ExxonM
VP:
ExxonMobil boasts of paying US$250M in taxes to Guyana, but walked away with over US$10B
‘The world has
rarely
seen a place like Guyana
…says epic underdog tale of country's oil & gas development now beginning
Miner dies after tree stump falls on head
41 GDF officers promoted
Exxon’s purchase of FPSOs helps shipbuilder with record profit for 2024
President EMGL, AlistairRoutledge
‘The world has rarely seen a place like Guyana for deep water projects’- ExxonM VP …saysepicunderdogtaleofcountry's oil&gasdevelopmentnowbeginning
ByDavinaBagot
ExxonMobil has been able to shift the norms in the oil and gas industry withtheworld-classassetsthecompany discovered off the shores of Guyana in May2015.
With the oil giant jumping from discoverytoproductioninlessthanfive years, the company believes the world has rarely seen a place like Guyana for deepwaterdevelopments.
A 56-year-old miner diedonSaturdayafteratree stump fell on his head at Thomas Lands Backdam, PuruniRiver,RegionSeven.
The dead miner was identified as Harry Critchlow of Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD) Police said that about
10:00hrs Saturday, Critchlow was working in a miningpitwhenatreestump fell and struck him on the head and knocked him unconscious.
Theinjuryresultedinhis death moments later His passing was immediately reported to his employer who then informed police. Ranks were sent in to investigateandaccordingto them, “several individuals workingintheminingpitat thetimeoftheincidentwere interviewed ” “They (the several individuals) confirmed witnessing the incident as described and providedformalstatements” policesaid.
This was explained by Hunter Farris, Senior Vice President, Deep Water, ExxonMobil during the fourth installment of the Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo, hostedattheGuyanaMarriott,between February18and21.
This year's premiere energy conference was held under the theme 'Connecting the Dots: Integrating the Future' Farris during a keynote presentation told conference delegates that thanks to the collective efforts of business partners, industry leaders and localcontractors,wenowwitnesswhat isrightlybeingdescribedas“oneofthe most incredible success stories, the worldhaseverseen.”
“What you're witnessing, which we're living out in real time is the epic underdog tale of Guyana's oil and gas development, development that has only just begun to transform this countryanditseconomyandtobenefit Guyanacitizensinwaysbigandsmall,” theVicePresidentsaid.
He was keen to note that in
practically no time, Guyana's oil discoveries have catapulted the nation into the ranks of the world's oil superpowers. According to him, “By the standards of our industry, which undertakes and executes projects with multi-decade timelines, this has h a p p e n e d p r a c t i c a l l y overnight…traditionallyitwouldtakea decade or longer to produce the first barrels of oil from a significant deep water discovery, especially in a new country, but thanks to the dedication and focus of Guyana's stakeholders, as well as skills and expertise of ExxonMobil's scientists, engineers and business partners, we accelerated the process achieving first, oil safely and responsiblyinDecemberof2019.”
Farris pointedoutthatthis was less than five years from discovery to commercial production- unheard of in theindustry
He described the oil discoveries in Guyana as not just significant but “world-class” as he highlighted the company's achievement of continuously growing production year overyear
“We'vegonefromdiscoverytoover 650,000barrelsadayinjust10years,a placefordeepwaterprojectstheworld hasrarelyseen.We'reimmenselyproud of what we've been able to do, and there'smuchmorewecanandwilldo,” theofficialcommitted.
The company aims to increase productionto1.3millionbarrelsperday
SeniorVicePresident,DeepWater, ExxonMobil, Hunter Farris delivering his presentation at the Guyana Energy Conference
approximately500millionbarrelsofoil willbeproducedonanannualbasis.
Farris said this will increase earnings for the country, not just through profit and oil payments, but through the hiring of locals to provide keygoodsandservices.
He explained that since oil production commenced in 2019, the country'sNaturalResourceFund(NRF) has received US$6.2B in revenue. “ThatincludesUS$2.6billionlastyear alone.I'llnotethisannualpaymentisset tonearlyquadrupletomorethanUS$10 billion per year, by the end of this decade, as production continues to grow,”Farrisnoted.
He added that these “extraordinary sums” are sure to benefit every Guyaneseintheyearsahead.
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Byanymeasurement,GuyanaisayoungRepublicwith manypowerfulattributesitcanclaimasitsown.Givenour relative youth as a nation, and the vastness of our natural gifts, each citizen of this country should be among the envied of the world.What should be, and what is, are two differentthings,withthemostregrettablegapexisting. February23,1970,meantthatwehadjustremovedthe lastconnectionstothepast,thatlonghistoryofdominance by and subservience to great powers. At long last, after centuries of slavery and indentureship first, and the continuingheavyhandofaMotherCountry,thechildrenof Guyana now held the reins of control in their own hands. The destiny of country and citizens was now in Guyanese hands,andinthedecisionsthattheymadeforthemselves. Naturally, this is with a wise eye to the ambitions of neighbors, and the powerful intrigues of those bigger powersmoredistant.Takentogether,thelatterhavealways hadtoomuchofanoverwhelminginfluenceontheaffairs ofthisRepublicbeforeitbecameone.Unfortunately,some significantelementsofthatinfluencehavecontinuedunder differentdisguisestothisday
Whereas we, the Guyanese leaders and Guyanese citizens of this new Republic, should have had the good sense to recognize and come to grips with the tormenting and self-destructive bone spurs in our backbone, the preferences and passions were for giving short thrift (besideslipservice)towhatwasourbiggesthandicap,our greatest existential threat. In the simplest expression, we are hopelessly and helplessly disorganised, divided, and devastatingtoourowninterests,ourfuturewellbeing. This has provided fertile ground for the reemergence of those from the outside to exploit our strengths, our vulnerabilities,andoureternalinsecurities.
Wehavealwaysknownourstrengths,thegreatnatural resource gifts that proliferate across our broad landscape. Though our ancestors dreamed dreams of a bigger natural resourcebonanza,itwasnottheirstoexperience. Butnow thattreasureishere,andasitisgigantic,italsoreopensand ruptures still deeper the ever-festering wounds that our nationallyours,ourvulnerabilities.Whenourrupturesand vulnerabilitiesareexposedintheirongoingbrightnessand sharpness before all who come, then we render ourselves ripeforexploitationoftheworstkind.
Our insecurities have condemned us to wrangling and screamingwithrelentlessaggressivenessaboutwhoshould govern,whoisfit,whohasarightto,andwhohavefailedon all counts, even by the most sympathetic interpretations. Becausewehavebeenourworstenemy,theroadwaspaved and the door opened for others to come running to the rescue. Wehavesincefoundtoouralarmandunadmitted shame,thatourrescuershadtheirownagendas. Behindthe smokescreens of democracy and ‘free and fair’ their objectives were about control and cashing in on our glitteringresourceprizes.
Whenwerefusetosummonthecourage,togropeforthe wisdom,tofreeourselvesandbefairtoeachother,thenwe surrendered ourselves and our patrimony to the new enslavers of today.Though it is exhausting, it is never too old,tospeakofbeingwatchfulofthosewhobringgifts.The gifts that came in the form of helpful presences, and a guidinghand,duringthedisastroustimeofafewshortyears ago,havetiedus,debonedus,andguttedus.Dependencyis our norm, being dictated to, even talked to, is now the reality of Guyanese in this supposedly vigorous Republic made up of among the richest people in the world. We certainlyqualifyonpapertothatcategorization,butwhatis leftoutishowmuchwearealsotheweakest,andamongthe most foolish, in that we are not learning. Our leaders of today are only too glad to be servants in the kitchens of foreign masters. This is what is heralded as vaunted leadership, viable nationhood, and the vibrant sinews of a Republic in the groove and on the move. Indeed, the RepublicofGuyanaisinthegrooveandonthemove,but thosearecertainlynotourown,withusincontrol.
Earlier in his political career, in collaboration with Cheddi Jagan’s, largely Indian supported, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and others, David Hinds, an African, became involved in the struggle for liberation against the autocratic rule of Forbes Burnham’s,People’sNationalCongress (PNC), which is mainly supported by Africans, and was thrown into prison. Today, Hinds is being threatened by Jagan’s successors in the PPP as he seeks liberation for all Guyanese, but especially Africans, from the PPP’s evenmoredictatorialyoke.
Withaquitetellingbackdrop,Hinds joinsAubreyNortonandNigelHughes at the top of the totem pole in the struggle for freedom, democracy, equality and human rights in Guyana today Their task must be guided by Article1oftheUniversalDeclarationof Human Rights: ‘All human beings are bornfreeandequalindignityandrights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one anotherinaspiritofbrotherhood.’
Politics becomes the pulpit of both hope and destiny, and these will only successfully coalesce if the context of the former is properly grasped and transformed. The leaders and their parties must adequately assess their context and craft strategies to bolster their supporters, diminish the effectivenessoftheirdetractorsandwin the war The good leader must not confusehopewithdestiny,e.g.thewish to live in a liberal democracy with notions that can only exist withing it. Also, not unlike what occurred during the COVID pandemic, these kinds of struggles go beyond giving strategic prioritytopersonalfreedoms.
Ad hominem barbs such as those recentlyusedbyDavid-‘houseslave’, ‘uncle tom’, ‘lick bottom’ – are secondary but useful tools that have been around for centuries. They are an importantpartoftheliberationstruggle that help to focus the attention of recalcitrants on the need for solidarity and the possible damage of their actions. In a recent excellent piece, LelonSaulconcluded,‘Idonotseekto endorse ad hominem attacks but to
contextualisetherhetoricalstrategiesof a scholar-activist operating within a long tradition of anti-oppressive resistance’(KN: 21/02/2025). But we should note that although such [ad hominem] attacks are usually fallacious, they can be legitimate when a character critique is directly or indirectly related to the point being articulated. distinguishing clearly between these cases is important to evaluating the validity of statements people make. Good or fair uses of ad hominem critiques should, in fact, persuadeus,whereasunwarranteduses s h o u l d n o t ’ (https://wwwscientificamerican com/a rticle/character-attack/).
Notwithstanding, the tirades of the PPPandtheirpropagandiststhataccuse him of undermining democracy and contributing to ethnic division, Hind’s barbs are warranted. Indeed, no other party in the history of Guyana has undermined and is still undermining democracy and national unity like the PPPandthatiswhytheywantAfricans to forget the past. It was PPP’s 1951 foolhardy stated allegiance to international communism that was mainly responsible both for Burnham autocracy and the PPP’s continued efforts to hold on to its supporters by way of aapan jaat politics and now blatantvotebuying.OnceCheddiJagan died in 1995, unwilling or unable to properly contextualise the 1992 return to majority rule –‘democracy’ in its lexicon-thePPP,whichnowhasbeenin government for almost three decades, has made conditions such that the Annual State of African Guyanese Forum in 2022 could feel justified in headliningitsconference‘Resistingthe emergingapartheidstate’.
