Opposition's Budget 2025 criticisms amateurish, inept, lazy – Jagdeo Crackdown on vendors, containers endangering road users –Edghill to Police
EU Ambassador visits City Hall to assess progress of restoration works
After 11 years on the
Farmer wanted for murder nabbed, charged
Cayenne man wanted by Police nabbed with gun, ammo
Massive watermelons from farms in Santa Fe and Yupukari, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo): National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) staff visited the fields this month when these giant fruits were harvested to supply markets in Lethem and Georgetown (Agriculture in Region 9 page photos)
BRIDGE OPENINGS
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Friday, January 24 –00:15h-01:45h and Saturday, January 25 – 01:30h-03:00h.
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Friday, January 24 –12:35h-14:05h and Saturday, January 25 – 13:25h-14:55h.
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
WEATHER TODAY
Thundery to light showers are expected throughout the day and at night. Temperatures are expected to range between 23 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.
Winds: East North-Easterly to East South-Easterly between 1.79 metres and 4.47 metres.
High Tide: 12:13h and 23:49h reaching a maximum height of 2.17 metres.
Low Tide: 18:26h reaching a minimum height of 1.03 metres.
n a fiery press conference on Thursday, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo lashed out at the opposition Alliance For Change (AFC) and People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) for what he called “amateurish, inept, and lazy” critiques of the 2025 National Budget.
The Vice President, also the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), expressed his frustration at what he described as shallow, uninformed, and misleading comments from Opposition spokespersons, regarding the Government’s fiscal plan.
Jagdeo highlighted the careful design of the budget, emphasising its focus on poverty alleviation, economic empowerment, and sustainable development.
He argued that the Opposition’s failure to engage with the technical details of the fiscal plan reflects their lack of capacity to govern effectively.
“We can't eat roads and bridges. They did a lot of research to get to that – Nigel Hughes – we can't eat. He did big research into the infrastructure of the country and what it's directed to. So, I'm going to go through a few of these things so that you have a perspective on how stupid, silly sometimes these things are. And if we hope that this inept bunch of people can ever chart the way forward for our country, the leadership of the AFC and APNU, then we're in for a shock,” the VP told media during his weekly press conference.
Jagdeo underscored that the 2025 Budget prioritises targeted interventions, including significant investments in housing, job creation, and skills training. These measures, he explained, are part of a broader strategy to tackle poverty in a multifaceted way.
“They spent more money building offices for Ministers and upgrading administrative buildings than we are spending now in the period when we didn’t have oil money. Because their comfort mattered more than the schools or the hospitals… Where is the money going? It is going to build a power
plant that will drop the price of electricity by 50 per cent and cooking gas. $388 million of saving when they’re done, so APNU doesn’t believe that’s a priority… They’re trying to kill that project,” the Vice President said.
He dismissed as “uninformed rhetoric”, opposition claims that the budget offered “nothing for anyone” and countered that these claims are aimed at misleading the public.
The VP pointed out that key allocations in the bud-
get, such as housing subsidies, education grants, and tax relief measures, are designed to directly benefit vulnerable populations.
Further, taxpayers in the public and private sectors will breathe a sigh of relief as the Government increases the income tax threshold from $100,000 to $130,000.
This intervention places an additional $8.5 billion in disposable income into the pockets of taxpayers, while removing 22,000 persons from the tax bracket.
Jagdeo expressed dis-
appointment with the Opposition’s failure to substantiate their criticisms of this particular intervention with meaningful analysis.
“Under APNU, the tax threshold was $65,000 per month. So, anytime you work above $65,000, you started paying taxes… what we did, the first $130,000 you don’t pay no taxes; then the next $120,000, that $250,000, you pay 25 per cent, and then beyond $250,000 we drop the rate from 40 per cent to 35 per cent. This is pro-people and pro-poor,” he stated. “I’ll like to hear Norton speak about this when their economic spokesperson go there to Parliament,” Jagdeo added.
On January 17, the PPP/ Civic (PPP/C) Government presented a $1.382 trillion budget, marking the second budget in Guyana’s history to cross the trillion-dollar mark.
Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh presented the 2025 Budget under the theme “A secure, prosperous and sustainable Guyana”.
In an era when public service delivery remains essential to national development, President Dr Irfaan Ali’s announcement of quality assurance bodies for every region signals a shift in governance.
President Ali’s initiative is a much-needed strategic intervention aimed at ensuring consistent delivery of quality services to citizens.
The inclusion of civil society in these quality assurance bodies reflects a progressive approach, fostering transparency and promoting community involvement. Such collaboration is poised to empower local stakeholders, making them active participants in monitoring and improving service delivery.
The President’s community visits have been a basis of his administration, offering a direct channel for citizens to voice both triumphs and challenges. These interactions revealed gaps in the delivery of Government services, prompting swift action. By convening health and education officials alongside senior administrators, President Ali demonstrates a hands-on leadership style, addressing issues at their root rather than relying on reports or intermediaries.
This approach mirrors his previous efforts to demand accountability from contractors and Government officials, as seen in the early-morning State House meeting last November. These engagements showcase a no-nonsense commitment to efficiency and effectiveness in public service.
One critical area receiving attention is the decentralisation of medical supplies. President Ali announced plans to provide regions with an entire year’s stock of medical supplies, managed through an electronic platform. This innovation will enable daily monitoring and reconciliation, reducing the risk of stockouts and ensuring timely replenishment. By holding regions accountable for their stock management and decentralising distribution to the district level, the Administration aims to eliminate gaps in healthcare delivery.
This decentralisation strategy not only strengthens accountability but also enhances the pliability of regional healthcare systems.
The establishment of regional quality assurance bodies aligns seamlessly with President Ali’s vision of “tough love” governance. His insistence on efficiency and accountability has been echoed by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, who has defended these interventions as necessary to realign public service delivery with the Government’s ambitious developmental goals. This leadership style demonstrates a willingness to confront inefficiencies head-on while expressing confidence in the capabilities of the administrative machinery.
President Ali’s recent announcement is also timely, coming on the heels of the historic $1.382 trillion budget for 2025. This budget prioritises community investments, signalling a clear intent to address grassroots issues. The President’s emphasis on “strengthening communities” and empowering them with resources aligns with the broader objective of decentralising governance and fostering self-reliance at the local level.
The Government’s intensified focus on accountability is evident in the measures introduced to tackle project delays. President Ali’s insistence on timely project execution – a demand reinforced by last year’s high-profile meeting with delinquent contractors – sets a precedent for zero tolerance towards complacency. This principle extends beyond infrastructure to all facets of public service delivery, ensuring that citizens receive the quality of service they deserve.
The creation of quality assurance bodies, supported by civil society, represents a significant step forward. These bodies will serve as watchdogs, ensuring that public services in health, education, and beyond meet acceptable standards. Their success, however, hinges on robust implementation and sustained oversight. Training, adequate resources, and a clear mandate will be critical to their effectiveness.
Moreover, developing a culture of accountability requires buy-in from all stakeholders. Government officials, regional administrators, and civil society members must work collaboratively, united by the common goal of improving lives. Transparency in operations and clear communication channels will also be essential in maintaining public trust and confidence in these initiatives.
President Ali’s leadership reflects a deep understanding of the importance of public services in national development. His handson measures, including the decentralisation of medical supplies and the establishment of quality assurance bodies, are commendable steps towards creating a more efficient and responsive public service system. These reforms not only address immediate challenges but also lay the groundwork for sustainable development, ensuring that every citizen benefits from the nation’s progress.
Stark contrast between Ashni Singh’s and Jordan’s “biggest budget ever”
Dear Editor,
Finance Ministers in Guyana and in many countries around the world usually boast about their “biggest budget ever”. Every Finance Minister has done so since independence. And in every parliamentary budget debate, the Opposition would counter that “biggest budget ever” means nothing unless it delivers for the people.
It therefore is not shocking that the major criticism the immediate former Minister of Finance could come up with is that Ashni Singh’s “biggest budget ever” is much ado about nothing and is a “disaster”.
The truth is that Minister Singh and the PPP MPs, in the coming debate, would find it easy to defend Budget 2025 as the “biggest budget ever” because Budget 2025 is transformative: empowering people, families, businesses; building the infrastructure; transforming horizons; creating jobs; providing safety nets for the vulnerable; building the social sectors such as health, education, housing, water and sports, etc. The “biggest budget ever” supports the most ambitious strategy for development and GDP diversification ever.
The PPP MPs would have a field day in slamming the same claims Winston Jordan made as Finance Minister, because Jordon’s claim of the “biggest budget ever” then were truly meaningless.
There are many reasons why the PNC-led APNU/
AFC administration lost the 2020 elections. None of those reasons stand out as clearly as their clueless Minister of Finance. One would have thought it is in his interest not to remind people of why he stands out as Guyana’s and CARICOM’s worst ever Finance Minister.
Jordan presented five national budgets; each time, he made the “biggest budget ever” claim. I believe Ashni Singh has presented 13 budgets, and each time he has made that claim. There are stark differences between the boast of “biggest ever” budgets made by Ashni Singh and Jordan. In the five budgets Jordan presented, one could easily argue that “biggest” did not mean better, because each of those budgets placed more burden on Guyanese through increased taxation; each took away benefits or caused loss of jobs, and none included a transformative agenda either in infrastructure or the social development needs of our people. All of the budgets Jordan presented were “tax and spend” budgets, and all were utter disavowal of promises his government made to people.
Minister Ashni Singh’s “biggest budget ever” in 2025 is, as before, not merely a routine boast. First, Ashni Singh’s “biggest budget ever” is a budget in which the Government is able to allocate more money for development without any new taxes, and with a reduction of taxes. The threshold has been
increased by more than 30% between Budgets 2024 and 2025, and by 100% between Budgets 2020 and 2025. The tax rate has been reduced from 28% to 25% for salaries up to $260,000 above the threshold, and from 40% to 35% for incomes above the threshold +$260,000. In addition, VAT on certain items, such as agriculture machinery and for generators, have been waived.
In contrast, Jordan’s budgets were filled with more than 200 new taxes, or increased taxes, such as VAT on education, water, electricity, health products, food, drainage and irrigation fees, agriculture land lease rates, mining and agriculture machinery, etc.
While the PPP budgets since 2020 have averaged a more-than-20% annual increase in the threshold, Jordan’s budget managed a moribund 6% annual increase. In short, PPP/C budgets provided tax relief for people and businesses; Jordan’s PNC-led APNU/ AFC budgets imposed severe tax burdens on people.
Second, Ashni Singh’s“biggest budget ever” significantly increases safety nets, such as the Because We Care school grant, oneoff cash grants for all adults, introduction of a cash grant for newborn babies, and a national health voucher for all citizens; increases in oldage pension and public assistance. Budget 2025 caters for cost-of-living interventions
like removal of bridge tolls, transforming UG to free education, increase in the number of persons on part-time employment, allocation to ensure electricity cost will be reduced by 50%, etc.
Jordan’s “biggest budget ever” took away safety nets from people. They abolished the Because We Care grants; the water and electricity subsidies; support for farmers, businesses and households during climate change and other kinds of disasters. They increased UG fees.
Third, Ashni Singh’s “biggest budget ever” results from investments in transformative infrastructuresuch as highways and bridges, gas-to-energy project, schools and hospitals, sports facilities, etc. Jordan made the boast of “biggest budget ever” five times, but for all five of those budgets, there was no allocation for new transformative projects. All the big transformative projects were those that were in progress from 2014, such as the Modernization and Expansion of the CJIA, the East Coast Demerara, East Bank Demerara, West Demerara Highways. No new school or hospital or genuine housing scheme was completed during this time. Their most note-worthy project was Durban Park, which stands out today in the physical landscape as a national eyesore and disgrace, and as one of the biggest scams and corruption transactions ever.
