Recent events review Saturday, February 3 to Friday, February 9
Saturday, February 3
Surinamese investor pulls gaming machines from delayed SleepIn casino
The Surinamese partner in the SleepIn Hotel’s stalled casino yesterday packed up half of the gaming machines at the Church Street, Georgetown business, saying that if local partner and manager Clifton Bacchus does not get concrete word on approval in two months, it will take the remainder. “The people came and asked back for their machines because they say it seems I don’t have anything sensible to tell them. It has been two years. We have a [Memorandum of Understanding], promised 300 persons jobs but I haven’t started a single thing there,” Bacchus lamented when contacted by Stabroek News. “I can’t blame them because they explained that while the machines costing millions of US [United States dollars] are here wasting, a new casino was opened in Suriname to take off the tourists now going there from St. Maarten and other countries ravaged by hurricane,” he added. The Suriname-based Pasha Global Group is Bacchus’ partner in the venture.
UG hikes admin fees
Following the announcement of hikes in administrative fees at the Turkeyen and Tain campuses of the University of Guyana (UG), the students’ society yesterday called the move unlawful and urged the student body to stand in solidarity against the increases. The University of Guyana Students’ Society (UGSS) also signaled that it will be pursuing whatever legal options are available to fight the increases. On Thursday, UG sent out an email to current students informing them of the approved new rates for service fees at the campuses. While there has been opposition from the student body, as evidenced by several posts on social media as well as cries from UGSS about the “injustice,” Registrar and Secretary of the University Council, Dr Nigel Gravesande yesterday explained that the new fees were approved last June during a meeting involving the Finance and General Purpose Committee.
Biker dies after accident at Atlantic Ville
A biker is now dead after he crashed into a utility pole along the Atlantic Ville Public Road, on the East Coast of Demerara, early yesterday morning. Dead is Zaid Muhammad, 26, of Lot 197 Pineapple Street, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown. The accident occurred around 1.50 am yesterday. Stabroek News was told that Muhammad, a mason, was proceeding west, at a fast rate, along the southern carriageway of the road when he lost control of his motorcycle, CH 6696, and collided with the utility pole.
Sunday, February 4
Exxon should pay US$1B up front to Guyana, energy expert says
Vincent Adams
With billions already gained on the stock market from its oil find here, ExxonMobil and its partners can “more than afford” to pay Guyana US$1 billion instead of the US$18 million received as a signing bonus, according to energy expert Dr Vincent Adams, who also strongly believes that the government should go back to the negotiating table for a better deal. “The company’s value increased significantly with Guyana’s discovery [in 2015], which is so far accounting for about 20% of the company’s total recoverable reserves, putting an additional US$200+ billion on its books—a humongous gain compared to Guyana’s US$18 million,” Adams, a former long-serving senior official with the US Department of Energy (DoE), told the Sunday Stabroek in an interview from the United States where he lives. “They can more than afford to give more and I believe, given that they have said all this talk about being a good corporate company and wanting the best for Guyana, etcetera, that if we go back to them, ask for a review and lay the case [for] why more money is needed, that it would be granted. That is what we should be doing now,” the Linden-born Adams added. Adams said that he is convinced that Exxon can afford more and should be pressed to review the contract and provide a better fiscal regime to the people of Guyana. “ExxonMobil has also paid its stockholders hefty dividends, totaling US$13 billion for 2016, in part because of Guyana’s oil now on its book value,” he reasoned.
Monday, February 5
Guyana Goldfields bullish on US$120M underground mine
Guyana Goldfields Inc (GGI) is forging ahead with preparations for a US$120 million underground mining project and since the Canadian miner poured its first gold bar here in 2015 it has paid US$26.5 million in royalties to the state. “We are working on that (underground mining) study right now and will publish it at the end of the month. Previous (assessments) would have been four years from now; 2022 to start. I believe this is going to show us starting sooner than 2022,” Chief Executive Officer of GGI, Scott Caldwell, said yesterday at a media brunch the company held at the Marriott Hotel. Further, he added, “We are working on the numbers right now but it would be sooner than 2022. I just don’t know the year as yet but it would be sooner than 2022. In less than a month we will know… the risk analysis was done and now is just a matter of when we start and we will know the answer to that in about a month.” The head of the Canadian gold mining company said that GGI envisions itself as being the “premier underground miner in Guyana and hopefully all of South America” and hopes that the local workforce would be leading the way for others following their trail.
Money changer shot dead on America St
Susana Culpepper, a 17-year-old girl of Charity Extension Housing Scheme is now battling for her life at the Georgetown Public Hospital after she sustained first degree burns in an attack in the wee hours of Saturday. Her alleged attacker and ex-boyfriend, Kyle Goddette has escaped police custody and up to press time was on the run. According to sources, the suspect was arrested and denied the allegations but later admitted to committing the act. A caution statement was taken from him by the police and he was being processed for court tomorrow. However, the suspect escaped custody between Saturday night and early yesterday morning. Police officers from along the Essequibo Coast were dispatched to the area to assist in recapturing him. According to information received by this newspaper, Susana was at a male friend’s home a few houses away from where she lives when a `channa bomb’ was thrown through a glass window of the house and landed on the bed where she was.
Tuesday, February 6