Border controversy
Gov’t, Opposition `completely’ united against Venezuela threat: The Government and the Opposition last Tuesday held discussions on the growing tensions and threat by Venezuela to this country and denounced Caracas’ planned December 3rd referendum as a violation of treaties, saying they stand “completely” united on Guyana’s sovereignty and no effort would be spared to ensure this. “In discussing the latest actions by the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in pursuit of its spurious claim to the Essequibo territory of Guyana, President Ali and Opposition Leader Mr. Norton from the outset, agreed that Guyana’s sovereignty is of paramount importance and is a matter on which the Guyanese people are all completely united,” a joint statement, following the meeting, stated. “To this end, they condemned the flagrant violation of the rule of law by Venezuela and agreed that no effort should be spared to resist that country’s persistent endeavours to undermine Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” it added. The meeting which was held at the Office of the President, began shortly after 1 pm and wound up after 2:30 pm. The government’s delegation consisted of President Irfaan Ali, Prime Minister Mark Phillips, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd. Representing the Opposition were Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton, AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan, Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs Amanza Walton-Desir, MP Geeta Chandan-Edmond and MP Tabitha Sarabo- Halley. The statement said that President Ali and the Leader of the Opposition agreed that the protection of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state must be served by a vigorous and comprehensive public relations programme coupled with a proactive and robust diplomatic effort aimed at blunting Venezuelan propaganda and misinformation as they relate to the territorial controversy generally, and the 1966 Geneva Agreement in particular. They also, “reaffirmed the commitment to the current judicial process that is being conducted under the aegis of the International Court of Justice and are convinced that this would finally resolve the question raised by Venezuela over the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award,” the statement said. Further, it added, “They recalled that for more than six decades after the 1899 Arbitral Award was delivered, Venezuela treated the Award as a final settlement of the border between the two countries.”
Oil & Gas
Gossai loses 15 days’ pay, gets warning over US$214.4m audit scandal: The head of the government’s petroleum unit, Gopnauth `Bobby’ Gossai will lose 15 days’ pay and receive a warning over the unauthorised discussions with ExxonMobil that resulted in a disputed expenses figure being slashed from US$214.4m to US$3m. This was disclosed today by the Ministry of Natural Resources in response to questions from Stabroek News. The Ministry said that in keeping with public service rules the maximum fine available is 15 days’ pay.
That will be seen as a slap on the wrist for a transaction that could have resulted in Guyana losing US$105.7m in profits. Analysts has said that Gossai should have been the subject of a police investigation to determine exactly how and why he entered into unauthorised discussions with the US oil company. There were calls for an independent probe of the matter but none was done. The Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat issued his own report on the unauthorised engagement and that was the basis used to decide on the disciplining of Gossai.
Chevron to enter Stabroek Block in US$53b buyout of Hess: Chevron has agreed to buy Hess for US$53 billion in stock to gain a bigger US oil footprint and a stake in rival ExxonMobil’s massive Guyana discoveries in a move which will bring another US super-major to the Stabroek Block. According to Reuters, the Chevron deal announced yesterday and a US$60 billion acquisition by Exxon earlier this month will add years of oil and gas production to the two top US producers’ portfolios, much of it from US shale. And the deals will leave European oil rivals that had shifted their focus to renewable energy further behind in fossil fuels, the report. Up to press time there had been no reaction from the Guyana Government to the deal. Georgetown had been trying to woe Chevron to take up a stake in the local industry and had been hoping that it would do this via bids for new offshore blocks which were recently up for auction. Another US oil major with a stake offshore will be seen as strategically important for Guyana in the wake of Venezuelan sabre rattling over the offshore oil blocks and its illicit claim to the county of Essequibo. Chevron also has growing business in Caracas following the easing of US sanctions on the Maduro administration. “This is great for energy security: It brings together two great American companies,” said Chevron CEO Michael Wirth, who has bolstered the company’s shale oil and gas holdings by acquiring U.S. rivals PDC Energy and Noble Energy. The combination of Hess, PDC and Noble will bring Chevron’s total oil and gas output to about 3.7 million barrels per day (bpd), Reuters said. It will expand Chevron’s shale output by 40% to1.3 million bpd, putting it neck and neck with Exxon’s projected shale output following its Pioneer Natural ResourcesPXD.N acquisition. The combined company will expand Chevron’s oil production in less risky regions by adding to its output in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and by bringing it into the Bakken shale in North Dakota. The deal gives Chevron a 30% stake in the Exxon and CNOOC 0883.HK Stabroek oil block in Guyana, which is expected to triple to more than 1.2 million bpd by 2027.