Students of Grades Seven and Eleven of Chase’s Academy posed for a photo opportunity after visiting the Times Media Group on Thursday, January 23, as part of their educational media tour to gain insights into the world of journalism and media production
GCCI remains resolute as an advocate for economic development, increased standard of living in Guyana
Dear Editor,
The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) extends congratulations to the Government of Guyana on presentation of the $1.382 trillion 2025 National Budget under the theme ‘A Secure, Prosperous, and Sustainable Guyana’; it was, notably, an increase of 20.6 percent from the 2024 National Budget with no new taxes.
As Guyana’s development continues on an upward trajectory, the GCCI
is pleased with the projected GDP growth of 10.6 percent for 2025, coupled with the anticipated 13.8 percent growth in the non-oil economy this year. With these projections, Guyana is expected to remain the world’s third fastest growing econo-
my. This comes on the heels of the country’s noteworthy economic performance in 2024 of 43.6 percent growth overall and an increase of 13.1 percent in the non-oil economy.
Guyana’s development and outstanding econom-
Shipping Association commends Govt on transformative 2025 National Budget
Dear Editor,
The Shipping Association of Guyana (SAG) applauds the Government of Guyana for presenting a progressive and transformative 2025 National Budget under the theme “A Secure, Prosperous, and Sustainable Guyana.”
This budget demonstrates the Government’s unwavering commitment to fostering economic growth, enhancing infrastructure, and creating opportunities that benefit all Guyanese, especially those in the maritime and shipping sectors.
SAG welcomes construction of a new Parika ferry stelling and the Waterfront Development Project. This transformative initiative will position Parika as a major regional hub for transportation and commerce.
This development prioritizes operational efficiency, safety, and commuter comfort, ensuring the region’s growth potential is fully realized.
Equally commendable is the Government’s commitment to dredging of the Demerara River channels to accommodate larger ships. This initiative will not only enhance navigational safety, but also reduce shipping costs and increase the efficiency of trade logistics. By ensuring that Guyana can handle increased trade volumes, this project cements the country’s role as a critical player in regional and global trade.
The SAG also applauds theallocation for the removal of wrecks and obstructions inthe Essequibo
and Demerara rivers. This long-overdue measure will improve navigational safety, boost operational efficiency, and create a more seamless shipping experience; which are critical for supporting the country’s economic aspirations.
The SAG also recognizes the fiscal reforms introduced in Budget 2025 as measures that will benefit both businesses and the working class. Key initiatives such as increasing the income tax threshold to $130,000, reducing PAYE rates, and introducing non-taxable overtime earnings up to $50,000 demonstrate a strong commitment to enhancing disposable income, stimulating domestic spending and creating a more inclusive economy.
The Shipping
Association of Guyana lauds the Government’s strategic approach to fostering macroeconomic stability, reducing costs, and investing in critical infrastructure. These efforts will undoubtedly empower the maritime and shipping sectors to thrive, enabling Guyana to capitalize on its growing economic opportunities.
We look forward to collaborating with policymakers to ensure the successful implementation of these initiatives. The SAG remains dedicated to supporting measures that enhance Guyana’s competitiveness and create a sustainable future for all stakeholders.
Sincerely,
Shipping Association of Guyana
Stark contrast between Ashni Singh’s...
The most important distinguishing feature between Ashni Singh’s and Jordan’s “biggest ever budget” boasts relates to how these budgets treat manifesto and campaign promises. Ashni Singh and the PPP MPs will justifiably regale the nation and the world that their “biggest budget ever” supports implementation of promises made in their manifesto and on the campaign. They promised to reinstitute the Because We Care grant for school children and make it bigger and better, culminating with the grant being $50,000 per child by 2025; double the old-age pension from $20,500 (2020) to $41,000 by 2025; reinstitute the water and electricity subsidies for pensioners, increase public assistance, reintroduce the CDO program for Amerindians, introduce an aggressive and progressive cash grant relief program. The PPP promised to reverse all the new taxes introduced by Jordan and the PNC-led APNU/AFC. These and other safety net programmes to help Guyanese families have been implemented through Budgets 2020 to 2025.
The PPP promised that they would remove fees from the University of Guyana. Budget 2025 accomplished this. The PPP promised that sugar estates that were closed would, where possible, be restarted, and sugar
workers who had lost jobs would be reemployed. Rose Hall Estate was restarted in 2024, and will have a full year of operation in 2025. The PPP promised to reverse the dramatic increases in drainage and irrigation fees, agriculture land lease rates, etc. and to reintroduce waiver programmes for VAT on agriculture and mining machinery. All these promises were provided for by the “biggest budget ever” of 2020 to 2025.
The PPP promised to create at least 50,000 new jobs, 50,000 new house lots, 20,000 scholarships for Guyanese to study online, new hospitals, new schools, new industrial centres, new sports facilities, new bridges and highways, generate more electricity, build capacity for non-fossil fuel generation of electricity, complete the Demerara River Bridge, reconstruct the Linden Highway, build a bridge to Suriname, start the construction of the Linden to Lethem Highway, etc. Ashni Singh’s “biggest budget ever” claims for Budgets in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 achieved these things and set a record for 100% adherence to the promises the PPP made in their 2020 manifesto and during the campaign.
In contrast, Jordan’s “biggest budget ever” were never about keeping the promises they made to the
Guyanese people in their manifesto and during the campaign. Indeed, every single budget that Jordan and the PNC-led APNU/ AFC MPs boasted as the “biggest budget ever” was a budget that disavowed any and all the promises they made.
They promised free university education; they increased the fees at UG. They promised a better program than the Because We Care cash grant for children; instead, they replaced it with a few broken down buses and some bicycles and a couple of boats. They promised public servants and sugar workers a 20% increase in salaries and wages in their first 100 days; instead, they froze sugar workers’ wages and told public servants they must await their turn, after giving themselves a 50 to 100% increase in their salaries and benefits. They promised to double old-age pension in their first 100 days; instead, after five years, the pensioners went from $15,000 per month to $20,500 per month. They promised to increase the tax threshold to $100,000 in their first 100 days; instead, they barely increase from $50,000 in 2015 to $65,000 by 2020. They promised not to close any sugar estate; instead, they closed four. They promised more jobs; instead, they told young people to sell dog food and
ic performance require prudent economic management and measures, and the Chamber has taken note of several interventions that cater to increasing sectoral performances sustainably while investing in socio-economic development.
The Chamber wishes firstly to applaud the Government for increasing the income tax threshold to $130,000 while decreasing the PAYE rate to 25 percent, thereby increasing employees’ disposable incomes. These measures, in conjunction with several other cash injections through one-off cash grants, annual cash grants, and old age pensions and public assistance increases, as well as measures to alleviate the costof-living, amount to a keen focus on improving citizens’ welfare.
The GCCI also commends the increased investments in the agriculture, extractives, manufacturing, construction, and services sectors, particularly given the projected sectoral growth.
light the focus on small business development with injection of $3 billion for establishment of industrial estates in Regions 2, 3, 4 and 10. This, in addition to the proposed removal of import tax and VAT on machinery used in the agriculture sector; the removal of VAT on automated poultry pens, veterinary supplies, and backup generators; as well as measures to reduce freight costs, are welcome interventions.
Over the years, the GCCI has continued to highlight challenges with the labour shortage; as such, the move to invest heavily in the education sector — including funding of the University of Guyana and other technical institutes across the country, thereby removing tuition — must be commended as a step in the right direction. This will further enhance the country’s workforce and ability to meet the needs of all sectors, particularly the oil and gas industry.
FROM PAGE 4
plantain chips on the road. They promised rice farmers $9,000 per bag of paddy; instead, they told the rice farmers they are private sector and are on their own.
The list goes on and on.
The absolute truth is that for Jordan and the MPs from the PNC-led APNU/ AFC, their boast of the “biggest budget ever” in 2015 and subsequently until 2020 were “tax and spend” budgets, rife with corruption. Their “biggest budget ever” were funded on the backs of the Guyanese people via new and increased taxation, burdened future generations with more debts, squandered the reserve, both foreign currency and local Guyanese dollar reserves, plundered the gold reserve, and spent money recklessly without ever empowering the population, without ever improving the physical and social infrastructure, and by destroying the mainstay of the economy – sugar, rice, mining.
The PPP will, over the course of this debate, demonstrate that their “biggest budget ever”, far from being empty sloganeering, propels the country forward, and is a fierce testament to keeping promises, always with the people at the centre.
Sincerely,
Dr Leslie Ramsammy
Additionally, the Chamber has noted the strong focus on infrastructural development and the energy sector. It is crucial that focus be placed on aligning the country’s infrastructure with increasedinvestment interests, especially in relation toenergy and transportation infrastructure.
Among the numerous projects announced, the Chamber wishes to high-
The GCCI remains resolute in its role as an advocate for economic development and increased standard of living in Guyana. The Chamber supports the Government of Guyana in these initiatives, and welcomes Budget 2025 as a vehicle for continued growth and development.
Sincerely, Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry
FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2025
Page Foundation
Question 1 refers to the set of fruits below.
1) Which of the following is a subset of Set A?
2) The average of a set of numbers is 12. The sum of these numbers is 48. How many numbers are in the set?
(A) 3 (B) 4 (C) 12 (D) 28
3) What is the value of 5 510-2987
4) What is the average of Roy's test scores?
5) 24÷2+5×2 can be simplified as
Question 6 refers to the number sentence below.
6) Which of the following numbers will correctly complete the number sentence above?
7) What is 0.25 written as a fraction?
8) What fraction of the shape below is unshaded?
9) Which of the following numbers will correctly complete the number sentence below?
maggie and milly and molly and may went down to the beach(to play one day) and maggie discovered a shell that sang so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troubles,and milly befriended a stranded star whose rays five languid fingers were; and molly was chased by a horrible thing which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and may came home with a smooth round stone as small as a world and as large as alone.
For whatever we lose(like a you or a me) it’s always ourselves we find in the sea
n this fun and easy science experiment for kids, we’re going to see if we can use science to clear ‘snow’ from our ‘pond’.
Materials: Plate Water Baby powder Bar of soap
Instructions:
Fill the dinner plate with water. Sprinkle a dusting of baby powder over the surface of the water.
Rub the tip of your finger on the soap.
Now touch the soap into the centre of the water and observe what occurs.
How it works:
The baby powder is hydrophobic and does not dissolve or mix immediately in the water. The soap breaks the surface tension of the water and sends the water molecules away from the soap. As the water molecules move away from the soap, they carry the baby powder with them.
Make this a science project: Try different items like pepper, cinnamon, and flour. Try different liquids. Try different types of soap. (sciencefun.org)
“We
will take our people back if they’re deported”
Jagdeo on US immigration crackdown
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday assured that any Guyanese deported from the United States would be accepted home.
His comments came in response to questions from the media in relation to plans by the new Republican Administration in the United States to step up policing of illegal immigration in cities with significant migrant populations.
“Yes, we will take our people back if they’re deported…,” he said. “If they’re Guyanese, then we don’t have a choice but to take them back,” Jagdeo said during his weekly press conference.
Asked about possible pressure on the healthcare and other systems in soci-
ety, the Vice President said Guyana has accepted other nationalities willingly, and cannot turn away its own citizens.