This was not much of an exaggeration:thePPPisvociferousinis support of the Palestinians but the situation in Guyana is not dissimilar fromwhatistakingplaceinIsraelitself, where ‘the Jews appropriate the state and make it a tool for advancing their own national security, demography, public space, culture, and interests’ (August 6, 2021 ‘Palestinian Citizens and Religious Nationalism in Israel’. RaphaelCohen-Almagor).
The 2024 Transparency
International (TI) Report observed that ‘In Guyana state capture by economic and political elites has led to resource misappropriation,illicitenrichmentand environmentalcrimes.’ althoughthe country has created anti-corruption institutions and laws, transparency and law enforcement are very low, and attacks on dissenting voices, activists andjournalistsincreasinglycommon. Despite constitutional guarantees of an independentjudiciary,thejudiciaryhas been adversely affected by the ethnically based political divisions in thecountry.’
Over the decades, many prominent and knowledgeable persons in and out of Guyana have indicated that here are waysoftransformingthecountryintoa truly liberal democracy, but the PPP, stilllockedinitsethnicandcommunist modes,issetontotal,perennial,control. Since it must take political control of Africans to say in government, it has been systematically economically and politicalimpoverishingthem.Longago Inotedthat,‘Thedesiretoplacegreater Africanmembershipundertheexisting PPPleadershipexplainswhythereisnot a single area in African social life that the PPP has not sought to dominate or suppress. Just look around: Linden,the GeorgetownCityCouncil,theTUCand Public Service Union, and even the University Guyana. Last week, a letter intheStabroekNewsdiscernedthat‘In Guyanathereisacoordinatedeffort(by the PPP) to control sports, culture and the arts’(‘The furtive establishment of politicaldominance’(SN:17/04/2013).
Now the PPP is set upon making a concerted effort to capture the African pastors Only a few days ago, commentingonanarticlewhichquoted PresidentIrfaanAlitotheeffectthathis government is discussing currently ways to help religious leaders, Audreyanna Thomas, among other things,suggestedthatthepastorsshould ask the president when he will confirm the acting chancellor of the judiciary and the acting chief justice, who are Africans, in their substantive position. ‘Why is the government using the GuyanaPoliceForceandtheDirectorof Continued on page 6
Guyana is evolving to a much higher level of multiculturalism and tolerance
DEAREDITOR,
AsIreflectonGuyana’s55thyearof Republican status, I cannot but marvel on the extent to which we have progressedasanation.
Itwasbynomeansaneasyjourney, but we have not only prevailed but triumphed. Guyana is today a far cry from the difficult years when the country was caught in the crossfire of political and ideological turbulence. The granting of political independence onMay1966andtheeventualconferral of Republican status on February 23, 1970 was in significant ways a manifestationofthoseintriguingtimes. Thankfully,wehavegonepastthose momentous years. Guyana is today a respected member of the international community with one of the fastest growing economy in the world.We are
no longer a poor and underdeveloped economywithahighandunsustainable debt burden. Guyana has now taken its place as the breadbasket of the Caribbean and a leader on a number of strategic regional developmental initiatives such as food and energy securityandclimatechange.
But even more, democracy is now muchmoreinstitutionalizedandweare a law-governed society where the constitutionofGuyanaholdssupreme.
Despite our enormous successes, therearestillchallengeswhichmustbe confronted including the search for greater inclusivity in the governance processes. Our greatest challenge is to continue the search to transform our diversity to one of strength and in so doing make it difficult for those who may seek to exploit our diversity for
narrowpartisangains.
To be fair, we have made some progressinthisregard.Thereisamuch higher level of tolerance in our society attheculturallevel.
Thisismanifestedinthemulti-racial participation in religious and national festivities This Mashramani celebrations is one such manifestation, bringing in the streets thousands of Guyanese from all ethnic and political orientations.
My sense is that the country is evolving to a much higher level of multiculturalism and tolerance along thelinesoftheOneGuyanaconceptas envisioned by President Dr Mohamed IrfaanAli.
I take this opportunity to wish all GuyaneseahappyMashramani!
HydarAlly
I write to condemn the groundless, unjustified attacks on Messrs. Glenn LallandAzruddinMohamed and his unprovoked assault on Dr Vishnu Bisram’s academic credentials and integrity published in the state newspaper These fulminations from an academicunderachieverand disrespected columnist were (are) apparently sanctioned by the Irfaan Ali government. Just a couple years ago, he was an enemy ofthePPPwithalmostdaily virulentattacks.
Heproudlystatedthathe voted against the PPP in virtually all elections. Now, heisinthecornerofthePPP apparently at the behest of Irfaan. Jagdeo distrusts him anddoesn’twantanythingto do with him because the VP knows he is a political grasshopper Is there any political party of which he was not a member and or supporter The PPP, not surprisingly, does not know whotheirfriendsare.Hasn’t Dr Bisram been the party’s defender for over fifty years even when he was maligned by the same columnist for pollsshowingthePPPwould win all elections from 1992 tillthisday?HowcouldPPP embrace such a character, puttingDr Bisramunderthe bus? Dr Bisram ought to know who are his true friends. They are not in the PPP
On academic integrity, it was reported in the media some years ago that the columnist misled the public about academic credentials. He was exposed of not having a doctorate although
for years he did not correct public references to him as “doctor” Speaking of academic integrity, it was Mr Ralph Ramkarran, Senior Counsel, and others whopennedinthepaperthat the columnist stole books at UG and University of Toronto The columnist admitted to stealing books fromthelibraries,defending it that was a victim of poverty Countless poor students went to university withoutstealingbooks.
In recent columns, he attacked President Donald Trump and America. Was it on behalf of the PPP? Is he singing for his supper?
President Trump is taking note of the attacks on America The columnist disputed polling reports of Dr Bisramonthepopularity of Messrs Glenn Lall and Azruddin.Icanattesttotheir popularity Through public engagements all over Guyana,Ilearnedabouttheir kindness and philanthropic activities over the last few years People spoke positively about them while expressing disgruntlement against the PPP and PNC. The two gentlemen were w a r m l y r e c e i v e d everywhere. Just a few days ago, Azruddin was stormed by a huge crowd in Black Bush.Andafewdayspriorto that, he was also given a grandwelcomeinRegions1, 2and3. Mr Glennwasalso warmly received in Essequiboandotherpartsof thecountry Theduowould makeagreatcombinationin politics. People were urging and appealing to them to throw their hats in the politicalring.
On Dr Bisram’s polling and integrity and honesty, several individuals I met in Essequibo, West Coast, and Berbice said he and interviewers were in their communities asking questions about various politicians and voting intentions I believe his reports accurately captured views of the public as obtained from my own queries. I do not know Dr Bisram personally In fact, I never met him, and I hope I would be afforded an opportunity to meet him in person to express my thanks and gratitude for his polling activities and keeping the public informed about national opinion, all he has done for Guyana and the diaspora, and for promoting closer relations between USA and Guyana. He is the only one I know who has been constantly and routinelyconductingpolling which is eagerly sought by politicians and the public. No one else does polling, certainly not the columnist critic. I have followed Dr Bisram’s writings in the media in Guyana and in Americaforseveraldecades. I can’t think of anyone who has written as many articles ashimandonsomanyissues and who has consistently provided updates on the diaspora in America and elsewhere. Just a few days ago, he wrote about the diaspora presence at the Maha Kumbh; and he himself has been at the Kumbh in Prayagraj. He is widely respected for fearlessly expressing his viewsonanysubjectand
Continued on page 6
TheDominicanRepublic is a leading exporter and manufacturerintheregionof medical devices. They are manufacturing devices for major companies such as Medtronic, which does over $31 Billion USD in annual revenue with attractive growth in both revenue and profitability The skills and technology used in this sectorareattractiveandstate of the art, but there are significant risks to carcinogen exposure. These cancer-causing substances will increase the risk of cancer
Guyana’s push towards improving the Healthcare sector and the plan to focus onResearch&Development in the sector offers an opportunity to provide healthcare services to the people of the Dominican Republic and others in the Hemisphere. An agreement thatintegratesourhealthcare systems will allow Guyana to partner with the countries in the Region and the Hemisphere for the long term.This entails being able to accept their health insurance, integration of the paymentsystemsandafocus ontheservicesthatdealwith the potential cancers that they will be exposed to as a result of the development of the medical device sector and other sectors that cause carcinogenicexposure.
Maintaining a healthy environment in Guyana will also help those in need of care to have a good experience during that difficultperiodoftheirlives. A fertilizer plant may affect
this. We s h o u l d n o t compromise the opportunity to provide services that will be highly appreciated and valuedbythosewhowishto experience the beauty of the tropics combined with excellent healthcare The need for hospice services will also arise and Guyana can position itself as that place in the tropics where thosewishingtohaveagreat end of life experience can visit.Deathisanunfortunate part of life, but it is a reality that some prematurely face due to the choices made during their country’s economicdevelopment.Asa good neighbour and partner, Guyana can help by providing the care and environment that would be appreciated by those patients. In the U.S. many peoplesavetheirmoneyover mostoftheircareertobeable to visit the Caribbean for vacation.
A once in a lifetime experience that many look forwardto.Whenfacedwith cancer most of those funds arespentandtheopportunity to vacation in the Caribbean is lost. By having cancer treatment facilities in Guyana, these patients will haveanopportunitytofulfill their life’s dream of visiting the Caribbean. A priceless experience that both the patientandtheirfamilieswill appreciate.Ourcaringnature and hospitable culture can providethejoymostpatients need during this difficult period of their lives, and offer their families some happiness as well. Guyana hasinitwhattheworldneeds
tobehealthierandhappier
We can share this with the world in many ways and this is one way to do so. Unfortunately,givensomeof the plans expressed by the governmentourowncitizens may be in need of these services. Houston Texas has alonghistorywithoil&gas, oil refining and a large Exxon presence. The area has also developed a strong cancer treatment and healthcare sector that caters tolocalsandvisitors.
After listening to the openingspeechgivenbythe President during the Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo, it became clear that some additional plans for investment are not as thoroughly developed and are in need of more thought and analysis. One example that stood out was the expressed interest in partnering with Barbados to access cruise line tourism. However, he then stated that the target consumer was different,anddidnotexpress an interest in pursuing a target consumer where there is overlap that allows the leveraging of synergies with Barbados’productoffering.
Also missing was the strengthening of the lawand-order weaknesses that were exposed the last time someone from a cruise ship robbed after de docking Another half-baked idea presented was the pursuit of the egg market, but no deriskingofpotentialbirdflu exposurewasdiscussed.Itis importanttoconsidernotjust the upside of these ventures, butalsotherisks,
Continued on page 9
Midnightapologyringshollowandisafeebleattemptto right a wrong, a wrong that has no place in today’s Guyana. Was it only realized after the unfurling of the Golden Arrowhead,thatkeypersonnelwerenotinvitedtoanational event? Thisisinexcusableandcannotberightedwithjustan apology
Sincerely,
ShamshunMohamed
Frompage5
speakingoutagainstcorruptionandviolationofhumanrights. IhaveheardonlypraisesforhisworkinAmericaandGuyana except from the columnist critic to uses the state media to abusepeople.HisconclusionsaboutGlennandAzruddinare spot on based on my personal assessment and engagements withcommunityleaders.
