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.tdi_3.td-a-rec{text-align:center}.tdi_3.td-a-rec:not(.td-a-rec-no-translate){transform:translateZ(0)}.tdi_3 .td-element-style{z-index:-1}.tdi_3.td-a-rec-img{text-align:left}.tdi_3.td-a-rec-img img{margin:0 auto 0 0}@media (max-width:767px){.tdi_3.td-a-rec-img{text-align:center}} Antigua and Barbuda’s influence on the world stage was on full display Tuesday, as the international community overwhelmingly...

.tdi_3.td-a-rec{text-align:center}.tdi_3.td-a-rec:not(.td-a-rec-no-translate){transform:translateZ(0)}.tdi_3 .td-element-style{z-index:-1}.tdi_3.td-a-rec-img{text-align:left}.tdi_3.td-a-rec-img img{margin:0 auto 0 0}@media (max-width:767px){.tdi_3.td-a-rec-img{text-align:center}} Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade  has completed another busy round of engagements at the...

Miner feared dead after boat mishap in Mazaruni River Sep 26, 2024 News Kaieteur News – A 32-year-old miner identified as Dionson Charlie from Jawalla Village in the Upper Mazaruni is feared dead following a boat mishap in the Mazaruni River on Monday. According to a statement from the police information they received suggests that around 11:00 hrs Charlie left the ‘Bush Cow’ backdam to journey to Kato Village to conduct business. On the return leg of the journey it is alleged that he collided with a floating object which caused him to fall overboard. A resident of Abbou Village Learvia Henry reported that she heard a loud crashing sound from the river and she raised an alarm. Neighbours responded and found a wooden boat floating unattended but did not locate Charlie. Inspector Hunte, other ranks and the residents formed a search party on Tuesday and their efforts to locate the missing man proved futile. A small boat that belongs to the missing man was found at ‘Bush Cow’ Landing and there were traces of what appeared to be blood on the seats and sides. The boat was taken into police custody and search efforts are ongoing, as further investigations continue. Related Similar Articles

Pres. Ali touts global biodiversity alliance at UN Sep 26, 2024 News President Irfaan Ali during his address at the 79th Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly …reiterates call for immediate climate action Kaieteur News – Speaking at the 79th Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on Wednesday, President Irfaan Ali announced the launch of the Global Biodiversity Alliance, a global framework aimed at tackling biodiversity loss, supporting conservation, and creating fair markets for natural assets. Guyana’s head-of-state attended the assembly in New York, which is being held under the theme “Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for present and future generations.” President Ali noted that the creation of the Global Biodiversity Alliance, will focus on creating a market for biodiversity credits, scaling biodiversity conservation debt swaps, accelerating biodiversity bonds, establishing a blueprint for biodiversity taxonomies, and promoting nature positive action. The initiative is set to convene its first global summit in 2025, where nations, environmental groups, and other stakeholders will collaborate to develop solutions that address the world’s worsening biodiversity crisis. “We do [not] make this announcement by mere words, Guyana is also committing to doubling its protected areas by December 2025 and achieving the global biodiversity target of 30% by 2030,” Ali said. He continued, “These are real solutions that Guyana is putting forward to address the global problem of biodiversity loss. We do not lecture, we lead by example without arrogance.” In his speech, Ali underscored that while many world leaders agree on addressing climate, food, and energy security, concrete actions are long overdue. “We will all be doomed in the court of conscience for knowing what is right while ignoring what is wrong,” Ali said. President Ali outlined that there is a pattern of empty pledges made at international forums like the annual Conference of Parties (COP) on climate change. He added, “This cycle of hope followed by disappointment cannot continue if the Sustainable Development Goals are to be met. We must break free from this pattern of empty pledges. We must, unequivocally and immediately, fulfill all pledges for the sake of our planet and the future of all its inhabitants.” President Ali reminded that Guyana, with 86% of its territory covered by tropical forest, has long been a leader in environmental conservation. The country boasts one of the highest rates of forest cover globally, with its forests storing 19.5 gigatons of carbon and sequestering more than 153 million tonnes annually. “As a country, we are dedicated to the preservation of this vital global asset,” Ali said. Moreover, President Ali closed his address with a call for unity in addressing the pressing issues of climate change, food security, and global governance reform, urging world leaders to take bold steps forward. He said, “The future we seek, a future where no one is left behind, demands courageous action…Let us not be found wanting. Let us act together, for the advancement of peace, for the achievement of sustainable development, and the preservation of human dignity, now and for generations to come.” Related Similar Articles

