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CGX must show finances or lose Corentyne Block – Jagdeo says Jun 28, 2024 News Map showing the location of the Corentyne Block Kaieteur News – CGX Energy Inc. and Frontera Energy Corporation are facing a critical juncture regarding their Corentyne Block operations offshore Guyana. “This is crunch time now,” warned Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday during his weekly press conference, as he issued a stern warning to the joint venture. Executive Chairman for CGX (Guyana) Energy, Professor Suresh Narine In response to a last-minute Notice of Potential Commercial Interest filed for the Wei-1 Well located in the Corentyne Block, on June 26, just days ahead of the June 28 deadline for the Corentyne Block’s appraisal programme, Jagdeo underscored that stringent conditions must be met to retain the block. The submission of this notice is pivotal as it secures CGX and Frontera’s stake in obtaining a Production Licence, providing an extension for appraisal activities pending government approval. When questioned about the sudden move by the Corentyne Block partners, Jagdeo disclosed that Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat notified him of the submission on Wednesday. Although he has not yet reviewed the notice personally, Jagdeo assured that the government would scrutinize it thoroughly before presenting it to Cabinet in the upcoming week. To this end, Jagdeo said, “But let me make it clear, CGX will not play the government of Guyana. For a very long time they have been jerking people strength maybe their investors but no longer are we going to be tolerant of any ambiguity.” Vice President (VP), Bharrat Jagdeo He continued, “If they are declaring commerciality now, they have to show in specific terms how they intend to develop a project and where the finances are.” The Vice President accepted that he should not have been so blunt about the situation; he said that the government has allowed CGX and Frontera, as per law to do their appraisal. He added, “But this is crunch time now.” “If they now say they are moving to a project, they have to show us what this project is and show us how they are going to finance the project,” Jagdeo reiterated. Failure to secure government approval for further appraisal would mark CGX’s third forfeiture of an oil block in Guyana and Frontera’s second, following the relinquishment of the Demerara and Berbice Blocks in 2022. In the notice, CGX and Frontera reminded that they have successfully drilled the Wei-1 well, its second well on the Corentyne block. “The well fulfilled the obligation under Phase Two of the Second Renewal Period of the original 10-year Licence and served as an appraisal well for the Kawa-1 Appraisal Programme with the Government of Guyana,” CGX and Frontera said in its release. The companies stated too that with support from investment bank and capital markets experts Houlihan Lokey, they continue to actively pursue strategic options to unlock the potential of the Corentyne Block. Related Similar Articles

In a few years, Guyana will be able to monitor Exxon’s production on its own – Jagdeo Jun 28, 2024 News Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo Kaieteur News – Vice President (VP) Jagdeo is confident that Guyana will be able to independently and extensively monitor ExxonMobil’s production real time in a few years, when the government makes all the necessary improvements. On Thursday, Jagdeo was asked by Kaieteur News whether, “With oil production expected to reach 1M barrels per day by the turn of the decade, are you concerned about the capacity of the government to monitor this increased output, and, what plans does the government have to improve real time monitoring of production by 2030?” In response, Jagdeo said that it was not a million barrels but rather the government is hoping to meet 1.3M barrels by 2027 and the government is currently undertaking capacity building in several areas. “We now use some other mechanisms that are useful in the absence of that robust kind of on-site presence in a comprehensive way but those need to be enhanced. So I have no doubt that over the next few years we will substantively increase our capacity to do that to monitor production,” he said. He continued: “So I explained in the beginning that we have to work at putting the framework in place to regulate this sector, which we have practically done through the implementation of the Petroleum Activities Bill, reform of the NRF, the Local Content Law, the new regulations concerning environmental permits, etc., the flaring, the tax on flaring, a whole range of those issues we have worked on,” Jagdeo said. The VP highlighted that his government is now placing heavy focus on monitoring, even though Exxon will have a unit at its headquarters that will facilitate real time monitoring of what is going on offshore. He said though the government will have a presence at Exxon’s unit, it will create its own monitoring department. “We will have a presence there (at Exxon), we would also have our own unit to track what’s going on offshore, we will have strengthened the Bureau of Standards presence there and their sophistication on the rig themselves to measure quantities of oil and the flow and the water capacity, that has been discharged, all of these things,” he added. Furthermore, the government’s monitoring unit will be able to tell if the discharged water from Exxon is meeting international standards of purification. “All of that would be done as we move forward so we can verify that what they are actually saying is true,” the VP explained. Last year, Jagdeo told reporters that the government is in talks with entities to utilize satellite technology to be able to monitor activities offshore. Related Similar Articles

