherewasnogroupliketheonetimePPPCOpposition, andnoleaderslikethenowPresidentAliandVicePresident Jagdeowhoweremorecontemptuousofthe2016contract. Guyanese heard from no lesser lights than President Ali aboutthewrongendofthestick,andVicePresidentJagdeo who shouted to the world all that was wrong with the Coalitionexecuted2016contract.

Forsure,therearemanyprovisionsintheExxonMobil contract that are harmful to the Guyanese people, their interests,andtheirdestiny

Atdifferenttimes,bothPresidentAliandVicePresident committedtodoingwhateverittooktochangethecontract for better for Guyanese. Both now shamelessly eat their own words, and hustle to disown anything that has to do withrenegotiation.

TherealityhasbeenthatallthreeGuyaneseleadershave takenoffenseatthisnewspaperfordemandingthattheybe in the forefront of renegotiation of the contract Specifically, contributors to this newspaper have been attacked and subjected to various forms of abuse for persisting with questions on the nation's oil wealth in general, and renegotiation of its terms and conditions, specifically

Thisisappallinganddoesnothingtocomfortcitizens that their leading political representatives have their best interests at heart. Instead, the opposite has become apparent:wethinkthatleadersinthePPPCGovernmentand the PNCR Opposition are more committed to feathering

Do we really care?

DearEditor, I believe in progress: true progress thatgoeshandinhandwithjusticeand equity. Not one that makes its mark by walking on the backs of the downtrodden!

It has been said that "...pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit beforeafall?"

The pride that says ' it's my way or highway...'isadangerousattitude!

WhereamIgoingwiththis?

Weeks have gone by, and I have heard no one in this Administration raiseavoiceorliftafingerinsupportof thestrikingteachers!

Howcanwesay"wecare"whenwe refuse to sit down and have ' collective bargaining' as provided by the Constitution?

How can we say " we care" when parentsareconcernedaboutthewelfare oftheirchildren?

Howcanwesay"wecare"whenwe ignore the cries of qualified persons

whostruggletopaytheirbills?

How can we say " we care" when somereceivesuchhugeallowancesthat theydonotneedtotouchtheirsalaries, while others take from their meager earnings to help children who are too poortotakelunchtoschool?

Howcanwesay"wecare"whenwe candaretoarticulatethoughtsoftaking moneyfromteachers'salaries?

Letushearkentothewordsofwise King Solomon of old as he waxes poetical, personifies Wisdom, and givesheravoice:

"Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raiseshervoiceintheopensquares.She criesoutinthechiefconcourses.Atthe openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words: “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge. Turn at my rebuke;SurelyIwillpouroutmyspirit onyou;Iwillmakemywordsknownto you.

Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. BecausetheyhatedknowledgeAnddid not choose the fear of the Lord, They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke. Therefore theyshalleatthefruitoftheirownway, And be filled to the full with their own fancies. But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, withoutfearofevil.”

Hethathasearstohearlethimhear!

Sincerely

Region 8 telecommunications crisis: GTT and

DearEditor,

I am writing to express my deep concern and frustrationregardingthelack o f e s s e n t i a l telecommunication services provided by GTT and Digicel in Region 8, PotaroSiparuni. It is appalling that inthisdayandage,residents ofRegion8arestilldeprived of reliable communication infrastructure, which is essential for both personal andeconomicdevelopment.

During a recent investigative journey to Region 8 with a team of forensic and data journalists to cover a documentary, we uncovered that private citizens were offering internet services at an exorbitant cost of $1,000.00 an hour Such pricing is utterly unreasonable and places an undue financial burden on the residents of Region8.

The inadequacy of telecommunication services inRegion8hasfar-reaching consequences.Residentsare unable to make important callsincaseofemergencies,

Digicel fail rural Guyanese

hindering their ability to access medical assistance or report critical incidents

Furthermore, businesses in the region suffer immensely duetounreliableinternetand phone connections, impacting their productivity and competitiveness in the market Both GTT and Digicel have failed to fulfill their obligations to provide adequate services to all citizens of Guyana, regardless of their geographiclocation.Despite b e i n g m a j o r telecommunications companies, they have neglected the needs of rural communities like those in Region8,prioritizingprofits oversocialresponsibility

Moreover, the lack of competition in the telecommunications sector exacerbates the problem

Withonlytwomajorplayers dominatingthemarket,there is little incentive for either company to improve their services or invest in infrastructure development inunderservedareas.

It is high time for the

theirownnests. Thatis,maintainingtheirholdonpower,or gettingtoit,byanymeans.

Bynotprioritizingrenegotiation,byrefusingtoidentify closelywithwhatisnowapoliticallyhatedword,Guyana's politicalleadershiphasgivenup,andleavesExxonMobilto prosperextravagantlyattheexpenseofGuyanese.

A serious and balanced renegotiation of the ugly ExxonMobil contract stands to benefit both Guyanese and ExxonMobillikeneverbefore.

What is required is leadership honesty, and genuine political will. The honesty is open to all manner of uncertainty, while the leadership will is overwhelmed by distinctivedreadandcowardice.

relevant authorities to hold G T T a n d D i g i c e l accountable for their failure to provide essential services toallGuyanesecitizens.The government must intervene

and implement measures to ensure equitable access to telecommunications services across the country Thiscouldincludeimposing

(Continuedonpage6)

Why did Pompeo visit Guyana in December 2020?

DearEditor,

Mike Pompeo has no links with US government. HemadeavisittoGuyanain DecemberandmetPresident IrfaanAli.Why?

Did the former Secretary of State lobby Irfaan for the US$1 billion Berbice oil refinery contract to be awarded to his company? Did Pompeo's company bid for the project? Is his company preferred over Guyanese companies? Why have local companies been bypassed for foreign companies? Is this nationalism that is being demonstrated by President Ali? Is the VP comfortable withnotbeingconsulted?

Vice President Jagdeo is supposed to be in charge of energy matters (oil and gas). Howcomeheisnotinvolved in making a decision on the refinery?Isthereashiftinthe powerstructure?IsIrfaanhis own man now? Is this a harbingerofwhatistocome?

It is not forgotten that Irfaan is President because of the choice made by Jagdeo who hadseveralmoreworthyand qualified candidates. But he chose Irfaan as the Presidential candidate, blanking Anil Nandlall and Vindya Persaud. Is Irfaan

now doing his own things without VP's approval?

Remember Donald Ramotar blanked Jagdeo just months after he became President, and he lost power Could therebearepeatnextyear?

Is the planned awarding of the oil refinery contract a payback for intervention in the 2020 election? Is a mining contract also in the making?IfPompeoandother investors are so interested in the development of projects in Guyana, why don't they buy shares or stocks in companies doing business in Guyana? In so doing, there would be more liquid cash available to the other investors to complete their projects.

Why can't Pompeo allow localGuyanesecompaniesto get a fair share of the constructionprojects?

When will Guyanese get theirfairshareofthenation's resources and wealth? Will the VP and other politicians allow Pompeo to exploit us? Will Americans close their eyes to this exploitation?

Will the Democratic governmentinUSAstandup andallowthisbullyismofour people?

Yourstruly, NigelPilgrim

The story behind the stories

DearEditor,

There is story behind everystory

But the underlying lead of a story can be buried, so much so that the story does not capture the attention of thosetowhomitisintended.

In journalism, the lead refers to the introductory section of a news story intended to entice the reader/viewers to follow the fullstory,howeverwhenthe l e a d i s b u r i e d o r underreported, we are not providedwiththefullnessof thestory However,whenthe fullness of the story is brought to light, we are provided with new, surprisingperspectives.

There is a story behind every event, in this connection, the story has to do with how facial recognitionisusedbyIsraeli intelligence and defense forces to identify, track and pinpointtheexactlocationof top leaders of HAMAS, HIZBOLLAH and the Iranian Revolution Guard in ordertoeliminatethem.

It was facial recognition technology that was used to kill Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani, as a result of a drone strike on a car he was in on the Bagdad (Iraq) airport road in January 2020; Senior commander Sayyed Reza Mousavi, a long-serving advisor to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Council was killed by a dronestrikeonacarhewas inneartheDamascus(Syria)

airport on December 2023.

And Saleh al-Arouri, the DeputyHeadofthepolitical bureau of Hamas was killed by a drone strike on a car he was in, in a densely populated area in Southern Lebanon.In January 2024, WissamTawil,acommander of Hezbollah's elite Radwan forces and a senior Hezbollah officer was killed when the car he was in was struck by a drone on the borderbetweenLebanonand Israel.

Reports indicate that these individuals were on their phones, in moving vehicles and in open spaces where non-interference for trackingiseasier.

Pinpoint targeting by drones specially equipped for such operations resulted in their deaths.According to an Amnesty International report released in 2023, the Israeli Defense Forces admitted that it uses advanced facial recognition technology to carry out “necessary security and intelligenceoperations.”

The Amnesty Report went on to state that the Israelimilitaryhasutilizeda camera system called 'Red Wolf' since 2022, deploying it at checkpoints as part of a program that “relies on databases consisting exclusively of Palestinian individuals'data.”

A year earlier, the Washington Post reported the IDF was building a digital surveillance database by having soldiers take

cellphone photos of

Palestinians using smart phone technology called 'Blue Wolf,' which captures photos of faces and matches them to a mass bank of information.

HereinGuyana,adebate on the use of facial recognition technology as a law enforcement tool has been around for some time. The issue resurfaced at a press conference hosted by VP Jagdeo on January 11, 2024.According to the Vice President, “The government is working on a biometric project that will allow the authorities to use facial recognitionsoftwaretotrack peoplewithcriminalrecords and pinpoint their exact locationatanygiventime.”

In its January 15, 2024 edition, S/N published an editorial on 'Facial Recognition.'

The editorial sought to situate use of facial recognition technology in a Guyanese context Tangentially, and for inexplicable reasons, the editorial referenced the experiences of the UK and USA, but not of Israel's, whose advances and utilization of facial

recognition software can, in no way, be comparable to what is being contemplated foruseinGuyana.

TheS/Neditorialdidnot misstheopportunitytotakea swipe at government It claimed that;’Such a system under the control of this government should and will evoke concern about the invasion of privacy, misuse of information and the securityofdatabases.'