Dr Bisram should ignore the hostilities of the columnist. AndIalsourgeGlennandAzruddintodisregardthecriticisms ofthecolumnist.
Justafewyearsago,whenhewasintheemployofGlenn, hehadonlypraisefortheKNpublisherasthebestpersonin Guyana. Now he pounces on Glenn. I appeal to Glenn and Azruddin, to please come together and build a political movement to rescue the country from poor governance and corruption.
As I found in my engagements with the public, they too wanttheduotocommenceapoliticalmovement.
Yourstruly,
DannyRamnarine
Frompage4
Public Prosecution’s Chambers to criminalize African Guyanese leaders? Why is the government destabilizing African Guyanese communities economically by removing the subvention to IPADA-G. What is the government doing about equitable distribution of resources and the extremely loud cries that the government is governing the country in racistmanner?’(DW:12/02/2025).
Although for ethnic reasons the various ethnic groups believe that it is preferable to have their ethnic party in government, with a will to compromise this is not an impossibletask.
The 2024, V-Democracy Index classified the country as nearing a fully fledged autocracy and one cannot have the current level of autocracy, elections manipulations, etc. without everyone being negatively affected. Less than a quarter of the electorate believe that the government is legitimate.
Therefore, all Guyanese, but particularly African Guyanese who are more adversely affected, have a duty and righttostruggleagainstthePPP’sdictatorship.
The African National Congress (ANC) during its fight with the apartheid in South Africa stated well the context within which the ad hominem comments made by Dr David HindstotheAfricancommunityisjustified.‘Wehavealways definedtheenemyintermsofasystemofdominationandnot ofapeopleorarace…Aswehavedoneinthepast,soshallwe continue, consistently and unreservedly, to support, fight for andabidebytheprinciplesofinternationallaw.’
Sincerely,
Dr HenryJeffrey
Welcome back to Talking Dollars & Making Sense. As we continue our exploration of the Human Capital & Innovation pillar in Guyana's Comprehensive NationalDevelopmentPlan, we'reshiftingfocustooneof the most crucial elements of any nation's progress: Education. In this article, we'lllookathowindividuals become teachers in Guyana and why it matters for our long-termdevelopment.
ThePathtoBecoming aTeacher
There are a few ways to entertheteachingprofession in Guyana, and each path highlightstheimportancewe place on properly trained educators.
1. Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE)
*GeneralRequirements: CPCE offers programs for
aspiringnurseryandprimary school teachers who need at least five Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) subjects with Grades 1 to 3, including Mathematics and English. For secondary school or Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) programs, you also need Grades1to2inyoursubject ofspecialization.
* Teacher Upgrade Programme (TUP): Recognizing that not everyone has the requisite CXC qualifications, CPCE introduced the Teacher Upgrade Programme. It's a three-year plan that gives you a year to reach the required CXC standard before moving on to two years of teacher training. After completing the CPCE training, graduates earn the title“trainedteacher.”
2. University of Guyana (UG)
* If you earn a four-year degree and then decide to teach in the same subject area, you become a “graduate teacher.” To level up to a “graduate trained teacher,” you'll also need to attendCPCEorcompletethe Post-Graduate Diploma in EducationatUG.
WhyTeacher
TrainingMatters
Y o u m i g h t b e wondering: Why is it so important to have trained teachers rather than just anyone with a degree? In a nutshell, training ensures educators have the right blend of pedagogical skills, classroom management techniques, and subject-area expertise. It's the difference between simply sharing information and truly guiding students on how to
learn and apply that knowledgeintherealworld.
A well-trained teacher not only delivers lessons effectively but also inspires students to think critically and innovatively, qualities that align perfectly with our vision under the Human Capital & Innovation pillar Simply put, investing in better teacher training is an investment in our collective future.
TheMinistry'sMemo andOnlineInitiatives
In 2022, the Ministry of Education issued a memo “strongly advising” untrained teachers to get trained via CPCE or the UG Diploma in Education program.Infact,fundshave already been allocated for CPCE to conduct online training for up to 2,500 teachers per year Failure to complycouldresultinaloss ofemployment.
At first glance, this might seem strict, but consider the potential b e n e f i t s : a m o r e standardized, professional workforce of teachers who understand both the subject matter and how to teach it effectively It's a significant step toward strengthening Guyana's entire education system.
Challengesin theHinterland
Of course, challenges
hinterland communities already work under difficult conditions, often facing unreliable internet and minimal resources. Many of themalsolackthenecessary CXC qualifications to immediately enroll in CPCE's main program, which means they first have to complete the Teacher UpgradeProgramme(TUP).
Imagine having limited or no connectivity, then being told you must completeatrainingprogram online to keep your job. It's understandablewhymanyof these educators feel at a disadvantage.
If we want to promote equalopportunityforquality education across the nation, we have to address these disparities, particularly for the communities that need strongteachersthemost.
So,wheredowegofrom here?First,weneedpolicies that recognize the unique conditionsfacedbyteachers inthehinterland.
That might mean providing satellite internet services or creating robust offline learning modules for those who can't reliably connecttotheweb.
Second,weneedflexible schedules and supportive mentorship programs that
allowteacherstojuggletheir professional responsibilities while working toward becoming fully trained. The goal is to have a system that supports every aspiring teacher,whethertheylivein Georgetown or in the most remote corners of the country
LookingAhead
In our next article, we'll explore how to improve the teacher training process so thatourstudentshaveaccess to some of the best-trained educators in the region and eventually,theworld.
We'lltalkaboutbridging the gap for those in remote areas, modernizing the curriculum,andmakingsure theteachingprofessionitself remains attractive and rewarding.
It's clear that the path to nationaldevelopmenthinges on our ability to nurture and harness human talent. By investing in rigorous, accessible teacher training, we create an education systemthatsetsGuyanaona strong foundation for innovationandgrowth.
Got thoughts, questions, or ideas you'd like to share? I'd love to hear from you at talkingdollarsgy@gmail co m Let's keep this conversationgoingandwork together to elevate the teaching profession and our nation'sfutureintheprocess.
Youknow,it’sfunnyhow people in government are always talking about efficiency. And yet, the inefficiency remains so impressive that if bureaucracy were an Olympic sport, Guyana would have more gold medalsthanUsainBolt.
ThisiswhyIproposethat Guyana should establish a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Yes, DOGE because nothing cries out for fiscal responsibility like a bloated andinefficientgovernment.
Right now, the public service in Guyana costs taxpayers over one billion dollars per day That’s right every morning, as you sip your coffee and contemplate the meaning of life, more than a billion dollars disappears into the vastlabyrinthofgovernment operations. And this is just for recurrent expenditure You’d think we were financingtheconstructionof a massive skyscraper to match Manhattan’s skyline. Instead of this we get traffic congestion, unexplained delays and substandard and
overpriced services, includingeducation. E v e n t h e V i c e
President who, let’s be honest, knows everything about anything; he even knows what he does not know—admittedthatitcosts farmoretoeducateachildin a public school than in a private school You’d assume that this extra cost wouldtranslateintostudents leaving the public system quoting Shakespeare and solving calculus in their sleep Instead, we’re producing graduates who struggle to find their own country on a map The education system, in its current state, seems to specialize in preparing youngmindsforalifetimeof waitinginlineatgovernment offices We’re spending G$143.2 billion this year on health care, and somehow, thegovernmentstillneedsto funnel another G$5 billion into the private healthcare sectorforteststhatshouldbe free in public hospitals. It’s almost as if the goal is to make public healthcare so inefficient that you’d willingly sell a kidney (on
the private market, of course) just to afford decent medical attention. If efficiency was a disease, the healthcaresysteminGuyana
y immune.
And what
bout infrastructure? Let’s talk about road projects The government agencies responsible for monitoring these projects are too busy drafting reports on why the projectsaredelayed.
So, what do we do? We must start pruning. And not fromthebottom.No,no,no. The lower-grade staff will riot, and the unions will make so much noise that even people in the afterlife willfilegrievances. So, we begin at the top. With the political and sinecureappointees.Whydo we need all these advisors? Does the President really require an International Affairs Advisor? Shouldn’t that be handled by, I don’t know, the Ministry of ForeignAffairs?Doweneed aForeignSecretary?
Then, we must embrace hybrid work. Fewer offices, lower overheads, and
Frompage5 weaknesses and threats to the investment. The current administration should flesh out theirbusinessplansbeforepresentingthemin order to avoid risking the public losing confidenceintheirpursuits.
CRG recommends the use of SWOT analysis during the development process. Unfortunately, the pursuit of another Gas to Energy (GTE) pipeline also falls in this categoryofhalf-bakedbusinessplans.Wethe Guyanese people cannot afford to make bad investments. First finish the current GTE project and prove it a success while maximizing the use of the first pipeline’s capacitybeforemakinganotherinvestment. If the shipbuilder can make $Billions of USDbyprovidingsomeofthebasicneedsof
thesector,whilewespendsimilaramountsto havethefundslayatthebottomoftheocean where it currently doesn’t earn, but costs us interest, then maybe we should relook at where the money making opportunities are within the value chain and develop the required capabilities to capitalize on those lucrative opportunities. As the President shared in his closing remarks, everything is notfullythoughtoutnorfinal.Giventhatthis isthesituationthatthecurrentadministration finds itself in, we owe it to our citizens to relook at the ideas on the table, add to them, prioritize the best opportunities and fully develop the business plans associated with thembeforemakingafinancialinvestment.
Sincerely, Mr.JamilChanglee
Dem boys does read de Peeper Not like some of dem Minister wah does read it, commentonit,andindesamebreathclaim demnahreadit.Butfuhonce,demboysand dePeeperpartways.
De Peeper seh how deVee Pee stepping out he jurisdiction when he complain ‘bout howdempublicworkssiterunning.Butdem boyswanttelldePeeperhegotitallwrong. De Vee Pee nah overstepping—he stepping exactlywherehesupposedtostep.Yuhsee, demannahjustgotaportfolio.Deman is de wholeportfolio.
Demboyssehhenahonlyowndeshow, herunningdewholeshow.Datiswhatdem boys believe. De Vee Pee is de director, producer,anddemainstar Deonlythinglef’ fuhhedoiswritedescriptheself—although some people believe he already doing dat too!
government employees finally realizing they don’t needanhour-longmeetingto determine the font size of a memo. And in so doing we willouthalfthetrafficonour roads–becauseletusfaceit, half of those using our roadways are going to work at government jobs where production and productivity isfarfromimpressive.