“We believe that if our country can absorb people
who come from Venezuela, most are Guyanese and some are non-Guyanese; and if we can absorb them in our country and they’re working here and they’re living here decently; then why shouldn’t
we do that for our own people?” he questioned. “This is home to them,” he asserted. He explained that there would be verification that the persons are indeed Guyanese, in order to avoid other nationalities being deported to Guyana.
US media reported on Wednesday that a bill has been passed requiring the detainment of unauthorized immigrants accused of theft and violent crimes, marking the first legislation that President Donald Trump can sign as Congress, with some bipartisan support, swiftly move in line with his plans to crack down on illegal immigration. Some persons have raised security concerns relative to the character of persons who would be deported
to Guyana; but Jagdeo has said that, concerns notwithstanding, Government does not have a choice but to accept its citizens.
Hours after being sworn-in to office on Monday, January 20, US President Donald Trump signed a flurry of executive actions on immigration. In a series of orders he signed, Trump moved
to seal that nation’s borders against migrants and systematically crack down on undocumented immigrants already in the United States. These measures are part of a policy barrage that include a national emergency declaration to deploy the military to the border and a bid to cut off birthright citizenship for the children of noncitizens.
Opposition’s Coalition MoU AFC’s negotiator had contracts sole-sourced from APNU/AFC – VP
In a blistering critique of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has alleged corruption involving key figures in the party and in its past dealings with the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).
Central to his accusations is the involvement of Jamaican political strategist Alston Stewart, who acted as the AFC’s negotiator during the Cummingsburg Accord of 2015, and is now doing so in the most recent Memorandum of Understanding. Stewart’s company was reportedly awarded a sole-sourced contract during the APNU/ AFC administration. According to court documents, Stewart’s company received a $72.45 million sole-sourced contract in 2016 for motion scales. The payment was made in full upfront, but the scales were allegedly never delivered, leaving millions of taxpayers’ dollars unaccounted for.
In 2016, the Public Infrastructure Ministry under then Minister David Patterson had allegedly requested that the scales be sole-sourced from two companies owned by Stewart, thereby bypassing standard procurement laws. Cabinet was reportedly told that Stewart’s companies had over 15 years of experience in the industry — claims later revealed to be false.
During his weekly press conference on Thursday, Jagdeo questioned how a political consultant with no demonstrated expertise in the field could have been awarded such a lucrative contract. He also pointed to Stewart’s deep entanglement with questionable procurement practices during the tenure of the APNU/
AFC government.
“Patterson Ministry requested that these scales be sole-sourced from two connected companies. Both of these companies are owned by Alston Stewart - their negotiator in 2015, and their current negotiator… They took the Cabinet paper and told the Cabinet that these two companies owned by Alston Stewart have the requisite experi-
ence, that they have been in business for over 15 years, which turned out to be a lie,” VP Jagdeo said.
“Patterson was in direct contact with this person…, How could you sole-source a scale from your political consultant who has a company with no requisite experience? How did you know they were supplying scales if this was not collusion?” he added.
Rehashing old rhetoric
Further, the Vice President criticised the AFC for rehashing old rhetoric of transparency and integrity while key members such as Khemraj Ramjattan, David Patterson, and Cathy Hughes remain at its helm.
“The last time I checked, he was the Chairman of the AFC when the Cummingsburg Accord was signed. Ramjattan was the leader, Trotman was a key member of the party at that time, Patterson was there, Cathy Hughes was there. These are the same faces
from the past, and he said, ‘Oh we’re new now’. The only thing that is new is the new lies that they’re telling to people”, Jagdeo has said.
“I hope that the people of this country would realize how sick the AFC is to try to cheat us and fool us once again about lofty politics and their care for the people of this country and their love for transparency,” Jagdeo emphasized.
Further, he said, the Auditor General’s Reports indicate that none of the purchased scales has been located, despite full payment having been made for them. Attorney General Anil Nandlall had, in 2021, filed
legal proceedings against Patterson, his Permanent Secretary Balraj Balram,
Engineer Lawrence Mentis, and Stewart’s company for breach of contract, negligence, and misuse of public funds.
Nandlall is reported to have sought over $250 million in damages and restitution, claiming the defendants’ actions violated procurement laws and caused significant financial loss to the state. He noted that the scales, which were purportedly shipped to Guyana in 2018, remained unverified, with only three of six packages having been found at a storage bond in Georgetown. The AFC is yet to address these allegations.
US President Donald Trump
Jamaican political strategist Alston Stewart
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo
Calvin Brutus skips PSC tribunal on misuse of GPF welfare funds, record falsification charges
…doctor recalls medical certificate issued for back pain, muscle strain
The proceedings of the Police Service Commission’s Tribunal have been delayed after Assistant Commissioner of
Police, Calvin Brutus, failed to attend the scheduled hearing on January 22, 2025. In a release to the media on Thursday, Secretary of the
Tribunal, Hugh Park, said the body was convened to investigate allegations of misconduct and breaches of discipline against Brutus, and cited his absence as a significant hindrance to its operations. According to the Police Service Commission (PSC), the tribunal, chaired by Shoshanna Lall, with Keoma Griffith and Seelall Persaud as members, was established under the authority of the Constitution of Guyana and the Police (Discipline) Act, Chapter 17:01.
The disciplinary charges against Brutus stem from alleged violations committed between August 2020 and July 2024, including improper financial instructions and falsification of records.
On the day of the hearing, the tribunal received a letter from Mr. Brutus, citing a medical certificate dated January 21, 2025 which declared him unfit for work for 14 days due to back pain and muscle strain. In that letter, he requested a hearing date beyond February 2, 2025. However, his medical claim came under scrutiny when the tribunal summoned the issuing doctor, who testified that the symptoms described by Brutus were not severe, and did not preclude his attendance, either in person or virtually.
The Tribunal’s release stated that, on Thursday, the doctor formally recalled the medical certificate, stating it appeared to have been obtained by Brutus to evade the tribunal. Further, the doctor noted that he was unaware of the scheduled tribunal hearing at the time of issuing the certificate.
Non-compliance
According to the release, despite being served a summons at his residence at Eve Leary, Brutus failed to appear at the rescheduled hearing on January 23, 2025, nor did any legal representative attend on his behalf. The tribunal has thus deemed his actions deliberate attempts to evade accountability, and has re-issued a summons for him to appear on January 27, 2025, either in person or virtually. The importance of adhering to the timeline has been emphasised, as the tribunal’s mandate expires 28 days after its commencement on January 22, unless extended by the PSC.
The charges the tribunal would be looking into against
Brutus, who is currently before the court, include the improper use of Welfare Funds. In that charge, he allegedly directed that payment of $13.67M be made from the Guyana Police Force’s Welfare Fund for goods procured by the Government, and he falsified the records thereof.
He also allegedly falsified the records for transactions done at the Quartermaster Stores to purport that $101.43 million worth of goods were delivered.
The Tribunal’s release on Thursday has stated that the tribunal is committed to upholding natural justice and the rule of law, and will proceed in the discharge of its functions with or without the cooperation of Brutus.
The Tribunal has also stated that it intends to complete its inquiry within the allocated timeframe, in order to submit a written report to the PSC.
Legal proceedings against Assistant Police Commissioner Calvin Brutus began in October 2024, when he was initially charged with 30 counts of financial crimes, including misconduct in public office, larceny as a public officer, and money laundering.
He was placed on bail totalling $6.2 million after his appearance in a Georgetown Magistrate’s court; but in November 2024, Brutus faced an additional 201 charges related to liability of an official, thereby bringing to 231 the total number of charges he faces. The court has imposed an additional $10.05 million in bail, bringing the cumulative bail amount to $16.25 million.
These charges stem from a SOCU investigation into alleged financial crimes involving hundreds of millions of dollars linked to the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
In December 2024, SOCU filed an application to have Brutus’s bail revoked, alleging a breach of his bail conditions. However, SOCU withdrew the application later that month without providing a reason.
In January 2025, Brutus’s wife, Adonika Aulder, appeared before Magistrate McGusty via Zoom following concerns over her failure to return to Guyana within the stipulated time, after travelling abroad for medical purposes.
Brutus has denied all the allegations he faces.
Receiving…
…we own
Riding a wave of nativism that’s long been in the making, one of Trump’s major re-election planks, that got him elected, was promising to take drastic action to deal with immigration and immigrants – both legal and illegal. Long gone is the promise, “Give me your tired, your poor,/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”, now that they’re not White no mo!! No one brings up the irony of a nation of immigrants creating an apartheid system to cordon off the real natives on reservations!!
In his inauguration speech on Monday, Trump reiterated, “We will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came!” However, mass deportations haven’t begun as yet, but it’s clear they are coming down the pike!!
Trump immediately started closing off loopholes that allowed the illegals to slip through the cracks. He started off by focusing on his southern border with Mexico - where refugees were actually facilitated with a computer app on which they could apply to enter the US!! No more…the app is gone!!
He’s also enlisted the military into corralling the migrants, and has deployed 1500 of them already.
Trump officials have also expanded a procedure to speed up deportations - include undocumented immigrants anywhere in the US who can’t prove they’ve lived in the US continuously for two years or more. The fast-track deportation procedure, known as “expedited removal”, allows immigration authorities to deport an individual without a hearing before an immigration judge. In so doing, the administration is broadening its powers to deport undocumented immigrants.
He’s also signed an order to charge officials who refuse to follow the new dispensation!!
Other targets are the so-called “sanctuary cities”, where mostly Democratic officials took a more lenient stance against illegals – going so far as, in NYC, to house and feed them. This has angered even middle-of-the road Americans! “Sanctuary cities are going to get exactly what they don’t want,” warned White House border czar Tom Homan.
Trump’s new policy would also allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to conduct enforcement actions in or near sensitive areas like schools and churches!! Mexico knows that, sooner or later, Trump’s gonna be keeping his threat on mass deportations, and has already started building camps to house the thwarted. Our fellow Guyanese who went to the US recently on visas, but have “overstayed”, are gonna get caught!! For sure, that social media influencer who leaks Government documents!! Your Eyewitness knows they’re quivering in their boots, and moving around looking furtively over their shoulders.
The Government should follow Mexico’s example and construct some camps to house deported Guyanese. There might be room for the influencer at Camp Street??
…payback?
Now, some say injustice to the native Americans ain’t the only injustice being exposed by Trump’s deportations. Think “Why are all the illegals streaming into the US, Canada, UK and the EU?” They’re fleeing their own countries, which are poorer than dirt, to try enjoying some of the “good life” they take for granted up north. But we should ask ourselves, “Why is the north richer?” And with even the slightest bit of research, we’d find it’s because they exploited the countries of those same “illegals”, and kept them poor and huddled while they amassed their wealth!!
We don’t have to look far – just consider our own dear Mudland!! Didn’t stinking rich Netherlands rob us for 200 years? And England for the same time?? And then the US messed up our politics for their own interest, and left us broken and divided for sixty years!! But what can we do?? The strong’s always gonna do what they can, and the weak will do what they must!!
…advice from Burnham
In stressing his claim to the leadership of any combined Opposition for this year’s elections, Aubrey Norton is merely echoing his Founder-Leader Burnham’s philosophy about illmatched opposing forces: “Never the day can canoe bore punt!!”
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Calvin Brutus
AFC clinging to PNC for credibility ahead of 2025 elections – VP
The Alliance For Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) are back in the spotlight, rekindling talks of a coalition, which according to People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo seems less strategic and more desperate.
Reports had emerged on Tuesday that the People’s National Congress (PNC)led APNU and the AFC had reached an accord for further discussions towards coalescing.