The editorial took a further dig at government stating;'Facialrecognitionis riddled with all sorts of problems that this government- which has a propensity for control and ignoring the opposition-will be unable to satisfactorily handle.'

Has S/N interpreted Guyana's “biometric project” to mean that either 'Red Wolf' or 'Blue Wolf' technology is coming to Guyana? In any event, Guyana's law enforcement agencies should not be deprived of using facial recognition technology appropriate to our domestic laws land national peculiarities.

Yoursfaithfully, Clement

Guyana hospitality on full display

DearEditor,

Breakfast at Round House; lunch in Promenade Gardens for our visitors attending the regional conference.

Nicethinkingoutsidethe

box.

Guyana hospitality on full display, while exposing our visitors not only to local cuisinebutambience.

Regards

ShamshunMohamed

GTT and Digicel...

Frompage4 penalties for companies that neglect rural areas or incentivizing investment in infrastructure through subsidiesortaxbreaks.

Furthermore, there should be greater t r a n s p a r e n c y a n d accountability in the o p e r a t i o n s o f telecommunications companies, with regular audits to assess their performance in meeting serviceobligations.

In conclusion, the

situation regarding telecommunicationsservices in Region 8 is unacceptable, andurgentactionisneededto rectifyit.

GTT and Digicel must be held accountable for their negligence, and measures should be implemented to ensure that all Guyanese citizens have access to reliable and a f f o r d a b l e telecommunication services, regardlessoftheirlocation.

Sincerely,

Oil spill spreads across Caribbean from Tobago to Bonaire

(BBC NEWS) Oil leaking from a capsized bargeoffthecoastofTobago hasspreadhundredsofmiles toreachtheCaribbeanisland ofBonaire.

Officials on Bonaire, which is located 50 miles (80km) north of the Venezuelan coast, said the oilposeda"seriousthreatto bothhumansandnature".

Theislandisthelatestto

have been contaminated with oil from the barge which ran aground earlier this month. It is still unclear who owns the barge and what may have caused it to sink The authorities on Bonaire, which is a special municipality of the Netherlands,saidtheisland's east coast, including Sorobon, Lac and Lagun, hadbeenpolluted.Theyalso

warned that the island's mangrove, fish and coral ecosystemswereatrisk.

The oil leak was first spotted by the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard on 7th. February They traced it to a barge which had become lodgedonareefabout150m (500 ft ) off Tobago's southerncoast.Therewasno crewonboardthebargeand the Coast Guard said it had

not received any distress signals. They did, however, spot the name "Gulfstream" painted on the side of the vessel. Trinidad and Tobago authoritiessaidthebargehad originated in Panama and hadbeentowedbyatugboat. They said it appeared "to have been bound for Guyana".

An investigation conducted by online investigative journalism site Bellingcat suggests the bargestoppedinlateJanuary in Pozuelos Bay, a

Venezuelan port used by the state-owned PDVSA oil company

According to Bellingcat, the barge may have started leaking oil as early as 3 February The whereabouts oftheboatwhichhadtugged the barge are not currently known.

The prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago declared a national

emergency on 11 February

The country's Office of Disaster Preparedness and Managementhasbeentrying

tocontainthespillagebutoil has been continuing to leak fromthebarge.

The Trinidad and TobagoWeather Center said satellite images suggested the oil slick had spread into the marine area of Grenada as early as 14 February From there, it appears to have been carried further westward to Bonaire Officials on Bonaire are particularly concerned for the mangroves, which are among the best preserved in theCaribbean.

Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad and...

Frompage2 Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Matters and immigration, and customs for themovementofpeopleandgoodsfortrade. A system for pre-clearance was also proposedforimplementation.

The Heads of Customs, Immigration, and Plant Quarantine Divisions from Guyana, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago agreed that most systems were already in place and can be adjusted to accommodate the service.A technical team fromTrinidadandTobagowillvisitGuyana

and Barbados to inspect port infrastructure to accommodate the proposed ferry service withinthenexttwoweeks.

Representativesfromthethreecountries willmeettoidentifyandresolveissuesand prepare an interim report on harmonising within a month.Participants agreed further to complete the work of pre-clearance procedures for immigration, customs, and plant quarantine within two months. The teamagreedtoworkconstantlytomakethe ferryservicearealityassoonaspossible,the Ministry'spressreleasestated.

Guyana among hot spots for Exxon’s accelerated exploration

– 2023 Financial Report

With more than 11 billion barrels of oil already discovered offshore Guyana by American oil giant ExxonMobil, the company last year accelerated its hunt for moreresources.

Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) in its 2023 Financial Highlights on exploration and capital expenses said the company opportunistically ramped up its activitiesinitsadvantagedGuyana andPermianassets.

The company told its shareholders, “Capital and explorationexpenditureswere$7.8 billion in the fourth quarter, bringing full-year 2023 expenditures to $26 3 billion, slightly above the top end of the guidance range, as the company opportunistically accelerated activities in the advantaged Permian and Guyana assets, and enteredanewlithiumbusiness.”

XOM did not disaggregate its spending on exploration and capital costs, but its Results Summaryindicatesthattheenergy

giant’s expenditure in this regard grew by over US$3B when compared to 2022. According to the document, the company expended US$22 7 billion in exploration and capital costs in 2022,comparedtoUS$26.3billion lastyear

ExxonMobil is the operator of Guyana’s lucrative Stabroek Block. The company holds a 45% interest, while Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30 percent interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25 percent interest.

During a press conference hosted by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited(EMGL)atitsDukeStreet, Kingston, Georgetown office this month, Country Manager, Alistair Routledge was asked about the company’s exploration expenses relative to the Stabroek Block for 2023 Routledge informed journalists that the Annual Report will soon be issued with detailed information relative to the company’slocalactivities.

This year, Exxon will be

pursuing a number of exploration and appraisal wells ahead of its scheduled relinquishment of a portion of the Block in October.

The Country Manager during the press engagement noted, for example,thattwowells,Redmouth andTrumpetfish,willbedrilledin hopesoflandingafindbigenough to support a standalone project.

“We plan to drill two exploration wellswestofLizaandPayara.The Trumpetfish and Redmouth explorationwellsareplannedmore inthemiddleoftheStabroekBlock duringthecourseofthisyear,”the

officialsaid.

One of the drillships owned by Noble Corporation and used by Exxon for exploration activities in Guyana.

Apart from those two, Routledge said Exxon has five exploration and appraisal wells plannedfortheStabroekBlockthis year which fall under its 35-well campaignthatwasapprovedbythe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Since some of these five wells will test for gas, Routledge said it will be instrumental in helping the company to really understand the resource therein.

“We think we have discovered a certain amount of (gas) resource, but you know how will it perform

dynamically? Can we infill with someadditionaldiscoveriesweare drillingliketheBluefinexploration well currently so that is the focus now,”explainedRoutledge.

In 2023, ExxonMobil Guyana announced two new discoveries, increasing the total discoveries for the prolific Stabroek Block to 40. Notably, the company has not updated the country’s resource basesinceApril,2022. Itsaiditis more concerned with developing and monetizing those resources alreadydiscoveredwhichtotals11 billionbarrelsofoilequivalent.

UKdanglesmoreloanstoGuyana

The United Kingdom ExportFinance(UKEF) has revised its loan ceiling to Guyana from £750 milliontoawhopping£2.1billion.

This comes within days of a US$150 million loan agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and a new agreement with the government of Canada for a US$89Mloan.

Visiting UK Minster, David Rutley, Parliamentary UnderSecretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) made the official announcement of the revised loan ceiling on Tuesday, during a press conference at the British High Commissioner’sresidence,BelAir, Georgetown.

Hesaid,“UKEF’smissionisto ensure that no viable UK Export fails for lack of finance or insurance. We can help overseas buyers across the world [have] access to financial support they need to procure from the UK, unlocking the potential of the UK supply chain by making their bids morecompetitive.”

Rutley said the increased UKEF’s Country Limit/Market Risk Appetite (MRA) for Guyana represents nearly a tripling of support now available to the Guyanese market, and a reflection oftheconfidencethattheUKhasin the stewardship of Guyana’s economybythegovernment.

TheUKfinancingwillnotonly beavailabletogovernmentbutwill

...raises borrow ceiling from £750M to £2.1B

also be accessible to the private sector The British Minister was keen to point out that government will be able to access competitive long-term financing for national priority projects for social infrastructure, health care,

education,ortransportandallother sectorswiththeexceptionofoiland gas.

UKEF provided €1.6 billion (euros)in2022fortheconstruction of the new Pediatric and Maternal Hospital in East Coast Demerara.

Rutley said he hopes that with the increasedriskappetite,UKEFwill be able to finance further projects, vitaltothiscountry’sdevelopment.

“My hope is for the UK to continue to partner with the government of Guyana to assist in meeting the development needs of this great country and take our bilateral relationship to even greaterheights,”hesaid.

Alsoinattendanceoftheevent wasBritishHighCommissionerto Guyana, Jane Miller, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Komal Singh, Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce Guyana, Faizal Khan, Head of the Guyana Manufacturers Association (GMSA), Ramsay Ali and President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Kester Hutson amongothers.

Sharing brief remarks at the event, Minister Singh expressed strong appreciation to the UK for the announcement in the increased loan ceiling for Guyana. He said it representsaclearsignaloftheUK’s confidence in Guyana as a destination for British companies toinvestinandasaplaceforBritish companiestodobusinesswith.

At the sovereign level, the

Finance Minister said government willbetakingadvantageofthenow availableresources.

“We certainly intend to, at the sovereign to explore and pursue every available opportunity to makeuseofthisfacility...Iwantto urgetheGuyaneseprivatesectorto avail themselves of this opportunitytoaccessfinancingand thisopportunitytodobusinesswith British companies,” Dr. Singh noted.

Hesaidtheinstitutionhasbeen a competitive partner, relative to exportcreditagenciesglobally

Meanwhile, Regional Head of UKEF, Camilo Neira in an interview with this publication explained that businesses are required to provide at least three years of audited financial statements to tap the available financing. This means that the programme does not support startups.

He also pointed out that the minimum per transaction is £1 million (pounds). Neira said the £2.1 B is the general country limit and includes the sovereign transactions with government and theprivatesectorandtherewasno specific amount allocated for either

The Regional UKEF official said another requirement is for at least20%ofthetransactionmustbe suppliedbytheUK.