Oil blocks bidders now set for negotiations –Jagdeo: All six companies that submitted bids for eight of the fourteen offshore oil blocks that were up for auction in September have won an area and will now move to stage one of negotiating terms with government. The announcement of the allocations was made at a PPP/C press conference yesterday by party General Secretary, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo who has oversight for the sector. “Now that Cabinet has approved these awards, they [the companies] will now be invited in and will determine the pace at which they can move; the negotiations and the conclusions. “Remember they would have to come and verify their plan, show sources of financing, show the ability to pay the signature bonus and all of that. They will be engaged next week,” Jagdeo said. He explained that if one of the larger companies agrees to the draft Production Sharing Agreement, this country’s government will be ready to collect the monies and deposit it, but if another company wants time to finalise their plans, they will be given that scope. “We want to do a good job. Time is not the issue here; it is doing a good job. Ensuring the due diligence is done, getting a proper contract signed. We are not running a sprint here, so if it takes one month in some cases and three in another, providing a good job is done. “In the discussions we will know if people are serious. If a company said we need two years, we can’t have that. So let’s have the discussions first with the companies and… then get a decision on the maximum time,” he added. Jagdeo said that during the discussions, government’s expert consultant will be present, noting, “It will not be a Trotman affair,” making reference to APNU+AFC Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman who was the signatory to the controversial 2016 PSA with ExxonMobil and partners in the Stabroek Block.
New audit disallows some Exxon costs for gas project: ExxonMobil included costs for some aspects of works for the gas-to-power pipeline in the US$7.2 billion it claimed for the 2018-2020 period, actions, auditors highlighted, that are not catered for under the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) the US oil major and partners has with this country. “We allowed the study costs for the gas-to-power pipeline but believe the NGL [natural gas liquids] plant costs are midstream costs outside of Stabroek Petroleum Operations,” the audit conducted by the RHVE Consortium stated. The auditors said that the Government of Guyana may allow these costs under another agreement, but “they are not recoverable” under the PSA. While gas from the Stabroek Block is being used for the gas-to-shore project, it has a separate agreement and that was signed last July with government for the project, estimated to be around US$1 billion. ExxonMobil’s Country Manager Alistair Routledge had explained that the cost recovery mechanism for his company’s investment in the infrastructure for this country is outlined in the framework of the agreement. He explained that ExxonMobil was making an investment in order to transport the gas onshore and it is incidental to the original developments offshore. “That’s mostly the pipeline. That’s several (US) 100 million dollars’ worth. So in some way, it needs to recover that cost. So the way that’s been agreed as well, [is] let’s make sure that that a price is put on the gas that reflects just that cost of infrastructure, no profit, just the cost of infrastructure. And what that means is that it delivers gas and very low priced to the country, very competitive with anything you’d see internationally. And therefore, that’s why His Excellency, the President, has been able to tell the country it will have the cost of electricity reduced,” he had said. Aside from adding some Gas to Energy Costs, the audit which found less than US$100 million in flagged costs of the US$7.2 billion sum, revealed that when it was highlighted that some capital expenses for other blocks was overlapped under the Stabroek Block sums, the company told them frontally that it believed all the submitted expenses should be allowed.
Bilateral
`Constructive discussions’ held with New York state officials – PM’s office: Prime Minister Mark Phillips last week met with a high-level delegation of New York State officials and a statement from his office later said that “constructive discussions” were held. The statement said that the visiting team was led by New York State Senator, Roxanne J. Persaud – who is a US-based Guyanese, Senator Kevin Parker and Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman. The delegation, consisting of members from both the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, held “constructive discussions” with the Prime Minister and several Cabinet Ministers, the statement said. The meeting was held at the Office of the Prime Minister on Camp Street. The statement said that the discussions focused on enhancing cooperation and promoting greater dialogue with the Guyanese diaspora. Phillips described the meeting as a “meaningful encounter” while reaffirming the Government’s unwavering commitment to good governance and its readiness to collaborate with partners to push national development. “As a Government, we are committed to good governance in Guyana. The delivery of goods and services in an equitable manner to all the people of Guyana. We are committed to upholding the democratic traditions of Guyana. We believe in democracy; we believe in the rule of law and we strongly believe that we must remain engaged and must strengthen the bonds with Guyanese in the diaspora”, he said. The statement added that the visiting officials gained valuable insights into the Government’s “inclusive policies” and its “ambitious agenda” for development in various sectors, including healthcare, education, and the national housing programme. Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony; Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand; Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy; Foreign Secretary, Robert Persaud; Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Sherwyn Greaves and Chief Development Planner CH&PA, Germene Stewart were also at the meeting. US legislators at the national and state level have been paying increased attention to Guyana and several teams have visited in recent years and others are expected. The opposition has been lobbying the state and national legislators on a variety of issues. While in opposition, the current PPP/C government had also lobbied significantly in relation to the bid in 2020 to rig the general elections here.
