Black Immigrant Daily News

The Guyana Government has invited interested companies to market Guyana’s share of crude oil from the Liza Destiny and Unity FPSO vessels operating offshore in Stabroek Block for the next year.

In a statement, the Natural Resources Ministry said the Invitation for Bids was issued earlier this week in search of a company to competitively market Guyana’s share of oil entitlement.

Interested bidders desirous of obtaining Requests for Proposals (RFP), consistent with the country’s procurement guidelines, were directed to the Permanent Secretary of the Natural Resources Ministry.

As per the bidding document, marketers will also be responsible for, among other things: providing all functions of marketing; assessing regional and global demand centres; selecting customers and making appropriate transportation arrangements; providing support and guidance to the Government in all operating and back-office responsibilities of managing these crude sales and each individual lifting whilst facilitating timely and cost-efficient crude oil operations.

The selected company will have to market Guyana’s crude for 12 months, commencing in the last quarter of 2022.

The deadline for the submission of bids to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board is 09:00h on Tuesday, October 11, 2022.

Saudi Aramco was contracted last year to market Guyana’s share of profit oil from ExxonMobil-led operations in the Stabroek Block.

With the Liza Destiny and Unit FPSO vessels operating offshore, Guyana is entitled to 13 of 94 lifts from the oil-rich Stabroek Block in 2022.

From this, it is estimated that some US$957.6 million, that is, US$857.1 million earned from Government’s lifts and an additional US$100.5 million from royalties, will be deposited into the Natural Resources Fund in 2022.

Since oil production commenced in December 2019, Guyana has earned some US$607.6 million from its share of nine oil lifts and from royalty payments at the Liza 1 Field in the oil rich Stabroek Block.

Government has injected the entire $126.7 billion into Budget 2022 to accelerate the country’s development.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

El presidente de la Asociación de Hospitales, doctor Jaime Plá, confirmó que aún hay entre 14 y 15 hospitales alrededor de la isla por energizarse, distribuidos entre Mayagüez, Humacao y Caguas. Mientras, las instituciones en el área de Ponce ya han sido energizadas, aunque aclaró que es información por confirmar debido a cómo cambian los datos.

Asimismo, expresó que la problemática actual con el abasto del diésel debió actualizarse antes para que hubiese mayor preparación. Además, aseguró que han incurrido en mayores gastos al tener que equiparse con el combustible.

“El costo de operación de un hospital, cada vez que hay un disloque, cada vez que hay una emergencia, se multiplica porque te van a seguir cobrando la electricidad […] Los hospitales tienen cisterna para cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, 10 días, pero aun así, se complica mucho”, indicó el experto al resaltar que los hospitales se llenan más al recibir pacientes que, aunque pudieran darse tratamiento en sus hogares, la falta de luz se los impide, por lo que tienen que acudir por asistencia a los centros de salud y, en específico, a las salas de emergencia.

Por otra parte, explicó que no hay una falta de medicamentos en la isla, sino que, más bien, el problema es el acceso de los pacientes a dicha medicina, puesto que muchas personas no pueden tan siquiera transportarse a una farmacia.

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Minister Of Foreign Affairs And Foreign Trade The Most Honourable Dr Jerome Walcott has identified an anti-vax trend in Barbados which could potentially be dangerous.

…it is worrying now because you see the trend of anti-vax creeping in now where parents are suggesting that their children now should not be vaccinated for other things like measles and mumps and rubella…

Speaking during a recent panel discussion hosted by the Consulate General of New York and Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley at the Downstate Health Science University in Brooklyn, New York, Walcott explained that Barbados’ 90 per cent immunisation rate amongst school-aged children could be in jeopardy due to the scepticism surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine.

“There is an issue that we have to address which became extremely visible certainly here and in the Caribbean, it was surprising in Barbados because for several decades we prided ourselves on having an immunisation rate of over 90 per cent as it relates to school-aged children and with the hysteria and the issues of vaccine and those who are against vaccination, we fear that this will affect us.”

The minister revealed that Government has recognised a trend of parents not vaccinating their children – not only for COVID, but also for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR).

“We are seeing a trend and it happened because of COVID where because of the issues with the public health sector, a number of children weren’t able to come to complete their vaccination schedule for those other diseases. And it is worrying now because you see the trend of anti-vax creeping in now where parents are suggesting that their children now should not be vaccinated for other things like measles and mumps and rubella and this is an area that we are going to have to pay tremendous attention to,” said the former general surgeon.