US unveils new funding to support climate adaptation,resilience in C’bean

United States Ambassador to theUnitedNations,LindaThomasGreenfield has announced a US$15.8 million in new USAID funding to address climate and biodiversity threats in the Caribbean.

The funding is part of the US$43 million in USAID funding for climate adaptation and resilience in the Caribbean, which was highlighted at CARICOM Heads of Government summit being held here. In a press release, the US Embassy said that the announcementbuildsonthestrong partnership between the United

States and CARICOM. This new funding announcement includes: ProtectingMarineBiodiversityand Building Climate Resilience in the Caribbean.

USAID will provide $5 8 milliontoreducethreatstocoastalmarine biodiversity and build the resilience of coastal communities in the Caribbean to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.Theprogrammewillfocus on preserving endangered ecosystems and species such as mangroves and coral reefs, as well as communities of sharks, rays, marineturtles,andmore.Thework

willalsoenhanceclimateresilience and the well-being of local communities including women, youth, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ,andIndigenouspeople.

Additionally, to enhance the capacityandperformanceofwater sector institutions and markets in Haiti, USAID will provide an initial $10 million. This support will help institutions plan for the financing and delivery of safe and reliable drinking water services before,duringandaftershocksand stresses such as climate crises, health pandemics and civil unrest. WiththissupportfromUSAID,one

millionHaitianswillhaveaccessto climate-resilient sources of safe water

Additional USAID initiatives: include, unlocking Climate Finance to Bolster Climate ResilienceintheCaribbean

As part of USAID’s US$20 million Caribbean Climate Investment Program (CCIP) announced by Vice President KamalaHarrisinJune2023,while at CARICOM, USAID Assistant AdministratorEscobariannounced two new projects to increase climate investment in the Caribbean. The work with the

Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN) includes US$3 million for business advisory services to help prepare small and medium-sized enterprises for investment. The second project includes US$608,000 to Deetken Impact, a climate resilience and renewable energy investment firm that will focus on strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises with an emphasis on reachingwomenentrepreneurs.

USAID Administrator Power also recently announced US$6.1 millioninfundingforthenew

Continued on page 22

Low-hanging fruits

Constitutional reform has been consistently a longstanding promise in the Manifestoes of the country's main political parties. In its 2020 Manifesto, the PPPC a g a i n p r o m i s e d constitutionalreformandhas taken steps to establish a Constitutional Reform C o m m i s s i o n T h e APNU+AFC in turn committed contributing to a constitutionthatreflectedthe willofthepeopleofGuyana.

Given past experiences, however,thereisboundtobe skepticism about the potential success of this process.

Both of Guyana's main political parties appear comfortablewiththeexisting Constitution, despite their constantpromisetoreviseit.

Thelastmajorreformsto the country's Constitution took place in 2009 But despitetherangeanddepthof those reforms, there remained demands for more reforms, particularly in respect to the powers of the Presidency and the need for power-sharingarrangements.

The larger issues of power sharing and reducing the powers of the President arelikelytofaceresistanceto change.

Agreatdealofmoneyand time is going to be fritted away on seeking nonachievable consensus on theseissues.

Parliament has had a Standing Committee on Constitutional Reform. But the work of this Committee hasnotledtoanysubstantive reformssince2009

Both the PPPC and the PNCR,givingtheirrecordin government,arecomfortable with not sharing power with each other. And both are

comfortable with the powers ofthePresident.

These are the two main ' h o t p o t a t o e s ' o f constitutional reform But there is no reason why progress cannot be made on the low-hanging fruits and around which there can be immediateconsensus.

One of the most accessible and noncontentious aspects of constitutional reform in Guyana is the country's name.

The current title, "Cooperative Republic of Guyana," carries historical baggage from an era when cooperative socialism was pursued but ultimately proved to be an ineffective and failed governance model.

The reality is that cooperative socialism is no longerpartoftheideological orientation of the PNCR which was the party that engineered the name change of the country from “ G u y a n a ” t o t h e “Cooperative Republic of Guyana”.

The first Article of the Constitution states that the countryshallbeknownasthe Co-operative Republic of Guyana. But most Guyanese stillrefertotheirhomelandas “Guyana”.

Reverting to the original official name, 'Guyana,' as designated at Independence, is a low-hanging fruit that is non-contentious By shedding the cumbersome and irrelevant appendage of "Co-operative Republic of," Guyana can project a more straightforward name for the country

Guyana's Constitution also contains ideological vestiges that may not reflect either the realities or

DEM BOYS SEH

aspirations of the nation. In the case of Guyana, references to socialism and cooperative ideals are relics ofabygoneera.

The country has moved away from the pursuit of cooperative socialism, and it istimefortheConstitutionto reflectthisideologicalshift.

A pragmatic approach to constitutional reform entails expunging references to ideologies that no longer holdrelevance.

Guyana is not in a transition from capitalism to socialism, and maintaining such references in the Constitution serves only to perpetuate an outdated narrative.

Another low-hanging fruit are the numerous constitutional commissions. These are costly bodies to maintainandtheiroutputand effectiveness are subject to debate.

Anevaluationofwhether theserightscommissionsare n e e d e d s h o u l d b e undertaken Most are toothless. A small country likeGuyanadoesnotneedall these Constitutional commissions.

Constitutional reform often encounters challenges due to the divisive nature of certain issues. By focusing on low-hanging fruits, the reform process can sidestep contentious debates and facilitate the building of consensus among diverse political and social stakeholders.

Changing the country's nameandremovingoutdated ideological references are areas where agreement is morelikelytobereached.

Achievable goals will contribute to the credibility of the reform process, demonstrating tangible

Time fuh exit de stage!

home.

Guyana gat some politicians who do not know when to leave the stage. Dem nah know when to call it a day We gat politicianswhocan'ttakeahintandbow out gracefully Dem does linger about longer than a bad odor, clinging desperately to the allure of power light a mothtoaflame.

And yet, despite the not-so-subtle hints,thesepoliticalrelicsjustwon'ttake thecue.They'relikethatoneunwelcome guestwhorefusestoleavethepartyeven after the DJ has packed up and gone

Rightnow,wegatamanbeendancingfuh too long. And even though he knows he gat bow foot and knack knee, he still feel that he cancontinuetomakemovesaroundthepeople. He should know that de most entrenched political dinosaurs gat to eventually face the music. As the old saying goes, "Time longer than twine," and no amount of maneuvering gan defy the inevitable march of time. Sooner or later, the curtain must fall, the lights must dim,andthespotlightmustshift.

Butuntilthen,deshowmustgoon. Butat leastwegatdecomfortofknowingthataslong astherearefossilsinpolitics,therewillalways becomedyandlaughs.

Talkhalf.Leffhalf

progresstothepublic.While power-sharing and more complex constitutional amendments may be longterm objectives, addressing low-hanging fruits creates a foundation for trust-building and cooperation among politicalparties.

This approach ensures that constitutional reform is seen as a practical and effectiveprocess,ratherthan an idealistic pursuit with

uncertainoutcomes.

This is why a more pragmatic approach to constitutional reform in Guyanainvolvesfocusingon low-hanging fruits, such as changing the country's name and removing outdated ideologicalreferences.

These are achievable goals that can lay the groundwork for more substantial reforms in the future.

(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.)

Jagdeo:Aserialskirter,shirker,spinner

If Guyana’s Vice President and chief policymakerwasinacourtof law giving testimony, it is highlyprobablethathewould havebeenheldincontemptof court.

Chronic contempt if he gotpastthatoath Forfailing toprovideclearanswers For dissemblingandobfuscating Simply put, being a skirter around questions. Man, is his skirt and skirting voluminous, a billowing sea of driftwood and drift-mud, the apex of Guyana’s cunning,calculatingpolitics. Ask the nation’s chief policymaker a simple question and he floats like a

fish(adepartedone).

TheVP’s is such a skirter thanhecouldcompeteinany dress competition and come outthewinner:yes,hisskirting hassomanyfolds,pleats,lacy embroidery Askthebossman about new discovery data, and he produces a mangled answer about Exxon’s focusing on “monetizing” alreadydiscoveredresources What a clever character the mightyVPis

Unlikeacourtoflaw,the court of public opinion, especially his own thinking people, see right through his diaphanous clothing The questioniswhethertheVPis awolfinsheep’sclothing;or

he has no clothing to recommend him. I must admit, though, that the big man has a tremendous elasticitywithtruth,fairness, and what is right for all Guyanese Just so that everyone is together, especiallyPPPwatchersand shock absorbers at Office of the President and Statemassaged media, the elasticity is on a downward trajectory

The VP has earned his spurs as a serial shirker also A respectable request for a peek at the cash handout spending, and the man with all the power is transformed intothepowerless. Heshifts

and shirks his duty to the people. Iwonderwhichman anywherecouldtellmethatI is a former prezzident and I frikken wha Kaieteur News gon do. I would have to be stark,ravingmad.Thisisthe situation, these were the conditions, now go ahead and bring aan yuh distortions, Kaieteur See whayuhcanfine.

Butthisistheubershirker that the VPhas become, and he just cannot help himself His shirking on cash grants information is the newest example of a man who has patented more moves than Fred Astaire (and Ginger), MC Hammer, and the new

Usher Put the striking teachers before the VP, and he seh is de peeple on Brickdam by the police station. This is how the mastermind earns his reputationasashirker Ifitis not the EPA, it is Kaieteur; andifitispayandconditions ofworkinvolvingteachersis nahhee,istheMinistry

What kind of chief policymaker is this man and national leader is the VP? I submit that the chief policymaking decisions that have been made by the VP (not to be confused with the firstVP,thehonoraryPM),is to skirt around the demands that accompany that top job and shirk them over to others.

Separately, the chief policymakershouldreallybe theotherDisneylandandLas Vegas presence in Guyana, ie,themanwiththebiggest official title The smaller man is Guyana’s chief oilman, and he sounds like the senior most cheerleader for Exxon, the chief advocate for Exxon, the chiefpublicrelationsofficer for Exxon. Soon he will be drawling like a Texan: all molasses,allmonstrosities.

Last,thepolicysupremo, theVP,isaspinner:flightand floaters, twists and turns Challenge him, and he shrinks:ifitisnotthemediais some naysayah, some ministah. What’s the story with the US$2 billion coverage from Exxon. The matter is engaging the attentionofthecourts,soitis sub judice. He is now a Roman.