Walton-Desir, Forde withdraw from PNCR leadership race Jun 28, 2024 News …cite irregularities in the electoral process Kaieteur News – Executive Members of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Amanza Walton-Desir and Roydale Forde, SC on Thursday suspended their campaigns for leader of the party. Executive Member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Amanza Walton-Desir Executive Member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Roysdale Forde, SC Walton-Desir was the first to announce her withdrawal from the race. In a terse statement said the decision to bow out of the elections, one day prior to the start of her party’s 22nd Biennial Delegates Congress, “has been incredibly difficult” but was made after “deep reflection and extensive discussions with my team and close advisors”. “My dear brothers and sisters of the PNCR, I come to you today to announce my decision to suspend my campaign for the PNCR leadership. This decision has been incredibly difficult, but it has been made after deep reflection and extensive discussions with my team and close advisors.  Throughout my campaign, I have been dedicated to upholding the values of transparency, fairness, decency and integrity within our beloved party. However, recent developments which I am not at liberty to ignore, have raised serious concerns regarding the process,” she said. Further, the PNCR member said that as of the morning of June 27, a preliminary list of delegates was not made available to her as a candidate to allow for claims and objections “and further, there is a lack of agreement among all candidates contesting on the procedures for conducting the elections”. “These and several other issues necessitate careful consideration and resolution to ensure the continued integrity of our party and while I believe it is vital to address these concerns, I also recognize the importance of doing so in a manner that preserves our unity and strength,” Walton-Desir said in her statement which was published on her Facebook page. The Central Executive Member thanked her supporters for their “unwavering belief” in her. “…Our shared vision has been my greatest strength. I am deeply grateful for your support and dedication. Though I am suspending my campaign, our work does not end here. We must continue to advocate for the values we believe in and push for the changes our party needs,” the PNCR member said as she encouraged all members of the PNCR to remain united and steadfast during “this challenging period.” “Our strength lies in our unity and our shared commitment to a better future for our party and our country. Together, we can overcome any obstacle and ensure that our principles guide us forward. Thank you for your understanding and continued support. Let us continue to work together for the betterment of our party and our nation,” Walton-Desir who is also Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said. Like Walton-Desir, Forde announced late Thursday night that he too is suspending his campaign. He cited an “irregularities riddled elections process”. In a statement to the media, Forde said, “Today, I hereby formally suspend my candidacy and acceptance of all nominations for the positions to which I have been nominated by Party Groups across the Country.” Forde listed three reasons for his decision while noting that they significantly impacted his confidence in the integrity and fairness of the electoral process. He said, despite several written communications addressed to the Central Executive Committee and the General Secretary regarding concerns about the integrity of the electoral processes for the party’s elections, he is yet to receive a response. Further, Forde who is an attorney said “There have been noticeable irregularities concerning the list of delegates, which raise serious concerns about the transparency of the election process.” The Central Executive Member said too that “unreasonable timelines have been imposed to meet certain requirements for holding the congress, which have placed undue pressure and constraints on the democratic process.” Additionally, he said that members from various regions across the country have expressed dissatisfaction with the “extremely limited time provided to organize logistics to attend and effectively participate in the Congress”. Forde who premised his campaign on the principles of accountability, transparency and democratic governance said he remains committed to “the high values, ideals and goals of our party, set in place at its very core and at its very foundation by Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham which I believe are essential for the integrity of the party’s electoral processes”. Forde reminded that on June 23, 2024, former General Secretary of the party, Dawn Hastings- Williams, resigned from her post. Her resignation was also influenced by “the lack of those very critical issues- transparency, accountability and internal democracy”. “Her resignation coupled with evidence of irregularities, and the expressed dissatisfaction of members demonstrate that the current electoral process has fallen woefully short of meeting even rudimentary standards necessary to uphold these principles,” Forde said in his statement. Notwithstanding, he believes that “it is imperative that our party’s internal elections adhere to the highest standards of democratic practice to ensure fairness and inclusivity.” “Unfortunately, the deficiencies observed in the process have made it clear that these standards have not been met.  