And,likeElonMusk,we should start abolishing agencies left and right. If an agency’sprimaryfunctionis to discuss the possibility of forming another agency, it’s got to go. Does Guyana really need the Office of Freedom of Information?
Do we really need that concession factory that is calledGOINVEST?
Let’stakeitastepfurther
Every year, departments submit budget proposals requestingmoremoneythan thepreviousyear,oftenwith little to no justification. The logic seems to be: “If we don’t spend all our budget this year, they might reduce it next year.” So instead of
focusing on efficiency, departments scramble, as year-end approaches, to exhaust their funding. This leads to unnecessary spending. Imagine the savings if we simply requiredministries,agencies and departments to justify their spending based on actual results instead of projections designed to secure future allocations
Howaboutactuallyreducing their Budgets and forcing themtodomorewithless?
Another source of inefficiency? Meetings and ceremonies Government officials seem to love meetings the way children love candy. Everything requiresameeting,followed by a report about the meeting, and then another meetingtoreviewthereport.
Wanttochangethecolourof office curtains? That’s at least three meetings, a procurementprocess,andan independent consultant’s analysis of curtain efficiency Inatrulyefficient system, a call to the nearest
fabricstoreshouldsuffice. In the end, making government efficient isn’t about trimming the red tape—it’saboutshreddingit. So let’s start with the bloat, the waste, the committees and the almost daily ceremonial openings that achieve nothing but cost an arm and a leg. Think about how many homes that can save to provide housing for the homeless or wheelchairs for those who need them; or forfoodforthehungry
At the end of the day, wouldn’t it be nice if the money we spend on running the government actually improved the lives of the people who pay for it? It’s a radical thought, I know, but maybe just maybe we shouldgiveitatry
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
Demboyssehdemannahevenhidingit. Hefrontandcenterlikeabig-screenmovie. When he talk, everybody else does haffu listen.Whenhevex,demdoesgatdeactors scrambling like ants in sugar And when he sehjump,demnahevenaskhowhigh—dem juststartfloating.
DePeepersehdemanneedfuhstayinhe lane.Butdemboysseh,whalane?Disman owndewholehighway!
So,Peeper,getyuhglassescheck.DeVee Peeincharge,andhenahafraidfuhmekde wholeworldknow Herunningdeshow And de best part? He got some of de people actuallybelievingdemactuallygotwukfuh do.
Demboyssehanddemboysbelievedat isaonemanshowwegat.Butlehwepretend likewenahseeit.Justfuhdeoptics! Talkhalf.Leffhalf.
O Lord, Guyana is now in for it. As if the already swollen American invading armyisnotenough,theword now is that foreign financial institutions (FFI) will soon beputtingouttheirshingles.
I read Bank of America, JP Morgan, even Citigroup. Yes, I am going right to the top,withswarmsofB-listers coming to Guyana from America.
It could be coming to America,aversionofit,with much moolah to be made. Bottom line is bottom line, and let that priority be made straightfromnow Banking needs? Come to Uncle Sam, as friendly andwelcomingasthecorner druggist.
Though I envision that thepriorityoftheFFIswould be commercial and institutionallygrounded(the real money is there), there couldbewhatiscalledretail banking services offered That is, doors opened to the littlepeople.
Like me. I would w e l c o m e s u c h a development, for it would compelbanksoperatinghere
tofollowtheleaders,orfade away Investment banking opportunities abound here, andIcouldpointthemtothe rightpeople. Somearevery muchinthepublicdomain;a few trusted ones operate in deep background under deepercover
Think Deepthroat of Richard Nixon's Watergate fame. I nod in the direction ofthemanfromFlorida,who doubles as family, while carrying on as fixer and collector
It's a nice gig, and I am putting in some heavy work to land such a deal. The double-dealing is where I drawtheline.
Itiswhatputspeoplelike meonaBlacklistandonthe outs with the movers and shakers that call the shots in Transparency International's Guyana. The preference is be on the outs with such noble folks; it would be my 'in' with the incoming f o r e i g n f i n a n c i a l institutions.
Though the Bank of Guyana may recoil at, and objectto,theveryideaofme
being anywhere near the foreigners, someone that knows how both sidesdomestic and internationalconduct their business, has unmatchedutility Suitswill have to be dusted off, shoes shined, and white shirts properlyironed.
The old, rusty CFA and otherYankeesheepskinswill also have to be dug up and displayed. Goldman Sachs or Blackrock would pick up the tab for CFA fees. It is their business being facilitated, through a shot of American can-do attitude, andGuyaneseinsights.
Shifting the focus to a wider perimeter, there is somethingthatmustbesaid. Foreign Financial Institutions (FFIs) do have an unerring nose for profits. Like sharks drawn to the smell of blood, there are none better than the Wall Streeters and prowlers poised to takeAmericanAir to sample GT financial fare. It would be a boon to the expats.
Nobody has to lug a suitcase full of cash through Customs anymore. Service
withasmile(andawinkand nod),andallforonlyasmall cut of the action. The foreignersshouldnotgettoo much business from locals. Once they take anti money laundering requirements seriously, that could be bad forbusiness.
Why should the FFIs care, when there are droves ofAmericansandEuropeans withallkindsofcash,andall kinds of ideas about how to exploreandexploitlucrative opportunities in oil rich Guyana.
If anyone harbored the misgivingthatIleftoutgold rich, please perish the thought. For that is the sector where many a side dealandsidebusinesscould function,almostatwill.
It was inevitable that the outside hawks would arrive here, and get down to business.
There is a crying need forqualitybankingservices, andexpertfinancialcounsel. Everything in the open, nothing on the shady side. Of course, money is not a problem here, and veteran financial staffers have
succumbed every now and again to the side attractions that are part and parcel of the job
Guyana is not only a depot from which oil is shipped. Ithasalsoearneda solid reputation for being a transshipmentpointforother goods. The cash flow from thatishuge,anditisalways looking for a legit and confidentialrestingplace.
service business Mr ChristopherRam'smarathon column in SN, now closing th in on its 200 inning, could have company, but with a twist.
Like I said, some financial people have taken the bait and trapped themselves in other locales rightinthishemisphere.
Private business, public business, it's all here in cash lavishGuyana.
I predict debt instruments being floated to help local businesses gather capital. TheBankofGuyana could even outsource its TBill auctions to the foreigners. Why,therecould evenbeanIPOortwotogive a new flavor to local private venturers.
Ram and McRae could find itself having to manage with unwanted and ill-timed competition for advisory
Not so much about what oil is not doing for Guyanese,butwhatExxonis doing for Guyana. Even Stabroek News more-thandecent Business Page presentation could be challenged by newsletters and commentaries from the Americans,whoarethebest inthatkindofproduct. Personally, it would be a change of pace to collect paychecks again. No greed here,$25,000amonthwould be an acceptable, livable wage. American,naturally (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionofthisnewspaper.)
A drunken businessman shothiswife12timesduringa “heated argument” on Saturdaynightattheirhomein Block 'X 'Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
Dead is 27-year-old Kenesha Vaughn. She died while receiving treatment at the Diamond Hospital. Her Husband, Marlan DaSilva, 32 is in police custody, for her killing. He was the one who calledthepoliceaftershooting the woman. Investigators said that at the time of his arrest, DaSilva's alcohol level in his body was 83%. “Note the legally prescribed limit is 35%”, police stated before adding that initial investigations revealed, he was drinking at a popular drinking establishment on Main Street Georgetown, priortotheshooting.
His wife, according to policehadcalledhimtocome home and it reportedly annoyed DaSilva. He arrived home around 20:00hrs. and met Vaughn in the kitchen, police said. They got into a heated argument and it reportedly escalated into violence when DaSilva slappedVaughn.
Allegations are being made that she then ran for a knife and returned. As she allegedly approached him, DaSilvapulledouthisgunand beganshootingher Shefellto the ground wounded and he called police immediately after Ranks showed-up promptlyandrushedhertothe hospital where unfortunately
she passed away “Police examined the body at the DiamondHospitalandtwelve injuries (entry and exit) suspected to be gunshot wounds, were discovered on her body,” police said Detectives processed the crime scene and found four 9MM shell casings and three projectiles (fired bullets) Investigationscontinue.
President and Commander-in-Chief, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali,hasapprovedthepromotionsof41officersoftheGuyana DefenceForce,themilitarysaidinapressreleaseonSunday Heading the list of promotions is Commandant of the Guyana National Reserve, Substantive Lieutenant Colonel, Lloyd Souvenir who has been promoted to the rank of Substantive Colonel. Acting Lieutenant Colonels Raymond Archer,JohnMohanlallandJoseFerreirahavealsobeenmade substantiveintheirrank.
Nine Substantive Majors are now Acting Lieutenant Colonels. These Majors are: Kevin Langevine, Crantson France,JaimeCastello,MarvinSimpson,KevaunGray,Joslyn Assanah,DamonJoseph,KeithWattsandKirkMarlock.
ActingMajorKareemGrahamwasmadesubstantiveinhis rankwhileSubstantiveCaptainsEonCameron,BrentnolBart, Michael Favourite and Othniel Hope have joined the Corps of Senior Officers with their promotion to the rank of Acting Major NineteenSecondLieutenantswerepromotedtoSubstantive Lieutenant.HeadingthepromotionlistattheCoastGuard(CG) isActingCommanderAdrianMcLeanwhohasbeenelevatedin rank to Substantive Commander Additionally, three Substantive Lieutenants (CG) Clinton Venture, Kenrick Rodney and Derrick Johnson were promoted to the rank to ActingLieutenantCommander
AsGuyanausheredinits 55th Republic Anniversary celebrations, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali urged all to unite now –more than
ever, to drive the nation forward, as its greatest achievements are yet to come. SpeakingattheRepublic
Flag Raising ceremony held
Saturday evening, President Ali said the government has
laid a strong foundation for national prosperity, enhancing critical services for its citizens, and many more to come. It is within
thiscontext,theheadofstate appealed to all Guyanese to continue working hand in hand, transcending division to shape a future of opportunity, progress and unity, urging them to put Guyana first. “This is the timewhenwemustembrace the challenges with a common understanding that the challenges must make us stronger, build us stronger, bind us stronger, bring us stronger together, so that we must not only confrontthechallenges,but win, every day, for every single citizen,” President Alistressed.
This prosperity, the president underlined, is not limited to Guyana but must transcend to the Caribbean andLatinAmericanregions.
The 9th president of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana highlighted the progress achieved over the last four years, spanning economic growth and
strengthening governance and improving citizens' lives.