AFC Leader Nigel Hughes admitted that his party’s accord with APNU was on life support, as the smaller party remained wary of past mistakes and the fact that a suitable mechanism must be employed to choose between him and his APNU counterpart, Aubrey Norton, to decide who would be the presidential candidate at this year’s General and Regional Elections.
During his weekly press conference on Thursday, Jagdeo did not mince words when he labelled the AFC’s overtures to the PNC as a bid for survival.
Speaking at Freedom House, Jagdeo characterised both Opposition entities as political relics, suggesting that the AFC’s
manoeuvring was an attempt to maintain a veneer of relevance in the face of declining influence.
“If this doesn’t tell the people of this country about the comic nature of the characters that we’re dealing with, I think it’s tragic, but in a way it’s also comic. The two serious or seemingly serious political parties that were partners for such a long time, moments after they signed an agreement, they would say that it’s on life support. But the fact of the matter is that these two parties are on life support themselves, especially the AFC.
“I think this is an attempt to cling on to the PNC to ensure that they maintain some modicum of credibility at the next polls, because you cannot deny, as Norton said, that the PNC has more support in this country than the AFC has ever had,” VP Jagdeo said.
Jagdeo further weighed in on this power struggle, suggesting that the AFC’s selection of Hughes as party leader was part of a calculated plan to stake a claim for the presidential candidacy.
“Their plan was, this was like months ago, when they shafted Sherod Duncan and put Nigel Hughes as the lead of the AFC and even then, they had a plot. This was what they were discussing clearly. They were saying to Ramjattan and the others were saying, we will do the polls, conduct the polls and show that Norton is very unpopular and then we will secure the presidential candidate’s position in the coalition for Nigel Hughes,” he said.
On this point, the General Secretary expressed confidence the PPP/ Civic would be re-elected at the 2025 polls, stating “from the PPP’s perspective, we don’t care too much
who their presidential candidate is because they’re going to lose the elections in any case. But it’s very interesting to us to see how AFC is trying to strong-arm its way and to put pressure on Norton to back down from that position.”
Life support
During a press conference on Tuesday evening, Hughes admitted that there was indeed an agreement and that the content of this accord includes an agreement for the two parties to hold talks on whether to contest the upcoming General and Regional Elections as a coalition or independently – a decision they have agreed will be made by March 31.
While Hughes was reluctant to expound in much detail on what was necessary to revive the agreement from its current life support status, he did make reference to his and
Norton’s contrasting leadership styles.
After the news broke of this accord, Guyana Times had reached out to a senior official in the PNC Reform (PNCR), who had confirmed that the two parties have been in discussions and that representatives did meet. The source had indicated that in case the two parties do join forces to contest the upcoming elections, they will be insistent on Norton leading the coalition slate as its consensus presidential candidate.
Following his election as leader, Norton had said that the PNC was considering contesting the 2025 General and Regional Elections independently and while he had indicated that he would be willing to step aside as the party’s presidential candidate for someone who may have more electability, he had made it clear that any new presidential candidate must be someone from
within the PNC. It was announced a few days ago that Hughes had been designated as the Presidential Candidate of the AFC, after the party concluded the first meeting of its National Executive Committee (NEC) for the year.
APNU, whose largest member is the PNC, had coalesced with the AFC in 2015 for the elections that year. The two parties had also jointly contested the 2020 elections. However, the AFC formally broke its coalition with APNU back in December 2022.
The revised Cummingsburg Accord, a political agreement between the two organisations, had provided for this separation. At the time, former AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan had indicated that the two political organisations would do their political work separately, but would work in Parliament jointly.
(G1)
General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo
PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton
AFC Leader Nigel Hughes
Sport Journalist loses home in Kitty fire
Safter a fire of unknown origin engulfed the edifice on Thursday.
Reports are that the fire
started just before 16:00h, and Welch was not at home at the time. The fire spread quickly and caught a second
building, but by then ranks of the Guyana Fire Service were already on scene, and that blaze was extinguished. His wife, who was inside
the building, has suffered burn injuries and has been taken to a city hospital.
Cayenne man wanted by Police nabbed with gun, ammo
A37-year-old man who was wanted by Police in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) was arrested on Wednesday with an illegal firearm and matching ammunition.
Kellon McCloud, called “Penny”, who hails from Cayenne, French Guiana, was wanted for a previous break-and-enter matter.
According to the Police, a mobile patrol on duty went to the Christianburg ball
field in Linden, where the suspect was found on the pavilion.
McCloud, who is known to the Police, was subjected to a search during which the ranks unearthed a 9mm firearm with 14 live rounds of ammunition that were hidden in his crotch.
He was promptly arrested and taken to the Wismar Police Station, where he remains in custody pending further investigations.
The gun and ammunition that were found
Kellon McCloud, called “Penny”
ports journalist Rawle Welch has lost his Willian Street, Kitty, Georgetown home
The aftermath of the fire
The Kitty, Georgetown house engulfed in fire
EU Ambassador visits City Hall to assess progress of restoration works
The European Union Ambassador to Guyana, René van Nes, along with a team from the EU Delegation, visited City Hall to examine the restoration works ongoing at the building.
In a post on social media, the local EU office said that they joined Georgetown Mayor Alfred Mentore for the visit and added that the restoration works were
European Union Ambassador to Guyana, René van Nes along with the EU Delegation and City Hall team during the visit on Thursday
Crackdown on vendors, containers endangering road users – Edghill to Police
…as GPF receives $50M in traffic equipment
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has said that it is now the recipient of $50 million worth of traffic equipment, through the partnership of the Public Works Ministry and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
The equipment was handed over at the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) tarmac in Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, on Thursday, and included mobile road blocks, lighted vests, and two-way speeding guns.
They are expected to complement the arsenal of traffic ranks as they work to make our roadways safe.
Stating that “one life lost on the road is one too many”, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill disclosed that the Public Works Ministry would continue to aid and support the GPF, while calling on the Force to deal with the vendors who take to selling on the new highways and roadways.
In addition, the new culture of placing containers along the shoulders of recently-built or -upgraded roads was also frowned upon by the Minister, who charged the Traffic Chief to engage the owners, in an
effort to discontinue this practice that is a hazard to road users.
According to Edghill,
the Government is turning a new page in traffic safety for Police ranks by setting up portable roadblocks to protect officers from speeding and reckless drivers.
Top Cop Clifton Hicken receiving some of the equipment from IDB Country Representative Lorena Salazar on Thursday. Also in photo is Public Works Minister Juan Edghill
also receiving training for essential daily living
Some 45 visually-impaired individuals will now receive key training and insights into the workforce, through the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD), in partnership with Specialists in Sustained Youth Development and Research (SSYDR) –an initiative funded by ExxonMobil Guyana.
This training programme, which has been running for two years and has seen over 700 beneficiaries to date, will be held over two days.
Through this initiative, participants will also be trained in essential daily living skills, enabling them to navigate their surroundings, communicate effectively, and complete everyday tasks with greater ease.
Speaking during the launch of the two-day workshop, GCOPD Programme Manager Ganesh Singh explained that this initiative
would empower individuals with the skills to research jobs.
“This two-day training aims to empower youths with the skills to research jobs, develop your own curriculum vitae or resume, and formulate a cover letter, which needs to accompany that CV. You will also learn how to conduct yourself in an interview setting,” Singh said.
He also stressed the importance of the participants acquiring the skills that would be taught during the programme.
“We’re not living in a bubble, and we’re not going to university or accessing some other academic institution just to have a piece of paper. We’re doing it for the purpose of accessing employment. That is why it’s important for you to have these skills,” Singh added.
He further emphasised that these opportunities were only effective if participants know how to conduct
themselves appropriately in job settings.
“For those of us with disabilities, these life skills are numerous. A blind person with a degree who doesn’t know how to use a cane or operate a computer makes that degree useless. Isn’t that so? Yes because you can’t get employment, so it’s about being independent in all areas and being able to manage within the world of work. But it all starts with being able to manage yourself in an interview setting and access the job opportunities that might exist.”
On that note, Singh revealed that computers would be provided to allow participants to create CVs.
“Tomorrow – and I’ll speak to the facilitator –we’ll try to get some laptops here so that you can create your own CV or modify it if you already have one, and also help draft your cover letter…Those of you who are not too efficient with a
computer will get support from GCOPD personnel who will be here, We want tangible deliverables at the end,” Singh said.
Meanwhile, SSYDR Training Manager Soren Griffith stated that this initiative would strengthen the workforce and promote greater inclusivity.
“We are fostering pathways to meaningful employment, enhancing skills, and promoting greater self-reliance for youths with disabilities. These partnerships will strengthen the framework for inclusivity in Guyana, not only preparing you for work but also transforming sections of your potential,” Griffith shared.
He further added, “This marks a significant milestone in our shared commitment to creating better
opportunities for Guyanese youth, particularly for this special group of determined, talented, and inspiring individuals, as they prepare for the world of work.”
Delivering the feature address was ExxonMobil’s Lasawhna Prescott, who emphasised the importance of supporting persons with disabilities.
“It’s easy for us to take for granted the freedom we have to work independent-
ly. We recognise that persons with disabilities face challenges regarding resources and support, and so we are deliberate in helping build their self-esteem, their families, and their communities,” Prescott said.
ExxonMobil’s partnership with GCOPD began in 2019, when the company supported the STEM Club programme for children with disabilities.
Participants in attendance
GCOPD Programme Manager Ganesh Singh
Consultations held on new standardisation strategy
In planning to form a new strategy aimed at improving quality products and service delivery, consultations were held Thursday by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) with various stakeholders, aimed at attaining essential information for the
derstands that the efforts are being supported by the Caricom Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
Speaking at the workshop’s opening ceremony
development of a National Standardisation Strategy (NSS).
Guyana Times un-
in Sophia, GNBS Executive Director Trevor Bassoo revealed that these
EU Ambassador visits...
FROM PAGE 13
efforts towards standardisation would facilitate the delivery of quality products.
“Together, we are paving the way for the delivery of quality products and services through the identification, development, and subsequent implementation of the appropriate standards,” he stated.
He mentioned that the consultations were crucial to building a stronger and more resilient national quality infrastructure.
According to the GNBS, as a national standards body, it has been a key part-
ner in the adoption, development, and implementation of national, regional, and international standards in Guyana.
Bassoo added that over the last year alone, some 33 national standards were approved for the agriculture, tourism, petroleum, and other sectors.
However, while he acknowledges that standards are voluntary, he is certain that the growth path of the country’s economy will prompt the use of more of these crucial guidance documents, which are referred to as standards.
Meanwhile it was revealed that some 210 copies of more than 600 available standards were sold for implementation by various industry partners during the year 2024.
He described the initiative as exciting and transformative for Guyana’s future.
In moving forward, the GNBS Director disclosed that the National Standardisation Strategy will build upon this foundation, aligning with the country’s economic, social, technological, and environmental objectives while maintaining global competitiveness.
This project provides a roadmap for the GNBS to effectively utilise standards to
build economic growth and social progress, guided by a framework of safety, quality, and reliability.
Bassoo mentioned too that collaboration between Government, industry, academia, consumers, and other stakeholders would ensure that standards developed over the next year would meet the needs of all parties.
“With that said, your contribution is vital to the success of this project. Therefore, I would like to say thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to join us today and provide your valuable input,” he said.
Meanwhile, CROSQ’s Chief Executive Officer,
Sharonmae Smith-Walker, noted that the project was also being implemented in six other Caricom nations. Smith-Walker said the standardisation strategy would allow Guyana to align its national standards with international best practices.