Crime
Suspect in Middle Rd murder leads police to $7.7m in cash:
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) last night said it is investigating the murder of Amit Singh which occurred at about 2.15 pm yesterday at Middle Road, La Penitence by four persons. The suspect in custody, Yogeendra Sukhdeo, earlier this morning took police to his home at Lot 1896 20th Avenue Diamond Housing Scheme where a search was carried out in his room and the sum of $7,791,000 in $5,000 bills were found and subsequently lodged. Singh is connected to a well-known fruit and vegetable business in Campbellville. The police say that preliminary information revealed that the victim was lured by the four suspects to a house at Middle Road La Penitence. They claimed that they were in possession of gold for sale. Whilst at the house, the police say that the four persons brutally murdered Singh and wrapped his body in a sheet. The suspects then took the cash that the victim had taken to purchase the gold and locked the building with the body inside. Based on intelligence received, ranks from the Criminal Investigation Department arrested one of the perpetrators, Sukhdeo. He has since confessed to the crime and is assisting the police as the investigation continues.
Mining
PPP/C gov’t fully to blame over unpaid Troy royalties: The Guyana Gold Board (GCB) has no role to play in collecting royalties from large-scale gold mining companies and this was made clear in the agreements the companies signed with respective governments and highlighted by it to the Ministry of Finance back in 2019, former head of the agency, GHK Lall, says. With both governments knowing that these companies export their own gold and do not sell to the GGB, it is shameless for the current administration to try to lay the blame of non-collection of over $2 billion in royalties by Australian gold mining company, Troy Resources, on the agency, Lall contends. “In 2014, a mineral agreement was signed… regarding Troy Resources. In that October 2014 agreement/contract, there was absolutely no mention of the Guyana Gold Board and it having any responsibilities for collection of royalties, revenues or any such monies. More importantly in that mineral agreement, there is very specific language that says that Troy Resources will deposit into the Bank of Guyana account in the Federal Reserve in New York, monies due to this country as royalties,” Lall who served in capacity as the Head of the Gold Board up to 2019, told the Stabroek News in an interview. “The only role the Guyana Gold Board has had prior to me being there has been when Troy Resources informs the appropriate people that there is an export package shipment due… And if I remember well, they will fly the appropriate staff in and along with others… there would be an inspection, weighing, sealing, and signing off on that package for export. That is what the Guyana Gold Board did during my time, not only for Troy but for the other large companies that export gold,” he added. Lall said that with that mineral agreement as the context and as the authority, it is, in his mind, “mischievous for anyone to speak to the Guyana Gold Board” being responsible for the large sums owed by Troy. “If they want to talk about the PNC and who lapsed and what’s not, then that is their business”, Lall said.
Accident
Motorcyclist killed in crash at Haslington: A Nabaclis man lost his life on Saturday after slamming into a car while riding his motorcycle at Haslington, East Coast Demerara. He has been identified as 32-year-old Rene Anthony Sheo, a father of one. According to the police, the incident occurred around 23:00 hrs on Saturday. The police were told by the 62-year-old driver of the car, who hails from Cove and John, that he was proceeding east along the northern side of the road. He claimed that he stopped at an intersection, looked, saw that the way was clear and proceeded to turn south. At that point, he told the police, he felt an impact on his vehicle’s left side front door and saw a motorcyclist and pillion rider fall onto the roadway. As a result of the collision, the motorcyclist and pillion rider, who both sustained injuries to their bodies, were picked up by public-spirited citizens and conveyed to the Georgetown Public Hospital. Sheo was pronounced dead on arrival while the pillion rider was hospitalised. The police said that neither Sheo nor the pillion rider were wearing safety helmets. In addition, the car driver was breathalysed and no trace of alcohol was found. Investigations are continuing. When Stabroek News contacted Sheo’s uncle Pierre Perreira, he said that the matter was in the hands of the police and the family would make no pronouncements. He said they would mourn Sheo’s loss.