Since 2020, Guyana has recorded, never previously achieved, economic growth, and has successfully contained inflation while increasing disposable income for citizens. And according to President Ali, this economic resilience has paved the way for massive infrastructuraldevelopments that are reshaping the country As a matter of fact, thefaceofGuyanaisrapidly transforming with several mega-projects underway,
and other community-level initiatives. For example, the landmark Gas-to-Energy project at Wales, the New Demerara River Bridge and the Mandela to Diamond Road Link are improving transportationefficiencyand boosting economic activities. Guyana has also made advancements in energy and technology, though the installation of 30,000 solar home systems in remote communities, bringing sustainable energy tohouseholdsthatneverhad thisexperiencebefore.
Intheareaofdigitisation, over 215 communities have been connected to highspeed internet, more than 160 ICT hubs have been e s t a b l i s h e d , a n d approximately 20,000 citizenshavereceiveddigital skillstraining.
Healthcare, education and other essential services have also been enhanced withinvestmentspumpedby the government over the years To support transformation in the health sector, more than 3,000 health workers are under training, and access to quality education has been improved through the construction of nursery, primary and secondary schools.
“We will continue to strengthen our system, improve transparency and accountability. We will continue to invest in the technology to support good policing, strong policing, responsible policing, transparent policing, and (Continuedonpage16)
The fledgling political party- Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP) has called for sweeping reforms to help stop the killing of women by their male partners and condemned Saturday night's murder of a woman by her husband at Diamond, East Bank Demerara.
Policehaveidentifiedthe victims as 27-year-old Kenesha Vaughn. She died while receiving treatment at the Diamond Hospital. Her Husband, Marlan DaSilva, 32 is in police custody, for her killing. He was the one who called the police after reportedly shooting her Investigators said that at the time of his arrest, DaSilva's alcohollevelinhisbodywas 83%. His wife, according to police had called him to comehomeanditreportedly annoyed him. He arrived home around 20:00hrs. and met Vaughn in the kitchen,
ministers and other officials at the flag raising ceremony
policesaid. They got into a heated argument and it reportedly escalatedintoviolencewhen DaSilva slapped Vaughn Allegations are being made that she then ran for a knife and returned As she allegedly approached him, DaSilva pulled out his gun and began shooting her She fell to the ground wounded and he called police immediately Ranksshowedup promptly and rushed the womantothehospitalwhere
she passed away “Police examined the body at the Diamond Hospital and twelve injuries (entry and exit)suspectedtobegunshot wounds, were discovered on her body”, Police said Detectives processed the crime scene and found four 9MMshellcasingsandthree projectiles(firedbullets). Meanwhile, theALP, led by former minister and women rights activist, Simona Broomes said as the nation celebrates its 55th Republic Anniversary, this heinous act of violence is a reminder of the pervasive threatthatwomenandgirlsin Guyana continue to face and the systemic failures that enable their endangerment. Further, the ALP said this tragic incident underscores the urgent need for stricter and stronger enforcement of laws aimed at the protection and prevention of gender(Continunedonpage16)
The Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports has apologissed for not inviting Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton and other membersoftheoppositionto th the 55 Republic Flag Raising ceremony held on Saturdaynight.
“Weextendaformaland unequivocal apology to the LeaderoftheOppositionand members of the Opposition over the failure to issue invitations to the 55th Republic Flag Raising Ceremony We also extend our sincere apologies to His
Excellency, President Mohamed IrfaanAli, for the regrettable embarrassment this oversight has caused,” the ministry said in a statement.
According to the ministry the responsibility for coordinating and distributing invitations rests solely with the Office of the DirectorofCulture,“andthis regrettable oversight is entirely attributable to our office.”Notingthat“thiswas not a deliberate act of exclusion”,theministrysaid invitations were duly
extended to the Opposition in 2024, and there was no intent to disregard or u n d e r m i n e t h e i r participation in this year's nationalevent.
“We take this matter seriously and are committed to ensuring that all state functions reflect the principles of inclusivity and respect for all stakeholders. Moving forward, stringent m e a s u r e s w i l l b e implementedtopreventsuch oversights and uphold the integrity of our national celebrations.”
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LeaderoftheAlliancefor Change(AFC)NigelHughes has condemned the way that the Government of Guyana has handled the shooting of ranks of the Guyana Defense Force(GDF)byaVenezuelan criminal gang. He also said that the Opposition and the ParliamentaryStandingCommittee on Foreign Relations are yet to be briefed.
The Guyana Police Force in a statement had listed the injuredas:SecondLieutenant Ansel Murray, who suffered a gunshot wound to the right of his head; Sergeant, Kevon Davis who was shot in the right foot and ankle; Corporal,Andrew Fraser, who sustainedgunshotwoundsinthe leftofhisabdomenandshoulder; Corporal, Kevin Henry, who was shot in the left arm and shoulder; Lance Corporal, Travis Yorrick, who was injuredintherightthigh;and Private Ezron Samuel, who was shot in the right of his abdomen.
The incident took place near Black Water Mouth in theCuyuniRiver,whileaGDF boat was en route from the Eteringbang GDF main base totheMakapaGDFObserva-
tion Post to deliver supplies. The GDF team was using a thirty-footcanoepoweredby a 185-horsepower Yamaha engine. During the journey, theGDFboatwasintercepted by two wooden boats carrying heavily armed, masked men. The assailants circled the GDF boat and opened fire,promptingtheGDFranks to return fire. The exchange resulted in the attackers retreating, but not before multipleGDFmemberssustained gunshot wounds.
Speaking at his party’s weekly press conference last Friday Hughes said that the incident was very disturbing assomeofthesixwereinjured more seriously than others.
“Wewouldhaveexpected thatbynowtheParliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Relations would have been convened to brief at least our Members of Parliament on the incident, the circumstances surrounding the incident, so that all of us, Guyanese, can be onboard, particularlyourparliamentary representatives,inrelationto what happened there.”
He highlighted that there is also a Ministerial Task
Force on the border and the AFC thought once again that this taskforce, as well as all parliamentary parties would have been briefed on exactly whatoccurredattheGuyana, Venezuela border. He stressed that they should have been briefed on “what appeared to be a threat to our sovereignty, even though it is disguised as a singular incident. These are matters of gravenationalimportanceon which there is no difference between the political parties, both in and out of parliament in terms of the protection of our sovereignty.”
As such the AFC is calling for the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Relations to be immediatelyconvened,aswellasthe MinisterialTaskForceonthe borders.“…alltheparliamentary parties and perhaps non parliamentaryparties,(should have been briefed) on the developmentsthattookplace on Monday the 17th. We are completely unaware of that, andataminimum,theLeader of the Opposition should have been notified as an important stakeholder in regard to this,” he said.
Furthermore, Hughes highlighted that there are several border communities whicharenowquiteexposed to the actions of the criminal elementalongtheborder.“Yet Guyanese are still to hear whatmeasuresarelikelytobe taken or would have already been taken to protect those vulnerable communities. As you know, most of those communitieshaveprobablya singlepolicestationwithone police officer who is perhaps a civilian, and quite a few of those communities do not have even a police station.
Continued on page 18
Broomes party urges tougher stance against gender-based...
From page 15 based violence.ALPextends its heartfelt condolences to the victim’s children, family, friends and by extension the community during this difficulttime.Further,wewishto reiterate our strongest condemnation of violence against women and girls and reaffirm our commitment to fight for the dignity, justice and rights of our women and girls.”
TheALPsaiditfirmlybelieves that the protection of women and girls is paramountforafair,inclusiveand prosperous Guyana and condemnedwhatitdeemedasthe continued normalisation of abuse in our society The partyhascommittedtoadvocatefor:stricterenforcement oftheexistinglawstoensure that there is a zero-tolerance response to gender-based
violencereports.Italsowants perpetrators to face the full forceofthelawandincreased funding for support services to ensure adequate resources are accessible at shelters, counselling services, and legal aid for victims of genderbasedviolence.Additionally, theALPhascalledforreform in the legal system to ensure loopholes in the laws are closed,includingstrictergun ownership regulations, and implement policies that address the root causes of gender-based violence. The party also called for the authorities to promote education and awareness on a nationalleveltochallengetoxic gender norms and stereotypes to break the cycle of violenceandpromotehealthy relationships. “The ALP pledges to fight for gender equality and justice and calls
on law enforcement and civil society to join us in dismantling the structures that perpetuate gender-based violence and build a Guyana where the dignity and rights of our women and girls are upheld.TheALPalsocallson thegovernmenttoupholdthe lawsandpoliciesthatexistto protect our women and girls topreventthescourgeofgender-based violence,” the statement concluded.
Only recently this newspaper reported that Guyana recordedlastyear1,863cases of domestic and genderbased violence. One of the most distressing trends is the continuedoccurrenceoffemicide, with 13 cases recorded in 2024. The ministry has set a target to reduce this figure to10in2025.TheMinistryof Human Services and Social Protection has outlined sev-
eral strategies to address thesesocialissues,including strengtheningpoliciesaimed at removing discrimination andviolenceagainstwomen, providing shelter and financial assistance to vulnerable groups,implementinggender equality and mainstreaming initiatives,andexpandingrehabilitation programmes for youthinconflictwiththelaw. In 2024, 93 sensitization and awarenessprogrammeswere conductedtopromotegender equality, with a target of 95 setfor2025.Additionally,the ministryaimstoenhancecampaignstargetingtheelimination ofsexual, domestic, and gender-based violence from 125 in 2024 to 110 in 2025. The ministry’s initiatives extend beyond violence prevention, focusing on improving the welfareofGuyana’smostvulnerablecitizens.
‘Govt. will spare no effort in ensuring smooth electoral...
From page 14
we will ensure that the infrastructurewearebuildingwill allow us to live in a safe, secure and hospitable environment here in Guyana,” President Ali underscored. Meanwhile, as Guyana prepares to host the General and Regional Elections later thisyear,thePeople’sProgressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)Administration will spare no effort in ensuring the process is free and fair, and without any interference.Theheadofstate said democracy will be celebrated this year, and “Your
governmentwilldoeverything and spare no resources in ensuring a smooth process as the people of Guyana carry out their democratic will and carry out their democratic responsibility.”
ThesacrificesofGuyana’s soldiers did not go unnoticed astheCommanderinChiefof theArmedForcespaidtribute to their dedication to safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty, reaffirming the government’scommitmentto safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty According to PresidentAli,thegovernment
remains committed to ensuring that every inch of Guyana’s land and exclusive economic zone remains protected for future generations tocome.
As Guyana moved forward,theGuyanesePresident said it is important to reflect on the blessings and achievements, and encouraged citizens to appreciate Guyana’s progress and pray for continued peace, prosperity and protection. “My dear friends, fellow Guyanese, today we are not working from behind. Today we have established a
strong and solid foundation. We are leading, and that is whylaterthisyearinGuyana, we will be having the World Biodiversity Summit … We must by now understand that our revenue and resources mustsetusonapathinwhich we can provide great global leadership,” he emphasised. The head of state was joined by Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Sonia Parag, military personnel and other dignitaries. (DPI)
One of SBM's FPSO that was purchased by ExxonMobil Guyana
Dutch company, SBM Offshore, a leading player in the floating production sector, last week reported record revenues for 2024, withChiefExecutiveOfficer (CEO) Øivind Tangen attributing the strong performance in part to its operationsinGuyana.