Guyana’schiefconcocter is always spinning some sad story The real stories about thisoilaresecretsknownonly toExxonandhimself Spinis cool;secretscooler Itiswhy the VP is hailed in high Exxonchambersasitsglobal

employee of the year The VPissuchaspindoctorthat hemekGuyanesebelievedat he wukking fuh dem. Aaal de time, he wukking fuh Exxon,isthecompany’sbest spokesperson. He spins so much that the skin on his fingersandfaceallgone. He sheds more skin than a snake.

How about some backbone? Imustcheckwith the headmaster minister if serpents have backbone Incidentally, if he is a headmaster, then I am the ayatollah of Persia. The policymaker spins better than India’s Ravichandran Ashwin and Australia’s Nathan Lyon combined. In the Vice President skirting and spinning game, he is in an exclusive (5000 wicket) cluballbyhimself. Heowns wicketandstumps,converts the umpires to his side, and walks with his own rummy, rowdy crowd to cheer him on.

I invite others to look whereGuyaneseare Guyana is world news But, whenever the VP says something, it’s a different kindofnews Goodnewsfor Exxon, bad news for Guyanese. Sweet news for foreign investors, sad news for local owners The foreignshareholdersstriking itrich,localteachersstriking over poor pay and poorer policies. These imbalances occur, these differences reign,whenleadersareserial skirters, shirkers, and spinners.

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

OppositionasksAuditorGeneraltoprobecashgrantsdistribution

L e a d e r o f t h e Opposition, Aubrey Norton on Thursday called on the Auditor General Deodat Sharmatoauditanumberof public expenditures by the government including the various cash grants and President Irfaan Ali’s pet project-MenonMission.

In a letter to the AG which was shared to the mediaNortonlistedtheMen on Mission Programme under the Office of the President, Project, Government Buildings undertheMinistryofPublic Works, Community Infrastructure Improvement

Project and Regional Economic Transformation which is executed under the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, the National Pathway Workers, and grants issued under the SLED Programme and S m a l l B u s i n e s s DevelopmentFund.

Nortoninhisletternoted that, the Opposition has received many complaints from citizens regarding the distribution of grants and funds utilised that were allocated by capital expenditure “In light of these concerns, we

respectfully request that the Office of the Auditor General conduct audits to

accountability, and adherence to financial laws.

Many persons have expressedconcernregarding

the distribution of cash grants. They have noted the arbitrary manner in which they were allocated and the

absence of a proper paper trailsincetheyaredelivered incash.Inthecircumstance, it is imperative that the criteria used for the distribution of these grants be ascertained, and that the list of recipients be verified to confirm that they indeed mettheestablishedcriteria,” Nortonsaid.

He explained that, “such an audit is crucial to determine whether the distributionprocesswasfair, equitable, transparent, accountable and undertaken inaccordancewiththelaw A requestisalsobeingmade

Continuedonpage22

Pres.Ali’scommentsonHaitians‘hypocritical’– MP

Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Amanza Walton-Desir has described statements made by President Irfaan Ali about thestateofaffairsinHaition Sundayattheopeningofthe 46thRegularMeetingofthe Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM heldattheNationalCultural Centreas“hypocritical”.

President Ali said, “Anything that impedes the interests of the people of Haiti is of immense concern for the leadership of this region.Wearecommittedas a region to ensuring that the people of Haiti can also realize their full potential… we owe thistothepeopleof Haiti”.

However, Walton-Desir whoattendedthemeetingas the Parliamentary Opposition’s representative expressed dismay at President Ali’s address, where he emphasized the importanceofsupportingthe peopleofHaiti.

“What hypocrisy! My incredulity did not however preclude me from recalling the treatment of our Haitian brothers and sisters at the hands of Irfaan Ali and his Administration, ” the OppositionMPsaid.

W a l t o n - D e s i r highlighted what she believestobeacontradiction between Ali’s rhetoric and his government’s treatment

of Haitian nationals in Guyana.

She reminded that former President David Granger, acting in accordancewiththedecision oftheHeadsofGovernment takenatthe39thCARICOM Heads of Government Meeting in Montego Bay, Jamaica,inJuly2018,which “recognized that Haitian nationals are entitled to an automaticstayofsixmonths upon arrival in CARICOM memberstatessubjecttothe rights of CARICOM member states to refuse entry to undesirable persons and to prevent persons from becomingachargeonpublic funds”,inJanuary2019,had signed an Executive Order allowingHaitiannationalsto travel to Guyana without requiringavisaandallowing anautomaticsixmonthsstay uponarrivalinGuyana.

However, Walton-Desir pointed to President Ali’s decision in June 2021 to revoke the Immigration Order passed under the previous administration, reintroducing a visa requirement for Haitian nationals President Ali justifiedthepolicyshiftasa measure to combat human traffickingandsmuggling.

“But Guyanese will recall that prior to the order issued by President Ali, 26 Haitiannationals,afterbeing held in State custody in

g r o s s l y i n h u m a n e c o n d i t i o n s , w e r e unceremoniously dumped onthestreetsofGeorgetown intheweehoursofthenight on December 9th, 2020 Guyanese also remember that on the 27th January 2021 the Chief Justice of

Guyana quashed the deportationordersecuredby the government against those same 26 Haitian nationals. The court found that the Ali government breachedtherulesofnatural justice, as well as constitutional protections

enshrined in Article 139, whichprovidesprotectionof the right to personal liberty, and Article 148, which provides protection of freedom of movement,” the OppositionMPsaid.

Further, she highlighted thattheCommuniquéissued attheconclusionofthe45th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, 3-5 July 2023, sets out that “the Conference agreed to work towards the free movement of all CARICOM Nationals withintheCommunityby31 March 2024 They acknowledged that there are certain basic guarantees that should be afforded to all

CARICOM nationals exercising their right to freely move and remain

indefinitely in another Member State of the Community In this regard, they agreed that any appropriate amendments to the Revised Treaty to Provide for the attendant rights of CARICOM nationals exercising their right to free movement within the community and accommodate the concerns of all Member States would be completed in the interveningperiod”.

The opposition member also drew attention to the contrasting treatment of Venezuelan migrants, who r e c e i v e m o r e accommodation despite similarchallenges.Shesaid, “But it is perhaps the juxtaposition of the treatmentofHaitian

Continuedonpage21

Brazil’sLulatodiscussEssequibo,ElectionwithVenezuela’sMaduro

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President LuizInacioLuladaSilvaplansabilateralmeeting this week with Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas MadurotodiscussVenezuela’supcominggeneral electionanditsborderdisputewithGuyana.

Brazil has been trying to broker dialogue betweenitstwoneighborssinceVenezuelarevived its claim to Guyana’s oil-rich Esequibo area, havingalreadyhostedbothpartiesformeetings.

TheBrazilianleader,twosourcesfamiliarwith the matter said, wants to seek assurance from Maduro that Venezuela will not escalate rhetoric onEsequiboaheadofthepresidentialvote.

“Thegoalistokeepthingsonthebackburner

andnotlettheelectioncontaminatethedialogue,” oneofthesourcessaid.Althoughnoclearsolution tothedisputeisinsight,Venezuelahasmoderated its tone in recent months, returning to diplomacy after initially threatening the use of force. Lula remains concerned the election could lead the Maduro administration to escalate again. The Brazilian president is scheduled to meet Venezuela’sleaderonthesidelinesoftheCELAC summitinSaintVincentandtheGrenadines,after alsoattendingtheCARICOMsummitinGuyana, wherehewillmeetGuyanesePresidentIrfaanAli.

Lula also expects to address Venezuela’s election during his meeting with Maduro,

according to the sources. The government of Maduro’s ruling socialists last year agreed to release political prisoners, allow international observersandsetconditionsforafairpresidential electionin2024.

ThelocalSupremeCourtinJanuary,however, upheld a ban barring opposition presidential candidate Maria Corina Machado from holding office, raising doubts about whether Maduro would fulfill his pledges The Brazilian government’sassessment,thesourcessaid,isthat for now there were signs of “concern” but no reasonfor“alarm”-henceLula’sintentiontotalk toMadurotoensuretheagreementisfulfilled.

Exxon, Chevron in fight over Guyana’s oil

…Chevron says purchase of Hess Global is because of big pay day from Stabroek Block

UnitedStates(U.S.)Oilmajors Chevron and ExxonMobil Corp. are at loggerheads over Chevron’s acquisition of a 30% stake in the StabroekBlockoffshoreGuyana–the centrepiece of its deal for Hess Corporation,Reutersreported.

Chevron’s US$53 billion acquisition of Hess gives it access toHess’stakeintheStabroekBlock andpositionstheoilmajortoprofit fromGuyana’semergenceasanoil powerhouse, boasting one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

Exxon operates all production in Guyana with a 45% stake in the consortium with Hess and China’s CNOOC as its minority partners.

LastOctober,Chevronproposedto buy Hess largely to obtain the Guyanastake.

ExxonMobilstatedonMonday itsintentiontopotentiallypre-empt Chevron’s acquisition of the stake, which forms a crucial component of its deal with Hess The disagreement centers on Exxon’s assertion of a right to first refusal regarding any sale of the Stabroek block,avastoilfieldoffthecoastof Guyana estimated to contain at least11billionbarrelsofoil.

Chevron, in a securities filing, cautioned that the dispute could jeopardize its US$53 billion deal forHess.Shouldthedealcollapse, Hess might face a breakup fee of US$1.7 billion. Hess shares fell more than 3% in late trading. Chevron fell almost 1% - Reuters reported.

Exxonsaidinastatementthatit wantstoensureitwill“preserveour righttorealizethesignificantvalue we’vecreatedandareentitledtoin the Guyana asset,” adding it is “working closely with the Guyanese government to ensure theirrightsandprivileges.”

Dan Pickering, Chief

Stabroek Block

Investment Officer at Pickering Energy Partners, told Reuters,

“YouhavetoassumethatChevron made a business decision that Exxon wouldn’t try to pre-empt.”

The two companies are partners in projects elsewhere and the dispute signals how valuable the Guyana projectsaretoExxon,hesaid.

