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Speaker unsure when questions on safety of Exxon’s ramped up oil production would be addressed in Parliament Jul 29, 2024 News AFC Member of Parliament (MP), David Patterson Kaieteur News – As questions continue to swirl over the breaching of safe operating limits of the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels currently in operation, Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir is unsure when the matter would be addressed in the House. Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament (MP), David Patterson had submitted questions on July 8, 2024 to be addressed by ViAFce President, Bharrat Jagdeo; however the questions were not included on the Order Paper for next Wednesday’s sitting. In an invited comment, Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs explained that there is a 21 days criteria between when the notice with regard to a question is published and the date in which it makes the order paper. Isaacs noted therefore that since the question did not meet the 21 days criteria, it was not placed on the order paper for Wednesday, July 31, 2024. He said it will likely make the next date before Parliament goes into recess on August 10. “There are two sittings before the parliament goes into recess. July 31 being one of those dates, I believe the questions can make the order paper for the next scheduled sitting but the decision ultimately lies with the Speaker…” Isaacs said. When contacted, Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir however told Kaieteur News that he is not sure when the questions will be dealt with. “I can’t say for sure that it will be dealt with before the [parliamentary] recess,” Nadir said briefly.The National Assembly is expected to go on recess on August 10. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permits for Liza Destiny, Liza Unity and Prosperity approved the safe operating limits for the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels at 120,000 bpd (Liza Destiny) and 220,000 bpd (Liza Unity and Prosperity) but the company has been granted approval to push oil production beyond the safe operating limits outlined in the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for each of the three projects currently producing oil. Exxon Mobil Guyana had announced that of February 2024, Liza Destiny was producing 160,000 bpd, Liza Unity, 250,000 bpd and Prosperity 230,000 bpd. Additionally, the company has stated “that production increases never occur without strict reviews, risk assessments, and that all of those are being reviewed by the Government and the EPA”. However, the concern being raised is chiefly that since Exxon is operating above the approved safety limits, its operations may lead to an oil spill. As such, Patterson’s is seeking copies of documents of the technical and environmental assessments on oil production in Guyana.His question reads “Can the Honourable Vice-President provide the National Assembly with copies of documents submitted by ExxonMobil detailing the technical and environmental assessments undertaken to justify the increased production above the previously approved Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permit limits?” Additionally, the Opposition MP noted that the company reported “that production increases never occur without strict reviews, risk assessments, and that all of those are being reviewed by the Government and the EPA”. As such, he is asking the Vice President to provide the National Assembly with copies of the revised Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which permits approving the increased daily production. Related Similar Articles

Kaieteur News – The main opposition party – Peoples National Congress Reform (PNCR) on Sunday said that investigations into corruption in Guyana must start with Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and his ruling PPP/C Government. The PNCR said that Jagdeo’s sudden interest in ensuring corruption is investigated “is an attempt to appear concerned about corruption, protect […] The post ‘Probe into corruption in Guyana must start with Jagdeo’ – PNCR says appeared first on Kaieteur News.

Kaieteur News – Judges are often the most maligned because they cannot take to the press when they are attacked. They rarely grant interviews. The result is that some members of the public level some of the vilest criticisms against them when decisions do not go in their favour. A few years ago, Adam Harris, […] The post Former KN Editor-in-Chief spared jail time for criticising Judge’s ruling appeared first on Kaieteur News.

Man shot dead by police Jul 29, 2024 News – reportedly fired at cops during confrontation Kaieteur News – Police are investigating the shooting death of Gordon Sancho, a 26-year-old unemployed man from the Goedverwagting Squatting Area, East Coast Demerara, which occurred at about 00:30 hrs Sunday at ‘C’ Field Cummings Lodge. Police in a release said enquiries disclosed that ranks from the Alberttown Police Station were on mobile patrol duty in a police vehicle when they responded to a report about the discharging of a loaded firearm with intent. The report was made by a 15-year-old student and her 34-year-old mother, a security guard employed at a private security service. The ranks proceeded to Section ‘C’ Field, Cummings Lodge, in the company of the persons who made the report, where Sancho was pointed out to them. On seeing the ranks, Sancho took out a handgun from the waist of his pants and discharged two rounds in the ranks’ direction, forcing them to take cover. One of the ranks discharged two rounds in the direction of Sancho, who ran a short distance in an easterly direction on ‘C’ Field Cummings Lodge road and then collapsed on the ground. Police found a .380 pistol and three (3) live rounds of .380 ammunition next to where he was lying. Sancho was immediately picked up and escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital by the ranks, where he was seen and examined by a doctor on duty and later died while receiving medical treatment.The body of the deceased is currently at the GPHC mortuary, awaiting a post-mortem examination. Investigations are ongoing. Related Similar Articles

IDB urges more private sector involvement in tackling housing crisis in Caribbean Jul 29, 2024 News MEXICO CITY — The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group has proposed six structural reforms to reduce the housing deficit in Latin America and the Caribbean, with special attention to vulnerable and low-income populations. During the 3rd Housing Forum 2024, held in Mexico City, public and private sector officials analyzed innovative measures and their effective implementation to guarantee access to housing for the region’s most disadvantaged groups. An estimated 45% of households in Latin America and the Caribbean do not have decent housing. To reduce this gap, the IDB Group is proposing key reforms, including improving governance and regulatory frameworks to encourage private sector participation in the production and financing of affordable housing. Scarce access to financing for the most vulnerable sectors is leaving many families out of the housing credit system. Therefore, two of the suggested reforms seek to diversify subsidy schemes and design innovative financial products that facilitate access to housing for these sectors. The set of six reforms recommended by the IDB Group at the Housing Forum 2024 also includes promoting business intelligence in the sector to improve housing deficit management alongside national statistics institutes; fostering innovation in construction systems and materials to reduce costs and adapt to climate change; and improving knowledge dissemination together with key actors in the sector. “Lack of decent housing is one of the clearest manifestations of poverty, and reducing poverty is one of the IDB Group’s strategic goals,” said Tatiana Gallego, Chief of the IDB’s Housing and Urban Development Division. “That’s why we work actively with governments in the region to offer solutions that promote private sector participation and make it possible to close the housing deficit in a way that is inclusive and resilient to climate change.” The IDB Group’s proposed reforms are the result of studies on the housing sector situation conducted with national governments in several countries in the region. These studies consist of an exhaustive analysis of the sector’s value chain in order to identify weaknesses and define corrective measures. More than 300 relevant LAC housing sector actors were interviewed for the report. So far, such studies have been completed in Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Nicaragua, and are still under way in El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago. Some countries are already implementing structural reforms based on IDB Group recommendations. These include Panama, which is analyzing the introduction of changes in its housing and leasing laws, and Brazil, which is working on improvement products and developing a national housing supply and demand platform. Meanwhile, Ecuador is promoting housing loans with cooperatives and Peru has implemented a Sustainable Urban Development Act. The Housing Forum 2024 was attended by 11 housing ministers and deputy ministers from Latin America and the Caribbean, U.S. government authorities and relevant actors from Europe and Canada. The event was also attended by mayors from the region, national housing agencies, development banks, builders, private banks, microfinance companies and institutional investors. All of them agreed on the need to find disruptive measures to better address the housing deficit in a highly urbanized region – 82% of the population resides in cities – and vulnerable to climate change. Changes in demographics and household composition, with more single-parent and female-headed families, are additional challenges that exacerbate the housing deficit and the need for inclusive solutions. The 3rd Housing Forum 2024 was organized in collaboration with Mexico’s Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development (SEDATU) and the National Workers’ Housing Fund Institute (Infonavit). Related Similar Articles