Thecompanyannounced record-level directional revenue of US$6.1 billion and an all-time high directional EBITDA of US$1.9billionfor2024.
Tangen said the company's 2024 record profit reflects three new awards and the purchases of two floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels, Prosperity and Liza Destiny by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited(EMGL).
“Thanks to the addition of three new awards, we endedtheyearwitharecord US$35 1 billion backlog From this we expect to generate US$9.5 billion net cash,equivalenttoalmost52
europershare2…”headded. S
m continuestodrivedeepwater development, with FPSO ONE GUYANA among the three FPSO vessels set to commence operations in 2025.
Notably, the company attributed its 35% revenue increase in 2024 to several factors,includingthesaleof FPSOs Prosperity and Liza Destiny, awarded contracts for FPSOs Jaguar, for ExxonMobil Guyana and GranMorgu.
Directional Lease and Operate revenue rose to US$2.37 billion, marking a 21% increase Tangen highlighted the impact of ExxonMobil Guyana's acquisitions, stating, “This increase is driven by the DirectionalTurnkeyrevenue which rose to US$3 74 billion in 2024 compared with US$2 58 billion in 2023... the sale of FPSOs Prosperity and Liza Destiny completed respectively in November and December 2024.”
With new opportunities emerginginGuyana,Brazil, Suriname, and Namibia, SBM Offshore expects stronggrowthinthecoming years. The company sees 16 large FPSO projects in its pipeline over the next three years.
Exxon acquired FPSOs Prosperity and Liza Destiny by the second half of 2024, ahead of the end of their maximum lease terms in
, respectively Currently, EMGL has three FPSOs operating offshore, all from SBM In 2023, Exxon purchased its first FPSO from SBM, the Liza Unity The cash transaction for the three vessels totals just over US$3 billion: US$1 23 billion for Prosperity, US$1 3 billion for Liza Unity and US$535 million forLizaDestiny
With the acquisition, E
assumes ownership of the
Offshore will continue to operate and maintain the FPSOsforseveralyears.
FPSO Prosperity has been operational since November 2023 and will continuetofunctionthrough an integrated operations and maintenance model that combines SBM Offshore and ExxonMobil's expertise for high-performance operations Designed to produce 220,000 barrels of oil per day, Prosperity also has a gas treatment capacity of400millioncubicfeetper day and a water injection capacity of 250,000 barrels perday Thevessel,whichis
spread-moored at a depth of about1,900meters,canstore around 2 million barrels of crudeoil.
It measures 342 meters inlength,60metersinwidth, and25metersinheight,with a minimum operational lifespan of 20 years
Approxima
y 4,000 individualshavecontributed to the construction of this 110,000-m
vessel.
The FPSO Liza Destiny has been on hire since December 2019 and since 2023hasandwillcontinueto be operated through the integrated operations and
combining SBM Offshore and ExxonMobil's expertise and experience delivering outstanding operational performance SBM's
includes the FPSOs Liza
upcoming One Guyana Exxon has also engaged
MODEC for its fifth FPSO, Errea Wittu and in April, SBM announced it had secured a contract with EMGLto build and install a sixth FPSO, Jaguar, for the Whiptaildevelopment.
President Volodymyr ZelenskysaidSundaythathe was “ready” to resign as leader if it meant it brought peace to his country, suggesting he could swap it forNATOmembership.
Asked at a press conferenceifhewasreadyto quit if it ensures peace for Ukraine, Zelensky said: “If [it guarantees] peace for Ukraine, if you really need me to resign, I am ready I canexchangeitforNATO.”
The Ukrainian president previouslysaidhiscountry’s
army will need to double in size if NATO denies it membership to the alliance. Earlier this month, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that Kyiv joining NATO was unrealistic Zelensky’s comments follow an escalating spat with Donald TrumpaftertheUSpresident falsely accused Ukraine of starting the conflict. Trump later admitted “Russia attacked” but blamed his predecessor Joe Biden and Zelenskyfornotstoppingthe fighting sooner When
Zelenskyhitback–accusing theUSpresidentofbeingina “disinformation space” –Trump called Zelensky a “dictator,” straining ties at a pivotal moment in the conflict. US and Russian officialsmetinSaudiArabia this week for “exploratory” talks about how to end the war but left Kyiv to watch from afar, sparking panic fromEuropeanallies.
ZelenskyonSundaysaid hisapproachwiththeTrump a d m i n i s t r a t i o n i s “pragmatic.” “There is no spaceforemotionshere,”he
Frompage16
Given the fact that the report suggests that one, possibly two, members of the criminal gang have been killed, there is likely to be somesortofretaliatoryaction,andwewant to ensure that all Guyanese civilians, particularly those living in border communities,areprotected,andthatwehave affordedthemthebestpossibleprotection,” hesaid.
One day after the incident Foreign AffairsMinister,HughToddhadsummoned CarlosPerez,AmbassadoroftheBolivarian Republic of Venezuela to Guyana to condemnanddemandredressforthearmed attack on the soldiers. In a press statement, theMinistryofForeignAffairshadsaidthat while an investigation is in progress, preliminary indications are that the perpetrators are members of Venezuelan criminal gangs who operate with impunity on Venezuela’s side of the international border Todd, the statement said told the Venezuela’s Ambassador that Guyana is outraged by the attack, and that it holds Venezuela responsible. He reminded the
Ambassador that, under international law, Venezuela is responsible for any harm causedtoGuyanaoritsnationalsbypersons acting from Venezuelan territory, including private individuals unaffiliated with the VenezuelanGovernmentorArmedForces. The minister, the ministry’s statement saidinsistedthatVenezuelacomplywithits international obligation not to allow its territory to be used to harm a neighbouring stateanditsdutytoeliminatethepresenceof Venezuelan criminal gangs in the border region, and to prevent any future attacks on Guyana. Noting that Venezuela maintains a significant military presence in the region, despitetheabsenceofasecuritythreatfrom Guyana,theMinisterinsistedthatVenezuela deploy these assets against the criminal gangs within its territory that constitute a threat to both States. Minister Todd further expressed his concern about the Ambassador’s failure to denounce yesterday’s incident, and Venezuela’s failure,thusfar,totakeanyactiontopursue, apprehend or bring to justice the perpetrators “Inaction” he warned “is complicity
said. Referring to Trump’s remarks about him, the Ukrainian leader said: “Obviously, I would not say President Trump’s words about me are compliments, tosaytheleast.” Overnight, Russialaunchedarecord267 drones at Ukraine, killing at least one person, in an unprecedented attack on the eve of the third anniversary of Russia’s war in the country, Ukrainian authorities said Sunday “Every day, our people are resisting aerial terror,” Zelensky said Sunday, adding that the overnight attackwas“thelargestattack since Iranian drones started hitting Ukrainian cities and villages.”“Weneedtodoour best to bring a lasting and justpeacetoUkraine.Thisis possible in the unity of all partners – we need the strengthofallofEurope,the strength of America, the strength of everyone who wants a lasting peace,” ZelenskysaidonX. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s defense intelligence directorate, called the overnight attack
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky
“purely a means of intimidation,aterroristact.”
Ukraine’smilitary support
Zelensky also spoke about the draft deal between theUSandUkraineoverrare earth minerals and other natural resources. A source previously told CNN the draftdealisnotoneZelensky wouldaccept.
The US is trying to gain access to Ukraine’s critical mineralsandotherresources aspartofwidernegotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
In return, Ukraine has been pushing for security guarantees. At the press conference, Zelensky told CNN’s Chief International Security Correspondent NickPatonWalshhewantsa successful agreement and thathehopestheUSwillnot freeze military support to Ukraine in the process of reaching an agreement. “We will sign this – the first agreement, or memo, memo on which base we will prepare other documents,” hesaid.“So,Ihopeitwillnot haveinfluenceonothersteps
Thelawswillbefurtheramendedtoonce moreincreasethenumberofjudgespresiding over cases in the Court of Appeal, Prime MinisterMarkPhillipssaidonFridaylast.
He was at the time speaking at the commissioning of the Mabaruma Magistrate’sCourt.
He told the audience that, “the law is being changed and was changed to increase thecomplimentofAppealCourtjudgesfrom fivetonine,andwillsoonagainbechangedto move that from nine to 11…Also we have appointedthreeLandCourtjudges.”
Phillips said that these are significant milestones that signify continued progress and he congratulated the judiciary on the openingoftheRegionOnefacilitywhichhe deemedasanothersignificantproject.“Ialso extend my heartfelt congratulations to the people of Mabaruma and the wider Region One community this Magistrate’s Court stands as a symbol of justice, fairness and equality, and I urge all citizens to embrace and uphold the values it represents,” he urged.
The Prime Minister underscored that
oftheUnitedStates,andthey will not cancel or stop or freeze any support, especially military support toUkraine.That’scrucialfor us.” Asked if he thinks he can mend his relationship with Trump, Zelensky said presidents should not lose thepartnershipbetweentheir countries. “That’s why, for me, it is very important to have the support of the president, and support of senate, congress, your two parties, but first of all the supportforyourpeople.And IcountonitverymuchandI am thankful we have it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zelensky’s Chief of Staff, Andriy Yermak,saidhehadtoleave the forum Zelensky was speaking at early to have an “important conversation” about the agreement with American partners In a Telegram post, Yermak said he and Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko spoke with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, their teams, and a representative from Vice President JD Vance’s team. “We are making progress in our work. A constructive conversation. The USA is our partner and we are grateful to the American people, grateful for the bipartisansupport-youhave been with us all three years of the Russian invasion,” Yermaksaid.
amidst the recognition of development it shouldbenotedthatthegovernmentremains ready and willing to continue providing adequate resources to the judiciary, while at thesametimerecogniseandrespectitisasan independent institution. “We cannot direct, and we will never attempt to direct, how the judiciary operates. All we ask is that our judicial officers discharge their function efficiently,fairlyandinaccordancewithour law Our citizens deserve that much, and in fact,areentitledbylawforsuchtreatment.”
BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT
Fromcentre pour young professional. We have all the featuresofayoungprofessionalscheme.It's all about inclusiveness and diversity”
Speaking on the increase in attendance, she said,“Guyaneseareoutintheirnumbers,we love Mashramani and Guyanese love to party.” Meanwhile, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development SoniaParag,whowasleadingherministry's band with over 100 revellers, told the Department of Public Information that her bandwaspartofthemediumcategoryandthe floatdepictssolidwastemanagementwhich aligns with their theme “Cleaner Communities for a brighter and prosperous Guyana.” “An event like this always brings out all the ethnic groups and it's really a gatheringwherepeopleenjoyeachotherand comeunderoneumbrellaandcelebrate,and that's something that we want to promote” MinisterParagexpressed.EventCoordinator oftheMinistryofAgricultureCathyMartin,
who enthusiastically explained that the designoftheAgricultureMinistry'scostumes depicted the new agricultural products that are now being produced locally such as Cauliflower,roses,andsoya. “Usuallywedo traditional, such as sugar and rice but this year we are coming different, bringing out our new products” Martin stated.Along the paradescoresoffamiliessetuppicnictentsas theyviewthefloats.Onewomanrelatedthat herfamilymissedlastyearbutmadesurethat they were present this year “We are feeling excited. We are supporting the Ministry of Public Works float, because my brother-inlaw works there. We weren't here last year; we were out of the country It feels really goodtobebackhere,”thewomanrelated.
Anotherfamilythatwascladinmatching outfits commented: “We feel really good to be out here this Mash, it is not our first year going out No thought process behind matchingcolours,wejustchoosetomatchup becausewearehusbandandwife.”
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
Don'tbesurprisedifsomeone describesyouasconservative, Aries. It may be true. It could indicate that it's important for you to maintain control over mostthings.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
Your mother may be on your mind today Your mother probably affects how you think,act,andfeel,bothinthe pastandnow Ifyourmother's signisoppositeyours,conflict and misunderstanding can happenmoreeasily
GEMINI(May21–June20)
Focus on yourself today, Gemini. Take note of your health. You probably know that this is something you must take care of always, not justsometimes.Dailyroutines areimportant.It'suptoyouto sticktothem
CANCER(June21–July22)
Nodreamistoobigortoolate tofulfill.Youmaybethinking about your special dreams today, Cancer Perhaps you aspire to do something really great, be a pioneer in some field,orbeaprominentfigure.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
Chancesaregoodthatyouwill receive a helping hand or comfort from someone many years your senior who cares aboutyou,Leo.Don'thesitate toaskfortheirthoughts,ideas, andassistance.
VIRGO(Aug 23–Sept 22)
Today, Virgo, you may think about competition and possible future goals Imagining and dreaming can serve you well. What did you dreamaboutasakid?Whodid youwanttobecome?
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
You may think about your financestoday,Libra.It'snever too late to learn about saving and investing, especially if there's something you really wanttodo,liketravel.
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)
Takethetimetodaytoconsider your health, Scorpio. Do you get enough rest, eat the right foods, take vitamins, exercise every day, go to the doctor when you need to, and take timetorelax?
SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)
Today you may emphasize organizingthingsandmanaging your life. Take a look at your timemanagement.It'spossible to plan every day so you have enough time to do what you have to get done as well as do everythingyou'dliketodo.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Oneday,Iwanttobe….When you were little, how did you finish that sentence, Capricorn? See what your memoryandimaginationcome up with. Is your life what you dreameditwouldbe?
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)
If you feel cautious today, Aquarius, don't be alarmed. This can be a good thing, Aquarius, as you can be too trusting at times or forget to take care when going into somethingnew
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
Pisces,personaldignitymaybe important to you today This may come about when things go wrong or if you're accused of something you didn't do. You always have control over yourdignity Yourdailyactions affirmthis
Frompage24 short ball. He clubbed Rauf for four in front of square to prove it. But there was no taking the spotlight from his seniorpartner Kohli was setting the tempo. Pakistan had allowed to do so. Though he only hit threeofhisfirst62ballstothe boundary, he already had fifty runs to his name. He knows how to score quickly withoutlookingforbigshots. The ball wasn’t stopping on the surface as much under lights. Things were working in his favour again He almostknewhewasgoingto get a hundred. He demanded an explanation when Axar turneddownasecondrunoff awideinthe42ndoverwhen itwascleartoeverybodyelse that all he was doing was makesureKohlihadthebest chancetogettothree-figures withtimerunningout.When hedid,offthelastballofthe match, Kohli looked to the dressing room and literally said“Itoldyou.Relax”.That was how easy this was. That washowinevitablehewas.
Match details: India 244 for 4 (Kohli 100*, Iyer 56, Afridi 2-74) beat Pakistan 241 all out (Shakeel 62, Kuldeep 3-40, Hardik 2-31) bysixwickets
(Cricinfo) - Virat Kohli has become the fastest batter to reach the milestone of 14,000 ODI runs, getting there in his 287th innings in the Champions Trophy match against PakistaninDubai.
Kohli began the game against Pakistan 15 runs short of 14,000, and passed the milestone during India’s successful chase of 242, leading his team to victory with an unbeaten hundred, his 51st in the format. He reached his century by hitting the winning runs, a cover-driven boundary off parttimespinnerKushdilShah.
Kohliisonlythethirdbattertoscore14,000inODIsafter SachinTendulkar, who reached the landmark in 350 innings, and Kumar Sangakkara, who took 378 innings. Kohli got to 14,000in63fewerinningsthanTendulkar.
He is currently averaging over 57 in the format, while Tendulkar(44.19)andSangakkara(41.73)wereaveragingin the early 40s when they got to 14,000 runs. He is also the fastest to 14,000 runs in terms of balls faced, needing 14984 balls,muchquickerthanbothTendulkarandSangakkara,who needed 16292 and 17789, respectively Tendulkar and Sangakkara also marked their milestones with a hundred, althoughbothcameindefeats.
Kohli has been the fastest to every such 1000-run milestonesincehewentpast8000ODIrunsin175inningsin June2017.Overall,heisthirdonthelistofhighestrun-scorers in ODIs, poised to overtake Sangakkara (14,234) in second place.Tendulkartopsthelistwith18,426.Kohlialsoholdsthe record for most hundreds in ODIs; he had surpassed Tendulkar’stallyof49duringthe2023ODIWorldCup.
(BBC Sport) - Carlos Sainz has become a director of the Formula1drivers’bodytheGrandPrixDrivers’Association.
The30-year-oldSpaniard,whohasmovedfromFerrarito Williams for this season, fills the vacancy left by four-time world champion SebastianVettel, who retired from F1 at the endof2022andsteppeddownasaGPDAdirectorlastyear
In a post by the GPDA on Instagram announcing the appointment,Sainzsaid:“Iampassionateaboutmysportand thinkwedrivershavearesponsibilitytodoallwecantowork withthestakeholderstoforwardthesportinmanyaspects.
“SoI’mveryhappyandproudtodomypartbytakingon thedirectors’roleintheGPDA.”
SainzjoinschairmanAlexWurz,MercedesdriverGeorge RussellandAnastasiaFowleasaGPDAleader
Wurz said: “We are delighted to welcome Carlos as a GPDAdirector Hehasbeenanactiveandengagedmemberof the GPDA for several years and we sincerely appreciate his commitmentinsteppinguptothisvitalrole.”
The GPDA was formed back in the early 1960s and has predominantlyfocusedonsafetymatters.
Forexample,theGPDAandWurzwereinstrumentalinthe adoptionofthe‘halo’headprotectiondeviceinF1forthe2018 season. It has since saved a number of lives in serious accidents.
But in recent years the drivers have found themselves increasingly at loggerheads with Mohammed Ben Sulayem, thepresidentofgoverningbodytheFIA,whowaselectedin 2021.
BenSulayem’sactionshaveledtoconcernsamongmany stakeholders in F1, and the drivers are weighing up how to respondtohisdecisioninJanuarytocodifyaprocessbywhich driverscanendupfacingaracebaniftheyswear.
TheFIAhasnotclarifiedhowtheseruleswillbeapplied. World rally driver Adrien Fourmaux this month became the first driver to fall foul of the regulation and was a fined €10,000forswearinginaTVinterviewatRallySweden.
Sainz has said this month that it is wrong to threaten F1 drivers with bans for swearing, although he agreed drivers shouldavoidbadlanguageinnewsconferencesandtelevision interviews.
In November, the GPDAwrote an open letter to the FIA askingthegoverningbodytotreatthemlikeadults,sayingit felt fines were “not appropriate” forms of punishment and askingfortransparencyastohowtheywerespent.
They have received no response from the FIA on the matter
The letter was a reaction to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen being ordered to “accomplish some work of public interest” afterswearinginanofficialnewsconferenceattheSingapore GrandPrixinSeptember
ThisfollowsotherinterventionsbyBenSulayem,suchasa banonjewellery,whichhavealsoirritatedthedrivers.
Virat Kohli brings up his 51st ODI century (Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)
(ESPN Cricinfo) - Inthe biggest match of the year, with his mortality showing more than it ever used to, Virat Kohli proved he’s still got it, that maybe, just maybe, the little he’s lost isn’tgoingtodefinehim.He tickedoff14,000runsinODI cricket, brought up his 51st ODIcentury,setupIndiafor a semi-final spot and essentially crossed out Pakistan from the 2025 Champions Trophy The holders and the hosts need other results to go their way to stay alive in the tournamentnow India went into the game as favourites They were worthy of that seeding, limitingPakistanto241with HardikPandyaputtinginthe kind of performance that should make him illegal.An allrounder capable of dismissing the opposition’s best batter, and then coming back to take down their topscorer, isn’t just a name on the sheet. He is the secret sauce.
And KuldeepYadav was the spice His left-arm wristspin is so rare and he made it rarer by finding a way to be quick through the airwithoutcompromisingon turn or accuracy So that means unless batters pick himoutofthehand,theyare alwaysgoingtobeguessing. Three Pakistan batters guessed wrong. All three were end-overs wickets Pakistan were setting up to explode at the death Kuldeep just wouldn’t let them The injury hasn’t affectedhismenace. Pakistan were able to produce moments. Shaheen Shah Afridi sending down a 143kphinswingingyorkerto shatter Rohit Sharma’s stumps Abrar Ahmed conjuringacarromballfrom helltogetridofarampaging Shubman Gill. But when it cametocapitalisingonthem, theyjustcouldn’t.
The result was a world champion side that was renowned for pulling games out of the fire now seems to do the first part right - they definitely got into trouble in Dubai-buttheotherpart,the
important part is going so very wrong. Pakistan were 151 for 2 in the 34th over beforetheywerebowledout for 241 with the most inexperiencedmemberofthe India side dictating terms, Harshit Rana and his slower balls were just impossible to hit.
A game in an ICC event and a rivalry with history bursting out of it eventually became so one-sided that its last few moments were dominated by an individual pursuit. Axar Patel turned down an easy two so Kohli could pursue his hundred. The crowd in Dubai loved that. There were 12 runs to getforIndia’svictoryand12 runs to get for their hero’s centuryandtheychantedhis nameoverandover Pakistan were nowhere to be found. Eversinceacollapseof3for 11 in 19 balls, this game turnedpear-shapedforthem. Mohammad Rizwan had banked on the innings going so differently He came in at 47 for 2 and hit his first ball for four and then decided run-scoringwasnotforhim. He was 24 off 50. He barely hittheballinanger Hepoint blankrefusedto.Attheother end, Saud Shakeel was at leastmakinganefforttoturn the good balls he was facing
into singles. When he got to fifty, he had weathered only 29 dot balls. At the same time, Rizwan at the other end, had racked up 40. India didwellbydenyinghimspin to start his innings. But still, this was a better pitch than theopeninggameinDubaia few days ago. It wasn’t flat, butithadalittlemorepacein it, and it got better under lights Rizwan, though, batted like it was cursed. He was worried bad things would happen if he tried to hittheballhard.