“Itobviouslymeansthat30%of Guyana is really valuable and maybe they think that Chevron is getting in too cheaply, Pickering said, adding “Right now, it feels likeafoodfight.”

Moreover, Chevron said it believes the talks “will result in an outcomethatwillnotdelay,impede

orpreventtheconsummationofthe merger.” However, it also said the disputecouldwindupinarbitration if the two sides cannot reach a settlement.

“The right of first refusal provision is not applicable to the merger We are fully committed to the transaction and do not believe theROFRorthesediscussionswill preventitssuccessfulcompletion,” ChevronandHesssaid.

Notably, Reuters reported also that a disruption of the deal terms would be a major blow to the U.S. second largest oil producer, which has been trying to expand productionintolowercostfieldsin

theAmericas.

CHEVRONWANT-IN

The Exxon-led consortium anticipatesasubstantialincreasein Guyana’s oil output to over 1.2 millionbarrelsperdayby2027.

In a press release on October 23, 2023, Chevron stated that the acquisition of Hess upgrades and diversifies the company’s already advantaged portfolio, adding that theStabroekblockinGuyanaisan extraordinary asset with industry leading cash margins and low carbonintensitythatisexpectedto deliver production growth into the nextdecade.

The company listed Guyana -

in more than 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent discovered recoverable resource with high cash margins per barrel, strong production growthoutlookandpotential

Continued on page 22

30 Region Eight families to get new homes through Hinterland Housing Programme

Thirty families in Region Eight will soon become home owners, as the Ministry of Housing and Water-Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) will be spearheadingtheconstruction

Through the Hinterland Housing Programme,elevatedtimberhouseswillbebuilt forvulnerablefamilies MinisterofHousingand Water, Collin Croal, made the announcement duringarecentoutreachintheregion “Wehave started a Hinterland Housing Programme thatseesusworkinginvariouscommunities.

Therearethreecommunitiesthathavebeen identified in Region Eight…for which the Minister of Amerindian Affairs and our CentralHousingandPlanningAuthority willbeengagingtodotheconsultationto have10houseseachfromthosevillages,” MinisterCroaladded PersonslivinginthecommunityofItabac haverequestedforsomeofthesehousestobe constructedthere InNovember2023,about10 familieswhowereaffectedbyregularflooding inKokerite,RegionOnebenefittedfromthese

houses Asthegovernmentcontinuestobuild houses to support citizens, village economies arebeingbolsteredsincetheyarethesuppliers ofthebuildingmaterials

TheconstructionofthesehomesinRegion Eight will add to the significant number of investmentsalreadymadeintheregion Inthe water sector, Kamana, Itabac, and Sand Hill are also benefitting from new water supply systemstotaling$131million,providingfirsttime access to treated water In three years, over$877millionhasbeendisbursedthere,in

variousgrantsincludingcarboncreditfunds, presidential grants, and economic investmentfunds

From these resources, some of the communities made investments in an allterrainvehicle(ATV),aboatandengine,afuel depot, a sewing machine building, a village shop,theconstructionofasanitaryblock,and an information and communication technology (ICT) hub All the communities have also received a tractor and trailer to aid agricultureandforestry (DPI)

City Hall produces transport for lands given away to Qatari hotel investors

The Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) hasassertedownershipofthe lands gifted to Qatari investors by the Government of Guyana to construct a US$300Mhotel.

The land located on Carifesta Avenue and Thomas Lands, Georgetown was allotted to the investors for the construction of the QatariHotel.

During a statutory meeting held on Monday, City Mayor Alfred Mentore circulated a transport that purports to show Council's ownership of the prime waterfront property to the over 30 councilors present at themeeting.

Mentore was adamant that the issue of the ownershipofthelandsshould be urgently attended to and sought to suspend the Council's standing orders to havethematterdealtwith.

Several Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Councillors sought to block any discussion surroundingtheownershipat the statutory meeting given that it was not placed on the meeting'sagenda.

The Councillors, who were opposed to having the matter discussed at the meeting, reminded Mentore thattherewasnoproperbasis formattertobediscussed.

The Council nevertheless moved a motion to have the matter discussed. The City Council, agreed that a letter should be sent to President Irfaan Ali in an effort to resolve the current dispute over the ownership, and usage of the land that has been earmarked for the US$300M Qatari Hotel on CarifestaAvenue.

“Nothingwasprovidedto us on this issue. So, I see the

fence is being done, and the sod has been turned, and a whole host of other things. The project document has to startwiththeCouncil.

“We must have one rule for everyone. There must be one rule for the citizens of this city, and there must be

prepared to take litigation in this matter,” Mayor Mentore said.

In support of Mentore, Councilor Lelon Saul said basedontheevidencebefore him, the land belongs to the city

“We are claiming, and

The transport provided by Mayor of Georgetown, Alfred Mentore to the City Councillors.

provide the evidence. We know where the evidence standsinrelationtotransport concerningthisproperty,”he toldtheCouncil.

It was following the request for evidence that the Mayor provided the Council with a copy of the transport forthelandinquestion.

Patricia Chase-Greene, who is a former City Mayor under the APNU+AFC, told the Mayor that “he was heading down the wrong road.” She lobbied for the issue to be discussed at a Special Statutory Meeting, andnotatMonday'smeeting.

“Ihaveconcerns.Bringto

thefloorwhatistheCouncil's planforanareathatyoucame to say to us that we own or that we may own, but we have never done anything other than chosen to lease part of it. There has been no development since, ” Councilor Chase-Greene said.

one rule for central government,andtherewillbe one rule for investors, who wanttoinvestinGuyana.We must not break the rules or bend it to suit anyone,” Mentoreexplained. He noted that the land whichwasbeingusedbythe National Insurance Scheme (NIS)wasagifttotheCityof Georgetown for recreational purposes by former plantationownersin1887.

“If there is no clarity or no success in the hopeful discussions with his Excellency,andmaybeother government people on this matter, the council is

based on the evidence that I haveseen,thelandbelongsto municipality. It has nothing todowhetherthisCouncilis managedbytheAPNUorthe PPP.Theissueistheasset,the land,”hesaid.

Aheadofthedecision,the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Councillors challenged the Mayoronthematter

They told him that he mustprovidetheevidenceto support his claim that the land belongs to the Municipality but the Mayor saiditisnotforhimtodothat.

“It is not the onus of the Mayor and City Council to

Pres.Ali'scommentsonHaitians...

Frompage13 nationals against the accommodation of Venezuelan (non-CARICOM) nationals that provides the best evidence of the rank hypocrisyofAliandhisgovernment.”

Shecalledfortransparencyregardingthe government's handling of migrant statistics and criticized the Government's treatment of theHaitianscomparedtotheVenezuelans.

In fact, Walton-Desir, noted the government's vocal support for accommodating Venezuelan migrants escapingcrisisintheirhomeland,echoingher agreement with such sentiments. However, Walton-DesirurgedtheAliAdministrationto elucidate the differential treatment towards Haitian migrants, questioning the rationale behindtheunfavourablepoliciesimposedon them.

Moreover,theMPmentionedthatFormer Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge

echoedtheseconcerns,highlightingGuyana's citation before the Inter-American CommissiononHumanRightsforrestricting Haitiantravelrights.

She stated, “There is no doubt that there hasbeenimportantprogressinthemovement towardsregionalintegration,butweallagree thatthereissignificantworkstilltobedone. The free movement of Haitians within CARICOM continues to be a challenge. Despite being a full member of CARICOM since2002andasignatorytotheCSMEsince 2006, Haitians still do not qualify for free movementwithinCARICOM.”

In conclusion, Walton-Desir urged PresidentAlitoreflectonhisadministration's policies and prioritize consistency and inclusivityinregionalmigrationframeworks.

In a message to PresidentAli she stated, the admonition “dance a yard, before you danceabroad”remainsappropriate.

WANTED VACANCY

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Drivers needed to work in Georgetown. Interested persons can Call: 701-4000 Mon-Fri, between 8am-4pm.

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Vacancy for Sales Clerk. Call: 661-1000.

One Hauler Driver needed, starting salary $14,000 daily. Call: 611-7088/ 639-6106.

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LAND FOR SALE

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Opposition asks Auditor General to probe cash grants...

From page 12

for there to be audits of specific capital expenditure projects for the year 2023. In this regard, a request is being made for the audit of project code 1702300 - Men on Mission Programme under the Office of the President. The request is being made to ensure that the allocated funds were spent in compliance with the existing financial regulations.”

Norton is also requesting audits into the awarding of “grants under the SLED Programme which is part of the Regional Economic Transformation project.” Saying that the aim is to determine if selection was done on “a fair, transparent and accountable process,” as this is vital to determine if the monies of tax payers was fairly, effectively and efficiently allocated.

The Opposition Leader went on to say in his letter that, “An audit of the Small Business Development Fund under the Ministry of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce is also being requested. It is hoped that such an audit will reveal the methodology used in evaluating the recipients, and to also evaluate the mea-

sures used to determine if there is value for money since small businesses play a crucial role in our economy, and it is essential that funds allocated to support their development are allocated efficiently and utilized effectively.”

Another project an audit is being requested for is Project code 1214800 - Government Buildings under the Ministry of Public Works. Norton is saying that, “Despite significant expenditures, there is no visible progress on the construction of the office complex. This audit is necessary to ascertain the reasons for the delay and ensure transparency and accountability in the utilization of the allocated funds.”

He reiterated that the sole intention of his requests is to promote accountability and transparency in society, particularly in the management of public finances. “As you are no doubt aware, the Audit Office has a critical role to play in safeguarding taxpayer’s funds and ensuring that they are spent prudently and in accordance with the law. The Opposition trust that your office will give due

consideration to our requests and take appropriate action to address these concerns.

Thank you in anticipation of your attention to these matters of importance in a democratic society,” he concluded.

Recently Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo was asked about audits of the various grants and he responded by saying he is not going to commit to releasing the documents, since the Kaieteur News will find a way to distort the information. However, he did note that the accounts are audited on a yearly basis.

The VP said that, “The records are there we account for every year for every cent that’s spent because we submit ourselves to the Auditor General the financial records for auditing and we have a proud track record of doing so in the PPP government.”

He added that the audited records are tabled in Parliament to the PAC which is now chaired by the opposition.

