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Where is the $60B for one-off cash grants to households coming from? – Patterson questions Oct 12, 2024 News Kaieteur News – Twenty-four hours after President Irfaan Ali announced a one-off cash grant of $200,000 for every household in Guyana, Chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC), David Patterson, raised questions about the funding’s approval during a press conference on Friday. Chairman for the Chairman of the Alliance For Change David Patterson He expressed concerns regarding whether the National Assembly had sanctioned the extra budgetary expenditure. The 2024 National Budget stands at $1.146 trillion. As such Patterson questioned how the one-off cash grant distribution would be managed if it was not allocated in the yearly budget. “If you recall, the Office of the Prime Minister has a sum of $5 billion allocated for cost-of-living measures. This additional $66 billion would obviously need to come to Parliament,” he stated. He emphasized that this expenditure does not qualify as an emergency or contingency fund, suggesting that a parliamentary sitting would be necessary for approval. President Irfaan Ali announced the cash grant during the 12th Parliament Special Sitting on Thursday, stating that the initiative aims to inject $60 billion into the economy and will begin immediately with a focus on fair and transparent distribution. However, Patterson expressed scepticism about the Bank of Guyana’s capacity to handle such a large distribution. “Currently, from the Bank of Guyana’s half-year report, there are $200 billion in notes in circulation. This $66 billion is a significant amount—does the Bank of Guyana even have that additional liquidity?” He added, “I am wary that they might repeat the previous cash grant distribution, where individuals walked around with $66 billion in cash in envelopes. You can just imagine the nightmare.” He also criticized the government for not providing a clear distribution process, stating, “They have not even explained how they are going to carry it out. Yes, they need parliamentary approval, so this will come into a supplementary budget, and we are concerned about the method of distribution.” In response to government comments on the grant’s distribution, AFC leader Nigel Hughes noted, “We observed that the Vice President mentioned entities like GPL and GWI, which serve a large number of people. However, no framework has been laid out for this distribution, which will face significant difficulties, especially concerning squatters, night shelters, miners in the interior and single individuals living with others.” Meanwhile, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) issued a statement also highlighting that the 2024 budget does not include provisions for the cash distributions. The PNCR also emphasized that the $200,000 distribution will not effectively address the high cost of living. The party advocated for a more comprehensive approach. “As the cost of living continues to spiral upward and Guyanese families struggle to make ends meet, we call on the government to ensure our people benefit more from the windfall oil revenues, which now amount to over US$300 million,” the PNCR stated. They suggested that this revenue could be fairly and justly distributed, translating to approximately G$300,000 per household.  The long-suffering Guyanese people deserve much more than what was offered by the Government yesterday. However, they must see the cash transfers as their entitlement and not as money that belongs to the PPP. These transfers and much more could have been allocated to the people of Guyana years ago,” the party said in its statement.     Related Similar Articles

GGA crosses borders to further strengthen golf competition  Oct 12, 2024 Sports GGA president Aleem Hussain alongside a few lawmen and women of the Paramaribo Police Officers. Kaieteur Sports – The game of golf, which under the auspices of the Guyana Golf Association (GGA) and Nexgen Golf Academy has grown in leaps and bounds in Guyana over the past few years, is now being reinvigorated in Suriname thanks to the efforts of the GGA’s executive team and volunteers. GGA Team Donates Equipment and Balls to HM Krak J.H N Polanenschool. According to Aleem Hussain President Guyana Golf Association, “We must ensure that there is strong Competition to challenge the thousands of new Guyanese golfers being developed, so this partnership with the Surinamese schools and police department will, in our opinion open more cross border sports tourism and tournaments.” Though the primary focus of traveling to Suriname was to take part in the annual DSB Invitational Golf Championship hosted by The Golfclub Paramaribo, Hussain, Monnaf Arjune, Roy and Sabi Dhori and Philip Haynes took time away from the tournament to engage students from J.H.N Polanenschool #1 and #2 along with dozens of Police Officers from all districts in Paramaribo. “The response from students, PE teachers, and Head Teachers and the police officers was absolutely amazing and the intensity shown in the mini putting competition video well for future competition,” said Monnaf Arjune. Head Teachers Ms. Krak and Ms. Wongso expressed their gratitude for the donation of equipment and balls, “from the excitement demonstrated by the children, we will definitely be including golf as a part of their PE activities and we are grateful to Mr. Hussain and his team who traveled all the way here to include our schools in the golf programme.” The focus for the team will now shift to the weekend in an attempt to secure top place finishes for Guyana. Related Similar Articles