Anditkindadid.Rizwan fell trying to hitAxar out of the ground and his wicket triggeredacollapse.Shakeel fell in the next over and Tayyab Tahir followed soon after India,havingspent320 deliveries across two matches searching for a wicket in the middle overs, had found three in the space of four Pakistan were 165 for 5. Soon they would be 200for7,havingtonegotiate the last 7.1 overs of the innings with their tail exposed.
India’s discipline never letPakistanoffthehookand leadingthewaywasHardik, bangingtheballjustshortof a length on a pitch that was offering a bit of grip and some tennis-ball bounce. He
out Babar Azam at a time when India’s lead fast bowler, Mohammed Shami, was off the field with a shin problem and he did Shakeel forlackofpacejustafterthe left-handerhadsmackedhim for four He always knew what to do to exploit the conditions and make the batter’s life miserable. On the back of his work, Kuldeep and Rana bowled 6.4 death overs for 28 runs andpickedupfourwickets. Gill was the star of India’s chase early on, a conscious effort to keep his front foot from moving too far forward and across leaving him excellently placed to take advantage of Afridi and his full length deliverieswhentherewasno swing on offer When he rammed the Pakistan fast bowlerdownthegroundand thenone-uppeditbycoming downthetrackandliftingthe ball into the sightscreen, it lookedlikeitwasgoingtobe his day Abrar intervened with a ball that drifted in through the air, tempting the right-handertoclosetheface ofhisbat,andturnedawayto rattle middle and off stump. Gillwasstunned.
Kohli, too, offered a shrug of his shoulders. He looked vulnerable against Abrar too and was almost bowledplayingbacktohim. But against the quicks, he was vintage. He went past 14,000 runs with a crisp cover drive off Haris Rauf. All of Pakistan’s best bowlers offer pace on the ball. And that is Kohli’s happy place. A batter of his quality needs to be made uncomfortable at the crease whenheisnew Hehadbeen dismissed five times in his last six ODIs by legspin. Pakistanhadoneofthoseand they felt they couldn’t go to him.
Shreyas Iyer helped himself to a half-century A littlechangeinhistechnique whereheholdshisbathigher and waves it as the bowler
into his shots, is helping him deal with an earlierweaknessagainstthe Continued on page 23
Vice President Bharrat
Jagdeoispushingfora major shift in the way sports are managed in Guyana, urging a move from traditional, government-driven efforts to a structured business model that creates jobs, builds coaching and administrative talent, and ensures long-termsustainability
SpeakingattheYouthForumat the Guyana Marriott Hotel, part of thefinaldayoftheGuyanaEnergy Conference and Supply Chain ExpolastFriday,Jagdeoresponded to a critical question from Curtez Kellman, a Golden Jaguars and SlingerzFCmidfielder
The 26-year-old footballer, asked, “Will there be a plan to develop sports as an industry that creates jobs and develops coaches, players,andadministrators?”
Jagdeo, who served as Guyana’s seventh president from
1999 to 2011, acknowledged that while government funding is important, the sports sector must movebeyondstatedependency
He stressed that national sports associations need to modernize theirapproachanddevelopalongterm vision that aligns with successful global sports business models.
“Investmentinsportsiscrucial. It has to be transformed into a businessmodel.Rightnow,weare driving it from Government, but it is more done to provide better facilities to people; it’s not a fullfledged economic model, so we have to transform even in the thinking,”Jagdeounderlined.
He also took aim at outdated practices within many sporting associations, stating, “Many associations still have an archaic thinking and I don’t think they themselves have a vision for their
sector Wewanttoworkwiththem. The associations themselves don’t have a vision and it becomes immenselyharder,whenithastobe atop-downapproachtoaddressthis issue, because if you have great associationsthatcanworkwiththe businessmodel,thentheycanwork withthegovernment.”
Jagdeo highlighted the government’s unprecedented investmentinsports,withahistoric $8 billion allocation in the 2025 national budget, the largest in Guyana’shistory,whichbringsthe total investment in sports under President Irfaan Ali’s administration to over $22 billion injustfiveyears.
The Vice President pointed to major efforts to modernize Guyana’s sporting infrastructure, including new and upgraded facilitiesacrossthecountry Buthe made it clear that infrastructure
alone isn’t enough, the next step is professionalizing sports and creating sustainable careers for athletes.
“We are developing sports infrastructure in building and rehabilitatingfacilities.Wehaveto nowsupportthisbyimplementing p r o g r a m m e s a n d t o professionalize this, make it a businesssopeoplecanearnmoney from sports It’s something that’s worth doing. We provide some opportunities for the sportsmen who are investing in themselves,” Jagdeostated.
He added, “We may be able to find a job for them in Government tosustainthemselvesbutthat’snot the model we are talking about so thattheycanmakegoodlivingfrom sports.”
Jagdeo acknowledged a major challenge: Guyana’s small population and limited market,
which restrict local commercial opportunities.
“The problem though, is the size of our population and the audience size is small, so we have to internationalize it (sports). It’s just for these athletes to find a small-time job, a little hustle, and thenhavetodedicatetheirtime(to sports),” the former Head-of-State said.
While reaffirming the government’s commitment to supporting athletes, Jagdeo urged sportsassociationstoadoptamore progressive, business-oriented approach.
He believes that by fostering stronger collaboration between the government and well-structured associations, Guyana can build a thriving sports industry that benefits athletes, coaches, administrators, and the entire sportingcommunity
(Reuters) - Mirra Andreeva became the youngest player to win a WTA1000titlewhenthe17year-old beat Clara Tauson 7-6(1) 6-1 in the Dubai Tennis Championships final onSaturday
The precocious Russian, who beat three Grand Slam champions Marketa Vondrousova, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina — to reachthefinal,willmakeher
top-10 debut in the rankings nextweek.
“I’dsetagoalformyself to be in top 10 by the end of the year Now it’s the end of February and I’ve already madeit,sothisissomething incredibleforme,”Andreeva said.
“I’m just super happy with the way I was playing today I was hella (very) nervous. I think you could see it during the match with
allthosedoublefaults,some mistakes.
“SoI’mjustreallyhappy thatIcouldmanageanddeal withthepressure.Andnowit just feels amazing... This is something I dreamt of and now my dream came true so I’mjust,I’mspeechlessright now.”
Tauson raced into an early lead on the back of a strong service game while Andreeva made two double
faults to quickly find herself 2-0 down but the Russian quicklyrecoveredandbegan playing her shots, breaking backtolevelat2-2.
Bothplayerssoonfound theirrangewithsomeheavy hitting, using the full width of the court to enthral the crowd With nothing to separate the pair, the opening set went to a tiebreak
Andreeva has yet to lose
a tiebreak this year and she was near-perfect as she won the first six points before taking the opening set when Tausonsentareturnlong.
Tauson took a medical timeoutbeforethesecondset andshewasfrustratedtolose the first game, throwing her racket on the ground Despite a couple of sublime drop shots from the Danish player, Andreeva grew in confidencetotakea4-1lead.
ndreeva, who is co
Conchita Martinez, then dictated rallies and began grindingdownheropponent, firingwinnerswithemphatic
overhead smashes that left Tauson deflated as the Russian teenager went 5-1 up.
Andreeva smelled victory as she served for the title and sealed it when another Tauson return went long on her second championshippoint.
Andreevaalsobrokenew ground as only the second teenager — male or female — to win the Dubai event since its inception in 1993, afterRafaNadalin2006.
“Lastly, I want to thank me for never quitting and alwaysbelievinginmyself,” a beaming Andreeva said aftersheliftedupthetrophy
Liverpool tightened their vicelike grip on this season’s Premier League title as they extended their leadto11pointswithacomfortable victoryatManchesterCity
The leaders had already seen their position strengthened when Arsenal lost at home to West Ham on Saturday before moving into what looks like an unassailable position with a superb display against the fallen reigning champions.
City opened brightly but were caught cold by a clever Liverpool corner routine after 14 minutes, Mohamed Salah scoring his 30th goal of the season after Dominik Szoboszlai played Alex Mac Allister’sdeliveryintohispath.
Alexander Isak has scored 6 goals in four Premier League games against Nottingham Forest
frantic first-half minutes to go in 4-1 up at half-time.
(BBC Sport) - Four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome suffered a broken collarboneinacrashattheUAETour
The 39-year-old Briton sustained the injuryinamasspile-upintheopening10km ofSunday’sfinalstage.
HisteamIsrael-PremierTechsaid:“ACT scanconfirmedafracturetotherightclavicle. Chris will be examined tomorrow [Monday] by an orthopedic surgeon to find out if an
operation will be necessary to stabilise his fracture.”
The injury casts doubt on how much Froomecancompeteinwhatisexpectedtobe hisfinalseasonincycling.
The two-time Olympic bronze medallist, who has also won twoVuelta a Espana titles and the Giro d’Italia, hinted in December, externalhemayretireafterthisyear’sVuelta inSeptember
Chris Froome sustained the injury in the opening 10km of Sunday’s final stage. (Getty Images)
Salah repaid the compliment eight minutes before the break, playing in a perfectlyweighteddeliveryforSzoboszlaito calmlyfinishlowpastCitykeeperEderson.
Liverpoolwereabletocloseoutahugely significant win without any alarms in the secondhalf,contenttoprotecttheadvantage theyhadestablishedinthefirst45minutes.
Newcastlegofifth afterbeatingNottmForest
Alexander Isak scored his 50th Premier League goal as a rampant first-half performance from Newcastle United helped them beat Nottingham Forest at St James’ Park.
ForesttookanearlyleadthroughCallum Hudson-Odoi before Newcastle grabbed control of the game with four goals in 11
LewisMileyandJacobMurphyscoredin quick succession to stun Forest, before Isak strucktwiceinthespaceoftwominutes.
Isak’ssecond-his19thgoaloftheseason - saw him reach the 50-goal mark in just 76 Premier League appearances, quicker than all-but six players in the competition’s history.
Nikola Milenkovic took advantage of a defensivelapsetopullagoalbackforForest, before substitute Ryan Yates set up a nervy finish with a close-range goal following a cornerinthe90thminute.
But Newcastle held on for a victory that movesthemuptofifthinthetable,whichwill likelybeenoughtoqualifyfortheChampions League,andputsthemwithinthreepointsof Forestinthird.