“The Public Accounts Committee and they can question any element of the public records including the ones that you just mentioned and they can ask for records of this. So, it is audited, and I am

not going to commit to you again because you will distort it. You are just looking for distortion, so yes the accounts are audited, the public accounts and, the members of the Public Accounts Committee can request any information.”

However, Opposition Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul said “The Auditor General’s report is produced on the audited expenses that a government incurs, but it does not cover 100% of the expenses. What the Auditor General does is select a 10% of the expense by region departments and Ministries.

That 10% is what is audited and produces a report.” Mahipaul said many times it can be found that important line items and important spending are missed.

“This isn’t the Auditor General’s fault since the samples are selected by an automated system.” In order for full transparency into government’s expenses Mahipaul believes that the auditor general should be directed on what to audit based on the demands of the public.

Exxon, Chevron in fight over Guyana’s oil

From page 15 exploration upside - as one of the transactions benefits.

EXXON’S

STORY OF SUCCESS GUYANA

Last year, President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, told the Financial Times, “It is a jewel in ExxonMobil’s crown. It’s a significant resource. It fits very well with the execution capability of ExxonMobil.”

When asked for his thoughts on Chevron’s takeover of Hess, Routledge emphasized, “Clearly what’s attractive to Chevron is that ExxonMobil is operating at a very high level… From first discovery in 2015 to first oil in 2019. I mean, [it’s] just unheard of really to develop a new resource in a brand new basin with no existing infrastructure in that short a timeframe.”Also last year, ExxonMobil Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Darren Woods, during a discussion held in Houston, Texas, boasted about “the story of success” Guyana. Woods was also proud to highlight the company’s rapid pace of development in the country.Speaking about Exxon success in Guyana, Woods shared that the company was able to move from first discovery to first oil within five years, beating industry record. “We brought that like from discovery to first production in five years which is, if not industry record is pretty close to it. When you think about what typically the timeframe (is), (it) typically (takes) the industry about 10

years,” Exxon’s CEO said. He continued: “If you then look at what we have delivered since that timeframe, we are bringing in those ships [Floating production storage and offloading vessels] and that production ahead of schedule, we’ve beaten schedule for the two ships [Liza Destiny and Liza Unity] that we’ve got and the third one [Prosperity] that we are working on, that is expect to beat schedule.”

Woods bragged about ExxonMobil Guyana being able to run production, “at a higher level than we have anticipated when we made those investments and staying focused,” adding that the company is also focused on, “helping reducing emis-

sions.” SWEET-DEAL

Guyana signed onto a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with the oil major, which has been heavily criticised for being lopsided and benefiting the oil company more than the country.

The 2016 deal gives Guyana an industry-low 2% royalty. Presently, Guyana shares revenue with ExxonMobil after the company deducts 75 percent towards the cost incurred to develop the resources in the Stabroek Block.

This arrangement, with the lack of ring-fencing, sees Guyana paying for projects that are yet to commence production activities. Each month bills from future producing

developments are added to the list of expenses to be cost recovered by Exxon. After the 75 percent is deducted to pay back the oil company, Guyana then shares 50/50 of the 25 percent remaining with Exxon as profits. This amounts to 12.5 percent of profits from the operations. Also, under the signed deal, Guyana has agreed to, under the taxation provisions, to pay ExxonMobil’s share of Corporation and Income Tax.

As such it would mean, that Guyana foregoes each year, billions of US dollars. On top of this, documentation to this effect is then provided to the US based company allowing it to not have to pay any taxes in its home country for its earnings overseas.

US unveils new funding to support climate...

From page 8 Caribbean Resilient Economies and Sectors (RESET) programme, which will reduce barriers to public and private finance to build climate and disaster resilience and support the adoption of climate-smart practices in critical sectors. With US$1.75 million in funding, USAID also supported the development of the CARICOM Development Fund’s new Resilience Fund as well as advisory services to support capital fundraising to build an investment pipeline. The Resilience Fund, which is anticipated to raise $100 million, aims to expand investment in adaptation and climate change in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean.

President Biden’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE)

All of these initiatives are part of the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE). Through PREPARE, the United States will continue to

partner with the people of the Caribbean to facilitate climate adaptation and resilience in the region. USAID’s climate work in the Caribbean supports Biden-Harris Administration priorities and works to advance the goals of the U.S.Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis 2030, or PACC 2030.

PACC 2030 is the U.S. government’s flagship partnership with the Caribbean to advance climate adaptation and resilience and clean energy cooperation through 2030 as we work toward meeting the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield led the U.S. delegation to the CARICOM meeting in Guyana. Other members of the delegation include Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian A. Nichols, USAID Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean Marcela Escobari, Senior Coordinator for Atlantic Cooperation Ambassador Jessica Lapenn, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Diplomacy Laura Lochman.

Farmer admits to burning body of man found on his electric fence

Israel Gaza: Biden hopes for ceasefire by next week

(BBC NEWS) US

President Joe Biden says hehopestohaveaceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza by Monday.His comments come amid reports of some progress in indirect negotiations involving Israeli and Hamas officials. It would involve aid deliveries to Gaza and the release of more hostages taken during the 7 October Hamasattacks.Israelhasnot commented and Hamas officials have indicated the twosidesarenotasclosetoa ceasefire deal as Mr Biden suggested.

Qatar, which has been mediating in the talks alongside Egypt, said they were "pushing hard" for a deal and felt "optimistic", buthadnothingtoannounce. Israellaunchedalarge-scale air and ground campaign in Gaza after Hamas gunmen killed about 1,200 people in southernIsrael.

The attackers also took 253 people hostage, a numberofwhomhavesince been released. The Hamasrun health ministry in the Gaza Strip says at least 29,878 people have been killed in the territory since then-including96deathsin the past 24 hours - in

additionto70,215whohave beenwounded.Accordingto Reuters news agency, quoting an unnamed source close to the talks, Hamas is still studying a draft framework, drawn by France, which would includea40-daypauseinall military operations and the exchange of Palestinians heldinIsraelijailsforIsraeli hostages, at a ratio of 10 to one.

"We're close," President Biden told reporters in New YorkonMonday "We'renot doneyet.Myhopeisbynext Monday we'll have a ceasefire." On NBC's "Late Night With Seth Meyers" which was broadcast later, the president said Israel wouldbewillingtopauseits assault during Ramadan if a deal was reached The Islamic holy month begins around10March.

"Ramadan's coming up and there has been an agreement by the Israelis that they would not engage inactivitiesduringRamadan as well, in order to give us time to get all the hostages out," Mr Biden said However, a Hamas official told the BBC: "The priority for us in Hamas is not the exchange of detainees, but thecessationofthewar."Itis

notlogical,afterallthisloss oflifeandproperty,toaccept any offer that does not lead to a complete ceasefire, the return of the displaced, and thereconstructionofGaza."

Last week, the USIsrael's main ally - was widelycriticisedforvetoing a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediateceasefireinGaza. Instead, it proposed its own resolution for a temporary ceasefire "as soon as practicable", which also warned Israel not to invade the southern Gazan city of Rafah "under current circumstances" Israel has f a c e d m o u n t i n g international pressure not to launch an offensive in Rafah, where about 1.5m Palestinians are sheltering, most having fled fighting furthernorthintheterritory

"There are too many innocent people that are beingkilled,"Mr.Bidensaid on Late Night With Seth Meyers. "And Israel has slowed down the attacks in Rafah. They have to. And they've made a commitment tomethey'regoingtoseeto it that there is ability to evacuatesignificantportions of Rafah before they go and take out the remainder of Hamas."

On Sunday, the Israeli primeminister'sofficesaidit had received plans from its militarytoevacuatecivilians from areas including Rafah. Mr Netanyahu said in an interview with CBS on Sunday that Israeli forces would eventually launch an invasionofRafahregardless of any agreement for a temporary ceasefire, insisting:"Wecan'tleavethe last Hamas stronghold withouttakingcareofit."

"Ifwehaveadeal,it'llbe delayed somewhat," he added. "But it'll happen. If wedon'thaveadeal,we'lldo itanyway."

I n a s e p a r a t e development on Monday, Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh resigned along with his government, which runs parts of the occupied West Bank President Mahmoud Abbas accepted his decision, which could pave the way for a technocratic government. Mr.Abbas is under pressure fromtheUStoreformthePA so it can govern Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war ends. Last week, Mr Netanyahu presented a vision for the territory that made no mention of any role for the PA.

Deathtoll

30,000 ...asthousandsin Gazacoulddieindays asIsraelblocksfood

(ALJAZEERA) Gaza's

Health Ministry on Tuesday said 96 people have been killed and 172 wounded in thelast24hours.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari says Qatar is “optimistic” thatadealonaceasefireora cessation of hostilities would be achieved before Ramadan, while United States President Joe Biden says he hopes “by next Monday we will have a ceasefire”. Sources told Al Jazeera that the deal may involve 400 Palestinian prisoners and 40 captives believed to be held in Gaza. Three people have been killed and three wounded during an Israeli forces' raid across the occupied West Bank.

Intensefightingwasalso reported in the Far'a refugee camp At least 29,878 people, mostly women and children, have been killed and 70,215 wounded in IsraeliattacksonGazasince October7.Thereviseddeath toll in Israel from the October 7 attacks stands at 1,139.

Meanwhile, Ashraf alQudra, spokesperson of the Gaza Health Ministry, has called on international agenciestourgentlyprovide food and drinking water throughout Gaza to avert an enormous humanitarian

catastrophe.Al-Qudraspoke earliertoourcolleaguesatAl JazeeraArabic. Here's some ofwhathehadtosay: “What is happening in northern Gaza is a true famine. We have recorded two deaths as a result of malnutrition in northernGaza,andthereare otherswhoaresufferingand may die at any moment.”

“ W e h a v e a s k e d international agencies to survey all shelters to document the spread of hunger” “This escalating famine could kill thousands of citizens due to m a l n u t r i t i o n a n d dehydration in the coming days in front of the eyes of the world.” “Aid must enter the Gaza Strip and reach all ofitsareas–inthenorthand the south – to contain this catastrophe Diseases are also spreading along with m a l n u t r i t i o n a n d dehydration throughout Gaza.”

Further, in a joint statement, humanitarian organisations say they are being “systemically denied access” to north and south Gaza and that humanitarian aid convoys are coming under fire A senior UN humanitarianaidofficialhas said that one-quarter of Gaza's population –estimated to be at least 576,000 people – is a step awayfromfamine.