PSA should clearly say Stabroek Block partners should bear cost beyond insurance – PNC Sep 26, 2024 News Kaieteur News – The opposition is of the opinion that the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) for the Stabroek Block should clearly say that its operators should bear all costs associated with a spill or other incident even if it goes beyond the insurance and this should not be recoverable. Economist and advisor on oil and gas to the PNC Elson Low. Economist and Advisor to the PNC on oil and gas Elson Low weighed in on the issues and told this publication in an invited comment, “That the Operator can recover all monies spent in the event that they exceed insurance payments for damages underscores the need for clarity and specificity in any parent company guarantee, as well as the need for one in general. While the PSA indicates that costs beyond insurance can only be recovered if this is not due to negligence or other inappropriate conduct by the operator there may be space for claims to be made if a contractor like the FPSO builders is blamed for an oil spill.” He went on to say that, “it needs to be clear that the Stabroek Block partners will bear liability for any amounts needed, in the event of an oil spill, that go beyond insurance. We remain concerned that, in the chaos of an oil spill emergency, fighting over who is to blame can delay or otherwise disrupt the cleanup and mitigation effort at a critical time. As a result we see a parent company guarantee that makes it clear that the Stabroek Block partners parent companies should field any additional costs as vital.” Low lamented that it would be unacceptable for the oil companies to dodge culpability by accepting to cost recover monies that exceed the insured amount and “This practice would potentially cause Guyana’s share of profit oil to remain depressed for years, depending on the severity of the spill. Of course, we also believe there must be adequate insurance in place for the Stabroek block operations. As it stands, the government’s reluctance to lay these terms out clearly in a parent company guarantee means that Guyanese must cross their fingers and hope there is no oil spill under the PPP.” The current stipulation in the contract is that oil spill costs that are not covered by the operator ExxonMobil, will be funded by Guyana. Annex ‘C’ Section 3 of the PSA, which addresses costs recoverable without the approval of the Minister, makes it explicit at 3.1(g) that insurance and losses can be recovered. It states: “Insurance premium and cost incurred for insurance pursuant to Article 20 provided that if such insurance is wholly or partly placed with an Affiliated Company of the Parties comprising the Contractor, such premium and costs shall be recoverable only to the extent generally charged by competitive insurance companies other than an Affiliated Company of a Party comprising the Contractor.” The contract goes on to say that, “Costs, losses and damages incurred to the extent not made good by insurance, are recoverable, including costs, losses or damages resulting from the indemnities in Article 2 of the Agreement, unless such costs, losses or damages have resulted solely from an act of willful misconduct or gross negligence of the Contractor.” This therefore means that unless Guyana can prove that a spill was caused due to willful misconduct or gross negligence by Exxon the company will not bear the costs. Cognizant of the damage that can be done by an oil spill, two Guyanese went to Court demanding an unlimited parent company guarantee, which is a signed document that legally binds Exxon to cover costs above the limited insurance. Exxon presently has a US$600 million insurance coverage per oil spill event. Related Similar Articles

‘Stop living in the past’ – AFC tells Govt to stop comparing Guyana’s non-oil economy to current situation Sep 26, 2024 News Leader of the AFC, Nigel Hughes Kaieteur News – Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC) Nigel Hughes said it is disingenuous of the government to be comparing the current oil-driven economy with what obtained before to score “cheap political points” insisting that as the economy grows the adminstration should focus on investing in a better quality of life for Guyanese. At his party’s weekly press conference last week Hughes said Guyana is a sovereign state and the basis for progress should not be premised on what was done between 2015 and 2019. “So, assuming you didn’t have something between 2015 and 2020. What has that got to do with our failure to do it in 2024 as a country, it is a mind-boggling argument. That somehow the excuse is that it’s not being done because it wasn’t done before.” Member of Parliament, Beverly Alert. Hughes lamented that the citizens of Guyana deserve much better and if Guyana is moving forward to become a modern democratic society in which all citizens will participate equally and have the same opportunities then the comparison needs to stop. “We can’t be comparing 2015 to 2019 and if one wants to go the route of comparison on the 32 years between 1992 and today the People’s Progressive Party has been in office for 27 of those years.  So, if you want to make a comparison you are making a comparison between somebody who has the opportunity to govern this country exclusively for 27 years and somebody who has only had the opportunity to govern it for three it’s not even five because when the no confidence motion came the government was restricted to only carrying out its basic functions to running the government. It couldn’t make any investment decisions, it couldn’t make any change of police because in the two years post December 2018 it was restricted,” Hughes said. Furthermore, the AFC leader said, “what makes it even worse you’re comparing 27 years which is nine times the three effective years that the coalition had to make the change and I think that’s the context but like I said what one didn’t do before can’t be an excuse for why we’re failing today.” Hughes comments follow frequent comparisons by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo. Jagdeo has repeatedly said that the APNU+AFC government could have done much more for the citizens during its term in office. Meanwhile, AFC’s Beverly Alert said that it was “grossly unfair to compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024 period.” “It is unfair to compare a non-oil economy with an oil producing economy. What you can do in an oil producing economy when the GDP is growing by double digits 30%, 35%, 40% you can’t compare with an economy that was not seeing that growth. Our position is as the economy grows invest in a better quality of life for the people,” Alert said. Further, Alert called on the government to be fair in the distribution of the country’s wealth. “Do not discriminate, it is that simple. Do not put the money into the people that already have money, do not enrich those who are already rich, let us bridge the divide and so let us invest in those hinterland communities where the children have to use pit latrines. Let us invest in riverside communities, let us bridge that divide between the haves and the have nots. Don’t compare apples and oranges, don’t compare what the coalition government was able to do without oil as to what this PPP government should be doing with this growth in the economy,” the AFC Member of Parliament said. Related Similar Articles