Therefore, after careful thought and consideration and with a heavy heart, I hereby suspend my candidacy for the positions nominated,” the attorney said while thanking all the groups, members and supporters of the PNCR the confidence reposed in him. He also thanked his team members for their hard work, sacrifice and dedication. “I remain committed to the high values, ideals and goals of our party, set in place at its very core and at its very foundation by Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham. I will continue to work towards fostering a democratic and inclusive political environment within the PNCR,” he said while urging “the leadership and all members of the PNCR to reflect on these concerns and take decisive actions to improve our electoral processes moving forward.” Forde posited that the PNCR’s “strength lies in our commitment to democratic principles, and it is crucial that we uphold these principles in every aspect of our operations.” Meanwhile, despite the sharp criticisms and accusations that have been levelled against the incumbent leader, he remains adamant that negativity will not cause him to lose support. In a recent interview with Kaieteur News, Norton said he is unfazed by the accusations against him and is confident of re-election as leader of the PNCR. The Congress of the party is set for June 28-30 and according to Norton, the party is focused on having a “successful Congress”. Related Similar Articles

Faulty wiring causes fire at Children and Family Centre Jun 28, 2024 News The Children and Family Centre engulfed Kaieteur News – Fire, believed to be electrical in nature, destroyed sections of the Children and Family Centre, located at Block X Plum Park, Sophia, Greater Georgetown on Thursday morning. The Centre is managed by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security that predominantly houses children. An eye witness said that at the time she observed the fire no alarm was raised but she saw the occupants of the Centre, mostly children, exiting the building. “I see the smoke and I halla for my husband and tell he man call the fire people and let them come out this fire cause remember we get child too you understand … it didn’t had no body screaming because when I done halla I see all a them children done pack up in front deh [Children and Family centre], them say everybody come out,” the eyewitness said. According to reports, a fire alarm was raised at about 10:24h and the fire service units arrived by 10:34h. The Fire Service said that upon arrival, the firefighters observed that the top floor’s north-western side was engulfed in flames and smoke. The firefighting operation began immediately with the first jet of water being applied at 10:35hrs.  The fire was contained momentarily. The GFS said its response team included Water Tender #118 and #95, Water Carrier #18, and Hydraulic Platform 2, led by Fireman Dickenson and Fireman Nurse. Also present at the scene were Divisional Officer Charles, Sub Officer Jackson, and Sub Officer Scipio. By the time the blaze was extinguished, the top floor of the building was severely damaged, while the ground floor suffered severe water damage. Damaged sections of the Children and Family Centre Kaieteur News understands that all of the occupants of the Centre were safely evacuated and the prompt response by the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) quickly stopped the fire from destroying the two-storey wooden and concrete building completely. No injuries or casualties have been reported. The fire reportedly started in the upper storey of the building which served as the living quarters for the occupants. The ground floor is reportedly used for storage. The GFS in a report to the media said that the fire “is believed to have been caused by faulty electrical wiring installation, which resulted in arcing and sparking, subsequently igniting nearby combustible materials.” Related Similar Articles

‘Defend yourself, Govt. can’t do that for you’ – Jagdeo tells ‘Guyanese Critic’ Jun 28, 2024 News Kaieteur News – Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday told Mikhail Rodrigues, known as ‘Guyanese Critic’ to defend himself and not rely on the Government of Guyana (GoG) to do so. Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday told Mikhail Rodrigues, known as ‘Guyanese Critic’ to defend himself and not rely on the Government of Guyana (GoG) to do so. Mikhail Rodrigues popularly known as the ‘Guyanese Critic’ Rodrigues seemed disgruntled with a story published in the Thursday June 27, 2024 edition of the Kaieteur News headlined ‘Guyanese Critic’ gets another multi-million dollar contract. That story pointed out that the company Tepui Group – that is closely linked to Rodrigues, received another multi-million government contract despite failing miserably to meet specific criteria in another project that was awarded to the company last year. The social media commentator told Jagdeo that there seems to be a fixation on Tepui Group, adding, “Like if I’m the only contractor in Guyana.”   