Spinners dominate bowling... TheHardwareDepotCommitstoMulti-Year GolfPromotionDealwithNexgenGolf

Chairman of The Hardware Depot Mr Bonny Singh and top executives of t h e G u y a n a G o l f Association (GGA) and Nexgen Golf met at the Academy on Woolford AvenueonSaturdaytoenter into a major promotional agreementthatwillpromote the development of golf aroundGuyana.

Asafirstgestureoftheir support, The Hardware Depot donated a thousand Golf balls, yardage markers for the Driving Range and committedtosupportingthe Region Three Easter celebrations at the Westside Golf Course in Vreed-enhoop. Highlights of the partnership between the

entities are branding of all facilities operated by N e x g e n G o l f a n d sponsorshipofeventsforthe development of the junior and beginner golf programmethatissweeping the nation."All my family have learnt to play golf as a result of the efforts by Mr

Aleem and the joy we experienceissomethingthat mustbeshared!Thepassion we have for our business mirrors whatAleem has for development of golf in Guyanaandwewillsupport him and his team," said Mr Singh.The Hardware Depot is a fully authorized

WednesdayFebruary28,2024

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19

Some rather intense work, perhaps involving in-depth research,couldtakeupmuch ofyourtimetoday,Aries.You could spend a lot of time in libraries or on the Internet tryingtodiscerncertainfacts.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Today, Taurus, you could direct an overwhelming amount of love and passion toward a current or potential romanticpartner

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Informationthatyouretrieve from deep within your psyche might lead to a revelationastoagreatwayto increase your income, Gemini.

CANCER(June21–July22)

The significant other in your life needs your support not a lecture right now, Gemini. Let him or her know you’re availabletolistenandhelpin anyway

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Moneyandfriendshiprarely mix, Leo. Keep this in mind today if a friend hits you up foraloan.You'dbebetteroff helpingherstrategizewaysto earnmoremoney

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

Thisisunlikeyou,Virgo,but today you're a lean, mean cleaning machine.You get it in your head that this is the dayforputtingyourhousein order, and you set about single-handedlydoingit.

Frompage28 highlighting a tremendous starttotheseason.

As the 5th leading runscorer in the tournament to date, Guyana Harpy Eagles all-rounder Kevin Sinclair ended the first three rounds with241runs,themostbyany Guyaneseplayer.

score (165*), with Jamaica Scorpions Chadwick Walton 163 and Windwards Kaveen Hodge 158* completing the trifecta.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

You can't help but feel a bit frustratedtoday,Libra.There are places to go, people to see,andyoucan'tseemtoget outofthehouse.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)

If you overindulged last night, you're likely paying the price today If your head is screaming and your blood feels like molasses, you knowthattoomuchofagood thing can make you feel rotten!

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

Withoutadoubt,there'salot ofworktobedonearoundthe house.Withtoday'splanetary configuration, you feel especially vested in making yourhomelookitsbest.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

You probably aren't feeling your best today, Capricorn. No doubt your illness is a r e s u l t o f r e c e n t overindulgence.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

Thereissuchathingasbeing too honest,Aquarius.You've experienced in the past how yourdeterminationtotellthe whole truth and nothing but the truth can cause hurt feelings.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

Youwantnothingmorethanto be alone today For that to happen, Pisces, you need to turnoffyourphone,shutoffthe computer,andhanga"DoNot Disturb" sign on the door

Grainger re-seller with over 20 years in business, and is possibly the largest wholesaler of Industrial and Commercial Supplies with accesstomorethan120,000 range of products in Health and Safety equipment used in the electricity, water, telecommunications, mining, manufacturing, constructionandoilandgas sectors. The Guyana Golf

The West Indies newest addition to the Test team, slammedacareer-best165not out, his maiden three figure score which helped Guyana regain momentum after a noresult to the Trinidad & TobagoRedForceandatough losstotheLeewards.

Sinclair's record century and his 6 wickets helped Guyanasecureamassivewin over the West Indies Academy, recapturing some form ahead of the upcoming 4thround.

Sinclair is also one of 3 batsmen to make a 150-plus score after the three rounds. The Guyanese leads the competition with the highest

Eight other batsmen including; Barbados Pride captain Kraigg Brathwaite, Jonathan Carter, Kevin Wickham, Sunil Ambris, Jyd Goolie, Mikyle Louis and Jason Mohammed have centuriestotheirname.

Only Kevin Wickham (3rd) with 313 runs, Johnathan Carter (2nd) 320 runs and the tournament's leading scorer, Leewards openerMikyleLouiswith343 runs with 2 centuries in the tournament, have more than 300.

TheGuyanaHarpyEagles will also feel extra confident headingintothe4thRound,as their second innings 415 against the West Indies Academypriortothebreak,is currently the highest total by anyteam.

The Eagles also have the secondlargestrundeficitwin, 221 in the last round. Oddly, Guyana are on the receiving end of the largest run-margin 273,whichtheylostbyinthe secondroundtotheLeewards Hurricanes.

Veerasammy Permaul heads up the leading wickettakers poll for Guyana with 9 victims, despite not breaking intothetop10.Sinclaircomes in as the next best wickettaker with 8 wickets to his name, tied with pacer RonaldoAlimohamed.

Apart from Leewards Hurricanes fast-bowler JeremiahLouiswhocomesin 2ndplacewith17wicketsand Windwards pacer Ryan John (4th) 15 wickets, seamer Shamar Springer (6th) 14 scalps, the charts have been dominated by the spinners thusfar

Barbados Pride spinner Jomel Warrican leads the list with 19 wickets, Guyaneseborn West Indies Academy's Ashmead Nedd (3rd) 17 wickets, Leewards skipper Rakeem Cornwall (14), Pete Salmon (14), Anderson Phillips (13), Joshua Bishop (13) and Daniel Dooram (11) occupyspotsinthetop10.

With a few weeks off, action will resume from March13andGuyanawillbe keen on capitalizing on their current form collectively and individually

The Harpy Eagles currently sit in 6th place with 26.4 points, trailing only by West Indies Academy (24 points) and Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC)14.6points,occupying the 7th and last spot respectively

2024 CWI Regional 4-Day Championships... Spinners dominate bowling charts, as 11 players record centuries following end of 3 rounds

- Volcanoes (1st), Hurricanes (2nd), Pride (3rd) lead points table

Followingtheendofthree rounds in the ongoing CWI R e g i o n a l 4 - D a y Championships, Windward Volcanoes will head into the 4th round as the clear cut points leaders, with Leewards Hurricanes and Barbados Pride occupying the second and third place with action resumingfromMarch13.

After some intense action, mostlyinthesecondandthird

rounds, teams will now have somemuch-neededdowntime, which will be used to re-shift their focus and work on areas which were lacking during the opening phases of the championships.

Stat-wisethespinnershave o v e r s h a d o w e d t h e competition's fast-bowlers, with some 11 centuries having beenrecordedtodate,

(Continuedonpage27)

MVP Sports outfit Slingerz FC

Slingerz Football Club and MVP Sports have forged a ground-breaking partnership, with the local apparel company set to supplytheclub'skitandretail its merchandise at MVP's GiftlandMalloutlet.

The unveiling of the partnership took place yesterday,withSlingerzFC's Vice-President, Rawle Toney, expressing enthusiasm about how the collaborationwillelevatethe club'sstatusasaprofessional

stressing the dedication requiredtorealizeit.

He stated, "Slingerz FC aims to lead the way in Guyana, both on and off the field, and our partnership with MVP Sports marks the initial phase of several initiatives we plan to implement as a professional footballorganization."

Intheupcomingdays,fan jerseysformen,women,and children will be launched at MVPSports,pricedat$5,000 each, marking a pioneering achievementinGuyana.

Managing Director of MVP Sports, Ian Ramdeo, furtherindicatedthatfangear and mechanise are “big ways”forclubsinGuyanato earnrevenue.

“Many people would be pleasantly surprised to know there is a demand out there regardless of which sport, team, or athlete, you have supporters. Even though we may think Guyana is small and not developed in that area, there are still opportunities for clubs, teams, and organizations to

footballentityinGuyana.

Toney underlined the club's mission to ascend to the summit of Caribbean football,aimingtoestablisha benchmark of excellence in Guyanawhileseekingfurther partnerships with corporate entities.

Havingrecentlyre-joined the Elite League in Guyana, the club is determined to succeedoncemoreandsetits sights on becoming a competitive force in Concacaf.

Toney acknowledged the ambition of this goal,

Thesemerchandiseitems are expected to be available for the club's second match onTuesday,March5,against Fruta Conquerors at the Guyana Football Federation National Training Centre in Providence, starting at 19:00h.

Toney highlighted the significanceofthismilestone fortheclub,stating,"It'srare to find local team jerseys in storesacrossGuyana,andwe takeprideinleadingtheway in this regard. I hope other clubs or sporting disciplines canfollowsuit."

earn additional revenue”, Ramdeohighlighted.

Curtez Kellman, a member of the Golden Jaguars who suits up for Slingerz FC, expressed gratitude to Ramdeo and MVP Sports for their ongoing support of sports in Guyana.

Kellman expressed excitement about the partnership, especially the opportunity for local fans to purchase the team's jersey at theGiftlandstore.

Slingerz FC, the inaugural champions of the

NYSCL Legends crowned Florida Cup champions

-RegalLegendsstumbleatthefinalhurdle

Onthehottestdayof the Florida Cup, not only because the sun was out but also the actioninthemiddle,itwasthe day of finals and new champions emerged at Osswald Park, Fort Lauderdale.

New York Softball Cricket League Legends share phtot-op after being crowned Florida Cup champions.

In the over-50 category, New York Softball Cricket League (NYSCL) Legends won by a slim margin of four wickets over former champions Regal New York (NY)Hustlersinatransformed baseballfield.

Witnessed by a large number of spectators, Regal NYHustlerscrawledto122for 8 from their 20 overs. Opener Shameer Sadaloo top scored withapatient35from42balls (3x4). The NYSCL Legends bowling was steady with captain Nandalall Doodnauth (2/20), Amad Shahzaman (2/27)andRafiqSattaur(2/28) prevented the powerful Regal NY Hustlers from getting away Opener, Unis Yusuf made 17 while Ramesh Deonarine chippedinwith12.Beforethe

Ramesh Deonarine receiving his MVP awards.

way to 63. When he was dismissedattheendofthe15th over at 98 for 3 there were anxiousmomentswith25runs neededfrom30balls.

