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caught the attention of India for some time now.

Guyana’s bid round for 14 new oil blocks was launched last December and it is expected to close by April, 2023. The government hopes to award contracts by the end of May 2023.

The oil blocks on auction are for shallow and deep water areas and if successful, companies will be guided by a fiscal and contractual terms meant to garner greater benefits for Guyana.

Tokhi said ONGC Videsh is very serious about entering the Guyana market.

“We have had very serious discussions at very different levels, even at the highest level,” he said.

Though these five companies are keen on investing together in Guyana’s oil and gas sector, the Director also said ONGC Videsh is open to collaboration with other partners.

Partnerships, he explained, are particularly crucial for production in the deep water areas since greater capital investments are needed.

rare condition.

Dr Amarnauth Dukhi, Guyana’s top neurosurgeon, on Monday told the News Room that 180 of the tablets were procured and Stacy will have to visit his clinic on a monthly basis for a check-up.

In February, Dr Dukhi and his team at the Georgetown Public Hospital diagnosed Stacy with a rare neurological disease that affects the motor neurons. Since then, the hospital, on the direct orders from President Dr Irfaan Ali, started the process of procuring the medication from the United States of America (USA).

The costly riluzole tablets are used to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Stacy, a resident of Mocha, East Bank Demerara, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Riluzole will be used to treat the rare disease and prevent the further progression of the disease.

Dr Dukhi previously explained that his team will start with the drug usage and then add more medication to her treatment. The treatment will be a lengthy one but it should help her to be less uncomfortable. Importantly, Dr Dukhi said regardless of which part of the world she sought this treatment, the riluzole medication would be used.

The single mother lost her ability to walk in 2020 and despite numerous visits to several doctors over the years, they were unable to diagnose her.

Soon after she publicly shared her story, the government stepped in to provide her with free medical assistance.

 

foreign suppliers of stone but the demand for the material remains greater than is available, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill disclosed on Monday.

The booming construction sector has resulted in stone and sand suppliers significantly increasing their prices. Minister Edghill, during an interview with the News Room, noted that the government remains committed to engaging suppliers to resolve the issue.

“They have started to receive supply…so far I know the supplies that came is from Jamaica.

“We have contracts and we have engaged people. We have thousands of tonnes that have come in. I don’t think what is here is anywhere near to satisfy the demand but we received supplies,” Minister Edghill said.

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill (Photo: News Room/December 30, 2022)

Since last year, there have been shortages in cement and stone largely due to external supply chain challenges. Those challenges worsened this year with the Ukraine/ Russia crisis further constraining global supply chain efforts. With this, imported materials are both more expensive and less accessible.

Edghill said that suppliers from Canada and other countries were expected to help meet the demand of the government’s construction needs, reducing the pressure placed on the local suppliers and importers.

Acknowledging that stones are being sold at an increased price than the actual value, Edghill had warned that businesses owners who exploit customers may lose business due to their unfair prices.

He had noted however that sand supply is ample.

“Right now. through the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission. permission has been given for people to operate both sand and laterite. That engagement continues and there is no known shortage of sand or laterite, or loam at this time,” he said.

Some of the participants at the procurement training hosted at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Georgetown on Monday (Photo: DPI/ April 3, 2023)

She also reminded the gathering that the law provides a carve-out for small business players, stating that at least 20 per cent of goods or services procured by the State should be from small businesses.

Asked about how this training helps to eliminate any perception of favouritism or nepotism in the award of contracts, Walrond told the News Room that all small business owners who are registered with Guyana’s Small Business Bureau were invited.

And once they participate in the training, their ability to bid for contracts is expected to improve.

With a Procurement law in place also, Minister Walrond believes that the process of awarding contracts is transparent.

She, however, acknowledged that navigating the law and the procurement provisions can be cumbersome if not daunting.

As such, Monday’s training session was touted as a platform to explain the legal processes and provisions in greater detail and empower small business owners to seek clarity on whatever questions or concerns they might have.

She said that assistance is being provided on seemingly elementary processes and requirements like preparing bid documents and ensuring that businesses are compliant.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Small Business Council Abu Zaman also noted that the session was tailored to help Guyanese business players network with each other.

Minister Walrond, like Zaman, opined that once business players are gathered in a common space, networking and opportunities to form consortia come “naturally”.