“This will enable seamless integration of Guyanese products into international value chains, creating greater trade opportunities for the country. The standardisation strategy is a critical tool to protect the wellbeing of Guyanese citizens through better-quality local products and services, and more importantly, to safeguard your constituents from poor-quality imports,” she stated.
Crack down on vendors, containers...
“I’m sure you know the number of policemen who get injured or are nearly hit by vehicles at roadblocks, because some people don’t pay attention to them. So, we are rolling out portable speed bumps in modular segments to ensure the safety of police officers and others conducting roadblock traffic management,” the Minister explained.
Amidst these interventions, Minister Edghill stressed the need for a cultural shift in the mindset of errant drivers.
plemented, the bar owner can be charged if he allows someone who has been drinking all night to drive,” Edghill warned.
In the post, it was stated that the $64 million contract which was awarded to EURONET Consulting for $64M included experts from both Europe and Guyana, the National Trust of Guyana and City Hall. In 2021, a $780 million contract was signed between the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and the contractors for the restoration of City Hall.
The building had suffered much neglect over the years even though millions of dollars have been allocated to facilitate repairs, including some $20 million in 2012.
“I am making a call this morning. At the individual level, we must have a cultural change when it comes to traffic and the use of our roads. And how do we achieve that cultural change? It must start with peer pressure,” he said.
“We have put laws in place to prevent drunk driving, but we’ve got to talk to
He added, “You’ve got to take the keys. We’ve moved the responsibility beyond just the reckless individual who wants to drink and then drive with blurred vision or in a spirited manner. We’ve got to talk to each other. Speeding must also be
each other. If you’re drinking tonight, you can’t drive, in the new law we’ve im-
addressed.”
Edghill in his address noted too that with the expansive road networks in
place and currently being developed, there is a need for road users to resist from speeding, as he related that numerous requests for speed bumps have been lodged with his ministry.
He further emphasized the need to address issues related to truckers on the roadways, highlighting that currently Guyana needs to lend their focus to the truck driver in an attempt to develop livelihood awareness.
As such, he also revealed that the ministry is in the process of procuring 200 clamps for trucks.
Edghill pointed out that another major reason for purchasing these clamps is the issue of unsafe parking.
“One of the main reasons why we’re buying these wheel clamps—and members of the media can help me get this message out— is because one of the dangers developing right now is trucks parking on lit roadways at night on major thoroughfares. We all drive, we walk, and we sleep, but it seems like every time a new
road is built, the Ministry of Public Works is forced to address these parking issues.”
The IDB Country Representative, Lorena Salazar in remarks said that “it is better to lose one minute of your time than to lose your life in a minute” as she expressed the agency’s delight in the partnership for enhanced road safety in Guyana.
In a release, the GPF said that in accepting the donation, Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken stated that the force is pleased with the new equipment that will go a long way as the Force continues the modernising of its traffic posture.
Also present at the handover ceremony were Deputy Commissioner ‘Administration’ Ravindradat Budhram, Traffic Chief Senior Superintendent Mahendra Singh, Senior Engineer of the Public Works Ministry, Kester Hinds and other officials, officers and ranks of the Guyana Police Force.
"Chicken man" released on $600,000 bail as murder charge is reduced to manslaughter
…as DPP orders charges against deceased co-accused
Seeindra Marimutoo, called ‘Chicken man’, who had previously been charged with murder, was on Monday granted bail after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) advised that the charge be reduced to manslaughter.
Marimutoo, a 43-yearold poultry vendor of Lot 43 Portuguese Quarters, Port Mourant, Corentyne, (Region Six: East BerbiceCorentyne) is before the court for the alleged unlawful killing of 18-year-old Parmand Pertab, committed on October 26, 2024. When the matter was first heard by Magistrate Tuana Hardy at the Whim Magistrate’s Court, Marimutoo was remanded, but Attorney-atLaw Latchmie Rahamat,
representing the accused, had informed the court that the defence would be making a formal request to the DPP for a review of the charge. Subsequently, the murder charge was withdrawn, and a manslaughter charge has been instituted.
Magistrate Hardy has placed Marimutoo on $600,000 bail on Monday, January 21, 2025, and has ordered that he returns to court on February 17.
Deceased co-accused
The DPP had also advised that manslaughter charges be instituted on Surinamese national Marciano Michel Lelon, called ‘Dutchie’, a labourer of Bangladesh in Port Mourant. However, by the time the DPP’s advice
had been obtained, Lelon had already been killed, and three persons have since been charged with his murder. Those charges were instituted after two persons reportedly confessed to killing the Surinamese national and dumping his body in a trench at Port Mourant.
Nicholas Chinarine, also known as “Kakoo,” a 24-year-old labourer; and 22-year-old Christopher Chinarine, along with Michael Anthony Brijjader, also known as “Mickey,” a 31-year-old labourer, all of Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, are currently before the court for Lelon’s murder.
Lelon had been one of several persons arrested after teen bandit Parmand Pertab had been killed fol-
lowing a botched robbery committed on a jeweller in the Port Mourant Market.
The police had arrested Lelon, Marimutoo and others after a video of the killing of Pertab had been seen.
The Surinamese national had subsequently been released from police custody and had become a prosecution witness against Marimutoo. However, he was subsequently found dead in a trench at Port Mourant.
The two men who reportedly confessed to killing Lelon had reportedly told investigators that the murder accused had had his sister hire them to kill the Surinamese national for implicating him in the murder of the teen bandit. The brothers reportedly told detectives that they had been promised payment when the poultry vendor is released from prison.
Teen bandit killed Parmand Pertab, also called “Mikey”, the 18-yearold teen bandit of Lot 45C Hampshire Village, Corentyne, died on October 26, 2024 after being attacked by a vigilante group at Port Mourant after he and an accomplice had robbed a goldsmith in the Port Mourant Market. In the process of fleeing with the booty, the teenager was attacked and killed. The vid-
eo-recorded incident shows a group of armed men inflicting injuries on the helpless Pertab, who collapsed and died shortly after. Marimutoo was subsequently charged for Pertab’s death. According to reports, Lelon was also part of the mob that had attacked Pertab, but he was not charged and had become a state witness. (G4)
After 11 years on the run Farmer wanted for murder nabbed, charged
A38-year-old farmer of Campbelltown Village, Mahdia, Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni) was arrested on Sunday and later charged with the 2013 murder of 66-year-old Gilbert Adams, a farmer from Manawarin Village, North West District, Region One (Barima-Waini).
It was alleged that on May 22, 2013, at Manawarin Village, Bennie Charles Adams murdered Gilbert Adams and went on the run since then.
Remanded: Bennie Charles Adams
After his arrest, Adams appeared before the Acquero Magistrate’s Court in Region One on Thursday where Magistrate Ravindra Mohabir read the charge to him. He was remanded to prison and the case was scheduled to continue on March 3.
Manslaughter accused Seeindra Marimutoo, called "Chicken Man"
Regional
COP30 in Brazil set to spotlight developing countries' climate finance needs
As world leaders grapple with the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, Brazil, the host of this year’s COP30 global climate summit, sees an opportunity to amplify the voices of developing nations in what will be a fierce dispute over who will pay for the global transition to cleaner energy sources.
During last year’s summit, in Azerbaijan, a bitter fight that pitted wealthy nations against lower-income countries ended with a pledge from wealthy countries to provide US$300 billion a year to support developing nations by 2035. While the target is triple the current target of US$100 billion, it is only a fraction of the US$1.3 trillion per year developing countries say are needed. The fight is likely to continue this year.
“It was already hard to get to $300 billion with the United States in the negotiation,” said Andre Correa do Lago, the newly-appointed President of COP30, in an interview with international media outlets on Wednesday.
He noted that, under President Joe Biden, the US implemented new policies to fight climate change and worked to strengthen the role of multilateral development banks, such as the World Bank, to increase financing of projects to curb global warming. Without all that action, Correa do Lago added, increasing climate finance “will certainly be harder now”.
Despite those challenges, Correa do Lago added, developing countries are “very united” in blocking calls from wealthy nations to expand the base of countries that financially support efforts to mitigate climate change and adapt to its impacts around the world.
In recent years, European leaders have been calling on emerging economies that are big polluters and increasingly wealthy,
such as China and Gulf states, to make mandatory contributions to help poorer countries cope with climate change. China, the second most populous nation on Earth, is by far the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
“What developed countries want isn’t to increase the financial resources, they want to lower their contribution in donating financial resources and that is naturally and profoundly wrong,” Correa do Lago said.
The US withdrawal also stirred questions about which countries will help steer the outcome of the global climate summit this year. As one of world's biggest economies and emitters, the US has been central to negotiating the outcomes of COP meetings, along with the European Union and China.
Commenting on the expected US exit from the Paris Agreement at last year's COP29 climate summit, China's climate envoy Liu Zhenmin said "Everyone expects China and the EU to work together to fill this gap", according to Staterun newspaper The Beijing News. "Which is a beautiful wish, but it is actually difficult to do."
Correa do Lago pointed to the BRICS group –which gathers Brazil, China and other emerging economies – as a forum that may help Brazil build a consen-
sus among developing nations to not back down on their calls for more contributions from wealthy nations, which are historically the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases. Brazil also holds the BRICS presidency this year.
“We are going to seek also in BRICS to obtain some consensus and provoke certain discussions,” Correa do Lago said.
During the G20 summit in Brazil last year, Brazil and other developing countries managed to block an attempt by wealthy nations to include a call for emerging economies to help in climate finance. Correa do Lago was one of the lead negotiators then.
Correa do Lago made a strong defence of what emerging economies are already doing to combat climate change with their own budgets, highlighting Brazil’s efforts to curb deforestation, a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, and the trillions in Chinese investments in clean energy technology.
“China is providing infinitely more resources to the developing world by massively reducing the price of solar panels and the cost of electric vehicles,” he said, adding that these investments are a lot more meaningful to poorer countries than if China "were just contributing symbolic amounts". (Excerpt from Reuters)
T&T cops kill 3 in shootout after grocery robbery
Police have apprehended two of the suspects involved in an armed robbery and confrontation with officers in Longdenville, Chaguanas, on Tuesday night that led to the killing of three suspected bandits by the lawmen.
One of the suspects was located hiding at a house in Bangladesh, St Joseph, on
Wednesday while the details of the apprehension of second suspect remain undisclosed up to press time.
Authorities plan to place both suspects in an identification parade in the coming days.
The three were among four persons killed by Police in two separate incidents between Tuesday night and
Wednesday. Three of five suspects in the Chaguanas incident were fatally shot during a gunfight with Police following a robbery at a grocery on Tuesday night. Residents of the area said they were pleased with the swift work of the Police.
(Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)
US calls Venezuela's Gonzalez
“rightful
The United States referred to Venezuelan Opposition politician Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as the country's "rightful President" on Wednesday, Washington's latest rejection of leader Nicolás Maduro's third term.
Gonzalez, Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado and top US diplomat Marco Rubio spoke in a phone call where Rubio "reaffirmed the United States' support for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela as well as the immediate release of all political prisoners" ,State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said.
In the statement, the State Department referred to the now-exiled Gonzalez as "the rightful President of Venezuela".
The United States, European Union and several of Venezuela's democrat-
President”
ic neighbours have refused to recognise Maduro's claim to have won re-election to a third six-year term in last year's polls.
The Opposition says its tally of results from the July vote showed a clear victory for 75-year-old Gonzalez, who went into exile in Spain in September after a crackdown on dissent.
Former US President Joe Biden, who left office on Monday, had also referred to Gonzalez as Venezuela's rightful leader, calling him the "President-elect".