He then asked the Vice President to put things into perspective about the number of contracts and the sums that are being spent by the government on infrastructural development. In response, Jagdeo said, “You gotta defend yourself, don’t wait on government…” The Vice President was at the time hosting his weekely press conference at Freedom House, Robb Street, Georgetown. “Well you have a duty also to defend your own company because often when the government puts out this information it seems as defending corruption…” the Vice President added. Further, the Vice President disclosed that the government is actively addressing issues within the procurement system. “What we are planning to do because we have this problem at the Cabinet itself, when a paper goes to Cabinet often the Cabinet does not see all of the work that people (contractors) have in different agencies, so we are now going to introduce a prequalification system,” he explained. Detailing how this system will function, Jagdeo explained that contractors will be pre-qualified based on their capability to undertake projects up to a specified amount. For instance, Jagdeo said, “So if you are pre-qualified to do work up to half a billion dollars and you get one contract and you are at $450 million, when the paper goes to Cabinet, it would [show] that the contractor was pre-qualified for half a billion and already have a contract. Therefore, the Cabinet will say you can’t give another contract for $200 million or $300 million because they have reached their capacity.” Highlighting the nationwide implementation of this prequalification system, the Vice President disclosed that all government entities will be required to report awarded contracts to a website to ensure transparency. Jagdeo stated, “You don’t know if a man is working for multiple ministries so when you hear that [they received a contract], it is a surprise.” Last month, it was revealed by the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) that Rodrigues had failed during the evaluation process for bids at the level of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), but was still handed a $865 million contract to build a pump station at Belle Vue, West Bank Demerara (WBD). Kaieteur News understands that the PPC in its report highlighted several procurement breaches committed by Tepui and overlooked by NPTAB in awarding the pump station contract. According to the document, NPTAB ignored several key details when it came to the company satisfying the evaluation criteria for the award of the $865M deal. Tepui failed to meet the following: Failed to meet $8M bid security amount Failed to demonstrate construction experience No experience with project of similar nature No record of past work experience Failed to demonstrate financial capacity No audited financial statements No evidence of ownership and or possession of key equipment Meanwhile, a few months ago, Rodrigues during one of his morning programmes aired live on social media revealed that he received a multi-million-dollar contract from the Ministry of Housing. Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo Similarly, the PPC in its report had revealed that during the evaluation period for the pump station contract, Tepui had listed a $313 million contract with Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) which falls under the Housing Ministry, for the upgrade of roads in Block 3, Great Diamond. It was stated that the contract is dated February 24th, 2023. The document also states that the company also received other government contracts. Tepui had submitted a document to show the list of projects it has done which includes the rehabilitation of South Pakistan Street and rehabilitation of Tyre Shop Street, valued at $25 million and $24 million respectively. Both contracts were purportedly awarded by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. It should be noted, however, that the dates of those contracts were not stated. Following the revelation, checks were made by this publication on the NPTAB website for other contracts awarded to the Tepui Group but to no avail. As such, Kaieteur News resorted to asking Vice President Jagdeo during one of his weekly press conferences whether it was true that Rodrigues’ company received another government contract. While Jagdeo was unable to confirm if Tepui Group did receive the contract, he directed the publication to check online since all contracts are made public. It should be noted that as of June 27, 2024, the only contract listed as awarded to Tepui on NPTAB’s website is the Belle Vue pump station contract. In light of recent revelation that Tepui received another multi-million contract, contact was made with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CHPA, Mr. Sherwyn Greaves on Wednesday for details on the CHPA contracts that were awarded to Tepui. In response, Mr. Greaves noted that he will get the information and return the call. No information has since been provided by Greaves. Related Similar Articles

VP Jagdeo blames GDF for issues with award of $2.1B Kares Engineering Inc. contract Jun 28, 2024 News The bidders who bid for the construction of the GDF wharf. (Photo courtesy, NPTAB) Kaieteur News – Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday laid blame at the feet of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) for the issues surrounding the award of the $2.1B contract awarded to Kares Engineering Inc. for the construction of a wharf. At his weekly press conference held on Thursday, Jagdeo said that the GDF inserted a criterion in its Request for Proposals for the said project that led to a compliant being raised about the award of the contract. Kaieteur News reported in its Thursday paper that the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) flagged the award of the contract after a contractor, Correia and Correia Limited (one of the bidders for the contract) lodged a complaint with them. The complaint included allegations that Kares Engineering’s bid was “non-responsive based on the Financial Assessment within the Evaluation Criteria” and therefore should not have been awarded the contract. Kaieteur News understands that Correia & Correia