Bjorn Williams captures deadlift silver as Guyana end campaign on a high Oct 12, 2024 Sports Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships… Bjorn Williams (left) is all smiles on the podium. Kaieteur Sports – Bjorn Williams recorded the best performance of his career to date when he closed off his campaign in the 105kg Open classat the Commonwealth Men’s Classic Powerlifting Championships in Sun City, South Africa. Bjorn Williams (right) and Demetri Chan. With a huge pull of 307.5kg, the best in his career to date, Williams ended with the silver medal, just reward for his hard work and discipline. While not medaling in either the squat nor benchpress, competing against nine (9) other athletes, Williams was still able to record his best squat (245.0kg) and his best bench was 162.5kg.These lifts allowed him to also record his best total (715.0kg), to mark a memorable sojourn, shining bright in Sun City. Williams’ previous best squat was 235.0kg which he achieved in Uruguay in 2019 whilst his best deadlift was 305.0kg accomplished in New Zealand, two years ago.Williams commented on his stellar achievement: “Today’s performance was my best of all times. Perfect way to transition into the realm of a Master lifter. All praise and thanks be to God and all those that believed in my abilities.”Williams’ teammate, Demetri Chan who won the 74kg benchpress competition gold medal on Friday last was primed to add to that medal in the Commonwealth Men’s Classic Powerlifting Championships on Tuesday.However, he was hard done by some questionable refereeing calls during his second and third benchpress attempts when the command took too long to be given. Chan’s bar was also misloaded twice for his deadlifts, these challenges added up to throw the athlete off course. Nonetheless, Chan is resolved to continue his comeback to this level of competition and will come even stronger in the future.Federation President Franklin Wilson offered congratulations to Williams for a fantastic overall performance and his silver medal.“Your dedication and determination to ensure that you competed have paid the kind of dividends that would only make you better in your career. You like the other lifters, have made yourself and Guyana proud and for this, we are grateful, congratulations to you all.” The GAPLF is expressing gratitude to the Ministry of Sport, National Sports Commission, the Guyana Olympic Association, Fitness Express, and E Master Corporation for supporting the team to South Africa whilst Williams is expressing thanks to Team Stoby Shakes, JR Engineering, and LWC Investments for their support.Williams’ silver medal increased Guyana’s tally to five (5), having already won three (3) gold and two (2) bronze medals at the Commonwealth championships. In the World Masters where Nadina Taharally and Roger Rogers competed apart from the Commonwealth, the competitions running simultaneously, Guyana captured one (1) silver and four (4) bronze medals. Final Medal TallyWorld MastersGold    Silver   Bronze0          1          4Commonwealth Championships3          5          2 Related Similar Articles

Oct 12, 2024 Sports – Race for top spots begin today Kaieteur Sports – The exciting Petra-Courts Optical Pee Wee Football Tournament, recognised as one of the most important Under-11 Schools Football Championships, has reached its most exciting phase: the Round of 16. The tournament’s top 16 teams will compete today for a chance to secure semifinals promotion. West Ruimveldt’s Jaseen Parris (with ball) creating chances during third round match against Golden Grove at MoE. Marian Academy and School of the Nation provided great entertainment during the Round 3 matchups last Saturday, Marian eventually won 3-0. The tournament has been grueling three weeks, but from here on out, every match is crucial. Among the teams leading the charge are Enterprise Primary, St. John the Baptist Primary, Rosignol Primary, and defending champions St. Pius Primary; all vying for a spot in the semis and the chance to claim the championship glory. In this intense and competitive format, the 16 qualified teams will battle for rankings between first and eighth place. The top four will progress to the semi final stage, but every match remains vital, even for those not in the running for the championship. Teams that fall short of the semifinals will continue to compete for positions from fifth to eighth place, ensuring that the tournament remains engaging for all participants. Looking in from the outside, Enterprise Primary has emerged as a formidable contender, boasting an undefeated streak. They started the tournament with a 10-0 win against FE Pollard Primary and followed up with two draws against Stella Maris Primary and Rosignol Primary, before dominating Smith Memorial Primary 6-0. Enterprise’s rock-solid defence has yet to concede a goal, making them the favourites as they face Stella Maris Primary today. On the other side, Rosignol Primary has dazzled with their attacking prowess. They crushed Smith Memorial Primary 7-0 and trounced FE Pollard Primary 12-0, maintaining a clean sheet throughout. Star striker Jeremiah McDonald has been in top form, netting seven goals in just three matches, making him a key player to watch. Defending champions St. Pius Primary are determined to hold onto their title. After a commanding 12-1 victory over St. Mary’s Primary in their opening match, with Jovaine Wright scoring four goals, they breezed through the preliminaries, adding a 4-1 win against Winfer Garden Primary and a 4-0 victory over Tucville Primary to their record. They will match skills with School of the Nation today in