Gonzalez was in the United States recently, and attended President Donald Trump's inauguration.
During his first term, Trump imposed punishing sanctions on the country's vital oil sector and recognised Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó as interim president in a failed bid to persuade Venezuela's military to ditch
Maduro after fraud-tainted elections in 2018.
Some observers had speculated that Trump might take a softer approach on Maduro this time around, in hopes of reaching a deal on migration.
Crisis-mired Venezuela has seen seven million people, almost a quarter of its population, flee abroad, with many making their way toward the United States.
During Rubio's confirmation hearing, however, the diplomat blasted Venezuela's current government, signalling a potentially hardline stance for the next four years.
Machado, in a post on X sharing a screenshot of herself, Rubio and Gonzalez on a video call, said that Rubio taking the call within a day of become Secretary of State demonstrated how important Venezuela was "for US foreign policy (AFP)
Tren de Aragua members nabbed in Chile for murder of Venezuelan dissident
Chilean authorities conducted large-scale raids throughout Santiago this week that authorities say led to the arrest of more than a dozen gang members linked to the murder of a Venezuelan dissident.
Attorney General Angel Valencia said the raids that started Wednesday morning led to the arrest of 23 persons linked to a cell belonging to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, 16 of which
were linked to the murder of Ronald Ojeda, a former Venezuelan Lieutenant accused of plotting treason against the Venezuelan Government.
The local cell of the gang, which US President Donald Trump labeled a terrorist organisation earlier this week, had committed extortion, kidnapping and murder among other crimes, Valencia added.
Chile had previously said the murder was political and
Interior Minister Carolina Toha said on Thursday there was "substantial evidence" that the murder was ordered by Venezuelan authorities.
"This morning, the attorney general has confirmed that there is substantial evidence that indicate a link between the horrible murder of former lieutenant Ojeda and instructions or order from Venezuelan authorities," Toha said in a post on X on Thursday. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Rubio to visit Central America in late January in 1st foreign visit
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio will visit Panama and four other countries in Central America and the Caribbean starting late next week during his first overseas trip as Washington's top diplomat, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Thursday.
The trip, which Bruce said will also include stops in Guatemala, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica, comes as President Donald Trump has put immigration at the centre of his foreign policy agenda and made a push for the United States to take back the Panama Canal in comments that have angered the Central American country.
"There is a reason why this is the first trip. It signals how serious he takes it, what it's going to mean when it comes to his programmes, and how it relates to his commitment to this nation, to address those issues that matter to him, and certainly the
issues of the Trump agenda," Bruce told reporters.
"It's about making sure that if we're going to be safe and prosperous and in good shape, we ... have to have an interest in our neighbours –and in today's world, it's certainly it's South and Central America."
Trump has also accused Panama of breaking the promises it made for the final transfer of the strategic waterway in 1999 and of ceding its operation to China – accusations that the Panamanian
Government has strongly denied.
"We didn't give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we're taking it back," Trump said in his inaugural address on Monday.
President Jose Raul Mulino responded on X on Monday that the Panama Canal "is and will continue to be Panamanian". Panama has also alerted the United Nations to Trump's remarks, in a letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva greet Brazilian Ambassador Andre Correa do Lago while he's announced as President of the UN climate conference COP30, at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, January 21, 2025 (Reuters/Ueslei Marcelino photo)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Reuters/Elizabeth Frantz photo)
Around the World
Oil falls as Trump urges OPEC to lower prices
Oil fell one per cent on Thursday after US President Donald Trump urged Saudi Arabia and the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to bring down its cost during his address at the World Economic Forum.
Uncertainty over how Trump's proposed tariffs and energy policies would affect global economic growth and energy demand also weighed on prices.
Brent crude futures settled 71 cents, or 0.9 per cent, lower at US$78.29 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude settled down 82 cents, or 1.09 per cent, to US$74.62.
Prices dipped after Trump announced he would ask Saudi Arabia and OPEC to bring down the cost of oil during his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
"Trump's call for lower oil prices will naturally be welcomed by consumers and businesses, but received warily by the US oil industry and other global suppliers," said Clay Seigle, senior fellow for energy security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The energy industry has been calling for increased investments in global oil and gas projects, but bringing down oil prices could raise concerns about the economics of new projects, he added.
US crude oil stockpiles slipped to their lowest level since March 2022 last week even as refining activity slowed, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Thursday. But the drawdown was smaller than analysts had expected. Distillate inventories also declined, while gasoline inventories rose, the EIA said.
The broader economic implications of US tariffs could further dampen global oil demand growth, said Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at brokerage Phillip Nova. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Hezbollah demands Israeli forces complete withdrawal from Lebanon on time
The Lebanese group Hezbollah has demanded that Israeli forces complete a withdrawal from the country’s south in line with terms of the ceasefire deal agreed by the two sides, as the Israeli Government said the agreement was not being implemented fast enough.
Israel and the Iranaligned group agreed in November to a ceasefire mediated by France and the United States, bringing an end to more than a year of fighting.
Under the deal, Israeli forces were to withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah forces were to withdraw from southern Lebanon over a 60-day period ending on Monday.
Trump says he's ready to meet Putin "immediately" to secure end of Ukraine war
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he wanted to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as possible to secure an end to the war with Ukraine and expressed a desire to work towards cutting nuclear arms.
In the run-up to his November 5 election victory, Trump declared many times that he would have a deal in place between Ukraine and Russia on his first day in office, if not before. His advisers now concede the war will take months to resolve.
"I really would like to be able to meet with President Putin soon to get that war ended," Trump, who returned to the White House on Monday, told the World Economic Forum in Davos via video link.
"And that's not from the standpoint of economy or anything else. It's from the
US
standpoint of millions of lives are being wasted ... It's a carnage. And we really have to stop that war."
Speaking at the White House later in the day, Trump told reporters he was ready to meet with Putin as soon as possible to end what he called a ridiculous war.
"From what I hear, Putin
would like to see me, and we'll leave as soon as we can. I'd meet immediately," Trump said. "Every day we don't meet, soldiers are being killed in the battlefield."
Trump added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had told him he was ready to make a deal to end the war.
Trump told participants in Davos that US efforts to secure a peace settlement were now hopefully under way, but gave no details. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Earlier this week, Trump threatened to impose "high levels" of sanctions on Russia and tariffs on imports from there if Moscow did not reach a settlement.
Trump also told the crowd on Thursday he wants to work towards cutting nuclear arms, adding that he thought Russia and China might support reducing their own weapons capabilities.
"We'd like to see denuclearization ... and I will tell you President Putin really liked the idea of cutting way back on nuclear. And I think the rest of the world, we would have gotten them to follow, and China would have come along too," Trump said. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Judge temporarily blocks Trump's order restricting birthright citizenship
Afederal judge blocked Donald Trump's administration on Thursday
from implementing the Republican President's executive order curtailing the right to automat-
ICC Prosecutor seeks arrest of Taliban leaders for “persecuting Afghan girls and women”
Meanwhile, Reuters reported Palestinians in northern Gaza prepared tent encampments for displaced families on Thursday, two days before they were expected to return to their home areas in accordance with the timeline of a ceasefire deal agreed between Israel and Hamas. On open ground surrounded by blown-out buildings, a group of men began putting up rows of white tents to receive families who are planning to return north on Saturday when the Palestinian militant group Hamas is due to release a second batch of hostages in return for dozens of Palestinians jailed by Israel.
(Excerpts from Al Jazeera and Reuters)
The top Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) says he will seek arrest warrants against senior leaders of the Taliban Government in Afghanistan over the persecution of women and girls.
Karim Khan said there were reasonable grounds to suspect Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani bore criminal responsibility for crimes against humanity on gender grounds.
ICC Judges will now decide whether to issue an arrest warrant.
The ICC investigates and brings to justice those responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity and war
crimes, intervening when national authorities cannot or will not prosecute.
In a statement, Khan said the two men were "criminally responsible for persecuting Afghan girls and women, as well as persons whom the Taliban perceived as not conforming with their ideological expectations of gender identity or expression, and persons whom the Taliban perceived as allies of girls and women".
Opposition to the Taliban Government is "brutally repressed through the commission of crimes including murder, imprisonment, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence, enforced disappearance, and other inhumane acts", he added.
(Excerpt from BBC News)
ic birthright citizenship in the United States, calling it "blatantly unconstitutional".
Seattle-based US District Judge John Coughenour issued a temporary restraining order at the urging of four Democratic-led states – Washington, Arizona, Illinois and Oregon – preventing the Administration from enforcing the order.
Trump had signed the order on Monday, his first day back in office.
The judge, an appointee of Republican former President Ronald Reagan, dealt the first legal setback to the hardline policies on immigration that are a
centrepiece of Trump's second term as President.
"Obviously we'll appeal," Trump said of Coughenour's ruling.
Trump's executive order had directed US agencies to refuse to recognise the citizenship of children born in the United States if neither their mother nor father is a US citizen or lawful permanent resident.
"I am having trouble understanding how a member of the bar could state unequivocally that this order is constitutional," the Judge told a US Justice Department lawyer defending Trump's order. "It just boggles my mind." (Excerpt from Reuters)
Southport killer jailed for minimum 52 years
Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has been sentenced to a minimum of 52 years for the "sadistic" murders of three young girls in an attack described as "shocking" and "pure evil".
Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven; Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, died while eight other children and two adults – dance class leader Leanne Lucas and businessman Jonathan Hayes – were seriously wounded.
The 18-year-old refused to come into the courtroom as he was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court, having been removed from the dock earlier due to disruptive behaviour – which included demands to see a paramedic and shouts of "I feel ill".
Sentencing him, the Judge said: "Many who have heard the evidence might describe what he did as evil, who could dispute it?"
(Excerpt from BBC News)
Palestinians sit next to a fire amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, January 22, 2025
(Reuters/Mahmoud Issa photo)
Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada – seen here on a poster in Kabul – has been accused of crimes against humanity on gender grounds
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold a bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders’ summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019 (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque file photo)
Axel Rudakubana
Opportunities will come when you least expect. Get out, circulate and volunteer your services. You’ll connect with someone who sparks your interest. Be brave and ask for what you want.
A change will do you good. Whether you rearrange your living space, make a move or spend the day doing something new and exciting, you will enjoy the boost. Actions speak louder than words.
There is a lesson to learn today. Before you offer your time, consider the cost or consequences. Stop trying to impress someone who doesn’t care. Ask yourself what will benefit you most.
Put your energy to good use. Dig in and finish what you start, and you’ll receive the accolades you deserve. Use your wit, charm and talent, and you’ll have an impact on those hoping to benefit from your help.
A change of heart will help you differentiate between what you have and what you want. Be honest and precise, and start a dialogue. Take advantage of an opportunity to explore new possibilities.
Speak up and enforce positive change. Follow your heart, engage in activities that encourage better relationships or contribute something that helps others and makes you feel good. Keep the peace.
Spend time fixing up your surroundings or entertaining friends and family. Attend a reunion, plan a trip or sign up for something that offers insight or enlightenment.
Test your strength, knowledge and skills, and it will boost your morale. Step away from anyone playing games with you or trying to take advantage of you. Walk away from negative situations and do what’s best for you.
Keep your finances and personal matters to yourself. Someone will be eager to take advantage of you if you are too accommodating.
Offer others insight and emotional support, but refrain from taking control or paying for someone else’s mistake. Avoid joint ventures that require you to invest money or sign contracts. You’ll do best if you act alone.