sent a letter to the PPC stating that in the bid document that there was a criterion which stated that any company that bid below the 80% benchmark set in the criteria will not get the contract. Speaking on the matter, Jagdeo said that when he reached out to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) about the contract, he was informed that the procuring agency had departed from the Standard Bidding Document and did not seek approval to modify its tendering criteria. “First of all, there is a Standard Bidding Document that should be used by every single government entity that was established by us in the past. There are 19 criteria that you can use. We had discontinued when this was done years ago ‘a percentage below the engineers estimate as disqualifying any bidder’. So there is the Standard Bidding Document of the government with a list of 19 criteria,” the VP stated. He explained that, “If you look at the Procurement Act, the Procurement Act says that anytime a ministry or a department or anyone tries to change the Standard Bidding Document, they have to seek the approval of the National Tender Board.” The Vice President said that the rule is in place to avoid chaos in the system. “This criterion is not part of the Standard Bid Document, yet it found its way into the GDF Request for Proposals. So if they wanted that in, they had to seek the approval of the tender board,” Jagdeo explained. He noted that the NPTAB is within its full right to say that the procuring entity departed from the Standard Bid Document. The VP said that Section 23 (3) of the Procurement Act of Guyana says that each such tender Board shall prepare, using such standardized forms and criteria as have been prepared by the National Board, solicitation documents for tenders subject to its jurisdiction; and may, with the approval of the National Board, make such minor alterations or modifications to the forms and criteria as are deemed necessary on a case by case basis. “The GDF didn’t do this. So the tender board is right in this case to say you inserted a criterion that is not part of the standard criterion and therefore should not be used in the evaluation,” Jagdeo told reporters. Further, Jagdeo revealed that the contract was awarded to the lowest bidder in a public tender, and what has happened is a departure from what is the standardized form of bidding. The VP said that when this happens, it isn’t picked up by the Cabinet or the tender board because it is presented as the lowest bidder won the contract. “I am hoping that the people who are looking into this would pay attention to all these matters, departure from standard bidding document and we now have to take a strong disciplinary approach to these agencies that do procurement out in the public domain that depart from the standardized process,” the VP mentioned. He added that his government is committed to being transparent, and in the case of procurement processes, they are working hard to keep contracts out of “corrupt practices”. With that being said, the VP told reporters that, “We’ve already been reading the riot act to a many of the people in the regions… the procurement officers, we’ve made it clear that if you violate this, particularly deliberately, well I don’t know in this case if it was deliberate or just an oversight…But if you do this, you would face the consequences.” Meanwhile, in defending its award, the NPTAB in a release on Thursday stated that the project was opened in November 2023, and subsequently bids were evaluated by an independent committee to which the evaluators recommended the lowest responsive bidder and an award was made in December 2023. Kares Engineering Inc. was among eight bidders that bid to construct a reinforced concrete wharf for the GDF Coast Guard at Ruimveldt. “In March 2024, Correia & Correia Ltd. submitted a request for review citing ‘Any bidder whose bid is less that 80 percent of the engineers estimate will be non-responsive’. It must be noted that this Engineers Estimate was never published or given to the bidders prior to the opening of bids,” NPTAB explained. The Tender Board explained further that “the criteria cited was discontinued years ago and is not included in the numbered criteria in the approved Standard Bidding Document.” Related Similar Articles

Brazilian national feared dead after boat mishap Jun 28, 2024 News A section of the Cuyuni River Kaieteur News – A Brazilian national is feared dead following a boat mishap in the Cuyuni River, Region Seven in the vicinity of Akabusa / Fumbler Falls. Jose De Ribamar Lisboa Silva went missing on Wednesday after the boat he was travelling in encountered difficulties. Reports are that the incident occurred at about 14:30h when the boat, powered by a 200 horsepower Yamaha outboard engine suddenly stopped while travelling up the Akabusa/Fumbler Falls. Five persons were in the boat at the time of the incident. Rondel Khan, a 35-year-old miner from Bartica, had prepared the vessel, which was loaded with two engines and supplies. The boat was captained by 50-year-old James Bacchus. Reports are that before departure, Khan and Bacchus agreed to transport three passengers to Quartz Stone Backdam, including Silva. As the boat travelled up the Akabusa/Fumbler Falls, its engine suddenly failed, causing it to drift down the falls and overturn. Everyone on board managed to swim to safety but Silva could not be located. Two survivors managed to embark on another passing boat and continued their journey, while Khan and Bacchus promptly reported the incident to the Bartica Police Station. Bacchus is assisting police with their investigations. Related Similar Articles