their quest to advance further. At the same time, Wright will look to increase his goal tally today also; his seven goals, make him another top contender for the tournament’s Most Goals award. St. John the Baptist Primary has also made waves, often regarded as the tournament’s “dark horses.” They topped their preliminary group with a 10-0 win over Genesis Primary, followed by a 4-1 victory over St. Gabriel’s Primary, and an 8-0 thrashing of Timehri Primary. With their unpredictable play style, St. John’s is a dangerous team in this round. St John’s will rely heavily on their top performer Kareme Welcome, who also is expected to add to his seven goals so far. The matches will take place today at the Ministry of Education (MoE) ground on Carifesta Avenue from 12:00 noon. The tournament is proudly sponsored by Unicomer Guyana Inc. through its Courts Optical brand, with additional support from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, MVP Sports, Sterling Products Limited, and Stena Drilling. Related Similar Articles

Venezuelan biker killed in crash on Lamaha Street Oct 12, 2024 News Kaieteur News – A Venezuelan biker was killed and his female pillion rider seriously injured following a crash on Thursday night at the intersection of Lamaha and Camp Streets, Georgetown. Dead: Luis Natera Dead is Luis Natera, 21, of Lot 92, Second Street, Albertown. Twenty-five-year-old Yohennis Moya of First Street, Kingston is hospitalised. According to police, a Silver Honda Vezel crashed into the motorbike the duo was travelling on at around 20:53hrs. Natera and the car were reportedly crossing the intersection at the same time when the crash took place.  Natera was crossing Lamaha from north to south while the car was crossing Camp from west to east. “…The traffic light was on flash mode and motor car PAG 2470 failed to stop to ensure the traffic was clear (and) drove through the traffic light at the intersection colliding with motor cycle CM 8134,” traffic police reported. Natera and Moya landed in an empty lot south of the intersection following the impact. A motionless Natera was seen in a cell phone recorded video bleeding from the head. His left foot was almost severed. A short distance away Moya was grunting in pain and bleeding from injuries to her head and body. Police took Natera and Moya to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where Natera was pronounced dead and Moya admitted. Meanwhile, the driver of the Honda Vezel’s, a 19-year-old man, is in police custody.  As per protocol police conducted a breathalyzer test on him but no trace of alcohol was found in his body. Investigations are ongoing. Related Similar Articles

The one-off cash grant of $200,000 will not benefit every Guyanese. Oct 12, 2024 Letters Dear Editor, I noted in the Kaieteur newspaper on Friday, October 11, 2024 that President Dr. Irfaan Ali announced that every household across Guyana will receive a one-off $200,000 cash grant this year. The Head of State said this as he made a special address to the 12th Parliament of Guyana, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Georgetown. Distribution of the grant is expected to commence instantly, he said. The cash grant, the President said, is part of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government’s aim at reducing disparities in the country, guaranteeing that people have more disposable income. Altogether, about $60 billion will be infused into the economy through this cash grant. The honorable Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo explained that the government’s intention is to ensure that every eligible household gets the cash grant and to ensure that the process is not abused. He underscored that determining eligibility and ensuring fairness in distribution would involve a verification process using existing systems like utility billing and community records. I believe the distributing system or criteria for this grant will not be fairly distributed to every Guyanese since it will create for confusion and also taking into consideration the following: 1.How do you define a household? Will persons renting be eligible? Will a household with three or more families benefit? What about houses with two separate families living up and downstairs Will the tenants be ineligible since the utilities bills not in their names? Without the above not being addressed properly then the one-off cash grant of $200,000 will end up like the 25,000 cash grant last year where two or more families living in a house and only one member of the household was qualified for the money, others got a pink slip and still waiting to get theirs or the landlord ended up with cash grant since the house and utility bill comes in his or her name. Secondly, the one-off cash grant of $200,000 will also allow cost of living to go up again and the rich get richer and the poor get poorer all because Guyana doesn’t have stock control on items. Yes! We have seen that every time the Government give cash grant that Cost of living goes up    as I can recall when   Minister of Education Priya Manickchand announced that distribution of the “Because We Care” cash grant to children from public and private schools in June 2024 we have seen the increased of uniforms and basic food items on the market so basically the cash grant is like putting money in one hand and taking it out from the other hand. We can do better Guyana is on track to produce 1.5 million barrels of oil per day by 2030 and if the Government seriously want to address the high cost of living and poor quality of life experienced daily by most citizens then it should CONSIDER providing a house lot to everyone above the age of 18 years old, raise the minimum wages to $300,000 per month, reintroduction of free education from nursery to university and provide a better health care to everyone. This way every Guyanese will able to live, work and enjoy a comfortable life and benefit from the national wealth funds collectively despite which political party is or out of Government. I trust that the Government will consider my proposals which will give every Guyanese a better LIFE. Yours faithfully,Rayvonne P. Bourne Related Similar Articles