Change begins with ideas and hard work. Put your emotions and ego aside, and create a strict budget before you tackle situations requiring patience and common sense.
Remain calm and think before you act, and you’ll find suitable solutions. Speak up, volunteer and be the one to make a difference. Use your insight, charm and dedication to reach your goal.
ICC Women’s U19 T20I World Cup 2025…
West Indies qualify for Super Six stage
…India blow away Sri Lanka to top Group A
India finished atop Group
A after beating Sri Lanka in a top-of-the-table clash on Thursday, while West Indies secured their spot in the Super Six stage by knocking out Malaysia.
Playing the second game of the day in Kuala Lumpur, India completed their perfect group stage campaign with a resounding 60-run win over Sri Lanka, who had also come into the match on the back of two wins.
Gongadi Trisha’s 44-ball 49 helped India put 118 for 9 on the board, before their bowlers restricted Sri Lanka to 58 for 9.
India were in trouble early when they lost two wickets in the space of four balls, but Trisha lifted them from 17 for 2 to 78 for 4. Cameos from Mithila Vinod and VJ Joshitha then took India to a formidable total in a match that followed a script that was similar to
SCOREBOARD
West Indies Women Under19s (20 ovs maximum)
Asabi Callender
b Nur Izzatul Syafiqa 30 Samara Ramnath (c) c †Nur Aliya Binti Hairun
b Nur Dania Syuhada 5 Naijanni Cumberbatch
b Fatin Faqihah Adani 5
Jahzara Claxton c †Nur Aliya
Binti Hairun b Siti Nazwah 19 Abigail Bryce c Nazatul Hidayah Husna
b Nur Izzatul Syafiqa 14 Kenika Cassar lbw
b Siti Nazwah 6
Amrita Ramtahal not out 5 Denella Creese † run out (sub [Neserle Yean Alik]) 1
Extras (lb 3, nb 1, w23) 27
Total 20 Ov (RR: 5.60) 112/7
Did not bat: Erin Deane, Trisha Hardat, Selena Ross Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Samara Ramnath, 5.1 ov), 2-44 (Naijanni Cumberbatch, 11.1 ov), 3-65 (Asabi Callender, 12.6 ov), 4-80 (Jahzara Claxton, 14.2 ov), 5-103 (Kenika Cassar, 17.6 ov), 6-108 (Abigail Bryce, 19.3 ov), 7-112 (Denella Creese, 19.6 ov)
Bowling O-M-R-W Marsya Qistina
4-0-13-0
b Claxton 5
Nur Dania Syuhada (c)
b Ramnath 12
Suabika Manivannan
b Ramnath 5 Nur Izzatul Syafiqa lbw
b Ramnath 0 Nur Aliya Binti Mohd Hairun † c Cassar
b Cumberbatch 2
Nuriman Hidayah c Hardat
b Cumberbatch 2
Nur Ain Binti Roslan
b Deane 0 Fatin Faqihah Adani
b Deane 0 Siti Nazwah not out 4 Marsya Qistina Binti Abdullah lbw
Sri Lanka lost wickets in the first five overs as Shabnam Shakil and VJ Joshitha each claimed two; and there was a run out when
Rashmika Sewwandi tried to inject some impetus as Sri Lanka added 21 runs for the sixth wicket. Thereafter, Parunika Sisodia and Ayushi Shukla took three wickets in three overs to put the contest to bed. Sri Lanka’s last two batting pairs did well to survive ten overs to avoid get-
ting bowled out, but the match was decided halfway through the chase.
West Indies had earlier beat hosts Malaysia by 53 runs. Despite scoring just 112 for 7 from their 20 overs, West Indies skittled Malaysia out for 59 to finish third in Group A. As a result, Malaysia were knocked out after finishing bottom of the group with three defeats. Captain Samara Ramnath starred in the virtual knockout fixture for West Indies. She was out for 5 at the top of the order, but then wreaked havoc with the ball, finishing with figures of 4 for 6; which were bettered only by five-fors from India’s Vaishnavi Sharma and Scotland’s Maisie Maceira in this edition.
Malaysia were at 38 for 2 after ten overs as they chased 113, and that’s when Ramnath started a collapse that saw the hosts lose eight wickets for 21 runs. Malaysia batters were unable to read her, and she got all four of her wickets either bowled or lbw. She got two wickets in her second over, including that of her opposite number Nur Daniya
SCOREBOARD
India Women Under-19s (20 ovs maximum)
Gongadi Trisha c Kavindi
b Nanayakkara 49
G Kamalini † c Praboda
b Methsara 5
Sanika Chalke c &
b Methsara 0
Niki Prasad (c) c &
b Thalagune 11
Bhavika Ahire c Thalagune
b Thilakarathna 7
Mithila Vinod c Nanayakkara
b Thalagune 16
Aayushi Shukla c Gimhani
b Thilakarathna 5
VJ Joshitha c Kavindi
b Sewwandi 14
Shabnam Shakil not out 2
Parunika Sisodia st †Nisansala
b Praboda 1
Vaishnavi Sharma not out 1
Extras (lb 1, w 6) 7
Total 20 Ov (RR: 5.90) 118/9
Sri Lanka Women Under-19s (T: 119 runs from 20 ovs)
Sanjana Kavindi
b Joshitha 5
Sumudu Nisansala † c Joshitha
b Shabnam Shakil 0
Dahami Sanethma c Chalke
b Shabnam Shakil 2
Hiruni Hansika lbw
b Joshitha 2
Manudi Nanayakkara (c) run out (Joshitha/†Kamalini) 2
Rashmika Sewwandi c Mithila
b Sisodia 15
Limansa Thilakarathna
b Sisodia 6
Shashini Gimhani lbw
b Aayushi Shukla 3 Aseni Thalagune
b Vaishnavi Sharma 9
Pramudi Methsara not out 7
Chamodi Praboda not out 2
Extras (w 5) 5
Total 20 Ov (RR: 2.90) 58/9
Syuhada, and then picked a third in her next.
Fellow offspinners
Naijanni Cumberbatch and Erin Deane then took four wickets in the next three overs, before Ramnath completed the rout in the 18th over.
West Indies had been put in to bat, and had struggled to pick up the pace, but opener Assabi Callender held the innings together with a 42ball 30, and got them to a total that proved to be more than sufficient. (Adapted from ESPNCricinfo)
Binti Abdullah
Suabika Manivannan 4-0-16-0
Nur Dania Syuhada 4-1-16-1
Siti Nazwah 4-0-28-2
Fatin Faqihah Adani
Nur Izzatul Syafiqa
Malaysia Women Under-19s (T: 113 runs from 20 ovs)
1-0-10-1
3-0-26-2
Bowling O-M-R-W Selena Ross
Trisha Hardat
Jahzara Claxton
Nazatul Hidayah Husna Binti Razali run out (Claxton/†Creese) 8
The Malaysian players thanked the home fans after they were eliminated from the competition
Limansa Thilakaratne (R) picked up a couple of wickets
India celebrating another win
Windies Captain Samara Ramnauth (R) spun webs around Malaysia
Sam, Fernandez clinch National U12 Chess titles
Abel Fernandez and Kataleya Sam are Guyana’s new Under-12 Chess Champions for 2025.
They performed splendidly in the National U12 Chess Championships hosted by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) under sponsorship of Moo Milk, which went off without a hitch on Saturday, January 19, in the Oasis Terrace Room of the Guyana Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.
Some 54 players participated in these championships, the largest ever number to participate in an under-12 tournament, with 38 being boys and 16 being girls. The seven-round competition showcased outstanding talent from young upcoming chess enthusiasts and fierce competition from the more experienced players in the junior divisions vying for top honours in the Open and Girls categories.
Abel Fernandez, a newcomer to the scene, copped the Open Category of the Championship when he defeated his opponents to become the holder of the 2025 title; while the defending Girls Champion Kataleya Sam successfully regained her crown after playing unbeaten in the seven rounds.
The Open category was hotly contested, with Fernandez winning with 6 points. The 2024 Open U12 Champion Jeremy Cole placed second with 5.5 points, while Yan Wen Chen took third place also with 5.5 points. In the Girls category, Chelsea Harrison copped second place with 5 points, while Rebha Lachman placed third, also with 5 points.
Category prizes went to the Best U10 player in the Open Category, Aiden Tinnie; while Saura Ruplall won Best U10 player in the Girls Category.
The Best U8 prizes went respectively to Zidane Harmon and Isabella Loy in the Open and Girls categories.
Medals were presented to the second and third plac-
es for the U10 and U8 age categories. Placing second and third for the U10 Open were Javier Davenand with 5 points, and Vir Narine with 5 points. Amy Ramphal and Divya Persaud placed second and third respectively in the Girls Category.
From the youngsters in the U8 Open, Avery Munroe and Ian Charles took home medals for placing second and third respectively, and the U8 Girls Malia Thompson and Maya Khan earned their second and third spots respectively.
Each participant was presented with a certificate of participation by Moo Milk representative Ms. Shannon Savory, who also presented the trophies and medals.
The Rapid Chess competition was set to seven rounds
West Indies Tour of Pakistan 2025: Test 2 of 2…
Athanaze says aggressive approach against spinners will continue
…“We will have a similar approach”, he promises
West Indies middle-order batsman Alick Athanaze expects the team to employ the same aggressive batting approach in the second Test against Pakistan, which begins on Saturday in Multan. This is despite a crushing 127-run defeat in the first Test at the same venue.
The tourists were bowled out last week for 137 and 123 on a pitch that could only be described as a spinner’s par adise, conditions they would most likely encounter again.
Pakistani spinners
of getting the upper hand on the dominant Pakistan spinners.
Speaking in a pre-match press conference on Thursday, middle order batsman Alick Athanaze said the key for the West Indies would be to execute better.
each for both the Open and Girls Categories, and was played in the Swiss format, with a time control of 20 minutes plus 5-second increments after the first move. The competition featured top-tier players vying for the titles, with several girls achieving outstanding results. This year’s event underscored the continued growth of junior chess in Guyana, evidenced by the encouraging turnout of young players eager to test their skills.
The 2025 National Under-12 Chess Championships were a true testament to the dedication and talent of young Guyanese chess players, and many are already looking forward to the next tournament.
In a solicited comment, the President of the Guyana Chess Federation, Mr. Anand Raghunauth, remarked, “The U12 serves as a significant entry point into competitive chess for young players. It offers an excellent opportunity
for parents to recognize their children’s potential and for chess coaches to identify new talent. The tournament contributes to the overall development of both the young players and the sport of chess as a whole.”
The competition was overseen by Chief Arbiter John Lee, who was assisted by Jessica Callender, Kim Shing Chong, Ricardo Narine, Odit Rodrigues, Italy Ton-Chung, Ethan Lee, Oluwadare Oyeyipo and Kishan Puran.
The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) has expressed sincere gratitude to DeSinco Trading for their generous support through the Moo Milk brand, which made this event possible. The GCF also thanked the Guyana Pegasus Hotel for graciously hosting the tournament at their unique venue.
The GCF also congratulated all the young participants for their incredible display of skill and strategic ability.
Thaddeus Lovell is latest beneficiary of Cricket Gear Initiative
Thaddeus Lovell, a 20-year-old allrounder who is the latest selectee on the Guyana Senior Cricket Team for the 2025 Regional Tournament, has benefitted from the receipt of one pair of cricket shoes, compliments of the Cricket Gear joint initiative between Anil Beharry of Guyana and Kishan Das of the USA.
batsman. All cash collected is being used to purchase cricket gear requested and not available at the time.
ing bowlers Jomel Warrican and Jayden Seales with their scores of 31* and 22 in the first innings.