GPHC lauds Chinese medical team for groundbreaking advancements Sep 26, 2024 News Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony (middles) along with staff from the GPHC and members of the 19th Chinese Medical Team Kaieteur News – At a farewell ceremony held during the weekend for the 19th Chinese Medical Team, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) commended the team for introducing groundbreaking advancements, including the hospital’s first laparoscopic liver resection and various other services. The GPHC in a release stated that the 19th Chinese Medical Team completed a year of dedicated service from October 2023 to September 2024. The team, made up of 10 medical specialists, worked across various departments at GPHC, while four additional doctors were stationed at the Linden Regional Hospital. In the course of the one year the Medical team stayed at the various hospitals, GPHC highlighted that the team collaborated with local medical professionals on thousands of procedures, including the hospital’s first laparoscopic liver resection. “They shared their expertise by introducing new techniques, significantly enhancing the quality of care provided at GPHC,” the hospital said in the release. It is further stated that in addition to Medical team clinical contributions, the team donated several pieces of medical equipment and supplies, strengthening the hospital’s resources. Beyond their medical contributions, the Chinese Medical Team quickly became a part of the GPHC family by actively participating in several of the staff engagement activities. Moreover, GPHC highlighted that the medical team played a key role in the professional development of the local doctors, who received certificates for completing specialized training in their respective fields. To that end, those present at the farewell ceremony were the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony; the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Guyana, Guo Haiyan; the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Narine Singh; the Chief Executive Officer of GPHC, Robbie Rambarran; the Director of Medical & Professional Services, Dr. Navindranauth Rambaran; as well as other GPHC administrators, staff, and members of the 19th Chinese Medical Brigade. “We extend our deepest gratitude to the 19th Chinese Medical Team for their incredible contributions, dedication, and the lasting impact they’ve made on healthcare in Guyana. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors,” GPHC stated. History of China Medical Team Meanwhile, giving a brief history of the Chinese  doctors’ involvement in Guyana Dr. Zhao said at the invitation of the Government of Guyana, the first China Medical Team arrived in Guyana on July 30, 1993, and was warmly welcomed by then Heath Minister, Gail Teixeira and later a cordial reception from then President  Dr. Cheddi Jagan. “This marked the beginning of China’s first medical cooperation project with a government in South America. Over the past 31 years, the Chinese government has sent 19 medical teams and 279 experts to Guyana. Both sides have made significant progress and development in clinical medical exchanges and cooperation, medical education and training, public health, and other aspects, Dr. Zhao related. He said the 19th China Medical Team of which he is the head arrived in Guyana in September 2023, replacing the 18th team and commencing their work in the country. The 14 medical experts of the 19th Chinese medical team closely cooperated with their counterparts in Guyana’s health sector at GPHC and Linden Hospital, treating nearly 13,000 patients and performing over 2,000 surgeries and surgical guidance. “During their rest periods, the team organised 14 free medical outreaches, extending medical services to the remote Amerindian villages “at their doorstep,” benefiting more than 3,400 people. In response to the Ministry of Health’s requirement, the Chinese Medical Team donated cervical cancer screening equipment and collaborated with the Guyanese government to launch the Guyana Cervical Cancer Screening Project. Upon invitation from the Ministry of Health, they also trained sample collectors and screening test doctors,” Dr. Zhao said. He said too that the China Medical Team also serves as an ambassador of friendship, participating in a variety of local activities during their spare time to experience the charm of diverse cultures and forging friendships. Related Similar Articles