Walcott professed that this is worrying recognising the recent polio spike in the United States.

“Certainly,I’ve recognised that you all have been seeing cases of polio in New York and this is worrying because for years we always said that polio had been eradicated in the Caribbean.”

However, he admitted that some persons over 50 who would have received the polio vaccination back then would still be protected.

“We are now saying that there are persons over 50, like myself, that had that DPT polio tetanus back then that had that vaccination, so it gives us some protection,” he added.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

News

PAGE 5 MAIN PHOTO
WATER STROLL: A woman walks through flood water at her home in Rahamut Trace, Woodland on Thursday following heavy showers the night before. PHOTOS BY ROGER JACOB –

THE large band of disorganised clouds passed over the islands between Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, causing heavy rainfall in several areas which led to flooding; while several houses suffered damage to roofs and some trees were uprooted.

People on Thursday shared their experiences with Newsday. People living in Curepe said there was little rain and no strong wind. Port of Spain too, had just a light drizzle but no high winds.

Chaguanas experienced “strong, short bursts of rain” from about 9-10 pm. In Diego Martin the wind worsened after 8 pm.

“The wind started beating and trees started breaking,” a Diego Martin resident said. “We had a power outage for about two hours, until 10 pm. We had a couple of downpours.” He said very high winds blew off galvanise from a few roofs and felled some trees.

The weather system, up to press time, was passing over the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao) en route to the Caribbean Sea where weather forecasters were predicting strengthening into a tropical storm.

Penal/Debe Regional Corporation chairman Dr Allen Sammy told Newsday three residents reported flood damage in Woodlands, and six in Debe Trace/Suchit Trace. Supersaturated soil contributed to flooding, he said.

Saying the Curamata and Oropouche Rivers were virtually full since 8 am on Wednesday, Sammy said, “It is now high tide, so it is likely they have overflowed their banks.” At one time only trucks could enter Woodlands, he related.

Saying flooded areas in a drainage basin from Princes Town to the Gulf of Paria, Sammy urged short, medium and long term remedies, dismissing “patching and fixing” as just palliatives.

RIVER LEVELS RISE

The Ministry of Rural Affairs and Local Government on Thursday morning said river levels were rising, given high tide set for 2.33 pm and low tide only due at 8.22 pm.

“The South Oropouche River has breached its banks in some parts with water spilling into some communities in South Trinidad. We urge the public to take caution.” The ministry said that river was at 82 per cent capacity.

The Caroni River at El Carmen was at 76 per cent capacity and at Bamboo at 67 per cent.

Other rivers were Arouca (38 per cent), North Oropouche at Todd’s Road (36 per cent), Caparo (35 per cent), and Aripo (15 per cent).

The ministry tweeted, “Other major rivers are contained at this time and are being closely monitored.

“Please be advised that high tides will result in slower water run-off. Affected communities are urged to call relevant disaster management units.”

THE DAMAGE

The ministry reported 18 floods (six in each of San Fernando and Siparia corporation areas), 11 hazardous/fallen trees (with nine in Diego Martin) and seven reports of high wind/roof damage (two cases in each of the Diego Martin and San Juan/Laventille corporation areas.)

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) at 9.30 am on Thursday, said only the north central region had reported no incidents.

The South Oropouche river in Pluck Road which was near to bursting its banks on Thursday. –

Reports in north west Trinidad were of a partially blown-off roof at Monchelleua Hill, Paramin, Maraval; no electricity at Sunset Drive, Bagatelle Road, Diego Martin, due to a sheet of galvanize cutting overhead power lines; and a fallen tree pulling down power lines at Saut D’Eau Road, Morne Cyril, Paramin.

In south central Trinidad, the ODPM reported street flooding along the M1 Tasker Road and the M2 Ring Road junction, plus residential flooding at Rig Road North, Claxton Bay.

Residential flooding was reported at Suchit Trace, Penal and Siparia Road, Fyzabad, in south west Trinidad.

In central Trinidad, the ODPM reported residential flooding at Caratal Road, Cumuto; a damaged roof due to high winds at Bestry Extension, Serrier Circular, Guayaguayare; a blown off roof at North Manzanilla; and a fallen tree blocking access to a house at El Reposo Main Road, Sangre Grande.

From Tobago, came reports of a fallen tree blocking the road on the Roxborough-Bloody Bay link road near Roxborough Secondary School, and a tree falling on a house at Mt St George.

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