Israel’s violent confrontation could precipitate a Third World War consuming us with the use of weapons of mass destruction Oct 12, 2024 Letters Dear Editor, Every day on television whether it is on the BBC, CNN, or one of the American networks, NBC, CBS, ABC or Fox, if we have any interest at all as Guyanese in the world in which we live, we see and hear about the horror of the violence and loss of life precipitated by the country of Israel’s violent confrontation with the Palestinian population which surrounds it. So, why is this happening? Why should we care, as Guyanese, whether or not the Jewish people of Israel are at war with the Muslim Arab states surrounding Israel? We should care because this conflict, embraced on one side or the other by the USA, the United Kingdom and Russia and, to a lesser extent China, could precipitate a Third World War consuming us all with the use of weapons of mass destruction. Israel was proclaimed an independent Jewish Republic on 14th May, 1948, when the British terminated their “Mandate” over Palestine. It is bordered by Egypt on the South, Syria and the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan on the East and Lebanon on the North and the Mediterranean Sea on the West. It is the policy of Israel to “welcome home every Jew who seeks entry” and, in its first four years as a new nation recognized by the United Nations, Israel accepted 700,000 Jewish immigrants. Most coming from Eastern and Central Europe, as well as Asia and North Africa.  The great majority victims of the Nazi Germany “holocaust”. In the course of the Second World War, the Nazis murdered nearly six million European Jews. This genocide is called the Holocaust. The Arab states surrounding Israel have consistently refused to accept Israel as a permanent independent country and sovereign state. Israel as a country, in fact, is an aberration seen by the Palestinian people as imposed and originally financed and militarily supported on their land by the British and American governments. Israel continues to exist as a sovereign country recognized by the United Nations General Assembly, maintained largely by the force of arms provided by the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Israel is governed as a democracy with free and fair elections governed by the rule of law but without a full written Constitution. The Gaza Strip is where the horror of the Israeli invasion continues in retaliation of the invasion of Israel by militants of the Arab military Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, which has controlled the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip since 2007. It is the apparent determination of the Israeli government to destroy every building and murder every Gazan in the name of defending Israel. The US and to a lesser extent the British governments are caught between a rock and a hard place, claiming that Israel has a right to defend itself while condemning the mass destruction and murder of the people of Gaza by the Israeli army. Other radical militant Arab Islamic Resistance Movements, including Hezbollah, opposed to the existence of Israel as a sovereign state, are now, in support of Hamas, rocket bombing Israel in the North. The 1985 manifesto of Hezbollah reportedly states “our struggle will end only when this entity Israel is obliterated. We recognize no treaty with it, no ceasefire, and no peace agreements.”  Israel is now invading Lebanon where Hezbollah is headquartered with the apparent intention of eliminating Hezbollah regardless of the destruction and loss of life involved, similarly to its programme in the Gaza. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are financed, armed and directed by the militant Muslim leadership of Iran who do not recognize the right of Israel to exist. But Iran is on the verge of developing a nuclear capability which Israel would like to destroy. Again, the USA and Britain are caught between a rock and a hard place. They side with Israel in the destruction of Hamas and Hezbollah and all other militant Arab groups fostered by Iran, but know that a war between Israel and Iran would result in an international confrontation probably leading to a Third World War. Guyana, from the very inception of the manifestation of Israel as a Jewish sovereign state in the midst of Muslim Palestine, sided with the Palestinian cause and has outrightly, correctly and courageously, condemned the murder and destruction being ruthlessly pursued in the Gaza and now Lebanon, by Israel. Courageously, because of the fact that the US and the UK are inextricably and politically tied to Israel. So, while this war appears so far away from us, it is very close and very relevant to the implications it has for Guyana in the defence of our own sovereignty against the threat of Maduro’s Venezuela and the importance of maintaining our friendship and partnership with the USA, UK and all the other democratic countries in our region who may not necessarily agree with Guyana’s position on the Israeli Arab conflicts. Yours sincerely,Kit Nascimento  Related Similar Articles