Inthenextover,Yusufsent back Harischandra Sahadeo at 98 for 4 to bring the required run rate to 6. Thakur Kumar (19) and Doodnauth (6) survived some close shaves but eventually snapped Regal Legends' winning streak of 16 consecutive titles in the final overendingon123for4forthe 6wicketvictory

Meanwhile, the Over-40 category also crowned a new champion,asCanadaLegends (172-3) beat Orlando Masters (171-8) by 7 wickets with 23 balls to spare. It was the Canadian Legends fifth attemptatthetitle.MVPofthe tournament, Patrick Rooplall once again led the way with a match-winning 86 (4x8; 6x6) from56balls.Rooplallscored twocenturiestoalsoendasthe leadingrunscorer

Orlando All Stars won a high scoring encounter over South Florida Softball Cricket league All-Stars by 54 runs.

final, Deonarine had 338 runs including3halfcenturiesanda magnificent 110 The Essequibian was later adjudged the Most Valuable Player of the tournament and also received a prize for the leading batsman and for scoringacentury

In reply, NYSCL Legends openers dominated the powerplay scoring 40 runs for the loss of only Tony Fernandesfor12.Afterthefast bowlers went for runs, Yusuf not only got the breakthrough but also stalled the run chase momentarily However, openerandPlayeroftheMatch in the final, Erapali Sahadeo kept his side in the hunt for their first Legends win in a finalagainstRegalLegendsin seven attempts. The powerful right hander smacked 5 fours and5sixesfrom45ballsonhis

Thevisitorsstormedtheirway to 240 for 7 while the home side replied with a spirited effort of 186 for 8. Devon Subhai,thetournament'sMVP also top scored with 66 at the topoftheorder

TheSouthFloridaSoftball Cricket League (SFCL) lead by President Anoop Basdeo cameinforalotofpraisesfor the effective management of the 3-day tournament which attracted 17 teams from Canada,USAandGuyana.

The next international softball tournament will be hostedinNewYorkattheend of June which will be organisedbytheNYSCL.

The final leg will be the Prime Minister's T20 Softball CupinGuyanasetforOctober 11, 12 and 13 which is organised by the Georgetown SoftballCricketLeague.

GBA Development Championship starts tonight -Surinamesepugiliststoignitetwo-nightevent

TheGuyanaBoxing

Association ( G B A )

D e v e l o p m e n t a l Championship will

expected to face formidable c h a l l e n g e s f r o m representatives of renowned gyms such as the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana

commencethiseveningatthe National Gymnasium, featuring a touch of international flair with six boxers from Suriname joiningtheaction.

The bouts kick off at 19:00hrs nightly, with ticket prices set at $500 for regular stands and $1,000 for ringsideseats.

Competitors Donn Sadhoe (lightweight), Va l e n t i n o A r t i s t (bantamweight), Tony Lin (welterweight), Richard Everd (heavyweight), D o m e l z o S c h e t (middleweight),andLeandro Dongo (super heavyweight) will strive to shine brighter than their Guyanese counterparts in what promises to be an evening of pugilisticexcitement.

Having previously competedinGuyanain2022, the Surinamese boxers are

Defence Force (GDF), the ForgottenYouthFoundation, Pace and Power, and Rose HallTownJammers.

The tournament will also featurecompetitionsinother categories including schoolboys, juniors, youths, andwomen.

Technical Director of the GBA, Terrence Poole, will overseetheproceedings.

GBA President Steve Ninvalle emphasised the significance of the Surinamese delegation's participation, highlighting the programme's evolution from filling a competitive void to becominga mutually beneficialplatform.

He noted, "Guyana has been a dominant force in the English-speaking Caribbean in boxing, attracting other nations to utilize our shores fortraining.

This initiative further

enhancesregionalawareness and structure, benefiting all involved and reinforcing the international dimension of amateurboxing."

Ninvalle added, "The presence of foreign talent on localsoilprovidesinvaluable international competition for our emerging fighters,

addressing a longstanding gap in local boxing. While the professional realm has faced challenges in this regard, the amateur sector

has admirably stepped up to thetask."

The competition concludes tomorrow at the samevenue.

GCB president meets with Guyana female squad ahead of CWI Women's tournament

PresidentoftheGuyana Cricket Board (GCB) Bissoondyal Singh met with the Senior Women's nationalteamaheadoftheir departure for the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Women's t o u r n a m e n t

The CG United Women's Super50CupandtheBlaze T20 tournaments will bowl off from March 4 and March 16, respectively in St Kitts and Nevis Singh, who met with the ladies on Sunday, wished themthebestastheywillbe facing some tough competitionontheroad.He urged them to remain positive and put their best performances out, come g a m e t i m e

TheGCBpresidentgavehis complete support to the team ahead of their assignments, further reassuring them that all of Guyanawillbebehindthem as they seek to bring home both, if not one of the two titles owned by Barbados.

MrSinghalsogiftedseveral players in the team cricket gear including Essequibian Yonnette Welcome, who received a full kitbag Welcome is the second player from Warapoka, Essequibo, to represent Guyana at any level; the first player was last year's Guyana under-17 pacer D a m i a n J o s e p h The Hayley Matthews led Barbados are defending

Champs for both Super50 andT20tournamentsandon paper, have arguably the strongest team apart from Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago Red Force Ladies. Meanwhile, a strong Guyana team led by ShamaineCampbellewhich features a wide array of talent the likes of CherryAnn Fraser, Ashmini Munisar, Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond, Nyia Latchman, Naomi Barkoye and others will be equal to the task; as it relates to possibly dethroning the Bajans. Round 1's triple-header in the Super50 Cup, bowls off Monday March 4 with the Guyanese ladies facing a tricky challenge when theycomeupagainsthosts, L

FloydCumberbatchwinsTrophyStall MashramaniDraughtsCompetition

FCompetition

Organised by the National Draughts Association Floyd narrowly got passed Jiaram (current champion on the100squareboard)byonepoint.He endedupon30points,withJiaramon 29. Steve Bacchus was also was close on points, he finished on 28 points taking the third spot Navin Meighbarran amassed 25 points to finishfourth.

The competition was played at the Transport Sports Club and the games were contested on the 64 and 100 square boards. Before the start, a certificate of recognition was presented to Dr. Ivor English, PresidentofTransportSportsClub,as a Draughts club was formed within Transport Sports Club. Paul D'Anjou, vicepresidentoftheNationalDraughts

Association, did the honours of presenting the Certificate. Paul also presented trophies to the winning participants.As usual a toast of wine, productofGTWINESwasusedatthe presentation.

National

StevenPersaudemerges victoriousinthrilling Mash9-BallPooltourney

The Sunil and Son Sports BarinMahaicaplayedhostto the electrifying Mashramani 9-BallPool2024competition on February 24, featuring some of Guyana's finest pool talents.

The highly anticipated event witnessed intense battles and a display of exceptionalskillfromover35 players vying for the coveted first-placeprize.

The atmosphere at the sports bar was charged with excitementasStevenPersaud emerged victor in the Mashramani one-day 9-Ball P o o l c o m p e t i t i o n , symbolisingthebirthofanew risingstar Persaud,astandout talent in the Cue Sports Association, claimed the top

honoursonSaturdaylast.

H i s r e m a r k a b l e performance throughout the competition showcased his prowess and determination to secure championship glory

The action-packed evening was filled with nail-biting momentsandclosefinishes.

The battle for supremacy sawAnthonyXaviersecuring the second-place position, displaying his skill and resilience on the pool table.

Mark Singh, another formidable contender, clinched the third-place finish, adding to the intensity of an already closely contested event The competitionwassponsoredby Sunil and Son Sports Bar and PeerlessSolution.

Guinness'GreatestoftheStreets'Competition... Teamstojoinautomatic qualifierstobe knownthisweekend

Theracetomakethefinal cut to join the other automatic qualifiers in this year's Georgetown zone of the Guinness 'Greatest of the Streets' Football Competition, will be stagedthisSunday,atavenuetobe announcedshortly.

Widely regarded as the most famous of the street football tournaments in the country, the eventissettokickoffonMarch15, attheNationalPark.

Returning after an unavoidable hiatus, the organisers are pulling out all the stops to ensure that the hugelypopulartournamentmakesa triumphant re-entry to the football arena.

Thirty-two of the top teams from Georgetown will vie for bragging rights and the right to be crownedchampionovereightdays

ofcompetitionalongwithlucrative prize monies and trophies totaling in excess of $1.5 million, while an automaticberthinthenationalfinal isassured.

GuinnessBrandexecutive,Lee Baptiste speaking recently said, because of the tournament's absence for a prolonged period, theyarejustasexcitedandanxious as the teams and fans to see the unrivalled tournament make its returntothesportscalendar

“We are hoping that the tournament enjoys an exciting return, and it is played with the same level of discipline and keen rivalry that fans became accustomed to in previous years,” Baptistesaid.

Herevealedthattothisendthey havebeenplanningmeticulouslyto ensure that teams, management

Teams to be decided this Sunday.

staff and fans who come out to the event, have a great time, a feature that is usually associated with the tournament.

The other playing days are March 16, 17, 22, 23, 24 and 30 withthefinalsetforthe31st.

He added that this year's zone opener will enjoy unprecedented media exposure, informing that all platforms will be utilized to promotetheevent.

Defending champions Gold is Money will be aiming to secure their third consecutive title, but

they clearly understand that doing so will be even more difficult than before judging from the recent performances of some of the recentlyformedteams.

However, if they are successful, it will make them the firstteamtodoso.

Teams such as Sparta Boss, Bent Street, Back Circle, Sophia, Alexander Village and recentlycrowned Mashramani champions StabroekBallersamongotherswill beaimingtostopthemintheirquest toretainthetitle.

At the same time, there is sufficient proof to suggest a new champion will be crowned, but not many pundits are daring to write off the more establishedteamsyet.

What is guaranteed is that fans could expect riveting action from the first night's kickoff, while there will be giveaways to themthroughoutthedurationofthe competition.

Details of the tournament's official launch will be released shortly

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