“Obviously runs under your belt as a batsman is currency, and that is what makes you feel good,” said Athanaze.
“I’ve felt good since the practice match, so I’m not short of confidence, I would say. I’m feeling good,” he added.
The former Leonora Secondary student has represented his country at the under-15 and under-17 levels, and is a member of the famous Georgetown Cricket Club, home of outstanding cricketers such as Ramnaresh Sarwan, current chairman of selectors of the Guyana Cricket Board, and Carl Hooper.
He shared the advice he’s given to the batting unit heading into the second Test, once again emphasizing the use of horizontal bat shots.
Sajid Khan, Noman Ali and Abrar Ahmed com bined to take all 20 West Indian wickets over the three-day contest. West Indies spinners also had success, most notably Jomel Warrican, who took 10 wickets in the game, in cluding a ca reer-best 7-32 in the second innings. In an at tempt to combat the dominant spin attack of the hosts, West Indies had adopted an aggressive batting strategy that included sweeps and reverse sweeps, but with little success. Nevertheless, many believe this might be the West Indies’ best chance
“I think it was entirely about execution, to be honest. If we look at most of the guys that scored runs on the wicket, they played a lot of sweeps and they played aggressively. It only looked that way because I think we didn’t execute as well as we wanted to,” Athanaze
“I think we will have a similar approach in terms of playing our sweeps and playing our shots. Obviously, we’ll have to assess conditions first, but that would be the approach,” he Athanaze did not have a bad match individually.
He was the only West Indies batsman to score a half-century in the game, with his 55 in the second innings. In fact, he was one of only three batsmen to pass 20 for the regional side, with the other two be-
“I think the wicket suits my game. I’m a sweeper, so my suggestion to the other batters would be to try to execute, and look at the ball a bit longer. It is difficult to bat on the wickets here, no doubt, but I guess just trust your defense and work on your sweeps and reverse sweeps,” he said.
The Dominican has also given credit to Pakistan’s bowlers, noting that the regional side have to find a way to get one step ahead of them.
“They understand their conditions very well, and have world class bowlers. We have to just try to get them off their game and think one step ahead all the time. Get in their head, see what they’re trying to do to us, and combat that,” he said.
Time will tell whether the West Indian batsmen can execute the way they need to in those conditions. (Adapted from Sportsmax)
Delighted at being selected to benefit, young Lovell has been very thankful for the gift; and the joint initiative has said, “We take this opportunity to wish the hard-hitting right-handed batsman and right arm fast bowler good luck in his future. This project is pleased to be part of the development of young cricketers in Guyana. Our aim is to keep them off the streets and get them actively involve in sports, cricket in particular.”
Total cricket related items received/purchased so far: $460,000 in cash, thirteen colored cricket uniforms, one set of stumps, two trophies, thirty two pairs of cricket shoes, thirty seven pairs of batting pads, forty two cricket bats, thirty eight pairs of batting gloves, twenty eight thigh pads, three pairs of wicket keeping pads, six arm guards, two chest pads, two boxes, thirteen gear bags, thirteen bat rubbers, six helmets, one fiber glass bat, one pair of floppy hat, fourteen boxes and four of white cricket balls, eleven boxes of red cricket balls, one bat cone and twenty eight footballs. In addition to the above, gear with value of over $600,000 was donated by Sheik Mohamed, former National wicket keeper/
To date, ninety-three young players, male and female, from all three counties of Guyana have benefited directly from cash, seven gear bags, two trophies, four arm guards, thirty-three bats, four boxes, six helmets, thirty-five pairs of cricket shoes, twenty-one pairs of batting pads, twenty-four thigh pads, one bat grip, thirty-seven pairs of batting gloves, one pair of wicketkeeping pads and three pairs of wicketkeeping gloves. Many others benefited indirectly. In addition, two clubs in the Pomeroon area benefited from two used bats. Pomeroon, Leguan and Wakenam Cricket Committees and Cotton Tree Die Hard also received one box of red cricket balls each, Cold Fusion Cricket Club thirteen color uniforms while RHCCCC received six boxes of balls, fifteen white cricket shirts, one pair of junior batting pads, one pair of wicket-keeping gloves, two sets of stumps and bails. Other beneficiaries are The Essequibo Cricket Board, the Town of Lethem, youth coach Travis Persaud (one box of red cricket balls), male and female teams playing the traditional hardball and softball in the Upper Corentyne area, No.65 Young Titans with 30 T-Shirts, youths of Just Try Cricket Club, Wakenaam Cricket Academy (one box of white balls), Shamar Joseph, Nehemiah Hohenkirk, Shamar Apple, Leguan Cricket Committee, Tucber Park Cricket Club, Malteenoes Sports Club (nine cricket balls each), Kendall’s Union Cricket Club with two boxes of red balls, Lower Corentyne, Corentyne Comprehensive and JC Chandisingh Secondary Schools with twelve red balls each and Thaddeus Lovell with one pair of cricket shoes.
Cricket related items, used or new, are distributed free of
cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana. Skills, discipline and education are important characteristics of the recipients. Talent spotting is being done across the country and club leaders also assist to identify same. Progressive and well managed cricket clubs with a youth program, will also benefit.
A look at the participants in the National U12 Championships
Abel Fernandez copped the Open U12 Championship
Alick Athanaze says West Indies would continue to be aggressive
Ann’s Grove triumph in East Coast derby for Elite League spot
Adominant performance on Wednesday night helped Ann’s Grove United maintain their spot in the GFF Elite League.
They have lived to play another season in the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) Elite League following a clinical victory in the playoffs when they came up against Mahaica Determinators FC for the final spot in season 7 of the League. The ‘East Coast Derby’ saw Ann’s Grove eventually prevailing 4-1 over the opposition.
As was later divulged by their head Coach Calvin Allen, some clever tactics went into pulling off the victory. The smattering of fans at the GFF’s National Training Center (NTC) at Providence, East Bank Demerara did not have to wait too long to witness some fireworks, as Dellon Wright
opened the scoring for Ann’s Grove in the 23rd minute. His teammate Youhancey Francis made it a 2-0 affair by finding the back of the net in the 45th+2, and Jaden Vangronigen stunned the Mahaica goalkeeper with an early goal in the second segment, pushing the score to 3-0 in the 49th.
However, the Mahaica Determinators fought back. Brian Jugador found himself sprinting towards the goal with the lone remaining Ann’s Grove defender. When that defender couldn’t keep pace with Jugador and the Ann’s Grove keeper opted to get low, Judagor needed only to chip the ball into the net for the Determinators’ first goal, scored in the 75th.
It was almost a 3-2 game minutes later, but that advance was shut down - smartly this time – by the Ann’s Grove keeper.
Adam Gonsalves later added the proverbial cherry on top the cake with a strike in the 90th+2 to seal the 4-1 win for Ann’s Grove.
In the aftermath of the win, Ann’s Grove Head Coach Calvin Allen attribut ed the win to his team’s abili ty to stick to their game plan, which he also detailed.
“Well, I think the guys execute the game plan I would say almost to perfec tion; because, at the end of the day, we concede, so it could never be perfect. But we executed the game plan well,” he disclosed.
“We observed what the (opposing) team was doing in their past few games, their strengths and weaknesses. We also play them in a warmup game which gave us in sight into their way of play ing; and we realise they’re very energetic and they have quick front men, but they weren’t too good with build ing the play from the back,” Allen divulged.
“So, our plan was just not to give them any space behind our backs to run; and make sure (that) when their defenders defend the first ball, we try and win the second ball. It was about dominating the ball so we could take some of the energy
Popular philanthropist and ardent cricket supporter
Dave Narine, of Dave’s West Indian Imports (USA), has launched the Everest Cricket Club’s Pavilion and Hall Rehabilitation Fund with a first donation of five hundred thousand Guyana dollars (GY$500,000).
National player Richie Looknauth received the cheque on behalf of Everest, on Wednesday January 22, in the club’s pavilion.
Launch of the Renovation Fund precedes a massive Bingo which would be held on the grounds of the club on Saturday, January 25.
The project is integral to the programmes of the club, which contributes to the development and overall wellbeing of its members. Among the programmes are the Annual Youth Cricket Camp held by Everest, yoga and karate classes, and seminars for management and mental strength.
The pavilion and hall rehabilitation project has a twenty-million-dollar cost, and works are slated to begin in the first quarter of 2025.
Businessman Dave
Narine has said this is an initial contribution to kickstart the project, and he would make a further contribution. He said Everest Cricket Club has been leading the nation in terms of providing sporting facilities of exceptionally high standards.
Congratulating and commending the club, the Guyanese businessman added that the executives and members of Everest Club have been working hard to meet the high expectations of a modern nation, and he is encouraging others to come on board this project, which would contribute to talent development as Guyana prepares to compete at the Olympics in the sport of cricket.
Dave’s West Indian Imports are proud sponsors of an annual rival match between Albion Community Centre Cricket Club and Everest Cricket Club, and were once title sponsors of the Guyana Cricket Board’s Under-15 Inter-County tournament.
Thanks to Dave’s West Indian Imports, many of the finest Guyanese and West Indian products are available in Queen’s New York, and in Maryland and New Hampshire in the United States of America.
what to expect from his team, including some fresh faces.
“We acquired a number of new players, and moreso young players, to add to
can expect to see a lot more quality in the final attacking third in the new season,” Coach Allen related.
“We even have a few players in the National Youth
March. As a result of this Ann’s Grove United win, Lake Mainstay Goldstar would be the only new team in this year’s competition.
“We’re heading in the right direction” – Coach Adrian Hooper …explains combination of players in national team
The Guyana National Basketball Team is gearing up to compete in the highly anticipated Nation’s Cup basketball tournament today in Suriname, and Head Coach Adrian Hooper is confident in the ability of his team to emerge victorious.
This tournament would see Guyanese ballers facing off against Suriname and Grenada at the Ismay Van Wilgen Sports Hall.
The team is led by Head Coach Adrian Hooper and Assistant Coach Marlon Rodrigues, and is captained by the exceptional point guard Stanton Rose Jr.
Before their departure on Thursday morning, they suited up for the first time together at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall as they participated in a practice match against the National Select ‘B’ Team, to whom they administered a 28–point defeat, the final score being 85-57.
After the team practice match, Head Coach Hooper expounded on his analysis of the match and divulged that, once plans are executed, the team would reign victorious.
Hooper said, “I think the guys did well tonight. We executed a couple of plans that we had effec -
tively and offensively, and we came up with good results. As I said, most of the practice sessions focused on defense. Once we see through our plans, we will practice for a couple of weeks and do training. Like I said, we will become victorious.”
mixture of in experience and experience, Hooper com mented that the com bination has had a positive impact over the years, and is heading in the right direction. He said, “It’s a good combination. In the past years, we were dealing a lot with just senior players, senior players, senior players. We were able to mix a lot of youth into the national team this time, and it’s working out well for us.
“We’re heading in the right direction. We had a good show tonight in the warm-up game; and, like I said, collectively, we’re going to do a good job tonight.”
Joining Rose are Domair Gladstone (Kwakwani Untouchables), Orlan Glasgow and Harold Adams Webster and Oquacey Shortt (Colts), Jermaine Slater (Kobras), and Debutant Kimol Grimmond (Kwakwani Untouchables). (Omar McKenzie)
Towards the laying of the first block: Dave Narine (left) handing over the cheque to Richie Looknauth at Everest Cricket Club
Head Coach Adrian Hooper
A look at the battle between Ann’s Grove United (yellow) and Mahaica Determinators