Education
GTI gets $200m technical centre: The long-serving GTI got a huge boost last Friday when a $200m technical centre largely funded by former student Ken Subraj was handed over. The Ken Subraj- Zara Technical Centre was handed over to the institute yesterday via a public-private partnership between the government and the New York-based philanthropist Ken Subraj. Through this partnership, some $180 million was donated by the ZARA/ Subraj with the Ministry of Education contributing $20 million for the realisation of the building which features several multipurpose classrooms, a special oil and gas classroom and laboratory, a recreation hall, and administrative offices. overnment Technical Institute (GTI) Principal Renita Crandon-Duncan in her remarks at the ceremony thanked the foundation for the donation and noted that it was timely given the fact that Guyana’s economic landscape was growing exponentially. “GTI continues its quest to ensure that quality training is provided for all citizens of Guyana; regardless of race, creed, socio-economic status, and more importantly, gender. Today, with a population of over 1,900 students, this sizeable donation of a spanking new state-of-the-art facility, equipped with all modern amenities, including an elevator will aid the differently abled students and will house the engineering students among so many others. Therefore, it is indeed timely”, she said. Mechanical Engineer-ing, Civil Engineering, Science, and Land Survey-ing, are now the most lucrative programmes with the growth of the oil and gas sector and with such growth, Duncan said, the demand to become qualified is high, knowing the importance of such skills in the sector.
Tragedy
NA woman perishes in fire at home: New Amsterdam, Berbice family is now mourning the loss of their matriarch after the 58-year-old woman was trapped in her burning house on the morning of October 21st.. Everything in the house – a two-storey with three bedrooms upstairs and two bedrooms downstairs was completely destroyed by the fire – with only the shell left standing. Dead is Sharon Austin, 58, of Lot 2137 St Magdalene Street, New Amsterdam. The woman’s daughter, Police Corporal in charge of the Reliance Police Station, Brenda Onieka Johnson, explained that she resided in the bottom flat of the building with her four children ages; 20, 17, 14, and 7, while her mother, stepfather and brother resided in the upper flat of the building. According to Johnson, on Friday evening she and her sons slept in the lower flat, while her daughters slept with her mother in the upper flat since her stepfather is away working on a ship and her brother was away working with ExxonMobil. Johnson said, that it was just around 4.15 am, when she heard her daughter “stamping down.” She said, they initially thought there were bandits upstairs and her sons immediately ran up. However, “The two girls were hustling to open the door and my small daughter said ‘Fire! Fire!’ and me second son run upstairs and pull the two girls down and them seh granny turn back in the house …because the fire was not so close to the door but my second son by time he run to save mommy the fire was too much for him to get to her and she actually collapsed with the smoke right before the entrance to the front door.”
In the court
Corentyne man sentenced to life for No. 63 Beach murders, not eligible for parole: A Corentyne farmer who earlier this month pleaded guilty to the 2019 murders of a Canadian hotelier and his watchman at Number 63 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, was last week sentenced to life in prison on both counts. During the sentencing, the court heard that a statement from the convict said that he was hired by the hotelier’s overseas-based brother to kill him for $1m. Alvin Durant also known as “Alvin Bhola” and “Blacka”, 51, of Number 65 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, had appeared before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the High Court in Berbice where he had entered his guilty plea earlier this month. It is alleged that between December 19th and December 27th, 2019, at Sun Splash Hotel, Number 63 Village, he murdered Vivekanand Brijbassi also known as ‘Vivekanand Narpatty’, and Harry Prashad. At the plea and sentencing hearings, the state was represented by Attorney at Law, Muntaz Ali, while Durant was represented by Attorney Surihya Sabsook. Justice Kissoon sentenced Durant to life in prison without parole on both counts. “The court is sentencing the accused to what is described in law as a whole life sentence. The accused shall not be released nor considered eligible for parole. The accused shall remain incarcerated for the duration of his natural life and that is the only sentence that this court deems appropriate and just flowing out of the factual circumstances of the crime”, the judge said. In issuing his sentence, Justice Kissoon stated that the brutal murders of the two were planned, deliberated on, and carried out by the accused acting together with another. “And the accused stated that this occurred after he was counseled and procured by the brother of the deceased to kill Vivekanand Narpatty, that is a matter of record before the court”, he said.
